Reaching Hapiness, My Holy Grail Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Reaching Hapiness, My Holy Grail - Essay Example This has highly motivated me to choose clinical social work as my career. I believe that my career will help change the lives of many community members because social work is a profession that presents humane and effective social services to groups, families, individuals, communities, and society to enhance and improve both the quality of life and social functioning (Zastrow 28). Having mention clinical social work as my career, this paper will analyze my goal as a clinical social worker, and its importance both to me, and society. What Motivated Me to Choose Clinical Social Work Due to the increasing mental and health risks due to lack of effective counseling in the society, I am, and I will continue putting more efforts to ensure I achieve my goal in the next seven years. Clinical Social Work involves giving help to: families, individuals, couples, and even undersized groups notice issue challenging them, and provision of specific strategies in improvement of their exceptional situ ations (Ritter, Halaevalu and Kiernan-Stern 106). By definition, clinical social work is referred as social work theory and treatment methods application, to prevent psychological problems, impairment, mental ailment, and emotional disorders and also, helping the physically disabled community members. My goal is; â€Å"I will be a Clinical Social Worker in the next seven years.† Since I was young, my dreams have been that one day I will pray for, and help many people in the world in most burning life issues. Many people in the community has been addicted to drugs. This has consequently caused thousands of deaths because of cancer diseases caused by smoking and alcohol taking. In my own opinion, if these people in the community can be counseled and youths well advised before starting abusing drugs, cases of deaths of cancer will cease. To get people under these cases helped, I consequently chose to work as a social work. This will indeed, create a community of healthy and God- fearing people. People will be healthy because when advised, psychological and mental problems are minimized. In addition, cancer cases will cease. In short, my interest in clinical social work developed because of my inner dream to help people get out of their undesirable situations. Significance of Clinical Social Work Social work involves a series of caring services like; advice and guidance, education, health, housing community regeneration and development, social care and offering care and other services among children and younger persons. The social workers play major roles in ensuring that the above are services are rendered to the community. Indeed thousands of people in different communities find themselves into difficult life situations, unable to work them out. Social workers therefore, get in to help the community in solving the problem. Since helping people has been my hobby, I did not hesitate in making a choice to join social work as my future career. Effective delive ry of these caring services to the community will therefore, mark the significance of clinical social work career. Clinical social worker helps to enhance and maintain the coping skills of the people they are rendering services to, within the context of one’s environment to achieve a living balance in case confronted by challenges (Ritter, Halaevalu and Kiernan-Stern 106). This means, social work professionals help people in the com

Two Views on Domesticity Essay Example for Free

Two Views on Domesticity Essay In Joan Williams book â€Å"Unbending Gender: Why Family and Work Conflict and What to Do About It†, she defines domesticity as â€Å"a gender system comprising most centrally of both the particular organization of market work and family work that arose around 1780, and the gender norms that justify, sustain, and reproduce that organization. † (1) Throughout the book, Williams seeks to redefine the very meaning of domesticity and how it affects both men and women. The author of the article â€Å"Gender, Status, and Feeling†, seeks to explain how men and women navigate their emotional minefields and why it affects their respective statuses in society. While Williams and the author of â€Å"Gender, Status, and Feeling† differ on the reasons why women are seen as being on a lower pedestal than men, they both agree that women do a good job of dealing the hand they are dealt, for the most part. It is obvious that Williams sympathy lies toward the female half of the population. In the introduction, Williams cites several statistics that shows the reader how women are victimized by the â€Å"ideal worker† norm. The author defines an ideal worker as someone who works forty hours a week year round. (2) She goes on to explain how this norm excludes most â€Å"mothers of childbearing age. †(2) One statistic cited states that â€Å" two-thirds (Williams emphasis) [of mothers] are not ideal workers even in the minimal sense of working full time full year. † (2) Another statistic cited states that 93 percent of mothers are excluded from jobs that require â€Å"extensive overtime. † (2) With sobering statistics like these, Williams tries to show that against towering odds, mothers of childbearing age arent able to compete in the market workplace with men. Williams unequivocally states that she wants to â€Å"democratize access to domesticity. † (174) She then goes on to