‘The Bloody Chamber, the characters and elements of gothic Essay Example for Free

‘The Bloody Chamber, the characters and elements of gothic Essay The genre of gothic literature contains both elements of horror and romance, with an innocent female, a powerful male (usually the quintessential villain), as well as themes to do with the supernatural as key features included in the novel. In this chapter, elements of the gothic begin in the very title of the book: the ‘bloody’ in ‘The Bloody Chamber’ associates the idea of death and gore, a more horrific element of the gothic genre; the ‘Chamber’ itself now sounds more claustrophobic and similar to a torture chamber, due to the link to blood. However, blood can be interpreted in different ways throughout the extract, even in a romantic way in this example: ‘the wedding dress†¦wrapped up in†¦red ribbon’. Juxtaposing the red of the ribbon with the white of the dress (which symbolises innocence) could represent the staining of virgin blood on a pure dress, or scarring of one’s purity with blood, to represent taking somebody’s identity with them – the person who took her virginity is the one she’ll belong to for the rest of her life. Not only is there a presence of a pure and desirable female (‘the wedding dress he’d bought me’ – hinting at the fact he wants her and he shall buy her this wedding dress and her mother a dress so as to encourage her to marry him), who is dominated by a male (he bought her the dress, instead of letting her choose the design†¦a controlling character), but the fact there is a transition from everyday life to something bigger is also a major element of the gothic genre. Transition at the very beginning of the novel is also illustrated in another gothic novel Dracula (when Harker is travelling to Transsylvania to Count Dracula’s castle). The female character is travelling from her home, ‘the narrow bedroom (she) had left behind forever’ into ‘the unguessable country of marriage’. This brings forward a sense of excitement and uncertainty as to whether marriage will live up to her expectations or worsen her intentions of getting away from poverty – whether it will make her happier. The narrator of the chapter, clearly a female, seems to have a mixture of characteristics, making it difficult to read her true personality. From the beginning of the chapter, she seems a rather passionate but at the same time innocent figure: ‘my burning cheeks pressed against the impeccable linen of the pillow†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢. The burning of her cheeks suggests a fast flow of blood, blood now being represented in a different way – for passion and excitement. The impeccable pillow brings forward an image of a white crispy pillow, untouched beforehand, just like a virgin. The two opposites placed together, one on top of the other, juxtaposes passion and innocence which could be interpreted in several ways: both the groom and bride juxtaposed together to form opposites, or the narrator’s character, confusing the audience on purpose. This point makes the narrator unreliable, as we do not particularly understand her real character at this point in the book. And I remember’ – the fact she is using her memory as a point of narration, instead of the present day actions makes her even more unreliable as we cannot trust what she may and may not remember. A journal or another character could have made her story more reliable otherwise. An unreliable narrator is a huge element of gothic literature, and the fact that the female character is the unreliable narrator so far, breaks the boundaries of gothic literature (as only male v illains were described as such before). However the male character in the chapter remains unreliable to the reader. He seems mysterious, and not described in major detail – the only details collated by the reader are the fact he is fairly rich (bought her the wedding dress, as well as a luxurious dress for her mother), rather controlling over his future bride ( the girl abandoned her items in her room – perhaps because he wouldn’t let her bring her possessions with her). The lack of description set by the narrator only leaves the reader to guess to his personality, but it also shows that the girl isn’t particularly excited by her groom, perhaps preferring not to mention or think about him as it may discomfort her. Her mother seems like a matured character, one who developed from the girl who sacrificed her rich background and family for love, but after losing him, fought her way for her and her daughters’ survival. Having seen this change in her, her daughter must have looked up to her – which is where her sensible side comes from (‘I know I want to marry him’ – having to marry the man). This woman doesn’t seem to fit in any context in gothic, apart from when the groom gives her identity in the gothic genre; by gifting her a black dress, which to me symbolises decay and the overlooked, he is showing the girl the person she will one day turn into, therefore degrading the females in that family into white and black, differentiating their characters but also showing the link between them – what the black once was, and what the white shall one day turn into. The male characters described in the chapter – the father and the groom – both seem honourable, either due to civil service or the amount of money they are worth, and are most certainly recognised for it. This is shown by the fathers’ medals of honour and the groom’s availability in having a ‘treasure wife’ or a woman of his choice, who marries him for his money’s worth. Without his money, he wouldn’t particularly have his bride. However, although the women in the chapter do seem honourable in their own way, such as the mother surviving the hardships of poor life without a husband and the daughter making a courageous decision in marrying someone she isn’t in love with for economic purpose (and both trying to overcome a loved man’s death in hard times) – they are not entirely recognised for it. Instead, the young lady could be passed off as rather naive, due to the ecstasy (or exaggeration) of her descriptions, and the woman as having no purpose other than mourn her husband’s death and her daughter’s departure. There is already a difference in the male-female importance and stereotype ratio, making the author already (either purposefully or accidentally) sexist in their work†¦this being another key element of gothic literature. However this could also be counter argued by stating that neither of the characters on the page are named, therefore are still all equals. In conclusion, the opening chapter introduces the characters to a good level of understanding for the audience and throws essential elements of gothic literature (exaggeration, juxtaposing, and sexism, symbolism) to set the mood.

