Cards of Fortune :: Free Essays Online

Cards of Fortune I suppose in a way Tonia is right, life isn’t worth living, if both of us aren’t there to see it, together. That’s what twins do after all. They are an intrinsical part of each other's life, ceasing to exist without the second. But, I feel that we’re drifting apart, separated by this something, intangible, unnamable, and yet more potent than all of our past put together. I can remember how as little girls we played together. There were no other children with the troupe, and even when we passed the towns†¦ well, the children were never friendly, preferring to fear and call names. But Tonia, she was always there to play with, to laugh with, to cry with. Playing by the fire, dancing under the moon, we were eccentric children, not given to the usual childhood games, preferring instead to talk quietly, and whisper our secrets, but it was always us, together, until now. One of our favorite games was to confuse Septemius, the poor man; he always did have trouble telling us apart. But then, we were children at the time, and not given over to worrying about the troubles of a grown man. Poor, dear, Septemius, even now I can sense his thoughts, and he’s worried, as I am. He knows that Tonia is growing apart from us, and every so often, I’ll catch him looking at her, realizing the distance that’s growing, between her and me, between all of us, and I see that look of daunting sadness in his eyes. I think he sees mother in her, in us rather. I remember the look he gives her now, and it’s the look he had when my mother†¦ left. People tend to think children do not remember such things, that in their happy naà ¯ve lives they don’t understand, but I knew then, as I do now, that mother broke his heart. And as much as Septemius grieves for Tonia’s departure from the family, and through that grieves still for the loss of the woman he once knew, so do I grieve. And, yet, somehow I feel my sadness deeper, a sharper pain, for it is not the loss of an abstract family member, or even a sister, it is the loss of part of myself.

Pagan and Christian Symbols in Beowulf

At the time that Beowulf was written, the culture that produced the poem, the Anglo-Saxons, were a pagan culture. The Catholic Church was trying to spread its beliefs to other parts of the world. The Anglo-Saxons were a definite target. Many of the texts that we have out of that time period were written by Catholic monks. In Beowulf there are many references to pagan and Christian beliefs. These beliefs neither contradict, nor outshine each other. Rather, the monks writing the work interjected some Christian ideas in order to try and sell Christianity to the people that were familiar with the tale.The pagan and Christian ideas are perfectly laced together to introduce some of the ideas of Christianity to a pagan people. In this poem there are often references to pagan and Christian beliefs very close in the piece of poetry. This would tie a familiar belief to something exotic to the Anglo-Saxons. In lines 1261-1268, the story of Cain and Abel are briefly explained, but not far from t his Christian reference is the idea of revenge, in line 1278, which is frowned upon in Christianity, but it was a popular belief among the Anglo-Saxon culture at that time.By binding these two elements together, the monk was trying to make Christianity seem less foreign and more like something familiar to the people. At the end of the attack on Grendel’s mother, in lines 1553-1556, the outcome of the fight was said to have been decided by God. Beowulf even credits God and thanks him for guiding him through the battle at many different points of the story. Yet, at the very end of the poem the greatest thing for Beowulf is fame. He wants to be remembered forever for his actions.At this point there is no mention of God or God’s help. Beowulf boasts; I risked my life Often when I was young. Now I am old, But as king of this people I shall pursue this fight For the glory of winning, if the evil one will only Abandon his earth-fort and face me in the open. (lines 2511-2515) This gives to credit to God for his actions, but it does tie God into fame. Earlier in the poem God had helped Beowulf on his quest, which gained him eternal fame. This, again, ties a popular belief among the Anglo-Saxons to a Christian belief.Making it easier to understand and, in a way, makes Christianity seem like a desirable belief system if it will gain one fame. The monks who wrote down the oral tradition of Beowulf intertwined Christian and pagan beliefs, hoping it would make Christianity more familiar to the Anglo-Saxons of that time. The monks had also used examples of Christianity that made it seem desirable for the people to convert. The purpose of adding Christian elements to Beowulf was not to outshine the pagan beliefs but to make Christianity something the Anglo-Saxons would understand.

John Williams (Composer) Essay

Born in Queens, NY, in 1932, John Williams is arguably the most sought-after composer in Hollywood today. Musically, John Williams greatly influences my work and I find his grandiose, sweeping scores a benchmark to which I would like to progress to in my composing career. With 47 Academy Award nominations, he is the most nominated musician in Academy Awards history and the second-most nominated person of all-time (second to Walt Disney). However, Williams’ rise to fame has been slow and it has taken many years for him to become the household name he is today. This encouraged me, as it showed that even a musical legend like John Williams started out small and worked his way up. During his time studying at Juilliard, he worked as a jazz pianist in New York clubs and after his studies, he moved to L.A. where he began working as a studio pianist for renowned composers, such as Henry Mancini and thus, some of his more comedic scores show Mancini’s influence. He soon gained notice in Hollywood for his versatility in composing jazz, piano and symphonic music. When composing a piece of music, I always look to John Williams for inspiration. One of his most famous techniques, and a technique I greatly appreciate, is the concept of leitmotif and his ability to write a fitting and recognisable piece of music to accompany a particular character; a favourite of mine being â€Å"Princess Leia’s Theme† from Stephen Spielberg’s space epic Star Wars. Williams’ collaboration with Stephen Spielberg began when Spielberg was an all but unknown director, with the film The Sugarland Express and with the momentum of that success, they began a long collaboration together, working on films such as Indiana Jones, Schindler’s List, Harry Potter, Jaws, Jurrasic Park and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, with the latter’s musical and film concepts being worked on simultaneously by Spielberg and Williams, an unusual step for a Hollywood film but typical of John Williams for pushing boundaries. His ability to write so many different styles of music, from Schindler’s List to Indiana Jones, is a skill I which greatly inspires me, as well as his flair for conveying a particular theme; particularly in E.T, where his music depicts the childlike innocence of the film. He is a chameleon of sorts and his seemingly effortless approach to composing exquisite pieces of music for completely different genres makes him stand out amongst other notable musicians of our modern culture. He also takes a lot of inspiration from composers such as Richard Strauss and Wagner, and it is evident in the style of some of his work that he admires the grand, symphonic scores and neoromatic style of Golden Age composers Max Steiner and Erich Wolfgang Korngold. When orchestras are performing his pieces, John Williams likes to be the one to conduct, adding more passion and depth to the music that wouldn’t be there if it were another conductor. I have viewed many videos on Youtube of orchestras playing Williams’ creations and each time they have played with a fervour and respect that spawns a magical, tangible atmosphere, making the music stay with you long after the orchestra has stopped playing. The fact that his scores are not particularly technically difficult, yet still require a musician of great calibre to play them, shows how much effort Williams puts in to evoke the emotion and theme of the film. Star Wars is perhaps Williams’ most famous and memorable scores and is the highest-grossing non-popular recording of all-time. The combined scores add up to more than 14 hours of orchestral music – a magnitude unheard of by most musicians. It is this tenacity and dedication that I admire most about John Williams and is, most likely, what gave him the remarkable career he has enjoyed for so many years.