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The Characteristics Of A Hero In The Epic Of Beowulf

Beowulf Essay A hero in the modern world is hard to define and in some places even harder to find. Stories such as Beowulf are continually told in order to help define what a hero should / could be. Heroes in these stories possess traits such as bravery, great strength, or great cunning. However, while a true hero needs some of these traits they don’t define that person as a hero. What defines someone as a hero is daring to go and do what ordinary men wouldn’t in order to save innocent lives, knowing full well they are putting their lives and their families livelihood at risk; they do all of this and don’t actively seek recognition, that is what a true hero is. In the epic poem of Beowulf the main character whose name is shared with the†¦show more content†¦Matt is a former CIA agent who saw the chance to help found project underground railroad with his friend (a former navy seal) as a chance to help more lives on a broader spectrum than he could with the CIA. Nevermind that he gave up his young blossoming career with the CIA with all the financial and security benefits that go along with that in order to help form a non profit. Nevermind that he risks his life and the lives of his team when he goes into other countries and works undercover face to face with people who sell children as sex slaves and then is also there when those people are taken down. Disregard those things and Matt is still the perfect example of a modern day hero. Because at his core he just wants to help innocents that have no way of protecting themselves from the true monsters of the world. Matt possess the traits that Beowulf has, the strength, the wit, the b ravery, but what sets him apart is that in the real world the hero doesn’t always win. Or in the case of Beowulf the hero in the real world isn’t always honored in a grand fashion. Matt is a hero and heroes in the real world don’t get to enjoy those luxuries. Matt exhibits where a hero in our current society lies, in the shadows. A true hero such as Matt is willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for others knowing well that he won’t be given theShow MoreRelatedBeowulf : Characteristics Of An Epic Hero978 Words   |  4 Pages2Y English 12 20/11/17 Beowulf: Characteristics of an Epic Hero In Anglo-Saxon literature and culture, to be considered a hero was to also be considered a warrior/ soldier. To be a hero, you had to not only be strong but you also had to be smart, and have plenty of courage. These warriors were willing to face any type of trials and tribulations at any odd. These types of heroic warriors would fight to the death to obtain glory and save their people. The Anglo-Saxon hero needed to possess all ofRead MoreBeowulf : Epic Characteristics Of An Epic Hero862 Words   |  4 PagesEvery epic hero acquires certain heroic characteristics. The poem, â€Å"Beowulf, is about the most heroic man of the Anglo-Saxon period. Beowulf is a warrior from Geatland that comes to help Hrothgar, the king of Danes, defeat the monster Grendel who has been killing men in their kingdom. Beowulf defeats the unstoppable beast, Grendel. Then Grendel’s mother comes to try to avenge Grendel’s death, and Beowulf slaughters her in her underwater lair. After 50 peacef ul years of ruling the Geats, Beowulf in hisRead MoreComparing Beowulf, The Wanderer, And The 13th Warrior1731 Words   |  7 Pagesalways reappears is What is an epic hero? Or better yet an epic hero in Anglo Saxon culture. I believe there is more to being a hero than just being strong or intelligent. An epic hero in my eyes is oneself who comes to portray the beliefs of the society in which the tale/story is depicted. A few great examples of the Anglo Saxon epic hero are the literary characters in Beowulf, The Wanderer, and The 13th Warrior. These are all outstanding examples of Anglo-Saxon epic heroes because they all cameRead MoreBeowulf : An Epic Hero930 Words   |  4 Pages The story of Beowulf shows its reader many characteristics of why this Anglo-Saxon poem is an epic. First of all, Beowulf is a warrior of epic renown by the time he formally introduces himself in the poem. Next, Beowulf is the warrior that many strive to be in life. In addition, Beowulf finds himself tackling many quests that involve dangerous beasts, or as he might call them, demons. The next quality shown by Beowulf is his bravery and honor. The reader is able to easily identify this characteristicRead MoreBeowulf : An Epic Hero894 Words   |  4 Pages The character of Beowulf demonstrates several characteristics that make a great epic hero. Throughout his lifetime he displayed several characteristics such as honor, bravery, physical superiority, leadership, and glory. These characteristics all formed how the Anglo-Saxons believed one should live their life. Along with the valorous deeds that Beowulf accomplished he is considered to be a prime example of an epic hero. Be owulf would have even been considered a model human to the Anglo-SaxonsRead MoreBeowulf Is a Hero Essay877 Words   |  4 PagesBeowulf Essay Every epic hero possesses certain heroic characteristics. The epic poem Beowulf describes the most heroic man of the Anglo-Saxon times. Beowulf is the hero. He shows that he is a great man by always putting other things before his own needs. He is important and needed by his people and is known by many as a strong, courageous and a helpful person. He shows all of the qualities and traits that a true hero possesses. Beowulf, like other epic heroes, possesses the following heroic qualities:Read MoreBeowulf, The Epic Hero1373 Words   |  6 Pages 2015 Beowulf, The Epic Hero In Anglo Saxon times, Beowulf is considered a well known epic hero. â€Å"Epic heroes are literary characters from ancient mythology and other stories, which were written down in the form of long, narrative epic poems. The hero is the main character, or protagonist of the poem†(Epic Hero: