Abstract In this article, the writer looks at the film "The Corpse Bride" and examines its popularity. The writer maintains that the popularity of this film is really quite amazing if you look at the fact that it seems to have a highly specialized, niche target audience, some of which are not known to be the most mainstream of audiences. The writer notes that ultimately the timing of 'The Corpse Bride' allowed what might have been a small, quiet film to blossom into an impressive box office draw. Further the writer points out that the partnerships that Tim Burton, Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter have forged together through multiple films have been able to provide a fascinating and varied body of work that leaves the audience anxiously awaiting the next move for these now A-list actors and director.
From the Paper "The story of The Corpse Bride is a stop-frame animation film by Tim Burton that is loosely based on a Russian-Jewish folklore from the 19th century. In the story, a reluctant groom, Victor Van Dort, is being forced to marry in an arrangement between his family and the family of Victoria Everglot, his betrothed. Initially, neither are very happy with the arrangement, but after they meet for the first time they fall in love and are relatively eager for the wedding to take place. Because of his surprise affection for Victoria, Victor is nervous and proves to be a disaster at the rehearsal where he makes a mess of his wedding vows and sets his future mother in law on fire. Pastor Galswells is appalled by Victor's incompetence and declares that the wedding will not take place until Victor can successfully repeat his vows and can compose himself during the ceremony."
Abstract The paper analyzes the film "The Corpse Bride" and focuses on a particular scene. The paper contrasts the portrayal of the living world to the land of the dead. The paper posits that Burton did an astonishing job at creating a vibrant and lively world when all the characters are dead.
From the Paper "Tim Burton is a notable filmmaker known for his quirky and often dark, gothic atmosphere pervading his high-profile films. Animated films are a brilliant way to escape from the restrictions of creating reality, and Burton uses this technique to his advantage in one of his films. The Corpse Bride is a stop-motion-animated film about a young man of the Living who accidentally marries a woman of the Dead, which thrusts the character in an ongoing series of unusual events. The two worlds perceived in the film are completely different, and this effect is attained to the right degree. The sets hold a peculiar delicacy and beauty. Lighting is exaggerated to the perfect extent, creating the perfect tone for every scene."
Tags: tone, lighting, effects, living, dead, Emily, Victor, Victoria
Abstract This paper examines how it is clear from novels and movies, such as "Interview with the Vampire" and Bram Stoker's "Dracula?, and long-surviving TV shows, such as "The Musters" and "The Addams family", that there is a genuine folklore fascination with vampires. It analyzes how the vampire genre is a perfectly legitimate theme for horror stories, as legitimate as ghosts, werewolves, and other monsters. It also discusses the lack of empirical evidence as to the genuine existence of vampires, past or present. It shows how myths and folklore about vampires are part of the landscape of history and very easy to come by for researchers, but factual evidence is far more difficult to obtain.
Outline
Vampire Folklore and the Burning of Corpses Believers, Murderers and Some History of Vampires
Conclusion
From the Paper "This phenomenon of burning the corpse of a suspected (or "known") vampire is universally present throughout folklore literature, notably in the richly descriptive vampire book edited by Alan Dundes . There are myriad customs when it comes to the burning, however. In Romania, for example, as recently as 1914 (Dundes, 17), the vampire corpse was ?disinterred,? undressed and put in a bag; the clothes were put back into the coffin, sprinkled with holy water, and the coffin was returned to the grave. The body was taken to the forest, the heart was cut out, and the body cut up in pieces, and burned, piece by piece, with the heart being burnt last. Those present came near the fire when the heart burned, so the smoking from the burning vampire heart passed over them, to "protect" them."
Abstract This paper examines Gabriel Garcia Marquez's short story, "The Most Handsomest Drowned Man in the World", which is about a corpse washing ashore and how it changes those who find it. In particular, it looks how the story is ironic in that it revolves around the fact that a dead man brings the village to life and how things that were once viewed with a dullness and complacency are suddenly seen with an attitude of appreciation and value. It examines how Marquez forces us to consider how we view unexpected events in our lives.
