Analysis The Three Sisters English Literature Essay

Analysis The Three Sisters English Literature Essay Review of Three Sisters Three sisters is a fictional Russian drama. The play was written and produced in 1900s.anton Chekhovs three sisters is produced specifically for Moscow art theatre .the writer has also written two other plays, the seagull and uncle vanya .the captivating drama has extra ordinary characters. The Three Prozorov sisters who are in their twenties namely Olya, Masha and Irina And their only brother Andrey .solders in a nearby camp are the supporting characters. Its about three unhappy prozorov sisters who despise the life of small town in Russia which is miles away from the nearest railway station .the town is enlivened by the presence of a military facility. The all yearn to go to Moscow where they previously lived. The fictional drama starts with commemoration of the sisters father first anniversary which coincides with Irinas baptismal day. Soldiers and the family members pay tribute to the late father. Olga the eldest sister gets elevated to a headmistress position. Olga is presented as a teacher in this act but later in the play shes is promoted to a Headmistress position. Masha, the middle sister, is a trained pianist married to a younger and witty teacher Feodor Kulygin.. Irina, the youngest of the three sisters is obsessed about to visit Moscow. Andrey is only boy in the family is in love with Natasha who is naive .the three sisters becomes unhappy with the marriage of their only brother who goes ahead and gets a child. In the twist of events Natalie is extra marital affairs with Andrey boss, Protopopov. Strong bond starts to form between Masha and lieutenant-colonel Vershinin secretly. Two solders, Tuzenbach and Solyony compete for Irinas love. Masha, Olga and Irina are angry with their only brother, Andrei, for mortgaging their house, spending money on gambling debts and relinquishing all his authority to his infidel wife Natasha. the eldest sister, Olga, is not interested with teaching career and longs quietly for an out, but her dreams for marriage are slowly fading away; Masha, the middle sister, so unhappy with her husband. She seeks extra marital affair from married soldier, the youngest, Irina, moves from one soul-crushing job to another. She resists getting married to noble man. More adrenaline is released in the climax the play. There are bloodshed and friendship bonds in this scene. Solders have created an everlasting bond with the three sisters. Aristocratic Tuchenbach is murdered by his lover Solyony competitor in a challenge. This section reveals that Masha and Vershinin get married after a brief stint of romance. Natasha maintains her hatred nature and Andrey is stuck in the maternal led marriage with two children. The play ends on a happy note. Olga embraces her two sisters as the band music is playing. She encourages her sisters. Anton Chekhov has managed to point out the major theme to his audiences. The Major theme that is emerging is the uncomplaining nature of women in the Russian society. The play brings out vividly the loneliness and desperation of the three sisters. They therefore, accept their situation without complaining. According to the play Moscow is symbolic to three sisters. Each of the sisters is yearning to go back to Moscow. The city is associated with happy and perfect life. However, their aspirations to go back to Moscow remain only mere dreams. Irina initially believes by going to Moscow she will get her true love there The play lacks a flowing story line at some point as an audience I got lost along the way. The story development is complicated such that audience can be confused. Conflict has not been maturely developed. On the first scene, a delicate tone is constructed as the three sisters celebrate the anniversary of their deceased father which coincides with Irinas baptismal day. Unfortunately, the tone is not maintained the rest of scene one. The play has been translated from Russian to English. Therefore, the rich meaning of the plot has been diluted by the translation. Three sisters is a story that cannot get old. This is because it echoes what is happening in the contemporary time. The very same issues such as infidelity, romance, gambling, and marriage are still happening in the contemporary times. The roles of Andrey and the three sisters are brought out clearly. Andrey is supposed to relinquish his intellectual ambitions. He is trapped in very complicated marriage. The three sisters yearn for Moscow is well introduced in the plot of the story. The costumes of the play are supposed to be a combination of military wear for the solders and the 1900 civilian clothes. This is well depicted in the play. However, the aristocrat Baron Tuchenbach costumes have no large difference with the other cast. The baron should have expensive clothes in order to bring out the issue of bourgeoisie and proletarians. The costumes did manage to convince the audience the play was a staged in 1900s.The lighting and sound of the overall play were excellent. the audience enjoys the band music that plays at the climax of the play. In my views, Anton Chekhovs three sister play is a very captivating. The play has managed to bring out the traditional picture of the modern day Russia. The choice of characters is excellent. They have managed to communicate the intended message from Chekhov. Symbolism has been brought forward as a tool to glue the audience to the play. The play should improve on conflict and flow of the storyline.

