“Any fool can know; the point is to understand” (Albert Einstein). This wise saying is from Albert Einstein, who believed understanding a concept is the most crucial part of knowledge. Elizabeth Kolbert displayed a similar philosophy in writing her passage “Terrible Teens”. Kolbert’s objective was to make her readers truly comprehend her thesis. Making use of personal encounters, Kolbert was able to make her thesis clear throughout her passage. Furthermore, Kolbert uses a comparison to a well-known musical to make her theory straightforward. Last of all, Kolbert uses a professional’s opinion to further propel her proposition as unambiguous. Kolbert not only uses methods of development throughout her passage…
In conclusion, while O Brother, Where Art Thou may have been based on the Odyssey by Homer it is almost completely Americanized. The film by the Coen brothers used the concept of the Odyssey to tell an American epic about the values that American culture holds above all others. The values shown are a part of the journey the trio makes and sometimes with the company of Tommy. By adhering to the values set by the American culture the trio advances toward their final goal, and are admired by those who share their values. In the end of O Brother, Where Art Thou is an American Odyssey with the final lesson of the epic being living a virtuous life will lead you to what you truly…
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is the story about a teenage boy named Greg who belongs to no particular social group at school and avoids any type of…
The 1961 movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s directed by Blake Edwards and based on the novel of the same name, is about Holly Golightly a young woman who is living independently as a socialite in New York during the 60’s. The movie is regarded as a large reflection of American culture and the different values and opinions that were held by many people during the time. The movie is also a great example of filmmaking in the mid-20th century and how it compares to today’s style of filmmaking.…
Two men, though part of different stories, travel long journeys to return home. Their paths face many obstacles and trials. How do their stories compare? The main characters are Odysseus, from Homer’s, The Odyssey, and Everett from O Brother Where Art Thou, directed by Ethan and Joel Coen. Though O Brother Where Art Thou, is based on The Odyssey, the two share many similarities and differences, such as the characters’ encounters with others, conflicts faced in the stories, and characteristics of the major characters.…
Life was quite different in the deep south during the 1930’s. It was during that volatile…
Soaked, little, and naked is how the viewer finds Susanna in the middle of Girl, Interrupted. Or rather, soaked, little, naked, and hysterical. A state James Mangold utilizes to further illustrate his message. The film serves as a vehicle for Mangold to discuss madness and the society it exists within. Valerie, the asylum’s registered nurse, throws Susanna, the film’s suicidal protagonist, into a tub filled with water in order to snap Susanna out of her depressed state. Susanna lashes out at Valerie with every hurtful vulgarity she has within her. Despite this, Valerie remains calm and collected. In this interaction between Susanna and Valerie, madness is portrayed in its most basic form; it is an ongoing battle between the individual and the environment surrounding it. The individual is a victim of his environment, overwhelmed into regurgitating the detritus surrounding him that are readily filtered and suppressed by those deemed sane by society.…
Not everyone in the world has confidence in their body or who they are. If you do not believe in yourself and the things you do, nobody else will. Persisting, and not giving up by improving yourself is the way to gain back your confidence and be stronger than before. Being confident gives you so many things like happiness, freedom from fears, anxiety, and much more. In Jesse Andrew’s novel, Me and Earl and the Dying girl, a lot of the characters go through tough times because they are not confident in themselves. When having poor self esteem in life, it may lead to many tragic moments, just like the main character Greg Gaines. He is a senior high school student who goes to Benson High School, and is a typical teenager who is going through…
Hannah Kent, in Burial Rites and Billie August in Les Miserables explore a variety of injustices as a product of prejudice by revealing the flaws of their Nineteenth Century social system. Although Kent released her novel in the 21st century, she thoroughly presents Nineteenth Century Iceland in all its formidable culture of prejudice and hardship to the same extent that August explores Nineteenth Century France in Les Miserables. Though both authors propose that one’s preconception of another rests in the position of their social class, August presents that as one’s social class changes, the prejudice changes towards them changes. This is different to Kent as she entices the readers to see the nature of men and their prejudice towards women…
Justice isn't really about “getting even” or experiencing joy in retaliation, rather it is about righting a wrong that society would agree is morally culpable. Revenge possesses a selfish quality: arrogance, vindication, ruthlessness. Revenge shall not be confused with justice; however, societal standards have allowed these two to become false inverses. As seen in numerous novels, poems and theatrical productions, characters interpret justice as revenge and revenge as justice— so does society.…
In the movie, “Me, Myself & Irene”, the main character, Charlie Baileygates, played by Jim Carrey, is diagnosed with a split personality, also known as dissociative identity disorder. What that means is, at some point in the movie, he develops a second personality, and that personality goes by the name of Hank. Through out the movie, viewers are able to see the symptoms of someone with DID, and see how it can affect their daily life.…
There is no love so lasting, so strong, so disinterested, so unselfish, so devoted as the first and purest of all loves, a mother’s love. In literature, the concept of a “mother’s love” exists as an important motif, frequently referred to by authors and readers alike as the most sacred of literary loves. Written nearly sixty years apart, Beloved, by Toni Morrison, and As I Lay Dying, by William Faulkner, explore the motif of motherhood and a mother’s love. At their cores, Beloved and As I Lay Dying are stories about mothers and their children. Published in 1987, Morrison’s Beloved tells a heart-wrenching story of the everlasting effects of slavery in America by centering around the relationship between Sethe, an escaped slave, and the daughter…
In the documentary, the artist, Acconci was blindfolded and was holding a bat. Audiences can walk down the staircase or remain upstairs as they like. There was a monitor showing the basement in the upstairs. However, if audiences went downstairs, there was a risk that they might be beaten by the artist. In downstairs, the artist who was armed was blindfolded was terrified. Although he was tensed, if he hit anyone he felt shocked and stopped immediately at the beginning. But meanwhile time passed, he attacked anyone whole was trying to walk near to him. He thought that was a threat of someone walking into his area, he became enjoy the process and keep hitting people with no doubt. Although the title of this documentary is “Claim”, it seems that…
Blood, gore, death, darkness, suspense, and fear of the unusual are just a few ingredients that are stirred into making a horror film. Horror films are projected to create a psychological sense of fear; however, humans tend to enjoy and crave the heart-pumping adrenaline rush of terror. Some believe it is the calling of curiosity while others think it is the section of insanity that imbedded itself into our mind. Trepidations are not a trend that has set forth in the twenty first century; we humans hunger after the thrill of terror ever since Roman times. In addition, horror films closely relate to events like gladiators fighting at the Flavian Amphitheatre, not only because of the blood and gore, but for the audience purpose of intentionally…
In a gothic novel, or story, the setting is exclusive to the plot. If a gothic story doesn’t have a great setting, the plot will not be as enthralling with a weak setting. A gothic setting must have dark elements and horrifying twists and turns to drive the story.…