Friday, May 22, 2020
Morality And Its Effect On Society - 1474 Words
Morality is compatible with politics, for it is the people who create politics and in them rest morals. Morality itself rest in the individual, and as such is interpreted in various ways; when put together it is only natural that the definition of morality as a whole is simplified and thus individual interpreting is compromise and also, a consensus is reached. As discussed in the ââ¬Å"Apologyâ⬠and elaborated in ââ¬Å"Crito,â⬠Socratesââ¬â¢ stance is moral in nature but is in line with politics, in relation to todayââ¬â¢s issue of marriage equality; that is the law is made and must be obeyed and when you involve independent thinking the political sphere will begin to fall. For equal marriage in the US it is simply an understanding of what marriage is in the eyes of the government, and that is: a contract between two individuals who feel that a life, legally, together is beneficial to them in some ways. Morality is a personal idea of what is genuinely good and bad, (whereas ethics is concerned with how and in what way one acts) morality is in line with in what is good and bad for that person. This being the case, each individual is subject to two areas of acting, the first is morally or in themselves and the other is in the public realm, and thus who they understand what is good in themselves they will proceed to act in some way in the public realm. It is in the public realm where morality and politics collide, for the laws of the land are not always in sync with oneââ¬â¢s own understanding ofShow MoreRelatedMorality And Its Effect On Society855 Words à |à 4 Pagesacquire morality. Some say that morality is a learned behavior, and others contribute human morality to a view of fairness, or unfairness. I believe that morality is declining in our society, and its decline has a negative effect on society. Does the passing of time change morality or will society change with the passing of time? We can seek the answer to that question by e xploring different aspects of our society to determine if a decline of morality has any negative effect on our society. SpecificallyRead MoreMorality And Its Effect On Society1196 Words à |à 5 PagesA utilitarian can prove that punishment is moral because it will reduce crime, it will give satisfaction to society, and it will deter other potential offenders. Punishment involves the deliberate infliction of suffering on an offender for a violation they caused such as a crime they did. Since punishment involves inflicting a pain or suffering to a criminal similar to an offender inflicts pain on his victim, it has generally been agreed that punishment requires moral justification. UtilitarianismRead MoreThe Effect Of Decaying Morality On Society934 Words à |à 4 PagesThe Effect of Decaying Morality on Society The ability to distinguish between actions that are right or wrong, is an innate characteristic designed into every person. There are many scientific theories that attempt to explain how individuals acquire morality. Psychologist say that morality is a learned behavior, and others contribute human morality to a view of fairness, or unfairness. My point is, I believe that morality is declining in our society, and its decline has a negative effect on societyRead MoreSexual Morality And Its Effects On Society1796 Words à |à 8 Pageswould provide complete information about all the aspects of sexual morality and would also elaborate why the impact of the same is negative or bad. Also, to support the conclusion, information would be phased after considering details from both online and outlines sources. As per the outflow of many types of research, each day the overall influencing power of sexual morality is increasing or enhancing making it tough for the society to go either in favo r or against it. Moreover, with the help of theRead MoreShould Law Improve Morality? Essay1291 Words à |à 6 PagesIn ââ¬Å"Should law improve morality?â⬠Leslie Green argues, firstly, that law is capable of having causal impact on the nature of social morality and, secondly, that one of the functions of law should be the betterment of morality. In maintaining that the law ought to be intimately connected to morality, it appears as though Green is advocating for a modern version of the natural law perspective. After first giving an account of natural law, this paper will explicate Green s distinction between ââ¬Å"idealâ⬠Read MoreHow Technology Is Causing The Decline Of Morality1158 Words à |à 5 Pagescentury, and with advances like cloning, societyââ¬â¢s morality begins to be questioned. The film Blade Runner and short story ââ¬Å"Margin of Errorâ⬠bring up questions of morality related to technology, and I will use these works as reference to strengthen m y arguments. The continuous evolution of technology is causing the decline of morality in society. You do not have to look into the future to witness the effects of technology on morality, in fact you can look around the world today. The introductionRead MoreReview Of Legend By Marie Lu1391 Words à |à 6 Pagesoften I have found that we grow to maturity not by doing what we like, but by doing what we should[..] not every ââ¬Ëshouldââ¬â¢ is a compulsion, and not every ââ¬Ëlikeââ¬â¢ is a high morality and true freedom.