Scrapbook of Styles Ritual in Maya Angelous Caged Bird

Born in St. Louis and then reared by her grandmother in the segregated community of Stamps, Arkansas, Maya Angelou overcame great adversities in her roller-coaster life to become a successful writer, dancer, singer, and African-American activist. The passages here have been drawn from Chapter 22 of the first volume of her autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings  (1969). In these paragraphs, Angelou recalls the first funeral that she attended as a child, that of Mrs. Florida Taylor, a neighbor who had left young Maya a yellow brooch. The ritual that Angelou describes also marked the girls first recognition of her own mortality. A Passage From I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings* (1969) by Maya Angelou The mourners on the front benches sat in a blue-serge, black-crepe-dress gloom. A funeral hymn made its way around the church tediously but successfully. It eased into the heart of every gay thought, into the care of each happy memory. Shattering the light and hopeful: On the other side of Jordan, there is a peace for the weary, there is a peace for me. The inevitable destination of all living things seemed but a short step away. I had never considered before that  dying, death, dead, passed away, were  words  and  phrases  that might be even faintly connected with me.But on that onerous day, oppressed beyond relief, my own mortality was borne in upon me on sluggish tides of doom.No sooner had the mournful song run its course than the minister took to the altar and delivered a sermon that in my state gave little comfort. Its subject was, Thou art my good and faithful servant with whom I am well pleased. His voice enweaved itself through the somber vapors left by the dirge. In a monotonous tone he warned the listeners that this day might be your last, and the best insurance against dying a sinner was to make yourself right with God so that on the fateful day He would say, Thou art my good and faithful servant with whom I am well pleased...Mr. Taylor and the high church officials were the first to file around the bier to wave farewell to the departed and get a glimpse of what lay in store for all men. Then on heavy feet, made more ponderous by the guilt of the living viewing the dead, the adult church marched up to the coffin and back to their seats. Their faces, which showed apprehension before reaching the coffin, revealed, on the way down the opposite aisle, a final confrontation of their fears. Watching them was a little like peeping through a window when the shade is not drawn flush. Although I didnt try, it was impossible not to record their roles in the drama.And then a black-dressed usher stuck her hand out woodenly toward the childrens rows. Th ere was the shifty rustling of unreadiness but finally a boy of fourteen led us off and I dared not hang back, as much as I hated the idea of seeing Mrs. Taylor. Up the aisle, the moans and screams merged with the sickening smell of woolen black clothes worn in summer weather and green leaves wilting over yellow flowers. I couldnt distinguish whether I was smelling the clutching sound of misery or hearing the cloying odor of death.It would have been easier to see her through the gauze, but instead I looked down on the stark face that seemed suddenly so empty and evil. It knew secrets that I never wanted to share. *I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, the first volume of Maya Angelous autobiography, was published by Random House in 1970. It is also available in a Random House paperback edition (2009).

