In the pilot episode of Fresh off the Boat, 11 year old Eddie Huang obsesses over hip-hop and the culture of African-Americans. Which is seen as an art form in the sense that he viewed himself as an outsider in the realms of mainstream society. He is seen in the opening scene wearing a full set track suit with multiple chains wrapped around his neck, a snapback hat on his head, listening to his “idles” Biggie and Nas. The viewers are then able to see the Huang’s drive through their new neighborhood and notice that the only other minorities evident in the community are the mailmen, gardener, and a nanny.
In season one of Serial, a podcast narrated by Sarah Koenig, she dissects the flaws in the case of the 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee, a high school student from Baltimore, Maryland. During the podcast, Koenig specifically examines the court proceedings, including the prosecution, defense, and the jury. Sarah Koenig was a reporter for the Baltimore Sun, in which she wrote articles about defense attorney Cristina Gutierrez. These articles are how Rabia Chaudry found out about Koenig, which prompted her to ask Koenig to review the case.
In Chapter 9-14 Holden Caulfield leaves Penecy Prep and heads to New York City. Where he will stay for a couple days before winter vacation starts and he will head home. Delaying breaking the news to his family he got kicked out of school for as long as possible. These chapters are where Holden’s loneliness becomes abundantly clear. The reader is subjected to many long rants by Holden about the company he wants, though he attempts to settle several times.
In sight of the cold war, in 1961 the highest point of the cold war is when the episode known as “The Shelter” in the series called The Twilight Zone was created. The episode covered the possibilities of many particular situations that may have occurred in a desperate time like this if a missile was launched at the United States. At the beginning of the episode, Rod Serling himself tells us “what you are about to watch is a nightmare.” We get a very ominous sense of what is coming due to the eerie music that had been playing in the background, and we soon find out that this episode is just that. A nightmare, in the sense of the event that is occurring but also the constant battle of a nightmare between thoughts that may drive one crazy as well as those thoughts mixed with the people you knew as “friends.”
Weather in literature is often used to symbolize the mood or mental state in which a character experiences. For example, rain is commonly associated with sadness. As it is commonly identified, fog is a cloudy element of weather that affects one’s ability to see clearly, however, it is also used in literature to represent a character’s lack of clarity. Throughout One Who Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey, the motif of fog is used to represent the mental instability and confusion Bromden experiences under Nurse Ratched’s ward. As the story progresses and Bromden gains confidence, the fog diminishes and he is able to overcome the Big Nurse.
Once again, chapter 3 of “Blown to Bits” talks about the privacy of our technological devices, and how we can protect ourselves. The chapter talks about how there are “Ghosts in the machines” which could mean that what we delete is not really deleted. I find this to be scary since so many things are done on technology these days. After reading this chapter it is clear that people’s information in which they store online can be easily accessed. When it comes to devices we must be careful with what we use them for so that way our privacy is protected from hackers.
Gone with the Wind Analysis While watching the film Gone with the Wind most people would pay little to no attention to details like camera angle or lighting. However, Gone with the Wind is a great example of mise-en-scene ,what is physically being shot in the scene without editing and can include, but is not limited to camera movement, lighting, focus and scenery, in many different ways. Mise-en-scene actually appears during the first scene when Scarlett is sitting on the steps of Tara, her family’s plantation, along with her two of her male companions. Scarlett is sitting on the top stair while the twins are sitting on stairs below hers almost as if they were worshipping her. Scarlett is also looking down upon the twins as if she were superior to them.
It’s a Wonderful Life is a film set in the World War II era that follows the life of George Bailey. George spends his entire life in a small town named Bedford Falls. His dream was always to leave the town and travel the world, but he never gets the opportunity because he is stuck running his father’s building and loan company. George serves the citizens of the town by providing them with affordable housing. During this time he makes many important relationships with people throughout the town.
Television shows such as: Leave it to Beaver, Father Knows Best, and The Honeymooners, depicted the 1950's housewife as living in a domestic picture of bliss, replete with kitten heels, set hair and a frilly apron. Housewives in the media were seen content and satisfied with doing house chores and obeying their husbands, however, one housewife in particular was not- Lucy Ricardo. Lucy, from the hit show I Love Lucy, has singular similarities and numerous differences to other tv housewives. Although she was not the role model 1950’s housewives were striving to be, the show was a success due to its uniqueness plot line and Lucy’s feminist strain.
For the Reaction and Critique assignment, I chose to analyze the episode, “Ripped (2005),” of the television series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. The episode was interesting and captivating, featuring principle actors Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni. Three criminal acts took place in the episode, assault, controlled substance abuse, and attempted murder. The series is known for its accurate depiction of criminal behavior and acts. This episode provided insight precise insight on a perpetrator that committed acts due to manic moments cause by a hormonal imbalance, previous parental abuse, and highlights the conflict of interest between detectives and accused individuals.
“One flew over the Cuckoo’s nest” is a film directed by Miloš Forman, based on the novel by Ken Kesey. The Film was released in 1975. It is the story of a convicted man, trying to outsmart the American legal system by playing mentally ill. The film starts at the beginning when the main character, Randle McMurphy, enters the mental institution. It won 6 Golden Globes as well as 5 Oscars and many other nominations.
The title, “Black Mirror,” refers to the cold, dark screens that we peer through on a daily basis. This screen reflects the even colder, fake versions of ourselves the we present through social media. The screen gives us protection from our selfish actions, separating us from the consequences of being judgmental. In relation, “Nosedive” is a title representing the obsession that Lacie has for her social status and social media score. This obsession ends up resulting in broken morals, self hate, and other compulsive actions.
In the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the tenth episode of season four “Hush”, was the most interesting one. “Hush” is one of the top episodes in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, also being one of the scariest episodes on TV. It was also the highest rated episode of season 4. Buffy is a popular series in the entertainment business and is considered as one of the best shows in TV history. The show too received an Emmy nomination due to it’s their scary episodes.
The movie “One flew over the cuckoo’s nest” gives an inside look into the life of a patient living in a mental institution; helping to give a new definition of mental illnesses. From a medical standpoint, determinants of mental illness are considered to be internal; physically and in the mind, while they are seen as external; in the environment or the person’s social situation, from a sociological perspective (Stockton, 2014). Additionally, the movie also explores the idea of power relations that exist between an authorized person (Nurse Ratched) and a patient and further looks into the punishment a deviant actor receives (ie. McMurphy contesting Nurse Ratched). One of the sociological themes that I have observed is conformity.
The poem Two Lorries was written by Seamus Heaney an Irish poet born in Northern Ireland, precisely in County Derry, on April 13, 1939. He was one of the most remarkable authors of that time, which dealt with topics of violence and social issues as well as nature and Ireland history, which demonstrates the variety of his work. Heaney was awarded with a Nobel Prize in the field of literature, by 1995 since his work was of lyrical beauty and ethical depth, which exalt everyday miracles and the living past. Seamus marked study on the role of sorrow in Ireland’s political atmosphere during the Troubles; a meditation on the personal effect of the Troubles on the citizen population, and should be read as the physical death of human life, the death of Ireland’s pastoral innocence, and the death of childhood to the abrupt nature of violence. By the time he was 74 he died on the 30 of August in Dublin.
