American Graffiti Essay -- essays research papers

American Graffiti (1973) This classic move focuses on a single night in the early Sixties, the hopeful future of the main characters is followed by the events which occur. Steve (Ron Howard), and Curt (Richard Dreyfuss) will be leaving for college the very next day, the build up of years of hard work. Finally they'll be able to leave their small hometown and "spread their wings", experiencing life in ways they never have. Curt is unattached to anyone, but Steve will be leaving behind his longtime girlfriend Laurie (Cindy Williams), who happens to be Curt's sister. Also remaining at home are Terry (Charles Martin Smith), a fumbling nerd, and John (Paul Le Mat), an older kid with "the fastest car in the valley". The two main things that kid's focused on in 1962, it was cars and music. Everyone who's anyone cruises the strip in their shiny automobiles and while they're doing that they're listening to Wolfman Jack on the radio. Music is an integral part of this group, defining its moods, fears, desires and feeding from the same emotions. Curt, a scholarship winner, is filled with doubt regarding his future. Everything that he's ever done has been aimed at college, yet now the moment is upon him Curt wonders if instead he should take time off. Symbolic of this uncertainty is a blonde in a white T-bird; elusive and enchanting she always slips away from Curt when he nears. In contrast, Steve is (if a...

Favorite Painting by Picasso

Have you ever gone to the museum and glanced at paintings but had to do a double take because a painting grabbed your attention so strongly? This is what happened to me when I saw the painting by Pablo Picasso entitled Mother and Child 1901. This painting was done during what was called the Blue Period. â€Å"Picasso Blue Period was in 1900 and ended in 1904. † (unknown, Pablo Picasso Blue Period 1901-1904, 2009) All of his paintings during this period were created in shades of blue and blue-green with other colors occasionally. Picasso had many paintings that had the same title UT in different time periods.Paintings by Picasso brought out warm and loving feelings in my heart. This one particular had me to think of the Joys of being a mother. I chose this painting by Picasso because it is warm and loving. You can see and feel how much the mother and child loved and cared for each other by their embrace. The mother clothed in a dark blue wrap that covers her head and continues around her body; has her right hand softly touching the back of her child's head. She is delicately bending down towards the child as she kisses him/her on the ordered. It is hard to tell if the child is a boy or girl.The child is in a light blue gown with matching slippers. His/her head is tilted upward to welcome the kiss from his/ her mother. It appears that the child has brought the mother a piece of fruit. Based on the colors of orange and pale yellow, it could possibly be an orange, mango or peach. The mother has a basket next to the black rocking chair she is sitting in. There is a white cloth in the basket along with some thread and scissors. It looks like the child brought the fruit while the mother was sewing. The child may have wanted his/ her mother to take a break and eat something.When I first saw this painting, I thought of Mary and Jesus. It evoked feelings in me of warmth, love and pure Joy. As I look at the way the mother expresses the love for her child, I can put myself in her place and feel how much she loves her child. I can feel my hand embracing the soft hair on the child's head and the soft kiss being placed on his/her forehead. To me the blue color of her wrap evokes the feeling of comfort. I can also feel the child's heart being warmed from the kiss he/she receives room the mother. The mother has her eyes closed as she kisses the child on his/her forehead.I can see that the kiss is a result of the fruit that the child has brought to her. In this painting it appears that the child is in his/her night clothing and is preparing for bed as the mother is busy sewing a piece of clothing in the basket. I can feel that this special moment between mother and child is a soft and loving moment. Pablo Picasso has many paintings that have the women seem to have a religious resemblance to Mary and the child possibly to Jesus. I can see that Picasso held elision as an important part of most of his paintings.I felt that Picasso viewed this painting as one of love from a mother to a child and vice versa. He painted the love of them as beautiful and distinctively warmly. I love how the child shows that he/she loves the attention his/her mother is giving and love they express between them. If I was a mother and alive in Picasso time, I would have asked him to paint a portrait of me and my children. Perhaps I will come across a painting from this century that resembles Picasso and it will make me feel warm and full of love as well.

