...firstly explaining the idea of mementoes and totems. A “totem” is an object that the characters in this film keep with them in real life and in the dream world. It is identified as something unique, heavy and that only the owner is allowed to handle. Its purpose is to provide the dream-invaders a way of knowing whether they are in the dream world or in reality. If a totem is expected to fall, or operate in a certain way, then any change in this indicates that you are in a dream. Most importantly, Auxier says that this serves as “a point of connection between what you’re experiencing within yourself (beliefs, perceptions, assumptions) and the way the world really is.” (Auxier, 282) The idea of a “totem” allows for continuity of time in the narrative, it acts as a guide when discontinuities are found. Furthermore, both films attempt to explore the same problem, the continuity and discontinuity in our experience, and how discontinuity affects our ability to know the truth about the world we live in. Between the time passing and the way we experience it, lies a gap; however this is where memory comes into play. Memory is the way we see our world (through our past experiences) therefore we carry it around everywhere we go, and with every new experience, we use memory as a point of reference. Our past...
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...Name: Tutor: Course: Date: Men or Children? The gangster is a fictional story written by Colson Whitehead in 2008. It is a short story about African- American teenagers and its setting is in Sag Harbor, in 1985. The story begins with a question, “When did you get out?” The opening question emphasizes the title of the story on a particular notion to the reader. In the fictional story, the gangster, Benji and Reggie are twin brothers of ten months apart. They grew up together inseparably in every aspect. It was common for them to be seen together and when they were not, people always question them on where the other is. High school and puberty brought the difference between them physically. They would be seen away from each other severally, and they even looked different physically with Benji being skinny while Reggie looked chubby. Benji and Reggie are brought up in an upper middle class family, and their parents own a beach house in Sag harbor where they go to during the summers. In the summer of 1985, Benji was 15 years old, and Reggie was 14 years old. During the summer when the whole family left for their beach house, the boys would be left alone for some time when their parents went back to the city to work during the weekdays. Benji and Reggie are described, in the story, as Siamese twins when they were young, describing their inseparable nature. This is clearly brought out by the language used as quoted “Where is the surgeon, who is gifted enough to...
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...violence in chapter 22? Throughout the 22nd chapter Hosseini convey a sense of tension and violence through many different language features. The chapter is written in a first person, which makes it more personal and sincere. The fact that it is sincere makes it even more dramatic, as we know that Amir really had to go through all this and that it is a real story. The chapter is told from Amir’s point of view and in a retrospective narrative, so we know that it is not happening at the time and it is Amir’s memory told in a past tense. Hosseini also want to give us some information by others points of view. Epistolary we get the point of view of Rahim Khan and Hassan through the letters they have addressed to Amir. Hosseini begins the chapter with a sense of tension straight on a first page. “He parked in the shadow…” The dark scenery is suggesting us that something is blocking the light. It is a pathetic fallacy, as the common noun “shadow” signifies the atmosphere at the time. Pathetic fallacy is a literary device that attributes human qualities and emotions to inanimate objects of nature. “I heard terse voices from the other side and a pair of men toting Kalashnikovs answered the door”. The mood of this quote is also under the tension, as the noun “Kalashnikovs” stands for guns. It is signifying us the death and terror the Russians had brought to Afghanistan. There is also a sign of juxtaposition in the quote, “The older of the two men motioned toward the sofa with the barrel...
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...because this film contains much information about political statements, philosophy, and religions. Children of Men tells the story of Theo Faron, one of the many bureaucrats from the energy department in UK. He seems like a common citizen, but does something uncommon later. In fact, the first thirty minutes is not quite interesting for me, but things has changed significantly after Julian is killed by shot. Later, Theo becomes a hero by rescuing Kee’s child, the child of miracle. This film has many advanced and significant aspects on many perspectives. So this paper is going to analyze the unique features in it. Narrative The story is located at the United Kingdom in 2027. At that time, human beings have experienced 18 years of infertility. Children of Men is a film with realistic narrative, because the story runs chronologically. And it follows the classic five-part narrative structure. We can clearly recognize the introduction: Theo hears the news about the death of baby Diego. Conflict and obstacles are throughout the story that Theo finds out Luke’s plan and helps Kee escape to “The Tomorrow”. Later climax comes with the ceasing fire of government army and revolt when they see Kee’s kid. And by the end of the film, we can hear kids laughing, which leaves us a hope that human beings can continue on. Meanwhile, this film contains many nondiegetic elements, which always attracts me and let me pause and investigate. At the beginning, the death of baby Diego comes from the news report...
