Belonging is a fluid notion Essay Example for Free

Belonging is a fluid notion Essay Ones understanding of social identity is instrumental in constructing a sense of individual identity. It is dependent on our circumstances in particular our interaction with others and our own perceptions between connection and disconnection. This idea can be explored through a selection of famous poems written by Emily Dickinson in the 1800’s namely, â€Å"The saddest noise, the sweetest noise†, â€Å"This is my letter to the world and â€Å" I was hungry all the years†. The 2010 film Black Swan, directed by Darren Aronofksy displays masterful use of film techniques to emphasize and illustrate the themes of good versus Evil, Seeking Perfection and Nature versus Nurture throughout the film. Belonging to oneself is often the hardest challenge a person has to face, through its ability to both destroy and fulfill. Emily Dickinson’s poems portray this struggle as she tries to understand the world around her while struggling to find herself. In Dickinson’s poem â€Å"The saddest noise, the sweetest noise† we get a glimpse of the paradox derived from the poem about the fine line between what is sweet and what is painful. The poem uses nature as a link to belonging through the description of ‘the saddest noise, the sweetest noise’ of birds. The sound is used to consume the reader in the mindset that brings on a sense of both sadness and loss. The persona finds herself separated from those she loves and this is contrasted with the happy, sweet song of the birds, echoed with the lines ‘it makes us think’. The saddest and sweetest noise is an explanation of the world around her but also the juxtaposition of sweet and sad within herse lf. In a more contemporary society Nina draws her sense of self from the stereotypes of civilisation. Black Swan directed by Darren Aronofsky is a psychological thriller portraying a production where the renowned Swan Lake is performed. The main character Nina is depicted as grappling with her sanity, ultimately compelling the audience to consider the many prevalent key themes explored in the film such as Good Vs Evil and the pursuit of perfection. Black Swan attempts to move responders into the mind of Nina, bringing them to feel and understand her struggle and pain. Aronofsky’s use of handheld tracking shots is effectively utilized to enhance and portray his key themes. The handheld tracking appears to control Nina in many scenes throughout the movie making her vulnerable and entices the audience to feel that she is being sought after. This technique makes it clear to the audience that Nina is trying to escape from the evil force that is gradually consuming her and taking control of her life. This particular film technique assists in highlighting to the audience Aronofsky’s themes of mental instability and the transformation from Good (symbolized by the White Swan) and Evil (symbolized by the Black Swan). The erratic movement from the hand held camera highlights to the viewer that Nina is delusional, physically and mentally unstable, as the dark presence she is escaping from is fictitious. Dolly shots were also another film technique that Aronofsky utilized in the film to highlight his themes. The opening scene in the movie is Nina dreaming of herself dancing as the Swan Queen. This initial scene highlights her desire for perfection. Use of dolly shots is evident in this scene as the camera tracks and focuses on the detailed movements of her feet, highlighting the movements required for success. There are no faults in each small, agile step and this illustrates Nina’s desire of perfection. The smooth nature of the dolly shot illustrates her fluidity as she dances. The theme of seeking perfection permeates Black Swan as the main drive for Nina’s success and ultimate demise. There is a parallel to Dickinson, who looked for perfection and solace in nature but her inability to connect with society became an insurmountable obstacle that she never overcome. Throughout Black Swan we see Nina’s struggle