The exploration of change was thorough and extensive within the two chosen texts, which builds upon the reader's understanding of the concept, its nature as well as its effects. The two chosen texts are Gary Ross's 1998; Pleasantville and The Secret Speech by author Tom Rob Smith. Pleasantville explores the concept of changing self, through the development of Jennifer, one of the main protagonists and changing world with colours and the reactions of the residents towards that change. On the other hand, the Secret Speech explores changing perspective, using one of the protagonists, Zoya, as her view towards her adoptive father and the world changes. Overall, these characters had helped shape the readers' understanding of change and how the …show more content…
effects vary to different people. Pleasantville developed the audience’s understanding of changing self through the growth of its characters, especially Jennifer, one of the movie’s protagonist.
In the opening scene, she was highly sexualised and popular, who used her sexual orientation as a way to identify herself. A stark contrast to her twin, David. The sequence of her getting ready was played simultaneously with David’s, showing her putting on makeup while him fetching crisps and soft drink. The image of her getting ready for a date reinforces the idea of Jennifer being an extrovert and very popular. However, once she was planted into Pleasantville, she began to explore different pathways for herself. The most pivotal scene of her character is when she started reading. Jennifer put on Mary Jane’s glasses and read, something previously she never has done, then really enjoyed it. She rejected Skip’s offer to Lover’s Lane, contrasting her initial image. Jennifer wholeheartedly embraced these changes and became more matured as a result. She also started to dig deeper into her passion instead of using her sex as her identity. The final scene depicts Jennifer in the aftermath, choosing to stay behind in Pleasantville to pursue higher education instead of returning home to the real world. Overall, Jennifer developed from a rebellious teenage girl to a mature and intelligent character. Her growth presented change as a positive concept for the audience and helps them understands that by accepting it will allow an individual to be a better version of
themselves. The Secret Speech, written Tom Rob Smith, explores the concept of changing perspective thoroughly and effectively through the development of Zoya, one of the main protagonists. The story revolved around Russia after Stalin but the changes occur specifically to her troubled relationship with her adoptive father, Leo, who was an MGB officer under Stalin. Initially, she was very hateful towards him, refused to show any sign of affection and behaved recklessly, due to the knowledge that Leo had a hand in her parents’ slaughter. She believed that any sign of affection towards him was a betrayal to her parents’ memories, as seen in her reaction after showing enjoyment at one of the family outing. “How could she have betrayed the memory of her parents so easily?...She vowed that her lapse would never happen again,” (Smith, 2009, p.47) The rhetorical question was use to emphasise the disgust Zoya had for her action and the emphasise the greatness of her hate towards Leo. The hatred was vast and strong, full of passion despite her being fourteen years of age. However, as the novel progressed, Zoya was thrown into chaos after chaos when vengeance caught up to Leo himself. As she witnessed some of life’s most terrible crimes, she began to yearn for the comfort and safety that her life with Leo’s provided. When her friend was fatally injured, there was a real change in her view towards him. “Please, Leo, I’ll do anything you want, I’ll be your daughter, I’ll be happy. Don’t let him die,” (Smith, 2009, p.435) The rule of three was in place to really emphasised how her view towards him have softened, that he was no longer a murderer but a potential saviour. Initially she was very distrustful towards him, but when all hope was lost, she turned to him. Zoya had finally looked past Leo’s murky past and believed that he truly did want to change, even accepted to a bed time story from him. She had gone from a spiteful little girl, full of hate toward her adoptive father, to accepting for his past sins and accepting him as her family. Overall, the Secret Speech explores the resistance towards change and the audience was presented with the consequences of such resistance. Zoya refused to believe Leo could change, therefore led to catastrophic events that nearly cost her everything. The narrative shows that when an individual opens up to change, it will become easier with a better result.
With nobody but herself at home, Ann strongly desires to talk to someone, and that someone who arrives at her house is Steven. Ann who has been feeling anxious and helpless while isolated suddenly feels relief when Steven comes as shown, “-and suddenly at the assurance of his touch and voice the fear that had been gripping her gave way to an hysteria of relief.” Steven helps comfort Ann, while Ann is being cautious of herself. She knows that Steven is enticing, but will not give in to him despite how attractive she finds him. Steven is the complete opposite of John and Ann compares John to Steven multiple times, “Steven’s smile, and therefore difficult to reprove. It lit up his lean, still-boyish face with a peculiar kind of arrogance: features and smile that were different from John’s.” and even favours Steven more than her husband. Ann is used to seeing John’s features but not Steven’s. This excites Ann and prompts her to develop feelings that are of a high school girls’, “She didn’t understand, but she knew. The texture of the moment was satisfyingly dreamlike.” It takes Ann a moment to realize that her object of temptation is right in front of her, and it does not take long for her to take the opportunity to ease her boredom and isolation through her upcoming
People change everyday, whether it is from good to bad or for the better. People often say to themselves, maybe, if I didn't do “blank” this wouldn't have happened. However, the reality is, it happened, and there is no way to change that. Why go around throwing maybe’s around if you cannot change it? Authors purposefully make readers ask those questions. Authors love to create complex characters, characters that go through change. In Ellen Hopkins’ book, Crank, is the perfect example. Ellen Hopkins writes from her own daughter's perspective, Kristina, on how “the monster” changed her own life and her family's life.
