Literacy My Literacy Narrative - 1555 Words

My Literacy Narrative Literacy impacts everyone’s lives in various ways. Such as, someone and their career, the ability to read literature in general, one’s comprehension of reading and writing, or the ability to write a book. Each person takes his or her own path with literacy and consequently are formed by the sponsors of literacy present in his or her life. Being new to the term or not, sponsors come in various forms and can be positive or negative to someone and his or her literacy. The sponsors of whom I am going highlight are my parents, The Sesame Street Show, and my elementary and middle school St. Mary’s all of whom have been positive sponsors to my literacy by setting high expectations and providing quality teaching, which still impacts my literacy today. Like many parents, mine were supportive of my learning and development at an early age and as I grew, they read to me along with other learning techniques. My mother and father read various children s books to me in their spare time; and after I had matured some had me read along as well. The books we read together consisted of fairy tale books and short stories such as The Turtle and the Hare. Reading together helped me learn a wider variety of words and inspired myself to pursue reading at an early age on my own. When I was around the age of four or five; my mother and father bought me the leapfrog read along toy as a birthday gift. The toy came with children’s books and a pen that was used to follow along asShow MoreRelatedMy Literacy Narrative1678 Words   |  7 PagesInstructor Paper 1 January 10,2013 I ve loved to read and write ever since I was taught my ABC s for the first time. It s been a huge part of my life in a lot of different aspects. I learned how to read when I was three years old because I went to a daycare where I was the youngest kid and the only one who couldn t read. Reading and writing just stuck with me after that. After I started reading better than my older daycare-mates, school was ready for me to conquer. The school put me with older kidsRead MoreMy Literacy Narrative : My Education Narrative Essay1121 Words   |  5 PagesMy Literacy Narrative In first grade, I had started reading, or that is what I recall as my first time. My stuttering problem was always there, but I was a â€Å"great reader† according to my teacher Ms. Brown. She was a kind elderly woman, who wanted to see everybody in her class succeed in reading a whole book. Then second grade came at the snap of a finger. There, I wrote my first paragraph full of â€Å"mumbo jumbo†. Even though I wrote my first paragraph in second grade, I did not learn about the writingRead MorePersonal Narrative: My Journey to Literacy Essay1133 Words   |  5 Pageson my journey to literacy was my concern over my brother and sister’s ability to read and write including solving math problems. That did not really motivate not to become literate; I was extremely playful as a child. What I am able to remember is my first day of school, I cried like a baby when my mom dropped me off. I soon began to grow out of my baby stage and school became really interesting. Even though it was not as hard as it is now, the value that pushed me to be literate was how my teacherRead MorePersonal Narrative: My Journey to Literacy Essays829 Words   |  4 PagesMy achievement of becoming literate in both English and Spanish, after overcoming a myriad of obstacles distinguishes my literacy history. Writing was one of the things I didn’t like to do as a child. I always thought writing was a waste of time and that I wasn’t going to need it in life. Even though I didn’t invest much time writing, I was one of the best writers in all my classes, probably because I was very dedicated in the other subjects and I loved reading adventure books. I learned how to readRead MoreMilitary Language: Through My Eyes Literacy Narrative987 Words   |  4 PagesJaron Dowell Professor Benjamin Smith ENGL 1113 20120930 Military Language: Through My Eyes My drill instructor TSgt Huggins proudly stated to my flight of sixty other high school kids from around the U.S., â€Å"Well boys we just got some breaking news from the commander, the state of Texas’s elevation has increased by four inches and it’s your all’s responsibility to right this wrong and the only way to do that is to push, so get on your face and keep pushing till I say stop.† When most peopleRead MoreLiteracy Narrative Growing up in working class family, my mom worked all the time for the living700 Words   |  3 PagesLiteracy Narrative Growing up in working class family, my mom worked all the time for the living of a big family with five kids, and my dad was in re-education camp because of his association with U.S. government before 1975. My grandma was my primary guardian. â€Å"Go to study, go to read your books, read anything you like to read if you want to have a better life,† my grandma kept bouncing that phrase in my childhood. It becomes the sole rule for me to have better future. I become curious andRead MoreAnalysis Of Scribner s Article, Scribner756 Words   |  4 PagesUnit one was filled with many different varieties of literacy and different ways the author or narrator discovered them. From Knoblauch to Rose, the ideas of what literacy is and how different literacies can shape an individual’s writing were uncovered. All the text we were assigned can be split into two different groups: scholarly articles and personal narrative. The whole class was thrown for a curve ball when we were assigned Knoblauch for our first assignment. After rereading the material a fewRead MorePrinting Press and Its Effects839 Words   |  3 Pageseffects .Through the chapter I found some interesting points connected to literacy. First,the idea of persons in a primary oral culture can entertain some sense of proprietary rights to a poem but with writing resentment at plagiarism begins to develop . We struggle in a copy right world and with removing words from the sound world , print encouraged us to think about mental held possessions as we express ourselves in narrative discourse.Writing is not necessarily the mirror-image and destroyer ofRead MoreSlavery in Literature Essay1504 Words   |  7 PagesFrederick Douglass was born into the lifelong, evil, bondage of slavery. His autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Written by Himself, depicts his accomplishments. The narrative, however, is not only the story of his success. It is not simply a tale of his miraculous escape from slavery. Frederick Douglass narrative is, in fact, an account of his tremendous strides through literacy. He exemplifies a literate man who is able to use the psychological tools of thoughtRead MoreHow I Am A Writer Essay1112 Words   |  5 Pageswriting assignments, I have to write everything down on a piece of paper to get my thoughts out and just let my pen flow. I tend to write essays only when I am assigned, but for the most part, I write everyday. I personally like to write about me in particular but mainly I enjoy writing about overcoming different obstacles people face in life or about the future. As a writer, you will have different weaknesses and strengths. My weakness is sometimes when I write, I can go way beyond off subject. I could

