Saturday, January 25, 2020

Reviewing The Film Version Of Brokeback Mountain Film Studies Essay

Reviewing The Film Version Of Brokeback Mountain Film Studies Essay This essay will aim to compare the film version of Brokeback Mountain with Annie Proulxs short story. It will explain, discuss as well as evaluate the ways in which Ang Lee represented key themes and ideas through-out the film. Many themes and ideas were dealt with in the film, some of which will be looked at such as, relationships, love, desire and the gothic. Ang Lee was able to express Jack and Enniss masculinity through their physical features, the jobs that they undertook, as well as through their clothing, throughout the movie. The two men were seen to be working on the land, doing strenuous physical labour and played out the masculine roles in society. In both the movie and the short story Jack and Ennis relationship with nature was masculine in the way that they spent a great deal of time in the open countryside at work. Their relationship with the land strengthened through the depiction of their love making on Brokeback Mountain which showed their deep connection and confidence with their surroundings. Even though the men were portrayed as masculine figures throughout both the film and the story, there was also a very prominent shift in the gender roles, as Jack and Ennis both alternated between the traditional roles of male female. Central to Proulxs thinking is not only the subjectivity of people shaped by geographical constrain ts, limits and opportunities, but also that the social worlds produced reveal personal narratives of engagement which often question determined social roles.  [1]  It could be argued that the short story was wholly about the love of two men for each other and how this impacted on the lives they were expected to lead. However the movie focused more on their home life and domestic roles, such as Ennis failing to provide and care for his children. The short story only briefly mentioned Ennis family life. In the movie, there was great insight into the mens married life whereas in the book there is not much emphasis on this. This would have helped the viewer to delve more deeply into their personal lives and therefore have a better understanding of them. The women in the film version of Brokeback Mountain were more visible, referred to more and had a significantly active role in the story in relation to Jack and Ennis. The viewer was able to see life from the womens points of view and into the hardships of their lives. Whereas in the short story they were merely portrayed as obstacles that stopped Jack and Ennis from pursuing their romantic relationship. It could be argued that Ang Lee did not want women to merely be on the margin in this film, he probably wanted to bring the women to the foreground of the story since conventional relationships are between men and women, unlike Proulx whose version was more closely focused around the relationship between Jack and Ennis. In both versions the women were powerless to affect what was going on, especially after they eventually discovered that Jack and Ennis were more than just friends. There was nothing that they could do, as they were unable to effectively influence the situation in thei r favour,. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦and the door opening and Alma looking out for a few seconds at Enniss straining shouldersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.She had seen what she had seen.  [2]  In addition, this story was set at a time when women were seen to be more dominant in the private domestic sphere, therefore they seemed to be naÃÆ' ¯ve of about the goings on in the outside world and perhaps did not have a loud enough voice to stand up to men. One of the main themes in Ang Lees film version of Brokeback Mountain was the added dimension of nature and the surroundings of the west in which the film was set. Proulx references to the landscape to set the scenes were very descriptive throughout the story. The mountain boiled with demonic energy, glazed with flickering broken-cloud light; the wind combed the grass and drew from the damaged krummholz and slit rock a bestial drone.  [3]  The amazing awe-inspiring shots of the landscape in Ang Lees movie, gave a new dimension to the film as the shots of nature became just as much a part of the film as the story line. The beauty of the shots nearly as important as dialogue  [4]  The impact that nature had on people who already felt comfortable in the open country were given more depth and significance. Spending time together on Brokeback Mountain was like a retreat or a safe haven from society in which Jack and Ennis would have been judged because of the nature of their relationship. Whilst on Brokeback Mountain the emphasis on nature meant that they felt free and at peace away from society and were able to be themselves without the risk of being ridiculed or judged. The image of the dead sheep on the mountain, in the film, acted as a metaphor for the idea that even though the men felt safe and free on the mountain they were still vulnerable in the eyes of society. The main themes that ran through the film were that of love, relationships and desire. There were great similarities in the short story and the movie in the ways in which the characters related to each other, their emotion and concern. The way that Jack was so caring towards Ennis, was expressed perfectly through both mediums. The way their relationship was portrayed was so painful as they could never be together was shown in different ways in both the short story and the movie. They have to privatise their feelings  [5]  . The original dialogue from the story added another