Friday, May 30, 2008
Post 3A
Currently the most significant difference between American and Israeli cultures in Someone to Run With is the difference in common sayings and symbols of revenue. At one point, Tamar recalls some of her friends as she eats a self earned dinner on the streets of Jerusalem. She says "or about Leana, from chorus, who agreed to go steady when some boy from Boyer High School asked her" (87). While reading this, I realized that I had absolutely no clue what "going steady" was. I could guessed, based on the context in which the word was held, and assumed that either I was too young to understand this saying, or it was an Israeli saying. Well, I'm not that young (though Mrs. B probably doesn't want me to say my age) so I'm pretty sure its a saying outside of American culture. More obvious are the symbols of revenue, the shekel, which obviously aren't used in America.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Post 2B
Mr. Grossman,
I find it simply fascinating that you leave us no information about Israeli names for certain items which we have no idea about. While happened to know what a magnum bar was based on my trip to Europe, I suspect that few other American readers do. There are still other names which I am left clueless by upon reading them in your text. Although I can understand including these terms shows the true being of Israeli society, I really think that American readers would understand your book a lot more if you let them know what some of these things meant. You would probably get a lot more readers. I have one word for your editors- footnotes!
I find it simply fascinating that you leave us no information about Israeli names for certain items which we have no idea about. While happened to know what a magnum bar was based on my trip to Europe, I suspect that few other American readers do. There are still other names which I am left clueless by upon reading them in your text. Although I can understand including these terms shows the true being of Israeli society, I really think that American readers would understand your book a lot more if you let them know what some of these things meant. You would probably get a lot more readers. I have one word for your editors- footnotes!
Post 2A
I have found one major difference between European and American culture in my most recent reading. While there are many similarities in commercial items people use in their everyday lives, the names and labels for commercial items are usually different. This is the case when Tamar has a last meal with her friends before she sets off on her own. After her meal, the narrator refers to her eating a MAGNUM bar. While we have no idea what a magnum bar is, I learned from a trip to Italy approximately one year ago that magnum is a company which makes extremely good chocolate icecream bars which also may include caramel filling. I can guess from this that most Europeans have no idea what a Ben and Jerry's is either. So, the difference in commercial labels exists between Europian economies and our own.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Someone to Run With- Post 1B
Although I have noticed many differences between the Israeli and American culture, some similarities have stricken me as slightly surprising. For instance, Grossman uses an analogy to J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit in chapter one. "a magic sword, a bewitched ring, a treasure chest, and a greedy dragon watching over it" (Grossman, Pg 18). To me the analogy seems obvious, and I find it likely that he used this analogy because of Israeli students' familiarity with the book as well. Clearly, both cultures are familiar with the work of J.R.R. Tolkien.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Someone to Run With- Post 1A
I found two major ways which the culture of Israel and the United States differ. First, people are much more comfortable talking to random strangers, even having deep conversation with them. For instance, the protagonist Assaf had a long conversation with a nun who invited him into her house: "Assaf was surprised by the question- what did that have to do with the dog he brought her? Why was she so fascinated by the history of what had happened before he came here" (Grossman, Pg 24)? In this case we must recall the novel ELIC and remember that Oscar has many conversations like this with strangers, and we know this to be uncommon in America. So, this instance may not have been a reflection of the Israeli culture, but a part of Grossman's story.
The next example of contrasting culture in Israel is shop owners allowing dogs in their stores. When Assaf follows the dog through the streets of Jerusalem, it bolts into a pizza shop it had been to with its former master, and the baker fixes Assaf a pizza and throws the dog slices of cheese as if everything is "business as usual:" "The man gives it a friendly whistle, as if they're old aquaintances, and with one quick flick [...] throws a thick slice of chees, and the dog catches it in the air and swallows it.
The next example of contrasting culture in Israel is shop owners allowing dogs in their stores. When Assaf follows the dog through the streets of Jerusalem, it bolts into a pizza shop it had been to with its former master, and the baker fixes Assaf a pizza and throws the dog slices of cheese as if everything is "business as usual:" "The man gives it a friendly whistle, as if they're old aquaintances, and with one quick flick [...] throws a thick slice of chees, and the dog catches it in the air and swallows it.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Someone to Run With
My outside reading book for fourth quarter is Someone to Run With, by David Grossman. This story takes place in Jerusalem, also the home and birthplace of Grossman. It was given Israel's most prestigious book award and was also awarded by a German book award. Following its awards, it was translated into English, proving its authenticity as a worldly book. It follows a 16 year old boy, Assaf, who must return a stray dog to its unknown owners while working for the Jerusalem sanitation department. It seems like a great read.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Eric the Red: Led Zeppelin- Immigrant Song
For my hero, I picked Eric the Red, a famous Viking explorer of the tenth century. According to Viking tradition, his original name was Erik Thorvaldson, after his father Thorvald Asvaldson. Although it has not been confirmed why he was known as Erik the Red, all sources agree that his "cognomen" most likely related to his hair color. Although he was born in Norway, Erik's family was banished to Iceland, a Viking colony for- According to The Saga of Eirik the Red- several murders which his father committed. Then, while in Iceland, he was again banished for murdering Thorgest, a friend who wouldn't return a shovel that Erik lent him. Due to his rashness. Later, he killed Valthjof, who murdered several of his own slaves for causing a landslide. He was banished and sailed to Greenland, becoming known as its founder. He returned to Iceland after his exile and convinced a large group of peasants-by marketing the island as "Green" land- to go back with him and start a colony. For this, Erik the Red gained credit for discovering and colonizing Greenland. I was inspired to talk about this mortal character because of the way he dealt justice, and for his hair color. His hair color was probably unique, and might have also received the name for the common belief that red-heads are easily angered and rash, like the red-haired warlord, Menelaus.