â⬠Similarly in Marie Luââ¬â¢s Legend, the main characters, June and Day struggle with their own morality, thus showing the audience the effect of compromise on the individual. Their struggles make them do immoral acts. June and Day do not follow the compulsions of ââ¬Ëshouldsââ¬â¢ or ââ¬Ëlikesââ¬â¢, they show true freedomRead MoreMoral Development As Defined By Lawrence Kohlberg1018 Words à |à 5 Pagesare sequential and remain consistent. According to Kohlberg level one is entitled Pre-conventional morality (pre-operational). In this level it consists of two stages: Stage One deals with punishment and obedience or how good or bad something may be. Stage two is instrumental purpose and exchange at this stage one is said to conform to seek satisfaction or praise. Level two is the Conventional morality level (concrete operational). The stages at this level include Stage Three: Mutual InterpersonalRead More The Separation of Church and State in America Should NOT Be Absolute 949 Words à |à 4 PagesReligion is the most influential factor in human society. It is the core of our existence and has become a way of life in all cultures. The impact religion has had on the United States is overwhelming. This country was founded on the principle of Christianity. Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence, and James Madison articulated our countries constitution with the belief that the Christian faith would establ ish and govern this great society. Merriam-Websters online dictionary definesRead MoreReligion, Morality, And Atheism1734 Words à |à 7 Pagesof religion, morality, and atheism. The true definition of religion is ââ¬Å"an organized system of beliefs, ceremonies, and rules used to worship a god or group of gods.â⬠Note that morality has the separate definition of ââ¬Å"beliefs about what is right and wrong behaviorâ⬠and the counterpart of religion is atheism, or the lack of the ââ¬Å"belief in the existence of a deity or deities.â⬠These definitions are crucial to objectively viewing each argument when answering whether religionââ¬â¢s effects on different cultureââ¬â¢s
Friday, May 8, 2020
Henry Viii And Henry Vi Why Did Shakespeare Do This !
12/6/2014 Sasha Woods English 2B Ms. Carey Henry VIII and Henry VI: Why did Shakespeare do this!?! The Shakespearean playwrights, Henry VIII and Henry VI are portrayed as the most powerful and dominant king that ever ruled England. Then you take a look at these two kings real lives and it strikes mystery. What true? What not? What to believe, what not believe? Well in this book report, I will compare and contrast the playwrights that Shakespeare wrote, to there real lives. But first we have to go through a quick summary of each story, both of the kings real lives, and then why Shakespeare did this to these stories. You will be surprised at the things that these kings really did, and what Shakespeare did too. So, ââ¬Å"To be, or not to be, that is the question!â⬠- Hamlet, William Shakespeare Well lets start with Henry VIII. When the play begins, Duke of Buckingham put Cardinal Wolsey on trial for treason. Then they found out that actually that Duke of Buckingham was trying to take the throne from Henry VIII too and was sentence to death. Then Cardinal Wolsey had a house party and Henry VIII was in a disguise but Cardinal Wolsey seen right through it. That is when Henry VIII met Anne Boleyn at that party. Then every body heard about the divorce of Henry VIII s first wife Katherine of Aragon, but Henry VIII demoted her to ââ¬Å"Princess Dowagerâ⬠, but while they were still in the divorce process, he secretly got married to Anne Boleyn. Then he asked Cardinal Wolsey if he was trying toShow MoreRelatedGuess Paper of Class 1sy Year English1570 Words à |à 7 PagesQuestions) Note: Attempt all questions from this section. Q.1:- Choose the correct answer for each from the given option: i) The scene of the play progress is in ___________ room. Study romm Dining room Guest room Store ii) The Count Of Monte Cristos