Dissociative Identity Disorder in Black Swan Essay

Dissociative Identity Disorder in Black Swan Essay Black Swan Film Review Essay Black Swan Film Review Essay Black Swan is a psychological thriller by Darren Aronofsky about a ballerina who slowly goes insane during the time of repetition for the ballet performance Swan Lake. The movie is made very well in terms of psychopathology. The main heroine, ballerina Nina, is so immersed in her own perception of the ballet performance that she begins to identify real life with the plot of the ballet, and herself with a swan: firstly, with White - Odette and then with Black - Odile. Finally, the latter prevails. Nina suffers from dissociative identity disorder. Speaking of everyday language, it is a split personality. Dissociative Identity Disorder in Black Swan Psychologists are well aware of this kind of disease, and nowadays it is thoroughly studied. Several features inherent to dissociative identity disorder are shown accurately in Black Swan. Meanwhile, the other psychological disorders were used to create an atmosphere of the film and do not correspond to the disease symptomatology. Without a doubt, among dissociative disorders, the most â€Å"cinematic† type of the illness is a split personality or multiple personalities. The patient has several â€Å"alter personalities† that exist in parallel, each one in its own reality. Drama potential of the problem was proved in Black Swan. Apparently, authors of the film are clearly impressed by the fact that an infantile girl and a brutal killer can peacefully coexist in the one person. Severe stress experienced by the individual often becomes the cause of the syndrome of â€Å"splitting† (Bruch, 2015). In the thriller Black Swan, it is clearly demonstrated what happens when the â€Å"realities† of the two personalities accidentally begin to come into contact. The main heroine gets the lead role in the ballet. It is the role of Swan Queen, and it involves two opposite sides. Nina must fulfill the role of the White and Black Swan. First one fits her perfectly because Nina was like White Swan: modest and shy, nervous and fearful. However, Black Swan, the other part her performance, turned out to be an overwhelming task. Since it embodied dissolute and evil forces of human nature, Black Swan was the opposite of her own character. Therefore, to immerse in the role, Nina had to change herself, to become a â€Å"black†, as well as awaken own dark and evil nature. Eventually, the acting exercise turned into a real obsession or paranoia. Black Swan moved into Nina, displacing White. She has become an embodiment of evil for the role that ultimately she performed undoubtedly perfect. However, White Swan and its light essence could not exist in Nina anymore. It would not be a mistake to suggest that Nina suffers from dissociative identity diso rder. Dissociative identity disorder is a very rare psychiatric disease from the group of dissociative disorders in which an individual’s personality is split, and it seems that there are several different characters (or ego states) in the body of one person (Ross, 2000). In the certain moments, there is a â€Å"switch† in a person, and one person replaces another one. These â€Å"individual† may have a different gender, age, nationality, temperament, intelligence, philosophy, respond differently to the same situation. After the â€Å"switch†, the currently active person can not remember what happened during the time another person was active (Ross, 2000). This disorder is an extreme manifestation of dissociation. It is a psychological defense mechanism in which a person begins to perceive what is happening to him or her as if it is going on to someone extraneous (Goldberg, 2014). This mechanism is useful because it allows a person to be protected from excessive, unbearable emotions. However, in cases of excessive activation of this mechanism, dissociative disorders appear. Contrary to popular belief, these disorders are not associated with schizophrenia (Goldberg, 2014). The parts of the patient’s self-identity resulting from separation (dissociation) from his or her personality can not be considered independent integrated personality. Usually, the person is not aware of the other people’s presence in the body (Lawrence, 2010). According to DSM-IV, dissociative identity disorder is diagnosed if the following criteria are present: In the patient, there are two or more distinct identities or personality states at the same time. Each of them has a sustainable model of attitude, outlook, and their own approach to reality. At least two of these identities alternately take control over the behavior of the patient. The patient could not recall important information about him- or herself, and it goes beyond the ordinary forgetfulness (Lawrence, 2010). In addition to the symptoms listed in the DSM-IV, in patients with dissociative identity disorder depression, suicide attempts, sudden changes in mood, anxiety, and anxiety disorders, phobias, panic attacks, sleep and nutrition disorders, and other dissociative disorders, hallucinations may also occur (Kihlstrom, 2005). Dissociative identity disorder is closely related to the mechanism of psychogenic amnesia. The latter is a memory loss that has a purely psychological nature without physiological disturbances in the brain. This is a psychological defense mechanism by which a person can displace the traumatic memories from consciousness. However, in the case of identity disorder, it helps individuals to â€Å"switch† (Kihlstrom, 2005). Excessive activation of this mechanism often results in the development of common everyday problems with memory in patients suffering from the identity disorder. Dissociative identity disorder is believed to be caused the by the combination of several factors: intolerable stress, ability to dissociate, a lack of care, and concern in relation to the child in traumatic experience, or lack of protection from subsequent undesirable experience. Adults with this disease often describe the situation of violence in childhood (Lawrence, 2010). These data indicate that the abuse in childhood acts as