Trains have been in movies from the beginning; the beginning of cinema itself, as well as fromthe beginning of action films. Trains provide speed, motion and power within an enclosed environmentthat impose a limit and allowed danger. Bong Joon Ho's Snowpiercer stands out as a modern examplethat follows this concept while witnessing more of environmentally-focused science fiction andeconomic discrimination. The director follows an age-long tradition to pack a thrilling and excitingmovie while exploiting the film's setting to an extraordinary effect. However, based on the Frenchcomic Le Transperceneige the movie dispenses much of the original comic while keeping its centralsignificance intact. Set in AD 2031, the entire world is frozen except …show more content…
for those aboard the Snowpiercer.Apost-apocalyptic world that has entered a new ice age due to humankind's failed geoengineering andclimate-altering arrogance. The inorganic chemical “CW7” is sprayed globally to halt a supposedglobal warming catastrophe, while the ice age occurs as a result of the chemical spraying, and notclimate change. For 17 years, the world's survivors are on a train moving around the globe creatingtheir own economy and class system.Guided by Curtis (Chris Evans), a group of low-level citizens breathing in squalor toward the tailofthe train are decided to get to the front of the train and spread the resources around including wealth.Snowpiercer, a large super-luxury train, powered by a perpetual-moving engine, is in motion on a Thomas 2globe-spanning track.
Each segment of the train holds new surprises for the group who have to battletheir way through. All of these fights are demonstrated in scenes of hatchet fights between peoplecarrying torches and individuals wearing night-vision goggles. This conflict is the fundamental elementof action throughout the movie. A revolution underway with the elites inhabiting the front of the trainand the poor inhabiting the tail the train symbolizes a complete ecosystem which must depend on itsbalance; everything needs be regulated including air, water, food, and people.Economic inequality, also known as income inequality is the extent to which income is distributedunevenly in a group of individuals, growing disparity between economic classes, loss of individualism,and government dysfunction are the primary contributing factors that prevent the equalization ofeconomic equality in the movie. This is illustrated in the film when the lower class at the tail end weresatisfied with protein bars made from recycled worms that were made into bars while the elites are fedexcess nutrient rich food. Burdened and disciplined by the hierarchy notably Minister Mason(TildaSwinton) and her brutal guards tail end incumbents can be considered as outcasts. Since the onlypurpose of their existence remains to serve the regime. For instance, this is displayed in the moviewhen youngsters were occasionally held when they reach a certain height. Especially when Curtis andEdgar (Jamie …show more content…
Bell) fight their way through several cars, Tanya (Octavia Spencer), another tail endoccupant joins them to find her son who was selected and taken to the front of the train without anyexplanation. Concerned about her son and other youngsters Tanya, Edgar and Curtis continue to searchthrough the train cars. In-depth this portion of the film's plot explains the disregard for the lives of thechildren from the tail end and prejudice.The movie establishes momentum when Curtis and his friend Edgar receives broadcasts in proteinblocks periodically to help coordinate the attacks on the train and to reach the engine room whileMinister Mason imprisoned them. In time Curtis break out of prison and captures Minister Mason(Tilda Swinton); however, Edgar is killed in the crossfire. He asserts that he'll spare her life if she takes Thomas 3him to the front.They pass through a school car dedicated to teaching children.
