The Importance of the Diary for a Study of Archbishop Laud Essay Example

The Importance of the Diary for a Study of Archbishop Laud Paper William Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury from 1633 has traditionally been seen as one of the twin pillars of Stuart despotism1, and the councillor whose influence cost Charles his crown. Though a great deal of contention has surrounded these, and other assumptions about the Archbishop in recent years, the diary, which Laud kept between the years of 1602 and 1643 has not been widely used as a source for his study. It is important to consider Laud not only as primate, but also as an individual in order to obtain the fullest possible understanding of him. As Gaunt has argued that Laud is one of those unfortunate historical figures whose biography has been penned largely from the writings of his enemies2, I feel that an attempt should be made to study Laud solely through his own writings, but in particular his diary, as it was Pynnes falsification of the text after he seized it in 1643 that led to such negative views about the Archbishop, and tainted contemporary and even later historical opinion. Through examination of the diary, I wish to ascertain what can be discovered about Lauds aims and beliefs, his significant relationships, his fears and crucially, his character, and how all of these affected his policies and decisions. The primary source for the dissertation will be Lauds diary, with the composition chiefly focused upon perceptions raised from it, using Lauds other works, letters and charges, as well as Prynnes commentary of the diary and Clarendons account of Laud to supplement these notions. We will write a custom essay sample on The Importance of the Diary for a Study of Archbishop Laud specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Importance of the Diary for a Study of Archbishop Laud specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Importance of the Diary for a Study of Archbishop Laud specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer However this may mean that a large proportion of the dissertation will be theoretical as much of my argument will be based on what can be inferred from what Laud does, and even fails to record. A study of the diary is particularly important to me because I find Laud to be a fascinating character around whom much historiographical argument is centred. He was pivotal to the breakdown of the Personal Rule, and I believe it will be particularly interesting to examine events from his perspective. . Religion has been labelled a fundamental and deep-rooted cause of the English Civil war3; hence there has been much debate over the key priorities and aims of William Laud, who as Archbishop of Canterbury from 1633, played a crucial role in the formation and enforcement of religious policy during the 1630s. Historians, such as McGee, have long claimed that Lauds outlook compromised of three central features; he set himself firmly against public theological controversy and believed in the benefits of ceremony. Underlying and informing these was his deep conviction that the Reformation had deprived clergymen of authority restoration of the clerical estate to its rightful place was absolutely necessary4. As evidence exists within the diary which supports this argument, each of these directives will be considered in turn through an examination of the text, in an attempt to determine the strength of Lauds ecclesiastical aims, and ascertain if there was, as McGee claims, a key priority within these. It is manifest that Laud believed the prevention of theological debate was imperative if order and stability were to be brought to the Church of England; an objective which led him to pursue a fierce campaign against radical opinion, focused particularly on Puritans. By rejecting the common forms of worships, Laud thought that they segregated themselves from the community and encouraged religious controversy, and were thus acting as a fifth column within the church; these are dangerous men, they are a scattered company5. Preaching, to Puritans the essential task of the ministry, was to Laud one such dangerous source of contention in need of regulation, a mindset which is palpable throughout the diary, for example 1625, he writes of the schedule he compiled at the Duke of Buckinghams request, in which the names of many Churchmen were marked with the letters O. and P. 6, in order that the King should be advised when appointing clerics as to which were Orthodox, and which were Puritan, and therefore suitable and unsuitable respectively. Aware that the Puritan laity were able to increase their influence over religion by financing lecturers from impropriated titles; lecturers who were often chosen to reflect their patrons preferment rather than uphold the articles of the church, Laud resolved to overthrow the feoffment, dangerous to both Church and State, an irrefutably strong intention given that he ranked it second in the extensive