MDLII - Volume 7 by Bedford-School

MDLII VOLUME 7

CONTENTS The Editorial Team: Current Affairs: Libero Sepede, Thomas Liggins, Calvin Fang, Hugh Parfitt, Charlie Gee Maths and Sciences: Andrew Zhu, Taliesin Crook, Fraser Dingwall, Ed Lamb, Max Erdmann The Arts: Josh Garrett, Jasper Tsao, Thomas Rainbow, Logan Jones The Humanities: Callum Fenton, Jordan Cheng, Robert Stevens, Chris Lamb, Oliver Horsfall, Alfield Au Languages: Harry Walker , Harun Cehovic Music: Harry Guthrie, Paolo Lombardo

Current Affairs 4 5 Boris Johnson’s Rise and Rise 7 The Biggest Issue In UK Politics: Brexit

Maths and Science 8 9 Lisa’s Search For Gravitational Waves

The Arts

Production Assistance: Michael Herring With thanks to: Laura Stephenson and Karoline Jeffery Cover Art by: Harrison Burgoine

26 27 A Number Of Tributes To Guy Bennett

Sports 10

11 14 16 17 18 19 20

Jazz And American Art A Review Of Blind Man’s Song An Artistic Meander Around Oxford Unmasking European Theatre Dale Devereux Barker Macbeth At The Globe Theatre What’s The Connection Between Bronze Age Warriors And Your Breakfast...?

Sports: Edison Xiong, Samee Mohammed, Thomas Stewart Mosaic: Ted Hicks, Angus Watson

Music

30 31 Oakham Beat Bedford In Their Own Back Yard 32 The Triumph Of Kobe Bryant

Mosaic 33 34 Control 38 Death Of The Earth 42 ‘Pop’, The Thoughtful Man

Staton Essay 44

Humanities 22 23 Should We Stop Excavating Ancient Archaeological Sites To Preserve Them Better For Future Generations?

45 Are Humans Destined To Live In Cities? 48 Heaven Is A Garden But Hell Is A City. Do Literary Texts Endorse Or Challenge This View?

EDITOR’S LETTER Writing an editorial is an experience that most people would flee their homes and sell themselves into slavery to avoid. The author of a good editorial must have wit, a dagger-sharp tongue and a pen that is sharper still… alas, good readers, you have me.

lamboyancy of speech is a dying art; epigrams died with Wilde; paradoxes are no longer accepted. Poetry is breathing its last breaths; it is unlikely our children will grow up ever knowing a poem by heart. Literary forms are slowly but surely being picked off like chickens under a sign reading ‘For Foxes - 2 for 1’. Soon only books will remain and what a sorry world that will be. Books are great, sure, but give a man a story and he can write a book, it takes an inherent sophistication to write a poem. I digress… Give a man a story and he can write a book, give a man sophistication and he can write a poem; ask the man to write an editorial,

and he bursts into tears. This is the natural way of things. Why then do they exist? They serve no real purpose, they tend not to offer any special insight into the articles that follow them, they are the standalone 300-word ramblings of the writer arrogant or unwise enough to volunteer. But, where else would we, as a species, get our daily dose of uselessness? In a world where aid convoys are bombed in a war that seemingly will never conclude, where there are more mass shootings than days in a year; the importance of brief flamboyant ramblings is unquantifiable, if only to forget for a moment.

Letter written by

Ted Hicks

on behalf of the 2016-2017 editorial team

Current Affairs

BORIS JOHNSON’S RISE AND RISE Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson, known as Boris Johnson, was born in New York City to a wealthy family that descends from King George II. PERSONAL LIFE

e attended the European School of Brussels, Ashdown House School and then Eton College, to which he received a ‘King’s Scholarship’ upon joining. He then went to Oxford University to study Classics. During his time at Oxford, he met his now-fellow senior Conservative Party members: David Cameron, William Hague, Michael Gove, Jeremy Hunt and Nick Boles. He was a member of the Bullingdon Club (a very exclusive ‘Dining Society’) and also played rugby. While at Oxford, he took his first steps in leadership by attempting to become Union president, but failed in his first attempt. After succeeding the second time around, questions were raised about his seriousness for the job at hand. LIFE AS A JOURNALIST Johnson started out as a journalist for the Times possibly receiving assistance from his family connections. Johnson, attempting to improve his position, used a false quote from a historian and faced significant backlash – getting sacked the next day. Again, using his connections, he once again got a role as a journalist – this time for the Daily Telegraph. In 1989, Johnson was appointed to its Brussels bureau to report on the European Parliament. Through this, he and a few other journalists began to express their Eurosceptic views, with some saying

he made Euroscepticism “an attractive and emotionally resonant cause for the Right”. He established himself as one of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s go-to journalists. However, John Major disliked him so much that many still believe the tension between the two was one of the main reasons for the failed election campaign of 1997. With that, he became less popular within the Conservative Party, but his work was a key influence to UKIP (United Kingdom Independent Party) being established as a party. In July 1999, Johnson took his career in journalism to new heights being offered the editorship of the newspaper the Spectator with his connections again being (possibly!) the main reason for getting the job. He famously still allowed left-wing people to contribute to that decidedly right-of-centre journal. BECOMING A POLITICIAN After the retirement of Michael Heseltine, Johnson furthered his political aspirations by deciding to stand for Henley, a well-known Conservative safe seat within Oxfordshire – which was won in the 2001 General Election by the Conservatives. He bought a home in the constituency and was heavily involved in many local campaigns. In November 2003, Michael Howard appointed Johnson as Vice-Chairman of the Conservative Party and in the 2004 reshuffle of the shadow cabinet

Article written by

Zac Rogers

due to his role in improving transport across London.

Johnson was given the roles of overseeing Conservative electoral campaigns as well as Shadow Arts Minister. Yet in November 2004, due to public lies about an affair, he was relieved of his duties. In 2005, Howard stood down and Johnson supported fellow Old Etonian and Oxford graduate David Cameron’s leadership campaign and was rewarded with the role of Higher Education Minister. Johnson then attempted to go for Rector of Edinburgh University but his campaign was damaged due to his support of top-up fees.

BREXIT CAMPAIGN Johnson went back to the House of Commons through the General Election of 2015 winning his seat in the strong Conservative territory of Uxbridge and South Ruislip – with speculation saying that he wanted to replace David Cameron as Prime Minster and as Conservative Leader. In early 2016, he endorsed the Brexit campaign and caused controversy by mentioning Obama’s Kenyan background when Obama backed “In” – Johnson was notably defended by UKIP. Following the success of the ‘Brexit’ campaign, Cameron resigned with Johnson being the public front-runner. Yet, Johnson decided not to go for leader and instead supported the surprise leadership campaign of Michael Gove – who had criticised him for lack of leadership. He decided to back Andrea Leadsom when Gove dropped out but she herself dropped out a week later. Johnson had gone from cheerful and well-liked to someone who most people dislike as he was accused of “ripping apart” the Conservative Party.

MAYOR OF LONDON Johnson’s time as Mayor of London, a post he won in the 2008 election, started badly with many of the people who worked for him disagreeing with their boss and therefore getting replaced. He was publicly criticised for his role even by many in his own party. He did, though, introduce a public bike scheme – known forever now as ‘Boris Bikes’ – which is still very popular to this day. He started to appear more left wing, running, for example, a campaign for the London Living Wage and attempted to stop critics by appearing at London Gay Pride Festival as well as championing the rights of minorities. He also broke from traditional protocols and endorsed Barack Obama for President in 2008. Within his powers, he appointed himself Metropolitan Police Authority Chairman and pushed for the resignation of Ian Blair for his alleged handing of contracts to friends. He was also instrumental in pressuring Blair for his handling of the death of Jean Charles de Menezes, which earned the respect of senior Conservatives. In late 2008, he became co-chair of the Olympic Board and won lots of praise for his role in London 2012 Olympics, especially

POST BREXIT Theresa May’s victory in the leadership contest, and her ascension to the role of Prime Minster led many to speculate that Johnson’s days were numbered. Instead, May appointed Johnson as Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs – a decision that was heavily criticised by journalists and foreign politicians due to Johnson’s scandals in the past. May perhaps did this to restrict his powers and, therefore, give Johnson less of an opportunity to take her place.

THE BIGGEST ISSUE IN UK POLITICS: BREXIT Brexit is a word that has become used as a way of saying the UK is leaving the EU - merging the words ‘Britain’ and ‘exit’ to get ‘Brexit’.

Article written by

Han Yui Ho

On the one hand, why do people want to leave the EU?

hat problems will it bring to the UK? Will Brexit undo the United Kingdom? It’s important as Brexit will bring the UK a lot of political problems including the split up of the UK.

The UK Independence Party, which received nearly four million votes (13% of those cast in the May 2015 General Election), has campaigned for many years for Britain’s exit from the EU. Many people said that Britain was being held back by the EU, which people said imposed too many rules on business and charged billions of pounds a year in membership fees for little in return. They also wanted Britain to take back full control of its borders and reduce the number of people coming here to live or work. Brexit was for the benefit of the British people, they maintained.

The problem of Brexit will directly affect not only the UK but the EU as well. The casualty of the Brexit vote will probably be the union among England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, rather than the European Union itself. While England and Wales voted “out” by a margin of 53-47%, Scotland voted to stay in the EU by 62 to 38% and Northern Ireland by 56 to 44%. There are reasons for staying or leaving the EU but which side has a stronger argument?

One the other hand, why do people want to stay in the EU?

The UK Brexit will negatively affect the union of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Scotland held an independence referendum in September 2014, and 55% voted to stay in a United Kingdom that was a full-fledged member of the European Union. Many of those voters are now feeling betrayed by what they see as an English “Brexit” vote. Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland and leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP), has set in motion the legal process to trigger a second independence referendum within the next two years, which she hopes will allow Scotland to stay in the European Union.

Those who campaigned for Britain to stay in the EU said that it gets a big boost from membership, especially as this makes selling things to other EU countries easier. They argued that the flow of immigrants will be blocked; as most of these immigrants are young and keen to work, they fuel economic growth and help pay for public services. ‘Remainers’ also said Britain’s status in the world would be damaged by leaving and that we are more secure as part of the 28 nation club, rather than going it alone. In conclusion, I agree that the UK should leave the EU. Some people say that Brexit may create barriers for immigrants to work in the UK. However, the UK can still have immigration without being a member of the EU. Now the UK can have migration with a policy the public actually supports. This would be a truly valuable thing, and the only way it can be secure and sustainable: nurses from Zimbabwe, refugees from Syria, builders from Albania, students from China could all melt in Britain’s pot. Brexit will not affect the flow of immigrants who can still be admitted in a rational and planned way. One of the biggest benefit for British people is that they can be able to settle their own destiny by voting; this is fundamental to the very principles of democracy.

