Frankenstein and Blade Runner - Texts in Time Analysis Essay Example for Free

Frankenstein and Blade Runner Texts in Time Analysis Essay Many themes and ideas continue to reoccur among different texts in time. However studying two texts in conjunction allows one to observe how composers manipulate ideas in order to more accurately connect to their context, and reflect the concerns and values of the time. Through the comparative study of Mary Shelley’s 1818 gothic novel Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus and Ridley Scott’s 1981 neo-noir cyberpunk film Blade Runner (Director’s Cut), one can observe how in these two didactic and prescient tales, ideas of the dangers of unrestrained scientific progress and the Promethean overreaching of man are explored, with differences in values presented reflecting the different contexts between the texts. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein was created in an era of rapid technological change. By 1818, the Industrial Revolution had deeply influenced the fundamental nature of society, while Enlightenment inspired ideals of logic and autonomy of reason were prominent in society. Her text accordingly reflects this, as seen in the protagonist Victor Frankenstein; â€Å"I am imbued with a fervent longing to penetrate the secrets of nature. † This metaphor alludes to his passionate and desperate urge to uncover the secrets to the creation of life. Shelley however critiques his intrusive scientific pursuit and horrid creation by juxtaposing it with the beauty of nature. This is seen in the bucolic descriptions of nature’s sublime; â€Å"Mighty alps, whose white and shining pyramids and domes towered above all. † Nature calms and dehumanises Victor throughout the text, but Victor pursues science to the extent that nature loses its consoling ability, and thereafter the Arctic becomes a pathetic fallacy to mock Victor’s psychological and mental isolation. This criticism is further emphasised through the epistolary narrative framework, which allows the text to begin in medias res. The first introduction to Victor is him in a state of complete ruin, and so the text is a forewarning of the ramifications of amoral scientific advancement. In a similar manner, Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner was created in a time of rapid technological progress through the 1970s and 80s. The emergence of the computer and communication age meant that the world became more centralised, with a growing concern that technology was destroying the environment. Set in Los Angeles in 2019, the opening establishing shot of the expansive city immediately demonstrates the negative consequences of untamed scientific advancement. The fire belching into the sky, the artificial city lights sparkling under a looming red-grey sky and the haunting synthetic pulses from the Vangelis soundtrack allude to Hades, making the city a vision of hell. The camera then zooms into the reflection of an eye, which depicts the artificiality of the world and introduces dystopian themes of paranoia and surveillance. Hence we can see that Blade Runner is representative of a grim future that Shelley’s scientific hubris warned us of nearly two centuries ago. However there are alterations in the ideas shown to befit the differing contexts of the texts. Mary Shelley argues that an excessive pursuit of science can lead to the ruin of an individual man, seen in Victor Frankenstein. She also argues that nature is larger than man, evident in her highly Romantic descriptions of nature’s sublime. Ridley Scott however argues that man is overpowering nature, owing to the global concerns of pollution and deforestation in the 1980s. Hence Scott implies amoral scientific advancement will lead to the detriment of society as a whole, and not just at an individual level. Unequivocally, both texts explore the idea of the promethean overreaching of man and his tendency to usurp the role of God, through the characters of Victor Frankenstein and Tyrell. The subtitle of Mary Shelley’s novel, The Modern Prometheus, refers to Victor Frankenstein, and his creation of the monster. A new species would bless me as its creator and source† His creation however leads him to transcend the boundaries of man and elevate him into a god-like status, and this leads to Victor’s complete societal and mental isolation, where he loses sight of his responsibilities and the consequences of his actions. Victor compares himself to God, while the monster says to Victor â€Å"I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel†, referring to himself as Lucifer. This means the text is given added complexity in that there is a duality between both characters, where neither Victor or the monster are innately good or bad, rather they containing capacity for both, as they become two sides of a single entity, forming a doppelganger relationship. Finally, the literary allusion by Victor; â€Å"how could I enter into a festival with this deadly weight hanging round my neck? † is a reference to the albatross in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, and shows the eternal punishment and guilt Victor faces from outstretching the boundaries of man and playing the role of God. Therefore it is apparent that in her text, Shelley attempts to warn of the dire consequences of man’s promethean overreaching of the role of God. Correspondingly, the idea of man overstepping of the natural order is heavily explored in Blade Runner. The film is the epitome of a dystopian world dominated by commerce. The initial low angle shot of the Tyrell Corporation’s grand ziggurat-like monolith reflects the rampant commercialisation and commodification of the world, while the blue light shining into the sky pertains to the usurpation of God’s role, and the diminishment of nature in modern society. The Tyrell Corporation’s dominance criticises the â€Å"greed is good† attitude of the 1980s, typified through the antagonist Eldon Tyrell; â€Å"Commerce is our goal here at Tyrell, ‘More Human than Human’ is our motto. † His thick glasses symbolise his failure to see the future consequences of his actions, much like Victor, and this adds to the eye motif of the film, where eyes are windows to the soul and measures of humanity – something which Tyrell clearly lacks. Roy Batty, the film’s role-reversed protagonist, is portrayed initially as a Satanic figure; â€Å"I’ve done questionable things†, akin to the monster being labelled â€Å"daemon† and â€Å"devil† in Frankenstein. However Scott makes a biblical allusion when Batty crucifies his own hand, and this relates him to Christ. Thus one can see how in both texts the composers warn of the dangers of usurping the role of god, showing the complexity and duality of man on Earth. Mary Shelley’s romantic values however mean that through the character of Victor, she aims to criticise the overreaching aspect of Enlightenment, warning that those who do will be eternally punished. Ridley Scott however aims to condemn the overcommercialisation and increasing greed in society, using Tyrell as a figure to represent man’s obsession for power, and in such he criticises the society that we live in. In these ways it can be seen how the overreaching of god in both texts is used differently to resonate with different contextual values. Therefore, through a comparative study of both Frankenstein and Blade Runner, we can see how the common issues of rampant scientific and technological progress and the usurpation of the natural order is explored in both texts, however these ideas are varied slightly in order to suit the differing contexts. Frankenstein aims at questioning Enlightenment values, while Blade Runner condemns materialism, unhinged genetic engineering and corporal greed, essentially critiquing society and presenting a dystopian vision of the future.

