In Bakhtin’s text “Rabelais and His World,” the author seeks to expand the social and literary theories of the carnival and grotesque, stating “it had an important place in the life of the medieval man” (Bakhtin 5). In short, Bakhtin uses French writer Francois Rabelais’ work to contrast the conceptual differences between official ceremony and the carnival. As a form of human culture, the official ceremony presents monolithic themes of hierarchy and politics in a stable and pure setting (Bakhtin 9). In contrast, the carnival presents opposing features like equality, laughter, and ambivalence. In addition, Bakhtin contrasts the difference between the literary use of both the classical and grotesque body. Similarly, these concepts are opposite, with the classical body focussing on the face, and idolizing the completeness and attractiveness of the human figure (Bakhtin 21). In opposition, the grotesque body can be considered down to …show more content…
This restriction resembles Bakhtin’s official feast as it introduces a hierarchal system both financially and spatially. In addition, the area is much more ordered and organized than the dance floor and bar sections with a line of couches and tables. Similar to the literary use of the official feast, bottle service features the classical body. Since the collection of couches and tables encourage customers in bottle service to sit down, this eliminates the focus of the lower stratum, and places focus on the higher stratum of their body with consuming drinks in their mouth. Lastly, the customers who use bottle service are often in a higher economic class than the rest of the club, and as a result dress in nicer and more closed clothing. According to Bakhtin, this idea of complete and closed clothing opposes that of the grotesque body, which will be recognizable through the dance floor section of the club (Bakhtin
Alcohol has always been a part of feminine culture, but it took a dramatic shift in the early 20th century. In the book, Domesticating Drink, Catherine Murdock argues that during this period, women transformed how society drank and eradicated the masculine culture that preceded this shift. Murdock draws from a few different sources to prove her argument, such as: etiquette manuals published after the turn of the century and anecdotes from the time period. She provides many interesting and unique perspectives on how drinking culture evolved, but she shows a clear bias towards “wet” culture and also makes very exaggerated claims that turn her argument into something that is nearly impossible to completely prove.
Antonio Manetti, a Florentine Humanist and holder of several high offices in Florence, was the author of the delightful novella known as the Fat Woodworker. This novella, first published in its final refined form in the 1470’s, tells the story of a rather complex and slightly malicious trick created by a genius architect known as Filippo Brunelleschi. While the trick is mean at times, the reader tends to not notice because of the comedic way that the fat woodworker reacts. The prank that unfolds can in some ways closely parallel the many tricks that occur in Boccaccio’s Decameron, though there are some large differences.
Precise definition of a festive comedy is best outlined in the distinctive depictions if merry in the tone, exhibition of Elizabethan holidays, satire depiction in the composition to mockery which is to a greater extent natural. The same is resonated in depictions of comic faith wherein what matter most is the rather satirical and happy depiction of events in the hope of a greater cause such as religion and love. In structuring up the play ‘A Midsummer’s Night Dream,’ there is clear mapped outline that makes reference to the ideal of it being regarded as a festive comedy but notions of the same are heavily transcended in the different sections of the play coupled with the ideal of comic faith as well. What is followed
De France, Marie. "Eliduc". Trans. John Fowles. The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces. Expanded Edition. Ed. Maynard Mack. New York: W.W. Norton & Co. 1995. 1680-1692. All quotations are from this text.
Ruskin, John. “Grotesque Renaissance.” The Stones of Venice: The Fall. 1853. New York: Garland Publishing, 1979. 112-65. Rpt. in Classical and Medieval Literature Criticism. Ed. Jelena O. Krstovic. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale Research Company, 1989. 21-2.
The Horse is represented in full profile as to show off it’s perfect proportions; it is forcefully modeled so as to give its perfect anatomy and it moves with regulated step of the riding school so as to give demonstration of perfect rhythm. The fact that a beautiful setter is running by the side of the horse completes the picture of the Christian man as known to the Late Middle Ages – the man who armed with faith and accompanied by religious zeal, symbolized by the faithful hound goes on his way along the narrow path of earthly life menaced by Death and the Devil.
Very different from traditional writings of the past was the new flourish of troubadour poetry. Troubadour poetry, derived of courtly romances, focused on the idea of unrequited love. “A young man of the knightly class loved a lady”, most often, “the lady was married to the young man’s lord”. The courtly lover would compose highly lyrical and erotic poems in honor of his lady, and the troubadour was filled with rapture even at the slightest kindness that the lady might offer him.3 This new literary artifice provides us clues to the cultural changes that took place in medieval Europe during this time.
Art was viewed in a different sense in the fourteenth century. It had a more active role and was not just decoration, but a vital component of worship and pr...
