Theme in Forest Gump and Raging Bull :: Film Movie

Theme in Forest Gump and Raging Bull Themes play a major role in many movies. This is the way a director is able to express the main point of the movie in his or her own way. A good example of a movie that does this is Forest Gump. This movie is directed by Robert Zemeckis. The movie takes place over a span of thirty years and all focuses around the life of one man. During this period we see the way a boy grows to a man in body, but remains a child in heart and spirit. A major theme in this movie is destiny. Forest’s mother tells him that God has a special plan for everyone. However, his platoon leader tells him that there is no such thing as fate and that everyone is moving around like â€Å"dust in the wind†. Sort of like the Kansas song (just kidding). I think that the director had an opinion somewhere in-between these two theories. God gives us some things, but it’s up to you to make a lot in your life happen. The director shows this theme many times throughout the movie. An example is the feather that opens and closes the story. The feather gets caught in the wind and is carried to forest who picks it up and puts it into a book. Many things happen throughout the movie that may or may not have been Forest’s fate. Such as meeting John Lennon and telling him what Vietnam was like and therefore inspiring him to write the lyrics to the song â€Å"Imagine†. He also meets Elvis and teaches him how to do his trademark pelvis swing. The movie ends with the same feather floating out of the book that his son is now reading many years later. Another movie with a theme that a director is trying to express is Raging Bull. It was directed by Martin Scorsese. This is a movie about an Italian boxers rise and fall in his career and in life. A major theme in this movie is jealousy. This is shown when Vicki, his wife, comments on the good looks of a young boxer. Jake the main character immediately tells her to shut up and leave the room.

Canada: 1920’s and 1930’s

How Canadian Men Stayed Clean During the â€Å"Dirty† Thirties The twenties were a time of flappers, bobs, and jazz with nothing but buying exorbitant goods in between. However, these careless times were short- lived and the â€Å"dirty† thirties began a few years later. Society was affected on a large economic scale which in turn put a strain on the familial bonds of those trying to survive the drastic transition between these two decades as men went to drastic lengths to support their families, as seen in the film Cinderella Man.Canadian citizens of the 1920s lived in a hazy dream where money was as easily gained as it was spent. Canadians were facing a time of prosperity, where wages were high and unemployment was low. Such prosperity created a sense of monetary and economic security within Canada and the more Canadians earned, the more they wanted to gain. Canadians were willing to make risky decisions and so, many saw excitement and a quick- rise to wealth in the s tock markets. Companies would sell stocks, or shares, in their business to investors. In return, investors were entitled to a share of any profits a company earned.In order to increase profit, many began to buy on margin. To elaborate, they would purchase a stock with a small down payment and borrow the rest based on the value of the stock as collateral from banks. Most citizens thought that the prosperity of the twenties would last far into the future and would allow for a luxurious and care- free life where no one would have to pay attention to possible future issues. In contrast, the 1930s saw the end of prosperity as depression quickly set in. On October 29, 1929, better known as Black Tuesday, the stock market had reached its peak.Those with many shares and an excess of cash began to sell their stocks. Thus, the â€Å"cattle heard† effect began and those at the bottom of the stock market pyramid began to follow the precedent and quickly sold their stocks all at once. In a single day, the value of stocks on the world’s major market stock exchanges dropped by 50%. Almost every Canadian citizen lost their investments as well as their previous profits as banks began to repossess everyone’s belongings as compensation for the numerous loans almost everyone had taken in order to invest in the stocks.It was during the thirties that Canadians began to realize that perhaps a plan for future problems would be extremely helpful- of course citizens had to suffer quite a bit before these realizations were made. As a result of the drastic shift in wealth, citizens of the thirties became increasingly desperate and were willing to do do laborious and tedious work for a mere $0. 20 at most in contrast to the relaxing and languid investments that brought quick wealth in the twenties. During 1933, Canada’s unemployment rate was nearly 30%- not including farmers and fishermen.Meaning, if a man was able to find a job he was extremely lucky and was v ery unlikely to be given the same chance the next day. Thus, very few had the good fortune to turn down any form of work as physically draining as it was. To illustrate, in Cinderella Man, James Braddock pushes himself beyond physical weaknesses to work at a dock where work is laborious and almost unbearable. He is willing to suffer the pain of a broken hand and gain a limited amount of pay simply because the docks were his only method of obtaining decent pay- after his loss of a boxing license.For most Canadians, there was only one method of obtaining money and it was often tiresome, tedious, and grueling but, it was the only way to bring in some form of support for their families. Beyond the physical labour, Canadian men of the thirties were forced to conquer their pride and accept charitable donations and relief aid from the government in order to support their families. In the movie, Cinderella Man, James Braddock is forced to accept relief in his desperate attempt to keep his f amily together though he admitted it was a shameful act for any man during the Depression.Barry Broadfoot, a relief worker, described the appearance of these men, â€Å"†¦ as though they were signing away their manhood, their right to be a husband and sit at the head of the table and carve the roast. † In admitting to needing the government’s support, men felt that they had let down their families and had become unfit as head of the family as society expected a man to be able to work and provide full support to his family during the 1900s. Many men, in the hopes of finding some way to support their families, left their homes and travelled West in search of work. Many â€Å"rode the rails† nto British Columbia and found only more charities. As a result, the government set up relief camps to rid the province’s streets of the desperate men in search of unattainable work. Over 200 000 men lived in these camps during 1933 and faced a life similar to that of prison. The only benefit was that at lest a few cents were made each day- a small but necessary sum of money in the face of the Depression. However, Canadian men soon protested the terrible conditions in the relief camps. The chaotic riots and protests directed towards Canada’s government, such as the Regina riot and On-to-Ottawa Trek, led R.B. Bennett to create the â€Å"New Deal† which established minimum wages and unemployment insurance among other policies which resulted in a small victory for future Canadians who would face Depression as the business cycle continued its circulation. In conclusion, the lives of Canadians differed drastically as the carefree times of the twenties abruptly ended- plummeting Canada into a Depression within a matter of days. The men of the time had been terribly effected and the carefree dream of the twenties had left Canadians bitter and cautious after the reality of the thirties touched them.

