Author: beast

The children are both shocked by Atticus

‘Jem was paralysed. I had to pinch him to get him moving’

This quote strengthens my point of the children’s surprise this is because earlier in chapter 10 scout said ‘ Atticus was feeble: he was nearly fifty……..which is we felt reflected upon his abilities and manliness ‘ thus showing that scout and Jem believed that Atticus has no real secrets. Building on this I think Atticus has kept this side from his children as he is possibly ashamed of his past or feels his gift brings more harm than good however there is no real evidence of this in the chapter. This could be the start of the loss of innocence throughout the book as Atticus reveals more about his character.

Harper lee has shown contrasting sides of Atticus towards the end of chapter 10 as structurally the end of the first part of the novel is over and this change eould interest the audience however I would disagree with this as I think Harper lee has shown contrasting sides of Atticus to show that Atticus has more to him then what meets the eye, in the sense that upcoming event could bring out a darker, firmer side of Atticus that hasn’t been seen in the novel so far. Harper lee has used…(language device)

A few days ago I was in the back of my dad’s car, on my journey back home from school. It was the conversation that we had, that was after a frustrating day, that intrigued me. I had had an annoying day at school where I felt that my friends and my teachers have mistreated me and given me one too many detentions. But my father, like any father, tried just to make me feel better but in doing so he was teaching a moral story, one I’d like to share with you:

‘In was the winter of 1992, I was on my way to school, my second year of uni, something I was very passionate about (my education). The war happening in the Balkan still raging on but suddenly it became real as the gate of my uni were closed with no further notice. So there I stood, with my future wife and brother left with nothing but our dignity. I had return home only to find that my parents were there. Their building too, closed down. It was at that moment I knew that my future wife, brother and I must leave the country and east Europe. We must leave for our safety and in hope of a better land out there. It never occurred to me then that maybe my parents couldn’t fend for themselves. I’m lucky not to have lived that regret’

It was this story that aroused my curiosity for my country and its people and I concluded to this question: Should Kosovo be recognised universally?

Kosovo, a country recently independent in 2008 with 52% of the EU recognising, now at 65%. With its 1.9 million people free from economic struggles and greed of what once was Yugoslavia. Now people like my father are free to show passion and pride in where they are from without fearing their safety. But still countries like Serbia and Romania still believe that Kosovo is a ‘fake country’ and that Kosovo should join back with Serbia as Kosovo has formed the heart of the state of Serbia since medieval times. However, many Kosovans and I believe that the barbaric acts of atrocities and ethnic cleansing in the 90s showed the world why Kosovo’s case must be brought forth. As well as this, 90% of Kosovo’s people are non-Serbs and should be allowed to determine their own fate and not be a part another countries plans without a choice.

But this is besides the point, our main agenda is not that countries like Serbia and Romania that do not accept Kosovo as an independent country, It is countries like Russia and Spain that are the big problem. Political problems in the Balkans are a very sensitive matter but for now is stable. Big countries that are in the EU are the main reason for Kosovo’s unfulfilled acceptance. These countries however need to be address and their arguments need to brought forth to the table.

From what I’ve researched, Spain do not want Kosovo to be an independent country as it sets a dangerous precedent for other parts of the world where rebels want to break free. This seems like a valid point and we must accept their opinion but, as Ibrahim Rugova once said ‘I want to emphasize the fact that the independence of Kosovo should and will be recognized.’ These times of struggle for Kosovo and all the Balkan countries in which communist Yugoslavia has crumbled, has lasted far too long. This is the last push towards a new beginning, there is no other way to look at it. The mistreatment and breaking of Yugoslavia has lasted 17 years too long. And this is where I ask you, plead you, to end this suffering, to end this feud, to end this mistreatment. Let us give Kosovo what they need, what the Balkans need; a fresh start. This act will be the end of enclosure and mistreatment, the end to a new beginning. As famous poet A.P.J Abdul Kalam said:

‘All wars signify the failure of conflict resolution mechanisms, and they need post-war rebuilding of faith, trust and confidence.’

