American Art During The Great Depression - 723 Words

American Art during the Great Depression and before World War II sought to rebrand and rebuild a broken and desperate nation. In colonies around the country, artists banded together to study and support one another, and U.S. government programs of the WPA, FAP, and FSA provided opportunities for artists to create public works on a scale never seen before in this country. Like the LDS Church Welfare program begun at the same time, these art initiatives revived the individual’s dignity in the form of opportunity. The public, too, wanted new art that reflected the turmoil of the country. The nation was hurting, and from this crucible of suffering emerged a body of artwork that documented the common man and woman—rural and urban, North and South, the haves and the have-nots. Distinct from the romanticized landscapes of the frontier and portraits of wealthy Easterners that proceeded the period, this was art that mattered: it was aimed squarely to uplift and ennoble a battere d public. One of the WPA-era artists of distinction, whose award-winning paintings and prints were exhibited at the Art Institute of Chicago, Corcoran Gallery, New York World’s Fair, Whitney Museum of American Art, and in galleries in New York, Washington, D.C., St. Louis, San Francisco, and is now in the permanent collections of the National Gallery, the Smithsonian, Carnegie Museum of Art, and St. Louis Art Museum, among others, is Joseph Paul Vorst. He was born in Essen, Germany in 1897, the son of aShow MoreRelatedCultural And Social Aspects Of The Great Depression1073 Words   |  5 Pagespast. This iconic period in American history, known as the Great Depression, truly did change the cultural and social aspects of the United States. In the Great Depression, pop culture provided an outlet for the millions of deprived unemployed Americans. 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Climate Change Summit - Unites States of America - 1418 Words

The Unites States of America is currently working to combat climate change in order to protect people from its effects. By combatting climate change, the USA hopes to prevent its effects from becoming worse in the future because the USA cares for its citizens and doesn’t want them to keep experiencing the consequences of climate change. The USA is putting great effort into dealing with climate change and also hopes that other businesses, organization, and individuals will join them in their effort (Environmental News Service). One concern the USA has towards climate change is its cause of natural disasters. Climate change is bringing more natural disasters by making weather patterns stronger, and weather patterns are becoming stronger as climate change grows which is bringing more natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and drought to the USA (Rice). One example of a natural disaster that occurred in the USA as a result of climate change is the tornado in Moor e, Oklahoma. In this event, a tornado rated 5 on the Enhanced Fuijta scale hit Oklahoma and had a negative impact on this city by destroying many of its houses and buildings also resulting in the destruction of businesses such as schools (Cable News Network). Another major concern of the USA towards climate change is that it will cause a rise in the global sea level which will result in many of its coastal cities to be submerged underwater. There will be a permanent 4 feet rise in the global sea levelShow MoreRelatedThe American West And American History Essay1724 Words   |  7 Pagesfactors that made the West, from government, politics, wars, climate and geography. So why are all these factors matter, because when the people wanted to expand their settlements they have to deal with the consequences that they have to risk. 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The Secret Circle The Hunt Chapter 26 Free Essays

â€Å"You can’t hide it from us any longer, Diana,† Melanie said. â€Å"It was pretty obvious when he risked his life to protect you.† The group was gathered around the coffee table in the secret room trying to figure out what had gone wrong in the woods, when the conversation turned to Diana and Max. We will write a custom essay sample on The Secret Circle: The Hunt Chapter 26 or any similar topic only for you Order Now But the star-crossed lovers didn’t stop some Circle members from nervously eyeing Scarlett, on edge now that she was present for these private conversations. â€Å"He did prove himself out there,† Laurel said with a romantic breeziness. â€Å"In the moment of truth he chose love.† â€Å"Have you two totally lost your minds?