Romantic Jealousy and Facebook Use Correlation | Review

Romantic Jealousy and Facebook Use Correlation | Review Tamar Chemel Write the reference for this article in APA style. Muscanell, L. N., Guadagno, E. R., Rice, L., Murphy, S. (2013). Don’t it make my brown eyes green? An analysis of facebook use and romantic jealousy. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 16(4), 237-242. DOI: 10.1089/cyber.2012.0411 Write an overview or brief summary of the article in your own words. Indicate your assessment of what the study is about and the major findings of the study This study seeks to explore the correlation between romantic jealousy and Facebook use with university-aged participants to envision themselves viewing their partner’s Facebook page with various hypothetical situations (Muscanell, Guadagno, Rice, Murphy, 2013). The main research question of the study was to explore how gender, privacy settings on Facebook, and the existence of couple’s photos on the partner’s profile collaborate and effect the negative emotions of the participants (Muscanell et al., 2013). The researchers predicted that female participants would experience and report more negative emotions and romantic jealousy than the males (Muscanell et al., 2013). The researchers also expected that the participants would experience more negative emotions when the hypothetical situations involved a romantic partner’s couple photos and tagged photos containing a privacy setting, indicating the partner’s desire to hide or disguise their relationsh ip status (Muscanell et al., 2013). In addition, they also believed that participants would self-report more powerful negative emotions if the hypothetical romantic partner did not have any couple photos up on their Facebook profile for others to see (Muscanell et al., 2013). The study examined four particular negative emotional responses to these hypothetical situations; jealousy, anger, disgust and hurt (Muscanell et al., 2013). The results of the study indicated that women more than men responded feeling more jealous, angry, and hurt to the imagined situations of a partner’s photos made private rather than being visible to all of their friends or Facebook users (Muscanell et al., 2013). Participants, both male and female, responded to feeling disgust if an imagined romantic partner’s photos were set to private, and felt more disgust if there were no couple photos present on their partner’s Facebook profile (Muscanell et al., 2013). According to the introduction, what information was already known about the topic (look for references to previous research)? This current study was based off a previous study examining romantic jealousy and online Facebook use (Muise, Chirstofides, Desmarais, 2009). The results of this study indicates that individuals who used Facebook more often described greater jealousy in romantic relationships, and thus constantly kept track of their partner’s Facebook use and profile (Muise et al., 2009). Based on their theoretical framework, this current study used hypothetical scenarios to examine jealous and negative responses to romantic partner’s Facebook use. This study also had previous information about gender differences and social networking use, particularly with the use of Facebook. Thus, the researchers used the previous research to make the predictions about gender differences and the self-reported negative emotional responses associated with Facebook use (Guadagno Sagarin, 2010). What variables were studied? Identify the Independent and Dependent Variables if applicable. What were the hypotheses concerning these variables? The dependent variable in this study is the negative emotions self-reported by the participants in the study. These include; romantic jealousy, hurt, disgust and anger. The independent variable is the hypothetical Facebook scenarios created by the researchers. The hypotheses are the sex differences of jealousy in regards to online information sharing behavior. What were the operational definitions of the variables studied? Romantic relationships are defined as only heterosexual relationships. Facebook privacy settings are the modifications that control who can access any personal information on the social networking website, including; photographs, status updates and personal information. Negative emotions are outlined as hurt, disgust, anger and jealousy. Hypothetical Facebook situations are scenarios created by the researchers to explore the participants’ emotional responses to the online behaviour of an imagined romantic partner, such as â€Å"Imagine that you see a picture of your serious romantic partner with another individual of the opposite sex†. Who were the participants in the study? Were there any special participant characteristics? The participants were both male and female undergraduate students, who were heterosexual, mainly of Caucasian ethnicity, and had Facebook accounts. What were the procedures used to test the hypotheses? Did you notice any problematic features of the procedure? Participants were randomly assigned to one of the nine conditions set up by the researchers (Muscanell et al., 2013). After imagining this hypothetical Facebook scenario, participants were encouraged to self-report on a scale, assessing jealousy and other associated negative emotions in response to the imagined situation (Muscanell et al., 2013). The main problem associated with a self-reporting