Analysis Of Chris Ofili s No Woman No Cry - 1697 Words

Painter Chris Ofili is well known in his highly decorative style to playfully explore the notion of black cultural identity. British born to Nigerian parents artist Chris Ofili often makes work highlighting political conversations. In 1998 he won the Turner Prize, the painting No Woman, No Cry was one of the works included in exhibition which won him the prize. It was made while he was living and working in London, a time period of Ofili’s practice, beginning in 1996, in which he shifted from making predominantly abstract paintings with loosely representative elements to pictures that primarily focused on large scale individual figures. In particular, it is one of a number of paintings he made in 1998 and 1999 that depict black women from the chest upwards. No Woman, No Cry(fig 1) is a large, complex layered painting that depicts a crying black woman set in a background amongst various abstract patterns. The black woman is shown in profile wearing blue eye shadow, red lipstick , a string of coloured beads that form a necklace, the jewel of her necklace represented by ball of elephant dung frequently used in Ofili’s paintings. A stream of tears falls from her eyes, which all feature in their centre a very small photograph of a boys face. When exhibited, Ofili has also used elephant dung to make two rests on which to display the work while it leans against the gallery wall. No Woman, No Cry refers a to specific event in British social and political history, it

The Anglo-German Naval Race

A naval arms race between Britain and Germany is often cited as a contributing factor in the start of World War I. There may be other factors that caused the war, which began in central and eastern Europe. However, there must also be something that led Britain to get involved. Given this, its easy to see why an arms race between two later warring powers would be seen as a cause. The jingoism of the press and people and the normalization of the idea of fighting each other is as important as the presence of the actual ships. Britain ‘Rules the Waves’ By 1914, Britain had long viewed their navy as the key to their status as the leading world power. While their army was small, the navy protected Britain’s colonies and trade routes. There was huge pride in the navy and Britain invested a great deal of money and effort to hold to the ‘two-power’ standard, which held that Britain would maintain a navy as large as the next two greatest naval powers combined. Until 1904, those powers were France and Russia. In the early twentieth century, Britain engaged in a large program of reform: better training and better ships were the result. Germany Targets the Royal Navy Everyone assumed naval power equaled domination, and that a war would see large set piece naval battles. Around 1904, Britain came to a worrying conclusion: Germany intended to create a fleet to match the Royal Navy. Although the Kaiser denied this was his empire’s aim, Germany hungered for colonies and a greater martial reputation and ordered large shipbuilding initiatives, such as those found in the 1898 and 1900 acts. Germany didn’t necessarily want war, but to browbeat Britain into giving colonial concessions, as well as boosting their industry and uniting some parts of the German nation — who were alienated by the elitist army — behind a new military project everyone could feel part of. Britain decided this couldn’t be allowed, and replaced Russia with Germany in the two-power calculations. An arms race began. The Naval Race In 1906, Britain launched a ship which changed the naval paradigm (at least to contemporaries). Called HMS Dreadnought, it was so large and heavily gunned it effectively made all other battleships obsolete and gave its name to a new class of ship. All the great naval powers now had to supplement their navy with Dreadnoughts, all starting from zero. Jingoism or patriotic sentiment stirred up both Britain and Germany, with slogans like â€Å"we want eight and we won’t wait† used to try and spur the rival building projects, with the numbers produced rising as each tried to outdo each other. It’s important to stress that although some advocated a strategy designed to destroy the other country’s naval power, much of the rivalry was friendly, like competing brothers. Britain’s part in the naval race is perhaps understandable — it was an island with a global empire – but Germany’s is more confusing, as it was a largely landlocked nation with little that needed defending by sea. Either way, both sides spent huge sums of money. Who Won? When the war started in 1914, Britain was held to have won the race by people looking just at the number and size of the ships, which was what most people did. Britain had started with more than Germany and ended with more. But Germany had focused on areas that Britain had glossed over, like naval gunnery, meaning her ships would be more effective in an actual battle. Britain had created ships with longer range guns than Germany, but German ships had better armor. Training was arguably better in the German ships, and British sailors had the initiative trained out of them. In addition, the larger British navy had to be spread over a larger area than the Germans had to defend. Ultimately, there was only one major naval battle of World War I, the Battle of Jutland, and it is still debated who really won. How much of the First World War, in terms of starting and willingness to fight, was down to the naval race? It is arguable that a notable amount can be attributed to the naval race.