dimension to Ang Lees film. As a lot of the time the characters whispered or spoke in a quiet manner, it gives the impression that what they were saying was not to be shared with others. The scene in the movie where Ennis became hysterical after Jacks departure from Brokeback Mountain, was very much more heartfelt and emotional than in the short story, within a mile Ennis felt like someone was pulling his guts out  [6]  . The emotion was not felt whilst reading the book, it was better conveyed in the movie. The reason for this may have been as a result of the musical soundtrack and the close up camera shots which showed Ennis as totally distraught. This was apparent also near the end of the film by the lines, I wish I knew how to quit you'  [7]  , which were spoken, the tone and volume of which this short line was spoken displayed the pain that Ennis and Jack were enduring by being apart. In addition, in the final scene at Jacks house with the two shirts, one inside the other; the scene was portrayed better visually than in the book due to the impact that the music had over the scene, which was not achieved in the short story. However, it the words used in the short story were powerful in their simplicity. The shirt seemed heavy until he saw there was another inside ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the pair like two skins, one inside the other, two in one.  [8]  On a literal level this scene added shaped to the story, as the story ended where it started, both with dreams, both with shirts. Both the movie and the short story expressed key elements of the gothic. Two of the most prominent elements were violence and mystery. Proulxs short story had an ambiguous ending in which the reader was unsure of how Jack died and who killed him. His family and Ennis were left wondering if it was an accident or if it was on purpose as a result of someone finding out about his secret relationship with Ennis. The ending was left for the viewer to decide and to use their imagination as to who killed Jack and how he was killed, quite like a murder mystery. Not only did I want to be loyal to [Proulxs] writing, but I needed to do additional scenes to confirm her writing, because we dont have the internal depictions which she did most brilliantly.  [9]  This was true consistently throughout the film. There were many sections in the film that did not appear in the story, such as the argument between Jack and his father-in-law on Thanksgiving, and the scenes where Jack went to Mexico to explore his sexuality and the greater depth and insight into their family lives and the people closest to them. Scenes even appeared in a different order. However things that were missing from the film were filled with extended scenes that were also not in the short story. These extended scenes gave the viewer a greater insight into the lives of Jack and Ennis as well as those that they interacted with. Futhermore in the movie Ang Lee used flashbacks as well as clips which gave the viewer a greater insight into the unknown, and to things that were below the surface of the characters initial thoughts. The viewer always had the fuller picture drawn out for them, which was pieced together by the actual storyline. This was present in the way that Ang Lee used a flashback to show how Ennis father showed him what happened to a man who lived with another male however this was not presented in the same way in the short story. The movie was quite direct and visual and the story had a definitive ending and the audience knew exactly what happened to Jack even if the other characters in film did not. The use of the movie as a visual aid meant that there was more freedom in the idea of the gothic with the gruesome scenes of the man who was castrated as well as the murder of Jack. The book ended as it stated that the love felt by Ennis was endured, but it was only an end to the physical but not emotional love. It was as if the story still continued beyond the text, and would continue to do so as long as society failed to move on. There was some open space between what he knew and what he tried to believe, but nothing could be done about it, and if you cant fix it youve got to stand it.  [10]   The long silences and deep stares that were exchanged between Jack and Ennis throughout the film expressed their unspoken love, this was more effectively displayed in the film than the short story. Because of their stoic characters, the story has much to do with what is unspoken, with the shame and guilt that fills them  [11]  This made the film a lot more powerful than the story as a result of these silences. narrative detail is echoed by Ang Lee cinematically. The beauty and purity of the emotions is matched by the rustic majesty of the landscape; in reducing the story to a universe of simplicity of scenery and emotion, Lee was trying to create a new depth for a love story.  [12]  As a result of the shame and guilt that would have been forced upon them whilst in society Brokeback Mountain gave them a sense of freedom to do things that would not have been acceptable in society at the time. Ang Lee tells us that the focus on emotion cannot be articulated in words, and employs the imagined iconic solitude of the cowboy  [13]  The use of camera shots such as panning and close ups helped to covey the emotion through the screen to the viewer, this therefore enabled the viewer to have a better emotional connection with the characters. One of the main adaptations that Ang Lee made to the film version of Brokeback Mountain was his selection of his cast, especially the main characters. Whereas in the short story Jack and Ennis were not described as overly good looking men, however Ang Lees cast did not portray this.

