jeudi 29 septembre 2011

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.

dimanche 25 septembre 2011

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.

vendredi 9 septembre 2011

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''.

jeudi 8 septembre 2011

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

vendredi 26 août 2011

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.