Gattaca Film Study Essay Example for Free

Gattaca Film Study Essay Gattaca is often portrayed as a quest film. A quest film is defined as â€Å"a character that is on a journey or adventure with an ultimate goal in mind of completing a task or to obtain an object of significance.† (Merriam-Webster, 2012) The quest often involves overcoming challenges and to do this the character learn something about him/her-self and this then aids them on their â€Å"quest†. Being a quest film, Gattaca shares many characteristics that are often found in other movies of a similar genre. Examples of these include – Pirates of the Caribbean and In Time. Pirates of the Caribbean, is told with the protagonist as Captain Jack Sparrow on a quest to help him obtain immortality. The characters in both Pirates of the Caribbean and Gattaca share many similar traits; they are both after a strongly desired goal and will take the necessary risks to succeed. Gattaca, being produced in 1997, had many cutting edge ideas with such vision leading directors of the time. It was set in what was though the not so distant future of today would look like. It gives us an insight into a world based around the genetically superior, where genes are all that matter. The main character Vincent Freeman has dreamt of becoming an astronaut his whole life but, due to being conceived naturally and receiving a life expectancy of 30 years. He is cast aside in society, labelled a â€Å"Degenerate† and â€Å"Invalid†. Vincent soon learns he will never be able to move ahead in life; to fulfil his dream Vincent uses a â€Å"Borrowed ladder† from a genius named Jerome Eugene Morrow, who is a paraplegic due to an accident overseas. The term a â€Å"Borrowed Ladder† comes as the protagonist Vincent impersonates the life of Jerome thus using his identity. After months of special care, training and changes to his looks, Vincent enters the Aerospace Corporation known as â€Å"Gattaca†. Impersonating Jerome, Freeman becomes the company’s top navigator with a perfect record and clean slate by working hard and working hard to keep his real identity a secret; he is chosen to go on a manned spaceflight to Saturn’s moon Titus, but complications arise. One week before departure, when one of the managing directors is bludgeoned to death. An â€Å"Invalids† profile; Vincent’s old identity, is uncovered by investigators and this threatens to jeopardise his chances of going to Titan. After managing to avoid being caught by using precautions such as placing samples of DNA supplied by Jerome around Gattaca and even receiving help from a young lady, Irene; with whom Vincent develops feelings for. He ends up finally leaving Earth on due course for Titan. Pirates of the Caribbean on Stranger Tides (2011) Pirates of the Caribbean on Stranger Tides (2011) The Pirates of the Caribbean series are another group of quest movies opened by introducing the goal of the main character, Captain Jack Sparrow. He is always on a quest in search for personal well fortune and benefits. He uses his friends throughout these many adventures, and alike Gattaca, the Protagonist is able to achieve his own desires. During Gattaca, Vincent is aided on several occasions, one being when Irene hides his true identity from the authorities to help him complete his goal/mission. Irene does this; I think because she can understand where he is coming from as she has personal experience suffering in a world where genes are everything. The movie ends with Vincent successfully making it onto the space craft headed to Titan; the ending adds a sense of success but subtly hints to deep sadness with two lines, â€Å"They say every atom in our bodies was once part of a star† and â€Å"Maybe I’m not leaving, maybe I’m going home†. The movie reaches a climax when Vincent is almost discovered by his brother (the leading detective on the case), but manages to get past this by telling his brother that â€Å"he always gave 110 percent†. The quest is completed, as shown in Pirates of the Caribbean, when Captain Jack Sparrow finally manages to overcome a final obstacle and regain ownership of his beloved ship, the Black Pearl. This is exactly the same in Gattaca with Vincent overcoming the final problem of his identity getting potentially exposed by a medical examiner giving him one last routine urine test. It is shown through a simple line that the examiner has known his real identity all along. He achieves his goal and boards the spacecraft without any further problems Vincent achieving this goal shows to us that no matter what ones, goal or dreams are, overcoming the problems you are faced with will ultimately help you in achieve it. Gattaca is a good example of a quest movie because it clearly explains what the goal of the protagonist is and once it has established this, it shows how he overcame his many problems to achieve an ultimate goal. There are many attractions for the audience with many special filming techniques and suspenseful moments utilizing a constant beat to add effect and drama. There is a specific scene in the movie where Vincent is meant to be at home sick but instead is unable to be there so he tells Jerome to impersonate him. There is a problem with this, as to open the door and greet the detective, Jerome must climb a stair case. Without the use of his legs Jerome finds this a challenge because he is a paraplegic. The suspense builds as Jerome struggles up the stairs, racing to get to the top before the detectives reach the door. As you would expect, one last moment effort from Jerome manages to keep the detectives from discovering who he really is. Irene plays a vital role in this scene by acting as if Jerome is Vincent, when she herself is only just finding out the truth. Overall, Gattaca is an excellent example of what a quest film should include. It has a strong story and the director utilizes many techniques with the music, lighting and even camera angles to top it off. The protagonist overcomes challenges; his genes as a place marker for him in society, almost becoming discovered as an â€Å"Invalid† and a brother who is close to exposing his secret. I think that the quest, his personal dream of travelling into space is worthwhile as he learns about himself while doing it.

