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Film analysis- Apocalypse

Introduction

Apocalypse is a film that features Vietnamese at war. This reveals how people from Vietnam were tired of taking orders from the Americans thus started a revolution meant to refute humiliation by their superiors. Many people incurred severe injuries during the war while others lost their minds due to the trauma they experienced. Benjamin is the main character and he is suffering from posttraumatic experience, which affects him to the extent of divorcing his wife. Well organization coupled with employing of diverse styles in this film has immensely helped in bringing out its themes effectively.

Cinematography

The film has controlled and connected various styles making it very intriguing. There are many cameras used to capture the actions in the film apocalypse. This has allowed the viewer to have a better look and does not miss any action. The viewer is able to see all that is happening in the film besides cameras capturing other parts not intended to be in the film. This makes the film to be authentic and interesting for the viewers to watch (Cheung, 2010). Cameras used in the film are very clear, which makes pictures appear clear besides their strategic placement to capture diverse actions in the film. This makes the pictures to be well visible because the cameras are not placed too far or too near when capturing the actions. The capturing of the film’s scenes is in the places well connected to the actions in the film, hence making it more authentic and interesting to the viewer.

Sounding techniques used in the film connect to the main actions. For illustration, sounds heard from the war chopper blades and flames of war are clearly visible. The film apocalypse has used the style of sound perfectly to make it more interesting owing to its sound intensity variance depending on the kind of actions taking place (Dirks, 2012). In a situation where there is confrontation, the sound becomes intense but in calm incidences, it recedes. For instance, this is evident especially when a helicopter is approaching the intense sound increases mainly brought by whop-whop. Change of sound intensity in diverse situations makes the movie ensure its flow, thus becoming more interesting. Besides, the film’s sound normally accompanies the film’s diverse actions, hence making it more gluing. In cases where the sound of the film does not move together with the action makes the film to be very boring.

Action in the film Apocalypse has taken into account many factors for the film to become successful. Characters in this film have taken certain roles in the film that fit them well, for illustration, Captain Benjamin who acts as a soldier, fits him very well. This is because he is masculine besides his intelligence capable of uncovering numerous things and this is evident in the movie. Additionally, his language is very arrogant because of the suffering he encountered in the war (Dankenbring, 2007). There is a lot of drama in the film as acting goes on and this interprets the theme of the film. The film’s settings entails various places that connect to the message, which the movie tries to convey to its audience, hence shunning cases or incidences contrasting with the actions besides their environment. For illustration, the captain is in a hotel room sipping liquor and smoking cigarettes meant to comfort him especially due to the haunts of the war he did encounter. This scenery shows how he is suffering besides the confusion and despite the physical setting coupled with drinking. The film Apocalypse has linked the acting process with various styles perfectly, which makes it interesting for the viewer to watch. The acting process in this film has taken into account factors such as flow of the film and soundings techniques. This is because if these factors are not connected well with the acting process they might cause disruption of the film.

Apocalypse film has staged its scenes in diverse places that give an intriguing aspect of diversity despite being a single cast. The staging location matches with the background of acting thus becoming unique and interesting for the viewer to watch. Acting stage for each scene has different colors making it to be more appealing (Cheung, 2010). Additionally, mixture of colors captures attention because the film has used bright colors that are attracting. This is a good strategy for keeping the movies alive and in motion. There are different sceneries that are used as staging places in the film Apocalypse meant to pass the intended meaning of the film. Stages that are used in the Apocalypse film also connect well with the film’s scenes, which extents to real life situation. Normally, when the stage connects with real life situations, it gives the film a better flow, which makes it more captivating for the viewer to watch. The viewers also understand the intended theme of the film easily.

Camera positioning in the film Apocalypse has taken into account many factors of the film for it to become a success. The characters in this film have taken certain roles in the film that fit them well. Mobile framing has incorporated various scenes to bring authenticity in the movie (Dankenbring, 2007). When Captain Benjamin is in his hotel room, mobile framing captures the cigarettes and the liquor in the room mainly not intended to be in the film. The film has tilted the cameras in different angles capturing various sceneries brought together without conflicting with each other. The war choppers are visible in the head of the captain as he imagines that he is in the jungle yet he is in the hotel.

The film Apocalypse has incorporated numerous stylistic aspects, which heightens its audiences’ gluing aspect or interest. The style’s presentation of heroism and adventure is via captain Benjamin actions. For instance, this is evident especially via his emotions where he feels it is his responsibility to save fellow soldiers from the hands of Vietnam soldiers. Consequently, ensuring well flowing of the scenes especially the way he plans the saving missions where the viewer is capable of understanding the film’s theme.

The film uses authenticity for connecting various natural things. For instance, the captain is seen walking across the jungle and this gives a clear picture of Vietnam. His dressing shows that he is definitely a soldier at war. This background brings the essence of how Vietnam has many bombing activities (Dirks, 2012). The cameras are tilted in a strategic position to receive sufficient lighting from the bulbs. Apocalypse covers all aspects because things are clearly seen as viewers are able to differentiate between day and night. This is evident as the cameras captures captain Benjamin in his hotel apartment drinking to subside stress. The mixture of colors captures attention of the viewer because the film has uses bright colors that are attractive

References

Cheung, E, (2010), Apocalypse Now, retrieved on March 16 2013 from

<http://ebookbrowse.com/echeung-apocalypse-now-pdf-d357281576>

Dirks, T, (2012), Apocalypse now. Retrieved on March 16 2013 from,

<http://www.filmsite.org/apoc.html>

Dankenbring, W, (2007), the end time apocalypse has begun! Retrieved on March 16 2013 from,

<http://www.triumphpro.com/apocalypse-now.pdf>

Film Analysis on the Color Purple

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Professor: Institution: Course: Date:

Various themes like domestic violence are well depicted in the film The Color Purple. Whereby various characters in the film go through mistreatment and violence in their marriage, for instance, Celie is mistreated by her step father and husband. Sophia and her husband Harpo they fight severally due to various disagreements. The two ladies are varying at the beginning of the play. Sofia, due to her size and strength, tries to defend herself by fighting back and at last decides to leave her husband (http://youtu.be/vRSla1RaEiM). On the other hand Celie perseveres mistreatment, first by her step father, Fonso and later Albert. The theme of how the oppressed can redeem themselves through unity is well depicted in the film. This is shown when Celie and Sophia put away their differences and become fast friends.

Celie goes to an extent of nursing Sophia’s wounds when she is arrested. In addition, this is a feminist movie. It is about a lady finding out who she really is and the value she has and will always have. In the south, Celie endured the patriarchal culture which during her search for truth, she realizes is abusive to a woman. At the beginning, she thought that wife battering is a normal thing. That is why she even advises Harpo to regularly beat Sophia. She even doesn’t deny it when Sophia questions her about it. She later learns that women are equal to men in virtually everything, including knowledge, power and finance, when she escapes from Albert after meeting Shug. When she returns in Georgia, at the end of the film, she is a very independent not a submissive and weak lady she used to be.

Celie being one of the major female characters in the film, she has a variety of character traits that make the play more appealing and make expression of the themes easy. The ability to love unconditionally, to endure and strength are the three major attributes that make up Celie’s personality. She endures because she believes in herself. In various instances she sees herself as worthless, especially when she has tenuous connection with others. But this doesn’t affect her endurance any bit. Since her adolescence into adulthood she endures all sorts of abuse, including sexual, emotional and physical abuse. This abuse don’t change her from being gentle and caring

In various instances in the film Celie considers others first before she considers herself. This is an act of loving others more that she ever loves herself. She takes abuse from Fonso in order to save Nettie and her mother from his cruelty. When she realizes that Nettie might be forced to marry Albert, she marries him to protect her from that. In addition she allows Nettie to move away from the farm, knowing very well that she is the only family and friend she has ever had. This is because she believes that this would protect Nettie from him. In spite of all the difficult circumstances that Celie finds herself in, she survives due to her endurance. She is not only able to put up with uncertainty of Shug’s love, but also to withstand sexual abuse of Fonso, poverty, prejudice, miscarriages, Albert’s cruelty, and loss of Nettie.

She is known to love unconditionally. She loves Shug even before meeting her and she is very happy when she realizes that Shug loves her back. Even if Shug doesn’t always treat hers well, she still loves her. When Shug goes away, she decorates a house for her and paints it with purple color and preserves it in hope that she will once return. She also has steadfast love for Sofia. When she is arrested, Celie helps in caring for her wounds, visits her often and encourage her to make her feel better (Caldwell, 2011).

