J.K. Rowlings Harry Potter Series :: Harry Potter Series

Thus far in Rowling’s predicted seven book series, all four books can be found to have a number of shared themes that are rather evident in all of them. The most evident, however, would be that things in the land of Harry Potter are not always what they seem, and in order to get along well in this land, you must accept the differences of others. Harry’s life for his first few years could be categorized under both of these themes. Harry, after all, is always having bizarre things happen at the most inopportune moments; his aunt, uncle, and cousin (the Dursleys) are definitely less than accepting of this, resulting in a very poor relationship between Harry and them (The Sorcerer’s Stone 18-24). Throughout the other four books this inacceptance of Harry’s differences by the Dursleys always leaves Harry with a burning desire to get back to Hogwarts. Harry, as a result of this poor home life, adjusts rather easily to his newly found life of wizardry. For him it is finally an explanation for the odd occurrences of before, and gives him a chance to be among others like him. The themes present themselves in a variety of other characters and situations as well. The character of Hagrid, for example, which upon first description should lead one to believe he is the fiercest creature alive; he is definitely to be avoided (The Sorcerer’s Stone 14, 46-47). On the contrary though, Harry, Ron, and Hermione look past this and find a friend and protector. Harry’s godfather is also believed to be a creature, of sorts, â€Å"out to get† Harry. However, he turns out to be there to protect him, as well. As for situations, each book revolves around a mystery with so many twists and turns, that the final solution for it is almost always a surprise. In The Sorcerer’s Stone, for example, the reader is lead to believe that Professor Snape is the one helping the dark lord, Voldemort, do harm to Harry and steal the stone; in the end, the reader finds the guilty party in the most unlikely character, meek, stuttering Professor Quirrell (288). In The Chamber of Secrets, Hogwarts is suddenly plagued by students turning to stone. The initial belief is that Draco Malfoy is the culprit, then the blame shifts to Hagrid, and even Harry becomes a suspect.

Globalization And National Culture: A Chinese Dilemma Essay

The authors have discussed transformation of Chinese culture and its impact for Chinese individual in the wake of modernization and economic growth. The authors are concerned about the ethnic minorities that make up modern China; and the changing Chinese cultural landscape where ancient traditions are becoming obsolete in the wake of modernization.   The article depicts the two sides of a nation; individual wish to retain the older traditions; while the state wish to maintain one super culture for all Chinese people.   They cite the example of 2004 Athens Olympic, where Chinese Stage Director Zhang Yimou staged a grand spectacle for global audience presenting the â€Å"cream of Chinese culture†. Despite the glitz and glare of the event, it was dubbed as pseudo Chinese show developed for the Western audience only by Chinese government. The spectacle may not portray 100 percent Chinese culture perhaps staged to China to the world. However there is nothing wrong in marketing wrong one’s country to world. Being a part of the global economy, it is not China; any other country would do the same. One similar example can be seen in Egypt, where every year a grand event related to Egyptian culture is conducted to attract global audience. The emphasis is on the era of Pharaoh, which is appealing to the West, but less attractive for its own population. Egypt is an Islamic country; Islam clearly prohibits any kind of association with pagan rituals. For normal Egyptian any events related to Pharaoh are clear pagan rituals; which are unacceptable in a Muslim society. However the Egyptian government is bent on promoting a culture that is far removed from mainstream society. The main purposes of such events are to promote Egyptian culture to attract business and visitors to Egypt. Thus it would be wrong to assume that the China is promoting a pseudo culture, the basic purpose of such kind of events are to promote China and Chinese culture.   According to the authors China has preserved the traditions for thousands of years and now every aspect of life is going under change that for many Chinese individual is creating an identity crisis. Many are questioning the cost of change and the loss of the traditional Chinese culture. Many individuals want to retain the old values; while the state is promoting one grand culture through control and coercion. In such situation the authors believe that individuals are taking drastic measure in various ways to defend their culture. China is going through the same level of change as European nations faced in the wake of industrlization in 18/19th centuries. It’s natural for people with old school of thought to resist change; while other will push for change. The issue is that all cultures change through time; Chinese culture is no exception. For any change to take place, there are forces that resist change, even if a culture is no longer working and instead creating stagnancy in global world.   