Reality in Jean Genet’s ‘the Balcony’ Essay Essay Example

Reality in Jean Genet’s ‘the Balcony’ Essay Essay Jean Genet’s Le Balcon ( or The Balcony ) is an absurdist drama in which the chief construction is the â€Å"philosophical conflict between semblance and reality† ( Savona 1983: 76 ) and this essay will look into some of the degrees of world within an absurdist and existential philosopher context in Genet’s drama. The drama itself â€Å"offers a stunningly theatrical geographic expedition of the relationship between phantasy and reality† ( Patterson 2005: 32 ) whilst besides seeking â€Å"to negate world itself† ( Innes 2001: 438 ) . Whilst besides trying to transform world into a fantasy universe in which its characters can get away the discouragement of day-to-day life. it is â€Å"also designed to be a moving drama which†¦ keeps the audience aware that it is a play† they are watching and non leting them to acquire lost in the universe of semblance. phantasy and desire that the characters are trapped in ( Reck 1962: 23 ) . This echoes a technique used as portion of Brecht’s Verfremdungseffekt. and by maintaining the witness at a critical distance. they become perceivers and therefore can larn something about their ain lives and the universe in which they live. We will write a custom essay sample on Reality in Jean Genet’s ‘the Balcony’ Essay specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Reality in Jean Genet’s ‘the Balcony’ Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Reality in Jean Genet’s ‘the Balcony’ Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The drama is set in Madame Irma’s Maison d’illusions ( or house of semblances ) which to the witness is clearly a whorehouse. but non a whorehouse in the conventional sense. In the whorehouse. work forces of mundane walks of life ( for illustration a pipe fitter ) act out sexual phantasies with the adult females that work at that place. Their sexual phantasies are by no agencies conventional either. for illustration the ‘clients’ of the whorehouses take on the character of powerful work forces. viz. a bishop. an executioner. a justice and a general. From the expounding of the drama. it is ill-defined that the bishop isn’t really a bishop as the costume. duologue and action of the bishop are wholly reliable aside from the fact that the powerful characters â€Å"tower over all the other histrions every bit good as the audience† ( McMahon 1963: 110 ) . This is visually unrealistic and takes the witness off from pragmatism right from the oncoming. yet somehow pull them into this universe of semblance. The sexual Acts of the Apostless were intended by Genet to incorporate significance and non to be realistic. They are merely projections. a series of images of adult male trapped in a hall of mirrors. non trying to convey naturalism in the slightest ( McMahon 1963: 176 ) and the characters’ â€Å"performance becomes contemplations of reflections† ( Innes 2001: 438 ) . As Esslin provinces in his The Theatre of the Absurd. â€Å"there are no characters in the conventional sense†¦merely the images of basic impulses and impulses† ( Esslin 2001: 22 ) . Image is of cardinal importance in the drama ; it is everything â€Å"for the deeper one moves into images the less danger there will be of reality’s coming back to oppugn the veracity of the images† ( McMahon 1963: 162 ) . One of the cardinal subjects of the drama is the flight from world. and as T. S Eliot wrote â€Å"human sort can non bear much reality† ( 1964: 69 ) . one of the cardinal messages Genet is seeking to portray in his drama. There is a strong sense of the histrion unifying with the character in The Balcony ( Savona 1983: 86 ) . or the character unifying with the phantasy characters they attempt to portray in the whorehouse. or characters they so long to be. even for merely an hr or so. This unauthentic relationship between world and phantasy reflects human nature and life itself – we have all at some point aspired. or even wished that we could be person else. person with power or regard. However as McMahon suggests â€Å"there is no aspiration within the motive of these people to be bishop. justice or general ; the bound of their aspirations knows its scope. and the cutting off point†¦is the thin line between pretension and reality† ( 1963: 160 ) . The drama takes a bend when the clients of the whorehouse are forced to take on the characters they are feigning to be for existent. It is at this point