It was the colossal vitality of Gatsbys illusion that ultimately destroyed him Essay Example

It was the colossal vitality of Gatsbys illusion that ultimately destroyed him Essay Example It was the colossal vitality of Gatsbys illusion that ultimately destroyed him Paper It was the colossal vitality of Gatsbys illusion that ultimately destroyed him Paper Essay Topic: Literature The Great Gatsby is a story about the corruption of the American dream. Jay Gatsby represents a man with unrealistic ambitions whose dreams are destroyed by the sheer weight and magnitude on which they illusion are founded. His inability to alter to his goals according to the reality of the situation leads to his downfall. James Gatz was born to shiftless and unsuccessful farm people, whom his imagination had never really accepted as his parents at all. He was a poor and disenchanted with his lowly status and hence, decided at a relatively young age, to leave home and seek out a life of wealth that he believed he was rightfully entitled to. After leaving home he became involved in a number of menial jobs that failed to meet his imagined expectations. The colossal vitality of his dreams haunted him in his bed each night as he struggled to understand why he could not reach out and simply manifest his dreams. His heart was a constant, turbulent riot as he fought with the illusions in his head. He created an escape in the form of Jay Gatsby, a platonic conception of himself, one through which he had the means of eluding his realities, an outlet for his imagination, a satisfactory hint of the unreality of reality. His life changed when he met Dan Cody, whose wealth, and in particular his yacht, represented all the beauty and glamour in the world. Gatsby rapidly identified with this new world and was prepared to do whatever was required to be part of it. It was from this moment that Gatsbys illusions took firm hold in his mind, propelling him ever forward into the vivacity of life. Gatsbys greatest illusion revolved around his childhood sweetheart, Daisy. She was the first nice girl Gatsby had ever known and she reciprocated his feelings. His first trip to her home left Gatsby in awe. Her beautiful house, her gay and radiant activities, her shining motor cars; these all increased her value in his eyes. Gatsby fell in love with Daisy and what she had (and represented at a societal level) only helped to intensify his feelings for her. When Gatsby was sent overseas during the war, he naively assumed that the Daisy he had left behind would be there for him upon his return. He believed that the love they shared would bond them forever and he formed an image of her that strengthened and magnified over the years of their separation. During his absence, however, Daisy had seen no reason to remain faithful to Gatsby; she had met and married Tom Buchannan and established a family in East Egg. When Gatsby returned from the war he was a hero, but had lost his love. Rather than re-assessing the relationship and acknowledging that their love had probably been doomed from the start given their different backgrounds, he set out to win her back by acquiring the same lifestyle and trappings that she enjoys. Gatsby bought a grand mansion in West Egg and re-created himself, complete with elaborate and intricate stories of his past; lies which captivated those around him. Gatsby wanted Daisy to see what he has become, to show her that he is worthy of her and also what she is missing out on. Through a meeting arranged by Nick, Daisys cousin, Gatsby was able to showcase his new life. Daisy was captivated by the immense beauty of all that Gatsby now owned and overwhelmed by his wealth and success. Daisy was impressed by Gatsbys lifestyle and possessions and he revalued everything in his house according to the measure of response it drew from her well-loved eyes. However, Nick noted that at the end of the afternoon there was the expression of bewilderment on Gatsbys face and that there must have been moments even that afternoon when Daisy had tumbled short of his dreams through no fault of her own, but because of the colossal vitality of his illusion. Once again, Gatsby did not pause and reflect on what has happened, he did not attempt to see the situation as it was and realise that Daisy could not be part of his life. As Nick commented, No amount of fire or freshness can challenge what a man can store up in his ghostly heart. The other great illusion was his belief in the American Dream. He believed that someone from humble beginnings could acquire wealth and with that they would be accepted into the upper echelons of society. Moreover, he believed that happiness depended on being materially well off and part of the elite. Gatsby started off as an unskilled worker but he was later prepared to do what it took to acquire wealth, even if this meant dishonest dealings. His association with (jew) provided him with the possibility to fund his dreams. He developed the mentality that the end justified the means, as his growing ambition impaired his judgement. His desire to be wealthy and able to attract and impress Daisy clouded any notion of the need for honest, hard work to achieve these objectives. Gatsby believed that once he was rich, the rest of his dream would fall into place, including being an accepted member of the upper classes. However, the aristocratic families of East Egg held him in some sort of contempt. Even though Gatsby seemed to have as much money as they did, he lacked their sense of social nuance and