Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Movie Analysis Of Kick Ass

Movie Analysis Of Kick Ass In the film Kick-Ass, directed by Matthew Vaughn, Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson), a teenager who is ignored by girls and obsessed with comics sets out to be a real superhero. He purchases a costume online and begins to fight crime with the name of Kick-Ass. After fighting off three thugs, Dave becomes a internet phenomenon and gets the help of other vigilantes in a collective goal to bring down mob boss Frank DAmico (Mark Strong). When analyzing the film, I noticed that it contains the elements of a Hero Myth that are clarified in Linda Segers article, Creating a Myth. While most heroes in film have superpowers or special abilities, the character Kick-Ass uses his desire and passion in order to combat his enemies. The archetype of the hero is reinforced throughout the film because Kick-Ass encounters many obstacles, which in turn develop a sense of growth and transformation. Seger begins by asserting that in hero myths, the hero is introduced in ordinary surroundings and the hero begins as non-hero; innocent, young, simple or humble (2). As viewers we see that Dave Lizewski is a typical teenager in everyday New York. He fantasizes about how life would be as a superhero. Like most teenage boys, Dave has a crush on a female counterpart, Katie Fonseca (Lyndsy Fonseca), but he is barely noticed Brown 2 by her and the other girls at school. We can see that he possesses humility because he is neither bold or self-assertive. His innocence can be derived from the fact that his intentions are harmless. He only sets out to do good by fighting crime. Heath continues by stating that something new enters the heros life and this catalyst sets the story in motion (2). After being robbed by a pair of street thugs, Dave realizes that he must fight crime and take on the role of a superhero. He orders a wet suit online and begins to train in preparation for the dangers on the city streets. Moreover, when Dave sees the same two men that robbed him and his friend Todd breaking into a car he confronts them with his new suit on. Unfortunately he gets stabbed and stumbles to be hit by a car, causing nerve ending damage. He is rushed to the hospital where doctors fix him with metal plates, which gives him a higher pain threshold. Sequentially, this experience sets the story in motion because Daves determination to become a superhero is only sparked and it leads to another crucial event. He later sets up a MySpace account under the name Kick-Ass, which allows the public to contact him and request assistance. One night, he goes out to look for a lost cat and interrupts a chase between thugs who were trying to kill another man. Fortunately, he fights off the attackers and becomes an internet phenomenon after it was recorded and posted on Youtube. Furthermore, we can see that Dave is endowed with bravery and desire. In addition, this sequence of events develop as a whole catalyst, which in turn stimulate the story. Additionally, Seger argues that in any journey, the hero usually receives help that often comes from unusual sources(2). In the film, Damon MacReady (Nicholas Cage) who is an Ex-cop and his 11-year old daughter Mindy (Chloe Moretz) notice Kick Asss Brown 3 escapades. One night, Kick-Ass visits the apartment of Rasul after Katie mentions that a guy name Rasul at the clinic would rob and harass her. Reacting off impulse, he tries to threaten him but he is horribly unsuccessful. Angered by such words, Rasul and crew get ready to mutilate him, but Mindy, dressed in costume blasts through the window and kills all the gang members and her dad shoots the last one with a sniper rifle. After, she introduces herself as Hit Girl and takes all the money and guns. Essentially the character of Hit Girl is very unusual. Combing the characteristics of a killer to the ones of a cute child, Director Matthew Vaughn tries to arouse feelings, emotions, and responses amongst the audience. We become immersed in the sensitive idea of children and violence interacting in cinema. Furthermore, Seger affirms that at some point in the story, the hero hits rock bottom, a near death experience or black moment, leading to a type of rebirth(3). The worst is exposed and the action continues to an intriguing conclusion. For example, in the film, there is a live countdown to the unmasking of Kick-Ass. However, it so happens to be Big Daddy and Kick Ass handcuffed to chairs awaiting their execution by Frank Damicos mob men. They are brutally beaten to a point where it is thrown off television to only being streamed online. We see Kick Asss black moment as he is relentlessly tortured. He says Even with my metal plates and my fucked up nerve endings, I gotta tell you, that hurt! But not half as much as the idea of leaving everything behind. Katie, my dad, Todd and Marty..and all the things Id never do. We begin to feel his pain and hope that he makes it through. Nevertheless, they begin to pour gasoline on Big Daddy and set him on fire. Ingeniously, Hit Girl arrives to sa ve them and kills all the men in an intensive Brown 4 gun battle. She tries to save Big Daddy but he dies from the severity of the burns. Hit Girl rescues Kick Ass and takes him to her fathers apartment where he agrees to help her take down Frank Damico. Lastly, Seger argues that the hero must face the final ordeal before being reborn as the hero, proving his courage and becoming transformed. She asserts that we need to see him changed at the end (3). This is clearly depicted in the final battle of the film. Hit Girl is pinned down behind a counter without ammo by Frank Damicos mob men. Just before one of them fires the bazooka, Kick-Ass comes flying up the building with a jet pack. He then expels the artillery installed on the jet pack and wipes out the rest of the men. The last fight scene emerges. Hit Girl takes on Frank DAmico and Kick-Ass takes on his son Chris Damico aka Red Mist( Christopher Mintz-Plasse).However, Kick-Ass and Chris knock each other out to the ground. On the other hand, Hit Girl and Frank battle fiercely. Frank gains the upper hand and prepares to kill her with his pistol, but Kick-Ass fires the bazooka and the rocket propels Frank through the window and it explodes. Chris tries to go after Kick-Ass but Kick-A ss uses the jet pack and flies off with Hit Girl. At the end of the film, Dave says hes done with crime-fighting and theres a new generation of superheroes that have emerged through his inspiration. In other respects, we ask, how has Kick-Ass transformed as a character? Based on observations, Kick-Ass now has his dream girl Katie, who before didnt notice him or who he didnt talk to in the first place. Ultimately, Dave has explored the realm that he always wanted to since he was kid. He has learned that superpowers can not hinder or prevent the growth of motivation, purpose, or desire. In essence, we see that the film

