Chronicle Of Death Foretold, Marquez

Chronicle Of Death Foretold, Marquez In every society, there exist authority figures that are looked upon by their people to provide a stronghold of security and leadership. A competent leader is one who holds interest in the welfare of his people before his own. He concerns himself with defending justice rather than his status and personal interests. In contrast to these ideal are the authority figures portrayed in Gabriel Garcia Marquezs Chronicle of a Death Foretold and Albert Camus The Stranger. With societies constantly looking to authority figures for guidance, Marquez and Camus both utilize the literary devices of satire and irony to depict follies in the actions of the leaders and to criticize their negative influence on the people. Within the novel, Chronicle of Death Foretold, Marquez specifically uses situational irony and satire of the legal system to portray the ineffectual roles of the societys leaders. Marquez commences his novel by illustrating the townspeople engaging in a thorough preparation for the annual arrival of the bishop. The entire town anticipates for his arrival, bearing gifts and animals. Ironically, however, the bishop exhibits a great amount of apathy toward the people in this town. The author illustrates the scene of the blessing as a fleeting illusion with the bishop making the sign of the cross in the air opposite the crowd on the pierà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ doing it mechanically [and] without malice or inspiration. (Marquez, 17). It is apparent the bishop simply went through the required motions necessitated to form this physical act, showing minimal-or if any-devotion. As the highest leader of the church, many would agree that it is Bishops responsibility to uphold the intrinsic values of hi s faith teachings. Forgiveness, acceptance, and love are all commonly accepted Christian values. However, its ironic that the bishops blessing completely contradicts such Christian ideals. The bishops attitude toward his own people displays little acceptance or religious devotion. Through the authors description of this involuntary action, the bishop is portrayed as a dispassionate and apathetic character. This very apathetic nature clearly exposes his spiritual faà §ade. Like a child abandoned by the parents, this society is left without much structure or guidance. Without this principled guidance, the society will eventually come to reflect its leader. Therefore, it is not surprising how social apathy comes to be one of the central causes behind the death of Santiago Nasar. Furthermore, Marquez effectively employs the use of satire on the legal system to further elicit the follies of authority figures. During the trial of Santiagos murderers, the Vicario Twins, the narrator recou nts, The lawyer stood by the thesis of homicide in legitimate defense of honor, which was upheld by the court in good faith (48). Here, the legal system is clearly satirized as the two brothers are found innocent at their trial, despite committing a flagitious murder. Legal authorities within the court of law are looked upon to conduct trials in an objective and rational manner. However, this is not the case with the trial. The courts view of reality has become tainted by the high values and reverence that has been placed upon tradition and honor. Marquez criticizes how authority figures from the court places more emphasis on defending societal values such as honor over defending the possible innocence of a man. In turn, people of the town come to approve a crime such as murder if it in is the name of honor because that is what is being condoned in the court of justice. Similar to the way Marquez exposes the folly in the actions of the legal authorities, Camus narration in The Stranger also exposes follies in the actions of the magistrate and judge as seen through the satire on religion and the use of verbal irony. In a particular instance during one of the interviews, the magistrate begins communicating to Meursault about his faith in God. He then begins waving his crucifix almost directly over [Meursaults] head, (Camus, 68) in the hopes of inciting a sense of repentance in Meursault. However, when it is apparent that Meursault is still unaffected, the magistrate becomes enraged and thrusts the crucifix in [Meursaults] face and was screaming irrationally (69). Through such a reaction, it is evident how the rational faà §ade of the magistrate can easily be shattered just like the spiritual faà §ade of the bishop in Chronicle of a Death Foretold. Likewise, just as how Marquez draws attention to the bishops selfishness, Camus also effectively gives way to the selfish nature of the magistrate. Instead of inquiring Meursault about his motives or reasons for his crime like any ration and dignified legal authority should do, the magistrate strives to assert his faith onto others. Yet, even his intentions to do so are flawed, because just like the bishop, the magistrate does not exemplify or teach any true Christian values. He wields the crucifix as a source of power, expecting every criminal to weep at its sight as they have all done in the past. In doing so, the magistrate utilizes the crucifix as a way to reassure himself on the truth of his beliefs, not to bring others close to the faith. This manifestation of the magistrates selfish desires exemplifies how religion is satirized in Camus work. Through the actions of the magistrate, Camus shows how society exploits faith as a defense to avoid taking responsibility for their lives. Instead of using religious faith to find inner peace, the people in the society are taught by autho rity figures, like the magistrate, to use religion for self interest. Later on in the novel, Camus uses verbal irony to convey the follies of yet another legal authority, the judge. Right before the commencement of Meursaults trial, he states, According to [the judge], he was there to conduct in an impartial manner the proceedings of a case which he would consider objectively and that the case will be handled in the spirit of justice (86). The very fact that judge vowed to been entirely impartial is highly unbelievable, especially with a case concerning a murder. The folly to examine here is the fact that everyone has their own prejudices which, undeniably includes the judge. In The Stranger, it is apparent as to how Meursaults disbelief in God and his indifference to the world deeply disturbs society. Society, however, cannot handle to have strangers or outsiders who live by other rules. It demands obedience, and nothing less. In the end, Meursault is condemned to a brutal fate not because of the crime he committed, but the fact that he cannot submit to such societal expectations. Meursaults fate has already been determined even before the trial begins. Nothing about his trial is viewed, argued about, or judged in unbiased expression. As a result, his sentence will not save him any justice either, emphasizing the irony in the words of the judge. In essence, the judge is not present to administer justice but to obliterate those outside of the accepted conformity. Camus uses this fact to criticize how society has the inclination to follow the face-value standards provided by higher authorities.

