Little Miss Sunshine free essay sample

Little Miss Sunshine Film In the film â€Å"Little Miss Sunshine†, the central theme of the film is based on the connotation of â€Å"winners and losers†. The opening scene uses a montage of characters of a dysfunctional family to introduce and portray each character’s personalities and perceptions in life and to ultimately portray their obvious undesirable traits that force them into a minority if continual dysfunction and not belonging. The first of these is of a young girl, Olive Hoover, where the extreme close-up of her face overwhelmed with large glasses, reflects scenes of a beauty pageant through the use of camera cutting.Here the concept of winners and losers is touched upon as Olive watches the winning scene of a beauty pageant repetitively, mimicking the actions. The implication of winning is then further elaborated with the voice-over of Richard Hoover, Olive’s father, promoting his ‘Refuse to Lose Plan’, where the use of a low angle shot suggests that he is a superior and authoritative figure. We will write a custom essay sample on Little Miss Sunshine or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Ironically enough, the camera pans to his audience, which is none other than a classroom of children, diminishing his position of power instantly.As the opening montage continues, it reveals the other key characters: An unconventional drug-using Grandpa, Dwayne’s training and commitment to enter flight school and Cheryl’s distress concerning her family’s welfare. The montage closes with a close-up of Frank’s face showing a blank expression as he battles depression after a suicide attempt. Juxtaposition is used in the conclusion as the title â€Å"Little Miss Sunshine† is superimposed on a close up of his face.The concept of winning being continually upheld in high gratitude as ‘the ultimate’ within the film continually down treads every family member’s chance at belonging. In the film, winning represents happiness and a chance for normal functionality and belonging not only to one another but to a society and other groups within it, however their continual failure or losing represents an unhappiness that seems to chase them throughout the duration of the film until they are able to accept themselves in which the characters can belong to one another and to their own identities through acceptance of the unconventional. The film is shot in various scenes including the family home and the Kombi van both in confined spaces to emphasise the tension that exists within the Hoover family. During a tense dinner, Cheryl brings Frank home, where each family member’s philosophies cause contrasting clashes as they juxtapose one another. Curious, Olive wants to know what happened to Uncle Frank’s wrists. Again the connotation of ‘winners and losers’ are pressed upon when Richard says, â€Å"Uncle Frank gave up on himself something that losers never do. This causes a disruption at the meal causing Dwayne, who has taken a vow of silence, to write to Frank, â€Å"Welcome to hell†, purposed as a metaphorical greeting describing his perception. Dwayne and Frank are posed as character foils, where Dwayne is perceived in an unconventional manner through the use of costuming (branding a shirt â€Å"Jesus was wrong†) and dialogue, on the other hand, Frank often describes himself as a Proust scholar. All of these actions seem almost deliberately done so that each individual does not belong or fit in.Consequently, numerous visual metaphors are conveyed throughout the film. As the family voyage on their road trip to California, the experiences they encounter metaphorically represent their journey through life as each member is forced to re-evaluate their motivations and goals. This adds to the already disastrous trip, where Grandpa, the foul mouthed recalcitrant of the family, dies from a drug overdose. Symbolically the Kombi v an is compared to the dysfunctional family, and the broken clutch symbolises the problems and breakdowns the family experiences. Although there is a sense of loss and grief following the unexpected death of Grandpa, Richard is determined to reach the Little Miss Sunshine contest, leading him to steal his father’s corpse from the hospital, adding black humour to the film. When the family reach their destination, winning, an American value, is portrayed at the scene of the child beauty pageant and as a metaphor of life where Dwayne claims, â€Å"Life is one beauty contest after another†. When Olive is positioned besides her competitor’s, she is juxtaposed with the artificiality of the contest seemingly making her appear out of place.Nevertheless, Olive and her family seem inapt as they extend their right to exist as individuals. Thus, the composer manipulates devices of visual communication to inform the audience that personal fulfilment can be achieved through accepting one’s individuality and the value of human relationships. Ultimately in each individual choosing to not belong or c onform to the ‘beauty pageant’ of life, they are able to identify and form relationships with themselves and one another so that they form respectable and happy relationships in embracing their quirkiness and obvious differences from the people a

