tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22871037801448228512024-02-20T07:42:34.779-08:00Issues Impacting All of UsRobert S. Grossehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13847651146101080381noreply@blogger.comBlogger133125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2287103780144822851.post-89224674145467783332023-05-02T16:46:00.001-07:002023-05-02T16:46:11.595-07:00Am I Willing to Stand Up for My Beliefs?<p><span style="font-family: "Franklin Gothic Medium", sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">At
some point in a person’s life they will have to ask themselves,
“What do I believe?” and “Am I willing to stand up for my
beliefs?” To believe something privately is one thing, but it is
another thing to take a public stand regarding one’s belief,
especially if there is a large element of risk involved once those
beliefs are made known.</span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Medium, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In
1905, Lev Tolstoy (1828-1910), author of such works as “War and
Peace” and “Anna Karenina” wrote an editorial piece </span></span><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Medium, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">entitled
“Bethink Yourselves” </span></span><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Medium, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">regarding
the Russo-Japanese War. This piece was banned in Russia on the
grounds that it was declared ‘unpatriotic’ by the Czar’s
government; </span></span><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Medium, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">however,
it was published in ‘The London Times’</span></span><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Medium, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">.
As a </span></span><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Medium, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">public
figure, he felt the need to speak out. He wrote, “"Again war.
Again sufferings, necessary to nobody, utterly uncall</span></span><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Medium, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">ed
</span></span><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Medium, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">for;
again fraud, again the universal stupefaction and brutali</span></span><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Medium, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">z</span></span><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Medium, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">ation
of men "Men who are separated from each other by thousands of
miles, hundreds of thousands of such men (on the one hand—Buddhists,
whose law forbids the killing not only of men but of animals ; on the
other hand—Christians, professing the law" of brotherhood and
love), like wild beasts on land and on sea are seeking out each other
in order to kill, torture, and mutilate each other in the most cruel
way. What can this be? Is it a dream or a reality? Something is
taking place which should not, cannot be; one longs to believe that
it is a dream and to awake from it. But no, it is not a dream, it is
a dreadful reality!"“ </span></span><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Medium, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1</span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Medium, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
Russo-Japanese War was part of the backdrop of the 2017 film, “Anna
Karenina: Vronsky’s Story” directed by Russian director Karen
</span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Medium, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Shakhnazarov
(b. 1952). Alexei Vronsky, Anna Karenina’s lover, is reflecting
upon his relationship with Anna thirty years after Anna’s death at
the Saint Petersburg train station. Vronsky and Anna’s
relationship was largely a war between them (which did not end well),
Vronsky spent the rest of his life running from one war to another
after Anna died, </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Medium, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">and
the Russo-Japanese War certainly was not a rousing success for the
Russian government since the 1905 Revolution followed as a result. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
</p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #222222;"> <span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Medium, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Karen
Shakhnazarov is aware of all of this; however, he still chose to
publicly support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 by signing a
letter to that effect. He is not alone in his support of the war, in
fact, 511 artists signed a letter in 2014 supporting Russia’s
invasion of Crimea and the Donbas Region of Ukraine. However, the
questions still remain, “Why do I really believe?” and “Can I
genuinely stand up for my beliefs?” </span></span></span>
</p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</p>
<p lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Medium, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">In
2005, Russian director Vladimir Bortko (b. 1946) directed a ten part
mini-series for Russia-1, the premier government owned television
station, entitled “The Master and Margarita” based upon the
classic novel of the same name by author Mikhail Bulgakov
(1891-1940). </span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
</p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</p>
<p lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Medium, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">This
novel is filled with satire regarding the Soviet government of the
1930s. In fact, the publication of the novel was banned in the
Soviet Union </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Medium, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">until
it was published in serial form in 1966. Mikhail Bulgakov, a writer
and medical doctor, had serious health issues and petitioned Joseph
Stalin’s government for permission to move to Paris, France with
the rest of his family in order to receive the medical attention he
needed. This request was denied and Bulgakov ended up dying in
Moscow at the age of 48. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
</p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #222222;"> <span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Medium, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
mini-series “The Master and Margarita” remained very faithful to
Bulgakov’s novel since it was done over ten episodes and could go
into much more depth than a 90 minute or so film in the movie
theater. </span></span></span>
</p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</p>
<p lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Medium, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Another
extremely satiric piece about the Soviet Union by Mikhail Bulgakov
was made into a television </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Medium, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">movie</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Medium, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
by Vladimir Bortko in </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Medium, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">1988.
The novella a</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Medium, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">nd
film a</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Medium, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">re
entitled “Heart of a Dog”, the story of a stray dog who is
transformed into a man by a surgeon simply to see if it is possible
to transform a dog by implanting human testes and a pituitary gland
into a dog. The dog, who is given the name Poligraf Poligrafovich
Sharikov, after becoming human, appears to be representative of the
most base attitudes of Soviet society in the 1920s. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Medium, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">This
novella was written in 1925, but not officially released in the
Soviet Union until 1987. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
</p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</p>
<p lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Medium, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Vladimir
Bortko knew what this novel and novella were about. He saw how they
satirized the dictatorial Russian government of their day; however,
he still chose to sign the letter in support of Russia’s 2014
invasion of Crimea and the Donbas Region. From where is this
disconnect coming? These are not the actions of the Master, but of
</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Medium, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Berlioz,
the head of Massolit, who published only those pieces which the
government found acceptable. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
</p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Medium, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Speaking
out against the government, especially one which encourages
imprisoning opponents, is a risky undertaking. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Medium, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Actress
</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: #202122;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Medium, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Liya
Akhedzhakova</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: #202122;"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Medium, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">(b.
1938), who starred</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Medium, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: #202122;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Medium, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">In
</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: #202122;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Medium, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">such
films as “Office Romance” and “The Irony of Fate” is an
outspoken critic of contemporary Russian culture and the 2</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: #202122;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Medium, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">022
</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: #202122;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Medium, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Russian
invasion of Ukraine. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: #202122;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Medium, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">In
April 2023. Russian- and English-language independent news website,
</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: #202122;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Medium, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Meduza,
r</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: #202122;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Medium, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">eported
that Vitaly Borodin, head of the Federal Security and Anti-Corruption
Project, is asking Russia’s Prosecutor General to launch a criminal
case against Akhedzhakova. He claims, Akhedzhakova has criticized
“the state organs’ and the president’s decisions and policies
with regard to the war by Russia in Ukraine. Akhedzhakova denies the
allegations</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Medium, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">.
</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Medium, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">This
is tantamount to being declared a ‘foreign agent’, as what done
in the Soviet Union during the time of Joseph Stalin.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</p>
<p lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Medium, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Silence
does not automatically imply consent. There are many artists who
never signed any letter in support of war and who never made their
personal feelings known. However, to produce such works based upon
“Anna Karenina” using war as backdrop or the writings of Mikhail
Bulgakov and then stand in support of the actions of a dictatorial
government seems extremely hypocritical. It seems as though the same
level of fear present during the time of Joseph Stalin is still alive
in Russia today. Who would imagine that a well known Russian citizen
would be declared a “foreign agent” in 2022 for expressing his
opinion regarding an act undertaken by his government? </span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
</p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #222222;"> </span>
</p>
<p lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Medium, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><u><span style="font-weight: normal;">End
Note</span></u></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
</p>
<p lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Medium, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">1.
“</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Medium, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Tolstoy
on the Russo-Japanese War”:
</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1827&context=ocj">https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1827&context=ocj</a><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Medium, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
</p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #222222;"> </span>
</p>Robert S. Grossehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13847651146101080381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2287103780144822851.post-33846836464116832852023-05-01T11:32:00.002-07:002023-05-01T17:05:34.595-07:00War and No Peace: Anna and Vronsky<p> From 1927 until
2014 there have been several adaptations of Lev Tolstoy's novel,
“Anna Karenina” presented on the silver screen. In each case the
story is presented exclusively from Anna's standpoint; however, the
2017 Russian film, “Anna Karenina: Vronsky's Story” was
something different.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span lang="en-US">The
director, Karen Shakhnazarov (b. 1952), introduced us to this
timeless classic from the standpoint of Anna's lover, Alexei Vronsky.
</span><span style="color: #202124;"><span face="Google Sans, Roboto-medium, arial, sans-serif-medium, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: #202124;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
film begins with the audience meeting Vronsky in a medical field
hospital in Manchuria, China in 1904, thirty years after Anna's
death, where Vronsky is a patient. He is being interviewed by
Anna's son, Sergei, from her marriage to Alexei Karenin. Sergei is a
medical doctor and director of his hospital. He has few memories of
his mother and wants to know from Vronsky what she was like and what
type of relationship they had. Vronsky tells Sergei the story about
how he met Anna and what impact their relationship had on Anna's
social standing in Saint Petersburg society as a result. </span></span></span></span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #202124;"> <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">In
many of the film adaptations, Anna's husband, who is twenty years old
than her, is presented as a mean spirited, almost spiteful, man who
uses their son as a weapon to torture Anna by denying her the right
to see Sergei. In this film, Alexei Karenin, a government ministry
official in Czarist Russia, is presented a caring husband who is
obsessed with order and maintaining a proper public appearance,
while, at the same time, not forgetting that he is a Orthodox
Christian. His wife's betrayal with Vronsky is painful and,
initially, he even begins to hate her and wishes that she would die
while giving birth to Vronsky's child; however, he eventually
forgives both of them and tries to return to some semblance of a
'normal' life. However, he is actually quite conflicted. He states
that he forgave both of them; however, his actions indicate
otherwise. It is suggested to him, more than once, that he should
grant Anna a divorce and let her move on with her life with Vronsky;
however, he refuses to respond to her letters when she rights to him
with such a request. Karenin is approached a final time about
granting Anna a divorce and he promises a response; however, she
takes her own life before any response is given.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #202124;"> <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Vronsky
is presented as a handsome career military officer who is more
concerned with his social standing and career advancement than his
relationship with Anna. His mother, Countess Vronskaya, is eager to
marry him off to one young woman or another; however, she is opposed
to his relationship to Anna based upon the negative impact it will
have on his military career advancement. According to the novel,
Vronsky had been engaged to Anna's niece, Kitty Oblonskaya; however
there is no mention of that relationship in this film. He presents
himself throughout his various conversations with Anna's son as a
loving, career, compassionate partner who was willing to give up
everything for Anna; however, his actions did not align with his
words. </span></span></span></span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #202124;"> <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">At
one point, Anna decided to go to the opera is Saint Petersburg.
Vronsky discouraged her from going several times stating she did not
need to prove anything; however, she decided to go anyway. Upon her
arrival, one of female patrons in a neighboring box, the wife of a
military officer, made a public announcement that she cannot sit in
the same theater with a woman like Anna walked out of the box for the
evening. The men at the theater were rather cordial; however, the
women despised her. Vronsky initially stated that he did not want to
go to the opera; however, he eventually changed his mind and,
following intermission, Anna returned to her seat. Vronsky arrived
just prior to the end of intermission and refused to sit with her our
of concern for what the other patrons might think and/or say. This
betrayal was the beginning of the end for Anna. </span></span></span></span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #202124;"> <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Anna's
son asked Vronsky if he truly loved Anna. He responded that he had
strong feelings for her and even attempted suicide after Anna nearly
died following the birth of their daughter. However, Sergei asked
the same question a second time since he did not receive a direct
answer. The next time the question was asked Vronsky changed the
subject and started talking about a clay pipe which he had recently
purchased. His inability to affirmatively answer this question spoke
volumes about his feelings regarding Anna. </span></span></span></span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #202124;"> <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Anna
was portrayed as a woman in a loveless marriage to a much older man
who believed that she had finally found happiness with a dashing
young military officer. She willingly sacrificed everything for this
relationship, including any contact with her son. She was treated
like an outcast by Saint Petersburg society and was even willing to
accept this indignity as long as she had Vronsky's love and support
to rely upon. However, she was, in fact, treated like a bird in a
gilded cage. Vronsky's home in Saint Petersburg and summer home in a
village near the city were almost like palaces; however, they were
still cages to Anna. He would be gone for several days at a time
and she had no outlets for communication or creativity, so she was
left alone with her thoughts and this drove her to the point of
madness. When she expressed this to Vronsky he tried to say
something which would appear supportive; however, he would simply
disappear again to Saint Petersburg or elsewhere since he had no
issues regarding social standing and wanted to make sure that was
being seen by all of the right people. </span></span></span></span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #202124;"> <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Vronsky
appeared to believe that once a divorce was granted by Karenin and he
could finally marry Anna that everything would be fine and they could
simply begin their life together in society as if nothing had
happened previously. However, Anna began to realize, over time, that
Vronsky really did not need her and that the heartache from her
sacrifice amounted to nothing in regard to their relationship. Even
she had married Vronsky, nothing would change. She became convinced
that he really does not love her, so why marry him? Prior to Anna's
demise she got into an argument with Vronsky and he left their home.
Anna sent a message to him asking that he return as quickly as
possible; however, her servant returned with the unread message. She
was told that Vronsky went to visit his mother, even though he had
already received money from her, and Anna became convinced that he
had gone their to meet one of the young women that his mother was
trying to get him to marry. </span></span></span></span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #202124;"> <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">At
this point Anna is hopeless and decides to head to the train station
where she will ultimately take her own life. The audience never
sees what took place at the station; however, the music and speed of
the carriage on its way to the station portray the strong sense of
desperation which Anna was feeling at that moment. Earlier she had
stated that if she died that Vronsky would be stuck with only her
memory and this would torture him for the rest of his life. Her
words were proven to be true and Vronsky chose not to leave the army
hospital even after it was being attacked by the Japanese army
because of strong feeling that Anna was “always with him”. The audience returns to the same train station at the end of film to watch a young Alexei Vronsky walk into the smoke and disappear as though he was walking into the light of Heaven.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #202124;"> <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
director chose to </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: #202122;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">combine
the publicist story "During the Japanese War" and the
literary cycle "Stories about the Japanese War" by Vikenty
Veresaev (1867-1945). </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: #202122;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: #202122;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">This
gave a context for why Vronsky had re-entered the military after so
many years and it also provided a reflective atmosphere for the film
since the film is constantly switching between Vronsky's time with
Anna and his time in the Russo-Japanese War. Most of the novel of "Anna Karenina" is about a war between either Anna and her husband or Anna and Vronsky. In fact, at one point Anna states in the film that she wanted to obtain 'victory' in regard to her relationship with Vronsky. This is not a word traditionally used to describe a loving relationship.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #202122;"> <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">If
Vronsky was expecting Anna to be a 'trophy wife', it is easy to
understand why he was frustrated in regard to their relationship. A
trophy wife is a pejorative term </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: #4d5156;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">meaning
a wife who is regarded as a status symbol for her husband. The term
usually refers to a woman who is younger than her husband; however,
Vronsky is actually three years younger than Anna according to the
novel. It goes against Anna's character to simply be someone whom he
could take to parties and engage in polite conversation, but had no
real interests and nothing of any substance to contribution to any
conversation. </span></span></span></span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #4d5156; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">There
have been approximately thirty different adaptations of “Anna
Karenina” on the silver screen produced by various countries
including Russia, the United States, Great Britain, India, and
Argentina; however, “Anna Karenina: Vronsky's Story” was
something unique because of the fact that it was told from Vronsky's
point of view thirty years after Anna's death at the train station.
It is likely there will be other adaptations in the future and,
perhaps, one of them might present this story from the viewpoint of
Sergei Karenin, Anna's son, or her husband, Alexei. These
adaptations might also help to give fresh insight into this timeless
classic.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #202124;"> </span>
</p>Robert S. Grossehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13847651146101080381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2287103780144822851.post-82179336887549981262016-01-26T02:18:00.001-08:002016-01-26T02:21:29.235-08:00Without a Home in "Master and Margarita"<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14.0pt;"> Most
novels are read once and placed on a bookshelf or elsewhere and never touched
again by the same reader. There are some
novels or stories which one reads on more than one occasion simply out of pure
enjoyment. There are others which are re-read in order to obtain information or
perhaps understand something which was read earlier even better. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14.0pt;"> However, there are some novels which need to
be read more than once simply because of the depth of content, breadth of
character development, or numerous layers of themes which cannot be understood
properly in a first, second, or, even, a third reading. One such novel is <u>The Master and Margarita
</u>by </span><span style="background: white; color: #252525; font-size: 14.0pt;">Mikhaíl Afanasyevich Bulgakov</span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14.0pt;"> (1891-1940). This novel has several characters that reek
havoc in 1930s Moscow including a large black cat which walks and talks like a
person named Behemoth, an “ex-choirmaster” named Fagotto/Koroviev, an assassin
named Azazello, and a character believed to be satan named Woland. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14.0pt;"> We are introduced to three of these
characters in chapter five. </span><span style="background: white; color: #252525; font-size: 14.0pt;">Mikhail Alexandrovich Berlioz<b>, </b></span><span style="background: white; color: #252525; font-size: 14.0pt;">head of the Soviet literary union MASSOLIT, is at Patriarch’s Pond with Ivan
Nikolayevich Ponyryov (whose pen name is Bezdomny)</span><b><span style="background: white; color: #252525; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 7.0pt;">, </span></b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14.0pt;">a young poet who is a
member of MASSOLIT. The two are
discussing Ponyryov poem about Jesus and the fact that it is too “realistic”
for Berlioz’s taste when they are approached by a man who eventually introduces
himself as Professor Woland, an expert in black magic. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14.0pt;"> Berlioz and Ponyryov begin discussing
whether or not Jesus actually existed (neither believe this is true), when
Professor Woland interrupts and begins to explain what transpired between Jesus
(Yeshua Ha-Nozri in the novel) and Pontius Pilate, the governor of Judea. Professor Woland tells them that this is not second
hand information, because he was actually there when this dialogue took
place. They then begin to speak about
whether or not God exists (Berlioz and Ponyryov are atheists) and Professor
Woland argues with them using the philosophical proofs for God existence
written by Immanuel Kant (1724-1804).
The argument eventually turns to who is in charge of everything if there
is no God. Ponyryov argues that people
are in charge of their own destiny and Professor Woland states that no one even
knows when they will die. He then proceeds to tell Berlioz under what
circumstances he will die. He will be
run over by a trolley car and lose his head after slipping on some oil spilled
by a woman named Anna.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14.0pt;"> Berlioz leaves the conversation and ends
up dying in exactly the way that Professor Woland described. Ponyryov sees the end result of the accident
and becomes convinced that Professor Woland is a spy. He then begins a one man crusade to arrest
Professor Woland, along with Faggoto/Koroviev and Behemoth who have joined up
with the professor. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14.0pt;"> After chasing them around <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Moscow</st1:place></st1:city>, to no avail, Ponyryov ends up at a
restaurant in his underwear, carrying a candle, and wearing an icon around his
neck where the members of MASSOLIT were meeting and dining. He begins to explain to them what transpired
at Patriarch’s Pond and the restaurant manager calls for a car to take Ponyryov
to the local psychiatric hospital for evaluation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14.0pt;"> He
then explains the entire scenario to the doctor in charge of the hospital and
is diagnosed with schizophrenia. This
was also predicted by Professor Woland during their conversation. No one will listen to him, including the
police, so he is forced to become a hospital patient. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14.0pt;"> Later on in the novel, we meet “The Master”
who is the main protagonist in the story when The Master enters Ponyryov’s room
at night tells him about Margarita and the novel he wrote about Pontius
Pilate. He tells the Master that is a
poet, but when asked, “Is your poetry any good?” he responses, “no” and promises
never to write poetry again. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14.0pt;"> In Russian, as in many other languages,
names have meanings. Koroviev can easily
be translated into English as “cow”, for example, and Behemoth can be
translated as “hippo”. </span><span style="background: white; color: #252525; font-size: 14.0pt;">Ivan Nikolayevich Ponyryov’s pen name is Bezdomny which translates into
“without a home” or “homeless” in English. My question is, “Why did Bulgakov
give this character the pen name of Bezdomny?”
We know nothing about where Ivan lives based upon the novel nor do we
know anything about his family life; however, there is no mention of the fact
that he was, in fact, homeless. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #252525; font-size: 14.0pt;"> Ivan has a
profession, is a member of the Soviet literary bureaucracy, and, when confronted
with a situation which is beyond his control, he attempts to arrest the person he
believes in causing problems and return order to the society in which he
lives. By all appearances, he is a good
citizen. However, people like Ivan
really had no home in the <st1:place w:st="on">Soviet Union</st1:place>. The system was designed to destroy their
personal creativity and force them to produce “works of art” which are
completely approved by the state. These
are not works of art, they are propaganda tools. In real life, people like Ivan attempted to,
and, in many cases, succeeded to run away from the <st1:place w:st="on">Soviet
Union</st1:place> and begin a life in a new country. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #252525; font-size: 14.0pt;"> Many
literary critics believe that the character of Margarita is based upon
Bulgakov’s last wife and the Master is Bulgakov himself. While I do not necessarily disagree with
this assessment I will also add that the character of Bezdomny is also
autobiographical in Bulgakov’s case.
Mikhail Bulgakov was born in Kyiv and lives many years of his life in <st1:city w:st="on">Moscow</st1:city>, but, in reality, he never had a real home in the <st1:place w:st="on">Soviet Union</st1:place>. It
is true that he had a family and a place to live, but his creative spirit was
not as free as it could have been in such a totalitarian society and he
suffered a great deal under the repressive government of Joseph Stalin
(1878-1953). In fact, Bulgakov’s
extended family was granted permission to leave <st1:country-region w:st="on">Russia</st1:country-region>
and go to <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Paris</st1:place></st1:city>,
but Mikhail was not given such permission.
He and his wife stayed in <st1:city w:st="on">Moscow</st1:city> and he
died quite prematurely for an illness which may have been cured had he been
able to move to <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Paris</st1:place></st1:city>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #252525; font-size: 14.0pt;"> For almost
any creative person, living in such a culture can be equated to being like a
bird in a gilded cage. It might look
wonderful and provide a sense of safety, but it is still a cage. Creativity
requires freedom in order to blossom and survive. Ivan may have come to that conclusion while in
the psychiatric hospital which is why he promised that Master that he would
never write again. Bulgakov felt that he
was confined to the life he had in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Moscow</st1:place></st1:city>
and attempted to make the best of a very difficult situation. While both men may have had a place to
reside, they were, indeed, homeless since they have nowhere to lay their heads
and be at peace. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="background: white; color: #252525; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14pt;"> </span>Robert S. Grossehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13847651146101080381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2287103780144822851.post-32156200977755342562015-12-03T07:48:00.001-08:002015-12-03T07:50:35.426-08:00Dealing with the Devil<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FFF9EE;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial";">Since the dawn of creation, mankind has always
wanted to do thing his own way. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Individual
initiative is certainly not a bad thing; however, doing things one’s own way
without listening to any guidance or directions from others can have disastrous
side effects which not only impact us directly, but also our loved ones and
others we encounter. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FFF9EE;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial";"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>This reality has been expressed in
religious terms in the story of Adam and Eve in the Book of Genesis. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>God gave Adam and Eve everything they
needed to survive in the Garden of Eden, but told them not to eat of the Tree
of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Satan,
the deceiver, in the appearance of a snake, explains to Eve that she actually
misunderstood God’s words to her and encourages her to take the fruit from the
tree. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>She, in turn, gives
this fruit to her husband, Adam. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Christianity
refers to this act as “original sin” because Adam and Eve chose to follow their
own thoughts instead of listening to God and this “original sin” has been
passed on to every one of Adam’s descendants.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FFF9EE;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial";"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>The story of man turning to the devil
for some “help” has been written down in various forms over the centuries. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>One famous account was in<u>Faust</u><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
(1749-1832). <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>In this story,
the main character,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Faust</i>,
is a highly successful, but unhappy scholar who enters into a pact with the
devil, Mephistopheles, exchanging his soul for unlimited knowledge and
wealth. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>The exchange
becomes too much for Faust and it eventually becomes the source of his
undoing. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Eventually Faust
does win his soul back and learns a valuable lesson, namely, that having all
this knowledge and worldly wealth is not worth anything at the price of losing
one’s soul. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FFF9EE;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial";"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>A similar theme was also addressed in<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><u>Master and Margarita</u><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(</span><u><span style="font-family: "arial";">Мастер и Маргарита</span></u><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial";"> </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial";">by Mikhail Bulgakov (1891-1940). <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>One of the main characters in this
novel is Woland. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>He
is the personification of the devil and could be understood as almost a “Robin
Hood” like figure. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>At one
point in the novel, two of the characters, Mikhail Alexandrovich Berlioz, head
of MASSOLIT, the Soviet writer’s guild, and a twenty three year old poet named Ivan
Nikolayevich Ponyrov (whose pen name is Bezdomny which means “homeless” in
Russian) are discussing their belief that Jesus Christ did not truly exist when
they are approached by a third man who wishes to enter into their conversation.
