Writing Samples
![Picture](/uploads/6/1/9/6/61961963/6868921_orig.png)
Click on the picture (shown left) to view a sample of my colleagues and I's sample powerpoint on the Great West and the Agricultural Revolution.
Romanticism in Les Miserables
Valjean may be the main character of Les Mis, but Monseigneur Myriel is its heart. But this saintly bishop wasn't always the paragon we know him to be. Turns out, he was a bit of a partier in his youth. As the narrator tells us, Myriel "was good-looking although of small stature, elegant, graceful, and entertaining; his early life was wholly devoted to worldly matters and affairs of gallantry.” "Affairs of gallantry" is 19th-century speak for "a bit of a player"—sounds like this guy knew how to live it up. This represents the “suspension of disbelief” characteristic Romanticism. Mister Hugot means to tell us that a respected priest gives a tumbler his prized golden plates claiming he was like Valjean in the past? Realistically Valjean would have had to face, at least, some sort of stipulation from the priest. Yet, the priest completely lets him go, as he claims he was once a young, carefree man. Young at heart or not, he radically changes his behavior when he goes from being a carefree young man to a sympathetic and generous old priest.
Two Men, One Dream
Pakhom and Maitre Hauchecome; two men from the opposite ends of Europe. Yet, these two men both strive for one thing: control. Their shared desire results in paralleled results: death. Pakhom craves for control over thousands of acres of land, meanwhile Maitre Hauchecome thirsts for silencing his conniving rival and his conspirators. The desire to be able to be in control is a value not only seen between these two men. It is important as the very course of history of organic organisms stems from one deceitful root: the power of control; to be the puppetmaster, controlling outcomes and being bowed to in all directions on whim. Control is a terminal value that transcends beyond Pakhom and Maitre Hauchecome and is the very root of crusty blood staining the ancient walls of fallen civilizations, and the illness that plagues the offices of the public and private elite of modern era.
Delving further into Pakhom and his dance with sin, he seeks control in the form of owning more and more land. Initially, he justifies his voluptuous actions in which he so critiqued in the beginning of Leo Tolstoy’s “How Much Land Does a Man Need” to satisfy his family’s and his own needs for a better way of life. Pakhom, flustered by the steward’s taxes, exclaimed “if it were my own land… I should be independent and there would not be all this unpleasantness” (Tolstoy 4). Yet, this modest tenet is twisted into some mad man’s algorithm for happiness and freedom. Ironically, however, the more land Pakhom got, the more unhappy he got with what he had. This is what one’s crave for control does to themselves; take the emperor from Shelley’s Ozymandias, a vain man longing to shape his legacy for future generations to remember him by.
In regards to Maitre Hauchecome and control, his craving of it is just as malignant as Pakhom’s. Hauchecome seeks control over what people say about him in the merchant hub of Goderville. Yet, as many who share this sort of control over other human beings-- Napoleon Bonaparte, Adolf Hitler, Nero, Alexander The Great-- they forget that they are, themselves, human. Hauchecome is even worse than the aforementioned individuals though, for one thing those demagogues have that he does not is confidence. Every glance in his direction, every snicker exchanged between townspeople as he scurries by, Hauchecome is always “stricken to the heart by the injustice of the suspicion [of his stealing the wallet]” (Maupassant 5). It is the desire for control that acts as a positive feedback loop, amplifying the pain in his heart and soul, amplifying the laughter beating on his eardrums as he runs away, causing his chest to heave at irregular intervals as he struggles for air as his lungs compress from the hatred embedded in the oxygen around Goderville. All of these things considered, the inclination of wanting control over others and outcomes is what ultimately leads to the downfall of the demander. Whether it be the acres of rare viable Russian farmland to the thoughts and minds of townspeople in Goderville, the human want to be seemingly omnipotent is a dangerous folly.
Romanticism in Les Miserables
Valjean may be the main character of Les Mis, but Monseigneur Myriel is its heart. But this saintly bishop wasn't always the paragon we know him to be. Turns out, he was a bit of a partier in his youth. As the narrator tells us, Myriel "was good-looking although of small stature, elegant, graceful, and entertaining; his early life was wholly devoted to worldly matters and affairs of gallantry.” "Affairs of gallantry" is 19th-century speak for "a bit of a player"—sounds like this guy knew how to live it up. This represents the “suspension of disbelief” characteristic Romanticism. Mister Hugot means to tell us that a respected priest gives a tumbler his prized golden plates claiming he was like Valjean in the past? Realistically Valjean would have had to face, at least, some sort of stipulation from the priest. Yet, the priest completely lets him go, as he claims he was once a young, carefree man. Young at heart or not, he radically changes his behavior when he goes from being a carefree young man to a sympathetic and generous old priest.
Two Men, One Dream
Pakhom and Maitre Hauchecome; two men from the opposite ends of Europe. Yet, these two men both strive for one thing: control. Their shared desire results in paralleled results: death. Pakhom craves for control over thousands of acres of land, meanwhile Maitre Hauchecome thirsts for silencing his conniving rival and his conspirators. The desire to be able to be in control is a value not only seen between these two men. It is important as the very course of history of organic organisms stems from one deceitful root: the power of control; to be the puppetmaster, controlling outcomes and being bowed to in all directions on whim. Control is a terminal value that transcends beyond Pakhom and Maitre Hauchecome and is the very root of crusty blood staining the ancient walls of fallen civilizations, and the illness that plagues the offices of the public and private elite of modern era.
