Republic of the Philippines

CAMARINES NORTE STATE COLLEGE

F. Pimentel Avenue, Brgy. 2, Daet, Camarines Norte – 4600, Philippines

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

LIT 2: WORLD LITERATURE
1st Semester, AY 2022-2023
Midterm Examination

Name: BARRAMEDA, ROSE SHELLY MARIE E. Score:

Course, Year Level & Block Section: BSCE 3A Date:

A Historical Criticism of Wind of Change by Scorpio

During the height of perestroika or the policy or practice of restructuring or reforming the economic and
political system, the band's lead singer, Klaus Meine, wrote the power ballad, which was produced by Keith
Olsen and the group. The song's lyrics refer to the fall of the Soviet Union as the "Wind of Change," it became
the unofficial anthem for the German Reunification, a political event that lasted from the fall of the Wall until the
official reunification on October 3, 1990 to implement significant socioeconomic reforms. Wind of change
became whistle-along hit by German hard rockers therefor transformed into an anthem for the end of the Cold
War. Russia served as the source of inspiration that’s why we will need a condensed history lesson to put
everything in perspective because it could be perplexing for people who are unfamiliar with the era in which
the song was written.

The song Wind of Change reflects the time of political and Cultural Revolution in the 1980S and very
early Nineties. The piece accurately depicts the time it was set since the song's messages of hope and peace,
as eloquently expressed by vocalist Klaus Meine on the lines "The world is closing in/Did you ever think/That
we could be so close/Like brothers?", as well as an accompanying Wayne Isham-directed music video that
featured footage of the building and fall of the Berlin Wall, made it impossible to separate the song from the
end of the Cold War and the unification of East and West Germany.

The Berlin Wall and the historical developments that followed the fall of communism are both topics
that influence and helped shape the content of this song. As a result, the lyrics of this song capture the
sentiments of a generation that, after years of antagonistic political ties, is now witnessing peace and freedom
for the first time. This message may be understood after hearing the music for the first time.

The writer was influenced by the movement early in the 1990s wherein there’s a lot of tension and a
growing sense that something was shifting in society. Considering the emotions felt by Easterners and
Westerners equally at the time they recognized the end of an unjust government, one might practically relate
the song with the fall of the Iron Curtain. Scorpions practically took the opportunity to show the world the
feelings people had as the Berlin Wall came down and the Soviet dictatorship ended.

Given that they can relate to the setting depicted in the lyrics, millions of people who lived through the
fall of the Iron Curtain are likely to hold a special place in their hearts for this song. Despite the fact that this
ballad is the band's most well-known song, its regular musical style is distinct from this. "Wind of Change"
represents an actual shift in the Scorpions' songwriting style from their usual hard rock and heavy metal fare.
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 Republic of the Philippines
CAMARINES NORTE STATE COLLEGE
F. Pimentel Avenue, Brgy. 2, Daet, Camarines Norte – 4600, Philippines

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

LIT 2: WORLD LITERATURE
1st Semester, AY 2022-2023
Midterm Examination

In essence, "the wind of change" refers to the fall of the USSR, one of the most influential political
entities in history. And the Scorpions are jubilant about the fact that this is really happening. Because they are
romanticizing the entire situation as one that will result in freedom, opportunity, and a better day, or as the
band eloquently puts it, "children of tomorrow dream(ing) away." They also believed that the "wind of change"
was leading to increased "brotherhood," as in Russians embracing the outside world and vice versa. In fact,
they also took into account the fact that the Scorpions made history in 1988 by becoming the first hard rockers
to be permitted to perform in Russia. At least in their eyes, one of the major events was the Moscow Music
Peace Festival, which gave the wind more momentum.

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 Republic of the Philippines
CAMARINES NORTE STATE COLLEGE
F. Pimentel Avenue, Brgy. 2, Daet, Camarines Norte – 4600, Philippines

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

LIT 2: WORLD LITERATURE
1st Semester, AY 2022-2023
Midterm Examination

Name: BARRAMEDA, ROSE SHELLY MARIE E. Score:

Course, Year Level & Block Section: BSCE 3A Date:

A Biographical Criticism of To Build a Fire by Jack London

In the short story "To Build a Fire" is The only characters are a man and a dog, who each go along a
snowy path in order to reach a specific location despite being aware of the impending danger or possibly death
itself. Death was inevitable for the man in the end because of how dramatically his war with nature and himself
ended.

The conflict in the short story "To build a Fire" is not your standard man-vs-man conflict. It is more of a
conflict between man and environment, or from another angle, a war between man and himself. The only
characters are a man and a dog, who each go along a snowy path in order to reach a specific location despite
being aware of the impending danger or possibly death itself. Death was inevitable for the man in the end
because his conflict with nature and with himself came to a disastrous conclusion.

The dog headed in the direction of safety by acting on instinct. But the tale is more than just a piece of
fiction. It is a composite of the author's real life and imagination in and of itself. One of the authors that led a
highly colorful life was Jack London. Jack London is not your usual writer who only wrote for fun as a hobby or
who makes a profession from it. London spent the majority of his life in the custody of foster parents after
growing up without knowing his father.

His mother wed Civil War veteran John London, who moved his family about the Bay Area before
settling in Oakland, and as a result, he never knew his father. London was a working-class child. As a teen, he
created his own difficult existence. He worked on a sealing ship in the Pacific, on trains, shoveling coal,
pirating oysters, and at a cannery. He spent his free time reading fiction and travel books in libraries.

The contest opened London's eyes, and he made the decision to make short story writing his career.
But he struggled to locate publishers who would work with him. He returned to California after failing to
succeed on the East Coast and temporarily enrolled in the University of California, Berkeley, before moving up
to Canada in an effort to at least make a small fortune in the Yukon gold rush.

It is impossible to dispute London's profound reverence for environment, and it wouldn't be a leap to
say that it was almost holy in nature. Many of his works, such as Call of the Wild or The Sea-Wolf, are
concerned with the immense power or plain reality of nature free from the constraints of human morality. In his
writings, he occasionally discussed "Atavism," the theory that inherited ancestor attributes manifest in offspring
(via genetics or in a metaphysical sense).
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 Republic of the Philippines
CAMARINES NORTE STATE COLLEGE
F. Pimentel Avenue, Brgy. 2, Daet, Camarines Norte – 4600, Philippines

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

LIT 2: WORLD LITERATURE
1st Semester, AY 2022-2023
Midterm Examination

He performed manual labor both on land and at sea, and when he has leisure time, he writes down his
ideas. London actually battled his own environment and himself. He put forth a lot of effort when he had to
support himself financially on his own. It was similar to trying to build a fire in a wide, snow-covered area in
order to survive the night and avoid freezing. As a man, Jack London lived in a snowy, dangerous environment
that, if he didn't take care of himself, would kill him at any time. Jack London's "To Build a Fire" is more than
just his imaginative creation. It is somehow impacted by his attitude on life as well as the people he has
influenced. The story depicted all of his battles with his harsh surroundings and inner demons. You would be
literally made or broken by these battles. Both the man in the story and Jack London were slain by it.

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