Isadora Duncan :: essays research papers

The fine art of modern dance is like many other fields in that it is based on the actions and deeds of those who were pioneers in the field. These pioneers helped to mold modern dance into what it is today. Of the many people who are partially responsible for this accomplishment is Isadora Duncan. Duncan, often referred to as the â€Å"mother of modern dance,† inspired many other dancers to the extent that the art of dance would not be the same today without her many contributions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Isadora Duncan who was born in the late 1870’s in San Francisco, was raised alongside three siblings by her mother alone. This may possibly be what led her to become in her own time what we today would considered to be a feminist. She fought against the many restrictions placed on women in her personal life as well as in her form of dance. Because she was such a feminist, Isadora Duncan was strongly opposed to marriage. For this reason both of her children were born out of wedlock, each with a different father. Duncan unfortunately lived a life filled with tragedy. Both of her children died alongside their nanny when a car that thy three were seated in, rolled into a river. Grief-stricken by the death of her children, Isadora’s dancing career was temporarily put on hold until she finally opened up a dance school. She later met a Russian man whom she fell in love with and married in order to be able to bring him to the United States. When she arrived in the United States with her new husband, she was unwelcome because of the fear that the Americans had for the Soviet Union at the time. Angrily, she left the United States vowing to never return again. Subsequently, her husband, who was not well mentally, loft her and eventually he committed suicide. Isadora Duncan’s life came to an end in a fittingly tragic manner when her scarf became entangled in the wheels of a car in which she was riding pulling her out the window of the car and strangling her as she was dragged down the street to her death.

Hamlet a Domestic Play or a Commentary on Power Politics Essay

In the early 1600s, the time that â€Å"Hamlet† was written, the themes of power politics related to the domestic would have been far more relevant to the audience as at this time, these two themes intertwined particularly within the monarchy which is hereditary meaning that the power comes from family. Again this link is demonstrated by James I’s 1603 speech to Parliament where he stated that he was â€Å"the Husband and the whole Isle [his] lawful wife† showing the domestic view of many political relations and also the idea of James I as a husband ruling over his country which was his wife. This also brings in another theme of power plays in Hamlet being demonstrated by patriarchal dominance, such as the power Polonius has over Ophelia. We also see the power of men on their families as a whole and how characters us their family links and loyalties to gain power. Throughout â€Å"Hamlet† we see a number of sons avenging their fathers’ deaths, including old and young Fortinbras, Laertes and Polonius and old and young Hamlet. These draw attention to the domestic tragedy element of â€Å"Hamlet† and as to whether Hamlet seeks revenge for his father’s death due to his love for his father or because of his duty to him and the power Old Hamlet’s ghost has over Hamlet. When we see Hamlet speaking to the Ghost of Old Hamlet, it seems to be a close relationship with Old Hamlet expressing concerns for his son, stating â€Å"taint not the mind† suggesting that Hamlet should not allow the act of revenge to â€Å"taint† his morality. This is a bizarre ask from Old Hamlet as murder will undoubtedly affect Hamlet’s sense of morality. However, within their conversation, Hamlet’s obligation to avenge his father is also made apparent by the ghost himself who tells Hamlet that after hearing what he has to say, Hamlet will be â€Å"bound† to revenge. The word â€Å"bound† shows how Hamlet’s father expects Hamlet to avenge him and believes this is what he should do, showing Old Hamlet’s power over his son as this is what he eventually does. We also see Old Hamlet’s dominance in a number of other ways including the fact that he dominates the conversation and his physical dominance as he has been described as a â€Å"valiant† man who â€Å"smote† his rivals, which contrasts to what we see of Hamlet, who is a scholar relying more upon his brain than his ability to fight. This dominance is finally shown when Hamlet is warned not to go with the ghost but ignores his friends’ advice and states that he â€Å"will follow it†. We also see the power of the father in the relationship between Polonius and his two childrea: Laertes and Ophelia. We see Polonius telling his children how to behave and to â€Å"give thy thoughts no tongue†, and yet, ironically, Polonius appears to have a compulsive need throughout the play, giving out a large amount of nonsensical advice and opinions. To add to this irony, Polonius tells them â€Å"to thine own self be true†, as all he does is advise and tell people how to behave, this works to somewhat ridicule Polonius’ skills as an advisor. However, Ophelia must still listen to him as in the 17th century, the daughter was effectively the property of the father until she was married and thus must accept what her father said, as seen when Ophelia says, â€Å"I shall obey, my lord†. This obedience opens up Ophelia to be used as a political pawn by Polonius in his own efforts to gain favour and thus power with the King. This manipulation of Ophelia by Polonius suggests that Shakespeare’s play is a commentary of power politics as it infers much about the Renaissance court and its workings, criticising it. Furthermore, we see the male dominance that Laertes has over his sister, Ophelia, however, unlike Polonius, he does not seem to use this to his advantage or to gain power. He warns Ophelia away from Hamlet as â€Å"on his choice depends the safety and health of this whole state†. At this time, powerful families commonly used marriage as a means of forging tactical, political or social allegiences, once again linking the personal to the political. However, while Laertes has power over Ophelia, it doesn’t appear to be for his own advantage as it is the case with Polonius, thus suggesting that his concerns are genuine and out of love for his sister. As a result, it strengthens the interpretation of Hamlet as a domestic tragedy. To conclude, I believe that in many of the relationships in â€Å"Hamlet†, there is a mix of power politics and domesticity with characters using their families as a means of gaining power or using their power to get what they want. All of these contribute to making the line between power plays and domestic relationships more unclear.