real name is Edward Lear Edmornd Lear Eddie Edmond Dantes iii) Mrs. Meldon hates the idea of War Spider Peace Boys iv) The poem Incident of the French Camp is written by Robert Downing William Shakespeare Robert Frost Robert Browning v) Quaid-e-AzamRead MoreComparison between the Great Gatsby and Macbeth3983 Words à |à 16 Pagesbecause it reveals Shakespeares creative process. The play was written in 1605--1606. Its one of the plays where the date is pretty firmly established by internal references to external events, and most scholars have agreed on the date. Shakespeare was at the height of creative powers, and his theatrical company, the Kings Men, was the official royal acting company. He had the large Globe Theater, a large public playhouse on the south bank of the Thames. He would soon open the BlackfriarsRead MoreA Short History of Nearly Everything6112 Words à |à 25 Pagesmade the discoveries, such as Edwin Hubble, Isaac Newton, and Albert Einstein. Background Bill Bryson wrote this book because he was dissatisfied with his scientific knowledge ââ¬â that was, not much at all. He writes that science was a distant, unexplained subject at school. Textbooks and teachers alike did not ignite the passion for knowledge in him, mainly because they never delved in the whys, hows, and whens. It was as if [the textbook writer] wanted to keep the good stuff secret by making allRead MoreA Short History of Nearly Everything6112 Words à |à 25 Pagesmade the discoveries, such as Edwin Hubble, Isaac Newton, and Albert Einstein. Background Bill Bryson wrote this book because he was dissatisfied with his scientific knowledge ââ¬â that was, not much at all. He writes that science was a distant, unexplained subject at school. Textbooks and teachers alike did not ignite the passion for knowledge in him, mainly because they never delved in the whys, hows, and whens. It was as if [the textbook writer] wanted to keep the good stuff secret by making all ofRead MoreA Picatrix Miscellany52019 Words à |à 209 Pagesthe Picatrix III. Excerpt from a Lecture on Alchemy by Terence McKenna On the Moon and the Lunar Mansions IV. Extracts on the Moon V. The Mansions of the Moon: ââ¬Å"On the Creation, Proportion and Composition of the Heavens for the Fashioning of Imagesâ⬠VI. The Picatrix: Lunar Mansions in Western Astrology VII. W. B. Yeats and ââ¬Å"A Vision:â⬠The Arab Mansions of the Moon On Ritual and Talismans Picatrix Astrological Magic Aphorisms Extracts on Planetary Ritual Clothing Twenty Two Benefic Astrological TalismansRead MoreLogical Reasoning189930 Words à |à 760 Pagesupdated: April 26, 2016 Logical Reasoning Bradley H. Dowden Philosophy Department California State University Sacramento Sacramento, CA 95819 USA ii iii Preface Copyright à © 2011-14 by Bradley H. Dowden This book Logical Reasoning by Bradley H. Dowden is licensed under a Creative Commons AttributionNonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. That is, you are free to share, copy, distribute, store, and transmit all or any part of the work under the following conditions:Read MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words à |à 1617 Pages10/12 Weidemann-Book Credits and acknowledgments borrowed from other sources and reproduced, with permission, in this textbook appear on appropriate page within text. Copyright à © 2011, 2007, 2005, 2002, 1998 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Prentice Hall, One Lake Street, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458. All rights reserved. Manufactured in the United States of America. This publication is protected by Copyright, and permission should be obtained from the publisher prior to any prohibitedRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words à |à 1573 PagesOrganizational Behavior This page intentionally left blank Organizational Behavior EDITION 15 Stephen P. Robbins ââ¬âSan Diego State University Timothy A. Judge ââ¬âUniversity of Notre Dame i3iEi35Bj! Boston Columbus Indianapolis New York San Francisco Upper Saddle River Amsterdam Cape Town Dubai London Madrid Milan Munich Paris Montreal Toronto Delhi Mexico City Sao Paulo Sydney Hong Kong Seoul Singapore Taipei Tokyo Editorial Director: Sally Yagan Director of Editorial Services:
Wednesday, May 6, 2020
A Cinematographic Vampireââ¬â¢s Tale Understanding the Symbolism Behind the Horror Icon Free Essays
