A Trip to the 20s

A Trip to the 1920s

As many may know the 1920s is an era that I would like to live in for many reasons. First it presents economic stability and a great change after World War I.

Let’s get going and go to the “Roaring Twenties”

.

During these years fashion was renovated, technological advances were created and many more changes. However, there is always a dark side from it.

Fashion

The fashion for women drastically changed no more uncomfortable corsets but stylish new dresses made of silk and fine cotton. The perfect image for the 20s fashion is the beautiful Katherine Hepburn.

For men fashion was characterized by extremely high waisted jackets worn with belts. Trousers were also fashionable at that time

Also the most well-known perfume was created during the 20s Chanel No 5. It is said that every thirty seconds a bottle is sold

The Dark Side

Mr. Capone is enjoying his crimes all around Boston and is firing his guns round town killing innocent people. This is the ugly part of the 20s. He ruled the town and few brave men were the ones that tried to face him. Those few men ended with 50 bullets in their hearts or put him behind bars just for taxes evasion.

Technological advances

The population was happy as Mr. Ford manufactured his new cars in his industry. Eight new models were designed during the 20s and his cars were the cheapest ones and the best ones. By 1926 the industry became the biggest one in the world employing more than 200,000 people.

Setting

Mr. Crow: I was listening to some jazz, one of the preferred styles during the 20s. Yet the 20s are a transitional period between the First World War and the economic depression in 1929. We can infer that during this period the buildings remained the same as previously but some expensive luxuries became available to medium classed people like cars and clothes.

Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

Firstly from a symbolic point of view, Harrison stands for a symbol of rebellion and freedom. The author created a very different character in order to contrast with the rest of society. Harrison is a courageous, brave character as he dared to take off the transmitters, remove his sashweights, his rubber nose, his wavy spectacles and escape from jail. Even though he knew that he was going to get killed in the move.

This killing goes unaware by his parents, George and Hazel. As George wears a transmitter, we can infer that he is kind of smart, Hazel in contrast has the "perfectly average intelligence", or in other words she is just stupid enough to be controlled. I feel sorry for them because they cannot do something in regard with his son. That strong sense of supposed equality created another problem, indifference towards a loved being. Just forget sad things, they are not good. Come on! his son got killed!, they did not even recognize his SON.

Mr. Crow:
Wow, that's awful! wait a moment isn't that what's happening here in Mexico? Let's see, the story has symbols. The transmitters stand for the media. The sashweights represent the obstacles. The masks show a repressed society that hides its feelings behind a screen of fear and fright set up by the government. Now here in Mexico the media is represented by Televisa (the governement's channel). for example how undignified the government has went that it promoted the candidate for a certain political party in a soap opera (hint: the candidate is quite small and reckless) then he promoted a certain reform with TV interviewers that barely know how to repeat what said in the earphone. The sashweights or obstacles are easy to identify: corruption (the big monster that has destroyed the country), bureaucracy in every ministry of the State. Then the masks, the army that rapes old ladies (Songolika), the pseudopolice, so the society is afraid of what might happen either they mug you, or kidnap you or a militar rapes you. The society can't speak up.
The government in an attempt to create equal beings has created the opposite effect. Who are the ones that try to make equal oportunities? Politicians, are they equal to a street vendor or a taxi driver. Surely not. One true aspect is that government is trying to make more stupid people that won't know its past and as a consequence they won't understand the present and won't predict the future. Just as Aristotle would say.
But what is that for? Get more advantages, steal more, take wrong decisions.
Vonnegut is trying to say: " pay attention, if not you'll get manipulated" just like the society in the story that is unaware of its condition. All the contrary they feel better being equal, no more competition, no more arts, no more diversity of opinions...

The Interlopers by Saki

First a bit from the author, Saki. It sounds like a pet's name but surely that was not the intention. The real name of the author is H.H Munro. He was born in Myanmar (look it up in the atlas for more information), just for the record Myanmar is one of the poorest countries in the world. Let's continue with Saki, he was raised in England. He joined the Indian Imperial Police, just like his father did. In India and Burma he learned a lot and perhaps form there he took the pen name Saki.

"The Interlopers"

This story takes place in the Carpathians around the nineteenth century. More precisely in a forest at night during winter.

The story tells about a pair of foolish men, one called Ulrich von Gradwitz and the other Georg Znaeym. Both of them were fightintg for just some acres of forest. Each one thought that the forest belonged to them, so one cold night they went to survey for some "game"(Mr. Crow: Guessing its human game...).
This feud had exsited for like... three GENERATIONS. So that would mean that their grandgrandparents fought for that forest and didn't even solve it.