Definition, Characteristics Examples.). The epic hero usually battles for accomplishments to a set of tasks to complete important goals. Beowulf is described as an epic hero becauseRead MoreBeowulf And The Epic Of Gilgamesh1667 Words   |  7 Pagestoday’s society, a hero is viewed as someone who embodies the characteristics of selflessness, courage, honesty, and integrity. The same characteristics were essential to be thought of as a hero 3,000 years ago as well. Two of the most widely known epic poems of their time were Beowulf and The Epic of Gilgamesh. Both Beowulf and Gilgamesh embody traits known exclusively of a hero. The poem of Beowulf and The Epic Gilgamesh both showcase t he characteristics required of being an epic, in that they includeRead MoreBeowulf : An Epic Hero978 Words   |  4 Pages Beowulf is a character that exudes the qualities of an epic hero. Throughout this epic, Beowulf is seen as a hero to many and a major threat to the evils he encounters. The values of the Anglo-Saxons, who would have read and admired this poem, included loyalty, bravery, and honor. Beowulf’s character exemplifies all of these qualities to the highest degree. The values and traditions of the original composers of this story cause Beowulf’s character to be the perfect example of an Anglo-SaxonRead MoreBeowulf s Heroic Qualities That Convey His Nobility And Courage887 Words   |  4 Pages Beowulf exemplifies heroic qualities that convey his nobility and courage. The poem named Beowulf has no known author. The author of the poem is known to be a Anglo-Saxon poet. The poem, Beowulf, is an Old English epic poem. The character, Beowulf, is a noble hero who offered to help King Hrothgar by fighting a demon named Grendal. He fought many enemies before and while becoming a king. Beowulf is a loyal and noble hero to the people of Geats and Danes. Epic heroes are defined with specific

Types of Buckling Free Essays

Types of Buckling Engineering is one discipline that is based on several different phenomenon and concepts. Each concept in engineering is as important as other and they all work together to give rise to some new techniques. One phenomenon that is extremely beneficial and widely used in engineering and science is buckling. We will write a custom essay sample on Types of Buckling or any similar topic only for you Order Now Buckling is nothing but a phenomenon of mathematical instability, which leads to a special failure mode. When a system in equilibrium is subjected to additional load, it buckles down and gets deformed. This deformation is what is known as buckling. There are several different types of buckling that can take place in objects and those are described as below. Flexural buckling is a special form of buckling that takes place in a special compression member facing a deflection because of the bending of flexure. It occurs mostly in a straight column when the stable equilibrium gets distorted at the critical load. The buckling is shown to occur mainly at the axis and demonstrates significantly small radius of gyration. There are different types of flexural buckling that can take place in objects and different equations can be employed for determining the load and the extent of buckling caused due to the same. Lateral buckling is also commonly observed in objects when the deflection goes out of the plane in which the object is functioning at a given time. Any load on the object that leads to the bending in it along the given strong axis, the object is shown to go out of plane and such buckling is known as lateral buckling. The critical value of the applied moment is shown to lead to cause several different out-of-plane displacements in the straight elastic beam. Torsional buckling is yet another type of buckling that commonly takes place in the plates. This particular buckling is very common in the members that are double-symmetric in nature and also simultaneously lead to the occurrence of extremely slender cross-sectional elements. This buckling never occurs in the rolled sections and takes place in the built-up sections. Torsional buckling is combined with flexural buckling to give rise to another type of buckling known as flexural-torsional buckling. This combined form of buckling is shown to take place mostly in the objects that exhibit unsymmetrical cross-section with only one single axis of symmetry. This special case takes place when there is a simultaneous bending and twisting of the object, thus leading to significant deflections. Buckling can take place in different types of objects, including plastic, pipes and pressure vessels. Engineers carry out different studies for determining the level of buckling and there are several equations and numerical models that help in defining and examining the buckling level so that appropriate measures can be taken to minimize destruction. Reference link: http://classof1. com/homework-help/engineering-homework-help How to cite Types of Buckling, Papers

Cross Cultural Management Management

Question: Workplace Diversity is critical to the overall success and sustainability of an organization. Discuss and evaluate this statement. Answer: Introduction: The workplace diversity is taken by every organization around the world and it also became the legal law for every organization that the organization should apply the workplace diversity. Though the rule says that every employee should get the equal attention in the workplace, which means equal chance should be there for everyone. In this essay we will discuss about the diversity in workplace and its characteristic, which is important for the organization to maintain the success and sustainability for achieving the goals and objectives of the organization. The diversity can be motivational factor for the employees of the organization. It also generates the learning process among the employees of the organization, which is very helpful for the organization for the different outlook. The diversity can bring different types of people who