to belong through her own perceptions. Her circumstance is dependent on her own achievements and dreams, not the interaction with others and the sense of belonging. This much like Emily Dickinson is a key idea highlighted in Dickinson’s poem ‘This is my letter to the world† This poem depicts Dickinson’s seclusion from the word at large. The poem delves into the perception made in Dickinson’s clouded mind about the world around her. She depicts a distance from other, ‘they never wrote to me’. Immediately suggesting her perception of disconnection from world that never tried to understand her. She appears to be an isolated figure in the face of the world and her lack of connection with others is finally suggested in the last plea, ‘judge tenderly of me’. The addition of this plea to the final lines of the poem prescribes an immediate negative connotation from readers. Dickinson does not indicate a change in herself, however she is asking for the ‘world’ to think with care about her and her place. This fragile and vulnerable poem is merely a concealment of the strength Dickinson withholds, much like that of Nina in Black Swan. Both these texts depict a clear perception of their disconnection with society but are however an understanding of their unique qualities. Black Swan is a film that challenges the audience, constantly blurring the lines between reality and imagination, much like Dickinson’s dense metaphoric poems. Duality is shown throughout the film with strong contrast between black and white. With purity in the color white is contrasted with the devil color black, depicting good and evil. As belonging to oneself is a struggle, Aronofksy clearly depicts this through Nina’s battle to achieve the Black Swan, which essentially becomes her alter ego. This struggle comes from her inability to seduce and trick which, as an effect is exactly how the film makes the audience feel. The cinematography in the film is much like ballet – tight and perfect however this sense begins to unwind as the movie moves to a close. A montage is used to capture fast shots that vary in angles and length so that the viewer loses any sense of what is occurring and becomes overwhelmed by the loud, fast music that mirrors the speed of the shots . This highlight to the viewer that Nina has lost control and no longer has the restraint and discipline that comes with ballet. Throughout the montage several snippets of the black swan contrasting with the white swan show clearly to the viewer the transformation and her change in behavior which reflects the expectations of her mother and deprived upbringing. The comparison between deprivation and hunger can be used as a clear link between Black Swan and Dickinson’s poem ‘I have been hungry all the years’. Dickinson uses an extended gastronomic metaphor to depict a fulfilling life chasing the pursuit and attainment of love. Her elegantly elaborated process of dining portrays this however the metaphor is merely a basic literary technique emphasizing the speaker’s estrangement from such fulfillment. Dickinson contrasts herself to the descriptive love feast with â€Å"wine† and â€Å"ample bread† to ‘I had been hungry all the years’. The extremity of hunger is coupled with the extended time period of years, to suggest her deprivation from the fulfillment of life from birth. Belonging to oneself stems from our own perceptions between connection and disconnection and both Dickinson’s and Darren Aronofsky’s 2010 film Black Swan, portray this theory to a crystal clear extent. Ones understanding of social identity are instrumental in constructing a sense of individual identity. In conclusion both texts demonstrate the key idea that belonging to oneself comes from first – an understanding of the world. Dickinson’s isolation was a calculated choice, much like that of Nina. This decision sprung from their dedication to their arts and an understanding of the world outside their mind. It defines the idea that our perceptions of connection and disconnection are crucial in the discovery of oneself.