Essay on Brendan Behan

Essay on Brendan Behan This essay looks at three of Brendan Behans main works which most critics agree are his best. These three main works are; The Quare Fellow (1954), The Hostage (1958) and Borstal Boy (1958).The essay begins with a brief biography of Behans life and reveals some of the reasons how his younger years influenced his later works. The essay also gives a brief synopsis of these three works and explores some of the re-occurring themes within these works. It finally examines some of the ways that he has shaped and influenced the Irish national identity. Brendan Behan was born in Dublin on 9 February 1923 into an educated Dublin working class family. He grew up in Dublins north inner city near Mountjoy Square. Both his parents had a big influence on the literature that he would later come to write. Behans father, Stephen, had been active in the Irish War of Independence; his mother Kathleen remained politically active for all life and his uncle Peadar Kearney composed the Irish national anthem The Soldiers Song(Amhrà ¡n na bhFiann). When Brendan was a child his father would often read classic literature to the children at bedtime and his mother would take them on walks around the city pointing out different houses of noted Irish literary figures, while also showing them where the citys revolutionaries had been born or executed.   When Brendan was a child he would read anything he could find and even at the age of six the head nun in his primary school had informed his mother Kathleen that she was rearing a genius (O Connor, 1 970 p.20). Despite his obvious ability at school he decided at the age of 14 to leave and follow his fathers trade as a painter. Soon after leaving school Brendan joined Fianna Éireann, the youth organisation of the IRA. In 1939, at the age of 16, he went on a bombing mission to England but he was arrested and found to be in possession of explosives. He was sentenced to three years in a borstal institution in England but returned to Ireland in 1941. The following year he was imprisoned in Ireland and released as part of a general amnesty in 1946. He wrote about these years in his autobiography novel Borstal Boy. Upon his release he moved between Dublin, Kerry and Connemara, and spent some time in Paris, where he wrote in both Irish and English. Behan produced his first play The Quare Fellow in 1954 in Dublin. The following year he married Beatrice Ffrench-Salkeld. In 1958 Behan wrote his second play An Giall which was written in the Irish language and performed in the Dublin. That same year The Hostage, which was Behans English language version of An Giall, met with great international success following Jo an Littlewoods production of it in London. Also in 1958 Borstal Boy was published and it became an immediate best seller. Behans international success, along with the financial rewards, brought about an increase in his drinking problems. After years of heavy drinking he had developed diabetes and it was due to this that he died, aged 41, on 20 March 1964 (OConnor, 1970). This part of the essay shall examine, and give a brief synopsis of, Behans three main works; The Quare Fellow (1954), The Hostage (1958) and Borstal Boy (1958). His first play The Quare Fellow is set in a Dublin prison on the eve of the execution of the quare fellow, a colloquial term for someone on death sentence. One of the condemned prisoners, who has murdered his wife, has been recently pardoned; while the other prisoner, the quare fellow who has murdered his brother, has not. Although the quare fellow is the centrepiece of the play, it is not about him and he never appears or utters any words. There is no question of his guilt and he is not a likeable figure. The only sympathy for him is that he is going to be executed the following day. The play does not explore the effect of the execution on the quare fellow but looks at the effect on the prisoners, wardens and the hangman himself. The hero in the play is Warden Regan who is a devoted Catholic while also being a humanist. Alth ough he accepts the system of the Church and Society, the humanity in him can see the hypocrisy in this system. The play ends the following morning with the quare fellow being executed. The play is based on Behans own experiences in Mountjoy prison, and it questions the right of any society to inflict or carry out the barbarous act of capital punishment which was still then in use in Ireland. It also attacks some of the false piety in attitudes in 1950s Ireland to sex, politics and religion (Russell,) The second play Behan wrote was An Gaill which was later translated into English and called The Hostage (1958). The play is set in Dublin guesthouse-cum-brothel during the late 1950s. It portrays the capturing and detention of a young Cockney British soldier by the IRA in response to the planned execution, by the British, of an IRA volunteer in Belfast. The 19 year old British soldier has been kidnapped as he is leaving an Armagh Dance Hall. The IRA declares that it will shoot the hostage Leslie Williams, if their Belfast Boy is executed at Belfast Gaol the following morning. Private Williams is imprisoned in a lower class Dublin guesthouse-cum-brothel owned by a fanatical Gael. During the course of the play Leslie falls in love with the young Irish convent girl, Theresa, and she also falls for him. They have both grown up in similar backgrounds, both are orphans who now find themselves in a city that they are foreign to, and neither of them cares much for any wars or battles that ha ve been fought between Britain and Ireland in the past or the present. The play is made up of a variety of characters such as fallen rebel heroes, homosexual navvies, pimps and whores, convent