Monday, January 20, 2020

Electricity Essay -- Electricity History Discovery Essays

Electricity The effects of electricity control much of our daily lives. Many of our gadgets and everyday tasks are run by this wonderful source of power. For example without electricity we would not be able to make a cup of coffee in the mourning, or even make a long distance call to family or friends. There have been several technological breakthroughs by many brilliant people throughout history regarding electricity. It has come from being discovered as a small current to being transformed into useful power to run such things as computers. Ben Franklin, Guglielmo Marconi, Thomas Edison, Paul Nipkow, and Charles Babbage have all contributed to the advancement of electricity, and all of their advancements have supplied society in many ways. Benjamin Franklin was a brilliant scientist who invented many useful things. Although throughout his experiments and inventions, he was curious about one special thing. "He was so curious in fact that his experiments toward electricity took up over four years of his life, and devoured over one half of his of profits of his printing business" (Fleming 4). After many trials and experiments, he discovered this power source while flying a kite during a lightning storm. "Through his loses he turned this new born curiosity into a full fledged branch of science." (Fleming 4) His findings led to many other scientists to test on this phenomenon and invent many practical and useful things that led to the expansion of human knowledge. Many of these inventions were used to better everyday human life. l Thomas Edison was another intelligent scientist that used the findings of Ben Franklin to invent a contraption called the light bulb. At the time of Edison?s findings, there was only gas and cand... ...othing like what are computers are today, it still started the ball rolling for the invention of many practical and useful computers today. Each of these men have contributed to our society in their own special way . Each of their creative minds brought something into this world that has changed it forever. Without men like these brilliant scientist our world would never prosper and grow like it has. Bibliography - Baldwin, Neil. Edison Inventing the century. New York: Hyperion, 1995 - Computer History. http://Encyclopedia.com/ - Dunlap, Orrin. Marconi The Man And His Wireless. New York: The MacMillan Company, 1932 - Fleming, Thomas. The Man Who Dared The Lightning. New York: William Morrow and Company, 1971 - Laas, William. Settel, Irving. A Pictorial History of Television. New York: Grosset and Dunlap, inc., 1969

