Film Assignment Essay Example for Free

Film Assignment Essay For this assignment, I chose the 1996 movie â€Å"A Time to Kill† is applying Carl Roger’s Model of Argument. The film is based on the novel of the same title by John Grisham that tells the story of finding justice amidst the racial bigotry of the South. It is the story about a black man, Carl Lee Hailey, who killed the men who raped and mauled his 10-year old daughter Tonya and is looking at a death sentence should he be found guilty of murder in court in a town where racial prejudice continues to abound. It is through the efforts of his defense lawyer, Jake Brigance that Carl Lee was acquitted and released (McConnnaghuey and Jackson 1996). At first glance, a debate is very likely to ensue. Some would say Carl Lee is guilty because he broke the law by murdering the suspects. The latter had been arrested and should have been given their day in court and let the law take its course. They believe that revenge was Carl Lee’s motive for taking matters in his own hands and that the death penalty is appropriate because of what he did, consistent to the adage, â€Å"the punishment must fit the crime. † Legally, Carl Lee is indeed guilty and the jury appears to be leaning towards that decision. However, looking at it from the other side, there are others, as personified by Jake, who believe Carl Lee did the right thing though it was very drastic. While it may be true that Carl Lee was legally guilty, this does not immediately mean he is morally wrong. In the latter part of the film, Jake won the case because he was able to find common ground, not only with the jury, but also to the audience. He took their attention away from Carl Lee and his act and instead focused it somewhere else on the actual victim Tonya. Jake did this by taking everyone on a â€Å"journey† inside Carl Lee’s mind, putting themselves in his place, retracing his road to perdition on the day his daughter came to him battered and bleeding to the time he killed the suspects. He closed the â€Å"journey† by telling the jury to now â€Å"imagine she were white. † This is the common ground Jake successfully established. The â€Å"secret† behind it was Jake is able to make the jury shed off any racial bias they may have by getting them to empathize with Carl Lee. The result was instead of looking at a black man seeking redress for the attack on his daughter, but just a father who is merely looking out for his daughter. It can be inferred that everyone on the jury would have done the same thing if the victim had been their own child. They also know how biased the justice system is in town and that black people never get a fair trial but in this case, Jake succeeded in making them see it from a different perspective. It is certain that everyone knows justice is not always found in the courtroom, especially in this town and there are times when doing the right thing means breaking the law because the law is not perfect as it is administered by a racially prejudiced society. What was substituted here is a deeper sense of justice that is common to all, rooted in religious beliefs. In other words, people like Carl Lee are guided by their personal morals that are very fundamental where it becomes easy to discern right from wrong. All in all, the film shows a demonstration on how the Rogerian Model is applied as â€Å"common ground† was established with the audience by the performers in the film through the use of empathy to establish this common ground. Bibliography A Time to Kill. Directed by Joel Schumacher. Performed by Matthew McConnnaghuey and Samuel L. Jackson. 1996.

