Evolution and its understanding Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Evolution and its understanding - Essay Example While the existing models of evolution may not be able to account for every single question that a person may have regarding the origin of mankind and other forms of life on earth, it is definitely the most plausible explanation that can be offered at this point in history. The fact that it exists in contradiction to many of the central tenets of many religions must not hinder one from seeing the scientific nature of the theories of evolution. The beneficial nature of such a rational approach as far as the understanding of society is concerned is something that needs to be looked at and analyzed with great care and rigor.Believing in evolution necessarily may not lead one to believe evolution. By believing evolution, one would be asserting one’s belief in the scientific theories of evolution that is often considered to be a part of the heading of evolution. These would then mark out that person as a supporter of scientific rationality and the idea that the beginning of life wa s in unicellular organisms that then evolved into larger organism that then differentiated into more and more complex organisms. To believe in evolution would refer to a belief in a system of change that characterized the progress of mankind to its present position. This could then have been aided by any other force other than nature. It could be a supernatural force that may have enabled a particular form of progress and made possible a particular trajectory as far as the development of mankind is concerned.

Employee Participation in Decision Making Essay

Employee Participation in Decision Making - Essay Example This paper will deeply discuss the concept of employee participation in decision making by giving a specific focus on current issues associated with this management approach. Definition, elements of employee participation As a modern approach to creative human resources management applications, corporations encourage employee participation in response to their quality movement needs within the organisational framework. Employee participation can be simply defined as the â€Å"part of a process of empowerment in the workplace whereby employees are involved in decision-making processes, rather than simply acting on orders† (Singh & Kumar, 2011, p.381). There are numerous employee participation programmes to make sure that every employee gets the opportunity to take part in decision making process. According to Parasuraman (2007), Quality circles, suggestions schemes, consultation exercises and meetings, delegation of responsibility, and multi-channel decision making process are the major approaches designed to promote employee participation. ... gements provide their employees with effective communication channels whereby they (employees) are able to suggest innovative ideas to the top level management. Often, managements motivate their employees with financial and other forms of reward for making potential and promising suggestions. In addition, some organisations conduct consultation exercises and meetings to empower their employees and thereby contribute to operational efficiency. Through such practices, managements arrange a common platform for their employees to join together and share work/growth improvement ideas. Top executives listen to those employees suggestions and accept potential improvement ideas. Delegation of responsibility among employees is another potential element of employee participation. Since ground level employees need to directly interact with customers, they are given the power to make decisions for themselves and for the organisation. Finally, the multi-channel decision making process assists the organisation to ensure that its decisions are not made in a downward direction. In other words, a series of upward and downward communications are made before forming a business decision under this approach. Significance of employee participation According to modern management practitioners, the concept of employee participation is a key tool to ensure business success. In the words of Moorhead and Griffin (2009, p. 127), this approach would assist the organisation to effectively promote employee motivation. When employees are trusted and involved in the firm’s decision making process, they feel that they are an integral part of the organisation; and this positive feeling itself would motivate employees to contribute their best to the company’s growth (ibid). In other words, the

Growing up Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Growing up - Thesis Example In this context passing could represent the journey from city to city, it could also represent to passing form one lover to another or one musical genre to another starting which gospel choir to punk to blues to jazz to rock. Passing could also indicate passage of time and in that effect growing up. The story begins with the Youth as a young person who is in a state of spiritual confusion not knowing what to do. As expected he wants to become a better person someone he is proud of. Despite being brought up by a conservative single mother he turns to Zen Buddhism. However this goes only for a short while before he succumbs to her mothers’ persuasion to find God. During this time instead of having a spiritual awakening his musical affinity is awakened by the gospel choir. He later joins the choir mainly because of his attraction to a girl in the choir. During his life in the choir he meets with Franklin Jones who was the choir master who introduces the youth to drugs. He develops a liking for the guitar and soon afterward deserts the choir to form a punk rock band with fellow ex-choir members. With the passage of time he abandons his band mates and starts saving money to travel to Europe where he anticipated becoming a musician which his mother and the community disapprove . In the film the youth says, â€Å"Slaves have options, cowards only have consequences.† This depicts his state of discomfort with his reality and how he had resolve to go to Europe.. After a long argument with his mother the youth goes to promiscuous Amsterdam where for the first time in his life he discovers freedom. He suddenly has easy access to all the social evils such as sex and drugs he lamented â€Å"All vices in full view â€Å"when he say hashis on the menu of a coffee shop with topless women serving coffee. The Youth also first experiences acceptance in the form of a girl named Marianna who willingly gives her the keys to her