will work together for the same organization. We will also discuss about the diverse force of the organization, how they used to work, what are the pro cedures they follow for completing the work within time, and also help the organization to achieve the target. Diversity in workplace can be the cause of success and sustainability or may the cause of hamper for the organization. Diversity in workplace is the way of dividing the work into the employees of the organization, the work can be dividing to the employees who are eligible for the task, which means the right person for the right task at the right time (Sarkar, 2010). This diversity can help the organization for the success and the sustainability of the organization, as it will put the right person at the right time. At the same time the diversity can also create the behavioral change with the employees of the organization, the employees can take this diversity as a partiality to the lower level of employees. Although it is very necessary for the organization put diversity on workplace, as it will help the organization to maintain the production quality and the standardization of the product (Syed and Khan, 2015). The diversity in workplace also manages to gather the various types or kinds of employees from the different parts of the worlds, which may include different cultures, religion, age and gender. The different types people can works together for achieving the goal and objective of the organization in the same way; this also may be the very good experience for the employees of the organization to work together in a same team, and with the different kinds of people. The workplace diversity can also motivate the employees of the organization in many different ways like; it can motivate in terms of dividing policy of the diversity, which can help the employees to work harder for the organization (Zhang, 2011). By following the diversity in the work place the organization can retain the success level and also the sustainability. The diversity can bring the experienced employees together who are more knowledgeable and skillful for the work, and this can be very helpful for the organization to achieve the goals and objective (YURTSEVEN and HALICI, 2011). If the employees of the organization do their work properly then it will easy for the organization to achieve the success. The achieving success is not only the target for the organization but also maintaining the sustainability is important for the organization (Koger, 2013). The diversity can also increase the volume of sales for the organization, as the sales people are very expert in their work. Diversity can also create the discrimination in the workplace among the employees of the organization, in terms of gender or age (Marsden, 2015). Some of the employees of the organization can feel the discrimination in the wrong way like, someone can get promotion due to the personal relationship with the higher level employees of the organization and someone may face many difficulties to get promotion. The organization can largely depend on the diverse background employee, because they are very talented to their job and able to deliver the quality of job within time. The diverse employees can have the ability to do their work in different types, as they have the full knowledge about their job. The problems which can cause difficulties for the organization, the diverse people can easily handle the problem and can solve the problem within a short period of time (Chandrashekar, 2015). As a result the organizations are reliable to their diverse employees. The diverse employees are also very flexible in their task; they can do their task at any point of time and in anywhere. Some the fluctuating behavior can create the problems for the organization like; the demand of the customers can fall any time, or may be the taste preference of the customers can change at any point of time, but the employees from the diverse background can solve the issue with their skills and knowledge, which is very important for the organization to maintain the number of sales. It is also seen in the diverse people that they can provide their services in global basis, which means the wide range of customers can get help from the organization. The diverse people of the organization always believe that they can work more accurately and have various viewpoints for their job. The organization can make various business planning or strategy with the help of the diverse people, which can help the organization for the future planning. It has been seen that around the world many organization adapted the workplace diversity in their organizations, which help the organization to retain the success and the sustainability for the organization. The organizations expand their business in the global market for making more profit and also increase the number of customers in the global market (Hackett and Bourne, 2014). With the increased technology, it is important to update the workforce as well so as to expand the business activities. This expansion is possible if the recruitment is done on an effective manner which means right person at right job which will help to get the specialized knowledge. Culture also plays an important role in the workforce diversity because when the employees interact with different people they can exchange their views and opinions which will obviously help in better decision making process. The communication among the employees of the organization is also very important for the organization, as if there will any communication gap between the employees than it may create difficulties for the organization (Lemos and Andreassi, 2015). Diversification in workforce can help the business to great extent because it can help making spontaneous decisions as more employees are involved of various cultures. Training should be given to the employees so that they are also aware of the rules as well as policies of the business enterprise which will