Speech - Global warming Essay Example for Free

Speech Global warming Essay Specific purpose: To inform the audience about some effects of global warming so that they are able to discuss the problem surrounding the global warming after my speech. Introduction: Humanity is conducting an unintentional, unrestrained and globally perversive experiment whose ultimate consequences could be second only to nuclear war The human race is responsible for the biggest testing in history an experiment to see what will happen to our health and the health of the planet when we make dreadful changes in our climate. This is not a prescribed scientific inquiry. It is an enormous change in the Earths environment, and we are gambling our childrens future on the results. Our experiment is called global warming, and it is changing our atmosphere throwing out of balance a delicate system that almost took billions of years to develop. Global warming is a serious problem that cannot be ignored I. Preview: Explaining the meaning of global warming, process of global warming and the effect of the global warming . II. Main points: I. Meaning of global warming: Generally, the global warming means to warming the global either by human being or by the environment but the intricate meaning is the increasing temperature of earth. Some scientists like to mention the global warming as green house effect. Global warming has reached a level such that we can ascribe with a high degree of confidence a relationship between the green house effect and the observed warming. (1) II Cause of global warming: A. Global climate is changing because of the buildup in the atmosphere of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane, nitrous oxide (N20), and the CFC (powerful  green house gases as well as destroyers of stratospheric ozone).(5) B. Another reason of the global warming is green house effect. About 30 gases produced by human activity have been identified as contributing to the green house effect. C. The US Government has acknowledged for the first time that man-made pollution is largely to blame for global warming (4). Emission of Co2 and other harmful gases from the man made factories and industries affects the ozone layer of the earth and contribute to the global warming. III. Effect of the global warming: Nobody would want to live to see the day when global warming directly effects our life. Not since the abrupt end of glacial climates a little over 10000 years ago have temperatures changed as much, or so rapidly. The next century may therefore see large impacts on the human economy, with the first signs already upon us (3). We can broadly divide the effects into three major categories as follows. A. Rise of sea levels: Rising global temperature are expected to raise sea levels. New calculations suggest that glacier melt alone would be responsible for a rise of 1 to 23 cm in sea level by 2100.(6) B. Effect on ecosystem: Global warming are effecting the natural ecosystem such a way that in future more and more plants and animals will have to permanently migrate to find a suitable habitat and some one will not be able to move fast enough. Scientists have predicted that species loss could be as high as 20% in sensitive ecosystems such as northern Canada and Southern Australia. C. Health threat: Since the global temperature is rising, more frequent and more intensive heat waves could result in more heat-related deaths. These conditions could also aggravate local air quality problems, already afflicting more than 80 million Americans. Global warming is expected to increase the potential geographic range and virulence of tropical diseases as well.(2) III Conclusion: I have mentioned the meaning of global warming, cause and effect of the global warming at length. A. I think everybody just can realize that there is no manner in which a complete and sudden stop could be put to global warming, but the rates at which it is taking place could be reduced. B. I hope there is a quick solution on hand.