The movie had a great impact in my life. First of all it provided me with the insight into how life was in the south then, where women were oppressed, men were very abusive and a society that was very judgmental. Although it is an interesting film, it is very emotional film. The various mistreatments that the various female characters go through in the film drove me into tears. It also made me to realize the importance of solidarity. When the three ladies come together, they are able to develop themselves. Although they pass through a bitter life, they don’t give up. Celie’s strength made me realize that whenever troubles come, I should always hope that tomorrow will be better. Such an optimistic life is what I was missing. The play also showed me that I shouldn’t be self-centered. Celie is not self-centered; this is a character that many lack. This is an attribute that I really desire (Klein, & Anonymous, 2006).

In searching for a scholarly article, the following process is followed. You first go to the library homepage then click on databases, use the name of the country you want and social issue you have chosen from the list of your assignment as a search item then click the Scholarly Journals tab that appears above the list of articles to find the academic article you want. A scholarly article is a publication whose target audience is academic, authored by academics and published by renowned society. Before it is approved it undergoes official review by various personalities who are experts in the area and there are various characteristics that it must have before it passes the test, for instance citation of the source of information and use of academic or technical terminology.

References:

Klein, J & Anonymous, (2006). Primary Colors: A Novel of Politics, Edition10, California, Random House Trade Paperbacks.

Caldwell, T (2011). The Film Analysis Handbook, New York, Insight Publications.

http://youtu.be/vRSla1RaEiM

Film Analysis on Titanic

Name: Professor: Institution:

Course:

Date:

Introduction:

Titanic movie is a romance movie featuring two lovers; Rose and Jack who met on a ship called Titanic on its first and last voyage to New York. In the movie, Jack a low class Artist meets Rose on the ship of upper class people after he won a third class tickets in a game with his friend Fabrizio De Rossi. Rose had board the ship with her mother Ruth and her Fiancé called Caledon Hockley on it’s depart journey to New York. She then met with Jack and fall in love. This movie brings out the true essence of true love which makes Rose withstand all forces from her fiancé who was a rich person and her mother.

The movie captures the audience when the two lover birds Jack and Rose, rush to the front of the ship and kiss as they enjoy the ocean scene. In the movie, the families of upper class people are seen to enjoy their lives through different celebrations while on the other hand, the two newly met lovers were doing whatsoever that love calls for (Rasor, 2001). They ended up, Jack drawing a picture of a beautiful girl, “Rose” who was lying on a seat with a nice bracelet on her neck. The Titanic ship sinks against the expectation of the owner after hitting an iceberg. The two lovers, Jack and Rose struggled to stay close and be together. This did not work that way, but rather Jack saved his lover’s life and he ended up dying in the ice cold water of Pacific Ocean. The girl was saved by a rescue team only to be found at the end of the movie telling this story to her grandchildren at the age of 100 years. This movie was well produced thus becoming the first movie to gross more than a billion dollars at the box office.

This paper will analyze the sociological part of the Titanic movie. This is because the film is all about day-to-day human sociology since it features the true essence of the past, present and future love lives of people in youth age. This paper would then analyze the following sociological themes as based on the film, Titanic; culture, socialization, sex and gender, marriage and family, social groups and social structure and social interaction.

Concept Application:

The Titanic movie features the real life happening in the day-to-day lives of human beings. As a result, the main concepts of sociology are viewed in this film at different situations in different perspectives. The six primary concepts of sociology that are encountered by human beings in their day-to-day life that are seen in the movie of Titanic:

Culture:

The Titanic film brings out a culture of the American people that lived in the 19th century. In this case, Rose’s fiancé tries to dictate her life and monitor her moves the time he realizes that she was having a relationship with Jack. This is an example of a cultural belief whereby the male gender is seen as superior over the female gender.

Socialization:

In the Titanic movie, people of the upper class are seen socializing and enjoying life through celebrations. In addition to that, Rose and Jack also socialized while on the front of the ship. She liked the scene and said, “It does look spectacular I have to say…you sort of feel like you’re on the fairground ride…as opposed to sitting back and watching the spectacle, you’re really immersed in it,”.

Sex and gender:

Sex and gender is highly distinguished in the Titanic movie in that the male gender is given greater power unlike the female gender. This can be seen in a case whereby Caledon Hockley who just a fiancé to Rose wants to practice dictatorship towards his fiancé just because he is of masculine gender.

Marriage and family:

In the Titanic movie, the main reason for Rose going on a trip with her fiancé was to strengthen the relationship for marriage purpose. On the other hand, Rose’s mother as a member of her family accompanies them on the trip to show family support of the relationship and the intended marriage.

Social groups:

In the movie of Titanic, there are two main social groups that are featured. In this case, the ship was to carry only the upper class people to New York. This means that there were people of a lower class to since Jack was not of the upper class but won the three-class ticket to the ship through games (Aldridge, 2008). Therefore, through the movie, the social lives of people in the 19th century were divided into two social groups, which were, the lower and the upper social group.

Social structure and social interaction:

In the Titanic movie, people are divided into two main social classes, the upper class and the lower class. The upper-class people socialize and interact among themselves in their well arranged occasions. In the case of Titanic, the upper social class people are given a chance to sail in the Titanic ship in which they tend to interact amongst each other. Jack finds himself in this place by chance after winning a third class ticket to the ship through games but in the really sense, it was not meant for low class people.

Theoretical Application:

The basic and major theoretical applications in life are three and they are:

Functionalist; is a theory that features the lives and situations that pertain to lives of people in their functional states in attempt to facilitate a swift life. This theory applies in the field of industry, academic field and other functional fields.

Conflict theory; is a theory that applies in the situations of disagreements between individuals, organizations or nations due to one reason or another. There are cases where human beings at different levels or positions in life would tend to disagree or quarrel due to misunderstanding or difference in opinions (Henslin, 2007).

Symbolic interaction: this theory applies in a situation where people interact and as a result, something is born of the meeting. This applies in a case whereby, individuals, organizations, or nations meet or interact in one way or another and in the process; something develops as a symbol of their interaction.

In this film, the two young people, Jack and Rose meet on a ship and a result of their meeting is falling in love. In this case, symbolic interaction theory is applicable (Cameron, 2012).

Conclusion

Through Titanic movie analysis above, it can be seen that films are imagery to the real life situations based on the outline and coverage of the Titanic movie. Most of the core concepts of life of human beings as they embark on their daily lives are featured in the film. In short, films aim at educating people on the importance of certain interactive and social concepts and not just for entertainment purpose.

References:

Aldridge,R (2008) The Sinking of the Titanic, Great Historic Disasters, New York, Infobase Publishing.

Cameron, J (2012) James Cameron’s Titanic, New York, HarperCollins.

Henslin, M, J (2007) Sociology: a down-to-earth approach: core conceptsMySocLab Series, Edition2, New York; Pearson Allyn & Bacon.

Rasor E, L (2001) The Titanic: historiography and annotated bibliographyIssue 53 of Bibliographies and indexes in world history, Volume 53 of Major Issues in American History, California, Greenwood Publishing Group.

Film Analysis

Name

Professor

Course

Date

Introduction

Apocalypse is a film that features Vietnamese at war. This reveals how people from Vietnam were tired of taking orders from the Americans thus started a revolution meant to refute humiliation by their superiors. Many people incurred severe injuries during the war while others lost their minds due to the trauma they experienced. Benjamin is the main character and he is suffering from posttraumatic experience, which affects him to the extent of divorcing his wife. Well organization coupled with employing of diverse styles in this film has immensely helped in bringing out its themes effectively.

Cinematography

The film has controlled and connected various styles making it very intriguing. There are many cameras used to capture the actions in the film apocalypse. This has allowed the viewer to have a better look and does not miss any action. The viewer is able to see all that is happening in the film besides cameras capturing other parts not intended to be in the film. This makes the film to be authentic and interesting for the viewers to watch (Cheung, 2010). Cameras used in the film are very clear, which makes pictures appear clear besides their strategic placement to capture diverse actions in the film. This makes the pictures to be well visible because the cameras are not placed too far or too near when capturing the actions. The capturing of the film’s scenes is in the places well connected to the actions in the film, hence making it more authentic and interesting to the viewer.

Sounding techniques used in the film connect to the main actions. For illustration, sounds heard from the war chopper blades and flames of war are clearly visible. The film apocalypse has used the style of sound perfectly to make it more interesting owing to its sound intensity variance depending on the kind of actions taking place (Dirks, 2012). In a situation where there is confrontation, the sound becomes intense but in calm incidences, it recedes. For instance, this is evident especially when a helicopter is approaching the intense sound increases mainly brought by whop-whop. Change of sound intensity in diverse situations makes the movie ensure its flow, thus becoming more interesting. Besides, the film’s sound normally accompanies the film’s diverse actions, hence making it more gluing. In cases where the sound of the film does not move together with the action makes the film to be very boring.