the main cause of identity disorder among patients. Some of them may not experience violence, early loss (e.g., death of a parent), serious disease, or other extremely stressful event (Lawrence, 2010). The ballerina has a mental disorder of neurotic character since adolescence. It is an obsessive self-inflicted injury that is confirmed by Nina’s mother. However, one can suggest that it was not self-inflicted wounds. It was just a child’s abuse the true nature of which the mother could not know due to busyness in developing her own ballerina career. Besides, Nina has no father. Perhaps the death of the parent was the cause of the future disorder. The reasons for dissociative identity disorder experiencing by the heroine are not completely clear in the movie. Thus, she already had the disorder. It is likely to worsen by bringing up by the mother, liability, dream, guilt, and the fierce competition. At the very beginning of the film, the heroine is said that â€Å"Perfection is not just about control. It is also about letting go†. Since that time, the split of her personality began. There are two swans: humble and aggressive. Since early childhood, Nina was taught to suppress her emotions, especially aggression. Thus, she is not able to play Black Swan. Emotionally, during the development, she stopped on the level of a small child. It can be evidenced by the look at her bedroom that is full of pink lingerie and many toys. Just killing a humble person, she was able to play Black Swan. So then, realizing what happened, to play a dying person. The starting point for the emergence of the alter ego was stress and obsession of overvalued idea of perfectionism. Its nature can be twofold: hysterical - then triumphal ballet career is expected, and schizophrenic - psychic catastrophe and professional and life fall. The presence of hallucinations is not a mandatory obstacle to the performance of the ballerina. Thus, the dual personality is created and entered Nina’s life. Its nature can be twofold: hysterical - and then waiting for the actress triumphal ballet career; schizophrenic - ahead of psychic catastrophe and professional life fall. The presence of hallucinations is not a mandatory obstacle to the ballerina’s performance. The presence of alter ego is shown in the film quite accurately. It is brightly highlighted by the mother phrase in relation to Nina â€Å"It is not my Nina†. The Black Swan personality is acting in the following scene. Nina is more and more disturbing by the fear that Lily wants to take away her role. Nina rehearses all the evening before the premiere of the ballet. She suffers from hallucinations. Nina goes to the hospital to Beth, who threw herself under a burning car and was injured. Suffering from depression, Beth takes nail file and begins to pierce her face. After unsuccessful attempts to stop Beth, Nina runs from her chambers and jumps into the elevator. There she suddenly realizes that nail file, with the help of which Beth cut her face, somehow appeared in her hands. In a fit of panic, Nina runs home. One can suggest that alter ego of Nina, Black Swan, hurt Beth. However, Nina should not remember this. This is also a mismatch between the symptoms of dissociative iden tity disorder. In the film, it was not shown that Nina forgot periods when the second person operated. She rather does not understand what is going on when Black Swan is acting. Also, the symptoms of dissociative identity disorder as depression, suicide attempts, sudden changes in mood, anxiety disorders, and phobias were absent. However, they do not always occur in this disease. A source of horror in Black Swan is the unexplained mutation of the human body. Alien personality, which grows through the skin, changes the way of thinking. However, these shocking scenes of the heroine’s metamorphosis, her moments of going crazy can not be considered completely accurate with respect to dissociative identity disorder. As was mentioned above, the person does not know that another personality is present in his or her body. Nina always thinks that she is bleeding. Germination of feathers through the skin and permanent blood wounds on the body are the attempts of alter ego to come into Nina’s reality. However, it can be considered as a cinematic metaphor and visual means used to deepen the impression of the film (not the features inherent to such mental disorder as personality split). The scenes in which Nina suffers from a variety of aberration are typical psychiatric symptoms of the hallucinatory-delusional syndrome developing in a stressful situation. The hallucinatory-delusional syndrome may accompany dissociative identity disorder. Nina’s hallucinations are shown the most brightly in the scene when she imagined that she killed her rival by the glass from the mirror. However, in reality, she hurt herself. The wound was deep, but obviously because of the shock Nina did not feel the pain and went to the final stage where danced the last part and then died. Negative attitudes towards people with mental disorders begin with prejudice. Familiarity with mental illness leads to a more enlightened view of the problem. However, the main factor is correct information. With the proper image in the movie mental disorders, stigma can be overcome. With regards to treatment, correct and incorrect depictions of disorders do not have significant effect because initially physicians are more aware of the problem. In fact, Black Swan is a story of the human disease, a split personality, and psychosis. Excellent acting shows the struggle of the individual with her second â€Å"I†. In the heavy pursuit of a dream or obsession, White Swan is suffering but fights. Black Swan also goes ahead and does not stop fighting. These swans are two â€Å"I† of one person. There are black and white sides of Nina’s personality. All her life is connected with the struggle of these two egos. Feelings and nervous breakdowns are developing in dissociative identity disorder. Nina is struggling with herself. However, she does not know who she is for sure. Identity disorder is extremely difficult for her. Eventually, the role destroys her.

