John Proctor - The Crucible Essay Example for Free

John Proctor The Crucible Essay Supporting this claim further are several lines from Miller’s pre-introductory notes; â€Å"His [Putnam’s] vindictive nature was demonstrated long before witchcraft began. † Not only does this reinforce our trust within the character of John Proctor, it always creates a likeness within him in the mind of the audience. Miller strives to achieve this more-so through Proctor’s defense of his absent wife to Abigail who aims to smite her; â€Å"You’ll speak nothin’ of Elizabeth! † This is due to the fact loyalty is an undisputable likeable trait. The moment our emotions towards John Proctor are challenged lay upon his treating of his housemaid upon the warrant of his wife to be arrested. Proctor handles her violently, though it is somewhat partially excused due to its honest aim: to free his wife. Thus, the challenging of our sympathetic yet simultaneously self-righteous attitude to Proctor, only succeeds in strengthening it, through the apparent pardoning of his actions for their good intentions. It becomes apparent the good moral of John Proctor, within his decision to risk the definite pardon of his wife in order to aim to release his fellow innocent towns folk during the court scene of the play; â€Å"I – I think I cannot. † Ironically, this portrays Proctor as one of the only Puritan’s of the play, as he strives to surpass his own greed, in strive to clear his conscience and do what is best for the village. His true Puritan values are also apparent earlier in the play when he suggests his uttermost disgust at Reverend Parris’ indulgence of â€Å"golden candlesticks. † Likewise, Proctors morality influences his decision to inform the court of his lechery with Abigail Williams. For this reason, Proctor rises even further in our levels of admiration. â€Å"I have known her, sir I have known her. † This line signifies Proctors fulfillment of complete morality, as he confesses his sins in hope to release innocent victims. Proctor becomes somewhat heroic at this point, as lechery is a highly punishable crime at these times. The final bout in which Proctor reaches our highest admiration comes at the end of the play, when he decides he would rather face hanging, than lying in the face of God. This selfless deed is what separates Proctor from the rest of the townspeople. His morality proves unrivalled, after several hints at its strength earlier in the play, such as his earlier converses with his wife upon his affair with Abigail, in which he becomes irritable at his wives judgment, despite her making almost no mention of it. This hints that Proctor has simply not forgiven himself for this deed, and rather than face the fact would rather put its blame upon someone else. Despite this, his character becomes arguably a martyr towards the deformation and destruction of the witch trials, as they seemingly dissolve after his death proves example to many others. Perhaps Miller may be comparing himself to the admirable character of Proctor. Through their both almost unjustified prejudice, Proctor for his lack of faith in the Puritan system, and Miller for his satirical outlook on capitalism. For this reason, perhaps Miller is justifying his actions to not confide the American Federal government at a later date, throughout his comparison of it to something quite revolutionary (the desolation of persecution. )

Observing Mitosis In The Cells Of Garlic Biology Essay

Observing Mitosis In The Cells Of Garlic Biology Essay Aim: To observe the stages of the cell cycle in living tissue, generally and specifically in the meristematic cells of the root of garlic and hence consider the duration of the stages of mitosis in relation to the whole cell cycle. Introduction: The  cell cycle, or  cell-division cycle, is the series of events that takes place in a  cell  leading to its division and duplication (replication). In cells without a nucleus (prokaryotes), the cell cycle occurs via a process termed  binary fission. In cells with a nucleus (eukaryotes), the cell cycle can be divided in two brief periods:  interphase-during which the cell grows, accumulating nutrients needed for mitosis andduplicating its DNA-and the  mitosis  (M) phase, during which the cell splits itself into two distinct cells, often called daughter cells. The cell-division cycle is a vital process by which a single-celled  fertilized egg  develops into a mature organism, as well as the process by which  hair,  skin,  blood cells, and some internal organs are renewed. [1] Figure 1: The cell cycle http://adasilva.glogster.com/chapter-10-bio/ Mitosis is the process that facilitates the equal partitioning of replicated chromosomes into two identical groups. Before partitioning can occur, the chromosomes must become aligned so that the separation process can occur in an orderly fashion. The alignment of replicated chromosomes and their separation into two groups is a process that can be observed in virtually all eukaryotic cells. [2] Both the alignment and separation processes are the consequence of the chromosomes interacting with filamentous proteinaceous structures, known as microtubules. The microtubules become organized into a biconical array known as a spindle, which forms early in mitosis, and then disassembles as mitosis nears completion. Mitotic spindles are visible in living cells with the polarizing light microscope. Some of the spindle microtubules become attached to the chromosomes at sites known as kinetochores. The kinetochores cannot be seen with the light microscope, but they reside near the place on the chromosome known as its centromere, which can be observed with the light microscope. There are two kinetochores on each