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Psycho film analysis
5 page analysis paper on the film memento
Memento movie psychological analysis
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The focus of the film Memento is the story of Leonard Shelby who suffers from short term memory loss. Leonard suffers from short term memory loss because of injury from one of his wife’s killers. The film focuses on Leonard hunting for the killer of his wife with Leonard also fighting his memory problems at the same time. The editing of the film was done very well and added much to the story. The film begins at the end which causes the audience to attempt to piece the story together all by themselves. The film’s music adds to the bleak and dark story of the film. One symbol that stood out to me is the use of tattoos by Leonard. The tattoos in a way are part of Leonard’s brain, they allow him to remember his current task at hand. An example
The use of recurring symbols in the unsettling text, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1962) and the influential film, V for Vendetta (2005) serves to reinforce an array of different concepts including; ideas are bulletproof and the idea of escaping danger. Symbols are (also) used as constant reminders of two imposing ideas in the two texts. The symbols used to represent the concept that ideas are bulletproof are the two protagonists in each text, V (Hugo Weaving) and McMurphy. In order to constantly remind the audience of a certain idea, James McTeigue uses the letter V in V for Vendetta and Ken Kesey uses the fog which constantly surrounds Bromden in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Finally, aspects of nature are used throughout both texts in order to symbolize the idea of emancipation from over-arching threats.
Tie a Knot Around That: Different Interpretations of a Recurring Symbol Every novel embodies symbols that impute different elements of the plot and characters, though some symbols are right at the surface while others must be dug up from the core. The author of How To Read Literature Like a Professor, Thomas C. Foster, discusses symbols in his novel and states “They are what provide texture and depth to a work; without them, the literary world would be a little flat” (243). A symbol that is prevalent in The Shipping News, written by Annie Proulx, is the knot, as visually displayed all throughout the novel. The Shipping News discusses social and emotional change, along with growth, which all can be symbolized by the knot.
Towards the end of the book “Invisible Man” by Ralph Ellison, the narrator who remains unnamed thought the entire book, risks his life to save a briefcase filled with seemingly random assorted items. But later in the book the narrator is forced to burn the items in his briefcase in order to find his way out of a sewer he gets stuck in. Closer reading reveals that the items in his briefcase are more than random assorted items, but instead are symbols. Each one of those symbols represents a point in the narrator’s life where he is either betrayed or made “invisible” by the people around him. Through the book the two main recurring themes are betrayal and invisibility and the narrator keeps these symbols with him because they represent who he is.
We come into this world with nothing and leave the same way. Our lives here are short and full of heartbreak if we do not lay hold on the spiritual aspect of life which the characters in this story strived for in their own ways. This world is full of symbolism in much the same way the story depicts it through the tattoos, so much the center point of the entire story. Parker was continually looking for perfection and acceptance with one more tattoo. He wanted the world and Sarah Ruth to focus on the tattoos he regarded as perfect instead of his inferiority.
Written by Kim Edwards, The Memory Keeper’s Daughter tells a story filled with secrets, lies, and heartwarming love—secrets that would tear relationships apart and form unbreakable walls, but also secrets that would allow a tremendous abundance of love to build in unexpected places. Set over a span of twenty-five years, the novel explores many different characters and their true colors, some more surprising than you think, in order to portray the complex story.
A symbol is a unique term because it can represent almost anything such as people, beliefs, and values. Symbols are like masks that people put on to describe their true self. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the author uses Tom Robinson and Arthur Radley to represent a mockingbird which illustrates the theme of innocence by presenting these characters as two harmless citizens that do not pose a threat to Maycomb.
“‘One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs, or the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls.’” (192). In A Thousand Splendid Suns written by Khaled Hosseini, two girls living dramatically different yet similar lives form a true and lasting friendship against all odds. Their names are Mariam and Laila. All that they possess that is comforting is their relationship with each other and with Laila’s children. In A Thousand Splendid Suns, Hosseini emphasizes the importance of hope through his development of setting, symbolism, and diction.
In the play titled Trifles, by Susan Glaspell, Minnie Foster Wright is being accused of murdering her husband, John. In this production, Mrs. Wright is consistently referenced, and although she is not witnessed, she is very recognizable. There are important symbols in this play that signifies Mrs. Wright and her existence as it once was and as it currently exists to be. Particularly the canary, this symbolizes Mrs. Wright's long forgotten past. Additionally, the birdcage, this symbolizes her life as it currently exists. Certainly the quilt is a symbol, which is an important clue on how Mr. Wright was killed. In addition, the rocking chair, this symbolizes her life as it has diminished throughout the duration of her most recently survived years. Lastly, but not least, the containers of cherry preserves that seem to be a symbol of the warmth and compassion that she has yet to discover in her life. Every one of these symbolizes and characterizes Mrs. Wright?s character and her existence in the play.
