Steven Spielberg Biography Essays - English-language Films, Jaws

Steven Spielberg Biography Rob Martinelle American Literature C Block Research Paper: Final Draft 18 May, 1999 Steven Spielberg: Revolutionary and Visionary Who would have thought that a brilliant career in filmmaking could have originated with a modest jar of Skippy Peanut Butter smeared on a neighbor's window in a tiny Cincinnati suburb? One might not think that such an average boyhood prank could evolve a boy into a man who would become the most financially successful film director in history. Well, that is exactly where Leah Spielberg, Steven Spielberg's mother, would trace her son's initial entry into becoming one of our nation's most creative storytellers. ?His badness was so original,? she recalls (Stein 3). Steven Spielberg, the only child of Leah and Arnold Spielberg, was born on December 18, 1946 at the beginning of the Baby Boom years in Cincinnati, Ohio. It does not take a great stretch of the imagination to see that Steven's film influences were derived from his father's experience as a World War II veteran and computer technician and his mother's past profession as a concert pianist. The love and amount of technology, history, and music within Steven's films can all be traced back to his early life with his family. While many men returning from war never want to reiterate their experiences, Steven's father seemed to be an exception. Steven said of his father, ? he intoxicated me with bedtime stories about the war. His stories were like the war movies I was watching on television, all worthy of cameo appearances by John Wayne? (Stein 1). It is no wonder that at the age of twelve Steven's first film, Fighter Squad, was filmed on a WWII fighter plane (Corliss 79). However, when Steven was unable to find certain props or realistic backdrops, he simulated dogfights and plane crashes by editing in footage from a WWII documentary. Only a year later, in 1960, he featured the war family Jeep in his second film, Escape to Nowhere, which was an action picture in which GIs invaded a Nazi hideout in the Libyan Desert. Since his family had moved to Arizona in 1960, the Arizona desert near his house would easily replicate the simulation of the Libyan Desert. It is clear that Steven's love and knowledge of vis ual effects began many years before his creation of a mechanical great white shark in 1975. There have been many incidents throughout Steven's childhood that have made it into his films. At the age of six, Steven's father awoke him to witness a meteor shower in the middle of the night (Stein 2). In time this event would also find its way into his 1977 film, Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The grin of a clown, a deadly tree outside a window, and being afraid at night, all out of 1982's Poltergeist, were all born out of Steven's real childhood phobias (5). Influence for films such as 1993's Academy Award winning drama/documentary Schindler's List could be attributed Steven growing up in a Jewish family. Steven has recalled that during his days in school he felt discriminated from others for being apart of the only Jewish family within the whole community (Graham 530). During the Christmas season, he would be embarrassed that his family's house would be the only one without lights or decorations. When his father offered to place a menorah in the window, Steven responded, ?No!?People will think we're Jewish? (Graham 528). Steven has claimed to have learned his numbers as a toddler with the help of a concentration camp survivor who pointed out the numerals tattooed on his arm. However, it was at high school, where he was first exposed to anti-Semitic behavior. He would suffer verbal and sometimes physical abuse from other students. Making movies was definitely an escape for Steven who told the New York Post, ?I enjoy the sense of being transported and no longer thinking anyone is in the audience? (529). ?Nearly three years after finishing Escape to Nowhere, he made his first feature-length film Firelight. It was a two-and-a-half-hour science fiction epic about an investigation of mysterious lights in the sky. However, it was also a look at a rocky marriage. Could the couple within the film have been Arnold and Leah who

homework essays

homework essays Needless to say Providence on average assigns the most homework in CMS. Reasonable speaking how much homework should a high school student have? One hours worth, two? Or none at all? Granted we as students need some work outside of the classroom to reinforce what we have learned, but come when is enough, enough? From experience we all know that each teacher believes his or her class is the most important one at school, they believe each student has at least 45 minutes each night to work on assignments from their class. That fact alone sounds very reasonable but what teachers fail to realize is that with more than 200 other teachers at Providence believing the same way, it adds up. I, myself a rather efficient worker, have many nights where I have more than 2 Â ½ hours of work. Now is so much work really needed? Maybe if teachers used their 90 minutes every other day more effectively we would have less work to do at home. Dont get me wrong I am not an advocate for the abolition of homework, but the reduction of. Now for those who say, The more work the student receives the better he or she will do, just look at the test scores- dad. I beg to differ!. Now there is no reasonable correlation between the amount of homework assigned and student performance. For example, I have friends who attend other schools who make good grades but consistently report having no homework ever. One can not take that literally but can take it to mean that their work load is by far less than that of Providence students, or in other words average. I do agree that Providence annually has unsurpassed test scores, in CMS, there is no arguing that fact. But one needs only to look at Providences population pool. Research has shown that children perform better academically when they live with both parents, and in middle class or above homes. Now take some time to think about Providence an ...