Essay --

Throughout The Pearl, by John Steinbeck, the themes of greed and prejudice are greatly expressed, from the beginning with the unjust doctor to the suspenseful end of the supposed ‘Pearl of the World.’ It is amazing, that even in a timeless story as this one, these harsh realities still haunt their world. It could take place yesterday, today, or tomorrow, but the point is that one cannot revert the world to one way of thinking, that is why greed and prejudice still exist. One can try as hard as they want but there are going to be those who are stubborn, of hard will, and those who believe their thoughts are right. I want to show that these themes go far beyond this parable and apply to the world we live in. Those who are prejudice exist around the world; there are those whom think higher of themselves, those whom think lower of others. It could be a small subconscious thought incriminating another peer at school of being a nerd because they are studious or carry other traits one would associate with this word; this, something as small as this, is prejudice. There are those who walk ...

Comparison and Contrast on Theory XY and Z Essay

Douglas McGregor suggested that there are two different ways in which we can look at workers attitudes toward work. Each of these views, which McGregor called Theory X and Theory Y, has implications for management. Theory X (‘authoritarian management’ style) -People do not really like to work and will avoid it if at all possible so they must be coerced, controlled, directed, threatened with punishment to get them to work. -The average worker avoids responsibility, is unambitious and wants security more than anything else. -Management based on Theory X is paternalistic at best and, at very least, authoritarian. -Rewards and punishment are assumed in this theory to be the key to employee productivity. Theory X managers believe that workers are only motivated by one thing – money. They are selfish, lazy and hate work. They need to be closely controlled and directed. Theory Y (‘participative management’ style) The theory Y is to some extent the opposite image of X -Effort in work is as natural as rest and play. -People will apply self-control and self-direction in the pursuit of organizational objectives, and the external control or the threat of punishment is not the only means of getting them to work. -Commitment to objectives is a function of rewards associated with their achievement. The most important reward: satisfaction of their own ego needs. -People usually accept and often seek responsibility. -Creativity, ingenuity, and imagination are widely distributed among the population. People are capable of using these abilities to solve an organizational problem. -In modern industry the intellectual potential of the average person is only partly utilized. Theory Y managers believe that Workers are motivated by many different factors apart from money. They enjoy their work and they will happily take on responsibility and make decisions for the business. Theory z – William Ouchi Theory Z makes certain assumptions about workers: People tend to want to build cooperative and intimate working relationships with those that they work for and with, as well as the people that work for them. They have a high need to be supported by the company, and highly value a working environment in which such things as family, cultures and traditions, and social institutions are regarded as equally important as the work itself. They have a very well developed sense of order, discipline, moral obligation to work hard, and a sense of cohesion with their fellow workers. Finally, Theory Z workers can be trusted to do their jobs to their utmost ability, so long as management can be trusted to support them and look out for their well being. One of the best aspects of theory Z is the long-term employment which would appeal to Americans because they want job security. The collective decision making will create a good work environment and increase productivity. Something that Americans won’t like is the slow evaluation and promotion. Americans don’t like to wait years before they can get a promotion and they  would rather get a new job instead. Another great benefit is that the company will have holistic concern for you and your family. Theory Z also places more reliance on the attitude and responsibilities of the workers, whereas McGregor’s XY theory is mainly focused on management and motivation from the manager’s and organization’s perspective. Comparison & Contrast Douglas McGregor tends to categorize people as one type or another: either being unwilling or unmotivated to work, or being self-motivated towards work. Threats and disciplinary