Meanwhile, in Northern Ireland, Martin McGuinness and Gerry Adams of Sinn Féin have called for a ‘border poll’ on a united Ireland. The possibility of a border poll is a central provision of the Good Friday Agreement, which brought peace to Northern Ireland after decades of violent conflict. The UK government’s Northern Ireland Secretary has the power to call a poll on whether Northern Ireland should remain a part of the UK or should unite with the Republic of Ireland. The result of Brexit may therefore may be to reduce the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the “Untied Kingdom of Little England and Wales.” 97

Maths and Science

LISA’S SEARCH FOR GRAVITATIONAL WAVES Gravitational waves are arguably the discovery of the century within the field of physics, with their prediction coming 100 years ago via Albert Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity.

Article written by

James Cooper

a proton. This is a problem as only extremely large events can be detected; this is where LISA comes in. The LISA observatory will have a beam-length of 5 million km, compared to LIGO’s beam length of only 4000m. This extreme increase in size allows for the transmission of larger increases in distance. This adds more precision to one of the most precise systems ever created.

he gravitational wave is described simply as “a ripple in the curvature of the space-time continuum created by the movement of matter.” But what does this actually mean? Einstein’s theory of relativity states that space-time is dynamic allowing it to change shape and therefore ripple; different objects will change the curvature of space-time, this curvature being dependant on the mass of the object. This means that the Earth would cause less curvature than a large planet, like Jupiter. The ‘ripples’ detected by LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory) and soon LISA (Evolved Laser Interferometer Space Antenna) are from binary systems of two black holes orbiting and eventually merging.

This increased precision did not come easily due to a large number of side-effects that needed to be overcome due to the precise nature of the system. These effects include: the gravitational force created by the spacecraft itself, the force of sunlight on the spacecraft and even more minute effects. The gravitational force caused by the spacecraft is easily fixed by mapping the different gravitational forces of each component. The problem comes when the ever-changing mass of the craft’s fuel tanks needs to be accounted for every time by the thrusters on the spacecraft. Once all these effects are overcome then the spacecraft will be able to detect gravitational waves. During the test mission – LISA Pathfinder – the spacecraft “prototype” exceeded the requirements of the full spacecraft. These results where celebrated wildly by the scientific community. The full launch of LISA is scheduled for around 2030, which is actually not all that long in terms of space missions due to the large amount of checks required.

The LIGO and LISA observatories use something called an interferometer; in the case of LISA, it uses two free-falling cubes to detect changes in distance rather than the more usual mirror system. This is basically a series of lasers, mirrors and a beamsplitter. The basic aim of these interferometers is to detect extremely small changes in distance. This experiment has a range of uses from measuring thermal expansion to discovering gravitational waves. These gravitational waves are caused by huge events in space like the event detected by LIGO, of two massive black holes about 60 solar masses in total interacting with one another. Although these events are incredibly large, the changes in distance caused are incredibly minute. The distance change detected by LIGO was 1000x times smaller than 9

The Arts

JAZZ AND AMERICAN ART The following is drawn from the inaugural meeting of the newly-formed Art Society, a lecture on the influence of jazz on 20th century painting:

f we were to trace the origins of jazz back to its conception, I believe you would find it is, in essence, a culmination of developments in African-American art. To many, this idea of one discipline developing from the progression of another will seem far-fetched. However, if one were to apply the same thinking to the influence of jazz on art, we would see that the African-American artistry is rather like culture uniting around a single political agenda – liberty. As such, we should not seek to partition music from drama, or literature from art, but instead look to a shared body of culture that celebrates a shared ideal. The first efforts by African-American slaves to express themselves are incredibly disparate and obscure. For the most part, the mode of expression was determined by geographical and social experience – the Southern enslaved pursued folk tradition, whereas the freedmen of the North looked to Western traditions. This folk art is largely derived from the artwork of Western and Central Africa, using bold mark-making and a large scale to give the work its religious significance. In fact, one of the first works to be acknowledged as ‘African-American’ is the Bible Quilt by Harriet Powers. As the name suggests, these works were created not for commercial value, but for the appreciation of artwork as a spiritual practice. On the other hand, those in the North were using romantic landscapes and formal portraiture to assimilate themselves into

society. Of course, there was also a financial incentive, and in hindsight, something sinister about this approach. Artists were deliberately disposing of themselves in order to satisfy their subjects and customers. Whether this should be seen as a modernist ‘death of the artist’ or a complete denial of artistic function, it is difficult to decide. I do, however, find it revealing that the first piece of AfricanAmerican artwork purchased by the White House, in 1996, was a similar style of landscape by Henry Ossawa Tanner, Sand Dunes at Sunset. With the economic boom of the 1920s came the Great Migration northwards. A great deal of the Southern, African-American population was crammed into Chicago’s south-side or New York’s Harlem, and at once, the two artistic traditions described above were forced together. The result became what we now know as the Harlem Renaissance, a movement of aspiring black artists and academics, who sought not to be accepted into white society but rather to establish their own. At this point, the modes of representation of folk art merged with the formal techniques of the West. This culture clash is responsible, I believe, for the development of jazz music. When professionally trained musicians in the North could see the art community flourishing in Harlem and beyond, they too looked to Southern traditions – namely the blues – to inform a new approach. This seems to explain the conception of Harlem renaissance 21 13

From a lecture by

Tom Rainbow

artwork in the 1920s, and the creation of ‘bop’ and big-band jazz in the early 1930s.

Harriet Powers

Aaron Douglas

Henry Ossawa Tanner

Henri Matisse

Whilst painted retrospectively, Jacob Lawrence’s Migration Series best captures this amalgamation. Lawrence drew upon folk art’s representation of the human figures, with angular features and harsh lines, but worked in tempera – a paint typically associated with high European painting. The composition that results – vivid in colour and powerful in technique – is suggestive of a rhythmic pattern, reflecting the “rhythms, breaks and syncopations of jazz.” These are essentially folk images forced into the inner city, and made ‘acceptable’ to a Western audience. At this point, the way we interpret the jazz influence on art depends on two of its features. The first, I would suggest, is finding inspiration in the act of listening to jazz. The artists of the Harlem Renaissance, such as Beauford Delaney, Aaron Douglas and indeed Jacob Lawrence, were creating their work simultaneously and collaboratively with musicians such as Louis Armstrong, Count Basie and Duke Ellington. Thus, their work sought to contribute, in equal measure, to the artistic expression of which jazz was a part, rather than respond to the music itself. Delaney would often paint in jazz clubs, so we see one art form informing the other, and vice versa. On the contrary, the other perspective taken by artists towards jazz is more prevalent amongst white, often European artists. This seems to revolve around the movement of jazz, and in particular its rhythm, informing a painter’s movement around a canvas. Whilst everyone is instinctively attracted to rhythm, I believe only white culture – or rather, a culture removed from the black experience – can appropriate it into other forms of expression. For African-American culture seems to contain rhythm in music, and continues to do so today in the form of hip-

Jackson Pollock 12

hop. Wassily Kandinsky, however, was perhaps the first artist to appreciate the possibilities of translating music into art. He envisaged a ‘cleansing of the soul’ in his art, with a focus on the internal workings of the artist and his music, rather than the external aesthetic of the work. In this sense, Kandinsky’s avant-garde painting sheds light upon the conceptual and abstract qualities of jazz improvisation. This idea was then furthered by Matisse, particularly in his ‘Cut-Out’ period, whereby he explored the “chromatic and rhythmic improvisations” of the genre to define the vibrancy and immediacy of his own work. In many ways, these works appear as abstract renderings of the early, Southern folk art. By the 1950’s, the era of big-band jazz had ceased, replaced by the ‘free-jazz’ improvisations of Ornette Coleman and the ‘cool jazz’ of Miles Davis. With the onset of Abstract Expressionism, artists such as Jackson Pollock and Willelm de Kooning drew upon these developments to inform their own, equally controversial work. As Pollock himself declared, “jazz is the only other creative thing happening in this country”. Specifically, this new jazz relied on seemingly disparate, momentary motifs creating an overall melody. When looking at a Jackson Pollock, one will likewise find that his paintings can be appreciated both in great detail – revealing the intricacies of his movements around the canvas – or as a singular aesthetic – indicating the painter’s mood at the time of working. Indeed, Pollock would often play jazz records in his studio, and his subsequent dancing would be traced within the drips and splashes of paint. For Pollock, painting was a means of escape. For musicians, jazz was an escape from the everyday struggle of racism. For artists, however, jazz was a means of dislocating themselves from reality, and immersing themselves into pure, sensory abstraction.

Bible Quilt Harriet Powers, 1885

Idyll of the Deep South Aaron Douglas, 1934

Sand Dunes at Sunset, Atlantic City Henry Ossawa Tanner, 1885

Codomas Henri Matisse, 1943

Blue Poles Jackson Pollock, 1953

A REVIEW OF BLIND MAN’S SONG Article written by

Josh Garrett

In a society where the phrase ‘ love at first sight’ is used endlessly without thought or understanding, Blind Man’s Song challenges any concept of a visual love as it provides an illustration of a sightless world in which two lovers become engrossed in one another – however, I am not convinced it was a love story.

onceived and directed by Guillaume Pigé, the play’s strengths undoubtedly lie within its presentation of physical depictions – what these depictions mean, however, is very much ambiguous. Blind Man’s Song features three performers: Alex Judd, Guillaume Pigé and Selma Roth and invites the audience to “follow the [Blind Man’s] dreamlike journey travelling at the speed of memory to a place where some things become more visible in the dark” 14

– however, this is all it was, an invitation, one that I am sure was not accepted by all members of the initially eager audience. An extreme sense of dejection engulfs the entire show as the turbulent nature of the couple’s relationship is much more prevalent than their passion for one another. Blind Man’s Song is very much a performance that feeds the visual appetite as it attempts to elicit an emotional response; in doing this some striking images are provided. Though

However, even this did not work as the audience remained unattached throughout; there was little to truly connect with or care for, nor anything to really learn or discover.

such moments are fleeting – meaning that the engaging level of emotion was never maintained for a long enough period of time – they do manage to strike an emotional chord. One captivating moment occurred as the masked lovers expressed their affection for one another through moments of physical communication. Though for many it is an un-relatable experience, sharing the compassion and vulnerable nature of the characters in that particular instance was almost unavoidable. However, the sad reality is that such lovely moments would come and go in the blink of an eye. I suppose I began to feel as though it was a play made up of brief images of beauty; there was no continuous flow to such moments.

The technicalities within the production were superb. The music, composed by the leading actor Judd, worked as a platform off of which Pigé and Roth’s physicality had the opportunity to thrive. The melody, the pitch and the tune all acted to pre-empt the emotion of the audience members as, without such music, the meaning behind many scenes may have been unknown to the audience. Staccato devil’s interval chords indicated turmoil whilst simplistically beautiful piano melodies signified romance – the music provided a path into the mind of the blind man. Though working in sync with the physical movement, it was the music that illustrated the memories of the blind protagonist with the greatest effect. This, in itself, worked to great effect.

