Author Archives: emtiaz.chowdhury

1. Brute force v.s. intellect. What is more powerful to accomplish something?

2. Compare and contrast thoughts of Machiavelli and confucius.

“The Book of the Courtier” by Baldesar Castiglione talks about the value of beautiful women. He emphasis that women are for affection and it is very important for women to be pretty. He presents different ways women try to keep themselves attractive by doing make-ups so they can please the mind of men easily. “Do you not see how much more grace a women has who paints (if at all) so sparingly and so little that whoever sees her in uncertain  whether she is painted or not…”(C, 244). This quote shows that women who are pretty has lot of advantage in their life. He also talks about women who are naturally pretty can also be please anybody specially men. “careless purity which is so pleasing to the eyes and minds o men who are ever fearful of being deceived by art” (C,244). It doesn’t matter if beauty is established by doing make-ups or natural, there is advantage to both.

The New York Times Article “Beauty Discrimination During Job Search” is about how women in Israel are being discriminated to acquire a job. Women are to submit their pictures attached with resumes. Pretty women are not always accepted in job as it shows in the article. Pretty women who send pictures with their resume are half like to be accepted for the job as women who didn’t send pictures at all. A study shows that “…call back rates most likely were influenced by the screener‘s jealousy “when confronted with a young, attractive competitor in the workplace.”’

Most women want to be considered as they are the most beautiful than others. So they use different make-ups. Seeing other women more attractive than them can cause them to be jealous. In both readings women shows that there is a competition to be considered as beautiful. They try their best to be the prettiest women. They use different strategies whether it is make-ups, fortunate to be naturally pretty or rejecting other beautiful women in job. However, sometime being pretty can be disadvantaging at it show in the NY TIMES article.

New York Times article “Sprawling Cinema, Tamed to Stage,” written by Charles Isherwood is about his criticisms and dislikes about the play, “Throne of Blood.” It was performed in Brooklyn Academy of Music. He states that “…a new production from the Next Wave Festival at the Brooklyn Academy of Music would be as boring to look at as it is to listen to.” He likes the Kurosawa movie of the same title which followed the storyline from Shakespeare “Macbeth.” He also claims that the adaptor and director, Mr. Chong, is unable to produce the same intensity as Kurosawa’s work. He strongly points out many faults of the director and says that Mr. Chong “cannot replicate onstage the sweep and intensity that Kurosawa’s camerawork brings to the narrative, even as he sticks firmly to the scenic structure.” He complains about actor’s performances. “Most of the actors make little impression.” He also comments on the stage settings. “Above is a strip of white screen on which are seen videos and projections by Maya Ciarrocchi. These draw on imagery from the movie: the barren, spindly spider webs of branches in the forest; the fortress rising through the mist; the climactic march of the trees. But this miniature highlight reel can hardly create the mood and atmosphere of Kurosawa’s cinematography.”

            I agree with authors’ point of view about the play “Throne of Blood.”  I didn’t have any backgrounds about Japanese culture so it was hard to follow the storyline. In addition, this play wasn’t capturing my attention because, I think, it was lacked of the actions and coherences of the scenes. Moreover, I couldn’t hear well form the backseat during the play so the only one thing I could focus on was the stage what was far away from my sight.