Have you ever felt uncomfortable in a gathering that caused you to agree or disagree with your belief because of the mask you wear? Masks are a manner of expression that hides one's true character or feelings; a pretense. In John Irving book, A Prayer for Owen Meany, he uses Owen's life to demonstrate the idea that masks shield beliefs.…
“In The Cemetery where Al Jolson is buried” by Amy Hempel uses the word masks throughout the story to convey guilt, fear and unacceptance of death. The first mention of the word mask is in the beginning of the story. We are just beginning to understand that Hempel is describing two people in a hospital, the narrator is visiting her friend who is sick. They are both wearing masks, the narrator checks to make sure that she is still breathing and that she is not “ used to the mask yet.” The friend has her mask hanging loose, a “pro by now.” The fact that the narrator describes her friend at being a “pro” and the fact that the narrator is not used to her masks, tells us that the narrator has not been to visit before.…
This is an African mask strictly carved by males and specifically worn only by women in the Sande Society. The Sande was in other words an all women sisterhood where all girls would be initiated in and learn the ways of how to be a proper woman. The mask is made of wood and metal and is used in Sande initiations, on the occasion of solemn anniversaries, while exercising justice, and during funeral ceremonies. If they weren’t then they’d be sitting in the home of a woman, a proper member. The mask has an intricate, deep black sheen with a smooth and glistening surface, that contrast with the chalky white clay anointed on the Sande women. The Sowei mask was thought to be a female spirit that comes from the bottoms of rivers and lakes. The mask presents an ideal of feminine beauty admired by the Mende: elaborate hairstyle, full forehead and small facial features. The different elements that compose the mask feature the half-closed and lengthened eyes, the delicate contours of the lips, the slim nose, the large forehead, the complexity of the headdress and the presence of a neck which refer not only to aesthetic values, but also to philosophical and religious…
The mask is a form of deception or illusion. Sometimes, it can be worn as both. It hides the true emotions of slaves, keeping the slave master from knowing what is going on in their minds. The mask also allows the slave to have an identity without the master's detection. The mask gives the illusion that the slave is exactly how the masters believe, ignorant, incapable of true emotion, and unable to think for themselves.…
Interview: individuals should be interviewed in order to determine whether they are demon possessed or not.…
Louis XIV’s age of Absolutism is evidently shown in the film “The Man In The…
“The Body Ritual” was written in 1956, a time when people’s basic understanding of different culture was insufficient. (Hyung Kim, 2012) The article focuses on the Nacirema and the strange beliefs and superstitions that happen within their culture. If someone is reading this for the first time they may not catch on to Miner’s satirical delivery and unknowingly assume the Nacirema is a Native American tribe. “Instead Miner was talking about common behaviors of Americans that he turned into supernatural and magical rituals. What this actually shows is how language can shape the reader’s impression of a culture in a way that causes people to understand in a totally different perspective.” (Hyung Kim). Miner tricked people into thinking that everyday people, places, and things were a part of a foreign culture. For example; calling bathrooms “shrines”, Doctors “medicine men”, pharmacists “herbalists”, hospitals “latipsohs” and thermometers “magic wands in the supplicants mouths.” (Miner, 1956)…
“The Squint and the Wail” is an essay by Michael Hsu. Hsu, a Taiwanese American author and editor, wrote this essay in order to express his views on the negative connotations that occur with some of the racially charged objects present in society. More specifically, the essay deals with the stereotypical nature of The Chin Family. The Chin Family is the name of Stefano Giovannoni’s tabletop collection, which includes salt and pepper shakers that have the caricaturized facial expressions of Chinese people (Giovanni, 404). In this essay, Hsu talks about the appalling nature of the stereotypical features and how those features pose a derogatory inference to Chinese culture, but then reciprocates his views on the tabletop collection to a more neutral stance. Hsu’s main claim is that it is derogatory to exaggerate on the racial-specific physical features of a race and to present that exaggeration to the public under the guise of an everyday tool. Hsu’s piece shows race from a particular perspective and then compares that perspective to the perspectives of the individuals he associates himself with. Hsu’s persuasive approach can be broken down and interpreted by viewing his stance through ethos, pathos, logos, and mythos.…
In the essay “Body Ritual Among the “Nacirema”, anthropologist Horace Miner describes a group of people known as the Nacirema, a little known tribe living in North America. The way in which he writes about the curious practices that this group performs, distances readers from the fact that the North American group described actually corresponds to modern day Americans of the mid 1950’s. The Nacirema’s cultural beliefs are deeply rooted in the perspective that the human body is prone to sickness and disfiguration. Consequently, a substantial part of their lives are spent on unusual rituals and customs to improve conditions of the body that are filled with magical components.…
In the episode "Masks of Eternity," Joseph Campbell explains the godliness of self. He explains ideas about the past versus the present and the common ways of thinking that have changed the way messages are viewed and interpreted. He goes over the ideas of the inner Christ, the significance of the circle, and peak experiences.…
The most challenging thing about making sure my mask reflects the thoughts and theme of my monologue was making sure it reflected what my monologue was feeling. It wasn’t that easy to pick up a mask and start designing you had to think things through . My monologue represents being afraid and changing which my mask did turn out to display my themes . I had two halves of my mask one represents the past tense which was being frightened and the presentece which was…
This paper is an analysis of the single cultural artifact that best represents the culture in which I live in today. The paper will provide a detailed analysis of the artifact and how it relates to the values and beliefs of the culture. Additionally, it will address the deep cultural roots of the artifact, the historical roots of the artifact, what allowed it to come into being and who was affected by its development. This information will come as someone trained from the humanities.…
The symbolism and similarities shown in this article express the qualitative research method. Miner uses tone and impressions that represent real events. The image is realistic. Miner has demonstrated his view from the outside, while remaining unbiased. His choice of words allows the reader to reflect on their own culture. The “shrine”, for example, is the place where all the magic happens. Daily rituals are performed here in the privacy of their own homes. Children are also introduced to these rituals at the appropriate age. Only men shave daily, and women perform their own body make-overs less frequently. The “charm box” symbolizes a medicine cabinet, where all the remedies are kept, then often forgot about. The cabinet is over-flowing with remedies for everything.…
Masks are considered "functional works of art" and play a social purpose in Africa. They are used in storytelling and ceremonies and are made to be worn over the head rather than cover the face. This technique is also used in The Lion King so that the human facial expression is not lost and to support the beadwork, corsets and armor used to show the human qualities of a lion. The costumes on the other hand are made of silk cloth to hide the human form, break the shoulder line and to enhance the powerful joints and thighs. The masks are made in such a way that the actor can control the facial expression of the mask through cables attached to their sleeves. Costumes and masks are also used to show the development of the character as they progress through out the story. Young Simba's costume is not as intricate as Scar's to show that, Scar has an underlying plan whereas Simba is innocent.…
“Beauty is not in the face, Beauty is the light in the heart.” – Kahlil Gibran. However true this utterance may be, in nearly every culture all through history, women have been required to undertake major and sometimes painful physical modifications in the insistence of the name of beauty and social status. The Chinese tradition of foot binding could be considered to be among the most barbarous of traditions. With that being said the custom of binding young girl’s feet played a salient mantel in the history of china.…