Friendship in the West & Friendship in Islam Essay

It is natural for people to form friendships with others whom they interact with on a regular basis. Friendships can be formed through growing up in the same neighbourhood, meeting at school, college, university, social gatherings and via a number of other activities. Friendship is something common amongst people, however there are different conceptions of it. Some common conceptions include the following: friends will always stick by your side, you can always rely on a friend, you can speak freely to your friend and tell them your problems, friends like you for who you are, etc. When people have personal problems such as disputes with their family members or if they require advice they usually turn to their friends. Friendship in the West Friendship in the West is based on benefit. Friends come together on the basis of mutual interest, so they will go to the cinema, parties and clubbing together. They talk about the opposite sex freely to each other and hide each others secrets even if they involve evil actions. They often gain comfort in backbiting and winging about other people who they don’t like. Unfortunately some Muslims carry the Western notion of friendship as they follow the crowd rather than to looking to Islam for solutions. Due to the fact that friendship is based on benefit in the West, it is easy for people to ‘break out’ with each other, have rows and even become enemies. This happens when their interests conflict and can be over petty things such as not going for a night out with them or larger things such as betrayal. In many cases people even talk negatively about some of their friends in front of others and even betray them by having affairs with their wife, sisters or girlfriend. Friends even become status symbols, so people long to ‘hang out’ with a particular crowd to look cool. Often crowds have leaders with egos, so staying on the right side of certain people is important if you want to be accepted. For some this means ‘sucking up’ to them, for others it means undertaking actions to make them think you’re ‘cool’. Friendship in the West is based on using each other. The proof of this can be seen in the fact that when friends became unusable they drift apart. Typically, if someone’s friend was to suddenly change and stop clubbing, partying and drooling over the opposite sex at every opportunity they would start treating them differently and normally ‘break out’ with them. Especially if this person begins to account them when they are wrong and advise them upon their actions repeatedly. As an example if someone begins to practise Islam and stops committing Haram and advises his friends to do the same. Those with the Western concept of friendship would change their attitude towards them and they would be distanced and only occasionally spoken to. The reason for this is that it there is no more benefit in their eyes to keep a close relationship with them, in fact it completely contradicts their lust for pleasure as when the person speaks about Islam it is seen as an attack on their lifestyle. Friendship in Western societies is normally false as the society is founded on greed, individualism and following lusts. Friendship in Islam is true as it is based on sincerity, trust and Taqwa (piety). Friendship in Islam Islam recognises that a Muslim will naturally spend more time with certain people and be more comfortable with them in raising their personal problems and issues. This does not mean in any way that the rest of the Muslims are not their brothers and sisters whom they love, rather all that it means that they will be closer to certain people than others just as people are usually closer to their family than others. Islam recognises that friends have a strong influence on people and that their environment will affect the strength of their relationship with Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’aala). The Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) said, â€Å"A person follows the Deen (way of life) of his close friend; therefore let each of you look carefully at whom he chooses for friends† [Tirmidhi] A Muslim should choose friends that will advise him and remind him of Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’aala) rather than lure him to the path of Shaytan. It has also been narrated that our friends in the Dunya (world) will be our friends in the Akhira (afterlife). It is therefore vital for a Muslim to choose good friends. The love between two Muslim friends is such that they would confide in each other, help each other in times of need and strengthen each other’s commitment to the Deen of Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’aala). The Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) encouraged for Muslims who have love for each other not to keep it to themselves. It has been narrated by al-Bukhari in al-Adaabul-Mufrad (no. 191) that Allah’s Messenger (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) said, â€Å"If one of you loves his brother for Allah’s sake, then let him tell him since it causes familiarity to endure and firmly establishes love†. Abu Huraira narrated that the Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) said, â€Å"You will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I not guide you to something which if you carry out you will love one another. Spread as-Salaam amongst yourselves.