Of Mice and Men free essay sample

Of Mice and Men chooses to add and remove scenes to emphasize particular themes. He uses cinema graphic techniques to replace the objective third person narrator but maintains the dialogue to effectively confront the responder with Steinbeck’s concern relating to the need for companionship and understanding. Sinise uses imagery development in the novel to explore friendship, loneliness, and sacrifice in the context of the 1930’s rural California during the Great Depression. Garry Sinise interprets the novel version of Mice and Men through his choice to add and remove scenes. This emphasizes the movie so that the audience will feel emotionally attached to the character and creating a deeper understanding of the plot. A critical scene that has been added to the film is the long shot of candy all alone sweeping the ground in overcast skies after his dog was shot. The overcast sky symbolizes the loneliness of candy and his feelings of loss. We will write a custom essay sample on Of Mice and Men or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This gives a sense of foreboding to the views of his sadness and that maybe something will go wrong. Also the ending long shot of Lenny and George down at the river, after George kills Lenny. In the novella Steinbeck writes that â€Å"the boys† come down to the river to find them however in the film it’s simply George alone. The removal of this scene portrays the shooting being more of a personal matter between George and Lenny. The audience also reflects back to the comment made by candy where he said he should have put his dog down and not left it for someone else to do. The audition and removal of this scene creates a dramatic feeling in the film and allows us to see the close bond George and Lenny shared. However Sinise’s specific film techniques and camera angles show dramatic emphasis on certain sections of the film. Sinise chooses to use a point of view camera angle in the opening scene of the film to create a feeling for the viewers so the audience sees is what the character sees. Close up shots are used to allow the audience to feel the emotions of the character and the close bond they share. For example when George and Lenny are at the river during the start of the film and also whenever they where fighting it was a close up shot of both their heads together. This symbolizes their bond when together and their differences when fighting and apart. The audience gets a hint into the loneliness that migrant workers feel and how most men traveled alone. Sinise’s use of film techniques and camera angles creates a deeper understanding of each character and there life led during the great depression of the 1930’s. Also Sinise uses available imagery of film to create a well thought out foreshadowing and contrast of the characters. When Lenny kills the white puppy, Curley’s wife is wearing a white dress, which is the only time in the film she wears white. This foreshadows that Curley’s wife is represented as a larger puppy to Lenny. This symbolizes they both have the same fate. In the same scene when Lenny kills Curley’s wife a white bird flies out of the barn, this symbolizes they are going to heaven. Lenny runs away and will soon go to heaven too. Through Sinise’s imagery the audience is preparing for the death of Lenny to come and gain an understanding of what is to come. Therefore Sinise’s interpretation of John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men Garry to visually confront the responder with both the possiblitities offered by human understanding and the sorrow of its loss. However the films final shots of Lennie and George walking down the road lessens the tradedy of Steinbeck’s ending. Of Mice and Men free essay sample The American Dream is a dream of a land in which life should be better, richer, and fuller and with opportunity for each. It is a dream of social order in which each man and woman should be able to achieve the fullest rank of which they are capable of, and be recognized for what they are, regardless of the circumstances of birth or position. Of Mice and Men takes place in the 1930s of America during the Great Depression. The American dream is a significant motif in Steinbecks Of Mice and Men both Lennie and George stay optimistic about achieving the dream, ‘We’d have plenty of rabbits. George says this to Lennie to keep his spirits up for the future. George says ‘We’d’ which is future tense and the future tense gives him the motivation to attain the dream. . Nevertheless, the dream is never fulfilled, and the characters who have counted on it are the ones who are the most devastated. We will write a custom essay sample on Of Mice and Men or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Slims comfort at the end You hadda George, indicates the sad truth that one has to surrender ones dreams in order to survive. The characters with the highest status and power don’t seem to rely on the American dream as much as the characters with a lower status. From the descriptions of the characters, we see from the start who has a higher status and who would be valued more on the ranch. When slim is first mentioned to George and Lennie Candy talks very highly of him. â€Å"Hell of a nice fella. Slim don’t need to wear no high-heeled boots on a grain team† This