The Regulation of Prostitution Essay Example for Free

The Regulation of Prostitution Essay Prostitution is defined, as a person who engages in sexual acts for money. Although the extreme long-term effects of decriminalized prostitution are not certain, the short-term effects have been economically beneficial. This is a controversial issue because many people feel that prostitution is immoral. Religions, such as Christianity, look down on this issue claiming it sinful. According to religious beliefs, sex should be performed only between a husband and wife. The idea of prostitution becoming legal intimidates some people because they feel it will have a negative impact on the United States. The divorce rate, the spread of HIV/STDs, and the American perception of moral values will supposedly be affected according to these people. Prostitution should be legal because it would help America with its economic disaster, it would also provide jobs, support families, and reduce crime. To truly explain the reason for prostitutions illegalities one has to touch upon the history of the American society itself. Most of the early English settlers were Anabaptists, who made up the largest number of religionists among the colonists. They brought with them a dynamic form of pietistic (having reverence and love for God) perfectionism that was a cornerstone of American civilization (Pivar 18). The concept of prostitution was foreign to the new American culture. England, on the other hand, has a history of experimenting with prostitution. During the twelfth century Henry II gained the credit for legalizing prostitution into England on a grand scale (15). Regardless of his effort, his opinions did not agree with yeoman farmers (A farmer who cultivates his own land) and London merchants. They resisted this policy. 1381 is quoted as â€Å"Perhaps one of the most influential moments in English history† (Anonymous). In the early summer of 1381, a group of people from the lower class came together to take part in the first and only true agrarian revolt, or a rebellion that involved the people of the land, against the government. During the passion of their rebellion, the rebellious destroyed the brothels (licensed sex houses) on the outskirts of London, resisting the Council’s attempts to introduce licensed brothels into the city (Pivar 15). The legalization of prostitution was constantly under attack by the Puritans, and after an epidemic spread of a treacherous disease, syphilis, Henry VIII withdrew state authorization for legalized vice, or prostitution. During the early nineteenth century, an amazing wave of social improvement crashed upon the shores of the American society. Morality was not to be regulated by outside sources of authorities enforcing the law, but rather from an internalized morality that gave strength to the individual in his fight with temptation (Pivar 25). Most English- speaking countries viewed prostitution as evil and it should be suppressed. Middle–class women played a significant role in the anti-prostitution movement, arguing that prostitution is sexual slavery, it threatens family life, and prostitutes are principal carriers of venereal disease. Before 1900 most legislation dealing with prostitution sought merely to control it. After World War 1, usually considered the end of the Progressive era (the era of America’s reform), the goal was to stamp it out completely (Adams). Between 1900 and 1918, more than forty vice (refers to crimes or offenses of an allegedly moral nature) commissions recommended eliminating urban sex districts. In 1909, Iowa was the first of some thirty states that passed red-light abatement laws permit citizens to obtain injunction and close buildings promoting commercial sex (Gilfoyle). By the 1920’s the era of the brothel and open prostitution had ended, and considerable Municipal officials grow less tolerant of prostitution as a whole. Changes emerged over the next four decades that sent prostitution plummeting, from brothels (prostitution establishments), to having them conduct their business in tenement (apartments), dance halls, massage parlors, â€Å"call houses,† and even taxi caps (Gilfoyle). During Prohibition, prostitution developed closer ties with the alcohol trade and organized crime, giving it an even worse reputation. During 1950 and 1951 many prostitutes were forced to work alone. Considering the conditions, the â€Å"Street Walker† prostitute became pray for many of societies psychos. The Customers (also known as a johns or tricks), the pimps, and any other neighborhood scum became a daily obstacle. Even the police were considered a hazard since prostitution was illegal. With no one to protect them, prostitutes had to avoid being robbed, stabbed, shot, raped, harassed, and jailed by police officers if they did not get a â€Å"freebie†. But in all actuality, no one can expect prostitution to vanish completely. It is considered â€Å"The oldest profession in the book†. No benefits, no sick days, and