The Lives Of Others Film Studies Essay

The Lives Of Others Film Studies Essay The Lives of Others is set in 1984 East Berlin, five years before Gorbachevs glasnost policies, and the fall of the Berlin Wall. The film centers on the East German Ministry for State Security, which is a secret police known as the Stasi, created by the German Democratic Republic (GDR) in an attempt to maintain its power and protect the survival of Socialism in East Berlin. The secret police force consisted of 100,000 investigators and over 200,000 informants. The Stasi investigated any and all citizens in Berlin who posed a threat to socialism. The investigations often included wiretapping and tailgating, with every action being meticulously documented. As a result of the Stasi, those who were found guilty were arrested, interrogated, imprisoned, and in many cases, blacklisted. In the film, loyal Stasi officer Hauptmann Gerd Wiesler is assigned to spy on playwright Georg Dreyman. Wiesler wiretaps the apartment, and investigates Dreymans activities, writing a detailed report every ev ening. Fear is a common theme throughout the film. Every citizen fears the GDR and the Stasi, knowing that their lives can be critically altered if they do not oblige to the system placed before them. Early in the film we see Dreyman neighbor watching the surveillance team bug his apartment. Wiesler is aware of the womans observations and provides strict orders for her to keep quiet, and reminds her of the consequences if she does not obey. Later in the film the Dreyman asks the woman to help him with his tie, and the neighbor is uneasy about associating herself with Dreyman because she does not want to be associated with him. That scene conveys a message about how a Stasi investigation can harm not only a persons career but their social lives as well. Dreymans friend and former director Albert Jerska is an example of how the Stasi can damage and destroy an individuals life. Jerska was once a prominent stage director with an optimistic outlook on life, after an investigation Jerska was blac klisted and could never direct again. The effects of his blacklisting affected the way others treated him, as they wished to distance themselves from him in fear of the Stasi. As a result of the Stasi, Jerska lost all hope in life and took his own life in order to escape the restrictions placed on him under the GDR. The power of blacklisting is displayed maliciously in the film, as Dreyman girlfriend, Christa-Maria Sieland is forced to become an informant for the Stasi in order to preserve her career as an actress. That scene offers the audience and explanation on how the GDR was capable of convincing citizens to report on their friends and family. Hauptmann Gerd Wiesler, the loyal Stasi investigator, is an example of the ideal German citizen in the GDR. He is introduced as an educator, teaching his students how to become Stasi investigators. He never doubts the GDR and shows no mercy in fighting the enemies of socialism. His personal life in the film conveys a message of what life was like for the investigators living the socialist lifestyle in the GDR. Wiesler lives a lonely life in a dull apartment, eating food from a tube, and watching the evening news. His life is dedicated to the GDR and because of that, his life is empty. To suppress his loneliness, Wiesler orders prostitutes to fill the void in his life. Listening to the lives of others makes Wiesler aware of his loneliness, and he compares his life to Dreyman, envying his happiness. After discovering the motives behind the investigation, Wiesler cannot help but feel compassion for the writer he is spying on, and ignores Dreymans anti socialist actions in his nightly re ports. Although Wiesler is a loyal socialist, he becomes dissatisfied with the Minister of the GDR, and questions the ethical reasons behind government monitoring. Within a few months, he went from a proud socialist citizen to an apathetic Stasi employee. In November 1989, the GDR police unexpectedly opened the borders in Berlin, and reunited east and West Germany. Germans began tearing down the Berlin Wall and were making way for reunification. The end of the GDR marked a turning point for capitalism in East Germany. The film Goodbye Lenin! centers on Alex, a young man whos proud socialist mother falls into a coma weeks before the fall of the Berlin wall. Eight months later, she wakes up in the unified Germany, but has no idea that these changes have happened. The doctors explain her fragile condition to Alex, explaining that any excitement could lead to a fatal relapse. Alex and his sister Ariane are placed as caregivers to their mother and are forced to come up with creative ways to keep their mother from discovering the truth that everything she believed in has collapsed. Different from the Lives of Others, this story follows the lives of an ordinary East Berlin family struggling to cope with the changing world. Goodbye Lenin! is set during the fall of the Berlin Wall, which allows the audience to witness the changes in East Germany and how they affect the population. By opening up to the western world, Berlin was introduced to capitalist markets, and easterners wanted to become a part of it. The film displays how the youths in East Germany were more excited about the reunification than the older generation. The young people traveled to the