Y2kk Update (2000): "Grade 11 was the last year I took an art class. It started out decent: I had Mr. Boog at the time, who thankfully never set due-dates for work. I was carving an Irish medallion or something at one time in his class, and that was probably the only time I felt complimented for my art… Anyhew, Mr. Boog got sick one day and never came back. He's either teaching at Guelph University now, or is lying dead in his basement gutter as you read this - either one is good. So after 2 weeks of doing nothing, Ms. Genuardi showed up to take the reigns of the class. She was a student teacher, so we knew the rest of the year would be fun… She seemed to latch onto me - I liked having discussions with her about how often teachers and principles smoked and smoked up behind the scenes. She always favoured me; I didn't hand in something like 2 projects, and yet my class mark shot up something like 10%. Genuardi had no clue what she was doing - her major was in chemistry, not art. But she did for sure entertain us for the rest of the year… but not that way, for all you sick perverts thinking the same thing I was… I had her as a substitute teacher one day in Grade 12 math, and I couldn't look into her eyes when I admitted I wouldn't take another art course in high school. That's another one of those things I regret. Drawing used to be my life - it's been my hobby ever since the first grade or something. And yet I gave it up, because I couldn't stand having deadlines… Or maybe I couldn't stand how I never believed it when people complimented my potential?… And now whatever talent I had in that area will lay dorment, and ferment into nothingness as I waste my time with math and philosophy… well, you think you have all the time in the world… but - oh well, AOL, I'll always have Paris… but is that enough?"

It is said that a photograph is worth a thousand words, but in the case of Raphael Sanzio, one of his paintings is often worth a thousand pictures. Raphael was a highly acclaimed painter of the High Renaissance, the third and perhaps the last of the line of the greatest painters who ever walked on this earth, the line that included Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. Raphael, within his mere thirty-seven year life span, painted more than 300 awe-inspiring frescoes and canvases, including The School of Athens.

Raphael Sanzio was born into the town of Urbino, Italy on April 6^th, 1483 AD. His father, Giovanni Santi, was a minor painter and poet. Giovanni’s passion for his art opened the doors of the Renaissance to his son. Mr. Santi provided his child with his early art training, but soon realized that his son had more than just a flair for painting. He realized that his son had a natural talent for the arts. In 1494, Giovanni sent his son to the city of Perugia to be an apprentice to his friend and master painter, Perugino. Unfortunately, Giovanni, one year later, before Raphael had even reached his twelfth birthday, passed away. However, Raphael chose not to grieve heavily over his father’s death. Instead, he chose to live out both his and his father’s dream of becoming a full time artist. The young Raphael concentrated even further on his rapidly growing art skills until his talent matched his teacher. Raphael imitated his master’s work and style to such an incredible degree of accuracy that "art historians have found it difficult to determine which (compositions) were painted by Raphael" ("Raphael"). During this time, the majority of the prodigy’s work was made to decorate the walls of churches near or in Perugia. These works include his Crucifixion (1503 AD), and the Coronation of the Virgin (1502 AD). Eventually, Raphael’s skills even surmounted his mentor’s.

Suddenly unable to teach his star pupil anything new, Perugino sent Raphael to Florence, the heart of the Renaissance, where the young upstart remained from 1504 to 1508 AD. Raphael was greatly influenced during this period by the works of Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Fra Bartolommeo. He quickly "copied the works of these and other artists and quickly absorbed the new Florentine style" ("Raphael"). For example, Raphael’s work during this period, such as La Belle Jardiniere (1507-1508 AD) and the Madonna of the Goldfinch, clearly demonstrates "the influence of Leonardo in serenity of expression and composition" ("Raphael"). Also, Raphael’s Madonna del Baldacchino (1508 AD) displays a style very similar to the work of Fra Bartolommeo, while his Entombment of Christ (1507 AD) exhibits the "strong influence of Michelangelo in the postures and anatomical development of the figures" ("Raphael").