the work sucks, but what job is a great job? Flipping burgers for five dollars an hour compared to five hundred dollars a night. Prostitution is considered a high-risk profession, but what profession isn’t at high risk. If someone wants to run into a burning building for a living, it’s his or her right. From time to time a few people made noise about changing U.S. prostitution laws. The best known is Margo St. James, a college educated prostitute, whose hooker – rights organization COYOTE (Call Off Your Old Tired Ethics) surfaced in 1973 (Adams 3). She argued that prostitution laws gave the cops an excuse to harass women; prosecution of their male customers was far less frequent. Margo St. James and her supporters attracted their share of feminist allies, who felt that a woman’s right to control her body included the right to rent it out. Prostitutes themselves grew more assertive, similar organizations followed in other states. St. James and her supporters defended prostitution as a privacy issue, demanding that it be accepted as legitimate women’s work (Gilfoyle). Today, in 49 of America’s 50, states prostitution is an illegal misdemeanor crime punishable by a fine and a short stretch in jail. Only in parts of Nevada is it legal, organized, and regulated. All Nevada counties except the biggest one, Clark County that contains Las Vegas, are allowed to legalize and regulate brothels, houses of prostitution. According to Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia, incorporated towns and cities in counties that allow prostitution may regulate the trade further or prohibit it altogether. Most sex-workers who work in states where prostitution is illegal, work for different reasons but they are the most common amongst prostitutes. Some sex-workers work because they are poor, hungry, uneducated, and too under skilled to get a job in a society that requires a minimum high school education. Some sex-workers work because their addition to drugs prevent them from getting a legal job. The money that they do earn is quick cash, and is normally used to support their habit. Some prostitutes are forced into the role by a dept, pimp, or abusive spouse. Other sex-workers realize they can make more money in one night compared to putting in forty hours a week at most places they could get employment. The legalization and regulation of prostitution would be highly profitable and economically beneficial to the United States. Without the twenty-first century anti- prostitution laws, the oldest profession in the book could become a taxable, clean, and safe occupation. If legalized the enormous amount of money spent each year on prostitution prevention could be spent on more urgent issues such as programs to help women who are beaten by their spouses, rehab for female drug abusers, or women shelters. Instead of oppressing prostitution and spending millions of dollars a year on prevention, the American government should support it and use the profits in a wise and useful manner. If brothels and prostitutes were to be taxed like any other place of business, millions of extra revenue dollars would become available. Another benefit to legalizing prostitution, is that the profession could become a healthy, publicly sanctioned place of business. Since American laws can never permanently prevent prostitution, it would make sense to make it as safe and healthy as possible. During a 20/20 interview with Joe McNamara, a former police chief of Kansas and San Jose, stated that â€Å"The law makes [prostitution] a lot worse [than it is]. It drives up the potential for corruption and it invites violence† (20/20). If sex work were to be legalized it would then become monitored and protected by law, preventing violence amongst sex workers. With prostitutes and police officers on the same side of the law, the communication could be helpful in the prevention of a crime or arrest of a crime offender. As far as health issues are concerned, legalizing sex work would be the most logical idea in the prevention of the spread of HIV/STDs. Nevada, the only American state that allows brothel prostitution, has state mandatory policies preventing the spread of diseases that would work nationally. According to Wikipedia encyclopedia, state law requires that registered brothel prostitutes be checked weekly for several sexually transmitted diseases and monthly for HIV; furthermore, condoms are mandatory for all oral sex and sexual intercourse. Brothel owners may be held liable if customers become infected with HIV after a prostitute has tested positive for the virus. Legalizing prostitution is economically profitable for governments in need of financial resources. The anti-prostitution laws, which are intended to help the prostitutes and society, instead force prostitution underground where women are in the most danger. Without these anti- prostitution laws, prostitution could become a healthy and safe occupation for the willing; due to the fact that prostitution and the law would be on the same side. Present day prostitution laws are unconstitutional and should be abolished because of their unconstitutional nature. Works Cited Adams, Cecil. â€Å"Why is Prostitution illegal?