being said about Slim from someone who works under him, shows that Slim is respected. He doesn’t have to wear â€Å"high-heeled boots† in order to get authority. He already has it, and the respect of the men. The second physical description of Slim is the first time George and Lennie see him. Tall man stood in the doorway. He held a crushed Stetson hat under his arm while he combed his long, black, damp hair straight back. . . .When he had finished combing his hair he moved into the room, and he moved with a majesty only achieved by royalty and master craftsmen. He was a jerkline skinner, the prince of the ranch’ His height is mentioned which can b e a representation of his status on the ranch. ‘He combed his long, black, damp hair straight back’ this shows that he is well groomed and cares about his outer appearance. This also gives the reader a sense of what he looks like. Steinbeck says ‘he moved with a majesty†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ this shows that he moves with the experience of a skilled worker. Slim doesn’t demand respect but is given it this is different in another one of the high ranking character. Curley, the boss son, is an evil character in Steinbecks world. Even Lennie feels the sense of menace when Curley first comes into the bunkhouse. ‘Like the boss he wore high-heeled boots’ this gives Curley more power because since he is the boss’ son he can’t be fired. Curley always has to pick on people who seem weaker than him so he can have the upper-hand. He is very wary of people and will quickly pick out the weakest. When approaching Lennie ‘Curley stepped gingerly close to him. ’ Curley is cautious but seems to miss out on important details because of his obsession with fighting. Steinbeck shows the power and status of some of the characters by what other characters think about them. Candy is the first to inform us of some of the members on the ranch, he warns George and Lennie about Curley. Candy says ‘He’s done quite a bit in the ring. ’ Candy says this as a warning about Curley’s potential violence. Steinbeck may have been telling the reader from the start that Curley was going to be looking for a fight. Obviously Candy was trying to advise them to stay away from Curley perhaps from past experiences. Curley never wants to play fair ‘Curley don’t take chances, he always wins’ he doesn’t play by the rules and will go to whatever lengths to get what he wants. He believes that because he is the boss’ son he is untouchable. When speaking to George and Lennie he addresses Lennie but Lennie was told not to speak by George and George steps in to answer for him. Curley then says ‘he’s got to talk when he’s spoke to. ’ Curley sees this as a sign of disrespect and he believes because of the power he has he can demand that kind of respect he thinks he deserves. Curley’s own wife says he’s ‘not a nice fella. ’ This shows that there is probably own 1 person on the ranch that likes him and that is the boss. Slim is a man who is gifted with charm and a god-like persona. Candy talks about him with great admiration ‘Slim’s a jerkline skinner. Hell of a nice fella’ His fellow workers seem to have a good relationship with him and seem to idolise him. The physical and personality characteristics of Slim epitomize an ideal leader. However Slim is very mysterious he is talked about with so much worship but we never really get to know him. ‘No one knows what Slim can do’ this means like the god-like figure he is portrayed to be nobody knows where his powers reach and what he is capable of. Curley and Slim are 2 important characters who are very different. Slim has an acquired status. He has gained his power by how he acts and the hard work he does. The other works on the ranch look up to him. They see him as their leader. When Candy informs George and Lennie about him he talks about the fact that Slim doesn’t ‘need’ or want to wear expensive or trendy clothes to show people how remarkable he is. Slim works hard and that is what separates him from the boss, who doesn’t work and wears the expensive items. In the sad situation of Candy’s dog having to be shot by Carlson, Slim takes charge. Even though Carlson was the one who was adamant about the idea he still allowed Slim to lead the operation. Steinbeck highlights the point by saying ‘Carlson stepped back and let Slim precede him’ this shows the relationship between Slim and Carlson. Carlson knows hi place on the ranch. All of this goes back to the God-like description of Slim and he lived up to his expectations. Slim has a lot of power and influences the ranch workers in a big way but he sets good examples as a leader. Even Curley doesn’t want to get on Slim’s bad side ‘Well I didn’t mean nothing, Slim. I just ast you’ It seems like Curley doesn’t want Slim to be angry at him and seems to beg for forgiveness. Curley is the opposite of Slim in a lot of ways. Curley didn’t earn his power he was given his power because he is the bosses son. Curley wears one work glove which is filled with Vaseline. Steinbeck uses the work glove to suggest that Curley may be in 2 worlds. He is out all day like the work men but not necessarily doing any work. He is mostly out chasing his wife. He has created a reputation for himself, spreading like secret about the ‘Glove fulla Vaseline’ which shows disrespect for his