list of Things which I have projected to if God bless me in them7,written at the back of his diary. True to Lauds suspicions, in 1632 Attorney General William Noy uncovered that many lecturers paid for by the feoffees for impropriations, the City organisation involved with the buying up of church tithes and patronages, remained accountable to them, leading to allegations that the feoffees were an illegal corporation which was attempting to create a church within a church, outside the authority of the King. Noting in February 1632 his relief that the feoffees for impropriations were dissolved in the Chequer Chamber, Lauds adds that they were the main instrument for the Puritan faction to undo the Church8, which taken alongside his diary entry of 1638, the tumults in Scotland about the Service-Book offered to be brought in hath now brought that king down in danger. No question, but theres a great concurrence between them and the Puritan party in England9, conclusively demonstrates his deeply-held and unwavering belief that Puritans were engaged in organised political activity to destabilise the Caroline regime. Thus, despite the assertions of other ministers, such as Archbishop Abbott, that there is not in the Church of England, left any inconformable minister, which appeareth10, it is evident from the diary that Laud in no way shared this view, and instead set himself firmly against the danger posed by theological controversy which he believed Puritans, in particular, engendered. The diary also demonstrates the emphasis Laud placed on the prevention of predestination discussion, which by start of the Personal Rule had become a serious and explosive issue within the public and political sphere. Richard Montagus, A Gagg for the New Gospel, published in 1624, had ignited debate on the matter through his controversial Arminian assertion that the Church of England hath not taught it, doth not believe it, hath opposed it11. Though Charles and his Privy Council went to lengths to quieten controversy thereafter, Laud remained fearful that the political repercussions of the cause, book and opinions of Richard Montagu would constitute what he described as, a cloud arising and threatening the Church of England12. Attempts to control the destabilising impact of theological debate culminated in a royal proclamation in 1629 which banned discussion of predestination, as Charles and Laud believed that the way to secure orthodoxy was not to prove the true doctrine, but to silence all disputation which could lead to a re-opening of public debate. However, there has been much historical debate as to whom was truly impacted by the proclamation; Kevin Sharpe has argued that Laud himself was indifferent to the varying abstractions of predestination, as his main attachment was to uniformity of worship rather than the minutiae of theological dispute13, and thus where predestinarian debate was curbed, it was done so in an unbiased manner, a view supported by Julian Davies, who uses the Woodstock hearing of August 1631 as the foundation for his debate, asserting that it is here that Lauds theological attitude is most convincingly illustrated. At the hearing, Charles personally oversaw the case of several Oxford clerics accused of delivering Calvinist statements in direct contravention of the royal proclamation against predestination preaching. During proceedings, allegations were made that whilst these men had been silenced and punished for their beliefs, others had been freely permitted to express Arminian views, causing Charles, having ever desired that those points should be forborne on both sides indifferently, to demand of Laud the truth of the matter. Faced with Charles intervention, Laud made a solemn promise before God that he had upon all occasions required that those who preached either way should be proceeded with indifferently14. Davies and Sharpe have been content to take these words at face value, and indeed there is nothing in the diary that directly suggests Lauds subjective stance on the matter of predestination; his account of the hearing, though lengthy, is wholly factual, and nowhere does he record his own theological views or express any opinion on the issue, which lends weight to Sharpes claim that Laud did not debate doctrine because it was not of great interest to him15. David Como, on the other hand, refutes this claim and instead argues that Laud was engaged in a systematic policy to cut down Calvinist discourse, and that his assertions of impartiality at Woodstock were for the benefit of the manuscript of proceedings, which he knew would be printed and circulated, and were thus little more than a deliberate attempt to manipulate public opinion and quell rumours of unjust treatment towards anti-Laudians16. It is evident that Laud placed a huge amount of importance on the Woodstock hearing, as it is one of only eleven events that he lists in his days of observance to me at the fore of his diary, meriting a place beside incidents such