Action in the film Apocalypse has taken into account many factors for the film to become successful. Characters in this film have taken certain roles in the film that fit them well, for illustration, Captain Benjamin who acts as a soldier, fits him very well. This is because he is masculine besides his intelligence capable of uncovering numerous things and this is evident in the movie. Additionally, his language is very arrogant because of the suffering he encountered in the war (Dankenbring, 2007). There is a lot of drama in the film as acting goes on and this interprets the theme of the film. The film’s settings entails various places that connect to the message, which the movie tries to convey to its audience, hence shunning cases or incidences contrasting with the actions besides their environment. For illustration, the captain is in a hotel room sipping liquor and smoking cigarettes meant to comfort him especially due to the haunts of the war he did encounter. This scenery shows how he is suffering besides the confusion and despite the physical setting coupled with drinking. The film Apocalypse has linked the acting process with various styles perfectly, which makes it interesting for the viewer to watch. The acting process in this film has taken into account factors such as flow of the film and soundings techniques. This is because if these factors are not connected well with the acting process they might cause disruption of the film.

Apocalypse film has staged its scenes in diverse places that give an intriguing aspect of diversity despite being a single cast. The staging location matches with the background of acting thus becoming unique and interesting for the viewer to watch. Acting stage for each scene has different colors making it to be more appealing (Cheung, 2010). Additionally, mixture of colors captures attention because the film has used bright colors that are attracting. This is a good strategy for keeping the movies alive and in motion. There are different sceneries that are used as staging places in the film Apocalypse meant to pass the intended meaning of the film. Stages that are used in the Apocalypse film also connect well with the film’s scenes, which extents to real life situation. Normally, when the stage connects with real life situations, it gives the film a better flow, which makes it more captivating for the viewer to watch. The viewers also understand the intended theme of the film easily.

Camera positioning in the film Apocalypse has taken into account many factors of the film for it to become a success. The characters in this film have taken certain roles in the film that fit them well. Mobile framing has incorporated various scenes to bring authenticity in the movie (Dankenbring, 2007). When Captain Benjamin is in his hotel room, mobile framing captures the cigarettes and the liquor in the room mainly not intended to be in the film. The film has tilted the cameras in different angles capturing various sceneries brought together without conflicting with each other. The war choppers are visible in the head of the captain as he imagines that he is in the jungle yet he is in the hotel.

The film Apocalypse has incorporated numerous stylistic aspects, which heightens its audiences’ gluing aspect or interest. The style’s presentation of heroism and adventure is via captain Benjamin actions. For instance, this is evident especially via his emotions where he feels it is his responsibility to save fellow soldiers from the hands of Vietnam soldiers. Consequently, ensuring well flowing of the scenes especially the way he plans the saving missions where the viewer is capable of understanding the film’s theme.

The film uses authenticity for connecting various natural things. For instance, the captain is seen walking across the jungle and this gives a clear picture of Vietnam. His dressing shows that he is definitely a soldier at war. This background brings the essence of how Vietnam has many bombing activities (Dirks, 2012). The cameras are tilted in a strategic position to receive sufficient lighting from the bulbs. Apocalypse covers all aspects because things are clearly seen as viewers are able to differentiate between day and night. This is evident as the cameras captures captain Benjamin in his hotel apartment drinking to subside stress. The mixture of colors captures attention of the viewer because the film has uses bright colors that are attractive

References

Cheung, E, (2010), Apocalypse Now, retrieved on March 16 2013 from

<http://ebookbrowse.com/echeung-apocalypse-now-pdf-d357281576>

Dirks, T, (2012), Apocalypse now. Retrieved on March 16 2013 from,

<http://www.filmsite.org/apoc.html>

Dankenbring, W, (2007), the end time apocalypse has begun! Retrieved on March 16 2013 from,

<http://www.triumphpro.com/apocalypse-now.pdf>

Name:

Instructor:

Task:

Date:

Film and Culture

Films share the vital role of portraying the culture and reinforcing given cultures that are deemed crucial for our life. However, the film’s reflection of the society is the most instrumental role as it describes ordinary stories that express the beliefs, insecurities, and aspirations of ordinary individuals. Both of the films, Stagecoach and True Grit express the personalities of individuals as reflecting certain events that are evident in my life. These films had stories that reflect upon my personal life as an individual who spent a lot of years in realizing the self.

Aspects of morals emerge in the movie. Moral elements are evident in the different career choices that individuals make. To begin with, it is notable that Doc Boone is a highly respected individual since he is a doctor. In spite of his responsibilities, he is an alcoholic who seems to only love his whiskey. Given the work that a medic’s duty should involve, it is ironic that alcohol gives the accuracy that involves treatments. Besides, a trader in whisky sits close to the doctor. These two individuals relate in a unique sense since the trader fuels the alcoholism nature of the doctor. The trader fidgets since he is aware of the implications of his trade. From the relation between these two individuals, it is notable that each person conducts his duties as long as the work gives him the necessary profits (Driscoll 78). It does not bother them whether their lifestyles and trade affect others negatively. While the bus moves, a banker, who has defrauded his bank, of 50, 000 dollars, boards it. The bank, just as me, seems to be escaping from the guilt of theft.

These elements combine to portray an individualistic society whereby each individual makes one’s pursuits without minding relative implications. In spite of the individual pursuits, it is notable that all the persons can afford a single vision. All the individuals coalesce within a single purpose of advancing their societies in unique ways. Within their duties, certain practices and habits are the destructive forces that diverges the society’s need for inclusiveness and beauty. For instance, the doctor carries out a noble trade but engages in alcoholism. Besides, the banker engages in a noble trade of banking but carries out a dirty habit of theft.

In the culture of heroism, it is discernible that individuals can become noble and communal in their endeavors (Nichols 48). This is a savior syndrome that appears as an ideal behavior. Ringo Kid initially possesses a dream of avenging on the death of his brother and father. The interest in nuclear families, in this case, is an individualistic behavior that regards conducting murder. Ringo’s selfish character vanishes when he starts talking to Dallas. Ringo shares a determination of revenging on his brother’s and father’s death. In spite of Dallas’ persuasion, he goes against the Plummers and rescues his brothers. This is a risky venture that almost sees his death and his brothers’ misery. It is discernible that the Marshall takes after Ringo because of his heroic displays. This is an element of an individualistic culture that opens up for communism at instances of heroism. All the same, this heroic display is instrumental for the society’s energy towards war and destruction of other people. In this spirit, individuals manifest the determination of defending their loved ones at all costs. It is notable that Hatfield utilizes his last bullet to rescue Mrs. Mallory.

The film, True Grit, share a similarity in the idea that John Wayne was the starring role in both of them. However, John Wayne acted in the earlier version. The greatest similarity lies in the idea that they reflected the Western life. The film manifests familial love as Mattie Ross quests for the revenge of her father’s death. She takes this responsibility into her own hands as she tracks down an old Marshall for the duty. The old Marshall, Cogburn, is a fearless old man who expresses reluctance in executing the odd business of killing murderers.

This film navigates about the concepts of individualism and communism as expressed in the personalities and activities of the characters. Mattie seems to be a selfless individual at a young age. At the age of fourteen, she had learned of her brutal father’s death. This replicates in the American teenage spirit of conducting one’s life towards fulfilling family’s aspirations. Mattie does not want to appear impotent towards murderers who had escaped the responsibility of a heinous crime. In her determination, she goes to the local sheriff who almost makes her give up at her quest. Instead, she implores and takes the option of hiring a retired sheriff. The determination does not break down when she realizes that she cannot meet the cost of hiring the retired Cogburn. The young Mattie has to trade a horse in raising the money that would contribute towards compensating Cogburn.

On the other hand, Cogburn, just as me in my younger days, professes a mild interest in the affairs of Mattie. This occurs in spite of the idea that Mattie is a young girl of whom he should sympathize with. Cogburn remains adamant until he receives the amount that satisfies him to risk his life against the Pepper gang. At this time, it seems Cogburn does not perceive such a venture as a risk because he is used to guns and dealing with criminal gangs. In this sense, he demands the compensation because he just loves money. Cogburn, unlike me, does not profess a preference towards an activity that he can undertake without financial compensation (Detweiler 36).

This situation changes as the plot progresses. This is because Cogburn attains the purpose of avenging the death of loved ones. As the story progresses, it becomes evident that Cogburn views Mattie as her own daughter. Cogburn offers to suck poison out of Mattie’s hands when a rattlesnake bites her. This manifests in Cogburn’s spirit to take Mattie to the doctor in spite of the horse’s exhaustion. At this point, it is arguable that Cogburn is not just giving the value of the money that Mattie offered her. Cogburn seems to be giving a sense in his aged life (Broker 123).