Invention of the Phonograph Essay -- Exploratory Essays Research Paper

Invention of the Phonograph The idea of the phonograph came from the man who invented the light bulb. Thomas Alva Edison is one of the greatest inventors of all time decided to create this invention. In 1877, Edison was working on a machine that would decipher telegraphic messages to paper tape. He used a diaphragm with an embossing point. This would be held onto a moving paraffin paper. Thus when spoken into it, the vibrations made indentations on it. Edison decided to change the idea by using a tin foil wrapped metal cylinder instead of the paper. The final cylinder phonograph had 2 diaphragm and needle units. One would be for recording date and the other would be for playing it. For the machine to work, one would have to speak into a mouthpiece and the sound vibrations would be imprinted on the cylinder. Then the recording needle would create some sort of groove pattern on the cylinder. The data can then played by back by the data from the created grooves. From this invention Edison started the Edison Speaking Phonograph Company in 1878. Edison had received $10,000 for the sales and manufacturing rights plus 20% of the profits from this company. The machine had a variety of uses including dictation, creating listening books, a sort of a â€Å"family record† which had precious recorded memories of the family like last words, teaching elocution, adn other uses as well The cylinder phonograph proved to be successful, but the problem with the machine was that the tin foil only allowed a few uses. With the help of another great inventor, new advances could be made to improve this invention. The inventor of the telephone, Alexander Graham Bell, had set up a laboratory for his cousin, Chichester Bell and Charles Tainter. Bell a... ...ndex.asp?s=1&mode=long. 7. â€Å"The History of the Edison Cylinder Phonograph.† American Memory: Historical Collects for National Digital Library 13 Mar. 2003. http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/edhtml/edcyldr.html. 8. â€Å"The History of the Edison Disc Phonograph.† American Memory: Historical Collects for National Digital Library 13 Mar. 2003. http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/edhtml/eddschst.html. 9. â€Å"The History of Turntablism.† Ilikemusic.com. 21 Mar. 2003. http://www.ilikemusic.com/index.asp?fdLocation=%2Farticle%2Easp%3FfdSectionid%3D2%26fdSubsectionid%3D11%26fdArticleId%3D128. 10. â€Å"The Rave Page.† Angelfire.com 13 Mar. 2003. http://www.angelfire.com/ar2/raves/. 11. â€Å"Turntables and CD players.† Turnt(L)able.com 13 Mar. 2003. http://www.turntablelab.com/index1.html. 12. â€Å"Turntable History.† Enjoy the Music.com 13 Mar. 2003. http://www.turntablelab.com/index1.html.