study is the participants’ self-reporting behaviour, which is inherently subjective and non-scientific, as well as susceptible to the social desirability bias. Was the experimental or non-experimental method used? Were there attempts to control any extraneous variables? This research would be considered experimental research, as the independent variable was manipulated to examine how that will influence the dependent variable. In this study, the researchers manipulated the experimental conditions of the hypothetical Facebook scenarios to examine how it would influence the participants’ negative emotions. The researchers outwardly stated that the hypothetical situations were ambiguous, which may lead to extraneous factors influencing an individual’s emotional response. Perhaps if the setting and environment were not hypothetical or imagined, this research would yield more applicable and generalizable results. What were the major results of the study? Were the results consistent with the hypotheses? As predicted and consistent with previous research, the results of the study indicated that women responded with more powerful feelings of jealousy, hurt and anger to the hypothetical Facebook scenarios created by the researchers (Muscanell et al., 2013). In addition, all participants had increased feelings of jealousy, disgust, anger and hurt when they had to visualize their romantic partner not having any couple photographs present on their Facebook profile or having those photos set to private so no other Facebook users or friends could see them (Muscanell et al., 2013). Did the author give suggestions for future research or applications? Can you provide other suggestions? The authors did identify limitations to the study, and directions for future research in the area. One suggestion indicates that future researchers should study the long-lasting effects of privacy settings and couple-related information availability on romantic relationships (Muscanell et al., 2013). Age and sexuality are two factors that this study did not include, and future research might be able to indicate how these results differ if they were to examine various ages or sexualities (Muscanell et al., 2013). As the study also suggested, future research should also examine the behavioral outcomes of these negative emotions that are elicited from the manipulation of privacy settings used on Facebook which can have potential real-life implications for interpersonal relationships (Muscanell et al., 2013). Another direction researchers could take is to examine how the manipulation of privacy settings on other social networking sites influence the likelihood of extra-relational affairs and success of relationships and how that has changed since social networking sites like Facebook existed.

Reality Television Do More Harm Media Essay

Reality Television Do More Harm Media Essay Although reality television may be popular source of entertainment, it is doing more harm to the society by corrupting its thoughts; and therefore the harms of reality television outweigh its positives. What is Reality Television? Reality television is a television-programming genre that presents purportedly unscripted melodramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded. Arguments The content aired on reality television programs plays a major role in manipulating the viewers thoughts about certain aspects of the society and help create stereotypes in the minds of the people through false representation of facts. Reality television program participants become victims of the edited material aired on TV and their image is hampered. The competition in the shows is extremely intense and brings out the worst in the participants. Reality television occupies a large amount of precious time of the viewers, thus preventing them from performing much more productive activities. KHATRY III Counter Arguments Reality television helps satisfy the needs of the people for juicy or spiced content on the screen, thus attracting large audiences. It acts as a medium of escape for the viewers from their everyday chores. However, the reality TV shows are becoming boring and pointless. Reality television helps provide a platform to bring the common man in the spotlight. But there are allegations of reality TV shows being rigged. Reality television provides an economical form of entertainment, thus proving to be profitable for the television producers since no major celebrities are usually involved. Nevertheless, the production cost averages between $800,000 and $2,000,000 plus per episode. Conclusion- Summarize and restate the arguments and counter arguments and thus, prove that the harms of reality television outweigh its positives. KHATRY 1 Does Reality Television Do More Harm Than Good? According to the American Time Survey 2011 conducted by the Bureau Of Labor Statistics U.S. Department Of Labor, The average American spends 2.4 hours everyday in front of the television screen, this means he spends 16.8 hours a week and 873.6 hours a year watching television. (American) Seven years of our lifetime in front of the idiot box can surely have a great influence on us, especially a negative one. One of the most prominent genres of modern television is the unscripted reality-based television program or commonly called Reality TV by the viewers. So what is reality television? Annette Hill in her article Reality TV: Audiences