Feminism In Film Essays

Feminism In Film Essays Feminism In Film Essay Feminism In Film Essay Professor Parallel April 11, 2013 Feminism: Female Protagonists Against Moral and Social Crime In our society today, there are many different types of crimes being committed everyday. These crimes range in severity and type. There are very blatant crimes such as murder or burglary, but there are also more subtle crimes such as moral or social crimes. Moral or social crimes are ones that go against commonly accepted moral or social codes. Some examples of these crimes are racism, substance abuse, or discrimination against a group based on a similar quality. One major types of coordination that we have seen in our society is gender discrimination, mainly against women. This type of discrimination sparked a phenomena called feminism. Feminism promotes gender equality and fights for womens rights in all aspects of society. Today, we can see feminism all around us from women in the workforce to literature and cinema. Three films that strongly support gender equality and pro- feminism are The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, the Alien film series (Alien, Aliens, Alien 3, and Alien Resurrection), and Legally Blonde. : One aspect of these films that makes hem so interesting is the fact that they are so different and they are able to convey many aspects of feminism. The film The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was released in 2011 and directed by David Finches. This film was based on the novel The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Sties Larsson and it is the second film adoption made; the first was a Swedish version released in 2009. The original Swedish title of this novel was MÂ ¤n Some Hater Skiving, which translates to Men Who Hate Women. This title was originally chosen because if sums up the misogynistic crimes in the book. The 2011 film focuses on an English Journalist Mikhail Biologist (played by Daniel Craig) and his computer hacking female assistant Elisabeth Slander (played by Rooney Mar). Together, this duo is investigation the whereabouts of a girl who went missing forty years prior. Although the heart of this story is about the investigation of the missing girl, many tend to focus more on the crimes that are committed against the leading female character. She has been sentenced to state legal guardianship due to being diagnosed with mental incompetence. This means that the state does not believe she is able to take are of herself, so they have assigned someone to manage her finances and most aspects of her life. The court has placed her under the supervision off lawyer, Nils Bujumbura. This alone is a moral crime against Elisabeth because they are placing the power over her in the hands if a man. This man proceeds to blackmail her into granting him sexual favors in return for access to her finances. Elisabeth is complacent in the beginning because Bujumbura is not forcing her to have vaginal sex but he eventually asks her for more. When Elisabeth refuses his off, he proceeds to brutally has been committed against her. She proceeds to attack him at their next meeting, rape his with a dildo in the same manner he raped her, and permanently tattoos l am a rapist pig across his chest and stomach. Once she is done, she informs his that she filmed him taking advantage of her and she blackmails him into giving her full control of her finances and life. This is the main crime against women because Bujumbura is abusing his power, taking advantage of her and ignoring her wishes. Elisabeth reaction to this is to take her power back. Fob recognize this? I had it with me last time I set it here, remember? And this snap, you see it? Its not a snap, its a wide angle fiber optics lens. I thought it was goanna be another blow Job, which is disgusting enough. But I misjudged Just how sick you are. Okay, heres whats going to happen. Pay attention. Look at me. Once you can sit again, which could be a while, I admit. Were going to g o to my bank and tell them that I alone have access to my money. Nod. After that you will never contact me again. Each month you will prepare a report of a meeting we will never have. In it you will describe how well Im doing, how sociable Im becoming. Then, you will negotiate with the court to have my acceleration if incompetence lifted. If you fail, this video will spread across the internet like a virus. Nod (Finches, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo). This quote represents main example of feminism in this film. As stated before, Elisabeth reaction is to rape Bujumbura and blackmail him. This shows the female rising up and showing the man that they are equal. She retaliates by treating him the exact way he treated her. She is showing him that she owns her own life and he does not have power over her Just because he is a man. Elisabeth is not the stereotypical female protagonist that many expect to see in a film or a novel. She is shown to be very masculine and harsh both in her appearance and personality. Although Elisabeth is not the stereotypical female protagonist, she is close to what one might expect for a stereotypical feminist. Her whole persona is what contributes to her being a feminist from her highly masculine appearance to her dont mess with me personality. She is shown with multiple tattoos, lots of piercing, short hair, and casually clothed. She is not a damsel in distress, or a woman who needs a man to protect her. She is an independent woman who can take care of her own affairs. Elisabeth is also not a woman who follows the standards of a female in conventional society. This contributes to her pro-feminist ideology because she comfortable in her own skin and she is a woman based in her own definition, not societys. The next group films that portray feminist ideas are the series of Alien movies. The first film, Alien, was directed by Riddled Scott and it was released in 1979. The second film, Aliens, was directed by James Cameron and it was released in 1986. The third film, Alien 3, was directed by David Finches and it was released in 1992. Lastly, the fourth film, Alien Resurrection, was directed by