From the Paper ""The Most Handsomest Drowned Man in the World" is ironic in that is takes a dead man to bring the village to life. His presence told them a story of loneliness, which they respond to by giving him a home and a place to feel welcome. Esteban also becomes a symbol of change for the villagers because his presence inspires them to alter certain aspects of their lives. For instance, they are inspired to dig for springs and plant flowers on the cliffs "so that in future years at dawn the passengers on great liners would awaken" (560). It takes a dead man to bring them back to life."
Abstract The paper describes the "Bodies" exhibit, one of several traveling science exhibitions illustrating human anatomy through a remarkable use of real human cadavers. The paper explains that the exhibit includes whole plasticized corpses placed in athletic poses that show off the inner workings of the human body, as well as body parts, for a more in-depth analysis of organs and systems. The paper is of the opinion that in spite of its coldly scientific vibe, the exhibit is well-managed, inspiring and highly informative.
From the Paper "In addition to the general goriness of the exhibit, the source of the bodies has cause considerable controversy. Unlike von Hagen's, the bodies in the Seattle exhibit were those of people who died of natural causes but were unclaimed by friends or relatives (Doughton). Because they were unclaimed, the bodies were donated to a medical hospital and were later plasticized for Bodies. Dr. Sui Hongjin, a protege of Dr. Hagens, was in charge of the plasticization technique used on the bodies on display in the exhibit (Doughton)."
Tags: plasticization, cadavers, organs, muscle, groups, systems
Abstract This paper discusses the discovery of a Neolithic man in the Otzaler Alps. It discusses the actual discovery, description of how life was during his time period, and the many other findings upon testing this four thousand year old corpse.
From the Paper "Otzi therefore lived during the late Neolithic period. Since his time of life was narrowed down it can be assumed that his community or culture was very active in pottery and other ceramic items. During the time of the Iceman Neolithic farming was taking place. Raising crops and livestock was quite common."
Abstract This paper examines the Jewish view on death and the afterlife, beginning with a discussion of religion and theology as a whole. It then explores how the different sects of Judaism deal with the concept of death, and how it affects their behavior in life.
From the Paper "What is it that Jews will face after death? How do Jewish ideas about the afterlife affect their attitudes toward death itself? This is a relatively more complicated question to answer than how the attitudes held by Christians about the afterlife affect their views toward death because in the case of Judaism there is no small amount of ambiguity.
"Jewish beliefs about death cannot be understood independent of Jewish theology as a whole, and so it may be helpful to begin here with a definition of what we mean by religion as a whole. Religion is both an intensely personal area of life as well as one that is practiced publicly."
Tags: Judaism, Christianity, Islam, mitzvah, theology, afterlife, life, mourning, corpse
Abstract This paper discusses how black holes are created. It studies the ideas of physicist John Mitchell, his discoveries and how Isaac Newton's physics ideas helped lead to his discoveries on black holes. It also covers white dwarfs (stellar corpses), the most famous being Sirius.
From the Paper "The black hole was first named by the English physicist John Mitchell in 1783, more than two hundred years ago. But what are these black holes? Do they really exist? Based on planet movement studies made by Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler, John Mitchell deduced the existence of a force that made the Sun, the Earth, the Moon and everything contained in the cosmos."
Abstract This paper explores the various themes in William Faulkner's novel "As I Lay Dying". The writer believes that the dead central character is typically thematic of voodoo cultures that existed in Mississippi's colorful history. Another theme explored is that of the oral tradition in the old South, where the writer looks at the folklore and cultures of the people living in Mississippi. The paper also explores the overall theme of death and dying.