Between 1508 and 1509 AD, Raphael began the true fulfillment of his dreams by following in Michelangelo’s footsteps. At only age twenty-five, Raphael had been given a commission by Pope Julius II. The orphan was given the chance to paint four rooms of the Vatican Palace, the first being the Stanza della Segnatura. During his long stay in Rome, Raphael managed to meet Michelangelo himself while the legend was painting the ceiling of the imposing Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo’s idealized figures influenced Raphael to the point where the prodigy even painted an idealized portrait of Michelangelo into one of his paintings. Raphael worked his hardest to earn the right to earn a name as honoured as Michelangelo’s, and in 1511 AD, approximately three years after he began, Raphael Sanzio managed to complete painting his first room. Each wall of the Stanza della Segnatura "celebrated (an) aspect of human, and especially papal, accomplishment" ("Raphael"). One wall represents theology and is frescoed by a painting both known as Disputation over the Sacrament and Disputa. The piece depicts a vision of God, the prophets, and the apostles watching over the Roman Catholic Church below while "discussing the mystery of the Trinity" ("Raphael"). The next wall contains perhaps his most famous fresco of all and is arguably the best painting of the entire Renaissance: The School of Athens, which recognizes the accomplishments of philosophy. The third wall of the Stanza della Segnatura is dedicated to worshipping the arts with a fresco named Parnassus, in which the Greek and Roman God of the arts, Apollo, is seen surrounded by the Muses and poets of all eras. The final wall is decorated with the commemoration of law through the fresco designated Cardinal Virtues. Choosing to not even take a breather after years of hard work on the Stanza della Segnatura. and still determined to compete against the astonishing visuals frescoed across the enormous ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, Raphael immediately began work on his second room of the Vatican Palace, the Stanza d’Eliodoro, which he completed during 1514 AD. Each wall depicts a historical event that "illustrat(es) salvation of the church through divine revelation" and the "triumph of the Roman Catholic church over its enemies" ("Raphael"). Three of the frescoes contain and glorify the portraits of either Pope Julius II or of Pope Leo X, who came to the papacy throne in 1513 AD. The final wall reproduces St. Peter’s miraculous escape from prison as told in the Acts of the Apostles. Finally, in 1515 AD, Raphael began painting his third of an assigned four rooms, the Stanza dell’Incendio, but managed to paint only one of the walls before he was given a fresh, new assignment. He calls the only finished fresco in the Incendio, Fire in the Borgo, which eventually became the room’s name.

Raphael was not only perhaps one of the greatest painters of all time, but also a famous architect as well. In 1513 AD, as mentioned earlier, Pope Julius II was succeeded by Pope Leo X. Pope Leo enjoyed the paintings of Raphael, but believed that there was more important work for the artist than simply painting the walls of private rooms. In 1514 AD, Donato Bramante, the chief architect of the planned St. Peter’s Basilica, died, and Pope Leo X promptly promoted Raphael to lead the project. Although Raphael proposed many suggestions to the design of the basilica, such as the substitution of a longitudinal design for a circular shape, none of his plans were carried out by his successor in the project, Michelangelo. However, many of Raphael’s other architectural plans were built, such as the Pabdolfini Palace in Florence, the Vidoni-Caffarelli Palace and the Villa Madama, with the latter two situated in Rome.

However, though Raphael’s work for the Pope has made him a legend, he was also often employed by a Sienese banker, Agostino Chigi, while the artist lived in Rome. In accordance to the banker’s love for classical times involving the ancient Greeks and Romans, Raphael frescoed a wall which he devoted to the sea nymph, Galatea. The painting is known as, the Triumph of Galatea (1513 AD), is most famous for it’s three cupids in the air, and is centered around the Greek philosophies of lust and true love. Raphael also mimicked Michelangelo’s remarkable success at painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel by painting an entire ceiling belonging to Chigi with tales of Cupid and Psyche (1518-1519 AD).

