The Counterculture Of The Sixties - 2107 Words

The 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s are all both memorable and marked as influential time periods for what is the current culture of the United Sates. This paper will discuss the influence of each decade stated previously. The first factor to be considered is fashion and how it played a significant role in shaping the catwalk today. The Hippie Movement in the 60s and 70s was in large part a reason for many political protests. Music in the 80s can be considered the most recent as well as strangest influencing factor contributing to the culture of the United Sates. This paper will first go back into the 50s and explain the effect the fashion during this time period on the country. Fashion in the 50s was a direct result of the post war suburbia†¦show more content†¦The clothing options included: pencil skirts, swing skirts, pedal pushers, cigarette pants, collared blouses, and much more. There were a wide variety of shoes for the girls and women as well, including the saddle shoes we a ll know and â€Å"love†! that are very well â€Å"loved†! New ideasInnovations in textile technologythe fabric world after following the war gave America resulted in a bunch of new types of clothsnew fabrics like such as spandex; this was a great type of fabric for sportwear of both genders in the new suburban lifestyle, volleyball shorts and easy-care fabric finishes that fitted the suburban lifestyle of the 1950s with its emphasis on casual sportswear for both men and women . For the first time, teenagers became a force in fashion. In 1947, Dior launched the first â€Å"House of Dior† collection. This went down in fashion history as thewas now known as the New Look for the 1950s. The signature go-to shape was known for its branded by a below-mid-calf length, big skirtfull-skirt, pointedy chestbust, small and cinched waist, and a round shaped shoulder line. This silhouette has drastically changed from its manly previous more masculin and e, stiff, triangtriangle ular shape, to a very much more feminine oneform. Handmade suits had fitted jackets with peplums, usually worn with a long, narrow pencil skirt. Day dresses had fitted body and full skirt, with low-cut necklines or Peter PanShow MoreRelatedThe Sixties Countercultures818 Words   |  3 PagesThe Sixties were a time of major change in United States society. We had reached beyond modernity with technology, consumerism, and the youth leading us to the suburbs of discontent. According to Hugh Heclo, â€Å"There came surge of personal discontent and social self-questioning that would constitute the great awakening of the 1960s.† He goes on to argue that people no longer accepted the status quo and from the counter culture groups we have studied in class this is evident. People were more concernedRead MoreBob Dylans The Sixties Counterculture1622 Words   |  7 PagesTo und erstand the sixties counterculture, we must understand the important role of Bob Dylan. His lyrics fueled the rebellious youth in America. Songs such as â€Å"Blowin’ in the Wind† and â€Å"The Times are A-Changin† made him favorable to anti-war demonstrators and supporters of the Civil Rights movement. He was commonly hailed as the spokesman for his generation. Dylan used lyrics to allow the youth to find their own form of counter-culture. The youth generation began to see the effects racism, war, etcRead MorePositive and Negative Impacts of the Sixties Counterculture1532 Words   |  7 Pageslifestyles and radical beleifs were the shocking blow that American culture-- segregation, McCarthyism, unjust wars, censorship--needed to prove that some Americans still had the common sense to care for one another. The young people of the sixties counterculture movement were successful at awakening awareness on many causes that are being fought in modern American discou rse. If not for the Revolution that the hippies began, political or social reform and the Peoples voice would be decades behindRead MoreThe Issues Of Urban Poverty1197 Words   |  5 PagesAmerican life was transformed in the 1960s from the start of the decade. The 1960s consisted of new rights and new understandings of freedom. The sixties consisted of rights for racial minorities to be involved in the mainstream of the American lifestyle. However, unsolved issues of urban poverty still existed. Women in the 1960s established a conversion in women’s status, for instance, women entered the paid workforce. America experienced a growth of conservative movements, consequently, the 1960sRead More The Turbulen Sixties Essay1645 Words   |  7 Pages The Turbulent Sixties Throughout American history, each generation has sought to individualize itself from all others preceding it. Decades of American history can be separated to represent a distinctive set of values, culture, and political ideals. The 1960s was a decade caught between euphoric, idealistic beginnings and a discordant, violent climax. The music of this time period produced a strong counterculture which sought to influence America in a way never before experienced. The songs wereRead MoreThe Vietnam War and Its Effects on Society During the 1960s1594 Words   |  7 Pagesthe bombing of several coastal facilities in Northern Vietnam3 . Many anti-war movements started in late 1964 on college campuses due to the strong sense of student activism that dominated much the vast teenage portion of American society4 . As the sixties progressed, tension was built up throughout American society that had a tendency to flow along generational lines regarding the Vietnam War . By 1968, majority of the American society objected the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. The war sparkedRead MoreAnti-Drugs Policies in the 1960s Essay1006 Words   |  5 Pagestwenty years later, the 80’s. It may very well be that these two decades molded America into what