Almodovars All About My Mother Analysis Film Studies Essay

Almodovars All About My Mother Analysis Film Studies Essay Pedro Almodovar is an auteur in Spanish national and art cinema. His films always explore the issues such as sexuality, transgender and womens life where friends and lovers replace the parents and family. In a post-feminism point of view, he disestablished the feminism but highlights the positions of both female characters and actress. His works are more targeted to women and give female audience a resonance on motion. All About My Mother is a film Almodovar made in 1999. It stills an impressive work to discover the deep feeling of women when suffering from the dead of son and lover. The storyline describe a single mother Manuela witness his son die in a car accident when he run to ask for an autograph. And then she wants to find the father in Barcelona. In Barcelona, she meets her transgender friends, the lesbian couple and a young nun Rosa. The whole film interspersed with these several womens interesting and dumbfounding stories. Some of them encounter the issues of transsexual or AIDS which make their characteristics more rounded. This title not only refers to Manuela but also point to women who were and would be mother, as well the actress. The opening scene is a smoothly and masterful camera movement in hospital. It follows the plastic infusion tube, with the blurred background and a sad music to heighten the atmosphere. The cast list in a bloody color fade in and out like the blood flowing. Without saying any word, just use a montage skill to show there is a patient or accident. Almodovar are the master of using misn-en-scene. The next scenes are still using camera movement show the medical machine. After the still of ECG, Manuela suffers the pain from death and faces others organ donation which she need to solve later (her sons organ donation). Almodovar emphasises not only the mise-en-scene, but also the collocation of color. I think it is the aesthetics of Almdovar. The scene that Manuela cooking in the kitchen, the blue cupboard and the red cloth and tomato join together make a strong Almodovar style. Gathering blue and red maybe is a habitual technique of Almodovar. The sons clothe is also blue and sit together with his mothers red. In the bedroom of Esteban, this style gets more highlights. The red wall assembled with the blue bed and chair. I can see red everywhere for instance later Humas hair and cloth as well. The film is filled with references. At the beginning, Manuela and her son sit on sofa and watch the old Hollywood film All About Eve (Joseph L. Mankiewicz, 1950, USA). That movie talking about the actress named Eve, the same way was used to reflect the story in All About My Mother, it talk about mothers and women who have relationship with acting. In All About Eve, they also mention the fans and acting issues. When watching the film, the son Esteban finds that the Spanish television station always changes the title of the movies and use dub instead of original sound track which are references from the society. In this scene, Esteban writing on his notebook has a brilliant camera angle. The camera use both the POV of Esteban and the notebook, we can see Esteban writing Todo sobre mi madre (original title in Spanish) from his hand moving. Then the title of this film appeared very smoothly. After watching the film, Manuela shares the only half photo she took when she was a actress. The camera follows the cracks and down while shows Esteban looking at the picture and later he will mention that the other half would be his father. And the play prepared for Estebans script in the hospital course, Manuela act a mother whose husband already dead and only have a son to bring up. Thats make me confused weather it is true at the first time, but I recognized that is a self-reference again. The background music and Manuelas skillful acting make it so really. Then it is the classical scene of the whole film. Manuela waits Esteban on the other side of the street. The panoramic view show the poster so big that even the pixels can be seen very clearly. This classic Almodovar poster becomes greatly popular in the film industry. I saw many books about the Spanish film use this as a cover. The car accident was shot very different with others or Hollywood movies. Last second I saw Manuela smiles and next second I heard the shocking screaming. Usually, in the classical Hollywood films, the directors often make it the opposite sequences which first the crash and then the screaming. Thats the obvious difference exist between art cinema and Hollywood cinema. Almodovar also used the POV of the driver cross the blurred window to catch the Esteban running on the street in the rain. And then the shaking and rotation camera movement (POV of Esteban) to represent Esteban were hit by the car. Through the eye of Esteban, I saw Manuela shouted and run toward s to her son but without synchronized soundtrack. This is a way to stress the sadness of Manuela rather than film and acting. The play A Streetcar Named Desire (Tennessee Williams, 1948, USA) within drama were shown and Manuela have acted a role in a same name stage play years before when meet the father. Both the stage play and the film are narrate the pain and the perplexed about life. Manuela acted Stella while met Estebans father who act Kowalski. The idea in this play is the same as the film in some degree. Both show the confusion in womens heart. The film mention the word escape, for instance, Manuela escape to Madrid Barcelona, and 17 years later, she go back to Barcelona still because she want escape. Escaping to a new circumstance is a turning point of characters life and plot. Then those subplots mess together with the exaggerated circumstances reference from the main story. Manuela meets her friend Agrado and through her knows the kind-heart nun Rosa. In Barcelona, Manuela watchs the same stage play again. When she looks at the other side of the road, we through her POV see the recall and illusion of Esteban. But when the camera turned to her, the seat beside her is empty (through the audiences POV). These editing skills touched me because the mother misses the son so much. This is the very treasure and common feeling in the world so it can be very easy to reach the deep emotion of audience. As an assistant of Huma is the new job of Manuela. When she help Huma to find Nina, Huma said: Whoever you are, I have always depended on the kindness of strangers (a street car named desire), that is a small reference but this idea lead the whole story. Rosa got pregnancy is a big twists and turns. Manuela tells her own story to Rosa when accompany her to hospital. She said: Women will do anything to avoid being alone. That is the same as the desire of Blanche in A streetcar named Desire, but the most time the reality always goes opposite with desire. Nina got drug gives Manuela a chance to go back to stage to review her history. And