The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald - 1170 Words

The Great Gatsby â€Å"The Great Gatsby† By F. Scott Fitzgerald is the tale of the glamorous lifestyle of the 1920s. Following World War I, America entered the roaring economic boom called the â€Å"roaring twenties.† The novel follows the life of Jay Gatsby through the eyes of his friend, and narrator, Nick Carraway. The American dream is based on living well, and earning money. Michael Schudson from Oxford University American Literary History describes the American dream as the idea â€Å"anyone, with hard work according to the rules, has a reasonable prospect of succeeding in life.†(566). Meanwhile, Jay Gatsby’s life revolves around the American dream of wealth and extravagance. However, critics argue if Gatsby is a good representation of the American dream. George Wilson, a hardworking mechanic, is a more accurate representation of the American Dream. Unlike Gatsby, Wilson earns his living honestly, pursues his dream, and aims for happiness despite the hardships. This essay will prove why Jay Gatsby isn’t an accurate portrayal of the American dream. This essay will be spilt into three main sections, a counterclaim, and conclusion. The first main section will discuss Gatsby’s dream of Daisy compared to Wilson’s dream of earning through his repair shop. The following section will discuss Gatsby’s illegal wealth compared to Wilson’s shop. Lastly, Gatsby’s hardships will be compared to Wilson’s. The counterclaim will discuss how Gatsby fits the idea of the American dream followed by aShow MoreRelatedThe Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald1393 Words   |  6 PagesF. Scott Fitzgerald was the model of the American image in the nineteen twenties. He had wealth, fame, a beautiful wife, and an adorable daughter; all seemed perfect. Beneath the gilded faà §ade, however, was an author who struggled with domestic and physical difficulties that plagued his personal life and career throughout its short span. This author helped to launch the theme that is so prevalent in his work; the human instinct to yearn for more, into the forefront of American literature, where itRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1343 Words   |  6 PagesHonors English 10 Shugart 18 Decemeber 2014 The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald s 1925 novel The Great Gatsby is a tragic love story, a mystery, and a social commentary on American life. The Great Gatsby is about the lives of four wealthy characters observed by the narrator, Nick Carroway. Throughout the novel a mysterious man named Jay Gatsby throws immaculate parties every Saturday night in hope to impress his lost lover, Daisy Buchanan. Gatsby lives in a mansion on West Egg across from DaisyRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1155 Words   |  5 PagesThe Great Gatsby The Jazz Age was an era where everything and anything seemed possible. It started with the beginning of a new age with America coming out of World War I as the most powerful nation in the world (Novel reflections on, 2007). As a result, the nation soon faced a culture-shock of material prosperity during the 1920’s. Also known as the â€Å"roaring twenties†, it was a time where life consisted of prodigality and extravagant parties. Writing based on his personal experiences, author F. ScottRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1166 Words   |  5 Pagesin the Haze F. Scott Fitzgerald lived in a time that was characterized by an unbelievable lack of substance. After the tragedy and horrors of WWI, people were focused on anything that they could that would distract from the emptiness that had swallowed them. Tangible greed tied with extreme materialism left many, by the end of this time period, disenchanted. The usage of the literary theories of both Biographical and Historical lenses provide a unique interpretation of the Great Gatsby centered aroundRead MoreThe Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald845 Words   |  3 PagesIn F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, colors represent a variety of symbols that relate back to the American Dream. The dream of being pure, innocent and perfect is frequently associated with the reality of corruption, violence, and affairs. Gatsby’s desire for achieving the American Dream is sought for through corruption (Schneider). The American Dream in the 1920s was perceived as a desire of w ealth and social standings. Social class is represented through the East Egg, the WestRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald Essay970 Words   |  4 Pagesrespecting and valuing Fitzgerald work in the twenty-first century? Fitzgerald had a hard time to profiting from his writing, but he was not successful after his first novel. There are three major point of this essay are: the background history of Fitzgerald life, the comparisons between Fitzgerald and the Gatsby from his number one book in America The Great