and Popular Factual Television, describes reality television as a television programming genre that presents purportedly unscripted melodramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded. (Reality) Reality TV pro grams like The Bachelor, Fear Factor, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo and many more have overtaken the prime television slots and have become an integral part of the American family-couch time. Although reality television may be popular source of entertainment, it is doing more harm to the society by corrupting its thoughts; and therefore the harms of reality television outweigh its positives. First of all the content which is aired on the reality television programs is highly sexual and violent. Social cognitive theory suggests that people can discover meaningful sources of identity in their teens that feel connected to what theyre viewing. (288) According to the reports of attorney of law, Patrick A. Trueman, teens exposed to sexual material on television were more likely to be subject to premature sexual activities. Americas Next Top Model, a model hunt, has been repeatedly criticized for promoting KHATRY 2 poor body image of women resulting in low self-esteem and eating disorders among the young viewers. These shows also play a major role in creating stereotypes in the minds of the audiences. The audiences relate the actions of the participants to the ethnic or regional background they belong to. One such show is Jersey Shore, a reality television series that follows the lives of eight housemates spending their summer in New Jersey; the highly sexual and abusive content aired on the show has created misconceptions in the minds of the people regarding the residents of New Jersey. The show portrays a negative image of the American youth to the world as that of disturbed and unsophisticated. Omarosa Manigault a participant on the show The Apprentice stated, A friend of mine said, The fabric of reality TV is conflict, so make sure that youre either in the fight, breaking the fight up, or starting the fight.' The harms of reality televise are not only subjected to the audience but the participants and the crew in these shows too are pushed to the brink. The crews are made to work under unacceptable working conditions and are paid dimes for it. Three former employees of reality television shows, including American Idol, claim in a lawsuit filed that the producer forced them to work under sweatshop conditions and failed to pay for overtime hours they worked. The employees say the producer, Fremantle North America, forced them, to work up to 20 hours a day, seven days a week, sometimes without meal and rest periods, and that Fremantle falsified payroll records. (7) The participants in the reality television programs often become a victim of the misleading edited material aired on TV, which can go a long way in hampering their image in the real world. The participants in shows such as Big Brother and The Bachelor are subject to no privacy. The editing KHATRY 3 team crop the video footage in order to make it more entertaining, thus not revealing the whole truths. As a result the audience misinterprets their words and thus misconceptions are created in the minds of the viewers regarding the participants. Diana Eng a contestant on Project Runway stated in an interview, One morning the crew scared me so bad I jumped and screamed. They said that wasnt good, so I had to pretend to wake up again. (The Real) The world of reality television has also revealed the ugly face of racism in the Celebrity Big Brother racism controversy. Fellow contestants Jade Goody, Jo OMeara and Danielle Lloyd mocked Shilpa Shettys Indian accent and branded her as The Indian and a dog. (Celebrity) The highly competitive nature of the shows and the hunger to win usually brings out the worst in the participants. Sometimes even a lifetime may seem short enough to earn reputation however a moment of bad judgment is enough to lose it all. In a world where time is money and every single second is precious reality television consumes a large amount of the productive time of the viewers. The viewers spend numerous hours in front of the television watching these shows, time that they can use to perform more productive activities. Also there has been a decline in the outdoor activities of young adults, who would prefer an hour in front of the screen rather than playing ball in the park. Robert Foehr in his article Rideout states, Excessive TV viewing can contribute to poor grades, sleep problems, behavior problems, obesity, and risky behavior. (Rideout) However, we cannot be oblivious to the positive factors of this genre. Despite the numerous harms caused by reality television, the genre has become the most viewed form of television with its television rating soaring higher than ever. KHATRY 4 Realty television is one of the best means of entertainment for the viewers. For the common man it acts as a medium of escape from the arid realities of everyday life since the viewers can relate themselves with the participants on the show. The major reason for the numerous reality television programs being aired nowadays is the audiences thriving appetite for juicy or spiced content on the screen. However, the reality TV shows are soon becoming boring and pointless. Audiences have lost interest in the shows because lack of plot and repetition of themes. The show Here