This is a factor that reflects in my personal life as I attained the sense of purpose. In order to realize what my personality and background entails, I offered to take myself through a rigorous experience. The rigorous experience was a trip to the wild that made me realize the value of my family and the individuals around me. Cogburn is a character who seemed to have lost hope in the honesty of individuals. In this sense, he imposes a higher charge on Mattie as a manifestation of his mistrust on individuals. In my personal life, there was the need of skepticism as a tool for keeping individuals off. In the end, Cogburn uncovers that individuals, such as Mattie, can be real in their endeavors towards their loved ones.

Works cited

Broker, Keith. Alternate Americas: science fiction film and American culture. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2006. Print.

Detweiler, Craig. Into the dark (cultural exegesis): seeing the sacred in the top films of the 21st century. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2008. Print.

Driscoll, Catherine. Teen film: a critical introduction. New York, NY: Berg, 2011. Print.

Grant, Barry Keith. Film genre reader three. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, 2003. Print.

Female Entrepreneur Interview

Student’s Name

Institution

Female Entrepreneur Interview

(Fawzia Al-Nafea)

Fawzia Al-Nafea is one of the many successful beauty pungents, who have made it big in the category of fashion and design. However, there are marks in her strides of achievement that categorically define her as different, as she has achieved outstanding fetes and success that come with praise and admiration in equal measure. Consider, for instance, that she is one of the few designers who have started and operated a successful fashion and design company. Her Al-Nafea company has the outward deceiving look of simplicity, a factor that can hardly define its massive success rates and competitive ability. In my quest to uncover the secrets behind her success, I managed to secure a phone-interview with Fazia, who shared with me her secrets. Below is the conversation that ensued between us, as we hogged between the facts, secrecies, and challenges that so define a woman’s entrepreneurial world.

Me: Hello Fawzia, thanks for taking a break from your busy schedule to take this interview with me, I cannot at the very least express just how greatly touched I am.

Fawzia: You are welcome, I am equally just as glad to be doing this for it is amongst other things, my opportunity to inspire hope into the female world that all things can be achieved.

(At this point, I note her humility, and desire to achieve beyond the ordinary, and realize that is not just defined by her success, but also by her drive)

Me: Oh, and when you say amongst other things, are you implying that this is also a marketing opportunity for your business.

Fawzia: (Laughs slyly) Not really, but to some extent, yes. However I’m inclined to think that the interview is good for both of us, right? (Laughs again)

(Demography)

Me: (I Laugh too, as I try to set the mood right for our interview) I would like to take some demographical information from you, just so to fully introduce you to our readers as we want them to comprehend fully what it is to be you.

Fawzia: It’s alright. If for anything, I couldn’t be an appropriate role model if my personal life remained personal.

Me: Okay thank you for the green light. Out here you are mostly referred to as Fawzia, would you reveal your identity in detail to our readers?

Fawzia: I am Fawzia Al-Nafea, but I am fond of Fawzia, probably because the people I interact with find it shorter and easier to pronounce. Al-Nafea is my surname and makes me more of the mother I am, than a business woman.

Me: And yet it is the name you chose for your company.

Fawzia: (Laughs slyly again) Yes. Because I have every intent to nature and mother fashion talent through my company, in a way, my company is my other family.

Me: Huh! I admire your entrepreneurial aspirations; I really do. How old are you Fawzia?

Fawzia: Oh, I am 56 years old. Don’t be deceived by my looks when you set your eyes upon me. (We both laugh out at the sound of that)

Me: You said Al-Nafea is your surname, are you married?

Fawzia: Oh yeah, to Al-Nafea. He has been the pillar of my life. My husband supports me through every single thing I do. We decide together, act together….ha-ha and live together. He has been my lucky charm.

Me: (Laughing slyly) And he must be lucky to have you too.

Fawzia: (Sounding elated) He says that.

Me: Do you have any kids?

Fawzia: Oh yes, three actually; two boys and one girl.

Me: Congratulations! Would you tell us about them?

Fawzia: (Sounding excited) My first born is a boy, he is 28 years old. My second born is the girl, 25 years old and my last born is also a boy, 22 years old.

Me: What’s your family’s perception of your love of fashion and your entrepreneurial success?

Fawzia: Oh they have been very supportive. My daughter actually sometimes gives me design ideas, and my last born always wants to know if I have implemented the latest marketing technology. They have a drive to see me succeed.

Me: What about your husband and firstborn?

Fawzia: They are supportive in equal measure.

(Business)

Me: Great to know, and about your business, what would you tell us about it? For instance, what is your company’s name, when was it founded and what does it endeavor to do?

Fawzia: My Company, Al-Nafea was in founded in 1980 and specializes in fashion design. We also hold runway shows to showcase our designs that we later air for sale in our boutiques across the country.

Me: Does that mean you only produce for your boutiques?

Fawzia: Oh no. (Laughs encouragingly) We have a long list of clientele whom we tailor for and supply upon request.

Me: How big is the company?

Fawzia: Pretty big actually, but average in industrial standards. We have two huge boutiques each in Al-Khobar and the Manama in which there are an approximated thirty sales persons. We also have close to two hundred tailors for mass productions and three very competent designers. For the modeling events, we have around ten models of our own, three males, and seven females. However, we always have the preference of contracting other modeling companies to assist us in such work. Oh, I should not forget the managerial and financial staff, we are pretty big actually.

Me: What are your annual sales, or how else do you determine your productivity?

Fawzia: Through sales that have also been encouraging since the eighties. Our long list of clientele and marketability has ensured the company an average annual sales of 225, 000 dollars (approximately 925, 000 riyal), which is considered good in the design industry, though we aspire to improve.

(Motivation)

Me: Fawzia, this is interesting. Tell me, what motivated you to start your own company?

Fawzia: I had always loved design over my first profession of teaching and felt the urge to express my talent in an exceptional way. I had the feeling that my designs would not achieve the height and helm I desired if I worked for somebody, so I decided to work for myself. Am lucky I had a supportive husband and some savings to start with.

Me: Does that mean you didn’t start your professional career as a designer.

Fawzia: No, I was a teacher. Though I didn’t, feel the same passion for teaching as I did for the design.

Me: What are the other reasons behind your business idea?

Fawzia: I also had the feeling that it would pay better than teaching, and I had always desired a good and comfortable life.

Me: Does it?

Fawzia: (Laughing) Oh yes it does!

Me: What about your parents or other siblings, did any of them have any entrepreneurial idea?

Fawzia: My dad had a large grocery shop that they jointly ran with my mom. My siblings stuck to their academic aspirations though.

(Business Development)

Me: In taking the first major steps in developing your business, what did you do?

Fawzia: I took a few management and modeling classes to sharpen my vision and capacity to run my business. Then asked my husband for some financial support that I combined with my savings and off I went.

Me: Did you just face everything head on or did you prepare a business plan?

Fawzia: I had a plan that sounded vague to me, so I seek legal expertise and the services of an investment consultant In Saudi.

(Help, Support, and Encouragement)

Me: Apart from your own drive, did anybody play a pivotal role in supporting you to achieve your dreams.

Fawzia: (Sounding enthusiastic) Oh yeah! My husband! He was always there for me emotionally, listened to my problems, provided solutions and even some financial aid. He exceptionally supported me and even introduced to some of his friends and colleagues so that they would become my very first clients.

Me: Oh, he’s such an understanding man.

Fawzia: He is.

Me: What about you, did you belong to any professional network?

Fawzia: I was still young, twenty six. At that age, I was so naive and was concerned much with professional networking. However, my management course pointed out the significance of networking, and I joined one that did not prove so fruitful as I felt that their ideas contradicted my ambitions.

Me: How exactly?

Fawzia: Oh, they would share with me common ideas, yet I wanted to be the difference.

Me: Did you attend any special programs?

Fawzia: Apart from the ones I mentioned earlier? No.

Me: What about government assistance, did you seek any?

Fawzia: No, I was pretty much comfortable with the support I already had and besides, I had also saved to a great capacity.

Me: What could you consider your most important resource at that time?

Fazia: This sounds funny, but my husband, my drive and also the capital.

(Challenges)

Me: And when you finally did manage to launch your business, did you experience any setbacks?

Fawzia: Oh yeah, lots of them actually. I was new and had little experience. I also did not have any well paying clients, and so my company struggled financially. I had to do several free shows to market myself and my products.

Me: Did you consider commercials as a solution?

Fawzia: Yes, I actually had to pull strings to get my shows to TV. I considered that as the most effective commercial I would lay my hands upon.

Me: And when you finally made a breakthrough, what are the biggest challenges you have ever encountered?

Fawzia: Competitions comes up more than often. Some companies have the tendency of stealing designs and improving to win the game of competition. Actually that factor really surprised me, I had not thought anybody would want to not create a design but copy.

Me: Really? How do you cope with that?

Fawzia: (Laughs) We always have a weapon up our sleeves. I always must have a secret design to unleash in the event that my first is stolen.