as the Duke of Buckinghams death and the birth of Charles II. It must therefore be questioned why Laud should place so much significance upon Woodstock; if Como is to be believed, perhaps Laud recognised it as the key moment in which his neutrality on the issue of predestination was publicly accepted by the King and key privy councillors, despite the Arminian gloss he was in fact promoting on the articles of religion. However this is little more than an assumption as evidence on the issue is not wholly conclusive, thus the diarys vital importance lies in alerting the reader to Lauds fear of public predestinarian debate, and the importance he placed on the hearing at Woodstock in conjunction to this, though further speculation is required if the extent of significance the latter held for him is to be fully understood. Though McGees argues that Laud placed great value on the beauty of holiness, as he believed that the people would not respect the inward part of religion, the greater part, if the outward face were neglected17, extraordinarily little evidence to substantiate this can be found within the diary. Laud briefly writes of his desire to repair St. Pauls, and visits made to consecrate and view various parish churches, yet does not mention anything on the reforms implemented within them, nor his views on the controversy these changes caused, which is rather peculiar considering at his trial in 1645 he stated that for his whole career he had laboured nothing more, than the external worship of God (too much slighted in most parts of this kingdom) might be preserved18. Most divisive of these interior reforms was the charge to alter the placement of the Communion table from the centre of the church to the upper end of the chancel north and south and a rail before it or round it to keep it from annoyance19, which is usually accredited by historians as highly significant; indeed it is the only point out of thirteen in Lauds June 1635 Metropolitical Visitation Charge which is completely new. It is therefore surprising that nothing is mentioned in the diary of the November 1633 case of St. Gregorys, which held great importance because of its usage as a test case, in that Laud and Charles brought the relatively minor issue of the complaints of the St. Gregorys parishioners concerning the altar policy before the Privy Council in order to use their ruling as the national example. Davies argues that Charles was the chief enthusiast of the altar policy, because he believed that the communion table, as the seat of Gods presence in church, should be shown as much respect as his own throne, and thus its elevation was a visual and mnemonic means of impressing a greater respect for his pretensions to divine right20, and indeed if it was Charles who pushed for the reform, whilst Lauds support was only half-hearted, this could explain why nothing is recorded on the issue in his dairy. However, from records of the St. Gregorys hearing this does not seem plausible as it is Laud, not Charles, who attempted to drive the policy forwards; it is he who highlights the importance of consistency within the church and the significance of St. Gregorys close proximity to St. Pauls; when strangers come from beyond the sea and saw the table stand altar wise in St. Pauls but out at the door and saw the table stand otherwise in St. Gregorys, what a disunion would they say was in the Church of England, and he who argues the legality of the reform due to its basis in tradition, citing a ruling made under Queen Elizabeth that the communion table should be set in the chancel21. Although Charles ruled against the parishioners of St. Gregorys, his verdict in fact limited the extent of effective altar reform, as he left the decision of how the communion table should be placed to the discretion of each parish ordinary whose place and function it doth belong to give direction22, and therein lies the most probable explanation for Lauds silence; as he only achieved a half-victory at the hearing, it is plausible that he did not wish to record it due to disappointment, or perhaps anger. Nevertheless, despite this conjecture, it remains questionable that so little is mentioned of the other ceremonial and aesthetical reforms that were implemented under Laud, thus the possibility must be considered, despite the claims of multiple historians, that they were not as prominent a concern in Lauds daily life as other ecclesiastical aims. Last, and most important of Lauds key aims as argued by McGee, was that of his desire to re-establish the authority of the Church of England, an objective which stemmed from his belief that since the Reformation in the late 1530s the church had greatly diminished in power and influence. The loss of lands after the dissolution of the monasteries had led to a reduction of church income and eventual deficit of wealth, a concern of Lauds that is most clearly demonstrated in his diary entry of March 1624, in which his suggestion is recorded that, for the sake