that the semblance is destroyed and the work forces of mundane life no longer want the functions they are playing. For them. the functions are now excessively realistic and there is no flight from them – the relationship between world and phantasy has become reliable. When the characters are moving out their functions in the existent universe. they are no longer comforted by their imaginativeness ; they are faced with the rough world of life. the one thing that they have sought to get away in the first topographic point. This is reinforced by the fact the characters are loath to help the head of constabulary and be â€Å"dragged from their dream universe into the abrasiveness and dangers of reality† ( Thody 1970: 186-187 ) . The revolution outside can be seen as a symbol of existent life. â€Å"Were it non for the revolution. the assorted characters could go on to play their games in the enclosed a-historical ambiance provided for them†¦but the revolution is at that place. and threatens at any minute to destruct their universe of semblance completely† ( Thody 1970: 179 ) . During the drama. assorted sounds of gunshot can be heard in the background of the scenes – A menace from the existent universe outside reminding the characters they have tried to get away life and whilst this may be successful for the hr they are in the whorehouse. existent life is still traveling out outdoors. â€Å"Machine gun fire efforts to sabotage the thaumaturgy of semblance created and reflects Brecht’s distancing effect† ( Savona 1983: 89 ) . Once once more Genet forces the witness to retrieve that they are watching a drama. but besides when we all hide behind the frontage of life. or seek and get away world. the existent universe is still really much at big in the background and we can’t ignore this! â€Å"The subject of semblance reaches its flood tide at the very terminal of the action. when Madame Irma comes to the forepart of the phase to remind the audience that they have. after all. merely been watching a play† ( Thody 1970: 185 ) . The witness is all of a sudden brought back to ‘the existent word’ holding witnessed histrions playing characters. characters playing characters. characters playing people. The audience has taken the journey through Madam Irma’s ‘house of illusions’ . and has been presented with a theatrical projection of humanity through many planes of world. She tells the audience â€Å"you must now travel place. where everything – you can be rather certain – will be falser than here†¦You must now go† ( Genet 1966: 96 ) . She has highlighted that as worlds we have a inclination to conceal behind the frontage of life. to travel along with what we are told and what we see. therefore taking life for granted. We so think back to the characters in the drama and gain how they are merely projections of ourselves. â€Å"Genet proclaims the semblance of world and the world of illusion† ( Nelson 1963: 61 ) . For the witness and the characters â€Å"reality has become indiscernible from illusion† ( Nelson 1963: 65 ) and the audience must inquire themselves where does reality stop and pretension Begins. BIBLIOGRAPHY Eliot. T. S. . Murder in the Cathedral ( Fort Washington PA: Harvest Books. 1964 ) Esslin. Martin. The Theatre of the Absurd. 3rd Edition ( London: Metheun. 2001 ) . Genet. Jean. The Balcony ( New York: Grove Press. 1966 ) Innes. Christopher. ‘Theatre After Two World Wars’ . in The Oxford Illustrated History of the Theatre. erectile dysfunction. by John Russell Brown ( Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2001 ) . pp. 380-444. Macquarrie. John. Existentialism ( Baltimore: Pelican Books. 1972 ) McMahon. Joseph H. . The Imagination of Jean Genet ( New Haven: Yale University Press. 1963 ) Nelson. Banjamin. ‘The Balcony and Parisian Existentialism’ . The Tulane Drama Review. 7:3 ( 1963 ) . 60-79. Oswald. Laura. Jean Genet and the Semiotics of Performance ( Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press. 1989 ) Patterson. Michael. The Oxford Dictionary of Plays ( Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2005 ) Reck. Rima Drell. ‘Appearance and Reality in Genet’s Le Balcon’ . The New Dramatists. 29:1 ( 1962 ) . 20-25. Savona. Jeannette L. . Jean Genet ( London and Basingstoke: The Macmillan Press. 1983 ) Styan. J. L. . The English Stage ( Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1996 ) Thody. Philip. Jean Genet: A Survey of His Novels and Plays ( New York: Stein and Day. 1970 ) .