From the Paper ""As I Lay Dying" is a unique novel in that there is no discernable protagonist. In lieu of the protagonist is a corpse, Addie, who is dead for most of the book. The novel is written in the first person, from the perspective of Addie and her family, although the perspective shifts for most of the chapters between Addie's self-interested family members with Addie herself only contributing one chapter. Addie's dying wish is to be buried in Jackson, and the story is about how she makes it there. Although Addie is not alive for much of the novel, her son Jewell reflects her interests after she's dead and acts as her legacy."
This paper discusses the meaning of two modern sculptures: Donald Judd's "Untitled" (1970) and Damien Hirst's "Some Comfort Gained for the Acceptance of the Inherent Lies in Everything".
Abstract This paper explains that both sculptures share a formal similarity in that both deal with representing visual quantities that are both linear and quantized and deal with similar themes and aesthetic values. The author describes Judd's sculpture as an unbroken line with a segmented one below it, and Hirst's piece represents a segmented line of glass cases containing sections of the corpses of two cows. The paper elucidates that both pieces offer a meditation on human alienation and seem to eschew traditional definitions of aesthetic standards in their composition.
From the Paper "The pun in accomplishing this work occurs because the sense of disintegration of meaning that Kristeva describes above occurs as we are viewing a literally segmented self. Indeed, part of the difficulty as an observer is to ascertain or imagine what each cow would have looked like whole and further more to discover which part belongs to which cow. But our minds are incapable of doing so because we are also distracted by the starkness of the cows? viscera, which ugliness is extremely difficult for us to process. In this way, our attempt, in some way, to reconstruct their bodies"the thing that determined their existence as distinct individuals when they were alive"is thwarted by our disgust at seeing those things the bodies contain as well. In this fashion, we are forced to confront the horrible truth of our own fractured and problematic self-hood by experiencing the literally fragmented bodies of the cows."
Abstract This paper uses works by Ashraf Rushdy ("Exquisite Corpse" and "On Impact") and D.B. Morris ("The Culture of Pain") to show how the authors go about expressing the severity of their subjects. The paper argues that, if adequate evidence of pain in literary writings is not furnished, then the writing itself will not attract the readers, nor will the readers be attracted to the idea of pain. It also shows that, if writers use pain as an attractive force in their writings in the way that Ashraf Rushdy has, a reader finds it much easier to accept what idea is expressed. In cases where writers do not provide evidence for the presence of pain in the writings, the work does not have an impact.
From the Paper "Rushdy's evidence of pain achieved through photography is vital, but he also reminds the reader that the evidence furnished in this way should be accompanied by the facts that are relevant to it. If the photographic evidence were inappropriately made use of, then untold upheavals could result. In a cultural setting photographic evidence has the ability to unleash the greatest of emotions, and thus great care must be taken to ensure that the evidence is not used inappropriately. The precaution is essential, and is so because of the fact that ?pictures of graphic violence still have to power to make an impression.? He describes on the basis of a photograph of a slain African American triggering violence in the US."
Abstract This paper provides a detailed, historical account of the battle of Bristoe Station. The leaders on both sides of the war, their tactical and strategic errors in battle, the backgrounds of many of the key players in the war, are all covered in this paper. Furthermore, the paper looks at economic factors affecting the war and the strategic consequences of the outcome of the war. The paper concludes with an assessment of the errors committed by General Lee at the battle and what can be about battle from his errors.
From the Paper "The Battle of Bristoe Station led many to question the Confederacy's grasp of tactics as it was a strategic blunder. In many respects, it confirmed assumptions made after the battle of Gettysburg that the leadership of the Army of Northern Virginia's officer corps was not infallible. It is the principle battle of the Bristoe campaign, one in which General Lee attempted to separate the Army of the Potomac from its supply lines and prevent the North from sending more troops to Georgia to make inroads into the Confederate interior. On October 14, A.P. Hill's corps stumbled on two Corps of the retreating Union army at Bristoe Station and attacked without proper reconnaissance. In fact, his opponents were Union soldiers of the II Corps, that lay to his right. Believing re-enforcement troops to be close at hand, Hill ordered Henry Heth's division to attempt to breach General Warren's well-fortified line behind the Orange & Alexandria Railroad embankment."
