How Americans Have Fought War Throughout History Essay -- American War

War is an art form. Everything from the tactics of battle to the uniforms to the weapons to the soldiers, every part has a certain role to play. From the very beginnings of war, there have been those societies that have excelled. Take the Spartans of ancient Rome. Considered by some as the greatest warriors of all time, these human war machines were bred for war. Boys were taken at young ages and taught the art of war until it became part of their soul. Then there were the Mongols. These fierce Central Asian steppe peoples dominated the Asian mainland for nearly a century. Fast forward a few years and the British Empire takes form, and sea warfare is perfected by the British Royal Navy. Now it seems as though America has become the world standard for military power. In its short history of war, America has employed the use of innovative tactics and controversial strategies, all of which were necessary for American victory. America’s first war, its war for independence included the use of a new strategy. American militia men, knowing they were overwhelmingly outmatched by the British Army, used a form of guerilla warfare in order to defeat the British. The colonists would launch surprise attacks on the unsuspecting British, catching them by surprise and sometimes defeating them (Kraplin 5). This was a step away from the form of warfare the British were used to. There were many other tactics the colonists used that the British were not used to, as well. The militiamen would often hide behind trees and fire upon the British soldiers as they marched by (5). This was also new to the British soldiers, who were used to facing an enemy on an open field, lining up, and firing away. This strategy also fit into the form of a g... ...y of Wisconsin Press, Madison, WI, 1968. Pike, John. "Napalm." Globalsecurity.org. N.p., 27 Nov 2005. Web. 23 May 2010. Preston, Anthony, Decisive Battles of the Pacific War. Chartwell Book, Seacus, NJ, 1979. Roth, David E., The Civil War. Quadrillion Publishing. 1992 Simkin, John, Chemical Warfare, n. pag., Web. 14 Mar 2010 http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/VNchemical.html Thomson, Sir Robert. War in Peace. London, England: Orbis Publishing Ltd., 1981. 181-168. Print. US Dept. of Energy, . "The Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima."US Department of Energy: Office of Heritage and History. US Department of Energy, n.d. Web . 20 May 2010. . Weigley, Russel F., The American Way of War. Indiana University Press. Bloomington, IN, 1973.

