Serendipity and Great Expectations :: Movies Films Love Fate Essays

Serendipity and Great Expectations Directed by Alfonso Cuarà ³n and written by Mitch Glazer, Great Expectations is a movie about the love of a man for an unreachable woman, and how fate ultimately brings them together. Serendipity directed by Peter Chelsom, is a more predictable romantic comedy that relies on destiny to bring a couple together, after the many coincidences that linked them to one another. Serendipity and Great Expectations both revolve around life’s great coincidences due to fate, and how their characters indulge in the direction fate leads them. Loosely based on the Charles Dickens’ classic novel, Great Expectations is a tale of a young man's unforgettable passage into manhood, and the three individuals who undeniably changed his life forever. Through the surprising interactions of these vivid characters, Great Expectations takes a unique and contemporary look at life's great coincidences. In a small Florida town on the Gulf Coast, eight-year-old Finn Bell lives with his sister Maggie and his "Uncle" Joe. They barely scrape by, but aspiring artist Finn enjoys his simple life, drawing pictures in the colorful Gulf waters. Finn's journey to adulthood begins suddenly with the shocking appearance of a dangerous convict who forces the boy to aid in his escape from prison. With this experience still freshly etched in his mind, Finn is summoned to the decaying mansion of Ms. Nora Dinsmoor, the richest woman in the gulf, who had lost her mind thirty years earlier when her fiancà © left her standing at the altar. There, Finn meets Dinsmoor's niece Estella, who, even at age 11, displays an upper class iciness toward the young, impoverished boy who instantly and hopelessly falls in love with her. Finn's meetings with Estella and her crazed, wealthy aunt fuel new dreams: to paint for the rich, to enjoy their freedom, and to love Estella. Once Ms. Dinsmoor realizes Finn is there for his love for Estella, she warns him that Estella will break his heart. The crazed woman's warnings become Finn's harshest reality when Estella abrupt ly leaves without saying goodbye. A hopeless Finn stops painting, stops dreaming ... until a mysterious benefactor sends the now grown young man to New York. Pursuing his dreams in the glamorous world of the New York art scene, the once-poor artist seems to finally have it all; wealth, status, fame and a reunion with the newly engaged Estella. Serendipity and Great Expectations :: Movies Films Love Fate Essays Serendipity and Great Expectations Directed by Alfonso Cuarà ³n and written by Mitch Glazer, Great Expectations is a movie about the love of a man for an unreachable woman, and how fate ultimately brings them together. Serendipity directed by Peter Chelsom, is a more predictable romantic comedy that relies on destiny to bring a couple together, after the many coincidences that linked them to one another. Serendipity and Great Expectations both revolve around life’s great coincidences due to fate, and how their characters indulge in the direction fate leads them. Loosely based on the Charles Dickens’ classic novel, Great Expectations is a tale of a young man's unforgettable passage into manhood, and the three individuals who undeniably changed his life forever. Through the surprising interactions of these vivid characters, Great Expectations takes a unique and contemporary look at life's great coincidences. In a small Florida town on the Gulf Coast, eight-year-old Finn Bell lives with his sister Maggie and his "Uncle" Joe. They barely scrape by, but aspiring artist Finn enjoys his simple life, drawing pictures in the colorful Gulf waters. Finn's journey to adulthood begins suddenly with the shocking appearance of a dangerous convict who forces the boy to aid in his escape from prison. With this experience still freshly etched in his mind, Finn is summoned to the decaying mansion of Ms. Nora Dinsmoor, the richest woman in the gulf, who had lost her mind thirty years earlier when her fiancà © left her standing at the altar. There, Finn meets Dinsmoor's niece Estella, who, even at age 11, displays an upper class iciness toward the young, impoverished boy who instantly and hopelessly falls in love with her. Finn's meetings with Estella and her crazed, wealthy aunt fuel new dreams: to paint for the rich, to enjoy their freedom, and to love Estella. Once Ms. Dinsmoor realizes Finn is there for his love for Estella, she warns him that Estella will break his heart. The crazed woman's warnings become Finn's harshest reality when Estella abrupt ly leaves without saying goodbye. A hopeless Finn stops painting, stops dreaming ... until a mysterious benefactor sends the now grown young man to New York. Pursuing his dreams in the glamorous world of the New York art scene, the once-poor artist seems to finally have it all; wealth, status, fame and a reunion with the newly engaged Estella.