Types of Actors - 1436 Words

3.4 Types of Actors Figure 3.2 Types of Actors and Some Current Actors Who Fit Each Category Impersonators Dustin Hoffman brings Lenny Bruce to life. The performance is so convincing and Lenny so gritty that today’s audiences may think they are seeing Lenny Bruce himself.Photo by Mary Evans/Ronald Grant/courtesy Everett Collection The term impersonator is considered somewhat demeaning in the acting world, suggesting that the actor has simply copied the manner, dialect, and behavior of a character, instead of creating the character. There are times when such a skill is useful—when a filmmaker needs a portrayal of a recognizable historical figure, for instance, but doesn’t want to distract the audience by casting a recognizable actor in†¦show more content†¦Even though he can be considered a personality actor, no one would argue that Nicholson, who has been nominated for 12 Academy Awards and won three, is a brilliant actor. And actors like Humphrey Bogart and Cary Grant remain popular personalities more than half a century after their heyday. But a lesser talent who relies too much on personality risks staying power. Will audiences 50 years from now recognize the strength of personality? Or will it simply seemed mannered and curious, a distraction instead of a beloved trait? Stars To define a star, think about a personality actor, only more so. A star is a distinctive screen persona, who is well–known and popular with the moviegoing public, often to the point that some avid movie fans become deeply curious about the actor’s private life Hollywood has a long love affair with stars, since the days of Charlie Chaplin and Mary Pickford. Stars are actors who are simply famous on–screen and off, personalities so magnetic that we are interested not just in their movies but in their personal lives as well. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are both talented actors. But they’re also famous stars, so much so that tabloids and gossip sites endlessly speculate on their relationship, their children, and every other aspect of their lives. Obviously this has been taken to almost absurd extremes today, where Web sites breathlessly report the content of text messages between actors and their mistressesShow MoreRelatedSystem and Change in Industrial Relat ions Analysis990 Words   |  4 Pagesconflicting theories and reasons for the emergence and importance of this field. Edmond Heery outlines and analyses the justaposition of two different views of modeling this vast and often debated area of industrial relations. His article looks at two types of model building in IR. First, the traditional model of systems-thinking set forth by John Dunlop, one of the pioneers of IR theory. Introduced in 1958, Dunlop’s system theory of IR tries to provide tools to understand the widest possible range ofRead MoreThe Kabuki Theater1516 Words   |  7 PagesAlthough it started out as just another type of dance, Kabuki eventually emerged into an important and fascinating theatre where elaborate makeup and costumes combined to put on entertaining performances for audiences throughout the centuries. Kabuki started out as a style of dance in the early sixteenth century, also known as the Edo period. Kabuki is an exclusive type of theater in which only males can act on stage. For over 400 years, women have only been allowed in the audience and not on stageRead MoreThe Work Of Art And The Age Of Mechanical Reproduction911 Words   |  4 Pagesnow plays a larger part in these values, where the ability to reproduce the art changes how people experience the art, both physically and mentally. This type of involvement also leads to an increase in the quantity of people involved in creating art, which has led to the increase in the quality of the art being produced. It is with these types of ideas, however, that Benjamin ends this piece bringing forth the idea that this reliance on technology that has been developed will inevitably start aRead MoreAnalysis Of The Play Waiting For Godot 994 Words   |  4 Pagesthere are some elements of the absurd, which are dictated by the presentat ion of Beckett’s play in a smaller venue, such as the Skirball Theater at New York University. The â€Å"Irishness† of the play is typically found in the Irish accents used by the actors, which is found in the expert interpretation of Beckett’s language in the Gare St Lazare production. Of course, the accents of Lane and Irwin are authentic, which gives a blend of traditional Irishness of the play, especially since Godot was an IrishRead MoreNon-State Actors Affected International Relations1225 Words   |  5 PagesNon-State Actors: Have an ability to affect International Relations 1 Introduction By the Peace of Westphalia ended the thirty years war, began the world politics and began the establishment of political system. There are global organizations controlled by states like United Nations (UN) and regional organizations which are the members from the nearest area with the same ideologies and take same principal of the organization like European Union (EU). Other side there are informal organizationRead MoreThe Play A Play As An Event That People Go And Witnesses1311 Words   |  6 PagesA play is the fundamental part of theatre, it’s an event that people go and witnesses. There are two major types of plays, comedies and tragedies, and every play should have a beginning, middle and an end. A play’s structure also known as dramaturgy, the vertical axis where it revolves around the characters and the action, while the horizontal axis consists of the time and plot. Plays exists in a worldly structure the preplay, play and the post play. Preplay is when the adv ertisement for the playRead MoreEssay about Gay and Lesbian Theater689 Words   |  3 Pageswhen I believed it would not be interesting or crowded. Other people know if actors are gay, lesbian, or bisexual, but few people would disagree that the theater world is friendly toward a variety of nonconformist than most professional fields. Same-sex love has been associated with acting for over 2000 years in the west during Roman times. It has been said that these types of relationships are accepted in this type of profession because it’s considered the least respectful environment. ViewersRead MoreThe Elizabethan Era 1663 Words   |  7 Pagescomposed new types of music, poets expressed their feeling through poetry, and playwrights wrote plays of different types of genres. Social classes and gender roles also contributed to the entertainment culture. During the Elizabethan era, people were entertained by sources of entertainment, such as plays, music, and poetry. Music was one of the many sources of entertainment during the Elizabethan Era. Elizabethan music was more refined and sophisticated than previous types of music. QueenRead MoreThe Drama And The Performance Background Of Japanese Theatre1723 Words   |  7 Pagesfurther exotic creatures. At the end, there is an energetic dance piece finale with a big cast. The ultimate purpose is to entertain the audience and to let the actors to reveal their skills. Nevertheless there is a didactic part, that represented by the reward of moral people and the punishment of immoral people. Therefore, in the plays the actors correspond to conflicts with religious facts, to show the transitioning of nature from the world of Buddhism, and the weight of responsibility from ConfucianismRead MoreA Bright Room Called Day by Tony Kushner678 Words   |  3 Pageshis character)is that he talks more rather taking action. One type of acting shown by the character of Husz is representational. This type of acting is playing from the inside. Husz is a person who doesnt know a lot about what is going on around him, what is going to happen, and how it is going to affect him and his love. However, he focuses on his work and tries to do propaganda art in his movies. The most important part for the actor before performing is to know everything about the character,

