Thursday, January 5, 2012

Michael Kohlhaus and Coalhouse Walker plot?

Plot summary

The Brandenburg horse dealer Michael Kohlhaas is leading a team of horses in the direction of Saxony when an official of Junker Wenzel von Tronka detains him, claiming that he does not have proper transit papers. The official demands that Kohlhaas leave two horses as collateral.
In Dresden (Saxony) Kohlhaas discovers that this collateral was totally arbitrary, and proceeds to demand return of his horses. When he arrives at the castle of Junker Tronka he discovers that the horses have been suffering from working in the fields and his hired man, who protested against the mistreatment of the horses, has been beaten.
Kohlhaas sues the Junker for the cost of medical treatment of his hired man and for rehabilitation of his horses. After one year he finds that the suit was turned down through political influence of the Junker's relatives.
Kohlhaas persists in demanding his rights. In spite of support of a friendly politician and personal engagement of his wife (who is struck down by a guard in her attempt to deliver a petition to the Governor of Saxony and later dies of her injuries), he remains unsuccessful.
Since the administrative "old boys' club" prevents any progress through legal channels, Kohlhaas resorts to criminal means. He begins a private war. Together with seven men he destroys the castle of the Junker, who in the meantime has fled to Wittenberg. Kohlhaas frees his horses, but then ditches them in the castle in order to lead his growing "army" (really a mob) to Wittenberg, demanding the Junker. In spite of numerous attacks of his 400-man army on Wittenberg he fails to secure the Junker.
Through personal intervention of Martin Luther an amnesty is arranged, whereby the Governor (Kurfürst of Saxony) approves the suit against the Squire. But the Junker again activates his influential family and Kohlhaas is thrown into a dungeon in Brandenburg.
The Governor of Brandenburg manages to have Kohlhaas released, but since in the meantime Saxony has informed the Kaiser in Vienna, the ruling families in Berlin feel this threat to the authority of the aristocracy must be handled with severity. In spite of surprising efforts of the Governor of Brandenburg to save Kohlhaas, he is sentenced to death. Later it turns out that Kohlhaas has on his person papers that contain important information about the House of Saxony.
As Kohlhaas is led to execution, he sees in the crowd the disguised Governor of Saxony. Through his lawyer, he's informed that his suit against the Junker has been successful, and is presented with compensation for the injuries of his hired man and shown the horses, now well-fed and healthy. Pleased that justice has been served, he submits willingly to the execution. However, shortly before being beheaded, he opens the amulet on his neck containing the papers regarding the House of Saxony and swallows them. The Governor of Saxony is so distressed by this act that he faints, and Kohlhaas is beheaded shortly thereafter.


6 comments:

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  2. My, Becky, Shamira, Gracie

    Admiral Peary: an American explorer was known for an expedition to the geographic North Pole, which he claimed to have led.

    Philharmonic: A philharmonic orchestra or the society that sponsors it

    Mary Pickford- Famous American Actress. She was among the founders of the Acadamey Awards

    Rabbi- The chief religous official of a synagouge who is highly schooled in the learning and teaching of the Torah.

    Prayer Shawl- (or a tallit) a shawllike garment of wool or silk with fringe at each of the four corners. It is worn around the shoulders by Jewish during the morning service

    Sarajevo- largest city and capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina; religiously diverse; site of assassination of Archduke of Austria, Franz Ferdinand

    Empire- a group of nations or peoples ruled over by an emporer, empress or other sovereign or government: usually a territory of greater extent than a kingdom

    Shtetl- Yiddish for "town"; characterized as socially stable and unchanging despite outside influences or attacks

    Socialism - an economic and political system in which the government has control over production and distribution of goods.

    Stevedore- A person(laborer) who loads and unloads ships.

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  3. Angela Rollins Sidnee McDonald Kiara Mealing Shantel Forrest

    Taring and Feathering- A mob strips someone down to their waist and pours hot tar on them. Feathers are either thrown on them or they are rolled in them. Used to humiliate the victim.

    Tateh- Yiddish word for Father.

    Tom Thumb- Little person who was Evelyn Nesbit's husband.

    Trade Unions- An organization united to protect their common interest. Includes workers and union leaders.

    Tuskegee Institute- private, historically black university.

    U-Boat- German submarine.

    Vauderville- popular entertainment: a type of entertainment popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries consisting of a variety of singing, dancing, and comic acts

    Charles Whiteman- Served as the 41st Governor of New York from 1915 to December 1918

    Yiddish- Jewish language based on German

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  6. Cassidy, Hannah, Alyssa, Anna and Elle

    Lower East Side -
    Area of New York City in which the story of Ragtime takes place.

    Lusitania -
    Large ship that broke all trans-atlantic records, the attack of which can easily be attributed to the US involvement in WWI

    Mamaroneck -
    A town in Westchester County, New York, United States.

    Mass Production -
    To manufacture (goods) to a standardized pattern on a large scale by means of extensive mechanization and division of labour.

    The McKinley Assassination -
    Shot on September 6, 1901, died six days later. Shot twice by Leon Czolgos, an anarchist. The assassin attended a speech by Emma Goldman four months prior, and released a statement after his arrest. "I killed President McKinley because I done my duty. I didn't believe one man should have so much service and another man should have none." Goldman was also arrested.

    Minstrel Show -
    a popular stage entertainment featuring comic dialogue, song, and dance in highly conventionalized patterns, performed by a troupe of actors, traditionally comprising two end men and a chorus in blackface and an interlocutor: developed in the U.S. in the early and mid-19th century.

    Moses in the Bulrushes -
    A Bible story, Exodus ii, 1-10:

    “And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi. And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months. And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink.

    And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him.

    And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river's side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it. And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children. Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee? And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child's mother. And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child and nursed it.

    And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.”

    Morgan Library -
    A museum and research library in New York City, USA. It was founded to house the private library of J. P. Morgan in 1906, which included, besides the manuscripts and printed books, some of them in rare bindings, his collection of prints and drawings.

    New York Immigrant -
    Thousands of immigrants from Europe and other countries immigrated to New York city at the turn of the century.

    Slums -
    A run down area of a city characterized by, squalor and lacking in tenure security. In short, an area of neighborhood with sub-standard living standards.

    North Pole -
    Defined scientifically as the point where the Earth’s axis of rotation meets the surface. The northernmost post on the planet. At the turn of the century, Robert Peary and a party of explorers including Matthew Henson and four Inuit men became credited with the conquest of the North Pole, although their claims are sometimes disputed due to the lack of experience between the six party members.

    Our Gang-
    a series of American comedy short films about a group of poor neighborhood children and the adventures they had together

    Pantasote -
    A synthetic leather used in automobiles

    Parasols -
    an umbrella (also called a brolly, rainshade, sunshade, gamp or bumbershoot), a canopy designed to protect against rain or sunlight. They are almost exclusively hand-held portable devices commonly used by women.

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