Both Auden and Watson effectively form representations and perspectives through the implementation of techniques within their texts. Auden actively uses poetic techniques to display his own negative perspective regarding the power of dictators in "Epitaph of a Tyrant". Auden immediately creates an ambiguous environment as the first line states how dictators are after "perfection, of a kind". The slight pause after perfection satirises its positive connotation casting doubt upon the reader questioning what type of perfection that the dictators wanted. In addition, Auden further demonstrates his negative perspective through the comment on the amount of knowledge the dictators know; "[Dictators] knew human folly like the back of [their] hand".
Mad Men, Misogyny and Madison Avenue Lauren Goodlad’s essay, Why We Love “Mad Men”, focuses on characterization of Donald Draper, a mysterious ad man who embodies miscontrived notions of masculinity, while balancing the contrasting roles of fatherhood and playboy. She claims that the rotating cast of characters that surround Don Draper and fragile situations that each of those characters inherit, is what makes Mad Men so captivating. The essay then address the tropes that make Mad Men so addictive, but it is fundamentally bankrupt when it comes to explaining what Don Draper is truly a symbol for. Goodlad’s essay is opens with her talking about her feminist aversion to men like Don Draper. She continues by addressing masculinity in a modern sense and brings up the idea that men are now dramatizing ones passions as opposed to shunning it, hiding it in the recesses of their identities.
‘I’m sick and tired of facts. You can twist ‘em any way you like.” ‘Twelve Angry Men shows that truth is elusive.’ Discuss The 1950s saw America swept up in the ideological turmoil of the Cold War and the subsequent witch- hunt of the McCarthy trials. It is within this climate that theatrical productions such as Reginald Rose’s ‘Twelve Angry Men’ were created. Twelve Angry Men demonstrates the idea that facts, not personal views and assumptions are essential when dealing with justice. The drama’s focus is on a jury’s deliberation over a young man’s fate and the crucial role truth plays in relation to the decision.
‘The Tragedy of King Richard the 3rd’ was a revolutionary play of its time due to its appeal of all classes ranging from the noblest Queen to the street pheasant. King Richard also explores the concept of what it means to be evil; Pacino’s film reflects this giving an insight on the faces, motives and free will of Richard. Shakespeare’s integrity lies in his accessibility to an audience and his ability to explore values within his plays. King Richard is a man who presents copious ideological characteristics and also throws into confusion many traditional values set into the mindsets of the Elizabethan and post-Elizabethan peoples. The opening lines of the play have Richard speak directly to the audience in the form of a soliloquy ‘Now is the winter of our discontent, made glorious by this son of York,’ this metaphor is a direct link to the character of Richard, a man who is discontent.
Through its portrayal of human experience, Welles’ Citizen Kane reinforces the significance of perseverance. To what extent does your interpretation of Citizen Kane support this view? Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane tells the story of a flawed man whose thirst for power and love lead to his lonesome demise. This portrayal of a common human experience has much to teach the audience about the significance or perseverance, or more importantly when to give up as Charles Kane’s stubborn persistence to attain his goals was the thing that caused him to lose them. This can be inferred by an examination of Kane’s goals, his motivation for his goals and then looking at the choices Kane makes to persevere and how they affect his future.
Is Tyler My Bad Dream? Or Am I Tyler's? The movie and the book Fight Club explore many of the same themes, such as existentialism, anti-materialism, anarchist literature, romantic love story, and is also a commentary on a lost generation. The story is a criticism of the American consumer society that has cloned individuals to resemble each other’s identity. The main character is introduced to the audience without a name, comes to us without a clear identity because he represents any man, any males living in our society.
Arthur Miller’s The Crucible is a timeless tragedy, depicting historical figures but concerning the modern world as well. John Proctor, the protagonist, though fitting several of the characteristics of the Aristotelian tragic hero, is actually a much more complex tragic hero. The primary differences between John Proctor and the classic tragic hero are obvious, such as the lack of noble birth, his not being in a position of leadership, and the inevitability of his fate. These differences are necessary, as Arthur Miller attempts to convince his audience that his protagonist is an everyman and is worth sympathizing for. In Arthur Miller’s more complex world, a more complex tragic hero is needed.
“My path leads to the creation of a fresh perception of the world. I can thus decipher a world that you do not know.” – Dziga Vertov. The Man with the Movie Camera is viewed as a pinnacle reference of documentary film for individuals everywhere and is an example of where editing is extensively used to create meaning. The 1928 piece documents a day within a Soviet City and has become renowned as a political masterpiece that has influenced many filmmakers with its range of editing techniques and alternative stance in cinema. In the 1920s structured order meant filmmakers followed an unwritten set of rules that determined plots, protagonists and the genre of successful films.
This leads to Willy fatal flaw in Aristotle’s definition of a tragedy – his hamartia throughout the play – his self delusion. He is obsessed with living the American Dream, with being successful, with materialistic success and being well liked – the whole American Dream. He fails to see that he is the opposite. As Fletcher says in Death of a Salesman ‘ Miller dramatically presents the complex moral world of mid-nineteenth century American values and beliefs’. Juxtaposed to this is his older brother Ben.
The Wanton Cynic in The Merchant's Tale The Merchant's Prologue and Tale presents the darkest side of Chaucer's discussion on marriage. Playing off both the satire of the moral philosopher, the Clerk, and the marital stage set by the Wyf of Bathe, the Merchant comes forth with his angry disgust about his own marital fate. Disillusioned and depraved, the Merchant crafts a tale with a main character who parallels his own prevarication and blind reductionism while he simultaneously tries to validate his own wanton life by selling his belief to the other pilgrims. As both pervert reality through pecuniary evaluations on different levels, however, both are exposed to be blind fools, subject to the very forces that they exert on others. As this reversal happens and the Merchant satirizes Januarie blindness, Chaucer reveals the Merchant's blindness, giving him the very significance that he had spent his whole tale trying to deny.