of the poorer priests, the four subsidies voted by the Clergy in Convocation should be paid by instalments. The idea was first presented by Laud to the Duke of Buckingham and Lord Durham, who strongly approved of the notion, and affirmed that, it was the best office that was done for the Church this seven years. However, when suggested to James, the proposal was met with his grave displeasure and the comment that never any Bishop attempted the like at any time, nor would any but myself have done it. That I had given the Church such a wound, in speaking to any laity to it23; a reaction which is very telling of the strength and singularity of Lauds determination if none but he would have dared propose schemes which benefited the clergy at the cost of the crown. From Lauds arguably rather impertinent response to James that I thought I had done a very good office for the Church: and so did my betters think. And I hoped, being done out of a good mind, for the support of many poor vicars who must needs sink under three subsidies in a year, my error (if it were one) was pardonable, the strength of Lauds feelings on the issue are indisputable as despite James strong negative reaction, Laud appears loath to relinquish his position on the matter, or admit his proposal as a mistake. Such devotion to the restoration of church wealth can also be seen through examination of Lauds attentions to Ireland, reports of the dearth of which had shocked him to such an extent that he avowed in his list of Things which I have projected to if God bless me in them, that he would procure King Charles to give all the impropriations, yet remaining in the crown, within the realm of Ireland, to that poor Church. 4 Lauds letters to Strafford verify that he did indeed acquaint his Majesty with this, and he likes it well25, which arguably demonstrates his particular fervency for this aim; having already experienced James severe displeasure when proposing a similar scheme which involved the loss of his own wealth in order to benefit the clergy, it is surprising that he risked a similar negative reaction from Charles, though it is possible he was more confident of his compliance with this aim.

Personality Psychology- an Integrative Essay Essay Example

Personality Psychology Personality Psychology- an Integrative Essay Paper Personality Psychology- an Integrative Essay Paper Traditionally personality has been framed largely into multiple grand theories: psychoanalysis (Freud, Jung), humanistic theories (Rogers, Maslow), social-learning theories (Bandura, Mischel), cognitive-phenomenological theories (Kelly, Laing), trait theories (Eysenck, Cattell, the Big Five), narrative (McAdams, Bruner) and so on. However Personality psychology is yet to articulate clearly a comprehensive framework for understanding the whole person. This essay will attempt to provide a summary of McAdams integrative approach to personality with three different levels: dispositional traits, characteristic adaptations and narrative. McAdams proposed that evolution provides the general design for psychological individuality against which the socially consequential variations in human lives can be conceived. Human beings have evolved to take note of those variations that are most important for group life, summarized at the broadest level in terms of individual differences in dispositional traits. By sketching out the universe of broad trait dispositions that people in many different cultures use to refer to the most general variations in psychological individuality, the Big Five offers a comprehensive system for organizing basic personality tendencies. Whereas traits provide a dispositional sketch or signature, characteristic adaptations spell out many of the details of psychological individuality as contextualized in time, situations, and social roles. Goals, strivings, coping strategies, values, beliefs, and other motivational, developmental, and social– cognitive versions of characteristic adaptations are activated in response to and ultimately shaped by everyday social demands. Adler, Erikson, Rogers, Maslow, Kelly, Bandura- none of these personality theorists showed more than passing interest in dispositional traits. Instead, they emphasized motivation and the dynamics of behavior, social learning and cognitive schemata, strategies and coping mechanisms, developmental challenges and stages, and the ever-changing details of individual adaptation to the social world. What do people want? What do they value? How do people seek out what they want and avoid what they fear? In particular the humanist perspective, influenced greatly by the work of prominent humanists such as Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow, emphasizes the role of motivation on thought and behaviour. Concepts such as self-actualization are an essential part of this perspective, conceptualised by a hierarchy of needs each level both independent and interdependent of the next. If traits sketch an outline of human