Georg and Ulrich don't even know why they are fighting for a bunch of trees that caught them that night.

It's just the classical scene. Both men staring at each other with shotgun eyes and suddenly a tree fell down and trapped BOTH under it. Again the pair of men start pouting and throwing a childish tantrum. Some time after Ulrich offered Georg a bit of wine, and Georg proudly rejected it because he didn't drink with his enemy.

Ulrich felt pity for Georg at that certain moment. So he Ulrich starts to reason and thinks: "Oh, why have we fought for many many years and hated each other so much and had severe stomach aches beacuse I saw him the other day at the market... wait a moment I really dunno why..."

Ulrich offers his friendship to Georg, but somehow Georg is a bit more proud, superb and selfish. He doesn't want to accept but again he thinks " Maybe he's right and we shouldn't fight anymore, but how come our neighbors will see us entering the market together... the problem is that there will be no market if I die under this tree." Finally Georg agrees.

They try to shout as their men were supposedly near but there was no human answer but an animal like. A pack of wolves were aproaching.

We dunno how the story ends but Mr. Crow wrote an ending.

The pack of wolves aproached slowly and silently, their paws were sharp. Ulrich could see how they were nosing around them but always at a safe distance.
Georg was shivering with cold and fear. Georg soon became palid and his eyes soon were dimmed by the unstoppable fate.
The pack of wolves suddenly left as the odor of death was pestilent. Ulrich shouted desperately at his new friend but old enemy. Days passed by and there was no signal of their men. The wine flask was empty and there was no provisions left. Ulrich was starving to death and as a matter of fact winter had reached its coldest point.
The forest was the only witness of the dreadful twist of destiny. The piece of land the both families had fought for, were now the cemetery of its conciliators.

Just a bunch of words...Not really

Now it is time to reveal what is the literary masterpiece that I chose. It was a difficult choice however it had to be done.

The Good Earth is my favorite mastepiece. The writer Pearl S. Buck created an oriental novel that turned engaging. The values and customs of the Chinese early societies combined with the extraordinary characters make of this novel a mastepiece.

Who canm forget how Wang lung treasoned O-lan and how she devoted to her husband and children without expecting somethin in exchange. The family had hard times but with a hard work and determination Wang lung overcame them and even they became rich and powerful.

It was sad that in the end the two sons would'nt obey his father's last wish. Never leave the earth.

M. Crow: A very good novel, touching, engaging and that's why Pearl S. Buck received the Pullitzer Prize for it in 1932.

Sculpture

Everybody thinks about Greece and Rome for sculptures but my favoirte masterpice was created by a Colombian sculptor named Rodrigo Arenas Betancourt. He is only famous in his country and most of his sculptures are in Colombia.

The masterpiece's name is : Monumento Pantano de Vargas or Los Lanceros
The sculpture was built ot honor the soldiers that fought in a battle at that specific point.

Mr. Crow: Ok, the sculpture was made on bronze, it shows 14 spearmen in charge of a Colombian general. The monument's height is of about 33 metres. This sculpture is a masterpiece becuase it combines architectonic beauty and sculptoric skills. This whole work made by master Arenas.

Painting, a very visual art

There have been many important masterpieces throughout the history of pianting. The different types of painting have opned a wide variety of techniques to choose from.

The masterpiece I like the most is Coomposition X by Wassily Kandinsky the russian painter. I like it because it is very colourful and I like the contrast between the black and the other colors. It seems like a galaxy out if this world.

It was very weird that Wassily Kandinsky used black on his last masterpiece as he disliked that color very much.

Even though there are many different shapes all around the painting, it is certain that the shapes and a colors are harmonic and balanced.

Mr. Crow: Well this is my favorite painting of the Russian painter because it has black and black is a very nice color. This was his last masterpiece before he died in 1944. There are many shapes but the general idea is to convey a feeling of outer space with baloons and rectangles and such.

Architecture

Perhaps the mastepiece of modern architecture is an hotel named Burj Al Arab located in Dubai.

The form of the hotel is like a boat sail. It was built over an artificail island. The hotel's height is of about 321 metres.The hotel is connected by an inland road. The whole hotel is worth 1500000 million dollars. Rather expensive. The architect in chartge of building this masterpiece was Tom wrifght of Atkins Middle East. The building of the hotel started in 1994 and was opened on the first of December 1999.