Cinema is the place where we as viewers engage in sharing a collective dream. Certainly, horror movies enrich us as viewers with the most dream-like of plots. This is because they open a portal into another world where we are allowed to engage with our nightmares. We will write a custom essay sample on A Cinematographic Vampireââ¬â¢s Tale: Understanding the Symbolism Behind the Horror Icon or any similar topic only for you Order Now All over time various horror movies show us how normality is endangered by a monster, but the creature who has haunted the screen like no one is undoubtedly the Vampire. According to Ivan Phillips the figure of the Vampire has drifted and shifted through the pages of newspapers, travel journals, novels, poems, comics, and plays for 300 years, it has haunted cinema and television for almost a hundred, its shadow is creeping into the social, narrative and ludic networks of the digitalââ¬â¢. The image of the Vampire is constantly present in the virtual and literature culture of the twenty-first century. Although this being moved from its folkloristic origins in which he appeared in works of J. Sheridan Le Fanu, John Polidori and Bram Stoker, the vampire still remains an iconic figure in Western Culture. This personage provides paradoxical fascination as it exists ââ¬Ëat the edges of what is deemed normal, acceptable and safe, the vampire embodies the foreign and the unfamiliarââ¬â¢. Although, the vampire is often seen as a bringer of death, there are numerous metaphorical meanings and readings of this being. Through Marxist discourse the vampire is portrayed as the monster of monopoly capitalism and the agent of foreign ownership. This idea of the ââ¬Ëbloodsucking capitalistââ¬â¢ is perceived in a negative way the Marxist community. In a xenophobic society this idea of the vampire embodies a general fear of the unfamiliar and may also constitute a racial difference. But the vampire not only represents the non-conformity it also alludes to an illicit desire. According to Jorg Waltje, this being is the embodiment of humanityââ¬â¢s ââ¬Ëhopes and desires: beauty, strength, and immortalityââ¬â¢. Although these elements do not express fear in the same way as the vampireââ¬â¢s link with death but in the same manner they express an external behaviour which puts at risk societyââ¬â¢s stability. The vampire hints to a sense of ââ¬Ëunsettlementââ¬â¢. Through his figure the viewer, in a quite troubled sense, comes face-to-face with the dramatization of humanity. As a creature, the vampire encompasses menââ¬â¢s vulnerability and his inability to alter the laws of time. As Sarah Sceats states ââ¬ËVampires represent what we both fear and desire; they evoke a marginal world of darkness, secrecy, vulnerability, excess, and horror. Whatever they are, it is positively Otherââ¬â¢. This notion of ââ¬Ëexcessââ¬â¢ was also tackled by Omar Calabrese in one of his chapters. According to Calabrese one could only escape from ââ¬Ëa closed systemââ¬â¢ through this notion of excess. The vampire represents this excess as he personifies ââ¬Ëthose aspects excluded or rejected by society, its existence in itself denotes excessââ¬â¢. In addition to this, Calabrese associates this vampiric excess to the exotic erotic which alludes to the scandal and breaks the boundaries of what is socially acceptable. In this sense the vampireââ¬â¢s bite is linked with the erotic. Further to this ââ¬Ëexplicit erotic actââ¬â¢ we have an unavoidable act with death. It was Bram Stoker which explored this notion in his novel Dracula. In the scene, where Lucy dies we see an excessive use of the erotic; ââ¬ËShe seemed like a nightmare of Lucy as she lay there; the pointed teeth, the bloodstained, voluptuous mouth ââ¬â which it made one shudder to see ââ¬â the whole carnal and unspiritual appearance, seeming like a devilish mockery of Lucyââ¬â¢s sweet purityââ¬â¢. Through this, Bram Stolker illustrates us with an example of how death is linked to the erotic. The notion of ââ¬Ëexcessââ¬â¢ is repetitively used and reused by Stolker. In fact, he describes Lucy as a ââ¬Ënightmare â⬠¦ hich it made one shudder to seeââ¬â¢ As viewers, as film enthusiasts or as junkies of the silver screen, we have grown accustomed to think that nothing happens outside of the frame. Yet this idea seems to crumble to the ground when it comes to Dreyerââ¬â¢s, Vampyr. The latter haunts us with ââ¬Ëa distinctly innerving sense of not knowi ng where anyone is, creating a feeling that anything culd be happening beyond the frame, in the ââ¬Ëblind spaceââ¬â¢ in which the monsoter lurksââ¬â¢. Visually speaking, Vampyr resembles Jean Epsteinââ¬â¢s La Chute de la Maison de Usher and Bunuelââ¬â¢s Un Chien Andalou. Dreyerââ¬â¢s horror movie encapsulates ââ¬Ëclear moments of crossover between the two movementsââ¬â¢. Therefore Vampyr distinguished itself from other movies of the same genre because of the various artistic influences