Speech
Girls, young ladies, women. We're at risk. Gang rape is shockingly common, and yet young women like yourselves are not given sufficient information about the problem and advice on how to stay safe. It's so important that you know how to take care of yourselves and protect yourselves when you're out.
Commentary
The speech begins with a triplet of plural nouns, "girls", "young ladies" and "women". This is effective because it shows that the speech is specifically aimed at females. The present tense personal pronoun "we're" engages the audience and makes them relate with the speaker, the fact that it's present tense also shows that the issue is very current and ongoing.
Sunday, 5 June 2011
Thursday, 26 May 2011
Holly and Jessica - We'll Never Know Recast Task
Ian Huntley - True Crime
Ian Huntley. A boyfriend. A caretaker. A killer. Huntley was guilty from the first instance, as much as he wanted to invent other "reasonable explanations" and hope that his tears could get him out of it, he was doomed to be found out. The amount of damning evidence piling up against him was too much for him to worm his way out of, his disgusting crime was sure to be discovered.
He assured the court that he had simply been washing his dog on that fateful day, only stopping to speak to Holly and Jessica when they stopped by to ask how his girlfriend (one of their teachers) was doing. It was as if he was painting a perfect image of himself, making up a fairytale of the perfect sunny Sunday afternoon, but the grisly truth was all too different.
The court explained the mounting evidence (the fingerprints, the car tracks etc) and he became increasingly aggravated when he realised that perhaps he was destined to being found out. He snapped "You've already made up your mind", giving the impression that maybe he felt victimised. Maybe he felt that he really was innocent. Maybe he felt that he was being picked on and he was being falsely accused, as if they had some kind of vendetta against him.
They say that only 40 per cent of murderers actually recall the moment of the killing. Perhaps Huntley wants to be in that minority, he wants to be someone to have an excuse and almost pass off the responsibility of the crime.
Nobody will ever really know if Huntley knows what he did or if he actually believes the story he created. Some things will always be a secret.
Commentary
The short opening sentences capture the audiences attention and let the reader know what the article is going to be about, I think it is effective because the short sentences are powerful and dramatic. The powerful words like "grisly", "vendetta" and "disgusting" are dramatic and emotive, they show the strength of his crime and how horrible it is. The use of facts and extracts taken from the original text (Holly and Jessica - We'll Never Know) makes the link between the two texts and therefore achieves the aim of the text.
Ian Huntley. A boyfriend. A caretaker. A killer. Huntley was guilty from the first instance, as much as he wanted to invent other "reasonable explanations" and hope that his tears could get him out of it, he was doomed to be found out. The amount of damning evidence piling up against him was too much for him to worm his way out of, his disgusting crime was sure to be discovered.
He assured the court that he had simply been washing his dog on that fateful day, only stopping to speak to Holly and Jessica when they stopped by to ask how his girlfriend (one of their teachers) was doing. It was as if he was painting a perfect image of himself, making up a fairytale of the perfect sunny Sunday afternoon, but the grisly truth was all too different.
The court explained the mounting evidence (the fingerprints, the car tracks etc) and he became increasingly aggravated when he realised that perhaps he was destined to being found out. He snapped "You've already made up your mind", giving the impression that maybe he felt victimised. Maybe he felt that he really was innocent. Maybe he felt that he was being picked on and he was being falsely accused, as if they had some kind of vendetta against him.
They say that only 40 per cent of murderers actually recall the moment of the killing. Perhaps Huntley wants to be in that minority, he wants to be someone to have an excuse and almost pass off the responsibility of the crime.
Nobody will ever really know if Huntley knows what he did or if he actually believes the story he created. Some things will always be a secret.
Commentary
The short opening sentences capture the audiences attention and let the reader know what the article is going to be about, I think it is effective because the short sentences are powerful and dramatic. The powerful words like "grisly", "vendetta" and "disgusting" are dramatic and emotive, they show the strength of his crime and how horrible it is. The use of facts and extracts taken from the original text (Holly and Jessica - We'll Never Know) makes the link between the two texts and therefore achieves the aim of the text.
On the Murder of James Bulger Recast Task
Venables and Thompson: Monsters or Children?
In early 1993, a young boy was brutally murdered, his tiny body cruelly beaten and battered until he died. Who could do such a thing, you may ask yourself. Well, the answer may just shock you. The toddler, James Bulger, was murdered by two other children, two ten year old boys called Jon Venables and Robert Thompson. Is this what makes the story all the more chilling?
