The novel Huck Finn takes a strange approach to dealing with money

The novel Huck Finn takes a strange approach to dealing with money. It's not a work that simply promotes a trite theme prevalent among other great novels: Money is not important in this life as some intangible matters (freedom, morality, etc. ) and that wealth has nothing to do with how happy one's life is. Mark Twain did not place a character that could serve as an avatar of social prominence, wealth, and misery despite achieving the two (e. g. Estella in Great Expectations). Most of the people in Huck Finn are either dirt poor or middle class townspeople. Nonetheless, money still has a starring role in the novel, for a character's relationship to money and how far he would go to become rich determines what kind of person he is. Huck Finn proved that money has never made a person happy and it never will, for there is nothing about the nature of money that can bring one joy. The more one has, the more one wants. Instead of filling a vacuum, it creates one. The main characters in the book are â€Å"have-nots†. But they can be further divided into categories based upon the extent to which they value money: People like the Duke and the Dauphin have created a vacuum inside themselves, an bottomless pit that all the riches in the world couldn't fill. In stark contrast to the two is Huckleberry Finn, who knows that it takes more than money to make a man rich. Huck Finn â€Å"can't stand† hypocrisy, greed and â€Å"sivilz'ation†. Twain seems to suggest that the uncivilized way of life is better: he draws upon the ideas of Rousseau in his belief that civilization corrupts, rather than improves human beings. Huck has had very little contact with society, and Twain implies that it is this lack of â€Å"civilizing† that has allowed him to remain so free of greed. The Watson sisters are considered by the people of their town to be upstanding citizens, yet they had few qualms about auctioning Jim off. Huck was much poorer than the Watsons were, but no matter how badly he needed money, he would never consider selling Jim, or turning him in for the reward. In addition, during the Wilks sisters incident, he had several chances just to grab the loot and leave. If he was of mediocre morality, he might leave some of the money for the girls before running off to the territories, never to be heard from again. However, as we know, Huck, instead of making himself wealthier, puts his own life at risk to save the girls. Altruistic actions like those aforementioned are what sets Huck apart from the archetypal â€Å"good guy†. He is so far removed from human nature's desire to do what's best for oneself that he seems almost unrealistic. Nevertheless, perhaps that is Twain's way of illustrating how wonderful a boy could be without society's corrupting influence: Huck's upbringing (or lack thereof) has led him to the conclusion that money is a luxury, rather than a necessity. He is one of the few characters in the book who is truly rich–he has everything that money can't buy, and he knows the value of those things. Huck is obviously the hero of the story, and displays no sing of covetousness whatsoever. However, there are other characters in the novel who are far better people than the Duke and the Dauphin, but are still not as free of corruption as Huck, who serves as an the epitome of magnanimity. Two of these less-than-perfect characters are the Widow, and her sister, Miss Watson. The Watson sisters were certainly kind to take in a loutish waif; doing so could not have contributed to the serenity of their household, nor could it have helped their financial situation. However, their image as compassionate, charitable old ladies is marred when Miss Watson decided to sell Jim down to New Orleans, and the widow agreed to let her. Since they had no reservations about tearing a man from his family for a few hundred dollars, they are obviously not the â€Å"good Christians† that they proclaim to be at heart. However, the sisters were partially redeemed when Miss Watson set Jim free in her will: one would have a hard time imagining such and action coming from the Duke or the Dauphin. Therefore, the Watson sisters are several tiers above them, and can be regarded as examples of the typical person, who is basically good at the core, but who cannot perceive and amend the ethical shortcomings of a defective society. Another person in the novel who is rather fond of money, but has a good heart despite his desire for capital, is Jim. He exhibited something akin to avarice when, near the beginning of the novel, he asked Huck to pay his hairball a quarter in order for it to reveal Huck's future. This covetousness reappears when Jim arrives on Huck's island, and talks of nothing but money for several days. However, Jim's greed is quite different from the pure, sickening type exhibited by the Duke and the Dauphin. Jim sees money as equivalent to freedom: with money, he can buy his own freedom and that of his family. Money also would allow him to live like a white person, thus raising his status in the society. In short, Jim does not want money for money's sake; rather, he sees capital as a way to correct the injustices thrust upon him by society. Therefore, throughout the novel, Jim constantly tries to get money, whereas Huck takes an fairly apathetic attitude towards the subject. In stark contrast to both the innately moral Huck Finn and the â€Å"civilized† people of the time stand the Duke and the Dauphin. They are not your average con men: they are beneath than the worst rascals, for they will stop at nothing to obtain money. They are utterly shameless, and possess none of the honor and mercy that God supposedly granted all human beings at birth. When they produced the Royal Nonesuch show and used the weaknesses of â€Å"small town America† to rake in money, it was a low thing to do, but the scam didn't hurt anyone significantly. When the King convinced a devout religious community to take up a collection for him so that he could go back to the Indian ocean to â€Å"turn pirates into the true path†, the prank is more ignominious than the last because he played the faith of gracious people. But truly ignoble is the way in which the Duke and the Dauphin posed as the uncles of the Wilks sisters and almost made off with the entire fortune without leaving a cent for their â€Å"nieces†. Only with Huck's intervenence were the â€Å"sweet girls† saved from the amoral swindlers. This time, the Duke and the Dauphin really proved themselves avaricious and heartless, perhaps almost sub-human. From their former scams, they already had enough of money for a comfortable lifestyle, so they could not even use necessity as an excuse to bilk the Wilks. Also, this last scandal truly hurt people, and had it been successfully pulled of, the girls would have been bereft not only financially, but emotionally as well. Not yet mentioned is their selling of Jim after failing to run off with the Wilks' fortune, which was particularly disgusting not only because they were betraying a companion, but also because Jim wasn't their â€Å"property† to peddle in the first place. All of these incidents prove that once a man has devoted himself to the pursuit of money, he will have destroyed his heart. He will no longer be capable of enjoying life, for he will have lost all respect for all of humanity, which includes himself. Even if the Duke and the Dauphin had become rich, they could never be happy for they cannot enjoy any of the things that make life worth living (e. g. love, friendship, etc. ). All in all, the simplest moral of the book may be that money corrupts. People like the Duke and the Dauphin have become possessed by their desire for money. The void hole inside of them was carved out by their voracity and it has replaced their heart, soul and character. Like a black hole, it sucks in everything that enters, yet can never be full. Therefore, despite their success at trickery, the Duke and the Dauphin will never be as truly rich of a person as Huck Finn is. When the pair of swindlers are tarred, feathered and driven from town â€Å"astraddle of a rail†, the readers realizes that the pursuit of money cannot lead one to a good end. The theme of money was threaded throughout the novel not only to convey a moral to its audience, but also to highlight the differences between the characters: it revealed how deeply the root of all evil had taken root in each man's heart.

