Construction Maison

“La vie, la vie à un sou le petit verre!” The early modern Parisian water-carrier’s cry did not mention water at all. “Life, life, but a sou a glass!” He bought and sold “life,” and “life” sold well. In seventeenth and eighteenth century Paris it was forbidden to draw water from the Seine. The river was the depository of all manner of human, animal, and industrial waste, and as a result long since declared unfit for drinking or bathing. In the Dutch cities to the north it was common to have a well in your own courtyard. By contrast, Paris’s 700,000 residents had to share a rather small number of public fountains. Queuing was guaranteed. Enter the “Parisian water-carrier.” The “ porteur d’eau ” began at dawn. Thanks to eighteenth century French sculptor Edmé Bouchardon, we have a clear picture of what the Parisian water-carrier looked like. The tools of his trade were in his uniform. For a small investment—two buckets, a strap, a hoop, and a licence—an able-bodied man could claim the ...

Occasionally , a local news story reduces the mess of New York City gentrification to its essential boorishness. Earlier this year, a Torontonian opened a “ boozy sandwich shop ,” according to the eatery’s Web site, in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, a neighborhood built on a gentle slope. One might speculate that it was this topography that inspired Becca Brennan, a former attorney and the business’s owner, to name her new establishment Summerhill. One might also surmise that Brennan had reached a bogeyman’s conclusion about the recent demographics of Crown Heights. Last month, Gothamist reported that Brennan had issued a press release featuring a photo of a radioactive-looking cocktail against a dented green wall . “Yes, that bullet hole-ridden wall was originally there, and yes, we’re keeping it,” the release boasted. Brennan’s belief—that the previous renters, bodega proprietors, had operated a clandestine weapons ring in the back of the store—was quickly debunked on social media; on Su...

:: 2 Works Cited Length: 1431 words (4.1 double-spaced pages) Rating: Purple       Open Document - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Written by Chinua Achebe , “Things Fall Apart” describes European imperialism through the eyes of the Nigerian tribesmen as they interact with European colonists. What makes this piece of literature valuable is not the fact that it criticizes imperialism; it is the way in which it criticizes imperialism. Achebe portrays the African tribes as having very rich civilized and social cultures, not as being animalistic savages, which other literatures would lead one to believe. Because of this, the reader is able to connect with the mindset of an African native. This enables the reader to view imperialism from the opposite side of the spectrum, as people whose culture is being destroyed by foreign invaders (Shmoop). Achebe uses the ill-fated Okonkwo as a vehicle for this enlightenment. Okonkwo is a well-respected member of...

Things Fall apart - The Clan's Beliefs and Christian Beliefs There are many differences between the Clan's beliefs and Christian's beliefs. This is illustrated on pages 126-129, in the mention of `the one true god.' Both the tribe and the Missionaries have different perceptions on who this one true god is. The clan has trouble understanding the Christian beliefs as they have lived a tribal existence for so long. They have only ever been aware of their own culture, which makes it hard for them to adjust to the ways of the Christians. On arrival, the missionaries barely understand the tribe. They have very little knowledge of the cultural beliefs or rituals that the tribe revere. It seems inappropriate that they are willing to declare that the villagers' beliefs are false. "He told them that they worshipped false gods , gods of wood and stone." They don't even acknowledge that this too is a successful community, which works well under its method of reli...

Author John Freeman Gill takes Fodor’s on an urban safari. If you make the effort to gaze skyward in New York, you will discover (hiding in plain sight) a city teeming with remarkable architectural sculptures : gryphons and sea monsters, cherubs and pelicans, goddesses and kings. These exuberantly expressive artworks were the creation of gifted immigrant stone carvers who poured into New York in the late 19th and early 20th centuries , most of them from the British Isles, Germany, and Italy. The ornament on the grandest edifices was typically specified by architects, but on the vast majority of city buildings , the design of the carvings was left up to the individual stoneworker. The carvers took this freedom and ran with it, incising their imaginations into New York’s skyline and transforming its streetscape into a marvelously quirky public art gallery . 555 Washington Avenue John Freeman Gill Ever since my novel, The Gargoyle Hunters , was published, I’ve been besieged by readers a...