I picked Immigrant Song, by the famous classic rock band Led Zeppelin, to relate to Erik the Red. Based on the lyrics, Robert Plant must have purposely based the song off of Viking invaders due to his multiple allusions to Norse Mythology. "Will drive our ships to new lands, to fight the horde, singing crying: Valhalla I am coming" relates to Erik the Red's discovery of Greenland by ship, and his son's, Lief Erikson's, discovery of America. Valhalla is the closest relation to a Viking form of heaven. Also, the song talks about the hammer of the gods, Mjolnir, which was Thor's lightning hammer.
I picked Immigrant Song, by the famous classic rock band Led Zeppelin, to relate to Erik the Red. Based on the lyrics, Robert Plant must have purposely based the song off of Viking invaders due to his multiple allusions to Norse Mythology. "Will drive our ships to new lands, to fight the horde, singing crying: Valhalla I am coming" relates to Erik the Red's discovery of Greenland by ship, and his son's, Lief Erikson's, discovery of America. Valhalla is the closest relation to a Viking form of heaven. Also, the song talks about the hammer of the gods, Mjolnir, which was Thor's lightning hammer.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
II. Post 7A
Vocabulary:
1) (169) gamboge- yellow orange color
2) (170) luminosity- intellectual brilliance
Fig. Language:
1) "the piece in D major... D major is blue" (Sacks, 168). One of Sacks subjects uses a simile to compare a certain key with a color.
2) "G-sharp minor, for example, has a different 'flavor' from G minor" (Sacks, 168). Sacks uses a loaded word to express more than just actual taste, but also the affect these keys have on the musicians mind.
Quote:
"He is frequently asked whether synesthesia has made much of a difference to his life, especially as a professional musician. He says, 'For me, at least, it's no big deal.' for him, it is normal and completely unremarkable" (Sacks, 171). This quotation expresses how many people who have the ability to compare a certain key to a color completely take their ability for granted.
Emerging Theme:
The theme has emerged that many people affected by not only synesthesia, but any ability, take it for granted and forget that they have it until it has left them.
1) (169) gamboge- yellow orange color
2) (170) luminosity- intellectual brilliance
Fig. Language:
1) "the piece in D major... D major is blue" (Sacks, 168). One of Sacks subjects uses a simile to compare a certain key with a color.
2) "G-sharp minor, for example, has a different 'flavor' from G minor" (Sacks, 168). Sacks uses a loaded word to express more than just actual taste, but also the affect these keys have on the musicians mind.
Quote:
"He is frequently asked whether synesthesia has made much of a difference to his life, especially as a professional musician. He says, 'For me, at least, it's no big deal.' for him, it is normal and completely unremarkable" (Sacks, 171). This quotation expresses how many people who have the ability to compare a certain key to a color completely take their ability for granted.
Emerging Theme:
The theme has emerged that many people affected by not only synesthesia, but any ability, take it for granted and forget that they have it until it has left them.
II. Post 7B
I would now like to give my overall opinion about Oliver Sacks' Musicophilia. The book is packed with a ton of information relating the brain to many different aspects of music. While it may seem interesting to a professional musician or neurologist, the onslaught of terms and information can become overwhelming at times to a layman such as myself. The book also is structured nothing like a normal book. A better description of the text would be and "extended study." Just picture something you would find in a medical magazine, only ten fold in length. Dr. Sacks included many different stories about various patients he treated, so the text follows no storyline or theme. In fact, the theme of music's affect on the brain completely changes when he compares some of his subjects. Although I personally enjoyed the book, someone who's looking for an attention getting story would never find one in this book. Don't read Musicophilia unless you plan on being confused sometimes.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
II. Post 6A
Vocabulary:
1) (pg. 92) dystonia- abnormal tone of any tissue.
2) (pg. 93) congenital- a condition present at birth, inherited or caused by the environment
Figurative Language:
1) (pg. 106) "[...] unable to distinguish betweenadjacent tones and semitones. Without these basic buildig blocks [...]" Sacks refers to these parts of music as building blocks, giving them a very simple term to express their importance in music.
Quote:
(pg. 102) "Music, I regret to say, affects me merely as an arbitrary succession of more or less irritating sounds." The quote is of one of Dr. Sacks' patients, describing how music does not affect them as it would a normal person. It shows how different some people's brains function compared to the majority.
Emerging Theme:
The emerging theme is that many people who seem to be affected by music have a wide variety of brains types. It was proven and talked about in Musicophilia that the brains of full time musicians function differently that non musical people and they even have a difference in brain size
1) (pg. 92) dystonia- abnormal tone of any tissue.