How Teachers are a Positive Influence on Students Essay

Teachers have always been a excellent influence on students. Teachers also teach students how to be a good influence on other students as well. Teachers teach students how to respect and accept others for who they are not by their race or nationality. Having good teachers determines your education that you will need for the years to come. Passage I, by Ernesto Gallorzo and â€Å"Tornado Drill† by David Martin show how teachers positively influence the lives of students as revealed through the authors’ use of dialogue, theme, and figurative language. In Passage I, Ernesto uses dialogue to reveal the positive influence of teachers on students. For example, Ernesto’s teacher announced to the class, â€Å"Ernesto has learned to pronounce butterfly.† This expresses that teachers show a positive influence on students because by announcing that Ernesto can pronounce butterfly shows that his teacher and students are very proud of him and it encourages him to do better. A second reason that teachers are a excellent influence on students is because Ernesto states, â€Å"The main reason I was graduated with honors from the first grade was that I had fallen in love with Miss. Ryan.† This demonstrates that teachers have a special relationship with their students that allow them to cope with one another. Ernesto uses dialogue to prove the fact that teachers are a positive influence on students. Ernesto Gallorzo also uses the theme of acceptance to show that teachers have a positive influence on students. For example, Passage I is about teachers teaching their students the English heritage but also teaching them not to forget where they are from. In Passage I it states â€Å"Miss Hopley and her teachers never let us forget why we were at Lincoln: for those who were alien. To become good Americans ; for those who were so born to accept the rest of us.† This means that the teachers have taught their students to never forget who they are and where they came from, and also to accept others for who they are. A second example of why teachers are a positive influence on students is when it states, â€Å"Miss Hopley and her helpers warmed knowledge into us and roasted racial hatreds out of us.† This demonstrates that teachers teach students that it is not acceptable to judge other people certain ways because of their race. Ernesto Gallorzo uses theme to represent  th at teachers are a positive influence on students. In â€Å"Tornado Drill† David Martin uses theme to represent that teachers show a positive influence on students. Mrs. Wells states that â€Å"its just a drill† when it really is not a drill represents that teachers are a positive influence on students. By Mrs. Wells telling her students that it is just a drill she is tying to keep her students calm and making them think that there is nothing to worry about. Another reason why teachers are a positive influence on students is when David Martin states â€Å"the girls shrugged into the hall and crouched on their haunches facing the wall. The boys stood behind them and leaned over stretching like bridges to protect them. By the boys standing over the girls like bridges their teacher has taught them how to prepare for something like a tornado and how to protect one another. David Martin uses theme to show that teachers are a positive influence on students. In â€Å"Tornado Drill† David Martin also uses figurative language to reveal that teachers are a positive influence on students. In â€Å"Tornado Drill† it states that â€Å"Mrs. Wells said it was time to go back and the lights went on and over our bodies glowed with haloes.† This means that the students felt like angels and felt very protected by their teacher. Another example of why teachers are a positive influence on students is when in â€Å"Tornado Drill† it states â€Å"As we crossed the rubble we new we had survived only the first mystery of love.† This means that the students know that their teacher loves them and that that is only the first way that she has proved it. In â€Å"Tornado Drill† David Martin uses figurative language to prove the fact that teachers are a positive influence on students. Passage I written by Ernesto Gallarzo and â€Å"Tornado Drill† written by David Martin both show the positive influence of teachers on students through the authors use of dialogue, them, and figurative language. In Passage I through dialogue Ernesto’s teacher shows that she is proud of him by announcing to the class that he could pronounce butterfly. By doing this his teacher made him fell proud of himself. Ernesto also shows that he and his teacher have a good relationship with one another. Through theme Ernesto’s teacher has  taught them to never forget themselves as a person and to not be racist towards other people. In â€Å"Tornado Drill† David Martin’s teacher show that teachers are a positive influence on students by showing them how to protect themselves and others. She also proves to her students that she loves them and cares for them.

Eurozone crisis roars back to savage Spain Article Analysis Essay

Eurozone crisis roars back to savage Spain Article Analysis - Essay Example Spain is considered one of the most important economies of the world. Considering this importance of the Spanish economy, several economies of the Eurozone as well as of the world have expressed concerns regarding the effects this economic trouble this will create throughout the world. These factors will be discussed in this assignment in detail later and economic theories will be presented to analyze if the Spanish government has been right in implementing its policies or not. The article which will be discussed in this assignment is regarding the economic crisis which Spain is facing and the troubles that lie ahead for Spain in the foreseeable future. The article was written by Liam Halligan who is the chief economist at the Prosperity Capital Management, and this article was published in the Daily Telegraph. Spain as mentioned above has long been considered one of the world’s most important economies with its great potential in real estate and investments from foreign companies. Spain is the fourth largest economy in the Eurozone and the world’s twelfth biggest economy. This has actually raised more fears that if such a huge economy goes bust, then to what extent will it negatively affect the European and worldwide economies. The Spain crisis started in 2008 when the worldwide and European recession arose and the debt crisis began to take dominance. All of a sudden, the unemployment rates increased drastically and the burden fell on the people as well as the government because it had much lower tax revenues and a lot of social benefits to distribute in addition to the repayment of debts which were previously borrowed in the early 2000’s. ... In the early 2000’s, the Spanish economy went through a boom in real estate and this triggered a huge amount of private borrowing from European Central Banks (ECB). At that point, no one had predicted that the year 2008 will prove to be a disaster for most of the European economies. When the Eurozone crisis struck, the banks and financial institutions started to demand their money back due to funds shortage. Also several economies who had lend the money to Spain asked for servicing its debts due to the fact that they needed money to counter the recession. At this point, the prices of property began to fall due to the recession and the borrowers were finding it harder to service the debts because the investments for which they had borrowed money were turning out to be bad investments. Today, the private sector debt in Spain is around 300 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is considered extremely high. Figure 1: Spain government Debt to GDP Ratio (Trading Economic s) The Figure 1 above shows that the Spanish government debt to GDP ratio stands at 60% which is high for a country whose private sector is leveraged with debt to an astonishing figure of 300 percent. With Spain being indebted to other economies, mostly European, to such an extent, the time was fast approaching when it had to repay its debt gradually year by year. When the time of servicing the debts came, it had to borrow more money from other sources so that it could repay the previously borrowed money. With the Spanish economy already so highly leveraged, the European Central Bank and financial institutions were reluctant to give them the money. With this reluctance, the