College Should Take At Least A Few College Classes

Devin Mahoney Professor Jones English 165 13 July 2015 Lets Go to College I believe that everyone should take at least a few college classes throughout their life. College is for everyone, even for those who did not go to a college right after high school. College might not be a top priority in everyone s life. Even though it may not be a top priority, going to college is a very selfless act in which the national community benefits from. Even as a parent, a growth and developmental psychology class can help a parents realize why their child are acting a certain way, and even develop methods to boost a child s confidence. If someone is unhappy with their career choice, college is a great way to learn what career choices are more†¦show more content†¦This will mean that the child will most likely need a tutor, and the child will most likely struggle if he/she does not have one. In other words, a parent needs to be a teacher. We can not educate others with knowledge that you do not have. Robert T. Perry, an executive director of the South Dakota Boar d of Regents state s, â€Å"Higher education allows people of all backgrounds to hone their writing, reading, cognitive, and critical thinking skills that enable them to actively participate as citizens.† When someone has certain skills they are able to educate others. When one is educated they are actively bettering themselves and their own community. Even if that means just making sure that your kids are educated. Even a simple math class class at the local junior college can help a parent educate themselves, therefore they are able to educate their child. This will help raise a healthy and confident child because they are succeeding in school, and a confident child is more likely to go onto higher education. An educated community results in being active in society. This is good for economic growth and the overall health of a community. It is financially advisable to go to school because a degree shows that graduates have the skills needed for a higher paying job. David Autor, an M.I.T. economist, came to the conclusion that it actually costs the average person 500,000 dollars to not go to college (in Leonhardt). This means that

Analysis Of Puller And I Left The Bridge - 1351 Words

Puller and I left the bridge as quickly as we could. I did not trust Ibor and Aage and I had their money; plus it was to cold to go far without supplies so I figured they would come back to the bridge. The sky was clearing so I was not worried about Mythras showing up as he usually needs clouds to come to earth. We rested frequently because Puller’s shoulder was bad, if only I had responded quicker. The sun was shining and the blue skies were very welcome, but the air was getting colder, it would probably ice tonight. It was midday when we forded a good-sized stream. Upstream from the ford was a weir with a fish splashing in it. I let Puller graze while I inspected the weir. In the mud on the bank was a large paw print of a†¦show more content†¦She yelled over her shoulder, â€Å"Aelred stop shooting arrows at the boy. You know he is not a Bridge Bully and you said yourself the horse was limping.† This grandmotherly phia in a red dress and a white coif and apron came directly to me. â€Å"Iona, stop you can see the boy is armed,† said Aelred as he came to the door with a great knife in one hand and a crossbow in the other. I went down on my right knee and bared my head as Iona approached. She stopped and let Aelred catch up with her. â€Å"Greetings,† I said as I bowed my head, â€Å"How it is that I hear strong voices of Teras and see the dress of my home country here in Harbor Valley? My name is Mark and I am traveling to Semeia on business for my father, a merchant of North Teras (Martel thought that would be a good story). â€Å"Why is your bow strung as you come to my house,† asked Aelred. â€Å"An unstrung bow would do me little good against the grizzlecat whose tracks I saw as I crossed the stream,† I answered. â€Å"Stand up Mark of Teras,† said Iona. A frown crossed her face as she sniffed the air. â€Å"Aelred, you will be sorry if the bread burns because of all this arrow shooting.† She disappeared quickly into the house, leaving me to face Aelred. He was a big man with gray hair, who carried himself as a soldier. He was dressed in his best white shirt and green pants, and you could see that a holiday meal was onShow MoreRelatedTraffic Jam in Dhaka City4189 Words   |  17 Pagesseason the situation becomes more critical while the roads go under water due to heavy rain. (c) Heterogeneous vehicles and inadequate public transport: Dhaka is a city of heterogeneous vehicles. Human puller to latest model automobile, mechanical to non-mechanical, slow to fast-moving, nothing left on the road of Dhaka. It is quite difficult to control all these vehicles on the same road as they have different speed capacity. Besides this, public transport system in Dhaka city is not adequate andRead MoreMombassa3291 Words   |  14 Pages80118110084 Pillai, Satish 80118110099 Seth, Rahul â€Æ' Country Notebook The Country Notebook—A Guide for Developing a Marketing Plan The Country Notebook Outline †¢ I. Cultural Analysis †¢ II. Economic Analysis †¢ III. Market Audit and Competitive Market Analysis †¢ IV. Preliminary Marketing Plan I. Cultural Analysis Mombasa’s history dates back to the 16th century, and it has been ruled by