While passing throughthe car, the teacher behaves a little strange, being brainwashed by the aristocracies they were watchinga uncanny movie regarding Wilford, the inventor of Snowpiercer and his train engine. Sequentially, thepregnant teacher draws a machine gun on them. In the meantime, Curtis' mentor back at the tail iskilled Gilliam (John Hurt). Which reveals that elites were propagandizing the population with theirbeliefs and their privileged lifestyle. Considering the violation ends in the premature death of theindividual designates how the elites sustain the environment to their favor. Thus, implying the claim ofthe destruction of individualism.In the end, Curtis hijack the Engine room while the doors to the engine room open Wilford, (EdHarris) the engine maker is inside. He unveils why the children were chosen since they were the rightsize to sustain the engine, he picks a couple and then forces them into tiny spaces in order to clean outthe gunk within the engine. Wilford also explains that he and Gilliam came up with the clan warfare asa means of population control, yet Curtis had been too successful and killed too many front-enders,hence why Wilford had Gilliam executed. Besides, he also explains that he is impressed with Curtisand wanted him to replace him, but Curtis refuses and decides to blast the engine, but he was unable toshut the engine doors so his daughter holds the
little boy and Curtis block them from the explosion withhis body. The blast creates an avalanche and de-rail several cars of the train. The girl and the little boyemerge from the train, uninjured, and above them on the hill, they notice polar bears, thereforeconcluding the movie.While it could be argued that many science fiction classics deal with some thoughtful themes, thetrend has become notably more widespread than in previous decades. In the last several years, filmssuch as Wall-E, The Double, Enemy, Another Earth, as well as many others ask audiences to engagewith complex brain-teasers such as globalism,self-morality, and death; even deeper deep questions, likealternate worlds and omens of our distant future. However, through the story of, “Snowpiercer” the Thomas 4director Bong Joon Ho portrays economic inequality in action. Also, the movie discusses increasingdisparity between economic classes, loss of individualism, and government dysfunction as the primarycontributing factors to prevent the equalization of economic equality
The divide between Jon Fredersen, the city master, and the lower class of underground-dwelling workers is a result of having nothing to prevent one another of gaining too much power. The result is a swing of power, where both sides experience the effects of having too much of it. Both Jon Fredersen, and the workers lose track of what is important while they have the power. Jon is unable to keep track of his son, Freder, who becomes upset after chasing his working class love into the underground, and seeing how workers have lost their lives as a result of his father’s conditions. Freder acts on an opportunity to fill the void as the mediator, switching lives with one of the workers in the underground.
People from different social classes lead different lives and treated differently by others. Society never promotes equality but categorizes them. In Bastard Out of Carolina, unfair treatment provokes characters who are in the bottom of the society and destroy them mentally. The author, Dorothy Allison tells in the novel of how anger could build up from the social inequities and personal insecurity that possibly burns one's true identity.
"The Lesson" by Toni Cade Bambara is not just a spirited story about a poor girl out of place in an expensive toy store, it is a social commentary. "The Lesson" is a story about one African-American girl's struggle with her growing awareness of class inequality. The character Miss Moore introduces the facts of social inequality to a distracted group of city kids, of whom Sylvia, the main character, is the most cynical. Flyboy, Fat Butt, Junebug, Sugar, Rosie, Sylvia and the rest think of Miss Moore as an unsolicited educator, and Sylvia would rather be doing anything else than listening to her. The conflict between Sylvia and Miss Moore, "This nappy-head bitch and her goddamn college degree" (307), represents more than the everyday dislike of authority by a young adolescent. Sylvia has her own perception of the way things work, her own "world" that she does not like to have invaded by the prying questions of Miss Moore. Sylvia knows in the back of her mind that she is poor, but it never bothers her until she sees her disadvantages in blinding contrast with the luxuries of the wealthy. As Miss Moore introduces her to the world of the rich, Sylvia begins to attribute shame to poverty, and this sparks her to question the "lesson" of the story, how "money ain't divided up right in this country" (308).
First, the fight between rich and poor are displayed when the Greasers and Socs fight each other quite a few times. The books says “It occurred to me that they [the Greasers] could kill me right then and there” (5). This shows that the Socs believe that they have superiority over the Greasers. They can basically do whatever they want to the Greasers without fear of getting into much trouble, and the Greasers know that. Secondly, Cherry states “‘I can’t stand fights… I can’t stand them…’” (45). This shows that Cherry has probably seen quite a few fights. It also means that the fights between
Taking Sides Summary-Analysis Form. Title and Author of Article: Christopher Jencks. Briefly state the main idea of this article: The main idea of this article is that economic inequality has steadily risen in the United States between the richest people and the poorest people. And this inequality affects the people in more ways than buying power; it also affects education, life expectancy, living conditions and possibly happiness.
Egalitarianism can be absurd and detrimental to American society. In the story, heavy weights are put on strong people, and grotesque masks are put on attractive women. Also, many other people who have an above average intelligence often listen to loud noises which render them from completing a thought (5-7). Harrison’s father, George, compares the noises to, “somebody hitting a milk bottle with a ball peen hammer.” Darryl Hattenhauer of Arizona State proposes that “The story satirizes the American definition of freedom as the greatest good to the smallest number.” Unfortunately, the sacrifice of the individual to the good of society doesn’t improve conditions for the above average, average, or below (Alvarez). Joseph Alvarez suggests that, “the result [of the] power vacuum [is] a ruthless central government created by legislative controls people’s lives, which have become as meaningless as if they were machines.” In addition, the American dream that is described as moving up social and economic class through hard work and education; turn into a nightmare (Hattenhauer). For example, Kurt Vonnegut infers that the ballerina who reads ann...