west for the first time, and viewed West Germany as though it was a huge shopping mall. Ariane represents the younger generation, and how the youth was attracted to consumerism due to the division. Ariane changes her style from the old bleak colors of the GDR and adopts the bright colors of the west. She even starts changing things around the house by throwing away all the furniture and piling it outside with the rest. The new open market economy offered a variety of products from different brands allowing citizens to purchase items of higher quality that had not previously been available. There is a scene in the film in which Alex is desperately trying to maintain the illusion that the GDR still exists, while Ariane grows upset with his behavior because she prefers the new products. She makes a statement about the diapers in the scene explaining how the ones from the old GDR are of poor quality and how she prefers to use the new ones that are available. Ariane is eager to adopt change since it is completely new to her, and she makes choices that are not always in her best interest, such as leaving the university to sell hamburgers at Burger King. The actions made by Ariane represent how eager the East Germans were to get rid of socialism but failed to question how the German economy will be affected by the reunification. The former and the new economic system displaced many citizens, especially those who were most comfortable with the GDR. Following the fall of the wall, citizens in the East experienced massive unemployment due to the overcrowded job market. In the film, Alex finds a new job by submitting his name into a job lottery, which he is lucky enough to win. The unemployed characters in the film, mostly the older generation, have a difficult time adapting because everything they believed in was over. Economic change not only effected employment but also the currency of the former GDR. After discovering the location of his mothers money, Alex goes to the bank to convert the old currency into deutschmarks only to learn that the deadline has passed. Alex immediately becomes distressed when he discovers that his mothers life savings had become useless pieces of paper. That scene reminds the audience that although East Germany has been freed from socialist oppression, they now face new economic ch allenges. The cultural wave of capitalism that Germans openly support is the same capitalism that has destroyed the savings of millions. Throughout the film, Alex is desperately trying to maintain the illusion that the GDR still exists for the sake of his mother. He seeks out old food brands, forces everyone to wear the old style of clothing, and creates fictional TV report. His extreme tactic to preserve a world for his mother is not so different from the way she raised him. In the most powerful scene in the film, Alexs mother confesses the truth about his father. She reveals that she had once had a plan to move the family to West Berlin to meet with their father, but changed her mind because she feared the GDR. Her confession challenges everything her children were taught to believe, as she reveals that her loyalty towards the GDR was not genuine, but was instead a product of fear. She never left for Berlin and dedicated her life to socialism to ensure that her children would not be taken away from her. The mothers confession relates to the Lives of Others because it displays the fear that ordinary citizen felt towa rds the Stasi and the GDR. Goodbye Lenin! tells a fun, heartfelt story about an ordinary family during the reunification of Germany. The power of the Stasi and the influence they have on people is depicted very gently in the film. The director shows the forcefulness of the agents and how they would go about investigating a home, but failed to show how and why the Stasi provoked fear, and instead relied on the audiences memories of the horrific past. The film pokes fun at the old system of the east while conveying the hardships that citizens experienced in a pleasant and family-friendly tone. The film did not accurately represent the dark time in the German past. The Lives of Others on the other hand, is a harsh, realistic depiction of the dark side of former East Germany. The film has a darker tone and is shot with low lighting to convey the dreary feeling of what it was like to live in East Germany. The films story included death, drugs, and corruption to accurately portray Germanys past. The most disturbing aspect in the films are the scenes with Stasi officers discussing surveillance operations. Their conversations are casual, and spying on the lives of others is an everyday norm. The Lives of Others and Goodbye Lenin! are two films that allow an audience to relive Germanys gloomy past. The films displayed every aspect of life in East Germany, and the restrictions citizens faced. The clothing available to the Germans were dull and grey, and the single product markets demonstrate how oppressed these people were, and they all knew it. On the other side of the wall capitalism flourished, and citizens were not forced to follow a government they did not support. It is this unbelievable to think that twenty years ago such oppressive governments existed throughout Europe. It is important for films like these to be made to show people around the world the realities of what it was like to live during the GDR.