replicated chromosome (one on each chromatid), and when the replicated chromosome splits apart at its centromere at the onset of anaphase, each daughter chromosome possesses one centromere and one kinetochore. The linkages between kinetochores and microtubules are thought to be central in controlling both the positioning of the replicated chromosome at the central portion of the spindle during the alignment phase, and in moving the daughter chromosomes apart after they split at their centromeres. The separation of daughter cells from each other is a process known as cytokinesis, and is separate from mitosis. In cytokinesis, animal and plant cells differ considerably from each other. These differences are the consequence of having or not having a cell wall. Cytokinesis in fungi reveals some similarities with plant cells, and exhibits other features unique to the group.[2] Figure 1: Illustration of the process by which somatic cells multiply and divide. http://www.accessexcellence.org/RC/VL/GG/mitosis.php The specimen used in this experiment is the root of garlic where the meristematic cells are actively dividing. Cell division in flowering plants takes place in particular regions of the plant called  meristems. Cells in meristems are not specialized for any particular function and divide repeatedly by mitosis. Some of the daughter cells remain meristematic; others cease dividing and become differentiated into appropriate cell types depending on their position. The root tip meristem is usually a denser white and more rounded than the cut end. Chromosomes in root tip tissue are made visible with the stain. Dividing cells (if present) will show up clearly with chromosomes in different forms according to the stage of mitosis. Individual chromosomes (as tightly-coiled threads) are visible during anaphase. The links between the cellulose walls of plant cells are broken down by the treatment with hydrochloric acid. This ensures that the stain can penetrate the cells and allows the tissue to be squashed out one cell thick. [3] References: [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cell_cycle [2] http://www.life.umd.edu/CBMG/faculty/wolniak/wolniakmitosis.html [3] http://www.practicalbiology.org/areas/advanced/cells-to-systems/cell-division/investigating-mitosis-in-allium-root-tip-squash,121,EXP.html Objective: Mitosis occurs in four phases as a continuous process without break in between the phases. Before mitosis, the cells are in rest during interphase stage. The activity of chromosomes is significant in determining the stages of cell division. Therefore, to observe the chromosomes, the root cells are stained. There are two types of stains used; the toluidine blue stain. The toluidine blue stain causes the cytoplasm to appear light blue in colour while the chromosomes appear dark blue. In this experiment, the cells in the root tip of garlic is squashed, stained and observed under compound microscope to observe the stages mitosis. Apparatus: Compound microscope, 2 Watch glasses, dropper, tissue paper, microscope slide, cover slip, forceps, mounted needles, stopwatch, scalpel or sharp knife, eye protection, small sample tube, filter paper, eye goggles. Materials: Toluidine blue stain, 1M hydrochloric acid, 1 clove of garlic with roots, cold distilled water Procedure: 1-2 cm of root tips of growing garlic roots are cut off. The root tips are ensured to be chosen from those which are white and have a firm rounded end. The root tips are put into watch glass containing 2 cm3 of 1 M hydrochloric acid for exactly 5 minutes. The root tips are then transferred into watch glass containing approximately 5 cm3 cold water, and left for 4-5 minutes. The root tips are then dried on filter papers. Figure 3 : The root tips are transferred into glass with cold water The root tips are then transferred onto a clean microscope slide. 4-5 mm of the root tips are cut and kept, while the rest are discarded. The root tips are gently broken up with a mounted needle by a process called maceration. Figure 4 : The root tips are break up A small drop of toluidine blue stain is added to the root tips and left for 2 minutes. The tips are covered with a coverslip, and blotted firmly with several layers of tissue. The coverslip is pressed gently to spread the root tip. The samples are then viewed under the microscope (x40 magnifications) and the nuclei of the cells are located. The microscope lens is switched to higher power (x100, x400 and x1000 magnifications and look for cells with chromosomes. Figure 5 : The cells are observed under light microscope The regularly shaped, actively dividing cells are focused and counted for every phases of mitosis. The data obtained are recorded and tabulated. Results: Stages Of Mitosis Interphase Prophase Metaphase Anaphase Telophase Total Cell counted 22 15 3 3 2 35 Percentage 62.9 14.3 8.6 8.6 5.7 100 Table 1 : The stages of mitosis and the respective cell count and percentage Calculation of the mitotic index : Mitotic index = number of cell containing visible chromosome total number of cells in the field of view Mitotic index = Interphase Interphase is the period where the cell prepares itself before cell division. It is a phase before the mitosis. The chromosomes are uncoiled and it fills the nucleus. DNA replication occurs during this stage. The nuclear envelope is visible the centrioles appear and so do the nucleolus. Prophase During prophase, the replicated chromosomes undergo extensive condensation or coiling. The chromosomes are greatly thickened and shortened but are still contained within the nuclear envelope. Prophase ends with the sudden dispersion of the nuclear envelope. The chromosomes start to coil, shorten, and become distinct. The