ultimately be useful to provide accurate information. Motivation need to be given to the employees who will encourage them to work more by providing rewards and recognition in the company (Koo and Fishbach, 2014). The company should focus on the employee to provide them with monetary as well as non monetary benefits which can help them to sustain in the company for a long period of time. The productivity of the business largely depends on the workforce because they are the person who work hard for the company to produce the various products and make efforts to promote it by various sales promotional measures like direct marketing, online surveys, etc. Leader is responsible to take care of their followers and guide them to achieve the motive in the near future which will help in increasing the productivity level in the overall business activities (Deb, 2014). From the organizational point of view the workplace diversity acts as a process in which the employees of an organization are helped or motivated to acquire and develop technical, managerial and behavioral knowledge, skills and abilities and mould the values, attitudes, beliefs necessary to accomplish present as well as future role. The diversity in workplace motivates the employees in different ways. For example the diverse employees can do their work properly and for that they will get the incentives in terms of monetary or some other benefit, which may the reason for motivation. The diversity can also change the creativity in the work place as the divers people are more efficient in their work, which may lead to high creativity or high production on the organization (Al-Busaidi, 2013). The workplace diversity also divides the employees of the organization; as a result the groups or the team members of the organization can be affected (Yam, Fehr and Barnes, 2014). All the employees of the organization wants to work under the good team leader, so if the employees are divided into groups then many of the them may have to work under the different team leader, and it may not be comfortable for all. The leadership quality of the leader of an organization may also affect the working condition of the worker, as it is very necessary for the employees of the organization that they get good leadership quality. The good leadership quality can also make the hard work easier for the employees, by giving them the full knowledge of the work or by making them to understand the work. The good leaders always want to make the team perfect for them, because working with the good teams is always helpful for the team leader (Rao, 2014). Conclusion: In this essay we can find the reason for the success and the sustainability of the organization for the workplace diversity. The workplace diversity can help the company to increase the production and also increase the number of sales. The organization also wants to expand their business in the global market to reach the maximum numbers of customer and provide the facility to the customers. In this essay we also discussed about the issues that may arise within the employees of the organization because of the workplace diversity. The workplace diversity can also motivate the employees of the organization, in terms of their moral support, or the productivity, or in using the advance technology. As we already discuss that the best employees of the organization wants to use the best quality of tools and techniques for the production process. At last we also discuss hoe the good leadership quality can make the difference in the workplace because of the diversification of the employees of the organization or the expanding the business in the global market. In this essay we can get the overall idea about the workplace diversity and the related issues or the benefits from the workplace diversity. If the organization can handle the workplace diversity than it is obvious for the organization that it will lead the success and sustainability for the organization point of view. References List Al-Busaidi, K. (2013). Knowledge workers perceptions of potential benefits and challenges of inter-organizational knowledge sharing systems: a Delphi study in the health sector. Knowl Manage Res Pract, 12(4), pp.398-408. Chandrashekar, V. (2015). Diagnostic difficulties in homozygous hemoglobin E disorders. Diagnosis, 2(1). Deb, A. (2014). Economic Reforms, Capacity Utilization and Productivity Growth in Indian Manufacturing. Global Business Review, 15(4), pp.719-746. Hackett, S. and Bourne, J. (2014). The Get Going Group: Dramatherapy with adults who have learning disabilities and mental health difficulties. Dramatherapy, 36(1), pp.43-50. Koger, S. (2013). Psychological and Behavioral Aspects of Sustainability. Sustainability, 5(7), pp.3006-3008. Koo, M. and Fishbach, A. (2014). Dynamics of self-regulation: How (un)accomplished goal actions affect motivation. Motivation Science, 1(S), pp.73-90. Lemos, A. and Andreassi, T. (2015). Effectuation and causation: Propositions about decision making process in business network environments. Revista de Negcios, 20(1), p.29. Marsden, G. (2015). Religious Discrimination in Academia. Soc, 52(1), pp.19-22. Rao, M. (2014). Good Leaders Learn: Lessons from Lifetimes of Leadership. Hum Res Mgt Intl Digest, 22(5). Sarkar, S. (2010). Diversity: A Philosophical Perspective. Diversity, 2(1), pp.127-141. Syed, I. and Khan, N. (2015). MIMOOFDM Communication System with Opportunistic Diversity-Order Selection and KF-Based Channel Estimation. Wireless Pers Commun. Yam, K., Fehr, R. and Barnes, C. (2014). Morning employees are perceived as better employees: Employees start times influence supervisor performance ratings. Journal of Applied Psychology, 99(6), pp.1288-1299. YURTSEVEN, G. and HALICI, A. (2011). Importance of the Motivational Factors Affecting Employees Satisfaction. International Business Research, 5(1). Zhang, Z. (2011). Designing grading policy to motivate student participation in online discussion forum. IJIL, 9(1), p.1.