Jean-Pierre Jennet and was released in 1997. Although all four films were directed by different people, they all share the common theme of feminism in a very similar manner. All four movies are science fiction horror films and they follow the same plot line and back-story. The basic plot line for all four movies focuses on the main character Ellen Ripley (played by Sojourner Weaver) and her interactions with an alien race, the Xenomorphic. This alien race is very predatory and their only goal in life is to keep their race alive and growing. The most society, which means they only have one queen whose goal is to rule the society and the rest fight to protect her. To reproduce, the face-huggers must implant a living host with her larvae. Once implanted within the living host, the larvae will grow and then rip its way out off the halts chest. The first main way that this film series is feminist in nature if the spin it puts on traditional gender rolls and gender stereotypes. In a traditional gender role, the male is the one who is brave, protective, strong, and saves the day. On the other hand, the female is the one who is passive, cared, helpless, and is dependent on the male for survival. This film takes those roles and slightly switches them. The main character who is able to defeat the aliens is a woman, Ripley. Similarly to Elisabeth from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Ripley is not the stereotypical girl female protagonist. Ripley is always shown as being brave, courageous, and masculine. One main reason for the masculinity of Ripples character is because her role was originally written as a male character. The director chose to cast a female spur of the moment. Once they cast Sojourner Weaver, they made very few changes to the script or direction. Ripley is also an interesting and pro-feminist protagonist because she is not involved with a man and there is no romance in the plot. This shows that she is an independent woman who is able to thrive on her own. Ripley, though, is not saved through the interventions of a male hero: she saves herself (Tory). Ripley is a character who is able to develop and survive without the help off male counterpart. This shows that Ripley is an independent woman who does not need help to succeed. Through the progression of each film, Ripples character becomes more masculine and independent but she never looses her femininity. For example, in Aliens, the crew discovers a young girl named Newt who has been able to survive on her own. Ripley proceeds to take Newt under her wing and protect her in a very maternal way. Newt becomes extremely attached to Ripley and even starts referring to her as Mommy. In contrast to Ripley, there are male characters such as Dallas who are reliant on the female character and are not able to protect themselves. Many of the males in these films are shown as cowards and helpless. In the first film Alien, a male character is the only one who is impregnated by the aliens and dies as a result. This is a very interesting stereotypical role reversal because Kane, a male character, is the one being raped, impregnated and giving birth. Kane has been impregnated by the face- hugger and he then awakens with no memory of the event. This is very similar to women being raped and not remembering the event because they were drugged with Roping or Speculation, the two most common date rape drugs. Kane gives birth to an alien known as a chest-buster, which is the most graphic scene in the entire film. Kane is shown to be in excruciating pain while the phallic-shaped alien fetus frees itself from the confines of his chest. This also mirrors the great deal of pain women feel during the birthing process. The Alien film series has been drenched in gender, rape and feminism since the concept was first conceived. The visual concepts were adapted from the works of H. R. Geiger. In Jiggers original designs, he made the creatures very blatantly sexual featuring multiple body parts made out of human genitalia. Although the final visuals in the movies are not exactly like Jiggers original concepts, they are toned down versions that still possess genitalia on the alien starship, and bulbous mammary projections everywhere virtually every cone works itself out within a matrix of sexual suggestiveness (Cobs). This shows the extent of sexual references within this film and how Jiggers vision was adapted onscreen. One interesting thing in these films is that genitalia are used to identify gender in our society but that is not true in the Alien series. This means that the gender of the aliens cannot be determines by their phallic or vaginal appearance. In the films, we are shown that the Xenomorphic are able to experience change in their gender. First, the eggs are made to mirror the appearance off penis head. This is notary to common belief because, traditionally, we view eggs as being a product of women and therefore a feminine byproduct. The chest-busters are also supposed to mirror fully matured male genitals. In contrast, the face-huggers have a very vaginal appearance. These aliens are the ones who rape and impregnate the living hosts. This is a pro-feminist because the vaginal creature is the one overpowering the male victims and performing an act that is traditionally thought of as masculine. The final film that represents pro-feminist ideals is Legally Blonde that was directed by Robert Luckiest and released in 2001. This film is not one that people might see as outwardly feminist due to its upbeat tone and stereotypical protagonist but there are many plot points that are promote feminism. In contrast to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and the Alien film series, the Legally Blonde protagonist Ell Woods (played by Reese Weatherperson) is a very girl and highly feminine feminist. As seen above, the characters Elisabeth and Riddled are highly masculine characters who do not need the help of a man because they are highly masculine and strong enough to take care of themselves. Ell Woods, on the other hand, is a feminist because she does not sacrifice her highly girl nature to succeed in a mans world. Legally Blonde is a film about