state that â€Å"a restructuring of market work will give to working class women and women of color greater access to the parental care that remains a widespread social ideal. † (174) This is an interesting idea because earlier in the book, Williams ripped apart a womans book because the author made certain life and career choices that didnt seem palatable to Williams for some reason. Deborah Fallows, a successful linguist in her own right, went down to part time hours, then quit altogether, when her son was born. She wrote a book called A Mothers Work, which described the journey that she took from successful career woman to stay-at-home mom. For some reason, Williams doesnt believe Fallows would happily give up her career for her son and husband, a high powered White House aide. Williams states: â€Å"Thus Fallows presents (authors emphasis) her decision to stay home as a choice she made to improve her own emotional state She quit both to avoid negative feelings and to experience positive ones, as leaving gave her more time â€Å"to partake of the pleasures of [Tommys] company. † (19) Williams sees Fallows choice to stay home as a prime example of how domesticity saturates even the upper levels of society. Williams goes so far as to attack Fallows view on child care. On page 32, Williams wonders why Fallows would be against day care in general when her own experience was positive: â€Å"It is hard to see why the low quality of child care for the poor explains Fallows decision to stay home. † It seems as if Williams is having a really hard time trying to figure out why an upper class woman like Fallows would give up everything she was working for in order to stay home with her child. If staying at home with the kids is okay for poor and working class women, why isnt it okay for a woman like Fallows? On the surface, Williams seems to be fighting for women all across the economic spectrum. However, underneath lies a subtle streak of the same sort of classist attitudes that Williams pins on some feminists later on in her book. With Williams raging against the machine of domesticity, one would think that the author would lash out at the male half of the population. Surprisingly, she doesnt do this. Williams feels that men are also the victims of domesticitys ideas of the ideal worker as well as domesticitys view in other areas of society. For example, on page 3, Williams explains how women generally lose out when it comes to financial support after divorce: â€Å"Mothers marry, marginalize, and then divorce in a system that typically defines womens and childrens postdivorce entitlements in terms of their basic â€Å"needs†, while mens entitlements reflect the assumption (derived from domesticity) that they â€Å"own† their ideal-worker wage. † In this case, Williams chooses not to point the finger at an easy target (men). Instead, she blames a system that allows men to keep the vast majority of their earnings while â€Å"40 percent of divorced mothers live in poverty. † (3) Williams even blames domesticity for the lack of parenting prowess on the part of some men. Again, Williams cites some statistics that shows how domesticity changed attitudes on parenting: â€Å"One study estimated that an average American father spends twelve minutes a day in solo child care. Another reported that mothers spend about three times as much time as fathers in face-to-face interaction with their children. † (3) The author then gives a short history lesson on how exactly did domesticity changed the face of parenting for both men and women: child rearing was considered too important to be left to women, and child-rearing manuals addressed fathers. Men were actively involved, in part because market work and family work were not yet geographically separated, so that fathers generally worked closer to home than most do today In a society that viewed women as the â€Å"weaker vessel,† it made no sense to delegate childrens health, well-being, and eternal souls to the exclusive sphere of women. (3) It seems as if Williams is yearning for a simpler time when fathers could take off work for a few moments and read a story to his children. This isnt a perfect scenario. After all, women were seen as inferior second class citizens who werent capable of molding the minds of her children. What Williams is actually wishing for is a time where the ideas of domesticity didnt interfere with the way that fathers tended to their children. While Joan Williams is sounding a battle cry, the author of the article â€Å"Gender, Status, and Feeling† is blowing a whistle. In the article, the author attempts to explain not only how men and women handle their emotions, but how women use their emotions to navigate a society that still sees them as second class citizens. One thing that Williams and the author article would agree on is that the female half of the population is usually seen as an afterthought in our society. This point would be where the two authors viewpoints diverge. First, the author of the article argues that women use their emotions as a means to an end. In a society that doesnt value a lot of their contributions, some women have found other ways to survive: lacking other resources, women make a resource out of feeling and offer it to men as a gift in return for the more material resources they lack. For example, in 1980 only 6 percent of women but 50 percent of men earned over $15,000 a year. (GSF 163) From this passage, one can see that the author feels that women