An American Nightmare: Remembered Wrongs in 12 Years a Slave

Sub-cultural groups that depend on a historical account to validate their thoughts and practices may need to revise and repair those accounts as changing circumstances present new issues affecting them. The year 2013 gave us three movies that dealt with racism, mobility, and political action: Lee Daniels’ The Butler, 12 Years a Slave, and Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom. All based on autobiographical accounts of the real life experiences of the authors, they present a theme of contrast between brutal oppression and benign inclusion. The pattern differs from the popular version of the American Dream, and the movies are grim, provocative documents during a period of apparent African American progress and achievement.     

Not as a Stranger: Rooting for the Home Team in Invictus and The Infidel

Two recent movies, Invictus and The Infidel, concern finding ways to negotiate coexistence between intensely opposed subcultures and are used to expand the meaning of multiculturalism. New, emergent cultures that are universalistic, practical, and accommodative are among the many cultures that are given place amid the diversity of modern complex societies. Although purity of culture is often held up as a goal, the blending of cultures in search of daily survival and convenience remains valuable to modern people looking to define their identities.     

龙马图腾与华夏审美意识

李泽厚先生在其《美的历程》中，将“龙飞凤舞”喻为“在中国大地上高高飞扬着的史前期的两面光辉的、具有悠久历史传统的图嘴旗帜”。从烛阴、女娲的神怪传说，到甲骨文、金文中有角的龙蛇字样；从青铜器上的各式夔龙再到《周易》中的“飞龙在天”、“或饮于渊”、“见龙在田”，一直到汉代艺术中的人首蛇身诸形象，“龙”这一特殊的图嗨佯式以其神秘的力量长久地吸引、凝聚蕾华夏民族，乃至成为立国之象征。无独有偶。