Interpreting Popular Culture Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Interpreting Popular Culture Paper - Essay Example Invariably, as with most fairytales, there are indeed a myriad of different versions of Little Red Riding Hood; however, for a means of clarity and overall purpose of analysis, the forthcoming discussion will focus upon the least common denominator that is exhibited between all of these stories. This is of course the fact that a young girl meets a wolf/werewolf on the way to her grandmother’s to deliver food that her mother had prepared. Dressed in what can only be described as dainty attire, the beguiling creature attempts to ultimately trick her. In certain versions of the story the trick is successful and the wolf/werewolf eats the young girl. In other versions, the trick is unsuccessful and the girl is able to escape. However, regardless of the ending in question, the underlying moral and social representation that should be understood is one in which strong sexual overtones pervade this particular story and the importance of maintaining chastity and situational awareness are championed. One of the first elements that can and should be discussed in terms of Little Red Riding Hood and the sexual overtones that are represented throughout this story has to do with the detailed description of the little red cloak, the little red, or the little red coats that Little Red Riding Hood is claimed to wear in almost each and every variant of the tale. The importance of this symbol has to do with the fact that it ultimately represents the female hymen. As Little Red Riding Hood is depicted as a young, chaste, and ultimately your girl, the red tape that she wears is indicative of her nature and presents the analytical mind with a deeper level of understanding of the tale in terms of sleekness and sexual virtue. In many ways, it is somewhat surprising that such a painfully obvious illustration of human anatomy has gone unnoticed by countless generations of listeners, readers, and storytellers. Another core similarity that exists between almost all the variants

The Most Important Feature of Life in Mesopotamia Essay

The Most Important Feature of Life in Mesopotamia - Essay Example The domestication of plants and animals such as cattle in the area not only changed the lives of people living in the area, it also had the effect of dramatically changing the course of human history. In order to care for their herds of animals an crops, it was necessary for people to live in one place and this necessitated that there be a shift from a nomadic lifestyle to people now settling in villages (Moorey, 1-2). The numerous branches of the rivers Euphrates and Tigris made it possible for farming activities to be conducted in Mesopotamia. However, the region was prone to frequent flooding in addition to suffering from the effects of hot and dry climatic periods at certain times of the year that made it impossible to conduct farming activities. To tackle this problem, the Mesopotamians became the first people to attempt a large scale control of water via the use of an integrated system of reservoirs, dikes, aqueducts, drainage channels, and canals. The use of this waterway system enabled the inhabitants of this region to conduct farming activities all year round (Pollock 29-32). Farming had a great impact in the lives of Mesopotamians as it led to the development of cities as people settled down and stopped leading nomadic lifestyles. It also ensured that they enjoyed food security throughout the year and this allowed for them to find time to venture into developing other occupations such as art and pottery in addition to developing writing (Pollock 29-32). Another remarkable aspect of life in Mesopotamia is that civilization had a political governance system. The political governance system was formed around the Sumerian cities each of which formed its very own city-state that was mainly composed of the city and the entire farmland that surrounded it (Hansen, 117).  Ã‚