This conversation shows the depths of Woland’s understanding of philosophy and
history. He wants to know who is “in
charge” if God does not exist. Berlioz
and Bezdomny agree that we are in charge of our own destiny. Woland introduces Immanuel Kant (1724-1804),
the famous Prussian philosopher into the conversation and they begin discussing
Kant’s proofs for the existence of God and why they do not make sense Woland provides his “seventh proof” of God’s
existence by demonstrating that he, Woland, not Berlioz, is able to predict
Berlioz’s death accurately, thus underscoring the contingency of human life and
pointing to the reality of something other than a spatio-temporal reality
governed by material laws. Woland,
through his arguments, and the novel itself in its dramatic undermining of
Berlioz’s Marxist materialism, thus takes up something like the perspective of
Eric Voegelin (1901-1985), a German-American political philosopher, which is
that while trying to prove God’s existence is indeed misguided, it is equally
misguided to draw the conclusion that because there are no effective proofs
that God is an existent object, therefore there is only immanent reality. (2)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FFF9EE;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial";"> If
you read the novel, it seems that Woland is a positive character, who is a
patron of arts and love, the hero, who is trying to fight the evils inherent in
the people of 1930s <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Russia</st1:country-region></st1:place>.
However, Woland is a tempter on closer reading which becomes noticeably diverse.
In fact, Woland is Satan, a rethinking of Christ, the new Messiah, a hero as
Bulgakov described him in his first unpublished manuscripts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FFF9EE;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial";"> To
understand the diversity of Woland it is possible only in a careful reading of
"The Master and Margarita." Only then can one see the similarity with
the Scandinavian hero Odin, then turned into the devil of Christian tradition,
or the god, Wotan, who was worshipped the old Germanic pagan tribes. Woland has
a portrait resemblance to the great magician and freemason Count Cagliostro,
who was able to predict the future and remember the events of a thousand years
ago.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FFF9EE;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial";"> Attentive
readers will certainly remember a time when officials remembered the name of
the magician and speculated that his name was Faland. Indeed, in tune with Woland,
but only not that interesting. Few people know that in “Falandom” is the name
the Germans give for the place known as hell in English. (1) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FFF9EE;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial";"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>The
acts of the devil Woland and his minions in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Moscow</st1:city></st1:place> seem, at first glance, to be carried
out for no reason. From the beginning, when Woland predicts the unlikely
circumstances of Berlioz's beheading, to the end, when Behemoth, a large
talking black cat who can take on a human appearance when needed, stages a
shoot-out with the entire police force, there seems to be no motivation other
than sheer mischief. Much of what happens seems to be absurd. However, when it
is examined more closely, it does not appear to be that absurd. Well, at least
no more absurd than reality itself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FFF9EE;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial";"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>After a while, though, their trickery
reveals a pattern of preying upon the greedy, who think they can reap benefits
they have not earned, just because they served the people in power without
asking questions. For example, when a bribe is given to the chairman of the
tenants' association, Bosoi, Woland tells Korovyov to "fix it so that he
doesn't come here again." Bosoi is then arrested, which punishes him for
exploiting his position. Similarly, the audience that attends Woland's black
magic show is delighted by a shower of money only to find out the next day that
they are holding blank paper. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>The
women who thought they were receiving fine new clothes later find themselves in
the streets in their underwear. These deceptions appear mean-spirited and
pointless, but the victims, in each case, are blinded by their interest in
material goods and dropped all previously cherished moral values as soon as
they had the opportunity to benefit from their greed.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FFF9EE;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial";"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>The
fact that Woland appears to be robbing from the wealth may give him a “Robin
Hood” like appearance, to some; however, there is a deeper meaning at
stake. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>This is not only
about Woland and these people. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>The
very soul of the Russian nation has been sold to the devil by the Bolsheviks,
according to Bulgakov, and these characters are allegorical representations of
the entire nation.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FFF9EE;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial";"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>This is a very profound novel and the
author is making many important points regarding the role of sin in our lives,
the daily struggle between good and evil which we face, and how our actions
have consequences not only for us but for generations to come. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>It would be unfair to over simplify
this great work of Russian literature by stating that these themes are easily
understood or that they have only one meaning. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Neither of these things is true. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>This novel has multiple layers of
meaning and can impact the reader in a variety of different ways depending upon
when they read it and what is going on in their own life.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span> It can be read over and over
again and each time the reader will find something new to reflect upon.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FFF9EE;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial";"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span> It
is also true that the theme of entering into a pact with the devil is present
in American literature as well. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><u>The
Devil and Tom Walker</u><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>by
Washington Irving (1783-1859) first appeared in 1824 and tells the story of a
man who enters into an agreement with the devil and becomes a loan shark. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>The story ends with the main character
being taken away by the devil on a black horse. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Tom Walker is never seen again and his
home burns to the ground. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FFF9EE;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial";"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>An adaptation of this story was<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><u>The Devil and Daniel Webster</u><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>by Stephen Vincent Benét
(1898-1943). <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>This story
first appeared in 1937 and tells the story of Jabez Stone, a poor farmer from <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">New Hampshire</st1:place></st1:state>, who makes
a seven year pact with the devil in exchange for prosperity. When the seven
years are complete, he is able to extend this pact for another three
years. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>However, at the end
of the tenth year, the devil returns to Stone and demands his soul as payment.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FFF9EE;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial";"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Stone approaches Daniel Webster, a
prominent <st1:place w:st="on">New England</st1:place> attorney, and asks him
to defend him against the devil. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>There
is a court case involving the devil and Daniel Webster. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Mr. Webster eventually wins this case
and it has been said that after this trial the devil was never again seen in <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">New Hampshire</st1:place></st1:state>.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FFF9EE;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial";"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span> Making
a pact with the devil<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>may</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>seem like a good decision at
first. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>One can become
wealthy or acquire whatever knowledge he or she wants, but at what cost?<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span> Eventually payment will be
demanded by the one with whom this agreement has been made and the price which
must be paid is much greater than any possible benefit the person may receive.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FFF9EE;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FFF9EE; margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial";">(1)<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial";">“Seven Keys to the novel ‘Master and Margarita’, which Reveal
the Secrets of this Mysterious Book” <a href="http://www.kulturologia.ru/blogs/170815/25849/">http://www.kulturologia.ru/blogs/170815/25849/</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FFF9EE; margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial";">(2)<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial";">Paulette Kidder, “The Interdependence of Satire and
Transcendence in Bulgakov’s <i>The Master
and Margarita” </i>(Eric Voegelin Society Meeting-American Political Science
Association 2012)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #FFF9EE;">
<br /></div>
Robert S. Grossehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13847651146101080381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2287103780144822851.post-69686381151630246352013-11-18T03:32:00.000-08:002013-12-20T04:28:05.572-08:00The Music Lives on Forever<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Throughout the centuries there have been
many fine pianists and highly successful musicians, but encountering a genius
either at a concert or through his music performed by himself or others is a very rare occurrence in most people's lives</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Listening to the compositions of such people
can be a transformative experience and can touch your soul in a way that few
others things can. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One man who had such an extraordinary
ability was Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Born in Russia and showing extraordinary
talent at a very early age, Tchaikovsky went on to write three ballets, eleven
operas, six symphonies, and numerous other works before dying in 1893.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For many people in the West he is known composing the music for
“The Nutcracker”, a ballet which is very popular in the US during the Christmas
season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His music was also used in
countless films and, thereby, became popular with many generations of people
who might not otherwise have had the experience of or interest in hearing
classical music.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, Disney used
several pieces by Tchaikovsky in their 1940 film “Fantasia”. This film helped
to introduce young children and parents to some of the finest pieces of classical
music ever written by using them as accompaniment to the actions of various
Disney characters. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tchaikovsky was not only a Romantic music
composer, but he was a Russian Romantic music composer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The influence of Russia on his music can be
heard in many of his pieces.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For example, this is very obvious in his “Fourth Symphony”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The influence of a person’s homeland on his
music is certainly not limited to Tchaikovsky. The same thing could easily be
said of </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninov
(1873-1943). </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Rachmaninov
died in Beverly Hills, California in 1943, but he was never simply a Russian
born American composer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the case of
both of these men their culture helped to make them into the composers they
became. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There have been several films done about
the life of this musical genius.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the
1950s, the Walt Disney Company produced a half hour film about “Peter
Tchaikovsky”<sup>1</sup> which was the first time a television show could be
heard in stereo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 1969, Mosfilms, a
Soviet film studio, produced the film “Tchaikovsky” which was nominated for an
Academy Award for “Best Foreign Language Film” in 1971.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This film goes into a great deal more detail
about Tchaikovsky’s life, especially the influence of Nadezhda von Meck
(1831-1894) on his career.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Mrs. von
Mack was his “silent” benef</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">actress
who was willing to help support Tchaikovsky financially on the condition that
they never actually met face-to-face. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both of these films presented the
Tchaikovsky’s life in a noncontroversial way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There was some mention of his personal life, but much of the film
focused on his work as a composer and his need silence the music which he heard
in his head on a rather regular basis since childhood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Neither of these films would be considered
offensive by those who chose to show them to their children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, this statement cannot be made about
the next film about Tchaikovsky’s life.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“The
Music Lovers” was a 1970 British film directed by Ken Russell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">The film includes at least two major factual errors. In
one sequence, Tchaikovsky and his patroness, Mrs. von Mack, see each other on
the road; the two never spoke, although their paths crossed once by
happenstance in a park in Italy. Later, his wife, Nina, goes mad and is placed
in an insane asylum, prompting the composer to call his Sixth Symphony the
Pathetique, when in reality she was not institutionalized until after his death.<sup>2</sup>
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If these two factual errors were the only
major negative factors this film that would be fine; however, it did not stop
there. Richard Chamberlain (b. 1934), a fine actor who later became popular in
the US for his role in the television series “Thornbirds”, was cast in the
title role. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His portrayal of Tchaikovsky
could easily have given someone the impression that the composer was a mental
patient instead of a genius musician.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A great deal of time was spent focusing on
the alleged nymphomania of Tchaikovsky’s wife, Nina, and on the question of
whether or not Tchaikovsky himself was a homosexual.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Was Russell attempting to make the point that
there was a direct link to Tchaikovsky’s alleged homosexuality and his musical
genius?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Should musicologists spend time
researching if there was a direct link between Rachmaninov’s heterosexuality
and his musical genius?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most people
would say, “That is absurd”, but it is not absurd to focus so much time and
energy on the idea that Tchaikovsky was a homosexual.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“The Music Lovers” was an extremely strong
agenda disguised as a film.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pyotr
Tchaikovsky heard music which other could dream of hearing and was able to put
that music on paper so that these pieces will be heard by numerous generations
long after we are gone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At this moment,
“Evgeny Onegin” is appearing at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City,
some one hundred and thirty four years after it was first performed in
Moscow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I sincerely doubt that most
current pop songs will be remembered 134 years from now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(255, 249, 238); margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Musical preferences are highly
individualized.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some people may love
opera or classical music while others might prefer jazz or country music.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While musical tastes differ, it is important
that people who show musical talent be encouraged.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">Parents play a major role in
either inspiring or destroying their children individuality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is often done under the guise that
either the parents know what is best for their child or the parents “meant
well”, but the reality is that in many cases these parents are living their
lives vicariously through their children with often very unhappy results.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(255, 249, 238); margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">Parents often </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">insist that their
children conform and not go against the prevailing societal code. Many parents
staunchly believe in blind and mindless conformity. They believe that there is
safety in following the prevailing and/or majority opinion. They contend that
following the majority consensus offers a sense of belonging and security. They
stress to their children that it is safer and more feasible to conform to the
prevailing groupthink philosophy. They strongly discourage their children's
strong individualism and nonconformity because it is believed that if their
children refuse to conform to the prevailing groupthink, they would be
considered oddballs or worse, being ostracized and alone. A worse scenario
according to the parents, these children would be ostracized and denigrated by
their neighbors and associates. So if their child/children dare to have a
unique, creative, and innovative thought and idea, it is squashed and
oftentimes considered outlandish and weird because <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">nobody else thought of it!</i> These parents are killing the dreams of
a potential Tchaikovsky.<sup>3</sup></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">On October 28, 1893, Tchaikovsky
conducted the premiere of his Sixth Symphony the <i>Pathétique</i> in Saint
Petersburg. Nine days later, he died there at age 53. While Tchaikovsky's death
has traditionally been attributed to cholera, most probably contracted through
drinking contaminated water several days earlier, some have theorized that his
death was a suicide.<u><sup><span style="color: blue;">]</span></sup></u> Opinion
has been summarized as follows: "The polemics over [Tchaikovsky's] death
have reached an impasse ... Rumor attached to the famous die hard ... As for
illness, problems of evidence offer little hope of satisfactory resolution: the
state of diagnosis; the confusion of witnesses; disregard of long-term effects
of smoking and alcohol. We do not know how Tchaikovsky died. We may never find
out ....."<sup>4<o:p></o:p></sup></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While there is a great deal of speculation
surrounding the Tchaikovsky’s death, there is no such speculation surrounding
his musical genius.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His contributions to
classic music are still admired by audiences throughout the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is entirely possible that he may have
lived a difficult and even tragic life, but the mark he left will last
forever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><u>End Notes</u><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 5pt 4.5pt 5pt 34.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">“</span><span class="watch-title"><span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Disneyland - 5.16 -
The Peter Tchaikovsky Story - Version 1”</span></span><span class="watch-title"><span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; font-size: 18pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"> </span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTpaaEBbN84"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTpaaEBbN84</span></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(accessed 10/9/13)</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 5pt 4.5pt 5pt 34.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">“The
Music Lovers” <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Music_Lovers"><span style="color: blue;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Music_Lovers</span></a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(accessed 10/9/13)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 5pt 4.5pt 5pt 34.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">“Destroying
Individuality: Making Everyone Mediocre” <a href="http://heideggerm1.blogspot.com/2013/03/destroying-individuality-making.html"><span style="color: blue;">http://heideggerm1.blogspot.com/2013/03/destroying-individuality-making.html</span></a>
(accessed 10/9/13) </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 5pt 4.5pt 5pt 34.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Wiley, Roland John, "Tchaikovsky, Pyotr
Illyich" In <i>The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, Second
Edition</i> (London: Macmillan, 2001), Vol. 25: 169.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Robert S. Grossehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13847651146101080381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2287103780144822851.post-22756084866150087922013-09-18T05:28:00.000-07:002013-09-18T12:43:58.610-07:00The Influencing of a Culture<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> There are some people who have a profound
impact on their friends and relatives, there are others who may have such an
impact on their neighborhood, and still others who have such impact upon their
entire nation, but it is a much rarer person who has such an extremely profound
impact upon his culture that he is forever alive in the hearts and minds of
numerous generations of people. Such a
man is Sherlock Holmes<sup>1</sup>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> We know nothing about his upbringing, we do
not know where he was born, nor anything about his education; however, we do know
that he has a brother named, Mycroft. He
is a rather complex personality whose powers of observation and gift from deductive
reasoning are profound. What we do know about this man’s life was made known to
us by the writings of his friend and colleague, John H. Watson, M.D.. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> Undoubtedly, someone will say to himself or
herself, “Why is this person writing about Sherlock Holmes as though he was a
real person? He was the product of the
imagination of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) and brought to life in the
pages of <i>Strand Magazine</i>.” This is important historical information
regarding the creation of Holmes, but it does not explain the profound impact
that Holmes has had on Western culture.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> No other character has been portrayed on television
or radio more often than Sherlock Holmes.
While the original stories were set in Victorian England of the 1890s, a
series of films based upon Holmes and starring Robert Downey, Jr. (b. 1965)
were produced within the past few years.
There are numerous Sherlock Holmes Societies and he is popular in
various countries.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> In 1937, the Germans produced their own
version of “<i>The Hound of the Baskervilles</i>”
and from 1979 to 1986, LenFilms, a Soviet film studio, produced a series of
Sherlock Holmes films starring Vasily Livanov (b. 1935) as Holmes. This character was so popular in
the Soviet Union that there is a statue dedicated to both he and Dr. Watson in
Moscow. In fact, there are many people
who believe that the Holmes character who most closely resembled the figure in <i>Strand Magazine</i> was Vasily Livanov. He matched the character both in appearance
and character, according to many people.
Holmes is even extremely popular in China. There is even a current American television
series entitled, “Elementary” which is based upon the character of Holmes
played by Jonny Lee Miller (b.1972) with Dr. Watson played by Lucy Liu
(b.1968).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> It is quite interesting that there are even
discussions, as mentioned above, regarding who did the best job portraying this
character. It is entirely possible for
two people to get into a rather heated debate about whether the Sherlock Holmes
portrayed by Basil Rathbone (1892-1967) was better than the portrayal done by
Jeremy Brett (1933-1995). Few, if any other
characters, would inspire such loyalty in people that they would even be
willing to debate such a topic as which person portrayed him or her in the best
fashion.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> Also, “Sherlock Holmes of 221B Baker
Street, London” continues to receive mail every year from people who turn to
him for advice about a variety of topics.
If Holmes were not “real”, what would inspire people to write to him
asking for advice after all these years?
If he was a real person he would certainly have passed away numerous decades
ago and if he was simply the creation of someone’s imagination there is no
“person” to actually write to. However,
you cannot convince those whose lives he has touched that Holmes is not “real”.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> In an earlier article I wrote about an
American cultural icon, namely Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849)<sup>2</sup>. He was the “Father of the Detective Story”
and, in a certain way, we owe Holmes creation to Poe since it was Poe who
inspired Conan Doyle to write about these stories in the first place. Poe’s
stories are still read today, but the “person” of Sherlock Holmes has
transcended both time and space. He was
certainly one of the great icons of the 20<sup>th</sup> century and he
continues to live on into the 21<sup>st</sup> century largely because he
embodies a sense of fair play and justice which is not present in the lived
world of most people. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> For many people justice and fairness are
not a part of their daily lived experience, but when they encounter the
“person” of Sherlock Holmes they know that he will make everything right and
restore that sense of fairness which they have lost. This is not simply a nice idea, but actually
serves to provide hope to many people.
Without a sense of hope it is difficult for many people to want to go on
and Holmes helps them to see that there truly is hope after all. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span></div>
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> <u>End Notes<o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 5.0pt; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 4.5pt; margin-top: 5.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">1.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“Sherlock
Holmes” </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherlock_Holmes"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherlock_Holmes</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 5.0pt; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 4.5pt; margin-top: 5.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">2.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“Profile
of a Cultural Icon” </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://heideggerm1.blogspot.com/2012/06/profile-of-cultural-icon.html"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">http://heideggerm1.blogspot.com/2012/06/profile-of-cultural-icon.html</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 5.0pt; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 4.5pt; margin-top: 5.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
Robert S. Grossehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13847651146101080381noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2287103780144822851.post-56759939683046219652013-09-04T03:08:00.000-07:002015-01-16T07:00:38.316-08:00Lev Tolstoy Goes to Hollywood<div style="line-height: 15.6pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> Few
people have had the impact on Russian literature that Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy
(1828-1910) has had. His novels and
short stories have been translated into numerous languages and people from
various cultures are familiar with these stories. Three of his stories including <u>Anna Karenina</u>,
one of the greatest novels ever written, <u>The Kreutzer Sonata</u>, and <i>Two Hussars</i> were even made into American
films. These three films were all
produced by British producer Bernard Rose (b. 1960). His adaptation of <u>Anna Karenina</u>
was certainly not the only one produced for an English speaking audience, but
it was certainly one of the best adaptations. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 15.6pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> In this article I will look at these three
films, namely “Anna Karenina” (1997), “The Kreutzer Sonata” (2008), and “Two
Jacks” (2011). I will examine these
three films in order to see how faithful they are to the novels
themselves and how well they correspond with one another. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The 1997
film “Anna Karenina” which stars Sophie Marceau (b. 1966) in the title role, is
a very interesting adaption of Tolstoy’s novel.
It was obvious that Rose had borrowed several ideas from the 1948 film
with Vivien Leigh, but he also added some new elements which were not present
in the earlier films. For example, the
story, in this film, is told by Lev Tolstoy through the character of
Constantine Levin. However, some of the
elements of the earlier films about this novel, such as the difficulties
between Stepan and Dolly at the beginning of the film, are not present. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Sir Georg
Solti’s</span><b><span lang="EN"> </span></b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">(1912-1997) choice of music also had a profound
impact on the film. Pyotr Illyich
Tchaikovsky’s (1840-1893) Sixth Symphony, which he wrote prior to his own
death, the choice of Tatiana’s aria from the opera “</span><i><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Evgeny Onegin</span></i><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">”, and the music of Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943)
helped to tell the story, even without words. For some reason, Sir George did </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">not list this film among
the films he is credited with serving as music director for.<sup>1</sup> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15.6pt;"> Eleven
years later, Bernard Rose decided to produce a modern film version of </span><u style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15.6pt;">The
Kreutzer Sonata</u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15.6pt;">. This novella is believed, by some, to be Tolstoy’s
argument in favor of sexual abstinence and against marriage.</span><sup style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15.6pt;">2</sup><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15.6pt;"> It
also deals with the question of whether or not true love is possible.</span><sup style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15.6pt;">3</sup><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15.6pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15.6pt;"> </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 15.6pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> This film was a very interesting 21<sup>st</sup>
century “American” approach to a 19<sup>th</sup> century Russian novella. Set in Los Angeles, California, this film
remains quite faithful to the story line of the novel; however, it can be seen
as extremely pornographic, especially if one of the original themes of
Tolstoy’s novella was the virtue of sexual abstinence.<sup>4</sup> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 15.6pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> I have no objection to nudity in a film if
it is used for artistic reasons, such as to enhance the storyline; however in
this film the constant nudity almost became the storyline. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 15.6pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> It is unfortunate that modern American
films must contain graphic nudity, excessive killings, and/or massive
explosions; otherwise they will not do well at the box office. Some people will argue this is not true and
point to the 2012 film version of “Anna Karenina” as an example. However, that
film won an Academy Award for “Best Costume Design”, not for “Best
Picture”. Hollywood markets films in the
same way cigarettes are marketed according to the late great Russian film
director Andrei Tarkovsky (1932-1986) <sup>5</sup> What Tarkovsky said in the
1980s is even more true today.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 15.6pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> The third
film is “Two Jacks” a 2011 film based upon an 1856 short story entitled <u>Two Hussars</u>
by Tolstoy. <sup>6 </sup> There was also a 1984 Soviet film entitled
“Two Hussars” which was also based upon this short story.<sup>7</sup> In the original story the reader is meant to
understand that the son is not only a different generation than his father, but
that this later generation has actually become worse. This insight was made quite clear in Bernard
Rose’s 2011 film; however, it was not as clear in the 1984 Soviet film. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 15.6pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> In
the 1984 film the father and son were both played by the same actor (with an
implied time lapse in the film) and it was difficult to understand why the son
was less likeable than the father.
However, this was more obvious in the 2011 film. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 15.6pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> Danny Huston (b. 1962) plays “Jack, Sr.”
and his nephew Jack Huston (b. 1982) plays “Jack, Jr.” and it is somewhat easy
to see why Jack, Sr. was a much more likeable character than Jack, Jr. The movie begins with the audience being
introduced to Jack, Sr. at the airport and the film ends with Jack, Jr. at the
same airport (in the same terminal) twenty years later. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 15.6pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> This was the third time that Rose included
Danny Huston in one of his films. In addition to playing Jack, Sr. in this
film, Huston also played Stepan, Anna Karenina’s brother, in the 1997 film and
he played the main character in “The Kreutzer Sonata”. It would appear that Bernard Rose is quite
impressed with Danny Huston’s acting ability.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 15.6pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> Each of these films remained quite
faithful to the novel or short story they were based upon. These three stories explore very important
issues which are still as relevant today as they were when they were written in
the 19<sup>th</sup> century. With the current divorce rate at over 50%, many
young people ask themselves if true love is really possible. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 15.6pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> In Ezekiel 18 it is written, “The father
eats green grapes and the children’s teeth are set on edge.” What the prophet Ezekiel is saying that the
actions of the parents have a direct impact on their children. Another phrase we often heard used is “The
apple doesn’t fall far from the tree”.