the Portuguese, Arabs and British-which have all influenced the town’s culture and the attractionsRead MoreArticle: Performance Appraisal and Performance Management35812 Words   |  144 Pagesorganizational objectives and strategy. Performance management eliminates the shortcomings of performance appraisal system to the some extent. Keywords: Human resource (HR), HR development, performance appraisal, performance management, performance evaluation. I. INTRODUCTION Organizations are run and steered by people. It is through people that goals are set and objectives are realized. The performance of an organization is thus dependent upon the sum total of performance of its members. The success of an organizationRead MoreIgbo Dictionary129408 Words   |  518 Pagesmake the manuscript available, I have therefore joined together the fragments of the electronic manuscript and converted all the diacrit ics to a single system. I hope I have done this consistently, but errors may still remain. Where something was mistyped from the ms. the global conversion occasionally produced eccentric results. I have checked this as far as possible against the photocopy, but some inconsistencies between photocopy and electronic file may remain. I have also corrected other obvious

Reflective Essay The Writing Process - 520 Words

There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you. - - - Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Throughout the semester I have had to write a number of essays using a variety of techniques. Before college, I would write assuming that the only reader, or audience, would be my teacher. Composition helped me realize the many steps that are involved in the writing process from free writing to making a final copy. In order to create a good paper you need organize your ideas. Also, I realize what needs to be in a essay and what doesn’t. I have improved in my writing but organization has been my problem, and even though I’ve made a progress. I still believe I have not fully†¦show more content†¦I think it was a fun assignment to do because we got to advertise a product and give the details that we used. Using persuasive techniques has made a changed in my writing because you can say something you said before and transfer it to your writing. One of the techniques I am going to use through out college is talking to different types of audiences. Also, I am going to let others try to help me out with my writing so I can become a better writer. Sure enough, I still need the help from others for me to be able to succeed in English 1302. All the assignments we did were helpful for me to succeed in other courses because I have improved in my writing since we used different kinds of techniques. If we had more time I would like more of the assignments of using different audiences because that’s one of my weakness. If I had to retake this course with you again, I would like more of the rhetoric because that exercise was my favorite. This skills are not only going make me succeed in college but also for life. This course has shown me that I am capable of writing in a variety of manners and it has shown me that I am not as strong in some areas as I am in others. This class introduced me to a variety of writing techniques, some worked and some did not. However, the experience and work with each skill was veryShow MoreRelatedWriting Process : Reflective Essay951 Words   |  4 PagesI have chosen to explore the â€Å"Writing Process† that I used while drafting my argumentative paper on sloths in the rainforest for this reflective essay. I am choosing this topic and this particular essay because my writing process was a key component to the ‘C’ I made on the project and how my failure in this particular area lead me to this grade. Looking back, I realized that the grade I received is a perfect reflection of the effort I put into the writing process. I believe that I had the powerRead MoreWriting As A Process : A Reflective Essay1379 Words   |  6 PagesWriting as a Process: A Reflective Essay I’ve always thought of myself as an above average writer. Why wouldn’t I considering the praise I’d get from teachers, professors, parents and friends alike? Consequently, English became one of my favorite subjects. With little effort put forth I received exemplary marks on all my work and easily earned the approval of my English teachers. However, things began to change upon my arrival at the University of Georgia. I took my first college-level English classRead MoreReflective Essay1508 Words   |  7 Pagesreflection in the mirror. The same can be said about the reflective compositions. A reflective composition is the result of introspection into past experiences or memorable events in our lives. We introspect into these memorable events and reflect over them with regards the emotions and influences they have left in our lives. In simple words a reflective essay is a piece of ‘you’ being presented in words. What is Reflection? In a reflective composition you really need to think about yourself andRead MoreMy School Experience Reading And Writing905 Words   |  4 Pages Throughout my school experience reading and writing was always a struggle for me. I did not like to read because I could not remember anything I read, and I did not like to write because what I wrote was unorganized. Reading also can help improve writing, but when I was younger, I was stubborn and not aware of that. I had no confidence and thought I was never going to achieve good grades in an English class. So I let my grades slip and with that I decided to not go to college after high school.Read MorePersonal Development and Learning Essay example897 Words   |  4 PagesDevelopment Reflective Essay Assignment The reflective essay will become the primary component of the senior portfolio a few years from now, but the process begins here in PDP 150 as students learn to apply their new reflective skills in developing of an effective portfolio. The reflective essay provides the opportunity to describe and document one’s growth as a person during this time in a student’s life, and the key to understanding the task is to emphasize the term â€Å"reflective.