Nordstrom Financial Statement Analysis - 3814 Words

NORDSTROM (JWN) I. Nordstrom’s overview Nordstrom is classified as an Upscale Independent Department Store Chain and is noted as one of the largest department stores of its type. Nordstrom is founded in 1901 by two partners, John W. Nordstrom and Carl F. Wallin. It’s headquarter is in Seattle, Washington area. Nordstrom carries a wide variety of merchandise and specialty goods, which includes apparel, shoes, jewelry, cosmetics, fragrances, handbags, accessories, and in some locations, home furnishings. Nordstrom is dealing with competition on many different levels. It is competing with higher end stores such as Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue. In addition, it is also competing with second tier stores such as Macy’s, Dillard’s,†¦show more content†¦4. Having effective inventory management; efficient and proper allocation of capital resources; successful execution of information technology strategy; and effective cost control in advertising, marketing, and promotion campaigns. 5. Managin g debt levels to maintain an investment grade credit rating as well as operate with an efficient capital structure for its growth plans and industry II. Company financial ratio analysis: 1. Liquidity: Liquidity: | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | Current Ratio | 2.16 | 2.57 | 2.01 | 2.01 | 2.06 | Cash Ratio | 0.73 | 0.80 | 0.39 | 0.04 | 0.22 | Cash Flow from Operations Ratio | 0.46 | 0.63 | 0.62 | 0.53 | 0.19 | Overall regards to liquidity ratios, the higher the number the better; however, a too high also indicates that the firms were not using their resources to their full potential. Current ratio of 1.0 or greater shows that a company can pay its current liabilities with its current assets. JWN’s ratio increased from 2.06 in 2007 to 2.57 in 2010, and slightly decreased to 2.16 in 2011. JWN’s cash ratio increased significantly from 22% in 2007 to 80% in 2010. JWN has a cash ratio of 73% in 2011, which is useful to creditors when deciding how much debt they would be willing to extend to JWN. In addition, JWN also has moderate CFO ratio of 46%, indicating the companies’ ability to pay off their short term liabilities with their operating cashShow MoreRelatedFinancing Activities of Nordstrom and the Gap1385 Words   |  6 PagesFinancing Activities Analysis of The Gap, Inc. and Nordstrom, Inc. Financial Statement Analysis April 24, 2013 Introduction The Gap, Inc. and Nordstrom, Inc. are retail companies with similar aspirations, yet different business strategies. Both strive to be top competitors in the retail industry and have generated and maintained a steady customer demand for their products and services. Their journeys to competitiveness in this industry have been based on very different strategies, however. 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