Mythology and literature Essay Example for Free

Mythology and literature Essay The definition of mythology is deprived from the word myth. The word itself comes from the Greek word mythos, which means fable, legend or sagas. The word myth is a story that seeks to rationalize the universe and the world around us, passed down orally from generation to generation explaining religious origin, natural phenomena or supernatural event. Mythology is a collection of myths that concerns with cosmogony and cosmology, shared by a particular society at some particular time in human history. Literature is a body of written works of language, period or culture. Literature can be divided into fiction (e.g. fairty tale, gothic, saga etc) and non-fiction (e.g. essays, journal, science fiction etc). There are many distinctive natures of mythology and they seek to describe what a particular person or society believe during that period of time. Myths serves as an charter for their institutions, customs and beliefs. The typical mythology is the explanation of the universe and its ethology. Normally, the setting is set in a previous proto-world (simliar to the current world but also different) and they often revolve around non-human or extroadinary people such as god, goddess, supernatural beings (e.g. zeus, adam and eve, prometheus etc). These story explains why things are and how they became to be. It rationalised our way of thinking, reconcile us to reality and establishes our pattern of life. Apart from the explanation of the creation of the universe, mythologies seek to explain everyday natural phenomena. Certain myths explains way the sun exist and why there is night and day. Some explains the existance of seasons: Spring,Winter,Summer and Autumn while others shows of mother nature providing us with food and shelter. These myth suggest a way of understanding nature and organizing thoughts. For example, structualism recognizes different contrasting aspect (light and dark, good/evil) as centres to myths which charters for social order or value within a society (functionalism). Myth have been created by human beings for many reasons over thousands of years. They are an intellectual product of humanity and a rich resource for the ideas and belief of past generations. Their extroadinary and unbelievable aspect combined with the constant thought that there might be something out their is what keeps mythology functioning and is what keeps literature moving. There are also many differences between literature and mythology. For instance, they were used for different purposes and existed in different times. Myth several purposes, including to socially/politically control society (e.g. to spread a myth about something to control people, to scare people when facts were not available). Literature on the other hand, is more about persuading and informing people. There are also other benefits to mythology that cannot be achieved in literature, such as there is no boundary to the world, there is no such thing as false and there is low risk of anyone challenging your theory. The sets of beliefs also differ and the way they view the world differs. For example, literatures audience are educated modern people while mythologys one is from the old generation where there was not much information about the world and how it works. This would mean that the two different texts have different intended audience which would inevitably show why they differ so much. Both are products of humans but during different time frame. The arrival of the modern era would inevitably mean the death of mythology. The transformation from one to another was the belief that myth was useless, false and outmoded and that it did not work. Science (regarded as a fictional literature) was the objective explanation of how the world around us work while the subjective myth was about faith and believing something unfounded. Scientific rational thought was based on empricial knowledge, a priori (not falsifiable) and our way of thinking is based on facts. Myth is ultimately a different knowledge, an ideology, a set of belief. Systems of myths have provided a cosmological and historical framework for societies that have lacked the more sophisticated knowledge provided by modern science. Myth is related to science, however it only provide basis for a theory, not knowledge. For example the myth of how the origin was created would have lacked modern day rational scientific belief because they would prefer a more true, superior and more authority theory, which is the big bang theory. Our modern rational paradigm thought is based on observation. Scientific rational thinking is based on logic to solve or explain how the world works and as it becomes a part of our everyday thinking, mythology will be inevitable cast aside. Carl Jung invented modern scientific theory and for him, the world of dream, and myth represented the most fascinating and promising road to deeper understanding. The significance of literature in mythology as said We need the stories of myth to make sense of the confusion of our society and our own psyches. Myth voices the truths of our unconscious selves, and the gods, goddesses, and heroes of myth embody aspects of creativity, cleverness, grief, joy, aggression, and ecstasy. Carl Jung believes that even the most sophisticated and important literature requires some mythological aspect. (E.g. the Lord of the Ring depends on mythical characteristic to drives the ideas; horror movies have a