Some individual resist change and advocate for preserving the past as authors have mentioned. Others want the amalgamation of traditions and new ideas to form a culture that is more practical and workable in the changing world; Chinese government is working on second option. The resistance to change is not some thing new. For example French government has forbidden the use of English words except for words which French equaling vocabulary. An example of such resistance is the failure of star bucks in France, but is successful in rest of the Europe. China is the past two decades has been changing a lot by adopting Western technology and cultural ideas to become part of modern world. It can no longer afford to remain in a world which constantly changing and demands new way of living. It would be wrong to assume that Chinese people do not want to change and government is forcing them to change. Change is not becoming worse, but Chinese people have become wealthier than ever. It’s natural to come up with high-rise buildings that are better equipped sophisticated modern structures compared to older style slums and squatters which makes city crammed and over populated. The authors seem to have nostalgia for the past; where every thing looks perfect and grand, but the reality is far from true. Just two decades ago majority of Chinese people were barely surviving with meager resources. The reason for such way of life was traditional way of living dependent on agricultural economy.   The change from traditional way of living to modern era has brought some problems, but it has also given  rise sophisticated sky scrappers; modern infrastructure equipped with better facilities to cater for the international and local entrepreneurs. The State is now offering modern homes to its people that are located in ideal environment with better sewerage facilities and higher standard of living; which were unthinkable 10/15 years ago. The authors mention that millions of Chinese are resisting change in their surroundings because they feel a sense of belonging to the old way of living. Most of them according to authors are striving to maintain change and are busy in initiatives to resist state sponsor change at grassroots level. They mention the example of XU Yong photographer who preserved the pictures of local architecture and courtyard life in 10 years long movement. Similarly another writer Feng Jicai is mentioned who is fighting the government to preserve the old squatter and came up with idea of preserving it through maps and photos. The authors are trying to portray that perhaps state government is bent on running the Chinese tradition and culture, and people have no choice but to fight for it. The reality is far from true. For example China is now more open to ideas compared to the past. In 2006, for the first time Chinese Christians celebrated Christmas openly. Another change is the re-establishment of the older Chinese traditions. For example the annual homage service of tomb sites of emperors and high official have been institutionalized to celebrate the ancient Chinese culture, which was stopped after the 1940s revolution.   In mid 1980s, these traditions have been re-assumed by non-governmental and some government officials to promote such activities at national level which was unthinkable a few decades ago. Chinese government is also promoting the old Chinese tradition of Confucius and special books have been included in curriculum of the children to let them know of the past.   The reason for Chinese government to come up with a homogenous culture is that China is composed of countless minorities, if all ethnic groups want their ways, there would be little room left for central government to rule. Reference: WU Mei and GUO Zhenzhi, â€Å"Globalization, national culture and the.† University of Macau and Tsinghua

Biography of Cary Grant, Famous Leading Man