The Lamb And The Tiger By William Blake Essays -

The Lamb And The Tiger By William Blake Many poems written by the same author often have similar themes. The authors usually believe in something very strongly and their poems usually reflect such a nature. Sometimes poets reflect aspects of their personal life in their poems. In the poems The Lamb and The Tiger, by William Blake, the poet discusses similar themes in both. In the poem The Lamb, I interpret that William Blake discusses many points questioning creation and religion. He describes the lamb as being an object of innocence and fragility when he says Gave thee clothing of delight, Softest clothing, woolly, bright; Gave thee such a tender voice (line 5). Blake develops an elaborate personal mythology that underlies virtually all symbolism and ideas in his work. (Shilstone, p.223) Blake discusses that the creator of the lamb is also calls Himself a Lamb. With this he brings religious significance into the poem. It the New Testament, Jesus of Nazareth is referred as God's Lamb. There are a few themes developed in The Lamb. Blake describes the lamb as symbol of childhood innocence. He also questions about how the lamb was brought into existence, which mentions another theme of divine intervention and how all creatures were created. The poem is nothing but one wondering question to another (Harmon, p. 361). The Tiger by William Blake describes the tiger as being an symbol of evil. This is displayed when Blake says What an anvil? what dread grasp, Dare its deadly terrors clasp? By repeating variations of the word dread in the poem, he emphasizes the evil of tiger and the evil this tiger possesses. The mighty beast is whole world of experience outside ourselves, a world of igneous creation and destruction, faced with a terrifying beauty (Harmon, p.360). This poem also contains the theme of creation in that it also mentions the Lamb. The narrator questions, Did he who make the Lamb make thee? (line 20) Both poems contain many similarities according to their themes. The Tiger was taken from a collection of poems by Blake called The Songs of Experience. These poems focus on evil and the importance of understanding the evil around in hope of attaining a state of innocence. In The Songs of Innocence Blake suggests that by recapturing the imagination and wonderment of childhood, we could achieve the goal of self-awareness... the poems thus present views of the world as filtered through the eyes and mind of a child. (Literature, The English Tradition, p. 606) Thou can also infer that evil can bring forth the loss of innocence. Therefore, one existing similarity is that they both concern the loss of innocence. Many poems from each set are companion pieces to each other. The Lamb is an emblem of innocence, corresponding to The Tiger as the emblem of experience. (Harmon, p. 365) Another shared theme between the two works, The Tiger and The Lamb, is the theme of creation and divine intervention. In both poems Blake questions multiple times about how each was created. In The Lamb, Blake suggests that the lamb was created by a godlike being. In The Tiger Blake questions if the tiger was created by the same being that created the lamb. Such curiosity is a common theme to both poems. Thus, through the information discussed, it can be seen that there exists a common comparison in two separate works by William Blake. The themes of both poems are in conjunction with each other. Therefore, according to theme it can be proven that there exists significant similarities in these works by William Blake. Works Cited 1. William Harmon, Top 500 Poems (Mew York: Columbia University Press, 1992) 2. Frederick W. Shilstone, British Poetry (Middletown, NY: N&N Publishing Company, 1988) 3. Literature; The English Tradition, Prentic Hall, New Jersey, 1991. -------------------------------------------------------------- Poetry Essays