message and some urban myth taps into childs fear of a bogyman under the bed) Northrop Frye criticises literature and states the importance of cultural myth underlying literature (E.g. Sea, land and sky, control, creation, decay, regeneration, our fear). Mythology evokes our sub-conscious mind (e.g. dream) which is employed by reference to mythology in literature. Frye states that mythology provided themes for some of the worlds greatest drama, and similar themes can be traced back to the Renaissance literature, through to Shakespeare (E.g. Hamlet, Midsummer Nights Dream) and finally to modern poetry and thus mythology plays a significance role with literature. One could even say that literature is based on mythology. Karen Armstrong book A Short History of Myth is about how literature and mythology were shaped by the problems of the society people lived in. Armstrong states that the existence of Mythology from an early period: Human beings fall easily into despair, and from the very beginning we invented stories that enabled us to place our lives in a larger setting, that revealed an underlying pattern, and gave us a sense that, against all the depressing and chaotic evidence to the contrary, life had meaning and value. With the coming of the great revolutions in human experience science was used to explain facts as opposed the theory of myth, which became useless, false and outmoded. Literature, which could explain things that was never thought possible, was regarded as the next step from mythology (from an uneducated society to a civilized society). The relationship between literature and mythology is one of similarities as well as differences. They are both important creation by human beings and will continue to play an important role in the intellectual world. Literature will always include some aspect of myth which will continue to shape our modern world like it did in the past.

Comparison between a developing and developed country

Comparison between a developing and developed country The countries I choose to discuss are China representing the developing country and USA symbolizing the developed country. economic system concerns with the production structure of a country. It also includes how to allocate the economic inputs, how to distribute the outputs between the citizens and how to consume goods and services in an economy.(NA 2007) According to Gregory et al (2003), the economic system has four dimensions: decision-making structure, coordination mechanism, productive property rights and incentive system. Decision making concerned with by whom the decisions are carried out, industrial councils, the government, or private owners. In US, excluding only a few national industries, many decisions are decided by the private owners, however, in China, there are a lot of state-owned enterprises which make decisions under the influence of the government. Coordination mechanism is the way of obtaining information and how to use it to coordinate economic activity. The main forms of coordination contain planning and the market. In US, its coordination form is the market: the market is clear, and the exchange of information is highly efficient. While, China has been through a long time of planning coordination, its form, although its government claims the market, is in an interim. Productive property rights is about who takes control of the output. In US, the ownership is protected by the constitution while in China, they are owned by the public or by all the members in the society. Incentive system refers to the reward. There are two major base: material (compensation) and moral (social prestige). In both countries, they have both incentive systems simultaneously since either one is enough. 1.2 financial system 1.2.1 financial system in US In the US, its unit of money is dollar. Its central bank is Federal Reserve who is responsible for making decision concerning to the finance such as financial policy and the base interest rate. since Fed is independent of the government and its chairman has a term of 18 years, it may put focus in the long term. In US, there are many financial institutions such as banks, insurance companies, mutual funds, insurance companies and so on. The varied institutions designed many sorts of financial instruments circulating in the financial market in the US which make the US the most efficient financial market in the world. 1.2.2 financial system in China In China, its unit of money is yuan. Its central bank is Peoples bank of China(PBC). Compared to Fed, they have a same job including issuing currency, making financial policy and so on. However, since PBC is also a part of the government, its independence is in doubt in some degree. In other words, PBC may adopt the government leaders opinions when they make their final decision. Chinese financial system is immature and still in the progress of developing. In this way, the kinds of financial institutions in China are limited. There are no private-owned financial institutions in China and theres legal protection that financial institutions can only be emerged but no bankruptcy. The financial instruments are also limited. Time deposit, demand deposit, and treasury bills are individual investors primary choice. Until now, more and more people are taking part in the stock market or buying some fund. 1.3 the unique feature-means used by the central to regulate the economy In China, when PBC wants to express its monetary policy, its main tool is to change the benchmark