Piggy Character Analysis - Lord of the Flies Essay

In every piece of literature there is always one character that stands out to me. Coincidentally, the characters I usually choose to admire are the weak, unpopular, failure types. In the book â€Å"Lord of the Flies† by William Golding the character that stood out to me most was Piggy. He was the boy whose real name was never mentioned, but his real name wouldn’t be as symbolic as the nickname he had throughout the book. Throughout the earlier chapters I pictured Piggy as the run of the mill loser that wasn’t cool enough to share snacks with in school even if he had the tastiest ones. Piggy is a very obedient character that always followed his auntie’s rules. He was different and he accepted that fact on the outside, but in the inside he was†¦show more content†¦I was with [Ralph] before anyone was.† †¦ â€Å"You can’t come† [Golding 24] Jack feels it is okay to belittle and leave Piggy behind simple because he’s different. Piggy is fairly persistent when matters involve Ralph but he seems to have control over himself as Jack tries to test his patience. Piggy might be weak physically but later on in the novel it is demonstrated that Piggy is quite strong mentally. His ideas show convenience and efficiency to getting rescued. I expect well want to know all their names, said the fat boy, and make a list. We ought to have a meeting. [Golding 5] Even though Piggy is a very unique character in his own way there are some similarities between him and Simon. The obvious similarity between Simon and Piggy is the outcast personalities they both have. Simon is considered crazy because he was the first to see what the real beast was, which was just a dead man with a parachute. Everybody else was convinced that it was a crazy mythical creature. Simon is mostly discriminated because of his actions, and Piggy is discriminated because of his appearance. Piggy was referred to as â€Å"fatty†, while Simon was referred to as â€Å"batty†. Their own â€Å"friends† on the island murdered both boys. Simon tried to tell the boys what the real beast was, but by being mistaken for the beast, Simon was stabbed to death by the boys. The sea then washed his body away. Piggy on the other hand was murdered simply because Roger had the chance, so heShow MoreRelatedLord of the Flies - Character Analysis: Piggy1011 Words   |   5 Pages* Examine the significance of the character Piggy in the novel â€Å"Lord of The Flies† consider his purpose, key role and relationship with the other boys at important points in the novel. To mimic men’s actions and lost of civility in times of war and need, William Golding, narrates a story in which all characters are boys, with the intention of taking the reader through the journey made by those who descend to savagery when facing certain conditions. This essay is going to explore and explain theRead MoreLord of The Flies Essay1673 Words   |  7 PagesLord of the Flies was published in 1954 by William Golding. Today Lord of the Flies is a well known literary criticism. Many schools require their students to read Lord of the Flies because of the literary criticisms in the book. In this paper three themes or literary criticisms are talked about: good vs. evil, symbolism of characters, and maturity of characters. Another topic in Goldings Lord of the Flies is the battle of good vs. evil. Everything seems to start out just fine on the island; theRead MoreLord Of The Flies : Kohlberg s Morality Theory958 Words   |  4 PagesZachas English 10 Honors 8 November 2015 Lord of the Flies Through Kohlberg’s Morality Theory â€Å"Maybe there is a beast†¦ maybe it s only us.†good hook This quotation is taken from The Lord of the Flies, a novel that surrounds around young survivors of a plane crash that thrive on a deserted island. 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Ironically, their new society values physical qualitiesRead MoreWilliam Golding s Lord Of The Flies1603 Words   |  7 PagesLiterary devices are techniques often used by authors to portray in-depth analyses of major characters, storylines, and central themes, which take place in a story. These analyses help readers understand a message the author is trying to convey. In the novel Lord of the Flies, William Golding uses different literary devices in order to demonstrate the boys’ struggle against the lack of society and law on the island, as well as the consequences that have transpired due to this loss. This conflictRead MoreLord Of The Flies By William Golding1206 Words   |  5 Pagesinside of us, civility having compressed it within, yet it still rears it’s ugly head when drastic situations arise. We se e this primal characteristic of brutality slowly take hold of the boys on the island until the ‘Lord of the Flies’ has claimed it’s latest victims. Not only Simon and Piggy, but all the boys on the island. Throughout the novel, we see all the boys go from having fun and exhibiting civilized behavior to losing control at the end. â€Å"You knew, didn’t you? I’m part of you.† (Golding p.143Read MoreThe Powers of the Symbols in Lord of the Flies929 Words   |  4 PagesLord of the Flies is a novel that is all about symbols that have different powers which is used on the boys. Two of the symbols which are the conch and the sow’s head contain powers that are opposite of each other and they have a great affect on the boys. Lord of the Flies would be a different story without symbols. The conch has the powers that lead to civilization and order. It represents the authority that the boys will need to get rescued from the island. The sowâ€⠄¢s head on the other hand representsRead MoreThe ID, Ego and Superego in Lord of the Flies1468 Words   |  6 Pages The exemplification of Freud’s id, superego, and ego: A look at Jack, Piggy, Simon and Ralph within The Lord of the Flies Freud primarily subscribed to the idea that there are two energies that drive human behavior. These two energies are sex – the pleasure principle and aggression. The human mind is comprised of the conscious, preconscious, and unconscious. Within the realms of the mind, the human personality is controlled by the id, the ego, and the superego. The id is driven