Metropolis reivew Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Metropolis reivew - Essay Example As The Guardian observer said, Metropolis predicted the ideology of the class and race in 20th century (Bradshaw). Metropolis in a very distinct and accurate way combines social criticism, science fiction, psychological narrative and powerful love story. The combination of these factors makes it incredibly interesting to watch and impossible to ignore its huge contribution to the cinema medium and science fiction genre. Fritz Lang’s masterpiece is full of allegories, symbols and metaphors, but nevertheless it tells quite simple story though makes it in a way that makes viewer feel involved. The story tells us about the struggle between two different classes, which are represented by the love-duo of Freder and Maria who met each other by chance. The struggle takes place in the dystopian futuristic city of Metropolis which is ruled by indolent and cruel industrialists, who live in big skyscrapers and oppressed laborers who live underground. As you can see, Mr. Lang puts working class under the ground literally where they work hard so the city can stay alive, no matter what the cost is. Real millionaires of that time would be probably happy to put rebelling working class out of their minds and sight -under the ground. In the era of industrial progress when machines started taking control over the manufacture and human life in general, Metropolis turned out to be especially up-to-date. This industrial circumrotation was portrayed as horrible and fearful Molloh which can obviously be interpreted as Biblical symbol. While in real life hard-working families were hungry and op pressed with their job being taken from them and given to machines, Molloh-machine eats workers like a hungry giant or a savage beast in the movie. As Mr. Roger Ebert said, Metropolis forestalled countless symbolic and futuristic cities of the many films to come (Ebert). The City of Metropolis is a symbol of inequity and oppression because it is built with unhappiness and

College students should work part time Term Paper

College students should work part time - Term Paper Example Is part-time job important or not? In the present era, money is being important than ever. It is needed more and more nowadays. Everything is becoming so highly expensive now that the needs of many people, especially the teenagers are not being fulfilled. Even the school and college fee of many students cannot be afforded by millions of parents and those who are somehow able to bear the education expenses of their children, are not able to fulfill their other needs of life. Therefore, to meet the necessities and some of the luxuries of life, school and college students are compelled to earn for themselves. Part-time job has now become very important for school and college students. It is rather very common in the society nowadays. It may not be necessary for students to finance themselves completely through pat-time jobs, as part-time jobs certainly do not pay a very handsome amount. It is also very difficult, rather nearly impossible for students to work for many hours so as to rece ive a good amount of payment, because if they work many hours, they would not be able to give the required time to their studies and consequently will end up slipping their grades. Hence, students work for very limited hours so that they may be able to give enough attention to their studies as well s become helping hands for their parents. ... In an early age, they learn how to manage, judge and organize their priorities and their responsibility towards fulfilling them. They realize that life is not just a piece of cake and what circumstances, hurdles and troubles one has to go through to survive in this rapidly moving world. They not only work but, also have in their minds the pending homework at home which has to be submitted the very next day. This is how the students organize themselves by fulfilling both of their priorities of the job as well as the completion and submitting of their homework on time. Valuing every single penny: A job definitely teaches students to value each and every single penny. While they would not value the money earned by their parents and spend it lavishly and extravagantly, a part-time job teaches them how to value the earnings. This is because they have to work quite hard during their jobs for the sake of earning some money. They realize the fact that each and every single dollar is earned w ith a lot of hard work. Therefore, they start respecting and valuing money. Time Management: Time management is another very important factor that the school and college students learn through the part-time jobs. They attend their classes, go to their work, complete their home works and then take out some relaxation time as well to refresh their body and minds. All this is done if students know how to manage their time. Majority of the students think that part-time job is an extra burden for them along with their regular classes as well as the tasks given by their teachers to be accomplished at home. But, actually all this burden is temporary which helps the students to manage their time in a way that they may pay attention to the complete routine of their life,

CRIMINOLGICAL REVIEW OF MURDER ON A SUNDAY MORNING

CRIMINOLGICAL REVIEW OF MURDER ON A SUNDAY MORNING Murder on a Sunday morning is a documentary film based on a real life incident that occurred in Jacksonville, Florida in the May of 2000. This 111-minute movie was directed by the French documentary filmmaker Jean-Xavier de Lestrade and was originally released under the title Uncoupable ideal. It won the Oscar award for the best documentary in 2002. The film brilliantly depicts an ignominious false conviction of an innocent 15-year old for a crime he never committed, the cover-up of the real culprits behind the crime, and finally the clemency of a public defender coming to his rescue in the courtroom. The plot originated from the incident of Mary Ann Stephens, a 65-year old tourist from Georgia being shot dead by a black assailant. The police arrested the first convenient black culprit available, a black African American teenager, Brendon Butler, who was on his way to a job interview. The teen was subsequently denied the right to make his phone call or contact an attorney, interrogated mercilessly