God of Carnage!

Yasmina Reza’s play God of Carnage shows off perfectly the irony is some of the modern families in today’s society. The curtain raises to a lovely living room, where two, apparently happy, couples are discussing their children. Veronica and Michael are discussing the injuries that Nanette and Allen’s son Benjamin inflicted on Henry that faithful day in the children’s playground. What starts off as a polite exchange between four adults quickly degenerates into a quarrel of intense proportions. Immature jokes, insults, and personal attacks are the least of it. Going great lengths to defend their child’s innocence, the two couples end up frustrated, exhausted, with no conclusion to their dilemma. 

Mostly, I did really enjoy this play. I found this experience very different from the usual french theater I attend. The humor is distinct and so it took some getting used to, but the play was extremely funny. The audience’s reaction was also something I noticed to be interesting: it seemed more like we were experiencing the live filming of a television series instead of an actual play. I also found the script very entertaining and unusual. The way it did not really have a traditional development, not a defined climax, made it continually surprising. I enjoyed the way the actors used the space by moving around, sitting in different places and standing up for their lines to keep the audience interested, since the decor never changed. The decor was a strategically organized living room, with three couches and multiple objects that could be used as props to keep the action going. I am sure this decor was thought of thoroughly to ensure maximum movement during the play.  

In the beginning, I thought I completely understood the personalities of the four characters. As the play continues though, the four adults show more of themselves and get to be a lot more complex than they seem. The four actors who played Veronica, Michael, Nanette and Allen were extremely talented and seemed totally at ease with their script and the audience. At one point, a prop was thrown accidentally in the audience, and the actress went to fetch it  as if it had been planned that way in the script, saying: “sorry about that”, causing laughter throughout the crowd. Overall, I laughed a lot during these ninety-seven minutes and I think that was the author’s goal when creating this play. 

I Love Thee

Elizabeth Barrett Browning's timeless poem ''Sonnet XLIII'' is an excellent example of a classic Petrarchan Sonnet. In this poem, the author uses different sound devices to develop the mood and theme of the sonnet. First, repetition is the most present sound device in this poem. Throughout the sonnet, the words ''I love thee'' are repeated at the beginning of almost every line, helping with the rhythm and flow. Second, a different kind of repetition is also used in the seventh and eighth line with these words: ''I love thee freely, as men strive for Right; I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.'' By using the same structure for the second part, but modifying a few words, Browning captures the attention of the reader and keeps interest for the rest of the poem. Lastly, the author uses euphony, which is an interesting addition to the poem. In the phrase : ''I love thee to the depth and breadth and height'', theses three words start off the poem with rhythm and beauty. Because this is a love poem, making the poem beautiful to hear and read is essential. To conclude, these sound devices completely serve their purpose: they help the poem sound wonderful, feel passionate and still soft.  

The Tell-Tale Heart

In a short story like “The Tell-Tale Heart”, written by Edgar Allen Poe in 1843, every sentence is important. One cannot spend endless paragraphs setting the time and place. Even though every story needs to include a setting, not all authors possess the ability to make it seem effortless. Making the setting and the actual development of the story seem as one can be a challenging task, but this author does most definitely succeed. The numerous time indications in The Tell-Tale Heart improve the intrigue of the story immensely as they add depth to the setting, the character and the reader’s experience.

            First, the repetitive night setting adds spookiness to the story and makes the old man seem more vulnerable to the reader. Every author, from respectable to admired, knows that a night setting is key to suspense and fright. As demonstrated more than a few times in the text, the concise expressions subtly included in the sentences give the reader just enough of information to set the tone without describing the actual environment for several sentences. By using such phrases as: “And now, at the dead hour of the night” and “Many a night, just at midnight, when all the world slept”, the author succeeds in making the main character seem incredibly vicious and the old man seem more vulnerable than if the story took place during a warm summer day. 