Tags: north, carolina, casualties, corpses, retreat, federals, vicksburg, meade, west, point, jackson
Abstract The major moral principles of most religions, the natural inclination of most children, and the analyses of most philosophers agree that animals should be treated with dignity and kindness. Today, many ordinary people are torn between their traditional meat-eating habits and a growing knowledge that meat-production in the Western world is unnecessarily cruel; meat-eating is the passive slaughter of an innocent living creature through horrendous suffering. In short, this paper shows that it is increasingly becoming obvious to many that meat-eating is incompatible with their intrinsic moral values. However, many more have no compunction about contributing to the suffering of a mere animal, and no few are actually attracted to the idea that by devouring meat they eat the corpse of an animal and take in something both tribal and somehow (in this modern world) sinful. It is the contention of this paper that for those whose conscience convicts them, meat-eating is wrong, but for those to whom death and consumption feels morally compelling, it is in fact right.
From the Paper "So to take a human example, consider Andy Stewart who is trying to decide if he wishes to be vegetarian. He hears the thoughts of Nozick, and is afraid that Nozick may be correct -- it is empirically immoral to be a sadist and kill a cow, isn"t it" He should not, however, be swayed by Nozick's personal moral beliefs that sadism is immoral, anymore than he should be inherently swayed by De Sade's theories that say sadism is inherently moral. Rather he should consider his own emotional state. He should, ideally, go to a factory farm and go to a slaughter house and see the truth of meat production for himself. If he can look a cow in the eyes, and then watch without moral compunction as it is herded up and slaughtered, then he has the moral right to eat meat - if he still can. If not, then he is not meant by his own nature to eat meat. Such moral honesty is the only morality left to a truly relativist world."
Abstract In William Shakespeare's "The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark", Hamlet's mother, Gertrude, is subject to interpretations of womanhood and responsibility for the death of her husband and her marriage to his brother. The paper shows that inconsistencies in her roles of wife and mother make Gertrude's position in Hamlet's life a point of confusion. Her faults are an outlet for Hamlet's rage and shame towards his father's situation as cuckold and corpse.
From the Paper "The subjectivity given to Gertrude's roles is a dividing point between the king and Hamlet in their plans for revenge. Gertrude is inconsistent in her affection, her drive and her degree of involvement in the death and cuckolding of the king uncertain. Nonetheless it is what others believe that shape their actions toward her. She is object to Hamlet's rage and his desires, the confusion of blame and identity. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark examines the role of the female in a masculine world overturned by its own establishments of marriage and inheritance as well as the function of the subversive feminine."
Abstract Forensic entomology is a relatively new area of study when it comes to murder, but it can tell a great deal that is very helpful to homicide investigations and other areas of law and medicine. It is for this reason that the interest in forensic entomology has continued to grow, and the field appears to fascinate many people. This is especially true when they begin to realize how much insects can tell humans. For the purposes of this paper, the field of forensic entomology is discussed only as it deals with homicide and what the insects on a corpse can tell medical examiners and law enforcement about time and place of death. The dipteran life cycle is also discussed, as it plays an important role in many of these kinds of investigations and is quite often used by forensic entomologists that are seeking answers.
From the Paper "Many laypeople became interested in forensic entomology through movies such as ?The Silence of the Lambs,? because forensic entomologists figured somewhat prominently in the movie. These forensic entomologists are now considered "cool" by many people who find the field gruesome and fascinating at the same time. This somewhat morbid fascination with death and what can be learned from a corpse has propelled forensic entomology, if not into the spotlight, than at least out on the edge of the stage. Forensic entomology may or may not be ?cool,? but it is a serious science and has much to tell individuals that are studying a corpse to determine when that person died and where. If foul play is thought to be involved, when the victim died and where can be pieces of evidence that would be considered very crucial in bringing the murderer to justice."