Proper Disposal of Batteries

Proper Disposal of Batteries Today’s common household batteries - those ubiquitous AAs, AAAs, Cs, Ds, and 9-volts from Duracell, Energizer, and others - are not thought to pose as great a threat to properly equipped modern landfills as they used to because they contain much less mercury than their predecessors. As a result, most municipalities now recommend simply throwing such batteries away with your trash. Common household batteries are also called alkaline batteries; the chemical type is important in choosing proper disposal options. Battery Disposal or Recycling? Nevertheless, environmentally concerned consumers might feel better recycling such batteries anyway, as they still do contain trace amounts of mercury and other potentially toxic stuff. Some municipalities will accept these batteries (as well as older, more toxic ones) at household hazardous waste facilities, from which they will most likely be sent elsewhere to be processed and recycled as components in new batteries, or incinerated in a dedicated hazardous waste processing facility. How to Recycle Batteries Other options abound, such as the mail-order service, Battery Solutions, which will recycle your spent batteries at a low cost, calculated by the pound. Meanwhile, the national chain, Batteries Plus, is happy to take back disposable batteries for recycling at any of its 255 retail stores coast-to-coast. Older Batteries Should Always Be Recycled Consumers should note that any old batteries they may find buried in their closets that were made before 1997- when Congress mandated a widespread mercury phase-out in batteries of all types- should most surely be recycled and not discarded with the trash, as they may contain as much as 10 times the mercury of newer versions. Check with your municipality; they may have a program for this type of waste, such as a yearly hazardous waste drop off day. Lithium batteries, these small, round ones used for hearing aids, watches, and car key fobs, are toxic and should not be thrown in the trash. Treat them like you would any other household hazardous waste. Car batteries are recyclable, and in fact are quite valuable. Auto part stores will gladly take them back, and so will many residential waste transfer stations. The Problem of Rechargeable Batteries Perhaps of greater concern nowadays is what’s happening to spent rechargeable batteries from cell phones, laptops, and other portable electronic equipment. Such items contain potentially toxic heavy metals sealed up inside, and if thrown out with the regular garbage can jeopardize the environmental integrity of both landfills and incinerator emissions. Luckily, the battery industry sponsors the operations of the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (RBRC), which facilitates the collection of used rechargeable batteries in an industry-wide â€Å"take back† program for recycling. Your big-box hardware store chain (like Home Depot and Lowes) likely has a booth where you can drop off rechargeable batteries for recycling. Additional Battery Recycling Options Consumers can help by limiting their electronics purchases to items that carry the RBRC logo on their packaging. Furthermore, they can find out where to drop off old rechargeable batteries (and even old cell phones) by checking RBRC’s website. Also, many electronics stores will take back rechargeable batteries and deliver them to RBRC free-of-charge,  check with your favorite retailer. RBRC then processes the batteries via a thermal recovery technology that reclaims metals such as nickel, iron, cadmium, lead, and cobalt, repurposing them for use in new batteries.