Friday, January 17, 2020

Is Therese Raquin a Naturalist Novel?

Is Therese Raquin a Naturalist novel? Emile  Zola is often considered the chief literary theorist of the Naturalist movement and so one would assume that his creative offspring, including the novel Therese Raquin, would display the traits of the genre. Zola may be responsible for many of the conventions that one would associate with Naturalism and so naturally you could extend this logic to argue that his work defines the genre.To the modern reader, Therese Raquin appears anything but naturalistic with a dramatic, fast moving plot that boasts murder, adultery and revenge that almost becomes synthetic in places. However, for the sake of this essay, I must decide upon a firm definition for Naturalism, in its correct historical context, in order to debate and speculate as to whether Therese Raquin can be read or interpreted as a Naturalist novel.Naturalism may be defined as a scientifically accurate extension of realism characterized by a magnified perspective through which the author displays the primitive nature of humans (using characters with strong animal drives who are â€Å"victims both of glandular secretions within and of sociological pressures†) and adopts an objective and emotionally detached approach to the characters in order to demonstrate the weaknesses and tragedies of 19th Century society, particularly amongst the lower classes.Zola’s prefaces to his novels at as essays on Naturalism and much of the deterministic and scientific philosophy behind the movement may be found, for example in the preface to Therese Raquin, Zola writes that he sees himself as a â€Å"mere analyst, who may have turned his attention to human corruption, but in the same way as a doctor becomes absorbed in an operating theatre† and comments that â€Å"the return to nature, the naturalistic evolution which marks the century, drives little by little all the manifestation of human intelligence to the same path†.Firstly I will explore the common con ventions of Naturalism that are present in Therese Raquin. For example is the typical Naturalistic characterisation through the use of the four temperaments (stemming from Galen’s four humours) that the author regards in higher importance than the actual characterisation as he states that he proposed to â€Å"study temperaments and not characters†. Zola assigns certain temperaments to his characters to establish inter-character relations in the plot and demonstrate the animalistic nature of humans.Laurent may be associated with sanguine (â€Å"handsome, full blooded†), Therese with melancholy and Camille with phlegmatic qualities. By using this device, Zola adds a certain amount of reality and human nature to the pot which is, of course, an essential aspect to the genre of Naturalism. Also by using these temperaments to define the psychology of his characters, Zola incorporates scientific elements, as if he is conducting a sociological study of background in rel ation to the  milieu and subsequently the psychological study of individual characters in particular circumstances.Naturalism, as a movement, is in debt to the scientific enlightenment with scientists, such as Darwin, who popularised new ways of thinking that evolved around the concept of biological determinism and the author adopted these views in response, stating that Naturalists are â€Å"men of science†. Biological determinism may be thought of as a melting pot of biology and philosophy, suggesting that humans merely respond to the surrounding  environmental forces  and  internal drives,  none of which they can control or understand, in essence we are little more than a â€Å"human brute†.In essence we are driven by the very primitive urges and instincts of hunger, sex and fear. Within Therese Raquin we see these attributes materialise throughout the book and become particularly prevalent in the sexual undertones of Therese’s affair with Laurent, something that disgusted many of Zola’s critics. However it is more obvious to the modern reader that Zola, through his dramatic plot, is demonstrating a level of determinism in the sense that life makes its conclusions, and the Naturalistic novelist's task is to represent those conclusions, rather than contribute his own.Controversy may be viewed as another defining characteristic of the Naturalistic genre and if we are to consider Therese Raquin in its correct historical context (1867), it is not difficult to understand why it caused much scandal due to Zola’s honest and uncompromising exploration of the darkest aspects of human existence. One critic, Louis Ulbach, wrote in Le Figaro  in January 1868 that the novel was â€Å"a pool of mud and blood† and was a perfect example of â€Å"the utter filth that is contemporary literature†.It is the disposition of the Naturalist writer that assumes an amoral attitude to the plot and acts somewhat as a voyeur rather than a judge. Personally I view Francois, the same cat over which many critics and scholars speculate as to whether it is the cat in Manet’s portrait Olympia, as somewhat of a metaphor for the Naturalist author. Francois is present in many of the most climatic and socking scenes, most notably the passionate scene of Camille’s murder, and remains detached but also demands some sort of presence so much so that Laurent becomes frightened and wants to â€Å"kill the beast† as he remarks how â€Å"human† it looks.The fact that Laurent almost personifies the cat may suggest that animal and man are alike in the very basic sense of instinct. I think that the Naturalist author assumes a similar stance to this cat as he remains a quiet and unbiased third party, recording the events without judgment, acting as a journalistic voyeur, which is relevant to this novel as Zola discloses that he is â€Å"simply