American Dreams The American Dream - 1068 Words

American Dream? American Dream: Noun, the ideals of freedom, equality, and opportunity traditionally held to be available to every American. That is the definition of the American dream according to Dictionary.com, but the American Dream is more than a definition, but a way of life for many. Millions of immigrants come to our country in search of this â€Å"American Dream† including my grandparents but more and more are disappointed. So does the American Dream exist? Has it ever existed or has it all been an illusion? When my grandparents came in the 70’s they came in search of the American dream. My grandfather had been working for a few years in the states, so one day my grandmother and my father, who was a baby at the time, came and settled in City Terrace. They worked their butts off at multiple jobs and sometimes jobs that were dangerous. My grandfather has the scars on his arms from the acid used in a factory, he worked at, his slipped disks in his spine from his fall at a shipyard. My grandmother has the pain and scars on her knees from her work in a fish packing warehouse and the resulting knee surgeries with the most recent being last year. My grandparents, despite their pain were able to achieve this American dream, raised three sons and now live in a house they own in Alhambra. Of course there are going to be struggles and setbacks in anyone’s quest for the American Dream and my grandparents were no exception. My uncle was killed in front of the house and that isShow MoreRelatedImmigrants And The American Dream1362 Words   |  6 PagesImmigrants and the American Dream In the article â€Å"The American Dream†, by James Truslow Adams in The Sundance Reader book, he stated that the American dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement. It is a difficult dream for the European upper classes to interpret adequately, and too many of us ourselves have grown weary and mistrustful of it. It is not a dream of motor cars and highRead MoreThe American Dream By Kimberly Amadeo1637 Words   |  7 PagesNowadays, a large number of people migrate to the United States to work and achieve the American Dream. According to the Article â€Å"What is the American Dream?† by Kimberly Amadeo, â€Å"The American Dream was first publicly defined in 1931 by James Truslow Adams in Epic of America. Adam’s often-repeated quote is, ‘The American Dream is that dream of land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyon e, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.’† There are many peopleRead MoreAnalysis Of The Movie The American Dream 754 Words   |  4 Pages Nyreel Powell Ms. Jones American Literature 1 June 2015 The American dream in A Raisin in the Sun Have you ever had a dream and it didn’t come how you wanted it to be? Have you ever had accomplishments that you wanted to achieve but people were getting in the way of them? The four main characters in this book all have good dreams but there are people in the way of getting to those dreams or their dream is too high to accomplish. 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Many great films and works of literature were created to show case all the different ideas people have for their American Dream. The film â€Å"Grapes of Wrath† directed by John Ford and the poem â€Å"I Will Fight No More Forever† by Chief Joseph, both depictRead More Destruction of the American Dream Essay2145 Words   |  9 PagesDestruction of the American Dream I’ve talked about it in the past, the destruction of the American Dream. Always, there have been papers, writings, and thoughts that quantify a particular section of its ultimate demise, be it due to money, education, or sexuality. Maybe the destruction cannot be viewed as a singular event or cause. Perhaps instead it must be examined as a whole process, the decay and ultimate elimination of a dream. Self destruction, if you will†¦ Mr. Self Destruct Read MoreJim Cullen And The American Dream2081 Words   |  9 Pages The American Dream, as defined by Cullen, is starting your goal off with a little and ending with more; it s like a business, you invest in it in order to gain more money. Usually, people will define the American Dream as being able to achieve your goal because everyone is offered opportunities. Cullen does acknowledge that people are born with different opportunities, so he talks about the good life. The good life describes different factors that determine your opportunities. Throughout the otherRead MoreFactors Influencing The American Dream1834 Words   |  8 Pagesindividual to succumb or to not succumb to the seductions of crime. These three factors are brilliantly portrayed in the television show, Breaking Bad and the novel, The Stick Up Kids. The American Dream is what many American citizens strive for. However, not all of those citizens are able to achieve the American Dream through a legal pathway. The reason an indivudal may not being able to do so is because of his or her background factors. It is important to note that background factors are a fractionRead MoreSuccess As One Of The American Dream1137 Words   |  5 PagesApril 2015 Success as One of The American Dream When we hear the word â€Å"success†, we often think of wealth and money. To some people, the embodiment of being success is earning a lot of money. In fact, the concept of success is primarily based on how much money a person earns. However, each person views the definition of success differently. One way to define success is something that has more to do with flash than it does with substance. 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Anils Ghost Courage Essay free essay sample