Media Influence Essay

The Mass Media is a unique feature of modern society; its development has accompanied an increase in the magnitude and complexity of societal actions and engagements, rapid social change, technological innovation, rising personal income and standard of life and the decline of some traditional forms of control and authority. There is an association between the development of mass media and social change, although the degree and direction of this association is still debated upon even after years of study into media influence. Many of the consequences, either detrimental or beneficial, which have been attributed to the mass media, are almost undoubtedly due to other tendencies within society. Few sociologists would refute the importance of the mass media, and mass communications as a whole, as being a major factor in the construction and circulation of social understanding and social imagery in modern societies. Therefore it is argued that the mass media is used as â€Å"an instrument†, both more powerful and more flexible than anything in previous existence, for influencing people into certain modes of belief and understanding within society. The question of medias influence on society and its cultural framework has often been debated upon from leading theorists to anyone with any form of media connections, but to contemplate that a character in Coronation Street or Eastenders can have an influence on an audience members attitude, beliefs or interpretations of society is a very simplistic and debatable version of the truth. The media does influence, but using more diverse and subtle roles of impact. Some theorists suggest that it is even a case of society influencing the media and not the more widespread and presumed version. History In the early 1930’s, the Payne Studies study took place into the effects and influences of the mass media on the society as a whole using, at times, theories or beliefs that dated back to the late nineteenth century. This is regarded as one of the first in the area of or notion that the mass media has an affect on the societal attitudes and beliefs of that time. This was soon follow around about a decade later in 1941 by Katz, Berelson, and Lazarsfeld who also decided to research into the topic of media effects, a research which produced the now commonly known ‘Minimum Effects Model’. The main aspect of this research being to investigate any possible link or factor that may influence voting behaviour. As has been described in numerous literature it’s ‘discovery’ was that the mass media played little or no part in the process of the formation of any political opinion, attitude or preference. They came to the conclusion that the biggest factor influencing people was not the media, but other people. By the 1960’s, there was a revival of Marxist attitudes, and so the work of Katz, Lazarsfeld, and Berelson was largely dismissed in favour of re-examining the model of research into media effects, due to the modifications the mass media had undergone in the post 1941 period, to consider another way in which to investigate the influence and the effects of the media. Influence, society and individuals As Jane Root wrote in the book â€Å"Open The Box†, which delves into the possibilities of media influence, â€Å"It has a role in defining what we think of as a natural†¦it helps to map out who we think we are†. To look at the medias effect and influence, there is an underlying need to define influence as we understand it in relation to society and it’s overall effect. Media is a major piece within society that is often linked to the notion of social influence. Society understands the notion or concept of being influenced as an â€Å"external force† (the media) linking itself or connecting with a personal action or viewpoint of the recipient. (John Corner: 2000: 378) The forces of influence that have been described as a major power in media effects are those that are circumstantial and directed, those which can be placed within a framework or model, for example â€Å"uses and gratifications†,  those of a generic function but ultimately those which state perspectives, interpretations, and measurements which can lead to evidence and proof. Uses & Gratifications Model A systematic and widely used model in social sciences study of media influence over the effects on an audience concerning behaviour, attitudes and beliefs, is the theory of uses and gratifications. This theory can be linked to the notion of social belonging and how an audience can be deceived into believing that this concept can be achieved. The tenet underlying this approach to studying audiences was that individuals actively consume and use the media in order to meet certain needs. In reality, with the power belonging in the focus of the media, it can be defined as a tool of subliminal persuasion. (O’Sullivan, Dutton, Raymer: 1998) Blumler and Katz (1974) concluded that audience’s fulfilment of needs came within the broad generalisation of four desires: * Diversion – a form of escape or emotional release from  everyday pressures. * Personal Relationships – companionships via television personalities and  characters and sociability through discussion about television with other people. * Personal Identity – the ability to compare one’s life with characters and  situations within programmes, and hence explore personal problems and perspectives. * Surveillance – a supply of information about what is going on in the  world. It is believed that this need to gratify its audience with the pursuit of an idealistic social fulfilment provides the media the opportunity to convey subliminal messages that may influence our opinions, interpretations and understanding of societal factors. The thought that the media is an overwhelming force that influences their audiences through the means of appealing to their desires and needs, must be examined in contrast with the notion that â€Å"every one is free†. Meaning that the mass media’s audience can resist being controlled, simply through choice. An individual always has the option of simply not watching that programme or not reading that particular newspaper. An individual makes the choice, and the selection that is made will merely underpin the views and inclinations that they already