Learning Autobiography free essay sample

She instilled in me that knowledge gave me choices in life, she also had to be organised and disciplined with her time as she cared for my two sisters and was partially sighted. She always ensured she had enough time to support and encourage me; she even bought me my first encyclopaedia, although second hand, it was one of my most treasured possessions. One of the greatest lessons she was able to give me was the understanding of different cultures (especially cooking) and beliefs as she was Anglo- Indian and English was her second language and her friends on the estate came from every corner of the globe. In secondary school I was privileged to be taught by one of the most patient, professional and knowledgeable history teachers, Mrs Golding. I never recall her ever raising her voice or embarrassing anyone in front of fellow students. Mrs Golding arranged a guest speaker from the Roman exhibition in Chelmsford, he brought replica shields, armour etc, he started explaining the formations used against certain types of enemy, e. We will write a custom essay sample on Learning Autobiography or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page g. cavalry. Mrs Golding decided to go into the playground and role-play the scenarios which was great fun and helped me remember the lesson. I now see we learned more by doing than by just being talked at, which is something I respect and hopefully will implement myself. Mrs Golding arranged a trip to Dover to look at the radar installations and WWII museum. Other than the historical and academic value, she was, I believe, very perceptive that the average student in her class came from a poor background and probably had never seen the sea or any of the delights that a coastal town hold. The thoughtfulness behind this act has never been forgotten by me and I am sure many other students of her class. My worst teacher was Mr Kelly, PE and geography. He was a bully who terrorised students. He would tell you to read chapters in silence then ask you to write up the chapters in your own words, every lesson was the same, and put me off geography Nigel Groser EPF14 1. 3 Autobiography 11/10/2012 for life. I believe he really only wanted to teach PE, therefore, had no enthusiasm, commitment or focus on teaching geography. The only joy he ever got was by throwing chalk as hard as he could at students who talked and making them bring it back to him. The most enthusiastic, passionate and creative lecturer I ever had was William Ang’awa, enterprise and marketing at Sunderland University. His belief in student’s potential is contagious and he has been the most inspiring individual I have ever met. He has a determined, focused and positive belief that everyone has the ability or skill to succeed at something. It is our job as educators to help them find it, encourage it, grow it and let them flourish. This whole reflection on my learning journey has highlighted positive teaching attributes which I must endeavour to bring to my own classroom.

What would you consider to be expressionist features in Fritz Lang Essays

What would you consider to be expressionist features in Fritz Lang Essays What would you consider to be expressionist features in Fritz Lang Paper What would you consider to be expressionist features in Fritz Lang Paper Expressionism is a style dedicated to distorted camera angles and a harsh contrast of light and shadow (Fabian Ziesing). Often in expressionist works the representation of reality is distorted for the sake of conveying an inner vision(Harvard). Words such as dark demonic twisted haunted and tormented (Elsaesser 2000 p19) are relevant to expressionist cinema. There are many aspects in Fritz Lang.s M that could be considered as expressionist, these are the topic, chiaroscuro (the use of light and shadow), abstraction and essentialisation, duality, the predilection for the studio, the use of objects and space and photography style. One of the key features of expressionist film is its topic. The characteristic topics used in expressionist cinema tend to have a fascination with death, disease, illness, depression, despair and melancholy. There is very often a strong emphasis on psychological problems. The themes used often in expressionist painting and literature are also present in expressionist cinema, the theme of alienation, and of the individual as subject to tyrannical or supernatural forces beyond his or her control (Aitken 2001 p54). Expressionist cinema depicts the unstable, unreality of society at this time. The most crucial themes of the genre are particularly present in M. The murderer Hans Beckert is essentially a normal human being but when he sees a child he is overcome with the compulsion to murder. He tries to fight his compulsion but the forces at work are beyond his control. It is an illness he didnt choose to have and one he cant control Beckert tries to suppress his devious instincts (cyberroach.com) and control himself but fails and his transformation into the murderer is complete. Despair and depression often feature in expressionist cinema and are very apparent in M. When Elsie Beckmann doesnt return home from school Lang. shows the despair of a mother who deep down knows the fate of her daughter. Lang. features the despair of a mother whose little girl does not come home from school (Kracauer 1997 p122). Chiaroscuro is one of the most prominent features of expressionist cinema. In M there is a stark visual contrast between light and shadow, in which forces, shapes and tonalities clash. Lang.s chiaroscuro has produced some poignant images. A classic, perfect example of German expressionism is when the shadow of the murderer appears on the reward poster above the head of Elsie Beckmann, who is bouncing her ball against the poster, which advertises a reward for finding the killer. Elsie Beckmann has no idea of the warning looming above her head. This use of shadow is not purely ornamental it is an effect used to grip the audience, which is hugely successful. The same affect is achieved when the thieves have a conference to discuss what to do about the killer, in this scene an anonymous, abstract image is created (Eisner 1986 p 117). Their shadows appear across the screen as they carry out their conversation. Lang. also creates an indefinite chiaroscuro atmosphere when he uses cigarette smoke floating in the glow of a hanging lamp at the thieves meeting. In this scene the light barely manages to penetrate through the think clouds of smoke, this is also true of the police conference scene in which the smoke gets thicker and thicker distorting the light. As the milieus of the police and the underworld inter-cut, the men participating in these meetings are shown in silhouette accentuating their similarities. Another example is when the murderer looks into a shop window and his face appears to be framed in the light, which was reflected from the knives displayed