easy, aristocratic grace. The members of the establishment, as typified by Tom Buchannan, mocked and despised him for being new money; someone was still not able to buy into the exclusive area of East Egg. The elite they took advantage of his generosity and behaved rudely towards him yet he took no offence nor challenged them about their behaviour. Gatsby so wanted to be part of their set and was caught up in this illusion that he did not see people for what they were or question their motives. He did not see that they were people who used others and discarded them at their leisure. His failure to recognise this (and the unreal nature of his dream) ultimately cost him his life. Driven by the desire to escape his lowly beginnings and the misguided belief that Daisy Buchanan had loved him and that money (and extravagance) was what was required to recapture her, Jay Gatsby pursued the American dream. In the process, he acquired great wealth, re-invented himself and adopted the lifestyle of the rich and famous. The dream, however, became an obsession of gigantic proportions that clouded his judgment and destroyed his grip on reality. Wealth (and the pursuit of Daisy) did not bring him love, happiness and status but instead lead him down a path where his failure to see people and situations clearly (and re-evaluate his goals), led to his death. His grand dream was ultimately an illusion.

History and Geography of Germany

History and Geography of Germany Population: 81,471,834 (July 2011 estimate)Capital: BerlinArea: 137,847 square miles (357,022 sq km)Coastline: 2,250 miles (3,621 km)Highest Point: Zugspitze at 9,721 feet (2,963 m)Lowest Point: Neuendorf bei Wilster at -11 feet (-3.5 m)Germany is a country located in Western and Central Europe. Its capital and largest city is Berlin but other large cities include Hamburg, Munich, Cologne and Frankfurt. Germany is one of the most populous countries of the European Union and it has one of the largest economies in Europe. It is known for its history, high standard of living and cultural heritage. History of Germany: Weimar Republic to Today According to the U.S. Department of State, in 1919 the Weimar Republic was formed as a democratic state but Germany gradually began to experience economic and social problems. By 1929 the government had lost much of its stability as the world entered a depression and the presence of dozens of political parties in Germanys government hampered its ability to create a unified system. By 1932 the National Socialist Party (Nazi Party) led by Adolf Hitler was growing in power and in 1933 the Weimar Republic was mostly gone. In 1934 President Paul von Hindenburg died and Hitler, who had been named Reich Chancellor in 1933, became Germanys leader.Once the Nazi Party took power in Germany nearly all democratic institutions in the country were abolished. In addition, Germanys Jewish peoples were jailed as were any members of opposing parties. Shortly thereafter the Nazis began a policy of genocide against the countrys Jewish population. This later became known as the Holocaust and around six m illion Jewish people in both Germany and other Nazi occupied areas were killed. In addition to the Holocaust, Nazi governmental policies and expansionist practices eventually led to World War II. This later destroyed Germanys political structure, economy and many of its cities.On May 8, 1945 Germany surrendered and the United States, United Kingdom, USSR and France took control under what was called Four Power Control. Initially Germany was to be controlled as a single unit, but eastern Germany soon became dominated by Soviet policies. In 1948 the USSR blockaded Berlin and by 1949 East and West Germany were created. West Germany, or the Federal Republic of Germany, followed principles set forth by the U.S. and U.K., while East Germany was controlled by the Soviet Union and its communist policies. As a result, there was severe political and social unrest in Germany throughout most of the mid-1900s and in the 1950s millions of East Germans fled to the west. In 1961 the Berlin Wall was constructed, officially dividing the two.By the 1980 pressure for political ref orm and German unification was growing and in 1989 the Berlin Wall fell and in 1990 the Four Power Control ended. As a result, Germany began to unify itself and on December 2, 1990 it held the first all German elections since 1933. Since the 1990s, Germany has continued to regain its political, economic and social stability and today it is known for having a high standard of living and a strong economy. Government of Germany Today Germanys government is considered a federal republic. It has an executive branch of government with a chief of state who is the countrys president and a head of government who is known as the chancellor. Germany also has a bicameral legislature made up of the Federal Council and the Federal Diet. Germanys judicial branch consists of the Federal Constitutional Court, the Federal Court of Justice and the Federal Administrative Court. The country is divided into 16 states for local administration. Economics and Land Use in Germany Germany has a very strong, modern economy that is considered the fifth largest in the world. In addition, according to the CIA World Factbook, it is one of the worlds most technologically advanced producers of iron, steel, coal cement and chemicals. Other industries in Germany include machinery production, motor vehicle manufacture, electronics, shipbuilding and textiles. Agriculture also