Manipulation In Othello And Dr. Faustus Essay -- essays research paper

The art of deception   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The art of deception many times changes the current conditions or plays a significant role in the end result of literary works. In Othello and The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus shows how deception changes the identity of individuals and the outcome of certain events. There is a juxtaposition between the characters of Iago and Faustus, whom use their human autonomy to manipulate the sequence of events in each work. By deceiving themselves or the characters around them there becomes an absolute play on words and actions, wherein the identity and outcome is strengthened or lost.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Iago wishes to be Othello and this becomes apparent in his discussion regarding Cassio promotion, his social status, and his own identity. Iago seems to deceive himself, by wishing he were Othello and by doing so he almost believes he is Othello. Shakespeare states: â€Å"Were I the Moor I would not be Iago,† begins Iago abolishing his own identify to fulfill his desires to be another person (line 58). Stephen Greenblatt discusses the possible meanings of Iago role-playing briefly in Act 1 and states:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Were I the Moor, I would not be Iago, because The â€Å"I† always loves itself   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  and the creature I know as Iago hates the Moor he serves or, alternatively,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  because of the Moor I would be other than I am now, free of tormenting   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  appetite and revulsion that characterize the servant’s relation to his master   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  and that constitutes my identify as Iago. (235-36)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Iago appears to manipulate his own thoughts regarding Othello and by doing so it directs him as to what identity he holds. By imaging himself as Othello he is able to see the opposing outcomes of himself in regards to Othello, therefore he construct his own identity by furthering his manipulation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Iago deception is furthered in his conversation with Roderigo and states: â€Å"But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve/For daws to peck at, I am not what I am,† showing he’s not what he appears to be ( line 65-66). Iago’s l... ...eatrical illusions shaped by human subjects† and â€Å"those subjects are themselves fictions, fashioned to reiterate acts of self-naming (218-219). Faustus finds his faults in his deception and states: â€Å"All beast are happy, for when they die/Their souls are soon dissolved in elements, But mine must live still to be plagued in hell†, thus determining his illusion did not bring true gratification (lines 165-7).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Within Othello and The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus shows were the characters while playing on words and actions have dedicated themselves to play a major role in the outcome. Iago was very consumed in the idea of revenge and wishing to be of higher status, but his involvement made him a subject to the surrendering that is included  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   in his invention. Faustus too is very consumed in the idea of forgetting his own existence and wishing to be of higher power, but it is the very thing that steals away his existence and desire to be in control. Each character while manipulating the events in the works, have deceived not only the other character, but themselves and their quest to find the self.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Macbeth And Lady Macbeth, A dealike Butcher And A fiend? Essay

"This dead like butcher and his fiend like queen" is this a fair description of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth? Malcolm made the remark "This dead like butcher and his fiend like queen," when he was crowned as the king of Scotland, after Macbeth's reign of terror. It becomes questionable upon the fairness of this justification, whether or not Macbeth was really a "butcher" and whether or not Lady Macbeth was a "fiend." In some ways, Macbeth would have fit the description of being a "butcher," after all, he had taken the lives of many people, some of them were even close associates of Macbeth. He assassinated Duncan, the king, in order to gain the throne, as he says, "I have done the deed" He also murdered Banquo, who was his best friend, due to two different reasons. The first is the witches' prophecies, which predicted that Banquo's son is to become king, and secondly, there is a sense that Banquo has his suspicions on the assassinator of the king. Acting under the name of fear, he slaughtered Lady Macduff and her son, due to the prophecies made by the witches, "Beware the thane of Fife" Macbeth only resolved himself into a far more stereotypical villain when he felt that he had gone to far, as he says, "I am in blood stepped I do far." His ambition of staying king now begins to spur him toward further horrifying deeds, and he starts to disregard and even challenge fate and fortune. Each successive murder reduces his human characteristics still further, until he appears to be the more dominant partner in the marriage. Nevertheless, the new-found resolve, which causes Macbeth to "wade" onward into his self-created river of blood, is persistently alarmed by supernatural events, the ghost of Banquo, an evidence suggesting Macbeth isn't at the right state of mind, that his guilt has affected him deeply. Macbeth was also seen as a ruthless tyrannical king, as he is referred to by Malcolm and Macduff, as "tyrant," and "a devil." In order to protect his title, Macbeth had to murder those who get in his way, and he even planted spies in every household in Scotland. Near to the end, Macbeth has even, "Forgot the taste of fears" It's as if he had overcome fear, which had made him able to be ruthless, and murderous. On the other hand the j... ...an interpret Lady Macbeth as, the dominant, commanding wife with an ambition to be queen bigger that Macbeth's ambition of being King. Or the manipulative wife, whose ambition is just as big as Macbeth. Lady Macbeth may be described as a fiend by Malcolm, and may have been a fiend to an extent, that she manipulated her husband into doing the things Macbeth has done, which may have been against Macbeth's will. She also accused her husband on being a coward, showing that she could fit the description as a fiend. However, she is not what we would call as purely evil, or lacking humanity, because she, is after all, a woman, whose instinct still remains with her, despite what she had done. She was also washed over by guilt, and became mentally deranged, even before Macbeth. Overall, the remarks that Malcolm made may have their justifications, as to an extent, both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are a pair of "butcher and his fiend queen". However, to an extent these justifications may not fit either Macbeth or Lady Macbeth, as they have had their own humanity within them, as if the "butcher" and "fiend" were just a part of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth's alter ego.

