This paper looks at the different religious distortions and the meaning of how we use and view the world around us based on the movie, Babette's Feast and the book, "For the Life of the World."
Abstract This paper discusses the distortions in religion as they appear in the movie, Babette's Feast and the book, "For the Life of the World." The paper explains that there are three ways of practicing religion; religious, secular and sacramental. The paper goes on to explain why the sacramental view is the correct way to act and not the religious or secular views.
From the Paper "In the film Babette's Feast, a major religious point is being shown to the audience through a fable. This fable consists of several different characters: a pastor and his two daughters, Martina and Philippa, several suitors for these daughters, townspeople, and a French housemaid. The fable deals with the way that the townspeople relate to their God through their extremely pious actions and attitudes, and how these views become changed by the end of the movie through a feast given by the French maid, Babette. The lesson being taught by this movie also deals directly with explanations of the Christian religion by Alexander Schmemann in his book, For the Life of the World. The main lesson being taught deals with the various different ways of leading lives dedicated to God, and how each one in its own way is either right and wrong. These different views are: the Secular, which says that the physical is all there is, so do the most with it, the Religious, in which people try to get closer to God by distancing themselves from material things, and the Sacramental, which says that we should be thankful for the things because they were made by God and know that they are not all that there is, and by doing such we are living in communion with God. The movie shows the audience that the Secular distortion and the Religious distortion are both incorrect, and that the Sacramental view is the correct path through the reactions of the various groups to Babette's feast. "
Abstract The paper illustrates the use of distortion in art, literature, and theater using the examples of expressionism in art, William Faulkner's 'The Sound and the Fury' and Samuel Becket's play 'Waiting for Godot', in literature.
The paper highlights that expressionism is an art form that exemplifies exaggerated distortion in an attempt to further understand reality. In the literary world distortion is used in much the same way by representing absurdity and using distortion to explain important deceptions that make up every day life.
From the Paper "Expressionism was a movement in fine arts that emphasized the expression of inner experience rather than solely realistic portrayal, seeking to depict not objective reality but the subjective emotions and responses that objects and events arouse in the artist. It was an artistic style in which the artist sought to depict not objective reality but rather the subjective emotions and responses that objects and events arouse in him. The artist accomplished this through distortion, exaggeration, primitivism, and fantasy and through the vivid, jarring, violent, or dynamic application of formal elements."
Abstract This paper explains that sensationalism often replaces real news within the American media; thus, if a story, on the surface, seems banal and uneventful, the story will often be "tweaked" in such a manner as to provide viewers with a more dynamic and exaggerated sense of dramatics. The author points out that the proliferation of news bias often distorts consumer's views of what is actually occurring in the world because major world events typically are blown out of proportion in an effort to entertain and captivate viewers. The paper relates that, rather than focus on bland subject material, news reporters more often highlight news stories that entail criminal activity, death, and violence; this type of subject matter is much more dynamic and often causes viewers to tune in and stay actively involved in news broadcasts.
From the Paper "Glassner also points out that Americans view television as reality, which is a crime in and of itself. People don?t necessarily "reap an impression from television but rather take what is presented on TV as reality". Glassner also argues that media moguls won?t cover legitimate news issues such as the prevalence of uninsured Americans, because broadcast agents claim their would be no public interest in such matters. Rather, media agents create interest around such topics as violence and raw passion."
Abstract The main purpose of this paper is to analyze different aspects of Pulse Code Modulation including sampling theory, aliasing, quantizing and effect of non-uniform quantization. Each part of the paper begins with the theoretical analysis; then the simulation results are presented. Finally the practical measurement results are demonstrated and discussed. For better analysis and subjective evaluation of quantization process, a Java-MATLAB application is developed (the source codes are included). Finally in the conclusion, the main points of each part are summarized.