by believing he can do what he wants with her and then gossip about It later. What Candy has told George about Curley has set him up for very low expectations. It is said ‘Curley is cockier’n ever since he got married. ’ This shows that he thinks he is better than everyone just because he has a woman. He see’s woman as objects like trophies to be won and shown off. He is a very egotistical and aggressive man. Lennie laughs (unintentionally) when Curley is angry and Curley instantly has to get aggressive. He is worried about his reputation being harmed by Lennie laughing at him ‘No son-of a bitch is gonna laugh at me’ so he resorted to violence as to not harm his ego. Of Mice and Men free essay sample In the novella ‘of mice and men’ by John Steinbeck written in 1973, seats in the era of human history known as the Great depression in the 1930’s when Black Americans are marginalized by the white which make them have difficulties in getting jobs. Crooks, the only black American in the group is being disregarded because of his skin color â€Å"Crooks, the negro stable buck, had his bunk in the harness room; a little shed little that leaned off the wall of the barn† (Steinbeck, 67). In this novel, Crooks words to Lennie about loneliness reinforces two themes within the novel which is discrimination and racism. There is a lot of racial prejudice shown in Of Mice and Men towards Crooks, â€Å"the black and crippled stable buck† (Steinbeck, 66-67). The author, John Steinbeck illustrates racism by the punitive words of Curley’s wife when she states, â€Å"Listen Nigger, she said. You know what I can do to you if you open your trap? Crooks stared hopelessly at her, and then he sat down on his bunk and drew to himself. We will write a custom essay sample on Of Mice and Men or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page She closed on him. You know what I could do? Crooks seemed to grow smaller, and he pressed himself against the wall. Yes, ma’am. Well, you keep your place then, Nigger. I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain’t even funny. †(Steinbeck 80-81) The loneliest person on the ranch is Crooks, he suffers from extreme loneliness because of his race, black. He lives alone because none of the men want to make friends with him. He does not take part in any of the social activities in the ranch and he is left out completely. In order to give pictures to Lennie of how unfortunate and miserable his life has been, he gives Lennie a little heartfelt speech. â€Å"Spose you didnt have nobody. Spose you couldnt go into the bunk house and play rummy cause you was black. Howd you like that? Spose you had to sit out here an read books. Sure you could play horseshoes till it got dark, but then you got to read books. Books aint no good. A guy needs somebody-to be near him. A guy goes nuts if he aint got nobody. Dont make no difference who the guy is, longs hes with you. I tell ya, I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an he gets sick† (Steinbeck, 72) . This shows that he really is desperate and he needs someone to be his friend. He is at a point where he is emotionally torture and really sick of it . He desperately needs someone to talk to and also for company. When Lennie comes over into his room, he doesn’t even care if Lennie listens to him he just eventually talks about his feelings. In a conclusion, Crooks contributes to the central theme of racism and discrimination in this short novella Of Mice and Men. Steinbeck illustrates the loneliness of ranch life in the 1930 and show how Black American are driven to try and fight for friendship in order to escape from loneliness. â€Å"Cause I’m black. They play cards in there, but I can’t play because I’m black. They say I stink. Well, I tell you, you all of you stink to me† (Steinbeck, 68) Crooks wants Lennie to notice that the separation from the other men because of his race is painful. He also wants Lennie to know that people treat him unfairly just because of his skin color is black. Crooks words on loneliness eventually reinforces two themes within the novel, discrimination and racism. Of Mice and Men free essay sample The novella also explores many social attitudes during this era. One of the workers on the ranch in the novella is Slim who is a jerkline skinner. Steinbeck uses Slim’s character in many different ways. â€Å"He is the god like and moved with majesty† people admire him. Lots of people respect him, more than Curley. Curley is given a high social status as he is the boss’s son. Slim is a jerkline skinner. Yet he still has a higher social status due to his personality. In this way Steinbeck uses him as a voice to portray the futile idea of aristocracy and the influence it has over society. Slim wins our hearts with her personality in which Steinbeck a bestowed on him. â€Å"There was a gravity in his manner†¦ all talk stopped when he spoke. † The use of the word gravity implies Slims significance on the ranch. Gravity is the strong force that keeps all the planets together. We will write a custom essay sample on Of Mice and Men or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This contrasts to Slims good relationship with the members on the ranch and his importance. Yet Curley is given the power, but even he listens to Slim after his fight. He connotes the cruel, harsh, injustice