† Faye had been seething quietly on the tufted sofa while Melanie and Laurel waxed poetic about Max’s turnaround, but she made up for it now by raising the volume of her voice well above theirs. â€Å"Max is the enemy. Remember? That’s what you all told me. But now that Diana’s fallen for him, he’s suddenly the second coming?† â€Å"Quit your complaining,† Melanie barked back from the opposite side of the coffee table. â€Å"You’re just jealous. Did you not see what he did for her out there?† â€Å"He did it for all of us,† Diana said. â€Å"Faye, I know you had feelings for him once. But you have to understand, we really are in love. Can you find it in your heart to be happy for us?† Faye turned up her nose. â€Å"You’re going to make me puke,† she said, and retreated to her foldout bed. â€Å"Max is dangerous,† Chris called out. â€Å"You girls need to get the hearts and stars out of your eyes.† â€Å"That’s right,† Doug said. â€Å"Love has nothing to do with this. This is war.† Cassie noticed Adam staring down at the wooden floor. Then he glanced at Scarlett, and Cassie caught a brief moment pass between them. Cassie couldn’t be sure what it was, but she could tell that regardless of what Adam thought of Max’s intentions, he did believe Scarlett had proven herself out in the woods. It was obvious in the humble way he was looking at her. And she returned his gaze with a sly smile. Cassie’s jealousies flared and an image flashed in her mind. This time she saw Scarlett and Adam in bed together – in Cassie’s bed – and they were kissing like hungry lovers. The scene was so vivid and graphic it was like Cassie had burst through the door and caught them in real life. Her rage seeped into the vision itself and she willed Scarlett off Adam, then doused her in a blaze of fire. She stepped closer to watch Scarlett’s face blacken and melt hauntingly into the flames, and the sight of it brought a wriggling satisfaction to her stomach. She wanted to watch Scarlett perish until there was nothing left of her but ash. It isn’t real. Cassie had to shake herself awake, repeating those words to herself until the image disappeared. Deborah stood up and stepped to the center of the room. â€Å"I think I speak for all, or at least most of us, Diana, when I say we want you to be happy. But apart from that, we’re in a bad situation here. Every single one of us is in the crosshairs right now. That’s what we need to be focusing on.† She paused and Nick picked up where she had left off. â€Å"And, no offense,† he said. â€Å"But if we get the slightest hint that Max is working against us, we’ll take him down. Whether he’s your boyfriend or not.† â€Å"How do you plan to do that, tough guy?† Scarlett said, finally chiming in. â€Å"Since it’s clear that the only thing that works against the hunters is dark magic.† She’d been sitting on an ottoman off to the side, alone. The only Circle member willing to be within arm’s length of her was Sean, and that was only because she was pretty. But now all eyes turned to her, and she looked to Cassie. â€Å"Isn’t that right?† Cassie solemnly nodded. â€Å"Yes, that’s right. Dark magic is how I forced the hunters to retreat on the roof of the school, and it’s what Scarlett used back in the woods.† â€Å"But neither of you were able to strip the hunters’ relics of their powers,† Deborah said. â€Å"What we need is a spell that will accomplish that. To remove the threat of the hunters forever. Otherwise they’ll just keep coming after us until we’re all dead and buried.† Diana winced at Deborah’s coldheartedness, but the rest of the group agreed. â€Å"Cassie,† Adam said. â€Å"Now might be a good time to go get your father’s book. Maybe Scarlett can help us with the spell we’ve been working on.† Cassie’s stomach dropped in a freefall. Scarlett said in a throaty, mocking voice, â€Å"That’s a great idea, Adam. Why don’t you do that, Cassie?† Cassie looked desperately at Diana, who remained tight-lipped and unmoving. Then she turned back to Adam. â€Å"I can’t,† she said. â€Å"I don’t have it.† Scarlett rose from her seat. â€Å"What do you mean you don’t have it?† â€Å"Cassie asked me to keep it safe for her.† Diana migrated protectively to Cassie’s side. â€Å"It’s hidden someplace no one will find it.† Faye shot up from where she’d thrown herself down onto her mattress. â€Å"Are you kidding me, Cassie? You gave it to Diana and not me?† â€Å"We all have a right to see it.† Melanie spoke over Faye. â€Å"And not just a few pages at a time that Cassie copies for us, but as a whole book. Diana, you should go get it and bring it back here.† â€Å"I agree,† Laurel said to Cassie. â€Å"We’re all in this together, we should all know what resources we have.† â€Å"None of you understand. It’s controlling me!