What led to the development of postmodernism in architecture

What led to the development of postmodernism in architecture Post modernism was devised from its previous movement, modernism and first began to emerge around the states of America in the 1960s but really took off around the early 1970s when it came to England and Europe and became a movement. It still continues to influence modern architecture today. The most obvious design traits can be seen in architecture; features that best represent this style include bold, visual exteriors, designs that are functional yet contain architectural characteristics that have been seen before but combining these with exciting, colourful, fresh designs. An example of this is the Portland building; Oregon designed by Michael Graves. (See Fig.1) This block of government offices built in 1980 has a very decorative exterior and has become an icon of Post modernism. Post modernism came about when modernist views were being rejected by many people and architects although there where still some whom where in favour of the current modernist ideas, yet still recognized the need for further development within this style to take place as the world fast continued to modernise around them, this saw the beginnings of Postmodernism. This quote from Michael Graves gives his view on how modernism designed everything to be machine like, which worked, although buildings should be made decorative and not so set in the modernist ways: While any architectural language, to be built, will always exist within the technical realm, it is important to keep the technical expression parallel to an equal and complementary expression of ritual and symbol. It could be argued that the Modern Movement did this, that as well as its internal language; it expressed the symbol of the machine, and therefore practiced cultural symbolism. But in this case, the machine is retroactive, for the machine itself is a utility. So this symbol is not an external allusion, but rather a second, internalized reading. A significant architecture must incorporate both internal and external expressions. The external language, which engages inventions of culture at large, is rooted in a figurative, associational and anthropomorphic attitude.1 In this quote Graves refers to the modernist movement and how they designed their buildings to be like machines, extremely clean, sleek and purely functional with no needless design features. His view is not to think that the inside of a building should be run as a machine but to think of the building as a whole and to think outside the modernists clean cut lines and un decorative architecture. Unlike the modernist architecture previous to this movement the post modernism architecture is usually quite ornamental, new but also borrowing some features from the past, such as bringing colour back into architecture which taken away for modernist era. There is quite a lot of rivalry between the two movements, modernists strongly believe in form follows function, their architecture showing functional, formalized shapes and spaces, where post modernists believe in not necessarily form over function but making their functional buildings a lot more visually dynamic and I suppose more of an experience. There is no true reality not even your own2 This is a saying from the late 90s which reflects post modernists views. They felt you need to question reality and think outside the box where as the modernists believed in questioning authority, their thinking that if people looked into why things are designed the way they are and the truth is to be discovered then tradition would be questioned. The postmodern architecture features shameless aesthetics different from anything before, they have a more organic feel and stand out. The post modern era also found the use of different materials being used with in architecture than before, whether it be the colour or the specification of the material that was to be desired. The two main materials used in postmodern architecture are stone and glass. The stone is bold and comes in a very wide range of colours, which stuck to the postmodernist ideas. The glass was used a lot especially in America and large city buildings, office blocks and skyscrapers such as Le 1000 de la Gauchetiere in Canada, its the tallest skyscraper in Montreal. (See fig.2) This was built a bit later on, in 1992 but still shows strong postmodern values. For example the distinctive triangular copper roof and four copper capped entrances at each of the tower base corners. The structural core is constructed from concrete and steel and the exterior consists of glass in a metal frame. The form used in postmodern buildings is also very contemporary, the building function is still important for the designers but compared to the modernist buildings the forms, shapes and look of the buildings are almost there for the designers sake, not for any specific reason other than good aesthetics. As I said before there is almost a collision of beliefs between the two movements, though most of the dislike at the time was focused towards the post modern architecture as the modernist architectures such as Le Corbusier, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Walter Gropius had put the belief into the people that a building that was almost wholly based on function was the best way. So when post modern architects such as Frank Gehry, Robert Venturi and Eero Saarinen started designing buildings that where thinking outside the slick, functional, simple design box of modernism and completely aesthetical and almost quite wacky there was quite an uproar and possibly a confusion as people started t o question what was right for the future of architecture? Were the new buildings functional enough and would the new buildings stand the test of time? As the people began to accept the more complex designs of the post-modern world the buildings began to become popular and more and more architectures began to come round to the idea. In todays architecture you can clearly see the inspiration from these initial designs and that architects and designers have turned modernist ideas on their head, by carrying on the idea of aesthetically pleasing designs and almost having more fun with their design rather than just focusing on the function. So how exactly did Postmodernism come about? Well as I have just confirmed the strongest link/lead to postmodernism was obviously the modernist designs lack of decoration, but I also looked at some other factors that could have lead to the development of postmodern architecture. As is well known, the lead to postmodernism was when people started to reject the views of the modernist movement, though how did this come about? And why did people start to reject the modernist ways? The rejection of modernism first came from architects In their works. In Europe Aldo Rossi documented his views of the current art movement, while in America Raunch and Scott Brown expressed similar views on the need for development of the modernist architecture. Though the most influential change came from the work of Robert Venturi. He famously wrote the book Complexity and Contradiction in architecture in 1966 which attacked the modernism of international style, with his strong views on his dislike for modernism. In the writing he replaces Miles van der Rohes (a modernist architect) modernist phrase less is more with : less is a bore. Blatant simplification means bland architecture This quote is just a brief look to his views in the piece, he continues throughout rejecting the moral, clean cut ways of modern architecture for elements that are more a blend of features than pure. Frank Gehry seems to be a name that frequently appears when investigating post modernism architecture. His Designs were very contemporary, bold and different to what had been seen before. He denied that his work was post modernist or that it even fit into any category other than something totally new. This would not happen with a modernist architect as; although the designs are different all modernists buildings tend to have the same features, sleek and following function so much that there is not a lot of individuality between the designs. Where as post modernist architecture is all so decorative and ornamental that each design is unique. Just by looking at a few of Frank Gehrys designs you can definitely tell that they are individual although they do fit in with the post modern category his architecture has moved beyond the modernist era being based on geometric and organic forms. As Gehry says himself : Not every person has the same kinds of talents, so you discover what yours are and work with them. Dont try to be me, or try to be Frank Lloyd Wright, or try to be I M Pei. Try to be yourself. You have to understand what drives people to build buildings. 