...-11:00 AM Narrative Analysis of Night Crawler Night crawler opens with the image of an unaltered billboard that is draped in white. The billboard that would normally promote, advertise or represent something is instead blank, emotionless. This could not be a more appropriate image to open this film with consideringNightcrawler is a film that is devoid of emotion, sentiment or integrity. This form of detachment from human emotion does not stem from the film’s content, but rather from Jake Gyllenhaal’s portrayal of the film’s main character, Lou Bloom. Even in the strictest of definitions, the character is a sociopath who feeds off the vulnerability of others. By proxy of Gyllenhaal’s performance, the film transforms itself into an unapologetic film that chronicles the plight of its lead character without ever throwing judgment or morality upon his actions. A sociopath, in many regards, is opportunists. They craft a narrative and use their persuasive social skills to create an entry into individual’s lives, companies or corporations. Typically such personalities are perceived to be harmless, such as being personable and generating attention towards them. Also, their inability to feel guilt often feeds into their confidence, which allows for them to present themselves as being more than they actually are. Gyllenhaal’s performance occupies many of these qualities, to which the viewer must immediately acknowledge as being contradictory to who he truly is, which is a vindictive...
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...forensic psychology. The research covered false confessions, witness memory, and the role of hypnosis in court proceedings. Over time, the discipline has evolved to include the principles that law enforcement or psychologists could use in the interviewing of suspects and witnesses. Forensic psychology also covers the strategies used in deception and detecting lies while describing the process of assessing criminals for violence and re-offending risks. The overarching aim of the discipline is simply to understand criminal behavior along with the developmental risk factors related to such conduct, psychopathy, and sociopathy being the two most typical of the criminal acts. Pete Earley’s book The Serial Killer Whisperer recounts the life story of Tony Ciaglia, a man with the extraordinary ability to get serial killers to open up. In 1992, Ciaglia suffered a traumatic brain injury after a freak jet-ski accident. In spite of being pronounced clinically dead thrice while on the way to the hospital, he managed to pull through. The incident left him with a proneness to uncontrollable behavior, angry rages, depression and obsessions, a condition that had him heavily medicated. Ciaglia is seen to question invariably the reason why he survived the accident, and it is not until later that he comes to the realization of the possible reason why. As a form of therapy, Ciaglia is asked to take up...
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...In the short stories, Hop-Frog, by Edgar Allan Poe, and Killings, by Andre Dubus, the theme of revenge is dominant. Hop-Frog and his friend, Trippetta, are outcasts of the society and is quite often the butt of the King’s temper and jokes in the story Hop-Frog. After many years of this, Hop-Frog grows angry and seeks revenge. Similar to the story Hop-Frog, the main characters of Killings are rancorous people who seek revenge on the one who did wrong by them. In the short stories Hop-Frog and Killings, the characters’ need for revenge fuels them to stray from their normal thoughts and actions. The story Hop-Frog depicts a court jester named Hop-Frog and his interactions with the King. The King acquired his jester by sending his men to a faraway land. The men returned with a crippled midget and his companion, Trippetta. Because of the nature of the man they returned with,...
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...in O'Connor's short story allows a different perception to readers, creating a new reality. Its ironic style and eccentric characters prove that people themselves can even be distorted. Different styles are used widely in any story to give deeper insight of a what seems to be obvious picture. Distorted styles can do the same however, sometimes changing the entire perception of the story. In “Good Country People”, the title is used as a eye grabber....
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...that spans across several centuries in the span of 330 pages as the first short novel of a three part trilogy. Captain Jennifer Hero is leading what she thinks will be her last mission with a small task-force from the 30th century. Their goal? To plant a virus and destroy that will cure the sociopath tendencies of the genetically altered syndo’s. The genetically altered Syndo’s want nothing more than to stop Jennifer and her team. Who will win in the end? For me, the book rates a solid 2 stars. The plot was incredibly intriguing, but I was pulled out of the story when the chapters were broken up halfway down the page and the chapters included maps and images that related to the story. I felt like this information could’ve been...
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...“Mr. Brooks” I chose to do my term paper on the film “Mr. Brooks.” The Plot of the Film consists of the main character; Earl Brooks who is played by Kevin Costner, owner of a successful box business, who is married to a devoted wife, which they have a loving daughter together and love unconditionally. But Mr. Brooks has a terrible secret that he has been able to hide from everyone. That terrible secret happens to be that he is a psychopathic serial killer who is known in media as the “Thumbprint Killer.” Being a wealthy, successful businessman recently honored by the Portland, Oregon, Chamber of Commerce as "Man of the Year" as well as a philanthropist no one has ever suspected him. Being unable to control his horrific addiction, Brooks gives in to his sadistic, all too real alter ego “Marshall” played by William Hurt. A pesky, voyeuristic witness “Mr. Smith,” played by Dane Cook catches him in the act of his latest crime. The rush that Mr. Smith felt after seeing Mr. Brooks brutally kill a couple he used to watch and take pictures of while engaging in sexual activities has set him on a path of destruction and he is taking all the wrong steps to get there. Then there’s the detective, “Tracy Atwood,” played by Demi Moore who has been on the case for quite some time without Mr. Brooks knowledge of it adds a few twists and turns to an already terrifying game of cat and mouse. The way the script has been written, is a “moral” one. You have a man, “Mr. Brooks” who is fighting...