Employee Participation in Decision Making Essay

Employee Participation in Decision Making - Essay Example This paper will deeply discuss the concept of employee participation in decision making by giving a specific focus on current issues associated with this management approach. Definition, elements of employee participation As a modern approach to creative human resources management applications, corporations encourage employee participation in response to their quality movement needs within the organisational framework. Employee participation can be simply defined as the â€Å"part of a process of empowerment in the workplace whereby employees are involved in decision-making processes, rather than simply acting on orders† (Singh & Kumar, 2011, p.381). There are numerous employee participation programmes to make sure that every employee gets the opportunity to take part in decision making process. According to Parasuraman (2007), Quality circles, suggestions schemes, consultation exercises and meetings, delegation of responsibility, and multi-channel decision making process are the major approaches designed to promote employee participation. ... gements provide their employees with effective communication channels whereby they (employees) are able to suggest innovative ideas to the top level management. Often, managements motivate their employees with financial and other forms of reward for making potential and promising suggestions. In addition, some organisations conduct consultation exercises and meetings to empower their employees and thereby contribute to operational efficiency. Through such practices, managements arrange a common platform for their employees to join together and share work/growth improvement ideas. Top executives listen to those employees suggestions and accept potential improvement ideas. Delegation of responsibility among employees is another potential element of employee participation. Since ground level employees need to directly interact with customers, they are given the power to make decisions for themselves and for the organisation. Finally, the multi-channel decision making process assists the organisation to ensure that its decisions are not made in a downward direction. In other words, a series of upward and downward communications are made before forming a business decision under this approach. Significance of employee participation According to modern management practitioners, the concept of employee participation is a key tool to ensure business success. In the words of Moorhead and Griffin (2009, p. 127), this approach would assist the organisation to effectively promote employee motivation. When employees are trusted and involved in the firm’s decision making process, they feel that they are an integral part of the organisation; and this positive feeling itself would motivate employees to contribute their best to the company’s growth (ibid). In other words, the

The Invasion of Privacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Invasion of Privacy - Essay Example The invasion of privacy is always a very serious and sensitive matter. But, then again, Cobb’s team is not made to appear in good light with regards to their job which is why there are severe dangers to their profession. But with permission, accessing of thoughts (although far from the fictitious modus operandi of Cobb and team) is used by psychologists for therapeutic purposes in order to unburden their patient’s subconscious and give them better internal peace. The Inception concept could also likewise be used in the same light but, as they say, with great power comes great responsibility. Such technology is fatal in the wrong hands, and this would be alarming if is popularly used. As evident in the movie, although Fischer is put in the villain spotlight, it is disturbing to consider how they can manipulate him into destroying a whole business conglomerate only for the benefit of another businessman. This clearly depicts that because of their drive fueled by selfish m otives and intentions, they blatantly disregard the damage that they could have inflicted on their victim, be it moral or any other. It is also noteworthy how the victims are very much vulnerable and susceptible to these kinds of intrusions. By implanting an idea deep into the subconscious, the probability would dictate that on several occasions such implanted idea might result in a negative interpretation by the host. This can pose several psychologically damaging issues to the Fischer and might even result to the instability of his personality. Cobb and his team were also insensitive enough to destroy relationships of the host to other people. Though they were proud to state that they might have cured the relationship with his father, it was not a primal intention, and even if so, they are playing god by toying with the affairs and manipulating the actions of their victim. Freud’s theory of the unconscious states that there are three different levels might operate. These ar e the conscious, preconscious, and the unconscious (Clarke 208). The film also works in this premise when they operated with their victim. Subscribing to Freud’s theory of the unconscious, it states that the id represents the passion of the human being and is entirety unconscious (Ocay 14). This is thus what Cobb and his team targeted to incept with. They harnessed the vulnerability of their victim’s relationship with his father and his commitment to continue his father’s legacy. This is the id, and this is the passion of the host that they manipulated into thinking their own bidding. 2) Mill raised the question as to whether one would prefer to be a pig satisfied or a Socrates dissatisfied? In this regards elaborate upon his views? Mill employs the concept of Utilitarianism, which is also known as the Greatest Happiness Principle (Mills 4). Happiness is defined as the presence of intended pleasure and the absence of pain. Therefore, the key elements of happines s are the presence of the quality of pleasure and the lack of pain, and some other pleasures are enacted in order to even avoid pain. Mill argues that some pleasures might be instinctually better than others but only independently so. By acting on our personal selfish pleasures, we can be easily satisfied. By only settling on these pleasures Mill likens an individual to that of a pig.  