† Cassie screamed. Everyone fell silent. They all averted their eyes except for Faye, who watched Cassie carefully, and Scarlett, who seemed to be enjoying the show. â€Å"None of you can possibly understand,† Cassie repeated. â€Å"It’s not just the burns. I haven’t been myself since I got the book. And if I start using magic from it, I don’t know what I’m capable of doing to the rest of the Circle. Or what using the book could do to all of you.† For a few seconds nobody said anything, and then Diana made an effort to break the quiet. â€Å"I’ll bring the book back here when Cassie feels she’s ready. Not a moment before.† She threw an angry glance at Scarlett. â€Å"But feel free to whine and moan about it all you want.† There was a sudden whoosh at the room’s entrance that startled everyone at once. It was the sound of the secret door opening. Cassie’s mom stepped forward and immediately locked eyes with the new face in the room, but her expression wasn’t one of unfamiliarity, it was cautious recognition. â€Å"I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt,† she faltered. â€Å"That’s okay, Mom,† Cassie said. â€Å"This is Scarlett Forsythe, our newest Circle member.† Her mother’s eyes flared. Cassie could tell she had nearly gasped but managed to restrain herself. â€Å"Really,† she said in a noncommittal tone and forced a smile. Scarlett grinned at her. â€Å"You knew my mother.† Cassie’s mom inclined her head slightly and an odd expression crossed her face, like she was trying to determine if this was a nightmare. â€Å"Yes. A long time ago. Your resemblance is striking.† â€Å"So I’ve been told.† Scarlett spoke loudly, aggressively, as if she were angry with Cassie’s mom simply for being alive when her own mother wasn’t. Cassie positioned herself between them, feeling protective of her mother. â€Å"We’re okay down here,† she said. â€Å"Scarlett is one of us now and we’re just finishing up some business. You can go up to bed.† Her mother’s eyes were still fixed on Scarlett, as if she couldn’t bear to look away from her. Cassie guided her out the door and across the basement, back to the stairs. â€Å"What is she doing here?† her mother hissed. â€Å"We had no choice but to initiate her after Suzan’s death. It all happened so fast. We need her and she needs us – at least for now.† â€Å"Be careful,† her mother whispered, hugging her tight. â€Å"You cannot trust her.† â€Å"Tell me about it,† was all Cassie could bring herself to say. The Circle decided to crash at Cassie’s that night for safety, â€Å"to watch over one another,† they’d said, but Cassie knew what they’d meant was to watch over Scarlett. Scarlett may have earned her spot in the Circle when she forced the hunters away in the woods, but she was a long way from securing the Circle’s confidence. Tonight they would all sleep with one eye open. Adam had crept into Cassie’s bedroom to say good night, and he was taking his time leaving, in no rush to separate from her. He was softly running his fingers up and down the inside of her arm, the way she loved. Cassie didn’t want him to leave her either. She wanted him to hold her tight until she drifted to sleep. Adam leaned in and began kissing her neck, tenderly and quietly. He was being gentle with her, but she could hear the heaviness of his breathing. She understood how much he’d been missing having her this way. But then a knock on the door disturbed them. â€Å"It’s Scarlett,† the voice on the other side of the door said. â€Å"Can we talk?† Adam held Cassie tighter and shook his head, but Cassie told him it was okay. Reluctantly, he got up and let Scarlett in. â€Å"I’d like to speak to Cassie privately,† Scarlett said, dismissing Adam with a flick of her wrist. â€Å"Now?† Adam asked, with a tinge of frustration to his voice. Scarlett stepped past him and climbed onto Cassie’s bed. â€Å"Yes, now.† Only after a nod from Cassie did Adam comply. â€Å"I’ll be right out here on the couch,† he said. â€Å"If you need anything.† Scarlett smiled at Adam’s overprotectiveness and waited for him to close the door before she turned to Cassie and said, â€Å"I thought we could tell secrets.† Cassie thought back to their first sleepover, how excited she was to have a sister to share things with. How naive she’d been back then. She wouldn’t be fooled again. â€Å"Okay,† she said icily. â€Å"You first.† â€Å"I knew you’d say that.† Scarlett nudged her on the arm. â€Å"I have a secret about †¦ dark magic.† Cassie suddenly felt wary, but she reminded herself that her whole Circle was only one scream for help away. â€Å"Go on.† She braced herself for the worst. â€Å"I can read Black John’s book,† Scarlett said. â€Å"My mom helped teach me before she died.† Scarlett’s face was open and serious, and Cassie understood this was no trick. She was telling the truth. â€Å"It’s in our blood,† Scarlett continued. â€Å"The language. You’ll have to work to unlock it, but you know how to read the book, too, Cassie.