2) (pg. 93) congenital- a condition present at birth, inherited or caused by the environment
Figurative Language:
1) (pg. 106) "[...] unable to distinguish betweenadjacent tones and semitones. Without these basic buildig blocks [...]" Sacks refers to these parts of music as building blocks, giving them a very simple term to express their importance in music.
Quote:
(pg. 102) "Music, I regret to say, affects me merely as an arbitrary succession of more or less irritating sounds." The quote is of one of Dr. Sacks' patients, describing how music does not affect them as it would a normal person. It shows how different some people's brains function compared to the majority.
Emerging Theme:
The emerging theme is that many people who seem to be affected by music have a wide variety of brains types. It was proven and talked about in Musicophilia that the brains of full time musicians function differently that non musical people and they even have a difference in brain size
II. Post 6B
The main point of part II of Dr. Oliver Sacks' Musicophilia is that so many people have differently structured brains, and it makes Musical hallucenations sometimes hard to track over large groups of people. For example, Sacks wrote about the proven study that professional musicians have differently structured brains than a nonmusical or averagely musical person.
He also brings up the recently coined term, "dystimbria," and describes it as "a distant form of amusia that may coexist with defective pitch discrimination or occur on its own" (Sacks 108). In fact, the term is only known by certain members of the medical world, and is so new that no definition for the words exists on either dictionary.com or google: define. I wanted to learn more about it, so I checked these sites and learned that the word didn't even officially exist. I found a short discussion of it, though, on an obscure website about music and the brain. It made me realize how new the topic of music is to the medical world. It was recently added to the category of neurology, due to its relevance in the brain, and the fact that it relates to conciousness is a complete mind blow to many educated people. It seems like much will be discovered for the topic of Musicophilia in the future.
He also brings up the recently coined term, "dystimbria," and describes it as "a distant form of amusia that may coexist with defective pitch discrimination or occur on its own" (Sacks 108). In fact, the term is only known by certain members of the medical world, and is so new that no definition for the words exists on either dictionary.com or google: define. I wanted to learn more about it, so I checked these sites and learned that the word didn't even officially exist. I found a short discussion of it, though, on an obscure website about music and the brain. It made me realize how new the topic of music is to the medical world. It was recently added to the category of neurology, due to its relevance in the brain, and the fact that it relates to conciousness is a complete mind blow to many educated people. It seems like much will be discovered for the topic of Musicophilia in the future.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
II. Post 5A
Vocabulary:
1) (pg. 49) otolaryngologist- a specialist in the disorders of the ear or nose or throat
2) (pg. 53) iterating- doing (something) over again or repeatedly.
Figurative Language:
1) (pg. 52) "I said we have no 'cure' for musical hallucinations, but perhaps we could make them less intrusive." Oliver Sacks puts emphasis on cure because he is using it as a loaded word, implying that the outcome could have various benefits surpassing just getting rid of the disease.
2) (pg. 58) "He wondered whether, with the 'iPod' in his brain, he was taking the easy way out [...]" The patient of Dr. Sacks compares his psychological disease as if it is an iPod in his head, making it a metaphor.
Quote:
"I consider myself a kind of living laboratory, an experiment in nature through an auditory prism... I have been living at the edge." This comment from one of Sacks' patients describes how many people with musical hallucinations attempt to discover more information about the disease. (pg. 86)
Emerging Theme:
The emerging theme of Musicophilia is that many of the people who live with musical hallucinations learn to deal with a sudden onset of music in their brain. Many of them claim that they sometimes enjoy hearing the music in their head.
1) (pg. 49) otolaryngologist- a specialist in the disorders of the ear or nose or throat
2) (pg. 53) iterating- doing (something) over again or repeatedly.
Figurative Language:
1) (pg. 52) "I said we have no 'cure' for musical hallucinations, but perhaps we could make them less intrusive." Oliver Sacks puts emphasis on cure because he is using it as a loaded word, implying that the outcome could have various benefits surpassing just getting rid of the disease.
2) (pg. 58) "He wondered whether, with the 'iPod' in his brain, he was taking the easy way out [...]" The patient of Dr. Sacks compares his psychological disease as if it is an iPod in his head, making it a metaphor.
Quote:
"I consider myself a kind of living laboratory, an experiment in nature through an auditory prism... I have been living at the edge." This comment from one of Sacks' patients describes how many people with musical hallucinations attempt to discover more information about the disease. (pg. 86)
Emerging Theme:
The emerging theme of Musicophilia is that many of the people who live with musical hallucinations learn to deal with a sudden onset of music in their brain. Many of them claim that they sometimes enjoy hearing the music in their head.