have. Television Violence It is believed that the most prominent sign of the mass medias influence is the link to violent programmes and violence within society. Some, technological determinists extend to the belief that the television has altered the world, and it is an â€Å"evil thing that rots the minds of youth†. Television characters are repeatedly recognized as heroes, due to the gaining of respect and numerous other rewards through their actions, they are especially likely to be imitated. For instance at the height of it’s British dominance of children’s television, The Power Rangers were the cause of a large number of accidents, injuries and quarrels that its young audience endured due to the imitation of the characters movements and actions. It may also act as a cue to aggressive behaviour, through desensitisation, uninhibitedness and stimulation. Scenes of violence in a horror film allegedly influenced the two accused ten year olds involved in the infamous James Bulger murder, in which a young boy was abducted and killed. It is  said that they undertook the resulting actions after becoming intrigued and excited by the violent scenes within the horror movie Childs Play. At the accused’ trial the defence made an attempt to present an argument that their actions could be explained through their fascination to television and films which distorted their understandings of society, reality and moral values. Also, it has been noted that naturally aggressive people may simply choose and prefer to watch more violent programmes than of any other nature. Friedrich and Stein found that aggressive-prone children are likely to become even more aggressive after watching violent television. A report made by the United States Surgeon General concluded that television violence is influential, as many as 25% of child viewers may be affected. But what it doesn’t take into account is that other research undertaken had shown, that from over 300 studies using numerous amounts of children, there was no direct effect of the violence portrayed through the mass media on the youth of contemporary society, though there is considerable disagreement between different studies. For instance it could be concluded that violence can never be considered the sole cause of delinquent behaviour, it may possibly just act to reinforce or affect those that are already prone to such tendencies. These examples have been noted as possible indications of the effects of the mass media through the means of expression of television violence, but the media is accused of also acting in more subliminal ways when looked at through the vehicle of the print based and television news. News The mass media present a stereotyped picture of life, which can often lead to undesirable prejudices within not just national, but international, society. The mass media and in particular the television and print based news are often accused as being a significant source, in wide ranging and varied ways, of enhancing common stereotypes. It is argued now that in the case of women, ethnic groups, the disabled, certain professions, the old, the  physically unattractive and even nationalities are all presented according to accepted stereotypes. As â€Å"the war on terrorism† in Afghanistan rages on the news that has come from that region has had exactly the same type of subliminal messaging that was continually occurring in the Gulf War press. The aim of that journalism was to distinguish the language concerning both sides that were at war. During the Gulf War the descriptions given to the opposite sides were of a distinct nature as to enhance the British reputation and to condemn the Saddam regime. British troops â€Å"took out†, â€Å"suppressed† and â€Å"eliminated† their opposition because of an â€Å"old fashioned sense of duty† because they are â€Å"professionals†, â€Å"brave† and â€Å"lion-hearted†, whereas Saddam’s army simply â€Å"killed† and â€Å"destroyed† because they â€Å"feared Saddam† and were â€Å"cowardly† and â€Å"Bastards of Baghdad† (O’Sullivan, Dutton, Rayner: 1998:80). These binary oppositions are used as a form of media propaganda, the conscious manipulation of information in order to gain political advantage. By using the media as a tool of manipulation the Conservative government of the Gulf War era and the Labour government of the present day have effectively stereotyped the opposition in order to provide national unity and enhance their own political agendas. Studies have also been carried out to study the effects of television on political behaviour, with Blumler (1970) as just one, concluding that television had little or no discernible influence over the viewer. Construction of the news is another way in which the mass media can have an influence over the masses. Through the placement of certain aspects of, for example, a news feature or the selective process made by editors it preserves the notion of media influence continually. Television and print based news, due primarily to their fixation with crime and violence arguably has a pessimistic impact upon our societal behaviour. The news can be described as being an oxymoron; giving us the skin of the truth stuffed with a lie. I personally do not concur with this as I consider that generally news does not lie, except it does not inform the audience of the entire truth by omitting the less interesting and dramatic parts. A news program is  primarily focused on the facts, but for the purposes of television and the print based media they tend to emphasise on the dramatic, generally violent stories and images to capture and sustain its audience, under the facade of keeping it informed. The med ias influence through the news is that it affects the public both consciously and subconsciously, and in some cases sends us about our lives unnecessarily fearing the remote dangers that we see excessively portrayed in the news. Stereotyping Children’s programmes especially have a tendency to amplify stereotypes, presenting â€Å"goodies† and â€Å"baddies† within episodes. The confirmation of their stereotypes may makes children feel more comfortable with themselves if they can place someone within a group. Also some children often only have their contact with some minority groups through the television. Greenfield (1984) found