Adrienne Richs Revision Essays - Feminist Theory,

Adrienne Rich's Revision The author writes about her personal experience as a woman writer in a male dominated society. Her essay consists of poems, which she had written throughout different times in her life, to demonstrate the transformation in her writing. As a woman writer in a male dominated society, Rich begins writing in the traditional style, "the man's way," but as she continues writing, Rich breaks from these traditional styles to form her own. Like Freire, Rich believes people should break from society and be able to think and question things for themselves. While Freire wants to change the educational system, Rich wants to change writing. Both Freire and Rich want to break from the traditional ways of the past. Rich believes that women need to break from the enduring attitudes of traditions which society has placed upon them. Rich is upset with the limitations placed on women in society, particularly in marriage. It is for this reason that the themes of many of Rich's poems are advice for women to live life for themselves, listening only to what their hearts tell them. The three poems "Aunt Jennifer's Tigers," "Snapshots of a Daughter-in-Law" and "Planetarium" are analyzed to demonstrate the changes in Rich's way of writing. Rich wrote "Aunt Jennifer's Tigers" in 1951, while she was a student. At this time in her life she conforms to tradition in her writing, and tries not to identify herself as a female poet. Rich does not identify herself as a female poet by detaching herself from her character and allowing her character to accept the life that man has placed upon woman. Rich's writing is constrained by man because she allows her character to be oppressed by man and does not make her a conscious being of oppression. In "Aunt Jennifer's Tigers", Rich writes about a woman who does not break from the accepted roles of society. Aunt Jennifer does not have the freedom to live for herself because of society's expectations on women. The only way for Jennifer to free herself is by making up a fantasy world. The author writes about the universal issues involved in the relationship between men and women, in where woman is a slave to man. Rich writes "the massive weight of Uncles' wedding band"; Aunt Jennifer is pinned down, the "band sits heavily in her hand", the image of the wedding band brings a feeling of slavery and fear (608). Rich's tone in the poem is observant and she makes it clear that she does not want to live a life like Aunt Jennifer's. In the poem Rich makes Aunt Jennifer distinct from herself by placing Aunt Jennifer into a different generation, breaking any connection between the author and the character. Rich's writing structure in this poem contains the real life within the fantasy life. The first stanza of the poem is about the proud tigers. The second stanza is about terrified Aunt Jennifer. The third stanza refers to the continuation of the second stanza and then to the tigers. In this way, by starting the poem with the tigers and ending with the tigers, Rich is containing the real life within the fantasy, in reverse of Aunt Jennifer, whose inner life is contained within her outer life. In this poem Rich portrays what can happen to an individual who accepts the fate prescribed by custom. The overall message is that men suppress women. "Snapshots of a Daughter-in-Law" was written when Rich was experiencing herself as a woman. During this time, society believed that women were put on this earth to make a family and take care of them. During this time in Rich's life, she was very occupied with being a wife and a mother; because of this she did not have time to think or write. She wrote this poem in fragments of time, while her children were taking naps. "The poem was jotted in fragments during children's naps, brief hours in a library or at 3:00 A.M. after rising with a wakeful child"(611). "Snapshots of a Daughter-in-Law" is a poem about a woman who is hearing voices that are telling her to resist and rebel but can not obey them. The woman wants to rebel against society but she will not, because society does not accept this kind of behavior. Rich still writes the poem in the traditional way. The woman in this poem thinks about rebelling but does not actually rebel; therefore Rich is still accepting the oppression on women. Until this poem Rich tried not to identify herself