Based upon “Two Jacks”, both the quote by the Prophet Ezekiel and the
apple are still quite true. Lev Tolstoy
was a deeply religious man and he may very well have had the Bible quote from
Ezekiel 18 in mind when he wrote <i>Two
Hussars</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 15.6pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> Bernard Rose showed us that the same
personalities which could be found in <u>Anna Karenina</u>, <i>The Kreutzer Sonata, </i>and <i>Two Hussars </i>are still very much alive
today. This is a hallmark of classic literature and
it is wonderful that this producer was able to introduce these stories by Lev
Tolstoy to an audience who may have been familiar with only <u>Anna Karenina</u>
and <u>War and Peace</u>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
</span><u><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">End
Notes<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="text0" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">1)<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Anna
Karenina: A Cinematic Journey on the Silver Screen from 1927 to 2012”</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">
</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://heideggerm1.blogspot.com/2013/03/anna-karenina-cinematic-journey-on.html">http://heideggerm1.blogspot.com/2013/03/anna-karenina-cinematic-journey-on.html</a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h1 style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="X-NONE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">2)<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="X-NONE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">“</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The Kreutzer Sonata”</span><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Kreutzer_Sonata">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Kreutzer_Sonata</a></span><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></h1>
<div class="text0" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">3)<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The Possibility of
True Love”</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://heideggerm1.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-possibility-of-true-love.html">http://heideggerm1.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-possibility-of-true-love.html</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="text0" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">4)<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“The Kreutzer Sonata (2008 film)” </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Kreutzer_Sonata_(2008_film)">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Kreutzer_Sonata_(2008_film)</a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="text0" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">5)<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“</span><span class="watch-title"><span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Andrei Tarkovsky: A Poet in the Cinema (1983)</span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">”</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">
</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTvIybrtMqU">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTvIybrtMqU</a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">
</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">(47:55)</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="text0" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">6)<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“Two Hussars”</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Two_Hussars">http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Two_Hussars</a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="text0" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">7)<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Two Hussars (Russian
Film)”</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://rusact.com/movie-opinion-10792-Dva-Gusara-Two-Hussars-Velikolepnaya-Klassika">http://rusact.com/movie-opinion-10792-Dva-Gusara-Two-Hussars-Velikolepnaya-Klassika</a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="text0" style="margin-left: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="text0" style="margin-left: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="text0" style="margin-left: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
Robert S. Grossehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13847651146101080381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2287103780144822851.post-23970434597110628572013-04-20T04:04:00.003-07:002013-06-29T08:36:31.143-07:00Film Adaptations of Classic Russian Novels<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
has been a long history of adapting classic Russian novels to film in the
English speaking world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These classic
novels by authors like Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Pasternak, and others allow an
English speaking audience to enter into a world with which they are completely
unfamiliar and see that the issues which these people face are dealt with all
over the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">
<br />
</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this article I will look at the 1935
American film adaptation of “Crime and Punishment” by Fyodor Dostoevsky, the
1956 film “War and Peace”, “Brothers Karamazov” (1958), the 1965 film
“Doctor Zhivago”, and the 2002 BBC adaptation of “Crime and Punishment”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will examine several films and television
series about classic Russian novels in order to see how faithful they are to
the novels themselves and how well they correspond with one another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Joseph von Sternberg (1894-1969) directed
“Crime and Punishment”<sup>1</sup>, a 1935 film based upon the novel of the
same name by Fyodor Dostoevsky. This film starred Peter Lorre in the title role
as Rodin Raskolnikov (his first name was changed to Roderick for an American
audience).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This film bore little, if any
resemblance, to the novel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, the
director was so disappointed with this film that he does not list it among the
films he is credited with directing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span>
<br />
<br />
</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What
was America’s fascination with classic Russian literature that in a span of two
years, from 1956 to 1958, both <u>War and Peace</u> by Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy
(1828-1910) and “Brothers Karamazov” by Fyodor </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Mikhaylovich Dostoevsky (1821-1881)</span><b><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">were
made into films?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The American people would
have known very little about Russia in 1956.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Both countries were in the middle of the Cold War and there was a great deal
of propaganda on both sides regarding how horrible the other country was.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
1956 film “War and Peace”<sup>2</sup> starred Henry Fonda as Pierre Bezuhov and
Audrey Hepburn as Natasha Rostova (the two main characters).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This film does </span><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">not
cover every aspect of Tolstoy’s original novel, but focuses on the relationship
of three of the main characters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Very
early in the film there is a scene where Pierre is getting drunk with a group
of friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This scene contains every
almost every possible Russian stereotype, except for a dancing bear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At one point in the scene one of the
characters is standing backward on the window ledge and facing inside the
room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He begins to bend over backward while
drinking a bottle of vodka.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently,
the winner was the person who could finish drinking the vodka without falling
out of the window.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other than feeding
into a Russian stereotype, what was the point of this “game”?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This scene is not in the novel; however, the
director, King Vidor (1894-1982) felt it necessary to put it in the movie.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span>
<br />
</span><br />
<div style="line-height: 15.6pt;">
<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span lang="EN"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The costumes are
wonderful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In typical Hollywood style of
the time, the film makes everything appear almost larger than life by virtue of
the camera angles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This film has a
wonderful cast of actors, but financially it was unsuccessful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It earned only $250,000 for the studio. A
large part of the reason might have been that this was an epic film about a
Russian novel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Americans did not
normally watch epic films, particularly those about Russian novels. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">
<br />
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"> It is not that Americans were opposed to epic films.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the same year that “War and Peace” was
completed, Cecil B. DeMille completed “The Ten Commandments” for a different
studio.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“The Ten Commandments” is also
an epic film, but the story of Moses would have been much better known by an
American audience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span>
<br />
</span><div style="line-height: 15.6pt;">
<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Two years after the completion of “War and Peace”, Richard Brooks
(1912-1992) directed “Brothers Karamazov”<sup>3</sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This movie is based upon a novel of the same
name by Fyodor Dostoevsky.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The novel
tells the story of three brothers (Dmitry, Alexei, and Ivan) and their
relationship with each other and their father, Fyodor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is also a “murder mystery” since Fyodor is
killed and the reader must determine who committed the murder.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">
<br />
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Fyodor Karamazov (played by Lee J. Cobb) is not a very likeable
figure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the one of the first scenes
in the film, the audience is introduced to Fyodor Karamazov after he has tied a
woman to his bed and is interrupted because his son, Alexei (film debut for William
Shatner) has arrived at his home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fyodor
is a rather boorish man who seems to respect Alexei only.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 15.6pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In the novel, Dmitry Karamazov sees himself as being a rather foolish
person and his actions reflect his belief about himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the movie, Dmitry (played by Yul Brenner) comes
across as a rather self-confident, if not arrogant, person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He constantly borrows money from his father
and this has become a source of tension between the two of them since Dmitry never
paid back what he borrowed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br /><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another
character is Smerdyakov, half-brother to the Karamazov brothers and son of
Fyodor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Smerdyakov is treated very
poorly by Fyodor Karamazov in the film.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Dmitry is accused of murdering Fyodor; however, Smerdyakov confesses to
Ivan Karamazov (played by Richard Basehart) that he killed Fyodor. Dmitry is
put on trial for murder, but, instead of Smerdyakov confessing in court that he
killed Fyodor, he kills himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 15.6pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
both the novel and film, Dmitry is convicted of murdering his father.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, in the novel he accepts his fate and
considers himself to be a martyr for love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After being convicted of murder, Dmitry is sent to prison in Siberia and
the woman he loved went to be with him in Siberia. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
film shows Dmitry deciding to escape rather than board a train bound for
Siberia. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He became a fugitive and the
rest of the film deals with the topic: “Will Dmitry escape from Russia?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What was the reason why Richard Brooks
decided to add this into the film when it was not in the novel?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We do not know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is possible he did so because of the lack
of justice in Dmitry’s conviction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
was wrongfully convicted and should be able to escape rather than going to
prison.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The movie ends without the
audience knowing if he ever escaped from Russia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 15.6pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
is also interesting that Yul Brenner is the only person in this film who had
any connection to Russia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was born in
Russia, but lived most of his life in either the US or Western Europe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another Western adaptation of a classic
Russian novel was the 1965 film “Doctor Zhivago”<sup>4</sup> starring Omar
Sharif as Yuri Zhivago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This film was
based upon the novel of the same name by well-known poet, Boris Pasternak
(1890-1960)<sup>5</sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This novel was
first published in Milan in 1957. Pasternak won the Nobel Prize for Literature
in 1958 for <u>Doctor Zhivago</u>, but was forbidden to attend the award
ceremony by the Soviet government of Nikita Khrushchev.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span>
<br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: 15.6pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
film continues to be extremely popular.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Like “War and Peace” this was an epic film, but it was much more
acceptable to an American audience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps
it was simply the period of history when this film was made or the strong love
story plot of the film, but it earned over $100,000,000 for its studio.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the US, the success of a film is based
largely upon the amount of money that the film earned rather than the depth of
the subject matter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Pasternak depicts Lara as an almost unscrupulous woman who uses her
sexuality to obtain what she wants from life, but in the film David Lean
(1908-1991), the director, presents Lara (portrayed by Julie Christie) as more
of a victim.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the 2006 Russian TV
series “Doctor Zhivago”, Lara is not a very likeable character. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 15.6pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Since this film was released in 1965 and the US was still involved in
the Cold War with the USSR, David Lean did not spend as much time focusing on
the events of the Russian revolution as Pasternak did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The love story between Yuri and Lara is what
made this film successful along with the beauty of the Russian scenery which an
American audience would never have seen in person.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A very good English speaking adaptation of a classic Russian novel was
the 2002 TV mini-series “Crime and Punishment” produced by the British
Broadcasting Company (BBC). This series was extremely faithful to the
novel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The BBC felt no obligation to
change the story line in order to adapt this novel to television.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is much easier to do with a mini-series
since it continues over several episodes instead of a film which only lasts for
a few hours, at most.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 15.6pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Since I wrote about the various adaptations of <u>Anna Karenina</u> by
Lev Tolstoy (1828-1910) in another article<sup>6</sup>, I have decided to
forego writing about it here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One
important fact to remember is that no other novel has had more film adaptations
made about it than <u>Anna Karenina</u>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Attempting to turn a novel into a film while, at the same time,
remaining faithful to the original novel is not an easy process; however, this
is very important. Poetic license does allow for some changes, but how many
changes can be made before a movie is no longer connected with a particular
novel?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I once heard it said, “Never
judge a book by its movie”<sup>7</sup> and there is a great deal of truth in
that statement. <o:p></o:p></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><u>End Notes</u></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 6pt 0in 6pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-outline-level: 2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“Crime and Punishment: (1935 American
Film)” <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_and_Punishment_(1935_American_film)"><span style="color: blue;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_and_Punishment_(1935_American_film)</span></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><b><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt; line-height: 120%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<h1 style="margin: 12pt 0in 3pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span lang="X-NONE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span lang="X-NONE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">War and Peace (1956 film)</span><span lang="X-NONE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">” </span><span lang="X-NONE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_and_Peace_(1956_film)"><span style="color: blue;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_and_Peace_(1956_film)</span></a></span><span lang="X-NONE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span><span lang="X-NONE"><o:p></o:p></span></h1>
<br />
<div class="text0" style="margin: 0in 0in 1em 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“The Brothers Karamazov (1958 film)”</span><span style="color: #78c6da; font-size: x-small;"> </span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Brothers_Karamazov_(1958_film)"><span style="color: blue;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Brothers_Karamazov_(1958_film)</span></a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="text0" style="margin: 0in 0in 1em 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“Doctor Zhivago (film)” <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Zhivago_(film)"><span style="color: blue;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Zhivago_(film)</span></a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="text0" style="margin: 0in 0in 1em 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“Boris Pasternak” <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boris_Pasternak"><span style="color: blue;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boris_Pasternak</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="text0" style="margin: 0in 0in 1em 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“Anna Karenina: A Cinematic Journey on the Silver Screen from
1927 to 2012” <a href="http://heideggerm1.blogspot.com/2013/03/anna-karenina-cinematic-journey-on.html"><span style="color: blue;">http://heideggerm1.blogspot.com/2013/03/anna-karenina-cinematic-journey-on.html</span></a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="text0" style="margin: 0in 0in 1em 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Quote by J. W. Eagan: <a href="http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1996-11-17/features/9611170349_1_thomas-campion-faults-bear"><span style="color: blue;">http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1996-11-17/features/9611170349_1_thomas-campion-faults-bear</span></a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="text0" style="margin: 0in 0in 1em 0.5in;">
<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="text0" style="margin: 0in 0in 1em 0.5in;">
<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="text0" style="margin: 0in 0in 1em;">
<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</span><br />Robert S. Grossehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13847651146101080381noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2287103780144822851.post-38782497804998172092013-04-05T23:09:00.000-07:002013-04-22T09:30:49.737-07:00No Substitute for Talent<br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">An <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">aptitude</span> is a component of a competency to do a certain kind of
work at a certain level, which can also be considered "talent".
Aptitudes may be physical or mental. Aptitude is not knowledge, understanding,
learned or acquired abilities (skills) or attitude. The innate nature of
aptitude is in contrast to achievement, which represents knowledge or ability
that is gained.<sup>1</sup></span><sup><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><o:p></o:p></span></sup></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<sup><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></sup><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Talent may be an innate natural aptitude in regard to a certain
type of work; however, it is something which must be supported and sustained on
a regular basis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are many people
who can play various keys on a piano and many of the these people are even quite
capable to playing various musical compositions, but not everyone can sit down
and begin to compose music like Ludwig van Beethoven or Sergei Rachmaninoff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These
men had an innate ability which only improved with use. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, there are some people who believe
that if they wear the proper clothing or know the right people then somehow
their “talent” will be discovered, regardless of whether or not such talent
actually exists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is quite evident
on television shows such as “America’s Got Talent” or “Ukraine’s Got
Talent”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of the people who appear
on these shows have innate talent which is acknowledged by professionals in a
given field; however, there are other people who are living in a fantasy world where
they believe that they possess a talent in singing, dancing, or some other
area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of these people are
astonished when they are told that they do not possess such a talent and often
become angry at the judges for saying that they do not have such a talent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The truth can be a very painful thing to
accept; however, there is no virtue in lying to someone and encouraging them to
‘work harder’ when this person does not possess the basis of any real talent. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Ivan
Andreyevich Krylov</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
(1769-1844) was an extremely talented fabulist and he would have been able to
see if others possessed talent also.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
“The Quartet” <sup>2</sup>, Krylov addresses whether or not playing “musical
chairs” actually increases talent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
fact, it is quite possible that the concept of “playing musical chairs” originated
in this fable. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Simply sitting down at a desk with a pen and
paper does not help to inspire the next Edgar Allan Poe in the same way that
simply sitting down at a piano would not inspire the next Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, it would appear that Monkey, Donkey,
Goat, and Bear have convinced themselves that they have some hidden talent that
no one else can see.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<pre><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt;">We often see this in government work also.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many people are promoted or reassigned </span></span></span></span></pre>
<span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt;">to new jobs not because of their talent, but because their supervisor wants to remove this person from his or her department and having this person transferred is easier </span></span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt;">than having this person removed from their job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While it might </span></span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt;">not be easy, sometimes it is both necessary and charitable to say, as the nightingale said</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #003399;">,<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #003399;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<pre><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #003399;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“"For making music, you must have the knack<o:p></o:p></span></span></pre>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And ears more musical than yours,"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The nightingale comes back,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"And you, my friends, no matter your
positions, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Will never be musicians!"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><u>End Notes</u><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Aptitude: </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aptitude"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: blue;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aptitude</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“Квартет/Quartet” </span><a href="http://max.mmlc.northwestern.edu/~mdenner/Demo/texts/quartet.htm"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: blue;">http://max.mmlc.northwestern.edu/~mdenner/Demo/texts/quartet.htm</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Robert S. Grossehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13847651146101080381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2287103780144822851.post-22343219403773078682013-03-21T08:52:00.000-07:002013-07-07T07:10:33.197-07:00Destroying Individuality: Making Everyone Mediocre<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span> </span>Like </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Søren Kierkegaard (1813-1855)</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">, </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche</span><b><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></span></b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">(1844-1900)</span><b><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">understood
the importance of new modes of communication and technologies in the
development of modernity. “The press, the machine, the railway, and the
telegraph are premises whose thousand year conclusion no one has yet dared to
draw.” Moreover, like Kierkegaard, he saw the press and mass culture as
engendering a leveling process that was destroying individuality and community
while producing a homogenized, herd conformity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Nietzsche believed that modern society had become so chaotic,
fragmented, and devoid of “creative force” that it had lost the resources to
create a vital culture and that ultimately, modern society greatly advanced the
decline of the human species that had already begun early in Western
history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Nietzsche’s view two trends were evident
that were producing contradictory processes of massification and fragmentation---whose
extreme consequences would be the central theme of postmodern theory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the one hand, modern society was
fragmenting into warring groups, factions, and individuals without any
overriding purpose or shared goals. On the other hand, modern society is
leveling individuals into a herd, bereft of individuality, spontaneity,
passion, or creativity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both trends were
harmful to the development of the sort of free, creative, strong individuality
championed by Nietzsche and he sharply criticized each.<sup>1 <o:p></o:p></sup></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<sup><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></sup><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The insights offered by Nietzsche were shared by many
others as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hannah Arendt
(1904-1975), a German-American political theorist, also expressed concerns
regarding the destruction of individuality because of the impact it would have
on the future of the nation. <o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In her novel, <u>The Origins of
Totalitarianism</u>, Arendt wrote that after the murder of a moral person and
the annihilation of a judicial person, the destruction of individuality is
almost always successful…For to destroy individuality is to destroy spontaneity,
man’s power to begin something new out of his own resources, something which
cannot be explained on the basis of reactions and environment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nothing then remains but ghastly marionettes
with human faces, which all behave like the dogs in Pavlov’s experiments, which
all react with perfect reliability even when going to their own death, and
which do nothing but react.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the
real triumph of the system. <sup>2 <o:p></o:p></sup></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To make human beings superfluous is to
eradicate the very conditions that make humanity possible---to destroy human
plurality, spontaneity, and individuality.<sup> </sup>Arendt sums this up in
the paragraph which immediate precedes her brief discussion about absolute or
radical evil.<sup>3 <o:p></o:p></sup></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What
totalitarian ideologies therefore aim at is not the transformation of society,
but the transformation of human nature itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The concentration camps are the laboratories where changes in human
nature are tested and their shamefulness, therefore, is not just the business
of their inmates and those who run them according to strictly “scientific”
standards; it is the concern of all men. Suffering, of which there has always
been too much on earth, is not the issue, nor is the number of victims. Human
nature is at stake, and even though it seems that these experiments succeed not
in changing man, but only in destroying him, by creating a society in which the
nihilistic banality of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">homo homini lupus </i>(man
unto man a wolf) is consistently realized, one should bear in mind the
necessary limitations to an experiment which requires global control in order
to show conclusive results.<sup>4</sup> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Parents play a major role in either inspiring
or destroying their children individuality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is often done under the guise that either the parents know what is
best for their child or the parents “meant well”, but the reality is that in
many cases the children of these parents are living the lives that their
parents wanted them to live with often very unhappy results.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Parents often <span style="color: #333333;">insist
that their children conform and not go against the prevailing societal code.
Many parents staunchly believe in blind and mindless conformity. They believe
that there is safety in following the prevailing and/or majority opinion. They
contend that following the majority consensus offers a sense of belonging and
security. They stress to their children that it is safer and more feasible to
conform to the prevailing groupthink philosophy. They strongly discourage their
children's strong individualism and nonconformity because it is believed that
if their children refuse to conform to the prevailing groupthink, they would be
considered oddballs or worse, being ostracized and alone. A worse scenario
according to the parents, these children would be ostracized and denigrated by
their neighbors and associates. So if their child/children dare to have a
unique, creative, and innovative thought and idea, it is squashed and
oftentimes considered outlandish and weird because <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">nobody else thought of it!</i> These parents are killing the dreams of
a potential Picasso, Einstein, Mozart, Pushkin, or Tchaikovsky. <sup>5<o:p></o:p></sup></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Schools do the same thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Standardized tests, which are very popular in
the US, actually serve to “pigeonhole” potential in students and are design to reward
averageness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After taking these tests,
the school system often makes determinations about the mental abilities or
potential of particular students and those students who are <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">outside of the norm </i>are negatively
labeled for the rest of their time in the education system. <o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another problem is that the school system
is designed to meet the needs of those who fall within the center of the “bell
curve”.<sup>6</sup><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is highly
unlikely that if they had such standardized tests in earlier centuries that
people like Mozart, Beethoven, van Gogh, </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Mussorgsky,</span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Einstein,
Pushkin, or Tchaikovsky would have had test scores in the middle range of the
bell curve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of these people had
difficulty in school and would have perhaps been considered people who would
never amount to anything because they could not do well on a standardized test.
