Wednesday, January 29, 2020

The audiences attention in a number of different ways Essay Example for Free

The audiences attention in a number of different ways Essay The opening scene catches the audiences attention in a number of different ways. Discuss how the playwrite, Willy Russell, has achieved this and whether he has been successful. The opening scene of Educating Rita is one that really catches the audiences attention in many different ways and to which some can relate to, be it through actions taken or through a characters attitude. The scene deals with and introduces the problems of both Frank and Rita, without going into depth over either of the characters troubles too soon. It is the instant clash of wit that catches the audiences attention. Russell also uses stage direction aswell as his characters personalities to keep information on these two characters flowing. He also uses symbolism as a further way of describing his characters without it being too obvious to his audience that hes letting on more and more about them. Act 1 scene 1 is the introductionary stage to Russells characters. In the first five minutes of this scene, we get to know Frank quite well. We learn that Frank is a university lecturer who appears to have grown tired of his job and the same old people. We see him searching the rows and rows of literature in his office for an author beginning with E; he then seems to decide he wants Dickens. Once he finds his collection of Dickens, he pulls them out, to reveal a bottle of Whiskey. We learn now that Frank also has a drinking problem. The phone then rings, just as Frank is about to take a swig of his Whiskey, and it turns out to be Julia, Franks girlfriend. They have a conversation that increases in venom until theres a knock at Franks door. Whoever is on the otherside of the door is having trouble making their way inside, and so Frank begins to get irritated with their posistant knocking after he has already said, Come in.. a few times. Eventually Frank hangs up the phone and Rita (actual name: Susan White. Likes to be called Rita after the author of Rubyfruit Jungle, Rita Mae Brown) bursts into the room. This womans behavior and language stun Frank, until they get talking and realize they get on well. Soon we learn that Rita/Susan (a hairdresser) has signed up for an Open University course, and Frank is to be her tutor. At first meeting, these two people appear to contrast greatly, but soon enough the audience begins to understand they have more in common than first thought. Frank is run down due to his heavy drinking, and his perception of the world is dim. He can no longer be bothered with his job, teaching the same old things, hearing the same old opinions and tutoring the same old people. His relationship with his girlfriend, Julia (an ex-student) is well and truly on the rocks, which the audience can tell from their frosty phone conversation at the beginning of the scene. Rita is also bored of her job. Shes bored of the same conversations with the same sort of people over the same sorts of haircuts. We dont learn about Ritas husband in scene 1, but things arent going well between them, like Frank and Julia. Denny believes Rita should stay home, take care of the house and every couple of years have a child, the usual behavior for a housewife in the 1980s; he isnt happy with Ritas choice of enrolling in an Open University course at all. In Rita, Frank finds the breath of fresh air both he and his job need, and in Frank, Rita finds someone to support and listen to her throughout her studies. Despite these similarities between the pair, there are still differences. Ritas idea of a classic novel is an erotic one (Rubyfruit Jungle) and her idea of a classic poet is Roger McGough. Franks main use for literature as Rita burst into his office is to hide his liquor, and he gave up on poetry long before Rita entered his life. Also, Rita is born-and-bred working class, whereas Frank is comfortable as Middle-class. This differ in social stature has an important effect on the language the two use and their accents. Still, nevertheless, the two click immediately. The stage directions at the beginning of scene 1 are very important, as through them we can fully imagine the setting of Russells play. We are told that the scene is set in a Victorian-built university in the north of England, so immediately we sense some class about the attendees of this place. We then get a description of the room, which is important as we understand the symbolism Russells uses right from the beginning. The book itself tells use about both the setting and the props used, but nothing about music or costume. In the film, directed by Lewis Gilbert, the music used is not something that could be found in the charts around the 1980s. Its a string piece that helps in setting the scene of a university where the students are more than happy to act a class above their own. But, we have to consider that even though the music used in the film was perfect for setting the scene for the theme throughout the entire play, its only one directors choice of music. The same goes for the costumes used in Gilberts production. The audiences attention is sub-consciously caught through Russells use of symbolism throughout the play. Franks office is a huge reflection on his own attitude. He hid his whiskey behind Dickens, and in real life he dodges the subject of his drinking problem with lines from classic literature. Also, nothing really has a place in Franks office, apart from his alcohol, also like real life. The more obvious symbolism used in scene 1 is Franks window and his door. His door can be thought of as the door to Frank himself. Its hinges are stiff, and so people have trouble getting past it, and always have done, but when Rita comes along, its different. The more Rita goes to see Frank, and comes into contact with this door, the easier it is for her to get past it. At first she oils it, but eventually theres no need for oil or force, it just opens. This is when Rita has broken through to Frank, and has worked her way through to his heart. This is something that no one has done before. Also, we could consider the door symbolism of Ritas entry to higher education. She desperately wants to study, but neither her mother nor her husband think she should. The trouble Rita has getting the door open could symbolize the last obstacle. From then on she struggles with this education, and with the door, but in the end she finds both easy to handle. The use of the window in Franks office symbolises a point in each characters development. Rita is ambitious to be like other students in the university, after she watched them from Franks window. She watches them, and asks Frank whether they could have a tutorial on the grass, but she fails to convince Frank of the benefits. The window, like Frank hasnt been opened for generations. Rita desires the breath of fresh air and wants to get educated. In contrast, Frank is more than content to remain isolated and remain in his insular office. I believe the opening scene of Educating Rita is very effective when capturing the audiences attention. The introduction of both characters traits, and how they react to each others opinions and personalities is both funny and moving throughout the play, but most interesting in this opening scene. This play also has underlying messages which make sense even nowadays, around 20 years after the play was written. Such as Ritas perseverance with her higher education instead of giving in to the stereotype of a woman at this time even though everyone around her (her mother and her husband) thinks she shouldnt be enrolling in her Open University course. In this respect, Rita is admirable, and shows that anything can happen to anyone if they simply keep at it. The audience simply must keep reading, as together Rita and Frank spark. Rita can study without judgement, and Frank is happier around Rita than he has been for years. These two characters gradually learn to help each other, and it is that element of their relationship that keeps the audience interested.