Challenges Facing Public Schools Essay Example for Free

Challenges Facing Public Schools Essay The fundamental purpose of education is to gain knowledge, inculcate the forms of proper conduct and acquire technical competency, (Oak, 2010). These skills and abilities are considered important in our world so as to have socio-economic growth and development individually and in the community. Goel (2007) observes that it is because education is so important that the US Department of Education aims to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access. Thus in countries such as the US, children who may not be able to afford the cost of schooling can access education in public educational institutions subsidized by the government. Though noble, the concept of public education unfortunately has a number of fundamental challenges that must be investigated for lasting solutions. These challenges are highlighted below, their problem statements and the arising hypotheses: Problem Statement 1 One of the greatest concerns in public schools is violence. Lede (2010) notes that violence in public schools is a growing concern of parents, teachers, school administrators, politicians and community leaders. Lede (2010) continues to observe that â€Å"many communities in the United States of America are faced with the dilemma of how to protect the integrity of the education by eliminating violent behavior among the school’s constituency and the environment where learning takes place. † What are the determinants of violence in public schools? What is the effect of parental involvement and violence in public schools? Is there any relationship between poor teacher training and violence in public schools? Hypothesis Economic and social issues are affiliated with violence in public schools. Parental socialization at the home front influences students’ propensity to violence in public schools. Teacher training does not impact on the existence of violence in public schools. Importance of the statements and hypothesis in the research The statements and hypotheses in this research would assist the researcher in investigating the problem of violence in public schools and begin to explore solutions that address the root cause of the problem and not the symptoms of the problem Problem statement 2  Another one of the core challenges faced by public educational institutions is that of insufficient funds. By virtue of the fact that public schools depend on the government to meet their budgets, more often than not, the schools find themselves without enough money to carry out their activities. What is the effect of lack of sufficient funding on the quality education in public schools? What is the effect of programme prioritization on budget management in public schools? What are other sources of funding that can be explored to ensure constant funding of public schools programmes? Hypothesis Lack of sufficient funds compromises on the quality education offered in public schools. Budget rationalization can be successfully achieved through programme prioritisation of the programmes at public schools. Diversification of the sources of funding to meet budgetary needs at public schools has ensured sustainability of the schools’ programmes. Importance of the statements and hypothesis in the research A research on this issue would ensure that sustainable solutions to budgetary constraints are met that translate to operational efficiency (Maguad, 2007) and a high quality of education is constantly high in public schools. Problem statement 3 Public institutions of learning are faced by the problem of low or no parental involvement. Since many of the students in public schools come from middle and working classes in which both parents have to earn a living to sustain the families, it is rare that the parents find time to be actively involved in their children’s school life. What is the effect of parental involvement on student achievement in public schools? What is the correlation between parental aspirations and expectations for their children and student achievement in public schools? Do parents give away the right to educate their children when they place them in public schools? Hypothesis A student’s performance is influenced by his/her parents’ interest and participation in his school work. Parental aspiration and expectation for children determines the achievements of the children in school. Parents of children in public schools forfeit any right to determine what or how their children are educated. Importance of the statements and hypothesis in the research The research would find out whether parents have an active role to play in their children’s well being for assured achievement in school. The issue of parental involvement could also form the basis of understanding other challenges facing public schools such as student violence (Alliance for the Separation of School State, 2008). In conclusion, public educational institutions experience many challenges ranging from budgetary constraints, student violence and low parental involvement. Much research needs to be done to establish why these problems exist in the first place and lasting solutions for these institutions.

Suspense And Tension In Jaws Film Studies Essay

Suspense And Tension In Jaws Film Studies Essay How does the director Stephen Spielberg use film technique to build suspense and tension for the audience in the film Jaws? The film Jaws was directed by Stephen Spielberg. The film is about the incessant shark attacks that happened in Amity in USA. It was set up in Amity which is near Kansas in USA. It is set on 4th July which was an Independence Day in USA. Everyone has the day off to celebrate their holiday very year and it is a national holiday in America. Throughout the film we are about to discover the fantasy of the war between Shark and People, which the director Spielberg uses the devises to build that tension, suspense and fear. The music is played when the shark comes in distance and closer to the beach. First the music very slowly and when it gets louder and louder we feel like the shark is coming. This sound is like a theme of the film, which makes everyone to keep attention to the film. This type of music is Non-Diegetic music. This gives the audience that they are below the sea imagining the shark is waiting for them. If the shark be revealed straight away, it would destroy the whole story. Stephen Spielberg wants to build suspense by suspense to create the film attentive to it audience. One technique is that the music is used to build up the tension. Stephen Spielberg uses long shot to show this and cover all the details in the proof to show what happened. Second attack was quite different. It is the attack of the little boy whose name was Alex. He swam in his inflatable lilo away from the rocky sand to the sea. When he was there the shark attacked him. We know this by looking from the music and fins coming out from the shark. The camera angles builds up the tension and suspense to show like we are looking from the angle of shark and when the attack happened from the distance it shows people to show exact how the boy was attack. The Director builds up the fear of the shark by making music devious and dangerous like you get on the horror film. Director uses music like dun, dun sound/music that makes you follow the shark on its trail. You will follow the music as well as you are looking from the shark perspective. On this second attack he uses lots of close-up shots of the boy to show off the detail. The camera shot tracking is shown as though as you are shark and following the boy on his lilo. Jump cut is shown to take close shot of the people by cutting people shot one by one. After that camera moves into a close-up of the boy, who is now lying on a yellow lilo. Brody continues to look at the water, which raises tension. When we look around the beach we see yellow objects; umbrella, bathing suits, towels and a boys lilo. This is because yellow associate with fear because most of the warning signs have yellow sings like a hazardous sign. As the camera films the shore, we see a man wearing a yellow shirt playing with his dog. Moments later when he was playing fetch with his dog pippin, pippin goes missing. Dog is nowhere to be seen but only a stick floating on the surface of the sea. This is known as a camera focused, focusing on the stick only and usually called Miss -en- scene. There is no music being played, audience dont know whether the shark came again or the dog run off somewhere along the beach. This creates suspense as well as a fear. Director use number of techniques to build up fear of shark in numerous. At the first attack, Spielberg doesnt reveal the shark so audience will use their imagination a visual picture in their mind of what the attacker looks like. Tension is increased by the music factor. It is played in fast tempo and played in slow and silent way. At the second attack he builds fear for the characters by making a fin visible in the ocean surface bed. This may be first time the audience and characters in the story seen the shark and able to come to decision about first and second attack. Spielberg uses lot of camera techniques as well as music to create the suspense during the story. We hear shark music dun dun sound to tell us that the shark is coming. The music is like a heartbeat which makes louder and louder as it represent mainly shark. The music is like theme or symbol that represents the shark in the film. This is how Spielberg uses the film to become more tense and interesting. As we get to shark, we expect shark to attack or we know it is lurking quite close. Spielberg structured the film so that first and second attacks are together each other. First he kept audience alert at the first attack then continues to build fear and tension at the second attack which we see a boy in his lilo and dog goes missing. Broodys predicted that first attack was done by shark. Most of the films there is some kind of hero. In the film hero is Brody. In first attack he was the male actor to spot the theory of the shark and we were side of him. At the third attack, tension increased after a smaller shark had been killed and it was been killed by two people. But Brody thinks that the shark is too small to bit the people and this tells us more tension is about to come. This third attack is difference by manipulating others. In this attack Spielberg chose Broodys son as an alone poor child. First two attacks were involved strangers, now in the third attack its the Broodys son being involved because this has an effect on Broody. Its the last section of the film which has more tension than any other part. Whereas two attacks had been occurred in beach but now they will be out in sea to catch that killer shark in a small boat. They are fearful because they suddenly remembered that shark will be gone forever. After the investigation team have found a size of the shark, they become more afraid and couldnt believe the size of it. It putting a dramatic suspense on now because the team now realised that they now need a bigger boat to kill the shark. Now the suspense begins and audience knows that shark is going to hunt and maybe eat them. Spielberg made sure the small boat was involved to create that fear, tension and suspense. At the very last, Tension decreased because Broody kills that shark for last blowing the audience remains on seat though out the rest of the film.