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Essay Example for Free

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Essay The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been labelled as a picaresque novel. A picaresque novel is an adventure story that involves an anti-hero or picaro who wanders around with no actual destination in mind. The picaresque novel has many key elements. It must contain an anti-hero who is usually described as an underling(subordinate) with no place in society, it is usually told in autobiographical form, and it is potentially endless, meaning that it has no tight plot, but could go on and on. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has moulded itself perfectly to all these essential elements of a picaresque novel. Huck Finn is undeniably the picaro, and the river is his method of travel, as well as the way in which he wanders around with no actual destination. This is due to the fact that the river is in control and not Huck. Furthermore, it is the picaresque style that has also aided in highlighting the escapades that Huck experiences through his travels as those crucial to the novel, but also crucial to such a character as Huckleberry Finn. Huck is the perfect example of a young boy with adventure on his mind, and thus the characterization of Huck as a picaro is done flawlessly. Additionally, as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn contains all the vital aspects of a picaresque novel and picaro hero, it is these crucial traits that mark it as one of Mark Twains most successful novels, and one of the world’s most famous adventure stories. One of the most important aspects of the picaresque novel is the fact that it must contain a picaro, otherwise known as the anti-hero of the novel. Huck is obviously the picaro in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. A picaro is defined as, a low-born but clever individual who wanders into and out of various affairs of love, danger, and farcical intrigue. These involvements may take place at all social levels and typically present a humorous and wide-ranging satire of a given society (The Gale Group). Huck fits this definition perfectly. Huck isnt accepted by society and doesnt even want to be. He is most comfortable out on his own in the frontier. Furthermore, when the Widow Douglas takes him in and tries to provide him with a good life he doesnt want any part of it: â€Å"The Widow Douglas she took me for her son and allowed she would sivilize me; but it was rough living in the house all the time, considering how dismal regular and decent the widow was in all her ways, and so when I couldnt stand it no longer I lit out. I got into my old rags and my sugar-hogshead again, and was free and satisfied. † (194) Huck finds civilized life intolerable, but instead prefers to live the life of a free spirit, but he isnt able to do that when the Widow is trying to civilize him. The Widow wants to refine Hucks lifestyle to match hers, but Huck cant stand that type of life and resists it. Huck wants to keep his independence, and he believes that the frontier is the only place where he can do that. Therefore, Hucks unaccepted presence in society, and his unwillingness to fit in is one that proves his existence as a picaro in the picaresque novel. Another characteristic of the picaro is the fact that he is a wanderer, which means that he is the type of character who roams from place-to-place with no set destination in mind. Hucks wandering occurs within the form of his raft on the Mississippi river. The river is an important aspect of Hucks wandering because the river continuously changes course, and there is no way for Huck to direct the river and his raft. If Huck passes a place or location there is no way for him to turn the raft around, but instead he has to continue on down the river. An example of this is when Huck and Jim pass Cairo, which was the one specific destination they had in mind because its where Jim would have been free, It wouldnt do to take to the shore; we couldnt take the raft up the stream, of course. There warnt no way but to wait for dark and start back in the canoe and take the chances (314). In other words, the river basically has a life of its own, and therefore Huck and Jim have to abide by the river’s rules. Another important fact regarding the picaro as a wanderer is the notion that he will change as a result of his travels, the main character often grows intellectually and morally through his various encounters along the path of his journey (Bibliomania). Hucks character matures throughout the novel from that of a boy to one that can be seen as something closer to a man. Huck begins to have a conscience, which proves that he is beginning to mature because he begins to actually think about things, and care about them. Hucks maturation can be observed in the scene where he chooses to tell Mary Jane the truth about the two men posing as her uncles, I got to tell the truth, and you want to brace up, Miss Mary, because its a bad kind and going to be hard to take, but there aint no help for it (420). Hucks maturation is evident here because he cant