there. This lighting effect separates and isolates Hans Beckert from the rest of the world by his inhuman urges. In one on the final scenes when the murderer is finally caught Lang. freezes him by using one single beam of light creating an image reminiscent of a deer caught in the headlights of a car. The use of objects and space are a very expressionistic feature. In the scene where Elsie is murdered the camera cuts from where Elsie is to where she isnt using inanimate objects and empty spaces to make her fate more horrifying. When Elsies mother is desperately calling her Lang. uses a series of still life shots in succession. These are the empty and rather sinister looking spiral staircase with its shadows like prison bars, the empty and dismal courtyard, the attic where the washing hangs, Elsies seat at the dinner table, to her ball rolling from the undergrowth and her balloon with its string entangled in the telegraph cables. When the moving camera freezes on these objects there is no doubt in anyones mind about what has happened to Elsie inanimate objects stand in for an absent and violently silenced person (Kaes 2000 p 13). Another feature, which is considered to be expressionist, is the tendency towards abstraction and essentialisation. The expressionist tends to place more importance on mental images than on real things; this method provides full emotional impact without sickening the audience. We hear the murderer talking to Elsie Beckmann and buying her a balloon to win her confidence. In the next scene we see Elsies ball roll into the frame and her balloon caught in the telegraph cables. Although we do not witness Elsies murder we have no doubt about Elsies fate (Kaes 2000 pp 13-14). Expressionist film also has a tendency towards duality. Very often there is a character that appears harmless but actually has a more morbid counterpart much like the creepily pitiable child murderer in M (Elsaesser 2000 p 19). The murderer in M is a seemingly inconspicuous man and so that he can be recognised he must be branded with the chalk sign of the letter m on his shoulder. He has a child like innocence and vulnerability, which is combined with his compulsion to murder, which creates a character who is worryingly human. There are a number of double images or double reflections in M, which depict a dark side, the disorder of society and the murderous impulses of Hans Beckert. In an early scene in the film we see the murderer looking at his reflection in a mirror attempting to seek out the madman that lives within him. In one scene we see him looking in a shop window calmly eating an apple when he sees a young girls reflection in the shop window, he is suddenly mesmerised and his eyes begin to bulge and he begins to break out in a sweat. This shows Hans Beckerts split personality in M. In this same scene he sees his own reflection, here the normal man on the street becomes a menacing reflection of himself. Later, the murderer sees himself in another mirror image in which he discovers he has been found out when he sees the letter m on his back. Just as the audience begins to feel some kind of pity and sympathy for the killer his darker side is shown in the reflected images. The stylisation of the set and acting can be identified with expressionism. In expressionist cinema there is a predilection for filming in the studio as opposed to the street and expressionism is known for the use of eccentric sets. In M when the police raid the allotment gardens the pictorial composition is emphasised (Eisner 1986 p116). In the most famous German expressionist film The Cabinet of Dr Caligari the sets are extremely artificial and designed specifically to look that way. Some of the acting in M is highly gesticulated particularly in the scene where the bald man is having dinner in a club and is accused of having an interest in young girls. In this scene the acting is very stylised and slightly exaggerated creating a comedic effect. The photography style used in M is extremely expressionistic. Lang. uses odd camera angles to create a hypnotic and nightmarish world. In the very first scene, we see the children are playing a game of elimination, in which the next child out is essentially the next child to be murdered. In this scene the camera hovers above not singling out any of the children by using a close up shot, it simply records the process of elimination in this scene the camera separates the mothers from their children with walls, closed doors and railings. The camera moves unevenly attempting to draw attention to itself. The camera then cuts to the staircase where it comments and investigates the pregnant woman who is coming up the stairs. When Elsie is murdered the camera freezes on Elsies empty chair, this shot was taken from above in true expressionist style. Another example is when the girl on the street asked a man for the time and the public immediately views him with suspicion. Lang. makes excellent use of camera angles to show the persecution of this man; he is shot from a high angle and his accusers from a low angle accentuating the way they tower over him. Fritz Langs. M is a masterpiece of low keyed Expressionism (www.nyfavideo.com) Although M contains some of the key features of the expressionist movement it is not considered as one of the main films of the movement only a small number of German films can be described as thoroughgoing expressionist works (www.courses.fas.harvard.edu) Fritz Langs. M is most certainly influenced by expressionism. The film evokes a sense of doom and despair and features the paranoid pathology of the individual who has no control over his actions. This is a typical topic of expressionist cinema. Hans Berkert is a man who is possessed of some demon that has driven him beyond the borders of ordinary human behaviour (Eisner 1986 p111) and as a result he is dehumanised by society in his final scene. Even though it is clear that his problems are psychological and cannot be controlled. The most conscious effort of expressionism being adapted for German cinema was for The Cabinet of Dr Caligari (1920) by Robert Wiene. The film was made to look alien and unreal and followed a doctor who committed murder through a monster whose will he controlled. Expressionism delves into the landscape of an unbalanced mind. In M the topic is focused on split personality, which is one of the themes more commonly associated with nineteenth century romanticism. It has been suggested that the sequence at the beggars exchange also contained elements of romanticism. Expressionism uses high angle shots to record states of fear, doubt and anxiety thus creating a frighteningly influenced world. The common features of expressionism were influential in the making of Fritz Langs M. Some suggest that theres no movie thats more German , Expressionist or noir than Fritz Langs M (Morris 2000 p1).However, by many M is not considered to be one of the landmark films of the era.

