Final Exam

                So overall I feel that I have a pretty good grasp on the new format of our final exam. Basically I just write a five paragraph essay analyzing a piece of literature, a piece of music, and a piece art from one time period. My overall goal is to gain a better understanding of the culture of that time by finding a common theme amongst the pieces. Once I have completed my in depth analysis of each work I should use my fifth paragraph to relate them all under one theme.

                Each culture/ time period is slightly different from the others. Islam stands out because, unlike the European Middle Ages and Renaissance, it is a distinct culture that spans over thousands of year. The main focus of Islam is devotion to God. God is also very prominent in the European Middle Ages and the Renaissance; however people in the Middle Ages had a Ptolemaic view of the universe and believed that God resided in the outer most realm. The goal of the educated elite during the Medieval period was to transcend earth by using higher faculties of the mind. There was an inward and upwardness to medieval thought. The view of the universe changed in the Renaissance.  People were less focused on the firmament and more focused on worldly matters.  There was also a new sense of the self. People began to study ancient Greece and ancient Rome as a way to better their education.

                I have decided that one culture I will be writing about is Islam. An overall theme in the Islamic culture is the dedication to God.  The Koran, Mihrab, and the Call to Prayer are all great examples of this.  The Koran is the Muslim Holy book, and is written in a very straight forward style. The reader is not supposed to read the Koran for entertainment; they are supposed to read it to get closer to God. Unlike the bible the Koran tells the reader that what they are reading is the direct word of God.  Mihrabs are niches located in mosques in the wall that faces Mecca. Mecca is the Holy land so this alone is a direct reminder of a Muslim person’s obligation to God. In the center of the mihrab is a rectangular space that is supposed to simulate the shape of the Koran which is the word of God. The Call to Prayer is a daily call that reminds Muslim people that it is time for them to stop what they are doing and pray.

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