Cinematic techniques in Tim Burton’s Films Essay

Tim Burton uses many cinematic techniques in his movies such as lighting and camera angles throughout his movies in order to create effects and moods. He uses these two cinematic techniques numerous of times in the films Edward Scissorhands and in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He uses them very efficiently to portray different ideas such as showing strengths, weakness, or size in character or setting, or revealing a depressing or cheerful surrounding. Tim Burton is a successful film maker and has inspired many to get into the movie making business due to his cinematic techniques. In many of Burton’s films, Burton uses lighting to show happiness or sadness. In Edward Scissorhands, peg’s town is bright and full of color. Which makes it seems like the town is happy and full of joy, but the townsfolk are cruel and mean to one another. Edwards’s mansion is low key and dark, which makes it seems like Edward is the bad guy, but Edward is a kind, nice guy who loves to help everyone even though he has a disability. Burton also uses the same low key lighting in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. When Charlie goes home at the beginning of the movie, Burton uses high angle to show Charlie’s house all dark, making it look small and haunted. The lighting would want you to think that the family that lives in that house is mean or sad all the time, but Charlie lives with his mom and dad and his grandparents on his mom and dad’s side. And they are all nice, kind, and respectful to one another. You see, this is Burton’s gothic style. Burton is mostly known for his dark, gothic, macabre, and quirky horror and fantasy films. So this cinematic technique has great importance for these films because he used it to make his idea or his opinion become clearer for the audience to understand the lesson from the movie. Burton’s lighting basically impacts the audience’s mood towards the movie or film. Burton wants to see the films in his eyes. Camera angles were very important in the films Edward Scissorhands and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Act I Scene I of the text of Romeo and Juliet Essay