- Research Methods - Discuss the following statement. Unstructured Essay

- Research Methods - Discuss the following statement. Unstructured interviews should only be used as a precursor for a more structured approach to data collection - Essay Example Semi-structured interviews are flexible and they include both open and closed-ended questions but the interviewer adjusts the series of the questions based on the context of responses from the participants. Unstructured interview is a method that elicits the social realities of people; thus it has become widely employed by sociologists and anthropologists in research field process. Unstructured interviews should be only used as a precursor for a more structured approach in data collection in research process. This is because unstructured interviews are best applied for exploration when there is a limited understanding of the domain, or as a precursor to more focused and detailed structured interviews (Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, 2009, p. 111). Unstructured interviews do not follow a prearranged schedule or list of questions unlike structured interview which employs a prearranged set of questions. Therefore, they can be used as the precursor of structured interview since this method is similar to survey research methods of data collection and they are administered orally instead of writing. The most significant and widely used unstructured interview originates from the ethnographic practice of anthropologists (Honey and Mumford, 1997, p. 36). Many anthropologists and sociologists employed unstructured interview for gathering information through participant o bservations and record field notes taking as they observe the sidelines and also joins the activities of the participants. Unstructured interviews are effectual because researchers identifies one or more key informants to interview on a continuing basis or take short notes while observing and at the same time questioning participants. This is vital because it provides first hand information and the method attempt to solve difficulties in question interpretations. Bandura in his book of social learning theory argues that people learn

Lowering The Legal Age of Drinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Lowering The Legal Age of Drinking - Essay Example The considerable level of fatal road accident mitigation is one of the potential advantages of the higher drinking age. A study by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that higher drinking ages could save approximately 22,798 lives on American roadways from 1975 to 2003 (msn). Concerned officials say that teens are more unlikely to use seatbelts or helmets when they drink. Likewise, there is a close relationship between teenage drinking and gun/gang crimes. Hence, the lowering of MLDA may adversely affect the country. The MLDA lowering supporters commonly say, â€Å"If you are old enough to go to war, you should be old enough to drink† or â€Å"the drinking –age law just increases the desire for the forbidden fruit†. The military largely recruits youngsters mainly because they can be easily molded t into efficient soldiers. However, the act of recruiting youngsters for the military does not mean that they have grown enough to drink. Scientific stu dies clearly state that drinking is dangerous to teenagers as they are still in the stages of physical and mental development (Mulligan, 25-26). The drunken teenagers are more likely to take risks and that would lead them to dangers. Researches show that when some states had fixed the MLDA as 18, teenagers in those states in between 18 and 21 drank more and liked to drink more as adults. In contrast, youngsters drank less in their early 20s when the states in which they involved had 21 as their MLDA. In the opinion of Gaither (2008), the frustrating impacts of underage drinking range from academic failure to robbery. A person under 21 may not have completed his academic studies. Psychological studies warn that drinking habit would distract the teenagers’ interest from academic studies. In addition, alcohol substances are capable of stimulating risky sexual behaviors, especially of teens. Hence, the lowering of MLDA from 21 also seems to be an issue of public safety and national interests.

Westerhoff Book Critique Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Westerhoff Book Critique - Assignment Example (Westerhoff 1994, ix) The ideas presented in the book are logical, simple, and realistic where the professor uses a lot of examples and related life stories to explain his point. Rev. Dr. John Westerhoff, III taught at Harvard and Duke University Divinity School and was also part of the ministry first at the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA, and later became a priest in the Episcopal Church. (Bramer 2009) The professor is an author of a number of books already which are also about faith and spirituality. Spiritual Formation focuses on how living a spiritual life affects preaching and teaching in our time and the issues concerning them. In the same way that we cannot give what we do not have, the professor said in his book that the best teachers and preachers he has known were persons who taught and preached out of the depths of their own life experiences. (Westerhoff 1994, 32) Most educators I know do believe that experience is indeed the best teacher. I guess I can say they were also very good at their profession. Yet teaching and preaching in the light of spiritual formation is not achievable by the mentor alone. One word that links the sender (the preacher or the teacher) and the receiver (students and other recipients) is the word â€Å"learning†. Learning is a two way process. It involves not only the participation, but also first of all the interest, more so the willingness to learn of the student. As the professor out it in his book introduction, â€Å"Today, spiritua l formation is a major concern of faculty and students† (Westerhoff 1994, ix). He also quoted Nouwen that â€Å"someone must be willing to let his or her life be a resource for the other’s learning; and if there is any truth, it will break in from the outside and illuminate both the teacher and the learner.† (Westerhoff 1994, 41) In this process both teacher and student learn and in this sense, Westerhoff added that the learner needs to be

The economics of ocean resources Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The economics of ocean resources - Essay Example In summary, Hardin’s article addresses the exploitation of common resources due to individuals self utility maximisation goals. Naturally resources are limited while human wants are not only unlimited but also recur. Rationally, individuals strive to maximally benefit from the available resources, which translate to exploitation of the resources. Hardin notes that, the benefits accruing from the use of these resources accrues to a particular individual while the economic loss associated is shared by the community. The rise in population worsens the impact. Therefore, to a single individual, over- use of the resource is beneficial despite harming the community and hence making greed rational. According to Hardin (1968), freedom to access resources enhances the tragedy. For that reason, Hardin advocates for increased government involvement in utilization of public resources and supports his arguments with failure of the’ invisible hand’ to generate a socially optim al solution in several aspects. Economic theory suggests that increased consumption boosts productivity and increases social welfare. The contradictory result that exists in consumption of common resources, especially the exhaustible ones, is what Hardin referred to as the tragedy, and expounded the definition of tragedy to cover both unhappiness and remorseful actions in life. According to Hardin, and many other scholars, the solution to the commons problem must involve an external controller. Government involvement and privatisation have been marked as the most effective solutions. However, given that the problem is caused by individual’s greed and affects the same individuals, collective action can be termed as not only effective but also a cheaper mode of reducing the tragedy. According to wade, collective action refers to the harmonization of actions by a group to achieve a common interest. As noted earlier, individuals are

How Effective Are Educational Programmes in Improving Self-Management Dissertation