which left their imprint. Comparison can also be drawn between more contemporary movies which are not necessarily classified under an artistic movement but which are still relevant to vampire studies. Coppolaââ¬â¢s movie is separated by decades from its predecessors and is more straight forward in the narration of events. Visual metaphors are central to its filmic structure and the American directorââ¬â¢s interpretation is completely submerged in blood, but while this film is heavily conditioned by an erotic element, the scenes of blood in Vampyr are scarce. The ââ¬Ëspots of bloodââ¬â¢ carry psychoanalytic connotations. Barbara Creed states that the manifestation of horror is culturally and socially constructed through the ââ¬Ëimages of blood, vomit, pus. shit etcââ¬â¢. These images emphasize a split between the law of the father and the maternal influence. This division has to be viewed under a pre-Oedipal line of thought. In this stage there is a fierce attachment to the maternal figure. In Dreyerââ¬â¢s vampire movie, blood is linked to the maternal entity because Chopin ââ¬Ëpunctuates the flesh and transgresses the sanctity of the bodyââ¬â¢. Another overwhelming point stated by Creed is that the female vampire does not limit herself to mutating her victims into creatures which are one with the night. Her victims are testimony of the vampireââ¬â¢s ability to destabilize ââ¬Ëtraditional gender definitionsââ¬â¢. Although lesbian connotations are often attributed to this particular flick, there is no real intimacy between Leon and Chopin. The scene in which Chopin ââ¬Ëfeedsââ¬â¢ upon her young prey, does not communicate a sense of desire. The village doctor who is at the service of Chopin, does not coincide with the medical man who represents a positive force in the traditional gothic horror narrative. In Coppolaââ¬â¢s Dracula, based on Bram Stockerââ¬â¢s novel, Van Helsing is an educated individual and an adversary to the malevolent vampire. The doctor ââ¬Ësucksââ¬â¢ the blood from the living thanks to the transfusion equipment just as Chopin uses fangs. The victim of the doctorââ¬â¢s bloodsucking, artificial technique is Gray. He is the character who often looks at the actions taking place by standing behind doors or windows; ââ¬Ëhe is an outsider peering inââ¬â¢. In fact, Gray is removed from the narrative action even as he witnesses the first death. David Bordwell believed that Gray ââ¬Ëis a curious characterââ¬â¢ and he is more of a mediator than a provocateur of action. However, Gray still ââ¬Ëpossesses an active and enunciating gazeââ¬â¢. This male characterââ¬â¢s progress is often hindered by other characters, by the props and also by buildings. What is so overwhelming about Vampyr is the collision between reality and the supernatural. Everything seems to take place within a dream-like state and the movie is ââ¬Ëephemeral, polysemic and shifting, provoking opinion and polarising debateââ¬â¢. The movie afflicts the viewer with dissonance and discomfort, especially when our gaze meet Chopinââ¬â¢s stare as Gray is sealed in the coffin. The latter is an artefact which shares an endless tradition with the general notion of vampirism. It is the space where these beings retreat and hide away from the daylight. The coffin is the body-fitting box where Dracula and Count Orlock patiently wait their time to rise while the vessel is sailing. This tomb or repository is ââ¬Ëthe most vampiric of all enclosureââ¬â¢. Gray finds himself trapped in a coffin and at this point in the movieââ¬â¢s chronology, ââ¬Ëthe spectatorial gaze is doubly trapped, within the confines of a sealed coffin and the immovable dead bodyââ¬â¢. As the coffin containing Grayââ¬â¢s corpse is being carried away, the procession passes next to Grayââ¬â¢s unconscious body. In Vampyr, the element of the doppelganger has a heavy resonation. Vampyr is venerated amongst lovers of the genre even though movie makers throughout those years did not have the present technological resources. Old, BW, silent movies may seem alien in form and content to younger generations, yet what some of these past flicks embody inextinguishable artistic and human values. Weââ¬â¢ve already drawn remarks on Coppolaââ¬â¢s remake of Bram Stockerââ¬â¢s narrative work into film. Long before the release of this movie, ââ¬Ëthe most haunting of any attempt to dramatize Bram Stockerââ¬â¢s novelââ¬â¢ was Murnauââ¬â¢s Nosferatu. There is a strong resemblance between Murnauââ¬â¢s vampire and the one lurking in the book. What is it that viewers find so terrifying about Nosferatu? Is it the vampireââ¬â¢s appearance and inhuman gestures? Does he embody the