Harlem Renaissance And The Cotton Club Film Studies Essay

Harlem Renaissance And The Cotton Club Film Studies Essay Cotton Club as an example of Jazz scene during the Harlem Renaissance in the movie The Cotton Club by Francis Ford Coppola Even though the Harlem Renaissance ended almost 80 years ago and its timeline is almost the same as the prohibition, it still seems to have an incredible impact on American society and culture as such. What happened during those 13 years was a sort of revolution in every field of life in upper Manhattan. It would be almost impossible to name and enumerate every artist, musician, politician responsible for the Harlem Renaissance. What is the more important is the fact it was a moment in history when African American culture was able to express itself as separate from mainstream American culture of that time. Jazz became a powerful tool of defining Harlem identity; as Patrick Burke claims for African Americans interest in jazz was mixed with a desire to think and act differently. Harlem jazz musicians needed a place to practice and perform and the Cotton Club proved to play an important role in creating an atmosphere of artistic and intellectual growth during the jazz era, as depicted in the Cotton Club movie by Francis Ford Coppola. Francois Weil, the author of A History of New York, defines the Harlem Renaissance as the first African American movement in the modern history; the movement that influenced every aspect of cultural life, such as literature, music, art etc. Harlem in the 1920s was the place to be. It became what the Greenwich Village was in the downtown, mainly a place of cultural revival; an oasis to artist and intellectuals of all sorts. Harlems cultural revival at that time was called The New Negro Renaissance, a term that defined everything that was new, modern and exciting. The new movement was focused around black writers, like Zora Neale Hurston, Countee Cullen, Langston Hughes and jazz musicians, like Duke Ellington or Cab Calloway. In the 1920s, what was called Harlem stretched from 130th to 145th street, from Madison Avenue to Eighth Avenue. What became essential in Harlem Renaissance was the music; jazz, or rather ragtime as it should be called was one of the first examples of interaction between white and black music. Ragtime, as a genre was a combination of European and American influences. Its name comes from the ragged rhythm. Due to the prosperity of the 1920s, New York became the new capital of entertainment. Prohibition did not stop New Yorkers craze for nightlife, however, they had to search for fun somewhere else, in the speakeasies- illegal bars serving alcohol, mostly located in the basements. One of the most famous speakeasies was Onyx Club, which was a venue for both musicians and New Yorkers in search of fun and adventure. Patrick Burke, the author of Oasis of Swing, explains that what attracted both musicians and audience to that kind of places was the image of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ jazz as an authentic, immediate form of personal expression. Speakeasies were often located in private houses or in the basements of official clubs. There was a wide variety of speakeasies, ranging from the dà ©cor and the style to the clientele and the prices of alcohol. Most of them were located in the downtown. When the parties were over on Times Square after midnight, the night had just begun in Harlem. For those, who were craving for more adventurous nightlife, Harlem was the Promised Land; it was home for famous clubs like, just to mention some, The Cotton Club, Connies Inn and Small Paradise. The Cotton Club was the place where the greatest jazz musicians, like Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong or Cab Calloway, performed. Interestingly enough, The Cotton Club, was a place for white customers only. African Americans were allowed on the stage as performers, dancers, musicians but not as guests of the club. As Watson claims, the Cotton Club was the largest, featured the most extravagant shows, charged the highest prices, and most strictly enforced the color line. Strangely enough, thanks to its policy, the club was seen as one of the best places for white New Yorkers to be immersed into black culture. The Cotton Club attracted white clientele in many ways, for example by serving fancy food, the prices were unreasonably high, the dancers were young and pretty; it all created the atmosphere of a place for elites. In the heart of Harlem, The Cotton Club was a venue run by white owners for white audience. The Cotton Club was quite an extraordinary place where not only did white and black clash, but also other groups, like high and low classes, mob