An Assessment of Heroism in the Characters of Gawain and Beowulf

An Assessment of Heroism in the Characters of Gawain and Beowulf Who is more heroic: Gawain or Beowulf? Hero (n): a person who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities (Merriam-Webster.com). While deciphering the true meaning of heroism for a few minutes something stopped me. In general opinion, most readers would consider Beowulf more heroic. And, according to the pattern of literature, film, and storytelling Beowulf is more heroic. But truly, it depends on which context you are viewing this upon. If we were to read the two stories in the Anglo-Saxon era, of which took place from 410 – 1066 AD, we could all agree Beowulf is the true hero. He fought off two monsters and a dragon among other beasts. When he fought Grendel he proclaimed, â€Å"it won’t be a cutting edge I’ll wield to mow him down, easily as I might†¦ He has no idea of the arts of war, of shield or sword-play, although he does possess a wild strength† (Greenblatt, 55). He acknowledges the pure strength of Grendel, and declares he will fight him without weapons because that is the just thing to do. He wants to be fair and square. A cowardly or even just average person would use any advantage to best the monster, but Beowulf has a true inner-courage, incomparable to anyone else in existence. He won battles nobody else could. Gawain had one battle to fight. He only volunteered because nobody else would except for his king, and he kept the â€Å"magical girdle† instead of show ing up as he promised to (giving the green knight a fair blow to his neck). He was fearful, where Beowulf was not. Beowulf fought bare-handedly when he didn’t even have to. So, physically or externally Beowulf was the true hero. In parallel the two stories yield a different answer, when viewing them from the eyes of a person alive in the 21st century. The true hero comes from within today. For example, someone who can lift three cars has less of a place in society than someone who can travel to third world countries and give food and shelter to those who are unfortunate. Gawain has more inner strength than Beowulf does. For example, in the days leading up to the meeting with the Green Knight, he is tested by temptations. One of those temptations is sex, and yet, despite the Green Knight’s wife’s strong sex appeal, he turns her away in the nicest way possible. The Green Knight was testing Gawain up until the moment he struck him with the axe. Gawain, fearful, kept the girdle that the Green Knight’s wife gave him because he believed it’s magical powers would save him. Therefore, he broke his promise. He was supposed to bear his neck, no shield, no protection. He lost his â€Å"tr oth† or his word by wearing that girdle. When he finds out that the Green Knight was testing him in his ability to keep his troth he was furious. He admitted, â€Å" Dread of the death blow and cowardly doubts meant I gave into greed, and in doing so forgot the freedom and fidelity every knight knows to follow† (Greenblatt, 235). After that the Green Knight forgives him because, like the readers, he sees Gawain’s strength in admitting his downfall and being truthful and regretful in the end. Beowulf is the opposite. He is egotistical and arrogant. Yes, he is significantly strong, but it is never enough. He always wants more. He always wants the fame, as when he left his men behind to take on the dragon, alone, despite his old age. Beowulf’s fault led him to his death, whereas Gawain’s humility saved his life. In today’s world all of us are faced with numerous different amounts of temptation. It speaks a lot to ones character to avoid them, and to speak for themselves in regret when they falter in their ability to deny those temptations. Gawain does this, when Beowulf is blind to his own faults. Today, Gawain would be the true hero. This is why when reading and interpreting the texts we must always consider context. Gawain is the real â€Å"person who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities† (Merriam-Webster). Gawain is the indisputable hero.

Liberal and Socialist Feminist Approach Towards Wage Gap in the US Research Paper