Ken Kesey’s novel “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” is a story about a band of patients in a mental ward who struggle to find their identity and get away from the wretched Nurse. As audiences read about the tale, many common events and items seen throughout the story actually represent symbols for the bigger themes of the story. Symbols like the fishing trip, Nurse, and electroshock therapy all emphasize the bigger themes of the story.
In the dystopian novel, Brave New World, Huxley uses symbols to create meaning and to get his agenda across. The use of sex and reproduction, and Shakespearian writing and religious texts, as symbols in the novel help to push Huxley’s agenda that total government control is devastating, and the inner human drive to be an individual can never be suppressed. Also, the fact that the novel was written in 1931 shows that Huxley was attacking the newly forming Socialist nations.
The Symbolism of Homer's Odyssey Throughout Homer's The Odyssey, many tangible symbols are used to represent abstract ideas. Each symbol that Homer uses has two meanings. The double meanings of these symbols are used to represent Odysseus and Telemachus as they strive to meet each other. While each symbol has a meaning that represents the growth of Telemachus, each one also represents, by another meaning, the growth and development of Odysseus. When they meet for the first time, the symbols, and the character traits that they represent confluence, and the resemblance between Odysseus and Telemachus becomes complete.
The title of the film, Memento, is very appropriately titled. Leonard has to constantly keep reminders or mementos to remind him to do important things. He carries around a Polaroid camera to take pictures of places and people to remind him of who, what, or where they are located. One example would be the pictures he carries of Teddy, who is known as John Edward Gammell, and Natalie. He write note on the back of the pictures to remember important information about them. One of Leonard’s more extreme methods to remembering includes permanently tattooing facts that he finds important facts on himself. A retrieval cue is used to access information stored in our memories with the help of a hint. As stated before Leonard cannot form new memories and use retrieval cues is the traditional way that we use them, but he use the tattoos, notes, and photos to notify himself of information that he did not want to in essence “forget”. He could not recall fresh memories on his own, but he had a great method that would allow him access to bit of information that he could
The film Memento is classified as a Detective film of a Baroque genre stage. Many aspects of the film relating to the plot, the characters, and how it was edited show evidence to that fact. One of the ways in which the movie differs from other films of the same genre is that the main character, Leonard, is trying to solve the mystery but he has a memory impairment which makes it difficult for him to remember what his mission is. His condition makes it so that in this movie he is essentially trying to solve a mystery that he has already figured out but can’t remember doing so. The movie also breaks the conventional idea where the detective is the good guy in the movie. In Memento, Leonard cannot truly be considered a good guy as he has knowingly
...t is given or kept as a reminder or memory of somebody or something. The movie Memento holds true to this definition with many symbols like tattoos, and polaroid photos that the films protagonist uses to remember incidents around the death of his wife. Momento provides a disturbingly familiar yet unconventional and clever twist to the classic film noir by starting from the end of the story. Despite the divergent story telling twist Memento is none the less a film noir with all of the archetypal characters (i.e. a suffering protagonist, an alluring and sexy femme fatale) and a visual style and mood which includes low-key lighting, the use of blinds; the play on black and white scenes and a story line based on a violent death. Memento is complicated, timely, thought provoking and subversive yet it is still reminiscent of the classic hallmarks of the film noir.
Symbolism and meaning is by far one of the most important aspects of the tattoo industry. “The abstract emotions and human awareness of emotions show what really is going on in ones life (Johnson)”. For that reason tattooing is a form of self-expression, and can stand for literal interpretations. For the most part these interpretations are the conveying of spiritual meaning, or marking milestones such as life or death” (Johnson). For those who think tattooing is just for looks or put a bad judgment on it, should also realize that ones personal interest reflects upon their lives. “Many individuals get their first tattoos during adolescence or young adulthood.”(Bravermark) Due to the mainstream culture, these traditions traditionally associate with stereotypes. Stereotypes defiantly have a huge impact on life. Which leads to the next point? Whether flaunted or hidden, sought as art or brought out on a whim, the tattoo has left a huge impact on generation after generation.