Outline
Introduction
Pulse Modulations
Pulse Code Modulation
Sampling
Nyquist Sampling Theorem and the Aliasing Distortion Zero Order Hold (ZOH)
Effect of Output Pulse Width
Aliasing Distortion Variation of the Output Filter Bandwidth
Quantization
PCM Quantization Analysis: Java-MATLAB Software Application
Peak clipping
Quantization Distortion Spectrum of Quantization Noise
Non-Uniform Quantization
The i law
Quantization Distortion for a Companded System
Conclusion
References
Appendix A: Java Software Source code
From the Paper "Sampling is the first step in any pulse modulation system. In fact by sampling, a signal is represented by set of discrete samples. If the frequency of the sampling is high enough, the original signal can be recovered from the samples. This concept will be examined with more details later. From the mathematical point of view, the sampling process can be considered as the multiplication of the message signal by a train of Dirac impulses. "
Abstract This paper relates that the main character of "The Great Gatsby" is Nick Carraway, who leaves Minnesota to travel to New York, believing that it is in New York where he can make his fortune and live the American Dream. The paper looks at how the values that Nick brought to New York from Minnesota are constantly challenged as Nick wends his way through the maze of relationships and deceit that snares him in his West Egg, New York life. The paper attempts to show that what Nick finds, instead of success and personal satisfaction, is disillusionment with the American Dream and a desire to return to the life that he knew at home.
Outline:
Quality of Distortion Distorted People
Distorted Dreams
Distorted Values
From the Paper "Nick has a similar past to that of Jay Gatsby. Like Gatsby, he comes from the Midwest. Like Gatsby, he desires to get ahead in life. And, like Gatsby, Nick believes that going to New York is the way to accomplish that goal. However, unlike Gatsby, Nick makes an attempt to retain his personal values instead of being caught up by the vortex that swept up Gatsby. For a short time, Nick finds himself tempted by the life that Gatsby leads. He briefly flirts with the fast life, enjoying his brief love affair with Jordan Baker. After Gatsby's death, however, Nick decides to return to the more grounded life he once led."
Abstract This research paper investigates the impact of instructional conditions on the scores of three parenting measures: the Adult/Adolescent Parenting Inventory, the Child Abuse Potential Inventory, and the Parenting Stress Index. It explores the ability of the measures validity indexes to detect response distortions. The paper states that most parenting-measure scores change significantly as a result of parents' attempts to distort their responses. The paper provides extensive information and statistics.
Table of Contents:
Abstract
Introduction
Method
Test Instruments
Procedure
Results
Validity Measures
Discussion
References
From the Paper "In this study, we explored the impact of instructional conditions (fake good, be honest, fake bad, and respond randomly) on AAPI, CAP Inventory, and PSI scores. Because the assumption was that parents can distort their responses on parenting measures when they are asked or are motivated to do so, parenting-scale score differences were expected for both general-population and at-risk (for child physical abuse) parents across the instructional conditions. Scores indicating low risk on the three parenting measures were expected following the instruction to fake good, whereas scores indicating high risk were expected following the instruction to fake bad. Parents in the be-honest condition were expected to earn scores that fall between parents' scores in the fake-good and fake-bad conditions."
Abstract This paper examines the methods by which writers are able to capture and present reality without actually portraying what is real but instead by showing a distorted reality. The author examines Hunter S. Thompson's "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" and Don DeLillo's "White Noise" to see how these writers use reality in their works and to compare the similarities and differences between them. The paper states that this genre of distortion focuses on subjective stories, shunning the theme of external reality, which is popular in realist books, in favor of an examination of the internal mind.
From the Paper "Clearly "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" is a story about the disillusion of the American Dream. It presents reality to the reader through the perspective of two drug-crazed individuals hopelessly pursuing the illusionary dream. Further, the entire pursuit occurs in the Nevada desert, in Las Vegas, the city that represents the consumerist culture that has somehow come to be the American Dream. These facts alone demonstrate how the author successfully presents reality by simply distorting it to such a point that it no longer exists."