Me: (Laughing too) You are cunning.

Fawzia: (Laughing too) No, I like to consider myself as smart and prepared.

Me: Did you have any problems with your first interactions with KSA?

Fawzia: Yes I did. The competition increases expenses of operation and loans presented me with extreme challenges. Oft, there was also the varied and contradicting decision made by the Ministry of Labor.

(Advice to Aspiring Entrepreneurs)

Me: What would you tell aspiring entrepreneurs?

Fawzia: I would tell them all that success is not easy. It comes with determined perspiration and patience. Continued hard work is always fruitful.

Me:Once again, thank you for your time Fawzia. I cannot express how grateful I am. I will call on you if there is any need.

Fawzia:You are welcome, I would be more than willing to do this again if need arises.

(I hang the telephone after exchange of the remarks).

The interview with Fazia informed me that achieving entrepreneurial success calls for more than a dream, it is a combination of several factors inclusive of a drive and support (Miner, 1996).

Reference

Miner, J. B. (1996). The 4 routes to entrepreneurial success. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers.

Field note observation

Name

Institution

Field note observation on How many people are looking down to texting using cell phone or any other usages

What was the research question?

The search question was: How many people are looking down to texting using cell phone or any other usages? The question aimed to determine the number of people who look down to testing using their cell phones or any other usages.

What did you set out to observe

I set out to observe how many people were looking down to texting using their mobile phones or any other usages at the Mall of America and Rainbow Grocery Store. The observation showed that many people look down to their phones testing of doing other activities with their phones which is very dangerous to their safety. While testing or using the cell phone, most of the people do not look where they are going and are likely to bump it each other and cause injuries. Even more dangerous, is the group of phone users who in addition to looking down to their phones, have earphones on and are thus totally oblivious of their surrounding. Their attention is torn between the phone and what they are doing and they end up totally disregarding whatever else they are doing by totally concentrating on the phone.

Where did you conduct your observation and how did you go about it?

I conducted the observations at the Mall of America and Rainbow Grocery Store. At the I conducted the observation on the North side of the Mall. I position myself and a peculiar position in front of a coffee shop and observed the shoppers as they went about their business. I observed people noting their activities with their phones, their gender and age. I noted young girls and boys who were either alone of per groups such as families looking down at their phone texting or doing other activities with their phones. The phones were a big distraction to these people expressing them to the risks of causing serious accidents. In my observation, about 30% of the people were deeply engrossed in activities such as texting. The second observation also too the same approach, however, I was more mobile with in the location of my observation, the Rainbow grocery store uptown. My mobility made me noticeable by the shop attendants, and I had to move to another Rainbow grocery store. I wandered in the second store noting the activities of the shopper, their gender and age. Most of the shoppers were mainly middle aged women. In this store only there people, all men, looked at their phones texting. Of the three men, two were together. They looked like college students. The observation at the store did not meet my expectations since I expected may people to look at their phones. Definitely, the observation s I made to the Mall of America and Rainbow Grocery Store were different. Although I did the same kind of observation at the two stores, the results were very different. However, all the results indicated that texting while walking is a serous social problem. Texting while walking predisposes people to accidents and injuries.

What would you say were the merits and drawbacks of using covert and overt observations to collect data on the research question at hand?

Observation as a means of collecting data can be covert or overt. Using observation as a means of collecting data has several advantages and disadvantages. In covert observation the researcher fully takes part in the activities of the group he is researching without informing the members on the why he is participating in their activities. This way he conducts the observation secretly. The researcher only uses a gatekeeper, who is member of the group to introduce him to the group. The main pros to this approach are:

The researcher could access groups that can’t freely consent to being researched

The observer could avoid misleading behaviors know as observer effect (whereby group members change when they know that they are being observed). The researcher may however have a difficult time in recording the data.

In addition to difficulties in recording collected data, covert observation of participant has several other cons:

The researcher may have to get involved in the same activities as the participants

Researchers may find the challenges of having to engage in the activities of the participants unpleasant.

The researchers had to employ a level of deceit especial on the reasons of hi presence in the group.

There is a problem of going native, whereby the researcher may stop being a researcher and become a group participant on fulltime basis.

Overt observation, on the other hand, involves a researcher being open to the group on their reasons for joining the group and gain permission to conduct research on the group before he can commence researching. The researcher uses a sponsor-an individual who commands respect in the group-to access the group. Using a sponsor lessen the hostility a research is like to encounter while studying the group. The main disadvantage for over observation if the risk of observer effect, since subject are like to change their behavior because they know they are being observed. However, the approach has several advantages:

The researcher avoids ethical problems associated with the group since every one know of his presence

The shoppers can be observed from a natural setting

Data is easily and openly recorded

The problems of going native are avoided

Another appropriate research method

The other research method that I would have used to conduct this study is in In-depth interviews. This method would generate qualitative data about the habit of texting while walking. Through the interviews the selected sample of interviewees can give information in regard to why they look at their phone while walking e.g. are they normally texting or there is another activity that do when looking at the phones. The responders can also give information on how frequent the look at their phone when walking, whether they have ever cause an accident or injury to themselves or other people through the active. The interviewees can also provide information how they feel about texting while walking.

Your role and the relationship between you, the “researcher” and the “researched

In any research situation, the researcher and the researched share a unique relationship. The researcher is a seeker of information and the researcher is the provider of the information the two must have a proper cordial relationship in order to exchange the information. However, in a covert observation study such as this one, the only the researcher know of the relationship that exists between her and the researched. The researched were not aware that they were being researched. Based on the data collection approach used, the researcher can be termed as the observer while the researched are the observed. They are customer to different malls. The researcher is an experimenter and must provide the necessary factors for the element being research to yield usable data. In this research as the experimenter, I did not need to provide any condition since the experiment was conducted in situ. I observed elements in their natural environment without any controlled variables. This provided opportunity to watch shopper use their phone when they are shopping or conducting other activities at shopping mall. The observer does bit interfere with the subjects thus giving them authority to yield more observable details through undertaking their activities the way the always do. Power is a common component of relationships and also affects research and researched relationship. Always, the researched has an upper hand since they can chose to answer question or reject to participate at all. On the other hand, it always better when a researcher assumes a low power profile since this way, it is easy to persuade the researched to participate. In this research, powered was rather balanced since as researcher I not manipulate the variable associated with the participants and participants could no know what was taking place otherwise they could have changed their behavior due to

Student’s Name:

Tutor’s Name:

Course:

Date of Submission:

Female Friendship in Shirley by Charlotte

Introduction

Ward and Mink, explain that the human self-being is psyched always to want to connect to the world in several aspects, mostly through human association and friendship (78). That is so because, through human relations, individuals get presented with the opportunity of sharing their complications and depressing stories and also get to entertain each other. Our social nature has driven us to get inclined more towards individuals with whom we share the same values, virtues, and beliefs. It is through such relations that one gets understood just as they understand the world.

Same gender relations/friendships have gotten perceived as based on factors that explore same interests, same conceptions, and similar challenges. For instance, male friends would understand and console a male counterpart whose wife has left with all the children. On the other hand, female friends would also understand the woes of a lady whose husband gets stuck in alcoholism and can barely take care of the family. Female friendship is believed to be more intense of the two, as they get to share almost every aspect of their lives. Women believe in fortified friendships and always spend most of their free times with their friends and even assist each other with chores. It is always unlikely to witness female friends in conflict though such also do occur. Moreover, they have the ability to conceal their jealousy and envy towards each other, a factor that always enables their friendships to last.

Charlotte used her Literary brilliance to explore and build upon female friendship as she based her story on a fortified relationship to create turns and twists in her novel, Shirley. Though much focus has gotten centered around Caroline and Shirley (Ward and Mink 78), there are other instances of female friendship. Through such, the author manages to not only depict the loyalty between true friends, but also entice the readers’ mind to certain subconscious beliefs. The first instance of female friendship is that between Hortense, Robert’s sister and Caroline. Beyond obvious reasons, there are factors that explain the relationship between these two ladies as Hortense commits to teaching her friend French. How else would an individual teach another the complexities of another language for such long durations if there are no genuine relations behind the relationship?

Thesis:

Female friendship in the Victorian Era was a tool used by unmarried women to counter the challenges that they experienced and as the preferred alternative to romance with the masculine gender.

Female Friendship in the Victorian Society as analyzed in Shirley

Though there are several other themes in the novel Shirley, Charlotte has intensively explored the theme of female friendship, redefining the concept and equipping it with qualities that most had not conceived (Alhaj 18). The novel is set up in the Victorian Era, a period in which the developments of females got marked with extremities and limitations that derailed several other aspects of human socialization. The way ladies were expected to be subject to manipulation, and societal pressure has gotten defied in the novel, but very much through the use of female friendship. Knitting the relationship between the main characters, Shirley, and Caroline, lays credence to the projection that friends are vital for social development. It also elevates the literary piece as magnificent (Marcus 96).