Liberal and Socialist Feminist Approach Towards Wage Gap in the US - Research Paper Example Liberal feminism says that personal rights should be the foremost priority of individuals and women should possess capability to take stand against every unfair practice around them. The liberal feminist recognizes the injustices that favour males over females. Liberal feminist intend to free females from dominating roles of men in the community (Biber and Leavy). In 1970, feminist movement looked into the matters of females as dependent women and conservativeness of their lives in the United States. Liberal feminism claimed that women are confined to household jobs (Biber and Leavy). In the United States, women are making remarkable achievements in the professional grounds and struggling to work with equal rights. However, it has observed that despite working passionately and dedicatedly women are being paid less as compare to men up to 75% (Wood). Liberal feminism is the most effective approach in the United States that intend to work for the equal rights of women in every aspect o f socio-political life. Bandura (1977) has mentioned in his research that previously liberal feminism struggled for females` rights to participate in elections with equal opportunities and to own properties, but current liberal feminists intend to work for gaining equal seats in professional ground with equal salaries for equal jobs (Wood). According to Jagger (1983), philosophy of liberalism is related to traditional historical approaches of attaining equal opportunities in various grounds.... According to Jagger (1983), philosophy of liberalism is related to traditional historical approaches of attaining equal opportunities in various grounds. He further explained that liberal theory up holds the idea that equal work opportunities and salary packages directly influence cognition of women and motivate them, to hard with more enthusiasm (Biber and Leavy). It should the foremost matter of consideration for the governmental bodies in order, to ensure equal opportunities to men and women both. Theoretical movements of liberal feminism are different from other types of feminism. It is because it intend to take steps for political modifications in order to strengthen females` standings legally (Dickerson, Flanagan and O'Neill). However, other feminist party usually have common goals and similar objectives and strategies, but liberal feminism mainly focuses on individualism and positivism. In the United States, liberal feminism has made great contributions towards workplace envir onment and wages policies for women (Dickerson, Flanagan and O'Neill). With the contributions and participation of liberal feminists more and more talented women have, got chance to make their specific places in the work place, but the issues related to their wages gaps is still in process (Walters). However, participants of feminism have found that top positions and executive level jobs are kept for men in the US it has been then major reason behind low wages of women. Furthermore, Jagger (1983) discussed that feminist approach focus on individualism, and according to individualism notion, self-satisfaction is very important part. It has observed that working people have so many

A problem in nursing and my solution to it Research Paper

A problem in nursing and my solution to it - Research Paper Example Also, there is a significant reason to believe that there are now nurses who are not educated well and are not up to the mark. The World Health Organization finds that there is a 4.3 million shortage of nurses and other caring staff around the world. It cited that the reason for this shortage is the years of low investment in the education of health workers, creating effective training, paying good wages and providing the nursing staff with a better environment and administration (WHO, 2006). One of the basic reasons that have created this shortage in countries is that the profession of nursing requires a person to be compassionate, patient and caring. Moreover, medical attention is a serious activity and the person should be competent and skilled in giving proper care. But due to the notion that nursing is an easy profession and the fact that there are many accelerated programs that result in people who are not interested in other careers or are left with no choice but to choose thi s profession, the nursing shortage has become more severe. These individuals account for the malpractice and lack of care in hospitals (Smith, 2010). Another reason that can be attributed to the shortage of nurses is the aging nursing workforce. The nursing profession was dominating in the 1960s and the 1970s and many people started to enter the market to be a nurse. But over the years, many other opportunities in other industries opened for women that resulted in women turning their careers towards some other direction. This means that currently much of the nursing staff will be old and above the age of 40. Nursing is not an easy task and requires strenuous effort by an individual to carry out their jobs. For that reason, the over aged nursing staff has resulted in shortage of nursing staff (Smith, 2010). The impact of the nursing teaching and the rate of enrollment cannot be ignored for it plays a detrimental part in it. Many students who want to become nurses will be dismayed by the lack of institutions and many nursing schools have to turn away students who may be skilled and competent due to shortage of funds and staff. With so many institutions now turning away possible candidates for nurses, it is evident that the admission process is very competitive and simultaneously very restrictive (Berlin & Sechrist, 2002). Another reason that has fueled the fire in the shortage of nurses is that there is a farce notion and perception against the field of nursing. It is true that nursing is a tough and strenuous occupation that requires a lot of hard work and physical output. But this stress is not alleviated but, in fact, elevated with the insufficient staffing of hospitals and medical institutions. With their workload cut out for them it is understandable that the nurses will not be able to give their best as they will be frustrated and stressed all the time. Long hours of shift and more work never go along and ultimately result in the dissatisfaction and lack o f motivation for nurses. This furthermore aggravates the shortage of n