stand to see Mary Jane and her sisters cheated of the money they deserve, and so happy because their uncles are back when in reality theyre only frauds. Hucks conscience continues to bother him until he tells Mary Jane the truth, and therefore it is apparent that Huck is growing as a result of his travels because his conscience begins to affect him, forcing him to show that he is a good and kind-hearted person. A picaro is often defined as someone who isnt very honest, or straightforward, but instead is something more of a liar. More often than not a picaro has been brought up by a dishonest and unloving family, and therefore has no traditional values. Hucks father was a drunkard, and treated Huck as if he owned him, instead of as a son. Furthermore, Hucks father never acted like a father figure to Huck at all, but instead was cruel and unreliable. Moreover, because of his upbringing Huck had no one to teach him any values, and thus he created his own value system, which was the opposite of the social norm. For example, Huck lied his way through his travels and adventures. His first major lie and the beginning of his adventure was staging his own murder, which enabled him to escape his father. In addition, whenever Huck and Jim met other people along their way some kind of lie always popped out of his mouth. To illustrate this point is the scene where Huck comes along two men in a boat, and Huck wants to surrender Jim, but a fib comes out instead, I wish you would, says I, because its pap thats there, and maybe youd help me tow the raft ashore where the light is. Hes sick-and so is mam and Mary Ann' (310). Huck doesnt even have to think about how to lie because it just happens without any real thought involved. Huck constantly changes his name in his lies. Hence, it is so natural for Huck to lie that it becomes difficult for him to keep track of the names he calls himself within his lies. His lies extend to the point of posing as a young girl to an old woman, but he mixes his names up and is caught in the lie: â€Å"Well, try to remember it, George. Dont forget and tell me its Elexander before you go, and then get out by saying its George Elexander when I catch you. And dont go about women in that old calico. You do a girl tolerable poor but you might fool men, maybe. † (262) Fortunately for Huck, the old woman is a kind-hearted one and lets him go on his way without any real questions. However, one of Hucks major lies occurs during his time with the Duke and the King. They pull a stunt where they charge people to watch them do a revival of a play, despite the fact that they barely know the play or are by no means actors. Consequently, they barely escape from the town on the third night with the money that they had  cheated the townspeople of. Thus, there were many instances where Huck lied and cheated his way through his various encounters and experiences, which ties him in perfectly with the typical picaro stereo-type. A picaresque novel is generally told in autobiographical form. Huck is the narrator within The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and thus is speaking from the first person point-of-view. This is largely associated with the fact that although Huck tells terrible lies and does some terrible things, it is impossible for the readers not to like Huck. Huck tells the story from his own point-of-view, which enables the readers to see things through Hucks eyes. Huck will explain why hes doing something, and because the readers get Hucks explanation and thoughts on it, it is easy to understand and accept it. Hence, it is easy for the readers to side with Huck. Furthermore, because Hucks thoughts are known the readers are able to see and accept that more often than not Huck actually has a good reason for the things he does. One important notion is the fact that Huck does have a good heart, and this is because Hucks adventure is largely due to keeping Jim safe and free. The readers are able to see Hucks thoughts on Jim and how he really does care about him and his freedom, and this makes Huck a good person with a large heart, despite the way hes acted at certain times. In addition to Huck being the narrator is the fact that the story is not only told through Hucks eyes, but also through his own language. Its obvious that Huck isnt the most educated person, but because the novel is told through Hucks own language it makes the novel all the more realistic to the readers. It is easier to see the story through Huck when the slang he uses is also incorporated into the novel. The fact that Hucks slang became a part of the story as well only served to further root Huck as a believable and more realistic character. Furthermore, Hucks accent became a part of the dialogue in order to define him as a unique character within the novel, one on which the novel was centred on. Hucks accent marks him as a true adventurer, and as someone who truly does prefer the frontier to civilization. For example, if Twain had invented Huck without an accent then his believability as an adventurer wouldnt have seemed quite so real. If Huck had traveled down the river void of his accent or slang