Is the fact that the cold-hearted killers are young and supposedly innocent children that we want to empathise more with them? Usually we hear about thugs and brutes, brought up in bad environments who lash out for attention or simply have a negative view of life. It's shocking to hear that a child could cause such harm to another child, it almost brings the issue closer to home because we feel we can relate to the issue and empathise. As humans, when we hear about killers and the horrible crimes they've committed, we instantly express our hatred for them and what disgusting human beings they are. However, to hear that children could do such a thing, we almost feel that we have to make excuses for them and that there must be a reason behind it, maybe they didn't understand what they were doing or maybe they're just poor misunderstood little tykes.
This story shocked the whole country and was widely covered in the media, the pictures of smiling Bulger pulled on the heartstrings of Britain. The whole country was still in this dilemma of whether or not to feel hatred towards the two boys for what they did, or if they should just see it as childish mistake. There is a lot to consider, a lot to understand and a lot to think about.
In this programme we'll investigate the motive behind the killings and what actually happened on that cold, February day.
Commentary
The opening sentence "In early 1993..." is effective as it sets the scene and engages the audience immediately as it goes straight into the story. The pre-modifiers "brutally", "tiny" and "cruelly" are used as emotive words to try and make the audience feel emotion and make the story more interesting and dramatic. The use of rhetorical questions is effective as, again, they engage the audience and keep them interested. The collective term "we" makes it seem that the narrator is talking with the audience as opposed to talking at them or to them. The final sentence "In this programme we'll investigate..." is effective because it is relevant to the purpose of the text, the use of the noun "programme" shows that the text is a voiceover for a documentary and works effectively as it explains what the documentary will be about.
In early 1993, a young boy was brutally murdered, his tiny body cruelly beaten and battered until he died. Who could do such a thing, you may ask yourself. Well, the answer may just shock you. The toddler, James Bulger, was murdered by two other children, two ten year old boys called Jon Venables and Robert Thompson. Is this what makes the story all the more chilling?
Is the fact that the cold-hearted killers are young and supposedly innocent children that we want to empathise more with them? Usually we hear about thugs and brutes, brought up in bad environments who lash out for attention or simply have a negative view of life. It's shocking to hear that a child could cause such harm to another child, it almost brings the issue closer to home because we feel we can relate to the issue and empathise. As humans, when we hear about killers and the horrible crimes they've committed, we instantly express our hatred for them and what disgusting human beings they are. However, to hear that children could do such a thing, we almost feel that we have to make excuses for them and that there must be a reason behind it, maybe they didn't understand what they were doing or maybe they're just poor misunderstood little tykes.
This story shocked the whole country and was widely covered in the media, the pictures of smiling Bulger pulled on the heartstrings of Britain. The whole country was still in this dilemma of whether or not to feel hatred towards the two boys for what they did, or if they should just see it as childish mistake. There is a lot to consider, a lot to understand and a lot to think about.
In this programme we'll investigate the motive behind the killings and what actually happened on that cold, February day.
Commentary
The opening sentence "In early 1993..." is effective as it sets the scene and engages the audience immediately as it goes straight into the story. The pre-modifiers "brutally", "tiny" and "cruelly" are used as emotive words to try and make the audience feel emotion and make the story more interesting and dramatic. The use of rhetorical questions is effective as, again, they engage the audience and keep them interested. The collective term "we" makes it seem that the narrator is talking with the audience as opposed to talking at them or to them. The final sentence "In this programme we'll investigate..." is effective because it is relevant to the purpose of the text, the use of the noun "programme" shows that the text is a voiceover for a documentary and works effectively as it explains what the documentary will be about.
Thursday, 19 May 2011
'Justice at Night'
Recasting Task
I feel awful this morning. I feel like a bad person. I watched an innocent man begging for survival, I watched him strung from a tree, I watched his body devoured by flames, and what did I do? Nothing.
I'm furious at myself now. Why didn't I do something? Why didn't I stand up for what I believe in? Maybe I thought they'd hang me along side him, or that they'd chase me out of town. I was scared.
Ha! Scared? I must be kidding! I wasn't half as scared as that poor innocent guy I watched them kill. I've never been as scared as he must have been. The fear in his eyes burnt brighter than any of the flames that embraced his limp body.
I watched them carry his struggling body and saw how small he became. He seemed like a child, completely powerless. This otherwise sleepy town was awoken with hatred, coming together for a violent meeting. It was as if they were possessed, that all they wanted was to harm and hurt. I've never seen anything like it. However, this was clearly normal to them. They all met up as if simply going out for lunch, like it was nothing more than a harmless day out. It did not seem to bother them that they were going to be taking a life. Not only that, but taking the life of an innocent man.
I wish we'd never gone. I would have preferred to spend the night being bothered by flies and bitten by mosquitos stranded on the side of the road in our leaf filled car. But still, even if we hadn't have gone, it doesn't mean that it wouldn't have happened. It simply means we would have been unaware, living a sheltered life. It's true what they say, ignorance is bliss.
