If the text had been written in a different time or place or language Essay

If the text had been written in a different time or place or language or for a different audience, how and why might it differ - Essay Example One of the ways Solzhenitsyn’s work deviates from the conventions of movie genres of the 1950s is the manner in which stylistic devices have been used. Particularly, the author of the movie goes against the grains of the time to use suspense. At the time, it is obvious that the movie industry had begun using suspense, but this suspense had been forward-looking. Contrary to this approach, Solzhenitsyn’s suspense is forward-looking. Particularly, in the opening of the movie, the plotline is set running straight onwards, without the provision of any background information. For instance, the movie begins with the sounding of a wake-up call in a Stalinist labor camp, on a chilly winter morning, in 1951. Because of this, the audience is compelled to concentrate on the details being provided in the movie, in order to make meaning out of the movie’s sudden and unexplained beginning. This stylistic device sets One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich apart from its contempo raries. ... This serves as a point of departure between Solzhenitsyn’s work and others’. Other literary works had not had the solid resolve as Solzhenitsyn’s, to depict the excesses of autocratic regimes. The excesses of Stalinism are exemplified in the lives of the prisoners. For instance, most of the prisoners have been incarcerated, mainly on grounds of suspicion. Shukhov is sentenced to a life of imprisonment and cruel punishment in this Soviet gulag system for acts of espionage, though he is innocent. In like manner, Alyoshka is a devout Baptist, full of faith but is imprisoned, all the same. The heartlessness of Stalinism in this camp is attested by: scarcity of food and food rationing and the compelling of prisoners to work in freezing temperature, as long as this temperature does not fall below -42oC. Overall, there is lucidity in observing that Solzhenitsyn’s work is not dedicated to withstanding the highhandedness of Stalinism, but to reveal to the world, th e inhuman excesses of Stalinism. The import of this is that One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich is different from other film genres since it surpasses the common role of entertainment to take on a moral cause (Solzhenitsyn, 1988, 125). The themes and motifs that Solzhenitsyn’s work advances presents a point of conformance with other works of art. Some of the themes that Solzhenitsyn presents for discussion include the struggle for human dignity (the depiction of harsh life in the prison camp invites this), the immorality of unjust punishment (the inhuman condemnation to a harsh life on false basis underscores this), and the need for faith (as is presented by the resilient nature of

Confucianism - a Religion or a Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Confucianism - a Religion or a Philosophy - Essay Example From an analysis of the text and a cursory review of Confucianism, it must be understood by the reader that there are ultimately only three alternatives which could be gleaned: the understanding that Confucianism represents a philosophy but not a religious one, the understanding that Confucianism represents a religious worldview first and foremost within a philosophical interpretation being secondary, and the understanding that Confucianism represents both a religious and an philosophical interpretation. Likewise, it is the belief of this author that the most appropriate interpretation of this particular situation is the first determinant listed above; with the third determinant also being a distant possibility. Seeking to understand such a question may seem as something of an exercise in futility due to the fact that Confucianism is not a widely practiced religion; however, seeking to define what specifically is and what specifically is not a religion is an important aspect of delin eating and defining the current world in which we live. The reason for choosing this first determinant as the most likely case in question is due to the fact that Confucian beliefs do not specify a belief or appreciation for any subset of gods that must be followed or appreciated in order for the individual to attain a degree of benefit, worship or salvation. Whereas other religions make specific claims with regards to what deities must be worshipped and extolled in order for a degree of personal benefit to be generated, Confucianism makes no such claims. Moreover, building upon this is the fact that Confucianism is syncretic; i.e. it builds upon other belief systems and faiths. This is something that few other belief systems can claim and not a single world religion is capable of boasting. This fact, perhaps beyond any of the others which will be discussed, helps to set Confucianism apart and differentiate this as an philosophyal interpretation of the world rather than a strictly r eligious one. Naturally, although the foregoing definition is sound, the fact remains that Confucianism retains key elements of religious dogma with regards to the means by which individuals should integrate with one another and the world around them. Due to the fact that the writings and belief system of Confucianism are concerned primarily with philosophyal and moral interpretations, it is easy to understand why many of the individuals that have researched this particular world view have come to the understanding that philosophyal world view and interpretations of right conduct is a handle that more appropriately defines Confucianism as compared to the blanket and somewhat incorrect handle of religion (Smith 186). Yet, regardless of the interpretation of Confucianism that is made, the fact remains that it retains many of the aspects of a religion so it is also understandable why so many individuals have referred to it as a religion; replete with a holy set of writings/proverbs, a prophet, and a base line of standards and beliefs that are passed down from one generation to the next; from one believer to the next. As such, it is the view of this author that Confucianism is in fact a verifiable â€Å"religion† as it exhorts a set of followers to act and behave in a certain way as a result of constraining and/or defining their lives based upon a certain set of teachings and principles. In such a manner, the definition of religion might not perfectly meld with the fact that Confucianism does not have a â€Å"god† or a particular clergy or any other such hallmarks of other well known religions, it meets