then he would not have seemed the true loner and adventurer that Twain made him out to be, which is because he would have spoken in the same educated manner that any well-brought up boy would have. Thus, Hucks slang is as much a part of his lifestyle as it is him. Consequently, it is these combined facts of Hucks first-person narration, the readers ability to see everything hes thinking, and the slang that is incorporated into his dialogue that truly marks Huckleberry Finn as a adventurer, but more importantly as an autobiographical character in a picaresque novel. A story that has been defined as picaresque, such as The Adventures ofHuckleberry Finn can also be said to be potentially endless. A picaresque is often described as an adventure story, and thus if a novel is an adventure story then there really is no reason for the adventures to end. A picaresque is said to be potentially endless because it has no tight plot that has to end at a given time. Instead, the plot can change and continue on into infinity. Another literary term for a picaresque being potentially endless is called beads-on-a-string. It is like a yarn, and there is no exact moment when the story starts to wind down and close, but instead there is always an opportunity to keep the story going. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is the perfect example of this. The entire story is centred on Huck and Jims adventures down the river. Huck is running away from his father, and Jim is running away from the possibility of being sold down the river because hes black, and therefore a slave. Huck and Jims adventures do eventually come to an end, but only because Mark Twain decides to end it, not because it has to end. There is no tight plot structure, such as a need for a climax and falling action because these could easily be taken out allowing Huck to continue telling his story, and the reader would never be any the wiser. Furthermore, there is no exact spot in the story where the reader thinks that the story should begin to wind down, and this is because it is a young boys adventure story. Hucks characterization only works because of the age his character represents. Huck represents eternal boyhood, and thus his adventures can also be seen as eternal. Therefore, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a story that can be potentially endless due to the fact that it is a young boy telling the story who experiences a life of adventures, and there is no reason why those adventures should have to end at any specific time. A picaresque story often involves a picaro that has some kind of sidekick along with him. In the case of Huckleberry Finn, Jim is his sidekick. The sidekick is someone who is a part of the adventure, but isnt seen as the main character, and thus more often than not the readers dont know the sidekicks views or thoughts, or what is known is very limited. Jim is Hucks sidekick, and although Hucks own adventure actually began because he was running away from his father, Jim is the reason that the adventure took the path it did. Jim didnt want to be sold to a slave buyer so instead of taking the chance of being sold he ran away, which is how he came to be Hucks sidekick. They both ran away from different things, and accidentally, but fortunately found each other, Pretty soon he gapped and stretched himself and hove off the blanket-and it was Miss Watsons Jim! I bet I was glad to see him (239). Huck wanted to keep Jim safe and so they decided to go to Cairo where Jim would be free from slavery, en I hear ole missus tell de widder she gwyne to sell me down to Orleans, but she didn want to, but she could git eight hundd dollars for me, en it uz sick a big stack o money she couldn resis' (242). Jim became Hucks sidekick early on in the adventure, and thus the real adventure only began once Jim had become a part of it. However, although it is Hucks adventure, and Jim is Hucks sidekick, the actual adventure itself is about keeping Jim safe and free. Furthermore, both Huck and Jim are running away because they want freedom. Huck wants to be free from his father, and Jim wants to be free from slavery, but by the end of the novel the irony is that Hucks father is dead, and the Widow has set Jim free within her will. Thus, it is Jim that further proves the sidekick mentality within a picaresque novel, and within The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn contains all the elements that any picaresque novel should. Huck Finn is the picaro and alongside him is his sidekick Jim. The adventures that these two encounter along their journey is pure proof of what elements a picaresque novel should include, from lying and cheating to wanderers along a river, to the changes that occur as a result of these adventures. Huck has all the characteristics that a typical picaro or anti-hero should have. Hes dishonest, prefers the frontier to civilization, and hes the narrator of the novel making it in autobiographical form. Therefore, all the aspects within TheAdventures of Huckleberry Finn cement it together to further root it as a picaresque novel with a unique and yet solid picaro as the main character.