In what ways does Shakespeare make the opening scenes of Macbeth dramatic? Essay

The play Macbeth written by William Shakespeare is skilfully structured to engage an audience’s interest through effective techniques in the opening scenes. These are the use of setting, characterisation, language and the structure of the play. The setting is cleverly used to create the appropriate atmosphere to the scene and plays on the 17th century expectations and assumptions of weather. The characters introduced in the opening scenes are captivating, Shakespeare’s use of rhyme, rhythm, repetition and dialogue help establish this. The play’s structure in the scenes and character’s dialogue create an engaging and inquiring effect, helping to make the opening scenes of Macbeth captivate the audience’s interest. The setting in the opening scenes is crafted to create a dramatic effect through the place its set in and the weather used. In act one, scene one, the stage directions are given as â€Å"An open place†¦Thunder and lightening. Enter three witches.† This is quite significant, especially in the 17th century, as in those superstitious times it was believed that storms were representative of and released forces of evil. The audience is already informed that it’s a spooky and eerie atmosphere and are then intrigued as to what frightening or supernatural event might follow. A stormy setting is used prior to the witches’ entrance in both scene one and three, which acts as an effective prelude to a sinister and immoral mood. Act one, scene three’s stage description â€Å"A heath†¦thunder†¦Ã¢â‚¬  is not only using pathetic fallacy to set the evil and unsettled tone, but also landscape. A heath can be described as wasteland overgrown with shrubs, uncultivated. This uncared for and abandoned environment reflects that the witches are socially unacceptable and rejected, emphasising and reminding the audience how ill-favoured and god-awful these witches are. This provokes the audience’s curiosity as they’re ‘sheltered’ or not used to seeing this kind of living, and shows the dramatic impact Shakespeare crafts through setting. Another technique used to maintain interest and stimulate inquisitiveness is the structure of the opening scenes. Shakespeare purposely organises the order in which the characters are introduced and limits the storyline revealed to the audience to captivate them. The first scene with the witches mentions their plans involving Macbeth. â€Å"There to meet with Macbeth†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and as the character of Macbeth hasn’t yet made an entrance, the audience indecisively creates an image of doom around him, as his name is associated with the witches. However, scene two sets up a more assuring perception of Macbeth. The Captain praises his name and noble actions to King Duncan, â€Å"For brave Macbeth†¦disdaining fortune, with his brandished steel†, this follow through scene leaves the audience assured, but having the preceding thought of Macbeth being doomed creates curiosity in the audience. Having been introduced to two completely contrasting personas of Macbeth, the audience wants to know whether he will turn out to continue being noble or change to being evil. In scene three Macbeth meets with the witches, as they’d predicted at the beginning of the play. They then foretell Macbeth’s destiny as becoming Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor and then King, â€Å"All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Glamis!†¦Thane of Cawdor!†¦that shalt be King hereafter!† In sequence, Macbeth is informed that he’s now Thane of Cawdor. â€Å"And for an earnest of a greater honour†¦call thee Thane of Cawdor.† The audience is now aware that the witches’ predictions have been proven correct. Macbeth is also now aware of this, and a curious seed of greed has been planted into his mind. This is where he then starts brooding on thoughts of becoming King, and what he might have to do to achieve this, â€Å"†¦My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Aside to the audience, Macbeth is explaining his thoughts of killing Duncan, in order to be King. This creates a lot of interest amongst the audience as Macbeth was described as being a noble, respectable and courageous man prior to his soliloquy, yet now after the witches’ prediction has come true, Macbeth is falling into the witches hands- favouring their other prediction of him becoming King. This order of events is effective in the way that intrigue is raised as to whether Macbeth will become King or not. Structure is not only used in the scenes, but also in the dialogue to build up an alluring and tense effect. In scene two the Captain has been delivering victorious news about a battle Macbeth had led to triumph. In sequel he begins â€Å"†¦whence comfort seemed to come, discomfort swells.† The Captain raises Duncan’s expectations of defeat by using ‘comfort’ and ‘discomfort’ as contrasting words. Duncan now assumes an unsuccessful loss, as well as the audience, â€Å"Dismayed not this our captains, Macbeth and Banquo?† However the Captain continues to announce Macbeth’s second victory, â€Å"†¦As cannons overcharged†¦strokes upon the foe.