In his book Gargantua and Pantagruel, Francois Rabelais uses satire to address the dislocation felt by Renaissance Humanists. By providing an exaggerated fable, comical in nature, Rabelais poses a serious introspection into the extremes of both the Medieval and the Renaissance man. More importantly, however, he brings into question his own ideals of Humanism. Through an analysis of Rabelais’ satirical technique and by examining his social parody of the Medieval and the Renaissance man, we are able to better understand Rabelais’ introspection into the ideals of his own generation and to accept his argument that learning is transitory and often a necessary, yet futile, attempt to understand our world.
This paper will review the article, ‘Engendering Sacrifice: Blood, Lineage, and Infanticide in Old French Literature’ by Peggy McCracken, an associate professor of French and Women’s Studies at the University of Michigan. The review will firstly summarize the article. Secondly, it will give more insight into the author’s main points. Thirdly, it will evaluate the evidence, investigating the nature of the sources used and how it is relevant to students studying medieval history. Overall the article was well-organized, clear, and had efficient sources.
This paper explains the history and development of the nude art in the Renaissance and Medieval period. In the Renaissance age the patrons and artist readopted the antiquity of the classical Greek into representation of nude. This is an epoch when drastic changes occurred in which Christian authorities no longer viewed the nude art as something conflicting or shameful. In contrary they believed that nude being reformed in ancient in classical antiquity portrays divine characteristics and emancipates the light that is pure and heroic (Long, 2008; Bonfante, 1989; Tinagli, 1997). To establish a further understanding why during the Renaissance age nude art brilliantly portrayed human anatomy, the work of some most remarkable artists such as Michelangelo, Botticelli, Masaccio and Durer are described (Long, 2008) These minds welcomed the classical antiquity into their paintings and sculpturing and often the Greek athletic figures and mythological Venus figure were used as ideal models in depicting nude art (Bonfante, 1989). The classical renewal of nude art had specific roles attached to both male and female nude, in the world of art. The religious figures were depicted in antique forms as to convey their theological status and importance. In contrast to the Renaissance period, the Medieval representation of nude art was rare and Religious authorities oppose its development as they believed it may lead to sin and degradation (Long, 2008; Steinberg, 1983). In short this paper will present a historical overview of the nude art and how the diverse cultural attitude towards depiction of nude existed in each period.
The presence of processes or rituals that generally constituted clubbing, it was seen that a ‘pre-party’ or ‘pre-drink’ happens before people go clubbing. Georgia mentioned that this ritual of pre-drinks is really observed and practiced by clubbers. He said that there are popular establishments in Baguio City that clubbers visit first to drink two to three bottles of beer before going to clubs. She knows this because she is a regular customer and was a former employee of one of these popular establishments in the city, called Zola, where clubbers frequently go for pre-drinks. To maintain the role of the establishment as a preliminary place for clubbers to ready themselves, Zola even offers a promo wherein if the customer presents the receipt from Zola in another club, they will waive the entrance fee of one person from the group when they go to another club called Ampersand. When my friends and I went for data gathering, we went to Zola and other establishments to grab some drinks and we got the discounted promo. Moreover, I was able to prove this based on my observation that most of the customers in the establishment where we had our preliminary drinks were the same people whom we saw at the club where I did my ethnographic
...epth perception, and clear lines make Sebastians Still Life with Glasses seem real. Brushstrokes, unclear lines on the table, and distance not visible to the viewer but symbolic, make Jeans’ Still Life with Kitchen Utensils more of a work of art, than a depiction of what is real.Jean portrays a table in a house of a commoner and Sebastian, a table in the house of the wealthy. The viewer of both of these paintings, is himself of nobility. On the one hand he sees this lush kitchen table of Sebastians’ and relishes in his own wealth, but on the other, he seems separated from the poverty of Jeans table. The wealthy man has the grapes, but not the onions, not the wisdom of the poor that leads them to seek virtuous things rather than material objects.He is inevitably separated from both the pain of poverty, and the wisdom of the righteous not self seeking but humble man.
Logan, Thad Jenkins. "Twelfth Night: The Limits of Festivity." Elizabethan and Jacobean Drama. N.p.: Rice University, 1982. 223-38. Vol. 22 of Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900. Rpt. in Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. Print.
This passage in Honorè de Balzac’s novel Père Goriot describes the ultimatum Rastignac gives to himself after experiencing a harsh transition of luxury to filth, as he sees it. Before Rastignac enters his meek lodgings he has a life altering discussion with Madame de Beausèant. They talked about the price he would have to pay to gain acceptance into Parisian high society. The contrast he experiences ultimately fuels his greed and reckless behavior. This drives him further on to his mission of making his fortune. In a close reading of this passage the narrator takes turns of telling Rastignac’s point of view and his own. The adjectives used to describe Rastignac’s actions and thoughts add to the sense of urgency he feels. The sharp contrast between the elegant and the common is made more prevalent in Rastignac’s eyes.