Comes Honey Boo Boo has received criticism globally from viewers according to whom the family is nothing but a laughing-stock. Reality television programs like American Idol and Master Chef help provide a platform for the common man to express his talents and achieve his dreams. Reality television programs are a source of instant fame and recognition for the common herd. The sole purpose of these programs is to focus on the life of ordinary people and bring them in the spotlight rather than the major celebrities. These have given the world phenomenal talents in the form of Kelly Clarkson, season one winner of American Idol, and the extraordinaire chef Jennifer Behm, who won the second season of Master Chef USA, and many others. However there are allegations of reality TV shows being rigged. The contract signed by the contestants on the reality TV shows states that the producers posses the right to determine the winners. Hope Solo, a contestant on Dancing With The Stars, pointed in her journal Solo: A Memoir Of Hope a specific incident behind the scenes that led to her elimination. Although the actual number of votes may not be twisted, producers have other illusive means to manipulate the public opinion. Dian Anderson Minshall stated in her article How Authentic Are Your Favorite  Shows? that Tom Poe a contestant on Americas Got Talent, a talent show, who lied about being injured by a grenade and suffering a brain KHATRY 5 injury while serving in Afghanistan insists the show is rigged and audiences are coached to support predetermined favorites. (How) Not only is reality television entreating but is economical as well. Producers nowadays are willing to invest in new reality TV ventures rather than sitcoms because of the huge difference in costs. Reality television programs fall cheaper to produce since no major celebrity is being paid a hefty fee. Advertisers are willing to pay millions for a 30 second commercials during the ad breaks. Nevertheless, the production cost averages between $800,000 and $2,000,000 plus per episode. Large sums of money are awarded to the winners of these shows. The cost for putting up the grand stages and sets for shows like Survivor and American Idol are exorbitant. As we have known it that there are always two sides of a coin, both the merits and demerits of reality television are present. Like it or not reality TV will remain to be one if the most popular television genre as long as the viewers demand it. Reality television has corrupted the thoughts of the viewers and hampered their perceptions about certain aspects of the society. There is hardly any authenticity to the content aired on the reality television programs; the manufactured drama aired on these shows is not reality. These acknowledged negative factors surpass the mere qualities of reality television. As stated in the above augments, although reality television may be popular source of entertainment, it is doing more harm to the society by corrupting its thoughts; and therefore the harms of reality television outweigh its positives. KHATRY 6

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight :: Essays Papers

SIR GAWAIN and the GREEN KNIGHT In the Middle Ages, a time of brave knights and fair maidens, chivalry was alive and well, and honor meant much more than just pride. A man could be expected to be as good as his word, and God was an integral part of his life. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the title character sets off on a month-long quest for the Green Chapel in fulfillment of a promise made a year earlier, knowing full well that it could mean certain death. After the knight's final days at the court of King Arthur are recounted, he sets off in "country wild" where he is "far off from all his friends" (lines 713-14). This lonely road on which he rides reflects the nature of his quest--Gawain's conflict is within himself, and is something which he must deal with on his own. On the long, arduous journey, the brave knight battles countless foes to the point where "to tell but the tenth part would tax [the author's] wits" (719). All manner of fearsome foes are described, from serpents and wolves to wild men and giants. However, he has "borne himself bravely, and been on God's side" (724), and therefore makes it through all these trials intact. The description of the locations where Sir Gawain is forced to sleep on some nights calls to mind the dwelling of Grendel's mother from Beowulf--cold, gloomy, rocky, and generally unpleasant. Gawain bears it all with stoic patience and fortitude, though he is "near slain" by the inclement weather. Finally, on Christmas Eve, Gawain "prays with all his might/That Mary may be his guide/Till a dwelling comes in sight" (737-39). This prayer underlines the parallel between Gawain's plight on this Christmas Eve and Mary's own search for lodging on the night of the first Christmas. On Christmas morning, he arrives in a foreboding forested area, "a man all alone" in a "marsh and mire" where "birds unblithe upon bare twigs/Peeped most piteously for pain of the cold." (The cold loneliness stands in contrast to the warmth and companionship he is to find in Bercilak's castle later on in the story.) Here he again prays mournfully--this time that he may be able to attend the Christmas mass. His first thoughts are not for his own safety, nor for his reputation should he not find the Green Chapel in time.

