Anna Pavlova And The Dying Swan Drama Essay

Anna Pavlova And The Dying Swan Drama Essay A couple years ago I used to think that ballet was boring. I did not understand ballet as an art and did not recognize its classical and modern types. Dances like hip-hop, samba, rumba, cha-cha, tango, and disco appealed to me more. Once I tried ballet myself in the U.S., I realized that most of the great dancers learned ballet for a lengthy amount of time. I decided to take ballet classes and after a year I realized that ballet brings me indescribable joy and appeasement. I became interested in learning more about ballet itself and its famous dancers. One of such a dancer was Anna Pavlova, whose life story I am determined to tell. It is important to note Anna Pavlovas childhood and early ballet career in Russia, her debut in The Dying Swan, emigration to Europe, performances around the world, marriage, and death. Childhood and early career: Anna Pavlova was born in St. Petersburg, Russia on a cold winter day of February 12, 1881. According to a New York Times article, when Anna was eight years old, her mother took her to a performance of The Sleeping Beauty. There, Anna experienced an epiphany, a baptism by ballet. From that day she knew, ballet was her future. At the age of ten, Anna Pavlova was admitted to the Imperial School of Ballet. Shortly after her acceptance to the Imperial School of Ballet, the exceptional gift of dancing was noticed in Anna Pavlova (Kent, 1996). At that time ballet was considered a court luxury and was one of the favorite entertainments of the late Czar. He would often visit the school to admire the little dancers, talking to them and sometimes telling jokes (Anna Pavlova Diesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦,1996). In 1902 after her graduation from the Imperial School of Ballet, Anna Pavlova joined the Maryinsky Theater as a second soloist, and in the following year was promoted to a first soloist (The Legendary, n.d.). Alexander Pleshcheyev, an author of the book Our Ballet where he studied Petersburg Imperial Ballet Company, wrote about Anna Pavlova: I recall the frail, slender, tall and lithe figure of a young, shy girl, with confused, deep eyes, in a dress of cornflower blue with a white pelerine and black pinafore -on holidays a white pinafore but always with a quite starched skirt for magnificence . .. This was the student of the Imperial Theater School in Petersburg Anya . . . Annushka (as her friends called her) Pavlova, whose appearance was awaited on the stage of the Maryinsky Theater, where she was known on affiches as Pavlova II Timid, trembling, lovely, like a wildflower, Pavlova II as a dancer just beginning subdued the public with her grace and tenderness. One sensed no physical exertion in her, and in those days, after the triumph on the Russian stage of Italian technical subtleties, every artist who appeared on stage was evaluated above all on technical abilities. Anna Pavlova had a favorite teacher and a mentor that was Enrico Cecchetti, an Italian dancer and a teacher who immigrated to St. Petersburg in his early age. Cecchetti taught at the Imperial School of Ballet from 1887 to 1902. In 1905 he established a school in St. Petersburg where he coached Anna Pavlova exclusively from 1907 to 1909 (Cecchetti, the teacher, n.d.). With Cecchettis help, Anna Pavlova was promoted to ballerina in 1905, and prima ballerina in 1906 (The Legendary, n.d.). The Dying Swan: In 1905 Anna Pavlova, already a prominent ballerina, received an offer from a choreographer Michael Fokine to take the leading part in the ballet The Dying Swan to music by Saint-Saens. Later The Dying Swan became her signature solo performance and a swan symbolized with her as a personal emblem (Kent, 1996). The author, Allegra Kent, in her article argued that a woman imitating a swan is an absurd idea since the body parts do not match and the bird can be graceful only when it swims. The black and webbed swans feet, with its shaky movements do not resemble the graceful and aesthetic motions of Anna Pavlova during The Dying Swan. Kent wrote that The Dying Swan was not about a woman impersonating a swan, instead it was about the fragility of life and the passion humans possess to hold on to it. Emigration to Europe and travels: In 1907 Anna Pavlovas performances were seen abroad and in 1909 she danced in Diaghilevs famous first Russian season in Paris, France where Pavlova danced with Vaslav Nijinsky (Kent, 1996). Since then, Anna was honored to dance before Emperor Franz Josef of Austria, King Alfonso of Spain, Emperor Wilhelm of Germany, and the Queen of the Belgium (Anna Pavlova Diesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ 1996). In 1910 upon Anna Pavlovas return to Russia from her first American tour she was summoned to the royal box by the late Czar Nicholas to congratulate her. In one of the chronicles Anna Pavlova quoted the Czar telling her: I so much regret that despite all I hear about your wonderful swan dance I have never seen it. Yet I am called one of the absolute monarchs(Anna Pavlova Diesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦, 1996). Anna performed throughout North and South America during the days of World War I. Her passion to dance and travel eventually brought Anna to Japan and India. In 1927 Anna went on another tour to the