for an unreasonable amount of time, threatened, racially abused, tortured physically and psychologically, and forced to sign a false confession admitting to having committed the crime. The dead womans husband, though having caught a glimpse of the real culprit during the shootout, was forced by the police to publicly identify and proclaim Butler as the assailant. The motive behind the forceful arrest and the subsequent psychological torture of the innocent Butler was simply the preservation of the tourist trade in the state. A public defender, Pat McGuinness, however, takes up the case and defends Brendon Butler in a case that is extraordinarily riveting. The courtroom scenes enacted by McGuinness could probably be counted among the top classics of this genre. The well-written trial speaks volumes about the perils of instant justice meted out or more aptly, justice of convenience that is as common as real justice these days. A criminological analysis on why Brendon Butler was framed should take into account the facts that his residence was just about a mile from the place of the incident; he was an African-American, a member of an ethnic group historically infamous for being convicted in racial crimes and his locality being a lower-class urban one, with high crime rates. The victims husband, a white man in a state of trauma, might also have been under pressure to identify the victim with unclear images of a black man shooting his wife. The next question to be answered is about the instantaneous arrest and conviction of Brendon. Could they not have made a broader search? The answers may be obtained when one considers the fact that in Florida, tourism is a major industry. The people who earn their livelihood from this industry would definitely not want Florida to be known as a risky place to visit. The image of a family oriented place was to be associated with Florida at any cost. The police would have been under pressure to dispose off the case as quickly as possible to create an image of a strong and efficient administration. Also the fact that the victim was a tourist and the news of the murder being reported by the media might have put the police under a lot of pressure to come up with a suspect who would at least approximately match the descriptions available at that time. Another question to be answered is the gruesome way in which the teenager was tortured. It could be guessed that the officers are often puppets in the hands of their superiors. They are put under pressure to clear as many cases as quickly as possible. As per the law, as soon as an arrest is made, the case will be considered cleared notwithstanding the truth behind the crime. As far as they were concerned, the killer was caught. However, this argument does not prove the meticulousness of the police. We may also look at why the whole bunch of the police team was so unequivocal in putting the blame on Brendon and torturing him to the extreme. The incident details show that the main third degree interrogator was the son of the sheriff of the area. Hence, he might have had the unofficial authority to take decisions on the kind of interrogation and on seeing this; the others would have felt that they are only respecting their superiors authority in joining hands to torture him. The only saving grace is McGuinness, who played a major part in this case by defending Butler. Butler was fortunate enough to acquire such a savior in his time of extreme distress. Not all defenders are so gutsy or articulate. It was only because of McGuiness skills and dedication that Brendon Butler was proved to be innocent. Usually, it is seen that in such cases, the conviction of an innocent is used by the system to maintain their pride. Though there are hues of a racial kind of movie of the likes of Cry Freedom, when one sees that the main interrogator who was instrumental in making Butler confess a crime he never did is himself a black man, the similarity ends there. The basic and most convincing underlying message is that of a deep and ingrained insincerity in the US administration in matters of justice and a business-like attitude towards the commercial progress of the country which makes them place it above everything else. Obviously, there are quite a lot of unanswered questions in this episode. A more sensitive and unbiased approach to such incidents would be the first step towards molding a perfectly upright society. References Dooley, B. and Delisi, M. , 2007-11-14 Racial Profiling: Rhetoric Or Reality? Paper presented at the annual meeting of the AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CRIMINOLOGY, Atlanta Marriott Marquis, Atlanta, Georgia Online . 2009-05-23 from http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p201257_index.html

Deception Point Page 105

127 The Triton fell†¦ Michael Tolland staggered to his feet on the inclined deck and peered over the anchor spool at the frayed winch cable where the Triton used to hang. Wheeling toward the stern, he scanned the water. The Triton was just now emerging from under the Goya on the current. Relieved at least to see the sub intact, Tolland eyed the hatch, wanting nothing more than to see it open up and Rachel climb out unscathed. But the hatch remained closed. Tolland wondered if maybe she had been knocked out by the violent fall. Even from the deck, Tolland could see the Triton was riding exceptionally low in the water-far below its normal diving trim waterline. It's sinking. Tolland could not imagine why, but the reason at the moment was immaterial. I have to get Rachel out. Now. As Tolland stood to dash for the edge of the deck, a shower of machine-gun fire exploded above him, sparking off the heavy anchor spool overhead. He dropped back to his knees. Shit! He peered around the spool only long enough to see Pickering on the upper deck, taking aim like a sniper. The Delta soldier had dropped his machine gun while climbing into the doomed helicopter and Pickering had apparently recovered it. Now the director had scrambled to the high ground. Trapped behind the spool, Tolland looked back toward the sinking Triton. Come on, Rachel! Get out! He waited for the hatch to open. Nothing. Looking back to the deck of the Goya, Tolland's eyes measured the open area between his position and the stern railing. Twenty feet. A long way without any cover. Tolland took a deep breath