Gillette Marketing Plan Essay -- Business Marketing Analysis Managemen

Gillette Marketing Plan Gillette's $9.2 billion global business began on September, 1901 by the name of "American Safety Razor Company. In 1902 it was names Gillette Safety Razor Company. The Gillette Company today is the global market leader in nearly a dozen major consumer products categories, principally in the grooming, alkaline battery and oral care businesses. It is the largest known company for producing razors and other shaving products. The five different business units Gillette focuses on are Blades & Razors, Duracell, Oral Care, Braun and Personal care. This project deals with the production of a disposable razor with incorporated gel. Gillette is the largest well known company for producing razors. The company receives the greatest profits from that operation. Gillette sells products in over 200 countries and has approximately 28,700 employees, 70& from which are outside of the US. Manufacturers operate at 31 facilities in 14 countries and 40% of sales come from NEW products for 11 consecutive y ears. The Gillette Company's Vision is to build Total Brand Value by innovating to deliver consumer value and customer leadership faster, better and more completely than their competition. This Vision is supported by two fundamental principles that provide the foundation for all of our activities: Organizational Excellence and Core Values. Organizational Excellence is accomplished by superior and continually improving performance in every area and at every level of the organization. Gillette's performance should be guided by a clear and concise strategic statement for each business unit. Excellence requires hiring, developing and retaining a diverse workforce of the highest caliber. The three core values that define the ... ...ategic direction of the company of holding the leadership position n the grooming market. Also, this strategy will fit with Gillette's major, sustainable, competitive advantage of being an industry innovator (3). Manufacturing the "Sensor 3 Gel" will add value to the organization, as it will reposition the Gillette Company as the undisputable industry leader. The "disposable razor" target market will be male population across the world. In 2002 more than 1.7 billion men over 15 years old removed hair daily with over 80% using a blade and a razor (2). These numbers show that there is a large market for razors worldwide. The "disposable razor" will first be manufactured with a regular shave gel to appeal to a large group of men. But in the long run, new and more focused groups will be targeted. Different shaving gels for different type of skins will be introduced.

Self-imposed Estrangement in Pauls Case Essay -- Willa Cather

Self-imposed Estrangement in "Paul's Case," by Willa Cather Many times, we try to separate ourselves from the world around us; we distance ourselves from society that gives us life. What is worse, we are voluntarily subjected to the lonesomeness which precedes wallowing in our own self pity. "Paul's Case," in which the theme of the fatal progression of deliberate seclusion presents the major conflict, centers around a young man, in his alienation, suppressing his need for attention and satisfying himself through his own world established through his seclusion. The author, Willa Cather, renders this main theme by her insinuations of the character, by the point of view she chooses to illuminate Paul"'"s characteristics, and by key symbols that contribute to the overall work. The character presented by Cather through Paul, withdraws himself from his environment creating the base for the theme of his progressively intensifying need for distinct separation. The reasons Paul acts the way he does seems two fold. First, the sequence of events could be caused by psychological damage or some mental condition, possibly stemming from his mothers death, which was only alluded to in the story. Paul was a teenager who displayed certain signs of a mental illness. According to The Medical Advisor#, Paul suffers from many of similar symptoms of a narcissist. Although the personality disorder was not diagnosed until 1977, and was not perfected until 1987 and expanded upon in 1994, Cather"'"s character of 1904 embodies many of the symptoms listed. Of those Paul qualifies for are: highly developed sense of self importance, preoccupation with fantasies of unlimited success, belief that he or she is special, feeling he has the envy of peers... ...in a connection with his mother. This bond further alienates him with the world by association with the departed; his mother is separated by death, thus by professing to the world his connection with his mother brings him one step further from sanity. As he comes to realize that the mere emotional connection with his mother is not enough to isolate him, the flower becomes submersed into a sea of white as it is buried in the snow, and Paul achieves his ultimate escape and suicide creates the desired connection with his mother. Willa Cather, carefully weaving together a deep character to which understanding is complex, an interesting and enlightening twist on the point of view, and multi-dimensional use of symbolic motifs that describe the character"'"s personality and dreams, has created a universal theme of the grave progression of self-imposed estrangement.