bosses and artist. Furthermore, the club was attracting its clients by the creating the sense of forbidden adventure. On top of that, illegal alcohol was just another factor that created the clubs myth. The Cotton Club movie was directed by Francis Ford Coppola in 1984. Coppola, whos regarded as one of the most important American filmmakers, had been renowned for Apocalypse Now and The Godfather trilogy. Growing up in New York, although he was born in Detroit but his family moved to New York when he was a child, he actually made the city something more than just a background for the stories he depicted in his movies, the city itself became the vital part of his movies, almost like another main character, for example in the Godfather, where he depicted the life of Italian tenants living in New York City. The Cotton Club was produced by his own studio, Zoetrope Studio, which meant for Coppola even greater financial responsibility in case the movie did not become an instant success. Not only did it fail in commercial sense, but also it did not meet the audience and the movie critics expectations. The story is set in Harlem, New York City, primarily in 1928. The main character is white cornet player, Michael Dwyer called Dixie, starred by Richard Gere, who incidentally saves Dutch Schulz, starred by James Remar, life and since then Dixies life changes completely. This night is a turning point for Dixie; at the same club where he rescues Dutch, he meets Vera Cicero, starred by Diane Lane, a woman he completely falls in love with. In addition, Vera turns out to be Dutchs mistress. Unfortunately, Dixie has no idea that the person he rescued is a mob boss, and this very fact makes Dixie mingled into the underground world of gangsters, bootleggers and speakeasies. As the story develops, other characters appear on the screen, for example Williamss brothers, two black tap dancers and this is the very first moment when the story moves into The Cotton Club. From now on, the lives of black and white characters are connected via the club itself. What strikes viewers attention most is segregation at the Cotton Club. The black performers are allowed to use only the backdoor, leaving the front door to white audience only. This fact is easily understood when it turns out that the owner of the club is white man, Owney Madden, starred by Bob Hoskins, who claims to be a businessman rather than a mobster and whose main concern is how much he can earn by selling illegal liquor at the club. Dixie takes the screening test and gets engaged in the movie industry, which means moving to Hollywood and leaving New York and his beloved Vera. He takes his chance, seeing this as an opportunity to escape from his problems with Dutch. Out of a sudden, Dixie becomes a movie star. Meanwhile, the mob war in Harlem starts. To make things worse, the prices of stocks crash on Wall Street. The Great Depression does not seem to affect Vera Cicero, who left by Dixie, opens her own night club, Veras Club, for whites only on Broadway. Out of the sudden, Dixie comes back from Hollywood as a celebrity, finding his brother Vinnie guilty of killing innocent children in the street. The stock market crash in 1929 and the mob wars in 1930 are presented to build the dark and gloomy atmosphere of inevitable doom. In other words, the good careless days of jazz age are over and what is about to happen is like a harsh wake up after an all-night party. Talking about black characters in the movie, they are presented as a sort of background for white main characters. There is another love affair in the movie, between black tap dancer, Dalbert, called Sandman, Williams, starred by ,Gregory Hines, and a singer, Lila, starred by Lonette McKee, whose tragedy is that she comes from a mixed background, of a white mother and black father, which makes her black for whites and white for blacks. Lila is a star at the Cotton Club, dreaming about career on a Broadway. Thanks to Vera Cicero, her dreams come true, as Lila is white enough to perform at the Veras Club. The black jazz scene in the Cotton Club is depicted in two ways. First of all, there are historic names, such as Duke Ellington or Cab Calloway and fictional names, such as Williams Brothers. As far as historic names are concerned, the jazz scene in the Cotton Club can be divided into two phases: The Duke Ellingtons era, till 1930, and Cab Calloways era, since 1931. The times when Cab was the host at the Cotton Club mark the line of a different sort of entertainment; the show was more varied, there were more dancers, feathers, the pace was faster, because the audience was more varied. 