Great Gatsby Essay Example

Great Gatsby Essay Example Great Gatsby Essay Great Gatsby Essay Essay Topic: Clueless Getting Trapped in Ones Dream In the words of the great rock band, The Beatles, it is said, For I dont care too much for money, for money cant buy me love. For his entire life, Jay Gatsby tried to rise up his social economic status to have the girl of his dreams marry him. The attempt to capture the American dream was the main focus of this novel. Gatsby devoted his whole life trying to achieve his so-called dream but failed to do so at the end. He misunderstood the real meaning of his own dream ssimilar to how many Americans misunderstood the true meaning of the American Dream. : The American Dream was the belief that everyone had the oopportunity to achieve their goals and become rich if they only worked hard enough. Copious amount of characters in Great Gatsby did not seem to grasp the concept that The American Dream was Just an illusion. They had not comprehended that everyone could not get what they wanted if they only worked hard. It took more than Just working hard enough; it all depended on ones destiny. The fact that they did not understand that concept and everyone was striving to be living in the dream led them to create fantasy lives. The author showed how one could become ruined by anothers focus on acquiring wealth, power and pleasure. The American Dream was sought to bring happiness to an Americans life no matter how rich or poor they were. The book was an example of how people worshiped materials. They cared more about how people viewed them rather than how they actually desired to be. Once again, the term American dream was an idea that suggested that anyone in America could succeed through hard work and had the potential to lead a happy, successful life. Moreover, hard work did not nly mean financially, but also morally and spiritually. In order for one to be happy, they needed to be able to obtain love above all. For, without love we are nothing; without God, we are nothing. Many people have expanded the definition to include things such as fulfillment and meaningful relationships. Americans, who do not have the life of their dream, the life that they always desired, tried to hide it by making up fantasies and pretending that everything was going great in their life. It is said that love can blind us and Gatsby demonstrated that point undoubtedly. For his whole life, he was focused on having money to be able to marry Daisy, for she was his motivation and his sustenance. Gatsby wanted his dream to become true and, in the long run, that led him to becoming very materialistic. He had the money and he thought that materialistic elements such as his house, his car, his parties and his so-called friends, would lure Daisy back to him. A great amount of the characters in Great Gatsby did not fully know the truth on the American Dream. They created illusions for themselves to pretend as if they had all the three things the American Dream promised; wealth, happiness and power. Gatsby, for example, thought that he had a great life with plenty of friends and no problems. In the end, we found out that he did not have the life he had desired. He was unhappy and he had no true friends. Gatsbys personal dream symbolized the American Dream. He had met Daisy many years before he became wealthy and they were not able to get married because of Gatsby low social economic status. His separation from Daisy encouraged nvm to work nara Tor nls wealtn He started Delng In tne Dootlegglng business when it had been illegal and he made a fortune out of it. Gatsby believed that he could rewrite the past by reinventing himself and changing his name after he had become rich. However, later in the book it is viewed that Gatsbys dream was hopeless for he could never win Daisys love back. Gatsby had believed with all his strength that he could have gotten Daisy back but when he took his dream too far, it only became a harmful and unattainable illusion. The numerous amounts of characters who were portrayed in the book all had the same mentality; it was only money that mattered. One character in the book portrays the exact expansion of the American Dream. Myrtle was living with her poor husband in the valley of ashes and was having an affair with Tom Buchanan, Daisys husband. When she got away with Tom to go to the city, she put on this new mask as if she were a totally different person. She bought a puppy, a magazine and perfume and went to her fancy apartment. Only rich women could afford these things and she was trying to show others that she was wealthy. Myrtle wanted to move up her social class but by being married to Wilson she was not able her to do so. The desire of achieving this fantasy led her to having an affair with Tom, she felt like he could give her all she wanted, owever love was not part of the deal. All this made her blind and clueless about how she was Just a toy on the side for Tom, for, she strived for this wish so much. Daisy, on the other hand, was also blinded by the truth. She could not decide who she wanted, Tom or Gatsby? She had a dream of being wealthy and being happy, like the American Dream had portrayed. She was aware of Toms mistress and she was always trying to hide the truth from ever one else when they started to get suspicious. Daisys fantasy made it possible for her to ignore the obvious signs that er mmarriage was falling apart. Surprisingly, even Tom makes up his little fantasy life with Myrtle. He could have had a wonderful mmarriage, with a beautiful wife and daughter but chose to decide that wasnt enough. Those two women in his life did not satisfy him and he wanted a third, Myrtle Wilson. Tom wanted to have power over everyone and since Myrtle was in a lower class than he was, she was perfect. He had always wanted to have more than every one else. Every character in the book wanted to have a happy and successful life and by wanting that they acted as if all their roblems were not a minor or some were nothing at all. The Great Gatsby portrays the broken American Dream. Though many peoples dream chattered into millions of pieces, the idea of the American Dream is still true. Everyone desires something in life and everyone somehow strives for it. Every single persons fantasies all contribute to that of the American Dream. People were striving so much to have a successful and happy life, ended up making up fantasies and lying to themselves. Many did not learn that dreaming too far could have led to the destruction of all ones hard work, which happened to everyone.

How Could Foreign Direct Investment Obtain A Legal Protection in Saudi Dissertation