Sir, I am struggling to thing of a topic sentence or something to argue for with the topic being Kosovo. I have a few ideas about political and economical problems but I’m finding hard to out it into a sentence

It was a Sunday afternoon, 14:56. The drizzle of the rain from my bedroom window seemed to sum up life.

“Why’d she go?”

I heard myself mumble. It had not occurred to me that my body had had its own agenda, probably food. I wanted to stay but the voice of my feet overpowered my mind. Even my feet didn’t want to listen. The journey to the door only takes 4 steps but this time it took 8 as my feet were in two places as to whether or not  to listen to me. It’s not a great feeling, you know, being in two places or ‘on the fence’ as you British say. I never understood it, you guys with your ‘give or take’ tenses or your ‘bees knees’ compliments. It fascinates me. We Germans however are simple and straight to the point, none of these idioms that cover a conversation with mystery and confusion. It’s why I hate society. Society in England that is. But what say would I have? I’m just a 14-year-old, short, long black-haired, freckled, German boy (east to be specific, in a town called Combus).

That same Sunday soon became an evening I’ll never forget. The rain became rain no more. It emerged out as this violent backlash of the events that I realise now had become more frequent. My mother’s house was taking a beating, windows trembling, tiles falling, I could feel it all (and hear it too, those tiles must have feared falling the length of the Grand Canyon in their eyes, making a huge racket trying cling on to anything to survive the fall, just accept faith). It wasn’t long ago that my mother and I had brought this house; old. tacky, lean, the most simply form of its description. It’s abandoned ‘to put it blunt’, not another person my age within a kilometre but I fear it still. There isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t feel the floor moving my bed to the window, toying with me, maybe I should just accept faith.

It was now a Monday morning, 07:01. The drizzle of rain that turned into a sleet of this sludgy snow that seemed to timber the night. It had come to an abrupt stop and I had just woke up in time to see it. This was very unusual behaviour, weather-wise, it was only beginning to get into November but the clouds gathered as if it was the middle of winter. But today was a big day, I mean every day is big but this day was bigger in comparison to a day like yesterday, in which all I did was lie down in my bed thinking and get up every once in while to get some of my mom’s, home-made Torten cake (that was a great cake though).

I had begun getting out of bed (**which wasn’t a great ordeal, which reminds me of another reason I hate this society and in particular my school; its laziness, and any time I have seen anyone around school put in effort it’s being put into the wrong things; football, ‘banter’, girls, etc. They hate society like I do but they hate it for the wrong reasons, I hate purely on that fact alone but yet again, I am fake as well. Living in the outskirts of society, day after day full of the same old dull and thoughtless people and situations, I’ve been thinking too much I guess. Ironic) and after a long exaggerated thought process, I realised that today was my birthday however this didn’t make the day any better, I could use it as a sympathy vote for today when Wallace beats me up again. “Oi, Thomas give me your lunch money” was the typical conversation that Wallace and I had. But Wallace was different to your usually bully. Wallace was a transferred student from some posh boarding school. Seemed like a troubled kid from the start, I thought that me and him would get along but he deals with his ‘problems’ differently to me, to say the least. Also, we were different in many ways a few being his physicality: with his 190 cm height and wingspan and a 90 kg body that could run 20 mph, he was far superior to me. He was the type of person that you wouldn’t want to get on the wrong side of, I guess I made that mistake far too early to understand it. But hopefully today will be different. Hopefully he’ll show a little gratitude and respect just enough that I can have my chance, who I’m kidding? Today isn’t gonna be a good day.

Shakespeare in this scene presents Lady Macbeth as a responsible calm leader. He has done this to embed his theme of power. This theme is important to the play because it would keep the audience at unease as they watch this characters have to make irrational quick decisions. One way in which Shakespeare has done this is in the use of line duration and iambic pentameter.

