Era of social and cultural rebellion Essay Example for Free

Era of social and cultural rebellion Essay The disintegration of American values was reflected in manners and morals that shook American society to the depths. (Leuchtenburg) The 1920s was an era in which the Americans showed their independence through actions; learning not to live the same ways that those preceded them had. The 20s was a cultural and socialistic rebellious attitude, decomposing past American ethics and beliefs. The most obvious rebellion is shown by the feminine movements during this time. The 1920s led to a new role for American women, in which females desperately tried to rid themselves of Victorian roles they had played in the past. In an effort to become modern and masculine, the flapper led to newly recognized rights for females in the male fields. The flappers showed their rebellion by wearing short skirts that in previous years would have been entirely inappropriate dress for women. Rebellion was also shown by the increased number of females working in public offices, obtaining jobs, attending colleges, and having leading roles in professional careers (events that were practically unheard-of fifty years earlier.) Women professionals increased 50 percent, while married working women increased 30 percent. With the suffrage movement in 1920, women started out the 20s with a passion for independence and political and social rights. Women lived by themselves, proving absolute independence from men. They, who had once been thought of as mens property solely to perform the acts of cleaning and cooking, were revolting against their title of exclusive possession. Once the rebellion against stay-at-home wives had started, women who still fulfilled that role felt compelled to apologize that they were not out working alongside men in the job world. (Leuchtenburg) Marriage was also a way to rebel; women who were unhappy in marriages felt that they had the right to divorce their husbands; this act more then doubled between the years of 1914 and 1929. Divorce, once thought to be completely immoral, was becoming quite common. All these factors show that the female race was using the 1920s to revolt against issues they had previously disagreed with, but never had the courage to address. The 1920s brought a breakdown in ethics. Couples went further in publicly showing their affection for each other. Sex was a common discussion topic,  not only for women but young girls. Suggestive topics were broadcasted all over the radios, movies, and newspapers. Parties were no longer chaperoned, and parents no longer had knowledge about their daughters actions. The fact that individuals during this time were so free with their sexual favors proves the fact that people during this time wanted to show their capability at making decisions for themselves. (Leuchtenburg) One may argue that the 1920s was not an era of social and cultural rebellion, and bring up the opinion that the dresses the flappers wore were efforts to save money. (Shannon) This is possible, but in order to feel completely at ease at wearing what would have been considered (only a decade earlier) an outrageous outfit, the women would have had to rebel. One might also say that the reason why there were increased numbers of women attending college was not the fact that they were rebelling to prove their equality with men, but rather because it was the first time they could ever afford such an education. This is untrue; debt was so high in the 20s that most families would have been unable to afford a college education. During the 1920s, the economy grew into a consumer economy, one that revolved around the ability of the citizens to consume products. In order to make it easy for the people to do this, credit was developed. With the innovation of credit, many people became in debt, and consumer debt rose a total of 250 percent. Personal debt rose 2.5 times faster then personal income, and people just didnt have money to spend it on an education solely for the reason of becoming educated. However, in order to show their equality, women would have been more willing to put a college education on credit. In conclusion, the Roaring Twenties was a time of serious cultural and social rebellion. People wanted to live their lives they way they chose; they wanted to show their independence and ability to make decisions, and not live by the beliefs of their predecessors.

Reflection Essay :: Reflection Essay

Much like Benjamin Franklin believed, I feel that a person should take advantage of the time the person has in life with activities a person wants to do or needs to do. A person should not spend much time on activities the person does not want to do. Life is way too short to concern oneself with work or other activities one wants nothing to do with all the time. When possible, I try to forget about my responsibility and just let go of the ‘things’ that do not matter to me. I think a person should try to occupy oneself with something productive, worthwhile, or necessary at all times. Even though a person’s life is left up to a person to live, I cannot imagine thinking that I owe my time to society through working a job that I simply despise. I am a compassionate person, but I do not owe anyone anything regarding my time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Taking advantage of life, what could that possibly mean? Well, there are certain activities I would like to take part in before I can no longer do them. I very seldom make idle promises, and I even more seldom tell hollow promises to myself. I am going to have the best possible time I can in accordance to my desires and no one else’s. I have already made up my mind that I want to work towards starting a musical band; therefore, one can be sure I am going to take advantage of the chance and opportunity I have to accomplish it. I also have certain places I want to go or perhaps activities I want to do before my time is up. I have made it up in my mind that I am going to travel to different parts of the world to see places most people will not, or perhaps some places that most people do not even know exist. I am going to make an attempt to do some extreme activities in an attempt to experience life from another angle. Again, an angle most people just do not se e, an angle hopefully a little too far off a tangent the average person. To experience life and take advantage of it, one needs to make promises to oneself. A person may wonder, â€Å"How am I supposed to do this? How can I possibly accomplish anything I want to do?