mitotic spindle or polar fibers begin to form from the poles of the cell towards the equator. Metaphase Chromosomes line up along the equator of the cell or what is called the metaphase plate. Polar fibers have reached the centromeres of the chromosomes and have begun interacting with them. Each kinetochore, plate like structure of the replicated chromosome is pointed toward one side of the spindle. The replicated chromosomes converge toward the center of the spindle, and once they get there, significant movements cease. On either sides of each centromere are sites for kinetochore microtubule. Anaphase Anaphase commences with the initial splitting of sister chromatids at their centromeres. These daughter chromosomes then begin to separate from each other, each moving away from the metaphase plate and toward one of the two spindle pole regions. Anaphase ends when the daughter chromosomes reach the end of the cell. Since the sister chromatids are identical copies of the original chromosomes, each pole of the cell will have a set of complete and identical chromosomes as in the parent cell. Telophase In telophase, the daughter chromosomes arrive at the spindle poles and are eventually redistributed into chromatin. After complete separation of the chromosomes and their extrusion to the spindle poles, the nuclear membrane begins to reform around each group of chromosomes at the opposite ends of the cell. The nucleoli also reappear in what will eventually become the two new cell nuclei. A new nuclear membrane forms. The new cell walls grow to form the two new, identical daughter cells. The cytokinesis process starts to happen in order to complete the division of the two new cells. Discussion: After observing the mitosis process, we knew that percentages of the cells in each stage are different. In the experiment using toluidine blue stain, we observed that 22 cells out of 35 cells undergone interphase which covered 62.9% of the cells. There are 15 cells undergone prophase covering 14.3% of the cells. Metaphase and anaphase have the same percentage which is 8.6%. While 2 cells undergone telophase which covered 5.7%. The mitotic index using toluldine blue stain is which suggest that only 37.14% of the cells in our view were undergoing mitosis and the rest are still in interphase. The percentage of cells in each stage is related to the length of time a cell spends in each stage of mitosis. The greater the percentage of cells in a stage, the longer the time spent by each cell in that stage. Based on the table 1, it is clearly shown that the largest percentage of cells is found to be at interphase. Interphase is often referred as the resting phase. Interphase is the stage in which the cells prepare themselves to undergo mitosis. Since interphase has the largest percentage of cells, therefore each cell spends the longest time being at interphase stage. Metaphase and anaphase occupies the same length of time and same percentage of cells. This means cells spend almost equal length of time being at both phases. Telophase on the other hand, has the lowest percentage which means the shortest period of time a cell spends is during telophase. Prophase, being the first stage of mitosis has the second highest percentage of cells. It means compared to metaphase, anaphase and telophase, prophase is the stage of mitosis in which each cell spends the most time. From the results, we knew that most of the cells spent longer time in interphase because cell growth, replication of the chro mosomes, and many other activities are taking place during this time. The cells need to prepare first for the mitotic division to occur. On the other hand, based on results on table 2, is it clearly shown that, the size of cell during interphase is the smallest among all followed by the size of cell during prophase, metaphase, anaphase and finally the size of cell is the biggest during telophase. This is because, during interphase the cell will never grow in size exactly as the cell prepares itself for cell division. Meanwhile, during telophase the cell actually splitting into two daughter cells and it is obvious that the cell would have grown in size. This experiment use the garlic root tips tissue for observing the mitosis process because the stages of development in plant growth can be distinctly observed at this part which is known as meristem. This meristem is actively divided by mitosis. So, every stage of mitosis can be observed clearly. We ensure that our results are reliable because we use 3 samples of root tip. This could minimize the error during this experiment and we can compare the results for each sample. Besides that, we stained the samples using toluidine blue first so that we can observe the chromosomes clearly. We believed that our results are valid because the outcomes from the experiment are the same with what we expect based on the theory and our results are quite similar with the other groups results. Not only that, the usage of toluidine blue is reliable, cheaper and easy to handle with. In a way, it is simple and it helps produce results quicker compared to the usage of other staining. Conclusion: Mitosis can be divided into four different stages; prophase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase. In conclusion, the mitosis process is a random process. So, different types of sample will have different length of time for mitosis to complete. Other than that, the longest stage of cell cycle is interphase with the highest percentage followed by metaphase and anaphase while the shortest stage is telophase with the lowest percentage. The greater the percentage of cells in a stage, the longer the time spent by each cell in that stage. Hypothesis is accepted.

