Caribbean Music Essay Example for Free free essay sample

Topic: In a few paragraphs, describe what is denoted by Caribbean music in a new mode. What emphasis, in this chapter, seems to justify a departure from traditional presentations of music and culture of the Caribbean?Caribbean music is a music mode with a different culture, it’s a new mode before I talk about Caribbean music, I’d like to introduce the geography of the Caribbean first. The Caribbean area is composed of many countries in Central America with a population of over 200 million. The reason why I talk about the geography is that Caribbean’s music is not solely affected by the region itself. Because of the migration in Caribbean region, Caribbean music is this area has had a triple impact. There are Amerindian, African and European.First, the indigenous people of Caribbean are Amerindian, so there is no denying that Caribbean music was affected by the Amerindian. I want to focus on the impact of African and European on Caribbean music. We will write a custom essay sample on Caribbean Music Essay Example for Free or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The Caribbean was colonized by European for more than 300 years. For any colonial ruler, integrating their culture into the colonies was something they had to do, including music. The countries of Europe, especially Spain and Portugal, which are located in the Iberian peninsula, have spread their music culture to the whole of Latin America. There is no doubt that European has a great influence on Caribbean music. Another system brought about by colonial rule was slavery. At the same time, black slaves from Africa brought their primitive, grassroots music to this region. As we all know, Africans’ fondness for music is self-evident. Music is most important and happy thing for African to live in a quite poor environment. This is a new music mode that combines these cultures. The impact on the Caribbean music in Africa and Europe is also reflected in the rhythm and music style, for example, the rhythm of Candomble, the music style of reggae. I want to talk about the music style of reggae, the origin of reggae music in Jamaica, but reggae music combines traditional African rhythms, American blues music, and the original Jamaican folklore music. Most of these lyrics are based on religious tradition, and I think the role of these lyrics is to emphasize social, political and humanistic care. The unique music form of reggae also has had a great influence on music in the word. As far as I am concerned, Caribbean music is a unique style of music under many cultures’ influence, people cannot emphasize the importance of music. The Caribbean music in this new model has many symbolic meanings, it expresses people’s views on religion, though, and humanity in this area.

Othello and Iago free essay sample

The books do not have the same power as they used to have in the previous centuries. Nowadays, many books or written stories have been made into screen adoption . William Shakespeare wrote Othello the Moor of Venice to be performed. There are more than fifty movies, ballet performances and musicals about Othello. Each of them is different and shows a director’s unique perspective. What is it about this piece that makes people perform it so many times? In each generation people are trying to visualize the immortal theme of how manipulation and jealousy can change people’s lives. For example, in the movie Othello (1995) Oliver Parker contradicts with the text and shows the audience his view and understanding of the literary text. In the movie Othello (1995) with Laurence Fishburne, Parker, the director, uses actor’s performance, symbolic scenes and decor to help the audience emotionally understand the text. Parker’s production of the movie is very close to the original play. We will write a custom essay sample on Othello and Iago or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page He uses the same language and wording, but visualization and his perspective of the play helps the audience experience empathy towards characters. For example, in the text Desdemona’s father describes her, â€Å" A maiden never bold / of spirit so still and quiet that her motion blushed at herself †(I. III . 94-96). In the movie the actress is young, beautiful and seems very innocent. Othello is described in the text as an exotic character, who shows an animalistic side. Roderigo says about Othello, â€Å"To the gross clasps of a lascivious Moor / †¦An extravagant and wheeling stranger†. (I. I. 126, 136). When Iago talks to Brabantio and tries to convince him that his daughter is with Othello he compares Othello to an animal. Iago says, â€Å"You’ll have your daughter covered with a Barbary horse†. I. I. 112). Or he also says, â€Å"Your daughter and the Moor are now making the beast with two backs† (I. I. 116). In the movie Othello has an intimidating appearance. He has pierced ears, wears jewelry and has tattoos. The right casting of characters helps to reveal them and grow parti cular attitude towards these characters in the movie. The audience when looking at beautiful and young Desdemona will most likely take her side and