of deposit and lending rates. If PBC wants to adopt tightening monetary policy, it will increase the benchmark rate, on the other hand, it will drop the rate when adopting expansionary monetary policy. However, the method has its own disadvantage: its effect is so strong that it may hurt the development of the economy. In the US, when Fed wants to regulate the economy, its first option is open market operation. If they want to adopt an expansionary monetary policy, it will buy the treasury bills from the financial market and release more money in the circulation. While, when they want to tighten the market, it will sell its bills and get money in the circulation back to the Fed. By regulation this way, the Fed is able to regulate the economy more proficiently and accurately, and this method has the smallest negative effects to the economy. The main reason why China doesnt use open market operation very much is that its financial instruments are limited and its financial market is not mature enough to do it. The other reason is that Chinese government interferes with the central bank more compared to the US government to the Fed. Q2 2.1 A brief introduction to IMF IMF, short for International Monetary Fund, is the international organization aimed for supervising the global system, especially financial system. Its main targets are keeping an eye on exchange rates and balance of payments as well as aiding the developing countries financially and technically. (Wikipedia) This organization was conceived back to July 1944 when 45 governments held a meeting in the Mount Washington Hotel located in Bretton Woods: in this way, this financial system later was called Bretton Woods system. It was formally founded on December 27,1945. 2.2 Members of IMF At the beginning of its foundation, it had only 29 members and its influence on the global financial system was rather limited. However, as time goes by, its affect on the global finance even economy is increasing gradually: the members it accumulated is more and more. It is not that easily be accepted as a member of IMF. The country or state has to take several strict steps before it is able to sign the IMFs Articles of Agreement. However, that effort is worth endeavoring: every member has its own quota in it. The quota represents the status of the member in the organization since several crucial characteristics including the voting weight and allocation of SDRs are determined by the quota. The member who has the most quota in IMF has the greatest power in IMF. United States enjoys 15.82% while other members only get around 6%, or even less. In this way, the US has always been the country which is able to block a supermajority on its own. This is also the point raised by many critics that how can IMF keep its equity among so many members. 2.3 the objectives of IMF The fundamental task for the IMF stays the same as it was founded: to supply financial aid to the countries in need. 2.4 challenges faced by IMF The financial crisis beginning in 2008 is so devastating that nearly every part of the world is strictly affected by it. IMF is also no exception. This crisis is also showing the world that globalization, if not controlled properly, may turn to be a disaster throughout the world and some international financial organizations, such as IMF, has to face some new challenges. According to the statement of an official in IMF, although the global economy would hit the second bottom since 2008, the whole world still has to face four crucial challenges: the financial sustainability, employment crisis, repair of the financial organizations and global cooperation. 2.4.1 financial sustainability Financial sustainability can be represented as a mutual trust between the government and its citizens on the policy. In this way, it is very critical when government is making policies in the recovery. To explicate it, lets make an example. When suffered from the crisis just now, the countrys economy was destroyed nearly completely. In order to recover quickly, the government chooses the expansionary fiscal policy by increasing the government spending or decreasing the inflation rate. By doing this, the government wants to show the confidence that they want to encourage more investment to the citizens. The citizens, responding to the government, begin to invest more than before, since they have a faith in government. However, with the increase of investment, the government realizes that another problem is showing up: the inflation rate is rising. In order to overcome inflation, the government has to increase the interest rate, which is a signal of scotch the investment. The citizens may feel confused by the governments changing policy, and may lose faith in it. If the trust between a government and its citizens is destroyed, the recovery is totally hopeless. However, usually the government is shortsighted and its lack of financial sustainability cannot help the recovery and even lose the best opportunity, it is the IMFs responsibility to help guiding the government and make sure that they make the right decision. 