it is now. The sixties had a huge pull from conservative America of the post-war era. Vietnam veterans were returning home with heroin addictions, the counterculture was spreading their free love, and the music festivals were introducing millions of people into the new America. The sixties was the first decade that made non-alcoholic drug use popular among young people. When it first dawned that drugsRead More Counterculture During the Vietnam Era Essay1096 Words   |  5 PagesCounterculture During the Vietnam Era With a country in shambles as a result of the Vietnam War, thousands of young men and women took their stand through rallies, protests, and concerts. A large number of young Americans opposed the war; with a common feeling of anti-war, thousands of youths united as one. This new culture of opposition spread like wild fire with alternative lifestyles blossoming, people coming together and reviving their communal efforts, demonstrated in the Woodstock Art andRead MoreRevolution of Music Essay1577 Words   |  7 Pagescreating a new segment of youth searching for new entertainment (Rock and Roll). Music of the 1960s was the new entertainment for the baby boom generation and impacted America by: starting new trends in genres of music, opening diversity of artists, counterculture movements, and music festivals. Music tends to follow the trends of its listeners; genres come and go with popularity. Rock and roll was considered to have its golden era in the 1960s. It peaked with performances by such artists as Sly and theRead MoreThe 1960s Of The 1960 S1394 Words   |  6 PagesThe Eagles, arguably none were as influential as The Beatles. Consisting of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, helped change the face of popular culture of the 1960’s through their music, image, and influence on the counterculture of the time. The Beatles originally started off as The Quarrymen in 1957, headed by John Lennon and consisting of other musicians. That same year Paul McCartney was invited to join the group by John Lennon, and eventually joined by George Harrison

The Novel Heart Of Darkness - 875 Words

Heart of Darkness allows the reader to gain a sense of everything that is wrong with imperialism and why it should be ended. The narrator is part of the imperialist group that he condemns, which makes his views seem more authentic and balanced. Clearly, there is something wrong with the goals of imperialism if the imperials themselves are against it. Conrad also uses extremely dehumanizing descriptions of the native Africans and the women in the novella to make a point. To the reader this exposes the cruelty and unjustness of such portrayals and makes the point that this treatment of other groups is not acceptable. The novella can be seen as promoting change by showing the immorality of the problems it describes, which were commonplace at the time of its writing. A modern work that uses dehumanization to show the need for change is the collection of short stories, The Woman Warrior. In The Woman Warrior, women are blatantly dehumanized. One character calls girls â€Å"maggots in the rice† and says that raising geese would make greater sense economically than raising girls (Kingston, 89). The memoir depicts the strong women hating Chinese culture that continues to this day (Stevens, 25). In one of the novel’s stories, the author’s aunt becomes pregnant while her husband is away in America. The woman is cast out by her village and her own family and ends up drowning herself in a well. Kingston also notes that the baby probably was a girl, and as such would already be consideredShow MoreRelatedEssay on Heart of Darkness as a Racist Novel1466 Words   |  6 PagesHeart of Darkness as a Racist Novel Because of Conrads constant use of light and dark imagery in this novel, it can be difficult at times to ascertain whether his use of this imagery is meant in a racist manner, or whether he is using it simply to show how the Europeans actions are bigoted because of their naivety, or their seeming overwhelmed ness due to the new and strange landscape they have conquered, and their actions are a result of over eagerness on their behalfRead MoreComparing The Novel Lord Of The Flies And Heart Of Darkness2292 Words   |  10 PagesTopic: Comparing behavior of two main characters from two different books Introduction There are both similarities and differences between the protagonists of the Novels Lord of the Flies† (Golding) and â€Å"Heart of Darkness† (Conrad). In each case we have the supposedly civilized individual(s) degenerating into savagery. As well, other characters are involved and highly influenced by the protagonist(s). This report discusses these two books and what can be observed from comparing works of essentiallyRead MoreComparing The Novels Lord Of The Flies And Heart Of Darkness4107 Words   |  17 PagesThere are both similarities and differences between the protagonists of the Novels Lord of the Flies† (Golding) and â€Å"Heart of Darkness† (Conrad). In each case we have the supposedly civilized individual(s) degenerating into savagery. As well, other characters are involved and highly influenced by the protagonist(s). This report discusses these two books and what can be observed from comparing works of essentially different world persp ectives – one was published in 1902 and the other in 1954Read MoreComparing Joseph Conrad’s novel â€Å"Heart of Darkness† and Francis Ford Coppola’s film â€Å"Apocalypse Now†1235 Words   |  5 PagesThe focus of this Comparative Essay is to evaluate the similarities between Joseph Conrad’s novel â€Å"Heart of Darkness† and Francis Ford Coppola’s film â€Å"Apocalypse Now.