Harlem Renaissance And The Cotton Club Film Studies Essay

Harlem Renaissance And The Cotton Club Film Studies Essay Cotton Club as an example of Jazz scene during the Harlem Renaissance in the movie The Cotton Club by Francis Ford Coppola Even though the Harlem Renaissance ended almost 80 years ago and its timeline is almost the same as the prohibition, it still seems to have an incredible impact on American society and culture as such. What happened during those 13 years was a sort of revolution in every field of life in upper Manhattan. It would be almost impossible to name and enumerate every artist, musician, politician responsible for the Harlem Renaissance. What is the more important is the fact it was a moment in history when African American culture was able to express itself as separate from mainstream American culture of that time. Jazz became a powerful tool of defining Harlem identity; as Patrick Burke claims for African Americans interest in jazz was mixed with a desire to think and act differently. Harlem jazz musicians needed a place to practice and perform and the Cotton Club proved to play an important role in creating an atmosphere of artistic and intellectual growth during the jazz era, as depicted in the Cotton Club movie by Francis Ford Coppola. Francois Weil, the author of A History of New York, defines the Harlem Renaissance as the first African American movement in the modern history; the movement that influenced every aspect of cultural life, such as literature, music, art etc. Harlem in the 1920s was the place to be. It became what the Greenwich Village was in the downtown, mainly a place of cultural revival; an oasis to artist and intellectuals of all sorts. Harlems cultural revival at that time was called The New Negro Renaissance, a term that defined everything that was new, modern and exciting. The new movement was focused around black writers, like Zora Neale Hurston, Countee Cullen, Langston Hughes and jazz musicians, like Duke Ellington or Cab Calloway. In the 1920s, what was called Harlem stretched from 130th to 145th street, from Madison Avenue to Eighth Avenue. What became essential in Harlem Renaissance was the music; jazz, or rather ragtime as it should be called was one of the first examples of interaction between white and black music. Ragtime, as a genre was a combination of European and American influences. Its name comes from the ragged rhythm. Due to the prosperity of the 1920s, New York became the new capital of entertainment. Prohibition did not stop New Yorkers craze for nightlife, however, they had to search for fun somewhere else, in the speakeasies- illegal bars serving alcohol, mostly located in the basements. One of the most famous speakeasies was Onyx Club, which was a venue for both musicians and New Yorkers in search of fun and adventure. Patrick Burke, the author of Oasis of Swing, explains that what attracted both musicians and audience to that kind of places was the image of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ jazz as an authentic, immediate form of personal expression. Speakeasies were often located in private houses or in the basements of official clubs. There was a wide variety of speakeasies, ranging from the dà ©cor and the style to the clientele and the prices of alcohol. Most of them were located in the downtown. When the parties were over on Times Square after midnight, the night had just begun in Harlem. For those, who were craving for more adventurous nightlife, Harlem was the Promised Land; it was home for famous clubs like, just to mention some, The Cotton Club, Connies Inn and Small Paradise. The Cotton Club was the place where the greatest jazz musicians, like Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong or Cab Calloway, performed. Interestingly enough, The Cotton Club, was a place for white customers only. African Americans were allowed on the stage as performers, dancers, musicians but not as guests of the club. As Watson claims, the Cotton Club was the largest, featured the most extravagant shows, charged the highest prices, and most strictly enforced the color line. Strangely enough, thanks to its policy, the club was seen as one of the best places for white New Yorkers to be immersed into black culture. The Cotton Club attracted white clientele in many ways, for example by serving fancy food, the prices were unreasonably high, the dancers were young and pretty; it all created the atmosphere of a place for elites. In the heart of Harlem, The Cotton Club was a venue run by white owners for white audience. The Cotton Club was quite an extraordinary place where not only did white and black clash, but also other groups, like high and low classes, mob