Female friendship is philosophical and ideally dictates most other activities that often get projected in human interactions. Even the masculine behaviors are sometimes subject to developments within female relations. For instance, Robert flees to the town after being rejected by Shirley, yet the rejection got indirectly influenced by the relationship between Shirley and Caroline. The novel projection of female friendship as a theme in the novel is wholesome and vital in outlining the significance of having a close associate, especially among ladies. Having a female confidant as has gotten portrayed in the novel, is important in maintaining connections with nature and neutralizing the source of other vices like rivalries.

Hunt (55) and Taylor (84), analyze that the Victorian Era as one such period that reduced the task of women in the community to peripheral duties. Men mattered and made most of the significant decisions that factored into etiquette, duties, and societal dogmas all of which the women had to adhere to. Case for which Shirley’s uncle rages up when she declines to marry the rich baronet. He even goes to the extent of shortening his visit and leaves together with his family. That is because, in a sense, he felt overruled, despised and belittled by Shirley’s actions. Caroline, on the other hand, has her issues that have gotten influenced by her vulnerable state that subject her to manipulation by her uncle. Her uncle insists that she needs not to find a job, something she aspires to do.

From this perspective, an insight into the significance of female friendship is created. Ladies feel threatened and seek solace in their friendships as they consider masculine factors to be somewhat intimidating. The two friends in Caroline and Shirley have both been portrayed by Charlotte as objects/targets of manipulation (Ward and Mink 78). The factor pulls them together as they both understand what it is like to get pushed into issues that contradict their desires. Female friendship hence gets depicted as feminist tool that often got used in countering the male dominance and subjugation. The thematic projection of the role of women’s friendship in discrediting the peripheral roles that they had gotten subjected to by their masculine counterparts is significant.

Nonetheless, female friendship has gotten used to portray just how much unmarried women genuinely care for each other and the society. The kind of care that has gotten exhibited in the novel is the show that bridges for the gap between the natural and unnatural and fills the blanks that have gotten left by circumstances. Through care, women can support each other and even the society through the extreme challenges that would otherwise be challenging to handle, or could be inadequately handled by a single individual. Though the author indented to portray this aspect of the characters as the ability to understand each other, it goes well beyond that.

At some point in the novel, Caroline falls sick affected by several issues, some of which are not medical. Shirley visits Caroline at her uncle’s home to show how much she cares and is willing to support her friend emotionally through her health turmoil. On the hand, Caroline is more than willing to participate in Shirley’s wedding as a bridesmaid upon request. The two instances are not just cases of loyalty, but also depict a high level of understanding and a strong desire to support each other through challenges. Some of the challenges as have gotten projected in the novel are hard like Caroline’s sickness and others can be easily tackled, for instance, the bridesmaid capacity in Shirley’s wedding. Such level of caring exhibited by the unmarried towards each other is a factor possibly facilitated by the nature of events during the Victorian Era. That is because women got sidelined in most activities and had to project care and support towards each other (Alhaj 21).

Moreover, the two women through their friendship are driven to warn Robert of an imminent attack on the mill. They risk their lives in the dark as they attempt to reach the mill ahead of the attackers just so to ensure the safety of one of the society members gets guaranteed. Their bold action states how much female friendship has gotten factored into proving the care that women have for the entire society. Caring for themselves and the society is a virtue that has gotten facilitated by two aspects, the period during which the story was set up and the friendship in its entirety.

Female friendship has also gotten used to solve the problems that are experienced by the females. Marcus makes the revelation that the Victorian Era limited the capacity of women to exploit their full potential (96). The dominating nature of the masculine gender got factored into most affairs as they got to suppress the interests of women. The female interests were also suppressed, or could get ignored as considerations got given to the masculine agendas that got marked as more important (Marcus 96). That is a fact restated by Taylor (84). Caroline suffered varied troubles, some financial and others are relational. Having fallen in love with Robert, she was inflicted pain upon realizing that he had chosen not to love her. Shirley, who has grown up orphaned, has other troubles of her own. She is a lady who is subject to societal pressure as the society expects her to commit to marriage. That factor gets muddled with so many insufficiencies as most of the men she meets do not meet her standards, especially Robert whose proposal brings her down to tears. In fact, Robert’s proposal makes her feel betrayed as she is aware that he only intends to get her money when yet he has a liking for Caroline.

Contrary to popular beliefs about the elegance that marked the Victorian Era, there are dark factors that otherwise framed the period as very challenging, especially to ladies. That called for the close female relationships as has gotten depicted in the novel. Fortified relationships not only assisted the characters in question to complete their social lives, but also presented them with several other advantages that enabled them to jump the hurdles that marked their daily lives. How else would the ladies counter the adverse effects of the aggressive nature of the Victorian Era if not through reliance on confidants who shared the same perceptions and conceptions of several aspects?

Female friendship was used by the author to offer protection to her most important characters. Through their friendship, the two ladies got able to protect each other’s interests and as such assisted each other to avoid emotional harm and pain. The friendship aspect also got used to create connections with parties involved. Caroline and Shirley, who both had problems of different kinds and needed new points of connecting with humans, offered each other that valuable aspect when they became friends. Through their friendship, the ladies also got a tool that facilitated their self-expression and understanding. As they constantly examined the factors that affected them, they got not only to express the issues that had weighed their hearts down, but they also got to understand each other better.

The problems that are experienced by the ladies make them withdraw to friendship of the same gender as a preference to romantic attachments with the opposite gender (Marcus 96). They derive solace from the friendship to help them get over their disappointments with the botched attempts to create social links with men. Moreover, surviving the challenges that the two had experienced when relating with men, or overcoming the distress that came with the disappointments was tough. It required that the ladies had to find relationships that could favor their self-expression and enable them to share the joy. Being of the same gender, the ladies had experienced almost similar problems. As such, it became a lot easier to understand themselves and their desires. That fact redefines female friendship in the Victorian Era as a tool that women used to overcome the challenges that muddled their lives or deprived them of the opportunities to explore their environs and opportunities.

But in as much, the challenges experienced by women that they had gotten subjected to by society were not the only obstacles that the feminine gender had to overcome (Taylor 84). Something common even in the present society, and could have affected the development of the plot of the novel Shirley, is jealousy. Women are always jealous f the achievements of their mates, or become angry when their mates take or win what they perceive as dully theirs. Such jealousy can always sire rivalry of varied levels, but often fierce if the disputed issue is a man who either of them believes should be wooing them (Ward and Mink 78).

Robert’s case, for instance, is one such event that could have resulted in a fierce rivalry between Caroline and Shirley. That is because Caroline had liked him yet he had ditched their relationship for a commitment with Shirley. Robert had considered a relationship with Shirley to be the lucrative option that would help him escape the woes that threatened his family’s business. Charlotte employed female friendship to neutralize the issue of rivalry between the two friends. The ladies’ bid to maintain loyalty to each other as a situation that could have sent them at loggerheads with each over the Robert’s love would have betrayed the true purpose of their friendship. Moreover, through friendship, they had learned to respect each other’s virtues, interests, and desires.

Caroline’s admiration for Robert drove her to sickness when she realized that the possibility loomed for Shirley to wed the love of her life. That aspect alone was enough to inspire rivalry between her and her best friend. On the other hand, Shirley chose not to marry Robert though he was likable. She valued the virtues that she and Caroline shared in their friendship and was acutely aware of her friend’s liking for Robert. The sense of loyalty and respect that marked the friendship at that point is a projection of how female friendship was used by the author to neutralize the common female rivalry that often crumbles relationships. In fact, being that Shirley chose loyalty and true friendship over a romantic relationship, their friendship was fortified. It was taken a step further especially as they ended up as sisters in law (Ward and Mink 78).

In the Victorian Era, women were objects of manipulation that men used and dumped as they desired, yet it is a factor that got justified by the society and got barely questioned (Taylor, 84). As such, women had to be loyal to each other to defy the forces that the society had subjected them. Rivalry could only serve to weaken their course and satisfy men’s interests. That explains the reasons for which the friends were loyal to each other. Had Shirley committed to the Robert’s interests, she could have been used to uplift the status of that family while, on the hand, Caroline could have remained as the victim of heartbreak.

The other aspect of the rivalry that has gotten neutralized by the relationship between the two friends is that of riches versus poverty. Shirley having inherited her parents’ estate, is rich and can afford to live lavishly. Even during her childhood, her parents could afford a private tutor for her to help her with her education. At some point, it appears like the estate is too large for her to monitor on her own and requires her uncle’s assistance. Such riches even make her a target for marriage as Robert masquerades as a suitor just so to benefit from the wealth that would be at her disposal if he managed to make her his wife. Caroline, on the other hand, hails from a background that is poverty stricken. Though she desires to have money of her own as such would also come with independence, her dreams and aspirations remain limited as she requires money so to make more money. Her longing to make money drives her to desire to adopt a job as a nanny, a factor that meets her uncle’s resistance (Taylor 84).

