Song of Ariran is a collaborative work of great importance. The book, written by Nym Wales, is a personal account of Kim San, who was a Korean rebel leader based in China. San was fighting the Japanese occupation of his country. The book emerged out of Wales’ interviews with San, which took place in the summer of 1937. While Wales admits that he was not entirely interested in devoting his time and energies to an in depth investigation, he was soon won over by San. According to Wales, even though he had come to China to study China, she could not help but want to write a book about the fascinating Korean revolutionary leader Kim San, and this is exactly what she did by conducting in depth interviews with San.
In my opinion,Song of Ariran is important for a number of reasons. The first reason is this biography is based on a first-hand interview. This makes it significantly different from other biographies written about historical figures, as many of these biographies have been written after the death of the figure in question. In these instances, the entire biography is written based on secondary sources, as the main primary source no longer exists. Other biographies are oftren written after the historical figure’s political life has ended. Therefore, even though the historical figure in question may be significantly involved, what the author gleans from this primary source is often tainted by reflection and the passage of time. However, this is not the case with Song of Ariran. Instead, the interviews were conducted when San was only thirty-two years old. At this time, he was an active leader in an active revolutionary movement. In fact, Song of Ariran is for all intent and purposes an autobiography written in real...
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...nly one victory- over myself. This one small victory, however, is enough to give me confidence to go on. Fortunately, the tragedy and defeat I have experienced have not broken but strengthened me. I have few illusions left, but I have not lost faith in men an the ability of men to create history. Who shall know the will of history? Only the undefeated in defeat who have lost everything to gain a whole new world in the last battle. Millions of men must die and tens of millions must suffer before humanity can be born again” (p. 315).
There is no sense of finality here, as this is truly a living document, as San is embroiled in his life as a revolutionary Marxist. However, this career would end violently in San’s death in Manchuria. Therefore, the confidence that San gained from his many defeats and his one small victory carry him towards his final defeat.
"I am young, I am twenty years old; yet I know nothing of life but despair, death, fear, and fatuous superficiality cast over an abyss of sorrow. I see how people are set against one another, and in silence, unknowingly, foolishly, obediently, innocently slay one another. I see that the keenest brains of the world invent weapons and words to make it yet more refined and enduring. And all men of my age, here and over there, throughout the whole world see these things. All my generation is experiencing these things with me..."
Later in the book, he again reflects on the war. He catalogs the proofs that he has been given — injured and half-starved countrymen — but persists in his existential doubt. He notes, “So we knew a war existed; we had to believe that, just as we had to believe that the name for the sort of life we had led for the last three years was hardship and suffering. Yet we had no proof of it. In fact, we had even less than no proof; we had had thrust into our faces the very shabby and unavoidable obverse of proof…” (94). Because he has not seen the battles, he has difficulty acknowledging the reality of war.
“ But something else less easy to conquer stands in the ways of his dreams for himself”.
Just imagine undertaking an important mission without ever giving up. Aengus from the Song of Wandering Aengus undertook the mission to search and find his true love. In the Trials of Apollo, Apollo attempted to save the Oracles and stop the beast. Michael, Bryson, and Sarah's mission in the Eye of Minds, was to stop the evil Kaine from destroying and hacking the world. However, all three had lots of perseverance, after many failed attempts and challenges, they never gave up.
Furthermore, I believe the point both authors proposed was this, “Choose battles wisely and forgive or, forever suffer continuous loss.”
...ings by then, whose memories, fears, and enthusiasms should not be remembered." Thus, unlike the title suggests, this remarkable war memoir is not about one soldier. Instead it refers to the entire German army who were defeated by the Allies. Although the German cause was very controversial, these gentlemen bravely fought for their country. Many men died, many were mutilated, and many more had to forever live with the atrocities they encountered. At war's end, however, they were merely "forgotten" for their failure of success. And although The Forgotten Soldier is an astonishing account of the horrors of infantry warfare, it serves a much greater purpose. It allows the historian to glance into the German experience and realize they too were young men fighting because their nation called upon them, and they deserve to be remembered for such a courageous act.
Women in classical Egyptian, Indian, and Persian literature are depicted as being more than just one dimensional figures. They are displayed as living beings, capable of emotion and exercising power amongst men. Ancient history has shown that in places such as Egypt, woman had equal rights alongside men, in regards to legal and economic rights. At the time, rights were based on economic class and not gender. By having a rights system that mimicked that of men’s rights, Egyptian women were able to show their multi-dimensionality. This multi-dimensionality was best portrayed in love poems such as “The Beginning of the Song that Diverts the Heart,” “I passed close by his house,” and ancient Egyptian literary artifacts, involving stele’s of Ahhotep
“Mao’s Last Dancer” is a book about the life of Li Cunxin. Li Cunxin was born into poverty in China under the rule of Mao Ze dung. The book was first published in 2003 and since then has won several awards including the book of the year award. Throughout the novel the composer chronologically cites the life of Li Cunxin and how he felt and where he belonged at certain points in his life.
“Foundly do we hope-fervently do we pray- that this might scourge of war may speedily pass away… With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan - to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations”
“We shall overcome; we shall overcome someday, Oh deep in my heart I do believe we will overcome.”(LOC)
Oh Freddie Mercury, what would music be like if you were still kicking around today? From 1973 to 1978, Queen released a total of eight brilliant albums. Not all songs were gems but within that time frame we the public were given such classic songs like Killer Queen, Bohemian Rhapsody, Fat Bottom Girls, You're My Best Friend, We Are The Champions, We Will Rock You, the list goes on really. But there is one album within that time span that's my favorite, and quite possibly the most underrated, which would be 'Jazz' that was released in 1978. This throwback Thursday, I'll take you through track by track Queen's Jazz album.
“I come to say to you this afternoon, however difficult the moment, however frustrating the hour, it will not be long, because "truth crushed to earth will rise again."
Giles, Lionel. The Art of War by Sun Tzu. 1994-2009. http://classics.mit.edu/Tzu/artwar.html (accessed December 2, 2013).
...y bury us in history when we want to focus on the future; they bombard us with distraction when we try to concentrate.” He starts to tell us that we often try to fight the mind by arguing against our thoughts and feelings, or by finding ways to avoid. You don’t want to get caught in and ongoing battle against your own mind. Sometime you will win the battle and sometimes you will lose putting yourself in that position that you didn’t want to be in.
...director did not limit the film to its historical context but extended the same to romance and fantasy. From a different angle of view, the director made use of the theme to communicate with the viewers and the fictional characters can be considered as his tools. Besides, ample importance is given to historical and fictional characters. In short, the amalgamation of history, fantasy and romance constituted much to the film’s importance as a historical/fictional masterpiece.