In Clouds of Sils Maria, directed by Olivier Assayas, the aging, but still very reputable, actress Maria Enders is cast in the same play that made her famous twenty years ago. However, instead of acting the role of the young and daring Sigrid, she is cast to act Helena, an older woman who more than likely kills herself at the end of the play. As the movie progresses, Enders continually fights against the notion that Helena is a admirable character, as she believes that Sigrid can be admired for her youth and ambition. However, as Enders lives her actual life, through various interactions, she is exposed to many reasons why aging and maturity, the two main characteristics of Helena, as good qualities, but because she stubbornly regards Sigrid’s …show more content…
One of the main reasons why Enders dislikes Helena is that Helena supposedly kills herself. Enders states, “She goes out for a hike and never comes back”, suggesting that Helena killed herself (Clouds of Sils Maria). However, by rejecting Helena as a character because she killed herself, Enders is being hypocritical. Wilhelm, the author of the play and someone whom Enders adores, killed himself as well. Rosa, Wilhelm’s wife, confides this information in Enders, “There is something which I want you… and only you...to -- to know” (Clouds of Sils Maria). After Rosa states this, the camera cuts back to Enders, who is on the phone listening. Enders asks, “Did the autopsy say what he swallowed? So he left nothing to chance” (Clouds of Sils Maria). Although Enders knows that Wilhelm deliberately killed himself, and made sure that there was no chance of survival, she still views him with the utmost respect for writing “Maloja Snake”. However, when it comes to Helena, who disappears after walking through the woods, Enders views her as weak and fragile. Even though both Wilhelm and Helena commit suicide in extremely similar circumstances, as Wilhelm had a terminal illness and Helena had lost essentially everything, Enders still cannot see the good in Helena, even though she can easily see the good in Wilhelm. This is an important example of how Enders is blind to the world around
The Enders Game written by Orson Scott Card provides understanding of the characters and their relationships with others through indirect characterization and diction. Orson Scott Card uses literacy devices and specific word choice to let the reader draw conclusions about the characters and the relationships between Peter and Ender, the symbolism of the bugger mask/bugger-astronaut game, and the foreshadowing of Peter and Valentines death. The author reveals the relationship between Peter and Ender through Peter’s perception of Ender and the astronaut-bugger game. “Ender did not see Peter as […]
After the death of her brother, Werner, she becomes despondent and irrational. As she numbly follows her mother to the burial
When Ender leaves to Battle School, not only does he face other “Peters” but he experiences fatigue and loneliness from the severe program he is going through. Valentine will begrudgingly be used to motivate Ender in continuing in the program. Ender has improved at Battle School within a year- the youngest toon leader yet and was highest in the ranks. Everyone respected him as a teacher- not as a friend. This made Ender feel utterly depressed. Nobody saw him as a young child- just a respectable commander and that surely made him agitated. Graff and the other adults began to worry about Ender’s health. So, they called in reinforcements and had Valentine write a letter, “She’d written before, and they didn’t let any of those letters through. Those might have been real, but this was asked for, this was part of their manipulation” (Card-107). The IF uses the person Ender as ever truly cared for, Valentine, to motivate him and give him some kind of shrivel of hope to persevere through the program. They believed that Ender would do anything for his sister Valentine because of his unconditional love for his sibling. Even though this manipulation strategy was transparent and quite frustrating for Ender, he was determined not to play by the adults’ rules and he continued to be the best soldier yet. Later, when Ender was promoted to Commander, he stayed on Earth for two months- never wanting to go to space. Valentine is brought to meet him and convince him to go to Eros,” She walked back up the hill, savagely angry at them for making her come to Ender like this. For she had, after all, done just what they wanted. She had talked Ender into going back into his training, and he wouldn’t soon forgive her for that” (Card-170). Valentine knew the consequences of manipulating her brother- that Ender would think
Ender is selected to go to Battle School in space because of the actions he has displayed against a bully after a device known as a monitor, which allows the leaders of the I.F. to watch and hear everything Ender perceives. Although Ender’s conception was predetermined (in this time period, families are only allowed to have two children unless stated by the government which is why Ender is often called a “Third”), he had to display the correct characteristics to be selected. Ender’s siblings, Peter and Valentine also wore the monitor, but neither wore it as long nor was selected because Peter was too cruel and Valentine was too mild. Once Ender arrives, he makes a couple new friends from the other selected children, including a boy named Alai. When Ender is alone, he plays a mind game and progresses farther than anyone has before so out of the blue, Ender becomes promoted to a group called Salamander Army, where he befriends the only girl, Petra Arkanian, at Battle School. As Ender continues to display his brilliance, he is continuously being promot...
Ender has proven himself that he is capable in all odds of being credited as the Christ Figure. He has gone through so much in his journey, from being accepted to a whole new society to being the person that everyone looks up to, Ender has given everything that he has to give to win the battle at the end of the day.