The Changeable nature of life affects us all somehow. Whether it be moving to a new city, having children, or losing people that we love, it can affect people in many different ways. For example, in the novel, the main character Taylor Greer changes her name from Marietta and moves...
Once everybody changed from black and white to color, Pleasantville was now happy again. But this happiness was not because of a boring routine, but because of beautiful change and multicolored experiences. Times change and these rebels that see differently than everyone else influence these changes. Change is what makes the world go round.
People can change their ways overtime in a positive way. Everyone has experienced change once in their life. Some people have acknowledged change over the course of life in a positive way or a negative way. Throughout the novel “The First Stone” by Don Aker, the main character Reef alters his ways a lot positively. Reef is a teenager who changes his lifestyle and makes a huge impact in his life after he meets Leeza. This novel develops the fact that people can change in a beneficial way, no matter what situation they are in.
While there were action scenes, the novel had failed, at times, to give an effective ending to when scenes had reached a climax. It seemed as if the purpose of the novel at the beginning was to illustrate a fictional world and provide an underlying important theme. However, towards the end, Berry prioritizes the theme and not the world he has created. As a result, while the message Berry attempts to get across is successful, the quality of the execution of the fictional storyline declines. In Jennifer Government, while there are aspects that can be improved, there are others that have been developed intricately. For example, the way the plot flows between each storyline has been elaborately crafted. In the end, this fictional book this book should be read in order to understand the concept of consumerism, and more specifically, the concept of money, which is depicted through the multiple storylines that Berry had strategically
What idea does the author develop regarding how an important event can change your perspective? In the short story, “The First Day” by Edward P. Jones is about a little girl view on the people during her first day. Her mother prepare her gave her an unusually breakfast and clothes for her new school Seaton Elementary all the way down New Jersey Avenue. At the school Walker-Jones, a key event happens to her. She learns of an essential fact of her mother pervious past of her life and on how she acts. The daughter sees that the mother does not seem to like the teacher of her daughter new classroom. A significant event can changes how you use to see people from your old understanding into another completely different understanding of how you view them before.
Within the first few chapter of Jennifer Government, the reader will notice a unique style of narration. First the reader is following behind Hack Nike in his office building. Next the reader is behind Hayley McDonald's, a student. A few turns of the pages and the reader is behind Buy Mitsui, a stock broker.
In Pleasantville, everyone is so empty in their minds. For instance, every character always did the same thing over and over. It’s like everything falls into the right way that it should be. The basketball players always score, the wives are always cooking and taking good care of the husbands and children. Husbands are working, children are little precious angels who never get in any kind of trouble. No worries, no problems, just plain good stability. There is no wrong for them because everything was in sync.
In Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief, many characters develop an understanding of the power of words which results in many characters being negatively impacted by the theme.
Comparing the Opening Sequence of Clueless and Pleasantville Opening sequences are very important, as the filmmaker needs to attract the attention of the audience in the first few minutes. This is done in many ways – using plot development, characters, tension building and suspense. Camera angles, sound, lighting and dialogue all help to create the atmosphere that the filmmaker wants. Both ‘Clueless’ and ‘Pleasantville’ have a teenage aspect to them. ‘Clueless’ just seems like a typical American youth film – it has themes of fashion and image, growing up and maturing, and the stock, stereotypical characters you would expect to find in American high schools.
When you are born people are there to take care of you, love you, and guide you through life. As you grow up and life changes, you must take charge of your own life and not become so dependent on others. Throughout the course of life a person will encounter many changes, whether good or bad. In 'A&P';, 'The Secret Lion';, and 'A Rose for Emily';, the main characters in the stories are Sammy, the boys, and Miss Emily who face changes during their lives. All of these characters are in need of change. Because of their need for change, their lives will become much better. They are filled with wonder and awe about the world around them. No matter what type of person, everyone will encounter changes. It is part of the natural process. A person is encouraged to make these changes for the good. Sammy, the boys, and Miss Emily all encounter changes in their lives that fulfill their need to become something different.
The changing happens after being stung by a griever when injected with the serum that will save them and help them return to their normal self, "The changing brings back memories just little snippets, but definite memories of before we came to this horrible place, anyone who go through it acts like a bloody psycho when it's over" (Thomas ch 23 pg 149). The changing puts the victims in a state of shock and illness until they are healed and fully recovered. In addition to strange unexplained events all of the young teenage boys are living outside of the maze (the glade) in a controlled community by the creators of the maze. The people who created the maze kidnapped these kids and wiped their memories and put them in the maze to fend for themselves and learn to find a way out and escape in all of a plan for their experiment. The teens go through major social and environmental little changes, not being able to remember their prior lives and adapting to the new environmental changes takes a toll on the gladers as they have to develop new skills to live in their new environment. Social and environmental changes are also elements of the science-fiction genre also including unrealistic mind turning events and
Everyone goes through a time where they wish they were a different person. Many people believe that they can never change who they are. However, transformations occur every day. Emily Bronte proves this true in her novel Wuthering Heights. Throughout the entire plot, numerous characters changed, either in their appearance, their social status, or their personality.