girls and deteriorating civil servants who are loyal to the nationalist cause. Private Williams is entertained by them with jigs and reels, rock n roll dancing, rebel songs and tales about Irelands glorious past, and all the time the IRA guards await for news from Belfast.It is eventually only by accident that he discovers that he is the hostage and will be executed if the IRA volunteer in Belfast is hung. Towards the end of the play the manager of the place understands the futility of continuing the Old fight but feels powerless to intervene. At the end of the play the news arrives that the IRA volunteer has been hanged and in the ensuing armed Gardaà ­ raid on the brothel the hostage is accidently shot and killed. At the finale of the English version of the play the corpse of the dead hosta ge rises up and sings The bells of hell/ Go ting-a-ling-a-ling. Also in 1958 Behan released his autobiographical novel Borstal Boy. The book is based on the three years that he spent in Hollesley Bay Borstal in Suffolk, England, after being caught with explosives in Liverpool. It is a vivid memoir of the years that being spent there. Story depicts a young Behan, full of Republican fervour and idealism, softening his radicalism and warming to his fellow British inmates and the wardens known as screws. The story is not a venomous attack on Britain but instead it portrays Behans move away from radicalism and violence. The dialogue in the book captures the lively interactions amongst the Borstal inmates along with all their various distinctive accents from around the British Isles. As the story develops Behan skilfully demonstrates that due to their working class, whether they are Irish Catholic or English Protestant, they share a lot more in common than they had realised. Behan realises that any supposed barriers of religion and ethnicity are just s uperficial and are beliefs that have been imposed on him by an anxious middle class. Ultimately he emerges as a young man who is realistic and recognises the truth that violence, especially political violence, is futile. The image at end of the novel is of a young working class man, who has been stunted by crime and prison, coming right and growing into being an independent thinker, writer and playwright (Kearney, 1970). In the three works of Behans that have been looked at in this essay there are a number of re-occurring themes to be found within them. The stories are written from a working class perspective with socialist leanings. In these works Behan writes in his own voice and this is most obvious in the language used in the Borstal Boy. In this book Behan uses an engaging style of writing and incorporates the use of phonetic spelling in an interesting and creative way for an authentic effect. The narrative flow is sometimes condensed and other times heavily unhurried. All these works are based around some form of imprisonment and they are critical of both church and state, religion and the power of authority. In the Quare Fellow we see Warden Regan questioning his society and battling with his conscience over the execution of even a guilty man. The theme of execution is also present in The Hostage with both Private Williams and the IRA volunteer awaiting possible execution. In The Hostage the p rincipal theme is of a young innocents being set against those with political motivations and ambitions. The Hostage questions the futility of patriotic fervour and political violence (Jeffs,1966)   and this theme is also found in the Borstal Boy which was based on Behans own experiences. Both The Hostage and Borstal Boy examining the Anglo-Irish relationship exploring the fact that there is very little difference between working class Irish Catholics or working class English Protestants. In Behans two plays he somewhat questions the Irish identity itself and the new young Irish Free State. The plays look at this new Free State and exposes that it is carrying on the same practices of their old governing colonial power. For a Republican like Behan it must have seemed brutally ironic that the official hangman for the Irish Free State was often an imported Englishman (Kiberd, 1989, p.336). In The Quare Fellow, Behan has the lags Dunlavin put it as the Free State didnt change anything more than the badges in the warders caps. The same olds class prejudices, which were imported from England, are still present and have not been rejected in the new Irish state. The Dublin Gaeilgeoir in the play represents this lack of change (Kiberd, 1989). John Brannigan, the author of the Behan biography Brendan Behan, Cultural Nationalism and the Revisionist Writer, questions some of the stereotypes that hang around the figure of Behan. He situates Behan amidst a generation of Irish writers in the mid-20th century Ireland having to deal with the dull, even gloomy aftermath of the previous, more heroic, age of Irish 20th century history. The promise of the earlier decades of the 20th century was not delivered and their age was of disappointment and anti-climax (Brannigan, 2002). Unfortunately, the success that Behan received for his writing only increased his drinking problem and he played into the drunken Irishman caricature. After translating his work An Gaill into English he allowed Joan Littlewoods production of The Hostage to compromise and dilute the realism of the original Irish version by giving it interludes of music-hall singing and dancing (OConnor, 1970). At the end of The Hostage, when it finishes with the dead British soldiers corpse rising up and singing The bells of hell/ Go ting-a-ling-a-ling, we are left wondering not only about Behans politics but also about his literary integrity. After the Borstal Boy, Behan was unable to produce another classic. His