Over the next few years Brecht wrote screenplays with a pointedly anticapitalist slant. He had little success in Hollywood, so in 1947, the war having ended, he decided to return to Europe. That same year, however, the U.S. Congress's House Un-American Activities Committee began its investigation into supposed Communist infiltration in Hollywood. It began to gather information on Brecht, who had so openly espoused Marxism, and on September 19, 1947, only a month before he had planned to leave the United States, he received a subpoena to appear before the committee. In addition to Brecht, a number of other writers, producers, and directors were summoned to appear as well, and this group came to be known as the Hollywood 19.
Observance Of The Law
Sometime in the 1920s the German writer Bertolt Brecht became a convert to the cause of Communism. From then on his plays, essays; and poems reflected his revolutionary fervor, and he generally tried to make his ideological statements as clear as possible. When Hitler came to power in Germany, Brecht and his Communist colleagues became market men. He had many friends in the United States Americans who sympathized with his beliefs, as well as fellow German intellectuals who had fled Hitler. In 1941, accordingly, Brecht emigrated to the United States, and chose to settle in Los Angeles, where he hoped to make a living in the film business.
Weak people never give way when they ought to.
Cardinal de Retz, 1613-1679
Weakness is no sin, and can even become a strength if you learn how to play it right. Had the Melians surrendered in the first place, they would have been able to sabotage the Athenians in subtle ways, or might have gotten what they could have out of the alliance and then left it when the Athenians themselves were weakened, as in fact happened several years later. Fortunes change and the mighty are often brought down. Surrender conceals great power: Lulling the enemy into complacency, it gives you time to recoup, tie to undermine, time for revenge. Never sacrifice that time in exchange for honor in a battle that you cannot win.
Interpretation
The Athenians were one of the most eminently practical people in history, and they made the most practical argument they could with the Melians: When you are weaker, there is nothing to be gained by fighting a useless fight. No one comes to help the weak by doing so they would only put themselves in jeopardy. The weak are alone and must submit. Fighting gives you nothing to gain but martyrdom, and in the process a lot of people who do not believe in your cause will die.
Marillion is singing day and night. Because his cell is open, his songs can be heard throughout the castle. Although Marillion has a beautiful voice, Sansa does not like the sound of his singing. She asks Petyr if he cannot silence the singer. Littlefinger explains to Sansa that they need Marillion. With some persuasion, Marillion has confessed to the murder of Lysa.
In return for his confession, Littlefinger has spared his life and his voice. Petyr tells Sansa that she has to corroborate Marillion's confession. Sansa knows that Marillion did not murder Lysa and therefore hesitates. She has no pity for the singer as he has tried to rape her, but she is afraid that people will see through her lies.
The next day Nestor Royce and his son arrive at the Eyrie to investigate the murder of Lysa Arryn. Although she is afraid, Sansa tells the Royces that Marillion killed Lysa Arryn. Her fright and tears only make her more convincing. Then Marillion is led in.
He confesses that he killed his mistress because he could not bear the thought of seeing her married to Petyr. The Royces never liked Marillion and don’t question his confession. They agree that Marillion will be confined to the sky cells. Eventually he will fall or jump to his death.
Nestor then informs Petyr that his cousin is gathering other lords to have Petyr removed as Lord Protector of the Vale. Littlefinger already knows this and is unfazed. As a reward for his services, he presents Nestor with a grant that makes him and his descendents hereditary Lords of the Gates of the Moon. The Gates of the Moon are a secondary castle that has always been in the possession of the main Arryn line. Nestor has been appointed castellan but now acquires the castle in his own right.
According to Petyr, Lysa had already decided to give the castle to Nestor but was murdered before she could sign the order. When Nestor Royce and his son leave, Littlefinger explains to Sansa that the Royces will now be on his side. If Petyr is removed as Lord Protector, the grant for the castle will be challenged because it was signed by Petyr and not by little Robert.
That night when Sansa goes to sleep, Robert creeps into her bed as he has been doing since his mother died. He asks Sansa if she is his mother now. Sansa says yes because she knows this lie will soothe him.
A few days later the Athenians invaded Melos. The Melians fought nobly, even-without the Spartans, who did not come to their rescue. It took several attempts before the Athenians could surround and besiege their main city, but the Melians finally surrendered. The Athenians wasted no time they put to death all the men of military age that they could capture, they sold the women and children as slaves, and they repopulated the island with their own colonists. Only a handful of Melians survived.
Finally the Melians began to talk of honor and the principle of resisting brute force. "Do not be led astray by a false sense of honor," said the Athenians. "Honor often brings men to ruin when they are faced with an obvious danger that somehow affects their pride. There is nothing disgraceful in giving way to the greatest city in Hellas when she is offering you such reasonable terms." The debate ended. The Melians discussed the issue among themselves, and decided to trust in the aid of the Spartans, the will of the gods, and the rightness of their cause. They politely declined the Athenians' offer.