general notion that ââ¬Å"we fear whatever we cannot explain or understand through rational thinkingâ⬠? As consumers, for there is no better way to call genuine movie enthusiasts, we ought to dig deeper and deeper into the sequence of images. Most of the time denotations come with connotations and it is up to us to fish out such hidden meanings. The imagery in Murnauââ¬â¢s movie suggests the concept of repression and ââ¬Ëthe arch is a visual leit motif in the filmââ¬â¢. Arches and similar structures try to stop the vampire from emerging. Count Orlock is therefore a repressed force who is also linked to Jonathan via these same arches. In a memorable scene in the movie, the Count emerges from under an arch and Jonathan from another as they meet for the first time. Jonathan is also linked to the menacing creature through the house which stands on the opposite side to his. Count Orlock purchases this house, thus becoming the young manââ¬â¢s reflection. Jonathan is a loving companion to Nina while Nosferatu becomes a ââ¬Ëdemonic alternative husbandââ¬â¢. Nosferatu contains numerous references to ââ¬Ëa number of traditional or cultural elementsââ¬â¢. Myths about Persephone and Orpheus also produce an echoing effect through this vampire movie. Nosferatu was not meant to float in its own air bubble, separated from all other influences and ideas. Murnau transfuses into the motion picture ââ¬Ëthe product of a synthesisââ¬â¢. This adaptation of Dracula, which donated to all lovers of the horrific this ââ¬Ëthin, repulsively baldââ¬â¢ being, dates back to ââ¬Ëthe heyday of expressionist fantasyââ¬â¢. What come into collision are the natural and the fantastic. These two distant realms are central to Nosferatu yet neither dominates the film. The viewer cannot but notice the obsession with filing space and the ââ¬Ëobrusive setsââ¬â¢. Like Tabu, Nosferatu is primarily set in natural surroundings and both of Murnauââ¬â¢s movies deal with a menace. The latter diffuses into an ordinary world and out of a fantastic, paranormal world. Nosferatu portrays an animal-like being (a mixture between a rat and a human skeleton) who is ââ¬Ëconstantly associated with nature throughout the filmââ¬â¢. Even Count Orlokââ¬â¢s movements does not coincide with those of a human being , in fact even his castle ââ¬Ëis like a natural continuation of the rockââ¬â¢ thus the true protagonist in Nosferatu is Nature which is closely linked with its natural settings. In Nosferatu, Murnau used a sort of trick photography also with expressionist angle shots. As Gilberto Perez Guillermo suggests these specific techniques are used to illustrate a remote, fragmented and bizarre environment. Nosferatu is generally seen from distance and this gives us the impression that the nocturnal creature is merging itself with the surrounding nature. Murnau succeeded into creating an iconic- power image through which he shows Nosferatu as ââ¬Ëseemingly immensely tallââ¬â¢. In particular the scene where the vampire is standing on the deck of the vessel which is no longer conducted by a human being. Murnau makes also the use of the negative image, this technique is ideal to express ââ¬Ëmystery, fantasy, and unrealityââ¬â¢. This negative image basically involves an X-ray photograph, in this film it was used when Jonathan was being carried into ââ¬Ëthe land of phantomsââ¬â¢ in Count Orlockââ¬â¢s weird carriage. The three movies which have been discussed so far are all based on similar, if not identical, themes. In each case the relationship between the female character and the parasite represented by the vampire is at the heart of the movieââ¬â¢s plot. Guillermo del Toro took on a different approach and directed a vampire movie which derailed from the norm set up by the previously discussed films. Narrative-wise, Cronos ignores the myth of the Count and focuses on a device that causes transformations to take place within the main characterââ¬â¢s physique. The Cronos looks like an insect which shares some sort of a mutual parasitic relationship with its victim. Apart from a different take on the blood-sucking creatureââ¬â¢s myth, Cronos proposes characters which are marked by an ââ¬Ëimplied absenceââ¬â¢. Del Toroââ¬â¢s movie might ââ¬Ërepresent a nostalgic look at the pastââ¬â¢ in the sense that the long-gone years receive a corporeal dimension belonging to the present. The main character in this Mexican Gothic is a perfect illustration of this notion. Jesus Gris is the ââ¬Ëpurveyor of antiques and guardian of the new dawnââ¬â¢ the latter being Aurora. What distinguishes Jesus Gris with Dieter de la Guardia, the dying industrialist who is aware of the