4 One of Gehrys most creative pieces that represent this is The Frederick R Weisman Art Museum at the university of Minnesota, 1993(See Fig 3). The University officials chose Frank Gehry to design the teaching museum for the campus because of his attention to needs of people that use his buildings and his unique stunning designs. The museums exterior is constructed of amazing, sticking shapes made from brushed stainless steel on one side over looking the Mississippi river creating an abstract image of a waterfall and a fish. The other side of the building is on the side of the campus and blends in with the existing sandstone and brick buildings by using terra cotta coloured bricks. Frank Gehry was also commissioned to design an expansion to the building that was meant to have been completed in 2009 though due to financial reasons it will be built by next year. This shows that post modernism continues to inspired designers today and is still popular. An example of an architect that is continuing post modernism design to todays architecture is Santiago Calatrava. Born in 1951 when the postmodern movement was just starting to come about, Calatrava grew up with the organic architecture from the era. Obviously heavily inspired by it he has continued post modernism on in his own works. He has designed many buildings, which are very well known such as the Museum of tomorrow in Rio de Janerio in Brazil and Liege Guillemins TGV station in Belgium. La Rioja, Bodegas Ysios in Spain is one of his designs, which is not so famous though still unique, and particularly show his postmodernism inspiration (See Fig 4). This building is situated amongst vineyards in Spain where la Rioja Alavesa wine is produced, the company wanted a building that would store the made wine and be a place where guests can test the wine. The design definitely meets the criteria and is very functional; there is separate part for the storing of the wine, making it and a tasting area. Although this could have been enough just in a plain rectangular building but in true post modernist style he has also added some amazing design features, the main feature is that the roof, it continues the shapes of the surrounding hills, creating a wavy organic shape. The material he has used for the roof design is aluminium panelling, which reflects the sunlight making it look even more special contrasting with the calm vineyard surrounding. I have researched the lead to post modern architecture and touched on how it has affected modern design today. Now to conclude this essay I will some up my findings of what led to post modernism in architecture. Post modernism first emerged in the 1960s and became a movement in the early 1970s, its routes stemmed from its previous movement, modernism. Modernists had a very strong belief in form follows function, their views where that a building should be purely functional and machine like which worked well but didnt leave a lot of an imagination for design features and all the buildings began to have a lot of the same features. In the 1960s some architects began to recognise this and voiced their opinions in their written works, which made people realize that designs could be a bit more exciting. The most influential architect in this realisation was Robert Venturi, in his well known writing complexity and contradiction in architecture he strongly expressed his dislike for modernist architecture, stating that less is a bore and that buildings do not have to be all about function, they can still be functional and have design features. This contributed to the lead to post modernism. One of the architects I found whos name kept appearing when looking at post modern architecture is Frank Gehry. His designs are functional but with amazing design features using organic forms and patterns to shape the buildings. As is with most post modernist architecture different organic and bold shapes are a big feature of the building making every design unique unlike the similar designs of the modernist era. Although Gehry do es not class his buildings to be post modernist or in fact fit into any category, his designs are definitely fitting with the era and he seems to share the same views as the post modernists. Buildings like Frank Gehrys continue to influence designers today such as Santiago Calatrava whos modern day designs very much resembles that of post modernist architecture. Part II Book review on: 20th Century Architecture by Jonathan Glancey The 20th Century Architecture explores the roots of modern architecture and explains how the history and the ever-changing social and political conditions helped shape and build the world we live in today. In this book, as the foreword states, by writing the book Jonathan Glancey attempts to achieve informing the reader of an introduction to architecture of the 20th Century, not to cover every aspect of the subject, as he says himself, The subject is very vast and no book can realistically cover the entire history of the twentieth century architecture. If I could it would either be too heavy to carry or else set in such a tiny type that it would be unreadable. This quote also I think captures the way the book is written, very informative yet quite light hearted. The book covers 8 of movements of 20th century architecture: Arts and Crafts, Classicism, organic, Modernism, Post-Modernism, Robotic, Cities and Futures. Each movement has a its own section which is started by a page for a brief explanation of the movement then examples of architecture significant to that time. Each piece of architecture has its own page with a full colour photo to show what it looks like and a section about the designer and the building, why it was built and how it relates to the movement and others in that time. I found the book easy to read, and was able put down at any time and pick back up from where I left off. I particularly like the no jargon take and the fact that you dont have to know an awful lot if anything on architecture or the history of the 20th century. The book is very informative if you read the whole thing or if you just flick to a specific section you are interested in. I originally did this but found that I wanted to read on further. This is as Jonathan Glancey intended as would most authors, wanting to get the attention of the reader and want to read on from their own will, as he says in the book: If this makes you want to find out more then it has done its job. If it encourages you to want to be an architect then good luck. I think he has definitely achieved his original intentions for the book. I borrowed this book from the local library but I would definitely consider buying a copy to keep as a reference book. From reading and sourcing from other architectural books, I think this fits in to the subject very well. Id says it is more aimed at students, people who are interested in architecture and starting architectures. I dont think the book would be so suitable for experienced architects and architect fanatics as it informs you of buildings and architects that this group would probably already know of, thought the may still find it informative about the movements and to find out when the movements happened and why. Over all I think this is a good book and deserves the positive comments it has picked up from press and other readers.