The Complete Guide to Conic Sections on ACT Math

The Complete Guide to Conic Sections on ACT Math SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips You will usually see one conic section question (though no more than one) on any given ACT, but just what is a conic section and how do you solve it? Luckily for us, though conic section questions are rare, they are generally straightforward and can get you an easy point if you take a few minutes to study them. This will be your complete guide to conic sections- what they are, how you'll see them on the test, and the best way to approach these types of ACT math questions. What Are Conic Sections? A conic section is any intersection of a cone (a three dimensional figure) and a plane (a flat, infinite surface). Depending on how the plane slices the cone, the intersection will create: A circle A parabola An ellipse A hyperbola Picture: Magister Mathematicae/Wikimedia For the ACT, you will only need to know about circles and parabolas. And the only parabola knowledge you'll need are covered by your quadratic functions. The ACT will never test you on ellipses or hyperbolas. What You'll Need to Know About Conic Sections The only piece of information you really need to understand to master conic sections on the ACT is the equation of a circle. Every ACT conic section question will ask you information about this equation and you must either find the proper equation from given information or identify the individual pieces that make up this equation. Equation of a Circle $$(x - h)^2 + (y - k)^2 = r^2$$ This is the equation of a circle. $h$ and $k$ are the coordinates for the center of the circle. $h$ stands in place of the $x$-coordinate and $k$stands in place of the $y$-coordinate. The center will, therefore, be at $(h, k)$. $r$ is the radius of the circle. â™ ª Love (and the equation of a circle) is all you need. â™ ª Picture: byronv2/Flickr Typical ACT Conic Section Questions Though you will only have to know the equation of a circle to solve your conic section questions, you may see conic section questions in a few different ways- as a word problem, as a diagram problem, and/or as a scenario problem. But no matter their form, it should be pretty straightforward to solve the problem if you remember your formula. Let's look at a typical ACT conic section problem. We can see, based on the graph, that our center coordinates for our circle are $(4, 0)$. This means that we can count from the circumference to the center to find that our radius is also 4. So if we replace these values with our $(h, k)$ and our $r$ in the equation for a circle, we would get: $(x - h)^2 + (y - k)^2 = r^2$ $(x - 4)^2 + (y - 0)^2 = 4^2$ $(x - 4)^2 + y^2 = 16$ This means that our final answer is G. ACT Math Strategies for Conic Section Questions Though conic sections are generally fairly simple, you will be able to solve them more easily if you use strategy (especially if you forget your key information on test day). #1: Prioritize Your Time and Energy Conic sections are one of the least common ACT math topics. This type of question may or may not show up on your ACT, and even if it does, there will only be one question on circle equations per test. Though it is not a guarantee that you will see it, it is a useful formula for you to know if you're trying for every last math point. #2: Memorize the Circle Formula If you're going for every last point, then be sure to memorize your circle formula. On every ACT conic section question, you will be given a string of answer choices that all look incredibly similar. This is to muddy the waters for anyone who only has a passing recollection (or no recollection) of the formula. Your best bet for a near guaranteed point on all conic section questions is to simply memorize the formula and quiz yourself on it before test day to make sure you have it down. #3: Alternatively, Remember Just a Piece of the Formula and Guess Strategically If you're worried for any reason that you'll forget your formula or if you would just rather spend your time memorizing more common ACT math formulas like slopes and angles, then even remembering a piece of the circle formula is better than not memorizing any part of it at all. For instance, if you don't remember the $(x - h)^2 + (y - k)^2$ side of the formula, but you do remember that the other side is the radius squared (and not just the radius), you will often be able to eliminate two or three answer choices. Now you have between a 33% and a 50% of guessing the right answer, which is certainly better than a 20% blind guess. So pick just a piece of the circle formula and commit it to heart, even if you can't or won't for any reason memorize the whole thing. Ready to show 'em what you got? Test Your Knowledge So let's put your knowledge to the test on real ACT math problems about conic sections. 1. 2. 