Buried Alive! The Fiction of Premature Burial :: Argumentative Persuasive Argument

Buried Alive! The Fiction of Premature Burial Why are there claims that people are being buried alive? I will tell you why; it is an old wives tale so there is no credit to. People were never buried alive, it is all fiction. There were patents put out there but the patents were never supported. The fact that there are no signs of the patented objects ever being used makes you wonder if they ever existed. If they did exist, why are they not being used today? I will tell you why people in the present age are being embalmed. Once a person is embalmed, the body is killed in order to keep it preserved and so it does not rot. In the paper, I will discuss how if a person is buried alive it is improbable that someone would live. In addition, I will discuss the theories about Anne Hill Carter Lee's double burial. If a person were buried alive, there would be no way to tell if they were in fact buried alive. Would you not hear the person screaming to be let out of their tomb? Of course you would not be able to hear a person scream or yell for help. They are six feet under the earth. In the times of old they would supposedly find scratch marks on the lids of coffins, but how do we know if they were telling the truth. Now in the twenty first century, we are finding no evidence of this ever happening in coffins of old days or even now days. There used to be bells and pulleys to let the person on the graveyard shift know someone was there. No longer are there such bells and pulleys. When the person who was on the graveyard shift and heard the supposed bells and sirens they had to dig up the coffin. In reality, this would have taken excessively long and the person in the coffin would run out of air. The fact is there are articles being revised to fit the culture of the twenty-first century. In 1898, the Journal of the American Medical Association editorial reminds us of the peculiar fascination with "premature burial" held for people in the last century. Even if a person should be so unlucky as to be buried while unconscious, the editors pointed out that the average coffin contains so little oxygen that asphyxia would probably precede any return to full consciousness. Buried Alive! The Fiction of Premature Burial :: Argumentative Persuasive Argument Buried Alive! The Fiction of Premature Burial Why are there claims that people are being buried alive? I will tell you why; it is an old wives tale so there is no credit to. People were never buried alive, it is all fiction. There were patents put out there but the patents were never supported. The fact that there are no signs of the patented objects ever being used makes you wonder if they ever existed. If they did exist, why are they not being used today? I will tell you why people in the present age are being embalmed. Once a person is embalmed, the body is killed in order to keep it preserved and so it does not rot. In the paper, I will discuss how if a person is buried alive it is improbable that someone would live. In addition, I will discuss the theories about Anne Hill Carter Lee's double burial. If a person were buried alive, there would be no way to tell if they were in fact buried alive. Would you not hear the person screaming to be let out of their tomb? Of course you would not be able to hear a person scream or yell for help. They are six feet under the earth. In the times of old they would supposedly find scratch marks on the lids of coffins, but how do we know if they were telling the truth. Now in the twenty first century, we are finding no evidence of this ever happening in coffins of old days or even now days. There used to be bells and pulleys to let the person on the graveyard shift know someone was there. No longer are there such bells and pulleys. When the person who was on the graveyard shift and heard the supposed bells and sirens they had to dig up the coffin. In reality, this would have taken excessively long and the person in the coffin would run out of air. The fact is there are articles being revised to fit the culture of the twenty-first century. In 1898, the Journal of the American Medical Association editorial reminds us of the peculiar fascination with "premature burial" held for people in the last century. Even if a person should be so unlucky as to be buried while unconscious, the editors pointed out that the average coffin contains so little oxygen that asphyxia would probably precede any return to full consciousness.

Delayed Gratification

â€Å"The ability to discipline yourself to delay gratification in the short term in order to enjoy greater rewards in the long term is the indispensable pre-requisite for success. † Brian Tracy, a self-help author who also makes presentations on leadership skills, sales topics, managerial effectiveness, and business strategy, is correct on the topic of delayed gratification. According to Google Dictionary, delayed or deferred gratification is the ability to wait in order to obtain something that one wants. This is what everyone should do so they can obtain what they want in the future, by working their hardest now.In the year 2010, young adults are having trouble grasping the idea of delayed gratification and if they don’t know what delayed gratification is they get into problems that many people don’t want to be in. People in high school must learn that delayed gratification will help them in the long run because if they do well in high school they will get int o a good college and then get a good job, but it can also go the other way too. If they do badly in high school they won’t get into college, they will work a job that doesn’t pay much and they will be unhappy because nobody respects them because they didn’t go to college.This concept also ties in with materialism because many students want the latest and greatest in technology and other gadgets and when they start to drool over the amazing things they can get, they start to take their mind off of school and onto getting a job. If they get this job and forget about school, they won’t be able to do well in the future and then they won’t be able to live by themselves, because they won’t have enough money to pay the bills, because the job they got to get the gadget they wanted, was an instant gratification job or a job that will pay small money very quickly.According to two professors of the University of Washington, in 1998, of 1000 high school students only 457 of them stayed on track through all four years of high school and were on time for graduation. This means that over 50% of students don’t do well in high school and mess up going into college, which also messes up their future. Four hundred thirty four of the 1000 dropped out, or transferred to a different school and 109 graduated later. These statistics maybe outdated but are still good to know about them so we can learn from our mistakes. These statistics are very bad for students and there is a way for them to ecome better and exceed in the future by also working hard now. Delayed gratification is a smart way to go if you want live a successful life in the future. Walter Mischel at Stanford University, conducted an experiment called, The Marshmallow Experiment. This experiment was done in the 1960s and tested what kids would do if marshmallows were sitting on a table. The idea was to see if the children that could wait would demonstrate they had the abil ity to delay gratification and control impulse, both significant and important traits for attaining wealth and being financially successful.The experiment was a group of four-year-olds were given one marshmallow and promised a second one on the condition that they wait twenty minutes before eating the first one. Some children were able to wait and others could not. The researchers then followed the progress of each child into adolescence and demonstrated that those with the ability to wait were better adjusted and more dependable, and scored significantly higher on the Scholastic Aptitude Test years later. This shows that waiting is best and if you learn the ways of delayed gratification you can succeed in life.Delayed gratification is crucial to have a grand life in the future. If a person has learned delayed gratification and is able to apply it to their life, they will exceed in high school, exceed in college, get a superior job, and retire in good health. This is why people shou ld go by delayed gratification because not only will you be intelligent and will be able to speak about current topics easily, you will be respected by people you meet and have an easy life in the future.