have compassion towards her. In contrast to Desdemona, Othello is more brutal and reveals bellicosity and rigidity. In the text Shakespeare describes Othello as a great warrior, who has suffered a lot. He doesn’t know much about love or peaceful life without battles. Othello says about himself: â€Å"Rude am I in my speech, / and little blessed with the soft phrase of piece†¦ The story of my life / from year to year-the battles, sieges, fortunes / that I have passed†¦ (I. III. 81-83, 129-131). This describes Othello as unexperienced, impulsive person, who is more used to violence than love. In the text when Iago tells Othello that Desdemona is not honest with him, Othello burst out at Iago: â€Å"Be sure of it; give me the ocular proof; or, by the worth of mine eternal soul, thou hadst been better born a dog than answer my waked wrath! (III.. III. 361-364). Othello is jealous of Desdemona but because he has no proof of it, he works his anger on Iago. In the movie Parker introduces a scene where Othello tries to drown Iago in the sea to emphasize Othello’s anger. Another scene where Othello shows his violence is when he slaps Desdemona across her face. One thing that can explain Othello’s inability to control anger and be violent is that he is left without his duty. He was send to Cyprus to defend people from the Turks but the war has never happened because of the storm that killed the Turks. Othello is left with himself, his thoughts and relationships with Desdemona. Marriage is a new experience to him, he does not know how to behave. Othello doubt his decision of getting married to Desdemona. He says, â€Å"Why did I marry? †¦O curse of marriage, / That we can call these delicate creatures ours, / and not their appetites! † (III. III. 242, 268-270). He is not used to a peaceful life, but violence and anger. Iago is using Othello’s frustration and strategy to convince Othello in Desdemona’s unfaithfulness. In the movie Parker makes Iago talk to the audience that helps develop and understand his plan, how is going to implement it. His ideas are clear and make sense, but audience still doesn’t know how the other characters will react to it and whether he will be successful or not. Parker leave that to the last scene when wounded Iago lies on the dead bodies of Othello, Desdemona and his wife. In this production Parker chooses and correctly considers the historical element by using the medieval costumes corresponding to that time, settings and decor of Venice with old buildings and canals with gondolas. However, he adds couple scenes that changes the audience’s perception of the text. In the beginning of the movie the audience see a couple in the gondola. The man covers his face with a mask, and then the young woman runs on the empty streets of Venice covering her face. This shows the audience that this couple are involved in some kind of a secret. Parker uses a cliche of a secret relationship by making the first scene happened at night, covering man’s face with a mask. This scene intrigues the audience and make it believe that this could be a love story movie. Compare to the text where Iago and Roderigo are the first ones to be presented in the text. They talk about how Iago didn’t get position of the lieutenant and how both of them hate the Moor. Iago says: â€Å"Were I the Moor, I would not be Iago. / In following him, I follow but myself; / Heaven is my judge, not I for love or duty, / but seeming so, for my peculiar end;†(I. I. 58-60). Only in the middle of the act I scene I, readers understand that Brabantio’s daughter secretly got married to the Moor and that is how Iago and Roderigo can use this against him. Iago says: â€Å"I m one, sir, that comes to tell you your daughter and the Moor are now making the beast with two backs†. (I. I . 116-117). Parker’s deviation from text catches the viewers attention better than just dry talks of Iago and Roderigo. Another movie innovation is when Parker makes Othello dream about Desdemona and Cassio being together. This emphasizes how much Othello is moved by that news. In the text Shakespeare makes Othello fall into epilepsy instead. Parker is also using symbol of the handkerchief. The symbol of handkerchief is important in the play. Othello gives special power to it. He says: That handkerchief Did an Egyptian to my mother give. She was a charmer, and could almost read The thoughts of people. She told her, while she kept it, Twould make her amiable and subdue my father Entirely to her love; but if she lost it Or made a gift of it, my father’s eye Should hold her loathed, and his spirits should hunt after new fancies. †( III. IV.. 50-58). In the movie Parker makes the handkerchief fly or fall on the black background in a slow motion. By doing so, he shows the audience the end of Othello and Desdemona’s love and predicts their death. Another symbolic scene that Parker introduces into the movie and doesn’t exist in the text is when Iago stands next to a pit and makes two figures that represent Othello and Desdemona fall into that pit. Parker compares Othello and Desdemona to the figures on the chessboard that were played and manipulated by Iago. Basically, he says that all that it was just