The Black Death Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Black Death - Essay Example 3 Not so the pneumonic plague, which attacked the respiratory system and killed virtually 100 percent of its victims within 2 or 3 days.4 A more rare form, the septicemic, also killed virtually 100 percent of its victims, killing them within hours.5 A large number of people died during these two years, and that death rate cut across population and socioeconomic boundaries. It spread by human contact with remarkable speed - "whenever those suffering from it mixed with people who were still unaffected, it would rush upon these with the speed of a fire racing through dry or oily substances that happened to be placed within its reach....it also seemed to transfer the sickness to anyone touching the clothes or other objects which had been handled or used by victims."6 With the speed and ease of transmission that was shown by this pestilence, the disease was an equal opportunity killer. One of the striking aspects of the plague was its effect as a kind of leveler between the peasant and ruling classes. Because the plague swept across socioeconomic boundaries, taking both consumers and producers, peasants commanded more of a wage while manorial incomes went down. This is in evidenced in the fact that labor laws were put into place to try to halt the trend of paying serfs more, stating that Lords who payed higher wages and the serfs who accepted them would be punished, as sign that "the new market forces created by the Black Death were so irresistible that only more draconian measures could halt them.†7 The economic necessities that the Black Death imposed include such progressive ideas as "emancipation higher wages and living standards, greater land-holdings, and the labor-saving devices that became available."8 Giovanni Boccaccio, a literary figure, described the servants who remained as greedy, stating that they were "in short supply

Film Review Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Film Review Paper - Essay Example Since then these two spend a lot of time together and fall in love. Rafe unexpectedly returns and realizes that Danny and Evelyn are very close to each other. But before they three can untangle themselves, Japan attacks Pearl Harbor and starts bombing. Many ships are destroyed and Evelyn is busy in dealing with the wounded. Meanwhile Danny and Rafe manage to get air bourn and they start shooting down Japanese fighter planes with the help of their reckless tactics. If you compare this movie with â€Å"The Thin Red Line† or â€Å"Saving Private Ryan† the movie simply lacks moral ambiguity. The important issues are presented in black and white with a little focus on deciding what is actually right and what is wrong. The Japanese are shown as clear evil and Americans are shown as doing nothing and just being good to the Japanese which is not fair. The love story of the movie would have been very interesting if in the love triangle there would have been a Japanese American, because there would have been a problem of their loyalties as an American and their ancestral roots which would have been torn apart. A very big problem with this movie was that the director tries a lot of things together. With all these things Pearl Harbor didn’t do a good job but it’s still a good movie because Josh Harnett and Kate Beckinsale acted pretty well. As far as the historical accuracy is concerned the movie has got all the dates and events right. The special effects used in movie are really impressive. Despite many negative comments and reviews Pearl Harbor was one of the highest grossing films in 2001. It can be included in the list of good American War movies. The historical context of the movie is completely lost. Pearl Harbor had three hours in which to present it. The actual historical background was not present. The most obvious historical blunder is the scene of Americana that the director uses as an