These people were geniuses and such tests are not designed to encourage genius.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="hps"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Researchers</span></span><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"> of <span class="hps">creative</span>
<span class="hps">geniuses</span> <span class="hps">claim, as a rule, these
geniuses were</span> <span class="hps">poor students.</span> <span class="hps">Perhaps</span>
<span class="hps">some of them</span> <span class="hps">did well in</span> <span class="hps">school, but</span> they <span class="hps">often found that</span> <span class="hps">many of them were bad students.</span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 54.75pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Voltaire's father told Voltaire and his brother: "I raised two fools. One</span><span title="Один дурак в прозе, а другой — в стихах»."><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">fool in verse and another one
in prose.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">2. Isaac Newton was
the worst student in the class until he beat up a fellow student. </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span title="После чего Ньютон решил победить его в знаниях, и уже через несколько месяцев стал первым в классе.">After
that, Newton decided to beat him in knowledge. In a few months he became the best
in the class.<br />
<br />
</span><span title="3.">3. </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span title="Отто фон Бисмарк — канцлер Германский империи, скверно учился и еще хуже работал: устраивался на службу только по протекции, и его либо отовсюду выгоняли, либо он уходил сам, не в силах выполнять рутинную работу.">Otto
von Bismarck, the chancellor of the German Empire, was very bad with his studies
and his work was even worse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He could only
find a job through patronage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He would
either be fired from every job, leave on his own, or be unable to carry out his
assignment. <br />
<br />
</span><span title="4.">4. </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span title="Наполеон учился плохо по всем предметам, кроме математики.">Napoleon was
bad in all subjects, except mathematics.<br />
<br />
</span><span title="5.">5. </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span title="Людвиг ван Бетховен писал с ошибками, а деление и умножение так и не осилил, так же, как и АлександрДюма-отец.">Ludwig
van Beethoven’s writing was very bad and he was unable to master either division
or multiplication.<br />
<br />
</span><span title="6.">6. </span><span title="Альберт Эйнштейн — создатель теории относительности, лауреат Нобелевской премии, учился очень средне.">Albert
Einstein - the creator of the theory of relativity and Nobel Prize laureate was
a very average student. </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span title="Его родители признавались знакомым, что не питают никаких иллюзий на его счет, и надеются только, что он сможет устроиться хотя бы на простую работу.">His
parents had no illusions about him and hoped that he will at least be able to
get a simple job.<br />
<br />
</span><span title="8.">7. </span><span title="Пушкин очень слабо успевал в Лицее и плакал на уроках арифметики.">Pushkin
was very poorly managed at the Lyceum, and wept while studying arithmetic. </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span title="После аттестации, на вручении дипломов он оказался вторым с конца.">After
certification, the presentation of diplomas, he was second from the last.<br />
<br />
</span><span title="9.">8. </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span title="Сергей Королев, под руководством которого были созданы баллистические и геофизические ракеты, первые спутники и космические корабли «Восток» и «Восход», был круглым троечником.">Sergei
Korolev, under whose leadership were created geophysical ballistic missiles, the
first satellites, and the spacecrafts "Vostok" and "Voskhod",
was considered to be a very poor student.<br />
<br />
</span><span title="10.">9. </span><span title="Чехов два раза оставался в гимназии на второй год…">Chekhov held back in
school twice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He later went on to become
both a medical doctor and highly successful author. </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">10</span>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Alexander Dumas, author of <u>The Three
Muskateers</u>, was a very poor student in mathematics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">In fact, this may be one reason why
geniuses very often end up living rather tragic lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After examining the biographies of many
geniuses I noticed that many of them died at a rather young age from either
alcoholism or suicide. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In some cases,
excessive use of alcohol could also be seen as a form of suicide. </span><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why did the lives of these geniuses often
end so tragically? Very often these people were not understood by the society
in which they lived and were considered <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">odd
</i>as a result.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of these people
were able to hear music where no one else heard it or have insights into things
which others either did not have or could not express. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This makes someone odd?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a culture which promotes conformity as a
virtue, the answer is “yes”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another challenge facing our society is bullying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many children are routinely either physically
or emotionally abused by other children simply because they are different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In some cases, these children are physically <u>and</u>
emotionally abused. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is often true
that the person who acting as the bully has many personal problems, but that
does not offer encouragement or support to someone who is being beaten everyday
by someone simply for being different. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bullying would not be as much of an issue
if our society was not so intent on producing uniformity and destroying
individuality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is easy for someone to
become a bully and even receive the help of other students simply by declaring
a particular student to be “strange”. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bullying is not an innate behavior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are not born with a desire to hate people
simply for being different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a
learned behavior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is something
which parents either tell their children or their children <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">absorb </i>based upon their parents’ actions. <o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the 1949 Rodgers and Hammerstein
musical, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">South Pacific</i>, the issue of
racial prejudice is addressed in the song, “You’ve Got to be Carefully Taught”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This song deals with the fact that prejudice
is a learned behavior. The fact is that this is true. There would be no
prejudice and no bullying if people simply accepted others as being different
instead of attempting to force everyone to be the same.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If everyone was “the same” we would have none
of the inventions that we take for granted every day because no one would have
ever thought of them. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do not see being average as something to
strive for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, it is something to
settle for because a person lacks either the talent or intelligence to be better
than average.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hopefully future
generations will be able to produce someone of the caliber of Tchaikovsky,
Mozart, or Einstein, but this will never happen if we choose to settle for
“average” as the social standard and continue to destroy individuality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of <u>Sherlock Holmes</u>, was </span></span>right when he wrote <span class="userContent">“Mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself; but talent instantly recognizes genius." </span></span><div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<br /></div>
</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><u>End Notes</u></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Best,
Steven <u>The Postmodern Turn</u> (NY: Guilford Press, 1997), p. 57<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 63pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -45pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Arendt,
Hannah <u>The Origins of Totalitarianism</u> (NY: Schocken Books,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>1951) p. 455<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 63pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -45pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">May,
Larry and Jerome Kohn (eds.) <u>Hannah Arendt: 20 Years Later</u> (MA: MIT
Press, 1997), p. 135 <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 63pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -45pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Arendt,
pp. 458-459<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 63pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -45pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“10
Ways Parents Destroy Their Children’s Self-Esteem” <a href="http://gmwilliams.hubpages.com/hub/Ten-Ways-Parens-Destroy-Their-Childrens-Self-Esteem"><span style="color: blue;">http://gmwilliams.hubpages.com/hub/Ten-Ways-Parens-Destroy-Their-Childrens-Self-Esteem</span></a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 63pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -45pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“The
Bell Curve” <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bell_Curve"><span style="color: blue;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bell_Curve</span></a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 16.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 16.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 16.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 16.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
Robert S. Grossehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13847651146101080381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2287103780144822851.post-6719234491540337672013-03-07T10:42:00.002-08:002014-05-16T01:36:57.417-07:00All Bark and No Bite<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Almost any time we attempt to receive some
assistance from a government bureaucrat we find it to be extremely
frustrating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead of answering a
simple question, these bureaucrats either ignore you or quote government policy
which is, more often than not, very unhelpful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone deals with such frustrating
experiences in a different way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some
people will write a letter to the manager of the office, others will complain
to their elected officials, others will simply do nothing, and some people will
respond with either humor or sarcasm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Frustration with bureaucracy is nothing
new. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am sure that there were many
people who found the Roman government or those appointed by Alexander the Great
(356-323 BC) to be very difficult to deal with when these two empires were in
control of much of ‘the known world”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Russian literature, Nikolai Gogol
(1809-1852) expressed such frustration in his stories <u>The Government Inspector</u>,
<u>The Nose</u>, <u>The Overcoat</u>, and <u>Diary of a Madman</u>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another Russian author, </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Ivan Andreyevich Krylov</span><b><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"> </span></b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">(1769-1844)<sup>1</sup>,
expressed h</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">is frustration
using fables.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A fable is defined as “<span class="ssens">a
narration intended to enforce a useful truth; </span><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">especially</span></i><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">:</span></b><span class="ssens">
one in which animals speak and act like human beings.</span></span><span class="ssens"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">One
such fable is “The Elephant and the Pug Dog”<sup>2</sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the great things about using fables as
a way of conveying a message is that everyone can relate to the message and
people will often be able to see some character in the fable who reminds them
of someone they know in real life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Krylov wrote this fable as a way of dealing
with his frustration regarding the bureaucracy in Moscow, but this story could
just as easily be discussing two nations dealing with each other or the way
that some people act when they are afraid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unlike fairy tales, fables have a “moral”
which is clearly expressed at the end of the story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A fairy tale can also have a “moral”, but it
is contained within the story instead of expressed simply at the end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the most famous fabulists, one who tells
fables, was Aesop (c. 620-564 BC)<sup>3</sup> of ancient Greece.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ivan Krylov and other fabulists would borrow
Aesop’s fables and then rewrite them so they would appear to be written for a
particular audience or based upon a particular situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Humor can be a wonderful way of dealing
with frustration since it does not produce anger and helps people to realize
that what they are experiencing at that moment. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The same is true when it comes to dealing with
difficult people. Being able to see someone as either an elephant or a pug dog
allows one to place a given situation in its proper context.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If this person is truly acting like the pug
dog, why get upset about it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If this
person is truly the elephant then no amount of anger or frustration will affect
them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><u>End Notes<o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 5pt 4.5pt 5pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“Ivan
Krylov” </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_Krylov"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: blue;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_Krylov</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 5pt 4.5pt 5pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“Elephant
and Pug Dog” </span><a href="http://marika-eva.blogspot.com/2009/08/russia-and-georgia-as-elephant-and-pug.html"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: blue;">http://marika-eva.blogspot.com/2009/08/russia-and-georgia-as-elephant-and-pug.html</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 5pt 4.5pt 5pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“Aesop”
</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aesop"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: blue;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aesop</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
Robert S. Grossehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13847651146101080381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2287103780144822851.post-23727280410340827002013-03-06T09:33:00.003-08:002013-06-27T13:02:48.085-07:00Anna Karenina: A Cinematic Journey on the Silver Screen from 1927 to 2012<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"All happy families resemble one
another, each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." "</span><span lang="RU" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: RU;">Все</span><span lang="RU" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span><span lang="RU" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: RU;">счастливые</span><span lang="RU" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span><span lang="RU" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: RU;">семьи</span><span lang="RU" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span><span lang="RU" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: RU;">похожи</span><span lang="RU" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span><span lang="RU" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: RU;">друг</span><span lang="RU" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span><span lang="RU" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: RU;">на</span><span lang="RU" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span><span lang="RU" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: RU;">друга</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">, </span><span lang="RU" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: RU;">каждая</span><span lang="RU" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span><span lang="RU" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: RU;">несчастная</span><span lang="RU" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span><span lang="RU" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: RU;">семья</span><span lang="RU" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span><span lang="RU" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: RU;">несчастна</span><span lang="RU" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span><span lang="RU" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: RU;">по</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">-</span><span lang="RU" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: RU;">своему</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">."<sup>1 </sup>It is with this quote
that </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Lev</span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Nikolayevich</span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Tolstoy</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> (1828-1910) </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">began</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> what is
considered, by many, to be his most famous novel, <u>Anna Karenina</u>. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> Based upon the number of film adaptations which this novel has
undergone, it would appear that this novel is a favorite among filmmakers as
well. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first Pathé version appeared in
1911<sup>2</sup> (just one year after Tolstoy’s death) and the most recent one
made by Joe Wright in 2012. <sup>3</sup> Meanwhile, numerous other versions
were produced: two films starring Greta Garbo (1905-1990)<sup>4</sup>, the
silent film <i>Love </i>(1927), and Clarence Brown’s <i>Anna Karenina </i>(1935);
two versions starring British actresses, the 1947 version with Vivien Leigh and
the television production of 1985 with Jacqueline Bisset ; five Russian
adaptations, including two silent films (one by Vladimir Gardin, starring </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Vera Vasilyevna Kholodnaya</span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">in
1914), the filmed performance at the Malyi Theatre, with Alla Tarasova as Anna
in 1953, Aleksander Zarkhi’s <i>Anna Karenina </i>(1967), with </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Tatiana Yevgenyevna Samoilova</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> and the creatively interesting hybrid
of 1974: the film ballet with </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Maya Mikhaylovna Plisetskaya</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> (b. 1924) <sup>5</sup> <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this article I will examine how Anna is presented in these various
films by comparing the films of 1935, 1948, 1967, and 2012 in terms of how closely
these </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">various plots correspond to one
another and to the original text of the novel. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When examining the various ways in which Anna Karenina has been
interpreted in film it is important to keep in mind the country which the
director is from.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the 1927 and 1935
films, the directors were from the United States. There would have been very
little known about life in Russia in the United States in either 1927 or 1935,
so these directors were interpreting Anna as an American woman living in Russia.
<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It may not have been their intention to interpret her as an American
woman, but that was the result of the film.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For example, in the 1935 film, Greta Garbo comes across as a very strong
minded, independent woman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is driven
to despair by her husband who tells their son, Sergei, that his mother is dead
and refuses to allow Anna to see him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Fredric March (1897-1975), who played Count Vronsky, was initially a
very supportive character, but soon had a great deal of difficulty
understanding Anna’s mood swings and became eager to return to his comrades who
were on their way to war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was somewhat surprising, and a bit strange, to hear the chorus “</span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Glory,
Glory to you, holy Rus'!</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">”
played after Anna’s tragic death in the 1935 film.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What point was the director attempting to
make by choosing that song?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Was he
attempting to show that life continued on in Russia even though Anna was gone
or that Vronsky was beginning his new life without Anna?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Suicide is not understood as a heroic act,
especially to an American audience, so this choice of music was certainly not
meant to glorify Anna’s suicide as some sort of heroic act for her
country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This chorus was originally presented in the
opera, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Life for the Tsar</i>, by </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (1804-1857) about Ivan
Susanin who gave up his own life to save Czar Mikhail Romanov from the Polish
Army in 1613.<sup>6<o:p></o:p></sup></span></div>
<br />
<sup><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></sup><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, this music only appears at the end
of the 1935 film.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no triumphant
music at the end of any other film version of “Anna Karenina”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This can certainly lead one to believe that
this music was chosen for a very specific purpose, but I have not been able to
locate any information about such a purpose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Was this music meant to indicate that Anna had given her life for the glory
of Russia?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We do not know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Neither Clarence Brown (1890-1987), the film
director nor Herbert Stothart (1885-1949) spoke about why this music was chosen
at the end of the film.<sup><o:p></o:p></sup></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The 1948 film was produced in England and, not surprisingly, Anna and
the other characters in the film come across as very British.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Throughout the film, Anna comes across as
almost emotionless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kieron Moore
(1924-2007), who plays Count Vronsky, does not give the impression that he does
not love Anna, but neither does he give the audience the impression that she
can turn to him for any kind of emotional support.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Throughout the film it was very easy to ask the question, “How will the
director show us why Anna kills herself?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Vivien Leigh (1913-1967), who played Anna, came across as a rather
logical woman with a “stiff upper lip”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She showed very little emotion, even when she calls her husband to her
bedside and announces that she could die at any moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, everything changes after the scene where Anna appears at the
opera theater by herself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anna sees
Count Vronsky sitting with his mother and a young woman in his mother’s theater
box.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anna is being accosted by those
around her and Vronsky is nowhere to be found.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then, as she is preparing to leave, Vronsky shows up.<o:p></o:p></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Later, Vronsky and Anna leave St. Petersburg and go to Italy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While in Italy, he receives a telegram from
his mother who asks him to return home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Vronsky is emotionally distant at this point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anna has become convinced that Vronsky does
not love her and that his mother is trying to arrange a marriage between
Vronsky and the young woman from the opera theater.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, Instead of saying or doing something
to assuage Anna’s fears, Vronsky leaves her a very emotionless note that he had
returned to St. Petersburg and would be back in two days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>At this point, Anna believes that all hope is lost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She can no longer see her child, her marriage is
over, and her lover now loves another woman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is all very logical.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
boards a train for St. Petersburg and when the train stops at a certain
station, Anna leaves the train to get some air.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She begins to reflect upon her life while standing on the train tracks
and we see her get run over by the train.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She does not utter a sound prior to being struck by the train.<o:p></o:p></span>
<br /><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The 1967 film is understood, by many, as the finest film adaptation of
Anna Karenina because the film is produced in the Soviet Union and is in
Russian. It is quite true that </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Tatiana Yevgenyevna Samoilova
(b. 1934)</span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">,</span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"> who plays
Anna, is a very different personality than either Garbo or Leigh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">However,
does that necessarily mean that her portrayal of Anna was the most accurate
according to the novel? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anna’s
character is certainly much more emotional than the character portrayed by Vivien
Leigh, but there are times when this character is almost at the point of
hysterics in the 1967 film.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One of the first things that must be acknowledged is that the film’s
primary goal was to shoot the stars, not the novel. This approach inevitably
affected the structure of the film. In all of these films, the novel is reduced
to the Anna-Vronsky connection. Karenin plays a largely subsidiary role.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It appears that his only purpose is making
his wife’s love story romantically doomed.<sup>7</sup> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In the 1935 film, Alexei Karenin is played by Basil Rathbone (1892-1967),
who later became famous playing Sherlock Holmes in a series of films.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Karenin came across as a very strict man who
cared only about public appearances.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
was very heavily influenced by rules of social etiquette and seemed to care
very little about Anna’s feelings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After
Anna told him that she loved Vronsky, Karenin not only told Anna that he would
never grant her a divorce, but that she was forbidden to ever see their son, Sergei,
again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was too much for Anna to
accept. It was very easy to dislike this character and understand why Anna fell
in love with Vronsky.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ralph Richardson, a British actor, played Karenin in the 1947 film and
he was likewise more concerned about social etiquette than Anna’s
feelings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This character was not as
harsh as Rathbone’s character, but it was also easy to dislike him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What we often fail to take into consideration
is that Karenin had every right to respond the way that he did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If Vronsky were a female, he would be
referred to as a “home wrecker”, but since he is a man this is simply seen as a
love story between a dashing military man and a wealthy housewife whose husband
does not understand her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In the 1967 film, the character of Karenin is portrayed by </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Nikolai Gritsenko and this character was also rather
unlikeable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He also refuses to grant
Anna</span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">a divorce, but when Anna sends him a message that
she is dying, Karenin actually forgives Anna and has a rather understanding conversation
with Vronsky outside of Anna’s bedroom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
portrayal of Karenin as a rather nasty, angry man is not in keeping with the
novel; however, such a film portrayal appears necessary if the director wants
the audience to sympathize with the main character.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fact is that in the novel Karenin does
not come across as a difficult man at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He does make an issue about the divorce; however, it is important to
keep in mind that in Russia in the 1870s, a decree of divorce was only granted
by the czar and if the family was wealthy it was done for very specific
reasons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is
why during the conversation between Karenin and the lawyer there is so much
time spent talking about Karenin having evidence to prove Anna’s
infidelity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Such evidence could be seen
as a legitimate reason for divorce, but the other problem was the possibility
of public scandal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The issue of scandal
is mentioned in the various film versions, but there is no discussion about the
difficulty of obtaining a divorce.<sup>8</sup><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The 1997 film “Anna Karenina” which was
produced by Bernard Rose (b. 1960) and stars Sophie Marceau (b. 1966) in the
title role, is a very interesting adaption of Tolstoy’s novel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was obvious that Rose had borrowed several
ideas from the 1948 film with Vivien Leigh, but he also added some new elements
which were not present in the earlier films.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For example, the story, in this film, is told by Lev Tolstoy through the
character of Constantine Levin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of
the elements of the earlier films, such as the difficulties between Stepan and
Dolly at the beginning of the film, are not present.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It appears that Bernard Rose is quite
familiar with classic Russian literature given the fact that he directed at
least two other films based upon Tolstoy’s stories, including a film entitled
“Kreutzer Sonata”. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sir Georg
Solti’s</span><b><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"> </span></b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">(1912-1997) choice of music also had a profound
impact on the film.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky’s
(1840-1893) Sixth Symphony, which he wrote prior to his own death, the choice
of Tatiana’s aria from the opera “</span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Evgeny Onegin”, and the music
of Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) helped to tell the story, even without
words.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After seeing the 1997 film, the 2012 British
film by Joe Wright (b. 1972) does not even appear to be based upon the same
novel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is true that this film won an
Academy Award for “Best Costume Design”, but in regard to the story of Anna
Karenina it was more of a spoof than a remake of the novel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is true that </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Keira Knightley (b. 1985) </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">is a very attractive woman, but this
is not Anna Karenina.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her character is
one dimensional.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She seems to almost
take delight in making the life of her sainted husband, played by Jude Law (b.
1972), miserable. Aaron-Taylor Johnson (b. 1990), who played Vronsky, actually
came across as more of a spoiled rich child than an officer in the Czar’s
guard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was rather devoted to Anna as
the two of them were destroying Anna’s marriage, but he quickly became rather
indifferent to her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was very
obvious in the scene where Anna is confronted by people at the opera theater
and Vronsky offers her no support at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Jude Law’s character came across as a saint.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I began to ask myself, “How could any woman
be so stupid as to leave this man for Vronsky?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Not only was Alexei Karenin not mean-spirited, but at the end of the
film he is seen raising the child that Anna and Vronsky had while she was still
married to Karenin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no mention
of this anywhere in the novel and I am not quite sure why Joe Wright felt the
need to add that into the film.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I do understand that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">poetic license
</i>comes into play when making a movie, but it is still important that the director
remain as faithful as possible to the novel, unless, of course, he begins by
stating that the film is “based upon <u>Anna Karenina</u>”, which means that
this film will bear only a slight resemblance to the film.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The audience for each film is also introduced to the characters of
Stepan, Dolly, Kitty, and Constantine Levin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Stepan and Dolly are there simply as a way of introducing us to Anna
since Stepan, Anna’s brother, picks Anna up at the train station in Moscow very
early on in the film.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kitty is
introduced to us because she is a rival love interest of Vronsky, but that
fades quickly after Vronsky meets Anna.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In almost all of the films, except for the 1997 version, Constantine
Levin is a rather one dimensional character.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He appears very rarely in the films and the audience has no indication
that in the novel he plays a very major role as a personality contrast to Anna.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, <u>Anna Karenina</u> is
actually a novel about two major figures, Anna and Levin. The novel does not
end with the death of Anna, but each film ends with her dying at the train
station, either by falling in front of or being hit by a train. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Instead of seeing the contrast between the failed marriage of Karenin
and Anna and the loving conversion experience undergone by Constantine Levin,
the audience is simply left to believe that Anna was a wealthy misunderstood
housewife who had a romantic fling with a dashing young military man, but
finally killed herself when she realized what she had actually given up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This overly simplistic explanation of the story of Anna Karenina does a
tremendous disservice to both the novel and its author. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has been said that <u>Anna Karenina</u> may
have been an autobiographical novel by Tolstoy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He had many personal difficulties in his marriage, including being
accused by his wife, Sophia, of being a homosexual (even though he fathered thirteen
children).<sup>9</sup> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Based upon this view that Tolstoy is like Anna, that means that Sophia is
like Karenin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It should not surprise us
that when Tolstoy was dying, the one person that he did not want to see was
Sofia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He died near the train station
where he left the train and the one person he did not want to see what his
wife.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There is also a belief that Tolstoy is similar with Constantine Levin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Levin is a wealthy man living on an estate
outside of the city and works with the serfs living on his land.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This point was made in several versions of
the film.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, the 1967 version
spent at least five minutes focusing on Levin’s serfs working in the
fields.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The connection between Tolstoy and Levin was never fully addressed in
any of the films; however, the role of Levin is extremely important in the
novel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I understand that the novel is
called <u>Anna Karenina</u>, but even the author felt that the story of Kitty
and Levin was important enough that he spent a great deal of time exploring
this relationship and the positive change that Levin underwent as a result of
his relationship with Kitty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As I said earlier, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">poetic license</i>
aside, when working with a classic novel it is important that the film director
remain as faithful to the novel as possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Stories such as <u>Anna Karenina</u> and other classic novels are
timeless and can speak to audiences in various periods of history without
having to change the story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span>
<br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span><u><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">End
Notes</span></u><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">1. </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy <u>Anna Karenina</u>
(NY: International Collectors Library) [trans. by Constance Garnett], p. 4</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">2. This film, which
began the history of the numerous cinematic adaptations of Tolstoy’s works in
world cinema, has not survived.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">3. <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">“Anna Karenina 2012” <i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Karenina_(2012_film)"><span style="color: blue;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Karenina_(2012_film)</span></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This film won an Academy Award in 2013 for
“Best Costume Design”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">4. She received the
Best Actress Award from the New York Film Critics for playing Anna in the 1935
film.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">5. In Irina
Makoveeva’s “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cinematic Adaptations of
Anna Karenina</i>” (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Studies in Slavic
Culture</i>, University of Pittsburgh, pp. 111-134) In her dissertation, </span><i><span style="font-family: "Garamond,Italic"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Garamond,Italic";">The Modes of Storytelling: A Rhetorical Analysis of Film
and Television Adaptations of Arthur Conan Doyle’s </span></i><u><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">The Hound of the
Baskervilles</span></u><i><span style="font-family: "Garamond,Italic"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Garamond,Italic";"> and Leo Tolstoy’s </span></i><u><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Anna Karenina</span></u><i><span style="font-family: "Garamond,Italic"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Garamond,Italic";">,</span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">
Beata Jurkowska-Krupa compares the setting, plot, characters, point of view,
and use of literary tropes in the 1935 film and the TV version of 1985. She
analyzes how the structures of film and television influence the choice of
rhetorical devices used in the stories they tell. I disagree with some of her
conclusions: for example, the statement that television adaptations follow the
narrative devices of the literary texts more closely than do film adaptations.