Cry the Beloved Country dialectical journal Essay

â€Å"Kumalo climbed into the carriage for non-Europeans, already full of the humbler people of his race†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (43) How there’s a carriage exclusively for non-Europeans is understandable at the time period that this novel is set in, but people who read this in the 21st century might think that this is odd how Europeans couldn’t stand to ride in the same carriage as non-Europeans. â€Å"Black and white it says, black and white, though it is red and green. It is too much to understand.† (47) The order it goes, black and white then red and green. It shows you that the whites are more superior because they are the sign to go, and the blacks have to stop and wait. The whites always get first word on things and blacks have to settle with that the whites left them. â€Å"They talked of young criminal children and older and more dangerous criminals, of how white Johannesburg was afraid of black crime.† (52) How it says â€Å"black crime† is just wrong. There is such thing as white crime too, but apparently the white people don’t think that white crime is just as dangerous as black crime. It shows how scared they were of people of different races and think that just because of your color you are prone to do more dangerous things. â€Å"That is a pity, says Msimsngu. I am not a man for segregation, but it is a pity that we are not apart. They run trams from the centre of the city, and part is for Europeans and part for us. But we are often thrown off the trams by young hooligans. And our hooligans are ready for trouble too.† (58) It’s sort of sad how this is a person who doesn’t believe in segregation, but feels the need to be apart from the other race. When someone is being hostile towards you it’s not a good feeling, so of course you wouldn’t want to be near that individual. I think in this setting and time it’s understandable that someone would feel this way about being separated. Kumalo’s face wore the smile, the strange smile not known in other countries, of a black man when he sees one of his people helped in public by a white man, for such a thing is not lightly done. (81) It bothers me that this smile is for a deed that should be done anyway. I mean, I know it’s set in a time where there’s segregation between  the different races, but seeing how I was born and raised in an era where it isn’t customary to ignore someone solely because of their race. Cry, the Beloved Country Dialectical Journals Theme: Fear Quote Response The small child opened the door, carefully like one who was afraid to open carelessly, the door of so important a house, and stepped timidly in.† (35) Just how the girl’s movement is describes makes me feel scared. The words â€Å"timidly† and â€Å"carelessly† really add on to how you could picture her moving. Being a small child and going into a house that is owned by such an important person would be terrifying because if you were to accidentally break something or slip up then it’d be very bad. â€Å"They go to Johannesburg, and there they are lost, an no one hears of them at all.† (39) It sounds like Johannesburg is sucking them up and not letting them free. People might never hear from people that have gone to Johannesburg because their life was getting worse by living in Johannesburg. I would be kind of scared to go to Johannesburg because no one hears from you again. â€Å"He goes carefully that he may not bump anybody, holding tightly on to his bag.†(47) He’s afraid that someone might try to snatch his bag. Being in an unknown place is hard for a lot of people. They hear rumors and then they get scared. It’s not bad to always be careful, but it wasn’t just careful he was being. The young man took the pound and walked a short distance to the corner. As the turned it. Kumalo was afraid. The line moved forward and he with it, clutching his bag. And again forward, and again forward, and soon he must enter a bus, but still he had no ticket. As through the has suddenly thought of something he left he line, and walked the corner, but there was no sign of the young man.(48-49) Trusting strangers with your money isn’t an easy thing to do. And being in a foreign place makes it even more confusing on if you should trust anyone or not. When you’re poor like Kumalo was, money was very precious to you. He was taking m oney that was going to be used for clothes. Seeing someone run off with your money is something that makes you lose faith in the human race. Cry, the Beloved Country Dialectical Journals Theme: Economic Prosperity v. Loss of Values Quote Response â€Å"She came here to look for her husband who was recruited for the mines†¦ She lives in Claremont, not far from here. It is one of the worst places in Johannesburg†¦ †¦ that is her work, she makes and sells it†¦ These women sleep with any man for their price†¦ She has been in prison, more than once.† (53) Kumalo’s sister went to the big city to find her husband and it turns out that she never did. At least that’s what it seems like it’s trying to hint at. It seems like as soon as she entered a place to be rumored as a better economic area, she lost all morals and values. This is sad really, for both Kumalo and his sister. (55) Cry, the Beloved Country Dialectical Journals Theme: Poverty Quote Response â€Å"How can I use it? he said. This money was to send Absalom to St. Chad’s†¦ This money we have saved for that purpose will never be used for it.† (38-39) Stephen feels if he were to use the money they saved for his son it wouldn’t be right. He also knows that if he doesn’t use it, it might never be used for anything at all. He doesn’t know where his son is because he hasn’t tried to contact ever since he left. â€Å"Take it all, Stephen. There may be doctors, hospital, other troubles. Take it all. And take the Post Office Book––there is ten pounds in it––you must take that also. – I have been saving that for your stove, He said – That cannot be helped, she said. And that other money, though we saved it for St. Chad’s, I had meant it for your new black clothes, and a new black hat, and new white collars† (40) I think how Stephen’s wife tells him to take all the money is something that shows how much she cares about his well  being. How they were saving it for a stove for his wife and new clothes for Stephen but his wife wanted him to take the money for their needs before their wants. Stephen needs to have enough money for anything and everything that might be thrown in his path in this journey he is about to embark on. â€Å"This is a long way to go, and a lot of money to pay. And if he has to bring her back, what will that cost too?† (42) He’s going to this unknown city where they don’t know how much things are. And if his sister is gravely ill, then what? He’s not going to leave her there, she’s family and family always comes first. â€Å"Is it wrong to ask more money? John Kumalo asks. We get little enough. It is only our share that we ask, enough to our wives and families from starvation. For we do not get enough. The Lansdown Commission said that we do not get enough. The Smit Commission said that we do not get enough.† (218) Everyone is saying that John Kumalo is poor because he isn’t getting enough money. He’s wondering if asking for money is something that is socially acceptable, even if you need it to not starve. I think that this is sort of sad because when you think about it there are people in this time of day that would ask the same question to themselves but never ask. Cry, the Beloved Country Dialectical Journals Theme: Religion Quote Response (37) I lied. This doesn’t work. (43) Ha. This one doesn’t work either >.< (51) Oh and this? FAIL. â€Å"They went into a room where a table was laid, and there he met many priests, both white and black, and they sat down after grace and ate together.† (51) At a time of social and political unrest, the two different races could sit together without being appalled by each other’s races. I think that speaks for itself in the fact that religion is uniting the (187) Ha not this one. this one is evil. jk Cry, the Beloved Country Dialectical Journals Theme: Forgiveness Quote Response â€Å"They knelt down, and he prayed, quietly so that the neighbors might not hear, and she punctuated his petitions with Amens. And when he had finished, she burst into a torrent of prayer, of self-denunciation, and urgent petition. And thus reconciled, they sat hand in hand.† (61) â€Å"†¦ And he said to her, will you now take a fourth husband? And desperately she said, no, no, I want no husband anymore.† (146) â€Å" And so he laughed again, and let go her hands, and took up his hat. I shall come for you when everything is ready for the marriage. Have you clothes?† (148) â€Å"-I have heard you, he said. I understand what I did not understand. There is no anger in me.† (214)