Are Harry Potter Harmful for Children

Are Harry Potter Books Harmful for Children? As far as I'm concerned, the Harry Potter series are quite suitable for children to read. As we all know, this set of books is written about a boy who is a wizard, and he fights with the devil for the justice, during the process it also show us how to treat our real friends and our family.Some parents and censors consider this book harmful for children to read and try to ban it, because of the manipulation, lying, violence, witchcraft (which they think is against god) and rebellion in Harry Potter books are unfit for children to read, for they will imitate the same thing and learn something adults don't want them to acquire that early. But I have to say it is just a book, in today's world if a child wants to know these things, all he need is just to go online and google it, so if they want to protect their children, why don't they ban the Internet?If you think that because there is witchcraft and devils in the novels which supports satan a nd defies God, I have to say that you are definitely wrong. If you have ever read this set of books, you'll find out that it's just the background and a part of this novel. The witchcraft is just the background which the author set to entertain readers. , because this field is very attracting and can satisfy children's curiosity. And it also keeps children's minds open. This world is nothing like the real world, so they can imagine lots of things which can develop their imagination and creation. When J. K.Rolling wrote about this darkness part, she also mentioned the right part. And it is a tale of good triumphing over evil. I think we can't see this series from just one perspective. We can't deny it for the author writes about the darkness and the devil then forget that from all perspectives, what she real emphasize and want readers to learn is the braveness, the justice, the friendship, the love, and the family. It taught our children, even adults how to become an upright person. For example, when Harry Potter, Hermione and Ron play â€Å"chess†, for the friendship and the justice Ron sacrifice himself to save Harry.In this real world, many adults can't do the same thing when they meet with difficulties. If we banned this book, what about Snow White? It i also filled with wicked, blackness things. Instead, we taught our children the correct and proper way by telling Snow White when they are very little. Therefore, why can't we treat the Harry Potter series the same way or even kinder. It is also a tale for children to learn the world by means of using the metaphor, changing the scene to the magic world. The dark part is not the point, but the love, the moral part that hit the nail on the head.If parents really worried about the darkness part, he/she can read the book for children while explain these for children instead of banning it. Although the censors think that their efforts are benefiting children, in the long run it is destroying them. We are d estroying our children's imagination. We put them in the same frame we set up for them. We decide which kind of books they read, which friend of children they make friends with, which kind of games they play, etc. If all these matters had to be approved and set up by adults, each child would be a mindless, characterless character.There would be no unique qualities to distinguish one from another, all children being of the same mold. If our children grew up with out creativity or imagination and only knew what was approved, this world would become numbing, vapid and meaningless. The Harry Potter series is encouraging the growth of a child’s imagination, allowing our children to grow into fully functioning, creative adults. As for the religious part, they say the book encourages witchcraft. I think they are too mean, too extreme. There are lots of fairy tale and legend for children about witchcraft or magic.We can't ban and criticize all these things. It is the same with Harry Potter. Just because Harry Potter is so popular and attractive to children, so they afraid the witchcraft will take the place of god, and they try to ban it. They say it's harmful for children actually on behalf of their own interest, not really for the children's sake. In conclusion, the Harry Potter books are not harmful for children. On contrary, it will enhance children's moral standard and imagination. Therefore, we should really recommend our children to read it.