How Could Foreign Direct Investment Obtain A Legal Protection in Saudi Arabia - Dissertation Example i Arabia 51 3.1 Introduction 51 3.2 FDI Dispute Resolution 52 3.2 The Arbitrability of FDI Related Disputes in Saudi Arabia 53 3.3 Arbitration Law in Saudi Arabia 55 3.4 Conclusion 58 Chapter Four 59 Findings/Conclusion and Recommendations 59 4.1 Findings/Conclusion 59 4.2 Recommendations 62 Bibliography 64 Chapter One/History and Background of the Study I.I. Introduction According to a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) report, Saudi Arabia continues to lead all GCC states in FDI inflows.2 GCC FDI inflows dropped by 15 % in 2008 as a result of the recent global financial crisis although FDI declines for GCC states were not as steep as other developing economies.3 Therefore trends prior to the global financial crisis of 2008-2009 are more instructive as it reflects a more reliable understanding of independent variables and thus are not impacted by the global financial crisis that impacts all other economies. A report by the United Nations’ organization, the Economic and Social Com mission for Western Asia (ESCWA) in 2008 is therefore more instructive. According to ESCWA FDI inflows in ESCWA states began an â€Å"upward trend† in 2002 with total inflows reaching a â€Å"new record of US$55.6 billion in 2006 an increase over US$10.8 billion three years earlier in 2003.4 The major FDI recipients among ESCWA states are Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Each of these countries made a variety of reforms and made significant investments in infrastructure and by 2006 they attracted 74 percent of all FDI inflows among ESCWA states.5 According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Saudi Arabia is the world’s tenth largest recipient of FDI inflows attracting US$48 billion dollars in FDI inflows in 2008 and US$36 billion in 2009.6... According to a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) report, Saudi Arabia continues to lead all GCC states in FDI inflows. GCC FDI inflows dropped by 15 % in 2008 as a result of the recent global financial crisis although FDI declines for GCC states were not as steep as other developing economies. Therefore trends prior to the global financial crisis of 2008-2009 are more instructive as it reflects a more reliable understanding of independent variables and thus are not impacted by the global financial crisis that impacts all other economies. A report by the United Nations’ organization, the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) in 2008 is therefore more instructive. According to ESCWA FDI inflows in ESCWA states began an â€Å"upward trend† in 2002 with total inflows reaching a â€Å"new record of US$55.6 billion in 2006 an increase over US$10.8 billion three years earlier in 2003. The major FDI recipients among ESCWA states are Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Each of these countries made a variety of reforms and made significant investments in infrastructure and by 2006 they attracted 74 percent of all FDI inflows among ESCWA states. According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Saudi Arabia is the world’s tenth largest recipient of FDI inflows attracting US$48 billion dollars in FDI inflows in 2008 and US$36 billion in 2009. Since the middle of the 1980s a number of countries in the Middle East and North Africa have made a number of reforms aimed at â€Å"improving the fundamental determinants of return on investments†.

Marriage between relatives in the Arab countries Essay

Marriage between relatives in the Arab countries - Essay Example That is followed by the trends in marriage to identify any other factors influencing the consanguinity in the Arab culture. After developing a deep understanding of the Arab culture and trends, the practice of consanguinity is discussed itself. This is followed by the causes of consanguineous marriages in the Arab world. Different factors contribute to the practice of consanguinity such as culture, family, location, etc., are then discussed in the light of previous studies. The misconceptions about the practice are also taken into consideration. The consequences of consanguineous marriage are then discussed with the help of empirical evidence on the topic. The reproductive and genetic disadvantages of consanguineous marriages are discussed in particular. The paper ends with a conclusion on the subject matter. The Arab world basically consists of 23 countries stretching from Morocco to the Persian Gulf, also including the Northern Africa. The term ‘Arab’ is used to refer to people whose first language is Arabic or to people who belong to this culture. The Arab world is vast and occupies all the parts of the Arabic Gulf, Mesopotamia, Middle East, and North Africa, while it also includes some parts of the East and West Africa (Tadmouri, 2010). The total population of the Arab world is more than 315 million (Tadmouri, 2010). The Arab world is relatively diverse as it does not only refer to a single race. The Arab world includes people belonging to different race and culture as some Arabs may have coloured eyes and light skin while others may be dark or somewhere in the middle. Hence Arabs cannot be defined by the colour of their skin, nor do they all belong to a single religion. Though the Arab world is dominated by Muslims, millions of Christian and thousands of Jews are also a part of the Arab world and culture (ADC, 2010). Being an Arab is

Early Childhood Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Early Childhood Education - Essay Example It is a part of early childhood education and training. It provides an orientation to the child as the child is admitted here in the formative years. Pre-Kindergarten: It is often used in conjunction with the day care or child care. In the early childhood settings. Here child is given a formal academic training and provide focus on skill building, socializing activities. In these institutions activity based learning is provided so as to encourage social, physical, emotional and cognitive development. It is also called as preschool. Biggest Challenge: Now-a-days competition is becoming cut-throat and there is always a comparison among the parents about the capabilities of their child. This goes between the siblings also. Such comparisons can either de-motivate the child who is less counted and can encourage the morals of the child who is appreciated. It is a biggest challenge to make reforms in such attitude so as to provide encouragement to the budding potentials of the child, as every child counts. Results from NICHD SECCYD and SWEEP studies: The number of classrooms is maximum in SECCYD as compared to others. More emphasis is laid on the literacy/ language arts and on math in first grade as compared to other categories. In public preschool more time is devoted for science and social studies as compared to other categories.