3. If a circle has a circumference that is tangent to the origin and a midpoint at $(0, -7)$, which of the following is the equation of that circle? A. $x^2 + (y - 7)^2 = 49$B. $x ^2 + (y + 7)^2 = 49$C. $(x - 7)^2 - y^2 = 49$D. $(x - 7)^2 + y^2 = 7$E. $x^2 - y^2 = 7$ Answers: E, F, B Answer Explanations: 1. For this problem, we know that our circle's midpoint is at the origin, which gives it the coordinates $(0,0)$. We can also see that the radius of the circle is 52. That means that our circle formula will be: $(x - h)^2 + (y - k)^2 = r^2$ $(x - 0)^2 + (y - 0)^2 = 52^2$ $x^2 + y^2 = 52^2$ Our final answer is E, $x^2 + y^2 = 52^2$ 2. For this question, we are actually working backwards, but the principle of the circle formula hold true. We must simply use the values we are given and reverse engineer them to find what we need. We know that our circle formula is: $(x - h)^2 + (y - k)^2 = r^2$ If our equation is then: $(x - 5)^2 + y ^2 = 38$, then we know that the radius must be the square root of 38 and the midpoint must be $(5, 0)$. Our final answer is F. 3. As usual when working without a diagram, let's draw a quick sketch of the scene. We know that the midpoint is at $(0, -7)$ and the circle is tangent to the origin, so this is the circle we're dealing with. We know that the radius is, therefore, 7 and we can plug the midpoint values into our equation. $(x - h)^2 + (y - k)^2 = r^2$ $(x - 0)^2 + (y - -7)^2 = 7^2$ $x^2 + (y + 7)^2 = 49$ Our final answer is B, $x^2 + (y + 7)^2 = 49$ The Take-Aways Though conic section questions are relatively rare, if you're going for every last point, it's a good idea to memorize your circle formula (or even just a piece of it) for a quick point. You will never be asked to do more than identify it when you see it or to identify its pieces, so go ahead and grab it if you can. What's Next? Want to brush up on any of your other math topics? Check out our individual math guides to get the walk-through on each and every topic on the ACT math test. You should also be sure to take a look at our articles on how to complete the square and the four different graph quadrants. Worried what the Ivy Leagues think of the ACT? Learn how some of the top schools in the United States feel about the ACT vs. the SAT. Running out of time on the ACT math section? We'll teach you how to beat the clock and maximize your ACT math score. Trying to get a perfect score? Check out our guide to getting a perfect 36 on ACT math, written by a perfect-scorer. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Math lesson, you'll love our program. Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands of practice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Tell me a fictional story. Be specific and creative Essay

Tell me a fictional story. Be specific and creative - Essay Example His parents had also given up on him and believed that he was a very ill mannered child and that he would never change. Tom was not understood by anyone and he was not adored by the people surrounding him. Everyone believed that he could never change but no one ever analyzed that Tom was a lonely child and he was in need of help and support. When Tom was young he was not like his other siblings. When he used to get angry, he used to throw things here and there. He did not listen to anyone. He was a difficult child to control. He did not wear clothes even with a slight misfit and he used to throw away his shoes if he felt that they were not comfortable. His mother had tried a lot but she could not analyze the young child’s problem. When he was five years old, he was sent to kindergarten. His parents hoped that indulging with other children would be helpful for him. But things did not turn out the way they had expected. His teachers always complained that he used to get distract ed very easily and he was not interested in indulging in group performances and playing with the other children. The complaints continued even after he joined school. The teachers complained of his poor performances and the fact that even a slight sound would disrupt his attention from studies. Tom was given regular punishments but he did not improve. It was difficult for Tom’s parents to look after him. His siblings were also ashamed of their little brother and did not like being associated with him. They used to avoid him at school and did not like going near his classroom. His parents tried their best but they finally gave up as they believed that there was no solution to Tom’s condition. Tom became very lonely. Life was very difficult for him. He was criticized by his parents, his siblings as well as his teachers. He felt very isolated and used to cry at times when he was alone. The poor child used to feel helpless. When he was thirteen years old, he became very qu iet and would sit in the corner of his classroom. He knew deep down that he could never make his family happy. He had been held back in grade four again. But things were to turn in Tom’s favor now. Tom had a new class teacher who was a psychiatrist as well. She started assessing Tom and his activities. She became highly concerned of Tom and started counseling him. She soon analyzed that Tom was a special child and he was autistic. She analyzed his intelligence quotient to be very high but his easy distractions had made him lag in his work. She helped Tom and listened to all his problems. She kept sessions with his parents and started explaining Tom’s problems. Things started to change and Tom was a totally different boy. He was very good at painting and his teacher supported him by all means to engage him in activities that were of interest to him. He started taking interest in his studies and his parents became very helpful as well. He became very happy. He still used to get distractions and would become aggressive at times. But his parents and siblings helped him. They treated him in the best possible manner. Tom started studying and he reached high school. His parents were very proud of him as he was an active contestant of all the painting competitions that were held in the local community and in school. He was a special child and needed special care. All children are blessed and gifted. Children should never be mistreated. Tom could have