Shakespeares Macbeth - Innocent and Naive Macbeth :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

Innocent and Naive Macbeth      Ã‚  Ã‚   Innocence is a quality that few people take to their grave, although all are born with it. At some point in one's life, an event or circumstance removes that shield from both moral and legal guilt, whether in one's own eyes or in the eyes of another. In such a case, innocence is cast off, or innocence can be stolen. Both are true of Macbeth in William Shakespeare's tragic work Macbeth. The hero's innocence and naà ¯vetà © make him vulnerable prey for those who feel completely at home in a subhuman realm of malice and disintegration - the witches and Lady Macbeth. Inevitably, Macbeth is eventually worn down enough to be pushed into this dark and evil abyss by his wife, Lady Macbeth, who leaps frantically in after him to join the witches where they are most at home. The robbery of Macbeth's innocence begins with allowing the witches to brainwash him with their predictions forcing him to step closer and closer to the edge of their dismal abyss. They take advantage of the surplus of ambition that had served him so well in his desire for victory over Macdonwald and use it to instill in him the need to be King. Still, desire is not enough for Macbeth and he is thus driven "to seek certainty as his one objective. He wants certainty from the witches . . . at whatever cost" (Campbell 228). Macbeth, however, is not completely lost yet; honour and justice remain in him, and although it takes him some time to fully consider the consequences of the witches' words on him, he rejects his horrible thoughts of murder and postpones all action: "If chance will have me king, why,chance may crown me, / Without my stir" (I. iii.143-144). For the time being, Macbeth's true essence is in control, that of loyalty and honour. However, Macbeth again undergoes a change of heart in scene four, at the announcement of Malcolm as the Prince of Cumberland and as successor to the throne of Scotland, the same throne upon which Macbeth had his eyes set upon. The effect of the King's proclamation on him can be seen through his reaction: The Prince of Cumberland! that is a step, On which I must fall down, or else o'er-leap, For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires! Let not light see my black and deep desires; The eye wink at the hand; yet let that be, Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see .

Media Critics Beavis and Butt-head :: essays research papers

According to Douglas Rushkoff’s in his article Hating What Sucks, Beavis and Butt-head are media critics, instructing viewers on how to criticize music videos. I believe the way Beavis and Butt-head go about their criticism and commentary is undermining our value system.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In TV’s Anti-Families: Married . . . with Malaise, Josh Ozersky states â€Å"no one who watches TV is going to stop because they see TV criticized.† He goes on to say that we feel flattered by this criticism and continue watching television anyway. Beavis and Butt-head can be seen in the same light when they criticize music videos on MTV. â€Å"In doing so they again demonstrate for us how to watch TV in the nineties,† according to Rushkoff.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I can only interject that when we watch TV being criticized by these characters we feel a sort of power from the knowledge their criticism gives us. But is this the only thing keeping our eyes glued to the tube? Ozersky writes, â€Å"TV has never shown us TV; rather, it shows itself to us as a laughable, absurd, and harmless entity, much like the characters on its shows.† The criticism of TV doesn’t go far enough to keep us from watching it. We feel that TV is harmless and this is what keeps us going back for more.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Beavis and Butt-head qualify as being dysfunctional. So is this the kind of show you would find many cultural values in? Rushkoff argues that the show â€Å"promotes viewer awareness by allowing us to witness area where the characters’ own detachment has been compromised.† He says this in reference to Beavis watching an Aerosmith music video and lighting up a cigarette when the Aerosmith singer does. In this instance the author suggests he fell for the manipulation of the media. By the same token, Rushkoff contradicts himself and his pro-Beavis argument. Perhaps it is just a red herring, but by showing that the media manipulates Beavis it isn’t a very good argument for watching TV, much less Beavis and Butt-head.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In all reality, people do watch Beavis and Butt-head and other anti-family television shows. The power we feel in the act of criticizing and the seemingly harmless antics of these shows gives us a reason to keep watching and criticizing TV despite the irony of it. Because we know TV characters have no power to change their situations in the TV world we feel we are above them and can watch TV with harmless effects.

Concepts of Masculinity in Faulkner’s The Unvanquished Essay -- Faulkn

Concepts of Masculinity in Faulkner’s The Unvanquished In The Unvanquished, the reader assumes that the narrator is Bayard Sartoris, a boy born to John Sartoris and his now deceased wife. Bayard's gender is not immediately apparent, though remote understanding of southern customs and common boyhood activities encourages one to guess that he is male. First, Ringo is more easily identified as a black boy, and by the age of twelve, black boys and white girls would likely not be permitted such intimate and unsupervised interaction. Second, the boys' infatuation with "playing war" and the chores which are assigned to them suggest that Bayard is probably male. This conclusion is finally justified for the reader when John discovers that the young lads separated from Miss Rosa. He repeats in frustration, "You damn boys" (63). Although the opening sentence implies that the narrator is looking back to childhood, the person's exact age cannot be determined. The assigned section indicates that Bayard and Ringo were approximately the same age, twelve years old at the beginning of the story ...