† Cassie called to mind the few words in the book she could comprehend, and it all started to make sense to her. Instinctively, she’d known this all along. â€Å"I understand you’re worried about the dark magic taking over,† Scarlett said. â€Å"But we were built to control it. And with time, you will be able to.† â€Å"Why are you telling me all this?† Cassie asked. Scarlett laughed. â€Å"You love to keep those guards up, don’t you? I’m telling you all this because we’re on the same side now. And I want to defeat the hunters just as much as you do. They’ve killed people I loved, too.† Cassie thought back to Scarlett explaining how she first came to New Salem on the run from the hunters who had killed her mother – but Cassie doubted that was all there was to it. Then she remembered her daydream from a little while earlier, and how she was able to shake out of her evil thoughts. Maybe Scarlett was right about being able to control the darkness. â€Å"Do you trust me?† Scarlett asked. Trusting in Scarlett would never come easy. But for right now, Cassie didn’t have much of a choice. â€Å"No, I don’t trust you,† she said. â€Å"But I do believe you.† â€Å"Well, I guess that’s a start.† Scarlett got up and went to the door. â€Å"Get some rest,† she said. â€Å"We have a big day ahead of us.† She wrapped her hand around the doorknob and then released it again. â€Å"One more thing.† She swiveled back around on her heels. â€Å"I think it’s adorable that you and Adam are trying so hard to stick together through all this. I am so impressed by how accepting you’ve been.† She paused to draw the moment out, relishing it. â€Å"About the cord between him and me, I mean. You must have taken lessons from your friend Diana.† Cassie felt something inside her tighten and then unhinge. A caustic taste like battery acid filled her mouth, tainting her voice with venom. â€Å"You stay away from Adam.† â€Å"I just complimented you, Cassie. Don’t go spoiling it with your awful temper.† Scarlett lifted her eyebrows and pursed her full lips. And with that, she was gone. How to cite The Secret Circle: The Hunt Chapter 26, Essay examples

Religion Judaism or Judaisms Essay Example For Students

Religion: Judaism or Judaisms? Essay Religion: Judaism or Judaisms?It has been argued that Judaism can be seen not only as a single religion, butas a group of similar religions. It has also been pointed-out that through allthe trials and tribulations that Judaism has suffered through, that there havebeen common themes that have proven omni-pervasive. Any institution with rootsas ancient and varied as the religion of the Jews is bound to have a fewvariations, especially when most of its history takes place in the political andtheological hot spot of the Middle East. In this discussion, many facets of Judaism will be examined, primarily in thethree temporal subdivisions labeled the Tribal / Pre-Monarchy Period, theDivided Monarchy, and the Hasmonean / Maccabean and Roman Era. Among all thetime periods where the religion has been split, these three seem to be the mostrepresentative of the forces responsible. As for a common thread seen throughout all Judiasms, the area of focus here isthe place associated with the religion : Jerusalem. This topic will be coveredin detail first, and then the multiple Judaism arguments will be presented. Inthis way, it is possible to keep a common focus in mind when reading about allthe other situations in which the religion has found itself. A brief conclusionfollows the discussion. A Place to Call HomeNo other religion has ever been so attached to its birthplace as Judaism. Perhaps this is because Jews have been exiled and restricted from this place formost of their history. Jerusalem is not only home to Judaism, but to the Muslimand Christian religions as well. Historically this has made it quite a busyplace for the various groups. Jerusalem is where the temple of the Jews once stood; the only place on thewhole Earth where one could leave the confines of day to day life and get closerto God. In 586 BCE when the temple was destroyed, no Jew would have deniedJerusalem as being the geographic center of the religion. From that point on,the Jewish people have migrated around the world, but not one of them forgetsthe fact that Jerusalem is where it all began. It is truly a sacred place, andhelps to define what Judaism means to many people; a common thread to runthrough all the various splinters of the religion and help hold them together. Even today, as the Jewish people have their precious Jerusalem back (through thehelp of other nations and their politics) there is great conflict and emotionsurrounding it. Other nations and people in the area feel that they should bein control of the renowned city, and the Jews deny fervently any attempt towrestle it from