Scarlet Letter :: essays research papers

"Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're going to get," suggests Tom Hanks in the motion picture "Forrest Gump". He utilizes this metaphor to align a box of chocolates as a symbol for life. Symbolism serves as a useful tool to convey a message or point subtly so that the concept lingers in the mind of the reader, who then establishes a relation in his or her mind with that object and the message. Hawthorne uses symbolism in The Scarlet Letter extensively to express the underlying truths about the stifling nature of Puritan society and the dispositions of the characters in the novel. Such elements as nature, color, and light; the scarlet letter itself; as well as the scaffold, where the three pinnacles of the plot occur, operate on a firm foundation of symbolism. Nature, color and light are used as symbols throughout the novel to illustrate several areas of the story (Waggoner 154). The prison door, for example, was described as being composed of â€Å"oak and iron† and its coloring â€Å"sad† and â€Å"gray†, symbolizing the rigidity of the Puritan society against sinners (Waggoner 154). The rosebush situated outside of the prison door is like a â€Å"moral blossom† growing amongst the bitter weeds of society, in the â€Å"most unlikely of places† (Hawthorne). The placement of the rosebush in such a dank, improbable position as outside of a place housing sinners (the prison), imparts the fact that such an element of beauty and innocence is nevertheless able to be born out of a station with such an ill aura. Pearl is symbolic of the rosebush in that she was spawned from the same evil air of sin (Waggoner 156). However, her purity is just as real as that which comes from a origin of virtue (Waggoner 156). She is often associated with roses (Waggoner 156). For example, in the governor’s she cries and pleas that she must have one (Waggoner 156). In addition, her very name is an indication of the symbol she conveys (Waggoner 157). Like a pearl comes from the mangled, impure exterior of the oyster, Pearl comes from the equally impure and squalid exterior of the sin her parents willingly committed (Waggoner 157). Another nature related symbol comes in the forest. The forest itself holds its own variety of symbolism. â€Å"Freedom† is one expression of the forest. There is no reason for Hester and Dimmesdale to be secretive among the trees where no one can witness their union (Matthiessen 299).