readily adapted to the hand they were dealt. The author doesnt even seem to think this is a bad thing. They see this manipulation of their emotional palette more as a means of survival. The author even theorizes as to why women are believed to have been born with what Williams calls an â€Å"ethic of care†: As for many others of lower status, it has been in the womans interest to be the better actor. As the psychologists would say, the techniques of deep acting have unusually high â€Å"secondary† gains. Yet these skills have long been mislabeled â€Å"natural†, a part of womens â€Å"being† rather than something of her own making. (GSF 167) Williams would disagree with part of this authors statement. While the author of the article and Williams both believe that the place of women in society is based on societal beliefs, Williams states in her book that the ideas that domesticity has planted is the sole reason for this. For example, on page 182, William says that â€Å" women need to be selfless only because they live in a system that marginalizes caregivers. † In other words, women have no choice but to be selfless caregivers. In her book, Williams does everything she can to fight the societal belief that all women are born with an ethic of care. The author of â€Å"Gender, Status, and Feeling†, however, not only thinks that women are born with this innate need to nurture, but that it comes in handy when women become mothers: â€Å" more women at all class levels do unpaid labor of a highly interpersonal sort. They nurture, manage and befriend children. More â€Å"adaptive† and â€Å"cooperative†, they address themselves better to the needs of those who are not yet able to adapt and cooperate much themselves. †(GSF 170) The author of the article uses the example of male and female flight attendants to illustrate how society views men and women in a position of authority. The author reported that when a female flight attendant makes a request of a passenger, the passengers would usually argue with them. When a male flight attendant was called over to help, the request was usually granted with no problem. Williams claims that most people arent able to help this phenomenon: â€Å"Thirty years of second-wave feminism have seen many accomplishments, but dislodging the ideology of domesticity is not one of them. Most people, feminists or not, believe some version of domesticitys descriptions of men and women. † (193) Williams and the author of â€Å"Gender, Status, and Feeling† would disagree about a lot of things. Williams is a head strong feminist whose goal is to change the core beliefs of society. The author of the article believes that women have used their emotional palettes to adapt to their marginalized role in society and doesnt say whether this survival tactic should be a thing of the past. One thing that is evident in both Williams book and the article is the belief that women throughout history have been resilient in working the hand they are dealt and will continue this tradition as long as society pushes their half to the outermost margins. Works Cited Williams, Joan. Unbending Gender: Why Family and Work Conflict and What to Do About It. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000 â€Å"Gender, Status, and Feeling† (article)

Free Essays - The Character Traits of Macbeth :: Macbeth essays

The Character Traits of Macbeth William Shakespeare's play Macbeth shows us that cheating will not get you were you want to go. Macbeth was written in the 16th century England during the Elizabethan period, because of this the story has a complex plot and many themes that the people in the Elizabethan period would enjoy. The character Macbeth has many traits that Shakespeare used to develop Macbeth throughout the play and even how the character Macbeth advances the theme of the play. Macbeth is put together with many character traits. He is a very complex character. In the beginning Macbeth was brave and loyal. He won the battle of Norway and became the Thane of Cawdor. For brave Macbeth disdainding fortune with his brandished steel which smoked with bloody execution( ACT1 SC2 LNS18-20). Macbeth is also a gullible man, when he runs into the witches he believes them when they say, all hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter(act1 sn2 line 50) . He is so gullible to what these witches said that he killed his best friend Banquo and nearly kills Banquo's son. Macbeth also was convinced by his wife to kill Duncan. Macbeth conscious becomes guilty after he kills Duncan when he said, will all great neptunes ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?(act2 sn2 lines 79-80). He is thinking that nothing can take back the murders he had committed. Throughout the play Shakespeare developed Macbeth into a cold and depressed man. In the beginning Shakespeare developed Macbeth into a brave and loyal man. After the witches tell him of the prophecies Macbeth was convinced by his wife to kill Duncan. After this Macbeth starts to lose it by going crazy by seeing 3 apparitions then a row of kings(p125 sn1 lines 77-140). Shakespeare has turned the character of Macbeth totally around. Toward the end of the play when Macbeth starts to get things together he learns that he is going to be invaded by Malcolm, Donnalban, and Macduff. His wife also commits suicide. After hearing this he starts to treat his servants cold heartedly and then said "She should have died hereafter. There would have been a time for such a word.