Such diverse differences often lead to rivalry as the rich always treat the poor without respect as they belittle them and mock their poor status. On the other hand, the poor always view the rich with contempt and hate and always wish for the occurrence of events that would deprive them of the riches. Such an extreme factor has not gotten explored in the novel as instead, the readers have gotten presented with a balanced yet novel concept. Female friendship has been used in this instance to neutralize the rivalry that could have occurred between Shirley and Caroline. Though the two friends are well aware of each other’s financial status, they support each other emotionally and are knit in a manner that portrays as understanding of each other’s conditions and desires. Had the two ladies not have been friends, maybe their relationship could have gotten defined by a more obvious factor of rivalries, hate, and contempt (Taylor 84).

Having neutralized rivalry in this sense, the writer has managed to create a more balanced plot in which individuals help each other explore the situations that get experienced in either world. In a sense, an imbalance societal configuration has been used to create a more balanced and comprehensive relationship. The issue even plays factor into the kind of loyalty and respect that the two friends have for each other as they fully understand themselves, and their relationship. Hence, there is a direct relationship between the two kinds of rivalries that have gotten neutralized through application of feminine relations.

Hunt illuminates that further brilliance has gotten employed in the novel as the relationships get irregularly balanced (55). That is; Charlotte profiled her characters as individuals from different backgrounds. In so doing, she made the relationships comprehensive and wholesome as friends involved would often help the other comprehend perceptions of the world as had not gotten considered by the other. Consider, for instance, the obvious lack of parity of riches between Caroline and Shirley as Caroline’s background is poverty-stricken yet Shirley rides in opulence. The imbalance creates a balance as, through sharing, the friends understand the inadequacies that mark the different worlds and aspire to develop manners that are well defined.

There is also the instance in which Shirley falls in love with Louis and are set to wed. At the very time, Caroline is single as the only man she had dully loved left for the city for unclear reasons, and his return is even infinite. What makes matters worse, Shirley has had the luck to be courted by several other men. That is a contradiction to Caroline’s status, as she had barely had a relationship with anybody. According to Alhaj, it would be normal if Caroline exhibited jealous mannerisms toward her friend based on the issue, but the contrary happens (20). Up until Robert returned to propose to her, Caroline had accepted to be a bridesmaid in her friends’ wedding. In the situation also, female friendship has been used to depict that close relationships between ladies can be used to neutralize rivalry. All the three factors are significant in clarifying just how important female friendships were in the Victorian Era. In a sense, they helped ladies maintain their senses and serve to satisfy each other’s wishes and stand out (Marcus 96).

A human social life deficit of close relationships within the same gender would be inadequate in several other aspects. The explicit examination of the theme of the novel details the magnificence of having a confidant of the same gender as they tend to have the same patterns of thought. Moreover, they adequately understand and comprehend the situations, problems and challenges that muddle lives as such are often similar within the same gender. Female friendship has gotten brilliantly examined in the novel by Charlotte in a vivid way that maintains its literary life to the very present. In fact, it explores friendship in dimensions that outline the aspect as a value that is very much handy in completing the circles of nature and social life. The theme of female friendship is an answer to some of the misconceptions that people have developed about the nature of relationships among the females.

Through their friendship, Caroline and Shirley managed to develop wholesome conceptions on matters that affected their lives, both directly and indirectly. The friendship equipped them with the capacity to stand up to the challenges that muddled their daily lives. Moreover, they developed the capacity to make independent decisions that could get divorced from the beliefs and the pressures that the society subjected the feminine gender to (Alhaj 22). The fact that the two ladies have problems of their own becomes unlikely as they venture into the friendship and adapt virtues that beat the delusions that have gotten conceived in the society. Through the friendship, they get depicted as strong and visionary, though sometimes they suffer from matters that affect them both, and the friendship aggravates the entire issue. For instance, Caroline ails when she gets scared that her best friend could get married to the one man she had looked upon with awe (Ward and Mink 78). Though she could have still gotten affected even if the lady in question were not her confidant, it is apparent that the issue affected her more as it happened.

The novel is unique as it details virtues of female friendship in ways that could have otherwise gotten considered as ordinary. Female friendship becomes the drive and sustenance of the novel. It is used to depict that during that during the Victorian Era, only friends as few could understand the importance of trust, loyalty and respect (Alhaj 19). That is because friends are supposed to be true, and genuine friendships are free of vices like rivalry and manipulation. From friendships, people get to protect each other’s interests and get the opportunity to share and comprehend ideologies that explain the depictions of other worlds. As such, individuals involved in friendships with the same gender, especially females, get to comprehend the enigmas that challenge them as well as the bliss that get involved in life (Ward and Mink 78).

Conclusion

Female friendship is a balance of nature and gets to fill in for the factors that cannot get satisfied by relating to the male gender. It is the bridge that offers an insight into the categorical and feminine issues and also equips the world with the visionary justification for female behaviors. To Charlotte, it became an important tool that she used for discrediting the oppression of female thought and building the grounds for illumination of the importance of having close same gender relationships. The theme is also a challenge to the modern societies as they seek to improve their relationships and perceptions towards developing of formidable friendships.

In the novel, female friendship has gotten used to fortify reason and build upon the women’s ability to comprehend the difference between the appropriate and the inappropriate. As such, it is the critical tool that aid women in making outstanding visionary, comprehensive and valuable decisions. It is hence the scale upon which women weigh their thoughts and options and judge the rationality of their decisions. For instance, Shirley makes the choice of friendship loyalty over Robert’s hand in marriage. She considers that friendship has many virtues and has provided her with the love she needed when she could not get a suitable way of relating with the society. Moreover, Robert only desired to marry her because she had money. The considerations that she did make were influenced by the friendship that she had had with Caroline. Insofar, Charlotte vividly described and explored female friendship in a way that projects the fulfillment that friendship can provide when the society has gotten filled with numerous inadequacies.

The magnificence and the use of female friendship by unmarried women to counter the challenges that they experienced during the Victorian Era hence becomes eminent. Female friendship assumed the position of a vital social tool though it still is even to date. Feminist use it today as it was used then to counter the oppression and subjugation that the female characters, especially the unmarried ones, often get subjected to. Charlotte, however, equipped the virtue with several other aspects to flavor the novel, a factor that discretely worked to express how women always benefit from such fortified relationships. The relationship between the ladies, and even with several other women, offers comfort, reason and a platform for self-expression as not projected beyond the borders of female relationships.Loading…

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Works Cited

Alhaj, Ali. The Portrayal of Women in Charlotte Bronte’s Shirley. Hamburg: Anchor Academic Publishing, 2015. Print.

Hunt, Linda C. ‘Sustenance and Balm: The Question of Female Friendship in Shirley and Villette’. Tulsa Studies in Women’s Literature 1.1 (1982): 55-66. Web.

Marcus, Sharon. Between Women. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2007. Print.

Taylor, Helen. ‘Class and Gender in Charlotte Bronte’s Shirley’. Feminist Review 1.1 (1979): 83-93. Web. 7 Mar. 2015.

Ward, Janet, and Mink, Stephens. Communication and Women’s Friendships. Bowling Green, OH: Bowling Green State University Popular Press, 1993. Print.

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Field Notes for Venice Beach Street Performers

Introduction/First sight: Many of Los Angele’s streets are buzz with pop culture, music, art and weird shticks. Thanks to an array of talented buskers, areas like Santa Monica and Venice Beach are entertained by street performers, day in day out. Approaching the beach from the boardwalk, the first thing that captured my eyes were the vibrant and extraordinarily flexible artists going about their acrobatics with zeal. Music in various renditions fills the air as one walks past. There are rarely dull moments along the streets of the beach and tourists, who frequent the beach in large numbers, are inevitably charmed.

After a short walk, I realized that the Venice Beach has many attractions other than the hot sand. The place has rich tobacco industry’s history, dating back to the slave trade era, various destructive storms and colonization of America. The beach is used by various artist groups, beach football and basketball teams and cyclists among others.

Common figures: if you came across a man in black adidas jacket and track suits, it must have been Harry Perry. He is a lead guitarist in a local band. He is a very talented musician who has travelled across many countries to promote his recordings. There was also Robert Gruenberg. He is a common attraction at the beach. The artist is very talented and respected by peers. During my visit, he had a chain juggling show and stand-up comedy. After the show, I concluded that performance at the Venice beach require bravery and fantastic combination of talent and skills. These factors act as the major attractions to the audience at the beach.