bosses and artist. Furthermore, the club was attracting its clients by the creating the sense of forbidden adventure. On top of that, illegal alcohol was just another factor that created the clubs myth. The Cotton Club movie was directed by Francis Ford Coppola in 1984. Coppola, whos regarded as one of the most important American filmmakers, had been renowned for Apocalypse Now and The Godfather trilogy. Growing up in New York, although he was born in Detroit but his family moved to New York when he was a child, he actually made the city something more than just a background for the stories he depicted in his movies, the city itself became the vital part of his movies, almost like another main character, for example in the Godfather, where he depicted the life of Italian tenants living in New York City. The Cotton Club was produced by his own studio, Zoetrope Studio, which meant for Coppola even greater financial responsibility in case the movie did not become an instant success. Not only did it fail in commercial sense, but also it did not meet the audience and the movie critics expectations. The story is set in Harlem, New York City, primarily in 1928. The main character is white cornet player, Michael Dwyer called Dixie, starred by Richard Gere, who incidentally saves Dutch Schulz, starred by James Remar, life and since then Dixies life changes completely. This night is a turning point for Dixie; at the same club where he rescues Dutch, he meets Vera Cicero, starred by Diane Lane, a woman he completely falls in love with. In addition, Vera turns out to be Dutchs mistress. Unfortunately, Dixie has no idea that the person he rescued is a mob boss, and this very fact makes Dixie mingled into the underground world of gangsters, bootleggers and speakeasies. As the story develops, other characters appear on the screen, for example Williamss brothers, two black tap dancers and this is the very first moment when the story moves into The Cotton Club. From now on, the lives of black and white characters are connected via the club itself. What strikes viewers attention most is segregation at the Cotton Club. The black performers are allowed to use only the backdoor, leaving the front door to white audience only. This fact is easily understood when it turns out that the owner of the club is white man, Owney Madden, starred by Bob Hoskins, who claims to be a businessman rather than a mobster and whose main concern is how much he can earn by selling illegal liquor at the club. Dixie takes the screening test and gets engaged in the movie industry, which means moving to Hollywood and leaving New York and his beloved Vera. He takes his chance, seeing this as an opportunity to escape from his problems with Dutch. Out of a sudden, Dixie becomes a movie star. Meanwhile, the mob war in Harlem starts. To make things worse, the prices of stocks crash on Wall Street. The Great Depression does not seem to affect Vera Cicero, who left by Dixie, opens her own night club, Veras Club, for whites only on Broadway. Out of the sudden, Dixie comes back from Hollywood as a celebrity, finding his brother Vinnie guilty of killing innocent children in the street. The stock market crash in 1929 and the mob wars in 1930 are presented to build the dark and gloomy atmosphere of inevitable doom. In other words, the good careless days of jazz age are over and what is about to happen is like a harsh wake up after an all-night party. Talking about black characters in the movie, they are presented as a sort of background for white main characters. There is another love affair in the movie, between black tap dancer, Dalbert, called Sandman, Williams, starred by ,Gregory Hines, and a singer, Lila, starred by Lonette McKee, whose tragedy is that she comes from a mixed background, of a white mother and black father, which makes her black for whites and white for blacks. Lila is a star at the Cotton Club, dreaming about career on a Broadway. Thanks to Vera Cicero, her dreams come true, as Lila is white enough to perform at the Veras Club. The black jazz scene in the Cotton Club is depicted in two ways. First of all, there are historic names, such as Duke Ellington or Cab Calloway and fictional names, such as Williams Brothers. As far as historic names are concerned, the jazz scene in the Cotton Club can be divided into two phases: The Duke Ellingtons era, till 1930, and Cab Calloways era, since 1931. The times when Cab was the host at the Cotton Club mark the line of a different sort of entertainment; the show was more varied, there were more dancers, feathers, the pace was faster, because the audience was more varied. 