1931 is important in the movie for two reasons; first because it is a date when the concerts are broadcast live from Cotton Club, second, it is a time when black audience is allowed into the club. As far as fictional characters are concerned, the major black characters are two brothers, Clay and Dalbert Williams, who want to succeed at the Cotton Club as tap dancers. When they finally make it there, they start competing with each other and this rivalry leads to a split between them. The conflict is not an endless one and Williams brothers realize that what made them went separate ways is meaningless, and what really matters is the fact they are flesh and blood. The scene when sing and tap together to the Crazy Rhythm is one of the best scenes in the entire movie. In addition, the second best scene in the whole movie is a violent scene of Dutchs murder is accompanied by Sandmans tap dance in the background. The evening show at the Cotton Club is depicted in the movie as a sort of a variety show. The stage in the shape of a horse hoof is located right in the center, surrounded by the customers tables. First, there female dancers enter the stage; young and attractive black girls chosen to attract mostly the male clientele. At the back of the stage there is a black jazz band accompanying the dancers. Secondly, there is a ballet performance or a singer solo accompanied by the orchestra. Next there is a tap dance, like Williams brothers, who dance synchronically to the rhythm of the music. The club is presented as a meeting spot for celebrities as well, for example when Dixie meets Gloria Swanson, the movie star. The show changes pace so that the audience can talk eat and enjoy it without paying attention all the time to what is happening on the stage. The genre of this movie is a crime story combined with love story. The crime story part is most evident when at the beginning and the end of the movie when the Dutchs opponents try to kill him and when Dixies brother, who became a gangster, incidentally shots kids on the street. The love story part is the dangerous, erotic and highly emotional relationship between Vera Cicero and Dixie Dwyer, the best example is the passionate tango scene where Vera slaps Dixie, who slaps her back. Their romance has to be a secret; otherwise they would get killed by Dutch. This tension leads to the inevitable conflict between Dutch and Dixie, which is the climax of the story, hence the secret about the love affair is revealed. The Cotton Club movies strength lies in meticulous preparation to recreate the atmosphere of jazz age; as a matter of fact, the interior design and art deco details are impressive and take the viewers back to the famous club in the late 1920s.However, the movie has some flaws. First of all, it is not a tribute to black Harlem artists who were responsible for a cultural revival of that time. As Johnson points out, the movie of that title should be focused on indomitability of segregated black artists who were able to lose themselves in ecstasies of escapist jazz songs and dance. Secondly, the movie proves to be a crime story rather than a musical. Thirdly, black artists are displayed as minor characters, whereas all the glory and attention go to the white protagonists, especially white jazz musician Dixie Dwyer and femme fatale Vera Cicero. The Cotton Club as an example of a nightclub was responsible for cultural revival in Harlem. Even though being responsible for segregation in Harlem, the club proved to be the place where many talented artists could perform and become famous overnight. It was the ultimate place where white audience could become familiar with Afro-American culture, for example by listening to Duke Ellingtons orchestra play jazz in the club. Furthermore, The Cotton Club was more than a jazz club; it was a scene for tap dancers, performers, singers, and other artists to show broader audience their work. In this way, The Cotton Club might be called the meeting place of white New Yorkers and African-American Harlem residents. The Great Depression brought about the end of phenomena called the Harlem Renaissance. The majority of clubs were closed; significant artists abandoned Harlem and moved to other states or headed for Europe. The great cultural revival was over. In addition, the end of Harlem Renaissance is marked with the end of prohibition. The nightlife lost its seductive glamour; the speakeasies ceased to be the meeting spots. Stock market crash had a bigger impact on Harlem than anyone would expect; everything seemed to be falling apart. The Cotton Club and Connies In were open during the great depression. What changed was the number of white clients increasing. The repeal of prohibition seemed to have more impact on Harlem nightlife than the depression itself.