† [Muslim] Friendship in Islam is not based on using each other; on the contrary, helping each other to stay away from the Haram is fundamental to it. How could someone watch his brother burn without doing anything to save him? A person who did that would be ones worst enemy rather than a friend. Therefore Muslims always warn and advise each other. The Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) said, â€Å"Each of you is the mirror of his brother, so if he sees any fault in him he should wipe it away from him.† [Tirmidhi] This means the purpose of confiding secrets to each other wouldn’t be as in the Western values where people confide their secrets to feel good knowing that they will not be a comeback. Rather in Islam we confide our secrets to our friends to seek their sincere advice and help. So a Muslim will ask his friends about issues relating to marriage, problems within his family, troubles he feels at work or fears that he has. Friendship has rules in Islam unlike in the West – to visit them especially when they are ill, to inquire about their family, feeding them when they are hungry, attending to their needs, keeping their private affairs to yourself and sharing your wealth with them without hesitation. It is related that Ibn Umar (ra) was looking about from right to left in the presence of the Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam), who asked the reason for doing so. Ibn Umar replied, â€Å"There is someone dear to me and I am searching for him, but do not see him†. The Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) then said, Umar bin Al-Khattab (ra) said, â€Å"Encountering your brothers lifts all grief. If Allah blesses you with good relations with another Muslim, hold fast to it†. Rule of friendship with non-Muslims As Muslims living in the West we interact with non-Muslims on a daily basis whether at work, University, college or in society at large. It is incorrect for us to cut ourselves completely from them and live in isolation. We should aim at building relationships with them in order to give them Da’wa to embrace Islam. Therefore we should have them as acquaintances, however this does not mean that we are allowed to have them as close friends, as Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’aala) says: â€Å"O you who believe, take not into intimacy those outside your ranks: they will not fail to corrupt you.† [TMQ Al-Imran: 118] Not taking them as close friends means that you don’t share with them your innermost thoughts and feelings. For no matter how well you know them, they reject Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’aala) and His Messenger (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam). The bond of Iman is even stronger than that of kinship. An example of this can be seen after the great battle of Badr, the Quraysh prisoners of war were bought to the Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) who assigned them to the custody of individual Muslims. The Messenger (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) said, â€Å"Treat them well.† Amongst the prisoners was Abu Aziz ibn Umayr, the brother of Mus’ab ibn Umayr (ra). Abu Aziz narrates what happened, â€Å"I was among a group of Ansaar†¦Whenever they had lunch or dinner they would give me bread and dates to eat in obedience to the Prophet’s instruction to them to treat us well. My brother, Mus’ab ibn Umayr, passed by me and said to the man holding me prisoner, â€Å"Tie him firmly†¦ His mother (i.e. Mus’ab’s own mother) is a woman of great wealth and maybe she would ransom him for you.† Abu Aziz ibn Umayr could not believe his ears. Astonished, he turned to Mus’ab and asked: â€Å"My brother, is this your instruction concerning me?† Mus’ab ibn Umayr (ra) replied, â€Å"He is my brother, not you!