Raphael lived his final years as fully and vividly as he lived his early years. As Raphael’s age grew and his interests changed, he began to concentrate his efforts into portrait painting. A few of his portraits during his final period of vitality include Pope Leo X with Cardinals Giulio de’Medici and Luigi de’Rossi (1515 AD), and a portrait of the courtier and author Baldassare Castiglioone (1518-1519 AD). It was also during this time that Raphael reverted back to painting portraits of people looking more idealistic than realistic, a style influenced mostly by Leonardo da Vinci. Raphael enjoyed painting his vision of a perfect woman, whom he named Madonna. In fact, "in his lifetime, Raphael painted more than 300 pictures on the Madonna theme" ("Raphael"). Many of his most famous portraits of his Madonna were painted during his final years, such as the Alba Madonna, the Sistine Madonna, and the Madonna of the Chair. As his final act towards the church, Raphael drew and completed ten, large, watercolour paintings illustrating the Acts of the Apostles. Raphael’s drawings were meant to become enormous tapestries that would be hung high on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, highlighting the remarkable paintings done by Michelangelo. Unfortunately, he died before he could even begin the daunting task of applying paint to his first good copy. One of his final paintings is the Transfiguration, which is considered his best religious painting. In 1515 AD, Raphael further increased his duties by becoming the first Superintendent of Antiquities in Rome. Unfortunately, he could not serve his new duty for long. Raphael died in Rome in 1520 on April 6^th, his thirty-seventh birthday. He died surrounded by fans and acclaim, and ascended into the afterlife with the joy of completing his father’s dream.

Raphael is considered by many to be one of the three great artists of the Renaissance, following the path and standards that Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo had set before him. The Renaissance was the rebirth of humanism. It was the age when printing became mainstream and education shifted to the hands of all who could get a hold of a book. It was the era when a renewed interest in the ancients formed, when Greek emigrants from the fallen Byzantine Empire began preaching Greek and Roman education to all who desired it. The Renaissance was the age when people began to view the human body as a work of art, when the public began to open their eyes to the beauty of humanity. The Renaissance was the eon when the common folk strove to be more than they were, to be recognized with acclaim and fame alongside the memories of the bygone Lords of the manor and the kings in the castles. It was the age when perspective in drawing was invented, the era when art was taken for more than just the religious message behind it. The Renaissance was the age when it was considered remarkable to excel in multiple fields of research and arts at once, and Raphael matched that criteria to the finest degree. Raphael had spent his entire life frescoing his thoughts, hopes, interest, and dreams. He became a legend during his own time, and a symbol of the High Renaissance to contemporary artists. His paintings are filled with the High Renaissance values of the principles of unity and variety, and he examined the classic art of the ancient world by frescoing idealized bodies and breathtaking backgrounds. He had lived his last days as the designer of the greatest basilica to ever be built, and as the guardian of the innumerable historic treasures that were stored in the Vatican. Raphael had achieved a new level in art that has perhaps never since been achieved, and still to this day do thousands of artists strive to match in quality and thought just one of Raphael’s 300 plus paintings.

However, to the untrained eye, Raphael’s paintings are not even as detailed as those of lesser known painters. To realize the insurmountable amount of thought that Raphael painted into his works, it is required to examine each and every one of his paintings to the finest detail and degree. For instance, it is apparent that the School of Athens deals with the human concept of philosophy. However, when examined closely, one can read the word, "Timeo", on the book belonging to the old man in the centre. Timeo was written by the Greek philosopher, Plato. To the right of Plato is a young man who is proven to be the Greek philosopher, lawyer, and scientist, Aristotle, since he holds Aristotle’s book, "Etica". Not only does Raphael draw your attention to these two main figures by the fact that there is negative space surrounding them, and that the figures are contrasted by the blue sky behind them, but also by the fact that the perspective points of the "school’s" interior all vanish at a point directly between Aristotle’s and Plato’s heads, which focuses your eyes onto that position. Next, to the right of Aristotle is a bald man who is easily recognizable as the Greek philosopher, Socrates. In the lower left corner is a "youth (who) holds a slate with a demonstration of musical harmony" (Gould et al. 221). In the lower right hand corner is a bald man holding geometric tools and is generally recognized as Donato Bramante, who was Raphael’s close friend and chief architect of the construction of St. Peter’s Basilica. Also in the bottom right is a self-portrait of Raphael, who tries to conceal himself within the shadows of the mathematicians surrounding him. Also, the strong man in the centre of the bottom row is identifiable as an idealized portrait of Michelangelo, a portrait that was greatly influenced in style by Michelangelo’s powerful paintings on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. "It is therefore clear that the men on the lower left are discussing music and geometry and those above are engaged in philosophical discussion" (Gould et al. 221). Raphael has created a pyramid with the people of lesser importance on the bottom while the most intelligent remain on top. The perspective points of this pyramid also end up pointing to the gap between Plato and Aristotle, which furthers the emphasis on the two philosophers. Lastly, Raphael created an incredible amount of variety by using contrasting poses in all of his portraits, including the stances of standing, sitting, leaning, crouching, and kneeling. He develops even more contrast by painting the clothing of the portraits warm colours against the cool colours of the background. The ultimate goal of Raphael was to emphasize the importance of the figures in the centre of the top row, and by utilizing his revolutionary style of perspective, he may have achieved his objective in his painting even moreso than Michelangelo or Leonardo da Vinci could do in theirs.

