Raffi and Revolution Since 16th century Armenia went through many literary periods that reflected socio-political and economical situation of Armenian. Raffi, one of the best authors of the 19th centaury, is considered one of the scholars of the Armenian awakening movement. Whether he was or not, no one can doubt that Raffi was a unique and a genius author. He traveled almost all Armenian providences in Persia and Turkey, so he was able to interpret the need of the Armenians and collected literary ideas for his work. Raffi was from the people and for the people. The beginning of his literary career dates to the late 1850s. Later, Krikor Ardzruni appointed him as the editor of the “Mshag” Newspaper. The end of the 19th century became the period where Raffi hit his …show more content…
There has been doubt that Raffi wanted to be a movement leader; however, Raffi’s detailed and rich works, specifically “Samuel” and “the fool”, made me feel that he considered becoming a movement leader because he was clearly drawing an outline for the ideology of future Armenia. Raffi, according to About Murad Meneshian, inspired many of the founders of the political parties such as ARF’s Krisdapor Mekalian; nevertheless, Raffi was not a member of any of the growing political parties of Western Armenia. On the other hand, Meneshian believes there is evidence that Raffi cooperated with Pashpan Hayreniats, a society the purpose of which was arming the inhabitants for defense against any future attacks by Turks, Kurds, and Circassians. It is also believed that the society’s emblem and oath “Azatutiun Gam Mah” (Liberty or Death) was created by Raffi and Arstruni. In short, it is unclear that Raffi was a leader of a movement, but there is no doubt that Raffi was a reason and motivator to the awaking of the patriotic soul of many Armenians citizens and
Fenn has used some first person’s phrases in this book, so she can give her opinion about certain topics. However, it’s quite fascinating to many of us because many authors usually avoid using first person’s phrases in their book. There are so many pictures about Mandan’s people are included in this book with a caption, it can help a reader to experience each situation visually for better understanding. The tone of this book is very formal and proper by the way Fenn have includes her experience in the beginning of this book. In the Encounters at the Heart of the World, Fenn’s writing style is very clear and concise at the same time because every topic in this book has been discussed very efficiently. However, the climax of the book nearly end during epidemic of 1837/38, which is quite early in terms of Mandan’s history. “The winter of 1836-37 was especially difficult. The summer had been disheartening. Twenty-eight warriors and the war chief wounded”. This book takes a reader to a transition of a successful centuries to dominance by the
It is possible to understand certain pieces of literature outside its historical context; however, it is more beneficial if the reader has background knowledge. Taha Muhammad Ali was a Palestinian poet that was born in 1931. He grew up in Saffuriya, Galilee which is located in the Middle East. Ali was self-taught through his readings of classical Arabic literature, American fiction, and English poetry. Ali then began to write poems in the 1970s. He wrote a poem entitled “Meeting at an Airport” which is based on his personal experiences. Without knowing his background information and history, it is unclear about what exactly is meant by this poem. This piece of literature elicits the sense of reconnection and the exact same feelings for each other just like the first time they met. In the poem, “Meeting at an Airport” written by Taha Muhammad Ali, historical context is needed to understand this piece because it emphasizes the theme, the purpose of the poem, and establishes credibility (“Poetry Foundation”).
The French Revolution was a period of social and political turmoil in France from 1789 to 1799 that greatly affected modern and French history. It marked the decline of powerful monarchies and the rise of democracy, individual rights and nationalism. This revolution came with many consequences because of the strive for power and wealth, but also had many influential leaders attempting to initiate change in the French government and the economy. In 1789 the people of France dismissed King Louis XVI of his title, took apart his monarchy and executed him, his wife Marie Antoinette and thousands of nobles. The French set up a new system of government with specific revolutionary ideals, including liberty, equality and fraternity. This was a
During the 1900’s the Russian Government made it extremely hard for the Bolsheviks to progress which made them revolt against the government making this a prime matter for the start of the Revolution. The Czarist government was ostracized by the common people of Russia so Tsar Nicholas II was overthrown by the Provisional Government, whom later on were overthrown by Lenin and shortly after the Bolsheviks took control over Russia. Russia was hard to develop because of the major leaders who had control; Lenin, Stalin, Trotsky. Almost overnight an entire society was destroyed and replaced with one of the most radical social experiments ever seen. Poverty, crime, privileged and class-divisions were to be eliminated, a new era of socialism
Analyze the extent to which these values and purposes were transformed and challenged over time.