plays a role in Germanys economy and the main products are potatoes, wheat, barley, sugar beets, cabbage, fruit, cattle pigs and dairy products. Geography and Climate of Germany Germany is located in Central Europe along the Baltic and North Seas. It also shares borders with nine different countries - some of which include France, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Belgium. Germany has a varied topography with lowlands in the north, the Bavarian Alps in the south and uplands in the central part of the country. The highest point in Germany is Zugspitze at 9,721 feet (2,963 m), while the lowest is Neuendorf bei Wilster at -11 feet (-3.5 m).The climate of Germany is considered temperate and marine. It has cool, wet winters and mild summers. The average January low temperature for Berlin, the capital of Germany, is 28.6ËšF (-1.9ËšC) and the average July high temperature the city is 74.7ËšF (23.7ËšC).To learn more about Germany, visit the Geography and Maps section on Germany on this website. Source:Central Intelligence Agency. (17 June 2011). CIA - The World Factbook - Germany. Retrieved from: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gm.html ï » ¿Infoplease.com. (n.d.).Germany: History, Geography, Government, and Culture- Infoplease.com. Retrieved from: infoplease.com/ipa/A0107568.html United States Department of State. (10 November 2010). Germany. Retrieved from: state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3997.htm Wikipedia.com. (20 June 2011). Germany - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germany

Case IH AFS percision Farming Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Case IH AFS percision Farming - Essay Example The AFS is defined by a clear-cut product range illustrated by its business portfolio, which includes; planting, field performer and harvesting solutions. Mechanization and innovation in agriculture aimed at enhancing agricultural processes and output within the constraints of natural and human resources have reached their peak within the context of attention given by Case IH. Making a grand entry in to the market in the modern day competition and expansion of agricultural technologies makes it an important strategy for Case IH to protract commercial production and marketing of its products in order to ensure sustained growth and productivity. In this discourse, marketing strategies and processes at Case IH in making its AFS product range a market success is enumerated in a number of perspectives. Product development at Case IH has been going on since its inception in 1842 giving a long experience extending to over a century and a half. This implies that the marketing mix at the corporation is one of the most complete in the market today, having observed agricultural needs change to the levels that they are in currently. Perhaps what defines this experience is the perfect product mix that the farmer enjoys upon making purchases at its outlets worldwide. Several products designed for the enhanced production are made available in over 160 countries of distribution (Case IH, 2011). Product research mix as mentioned before offers the solution to making the marketing strategy at Case IH as responsive to agricultural needs as it is amid the witnessed climatic changes. Case IH has been able to create a unique market niche that accurately handles small scale and large scale farm needs. Among the features of this market, coverage is the wide array of farm equipment, machinery, implements, and computer software that enable the modern farmer at any level of operation to be in need of their products (CNH, 2009). Brand image is not an

Gender Segregation in Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Gender Segregation in Education - Essay Example Studies have shown teachers spend more time with the boys in the classroom than with the girls. (MacNaughton, 2004, 82)This may be due to disruptions by the boys, although the teacher is often unaware of the amount of time spent with boys over girls. In the personality domain, there are various notable traits with gender differences. These include aggression, conformity, emotional adjustment, values and life goals and achievement orientation. Numerous studies have shown that whilst adolescent boys are more aggressive than girls in terms of both physical and verbal aggression, during adolescence the differences between males and females are negligible at primary school level (Vialle et al, 2000, p.154). This is not saying that girls become physically aggressive but perhaps resort to verbal aggression or the use of covert forms of aggression such as social alienation (malicious gossip and rumors, exclusion) (Vialle et al, 2000, p.154). Statistically, girls are more conformant than boys and are more likely to seek help from adults than are boys. (Grieshaber, 2004, 22) This difference is attributed to the observation ...that girls tend to participate in adult-structured activities on the other side boys are more likely to participate in activities with little adult involvement in school. (Vialle et al, 2000, p.154). Emotional behavior by boys is expressed differently, depending on gender. While females are more likely to freely display their emotions, males are more likely to suppress their feelings, with the exception of anger. (Walkerdine, 1999, 172) Most researchers attribute these differences to societal expectations rather than biological differences. This can be supported by studies of boys under five years of age. (Vialle et al, 2000, p.154).

