The Architect of the Studio System They called him “the boy wonder.” A man who was well beyond his time when it came to techniques and producing cinematic content. Irving Thalberg was a genius, a visionary and an innovator but, above all this, he was a producer. He used his passion and talent to meticulously sculpt films into becoming high profiting masterpieces that reeled the public in. Films such as The Grand Hotel (1932), Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) and Camille (1936) display his brilliance
Kirstyn Schechter Summative Have you ever had to make a decision in your life? I’m pretty sure we all have, the decision can even be what you ate for breakfast in the morning. Robert Frost wrote a poem about a man who has to make an important decision. In the poem “The Road Not Taken”, by Robert Frost, he states, “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood and I - I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference” (Woods). To me taking the road less traveled by means, doing something
One of the greatest horror stories of all time, Dracula, has changed many different people’s lives, including the life of the man who wrote it. The places that Bram Stoker has visited and experiences the he has gone through can be seen in Dracula as well as in several of his other novels. His experiences have led to a novel that is still widely read and has inspired other author’s works. All of this success from a man who was not expected to live long. Abraham (Bram) Stoker was born on November
The short stories of Washington Irving are examples of the literary movement of Romanticism and its characteristics which are evidenced in this author’s works. These characteristics are sometimes found in abundant quantities or limited amounts in each of his short stories. However, no matter what short story Washington Irving wrote, the Age of Romanticism and its defining characteristics are found in each of his selections. So, too, do each of the author’s short stories present a unique study about
and ankle” (Irving 325)—because they accentuated her best features. Add in her beauty—“a blooming lass of fresh eighteen; plump as a partridge; ripe and melting and rosy cheeked”—and it seems that she is a good candidate for being a tease. Her immense grasp of her sex is illustrated by the fact that she plays Ichabod Crane against her other suitor, Brom Bones. The true nature of Katrina’s character comes through when we see Ichabod leave the party “quite desolate and chop-fallen” (Irving 334-35) and
honestly know their true identity? In today’s society, some try so hard to fit in, they lose themselves in the mixture. However, those who stay true to themselves sometimes lose society in the mix. In the novel, A Prayer for Owen Meany, written by John Irving, the characters all show some sort of notable identity. Whether the character’s characteristics are known or hidden, they all assume uniqueness that significantly affect major characters in the novel such as Johnny and Owen. A theme clearly portrayed
“Rip Van Winkle”, a short story written by Washington Irving, is known for being a tale that illustrates multiple aspects of life before and after the American Revolution. After spending twenty years in the forest asleep, Rip Van Wrinkle returns to his quaint village to find his home transformed into a bustling town. By the end of the story, he has become a local historian; telling the townspeople what the village was like in days before the revolution. The events of “Rip Van Winkle” occurred
Knickerbocker Washington Irving created a pseudo historian for the purpose of bettering his own work and to entertain his readers. In 1809 Irving wrote "A History of New York" through a persona known as Diedrich Knickerbocker. This was Knickerbocker's first appearance in Irving's work, but it sure wouldn't be his last. Although he was not real, Knickerbocker was a historian that seemed to be in love with the people and landscape of the northeast, particularly New York. Even though Irving never revealed
my mind, and the times are so hard they sicken my soul," says Washington Irving in a letter to a friend (Letters 446). This statement reveals Irving's intense emotional condition, and in many ways indicates the intense social atmosphere as well as his personal conflicts, during the composition of The Sketch Book. Upon the bankruptcy of his family's fortune, of which he depended on solely for his monetary security, Irving found himself flung into the "galling mortifications of independence" (Letters
Rip Van Winkle tells the story of a man who, on a trek into the Kaatskill mountains, mysteriously sleeps away twenty years of his life during the Revolutionary War. When he returns home, he finds that things have dramatically changed; King George no longer has control over the colonies, and many of his friends have either died or left town. At this point, the story reaches its climax, where Van Winkle realizes that his life may be forever changed. To this point, Rip Van Winkle has had only to