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...Conversion narratives are crucial to World War II films. They were a regular part of Hollywood movies featuring cynical, self-centered antiheros who only cared about themselves. The selfish hero in the face of absolute need converts to a selfless wartime activist dedicating time and resources to the cause and war effort. Casablanca, released in 1942, is a film that portrayed the consequences of having to convert to war. The movie can be seen as giving purpose to war and encouraging the American people to support the mobilization of their troops. The need to convert to war was imperative at this moment in time. Casablanca brilliantly explained to Americans the reason for the fight through the fictional conversion of Rick Blaine and corrupt Vichy police Captain Louis Renault to self-sacrifice and war. The opening scene for the movie sets up establishing shots of imprisoned Europe. A roundabout refugee trail sprung up in order to get to Lisbon, which was the disembarkation point to the new world. The narrator, in a newsreel format, says people looked for freedom in the Americas. The Moroccan city of Casablanca attracted people from all over as many refugees were trying to get out of Europe. They wait in Casablanca. The first scene shows Casablanca as a very police state with a great military presence. The busyness of the exotic open market the camera frame shows the city as being very walled in. People are trapped and they can’t move or go anywhere. The murder of two German...
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...arguments usually question or celebrate the transgressive potentials of the book (Giroux; Mendieta), or address issues of masculinity brought into the fore by their literary and cinematic representations emergent in the same decade (Tuss; Friday). However, few, if any, have addressed the literary aspirations of the text and its author. Although none of the approaches to the thematic concerns of Fight Club are unjustified, in the argument that follows I will suggest that conclusions drawn and critical judgments passed have been hasty, and not only failed to take into account the formal aspects of story-telling, but that the narrative features of Palahniuk’s text have largely went unexplored, and constitute a blind spot of the reception. Critics condemning or acclaiming the novel, and, indeed, many a cultic reader of Palahniuk ignored Fight Club as a literary narrative, and have inadvertently been repeating the catchphrases of the text, either reinforcing or trying to undermine what they have understood as their meaning. I see the significance of Palahniuk’s fiction and the literary event of Fight Club’s publication in somewhat different terms. Palahniuk’s emphasis and continued insistence on minimalism suggest that his fiction is properly understood as belonging to a literary tradition whose evaluation remains troubled and, for a large part, unsettled. Nevertheless,...
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...experienced nearly every day. Peer pressure is defined as getting forced into something that was not wanted by other people, friend or not. It is considered a form of bullying. In the story Shooting an Elephant by George Orwell, is a personal narrative of what happened to him when he was a police officer in Burma, India. Peer pressure was what made him make the decision he did and due to that he has to live forever with the consequences. Certainly, we have all fallen to some form of peer pressure. Peer pressure can greatly influence decisions, always...
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...alternative filmsMainstream films can best be defined as commercial films that are made by major entertainment studios or companies that are owned by international media conglomerates. Because of better financing, these films can afford more expensive actors, wide releases, and are sold at popular retail stores. This has become known as the studio system. Films made by major studios or companies that are not owned by a media conglomerate but are distributed by a company owned by a media conglomerate (see Lucasfilm) are also considered to be mainstream and are often referred to as mainstream independent films. Companies that are completely independent, such as Lionsgate, also produce mainstream films, from a cultural standpoint, but independent of the studio system. The alternative to mainstream films are sub genre films that appeal to a certain audience, such as African American films. Low budget films, art films, and experimental films are often the starting point for entertainers who wish to enter into the mainstream circuit or a sub genre circuit. Mainstream films are targeted for all cultures and audiences, with the dominating culture and audience being the primary marketing focus, while sub genre films are marketed towards only one specific culture and audience. Mainstream films often recruit talent from all film genres and backgrounds. Alternative media are media (newspapers, radio, television, magazines, movies, Internet, etc.) which provide alternative information to the...
