Despite the unease it elicits, nature is indeed indifferent to human concerns. Western Civilization holds principles of fairness, justice and equality in high esteem. But a study of history would not reveal the triumph of these principles in any reasonable measure. Conversely, the forces of nature play a dominant role in determining the fates and…
Advertising is the art of convincing people to spend money they don’t have for things they don’t need
Commercial advertising is a phenomenon closely associated with capitalist consumer culture. The ubiquitous ad space that engulfs urban human habitation has no parallels in terms of its reach and influence. Advertising performs a key role in industrial economies and its infiltration into both print and online formats is unlikely to abate. With ad spends always…
The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe: A Personal Reflection
The poem The Raven is one of the classics of the American literary canon. Its author Edgar Allan Poe, the quintessential American poet and short story writer, brings rhythm, style and high metaphor to bear on this work. Published in the era preceding the American Civil War, the poem captures sentiments common during the time….
Gender Issues in Africa Expressed Through Literature
Post-colonial literature has been instrumental in bringing awareness and understanding of indigenous culture to outsiders. This could be said of post-colonial African Literature too. Gender issues are one important aspect of indigenous African culture. And African women writers of recent decades have investigated and evaluated these issues from both historical and sociological viewpoints. The two…
Is Social Policy primarily determined by the needs of the economy?
There is much truth to the statement that social policy is a product of economic imperatives. This is not in the true spirit of social democratic principles espoused in the legislatures, but has nonetheless become inevitable under the heavy influence of private capital (both domestic and international) in the era of neo-liberalism. Britain was for…
What is Cognitive Dissonance?
First coined by social psychologist Leon Festinger in his 1956 book When Prophecy Fails, Cognitive Dissonance describes the state of conflict arising in the human mind as it tries to accommodate two opposing realities. This concept is best illustrated through Aesop’s fable of the hungry wolf. As the wolf’s attempts to get hold of the…
Four Top Experimental Filmmakers from the UK and America
Daniel Robin is a contemporary filmmaker who is given to experimentation. Often, his films blur the line between fact and fiction. A classic example is the film My Olympic Summer, which won the Best Short award at Sundance Festival in 2008. In the film, Robin attempts to simulate truth in such as way that “audiences…
Why do people make Experimental Films?
Experimental filmmakers are a brave breed of creative artists who swim against the popular tide and style. People make experimental films for a variety of reasons. But one core motivation is the faith they have in their directorial ideas. Needless to say, many experimental films don’t see the light of day in terms of commerce….
Italian Renaissance Artists: An Overview
Renaissance is a French term for rebirth. It was coined first in the 19th century to denote the revival of art and letters under the influence of ancient Roman and Greek models. This revival started in Italy in the 14th century, flourished in the 15th, and in the subsequent century reached apogee and then met…
Censorship of Slaughterhouse Five
Written by Kurt Vonnegut and released in 1969, Slaughterhouse Five is a modern literary masterpiece. It is a novel rich in plot, characterization and theme that it is difficult to pin it down within one genre. For example, the novel has elements of science fiction and dark satirical comedy embedded in the drama of war. …