Coney Island and Victorian Culture Essay

Coney Island at the turn of the century was a bustling and growing place. People of all classes traveled from New York City as well as other parts of the world to take part in the famous amusements that helped to loosen the tight corsets of Victorian gentility. Inspired by the Columbian Exposition in 1893 George Tilyou began to build a park on Coney Island beginning with the Ferris Wheel similar to that featured at the exposition which was designed by the Pennsylvania Steel Company. By 1895 Tilyou opened Steeplechase Park and began to fill it with acts and side shows thus inspired by his travels a few years prior. While concentrating on the appeal to all walks of life Tilyou acquired A Ride to The Moon from Fredric Thompson and Elmer Dundy who built the ride specifically for the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. A short season later in 1902 Thompson and Dundy left Steeplechase to create Luna Park taking the amusement with them. Playing off the most popular sport on Coney Island, Tilyou obtained a mechanical horse race that took riders on a thirty second ride around a track complete with hills and sharp turns. Other attractions added to the park included the Human Roulette Wheel which threw riders in all directions and Earthquake Stairs which jostled climbers and challenged them to descend a shaking stair case. These attractions as well as the wild side shows caused people to throw off all conventionality and made them rub elbows with other classes while having unrestricted fun. While Steeplechase drew visitors to the peninsula it also increased in the popularity of swimming or bathing as it was referred to in Victorian speak. People on a hot New York day adventured to Steeple Chase and the beach by various means of transportation. Donning the latest in bathing fashions people enjoyed more unrestricted fun regardless of any class system in the water. Although Victorians looked down their noses at the amusements and public bathing, people still flocked to the beaches and splashed in the chilly waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Ruckus rides and the ability to socialize appealed to the younger generations looking to toss off the oppressive garbs of Victorian gentility and just have plain unrestrictive fun. In 1907 tragedy struck Steeplechase as fire ravaged the park leaving a smoking ruin. In the efforts to still turn a dollar Tilyou charged admission to the ruins of the once great park. During the rebuilding, Luna Park benefited from the loss and treated guests to a modern park with rides to thrill everyone. The â€Å"old-fashionedness† of Steeplechase was challenged as Luna Park, the most modern of it’s time dazzled park goers with electric lights and tall white towers bathed in bright bulbs. This enabled the park to operate at night. But still people remained loyal to the original amusement park they knew so well even though built anew from smoldering ruins. George Tilyou sadly passed away in 1914 after seeing his park through another fire in 1911 which claimed Dreamland. Luckily enough the winds shifted and spared his park from a second disaster. By 1914 the amusement park began to fall out of favor. The once well loved and most visited park suffered a loss in the visitors during the hot New York summers. Steeplechase continued to operate and help people socialize and essentially come out of the tight bonds of gentility by offering a carefree time with out restrictions. Then on New Year’s Eve 1964 the last light was turned off for the final time at the ill fated old fashioned park. Luna Park on the other hand was not as popular as the original park but provided new wonders for those curious and daring enough to seek it out. Created after the Beaux-Arts movement of the time Thompson an erratic architect began to design the park as a world where someone could be lost in fantasy. By opening day on May 16th 1903 Luna Park opened its doors to the wonderment of many people seeking out entertainment and new amusements to help them shed the conventionality of the structured Victorian world. Here we can clearly see where still Steeplechase was cherished like a child hugs a ragged teddy bear but the new adventure which was named Luna was embraced for its latest technologies that Steeplechase clearly was lacking. With over 1 million lights, long distance telephone service, telegraph and radio services Luna Park became a city with in a city. With Thompson and Dundy’s success in creating illusion rides for the park guests they still relied on others as well. When they left the employment of Tilyou after the 1902 season they brought their famed â€Å"Ride to the Moon† amusement with them. Counting on its fame from Steeplechase park and the illustrious past of being featured at the Pan-American Exposition in 1901 the creators hoped it would bring the crowds in. With more and more people seeking a day at the park and on the beach both parks helped make Coney Island known world wide and soon became a top tourist destination. At a time when high society still held restrictions of how men and women should act in public in high regards, more and more people used these parks as a way to shed the restrictions of society and seek titillating amusements and fill curiosities each other had that Victorian culture had suppressed over the years with rules and barriers against those who dared to go against the prim and proper societies. Technology in these times were changing and what better place to display these but at amusement parks and expositions. Younger Victorians embraced these changes and viewed them as a move toward the