Eastern Theater Essay

Noh and Kyogen The earliest existing Kyogen scripts date from the 14th century. Kyogen was used as an intermission between Noh acts — it linked the theme of the Noh play with the modern world by means of farce and slapstick. The Noh was only performed to the high level class. Unlike Noh, the performers of Kyogen do not wear masks, unless their role calls for physical transformation. Both men and women were allowed to perform Kyogen until 1450. Kabuki The best known form of Japanese theatre is Kabuki. It was performed by Okunis. Perhaps its fame comes from the wild costumes and swordfights, which used real swords until the 1680s. Kabuki grew out of opposition to Noh — they wanted to shock the audience with more lively and timely stories. The first performance was in 1603. Like Noh, however, over time Kabuki became not just performing in a new way, but a stylized art to be performed only a certain way. As a matter of interest, the popular Gekidan Shinkansen, a theatrical troupe based in Tokyo today, insists it follows pure kabuki tradition by performing historical roles in a modern, noisy, and outlandish way — to shock the audience as kabuki intended, if you will. Whether or not they are kabuki, however, remains a matter of debate and personal opinion. Kabuki is a type of theatre that combines music, drama, and dance. Bunraku Puppets and Bunraku were used in Japanese theatre as early as the noh plays. Medieval records record the use of puppets actually in Noh plays. Puppets are 3- to 4-foot-tall (0.91 to 1.2 m) dolls that are manipulated by puppeteers in full view of the audience. The puppeteers controlling the legs and hands are dressed entirely in black, while the head puppeteer is wearing colorful clothing. Music and chanting is a popular convention of bunraku, and the shamisen player is usually considered to be the leader of the production. Modern theatre Japanese modern drama in the early 20th century, the 1910s, consisted of Shingeki (experimental Western-style theater), which employed naturalistic acting and contemporary themes in contrast to the stylized conventions of Kabuki and Noh. HÃ… getsu Shimamura and Kaoru Osanai were two figures influential in the development of shingeki. In the postwar period, there was a phenomenal growth in creative new dramatic works, which introduced fresh aesthetic concepts that revolutionized the orthodox modern theater. Challenging the realistic, psychological drama focused on â€Å"tragic historical progress† of the Western-derived shingeki, young playwrights broke with such accepted tenets as conventional stage space, placing their action in tents, streets, and open areas and, at the extreme, in scenes played out all over Tokyo. Plots became increasingly complex, with play-within-a-play sequences, moving rapidly back and forth in time, and intermingling reality with fantasy. Dramatic structure was fragmented, with the focus on the performer, who often used a variety of masks to reflect different personae. Playwrights returned to common stage devices perfected in Noh and Kabuki to project their ideas, such as employing a narrator, who could also use English for international audiences. Major playwrights in the 1980s were Kara Juro, Shimizu Kunio, and Betsuyaku Minoru, all closely connected to specific companies. In contrast, the fiercely independentMurai Shimako won awards throughout the world for her numerous works focusing on the Hiroshima bombing. ELEMENTS The Musician’s Stage (Yuka)This is the auxiliary stage upon which the gidayu-bushi is performed. It thrusts out into the audience area at the front right portion of the seats. Upon this auxiliary stage there is a special revolving platform. It is upon this revolving platform that the chanter and the shamisen player make their appearance, and, when they are finished, it turns once more, bringing them backstage and placing the next performers on the stage. The Partitions (Tesuri) and the Pit (Funazoko)Between extreme upstage and extreme downstage, there are three stage partitions, known as â€Å"railings† (tesuri). The area behind the second partition is called the pit (funazoko;lit., â€Å"ship bottom†), and it is where the manipulators stand. It is one step lower than the main stage. When the puppets move, their feet move along the railings, making it look as though they are actually walking upon the ground. The building (yatai) or painted backdrop (kakiwari) is attached to the partition farthest from the audience (main railing). Training to become a puppeteer begins with the feet, and then the left hand, and finally proceeds to the head and right hand. Such a long period of study was required those in olden times, it was said: â€Å"Ten years for the feet, ten years for the left.† In order to help the left-hand puppeteer maintain a more comfortable position, the head puppeteer wears some special footwear known as â€Å"stage clogs† or â€Å"elevated clogs.† A large doll can be as much as 1 m 50 cm tall, while a smaller one is about 1 m 30 cm, so the height of the elevated clogs to be used can vary from 20 cm to 50 cm, depending upon such conditions as the size of the doll. The heads of the dolls are carved of wood and are hollow, and they are placed atop a special head-grip stick (dogushi), which is placed through a hole in the shoulder board; it is with this stick that the main puppeteer manipulates the doll. There are lengths of fabric draped both in front of and in back of the shoulde r board, and they are attached to bamboo hoops. The puppet’s costumes consist of an under robe (juban), an inner kimono (kitsuke), an outer jacket (haori) or outer robe (uchikake), the collar (eri), and the belt-like sash (obi). In order to give the dolls’ bodies the sensation of softness, the robes are lightly stuffed with cotton. Further, there is a hole in the back of