The excepted social theory of civilization’s social process was made by the scientists Adam Smith, John Millar, Adam Ferguson, and lastly Lord Kames. This social theory was that there were many levels of civility in a society. These levels were hunting, pasturage, agriculture, and commerce. One example of the first level which is hunting is the the Native Americans. The excepted social process is that a country was to go through all of these levels by starting out on hunting and eventually the society would mature and work its way up to the point of being a commercially based society. Now this process helped shaped the colonies culture of “civility” because the colonists were never hunters. When the colonists got to the North America
The Rugmaker of Mazar-E-Sharif Conflict by Najaf Mazari and Robert Tillman is a novel about Najaf's memoir of having to live with conflict and of enduring its in-depth consequences. Melbourne-based fiction writer and biographer Robert Hillman helps Najaf tell his story and also the representation of the author in the novel. Hillman's collaboration with Najaf on The Rugmaker of Mazar-e-Sharif continues Zar-e-Sharif his literary preoccupation with the hardships and triumphs of ordinary people caught up in war and political unrest. The background of the book depicts Najaf's homeland that has a long history of violent and bitter armed conflict that spans centuries. This is partly due to the region's geography. As Najaf says, 'just look at the location of Afghanistan on a map of Asia and the Middle East, with neighbors' and near-neighbors' like Russia, Pakistan and Iran' (p.34). The area has enormous geographical and strategic significance. Foreign powers, from the ancient Macedonians through to the colonial British and communist Russians, have striven to secure territory or allies there, with little regard for the desires of the local people. This essay will give us an analysis of The Rugmaker of Mazar-E-Sharif's characters Najaf Mazari, and Gorg Aliant plus the plot of the book. The Rugmaker of Mazar-e-Sharif traces an Afghani refugee's extraordinary journey from his early life as a shepherd boy in the mountains of Northern
Although it is centered around the 1978 Iranian revolution, Roy Mottahedeh’s book, The Mantle of the prophet, looks at the various social, religious, and political factors within Iranian history. The main character of the book is a young mullah named Ali Hashemi, a fictional character, who’s story and persona is based on an anonymous person’s life. The chapters of the book are broken up into two distinct voices the first being Ali, who narrates his own story, and the other being the author, who implements aspects of Iranian history which help the reader generate a greater understanding of the stories principle characters. Mottahedehs goal of the book is to articulate what it exactly meant to be Iranian in the 20th century. Mottahedeh’s, Mantle of the Prophet, succeeds in its ability to provide the reader with an understanding of how traditional Shiism, the madreseh education, and Islamic mysticism intertwined to shape Iranian society into its modern state.
Iran’s conflict between modernism and fundamentalism can be seen in the novel’s focus on the political prisoners. Marji encounters various men that were incarcerated for holding extreme leftist views, including her uncle, and the consequences they faced. In the chapter “The Heroes” Marji is exposed to the various torture methods induced to make the prisoners betray others who shared their discontent. This can be seen when Marji’s father asks about Ahmadi and Siamk, the newly freed prisoner, tells them, “… Ahmadi was assassinated. As a member of the guerrillas, he suffered hell” (54). In making this comment, Ahmadi shows the intensity with which fierce opponents were persecuted. Additionally, the never ending arrests and deaths of these political opponents show the
Liang Heng and Judith Shapiro's "Son of the Revolution" is a comprehensive story of Liang Heng's life on growing up during the chaotic times of the Chinese revolution. The purpose of this novel was to depict the horrors and hardships of life during the revolution period in china during Mao Zedong's reign. In the beginning of the book, the author portrays that news and ideologies always stated that the government was working for the good of the people of the country. However, as the book unfolds the author reveals that the government is actually exploiting the people through misuse of people's trust. The book also provides insights into the Chinese life during the period of 1954-1978. This 24 year period saw major
The conditions in Afghanistan created upon the Russian invasion caused much pain and suffering to the citizens of the country. In Khaled Hosseini’s “The Kite Runner,” the consequences of this invasion created a harsh environment for the children and adults of Afghanistan. This environment created the development of mental disorders in Amir, Assef, and Sohrab throughout the novel. By examining the mental disorders such as Narcissistic disorder in Assef, the antisocial disorder in Amir and the adjustment disorder in Sohrab, it will be shown how the events in Afghanistan contribute to these characters mental problems.
to get all the power of France. It should also be said that not all the nobles
“The story of post-revolutionary America,” writes Rosemarie Zagarri, “is the story of how American women and men sought to define – and ultimately to limit and restrict – the expansive ideals they had so successfully deployed against Britain.” In this excerpt from Revolutionary Backlash, Zagarri depicts the extreme radicalism of the American Revolution, while also suggesting that there were some constraints to its extremism. Unlike the normal way of life in European government and society, Americans desired a nation in which the inherent rights and freedoms of individuals were recognized and respected. While these rights and freedoms were ultimately achieved, many groups of people were still left out. Women of all kinds, people of color,
The emergence of the Islamic Republic in late 1970’s Iran demonstrates how middle class Iranian people purged themselves of the Pahlavi Dynasty in an effort to continue down a more righteous and egalitarian path. As a result, the country underwent a complete social upheaval and in its place grew an overtly oppressive regime based in theoretical omnipotence. In response to this regime, the very structure of political and social life was shaken and fundamentally transformed as religion and politics became inexorable. As a result, gender roles and the battle between public and private life were redrawn. Using various primary and secondary sources I will show how the Revolution shaped secular middle class Iranians. Further, I will show how the
Taking place in the late 1970’s, Marjane Satrapi’s “Persepolis” exemplifies a profound illustration of the county of Iran, including aspects of its people and political structure. Unlike a conventional composed novel, the story of Persepolis is expressed through both textual and visual representation; otherwise known as a graphic novel. Through the experiences of the ten-year old character Marjane, the reader is exposed to historical events, movements, crises, and motives that occurred within Iran. Furthermore, the novel has gained much praise in its portrayal of emotions that occurred through the people of Iran. Although there has been tremendous support of the account of Marjane, there have been a few critics of the novel, attacking its overall literary value. For instance, New York’s Ithaca College student paper called The Ithacan, slammed the role Persepolis had on the literary society. In fact, they went as far to say that the novel “...is worth broaching but its literary value, in terms of building vocabulary and furthering comprehension, falls short.” An absurd statement, to say the least. Not only is Persepolis of literary value, it is a glimpse into the past. It allows the reader to understand the various conflicts that the people of Iran were facing. Through the account of Marjane, the audience is exposed to elements of Iranian history, gender roles, religion, and political fluctuation.