How Effective Are Educational Programmes in Improving Self-Management for Patient with Type 2 Diabetes - Dissertation Example Subsequently, the comprehensive understanding of a phenomenon with the virtues of critical review of selected literatures can also reveal new evidences inspiring objective-oriented thinking on the research problem (Aveyard, 2010). 2.0. Background/Justification of the Review ‘Type 2 diabetes’ is considered as a chronic disease which causes strong negative impacts on health inhibiting the life span of the sufferer. ‘Type 2 diabetes’, represents majority of diabetes patients in the world population, being one of the most common long-lasting endocrine illness. Medical observation depicts that in the short run, ‘type 2 diabetes’ may lead to physical weakness, while in the long run it can also cause sightlessness and renal failure among others. There are several strict guidelines adviced to be followed by the sufferers of type 2 diabetes in order to stay healthy and fit. As stated by Cilia (2007), continuous observations revealed that in spite of stri ct clinical guidelines for diabetes control, almost 60% of diabetes patients do not satisfy suggested clinical objectives, resulting in the increasing number of medical cases confirming ‘type 2 diabetes’ syndromes. With increasing occurrences of ‘type 2 diabetes’ among people, it becomes quite likely that more patients will have a need for rigorous controlling of health in terms of proper dietary habits, exercise and medication. It has also been observed in this regard that the actual challenge for ‘type 2 diabetes’ patients is to balance the short run and long run life quality against the stress of regular and thorough self-management (Cilia, 2007). In recent times, various suites to educate the patients about self-management have become the focal point among healthcare researches... The paper stresses that self-management education has often been argued to possess considerable significance to control patient’s responsive behaviour to the treatment procedure which in turn tends to improve the health outcomes. Diabetes is often referred as one of the most complex diseases. In order to accomplish best results for treatment of this disease, patients’ must have good knowledge about personal health situation. The patients must therefore follow a vigilant self-management approach to cope up with the problems of ‘type 2 diabetes’. The ethical approval for the research will be taken from university, and also from any specific committee relevant to the research as well as hospital authorities. This report makes a conclusion that health education includes aspects such as beliefs, empowerments, inspirations and level of capability to deal with the issues of diabetes. Health education is also considered as a key to assist patients to accomplish self-management in long run complex circumstances. Therefore, it can be affirmed that the proposed review shall help to determine how important health education is for managing chronic diabetes and ensuring a healthy lifestyle for the patients. This study will be thus based on the philosophy that education can provide additional support to the diabetes patients and benefits them in terms of better medical consequences. It can provide better management of psychological issues along with enhance their readiness to change bad habits such as smoking, unhealthy eating and drinking among others which tends to increase the ill-effects of such diseases.

The explanatory gap Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The explanatory gap - Essay Example John Levine introduced the explanatory gap for the difficulty that the mind theories of physicalists have in explaining the physical properties in giving rise to the way things experienced when they are felt. Levine in his 1983 article used the explanatory gap to point out that even though it might be applicable in a physiological sense, the explanatory gap does not aid our understanding of pain feeling. The explanatory gap has intrigued and vexed a number of researchers and philosophers in a similar way in the past decades and resulted into a considerable debate. Finding a fulfilling and gratifying mechanistic explanation to bridge the gap is a hard problem. This paper seeks to define the explanatory gap, and highlight whether or not the explanatory gap poses an obstacle to materialism with reference to the work of Levine. The explanatory gap infers that there is an existence of a gap of consistent and rational meaningful information that describe and account for characteristics and qualities of consciousness processes, content and states that it is explicable to a rational and logical level of mastery. That is to say, explanatory gap is in the human concept. The term explanatory gap does not illustrate a gap in nature, but rather a gap in our own understanding of nature (Levine 1983). Joseph Levine in his works demonstrates the explanatory gap as an obstacle to materialism. Materialism holds that there exist identities between material kinds and conscious kinds. Joseph Levine illustrates that pain is identical with the C-fibers firing, and also gives an example of viewing something are red which is identical with an activity in the visual V4 area cortex. Joseph Levine also looks at the explanatory gap as an obstacle to materialism in the line with contemporary orthodoxy materialist, and that such kind of identities are posteriori. Levine argues that it is a matter of scientific investigation, to ascertain whether or not pain is the firing C-fibers, rather tha n conceptual reflection to seeing things as red is an activity in the V4 area in the visual cortex. In this regard, the identities of mind and brain that are discovered will be of the same kind to such exemplary a posteriori identities of science as that of temperature is mean kinetic energy, or that of water is H2O. There is also a good scientific evidence for the presence of such like brain and mind identities. In particular cases, there are direct evidence in the co-occurrence of certain material kinds and conscious kinds. Joseph Levine even asserted that the identities of mind and brain strike quite differently from the apparently corresponding scientific identities (Levine 1983). Levine cites some questions to demonstrate the explanatory gap as an obstacle to materialism: presume that we actually have evidence that pain is the same as firing of C-fiber and is one. Would we not still want to try and find out why firing of C-fiber feels pain instead of something else? And why the re is pain in the firing of the C-fiber? There is however no analogous questions that press on us in most of the scientific cases. For example, after finding out that water is H2O, there is no further feeling of the need to know why even when there is H2O, we still have water, or why water is H2O and not anything else. This is the reason Joseph Levine coined the explanatory gap in order to give an impression that something have been left unexplained by mind and brain identities. Many other philosophers besides Joseph Levine have argued that explanatory gap emerges because people cannot draw from the facts

