The Develoment of the Horror Genre Essay -- essays research papers fc

The term Gothic is significant for the understanding of the origins and development of the horror genre. Both of these genres differ, whilst Gothic literature is the text that explores the frightening extremes in mankind, horror focuses more on the unknown. The Gothic horror genre has changed over time and retains importance because it is the antecedent of the horror genre. Factors such as the definition of the word Gothic, the archetypes of the genre, and its social and historical contexts, have altered considerably as time progressed. The value and popularity given to the gothic horror genre has also varied during the past few centuries. As a result, in order to understand the horror genre’s foundations, it is important to observe the Gothic novel’s modifications. Horror stories have existed for thousands of years, initially in the form of verbal communication. The themes of ruthless enemies and supernatural beings were common themes in myths in an attempt to set morals. However, at present, the true horror literature in its written form mostly aims to entertain. Its forerunner, the Gothic novel, rose in the eighteenth century and was extremely popular until the nineteenth century in England. The meaning of ‘gothic’ varies exceedingly. The word initially refers to German tribes that took part in overthrowing Rome. This word can be perceived as a synonymous for barbarous and dreadful. Similarly, the horror genre also has factors of monstrosity and dread. The â€Å"Gothic† style of architecture was famous in the middle ages and has been found on many cathedrals such as Notre Dame. Historians would describe this style as â€Å"gothic† to suggest their negative opinion of the architecture, that it was tasteless and dry. Instead of conforming to this perception, people were only led to believe the word to mean â€Å"dark and ominous†. Gothic architecture, with the foreboding atmosphere posed around it, correlates with the Gothic novel because it has been a prevalent backdrop to gothic novels in the 19th century, such as Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. These Gothic horror stories were some of the first examples of the horror genre, and are therefore vital for the understanding this field. In its historical context, the gothic horror genre is believed to have emerged as a response to a time of rational thought, the Enlightenment or the Age of Reason. This intellectual movement a... ...tablished in the modern horror genre, thus it is practical to observe the archetypes of the Gothic novel as well. This allows the responders to grasp a better understanding of the origins of horror elements. It is therefore evident that the Gothic horror genre has evolved a great deal over the past two hundred years or so. The Gothic novel has affected the horror genre because of the intrigue created with the intense emotions and aspects of human nature. This as a result creates Gothic horror, similar to the horror genre but instead plays on the horrifying attributes of the radical human mind rather than the dread of the unknown and the irregular. In order to become more aware regarding the origins of the horror genre, it is important to understand the progress of the Gothic. It is notable to recognise the meaning of the term, its changing values, historical context and the varying archetypes of the Gothic novel in order to become acquainted with the horror genre’s development. Bibliography: http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/gothic/history.html http://www.wwnorton.com/nael/romantic/topic_2/welcome.htm http://cai.ucdavis.edu/waters-sites/gothicnovel/155breport.html