Sunday, January 12, 2020

Ethical Dilemmas Essay

Having a career in the human services field is one of the most rewarding jobs. It requires compassion, a sense of urgency and an overall desire to help others. But with the rewards the job comes with, it also does come with a handful of tough situations to come in contact with. As a human service worker, you many come across a range of clients from a family just needing assistance to a client in a life threatening situation. The importance of understanding these issues in depth and knowing how to execute the problems with the safety of the client in mind is crucial. Conchita is a twenty five year old female who has confided to her case worker that she is being sexually harassed by her classroom training instructor. Her case worker is indeed faced with a few dilemmas in Conchita’s case. As stated by the National Organization for Human Services, there are two statements that would apply to this case. Statement one which reads â€Å"human service professionals negotiate with clients the purpose, goals, and nature of the helping relationship prior to its onset as well as inform clients of the limitations of the proposed relationships (Ethical Standards, n.d.)† works directly with statement three. This statement reads â€Å"human service professionals protect the client’s right to privacy and confidentiality, except when such confidentiality would cause harm to the clients or others, when agency guidelines state otherwise, or under other stated conditions. Professionals inform client of the limits of confidentially prior to the onset of the helping relationship (Ethical Standards, n.d)†. These two statements would best suit this case due to the confidentially of Conchita’s case. Although the social worker has given her trust and privacy to Conchita, her health may be in imminent danger and therefore the confidentiality may have to be broken in order to better protect her. This all ties in with statement one because it states that as a professional you are to inform your clients that there are limits to the  social worker- client relationship. This step in the beginning stages of starting a case is extremely important for your client to understand that their health and safety matters and if need be, confidentiality will be broken to prevent further danger. In short, there are two possible solutions that come to mind when I see this case. The social worker can ignore protocol and ethical standards by respecting Conchita’s wishes and not reporting the situation; or he/she can inform Conchita on the importance of rectifying the situation, bringing the harassment to an end by filing a grievance, removing him from the classroom, and also giving her proper counseling to overcome the situation. In the end, the harassment needs to come to an end for the overall well-being of the client. If I was her case worker, I would remind her of the conversation we had when we first met. Confidentiality is very important, and I have agreed to protect her word unless I believe she is in danger. Sexual harassment can be detrimental to one’s well-being so I would have to report the inappropriate behaviors. Although it is not ethical to break confidentiality, it is legal (Mandell & Schram, 2012, pg. 516) and in the end it could save my clients from years of pain and suffering. Because it is legal and for the fact that there are legal protection such as privileged communication to support human service workers of having to open up about a situation that was promised to the client to be confidential, I would use these to my advantage to get Conchita help in her situation. Also, there may be more than one victim and by telling me what happened, Conchita may have helped others come forward. In Herman’s case, he shared with his counselor that he is no longer using controlled substances but he has recently sold some to a friend. His probation officer called his counselor to inquire about Herman and shared that he has some suspicion about Herman using and selling drugs again, and if so his parole will be revoked. When referring to the Ethical Standards for Human Service Professionals provided by the National Organization for Human Services, Herman’s situation would apply to statement three. â€Å"Human service professionals protect the right to privacy and confidentiality  except when such confidentially would cause harm to the client or others, when agency guidelines state otherwise, or under other state conditions. Professionals inform clients of the