Scandinavian capitals, where King Christian presented her with a gold medal after seeing her performance in Copenhagen (Anna Pavlova Diesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦,1996). Circling around the world with her company, Anna Pavlova covered 350 000 miles and hence was named the most traveled of all artists at that time (Anna Pavlova Diesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦, 1996). As time passed from her first debut Anna Pavlovas repertoire grew and was influenced by foreign cultures and new styles of dance. Such influences were new choreographies and changes in classical ballet technique; for example the changes brought by Isadora Duncan, a rebel-dancer who initiated the creation of modern dance. However, Anna remained a more conservative classical dancer: in her companys repertoire she kept ballet classics as Giselle and Sleeping Beauty. Anna had two popular signature pieces in her career; they were Bacchanale and The Swan (The Legendaryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦,n.d.). Her Private Life and Marriage: In 1912 Anna Pavlova bought an expensive house in London, which bore the name Ivy House, where there was a pond and a garden. Since the dancer was fascinated by feathers and was fond of watching birds, Anna decided to have pet swans in her pool. Watching them, she believed, helped her to improve the mastery of her swan dance (Kent, 1996). During her last American tour in 1924-1925, Anna Pavlova announced her marriage with Victore dAndre, her accompanist. She commented on her marriage the following way: For an artist there is no husband. Pavlova the artist and Pavlova the wife, they are two very different persons, so I keep them separate. My dancing belongs to the world, but my husband to myself (Anna Pavlova Diesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦,1996). Soviet Russia: During the Soviet time, Anna Pavlova was helping dancers in Soviet Russia by sending them financial aid. For 10 years Anna had been supporting dancers in London and Marianski Theater of Ballet in Leningrad by sending them an annual financial aid of $500. In 1929 this information became known to the Bolsheviks. The small unofficial committee of three that managed the funds from Anna Pavlova was reprimanded for accepting aid from the emigrant dancer, a darling of wicked capitalist audiences in Europe and America (Anna Pavlova Dies, 1996). Death: Anna Pavlovas death came suddenly. It was January 1931 when Anna took a three week vacation at Christmas to spend time with her family. At the end of her vacation Anna took a train to return to her work at the Hague. There was an accident that happened on the way, so Annas train had to stop. Curious of what happened, Anna Pavlova wearing a light coat on top of silk pajamas stepped off the train into the snow. Shortly thereafter, Anna came down with double pneumonia (Kent, 1996). Two Dutch physicians and her own Russian doctor, Professor Valerski, fought to save the life of a great ballet dancer. The doctors performed an emergency operation to remove excess fluid from Anna Pavlovas lungs. After the operation, the dancer was treated with Pasteur vaccine; however it was too late to cure Anna. Anna Pavlova died at 12:30 in the morning on January 23rd, 1931 (Anna Pavlova Diesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦,1996). As Anna Pavlova was dying her last wish was to prepare her swan costume. The following eveni ng when her company performed The Dying Swan, when it was Annas part, the curtain opened to an empty stage. Conclusion: In conclusion, Anna Pavlova the Russian ballet legend, from a very young age was almost destined to be a great dancer. When she was a very small girl she took an interest to ballet. At a very young age Anna was accepted to the prestigious imperial school of ballet. After being accepted to the imperial school of ballet, Anna quickly showed uncanny skill at the art of dance. Anna quickly reached the rank of ballerina and one year later to prima ballerina. As a ballerina, Anna was offered the chance to perform The Dying Swan with the choreographer Michael Fokine. In 1909, Anna Pavlova began performing abroad and travelled to many parts of the world performing in front of emperors, kings, queens, and Czars. Everywhere Pavlova went she was complemented by the noble elite she met. During the First World War, Anna performed her renowned plays in North and South America. Anna Pavlova was a highly classical dancer and stuck to the ideals of classical ballet even after the advent of modern dan ce. Later in 1912, Anna decided to buy an expensive house in London named Ivy House. Anna was so absorbed by swans that she had a few pet swans at her home. However, Anna Pavlova was not only a great dancer, she was a philanthropist, she donated money to the Marianski school of theater in Leningrad. She sent financial aid to students of dance like herself back in Russia. At the time of Anna Pavlovas death, she was known from America to Asia and not merely famous, but infamous. She was a great dancer with a tragic end of life story. She was best known for her dance The Dying Swan, where she imitated the swans movements more gracefully than any other dancer of her time. Although Anna Pavlova was honored to meet many famous people, all the people she met greeted her as a legendary dancer.

