http://youtu.be/ixqr8D7J_Kc

A significant part of contemporary American culture is film. Over time, American film has evolved from silent, black and white pictures to high action, CGI animation. The 2011 Academy Award winning film “The Artist” celebrates the history of American film by telling the story of a silent film era actor, George Valentin, and the struggle he faces as talking pictures become popularized. What makes this film so unique is that the movie itself is a silent, black and white film. This film illustrates how American literature is constantly changing, yet it withholds traditions and often commemorates the past. By using a silent film to tell the story of the silent film era, “The Artist” explores what it means to honor the past while still looking forward. It is a love story to the growth of the American film industry and it reveals the American notion of recognizing one’s roots in the face of progress.

The Second Shepherd’s Play by the Wakefield Master includes many Biblical references, many of which are inaccurate or anachronistic. There are also significant parallels between the story of Mak tricking the shepherds with his “baby” and the subsequent portrayal of the shepherds visiting the newborn Jesus. Considering the population of the time, what kind of effect would this play have had on the audiences? Is the primary intention to show the importance of the Nativity by presenting it next to the ridiculous story of Mak, or is it to reveal more about the societal and cultural life of the time?