the robes to allow the puppeteer to manipulate the dolls. For each performance, the costume masters choose costumes out of many of the same types of robes of different colors and patterns, deciding which robes to use with which puppet. The complete set of robes that they have chosen is then sent to the puppeteers. The puppeteers then take part in what is called koshirae, or the dressing of the doll. Because they are used on the stage, the robes’ lose their bright colors, they become soiled, and in places they are even worn out. Therefore, they are in constant need of maintenance and repair. Furthermore, preparing new sets of costumes for the characters in a new play is another important task of the costume masters. The Nobori-hige mask is worn by the Ai-kyogen in a Noh drama in which he plays the role of the god of a subsidiary shrine. The smiling expression of its open, toothless mouth gives a better hint of human goodness than of sacredness. The Oto mask is often used to portray ugly women, but it is also used by characters who disguise themselves as the deity Jizo. The Buaku mask is like a Kyogen version of the Noh Beshimi, and although it is a demon mask, its humorous expression is not frightening. TheKentoku mask is used for the spirits of non-human beings, such as horses, cows, dogs, and crabs. TheUsofuki mask looks like it is whistling, and is used for the spirits of mosquitoes and mushrooms. TheKitsune mask is used for the old fox in Fox Trapping, the highest-ranking Kyogen play. In the Edo period, it seems that there were many realistic animal masks use, but today only the fox (Kitsune), monkey (Saru), and badger (Tanuki) remain. The daimyo (feudal lords) that appear in Kyogen usually wear a dan-noshime as an under robe, a suosuit as trousers and vest / jacket, and a special cap (hora-eboshi). Taro Kaja, who might be said to be representative of Kyogen, usually wears a stripednoshime as an under robe, a kataginu as a kind of vest / jacket, and a pair of han-bakama (shorthakama) as trousers. One special characteristic of akataginu is that it is usually decorated with a free design of an animal, plant, or utensil that graphically depicts some theme from the character’s daily life. On the half-hakama as well, pestles, sailboats, and giant radishes are often dyed in circular motifs, and on characters such as travelers, warrior priests, con-men, salesmen, and the spirits of plants or animals,kyakuhan (loose trousers that are tight fitting on the lower leg) are used, in order to indicate that they are very active. Almost all female characters wearnuihaku as under robes, and a special hat calledbinan-boshi. This is actually a 5-meter piece of white linen that is wrapped around the head, in such a way that long sections fall from the head down, like braids; the ends of these sections are tucked into the waist band. Unlike the white tabi (split-toed socks) worn by Noh actors, all Kyogen actors, even those taking the part of the ai-kyogen in a Noh play, wear yellow or brown tabi. The heads (kashira) of the Bunraku puppets are divided into male and female, and then classified into categories according to the age, rank (social class), and distinguishing personality traits of the role they portray, and all of them have special names reflecting their special characteristics. If the play is different but the type of character is the same, the same head might be used for different characters in different plays. Sometimes, in order to match the character more closely, they are even repainted to give the right skin tone, or the wig might be changed, as the heads as used for one role after another. The wigs in Bunraku as called kazura, and there are a number of fundamental styles, depending upon the type of character being portrayed. It is the job of the wig masters (called tokoyama), to sew and create an appropriate hairstyle (keppatsu) for every role, based upon these fundamental styles. Also, the tokoyama does not just style the wigs; he also makes them by attaching hair to copper plates. The type of hair used is mostly human hair, but sometimes, in order to create the illusion of volume, the hair of a yak’s tail is also used. The finished wig is then carefully placed upon, and then securely attached to, the head. When creating a special hairstyle, no oil is used, in order to prevent soiling the face, so the styling must be done only with water and beeswax (bintsuke). The small hand props of Bunraku include things that are carried in the hand or attached to bodies, such as swords or handkerchief-like tenugui, as well as larger items such as chests of drawers or lighting fixtures. There are also a number of disposable items, such as letters that get torn up and thrown away, along with numerous others. All the hand props are small in size, in order to match the size of the puppets. Yet the types of fans used are the same size as those used by humans, which strangely enough does not seem to appear incongruous. The prop masters prepare all of the small props that are needed for each performance. THEMES 1. Classification by work content Jidaimono Jidaimono means the Kabuki works describing the world of samurai and kuge (court nobles) in periods earlier than the Edo period, including works such as â€Å"Kanadehon chushingura† based on incidents that occurred in the Edo period, but were rewritten as if they occurred before the Edo period. This alteration of historical era was made because the Tokugawa Shognate prohibited the dramatization of historical acts that occurred in and after the late Sengoku period (the age of civil wars in old Japan). Kabuki works based on stories from the Heian period or earlier are called Ochomono or Odaimono (tales of royalty/tales of the imperial era) . Sewamono are Kabuki works based on the lives of tradesmen in the Edo period. These were the modern