Gatsby, and the Fitzgerald got influences of behind the writing and being a writer. From childhood to adulthood, Fitzgerald faced many good andRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald2099 Words   |  9 Pagesauthor to mirror his life in his book. In his previous novels F. Scott Fitzgerald drew from his life experiences. He said that his next novel, The Great Gatsby, would be different. He said, â€Å"In my new novel I’m thrown directly on purely creative work† (F. Scott Fitzgerald). He did not realize or did not want it to appear that he was taking his own story and intertwining it within his new novel. In The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, he imitates his lifestyle through the Buchanan family to demonstrateRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1607 Words   |  7 Pages The Great Gatsby is an American novel written in 1925 by F. Scott Fitzgerald. One of the themes of the book is the American Dream. The American Dream is an idea in which Americans believe through hard work they can achieve success and prosperity in the free world. In F. Scott Fitzgerald s novel, The Great Gatsby, the American Dream leads to popularity, extreme jealousy and false happiness. Jay Gatsby’s recent fortune and wealthiness helped him earn a high social position and become one of the mostRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1592 Words   |  7 PagesMcGowan English 11A, Period 4 9 January 2014 The Great Gatsby Individuals who approach life with an optimistic mindset generally have their goals established as their main priority. Driven by ambition, they are determined to fulfill their desires; without reluctance. These strong-minded individuals refuse to be influenced by negative reinforcements, and rely on hope in order to achieve their dreams. As a man of persistence, the wealthy Jay Gatsby continuously strives to reclaim the love of hisRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1646 Words   |  7 PagesThe 1920s witnessed the death of the American Dream, a message immortalized in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Initially, the American Dream represented the outcome of American ideals, that everyone has the freedom and opportunity to achieve their dreams provided they perform honest hard work. During the 1920s, the United States experienced massive economic prosperity making the American Dream seem alive and strong. However, in Fitzgerald’s eyes, the new Am erican culture build around that The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald - 1170 Words F. Scott Fitzgerald s, The Great Gatsby, is set in the Roaring Twenties on Long Island in the towns of fashionable East Egg where people with old money live, and it’s sister island West Egg where those who are have worked for their wealth and aspire to live on East Egg reside. Men have the power and authority, and women are expected to fulfill their roles as wives and caretakers. The narrator Nick Carraway has just moved to West Egg, and his only connections to begin with are his fanciful cousin Daisy Buchanan and her husband Tom. His neighbour, Jay Gatsby is an affluent man who throws lavish parties for what seems no reason. At dinner with Daisy, Nick meets Daisy’s old friend and independant golf star, Jordan Baker, who reveals that Gatsby’s parties are his attempt to reconnect with Daisy, his great love. Fitzgerald uses Daisy and Jordan to illustrate how, in a patriarchal society, women can only gain agency through deception. Daisy is using the assumption that she is innocent and oblivious in order to protect herself from emotional injury, and from the consequences her actions could hold. Tom, Nick, Jordan, Gatsby, and Daisy are in the city in a hotel suite. Tom and Gatsby began fighting over Daisy, and who she loved.â€Å"She hesitated. Her eyes fell on Jordan and me with a sort of appeal, as though she realised at last what she was doing - as though she had never, all along, intended doing anything at all.† (132). Daisy has been terrified of the consequences due toShow MoreRelatedThe Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald1393 Words   |  6 PagesF. Scott Fitzgerald was the model of the American image in the nineteen twenties. He had wealth, fame, a beautiful wife, and an adorable daughter; all seemed perfect. Beneath the gilded faà §ade, however, was an author who struggled with domestic and physical difficulties that plagued his personal life and career throughout its short span. This author helped to launch the theme that is so prevalent in his work; the human instinct to yearn for more, into the forefront of American literature, where itRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1343 Words   |  6 PagesHonors English 10 Shugart 18 Decemeber 2014 The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald s 1925 novel The Great Gatsby is a tragic love story, a mystery, and a social commentary on American life. The Great Gatsby is about the