world where money creates the foundation of your image in society not the personality. Steinbeck also uses Slim as a symbol of the theme of masculinity in society. The reputation of 1920s America men was built upon the superficial idea of physical strength and ability. Steinbeck presents Curley with the ideal physical strength required in every stereotypical man. â€Å"He hates big guys. He’s alla time picking scraps with the big guys. Kind of like he’s mad at ‘em because he ain’t a big guy†. The introduction to Curley emphasises on his short temper and ability to fight. Immediately we are suspicious of Curley’s actions as the plot progresses. This suspicion is proved when Curley wants to shot Lennie after his wife’s death. â€Å"Curley’s gonna wanna shoot ‘him†. We know he will be the downfall of our protagonists George and Lennie. By making Curley the antagonist, Steinbeck is questioning whether society should base personality on these petty stereotypes. When Curley fights with Lennie, he does not tell anyone to protect with dignity. This contrast to Slim: â€Å"His hands, large and lean, were as delicate in their action as those of a temple dancer. The simile of the temple dancer ontrasts with the size of his hands. By a comparison with a slightly feminine quality despite his talents, Steinbeck shows how vain the idea of masculinity was. Both Slim and Curley has the masculine side, however as the reader we respect Slim more not because of his masculine strength but through his way treating others and his idyllic personality. If masculinity was more significant, Curley would not be the antagonist. Slim also breaks the social boundaries of 1930s America through his treatment of others and inability to follow the prejudice and injustice emphasised in the novella. One way in which this is shown is through is through his relationship with Crooks. Racism was one of the main social issues in 1930s America and Steinbeck also portrays it as a theme in the novella. Due to racism, Crooks is isolated from the rest of the ranch workers who are white. He lives with the horses and is bitter also â€Å"proud and aloof† due to him being a social outcast. We articulate this from his tone when he is talking to Lennie: â€Å"You got no right to come in my room. This here’s my room. Nobody got any right in here but me†. This tone is also used when speaking to Curley’s wife and Candy. However when he speaks to Slim it is completely juxtaposed: â€Å"‘Mr Slim. ’ Slim took his eyes away from old Candy. ‘Huh? Oh! Hello Crooks. What’s a matter? † The effect of using â€Å"Mr† infers politeness, something Crooks only uses to address Slim. Slim is the only person to refer to Crooks by his name rather than â€Å"Stable Buck† or the offensive term of â€Å"nigger†. This shows that Slim has a good moral which creates good relationships with the ranch workers. Slim’s good nature towards Crooks causes Crooks to respect Slim. This shows that what Crooks dreams of is very simple; respect and rights. Steinbeck shows how treatment of others influences everyday life and personality. By avoiding society’s social sterotypes, Slim’s character is accentuated o the reader. Slim is still highly respected despite avoiding stereotypes. Due to Slim’s good treatment of others and good morals, this causes him to interact with George and Lennie easily and resulting in him understanding the tragedy at the end. â€Å"You wouldn’t tell? No, ‘course you wouldn† George wastes no time into trusting Slim’s good character. He tells Slim of the incident in Weed and of Lennie’s character. He risks losing his job by confiding in Slim, knowing if Slim tells it would be sacked due to Lennie. Jobs were very rare in the Great Depression and they staked their lives for it. Despite this risk, Slim understands George and instead of telling and putting them at risk, he gives Lennie a puppy keeping him happy and joyful. The rest of the ranch workers are hostile towards Lennie due his child-like personality and not fulfilling the stereotypical man. When George shoots Lennie, Slim says: â€Å"You hadda, George. I swear you hadda. Come on with me. George shoots Lennie out of an act of mercy; Lennie’s death is a paradox of being cruel to be kind. Slim’s confrontation and ability to understand people means he understands Lennie’s weakness. He therefore understands why George did it. â€Å"But Curley’s gonna wanna shoot ‘im. Curley’s still made about his hand. An’ suppose they lock him up an’ strap him down and put him in a cag e†. Slim knows that Lennie won’t survive prison. George kills Lennie out of mercy killing whereas Curley would kill him out of spite and revenge. Both Slim and George know that Lennie doesn’t deserve a cruel death. This event links with the death of the extra puppies and Candy’s dog. Slims knows that the dog was a liability and would be better off dead than suffering and the puppies would die out of hunger anyway. This shows his ability to think practically as well as understanding. In conclusion, despite Slim being the idyllic character due to his kind nature and personality, Steinbeck also shows that even Slim lives a harsh life. !930s America and the depression were cruel times. The dangers of farm work are shown from Candy and Crooks’s disability, this harsh life is also shown through his practical understanding in the novella.