The Playground Of The Gods :: essays research papers

The Playground of The Gods Cathy Spellman's, The Playground of The Gods is an exuberant novel which deals with murder in a remote tropical paradise but can further be read as an illustration of man's ignorance and invasion of nature. "Do it big, or stay in bed."( Larry Kelly). These are words that Thoros Gagarian lives by. He is one of the wealthiest men in the world and when picking his private paradise, only one place on earth could serve his needs and fantasies. This place is Mora Utu-The playground of the Gods-a green jewel in the placid blue expanse of the South Pacific, the most luxurious and seductive private preserve anywhere on the planet. Once his prized-possession has been found, Thoros immediately ships the island natives to a different island and brings in his construction crews to hurriedly build his paradise in order to have it ready for a celebratory visit by 12 of his close friends. In the introduction to the story, Cathy Spellman makes clear the notion that the protagonist, Thoros Gagarian views himself as an indestructible god. Her descriptions of his haste purchase of his Island paradise shows a man for whom their is no boundaries. His arrogance is further displayed in his building of his compound. Spellman's voice of reason comes from a spiritual Mexican couple who are Thoros's servants. They not only warn but predict of many consequences to the ignorance to which nature is being shown. â€Å"Nature will not permit alteration on such a scale.†(Emilio, 114). However, these warnings are ignored by the men who do not appreciate a bizarre servant couple speaking of things which money can't buy and power can't control. This is when Spellman's utilization of irony comes into the picture. A member of the party catches a tropical fever, yet he can't be cured because the tree which possesses the antidote was destroyed in the creation of the facility. This is followed by a serendipitous chain of events which is climaxed

Rec Project :: essays research papers

Introduction The NWS Yorktown sponsorship agreements follows the BUPERS guidelines on sponsorship and this guideline is our Bible. We adhere to it strictly. NWS Yorktown special events offer a unique avenue for the corporate sector to meet their business objectives through sponsorship opportunities. MWR events offer specific target markets of all ages including both military and civilian communities. In order to become apart of corporate advertising budgets, a certain message about NWS Yorktown special events and the many benefits they offer to potential sponsors must be conveyed in a timely and effective manner. There are more events than are supported by sponsorship dollars. Sponsorship proposals are being more carefully assessed to select opportunities which offer the most consideration and highest potential of measurable sales increases for budgeted promotional dollars. Once an event has been proven to deliver corporate benefits, sponsors will seek out more event opportunities and possible increase existing involvement. Establishing Excellence in Programming and Execution NWS Yorktown MWR special events compete with special event programs throughout the Hampton Roads area. These programs typically have large operating budgets and the ability to charge high ticket prices to patrons. MWR is becoming increasingly more effective in doing more with less and thus providing events equal to, and sometimes better than events on the outside for nominal fees. Consistency in excellence event programming is a goal of MWR. Communicating this idea to Hampton Roads military is an even greater goal. An established special events program with consistent high attendance records in a specified target market is a prime arena for a company looking to coordinate their promotional dollars efficiently. Understanding Corporate Objective of Event Participation Today, more than ever, event marketing must be designed to fulfill specific business objectives. By determining these distinct goals, we as event organizers can assist corporations in satisfying their projections through sponsorship of our events. Once sponsorship agreements have been signed, a personalized advertisement and promotional package can be tailored to specific business needs. For the event organizer, being in tune with the event means being able to offer creative marketing ideas to participation sponsors. It is just as important for the sponsor to receive a measurable, positive result as it is for MWR to obtain the sponsor’s dollars. Looking at the entire picture from both ends of the spectrum is the key to successful event marketing program. Commercial Sponsorship vs Donations Commercial sponsorship is the exchange of cash, goods, and/or services for marketing opportunities at an event.