Early Childhood Education Essay Example for Free

Early Childhood Education Essay He taonga te reo: Honouring te reo me ona tikanga1, the Maori language and culture, within early childhood education in Aotearoa2. Dr Jenny Ritchie, Associate Professor, Early Childhood Teacher Education, Unitec Institute of Technology, New Zealand Abstract This paper considers data from recent research which illustrates the ways in which tamariki (children), whanau (families) and educators are integrating the use of the Maori language within their everyday educational interactions, as mandated by the bilingual New Zealand early childhood curriculum, Te Whariki (Ministry of Education, 1996). Languages reflect cultures, expressing our deeper meanings and representations. Inscribed within verbal and non-verbal languages are our ways of being, knowing and doing (Martin, 2008). Jeanette Rhedding-Jones has inquired in her Norwegian multicultural context as to â€Å"What kinds of constructions are the monocultural professionals creating for cross-cultural meetings and mergings? † (2001, p. 5). What follows is an exploration of strategies by which Maori ways of being, knowing and doing are being enacted through the medium of te reo in early childhood centres. Introduction Te Whariki (Ministry of Education, 1996), the first bicultural education curriculum in Aotearoa, reaffirmed a commitment already widely acknowledged across the early childhood education sector in this country, to Te Tiriti o Waitangi3, and the validation and inclusion of te reo me ona tikanga4 as an integrated component of early childhood education programmes. Te Whariki contains strong clear statements of expectations for educators in terms of enacting te reo Maori within their teaching: New Zealand is the home of Maori language and culture: curriculum in early childhood settings should promote te reo and nga tikanga Maori, making them visible and affirming their value for children from all cultural backgrounds. Adults working with children should demonstrate an understanding of the different iwi and the meaning of whanau and whanaungatanga5 (Ministry of Education, 1996, p. 42) The juxtaposition of the promotion of te reo and tikanga alongside whanau and whanaungatanga is insightful. Previous research had identified that as early childhood 1 2 Te reo is the Maori language, tikanga are Maori beliefs, values and cultural practices. Aotearoa is a Maori name for New Zealand. 3 Te Tiriti o Waitangi/The Treaty of Waitangi, signed in 1840 between Maori chiefs and the British Crown, promised protections to Maori of their lands and taonga – everything of value to Maori , which includes their languages, beliefs, values and traditions. 4 Te reo is the Maori language and tikanga are Maori cultural practices. This phrase, literally, â€Å"the language and its cultural practices† demonstrates how intrinsically the language and culture are linked. 5 Iwi are tribes, whanau are families, and whanaungatanga is the building of relationships. 2 educators generate an environment reflective and inclusive of Maori values such as whanaungatanga, Maori families are more comfortable and become more involved within that early childhood setting (Ritchie, 2002). Te reo Maori has been severely jeopardised by the processes of colonisation. As Mere Skerrett has written: Maori ways of speaking were also colonised through the subjugation of te reo Maori, to be replaced by English. This, at times violent, process of colonisation caused a disruption in the intergenerational transmission of Maori language, Maori knowledge and, as a consequence, disrupted Maori lives and Maori societies. (2007, p. 7) Whanau Maori have consistently stated their preference that their children learn their language and culture within education contexts (AGB/McNair, 1992; M.Durie, 2001; Else, 1997; Te Puni Kokiri/Ministry of Maori Development, 1998) in affirmation of their identity as Maori, since â€Å"Te reo Maori serves as the medium through which symbolic and cultural components are properly united and Maoriness most appropriately expressed† (A. Durie, 1997, p. 152). Young children learn languages comparatively easily. Early childhood centres are a logical site for young children to have opportunities to learn te reo Maori, in naturalistic experiential ways, consistent with both early childhood and second language learning pedagogies (Cummins, 2001; Ritchie, 1994). This will only occur if we are able to provide them with a linguistically rich environment and authentic language models. It is reasonable that Maori parents might expect that their children will not acquire poor pronunciation of their own language from their educational experiences. Previous Research In 1999 as part of my doctoral research (Ritchie, 2002), I observed 13 different early childhood settings in the Waikato area (Ritchie, 1999). I noted that in most of the settings there was at least one staff member who attempted to use some Maori language. This was a stronger use of te reo than Pam Cubey observed in eight Wellington early childhood centres in 1992, when she reported that virtually no Maori language was heard (Cubey, 1992). During my observations, the most frequent usage of te reo Maori were ‘commands’, such as: â€Å"Haere mai ki te kai; E tu tamariki; E noho; Haere mai ki te whariki; Horoi o ringaringa†6. There were also instances of counting and naming colours in te reo Maori. Several staff repeatedly inserted single Maori nouns within some of their regular English sentences, for example, â€Å"Do you want some fruit? Some panana 6. Haere mai ki te kai – come and eat E tu tamariki – stand up children E noho- sit down Haere mai ki te whariki – come to the mat Horoi o ringaringa – wash your hands panana – banana aporo- apple taringa – ear(s) waha mouth 3 or some aporo? Turn on your taringa, zip up your waha†. During my visits, eight of the 13 centres sang at least one song in te reo Maori, usually at structured mat-times, which were compulsory for all children. These teachers identified confidence and competence as barriers, because, as one teacher explained, â€Å"you feel like a real twit when it comes out wrong†. I was concerned that the available te reo Maori resources appeared to be under-utilised and that the range of language use was restricted to simple commands, the use of colour names and counting in Maori. This indicated reliance on a limited range of vocabulary, with little knowledge of Maori grammar. Teachers expressed their need for support and encouragement to broaden their ‘comfort zone’ beyond single words, to using complete and more complex phrases that represent linguistically authentic Maori structures. I suggested that teachers consider widening the range of formats in which they used Maori phrases. Recent data Whilst 6. 58% of registered early childhood teachers are Maori (Ministry of Education, 2007), only 1. 6% of New Zealanders of European ancestry speak Maori (Ministry of Social Development, 2007). Early childhood teachers’ use of te reo may seem encouraging in that 75% of Pakeha early childhood teachers said that they use some Maori whilst  teaching, yet 70% of these teachers reported themselves as speaking Maori â€Å"not very well† (Harkess, 2004, p. 12). In 2006 we reported on a two-year study7 with a range of participants, which included early childhood educators, an Iwi Education Initiative8, teacher educators, specialist educators and professional learning providers, co-exploring strategies for supporting the involvement of whanau Maori within early childhood settings other than Kohanga Reo9 (Ritchie Rau, 2006). Using narrative (Connelly Clandinin, 1990; Schulz, Schroeder, Brody, 1997) and Kaupapa Maori (Bishop, 2005; Smith, 1999, 2005) research methodologies, we explored early childhood educators’ strategies for encouraging the participation of whanau Maori within early childhood education settings, and ways for implementing understandings of commitments derived from Te Tiriti o Waitangi as expressed in the bicultural early childhood curriculum, Te Whariki, through the delivery of Tiriti-based programmes10. Participants in this study were those who were strongly committed to implementing Tiriti-based practice. Pedagogical enactment described in this study was consistent with 7 This project was funded through the Teaching Learning Research Initiative, a fund provided by the New Zealand Ministry of Education, and administered by NZCER. 