a young stereotypical sorority girl, Ell Woods, who thinks she is meant to marry her college boyfriend and live happily every after. She is shocked when her boyfriend, Warner, dumps her before he leaves for law school because she is not serious enough for him. Ell makes it her mission to prove him wrong and win him back. Dodo this, she applies to Harvard Law School and is accepted. While she is there, she realizes her true potential and is able to succeed on her own merit. She non realizes that she does not need Warner to define her future and she is able to create a new future as a successful lawyer. The protagonist Ell Woods is the ideal stereotypical sorority girl in the beginning of the film. She is beautiful, ditsy, focused on her social calendar, not serious about school, and basing her self-worth on the man she is dating. She is what many people would consider an anti-feminist because she is self-absorbed, lacking ambition, and depended on a male. Once Ell sets her sights on Harvard, many of these qualities quickly change. She becomes obsessed with her studies and focuses on a life-bettering goal. Although Ell is going to Harvard Law School to win over a man, she quickly realizes that she could better herself without the help off man. While at Harvard, Ell is faces with challenges and discrimination including a misogynist professor, Judgmental classmates, and her own self-doubts. Once Ell is able to pull herself up and start to excel, she is offered a law internship to consult on a murder trial. In this trial, a famous aerobics guru Brooke Taylor is being tried for shooting and killing her husband. While working on refuses his affection and begins to question how she got as far as she did. Was it because she is smart? Or because she is pretty? This is a very pro-feminist part of the film because it show the struggle that many women have while they are trying to excel in a mans world. Ell decides to take the high road and prove to everyone, including herself, that she is there because of her ability and not her beauty. Ell returns to the trial as the sole lawyer defending Brooke Taylor. Ells returning to the trial is an example of feminism because she has been challenged that she cant do something and she is determined to prove everyone wrong; she is going to prove she can succeed in this male dominated field. During the trial, the defendants departure, Chutney Windbag, is put on the stand and questioned about her whereabouts on the day on the murder. Windbag tells Ell that she was at the salon getting her hair premed, returned home to shower, and then found her father shot by Brooke Taylor. Ell: And wouldnt somebody who had, say, 30 perms before in their life be well aware of this rule, and if in fact you werent washing your hair as I suspect you werent because your curls are still intact, wouldnt you have heard the gunshot Which means you would have had to found Brooke Windbag with a gun in her hand to make your story plausible, isnt that right? Chutney Windbag: Shes my age! Did she tell you that? How would you feel if your father married someone who was your age? Ell: Mimi, however, Chutney had time to hide the gun after you shot your father. Chutney Windbag: [in tears] l didnt mean to shoot him! This shows that Ell was able to win her case and prove her client innocent based on her stereotypical girl knowledge. If Brooke Taylor stayed with her previous male lawyer, she might have been found guilty, but Ell was able to make sure that didnt happen. This ending promotes feminism because it is proving that sometimes girl knowledge is what will aid someone in their career success. The idea that women can follow professions while wearing pink, have both successful careers and successful relationshipsthat femininity and feminism arent mutually exclusive appears prominently in both mainstream and independent films embraced by female viewers. (Ferries, Suzanne, Young, Mallory). This concept of being a feminine feminist is what makes Ell a great representation of feminism. Ell is able to excel at a career without changing who she is and allowing her girl ways to assist her in her day-to-day life. As shown above, there are many moral and social crimes committed against women including rape, disrespect, and discrimination. In the film The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, the protagonist is a victim of all three of these crimes. She is mistreated and taken advantage of because she is a female. Although she has been the victim, Elisabeth is able to retaliate and take back her life and power. This film shows the female protagonist giving the male assailant a taste of his own medicine. This is a very pro-feminist message because she is able to stand up for herself and show society that she is equal those who have victimized her. We also see a very pro-feminist message in the Alien film series. These films are centered around a very strong and masculine female protagonist. Riddled is the ideal representation of feminism in this film because she is able to fully embody the role of the survivor, the leader, and the heroine. This is significant because she is fulfilling the role that is blatant sexual symbolism and the role reversal of the genitalia. For example, the face-hugger aliens have a vaginal appearance and their Job is to rape and impregnate the host. This is a stereotypically male role in out society but it is being done by a female symbol. The last film to represent a pro-feminist point of view is Legally Blonde. Although this film is a chick-flick or a romantic comedy, it does have a very powerful protagonist and pro-feminist message. Ell Woods might be a ditsy sorority girl but she is also a woman who was able to succeed in a mans world while staying true to herself. Throughout the film, Ell is able to repetition her values and goal in order to achieve professional success. By doing this, she is able to take the legal world by storm and leave a lasting impression. Ell does this by staying true to herself because she does not alter her appearance, attitude, or opinions. She embodies the girl feminist who is able to achieve success based on her intellect in a male dominated world.