The performance was one that made you question when the scene was going to begin, never mind end, as the slack structure and repetitive movement made you unaware of what part in the story had been reached. Moreover, the storytelling moved at a slow pace as the choreography struggled to evoke or impress. The gradual beginning meant that you could have you could have joined the audience half way through and not missed anything important (in reality this was not an option as no interval was provided – the correct decision in my opinion). There was a clear attempt to use the physical nature of the play to compensate for the lack of action and thus the audience was left with a piece that attempted to express sentimentality.

Blind Man’s Song attempts to evoke the feeling of love through the physical depictions presented by the actors. It very much does the opposite, however, as the play portrays love to be an emotion that is rarely shared with mutual understanding – one person always wants it more than the other. This is not a view that the audience members are likely to accept as, in leaving the theatre, you will undoubtedly feel far from convinced.

AN ARTISTIC MEANDER AROUND OXFORD Article written by

Tom Rainbow

What does a shark mounted on an easel that holds a blank piece of material represent? Did Dorothy Cross intend for her artwork to be disseminated, praised or otherwise jeered at by a group of sixth form artists?

This was a valuable exposure

for our many young artists

id Dorothy Cross intend for her artwork to be disseminated, praised or otherwise jeered at by a group of sixth form artists? Perhaps not, or perhaps it was her intention all along. This was one of many questions posed on the recent art trip to the Ashmolean and Modern Art museums in Oxford. In the morning, we discussed the brushwork of Sickert; by the afternoon, our focus had shifted to the gold-leaf underbelly of a sharkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s skin. There is no doubt that, despite the bewilderment, this was a valuable exposure for our many young artists to see how their own work can test and challenge an audience, not simply please them. It is important for current art students to understand both the long tradition they are entering into, and the new direction in which they wish to steer it. With the introduction of the school Art Society, it is hoped students will now have a forum to express themselves in increasingly experimental ways, as well as exposing themselves to new perspectives on art history.

Buoy Dorothy Cross, 2014

UNMASKING EUROPEAN THEATRE On 19th September, we were visited by Professor Allain from the University of Kent for a lecture entitled ‘Unmasking Grotowski’, about the work and style of Polish theatre practitioner Jerzy Grotowski.

Article written by

Logan Jones

his was followed by a practical workshop with actor Dobek Nowicki to explore some of his practices in greater depth, including exercises to harness the body and voice. Those who attended found it an enlightening evening on a method of creating theatre that many in Britain are somewhat afraid of tackling.

This is the kind of work that scares a modern British audience. In cinema, you have the ‘auteur theory’, by which film is considered a director’s medium in which they are almost always the principal artist. Theatre, however, is a writer’s medium, so the writer’s words are often treated with huge respect. Katie Mitchell is a director who often experiments with Stanislavski’s techniques – as Grotowski did – of creating naturalistic theatre that evoked psychologically realistic performances. But her 2006 production of Chekhov’s The Seagull was panned by critics, who have accused her of ‘smashing up the classics.’

As a director, Grotowski was looking for new ways of performing, moving between radically different notions of what theatre can be. Often these would involve close collaboration within a company, for instance working within the realm of rituality, immersion and participation of the audience, or even performing without an audience at all. However, it is his work that examined the actor-audience relationship that is most compelling, working from the idea that an actor can provoke his/her ‘inner life’, possibly through movement, to create a feeling that resonates with an audience to such an extent that by the time they leave the theatre they have been changed – or ‘manipulated’ – in some way.

As a result, she has spent time working in Europe, where theatrical experimentation is more common. In the same vein, British playwright Simon Stephens has worked closely with Swiss director Sebastian Nübling after seeing his radical reimaginings of Stephens’ plays Herons and Punk Rock. Similarly, the Dutch director Ivo van Hove has found success on both sides of the Atlantic with his production of A View from the Bridge with Mark Strong, which he presented on a completely bare stage. After premièring in London and winning three Olivier Awards, van Hove took the show to New York, where he won a Tony Award. Since then, he has worked with David Bowie on the musical Lazarus, playing in London this autumn.

Stories of Grotowski’s stagings are fascinating to imagine. His production of Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus placed the audience around long tables, such as those you might find in a banqueting hall, as if they had all been invited to the eponymous magician’s last supper. During performances of Akropolis, the company – playing concentration camp prisoners – built a crematorium around the audience as the play progressed.

Perhaps British audiences are more open-minded when it comes to experimentation than I’m giving them credit for. Of course, there will always be room for more conventional stagings of classic plays and I think this is where a lot of audiences feel safest. But directors such as Ivo van Hove have shown that avant-garde theatre, like that created by Grotowski, still holds at least a small place in our theatre culture – and long may it continue.

21 73

DALE DEVEREUX BARKER EXHIBITION Article written by

Tom Rainbow

The prints of Dale Devereux Barker were welcomed to the Bell Room Foyer as the first exhibition of the academic year.

ith a vibrant style and entertaining subjects, his lino and lithograph prints are, to my mind, some of the most refreshing and warmly received works so far seen. In many ways, their intrigue was in part due to their aptness for the school environment. Innovative compositions in turn lead to a great sense of movement; bold colours have a certain youthfulness; and his fascination with human figures fills the gallery space. On a busy morning, these prints seem to become part of the experience around you, interacting, moving and ultimately reflecting. But it is the remarkable detail of Devereux Barker’s work that makes you stop in your tracks, take a moment, and simply stare at these visual ‘feasts’. They are incredibly transportative, and in the midst of a hectic timetable this can be a welcome opportunity to truly experience a work of art. To my mind, the best-loved artwork should not be seen once or twice in a gallery, we should see it and interact with it on a daily basis, and this is the great advantage offered by the school’s termly exhibitions.

The Superheroes II Dale Devereux Barker, Lithograph

MACBETH AT THE GLOBE THEATRE “This is a sorry sight,” Macbeth says at the beginning of Act Two, and, to be honest, I’m going to have to agree with him on this one.

Article written by

Conor Hilliard

The actress also seemed a little ill, though I think it’s a little unfair if I criticize her for that. Regardless, a great many of the actors seemed ill-suited to their roles, or just a bit confused as to who the characters were and what they wanted. The only character I felt that was moderately compelling was Malcolm, especially in the great speech he has at the beginning of the second half, in which he states his belief that he is even worse-suited to the throne of Scotland. However, even that seemed underwhelming, and there were far too few moments like that in the production as a whole. I feel as though the director had a lot of great ideas – the ethereal and abstract witches, the use of the trapdoor to show Banquo coming to haunt Macbeth, chief among them – but they just weren’t particularly consistent with each other. For example, the four witches – yes, four, not the three we are accustomed to – were a strangely physical and creepy force that didn’t really fit with the rest of the play’s realism or the early-modern setting – because, whether the Globe likes it or not, a modern audience will draw assumptions about the play from costume – so felt a bit tacked on. Added to this, the only moments where the audience really seemed to engage were ad-libbed moments of tacky humour from one or other of the more minor roles, which saddened me greatly.

acbeth is one of Shakespeare’s greatest and most well-beloved plays, for its tragedy, mysticism and epic scale, and for its lead character, played by the likes of Sir Ian McKellan, Sir Patrick Stewart, Laurence Olivier and Michael Fassbender, to name just a few. As such, perhaps I went in with ridiculously high hopes that could never have been sated; perhaps the fact that we were at the Globe Theatre meant that I assumed that this would be quite possibly the greatest piece of theatre I’d ever witnessed. Unfortunately, it wasn’t. In my view, and in the view of those that managed to stay conscious in the frankly ludicrous heat, the play was a bit of let-down. I felt that the lead actor failed to adequately show any depth to Macbeth’s character – a character that is one of the most interesting in Shakespeare – instead relying on shouting those lines which he felt showed Macbeth’s inner conflict, and speaking flatly at all other times. There was little nuance from the actor, in a role which needs nuance to be compelling.

Overall, I just felt a bit disappointed by the whole thing. I do love Shakespeare, and I do believe that Macbeth is one of his best works, and thus one of the greatest plays in the English language, and I feel that this production doesn’t do that justice. I feel like so much more could have been made of it, more moments could have been emphasised, and it could have been so much more coherent as a piece of theatre.

Similarly, Lady Macbeth was either too in-your-face or very flat. 21 93

WHAT’S THE CONNECTION BETWEEN BRONZE AGE WARRIORS AND YOUR BREAKFAST…? Article written by

Harry Guthrie

…More than you might think.

itting unnoticed amongst your toast and marmalade there’s probably a tub of Lurpak? Take a closer look when you’re next spreading your toast. You’ll see a pair of bronze wind instruments called Lurs. Dating back to Denmark in 1000 BC, they’re the logo on your butter pack!

and they spawned elite musicians who could attract huge audiences. Sound familiar? Plato and Aristotle were deeply concerned about the importance of music in moulding character and promoting education. On reflection, this might be an historical parallel too far when it comes to Simon Cowell…

When you stop to look for them, the connections to our musical history are all around us.

Sticking with Ancient Greece, if you’re studying the Periodic Table in chemistry, you might not realise that, around 500 BC, Pythagoras studied the musical scale and the appropriate lengths between the notes. It’s said he based his mathematical thinking on the tetractys, a mythical triangular figure consisting of ten points arranged in four rows – with one, two, three and four points in each row.

Let’s consider Saturday night TV’s connection to Ancient Greece. Simon Cowell’s cut-throat music competition, X Factor, bears more than a passing resemblance to the big stadium singing competitions of the Hellenic era. The earliest recorded music festival with a live audience and judges was around 700 BC

Pythagorean scales combine pure fourths (in a 4:3 relation), pure fifths (in a 3:2 relation) and the simple ratios of unison (1:1) and the Octave (2:1). Pythagoras then applied his laws of musical harmony to the natural world. In 1864, John Newland applied this thinking further to the mathematical relationships in the Periodic Table; he discovered that every 8th element (as in the Pythagorean musical scale) shares a repetition of properties – this is known in chemistry as ‘The Law of Octaves’.

time. Largely forgotten until her music was rediscovered in the late 20th century, her ethereal chants now accompany the lavender-infused foot massages of middle-class England.

Taking you back to the 11th century, own up if you’ve collapsed on the festive sofa in front of The Sound of Music? If so, you’ll be enjoying the life’s work of 11th century Italian monk, Guido of Arezzo. The saccharin sweet, Doh, a deer, a female deer; ray, a drop of golden sun etc. represents the names he gave his finger-jointed hand movements which, for the first time ever, communicated pitch. Alongside his early development of the musical stave, all this encouraged more ambitious music-making as musicians no longer had to memorise the notes – and early composers started to sign their names to their music. It was a pivotal moment in musical history – unlike The Sound of Music…

And what about the origins of the ubiquitous pop song? In the 17th century, musicians started to play around with root chords, a technique favoured 300 years later by artists such as the Beatles and Sting. In 2011, Adele’s Set Fire to the Rain featured iconic descending base line chords very similar to Pachelbel’s Cannon, the direction of the bass line creating similar forward momentum and harmonic progression. Going back a bit further to John Dowland’s 1597 First Book of Songs, he introduced a brand new structure for solo singing: a three-minute song with a verse and a chorus - recognise it? This style has continued in western popular music until the present day. In 2006, Sting recorded Dowland’s brilliant Flow My Tears and the centuries in between the two men fell away.