Commentary
The short sentence at the beginning of the piece captures the attention of the reader and engages them, making them want to read on. The use of the term "devoured" when talking about flames is interesting as it personifies the flames, making it seem like they have a life of their own. It also shows how powerful the flames are. The use of rhetorical questions throughout the piece engage the reader, again keeping them interested and making them feel involved as the piece progresses. The use of the simile "He seemed like a child" connotes helplessness, innocence and fear. This shows how helpless the victim was and that he was small and fragile compared to them. The image of the victim being small and childlike also gives the impression that the townspeople are large and boisterous, wanting to cause harm.
I feel awful this morning. I feel like a bad person. I watched an innocent man begging for survival, I watched him strung from a tree, I watched his body devoured by flames, and what did I do? Nothing.
I'm furious at myself now. Why didn't I do something? Why didn't I stand up for what I believe in? Maybe I thought they'd hang me along side him, or that they'd chase me out of town. I was scared.
Ha! Scared? I must be kidding! I wasn't half as scared as that poor innocent guy I watched them kill. I've never been as scared as he must have been. The fear in his eyes burnt brighter than any of the flames that embraced his limp body.
I watched them carry his struggling body and saw how small he became. He seemed like a child, completely powerless. This otherwise sleepy town was awoken with hatred, coming together for a violent meeting. It was as if they were possessed, that all they wanted was to harm and hurt. I've never seen anything like it. However, this was clearly normal to them. They all met up as if simply going out for lunch, like it was nothing more than a harmless day out. It did not seem to bother them that they were going to be taking a life. Not only that, but taking the life of an innocent man.
I wish we'd never gone. I would have preferred to spend the night being bothered by flies and bitten by mosquitos stranded on the side of the road in our leaf filled car. But still, even if we hadn't have gone, it doesn't mean that it wouldn't have happened. It simply means we would have been unaware, living a sheltered life. It's true what they say, ignorance is bliss.
Commentary
The short sentence at the beginning of the piece captures the attention of the reader and engages them, making them want to read on. The use of the term "devoured" when talking about flames is interesting as it personifies the flames, making it seem like they have a life of their own. It also shows how powerful the flames are. The use of rhetorical questions throughout the piece engage the reader, again keeping them interested and making them feel involved as the piece progresses. The use of the simile "He seemed like a child" connotes helplessness, innocence and fear. This shows how helpless the victim was and that he was small and fragile compared to them. The image of the victim being small and childlike also gives the impression that the townspeople are large and boisterous, wanting to cause harm.
Monday, 4 April 2011
Interview task
Interviewer : So do you feel that there is one side of your "double life" which you prefer?
Christina : I think that's a pretty difficult question for me to answer. (1.0) What kind of a mother would I be if I said I preferred my work to being a mother to my child?
Interviewer : So, you do prefer work?
Christina : The two things aren't comparable. I can't compare working to parenting, they're completely different. They both have good and bad qualities. (0.5) I probably have a slightly larger soft spot for my career simply because it's what I love to do and what I've done for years. It's my passion.
Interviewer : Don't you think that some people could see that as a shocking thing to say?
Christina : (2.0) What do you mean?
Interviewer : Well, do you understand the importance of being a parent? To a lot of people, being a parent is the most important thing in their life. So for you to insinuate that you prefer working to parenting seems quite shocking, does it not?
Christina : Maybe those people don't love their jobs as much as I do. I never ever said I don't love being a parent. (1.0) However, I also love my job very very much.
Interviewer : In your article, "My Double Life : Kalashnikovs and Cupcakes", published in the Sunday Times, you wrote that you cried when you found out that you were pregnant as you knew that you would miss the war in Yugoslavia. Do you feel that this is a bad reflection on you as a parent?
Christina : (1.0) If I felt that it was a bad reflection on me, why would I write it? I wasn't upset that I was pregnant, I was more upset that it was inconvenient at the time. (1.0) But the fact that I kept with the pregnancy, despite the fact that I was very career driven at the time, surely shows my dedication as a parent.
Christina : I think that's a pretty difficult question for me to answer. (1.0) What kind of a mother would I be if I said I preferred my work to being a mother to my child?
Interviewer : So, you do prefer work?
Christina : The two things aren't comparable. I can't compare working to parenting, they're completely different. They both have good and bad qualities. (0.5) I probably have a slightly larger soft spot for my career simply because it's what I love to do and what I've done for years. It's my passion.
Interviewer : Don't you think that some people could see that as a shocking thing to say?
Christina : (2.0) What do you mean?