Osteomyelitis Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Osteomyelitis - Term Paper Example Various types of osteomyelitis are there and some are more prone to strike children like hematogenous osteomyelitis while direct trauma and contiguous focus osteomyelitis are more likely to be found in adults (King & Johnson, n.d.). Epidemiological Overview Process Ostermyelitis is a disease associated with bones. It is an infection that affects the bones and which occurs as a result of bacteria or other germs. Fungi can also cause this disease. Bacteria can spread to a bone in various manners. Skin that is suffering from infection can spread bacteria to a bone. Bacteria can also reach the bone from muscles or tendons that are placed near the bone. This disease can also happen under a skin sore. The infection can actually happen in any area of the body and from that area the infection can be carried to the bone by blood. There is another way this infection can start and that is from complications arising from surgery of the bone. The risk of this infection tends to gets more likely i f the surgery is done after there is an injury. Infection can also happen from metal rods and plates that are placed in the bone to fix fracture of the bone. In case of children, this disease more often occurs in the long bones of the arms or legs which give strength and provides mobility. Acute hematogenous osteomyelitis can mostly be seen in children. Direct trauma and contiguous focus osteomyelitis affect mostly adults and adolescents. (Osteomyelitis, 2012) Morbidity of the disease can be substantial. The infection can spread in a localized manner to the related soft tissues of joints. The infection can also end up as a chronic infection causing acute pain and can cause disability. The areas of the body that gets extremely infected may have the need to be amputated to stop the spread of the infection to other parts of the body. The infection can also be generalized or sepsis. Figures show that around 10 to 15 percent of patients who have this disease in the bones of their vertebr a can develop disorder in the nervous system or frank spinal-cord compression. Recent studies have shown that complications in the vascular system seem to be more common with community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) than it was earlier known. Patients suffering from osteomyelitis generally have low rates of mortality unless there is an associated sepsis. The disease can also be mortal if the patient has a history of a prevalent medical condition (King & Johnson, n.d.). Osteomyelitis in children In children, this disease is more commonly carried by blood and is typically found in long bones like the femur, tibia and humerus. Generally bacteria enter the bones of children through surgical manipulations or penetrating wounds. In case of infants, this disease can spread more as the anatomical resistance power to deflect infection is less in infants. Osteomyelitis is more focal in older children with fever and bacteremia as common symptoms (Kaplan, 2005, p p.787-788). Pathophysiologic Processes Risk Factors The common risk factors for osteomyelitis are diabetis, poor blood supply, injury received in recent past and use of illegal drugs by means of injection. People whose spleen has been removed are also vulnerable to osteomyelitis. (Osteomyelitis,

Music Analysis of Hakuna Matata Essays -- essays research papers

The end of a semester is the most stressful time for students because of those dreaded finals. Anyone who lived through the 1990s should know the song a young lion and his pals sang after meeting for the first time. However, as the years pass by, society forgets the simple pleasures of youth and the two words that can make all troubles go away. â€Å"Hakuna Matata† was a song written by Tim Rice with music by Elton John. This song is also a story about a warthog before he discovered this amazing expression. However, the biggest part of the song is about being carefree and forgetting any troubles that may arise. As finals approach, a student needs to revisit their childhood past and recall the â€Å"wonderful phrase:† â€Å"Timon - Hakuna Matata! What a wonderful phrase Pumbaa - Hakuna Matata! Ain’t no passin’ craze Timon - It means no worries for the rest of your days Both - It’s our problem-free philosophy Timon - Hakuna Matata!† (The Lion King). A simple phrase, and it means so much. It is all explained in five lines. Hakuna Matata is the Swahili expression for â€Å"There are...