Analyze readings and tv episode Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Analyze readings and tv episode - Essay Example However, it is noticeable that the recent trend represents a paradigm shift in celebrity development. What is apparent is a programmatic shift in the way the contemporary celebrity is developed through concurrent media – television and internet-based branding in particular. Thus, no longer are only the elites with their extraordinary levels of consciousness considered as an important pool of personnel to be regarded for mainstream celebrity, as Hearn illustrates, â€Å"Psychoanalytic  concerns about unconscious  identity formation are for the most part, left to the side here, as are any claims about essential human nature† (198). This has paved way for Ordinariness amongst the recent wave of celebrity development, which, rest assured, has always enjoyed a certain repertoire amongst the discourses of mass celebrities along with denoting essential ingredients of various film and televised content (Bonner). Turner refers to this phenomenon as the demotic turn (153-154) which signifies a convergence of ordinary and celebrity. While there is inherent contradictoriness in the discourses of celebrity itself, as a celebrity by nature cannot be ordinary once elevated by mass appeal, this contradiction is what enhances the apparent widespread acceptance and validation of reality tv shows and the celebrity development it engages in. ... sess singing skills to audition and be judged by a panel in order to partake further in various singing formats with the promise of a reward for the winner in the form of a contract with a leading record label. The participants are initially screened by a panel but later voted on by the general population in a seemingly democratic process of selection. The particular episode in question was part of season 11 episode 1, and was aired on January 18th, 2012. Analysis Turner’s principles of demotic turn were primarily aimed at the understanding of recent celebrity proliferation in mass media. His focus was to determine how self-branding techniques in popular media such as reality TV shows, DIY internet websites, radio talk shows etc. serve to exacerbate the systematic popularization of ordinary people in order to classify them celebrity status. His acknowledgement of the self is characterized by self-recognition, a distinct identity that is argued in the public’s redeeming eye, accepted and promoted. Reality TV accounts for a certain kind of recognition of self as well, as witnessed in American Idol over its tenure. Participants occasionally have to make their case in front of the judges in terms of qualities other than singing, which the show wholly comprises of. Turner cites William Hung as an example, who although never qualified past the screening process, argued that he did not have any training in singing or dancing which he seemed to believe identified him as unique (154). However, he most certainly classified as entertainment, and was rewarded by the show in subsequent re-runs of his audition as part of the show’s promotion. He engaged in a modern form of promotion that Hearn describes as a by-product of self-branding, a methodic interpretation of brand

The Us-Versus-Them Mentality In 2008’s Presidential Campaign Essay Example for Free

The Us-Versus-Them Mentality In 2008’s Presidential Campaign Essay The graphic novel, Maus, by Art Spiegelman, tells the story of a Polish Jew’s memories of his experience during the Holocaust. Drawn as mice, the Jews have faced a variety of psychological warfare, including xenophobia, scapegoating, dehumanization, and us-vs. -them dichotomy where the terrible events of the Holocaust were justified. The Holocaust was one of the most terrible events in human history, and decades later, scholars from many branches of academia still strive to understand such a dark historical event. Unfortunately, aspects leading up to the Holocaust still exist in the world today. While few current issues compare in magnitude to that of the Holocaust, such activities such as xenophobia, scapegoating, dehumanization, and divisive, dichotomous thought pervade populations everywhere. Although such negative sentiments always threaten negative results, in the US in the year 2008, one major historical movement and event occurred that promises a possible relief from such a divisive past. This historic movement and event is Barack Obama’s campaign, in which an African American ran for President of the United States and was the victor, becoming the first ever African American president of the country. But the campaign was not free of strife. This paper argues that while dichotomous, â€Å"us vs. them† elements in the year 2008’s presidential campaign were not systematically acted out as they were in the Holocaust, there existed similar instances of that mentality during the campaign timeframe. In the past decade, partisanship has set two major groups of Americans at odds with each other in the form of Democrat vs. Republicans. However, this