† In PDP 150Read MoreConnections Between The Work I Have Done And The Course Outcomes1337 Words   |  6 Pagesthe course outcomes. I have used a lot of the outcomes such as research process, style conventions, multimodal design, and reflective interactions in my writings throughout the semester. Three of the outcomes I will discuss our research process, style conventions, and reflective interactions. One of the various outcomes that connects to the work I have done throughout the semester was the research process. The research process connects to a great deal, if not all of the work I have done this semesterRead MoreIn My Creative Nonfiction Genre Proposal, I Stated That,1571 Words   |  7 Pagesproposal, I stated that, â€Å"my [creative writing project s] focus will be literary essays that address humanity’s universal desire for a sense of identity and belonging; these essays will be written from a personal perspective, containing anecdotes, internal conflicts, and external opinions† (1). A little over ten weeks later, I believe I have achieved this goal in my final draft because of the stylistic approaches and revisions I made with the help of the Creative Writing Seminar workshops. My final draftRead MoreHow I Am A Writer Essay1112 Words   |  5 Pages Reflective As a writer, I would consider myself to be a very strong writer. When it comes to writing or having different writing assignments, I have to write everything down on a piece of paper to get my thoughts out and just let my pen flow. I tend to write essays only when I am assigned, but for the most part, I write everyday. I personally like to write about me in particular but mainly I enjoy writing about overcoming different obstacles people face in life or about the future. As a writerRead MoreDeveloping Strong Academic Study Skills926 Words   |  4 Pagesand future career enhancement. Some of the key areas for development and discussion in this essay will include note taking/essay writing, critical thinking and analysing questions and reflective thinking skills. A major area for development and improvement revolves around effective note taking and essay planning/writing. As a Higher Education student you will be required to plan and produce countless essays in relation to the course you are studying, and a key point of reference to help with thisRead MoreReflection Of A Reflection On Academic Skills1043 Words   |  5 Pages 2015). Gibbs Reflective Cycle (1988), a framework for students to resolve problems in assignments, step by step, I will reflect on my own problems, (UK Essays, 2013). My previous goal was to study in a university and now that I have accomplished that goal, my next goal is to complete the course with a good grade. But the reality of achieving the Foundation Degree is a much harder concept than what I first thought, having a writer s block can be a hindrance, slowing the process of starting any

Slasher Films in the Pakistani Cinema Free Essays

string(85) " part of the film; female aggression is tuned outwards and she sexually entices men\." Pakistan is a developing country that has been struggling for decades in its many eras, ranging from business to the cinema. Despite the tussle, it has managed to develop its film and television industry rapidly. â€Å"Lollywood† is a term that was coined back in the day to glamorously describe the cinema culture of Pakistan. We will write a custom essay sample on Slasher Films in the Pakistani Cinema or any similar topic only for you Order Now Though, as we all know, in comparison to Bollywood and Hollywood, Lollywood, in majority has not been much popular. Nevertheless, upon profoundly observing the television industry of Pakistan, one learns that it is much more refined and efficacious in contrast to the film sector. Particularly, in the present times, the drama or television industry, as you may call it, is flourishing not just locally but all around the globe, reaching out to many Pakistanis and providing them with twenty four hours of fruitful entertainment. Pakistani Cinema has touched upon a variety of genres which predominantly revolve around documentaries, dramas, thrillers, horror, romance and action. This paper will, however, depict and deliberate upon a subgenre of horror films; slasher films in Pakistan. A slasher film is preeminently defined as a horror film which involves the use of an unearthly weapon such as an axe by a psychopathic slaughterer who mainly pertains to aggressively slaying a number of victims. These movies follow specific cinematic techniques where close-ups and special effects are used in a variety of ways, primarily representing women as sexual objects. The conception of showing the â€Å"Final Girl† rescuing herself is the foremost ideology a slasher film ordinarily focuses on. Over the years, Lollywood has managed to accomplish the two most successful horror films using the true slasher and storyline techniques; Zinda Laash (â€Å"Dracula in Pakistan/The Living Corpse†) and Zibah Khana (â€Å"Hell’s Ground†) produced in 1967 and 2007 respectively. It is interesting to know that the recent production; Hell’s Ground makes continuous relations with the thirty year old film; Zinda Laash. However, the two devour excessive amount of differences; in regard to the slasher film techniques and gender based critique which will be discussed in this essay. Dracula in Pakistan† was filmed in the late 60’s; however, when released, it sprang a cascade of fear amongst the Pakistanis. According to (The Indian Express, 2012), a woman from the audience was agonized by a heart attack. It was also the first movie produced in Pakistan to be categorized as â€Å"X-rated† along with being screened at two international film festivals. (IMDB) Zinda Laash is considered as a plagiarized production; an elucidation of Hammer’s Classic â€Å"Dracula. † (The HotSpot Online) The plot begins with a scientist; Dr. Tabani accomplishing his test experiment to gain immortality followed by the introduction of his assistant; a buxom woman who discovers the â€Å"dead body† of the scientist and decides to store it in a coffin. To her astonishment, the corpse comes to life and she is his first victim. The story continues with a somnolent traveller, Dr. Aqil who does not consider the rumors of the existence of the immortals to be true, entering the mansion of the â€Å"Khabees Rooh†. Though, he soon discovers the veracity and chooses to end the cycle of plague, but is evidently futile. The film further revolves around a Dr. Aqil’s wife-to-be; Shabnam, who is also a victim of