2.4.2 employment crisis Since the financial crisis in 2008, many developed countries including USA and some major European countries are suffering from the extraordinarily high unemployment rate. Mr. Obama, the president of United States, had promised that the unemployment rate of US would drop. However, until right now, the unemployment rate of US is still above 8%, and there is more rumor that this number will fly to 10% or higher. This phenomenal is very common among the other developed countries around the world. High employment is fatal to a countrys stability. Without a domestic stable economy, how can people around the world make sure of the stability of the economy? While creating a stable environment for the global economy is one of the objects of IMF, how to lower the unemployment and create more job opportunities become their challenges. 2.4.3 repair of the financial organizations As it is well known around the world, five major investment banks disappeared in USA during the financial crisis. Affected by this, many other financial and nonfinancial organizations within and outside US were in danger of bankruptcy. Since financial organizations are the primary elements in the financial system, helping them repair from the crisis is necessary. However, despite the organizations, even some countries are facing bankruptcy themselves. Depending on the government may not be a very good choice. In this time, the job rests on the shoulder of IMF, an international financial organization, who is able to help national ones when they need it. 2.4.4 global cooperation With the pace of globalization, the cooperation within different countries is becoming more and more indispensible to ones own economy. The deadly financial crisis happened in 2008 was first ignited in the US, while, after a short time, this crisis was spreading around the whole world like a cancer. Until now, many parts of world are still suffering from it. From this crisis, it is widely realized that even it is caused by only one section of a country, the influence may be spreading far far way, just like the butterfly effect. Thus, in order to cope with it efficiently, every country should enhance their cooperation with each. To cooperate finely, there has to be an organization to regulate their behaviors and that organization is IMF. Now, how to help each member cooperation with others effectively and safely is the final but not the easiest challenge faced by IMF. 2.5 my suggestions When facing these new challenges, I have several suggestions for the IMF. First of all, I suggest that IMF should guide those countries who have the most serious debt problems, even by exempting from a certain amount of heavy debt. Only by doing this can help them stabilize the domestic environment within the countries. Another suggestion from me is that IMF should appeal that every member enhances its cooperation when making policies. We must abandon the way of recovery based on hurting the other members economy such as the protection to local product by putting more duty on the imports. NA (2007). economic systems, The New Encyclopedia Britannica, V. 4, p. 357. Gregory et al(2003). Comparing Economic Systems in the Twenty-First Century.

Rousseau, Hobbes, and Locke : Interpretations of Human Nature Essay

Through time people have always wondered what it is that makes us who we are. It has been our human nature that has kept us intrigued with ourselves, and our relationships with others. With this curiosity came various interpretations as to our human nature, each changing the way we see the societal world we live in. With each interpretation came a new understanding of people and the relationship they hold with each other. Human nature has been one of the most studied elements of the world we live in. From our nature came the interest of how we as humans interact with each other, through the development of our nature some have served and others had ruled. Three philosophers that have focused their political ideas around human nature have given a deeper meaning to their study of politics through the understanding of human nature. Each one of them had a distinctive interpretation of what human nature was and how it impacted the politics of the specific society that they envisione d. It is hard to say that one of them holds the answers to the true essence of human nature but one can say that each of them has given an interesting and strong piece of the puzzle that has linked human nature to politics. The three philosophers in question are Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. I will be referring to them by their last name for simplicity. Starting with the philosophical views of each man we will see how they differ. It will be clear that each man’s idea comes from a very different perspective on human nature. Thomas Hobbes thoughts on human nature derive from his childhood. According to Jean Hampton who wrote, â€Å"She brought twins to birth, myself and fear at the same time† (282) Hobbes believed that fear... ...fear. Locke’s idea that everyone is born free is good for societies that have no established governments because even in his time there was a government. In biblical times his idea would be right on but the transformation of people’s ideas has lead the changes in natural freedom. No one can control where they are born so they may be born in a not so free state. Finally Rousseau’s idea that man is naturally good but corrupted by institutions is somewhat flawed because everyone makes choices to do or not do so people become corrupt through the choices they make in life. Through all this no one philosopher has the right answer to human nature but when we combine their ideas we get a solid way to a good solution that benefits many. Works Cited Cahn, Steven M.. Political philosophy: the essential texts. 2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2011. Print.