and made up his mind. Ripping off his shirt, he hurled it to his right onto the open deck. While Pickering blew the shirt full of holes, Tolland dashed left, down the inclined deck, banking toward the stern. With a wild leap he launched himself over the railing, off the back of the ship. Arcing high in the air, Tolland heard the bullets whizzing all around him and knew a single graze would make him a shark feast the instant he hit the water. Rachel Sexton felt like a wild animal trapped in a cage. She had tried the hatch again and again with no luck. She could hear a tank somewhere beneath her filling with water, and she sensed the sub gaining weight. The darkness of the ocean was inching higher up the transparent dome, a black curtain rising in reverse. Through the lower half of the glass, Rachel could see the void of the ocean beckoning like a tomb. The empty vastness beneath threatened to swallow her whole. She grabbed the hatch mechanism and tried to twist it open one more time, but it wouldn't budge. Her lungs strained now, the dank stench of excess carbon dioxide acrid in her nostrils. Through it all, one recurring thought haunted her. I'm going to die alone underwater. She scanned the Triton's control panels and levers for something that could help, but all the indicators were black. No power. She was locked in a dead steel crypt sinking toward the bottom of the sea. The gurgling in the tanks seemed to be accelerating now, and the ocean rose to within a few feet of the top of the glass. In the distance, across the endless flat expanse, a band of crimson was inching across the horizon. Morning was on its way. Rachel feared it would be the last light she ever saw. Closing her eyes to block out her impending fate, Rachel felt the terrifying childhood images rushing into her mind. Falling through the ice. Sliding underwater. Breathless. Unable to lift herself. Sinking. Her mother calling for her. â€Å"Rachel! Rachel!† A pounding on the outside of the sub jolted Rachel out of the delirium. Her eyes snapped open. â€Å"Rachel!† The voice was muffled. A ghostly face appeared against the glass, upside down, dark hair swirling. She could barely make him out in the darkness. â€Å"Michael!† Tolland surfaced, exhaling in relief to see Rachel moving inside the sub. She's alive. Tolland swam with powerful strokes to the rear of the Triton and climbed up onto the submerged engine platform. The ocean currents felt hot and leaden around him as he positioned himself to grab the circular portal screw, staying low and hoping he was out of range of Pickering's gun. The Triton's hull was almost entirely underwater now, and Tolland knew if he were going to open the hatch and pull Rachel out, he would have to hurry. He had a ten-inch draw that was diminishing fast. Once the hatch was submerged, opening it would send a torrent of seawater gushing into the Triton, trapping Rachel inside and sending the sub into a free fall to the bottom. â€Å"Now or never,† he gasped as he grabbed the hatch wheel and heaved it counterclockwise. Nothing happened. He tried again, throwing all of his force into it. Again, the hatch refused to turn. He could hear Rachel inside, on the other side of the portal. Her voice was stifled, but he sensed her terror. â€Å"I tried!† she shouted. â€Å"I couldn't turn it!† The water was lapping across the portal lid now. â€Å"Turn together!† he shouted to her. â€Å"You're clockwise in there!† He knew the dial was clearly marked. â€Å"Okay, now!† Tolland braced himself against the ballast air tanks and strained with all his energy. He could hear Rachel below him doing the same. The dial turned a half inch and ground to a dead stop. Now Tolland saw it. The portal lid was not set evenly in the aperture. Like the lid of a jar that had been placed on crooked and screwed down hard, it was stuck. Although the rubber seal was properly set, the hatch-dogs were bent, meaning the only way that door was opening was with a welding torch. As the top of the sub sank below the surface, Tolland was filled with a sudden, overwhelming dread. Rachel Sexton would not be escaping from the Triton. Two thousand feet below, the crumpled fuselage of the bomb-laden Kiowa chopper was sinking fast, a prisoner of gravity and the powerful drag of the deepwater vortex. Inside the cockpit, Delta-One's lifeless body was no longer recognizable, disfigured by the crushing pressure of the deep. As the aircraft spiraled downward, its Hellfire missiles still attached, the glowing magma dome waited on the ocean floor like a red-hot landing pad. Beneath its three-meter-thick crust, a head of boiling lava simmered at a thousand degrees Celsius, a volcano waiting to explode. 128 Tolland stood knee-deep in water on the engine box of the sinking Triton and searched his brain for some way to save Rachel. Don't let the sub sink! He looked back toward the Goya, wondering if there were any way to get a winch connected to the Triton to keep it near the surface. Impossible. It was fifty yards away now, and Pickering was standing high on the bridge like a Roman emperor with a prime seat at some bloody Colosseum spectacle. Think! Tolland told himself. Why is the sub sinking? The mechanics of sub buoyancy were painfully simple: ballast tanks pumped full of either air or water adjusted the sub's buoyancy to move it up or down in the water. Obviously, the ballast tanks were filling up. But they shouldn't be! Every sub's ballast tanks were equipped with holes both topside and underneath. The lower openings, called â€Å"flooding holes,† always remained open, while the holes on top, â€Å"vent valves,† could be opened and closed to let air escape so water would flood in. Maybe the Triton's vent valves were open for some reason? Tolland could not imagine why. He floundered across the submerged engine platform, his hands groping one of the Triton's ballast trim tanks. The vent valves were closed. But as he felt the valves, his fingers found something else. Bullet holes. Shit! The Triton had been riddled with bullets when Rachel jumped in. Tolland immediately dove down and swam beneath the sub, running his hand carefully across the Triton's more important ballast tank-the negative tank. The Brits called this tank â€Å"the down express.† The Germans called it â€Å"putting on lead shoes.† Either way, the meaning was clear. The negative tank, when filled, took the sub down.