later books like Brendan Behans Island and Brendan Behans New York could not be compared to his former works. Whatever criticism there may be of Behans later works, it does not take away from what he has contributed to imagination of the Irish national identity. His work has been a significant influence to many writers and he has made his way into many Irish and international songs. The Auld Triangle, which is Behans prisoner song from The Quare Fellow, has become something of an Irish folk standard and has been recorded on numerous occasions by groups such as The Dubliners and also The Pogues. Both of his plays, as well as the Borstal Boy which was first made into a play in 1967, have still remained popular with Irish audiences (Murphy, 2014) and Borstal Boy was also made into a film in 2000. Word Count: 2100 Bibliography Brannigan, J., (2002) Brendan Behan, Cultural Nationalism and the Revisionist Writer. Dublin, Four Courts Press. Jeffs, R., (1966) Brendan Behan: Man and Showman. London, Hutchinson Co. Kearney, C.,(1976) Borstal Boy: A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Prisoner, Ariel. VII (April, 1976), pp. 47-62. Kiberd, D., (1989) Irish literature and of Irish history. In: Foster, R.F., (1989) (ed.) The Oxford Illustrated History of Ireland. Oxford, Oxford University Press. Murphy, C., (2014) Brendan Behan the borstal boy, boozer and bomb-maker, Irish Independent, 07 September. OConnor, U., (1970) Brendan Behan. London, Granada Publishing Ltd. Russell, R.R., (2002) Brendan Behans Lament for Gaelic Ireland: The Quare Fellow. New Hibernia Review. 6 (1): pp. 73-93

Religion and Faith Essay -- essays research papers

Religion/Faith Over the last several decades America has been evolving towards many significant changes. One of these changes has posed a question, whether or not America has become secular. Although we may be uncertain of many of these changes and how they will affect our future, the answer to our secularity is quite obvious. America has indeed become secular. I think that in a society where being successful is everything, our religious beliefs tend to get lost in the "survival of the fittest" lifestyle that we lead everyday. Of course we all have certain standards in which we believe and live by. A good example of the standard behavior that makes us so secular is in Wil Herbergs essay This American Way Of Life. Herbergs says so well , "the American way of life is a symbol by which Americans define themselves and establish their unity." The author means to imply that unity is something we all strive for. To be American is to be part a huge family, no matter what gender, color, or background. We stick together. We fight together, we laugh together, we grieve together as Americans. Terms like democracy, individuality, self-reliance are all words we relate to as Americans. We teach our kids that we should be grateful everyday to be Americans. In this country we can choose our own destination. We can be whatever we want. I think that being a s...

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Essays -- marriage, women, twenty-f

Nineteenth Century Marriage From A Twenty-First Century Perspective In society today, some women may not even consider marrying. According to â€Å"The State of Our Unions,† there has been a decline in the marriage rate of over 50% from 1970-2010. However, during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, marriage was often one of the few choices for a woman’s occupation. Reading Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen from the twenty-first century perspective might make some matters that are stressed in the book seem dated or trivial. As Pride and Prejudice was set sometime during the Napoleonic Wars, it is only fitting that finding a proper marriage is on the minds of many of the women in the book. Marriage and marrying off one’s daughters is a dominant theme throughout, with Mrs. Bennet going through the trials of getting her daughters married. Different views of marriage are presented throughout Pride and Prejudice, demonstrated by the characters, their behaviors and their situations. Charlotte Lucas marries for social reasons; Eli zabeth Bennet searches for love and respect in her marriage; and the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet shows the dangers of marrying for attraction alone. The attitudes of these individuals towards marriage as well as others reactions to the different marriages show that the best marriages emerge from a mutual love and respect. The marriage of Charlotte Lucas and Mr. Collins provides an example of typical reasoning for a marriage for the time period of the book. Charlotte is well past the marrying age of that time, as she is 27 years old (Austen 14) and while not unattractive, Gerigk 2 very ordinary looking (Austen 112). Even though the chances of her marrying were low, Charlotte’s object was still to marry... ...though she was not in love, proving that different unions can suit different people and situations. Marriages that come from trust, love, and respect, such as Elizabeth and Darcy’s marriage, lead to happiness, and therefore, have the best outcomes. Austen shows that balancing prudence and passion can lead to the ideal union. Even though women have more choices today, some still feel defined by whether or not they do marry and who they marry. Although it was written in the nineteenth century, Austen’s portrayal of relationships and marriages can still be relevant today. Gerigk 5 Works Cited 1. Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice with Connections. Austin: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2001. Print. 2. Wilcox, Bradford, W. Stateofourunions.org. Rep. University of Virginia, 2011. Web. 22 Mar. 2014.