The Rules Of Life: Epictetus View Essay -- essays research papers

The Rules of Life: Epictetus’ View   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As rational beings, we can become conscious of the law that guides all things. Virtue consists in conscious agreement with the inevitable order of things. According to Epictetus’ The Enchiridion, one acts with the virtues of Stoicism: human imperfection, prudence, temperance, and courage. We can relate what Epictetus is saying to our own lives. It appears that some comfort comes in knowing that one has no control over the predetermined.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Epictetus represents a myriad of concepts. One concept of which being that one should live with the awareness of human imperfection and finitude. He expresses the sentiment that one is able to relinquish the feelings of disrespect and desire by allowing all that is ill-fated to appear before one’s eyes each day. Epictetus states, â€Å"Let death and exile and everything that is terrible appear before your eyes every day, especially death; and you will never have anything contemptible in your thoughts or crave anything excessively† (XXI). It is important that we are attentive to the fact that there is much unhappiness and despair in this world. If we do not expose ourselves to such matters, these things will consume us.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Epictetus also conveys that prudence is key. It is important to look at all the things that surround one’s dealings. If these things are not rendered, the outcome will cause one to disgracefully discontinue that which he is doing. One must recognize what it is that he is getting into before actually partaking in it. Epictetus states it clearly: For each action, consider what leads up to it and what follows it, and approach it in the light of that. Otherwise you will come to it enthusiastically at first, since you have not borne in mind any of what will happen next, but later when difficulties turn up you will give it up disgracefully†¦You must either work on your ruling principle, or work on externals, practice the art either of what is inside or of what is outside, that is, play the role either of a philosopher or of a non-philosopher. (XXIX) The example of an athlete is adapted to clarify this belief. If one wants to be a star athlete, then it is important for one to train properly and work hard before the event. Supposing that one does not prepare for the event, then the expectation sh... ...meone else nor himself† (V). This is, perhaps, one of Epictetus’ most influential ideas. As this is clearly something that those in today’s society can relate and utilize from day to day. Epictetus shows us many instrumental concepts in The Enchiridion. He believes that there is a law that guides all things and that virtue consists in the imminent order of things. Human imperfection and the idea of limit is a realization that many have yet to come to. In addition, caution is valuable when setting out to achieve a goal. It is important to look at all factors before jumping into something that could end up causing one pain and frustration in the end. One must convey a sense of self-control at all times. Epictetus gives us insight on how to live a frugal life. Finally, men are disturbed not by occurrences, but by the views which they take of these happenings. The man of great intelligence accuses neither himself nor another when something goes poorly in his life. As we have seen, it is easy for one to relate Epictetus’ beliefs to his own life in today’s society. It is an amazing feat for Epictetus to have written The Enchiridion so long ago, and for it to a pply to our current world.

Impact of Institutional Factors and Election Mechanisms on Voter Turnou

In the 2012 United States Presidential election 58.2 percent of the registered voters turnout out to vote (IDEA). This figure is in stark contrast to many other wealthy democracies in the western world for the same election cycle (IDEA). This begs the question, why is voter turnout significantly lower in the US compared to the rest of the first world and other OECD countries? There are countless factors that could affect voter turnout, the most standard of which are based on socioeconomic status. But when considering only developed nations, more is at play in predicting turnout. Focus is turned to institutional factors and the effect election mechanisms, such as registration laws and party systems, have on political participation. Europe and the United States differ on many key aspects of democratic structure including party systems, registration processes, and voting procedures. These unique institutional factors in the United States place an excessive burden on the public and increases the tangible cost to voting, which discourages political participation. In order to discuss these costs, an understanding of how broader institutional an structural factors influence an individuals participation must be reached. In a general context, political participation is defined as any form of individual engagement with politics, but within the scope of this essay, political participation is narrowed to include only the act of voting (Verba). This can be used to explain why voter turnout in the United States is so low compared to European democracies. By investigating the democratic institutions in Italy, Germany, and France, such a comparison can be made and the institutional effect on voter turnout rate can be investi gated. Final... ...rties in America."  Third World Traveler. Princeton University Press, 1984. Web. 1 May 2014. . Timpone, Richard J. "Structure, Behavior, and Voter Turnout in the United States."  The American Political Science Review  92.1 (1998): 145-58.  JSTOR. Web. 13 Apr. 2014. . Powell, Bingham G., Jr. "American Voter Turnout in Comparative Perspective."  The American Political Science Review  80.1 (1986): 17-43.  JSTOR. Web. 13 Apr. 2014. . Verba, Sidney, Kay Lehman Schlozman and Henry E. Brady. 1995. Voice and Equality. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. Selections (BB) pg. 8-10; 23-24; 37-48. World Economic Outlook Database, April 2014, International Monetary Fund. Updated 8 April 2014. Accessed April 2014.

