Analysis of Andre’s Mother by Terrence McNally Essay Essay Example

Analysis of Andre’s Mother by Terrence McNally Essay Essay Example Analysis of Andre’s Mother by Terrence McNally Essay Paper Analysis of Andre’s Mother by Terrence McNally Essay Paper The drama. Andre’s Mother. by Terrence McNally is a narrative about accepting decease and is based in a narrative about a immature adult male who died before stating his female parent that he was gay ; go forthing the man’s spouse to interrupt the intelligence and to inform the female parent about how much he missed seeing her and his fright of being rejected by her. in the clip before his decease. The subject of this narrative is to populate life mundane with no declinations. Throughout the symbols and mentions you begin to understand the life of Andre. The white balloon represents allowing travel and go forthing a immature adult male in peace. The silence of his female parent shows that she neer accepted his sexual penchant. While Hamlet references the battles of his mundane life. The white balloon in the drama Andre’s Mother is a symbol of Andre’s psyche. Cal speaks about the white balloons stating. â€Å"They represent the psyche. When you let travel. it means you’re allowing his psyche ascend to Heaven. that you’re willing to allow travel. Interrupting the last earthly ties† ( McNally 737 ) . Andre is stating that the white balloons are Andre’s psyche and that when you release them. you’re willing to allow travel of all the incorrect and allow him rest in peace. Penny. Cal’s sister. and Arthur. Cal’s pa let travel of the balloon without vacillation. After let go ofing their balloons Cal reluctantly admits. â€Å"I’m non ready yet† ( McNally 737 ) . This is because Cal still couldn’t Lashkar-e-Taiba travel and still had declinations. The balloon being white represents pureness. Leting spell of the white balloon meant that after all that was said. Andre was now clear and pure once more. I believe that white balloon represented allowing spell of Andre and allowing his psyche remainder in peace with no declinations and nil left unexpressed. Andre’s mother’s silence throughout the drama proved to us she did non accept her son’s homosexualism. Cal tells Andre’s female parent how much Andre missed her and longed for her credence. He gets finished with his harangue and still no response from Andre’s female parent. Cal gets huffy and answers. â€Å"It’s Irish bull. It’s all Irish bull. [ Still No response ] † Her silence shows that she is non accepting of Andre’s sexual penchant. At the terminal of the drama Andre’s ma with her ain struggles releases the balloon. The drama write quotation marks. â€Å"He goes. Andre’s female parent stands entirely keeping her white balloon. Her lips tremble. She looks on the brink of interrupting down. She looks at it awhile before she gently kisses it and lets go of the balloon†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I believe at that point that Andre’s female parent forgave her boy and was willing to pass over the slate clean by let go ofing the white balloon and allowing Andre’s psyche remainder in peace. Andre’s mother’s silence throughout the drama shows that she neer accepted her son’s gender. Even though she wasn’t accepting she allow her son remainder in peace and allow his psyche ascend to heaven. Andre’s love of theatre and the drama Hamlet gave us an penetration to his life. At the beginning of the drama Cal expresses Andre’s love of theater. Cal expresses. â€Å"God. how much he wanted to play Hamlet once more. He would hold gone to Timbuktu to hold another spell at that portion. The summer he did in Boston. he was so happy! † ( McNally 736 ) . This mention to Hamlet. I believe showcases the battles Andre went through. Andre struggled with decision-making and avoiding things. as did Hamlet. Hamlet struggled whether to revenge his male parent and struggled with the determination that he had been avoiding. This is besides evident when Cal brings up Andre’s great public presentation stating. â€Å"You should hold come up the summer he plated Hamlet. He was magnificent† ( McNally 738 ) . I believe the Hamlet mention was to showcase Andre and his internal battles. McNally uses strong a strong sense of symbolism throughout the narrative. First by keeping a white balloon. the characters were holing a representation of Andre’s life and the memories that they each had of him. By let go ofing the balloon. they were allowing spell of the unhappiness of his decease and for some. the secret he’d been maintaining from his household. This besides represented the crossing over of Andre. In the narrative. Andre was afraid of being rejected by his female parent. whose silence throughout the drama proves that she was incapable of offering credence to his homosexualism. With Andre’s love of the theatre and specifically Hamlet. he is associating himself to one of the most accepted internal battles of the theatre universe.