a tactical game. He though connects that scene to another scene when Othello’s and Desdemona’s bodies are dumped to the sea. This parallel shows the audience hopelessness of the situation. This symbolic scene with figures explains how Parker understands parallels and hidden tips shown in the play. Shakespeare uses words and repeats phrases in the text to predict the end and guide the reader through the play. For example, in the text when Brabantio says to Othello, â€Å"Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see: / She has deceived her father, and may thee. † (I. III. 291-292). Othello responds to him, â€Å"My life upon her faith! † (I. III. 294). Later in the text, Iago mentions it again to Othello. He says, â€Å"Look at your wife; / wear your eyes thus, not jealous nor secure†¦ She did deceive her father, marrying you;( III. III. 197, 198, 206). At the end of the play Othello does exactly what he said before- he gives his life upon Desdemona’s faith and kills himself. Movies that are based on the plays or the books are showing the audience only one perception of that play or book, which is presented by the point of view of the director. Talented directors know that it is very hard to present the correct idea better than the original text. However, by making minor changes such as introducing symbolic scenes, choosing the right actors or the appropriate decor, the movie can guide the audience to a better understanding of the play. It can also help to develop new interpretations of the text.

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe Traditional religion as well as religious beliefs and practices are important issues which are discussed in ‘Things Fall Apart’ by Chinua Achebe. The major theme focuses on the conflict between the Igbo society and culture as well as the religion of the colonists. The Umuofia society is religious as it is characterized by the worship of Chuckwu the chief the god, spirits and the ancestors. It is clear that the religion practiced in Umuofia is animistic in nature similar to other  traditional religions in other parts of Africa.   The people of Umuofia believed that most of both the living and non living things had the ability of possessing souls and the spirits. For instance, members of the society believed that forests like the evil forests had sprits of  evil and that is why twins were abandoned there as they  were considered to carry bad luck. Further studies indicate  that it was possible for a man to buy a craving in the market and make it to be an object o f worship after invoking his spirit in it.   There were other spirits like the spirits of rivers, lakes, wells and the earth, to name just a few.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In the Umuofia society, men and women were regarded differently as they did not hold the same positions. For instance, men were rulers as well as leaders while women were considered   Ã‚  as servants. Therefore, the spirits of women were inferior to the spirits of men although women were also allowed to carry out religious rituals since they could become priests. According to Achebe (pp. 30), the Umuofia community had a female deity who was known as ‘Ani’. In addition, there was also a male deity who was known as Agbala or the ‘Oracle of the Hills and the Caves’ (Achebe pp.30). According to Achebe, (pp. xxxv) ‘chi’  was a personal god for an  individual  which had the ability to  follow people throughout  their whole life.   One of the major characteristic of ‘chi’ was the fact that it was  capable of either  being  good or bad.   Such a characteristic was very important because  it  determined the success of an individual. Therefore, incase someone had a good ‘chi’, such a person ended up being successful while people with a bad chi were full of misfortunes. However, although ‘chi’ was powerful,  a person had the power of determining his destiny. In addition, medicine men could intervene and help someone with a bad ‘chi’  to become successful. The Umoufia society was powerful among its neighbors and was greatly feared. The neighbors considered going into war  with it as a last option, incase all the  other options  failed.   The priests and medicine men who were vey powerful contributed  greatly to  its  superiority.    Its source of the military power was the war medicine although the age of the same was not known.   The medicine  which was the source of  the strength was known as agadi-nwayi which meant an old  woman. Villagers  believed that an old woman with one leg was often seen by someone who passed by the shrine which was centrally placed in the evenings.   Since  the villagers believed that she was sacrificed when the village was being formed, that explains why she was capable of being powerful.   In addition, the villagers believed that performing religious practices and rituals made someone to be powerful. As a result, the woman could have derived  her power from the sacrifices  that took place during the formation of the village.Advertising Looking for essay on literature languages? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Achebe, Chinua. Things fall apart. Oxford: Heinemann, 1996. Print.