II. Post 5B
I have now finished part one of Oliver Sacks' Musicophilia, and I have decided to do a brief recap of the main points of this section. He begins the section by giving a definition of Musicophilia, and expresses it as a chronic and sudden onset of musical hallucinations. The title of part one is "Haunted by Music," so logically one would think of musicophilia as something inescapable and malicious. Early on, he supports this belief, expressing how some of his patients find that Musicophilia affects them every day. Sacks also differentiates the difference between having a tune stuck in your head, and having Musicophilia. Catchy tunes, as he explains, usually leave the brain after two weeks at most. Dr. Sacks also explains how many people who have musicophilia also have epilepsy, and in some cases, their musical hallucinations are only sparked by seizures of the temporal lobe. Later in the section however, he writes about how many of his patients learned either to deal with their musical hallucinations, or they completely got rid of them with the help of pharmaceuticals. Therefore, the claim that musicophilia can only be bad, and that it cannot be stopped, is disclaimed and proven wrong by the end of this first section.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
II. Post 4A
Vocabulary:
1) (pg. 43) inadvertently- unintentionally
2) (pg. 39) analogue- something having similarity or comparability to something else
Figurative Language:
1) (Pg. 36) "I was reminded, now I was on land again, of my painful, arhtritic old knees." This Quote is an emotional appeal because it makes the reader sympathize with the author for his arthritis.
2) (Pg. 43) "Two days later, the narrator meets an old friend, a pastor, and inadvertently 'infects' him with the jingle; the pastor, in turn. inadvertently infects his entire congregation." The author uses "infects" as a loaded word, because it implies more than just passing on the tune, but also having the inability to get rid of it from ones mind. It also implies that the tune is unwanted.
Quote:
This quotation involves one of Oliver Sack's patients when she was given a cochlear implant (like a hearing aid, except much more intrusive) to improve her hearing: "I'm terrific! I hear every word you say! The implant is the best decision I have ever made in my life [...] Unfortunately, there was a downside, too: she could no longer enjoy music." (Pg. 55) It shows how people's interpretation of music can change when their hearing instruments are given the slightest adjustment.
Emerging Theme:
The emerging theme in Musicophilia is that there is no substitution for natural things. This is shown in the previous quotation stating that the recipient of the cochlear implant ended up not being able to enjoy music. Today, cochlear implants cannot help the mind detect tonal intervals in music. They are also less effective than natural ears at hearing relative pitch. These two things happen to be the "building blocks of music." (sacks) This proves that artificial means of receiving natural outcomes never turn out as well as the real thing.
1) (pg. 43) inadvertently- unintentionally
2) (pg. 39) analogue- something having similarity or comparability to something else
Figurative Language:
1) (Pg. 36) "I was reminded, now I was on land again, of my painful, arhtritic old knees." This Quote is an emotional appeal because it makes the reader sympathize with the author for his arthritis.
2) (Pg. 43) "Two days later, the narrator meets an old friend, a pastor, and inadvertently 'infects' him with the jingle; the pastor, in turn. inadvertently infects his entire congregation." The author uses "infects" as a loaded word, because it implies more than just passing on the tune, but also having the inability to get rid of it from ones mind. It also implies that the tune is unwanted.
Quote:
This quotation involves one of Oliver Sack's patients when she was given a cochlear implant (like a hearing aid, except much more intrusive) to improve her hearing: "I'm terrific! I hear every word you say! The implant is the best decision I have ever made in my life [...] Unfortunately, there was a downside, too: she could no longer enjoy music." (Pg. 55) It shows how people's interpretation of music can change when their hearing instruments are given the slightest adjustment.
Emerging Theme:
The emerging theme in Musicophilia is that there is no substitution for natural things. This is shown in the previous quotation stating that the recipient of the cochlear implant ended up not being able to enjoy music. Today, cochlear implants cannot help the mind detect tonal intervals in music. They are also less effective than natural ears at hearing relative pitch. These two things happen to be the "building blocks of music." (sacks) This proves that artificial means of receiving natural outcomes never turn out as well as the real thing.
II. Post 4B
Dr. Sacks,
I find it very cool that you are one of the few (if not only) neurosurgeons who writes books. I myself have aspirations to become a doctor, and have considered neurosurgery as a very interesting field. When I thought of a neurosurgeon though, I got the mental image of a very mathematically precise person with little consideration for the arts. You however completely destroy the stereotype which I made for your proffession. It seems interesting that you commit yourself to both research and surgery, as if you have taken both the jobs of the neurologist and neurosurgeon at once. Upon looking you up on Wikipedia, I found and interesting picture of you. It tells me that your'e a very interesting guy with a dry sense of humer who doesn't care what people think about him. I have become very fond of your writing, so thanks for such a great read.
I find it very cool that you are one of the few (if not only) neurosurgeons who writes books. I myself have aspirations to become a doctor, and have considered neurosurgery as a very interesting field. When I thought of a neurosurgeon though, I got the mental image of a very mathematically precise person with little consideration for the arts. You however completely destroy the stereotype which I made for your proffession. It seems interesting that you commit yourself to both research and surgery, as if you have taken both the jobs of the neurologist and neurosurgeon at once. Upon looking you up on Wikipedia, I found and interesting picture of you. It tells me that your'e a very interesting guy with a dry sense of humer who doesn't care what people think about him. I have become very fond of your writing, so thanks for such a great read.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
II. Post 3A
Vocabulary:
1) stimulus- something that exerts action (Pg 35)
2) suffice- to be adequate (Pg 30)
Figuritive Language:
1) "eating some smoked whitefish, [...] earlier in this Christmas season, I heard in my mind 'O' come let is adore him.' Now the hymn has become associated with whitefish for me" (Pg. 36). It seems completely paradoxical that one could find association between a song and a completely unrelated food, but is true because it happened to the author. (Paradox)
2) "Chopin's mazurkas, which I learned by heart 60 years ago" (Pg. 30). The man Oliver Sacks is interviewing is clearly exaggerating about how long ago it was when he memorized this piece. (Hyperbole)
Quote:
"Jerome Bruner, a very musical friend, discribed to me how once, having put a favorite Mozart record on his turntable, he listened to it with great pleasure, and then went to turn it over to play the other side---only to find that he had never played it in the first place" (Pg. 32) This quotation shows how people with extreme musical memory can have musical hallucenations. The subject geos on to express that he thought he was actually listening to the song, not just hearing it in his mind.