Citizen Kane Essay

The film Citizen Kane (1941), directed and written by Orson Welles and Herman Mankiewicz, is an American film drama that use various film techniques to illustrate themes, attitudes, and the development of a story. Welles’ use of camera angles, lighting, movement, symbolism and expression allow the audience to comprehend and understand the themes such as power and exploitation that are present in this movie along with many other themes that pertain to the life of the main character, Charles Foster Kane. Many of the filming techniques that are used in this film illustrate Kane and his feelings and transitions through and about his life. Citizen Kane is a film that demonstrates the importance of how simple scene techniques can help develop a story. After viewing the film, the audience comes to understand that the main theme of the movie is centered around the importance of childhood. Throughout the movie, symbolism is used to reinforce the theme. Thompson, the reporter, attempts to figure out the meaning of the word â€Å"rosebud†, Kane’s last words before passing away. Kane’s life seems to be a mystery to some people, and the word â€Å"rosebud† is that missing piece to Kane’s life. Thompson never figures out what â€Å"rosebud† means, but at the end of the movie we see the word â€Å"rosebud† on the sled that was thrown into the fire. At this point the audience understands that rosebud is indeed symbolic of his childhood and the missing piece of his life. Earlier in the movie, Kane is outside playing with that same sled while his parents are discussing a plan to send him away. â€Å"Rosebud† can now be connected to the snow globe which represents his childhood in Colorad o. Thomson said that â€Å"rosebud† was a missing piece in a jigsaw puzzle. He is illustrating that Kane always felt that he lost his childhood and himself. All he had to show for it was that sled and the snow globe. Further importance on the theme of his childhood is illustrated through lighting when Thomson the reporter investigates Tatcher to get a better understanding of Kane’s childhood. When he enters the room there is a very distinct, glowing light that is angled in such away that it focuses on a book containing information about Kane’s childhood. Right away, we see the importance of Kane’s childhood in the developing plot. To further emphasize this importance, when Thomson opens the book, the audience notices the very distinct contrast between the bright light on the book and the dark area surrounding the book. Throughout the movie, the director is hinting to the audience that his childhood is symbolic of something very important which just might be the answer to the question, â€Å" What/who is Rosebud?† By now the audience understands that that Kane was unable to have a normal childhood due to a lack of say and power. This is illustrated using a depth and focus effect. In the early parts of the film there is a scene in which Kane is outside playing while his parents and banker are negotiating his fate. The actors are ordered in such a way that the mother is always in front, followed by the banker, Kane’s father, and then Kane. Kane’s mother seems to have the power due to her position in this scene. It is important to notice that although Kane is in the far depths, he is still in focus, but with limited power. As we transition through the movie, Kane gains power and is in the front of this scene but there is always depth and focus in the shot to illustrate a hierarchy of power. Another theme in the movie that is reinforced by this technique of depth focusing is relationships. As Kane develops through the movie, the audience recognizes that he is losing his power and his weakness leads to broken relationships. When he takes control of the Inquirer, he is constantly surrounded by people and they are not physically distant from him, but as his status on the hierarchical system dwindles down, he begins to distance himself from others in scenes. When Kane fires Leland, we see a great deal of depth and distance between the two but both remain in focus. In this same scene Bernstein is standing in the doorway at a distance away from Kane but he has no significance. The way the actors are positioned illustrate how Kane is developing as person and with other people around him. When Kane gets taken away by Tatcher at a very young age, his life is transitioning into one of power and corruption. When his employees and partners welcome him for the first time at the Inquirer, all the shots are low angle shots. The angle also makes it seem as though Kane is significantly larger than everyone else in the subsequent scenes. It is as though the audience is looking up to him just as his employees are, illustrating the theme of power that Kane now holds. Exploitation is a theme that begins to develop after Kane has taken control of the Inquirer. His need for power continues to grow and he becomes more and more corrupt. Not only is there corruption within his company, but he comes to exploit other peoples thoughts and ideas. As Kane obtains more power and greed, he gets the idea to run for governor, but in the process he gets exploited in regards to his developing relationship with Susan. This is where the movie transitions from power to weakness. Up until this point there has been many low-angle shots to illustrate Kane’s growing power. When Kane loses the election, the film moves transitions into high-angle shots. Prior to anyone even saying that the election was over, the scene setting clearly illustrates that the election was lost. Even though the office looks like it is a mess, it is very empty. No campaign crew, no feeling. The shot then moves to Kane. During this scene Kane speaks with two different people but his face is down and hidden from the audience. The camera is constantly at a low angle illustrating Kane’s diminishing power. Furthermore, this is the first scene with Kane in which there is limiting lighting in the room, which reinforces the concept of an empty feeling. As mentioned before, the director uses deep focused shots to illustrate a hierarchy of power. Throughout the movie, deep focused shots are also used to put significance on a specific actor. In the deep focused shots, actors are usually separated by long distances, like in the scene where Kane is talking to Susan across a long corridor with Thompson as the interviewer. When either Kane or Susan speak, the camera shot is always focused in front of them to draw attention to what they are saying. Another technique used to put focus on Kane throughout the movie is by drawing in on Kane by passing through and object or person through a continuous shot. This filming technique is used in the first scene of the movie. The scene begins with the audience closing in on a â€Å"No Trespassing† sign, and then passes through the sign to reveal a house with light coming from one window. This might not be a significant amount of light, but the lighting does illustrate the importance of what lies beyond those windows. The scene continues through a garden, over fences, etc. but the whole time the lighted window stays in the same position, continuously bringing a attention to its significance. Of course as the scene continues it is that of Kane passing away and revealing the mystery which follows throughout the film. The director attempts to always keep the attention on Kane even when it seems as though he is fading out of the discussion. The audience can always find a relationship between the characters of a story/film and the main themes. In the film Citizen Kane, the relationship between the characters and important themes are illustrated by filming techniques that range from camera angles to symbolism. Throughout the movie symbolism played an important role in determining the main theme and what â€Å"rosebud† meant. Kane’s development as a person and place in society was illustrated through camera angles, lighting, and depth. These techniques not only assists the audience in understanding Kane, but also understanding other characters and the relationship Kane had with them.