Joseph Stalin Essay

Stalin: Evaluation of His Leadership At the time, Stalin seemed like he was the greatest person on Earth. He made himself seem as if he was above everybody, both physically and mentally. After all of the revolts that were occurring in Russia, he just took over. He went into power right after Lenin had died and took his place, over Trotsky who also wanted to rule over Russia. Well he didn’t and we can’t change that. All we can do is remember Stalin and remember all of the things he did to make people support him and his cause to industrialize Russia. Let’s talk a little but about how Russia was before Stalin came into power and changed up the whole game for Russia. As soon as the Czar of Russia (Nicholas II) was kicked off his throne, Russia’s peasant population came strong and in numbers. These peasants all set up something that was called the Provisional Government. The Provisional Government was formed in Petrograd, and was led first by Prince Georgy L'vov and then by socialist Alexander Kerensky, a prominent member of the Duma and a leader of the movement to unseat the Tsar. This government had really good intentions but they just couldn’t make it happen. And the fact that they made some not so smart choices doesn’t help too much either. The people of Russia wanted this government gone which launched the November Revolution led by Vladimir Lenin and the Bolsheviks. What they wanted to do was to gain freedom, land and political strength. And so they did; they overthrew the fragmented government and finally had accomplished what they set out to do. But just like the Provisional Government, the Bolshevik government was sure to fail too. This is where Stalin comes in; this is where he takes over. Joseph Stalin took over right after Lenin had died and in December 1924, Stalin declared himself the new Leader of the USSR and became the Dictator of Russia. Now at first, Stalin didn’t seem like such a bad guy. He actually seemed like someone who was going to bring Russia to their prime. Just look at Document One. He’s explaining to his people how far behind they really are compared to the rest of the world and that if they don’t do something soon, they’re done. All he wanted to do was fix Russia, to bring them out of their â€Å"hundred year lag† and to make them more powerful. That was the goal of his 5 Year Plan. Stalin had extremely high expectations for Russia now that he was in power, and he would do anything to achieve them. If you look at Document Two, you can see how high he set his expectations. And then again, if you look at Document Three, you could see the amount of success he had with both of his Five Year Plans. Production in some areas were increasing at a very rapid pace. He wanted to more than double the production that Russia was putting out. You can see how much better he wanted to make his country, but he would do anything for it. Joseph Stalin was a very determined man and he would do anything to get what he wanted. This is where his use of propaganda came in. What is propaganda? You can think of it as information that is spread for the purpose of promoting some cause. If you look at Document Ten, you can see how he was portrayed by many different artists. Well, the artists really didn’t have a choice but to portray him in a positive way. This is where you can finally see the â€Å"evil† side of Joseph Stalin. He used force to get what he wanted and many people didn’t see it. Eventually, his Five Year Plans backfired and really sent the peasants into an even deeper level of poverty. Not only did he send some of the peasants into even more poverty that they were already in, he even killed some of them or put them in work camps and starved them to death. (Document Seven). He wasn’t going to let anybody stand in his way and if they tried, he would kill them off just like that. So as you can see, once Stalin came into power, he really didn’t want to lose his command over the Russian country. He did anything he had do to keep power and although all his intentions seemed good, he was really a dictator who made things a lot worse for the lower class of Russia. It’s too bad that many people couldn’t do anything about it because he would kill off anybody that revolted against him. So although he was one of the most terrorizing rulers of Russia, nobody ever really knew because of all the things he did to hide his truly evil side. To the people, he remained pure and an amazing leader; but we all know about things he did to make himself seem that way. Sure, his intentions were good (industrialize Russia and catch up to the rest of the world), but all we can do is remember all of the methods he used to make people support him and his cause.