The Melians would not budge. Sparta, they insisted, would come to their defense. The Athenians countered that the Spartans were a conservative, practical people, and would not help Melos because they had nothing to gain and a lot to lose by doing so.
People attend college or university for many different reasons (for example, new experiences, career preparation, increased knowledge). Why do you think people attend college or university?
Model Answer 2:
People attend colleges or universities for a lot of different reasons. I believe that the three most common reasons are to prepare for a career, to have new experiences, and to increase their knowledge of themselves and the world around them.
Career preparation is becoming more and more important to young people. For many, this is the primary reason to go to college. They know that the job market is competitive. At
college, they can learn new skill for careers with a lot of opportunities. This means careers, such as information technology, that are expected to need a large workforce in the coming years.
Also, students go to colleges and universities to have new experiences. This often means having the opportunity to meet people different from those in their hometowns. For most students, going to college is the first time they’ve been away from home by themselves. In additions, this is the first time they’ve had to make decisions on their own. Making these decisions increases their knowledge of themselves.
Besides looking for self-knowledge, people also attend a university or college to expand their knowledge in subjects they find interesting. For many, this will be their last chance for a long time to learn about something that doesn’t relate to their career.
I would recommend that people not be so focused on a career. They should go to college to have new experiences and learn about themselves and the world they live in.
People attend college or university for many different reasons (for example, new experiences, career preparation, increased knowledge). Why do you think people attend college or university?
Model Answer 1:
People attend college for a lot of different reasons. I believe that the three most common reasons are to prepare for a career, to have new experiences, and to increase their knowledge of themselves and of the world around them.
Career preparation is probably the primary reason that people attend college. These days, the job market is very competitive. Careers such as information technology will need many new workers in the near future. At college, students can learn new skills for these careers and increase their opportunities for the future.
Students also go to college to have new experiences. For many, it is their first time away from home. At college, they can meet new people from many different places. They can see what life is like in a different city. They can learn to live on their own and take care of themselves without having their family always nearby.
At college, students have the opportunity to increase their knowledge. As they decide what they want to study, pursue their studies, and interact with their classmates, they learn a lot about themselves. They also, of course, have the opportunity to learn about many subjects in their classes. In addition to the skills and knowledge related to their career, college students also have the chance to take classes in other areas. For many, this will be their last chance to study different subjects.
Colleges offer much more than career preparation. They offer the opportunity to have new experiences and to learn many kinds of things. I think all of these are reasons why people attend college.
We are becoming increasingly dependent on computers. They are used in businesses, hospitals, crime detection and even to fly planes. What things will they be used for in the future? Is this dependence on computers a good thing or should we he more auspicious of their benefits?
Model Answer:
Computers are a relatively new invention. The first computers were built fifty years ago and it is only in the last thirty or so years that their influence has affected our everyday life. Personal computers were introduced as recently as the early eighties. In this short time they have made a tremendous impact on our lives. We are now so dependent on computers that it is hard to imagine what things would be like today without them. You have only got to go into a bank when their main computer is broken to appreciate the chaos that would occur if computers were suddenly removed world-wide.
In the future computers will be used to create bigger and even more sophisticated computers. The prospects for this are quite alarming. They will be so complex that no individual could hope to understand how they work. They will bring a lot of benefits but they will also increase the potential for unimaginable chaos. They will, for example, be able to fly planes and they will be able to co ordinate the movements of several planes in the vicinity of an airport. Providing all the computers are working correctly nothing can go wrong. If one small program fails disaster.
There is a certain inevitability that technology will progress and become increasingly complex. We should, however, ensure that we are still in a position where we are able to control technology. It will be all too easy to suddenly discover that technology is controlling us. By then it might be too late I believe that it is very important to be suspicious of the benefits that computers will bring and to make sure that we never become totally dependent on a completely technological world.
We have been living in the nuclear age now for over half a century. Since the first atomic bombs were developed, nuclear technology has provided governments with the ability to totally destroy the planet. Yet the technology has been put to positive use as an energy source and in certain areas of medicine. To what extent is nuclear technology a danger to life on Earth? What are the benefits and risks associated with its use?
Model Answer:
These days, many people are afraid of nuclear technology because of the dangers associated with its use. In my opinion, although it is true that nuclear weapons pose the greatest threat to life, the use of nuclear technology for peaceful purposes also carries some serious risks.
Nuclear power stations provide an important source of cheap power for many industrialised nations and some developing countries. However, there is always the danger of radiation leaking from these plants. Even though safety precautions are taken, there have been numerous disasters such as the explosion of a nuclear plant in Russia not long ago.
Nuclear technology is even used to help cure some diseases such as cancer. Radiation can be applied to the body to burn away cancerous cells. This is, however, a dangerous procedure, and the application of radiation is almost always painful and not always successful.
The most worrying aspect of nuclear technology, though, is its use for military purposes. Enough atomic bombs have already been built to completely destroy the planet, and the real danger is that one day some country will start a war with these weapons. Too many countries now have the technology required to make such bombs, and there is currently much debate about how to control the situation.