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

Toward a Scotistic Modal Metaphysics :: Philosophy Philosophical Essays

Toward a Scotistic Modal Metaphysics ABSTRACT: The problem I tackle in this essay is: Do we have in Scotus a modal logic or a counterpart theory? We need to take a rather roundabout path to handle this problem. This is because, whether it be in Lewis's original formulation or in others' applications, the crucial concept of 'counterpart' has never been clearly explicated. In section two, I shall therefore examine the recent controversy concerning Leibniz's views on modalities which centers around the counterpart relation. By fully exploiting the lessons learned from such an examination, I shall then launch a trilemma against a Leibnizian in section three. Section four shall make the claim that unlike Leibniz's case, Scotus's position is not endangered by the trilemma. One important premise will be adopted from my thesis presented elsewhere regarding the different between Scotus's haecceitas and Leibniz's individual essence. Another will be secured from a brief report on Scotus's views on similarity, which might be utterl y original to modern eyes jaundiced by contemporary set theories. 1. The Problem: Scotistic Modal Logic vs. Scotistic Counterpart Theory Thanks to the resurgence of interest in modalities in the twentieth century, the history of modal logic has been studied more extensively than ever. One of the more important lessons is that Scotus rather than Leibniz is the father of the modern conception of logical possibility. (1) Insofar as it is not merely historical curiosity but a test of our intuition about modalities that we are interested in the predecessors of modern modal logic, we face the urgent task of reconstructing the Scotistic system of modalities. In fact, Douglas C. Langston recently raised an interesting question as to which way of understanding possible worlds Scotus might endorse: the counterpart view or the canonical view? Based on Ordinatio, Book I, d. 44, q. 1, n. 11, he presents two alternative readings. Ultimately, however, he opts for the counterpart reading on the ground that it is more consistent with Scotus's remarks on how God knows contingents. An important consequence from the counterpart reading is that individuals are "world-bound" for Scotus. (2) Yet Langston's interpretation invites serious criticism. According to Simo Knuuttila, if the individuals in Scotus's model were world-bound, they would not have synchronic de re alternatives, which is not compatible with Scotus's reform in obligational principles. Knuuttila further points out that Scotus's well-known doctrine of human free will excludes the possibility of world-bound individuals.