Belonging: Travel and Word Boulevard

The song ‘boulevard of Broken Dreams’ is performed by Green Day. The song expresses a person’s struggle in finding where they belong in the journey of life. The titles of the song is ironic to what we would normally associate with the word ‘boulevard’ with something pleasant, glamorous and full of life it’s a direct contrast to what we many initially expect. There is no presence of life, apart from the solitary individual who walks the ‘lonely road’. The boulevard is paved with ‘broken dreams’ of darkness, of being isolated and cut off from the rest of the society ‘the city sleeps’ and not belonging to the outside world. The notion of belonging to a place is explored in the poem 10 Mary Street by Peter Skrzynecki and in Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green day, 10 Mary Street the metaphor that marked by stability, routine and familiarity; and adapting to Australia, ‘we became citizen of soil, that was feeding us’ and in the process adjusting to their adaptive home. The song opens with the declaration ‘I walk alone’ this means that on this lonely journey that it has been the ‘only’ road that he has ‘ever known’. Essentially the traveler is aware of his reality of being ‘alone’ and not knowing ‘where the road goes’ and that he recognizes that the boulevard has become his ‘home’. the co-relation between these two text is that over a long period of time they get used to the customs, in the song they get used to ‘I walk a lonely road, the only on that I have ever known’ the traveler adapted to the road and how the road has formed his ‘home’ also this song is about someone who wants to find a place where they belong and someone they trust, a safe place. The notion of not belonging to a place is explored in the poem Migrant Hostel by Peter Skrzynecki and in Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green day. line 22-23 in Migrant Hostel ‘A barrier at the main gate Sealed off the highway’ illustrates the migrants feelings of being separated and alienated, as it cuts them off from the outside the world. The road represents the road to the future were they will start a new life and their new home. The barrier represents their incarceration which is ironic considering they come here or freedom. The simile in line 25 ‘As it rose and fell like a finger pointed in reprimand or shame’ illustrates that the migrants were not wanted, stresses the lack of tolerance that they encounter the criticism that faces them and their own negative shame about leaving everything behind in order to start a new life. The reprimand and shame that faces them are obstacles to their integration. As the song indicates the traveler had dreams but the y have not come to fulfillment. But instead being ‘broken’ and the boulevard which he aimlessly travels which no one knows his existence or where he belongs. In the song Boulevard of Broken Dreams not belonging to a place is expressed in the repetition of ‘I’ throughout the song emphasizes that the traveler is alone ‘I walk a lonely road’, ‘I walk this empty street’ also ‘Where the city sleeps’ demonstrates that the traveler is isolate during his journey to find his home where he belongs, being excluded from the society. The repetition of the ‘Ah-Ah’ resonance throughout the song represents the traveler’s confusion of walking alone with the breakdown of the electric guitar in the song emphasizes that the traveler is frustrated of being segregated from the rest of the world. The frustration is emphasized as the tone consistently changes. The song highlights a sense of despair that an individual may suffer when isolated from others and when dreams fail ‘I walk alone’ confirms the traveler’s solitude and human need to walk together and to belong The contrast of not belong to a place between Migrant Hostel and Boulevard of Broken Dreams is that they both talk about having a dream of belonging to a place, the poem illustrates that they came here to start a new life with a new home and to be free but they are incarcerated by a gate that separates them from freedom and isolation and the song demonstrates the traveler is being ignored as the ‘city sleeps’