Leading up to that he faces enemies and obstacles in the form of bigger kids and the games that he wins thoroughly, to the point where he cannot be beat. He always is one set ahead of whatever is thrown at him. Until Ender finds the Bugger Queen pupa.” Reached into the cavity and took out the cocoon.” (Card 321) Here in this scene Ender is going against what we have come to see as part of who he is. He has the intent to allow the Buggers to rebuild and try to live along side of humans. Normally he destroys something so thoroughly that it can never hurt him or the people he is fighting for again. This is perhaps one of the very best examples of the theme that one’s past does not define them or their
Most of the children know about the web of deceit and the manipulation, including Ender who works around it because of his own beliefs of his own purpose. Although he is needed in the mission to save the world, from Ender's point of view he needs to do this for Valentine. Or is he just tricking himself into thinking this? Ender realizes there is deceit by the IF and teachers. They deceived Ender into thinking that Valentine's letter was sincerely written by her. Ender realizes that he is being deceived and manipulated, his thoughts were, "It isn't the real thing because they made her write it. She's written before and they didn't let any of those letters through. Those might have been real, but this was asked fo...
Therefore, Ender shows the reader that he takes responsibility as an adult for just waking up early and on time for his battles. Therefor, Ender taking that responsibility must be hard since he's just a kid and has to be responsible for
One key component that is produced through Ender’s struggles at his young age is self-reliance. Ender is born unto a family where he is seen as an outcast; he’s a “third.” In a world where population control is major concern, a third-born child is looked upon in disgust. He is isolated even before he is brought into the world. John Kessel reveals his insights into Card’s interpretation of Ender’s exploitation when he says,” Orson Scott Card presents a harrowing tale of abuse. Ender’s parents and older brother (. . .) either ignore the abuse of Ender or participate in it” (Kessel 1). No one contributes more to this abuse than his older brother, Peter. Along with his birth, jealousy and hatred are especially common towards Ender. This disapproving outlook is particularly apparent from Peter. Peter let’s Ender know hi...
Edna Pontellier is not a Creole, so her relationship with her husband is difficult. In her husband's eyes she has failed in her duties as a wife and as a mother to her own children. What Enda's husband expects from her is never what she does. Leonce comes home in the middle of the night and talks to Edna while she is sleeping. Then he tells her that Raoul one of their sons is sick and tells her to get up and check on him. Edna had never really had the desire to have children but she did anyway. She was not a "mother-woman" because she would rather be alone sometimes; she did not feel she had to be with her children twenty-four hours a day. If one Edna's boys "....took a tumble whilst at play, he would not apt rush crying to his mother's arms for comfort; he would more likely pick himself up"(16). Enda never felt that she fit in with Creole society because she "...most forcibly was their entire absence of prudery"(19). The Creoles' would talk about things such as childbirth and would flirt with others and not mean anything. Yet Edna would never dream of talking about her childbirth's with anyone or flirting unless she meant it. Creole women devoted their whole lives to their husbands where Enda was carefree and did as she pleased. She was carefree because she would go out onto the beach with only a sundress and a little hat on when she was suppose to be all covered up so she would not become sun burnt.
Another reasons why I like Ender is because he doesn't let people take advantage of him.
... feelings and marries Claudius which really hurts Hamlet. Gertrude as a wife and mother, hurts the people most loved, her family.
Throughout history, beginning as early as 500 BC, animals have been used to test products that will later be utilized by humans (“Animal Testing” 4), what isn’t publicly discussed is the way it will leave the animals after the process is done. Many innocent rabbits, monkeys, mice, and even popular pets such as dogs are harmed during the testing application of cosmetics, medicine, perfumes, and many other consumer products (Donaldson 2). Nevertheless, there are many people whom support the scandal because "it is a legal requirement to carry out animal testing to ensure they are safe and effective” for human benefit (Drayson). The overall question here is should it even be an authorized form of experimentation in the United States, or anywhere else? The fact of the matter is that there are alternatives to remove animals out of the equation for good (“Alternatives” 1). They are cheaper, and less invasive than the maltreatment of the 26 million innocent animals that are subjected to the heartlessness of testing each year (“Animal Testing” 4). All in all, due to the harsh effects of animal testing, it should be treated as animal cruelty in today’s society.
The novel A Thousand Splendid Suns explores the plight of women in Afghanistan; the focus is put on three women Nana, Mariam and Laila. Women in Afghanistan often face difficult and unfortunate situations. In this essay we will examine some of these unfortunate situations for women.
In a nation brimming with discrimination, violence and fear, a multitudinous number of hearts will become malevolent and unemotional. However, people will rebel. In the eye-opening novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns written by Khaled Hosseini, the country of Afghanistan is exposed to possess cruel, treacherous and sexist law and people. The women are classified as something lower than human, and men have the jurisdiction over the women. At the same time, the most horrible treatment can bring out some of the best traits in victims, such as consideration, boldness, and protectiveness. Although, living in an inconsiderate world, women can still carry aspiration and benevolence. Mariam and Laila (the main characters of A Thousand Splendid Suns) are able to retain their consideration, boldness and protectiveness, as sufferers in their atrocious world.