Talking of composers (and this may be a bit feminine for some tastes), pop into any High Street spa for a massage and you may well be transported back to the 12th century world of the medieval Rhineland and the music of Hildegard of Bingen. She was ahead of her time in lots of ways. She proves that female composers (albeit very few) could thrive in medieval Europe. As a Benedictine abbess, she composed her own religious chants with soaring melodies and early musical ornamentation which was ground-breaking for the

So, next time you blearily contemplate spreading your breakfast toast, spend a moment contemplating the Danish Lurs bronze horns on the butter pack and find yourself transported back to Scandinavia in 1000 BC!

Guido of Arezzo

Hildegard of Bingen

John Dowland

Guido of Arezzo

Sting

Adele 21

Humanities

SHOULD WE STOP EXCAVATING ANCIENT ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES TO PRESERVE THEM BETTER FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS? It seems ironic that when considering the past, we must – or at least should – also consider the future. Archaeology is unparalleled in the way it gives us new insight into ancient civilisations.

t both provides evidence that is free of ‘spin’ – there were very few written sources about ancient history with a slave or woman’s perspective - and allows us to physically understand what it might have been like to live in such a world. It could be argued that we have a moral obligation to preserve artefacts for future generations to enjoy, understand, and explore further. Unlocking the door to the roots of our cultures through studying these past civilisations is an experience that should not be exclusive to the current generations. Thus, the problem arises of whether we should stop excavating entirely, under the presumption that excavation techniques and scientific understanding will inevitably evolve. If archaeological sites are thought of as a finite resource that will hold greater value in the future, halting excavation efforts might seem an obvious solution. I would argue, however, that it is often not as simple as this; there are many other factors to consider that suggest leaving sites is not always beneficial. It is important to address the key problems involved in excavating an archaeological site. The process of digging up artefacts allows specialists to examine them and extract knowledge about their time, but it also exposes them to a novel chemical and physical environment. Despite the efforts of conservationists to prevent degradation entirely, objects are damaged by light levels

and handling; ancient roads by foot traffic, and buildings by natural erosion. Rare archaeological gems such as the sites of Pompeii and Herculaneum, uncovered as early as 1738 and 1748 respectively, have suffered greatly from this degradation as well as from the threat of theft and vandalism. Following their safe preservation under the volcanic ash, carbonised remains disintegrated quickly without the aid of modern chemicals when exposed to air, and large proportions of the sites remain closed today due to the danger of walls falling down. Similarly, vibrantly coloured frescoes have faded, and, although the earlier methods of conservation helped, the modern method of using plastic and aluminium would have undoubtedly saved some of these remains. Even today, there is a struggle to preserve buildings, highlighted by the recent collapse of the Schola Armaturarum (House of the Gladiators) in 2010, both due to inadequate funding, and the use of inappropriate conservation materials in the past. Because of this, many people believe that it would be more beneficial to leave the sites to the safety of the earth until we have the required techniques to excavate non-invasively. Past instances of ‘failures’ in excavation projects serve as evidence to support this idea. Without the knowledge and awareness of archaeology we have today, Heinrich Schliemann began his search for the ‘Homeric’ 23

Article written by

Ed Lamb

Schola Armaturarum, before

Schola Armaturarum, after

Heinrich Schliemann

Troy of the Iliad, trying to bring the myth into real history. In this process, he brought about what could be called the ‘second fall of Troy’; in 1871 he took over work at the supposed site of Troy, digging through the strata of settlements, convinced that his Homeric Troy was in the lower layers. In his ignorance of modern archaeological convention, he destroyed rare evidence of re-settlements of Troy and probably the ancient city itself, since his so-called ‘Priam’s Treasure’ actually dated to almost 1000 years before the suggested time of the Trojan War, which is thought to have occurred around the 12th or 13th Century BC. Despite these apparent tragedies, the losses at these sites can be seen as a necessary sacrifice to the field of archaeology which has proven to be beneficial in the long term. Schliemann’s work at Troy triggered a growth in the popularity of classical archaeology, which was unpopular at the time, serving to encourage more people to discover and excavate ancient sites. His news of discovering the ancient city attracted many religious groups towards excavation in attempts to find evidence of settlements from their respective scriptures. Likewise, the tourist attractions of Pompeii and Herculaneum, although damaged by visitors, have revitalised and enriched popular culture in learning about the ancient world. Popularity

in archaeology promotes its advancement, as new methods arise to excavate more benignly. An important argument therefore arises which promotes an ongoing excavation effort: that without it, advancement in our classical knowledge and technique is greatly reduced. We should sacrifice some of the potential of current archaeological sites for the greater good of advancement and progression, which can then be used on other sites in the future. It is naive to think that bringing excavation efforts to a standstill would be conducive towards developing advanced preservation techniques, since it is only through the mistakes of archaeology that we are pressed to develop techniques. While developments in other fields can crossover to archaeology, the practice of excavation itself can only develop quickly if it is practised in an ‘in vivo’ setting. In this way, damage to some sites in the past will have saved others that are yet to be discovered. An awareness of modern archaeological techniques involved in excavation also highlights how we are equipped to explore them today. Most projects now involve geo-physical surveys to produce a sub-surface map of the site, an entirely non-invasive technique that allows archaeologists to see if it is appropriate to excavate, and if so, how to do so more carefully. They therefore are

able to make compromises, assessing which parts can be excavated with minimal risk, and deliberately leaving those which they are likely to destroy – it is unnecessary to completely leave all sites for the future, since we have the techniques today to preserve the majority of the archaeological evidence. We must also not take for granted the protection the ground serves as we leave sites for the future, since in some cases the artefacts found are at less risk once excavated. Natural weather and earthquakes often disrupt the strata of ancient ruins beneath the ground as does human activity. In our rising populations, governments are more frequently forced to grant building sites precedence over archaeological sites, prompting a ‘rescue excavation’, often rushed and more destructive than if the site was excavated beforehand at a controlled pace. Additionally, an issue with leaving sites is that it is impossible to name a specific date that we will have the required archaeological advancement to begin excavation; progression is relative in the ongoing cycle of advancement. Even today we cannot predict the extent to which the field will develop. It is reflected in the past that all fields make advancements through technology, but despite this fact, we will always remain oblivious to the overall state of archaeology due to science’s limitless potential for new discoveries. In hundreds of years, just as we look back to Schliemann with a critical eye, archaeologists may well rebuke our techniques in using up the precious sites we have excavated, perhaps even following a paradigm shift. For this reason, leaving sites for the future is a never-ending process, since there will always be a time where we are more aware and less ignorant. The only solution is to, with a certain arrogance, have confidence in our own techniques and excavate in the greatest interests of preservation, and with an acute awareness of context. We still have the knowledge and understanding in archaeology to allow generations to enjoy the remains for a

great number of years. In fact, many problems at archaeological sites are not with our technology, but with a lack of funding and care, something that time will not aid. The model for technological advancement will not likely be a smooth curve, but rather a sudden step or revolution in new methods; it is futile to wait for such a spontaneous occurrence. Even if we have access to less invasive excavation methods and improved preservation techniques in the future, the cultural neglect of archaeology through finance that key sites have experienced will remain, and only through their popularity can they be restored more effectively. As with most things, there is no straight answer; archaeologists must assess each site with the new technology, and with its political, social and economic context in mind. Those sites in high risk zones of earthquakes or freak weather should be more readily excavated, and similarly those in politically heated zones; the civil war in Syria has caused the loss of many archaeological sites, such as Palmyra. While it is sensible to leave sites which are too dangerous to excavate, the benefits that come with excavating, especially considering the current state of archaeological technology, make it the best option for the future. In truth, the problem that must be focused on to save the sites, rather than time’s development of methodology, is getting more people interested in the area with all its potential; with greater funding and attention, the future of archaeology will be a brighter one. 23 75

Music

A NUMBER OF TRIBUTES TO

GUY BENNETT

I only knew Mr Guy Bennett for one year, but, during that small time, he made a huge impact on my life.

Written by

Henry Poppleton

conducted the School Band with enthusiasm and flair. He would never give up on someone or something. I remember him staring people down as they walked in to a rehearsal one minute late. These moments show how much Mr Bennett cared for his job, and how he never got bored of it, even after 30-odd years at it. I have never, and never will, meet anyone like him.

e helped me develop my music in every way, encouraging me to join music groups I would never have believed I would, and much more. But – outside of music – Mr Bennett was a really positive man. Every so often, I would hear great moments of happiness and laughter, either because of what Mr Bennett had said or something he had done. Many people will have known Mr Bennett through the School Band. He

My experience as a brass player and a musician, throughout my time at Bedford School, has been enriched and nurtured by the role of Mr Bennett as Head of Brass.

Written by

Silas Sanders

and, in particular, my passion for tuba playing; his skilful and rigorous mentoring turned me from a boy who had just picked up a large, quirky instrument for fun, into a ‘musician’. This was his specialty; bringing finesse and quality to each and every ensemble he conducted or played in.

e was exceptionally talented and will always be remembered for bringing that extra fun and entertainment to our Senior Brass rehearsals, be it in the form of ongoing sidejokes or just an extra level of enjoyment. On a more personal level, I will remember Mr Bennett as the one who ignited my passion for instrumental music

When I was told in Year 4 that I would make strong bonds with teachers throughout my school career, I silently scoffed.

Written by

Tom Christian

nicest man in the school: witty, a bit mad and passionate about everything he put his mind to, including telling me every lesson that he had the fastest road bike in the world! He left such a hole for me to fill somehow with his passing away, but I am thankful that he invested so much time in me and in all those he taught in the way he did.

ut, looking back, Mr. Bennett was the teacher I spent the most time with and that showed, because spending more time with him than any other person in school made me realize that what I was told is true. I didn’t think of him as a teacher or mentor, more as a mate, who knew a lot more about the trombone than I did. He was, in my opinion, the 2 73

My first encounter with Mr Bennett was on my first day of school, in the Fourth Form.