Contextualising the text – Yerma

Throughout his adult life, Garcia Lorca spoke frequently and with great pleasure about the profound importance he attributed to his early childhood in the small villages in the countryside near Granada, and later, in the provincial capital itself. Lorca's father, Federico Garcia Rodriguez was a wealthy landowner with several substantial holdings in the rich alluvial plain called La Vega de Granada. Having been widowed in his first marriage and left without children, Don Federico's second marriage (of which his family disapproved because of the inferior social and economic background of his bride) was to a school teacher from Granada, Vincenta Lorca Romero. The mere fact that she had a profession and a job is an indication of her independence and strength of character. The influence of her personality was to be of the utmost importance for Federico Garcia Lorca, her eldest son, born in June of 1898. The experience of the first ten years in that fertile region of slow rivers and poplar groves, with the snow-capped Sierra Nevada in the distance, seems to have provided Lorca with an inexhaustible well-spring of inspiration and feeling for Spain's rural people and their world. The rural folk he was surrounded by became a great influence in his work as we are shown in his second rural play Yerma. Act 2, scene 1 shows us a parallel to what Lorca would have witnessed often during his childhood. In his late teens he began to write poems that he would recite in local cafes. As a child he was known to carry on conversations with inanimate objects, bestowing upon each object a personality and speaking with them as if they were living things and might speak back at any moment. His writing career began with a book of essays in 1918, followed by a play in 1920 and book of poetry in 1921. In 1919 he left to study law at the Residencia de Estudiantes, where he met and became friends with film director Luis Bunuel and painter Salvador Dali, among other Spanish notables of his generation. With the exception of summer vacations spent in Granada, Garcia Lorca would stay in the Residencia until 1928, by which time he had become Spain's most highly respected younger poet. In the period of his greatest fame, Lorca drifted into a depressive, disillusioned state of mind. He described himself to a friend as suffering â€Å"one of the saddest and most unpleasant moments of my life. † He abandoned the gypsy ballad poetry that was making him famous. He even stopped reading his poetry to friends. He was rescued from this melancholy mood by his mentor, Fernando de los Rios, who took him from Madrid through France and England to New York City. In his plays, the pivotal characters are women. Women are the ones who suffer from desire and pass through conflict to tragic or comic resolution. Most of the scenes take place in women's spaces, the domestic interiors which they rule and from which men are estranged (or, as in The House of Bernarda Alba, completely prohibited). The female characters reveal themselves most easily and deeply in conversations with other women. The poetry which erupts at moments of emotional intensity usually comes from the mouths of female characters. Especially in the three great tragedies which are known as his â€Å"trilogy of rural life,† Lorca chooses women to exemplify the human life which is crushed by Spanish customs and social life. He went to Cuba in 1929-30 and returned to Spain in 1931. That year Spain became a Republic, which gave hope to many – Garcia Lorca included – that Spain's standard of living would be improved, its illiteracy reduced and its culture more widely disseminated. He became a director of a student theatre company, â€Å"La Barraca,† which toured small villages and in the faces of harassment by Fascist partisans presented the Spanish classics to the peasants. The company produced the three â€Å"rural tragedies† on which Garcia Lorca's theatrical reputation rests. Yerma (1934), the second of the three tragedies, is the story of a woman who is unable to conceive although she desperately longs to have a child. The first and third tragedies are Blood Wedding (1933) and The House Bernada Alba, which was never performed during Garcia Lorca's lifetime. At the start of the Spanish Civil War, he went to Granada, which he regarded as relatively safe. Although he had no political affiliations, he was known to be a friend of left-wing intellectuals and an advocate of liberty. Apparently this was enough of an indictment for the Falangists who arrested him on the orders of the Nationalist Civil Governor on August 16, 1936. He was held for two days, tortured and shot. Garcia Lorca was homosexual, and he suffered greatly because of the strict, conservative nature of Spain at that time. His writings were outlawed in Granada's Plaza del Carmen. Even speaking his name was forbidden. The young poet quickly became a martyr, an international symbol of the politically oppressed, but his plays were not revived until the 1940s, and certain bans on his work remained in place until as late as 1971. Today, Garcia Lorca is considered the greatest Spanish poet and dramatist of the 20th Century.