Images of the Evangelist Matthew in the Book of Durrow and the Colbertinus Codex Faith and Devotion for the Evangelist

Images of the Evangelist Matthew in the Book of Durrow and the Colbertinus Codex Faith and Devotion for the Evangelist Introduction Although apparently quite different in sophistication and complexity as pieces of art, the Man, Symbol of St. Matthew, from the Book of Durrow and St. Matthew from the Codex Colbertinus share a common origin in intense faith. These two images of portray the same religious figure from three hundred years apart. They reveal the same devotion to the scripture and the faith that inspired them. Both use the best techniques available to them to glorify and invest with meaning and seriousness the role and person of Matthew the Evangelist.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Images of the Evangelist Matthew in the Book of Durrow and the Colbertinus Codex: Faith and Devotion for the Evangelist specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Identification of the work of art Unknown artist. The Man: the symbol for St. Matthew, from the Book of Durrow, latter half of the 7th century, CE. Ink and tempura on parchment. Description of t he work of art The 7th century image of St. Matthew in the Book of Durrow depicts a male figure with pale hair and what appears to be a beard or sideburns. He is wrapped from neck to ankles in a heavily decorated cloak. His feet appear sideways, in the manner of ancient Egyptian representations of the legs and feet, making it very clear that these are feet, and not something else. The figure of Matthew is surrounded by elaborate scrolls, evocative of vining plants but not specifically depicting any plant. They are familiar to anyone who has purchase a piece of jewelry labeled as Celtic, and similar designs appear in sculpted crosses from the same period and before and after in the British Isles. The dominant colors appear to be red, black, gold, or what passes for gold and white or off-white. The condition of this page is good, but there appear to be missing areas of color in the scrolling. A reconstruction suggests that there was a lot more green in the scrolling and in the cloak d ecoration. The overall size of the page is roughly 9 5/8 x 6 1/8, or equivalent to a modern trade book. The image is executed in ink and tempura on parchment, meaning that the surface could be sheep, calf, or goat skin. The tempura, a mixture of pigments and egg yolk, was typical of the period. One might infer that the outline was drawn in ink and then filled in with tempura colors. The Book of Durrow is now housed at Trinity College, in Dublin, Ireland. However, its source may have been elsewhere, for example in the ancient Christian center on the isle of Iona. Such texts were precious, and could have been looted or given as a gift over the centuries.Advertising Looking for essay on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Identification of the work of art Unknown artist. St. Matthew from the Codex Colbertinus. 11th to 12th century, CE. Tempura on vellum (calf skin). Description of the work of art The fig ure of Matthew appears under an arch supported by columns. He wears a cloak, and his feet are bare, but depicted as seen from the front. He holds up a forefinger and thumb with one hand, and a book in the other. His pose, his wide open eyes, perfectly arched eyebrows, suggestion of a top-knot, and the neck folds are reminiscent of early depictions of the Gautama Buddha. His archway, which appears to evoke Roman architecture, and is in front of what seems to be a basilica style church, stands next to the letter L. This begins the Gospel of Matthew, the first words of which are â€Å"Liberi generationis†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This phrase refers to the genealogy that the writer of this account of the life of Jesus then proceeds to list at length. The purpose of the genealogy is to connect Jesus, the son of Joseph and Mary, to the patriarchs and founders of the Jewish people. It also foreshadows the fulfillment of scripture that Matthew emphasizes so heavily in describing the events in Jesusâ⠂¬â„¢ life. The letter L contains many smaller figures, some of them fantastical, others perhaps simply ill-informed. There appear to be figures of a swan, a leopard, a dog, flowers and seed pods, a naked man, a man in parti-colored hose, raptor birds, and additional canidae. The prominent colors are red, blue, green, olive, white, gold, black, and variants of these. The condition of the page seems very good, although there may have been some fading in some spots. It is currently housed at the National Library of France. The manuscript is in Latin, but there is another manuscript in Greek, from Cyprus, that is sometimes referred to by the same name. Comparing and contrasting the two works The Colbertinus image of Matthew is a much more sophisticated piece of art but not one bit more heartfelt in its evocation of a historical person who was believed to have been a witness to the life of Jesus. While the Durrow image inevitably reminds a modern viewer of the strategies for representin g the human figure that are adopted by very young children, the careful decoration shows the evidence of a devoted hand. Thus, they both reflect a deep faith in the scripture underlying the image.