A Study of Small Sculpture from the Mesoamerican...

nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The Olmec, Maya, and Aztec were dominating societies of Mesoamerica, rich in culture, community, and art. While life may not be completely interpretable yet, much in known about how these societies were constructed, and how their religion dominated their lives. Much is generally made of their massive stonework, their ceremonial complexes, and ritual sacrifices, but their small jade, ceramic, and stone sculpture deserves as much attention as the works of much larger size have received. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The Olmec were thought to have set many of the patterns seen in later cultures throughout Mesoamerica.1 San Lorenzo, the oldest known Olmec building site, as of the time of the Brittanica article,†¦show more content†¦She has remarkably realistic features and proportions, as well as a short, but feminine hairstyle, womanly hips, and an expression of empowerment. Maybe this was not what the artist was trying to express, but the meaning changes through history, and yet, this piece can still relate to issues in society today (fig. 5). nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Ceremonial complexes were popular during the Middle Formative period for many Mesoamerican cultures. A wide array of Olmec style ritual sculptured objects, created from jade or other green stones, were found to be seated or standing figures, zoomorphic creatures, masks, and other small objects.7 nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Figure 6 is a small, carved figure depicting a supernatural being riding a jaguar, as it is so named for this. At only 8.9 cm tall, this piece is gray-green jadeite with a milky patina and a vain of softer mineral. Based on similar depictions of this being and the jaguar elsewhere in Olmec art, the creature could represent the ruler’s animal spirit companion. It is â€Å"his means of locomotion in his trance journey into the other world.†8 While F. Kent Reilly’s opinion is of this object having ritualistic ties to Shamanism, this, in theory, is only speculation, as such an object could have been produced purely for the enjoyment of the OlmecShow MoreRelatedEssay about Shamanism1696 Words   |  7 Pagesunderstand the meaning of shamanism one must uncover the original definition. The word shaman comes from the language of the Evenk, a small Tungus-speaking group of hunters and reindeer herders from Siberia. It was first used only to desi gnate a religious specialist from this region. By the beginning of the 20th century it was already being applied to a variety of North America and South American practices from the present and the past. Today people have gone as far as defining the word shaman as any humanRead More The Maya Essay1356 Words   |  6 Pages The Maya were a dominating society of Mesoamerica, rich in culture, community, and art. While life may not be completely interpretable yet, much in known about how these societies were constructed, and how their religion dominated their lives. Much is generally made of their massive stonework, their ceremonial complexes, and ritual sacrifices, but their small jade, ceramic, and stone sculpture deserves as much attention as the works of much larger size have received. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;TheRead MoreNative American Civilization : The Aztec, Or Mexicas Essay3157 Words   |  13 PagesOne of the first societies to ever mandate education was the Aztec, or Mexicas, which allowed children of any social stature to be educated, ^ possible input in of a dash rather than a comma including slave children. It is hard to imagine that this grand empire is highly associated with their practices in human sacrifice. 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The Movie World War Z Is A Zombie Apocalyptic Horror Film...

The movie World War Z is a zombie apocalyptic horror film directed by Marc Forster. The movie was loosely based off of Max Brook’s novel of the same name. Overall, it accrued positive reviews with a successful box office. Steve Persall applauded its aesthetic features, as it offers â€Å"vivid images of what these monsters are about and what they’re capable of doing†. Matt Zoller Seitz, on the other hand, argues that â€Å"[it’s] as if someone watched the similar ‘28 Days Later’ and thought, ‘That was a good movie, but it would be better if it cost $200 million.’† The critics generally agree that it is an action movie as the zombies â€Å"twitch, leap, gnash, and destroy† (Chris Cabin Slant Magazine). But they disagree on the appropriate rating and whether the film was, overall, satisfying in producing something original. It is balanced in violence and carnage, but keeps it friendly and â€Å"evades images of blood and gore† (Chris Cabin). Its special effects and horror aesthetics give the feel of a science-fiction horror-and-action film as they were meant to evoke awe. World War Z is a good film and is packed with action, suspense, horror, and visual appeal. The action within the movie is very fast-paced, and it begins during a Gerry Lane’s family commute in Philadelphia. Gerry Lane (portrayed by Brad Pitt) and his family fight to leave the congested streets that are filled with exponentially-growing infected lurking about. Gerry fends off hordes of zombies as they navigate the supermarketShow MoreRelatedThe Argument On World War Z884 Words   |  4 Pageson World War Z The movie World War Z is a zombie apocalyptic horror film directed by Marc Forster. The movie was loosely based off of Max Brook’s novel of the same name. Overall, it accrued positive reviews with a successful box office. Steve Persall applauded its aesthetic features, as it offers â€Å"vivid images of what these monsters are about and what they’re capable of doing†. Matt Zoller Seitz disagrees â€Å"as if someone watched the similar â€Å"28 Days Later† and thought, â€Å"That was a good movie, but