4 discussions week 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

4 discussions week 4 - Essay Example mindset, but I also severely disagree and find it to manifest from faulty reasoning, stereotyping, racial/ethnic bias, and even simply , in my opinion, â€Å"lazy† teaching. My perspective is unique to the special education student perspective. As I have addressed previously, though multi-cultural differences exist in these classrooms and certainly do enrich the diverse environment and opportunity for sharing of experiences, the curriculum is often so individualized that immersion activities for the entire class can be sparse. This is certainly not to say that these types of experiences should not be utilized as I believe it would be a disservice to the overall educational experience if diversity were dismissed due to lack of creativity, ingenuity and ability to make such information relatable on the part of the teacher. I do note that, even in the exceptional student classroom, standards and performance are expected of individual learners. No matter what the classroom, their tends to a disturbing trend that caters to the â€Å"need to know† perspective. In the Facilitator’s Guide, common belief 12 states: With all the pressures to raise student achievement, finding and using examples for the cultural, historic and everyday lived experiences of my students takes valuable time away from teaching and learning. So in reverse, I identify with this assertion, but do fervently disagree with its overall affect in practice. While compartmentalized learning experiences that facilitate higher test score in standardized, â€Å"high stakes†, testing do impart useful, identified information related to the prediction of future success in specified areas, I believe we miss the â€Å"human† experience by narrowing our perspectives to what have been select as superior information. Knowledge and learning are comprised of many elements and many highly intelligent individuals find functioning effective in diverse environments and with people from said backgrounds difficult to

Ethical Criteria and its relationship with business negotiation Essay

Ethical Criteria and its relationship with business negotiation - Essay Example The main ethical criteria in businesses are utilitarian, universalism, categorical imperative, justice views, individualism, and social justice relativism and their relation to business negations. One of the ethical criteria is the Utilitarian criterion in which a business executive makes decisions solely based on the outcomes and consequences. Many businesses use the criterion to make decisions in the provision of the greatest good and for the greatest number. The criterion ensures that the decisions made create efficiency for the organization as it struggles to achieve its goals (Ferrell & Gresham, 1985). The method also aims at increasing the productivity of the business resulting in high profits of the company or the business enterprise. When a business executive maximizes profits, he can support his action that the decision he made as for the good of the organization. The use of Unitarianism leads to productivity and efficiency in an organization but can make the executive ignore the rights of some stakeholders especially the minority group making them feel unaccepted. The users of the criterion feel that they need to protect the organizations interest and the shareholde rs. Businesses require the stakeholders to hold negotiations especially when making important decisions. The criterion does not allow free negotiations and discussions by the company’s stakeholders as a single individual makes the decision for the benefit of the company. The choice of the action to be taken is determined by the largest number of stakeholders supporting it. The categorical Imperative involves the universal practice such that everyone is allowed to practice the proposed action. Kant developed the criterion and individuals wishing to use the criterion or the test should know that they would need to adopt the morality of the action. The morality of the action is the key to the adoption of the test, and

Indonesia the problem of trans boundary haze

Indonesia the problem of trans boundary haze Introduction Sustainability of environment becomes an embedded eco-political concern of development strategy in todays globalized world. In spite of encouraging economic growth, Transboundary haze pollution (THP) is incurring a serious menace to environment in South East Asian Nations (ASEAN). Smoke haze resulted from land and forest fires frequently stemming from Indonesia, the largest country of this region, as a consequence of illegal logging, traditional agricultural actions and some adverse climate conditions like El Nino South Oscillation (ENSO) have imposed immense socio-economic and environmental costs for the whole region. Along with the constant threat of climate change and degradation of biodiversity, the direct measurable impacts comprise huge monetary loss especially for health damage, tourism losses, and industrial production losses. Singapore being the neighboring country of Indonesia also suffers a lot with the corollary. The people outcry always pressurizes the government to upho ld the countrys self-interest by mitigating the economic losses while inducing further stress to Indonesia. At the same time government also has to be diplomatic in its intra-regional approach of dealing with the issue. It is a difficult proposition and the question is how best Singapore can strategize its policy to extract best solution of this persisting hazard. Key Issue: From Singapores perspective, the THP is an outcome of environmental externality. Whole state of affairs is a bit complex since under the regional or bilateral framework, Singapore has very little to do to resolve the problem by itself. Sandler (1997) argues that haze free environment in ASEAN region is non-excludable and non-rivalrous aggregative type of public good whose total benefit is the totting up of individual efforts. Such an international public goods gives room for strategic actions by countries concerned that would result into sub-optimal outcomes. Sandler concludes that such strategic approach thus can create a Prisoners Dilemma if the costs offset the benefits. In this context, Lin and Rajan (2001) expressed their concern on failure of such multilateral solution due to conflicting preferences and priorities between countries for reducing these forms of pollution. Therefore, a bilateral approach towards ecological and eco-political strategic options rather than multilater al approach should be more effective for this THP. However, in terms of taking correct strategy, Singapore seems to be into a Prisoners Dilemma like situation, which is the key issue to be addressed for dealing with this long-lasting problem. Why this issue is the most important: ASEANs regional efforts to resolve THP has been facing stiff challenges due to lack of bindings and cooperation from all parties. Florano (2004-05) states that both 1995 ASEAN Cooperation Plan on Transboundary Pollution and RHAP of 1997 was ineffective due to its ASEAN ways emphasis on volunteerism. Jayachandaran (2005) refers