Cronosââ¬â¢ true nature and powers are there past scars which must be dealt with in modern times. On the one hand the ââ¬Ëscarsââ¬â¢ of Jesus are related to family life while on the other Dieter de la Guardia is at the mercy of an ailing health. Above all else, the Cronos is a ââ¬Ëfascinating hybrid of science and natureââ¬â¢ and the golden case is said to hold an insect which lives off human blood. In return the creature rejuvenates its bearer and prolongs his life, killing off the threat posed by ââ¬Ëcorruptible, material fleshââ¬â¢. The device is needed by de la Guardia because it surpasses the technology of modern times. Only the Cronos can achieve what technology has failed in. There also lies a fine parallelism between de la Guardia and the angelââ¬â¢s statue. The manââ¬â¢s body is full of holes just like the archangelââ¬â¢s interior which is infested by cockroaches and if the statue reminds us of the divine, the deteriorating human body indicates an inevitable ending. Erotism is a stranger to the filmââ¬â¢s plot, yet del Toroââ¬â¢s work delves into universal dreams, such as eternal youth and the conflict between life and death. Jesus caries the device while de la Guardia holds the instructions; Jesus is the unsuspecting individual who comes across an artifact of mysterious powers and who ends owning itself to it. The Cronos dehumanizes him and his need for human blood becomes more prominent as the film unfolds. Just as the insect feeds upon the blood of the deviceââ¬â¢s holder, the latter ends up developing an appetite for human blood. Viewers have grown accustomed to having a female figure within vampire stories. Whether the woman is a prey, a victim or an object of desire, she has been instrumental to Draculaââ¬â¢s and Vampyrââ¬â¢s storyline. In Cronos, Aurora ââ¬Ëplays the role of the love interest for which the monster must make his sacrificeââ¬â¢. Transformation and shifting of form does not limit itself to Jesusââ¬â¢ metamorphosis, but it also manifests itself in the relationship between the vampire and the female figure. The erotism is replaced by an ââ¬Ëinnocent, filial loveââ¬â¢. Contrasting and comparing characters and plots allows us to point out what is present in one movie and absent in another. Some characters from different filmic works may share the same attributes or characteristics, while others may interpret the same role but in a totally different manner. The so-called ââ¬Å"assistantâ⬠, the faithful follower who is at the service of his master, is present in all four films discussed so far. However Angel, the nephew of de la Guardia, is not as submissive as Renfield and the village doctor. Angelââ¬â¢s mode of thinking is simply capitalistic. He yearns for his uncleââ¬â¢s wealth and represents the ââ¬Ëcynical angelââ¬â¢. In contemporary popular culture the power of the vampireââ¬â¢s bite did not vanish but in some manner it did change. We can see this notion through the creation of diverse pop culture vampires such as Angel and Spike in the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003). These modern vampires have been ââ¬Ëdesexualized and de-victimizedââ¬â¢ because they only obtain and drink blood from butchers. Now the vampire is made more human and this highlights the fact that contemporary vampires have a more mundane appearance. In the new millennium the vampire seemed to have changed from a creature of fear to a creature of ââ¬Ësympathy and emulationââ¬â¢. This is made more evident in online discourse about the vampire. As argued by Mary Williamson in her book Lure of the Vampire, in the virtual world the vampire is perceived as a ââ¬Ëforgivable outcastââ¬â¢ and thus we sympathize with him. In Facebook, a social network used by millions in the world the presence of this being is very strong. Through one particular application called Vampire application we see several imitations of the ââ¬Ëfolkloric tradition of the vampireââ¬â¢. This application is diffused from one user to another via a ââ¬Ëvirtual biteââ¬â¢. During this process a user is sent an invitation to enrol himself to such application, were the user gets to interact with other individuals who share their interest and curiosities about this subject. Users get to fight other vampires, fill their hunger or feed upon weaker vampires. Once cravings for this so called ââ¬Ëvirtual-violenceââ¬â¢ are stated by many, users can also send gestures such as hugs to their nearest companions. Feeding and fighting are the highlight of this application were vampires get points and money for doing so which than they can be exchanged for weapons or to improve their senses or powers . In this application