Emerging Theme:
The concept that even people without a great musical memory can have musical hallucenations to the point where they think they are listening to the actual song emerges in Musicophilia.
1) stimulus- something that exerts action (Pg 35)
2) suffice- to be adequate (Pg 30)
Figuritive Language:
1) "eating some smoked whitefish, [...] earlier in this Christmas season, I heard in my mind 'O' come let is adore him.' Now the hymn has become associated with whitefish for me" (Pg. 36). It seems completely paradoxical that one could find association between a song and a completely unrelated food, but is true because it happened to the author. (Paradox)
2) "Chopin's mazurkas, which I learned by heart 60 years ago" (Pg. 30). The man Oliver Sacks is interviewing is clearly exaggerating about how long ago it was when he memorized this piece. (Hyperbole)
Quote:
"Jerome Bruner, a very musical friend, discribed to me how once, having put a favorite Mozart record on his turntable, he listened to it with great pleasure, and then went to turn it over to play the other side---only to find that he had never played it in the first place" (Pg. 32) This quotation shows how people with extreme musical memory can have musical hallucenations. The subject geos on to express that he thought he was actually listening to the song, not just hearing it in his mind.
Emerging Theme:
The concept that even people without a great musical memory can have musical hallucenations to the point where they think they are listening to the actual song emerges in Musicophilia.
II. Post 3B
This post is all about my overall thoughts on Musicophilia so far. Before reading the first thirty pages of the book, I thought that I had a relatively knowledgable concept of Musicophilia. Although I knew music had strange relationships between man and memory, I never thought of music as something that animals may have no reaction to. To other animals, and to a hypothetical alien race, their occurance in hearing our pop music would result in dumbfounded misbelief and curiousity about how our race could have respect for such a random grouping of sounds. I also had no idea aout the relationship between music and seizures, specifically that certain types of music can iduce seizures in various people and that they can have a musical hallucenation. Musical memory is one of the few wonders involving Musicophilia that I had any idea about before reading the book and I have learned much about it aswell. I find the relationship between a certain person and their own ability to memorize music quite stunning. It seems amazing to me that one person might memorize a song in one sittingm while another on the opposite wide of the spectrum would have to listen to it for days. I have learned a loot about music and the brain through this book and I plan to learn a lot more.
My Super On the Waterfront Review
On the Waterfront: A Review
Elia Kazan’s On the Waterfront is a film released in the fifties expressing the importance of “whistle blowing” for the improvement of one’s community. It effectively shows the control which gangs had over various businesses at the turn of the century. Although the internet movie database interprets it as a movie of “an ex-prize fighter turned longshoreman struggles to stand up to his corrupt union bosses,” it is also one man’s conviction as he chooses between supporting the mob and his brother, or helping the community and the girl he loves by putting Johnny Friendly and his entourage behind bars.
Kazan used many literary aspects in his movie to portray the overall theme and the importance of the mob. The characters he uses help exemplify the actions they made. He portrays Johnny Friendly as a tough, very unfriendly and serious man with considerable aspiration. Johnny seldom smiles and has a physical build, gait and clothing reminding the observer of Al Capone. Oppositely, Edie Doyle walks around with an almost angelical feeling, and is put separate from the rest of the cast by her blond hair. Father Barry, much like Edie holds himself with spiritual importance, and is distinguished from others in the scene by his collar. All of these characters help the viewer to identify the characters with figures of greater importance. The setting in Along the Waterfront grabs the attention of the viewer. The observer can identify the time period based on the cars driven in the film and the type of work Terry does. His work, and what most blue collar workers did at this time (loading and unloading goods off the docks) also tells the viewer that the movie takes place in an American port city like one in New Jersey.
These literary aspects based on characters, setting, and many others lead to symbols in Kazan’s film. All of the symbols relate to Biblical figures in both the Old and New Testaments. The most obvious symbolism relates Father Barry to a Jesus figure. The scene in which various gangsters throw food at him during his speech refers to when Jesus was laughed at and then crucified. Later in the scene, Father Barry is brought out of the ship on a cargo lift, where the camera looks up at him, comparing him to when Jesus ascended into heaven. Terry Malloy is also compared to as a Jesus figure when he must make the long walk to the cargo ship at the end of the movie. After being beat up by Friendly’s gang, Terry, in his sad state, must still lead the other men to work. It reminds the viewer of Jesus carrying the cross: Terry stumbles several times and is helped by Father Barry like the man who helped Jesus carry the cross. Instead of carrying the weight of the cross, Terry carries the weight of the society of workers who follow him. The final symbol which exists in On the Waterfront relates Terry to a Moses figure. Terry is portrayed as an inarticulate man with few social graces, relating to Moses’ fear of public speaking as written in the Old Testament. Like Moses questioning the burning bush as to why God chose him, Terry is confused as to why Father Barry chose him to testify against Johnny Friendly. He does not understand why he must confront his brother and someone who took him to baseball games when he was a boy. These relationships are the most important literary aspects of Along the Waterfront, and depict the overall mood of Kazan as a film writer.