† His order of dialogue, by preparing Duncan for loss, effectively emphasises the victorious event of Macbeth’s second triumph in battle. So Shakespeare’s use of structure in scenes and dialogue contribute to making the opening scenes of Macbeth dramatic. Setting and structure in the opening scenes are used effectively to engage the audience’s interest. Furthermore the characters and language Shakespeare constructs are the utmost intriguing, completing the dramatic tone in the opening scenes of Macbeth. In act one, scene one the witches’ dialogue is in rhyme and rhythm, â€Å"When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightening, or in rain?† This gives it a sense of chanting and makes it spell-like, emphasising the supernatural characterisation of them. Another example of the witches speaking in rhyming couplets is in scene 3, â€Å"But in a sieve I’ll thither sail, and like a rat without a tail†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This habit is not only spell-like, but it also separates the witches from the other characters in the play, accentuating the fact that they’re evil and opposing to the natural ways of humanity. The three witches also take it in turns to speak, completing and answering each other’s speech. This pattern and unity suggests that they act together like one, almost as if they’re representing an inverse of the holy trinity. This underlying image of them is significant in the way of reversing the ‘natural order’ that God had originally set up- again opposing to the natural ways of humanity. This is also shown through a spell they chant together in scene one, â€Å"Fair is foul, and foul is fair†. They believe everything evil is good, contradicting what the society they live in believes- that everything evil is bad and sinful. Another habit of the witches’ speech is repetition of threes. In scene three witch 1 is discussing taking revenge on a woman’s husband, as she’d not given her chestnuts, â€Å"†¦and munched, and munched, and munched†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Aroint thee witch,’†¦I’ll do, I’ll do, and I’ll do.† The woman tells the witch to get lost, ‘aroint’, and this angers the witch to take revenge, ‘I’ll do’. To speak words or phrases in triplets really states how powerful or magical they are as in Shakespeare’s time the number 3, and multiples of 3, were regarded as magic numbers. The witches cite triplets and magic numbers a number of times in the opening scenes, â€Å"†¦nine times nine†¦thrice to thine, and thrice to mine, and thrice again, to make up nine.† So in addition to speaking in rhyming couplets and rhythm, Shakespeare uses society’s superstition to enhance the witches’ dark and forbidden characterisation. In addition to these unusual ways of speaking, the witches are portrayed to be physically unappealing. Banquo’s first impression was dismayed and confused, â€Å"What are these, so withered, and so wild in their attire†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He describes how unattractive and degraded they appear, â€Å"†¦look not like th’ inhabitants o’ th’ earth†¦Live you, or are you aught that man may question?† Banquo is suggesting that they look nothing like humans, and is hesitant to ask if they are as he fears they’re evil spirits. This really exemplifies the witches’ characteristics to be spooky, eerie and devious. This would be more so appealing to an Elizabethan audience as they’d been sheltered and kept away from anything dark and sinful. Being able to witness these strange characters on stage would be extremely interesting. By constructing the witches to be physically unattractive enhances the intrigue, as they’re even more u nfamiliar and ‘different’. This helps to capture the audience’s intrigue and make the opening scenes dramatic. As well as the witches, Macbeth is set up to be a very interesting character successfully captivating the audience in the opening scenes. As discussed in the structure of the play, Macbeth is portrayed to be a very loyal, courageous and noble man. To depict these qualities, Shakespeare uses descriptive language which is very effective, especially when the Captain compares Macbeth to Macdonwald, â€Å"†¦multiplying villainies of nature do swarm upon him [Macdonwald]†¦like a rebel’s whore† Using a harsh and sinful tone about Macdonwald sets up a great contrast against Macbeth, â€Å"For brave Macbeth†¦ with his brandished steel, which smoked with bloody execution, like valour’s minion carved out his passage†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The Captain’s description of Macbeth not only seems incredibly worthy compared to Macdonwald, but also mighty and potent due to using bold words such as ‘brandished’, ‘smoked’ and ‘carved’. The Captain also glorifies Macbeth through the use of irony. As in the discussion on the play’s structure, the Captain had prepared Duncan for bad news only to praise Macbeth’s second victory. He says the second attack dismayed Macbeth and Banquo as much â€Å"As sparrows [dismayed] eagles, or the hare [dismayed] the lion.