that, Indonesia-the host of THP, has been so reluctant to implement the agreements due to its internal socio-political dynamics. Tan (2005) also argues that Indonesias mindset of non-ratification of ATHP has been disrupting effective regional cooperation from ASEAN countries in this issue. Tacconi et.al.,(2008), in addition to these, points on the lacking of international monitoring, compliance and inspection in ATHP. At such a dismal situation, Singapore irrespective of other affected countries has to decide its own strategies based on overall pay-off while coming out the disastrous situation with time. Solutions: Option-1. Induce more pressure on Indonesia: There is a group of analyst who think that impose bi-lateral pressure on Indonesia to act positively towards the problem. This is more a political approach. They argue for constant raising of this issue during bilateral meetings with Indonesian counterparts, which would work while reminding them about the adverse effect of this inaction would impact the bilateral relations. In fact, this is also supported by some evidences in recent past. Former foreign ministry official of Singapore Gerald Giam states that, Recommended Policy Actions: a. Trade barriers: Singapore has huge formal and informal cross-border trade with Indonesia. In fact, Indonesia is Singapores 4th largest trading partner in 2009 with total trade amounting to S$58.5 billion, up from S$75.1 billion in 2008 (source: IE Singapores StatLink, 2010). Singapore imports palm oil and rubber from Indonesia, while Indonesia hugely depends on Singapore for many manufacturing, electronics goods and services. Figure shows a significant trade advantage (measured in net export) in favor of Singapore. There are also many Singapore-based MNC in Indonesia. So any sorts of trade barrier could create some pressure on Indonesia at this moment. Singapore-Indonesia bilateral trade (S$ Thousands):Â   Singapores Data 2008 2009 Imports 24,827,467 20,659,212 Exports 50,299,127 37,857,815 Total Trade 75,126,594 58,517,027 Source: IE Singapores StatLink b. Squeeze Other Development Projects: Singapore supports Indonesia to establish most competitive industrial zone at Batam, Bintan and Karimun free trade zone (BBK-FTZ)where they can develop electronic, shipbuilding and network storage and server industry which would bring huge economic boost for those region of Indonesia. So reducing the scale of investment or technological support would extend the pressure over Indonesia. c. Regional organization against Indonesian imputes approach: For mounting the pressure on Indonesia, Singapore government can act to form a group of sufferer incorporating the other countries like Malaysia, Brunei or Thailand and place their issue to International court for Environmental disputes. Malaysia already has taken necessary preparation to do that. This would be very unfortunate for this regional integrity, however, suffering countries the suffering countries could but think about that. Analysis of outcomes: Reacting towards the public outcry, Singapore government may have to go for such kind of compulsive policy as long as it works for a while. They can expect timely and effective actions taken by Indonesian government for rebuilding investors confidence in Indonesia, Indonesias international eminence and ASEANs integrity would not be affected. However, in the longer run, this pressurize policy would result instability in regional unity and integration. The concept and objective of ASEAN would be hampered as well. On the other hand, this policy would not be able to bring any instant solution to the problem. Option- 2. Intensify Cooperation to Indonesia with region-specific bilateral projects against THP: In a prisoners dilemma, the cooperation strategy often maximize the pay-off for both the parties. Though the THP is the externality resulted from Indonesia, but to get some positive implication of this problem, all concerned parties should effectively act and help each other in an integrated manner so that the degree of hazard comes down with time. After Sub-Regional Ministerial Steering Committee on Transboundary Haze Pollution (MSC) in November 2006, 35 fire-prone districts in 8 provinces have been identified into Indonesias Plan of Actions for immediate consideration. Indonesia has invited ASEAN countries to work together to develop its capability to tackle land and forest fires in those fire-prone areas. Singapore already has responded positively to extend its cooperation to Indonesias State Ministry of Environment (KLH) to implement the plans for managing land and forest fires at Jambi Province. Recommended Policy Actions: a. Extend technical and financial supports: The US$1 million Jambi province project seems to be a success so far. Recent study reveals that the number of hot spots explored from forest fires has reduced by one-fifth in last few years. So following the experience of this success, Singapore can extend its cooperation with technology and finance for some other regions that directly cause problem to them. b.More support areas: Some proactive prevention monitoring and approach can be initiated with best possible art-of-states. These may include: Socialization Workshop for farmers on Sustainable Farming (i.e. Cultivating crops without resorting to burning) Developing the Capacity of the locals in understanding and interpreting the Satellite images and hotspot information Developing local land-use map Installing Geographical Information System to facilitate the monitoring of fire and haze and assess accordingly Developing air and weather monitoring stations Enhance fire fighting and suppression Capacities of local people. c. Better monitoring and Positive feedbacks: The outcome of the above collaboration projects should be monitored in regular basis and the success part should be broadcast to others so that it would give positive signs to other nations to come forward resolving the long-lasting problem. Analysis of the outcomes: Certainly these collaboration projects would result more financial cost for Singapore. However, welfare should be ascertaining with the implication of comparative advantage frameworks. In fact, factors should be deployed according to the comparative advantages each country has. For instance, Singapore could provide technical and financial support with expertise in managing the environmental pollution wide-spreading, while Indonesia would provide with some cheaper labor and other infrastructures. Singapore can extend its support to some region especially the Sumatra that creates more problems to it. Again, more technology transfer would also ensure more earnings and ultimately a quicker recovery of the dire situation. Choosing the Option: Considering the following three factors Environmental Sustainability Short run Cost-Long run benefit Marginal cost of combating (for both Indonesia and Singapore) I would like to suggest implementing option-2 [cooperation] for Singapore government to combat against the adverse effect of THP since it will ensure betterment of environmental sustainability in this region with some long-term aggregated benefits for all using the comparative advantages of minimized cost.