individuality, characteristic adaptations fill in some of the details. McAdams final level is that of integrative life narratives. Narrative approaches to personality suggest that human beings construe their own lives as ongoing stories and that these life stories help to shape behavior, establish identity, and integrate individuals into modern social life Narrative identity is indeed that story the person tries to â€Å"keep going†- an internalized and evolving narrative of the self that incorporates the reconstructed past and the imagined future into a more or less coherent whole in order to provide the person’s life with some degree of unity, purpose, and meaning. The psychosocial construction of narrative identity moves personality from broad trends (dispositional traits) and the specific responses to daily life demands (characteristic adaptations) to the challenge of making meaning out of one’s life in a complex world. Dispositional traits play the fundamental role of sketching the outline while characteristic adaptations fill the details of human individuality, then narrative identities give individual their unique and culturally anchored meanings. While McAdams describes personality in terms of these three levels: dispositional trait, characteristic adaptations and narrative; there is an underlying notion that influences them all, culture.. At the level of dispositional traits, culture provides display rules and demand characteristics for behavioural expression, but culture has little impact on the magnitude or strength of traits. At the level of characteristic adaptations, culture sets agendas for the timing and content of goals, strivings, relational patterns, and the like. Culture has its strongest impact at the level of life narrative, providing a menu or anthology of arrative forms from which individuals draw in making meaning out of their lives. In conclusion, Personality is an individual’s unique variation on the general evolutionary design for human nature, expressed as a developing pattern of dispositional traits, characteristic adaptations (notions from humanistic, psychodynamic, social-cognitive approaches), and integrative life stories complexly and differentially situated in culture. The principles articulated in this essay mark a newfound effort to assume a central and integrative position within the discipline of personality psychology.

A trustee will be liable for breach of trust if breached

A trustee will be liable for breach of trust if breached Disclaimer: This work has been submitted by a student. This is not an example of the work produced by our Law Essay Writing Service . You can view samples of our professional work here . A trustee will be liable for breach of trust if that breach if breached Hence, in determining whether Sue has caused any lost to the trust, we must first identify whether the terms of the trust have been breached. And since the trust was created for the benefit of the GLEE club members, it is evident that the trust has not been duly administered in accordance with its provisions as the administration of the trust appears to be entirely in favour of Sue herself. This is exemplified by the purchase of shares in Poly-Sue, of which Sue is an owner, Sue’s life insurance policy, the life size statue of Sue and the bottle of wine. It is questionable whether the shares that were purchased in the soft drinks company was in fact beneficial to the trust, yet it is doubtful that the money which was paid into Vital Adrenalines account and the bet in which Sue placed upon Vital Adrenaline to win was in accordance with the trust provisions. As such, a breach of trust has undoubtedly occur red because as made clear in the case of Armitage v Nurse   [ 4 ]   , â€Å"a breach of trust may be deliberate or inadvertent and may consist of an actual misappropriation or misapplication of the trust property or merely an investment that is outside the trustees powers†Ã‚   [ 5 ]   . Furthermore, it was also made clear in the case that a breach of trust can in fact occur regardless of whether the breach was beneficial or injurious to the beneficiaries. Therefore, even if the shares which have been purchased or the bet which was placed were beneficial to the beneficiaries a breach will still be capable of occurring. This is because, as provided under section 1   [ 6 ]   of the Trustee Act 2000 a trustee has a duty to ensure that reasonable care and skill is exercised when managing the trust. Nevertheless, if Sue can demonstrate that she took all of the necessary precautions that an ordinary prudent man would have taken when exercising the trust fund then her breac hes will be discharged as shown in Speight v Gaunt   [ 7 ]   . It is however unlikely than an ordinary person exercising the same skill a Sue would have managed the trust in the way she did, yet as stated under section 3 (1)   [ 8 ]   of the Act, â€Å"a trustee will be capable of making any investments which he would have himself made if he was entitled