future. We can clearly see where walls were broken down between classes while all walks of life frolicked on the beaches of Coney Island, screamed on the same rides, and traveled faster than they ever had in their lives. Luna Park and Steeplechase side by side were wonderful examples of old an new. While people still embraced the old curious onlookers sought out attractions that displayed futuristic gadgets. By the creation of the final park Dreamland in 1904 tourism and the shedding of Victorian genteel ways were in full swing. Dreamland brought more pleasure seekers to the peninsula and more bathers to the sea shore. The park was built by William Reynolds who is best known for his crooked dealings with Tammany Hall. Dreamland became the park to rival the other 2 on the peninsula. It is said that the park would be anything unlike the modern world has seen. The main tower of Dreamland had a beacon that shined out to sea and confused many ships coming into port. The amusement park sparkled as guests promenaded through the many attractions and thrill rides. With Dreamland promising amusement in a more dignified way the creators tried to offer Culture to those who visited the park. Providing a grand ballroom and upscale restaurants from around the world Dreamland attempted to cater to the upper class leaving lower classes to attend the older less dignified parks. The developers still provided rides and attractions that rivaled the other parks and even stole ideas from them as well. Americans were fascinated by disasters. Fighting the Flames was a good example of this as New Yorkers were most familiar with tenements catching fire and many people dying. People could identify with this ride. As tenement style buildings covered in asbestos were set ablaze, firefighters came to the rescue of the tenants who jumped to their safety in huge nets below. With rides like Shoot the Chutes guests at Dreamland were still treated to rides that caused them to throw off all conventionalities. Dreamland with its intentions to preserve all that is roper and dignified still provided outrageous outlets that caused people to smile and scream like they never had before. Sideshows still prevailed like Bostock’s Circus and Captain Bonavita’s Lion Show. They treated guests to clowns, wild animals, and daring stunts which caused people to gasp and look on in awe. Dreamland gave people a look at the world in their own backyard. Rides like Touring the Alps which provided ride rs with a simulated ride through the Alps complete with blasts of cold air to the Japanese Tea Room which gave people a look at cultures foreign to their own. The achievements of creating an atmosphere of wonderment and awe like that of the previous expositions held in Chicago and Buffalo, Reynolds achieved ultimate success in helping people question their hum drum ways and rules that bound them tightly. On May 27 1911 the wonderment that was known as Dreamland came to an end when it burned to the ground. Complaints by the fire departments that fought the flames were low water pressure. It was said that Reynolds built the park so fast that he built over fire hydrants. The mistakes and rush to greed cost him his park only seven short years later. The fire although sparing because of the winds did not leave Thompson’s railway alone. Sadly but fortunately that was one of a few external victims of the fire caused by greed. Fred Thompson found General Manager Samuel Gumpertz staring blankly at the ruins. Reynolds decided not to rebuild the park and Gumpertz opened a freak show in a large tent. This was the beginning of the end of Coney Island, the most famous playground of the early 20th century. Luna Park and Steeplechase continued to operate through many changes of attractions. The 1920’s ushered in rides like The Wonder Wheel and The Cyclone. It is joked immigrants who came to this country saw The Wonder Wheel first before seeing the Statue of Liberty. Still The Wonder Wheel is a wonderful example of freedom through good times and laughter and the shedding of old ways to a new life. By the close of the season of 1946 Luna Park could no longer afford to keep its gates open to the dwindling visitors. That which was new and exciting became old and worn out. Steeplechase continued to operate and pride itself of being risen from the ashes still provided visitors with aging and familiar rides. By the opening of Astro Park in 1962 this began to spell the end of the turn of the century amusements. At the stroke of midnight New Years Eve 1964 the last light was turned out on the oldest amusement park of the time leaving behind a legacy of fun and a little known waltz written for the opening of Dreamland entitled â€Å"Meet Me Tonight in Dreamland†. By looking at the amusement parks of the early 20th century we can clearly see where proper Victorians were given the opportunity to shed the constrictions of a culture that forced them into a protected part of society. Here creators of parks provided a person all types of amusements and bathing which for proper Victorians swimming with people of the opposite sex was just scandalous. Many of the older generations still held fast to their convictions of manners and proper ways. In many ways Coney Island was a petrie dish for societies and cultures. Could they truly leave behind the tight corsets and stiff collars to have fun with all folks of all classes with out concern for class stratification due to wealth, power or even dress? The writer of this believes yes. This was a place where society began to leave behind their constrictions and just have plain fun. Therefore unmaking Victorian culture as it was known.