Music Reaction Essay

Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5, Movement, 1 and Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite are two compositions that initially sound quite similar. They are both dramatic, extremely intense, and have the ability to leave a lasting impression upon listeners. There are, however, several key differences that separate the two, including expression, timbre, and overall effect. Although the melodies and general manner of the two pieces may seem alike, Symphony No. 5 is much more grand and composed while the Firebird Suite is more erratic and less sophisticated as a whole. Symphony No.5 is arguably one of the most famous compositions in the world, and begins with a melody with which most people are familiar. Within the first four notes, it is evident that the piece was written in a minor key with a respective melody. There is a vast range of notes throughout the symphony, with the high and low pitches resulting in two different effects. In many compositions, the most dramatic part of a song will typically consist of notes in higher octaves; but in Symphony No. 5, it is the lower pitches that make up the main melody and seem to be the most dramatic. By building the song around lower pitches, Beethoven has created an air of potential energy, with light runs and scales from the string sections providing the harmonies and escalating the drama of the lower notes. One of the most noticeable characteristics of the main melody line is the rhythm and repetition of the phrase. It consists of a triplet that stays on one note, and then jumps to a lower note that is sustained. As this phrase is repeated, it also starts to create the beat of the symphony, which is extremely clear. Even as the instruments add in quicker-paced scales that go up and down in the background, there is a strong and steady pace that is maintained by the melody line. With the melody line being able to stand out amongst all the other symphony parts, it develops a very bold and brooding musical expression. It is so vivid and moody, that one can picture Beethoven himself, walking briskly through the streets of Vienna while everyone else automatically clears the way for him. Symphony No. 5 has essentially became an extension of its composer, reflecting everything he was trying to express—the various components of his own personality and outlook. Beethoven also adds variation to the song through changes in tempo and dynamics. The quicker tempos tend to serve as a way of building up each musical phrase, yet are played at a fairly piano to pianissimo level. Like the drama that the lower pitches create, the parts that are played quietly also create potential energy that makes the louder, slower, and lower parts of the song that much more impactful. In terms of texture, Symphony No. 5 is surprisingly simple considering the intricacy of the notes and the way all of the instrumental parts are pieced together. There are several pauses that add tension to the song, while also eliminating too much unnecessary sound or instrumentals. This symphony, overall, has a very dark and intense timbre. It is dramatic and moody, but at a sustainable level that is not too harsh on the listeners’ ears—that is, it is relatively easy to listen to for a lengthy period of time due to the lower pitches and pianissimo parts that allow for the audience not to be overwhelmed. Stravinsky’s Firebird, similar to Beethoven’s piece, also begins with an introduction of accented notes and lower pitches. In this song, however, it is the higher notes that are accented rather than the lower pitches. The melody is also not nearly as easy to follow, as there is significantly less repetition. Even though both compositions involve similar instruments, Firebird uses many of the higher voices as the focal point of the song rather than the lower instruments. Throughout the piece, high strings, the xylophone, and even higher octaves played by the trombone can all be heard. The Firebird harmonies are also much more muddled and not necessarily played in sync with the melody line. There seems to be several different rhythms that are being played simultaneously during the louder, more dramatic sections of the song. This makes it quite difficult to find and maintain the beat of the piece, whereas Beethoven’s symphony is easier to follow. Regardless of its lack of simplicity, Firebird is just as expressive as Symphony No. 5. The significant change in tempo and dynamics create emotion within the piece, adding depth to the song. Firebird’s dynamic changes, in fact, may be even more dramatic as it ranges from pianissimo to fortissimo; and since the higher pitches are the tones being emphasized, it is much less understated than Beethoven’s piece. It is also more complex in terms of texture. Not only does the showcasing of more instruments add to the composition, but Firebird also has more measures that serve as a relief from the otherwise frantic nature of the song. While most of the piece is intense, there are bits of it that sound light-hearted and carefree. During these sections, the tempo is not always slower but there are fewer instruments overlapping each other, resulting in less chaos. Still, it is Firebird’s timbre that makes it clear how different it is from Symphony No. 5. It is bright, brilliant, and harsh, simply because of the pairing of high pitches with a loud dynamic marking and a quick tempo. Perhaps this is a clever decision by Stravinsky, trying to mimic the calls of a wild bird—shrill, shrieking, and somewhat harsh on the ears at times. When comparing the two compositions, it is clear that Stravinsky’s Firebird is more complex; but Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 is much more composed overall. It is not as aggressive in terms of loud, shrieking high notes, but rather understated and intense. This also evokes more emotion out of the audience, as it plays on the darkness and moodiness of Beethoven’s personality. Firebird is undoubtedly entertaining and a complicated work of art; but when it comes to which piece is easier to listen to and which makes more sense upon first impression, it is surpassed by Symphony No. 5.