When The Emperor Was Divine Essay Example For Students

When The Emperor Was Divine Essay Q: Confession: Who is speaking? Is the speech ironic? Why has Otsuka chosen to end the novel this way? What does this imply about our ability to separate out the ‘enemy’, the ‘other’, in our midst? In the chapter titled â€Å"Confession† the speaker admits to the reader the truths of the story. This person talks about how the manner in which the police gathered and questioned them was true. This person confesses all the real life truths the Japanese went through whether it was in the camps or back at their home life. They confess their thoughts and feelings on the matter. The father is the speaker in the duration of the confession. He is the spokesperson for all the Japanese during this time and saying their inner most sacred thoughts and feelings since most didn’t have the voice to do so themselves. It is in the confession after some time spent with the police that he just breaks down and tells the police what they want to hear. â€Å"I’m sorry. There. Thats it. I’ve said it. Now can I go?†(143). Otsuka included this part because it has two deeper meanings. The first being that it was said in a sarcastic manner as if saying ‘well, sorry for being who I am. I can just change my looks and culture with the snap of my fingers because you don’t like what I look like.’ The father was not apologizing for the things that occurred or for being different. He was apologizing because of their closed mindedness. He feels sad for them because they will never understand that what they perceive to be right is truly wro ng. They let their emotions and preconceived notions cloud their judgment of right and wrong. They have incriminated an entire race and culture for something that happened during war. These are American citizens that they have shipped off to some camp to keep them ‘safe.’ Not war criminals or spies but fellow American citizens. This simple statement speaks volumes to the father’s state of mind. He holds so much sadness and anger, but knows nothing will change and that is the truly sad part about it all. In the confession it continues even further on with the father saying, â€Å"So go ahead lock me up. Take my children. Take my wife† (142). The father is proving a point in this moment. Usually when a parent’s child is in danger they will fight for their child to stay and make an exchange but not in this case. The father has already been stripped bare of his culture, heritage, and home by the American government. That has taken away his supposed freedom and rights. Has desecrated his home and made him public enemy number one, so why not finish the job off by taking his family away from him too. He feels lost and like he has nothing left to give or live for. All the things that made him, he has been taken away quite forcefully, and then he’s being told to act more American. He is told to throw away the emperor and do things the American way. To live an American life but be invisible to the Americans. Otsuka is showing how broken and fragile an entire culture has l eft because of the actions of the American government and citizens. In the novel, When The Emperor Was Divine, Otsuka chose to end the story with the confession to show the seriousness of the situation. An entire race was punished, humiliated, and made a mockery of because of the fears of ignorant people. Unfortunately, this is not the first time in American history something like internment camps that the Japanese were forced to has happened. For example the Red Scare, America was going wild with fear. People were charged with espionage or for being Communist sympathizers and sent away. Otsuka wanted to show the other side the story to this dark time in the American history. You usually only hear one side to the story and when you do you hear only the good parts, the sweetened version of the story and not the side from the people affected by others actions. She wanted to show how there really are no lines between ‘other’ and ‘enemy.’ .u37fa8bc293cece6ee140dbf9b28971c8 , .u37fa8bc293cece6ee140dbf9b28971c8 .postImageUrl , .u37fa8bc293cece6ee140dbf9b28971c8 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u37fa8bc293cece6ee140dbf9b28971c8 , .u37fa8bc293cece6ee140dbf9b28971c8:hover , .u37fa8bc293cece6ee140dbf9b28971c8:visited , .u37fa8bc293cece6ee140dbf9b28971c8:active { border:0!important; } .u37fa8bc293cece6ee140dbf9b28971c8 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u37fa8bc293cece6ee140dbf9b28971c8 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u37fa8bc293cece6ee140dbf9b28971c8:active , .u37fa8bc293cece6ee140dbf9b28971c8:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u37fa8bc293cece6ee140dbf9b28971c8 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u37fa8bc293cece6ee140dbf9b28971c8 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u37fa8bc293cece6ee140dbf9b28971c8 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u37fa8bc293cece6ee140dbf9b28971c8 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u37fa8bc293cece6ee140dbf9b28971c8:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u37fa8bc293cece6ee140dbf9b28971c8 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u37fa8bc293cece6ee140dbf9b28971c8 .u37fa8bc293cece6ee140dbf9b28971c8-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u37fa8bc293cece6ee140dbf9b28971c8:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Charge EssayThe lines become blurred somewhere along the way. People do not know when or how but they just get associated with the enemy. For instance when 9/11 happened, people were quick to judge and assume every Muslim had something to do with that terrorist attack. When really the ones being attacked were the Muslims not associated with the terrorist group. They had nothing to with the group but were bunched with them because of the same religion they shared. Like when the father says, â€Å"Who am I? You know who I am. Or you think you do† (142). You don’t know a person until you get to know them and their beliefs. You can’t just bunch them to gether to make things easier because then you are only closing yourself off to the world where there is no possibility of hope for generations to come.