Rama in Ramayana Essay Example for Free

Rama in Ramayana Essay In the epic story of Ramayana, one of the cornerstones of the story is the part where Rama attempts to rescue Sita. In the story, Rama is considered the most heroic among all the characters precisely because of his devotion to the rules of dharma. Even during the times when still he was small, Rama was considered to be the perfect son, up to the point when he married Sita thereby considering him further as the perfect husband. More importantly, Rama gladly and willingly accepted the order of his father, king Dasharatha, to abandon the kingdom and be banished, hence removing him from the position as heir to the throne.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The poignant part of the story where Rama’s knowledge and perception are further enriched is the part where he encountered Ravana who followed him in the forest. Ravana is the younger brother of Rama who was enthroned as the king of Ayodhya after Rama was banished from the kingdom. The encounter highlighted the capacity of Rama to understand the human situation that swirled around him and his family by understanding the sentiment of Ravana. Ravana very well understood that Rama is the rightful ruler as king of Ayodhya, and after following Rama to the forest, Ravana told Rama that until the day Rama returns, Ravana will instead place the sandals of Rama on the throne as a sign of respect and as a sign that Rama is the actual ruler of the kingdom. That was one way for Ravana to signify that he is simply the ‘caretaker’ of the throne while Rama, the rightful ruler, is away.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Rama’s encounter with Ravana in the forest signifies that even though he willingly accepted the banishment that was imposed upon him by his father, he was still willing to face the larger responsibility of serving his people as their king. That goes to show that Rama was willing to face both ends of the situation, or that he was willing to face any situation that he is confronted with. That is so because, having lived with the rules of dharma, Rama very well knows the consequences that awaited his every decision. This time around, his decision to return as the king of Ayodhya can be said as part of his responsibility as the eldest son of the king, hence the rightful ruler, and part of his realization that the kindness of Ravana begets his kindness to accept not only the fact that he is the rightful king but also the willingness of Ravana to bequeath Rama his rightful position in the kingdom.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Eventually, Rama willingly accepted the offer of Ravana which is not only a sign of respect to an offer which is rightfully his but is also a sign of accepting the propensity of having to rule an entire kingdom under his watch. Quite apart from the fact that accepting such a huge responsibility requires determination and the capacity to lead, it also requires the ability to follow. That ability to follow has been undoubtedly manifested by Rama not only during the time when he accepted his fate to be banished but also during the time when Ravana met with him. That occasion is the time when Ravana made Rama the offer which he followed with all his heart. Rama’s decision best exemplified his capacity to follow without hesitation and confusion on his part precisely because of the wisdom that he possesses due to his strict adherence to the rules of dharma.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In essence, the encounter of Rama with Ravana in the forest is one of the many scenes in the story which shows the enrichment of the knowledge of Rama as well as the formation of his character throughout the story. It brings into mind his capacity to lead by example and to follow the things which he indeed should rightfully follow. It drives home the point that Rama is all the more worthy of being adored by his people because of the virtues which he possesses and of being exalted as a ruler who very well understands the rules and teachings of the dharma. Reference Pollock, S. (1993). Ramayana and Political Imagination in India. The Journal of Asian Studies, 52(2), 262.

Santa Claus Does Exist Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Essays

Santa Claus Does Exist So you don’t believe in Santa Claus. It’s understandable. We find ourselves in an age of pure skepticism. We question everything. Science has taken hold of our lives, providing answers for all questions and dismissing anything that cannot be explained as either myth or fiction. So it’s quite understandable why you don’t believe, with no physical proof of his existence. It’s indeed understandable to lose sight of Father Christmas with the transformation of this holiday into one that, as of late, is used commercially as a lucrative crutch solely to make profit. It’s understandable to abandon Santa Claus after hearing countless people deny his very physical or even spiritual existence. After all, one tends to believe something if it is repeatedly reported as true. But, let me tell you something, something that may lead you to quite a spectacular, fulfilling life. I believe in Santa Claus. â€Å"Why,† you ask, â€Å"position yourself only to be disappointed upon realizing that all you hold as true is in fact false?† I will tell you that I grew up believing in Santa Claus—the jolly, old, fat man who annually descended the chimney with his endless sack of treasures. I will tell you that I still believe that Santa Claus exists, despite being told otherwise by both parent and peer. I will tell you not only that Santa Claus exists, but that he exists in you and your family and your friends and every person who gives a little extra in any way thinkable. I believe. Every year, as the air becomes dry and the ground sparkles with the fluffy white of the snow, I see in the eyes of those who surround me a beard of white and a suit of red. I see society morph as the last month of our year pays its toll. Generosity ri... ...ch out only for themselves, we lose sight of what Christmas is truly about. Forgetting the being of Santa Claus only makes us slight the kindness on which this holiday is based. Not believe in Santa! You may as well not believe in the very gifts laid under the tree on Christmas morn. Without your faith, Santa Claus would be nonexistent. There would be no yearning in your soul to give of yourself to others, no example to follow. Thank God, Santa Claus exists and exists forever, lightening the heavy heart as the sight of the snow blankets the soul and defines the heart of childhood. The modern person believes upon seeing. Perhaps, one sweet day, far ahead, believing will be seeing once more. I’m lucky though; I can see Santa Claus every day, in each and every one of you, through the words you say and the moves you make, and I know you’ll see it, too, someday.