7 Famous Quotes From American Writer Jack London

7 Famous Quotes From American Writer Jack London Jack London was an American writer, famous for The Call of the Wild, Sea Wolf, Before Adam, Iron Heel, and many other works. Many of his novels were based on his real-life experiences as an adventurer and sailor. Here Are a Few Quotes From Jack London I would rather be ashes than dust! I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dry rot. I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet. The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.- Jack LondonPictures! Pictures! Pictures! Often, before I learned, did I wonder whence came the multitudes of pictures that thronged my dreams; for they were pictures the like of which I had never seen in real wake-a-day life. They tormented my childhood, making of my dreams a procession of nightmares and a little later convincing me that I was different from my kind, a creature unnatural and accursed.- Jack London, Before AdamThe soft summer wind stirs the redwoods, and Wild-Water ripples sweet cadences over its mossy stones. There are butterflies in the sunshine, and from everywhere arises the drowsy hum of bees. It is so quiet and peaceful, and I sit here, and ponder, and am restless. It is the quiet that makes me restless. It seems unreal. All the world is quiet, but it is the quiet before the storm. I strain my ears, and all my senses, for some betrayal of that impending storm. Oh, that it may not be premature! That it may not be premature!- Jack London, Iron Heel The one opened the door with a latch-key and went in, followed by a young fellow who awkwardly removed his cap. He wore rough clothes that smacked of the sea, and he was manifestly out of place in the spacious hall in which he found himself. He did not know what to do with his cap, and was stuffing it into his coat pocket when the other took it from him. The act was done quietly and naturally, and the awkward young fellow appreciated it. He understands, was his thought. Hell see me through all right.- Jack London, Martin EdenBuck did not read the newspapers, or he would have known that trouble was brewing, not alone for himself, but for every tidewater dog, strong of muscle and with warm, long hair, from Puget Sound to San Diego. Because men, groping in the Arctic darkness, had found a yellow metal, and because steamship and transportation companies were booming the find, thousands of men were rushing into the Northland. These men wanted dogs, and the dogs they wanted were heavy dogs , with strong muscles by which to toil, and furry coats to protect them from the frost.- Jack London, The Call of the Wild All my life I have had an awareness of other times and places. I have been aware of other persons in me. Oh, and trust me, so have you, my reader that is to be. Read back into your childhood, and this sense of awareness I speak of will be remembered as an experience of childhood. You were then not fixed, not crystallized. You were plastic, a soul in flux, a consciousness and an identity in the process of formingay, of forming and forgetting.- Jack London, The Star RoverDark spruce forest frowned on either side the frozen waterway. The trees had been stripped by a recent wind of their white covering of frost, and they seemed to lean toward each other, black and ominous, in the fading light. A vast silence reigned over the land.- Jack London, White Fang

Comparative article review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Comparative article review - Essay Example omen in science, engineering and technology through a bias that sees these fields as essentially masculine by a stereotyping of the masculine image in the disciplines of science, engineering and technology. (1). On the other hand Robert Frith explores the concept of â€Å"cosmopolitan democracy† and its portents for the expansion of democracy beyond the borders of a state into transnational democracy as can be considered for Europe and the rights of women within such a democratic set up. (2). In her article Alison Phipps brings to the forefront the position of liberal-feminist politics since the 1970s encouraging women to be more conducive to going with the mainstream concept of what is suitable in science, engineering and technology. This is reflected in her words â€Å"changing women’s dispositions and perceptions in order that they might choose, and fit better into, SET†. This argument traces its origins to the position of Henwood (1998) that the equal opportunities politics for women in science, engineering and technology essentially attempted to have women participate in science, engineering and technology, without upsetting the gender bias that is against its equal participation. It is this argument that Alison Phipps tries to establish in her paper, which is replete with examples of the politics of women associated with the participation in science engineering and technology, tacitly accepts the dominance of the male gender in these disciplines and t he making of these disciplines as macho for the male gender. One of the examples she puts forth pertains the Associations for Women in Science and Engineering in the United Kingdom and the Association of Women in Science in the United sates of America and the opinion among its members that there â€Å"a lack of role models/lack of encouragement for girls in SET† and furthermore Set was given a macho image through the gendered childhood experiences, wherein there was reinforcement of the childhood concepts that