† pointing to the Ansaari Sahabi holding him, affirming that in the battle between the Haq and the Batil, the bonds of Iman are stronger than the ties of kinship. Prohibition of backbiting, slander, envy, jealousy & grudges The relationship of friendship is one of trust as a good Muslim is trustworthy and not deceitful, betraying or a backbiter. In reality this makes the love between friends in Islam stronger than friendship according to Western values as there is no constant thinking about whether your friend is speaking ill of you to other people or whether they are having a hidden relationship with your sister or wife. Islam has prohibited backbiting and slander and thus removing the cause of suspicion and doubt amongst people. Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’aala) says: â€Å"Neither backbite one another. Would one of you love to eat the flesh of his dead brother. You abhor that (so abhor the other)! And keep your duty to Allah. Lo! Allah is Relenting, Merciful.† [Al-Hujarat: 12] It is narrated by Abu Dawud on the authority of Anas (RA), the Messenger of Allah said: â€Å"On the night of Isra I passed by some people who had copper nails and they were clawing their faces and chests with them. I asked Jibriel: Who are these persons? He said: These are the people who eat the flesh of human beings and disgrace them.† Islam also forbids envy and jealousy which are the common causes of problems amongst friends in Western societies. The Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) said, â€Å"Do not have malice against a Muslim; do not be envious of other Muslims; do not go against a Muslim and forsake him. O the slaves of Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’aala)! Be like brothers with each other. It is not violable for a Muslim to desert his brother for over three days†. [Sahih Muslim, Tirmithi] Belittling each other is almost a pastime in the West. The Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) said, â€Å"The believer can do no worse than belittle his brother†. [Iyah Uloom ad Deen] A Muslim should not hold grudges against another Muslim even if they are differing personalities. The Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) warned against this when he said, â€Å"The gates of Paradise will be open on Mondays and on Thursdays, and every servant [of Allah] who associates nothing with Allah will be forgiven, except for the man who has a grudge against his brother. [About them] it will be said: Delay these two until they are reconciled; delay these two until they are reconciled; delay these two until they are reconciled†. [Muslim] Friends should feel at ease with each other without feeling inferior or superior. Ego’s must be tamed according to Islam. The Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) said, â€Å"A man is on a par with the Deen of his friend and there is no good in the fellowship of one who does not regard you as highly as himself†. [Iyah Uloom ad Deen] Concealing faults It is important to conceal a friends faults, this does not mean that we ignore them; it means that we advise them and help them overcome their shortcomings. Uqbah ibn Amir narrated that the Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) said, â€Å"He who sees something which should be kept hidden and conceals it, it will be like the one who has brought to life a girl buried alive† [Hadith 2292: Abu Dawud] Abu Hurayrah narrated that Allah’s Apostle (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) said, â€Å"He who conceals (the faults) of a Muslim, Allah would conceal his faults in the world and in the Hereafter. Allah is at the back of a servant so long as the servant is at the back of his brother.† [Hadith 1245: Muslim] Generosity & Kindness Sharing wealth with others is greatly encouraged in Islam. This encourages trust and closeness amongst people. It is sometimes difficult for Muslims to grasp this principle especially when they are affected by Western society which promotes greed and selfishness. Giving someone something without expecting anything in return is uncommon in the West even amongst friends. When the non-Muslims give each other presents such as on Birthday’s, Christmas, New Year’s or when someone leaves the work place it is done more out of tradition and knowing that they will get something in return rather than sincerity. Imam Bukhari narrated that our beloved Messenger Muhammad (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) said: â€Å"None amongst you believes (truly) till one likes for his brother, that which he loves for his himself†. Examples of this perspective towards others can be clearly seen in the companions of the Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam). It is transmitted by Imam Ahmad, in Al-Bidayah, volume 3, page 228 that Anas (ra) narrated, â€Å"When Abdur-Rahman ibn Auf (ra) immigrated to Medina, the Messenger of Allah (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) established brotherhood between him and Sa’d ibn Al-Ansari (ra). Afterwards Sa’d said to Abdur-Rahman ibn Auf, ‘O my brother! I am a wealthy person of Medina. Look! Here is half of my wealth, take it! I have 2 wives. I will divorce one of them whom you like more so that you may marry her.’ Abdur-Rahman ibn Auf replied, ‘May Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’aala) prosper your family and wealth, just show me the way to the market so that I may make my fortune with my own hands.† The Ansaar of Medina were extremely generous to their brothers, the Muhajireen from Makkah. Abu Hurairah (ra) reported that they once approached the Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) with the request that their orchards of palm trees should be distributed equally between the Muslims of Medina and the Muslims of Makkah. But the Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) was reluctant to put this heavy burden upon them. It was, however, decided that the Muhajireen would work in the orchards along with the Ansaar and the yield would be divided equally amongst them. Friends should have informality with each other so that they are not hesitant in asking for anything when in need. This can be seen from the example of the Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) and his dear friend Abu Ayyub al-Ansari. The Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) had stayed at his house when after arriving into Madina whilst he was waiting for the mosque to be built. The Prophet stayed in Abu Ayyub’s house for almost seven months until his mosque was completed on the open space where his camel had stopped. He then moved to the roots which were built around the mosque for himself and his family. He thus became a neighbour of his friend Abu Ayyub. Abu Ayyub continued to love the Prophet with all his heart and the Prophet also loved him dearly. There was no formality between them. The Prophet continued to regard Abu Ayyub’s house as his own. The following anecdote tells a great deal about the relationship between them. Abu Bakr (ra) once left his house in the burning heat of the midday sun and went to the mosque. Umar (ra) saw him and asked, â€Å"Abu Bakr, what has brought you out at this hour? Abu Bakr said he had left his house because he was terribly hungry and Umar said that he had left his house for the same reason. The Prophet came up to them and asked; â€Å"What has brought the two of you out at this hour?† They told him and he said, â€Å"By Him in Whose hands is my soul, only hunger has caused me to come out also. But come with me.† They went to the house of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari. His wife opened the door and said, â€Å"Welcome to the Prophet and whoever is with him.† â€Å"Where is Abu Ayyub?† asked the Prophet. Abu Ayyub, who was working in a nearby palm grove, heard the Prophet’s voice and came hurriedly. â€Å"Welcome to the Prophet and whoever is with him,† he said and went on â€Å"O Prophet of God, this is not the time that you usually come.† (Abu Ayyub used to keep some food for the Prophet every day. When the Prophet did not come for it by a certain time, Abu Ayyub would give it to his family). â€Å"You are right,† the Prophet agreed. Abu Ayyub went out and cut a cluster of dates in which there were ripe and half ripe dates. â€Å"I did not want you to eat this,† said the Prophet. â€Å"Could you not have brought only the ripe dates?† â€Å"O Rasulullah, please eat from both the ripe dates (rutb) and the half ripe (busr). I shall slaughter an animal for you also.†. â€Å"If you are going to, then do not kill one that gives milk,† cautioned the Prophet. Abu Ayyub killed a young goat, cooked half and grilled the other half. He also asked his wife to bake, because she baked better he said. When the food was ready, it was placed before the Prophet and his two companions. The Prophet took a piece of meat and placed it in a loaf and said, â€Å"Abu Ayyub, take this to Fatima. She has not tasted the like of this for days†. When they had eaten and were satisfied, the Prophet said reflectively: â€Å"Bread and meat and busr and rutb!† Tears began to flow from his eyes as he continued: â€Å"This is a bountiful blessing about which you will be asked on the Day of judgment. If such comes your way, put your hands to it and say, Bismillah (In the name of God) and when you have finished say, Al hamdu lillah alladhee huwa ashbana wa anama alayna (Praise be to God Who has given us enough and Who has bestowed his bounty on us). This is best.† [Iyah Uloom ad Deen] In putting others first, the Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) demonstrated for us excellent examples. He (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) once entered a thicket with one of his companions and gathered two toothpicks, one of them crooked and the other straight. He gave the straight one to his companion, who said, â€Å"O Messenger of Allah, you are more entitled to the straight one than I!