The Environmental Effects of Fossil Fuels :: Environment Ecology Ecological Essays

The Environmental Effects of Fossil Fuels The situation is scary, but real. The very resources that the world relies upon for energy are also helping to destroy the world. Fossil fuels, such as petroleum, coal, and natural gas, all include some very serious environmental concerns with their essential energy usage abilities. All stages of fossil fuel use have a severe impact upon the environment, from recovery to storage and end use. Thankfully, important legislation has been put together to help to reduce and control the havoc caused by fossil fuels on the environment. But, with the enormous need for fossil fuels, it is impossible to prevent all environmental problems, especially when they are a part of each stage of usage. In recovery of fossil fuels, such as coal mining, top soil is destroyed, acidic water run-off causes orange creeks, and land subsidence occurs.[1] Petroleum drilling is a danger on land or off-shore due to gushers and accidents that are harmful to the environment. Transporting fossil fuels is also a problem, especially with petroleum, with accidents and even routine operations polluting the seas. Preparation and refining of the fossil fuels can lead to refuse or â€Å"sludge† finding a way out of coal cleaning plants, and air and water are often spoiled from petroleum refining. Gasoline leaks are always a risk during storage of petroleum, but end use might be the most disastrous of the stages. End use produces pollutants from combustion, such as sulfur and nitrogen oxide (SOX and NOX), particulate matter (ROX), and carbon monoxide (CO) and unburnt hydrocarbons (UHC).[2] These pollutants, either separately or in combination with one another, are responsible for smo g in the ozone, acid rain, and The Greenhouse Effect. In 1994, transportation was the major source of carbon monoxide emissions (77%), nitrogen oxide emissions (46%), and lead (32%). [3] A combination of sulfur and nitrogen causes acid rain which, in 1952, caused 12,000 deaths and many ill in London, England.[4] All fossil fuels being burned produce carbon dioxide, a leading cause of the Greenhouse Effect. The Greenhouse Effect is the idea that incoming solar radiation readily penetrates the glass coverings of an ordinary greenhouse, but the outgoing infrared radiation from the interior does not.