Dr. Tabani and how immortality fails her appallingly. As petrifying Zinda Laash might have been in the 60’s, it most certainly isn’t disturbing in relation to the modern day standards. One might find it rigorously monotonous but humorous at the same time as it depicts alluring and peculiar dances by women. Zinda Laash strongly caters to the â€Å"Male Gaze† throughout the hundred minutes of its run time; from the introduction to the climax and the conclusion. Throughout the course, the audience experiences a range of dance numbers by either one or many women. The initial portrayal of the sexuality of women instigates when the assistant is lured by her â€Å"dead† boss in the middle of the dark hours. The woman is dressed in a knee length night gown with revealed skin and cleavage; identifying her as a sex object. For being a Pakistani production of the 60’s era, the cinematic techniques capturing the body of the woman can definitely be labeled as â€Å"obscene. The attack demonstrates sensuality in the facial expressions of the woman with the sluggish movement of closeness between the victim and the attacker pouring a sense of sexual tension amongst the audience. Followed by the frightening shrieks of the woman, violence against women is highlighted significantly; a woman is powerless in front of a man. Later, as the weary traveller arrives and adjusts comfortably at the mansion after a warm welcome by Dr. Tabani, one notic es Dr. Aqil setting a photo frame of his beloved fiancee he truly misses. Dr. Tabani enters his room to ensure comfort and malignly admires the photo by calling it â€Å"Khoobsurat. † It is enigmatically bizarre how Dr. Tabani ignores to make Dr. Aqil his next victim who is right there and instead wishes to suck blood out of a woman. Malevolent thoughts instantly stutter through the attacker’s head about the woman; further enhancing the violence against women. As the night gets gloomy and murky, one notices Dr. Aqil being effortlessly distracted by the giggles of a woman; the vampire bride. He gets up to follow the chuckles; his facial expressions visibly expose his urge for sexual desire. Discovering the origin of the chortles, Dr. Aqil finds a mysterious female, dancing with â€Å"voluptuous sensuality† (The HotSpot Online) dressed in a lightly lined white dress to attract him towards her. There is undeniably a connotation attached to the actions of the woman in this scene; she uses her sexuality to fulfill her need to feed upon the man for survival. The man finally submits himself to her and is attacked by the vampire bride. This explains how the religion of Islam fears the power of female sexual attraction over men. Imam Ghazali’s interpretation is also highlighted during this part of the film; female aggression is tuned outwards and she sexually entices men. You read "Slasher Films in the Pakistani Cinema" in category "Papers" Captivatingly, this occurrence is intermittent by Dr. Tabani; the vampire, who pushes the woman; once again showing the physical power of man over woman. Wretchedly, Dr. Aqil is masticated and is fated to earn immortality. Nonetheless, before fronting his destiny, he tries to put an end to the outrageous veracity by using a â€Å"knife† as the weapon of destruction, but fails terribly. Incongruously, a dance number is presented right after Dr. Aqil becomes a casualty of immortality. This dance sequence is similar to the many others shown during the film at odd intervals. This particular sequence comprised of a woman dancing dressed in a half sleeve top and pants in front of a crowd of men in majority. Vulgarity strikes not only in her clothing this time, but in the movement of her physique in sync with the song lyrics which were chanted by a man as he made hand gestures pointing towards the dancer; â€Å"Udhar Jawani, Idhar Nasha. † The lyrics clearly indicate the drunken men relishing the â€Å"jawaani† of the female performing. The theme of sexuality is reinforced with the entrance of Dr. Aqil’s brother as he is interrupted with another dance number, this time comprising of many women dancing for their own entertainment instead of one woman dancing to entertain a crowd. This dance comprises of Dr. Aqil’s fiancee, Shabnam dressed in shalwar kameez; the national dress of Pakistan, dancing with her friends. However, the fitting of the clothing catered to the male gaze once again. The shirts are of normal length but tremendously body-hugging from the hip, hence outlining he body shape. These women also wore perfectly winged eyeliners and hair done gracefully, further emphasizing the gender socialization of women; how they are required to dress up. The theme of men giving in for the sexuality of women is reversed when Shabnam desperately waits for Dr. Tabani to suck her blood. On his arrival, Shabnam lies down on her bed in an inviting posture outlining her curvaceous body and reveals her neck; wom en objectification. Once again, sexual tension is built as Dr. Tabani goes close to her neck and feeds on her. The difference between the earlier attacks and this once is that Shabnam was willingly letting Dr. Tabani feed on her; she felt pleasure. The photograph below shows her exact position on the bed. (The HotSpot Online) There is also a female child in the narrative who Shabnam intends to feed on. The question here evolves as to why there was not a male child instead of a female child named â€Å"Baby†? Baby constantly made relations with Shabnam throughout the course of the film, for example, she teased Shabnam by snatching Dr. Aqil’s photograph from her hand and ran away. The film comes towards a climax where the family discovers the Dracula Shabnam who intended to trick Baby and suck her blood out. Shabnam’s brother confronts her as she convinces him to hug her; she decides to feed on him. This plot comes to an end when Aqil’s brother acts as the macho man and pushes Shabnam away and stabs her to death by a dagger. Patriarchy is promoted via this prospect as well. Nonetheless, a dance sequence is a must input at the pinnacle; this time a female wearing a sequin dress entertaining a group of men by dancing. Most importantly, we notice that the dupatta in many of these dance numbers is eliminated. The movie further progresses with the development of an aim to eradicate the immortals by Shabnam’s brother and Dr. Aqil’s brother. Zibah Khaana or