Karagoz Puppetry of Turkey

I think that it is amazing how the art of puppetry was able to survive and then further grow to give us what we see today.  A lot of different types of performances and dances were sometimes punished or made to disappear, but puppetry was able to withstand the pressures to be driven out.  I enjoyed the videos that Dr. Palmer showed us because it gave us a sense of the different ways in which puppetry was used.  We saw it being used during wars in order to entertain the troops.  When we saw that I thought about what troops must be doing now to entertain themselves when at war.  Nowadays I'm sure they play sports or card games.  But I feel as though the puppetry provided a greater sense of community and honor, while at the same time carrying on a tradition that the people could be proud of and call their own.  The skills that it takes to perform with those puppets does not look easy.  It must take a lot of practice and patience, and the puppet masters must be admired by all.  When they were performing the show for the troops it brought everyone together in awe.  The puppeteers were able to perform a skill that they had perfected and put so much time and effort into, while at the same time entertaining their fellow soldiers.  I just think that it showed an incredible amount of unity among the people.  It brought everyone together, made them see that they were fighting for one another and that they were going to be together through the good and the bad.  And the puppetry was just one of the good times that kept the people going.