Social Construction of Race - 1867 Words

There is perhaps no bigger and more expansive social construction known to man than the construction of race. In earlier times race meant a tie to national origin, Greek race, Roman race, etc. race underwent a big change in meaning to it’s more contemporary form to distinguish biological differences of physical features and skin color (Wiegman 157). Film and television in this century and the twentieth century have aided and perpetuated stereotypes of race. These stereotypes have been most associated with minority or non-white groups in particularly, and most discussed pertaining to African-Americans in these mediums. Dating back to the earliest silent films all the way through the 20th century and into the new millennium†¦show more content†¦Just like society at large, religion is, in America, the most important aspect and the dividing line between the â€Å"other†. Governor Al Smith of New York, an Irish-American and the Democratic candidate for president in 1928 faced fierce backlash for being Catholic and was a deciding factor in him losing the election (cite). Likewise thirty-two years later John F. Kennedy ran for president and face head winds so strong he had to address it at a Protestant ministers conference in Houston, TX, and demonstrate his insistence that he would not listen to the pope and was a loyal American (cite). Today fifty years after the Kennedy Administration what was â€Å"other† is now â€Å"white†, for instance, Nancy Pelosi, the former Speaker of the House and Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia both Italian-Americans both Catholics are as Wiegman describes â€Å"part of an expanding whiteness† (Wiegman 158). While the aforementioned example is not about film, the filmic representation of the marginalized white groups mirrors American society as a whole. If as Wiegman notes whiteness is expanding, how far will it expand? And if infinitely, what does that mean for African-Americans and o ther minority groups? Only time will tell. Following the Second World War the predicament of European Jews was of little to no concern to those in the United States according to Patricia Erens author of The Jew in American Cinema (197). In the 1950s with the onslaught of McCarthyism studios were against making anyShow MoreRelatedRace And Race : The Social Construction Of Race858 Words   |  4 PagesThe race is an indefinite term, which has not been created from science or research, but more so the idea of what it is. Essentially, race is all about perception. One person may separate races based on a certain category of traits while another person uses totally different guidelines to define what races there are. Race has ultimately been created socially, therefor has no biological components until people connect the two terms. This paper examines the connection between society and race whileRead MoreRace As A Social Construction1679 Words   |  7 PagesAlisha Sparks Dr. Stanley POLS 24 November 2015 Race as a Social Construction When we talk about race, what are we really talking about? The issue of race is a complex issue, with socially ambiguous undertones that have plagued our society for decades. Race has been a marker and maker of stereotypes. Race has been used as a justification for injustice. Whether slavery, Japanese internment, or social and economic exclusion, race has given an avenue for those in power to exclude ones deemed ‘other’Read MoreThe Social Construction Of Race1242 Words   |  5 Pagesfoundation for what appears to be the social construction of race. Somewhere along the lines, eugenics became more about isolating certain human characteristics, like skin color, and relegating them to a hierarchy of societal importance (Norrgard, 2008). Race is simply defined as a pattern-based concept that allows for the general public to draw conclusions based on an individual’s geographical location and thereby predetermining their inclusion into a particular social group (Yudel l, et al., 2016) TheRead MoreRace As A Social Construction822 Words   |  4 Pageswhat is race? The term race is difficult to define as a result of the belief that it is â€Å"racist† to talk about race. Although how do we know what race is if we do not discuss it within society. After much thought I defined race as an individual’s background that may be used to describe their ancestor’s demographics as well as their religion. However, today people tend to put more emphasis on race being the color of an individual’s skin. As discussed in class society does not understand what race is,Read MoreThe Social Construction Of Race1743 Words   |  7 PagesIn The Social Construction of Race, Ian F. Haney Lopez defines race as a social construct that is constantly changing its meaning due to the fickle nature of society. Lopez believes that this fickleness stems from a social climate formed by a variety of factors such as human economic interest, current events , and ideology. There are certain racial definitions however, that have remained mostly the same despite efforts to bring attention to the offensiveness and immorality of such discriminatory thinkingRead MoreThe Social Construction Of Race1638 Words   |  7 Pagesstupid immoral, diseased, lazy, incompetent, and dangerous to the white man’s virtue and social order â€Å"(p.181). Blackness have become objectified in public spaces, they are view as a threat on the street of Toronto, surrounding areas and even in the criminal justice system. In fact this negative stereotype of criminalization have put Black males under scrutiny and constant surveillance. The social construction of race by the dominant belief system are still embedded in society that capitalized on minoritiesRead MoreThe Social Construction Of Race2146 Words   |  9 PagesAbadjivor AFAS 304B Professor Machibya 30 March 2015 The Social Construction of Race The underlying characteristic of race concepts is found in its use of phenotypes and physical differences in order to gain an understanding of why there are different people that exist in the world. These differences have been used in understanding the behaviors, intellect, and the value of humans through connecting different characteristics to different classified races. Using phenotypical differences to understand certainRead MoreRace As A Social Construction966 Words   |  4 PagesRace is a concept only existing in societies with systems of oppression based on social racism. In chapter eleven: Inequality, they discuss how, â€Å"There is nothing intrinsic about, for example, any racial or ethnic group that makes it distinct from any other; race and ethnicity are dynamic, fluid categories that are socially defined†(Ritzer). The oppression of â€Å"superior† groups demonstrates on â€Å"inferior† groups is one consequence of race as a social construction, whic h is to have one’s identity reducedRead MoreRace Is A Social Construction1074 Words   |  5 Pagesthe term â€Å"race† should not be used. Scholars and others argue that the term â€Å"race† should not be used because there is no biological basis for the concept of race. Geneticists have determined that code for physical traits (the key distinguishing characteristic for â€Å"race†) are inherited independently of one another. Any attempts there have been to define race based on genes are futile, because there is no set of genes that everyone within the â€Å"race† has. Scholars argue that race is a social constructionRead MoreSocial Construction of Race1418 Words   |  6 PagesThe Use of Humor to Poke Fun at the Social Construction of Class: Illustrated in the Film The Jerk through Navin Johnson Money does not last forever. All the money in the world can become the reason why people change their personality and behavior. In the film The Jerk by Carl Reiner, a complete moron struggles to make it through life on his own, until a bizarre invention makes him unbelievably a wealthy man. Navin grew up in Mississippi as an adopted son of a black family, but on his birthday