† Straight Dope. Jan 14, 2000. 2 Dec. 2004. Anonymous Author. â€Å"The English Peasants’ Revolt of 1381†. http://www.wiu.edu/users/isb100/revolt1381.pdf Gilfoyle, Timothy J. â€Å"Prostitution† Reader’s Companion to American History 3 Dec. 2004. Jenness, Valerie. â€Å"The Prostitutes’ Right Movement in Perspective.† Making It Work. New York, New York: Walter de Gruyter, Inc. 1993. Pivar, David J. â€Å"The Genesis of Purity Reform.† Purity Crusade. Westport, Conn./ London, England: Greenwood Press, Inc, 1973, 13-49. 20/20. â€Å"Sex for Sale.† Should Prostitution be legal in America? ABC. 1997 http://www.20/20.com

CAD for Electromagnetic Devices Laboratory Exercise

CAD for Electromagnetic Devices Laboratory Exercise An introduction to numerical modelling techniques for electromagnetic problems using finite element analysis Contents 2. Introduction 3. Simulation Results 3.1 Electric Potential 3.2 Magnetic Flux Density 3.3 Magnetic Flux Density For Single Conductor 3.4 Finite Difference vs Finite Element 3.5 Comb Drive Micro Actuator 3.6 Magnetic Circuit 4. Discussion Finite element analysis (FEA) is the modelling of products and systems in a virtual environment, for the purpose of solving potential (or existing) structural or performance issues. (1) FEA is the practical application of the finite element method (FEM), a numerical technique for approximating solutions to boundary value problems for partial differential equations (2) which cannot be solved analytically. This method works by separating a large system into smaller parts called finite elements, known as discretization (3). The simple equations governing these finite elements are accumulated to form an overall system of equations for the problem, which FEM uses to approximate a solution. Computational Electromagnetics is the process of modelling the interaction of electromagnetic fields with physical objects and the environment. (4) The electromagnetic analysis that this involves is based on solving Maxwells equations subject to given boundary conditions. Maxwells equations can be expressed in general differential form and therefore the solutions to electromagnetic problems governed by these equations can be modelled and solved using FEM. (5) The electromagnetic problems outlined in this report have been modelled and approximated in two-dimensional space using the finite element program pdetool in MatLab. This is done through the use of linear triangular elements. 3.1 Electric Potential The aim of this experiment was to model the electric potential between two circular metallic conductors of radius 30 cm and centre distance 120cm. The left and right conductors were subject to Dirichlet boundary conditions and given potentials of 1 and -1 respectively. The enclosed area was modelled using the Neumann boundary condition (6) and the current source set to 0. The following model was observed: The purple to blue shading demonstrates the varying electric potential across the model, with V = 0 at the midpoint of the two conductors as anticipated due to the equation†¦ The electric field is visualised through the red arrows, confirming the expectation that the current would flow from the positively charged conductor to the negatively charged conductor. 3.2 Magnetic Flux Density This experiment aimed to model the magnetic field between two cylindrical, current-carrying conductors of radius 5cm and centre distance of 60cm. The magnetic permeability of both conductors was set to and the current density set to 1 and -1 respectively. The enclosed area was modelled using Dirichlet boundary conditions with magnetic potential set to 0, and the magnetic potential and current density set to and 0 correspondingly. The following model was observed: The red arrows show the direction of the magnetic field at certain points, while the shading demonstrates the magnitude of the magnetic flux density, clearly highlighting that the strength of magnetic flux decreases with distance away from the conductors. The current in each conductor is given by the equation , where J is the current density and A is the cross sectional area of the conductor. Using this equation yields a current of 7.85mA for the left conductor and -7.85mA for the right conductor. 3.3 Magnetic Flux Density For Single Conductor The experiment from 3.2 was then replicated using a single, circular, current-carrying conductor of radius 0.2cm. The boundary conditions for the enclosed area remained the same while, for the conductor, magnetic permeability was set to and current density to 1. The following model was observed: The magnetic flux density was then measured from the FEM model for a number of distances and compared with results calculated from theory; this comparison can be found in table 1 below. 