Written by

Charlie Hicks

few jokes. Alongside being hilariously funny and laidback, he was very knowledgeable and helped me through a tough time when I got my braces. He helped me to persist with the instrument and gave me advice on how to improve and come back stronger, and invited me back into senior brass this year which I am currently greatly enjoying. He also knew the potential we had as a group and my favourite performance was playing Bohemian Rhapsody in both assembly and the St. Cecilia’s Day concert – both performances received a lengthy applause. These special times spent in Senior Brass are the moments of my school career that I will never forget.

was nervous but excited to start the year and I had been told as a trumpeter to meet at the Recital Hall at Short Break to arrange music lessons. Unsure of the location in my new school, I followed my lifelong friend Will to the music school and walked through the glass doors of the building and into the giant red room, oblivious to the fact that this would be the place where I would spend many memorable moments in a number of different band practices and lunchtime concerts. I walked through with Will, and standing opposite us a man stood with a happy grin on his face. It was Mr Bennett. He greeted me and settled my nerves on my first day with a

Mr Bennett was not just any teacher to me; he was always that teacher that I could go to if I needed advice on something.

Written by

Archie Young-Lee

Whether it be on the prestigious Bamberg tours or whether it simply be playing in Friday assemblies, Mr Bennett always wanted the brass ensemble to be the best it possibly could be. One of my most memorable moments of Mr Bennett was playing in the brass ensemble for the first time and seeing how much he enjoyed leading the group and getting involved in all the banter we had, he will be sorely missed.

e is a large part of why I am still studying music to this day. Ever since my first lesson with him in Year 3, he has always been somebody I have looked up to and admired and I’m sure he will still be somebody I look up to. During my time in the brass ensemble with Mr Bennett I came to realise that he took great pride in that group, in fact I believe it was one of his greatest pleasures in the school.

So, as someone who has looked up to this man since I joined in Year 4, I have had a lot of feelings regarding the events that have transpired.

Written by

George Christian

in First Orchestra every week; none could match his enthusiasm for the instrument that defined him. His love for the school was also unparalleled, and while he had his issues with some areas as everyone undoubtedly does, being a housemaster for many years in Pemberley clearly proved this fact. I’ve had to write a lot of things about Mr Bennet since his death, yet it never seems a burden or something I don’t want to do; it’s the very least I can do for a man who kindled my passion for music and kept it roaring for seven years, who has led me every step of the way, who is my go-to face whenever I hear the word ‘music’, and who I was probably closer to than any other teacher in the school. He was truly, in my eyes, a fantastic man.

et the one resounding thought I have is this: he certainly lived his life to the max. And this isn’t just being sentimental, it’s undoubtedly true. Who else buys a £15,000 Kawasaki and rides it into school in his sixties? He never was one for subtlety. Always the centre stage in concerts and the driving force behind their success, he was to the music department, and many boys’ musical triumphs, what butter is to bread. He always had something to say – keeping a room full of teenagers focussed is an amazing skill and he could do it beautifully, much to the envy of other teachers, I’m sure! He practically was the entire brass section in the music school, leading band, brass ensemble and their Prep School equivalents, as well as playing 2 93

Sports

OAKHAM BEAT BEDFORD IN THEIR OWN BACK YARD On a chilly Saturday afternoon, Bedford set out to continue the 1st XV’s winning streak by beating a renowned Oakham team whose pace and strength were widely noted. However, Oakham had other ideas and wanted to upset the favourites in their own back yard.

Article written by

Oliver Thrasher

fter a cagey first 10 minutes, where Bedford would later rue their missed chances, Colston Kane broke the deadlock by scoring a quintessentially Bedford try. A break from deep by the dangerous back three, quick hands through the backs and then great work from the forwards to be in support to pick and go over the line. (5-0) Bedford continued to turn the screws on their opponents for the next five minutes but ill-discipline and lack of ruthlessness meant this amounted to nothing. After decent spell from Oakham, they finally came good after poor tackling from Bedford meant that their fly-half could run in under the posts, also adding the extras. (5-7) Bedford knew they were in a game and they needed a spark from somewhere. Who else but Bedford’s talisman and commander-in-chief Fraser Dingwall would provide it with a sumptuous and delectable inside ball that found the hands Fraser Strachan; again, support play paid off as the everimpressive and powerful Jo Rogers finished the move off under the posts. This time, Dingwall managed to add the conversion and Bedford went into half time with the lead. (12-7)

they took it. Working hard in the second half, they played fast, free-flowing rugby that caught Bedford on the back foot; ill-discipline cost Bedford as Dingwall was sin-binned for playing the ball on the ground right in front of posts. Oakham kicked the points with only 5 minutes to go. (12-10) Bedford showed what they were all about in the last five minutes, working hard and displaying the fearsome last ditch tackling that was to be the theme of the day. However, Bedford couldn’t hold them off for the full 70 minutes and with full time looming, Bedford’s lack of discipline was punished as Oakham kicked another penalty with virtually no time to spare. (12-13)

After the half time break, Bedford came out confidently and strongly, with Dingwall pulling strings from deep and controlling the play with elegance and ease. However, it was this confidence that would end up being Bedford’s worst enemy. Bedford lacked the killer instinct required to put the game to bed early, scuppering two golden opportunities to move 10 points ahead. With a missed penalty from Dingwall, Oakham were given a lifeline and

This one will hurt Bedford, no doubt, but promising signs are there as they begin their bid for a second Champions Trophy title.

23 13

THE TRIUMPH OF KOBE BRYANT Article written by

Edison Xiong

On the 14th of April 2016, Kobe Bryant gave Los Angeles one last night to remember, scoring 60 points on 50 shots in his final game in the Staples Centre after a 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers.

“My heart can take the pounding. My mind can handle the grind. But my body knows it’s time to say goodbye.” For every basketball fan, Kobe’s retirement will be a big loss. For the most part, fans understand the significance of Kobe’s impact on the game of basketball, as evidenced by standing ovations Bryant received in places where he’s been heavily booed throughout his career, including Boston, San Antonio, Denver and Sacramento.

he 37 year-old showed the talent, strength and skills that have made him one of the all-time greats in basketball history. The Lakers trailed the Utah Jazz for most of the night but, following Bryant’s exceptional fourth quarter, they finally won the game by a score of 101-96. Before the game, remaining tickets for Bryant’s last match at the Staples Center in Los Angeles were selling for four figures in US dollars, and the price of tickets continued to climb dramatically right up to the start with tickets finally being reported as selling for $27,500. However, this didn’t stop many fans from showing their support for him by sitting outside the arena regardless of the freezing temperatures.

For me, I worship Kobe Bryant because I have learned a lot from him. His effort contributed to his success and it could be proved by his appearances in 17 All-Star games, when he was named the Most Valuable Player for the 2007-08 regular season and when he landed MVP honours in the 2009 and 2010 Finals in which he led the Lakers to consecutive championships. We will remember fondly his glory years in the NBA. Thank you, Kobe!

Before he played his final game, Bryant had announced that this season would be his last in a poignant letter written in the form of a poem in the The Player’s Tribune in November. He said:

MOSAIC

Artwork by Luke Lee

CONTROL Article written by

Conor Hilliard

London, 2074

he large, oak-panelled room was silent, save for the ominous ticking of the fourhundred-year-old grandfather clock in the corner. The clock was older than the room they were in, older even than the buildings all around them, given that they all burned down in the nineteenth century. The ticking reverberated around the room, a deep, methodical, constant sound, never ceasing, never changing. It had ticked its stubborn rhythm longer than anyone present had been alive, and would continue to do so long after all were dead. It was a sobering thought. For me, it was also rather a disturbing one. Recently appointed as aide to Lord Lambton, the Foreign Secretary, this was my first time actually in the Cabinet Office. And, as luck would have it, I was to be taking notes of the most important meeting in British political history. The occasion demanded smartness, and so I was wearing my least-crumpled suit and one of only two ties in my wardrobe that didn’t have food stains. Strike that, one of the only two ties that I owned. Despite his grandiose titles – Duke of Northumberland, Earl of Sunderland, Earl of Carlisle and Lord Durham – Lord Richard Lambton was just as poorly dressed. His suit was dark and well-fitting, at least, but, where his predecessors would wear suits the price of houses, his was far more affordable. Well, at least to an average politician, anyway. He looked sick, and I knew for a fact that he hadn’t slept in a week. On Lord Lambton’s left sat the Minister 34

President, Grace Farrow, her cool grey eyes narrowed stubbornly, and on her left was Ronan Parish, the Second Minister. Farrow hadn’t slept either, but, if she was tired, she didn’t dare show it. In front of her was a thick document, and an ancient fountain pen, silver and engraved with the nowdefunct royal seal of the United Kingdom. For his part, Parish looked the same as ever, unmoved by any of the events before him. His sunken eyes stared unblinkingly across the table, and I felt a tingle run down my spine every time they passed over me. He drummed his fingers on the table in the same monotonous rhythm as the grandfather clock. Farrow glared mutinously down at the document before her, and then across the room, to where the delegates from Europe sat. “Mrs. Farrow, if you sign the accords now, we can begin the process of integration as soon as possible,” Martin Köhler, President of the Union of European States, told us through his translator, “It is in all of our interests, so please, sign.” Köhler was a small, unremarkable-looking man in his mid-fifties, with short grey hair and a bland face. He looked like the sort of person you’d pass every day on the streets of London, and it was difficult to see him as the most powerful man this side of the Atlantic. He smiled amiably, and I vividly remembered how I’d been briefed; Köhler’s appeal came most often from approachableness, not from policy. Farrow said nothing, her face betrayed

nothing. Lord Lambton looked to his leader, seemed to read her unreadable expression, and leant forward. His voice, as ever, was strong and deep, and seemed to fill the room. “If we sign, whose timetable will we work to?” Köhler smiled easily, seemingly pleased that the Government was acquiescing so quickly, “Once you sign, we can begin discussions about that.” Lord Lambton pressed, “And how long will those discussions take? It may surprise you, but we have our own issues that need rectifying; we can’t all work at the leisurely pace of you continentals.” Beside the European President, Jerzy Zieliński, the European Foreign Minister, snorted. He was a small, weasel-faced man, with suspicious eyes and a snide expression. Why he was in Britain was a mystery; he had long been opposed to us and our ways. Yet, he was there, and so were we. How the world works. “Have we come all this way to be insulted?” he asked, “You think that will change with their acceptance? With any treaty they sign?” “That’s enough, Jerzy,” Köhler said evenly, though his eyes flashed with anger, “Might I remind you that we are diplomats, not schoolchildren?” Frustration raced across the Polish man’s face, but Zieliński did not defy his President. Köhler shot a sideways glance at Farrow, before deciding that he would have more luck speaking to Lord Lambton. He took a deep breath, before taking us through the procedure that we would have to go through. My fingers flew across the surface of my computer screen, typing as quickly as I could, whilst doing my best to register the words that were being said. Köhler had just gotten to the currency aspects of the treaty, telling us we’d have to abandon the pound if we were to join his Union, when Farrow spoke for the first time, her oh-so-familiar iron Yorkshire