Abstract This paper examines how race and gender are distorted by the media and how this distortion influences reality. The writer discusses how the American public has created a universal understanding of what they believe about Black America through images presented by the media. In addition, the writer believes that the imagery presented in the media of women has gradually slanted towards more straightforward sexist imagery and language. The writer also discusses the power implications resulting from these images. The writer concludes that the media needs to take responsibility for their actions and illustrate women as more than just an outline in front of a black screen - but as individuals who raise children and create change in society.
From the Paper "A filmmaker's ultimate role is to properly present images in sequence that tell a story and/or conveys a message or several of them. With various imagery tools, movies present a message in a way that makes them seem natural and fitting for the context that it is presented in. Whether it's a horror movie, documentary or educational film, the media gives us ways of imagining particular groups, identities and situations (Bronton & Stafford 141). This is most often defined as a stereotype."
Tags: film, magazine, news, images, movies, racism, Black, people
A comparison between Aristotle and Arendt's works with regards to the way in which they both describe the ideology of various forms of governments within their works.
Abstract The following paper compares Aristotle's "A Definition of Justice," focusing on the connection between the freedom that democrats seek through political participation and the virtue that aristocrats see through elite rule. In her work "Ideology and Terror," Hannah Arendt reasons that the power of totalitarian states rises from the extreme distortion of logical premises coupled with the use of terror to enforce the ideology. This paper examines how both authors identify the ideology of the government from their era and describe the conditions of a society ruled by each government within their works; however, Aristotle and Arendt differ in their opinions on human oppression.
From the Paper "History has witnessed constant oscillations between various forms and functions of government, from tyrannies to republics. In turn, these governments and their relation to the individual citizen have been the focus of many great thinkers. Both authors identify the ideology of the government from their era and describe the conditions of a society ruled by each government within their works; however, Aristotle and Arendt differ in their opinions on human oppression."
Tags: justice, oligarchy, politics, totalitarianism, human, oppression, tyranny, distortion, era
Abstract This paper reviews and analyzes the film through exploring the main theme, namely, the protagonist's psychosis and obsession. It also looks at the theme of the immoderation of the 1980's . It looks at how the images, environment and music of the film facilitates and reinforces its 1980's setting. It develops the idea of the lack of self-identity on the part of the protagonist and his awareness of his mental distortion. The murder scenes in the film are then analyzed for the messages about the protagonist and the society that they reveal.
From the Paper "The character being portrayed in the movie is a kind of a man who believes to spend his life on his own. He used to dine at the finest restaurants of the city, wears the fanciest cloths and has a unique way of living. Working as a Vice President of Pierce and Pierce, he is considered to be one of the most disciplined executives of the company. As Mr. Patrick Bateman keeps on enjoying his routine life, socializing with his lover and other female counterparts, his life is suddenly disturbed because of the disappearance of one of his rivals, Mr. Paul Allen, and the detective directs his investigation towards Patrick."
This paper is a review of Swatos' "Globalization and Religious Fundamentalism" that presents the case that there has been a strong movement to incorporate religion in a globalized manner that gives fundamentalists a foothold in the world's institutions.
Abstract This paper states that Swatos? book reviews the global resurgence of religion, which has distorted traditional religious interpretation and boundaries. The author believes that religion has been employed in areas, such as politics, where it is not acceptable. The paper explains the book explores various religious movements commonalities to understand the attraction that enables the entrance into unreachable associations.
From the Paper "From Jerry Falwell to the Moral Majority to various presidential scandals, the author notes how religion has been implicated in situations it would have never been just a quarter of a century ago. There has been a strong movement to incorporate religion in such a globalized manner that it infiltrates the very furthest crevices of humanity; in doing so, fundamentalists hope to gain a substantial foothold in the world's community as a means by which to push its beliefs."