† The Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) replied, â€Å"When a friend accompanies a friend, if only for one hour of the day, he will be asked to account for his companionship, whether he fulfilled his duty to Allah therein or whether he neglected it†. [Iyah Uloom ad Deen] On another occasion the Messenger of Allah (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) went out to a well in order to wash. Hudhayfa ibn al-Yaman took a robe and stood screening the Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) whilst he washed. Then Hudhayfa (ra) sat down to wash himself and Muhammad (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) took the robe and screened Hudhayfa (ra) from view. Hudhayfa objected saying, â€Å"My father be your ransom, and my mother too! O Messenger of Allah, do not do it!† Yet he (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) insisted on holding the robe and said, â€Å"Each time two people are in company together, the dearer to Allah is he who is kinder to his companion [Ihya Uloom ad Deen] The Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) also said, â€Å"The companions whom Allah considers best are those who are best to their companions†. [Ahmad & Tirmidhi] Giving of gifts has also been recommended by the Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) and he explained that it creates love between people. It was reported by al-Bukhari in al-Adaabul-Mufrad (no. 594) that Rasool-Allah (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) said: â€Å"Give gifts and you will love one another†. Kindness to our friends, helping them in need and consoling them in times of grief should become natural for us for everyone needs help, a shoulder to cry on and someone to share their joy. Ali ibn Abi Talib (ra) said, â€Å"Pay attention to your brothers for they are your provision in this life and in the hereafter. Do you not listen to the cry of the people of the fire? â€Å"So we have no one to intercede for us nor any dear friend† [Ash-Shu’araa: 100-101] Loving someone for the sake of Allah In the West people love each other for the sake of material benefits whereas in Islam we are encouraged to love each other for the sake of Allah. This means that we would undertake actions with regards to each other that even contradict our personal interests in order aid a friend or further our relationship with them. It was reported by Muslim on the authority of Abu Hurairah (ra) that the Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) said: â€Å"A man went to visit a brother of his in another town and Allah deputed an angel to await him on his way, so when he came to him he said, â€Å"Where are you going?† He replied, â€Å"I am going to visit a brother of mine in this town.† He said, â€Å"Have you done him some favour which you desire to be returned?† He said, â€Å"No, it is just that I love him for Allah, the Mighty and Magnificent.† He said, â€Å"Then I am a messenger sent by Allah to you (to inform you) that Allah loves you as you have loved him for Allah’s sake.† The Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) also said, â€Å"Whoever would like to taste the sweetness of Iman (belief) then let him love a person only for Allah’s sake† [Ahmad] It was reported by Abu Dawud that Umar ibn al-Khattab narrated that the Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) said, â€Å"Indeed from the servants of Allah there are some who are not Prophets, yet they will be envied by the Prophets and the martyrs†. It was asked, â€Å"Who are they? That we may love them†. He (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) said, â€Å"They are people who have mutual love through light from Allah, not due to kinship or ancestry, their faces will be enlightened, upon pillars of light, they will not fear when the people fear, or grieve when the people grieve†. Then he (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) recited: â€Å"No doubt! Verily, on the friends of Allah there is no fear nor shall they grieve† [TMQ 10: 62] In conclusion, it should be apparent that we can’t live in isolation and require company. Friendship provides a natural support structure the Muslim community. Therefore we should ensure that the company we keep helps us in remembering Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’aala) and strengthens our commitment to Islam. This is more important for us living in the West as the corrupt society continuously bombards us with its poisonous culture and attempts to catch us in its net.