How does this section of Romeo and Juliet Essay

The characters are utilised by Shakespeare to highlight a sense of loss and desperation. The â€Å"Captain† who is a neutral figure, expresses a sense of remorse and sadness when he sees Romeo and Juliet’s dead bodies as a â€Å"pitiful site†, also illuminating a sense of universal suffering. Juliet’s â€Å"newly dead† body is used so that the agony and pain of her death is felt again universally. Romeo and Juliet are described as â€Å"piteous woes† which portrays them as one and as abstractions of sadness which emphasises the loss and despair of a romantic pair. The words â€Å"trembles, sighs and weeps† are listed characteristics of suffering used to highlight a sense of loss and nervousness. The shock and astonishment of Romeo and Juliet’s death is highlighted by the repetition of â€Å"dead† showing how unexpected this tragedy really was. Tybalt’s death is exaggerated when Romeo and Juliet’s marriage day is described as â€Å"Tybalt’s doomesday† increasing the magnitude of desperation and sadness. Shakespeare illuminates a paradox of joy and sadness between â€Å"Tybalt’s untimely death† and the â€Å"new-made bride groom† creating a contrast of joy and misery. There is a cruel irony when Juliet’s â€Å"borrowed grave† became her actual death bed. When this great tragedy was described as an â€Å"accident† it conveys the image of this great tragic love story as a minor and petty incident. Shakespeare uses the language of an important character to highlight a lack of gravitas and feeling in the text. Shakespeare uses â€Å"flowers† which represent nature, good health, love and positivity as a conventional image to highlight what this tragedy is all about. The last line describes everyone as being â€Å"punished† which again shows universal suffering. Shakespeare focuses the blame and responsibility on many people to emphasise the complexity of this tragedy. When the captain of the watch â€Å"holds him in safety† there is an air of suspicion that suggests that there will be blame given. The â€Å"mattock and spade† are both physical emblems of the Friars responsibility, showing the explicit direct blame and responsibility, of the Friar. The fact that the families are unaware adds a sense of mystery and shows more clearly the rushed fickle and spontaneous nature of the marriage. When Montague asks â€Å"What further woe conspires against mine age?† it shows bad luck, dual responsibility and the loss of youth and innocence. Shakespeare plays upon a maternal instinct when Juliet is described as a â€Å"daughter† for the first time, which is much less formal and emotional, conveying a real image of suffering and grieving. Shakespeare uses Romeo and Juliet’s â€Å"st’len marriage day† to portray a sense of immorality and negativity. When â€Å"Juliet pined† it reminds us of the rushed and hasty marriage. When Juliet is described as â€Å"doing violence to her self†, it presents to us a literal reading of suicide, but also lays a wider and inferred blame on Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare describes the nurse as â€Å"privy† to show the nurses responsibility in keeping secret. Shakespeare highlights a sense of resolution and end to trouble by conveying subtle hints through the use of his characters. There is a healing of a rift when Shakespeare uses Romeo and Juliet’s death to present a positive image of the families which is shown when Capulet says â€Å"O brother Montague† Which is used as a positive image of new unity and a bond between the two families. The statue in â€Å"pure gold† emphasises the preciousness and importance of this tragedy. Montague compliments the Capulet’s when he says â€Å"true and faithful Juliet† showing that despite all the sorrow and grief there is still a sense of positivity. The resolution is tarnished by the fact that it is still â€Å"glooming† but it still gives us a sense of peace and when the â€Å"Prince† who is neutral repeats this again which portrays a universal sense of suffering. The â€Å"sun† represents images of positivity and despite a sense of sadness and sorrow there is still a sense of calm and new peace. There is a sense of union and bonding when Balthasar says to the Prince â€Å"to the same place, to this same monument† showing the older generations past conflict and Balthasar represents youth and innocence so he also represents the ability to change attitudes and stop the rivalry and stubbornness that has become so ingrained. In this section Shakespeare uses tragic aspects to highlight tragedy towards the end. The Princes advice is to have â€Å"patience† and slow down which is an ironic reminder that Romeo and Juliet’s fatal flaw was that they rushed in to their love and marriage. Friar advised Romeo and Juliet to slow down and â€Å"bear this work of heaven with patience† but they still remained rushed which is Shakespeare’s way of reminding us of Romeo’s hubris. The Friar wants his â€Å"old† life to be sacrificed emphasising even more the loss of youth, innocence and change. There is a hint that the two families have not learnt anything from this great tragedy when Montague says â€Å"I can give thee more† which shows that the two families are still competitive and are both desperate to prove themselves better. There is an implication that they are still interested in materialism when the â€Å"statue† will be raised in pure gold which is another superficial attempt to show the power and wealth of the families. When this tragedy is described as a â€Å"story† it undermines the sense of real suffering and denigrates Romeo and Juliet’s love.