In the case of the <i>Anna Karenina </i>versions,</span><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">she is misled by her
focus on the 1935 film, for a comparison with the Russian version of 1967 could
have given opposite results.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">6. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Life for the Tsar</i>” <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Life_for_the_Tsar"><span style="color: blue;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Life_for_the_Tsar</span></a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">7. Irina Makoveeva “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cinematic Adaptations of Anna Karenina</i>”
(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Studies in Slavic Culture</i>,
University of Pittsburgh, p. 118. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">8.”Tsarist Russia and
the Women’s Movement” <a href="http://gem.greenwood.com/wse/wsePrint.jsp?id=id576"><span style="color: blue;">http://gem.greenwood.com/wse/wsePrint.jsp?id=id576</span></a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">9. “Issues in the
Tolstoy Marriage” <a href="http://marriage.about.com/od/thearts/a/leotolstoy_3.htm"><span style="color: blue;">http://marriage.about.com/od/thearts/a/leotolstoy_3.htm</span></a>
</span><i><span style="font-family: "Garamond,Italic"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Garamond,Italic";"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 16.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
</span><br />Robert S. Grossehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13847651146101080381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2287103780144822851.post-67243267467915767122013-01-12T02:42:00.000-08:002013-01-12T09:35:28.622-08:00The Need for a Hero<br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";">Every society needs heroes. In fact, every society has them. The
reason we do not often see them is because we don't bother to look. There are
two kinds of heroes. There are heroes who shine in the face of great adversity
and/or who perform an amazing feat in a difficult situation. There are also heroes
who live among us, who do their work unceremoniously, unnoticed by many of us,
but who make a difference in the lives of others. Heroes are selfless people
who perform extraordinary acts. The mark of heroes is not necessarily the
result of their action, but what they are willing to do for others and for
their chosen cause. Even if they fail, their determination lives on for others
to follow. The glory lies not in the achievement, but in the sacrifice. Heroes
serve to remind us of the higher purpose of self and society.<sup>1</sup><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One
such hero was Taras Bulba, a legendary figure immortalized in the novella <u>Taras
Bulba</u> by </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol</span><b><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">(1809-1852).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This novella tells the story of Taras and his
two sons, Ostap and Andrei.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Taras is a
Ukrainian Cossack living in the seventeenth century and his two sons are
students at the Orthodox seminary in Kiev.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Andrei and Ostap return home from seminary and go off with their father
to </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">the Cossack camp at the Zaporozhian Sich</span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Taras attempts to inspire the Cossacks
to go to war against various groups.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
Cossacks finally agree to go to war against the Polish after hearing that the
Polish people have been trying to convert the people of west Ukraine to Roman
Catholicism and that they were attacking beliefs of the Orthodox Church. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Taras’ son, Andrei, is in love with the
daughter of the Polish governor of Kovno.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>At one point the Cossacks trap this young woman and the rest of the
people inside their castle and prevent supplies from reaching the people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the servants of this young woman appeals
to Andrei for help and Andrei brings bread to the young woman and her family inside
the castle. When Andrei sees what is happening inside the castle he abandons his
fight against the Polish people and actually joins them in their fight against
the Cossacks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Taras makes a decision which most people would
find extremely difficult to make and decides that he must kill his son, Andrei,
as a result of Andrei’s disloyalty to the cause of the Cossacks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He confronts Andrei in person and kills him
with a single shot from his pistol.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Taras
Bulba is a legendary inspirational figure who has little difficulty inspiring
others to follow his lead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is
faithful to Cossack traditions, well known among the Cossack leaders, and will
engage in combat as quickly as he would send others to do so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are few other qualities that someone would
look for in a leader.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At one point he is fighting along with his
son, Ostap, when Taras is knocked unconscious and Ostap is taken prisoner by
the Poles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Turning to Yankel, a Jewish
merchant, for help Taras explains that he must go to Warsaw in order to offer
moral support for Ostap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Taras is smuggled into Warsaw in a pile of
bricks and with the help of other Jewish merchants and providing bribes to some
guards, he is able to be present as Ostap is tortured.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Following his father’s example, Ostap does
not say a word as all of his limbs are broken one at a time, but simply cries
out at the end and asked, “Father, do you see this?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unable to control himself, Taras shouts out, “I
do see this” and then quickly disappears.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Upon his return to Ukraine, Taras finds
that all of the men he knew were now dead and a new Hetman (leader) has taken
over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This new leader wants to make peace
with the Poles, but Taras protests and explains that the Poles cannot be
trusted and they will not abide by any peace agreement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He fails to convince the new Hetman and
forms his own band of soldiers who continue in their fight against the
Poles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At one point, Taras is taken
prisoner, nailed to a stake, and burned alive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Like Ostap, he does not cry out in pain, but simply declares that the
glory of Russia will remain forever and a new czar will arise to continue this
glory. The story ends with the Cossacks recalling the great deeds of Taras
Bulba and his devotion to the spirit and cause of the Ukrainian Cossacks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This same period of history was also
written about in </span><u><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">With
Fire and Sword</span></u><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">by </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Henryk Sienkiewicz</span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">(1846-1916).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This novel discusses these same events, but
tells the story from the standpoint of the Poles instead of the Cossacks. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is not surprising that Taras Bulba is not
seen as a hero in this novel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact,
it has often been said that one man’s hero is another man’s terrorist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The novel,
<u>Taras Bulba</u>, originally written in 1835 was considered to be “too
Ukrainian” by the Russian government and Gogol was forced to revise the
novel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A second addition was published
in 1842.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even with the revision, there
is no denying that this novel is about Ukrainian life and culture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Ukrainian people can look to someone like
Taras Bulba as a hero even in this period of history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
history had been different, there would be no mention of men such as a George
Washington as patriotic American heroes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Instead, he would have been considered another in a line of anti-British
terrorists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone needs a hero and
the Ukrainian people certainly have one in Taras Bulba.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><u>End Notes</u><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“The Making of a Hero”
by <span class="entry-byline2"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #797777;">Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono</span></b></span></span><span class="entry-byline2"><span style="color: #797777; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt;"> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2054335,00.html#ixzz2HkfrCHsE"><span style="color: #003399;">http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2054335,00.html#ixzz2HkfrCHsE</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
Robert S. Grossehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13847651146101080381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2287103780144822851.post-6733273087753138122013-01-12T01:06:00.002-08:002013-01-12T01:08:12.619-08:00The Hero’s Quest<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The hero’s journey is a pattern of narrative
identified by the American scholar Joseph Campbell (1904-1987) that appears in
drama, storytelling, myth, religious ritual, and psychological development. It
describes the typical adventure of the archetype known as The Hero, the person
who goes out and achieves great deeds on behalf of the group, tribe, or
civilization.<sup>1</sup> <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This pattern
was certainly present in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ruslan and
Lyudmila</i>, a poem written in 1820 by </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Alexander
Sergeyevich Pushkin</span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">(1799-1837).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After winning a major battle for his people,
Ruslan marries Lyudmila, the daughter of Prince Vladimir of Kiev, and on their
wedding night Lyudmila is abducted by an evil wizard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ruslan attempts to explain to Prince
Vladimir what had happened and the prince immediately dissolved the marriage because
Ruslan was unable to protect his wife.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ruslan then begins his journey to return Lyudmila
to their home and encounters numerous obstacles along the way, but is successful
in every test that he faces. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He receives
assistance from an old man with magical powers who offers Ruslan guidance in
his quest to find Lyudmila.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Years
earlier this old man had tried to win the love of a beautiful young woman named
Naina.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He cast a spell in order to win
Naina’s love, but quickly found out that Naina was not a beautiful young woman,
but an old witch in disguise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After being
rejected by this man, Naina vowed revenge against him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Naina was now working with the evil wizard, </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Chernomor</span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">, </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">in
an effort to destroy Ruslan. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One
aspect of the hero’s journey involves leaving the ordinary world and entering a
special world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the case of this poem,
that special world was the forest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
forest is a place where one comes face-to-face with the forces of nature and
must begin to turn inward as a way of making use of the hero’s internal
fortitude which will sustain him on this journey and allow him to be successful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This journey is as much about self-discovery
as it is about accomplishing some external goal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ruslan is a great warrior who shows no fear
when confronting external enemies who threaten to attack Kiev, but now he must
face his own internal fears and “demands” as he attempts to find his wife and
bring her home safely. It is much easier to confront an enemy which you can
see, but confronting internal enemies is part of the hero’s journey and part of
everyone’s life experience at one time or another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only is Ruslan searching for Lyudmila,
but three other knights are also searching for her in the hope that they will become
her husband once she is brought home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One by one Ruslan’s rivals disappear and he is
the only person capable of being Lyudmila’s husband.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After facing many adventures, Ruslan finally finds
Lyudmila.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, he is left for dead
by one of the other knights, Farlaf, who rides off to Kiev to return Lyudmila
to her father.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is one major
problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lyudmila has been placed under
a spell and is asleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Prince Vladimir tries
everything to wake Lyudmila from this spell, but to no avail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Initially
Farlaf told Prince Vladimir that he had fought for three days to save Lyudmila,
but his finally admits that he killed Ruslan in order return Lyudmila to Kiev
and he is banished from the kingdom forever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Prince
Vladimir has little time to think about his daughter’s condition because Kiev
is under attack from their enemies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The old
man finds Ruslan dead and restores him to life using magic waters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He then gives Ruslan a ring and tells him
that the ring has the power to wake up Lyudmila, but first Ruslan must defeat
the enemies of Kiev.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Always the great warrior, Ruslan returns to
Kiev, singlehandedly defeats his enemies, and quickly goes to Lyudmila.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the presence of Prince Vladimir and all
those in the court, Ruslan uses the power of the ring to awaken Lyudmila and
Prince Vladimir makes an official announcement that Ruslan and Lyudmila are
once again married.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each of us will have to undergo a hero’s
journey at some point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We may not
encounter wizards or knights, but we will have to come face to face with what
we truly believe and who we truly are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Daily
life often forces us to wear many masks throughout the day; however, there
comes a time when all the masks must be put aside and we must confront
ourselves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stories
such as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ruslan and Lyudmila</i> may be only
stories, but they tell us something about the journey of self-discovery and
follow a pattern which is prevalent in countless stories throughout the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
fact that these stories follow such a similar pattern and are known throughout
the world should be an indication that there is some degree of truth in these stories
and that they can assist us in our own journey as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><u>End Notes</u><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Hero’s Journey <a href="http://www.thewritersjourney.com/hero's_journey.htm"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.thewritersjourney.com/hero's_journey.htm</span></a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Robert S. Grossehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13847651146101080381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2287103780144822851.post-83041319751676089772012-12-26T04:08:00.000-08:002012-12-27T05:54:05.006-08:00A Guide to Sharikov Culture<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Imagine, for a moment, that someone from another planet landed in the United States and wanted to understand what the country considered to be important.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, this alien wanted to do this without ever speaking to anyone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where would this alien turn for such information?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The most basic answer is television.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of the most popular television shows in the US are about crime, so, obviously, crime is very important to this culture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then this alien changes the channel and begins to watch “Real Housewives of ….”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Watching this show would give the alien the impression that this culture idolizes shallow, materialistic, self-absorbed people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This alien can also see educational shows about history or other topics, as well as, shows about religion or the arts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, on the major television networks this alien would be able to “feast” on a daily diet of crime shows and other shows which serve to numb the mind more than anything else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, let us assume that this same alien decided to travel to the largest country in the world, Russia, and observe what this country considers important.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once again, this alien decides to watch television in order to obtain such information.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What does this alien see?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A steady stream of television shows about criminals or people who drink too much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This alien can also find religious programs or shows about history, but if he or she decided to limit his or her viewing to the major networks, they would be exposed to shows about criminals or people who drink too much. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is difficult, if not impossible, to believe that the same culture which produced Pyotr Tchaikovsky (1840-1893), Lev Tolstoy (1828-1910), Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821-1881), Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943), and Andrei Tarkovsky (1932-1986), to name a few, also inspired television shows about criminals and drunks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fact is that these people were not the product of the culture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These people were the product of traditional Russian culture, but what people are exposed to now to Soviet culture, which is something completely different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even Andrei Tarkovsky, who lived his entire life during the period of the Soviet Union, was not a product of Soviet culture because of the influence of his father, the famous Russian poet </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Arseny Alexandrovich Tarkovsky</span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">(1907-1989).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After the October Revolution of 1917, V.I. Lenin (1870-1924) began slowly destroying traditional Russian culture, beginning with the destruction of countless Orthodox churches, and attempted to replace this culture with glorification of the state.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The year after Lenin died, Mikhail Bulgakov (1891-1940) wrote a wonderful story about the rise of the “new Soviet man” which was entitled <u>Heart of a Dog</u> (Сердце Собаки).<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this story, Professor Ph</span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">ilip Philippovich Preobrazhensky</span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">and his assistant, Bromenthal, can be understood to represent two different views from traditional Russian culture, while </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Poligraf Poligrafovich Sharikov</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">, a dog who is turned into a man by Professor Preobrazhensky represents the “new Soviet man”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Professor Preobrazhensky and Bromenthal both have major problems with Sharikov’s behavior, but they choose to deal with these problems in two completely different ways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Professor Preobrazhensky begins by taking pity on Sharikov and blames his bad behavior on the fact that Sharikov had received the testicles and pituitary gland of a drunken man in order that he might become a person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, Bromenthal wants to inject Sharikov with arsenic and destroy him. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eventually, Sharikov is returned to his natural state and lives out the rest of his life as a dog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It should not surprise anyone that this story was banned from the Soviet Union until 1987 since the premise of this story goes directly to the heart of the very society that Lenin and his followers were trying to create. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When television was first created it had the enormous potential to be able to educate and inspire people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, it has never lived up to that potential.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no reason why people should have cable television service with over two hundred (200) channels available and these same people then complain that there is nothing to watch because the shows available are “garbage”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead of uplifting cultural standards, television appeals to the lowest common denominator in order to insure that Sharikov is happy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For many years a friend of mine has said, “In order to keep their people quiet, Rome gave them bread and circuses, while we give them drugs and television.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a great deal of truth in this statement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ability to read is a rather late development in human history, but people read less now than in many generations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While fewer people read than in previous generations, Russian television does offer more films based upon classic Russian novels than American commercial television does about classic American novels. It has been decades since any of the major networks presented a movie about “Tom Sawyer” or some other novel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love watching films about classic Russian novels, but is there something wrong with presenting a film about a story by Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849)? <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It would be very easy to say that what is presented on television is simply a form of </span></div>
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">entertainment; however, it actually directly reflects cultural values. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If this is a form of </span></div>
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">entertainment, then Americans and Russians must find crime and alcoholism to be very </span></div>
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">entertaining.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When it comes to television, we continue to sleep with dogs and continue to </span></div>
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">be very surprised that we wake up with fleas. After all of these years of appealing to </span></div>
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“Sharikov culture” in the United States and Russia, why are we still surprised?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Robert S. Grossehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13847651146101080381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2287103780144822851.post-15517619092482678752012-12-14T23:40:00.001-08:002012-12-21T05:41:28.512-08:00The Virtue of Fairy Tales<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"> From the earliest
fables and folk tales passed down through succeeding generations to today's
cinematic versions of popular fairy tales, these stories have reflected the
changing moral values in society and culture. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: 15.6pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fables
are narrations in which animals speak and act like human beings, intended to
inculcate a useful truth or enforce a lesson. Folk tales and folklore refer to
any tales circulated by word of mouth among the common folk. Popular fairy
tales are fanciful stories or explanations of legendary deeds and creatures,
today usually intended for children. What we think of as traditional fairy
tales do not necessarily involve fairies but do involve fantasy and some form
of wonder or special powers; forces of good and evil dueling over the fate of
the hero or heroine. <sup>1<o:p></o:p></sup></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the same way that every culture in the
world has its own myths and legends, every culture also has its own fairy
tales.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the US, many fairy tales were
originally borrowed from the writings of the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian
Andersen, and others and adapted for an American audience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Reading
or watching fairy tales can provide a person with a great deal of insight into
a foreign culture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, the fairy tales of Alexander
Pushkin (1799-1837) and stories about a very popular character known as “Ivan
the Fool” are still extremely popular in many Russian speaking countries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are not simply children’s stories as
they are in the US and many other Western countries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are many plays performed based upon
Slavic fairy tales and the animated versions of these tales are often watched
on television by both children and adults. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fairy tales exercise and cultivate the
imagination. Now the imagination is a most powerful auxiliary in the development
of the mind and will. In the next place fairy tales stimulate the idealizing
tendency. Faith itself cannot abide unless supported by a vivid idealism. The
value of the fairy tales is that they stimulate the imagination, reflect the
unbroken communion of human life with the lived universal and incidentally, but
all the more powerfully on that account, they quicken the moral sentiments.</span>
<sup><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">2</span></sup><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“</span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">The Tale
of Tsar Saltan” written in 1831 by Alexander Pushkin is one such fairy
tale.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The basic premise of the story is
quite simple: </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The story is of three
sisters, of whom the youngest is chosen by Tsar Saltan to be his wife, while he
makes the other two his royal cook and royal weaver. They are jealous of
course, and when the tsarina gives birth to a son, Prince Gvidon, they arrange
to have her and her child ordered to be enclosed in a barrel and thrown into
the sea. The sea itself takes pity on them, and they are cast upon the shore of
a remote island, Buyan. The son, having quickly grown while in the barrel, goes
hunting. However, he ends up saving an enchanted swan from a kite. The swan
creates a city for Prince Gvidon to rule, but he is homesick, and the swan
turns him into a mosquito. In this guise he visits Tsar Saltan's court, where
he stings his aunt's eye and escapes.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Back in his distant realm, the swan
gives Gvidon a magical squirrel. However, he continues to pine for home, so the
swan transforms him into a fly, and in the Tsar's court he stings the eye of
his other aunt. In a third round he becomes a wasp (or bee) and stings the nose
of his grandmother. In the end, he expresses a desire for a bride instead of
his old home, at which time the swan is revealed to be a beautiful princess,
whom he marries. He is visited by the Tsar, who is overjoyed to find his wife
and newly-married son.<sup>4</sup></span></b><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The tsarina’s sister is convinced that
since she is not happy, no one should be happy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There is a well known American idiom which states, “Misery loves company”
(“Беда не приходит одна”) and one of the points made in this fairy tale is that
this idiom transcends culture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Human
nature does not change based upon culture, but the way that these truths are
conveyed vary depending upon the particular audience. </span><span lang="RU" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: RU;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has been said that everything connected
to the universe and nature can be found in the poetry of Alexander Pushkin. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, in his poem “The Fish and the
Fisherman” the fisherman’s wife shows us that happiness cannot be found in
having many things and disturbing the natural order.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, there is sufficient evidence from
nature that if we attempt to disrupt the natural order or acquire too many
things from nature we end up having to deal with hurricanes, tornadoes, and
other natural disasters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
the fairy tale, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Tale of the Golden Cockerel</i>,<sup>5</sup>
the golden rooster represents the forces of nature, just as the swan does in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Tale of Tsar Saltan </i>and the magic
fish in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Fish and the Fisherman</i>.
This theme can also been seen in Pushkin’s other fairy tales. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like myths and legends, fairy tales also
convey the truth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are present in
every culture and can help us to understand the world on a metaphorical, if not
literal, level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just because an event
did not happen in the exact same way that the story about the event describes
it does not mean that either the event or the story is untrue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In some cases it is important to look beyond
the ‘facts’ of a story in order to see the greater message contained
within.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Formed by
the science of the twentieth century, fairy tales have been broken down into four
basic schools: mythological, comparative (migration), the British
"anthropological" structuralist school. </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span title="Учёные мифологической школы указывают на сходство сюжетов сказки, которое определилось общим «пра-мифом» (А. Афанасьев, Ф. Буслаев,)."><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Analyzing stories of
different ages and from different nations, scientists discovered their common
plot schemes, "anthropologists" - one domestic, psychological basis
of their origin, and the structuralists - a uniform structure in which there are
constant and stable elements or functions.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span title="Учёные мифологической школы указывают на сходство сюжетов сказки, которое определилось общим «пра-мифом» (А. Афанасьев, Ф. Буслаев,)."><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span title="Учёные мифологической школы указывают на сходство сюжетов сказки, которое определилось общим «пра-мифом» (А. Афанасьев, Ф. Буслаев,)."><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;"> <span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">In spite the lack of a
clear definition and classification, researchers still highlights a number of features
in common: an epic-narrative framework and reliance on folk "genre
memory" psychology in the interpretation of the characters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Researchers point to the literary fairy tales
of the twentieth century as having multifunctional ties with folk and world
culture, flexibility in the orientation of the mythology, folk demonology,
legends, and multi-genre, as well as conventional and metaphorical allegory.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span title="Учёные мифологической школы указывают на сходство сюжетов сказки, которое определилось общим «пра-мифом» (А. Афанасьев, Ф. Буслаев,)."><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span title="Учёные мифологической школы указывают на сходство сюжетов сказки, которое определилось общим «пра-мифом» (А. Афанасьев, Ф. Буслаев,)."><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nikolai Leskov (1831-1895), a well-known
Russian author, once said, "My dear sirs, Russian people are at peace with
their old fairy tales! <span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Woe to the one who
will not be in his or her old age."</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><u>End Notes</u></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%; margin: 6pt 0in 6pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-outline-level: 2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“</span><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Popular Fairy Tales Reflect
Moral Values in Society and Culture</span><b><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt; line-height: 120%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">” <a href="http://news.vision.org/press-release/articles/popular-fairy-tales-reflect-moral-values-society-and-culture"><span style="color: blue;">http://news.vision.org/press-release/articles/popular-fairy-tales-reflect-moral-values-society-and-culture</span></a>
</span><b><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt; line-height: 120%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<h1 style="margin: 12pt 0in 3pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span lang="X-NONE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span lang="X-NONE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“</span><span lang="X-NONE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The Value of Fairy Tales</span><span lang="X-NONE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">” </span><span lang="X-NONE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.oldandsold.com/articles14/mothers-guide-book-58.shtml"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.oldandsold.com/articles14/mothers-guide-book-58.shtml</span></a></span><span lang="X-NONE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span lang="X-NONE"><o:p></o:p></span></h1>
<br />