Foreshadowing, Mood, Mythical Parallels, and Narrative Elements in Drac

Foreshadowing, Mood, Mythical Parallels, and Narrative Elements in Dracula      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the novel Dracula, by Bram Stoker, there is much evidence of foreshadowing and parallels to other myths.   Dracula was not the first story featuring a vampire myth, nor was it the last.   Some would even argue that it was not the best.   However, it was the most original, using foreshadowing and mood to create horrific imagery, mythical parallels to draw upon a source of superstition, and original narrative elements that make this story unique.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Anyone who has ever seen one of the several adaptations of Dracula as a movie will know that it was intended to be a horror story.   Stoker goes to great lengths in order to create an atmosphere of terror and villainy, while hinting at exciting things to come.   Straight from the beginning of the book, foreshadowing is utilized to hint at horrifying future events.   As Jonathan Harker was about to depart for Castle Dracula, an old lady accosted him and said, "It is the eve of St. George's Day.   Do you not know that to-night when the clock strikes midnight, all the evil things in the world will have full sway?"   (Stoker, 4).   However Harker leaves anyway, despite the warning.   Thus the reader is fully aware that something awful is going to happen to him.   This quote makes one's mind think of possible future events, thus creating imagery.   Every writer aspires to create good imagery, and Bram Stoker is particularly go od at doing so.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another example of foreshadowing unfolds when Harker is being transported to Castle Dracula by the mysterious and tenebrous driver.   "Then, as we flew along, the driver leaned forward, and on each side the passengers, craning over the edg... ...are depicted in many instances in order to draw upon a source of superstition for added affirmation.   Finally, original narrative elements are conceived in order to bring together a central theme of unity, which stresses the teamwork by which the protagonists defeated the vampires.   Bram Stoker applies these elements to create an enriching, compelling plot in the novel Dracula.       Works Cited Birge, Barbara.   "Bram Stoker's DRACULA:   The Quest for Female Potency in Transgressive Relationships."   Psychological Perspectives.   1994.   22-36. Gutjahr, Paul.   "Stoker's Dracula-Criticism and Interpretation."   Explicator.   Fall 1993.   36-40. Holland, Tom.   "A Sure Fang."   New Statesman.   Feb. 19, 2001.   40-42. Keats, P.   "Stoker's Dracula."   Explicator.   Fall 1991.   26-29. Stoker, Bram.   Dracula.   Tom Doherty Associates:   New York, 1988.   

Legally Blonde 2 and De Tocqueville Essay -- Character Analysis, Elle

What do you do when no one wants to change something that you see as a problem? In Legally Blonde 2: Red, White, and Blonde, Elle Woods decides to change the problem of animal testing when no one else will. Elle takes the initiative after looking for the mother of her chihuahua, Bruiser, so she could invite her to Elle’s wedding. She finds out that Bruiser's mom is trapped at the V.E.R.S.A.C.E. company as a test animal. Instead of planning her wedding, which is what she was currently involved in, Elle goes to Washington D.C. and presents a bill to end animal testing as she stands up for what she knows is right. This movie which presents an important issue in a light-hearted movie is a great example of a melodramatic film. Legally Blonde 2 follows the structure of victim, villain, and hero of melodramas. In this case Bruiser’s mom, along with all other test animals, the V.E.R.S.A.C.E company, along with the adversity that Elle receives in congress, especially Rep. Victo ria Rudd who goes behind Elle’s back to counter her bill, and of course Elle woods is the hero. This movie shows how one person can make a difference in democracy. The idea that â€Å"society governs itself for itself† (De Tocqueville, 51) is called popular sovereignty and was created by Alexis De Tocqueville. In his book, Democracy in America, De Tocqueville describes how America had the perfect democracy in the mid 19th century, when he wrote this book. He explains how true democracy uses popular sovereignty to create an ideal political system free of tyranny. Over time this government system has changed in practice, as can be seen by the lackluster workers in congress that are spotlighted in Legally Blonde 2. However in cinema justice still prevails in US democracy. L... ...ially young females. One teenage-girl’s reaction was just that. Carrie Dean, of Wisconsin walked out of the movie theatre and gave Legally Blonde 2 her own personal spin for a way for her to get involved herself. Carrie wanted to emulate Elle in her hometown by saving the animals in her town from euthanization at SPCA shelters. Along with Small Dogs Paradise, an interest group who also was looking to stop harmful treatment of dogs. Carrie ended up getting an internship in their office and is in the process of writing her own bill. Who knows how far Carrie will get but if a ‘chick-flick’ can have this kind of impact on the youth, then there needs to be more of them. If more people, especially young people, follow Carrie’s example and get involved in what is going on with our government, then maybe we could one day reach a version of De Tocqueville’s ideal democracy.