plays of that era. Works focusing on the lives of common people of low social position are called Kizewa. The Kizewa works by Tsuruya Namboku 4th who was active in the Bunka/Bunsei period [1804 – 1830] are famous. Shosagoto means Buyo (Kabuki dance). At first, Shosagoto were considered to be the speciality of Onnagata, but from the latter half of the 18th century, tachiyaku also started to dance. Later, in the Bunka/Bunsei period, works called Hengebuyo (transformation dances) in which a single actor alone portrays multiple different characters became popular. Shosagoto can be classified by subject into groups of works such as Shishimono, Matsubamemono and Dojojimono. Gidayu-kyogen are also called Maruhonmono, meaning works which were initially performed in Ningyo-joruri (puppet play) and later dramatized for Kabuki. The story is advanced by the reciting of Takemoto (narrative recitation and music). Much of the action, production techniques and movements are stylized and are synchronized with the narration and musical accompaniment. References: http://www.arlymasks.com/japanese_history_timeline.htm http://www2.ntj.jac.go.jp/unesco/bunraku/en/contents/whats/stage.html http://www2.ntj.jac.go.jp/unesco/noh/en/kg_mask/kg_mask.html http://www2.ntj.jac.go.jp/unesco/bunraku/en/contents/creaters/operator.html http://www2.ntj.jac.go.jp/unesco/bunraku/en/contents/dolls/kashira.html http://www2.ntj.jac.go.jp/unesco/bunraku/en/contents/creaters/wig.html http://www2.ntj.jac.go.jp/unesco/bunraku/en/contents/creaters/cloth.html http://www2.ntj.jac.go.jp/unesco/bunraku/en/contents/creaters/prop.html http://www2.ntj.jac.go.jp/unesco/kabuki/en/5/5_03.html

How Women are portrayed in Death of a Salesman Essay

Linda Lowman is a woman who seemed to be taken for granted in the Lowman household but that did not mean she was powerless. â€Å"The Great Depression reinforced female domesticity†, which was clearly shown in Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller through Linda (Koenig 1). In the time period that this play took place women did not know any other life than to stay at home and tend to their families. This being the case, Linda took care of the home but was not at all powerless because she dealt with all of Willy’s problems and held the family together. Miller portrays Linda as a woman who is submissive to her husband, which exemplifies that he is an anti feminist. The ‘other woman’ in the play is also negatively portrayed as a stereotypical bimbo. Throughout the play, Miller depicts Linda as powerless and highly dependent on Willy but by digging deeper into her actions, one can see is the backbone to the family. â€Å"†¦bore the cross of reality for them all, supporting her husband, keeping up her calm, enthusiastic smile†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Bigsby viii). Linda is portrayed by Miller as a very weak individual mainly by how Willy speaks to her. In one particular example Willy loses his temper at Linda and says, â€Å"Shut up!†¦shut up!†¦there’s nothing wrong with him!’, which leaves Linda in tears (Miller 27). The abuse that Willy exerts on Linda is not to be taken as a representation of how he actually views women. But rather, Miller makes statements which show how highly he thinks of Linda such as: â€Å"Linda is tough. She is a fighter. Willy is prone to bully her, cut off her sentences†¦this is a woman who has sustained the family when Willy has allowed fantasy to replace truth, who has lived with the knowledge of his suicidal intent, who sees through her sons’ bluster and demands their support† (Bigsby xix). The description that Miller just gave of Linda exemplifies her as a very independent, strong, loving woman who will do  anything to keep her family together. Although Miller depicts Linda as a strong woman in the play; the movie, shows otherwise. During the movie it seems that Willy is not only emotionally, but physically abusive to Linda. This may be the reason that Linda is so loyal to Willy; out of fear instead of love (Schlondorf). By Linda staying with Willy even throughout physical abuse is showing that Miller feels as though women aren’t independent or strong enough to leave their husbands and the men receive a sense of empowerment through dominion over women, â€Å"The woman makes him feel he is an important salesman and powerful man† (Ribkoff 123). This negative connotation towards women shows that Miller is an anti feminist. Aside from Linda Lowman, another woman in the play is depicted in a negative, stereotypical way. Towards the end of the play we discover that Willy has been cheating on Linda with the ‘other woman’. Stereotypically, the ‘other woman’ is considered a whore and usually dumb or ditzy. The woman laughing gaily constantly represents the idea that she is considered to be dumb, for example: [The WOMAN enters, laughing†¦] Willy: â€Å"Will you stop laughing? Will you?† (Miller 91). The movie shows this woman as a young, blonde, attractive woman who seems very ditzy and carefree. This portrayal of the woman is very stereotypical of ‘bimbos’ and women who would sleep with a married man. Miller is creating a picture of this woman through the play and movie, which is quite negative towards women. The way he views women is clear; stupid, dependent, and promiscuous, although at times he seems to depict the women in the play as strong individuals. It is surprising that Willy engages in this verbal abuse towards Linda in the company of others. On many occasions Biff and Happy have been present to hear Willy put down and yell at their mother. After repeatedly being told to stop by Biff it seems Willy will eventually give in and the attacks will subside. Out of the two brothers Biff is the only one who says anything to Willy and stands up for his mother. When Wily finds out that Biff is going to try and start a business he is overjoyed until Linda chimes in as well and tries to put in her two sense. â€Å"Don’t yell at her, Pop, will ya?