<div class="text0" style="margin: 0in 0in 1em 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“Tale of Tsar Saltan”</span><span style="color: #78c6da; font-size: x-small;"> </span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.marxists.org/subject/art/literature/children/texts/pushkin/tsar.html"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.marxists.org/subject/art/literature/children/texts/pushkin/tsar.html</span></a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="text0" style="margin: 0in 0in 1em 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“Russian Fairy Tales” <a href="http://www.russfolkart.com/folkTales.htm"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.russfolkart.com/folkTales.htm</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="text0" style="margin: 0in 0in 1em 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5)<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“The Tale of the Golden Cockerel” <a href="http://www.fairytales.biz/alexander-pushkin/the-tale-of-the-golden-cockerel.html"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.fairytales.biz/alexander-pushkin/the-tale-of-the-golden-cockerel.html</span></a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Robert S. Grossehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13847651146101080381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2287103780144822851.post-69049336792856838682012-12-06T00:45:00.001-08:002012-12-20T08:00:03.336-08:00Be Careful What You Ask For<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Throughout the world many people are panicking as the date “December 21” approaches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>According to various “experts” the Mayan calendar predicted that a major cataclysm will take place on December 21, 2012 because it is on that date that the calendar enters a new cycle. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the past two thousand years Christians all over the world have been asking Our Lord Jesus to return. He promised us that He would return prior to His ascension into heaven and now that there is a possibility that He might actually be fulfilling His promise, how do we respond?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are we happy that Our Lord Jesus will finally return and we might actually be able to meet Him face to face?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No, we panic and go to the store to buy candles, food, water, and other supplies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did we not believe that Jesus would fulfill His promise?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do we believe that Jesus will be angry with us and we must hide from our angry “parent” so we do not get punished?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Christian monks and nuns all over the world have been praying “Maranatha” (Come, Lord Jesus); however, instead of looking forward to the possible fulfillment of this prayer, people are telling everyone that they meet that “the sky is falling” and acting more like Chicken Little than a person of faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If this is the end of the world, what good is buying candles, food, and extra water going to do?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is not going to be similar to a bad rain storm where we will lose power for a few days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of this panicking is not going to help anything or anyone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It would be one thing if all of this panicking was taking place among people who are unbelievers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those people who do not believe in God or have no understanding of Christianity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, most of the people who are panicking are those who claim to be Christians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is as times like this that faith should become a priority.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we know exactly what is going to happen in the future, there is no need for faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, many people seem to have faith when they are aware of what will happen, but if the future is unknown they panic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the year 1000, many people believed that the world would come to an end because it was one thousand years since Our Lord Jesus had ascended into heaven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, nothing happened. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The same was true in the year 2000.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fact that the Mayan calendar predicts that a major event will take place on December 21, 2012 is no reason for panic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Numerous dates have been given for the end of the world over the past two thousand years and none of them have come true. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Several years ago there were people who were predicting that the world would come to an end when Haley’s Comet appeared again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This comet was seen by people all over the world and nothing happened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no reason for someone to base their faith upon the movement of the stars or planets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If such was the guide for determining when Jesus would return He would have given us some indication of this. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, Jesus told us that no one knows the day or date when this will happen. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There will be many people who will feel very foolish when they wake up on December 22 and everything is ok. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They will realize that they panicked for no reason.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Others will be very happy that everything did not come to an end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Neither of these responses will have any connection to faith. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This should be a time for people to ask themselves, “What do I believe?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead people run to the store to buy food, milk, batteries, and extra water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sad part is that most people will simply forget about December 21 by January 1, 2013 and life will go on as if nothing ever happened. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we truly believe than what is the need for panic?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we do not believe, then why do we call ourselves believers? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
Robert S. Grossehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13847651146101080381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2287103780144822851.post-80538307137868457212012-11-28T05:57:00.001-08:002012-12-01T05:45:23.624-08:00Learning to Fish for Yourself<h1 style="margin: auto 0cm;">
<strong><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime". This well known quote by Lao Tzu (6<sup>th</sup> Century BC) expresses the reality of life in the countries which made up the Soviet Union quite nicely. It has been twenty years since the breakup of the Soviet Union and many people are still looking to the government to do things for them.</span></strong><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p></o:p></span></h1>
<div style="background: white; mso-outline-level: 2;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"> A Russian physician in his forties expresses the frustration of many when he says,</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">"The Soviet system deliberately kept us as dependent children," he said. "They told us when to sit, when to stand, what to say, what to think, what to do — we were punished severely if we ever tried to think for ourselves or to show any initiative. Then when the Soviet system fell in 1991, we were like 3-year-olds who someone had thrown out into the snow, saying, 'Here, now you go take care of yourselves!'" </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<u1:p></u1:p><br />
<div style="background: white; mso-outline-level: 2;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"> His right arm thrust upward with flexed muscles and clenched fist as he declared: "We are not stupid! We are not lazy! We just don't know how!" Both his arm and his voice dropped as he softly said, "Please help us. Please teach us how to be good husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, friends and lovers, employers and employees. No one has ever role-modeled to us how to become these people in a healthy, balanced way."<sup> 1<u1:p></u1:p></sup></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; mso-outline-level: 2;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"> Most Americans would be astonished to read this, especially since we were raised to be very independent, self-reliant, and taught not to rely upon the government for assistance unless absolutely necessary. <span style="color: black;">The United States is more of a "left-brained culture" that respects and encourages: logical and analytical thinking, rationality, objectivity, responsibility, initiative, independence, honesty, dependability, trustworthiness and punctuality; and an active work ethic that emphasizes quality workmanship and accomplishing objectives in a timely manner. While there are many people in the United States who are innately more right-brained, the country as a whole still remains a left-brained culture in education, business and government. Emphasis is placed on "doing."</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<u1:p></u1:p><br />
<div style="background: white; mso-outline-level: 2;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"> Russia is more of a "right-brained culture" that respects and encourages: communication, connections, spirituality, philosophy, subjectivity, adaptability, flexibility, survival, communal concepts, formality, and tradition; and emotions that are deep and passionate. Relationships with friends and family are a high priority, and most Russians have a wide knowledge and love of the arts and culture. They are more reactive than active. While there also are many people in Russia who have left-brained personalities, the country as a whole still remains a right-brained culture, and this affects all aspects of life. Emphasis is placed upon "being." <sup>2<u1:p></u1:p></sup></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; mso-outline-level: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"> What is true of people in Russia is also true of people from the other nations that comprised the Soviet Union. There are some individuals in these countries who have taken personal initiative to improve their own personal surroundings, but the number of people who have done so is very limited. There are also cases where people get together with the intention of improving their surroundings, but they lack the necessary funds to accomplish this goal. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<u1:p></u1:p><br />
<div style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"> Overall, the people are very kind, but they feel helpless because they lack the necessary resources to bring about the changes that they want and need. Public roads and buildings are the responsibility of the government, but taking pride in one’s neighborhood or home is a matter of personal initiative. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<u1:p></u1:p><br />
<div style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"> One of the major differences between the American and Russian people is the influence of the Orthodox Church on Russia. </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">The Russian soul has been described as: sensitive, imaginative, compassionate, patient, strong (well-known for survival in unbearable circumstances), poetic, mystical, fatalistic, introspective, mistrusting of rational thought, trusting intuition, fascinating, having ability to feel a wide array of extreme human emotions (from absolute joy and peace to the darkest despair) — the list goes on. Russians maintain their integrity in a way that conforms to their inner notion of what a human being should be, with a blatant honesty and integrity seldom seen elsewhere in the world. Above all they have an appreciation for wholeness or complete commitment and faith, no matter what that faith might be related to.<sup>3 <u1:p></u1:p></sup></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<sup><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"> </span></sup><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">The Russian soul evolved and entered into Western consciousness in the 1860s and 1870s, most famously through the work of Fyodor Dostoevsky. In his novels and stories, Dostoevsky often exhibited an anti-European nationalism and frequently suggested a “people’s spirit” held together by “unexpressed, unconscious ideas which are merely strongly felt.” By the time of Dostoevsky's death in 1881, the “Russian soul” had completed its evolution in Russia.<sup>4</sup> <sup> </sup></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<u1:p></u1:p><br />
<div style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<sup><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"> </span></sup><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">From about 1880 to 1930, largely thanks to Dostoevsky, the “Russian soul” concept spread to other countries and began to affect foreign perception of the Russian people. For many Europeans the idea offered a positive alternative to the typical view of Russians as backward, instead depicting the Russian people as an example of the innocence the West had lost. The popularity of the “Russian soul” continued into the 20th century but faded as Soviet power increased. By the 1930s the concept was slipping into obscurity, but it would survive in the work of the numerous writers who devised it.<sup>5</sup></span><sup><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"> </span></sup><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<u1:p></u1:p><br />
<div style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<sup><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"> </span></sup><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"> The concept of the “Russian soul” may have gone out of fashion as Soviet power increased; however, now that the Soviet Union is no longer a reality, it is my contention that this concept is returning. Even among those who do not profess a faith in the Orthodox Church, the ethos of Orthodox spirituality is very much a part of the daily life of the Russian, Ukrainian, and Belarusian people. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<u1:p></u1:p><br />
<div style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"> Since the fall of the Soviet Union, life has been very challenging in these various countries; however, there is hope that things will improve over time. What has helped the people to deal with these major changes is their Russian soul which is their source of inner strength allowing them to cope with so many things that would have probably destroyed them, had it not been for their soul. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<u1:p></u1:p><br />
<div style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"> The impact that men such as Fyodor Dostoevsky, Nikolai Gogol, Leo Tolstoy, and others have had on Russian culture has been profound. These men were certainly products of their generation, but they also influenced and continue to influence countless generations that have come after them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<u1:p></u1:p><br />
<div style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"> As long as the spirit of these men remains alive in the East the “Russian soul” will also remain alive. Suffering for its own sake makes no sense, but since suffering is a part of human life it is easier to suffer knowing that one’s suffering is united to the suffering of Jesus than believing that it has no point at all. This is one of the aspects of a Russian soul. It is an indication of the resilience of the human spirit and confirmation of the words of Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) who said, “Anything which does not kill you, will only make you stronger.” <sup>6</sup><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<u1:p></u1:p><br />
<div style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"> Hopefully, the younger generation of people from the former USSR will be able to learn to fish for themselves so they will not be so dependent upon the government. This is necessary for the survival of the nation and the culture. Imposing Western ideas on the Slavic people is not the answer because their thought process is different from the West; however, it is important to introduce such ideas so that they can be understood and adapted into an Orthodox mindset. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<u1:p></u1:p><br />
<div style="mso-outline-level: 2;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"> <u>End Notes </u><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<u1:p></u1:p><br />
<div style="mso-outline-level: 2; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">1) </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">“Left Brained Americans, Right Brained Russians” <span style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.themoscowtimes.com/opinion/article/left-brained-americans-right-brained-russians/455021.html#ixzz2DVzitDT"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.themoscowtimes.com/opinion/article/left-brained-americans-right-brained-russians/455021.html#ixzz2DVzitDT</span></a> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<u1:p></u1:p><br />
<div style="mso-outline-level: 2; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">2) </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">“Left Brained Americans, Right Brained Russians”</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<u1:p></u1:p><br />
<div style="mso-outline-level: 2; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">3) </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">“Russian Soul” <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_soul">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_soul</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<u1:p></u1:p><br />
<div style="mso-outline-level: 2; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">4) </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Robert C. Williams, "The Russian Soul: A Study in European Thought and Non-European Nationalism," <i>Journal of the History of Ideas</i> 31 (1970): 573-588, accessed November 28, 2012. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<u1:p></u1:p><br />
<div style="mso-outline-level: 2; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">5) </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Robert C. Williams, “The Russian Soul…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<u1:p></u1:p><br />
<div style="mso-outline-level: 2; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">6) </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">“The Beauty of the Russian Soul” <a href="http://heideggerm1.blogspot.com/2011/10/beauty-of-russian-soul.html">http://heideggerm1.blogspot.com/2011/10/beauty-of-russian-soul.html</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<u1:p></u1:p><br />
<h1 style="margin: auto 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p> </o:p></span></h1>
Robert S. Grossehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13847651146101080381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2287103780144822851.post-74444143075433176362012-10-08T18:22:00.001-07:002013-10-24T12:22:02.967-07:00Showing Little Interest in Life<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has
been said that life is a series of one challenge after another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There may be periods when the challenges are
not as frequent, but they exist nonetheless. Some people are able to deal with
these challenges as though they were not very important and there are those who
reach a point in their lives when these challenges overwhelm them so much that
they give up.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some people believe that no matter how
difficult today is; tomorrow will be a better day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This sense of optimism is what inspires them
to keep going.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You will often hear such
people use pietistic phrases like, “it is always darkest before the dawn” or “every
cloud has a silver lining” as a way of reassuring themselves that everything
will be alright and, perhaps, even offer some sort of encouragement to others.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, there are those who say, “The light
at the end of the tunnel is not freedom, but the headlight of an oncoming train”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Such people would normally ignore the pious
platitudes of an eternal optimist. I would consider myself to be a rather pessimistic
person. I am rather fond of Woody Allen’s phrase, “I believe the glass is half
full; however, it is full of poison.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I realize
that I am not alone in regard to being a pessimist, but I also realize it is
not easy to be around such pessimism for long periods of time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This issue of pessimism was dealt with
satirically by </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Ivan Alexandrovich Goncharov</span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">(1812-1891)
in his most famous novel, <u>Oblomov</u>. which first appeared in 1859 and for which its author was highly praised by such notable authors as Lev Tolstoy
(1828-1910) and Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821-1881).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="color: black;">Goncharov portrayed his famous character sympathetically,
although Oblomov became the personification of the idle nobility or more
widely, the national psyche IIya Ilyich Oblomov spends his time in bed,
comfortably in his dressing gown of Persian cloth - "a real oriental
dressing-gown, without the slightest hint of Europe" and argues wearily
with his morose, drinking manservant, Zakhar, who thinks that fleas, lice, and
other vermin are a natural part of life. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Incapable of occupying himself with practical
matters, Oblomov is cheated by his financial adviser and his country estate
slides into ruin. Shtoltz, his friend, half-German by birth, is a completely different
character.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is a determined, learned, and
successful businessman. Oblomov's great love is Olga, but he puts off marrying
her too many times and finally loses her to his more pragmatic friend.
Eventually Oblomov marries Agafia Pshenitsina, a widow. They have a son, and
when Oblomov dies, Shtoltz adopts him. Oblomov is a daydreamer, he has great
visions, but he has lost his ability for doing things. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shtoltz calls him a poet. "The trouble is
that no redeeming fires have ever burnt in my life," he confesses to
Shtolts. "My life began by flickering out." <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the novel Oblomov is trying to get out of
the bed, but within nearly the two hundred pages he barely manages to move from
his bed to a chair. From this figure derives the Russian term <i>oblomovshchina,</i>
meaning backwardness or inertia. In modern Western literature, <i>Oblomov</i>
is said to have inspired Samuel Beckett's play <i>Waiting for Godot</i>.<sup>1</sup>
<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This novel was not written as a comedy, but
gives the reader insight into the mindset of some members of the 19<sup>th</sup>
century Russian aristocracy by creating a character who exhibits the combined traits
of many people at that time. As a superfluous man, Oblomov is part of a <span class="ilad"><span id="IL_AD11">gallery</span></span> of great Russian fictional
creations, which includes Alexander Pushkin's Eugene Onegin, Mikhail
Lermontov's Pechorin, and Ivan Turgenev's Rudin.<sup>2</sup><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As someone who has a strongly pessimistic
nature, I can empathize with Oblomov. There are many people who believe that laziness
is an acceptable option and others who see no point in accomplishing
anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I find virtue in educating
others and make it a point to not pass my pessimism on to others. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is possible to show little interest in
life from time to time, but I would not recommend it as a steady diet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are some who will read this who might
find my pessimistic outlook to be rather surprising since this is not part of
their experience of knowing me, but it is true. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you are an optimist you realize that
everything that will be fine over time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
you are a pessimist, I encourage you to keep going because the alternative is
not healthy for you or those around you. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><u>End Notes</u><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>1) “<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Ivan Aleksandrovich Goncharov (1812-1891)” <a href="http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/ivangont.htm"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/ivangont.htm</span></a>
(accessed 10/8/12)<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">2) “<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Ivan Aleksandrovich Goncharov Biography” <a href="http://www.bookrags.com/biography/ivan-aleksandrovich-goncharov/"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.bookrags.com/biography/ivan-aleksandrovich-goncharov/</span></a>
(accessed 10/8/12)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Robert S. Grossehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13847651146101080381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2287103780144822851.post-21740428327026735992012-09-17T20:12:00.000-07:002012-09-17T20:14:12.078-07:00The Problem with Eugenics <span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Margaret
Sanger (1883-1966) served as a public health nurse on the Lower East Side of
New York City where she encountered poor families and became convinced that population
control was the premier way to deal with the issue of poverty in the United
States.</span><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; mso-ansi-language: EN;"> </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 1916, Mrs. Sanger founded Planned
Parenthood in New York City for the purpose, as described by Planned
Parenthood, of providing reproductive information and assistance to men and
women who might not otherwise be able to afford it. On the surface, this sounds
rather benign; however, when one carefully examines the philosophy of the
organization’s founder and reads her own words, the reader is left with a much different
impression of Mrs. Sanger. <br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is quite evident that Mrs. Sanger
was a major proponent of eugenics Eugenics, from the Greek words eu-genos
(meaning “good birth”) is defined as: </span><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">the study of or belief in the possibility of improving the
qualities of the human species or a human population, especially by such means
as discouraging reproduction by persons having genetic defects or presumed to
have inheritable undesirable traits (negative eugenics) or encouraging
reproduction by persons presumed to have inheritable desirable traits (positive
eugenics).</span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="b1"><sup><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">1</span></sup></a><span style="mso-bookmark: b1;"></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 1921, Mrs. Sanger
stated, “Eugenics is… the most adequate and thorough avenue to the solution of
racial, political, and social problems.”<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="b2"><sup>2</sup></a> Her
philosophy involved various avenues of implementation. A proponent of abortion,
at a time when it was illegal, Sanger stated, “The most merciful thing that a
family does to one of its infant members is to kill it.”<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="b3"><sup>3</sup></a>
She also proposed the belief that “birth control must ultimately lead to a
cleaner race.”<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="b4"><sup>4</sup></a> In regard to birth control she also
stated: <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">As an advocate of birth control, I wish…to point out that the
unbalance of the birth rate between the “fit” and “unfit” admitted the greatest
present menace to civilization, can never be rectified by the inauguration of a
cradle competition between the two classes. In this matter, the example of the
inferior classes, the fertility of the feeble-minded, the mentally defective,
the poverty-stricken classes, should not be held up for emulation… On the
contrary, the most urgent problem today is how to limit and discourage the
over-fertility of the mentally and physically defective.</span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="b5"><sup><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">5</span></sup></a><span style="mso-bookmark: b5;"></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Based upon her
writings, it appears that she was also convinced that the poor should be
sterilized as a way of preventing them from reproducing. Mrs. Sanger stated,
“Eugenics sterilization is an urgent need…We must prevent multiplication of
this bad stock.”<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="b6"><sup>6</sup></a><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If her comments appear to echo the
teachings of Adolf Hitler, this should come as no surprise. While I am not
proposing that Mrs. Sanger was a Nazi, the fact remains that what she proposed
was accepted as completely valid by the Third Reich. The Nazi belief that there
were certain people who were not worthy of life was stated by Mrs Sanger in
1922 when she wrote: <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Our failure to segregate
morons who are increasing and multiplying demonstrates our foolhardy and
extravagant sentimentalism... [Philanthropists] encourage the healthier and
more normal sections of the world to shoulder the burden of unthinking and
indiscriminate fecundity of others; which brings with it, as I think the reader
must agree, a dead weight of human waste. Instead of decreasing and aiming to
eliminate the stocks that are most detrimental to the future of the race and
the world, it tends to render them to a menacing degree dominant. We are paying
for, and even submitting to, the dictates of an ever-increasing, unceasingly
spawning class of human beings who never should have been born at all..."</span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="b7"><sup><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">7</span></sup></a><span style="mso-bookmark: b7;"></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A “dead weight of human
waste” is how these children, who were made in the image and likeness of God,
were seen by Mrs. Sanger. There is no necessity to embellish Mrs. Sanger’s
comments since the very words she wrote give a clear and exact explanation of
her philosophy. She went on to say, "The undeniably feeble-minded should,
indeed, not only be discouraged but prevented from propagating their
kind."<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="b8"><sup>8</sup></a> <br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The interesting thing is that term
“feeble minded” appears to have a rather fluid definition when used by Mrs.
Sanger. The traditional definition of feeble mindedness is one who has only a
limited capacity to learn or understand. Does the fact that these people would
not agree with her philosophy make them, by definition, feeble minded? Nowhere
in the definition is there a listing for “a refusal to accept arrogance” as a
criteria for feeble mindedness. <br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not surprisingly, Mrs. Sanger directly
challenged the teachings of the Catholic Church and others who believe in the
sanctity of human life: <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">"The third group [of society] are those irresponsible and
reckless ones having little regard for the consequences of their acts, or whose
religious scruples prevent their exercising control over their numbers. Many of
this group are diseased, feeble-minded, and are of the pauper element dependent
upon the normal and fit members of society for their support. There is no doubt
in the minds of all thinking people that the procreation of this group should
be stopped."</span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="b9"><sup><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">9</span></sup></a><span style="mso-bookmark: b9;"></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently having
religious convictions qualifies one as “feeble minded” according to Mrs.
Sanger. <br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Recently U S Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton received the Margaret Sanger Award from Planned Parenthood. Mrs
Clinton stated that she was “in awe” of Mrs. Sanger and stated that Mrs
Sanger’s “life and leadership was one of the most transformational in the
entire history of the human race.” Given Mrs. Sanger’s philosophy, the very
same thing could easily be said of Adolf Hitler. <br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Speaking on the floor of the U S House
of Representatives, Congressman Christopher Smith (R-NJ) challenged the fact
that Mrs Clinton visited the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe immediately before
receiving the Margaret Sanger award. Appearing to St Juan Diego at Tepeyac,
Mexico on December 12, 1531, as a pregnant woman, the Blessed Virgin Mary under
the title of Our Lady of Guadalupe is both the patroness of the Americas and of
the pro-life movement. <br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After briefly narrating the story of
the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Congressman Smith stated, “last
Thursday, Hillary Clinton visited the shrine On Friday, she paid homage to
Planned Parenthood and to Margaret Sanger. Margaret Sanger is the founder of
Planned Parenthood. She was a self-described pro-abortionist eugenist and a
racist who considered charity care for impoverished, disenfranchised women,
including women of color, especially pregnant women to be ‘cruel’.”<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="b10"><sup>10</sup></a>
<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The teachings of Margaret Sanger are
not worthy of emulation. Eugenics is not an acceptable form of scientific research.
However, this does not mean that it is not practiced. On Saturday, February 21,
2009, Pope Benedict XVI warned participants at a conference sponsored by the
Pontifical Academy for Life of the rise of a “new eugenics” which judges the
worth of a person based upon his or her genetic makeup, as expressed in factors
such as health and beauty. Statistics show that in many Western nations up to
ninety-five (95) percent of unborn children diagnosed <em><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">in utero</span></em> with Down
syndrome are killed in their mother’s womb before birth. Recently it was
announced that a screening technique is in development that may enable the
diagnosis of autism <em><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">in utero</span></em>.
Critics have said that such a test will inevitably lead to the eugenic abortion
of children with autism.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="b11"><sup>11</sup></a> Even though some might
argue that this would never happen, the fact remains that we see very few
children with Down syndrome anymore. Some would like us to believe it is
because modern science has found a cure for this syndrome; however, the fact is
that these children are simply denied the right to live. <br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fact that prospective parents can
actually pre-determine the eye color and other characteristics of their child
prior to birth has a certain “Frankenstein-like” quality about it. The idea of <em><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">in utero</span></em> genetic screening
is the logical conclusion when one follows the methodology of people like
Margaret Sanger. Ideas truly do have consequences. Once again, it is the
Catholic Church which is standing up and saying, “This is not acceptable.”
People like Pope Benedict XVI, Congressman Christopher Smith, and others need
to be encouraged in their efforts to continue to stand up for the truth. The
legacy of Margaret Sanger and Planned Parenthood should be presented for what
is it, a violation of the God given right to life of the most defenseless among
us. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Such profound philosophical questions as,
who has the right to play God?, certainly did not begin with the Nazis or Margaret
Sanger, but we are able to see the consequences of these teachings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Earlier in history there were other authors
who wrote about this same topic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example,
Mary Shelley (1797-1851) wrote about this exact same theme in her most famous
novel, <u>Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus</u> (1818), which deals with the
consequences of Dr. Frankenstein’s experiments with bringing the dead back to
life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 1925, Mikhail Bulgakov (1891-1940), a
Russian physician turned author, wrote a story entitled <u>Собачье сердце</u> (<u>The
Heart of a Dog</u>). The summary of this story is as follows: A bedraggled
street dog is about to perish in the cold winter night, after having been
scalded by boiling water earlier in the day. Suddenly, an elegant man feeds him
and takes him home. The dog's savior is a famous and wealthy medical professor,
</span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Philip Philippovich Preobrazhensky</span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">,</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> who rejuvenates
people by hormonal manipulations.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As soon as the dog becomes accustomed to
his new life of plenty, he finds himself the subject of a strange
experiment--the professor and his assistant implant the testicles and pituitary
gland of a dead criminal into the dog's body. After a rocky post-operative
course, the dog gradually begins to change into an animal in human form and
names himself Poligraph Poligraphovich Sharikov. The half-beast-half-man, who
gets along very well in the prevailing proletarian society, turns his creator's
life into a nightmare--until the professor manages to reverse the procedure.<sup>12<o:p></o:p></sup></span><br />
<sup><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></sup><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Comparisons were made between Bulgakov’s
“dog-man” character and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein monster.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, in the case of Frankenstein everyone
who encountered the creature rejected it because it was so unnatural.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Poligraph Sharikov is equally unnatural, but
fits in quite well in 1920s Russian society.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Bolsheviks came to power by convincing the people that they needed
to get rid of Czar Nicholas II and share all things in common.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In no time at all, these same people slowly
began to turn on the very people that put them into power. The highly educated
were banished from Russia and those who did not leave were eventually executed.