3.4 Finite Difference vs Finite Element For this electrostatic model, a 16cm x 12cm square was plotted to represent four electric diodes of differing electric potential, shown in figure 4. The dielectric permittivity of the electric diodes was set to 1 and the electric potential and electric field for the system was modelled as shown below: The variation of electric field between the positive and negative diodes is represented through the shading and the electric field lines are shown in black. Values for the electric potential at particular geometric coordinates were then measured from the FEM model and compared against the results calculated from FDM; this comparison can be found in table 2. 3.5 Comb Drive Micro Actuator This experiment aimed to model the electric field distribution of a voltage controlled, comb-drive, electrostatic micro-actuator, consisting of a movable comb and a fixed comb, with the latter containing four fingers. The dimensions of the comb were specified as follows: w=1, d=1, dl=0.6 and Lc=3 (all figures are in mm) and explained through figure 6: The movable comb was given a potential of 5V and the fixed comb a potential of -5V to simulate a 10V applied voltage. The electric potential of the enclosed area was set to 0 and the space charge density to 0 as well. The following model, demonstrating electric field distribution, was observed: 3.6 Magnetic Circuit A model for an electromagnet was created as shown in figure 8 below: The magnetic permeability of the iron was set to 500 and current density 0. The coil was represented in the model by two rectangles either side of where the coil appears in figure 6, one with positive and one with negative current density. Given that the current in the coil is 10 A-turns, the current density is given by the equation, where A is equal to the area of the approximated coil. The magnetic permeability of both the coil and the enclosed area were set to and models for the magnetic flux density and magnetic field were achieved. These are shown below: The experiment was then altered to model the effects of the coil if the material of the magnet was plastic, with a relative permeability of 1, and therefore the magnetic permeability of the magnet was set to . All the other values remained constant. The magnetic flux density and magnetic field were then found and are shown below:

Observation Essay †The Clown -- Observation Essays

Observation Essay – The Clown He’s a young man, the clown, with white socks striped in black, and black suspenders over a white T-shirt. White face, red nose. His MO is to follow people and imitate their motion without their noticing, to the glee of the sizeable, ever-changing audience. We’re sitting here on the steps of the Museum, hot and sweaty, watching the show. The clown can follow anyone: a slinky woman wearing pink ruffles, a kid with a mountain bike, a muscle-shirted dude talking Spanish on a cell phone, an old man walking his schnauzer, a big gray pigeon bobbing this way and that in search of food, and then taking flight. Now he slides behind high-school girlfriends, floppy-sandaled flirts leaning toward each other and flinging back their hair with unthinking charm, the clown their vampy shadow. When he bids them goodbye, he flourishes a soft, velvet-bodied top hat, and you can see his head is shaven, except for a forelock. Now he’s got a routine with a bottle of water. It’s stuck in his mouth and silently he implores a guy to get it out for him. He has a way of getting sudden spurts of water to cascade from it, while he looks surprised and delighted at once. I have persuaded my friend Kati to leave me here for an hour in the afternoon sun while she completes her tour of the Impressionists inside. She’s in New York this once, visiting from Hungary, while I live in Philadelphia and can come back any time I choose. I became hot and dizzy while standing on a Rouen street, basking in the sun before Monet’s Cathedral. A red tide rose inside my eyeballs. Kati found me clinging to a bench in front of Seurat’s Circus Sideshow and hauled me off to the Ladies’ Room, where she sprinkled cool water on my neck an... ...e gently, informing me that I have a virus, melodramatic old fool that I am. The clown has taken his place at the foot of the stairs and conducts us spectators like an orchestra, getting us to applaud in counterpoint. Then he mimes a family, three kids, all of whom need to eat and drink, and proffers his floppy hat for our sustenance. When I hold out two dollars, he comes over and mimes opening the doors of his chest, so that the heart within flutters out to me. Kati comes and we head home, our minds full of the art we saw today. As I rise from my spot on the steps, I see the clown shadow a man walking six dogs all at once, working his body back and forth on the leash of the unruliest, a sheep-dog. Then he takes a bottle of water offered by a vendor and puts it in his ear. Water squirts from his mouth, and he smiles, looking briefly skyward, one hand on his hip.

FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND :: essays papers

FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND Tears rolled down my face as I tried to smile. Prolonging the dreaded good-bye, I kept busy organizing the small stuff in her new home. Her home with out me. It was one of those moments I anticipated but would not accept the reality until the time finally came. I had never been good with good-byes. An hour later, my dad looked at me and I knew this time we were leaving. I had given her a hug without looking at her and we whispered I love you’s to each other. She was having a hard enough time leaving everything behind so I wanted to stay strong for her. I wanted to stay. Walking from that dorm room felt like I was saying good-bye to my very best friend. As I reached the car and we drove off I began to cry, trying hard not to let my dad see. I did not want to talk about it. Through life, many people turn away but family is always there. When you are away from the ones that mean the most to you, it is then when you realize how much they mean to you. Just like the old saying goes, â€Å"absence makes the heart grow fonder†. I found this saying to be true when my oldest and only sister moved away for the first time to go to college. Losing one mom was hard enough but when I had to say goodbye to my second I thought I was going to die. On March 12, 1992 my mother passed away of acute leukemia and my older sister moved up in the family tree. She became my mother, my sister, and my best friend. When she left, it was hard to imagine life without her around. We seem to be the perfect age apart to completely understand each other. She is the person who keeps me going. She is my conscience and role model. She teaches me everyday to live and learn and always try my best. My friends and father all mean so much to me but whenever anything goes wrong my very first reaction is â€Å"What will Allison think? What would she say?† In 1936, many say that 14 year-old Mary Stevenson wrote the poem

Busting Bureaucracy with Radical Management: Forbes Magazine Article Cr

Busting Bureaucracy with Radical Management: Forbes Magazine Article Critique The article written by Steve Denning is covered in Forbes magazine to display the innovative and forward thinking studies that delves into why the Max Weber structure of management fails in today's management model (Daniels, 2010). The article is not complex and does not create a new basis, but rather reconstitutes the six bureaucratic principals developed by Weber in the early 1900’s (Daniels, 2010). With the six principals as a solid foundation, Denning (2011) explains and proves a modern fit, custom tailored, model of management for the 21st century. Statement of the Problem Since the early 1900’s the principals of the bureaucratic management structure have been bred into all white-collar hotshots. This type of management model was ideal with respect to the economical and social environment of that time period. While Webers six principals have stayed the same, the economical and social environment has changed exponentially in time with our societies’ technological advances (Dennings, 2011). With a new society, what was feasible in the 1900’s does not sit well in the 21st century. This type of management hinders rather than helps, for example, Jones (2010) explains, that an over-developed bureaucracy can delay decision-making procedures and increase costs due to a tall and centralized type of hierarchy structure in an organization. When there is a multilayered wall of officialdom between the problem and the solution, this waste of time and causes unneeded corporate stress. Moreover, Denning states that the default mental model o f management is not conducive for the once successful bureaucratic management methods (Forbes, 2011). Descripti... ...lateau with their shareholders or managers. Either way, there are a vast amount of inconclusive variables that could have accounted for the drastic display of data over the ten-year span. Works Cited Denning, S. (2011). Busting Bureaucracy with Radical Management | Management Innovation eXchange. Hack Management 2.0 | Management Innovation eXchange. Retrieved May 5, 2012, from http://www.managementexchange.com/blog/busting-bureaucracy-radical- management Jones, G. (2010). Organizational, Theory, Design, and Change. Upper Saddle River: Pearson. (Original work published 2001) The MIX: Busting Bureaucracy with Radical Management - Forbes. (2011). Information for the World's Business Leaders - Forbes.com. Retrieved May 5, 2012, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/stevedenning/2011/12/05/the-mix-busting-bureaucracy- with-radical-management/

A Sociological Review of Marketing Molly and Melville: Dating in a Post-modern, Consumer Society

From the late 1980s, more and more commodities were being marketed with increasingly number of customers, women and men. This could be a new phenomenon that people wanted to make they look better to catch the fast-developing world and consumer society. Thousands of heterosexuals dating advertisements, like from magazines and newspapers, so they need improve their qualifications that will be described in the advertisements to attract the isomerism. In this point, men and women got different ways to presenting themselves like Jagger said in her article: â€Å"†¦ In describing the self, women were more likely to stress their appearance, whereas men were more likely to emphasise their finical and educational status and occupation, consistent with traditional ‘sex-role' expectations. † (Jagger 2001) It is true that the way people developing new relationships were depending on selective consumption by others, so dating advertisements are chances for people can represent themselves. Therefore the words ‘masculinity' and ‘femininity' became very important, because the changing meanings of them were part of the consumer society and new definition of self-identity. Men and women are more equally likely to market their bodies when advertising the self and seemed both sex had paid more attention to lifestyle but not work-place or domestic