The dramatic aspects of the film grab the attention of the viewer and support the themes and mood set out by the literary aspects. The actors in the movie give clear dispositions to the characters and various elements, such as set design helping the observer understand the setting of the film. By selecting Marlon Brando in the fifties, Kazan gave the audience someone they did not yet know well as an actor. This made the audience view him as a character, and not as a type-cast star. Although Marlon Brando later starred in Superman, The Godfather series, Apocalypse Now, and many other popular films, he was much less known before On the Waterfront. On the Waterfront probably solidified his place in Hollywood. Like Terry, Elia Kazan selected Eva Marie Saint, another young actor to play Edie Doyle. Because she was also a lesser known actor at this time, the audience may have felt more sympathy towards her character. Unlike the two previous actors, Kazan picked a well-established, middle-aged man to depict Johnny Friendly. Lee J. Cobb was definitely better known by the society at the release of On the Waterfront. He had already been seen in other performances as an ill-tempered and belligerent man, giving him a sense of meanness to viewers who had never seen Johnny Friendly before, but had seen Cobb. While the proper use of actors helped Kazan identify roles in his film, the set design enables the audience to identify the setting without directly stating it. The use of bulbous shaped cars with thin wheels and manual windows tells the observer that the time period looms between the early nineteen tens to the twenties, right before or during the Great depression. The popularity of tending to pigeons and non-automated trade also directs the viewer to this time period. The use of lesser known actors to play younger roles and better known ones to play older roles helps Kazan depict characters the way he wants to, while the use of time definitive fads and devices can direct the audience to a certain setting and time period.
The final and most popular of film devices are cinematic aspects. Including photography, camera movement, and sound, they are much more technical than their dramatic and literary counterparts, and can add immediate suspense to the movie. The use of a low angled photographic shot gives certain importance to the subject centered in it. For example, as Father Barry is lifted out of the cargo hold of the ship, he is viewed from a low angle at medium distance. This and being raised above the crowd relates him to a Jesus figure, and one of great importance as the instigator of the cessation of Johnny Friendly’s gang. Oppositely, low angle shots show the subject in lesser importance as the audience looks down on Terry Maloy standing on his roof. Not only does it look upon him as lowly, but it also gives a great view of the city around him, assisting in setting determination. Camera movement usually adds certain feelings in the observer such as fear or mischief. During the scene of Terry and Edie fleeing the truck down an alley, an essence of fear and suspense exists because the camera closely follows the two. This use of camera movement makes the audience fear for the protagonist’s life. The use of music and sound adds certain feelings much like those caused by camera movement. It is an auditory method to achieve the same results as camera movement, and can therefore have greater effect when the two are used simultaneously. The music at the introduction of On the Waterfront adds a mysterious feeling to the audience, and then the tempo immediately hastens and the music becomes more jumpy to add a sense of action. This grabs the attention of the viewer considerably. Overall, the use of cinematic appeals can change the mood of the movie, grab the attention of the audience, and instill various senses such as fear.
The choices made by Terry Maloy to turn in Johnny Friendly and his comrades relates considerably to the decision made by Joe Keller in All My Sons. While Terry is confronted by the ability to turn in a gang that commits malicious activity to the community, Keller has the decision of whether or not to sell faulty airplane parts. Both of their decisions have an affect on the community in which they live, although Terry’s decision affects the income of his one city, and Keller causes the death of Americans from multiple cities. Terry Maloy is barely involved with the gang while Joe has complete control over his business. The main difference in these two protagonists is that one made the ethically correct decision (Terry), and Keller made the morally incorrect decision. While making his decision, Terry felt empathy for his whole community and the deaths of people he knew, and Keller considered solely on the effect his decision would have on his family. Although neither of these characters is a truly bad person, one clearly was more affected by corruption.
The writer recommends On the Waterfront to any moviegoer. It can be used in the classroom as a good example of a literary film, a specimen for critiquing, and an old black and white movie a teacher can use to explain ethical dilemmas. Whether one desires to watch a classic fight scene, or even see a priest throw a punch and then ask for a beer, On the Waterfront can subdue their many cinematic desires.
Elia Kazan’s On the Waterfront is a film released in the fifties expressing the importance of “whistle blowing” for the improvement of one’s community. It effectively shows the control which gangs had over various businesses at the turn of the century. Although the internet movie database interprets it as a movie of “an ex-prize fighter turned longshoreman struggles to stand up to his corrupt union bosses,” it is also one man’s conviction as he chooses between supporting the mob and his brother, or helping the community and the girl he loves by putting Johnny Friendly and his entourage behind bars.