voice halting Köhler’s soft Swiss accent. “We do not accept.” Köhler closed his eyes and took a deep breath, “With respect, Madame President, you are hardly in a position to deny our offer.” Farrow narrowed her eyes, “Offer? Is that what you call it, President Köhler? I must be less familiar with your politics than I thought I was, because, over here, offers do not consist of economic pressuring.” I did my best to keep a straight face. Grace Farrow had come up out of nowhere fifteen years ago, but had risen to command the Liberal Party and turn it from a fringe party to the dominant organisation in British politics. She had absorbed the old parties into hers, and most of her cabinet were members of the old parties; Lord Lambton had been a Tory, Isra El-Mofty, the Justice Secretary, had been the Labour leader for seven years and Ronan Parish, Farrow’s right-hand and Second Minister, had been a Neo-Socialist and the Liberal’s worst enemy. I had been in awe of her for years, but, to be honest, our politics were a mess back then. Everything was a mess back then. Unemployment was lower than it had been for thirty years, but still higher than any of our neighbours, the pound was sinking faster every week, despite our best efforts, and, to add insult to injury, we had been kicked off every major military and diplomatic agreement, from the World Security Council to the G20. As much as any of us hated to admit it, Köhler was right; we had to accept this deal, and join the Union we had left half a century ago. Only this time, we would be accepting European sovereignty over our own. “Mrs. Farrow,” Köhler spoke more firmly, “You owe it to the British public to join us. Don’t you have an election coming up?” Farrow laughed derisively and Ronan Parish, the ethereal Second Minister, 35

spoke from her left – oh the irony – in his cold, harsh voice, “I doubt you’re here out of altruism, Mr. Köhler. We’ll tend to our election, and you tend to yours.” “Besides,” added Lord Lambton, “If we join you, there’ll be no need for a general election, as we won’t be running our country.” “On the contrary,” Köhler retorted, “You will be able to continue almost exactly as you are, you’ll just have to accept a few of our laws and certain limitations on Westminster’s – and your – individual powers. We are a federation, after all.” He chuckled. No-one else did. The politicians argued back and forth for hours, each growing more and more irate. Farrow wanted to keep the pound, and Köhler told her not to be ridiculous, and that it wouldn’t make sense for Britain to be the only state in the union without the Euro (the Danish, of course, having been the last to abandon their own currency in ’43). Lord Lambton asked about his job security as Foreign Secretary, and was assured that he would be allowed to move to the European Foreign Ministry in Vienna. This made me concerned about my job, but I knew that it would be better not to annoy everyone further by speaking now. Köhler’s statement about elections rang true not just for Farrow, but for himself. He had been elected in ’68 promising to bring Britain into the fold, and uniting Europe once and for

all. If he lost here, he’d be seen as too weak to diplomatically aid a third-rate nation and strengthen European unity. Farrow’s first term was ending, and she knew that this deal was the only way to ensure British growth, but, of course, she was worried about the cost to her own prestige. She didn’t want to be the last Minister President of an independent Britain. If you’re reading this, you know what happened in the end. After all that discussion, after three years of back-and-forth negotiating, after all the hurt that we went through in the 40s and 50s, Grace Farrow and Richard Lambton signed the Order of Federalisation, and we joined the Union of European Nations. If you’re reading this, and it’s the 22nd Century, you’ll know that we actually did well out of it, that we were finally able to drag ourselves up from a mire of economic downturn and social paralysis. Farrow won her next election, of course, and then went on to run for President of Europe. Unsuccessfully, of course, but the point still stands. As you know, Köhler did just as well, until… well, you know your history. His is a story for another time, I think, scandals aren’t as fun to write about as people think. And me? Well, I never did get moved to Vienna with Lord Lambton. They integrated us Brits far too slowly for that, and, by the time I could have moved, I was busy with other things. Not that I miss it. The real world is such a dull place to work, I’m sure you’ll agree. It’s much more fun to make things up, and live through them.

Artwork by Luke Lee

DEATH OF THE EARTH Article written by

Enoch Mukungu

The earth is dead. Nothing grows in its soil. The sky’s filled with poisonous rain clouds. The oceans are more salt than water.

he pockmarked surface of the planet is patrolled by the mutant leftovers of the rats that sheltered in our sewers. Humanity was almost extinguished, and what was left was forced underground, trapped underneath the monoliths we once built to keep us safe, to give us purpose, to declare our conquering of the natural world. Once, in our oh-so-human hubris, we believed we would destroy ourselves, never even thinking that the world may have had other plans. I have never seen the sun, or the moon, or the stars the others whisper about that once glittered across the sky. I have never even seen the true sky, a blue sky. The sky now is a bloody red, streaked with orange, a flaming mockery of the beautiful blue banner that once covered every corner of the world. Wisps of smoke cling to everything above ground, cooking in the acid-tinged air. Every day, in the morning, the skies open and the rains come. The pure black rain, with its venomous touch. Everything it touches, dies. Painfully. The first time the sky rained black was when the meteors came. They were supposed to miss the earth, but for “an anomalous gravitational well”. It altered their course, pushed them towards Earth. They landed in the Atlantic Ocean, leaving a red trail in the water behind them. A month later, the red clouds rose. The first city they hit was in Africa. The next, America. They spread across all four corners of 38

the globe, cutting off air travel, but otherwise harmless. People panicked for a while, several predicted that it was the end of days. Then, nothing. Humanity just kept on ticking away, like it wasn’t living underneath a time bomb. There aren’t any cities now. The rains burnt them all away, and washed the earth clean for a new kind of desecration. Where proud cities once stood, reaching out to the sky in defiant glory, now lie twisted, misshapen ruins. The towers that once dominated the skyline, now kneel, bent by time and erosion. If the streets of London ever looked like gold, all they look like now is coal. There are no trees. There is no grass. Plants no longer grow on earth, under or above the surface. I heard once that people used to throw out at least a ton of food per day in London. I wish I could find where they put it. Occasionally, I find old, rotten candy bars in the dissolved remains of these things that were called ‘cars’. I usually leave them around for the rats to get. If one of us has to get sick, better the beasts than me and mine. The rats are leftovers like us. When the black rain trickled down from the sky for the first time, it was a small town called Bedford. The first time, the plants died. The next, it was the people. By the end of the week, the place was nothing but a crater in the ground. These days we have so many of those, that we hardly even notice them, but back then, it caused a riot. The rain started to spread, to Luton, Cambridge,

Flitwick. In, America, the same thing started to happen. Every country in the world started to experience the same phenomena, and everybody with half a brain knew what was going to happen. The world was ending. World leaders started to disappear, no one knows where to, but my grandfather always insisted they had built a space station, and run off to live among stars. My father had thought they had probably just built bunkers under the ground like we did, but he reckoned they had probably starved like we almost did, ten years ago. But it doesn’t matter now. My family was never meant to live inland. We had a grand seafaring tradition from the Battle of Trafalgar to the Falklands war. My great grandfather had been at sea when the first rain cloud came down. He was recently married, just back from his honeymoon. He was on a scientific craft, sent out to study the meteors and their potential effect on humans. They had seven billion dollars in scientific equipment, and one hundred rats to be used as test subjects. When they received the news, my great grandfather said he looked over the water at the most beautiful sunset he had ever seen, a veritable canvas of blues, reds and greens, and wondered how the world could create such beauty, while hundreds died in the country he called home. He stayed above the decks all

night that day, gazing into the darkening sky, and crying out in fear for his home. The boat turned around the next day. My great grandfather never saw the sea he loved so much again. These days, the water is oily black, and filled to the brim with salt. My great grandfather’s job was to tend to the rats. He fed them, weighed them, and observed any effects the tainted meteor water may have had on them. He was the first person to realise that they had been growing at an elevated pace, and that they had become more agitated in their confinement. But he wasn’t the first one to realise they had become deadly. Jim Parsnip was the man who had that unfortunate duty. He was unloading the rats after they docked, and one of the latches broke, releasing the beast. It tore off his arm, before it goaded the rest of them to escape. They feasted on his flesh, and escaped into the sewers, where they mated with the resident rat population, spreading their infection. Their descendants had the ability to weather out the storms, and they too grew. With no one to challenge their power, the rats came to dominate the streets of London This is the world. It is all we have left, and it’s dying.

Artwork by Max Judge

Artwork by Anthony Tai

Artwork by Benjamin Wilshaw-Quinn

‘POP’, THE THOUGHTFUL MAN Article written by

Thomas Liggins

His breath made a rasping sound and it seemed that, without the respirator he was permanently hooked up to, he would simply make no sound or movement at all.

nd yet, there was something in the way his hand maintained control of the whisky glass, raising it to his elderly lips without a quiver and then firmly depositing it on his dark antique apothecary table that suggested that he still has a lot of life left hidden within. As the close family was crowded around in the cosy living room he sat forward as best he could; as he did he let out a slow and deep sigh and looked to his three young grandchildren sitting on the floor in front of him. With the respirator over his face, he widened his eyes and said, ‘Children, be very afraid, for I am the daft invader!’ The children were rolling over with laughter. With a smile on his face, Pop sat back and shut his eyes dreaming of all the long years he had behind him. He remembered his father and all he had done for him, how he was a spiv during the Second World War who made his keep by selling imported tobacco in the time of rationing and general lack of produce and how he was a respected man in this small town of Nuneaton, known as the town businessman. With his savings he sent Pop away to get a good education to an old, grand place called Warwick boarding school. Pop was so thankful of this in his later life, since this act allowed him to break the tradition of his family history which consisted of a long line of hard-working Christian miners to become an educated historian and philosopher. Half an hour after Pop had drifted off, Grandma 42

gave him a soft nudge. Pop’s eyes slowly opened and she handed him a plate with a small portion of food on it. Pink gammon, mushy peas and a few small boiled potatoes all just the way he liked it. He picked up the knife and fork with his shaking hands and then with much effort began to carve up his gammon. With his lunch on his lap, he turned to his youngest grandchild, Thomas, who was in the room with him, and said in his croaky Midlands accent: ‘Do you know who that toy tractor you’ve got there belongs to? It’s your father’s; I bought that for him when he was around your age.’ ‘Wow! But it looks just like new’, Thomas replied in his high four-year-old voice. Pop and Thomas had a talent for chatting to each other for long periods of time since they could always entertain each other despite their large age gap. Pop would often introduce Thomas to many of his own sayings that were so well know amongst the family and Thomas would always surprise him with his grasp of mature conversation at such a young age. The time spent getting to know his grandchildren was some of the happiest of Pop’s life. That night after all the family had left and everyone had said their good byes and Grandma was going round the house closing all of the thick gold and blue satin curtains, Pop turned off the BBC news and, with the help of his walking stick, made his way to the electric arm chair which would carry him arduously up

the stairs. Pop, after being prepared for bed by Grandma, then slid under his fluffy blanket and lay his bald head on to the cold white pillow of their bed. Once again, he closed his heavy lids as Grandma began to caress his forehead. ‘It’s been a lovely day’ Grandma soothingly said, ‘oh yes, that it has love, that it has’; he let out a wide yawn and a faint cough and drifted off to sleep. Pop had slowly developed, over a life time of smoking, a violent cough which he awoke with uncontrollably a week later. Hiding her fear, Grandma helped Pop into the silver Mercedes and rushed him to the Nuneaton hospital where he was examined and upon the fact that he was still coughing they then swiftly transported him by ambulance to the Coventry hospital. For the next five days, Pop

sat in his bleached white hospital bed with a blank but strangely content look on his face and a respirator mask over his mouth, deeply inhaling and exhaling as the doctors had advised him to do, until his son, daughter in law, and three grand children came to say their final good byes, since it was unlikely that Pop would ever make it home again. After the hours of chatting were coming to a close, Pop began to feel weak so everyone gave him a hug and a kiss and started for the door. However, their faces turned as a faint voice came from Pop’s throat: ‘Children, be very afraid for I am the daft invader’. Pop, and all of us, had a smile over our faces and everyone except Pop shed a melancholy tear. But we all must remember in the famous and thoughtful words of Pop, ‘Death should never cause unsettling or unbearable strife; it’s simply the way of life.’