George Gissings :: Biography

George Gissings A Brief Biography Gissing was born at Wakefield, Yorkshire on November 22nd 1857. Not much is know about Gissing's early years, but it is know that the death of his father, a chemist, left Gissing heartbroken, although he never really cared for his mother. Gissing was an extraordinarily bright child. When he was just 15 he won a scholarship to Owens College, Manchester, where he did exceedingly well. He then moved on to London University, where it seemed he was destined for a life of scholarly leisure. However, his life was dramatically changed when he was caught stealing from the coat room of the University. He was arrested, expelled, and forced to do a month of labor. The reason for his crime was his desire to reform the prostitute Nell Harrison who he was in love with. After his disgrace, which left him uncomfortable with his own history, he traveled to America to start a new life. However, he soon became disillusioned with America and nearly starved to death. In 1877 he traveled bac k to England and married Nell. His life with Nell was a living hell. Nell developed a love of alcohol and often reverted to her old job to pay for her expensive habits. Gissing eventually paid Nell to live away from him, and Nell died in 1888. Gissing married Edith Underwood in 1891, and proceeded to hate a second marriage. With Edith Gissing had two children, but unfortunately that did nothing to soothe the discomforts of his married life so Gissing left Edith. Eventually Gissing did find someone he could be happy with. Gabrielle Fleury was a French translator who Gissing fell in love with. Unfortunately he could not legally marry her because he was still married to Edith. Gissing and Fleury lived together until Gissing's death on December 28th 1903. The Odd Women The Odd Women is considered by many to be one of George Gissings best works, possibly second only to New Grub Street. This book received a large increase in readership in the sixties because of its apparent feminist subject matter. And yes, it does deal with a very controversial Victorian subject, but even if the book was devoid of its controversy it would still be worth reading because of Gissings honest approach to realism and his writing style.

How is sound and setting presented in The Great Gatsby, King Lear, Death of a Salesman

Fitzgerald, Shakespeare and Miller explore both setting and sound within their writing to mirror the current thoughts and feelings of the character which then allows the audience to understand and sympathise the characters. It could be argued that through the use of setting and sound, the authors dramatically present the extent to which the protagonists have ‘fallen’ mentally. Likewise, with the combination of both sound and setting, the erotic imagery stimulated presents a mirror image of the intense thoughts and emotions of the characters which then allows for the audience to attach themselves emotionally to the characters.It could be interpreted that the reason behind the authors focus on both sound and setting was to convey their own individual thoughts and feelings of the society and its morals, through the use of the characters introduced in their texts. The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald’s modernist novel, explores certain traits that the characters carry through the use of the surrounding setting.Through the use of prosperous connotations when describing Gatsby’s ‘colossal mansion’ and ‘enormous garden’, Fitzgerald establishes the protagonist to be royal and perhaps even optimistic as the excessiveness of his parties could symbolise his elaborate plans for himself and Daisy. A magical element is conveyed when the guests ‘whisper’ among ‘the golden food’ and ‘the champagne and the stars. ’ The noun ‘golden’ further portrays Gatsby’s supremacy and could be interpreted that all his possessions are excessive in every way.The verb ‘whispering’ could be explored as the guests being extremely excited yet curious at the aspect of meeting this mysterious and powerful character, Gatsby. Similarly, Shakespeare’s tragic play King Lear, explores the aristocracy of a King through describing his palace as a place of order and elegance, ‘m y fair kingdom, no less in space, validity and pleasure’. The term ‘fair kingdom’ enforces the idea that like Gatsby, King Lear also takes pride in his possessions and wealth and it could be argued that both protagonists share the same characteristic of intense pride towards the superficial and physical items in life.As both The Great Gatsby and King Lear were written in societies where materialism controlled the citizens, the audience would have interpreted this one-dimensional attitude as traditional and in some senses valuable as it represented wealth and authority. Since The Great Gatsby was written during the domination of the American Dream, it would be fair to say that Gatsby achieved his dream in terms of his financial stability. On the other hand, many critics argued that ‘Gatsby's dream was unattainable because it didn't really exist.He was in love with a memory†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ In the same way that Gatsby was classified as not having attainted his spiritual dream of gaining the love of Daisy, ‘Willy’ in Death of a Salesman didn’t reach his American Dream financially despite his efforts. Due to both Gatsby’s and Willy’s failure in achieving the dream, it could be argued that they both share the same unsuccessful nature. On the other hand, their efforts of trying to achieve the dream could also