Favorite Place free essay sample

Comfort is something that is not easy to come by. There are many habits and simple pleasures that we indulge in to escape from the everyday stress of life. However, there is one treatment for stress that can provide an ideal amount of comfort. That treatment is being in your favorite place. Kingsley Lake has become an annual vacation spot every summer for my family and also for short weekend getaways. For this reason, Kingsley has become my favorite place to be to escape from the world for a while and enjoy myself. From the start of the day, and all the way to the end of one, the lake never fails to let me down in any aspect. Over the several memorable years of vacationing there, observing the sunrises became a daily routine. The sheer beauty of the scarlet red sun as it peaks over the pines is an addicting sight as it delivers the first of the day’s heat. We will write a custom essay sample on Favorite Place or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Faint sounds of hummingbirds catch my attention in the morning as well while they mingle around in the dense flower garden. The serene relaxation of the morning doesn’t last long however, because my dad never fails to strike up singing as he bakes muffins or mixes pancake batter in the kitchen. But his poor singing voice is always forgiven due the aroma of his pancakes and muffins that he has perfected over the years. Since my hunger rises from the smell slowly filling the rest of the lake house, I’ll usually distract myself with a warm cup of coffee that never fails to burn my mouth. The sound of feet fumbling down the stairs is the next thing I hear as my family and cousins wake up with the strengthening sunlight. After breakfast we all become anxious to go for a swim after eating breakfast. The walk down to the dock and into the water is always bitter sweet as the heat and humidity hit me like a wall. I always become quickly acclimated to the heat and race across the smoldering dock towards the water. The sight of all my sisters, brothers, and cousins all leaping into the water always causes me to laugh, since they all try to barrel down the dock to beat everyone to the water. Sounds of splashing and laughter became the only thing that is heard from the dock for the remainder of the day. The only thing to interrupt it is the roar of the boat engine as it fires up and takes us all out to tube or water ski. After several hours down at the lake the only thing left to stop the fun is a slight feeling of exhaustion, accompanied by a raging hunger. Soon my aunt and step-mom will have enough barbeque pork, beans, roles, and potato salad ready to feed an army. At this point everyone rushes up stairs to get some much needed nourishment. The bright blue sky soon will fade to darkness after the several hours of feasting. The only thing left to do is to take the boat out one more time for some night fishing. The anticipation of an unlikely success is what fuels my brothers and me to embark on this fishing experience. The sight of a fishing rod bending over backward when I get a big bite is enough motivation for me. As the midnight hour approaches, a well-deserved sit on the porch is the next thing on my list. The smell of a cheap cigar fills the air as my uncle cracks jokes and tokes. Soon the overwhelming exhaustion will get the best of me and I’ll refresh myself once more in the shower and crash into the sheets of the bed. When a day at the lake draws to an end I can only hope to savor the last of the remaining days left.