Hunger Games Book Talk

Hunger Games Book Talk Could you survive on your own and in the wild, with every one out there trying to make sure you don't live to see the sunrise? I think I probably wouldn't be able to survive in the wilderness, much less if people are trying hard to make sure I don't survive until the next day. I am used to getting my food in the supermarket, already processed, and I'm sure I wouldn't be able to hunt, kill or even build a fire. But Katniss Everdeen could. She is a 16 year-old who is able to support her widowed mother and 12 year-old sister Prim, by hunting in the forbidden woods of District 12 with her best friend Gale.They all live in the Seam, the poorest part of District 12. QUOTE. Due to a cruel twist of life, Katniss Everdeen ends up being the first volunteer ever of District 12. She is joined by Peeta Mallark, the baker's son. Both are picked to represent District 12 in the 74th Hunger Games. Feeling already sentenced to death, they are dealt another unfortunate blow when Haymitch, a drunk ex-victor, is assigned as their mentor. During the preparation for the games, the audience is bewitched by the alleged romance between the two representatives of District 12 and dub Katniss as â€Å"the girl on fire†.When real and false emotions collide, trouble  grows  between the two, because only one can make it out alive. During the Hunger Games loyalties grow or switch, some contestants stay in the arena forever, while one victor and only one is expected to come back home alive. Do you know where the author got her inspiration for the book? How her personal experiences and the historical context influence her writing? I recommend the novel mainly to teens, ages 13 and up, since it is full of suspense, action and it is rather interesting because it is not only a book about a game where everyone needs to fight each other until someone dies, ut it is something much complicated that talks about how governments always want to have all the power and be in control, and about personal freedom, sacrifice and what it means to be yourself and not submit to society's expectations. Personally, I loved this book after the  first chapter or so, since the novel starts moving at a fast pace that keeps you entertained and wanting to know more. Also the author is very descriptive about the setting, the characters physical appearance and their feelings, that you can almost feel your in the book. http://www. scholastic. com/thehungergames/videos/classical-inspiration. htm

Literary Analysis of the poem Beowulf Essay

Beowulf is considered as one of the longest poems in literature with more than 3,000 lines. It is has no known author, but it was considered as the national epic of England. Beowulf is a man – a hero who faced three major battles in the poem. These battles were not against other humans, but were against monstrous creatures (The Norton Anthology of English Literature). It is a poem that deals with legends, of hero and his men, and his great battles. It is composed mainly to entertain, a work of fiction with several relations to historical context. And with this, some speculations were raised, saying that Beowulf was something more that a poetic narrative of the hero, Beowulf. The epic poem was then related to a Christian context, saying that it was a Christian allegory. The poem takes place in the late 5th to 6th century, following the Anglo-Saxon’s settlement in England, after making contact with Germanic tribes in Scandinavia and Germany. Beowulf may be based on real people and real events at that time in Scandinavia. The clans mentioned in the poem were clans which are found in the area, as well as some of the prominent personalities in the story. So basically, the epic poem is a work of fiction but was based on factual characters and events during that time. The time of Beowulf was a time of Paganism, but Beowulf himself addresses a higher being rather than man, wherein he presents himself to the Father Almighty. According to Helterman, â€Å"As the view of the intellectual setting has shifted from a pagan to a Christian context, this ‘something more’ has been seen as a Christian allegory or didacticism†¦yet the tone of the poem and the lack of specific Christian allusions cause difficulties for such an approach (Helterman). The poem didn’t mention anything regarding Christianity, and Beowulf was a pagan. But there were several â€Å"Christian sentiments of a general sort† which were attributed to the hero. Because of the Christian-like characterization of the hero Beowulf, there were several speculations saying that the author was a Christian in England who wrote about Scandinavian history, which then became the epic poem Beowulf. But some said that the Christian attribution in the hero’s character could mean that he was an archetype, the generic, idealized model of a person (Chickering). And at that time, Christianity was a budding religion, wherein Beowulf’s character could have been patterned into that of an ideal Christian. Beowulf as the hero of the epic was made the way he is, the ideal person. But then again, every hero has its counterparts. And just like Beowulf, his counterpart can be seen in a Christian context. The epic poem Beowulf is divided into three major battles. The first one is his battle with the monstrous creature called Grendel, which was the reason why he went to Hrotgar. Just like Beowulf, Grendel also has a Christian context. He is to be the descendant of Cain, the son of Adam and Eve which was banished for killing his own brother. Because of this, Grendel is given an antagonistic comparison with Cain, who was the first person to commit murder in the Christian bible. Grendel, along with his mother, was compared to as the kinsmen of Cain, whereas Beowulf was the pagan hero considered as the archetype of a human being. Beowulf and Grendel were great opposites, as manifestation of the forces of good battling with the forces of evil, or in the context of religion and Christianity, will be righting the wrong. Beowulf’s character is the manifestation of Christianity’s good; wherein his defense of Heorot was an act to â€Å"order the chaotic