Hell’s Ground, on the other hand, follows a completely different narrative with underlining various subjects such as Gender Roles, Social Concerns and Pakistani Culture. It truly depicts the use of slasher film techniques like showing the world from the eyes of the attacker and use of the â€Å"Final Girl† notion. It is an Urdu-English slasher film directed by Omar Khan in only 30 days and has won many awards at Film Festivals around the Globe. Wikipedia) Zibah Khaana is a journey of five teenage friends who decide to take a short cut through a place known as â€Å"Dozakh Pur† to attend a rock concert. On their way, they face many difficulties such as the toxic water, zombies, a daunting hitchhiker, a witch and a man dressed in a burkha with an ancient spiky weapon which makes the movie a modern gore fli ck. The diversity in characters chosen makes the film even more exhilarating. The movie begins with a boy having an accident upon seeing a Burkha Man standing in the middle of the road with a medieval weapon. However, the first victim is massacred with a spade, in comparison to Zinda Laash, where the first victim was a woman attacked by fangs. In the case of Hell’s Ground, woman objectification is hardly given any attention. The film sets the surroundings of Pakistan by showing detailed shots about the culture of Pakistan; daily activities. Gender socialization is highlighted when Roxy, a modern American girl is introduced and specifically asks her maid for a â€Å"pink† colored shirt to wear as she has to spend the night at her friend â€Å"Ayesha’s† house. Pakistani culture is further laid stress upon when the maid reacts in astonishment to Roxy, being a girl and spending the night at a friends’ house. Next, a low class Christian boy, Simon is presented with his parents; where the father uses abusive language to degrade his son. In relation to Zinda Laash, here we experience that the wife; Simon’s mother screams back to her husband in support of her child. Patriarchy is not laid stress upon; it does exist but not to a critical extent in the modern day and this is what Zibah Khaana probably aimed to demonstrate. As the introduction progresses, the audience meets the Final Girl, Ayesha. Her first appearance in a traditional shalwar kameez serving her mother tea immediately clicks; she is different from the previous two characters introduced. Once more, the Pakistani Culture and Gender Bias are tinted when Ayesha seeks permission from her mother to go on a â€Å"school trip† for the night. Receiving a hesitant reaction from her mother and commentary upon how her father would be against this act if he were alive, instantaneously converses with the Pakistani audience as to how girls should not be let out for the night. It emphasizes upon traditional beliefs on gender socialization; girls should spend the night at their own house and not elsewhere. However, there are a lot of modern families in today’s time who are also against girls spending the night elsewhere. In the Pakistani society, it is definitely considered as indecent. Inevitably, Ayesha lies to stay out for the night to go to a rock concert. However, her socialization restricts her from doing things that she has been taught are wrong; for example later in the film all her friends smoke hashish, but she doesn’t. Ayesha also wears an â€Å"Allah Hu Akbar† necklace throughout the course of the film. We also observe, upon exiting the house Ayesha gets rid of her books and grabs a pair of jeans and t-shirt to change later for the trip; Ayesha belongs to a local ordinary family. Later, when she changes her attire from a traditional one to modern, her friends are surprised. Roxy, Ayesha, Simon and another boy OJ meet at the ice cream parlor, â€Å"Hot Spot† and wait for the last character of the film; Vicky to arrive with transport. He brings a van with old fashioned Pakistani Horror Film Paintings, one of which consisted of a plump woman posing. Pointing out the sexuality in the old times; OJ instantly reacts to the painting of the woman as â€Å"sexy. † This shows that young boys are easily drawn towards sexuality with being open about their desires. The friends continue to head out and on their way are disturbed by a group of transgenders while waiting for the traffic signal to go green. An effective use of queer theory has been applied as the reaction of the teenagers is shown. Transgenders are a huge part of the Pakistani society and are treated with disgrace. They are usually perceived as infuriating while they beg at the traffic signals; the reaction of Vicky and the body language of the transgenders have clearly been captured. As the transgenders approached and touched Vicky, his facial expressions stressed upon irritation and repulsion. Youth culture has been shown via sarcastic conversations amongst the five friends. Roxy is an American-Pakistani modern girl who did not hesitate to smoke hashish in comparison to the Final Girl, Ayesha who denies the offer and feels uncomfortable. Roxy and OJ have a conversation about the socio-economic situation of Pakistan. This was amusing to observe as women in the earlier day were not included in such conversations, and today we see a positive change in the role of women. In Roxy’s imaginary world, she â€Å"can’t wait to get out of this sticky shithole. † Use of abusive language by both the genders has been highlighted, which serves as a change in the norm of our society as all such instances are censored by the censor board of Pakistan. Hell’s Ground, was however, successful in mirroring the reality. From zombies, a freaky hitchhiker and a witch to the serial killer in a burkha, Zibah Khana covers it all. Generally, older women are always associated with darkness, magic and evil. Hell’s ground uses the same ideology and uses an unusual strange woman in the story who is involved in the village killings. The hitchhiker and the main psychopathic killer Burkhaman which the teenagers come across are the old woman’s children. Earlier in the film, the teenagers have managed to escape from the creepy hitchhiker by throwing him out of the van and crushing him in the process. Motherly instincts are shown when the mother finds her injured son and commands the Burkhaman to cut them up into â€Å"botis. The old woman also continuously addressed the Burkhaman as her daughter; further highlighting the use of