At the start of the novel, Anil did not have inspiration or courage to continue with her studies as an archeologist. Anil â€Å"[ ] seemed timid to herself. She felt lost and emotional. † (Ondaatje 142). Anil was at a low point in her life, and felt vulnerable because her parents had died in a car crash and she was living in London – a city new to her. After a while she would meet a man from Colombo, who was a med student. This man â€Å"[ ] focused his wits entirely on Anil [ † (142) this man seemed perfect in the sense that he was â€Å"[ ] a many-armed seducer and note writer and flower bringer and telephone-message leaver [ ]† (142). He seemed like the perfect man for Anil, someone to make her special and loved. However, Anil relies on her self a lot, therefore; it was no wonder that once she gained back the courage and inspiration she had before the marriage, she would leave. We will write a custom essay sample on Anils Ghost Courage Essay or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Gradually, Anil is slowly getting back to the same state she once was, therefore; not needing her husband anymore. It was apparent that the marriage would not last as â€Å"At home the two of them fought [†¦] over everything. † (143). One must go through downs before they experience ups – through Anil, this is shown by her marrying a man for her own benefits, to gain courage so she may do other things in her lie such as change her name, do her job, and ultimately divorce her husband she had met from Colombo. Furthermore, Anil displayed courage by going through great lengths to create her own identity and take control of her own life decisions. In the course of a travelling life and a series of broken relationships, Anil has re-defined her self as that girl who â€Å"[†¦] live[s] here [†¦] in the West. † (36). Anil has the advantage of re-defining her self in a new place because no one knows about her past life and what she has done, therefore; she may say anything to make her sound like she fits in, even though she does not know the language. To get to where Anil wanted to be (Sri Lanka), Anil has changed her name. She gave her brother one hundred saved rupees, a pen set he had been eyeing for some time, a tin of fifty Gold Leaf cigarettes she had found, and a sexual favor he had demanded [†¦]. † (68). Not many girls would sleep with her brother, but she showed determination to get what she wanted, which ultimately; led to her courage becoming more important to her through her journey in Sri Lanka. After she had slept with her brother and gave him gifts, she had his name. Anil would go to an astrologer with her arents to finalize the name she had gotten from her brother. The astrologer offered â€Å"[†¦] the addition of an e, so she would be Anile. It would make her and her name more feminine; the e would allow the fury to curve away. But she refused even this. † (136). Anil made a bold move and denied adding the â€Å"e†, showing that she wants to be independent and wants to separate her self from her family. By saying no to adding the â€Å"e† she demonstrated courage by wanting to make her own decisions, and basing them off what was best for her. Not what was best for her parents. Moreover, Ondaatje demonstrated that Anil was to be independent of other people, and did not want to be suppressed by anyone. She revealed this trait when â€Å"[her husband] objected to her having a full-time career, keeping her own name, [and] was annoyed at her talking back† (143). Showing courage, Anil stood up to her suppressing husband and left him behind in pursue of self-fulfillment to pursue her career, and start her life over in Sri Lanka – where no one knew her. In addition to suppression, Anil never gave her family rest, which is peculiar behavior for Sri Lankans who are always â€Å"surrounded by family order† (138). Usually, parents set rules and guide you through life and tell you what to do. Anil stood up to her parents and showed audacity by pursuing her career, even if it meant that she would be upsetting her parents. Her parents wanted to be a swimmer, but she wanted something bigger – to solve the mass murders in Sri Lanka. Someone who has guts is someone who has great courage. For Anil, she did not listen to her parents and go into swimming but she pursued her dream, to be an archaeologist. The relationships she had been in, resulted in her getting overpowered and having people make decisions for her. Her relationship was wound tightly that Cullis never had any control over her (264), illuminating that she could not be tied down, and because she did daring and courageous acts such as change her name, divorce a husband, and repel from her family by pursuing her career; she could not go back on what she had done. Not only did she change her name, and disregard her parent’s values, she also called out the Sri Lankan government on killing Sailor and many other people (272). Through the daring acts Anil did, she shows great courage and sets a very good example for women as she refuses to be suppressed by men or anyone else, and wants to take control over her own life. To struggle against great odds is the essence of real courage. This definition is displayed among the character, Anil. Anil overcomes the tragedy of her parent’s death and still manages to live a usual life. She also chooses to go against the Sri Lankan government even to the extent of accusing them for government murder despite her lack of evidence. Because Anil showed courage throughout her journey to uncover what happened to people of Sri Lanka, she succeeded ultimately exposing the government for what they did. The difference between showing courage and giving up when faced with a challenge is winning and loosing. Anil showed courage and faced adversity, which is why she uncovered the mystery of Sailor’s identity.