8 We gratefully acknowledge the support and contribution of Kokiri Tuwaretoa Education Initiative to the Whakawhanaungatanga study. 9 Kohanga Reo are Maori-medium educational settings where young children are immersed in the Maori language and culture in a whanau-based context. 10 The term Tiriti-based practice is derived from a commitment to Te Tiriti oWaitangi, the treaty signed in 1840 by Maori chiefs and the British Crown, that legitimated the presence of immigrants, initially from Britain, alongside the tangata whenua, Maori, the indigenous people of this land. 4 a view of Maori language and cultural practices as being holistically and simultaneously performed. This enactment includes daily welcoming and spiritual rituals in te reo, and is inclusive of waiata11. This climate generated a sense of welcoming and safety for Maori families, which resulted in their increasing involvement in centre reo and tikanga implementation. An educator demonstrated how this whanau participation was integral within their early childhood centre programming: â€Å"In partnership with whanau we  introduce new waiata each term, and tikanga experiences, such as, hangi, powhiri, harakeke, [and] legends of the whanau, hapu12, and iwi attending the service. † Other Maori co-researchers within the Whakawhanaungatanga research project also identified aspects of Te Ao Maori13 that they would like to see reflected within early childhood education and care settings. They considered it important that Maori parents and whanau sense a match between their values and those of educational settings. They valued a sense of whanaungatanga generated and enacted within the early childhood centre, whereby tamariki and whanau, kuia and kaumatua, and other whanau members such as â€Å"Aunties† (Martin, 2007) participated as a collective, learning and teaching alongside the teachers and children, educators sharing responsibility and demonstrating willingness to identify and support the needs of all members of that collective. In this vision, te reo Maori is modelled and integrated throughout the programme, with support for adults to increase their own facility with the language alongside their children, and there is ongoing everyday enactment of tikanga such as: rituals of welcoming and farewell; sharing of kai14; a value of inclusiveness; reference to Te Ao Wairua15 and nga Atua16, and annual celebrations such as Matariki. 17 Children, in this view are exposed to te reo as part of the daily enactment of Maori beliefs, values and practices. Co-researchers in this project demonstrated a commitment to integrating te reo and tikanga within their centre practice, in ways that were meaningful and contextual for children and families. Working with natural materials, such as harakeke (flax), provided a source of learning of traditional knowledge, involving the planting and care of the flax bushes, weaving of rourou18, children observing alongside adults, connected to the land and its spiritual significance, as Ana, a Playcentre kaiako, described: So even though we had those harakeke within our centre boundary, in our lawn, we knew that the pa harakeke19 of that harakeke that we had, came 11 12 Waiata are songs. Hangi are feasts cooked in earth ovens, powhiri are greeting ceremonies, harakeke is flax, and hapu are sub-tribes 13 Te Ao Maori is the Maori world. 14 Kai is food 15 Te Ao Wairua is the spiritual dimension. 16 Nga Atua are supernatural beings, or gods. 17 Matariki is the constellation whose arrival announces the Maori New Year. 18 Rourou are flax food baskets. 19 Pa harakeke are flax bushes, often planted as a source of flax for weaving and rongoa (medicinal remedies), and also refers metaphorically to the nurturing by the wider family of the offspring, the younger shoots. 5 from a bigger picture. And all the natural resources on our little wagon inside, in the area of where they go and make pictures and glue things and make structures out of the driftwood and put their shells and tie their shells on and harakeke, they might have been just in the rourou baskets, but we knew and the tamariki knew they come from this bigger picture out there in the whenua20, because they had gone to get them. So we brought our big world reality and our spiritual world reality into the bounds of that centre. Pania, a Maori kindergarten teacher, spoke of her bilingual approach as being like a whariki,21 †¦where you get two strands and you build them together to make your little kete22 or your whariki of learning. And [implementing a bilingual approach] is a way that I can facilitate my programme that is non-threatening. It’s an option for the child – and the parent – whether they would like to do it, but it’s also another teaching technique and a resource and a learning strategy. Daisy, a Pakeha kindergarten teacher, actively researched aspects of tikanga that she was interested in integrating into her teaching: I wrote a story and what I wanted to do was encompass the tikanga aspects on collecting kai moana23. I wanted it to be something Pakeha could grasp, something simple, that was really clear and conveying the tikanga aspects because it’s not just about going down to the beach and picking up a few pipis24, its deeper than that, there’s a lot of kaupapa25 behind it. How did I know about all the tikanga? —I’ve never gone out collecting kai moana in my life? Research, korero26 with others more knowledgeable. As far as getting it to children it needs to be simple and straight-forward. The pipi story is focused on Tangaroa,27 the protocols around that. The tamariki seem to enjoy it, but in order to deepen their understanding, and extend the story, I set up the pipi hunt in the sandpit. So the story was a visual and a listening experience, whereas the pipi hunt was a tactile experience, so that then I think I would have managed to tap into every child’s way of learning. Daisy also involved whanau Maori of her centre in her planning, although she took primary responsibility for researching the reo and tikanga that was to be incorporated. Incorporating te reo and tikanga was more effective when educators were committed both individually and collectively to proactively integrating this within planning, teaching 20 Whenua is land. Whariki are woven flax mats. 22 A kete is a woven flax basket. 23 Kai moana are seafoods. 24 Pipi are cockles. 25 Kaupapa is philosophy. 26 Korero is talking. 