Concepts, Control and Choice Between the Matrix Trilogy and Plato’s Allegory of the Cave

The human mind may be seen as a sophisticated computing machine which has for its object of thought that which we call reality. In a certain sense, scientific knowledge and technological developments continuously define and redefine our sense of what is real. Questions concerning reality are questions that are paradigmatically philosophical. A paradigmatically philosophical question is a question that is both familiar and strange. This familiarity and strangeness of reality manifests itself when we try to ask ourselves the question: What is reality? On a preliminary note, both The Matrix Trilogy and Plato’s Allegory of the Cave present us with fundamental questions concerning reality and knowledge. Moreover, both The Matrix and Plato present us with questions concerning a very important characterization of the human being: our capacity for choice which is built upon the concepts of rationality and autonomy. As rational and autonomous beings, we are responsible for the choices that we make. In 514a of Plato’s work called Republic, he offers the Allegory of the Cave as an analogy for the educational progress or enlightenment of the soul. In Plato’s theory of the Divided Line, he uses the sun as a metaphor for the Form of the Good, which for him, is the proper object of thought. It is important to note that Plato assigns an ontological status to the Forms. The Forms are real, so to speak. In the allegory of the cave, he uses a surrogate metaphor for the sun: the fire within the cave. The main thrust of the Allegory of the Cave is to contrast life within the cave with the life outside of it. The cave, in Plato’s work, is a prison wherein the individuals dwell in the world of semblances. Inside the cave, the prisoners only see shadows of objects produced by the light coming from the fire. Plato uses the object-image metaphor to illustrate this point. What we may thus infer is that knowledge and reality, in Plato’s account of them in the Allegory of the Cave, comes in degrees. Regarding this particular differentiation between object and image and the real from a mere semblance or copy, Cornford writes that Plato views â€Å"†¦a world of intelligible Forms separate from the things our senses perceive† (2). In effect, Plato envisions reality as that which is absolute and accessible only through thought in contrast with mere semblances or copies that we find in the sensible world. Whereas Plato considers reality as absolute, the Matrix Trilogy depicts not just a reality but ‘realities’ which overlap each other. Morpheus presents Neo with a dilemma when the latter has to make a choice between which pill to take. The evidence of the aforementioned necessity to choose is evident as Morpheus states that â€Å"no one can be told what the Matrix is (since its existence is something that one ought) to see for one’s self†. In this sense, the discovery of reality is to be understood as an act which involves the reacquisition of a new perspective in which one may understand reality per se. According to Irwin, the similitude of Plato’s conception of the Forms in relation to the conception of reality as presented within the aforementioned text is evident if one considers that â€Å"as with the Forms, it is not a literal ‘seeing’ (which is involved) but a direct knowing that brings understanding of the Matrix† (14). In the movie, the red pill stands for ‘truth’ which eventually allows Neo to see behind the deceiving reality produced by the matrix. In very important respects, the red pill also stands for the biblical interpretation associated with the Tree of Knowledge from the Garden of Eden. In the film, the red pill induced the discovery that the world in which Neo lives is not real but a mere virtual reality (Lloyd 32). The fact of the matter is that Neo’s body is stored in a body farm with his mind plugged into the matrix. It is not difficult to see the apparent similarity with this state of affairs with Plato’s Allegory of the Cave. In effect, we may say that Neo and the prisoners in the cave are in a state of illusion. Both Neo and the prisoners in the cave are presented with two options: to remain in the state of illusion or to liberate themselves from the virtual reality of the matrix or the shadows in the cave. The meaning of human life then, its purpose and moral integrity in a physical or bodily existence in the context of The Matrix is to be found in human beings’ opposition to the illusions produced by the Matrix or in a more academic terminology, ‘technological modernity’ and by restoring the natural world. In today’s world, there is a clamor for a paradigm shift in terms of adapting to the demands of modernity. Such a shift is considered by Beck as necessary when he writes that: A new kind of capitalism, a new kind of economy, a new kind of global order, a new kind of politics and law, a new kind