Facts and History of Kazahkstan

Kazakhstan is nominally a presidential republic, although according to many observers, it was a dictatorship under the previous president. The current president is Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the hand-picked successor of former leader Nursultan Nazarbayev, who had been in office since before the fall of the Soviet Union and had been accused of regularly rigging elections. Kazakhstans parliament has a 39-member senate and a 77-member Majilis, or lower house. Sixty-seven members of the Majilis are popularly elected, though candidates come only from pro-government parties. The parties elect the other 10. Each province and the cities of Astana and Almaty select two senators each; the final seven are appointed by the president. Kazakhstan has a supreme court with 44 judges, as well as district and appellate courts. Fast Facts: Kazakhstan Official Name: Republic of KazakhstanCapital: Nur-SultanPopulation: 18,744,548  (2018)Official Languages: Kazakh, Russian  Currency: Tenge (KZT)Form of Government: Presidential republicClimate: Continental, cold winters and hot summers, arid and semiaridTotal Area: 1,052,085 square miles (2,724,900 square kilometers)Highest Point: Khan Tangiri Shyngy (Pik Khan-Tengri) at 22,950.5 feet (6,995 meters)Lowest Point: Vpadina Kaundy at -433 feet (-132 meters) Population Kazakhstans population is estimated at 18,744,548 people as of 2018. Unusually for Central Asia, the majority of Kazakh citizens—54%—live in urban areas. The largest ethnic group in Kazakhstan is the Kazakhs, who make up 63.1% of the population. Next are the Russians, at 23.7%. Smaller minorities include Uzbeks (2.9%), Ukrainians (2.1%), Uyghurs (1.4%), Tatars (1.3%), Germans (1.1%), and tiny populations of Belarusians, Azeris, Poles, Lithuanians, Koreans, Kurds, Chechens, and Turks. Languages The state language of Kazakhstan is Kazakh, a Turkic language spoken by 64.5% of the population. Russian is the official language of business and the lingua franca, or common language, among all ethnic groups. Kazakh is written in the Cyrillic alphabet, a relic of Russian domination. Nazarbayev had suggested switching to the Latin alphabet but later retracted the suggestion. Religion For decades under the Soviets, religion was officially banned. Since independence in 1991, however, religion has made an impressive comeback. Today, only about 3% of the population are nonbelievers. Of Kazakhstans citizens, 70% are Muslim, mostly Sunni. Christians, predominantly Russian Orthodox, make up 26.6% of the population, with smaller numbers of Catholics and various Protestant denominations. There are also small numbers of Buddhists, Jews, Hindus, Mormons, and Bahai. Geography Kazakhstan is the ninth largest country in the world, at 1,052,085 square miles (2,724,900 square kilometers). One-third of the area is dry steppe land, while much of the rest is grasslands or sandy desert. Kazakhstan borders on Russia to the north, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan to the south, and the Caspian Sea to the west. The highest point in Kazakhstan is Khan Tangiri Shyngy (Pik Khan-Tengri) at 22,950.5 feet (6,995 meters). The lowest point is Vpadina Kaundy at 433 feet (132 meters) below sea level. Climate Kazakhstan has a dry continental climate, meaning that winters are quite cold and summers are warm. Lows can hit -4 F (-20 C) in the winter and snow is common. Summer highs can reach 86 F (30 C), which is mild compared with neighboring countries. Economy Kazakhstans economy is the healthiest among the former Soviet Stans, with an estimated 4%  annual growth rate for 2017. It has strong service and industrial sectors, and agriculture contributes only 5.4% of GDP. The per capita GDP of Kazakhstan is $12,800 US. Unemployment is just 5.5%, and 8.2% of the population live below the poverty line. Kazakhstan exports petroleum products, metals, chemicals, grain, wool, and meat. It imports machinery and food. The currency of Kazakhstan is the tenge. As of October 2019, 1 tenge 0.0026  USD. Early History The area that is now Kazakhstan was settled by humans tens of thousands of years ago and has been dominated by a variety of nomadic peoples. DNA evidence suggests that the horse might have first been domesticated in this region; apples also evolved in Kazakhstan and then were spread to other areas by human cultivators. In historic times, such peoples as the Xiongnu, the Xianbei, the Kyrgyz, the Gokturks, the Uyghurs, and the Karluks have ruled the steppes of Kazakhstan. In 1206, Genghis Khan and the Mongols conquered the area, ruling it until 1368. The Kazakh people came together under the leadership of Janybek Khan