Compare how Shakespeare and Luhramann Essay

One of Shakespeare’s most well acknowledged and famous plays Romeo and Juliet was a written in such a manner which would have been liked by a wide range of audience on the Elizabethan stages. Similarly Baz Luhrumann has attempted to recreate Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet into a feature film with some touches of the 21st century to suit the modern audiences today worldwide. Throught the main themes and the prologue of the play, Shakespeare has tried to hold the audiences interest. The prologue has played a very important and central point of the whole play. Shakespeare set the scene in ‘fair Verona’ because of the simple reason that he didn’t want to offend the British audience and the Queen, as the characters are shown as very violent and short tempered. This already has a very large impact on the Elizabethans as it gives the audience a very proud feeling of being British and the also to the Queen that her monarchy is comparatively superior. Plus to show the Italian culture and the stereotypical image of the Italians, which suited the situation very well. The play was to be staged on a Elizabethan stage which was organized in such a way that the sittings would be arranged according to the class, so the Aristocrats would on separate chairs at the back of the theatre whereas the peasant would be standing in front and were named the Groundlings as the were on the ground. This proves that all ranges of audience came to watch his plays. Which means that he would have to write plays according to the taste of the Queen, the Aristocrats and the groundlings. Shakespeare created the prologue keeping in mind the audiences taste. The Prologue is written in forms of a sonnet, a trailer to what the audience was going to see. The main themes of the are summarized to give the audience a glimpse as it says â€Å"From ancient grudge break to new mutiny†, this means that there is going to Violence and blood shed leading to peace. Then it says that Romeo and Juliet will fall in love and their fate is death,†A pair of star crossed lovers will take their life†, â€Å"and â€Å"Doth with their death-marked love†, this grabs and holds the audiences attention as it tells them what’s going to happen later on so the audience stays to see how the conflicts occur. The prologue seems to unfold the entire story by referring to the â€Å"lovers† and they â€Å"doth with their death â€Å", this makes audience absorb the situation and also creates suspense among the audience In Act 1 scene 1 the story is opens in the streets of Verona. Both of the Capulet servants Sampson and Gregory are in a chatting about their enemies. During this discussions Shakespeare holds the audiences attention through using some puns and bawdy humour â€Å"Tis true and therefore women being the weaker vessels are thrust to the wall, and thrust his maids†, this kind of bawdy humour was acknowledged by all the audience, again this was a tactic to grab the audience’s attention. The dialogues in act scene 1 consisted some Stichomythia, which a was enjoyed by the audience as it is enjoyable to watch an argument and the Elizabethans would be delighted in word-plays, especially the puns and sexual humor’s. Then Benvolio from the Montague family enters and begins a â€Å"quarrel† with Samson and Gregory. â€Å"Let us take the law of our sides, let them begin†, this dispute between the two servants from the Montague and Capulet demonstrates the foolishness of the quarrel between the two families and how pointless it is and engages the audience with some humour. In the next part ahead Shakespeare creates a very different atmosphere compared to all the disputes and quarrel. Montague and his wife asks where about is his son, Benvolio then says that he has been seen walking around alone unwilling to get out, and is in love with a girl who doesn’t seem to like him, â€Å"Here’s much to do with hate, but more with love†, the language used in this line describe the mood swings that Romeo is going through. Romeo has fallen in love and feels that time flies in love, and that time drags on when there is no love in his life, â€Å"Not having that, which, having, makes them short†. The girl is the cause of Romeo’s miserable attitude who’s name is Rosaline, who doesn’t appear in any of the acts as Shakespeare wanted to keep her anonymous and create a curiosity among the audience, for another the fact that she was his past and Juliet was going to the future love and to show that Romeo was love-sick from the beginning. Romeo urges for Rosalines love and he makes his room appear as if it is night, because light represents love to him and he is out of love. The sadness in the scene is in strong contrast to love that he feels throughout the play â€Å"When then brawling love, O loving hate†, Shakespeare’s consistence use of oxymoron’s is to portray Romeo’s love-sickness, the use of contrasts continues â€Å"Misshapen chaos, well seeming forms†, to show the audience the abstract thoughts of Romeo in his â€Å"course of love†. Baz Luhrumann has used Shakespeare’s concepts combined with his