lives of four wealthy characters observed by the narrator, Nick Carroway. Throughout the novel a mysterious man named Jay Gatsby throws immaculate parties every Saturday night in hope to impress his lost lover, Daisy Buchanan. Gatsby lives in a mansion on West Egg across from DaisyRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1155 Words   |  5 PagesThe Great Gatsby The Jazz Age was an era where everything and anything seemed possible. It started with the beginning of a new age with America coming out of World War I as the most powerful nation in the world (Novel reflections on, 2007). As a result, the nation soon faced a culture-shock of material prosperity during the 1920’s. Also known as the â€Å"roaring twenties†, it was a time where life consisted of prodigality and extravagant parties. Writing based on his personal experiences, author F. ScottRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1166 Words   |  5 Pagesin the Haze F. Scott Fitzgerald lived in a time that was characterized by an unbelievable lack of substance. After the tragedy and horrors of WWI, people were focused on anything that they could that would distract from the emptiness that had swallowed them. Tangible greed tied with extreme materialism left many, by the end of this time period, disenchanted. The usage of the literary theories of both Biographical and Historical lenses provide a unique interpretation of the Great Gatsby centered aroundRead MoreThe Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald845 Words   |  3 PagesIn F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, colors represent a variety of symbols that relate back to the American Dream. The dream of being pure, innocent and perfect is frequently associated with the reality of corruption, violence, and affairs. Gatsby’s desire for achieving the American Dream is sought for through corruption (Schneider). The American Dream in the 1920s was perceived as a desire of w ealth and social standings. Social class is represented through the East Egg, the WestRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald Essay970 Words   |  4 Pagesrespecting and valuing Fitzgerald work in the twenty-first century? Fitzgerald had a hard time to profiting from his writing, but he was not successful after his first novel. There are three major point of this essay are: the background history of Fitzgerald life, the comparisons between Fitzgerald and the Gatsby from his number one book in America The Great Gatsby, and the Fitzgerald got influences of behind the writing and being a writer. From childhood to adulthood, Fitzgerald faced many good andRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald2099 Words   |  9 Pagesauthor to mirror his life in his book. In his previous novels F. Scott Fitzgerald drew from his life experiences. He said that his next novel, The Great Gatsby, would be different. He said, â€Å"In my new novel I’m thrown directly on purely creative work† (F. Scott Fitzgerald). He did not realize or did not want it to appear that he was taking his own story and intertwining it within his new novel. In The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, he imitates his lifestyle through the Buchanan family to demonstrateRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1607 Words   |  7 Pages The Great Gatsby is an American novel written in 1925 by F. Scott Fitzgerald. One of the themes of the book is the American Dream. The American Dream is an idea in which Americans believe through hard work they can achieve success and prosperity in the free world. In F. Scott Fitzgerald s novel, The Great Gatsby, the American Dream leads to popularity, extreme jealousy and false happiness. Jay Gatsby’s recent fortune and wealthiness helped him earn a high social position and become one of the mostRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1592 Words   |  7 PagesMcGowan English 11A, Period 4 9 January 2014 The Great Gatsby Individuals who approach life with an optimistic mindset generally have their goals established as their main priority. Driven by ambition, they are determined to fulfill their desires; without reluctance. These strong-minded individuals refuse to be influenced by negative reinforcements, and rely on hope in order to achieve their dreams. As a man of persistence, the wealthy Jay Gatsby continuously strives to reclaim the love of hisRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1646 Words   |  7 PagesThe 1920s witnessed the death of the American Dream, a message immortalized in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Initially, the American Dream represented the outcome of American ideals, that everyone has the freedom and opportunity to achieve their dreams provided they perform honest hard work. During the 1920s, the United States experienced massive economic prosperity making the American Dream seem alive and strong. However, in Fitzgerald’s eyes, the new Am erican culture build around that