limits of confidentiality prior to the onset of the helping relationship (Ethical Standards, n.d)†. Privacy, defined as the right to be left alone (Mandell & Schram, 2012, pg. 522) is one thing that Herman believes he has to right to. Although Herman most likely confided in his counselor figuring he is protected by his right to privacy, he has put someone else’s life in danger by providing them with a drug. Also, being that he is on parole he has violated his parole order. I believe telling Herman’s parole officer would be completely unethical. Herman has confided in me because he knows that we have a confidentiality agreement and he trust me when it comes to telling me things that he normally wouldn’t tell someone. I would refer back to the ethical guidelines and read statement twenty seven which says â€Å"Human service professionals seek appropriate consultation and supervision to assist in decision-making when there are legal, ethical or other dilemmas (Ethical Standards, n.d)†. Herman’s act of selling drugs and being on parole is now touching on a legal matter, because he is not supposed to be participating in any illegal activities while on parole. I believe although it is unethical and would break the confidentiality between Herman and myself, I would tell his parole officer what he has expressed to me. He has sold drugs to a friend, which can cause harm and even result in death and more importantly he has broken the law. In the last case, Indira has admitted having sexual relations with a young man who is believed to have a sexually transmitted disease. She is extremely worried and does not know what to do but does not want to tell her parents what is going on. Indira is only fifteen years old, so to know she is a minor is very important in a case like this. Statement four of the Ethical Standards for Human Service Professionals is an important statement to remember for Indira’s case. â€Å"If it is suspected that danger or harm may occur to the client or to others as a result of a client’s behavior, the human service professional acts in an appropriate and professional manner to protect the safety of those individuals. This may involve seeking  consultation, supervision, and/or breaking the confidentially of the relationship (Ethical Standards, n.d)†. Sexually transmitted diseases are nothing to joke around about or to take lightly. As her counselor and for her being a minor, I would have to take my concerns to her parent or guardian in order to have her checked out by her doctor. Her overall health may be in danger if in fact she has had unprotected sex with someone who has a sexually transmitted disease. I would express my concern to Indira. Doing some research with Indira and educating her as to what the dangers are and what a sexually transmitted disease really is. Also, I would remind her of our confidentiality agreement and reinforce that if there are reasons for me to believe that she is in danger then I would need to call her parents or she would need to tell them herself. In the guidelines of Ethical Standards for Human Service Professionals in statement fifteen it states â€Å"human service professionals describe the effectiveness of programs, treatments, and/or techniques accurately†. This ethical standard would apply to me as the professional in Indira’s case because I would gather information on support groups, or specialty doctors to her parents in order to make sure she receives the proper care now and counseling or youth groups to support her, let her know she isn’t alone and how to be more cautious when it comes to sexual interactions in the future . The human service field can be extremely challenging at times. There will be many times that clients want to confide in you, they trust your privacy and confidentiality agreement and do tell you things they don’t just tell anyone. Some of these secrets are currently or will eventually cause harm to the client and may have legal bindings to break the privacy agreement that was made in the beginning of the counselor-client relationship. Using the National Organization for Human Service Professionals has given detailed guidelines on what is expected of and how to properly execute ethical dilemmas. References Mandell, B., & Schram, B. (2012). Understanding Legal Issues. In An Introduction to Human Services Policy and Practice. National Organization for Human Services. (n.d.). Retrieved March 1, 2015, from http://www.nationalhumanservices.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=43