† Macbeth is being described as an eagle or lion that prey upon the sparrows and the hare, which represent the King of Norway- the second opposition. Eagles and lions are very majestic animals in the animal kingdom, giving Macbeth a high authority and status. The dialogue is kept very enthralling through different techniques. Assonance keeps the pace quick and poetic to listen to, â€Å"†¦doubly redoubled strokes upon†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Some of the similes used are very effective â€Å"As cannons overcharged with double cracks†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The Captain is describing the power and conquest Macbeth has over the King of Norway, ‘overcharged with double cracks’ creates a very powerful image as it’s described to be immoderate- more than enough. Another technique common in the character’s dialogue is the use of metaphors. Again when the Captain is lauding Macbeth, he refers to him as â€Å"Bellona’s bridegroom†. This trope instantly gives Macbeth a high status and supremacy as it’s referring to him as Mars, the god of war, who was wedded to Bellona. All these high praises have set up the audience’s perception of Macbeth to be very valiant, and this makes his developing characterisation to be intriguing because the audience wants to see if he can be both n oble and associated with the witches. Even though Macbeth’s persona is portrayed to be noble, his righteous ways are uncertain when the audience meets him which hooks the audience. His first words in his first entrance mimic the witches’ in scene one, â€Å"So foul and fair a day†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Although Macbeth is presumably referring to the bad weather yet satisfying victories, this echo of ‘foul and fair’ suggests that Macbeth is sub-consciously crossing over to the evil ways and beliefs of the witches. It could also be suggesting that even though Macbeth isn’t aware, the witches are already in control of him. Either way, the echo of ‘foul and fair’ underlies a connection to the witches and their evil characteristics. This possibility of Macbeth being villainous only increases after the witches’ prediction of him becoming thane of Cawdor comes true. Macbeth then obsesses with the idea of becoming King and tries to evaluate this occurrence, questioning whether the wi tches only let this come true to gain his trust so they can betray him. â€Å"If ill, why hath it given me earnest of success, Commencing in a truth? I am Thane of Cawdor.† Macbeth questions why these predictions might be bad if it has made him successful as a Thane. â€Å"If good, why do I yield to that suggestion†¦Ã¢â‚¬  By suggestion, Macbeth means the thought of him killing Duncan to be King, â€Å"†¦my thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical†¦Ã¢â‚¬  As he’s in this state of confusion, it intrigues the audience to think whether Macbeth will turn evil or stay true to his virtues. In the end of his deliberation, he decides to let destiny take its place without his interference, â€Å"†¦chance will have me King†¦without my stir† This lessens the tension of the audience until noble Macbeth hears that Duncan is naming his son future King. â€Å"We will establish our estate upon our eldest, Malcolm†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Despite Macbeth originally deciding to let destiny take place, he instantly sees Malcolm as an obstacle to becoming King, â€Å"The Prince of Cumberland-that is a step, On which I must fall down, or else o’erleap, For in my way it lies.† His obsessing ambition now makes him consciously think evil deeds. â€Å"†¦Stars hide your fires, Let not light see my black and deep desires.† By referring to his thoughts as ‘desires’, it’s evidently showing that Macbeth is crossing over to the witches ‘side’- believing in what they believe. The other characters are unaware of this; it’s only Macbeth and the audience who know. This makes the development of the play enthralling to the audience, as they want to know how the other characters fall into Macbeth’s other persona, his dark side. He continues his obsession, describing how awful his thoughts are. â€Å"The eye wink at the hand; yet let that be, Which the eye fears when it is done to see.† Macbeth’s saying ‘the eye’, any witnesses, should be blind to what he’s about to do (in thought) as, if anyone’s exposed to what he’s done they’ll be in fear. Alternatively, Macbeth could be suggesting that his eyes should be blind to what his hands are doing (his actions) as if he let’s both his personas clash (his noble side and evil side), he’ll regret what he’s done. Macbeth’s character is so episodic, changing his beliefs and qualities from scene to scene. The language in the dialogue is so varied and interesting through assonance, irony, similes and metaphors, that the audience are immediately absorbed and inquiring. The opening scenes of Macbeth are made dramatic through a series of techniques including setting, structure, characters and language. Shakespeare effectively uses weather and landscape to create and enhance an eerie and immoral mood, mostly prior to the witches’ entrance. Intrigue is also stimulated through the play’s structure, in both Shakespeare’s order of scenes and use of dialogue. Limiting the storyline revealed and purposely organising the order in which characters are introduced develop anticipation and inquisitiveness amongst the audience. Overall the characters and language introduced in the opening scenes are the utmost captivating. Their characterisations are constructed through language compiling of techniques such as similes, assonance, metaphors, rhythm, rhyme and irony. All of these effectively help to make the opening scenes of Macbeth extremely enthralling, interesting and dramatic.