Ebook Vs Paper Compare N Contrast Essay

Reading has become one of the important elements in our life. We have been exposed to the books and learn how to read since we were still children. Couples of books innovations have been created since the past couple years. It started out with paper books or what we can call it as ‘traditional books’ and as the wave of publishing changes, we have the ‘modern books’ or known as virtual books that we can just keep it in our pocket, portable and flexible. However, some prefer the traditional books because it gave them the excitement of reading a book and some are just not. They just prefer the modern one. There are several e-readers that we can obtain these days which includes kindle, nook and iPad. So, as a reader which one is worth to buy? E-books (the modern ones) or just a mere paper books (the traditional ones)? In terms of flexibility, e-books seems to have more advantages compared to paper books. This is because e-books are created eco-friendly and they do not involve any natural resources which includes trees. As we all know, the main resource of papers come from chunks of tree that are processed into paper pulp which then create the paper that we used these days. It would take about 24 trees in order to make a ton of uncoated non-recycle printing and office paper (Susan Kinsella). So, basically if we want to produce more papers, we need to cut more trees which may result to global warming since trees play important roles in providing oxygen to the human being, as well as the source of natural ventilation to the eco system. Besides that, e-books are also affordable and cheaper than paper books. Some of the e-books that are published in e-readers website, offered free e-books for certain authors and they are also offering affordable price for famous books. It is cheaper to create something virtual instead of investing money over papers, cover page and printing expenses (Books Avenue). By buying e-books, customers usually get half of the price from the printed version especially when the expenses over shipping, printing and other costs are cut off. In addition, by having e-books, we can format the fonts and styles according to our preferences. On paper books, their fonts and styles have been set and sometimes their fonts are too small to read especially by the ol der generation who mostly faced the problem of having bad eyesight. According to Prevent Blindness America, one of the main lead to bad eye  sights is age factors. So, by reading e-books on iPad for instance, older generations could read the book comfortably without any disturbance because they have bigger fonts and better styles. Thus, it is indeed that e-books are much more flexible than paper books. When travelling, it is more convenient to use e-book. Travelers do not have to worry about extra space or heavy luggage with e-book but paper book, it consume spaces and may give extra weight for the luggage. E-book users can put in storage thousands of books on a single device (McMaken, 2012). Besides, e-book or e-reader provides backlight to assist reader when reading in dark. Most e-books have light and adjustable screen brightness making it capable for reader to read it in any condition (Angela, 2013). Meanwhile, for paper books adequate source of light are needed in order to read it. Without light, reading the printed book may cause eye strain due to the intense use of eyes. Furthermore, by connecting the e-book to the internet, travelers can access vast collection of books online while paper book offers a limited reading material. E-book users do not have to go to libraries or bookstores as they can easily download books from all around the world right away. E-books are delivered almost immediately and faster than overnight shipping (Pastore, 2008). On contrary, to get paper books, it may take time as it needs several procedures such as ordering it online, waiting for the delivery. Conclusively, e-books is more practical for the travelers who like to read books. However, a book that is on a shelf would last longer than an e-book. Paper books do not need batteries to read whereas e-books need the batteries in order to function. Users need to charge the battery of the e-books first so that it can be use. From this aspect we can see that paper books do not require any computer chip to be function so it will immune to viruses , non- distracting from virtual advertisements and compatible with a wide variety of note taking systems like via highlighter and pen (Born , 2012).Besides, a paper book is not as fragile as e-book. Once you drop your e-books, it may get severely damaged than a paper book. Meanwhile, paper book is more durable and some readers love to read books traditionally because they get the feeling of reading and flipping through the pages of book itself. This has been proven by 2012 Pew Internet Research Centre Study  which states about 67 percent of Americans prefer read by physical books rather than e-books because they provide a better reading experience with touch, durability and emotional connections (Royal,2013).In addition, paper books are more readable for many years compare to e-books. This is because as time passes, the technology will ultimately change. Thus, users need to frequently update their books in e-books to avoid from losing their book collections. Also, paper books comes with beautiful packaging which are attractive to keep as collections but for e-books, sometimes there seem to be missing some parts of the images or painting on the cover or back of the books ( Macmanus ,2010). In a nutshell, in term of durability paper book is better than e-book. In conclusion, e-books are more flexible and travelers friendly but regrettably they do not last longer compare to paper books. Paper books can last longer from five to five thousand years or more but e-books, they depend on the models and technology at that time. On contrary, usually travelers seem to like bring their I-pad, Kindle, Notes and smartphones to read by e-books because they do not need space and weight with them. Besides, in term of flexibility e-books are better than paper books as they have provided readers with lights and easy to read anywhere and anytime. Therefore, which one is more worth to buy? It is on your choice.