<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every generation comes up with an idea
which they are convinced are both new and original.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eugenics is one of these ideas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a result of the Second World War, eugenics
is now associated with Nazi Germany; however, even without the Nazi connection eugenics
is still problematic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we do not learn
the lessons of history we are prone to repeat them over and over again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #888888;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> </span><u><strong>End Notes</strong> <o:p></o:p></u></span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="a1"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="mso-bookmark: a1;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">1</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: a1;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: a1;"></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;"> <a href="http://dictionary%20reference%20com/browse/EUGENICS?qsrc=2888"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="color: blue;">Eugenics</span></span></a>: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="a2"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="mso-bookmark: a2;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">2</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: a2;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: a2;"></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">
Margaret Sanger "The Eugenic Value of Birth Control Propaganda" <em><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Birth Control Review</span></em>,
October 1921, p 5 <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="a3"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="mso-bookmark: a3;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">3</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: a3;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: a3;"></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">
Margaret Sanger (editor), The Woman Rebel, Vol 1, No 1, Reprinted in <u>Woman
and the New Race </u>(NY: Brentanos Publishers), 1922 <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="a4"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="mso-bookmark: a4;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">4</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: a4;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: a4;"></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">
Margaret Sanger <u>Woman, Morality, and Birth Control</u> (New York: New York
Publishing Company), 1922 p 12 <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="a5"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="mso-bookmark: a5;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">5</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: a5;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: a5;"></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">
Margaret Sanger "The Eugenic Value of Birth Control Propaganda " <em><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Birth Control Review</span></em>,
October 1921, p 5 <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="a6"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="mso-bookmark: a6;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">6</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: a6;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: a6;"></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">
Margaret Sanger <em><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Birth
Control Review</span></em>, April 1933 <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="a7"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="mso-bookmark: a7;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">7</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: a7;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: a7;"></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">
Margaret Sanger <u>The Pivot of Civilization</u>, 1922 Chapter on "The
Cruelty of Charity," pp 116, 122, and 189 (Swarthmore College Library
edition) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="a8"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="mso-bookmark: a8;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">8</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: a8;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: a8;"></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">
Margaret Sanger quoted in Charles Valenza "Was Margaret Sanger a
Racist?" <em><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Family Planning
Perspectives</span></em>, January-February 1985, p 44 <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="a9"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="mso-bookmark: a9;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">9</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: a9;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: a9;"></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">
Margaret Sanger Speech quoted in "Birth Control: What It Is, How It Works,
What It Will Do" The Proceedings of the First American Birth Control
Conference Held at the Hotel Plaza, New York City, November 11-12, 1921
Published by the <em><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Birth
Control Review</span></em>, Gothic Press, pp 172 and 174. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="a10"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="mso-bookmark: a10;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">10</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: a10;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: a10;"></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;"> <a href="http://www%20catholicnewsagency%20com/new%20php?n=15575"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="color: blue;">Congressman Smith: Mrs Clinton,
Choose either Our Lady of Guadalupe or Margaret Sanger</span></span></a>: (Accessed
4/13/09) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="a11"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="mso-bookmark: a11;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">11</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: a11;"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: a11;"></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;"> <a href="http://www%20lifesitenews%20com/ldn/2009/feb/09022409%20html"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="color: blue;">Pope Warns of Proliferation of
New Eugenics</span></span></a>: (Posted 2/24/09, Accessed 4/13/09)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">12 “Climbing the Ladder at any Cost” <a href="http://heideggerm1.blogspot.com/2011/05/climbing-ladder-at-any-cost.html"><span style="color: blue;">http://heideggerm1.blogspot.com/2011/05/climbing-ladder-at-any-cost.html</span></a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 16.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
Robert S. Grossehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13847651146101080381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2287103780144822851.post-65107013250682296872012-09-13T16:43:00.000-07:002012-12-24T23:27:27.243-08:00Поиск СчастьяЕсть различные вещи, которые делают одну культуру отличной от другой,<br />
включая музыку, живопись, обычаи и традиции. Однако, общее для всех<br />
культур –– это легенды,сказки. Эти мифические истории присутствуют в<br />
каждой культуре.<br />
В американских историях Золушка, Златовласка, Три Медведя,<br />
Принцесса на Горошине были очень популярны у разных поколений<br />
детей. Многие из этих историй описывают путь поиска счастья. Этот путь<br />
может быть пожизненным, а в некоторых случаях, даже никогда и не<br />
достижимым.<br />
Многие дети знакомы со сказкой Рапунцель писателей Братьев Гримм.<br />
По всему миру известны также Гадкий Утенок и многие другие сказки<br />
Ганса Христиана Андерсена. Эти сказки часто имеют счастливый конец.<br />
Некоторые из этих историй заканчиваются встречей принцессы и принца.<br />
Существует эпическая легенда, близкая к сказке, и в России. На берегу<br />
озера герой этой легенды Садко играет на гуслях (древнерусский струнный<br />
музыкальный инструмент, подобный лире). Морскому Царю нравится<br />
его музыка и он предлагает ему помощь. Садко должен сделать ставку<br />
с местными торговцами о ловли рыбы в озере и когда он ловит её с<br />
помощью Морского Царя, то выигрывает пари, согласно которому<br />
торговцы должны заплатить ему хорошую сумму.<br />
Садко решает помочь крестьянам родного города Новгорода и сообщает<br />
им о птице счастья, которая существует где-то по середине моря. Он<br />
использует своё богатство, чтобы построить ряд судов и начинает эту<br />
поездку, в надежде найти птицу счастья.<br />
После поиска по различным уголкам мира, он наконец заканчивает<br />
свой путь в Индии. Один из мужчин узнал, что птица счастья принадлежит<br />
местному принцу. Садко соглашается сыграть партию шахмат с ним.<br />
По договору, Садко может взять птицу Феникс (которая каждый раз<br />
возрождается к жизни из собственного пепла), если он выигрывает эту<br />
партию, и отдать собственную лошадь, если он проиграет индийскому<br />
принцу.<br />
В этой легенде Садко показан также романтиком и мечтателем.<br />
Поэтому мать его возлюбленной Любавы считает его бесперспективным<br />
женихом, "ни на что не годным" и советует дочери избегать его. Однако<br />
дочь не может принять её решения. Садко рассказывает Любаве о<br />
желании найти птицу счастья, и она согласна с этим, поскольку это<br />
желание находится в его сердце. Она обещает ждать его всё это время.<br />
И хотя Любава не получает известий от Садко в течении двух лет, она<br />
думает о нем каждый день.<br />
Садко выигрывает шахматное состязание с индийским принцем и берёт<br />
птицу счастья с собой. Но вскоре он понимает, что птица не приносит<br />
ему счастья. Он тоскует по дому и рассказывает об этом купцам, которые<br />
собираются возвратиться в Новгород.<br />
После этого он заключает соглашение с Морским Царём, согласно<br />
которому он должен предложить дань взамен его богатства. Однако<br />
Садко не полностью выполняет это соглашение. Когда корабль Садко<br />
возвращается домой, то попадает в шторм и все суда оказываются под<br />
угрозой гибели. Тогда Садко старается умилостивить Морского Царя<br />
золотом. Однако всё напрасно и Садко оказывается в глубине моря. Он<br />
опять играет на гуслях для Морского Царя, после чего тот предлагает ему<br />
свою дочь в жёны. 1<br />
Садко погружается в глубокий сон. После пробуждения он оказывается на<br />
берегу родного Новгорода и видит Любаву. Возможно счастье, которое он<br />
искал в другом месте, могло найти его только дома ?<br />
Любава – образец прекрасной русской души. Она верна своему<br />
возлюбленному и не разочаровывается в нем, независимо от ситуации.<br />
Только такая любовь и преданность может принести истинное счастье.<br />
Так что же значит “найти своё счастье”? Ответ на этот вопрос не<br />
простой. У разных людей счастье понимается по разному. Одно лишь<br />
очевидно. Трудно найти счастье вне себя, если ты несчастлив. Надеяться,<br />
что другой человек может сделать тебя счастливым не верно и такой<br />
путь не может принести нужные результаты. Если вы полагаетесь на<br />
другого человека, чтобы стать счастливым, то вы рассматриваете другого<br />
человека как средство достижения счастья. Без ощущения внутреннего<br />
счастья вы обречены, так как каждый станет несчастным с "объектом" их<br />
счастья и вероятно начнет искать другого, чтобы принести ему счастье.<br />
В легенде Садко важными являются факты о ценности любви и<br />
преданности, а поиск счастья также происходит в собственном сердце.<br />
Именно там счастье должно быть прежде всего, перед тем как его находят<br />
где-нибудь еще. Садко узнал это после возвращения к Любаве и хочется<br />
надеяться, что эта истина будет также обнаружена всеми, кто ищет<br />
счастье в их собственных жизнях.<br />
1) “Sadko” <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadko">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadko</a><br />
2) Movie and legend “ Sadko”Robert S. Grossehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13847651146101080381noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2287103780144822851.post-70393803405601684672012-09-06T08:29:00.003-07:002012-09-08T20:26:27.615-07:00 The Possibility of True Love<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></span></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="color: black;">That perfect someone, your soul mate. The one you have
dreamed of all your life. Is it utter magic? Is this the stuff of which dreams
are made? Or is it all a myth, a cruel joke being played on us by the Hollywood
marketing machine and sappy romance novels?<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="background-color: white;"> Robert Epstein, editor of
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Psychology Today</i>, recently caused
quite a stir when he set out to vex the myth of romantic love. His goal is to
enter into an agreement with someone for six months, during which time they put
themselves through "various exercises . . . the goal being to fall deeply
in love by the end of the contract period. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(254, 235, 202); margin: 7.5pt 0in;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"We </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">teach o</span><span style="color: black;">ur children, and especially our little girls that a
knight in a shining sports car is going to drive up one day, awaken perfect
passion with a magical kiss, and then drive the blessed couple down the road to
Happily Ever After, a special place where no one ever changes," says
Epstein. "Hollywood tells us that ‘the One’ is out there for everyone, so
no one is willing to settle for Mr. or Ms. Two-Thirds. We want our
relationships to be like our antidepressants -- perfect and effortless."<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(254, 235, 202); margin: 7.5pt 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The evidence backs his
statement. According to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Psychology Today</i>,
over 60 percent of world's marriages are arranged. These marriages have far
lower divorce rates, and the couples often find themselves falling in love. In
contrast, "romantic" marriages have a 57 percent failure rate, with
even less promising statistics for second marriages.<sup>1<o:p></o:p></sup></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This topic was also dealt with in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Kreutzer Sonata </i>by Lev Nikolayevich
Tolstoy (1828-1910) which o</span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">pens as a third-person narrative by an anonymous
gentleman making his way across Russia by train. When the conversation among
the passengers turns to the subjects of sex, love, and marriage, a lawyer
claims that many couples live long, content married lives. However, Pozdnyshev,
another passenger, violently contradicts his statement and announces that he
has murdered his wife in a jealous rage, a crime of which a jury had acquitted
him. Citing that the deterioration of their marriage began on their honeymoon
when they first began a sexual relationship, Pozdnyshev reveals himself as a
man with an insane sexual obsession—he links sex with guilt, regards it as a
'fall' from an ideal purity, and describes sexual intercourse as a perverted
thing. He tries to persuade his captive audience that all marriages are obscene
shams, and that most cases of adultery are occasioned by music, the infamous
aphrodisiac. This latter idea explains the title of the story, which is also a
musical composition by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827). Pozdnyshev explains
the circumstances that led to his tragedy: after marrying a pretty woman who
bore him children, he came to hate, but lust for his wife. One day a musician
named Trukachevsky, accepting Pozdnyzhev's invitation to visit their house,
accompanied Pozdnyshev's wife on the violin while she played the piano.
Convinced that the pair were having an affair, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pozdnyshev went
into the country to attend the meeting of the local council, often recalling
the look on their faces as they played the "Kreutzer Sonata." He
returned home early, thinking that he would find the lovers in bed and
consequently kill them; instead he found them sitting in the drawing room after
they had played some music. Enraged nevertheless, Pozdnyshev killed his wife
after Trukachevsky had escaped.<sup>2<o:p></o:p></sup></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The idea of arranged marriages, which was
one of the topics discussed on this train ride, is completely foreign to most
people in the Western world; however, it is quite common to many cultures
throughout the world and according to Robert Epstein it has a very high success
rate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While I am not necessarily
advocating the idea of marriage, I do not believe that the “fairy tale” image
of marriage is entirely accurate either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is important to keep in mind that one of
the major influences impacting this novella was Lev Tolstoy’s religious belief
which advocated celibacy rather than marriage as being virtuous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In an essay entitled “<a href="http://www.online-literature.com/tolstoy/kreutzer-sonata/29/"><span style="color: windowtext;">The Lesson of <i>The Kreutzer Sonata</i></span></a>”,
Tolstoy explains his view of the subject matter. Regarding carnal love and a
spiritual, Christian life, he points out that not Christ, but the Church (which
he despised and which in turn excommunicated him) instituted marriage.
"The Christian's ideal is love of God and his neighbor, self-renunciation
in order to serve God and his neighbor; carnal love – marriage – means serving
oneself, and therefore is, in any case, a hindrance in the service of God and
men".<sup>3<o:p></o:p></sup></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When Tolstoy wrote this novella, he had been
married for many years and had several children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How did his wife, <span style="color: black;">Sophia
Andreyevna</span>, feel about it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="color: black;">"You are harassing and killing yourself," she
wrote him on April 19, 1889, at Yasnaya Polyana (Tolstoy’s estate).
"I...have been thinking: he does not eat meat, nor smoke, he works beyond
his strength, his brain is not nourished, hence the drowsiness and weakness.
How stupid vegetarianism is....Kill life in yourself, kill all impulses of the
flesh, all its needs -- why not kill yourself altogether? After all you are
committing yourself to *slow* death, what's the difference?"<sup>4</sup></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is meant by true love?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we mean that a person must surrender their
own identity and simply serve the needs of their husband or wife in order to
make sure that he or she is always happy, I am not sure that this is true love.
People are constantly changing and evolving, so it is unrealistic to expect
that someone can simply give up their identity and individuality in order to
serve someone else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe this is
one of the problems that Anna Karenina experienced in her marriage and this led
to her relationship with Count Vronsky. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, if we mean that two people work together
as a team and continue to grow together instead of growing apart, I believe
that true love is possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the
challenges that many people face is the “fairy tale” understanding of relationships
where everyone always lives happily ever after.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One of the most famous lines from the movie, “Love Story” was “love
means never having to say you’re sorry.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There are very few people for whom this would be understood as one of
the definitions of love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While everyone may not experience true love
in their lives, does this mean that true love is not possible?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Kreutzer Sonata </i>would not be ideal reading for someone who is a hopeless
romantic, but the issues which Tolstoy deals with in this novella have been
addressed by countless people throughout the centuries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-right: 4.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span><u><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">End
Notes<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">1)</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: x-small;">GinaMarie Jerome “Is True Love a
Myth?” </span><a href="http://www.thirdage.com/relationships-love/is-true-love-a-myth"><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-small;">http://www.thirdage.com/relationships-love/is-true-love-a-myth</span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;">
(posted 7/11/2008, accessed 9/5/2012) <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">2)</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Lev Tolstoy, “The Kreutzer Sonata” </span><a href="http://www.enotes.com/kreutzer-sonata-criticism/kreutzer-sonata-leo-tolstoy"><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-small;">http://www.enotes.com/kreutzer-sonata-criticism/kreutzer-sonata-leo-tolstoy</span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;">
(accessed 9/5/2012)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">3)</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Lev Tolstoy “The Lesson of the
Kreutzer Sonata” </span><a href="http://www.online-literature.com/tolstoy/kreutzer-sonata/29/"><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-small;">http://www.online-literature.com/tolstoy/kreutzer-sonata/29/</span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;">
(accessed 9/5/2012)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">4)</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Aleksandra
Tolstoya “Tolstoy: A Life of My Father” <a href="http://great-authors.albertarose.org/leo_tolstoy/ATolstaya.htm"><span style="color: blue;">http://great-authors.albertarose.org/leo_tolstoy/ATolstaya.htm</span></a>
(accessed 9/5/2012)</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Robert S. Grossehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13847651146101080381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2287103780144822851.post-19614126179029093482012-06-21T18:20:00.001-07:002012-06-29T17:41:58.871-07:00Страдание и сообщества в "Братьях Карамазовых" В своей статье об Анне Карениной Льва Tолстого я писал о том, что одна из вещей, которые отличают православную культуру от западной культуры является понимание важности семьи и семейных отношений. С моих первых дней в школе, я был воспитан, чтобы быть полностью самостоятельным человеком. Мой отец, в частности, не раз говорил мне, что я никогда не должнен полагаться на кого угодно и с того времени, когда мои родители были только детьми, придет день, когда мне не к кому будет обратиться, так что мне нужно стать полностью самостоятельной, самодостаточной личностью. Это понятие личной независимости и полной самостоятельности является продуктом эпохи Просвещения и уникальной западной идеи. Полная самостоятельность предполагает не только наши отношения с другими людьми, но и с Богом. В детстве я был очарован религией и религиозными идеями. Когда я представил эти идеи моим родителям, мой отец сказал: «Бог слишком занят, чтобы возиться с тем, что происходит в нашей жизни." Поэтому, я не должен даже думать о том, чтобы обращаться к Богу, потому что он мне не поможет.<br />
То, что я рассказал о том времени, как был ребёнком, конечно, не уникальная ситуация для меня и моей семьи. Со времени эпохи Просвещения, которая началась в конце семнадцатого века, эти идеи были живы на Западе и, наконец, добрались до России в то время, что описал Федор Михайлович Достоевский (1821-1881). В своем самом знаменитом романе, "Братья Карамазовы", мы знакомимся с тремя братьями, которые живут своей жизнью в соответствии с определенной идеей и личной философией.<br />
В одной из сцен в романе, у двух братьев, Алеши и Ивана , возникли дискуссии о Боге. Иван - воплощение идей Просвещения. Он не верит в Бога и считает себя полностью независимым человеком, который не должен полагаться на кого-либо. Тем не менее, он также глубоко возмущен своим отцом, потому что понимает, что в определенной степени зависит от него, и эта зависимость идет вразрез с его понятием личной автономии. Алеша - новичок в местном монастыре. Он считает, что мы полностью зависим от Бога и находит чувство принадлежности и цели своей жизни, будучи членом религиозной общины.<br />
Иван рассказывает Алеше историю об Иисусе, который прибывает, чтобы быть известным как легенда о "Великом Инквизиторе". Основная борьба Ивана - с миром Божьим. Он не может разобраться в том, что дети страдают и почему, если Бог рассматривается как источник порядка во Вселенной, как представляется, как случайности и абсурдности.<br />
Тем не менее, прежде чем устроить его «бунт» против Божьего мира, Иван восклицает Алеше "Вы пытаетесь спасти меня, но, возможно, я не потерял», и призывы к Карамазовым "Жажда жизни несмотря ни на что", можно сделать логический вывод. Иван называет Достоевского "смешным человеком", он говорит о его способности к иррациональной любви ", "любить всеми внутренностями, со всеми кишками», и провозглашает: "Даже если бы я не верил в жизнь, если я потерял веру в порядке вещей, были убеждены в том, что все это беспорядочно, проклятый и, возможно, черт охваченной хаосом, если бы я был поражен каждым ужасом разочарования человека - еще я хотел бы жить, и, однажды попробовав чашу, я бы не стал отворачиваться от неё, пока не выпил. " В конце своей поэмы, однако, Иван определяет "избежать чаши" один раз в возрасте прошедшей юности, обращаясь к другой, более темной, "ошибке, как сторона "Жажда жизни" - "Карамазовы подлости". Таким образом, "Жажда жизни" Карамазовых как можно увидеть, коррелирует с контрастными силами внутри Ивана. Великий инквизитор, как создание Ивана, воплощает эту же внутреннюю борьбу, он тоже когда-то верил в христианскую веру. "Я тоже был в пустыне, я тоже ел на корни и саранчу, я тоже ценил свободу, с которой Ты благословил нас, я тоже стремился выделиться среди Твоих избранных, среди сильной и мощной ... Но я проснулся и не буду служить безумию ". Великий инквизитор также отверг мир Бога, он является отражением желаний Ивана восстановить мир таким образом, лишенным горя и страдания в источнике его отказа.<br />
Легенда о Великом Инквизиторе - Христос находится на ступеньках Севильского кафедрального собора во время испанской инквизиции, восстановливает зрение старика и девушку из мертвых. Обнаруженный кардиналом великим инквизитором, он арестован и приговорен к сожжению на костре.Великий Инквизитор считает присутствие Христа как шаг назад в своей работе, в отказе Христа из трех искушений дьявола, он видит отказ от счастья для всего человечества, ради свободы.Великий Инквизитор, отмечая ошибки Христа, спрашивает: "Ты либо забываешь, что человек предпочитает мир, и даже смерть, свободе выбора в познании добра и зла? Нет ничего более соблазнительного для человека, чем его свобода совести, но ничего большего причиной страданий "Великого инквизитора и его церкви" исправить это дело твое, и основана она на чуде, тайне и авторитете ". Соответствующие трем искушениям дьявола, под фальшивым прикрытием самого Христа, человечество никогда не может быть свободным, потому что оно "слабое, порочное, ничтожное и мятежное ". Таким образом, среди членов церкви мало мудрецов, способных пожертвовать собой за счастье других, в то время лишенный свободы Христос очень хотел, чтобы обеспечить их.<br />
Несмотря на декларирование Инквизитор быть атеистом, Иван также, как Инквизитор говорит, что католическая церковь "мудрость духа, страшного духа смерти и разрушения", то есть дьявол, сатана. Он говорит: "Мы не с Тобой, а с ним, и это наш секрет! На протяжении веков мы отказались тебя следовать за ним?" Он, по принуждению, если средства, чтобы закончить все человеческие страдания и для человечества объединиться под знаменем Церкви.Множество затем направляется через Церковь на тех немногих, кто достаточно силен, чтобы взять на себя бремя свободы.Инквизитор говорит, что по его словам, все человечество будет жить счастливо и умрет в неведении. Хотя он приводит их только к "смерти и разрушений", они будут счастливы на своем пути.Инквизитор будет самомучеником, проводя свою жизнь держа выбору из человечества. Он утверждает, что "Тот, кто может успокоить совесть человека, может занять свою свободу от него."<br />
Инквизитор для достижения этого аргумента, объяснял почему Христос был неправ, отвергая каждое искушение сатаны. Христос превратил камни в хлеб, а мужчины всегда будут следовать за теми, кто будет кормить их животы.Инквизитор напоминает о том, как Христос отверг это сказал: «Человек не может жить хлебом единым", и объясняет, ко Христу "люди поток, а затем спросить их добродетели! Это то, что они напишут на знамени они будут выдвигать против тебя». Повергаясь из храма, чтобы попасть на ангелов укрепит его божественности в сознании людей, которые будут следовать за ним навсегда. Правило над всеми царствами Земли обеспечивала бы их спасение, Великий Инквизитор утверждает,<br />
Сцена заканчивается, когда Христос, который молчал , целует Инквизитора в его "бескровные, от возрасте губы", а не отвечаяет ему. Об этом, инквизитор Христа-но говорит ему, чтобы никогда не вернуться. Христос, по-прежнему молчит, уходит в "темных переулках города". Мало того, что поцелуй неоднозначно, но его влияние на Инквизитор, а также. Иван делает вывод: «Поцелуй горит в его сердце, но старик придерживается его идеи".<br />
В остальной части романа Иван борется с идеей человеческой жестокости и той роли, которую он играет в сохранении такой жестокости. На самом деле, он доведен до точки безумия, когда он появляется на его брата, Дмитрия, суде и исповедует, что именно он, а не Дмитрий, ответственен за смерть своего отца. Иван не мог физически убить своего отца, но убеждает, что его желание, что его отец умрет, стало толчком, который привел к смерти его отца от рук повара семьи, который также является незаконным братом из этих трех мужчин.<br />
Именно в этотом обмен с братом Иваном, который показывает его потребность в отношениях. Хотя его взгляды не полностью приняты Алешей, Иван по-прежнему хочет знать, что его младший брат не отвергает его, потому что его взгляды и спрашивает его, напрямую. Алеша говорит Ивану, что он не отвергает его, и это можно рассматривать как источник комфорта Иван. Важность этого диалога между Алешей и Иваном в два раза. Это помогает лучше понять процесс мышления Ивана и быть в состоянии понять его мировоззрение, которое влияет как он взаимодействует с другими, и это дает читателю возможность понять, насколько важна роль диалога в отношении личной философии Достоевского и сочинений.<br />