Debate on Indian Removal Essay

In the contemporary world the idea of removal of an entire people from its native land would sound wickedly and would perhaps be considered a genocide, yet in the XIX century this idea was quite permissible and corresponded to the ruling concept of civilized nations which were to rule those uncivilized and determine their existence. Therefore, in our estimation of pro and contra Indian removal arguments I shall attempt to evaluate the named arguments first and foremost from the point of view of the time and base my conclusions on such evaluation. The first argument proposed by Andrew Jackson to the Congress in 1829 is that that no new state may be established without consent of the people of that state, and since Indians are living on the territory of existing states and do not constitute a majority, they may not establish their own government and have to obey the laws of the state or immigrate. A harsher version of the argument is provided in the North American Review, January 1830, blaming that Indians are barbarous people â€Å"incapable of sustaining any other relation with the whites, than that of dependence and pupilage. † Francis J. Grund is even more acrid, as he claims Indian’s cruelty towards the Founding Fathers. A counterargument can be found in the â€Å"Memorial of the Cherokee Indians†, published in the Weekly Register vol. 38, and it is that a white man is a ruler of the land, and the red man is weak, yet there were times when whites were week and reds were strong, and the whites received warm welcome from the Indians. Also the Indians argued that previous treaties guaranteed their rights to land. The situation with the Indians is similar to the one with the colonists before the Revolution. The colonists appeared to be weak and Britain was strong, yet the colonists were able to gain their independence by force. However, the Indians were unable to win the war and they had to obey those who are strong. Therefore, the US Government argument was nothing but a sword law, not a just law. This is well confirmed by the Decision of the U. S. Supreme Court in Worcester v. State of Georgia (1832), where the Court has found that treaties between the Indians and the Government, as well as Indian self-government are guaranteed as long as the Indians obey the general laws of the state. Since the Indians did not obey, all they privileges have to be annulled. Yet the laws of the state themselves made the Indians chose between â€Å"becoming civilized† in other words not leading their traditional lifestyle and immigration. So, it may be concluded, that removal has logically followed from the previous relations between the Indians and the Government, in which the Government used sword more frequently than justice. The second pro argument proposed by Andrew Jackson in 1830 were advantages of immigration both for the whites and for Indians. For the US government is was an opportunity to protect the frontiers, for the states of Mississippi and Alabama these were new territories and opportunities for development, and for the Indians, under Jackson, it was an ability not to have contacts with the civilized people, follow their customs and live under the government supervision, gradually becoming a civilized community. A counterargument of the Indians is explained in the mentioned Memorial, as well as in the article published in the North American Review, October 1830 where they claim their right to stay on their land and continue their traditional life same as any nation has title over its land. In fact, we once more face the sword law: the Government determined what is â€Å"civilized† and what is â€Å"law† and the Indians had to obey or disappear. Another Indian argument may be found in the letter from John Ross: the Government was just willing to get rid of the Indians. This is an argument with no counterargument. Government’s desire to make away with the Indians was undisputable. Concluding my analysis I have to recognize that the arguments of the Indians look stronger even for the XIX century. An independent international tribunal of the time would perhaps take their side. Yet there was no such tribunal, but only the will of the Government which caused Indians to be removed.

The Bond of Communion An Analysis of the Communal Bonds...

The Bond of Communion: An Analysis of the Communal bonds throughout Dante Alighieri’s The Inferno Human beings are odd creatures, possessing abilities no other living species have. These abilities being Intelligence, Reason, and Free Will. These attributes allow human beings to value and destroy whatever they deem necessary to them. One of the most valuable things to a human being is the communal bond. This bond comes in many shapes and forms and is ultimately a form of love, and is usually a connection we share with others and with God. The communal bond works like a relationship, in which the persons involved are expected to and obey the instructions specified. This bond is a weak love, one that is easily influenced and most likely to†¦show more content†¦Dante’s use of symbolism is most evident in this passage, where light is a symbol for reason and love. The fact that the second circle is void of these two attributes amplifies that the Lustful abandon their reason and love in order to pursue and satisfy their physical body. Dante having successfully establishe d the setting moves on to establish his concept of Contrapasso. Dante describes â€Å"[the] hellish flight [of the sinners] / of storm and counter storm†¦sweep[ing] the souls of the damned before its change. / Whirling and battering†¦ / their shrieks begin anew.† (5.29-35) The punishment of the Lustful and Carnal is the inability to control their actions in Hell. They are forever controlled by the winds of Hell, this is due to their inability to control their earthly passions in life. Another punishment the Lustful face are the inability to be with their loved one, in Hell they can see and speak to their loved one but are forever denied the right to touch their lover, causing them suffering and anguish. The readers sympathize with the sinners and Dante himself pities the lustful in this circle. Dante structures his Inferno in circles, with the higher circles being composed of lesser sins and the lowest circles being the gravest sins. Dante structures the circles wis ely in order to stress the belief of the importance of community. The higher circles of Hell contain the sinners who sought unity and community,