placing someone in a suit will result in losing all their fights for two consecutive days, which is quite a deal breaker. This application also embraces violence amongst friends. Some of the many options this application boasts are the way one can attack another throughout the Facebook community. This application is filled with the erotic; this notion solidifies the ââ¬Ëtraditional elements of the transgressive vampireââ¬â¢. At each and every single level the vampireââ¬â¢s abilities achieves a new rank and this creates a new type of vampire. As noticed by Mary Williamson in the virtual world this being is not perceived as an ââ¬Ëoutcastââ¬â¢ but rather a fundamental figure through which players communicate. In the online world the vampires have become a part of a different ritual, a social ritual by which relationships and friendships are maintained and expandedââ¬â¢. In this application, what used to frighten about this creature is eliminated and instead it is accepted. In fact, with the loss of penetration of the bite the vampire is ââ¬Ëde-sexualized and sanitizedââ¬â¢. Accordi ng to Calabrese, the vampire represents only a slight alteration beyond what is socially accepted and thus it represents; the shifting of limits. ââ¬ËWhen confronted by an ââ¬Ëacceptableââ¬â¢ excess, the limit is simply moved (perhaps to a considerable distance) in order to absorb itââ¬â¢. When in the virtual world, elements like blood and the penetration of the bite are removed ââ¬Ëthe virtual vampire becomes the monster that is usââ¬â¢. In the twentieth century, sympathy for this being has grown bigger. In fact as stated by Williamson, this being has generated new implications and attitudes ââ¬Ëtowards the ââ¬Ëself ââ¬â¢ in the twentieth centuryââ¬â¢. There is a great desire to imitate the vampire not as a rebellious figure but rather to imitate a ââ¬Ëbohemian outsiderdom which locates the individual as the desirable outsider, the sympathetically alienatedââ¬â¢. In the virtual context perception of the self becomes ââ¬Ëfluid and flexibleââ¬â¢. As it is no longer linked with the body but it is highly linked with the fulfilment of desires. In this sense identity is constructed as one desires. The virtual identity can be understood through the Lancian psychoanalytic theory. ââ¬ËIn the online world the virtual identity is not reflected but is rather constructed; the subject is not created in the reflection but rather in the digital compositeââ¬â¢. This leads us to do a parallelism between the vampire and the virtual identity. According to Shannon Winnubst, the site represents the mirror reflection in which an individual forms and constructs his ideas about the self. On the other hand the vampire ââ¬Ëin lacking a mirror reflection, does not even register on the radar of identity-formation: he does not have the necessary condition for the possibility of becoming a subjectââ¬â¢. Also Rhonda Wilcox explored this theme using the imaginative Id and the Jungian shadow. According to Wilcox the online body represents the negative aspect of oneââ¬â¢s personality. In this manner the vampire is portrayed as the doppelganger of the victim before it was biten. Stokerââ¬â¢s Lucy and Angel in Buffy are the perfect examples, Stokerââ¬â¢s Lucy from chaste to ripely erotic, or perhaps the souled and soulless incarnations of Angel in Buffy ââ¬â so too does the virtual body provide opportunity for the vampiric shadow to find form in cyberspace. As stated by Wilcox, the imaginative Id illustrates the unconscious which is repressed and which encourages the pre-vampiric identity to free itself. In this sense online where the personality is fluid the wishes of the Id can be fulfilled as there are no repercussions which constitute some sort of restriction in the corporeal world. When talking about horror movies there is a subtle difference between the onster and the human being. But as indicated in films by Dreyer, Murnau, Coppola and Guillermo del Toro a strong link exists between the two beings. The myth and the vampire have always been subjects of debates. Although there are number of similarities and differences between Vampyr and Nosferatu yet both films show us the vampire as being more than just a b lood sucking, nocturnal creature but it is also the representation of the darkest corners of the human psyche ââ¬ËFor this is one of the functions of our monsters: to help us constrict our own humanity, to provide guidelines against which we can define ourselvesââ¬â¢. How to cite A Cinematographic Vampireââ¬â¢s Tale: Understanding the Symbolism Behind the Horror Icon, Papers
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