The History of the World in Six Glasses Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The History of the World in Six Glasses - Essay Example â€Å"Factory workers had to function like parts in a well-oiled machine, and tea was the lubricant that kept the factories running smoothly.† (p.200) Tea-break or tea-time became part of the sports activities and entertainment programs. Solid trade connections were established with the tea-producing countries like India and China, by some of the western countries, prominent amongst them was UK. The author has linked the thirst of the human throat to the thirst for material progress. He has unveiled the hidden agenda behind these drinks that have taken the commercial world by storm! When one makes an analysis, what all factors contributed to the concept of ‘world is one family,’ tea will be one of the top-contenders. The prime necessity to quench thirst needs no elaboration, appreciation, or explanation. Many thousands of years ago humans made their habitation near the rivers and lakes, precisely for his reason—to get adequate fresh water! Drinks shaped human history and growth and continue to have impact on the modern civilization. Tea, soon after it was introduced in UK, became a global drink! But there was always a storm in the cup of tea of the imperialists. The British people saw great potential in the tea trade, and exploited the business opportunity to the maximum extent. â€Å"Tea drinking is not the cause, but the consequences of the distresses of the poor. The drink of queens had also become the drink of last resort†¦ Tea had reached around the world from the world’s oldest empire and planted itself at the heart of the newest.† (p. 196) Tea cures, as well as creates problems for the human constitution and aggravates certain conditions of diseases. Those suffering from neuralgia and blood pressure should not drink tea. If one takes tea on empty stomach, it affects digestion and its consumption at bed-time, causes sleepless nights. It stimulates the nervous system and the urine

How Did Men Deal with the Stress of World War II Essay Example for Free

How Did Men Deal with the Stress of World War II Essay The iconic â€Å"thousand-yard stare†, a far-off, unfocused gaze characteristic of soldiers who had succumbed to the trauma of war by dissociating from it, emerged with its name through the chilling photos of soldiers who were overtaken by these symptoms in the wake of World War II. It’s no surprise that war takes a toll on the psyche of all those affected by it. Given the brutality and scope of World War II, which began only 21 years after World War II (a war that had already ravaged the landscape and people of Europe leaving high estimates of the death toll at 65 million deaths), civilians and soldiers alike were engulfed in total war. As Hitler and the Nazis’ ideology was based on â€Å"A War of Extermination† fueled by a racial ideology that sought for the ethnic cleansing and complete reengineering of the social population of Europe, the massive amount of Soviet soldiers that perished as they were thrown wave after wave in order to slow the Nazi war machine, and the general cruelty that was apparent in this war, soldiers upon soldiers grew appalled by the nature of the war. As one soldier confesses in The Italian Job, â€Å"After three months, it was demoralizing†¦ it was every night, every night everybody was hunting Germans, everybody was out to kill anybody†¦ we was insane†¦ We did become like animals in the end†¦ Yes, just like rats†¦ It was far worse than the desert. You were stuck in the same place. You had nowhere to go. You didn’t get no rest, like in the desert. No sleep†¦ You never expected to see the end of it. You just forgot why you were there† (Addison 208). Often times, the amount of effort put into it and the lives sacrificed seemed to far outweigh the benefits reaped from both; Gottlob Herbert Bidderman, a German soldier that was present on the Eastern Front reflected on â€Å"the insignificance of twelve kilometers: twelve kilometers—in an endless land, where unbroken fields stretched to the horizon before us from sunrise to sunset. I wondered how many more twelve-kilometer battles lay ahead of us during our march away from the setting sun† (Bidderman 23). However, like anything that people are overexposed to, these men slowly grew accustomed to and desensitized to the trocities and horrors of the war. Human beings are