STATON ESSAY The Staton Essay Prize is an interdisciplinary essay competition open to all students currently studying in Year 12 anywhere in the UK (or its equivalent in the EU and internationally). The aim of the competition is to give school pupils the opportunity to explore connections between the subjects they study or are interested in, to

develop their independent research skills, and to encourage them to consider interdisciplinary courses at university. The 2016 theme was â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and the essay categories were Contemporary Worlds, Historical Worlds or Literary Worlds.

ARE HUMANS DESTINED TO LIVE IN CITIES? ‘60% of the world’s population will live in cities by 2030’ according to a study developed by the UN Human Settlements Programme published in 2004.

his trend is equivalent to the addition of a city of 1 million residents - or a city the size of Pittsburgh - every week. Thus when you put it like that, it seems unlikely. But it is not. Powerful forces are driving the growth of cities on a global scale and with a constantly expanding population; almost all of the growth in numbers are expected to be absorbed into the urban areas of the world’s least developed regions. Complex dynamisms within citified areas have propelled the acceleration of urban living over the past 30 years as humans have been encouraged to locate themselves in the hubs of the world - the cities. Does this mean that humans are destined to live in cities? Or on the contrary; just encouraged to do so by the development of society? The following essay will analyse and answer the question “are humans destined to live in cities?” whilst considering both geographical and philosophical viewpoints. Firstly, I wish to consider the question from a religious perspective and elaborate on the philosophical theory of predestination. ‘Predestination’ can be defined as “the doctrine that God has ordained all that will happen, especially with regard to the salvation of some and not others.” The belief can be directly associated with the teachings of St Augustine of Hippo and of Calvin. Within Saint Augustine’s book, “The City of God”, the theologian predicted that “all men are partisans of one or the other society because

they are predestined to beatitude with God, or to eternal despair with the Devil”. In making this statement, Augustine distinguished between the “City of God” and the “City of the Devil”, arguing that “the body of the faithful” will have the gates of heaven opened to him whilst “the body of the unfaithful” will not. Aristotle therefore named heaven to be a city of good and hell to be a city of evil and proposed that “both cities are in fact immortal” and that the “predestined who live in time are, nevertheless, members of one of the two eternal cities”. Consequently, a conclusion in favour of the concept that human beings are destined to live in cities can be drawn as “even on this earth it is possible to be a member of the heavenly City by the very fact of being predestined to it”. When considering a more geographical approach to the question it is implied that a prediction of the future is needed. Consequently, I argue that it would be beneficial to look at the youth as, put simply; they are the future. A study developed by the national YouGov polling company published in a document entitled ‘Urban Demographics – why people live where they do’ revealed that regardless of concerns concerning poor air quality, a lack of green space and high priced rent, there are an increasing amount of young professionals choosing to live in urban areas within the UK, specifically in city centres. Such a statement can be evidenced as the 45

Essay written by

Josh Garrett

Josh

won a highly commended award

the foundation for his beliefs in ‘city-state’. Aristotle’s first politics book evidences his belief in favour of the idea that human beings are destined to live in cities. The philosopher proposed that city-state and political rule are “natural” due to his schematic and quasi-historical studies of the development from simple communities to a city-state. The first, and quite possibly most important proposition made was that individual human beings choose to combine with another and become a pair as they would be incapable of surviving apart - the male and female joined in order to reproduce, and the master and slave came together for self-preservation. It is this search for companionship that encouraged and continues to encourage such fellowship. According to Aristotle, such a relationship allowed the household to arise naturally from these primitive communities in order to serve everyday needs. Several households would then combine to further such needs and thus a village would emerge, also according to nature. Finally, and as claimed by Aristotle; “the complete community, formed from several villages, is a city-state, which at once attains the limit of self-sufficiency, roughly speaking. It comes to be for the sake of life, and exists for the sake of the good life”.

number of residents aged 20-29 in large-city centres almost tripled between 2001-2011. This figure seems to suggest that the temptation created by the alluring nature of a city is too much to resist; humans simply cannot avoid the attraction. For many, the concrete jungle contains a pot of gold just waiting to be won. This, however, is not the only interpretation when it comes to understanding the attraction of cities. Author Simon Van Booy remarked that “For those who are lost, there will always be cities that feel like home” and thus was perhaps able to capture the enchantment of cities in one passing sentence; cities create a sense of familiarity, and always will. Consequently, it can be argued that human beings are in fact destined to live in cities as “humans are designed to seek comfort and order, if they have comfort and order, they tend to plant themselves, even if their comfort isn’t all that comfortable. And even if they secretly want for something better” (Donald Miller). During the past ten decades society has changed in a manner that has encouraged urbanisation - the gradual increase in the proportion of people living in urban areas. As a result, the population living within cities has increased drastically and thus it is difficult to foresee anything other than a continuing rise in the numbers that inhabit urban areas. For the first time, 2008 saw the world’s population evenly split between urban and rural areas. Accounted for were more than 400 cities with a population of over 1 million and 19 cities with a population of 10 million. More developed nations were 74% urban, while 44% of residents of less developed countries lived in urban areas. Additionally, urbanization is occurring rapidly in many less developed countries. Estimations suggest that 70% of the world population will be urban by 2050, and that the vast majority of urban growth will occur in the less developed countries. In analysing such statistics, it can be argued that an increase in urban living is unavoidable and thus humans are destined to live in cities. A number of pull-factors and reasons for the encouragement of urbanisation can be highlighted; Greek philosopher Aristotle made significant comments on these individual pull factors.

From the beginning of mankind’s inhabitants on earth economic theory has been used to explain how and why humans act in the way they do. A view held by many is that it is human nature to follow economic opportunity. Psychologist Abraham Maslow heavily contributed to this view in his 1943 paper “A Theory of Human Motivation”. Here, Maslow outlined the significance of the ‘hierarchy of needs’, stating that after achieving the fundamental needs of physiology, humans will, inevitably, look for financial and personal security, most commonly through employment. A simple conclusion can therefore be made - humans are programmed to seek economic opportunity, this economic opportunity is most common in cities; therefore, humans are destined to live in cities. Maslow did, however, take this idea further and proposed that the ‘destiny’ which humans could be seen to be controlled by is defined as ‘events that will necessarily happen to a particular person or thing in the future’. In taking such a definition it is possible to examine the human concept of an economically providing destination as, historically, cities have been known to offer more economic opportunity than rural areas. This statement can be evidenced. Circa 10000BC, Jericho, Palestine, was founded and chosen by the Natufian hunter gatherers due to the fertility of soil. Such fertility provided economic opportunities for the Natufian settlers and thus exploitation lead to economic gain. Consequently,

Born in Stahira, Chalkidice, on the northern periphery of Classical Greece, Aristotle was an intellectual enthusiast who wrote on various subjects; including poetry, theatre, music, linguistics, politics, government, physics, biology, logic and ethics – whilst composing the first comprehensive system of Western philosophy. Extracted from such writings, it is the Philosopher’s views on ‘political naturalism’ that lay 46

a city stands in Jericho today. The Natufian’s could not predict the growth of this major city, but were able to align with Maslow’s Theory, which states that people move to areas in which they believe there are economic opportunities, to fulfil their personal needs. Supporters of the proposition that ‘humans are destined to live in cities’ often base their view on what is known as the ‘magnet effect’. The concept states that cities holding a powerful ‘magnetism’ attract new citizens and thus the forward movement of the society is encouraged. This is a multiplier effect which ensures the creation jobs (and thus a link to Maslow’s Theory can be made). Economic theorist Frederick Taylor was able to develop previous theories by stating that the underlying reason for work is to receive a reward; a reward which is almost solely financial. Consequently, and due to humans holding such an aim, people from all different backgrounds are drawn towards cities holding economic opportunity. Such a happening occurs in both developed and developing nations as shown in Kibera, Kenya, where rural dwellers move to the city of Nairobi in order to find employment, locating themselves where the land costs are low whilst job opportunities are at an encouraging level. Finally, I believe that idea of humans having a destiny to live in cities needs to be explored from a psychological position. Do humans actually have a ‘destiny’? Well, in defining the noun as “an event that will necessarily happen to a particular person or thing in the future” the answer to this question isn’t obvious. One argument is that the pre-ordained movement (which is commented on earlier on in the essay) of humans proves that humans are in actuality destined to live in cities. Such a view, however, can be effectively opposed as the term ‘humans’ suggests that all must be involved in ‘city’ dwelling, and thus no human could

therefore have a ‘destiny’ in the rural fringe or hinterland space. To further the debate one can ask whether all humans share an equivalent ‘destiny’ in terms of their locational existence inside, or outside of, a city. Do indigenous tribe members have the same locational destiny as city born children of financial workers? Most probably not. The agglomeration of human beings is easily occurring and thus the social diversity of individuals within a certain area is often disregarded or ignored. However, and whilst this is the case, I argue it is unlikely that the future will see all ethnicities converge into a city dwelling race as humans that originate from different locations clearly portray different traits, many of which are not preferable for city life. In conclusion, the uncertainty that comes with the existence of human ‘destiny’ ensures that there is great difficulty in predicting the future locations of human beings. Moreover, it is possible that a ‘destiny’ should be defined as a predetermined event rather than a predetermined location and thus deeming all humans to become city dwellers would be false and irrelevant. Either way, cities are undoubtedly reliant on rural lifestyle and the creation of resources that comes with this. Consequently, I argue that is clear that cities are incapable of existing without rural landscapes. Additionally, humans themselves would struggle in a similar manner as certain societies would wish continue their reliance on making economic advancements through their utilisation of primary resources such as food, minerals and land - thus the countryside will continue to be the preferred landscape for them. In taking this line of argument, I argue that due to the spatial implications of obtaining particular resources, there will always be a need for the rural environment.