embrace their brave nature due to their determination.All three texts present how the authors convey characteristics through the use of setting and by this, the audience are immediately welcomed to exploring the character on a personal and more individual level. In all three texts, the setting described by the authors mirrors the protagonist’s broken mind set. In Death of a Salesman, Miller portrays the character of Willy Loman as one whose mental health is fractured by his hunger to achieve the American Dream and through the use of setting; Miller heightens the building of dramatic tension as Wil ly's mental health deteriorates.From the first stage directions, it is evident that Willy is trapped both physically and mentally as he is surrounded by a, ‘†solid vault of apartment houses around the small, fragile-seeming home. † Through the use of the word ‘around’, Miller implies that Willy’s escape is highly unlikely and this increases the sympathy that the audience has for the character of Willy. It could also be interpreted that the word ‘around’ metaphorically symbolises a trap or a cage which completely dehumanises Willy as his freedom is being eliminated from him.The declarative description of ‘small, fragile’ parallels Willy’s emotional state thus creates the image of Willy being close to destruction. Furthermore, the use of the comma emphasises how much of a struggle it is for him to carry on, helping heighten his mental and physical brittleness. It could be argued that this also foreshadows the idea that if anything else triggers his emotions; his mental state will completely destruct. Ironically, Willy himself believes to be a ‘great man’ who is ‘known’ therefore this juxtaposition between ‘great’ and ‘fragile’ helps heighten the extent of his mental dysfunction.Equivalently, Fitzgerald explores Gatsby’s mental deterioration through the use of exploring the theme of loneliness, ‘trying to touch what was no longer tangible, struggling unhappily, undespairingly, towards that lost voice across the room. ’ This creates irony as the character of Gatsby is known for the extravagant events he hosts therefore physically he is always kept company. The rule of three emphasises the extremity to which he has been broken mentally as he is imagining a ‘lost voice. ’ The ‘lost voice’ could also metaphorically symbolise the idea that Gatsby has been left soulless as all that remains of him is his physically body.On the other hand, the ‘lost voice’ could also represent Gatsby’s mind telling him to give up on chasing Daisy as he is deluded in believing that he can recreate the past, hence the adjectives of ‘struggling, unhappily’. Opposed to both The Great Gatsby and Death of a Salesman, King Lear immediately informs the audience that he’s ‘not in my perfect mind’ which therefore comes as no surprise when the atmosphere is described as chaotic, ‘as though he’d burst heaven†¦ the string of life began to crack.’The onomatopoeic sounds of ‘crack’ and ‘burst’ symbolise Lear’s sanity expiring as his mind now becomes a catastrophe which Edgar refers to as ‘reason in madness’. Furthermore, the angelic imagery of ‘heaven’ contrasted with the vulgar sound of ‘burst’ creates a juxtaposition that could symbolise his sanity being on the vir tue of defeat. All three texts exploit the tragic yet honest mind-set that the characters hold and this enables the audience to empathise with those characters as to some extent their mental self-destruction could be classed as relatable.Despite all the characters being of different social status’ and backgrounds, they all have one thing in common; their insanity. This implies that regardless of your significance in society, you are the conduct of your own down fall and this is seen through the character of Lear as he became broken due to his hunger for status, Willy for his longing of being wealthy and attaining the American Dream and lastly, Gatsby for fooling himself into believing that he was able to retain Daisy’s love through a materialism approach.Many would argue that within all three texts, the weather enforced pathetic fallacy which allowed the audience to have an insight to the characters emotions and thoughts. In the Era that King Lear was written, writers and poets put a lot of emphasis on the natural world therefore it comes as no surprise when Shakespeare conveys nature as an uncontrollable elemental force consisting of ‘cataracts and hurricanes’, ‘sulphurous fire’ and ‘all-shaking thunder. ’ The sibilance in this instance has been affected by the linguistic technique of hyperbole which then emphasises the anger that Lear was feeling.A C Bradley states ‘’the storm in ‘King Lear’ coincides with the storm in the human affairs and also with the storm which is present in the heart and soul of ‘King Lear. ’’ Through the emphasis of a ‘heavy’ and ‘black wind’ storm that a ‘cub-drawn bear would couch, the lion and the belly-pinched wolf kept their fur dry’, Shakespeare portrays that this storm isn’t ordinary and could severely damage even the most powerful ‘kings of the jungle’. The dark and gothi c imagery of the storm could mirror Lear’s empty soul as his one love, his daughter, was killed.Furthermore, the storm could be interpreted as the symbol of madness within Lear’s heart and head however it could also imply his anger towards society and all those who had betrayed him. Ironically enough, towards the ending of the play, Shakespeare included more severe weather conditions in contrast to the beginning. Perhaps this indicates that now Lear is neither no longer in reign nor an ideal