Delving further into Pakhom and his dance with sin, he seeks control in the form of owning more and more land. Initially, he justifies his voluptuous actions in which he so critiqued in the beginning of Leo Tolstoy’s “How Much Land Does a Man Need” to satisfy his family’s and his own needs for a better way of life. Pakhom, flustered by the steward’s taxes, exclaimed “if it were my own land… I should be independent and there would not be all this unpleasantness” (Tolstoy 4). Yet, this modest tenet is twisted into some mad man’s algorithm for happiness and freedom. Ironically, however, the more land Pakhom got, the more unhappy he got with what he had. This is what one’s crave for control does to themselves; take the emperor from Shelley’s Ozymandias, a vain man longing to shape his legacy for future generations to remember him by.
In regards to Maitre Hauchecome and control, his craving of it is just as malignant as Pakhom’s. Hauchecome seeks control over what people say about him in the merchant hub of Goderville. Yet, as many who share this sort of control over other human beings-- Napoleon Bonaparte, Adolf Hitler, Nero, Alexander The Great-- they forget that they are, themselves, human. Hauchecome is even worse than the aforementioned individuals though, for one thing those demagogues have that he does not is confidence. Every glance in his direction, every snicker exchanged between townspeople as he scurries by, Hauchecome is always “stricken to the heart by the injustice of the suspicion [of his stealing the wallet]” (Maupassant 5). It is the desire for control that acts as a positive feedback loop, amplifying the pain in his heart and soul, amplifying the laughter beating on his eardrums as he runs away, causing his chest to heave at irregular intervals as he struggles for air as his lungs compress from the hatred embedded in the oxygen around Goderville. All of these things considered, the inclination of wanting control over others and outcomes is what ultimately leads to the downfall of the demander. Whether it be the acres of rare viable Russian farmland to the thoughts and minds of townspeople in Goderville, the human want to be seemingly omnipotent is a dangerous folly.
Romantic Art Analysis: Van No? No, Van Gogh! (#1)
Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890), a Dutch painter, is most prized for his expressive use of vivd colors and broad oil brushstrokes, evoking poignant scenes of olive trees and cypresses, wheat fields, portraits of people he met, sunflowers, and of himself. Despite taking his own life at the age of 37, his work has since grown in popularity, despite his work being widely ignored by the painting community during his time on earth. During his lifetime, Romanticism was in full throttle; Van Gogh created masterpieces that seemingly embrace the movement. At one point, he prophetically commented on Romanticism, "Romance and romanticism are of our time, and painters must have imagination and sentiment" (Maurer 9). To exemplify his passion for Romanticism, here is his renowned piece "The Sower" (1888).
Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890), a Dutch painter, is most prized for his expressive use of vivd colors and broad oil brushstrokes, evoking poignant scenes of olive trees and cypresses, wheat fields, portraits of people he met, sunflowers, and of himself. Despite taking his own life at the age of 37, his work has since grown in popularity, despite his work being widely ignored by the painting community during his time on earth. During his lifetime, Romanticism was in full throttle; Van Gogh created masterpieces that seemingly embrace the movement. At one point, he prophetically commented on Romanticism, "Romance and romanticism are of our time, and painters must have imagination and sentiment" (Maurer 9). To exemplify his passion for Romanticism, here is his renowned piece "The Sower" (1888).
This piece parallels with that of the famous artwork "The Raft of the Medusa." Delving further, both works exemplify the awe of nature aspect. Whether it be the ocean engulfing the abandoned, malnourished sailors, or a farmer happily tending to his field, nature is illustrated as a strong force in the lives of the subjects in the works. As well, the intense sense of emotion and feelings radiate off of the canvasses of the pieces; my hands are burning as I type. In "The Sower", the sun floods the sky with its bright yellow-- orange frantically clashes with it-- and seems to represent an enemy; the sun is setting, and little time remains to tend to the crops. Another bridge between these two works is the Romantic characteristic of the celebration of the individual. The farmer, alone in the work, is bound to turning and planting the soil, a firm connection between the self and nature. In the other work, the man contemplating to himself is shrouded in a red veil, the same veil that those who are alive, healthy, and full of heart too have, thus connecting the outcast to that of survival in the work.
This reflection has taught me the depth that artists often have in mind when composing an artwork. As well, I have gained a further appreciation for art because of this small figment of time i was exposed to artwork; the reason being, artwork, I now know, has a very humanistic caricature. It often depicts the way the artist feels, thinks, or passions.
This reflection has taught me the depth that artists often have in mind when composing an artwork. As well, I have gained a further appreciation for art because of this small figment of time i was exposed to artwork; the reason being, artwork, I now know, has a very humanistic caricature. It often depicts the way the artist feels, thinks, or passions.
To view the video on my exciting excerpt on whether Oedipus is a victim of fate-- or was deserving of what happened to him-- click on the image of renowned movie character Mr. Bean, played by THE Rowan Atkinson. Happy listening.
For those who are not familiar of Mr. Bean, here is another link, this time to the movie trailer of his most recent work "Mr. Bean's Holiday" : https://youtu.be/VgcVv93GjeQ. So go ahead, watch my Oedipus video, pop some popcorn, and too enjoy some Mr. Bean. |
|