Shooting an Elephant Essay

A price is payed to save oneself from humiliation, but, being pressured into doing something that one doesn’t want to do, makes people feel lost and pushed into a big problem. In the story â€Å"Shooting an Elephant† by George Orwell, he himself goes through a struggle in being the one to shoot an Elephant. In the beginning he knew what he had to avoid of being laughed at from the Burmese people that surrounded him, since he is an imperial policeman. Throughout the story, Orwell uses rhetorical tools such as: metaphors, connotation, and irony to give his readers a better perspective in what’s going on in the story. Seeing different forms of writing can help readers see the relationship between these tools and what Orwell is saying about imperialism. First of all, George Orwell uses the rhetorical tool metaphor in story. In the story â€Å"Shooting an Elephant† Orwell wrote that â€Å"They were watching me as they would watch a conjurer to perform a trick. † This metaphor meant that the Burmese who was following behind were waiting for Orwell to shoot the elephant. If Orwell shot the elephant then it would be like he was putting on a show since they were watching him. Another metaphor that he uses in the story is when he wrote that he was â€Å"seemingly the leading actor of the piece; but in reality I was only an absurd puppet pushed to and fro by the will of those yellow faces behind. † This metaphor meant that Orwell was the center of attention because he was being followed by two thousand Burmese people waiting for him to kill the elephant, and he was being controlled by the Burmese when he said he was an â€Å"absurd puppet. † Another metaphor he wrote, â€Å"He wears a mask, and his face grows to fit it†¦ meaning that Orwell pretended that he was strong and powerful, but he really didn’t want to shoot the elephant, he was just being pressured into doing it because if he didn’t then he would pay the price of being humiliated by the Burmese. Another rhetorical tool that George Orwell uses in the story â€Å"Shooting an Elephant† is connotation. In the story he said that â€Å"One day something happened which in a roundabout way was enlightening. † This sentence has a positive connotation because of the word â€Å"enlightening† meaning that Orwell speaking the truth about how he feels about the true nature of imperialism is a good thing. Orwell also wrote that â€Å"I marched down the hill, looking and feeling a fool, with the rifle over my shoulder and an ever-growing army of people jostling at my heels† This has a negative connotation because. Lastly, Orwell uses the rhetorical tool, irony in his story. In the story, Orwell wrote that â€Å"The thought in my mind was that if anything went wrong those two thousands Burmans would see me pursued, caught, trampled on and reduced to a grinning corpse like that Indian up the hill. And that happened it was quite probable that some of them would laugh. That would never do. † The irony that was being employed is that Orwell was more worried about being laughed at then being killed by the elephant. Therefore, Orwell’s writing was convincing because he uses different types of rhetorical tools to prove his point that imperialism is the worst. And Orwell prove this when this little incident happened about the elephant and how he gave him a better glimpse than he had had before about the real of nature of imperialism.

My (Not So Unique) Holiday Family Traditions Essay

When our Sociology class was assigned to write about family traditions, I instantly became nervous because I couldn’t think of one tradition off the top of my head that was special and unique to my family. I sat there and wondered, should I tell the truth and reveal the fact that my family doesn’t have any traditions? Should I make one up and fake my way through the entire thing just to get a good grade? Should I take someone else’s family tradition and call it my own? As you can probably tell, I was completely stuck. I feel as though my family traditions are ones that are shared with other families around the world. The typical family traditions that I’m referring to are about are during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. During Thanksgiving, we always have our annual family dinner down at my grandmother’s house. All the women of the family cook different dishes such as turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, etc. The women usually si t around the dinner table while the men of the family assemble in the living room and watch TV, typically football. The children of the family usually sit at a separate table and after they are done, they usually go outside to play. Christmas traditions and the traditions of Thanksgiving are much in the same. Occasionally after everyone gets their stomachs full, we usually play a game called â€Å"catch phrase.† There is never a dull moment when we play this game. It is similar to charades in which you hold a device that shows you a word that you must describe to your teammates without saying the word directly. When I was assigned this essay, I went to my mother, hoping that we had a tradition that I just overlooked. Needless to say, I was back at square one, she couldn’t think of any that were unique! I began to look to my peers for help, which resulted in the usual, â€Å"Just say something obvious, like, ‘On the twenty-fifth day of December, my family opens presents that are left underneath an artificial tree by an obese man who has some strange obsession with red clothes and non-existent animals who can fly’!† That wasn’t much help either. In comparison to the traditional Caucasian holiday traditions, I researched via internet on the African Am erican holiday traditions. A common statement that I found was that â€Å"Today’s Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners are just a taste of how African Americans used to eat.† Before you slice into that sweet potato pie, douse those greens in hot sauce or cut a corner of macaroni and cheese this holiday season, consider where those traditions came from. In the late 19th  century, geography factored in how people celebrated the yuletide season. During this time, African Americans lived mostly a rural existence, which translated into a farm-to-table lifestyle. I found a blog of two sisters discussing their African American culture during the holiday seasons. Sisters Norma Jean and Carole Darden discussed their history and recipes in recounting African-American life and culture. Their grandmother’s traditions were passed down to them in which they will pass them down to their children and so on. She lived on a dairy farm and wanted milk and cream in the family’s dishes. A favorite dish was painted Christmas cookies, made with rose water and orange-flower water. Norma will be preparing Thanksgiving dinner for her family in November. She’s been cooking since age 9. Her dinner table will have turkey with corn bread dressing on the side, many quarts of giblet gravy, whole cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes. But in h omage to her stepfather, she’ll make smoked oysters for an appetizer, corn and peas as a side dish as well as yams in a cast-iron pot, without marshmallows. Just as he taught her. We live in an age in which it is hard to spend time together as a family. Many families today wonder if having quality time together is a thing of the past. We are inordinately busy, for one thing, whether household bread-winners or college students. Also, the definition of family has changed. We are dealing with new definitions and characterizations of the idea of family. Some of us have traditional families. Some families have divorced, single, and/or remarried parents, creating a rather confusing family tree. Some people choose to live their lives alone, but may still be close enough to some friends to consider them family. Whatever the circumstances, many of us honestly don’t know how to celebrate together. We may even see the word â€Å"tradition† as something dulling and old, having no meaning for or application to us personally; something usually being forced upon us. It is up to us to create new family traditions. Celebrating is not hard. We all know about celebrating and have some ways of doing it. The only challenge is to find new ways. Why do we need to celebrate tradition? It gives us something to look forward to and makes a formal statement that there are some things in life to be grateful for. The notion of honoring tradition is unsettling for some people; let alone creating new ones. We seem to think that traditions must be heavy and complex ideas that had been around for hundreds of years and will be around  for a hundred more. In my opinion, this is not true. It need not be big or religious at all. I believe a tradition is something that you do once that feels good, so you do it again and again. Tradition is in all our lives in one way or another. Without participation in such activities there would be no family bond or pride. Being involved in these activities brings people closer and makes us understand who we are. Everything we do and every day of our lives we take part in a tradition in one form or another. After writing this paper, I realize that my family traditions may not be unique to others, but they are special to me and the members of my family and that is something that I will always cherish and hope to pass down to future generations.