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...Personal Narrative- Track Competition The moment of truth was upon me. The official times, this includes whom qualified for finals, for the 400m relay had been posted. My eyes scanned the page for the bold letters that spell ANDERSON. As I ran my finger across the page to where the times were posted, my ears began to shut out all outside noises, leaving me alone with the thump of my heart and the inhale and exhale of my lungs. Both began to increase in speed as my eyes narrowed in on the time. My sophomore year had begun and I wasn't sure whether or not I was going to do track this year. Last year I played football in the fall and soccer in the spring. Not really enjoying it, the decision was made to play " real futbol" (soccer) in the fall, leaving the spring sports season open. My friend kept telling me how fun track was, so I decided to give it a try. As the first meet neared, things were going well. I made it onto the 4x100 team making me the third fastest kid on the team. The other members of the relay were Jason Schmidt, Jeremy Willard and Rodney Schmidt. Jason and Jeremy were both the top dogs and Rodney and I were second from the bottom of the barrel. The 400 relay was my best event. We placed in every meet and even took home some medals as the season progressed. As the track year rounded for the home stretch, we had only three more meets to compete in: the Tiger Invitational, regionals, and state. As the Tiger rolled around, there arose a question...
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...named Offred. Atwood says, “that the novel isn't simply a vehicle for private expression, but that it also exists for social examination.” Which is exactly what the novel serves as when it makes us criticise and reflect on the cracks in our society such as the totalitarian regimes that still reign today, gender inequality and the brutality of people higher up in society. In Gilead there is an obvious totalitarian regime and through the narrative of Offred, Atwood gives us a clear idea of her opinion on that. Offred was once a happily married woman with a daughter but she has now been caught up in the new Gilead totalitarian regime which has taken all that away from her and turned her into a handmaid whose only purpose is to bear children for her commander. The society is so strict that Offred has basically been reduced to a childlike state, she can’t pick what she wears, eats or says, she isn’t allowed basic necessities like moisturiser and she can’t even go to the bathroom unsupervised. The Gilead regime has taken away all of her personal freedom. Societies like these make us reflect on those in our own world such as the situation in North Korea. North Korea is run by a totalitarian regime, it is so strict on the people and they are in a similar situation to Offred as they also being prevented from leaving. This makes us think about how fragile our social structure is and how easily it can be overthrown. Atwood also makes us reflect on how far women have come over the past...
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...Post-modernism in Baz Luhrmann’s film adaptation of William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet: a comparison of two creative works from two different periods. In 1996, Baz Luhrmann directed “Romeo + Juliet”, a modern twist on the famous tragedy play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare in 1597, in which the main characters Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet where portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes. While some praise the strange interpretation of the old tale, there are also those who condemn the rendition as destructive and disrespectful to the great work of Shakespeare. There will always be two sides to every story and this study will take that into consideration as well as comparing the two different yet similar works to see how post modernism has played a role in Luhrmann’s version of Romeo and Juliet. Postmodernism has been given many definitions. Some say it’s simply the outlook that the generation of late twenty first century has on life which entails the mistrust and dismissal of theories that existed before such as religion, ethics and law. According to these youths, the difference between right and wrong or what the meaning of life is based solely on that individual’s perspective. In film, the idea of postmodernism is somewhat similar as it’s an artist medium in which to undermine social norms and present one’s individual belief. The difference lies in that postmodernism in film concerns bringing in many aspects of popular culture to produce something...