Although he promises to think about her “warm proposition,” the movie never again explores this possibility. Alternately, he can buy the engine, which serves both as an assertion of masculinity and—as his friend notes—as a signifier of class. While he opts to try this, the entire plan is ill-fated; the scene where he picks up the engine contains some of the most imbalanced sequences in the entire movie, and the extreme and off-putting diagonal of the street effectively communicates to the viewer that the engine will fall long before it actually occurs. His only ways out of his job slaughtering sheep are through unfaithfulness or by being an accessory to murder.
I believe that there is too much wealth and income inequality in the United States
The character this film is primarily centered around is Will Hunting. Will lives in a tattered house in a bad neighborhood in the city of Boston. He grew up in foster care where he sustained continual physical abuse as a child. Will has a few close friends he is always with but never opens up about anything below surface level. Will is incredibly gifted with intelligence however he works as a custodian at the highly prestigious school, MIT. Professor Lambeau teaches advanced mathematics at MIT and is the one who discovers Will’s incredible talent for solving advanced mathematical theory. Professor Lambeau has high hopes for Will and pushes him into getting jobs with prestigious employers so that his gift is not wasted working as a custodian. Chuckie Sullivan is one of the closest of Will’s friends. They’ve known each other for years and Chuckie drives Will to work every day. Chuckie cares for Will and realizes the gift that he has and tries to convince Will he should be doing something of greater importance with his life. Skylar is a college stu...
...d by a difference in wealth. The difficulty to provide for a family, much less make more money to rise above the working class, caused children born into working class families to feel like they were “stuck” because they did not have the extra time or money to devote to an education. Instead of being able to learn and grow during childhood, children in the working class focused on the survival of themselves and their family. This contrasts the middle class where children had the possibility to earn an education before working in the future. Horatio Alger argued that anyone can change their situation by a little extra work and by improving their behavior, but Ragged Dick was an unrealistic character. Children born into poverty often faced a cycle, where guidance and luck could not even help the escape the working class because they were committed to their families.
Income inequality has affected American citizens ever since the American Dream came to existence. The American Dream is centered around the concept of working hard and earning enough money to support a family, own a home, send children to college, and invest for retirement. Economic gains in income are one of the only possible ways to achieve enough wealth to fulfill the dream. Unfortunately, many people cannot achieve this dream due to low income. Income inequality refers to the uneven distribution of income and wealth between the social classes of American citizens. The United States has often experienced a rise in inequality as the rich become richer and the poor become poorer, increasing the unstable gap between the two classes. The income gap in America has been increasing steadily since the late 1970’s, and has now reached historic highs not seen since the 1920’s (Desilver). UC Berkeley economics professor, Emmanuel Saez conducted extensive research on past and present income inequality statistics and published them in his report “Striking it Richer.” Saez claims that changes in technology, tax policies, labor unions, corporate benefits, and social norms have caused income inequality. He stands to advocate a change in American economic policies that will help close this inequality gap and considers institutional and tax reforms that should be developed to counter it. Although Saez’s provides legitimate causes of income inequality, I highly disagree with the thought of making changes to end income inequality. In any diverse economic environment, income inequality will exist due to the rise of some economically successful people and the further development of factors that push people into poverty. I believe income inequality e...
Bong Joon-ho begins fostering a sense of rebellion during the earliest stages of the film, where the poorest sector of the train must live in sordid filth and overcapacity. He achieves the birth of a revolution against their condition through a claustrophobic camera angle, a dark color palette, and a symbolic prop that all portray the dehumanization of the tail members caused by the structure of such capitalist systems.
Often, when people think of the functions of train, they simply view them as modes of transport. But, in literature, this does not appear to be the case, as trains can be used to create a means of escapism for the characters
...between the gini coefficient and growth rate of Developing countries is -3.789 with a P-value of .398 and R squared of .132 and .103.
Income inequality continues to increase in today’s world, especially in the United States. Income inequality means the unequal distribution between individuals’ assets, wealth, or income. In the Twilight of the Elites, Christopher Hayes, a liberal journalist, states the inequality gap between the rich and the poor are increasing widening, and there need to have things done - tax the rich, provide better education - in order to shortening the inequality gap. America is a meritocratic country, which means that everybody has equal opportunity to be successful regardless of their class privileges or wealth. However, equality of opportunity does not equal equality of outcomes. People are having more opportunities to find a better job, but their incomes are a lot less compared to the top ten percent rich people. In this way, the poor people will never climb up the ladder to high status and become millionaires. Therefore, the government needs to increase all the tax rates on rich people in order to reduce income inequality.