absolutely to the trust assets of the trust†Ã‚   [ 9 ]   . Therefore, it could be said that Sue would have made the same investments had she been absolutely entitled to the trust assets and so her investments were in fact reasonable. Nevertheless, Sue’s investments are unlikely to satisfy the â€Å"standard investment criteria† under section 4 (3)   [ 10 ]   . This is because as shown in the case of Cowan v Scargill   [ 11 ]   , a trustee must ascertain that any investments which are made are wholly beneficial to the beneficiaries and not themselves. Thus, since this is not the case a breach of trust has evidentially arisen. As for Will, since he is also a trustee under the trust fund, he too will be liable for the breaches of Sue if it can be shown that he was â€Å"recklessly careless†Ã‚   [ 12 ]   . This has been demonstrated in the case of Re Vickery   [ 13 ]   , where it was held that a trustee will be found to be â€Å"recklessly careless†Ã‚   [ 14 ]   if it can be shown that he did not care whether his act or omission is a breach of trust. Consequently, since Will omitted in his duties to take proper care of the trust fund because of the fact that he has issue in his personal life, it could be said that he was â€Å"recklessly careless†Ã‚   [ 15 ]   and therefore, he too may be found to be in breach of his fiduciary duties. It has nonetheless been argued in light of this decision that the circumstances were exceptional since â€Å"trustees were rarely liable for the acts of their agent†Ã‚   [ 16 ]   . Whether the same can be said in the instant situation is arguable but seems likely given that trustees are assumed to have acted unanimously as in Re Mayo   [ 17 ]

Experience with application of theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Experience with application of theory - Essay Example ng our impressions of the experience – how unbelievable the lines were, what classes we were going to be taking, whether we had picked a major yet, and wondering how much longer it was going to take. During these early conversations, because they were a series of very short question and answer type talks alternating with long periods of silence while we watched other people, we didn’t talk too much about our personal lives. I almost forgot to even ask her for her name. I probably wouldn’t have remembered to ask except we discovered we would be in some of the same classes. That first day, as soon as we were finished with the whole registration process, we said goodbye and expected to see each other in class. The next time I saw Patti was when we accidentally bumped into each other at the student bookstore. We were looking about the same as we had been in the registration lines – both of us looking sheepishly around trying to figure out just how we were supposed to know which books were the books we needed and where we might be able to find those fabled used books that were supposed to be so much less expensive than the new books. The sight of a familiar face, even one that was only vaguely familiar like Patti’s, was a welcome sign in an unfamiliar world. Together, we figured out how to learn which books were required and discovered that one of the most expensive books on our shared list only had one used copy left. The new books were twice as much and both of us were going to college on our own funding. We decided to be practical about the situation. We decided that we would both save money by splitting the cost of the one book and then sharing it through the semester. Whe n we sold it back to the bookstore at the end of the semester, we would split whatever we sold it for. This conversation led to an exchange of addresses and we discovered that we didn’t live very far from each other, which meant that sharing the book would be even

YMCA Baseball Team Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

YMCA Baseball Team - Research Paper Example Each of the players of the batting team, take turns hitting at the ball, while at the same time the pitcher’s teammates try to stop them from scoring ‘runs’ through several ways. As a sport, baseball has been linked with the struggle for self-rule and self-preservation; this being exhibited in such countries as South Korea and the state of Cuba: - In the former, against occupational rule by the Japanese, while in the latter against occupation and exploitation under Spanish colonial rule. The film â€Å"YMCA Baseball team† is based on the true historical aspect that ‘played out’ on the pitch in a hotly contested, emotional and captivating game. Through the game, there was a display of the protracted differences between the colonial Japanese masters and the Korean populace at large. In this movie, hitting the breaking ball by Ho-Chang (main character played by Song Gang-Ho) in the situation that Korean national baseball team was two points behind by Japanese national team in the 9th inning expresses the desire toward liberating from Japanese colonial force and protecting our own tradition. In the film, the