of society and personal life are in the making which both separately and in context are clearly distinct from earlier phases of social evolution (81). In line with this, it is important to note Agent Smith’s initial explanation as to the creation of the Matrix. According to Agent Smith, the Matrix was â€Å"designed to be a perfect human world where none suffered†. The result of the design, however, remained as an ideal. Agent Smith noted that the reason for this lies in the imperfection of the programming language used to depict that perfect world. He notes, â€Å"I believe that as species human beings define their reality through misery and suffering. The perfect world was a dream that your primitive cerebrum kept trying to wake up from†. Questions concerning the meaning and purpose of human life are further explored on Matrix Reloaded and Matrix Revolution. They provide more complicated and dialectical approach of what it means for a human being to live in a technological world. The aforementioned complexity may be inferred from comparing the possibilities that are evident in the presentation of the worlds in the three movies. It is important to note that in the first movie, the matrix and the machine from which it gets its sustenance only seems to provide less complicated and normative possibilities evident in its ‘either-or’ presentation. It is at this particular aspect point where one may say that Reloaded and Revolution provide a more appropriate construal of the human condition. These two were able to explore not only the diametrically opposing views on technology and human society but also their complex interdependence. It is not difficult to see that the moral dilemma posed by Reloaded and Revolution then, is not simply to escape from our technological milieu, but to discover and rediscover what it is that enables us to be and to remain ‘human’ within such a world. Furthermore, the narrative suggests that the threat of a nihilistic instrumentalism is to be found, not simply in the external world of technological devices and systems prima facie, but in that moral and metaphysical trajectory underlying a mechanistic technoscience. The urgent task that it points to is thus to contest the nihilism of the Baconian dream and to recover those deeper sources that can sustain moral and spiritual experience and relationship even within a highly technologically advanced world. Another important aspect that ought to be given emphasis is the ‘divide’ existing behind those who know the truth [or reality] and those who do not know. Zion, the last bastion of humanity, represents that which is real. Why is it important to point out the so called divide? The answer is rather obvious. This particular aspect further generates systems of power and power relations. In a certain sense, it maintains political power. Whoever creates the divide, the fake choice, is placed at the point of authority and ultimate control. Withholding the knowledge of one world from another is simply a tool of this control – and the Plato’s Cave, so often referred to in discussions on The Matrix, does not necessarily have to refer to Zion alone. It represents any society where the knowledge is withheld from both sides of the divide, and where the self-examination of each group is discouraged of stepping over into examination of the whole system. Mindful of the points of convergence between the Matrix Trilogy and Plato’s Allegory of the Cave in terms of their themes and philosophical underpinnings, we may safely add that both of them employed, in one way or another, the use of myths and metaphors in terms accounting for the concept of reality. If we are to characterize the ancient mind, we may say that it thinks in terms of metaphors. Metaphorical thinking is still one of the ways in and through which we try to explain and appropriate for ourselves various phenomena. One may take the time to consider how, for instance, we used to explain to ourselves that ‘the universe is a machine’. This was the metaphor during the time of Leibniz which continued to flourish in the advent of scientific reductionism. There remains, however, a significant difference in the Matrix Trilogy and Plato’s Allegory of the Cave. Whereas, the path to Zion, the representation of that which is real requires Neo and the others to rebel against the matrix for them to be able to liberate themselves, the path to Plato’s Form of the Good, that which is real, requires introspection and a life of contemplation. This is because Plato is primarily concerned with questions of ontology than questions of politics or even ethics. In the case of the Allegory of the Cave, Plato seeks to explain the nature of reality and knowledge. He is concerned with the liberation of the mind from ignorance and dogmatism. Human beings’ capacity for reason is what distinguishes them from other forms of life in the universe. Rationality is an excellence of the noble soul.