Macbeth :: essays research papers

The Blood Theme in Macbeth One of the themes in the tragedy of Macbeth is that of blood. Macbeth is known for his skills as a warrior and his mercilessness that is shown in his killing of MacDonwald. This warrior mentality quickly spreads into his life, and he begins to make killing a habit. When he is told in a prophecy that he shall be king, Macbeth takes it upon himself to murder Duncan, king of Scotland. After this murder he begins to see visions of blood on his hands, blood nothing could remove. As Macbeth becomes more ambitious, he also begins to kill more people to get the power that he wants. The theme of blood is shown throughout the play, and is a problem that Macbeth finds harder and harder to rid himself of after each killing. At the beginning of the play Macbeth is an esteemed member of the army, probably the greatest fighter in all of Scotland. He gets word that a rebellious tribe led by MacDonwald is defeating the Scots. He â€Å"single-handedly† defeats the rebels and â€Å"unseamed him (MacDonwald) from the nave to th’ chops.† With this Macbeth earns great respect among his peers, and even the king. On his way home from war three witches tell him his future. â€Å"All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis! All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor! All Hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!† Macbeth was already thane of Glamis, and wondered why they would say that he would be Thane of Cawdor or even king, so he blew it off as tomfoolery, and impossible. However, he was later told by the king that because of his valiant fighting against MacDonwald that he was to be given the title of the Thane of Cawdor. All this makes him think again of the witches prophecies, and he wonders if indeed he could be king. The desire for power began to consume Macbeth and his wife, and this ambition caused all of the bloody events that were to follow. Macbeth began to want the kingship that Duncan had more and more. Together Macbeth and his wife Lady Macbeth plotted to hurry Macbeth’s reign, by killing Duncan themselves. At night Macbeth gains access to Duncan’s sleeping quarters, kills the guards, and stabs King Duncan to death. After the murder, Macbeth is clearly shaken, and can hardly believe what he has done.

Older Workers Essay -- Employment Jobs Essays

Older Workers The aging of the U.S. population is affecting the demographics of the work force. Between 2000 and 2010, the age group experiencing the greatest growth will be those aged 55-64; by 2005, people aged 55 and over are projected to be nearly 20% of the working age population, compared to 12.5% in 1990 (Barber, Crouch, and Merker 1992; Barth, McNaught, and Rizzi 1993). For a number of reasons, including financial need, longer life expectancy, and a desire to continue working, the number of individuals aged 55 and over in the work force is continuing to grow (Hall and Mirvis 1994). It is no longer unusual for individuals to retire from one job, begin drawing a pension, and seek new employment: since 1984, both the full- and part-time work of "retired" men younger than age 65 has increased noticeably (Herz 1995). At the same time that the number of older persons available for and willing to work is increasing, the workplace is changing as businesses seek to become more competitive. The most notable changes include downsizing, increased use of technology, and less-hierarchical work structures that use teams. As a result of technological changes and greater dependence on teams, training and retraining are hallmarks of today's workplace. Older workers have not fared particularly well during these changes. During the downsizing that took place from 1986 through 1991, proportionately more older workers were laid off, and, at the expense of retraining existing employees--especially older workers--firms spend more on training new entrants (Hall and Mirvis 1994). Kantor (1994) refers to the aging work force as a "mixed blessing [because] many companies associate it not with a loyal, experienced workforce knowledgeable ab... ...en." Monthly Labor Review 118, no. 4 (April 1995): 13-20. Kantor, R. M. "U.S. Competitiveness and the Aging Workforce: Toward Organizational and Institutional Change." In Aging and Competition: Rebuilding the U.S. Workforce, edited by J. A. Auerbach and J. C. Welsh. Washington, DC: National Council on the Aging and National Planning Associates, 1994. McNaught, W. "Realizing the Potential: Some Examples." In Age and Structural Lag, edited by M. W. Riley, R. L. Hahn, and A. Foner. New York: Wiley, 1994. Rothstein, F. R., and Ratte, D. J. Training and Older Workers: Implications for U.S. Competitiveness. Washington, DC: Office of Technology Assessment, 1990. (ED 336 608). Siegel, S. R. "Relationships between Current Performance and Likelihood of Promotion for Old versus Young Workers." Human Resource Development Quarterly 4, no. 1 (Spring 1993): 39-50.