hitting of the breaking ball by Ho-Chang (role played by Song Gang-Ho), in the situation where the Korean national baseball team was two points behind the Japanese national team in the 9th inning, expressed the desire towards liberation of the Korean people, from Japanese colonial military rule, and in the preservation and protection of their culture and traditionsi. Japan, as part of its 35-years imperialistic expansion, put Korea under it rule, this being in the form of military occupation. Korea as a whole was occupied and subsequently declared a Japanese protectorate in the year 1905 in the Eulsa Treaty; being annexed in the year1910, to form part of Japanese territory, through the enforcement of the annexation treaty. The Treaty was signed by Lee Wan-Yong; then given the General Power of Attorney by the Emperor Meiji of Japan. It should be noted, it is disputed that the Emperor himself actually signed the Treaty, thus ratifying it. Great-protracted disputes have fanned out as to whether this Treaty was actually genuine or not according to Law, this being because it was signed under the combined use of bribery, duress and even threat of force/coercion. The film titled, â€Å"YMCA Baseball Team†; a South Korean comedy film that was released in the year 2002, best illustrated the frustration, will and determination of the Korean People in expressing their desire towards total and sovereign liberation, from the Japanese colonial imperialism, and in the protection and preservation of their Culture/tradition. In this era, was born Korea’s first National Baseball team; named YMCA Baseball Team. It proved to being a great source of ‘Pride and Nationalism’ for the Korean people who, had over the years been humiliated by their forced subservience to the Japanese Empire. The fil m, directed by Kim Hyeon-seok, primarily, was inspired by the very real-life experiences of the Seoul based YMCA baseball teamii. The film’s cast brings out a ‘mature, thrilling; comical and yet politically captivating atmosphere’ in the film, that encapsulated the very nature of the Korean People, in their quest for sovereignty and self-preservation. The lead cast included: -â€Å" Song Kang-ho as ‘Lee Ho-Chang, the son of a Yangban scholar; Kim Hye-su as ‘Min Jong –rim, the Western educated female coach and teacher at the YMCA School; Kim Ju-hyuk , as a Japanese educated member of the team; Hwang Jeong-min as Ryu Kwang-tae, the son of a

The Colour Purple Essay Example for Free

The Colour Purple Essay Drama Essay Comparison of own improvisation with The Colour Purple  In this essay I am going to compare and analyse the differences and similarities between my improvisation and a film called The Colour Purple. My groups play was based upon a certain part of a painting, painted by our drama teacher Mr. Burgon. The painting was used as a stimulus. Our part of the painting was showing a man in a mask painting a car. WE had to build up upon it and produce a lengthy piece. The themes of our improvisation and The Colour Purple are violence and domestic problems, abuse. Our play could be thought of as quite controversial, as it deals with domestic violence, child abuse, and rape to a certain extent. In order to make our improvisation as realistic as possible, and not too offensive I decided to research the topic in more depth. Therefore I searched the Internet for information about the victims. I found out that the majority of the people affected were molested in their childhood/early teens. Most of them were naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve and not fully aware of what was going on around them. A large amount was in a single parent family. I also found out that the experience had an immense effect on their adult life. Most are not able to have a sex life, they rely on anti-depressants, self-harm etc. I think that it was harder to cope for abused women in the Colour Purple because they had no one and no-where to run away to, whereas today women can call help-lines etc. to help them through their problems.  In our piece I play the role of Jade, a long distance relative (cousin) who 14 years ago was raped by Eddie, who then married Jades cousin Alison. She couldnt have children so they decided to adopt a child. Jade fell pregnant at 14 with Eddie, so she gave away her baby to him and Alison and Eddie raised up their child without her knowing that she was her cousins baby. According to Eddie Ellie (the child) is the source of all problems (not only finantional, but moral as well). He blamed Ellie for him relationship with Alison not working out. Another play that portrays similar family issues is The Colour Purple. This was set about a century ago (1900s) and can be firstly considered as completely different from our play, but if we take a closer look, we realize that there are some unusual similarities. Cilia are a young black youth, who at 14 was raped twice by her father. He is a rapist and an abuser. As a result to the rapes Cilia gives birth to two children: Olivia and Adam, who are taken away from her. Surprisingly a very similar situation occurs in my play where Eddie rapes Jade and he takes her baby to bring up as his own with Alison. In The Colour Purple Celia is shown as a young vulnerable girl, who gets raped by her father, then chucked out the house. She was forced to marry a grown-up man and move in with him. But that is not the end to her troubles. In the film we can clearly see the family status. We see that the husband is very important, and makes all the decisions. Celia has to call him sir.  