Cary Grant (born Archibald Alexander Leach; January 18, 1904–November 29, 1986) was one of Americans most successful actors of the 20th century. He made his way out of an unhappy home life in Bristol, England, by joining a troupe of British comedians, then crossing the Atlantic to try his hand at vaudeville before becoming a suave screen presence and one of Hollywood’s favorite leading men. Fast Facts: Cary Grant Known For: One of filmdoms favorite leading menAlso Known As: Archibald Alexander LeachBorn: January 18, 1904 in Bristol, EnglandParents: Elias James Leach, Elsie Maria KingdonDied: November 29, 1986 in Davenport, IowaFilms: Topper, To Catch a Thief, North by Northwest, CharadeSpouse(s): Virginia Cherrill, Barbara Woolworth Hutton, Betsy Drake, Dyan Cannon, Barbara HarrisChildren: Jennifer GrantNotable Quote: So would I, when told by an interviewer that Everybody would like to be  Cary Grant. Early Life Grant was the son of Elsie Maria Kingdon and Elias James Leach, a suit presser in a clothing manufacturing plant. The working-class family of Episcopalians lived in a stone row house in Bristol, England, kept warm by coal-burning fireplaces. When Grant was young, his parents often argued with one another. A bright boy, Grant attended the Bishop Road Boys’ School, ran errands for his mother, and enjoyed movies with his father. When Grant was 9, however, his life tragically changed when his mother disappeared. Told that she was resting at a seaside resort, Grant wouldn’t see her for more than 20 years. Now raised by his father and his father’s distant parents, Grant took his mind off his unsettled home life by playing handball at school and joining the Boy Scouts. In school, he loitered in the science lab, fascinated by electricity. The science professor’s assistant took the 13-year-old Grant to the Bristol Hippodrome to show him the lighting system he had installed. Grant became infatuated—not with the lighting, but with the theater. English Theater In 1918, the 14-year-old Grant took a job at the Empire Theater assisting the men working the arc lamps. He frequently skipped school to attend matinees. Hearing that the Bob Pender Troupe of comedians was hiring, Grant wrote Pender an introductory letter, forging his father’s signature. Unbeknownst to his father, Grant was hired and learned to walk on stilts, pantomime, and perform acrobatics, touring English cities with the troupe. Grants devotion was thwarted when his father found him and dragged him home. Grant got himself expelled from school by peeking at the girls in the restroom.  With his father’s blessing, Grant then rejoined the Pender troupe. In 1920, eight boys, Grant among them, were selected from the troupe to appear at New Yorks Hippodrome. The teen sailed for America to begin a new life. Broadway While working in New York in 1921, Grant received a letter from his father saying he had fathered a son named Eric Leslie Leach with another woman. Grant gave little thought to his half-brother, enjoying baseball, Broadway celebrities, and living beyond his means. When the Pender tour ended in 1922, Grant stayed in New York, selling ties on the street and performing on stilts at Coney Island while watching for another vaudeville opening. Soon he was back at the Hippodrome using his acrobatic, juggling, and mime skills. In 1927, Grant appeared in his first Broadway musical comedy, Golden Dawn, at the Hammerstein Theater. Because of his good looks and gentlemanly ways, Grant won the leading male role in a 1928 play, Rosalie. He was spotted by Fox Film Corp. talent scouts and asked to take a screen test, which he flunked: They said he was bowlegged and his neck was too thick. When the stock market crashed in 1929, half of the Broadway theaters closed. Grant took a pay cut but appeared in musical comedies. In the summer of 1931, Grant, hungry for work, appeared at the outdoor Muny Opera in St. Louis, Missouri. Movies In November 1931, the 27-year-old Grant drove cross-country to Hollywood. After a few introductions and dinners, he had another screen test and received a five-year contract with Paramount, but the studio rejected his name. Grant had played a character named Cary on Broadway; the plays author suggested that Grant take that name. He picked Grant from a studio list of last names. Grant’s first feature film, This Is the Night (1932), was followed by seven more films that year. He took parts rejected by seasoned actors. Although Grant was inexperienced, his looks and easy working style kept him in pictures, including the popular Mae West films She Done Him Wrong (1933) and I’m No Angel (1933). Marrying and Going Independent In 1933, Grant met actress Virginia Cherrill, 26, the star of several Charlie Chaplin films, at the William Randolph Hearst beach house and sailed for England that November, his first trip home. They married on February 2, 1934, in London’s Caxton Hall registry office. After seven months, Cherrill left Grant and claimed he was too controlling. They divorced in 1935. In 1936, rather than re-signing with Paramount, Grant hired an independent agent to represent him. Grant could now choose his roles and took taking artistic control of his career, which gave him unprecedented independence at the time. Between 1937 and 1940, Grant honed his screen personality as an elegant, irresistible leading man. He appeared in two moderately successful