Saturday, January 4, 2020

The Kite Runner By Khaled Hosseini - 1655 Words

AP English Name: Sarah Singer Major Works Data Form Title: The Kite Runner Author: Khaled Hosseini Date of Publication: 2003 Genre: Historical Fiction Historical information about the period of publication: Since the September 11th attacks in 2001, the United States has been at war with Afghanistan. Their goals were to remove the Taliban, track down those in charge of the attacks, and destroy Al-Qaeda. Biographical information about the author: Khaled Hosseini was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 1965. HIs mother taught high school and his father was a diplomat for the Afghan Foreign Ministry. They were forced to relocate to Paris, and later the United States, all because because of a communist coup in Kabul. Hosseini enrolled at Santa Clara University and graduated as a biology major in 1988. He then went on to earn a medical degree in 1993. He became a practicing intern at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles from 1996 to 2004. In 2001, Hosseini began to write his first novel, The Kite Runner, and later published it in 2003. Plot summary: Amir flashbacks to when he was twelve years old in Afghanistan. He lives with his father, Baba, and has two servants, Ali and Hassan, who are also a father and son duo. The latter two are Hazaras, Afghan’s minority, and as such, are subjected to racial slurs and cruelty. Amir and Hassan are playing when Assef, Kamal, andShow MoreRelatedThe Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini883 Words   |  4 Pagesregret from past encounters and usually feel guilty and bitter about the situation. The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, revolves around the theme of redemption. Redemption can be used as a cure for guilt. Throughout the novel, the author shows that redemption requires some sort of sacrifice and the only way that is possible is if you can forgive yourself from the mistakes you have made in the past. Khaled Hosseini effectively portrays redemption through motifs such as rape, irony and flashbacks, symbolismRead MoreThe Kite Runner By Khaled Hosseini1651 Words   |  7 P ages  Ã‚  Ã‚   The novel â€Å"The Kite Runner† by Khaled Hosseini describes the life of a boy, Amir. Amir’s best friend and brother (although that part isn’t known until towards the end), Hassan, plays a major role in Amir’s life and how he grows up. Hosseini portrays many sacrifices that are made by Hassan and Amir. Additionally, Amir seeks redemption throughout much of the novel. By using first person point of view, readers are able to connect with Amir and understand his pain and yearning for a way to be redeemedRead MoreThe Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini1098 Words   |  5 PagesIn The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, we learn a lot about Amir the main character, and Hassan his servant/brother. In the beginning Hassan and Amir’s relationship was one of brotherly love despite the fact that Hassan was a Hazara and Amir a Pashtun. Back in the 1970’s race and religion played a big part in Kabul and these two races were not suppose to have relationships unless it was owner (Pashtun) and servant (Hazara). Baba Amir’s father had an affair with Hassan’s mother, but it was kept aRead MoreThe Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini1313 Words   |  5 Pagesis not unique to just J.K. Rowling. Khaled Hosseini also incorporates life experiences into some of his novels. A prime example of this is The Kite Runner. The storyline of this novel reflects his past to create a journey of a young Afghanistan boy, whose name is Amir. This boy changes drastically throughout his lifetime from a close minded, considerably arrogant boy to an open hearted and minded man. This emotional and mental trip is partially based on Khaled Hosseini’s own life. Throughout Hosseini’sRead MoreThe Kite Runner By Khaled Hosseini1908 Words   |  8 Pages​In the novel, â€Å"The Kite Runner†, written by Khaled Hosseini, was taken place in Afghanistan during the 1970’s to the year of 2002. Many historical events ha ppened during this time period and Hosseini portrayed it into his novel. Kabul, the capitol of Afghanistan, was a free, living area for many Afghanistan families to enjoy the life they were given. Until one day, Afghanistan was then taken over and attacked. In the novel, Amir, the protagonist, must redeem himself and the history behind his actionsRead MoreThe Kite Runner By Khaled Hosseini1050 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"There is a way to be good again.† (Hosseini 334). This quote given by Rahim Khan to Amir holds a great amount of force and symbolism. In theory, this quote symbolizes the beginning of Amir’s path to redemption. The eye-opening Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini tells about the struggles of Afghanistan before and during the Taliban, and one’s struggle for redemption and acceptance. With regards to the opening quote, some see Amir’s actions as selfish. However, others may believe that Amir truly changedRead MoreThe Kite Runner By Khaled Hossein i1583 Words   |  7 Pagesnovel the Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, Amir, the main character, shares his thoughts and actions due to his poor decisions. The problems he encountered were all because of the sin committed in his youth. His sins taunted the beginning of his life and gave him a troublesome memory full of guilt. As the novel continued, Amir attempted to disengage the memory of his sin and forget about it. Amir then faced the long bumpy road to redemption. Khaled Hosseini’s novel the Kite Runner is about sinRead MoreThe Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini871 Words   |  4 Pagesthat person is trying to fix that mistake. This also applies to the novel The Kite Runner. The story revolves around the main character Amir, and his childhood friend, Hassan. After Amir came to America with Baba, his father, he still regrets the things he had done to his childhood friend. He left Hassan getting raped by Assef in a small alley in 1975. Thereafter, Amir always feel regret and seeks for redemption. Hosseini -the author, argues that redemption can be achieved by helping others, teachRead MoreThe Kite Runner By Khaled Hosseini3402 Words   |  14 Pagestitle â€Å"The Kite Runner† is symbolic as fighting kites and the kite runnings are impacting moments in the novel. Hassan was the best kite runner in Kabul, if not the whole country, after Amir won the kite fighting the running of that last blue kite triggered the monumental changes for Amir. For the beginning of the story the kite running was associated with Hassan’s rape and Amir’s grief. As kites appear throughout the story, they begin Amir’s story and also end it. Amir flying the kite with SohrabRead MoreThe Kite Runner By Khaled Hosseini2522 Words   |  11 PagesIn The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini creates an awareness and humanization of Afghanistan as a nation and as a culture. Through a postcolonial perspective, the main character, Amir resembles the internal conflicts and external tribulations that a country and its citizens’ face when living in a war-torn region. Postcolonial criticism offers a unique perspective by highlighting the destructive events that lead to death and misery, rather than glorifying the exploratory nature of colonists as they