Ready, Set, Step ( Rss ) Moving On The Fast Track Of...

Ready, Set, Step (RSS): Moving on the Fast-Track to Fitness In April of 2001, National Minority Health Month was launched in response to the health promotion and disease prevention initiative, Healthy People 2010. Celebrated annually in April, National Minority Health Month presents an opportunity to increase awareness of the health disparities that continue to affect racial/ethnic minority populations. This year’s theme, â€Å"Accelerating Health Equity for the Nation,† focuses on the critical role of fast track methods to reducing health disparities. The health status and outcome for of many racial/ ethnic minority populations has remain poor and declining, despite massive health promotion campaigns. Most health promotions failed to address respects for diversity, social factors and cultural needs of the population being served. Research indicates cultural competency enhances the capacity of healthcare promotions to provide more responsive assistance to racial/ethnic minority populations. In accordance with this year s Nation al Minority Health Month theme, the Myrlie Evers-Williams Institute of the Elimination of Health Disparities (MEW) will provide the inaugural launch of Ready, Step, Set! Moving of the Fast-Track to Fitness. This program will provide a cultural competent fast track mechanism to address the high rates of inactivity and related chronic diseases among racial/ethnic minority women of the urban Jackson community, by addressing the environmental andShow MoreRelatedDissertation Proposal on Managing Diversity of Workforce18916 Words   |  76 Pagesfor this stated trend includes: (1) Mapping technology and an increasing availability of databases of place combine to create new applications for public use; (2) IT solutions are increasingly infused into the consumer market; (3) Phone service is moving to becoming internet based; (4) Voice and data access is available simultaneously via cell phone; (5) Radio frequency identification devices (RFID) are introduced to business schools; (6) Cell Lawsson R.D. - Identifying and Managing Diversity ofRead MoreItsc 2439 Ch1-12 Study Guides Essay28023 Words   |  113 Pagesthe growth in decentralized computing was the availability of inexpensive personal computer hardware and productivity software. 5. The applications development backlog was due to the inability of computer professionals to design and write programs fast enough to keep up with the demand for new applications. 6. All knowledge workers are computer professionals. 7. A knowledge worker is another name for a computer user. 8. Use of a computer’s graphical user interface means that users no longer haveRead MoreMarketing and E-commerce Business65852 Words   |  264 PagesBusiness Model CHAPTER 3 E-COMMERCE INFRASTRUCTURE: THE INTERNET, WEB, AND MOBILE PLATFORM Opening Case: Google Glass: Augment My Reality Insight on Society: Government Surveillance and Regulation of the Internet Insight on Technology: Is HTML5 Ready for Prime Time? Insight on Business: The Apps Ecosystem Case Study: Akamai Technologies: Attempting to Keep Supply Ahead of Demand CHAPTER 4 BUILDING AN E-COMMERCE PRESENCE: WEB SITES, MOBILE SITES, AND APPS Opening Case: USA Today Redesigns