Role of Rosaline in Romeo and Juliet

Would anything be lost (or gained) if Rosaline were never mentioned? Rosaline is the niece of Lord Capulet whom Romeo falls in love with prior to the play, Romeo and Juliet; however, she doesn’t reciprocate Romeo’s feelings as she has chosen to remain celibate. In most film adaptations, she is usually omitted, yet Romeo is always grieving for his rejected love at the beginning of every adaption. Now, this is rather paradoxical as Rosaline is not important enough to be portrayed by an actor, yet she is always mentioned by Romeo. So would anything be gained or lost if Rosaline is removed from the original play? Theoretically, Rosaline is only important in this play for Romeo’s past with her, but if she is removed, Romeo wouldn’t have attended the party where he meets Juliet, and consequently he would appear less impulsive and passionate. To the audience, Romeo’s love for Rosaline helps them to understand the depth and nature of Romeo’s relationship with Juliet. When the audience first meet Romeo, he is seen moping around Verona because Rosaline cannot return his love as she chose to be chaste for life. This affects him greatly as he becomes depressed and he alienates himself from his friends and families; indeed, all he can think of is his rejected love. Subsequently, Benvolio, cousin of Romeo, attempts to make Romeo forget about Rosaline by telling him to examine other beauties of Verona, which Romeo refuses to do. However, when a Capulet servant asks them to read the guest list for the Capulet’s party, from which Romeo finds out that Rosaline, is expected to attend; Benvolio then suggests Romeo to crash the party in order to look at other beauties of Verona, and Romeo reluctantly agrees. While at the party, when he is looking for Rosaline, he sees Juliet for the first time and falls in love with her immediately. Therefore, Rosaline is often seen as a plot device as her presence at the Capulet party convinced Romeo to seek for her, where he would ultimately fall in love with Juliet. Romeo’s love for Rosaline has been dismissed by literary critics as childish and many believe that Shakespeare uses Rosaline’s unattainable love to contrast with Juliet’s feelings. Most characters use poetry to express their feelings, and Romeo is no exception to this, especially when declaring his feelings. There is a noticeable difference between the poems he writes for Rosaline and Juliet; the former focuses more on Rosaline’s beauty while the latter focuses more on the love they share between them. Friar Lawrence remarked that Romeo’s affection for Rosaline is not real as Romeo is repeating the poems that he memorised; however, the poems he makes for Juliet is spontaneous and far more affectionate. The origin of Romeo’s attention for Rosaline is questioned by critics and readers. There is no doubt that Romeo and Juliet are a pair of star-crossed lover who are meant to be together, and in many ways, Juliet influences Romeo. However, Friar Lawrence remarks to Romeo that â€Å"Is Rosaline, whom thou didst love so dear, /So soon forsaken? Young men’s love then lies/Not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes. † Therefore, it is possible that Romeo may have never conversed with Rosaline, thus the basis for his love would lie in her physical appearance. Comparing with a pre-destined love, Romeo’s reason for loving Rosaline appears childish and weak. Romeo’s relationship with Rosaline also makes his love for Juliet more secretive and it helps to emphasis the feud between the two households. Most of Romeo’s friend, including Benvolio and Mercutio, know of his love for Rosaline, as Mercutio is constantly making remarks about that â€Å"same pale hard-hearted wrench† and Romeo could do nothing more than saying â€Å"he jests at scars that never felt a wound† when he is alone. However, Romeo’s love for Juliet is only known to 2 people; the Friar and the Nurse, and if it had been known by more people, the feud between the Capulets and Montagues would have ended. On the day Romeo got married to Juliet, he is challenged by Tybalt but he declines it they are kinsman now, through his marriage. However, Romeo is unable to explain to Tybalt as to why he can’t duel him who then provokes Mercutio to duel Tybalt for Romeo, and it results in a death that leads to Romeo’s banishment. Lastly, Romeo’s love for Rosaline contributes greatly to Romeo’s characterization as a passionate and impulsive man. His passion is demonstrated by his willingness to be estranged from his family, as he tells no-one about his rejected love and he refuses to accept Benvolio’s advice, which is to forget Rosaline. His impulsivity is demonstrated through how quickly he forgets about Rosaline; in Act 1, Scene 4, Romeo says to Mercutio that â€Å"I am too sore enpierced with his shaft†¦Under love’s heavy burden do I sink. It is evident that he is still lovesick for Rosaline. However, in Act 2, Scene 5, he proclaims that â€Å"Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! † And in Act 2, Scene 3, Rosaline vanished from his memory altogether by his â€Å"I have forgot that name, and that name’s woe. † No-one can fall out of love in under a day, and thus, Rosaline helped to characterized Romeo as an impulsive man. In short, Rosaline is important to Romeo and Juliet not because that she is a major character; in fact, she isn’t portrayed in most film adaptations. However, she is important as she is a plot device, essential to Romeo’s first meeting with Juliet. Her relationship with Romeo is often used to contrast with his love for Juliet. Their relationship emphasises the secrecy of his bond with Juliet as the former is publically known while the latter is only known to two people; this also helped to stress the enmity between the Capulets and the Montagues. Finally, Romeo’s short-lived love contributes greatly to Romeo’s characterization as a passionate and impulsive man. Therefore, without Rosaline, the story would lose a great amount of detail.