Business Law Paper

Business Law Paper Scandals and public fury have earned many books a place on the best-sellers list. Thus, curious readers are drawn to controversy, making these books what we call best sellers. Is it easy to equate that scandals whether sex related, or politically incorrect stories translates into sales. However, most of these books in past histories have gained the attention of the Supreme Courts. In the Supreme Court case, A Book Named John Cleland ¡Ã‚ ¯s  ¡Ã‚ °Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure ¡ v. Massachussets of 1966, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the lower court decisions for the novel  ¡Ã‚ °Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure ¡ as obscene. The lower court had noted that the "social importance"p.426 element of the Roth test, which did not require that a book "must be unqualifiedly worthless before it can be deemed obscene." However, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed the decisions of the lower courts, emphasizing that under Roth, material could not be deemed obscene unless it was "utterly without redeeming social value".English: Marcus Perrin Knowlton, Chief Justice of ...Thus, according to Judge Brennan and Judge Fortas, the following requirements are necessary in order to constitute a book as being obscene: it must be established that (a) the dominant theme of the material taken as a whole appeals to a prurient interest in sex; (b) the material is patently offensive because it affronts contemporary community standards relating to the description or representation of sexual matters; and (c) the material is utterly without redeeming social value. ...The following statement falls under article 354 U.S 476 of Roth v. U.S., and this pretty much re-enforces the present idea of social morality and pornography control in the media. Yet it is needless to say that even though laws of pornography were established in previous times to prevent immorality in society, we can still find many books,

Contemporary Cinema Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Contemporary Cinema - Essay Example New roles are now defined with a working mother, a father and a child. The mother is no longer just a stay at home mom but she is now an equal bread winner (Coontz, 2000). Even though family roles have shifted considerably, the theme of childhood and family has remained fairly prevalent in movies over the years. What we see on screens is either what was, or what is in terms of family roles and behavior. Even the best of fiction needs a base on which to build upon. As Gillis (1996) observed, family life is the new form of entertainment in the modern world. All parts of family pervade the movie scene and it would seem that the modern script writer is always on the lookout for new stories to base a new movie on. It’s no longer debatable that the themes of family and childhood permeate contemporary film today. However, what is often not considered is just how much these themes permeate contemporary cinema. Inflation, urban sprawl and population increase in the early 1990s is what likely pushed stay at home moms to the market place (Dryden, 1999). This paradigm shift was also translated into film as seen in the introduction of working mothers as opposed to the stay at home mothers. The working class women betrayed the traditional loyalty to their husbands since they were no longer the sole bread winners. These women started to compete with their men on various family issues. Men felt a bruise on their egos and reacted with violence, as seen in The Burning Bed (1984). This marked the origin of domestic violence in cinemas. Marriages started to break up and children had to be raised by their step fathers and step mothers. These children were shown to lack proper guidance from their half parents and adopted bad behaviors and became violent as well. In 1996, the US government did a survey on the characteristics of the modern day family and the findings were grave. The research concluded that there had been serious anti-family downward

Organizational Environment and Behavior of British Airways Research Paper

Organizational Environment and Behavior of British Airways - Research Paper Example This research will begin with the statement that in the modern era of globalization Aviation industry is growing rapidly. This industry has many players with a strong competition among themselves. British Airways is the largest airlines company in the United Kingdom. The company was founded in 1974. Its headquarters are in London. Based on the Fleet size British Airways is the largest airlines. In 1972 British Airways Board was established by the government of UK for managing two nationalized airlines company. British European Airways, British Overseas Airways Corporation, Northeast Airlines and Cambrian Airways are the four airlines companies who merged together and formed the aviation company British Airways. Initially, for thirteen years the company was owned by the state government. In 1987 the company was privatized. British Airways is the founding member of the third largest airline's alliance that is Oneworld. This company provides international flights to international destin ations. It has flight service around 550 destinations in all over the world. It gives the customers excellent food service along with many other options for like games, TV, music, etc for satisfying its customers. The company is registered in London Stock Exchange. British Airways has established a contract to combine itself with the Iberia Airlines. The company expanded its business through different acquisitions and mergers. Until 2008 this firm was the largest airline company by the number of passengers. The company has its strong presence in Gatwick Airport. BA CityFlyer is the subsidiary of British Airways and it is the largest operator in London. The success of the company depends largely on the commitment and motivation of its employees. British Airways is a large organization with a huge number of employees. It is one of the largest airline companies in the world. The company provides many benefits to its staffs which motivates them in their work. British Airways creates a s ense of value among its employees which enrich the working environment of the company.