Sunday, January 12, 2020

The Barbie Effect

Barbie has it all. Every career imaginable and what women perceive to be the perfect body. In real life this could transfer into bankruptcy, low self-esteem and materialistic behavior. There is much controversy surrounding Barbie and whether she has an effect on young girls’ self esteem. There have been studies on both sides of the issue with no clear definitive answer. Barbie was a sensation almost from the moment she hit the shelves, promoting and quickly spreading the idea of materialism and superficiality among young girls. Barbie has lots of clothes, cars, the dream house and even her own credit cards. She is extremely thin and good-looking, fashionable, she has perfect blonde hair. We all know â€Å"blondes have more fun†. Barbie clearly promotes materialism and portrays this lifestyle as being fulfilling, which gives children a false sense of what life is, and an empty goal for them to pursue. Body image distortion is created, as the majority of women cannot achieve Barbie’s proportions. . Look instead at Ken, Barbie’s long time boyfriend. When researchers at the University of South Australia scaled up Mr. Barbie to life-size proportions, they concluded that the chances of a man having his body shape are one in 50. That is a lot more achievable than the one in one hundred thousand chance a girl has of achieving Barbie’s dimensions-this defiantly gives weight to the argument that the media puts unrealistic expectations and pressures on women. (Wintermann) Magazines have morphed stars onto smaller bodies, models that walk the runway are anorexic, and pictures are airbrushed making men’s expectations of women unrealistic as well as women’s expectations of themselves. Body image is not just appearance,† said Karen Way, a licensed clinical social worker with 18 years' experience. â€Å"Your body image has to do with your health, your various talents, how able you are to be in tune with sensations in your body. â€Å"(Way LCSW) Men are having problems as well as women just not to the same degree or level. Men trend toward steroid use, valuing strength and muscle ripped appearance over slimness. Mattel the makers of Barbie perpetuate the stereotype that boys are smarter than girls in the math and science area. Mattel introduced the irst talking Barbie and her words were† math is tough† Studies show that boys surpassed girls in math (Geary) Mattel has attempted to change this image with the Barbie I can Be website. Many people have the myth that anorexia is all about being thin. More often it has to do with control. It often begins as pressure to be perfect. Other things in your life are spinning out of control and this is somethin g you are in charge of, thinness is just an effect. Control implies strength; strength implies simplicity, which equals perfection-perfect control. Anorexia is an addiction and recovery is possible by finding meaning in life. One of the quotes that helped in recovery came from a book a psychiatrist gave me. The quote from is from William Ward a notorious writer. To weep is to risk appearing sentimental. To reach out to another is to risk involvement To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self. To place your ideas and dreams before a crowd is to risk their loss. To love is to risk not being loved in return. To hope is to risk pain. To try is to risk failure. But risks must be taken, because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing. ? William Arthur Ward Moral development in children follows a predictable developmental path. When presented with an ethical dilemma, children under the age of eight typically judge an action as wrong or incorrect when it results in punishment or goes against the rules set forth by authority figures (Kohlberg in Dolgin2011) As children mature, they begin to consider multiple perspective s in a situation; they take into account the intentions and motives of those involved and recognizing the often-conflicting rules inherent in moral dilemmas. In other words, their moral reasoning becomes more flexible and â€Å"other† oriented. When Children see idols such as Lindsey Lohan and Paris Hilton who have the Quintessential† Barbie â€Å"image not subject to the rules and standards in society that others are held to, it creates the false illusion that those who are beautiful and have money and things are worth more and have more value. Barbie throughout her 125 careers has never portrayed a real woman with other desirable qualities other than being beautiful and fashionable. One can certainly believe the media from magazines, the fashion industry and Mattel have played a huge role in the self-esteem of girls and they value they place on themselves as a person.