past presidential campaign, or even in the past decade, the fever pitch of â€Å"us vs. them† has not escaped many people, and â€Å"Democrat† or â€Å"Republican† began to be expressed in layers of differences. Chuck Raasch of USAToday reports that: Americans fought a terrible civil war on all three fronts. A century later, Northerners saw Southerners as oppressors during struggles over civil rights, and Southerners viewed Northerners as meddlers. Even the Inside the Beltway label continues a deeply rooted, us-versus-them mentality of the nations capital. Despite the elevation of a black man and a white woman to the Democratic and Republican presidential tickets, respectively, the election of 2008 has played often to those divides. In her article Unleashed, Palin Makes a Pit Bull Look Tame, Dana Milbank of the Washington Post describes the crowd’s response, [who were] â€Å"waving thunder sticks and shouting abuse. Others hurled obscenities at a camera crew. One Palin supporter shouted a racial epithet at an African American sound man for a network and told him, Sit down, boy (p. A03). † While divisive expressions such as these seem far away from the Holocaust, one must consider Peter Suedfeld’s words regarding the genesis of anti-Semitism in the time before the Holocaust: Sherif et al. (1961/1988) demonstrated how leaders, by framing situations in terms of intergroup competition, can produce hostility and aggressive behaviour between component groups. We can see the workings of an ingrained us-vs-them mentality in experimental minimal groups (Tajfel et al. , 1971), which are composed in a completely arbitrary way and whose members never even meet each other (3). This explanation could very well describe the actions of leaders in political parties as well as group behaviors in response to leaders. Sarah Palin could be seen to â€Å"frame situations† such that â€Å"intergroup competition† occurs, as it does in the Republican furor over the Democrate presidential candidate. Partisanship was not the only exhibition of us-versus-them behavior during the past year. Dedication to one’s country came into question in which the concepts of American versus anti-American were introduced. According to Bob Lonsberry in his article â€Å"What’s Wrong With a Marxist? †, a person who is American is one who sees two irreconcilable extremes between Karl Marx and John Locke, and if a person takes into regard the writings of Karl Marx, then he or she is â€Å"anti-American. † If an American is to be truly American, they must adopt similar ways of thinking in which Marxism, communist, and other similar ontological principles must be absolutely shunned because they repudiate everything America stands for. These sentiments before the Holocaust were similar. In place of anti-Americans were the Jews. Andre Minaeu writes: To the Nazis, all things seriously afflicting Germany and the Aryan race were ultimately Jewish or Jewish-inspired. In this sense, the Jewish people were the quintessential enemy of Nazi totalitarianism. The latter elevated Jewry, so to speak, to the rank of an evil ontological principle against which struggle was to be universal (17). In this sense, anti-Americans are philosophically against everything Americans stand for and should be beaten politically, while Jews represented everything the Nazis stood for, which caused them to become an evil philosophical principle. No other dichotomy is more apparent in both Holocaust and the 2008 presidential campaign than ethnicity. The question of race—and one’s ethnicity—became a large factor due to the mixed-race heritage of Barack Obama. Historically, part of Obama’s ethnicity had been under the awful yoke of slavery and then the struggle of civil rights. One can see this in the words of Martin Luther King, Jr: I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama†¦ little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers (60). The question of Jewsishness—both an ethnicity as well as a belief system—was subject of life and death for six million people during World War II. Historically, Jews have also been slaves, and their ethnicity and religion have played a large role in their struggles in past centuries. Paul Johnson explains this in his book The History of the Jews by quoting Dietrich Bonhoeffer, an ex-prisoner of the Nazis: We have learned to see the great events of world history from below, from the perspective of those who are excluded, under suspicion, ill-treated, powerless, oppressed, and scorned, in short those who suffer (2). It is not a subtle expression in either of these two statements that the writers and speakers felt that their world was divided in groups, and they were the â€Å"them† in the phrase â€Å"us-versus-them. † While the us-versus-them mentality might seem as if it would haunt human interaction for all time, there have always been historical figures who have sought to overcome the divisiveness by seeking common ground. Perhaps the most famous of those is Abraham Lincoln, who spoke these words: A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved I do not expect the house to fall but I do expect it will cease to be divided (Lincoln). Martin Luther King, Jr. is another figure who sought to overcome injustice and inequality through nonviolent means. Current scholars are improving and applying techniques for nonviolent conflict resolution (Suedfeld 2006, p. 7). In regards to the Holocaust, there are many studies about the tragedy in many areas of study, from psychology to politics to sociology, as evidenced by the books The Making of the Holocaust: Ideology and Ethics in the Systems Perspective by Andre Mineau and Canadian Psychology addressing Holocaust reverberations fifty years later. Lastly, the end of the 2008 campaign year drew to a close, and Barack Obama has been elected President. While he emerged from one of the two major political parties in the US, his own sentiments in his book The Audacity of Hope strive for a bipartisan rather than a divided approach: Maybe there’s no escaping our great political divide, an endless clash of armies, and any attempts to alter the rules of engagement are futile. Or maybe the trivialization of politics has reached a point of no return, so that most people see it as just one more diversion, a sport†¦ We paint our faces red or blue and cheer our side and boo their side†¦ But I don’t think so. They are out there†¦ those ordinary citizens who have grown up in the midst of all the political and cultural battles, but who have found a way†¦ to make peace with their neighbors, and themselves (pp. 50-51). Violence stemmed from rabid divisiveness is what made the Holocaust so terrible. Therefore, any attempts to heal the us-versus-them mentality would have to be the opposite: peaceful actions that strive to bring humans together. Fortunately, if one could take lessons from Mahatma Ghandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., Abraham Lincoln, and Barack Obama, then the possibility that discordant sentiments in the human populace may never take seed. WORKS CITED Johnson, Paul. A History of the Jews. HarperPerennial (1988). King, Jr. , Martin Luther. â€Å"The Dream†. Speech. Lincoln Memorial, Washington, DC. 28 August 1963. Lincoln, Abraham. House Divided Speech. Speech. Springfield, Illinois, June 16, 1858. Milbank, Dana. â€Å"Unleashed, Palin Makes a Pit Bull Look Tame. † Washington Post. October 7, 2008: A03. Minaeu, Andre. The Making of the Holocaust: Ideology and Ethics in the Systems Perspective. Amsterdam; Atlanta, Georgea: Rodopi, 1999.

Dr. Strangelove, by Stanley Kubrick :: Dr. Strangelove Essays

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Dr. Strangelove, Stanley Kubrick took a serious issue and turned it into a political comedy. He was able to illustrate a satire of the hazardous notion of a nuclear war and the insane individuals who were coordinating it, and furthermore, addressed the issue of stereotyping. This movie was created in 1964; today in 2005, we still have nuclear weapons. Yes, the United States and other countries still have nuclear weapons, however, a question does arise, do we still have insane individuals coordinating war plans and security procedures? If you are expecting to find the answer in this essay, do not continue reading for that reason, the answer will not be found in this essay. The reason being is the answer needs to be realized and determined by every individual, not just me. However, if questioned that in Dr. Strangelove was there an individual who was insane and should he have not been placed in command of a military base, then I would have to answer yes there was such an individual. This individual was General Jack Ripper.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I think that it was not coincidental that Kubrick named this individual Jack Ripper, but purposely did so. The real Jack Ripper was a serial killer. Not only does the name fit with the character in Dr. Strangelove, but also the images and actions often associated with the serial killer. Silent and cruel attacks, nighttime, darkness and dense fog are a few images associated with the serial killer. In the movie General Ripper was in a dark office, he ordered Wing Attack Plan R to bombard the Soviet Union with a nuclear bomb before they could respond, and right before killing himself he was in a cloudy/smoky room. The Wing Attack Plan R is my analysis of the silent and cruel killings. The cloudy/smoky room is the dense fog. And finally the darkness of General Ripper’s office fits with the darkness image. What was the purpose of General Ripper when looking at the movie as a whole?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is my analysis that Kurbrick was not just showing America the stupidity of nuclear war, but was also showing that the United States government often makes mistakes. One mistake, not just in the movie but in life, is the allocating of power to an individual who is not fit, whether mentally or physically, to have this power. When these individuals are allocated this power their actions can have a worldly consequence.