The Evolution of Art

Stacie Mueller Art 100 Professor Morris 24 February 2012 The Evolution of Art To even begin to define art, we must have a starting point in history where something was first perceived as art. The question begs, though, why do we perceive it as art? To look up the word in a dictionary, you will find the term aesthetics almost always applied to its definition; however, much of we call art today is not exactly pleasing to the eye. Our shifting social attitudes have affected how art has been presented to us over time. We see depictions of hate, of war, of death, and many other forms of sorrow and horror.Moreover, we must consider how technology and modern conveniences have allowed a greater realm in the world of art: Photography and Photoshop programs, computer generated graphics, and applications for use with tablets and smart phones that allow us to modify images in an infinite number of ways. Loosely defined, the word art seems to be applied to almost anything: The written word, photo graphy, performance arts, computer graphics, commercial art, fashion, culinary, comics, and so on. For purposes of this research paper, however, the focus will be on the more concrete forms of art that we’ve come to know throughout history.The definition of art has certainly shifted and changed over time and across cultures; in this research paper we will explore how art has evolved. Art is many things to one person, and certainly carries different meanings for another person. However, anything and everything cannot be art or it would be difficult to appreciate art’s true essence; the quality that brings forth contemplation and deliberation. Besides creativity, art takes deep thought, imagination, and accomplishes a specific goal. Artists help us see things that matter and give us a different perspective with a specific goal in mind.The earliest art was discovered on cave walls in Lascaux, France. Paintings on the walls included large numbers of animals in various acti vities, as well as humans. In Art: A New History, Paul Johnson shows us the ingenuity of early artists: Pestles and mortars were found at Lascaux, with the discovery of â€Å"no less than 158 different mineral fragments from which the mixtures were made† (9). Techniques of these early artists included engraving with flakes of sharp flint, spraying paint, and the use of stencils.The use of colors, binding agents and tools to get the material to the walls such as brushes, and blow tools, is remarkable for the time period. It appears that the purpose of the cave paintings was to tell a story; as if the artists were attempting to make a connection with the animals they hunted and also feared (Getlein, 5). In the years since, many things have occurred in history affording great influence on art. The introduction of Christianity into the Roman Empire created a dynamic, cultural shift over religious beliefs (Getlein, 345).Realism, which centered around depictions of everyday life, w as seen in art during that period of time. As the Roman Empire shifted into the Byzantine Empire in the early Middle Ages, Emperor Constantine ruled that Christianity was to become the state religion. Hence, Byzantium art glorified Christianity in attempt to express its mystery. The subject matter became primarily religious and imperial, moving away from realism, while showing a more compressed, abstract style. Rather than depicting images of ordinary daily life, artists created more complex scenes that represented spiritual and heavenly splendor.Mosaic was a favored technique of Byzantium artists: An example of this is the mosaic depicting Christ as Pantokrator in the Santa Maria la Nuova (Getlein, 350). During the early Middle Ages we saw emotions in art shift back to realism in Carolingian art. When the emperor Charlemagne was crowned king in 800, uniting Christianity with Roman beliefs, chapels were designed to rival Roman and Byzantine architecture. The Chapel of Charlemagne is a mighty example of Carolingian art: Massive stone structure with an octagonal plan, mosaic decoration, and an interior framed by massive arches (Getlein, 15. 