27 Tangaroa is the Atua, supernatural being, or God, of the sea. 21 6 interactions, programme evaluation, and centre review. Many of the Pakeha coresearchers have worked hard over the years to increase their competence in te reo, and continue to do so, by taking courses. At Ariel’s childcare centre, all the teachers had attended a reo course offered in their local community. Penny, a kindergarten head teacher who was also studying te reo, explained that as her own confidence grew, and supported by her co-teacher, the quality of te reo within the centre programme continued to strengthen, as â€Å"the reo is fed in gently and quietly†. Respondents from the Hei Ara Kokiri Tuwaretoa Education Initiative data articulated aspirations for early childhood education services that envisioned all children as being supported to become biculturally and bilingually competent. The following example recognises the important role of early childhood services in offering quality models of te reo Maori: To be fully bicultural and therefore bilingual all children in Aotearoa/NZ should have the opportunity to learn to be fluent in Maori and English and develop understanding of both cultures’ world view. We need proficient Maori speaking teachers in all ECE learning environments. It is not enough to use Maori language in directives – information – acknowledgment contexts. We need to work towards providing environments where children can use the target language, be completely immersed in te reo Maori. We need to promote environments where the conscientization of language is constructed as normal to prevent dialogue being used by teachers to act on children. Teachers and children need to be using dialogue to work with each other – co-constructing. In order to reflect this, we need to provide environments rich in Maori language. We need proficient speaking Maori teachers! Regurgitating learnt phrases will not provide the opportunities for children to really conscientise their experiences, that is, thinking in Maori. Only a very high level of exposure in Maori will do that. Honouring the indigenous language and culture of this country remains an ongoing challenge for educators, particularly given the legacy of colonialistic arrogance that has limited access for many people, both Maori and non-Maori. Kaupapa Maori models are providing inspirational pedagogical models that honour te reo me ona tikanga (Skerrett, 2007). However, as the numbers of Maori children in education services other than kaupapa Maori remains high, the onus is on educators in these sectors to find strategies to provide Maori children and families with the language that is their birth-right and source of identity as affirmed by Article 30 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of The Child (1989), which requires that: In those States in which ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities or persons of Indigenous origin exist, a child belonging to such a minority or who is Indigenous shall not be denied the right, in community with other members of his or her group, to enjoy his or her own culture, to profess and practise his or her own religion, or to use his or her own language. 7 Conclusion Maori continue to seek education provision that respects and honours their identity, including the linguistic affirmation of authentic models of te reo Maori (Robertson, Gunn, Lanumata, Pryor, 2007). As early childhood educators seek to deliver on the expectations outlined in the early childhood curriculum, Te Whariki (Ministry of Education, 1996), there remain many challenges, not the least of which is the lack of linguistic competence in te reo Maori of the vast majority of teachers (Harkess, 2004). Our research indicates that educators who are dedicated to an ongoing journey of reflexive praxis founded in a commitment to social justice and the promise of Tiriti-based partnership are generating early childhood programmes which respectfully reflect the Maori language and culture, and this in turn encourages the participation of whanau Maori in these services. References AGB/McNair. (1992). Survey of Demand for Bilingual and Immersion Education in Maori. A Report to the Ministry of Education. Wellington: AGB/McNair. Bishop, R. (2005). Freeing Ourselves from Neocolonial Domination in Research: A Kaupapa Maori Approach to Creating Knowledge. In N. K. Denzin Y. S. Lincoln (Eds. ), The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research (3rd ed. , pp. 109-164). Thousand Oaks, California: Sage. Connelly, F. M., Clandinin, D. J. (1990). Stories of Experience and Narrative Inquiry. Educational Researcher, 19(5), 2-14. Cubey, P. (1992). Responses to the Treaty of Waitangi in Early Childhood Care and Education. Unpublished M. Ed. Thesis, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington. Cummins, J. (Ed. ). (2001). Language, Power and Pedagogy: Bilingual Children in the Crossfire. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters. Durie, A. (1997). Te Aka Matua. Keeping a Maori Identity. In P. Te Whaiti, M. McCarthy A. Durie (Eds. ), Mai i Rangiatea. Maori Wellbeing and Development (pp. 142-162). Auckland: Auckland University Press with Bridget Williams Books. Durie, M. (2001). A Framework for Considering Maori Educational Advancement. Paper presented at the Hui Taumata Matauranga, Turangi/Taupo. Else, A. (1997). Maori Participation Performance in Education. A Literature Review and Research Programme. Wellington: Ministry of Education. Harkess, C. (2004). Ethnicity in the Early Childhood Education Teacher-led Workforce. Demographic and Statistical Analysis Unit: Ministry of Education. 8 Martin, K. (2007). Making Tracks and Reconceptualising Aboriginal Early Childhood Education: An Aboriginal Australian Perspective. Childrenz Issues, 11(1), 15-20. Martin, K. (2008). Please knock before you enter. Aboriginal regulation of Outsiders and the implications for researchers. Teneriffe: Post Pressed. Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whariki. He Whariki Matauranga mo nga Mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early Childhood Curriculum. Wellington: Learning Media. Ministry of Education. (2007). Nga Haeata Matauranga. Education 2006/2007. Wellington: Ministry of Education. Annual Report on Maori Ministry of Social Development. (2007). The Social Report. Retrieved 30 July, 2008 from http://www. socialreport. msd. govt. nz/documents/sr07-cultural-identity. pdf Rhedding-Jones, J. (2001). Shifting Ethnicities: Native informants and other theories from/for early childhood education. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 2(2), 135156. Ritchie, J. (1994). Literature Review on Pedagogy of Second Language Acquisition in Immersion Early Childhood Care and Education Settings Report to Te Puni Kokiri. Hamilton: University of Waikato. Ritchie, J. (1999). The Use of Te Reo Maori in Early Childhood Centres. Early Education, 20(Winter), 13-21. Ritchie, J. (2002). Its Becoming Part of Their Knowing: A Study of Bicultural Development in an Early Childhood Teacher Education Setting in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Unpublished PhD thesis, University of Waikato, Hamilton. Ritchie, J. , Rau, C. (2006). Whakawhanaungatanga. Partnerships in bicultural development in early childhood education. Final Report from the Teaching Learning Research Initiative Project. Retrieved February 21, 2008, from: http://www. tlri. org. nz/pdfs/9207_finalreport. pdf Robertson, J. , Gunn, T. R. , Lanumata, T. , Pryor, J. (2007). Parental decision making in relation to the use of Early Childhood Services. Report to the Ministry of Education. Wellington: Roy McKenzie Centre for the Study of Families Ministry of Education. Schulz, R. , Schroeder, D. , Brody, C. M. (1997). Collaborative narrative inquiry: fidelity and the ethics of caring in teacher research. Qualitative Studies in Education, 10(4), 473-485. Skerrett, M. (2007). Kia Tu Heipu: Languages frame, focus and colour our worlds. Childrenz Issues, 11(1), 6-14. 9 Smith, L. T. (1999). Decolonizing methodologies. Research and Indigenous Peoples. London and Dunedin: Zed Books Ltd and University of Otago Press. Smith, L. T. (2005). On Tricky Ground: Researching the Native in the Age of Uncertainty. In N. K. Denzin Y. S. Lincoln (Eds. ), The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research (3rd ed. , pp. 85-107). Thousand Oaks, California: Sage. Te Puni Kokiri/Ministry of Maori Development. (1998). Making Education Work for Maori. Report on Consultation. Wellington: Te Puni Kokiri/Ministry of Maori Development. United Nations. (1989). United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Retrieved February 21, 2008, from: http://www. cyf. govt. nz/432_442. htm.