Latino/a Sexuality and the Heteronormative

Latino/a Sexuality and the Heteronormative In his novel The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Junot Diaz examines Latino identities and sexuality, and the ways in which both are affected and informed by violence. This violence is enacted through institutions like the state, through representation and misrepresentation, and by the very nature of sex and sexuality. Diaz gives an analysis of identity and sexuality, pointing to the way in which it is not only formed and generated by oneself, but also put on and impressed, through violence or with violent repercussions. Reinaldo Arenas’s autobiography Before Night Falls conveys similar themes as Diaz’s novel about the way in which sexuality is policed through violence from the stateparticularly in the form of dictatorships. Arenas depicts life in Cuba at the time of Castro, discussing how Castro, and the state, presented homosexuality as evidence of being unpatriotic and against nationalism, as well as grounds for torture and imprisonment. Many of the men who engage in homosexual acts are not homosexual themselves, and it is in fact such policing that causes more sex acts to occur. This environment of violence and sexuality, then, also carries over to all other aspects of life. Similarly, Diaz discusses the way sexuality comes into play in the Dominican Republic, during the time of Trujillo. Oscar’s mother Beli falls prey to the violence of the state in the form of an attack sanctioned by Trujillo’s sister, who does not agree with her relationship with her husband, the Ga ngster. In this way Diaz, like Arenas, dismantles the idea of the state as a noble protector and enforcer of just laws, illustrating the ways in which it in fact carries out injustices, and performs its own agenda. Both authors also describe how such violent enforcement does not garner successBeli continues to have an amorous relationship with the Gangster, even after the attack, and Arenas continues to have sex with men, in fact gaining more opportunities for sex acts due to state oppression. Foucault, in his The History of Sexuality, discusses the idea of the repressive hypothesis, talking about how sexuality is thought of as having a history of repression, and discussions of sexuality have been withheld since the Victorian era. Foucault points to the inaccuracy of this claim, stating that silence itself performs a certain kind of discourse, and the repression of discourses on sexuality are instrumental in their formation. Diaz, too, discusses a similar idea regarding the withholding of informationhe relates a story in which Abelard, Oscar’s grandfather, is imprisoned and violently tortured by Trujillo for hiding away his daughter and wife from his rapacious sexual appetite. He then contrasts this narrative with mention of another possible reason for his imprisonment, relaying information about a possible book that Abelard could have written about Trujillo, displaying the supernatural qualities of Trujillo and his regime. In doing so, Diaz gives mentions la pagina blanca, the information that is missing or unknown from such narratives, and the ways in which it can speak louder than any words can. The erasure of violence from public knowledge, as well as the erasure for the reasons for its production, does not remove knowledge of its existence or its effects. In this way, sexuality and violence, even when being given the illusion of being silenced, emerge and are spoken about even through its absence from public discourse. Ricardo L. Ortiz, in his article â€Å"Cultural Erotics of Cuban America† analyses the impact of Arenas’s life and death. As a homosexual, Arenas was placed outside of the context of Cuban nationalism, even being categorized as a terrorist subject in regards to his homosexuality, and through his death, Arenas simultaneously reaffirmed his identity as a Cuban in spite of being outside of Castro’s nationalist project, and attacked him as the cause of his death. Ortiz discusses Arena’s death in a pro-life context of protest through calling attention to the flaws and injustices of the Cuban government, while claiming sexuality as an element necessary for sustaining life. Similarly, Diaz constructs a similar understanding of Oscar’s death in his novel. Oscar essentially commits suicide by choosing to stay with Ybin, in spite of knowing that her violently angry boyfriend will come after him. As Ybin’s boyfriend is employed by the state, he can be s een as a manifestation of its violence, as well as a re-embodying of the violence of state enacted in past times, to Beli. Oscar’s sexuality comes to be the cause of his death, and he comes to fulfill his Dominican identity through its expression. As such, both authors point to the nature of protest through death and beyond life, and Latino sexuality as crucial to understandings of Latino identity. Further, the state can be evidenced as manipulating representations of sexuality for its own aims. In A Queer Mother For a Nation, Licia Fiol-Matta analyzes how the state became encapsulated in the image of Gabriela Mistral, and why she became a