In this piece of coursework I will be comparing and contrasting Act I Scene I of the text of Romeo and Juliet and also the same scene in the Baz Luhrmann. William Shakespeare wrote the play was written between 1594 and 1596, was called Romeo and Juliet, this would be Shakespeare’s first play that ended in tragedy. The story of Romeo and Juliet was popular in Italy before Shakespeare decided to use it. Queen Elizabeth I was on the throne when it was performed. The recent versions of the play have been adapted many times because some directors have either changed the play version or have updated and rewritten the play script to appeal to a wider audience another point is that boys and men would have only been in the play until the 1660’s. The text starts after a prologue,† Do you bite your thumbs at us sir? † this is written in archaic language, this shows that William Shakespeare wrote the play during the Elizabethan times. Characters such as Gregory, Sampson, Abraham, Benvolio, Officer, Capulet, Lady Capulet, Montague, Lady Montague, Prince and Tybalt are involved in Act One Scene One, which have a result in the overall plot of the play; the two characters Gregory and Sampson are blamed for causing another brawl in the market place. However in the film the play starts the same with a prologue and then starts with the two families fighting at a petrol station. The three characters I am going to choose are Abraham, Romeo and Benvolio. I have decided to choose them because they are some of the key characters in the first act of the play and in the first act of the film. Luhrmann decides to change the name of Abraham to Abra, this is because in the modern day people would have their names shortened and it would be easier to relate to them. Luhrmann decides to dress the Capulets in Hawaiian shirts and the Montagues as cowboys. Luhrmann has decided to do this to show how the two families are totally different. The way they dress gives them their own identity. The Montagues dressed as cowboys to show that they are ruthless and aggressive however the Capulets dressed in Hawaiian shirts show that they are laid back and relaxed. Structure The setting for the play is in Italy, Verona in the early fifteen century. In Act One Scene One the play is set in Sycamore grove as well as the market place. This is where the play begins when two of the Montague family members are walking down the market place when they see a Capulet, and then they start quarrelling. The setting of Act One Scene One takes place in a petrol station where the Capulet’s and Montague’s meet, there is a small fight and bullets are exchanged between the two families. Before a car drives off and Tybalt takes out his gun and shoots the passenger in the car in the head. During the fight in the petrol station a fire was started by a match igniting petrol on top of a crack in a ground in the shape of a gross. This also showed that religion had a part in the feud. The crosses on the back of there heads showed their religion, Montagues were Protestants and Capulets were Catholics. Every serving man had a pistol with a motif, which was unique to the two families. Pistols in the film were called swords even though guns were replacing swords from the text. Pistols had distinctive motifs on them, representing what family’s they came from and whether they were protestant or catholic. The men also had their haircuts representing their families and had tattoos repenting their families too. The film is introduced to us by a series of quick photos with the characters names that introduce us to the characters. This film is very modern, you can tell this by looking at the cars and the way the people dress in Hawaiian shirts.

Dalai Lamas Vancouver Peace Summit Comments

About a month ago, the Dalai Lama said something about women that is just now making the rounds on Twitter. His statement, The world will be saved by the western woman, was delivered during the Vancouver Peace Summit 2009, which opened on the morning of Sunday, September 27th. Although Im still trying to track down a transcript of the speech containing the above statement, the Dalai Lama participated in more than one panel discussion that day, and the event most likely to have provoked such a strongly worded declaration was the Nobel Laureates in Dialogue: Connecting for Peace presentation held that afternoon. Moderated by former Irish president and peace activist Mary Robinson, the panel discussion featured four Nobel Peace Prize Laureates: the Dalai Lama (who won in 1989); Mairead Maguire and Betty Williams, founders of the Northern Ireland Peace Movement and winners of the Nobel in 1976; and anti-landmine crusader Jody Williams, an American peace prize winner in 1997. If the western woman statement were made in the context of the Dalai Lamas appearance with these extraordinary women, the words would seem less stunning than sensible. Truly, these western women have already changed the world, and have been doing so for more than three decades. Writing for the Interaction Institute for Social Change (IISC) blog, executive director Marianne Hughes ponders the idea of the aging women as hag (originally a representation of feminine power) and how it relates to the Dalai Lamas statement: Im not entirely sure what he meant...but I am wondering if when he travels across the globe and sees so many of our sisters impoverished and repressed he sees western women of all ages in a position to speak out for justice and to take on the responsibilities of the hag... to take loving care of the planet and its people. The Dalai Lamas comment about western women was not the only notable pro-female statement he made during the summit. In the Vancouver Sun,  Amy OBrian quotes others including a call for increased emphasis on the promotion of women to positions of influence. In response to a moderators question about what he sees as priorities in the quest for world peace, heres what the Dalai Lama said: Some people may call me a feminist...But we need more effort to promote basic human values — human compassion, human affection. And in that respect, females have more sensitivity for others pain and suffering. World-saving aside, women do what they do because its work that needs to be done. None of them do it with an eye toward winning a Nobel Peace Prize, but the acknowledgment is valuable in that it draws attention to these efforts and eases the ever-present fund-raising struggle...and recruits more followers, like those who are retweeting the Dalai Lamas statement. Hopefully every woman who forwards those words will dig down deep enough to find the source of his inspiration and understand that he honors real women whose work continues day in, day out...regardless of whether theyre in the limelight or not.