stuff. Like Jagger argued in her article, that major social transformations nearly has been done during the 20-century, along with the rise of media and advertising, the foundation of consumer culture has been established. Based on this new social culture, identities of individual has been described by the way of leisure and consumption much more than work and production, and the changed meaning of self-worth which is a very important factor while advertising a unitary self. Femininity and Masculinity in a Post-modern Society It has been argued in Jagger's article that ‘femininity' and ‘masculinity' were to describer women and men typically since long time ago. Women used to be identified as emotional, caring, domestically, and always should make themselves look beautiful as objectives in men's gaze. These analyses are consistent to the self-identity of women in advertising, majority of the women are more likely to stress their physical attractiveness but not something else. Yet this view of subordinate femininity was re-appraised in the 1980s as stereotyped social identity, people think that consumer culture provided women much more important resources of being an individual new feminine self than before. That means woman should have more opportunity to work, live, or even play with their personal identity and take pleasure of making different roles and masks, to do whatever they wanted equitable. As Jagger pointed out, however, Being a ‘professional', ‘independent', ‘career' woman have been identified. In sharp contrast to the old terrain of domestic femininity, these ‘new women', are held to do things for their own satisfaction and gratification, not merely to attract and keep a man. † (Jagger 2001) In other side, the contemporary debate on men and masculinity has been suggested that it is no longer a simple unitary male identity. Traditionally, men have been identified as ‘strong', ‘brave', ‘responsible', and usually deal with some hard and dangerous social work. This view of identity determined that men have to be cool and cold. Thus caused this kind of characters become very popular in women. For example, ROBOCOP, ROCKY and RAMBO, these were some images of ‘hard-man'; even all of them are violent. Since 1990s, however, this identify of men has been challenged by the value of ‘new man', who is warmer, softer, and more emotional. They being required not only be a worker or even a successful businessman, but also should take at least half of the domestic responsibility as a good father and a good husband. Moreover, muscles now understood as sexy sign of male but not the symbol of working class and rough person. More and more men with masculinity wanted to be enjoyed by female viewer as objectives in the new order of the consumer society. â€Å"It is clamed, therefore, men have become embodied subject, enjoying the same kind of attention that in the past was the preserve of women. † (Jagger 2001) Although the fast-developing consumer society provided both men and women resources of self-identity, required them to change the gender stereotypes, there are still a lot of problems. Some researchers consider that the power of traditional culture still strong or even more signifies. Both men and women are influenced by this cultural ideal. In one hand, it has been argued that a more limited number of the female advertisers still emphasise their physical attractiveness, their caring and ability to listen when representing themselves. A ‘professional', ‘successful' woman always was proved negative and ‘masculine'. Many solutions have been used for fix the problem. Some women construct themselves as mixed subjects that means they can be a good housewives and holding a demanding job at the same time. Also some female advertisers construct themselves in characters that borrowed from media, or describe the appearance of their body directly. It is a truth that many women have been advised by the media for how to be a ‘new femininity' and what that kind of women might look like, identified as subject of gaze. However, these ‘new femininities' did not walk too far from the old notion. They continue to represent themselves in a relatively limited number of images of female selfhood, particularly with regard to their bodies. In the other hand, it seems that masculinity takes many forms to the extent that men produced more versions of the self than women did. Some of them represent themselves as hard working, successful and some others even emphasise their bodies. This could prove that the consumer society paid more attention to the consumption market, which decided that the male's body also could be the ‘product' being sold. But there are small number of ‘new man' that we can not lose sight of: â€Å"For instance, some men constructed themselves as caring, sharing, 'emotional' and ‘sensitive' individuals, anxious to share in the joy of domesticity. † (Jagger 2001) This consist with the ‘trait' of consumer society, which apply the masculine subjectivity is complex and multiple, not just unitary. Therefore, as Jagger considered, there are diverse way of being a man, in this complex and multiple post-modern worlds. CONCLUSION: Dating in a post-modern, consumer society through advertisement could be a good experience of self-identify and representing. The consumer culture has provided individuals some important resources for women and men, but it seems that these resources are not equally available to all of them. Although the meaning of ‘femininity' and ‘masculinity' are changing a lot to fit the consumer culture, women still got more problems when dealing with the new setting of social conditions than these to men. Actually, women become more independent and men become more sensitive nowadays, and both of these changes are relatively to the contemporary consumer culture, which gives people more opportunities to identify themselves. All of these ideas have been critically discussed in Jagger's article, which she gives some nice suggestion to people about self-identity and play diversity roles in this consumer society. Not only for advertisers, but also for all of us who care about ourselves.