Love and a Roller Coaster Essay Example for Free

Love and a Roller Coaster Essay Being in love is a lot like being on a roller coaster, it is scary, thrilling, and can sometimes be painful. It’s the feeling of excitement going up the first hill; learning things about each other. Learning what makes them smile, their fears, or what keeps them awake at night. It’s the pain of your first fight, not knowing if you’ll make it through. The same kind of pain you get being whipped around a sharp turn, or the lap bar digging into your gut as you roll down a hill. There’s a distinct difference between the two though, on a roller coaster you can always see what’s ahead. Love is between two people, two brain waves, and two completely separate people. There is no telling where you are going to end, or if the ride will come to a complete stop before you jump. With love there is no set value, no admission, or any right or wrong turns. There is both fear and risk, you may get hurt, and you may not enjoy it but you put yourself on the line for someone else. You chose to put your heart in the hands of something, someone else. In the end the ride was still worth it, you learned something along the way. Whether you feel joy, or pain you learned something. Riding a roller coaster over and over loses its excitement, but with being in love there is always a new hill on the way. There is always something to be excited over, from just seeing them again, to meeting their family and learning where they grew up. When you love somebody you experience a full range of feelings such as anger, calmness and annoyance, jealousy or happiness. You have difficulties of controlling these feelings, because you understand that you are depending on the person you love. You understand that you are not just one person, you are two as a whole.

Critique of One Flew Over the Cuckoo?s Nest :: essays research papers

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is hilarious and very enjoyable. It deals with several men patients in a psychiatric ward in Oregon. The majority of the play is extremely funny, however, it does have its serious moments. Its themes and ideas are clearly shown, which may help the viewer in relating it to his/her own life. The actors and actresses did a great job depicting their characters. One of the main characters was Chief Bromden, played by Cliff Williams. He not only a main character, but also the narrator of the play. The actor played him very well because the features of the actor were the same as the character in the play. He was tall and dark, resembling an Indian which chief Bromben really was. He is very paranoid as he tells the story of his life and sanity. He is also constantly being bullied by the assistants that work in the ward. They think he is deaf and dumb; however, he really is not. Towards the end of the play, he becomes stronger and is able to escape from the ward. Another important character is Randle McMurphy, played by Aren Chaisson III. He is loud, obnoxious, rude, and not afraid to tell the entire truth. He also tends to make sexual and degrading comments to women. Throughout the play he tries to make Nurse Ratched lose her temper. He even has a bet going with the rest of the men in the ward as to when she will lose it. The actor truly portrayed McMurphy well. He was loud and annoying. His appearance also seemed like what McMurphy’s probably was. The actor also made it clear to the audience that McMurphy is not actually crazy. Stacy Searle played Nurse Ratched, a very stern and army-like nurse. She appears very cold when she comes into the play, however, she softens up when the rest of the patients come out. She is very controlling and demanding. The actress that played her did a very good job. She was stern and mean, with a soft side too. She also physically looked the part. She was big- boned and big-chested. She had many characteristics of someone in the army. The set/setting was all around what I expected. It represented the play very well. Whenever Chief Bromben would speak to himself, the fog would come out with a red light. This showed that he was thinking to himself.