queer theory. The Burkhaman is in reality a man, but is continuously referred as a female; this is because the old woman always wanted a daughter but never had one. I believe, the use of such a dogma is an indirect reference to the LGBT community in Pakistan. Throughout the film, the serial killer being the main lead remains silent. According to my analogy, it has been done purposely to lay stress upon the fact that society wants the LGBT community to remain silent and act as the underdog of the society. Being a slasher film, the plot revolves around The Final Girl throughout. Before the zombie attacks, she senses incongruity but chooses to ignore and stays determined. This is the most ideal strategy used in the production of slasher films. Her psychological turmoil is continuously tested till the very end where she saves herself. In completion, Ayesha is the only individual left who has not been successfully victimized. Slasher films intend to show women in terror, and Zibah Khana explicitly follows this rule. It shows both the women, Roxy and Ayesha, in terror, running for their lives and screaming. The only difference is that Ayesha is the final girl and remains determined to save herself. Another stratagem used in Zibah Khana is the eradication of all the irrelevant characters one by one leaving the Final Girl as the last victim. This is to build tension amongst the audience to experience the reversal of gender roles. When Ayesha faces the Burkhaman, she fights back for herself and saves herself by getting hold of a spade and a stone, and smashes the head of the man dressed in a Burkha. There is no man to rescue her; she is her own hero. A hidden side of the innocent girl is shown; she makes sure to kill the attacker. Typically, in slasher films, the Final Girl is given intense strength and masculinity all of a sudden with the urge to protect her rather than being dependent upon a man to save the day. There are many differences we observe between the two films. Firstly, we notice that the first victim in Zinda Laash is a woman where she is shown as a sexual object. However, in Zibah Khana, the first victim is a boy; OJ. Secondly, Zibah Khana adopts the technique of showing the world from the attacker’s eyes to its fullest whereas Zinda Laash hardly makes use of it. Thirdly, another distinctive feature of a slasher film is to show women in terror; building the tension and finally reaching the climax. Zibah Khana renders this trepidation to a great extent in comparison to Zinda Laash, where the women feeling fear is shown minimally in comparison to Zibah Khana. Lastly, the concept of Final Girl is completely ignored in Zinda Laash, assuming that Shabnam was the main girl who was expected to save herself and not enter the realm of death; that too by being stabbed by a man. Zibah Khana, on the other hand, stresses all the attention on the Final Girl, Ayesha. In the end she is the only survivor. Horror film is a genre which has come a long way in the Pakistani Cinema. It started off with showing women as sex objects to the girl becoming the main lead and surviving on her own terms. To conclude, I absolutely agree with Omar Khan, the director of Zibah Khana as he claims, â€Å"Horror is at its most effective when it taps into real fears. Our real fears are connected to things that are sensitive politically and difficult to discuss. † (Telegraph, UK, 2007) 3286 Words Bibliography (n. d. ). Retrieved November 27, 2012, from IMDB: http://www. imdb. om/title/tt0360232/trivia Telegraph, UK. (2007, August 11). Retrieved December 4, 2012, from http://www. telegraph. co. uk/culture/film/starsandstories/3667146/Zibahkhana-Beware-zombies-wearing-saris. html The Indian Express. (2012, July 2). Retrieved December 4, 2012, from The Indian Express: http://www. indianexpress. com/news/be-scared-very-scared/969038/0 The HotSpot Online. (n. d. ). Re trieved December 4, 2012, from http://www. thehotspotonline. com/moviespot/bolly/reviews/xyz/zindalaash. htm Wikipedia. (n. d. ). Retrieved December 4, 2012, from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Zibahkhana How to cite Slasher Films in the Pakistani Cinema, Papers

Case of Unocal Burma free essay sample

Work in progress at the Yadana pipeline project modern equivalent of slavery? Unocal Corporation, the California-based giant gas-and-petroleum corporation, will face trial in a United States court on charges of forced labour of Burmese people to build the $1. 2 billion Yadana Gas Pipeline Project in southern Burma. On September 18 last year(2012), a panel of the U. S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in Pasadena reversed a previous Federal District Court decision and allowed the groundbreaking human rights lawsuit against Unocal to go forward. In the Doe v. Unocal case, 11 Burmese villagers are suing Unocal for human rights abuses including rape, forced labour and murder during the building of the Yadana gas pipeline project in Burma. This is a landmark decision, said Richard L. Herz, an attorney with the non-profit group EarthRights International (ERI), co-counsel in the lawsuit. In recognising that corporations that aid and abet egregious human rights abuses can be held accountable, the Ninth Circuit has affirmed that U. S. corporations cannot violate international human rights with impunity. The decision said that plaintiffs need only demonstrate that Unocal knowingly assisted the military in the perpetration of the abuses, and that they had done so. The court also found that forced labour such as that employed by the Burmese military on behalf of the Unocal pipeline is the modern equivalent of slavery. The ruling stated, The evidence supports the conclusion that Unocal gave `practical assistance to the Myanmar Military in subjecting Plaintiffs to these acts of murder and rape. Thus, because Unocal knew that acts of violence would probably be committed, it became liable as an aider and abettor when such acts of violence, — specifically, murder and rape — were in fact committed. The legal battle began six years ago when Burmese villagers filed a suit in U. S. federal court demanding that Unocal pay millions of dollars in damages for abuses committed by soldiers along the Yadana pipeline. However, in 2000, despite the court finding evidence that Unocal knew that forced labour was being utilised and that the joint