Edgar Degas Paintings Comparison and Analysis

Edgar Degas has become known as one of the world’s most influential Impressionist, or Realist (the title he preferred), artists. Impressionism was one of the most important art movements in the nineteenth century and had great influences on Modern Art development. The first Impressionist exhibitions were held in 1874, but at the time, it still was not recognized as a real art. Impressionist artists, including Claude Monet and Pierre-Auguste Renoir, ignored details, revealed their brushstrokes, and placed unblended colors next to each other throughout their artwork. They were artists who were dissatisfied with Academic Art and opposed the Romantics idea that the main reason for art was to create emotional excitement for its viewers. Edgar Degas was one of these ‘rebels’ and one of the most prominent members of the group. Degas became known for his description of his subjects, which included depictions of ballet dancers and woman bathing which portrayed the ‘Impressionist’ label of experimental and vivid use of color. 1 As seen throughout many of his paintings, Degas consistently is seen to observe â€Å"laundresses, milliners and ballet dancers at work. 2 He employs in his artwork unusual perspectives and complex formal structures. His works, â€Å"Dancers, in Pink and Green† and â€Å"Woman Combing Her Hair† are two in particular pieces that are well-known and clearly depict the ‘Impressionist’ details of Degas. Both are very familiar in style, and in symbolism as well. â€Å"Dancers in Pin k and Green† and â€Å"Woman Combing her Hair† are two of hundreds of Degas pieces. They have significant similarities in style, mostly in part because they both reflect Impressionist artistic details. The charm of these two pictures are abstract- consisting in rhythm of light and shade, color and movement. Degas uses oil on canvas for â€Å"Dancers, in Pink and Green. † The vibrant colors, especially pink and green, are prominent in the painting and portray to the viewer a natural view of the ballerinas. The ballerinas appear natural and spontaneous rather than having a build up of composition with well-studied proportions and balance. Edgar Degas’ goal was to create a simple yet appealing image to the eye. Although Edgar Degas ignored details, revealed brushstrokes and placed unblended colors side by side, he still created a very realistic image of the ballerinas. If a viewer were to take a few steps back from the painting, the image itself seems to fall into place and seems real and intricate. His unusual perspectives and complex structures present in his artworks are also seen in his â€Å"Woman Combing her Hair. † Edgar Degas created â€Å"Woman Combing Her Hair† with pastels on a light green wove paper. The pastels helped establish a simple in theme, but complex in structure, composition. He depended upon vivid colors and purposeful gestures in his paintings rather than precise lines. 3 These characteristics added to the depiction of the subject of the painting. As seen in the previous Dancer art piece, the natural image of a woman is portrayed, but in this case it is a woman combing her hair. There is no build up of composition with studied proportions or balance as well- it is an image merely of a naked woman combing her hair. â€Å"The animal being that takes care of himself, a cat that licks itself. Up to this moment, the nude has been presented in poses that had a public in mind; my women, on the other hand, are simple honest people who bother with nothing but the very caring of their bodies. †(Edgar Degas)4 This quote reflects upon his view as an Impressionist artist. He did not want to portray his women as fixed poses that are established to create an image of a typical woman’s stance in the public mind, but to just provide the audience with a natural woman performing the mere routines of caring for her body. Within the two paintings, Degas expressed and categorized these women according to their profession: whether they be dancers or regular women of the household. They represented specific types of individuals. 