films, Columbias When Youre in Love (1937) and RKO’s The Toast of New York (1937). Then came box-office success in Topper (1937) and The Awful Truth (1937), which received six Academy Awards—Grant, the leading actor, was not the recipient of any of those awards. Grants Mother Resurfaces In October 1937, Grant received a letter from his mother, saying she wanted to see him. Grant, who thought she had died years before, booked passage to England after he finished filming Gunga Din (1939). At 33, Grant finally learned that his mother had suffered a nervous breakdown and his father put her into an asylum. She had become mentally unbalanced from guilt over losing an earlier son, John William Elias Leach, who had developed gangrene from a torn thumbnail before he turned 1. After watching him around the clock for several nights, Elsie took a nap and the child died. Grant got his mother released and purchased a Bristol home for her. He corresponded with her, visited often, and financially supported her until she died at age 95 in 1973. Marrying Again In 1940, Grant appeared in Penny Serenade (1941) and received an Oscar nomination. He didnt win, but he became a box-office star and, on June 26, 1942, an American citizen. On July 8, 1942, Grant married 30-year-old Barbara Woolworth Hutton, the granddaughter of the founder of Woolworths and one of the worlds wealthiest women. Later, Grant received his second Oscar nomination for Best Actor for None but the Lonely Heart (1944). After several separations and reconciliations, the marriage ended in divorce on July 11, 1945. Hutton had lifelong psychological problems; she was 6 when she found her mother’s body after her suicide. In 1947, Grant received the Kings Medal for Services in the Cause of Freedom for meritorious service during World War II, when he had donated his salaries from two movies to the British war effort. On December 25, 1949, Grant got married for the third time, to 26-year-old Betsy Drake—his co-star in Every Girl Should Be Married (1948). Brief Retirement Grant retired from acting in 1952, sensing that newer, grittier actors such as James Dean and Marlon Brando were the new draw rather than light-hearted comedic actors. Drake introduced Grant to LSD therapy, which was legal at that time. Grant claimed he found inner peace regarding his troubled upbringing. Director Alfred Hitchcock coaxed Grant out of retirement to star in To Catch a Thief (1955). Its acclaim followed two earlier Grant-Hitchcock successes: Suspicion (1941) and Notorious (1946). Grant starred in more films, including Houseboat (1958), where he fell in love with co-star Sophia Loren. Although Loren married producer Carlo Ponti, Grant’s marriage to Drake became strained; they separated in 1958 but didnt divorce until August 1962. Grant starred in another Hitchcock film, North by Northwest (1959). His suave performance made him the archetype for Ian Fleming’s fictional spy James Bond. Grant was offered the role by producer Albert Broccoli, but Grant thought he was too old and would commit to just one film of the potential series. The role ultimately went to 32-year-old Sean Connery in 1962. Grant’s successful movies continued with Charade (1963) and Father Goose (1964). Becoming a Father On July 22, 1965, the 61-year-old Grant married his fourth wife, 28-year-old actress Dyan Cannon. In 1966, Cannon gave birth to daughter Jennifer, Grants first child. Grant announced his retirement from acting that year. Cannon reluctantly joined Grant’s LSD therapy, but her scary experiences strained their relationship. They divorced on March 20, 1968, but Grant remained a doting father. On a trip to England, Grant met hotel public relations officer Barbara Harris, 46 years his junior, and married her on April 15, 1981. They remained married until his death five years later. Death In 1982, Grant began touring the international lecture circuit in a one-man show called A Conversation with Cary Grant, during which he talked about his films, showed clips, and answered audience questions. Grant was in Davenport, Iowa, when he suffered a cerebral hemorrhage while preparing for the show. He died that night, Nov. 29, 1986, at age 82. Legacy In 1970, Grant received a special Oscar from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for his acting achievements. Coupled with his two previous best actor Oscar nominations, five Golden Globe best actor nominations, 1981 Kennedy Center honors, and nearly two dozen other major nominations and awards, Grants place in film history is secure, as is his image of grace and civility. In 2004, Premiere magazine named him the greatest movie star of all time. Sources â€Å"Cary Grant.† IMDb.Cary Grant Biography. Biography.com.Cary Grant: British-American Actor. Encyclopaedia Britannica.10 Things You Never Knew About Cary Grant, Hollywood’s Greatest Leading Man. Littlethings.com.