            Next, the main character’s precise and intense track of time leads the reader to believe he is truly lucid. Even though the main character mentions a few times that he is not crazy, one might not agree when reading the manic way the reader sets the time and actions in this story. The fact that he remembers every detail about the crime makes him seem very deranged. Saying that “for a whole hour [he] did not move a muscle” definitely makes the reader doubt his sanity, which is the essential idea of the author.

            Finally, the intricate timeline invites the reader to feel more involved, more implicated in the story. In fact, by spacing out the time elements throughout the plotline, the author makes the story more active. By adding expressive sentences such as: “It grew louder, I say, louder every moment!” the reader constantly feels implicated in the story, as if he were in danger as well! The suspense and excitement is built up thanks to the image of the ticking of the heartbeat, which is compared to clock. In a great story, it is always important for the reader to feel as if he is a part of the story, and this can only be achieved if the setting is well described.

            Thus, it is easy to see why Edgar Allen Poe’s The Tell-Tale Heart is still considered a success. Thanks to the brilliance of his writing, the short story is still complex and includes great detail without the endless description paragraphs. The setting is such an important factor, but done in a wrong way, it can ruin a story. Without these detailed time references, the story would have less intrigue and suspense, therefore, be less captivating an experience for the reader.

Setting The Setting

        In a short story like The Tell-Tale Heart, written by Edgar Allen Poe in 1843, every sentence is important. One cannot spend endless paragraphs setting the time and place. Even though every story needs to include a setting, not all authors possess the ability to make it seem effortless. Making the setting and the actual development of the story seem as one can be a challenging task, but this author does most definitely succeed. The numerous time indications in The Tell-Tale Heart improve the intrigue of the story immensely as they add depth to the setting, the character and the reader’s experience.

        First, the repetitive night setting adds spookiness to the story and makes the old man seem more vulnerable to the reader. Every author, from respectable to admired, knows that a night setting is key to suspense and fright. As demonstrated more than a few times in the text, the concise expressions subtly included in the sentences give the reader just enough of information to set the tone without describing the actual environment for several sentences. By using such phrases as: “And now, at the dead hour of the night” and “Many a night, just at midnight, when all the world slept”, the author succeeds in making the main character seem incredibly vicious and the old man seem a lot more vulnerable than if the story took place during a warm summer day. 

        Second, the main character’s precise and intense track of time leads the reader to believe he is truly lucid. Even though the main character mentions a few times that he is not crazy, one might not agree when reading the almost manic way the reader sets the time and actions in this story. The fact that he remembers every detail about the crime makes him seem very deranged. Saying that “for a whole hour [he] did not move a muscle” definitely makes the reader doubt his sanity, which is the essential idea of the author.

         Last, the intricate timeline invites the reader to feel more involved, more implicated in the story. In fact, by spacing out the time elements throughout the plotline, the author makes the story more active. By adding expressive sentences such as: “It grew louder, I say, louder every moment!” the reader constantly feels implicated in the story, as if he were in danger as well! The suspense and excitement is built up thanks to the image of the ticking of the heartbeat, which is compared to clock. In a great story, it is always important for the reader to feel as if he is a part of the story, and this can only be achieved if the setting is well described.

        To conclude, it is easy to see why Edgar Allen Poe’s The Tell-Tale Heart is still considered a success. Thanks to the brilliance of his writing, the short story is still complex and includes great detail without the endless description paragraphs. The setting is such an important factor, but done in a wrong way, it can ruin a story. Without these detailed time references, the story would have less intrigue and suspense, therefore, be less captivating an experience for the reader.

The Tell-Tale Heart

Thesis statement: The numerous time indications in The Tell-Tale Heart improve the intrigue of the story immensely as they add depth to the setting, the character and the reader's experience.

Topic sentence 1: The repetitive night setting adds spookiness and makes the old man seem more vulnerable.

Details: "And now at the dead hour of the night" and "Many a night, just at midnight, when all the world slept"

Topic sentence 2: The fact that the main character can keep track of time so precisely tricks the reader into believing he is lucid.