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...N I N G O B J E C T I V E S 10 1. Identify the purpose and structure of narrative writing. 2. Recognize how to write a narrative essay. Rhetorical modes simply mean the ways in which we can effectively communicate through language. This chapter covers nine common rhetorical modes. As you read about these nine modes, keep in mind that the rhetorical mode a writer chooses depends on his or her purpose for writing. Sometimes writers incorporate a variety of modes in one essay. In covering the nine rhetorical modes, this chapter also emphasizes these as a set of tools that will allow you greater flexibility and effectiveness in communicating with your audience and expressing your ideas. rhetorical modes The ways in which we effectively communicate through language. 1.1 The Purpose of Narrative Writing Narration means the art of storytelling, and the purpose of narrative writing is to tell stories. Any time you tell a story to a friend or family member about an event or incident in your day, you engage in a form of narration. In addition, a narrative can be factual or fictional. A factual story is one that is based on, and tries to be faithful to, actual events as they unfolded in real life. A fictional story is a made-up, or imagined, story; the writer of a fictional story can create characters and events as he or she sees fit. However, the big distinction between factual and fictional narratives is based on a writer’s purpose. The writers of factual stories try to recount...
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...feelings from great anger and bitterness to terrible sadness and even sarcasm, making the reader sometimes even feel guilty. Whichever way he chooses to portray the pity of the war the end result is always the same. "Dulce Et Decorum Est" is a direct attack at the people in Britain who had been taken in by the propaganda drive by telling them the truth of what life is really like at the front and in what conditions their sons, fathers, brothers etc. are in. "Dulce Et Decorum Est" consists of four unequal stanzas, the first two in sonnet form, and the last two in a looser structure. The first stanza sets the scene of soldiers limping back from the front. The authorial stance is of Owen telling us of his own personal experiences. The second stanza focuses on one man who could not get his gas mask on in time. This is a recurring nightmare that Owen has, where he sees one man "drown" in the gas and in the third stanza he describes how the man "plunges" at Owen, "guttering, choking, drowning." This is an image Wilfred Owen will never forget. The fourth and final stanza, Wilfred Owen again attacks the people at home who uphold the continuance of the war, unaware ofthe reality. He wishes they could experience his own "smothering dreams" which he then goes on to describe in great detail. At the end of this poem he appeals to people not to tell children "Dulce et decorum est pro patria...
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...Is America Returning to the Wild, Wild West? I envision a time and a place that allows people to walk around with gun holsters containing polished semi automatic weapons and a right to use them at their own discretion. Gentlemen who disagree at a bar can take their argument to the street, where they engage in a legal duel. A shopkeeper who pulls out a gun and shoots a young teenager to death because he caught her trying to steal more than five hundred dollars in goods. Or how about a good old fashioned shoot out? If you were thinking that I was referring to a small western town back in the late eighteen hundreds, you'd be wrong. The wild, wild west has made a comeback to modern America. That era, synonymous with lawlessness and vigilante justice is being revived in essence by the introduction of legislation called "Stand Your Ground". Currently, there is a debate raging in our country over the rights of gun owners in regards to gun control and startling increases in justifiable homicides all over the United States. Recently, there was an incident that sparked a huge backlash against the National Rifle Association (NRA) and their support of a law called "Stand Your Ground". The law states that "... a person is justified in the use of deadly force and does not have a duty to retreat if: (1) He or she reasonably believes that such force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another or to prevent the imminent commission of a forcible...
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...their training. They are being prepared for the greatest military maneuver ever undertaken; the D-Day invasion of Normandy. The 506 is to parachute behind the German lines and work their way back towards the beach, to meet the Allies there, and hopefully cut off German supply lines to the front in the process. On June 6, 1944, the invasion comes, after having been postponed for bad weather. The drops do not go well, due to anti-aircraft fire and low visibility, but as the men hit the ground, they begin to regroup, and eventually, the beaches are secured, and the company is under the leadership of Lt. Dick Winters. Now it is time to beat the Germans back to Berlin. Easy Company does not get much rest after D-Day. They are sent into Holland, as part of Operation Market-Garden. In an effort to get to Berlin, they are then sent to Bastogne, and are tasked to hold the front line in the...
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