5 Although completely different in themes, both paintings relay a similar message that not only characterizes Degas’ paintings, but characterizes Degas himself. It is evident through the collection of his works that Edgar Degas has developed obsessions, especially with woman in different forms. In these two cases, the women are either dancers or are regular woman performing daily routines such as combing hair. He is a keen observer to women and has cultivated complete objectivity in his paintings for he catches complete natural spontaneous poses of his subjects. These poses were very controversial at the time because it ‘exposed’ women in an uncommon way- a nude portrayal of them just in the means of their home. It could be nterpreted that Degas took regular woman routines, and added sexual depictions to them on purpose so that from then on, a woman combing her hair could be then be imagined as a woman combing her hair naked. As seen in â€Å"Dancers, in Pink and Green,† Degas reveals a simple image of multiple dancers getting ready to perform, and one in-particular dancer is just staring at her feet while others are prep ping for the performance. This simple depiction has more complex meaning in that the dancers are typically portrayed dancing. However, in this case, Degas shows one of them just staring at her feet- not dancing yet. Dance depicts structure, form and predetermined actions- a contradiction to his ideal of natural spontaneous poses. In â€Å"Woman Combing Her Hair,† the image is obviously simple- a woman performing a daily routine. This indicates clearly that Edgar Degas seems to pay much attention to women’s actions in detail. The ballet dancers and naked woman are like a film sequence of women in his collection. They are neither delirious or romantic figures, but instead are objects of obsessed study of their working movements and intimate daily activities. Both â€Å"Dancers, in Pink and Green† and â€Å"Woman Combing Her Hair† were painted to portray a very natural feel, as if the viewers have come upon the scene without the knowledge of the people engaged in it. Quality of unexpectedness and elasticity is evident, and this suits the expression of movement and life in the paintings. Every appears to not to be premeditated, but an instantaneous impression, unlike a camera because the action isn’t suspended- it retains elastic rhythm of moving life. Within these two pieces of art, Edgar Degas is seen to put emphasis on certain aspects. In the case of the ballet dancers, emphasis is placed on the dancers’ costumes through their vivid color and size in comparison to the dancers’ body. They seem to ‘stand-out’ from the body in the painting. Degas’ ballet dancers have no beauty in the face or grace of figure in an ordinary sense. Rather, the beauty of the painting is depicted through the vibrant unblended colors of the pink and green costumes. The colors of the costumes, although they are very visible, are simultaneously related to the background colors- the natural colors of the scenery in the painting. In â€Å"Woman Combing Her Hair,† emphasis is prominently placed upon the the length and color of the woman’s hair. The painting is dominated by light colors such as light vibrant green, and the white rug and the soft skin tones; however, the hair seems to be the prominent feature of the image that catches the eye the most. It’s length and dark luscious color grab the viewers’ attention and draws them to the focus: the woman combing her hair. Like the ballet dancers in â€Å"Dancers, in Pink and Green† Degas does not make an attempt to conceal the physical activity of this woman. Without seeing the woman’s face, it is difficult to identify her beauty for he has purposefully concealed it so that emphasis could be placed on the action and artistic expression rather than the details. This also applies to the â€Å"Dancers, in Pink and Green† painting. This unusual angularity was common in many of Degas’ pieces- it was a distinct characteristic of his innovative composition. He received many of his ideas from Japanese Print Art- this type of art heavily influenced his paintings; and his paintings and art style has in-turn influenced the artists following him. Edgar Degas has made history in the art world. His paintings have influenced and affected many, and have also been an inspiration for the next generation of artists. He made a huge impact on the effect that Impression had on the public and was known for it. His art had harmonious representation- aesthetic moments fixed on the canvas. : E. de Goncourt Jamal said on February 13, 1874 in commentary to Degas’ first exhibition: â€Å"Up until now, he is the person who best represents in a modern form what may be called the soul. †6