Cicero Essay -- History

Cicero Born Marcus Tullius Cicero in Arpinum (Italy) in 106 BC, he became a writer, statesman, orator and philosopher. He loved politics and he wrote only when he could not participate in government. He had a motto which he constantly strived for: to always be the best and over top the rest. Cicero had a high political career in Rome for that time as winning elections were almost always exclusively controlled by a group of wealthy aristocratic families. Cicero’s family was not one of them. Lacking this advantage there were essentially only two career options open to him; a military career, he was no soldier and hated war, or a career in law. He prepared for this by studying jurisprudence, rhetoric and philosophy. Then he began taking part in legal cases could lead to a career in law and did lead to political success. He proved to be excellent orator and lawyer and a shrewd politician. He was elected to each of the principal Roman offices on his first try at the earliest legal age and was now a member of the Roman senate but could only offer advice. Advice that would almost always be followed. But the Roman government was not a democracy but more of an oligarchy with only a few men wielding all economic and political power. During his term as consul in 63BC he was responsible for exposing the conspiracy of Catiline. Catiline was a plan to take over the Roman state by force. Cicero had the five conspirators put to death without trial. He became proud of this as...

Analysis of Stories of Ghost Sightings :: Urban Legends Ghost Story

Ghost Stories The storyteller is 19 years old and attends Chesapeake College, and is transferring this fall to Salisbury University to become a nurse. Her mother works at a local Baptist church as a secretary/receptionist and her father is a mechanic, but will soon be retired. [The storyteller claims to have seen] these ghosts, and the story she told is about what they look like, their actions, their backgrounds, and how it has affected her. She told me four mini-stories: one about a young girl, one about a young boy, one about a middle-aged man, and one about an elderly man. The first ghost [story is] about was a little girl that always appeared on her way home at night: Ok, well there is this little girl that stands in the middle of the road usually near those two farm houses on the way to my house. She is a black girl, probably like 7 or so, and she always stands in the road at night. And sometimes if there is a car in front of me, they hit her†¦but I always try to move so I don’t hit her, or I try to move. I know you think I’m making all this up, but I’m not. I wish I was making it up. Anyway, she might be there in the daytime too but I usually only see her, well spirits in general, at night. I’m not sure why she is there, but I think she was hit by a car a long time ago and just can’t leave. She was walking along the road and got hit and now she can’t leave the road. I see her every time it’s dark and I’m driving home. Sometimes she is standing in the middle of the road and sometimes I see her walking out into the middle of it. I’ve never hit her though, I try to swerve out of th e way ‘cause she freaks me out†¦or I tell her to get out of the way and she will walk across. Or disappear. Yeah, she’s probably second on the list of freak-me-out ghosts. As [the storyteller] was telling this story, her voice was a little shaky, and she was talking somewhat fast, as if she didn’t like talking about it or it scared her. She used her hands a lot, either to help describe her story better or because she was simply nervous or scared. After asking her which ghost she finds scariest or creepiest, [the storyteller told] me this next story about a frightening little boy, whom she has only seen one time:

Christian Dating & Marriage Customs Essay

For Christians, searching for a lifetime partner is not an easy task, but if it is done properly and patiently, it can be very rewarding. Partners are sought after, of course, within the limited pool of Christianity. Often potential dates arise from acquaintances within the same church that men and women regularly visit. They may becomes friends later as a result of being actively involved in church activities, whether as volunteers during Sunday services, such as in the choir or Sunday school, or as outreach volunteers working to help the community. However, stronger ties bind two people together when they spend more time in situations that are challenging. Thus, for Christians, dating in a movie theatre is not recommended. Instead, spending time together serving the homeless in a shelter, for example, will be more productive in getting to know each other and building rapport. Once a couple is ready to get married, they will celebrate their union with spiritual rituals and customs during the wedding day. The seating of parents and grandparents as honored guests come first during the ceremony. Then it is followed by the Bridal Processional where the Minister, Groom, Bridesmaids, Groomsmen, Maid of Honor, Best Man, Flower Girl and Ring Bearer slowly enter. The Bride, together with her father, then marches in. Next, the minister leads the Call to Worship and Opening Prayer. The parents then give the Bride away and a Worship Song follows while the wedding couple moves to the stage and the Ring Bearer and Flower Girl sit together with their parents. The couple then proclaims their promises through the Charge, the Pledge and Wedding Vows. The rings are then exchanged and the Lighting of the Unity Candle comes next. Finally, through the Pronouncement, the couple is officially wed. They kiss and are presented by the Minister. Communion and a Closing Prayer may also be included before the Recessional, where the participants exit the stage, Groom and Bride first, followed by the Best Man and Maid of Honor, the Groomsmen and Bridesmaids, and the Ring Bearer and Flower Girl (Fairchild 2010). References Fairchild, Mary. (2010). â€Å"Christian Wedding Ceremony – A Complete Outline. † About. com.