St. Ignatius was born in 1491 AD into a family of 11 children. As the son of a nobleman, he was raised to be a soldier. He fought against the French at least twice but was wounded in the leg by a cannon-ball during his second battle in 1521. While recouping from his injury, he was constantly reminded about the history and principles of the Christian Church. It obviously did not take long for his head to become filled with the stories and legends of saints because he spent the following year in prayer at the religious location known as Manresa. It was here that Ignatius wrote the first draft of his book of traditional teachings called Spiritual Exercises in hope of finding his call in life. He then made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem in 1523 to find his calling in life, but he returned to Spain still without a plan in life.

Ignatius then chose to study Latin and philosophy for 3 years in Barcelona, Alcala, Salamanca, and Paris, and graduated in 1534 with a masters degree. However, Ignatius continued to search for his purpose in life by helping whoever he could help. He risked being imprisoned as a heretic for helping women of all nationalities, and he assembled 6 men to be his disciples and to follow the ethics outlined in his book, Spiritual Exercises. He and his disciples lived in poverty and chastity, and soon chose to make a trip to Palestine where they would preach the good news.

In 1537, Ignatius met up with his disciples in Venice after failing to reach the Holy Land. The 7 of them went to Rome where they were all ordained as priests. Their first orders from the Pope were to simply teach the Christian faith to all who chose to listen. In 1540, Ignatius was named as the First General of a new religious order. Although Ignatius unwillingly accepted the position, he lived out the rest of his life in Rome as the director of his the foundation.

For 15 years, Ignatius served as the leader of this first Jesuit organization, and enforced total obedience upon all of his missionaries. During his reign, many remarkable Jesuits appeared such as Francis Xavier, who spread the news to the far east. Ignatius even had created homes in Rome that were reserved for Jewish converts.

Ignatius died suddenly and without good reason on July 31^st, 1556. In 1622, he was declared the patron of spiritual exercises by Pope Pius XI. He is the patron of many schools, churches, and colleges, and forever will be known as the founder of all Jesuits.

Francis was born in 1181 AD into the family of a wealthy cloth-merchant, and was often called Francesco because his mother was French. He assisted his father with the business, and was a leader in his town. He lived out his youth in selfishness and in riches. He often partied with the townsfolk and drank as much champagne as he could. However, his personality soon changed after he was taken prisoner during a war with Perugia. During his imprisonment, Francis became very ill, and by the time that he returned to Assisi, he began to care for the poor and feel pity for the sick.

Soon after, Francis heard a voice from a Byzantine-style crucifix in the church of San Damiano. The voice told him, "Go and repair my house, which you see is falling down." Francis immediately set out on this task and sold many of his possessions and much of his father’s cloth to give to the poor. His father responded to this by kicking Francis out of the family and stripping from him all of his possessions, including Francis’ clothes.

Francis spent the following years begging for money to aid the church of San Damiano and tending to those suffering from leprosy. Eventually, Francis was joined by 7 disciples and they all lived together in poverty near a leper colony. Just like other ascetic groups of the era, Francis and his disciples used the majority of their time preaching to everyone that they could see. But unlike other ascetic groups, Francis and his people obeyed the laws of the Church and followed the commands of Church authorities.