†¦I don’t like you yelling at her all the time, and I’m tellin’ you, that’s all. Stop yelling at her!† is an example of how Biff stands up for Linda and is  bothered by how she is treated. Biff can differentiate between what his father thinks is the right thing to do, and what is actually the right thing to do. He knows he isn’t perfect, but he admits to his mistakes and learns form then, unlike his father, Willy, â€Å"But unlike his father, he faces, and learns from his shame† (Ribkoff 124). When Miller adds parts where men stand up for women it in unclear how he feels about feminism. From this example of Biff standing up for Linda it seems he is pro feminist but on the other hand, the way he describes the women in the play makes one think otherwise. Happy on the other hand does not say anything throughout this argument or others like it. Even though Willy yells at Linda quite often she does not defend herself. Maybe the reason she is not fighting back when being verbally abused is not because she is a doormat but because she is so exhausted from caring for everything else. This is an example of how Linda can be seen as powerless. In the introduction Rhoda Koenig describes Linda Lowman as â€Å"a dumb and useful doormat† and does not stand up for herself (Bigsby xix). Linda has a lot on her plate between her husband losing touch with reality, her son’s not having solid jobs and the lack of money in their household. She deals with all these tough situations very well and does not even put up a fight when she is yelled at by her husband. Linda manages to stay collected for the most part even though she holds very heavy burdens. She decides to release one of her burdens on Biff when she tells him about his father: â€Å"He’s been trying to kill himself†¦the insurance inspector came†¦all those [car] accidents in the last year weren’t accidents†¦I went down to the cellar. And behind the fuse box- it just happened to fall out- was a length of rubber pipe- just short. And sure enough, on the bottom of the water heater there’s a new little nipple on the gas pipe† (Miller 43). Knowing your husband has plans or had plans to kill himself can obviously take a large toll on someone but Linda keeps it together. She has so much love for Willy that she puts up with everything that is going on. She tells him he can be the best and tells him she believes in him, whether she  believes it or not. Aside from her husband, Linda has to deal with Biff not having a job and Willy and Biff arguing all the time. Biff does not want to become a salesman because he would rather be outdoors and this causes a lot of conflict between him and his father. Although he was not getting as many perks as he would being a salesman he was still doing what he loved. â€Å"To suffer fifty weeks of the year for the sake of a two-week vacation, when all you really desire is to be outdoors, with your shirt off† (Miller 11). Willy cannot understand why Biff would not want to be a salesman and resents the fact that he has not been very successful. Laundry, mending stockings, worrying about bills, and groceries are a few of the things Linda Lowman does on a daily basis. These tasks are assumed to be the role of a housewife, which is another example of how Miller sees women. It is clear that in the Lowman household, Linda is responsible for all the household responsibilities, which at that time became quite common: â€Å"As men’s share in domestic activity began to disappear, housework truly became ‘women’s work'† (Leonard 307). Willy Lowman does go out and work throughout the day, but barely, while Linda is taking care of many responsibilities. It is clear that Miller feels the woman should be staying at home and taking care of the entire house as well as tending to her husband’s needs. Linda is always trying to please Willy by saying things like; â€Å"I’ll make you a sandwich†¦the cheese is on the middle shelf!† and making sure he is completely satisfied. During the play, Linda always seems to be mending stockings, which is also stereotypical behavior of a housewife. Willy gets very angry when he sees her mending stockings because he feels so guilty about the ‘other woman’. When him and the woman have their encounters he always seems to give her a pair of stockings, â€Å"†¦and thanks for the stockings†, which has occurred twice in the play (Miller 26). Willy goes off to work and Linda takes care of the house, worries about the money and makes sure she is completely devoted to Willy when he gets home. Miller seems to have a traditional view when dealing with the roles of women and men in the family. It seems like Miller is a closet pro feminist from time to time throughout the play. Although most of his portrayals of women are negative and very  stereotypical, there are certain instances where he leans in the opposite direction. For example, when Biff stood up for Linda as Willy was yelling at her; that showed that Miller felt Linda should have been stood up for. The negative connotations towards women in this book do not equate to the pro feminism examples throughout the book. It is tough to evaluate how Miller really feels about women and their place in the household, workplace and their general personalities. Works Cited Bigsby, Christopher. â€Å"Introduction†. New York: Penguin Group, 1998 Koenig, Rhoda. â€Å"Seduced by Salesman’s Patter†. The Sunday Times. London, October 26, 1996, 10.4. Leonard, Eileen B. â€Å"Household Labor and Technology in a Consumer Culture†. Composing Gender. Boston: Bedford, 2009. Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman. New York: Penguin Group, 1976 Schlondorf, Volker, dir. Dofas. Perf. Dustin Hoffman, Kate Reid, John Malkovich. VHS. Lorimar Home Video, 1986.