Best performances: a walk along the beach reveals existence of unique performances at the beach. The beach was packed with dancing troupes; stand-up comedians, musicians and skating teams. Virtually all performances were represented. However some groups were unique and stood out among the rest. Goldman’s body paints and ancient pirate attires are hard to miss for any visitor of Venice beach. Those who know Goldman well informed me that he is one of the top artists who not only commands respect among his colleagues but has also performed on many cities such as Los Angeles for many years. Goldman gave one of his best performances, depicting the dances by Michael Jackson. Another remarkable performance came from a tall Latin American with trademark beards; Perry Hernandez. Also known as Huba Huba, Hernandez put in an outstanding show with a barefoot walk on glass. Sources reveal that this performance was inspired by a practice called bottle dancing n Trinidad, from where Hernandez hailed. The dance entails a hopping movement from a chair located at the center of a circle onto a blanket. The blanket was randomly filled with pieces of glass. Another captivating character was the Puppet Man. The man performs with his ratty puppet to the serenity of his audience. His passion and creativity is humbling. Indeed, Bowl-goers revealed that they are entertained by Hart and his team. Hart leads a group of baritone vocals that has managed to produce some likeable, hymn-like jingles. Hart, now 57-years of age is not only a singer but also an actor, a songwriter and a comedian

Becoming a street performer in Venice beach:

I inquired from experts and stakeholders about what it takes to become a street performer in Venice, and found out that this was a free endeavor, as long as one abided by the law. Los Angeles has a lot of freedom when it comes to street performing. The artists do not need any license or permit to perform. Since the Venice Beach forms part of the City, street performing has been embraced by the locals and visitors. However, the freedom to stage a street performance was realized after a suit when the city authorities attempted to restrict the performers at the Venice Beach. However, the artists are required to follow the laid down rules and procedures before and during the performance. Failure to observe the guidelines would lead to a fine or a charge in the court.

Conclusion: Venice beach is buzz with activity on a daily basis. There are rear moments of dullness and the amount and genre of arts and music that fills the air is astonishing. The freedom that these performances have been permitted in this particular part of the nation perhaps makes Venice beach unique. Inspiration comes form need to generate income develop talents and even just for the passion of it. Regardless of cause, the performances and the performers are well motivated as is evidenced by the large volume of tourists that frequent the beach. However, a few of them gossiped about having been harassed by police in unwarranted arrests related to their performances. The law’s standpoint in Venice and Los Angeles as a whole is that street performing is legal and does not require any permit. I witnessed perhaps the best aspects of creativity and arts on my tour to the beach.

Female Genital Mutilation

Author

Institution

Introduction

Different societies have been under the guidance of different set of laws and culture. It is worth noting that these rules and regulations have been determined by the time period or rather the era in which the society lived. This underlines the fact that different generations operated under different set of rules and had different cultural practices as well. This is in line with the dynamic nature of societies coupled with the demands of the particular time periods. Needless to say, some practices have eventually been relegated to the periphery thanks to their evaluation as draconian, retrogressive and as of being of no use to the human society. While various practices have been dropped by different societies on these grounds, none seems more controversial than female circumcision, or rather female genital mutilation. Debates pertaining to female genital mutilation have been relatively recent. Little was said about the practice in Africa while little was known about the same in the Western countries until the second half of the 20th century. Medical practitioners and activists from Africa brought the attention of international organizations to the health consequences of the practice in the 50s and 60s (Lockhat, 2004). Still, no formal statement of policy was made pertaining to the same was made until 1979, when a seminar arranged for by WHO in Khartoum to examine the conventional practices that affect the health of children and women recommended that governments strive to get rid of the practice (Lockhat, 2004).

Thesis Statement: While there may be differing opinions pertaining to the issue, it is evident that the practice comes with immense negative health consequences on the health of women and children in which case it should not be allowed to continue.

Currently, female genital mutilation is practiced in around 28 countries especially in Africa. While not required by any religion, the practice takes place among animists, Christians and Muslims, as well as one Jewish sect. underlining the prevalence of the practice is the fact that in Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt, Central African Republic, Sudan, Mali and Eritrea, between 43% and 97% of women in reproductive age have undergone it. Of course, there are variations in prevalence of the practice across the varied ethnic groups (Lockhat, 2004). For instance, in Mali where the proportion of women that has gone through the practice stands at 94%, the Tamachek community has a prevalence rate of only 17%. Nevertheless, the negative health consequences of the practice cannot be understated (Lockhat, 2004).

First, the practice jeopardizes the health and livelihood of women. Scholars have noted that FGM has a role to play in the increase in the transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), especially considering that a single surgical instrument is used to carry out multiple operations (Skaine, 2005). On the same note, women undergoing such practices have often died from intense bleeding, not to mention complications such as urine retention, severe pain, hemorrhage, ulceration in the genital region, as well as injuries to the adjacent tissue.

In addition, FGM compromises the fundamental goal of human society, which revolves around the preservation of the human race. This is especially considering its effects on the reproductive system of women, especially with regard to the long-term consequences (Skaine, 2005). These include abscesses, cysts, destruction of the urethra leading to urinary incontinence, sexual dysfunction, painful sexual intercourse (Dyspareunia), not to mention difficulties in childbirth (Skaine, 2005). It has been well acknowledged that women who have gone through the practice often have complicated deliveries in caesarian section, with high prevalence of inpatient prenatal death, infant resuscitation, episiotomy, postpartum hemorrhage and extended maternal hospital stay (Toubia & Rahman, 2000).

Moreover, female genital mutilation comes as a violation of the rights of women and girls (Karanja, 2003). It is well understood that human being have certain inalienable rights that are not only guaranteed to them, but also cannot be justifiably violated. Indeed, there arguably exists no other more fundamental right for civilized human beings that the right to the integrity to their bodies. It is worth noting that a large number of women that undergo female genital mutilation are way too young to make decisions pertaining to their bodies or even give their informed consent (Karanja, 2003). In fact, most of them do not have a choice as they would be subjected to social stigma if they choose to remain uncut. In the long-term, women endure feelings of depression, anxiety and a sense of incompleteness (Skaine, 2005). Indeed, the practice is essentially a form of violence meted against women, and comes off as an expression of patriarchal oppression.

On the same note, female genital mutilation involves the amputation of the sensitive tissues in a woman’s vagina including the clitoris, which can lower the woman’s capacity to experience sexual pleasure (Karanja, 2003). Scholars note that infibulated women may find it painful to consummate their marriages thanks to the small vaginal opening, as well as the lack of flexibility in the scar tissue forming it. Indeed, bleeding and tearing up are common, with a high possibility that the infibulations scar will be cut open to enable penetration (Toubia & Rahman, 2000). This is often extremely painful for the women, not to mention the high likelihood that it will result in infections, cysts and bleeding.

Lastly, female genital mutilation has been associated with increased rates of infertility in women. Indeed, studies done in Southern Sudan have shown that about 20-25% of infertility cases in women can be traced back to the detrimental effects of the practice (Toubia & Rahman, 2000). Unfortunately, there has been inconclusive research on the exact link or connection between Female Genital Mutilation and infertility (Karanja, 2003). Nevertheless, scholars have noted that the infections of the reproductive system in the long-term may have caused an increase in the same, not to mention the psychological effects and trauma that comes with the practice. In fact, researchers have stated that anxiety and depression that emanates from female circumcision has a bearing on the infertility rates in women.

In conclusion, issues pertaining to female genital mutilation have been extremely controversial in the contemporary human society. The topic has gained significance only recently, thanks to the activism of paramedics in Africa on the effects of the practice on the health of women. (Thesis Statement restated) While there may be differing opinions, the practice has negative effects on women’s health, in which case it should be banned. Female genital mutilation often results in increased cases of HIV/AIDS thanks to the use of a single instrument in numerous operations. In addition, it causes infections that affect reproductive health of women, while reducing their experience of sexual pleasure, something that may jeopardize their marriages. Not only is the practice a violation of the fundamental rights of women, but it is also credited with high prevalence of infertility amongst women thanks to the psychological trauma and depression coupled with the infections that emanate from the same.

References

Karanja, D. N. (2003). Female genital mutilation in Africa: Gender, religion and pastoral care. United States: Xulon Press.

Lockhat, H. (2004). Female genital mutilation: Treating the tears. London: Middlesex University Press.

Momoh, C. (2005). Female genital mutilation. Abingdon: Radcliffe. (Momoh, 2005)

Skaine, R. (2005). Female genital mutilation: Legal, cultural, and medical issues. Jefferson, N.C. [u.a.: McFarland.

Toubia, N., & Rahman, A. (2000). Female genital mutilation: A practical guide to worldwise laws and practices. London: Zed.