somehow destroying me in the process, how could God reveal himself in a way that would leave no room for doubt? If there were no room for doubt, there would be no room for me.- Frederick Buechner In the novel, A Prayer for Owen Meany, by John Irving, Owen Meany’s belief of predestination makes a significant impact on John Wheelwright’s emotional stability as an adult. John Wheelwright is unhealthily bitter and angry about his past experiences because he clings to a past that never lets him choose
Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving is a novel in which religion is of great importance. One of the main themes in this novel is faith in God and oneself, and even more, the conflict between belief and doubt. Irving writes in such a way, that this is very evident throughout the book. John Wheelwright, at the start of the novel, is a young boy who does not seem to know much about how strong his faith really is. Part of the reason for this, is that the choice between believing in and
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow The short story I have chosen to read by Washington Irving is 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.'; This story takes place in a little village on the Hudson River which by some is called Greensburgh, but which is more generally known as Tarry Town. The main character in the story, Ichabod Crane, who 'tarried'; in Sleepy Hollow came about for the purpose of instructing the children of the vicinity. The main point of the story began with the arrival of a Negro with an invitation
of course, in revealing the falsity and injustice of their claims. At the end of the chapter, Irving offers a Swiftian summary of colonization; this passage is reprinted below. In a more straightforward way, but not more devastatingly, Irving takes up the topic of displaced Indians again in two sketches added to The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., in 1820. In "Traits of Indian Character," Irving expresses succinctly that sympathy for wronged Indians implied in Knickerbocker's History: It
The title of this movie is called The Legend of the Sleepy Hollow; it was published in 1949 and produced by Walt Disney. The narrating voice was Bing Crosby and the directors were Clyde Geronimi and Jack Kinney. The genre was a family/horror animation; the rating for this movie would be ⅘, it had you laughing and some of the scenes surprised you. It was comical when the lady who didn't have a dancing partner danced with Brom Bones. It was also surprising because even though Ichabod’s face wasn’t
The short story, “Rip Van Winkle”, is a tale of a man who went up into the mountains and after a long string of odd events went to sleep. He woke up twenty years later. He went from being use to what the world was like before the Revolutionary War of the United States to how things changed after the war. When he came back from the mountain he found that his wife and friends were gone. His children were grown up and living in this new world that he had stumbled into. He found that changes had been
Rip Van Winkle Project Part 1: -Washington Irving describes Dame Van Winkle’s demeanor towards Rip Van Winkle as “a sharp tongue is the only edged tool that grows keener with constant use”. Most bladed tools like knives are used to cut things, and often need to be resharpened as the blades wear down over time. But Irving states that with common use, sharp language or cursing will not have “to be resharpened” and will eventually be used without thought. Dame Van Winkle is known for her hot temper
the belief in science and belief in the supernatural. Throughout the novel and the movie of Sleepy Hollow, both has its own uniqueness. The biggest change in narrative from the movie by Tim Burton of Sleepy Hollow from the short story by Washington Irving was the fact that Crane was presented as a skeptic who relies on scientific methods to solve the murders happened in town. In the movie, he was being sent from New York who goes to Sleepy Hollow to investigate a series of murders. This alter the meaning
morality. Ichabod Crane, the main character in the “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” is a victim of this greed. “He was satisfied with his wealth, but not proud of it; and piqued himself upon the hearty abundance, rather than the style in which he lived” (Irving 143). He had a lot, perhaps more than he actually needed, but instead of being satisfied with it, he sought more. In order to obtain more wealth, he planned to take advantage of Katrina Van Tassel, a beautiful girl with a rich father. Already, Crane’s
Twenty year naps, headless horsemen, and arranged marriages, what could be better? Washington Irving was an author of many short stories. His travels, westward expansion,and his short stories, made him a person many can not forget. Irving was very adventurous and traveled a lot. He was born April 3, 1783 (“Washington” Web), into a prosperous merchant family (Byers 141) to William Irving Sr. and Sarah Irving (“Washington” Web). He was born and raised in New York City, New York (Byers 141) and was