Saturday, January 4, 2020

Edgar Allan Poe s The Tell Tale Heart Essay - 1597 Words

Poe’s Method to Madness [Hook] With his short stories and poems, Edgar Allan Poe has captivated the imagination and interest of readers all around the world. His creative talents led to the beginning of different literary genres, earning him the nickname Father of the Detective Story among other distinctions (Poe s Literary Contributions). It may be concluded he wrote such dark stories and poems because of the adverse situations he faced in life. Much of his life was surrounded by sadness, death, and alcohol. Arguably, Poe’s most famous piece of writing is The Raven, where the protagonist becomes more obviously mentally ill throughout the poem. Again, Poe utilizes an unstable narrator in â€Å"The Tell Tale Heart.† Throughout the quarter I have been interested in crafting my own murder mystery and turned to Poe’s intricate and deliberate style of writing for inspiration. Throughout The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe, uses a first-person narrative, varying syntax, and a character foi l to ultimately prove that the narrator is mad beyond belief, despite the protagonist’s adamant effort to say otherwise. Poe’s extremely deliberate writing style plot impacts the way the reader feels about and understands the story. The aspects that stood out throughout his story were his sentence fluency and punctuation. Additionally, Poe uses a character foil to further prove the madness of the narrator. While Poe does not specify the gender of the narrator, I shall use the pronouns â€Å"he† orShow MoreRelatedEdgar Allan Poe s The Tell Tale Heart857 Words   |  4 Pagesfear what they can t control. Author, Edgar Allan Poe wrote short stories that evoked emotions of fear of the unknown in a way that speaks to the reader. Some of Poe s stories were not well accepted in his day because people were just not ready for them- they were scary. Poe s works The Tell-Tale Heart, The Premature Burial and The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar evoke emotions of fear of th e unknown for the reader Edgar Allan Poe s The Tell-Tale Heart, is a short story that illustrates theRead MoreEdgar Allan Poe s The Tell Tale Heart1581 Words   |  7 PagesEdgar Allan Poe wrote many gothic stories with twisted themes and ideas. An example in his works is the conception of overthinking something that is not there. Many of these tales end with someone being killed due to the fascination of an unrealistic problem trying to be solved. Imagination is a main factor that drives the narrators to become worried. The obsessing narrators in Edgar Allan Poe’s â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart†, â€Å"The Black Cat†, and â€Å"The Imp of the Perverse† demonstrate the idea that guiltRead MoreEdgar Allan Poe s The Tell Tale Heart1538 Words   |  7 PagesPotentially Mad, Potentially Genius: Edgar Allan Poe’s Style â€Å"True!—nervous—very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad?† Poe wrote this line in his â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart,† and he very well could have been speaking about himself. Many generations have debated on whether or not Edgar Allen Poe was a mad. Reviewers and readers have looked at Poe’s work for nearly two centuries, trying to pick it apart and see if it’s the ramblings of a mad man or well piecedRead MoreEdgar Allan Poe s The Tell Tale Heart888 Words   |  4 PagesEdgar Allan Poe has a dark sense of literary meaning. Within The Tell-Tale Heart it s shown when Poe incorporates dark elements of literacy through the guilt of a murder. Which became forced out by the hypothetical beating of a heart. Within the story, a sense of dreadful nervousness or sadness is portrayed by the way the narrator is seen within our minds as the story proceeds. As the story goes on we see the diseases that plague his body and mind. He portrays a constant state of nervousnessRead MoreEdgar Allan Poe s The Tell Tale Heart1666 Words   |  7 PagesConscience When thinking of an earlier American literature writer people always remember Edger Allan Poe with respect. Poe’s story always about the dark, suspense and craziness. Poe gone through lot more difficulties in his early age. His writing shows his hardship in his life. Edgar Allan Poe is the author of a story title of â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart†. This Narrative was published in the year 1843, and tale is about the external conflict and delusion of the narrator who is also the main character ofRead MoreAn Analysis Of Edgar Allan Poe s The Tell Tale Heart 1015 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Insane in the Membrane† Edgar Allan Poe is one of the most acclaimed short story writers of all time and is considered the father of the psychological thriller. He has achieved ever-lasting fame for his work in various fields of literature, from prose to verse. However, it is his Gothic narrative, in the short story realm he is greatest known for and is regarded as one of the foremost masters of horror that the United States has ever fashioned. The crucial component to these horror stories isRead MoreAnalysis Of Edgar Allan Poe s A Tell Tale Heart1289 Words   |  6 PagesInside the Heart There are many well-known poets, but not many are as unique as Edgar Allan Poe. By the age of 13, Poe had become a creative poet (Biographies). Many of Poe s works were horrific fictional stories. His first book was published in Boston in 1827, called Tamerlane and other Poems. More of Poe s major works include Tales of the Grotesque a d Arabesque, which included his most spine tingling tales such as Ligeia and The Fall of the House of Usher. Most of Poe s works haveRead MoreAnalysis Of Edgar Allan Poe s The Tell Tale Heart 1291 Words   |  6 Pagessecrets hidden in the story line that does it? Individually when each of you close your eyes and visualise a book that has been flicked by hundreds and has been adored what comes to mind? The famous Edgar Allan Poe stands out in the history of gothic texts, especially his novel the â€Å" Tell-Tale Heart†. However there is a numerous amount of contemporary texts based off this genre including Tim Burton’s â€Å" Vincentâ € . In this presentation I hope to engage you in the history of the gothic genre. GothicRead MoreAnalysis Of Edgar Allan Poe s The Tell Tale Heart957 Words   |  4 Pageswhether madness is or is not the loftiness of intelligence,† (Edgar Allan Poe). Edgar Allan Poe is a well known and beloved writer of the horrid and meticulous. Through emphasis on his personal life and personal insanity, we get a glimpse inside the world that might be our own minds as well as stories that teach us life lessons as well as make our blood curdle and ponder over the deep emotions of Poe’s life. Stories such as the Tell-Tale Heart teach us of these life lessons. In this story the narratorRead MoreAnalysis Of Edgar Allan Poe s The Tell Tale Heart 1560 Words   |  7 Pagesbelong to Mr. Poe. You see, Edgar Allan Poe is still one of the greatest masters of enticing emotion into readers. Whether it is psychological fear in short stories like Bernice and The Pit and the Pendulum or poetry about death, sadness, and love. But, Poe really does raise the bar when it comes to mystery in his poetry. From houses suddenly combusting in The Fall of the House of Usher and uncanny deliriums in The Tell-Tale Heart, mysteries of all kinds encompass Poe s wo rks. Poe has mastered the