Love in “A Midsummer Nights Dream” Essay

In Shakespeare’s â€Å"a Midsummer Nights Dream† love is shown in many different ways. During the play there are many different sub-stories and extra plots that it is easy for Shakespeare to add many different ideas, these sub-stories in the play are the story of Pyrimus & Thisbee and also the story of the Fairy King and Queen Oberon and Titania. With these added plots in place Shakespeare adds the themes of deceit, magic and confusion. In Act 1 Scene 1 parental love is shown when Hermia’s father Egeus tries to get his daughter to marry Demetrius who he believes is much better for Hermia than her true love Lysander. Egeus believes he is protecting his daughter by attempting to force her to marry Demetrius but is actually going against his daughters wishes as she wants to marry Lysander, Egeus then presents her with an ultimatum which makes her choose to marry Demetrius of live a Celibate life in the church and it is at this point in the play that Hermia and Lysander choose to runaway. This is a good example of parental love going terribly wrong as Egeus loses control over his daughter when she deceives him by running away with the man her father disapproves of her marrying, this also starts of the plot of the confused lovers. Shakespeare portrays the confusion between Hermia, Lysander, Helena and Demetrius by using the fairies and the ideas of dreams and magic so the reader cannot tell what is reality and what is fantasy. It is at this point in the play when the fairies are brought into the play as the mischievous ‘Puck’ causes mayhem between the four Athenians. The confusion is caused when Oberon sees Helena constantly doting over Demetrius despite Demetrius’s love for Hermia, he then sends Puck to fetch a magical flower to put on the eyes of Demetrius so that he would wake and set eyes on Helena and fall in love with her, but this all goes wrong when he places the flower on Lysander’s eyes and he is woken by Helena, consequently falling in love with Helena and snubbing Hermia. The confusion thickens further as Puck then also applies the magical flower to Demetrius and he also falls in love with Helena and results in Lysander and Demetrius fighting over Helena. This keeps the r eaders interest because of the sudden role reversal between Hermia and Helena. The Confused Lovers is written into the play well into the play very well and effectively and by portraying it using fantasy and  magic Shakespeare is able to add another dimension to the play. By bringing magic into the play Shakespeare introduces the deceitful element to the love and also a higher level magical degree. The story of Oberon and Titania is one of Male Dominance, Jealousy and Conflict. Titania and Oberon are king and queen of the fairies and there relationship affects the goings on of nature. Titania’s part in the play is highly unpredictable as she shows love for 3 different characters; these characters are Oberon, Nick Bottom, and The changeling child. These are three different types of love, her love for Oberon seems forced and full of conflict, her love for Nick Bottom is due to the same magic as used on the confused lovers and her love for the Changeling Child is out of care and consideration as she has rescued it. The changeling child sparks the argument between Oberon and Titania and this leads to Titania’s abrupt love for Nick Bottom. This is planned by Oberon as revenge for Titania not giving him the changeling child as a servant. Titania’s love for Bottom is only due to magic and many other aspects, one of these aspects is Titania’s love of being in love and the love for bottom is very wrong. It is wrong as he is an innocent victim of Oberon and Puck’s trouble making and cannot do anything to stop what has happened and Titania takes advantage of this using her beauty and the luxurious treatment he gives him to get what she wants while he believes it is a dream, we realise this as he isn’t sure where he is or what happened to him. There is love between Hermia and Lysander and also Demetrius and Helena either side of the confusion when the four venture into the forest. The love between Lysander and Hermia is very true and exists from Lysander to Hermia and vice versa. This is displayed very early on in the play when Lysander refuses to give up on Hermia when her father demands she marry Demetrius and also when Hermia is willing to run away from a life of spoils and riches just to be with Lysander. This love is still the same at the end as neither Hermia nor Lysander have any memory of what happened due to magic yet again. On the other hand the love between Demetrius & Helena is forever changing up until the end of the play, at the start Helena’s love for Demetrius is doting and obsessive but Demetrius returns none of this love. This is well  shown when they are in the forest and Helena says â€Å"the more thy object me the more I dote on you† she continues to make comments like this even when Demetrius continually rejects her, it is obvious he dislikes Helena as he makes comments such as â€Å"I love thee not, therefore pursue me not† this makes it obvious to Helena that Demetrius dislikes her but she still pursues him right up until the end of the play when he finally falls in love with her. Although once more this love is only due to the magical works of Puck. The problems between Hermia and her father are resolved when the four now unconfused lovers are found by Theseus and Egeus in the forest, Theseus then heard of there love for each other and declared â€Å"fair lovers you are fortunately met† and all happiness is achieved. The four lovers have no memory of the events that have happened and think it is all a dream but it is actually reality. Shakespeare uses a variation of techniques and themes to portray love in â€Å"A Midsummer Nights Dream†. Many are successful but the sub plot of Pyramus and Thisbee is unsuccessful as it does not play a major part in the play and the reader knows that the happenings of the play are not reality but with the other themes the reader does not know whether the happenings were reality or not. The other themes are successful because of the fact that there is no differentiating between reality and dreams, I think Shakespeare is successful in portraying love in the play and I also believe that his extensive use of various themes is a key to this success.

