The complex nature of the concept of discovering means the true sense of discovery can be found in different circumstances that are essential in offering new understanding and renewed perceptions of yourself and others. Through detailed study of Ernesto Che Guevara’s non-fiction text, The Motorcycle Diaries, and the film Billy Elliot, directed by Stephen Daldry, the theme of self-awareness and discovery is apparent. With close analysis, it can be seen that the ideas of; significant hardship leading to a change in perspective, courage and determination, and repercussions of self-discovery are common theme throughout both texts. The Motorcycle Diaries explores a substantial journey of overcoming significant hardship, which in turn transforms …show more content…
Billy’s courage to rebel against his fathers wishes allowed him to take a huge risk in pursuing his dream to dance This courage and determination transformed Jackie’s opinion of dance that influenced him to make the decision to do everything he could to support his son and help his dream come true. Through Billy’s talent and expression, Jackie and Tony finally accept what they need to do to give Billy a better life. The Elliot’s live in a society where males who do female activities are labeled as homosexual. Jackie Elliot has the same point of view, as the society he lives in taught him this way of thinking. Billy proves to his father that this stereotype doesn’t apply to every male, and we finally see Jackie overcome his predisposition of male dancers. “Just because he likes ballet doesn’t mean he’s homosexual.” These stereotypes play an important role in the film and are a crucial reason Jackie is perceived as a strict …show more content…
This structural element allows the audience to become captured in individual snapshots of Guevara’s journey. The ways recounts, descriptions and commentary are combined illustrate the evolution of ‘Che’s’ revolutionary ideology and political activities. Guevara’s reflective voice evocatively presents the reader with understanding of the growth he underwent as a result of his experiences. This creates a deeper understanding of what is important to ‘Che’. Social injustice transforms the way he sees the world. By using emotive language towards the end of the book, Che impacts the audience who becomes convinced of his self-discovery and political growth. Grando shares with Guevara a dream to peacefully revolutionize and transform South America. Guevara is hesitant, as “a revolutionary without guns will never work”. This irony foreshadows the future events in the memoir and reveals how the lessons that can be learned from the experience are often paradoxical in nature. The readers are able to access personal thoughts and reflections through the vignettes. These reveal the social and political voice of the author. The uses of ellipsis create a tension and suggest how emotional and vulnerable Che felt at the end of his expedition. “I now knew… I knew that when the great guiding spirit cleaves humanity into two antagonistic
When it comes to analyzing the “banana massacre” scene in chapter 15, I found three narrative techniques the author used to describe this scene. Therefore, one can notice that this part of the book is the climax. As a result, one infers what the author is trying to say about Latin American history and politics.
...teenth century in South America. His articulation of the disastrous and catastrophic event was detailed, strong, and emotionally invoking. It compelled me to think about how things could have been. What if the viceroy had fully succeeded? What if he had never tried to change Lima’s political, social, or architectural structure? And how might that have affected such a cultural epicenter of that time period? He gives the audience an opportunity to nearly relive the event, but also experience a part of the event aside from the natural disasters that were just as effective to the people of Lima, their future, and the future of their city.
The themes explored in the novel illustrate a life of a peasant in Mexico during the post-revolution, important themes in the story are: lack of a father’s role model, death and revenge. Additionally, the author Juan Rulfo became an orphan after he lost
Throughout an individual’s life-time, he/she has a vision as o what his/her should be. But when things do not go as planned and the unexpected occurs, does that person face it, or run away? In “An Act of Vengeance” by Isabel Allende, running away is not an option at well. Through the usage of plot, character and irony, Allende illustrates the cost of war.
Cesar Chavez uses aphorism, allusion, and other literary devices to give more of a lasting influence in this piece of writing. By using these devices, Chavez’ piece about nonviolent resistance is further developed. He also uses devices to help people understand what he is saying and connect it to their own lives/life experiences.
Memory is a tool through which Campanella attempts to uncover the dark days in Argentina’s political history; the country was moving away from democracy and into a military regime, despite having democratically confirmed Isabel Perón as president . Through memory, the film becomes a political narrative of the terrible violence, murder rape and other forms of injustices associated with La junta Militar (The military Junta) overtaken of power in the mid-1970s. “El Secreto De Sus Ojos” (The Secret in Their Eyes) is particularly noteworthy as it is among the fewest forms of art, including existing literature that peeks into these chaotic years in Argentina. A time of terror known as the Dirty Warm, seven y...