and Kerey Khan in 1465, exerting control over what is now Kazakhstan, calling themselves the Kazakh Khanate. The Kazakh Khanate lasted until 1847. Previously, during the early 16th century, the Kazakhs had the foresight to ally themselves with Babur, who went on to found the Mughal Empire in India. By early in the 17th century, the Kazakhs frequently found themselves at war with the powerful Khanate of Bukhara, to the south. The two khanates fought over control of Samarkand and Tashkent, two of the major Silk Road cities of Central Asia. Russian Protection By the mid-18th century, the Kazakhs were facing encroachment from czarist Russia to the north and Qing China in the east. To fend off the threatening Kokand Khanate, the Kazakhs accepted Russian protection in 1822. The Russians ruled through puppets until the death of Kenesary Khan in 1847  and then exerted direct power over Kazakhstan. The Kazakhs resisted their colonization by the Russians. Between 1836 and 1838, the Kazakhs rose up under the leadership of Makhambet Utemisuly and Isatay Taymanuly, but they were unable to throw off Russian domination. An even more serious attempt led by Eset Kotibaruli turned into an anti-colonial war that lasted from 1847, when the Russians imposed direct control, through 1858. Small groups of nomadic Kazakh warriors fought with the Russian Cossacks and with other Kazakhs allied with the czars forces. The war cost hundreds of Kazakh lives, civilians as well as warriors, but Russia made concessions to Kazakh demands in the 1858 peace settlement. In the 1890s, the Russian government began to settle thousands of Russian farmers on Kazakh land, breaking up the pastures and interfering with traditional nomadic patterns of life. By 1912, more than 500,000 Russian farms dotted Kazakh lands, displacing the nomads and causing mass starvation. In 1916, Czar Nicholas II ordered the conscription of all Kazakh and other Central Asian men to fight in World War I. This order sparked the Central Asian Revolt, in which thousands of Kazakhs and other Central Asians were killed and tens of thousands fled to western China or Mongolia. Communist Takeover In the chaos following the Communist takeover of Russia in 1917, the Kazakhs seized their chance to assert their independence, establishing the short-lived Alash Orda, an autonomous government. However, the Soviets retook control of Kazakhstan in 1920. Five years later, they set up the Kazakh Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (Kazakh SSR), with its capital at Almaty. It became a non-autonomous Soviet republic in 1936. Under Russian leader Joseph Stalins rule, the Kazakhs and other Central Asians suffered horrifically. Stalin imposed forced villagization on the remaining nomads in 1936 and collectivized agriculture. As a result, more than a million Kazakhs died of starvation and 80% of their livestock perished. Once again, those who were able tried to escape into civil-war ravaged China. During World War II, the Soviets used Kazakhstan as a dumping ground for potentially subversive minorities such as Germans from the western edge of Soviet Russia, Crimean Tatars, Muslims from the Caucasus, and Poles. What little food the Kazakhs had was stretched once more as they tried to feed these starving newcomers. Approximately half the deportees died of starvation or disease. After World War II, Kazakhstan became the least neglected of the Central Asian Soviet Republics. Ethnic Russians flooded in to work in industry, and Kazakhstans coal mines helped supply energy to all of the USSR. The Russians also built one of their major space program sites, the Baikonur Cosmodrome, in Kazakhstan. Nazarbayev Gains Power In September 1989, Nazarbayev, an ethnic Kazakh politician, became the general secretary of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan, replacing an ethnic Russian. On December 16, 1991, the Republic of Kazakhstan declared its independence from the crumbling remains of the Soviet Union. Kazakhstan has a growing economy, thanks in large part to its reserves of fossil fuels. It has privatized much of the economy, but Nazarbayev maintained a KGB-style police state  and was accused of rigging elections during his long, five-term tenure. While he was widely expected to run again in 2020, in March 2019 Nazarbayev resigned, and  Senate  Chairman  Tokayev  was tapped to take over as president for the remainder of his term. On June 9, 2019, early elections were held to avoid political uncertainty and Tokayev  was re-elected with 71% of the vote. The Kazakh people have come a long way since 1991, but they have some distance to go before they are truly free of the after-effects of Russian colonization.