Park Design Issues

I always knew Minneapolis had a quality park system, but I had no idea it was renowned throughout the country. Also, I had no idea there was such a large number of parks, lakes, trails and just plain â€Å"open space† in Minneapolis. There are over 150 parks, 30 lakes and 50 miles of parkways in Minneapolis. It is obvious much credit is due to Frederick Law Olmsted and his park design principles, which are heavily included in the Minneapolis park system. I believe all of Olmsted's basic principles are apparent in the Minneapolis parks, and have been since the very beginnings of the city. One of the first things city officials did was set aside different areas of land specifically for parks. There were many benefits of doing this. First, it allowed the city to build houses around all the parks, making them all easily accessible. Also, it placed many different parks throughout the city, scattered but connected. This way, no matter where you live, there will be open space and â€Å"green relief† somewhere nearby. Most of the parks in Minneapolis, especially the larger, more frequented ones, are connected by parkways. The Ground Rounds, as it is called in Minneapolis, consists of over 50 miles of parkways and open space. This is broken up into seven districts scattered throughout the city. They are referred to as the Downtown Riverfront, Mississippi River, Minnehaha, Chain of Lakes, Theodore Wirth, Victory Memorial and Northeast districts. Conveniently, these districts completely encompass the city and take advantage of the natural variety throughout. Each of these offers something different and unique for the public, as was one of Olmsted's principles. All of these districts offer many miles of pathways for walking, jogging or bicycling through different parks, all of which show off a variety of scenery. Some of these parks are so serene you don't even feel like you're in the big city while others lay out the beautiful Minneapolis skyline right in front of you. However, foot and bike are not the only ways to get around and enjoy nature in Minneapolis. The Chain of Lakes district contains five lakes, four of which are connected by canals. Because of these canals, you are able to explore over two miles of lakes on your boat or canoe. These lakes include Brownie Lake, Cedar Lake and the more well-known Lake of the Isles and Lake Calhoun. Also in this district, although not connected, is Lake Harriet. I think Olmsted's belief that parks should be open to all and be provided by the government was very popular in early Minneapolis. In 1883, after a passed referendum, the Minneapolis Parks Board was born, and it immediately got to work. The board members believed they should purchase land for parks long before it would ever be needed, and that is exactly what they did. That same year, the board purchased land for what is now known as Loring Park, named after the then president of the board, Charles M. Loring. Later, in 1889, the board purchased land for Minnehaha Park. The early nineteen hundreds was a huge growing period for many of the now popular parks in Minneapolis. Theodore Wirth, who has his own park and district named after him, was the superintendent of the board during these years, and he played a vital role in developing the parks into what they are today. Many of the lakes at that time were nothing more than swampy areas with constant flooding problems, almost comparable to New York's pre-Central Park. Wirth drained the swampy areas and graded the lake's banks to stop the flooding. Also, it is because of Wirth that the lakes in the Chain of Lakes district are so conveniently connected, as I mentioned before. In the summer of 1911, he oversaw the connecting of the two more popular lakes in that district, Lake of the Isles and Lake Calhoun. Another one of Olmsted's principles, which is very noticeable in the Minneapolis parks, is that city parks should offer a variety of activities for the public. This principle is no more apparent than in the Chain of Lakes district. Even though all are close and connected, each lake's environment seems completely different from the next. Lake Harriet and its parks have more of a family feel, with the playgrounds and outdoor band shell. Lake Calhoun is definitely more for the sporty person. You don't have to look hard to see sailboats, waterskiers or snowmobilers running wild on this lake. Lastly, there is Lake of the Isles. This park has more of a serene and casual feel. It is more often frequented by strollers, joggers or bicyclers and canoes on the lake. As time changes, so do our cities and parks. During the latter half of the nineteenth century major changes were taking place in cities like Minneapolis. Many of these changes made it tough to mange and control park systems in larger cities. This is something a man named Alexander Garvin wanted to change. He believed Olmsted's principles were all valid, but some things needed to change simply because time changes things. One of Garvin's more obvious ideas was that cities need to maintain and improve the parks that they already have. In 1994, the city began rehabilitating the very popular Minnehaha Park. Also, Loring Park underwent a huge rehabilitation project, headed up by the surrounding community. The park used to be the kind of place you wouldn't want to walk through at night, now it is a fantastic place to take your family. Also, the price for property next to the park skyrocketed after the rehabilitation. New apartments that recently went up across the street are going for as much as $1,000 a month for a single bedroom. The Loring Park fish kill is a good example of the city maintaining its natural environment. This is necessary, for more than just fish, to ensure a normal and healthy population of a species within an environment. It eliminates overpopulation and helps to control diseases. Another goal cities need to pursue is the acquisition and development of new land or open space. This can be done in many ways. Cities can reuse or renovate old buildings or slums. Also, cities could reclaim vacant territory, combine public space for multiple uses or start using open spaces more effectively. There are many examples of Minneapolis doing all of these. Old factories and warehouses have been turned into modern and classy condominiums. Bike trails have been put alongside major highways, like along I-94, or on top of old, unused railroad tracks. Lastly, Garvin believed cities need to redesign certain facilities to make them more accessible. One example of this, although it could be considered acquiring or developing new land, would be the bridge by the Walker Art Center. This bridge connects the Walker Art Center to Loring Park and makes it much easier to move to and from. Because of the convenience, people can move more freely throughout the city and the two parks get visited much more often. Although Garvin's ideas really are quite simple, they are important for growing cities to take into consideration. I think Minneapolis has done a wonderful job of using his theories and it is no coincidence that they have one of the best park systems in America.