In conclusion, nuclear technology certainly has positive uses, but is, nonetheless, dangerous. However, it would have been better if it had never been used to create nuclear weapons. If life on Earth is to continue.
"You know as well as we do," the delegates said, "that the standard of justice depends on the equality of power to compel, and that in fact the strong do what they have the power to do and the weak accept what they have to accept." When the Melians responded that this denied the notion of fair play, the Athenians said that those in power determined what was fair and what was not. The Melians argued that this authority belonged to the gods, not to mortals. "Our opinion of the gods and our knowledge of men," replied a member of the Athenian delegation, "lead us to conclude that it is a general and necessary law of nature to rule whatever one can."
Hilma Af Klint is currently recognised as the earliest Western-European artist practicing in a modernist, abstract style. In the 1900s, she was a member of ‘De Fem’, a theosophically inspired Swedish occult group, where she and other women explored transcendental spirituality. Learning from this collective pursuit shaped her art process, particularly in works like ‘Altarpieces No. 1’. Moving away from traditional representation, Af Klint’s commitment to automatic drawing led her to embrace abstraction instead. Aiming to paint visions from the astral plane, she was inspired by the spirit Amaliel, giving her work a sacred, otherworldly quality. Admist her polychromatic palette, composed with geometric forms, reflects a desire to make the invisible visible, representing a transcendence into higher spirits, with the focal point being a sun-like shape tapered from a pyramid-like form synonymous with the idea of the connection between realms. Finally, her abstract style bridged physical and spiritual worlds, signalling a cultural shift in art's capacity for secular spirituality.
Both Rrap and Dupain’s artworks, Speechless (2017) and Sunbaker (1937), reflect the influence of their respective family-of-origins and their interest in the role of the ‘body’ in art. Partly influencing this work, Rrap’s brother, the well-known performance artist Mike Parr, along with his friends, engaged in performance art, often hanging out with Julie and prompting her own personal interest in this art form. Equally important, Dupain’s father was one of the first Australians to operate a private gymnasium, where locals(largely male)were able to invest in their health, vitality, and physical well-being. Resultantly, this environment fostered Dupain’s fascination with the human body, which is powerfully reflected in his photograph Sunbaker, where the strong contrasts of light and shadow highlight the sunbather’s muscular form. Stemming from this focus on the human physique, combined with his understanding of the beauty of the natural landscape, informs the meanings and messages in his work, emphasising themes of vitality, leisure, and the intrinsic connection between the body and its environment. On the other hand, Rrap’s Speechless is shaped by an irreverent approach that challenges conventional seriousness in art. Nurtured in a creative environment, Rrap incorporated interactive elements into her work, inviting viewers to choose between standing up to speak on pressing issues or lying down and remaining 'speechless'. This duality reflects her belief in the power of agency and participation, as opposed to another pervading assumption of an Australian, lackadaisical attitude; Thus, reflecting how both artists’ personal experiences inform their engagement with their own body-centric art creative practice
Use The Surrender Tactic: Transform Weakness Into Power
Transgression Of The Law
The island of Melos is strategically situated in the heart of the Mediterranean. In classical times, the city of Athens dominated the sea and coastal areas around Greece, but Sparta, in the Peloponnese, had been Melos's original colonizer. During the Peloponnesian War, then, the Melians refused to ally themselves with Athens and remained loyal to Mother Sparta. In 416 B.C. the Athenians sent an expedition against Melos. Before launching an all-out attack, however, they dispatched a delegation to persuade the Melians to surrender and become an ally rather than suffer devastation and defeat.
Duveen knew that the art market was flooded with fakes, and that many paintings had been falsely ascribed to old masters. He tried his best to distinguish the real from the fake, but in his zeal to sell he often overplayed a work's authenticity. What mattered to him was that the buyer believed he had bought a Durer, and that Duveen himself convinced everyone of his "expertness" through his air of irreproachable authority. Thus, it is important to be able to play the professor when necessary and never impose such an attitude for its own sake.
The art dealer Joseph Duveen was once attending a soiree at the New York home of a tycoon to whom he had recently sold a Durer painting for a high price. Among the guests was a young French art critic who seemed extremely knowledgeable and confident. Wanting to impress this man, the tycoon's daughter showed him the Durer, which had not yet been hung. The critic studied it for a time, then finally said, "You know, I don't think this Durer is right." He followed the young woman as she hurried to tell her father what he had said, and listened as the magnate, deeply unsettled, turned to Duveen for reassurance. Duveen just laughed. "How very amusing," he said. "Do you realize, young man, that at least twenty other art experts here and in Europe have been taken in too, and have said that painting isn't genuine? And now you've made the same mistake." His confident tone and air of authority intimidated the Frenchman, who apologized for his mistake.
There is, however, one situation where it pays to do the opposite when you can cover up a deception with a show of intelligence. In matters of smarts as in most things, appearances are what count. If you seem to have authority and knowledge, people will believe what you say. This can be very useful in getting you out of a scrape.