1931 is important in the movie for two reasons; first because it is a date when the concerts are broadcast live from Cotton Club, second, it is a time when black audience is allowed into the club. As far as fictional characters are concerned, the major black characters are two brothers, Clay and Dalbert Williams, who want to succeed at the Cotton Club as tap dancers. When they finally make it there, they start competing with each other and this rivalry leads to a split between them. The conflict is not an endless one and Williams brothers realize that what made them went separate ways is meaningless, and what really matters is the fact they are flesh and blood. The scene when sing and tap together to the Crazy Rhythm is one of the best scenes in the entire movie. In addition, the second best scene in the whole movie is a violent scene of Dutchs murder is accompanied by Sandmans tap dance in the background. The evening show at the Cotton Club is depicted in the movie as a sort of a variety show. The stage in the shape of a horse hoof is located right in the center, surrounded by the customers tables. First, there female dancers enter the stage; young and attractive black girls chosen to attract mostly the male clientele. At the back of the stage there is a black jazz band accompanying the dancers. Secondly, there is a ballet performance or a singer solo accompanied by the orchestra. Next there is a tap dance, like Williams brothers, who dance synchronically to the rhythm of the music. The club is presented as a meeting spot for celebrities as well, for example when Dixie meets Gloria Swanson, the movie star. The show changes pace so that the audience can talk eat and enjoy it without paying attention all the time to what is happening on the stage. The genre of this movie is a crime story combined with love story. The crime story part is most evident when at the beginning and the end of the movie when the Dutchs opponents try to kill him and when Dixies brother, who became a gangster, incidentally shots kids on the street. The love story part is the dangerous, erotic and highly emotional relationship between Vera Cicero and Dixie Dwyer, the best example is the passionate tango scene where Vera slaps Dixie, who slaps her back. Their romance has to be a secret; otherwise they would get killed by Dutch. This tension leads to the inevitable conflict between Dutch and Dixie, which is the climax of the story, hence the secret about the love affair is revealed. The Cotton Club movies strength lies in meticulous preparation to recreate the atmosphere of jazz age; as a matter of fact, the interior design and art deco details are impressive and take the viewers back to the famous club in the late 1920s.However, the movie has some flaws. First of all, it is not a tribute to black Harlem artists who were responsible for a cultural revival of that time. As Johnson points out, the movie of that title should be focused on indomitability of segregated black artists who were able to lose themselves in ecstasies of escapist jazz songs and dance. Secondly, the movie proves to be a crime story rather than a musical. Thirdly, black artists are displayed as minor characters, whereas all the glory and attention go to the white protagonists, especially white jazz musician Dixie Dwyer and femme fatale Vera Cicero. The Cotton Club as an example of a nightclub was responsible for cultural revival in Harlem. Even though being responsible for segregation in Harlem, the club proved to be the place where many talented artists could perform and become famous overnight. It was the ultimate place where white audience could become familiar with Afro-American culture, for example by listening to Duke Ellingtons orchestra play jazz in the club. Furthermore, The Cotton Club was more than a jazz club; it was a scene for tap dancers, performers, singers, and other artists to show broader audience their work. In this way, The Cotton Club might be called the meeting place of white New Yorkers and African-American Harlem residents. The Great Depression brought about the end of phenomena called the Harlem Renaissance. The majority of clubs were closed; significant artists abandoned Harlem and moved to other states or headed for Europe. The great cultural revival was over. In addition, the end of Harlem Renaissance is marked with the end of prohibition. The nightlife lost its seductive glamour; the speakeasies ceased to be the meeting spots. Stock market crash had a bigger impact on Harlem than anyone would expect; everything seemed to be falling apart. The Cotton Club and Connies In were open during the great depression. What changed was the number of white clients increasing. The repeal of prohibition seemed to have more impact on Harlem nightlife than the depression itself.