With assertive shouts and short tempers, the prominent character, Ricardo, is characterized as a feisty townsman, doing nothing except trying to protect his town and its members from the judgments of the western world. For example, the characterization of the “‘…quaint’” man is exemplified through the simplicity of his life and the fact that he is “‘…employed’” and is full of knowledge, not a “‘cow in the forest’” (55, 29, 32). Ricardo desperately wants to establish the notion that he is not a heartless, feebleminded man, only an indigent, simple man striving to protect his friends and family from the criticisms of callous cultures. Incessantly Ricardo attempts to make it clear to the photographer the irritation elicited by his prese...
...l. “Ge-or-ge,’ she called in an exaggerated Gringo accent. He looked back. Tears were running down her rigid, expressionless face. ‘Cabron!’ she said. ‘Vendido sanavabiche!’” (Paredes 294) In this way, George – no longer Guánlito – has politically and culturally betrayed his people, and “is not is not the tragic hero who has died in defense of his people” (Mendoza 148).
The road movie embodies the human desire for travel and progression. The vehicle of journey is a contemporary metaphor of personal transformation that oftentimes mirrors socio-cultural desires and fears. Thomas Schatz believes that one “cannot consider either the filmmaking process or films themselves in isolation from their economic, technological, and industrial context.” This statement is especially applicable to the independent American films of the late sixties, a time of great political and social debate. Easy Rider (1969) was considered a new voice in film that was pitched against the mainstream. In the 1960s, there was a shift to highlight the outsiders or the anti-heros in film. This counter-cultural radicalism seems to have also influenced the 1991 film, Thelma & Louise. The characters of both films act as figures of anti-heroism by rebelling against the conventional and unintentionally discovering themselves at the same time. Despite their different backgrounds, the protagonists of Eas...
...all want to believe that the crime was truly “foretold”, and that nothing could have been done to change that, each one of the characters share in a part of Santiago Nasar’s death. Gabriel Garcia Marquez writes about the true selfishness and ignorance that people have today. Everyone waits for someone else to step in and take the lead so something dreadful can be prevented or stopped. What people still do not notice is that if everyone was to stand back and wait for others, who is going to be the one who decides to do something? People don’t care who gets hurt, as long as it’s not themselves, like Angela Vicario, while other try to reassure themselves by thinking that they did all that they could, like Colonel Lazaro Aponte and Clotilde Armenta. And finally, some people try to fight for something necessary, but lose track of what they set out for in the first place.
“The Hero’s Journey.” Ariane Publications, 1997. Course handout. AS English I. Dept. of English, Woodside High School. 26 October 2013.
The power of film is immense in modern American culture. The symbols and identity’s created in these films has proven to possess a lasting impact shaping in new cultures. Film has not failed to accomplish this using the motorcycle. Although a controversial image the motorcycle possesses a strong identity of freedom and brotherhood creating an individual counterculture. The freedom represented by the motorcycle contradicts previous connotations and transforms our definition of freedom. The motorcycle also provides a cultural identity of rebellion and brotherhood. Film has contributed greatly to creation of the motorcycle identity and has not failed to capitalize on the power symbolism the motorcycle represents. In many cases film created the motorcycle image we think of today.
Between Vega’s “The Story of Pedro Serrano” and Saer’s The Witness, each character discovered their own truths and purpose in life. For Serrano, his was the journey to achieve the balance between nature and civilization and twisting it for his own benefit much like he did with the resources on the island. For the nameless narrator, his journey was to gain the identity of what would end up a lost civilization and share their story with the world, ensuring that they would live on and be understood.
When reading a novel or watching a movie, the audience often looks for a guiding light; a character that steps up to take the lead when all hope is lost. It is not uncommon for that beacon of hope to be a complete stereotype, all too often, the hero of the day is a strong, virile, ruggedly handsome man, but what if he was not? What if he was just an average man, or not even a man at all, but a woman or a child? When reading fiction, the imagination is allowed to run wild, painting vivid pictures interwoven with personal life experiences, relatable to the characters in the novels and to one’s own life experiences. The most memorable content of both The Road, by Cormac McCarthy, and World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War, by Max Brooks, leaves a lasting impression due to strong lead characters, their resolve to survive, no matter what obstacles may wind up in their paths, and the simple truth that they are human and flawed, but still resilient and willing to push forward as an example to others, both in the novel and in the target audience.
Löwy, Michael. The Marxism of Che Guevara: philosophy, economics, revolutionary warfare. 2nd ed. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2007.