American Popular Culture: Trends and How They Affect

American Popular Culture soc/105 August, 22, 2013 In late 19th century America made two tempting and attractive promises; freedom and land (The Johns Hopkins University, 2002). These promises brought many immigrants with the hope of seeing their dreams realized. America today is a multicultural country provides shelter to thousands of immigrants with different cultural background. The Oxford Dictionary define culture as â€Å"the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively: 20 century popular culture† (â€Å"Culture,† 2013).The paper American popular culture attempted to emonstrate what popular culture is, three major trends founds in American popular culture, and how it affects personal decisions. In an anthropological sense, popular culture definition given by the authors of Common Culture: Reading and Writing about American Popular Culture, is â€Å"the shared knowledge and practices of a specific group at a specific timeâ⠂¬  (Petracca & Sorapure, 2007, p. 4). Popular culture represents everyday elements. Popular culture is linking to a specific time and place.For that reason may be popular culture may be transient, subject to any changes and also can e an in initiator of change (Petracca & Sorapure, 2007). Today, the United States is the chief manufacturer of popular culture goods. For this reason American pop culture is spread around the world through a varieties ot systems as newspapers, television programs, movies, fast foods, fashion, music, and other trends . There are numerous of trends. Three trends that seem to be those of major influences in American style life today are advertising, television, and technology.Those trends sometimes worked in our favor, but many people argued that they have been armful to the human life, especially those subjects relates with themes of economic and human personal interactions. Following an illustration of how those trends influences person's life. Laura wa nts to have some fun, so she decided to enroll in a tennis team. Laura knew that probably she will need to have some expenses, so she designed a budget for what she thought will be her cost to play tennis. Exciting she meets the others team's members but what happens was not expected.Her intention of fun turned into a very competitive, stressful, and expensive experience. Her idea of he expenses needs to include too, her team's expenses goals. Team's principal focus was to looks impeccable. Laura's first plan was to wear any sport clothes with an accessible price, but wait a moment, for the team presence comes first even when that imply high expenses. Meeting the team's demands Laura needs to buy the best racquet. Second, was â€Å"necessary' that she makes sure to buy brand new tennis' outfit from the Nike store, especially that outfit that Monica Puig wore at the Wimbledon tournament.To wear that cloth meant a tremendous suffering for Laura who was esperate because of her five ex tra pounds. She wanted to look as skinny as Monica does. Feeling overwarming for her five extra pounds, she decides to continue with her mission. Another important matter was not to forget accessories like the polarized sunglasses, Oakley's last edition, tennis hat, tennis shoes, and the socks. It is not necessary to mention that the accessories should combine with the Nike's outfit tennis, they must be the same color and brand, because remember â€Å"first dead than simple. Laura knows that her budget was out of control, but it was too late. The most important thing for her was that she was part of that â€Å"fantastic team. † This demonstration was to shown how advertising and some â€Å"rules of beauty' affected a person's decision- making. Advertising continually provokes an excessive consumerism. Roy Fox an America Journalist mentioned that people consume more than they produce (Petracca & Sorapure, 2007, p. 58). The advertising is not the only trend influencing Americ an popular culture; other major trend is the television.People are crazy to get into their homes and to fall into that recline able sofa with the TV control in hands. They barely talked to their children or their couple. Probably before watch the TV they will have more knowledge. For sure they will be aware about what is happening around the world, but their family relation is affects by that intruder that live with them. The technology is a main contributor for improvements in Jobs, academic studies, cyber-communications, and much more. However, technology has brought to our society many difficult situations as well.Some of the results of the advance technology are violence, pornography, psychological problems specially, in children who are constantly expose to violence video games, and lack of privacy. Sullivan (2006) said â€Å"the 21st century equivalent of being caught naked† (par. , 5) Today nobody knows if someone is watching or monitoring us. As demonstrated earlier, American popular culture has grown tremendously and with it, diversity, technological advances, better ways to communicate at long distance, medical advances, and so much more.Humans nas been under the control ot various predominant trends especially, those promoted by big Industries in the commercial fields. Societies are so into the new things that they are not paying attention to the cost of that way of living. People are unconsciously spending in things that they do not need, living by ridiculous standards of â€Å"beauty' having as a result young teenagers and adults with a bad mental and physical conditions. People need to be conscious and to make good uses of the advantages than has been given in this times, but do not forget to have precaution and to be alert of possible dangers.

Language Essay Essay

The importance of language Language is an important tool to have because it allows individuals to write, speak, and communicate their thoughts, and gives a unique diversity to each individual, and provides individuals with their own identity. There are multiple forms of language, and with language, the process of hearing language, speaking language, and learning language is easier. Language is the most efficient way of communicating your thoughts, and without language, everyday activities become much harder. We use language to let others know how we feel, what we need, and to ask questions about certain things. People rely heavily on language which most people take for granted. Language rises like a spring among the mountains, and learning to speak language properly and how it was meant to be spoken can increase your vocabulary substantially. An example from â€Å"Teaching New Worlds/ New Words† where Bell Hooks explained how white Americans haven’t yet acknowledged diverse language, and how language is being taken advantage of. Over the years, language has deteriorated greatly, because of people becoming more and more lazy and using shortened versions of words. Different forms of Language come and go like time spent through an hourglass, people often forget different forms of language that aren’t heavily promoted. In â€Å"Teaching New Worlds/New Words† Bell Hooks explained how black vernacular was dying off and being replaced by standard English. Language can be very confusing and difficult to understand, and is constantly changing. In â€Å"Politics and the English Language† George Orwell explained that how overtime politics has greatly influenced the English language in a negative way and filled it with euphemisms, â€Å"Modern English, especially written English, is full of bad habits which spread by imitation.† This quote explains that the English language has become monstrous because people are imitating the language they see, which may not be good language.