Response – Life of Pi

Response The novel, â€Å"Life of Pi† by Yann Martel is about a boy who lives in Pondicherry, India with his family. It is about how he and his family decide to move to Canada with the animals they own and the tragedy on sea. The book explains how Pi survives life and it is narrated by the first character, Pi, who is older now and is looking back on his life and younger years. Pi and his family embarked on the voyage to Canada along with the animals when Pi was around 16 years old. In the midst of the journey, a storm lashed the ship and Pi’s parents, brother and most of the animals did not survive.Pi managed to escape in a life boat and initially did not realize that he had company – and who was it? Well, it was the animals and who were they? Well definitely not those Pi would have dreamt of- an orangutan, a hyena, a zebra and last, but not the least, a tiger- yes a real tiger named Richard Parker. The book tells us about Pi’s battle with survival and the dangers he faced, both with the animals and life at sea. At his age, it was almost impossible, but he survived. The character, Pi has great determination and made the best of the limited resources he had.Every day during his expedition, he was faced with a new challenge. He witnessed the killing of the animals and was helpless. Finally being left alone with the tiger and being gripped with fear- he had 2 choices – to become the tiger’s prey or friend. This was in addition to the challenges at sea, with different weather conditions and with a small supply of food and a survival kit. I admire the bravery of the character Pi towards everything and his positive attitude- He never gave up even though he was forced to live in a boat with a tiger. The principle of â€Å"survival† is applicable.Pi shows us that we must not give up when we do anything, no matter how hard it is. The theme of bravery and courage is very relevant to our world today because, we usually find ourselves not wanting to do things when we find them hard. We are always asking ourselves whether we should just take the easy way out and quit. Pi’s bravery and courage is evident in the story where it is quoted, â€Å"You might think I lost all hope at that point. I did. And as a result I perked up and felt much better. † Also another quote that shows this is, â€Å"I was giving up. I would have given up – if a voice hadn't made itself heard in my heart.The voice said â€Å"I will not die. I refuse it. I will make it through this nightmare. I will beat the odds, as great as they are. I have survived so far, miraculously. Now I will turn miracle into routine. The amazing will be seen every day. I will put in all the hard work necessary. Yes, so long as God is with me, I will not die. Amen. † The things that stands out to me in his quote is that he knew that God was with him and that God would keep him safe. Even when things are hard and you feel that t here is no point in continuing, you should still persevere.Only when you persevere, you will be able to achieve and will be rewarded. This will make you feel satisfied and better than before. You don’t know what life is going to be like, we cannot see the future, but it is our job as humans to take what comes at us and make the best of it. This is determination. The famous saying â€Å"When the going gets tough, the tough get going. † While adrift, Pi and Richard Parker discover an island of carnivorous algae inhabited by a bountiful population of meerkats. Pi’s sees the meerkats pulling out dead fish from the ponds.Pi and Richard Parker were delighted to find that they have found food to eat and a place to live – but no! Pi later discovers a fruit on the tree that he was sleeping on. While peeling the last few leaves around the fruit off, Pi finds that all the fruit make a perfect set of teeth. At night, Pi looks around and sees that the water colour cha nges and becomes acidic somehow and he knows this because he can see that fish are dying under the acidic water and floating to the top. He realizes that during the night the island somehow becomes carnivorous.This is a message to him that the island is inhabitable and he and Richard Parker must get out of the island. So they left the next morning filling their boats with supplies of water, and seaweed and meerkats for Richard Parker. I admired Pi’s ability and patience to make the tiger, Richard Parker his friend. We must learn to be more like Pi in the way we act by being sensitive to the needs of others. When leaving the island he made sure to take food for Parker for the journey and not only for himself. We must be willing to do anything.Pi was willing to train the tiger and he did succeed over time. This is evident in the story as in the beginning when Pi was younger, he wanted to feed the tiger not realising the dangers he was putting himself into. He only realised the danger in encountering a wild animal when his father saved him by pulling him away and bringing a goat and showing him how the tiger snatched the goat even though the tiger was in a cage. Pi wanted to feed the tiger not only because he thought Richard Parker was his friend but because he felt that all animals have souls, which is shown