naturally adaptive beings and history has shown time and time again that they do what is needed in order to survive. It would be simplistic to classify each of the nations and their armies as being uniform in their coping with the war – due to the specific nature of some of the problems and solutions that emerged from belonging to that particular nation (such as the Soviets reveling in their loyalty and the cult-like worship of Stalin and the Nazis racial ideology being one that ensured in their mind their victory), but many men, regardless of their affiliation, handled the war similarly. Some treated the time on these fronts as a long extended workday, disassociating from the acts they committed and the sights they witnessed as simply being a part of a job. Others turned to their families away from home – brothers and sisters, who through their common experiences, pains, and moments of hope, stood together in solidarity. Others turned to the bottom of a bottle to ease the pain; while others turned instead upwards to a higher power, or at the very least began to frequent religious services. Those who were not willing to look quite so loftily turned to their superiors and leaders for guidance and bravery; while in the case of the Soviet soldiers, glanced fearfully backwards as the higher-ups pushed them forward to their death. Far away from home and under harsh conditions, food and other chanced upon provisions and commodities would often serve as a best to moral. Due to the sheer breadth of stress embodied in being a soldier in any front during WWII, soldiers dealt with the immense strain in varying ways in order to keep intact their humanity, or at the very least, keep their sanity so that they could ensure their survival. There is a perception held by many idealistic, young men that war is a somewhat akin to a noble crusade. However, there is the reality is much more analogous, to as one German soldier put it â€Å"this is ten times worse than hell† (Grossman 151). A scene from the Italian Job details this hell: â€Å"some (too many, far too many) were carried in dying, with gross combinations of shattered limbs, protrusions of intestines and brain from great holes in their poor frames torn by 880millimetre shells, mortars and anti-personnel bombs. Some lay quiet and still, with legs drawn up – penetrating wounds of the abdomen. Some were carried in sitting up on the stretcher, gasping and coughing, shot through the lungs †¦ All were exhausted after being under continuous fire, and after lying in the mud for hours and days† (Addison 208). As a result, as these idealistic notions were lost, many turned to viewing the entire ordeal as a job. Having suffered through the war for some time, one soldier remarked, â€Å"You’re fighting for the skin in the line. When I was enlisted I was patriotic as hell. There’s no patriotism in the line. A boy up there 60 days in the line is in danger every minute. He ain’t fighting for patriotism† (Addison 210). Another soldier enjoyed fighting at dawn as he felt that it was almost as if he was heading off to work at the factory. Rather than consciously thinking of all of the horrors that they were witnessing on a daily basis and focusing on the fact that they could die at any moment, the concept of just doing a job provided a blanket under which these men sought to maintain control of their humanity by separating their psyches from the appalling state of being they were in. A man in an earlier war who was quoted in Addison’s book stated that â€Å"whatever its size a man’s world was his section—at most, his platoon; all that mattered to him was the one little boatload of castaways with whom he was marooned on a desert island making shift to keep off the weather and any sudden attacks by wild beast† (Addison 211). Away from their families and friends, immersed in a bloody war where hundreds upon thousands of people could die in a skirmish or battle, these soldiers could only count on each other to truly understand the situation they were currently in. Beaten and battered together, having lost many of the same friends, triumphed momentarily, or retreated hastily, this mutual understanding gave way to a support group – a family who soldiers could lean upon and secure their well being. Of this, Bidermann wrote, â€Å"Our thoughts were constantly occupied by the tenuous if not hopeless situation in which we found ourselves. We received solace only in our numbers and in being with comrades with whom we had shared so many experiences over the weeks, months, and years† (Bidermann 266). Repeatedly throughout the 3 readings, there is mention of men, whether they in the heat of battle or â€Å"relaxing† with company, being drunk. It’s no surprise as alcohol has been a means by which men have coped with their problems for thousands of years. If the problems won’t go away, the solution for some has been to drink until those problems do not register as problems anymore. As such, Holmes noted â€Å"headaches were almost