A Look into House Music :: House Music Disco Essays

A Look into House Music House music was first and foremost, the direct descendant of "Disco". Many older and wiser Chicago, New York and New Jersey House dj's will agree with me on this. They will acknowledged that fact that it was due to New York's, huge Disco club and music scene that helped to create the music of House and Garage and its culture within Chicago, Usa. Frankie Knuckles, the acknowledged "godfather" of Chicago house, got his start as a Dj via Manhattan, New York, Usa. Whilst there he was spinning Disco, Philly Soul records during the early 1970s with another legendary deejay figure, the late, great Larry Levan, New York. Disco, the music that everyone loves to "joke" about or "snigger" about had already been going on for 10 years when the first electronic drum tracks began to appear out of Chicago, Usa. A great Description of Disco can be explain to us like this. "The first days of Disco were filled with hope, and joy. The last days of Disco might seem very similar the fall of the Roman Empire". Disco music presided over a era of social change, such as War in Vietnam, the Oil Criss in the early 1970's, Economic recession, and also Improved social conditions with regards to the Black and Gay population within the Usa. Also Disco was the one music's that was to carry forward the ideas of the late 1960's "Hippy Philosophy" of "Making love not war". But with Disco music and culture it went onto carried on the Hippy philosophy of making love and not war - in more fun and acceptable way for one and all. If I do say so myself on a more grander and a more sophisticated level. On a musical tip, Disco, revoluntionise music as we used to view it. It also changed how we viewed club culture today around the world. Disco music and culture helped change how radio programing was to be done in the future, and lastly it had a important effect on how the balance of power in the music industry had between the small independent labels and the major labels records. By the end of its regin (*Disco music) was also responsible for the commericial creation of the 12 inch single to be made available for the general public and Dj's alike. The "remix"that has become standard practice within dance music, and a new set of studio techniques were available for imaginative dance music producers that heralded from the Disco Craze.

Reshaping Cultures

9 October 2013 word count: 2075 The Reshaping of Cultures Section Three: Plastic Surgery Aspects of one's culture are shaped by personal experiences, household traditions, and by one's national beliefs. How sensitive the topic of cosmetic surgery is, differs by culture. South Koreans now widely accept plastic surgery as a part of their culture. This movement has sparked widespread criticism from people around the world. Many people either can't comprehend the idea, can't get past the cultural barrier, or can't accept the adequate reasoning behind it.However, the reasoning is quite imple and should be accepted universally; Personal satisfaction and happiness are important factors to one's well-being, and if improving one's appearance can critically boost one's self-esteem, then taking advantage of the technologies we have today like plastic surgery should be an acceptable option to remedy low self-worth and low self- esteem. Every culture has some different idea of what is considered beautiful. In the past when people lived in less diverse-looking societies, the standards of beauty typically were defined by features that weren't common amongst their own ommunity.As time flowed, certain places became more ethnically and culturally diverse than others, and in those places ideas clashed and standards changed, resulting in a more open community with ideal beauty being more subjective. However, there are places that still aren't so diverse. In these places, the conception of what is considered ideal beauty is more predominantly accepted and can be linked heavily to historical and cultural roots as well as how influential and persistent the media is in that particular society.Although South Korea has been experiencing esternization since the Korean War, the country is still a generally homogenous nation, meaning that the demographics are still mostly Korean. South Korea is a country where the old meets the new and where traditions go hand in hand with modern ideas and technology; this goes for beauty as well. In ancient South Korea, having certain features could define not only ones ancestral past, but also ones future.In an article explaining the marriage of cosmetic surgery and ancient customs, Lee Su Hyun explains that, â€Å"Physiognomy, or the art of face reading, has een practiced for centuries in Korea – as well as in other Asian countries – as a way of divining a person's future† (Lee par. 8). In addition she proposed that, â€Å"Koreans also believe that personality is reflected in a person's facial features and that they [their facial features] are shaped by fate, genes and lifestyle† (Lee par. 9). This belief still persists today and many Koreans experience social pressures because of it.A South Korean mother explains that her daughter, Lee Min-Kyong, a 12 year old ballet dancer, lacks confidence: â€Å"Everyone, she says, points out her small eyes. It's why she doesn't think she's a pretty girl† (La h par. 3). Her mother added, â€Å"I'm having her do it pretty to get ahead† (qtd. in Lah par. 7). Although her daughter didn't ask for the surgery, Min-Kyong is looking forward to it: â€Å"I'm excited. I think I'll look better than I do now,' she says shyly, breaking into a small smile† (Lah par. 5).Foreigners may consider these social pressures to be