In my play the family status is also publicized, but its not as drastic. I.e. Alison doesnt have to call Eddie sir. WE can clearly see he has control over Alison at the Dinner table scene: Alison: Ill just get the phone.  Eddie: [slams down hands on table] NO!!!!! SIT DOWN!!!!  In my improvisation as well as The Colour Purple the husband is a control-freak and the wife is scared to stand up to him. They might be afraid of his reaction or might think that he will go completely berserk and try to do something terrible. I.e. murder, or beat thoroughly. In The Colour Purple this is very clear when Celia is shaving her husband and he says you cut me and Ill kill you. Celia is scared and tries hard not to cut him. In my play Alison doesnt stand up to Eddie when he yells at her to sit down, she just obeys him in silence.  The way both characters deal with the abuse is different , because in the end Alison tells Jade that Eddie is abusing her and Ellie. Whereas Cilia, doesnt tell anyone about her troubles, she keep it all inside her. They deal in different way, but yet the abuse is very similar. Both characters get raped ( Cilia and Jade), both character are abused by their fathers ( Cilia and Ellie). I have noticed that the different things that happened throughout my play to 3 different characters( Jade, Ellie Alison) happened to one character in The Colour Purple. Also in The Colour Purple the husband cant do anything for himself. When he brings home a woman from a bar, he tried to cook for her , but he is completely useless.  There is a very similar situation in my play when Alison and Ellie leave Eddie and the flat is very messy, there is rubbish lying around everywhere, empty beer cans, half-eaten ready meals etc.  Even though both plays were set about a century apart, they still have many similarities involving family issues such as family status, respect, domestic violence (abuse). They both show how victims cope with the abuse and what effect it has on their lives.

Fame made me lonely :: Creative Writing Essays

Fame made me lonely "Julie, there's a new number one!" shouted Kayleigh to her sister. "Who is it?" questioned Julie. "It's Chris Riley and it's called First Time" rushed Kayleigh, eager to hear the song. Chris Riley was in his luxury palace, watching the top ten chart on his 78 inch plasma screen television. His agent, Mark Priestman, informed him that his single went straight to number one in just two days. Chris was pleased. He didn't look thrilled or excited. I didn't understand why he wasn't chuffed. Chris Riley lived in a luxurious mansion in a desolate place in the depths of Yorkshire. His mansion had four floors each containing at least seven rooms. The long, lavish corridors were beautifully decorated with a light blue carpet and portraits of him posing. There was an indoor extensive swimming pool that had gold railings. On the fourth floor there was a small private cinema that had twenty comfortable seats with large beverage holders. The cinema had several small spotlights and the stairs were luminous green. The mansion had everything a person could ever want, including a huge disco, which must have been used for parties. There was a large stage with a bar next to it but there was no one inside it. I had looked around most of the house and it was all empty. I eventually figured out which room was Chris's bedroom. It was very spacious with little inside it. Chris had a double sized bed with basic furniture. To the left of the room was a large photograph that showed Chris with a women and a young girl, about four or five years old. They all looked very happy and free from the popularity he had back in England. It looked to me as if they were on holiday because they were on a seaside when the sun was setting to give a magnificent effect on the photo. I looked round the corner and spotted Chris walking towards his room. He silently sat down on the bed and stared at the photograph. He looked deeply into the woman's eyes and wondered, "Why did you leave me? Why?" He questioned with rage. "You separated me from my own daughter!" His eyes had turned red and tears were escaping from his eyes and landed onto his black silk shirt. Suddenly, it had all made sense to me why his mansion was so empty of life and happiness. He laid down gripping his hair with devastation of his separation from the ones he loved. When they had left she had taken half of his money with her.