Kazan used many literary aspects in his movie to portray the overall theme and the importance of the mob. The characters he uses help exemplify the actions they made. He portrays Johnny Friendly as a tough, very unfriendly and serious man with considerable aspiration. Johnny seldom smiles and has a physical build, gait and clothing reminding the observer of Al Capone. Oppositely, Edie Doyle walks around with an almost angelical feeling, and is put separate from the rest of the cast by her blond hair. Father Barry, much like Edie holds himself with spiritual importance, and is distinguished from others in the scene by his collar. All of these characters help the viewer to identify the characters with figures of greater importance. The setting in Along the Waterfront grabs the attention of the viewer. The observer can identify the time period based on the cars driven in the film and the type of work Terry does. His work, and what most blue collar workers did at this time (loading and unloading goods off the docks) also tells the viewer that the movie takes place in an American port city like one in New Jersey.
These literary aspects based on characters, setting, and many others lead to symbols in Kazan’s film. All of the symbols relate to Biblical figures in both the Old and New Testaments. The most obvious symbolism relates Father Barry to a Jesus figure. The scene in which various gangsters throw food at him during his speech refers to when Jesus was laughed at and then crucified. Later in the scene, Father Barry is brought out of the ship on a cargo lift, where the camera looks up at him, comparing him to when Jesus ascended into heaven. Terry Malloy is also compared to as a Jesus figure when he must make the long walk to the cargo ship at the end of the movie. After being beat up by Friendly’s gang, Terry, in his sad state, must still lead the other men to work. It reminds the viewer of Jesus carrying the cross: Terry stumbles several times and is helped by Father Barry like the man who helped Jesus carry the cross. Instead of carrying the weight of the cross, Terry carries the weight of the society of workers who follow him. The final symbol which exists in On the Waterfront relates Terry to a Moses figure. Terry is portrayed as an inarticulate man with few social graces, relating to Moses’ fear of public speaking as written in the Old Testament. Like Moses questioning the burning bush as to why God chose him, Terry is confused as to why Father Barry chose him to testify against Johnny Friendly. He does not understand why he must confront his brother and someone who took him to baseball games when he was a boy. These relationships are the most important literary aspects of Along the Waterfront, and depict the overall mood of Kazan as a film writer.
The dramatic aspects of the film grab the attention of the viewer and support the themes and mood set out by the literary aspects. The actors in the movie give clear dispositions to the characters and various elements, such as set design helping the observer understand the setting of the film. By selecting Marlon Brando in the fifties, Kazan gave the audience someone they did not yet know well as an actor. This made the audience view him as a character, and not as a type-cast star. Although Marlon Brando later starred in Superman, The Godfather series, Apocalypse Now, and many other popular films, he was much less known before On the Waterfront. On the Waterfront probably solidified his place in Hollywood. Like Terry, Elia Kazan selected Eva Marie Saint, another young actor to play Edie Doyle. Because she was also a lesser known actor at this time, the audience may have felt more sympathy towards her character. Unlike the two previous actors, Kazan picked a well-established, middle-aged man to depict Johnny Friendly. Lee J. Cobb was definitely better known by the society at the release of On the Waterfront. He had already been seen in other performances as an ill-tempered and belligerent man, giving him a sense of meanness to viewers who had never seen Johnny Friendly before, but had seen Cobb. While the proper use of actors helped Kazan identify roles in his film, the set design enables the audience to identify the setting without directly stating it. The use of bulbous shaped cars with thin wheels and manual windows tells the observer that the time period looms between the early nineteen tens to the twenties, right before or during the Great depression. The popularity of tending to pigeons and non-automated trade also directs the viewer to this time period. The use of lesser known actors to play younger roles and better known ones to play older roles helps Kazan depict characters the way he wants to, while the use of time definitive fads and devices can direct the audience to a certain setting and time period.
The final and most popular of film devices are cinematic aspects. Including photography, camera movement, and sound, they are much more technical than their dramatic and literary counterparts, and can add immediate suspense to the movie. The use of a low angled photographic shot gives certain importance to the subject centered in it. For example, as Father Barry is lifted out of the cargo hold of the ship, he is viewed from a low angle at medium distance. This and being raised above the crowd relates him to a Jesus figure, and one of great importance as the instigator of the cessation of Johnny Friendly’s gang. Oppositely, low angle shots show the subject in lesser importance as the audience looks down on Terry Maloy standing on his roof. Not only does it look upon him as lowly, but it also gives a great view of the city around him, assisting in setting determination. Camera movement usually adds certain feelings in the observer such as fear or mischief. During the scene of Terry and Edie fleeing the truck down an alley, an essence of fear and suspense exists because the camera closely follows the two. This use of camera movement makes the audience fear for the protagonist’s life. The use of music and sound adds certain feelings much like those caused by camera movement. It is an auditory method to achieve the same results as camera movement, and can therefore have greater effect when the two are used simultaneously. The music at the introduction of On the Waterfront adds a mysterious feeling to the audience, and then the tempo immediately hastens and the music becomes more jumpy to add a sense of action. This grabs the attention of the viewer considerably. Overall, the use of cinematic appeals can change the mood of the movie, grab the attention of the audience, and instill various senses such as fear.