offensive and superficial, but to South Koreans they are not; these pressures are Just another everyday-custom. Korean media, especially the Korean pop (K-pop) scene, has also been shaped by these social ressures which state that beauty is important. In K-pop, the most successful and famous idols perfectly fit what Koreans consider beautiful, near perfection. These idols are a part of every aspect of the media because of that. Unlike the western counterpart in which he or she is known for what he or she does best, a single Korean idol can be known to partake in a multitude of positions.It is very common to find a single idol being an actor or actress, a model, a musician, a singer, a dancer, a show host, a reality show celebrity, and a comedian. They are the role models of ociety, and, as a country where there is a pressure to look beautiful, many younger South Koreans enw and aspire to their features: â€Å"They all have small faces, large eyes, and tiny button noses. Chins are pointed, cheeks are wide, and their faces glow artificially, imbuing them with the anime quality' (Stone par. 15). Sure those features flaunted perfection, but there was a catch; those features aren't commonly or traditionally Korean.As revealed by netizens, this beauty was the work of plastic surgery. South Korea is very technologically advanced and â€Å"is the most wired in the orld, with the highest rate of smartphone usage 67 percent and 95 percent of Korean homes having internet access† (Stone par. 23). Rando Kim, a professor of consumer science at Seoul National University, suggests being so Wired' contribut ed to the trend of plastic surgery: â€Å"Celebrities have helped to drive the trend [of plastic surgery], as they scramble to keep ahead of digital technology that mercilessly exposes not only their physical imperfections, but any attempts to remedy them â€Å"(Choe par. ). He clarifies that, â€Å"Wide-screen and high definition TV put pressure on hem [celebrities] to look good in close-ups, and with the Internet, where people like to post ‘before' and ‘after' pictures, they can no longer hide it [having undergone plastic surgery]. So they go public, often talking proudly about it on TV† (Choe par. 8). Although â€Å"before the K-pop boom Korean youth already were being brought up on a diet of surgery â€Å"(Stone par. 21), Dr.Park Sang-hoon, head of ID Hospital, notes that ordinary South Koreans are now more open about the idea because their idols are open about it: â€Å"It used to be all hush-hush when mothers brought their daughters in or a face-lift be fore taking them to match-makers, now young women go plastic surgery shopping around here† (Choe par. 10). This shift towards a nation-wide open-mindedness for plastic surgery relieved many South Koreans. However, what was a relief within the country, sparked ethnocentric criticism from the international audience.Today in South Korea, cosmetic surgery is a social norm: â€Å"South Koreans have more plastic surgery than any other nation according to figures released in January. Those in the Asian country have more treatments per members of the population, with one in every 77 turning to the knife or needle† (Nolan Par. 2). One thing that seemed to bother a lot of critics was not only that statistic but also what Koreans were getting done, which in many articles regarding the matter is western. This idea seems absolutely outrageous, false, and offensive to many people especially of Asian descent.Dr. Joo Kwon, head of JK Plastic Surgery Clinic, and Dr. Kwon Seung-Taik, a p lastic surgeon at Seoul National University Hospital, both agree: â€Å"While critics often argue that Koreans are adopting a more Western ideal of beauty, both Kwon and Joo disagree, saying that the standards are universal† (Kim par. 1). Kwon supports his position, mentioning something he read a while back, † Two love letters,' he says, Written 5,000 years ago, from China and Greece, respectively, both describe their lover as beautiful, with a pointed nose and large eyes† (qtd. n Kim par. 43). He also said, in defense, â€Å"We have Westerners coming in to cut down their nose to a smaller size does that mean they want to look Asian† (qtd. in Kim par. 44)? If one were to look at the before and after pictures in detail of Asians that have undergone cosmetic surgery, one can effortlessly notice that the features don't esemble any specific features only Westerners or Caucasians have nor are they any particularly non-Asian. What emerged from this stalemate didn 't do the situation justice, though.What all this type of criticism came down to was Just the obscuring of what mattered the most, how alleviated the patients were after undergoing their surgery. Although Min-kyung was only 12 years old and didn't make the decision herself to get the surgery, â€Å"for Min-Kyung, the 20-minute surgery has been well worth the cost and post-surgical discomfort. A few weeks later, she and her mother email to ay she's happy with her new look. And when this 12-year old stares at herself dancing in the studio, she no longer Just sees her eyes. She sees a prettier girl† (Lah par. 17).Especially at that age, confidence is very important. With Just that minor surgery, her increase in confidence, even if increased by Just the slightest bit, will help her progress not only through her difficult teenage years but also thereafter. In another article, which criticizes the shift towards the acceptance for plastic surgery in South Korea and explains the supp osed dangers associated with that shift, a omen's experience is shared: â€Å"Chang Hae-Jin, 21 , an art student who was self- conscious about her slightly protruding teeth and chin decided to take that risk with Dr. Park.