Interviewer : Well, do you understand the importance of being a parent? To a lot of people, being a parent is the most important thing in their life. So for you to insinuate that you prefer working to parenting seems quite shocking, does it not?
Christina : Maybe those people don't love their jobs as much as I do. I never ever said I don't love being a parent. (1.0) However, I also love my job very very much.
Interviewer : In your article, "My Double Life : Kalashnikovs and Cupcakes", published in the Sunday Times, you wrote that you cried when you found out that you were pregnant as you knew that you would miss the war in Yugoslavia. Do you feel that this is a bad reflection on you as a parent?
Christina : (1.0) If I felt that it was a bad reflection on me, why would I write it? I wasn't upset that I was pregnant, I was more upset that it was inconvenient at the time. (1.0) But the fact that I kept with the pregnancy, despite the fact that I was very career driven at the time, surely shows my dedication as a parent.
Thursday, 17 March 2011
The Feminine Mystique
How is sex used in horror films?
Sex is often used to distinguish which characters are going to die first. For example, sexually promiscuous characters are often killed off first, almost as if being punished for their ways.
Is it true that virginal female characters are more likely to survive in a slasher flick?
This generally seems to be true, as virginal characters are considered "innocent" and therefore seem to have no reason to die.
Some writers have identified many horror film tropes as relating to men's fear of women. Can you think of any horror film standards that make the feminine monstrous?
In the film "Jennifer's Body", the main female character is possessed by a demon, characterising her as an evil, murderous person.
Focus on the paragraph starting at the bottom of p.193 "The horror subtext is the lawyer's developing dread..."
What is effective about the language in this extract?
The language in this extract is effective because Kael uses such powerful words. She's carefully chosen every adjective to emphasise her opinions on the issue.
How does Kael use lexis and semantics to create an impression of aspects of the film?
Kael uses a lexical set of horror terms to talk about the film. Words like "witch", "monster" and "terrorizes" all connote horror and fear or something threatening, This gives the impression that Kael believes women are made out to be terrifying and horrible in such films.
How does Kael use rhetorical features to support her argument?
How is syntax effective in this extract?
Kael structures her sentences effectively, bringing the focus towards the powerful words she uses to emphasise her point.
Sex is often used to distinguish which characters are going to die first. For example, sexually promiscuous characters are often killed off first, almost as if being punished for their ways.
Is it true that virginal female characters are more likely to survive in a slasher flick?
This generally seems to be true, as virginal characters are considered "innocent" and therefore seem to have no reason to die.
Some writers have identified many horror film tropes as relating to men's fear of women. Can you think of any horror film standards that make the feminine monstrous?
In the film "Jennifer's Body", the main female character is possessed by a demon, characterising her as an evil, murderous person.
Focus on the paragraph starting at the bottom of p.193 "The horror subtext is the lawyer's developing dread..."
What is effective about the language in this extract?
The language in this extract is effective because Kael uses such powerful words. She's carefully chosen every adjective to emphasise her opinions on the issue.
How does Kael use lexis and semantics to create an impression of aspects of the film?
Kael uses a lexical set of horror terms to talk about the film. Words like "witch", "monster" and "terrorizes" all connote horror and fear or something threatening, This gives the impression that Kael believes women are made out to be terrifying and horrible in such films.
How does Kael use rhetorical features to support her argument?
How is syntax effective in this extract?
Kael structures her sentences effectively, bringing the focus towards the powerful words she uses to emphasise her point.
Thursday, 10 March 2011
Rosie and Mahnoor work on women in horror films
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3zLybNBmtY
We chose to use this clip as an example as it shows the stereotype of the "helpless woman" in horror films, especially with young women as cheerleaders etc. She questions the killer of the protocol of what she is supposed to do when he's attacking her, leaving him confused. This shows that there is a clear "routine" in teen horror films. The girl is a flirty, promiscuous cheerleader which confirms the belief that women like this are normally killed off in horror films.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTR1vN0scKA
We chose this clip as this film is an example of women being targeted in films. The main female character is targeted as soon as her husband leaves her home alone. However, it is surprising as the first person to signify something is going to go wrong is a young girl.
We chose to use this clip as an example as it shows the stereotype of the "helpless woman" in horror films, especially with young women as cheerleaders etc. She questions the killer of the protocol of what she is supposed to do when he's attacking her, leaving him confused. This shows that there is a clear "routine" in teen horror films. The girl is a flirty, promiscuous cheerleader which confirms the belief that women like this are normally killed off in horror films.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTR1vN0scKA
We chose this clip as this film is an example of women being targeted in films. The main female character is targeted as soon as her husband leaves her home alone. However, it is surprising as the first person to signify something is going to go wrong is a young girl.
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