Великий Инквизитор Достоевского способ показать, что утилитаризм будет выглядеть, если оно было принято как жили философии. Джереми Бентам (1748-1832) и Джон Стюарт Милль (1806-1873) предложил называть утилитаризм философии, которая учит, что этический принцип, которым необходимо следовать был "величайшее благо для наибольшего числа людей". Если бы больше людей выиграют от определенного действия, чем пострадали от этого, то это допустимо и, по сути, поощряется. Ивана Великого Инквизитора поставил себя в качестве судьи определяют, кто будет страдать и будет ли это страдание в наибольший общественный интерес. Он считает, что страдания неизбежны, так что он мог бы также использовать его в своих интересах. Это включает в себя сжигание людей на кострах, что он считает еретиками и даже сжигание Иисуса на костре. Такие философские идеи могут быть некоторые немедленного положительного эмоционального обращения, однако, когда последствия этих идей были приняты во внимание, которого они часто теряют свою привлекательность. Федор Достоевский, глубоко религиозным человеком, верил, что мы созданы по образу и подобию Божию и, следовательно, связаны друг с другом на очень глубоком уровне. Эта идея не была принята многими людьми, которые стали сторонниками идей Просвещения в России и не принимать много людей сегодня. Что патриарх это семья? Федор Карамазов изображается как довольно эгоцентричным человеком, который верит в том, что он является автономным человеческим существом, однако, он тоже жаждет внимание окружающих. Однако, вместо того чтобы получать такое внимание в положительную сторону, он выбирает для себя как клоун. Как уже было сказано, что не существует такого понятия, как "негативное внимание", поскольку никакого внимания на все это лучше, чем отсутствие внимания для тех, кто жаждет так плохо. Дмитрий очень похож на своего отца, однако, вместо того, чтобы на роль клоуна, он берет на себя роль негодяя. На протяжении всего романа, единственное, что важно для Дмитрия является его собственное благополучие и счастье. Тем не менее, все меняется, пока он находится в тюрьме. По обвинению в убийстве своего отца, Дмитрия сажают в тюрьму, и однажды вечером он видит сон, в котором он сталкивается с маленьким ребенком, страдающим. Дмитрию жалко этого ребенка и он хочет найти способ, чтобы облегчить его страдания, а, наоборот, маленький ребенок целует Дмитрия,гладит по голове и утешает, а не Дмитрий его. <br />
Дмитрий рассказывает о своем сне Алеше и заявляет, что он готов страдать в тюрьме, если это означает, что другие могут быть счастливы. Достоевский задаёт глубокий вопрос. Есть ли кто-то счастлив, должно ли это происходить за счет чьих-то страданий? Дмитрий всю жизнь думает только о себе, и теперь он готов предложить себя в качестве "мученика за счастье". Алеша пережил новое сострадание за воего брата, сказал, что есть альтернатива этой идее.Роман заканчивается сценой на могиле Илюши Снегирева, ребенка,с которым плохо обращались, осуществляли эмоциональное насилие, его одноклассниками. Отец Илюши, капитан Снегирев, ранее был публично унижен Дмитрем и это принесло позор всей семье.<br />
С одной стороны, Илюша убеждается, что он убил маленькую собачку. Его смотритель, который знал правду, отказался сообщить Илюше, что собака поправилась. Однако, так как Илюша был близок к смерти других мальчиков в деревне, он испытал чувство преобразования. Вместо того, чтобы исключить Илюшу, они решили включить его в свое «сообщество» и его сторож принес к нему собачку. Видя, как это сделало счастливым Илюшу, это было источником радости для этих мальчиков. На могиле, Алеша говорит, этим мальчикам, что они никогда не забудут Илюшу. Илюша был хорошим, заботливым, любящим, маленьким мальчиком, который хотел быть счастливым. Он рассказывает ребятам, что они должны любить друг друга и что они всегда должны это помнить на этом могильном камне. Двенадцать мальчиков, теперь в слезах, берут друг друга за руки и возвращаются в родную семью Снегирева. Илюша был исключен из любого «сообщества», созданного ребятами в своей деревне, и его страдания стали источником развлечения для них. Все это способствовало растущей болезни Илюши. <br />
Вопросы, обсуждавшиеся Достоевским в этом романе, очень глубокие. Написанный в 1870 году, этот роман мог бы просто, легко быть написан в 2000 году. Его последний и, возможно, величайший, роман поднимает многие важные вопросы, которые зададут поколениям. От того, как мы ответим на эти вопросы, зависит, будем ли мы хотим жить в изоляции друг от друга и относиться к другим, как к средству для достижения цели, или будем видеть друг друга источником поддержки и поощрения, так как мы продолжаем свой жизненный путь. <br />
Еще одна важная точка зрения, что у Достоевского была потребность в прощении. Великий инквизитор не видит никакой ценности в прощении и это верно для многих людей сегодня. Прощение это единственная вещь, которая восстанавливает отношения и позволяет нам жить в гармонии. Страдание является частью человеческой жизни, и важно, что мы не только не стали источником страданий для других, но и были вместе с другими в их страданиях и разделяли с ними их бремя. <br />
<br />
Примечания:<br />
<br />
1) «Все делается во имя любви" <a href="http://heideggerm1.blogspot.com/2011/08/things-done-in-name-of-love.html">http://heideggerm1.blogspot.com/2011/08/things-done-in-name-of-love.html</a> <br />
2) "" Легенда о Великом инквизиторе »: Моральная трансформации в Karamozov Брат" (по состоянию на 8/17/11) <a href="http://www.lurj.org/article.php/vol3n2/karamazov.xml">http://www.lurj.org/article.php/vol3n2/karamazov.xml</a> <br />
3) «Великого инквизитора» (по состоянию на 8/17/11) <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Grand_Inquisitor">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Grand_Inquisitor</a>Robert S. Grossehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13847651146101080381noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2287103780144822851.post-58953271960730096952012-06-04T15:49:00.000-07:002012-06-04T15:49:20.854-07:00Parodying as a Form of Flattery One famous American idiom is “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” The same can also be said of a parody. A parody is defined as a humorous or satirical imitation of a serious piece of literature or writing.1 This has been done numerous times over the years in both literature and film. <br /> In order for such a parody to be successful it is important that a well-known piece of literature should be chosen. This piece of literature can be representative of a particular culture or is so well known that its content transcends a particular culture. The transcending of a given culture is largely based upon the theme of a given novel. <br /> One theme which transcends a given culture is the hero’s journey or quest. Joseph Campbell (1904-1987) spoke about this in a series on the Public Broadcasting Company (PBS) which aired the year after Campbell died. He initially wrote about this <u>The Hero with a Thousand Faces</u> (1949). <br /> This theme is present in numerous novels and such films as<em> Star Wars</em> (1977) which was directed by George Lucas. One classic novel where this theme is present was Virgil’s <em>Aeneid</em>. Considered one of the classics of Western literature, <em>The Aeneid</em> has been read by countless generations of students. <br /> The summary of this classic tale is as follows. On the Mediterranean Sea, Aeneas and his fellow Trojans flee from their home city of Troy, which has been destroyed by the Greeks. They sail for Italy, where Aeneas is destined to found Rome. As they near their destination, a fierce storm throws them off course and lands them in Carthage. Dido, Carthage’s founder and queen, welcomes them. Aeneas relates to Dido the long and painful story of his group’s travels thus far.<br /> Aeneas tells of the sack of Troy that ended the Trojan War after ten years of Greek siege. In the final campaign, the Trojans were tricked when they accepted into their city walls a wooden horse that, unbeknownst to them, harbored several Greek soldiers in its hollow belly. He tells how he escaped the burning city with his father, Anchises; his son, Ascanius; and the hearth gods that represent their fallen city. Assured by the gods that a glorious future awaited him in Italy, he set sail with a fleet containing the surviving citizens of Troy. Aeneas relates the ordeals they faced on their journey. Twice they attempted to build a new city, only to be driven away by bad omens and plagues. Harpies, creatures that are part woman and part bird, cursed them, but they also encountered friendly countrymen unexpectedly. Finally, after the loss of Anchises and a bout of terrible weather, they made their way to Carthage.<br /> Impressed by Aeneas’s exploits and sympathetic to his suffering, Dido, a Phoenician princess who fled her home and founded Carthage after her brother murdered her husband, falls in love with Aeneas. They live together as lovers for a period, until the gods remind Aeneas of his duty to found a new city. He determines to set sail once again. Dido is devastated by his departure, and kills herself by ordering a huge pyre to be built with Aeneas’s castaway possessions, climbing upon it, and stabbing herself with the sword Aeneas leaves behind.<br /> As the Trojans head to Italy, bad weather blows them to Sicily, where they hold funeral games for the dead Anchises. The women, tired of the voyage, begin to burn the ships, but a downpour puts the fires out. Some of the travel-weary stay behind, while Aeneas, reinvigorated after his father visits him in a dream, and takes the rest on toward Italy. Once there, Aeneas descends into the underworld, guided by the Sibyl of Cumae, to visit his father. He is shown a pageant of the future history and heroes of Rome, which helps him to understand the importance of his mission. Aeneas returns from the underworld, and the Trojans continue up the coast to the region of Latium.<br /> The arrival of the Trojans in Italy begins peacefully. King Latinus, the Italian ruler, extends his hospitality, hoping that Aeneas will prove to be the foreigner whom, according to a prophecy, his daughter Lavinia is supposed to marry. However, Latinus’ wife, Amata, has other ideas. She means for Lavinia to marry Turnus, a local suitor. Amata and Turnus cultivate enmity toward the newly arrived Trojans. Meanwhile, Ascanius hunts a stag that was a pet of the local herdsmen. A fight breaks out, and several people are killed. Turnus, riding this current of anger, begins a war.<br /> Aeneas, at the suggestion of the river god Tiberinus, sails north up the Tiber to seek military support among the neighboring tribes. During this voyage, his mother, Venus, descends to give him a new set of weapons, wrought by Vulcan. While the Trojan leader is away, Turnus attacks. Aeneas returns to find his countrymen embroiled in battle. Pallas, the son of Aeneas’s new ally Evander, is killed by Turnus. Aeneas flies into a violent fury and many more are slain by the day’s end.<br /> The two sides agree to a truce so that they can bury the dead, and the Latin leaders discuss whether to continue the battle. They decide to spare any further unnecessary carnage by proposing a hand-to-hand duel between Aeneas and Turnus. When the two leaders face off, however, the other men begin to quarrel, and full-scale battle resumes. Aeneas is wounded in the thigh, but eventually the Trojans threaten the enemy city. Turnus rushes out to meet Aeneas, who wounds Turnus badly. Aeneas nearly spares Turnus but, remembering the slain Pallas, slays him instead.2<br /> It is interesting that the first literary work ever published in the modern Ukrainian language was a 1798 epic poem entitled, <em>Eneyida</em>, which was parody of Virgil’s classic story. This epic poem was written by Ivan Petrovych Kotlyarevsky (1769-1838), who is considered the first modern Ukrainian author. In Kotlyarevsky’s poem, the main characters are no longer Trojans, but Zaporozhian Cossacks.3 These men had a profound impact upon Ukrainian history prior to being disbanded in 1775. It seems only fitting that a Ukrainian author would choose such a group of men for his parody. They were as meaningful to his culture as Aeneus was to the Greek speaking world. <br /> An example of an American parody is the novel, <u>The Wind Done Gone</u> (2001) by Alice Randall. This novel is based upon Margaret Mitchell’s 1936 classic novel, <u>Gone with the Wind</u>, but is written from the standpoint of Scarlett O’Hara’s slaves. This is a very interesting approach to addressing the issue of slavery during the Civil War. <br /> Ms. Randall wrote a book based upon a novel which went on to become an Academy Award winning film (1939) and gave a voice to those who would have been nameless, faceless people in their own time period. In fact, since they were slaves, they would not have been considered people, but property. <br /> One of the most remarkable aspects of the Ukrainian language is the fact that it exists at all in the modern world. It has been banned and discouraged several times by non-Ukrainian regimes, but always maintained its existence somehow, even by using informal methods of keeping the tongue alive, such as songs, folklore, and Ivan Kotlyarevsky’s <em>Eneyida</em>, which was the first book to be published in Ukrainian and has become a classic.<br /> The Ukrainians have seen periods of substantial unrest and the current version of the Ukrainian language reflects the periods of trouble in the country. However, tracing the language back over time has often proved problematic, as until the 18th century, the spoken and written forms of Ukrainian differed immensely from one another. Before the 18th century the contemporary form of Ukrainian was a vernacular language which existed alongside Church Slavonic. It was mostly peasants and the bourgeoisie, who spoke this language, and there was also something of a linguistic hierarchy at the time, as a lot of literature, scientific texts, or any other sort of important writing was being produced in different languages, for example, Greek, Latin, or Polish. This is not to say that Ukrainian was in danger of dying out, for it was still widely spoken in Ukraine, but in terms of a written language, it was overlooked in favor of other tongues.4 <br /> The fact that Kotlyarevsky was able to publish his epic poem in the Ukrainian language actually help to maintain this Slavic language and likely served as an inspiration for future authors like Nikolai Gogol (1809-1852) who would have been able to read this poem in his native language. The Ukrainian language is still spoken in modern day Ukraine, but it seems to be much more popular in western Ukraine than eastern Ukraine where many people speak Russian. <br /> Parody certainly can be a sincere form of flattery, especially when it is based upon a classic piece of literature. Kotlyarevsky’s <em>Eneyida</em> has become a classic piece of literature and the people of Ukraine own him a debt of gratitude for helping to keep their beautiful language alive for future generations. <br />
<u>End Notes</u><br />
1) “<em>Parody</em>” <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/parody">http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/parody</a> (accessed 6/3/12)<br />2) “<em>The Aeneid</em>” <a href="http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/aeneid/summary.html">http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/aeneid/summary.html</a> (accessed 6/3/12) <br />3) “<em>Ivan Kotlyarevsky</em>” <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_Kotlyarevsky">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_Kotlyarevsky</a> (accessed 6/3/12) “<em>The</em> <em>Highest Manifesto Zaporozhian Sich Destruction</em>” <a href="http://www.museum-ukraine.org.ua/index.php?go=News&file=print&id=1418">http://www.museum-ukraine.org.ua/index.php?go=News&file=print&id=1418</a> (written 12/14/06, accessed 6/2/12) <br />4) “<em>The Ukrainian Language</em>” <a href="http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/language/about/ukrainian.html">http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/language/about/ukrainian.html</a> (accessed 6/4/12)Robert S. Grossehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13847651146101080381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2287103780144822851.post-45527371961047423562012-06-02T16:36:00.000-07:002013-12-25T03:45:57.339-08:00Profile of a Cultural Icon There are certain people who have an impact which lasts long after they are gone. This person is almost synonymous with the culture in which they were raised. I have written articles about several classic Russian authors who would definitely be considered representatives of their culture. <br />
In the United States there are several authors who are considered cultural icons. Men such as Samuel L. Clemens (Mark Twain) [1835-1910] and Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961) would certainly qualify. Another author who would qualify as a cultural icon was Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849).<br />
Poe was born to traveling actors in Boston, Massachusetts on January 19, 1809. He was the second of three children. His brother, William Henry Leonard Poe, would also become a poet before his early death, and Poe’s sister, Rosalie Poe, would grow up to teach penmanship at a Richmond girls’ school. Within three years of Poe’s birth both of his parents had died, and he was taken in by the wealthy tobacco merchant John Allan and his wife Frances Valentine Allan in Richmond, Virginia while Poe’s siblings went to live with other families. Mr. Allan would rear Poe to be a businessman and a Virginia gentleman, but Poe had dreams of being a writer in emulation of his childhood hero the British poet Lord Byron. Early poetic verses found written in a young Poe’s handwriting on the backs of Allan’s ledger sheets reveal how little interest Poe had in the tobacco business. By the age of thirteen, Poe had compiled enough poetry to publish a book, but his headmaster advised Allan against allowing this. <br />
In 1826 Poe left Richmond to attend the University of Virginia, where he excelled in his classes while accumulating considerable debt. The miserly Allan had sent Poe to college with less than a third of the money he needed, and Poe soon took up gambling to raise money to pay his expenses. By the end of his first term Poe was so desperately poor that he burned his furniture to keep warm. <br />
Humiliated by his poverty and furious with Allan for not providing enough funds in the first place, Poe returned to Richmond and visited the home of his fiancée Elmira Royster, only to discover that she had become engaged to another man in Poe’s absence. The heartbroken Poe’s last few months in the Allan mansion were punctuated with increasing hostility towards Allan until Poe finally stormed out of the home in a quixotic quest to become a great poet and to find adventure. He accomplished the first objective by publishing his first book Tamerlane when he was only eighteen, and to achieve the second goal he enlisted in the United States Army. Two years later he heard that Frances Allan, the only mother he had ever known, was dying of tuberculosis and wanted to see him before she died. By the time Poe returned to Richmond she had already been buried. Poe and Allan briefly reconciled, and Allan helped Poe gain an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point. <br />
Before going to West Point, Poe published another volume of poetry. While there, Poe was offended to hear that Allan had remarried without telling him or even inviting him to the ceremony. Poe wrote to Allan detailing all the wrongs Allan had committed against him and threatened to get himself expelled from the academy. After only eight months at West Point Poe was thrown out, but he soon published yet another book.<br />
Broke and alone, Poe turned to Baltimore, his late father’s home, and called upon relatives in the city. One of Poe’s cousins robbed him in the night, but another relative, Poe’s aunt Maria Clemm, became a new mother to him and welcomed him into her home. Clemm’s daughter Virginia first acted as a courier to carry letters to Poe’s lady loves but soon became the object of his desire. <br />
While Poe was in Baltimore, Allan died, leaving Poe out of his will, which did, however, provide for an illegitimate child who Allan had never seen. At that point Poe was living in poverty, but had started publishing his short stories, one of which won a contest sponsored by the <em>Saturday Visitor</em>. The connections Poe established through the contest allowed him to publish more stories and to eventually gain an editorial position at the <em>Southern Literary Messenger</em> in Richmond. It was at this magazine that Poe finally found his life’s work as a magazine writer. <br />
Within a year Poe helped make the Messenger the most popular magazine in the south with his sensational stories as well as with his scathing book reviews. Poe soon developed a reputation as a fearless critic who not only attacked an author’s work but also insulted the author and the northern literary establishment. Poe targeted some of the most famous writers in the country. One of his victims was the anthologist and editor Rufus Griswold.<br />
At the age of twenty-seven, Poe brought Maria and Virginia Clemm to Richmond and married his Virginia, who was not yet fourteen. The marriage proved a happy one, and the family is said to have enjoyed singing together at night. Virginia expressed her devotion to her husband in a Valentine poem now in the collection of the Enoch Pratt Free Library, and Poe celebrated the joys of married life in his poem “Eulalie.”<br />
Dissatisfied with his low pay and lack of editorial control at the Messenger, Poe moved to New York City. In the wake of the financial crisis known as the “Panic of 1837,” Poe struggled to find magazine work and wrote his only novel, <u>The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym</u>. <br />
After a year in New York, Poe moved to Philadelphia in 1838 and wrote for a number of different magazines. He served as editor of Burton’s and then Graham’s magazines while continuing to sell articles to <em>Alexander’s Weekly Messenger</em> and other journals. In spite of his growing fame, Poe was still barely able to make a living. For the publication of his first book of short stories, Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque, he was only paid with twenty-five free copies of his book. He would soon become a champion for the cause of higher wages for writers as well as for an international copyright law. To change the face of the magazine industry, he proposed starting his own journal, but he failed to find the necessary funding.<br />
In the face of poverty Poe was still able to find solace at home with his wife and mother-in-law, but tragedy struck in 1842 when Poe’s wife contracted tuberculosis, the disease that had already claimed Poe’s mother, brother, and foster mother. <br />
Always in search of better opportunities, Poe moved to New York again in 1844 and introduced himself to the city by perpetrating a hoax. His “news story” of a balloon trip across the ocean caused a sensation, and the public rushed to read everything about it—until Poe revealed that he had fooled them all.<br />
The January 1845 publication of The Raven made Poe a household name. He was now famous enough to draw large crowds to his lectures, and he was beginning to demand better pay for his work. He published two books that year, and briefly lived his dream of running his own magazine when he bought out the owners of the <em>Broadway Journal</em>. The failure of the venture, his wife’s deteriorating health, and rumors spreading about Poe’s relationship with a married woman, drove him out of the city in 1846. At this time he moved to a tiny cottage in the country. It was there, in the winter of 1847 that Virginia died at the age of twenty-four. Poe was devastated, and was unable to write for months. His critics assumed he would soon be dead. They were right. Poe only lived another two years and spent much of that time traveling from one city to the next giving lectures and finding backers for his latest proposed magazine project to be called The Stylus.<br />
While on lecture tour in Lowell, Massachusetts, Poe met and befriended Nancy Richmond. His idealized and platonic love of her inspired some of his greatest poetry, including “For Annie.” Since she remained married and unattainable, Poe attempted to marry the poetess Sarah Helen Whitman in Providence, but the engagement lasted only about one month. In Richmond he found his first fiancée Elmira Royster Shelton was now a widow, so began to court her again. Before he left Richmond on a trip to Philadelphia he considered himself engaged to her, and her letters from the time imply that she felt the same way. On the way to Philadelphia, Poe stopped in Baltimore and disappeared for five days. <br />
He was found in the bar room of a public house that was being used as a polling place for an election. The magazine editor Joseph Snodgrass sent Poe to Washington College Hospital, where Poe spent the last days of his life far from home and surrounded by strangers. Neither Poe’s mother-in-law nor his fiancée knew what had become of him until they read about it in the newspapers. Poe died on October 7, 1849 at the age of forty. The exact cause of Poe’s death remains a mystery.<br />
Days after Poe’s death, his literary rival Rufus Griswold (1815-1857) wrote a libelous obituary of the author in a misguided attempt at revenge for some of the offensive things Poe had said and written about him. Griswold followed the obituary with a memoir in which he portrayed Poe as a drunken, womanizing madman with no morals and no friends. Griswold’s attacks were meant to cause the public to dismiss Poe and his works, but the biography had exactly the opposite effect and instead drove the sales of Poe’s books higher than they had ever been during the author’s lifetime. Griswold’s distorted image of Poe created the Poe legend that lives to this day while Griswold is only remembered (if at all) as Poe’s first biographer.<br />
Poe is known as “the Father of the Murder Mystery”. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), creator of Sherlock Holmes, borrowed heavily from Poe’s writing when giving voice to his famous detective. This is also true of any later author who has written mystery stories. This is a very unique style of writing which Poe was very talented at producing. <br />
Like many geniuses, Poe had his own personality quirks. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it can make having a relationship difficult. Based upon his biography, he had several difficulties in his relationships, but he was certainly a very talented man. His stories have been read by numerous generations. There have also been parodies made of Poe’s work. <br />
For example, in the US television show “The Munsters” which aired in the 1960s, there was a cuckoo clock in the family’s living room which was actually the home of a raven. Instead of hearing “cuckoo” every hour, the family would hear the raven say, “never more”, which was clearly parodying Poe’s famous story, <em>The Raven</em>. <br />
In the US, we would now refer to such works as “psychological thrillers”. This requires a certain writing style and an author who understands the working of the human mind. The human mind is a very interesting thing to examine and we really do not understand its workings. <br />
What brought about the death of this famous writer? There is much speculation regarding this issue. Theories range from alcoholism to Poe being murdered. The University of Maryland Medical Center actually conducted an investigation into his death. In an analysis almost 147 years after his death, doctors at the University of Maryland Medical Center believe that writer Edgar Allan Poe may have died as a result of rabies, not from complications of alcoholism. Poe's medical case was reviewed by R. Michael Benitez, M.D., a cardiologist at the University of Maryland Medical Center. His review is published in the September 1996 issue of <em>Maryland Medical Journal</em>.<br />
"No one can say conclusively that Poe died of rabies, since there was no autopsy after his death," says Dr. Benitez, who is also an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. "However, the historical accounts of Poe's condition in the hospital a few days before his death point to a strong possibility that he had rabies."<br />
Poe was 40 years old when he died on October 7, 1849. He had traveled by train from Richmond, Virginia to Baltimore a few days earlier, on September 28. While in Richmond, he had proposed marriage to a woman who would have become his second wife. (His first wife had died). Poe intended to continue on to Philadelphia to finalize some business when he became ill.<br />
He was discovered lying unconscious on September 28 on a wooden plank outside Ryan's saloon on Lombard St. in Baltimore. He was taken to Washington College Hospital (now Church Hospital). <br />
Historical accounts of his hospitalization indicate that at first he was delirious with tremors and hallucinations; he then slipped into a coma. He emerged from the coma, was calm and lucid, but then lapsed again into a delirious state, became combative, and required restraint. He died on his fourth day in the hospital. According to an account published in the Maryland Historical Magazine in December 1978, the Baltimore Commissioner of Health, Dr. J.F.C. Handel certified that the cause of Poe's death was "congestion of the brain."<br />
In his analysis, Dr. Benitez examined all of the possible causes for delirium, which include trauma, vascular disorders in the brain, neurological problems such as epilepsy, and infections. Alcohol withdrawal is also a potential cause of tremors and delirium, and Poe was known to have abused alcohol and opiate drugs. However, the medical records indicate that Poe had abstained from alcohol for six months before his death, and there was no evidence of alcohol use when he was admitted.<br />
"In addition, it is unusual for patients suffering from alcohol withdrawal to become acutely ill, recover for a brief time, and then worsen and die," says Dr. Benitez, who adds that withdrawal from opiates does not produce the same scenario of symptoms as Poe's illness.<br />
Dr. Benitez says in the final stages of rabies, it is common for people to have periods of confusion that come and go, along with wide swings in pulse rate and other body functions, such as respiration and temperature. All of that occurred for Poe, according to medical records kept by John J. Moran, M.D. who cared for Poe in his final days. In addition, the median length of survival after the onset of serious symptoms is four days, which is exactly the number of days Poe was hospitalized before his death.<br />
Poe's doctor also wrote that while in the hospital, Poe refused alcohol he was offered and drank water only with great difficulty. Dr. Benitez says that seems to be a symptom of hydrophobia, a fear of water, which is a classic sign of rabies.<br />
Dr. Benitez theorizes that Poe may have gotten rabies from being bitten by one of his pets. He was known to have cats and other pets. Although there is no account that Poe had been bitten by an animal, it is interesting that in all the cases of human rabies in the United States from 1977 to 1994, people remembered being bitten in only 27 percent of those cases. In addition, people can have the infection for up to a year without major symptoms.<br />
The Poe case was presented originally to Dr. Benitez as part of a weekly meeting of medical center physicians, called the Clinical Pathologic Conference. It is an exercise in which a complex case is presented without a diagnosis, and physicians discuss how they would determine a patient's condition and course of treatment. Dr. Benitez did not know that the patient in question at this particular conference was Edgar Allan Poe.<br />
The idea to analyze Poe's death came from Philip A. Mackowiak, M.D., professor of medicine and vice-chairman of the Department of Medicine at the University of Maryland Medical Center.<br />
"Poe's death is one of the most mysterious deaths in literary history, and it provided us with an interesting case in which to discuss many principles of medicine," says Dr. Mackowiak, who runs the weekly Clinical Pathologic Conference at the medical center.<br />
Dr. Mackowiak agrees with Dr. Benitez that rabies was the most likely cause of Poe's death, based on the available evidence. He adds, though, that after Poe's death, his doctor went on the lecture circuit and gave varying accounts of the writer's final days. "The account on which Dr. Benitez based his findings was more consistent with rabies than with anything else, but the definitive cause of Poe's death will likely remain a mystery," says Dr. Mackowiak.<br />
Edgar Allan Poe is buried in a cemetery next to Westminster Hall at Fayette and Greene Streets, just one block from the University of Maryland Medical Center.2<br />
It appears that art imitates life. His own death was certainly mysterious. He was an American cultural icon who has become synonymous with murder and mystery and left this world with people asking, “What actually happened to him?” I believe that Poe could not have written a better story than was written by his own life. <br />
End Notes<br />
1) “Poe’s Life” <a href="http://www.poemuseum.org/life.php">http://www.poemuseum.org/life.php</a> (accessed 6/1/12)<br />
2) “Edgar Allan Poe Mystery” <a href="http://www.umm.edu/news/releases/news-releases-17.htm">http://www.umm.edu/news/releases/news-releases-17.htm</a> (written 9/24/96, accessed 6/2/12)Robert S. Grossehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13847651146101080381noreply@blogger.com0