venturers benefited from the practice, the  federal judge dismissed the case because the companys conduct did not rise to the level of active participation — a liability standard borrowed from the Nuremberg war crimes trials involving the role of German industrialists in the Nazi forced-labour programme. Lawyers for the Burmese villagers responded by filing a new lawsuit under state law and making many of the same charges in the Superior Court in Los Angeles. In June 2002, the California Superior Court Judge Victoria Chaneys decision held that plaintiffs claims might proceed to trial. The trial of the California State case is scheduled to start in early 2003. The lawyers for the Burmese villagers also appealed the federal judges dismissal last year, which led to the ruling by the Ninth Circuit Court on September 18 last year. Although the Ninth Circuit Court has sent the case back to the lower federal court for trial, the villagers lawyers said they would ask Superior Court Judge Victoria Gerrard Chaney to apply the new liability standard in the California State trial. Unocal maintains that its actions are not on trial in the California case and that the company expects to be vindicated of `vicarious liability charges. Responding to the federal decision, Unocals lawyer Daniel M. Petrocelli said: What the case is about is whether a private American company can be held responsible for the actions of a foreign military regime when the company itself didnt do any of the offending conduct. No Unocal person participated in any acts of wrongdoing, Petrocelli said. Unocal does not have, nor ever had, any control over the actions of the Myanmar military. The company does not direct, countenance or condone the violation of any persons human rights, and it certainly did not aid or abet the violation of anyones human rights. And if that is the standard that is applied in this case, we are confident we will meet that standard. During the early 1990s, ignoring widespread calls from the Burmese democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and pro-democracy groups worldwide for a moratorium on international investment, transnational oil companies Unocal (U. S. ) and Total (France) chose to invest in a regime with one of the worst human rights and environmental records in the world. In 1992, the Burmese military government entered into a joint venture with Unocal and Total to construct a gas pipeline from the Yadana gas fields in Burmas Gulf of Martaban to the Thai border. This represents the single largest foreign investment project in Burma. The Yadana gas revenue is one of the largest sources of foreign capital for the Burmese military government. The Burmese military regime was contracted by the oil companies to provide security for the project. Ever since, the Burmese army has engaged in systematic human rights abuses and environmental degradation in order to fulfil its contractual responsibilities. The U. S. court accepted the case against Unocal based on extensive documentation including eyewitness accounts of human rights abuses in the pipeline region provided by ERI. Along the Burmese pipeline route, killings, torture, rape and extortion by pipeline security forces have increased sharply since the Yadana Project was initiated. Many villagers along the pipeline area provided eye-witness descriptions of forced labour: Battalion No.  273 came in to our village and asked for two porters to go to two places, including one located directly along the pipeline. These people had to go because it was their turn. The soldiers ordered a total of 18 porters from our village tract. The work lasted about 20 days, and they did not get any payment. I know they did not get payment because that was always the case, and it was the same again. The influx of soldiers in the previously isolated Tenasserim region also caused an increase in illegal hunting, logging, and wildlife trade. The region is one of the largest rainforest tracts left in mainland Southeast Asia, home to wild elephants, tigers, rhinos and great hornbills, to name just a few rare and important species. It is also home to numerous indigenous peoples, including the Mon, Karen, and Tavoyans. An incriminating piece of evidence is a declassified cable sent from the U. S. Embassy in Rangoon to the U. S. State Department in 1995 that confirms Unocals relationship with the Burmese military and their collusion in forced labour. Known as the Robinson Cable, the cable chronicles a meeting between the U.S. embassy staff and Joel Robinson, Unocals manager for special projects. According to the cable, Robinson accepts Unocals relationship with the Burmese military: On the general issue of the close working relationship between Total/Unocal and the Burmese military, Robinson had no apologies to make. He stated forthrightly that the companies have hired the Burmese military to provide security for the project and pay for this through the Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE). He said three truckloads of soldiers accompany project officials as they conduct survey work and visit villages. He said Totals security officials meet with military counterparts to inform them of the next days activities so that soldiers can ensure the area is secure and guard the work perimeter while the survey team goes about its business. Tyler Giannini of ERI said that the evidence belies Unocals claims that it is not responsible for the acts of the Burmese military. When Unocal and Total hire the military, tell them where to go, what to do, and depend on them for the security of their project, they are morally and legally responsible for the abuses that their security forces commit. Unocal was dealing with the devil. Now they will have to answer to a jury, he said. Doe v. Unocal is the first case in U. S. history in which a corporation will stand trial for human rights abuses committed abroad. Human rights lawyers have viewed the court decision on Unocal as a breakthrough for foreigners seeking to hold multinational corporations accountable for their alleged complicity with repressive regimes in human rights abuses. With at least 10 similar lawsuits pending around the U. S. against multinational corporations, including ChevronTexaco Corp. and Coca-Cola Co. , the Unocal court ruling will encourage human rights lawyers to proceed on these cases.