Case Study: Google in China Essay

When Larry Page and Sergy Brin first launched the Internet search engine, Google; they did so with one goal in mind, to provide people searching the internet for information with the fastest, most reliable search engine. Because of their creativity and innovation, Google is one of the largest and most profitable Internet search engines available. With more than 150 domains worldwide, people in almost every country can search the Internet for information about everything from historical facts to current events. Ingrained into the company’s code of ethics is the often quoted phrase â€Å"don’t be evil† (Hill, 2009, p. 148). By this, Google means the company will not compromise their Code of Conduct and will provide searchers with information which is current and not biased or censored in any way. To Google, their Code of Conduct is also about â€Å"doing the right thing† (Google, 2009, para. 1). Because of Google’s Code of Conduct when the company ent ered China, human rights activists had hopes that the citizens of China could search the Internet without the Chinese government censoring the results. The purpose of this paper is to address the following regarding Google’s presence in China, (a) the legal, cultural, and ethical challenges confronting Google, and (b) the various roles the Chinese government plays in Google’s Chinese business operations. In addition, the paper will include a summary of the strategic and operational challenges facing Google managers who are living and working in China.. LEGAL, CULTURAL, AND ETHICAL CHALLENGES In 2000, Google began offering services to the Chinese allowing them the ability to search in their own language. Google did not have an office in China so the service was out of the United States. For approximately two years, the Chinese people could use Google to search for information over the Internet. Then in 2002, the Chinese government blocked access to Google’s website and instead began making searchers use a site approved by the Chinese government. When the government later allowed access to Google, people found certain sites considered politically sensitive were not available. China was blocking sites the government considered subversive. To solve this problem, Google decided to establish an office in China with the goal of providing the Chinese population access to the largest amount of information the company could provide. In essence, Google voluntarily agreed to censor certain results considered subversive by the Chinese government. This created legal and ethical problems of Google being able to live up to the company standards of providing users complete access to all information. Various Roles the Chinese Government Plays In 2010, Google discovered their website had been hacked into. Although the company will not say publically whether or not they think the Chinese government was behind the hacking, they did inform the government they would no longer voluntarily censor their search results. According to Branigan â€Å"Google claimed the cyber-attack originated from China and that its intellectual property was stolen, but that evidence suggested a primary goal was accessing the Gmail accounts of Chinese human rights activists† (Branigan, 2010, para. 14). Google also stated that they found where Gmail accounts of human rights activists living in China, Europe, and the United States were being hacked into by third parties on a routine basis (Branigan, 2010). During February, a statement was released by Secretary of State Clinton concerning the rights of all to have access to the Internet and â€Å"pledging to file a formal State Department protest regarding this month’s alleged Google Chin a censorship and hacking† (Baer, 2010, para. 1). Strategic and Operational Challenges Because of these latest developments, Google found themselves in the position of needing to make some very difficult decisions. The company needed to decide whether or not they should remain in China and agree to the terms of the Chinese government. These terms essentially meant allowing third parties to access and monitor the company’s site and Gmail accounts. However, Google seems to have found a solution for this dilemma by providing searchers with a link to the company’s uncensored Hong Kong website. The Chinese government seems to be in agreement with this solution and is allowing Google to remain in China for now (Horowitz, 2010). CONCLUSION When Google decided to enter the Chinese market, the company did so because they knew how important the Chinese market was for their business. They also realized that China provided an opportunity for the company to grow. However, entering China also resulted in Google being faced with having to make some serious ethical and legal decisions. These decisions include whether Google should continue to censor results on its website or if Google eventually needs to pull out of China. Currently, Google seems to think that giving the Chinese access to some information is better than not granting them access to any information. References Baer, M. (2010). _Cyber attacks & the ethical dimension of the Google China episode_. Retrieved from http://globalcomment.com/2010/cyber-attacks-the-ethical-dimension-of-the-google-china-episode/ Branigan, T. (2010). _Google challenge to China over censorship_. Retrieved from http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/jan/13/google-china-censorship-battle Google. (2009). _Google Investor Relations Code of Conduct_. Retrieved from http://investor.google.com/corporate/code-of-conduct.html#I Hill, C. W. (2009). _International Business: Competing in the Global Marketplace_ (7th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill Irwin Horowitz, D. (2010). _Google Still in China_. Retrieved from http://www.daniweb.com/news/story295468.html