Abstract This paper explains that adolescence is a tough period especially for child-parent relationship, and the problem is compounded if the parent is alcoholic. The paper states that in alcoholics are more likely to marry partners who abuse alcohol; therefore, the child is at a genetic risk to inherit a genetic inclination toward alcoholism through the combined lineage of the father and the mother. The author believes that the most adverse outcome that occurs is the distortion of an adolescent's perception of how families should be like.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Parenting Skills
Marital Relations and Family Environment
Setting an Example
Summary and Conclusion
From the Paper "Beginning with conduct disorders, there is usually a positive relation between parental alcoholism and conduct disorders, especially in male offspring. This is primarily due to the disharmony and the environmental disruption caused by parental alcoholism. Secondly, just as older studies found a higher predominance of hyperkinetic children with alcoholic fathers; recent studies continue to support these findings. Moreover, prenatal exposure to alcohol is also positively associated with hyperactivity. Thirdly and perhaps, the most everlasting effect of alcohol abuse among parents over adolescents is the probability that the children themselves get into the same habit of problem drinking or substance abuse. There have been some positive results found in studies investigating the relationship between parental alcoholism and alcohol abuse in adolescents. One study revealed that children of alcoholic parents were more likely to get involved with abuse of other substances like cannabis, speed and cocaine. A more recent study also reported a higher use of alcohol and other substances."
Abstract This essay discusses the significant influence that television news media has on teenagers. Evidence suggests that law-breaking and acts of hooliganism by teenagers are on the rise and that this phenomenon is connected to the news as well as to the influence of the media in general. News media also influences ideal body image distortion among teenage girls.
Abstract This paper examines the movie, "Braveheart", which tells the story of the thirteenth-century Scottish hero, William Wallace, who led his countrymen in a quest to gain freedom from the oppressive rule of King Edward I of England. It looks at how the movie distorts its two central characters and contains many inaccuracies, although it heroically depicts William Wallace and the conflict between England and Scotland. It analyzes how, although the basic plot of the film is historically accurate, it overly simplifies the characters of Wallace and Edward. It also shows how the film's representation of Wallace illustrates the attitudes and beliefs that the Scots have held for him throughout the years. Although William Wallace and King Edward were powerful and pivotal foes in the fight for Scottish Independence, Wallace's many faults are overlooked in the movie in order to depict him as a Hollywood hero. Additionally, Edward is villanized to the extreme, despite his legitimate actions as King.
From the Paper "Despite the oversimplification of his character in Braveheart, King Edward was actually a practical and effective ruler. Although Edward was a strict ruler, he became king at a time when feudalism was breaking down in Europe. A firm hand was needed to maintain stability in England as social structures changed. Additionally, his attempted occupation of Scotland would have also benefited England as a whole. Like many logical rulers of the time, Edward wanted to expand his United Kingdom. Increased land holdings were equated with increased royal superiority and national power. It was the aim of many rulers, not just Edward, to protect themselves and increase their power. Edward was given the opportunity, by the nobles of Scotland, to further this aim and acted accordingly."
This paper states that, since nearly every sector of our lives is affected by modern media, the media has a profound and ubiquitous influence on public opinion.
Abstract This paper explains that bias is an endemic and unavoidable part of the newsgathering and reportage process, especially in the area of racial bias. The author points out that advertising, another area in which the media can have a profound influence on public opinion, has achieved the status of a carefully crafted art form whose message can have a negative effect on individuals and society because of selected bias. The paper relates that some of the ways in which bias is influencing public opinion are (1) disguising opinions as news by using loaded language and well-portioned adverbs or adjectives and (2) providing selective content by failing to give proper context and full background information, which distorts the true picture.
From the Paper "While the most extreme form of media bias in shaping public opinion is propaganda, the most infamous use of the media influencing public opinion was no doubt the way in which the Nazis influenced the German public. However, there are many instances in the contemporary world where media bias, which tends towards propaganda, is prevalent. The political manipulation of pubic onion is known as propaganda. An example of the way in which the media can influence public perception through suggesting a sense of legitimacy is through polling and a constant stream of subjective media reports. The method of influencing the public is termed self-fulfilling polling."
