Art - american society

ENGLISH QUESTION I don’t totally agree with Gottfried when he wrote that the ” new American we see on the road now has the mentality of a hoodlum and the backbone of a coward” (534). Although I admit that I personally encounter similar incidents of reckless drivers on the road, I believe that the number of good drivers far exceed the bad ones. It would be difficult to conclude that all Americans are becoming ” Rambos on the road.” Such cases must first be investigated and analyzed. The said drivers might be suffering from certain conditions in their lives thus they become impatient and rude. If their psychological and socio-economic background are to be considered, they might be victims who need help and not to be judged unfairly. There is always a reason behind every action and not all reasons are evil.
QUESTION # 2.
Binge drinking is defined by the text as ” to drink to the very limits of one’s endurance” and ” when one drinks enough to risk health and well-being” (528). Studies assume that the reason why college students engage in binge drinking ” may have something to do with today’s instant-gratification lifestyle” (529). It used to be a ” guy thing,” a sort of a male bonding, but later females are getting into it. They may be ignorant of the fact that alcohol is a poison despite its pleasurable effect on the drinker. Due to the negative consequences of binge drinking, school authorities have tried several means of discouraging students from indulging in it such as: information drive and seminars during freshman orientation, creating an alcohol-free setting, banning alcohol in campus events and activities, and even ” unleashing campus raids and encouraging police busts” (531).
Literature cited: (Note: Please supply the author, year, title, place of publication and publisher).
ART
Art mirrors the society in which it came from. The portrayal of the human form and figure, for instance, reflects the social, religious, philosophical and political values of the time of its creation.
The following examples are evidences of the varied cultures that produced them. First is the Statue of Khafre (281). It is an example of a sculpture that reflects the Egyptian society. Art was an essential aspect of their spiritual beliefs because Egyptians believed that the pharaoh’s spirit was immortal so they created artistic dwellings such as human figures carved in stone for the enduring spirit to live after the death of the mortal body. Then we move to Myron (306) of the Greeks, who worked almost exclusively in bronze making some statues of gods and heroes and mostly athletes. There is greater boldness of pose and a more perfect rhythm in his work. Then there are examples from the Romans: the Head of Constantine the Great (325) that depicts the Roman leader who is best known for being the first Christian Roman Emperor by putting an end to institutionalized persecution of Christians in the Empire. He is revered under the title ” The Great” for his contributions to Christianity; Justinian and Attendants (333) which is one of the most studied mosaics of the Byzantine church of San Vitale in Ravenna, Italy. The mosaics were completed in 547 AD, shortly before the consecration of the church; and the Annunciation to the Shepherds (343) showing one shepherd looking up in awe and another shielding his eyes as two angels greet them and then announce that the Christ child has been born in Nazareth.
Each of the figures are distinct of each era and society in which they belong. The Egyptians are very meticulous about the designs, with the adornment of the head and body. The Greeks are focused more on the bare human body without much emphasis on the expression of the face. The Romans show some clothing on and touches of Christian religion. However, it seems that in all instances art is more patriarchal since many of the art works depict males.
The representative art works mentioned above are indeed reflections of the societies that produced them. History is better understood if we look at the art pieces that were produced in each generation. The more we study them, the more we are linked to our past and the more we appreciate our forefathers through their works.
Literature Cited:
Fichner-Rathus, Lois. Understanding Art, 8th Ed.
(Note: Please supply the year, place of publication and publisher).