Humanities Homework Help

The German term “zeitgeist” means literarily “the spirit of an age or a historical period.” It is “the defining spirit or mood of a particular period of history as shown by the ideas, beliefs, values and ways of looking at the world of the time.” For example, you might remember the TV show “That 70’s Show”, which displayed the “zeitgeist” of the 1970s (music, fashion, ways of speaking, values, etc.)

In an essay compare the “zeitgeists” of the Tokugawa Period, the Meiji Period and the Showa Period before WWII based on your readings and studies during the second half of the semester. In your analysis discuss what you think are the main characteristics of each historical period in Japanese history, and how each period changed or evolved from the previous period. Make sure you use dates when discussing the periods. Make sure you use specific references to the texts you have studied to illustrate your analysis. At least 5 paragraphs long.