Coming to terms with Gonzo journalism : an analysis in Russian formalism.

Gonzo journalism is notoriously difficult to define because of its ambiguous nature. To date, scholarly definitions focus on historical interpretations of Gonzo’s content, its connection to social and political contexts, or the biography of Hunter S. Thompson. These definitional attempts neglect the formal devices of the composition. This thesis aims to redefine Gonzo as its own genre by using the nearly forgotten methods of Russian formalism—specifically the works of Victor Shklovsky, Vladimir Propp, and Boris Tomashevsky—to analyze the formal devices and components of its form. The results are twofold; first, it acts to rejuvenate an unpopular literary theory by illustrating its value in examining literature and, secondly, it reveals key identity markers that encourage Gonzo’s redefinition. Thus, the outcome of this thesis is to establish Gonzo as its own genre that is objectively defined by its composition rather than subjective interpretations of its content, context, or author

A humanist\u27s account: Manetti on humanism\u27s impact on morality in 15th Century Italy.

Abstract Religion, art, and politics were at their peak during the Italian Renaissance. However, because of the generously allocated talent of the Italian sphere at this time it is easy to overlook the contributions of those who broke away from the Catholic concentration and kick started this humanistic era. Giannozzo Manetti, an Italian politician who in 1452 wrote De Ignate er Excellencia Hominis, a challenge to Pope Innocent III’s philosophy. The text has been translated to “On Human Worth and Excellence” and describes a deep-rooted foundation of humanism in religion. He concludes a functionality of society and religion in respect to mankind, reminiscent of the Ancient Greek cultural-religious interpretation. Manetti connects the works of Plato and Socrates to describe his religious interpretation and presents such as an opposition to the Catholic Church’s divide between man and God. Valuing the same aspects in his cultural religion as the Ancient Greeks, Manetti draws the same conclusions about the functionality of humanity in religion that are later found in Luther’s 95 theses. The ideas presented and interpretated by the Florentine Manetti bear a striking resemblance to the religious revolt of Protestantism, as well as the religious sentiments found in modern conception. My work connects these links and proactively describes the phenomena and reliance of humanism in religion