Examine the ways in which business contributes to economic, political, Essay

Examine the ways in which business contributes to economic, political, and social stability and instability - Essay Example Under this section, the global financial recession of 2008 will serve as a classic example of the potential of businesses to contribute to economic instability. Under the second section, a critical analysis of the contribution of businesses to political stability and instability will be discussed. The third section will consider the contribution of businesses to ether social stability or instability. Contribution of Businesses to Economic Stability or Instability Many economists have focused on describing the factors that affect the stability of the economy in different parts of the globe. The adoption of capitalism as an ideology in the business world brings out a clear picture of the dynamics that defined the business world. Capitalism is a system that favoured the rich countries that had the capital to invest, and served as a disadvantage to the lower class in any society that had to work as labourers with minimal wages. The bigger picture of the capitalism indicates that the esta blishment of free markets only serves to promote the interests of the rich. The rich countries have enjoyed the benefits of capitalism. On one side, capitalism has caused the economic stability of the wealthiest developed countries. This is evident from the analysis of the roots of capitalism in Europe and the trends that followed with capitalists occupying different territories. As Chang highlights in his critic of the capitalist system, it is evident that the opening up of markets promoted by capitalism has little benefit to the poor countries and has been the cause of the surging economic crises in these countries in the recent years (Chang & Lane2010, p. 34). Moreover, the capitalist system has only served to build several distinct capital systems that exhibit a level of competition. This competition only results in adversity that compromises the economies of some countries, while promoting the interests of the capitalist hegemony. After the recession experienced in the United S tates during the 1930s, it became evident that there was need for control of the business world. This led to the formation of different organizations that have been at the forefront of controlling the global markets and monetary systems. Evidently, these organizations have exerted a form of regulation of the international markets determining the ensuing business trends. Moreover, regional regulatory bodies that control the business trends in each region. Chang argues that the elimination of opaque financial products may foster a level of certainty concerning the future stability of the economy (Chang & Lane2010, p. 64). Evidently, it has proved impossible to ensure that each country and region maintain the openness and freeness of markets. Many countries have focused on the production of the opaque business products that have affected the stability of some economies. The 2008 financial recession reveals evidence that businesses have the potential of causing instability. The failure of banks was the primary cause of the recession. Prior to the recession, a few of the great banks controlled the financial system and had the security that they were not subject to failure. Moreover, many of the Americans had