product of society, he has developed emotions like the rest of the citizens.On the other hand, it could be interpreted that because he has become an ordinary man, he is feeling anger towards the situation and those around him. Adverse to King Lear, The Great Gatsby doesn’t refer to weather as much however when it is mentioned, ‘there was a pink and golden billow of foamy clouds above the sea’’, it directly correlates with the mood and atmosphere of that c urrent moment. The description of ‘foamy clouds’ presents child-like and innocent imagery which could mirror how naà ¯ve his love for Daisy makes him.On the other hand, ‘foamy’ could too present unsteadiness as the structure of this gas-like substance is rather weak. Furthermore, through the use of the colour ‘pink’, Fitzgerald portrays Gatsby’s romantic lust towards Daisy and the colour ‘golden’ could convey the idea of his love towards her as being precious and is worthy of treasuring. This could be interpreted as emphasising the depth to which Gatsby’s heart is set on Daisy however at the same time, it could imply Gatsby’s high ego as he believes she should be grateful of his efforts to try and secure her heart.Conversely Miller uses the same technique of colour imagery within weather to parallel Willy’s thoughts and feelings, ‘’the surrounding area shows an angry glow of orange. â€℠¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ The colour ‘orange’ holds many connotations, one of which is the expression of happiness. This completely differences to the emotion of ‘anger’ which could convey Willy’s emotional volatility. Many would argue that through this contrast, Fitzgerald foreshadows the character of Willy as one who is rather unpredictable, thus his suicide could affect the audience emotionally due to its randomness.The technique of pathetic fallacy attributes human qualities and emotions to inanimate objects of nature. This helps the audience to explore the protagonist’s sincere feelings and thoughts which further establishes a more personal relationship between the audience and characters. Another literary device used to reflect feelings and emotions of the characters is each author’s use of sound, both musical and vocal. Fitzgerald and Miller focus more on the musical sounds produced by instruments whereas Shakespeare explores the technique of so und through vocals.In Death of a Salesman and King Lear, both authors present the idea that as nature evolves; people tend to forget about the tragic deaths of the protagonists which present their true feelings and thoughts of the protagonists themselves. Fitzgerald embraces the character of Nick as the narrator to explore other characters feelings such as Daisy, Wilson and Jordan Baker etc. This is presented when he states, ‘I could still hear the music and the laughter, faint and incessant, from his garden’ right after the death of Gatsby.This declarative sentence could be interpreted as a metaphor of people being the ‘music and laughter’ and as life progresses; they tend to become more ‘faint’ as they move on. It could be argued that this quote mirrors the disrespect other characters had towards Gatsby as they only used him for his glamorous parties. However due to this sound being heard in the ‘garden’ which presents nature, it could also be interpreted that mourning wasn’t very natural/common in the 1920’s thus the characters weren’t actually disrespecting Gatsby.The nature imagery combined with the ‘faint’ laughter creates a very mellow yet pleasant atmosphere as though the characters are accepting his death and positively reminisce of the past. Similarly, in Death of a Salesman, Miller presented ‘a melody heard, played upon a flute, it is small and fine, telling of grass and trees in the horizon’. Like Fitzgerald, Miller uses nature imagery of ‘grass and trees’ alongside the sound of the ‘flute’ to explore the setting being rather calming and pure.Furthermore, this is an anaphoric reference as at the end of the play Miller uses stage directions to explore ‘only the music of the flute is left on the darkening stage as over the house the hard towers of the apartment buildings rise into sharp focus. ’ The same melody of the flute could symbolize the fact that Willy is still the same failure as he was in the beginning. However, the contrast between the nature imagery and the ‘hard towers†¦apartment buildings’ could parallel Willy’s superficial nature and the idea that through the duration of the play he was only brought deeper into the American Dream.Perhaps through this quote, Miller portrays his own opinion on the American Dream and the character of Willy as being idiotic in a sense that it can only lead to destruction as the American Dream would never be achievable for anyone. In contrast to this, Shakespeare uses the technique of sound; however he explores it focusing mainly on the vocal aspect to it. King Lear is a gothic tragedy and this is shown through the tone Shakespeare enforces. The powerful language of Lear cursing alongside with the ‘loud’ and ‘demanding’ dynamics of his tone, further explores the extent of rage that he is feeling towa rds what seems to be the world.Frequently throughout the play, Shakespeare uses onomatopoeic sounds such as ‘clattering’ to further heighten the mad atmosphere as well as the emotions the protagonist is feeling. The sound of ‘clattering’ has some connotations to the game of dominoes as it would be heard when an item tips over. This sound could metaphorically mirror Lear’s deterioration both mentally as well as physically and the idea that he is aware of this