In 1210, Francis wrote Regula Prima, which outlined his obedience to Pope Innocent III. It also outlined his ideals on the way followers of Christ should live. Francis’ book was so successful that the Pope declared many of it’s principles as laws of the Church. But Francis didn’t even let religious success get to his head. He continued to live in huts, preach on road sides and small churches, slept on the ground, and possessed very few books.

After all of his success in Assisi, Francis set out on a missionary journey in 1214 to Morocco, but returned home from illness. He next journey took him to Damietta (in Muslim territory) in 1219. Francis criticizes the Crusaders that he met for their poor tactics and un-Christian like behaviour, and nearly converted the Sultan of the region to Christianity. Francis then spent a few months in the Holy Land until he learned that something terrible had happen to the organization that he had founded.

Cardinal Ugolino had taken over Francis’ organization that now numbered in the 5000s, and had turned the ascestics into a group of reformists. In 1220, after witnessing the Cardinal’s followers living in stone houses and building schools, Francis resigned his office. However, despite his disputes with his former group, he managed to convince Honorius III to canalize the Franciscan Order into the Church in 1223. In 1221, Francis also created laws for Tertiaries, who were religious men who wished to follow Franciscan principles while staying in their family.

The most famous parts of Francis’ life happened in his final years. At the inauguration of the Christmas crib at Grecchio, Francis read the gospel so passionately that he made the crowd cry. In his book, Canticle of the Sun, he describes his close relationship with all elements of nature. In fact, Francis often preached to the birds and other animals. However, his most famous point in his life was the Impression of the Stigmata on Mount La Verna, which occurred in 1224. He received scars on his hands that resembled the scars of Christ. Soon afterwards, he became ill and blind, and died at age 45 in Portiuncula, Assisi. He was made a saint in 1228 by Pope Gregory IX, formerly known as Cardinal Ugolino.

Thomas was born into a wealthy family in 1225, and was given the privilege of obtaining schooling from age 5 to 13 at the monastery of Monte Cassino, and studied at the University of Naples for 5 years. Despite his family’s reluctance, Thomas left his house to join the Dominicans and the Church and to use his skills for God. Albert the Great, Thomas’ first master, claimed that Thomas was very devoted to prayer, and had the startling ability to dictate to four secretaries at once (which was a good thing because records of his writings tell that his spelling was horrendous and his writing clarity was awful). At just the age of 31, he earned a masters in theology while attending a University in Paris. Thomas then drew up his principles of Summa contra Gentes. In a nutshell, Thomas did not feel hatred against pagans, Islam, and Jews was justified. Thomas’ goal was to use every nation’s wisdom and combine it with Aristotle’s theories.

In 1259, Thomas taught in Italy as a professor in Theology. It was here that he first wrote Contra Gentes in 1264, and began work on Summa Theologica in 1266. The Summa Theologica is a 5 volume set of books that outlines Thomas’ ideas on all the mysteries of the Christian faith. Over history, Popes and schools have adopted Thomas’ Summa as one of the greatest pieces of Theology ever written. It’s a shame that Thomas never finished it.

In 1272, while in Naples, Thomas saw a revelation from God. He told no-one what he saw in detail, and took the information to the grave with him on March 7 of that same year. It’s ironic that the cause of his own death was working too hard during the night on the literature that he so loved to compose. He was officially named a saint in 1323.

Mohandas Gandhi: IvanF's Grade 11, Cheesily Written Video Assignment

1) What does Mahatma mean? Why do you think they used that term to describe Gandhi?

Mahatma means, "Great Soul". It was used to describe Gandhi because he had the courage and patience to peacefully fight for equally rights during violent eras (eg: World War 1 and 2 periods). He was a great soul because through perseverance, understanding, and non-violent non-cooperation, Gandhi changed the world for the better. He gave up the wealth he earned as an England-graduate lawyer, and risked losing his wife on several occasions to live like an outcast. He even abstained from food to teach his own culture a lesson or two in humane behaviour.

2) Describe Gandhi’s life before he became the Mahatma.