Analysis of Articles about Warm Bodies Movie Annotated Bibliography

Analysis of Articles about Warm Bodies Movie - Annotated Bibliography Example The author recognizes the uniqueness of the zombie in warm waters movie compared to other zombies seen in movies or read in books. The author tries to analyze the contribution of â€Å"R† as the main character. The article will be fundamental in understanding zombies, the role of â€Å"R,† and how the movie grabbed teens attention. As such, the article is current and relevant to reviewing the movie, Warm waters. Hamilton, Mary. â€Å"Warm Bodies: what our love affair with zombies says about us.† The Guardian, 8 February 2013. Web. 16 March 2015. < http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/feb/08/warm-bodies-film-zombie-love-affair> The article by Mary Hamilton shows how our relationships with zombies say about our culture. The author reckons that Warm Bodies is a zombie romantic comedy that invades popular consciousness. The article asserts that zombie movies have been attracting immense attention in the recent past. The author presents the cultural significance of zombies and notes that zombies depict human loneliness and ability to deal with the disaster. According to the author, the cultural significance of zombies has changed over time and recognizes the epidemic of zombie culture seen in books, films, games, and zombie experiences. The article claims that the movie, Warm Bodies is just another zombie story where zombies are human but act like monsters. The audience can use the article to understand the impact of zombies on our culture where humanizing monsters relates to the acceptance of our dark cultures. The journal article by Kevin Johnson shows how the main character â€Å"R† is special than the other zombies seen in movies or read about in books. The article depicts R as a hero who survived a plague. Unlike other zombies, the author shows that R (Nicholas Hoult) depicts a high thinking capacity while he was wandering through an airport.     Ã‚  

Fully discuss the multiple pieces of legislation that led to heated Essay

Fully discuss the multiple pieces of legislation that led to heated arguments in Congress that would ultimately lead to the Civil War - Essay Example Moreover, the southern slave masters established that such a characteristic restraint of the current slavery would magnanimously breach the principle of state rights. Abraham Lincoln emerged the winner in the 1860 presidential elections, devoid of ten of the southern areas voting. His characteristic triumph prompted the seven slave areas to pronounce secessions, resulting into the formation of the coalition states even before Lincoln took up a post. Autonomists in the north rebuffed from recognizing these secessions (Yazawa 19). Additionally, the USA government in Washington refuted the recognition of the possession of forts of the allies, though they lay squarely in the region of the confederacy states. As emphasized by numerous contemporary historians, the characteristic disunions were principally the key cause of the war. However, they argue that among those key causes were additional aspects of states’ rights and economics. Notably, the northern populace was augmenting more hastily than the southern, making it extremely difficult for the south to influence the national government. At the time of the 1860 elections, the intensively agricultural southern states had fewer electoral centres, enabling Lincoln to win the presidential voting without the participation of the southerners (Goldfield, et al. 39). The southerners had much to worry regarding the hasty growth of the manufacturing and populace in the case of the northerners. With the aim of sustaining unity in the USA, the chief politicians had constantly moderated characteristic antagonism to slavery, resulting in massive compromises, for example the Missouri compromise of 1820 (Yazawa 11). As the compromise yielded an aversion of an instant political crisis, it did not completely resolve the issue of slave power. Being a fraction of the compromises of 1820, the fugitive slave edict that required the people from the north to aid the southerners in the reclamation of the fugitive slaves

CV Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

CV - Essay Example I now know that architecture is what I was born to do, and I will pursue this goal wherever it takes me. My educational achievements, along with extracurricular activities, prove that I am a committed and hard-working person in all aspects of my life. I had the privilege of studying at Kingston University in London due to the generosity of the Saudi Arabian government, which gave me a full scholarship. During my training experiences, I was able to get along with my co-workers and learn how to fit into a team. The specific activities that I had the opportunity to perform include model making and sketching. When I received training at Retaj Consulting & Engineering last summer, I interned in the architectural department. Please refer to my resume for more information and do not hesitate to contact me if there is anything that you would like to discuss with me. Thank you for taking the time to consider my application and I look forward to hearing your response