If we believe that clothing has to do with covering the body, and costumes with the choice of a particular form of garment for a particular use, then we can say that clothing depends primarily on such physical conditions as climate, health, and textile manufacture, whereas costumes reflect social factors such as religious beliefs, aesthetics, personal status, and the wish to be distinguished from or to emulate our fellows.

   The ancient Greeks and the Chinese believed that we first covered our bodies for some physical reason such as protecting ourselves from the weather elements. Ethnologists and psychologists have invoked psychological reasons: modesty in the case of ancients, and taboo, magical influence and the desire to please for the moderns.

   In early history, costumes must have fulfilled a function beyond that of simple utility, perhaps through some magical significance, investing primitive man with the attributes of other creatures. Ornaments identified the wearer with animals, gods, heroes or other men. This identification remains symbolic in more sophisticated societies. We should bear in mind that the theater has its distant origins in sacred performances, and in all periods children at play have worn disguises, so as to adapt gradually to adult life.

   Costumes helped inspire fear or impose authority. For a chieftain, costumes embodied attributes expressing his power, while a warrior's costume enhanced his physical superiority and suggested he was superhuman. In more recent times, professional or administrative costume has been devised to distinguish the wearer and express personal or delegated authority; this purpose is seen clearly in the judge's robes and the police officer’s uniform. Costume denotes power, and since power is usually equated with wealth, costume came to be an expression of social caste and material prosperity. Military uniform denotes rank and is intended to intimidate to protect the body and to express membership in a group. At the bottom of the scale, there are such compulsory costumes as the convict’s uniform. Finally, costume can possess a religious significance that combines various elements: an actual or symbolic identification with a god, the desire to express this in earthly life, and the desire to enhance the wearer's position of respect.

What is the purpose of the paragraph 1?

Câu hỏi liên quan

• Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

• What does the passage mainly discuss?

• What is the topic of the passage?

ZUNIA12

• If you have a desire to travel, when does the writer suggest that you do it?

• When the concept of universal primary education was introduced, education _______.

• The word “emblems” in the final paragraph is closest in meaning to ______.

• The word "succeeding" is closest to ______.

• All of the following were mentioned in the passage as detriments to women in the business world EXCEPT ___________.

• Which sentence best expresses the main idea of the second paragraph?

• The phrase "the wee hours" in paragraph 3 probably refers to the period of time _____.

• Which of the following terms does the author define in the first paragraph?

• In the last paragraph, what does the author imply is a major function of hypotheses?

• Who will play music at the picnic this year?

• The global community considered the smallpox ___________.

• Which of the following is NOT mentioned in paragraph 1 as resulting from repid ecological change?

• What happens to nitrogen in body tissues if a diver ascends too quickly?

• What form of street lighting was used in London when link boys used to work there?

• The main idea of this passage is that .................

• The word "remainder" in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to .............

• The word “eliminate” in paragraph 5 could be best replaced by which of the following words?