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Images of the Evangelist Matthew in the Book of Durrow and the Colbertinus Codex: Faith and Devotion for the Evangelist specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The composition of the Durrow image is apparently simpler, since it presents the viewer with a single figure in a border. The Colbertinus image’s composition, on the other hand, includes a complex background that hints at buildings, as well as the elaborate fanciful decorations within the Letter L. However, the decorative curlicues surrounding the Durrow Matthew engage the eye as thoroughly as the figures twining through the Letter L. The curlicues represent a two-dimensional version of the knot-work that the Celtic peoples of this re gion had been perfecting for centuries in textiles and in stone, among other media. The knot-work may have had a specific symbolic message that is now lost. The way that the figures of Matthew fill the space is quite different. The Colbertinus Matthew dominates his little archway, standing squarely on two feet on a carefully laid pavement, confidently and clearly offering his gospel from the backdrop of a large and complex structure. He is instantly recognizable as a teacher of something, even to the non-Christian. He is rounded, and even though the drawing is very simple, there is an attempt to depict folds and shading to signal the volume of his body. The use of shading is carried out in all the other figures, but more subtly. The Durrow Matthew, on the other hand, almost floats in the space of his vining frame. There is no background, middle ground, or foreground. There is only Matthew. He is armored by his elaborately patterned cloak. His hands are not visible. Nothing that a mo dern viewer can recognize specifically identifies him as the Evangelist. Only the traditional iconography from the Book of Revelation, placing four creatures around the throne of the deity (lion, eagle, ox, face of a man) connects him to the historical and religious character of Matthew. He almost looks, to modern eyes, as though his sideways facing feet would like to carry him off somewhere. Matthew looks intensely forward, as direct in gaze as in the Colbertinus image, but inactive. The Durrow image has no shading or indication of volume. An uncharitable assessment would term it cartoonish, but there is clearly no intention to be childish or simplistic. The eyes are intense, the mouth is determined, and the pose is upright.Advertising Looking for essay on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The major use of light and dark is in the alternating colors in the complicated checkerboard pattern on the cloak. This gorgeously decorated cloak has the convenient of effect of signaling a special or elevated individual without requiring the artist to attempt to convey the shape of the body with the limited techniques at the artist’s command. This is a clever solution to this challenging problem. The colors in the Durrow image are more limited than those used in the Colbertinus image, perhaps reflecting the earlier artists more limited access to sophisticated pigments. However, the Durrow image uses the limited palette in varied ways, generating several different patterns of checkerboards for the cloak’s decoration. The overall contrast in color values in the Durrow image is lower. However, this may reflect deterioration of the pigments. The Colbertinus image has higher contrast, and uses a wider range of colors to depict birds, beasts, and Matthew’s clothing. There is also more sophisticated use of the background surface, which is white/off-white, to denote Matthew’s skin, the sky, and the lighter portions of the animals and flowers. There is not the variety of saturation and value within colors that one would expect in a modern painting. This is more like a kid using colors from a kit: blue is blue, green is green and red is red. There is no light blue, light green, or pink. This distinguishes the 11th century image from what we would see today. Nonetheless, overall, the Colbertinus Matthew simply appears to have more vivid impact because there are more colors. This draws the eye and accords the appropriate weight to the great Evangelist. However, there is no for lack of effort on the part of the 7th century monk who decorated the Durrow codex. The Durrow image carefully places light and dark colors next to one another to create contrast even with the very limited palette. This technique also accords gravity to the image of the Evangelist, clothed in the most decorated vestments possible. There is very little texture revealed in either image. The background and the fanciful animals and flowers in the Colbertinus image do demonstrate some texture – through hatching and suggestion of spots on the leopard and feathers on the large birds. However, the Colbertinus image of Matthew is notable for smoothness of