Firstly, lady Macbeth and macbeth share lines. For example between lines 30-37 or specifically ‘chief nourisher in life’s feast-What do you mean?’, lady Macbeth steals the rhythm from Macbeth’s speech. This could be interpretared in more than one way. Firstly, Macbeth is a man that cannot finish his own sentences, keep to the iambic pentameter or even speak his own thoughts. Thus making the audience believe that Macbeth is a weak, ill-hearted, suppressed man. I have used the word ill-hearted in this context because it is said that a man that cannot speak on his heart beat (the iambic pentameter) is a weak and ill-hearted or doesn’t not speak the truth. This in turn making lady Macbeth have the opposite qualities; powerful, well-hearted and a leader. Or secondly, lady Macbeth is scared and worried, this is why she is taking Macbeth’s lines, however this interpretation is weak as in lines 30-31 ‘ These deeds must not be thought….it will make us mad’, lady Macbeth is directly calming Macbeth down. This strengthens my first interpretation of lady Macbeth being a powerful leader as leaders controls their armies. Lady Macbeth has done by taking Macbeth’s lines, righting his wrongs and in turn controlling his thoughts and emotions.

Building on this point, Macbeth flaws I.e him panicking has allowed lady Macbeth to show a sense of leadership. This shown by how much each character says. Between lines 20 to 40, Macbeth speaks 16 lines compared to lady.s Macbeth’s 4. This construct our understanding of Macbeth as a scarier worried man. This has happened because when a prison is scared they try to assess the situation at hand with logical thoughts, however because of his relationship with lady Macbeth, Macbeth does not think for himself so instead he blurts out all his thoughts hoping for his wife to make sense of it. This passage concludes Macbeth’s and lady Macbeth’s relationship status ad their characters. This is because Shakespeare has secured the irony in the relationship as the woman as the dominant figure. This ironic because back in the 16th century woman did not have any rights and were thought of as the irrelevant sex. In turn the audience would think that lady Macbeth is not just a woman but a leader.

In conclusion, Shakespeare has used varied line duration and the iambic pentameter to construct our understanding of lady Macbeth being a powerful, calm leader. Shakespeare has done this to create irony and entertain his audience as well as embed his theme of power.

The Great Gatsby is a love-conflict novel set in the early 1900s New York in which, for Gatsby-young, handsome, rich, popular but yet mysterious-always seems alone in a crowd as his is suppressed by his infulfillment.

The novel is told through the eyes of Nick Carraway, a young upcoming saleman, who develops a relationship with Gatsby through the act of Nick renting a small cottage in the west side becoming neighbors with Gatsby and his cousin Daisy. Daisy is unfortunately married to a big brute of a man, a former athlete who has made a great success in his profession who Gatsby admires for his money and his ability to acquire Daisy’s needs. Gatsby however has been deeply in love with Daisy for many years and has spent his time apart from her building himself as man to finally fulfill each others needs.

This book is very intriguing and definitely would be a good read for an intellect who has a thirst for past American society. However as much as I like this book I could not really get in a flow of reading and really get into this book. This was a big downside but on my behalf and not the book’s. This added on to the fact that the book seem to progress slow with certain parts feeling unnecessary. These parts were included in the film however, but the extravagant beauty shown off in the film helps lighten up the mood. I would give this book a 8/10 it is a very unorthodox story in which the authors goes really deep philosophical with his characters. A great read for a person with time (to read and think) and an open mind.

Shakespeare presents Macbeth as a man that is power hungry. He may have done this to emphasize his theme of power.One way in which Shakespeare has done this is in the use of imperative sentence and deviations of line structures.

“Sleek o’er YOUR rugged looks. BE BRIGHT AND JOVIAL among YOUR guest tonight”

At this point, Lady Macbeth is commanding Macbeth very subtlety as well as convincing Macbeth that he is in controll. This presents Lady Macbeth as a calm, controlled lady, a leader. This would make Macbeth the minority in the relationship. However this is when the tables flip as uses the same group of pronouns while interrupting her iambic pentameter.