an observer, who states the facts†.On its publi shing, Therese Raquin was accused of immortality and if the critics were not accusing Zola of an â€Å"alleged perversion of public morality† then it would be for the novel’s â€Å"unsound philosophic and aesthetic assumptions†. Despite these accusations of immorality, Zola defends himself saying that it was, in fact, immoral to refrain from including such behaviour as the lack of obvious moral material was corrupting and that â€Å"the process of honest examination purifies everything, just as fire does. Another aspect of this novel that argues in favour of Therese Raquin being a Naturalist novel is the sense of pessimism that one feels when reading it. This negative atmosphere is created by deliberately making the novel feel claustrophobic with the author using a number of devices such as an omniscient third person narrative, a limited number of characters and settings as well as a prevalent theme of imprisonment.For example, Zola’s displays Laurentâ⠂¬â„¢s captivity within his own guilt through describing his â€Å"hallucinations† of paranoia which reinforces the theme of claustrophobia and imprisonment. There is also much imagery that could be associated with hell with reference to vaults and holes, for example Therese admits she feels like she is â€Å"going down into the clammy earth of a pit† and that she is buried â€Å"in a vault†. The presentation of Laurent and Therese in relation to such pessimism and claustrophobia demonstrates their remorse and shows great burden of murder.Zola uses the setting to suggest that any world beyond the working class community provides a sense of claustrophobia and stresses the difficulties of escaping this life, thus creating a social trap. The relevance of such pessimism in relation to a Naturalist novel is found in the absence of ideology; life is not ideal and so to create an accurate portrait humanity, the author must make the plot realistic which means that negat ivity is sometimes exaggerated.Charles Child Walcutt states that Zola seizes reality through his use of the characters’ temperaments and â€Å"transforms that temperament into a work of art†. Indeed the aspect of art is important in arguing that Therese Raquin is not in fact a Naturalist novel as however fiercely the author claimed to be scientific and methodical in his approach to the composition process, he never believed that the naturalist author was solely functioning on a mechanical level any more than he considered that artists, such as Manet, were replicating reality.It is no secret that Zola was heavily influenced by such artists who were straying from the previous Romantic Movement into a more Naturalistic style and consequently there is an innate correlation between the Movement in particularly French art and literature. In both cases the author or artist strives to symbolize the truth of nature, avoiding purely mimicking nature itself in order to obtain a c ertain amount of artistic individuality and a sense of poeticism to the work.In conclusion, I believe that one must approach analysing Therese Raquin outside of its historical context with caution as it can distort a modern day reader’s opinion as to whether this is a true Naturalist work due to the fact that a modern reader has been exposed to far more scandalous materials that may strike us a more gritty than Zola’s novel.However, from the extensive criticism and scandal that Therese Raquin stirred when it was first published, we can imagine that it was the one of most openly human and frank portrayals of life that the Victorians had been exposed to and so if we are to make a judgment in relation to its context, I believe it is a Naturalist novel. It also feels slightly awkward to debate the genre of Therese Raquin because its author was one of the most prolific and pioneering writers in Naturalism.Therefore I think it is valid to suggest that Therese Raquin may be t hought of as a defining work for the genre of Naturalism and we should, instead, speculate over other supposed Naturalist materials in relation to Zola’s novels. Rather that comparing Zola’s writing to a set of Naturalist criteria to the reinforce this novel’s validity as a member of the Naturalist genre, I am able to see the scaffolding that Zola created, allowing many Naturalist successors to build on to add more substance in order to write the more edgy literature we are familiar with today.Therese Raquin is a Naturalist novel that is not an imitation of reality but a scientific study of humanity. The author successfully presents the primitive and uncontrolled nature of humans in relation to their setting or circumstance with uncompromising and bold attention to detail. The novel displays the simple â€Å"application of the experimental method to the study of nature and of man†, which in itself is a definition of Naturalism. Select Bibliography 1.Emile Zola, Therese Raquin (1868) 2. Ferragus. La litterature putride , (Le Figaro. 23 January 1868) 3. Clarence R. Decker The Aesthetic Revolt against Naturalism in Victorian Criticism, p 845, Vol. 53, No. 3 (Sep. , 1938) 4. Charles Child Walcutt, American literary naturalism: a divided stream ( Minnesota, 1956) ——————————————– [ 2 ]. , M. H Abrams, A Glossary of Literary Terms, 5th Edition (published ,San Francisco, 1988) [ 3 ].Emile Zola, Therese Raquin Preface de la deuxieme edition (1868) [ 4 ]. Emile Zola, Therese Raquin Preface de la deuxieme edition (1868). The author calls both Therese and Laurent â€Å"human brutes, [ 5 ]. Ferragus. La litterature putride , (Le Figaro. 23 January 1868) [ 6 ]. Clarence R. Decker The Aesthetic Revolt against Naturalism in Victorian Criticism, p 845, Vol. 53, No. 3 (Sep. , 1938) [ 7 ]. Charles Child Walcutt, American literary naturalism: a div ided stream ( Minnesota, 1956)