through their eyes.Pi himself acknowledges the tiger as his companion in the book when he says: â€Å"Without Richard Parker, I wouldn’t be alive today to tell you my story. † Pi had a tremendous amount of patience with the tiger. Richard Parker is very cunning and so Pi had to be more careful in the way he acted with the tiger. The patience was shown when Pi was motivated to catch food for the tiger to satisfy the tiger’s hunger. By doing this the tiger would not turn to Pi as his prey. Richard Parker was a blessing for Pi as fishing for food kept Pi busy.Even though Pi was mortified by Richard Parker he developed a soft spot for him. He was willing to do anything to keep him alive. The author makes readers feel the love that Pi had for Richard Parker. In those times in the boat Pi gives the impression that to him Richard Parker is equivalent to a human. This is shown in the story when Pi said â€Å"Dare I say I miss him? I do. I miss him. I still see him in my dreams. They are nightmares mostly, but nightmares tinged with love. I still cannot understand how he could abandon me so unceremoniously, without any sort of goodbye, without looking back even once.That pain is like an axe that chops at my heart. †Ã‚   This quote is telling us that when they reach Mexico, Richard Parker just walks away. Pi feels hurt. He feels as if the tiger doesn’t care about anything that has happened in the last 227 days. This really hurts Pi because he feels betrayed and saddened that Richard Parker left him. He never imagined this to happen. This proves that earlier when his father said, â€Å"you think tiger is your friend, he is an animal, not a playmate! †, he was right because no matter what even if you think the tiger is going to be your friend he/she will not.Even though they are not together anymore the author is giving the impression that no matter, Pi will always love Richard Parker. I admire Pi’s openness. The most important reason I admire Pi is because he prayed to God. He was universal in his thinking of religion as he followed three different religions. He was Hindu by birth but chose to practice and follow Islam and Christianity as well. Even though others like Pi’s parents and religious leaders criticize him for following more than one religion Pi still continued to do so anyway not at all effected by what others had to say.Pi says that he meets Jesus Christ through Father Martin and Islam through Mr Kumar. Through living out these three religions Pi was able make connections between the religions. Conclusion: Therefore, I can apply this to our own socie ty and in the way I act. The following qualities of Pi are worth noting; his determination, bravery, courage, perseverance, patience, sensitivity, willingness to do anything, love and openness. Pi’s determination has taught me to always be confident when making decisions about anything because confidence allows you and others to know that you are sure of what you are doing.Pi’s bravery has taught me to always have a positive attitude. It has taught me when you have bravery you can convince others and that when you are brave you are determined to do what you want. Pi’s courage has taught me that when you are brave and determined you have courage to do something. I can have courage when doing extra-curricular activities. There may be no one that I know of but by doing them anyway this shows that I have courage. Pi’s perseverance has taught me to always continue what I am doing to the end. He has taught me to never leave any task undone.Pi’s patience has taught me to always be calm with others. He has taught me not to get angry when I see something annoying me or to start grumbling. In the future I must learn to be calm with everyone and not only to my friends. Pi’s sensitivity has taught me to always be sensitive and caring to the needs of others and those around me. He has taught me to care for others by helping people carry their things or just by simply brightening a person’s day. Pi’s willingness to do anything had taught me to always be ready to help others no matter what.He has taught me to always be ready to lend a helping hand at anything. I can do this by helping my school out at school working bees. Pi’s love has taught me that I must not boast about how we love people, but simply show love through our everyday actions. I can show love by praying for the needy and others who have asked for prayers or by sitting with people at lunch time that may not have a friend to sit with. Lastly, Piâ₠¬â„¢s openness has taught me to keep my mind and soul open for everyone and everything.He has taught me to start things with an open mind instead of in a bad way which may affect how I may do things. We can learn to be more like Pi we can be more loving, brave and open to those around us. From this story, I have learnt that I can do anything that I persevere. We must all be like Pi in the way we lead our lives. Pi never judged anyone. He always saw the best in everyone and everything. I have also learnt that being patient can get me somewhere in life. Patience is the ability to endure waiting, delay, or provocation without becoming annoyed or upset, or to persevere calmly when faced with difficulties.