universe,† where Grendel and his mother on the other hand, were the forces that bring chaos, falling into pattern of disorder (Batchelor). This is manifested by their physical appearance wherein they do not resemble or have any human characteristics. They were monstrous in size and strength. They can kill people with the swipe of their hands, and they even eat people, as to what Grendel did to Hrotgar’s men. Another possible association with religion and Christianity was during the creation of Heorot, the great hall which was built for the people of King Hrotgar (Helterman). The creation of the hall was because of the word of the king. It is the same as that of the Christian’s Genesis, wherein with the word of God, there was light. And it was with that word that He was able to create day and night, and everything that he wished and commanded. Just as with Hrotgar’s word, Heorot was created, all for the sake of the people, since in this hall they dined, ate and sang, until the time that Grendel came into the story. When Grendel came, it was like introducing chaos into order so that you could cleanse it, just like the cleansing of the sins of the people, just like the Great flood, where chaos or the flood was added in order to cleanse the world of the sinners. When Grendel came into Heorot, chaos caused destruction, thus it would require reconstruction, where after reconstruction was the cleansed state. Grendel, even though he caused a great deal of devastation to the people, has served a purpose, which was to strengthen the then destroyed Heorot. His chaos has led to a good outcome in the story. It could also be viewed on another angle, where the battle between Beowulf and Grendel was actually the same as to that of the myth of creation, where light and darkness mixed and â€Å"fought† in order to create the earth and everything in it. Another instance that relates the epic poem Beowulf to Christianity was during the battle against the mother of Grendel. Beowulf was definite on the losing end at that moment, since his sword, Hrunting, lost its powers and cannot harm the creature he is up against with. In his desperation, he was able to locate a sword in the Grendel’s lair, which only he could be able to use. It was a heavy sword of the giant, which he used to behead the mother of Grendel and eventually prolong his life. Even though he was able to slay the monster and keep his life, he gives the credit of his victory to the â€Å"higher being,† the â€Å"Wielder of Men. † It was an indirect association to God in Christianity, since he recognizes His powers and that his victory wasn’t possible without him. Beowulf being a pagan is just a characteristic, since there was no evidence of him knowing about Christianity (Batchelor). But the fact that he addresses to a higher being is a manifestation of being Christian even in his beliefs. The epic poem Beowulf is truly a literary piece that was made to entertain, with the life of Beowulf as a hero, his adventures, his battles, and even his death, makes it a wonderful read. But there are other underlying concerns that could come about while reading the epic. It is undeniable that there are other meanings in what was written, rather than just to entertain. The poem Beowulf is associated with religion, especially Christianity. The main character’s recognition of a higher being is but one of many manifestations of this underlying messages.

Philosophy of Education Essay - 1036 Words

Philosophy of Education The philosophical perspective possessed by a teacher has on affects the ability and effectiveness of their teaching methods. Therefore a teacher must be one who appreciates and respects education and formalized schooling. In the following paragraphs I will give a general description of my views on education. I will describe how I view the acquisition of knowledge, common student nature, what I believe the purpose of education is and my desired method and curriculum. Future teachers should carefully consider each of these aspects. After my graduation from Concord College I plan to be a history teacher at a local high school. If I proceed with any further schooling, it will most likely be in the field of†¦show more content†¦I believe that knowledge is both relative and absolute. I believe this because people learn both through their own experiences and through the experiences of others. The only cases where a child=s acquisition of knowledge would be completely relative are in the life of feral children. The overall purpose of education in current society is to give each person the opportunity to effectively function in a complex society. With education citizens are able to take care of themselves and be successful. Education is important because it strengthens the United States. As the country contains more educated citizens, it progresses further with technology and other sciences. The progression in science leads to the growth of money. Without the demand that all citizens attend some type of schooling, our country would not be as strong as it is today. As a teacher I hope to inspire my students and give them enough motivation to bring them all the way through college. I plan to be a good role model to my students and to make learning a fun activity instead of a mandatory chore. I hope that the students who leave my classroom are well informed with the history of their country and the structure of society. I hope that my students have also acquired a desire to continue to learn as well as a good set of morals and values when they leave my class. Above all I want each of my students to be able to function in society in accordance with American Norms. Teachers areShow MoreRelatedMy Teaching Philosophy Of Education880 Words   |  4 PagesAccording to the Education Philosophy test that we took in class, my education philosophy matched with social reconstruction. Social Reconstructionist believes that systems must keep changing to improve human conditions. Also, emphasizes social questions and to create a better society. Social reconstructionist believe that you have to start over to make things better. 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