Thursday, January 9, 2020

Renewable Energy An Essential Function Of Protecting Humans

Every day fossil fuels are heavily emitting greenhouse gases leading to the destruction of the ozone layer and limiting the ozone’s ability to perform an essential function of protecting humans from deadly UV rays. Many ideas for solutions are being researched to help prevent these emissions, but the most promising solution is going green and eliminating fossil fuels. Although conventional energy such as coal, gas, and crude oil are the most popular energy sources, renewable energy including solar, wind, and hydroelectricity could provide the same amount of energy without the same detrimental consequences for our environment. Even though non-renewable energy produces more energy, and can be used for more tasks, renewable energy has an†¦show more content†¦As the percent of greenhouse gas emissions rise it puts more stress on the ozone layer, slowly depleting it and causing holes to appear. These effects are irreversible and will harm all of the world, because the ozone layer helps protects animals from harmful UV rays. The production and cost to sell conventional energy are far greater than the cost to obtain and maintain renewable energy plants. Renewable energy plants such as windmills, and dams require the cost to produce the plant, then small maintenance fees throughout the plant s lifetime. Whereas conventional energy requires multiple costs, the cost for drilling, shipping, and refining the material, with the cost of transportation, The use of renewable energy in towns to make them green, â€Å"can save thousands of dollars and boost property value†(Jasmin Chua The true cost of renewable energy). Clearly the money invested in developing renewable energy infrastructure is a wise investment and will pay off because, the cost spent will be reimbursed by the savings not spent on energy. While looking over the long term cost of both renewable and nonrenewable plants, both have their advantages. The main cost for renewable energy is the startup of the plant and locating an area for the plants. Coal has multiple cost since it has to be extracted from the ground, refined into a sellable product and shipped to its suppliers. Collectively â€Å"in 2007, all the world countries spent an estimated 450 billion

Wednesday, January 1, 2020

Slavery And The American Revolution - 2902 Words

Unlike the historiography summary where we had to select an event, person, or era that we felt had historical importance to the U.S. in the time period we covered in class from the 1500-1870. We will be choosing a person, event, or group that is outside of the continental United States that we feel is relevant to the U.S. in the time period. That is the reason behind me choosing my topic on slavery in that era because it is such a wide and important topic with so much relevance and importance to creating the U.S. that we live in today not only building the foundation but creating the melting pot that the U.S. prides itself on. Within the body of this essay we will discussing many important topics on slavery including the Haitian Revolution, Brazil being the last country to abolish slavery, showing the difference between women and men slaves at that time, first hand accounts of slaves, slave trades and slave markets, slavery under different colonizers, and how all this is all relevant to the U.S. The Atlantic slave trade and the African slave trade are actually pretty modern to the new world. Most of times when people think of slavery they only think about the black slavery market and slavery in the U.S. not putting any consideration into other places and races. Although what some people don’t know is that slavery has been around for a while in all different regions all over the globe. Since there was such a market for slavery all over the globe there where slave markets andShow MoreRelatedSlavery And The American Revolution938 Words   |  4 Pagesconcepts that are constantly changing, and the American Revolution brought upon major changes to their definitions in the colonies. Two major changes of beliefs were in the concept of slavery and also the roles of women in society. The American Revolution was partly based on the right for American’s to control their own property. At this time property could include other human beings. Before the revolutionary war, slavery was a central institution in American society in the late 18th century. AlthoughRead MoreThe American Revolution And Slavery3056 Words   |  13 Pages Slavery Demetria Juarez 1301.11 US History From 1763-1877 Dr. Gwinyai P. Muzorewa Lamar University Abstract This mission involves discovering how the Civil War was remembered during the nineteenth century. 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Colonization of the New World by Europeans during the seventeenth century resulted in a great expansion of slavery, which later became the most common form of labor in the colonies. According to Peter Kolchin, modern Western slavery was a product of European expansion and was predominantly a system of labor. Even with the introduction of slavery to the New World, life still wasn’t as smooth as we may presume. Although the early American colonistsRead MoreEssay about The American Revolution and the Institution of Slavery580 Words   |  3 PagesIntroduction The American Revolution is defined as the political turbulence that took place towards the end of eighteenth century when thirteen colonies in America united to attain freedom from the British Empire (Clifford, 2005). The union of the thirteen colonies is now known as the United States of America. 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