The masterpiece has a modern architecture that challenged the engineers of the construction. The materials used were top line materials includiong a fabric that covers a great surface of the hotel.

The figure that it creates is just perfect, like a sail. It proves that the Arab population is capable of building impressive masterpieces just like they used to build like Alhambra in Spain or the different palaces that there are.

Mr. Crow: So I wanna go to Burj Al Arab, perhaps play tennis on the heliport, or eat at any of the nine different restaurants. Again the elegance goes with me. Black is a very elegant color. I guess I'll need to save money for like emm... 10 years. Oh and let's see if they allow a feathered pal enter a 7 star hotel.

Two bodies ,one soul

Dancing is one of the finest arts. It appeals to many senses and its diversity is huge. Every country dances in a particular style.

Let’s travel to Río de la Plata where many couples are dancing sensually with complex steps and a perfect synchronization, the couple looks at each other, clearly there’s a connection between them. Everything in tango is unified, their eyes, their arms, their hands, each movement accompanied by the characteristic cadence of tango. Two bodies but one soul. The romance on the dance floor is felt, even if it will only last three short but long lasting minutes. Tango is the masterpiece of dancing because the sensuality it expresses goes beyond this world.

Have you got something to say Mr. Crow?? Not at all, I just need my partner to dance one of Carlos Gardel’s famous tangos…

Music as a fine art

Music is very complex; it takes time to understand it completely. Music can be felt, can be understood but there are many different types of it.

What type of music is a fine art?

Certainly there isn’t a machine that can classify music whether it is part of a fine art or not. So let’s think that any group of harmonic, melodic and rhythmic sounds is a masterpiece of music.

Classic music is the one that fits in this definition. Have you ever heard of the Pachelbel’s Canon? I’ll guess some of you have and others do. Perhaps I’ll make a poll about that… It’s just great; it’s harmonic, melodic and beautiful. The intensity and vivacity of the notes can make anyone jump of joy (at least sane people)

The fact that I like some classical music doesn’t mean I only like this type of music. Recent researchers have found that babies that listen classical music are more intelligent and thus the baby will be brilliant in music. Also if you study listening to classical music it is more likely you will get a good grade (no miracles guaranteed). So if listening to Pachelbel’s canon or Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony can make you more intelligent why not give classical an opportunity. Maybe it will relax you or put you to sleep in some cases.

Mr. Crow would like to say something about:

Hail everyone! My opinion is clear, classical music is for some very elegant crows like me, it just goes with my color. I recommend you the following masterpieces because these are my favorite as the harmony and balance in them is just superb, out of this world:

Pachelbel’s Canon, Mozart’s 40^th Symphony, Chopin’s Nocturne #2.

Now let's talk about... cinema

Instead of boring you with what's cinema about, why not tell you what my favorite movie is.

My favoirte movie is Niwemang/Half moon or in spanish Media Luna. This movie's director is Bahman Ghobadi. He has won many times at cinema festivals such as San Sebastian.

This movie is about an old and wise musician that lived in Iran called Mamo. Mamo plans to give one final concert in Iraq Kurdistan. In order to do so he seeks for his ten sons that are spread around the world. They plan to travle to Iraq Kurdistan but before they need to get to a village where only women live because President Hussein didn't allow women to sing in public. They search for Hesho. She is a very beautiful woman but later she would be the reason of a delay...

The porblem is that Mamo is not supposed to do that trip as he had recurring visions of his own death at half moon.

Listen to the crow that is a bit smarter than the writer: Okay, I tell you, this movie is a masterpiece, excellent, magnificent, extraordinary, more than better it's awesome, well enough bragging. Let's get to the point shall we?? Just look at the impressive sightings, the landmarks are just perfect. Oh and almost forgot the critic in the movie is very true. I'm pretty sure Bahman Ghobadi did hate Saddam Hussein. Poor ladies confined to the depths of Iraq, just because Hussein didn't like women singin in public. How narrowminded...!! All in all it is a great movie watch it ASAP.

I wanted to post a video but it takes too much time to upload and process. The trailer can be found at this website:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDND0pvu6pQ

Welcome!

Welcome to Honchspot!
In this blog you will be able to read what I think about arts and literature. However you won't be alone reading this blog. The feathered crow will accompany you every time. Remeber the crow is a very cunning bird that at times can be very outgoing and charismatic.

Just look at his face, it seems it is yelling at you
"What are you lookig at?, get out of my way, I need to go read a book or watch a film either one..."