Critical analysis of Bob Dylan’s song “Hurricane” Essay

Bob Dylan’s iconic songwriting, unique and distinctive singing voice, as well as his controversial and thought-provoking lyrics has undoubtedly placed Dylan among the elites of modern, American musical history. This is not to say there are those who dislike and generally do not care for his songwriting, but almost everyone has come in contact with his expansive body of work. Born Robert Allen Zimmerman in 1941 in Duluth, Minnesota, he moved to New York City in 1961 and legally changed his name to Bob Dylan in 1962. In the onset of his career Dylan focused on politically charged themes and acoustic/folk type guitar playing. Protest songs written in the 1960’s established a reputation as a free-thinking songwriter engrossed in the trials and tribulations of the times. After a break from this style, his 1976 album Desire contained the eight and a half minute mega-track â€Å"Hurricane,† which saw a return to the societal-minded songwriting that had helped him make h is name. â€Å"Hurricane,† is a narrative that describes Dylan’s own account of the events in New Jersey bar in June of 1966, which lead to the arrest and imprisonment of Rubin â€Å"Hurricane† Carter, an American middle-weight boxer. Although this is one of his most popular songs, Dylan no longer incorporates it in his live sets. Also, despite its popularity, â€Å"Hurricane,† is truly a masterpiece and a wonderful lens with which to examine this great artist’s literary style and influence. Through the exploration of several critics’ analysis coupled with a detailed examination of the actual song lyrics, it is clear that the song â€Å"Hurricane† by Bob Dylan intertwines modern social elements of race and equity, the literary aspects of genre, language and metaphor, and his own unique and individualistic songwriting that has established him on a plateau of excellence rivaled by no other modern artist. The racial aspects of the song ring out louder than any other theme. Upon listening to the song, Dylan’s emotionally charged singing and sharp lyrics clearly display that fact that Rubin Carter’s skin color had a major influence in his arrest and conviction. This, of course, is just Bob Dylan’s interpretation however. Evan Schlansky, a critic from American Songwriter.com, explores the issue of race and social equity in his analysis. ‘†Hurricane† functions like a real live detective story. It’s a song that peppers the listener with rich details and impolite truths, many  of which are enough to make the hairs at the back of your neck stand up’ (Schlansky, 1). Paterson, New Jersey in the 1960’s was a hotbed of racism and racial issues, and the lyrics explain the direness of the situation. Dylan sings, â€Å"In Paterson that’s just the way things go/If you’re black you might as well not show up on the street, ‘less you wanna draw the heat† (Metrolyrics.com, 1). Dylan is obviously critiquing the law enforcement and judiciary system, as well as striking a chord with racial and political activists everywhere. As mentioned before, Bob Dylan’s songwriting as always been poignant and controversial and although this song was released ten years after the incident, its themes are just as true. He lays blame on society’s elite with the lines, â€Å"And though they could not produce the gun, the D.A. said he was the one who did the deed, and the all-white jury agreed† (Metrolyrics.com, 1). These lines have been regarded as some of Dylan’s most controversial and along with his use of the â€Å"N-word,† he created an extremely moving and thought-provoking example of how racism is still present in society. The first element of Dylan’s genre in â€Å"Hurricane,† relate to his writing the song as a narrative. This means he is singing the song as a story being told of the actual accounts as if Dylan himself was in the bar that night. Gerard Steen, in his essay â€Å"Metaphor in Bob Dylan’s ‘Hurricane'† writes, â€Å"†¦such story format options