face and skin elsewhere. The Durrow image offers even less texture, except in the decoration of the cloak. The hair is almost undifferentiated, and the face has minimal modeling. There is a suggestion of beard. The very simple nature of both images fits with the modest scale of both pieces. The artist did not choose this size – it was determined by the size of the skins for the parchment and the upper limit of weight and size for a book. The small scale makes the relative simplicity of the images tolerable. At a huge scale, these images would look to modern eyes even more cartoonish and child ish. As accompaniments to the reading of the Bible, these are eye candy, reinforcing the message of the scripture. The historical context of these two works Both the Colbertinus and Durrow images were an outgrowth of the religious atmosphere of their time. In the 7th century, the Christian religion had expanded to most of Europe. Each region had a very distinctive and fervent ‘flavor’ of Christianity, with their own decorative approach to the iconography. Thus, the Durrow image reflects Celtic knots and Matthew is as blond as any Scotsman is. The historical context of the 7th century must also include the founding of Islam. This spread swiftly throughout North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, and moved into the southern edges of Spain, Italy, Greece, and even France. Although there is no direct evidence of contact with Islam in the Durrow image, it is important to remember that from this point on, there were three great monotheistic religions in Europe, and two of them were willing to kill to defend their faith. The intense effort invested in Matthew’s image may somehow reflect this sense of embattledness. By the 11th and 12th centuries, there had been contact with the Holy Land via the Crusades to retrieve control of holy sites from Muslim control. The Middle Ages were at their height. Any deviation from the Roman Catholic faith was punishable as heresy. The Roman church was declaring itself the true heir to St. Peter, and separating itself from the Byzantine church. This confidence is reflected in image from Colbertinus. The Colbertinus image looks like a Roman wall painting, an expression of a powerful religious empire. Conclusion In both cases, religion was at the center of life, and the gospels were the central sacred texts. Both of these beautiful images convey the importance of the Evangelist, the most Jewish of the four. Each artist or team of artist has used the best materials and techniques at their disposal to impress the reader /viewer. The apparent simplicity of the Durrow image belies the artist’s effort and care taken to display through obsessive decorative detail the glory of one who lived with the one that they regarded as the Savior. The Colbertinus image lavishes all the joyous imagination of the artist on surrounding the serene and welcoming image of Matthew with the birds, beasts, and folk of the created world. Bibliography Unknown. Man, the symbol for St. Matthew: Book of Durrow. Trinity College Library, Dublin. Unknown. St. Matthew: Codex Colbertinus. The National Library of France, Paris.

Country Comparisons Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Country Comparisons - Assignment Example Japan has been experiencing declining birth rates together with low immigration rates over the last few years which have greatly contributed to the low population growth rate. Japan’s population is estimated to decline over the next coming years by about one million people each year (Connelly, 2008). United States has the best performing economy in the world with an annual average Gross Domestic Product of US$ 5337.70 billion. According to CIA World Fact book, United States GDP for the year ended 2011 was estimated at 17720 billion US dollars. This GDP has an annual average estimate growth rate of 3.25% with a 1.6% growth recorded in the year 2011 over 2010. Japan on the other side, has an annual Gross Domestic Product of US$ 2266.10 billion with an annual average growth of 2.15%. According to the CIA World Fact book, Japan’s 2011 GDP was reported to be US$ 5855billion with a growth of 0.6 percent over 2010. This shows that both countries have a high GDP as well as high growth rates (survey 2003), (CIA). Japan was reported to have a high per capita income of $39310 in December 2010. The average per capita income over the last few years has been $26593.62. United States on the other hand has an average per capita income of $25892.70 with $37,527 recorded for 2010 which is slightly below the Japan’s (Greenaway, 2012). United States has had an average inflation rate of 3.38% while Japan has had inflation rate of 2.97%. Japan recorded 0.3% inflation in February 2012 whereas United States recorded a 2.7% in March 2012 (CIA). Due to the adoption of China’s one-child policy, the population is reported to have a low population growth rate of 0.47 percent. This policy is the reason why the population consists majorly the aged. China is the most populous country in the world 1,226,718,015 people. This consists 20% of the world’s population.