Details: "For a whole hour I did not move a muscle" and "And I did this for seven long nights-every night just at midnight"


Topic sentence 3: The intricate timeline invites the reader to feel more involved, implicated in the story.


Details: "It grew louder, I say, louder every moment!"


Conclusion: Without these detailed time references, the story would have less intrigue and suspense, therefore, be less captivating an experience for the reader.

An Instant Success (corrected)

When analysing Rusko's extremely successful song ''Everyday'', it is simple to see how the style, including the quick beat and enchanting feel, can improve a miserable day. First, the song is played in a major scale, with gives it an upbeat sound and feel. Songs that belong to the dubstep genre, which is a style of electronic music often compared to electro and house, may sound joyful to a lot of people, however this one is spectacularly upbeat compared to other similar songs. The quick beat in the background, superposed with the fast tempo building up, creates excitement, even an euphoric sensation when listening, making one feel as if they can do anything they desire in life. Secondly, the intensily minimal and repetitive lyrics add an obvious positive ''vibe'' to the song, as we can see in this brief example: ''the sun is shining everyday''. These lyrics are positioned wisely and in perfect unison with the music, creating an ideal combination. In fact, in this genre, the decision to minimize lyrics is an excellent one, since it helps keep the focus on the complex musicality. Lastly, the very high-pitched voice gives the song a childish feel, which is enjoyable. Modifying voices with electronic techinques can be risky, but this artist accomplishes this task flawlessly, giving the song even more originality. Is it effortless to see why Rusko is known worldwide by the dubstep community for his masterpieces, and his incredibly original sound, such as ''Everyday'' and ''Hold on''.

The Sun Is Shining Everyday

Rusko’s success Everyday, with its quick beat and enchanting feel, can improve anyone’s day. First, the song is played in a major scale, with gives it an upbeat sound and feel. Songs which belong to the dubstep genre, which is a style of electronic music often compared to electro and house, may sound joyful to a lot of people, however this one is spectacularly upbeat compared to many others. The quick beat in the background, superposed with the fast tempo building up, creates excitement, even an euphoric sensation when listening, making one feel as if they can do anything they desire in life. Secondly, the intensily minimal but repetitive lyrics add a obvious positive feel to the song. These lyrics are positioned wisely and in unison with the music, creating a perfect combination.  Also, the very high-pitched voice gives the song a childish feel, which is enjoyable. Is it easy to hear the simply enjoyable feel to this masterpiece by the one and only Rusko. 




http://www.sweetslyrics.com/877145.Rusko%20-%20Everyday.html

Lost In My Thoughts

There is not much you should know actually, maybe just a couple simple thoughts I could share...
I could tell you I am seventeen, though I can act like I am seven one day, twenty-seven the next. I could add that I study social science, but I plan to study cinema next September. I could also say I do not have a passion, that one thing someone lives for. I don't know yet what I am here to do, and that is what i am planning to find out over the next three years of CEGEP.

If I dig deeper into the core, the essence of my soul and body, I can surely find something to say about myself. I am not a boring person, I have numerous interests and opinions. The most obvious one would be cinema. Not only movies, but television as well. Every aspect of the job impresses, interests and amazes me. From the writter, the producer, the makeup artist to the costume director, even the small jobs (that may seem useless to some) are crucial to one specific part of the creation of the final product. Even the violent movies, which the subject may not necessarely interest me, are fascinating. Every genre of movie has its ways of drawing, sucking me in, until I have to take interest.

Cinema is not alone though, all the visual arts impress me. Photography is a huge part of me too. May it be photographing a model I chose, a man on the street or an urban scene; I love capturing that moment, whether it is a still or moving picture. I find it incredible that years from now, people will be able to find old movies from our time, and see how we interacted with each other. I take great interest and comfort in knowing multiple artists are taking care of capturing what we are all now, what we look like, talk like and act like so our grand-children will know in years to come.

Though I know I have not written about myself much, I find getting to know someone is easier if you let them talk about what they like and know. Their personnality will shine through in an honest and truthful way.