are also part and parcel of well-conventionalized cognitive genre schemes, such as narrative songs† (Steen, 190). Another important genre aspect of â€Å"Hurricane,† is his utilization of a protest song. â€Å"†¦the accusation of false conviction is clear enough to make the song a serious protest song from the beginning† (Steen, 189). Protest songs were elemental in establishing Dylan’s reputation as a singer/songwriter. â€Å"Hurricane,† marked a return to this style of songwriting. Dylan also uses language to convey his message. Usage of extreme language and powerful metaphors enhance the drama and suspense that builds throughout the song. The metaphors used by Dylan are key to his message. However these metaphors are not always clearly displayed throughout the verses, and the reader (or listener) usually has to make up his/her mind (Steen, 196). These important elements of literary style add to the significance and complexity of this monumental work. Aside from his singing voice, Dylan’s unique songwriting as placed him in a class of his own even among his peers. â€Å"Hurricane,† is a delightful piece to examine based on his return to the in-the-moment style songwriting that had made him famous in the 1960’s. Previous staples of Dylan’s first albums like â€Å"The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll,† and â€Å"Who Killed Davey Moore?,† had plots seemingly taken right from the papers and words beautifully woven into songs in a way completely peculiar to his own style. In fact many critics argue that the song may have fit more unto one of his earlier albums such as Masters of War or The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan (Schlansky, 1). The fact that this song was not released until 1976 also leads to the element of surprise that Dylan (ever the individual) would ever back-track to his previous writing styles. â€Å"Harking back to the days when he used to rip his song ideas from the headlines of newspapers, Dylan masterfully sums up and dramatizes Carter’s story, and also manages to embarrass the system by coming off smarter than every lawyer, cop, and jury on the case. To live outside the law, you must be honest† (Schlansky, 1). Through the exploration of several critics’ analysis coupled with a detailed examination of the actual song lyrics, it is clear that the song â€Å"Hurricane† by Bob Dylan intertwines modern social elements of race and equity, the literary aspects of genre, language and metaphor, and his own unique and individualistic songwriting that has established him on a plateau of excellence rivaled by no other modern artist. Although there are those who do not enjoy Dylan’s music, one would be hard-pressed to find someone who had never heard of him. He is undoubtedly one of the most famous and influential American musicians of all-time. â€Å"Hurricane,† stands as one of Dylan’s true masterpieces and incorporates the best aspects of his literary style and songwriting capabilities. The song was so influential many believe it even helped to get Rubin Carter released from jail and acquitted of all charges. â€Å"†¦but only ‘Hurricane’ actually helped get someone out of jail, even if it did take 12 years (Schlansky, 1). In conclusion, â€Å"Hurricane,† is a song that will stand the test of time, and shines as a beacon of accomplishment in an immense and critically acclaimed body of work. Works Cited Levy, J., Dylan, B., â€Å"Hurricane.† 15 May 2009. < http://www.metrolyrics.com/hurricane- lyrics-bob-dylan.html>. Schlansky, Evan. â€Å"The 30 Greatest Bob Dylan Songs: #21 ‘Hurricane’.† 2009. American Songwriter.com. 15 May 2009. . Steen, Gerard. â€Å"Metaphor in Bob Dylan’s ‘Hurricane’: genre, style and language.† 15May 2009. < http://books.google.com/books?id=O1R79- TsVKoC&pg=PA183&lpg=PA183&dq=literary+criticism+%22hurricane%22&s ource=bl&ots=Ioa4GCmjjQ&sig=MYMBoFGCnh0yV3ihRZ9gRLmnRXQ&hl=e n&ei=jqgNSopHYzCMdmhpbYG&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4 #PPA183,M1>.