Essay on Celebration of an Eid

People belonging to different castes creeds and countries celebrate different festivals. These festivals have both religious and psychological importance. On these occasions, people perform certain rites and thank God for the blessing that He bestows upon them. They gathers together at some place and offer prayers according to the teachings and dogmas of their religion. The rich give alms to the poor. Relatives, friends and neighbours pay specials visits to one another. They enjoy and rejoice in the same way and in the same manner. Thus such festivals bring all the members of society on one platform and remove all social indisciminations.Such festivals have also a psychological significance. We need some moments of rest after the day’s hectic activities. When routine work begins creating a sense of monotony and boredom in us, we desire to have some change in our life. This is necessary to purify us. So usually fairs are held on this occasion. People play different games. Picni c sports are thronged with people. Children celebrate the occasion with bangs and booms. Sometimes older people also join them. They dance and sing with the children. Dainty and delicious dishes are prepared at home. Sweets and cakes specially prepared for the occasion are sent to the near and dear ones.Houses are also decorated. So such festivals serve as an ‘overhaul’ of our mind, body and soul and bring about positive and constructive changes in our personality. Eid-ul-fitr is also such an occasion that is celebrated every year with full religious fervor. The Eid comes every year with the message of hope, love, equality and universal brotherhood. As it comes after the month of fasting, it has especial significance. It symbolizes man’s moral triumph over his animal instincts. The day begins with early rising, a bath, and wearing a new or at least the cleanest possible clothes and spraying perfume on oneself.It follows a donation of ‘fitrana’ to the deserving. Then every Muslim proceeds for prayers. There is considerable hustle and bustle in the prayer ground. To the gay colours of the children’s dresses are now added balloons and toys. â€Å"Khutba† follows the prayer. In this address the speaker throws light on the importance of fasting and the blessings of God that it brings. Rest of the day is spent in meeting friends and relatives and exchanging gifts with them. A part from the religious purpose, the occasion of Eid provides economic activity. There is a great shopping spree for ten days.Both the rich and the poor make purchases for the members of their families and especially for their children who also receive ‘Eidi’ form their elders on the Eid day. The shopkeepers reap a rich harvest of profits. With the approach of Ramazan and Eid prices shoot up. This trend must be checked. We must keep it in mind the spirit of such festivals. They are not meant for personal aggrandizement or personal gain s. The main purpose gains. The main purpose of these festivals is to bring hope and happiness in the life or those from whom fate has turned its face.