13).Some competition with Byzantium may also be implicit in Charlemagne's promotion of figural painting and carving, for he embraced and encouraged representational art at precisely the time when Byzantine rulers were renouncing images in favor of iconoclasm. The Romanesque period (1050 to 1200) gave us the proliferation of churches with thick stone walls, round arches and barrel vaulted stone ceilings. One such example is Abbey Church of Sainte-Foy (Getlein, 15. 14). Evolving from Romanesque style, Gothic art is more ornate. Churches are characterized by soaring interiors and large stained-glass windows.The Chartres Chapel exemplifies Gothic art in its flying buttresses and ornate towers (Getlein, 15. 18). During the late Middle ages, art became an even more powerful means of storytelling. This was a common device of religio us art of the Middle ages, for example in the frescoes by Giotto from the Church of San Francesco de Assisi, where sequences of panels were used to tell stories from the Scriptures or lives of saints (Getlein, 15. 26). The definition of art continues to change as we cross continents. The symbolism in African art, for example, was quite strong.The use of masks was one of the most interesting parts of their everyday life. Masks were meant to be kept in motion, as Getlein explains, because they represent â€Å"the head or face of a spirit being that has appeared in the community† (420). The nowo mask was used to represent the guiding spirit of Bondo, a women’s organization that regulates female affairs. Bondo is an initiation that prepares young girls for womanhood. An important feature of the nowo mask is the rings around its base; they are meant to represent a chrysalis, as girls emerge as women at the conclusion of Bondo (Getlein, 420).In more modern times we’ve seen various forms of â€Å"isms†: Impressionism, Expressionism, Naturalism, Realism, Modernism, and Surrealism – to name a few. Impressionist painting was perceived as working from outer appearances. Expressionistic artists intended to show a more inner dialogue, particularly with their use of color. The objective attention to appearances places Impressionism within the context Naturalism. While Naturalism and Realism are terms which are used interchangeably, the Naturalist is more impressed by the surface of things, such as the textures of fabric, the play of light, or the sheen of gold.The Realist tends to probe deeper into appearances, seeking the essence. Twentieth century Modernism is a reaction to Naturalism. Trevor Pateman describes Modernism as that which â€Å"can be defined as being concerned with the inner, or subjective, at the expense of the outer, or objective† (Pateman). The modernist viewed art as an agent of social change and even helped shape many political movements. The Surrealist movement sought techniques which would permit essence to break through the illusions of appearance, emphasizing imagery from dreams and fantasy.In this, Surrealists sought to act like Realists of the inner rather than the outer world. In all of these â€Å"isms,† however, there is a certain common ground: a focus on people, nature scenes, and everyday items. We can see that art has gone through many evolutions, but even though the technology of today has created more mediums for the creation of art, I wouldn’t say it has been transformed. Art, it seems, has forever been intended to speak the language of the unconscious mind. The human condition, nature, and events continue to capture the attention of artists. Works Cited Clowney, David. Definitions Of Art And Fine Art's Historical Origins. † Journal Of Aesthetics & Art Criticism 69. 3 (2011): 309-320. Academic Search Premier. Web. 26 Feb. 2013. Getlein, Mark. Living With Art. 9th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010. Print. Johnson, Paul. â€Å"Painted Caves and Giant Stones. † Art: A New History. New York: HarperCollins, 2003. 7-16. Print. Keizer, Joost. â€Å"Michelangelo, Drawing, And The Subject Of Art. † Art Bulletin 93. 3 (2011): 304-324. Academic Search Premier. Web. 26 Feb. 2013. Pateman, Trevor. â€Å"Isms: Expressionism, Impressionism, Naturalism, Realism, Surrealism. † Selectedworks. co. uk. N. p. , 2005. Web. 2 Mar. 2013