† Resemblances in both stories are prominent when reading the novel or watching the film. The resemblance which will be used in this essay will be the similarities between the protagonists in both stories, Charlie Marlow and Captain Benjamin L. Willard. Both men are in search of two other individuals that go by the same name, Kurtz.Read MoreBehind the Name Heart of Darkness Essay978 Words   |  4 Pagesreader only gradually. Using Heart of Darkness, show how the significance of its title is developed through the author’s use of devices such as contrast, repetition, allusion, and point of view. Behind The Name Heart of Darkness The heart of darkness in the title Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad is the heart of Africa, the heart of everything that is the rejection of established social principles and beliefs, corrupt, and barbaric, and perhaps the heart of man. Conrad, ending the bookRead MoreSimilarities Between Heart Of Darkness And Apocalypse Now922 Words   |  4 Pages The Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad, illustrates one’s voyage on the Congo River, into the heart of darkness of Africa, told by the narrator Charles Marlow. Similar to the novel, Apocalypse Now focuses on a captain in the Vietnam War ordered to assassinate a colonel, named Kurtz. Each of these works convey an important time in American history, highlighting the era of imperialism and that of the Vietnam War. Overall, Apocalypse Now can be seen as a direct parallel to Heart of Darkness, shownRead MoreEthnocentrism: with Whom Resides the Heart of Darkness?790 Words   |  4 PagesEthnocentrism 1 Ethnocentrism With Whom Resides the Heart of Darkness? Antonio Arevalo James Campbell High School Ethnocentrism 2 Abstract This paper discusses Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrads most acclaimed novel, and attempts to determine what the heart of darkness that Conrad speaks of is. I found, through my interpretations, that the heart of darkness is the ethnocentrism that Europeans maintained in the age of colonialism. More specifically, this ethnocentrism broughtRead More Realization of Inner Evil in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness1562 Words   |  7 PagesRealization of Inner Evil in Heart of Darkness    It was said by Thomas Moser that in order to truly be alive one must recognize the truth, the darkness, the evil and the death within (Moser, 156). Joseph Conrads novel, Heart of Darkness, goes very far to explain and prove this statement. During the novel the reader takes part in a spiritual and inner journey through Africa and the mind of the protagonist, Marlow. As a consequence of his newly gained knowledge and experience he is able toRead More Light and Dark Imagery in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness Essay594 Words   |  3 Pagesin Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad is a novel about a man named Marlow and his journey into the depths of the African Congo. Marlow is in search of a man named Kurtz, an ivory trader. Though Marlow?s physical journey seems rather simple, it takes him further into his own heart and soul than into the Congo. The setting, symbols and characters each contain light and dark images, these images shape the central theme of the novel.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Conrad usesRead More Characters, Setting, Themes, and Symbols of Heart of Darkness1248 Words   |  5 PagesCharacters, Setting, Themes, and Symbols of Heart of Darkness      Ã‚   Deep within the chest of every man, woman, and child beats the heart of darkness. On the surface, mankind has achieved a sophisticated level of civilization. Joseph Conrad forces the reader to peel away the pristine layer of sweetness and see the unaltered truth. Heart of Darkness reveals the true nature that lurks behind every smile, handshake, and conversation. Conrads portrayal of the characters, setting, symbols, and ironies

Black Identity free essay sample

As I was taking the SAT a week ago, I came across an essay question: Discuss the word Identity. Identity is a very hard topic to discuss. Identity is a state of mind that many people still do not have a firm grasp on. It’s even harder for black people. Growing up in an unjustly, limiting society, black people probably have it the hardest. Most blacks do not even know any of their history before slavery, much less as history during slavery. Because of this, black people believe in the unjust society and try to dress, talk and think like the dominant group (in this case white people). For instance, black women choose to perm their hair to fit in society. Also, black males choose to leave their hair very low to neglect their Afro. Black people have fallen victim to society. My stance is that black people need to exclude their mainstream influences and stay true to themselves. There are many reasons why this should be. Firstly, black people are internally not living for themselves. They would follow what the dominant group thinks of them and follow. Secondly, black people are neglecting their values. Black people do not know the special qualities we have. Finally, white people, or any other dominant group will never respect you if you follow them. If you were yourself, they would see you as a legitimate human being. Ever since I was young, I’ve always seen black women with such style and grace. However, I’ve always wondered why so many of them perm their hair. I always though to myself, â€Å"wow, those women had beautiful hair. Why did they do that to themselves?