universal in a theatre of war where wine and brandy were readily available† (Addison 212). Grossman ctually talks about how his battalion commander Kozlov, in the midst of battle, â€Å"withstood an attack of tanks. He was on great form and completely drunk. The tanks were thrown back in a dashing fashion† (Grossman 103). As religion has functioned as a form of comfort since the inception of civilization and the birth of religion, it was only natural for men living in depravity to come to it to relieve them of some of their burden. Subsequently, the men of the clergy were often instrumental to moral and aid. Furthermore, due to the looming possibility of death in war, the mortality of some became that much more apparent. In Bidermann’s account, he talks of a divisional chaplain named Satzger who had several times risked his life to recover wounded men. Resulting from men of the cloth like Satzger and with death looming, â€Å"many of the soldiers who had not been so inclined began to attend religious services †¦ For far too many [the chaplain] would offer the last voice of reassurance and the last vestige of comfort before they, too, succumbed to mortal wounds† (Bidermann 25). Another Catholic priest was dubbed â€Å"the rucksack priest† as he carried a field pack from which he provided troops on the front lines with simple food items that had in war become luxuries. While it may have been a spiritual solace that many received at the hands of these men of God, others attended for the sake of having a comforting and helping hand. It’s been told that leaders are supposed to lead by example. Caught in chaotic times, superior officers often functioned as beacons to rally around. In times past, great leaders such as George Washington, Alexander the Great, and Genghis Khan immersed themselves in battles, showing that the best commanders do not directing them from the rear, but rather leading them in the front. A commanding officer by the name of â€Å"Captain Kendall, turned a shaky company into a passably good one by public displays of sheer guts. ‘Look at me,’ he said quietly, walking from man to man under fire. ‘They can’t hit me. Look at me’† (Addison 210). Examples like this provided moral boosts to dreary men who needed something positive to cling to. Conversely, rather than inspiring by a guiding light of bravery and courage, the Soviets were incentivized onwards by the ever-present detachments behind the troops that would shoot deserters. Grossman describes this in further detail: â€Å"Stalin’s Order No. 27 – ‘Not One Step Back’ – included the instruction to each army command to organise ‘three to five well-armed [blocking] detachments (up to two hundred men each)’ to form a second line to ‘combat cowardices’ by shooti ng down any soldier who tried to run away† (Grossman 141). As many Soviet soldiers understood the likelihood of their death in squaring off against the Nazis, the desire to flee was understandable. Stalin believed that the presence of the troops would force the Soviet troops to fight even harder. Pushed forwards, the stark realization of soldiers was expressed by Grossman: â€Å"Once you are here, there is no way out. Either you will lose your head or your legs†¦ Everyone knows that those who turn and run would be shot on the spot. This was more terrifying than the Germans† (Grossman 146). Under the constant strain of needing to ration supplies and consistently cut off from supply lines, soldiers had to make do with their limited resources. Given the treacherous nature of the constant advancement and lack of luxuries, whenever there was time to enjoy the comfort brought by certain goods that had faded away from recent recollection to distant memories, the time was relished and the goods provided relief to the men. In fact, Bidermann specifically noted several instances where his regiment and he would partake in â€Å"luxuries† that were not available to them by enjoying the spoils of war. â€Å"Two August was marked by a break in the monotonous field rations, when we boiled freshly dug potatoes in an unnamed Ukrainian village. Obserschutze Fehr had already plucked a chicken, and together with the boiled hen and potatoes we ate peeled cucumbers† (Bidermann 24). In another instance, his crew discovered a still-intact collective farm and was able to enjoy hot coffee, schmalzbrot, and sleep in small thatched-roof huts. Though seemingly commonplace to us, moments such as these provided brief relief and respite from the horrors of daily life across the theatres, and allowed soldiers to momentarily reflect on how life used to be. Constantly under an onslaught of forces that, if mishandled, could cause a man to lose his mind, soldiers used some, if not all, of the aforementioned forms to provide relief or inspiration in persevering in their struggle. Under pressure, these men had to find whatever means by which to motivate themselves to return safely home, and more so than that, return home as much themselves as before.