symbol for the nation. Mistral’s masculine, gender-queer identity and demeanor allowed her to be taken seriously in spite of being female, and still encompass desired state-sanctioned feminine traits like motherhood. Mistral followed in the state’s racist rhetoric, maintaining an â€Å"othering† gaze against blacks and pushing for racial cleansing through producing more white-mixed offspring. This racist rhetoric provided the state with a language in which to â€Å"other† black populations through the passive violence of exclusion and negative representation. Similarly, Diaz presents the figure of Oscar Wao in an interestingly contradictory light. He does not possess any of the traits of a stereotypical Dominican, and throughout his life finds it extremely difficult to flirt, date, or have sex with any girls because of his extremely nerdy and socially awkward personalityeventually coming to do violence to himself in part because of his inability to perform this aspect of his identity and sexuality. In spite of this, he eventually fulfills the saying that no Dominican man dies a virgin, by having sex with his prostitute girlfriendand in doing so comes to exemplify the idea that even as an exception to the rule, he can perform his â€Å"Dominican-ness† to the fullest. As such, Diaz examines in a tongue-in-cheek manner the way Latino bodies are stereotyped, even inside of the Latino community, and the violence of this type of representation, as well as the affect it can have on identity. In this way, both authors discuss the politics of representation and the contradictory and performative nature of identity and sexuality. Philippe Bourgois, in his anthropological analysis of Puerto Rican street life depicted in In Search of Respect: Selling Crack en El Barrio performs a similar violence through his representation of Latino bodies. As an outsider to this community, Bourgois casts an â€Å"othering† gaze on Puerto Rican crack dealers and creates a culture of difference between readers (as well as himself) and the members of the community he depicts. One of the aspects of this distance comes from an eroticisation of violence in the name of providing unadulterated truth (and of course, for consumer marketability)which brings to mind questions of, when is it okay to reproduce structures of violence, when doing so produces the same violence? Diaz asks a similar question in his reproduction of stereotypes of oversexed, hypersexual Dominicans in the figures of Yunior and Oscarwhat is authorial responsibility, especially in regards to the understandings of readerships? How can this violence be avoided? Diaz himself constructs problematic depictions of females and female sexuality, describing women in a somewhat chauvinistic lightmany of the female figures are represented as objects for the males to conquer through sexual pursuit. For both authors, the replication of such structures supports and reproduces racist and sexist ideas through consumerism. Such ideas then become part of a system of capitalism, providing interesting implications regarding the â€Å"selling† of problematic constructions of identity and sexuality. And as sexuality plays a large part in understandings of the formation of identity, these types of representations can have the effect of creating an environment in which violence becomes normalized in everyday consciousness. In his theoretical work Disidentifications, Jos? Esteban Munoz discusses his theory of disidentification, stating the ways in which categorization through sexuality and race, among other things, allows for a dismissal of or limiting understandings of identity. Disidentification, then, becomes a survival strategy, a way of avoiding the way in which representation can be unrelatable, or reproduced through the systemic violence of rearticulation. Much as Munoz examines the work of Carmelita Tropicana or Marga Gomez, and how they reclaim possibly harmful representations through camp, Diaz reproduces tongue-in-cheek stereotypes of Dominican identity and sexuality, and provides alternative representations of Latino identity and sexuality through his characters. Lola, for example, is represented as having a very present sense of sexuality, but is costumed in the role of a â€Å"goth.† Both writers point to the importance of the multiplicity of identity, and find ways to articulate La tino identity and sexuality that do not conform with the violence of heteronormative ideals. Junot Diaz examines the nature of identity and sexuality in regards to Latino bodies, and the ways in which they are impressed, manipulated, or reproduced through violence. Disidentification, perhaps, provides a necessary step towards providing an alternative consciousness and understanding of identity that does not become enmeshed in the culture of differenceand asks further questions about the way hegemonic society, institutions, and normalized violence enforces and regulates these ideas. How, then, can we use disidentification to further remove ourselves from the violent and harmful heteronormative? And what are the ways we can imagine ourselves in a more broad, inclusive sense of being?