An Analysis of the Poem Dusting by Julia Alvarez

Sarah Winn 11/13/12 Literature Mrs. Wiggins â€Å"Dusting† Julia Alvarez In the poem â€Å"Dusting† written by Julia Alvarez, a young girl tries to leave imprints on the dusty objects in her house in which later are wiped away by her mother. ‘Each morning I wrote my name / on the dusty cabinet, then crossed / the dining table in script, scrawled / in capitals on the back of chairs, / practicing signatures like scales† (1-5) I believe that the author is trying to compare the young girl’s aspirations to her mother’s.In life, the girl wishes to leave her imprint on the world. Her goals are larger than life itself, and they refuse to break. No matter how often her mother wiped away the smudged fingerprints, they would always reappear. In the poem, the girls shows us how she â€Å"refused with every mark / to be like her, anonymous† (17-18). This statement shows us how the girl feels about her mother’s accomplishments.She believes tha t her mother achieved as much as anyone else; her mother’s achievements are almost transparent to her – anonymous. She can’t stand the thought of ending up like this, so day after day, she continues to leave her mark. As a child, your aspirations are wild. Many of us wish to accomplish more in our lives than our family members, especially some of our parents. At some point we all wish to be recognized as something bigger – something that no one has witnessed before.We have a need for appreciation. Ever since I was young, I’ve wanted to accomplish great things. I’ve hit setbacks in school and at home, but I’ve never let them break me. Even when I was little, whenever I received a good grade on an assignment or test, I would rush home to call my mom and dad to tell them. Seeing that look in their eyes that says â€Å"I’m so proud to call you mine. † Thats what gives a child the will to succeed. The will to never let those small fingerprints across the table disappear.

“How to Tell a True War Story,” by Tim O’Brien Essay

In the essay, â€Å"How to Tell a True War Story,† Tim O’Brien tells several stories of war to illustrate to his readers the criteria for truth in storytelling. O’Brien offers his readers a guide to telling and determining war stories that are true, for the author, true does not necessarily mean actual or real. Instead, O’Brien tells us what a true war story is, but his requirements are not always clear precise—a true war story â€Å"never seems to end,† (O’Brien 273) â€Å"embarrasses you,† (270) â€Å"are contradictory,† (275) and have an â€Å"uncompromising allegiance to obscenity and evil† (270)—they are defined and given context by the author through the telling of his own accounts. The essayist Jon Krakauer offers up his own version of a war story, of sorts, in his telling of the story of Chris McCandless, a young man not participating in a war of nations, or a conflict with others; he, in his own wor ds, was involved in â€Å"the climactic battle to kill the false being within and victoriously conclude the spiritual pilgrimage† (Krakauer 207). The battlefield for McCandless was not a booby-trapped jungle, saturated with enemies and soldiers for the opposition; no, McCandless’s battlefield was the Alaskan frontier. Like a soldier going to war, McCandless knew that where he was going was dangerous. Krakauer remarks that â€Å"he was fully aware when he entered the bush that he had given himself aperilously (emphasis added) slim margin for error. He knew precisely what was at stake† (Krakauer 219). One can draw many parallels between the essays, or war stories, of Krakauer and O’Brien; they are both provocative, and both use descriptive language and paint vivid pictures in the minds of their reader, they both write of young men in the midst of a conflict—emotional or physical—but the stories differ as well. O’Brien presents his ideas of what makes a true war story; based on these ideas, we can determine that the war story told by Krakauer is not a true war story because it is committe d to morality. There are no lessons in true war stories (O’Brien 269); Krakauer offered a lesson in youth and growth in his story about Christopher McCandless. O’Brien and Krakauer are similar in that they both place importance on relaying to the reader the fact that youth and war go hand in hand. It is mainly the young who serve on the frontlines in battle and who are willing to accept the risks associated with war, and it is also the young who become victims of their own inexperience and succumb to the perils  war—being involved in war does not equate to readiness for war. For instance, O’Brien tells a true war story of two young men, soldiers in the Vietnam; he writes, â€Å"They were kids; they just didn’t know. A nature hike, they thought, not even a war †¦ they were giggling and calling each other yellow mother and playing a silly