direction and modern film techniques to engage today’s modern audiences. He has shortened the script, as the attention span of today’s audience is lesser than the Elizabethans. The prologue has been presented in a very differently to suit the modern concept, A women on television presenting a news which is the prologue. Luhrumannn has used television a modern source of information to convey the prologue in a more contemporary manner, as it will interest more of today’s audiences of today. The camera angle slowly intensifies into the television, as if he wants the audience to indulge themselves in to the story. This kind of cinematic techniques is a preview of the drama and violence coming up in the film. The dramatic music helps to strengthen the affect. This has been influenced by music videos to suit the younger audience. He has presented as if the whole story is smashing news on television and that it is a live coverage. When the newsreader mentions â€Å"both alike in dignity†, it shows two equal towers to show the households are alike. Baz Luhrumann symbolizes the family crest â€Å"sword† as a gun in the film to suit the modern audiences . He highlights the contrast by showing similar towers of the â€Å"two houses† with fast modern music to enhance the contrast. He then uses the scene in the petrol station to show the â€Å"ancient grudge† and the conflict between the two families. The sign, which says, â€Å"Add fuel to your fire,† predicts the further disputes. The costumes, which Luhrumann uses in the petrol station scene, distinguishes the two families, as they are modern and helps them portray the image of contemporary gangs, it also facilitates them to create an identity. The use of fast camera shots helps Luhrumann to engage the audience in the fight scene between the two families. The movie continues as it opens out on the next scene, where it demonstrates a very modern setting, with modern punk costumes to suit younger audiences taste. On the other hand he has kept the dialogues, as it is to maintain Shakespeare’s concepts. The scene with quarrel between the four members of the Capulet and Montague’s are set in a petrol station to make the quarrel more obvious and outstanding. The ‘Add fuel to fire’ sign symbolizes the ancient grudge, which breaks to new mutinity and meaning add fuel to your anger. The part where Tybolt is smoking and the use of guns also symbolizes the danger of the fight. Samson gets hit by the citizens which portrays the characterization, this means that Samson is stupid and brainless character and Gregory is in control. This implies that the characters are written to engage the audience as the characters portray a certain image and humour through that. Again Luhrumann has tried to maintain the themes of the play, which in this case would be ‘Hate’ this plays a very important role in the movie, in the film Luhrumann has shown the two differences and hatred between the families by the separations of the towers, cars, and two sides of the city. And why was there hatred? Nether of Shakespeare or Luhramann decided to explain the ancient grudge as it the point of the story. As it didn’t seem necessary for the audience to know the reason Another important theme â€Å"Love†, it is a grand passion similarly to â€Å"Hate† which has been the support of Romeo and Juliet journey. Romeo’s love for Rosaline has been portrayed in an exaggerated way in the first act, as he becomes cynical while describing her â€Å"She is rich in beauty, only poor† and â€Å"That when she dies, with beauty dies in store†. As mentioned earlier in the prologue â€Å"star crossed lovers†, which means the play is based on â€Å"Love†. Luhramann has presented the bawdy humour more physically than verbally, the shot where a woman is dancing on the streets while a man is watching her. Which leads to the scene where Romeo enters which is shot on the beach with the sunrise to show the calm but depressing atmosphere. The scene moves on to showing Romeo writing his diary, and reading his diary in his mind as he is writing, this idea of a voice over was a modern concept of Luhrumann, that grabs the audience’s attention. â€Å"For never was a story of more woe, than this of Juliet and her Romeo†, this would have been said by the Prince in the play whereas Luhrumann has changed it to show the same newsreader from the prologue ending the show with this line. The two star-crossed lovers had to give their life in order for their families to end Overall both Shakespeare and Luhrumann’s main motive was to engage their respected audiences. With different techniques Luhrumann wanted re-create the play in to a film to suit today’s audiences, keeping in mind the themes, which Shakespeare had included. The motive was fulfilled as Luhrumann tried to store the ideas to make a modern film. Shakespeare and Luhrumann both made the three main themes outlined very clearly love, hate and fate. The two star-crossed lovers had to give their life in order for their families to end their fighting. Romeo and Juliet ends with AA story of more woe (sorrow) Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.