† That was before I grew up and knew that black women do it for a reason. They do it because they feel they won’t fit in. Black people do it because when they were young they were taught that their features were not as good as white people. It’s funny that as little girls, black women have their hair natural. But when they get older black girls perm their hair, as if this type of hair is a sign of maturity. For black men it’s the same thing. They rather leave their hair very low to produce waves. That is just a less strong form of the perm. Every time they go into a â€Å"mature function†(such as banquets, important parties, etc.) they have to match it with â€Å"mature hair†. Bla ck people for some reason want to have straight hair to match the hair of white people. They refer to their own hair as nappy. First of all, the word nappy is an English word, which means filth or stinky baby diapers. This is in no correlation to the texture or look of black hair. The same conundrum goes for the way black people wear their clothes. Some actually believe perfect attire for black people is a suit and tie. Black people need to have connection to their history. Before, black people wore long thin garments, with African designs. Since their skin is thick and receives the sun more, polyester clothing like a suit would suffocate their skin. Also, the black hair has many benefits. Before I get in to the discussion, I have to talk about coils or curls. Anything that coils receives more energy. For instance, our Milky Way Galaxy is spiral and therefore receives light and electrical energy. Also, wires for phones are meant to be curly for electricity to run through. From this information, black people should leave their hair natural. If they don’t have this hair, the sun energy will be messed up and they will never live a pure life. Hair is a symbol for who you are. For many centuries, hair symbolizes beauty and personality. These are the two maj or qualities of giving in to the dominant culture. You will think that you were not as beautiful and your whole personality would change to fit the culture. Many people have been brainwashed to think that a natural lifestyle without designer clothes and permed hair is impossible. There is a life of fulfillment, such as acting the way you want to act. It’s okay to learn about your own history. You can blend European history with your own and see the connection. I see in a lot of people’s faces that they don’t look fully happy. They are missing something: a part of themselves. They worry too much on what the dominant culture is doing that they forget about their own needs. I guarantee that if you like your normal real self, people would see the good in you. They would respect you for who you are. Sometimes, people would get scared if their accent does not match the European culture’s accent. If you express your culture in a true way, other people would see your culture really matters. They won’t assume that your culture isn’t important, and they would want to learn more. Many people would think, boy, why would you try to distance yourself from everybody? Everyone should speak the same way. People who have accents should lose them. A lot of black women would argue that perming their hair is the only way they can get lobs or succeed in life. You can’t walk in a prestigious working area with an afro or with locks. They also might argue that their hair is too hard to handle. A perm is much easier to fix in the morning. Black people would not agree with the African garments. They live in a European society, so they have to dress accordingly. Also, the weather is different in Africa. European societies have a colder weather and a suit would keep them warm. Black Americans are not familiar with that type of wear. Why wear something you’ve never worn before to work when you can wear your own garments to work. To many people, hair is not a big deal. They can cut it and grow it back, and do the same thing over again. ‘It’s just hair ’, people would say. If we exclude all of the negative influences that certain things are better than others, we would have a positive life. I’m not saying to completely neglect the European influence. However, we should not forget the African influences we had before the European influences. The former represents who we are. It becomes much more beautiful if we blend both strong points from each to make a powerful us. To those who disagree, can you challenge your situation? Can you change the way you look and think? Or do you have a one-track mind? What are we as people? It’s not good if that is the only way you can succeed and advance in life. Stay true to yourself, and somebody might actually respect you. From the words of Malcolm X Back during slavery, when Black people like me talked to the slaves, they didnt kill em, they sent some old house Negro along behind him to undo what he said. You have to read the history of slavery to understand this. There were two kinds of Negroes. There was that old house Negro and the field Negro. And the house Negro always looked out for his master. When the field Negroes got too much out of line, he held them back in check. He put em back on the plantation. The house Negro could afford to do that because he lived better than the field Negro. He ate better, he dressed better, and he lived in a better house. He lived right up next to his master in the attic or the basement. He ate the same food his master ate and wore his same clothes. And he could talk just like his master good diction. And he loved his master more than his master loved himself. Thats why he didnt want his master hurt. If the master got sick, hed say, Whats the matter, boss, we sick? [Laughter] When the mast ers house caught afire, hed try and put the fire out. He didnt want his masters house burned. He never wanted his masters property threatened. And he was more defensive of it than the master was. That was the house Negro. But then you had some field Negroes, who lived in huts, had nothing to lose. They wore the worst kind of clothes. They ate the worst food. And they caught hell. They felt the sting of the lash. They hated their master. Oh yes, they did. If the master got sick, theyd pray that the master died. If the masters house caught afire, theyd pray for a strong wind to come along. This was the difference between the two. And today you still have house Negroes and field Negroes. Im a field Negro.