History of dance Essay

How could you leave your country? The place you grew up in, how could you leave your loved ones in a place so bad you had to flee it yourself? The production of ‘Look the other way’ choreographed by Cadi McCarthy is clearly emotionally attached to the performers. Look the other way describes how people had to leave their home and become refugees, their fear and hatred needing the encouragement to move forward. The mixture of contemporary and hip hop really drives you into the performance and makes dancers, public and even you feel like a part of the attraction. The choreographer clearly displays the variety of talent and emotive skills that all of the dancers consist of. The different interrogations of each dancer themselves are astonishing, having a wide range from the strength and intensity movements by Peter Fares to the smooth, soft and meaningful movements danced by Yillin Kong. The artistic use of props and lighting gives the texture of the movements on the performers and their facial expressions gave an overwhelming feeling inside; it’s a wakeup call to seeing how lucky we are as a country. This was a very effective way to get the audience’s attention. Having to look the other way when all you feel is hopelessness is a very difficult thing to do. The characters make you feel as if they are portraying their country, getting away from the outrageousness and the terror. Sharing their side of the horrific stories. All distributing the same emotions betrayal and being forced to look the other way. The choreographer immersed herself into the stories of the young people who had overcome the sacrifice of fleeing their country to have freedom in Australia. Cadi McCarthy clearly and successfully got her intent to the target audience (young students) expressing the dreadful descriptions by educating us through contemporary and hip hop dance. There are seven characters (not including the two boys who are still learning English) in the performance, each with different difficulties and reports to share with the world. They all show tolerance and ignorance to not give up and not give in. The movements and space used in this choreography by Cadi McCarthy entitles the effects and emotions she wants the audience to feel. Each performer had their own special techniques which was used to their advantage. Movements such as slowly walking, shaking, and closed shapes, sharp turns, counter balancing and falling, these are indications of being pushed around. The fast, muscular movements were intimidating and in each other’s personal space. The most significant peace was the Riot (Fight scene) which was done in a group, but danced in duets. Showing the mob mentality, strength and power, giving the truthful facts that no matter how many times you’re pushed down, you shall thrive to get back up again, keep moving forward. The costumes seemed rushed and not restricted which gave them freedom to move the clothing looking very unfavourable. Using very natural colours such as black, skin colour, white, and a flowered dress worn by Yillin showing the audience that they were in a rush, all they had was the clothing on their backs. The lighting effects by Andrew Portwine was dim and organic to set the mood, the angles of the light reflected off the dancers faces to give texture, dark gloomy looks. The overall costumes and lighting was more than successful and gave the illusion to hardship for the audience. Tristen Parr and Matt Cornell did exceptional work on the soundtrack. The music had been made from scratch so it was an original peace. In the performance the music was recorded and instrumental throughout. You could feel the classical vibrations as if atmospherical, representing the extreme adversity and struggles (Production2; Sacrifice, where videos are used to tell us about true stories). There were sections of the performance where the sound was live, like the word monologues where each dancer talks about accountings explaining what it was like to be a refugee (Peter Fares holding Yillin Kong on his shoulder while telling the story of his parents from Israel, Lebanon, and Syria to Australia). The most memorable and major feature of the props used was the ‘Opening boards’ (Designed by Laura Boynes and Tristan Parr) where the characters drag themselves across the stage and stand up onto a rocking board, representing the uncertainty to travel, external and internal fear of leaving their loved ones, the experience’s to come. Using the boards as a boat and steps revealing their long journey to find freedom, using the rocking motion traveling the entire emotional ride with the characters. The boards drew the audience’s attention straight away to the restlessness and fear. The backdrop of four walls that were recycled substances designed by Monique Wajon (makeshift of materials found in refugee camps). These props communicated to the audience giving meaning and belief to the dance. The Buzz Dance Theatre has accomplished in reproducing all viewpoints of refugees, immigrants and asylum seekers. Every possible aspect of contemporary and hip hop dance was put into this performance to accomplish the priorities and achievements of triumphing to the top. Each dancer attributes to the story in individual ways choreographed by Cadi McCarthy. I personally found that every phase used for this special performance including characters, music, costumes, choreography, set and props all worked exceptionally well together to produce a stimulating and significant enactment. Although a little dark I was defiantly motivated at the end of the performance.