game they invented† (O’Brien 270). Here, O’Brien sets up his readers with words reminiscent of childh ood, the soldiers could have just as well been two kids at summer camp or in a school yard, or any place where kids play, laugh, and call each other names. O’Brien then takes that childhood scene and infuses it with the brutality of war. He describes how one of the young soldiers who, while playing and laughing, detonated a landmine and was killed. True war stories show the gruesomeness of war—kids die horrific deaths, and life is lost in the blink of an eye. War forces â€Å"kids† to grow up quickly, and not on their own terms. Goofing, giggling, and silliness have no place in war; death is a consequence of playfulness, and youth must quickly give way to maturity. In a true war story, a young man may never have the opportunity to figure out life for himself, war does not afford him the opportunity to come to appropriate conclusions about what is right, wrong, moral, or immoral; he will either die, or he will be so exposed to the death of his friends that his moral compass will be disrupted, and he will engage unconscionable behavior. Krakauer presents a similar of theme of youth in the face of danger. Like O’Brien, Krakauer uses words that construct a rich mental image for the reader; in this case, the image is that of an overly eager child. Krakauer writes, â€Å"The boy could hardly contain his excitement. He was about to be alone in the vast Alaska wilds† (Krakauer 206). Krakauer refers to his subject, Chris McCandless, as â€Å"the boy,† conveying the inexperience and ineptitude and childlike enthusiasm of McCandless who, because of his bubbling excitement, sounds more like a kid in a candy store or a child on Christmas morning, than he does a like man about to confront the isolation and bitter cold of the wilderness. Later on, that excitement would turn to desperation and eventually death—like the soldier in O’Brien’s story, the boy meets an early end to his life. In spite of this similarity, Krakauer does not tell a true war story. For some young warriors, adulthood is thrust upon them, maturity it is meted out with no opportunity fo r choice or deliberation; there is no rite of passage. This is not so for McCandless;  Krakauer recognizes growth and maturity arising in McCandless, noting that he made the decision to postpone the river crossing â€Å"after weighing his options,† then â€Å"settl[ing] on the most prudent course† (Krakauer 212). Learning to tame impetuousness allows one to make moral choices, choices that show respect for oneself and one’s surroundings. This type of learning happens with contemplation, introspection, and time. It is not a true war story; not because Krakauer authored a majestic death for McCandless, but because it seemed McCandless lost his war, and it appeared that the battle was too much for him in the end; because Krakauer wrote of a young man who was able to mature during his war, and was able to learn lessons of humility, morality, and caution during his time alone in the Alaska wilds. Imagery in a war stories can be graphic, but in a true war story there is no redemptive value in the gratuitousness of violent acts. O’Brien writes about Rat Riley’s who after witnessing the death of his best friend, encounters a baby buffalo in an abandoned village, â€Å"He opened up a can of C rations, pork and beans, but the baby buffalo wasn’t interested. Rat shrugged. He stepped back and shot it through the right front knee. It went down hard, then got up again, and Rat took careful aim and shot off an ear. He shot it in the hind quarters and in the little hump at its back. He shot it twice in the flanks. It wasn’t to kill; it was to hurt. He put the rifle muzzle up against the mouth and shot the mouth away†¦. There wasn’t a great deal of pity of the baby water buffalo† (O’Brien 274).† O’Brien uses the graphic details to give his reader a glimpse into the mind of soldier who has lost his innocence, one who has l ost empathy because of the grotesque things he has witnessed. The killing of the baby buffalo was not only a response to the pain (or numbness) felt by Rat, but was also a response to rejection. War makes people to terrible things, things that they may not do otherwise. In a true war story, there is little or no remorse for the terrible act. For a soldier, terrible acts and normal acts may become indistinguishable after a while. Death, killing, and suffering is an expectation in war, in a true war story, virtue does not exist; therefore, remorse and empathy cannot exist either. O’Brien clearly illustrates this idea, when writing about the buffalo. Krakauer also uses graphic imagery to show the grisly reality of war. Krakauer tells a story about a moose shot by  McCandless, â€Å"He butchered the carcass under a thick cloud of flies and mosquitoes, boiled the organs into a stew, and then laboriously excavated a burrow in the face of the rocky stream bank directly below the bus, in which he tried to cure, by smoking, the immense slabs o f purple flesh (Krakauer 209).