A Reflective Observation on Global Warming

Elizabeth Kolbert’s chapter 2 entitled â€Å"A Warmer Sky† in her book â€Å"Field Notes From A Catastrophe† is basically about the discovery of global warming and the developments in its awareness. It also shows relevant data about certain factors that affect global warming.John Tyndall’s discovery of the ratio spectrophotometer in 1859 was the advent of the awareness in global warming.The function of the said device is to differentiate absorbance and transmittance of their radiation exhibited by the gases. Results of the tests showed that the gases commonly found in the air such as nitrogen and oxygen did not absorb nor transmit any radiation. However, other gases such as carbon dioxide and water absorbed visible and infrared radiation (p.36).With these results, Tyndall stumbled upon a baffling and shocking truth that will cause a worldwide sensation and concern in the following generations. Tyndall concluded that these gases contribute largely to the wa y the earth radiates and absorbs radiation from the sun. He thought of the atmosphere as a barrier that regulates the amount of radiation that enters the earth which affects its overall temperature. This notion was later known as the â€Å"natural greenhouse effect† (p.36).The sun, earth and many hot bodies emit radiation and the amount of radiation is directly proportional to its temperature. This is further explained by the Stefan-Boltzmann Law which sates that the temperature raised to the fourth power is directly proportional to the radiationemitted by the body. The role of the greenhouse gases is to absorb selectively the radiation from the sun and allow visible radiation to penetrate the atmosphere. The earth’s infrared radiation, on the other hand, is absorbed by the greenhouse gases and is emitted partially into space and partially back to earth.This phenomenon regulates the temperature on the surface of the earth. After Tyndall passed away from an overdose of a sleeping drug, Arrhenius continued what Tyndall left unfinished. Arrhenius studied the effects of altering carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere and he found out that rising carbon dioxide levels will increase the earth’s temperature, hence, he coined the phrase â€Å"to live under a warmer sky† to the next generations (p.42)Interest in the climate change mellowed down after the death of Arrhenius. However, in the mid 1950’s, there was a rebirth in the awareness of global warming and this was due to Charles David Keeling, a chemist. The results of his research in the atmospheric carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere or the â€Å"Keeling Curve† showed that the carbon dioxide level increases as time increases.The results were devastating as years pass by. The Keeling curve also showed that the carbon dioxide level in 2005 was 375 parts per million and with this terrifying rate, it will increase to 500 parts per million by the middle of the century whi ch will greatly affect the temperature of the earth and will make us feel the full effects of global warming (p.44)Global warming threatens us to extinction. This is caused mainly by industrialization and we must stop, or if not, control the rise of carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere to save the future generations. Global warming will cause the polar and ice glaciers to melt that constitute to a rise in sea level. This rise will flood coastal regions and other land masses. There is also an expected change of rainfall patterns across the globe that will greatlyaffect food crops and will be a major setback in food production in many nations. With the increase in temperature, plants and animals will be forced to live in cooler areas and those who are unable to adapt will be doomed of extinction.   (Global Warming, Encarta)

Analysis Of Edgar Allan Poe s Writing Essay - 1493 Words

Do you visualize a story when you are reading? Some readers view the story they are reading and some don’t. Some authors are good at using words that will make you visualize where your main character looks like or where the setting is. Take Edgar Allen Poe for example. He’s a creepy, twisted man so he wrote creepy, twisted stories. This could be because of his experiences throughout his life or that is just what he likes. ZZ Packer on the other hand writes normal stories. There is nothing dark or twisted about her. Each of these authors gives you a different visualization in each of their stories. Edgar Allan Poe had a difficult life. He was born in Boston and was the second son of Eliza and David Poe. He had a brother and a sister. Whenever Poe was 3 both of his parents had died, and â€Å"he was taken in by a wealthy tobacco merchant John Allan and his wife Frances (poemuseum.org).† At the age of thirteen, Poe had written enough poetry to publish a book, but hi s headmaster was against this. â€Å"In 1826 Poe left Richmond to attend the University of Virginia, where he excelled in his classes while accumulating considerable debt (poemuseum.org).