Plutonium Facts (Pu or Atomic Number 94)

Plutonium is element atomic number 94 with element symbol Pu. It is a radioactive metal in the actinide series. Pure plutonium metal is silvery-gray in appearance, but it glows red in the dark because it is pyrophoric. This is a collection of plutonium element facts. Plutonium  Basic Facts Atomic Number: 94 Symbol: Pu Atomic Weight: 244.0642 Discovery: G.T. Seaborg, J.W. Kennedy, E.M. McMillan, A.C. Wohl (1940, United States). The first sample of plutonium was produced by deuteron bombardment of uranium in a cyclotron at the University of California at Berkeley. The reaction produced neptunium-238, which decayed via beta emission to form plutonium. While the discovery was documented in a paper sent to Physical Review in 1941, the announcement of the element was delayed until after World War II ended. This was because plutonium was predicted to be fissile and relatively easy to produce and purify using a slow nuclear reactor fueled with uranium to produce plutonium-239. Electron Configuration: [Rn] 5f6 7s2 Word Origin: Named for the planet Pluto. Isotopes: There are 15 known isotopes of plutonium. The isotope of greatest importance is Pu-239, with a half-life of 24,360 years. Properties: Plutonium has a specific gravity of 19.84 (a modification) at 25 °C, melting point of 641 °C, boiling point of 3232 °C, with a valence of 3, 4, 5, or 6. Six allotropic modifications exist, with various crystalline structures and densities ranging from 16.00 to 19.86 g/cm3. The metal has a silvery appearance which takes a yellow cast when oxidized slightly. Plutonium is a chemically reactive metal. It readily dissolves in concentrated hydrochloric acid, perchloric acid, or hydroiodic acid, forming the Pu3 ion. Plutonium exhibits four ionic valence states in ionic solution. The metal has the nuclear property of being readily fissionable with neutrons. A relatively large piece of plutonium gives off enough energy via alpha decay to be warm to the touch. Larger pieces of plutonium give off sufficient heat to boil water. Plutonium is a radiological poison and must be handled with care. It is also important to take precautions to prevent the unintentional formation of cri tical mass. Plutonium is more likely to become critical in liquid solution than as a solid. The shape of the mass is an important factor for criticality. Uses: Plutonium is used as an explosive in nuclear weapons. The complete detonation of a kilogram of plutonium produces an explosion equal to that produced by approximately 20,000 tons of chemical explosive. One kilogram of plutonium is equivalent to 22 million kilowatt hours of heat energy, so plutonium is important for nuclear power. Toxicity: Even if it wasnt radioactive, plutonium would be toxic as a heavy metal. Plutonium accumulates in bone marrow. As the element decays, it release alpha, beta, and gamma radiation. Both acute and long-term exposure may result in radiation sickness, cancer, and death. Inhaled particles can cause lung cancer. Ingested particles primarily damage the liver and skeleton. Plutonium serves no known biological role in any organism. Sources: Plutonium was the second transuranium actinide to be discovered. Pu-238 was produced by Seaborg, McMillan, Kennedy, and Wahl in 1940 by deuteron bombardment of uranium. Plutonium may be found in trace amount in natural uranium ores. This plutonium is formed by irradiation of natural uranium by the neutrons which are present. Plutonium metal can be prepared by reduction of its trifluoride with alkaline earth metals. Element Classification: Radioactive Rare Earth (Actinide) Plutonium Physical Data Density (g/cc): 19.84 Melting Point (K): 914 Boiling Point (K): 3505 Appearance: silvery-white, radioactive metal Atomic Radius (pm): 151 Ionic Radius: 93 (4e) 108 (3e) Fusion Heat (kJ/mol): 2.8 Evaporation Heat (kJ/mol): 343.5 Pauling Negativity Number: 1.28 First Ionizing Energy (kJ/mol): 491.9 Oxidation States: 6, 5, 4, 3 Lattice Structure: Monoclinic Sources Emsley, John (2011). Natures Building Blocks: An A-Z Guide to the Elements. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-960563-7.Greenwood, Norman N.; Earnshaw, Alan (1997). Chemistry of the Elements (2nd ed.). Butterworth-Heinemann. ISBN 978-0-08-037941-8.Hammond, C. R. (2004). The Elements, in Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (81st ed.). CRC press. ISBN 978-0-8493-0485-9.Seaborg, Glenn T. The Plutonium Story. Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, University of California. LBL-13492, DE82 004551.Weast, Robert (1984). CRC, Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. Boca Raton, Florida: Chemical Rubber Company Publishing. ISBN 0-8493-0464-4.