The Movement Of German Expressionism Film Studies Essay

The Movement Of German Expressionism Film Studies Essay German expressionism occurred during the attempt of a liberal democratic republic after the so called March revolution in 1848. The revolution lead to the Weimar republic until 1933 where the NSDAP rose in power and brought with it a totalitarian dictatorship. Although this is the nearest estimate to how it happened, the theory that many where unhappy during the Weimar republic since it was democracy without democrats is also supported. German Expressionism is an artistic movement of the 1910s and 1920s that involved theatre, photography, painting, sculpture, and architecture and of course film. We will acclaim the German expressionist film time period from 1918 and 1930, at this time the aftermaths of world war one and the troubled Weimar republic overshadowed the films that were being made. The Weimar democracy had to face many difficulties such as: rampant inflation, strikes, street fighting, armed revolt, mass unemployment and political rivalry. This gave expressionism the perfect start to create an art based on the illusion of reality, and this since film is being watched as a sort of avoidance towards ones own life. Making cinema be a medium of escapism, where reality is put on hold for an hour or two as the viewer sits in a darkened room and consumes the images projected onto the screen. This is why adventure films were the most popular in the beginnings. Considerably like in the classical Hollywood cinema al so known as the golden age of Hollywood, era between roughly 1910 and 1960. Which the Films from Germany at that time, tried competing with. The style of German expressionism is what turned it to an influence in the end. The world of German expressionism is an artificial world a world of light and shadow, it created a unique Mise-en-scà ¨ne German Expressionist films look different, but they have a lot in common with each other. The directors created atmosphere by means of strange camera angles, lighting and contrasts between black and white. Shadows and silhouettes were frequently displayed; sometimes they were even painted on to the sets. The stories that were told in the German expressionist cinema were often dark and sombre, matching the visuals. Crime, madness and paranoia were frequently addressed and the claustrophobic atmosphere created by the shadows and dark lighting served to heighten the drama Many modern films such as Blade Runner, Batman demonstrate the influence of German expressionism. The style is ideal for portraying macabre subject matters. Devices such as low key lighting are used to convey mystery, and monsters lurking in shadows. Distortion is also commonly used in both expressionism and later horror films, employed through make-up, camera angles, costumes and strange backdrops But these arent the only attributes that German expressionist films hold. Broadly spoken the films welled together an entire film crew, and none of the films at that time can be left unaccredited of the entire crew, whereas nowadays a director gains the acknowledgements. Also, the desire of combining box-office success and artistic touch is rarely seen in todays world, but was fundamental to Weimar film. They include thematic negations like: Dream vs. reality, Blindness Vs. vision, Insanity vs. Sanity Which symbolically reflected the political fears of society From the perspective of style, Metropolisis an avant garde science fiction film. The mad scientist returns, this time to create a robot double of Maria, the heroine. The robot is able to break away from the control of its master and in the end the whole city is destroyed. A lot of films haven dissected its themes. There can be no doubt that Metropolis is one of the greatest films ever made, regularly appearing on all-time-best lists. Considering when it was made, it is an extraordinary achievement and it has created lasting visual impressions on audiences since its release in 1927. But it is not only for its wealth of cinematic innovation that it is rightly hailed as a classic. Its themes of social injustice, the relationship between man and machine and the growth of the industrial society have had a huge influence on the work of subsequent film-makers, especially those working in the field of science-fiction. Thousands of slaves work on gigantic machines in a huge underground city. The rich live above ground, in an Eden-like garden paradise. One day Maria inadvertently escapes out of the underground city and with a few poor children reaches the luxury life of those above ground. The son of the all-powerful factory boss falls in love with her and follows her into the underworld, where he learns how miserably the proletariat has to live. The inventor, Rotwang, builds a robot, an artificial worker, who can make no mistake. He drags Maria into his laboratory and, with the help of electric energy succeeds in transferring her looks onto the robot. In doing this, he creates an evil Maria. This figure is then sent to the workers to spur them to revolt. The underground city is flooded at the end Lang presents this very vividly. The rising water threatens the children who have been left to fend for themselves by the rampaging workers. The evil Maria is burnt, the real Maria is abducted by Rotwang. Finally, a fight between Fredersen, the son of the boss, and Rotwang leads to the latter falling to his death. At the end the social classes are reconciled, life continues in a socio-political utopia, the machines are destroyed. The word Utopia, derives from greek literally meaning: Not-Place. An ideal state or community. For the whole film Metropolis is locked inside a sealed frame; an inner world which purports to be an outside world. The monumentalism of this Lang film creates claustrophobia, but has left its tracks in countless science-fiction films, not least of which is Blade Runner I wanted to explore future germany so Metropolis brings the audience into the year 2026. You can see Gothic skyscrapers,and the society in this city or state consists of two groups. On one hand the plannersand thinkers, who live an unbelievable comfortable life, and on the other hand the workers who live in the underground working hard to serve the privileged. Johann Joh Fredersen rules over Metropolis. In Blade Runner, these two groups are the humans and robots which are called the replicants. Dr. Eldon Tyrell built an empire, that without slaves would never work like Johann Fredersen in Metropolis. In Metropolis a monument is built which stands for the greatness of humanity and the creator of the world. This monument is very high, actually it reaches the stars. In Blade Runner you can also see this elevated lifestyle (for example Dr.Tyrell himself is living in one of these high-tech skyscrapers), but elsewhere it is not gleaming at all, it is dark and cold. The workers in Metropolis revolt and destroy the monument because of their overwhelming anger. In Blade Runner, Roy Batty leads a revolt of the replicants against their creator Dr.Tyrell. Finally Roy kills the doctor. Blade Runner presents a dystopian Los Angeles in the year 2019 in which human beings were genetically manufactured (called the replicants). These replicants have to do all the hard and dangerous work. In Metropolis, the workers also live a poor live and have to work underground and under very dangerous conditions. A very interesting detail is that a robot is one of the main female characters in both of the movies. Maria (in Metropolis) has a duplicate robot of herself just as Rachael (in Blade Runner) is a robot that is modeled after Tyrells niece. the tower of Babel amazed me, a hierarchical social status symbol in the form of the centered most highest building in town, when I was thinking about set-design They were built from a variety of haunting images: Edward Hoppers painting Nighthawks, the skyline of Hong Kong at night, the fiery industrial landscape of Tyneside and Teesside of My childhood, the French comic-book: Mà ©tal Hurlant [Heavy Metal], and, quite clearly, Metropolis Both Metropolis and Blade Runner have similar set designs, because one thing influenced the other, when it comes to the architecture of the cities, being the tower of Babel. In Blade Runner the opening sequence is shot by a huge pan, this enables a threatening feeling, all the smoke and fire. It is a magnificent but also a very disturbing picture of the Tower of Babel, showing the headquarters of the humanoid replicants factory, where the dirty work for human beings is done. Based on Metropolis Jerry Siegel und Joe Shuster decided to name their base in the film Superman after the famous film. The architectural design of Tim Burtons Gotham City in Batman is strongly based on the art deco of Metropolis by using for example the tower of Babel thanks to Anton Fursts openly creative transformation. There is no doubt about it. People always try to find what makes you tick as a designer and I think in this respect there is no doubt that I was influenced by German expressionism or so later. Kenneth worked together with Kubrick to construct a metropolis like set-design set at futuristic standards for 2001: a space odyssey. The 1940s Hollywood film noir films were hugely influenced by German expressionism and many of the motifs and images can be seen in films such as The Big Sleep. Indeed, Fritz Lang even directed some films of this genre himself. But How did the Expressionism influence the film noir? The opportunities offered by the booming Hollywood film industry and, later, the threat of growing Nazipower led to the emigration of many important film artists working in Germany who had either been directly involved in the Expressionist movement or studied with its practitioners Directorssuch as Fritz Lang, Robert Siodmak, and Michael Curtizbrought a dramatically shadowed lighting style and a psychologically expressive approach to visual composition, or MHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mise_en_scà ¨neise-en-scà ¨ne, with them to Hollywood, where they would make some of the most famous of classic noirs. Langs magnum opus, M-released in 1931, two years before his departure from Germany-is among the first major crime films of the sound erato join a characteristically nourish visual style with a noir-type plot, one in which the protagonistis a criminal (as are his most successful pursuers)