The choices made by Terry Maloy to turn in Johnny Friendly and his comrades relates considerably to the decision made by Joe Keller in All My Sons. While Terry is confronted by the ability to turn in a gang that commits malicious activity to the community, Keller has the decision of whether or not to sell faulty airplane parts. Both of their decisions have an affect on the community in which they live, although Terry’s decision affects the income of his one city, and Keller causes the death of Americans from multiple cities. Terry Maloy is barely involved with the gang while Joe has complete control over his business. The main difference in these two protagonists is that one made the ethically correct decision (Terry), and Keller made the morally incorrect decision. While making his decision, Terry felt empathy for his whole community and the deaths of people he knew, and Keller considered solely on the effect his decision would have on his family. Although neither of these characters is a truly bad person, one clearly was more affected by corruption.
The writer recommends On the Waterfront to any moviegoer. It can be used in the classroom as a good example of a literary film, a specimen for critiquing, and an old black and white movie a teacher can use to explain ethical dilemmas. Whether one desires to watch a classic fight scene, or even see a priest throw a punch and then ask for a beer, On the Waterfront can subdue their many cinematic desires.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
II. Post 2B
Dear Dr. Sacks,
I am very curious about your field of medicine. It seems from you book that many of your patients have seizures relating to or induced by music. Since that is the subject of your book, I am curious how your own patients feel after surgery if they get rid of their epilepsy, but sacrifice a gift they may have had for music. Are their seizures so bad that they would be willing to sacrifice anything to get rid of them? I have never had one myself, so I cannot understand the depth and pain involving such an encounter. However, I am curious as to how your patients feel about losing such an ability. On a broader scale, I'm sure that surgical removal of a tumer in a different lobe of the brain would result in the loss of a different function, only based on the lobe which was partially lost or affected. Is epilepsy so uncomfortable and dangerous that people would be willing to sacrifice memories, or even the ability to speak just to get rid of the disease?
Thanks
I am very curious about your field of medicine. It seems from you book that many of your patients have seizures relating to or induced by music. Since that is the subject of your book, I am curious how your own patients feel after surgery if they get rid of their epilepsy, but sacrifice a gift they may have had for music. Are their seizures so bad that they would be willing to sacrifice anything to get rid of them? I have never had one myself, so I cannot understand the depth and pain involving such an encounter. However, I am curious as to how your patients feel about losing such an ability. On a broader scale, I'm sure that surgical removal of a tumer in a different lobe of the brain would result in the loss of a different function, only based on the lobe which was partially lost or affected. Is epilepsy so uncomfortable and dangerous that people would be willing to sacrifice memories, or even the ability to speak just to get rid of the disease?
Thanks
Monday, November 19, 2007
II. Post 2A
Vocabulary:
1) evocative- tending to cause something (Pg. 19)
2) astrocytoma- a malignant tumor filled with astrocytes- which are star shaped cells of nervous tissue (Pg. 20)
Figurative Language:
1) "He groped for the controls of the device to turn the music off. 'Then,' He says, 'I went out." This is a use of irony because while attempting to cease the music coming from the player, he ended up worsening his seizure which was evoked by it.
2-3) I have had the same problem again- I am putting more effort into finding figurative language than in my last outside reading, have a broader subject of types of figurative language, and still have found only one. AAAAAAAAAARRGGHH!!! I will try to compensate in other aspects of my posting.
Quote:
"If the band started playing,' Mrs. N. said, "I would run out.... I had half a minute or less to get away." This quotation, like the last posting, explains the fear someone diagnosed with epilepsy may have of a certain type of music which provokes their seizure. Obviously, this is an important point in the book because the idea of Musicophobia has been brought up more that once.
Emerging Theme:
The theme that music is mankind's most unnoticed, sometimes underdeveloped, and most subconscious attribute has emerged in Sacks' novel. Music is the most basic of human functions, and has greater connections to our lives than the average human realizes.
1) evocative- tending to cause something (Pg. 19)
2) astrocytoma- a malignant tumor filled with astrocytes- which are star shaped cells of nervous tissue (Pg. 20)
Figurative Language:
1) "He groped for the controls of the device to turn the music off. 'Then,' He says, 'I went out." This is a use of irony because while attempting to cease the music coming from the player, he ended up worsening his seizure which was evoked by it.
2-3) I have had the same problem again- I am putting more effort into finding figurative language than in my last outside reading, have a broader subject of types of figurative language, and still have found only one. AAAAAAAAAARRGGHH!!! I will try to compensate in other aspects of my posting.
Quote:
"If the band started playing,' Mrs. N. said, "I would run out.... I had half a minute or less to get away." This quotation, like the last posting, explains the fear someone diagnosed with epilepsy may have of a certain type of music which provokes their seizure. Obviously, this is an important point in the book because the idea of Musicophobia has been brought up more that once.
Emerging Theme:
The theme that music is mankind's most unnoticed, sometimes underdeveloped, and most subconscious attribute has emerged in Sacks' novel. Music is the most basic of human functions, and has greater connections to our lives than the average human realizes.
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