their occupation. It is true that there is no temple inJeruslaem today, nor are all the Jews in the world rushing to get back there. But it is apparent that the city represents more to the religion of Judaism thana mere place to live and work. The city of Jerusalem is a spiritual epicenter,and throughout Judaisms long and varied history, this single fact has neverchanged. Tribal / Pre-MonarchyJudaisms roots lie far back in the beginnings of recorded history. Thereligion did not spring into existence exactly as it is known today, rather itwas pushed and prodded by various environmental factors along the way. One ofthe first major influences on the religion was the Canaanite nation. Varioustheories exist as to how and when the people that would later be called Jewsentered into this civilization. But regardless of how they ultimately got there,these pioneers of the new faith were subjected to many of the ideas andprejudices of the time. Any new society that finds itself in an existing socialsituation, can do no more than to try and integrate into that framework. Andthis is exactly what the Jews did. International Business EssayHasmonean / Maccabean and Roman EraThis time period in Jewish history is politically tumultuous, leading to highlevels of splits and variations in the religion itself. One of the mostdisruptive types of all wars is a civil war. And this is exactly what occurs atthe outset in the Jewish homeland of Jerusalem. The Jewish civil war wasagainst the extreme Hellenizers (people who tended toward utter reason in theirbeliefs) and the moderate Hellenizers (people who can see things rationally, butbelieve there are more items to consider than this ex. the Maccabean family,who became the Hasmonean kings). So right away, it is apparent that the ideasthat the Greeks introduced into Jewish culture have acted as time-bombs ofsocial memes, and have created a major split in the religion. When the violence of the war has subsided, the moderate Hellenizers have won (everything in moderation!) and rule for a short time, until the Roman empireattacks and throws even more kinks into the Jewish society. When the Romanstake over, the Hasmonean kings are left in place as puppet kings, whichultimately forces the general population to question their governing body. When the Romans destroy the temple in Jerusalem, it is made painfully clear thatsome changes are going to be made. Most obvious, the priests suddenly have nomajor role in the religion. Their primary purpose had been to tend to thesacrificing of animals, and since it is illegal to sacrifice an animal outsidethe temple, the priests were in an unsettling position. As can be seen in countless other examples, politics and religion are invariablytied, and people began practicing their own flavors of Judaism after theircivilization had been so radically altered. At this point in history, there isreally no solid rule to prevent such splits, and for a time a mixed form ofJudaism with many varieties flourishes. No one was sure what to do once the heart of Judaism (the temple) had beendestroyed, but it soon became apparent that an appealing option was arising. Two major social groups of the time period were vying for power. The firstgroup, the Saducees were associated with the displaced Hasmonean kings. Thesecond group, the Pharisees, had an idea that would help work around the tragicdestruction of the temple. People were split, once again. They could stay withthe traditional Saducees (who had the political power, believed in only writtenTorah, and did not subscribe to resurrection basically a conservative view),or they could side with the newcomers, the Pharisees (who had religious power,believed in both the written and the oral Torah, and believed in resurrection)and hope to preserve their Jewish heritage by worshiping outside of the temple,in their everyday life. It was not a hard decision, and the Pharisees eventually gained power, leadingthe Jewish religion into its next phase of Rabbinic Judaism. It is apparent that in each of the three time periods discussed above that manyfactions of the same religion were active. Competing philosophies, outsidepolitical forces, and geographic isolation are among the most obvious of thedividing forces. However many other influences pound each and every day on agiven social institution, subtly forming it and changing it into something itwas not. For this reason, the answer to the debate whether Judaism is a single,or multiple religion(s) is an obvious one, depending upon how you choose to lookat it. Every religion has many pieces, but as long as there are a few constants(such as the birthplace, the language, literature, etc) it is possible to viewthe whole as a single force, and still acknowledge various religionsReligion