HEAVEN IS A GARDEN BUT HELL IS A CITY. DO LITERARY TEXTS ENDORSE OR CHALLENGE THIS VIEW? Essay written by

Chris Lamb

In philosophical and literary terms, I believe there is a duality in the idea of ‘the city’; it is a bipolar concept in which there is little middle ground.

n this sense I will agree with the title as it compares the city with the archetypal dichotomy: heaven and hell. Literature and philosophy do not solely support this position, however, showing the city can exist as either of the two opposites.

Chris

won a highly commended award

Formed in Athens, Ancient Greece, philosophy is closely intertwined with the city. As an area of knowledge with foundations in debate and rational thought, philosophy is dependent on what the city brought about and signifies, according to Aristotle, pluralism and not unity. Living in small, tribal communities enforces consensus of belief, whilst being part of a larger metropolis dissociates our sense of unified identity and encourages diversity of thought. The city is of particular relevance to religion and the development of the principle of non-belief, the discussion of which is a major part of philosophy. An area built purely by means of human strength and largely void of pre-existing phenomena, the city is a separation from the natural space in which we find the answer of religion. The Doric pillars of Athens were not just architectural feats but prompts for hubristic thought. Despite the religious nature of the Ancient World, urbaninduced liberalism inspired curiosity and likely inspired the figures of pre-Socratic philosophy such as Thales and Anaximander. Philosophy exists from and through the city and can therefore be seen as its analogical heaven.

Thomas Mann’s Death in Venice also supports this idea. Venice is a setting at the midpoint between Europe and Asia. If the former is seen to represent restraint and the latter exoticism, it is significant that Venice is where Aschenbach surrenders his conformity and gives in to his desire. From a Nietzschean perspective, this can be interpreted as a move from the ‘Apollonian’ to the ‘Dionysian’. Whilst Nietzsche posed that a balance of the two was necessary in The Birth of Tragedy, it can be argued that there is heroism in Aschenbach’s uncompromising transformation. This relies upon two premises: Tadzio, in whom his obsession is manifested, is symbolic, and Aschenbach’s release is an enlightenment of his true condition. If Tadzio is seen in purely literal terms, it is difficult to sympathise with Aschenbach’s infatuation, however he is more a figure, of purity and innocence, which represents that which the main character has lost. A change from innocence to impurity is irrevocable, just as one from conformity to desire is. Tadzio is therefore symbolic of a “sweet and wild” 1 purity which Aschenbach has given up in the act of obsessing over him, and originally in the integrity of his art. With this insight one is less obliged to condemn Aschenbach and the passion Venice inspires within him becomes a nostalgic recognition of what he no longer has. The key to seeing his ‘Dionysian’ transformation

as an enlightenment is in the first stages of the novella; “he saw a landscape… sultry, luxuriant, and monstrous...saw hairy palm shafts thrusting upward ...beds of thick, swollen and bizarrely burgeoning flora” and “felt his heart pound with terror and an enigmatic craving”. Mann’s employment of this sexualised imagery early in the text suggests Aschenbach’s desire is consistently repressed, whilst linking the exotic and the erotic enforces the notion that Venice and its culture is the cause of his release. Therefore, when the character meets his death after knowingly remaining in Venice through the cholera epidemic, his demise is not a tragedy caused by obsession, but an admirable acceptance of the true human condition. The passion inspired within him by the city is something he will not relinquish, even for survival. This is a painting of the city in an exclusively positive light - Venice reveals to Aschenbach his authentic self - and opposite portrayals cannot be denied. A hellish Venice is seen in equal measure as Aschenbach is deceived as to the truth of the epidemic which threatens his life, and solely for the financial gain of the state. Furthermore, is the way in which Mann reflects his character’s moral corruption in the physical degradation of the city, described as “the sunken queen of the Adriatic”. The spread of the epidemic moves in parallel with the sickening of Aschenbach’s mind. Venice is a city which imposes its corruption to induce decadence and delusion. There is a strong link here to the idea of the city as separation from natural space. Where religion, as our source of moral compass, is lost in the ‘concrete jungle’ of the urban, we lose restraint and descend into moral corruption. Whilst the city prompts the freedom of thought needed for philosophy, it can also isolate the individual from their need for self-discipline. Death in Venice endorses the city as a concept of polarisation. Jorge Luis Borges, an Argentine author, wrote the short story The Immortal in which Nietzschean ideas are explored in relation

to the city, often described as a fictional representation of the philosopher’s theory of eternal return; “[the immortals] knew that in an infinite period of time, all things happen to all men” 2. In Notes on the Eternal Recurrence Nietzsche mirrors this: “Fellow man! Your whole life, like a sandglass, will always be reversed and will ever run out again” 3. This idea of infinite recurrence is pertinent to the nature of ‘the city’. In many famous literary works the city is representative of endless hope and opportunity, yet in opposition it can be infinitely anarchic and disordered. Borges describes a city which gives the “impression… of the complexly senseless”, full of chaotic architecture reminiscent of Picasso’s Guernica4: “a chaos of heterogeneous words, the body of a tiger or a bull in which teeth, organs and heads monstrously pullulate in mutual conjunction and hatred”. It is revealed that ‘the immortals’ have replaced the original city with the labyrinthine horror that is described, and it is thus an expression of the futility and existentialistic ‘nausea’ that is a product of the infinity they experience. Hell is itself eternal, disarrayed and complex, just like the city. Different ideas around Sartrean existentialism are explored in Clarice Lispector’s Hour of the Star. Macabéa, Lispector’s character, is the epitome of futility, so impoverished that she never thinks about questioning life and is in a state of perpetual and blissful ignorance. Rather than highlight the city, Rio de Janeiro, as something with induces an existentialist freedom as Borges does, the author confines such a feeling to her affluent, male narrator, ‘Rodrigo S.M.’. Lispector’s novella is therefore a critique of existentialism; the ability to worry about one’s existence is a privilege. And while her philosophical ideas are still conveyed through the narrator’s reflection and struggle, Lispector is primarily presenting us with the modern city in which hardship and poverty is rife. The end of the novella presents the pinnacle of this idea when Macabéa is hit by a car 49

immediately after visiting a wholly optimistic fortune teller. The hopes and opportunities which the city promise are a cruel deception. After this abrupt and comically tragic ending, Macabéa is further belittled as the narrator toys with whether she is to die or not: “to be frank, I am holding her destiny in my hands” 5. There is an emphasis on both gender and class divide between narrator and character through which Lispector shows the “anonymous misery” of “thousands of others like [Macabéa]”. The city is, in Hour of the Star, the most real and dark representation yet, making the individual insignificant in its shadow. It is a place in which one struggles to survive only to be knocked down by a symbol of wealth and higher social class. Lispector goes further than Mann, describing not a lost, but “crushed innocence” 6 in ‘the city’.

The city is an ever-evolving concept. Exploring it within twenty-first century literature is, therefore, apt. There is much debate over how lyrics fit into poetry and literature, and whether they are worth studying in the absence of music. In this case I believe their meaning remains relevant and intact. The Strokes are a New York City based band who write frequently about contemporary issues. In their song Ize of the World we are given an Orwellian image of the modern city through the illumination of brutal competition and destruction. ‘Ize’ signifies the suffix of these symbolic words: “A desk to organize/ A product to advertise/ A market to monopolize/ Movie stars you idolize/ News to scandalize/ Enemies to neutralize/ No time to apologize/ Fury to tranquilize/ Weapons to synchronize/ Cities to vapori-” 8.

Thus far, three representations of the city have been explored. The first returns to the formation of philosophy to show it is a place for diversity of thought, the second explores its chaos to the extreme of Nietzschean eternity, and the third is an image of the modern city whose scale and ruthlessness minimises the individual to nothingness. These ideas are synthesised in Ezra Pound’s two-line imagist poem In a Station of the Metro, a moment in Paris: “The apparition of these faces in the crowd; Petals on a wet, black bough.” 7

The lyrics aim to convey, like the literature aforementioned, the complexity and dehumanising methods of modern society manifested in the city. Unlike the focus of Lispector, Ize of the World is not concerned with those only at the base of the societal hierarchy, but those climbing it. Particularly powerful is “No time to apologize / Fury to tranquilize”, which alludes to the uncompromising suppression of emotional connections necessary to realise success. The vocalist sings with heightened aggression through the final lines to the point where he is cut off and the song ends abruptly. This signifies either his destruction, or the censorship which makes for an effective end to the music; the song - an expression of protest about the city and society - is silenced. As representative of competition and hierarchy, the city reduces not just those who suffer in poverty, but those in the primitive fight through its ranks. The present day city is an allencompassing entity of de-individualisation.

In describing faces, or people, as “petals”, Pound is attributing them to colour and a sense of freedom, fitting with the diversity and opportunity offered by the city. Yet the word “apparition” carries with it the idea of sudden appearance and disappearance, reflecting the chaos of the metropolis and insignificance of the individual. Pound’s description of the “wet, black bough” can symbolise the fragility and impressionable nature of humans against the immensity of the city, a notion put forward in Lispector’s writing. Together, philosophy and literature show a heaven-hell polarity posing both a challenge and endorsement to the title statement. 50

It is clear that through literature and philosophy ‘the city’ is of polarised representation. Its hope can quickly turn to deception; its diversity can fast become

chaos. In the present day the city is as near as it could be to the extreme of hell, and by Aristotle’s definition, on the brink of being non-existent. As countries across Europe attempt to cope with the refugee and migrant crisis, ghettos form in cities where people are moved and ethnic and cultural segregation is imminent. This isolation which breeds tension is in opposition to Aristotle’s

pluralism and threatens the diversity which the city represents. In spite of its chaos and ruthlessness, the city can be a testament to some of the celebrated values of humanity. A hellish city is unavoidable if the people within it do not accept their differences; worse than the corrupting city of Mann, the chaotic city of Borges or the hopeless city of Lispector.

Death in Venice and Other Stories; Thomas Mann; Vintage; 1998

Labyrinths; Jorge Luis Borges; Penguin Modern Classics; 2000

Notes on the Eternal Recurrence; Friedrich Nietzsche; Living Time Media; 2007

http://www.pablopicasso.org/guernica.jsp

Hour of the Star; Clarice Lispector; Penguin Modern Classics; 2011

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/jan/18/clarice-lispector-hour-of-the-star

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/detail/12675

First Impressions of Earth; The Strokes; RCA Records; 2006

Bibliography: • Death in Venice and Other Stories; Thomas Mann; Vintage; 1998 • Labyrinths; Jorge Luis Borges; Penguin Modern Classics; 2000 • Notes on the Eternal Recurrence; Friedrich Nietzsche; Living Time Media; 2007 • Hour of the Star; Clarice Lispector; Penguin Modern Classics; 2011 • First Impressions of Earth; The Strokes; RCA Records; 2006 • https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/detail/12675 • http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/07/06/metrosophy-philosophy-and-the-city/?_r=0 • http://www.publicspace.org/en/text-library/eng/7-una-idea-filosofica-de-ciutat • https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/jan/18/clarice-lispector-hour-of-the-star

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