† He had a rough life and this could have been the reason for the style of his writings. When you think of Edgar Allan Poe you think of creepy, murderous stories and that’s just what he did. Poe’s style of writing is labeled as Gothic. In the short story, â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart,† the main character which we do not know the name of, lives withShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Edgar Allan Poe s Writing874 Words   |  4 PagesAlabama reading and writing was not the most popular thing to do, it was just one of those things that people detest. Avondale was a place where life seems to have been sucked out, instead of grass mostly everybody had a yard full of dirt, there were gang symbols spray painted on nearly every wall/surface in sight, and everybody seemed to detest each other’s presence. It was just rough to grow up in Avondale, and the people that live in Avondale just did not see reading and writing as a skill or attributeRead MoreAnalysis Of Edgar Allan Poe s Writing1561 Words   |  7 PagesHumberto Orozco Mahoney 1102 MW 10:50 11/22/2015 E.A.P Edgar Allan Poe is famous for writing short stories that are themed particularly around death and the macabre. His writing includes horrific scenes with gruesome deaths and murders. Poe’s style of writing is very much on a podium of its own. He was a brilliant writer for his time period. His wicked works continue to grab the attention of readers with his dark and scary form of writing. His short stories are typical of describing the twistedRead MoreAnalysis Of Edgar Allan Poe s Writing2567 Words   |  11 Pagesthrough hardships in their life, whose work has changed the way people view literature. One of the most notable authors to take his heartbreak and tie it into his writing is Edgar Allan Poe. Like Poe, some famous authors give the readers a window to view inside their head and their life. By looking at Poe’s gothic and romantic writings, his audience can see characteristics of himself mingled in parts of different literary elements. Before jumping into assumptions, it is important to learn a littleRead MoreInfluence Of A Life By Richard Connell And Edgar Allan Poe1600 Words   |  7 PagesThe Influence of a Life Richard Connell and Edgar Allan Poe, two of the most famous authors at the time, are recognize by the different types of literature they wrote. Several of these pieces are still popular today. 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Poe never lived the happiest of lives, but his writing is extraordinary, both for its execution, and for the sheer elegance of the words which he found to write upon the pageRead MoreThe Father Of The Detective Story1593 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"The Father of the Detective Story†: How Edgar Allan Poe Developed and Influenced the Detective Fiction Genre Edgar Allan Poe has become a household name in the literary world. His unique writing style has earned him much-deserved respect and recognition. Poe s poetry and short story oeuvre follows a consistent, melancholy theme of death and darkness that has captured and haunted readers for years (Baym, et al. 683). Perhaps his most legendary contribution to literature is his creation of theRead MoreThe Oval Portrait By Edgar Allan Poe1490 Words   |  6 Pages Edgar Allan Poe’s Short Stories Edgar Allan Poe is a much known author. He is known for writing dark and mysterious stories and poems. â€Å"His imaginative storytelling led to literary innovations, earning him the nickname Father of the Detective Story (Edgar Allan Poe Biography.com). When writing stories he wanted the readers to have that one emotion or feeling when reading his writing. Poe has very many stories he is known for two of those short stories being; â€Å"The Oval Portrait† and â€Å"The CaskRead MoreEdgar Allan Poe s Writing Style1303 Words   |  6 Pagesprovince of the poem† Poe, Edgar Allan. The Philosophy of Composition. 1846. The name Poe often brings to mind tales of horror and mystery, but this Poe was also a writer of sophisticated poems, capable of extreme poetic beauty within a dark genre of writing. Poe never lived the happiest of lives, but his writing is extraordinary, both for its execution, and for the sheer elegance of the words which he found to write upon the page. Death is among one of the recurring themes which Poe explored. Dark andRead MoreBrianna Ruiz-Vannerson. Leonard Miller. Enc1102. Feb. 231548 Words   |  7 PagesMiller ENC1102 Feb. 23 2017 The Compelling Mind of Edgar Allan Poe Through: â€Å"Lenore† and â€Å"The Raven† Throughout the life of esteemed author Edgar Allan Poe, there have been many time that this extraordinary man’s life has been turned upside down with grief. His first encounter with this wretched demon was when he was no older than three years of age. The mother who birthed him dies and his father abandons them before her death (â€Å"Edgar Allan Poe†). He then is separated from his brother and sisterRead MoreWhy Should We Care?1748 Words   |  7 PagesWhy Should We Care?: Edgar Allan Poe â€Å"Few creatures of the night have captured [reader’s] imagination[s] like [Edgar Allan Poe]† (â€Å"Vampires†). Poe has fascinated the literary world since he first became known for writing in 1829, when he was just twenty years old (Chronology†). While he is widely known for exploring the macabre, his work is controversial because of its psychologically disturbing nature. Edgar Allan Poe is worth examining as an author because his many contributions to the literary