UFO Essays (1400 words) - Unidentified Flying Objects,

UFO Witness On June 24th, 1947 while searching for the remains of a downed Marine C-46 transport, lost somewhere in the Mount Ranier area, a young Idahoan businessman named Kenneth Arnold spotted something that would change his life forever. Just north of his position flying at an altitude of 9,500 feet and an unprecedented airspeed of 1,700 mph he spotted nine circular aircraft flying in formation. According to his estimate the aircraft were approximately the size of a DC-4 airliner ( Jackson 4). This account was the first sighting to ever receive a great deal of media attention. This sighting gave birth to the phrase "flying Saucer" coined by a reporter named Bill Begrette. Although not the first UFO sighting in history, Kenneth Arnolds account is considered to be the first documented UFO sighting. The following day Mr. Arnold discovered that in addition to his sighting there were several others in the Mount Ranier area that same day (Jackson 6). When most of think of UFO sightings we picture an unemployed, half- crazed, alcoholic hick living in a trailer park in the middle small town USA. Often times this description, although a little exaggerated, seems to fit fairly well. In the past when the average person spotted a UFO they were quickly discounted as a kook or con-artist in search of either attention or monetary reward. It wasn't until more reputable figures in our society began to come forward that we that we started looking at this issue a little more seriously. An article written 1957, entitled " Strange lights over Grenada" written by Aime' Michel describes just such an account: At 10:35 p.m. on September the 4th, 1957 Cpt Ferreira ordered his wing to abandon a planned exercise and execute a 50 degree turn to port. Ferreira was attempting to get a closer look at what he described as brilliant, pulsating light hanging low over the horizon. When the turn was completed he noticed that the object had turned too. It was still directly over his left. There was absolutely no doubt that the orange light was shadowing the F-84s. For another 10 minutes, it followed the jets without changing direction or appearance. The pilots watched as four small yellow discs broke away from the large red object and took up a formation on either side of it. All at once the large luminous disc shot vertically upward while the smaller discs shot straight towards the F-84s. In an instant the flat disc sped overhead in a hazy blur and vanished. When Cpt Ferriera was questioned by Portuguese Air Force Investigators he was quoted as saying: "Please don't come out with the old explanation that we were being chased by the planet Venus, weather balloons, or freak atmospheric conditions. What we saw up there was real and intelligently controlled. And it scared the hell out of us. (32) This is only one of literally hundreds of pilot accounts that have been documented and cross verified by other sources. To date the Portuguese Government has taken no official position as to what the luminous discs were. The United States has had more than it's fair share of unexplained aerial objects. In February of 1960 the N.A.A.D.S. (North American Air Defense System) spotted a satellite of unknown origin orbiting the Earth. They knew that it wasn't a Soviet satellite because it was orbiting perpendicular to trajectory produced by a Soviet launch. It also had a mass estimated at 15 metric tons, no evidence of booster rockets and traveled at speed three times faster than any known satellite. The satellite orbited for two weeks and disappeared without a trace. Before its disappearance, the object which appeared to give off a red glow, was photographed over New York several times (Jackson 19). Lights in the sky aren't the only evidence that suggests we may have cosmic company. In the book "A History of UFO Crashes", the author Kevin D. Randal gives detailed accounts of numerous UFO crashes in history. Perhaps the most famous of these crashes occurred on July 4th, 1947 in Roswell New Mexico. The crash at Roswell was witnessed from afar by over a hundred people. Until just recently, no one who was involved in the recovery operation was talking, but thanks to continued pressure from UFO enthusiast our government has begun to declassify much of its UFO related material. Perhaps more startling are than the government documents are the accounts given by local police and members of the recovery team. According to one unnamed witness, a member of the Roswell