that Sesame Street’s use of ethnic and disabled minorities has had positive affects on children, particularly those from the minority groups who feel greater cultural pride and self-confidence. Certain events are over-reported, such as violent or sex crimes, and this acts to alter public opinion. Cohen (1965) suggests that the media creates moral panics by widely reporting an initially minor event, which leads to further comprehensive reports, detection of causes or troublemakers. Radio Cantril (1940) is often referred back upon as a classic example of how the mass media can influence through the gaining of trust. It refers to an incident in the late thirties that caused a widespread public panic in America after a radio station broadcast of H.G.Wells’ fictional narrative War of the Worlds. The production involved a series of news bulletins in which the reporter gave a â€Å"live† account of a Martian invasion. A lot of listeners had tuned in a few moments after the show had begun and so, apparently unaware that the program was of a fictitious nature, believed what they were hearing was the truth and so began becoming hysterical, with some taking to the streets and others even packing up their belongings as  quickly as they could and driving off in order to avoid the attacks. Cantril’s study was the documentation of media-social relations at the time and so the â€Å"invasion† pointed towards the influence that the radio had over the masses, as they truly believed the broadcast. The primary factor in the â€Å"invasion† was the trust that the public had in radio journalism being unwittingly extended to a practical simulation. What was evident from this episode was the steady, gradual and routine influence that the mass media as a whole had exerted, led to the radio broadcasts listeners faith that they were being attacked (Corner: 2000: 385). This case has been cited as being an excellent example of the â€Å"Hypodermic Needle Model†, a hypothesis which asserts that the media are dominant agents of influence, capable of â€Å"injecting† ideas and behaviours directly into fairly inert audiences of isolated individuals. It could also be marked down as not only showing the behavioural changes that can arise from a single piece of media output but also the underlying example of media influence that experts have looked for through experiments or fieldwork. Conclusion In closing, there are perceived to be constantly changing views on the influence that is exerted by the mass media. At first there was the attitude that the media was forcing itself upon us in such a way as to exert its influence and shape our beliefs, actions and values. Now though as time has moved on, theorists are thinking about this area of research in other ways and through diverse approaches. There was a shift in the perspective of researchers within audience reception in the seventies and is evident none more so than in the statement made by James Halloran (1970): â€Å"We must get away from the habit of thinking in terms of what the media do to people and substitute for it the idea of what people do with the media.† The technological determinist view, which states an overemphasis on the part of the mass media as the major, if not solitary cause of societal and  cultural changes, which have effected actions and beliefs, is not the view that I personally would concur with. In my opinion the mass media is an incredible tool of persuasion and could influence somebody undoubtedly. Mass media audiences are arguably on the whole not passive, and so the amount of influence that is exerted upon the recipient depends entirely on the individual. As most pieces of media output are â€Å"polysemic† in nature, meaning that it is capable of having different meanings and readings from person to person (O’Sullivan, Dutton, Rayner: 1998:327), the way in which, or by how much, an individual is influenced is entirely through choice. Bibliography * O’Sullivan, Dutton, Rayner: (1998): Arnold Publishers â€Å"Studying The Media: Second Edition† The following authors were cited from â€Å"Studying The Media: Second Edition† James Halloran (1970) Blumler and Katz (1974) James Curran & Michael Gurevitch: (2000): Arnold Publishers â€Å"Mass Media And Society: Third Edition† Chapter 19: John Corner: (2000) Within Chapter 19, written by John Corner the following authors were cited: Cantril (1940) Blumler (1970) * John Eldridge, Jenny Kitzninger, Kevin Williams: (1997): Oxford Uni. Press Inc â€Å"The Mass Media & Power In Modern Britain† The following authors were cited from â€Å"The Mass Media & Power In Modern Britain†: Greenfield (1984) Friedrich and Stein United States Surgeon General Report Cohen (1965) * Jane Root: (Unknown): (Unknown) â€Å"Open The Box†

Theme of Brotherly Love in Sonny’s Blues’ and The Red...

Theme of Brotherly Love INTRODUCTION Humanity experiences and shares different types of love because of its social nature, love that is synonymous with affection exist between likeminded and behavioral beings; brotherly love exists between siblings born to one mother or father o a combination of both. Although this definition is subjective, brotherly love extends beyond ones kinship to include persons whom you share same beliefs and values in life, in religious circles brotherly love is shown to members whom you share with same doctrines. The theme of brotherly love is illustrated in the story ‘Sonny’s Blues’ and ‘The Red Convertible’ using literary language and by use of stylistic devices amazingly. Both stories have brothers as protagonists. This paper illustrates the theme of brotherly love in the stories and gives relevant citations as examples. BROTHERLY LOVE IN SONNY’S BLUES Sonny’s Blues is a novella with Sonny and his brother a teacher as main characters; Sonny engaged in drug use and peddling an act that landed him prison where his brother visited him and eventually on release he lived with him. Sonny’s parents died at different times during the racial segregation epoch in America, they were African-Americans who suffered victimization. Before her mother’s death, she had instructed Sonny’s senior brother - a teacher- to take care of him because the surrounding world was dark symbolic for unfriendly. The theme of brotherly love begins when their mother requests them