A critical analysis of La Princesse de Babylone, linking the thought and style with the ideas and literature of the Philosophes and of Voltaire in particular. / Thesis / Master of Arts (MA)

The operas by playwright W. S. Gilbert and composer Arthur Sullivan have been considered some of the most popular and successful pieces of musical theatre in the English language. While their joint creative output neared perfection, Gilbert and Sullivan's working relationship was fraught with conflict. The two men's opposing personalities led them to favor disparate styles and work towards different goals. However, the ability to balance contrasting tones, such as sarcasm and sympathy, resulted in their overwhelming success. I analyze this "winning formula" by looking at the influence of feminism, especially the "New Woman" literary movement, on the works of Gilbert & Sullivan. Gilbert frequently used common female stereotypes and gave his female characters humorous yet demeaning flaws that kept the audience from fully admiring them. Sullivan, on the other hand, countered Gilbert's derisive attitude by composing sophisticated music for the female characters, granting emotional depth and a certain level of respectability. The struggle between Gilbert's mocking tone and Sullivan's empathetic music led to the men's ultimate success. I examine Gilbert's female characters, explore the counteractive effect of Sullivan's music, and analyze Princess Ida—their opera most directly related to the New Woman—in depth.

The Virginia Commission of Game and Inland Fisheries has released live-trapped raccoons in various counties of Southwestern Virginia since 1939 in an attempt to restock depleted areas. The results of this raccoon restocking program are shown in Table 1. A constant demand from organizations and individuals for an ever-increasing number of raccoons for restocking purposes has continued from year to year. For example, during 1946 a total of 587 raccoons were requested by the sportsmen in ten counties of Southwestern Virginia, namely: Wise, Buchanan, Scott, Tazewell, Grayson, Smyth, Roanoke, Montgomery, Wythe, and Page. Prior to 1946, raccoons for restocking were obtained in several ways. Trappers who were granted special permits by the Commission captured raccoons using steel traps, and a few animals were collected alive by enterprising hunters who preferred to capture the creatures rather than shoot them from trees. In addition, live-trapped raccoons were purchased outside the State, principally from Florida. It was felt, however, that to meet the unprecedented demand for raccoons in 1946 a more intensive effort would have to be made. Many persons felt that raccoons live-trapped here in Virginia would be better adapted to conditions in the Commonwealth than would animals captured in swamps of southeastern United States. Therefore, a cooperative raccoon trapping and transplanting project was developed between the Virginia Commission of Game and Inland Fisheries and the Virginia Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit. A live-trap was developed at the Research Unit for use in this live trapping project and 92 traps were constructed during the fall of 1946. All available evidence indicated that Princess Anne County, Virginia harbored as large a raccoon population as any other section of the state. The Game Commission had received numerous complaints from individuals living in this area regarding raccoon destruction, both to agricultural crops and to muskrats in the extensive marshes found in this section. The landowners claimed severe damage to their corn crops, and trappers reported that raccoons consistently destroyed muskrats, especially those rats caught in their traps. Taking these factors into consideration, it was decided that the trapping could best be carried on in selected areas of Princess Anne County. Permission was subsequently obtained from the Fish and Wildlife Service to live-trap raccoons from the islands of the Back Bay National Refuge during the period January 1 to March 15, 1947. At the end of this time the trapping operations were transferred from the islands to the mainland of Princess Anne County and continued until April 26th. After trapping operations were discontinued a study was made of den trees and raccoon breeding habits in Princess Anne County. Unfortunately, only limited information could be obtained from the trapped raccoons as they were shipped to the southwestern part of the state soon after capture. Of necessity then, this report is concerned principally with the development of a satisfactory live-trap, procedures used in live-trapping, holding and shipping raccoons, and an appraisal of various other methods employed in obtaining the species for restocking. However, some information was obtained on the life history of raccoons by daily observations and by handling the trapped individuals. / Master of Science

Alfred Lord Tennyson's The Princess: A Medley has posed interpretative difficulties for readers since its 1847 debut. Critics, editors, and artists contemporary with Tennyson as well as in this century have puzzled over the poem's stance on the issue of the so-called Woman Question. Treating Tennyson as the first reader of the poem yields an understanding of the title character, Princess Ida, as an ambassador of Tennyson's optimistic and evolutionary views of human development and links his work to that of visionary educators of nineteenth-century England. Later artists, however, produced adaptations of the poem that twisted its hopefulness into satirical commentary, reduced its complexities to ease the task of reading, and put it to work in various causes, many ranged against the improvement of women's condition. In particular, a series of editions carried The Princess into various nations, classrooms, and homes, promoting interpretations that often obscure Tennyson's cautious optimism.

Richard Wagner is one of the most important and influential composers for scholars of film music. His concept of the Gesamtkunstwerk or "total art work," which combined music, visuals and storytelling, played an indelible role in the creation of film aesthetics, especially with regard to music and sound design. Yet, Wagner's actual music has its own curious legacy in film history, in terms of how it is used to interact with a story that often bears no relation to those of Wagner's operas. This is particularly interesting with regard to the Der Ring des Nibelungen (aka "the Ring Cycle"). The Ring is his most ambitious and influential, and densest work, and perhaps the one with the greatest lingering legacy in popular culture. For example, "Ride of the Valkyries," an excerpt from Die Walküre made famous by Looney Tunes shorts and Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now, is still a frequent presence in film, television and advertising that want to evoke sounds of war and conquest--associations created more from its use in those contexts than the original opera. This thesis will examine films and television series of the last half-century that have used musical examples from the Ring in their soundtracks. Works given particular focus will include Apocalypse Now (1979), the Japanese anime series Princess Tutu (2002-2003) and Terrence Malick's historical romance The New World (2006). The examination will discern both how film media has influenced modern cultural perceptions of the original operas--and of Wagner's legacy in general--and also how said film media is itself a reflection of modern attitudes about Wagner and his masterwork.

Not available / text

Thesis (M.P.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 1995. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 122-129).

Thesis (M.P.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 1995. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 122-129). Also available in print.

This study examines images based on a semiotic text analysis as a symbol of Disney Princess Elsa from Frozen 2 and Cinderella. The study examines how the representation of the Disney princess is made on the basis of gender, sexuality and race. The purpose of the study is to contribute knowledge about how the representation of the Disney princess in popular culture may have changed and, in any case, to investigate why. The study concludes that the representation of the Disney princess on one side has changed based on gender and sexuality, but the other has not changed as much when it comes to the representation of race and female whiteness.

One way that children explore concepts of gender is through make-believe and performative play. One of the most prevalent presentations of gender that is packaged for children's play is the Disney Princess brand. In 2007 the Walt Disney Princess campaign profited over four billion dollars and expanded to include over 25,000 items for sale. Princess paraphernalia reflects a change in the way that young girls (ages 3-5) engage in imaginary play by creating a whole new paradigm of thought. As these girls project themselves into the role of a certain Princess, typical play transforms into a consumer based theatrical experience. Girls not only identify with the ideas of playing princess, but of being a Princess as well. Judith Butler examines gender as consisting of performative “acts” that are stylized, repeated, and public. Gender identity usually includes aligning one's self with socially accepted definitions of male or female. Using Butler's idea's about gender performance, this thesis looks closely at the Disney Princess brand and how it contributes to the idea of a gender identity through films, live performances at Disneyland, and merchandise designed for enhancing play. As media and consumerism plays an increasingly large role in children's lives, careful attention must be made to the influence of such brands, especially as the Princesses become defining models of the word female.