cyclical cycle of negative events.It could also be argued that this sound of ‘clattering’ foreshadows how rapidly everything will clatter downhill for the King himself. As a critic stated ‘’Lear’s final cry of grief that his daughter will never breathe again, ‘’never, never, never, never, never,’’ is the bleakest line of iambic pentameter ever written. ’’ The use of sound is explored very effectively by Shakespeare, Miller and Fitzgerald as it heightens the dramatic atmosphere, foreshadows upcoming events and reconnoiters the feelings and emotions felt by both characters in the text and the authors themselves.To conclude, all three authors embrace the techniques of sound and setting to allow the audience to explore the characters feelings and thoughts which help build a relationship between the two. It could also be argued that the authors themselves portray their own individual thoughts on the society they wrote about and the characters. Both techniques also heightened the tension within texts and allowed for aesthetic pleasure for the reader. Shakespeare, Miller and Fitzgerald used setting and sound very effectively throughout their texts as it created a realistic atmosphere within their work which allowed the audience to relate to.

Outline and evaluate Bruce and Young’s theory of face recognition Essay

The face recognition model developed by Bruce and Young has eight key parts and it suggests how we process familiar and unfamiliar faces, including facial expressions. The diagram below shows how these parts are interconnected. Structural encoding is where facial features and expressions are encoded. This information is translated at the same time, down two different pathways, to various units. One being expression analysis, where the emotional state of the person is shown by facial features. By using facial speech analysis we can process auditory information. This was shown by McGurk (1976) who created two video clips, one with lip movements indicating ‘Ba’ and other indicating ‘Fa’. Both clips had the sound ‘Ba’ played over the clip. However, participants heard two different sounds, one heard ‘Fa’ the other ‘Ba’. This suggests that visual and auditory information work as one. Other units include Face Recognition Units (FRUs) and Person Identity Nodes (PINs) where our previous knowledge of faces is stored. The cognitive system contains all additional information, for example it takes into account your surroundings, and who you are likely to see there. fMRI scans done by Kanwisher et al. (1997) showed that the fusiform gyrus in the brain was more active in face recognition than object recognition, this suggests and supports the idea that face recognition involves a separate processing mechanism. This model suggests that we process familiar and unfamiliar faces differently. That we process familiar faces using; structural encoding, FRUs, PINs and Name Generation. However, we use structural encoding, expression analysis, facial speech analysis and direct visual processing to process unfamiliar faces. However, there is evidence by Young et al. suggesting that the idea of double association is poor. He studied 34 brain damaged men, finding there was only weak evidence for any difference between recognising familiar and unfamiliar faces. An issue with this study and the model itself, is the use of brain damaged patients to prove it works. This is because there is only a small sample size so it is hard to generalise to the wider population. It is also unclear if it is the brain injury itself that causes the result and if it is the same for healthy people. There was a study done by Young, Hay, and Ellis (1985) that uses people with no medical issues. They asked people to keep a diary record of problems they experienced in face recognition. They found people never reported putting a name to a face while knowing nothing else about that person. This supports the model as it suggests that we cannot think of a person’s name unless we know other contextual information about them. Prosopagnosia is a condition where a person cannot recognise familiar faces, but only the features, not the whole face. The condition contradicts the model as it suggests that the process are most likely not separate. As most patients had severe problems with facial expression as well as facial identity, this suggests they are processed separately. The model can also be seen as reductionist, as it only gives a vague description of what the cognitive system does. However, there is research that does support the concept that there are two are separate paths for processing face recognition and facial expression. One being Humphreys, Avidan, and Behrmann (2007) who studied three participants with developmental prosopagnosia. All three had poor ability to recognise faces, but their ability to recognise facial expressions was similar to that of healthy individuals. A study that suggests that units of face recognition are separate is Bruyer et al. (1983). Who investigated a patient unable to recognise familiar faces, but who could understand their facial expressions, which implies that facial expression analysis and name generation is separately processed. This supports Bruce and Young’s idea of separate units. Further support for the idea of separate components of face recognition was shown by Campbell et al. (1986). They found a prosopagnosic who could not recognise familiar faces or identify their facial expressions, however they could perform speech analysis. This study suggested that facial speech analysis is a separate unit of face recognition.