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... But what if insanity is just the society’s way of dismissing those with a different understanding of the fundamentals of the world. Many people treat those with mental disorders as less than humans, many people just dismisses everything they have to say. This question of disorder becomes very relevant in the short story “Reconciliation” by Polly Clark. The main character and narrator, Laura have developed a different view of the world than most people. The narrator of the short story is a first-person narrator, and therefore she is bound to be Subjective. The story she tells us is seen from her point of view, and it is always a problem, if only one point of view is used on actions. Especially if the narrator has problems seeing the world through uncoloured glasses. The narrators mind is a mess, this is clearly seen in the first line off the story in which she didn’t bring her shoes to work “It's my first day …. and I have forgotten my shoes” (p. 1 l. 1) This show that she doesn’t have control over her life, in the next couple of lines, she has an internal dialogue about what kind of lie she is going to tell the people at her work “My trainers definitely...
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...and his pack are on the run from the police while the Grandmother and her family are on a road trip and they make a stop at Red Sammy’s Diner. While there the monkey is picking at his own fur. He’s “catching fleas on himself and biting each one carefully between his teeth as if it were a delicacy” (O’Connor 9). This is foreshadowing the Misfit’s appearance. It displays the Misfit as a self-satisfied person who feeds on his own parasitic pests in order to survive. To him society is a ticking time bomb waiting to erupt. Also after Bailey’s death the Misfit tells the family a little bit about his past. He states “I was never a bad boy that I remembered of… but somewheres along the line I done something wrong…” (O’Connor 18). The Misfit’s a sociopath because of his small moral conscious and lack of empathy for others. He’s hostile and aggressive; such as when he asks the children to be removed from his presence in an icy tone and he states that the Grandmother “should” “be shot” “every minute of her life” (O’Connor 22, 23). The Misfit is socially inappropriate as well. He apologizes to the women for not having a shirt on even though he’s going to murder the whole family. The Misfit and the Grandmother are polar opposites. Grandmother’s trying her best to save her skin by stating “You’re at good man!”(O’Connor 15) repeatedly and the Misfit keeps interrupting her telling her to shut up (Bacon 6). It’s ironic how the Misfit uses customary Southern manners and politeness before taking...
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...Hemmingway Analysis of “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe Abstract “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe, is a short story about a man named Montessor who gets revenge on one of his “friends” named Fortunado by trapping him and burying him alive. Treatment Setting: Two kinds Plot: Man gets revenge on his “friend” Characters: Montresor, Fortunado, Montresor’s family, and Luchesi Setting: An underground catacomb, somewhere in Italy, during the carnival season Time: Over two days Conflict: For Montresor to revenge himself for Fortunato’s insult, he has to get away with it – if Fortunato can revenge him back, then Montresor has lost. The punishment must be permanent − Fortunato has to feel it, and he has to know it’s coming from Montresor. Resolution: The satisfaction of the death of Fortunado Narrative point of view: First person, Central (Montresor) Literary devices: Repetition- "Amontillado" - This shows Fourtunato's doubt about the wine being Amontillado. Dialect- "I will not impose upon your good will." - The way the character talks suggests that they are in the past and educated. Onomatopoeia- "ugh...ugh, ugh...ugh." - instead of just saying that Fortunato had a cold or was sick, the author used onomatopoeia to show the reader that he had a cough and was very ill. Evaluation At the end of the story The Cask of Amontillado, by Edgar Allan Poe, we find Montressor and Fortunato inside the former's (Montressor's) catacombs in a quest for...
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...The Poe(t) Edgar Allan Poe was born on January 19, 1809 as Edgar Poe. He was the second son of David and Elizabeth Arnold Poe, both whom were actors. In 1810, shortly after Poe’s birth his father deserted the family. The subsequent death of his twenty-four year old mother on December 8, 1811 in Richmond, Virginia, left Poe an orphan at the young age of three. After his mother’s death, John, a strict unemotional tobacco merchant, and Frances Allan, a weak woman due to health problems, took in Poe; his paternal grandparents took in his brother William Henry; and foster parents cared for his sister Rosalie. Poe was educated with the Allan’s aid, in private academies, excelling in Latin, in writing verse, and declamation. However, despite his education, he was looked down upon and regarded as an outsider by the upper class of Richmond’s society; perhaps because the Allan’s never legally adopted Poe. Also, the culture of Richmond during Poe’s young adulthood did not regard actors in a high manner. This could have attributed to his reputation since his biological parents were actors. The loss of his mother at an early age definitely affected Poe. “The angels, whispering to one another, Can find, among their burning terms of love, None so devotional as that of ‘Mother’” Poe wrote that in To My Mother. In Tamerlane, he not only wrote about his father, but he wrote about his mother as well; he had more respect for his mother than he did for his father. This respect can be found in...