Gandhi had graduated as a lawyer from a university in the United Kingdom, where he was treated as a valued member of upper class society. But as soon as he arrived in the British colony of South Africa, Gandhi realized that not every country in the world believed in racial equality. While peacefully fighting for equal rights between Christians, Muslims, Hindus, and all nationalities in South Africa, Gandhi lived in an ashram community that was at the time being built from the ground up by Mohandas’ followers. Gandhi had a family consisting of a loving wife, and at least one child. Gandhi dedicated his life to open the world’s eyes to the fact that no matter what religion one worships, we all worship the same, true God. He also believed that to properly represent a group of people, one must live like those people. After spending the early years of his life as a rich lawyer, he gave up all of his wealth to live like a shundra (and eventually lived like a harijan).

3) What influenced Gandhi to go to India? How did his family react?

It was in India that the Hindus and Muslims were being oppressed by the racist British government. Gandhi felt that since he was able to achieve his goals of equality in South Africa, perhaps he could free his native land of India as well. Also, as I just mentioned, India was where Gandhi was born and raised during his childhood. He was spiritually and emotionally connected to his homeland, and simply could not bear the fact that his fellow countrymen continued to be treated unjustly by the British.

His family reacted in a very polite and respectful manner. Gandhi’s children merely followed their father with pride and smiles on their young faces. His wife (when asked if living like an outcast had made her feel disgraceful) simply replied, "my dignity comes from following my husband."

4) How did the people of India react to Gandhi’s methods of justice?

The vast majority of Hindus and Muslims praised Gandhi for his revolutionary methods of justice. Gandhi’s idea of justice was one of peaceful methods, and was based upon the Hindu and Muslim beliefs of unconditional love and staying determined. India also trusted Gandhi since Mohandas chose to live like the common folk, and was therefore able to understand what it was like to be in an Indian’s position. Gandhi was also trusted in India because his concept of non-violent non-cooperation worked remarkably well in South Africa.

Support for Gandhi was proven to exist all over India because nearly all of the Hindu and Muslim communities in India went on a day of prayer (and no work) merely by the command of Mohandas Gandhi.

5) How did the British Government treat the citizens of India?

The British forced Indian farmers to raise crops that were in demand at the time in England. This resulted in Indian farmers growing less food for their own country, and jobless farmers when demand for the crop waned. Also, the farmer and his family would be evicted as soon as they could not pay their rents in cash to their British landlords. Britain was also too concerned with their own World Wars and economic problems that they did not adequately fund and feed the people of India, resulting in millions of Indians to live as "Children of God". To add, the British military was Christian and harboured violent and racist attitudes towards the Hindus and Muslims. It was not uncommon for a British officer to brutally attack an Indian for any sort of disobedience, and it was not surprising to witness the death of an Indian at a political rally or riot at the hands of an angered British soldier.

6) Why did Gandhi insist on wearing simple garments when he was in India?

When Gandhi arrived in India (after spending over fifteen years in South Africa), he insisted on wearing simple garments (such as a white tunic) since it was what his companions wore with him while in jail. Perhaps while in jail, Gandhi realized that although he was out of his lawyer suit, he was still the same person, the same soul.

Years later, Gandhi began wearing simple cloths as his clothing (which he had spun himself) because he realized that the money used to buy clothing could be put to better use (such as donations to the poor). He also chose not to wear British clothing because they were made at the expense of Indians working for unjustly low wages. Also, refusing to wear English garments as a peaceful protest was guaranteed to catch the eyes of the British government (sort of like us wearing poppies for Remembrance Day). But most importantly, Gandhi realized that to understand the people that he was fighting for, he had to live like them. By seeing through the eyes of his people, Gandhi understood the views and hopes of his people and fought for what the Indians truly wanted and not what he wanted. Lastly, Gandhi fought for equality between the races, and equality between all religions. It is only logical that he would fight for equality between the social classes and caste system levels as well. He realized that outcasts were Children of God along with every other level of the caste system, and wearing a simply loincloth fit for the poor was simply one way that Gandhi lived out this belief.