Literature & Community Essay

Literature can reflect the lives of individual characters and more importantly it can allow the reader to put the character or conflict in context by revealing the community through the eyes of the individual. In the instances of William Faulkner’s â€Å"A Rose for Emily† and John Updike’s â€Å"A&P,† the community plays a central role for the narrator. The community and people are filtered through the lens of   Sammy the checkout boy and the unknown narrator. Both belong as part of the larger community but their observations allow the reader to glean a closer, though biased look of the other characters such as Emily and the girls roaming through the A&P. Their narrations reveal the closed sensibilities of two communities separated by decades and the leaps of modernity, but the New England town of Updike’s story is no less judgmental or structured than the Faulkner’s 19th century southern community. In â€Å"A Rose for Emily,† Faulkner shows Emily only through the eyes of the other community members. Haughty and self-contained, she is part of the community legend but not part of the reality of the town, described from the beginning as â€Å"a tradition, a duty, and a care; a sort of hereditary obligation upon the town†(Faulkner, W. 2001; p.79). Their day-to-day lives continue with or without the presence of Emily, her death excites only curiosity. She is a living eccentricity who in her secrecy has elicited the town’s curiosity. They feel â€Å"not pleased exactly but vindicated† (2001; p. 80)   in Emily’s inability to marry successfully and heartened by the pity they can feel for her financial straits. The individual woman has long fallen to the wayside as the legend of her odd nature is absorb as lore. Presented through the eyes of the narrator, the reader never really attains a complete understanding of Emily as an individual character. Instead, Faulkner presents both facts and suppositions to show the mixture of gossip and fact that had created the myth of Emily. Stripped of her individuality by her inability to be part of the community and the community’s inability to accept her, Emily becomes a two-dimensional caricature of a woman. The reality of her preceding years, shown in the long-dead corpse lying in the bridal chamber and the gray hair upon the pillow beside, will simply be added to this myth. The narrator makes no attempt to explain this strange image but implies in the form of the rest of the story that this will be added to the legend. Faulkner’s story shows how the community can change an individual into a story, through their perceptions and judgments. Updike’s â€Å"A&P† shows a similar trend in how judgmental assumptions can replace the reality of an individual. The community in this case is the closed community of an afternoon supermarket crowd who represent the town at large. In much the way Faulkner’s narrator reflects the views of the town, Sammy expresses and relays the perceptions of the â€Å"few house-slaves in pin curlers† (Updike, J., 2001; p. 33) and the judgmental manager. His observations of the other people in the supermarket and their reactions to the girls, both verbal and non-verbal, show the community’s perception of the girls’ character based on shallow assumptions. Sammy also unwittingly reduces the girls to embodiments of his own sexual desires. While he is outraged at the treatment they receive, he seems more bothered by the way the opinions of the community alter his own vision of the â€Å"Queenie† (2001; p. 32) and her friends. Like Emily, the girls’ represent myths for Sammy individually and the community. For Sammy the myth is created from his own hormone fueled ideals that inspire him to the â€Å"heroic† gesture of quitting his job. But why did he not simply stand up for the girls? It is simple, he has created in his minda romantic myth where he is the hero, and they the damsels in distress. For the community, the girls represent a myth of the immorality and indecency of youth. Their exposed flesh merely highlights their growing maturity from the easy acceptance of little girls to questionable teenagers on the cusp of womanhood. Both stories show how the myths of individuals can be created by the perceptions and attitudes of their communities. These myths exist outside the closed ranks of the community because the the community’s inability to accept their difference. With Miss Emily the difference lies in her eccentricies. For the â€Å"Queenie† and her friends their difference lies in the community’s difficulties in reconciling these generational changes with the children they once were and the women they would become. Unable to accept these women as part of the community’s indentity, they are reduced to mere myths in the eyes of the community members. References Faulker, W. (2001). A Rose for Emily. In R. Diyanni (Ed.). Literature: Reading Fiction, Poetry and Drama. (5th ed.). New York: McGraw Hill. pp. 79. Updike, J. (2001). A&P. In R. Diyanni (Ed.). Literature: Reading Fiction, Poetry and Drama. (5th ed.). New York: McGraw Hill. pp. 32.