The Evolution of Music Consumption Free Essay Example, 2500 words

The record player became a collectible because of the forward-thinking design and the futuristic look that was associated with the player. The combination of post-war design with Italian design was present in the player. More important, the name of Bellini by this time was known as one of the top designers throughout Italy and on a global basis. This began with his exhibition in 1972 called Italy: The New Domestic Landscape held at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. His prestige continued to grow as he had forward thought and futuristic designs that were based on his main concepts in the 1960s and 1970s. This led to his belief in the man-made environment creating an existence between humans and industrial designs, all which led him into several positions as a speaker, designer, and consultant for various household objects. The prestige of Bellini and the futuristic look during this time both contributed to the popularity of the item as well as the understanding of why it is a co llectible (Fiell, 72). The first concepts which affected the economy and moved into the changes which the record player initiated were the social implications. We will write a custom essay sample on The Evolution of Music Consumption or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now Bellini created the record player so it looked futuristic and stood out as a design against other furniture in the home through the shape and bright colors. The automated system combined with this for the record player. The social implications combined with this created trends in entertainment that were popular after the war. Social leisure at home began to be more accepted with many looking for new technologies and innovations after the war. The social changes were based on patterns that were associated with spending leisure time at home by listening to records and music while the record player indicated new technology that began to distinguish social classes who were more informed in society. The consequences of the social impact were based on the ability to have futuristic designs and concepts in the home while having more connections to music that was in society, leading to a growing demand and expectation to leisure activities in the home by li stening to music (Gershuny, 2002).