Armistar was a massacre of innocent Indians. A rogue general of the British military had unleashed his legions upon thousands of unarmed Hindus and Muslims (who had gathered for a peaceful, independence rally). Not only were defenseless Indian men slaughtered, but women and children as well. In my opinion, the English, Hindus, and Muslims were all at fault for this massacre. The Hindus and Muslims had provoked the British through constant riots. This enraged an English general enough to attack the citizens of India without orders as a message that disobedience towards the British Empire would not be tolerated. This incident could have been prevented if Gandhi were able to keep the independence movement as merely non-violent non-cooperation. This event also could have been prevented if the English authorities had kept a better watch over the actions of their racist generals.

The march to the sea was a symbol of independence; by making salt, the Indians sent a message to the British Empire that they can take care of their own economy. This march ended in violence as hundreds of Hindus and Muslims (who refused to hurt a single British soldier) were caned by the police. I believe that the British were more at fault here because the Indians did not commit any violence. There is no way to justify Britain’s choice to use violent oppression against peaceful citizens of it’s own empire. It is true that the Indians did break the laws by making salt, and therefore were entitled to be jailed, but did not deserve to be seriously injured. This incident may have been prevented if the British merely ignored the protest. As one of the British leaders put it, this incident would only become symbolic for independence if the English authorities treated it as if were symbolic. Violence would have never happened, and the news of England’s brutality would not have spread across the globe.

8) Why was Gandhi assassinated?

The hatred between Hindus and Muslims is arguably greater than any other hatred in the world. Gandhi was a Hindu, and when India finally earned it’s independence, the Muslims feared that Gandhi would give more of the new government’s power to the Hindus. It was because of this fear (of the Hindus taking the British’s place as Muslim oppressors) that civil war ignited between the Hindus of India and the Muslims of the newly formed Pakistan. After the fighting was cooled by Gandhi’s fasting (he would continue to fast until all of the riots would cease), many Muslims still despised Gandhi because of his religion and his governmental influence. It was only a matter of time until an angry Muslim would pick up a gun and eliminate the most powerful Hindu in the world...

9) Describe the influences of Hinduism in this movie. Were there influences of other religions as well?

The influence of Hinduism is prevalent throughout the entire movie. First of all, Gandhi was Hindu, thus he lived a very Hindu life. He wore Hindu-styled robes and loincloths, wore a Hindu bindhi dot, and married at the age of thirteen as many Hindus do. Gandhi’s actions were inspired by Brahman, the Hindu god almighty, and spent much of his life preaching that Brahman was the same god as Allah, and the Jewish and Christian God. Second, many Hindus performing meditation and yoga were seen on the streets of India. Also, Gandhi lived in a Hindu ashram, a community where he was the Hindu guru (teacher) and was followed by many people of all members of the caste system. Fourth, Gandhi himself lived as a Hindu sannyasin by renouncing all materialism while continuing to benefit the community. Gandhi lived by the principle of unconditional love, which is the central focus of Hindu dharma. Fifth, Gandhi mentioned that while he was young, he would enjoy being told stories from the Vedas and the Upanishads (and many more books as well), which are two of the sacred books of the Hindus. Sixth, the Ganges river was also often shown in this movie because to Hindus, it was a sacred river that cleansed them of their sins. Seventh, Hinduism was prominent while Gandhi pronounced his wedding vows to his wife for the second time, since both he and his wife were completing the Hindu ritual of walking around a fire together with seven steps. Eighth, Hinduism greatly influenced Gandhi’s funeral. During the memorial service at the start of the movie, Gandhi’s feet were exposed (to be touched as a Hindu sign of respect). Hinduism was even shown in his assassination, as the Muslim murderer almost seemed to mock Gandhi by touching Mohandas’ feet. Ninth, Gandhi went into the afterlife through Hindu tradition as well; he was cremated, and his ashes were poured into the Ganges river to return to their origins and restart the cycle of existence... or perhaps for Gandhi, to reach moksha...

Other religions influenced the movie as well. Islamic faith was witnessed as baggy clothes and roundish hats. Christian and western society were also reflected in the Christian priest who allied himself with Gandhi. For instance, the English wore suits to church and the priest seemed to always wear that turtle-neck collar of his. Gandhi also used the Christian and Islamic concept that there is no caste system, that all humans are equal.