† The shock and gore of cutting up a dead animal with insects biting and flying about could lend itself well to a true war story, but here, it does not. What differentiates this story from O’Brien’s is that Krakauer writes that McCandless felt â€Å"remorse soon after he shot the moose† (Krakauer 209). Because of this remorse, this is not a true war story. If this were a true war story as identified by O’Brien, there would be no sympathy for the animal, no moral outrage by the killer that every part of the animal could not be used. A true war story would not show the level of respect for life, for human and animal value; a true war story disregards life. O’Brien writes that when the buffalo torture was over, it was simply thrown in a well with no regard for the animal, an act that not only punished the animal, but demonstrated a lack of respect for human life as the drinking water from that well would be contaminated. Conversely, Krakauer emphasizes t he great measures McCandless took to preserve the moose meat, and the moral dilemma McCandless faced because he was not successful. O’Brien leaves little room for a story that has any moral significance to be considered a true war story. The author contends that â€Å"If at the end of a war story you feel uplifted, or if you feel that some small bit of rectitude has been salvaged from the larger waste, then you have been made the victim of a very old and terrible lie. There is no rectitude whatsoever† (O’Brien 269). War, for O’Brien, is inherently devoid of morality; so any action occurring as a part of war is fruit from a poisonous tree—it is tainted and cannot be separated to be made clean, or right. True war stories acknowledge this. To say that there can be moral action as two sides are determined to kill more of them while they are trying to kill more of you, is an absurdity. The fighting and conflict, the struggle to maintain one’s humanity in the face of death and dying is challenging to say the least. Four times within â€Å"How to Tell a True War Story† Oà ¢â‚¬â„¢Brien tells the story of Curt Lemon being killed by a landmine. Each time the story is told, there is a new variant, or one taken away; his changes in language, words,  and details range from revolting to beautiful. Certain things change, but the story stays the same—there is death and loss everywhere. That is the story, the true war story. No matter how it is told, Lemon dies and Riley will never laugh with him again. Contrast this with Krakauer who writes Into the Wild after having already written a magazine article on Chris McCandless. Krakauers â€Å"Selections from into the Wild† could not be considered a true war story in the way that O’Brien defines it, because the selection itself is an act of morality. The magazine article Krakauer wrote prior to his writing of the essay can arguably be considered a true war story as it portrays an ill-prepared young man who is done in by his own arrogance. Many who read the article lacked sympathy for the fallen, and instead ridiculed him. People love stories of heroes, but they l ove stories of failures just as well, as long as the failure is some arrogant jerk getting his just deserts. Krakauer could have left the story there, but he did not, he chose to look deeper to get to the truth, to get to the â€Å"absolute occurrence† (O’Brien 277) that O’Brien warns is irrelevant in a true war story. Krakauer wanted to experience what the subject of his story experienced, and make right the wrong he had done with his article—he wants to do the morally responsible thing. Krakauer writes of his journey to set out on the path blazed by McCandless, â€Å"I, too, hope to cross the river. I want to visit the bus. I want to see where McCandless died, to better understand why† (Krakauer 213). Crossing the river—a metaphor used by O’Brien as well—meant facing the unknown in order to learn more and continuing the search for whatever was lost or missing. In some war stories details are important. They can change they the story altogether. They can change an incompetent, arrogant, boy into a disciplined young man who was willing to take up a dangerous challenge just to prove to himself that he could, even if he did not. Krakauer used the essay as tool to change perceptions to ones based on truth; in changing the details he changed the story. Not all war stories are true, in â€Å"How to Tell a True War Story,† Tim O’Brien lays out the elements needed in a war story to be considered true. Jon Krakauer tells a war story, but it is not a true war story by O’Brien’s standards. Morality is the dividing line between Krakauer telling a war  story, a true war story.