action are thought to be used more effectively in this situation, although monetary rewards can also be a prime motivator to make Theory X workers produce more. William Ouchi believes that people are innately self-motivated to not only do their work, but are loyal towards the company, and want to make the company succeed. Theory X leaders would be more authoritarian, while Theory Y leaders would be more participative. But in both cases it seems that the managers would still retain a great deal of control. Theory Z managers would have to have a great deal of trust that their workers could make sound decisions. Therefore, this type of leader is more likely to act as â€Å"coach†, and let the workers make most of the decisions. As mentioned above, McGregor’s managers, in both cases, would seem to keep most of the power and authority. In the case of Theory Y, the manager would take suggestions from workers, but would keep the power to implement the decision. Theory Z suggests that the manager’s ability to exercise power and authority comes from the worker’s trusting management to take care of them, and allow them to do their jobs. The workers have a great deal of input and weight in the decision making process. Conflict in the Theory Z arena would involve a great deal of discussion, collaboration, and negotiation. The workers would be the ones solving the  conflicts, while the managers would play more of a â€Å"third party arbitrator† role. This type of manager might be more likely to exercise a great deal of â€Å"Power† based conflict resolution style, especially with the Theory X workers. Theory Y workers might be given the opportunity to exert â€Å"Negotiating† strategies to solve their own differences. Theory Z emphasizes more frequent performance appraisals, but slower promotions, while according to Theory X, appraisals occur on a regular basis. Promotions also occur on a regular basis.

President John F. Kennedy’s Assassination Essays - 586 Words

In 1976, the US Senate ordered the official investigation of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, who was murdered on November 22, 1963 during a motorcade in Dallas, Texas. The FBI and the CIA were persuaded to release more of their documents on Oswald. Most important of all, pieces of evidence such as photos and sound recordings were subjected to scientific analysis using the most up to date methods and equipment. The HSCA completed their investigation in 1979 and they finally came to a verdict that Lee Harvey Oswald fired three shots at Kennedy, one of which killed the president. A fourth shot was fired from the grassy knoll, which was contradictory to the statement printed by the Warren Commission 16 years earlier. They concluded†¦show more content†¦They had proven to be extremely unorganized in their efforts to document and investigate the Presidents murder. The fact that interviews hadnt been recorded was one of the reasons why there was so much confusion during the trial, the only excuse the Dallas police could come up with was that they couldnt find a tape recorder. The questions that were asked by the officers proved to be worthless. Dallas police were wildly believed to be at fault for Oswalds death. Even though a previous attempt had been made to kill Oswald, no further precautions had been taken to prevent a second attempt. The fact that reporters were allowed to mingle around Oswald as he was escorted out of court probably gave Jack Ruby the freedom to access Oswald and so caused his death. Oswald was murdered in front of news cameras, and video footage of the incident shows that the police hardly made any attempts to prevent the murder. Some believe that Jack Ruby killed Oswald to silence him and the police were ordered to let it happen. For a long time the American open must be substance with the Warren Commissions verdict that Lee Harvey Oswald had been the sole professional killer in the homicide of John F. Kennedy. In any case, after the report was distributed on September 24, 1964, new proof kept on surfacing, as did inconsistencies w ith the discoveries of theShow MoreRelatedâ€Å"Forgive Your Enemies, But Never Forget Their Names.† –John1302 Words   |  6 Pagestheir names.† –John F Kennedy This quote was said by a man who was once someone that the American people would call the 35th President of the United States. John F. Kennedy was a very young President, as well as a very good looking president. Women would swoon over the idea of John F. Kennedy but also be jealous of his wife that he was married to at the time. John F. Kennedy is well known for his affair with Marilyn Monroe the world’s leading bombshell blonde in the 1960’s. 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