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...but what really had me on the edge of my seat was perhaps the most riveting villain I had ever seen. The Joker. The Joker is a mob-backed terrorist with suicidal tendencies and According to the DSM, the joker would be given the diagnoses of Antisocial personality disorder. He is not reasonable, he’s not afraid of anything, and the last thing he cares about in the world is himself. As Alfred explained to Bruce, “Some men just want to watch the world burn Individuals with an Antisocial Personality Disorder show a lack of concern toward the expectations and rules of society and usually frequently become involved in at least minor violations of the rules of society and the rights of others. A popular term for this type of individual is “sociopath”. Although the diagnosis is limited to those persons over eighteen years of age, it usually involves a history of antisocial behavior before the age of fifteen. The individual often displays a pattern of lying, truancy, delinquency, substance abuse, running away from home and may have difficulty with the law. As an adult, the person often commits acts that are against the law and/or fails to live up to the requirements of a job, financial responsibility, or parenting responsibilities. They tend to have difficulty sustaining a long term marital relationship and frequently are involved in alcohol and drug abuse. To be diagnosed with Antisocial Personality Disorder the person must have three or more symptoms of the following (John M....
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...The Irony in Flannery O’Connor’s Irony is a significant rhetorical technique used in demonstrating a condition which is conflicting or expression whereby the result is the exact opposite of what is anticipated. This device of literature creates absurdity in the story according to its tone. Irony has an element of indirectness hence making the writing interesting to the reader. In the story of Flannery O’Connor’s “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” Irony has aided deeper comprehension and understanding of its themes as it provokes the readers making them to critically analyze the state, paralleling and distinguishing the actual condition with assumptions as explained in the paper. Use of irony is imbued in this work as it is a principal feature in her lifetime and limited career. She dwelt mostly in Georgia as one of the minor Catholic emphatic. What is amusing is that, she spent most of her lifetime in struggle and met her death immediately it was ripe for her to start enjoying life. At such time it is expected that people should get time in life so that they can enjoy and do whatever they had in mind but they have never got the opportunity or power to do them. It is ironical that, she becomes popular and passes away before she is rewarded for her determination and hard work. The family plans to go to Florida except the grandmother who wants to go to Tennessee. She tries to convince the family by telling them that there is Misfit, the murderer on the way to Florida but they give her...
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...Dr. Bohdi Sanders is a martial arts expert, author and philosopher who has spent a great deal of time and effort exploring the ideals of the warrior’s code in cultures around the globe. In his book, Warrior Wisdom, he examines what it means to be a warrior — on a physical, psychological and moral level. His writings show that, in the warrior tradition, strength comes with commitment, power comes with service, and honor comes with responsibility. His exploration of chivalry shows that the code of the knights of old is an expression of the timeless wisdom of the warrior.” In short, the warrior lifestyle is for anyone who wants to live a life of excellence; a life which adheres to a strict code of ethics. You must be willing to live your life based on honor, preparedness and what is right. This lifestyle requires that you put your ethics before your comfort, and that you put what is right before what is profitable. It requires filial duty, dedication to family and friends, and a willingness to help those in need. It requires independence in thought and action. This lifestyle is a decision, not a profession. Bohdi Sanders Ph. D. The Wisdom Warrior Everyone who cares about the welfare of warriors wants them not only to live through whatever fighting they must face, but also to have lives worth living after the fighting is done. The warriors’ code is the shield that guards our warriors’ humanity. Without it, they are no good to themselves or to those with whom and for whom they...
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...fighting for their spot around the proverbial camp fire, storytelling has devolved into a hook ‘em quick gimmick parade. Writers and story tellers will delve countless hours into either the characters or the setting, whichever they believe will give them the best retention to seeing through the plot. Video games are especially prone to having to make this choice, since the player is supposed to have some impact on the protagonist actions and thoughts....
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...up having the player helping him get through the loss of someone who he used to depend on for emotional support and then with the later character Conic Egret whose name is an anagram for egocentric would require the player to dig deeper into his personality to see if they ever were selfless once. There will be other hints as well if the player searches around the area the character with said problem is in to find info about them, things such as photo’s, letters, objects, and what other characters say about them, the player can even call them up on Mia’s cellphone when they have their number to see what they say about the area Mia’s in. The names chosen for the intractable characters laid out the foundation of their personality allowing stories behind them to be made with Mai having the option to dig deeper into their character and find out where these problems stem from and how to help them overcome it while improving Mia’s own overall mental and emotional health as well. Everything the player does will come to a culmination at the end, the characters they talked to, the places they went, and the things they did. This results in various endings depending on the level of Mia’s stats when Mia meets the Undone Meet at the end of the city whose name is an anagram of Denouement, meaning end,...
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