Abstract This paper explains that all of the characters in "Of Mice and Men" seem to have been reared in violence; some are violent by nature, while others simply accept violent by saying sadistic behavior is part of the "normal" life of a drifter or a migrant farm worker. The paper comments that the presence of violence and sadism can easily be sensed in the actions and reactions of Lennie Small, the lumbering giant with the mind of a child. The author points out that Steinbeck himself was quite familiar with the trials and tribulations associated with being an outsider and a common laborer, much like George and Lennie in "Of Mice and Men".
From the Paper "In the scene where George and Lennie are on their way to the ranch to buck barley, the conversation turns to their last job in the little town of Weed, where Lennie had been attracted to a girl's red dress. After grabbing at her clothes, Lennie became so frightened by her screaming that George was forced to hit him over to head to make him let go of her. Following this incident, the duo ends up being chased by a mob out to lynch them for Lennie's treatment of the girl which in the eyes of the lynch mob was akin to attempted rape. In essence, this scene illustrates Steinbeck's power as a writer with his ability to bring into extraordinary scenes of social conflict the psychological forcefulness of Lennie's infantile reactions to the girl's red dress. But the violence of Lennie towards the girl pales in comparison to the violent reactions of the mob who are obviously either unaware of Lennie's child-like mind or simply see the situation as an opportunity to express their inner anger towards "a subhuman creature, unable to distinguish between right and wrong."
Abstract This paper examines how good outlaws who are on the run from the law are a typical theme of American cinema and how both "Something Wild," directed by Jonathan Demme, and "Thelma and Louise," directed by Ridley Scott, are of the 'road movie' genre, which features the American myth of the open road and free and easy access to changing one's life through motion.
From the Paper "Thus, both films deal with a problem-if feminism is about women's rights, what of women's rights if the law, for both men and women, is so often wrong. One reason both films provide different answers is that Something Wild involves a male and a female, while Thelma and Louise involves two females. Something Wild suggests that the female is only capable of full motion and movement on the open road in the presence of a male, while the plot of Thelma and Louise suggests that the road provides a potential means of escape for both men and women, and that the presence of men such as the cowboy/drifter of Brad Pitt can sunder female closeness."
Abstract This paper explains that the poems "Hard Work" by Stephen Dunn and "What I Wouldn't Do" by Dorianne Laux describe work, which is menial, repetitive and boring in atmospheres that are less then ideal, experiences so common as to be nearly universal. The author relates that, in "Hard Work", which is set in a Coca Cola bottling plant in the 1950s before total automation and robots, the narrator's job is to carry empty bottles to the line; whereas, in "What I Wouldn't Do", the narrator tells of a whole string of quite different "drifter" jobs. The paper concludes that the poems present valuable information that working for awhile at a low-status jobs give a sense of what a person wants to accomplish and how to proceed or, at least, a sense of what a person does not want to do for the rest of his or her life.
From the Paper "Later, the boy himself with a sense of anger, and emulating what he saw earlier, breaks some of the bottles deliberately, again for revenge and to impress the other men he works with. His "petty act of free will" is a way to get even for all the mindless hours spent on the line working for the riches of someone else. Coke, after all, is the quintessential American product. The Company reaps billions of dollars a year in profits, selling Coke in every country in the world, while the workers suffer hours on end of boredom, low pay, and a body that "hurt with that righteous hurt men have brought home for centuries." The term righteous hurt implies that "hard" work is supposed to be noble, a myth the narrator's father seems to have internalized but the narrator rejects."
Abstract In this article the writer discusses the two films "Thelma & Louise" and "Scarecrow". The writer points out that these films involve entirely different characters, settings, and outcomes, but notes that they have several themes that connect them in meaningful ways. The writer looks at the similarities and connecting themes. The writer then discusses ways in which the films are dissimilar.
Outline:
Picaresque Theme
Search for a Dream
Episodic 'Road Movie' Theme
Dissimilar Aspects of the Movies
Conclusion
From the Paper "In 'Thelma & Louise', the women start out searching for some enlightenment, seeking some fresh moments that will change their boring existences from stale to fresh, from dreary to exciting. When the only thing you have in life that is enjoyable is the company of another woman, going away with her for a spontaneous and impulsive journey is wonderful, even dream like (although that dream turns into a nightmare).
In Scarecrow, the two drifters have a dream of opening up a car wash that actually has real nylon brushes."
Abstract This paper summarizes the 1946 film "My Darling Clementine" by John Ford. The paper reviews the western film which follows the adventures and personal struggles of drifter Wyatt Earp in his journey into civilization. In particular, the author highlights Earp's personal struggle to avenge his younger brother's death and explains how this becomes a metaphor for the imposition of law and Christian morality upon the American West. The paper also explains how the film depicts an equivocal stand between civilization and chaos.
From the Paper "Doc's coughing grows noticeably worse as he talks with Clementine. The noise of the bar fades back, and Doc and the viewer can only focus on Clementine, who shames him with her purity, a purity that is even more intense because of the soft-focused glowing lighting that makes her face seem even more angelic and pale. They engage in a long dialogue in the saloon, the presence of Clementine in such a place seeming increasingly incongruous as the scene wears on. Clementine can only think that Doc has left her because he is sick, and is afraid of burdening her, but Doc's sickness is a metaphor for the sickness of his soul, not just that of his body, although he knows his physical enjoyment has destroyed his body."
Abstract This paper focuses on the development of documentary films. The paper first looks at the role of John Grierson in the development of the documentary film in the 1930s and examines his documentary called "The Drifters". The paper then looks at how Germans utilized the documentary film during World War II, specifically those films made by Leni Riefenstahl. Finally, the paper discusses the development of neorealism during and after World War II and how it borrowed a good deal from the documentary film.
Outline:
John Grierson and the Documentary Film Movement
The Documentary Film in Germany
The Development of Neorealism
From the Paper "John Grierson was a key figure in the development of the documentary film in the 1930s and beyond, helping to create and operate a number of documentary film units in Britain and Canada and himself directing a key documentary in 1930 called The Drifters. Grierson also wrote a good deal about the documentary, and while he never wrote a comprehensive aesthetic of the documentary, one can be gleaned from the many writings he did do."