“So shall I, love, and so, I pray, be YOU”

This shows that Macbeth is speaking the same tongue as his lady. This gives the audience a new interpretation of Macbeth as the connotions of Lady Macbeth speech is commanding and (at times) indirect or sly making her seem more powerful. Afer this, Macbeth makes many remarks of there unsafety and begins to release his darker hungry side.

“YOU MUST leave this”

States Lady Macbeth, without her subtlety or calmness but with directness and anger. She knows now that her husband is taking control of the relationship and she trying to fight back with rage and undeveloped answers. Not the connotation of a leader.

Dearest wife,

For it hath been far too long since your voice hath echoed my ears. I hath longed to speak of to you for my successes will more than please you. I have won my battle, again, which will surely end the war. This hath led to my rising in ranks for now I am thane of cowdor.

Before I concludes I would be more than grateful that thy keeps an open ear with a closed mouth. I hath witness the Lords of evil and they hath told me of a handsome future for you and I. They told that the kingdom shall he ours. But might my mind be playing tricks on me? Do I believe in such ordasity? Or shall this he our destiny?

I will speak more of this when I return. Until then I rush home to you side

Goodbye my lover,your dearest Macbeth

Shakespeare uses metaphors/allegorys to suppress an image of LM.
‘My hands are of your color, but I shame
To wear a heart so white.’
This extract is an LM is stating that her hands are of the same colour of Macbeth, red, but what she says afterwards is interesting. According to ‘no fear’ website the simple form is ‘but I would be ashamed if my heart were as pale and weak as yours.’ By this we can that LM is very oblivious to people’s feelings and thoughts. Thus making us feel what Shakespeare wants us to feel.
Going off topic, in this extract I feel that Shakespeare is being ironic as well. Macbeth’s hands are red and according to LM his heart is ‘white’ should the colour vice-verse. Just a thought.

Life of PI is a spiritual set in the middle of the Atlantic ocean. Pi, a teenage boy ,has to over come his ordeal with his thought to be enemy, a Bengal tiger,  as well as this he fights for his life to get back to civilization.

Life of Pi starts of with Pi as a middle aged man with a writer he just met eager to hear his story. He was told by many that he had a story a writer would dream of writing. At this point of the film Pi flashbacks to his early (6-14 Age) and talks about ways in which he has been teach and his new discovery in God and Faith. Many, as a watcher, I enjoy listening to. It had set a bounder of faith and belief in film which would be tested as the story progress. This part of the film really develops Pi character and begin to introduce his companion, Richard Parker, a tiger. I think that this section, however criticized, will always stand out to me as important film development. It starts to really develop faith and wonder and a general feeling of a super-being as you, an adventurer, take this journey with Pi as you watch.

Unfortunately, this section ends abruptly as Pi and his Family begin to migrate to Canada. It is mostly as peaceful journey until the ship hits a thunderous storm in which the ship sinks. Luckily, Pi scrambles onto a life boat with a few animals for company. This is when the film bursts into life with ‘5’ new to the wild animals take on the biggest task their lives have ever found, survival. These animals take on they begin to kill each other in the first few days until there is two, Pi and Richard Parker. This natural enemy use each other to help themselves survive. At this point I the film Pi’s faith is tested and he crumbles but faith gives him another chance which makes him ever more determined to get back to civilization. The Ending of the film speaks for itself and sums up the 2 hour of visual effects in a mater of minutes. Revealing many metaphors and turning this film into an allegory with a meaningful message.

I feel that anyone who has the chance to see this film should do. It’s crafty metaphors and messages appeal to all ages and backgrounds. A film that  restores the belief of happiness in anyone. 5/5 stars!

I would describe it more but I feel I would ruin the experience.