her acting got a big success. This gets the contradiction of Manuela and the couple. Manuela said: A streetcar named desire has marked my life. In my opinion, this sentence summarised her life on not only her life content but life style as well. The prostitute, transgender, drug additions, lesbian and AIDS these sensitive issues are all point out by Almodovar. These elements make the film more exaggerated. Sometimes make us feel fun, but next second move us make people cry. The scene Agrado entertain the audience with her life story, I saw it is a helpless action no matter on the show cancellation or spending money on her body. I do not know whether she want to be a women or not, but it is true that she need the money and live. Everyone in the film has a burden. In the darkness of life under pressure, the new things always mean the change and getting better such as the escape (I mentioned above). When Rosa wants to name the child Esteban, it is to memorize the only two male characters in the main story. Esteban is the Lura, Manuelas son and Rosas son. In the end, the baby do not have AIDS, give us the hope to new birth and put the history down. Like Almodovar write in the end: To all actresses who have played actresses, to all women who act, to men who act and become women, to all the people who want to be mothers, to my mother. Almodovars  Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown This Spanish comedy film is also an Almodovars work. It was made in 1988 and won many awards. This film is the It still tells a story about women suffering from the life and troubles. This one is a more melodrama which will contains a lot if music and romance. The emotion using is stressed in this kind of film. This film is around a mans three lovers. Pepa is on the verge of a break up with her lover Ivan. She wants to find him and to know why he is left. She even asks his wife and his son, but they do not know as well. Almodovar always want to describe a complex narrative. This work as well. Pepas friends Candela ask help from because the criminal actives her boyfriend involved. And Ivans son and his crazy wife comes one after the other. They make a ridiculous and humor story together. It is said that this one is Almodovars favorite one. Women issues, complex relationships, weird appearance, brilliant colors, soap-opera styling setting and the Spanish folk music are the reflection of the unique Almodovars style. (baidu) This film got a self-reference in Almodovars new film Broken Embraces in 2009. And it also reinforces the establishment of Almodovars female director. Voice actor who dubs the foreigner films is what Pepas work. The dub film issue is again in the All About My Mother (when showing All About Eve, dub film is common in Spain, the director related to the Spanish film industry). The film is still related to acting. Pepa fainted after dubbing is a represent that she got too deep in her acting, still almodovar explore the womens acting world. She thought she was talking to Ivan. In Almodovars film, women like to create illusion. The conversation also shows the statues of their relationship. The black and white scene at the beginning is so special that let audience know the personality and job of Ivan. Pepa said: I hate tranquil and throw the sleeping pills into the tomato juice. (In Almodovars film, the red tomatoes often show up because the tomato stands a place in Spanish culture, a Spanish characteristic.) This sentence give the same meaning as the women will do anything to avoid being along in All About My Mother. They need accompany as Almodovar explore in his female films. Then she burns her bed. She wants to forgot the unhappy things and start from new. Pack up the suitcase for Ivan while crying. In Almodovars world, although the powerful, women are weak on the emotional problems. The scene Pepa waiting outside is still a reference from the Rear Window of Alfred Hitchcock. With a strange music, it almost build a atmosphere of suspense that where is Ivan really going. To observe the people in the window let Pepe know his son. These many ridiculous and humor stories are linked together closely. The contradictions between Pepa and Lucia then the lawyer, Carlos and Marisa are the interspersion. Pepa is affectionate as in the end she stops Lucia to kill Ivan and gives up to get him again. Lucia is the craziest women. Her clothing style is always so bright which like a young girl. The scene she rides on the motorbike is boring if without her explosive hair style and the smoked makeup. The crazy avenger is send to hospital in the end. She needs to put her passionate emotion down and clam. She also admits that she has the mental illness. This let think whether she is still ill or she just want to back to the hospital to get peace. The lawyer is just a supporting role. There is not many descriptions about her. When the disc is thrown to her head and the record box is throw on her car very coincidently make all audience laugh. She is just a represent of the women in Ivans life. Candela is weak and young girl. She often makes audience laugh. For instance, her jumping, her trouble and her call to the police. Her love to men seems just about sex. The stupid behaviors make her likes a child who needs help. As the customary practices of Almodovar, the mise- en-scene and the color are the significant issues in shooting. From the opening scene I can see the colorful posters and many signs of women such as the high heel, lipstick, beautiful hands and red flowers. Many alarm clock in Pepas bedside cabinet shows she is not a clam person. And they walking so fast also show them a bit of crazy. The burned bed, red nail polish and cloth is also a kind of signs that people are easy lead by their emotion. In color, Almodovar still likes using red. The cloth and tomatoes red are everywhere in his movies. And the balconys scenery seems so faked. I feel it like a indoor studio. The red ground and the so blue sky. Again, this color collocation. In her house, the domestic birds cage is a dumbfounding props. Her hope for the bird couples are better is a kind of helpless after break up. The telephone is the bridge of communication between Ivan and his lover. Because Ivan always lies and that makes him shamed and be afraid of facing to those women love him. Like the voice actor job, he uses voice to cover the truth. He is afraid to see those women. For example, when he gets the suitcase back he does not want to see Pepa. And the most interesting and brilliant props is the Mambo taxi (he looks like Almodovar himself). The taxi driver makes it like a small home with enough entertainment such as newspaper, gossip magazines and snacks with broadcasting a relaxing airy pop music. This taxi shows three times just like a humor flavoring in the crazy story. Each time is very brilliant design. And the driver said a classical word: I thought it would only appear in the film. Just like a self-reference reflect the difference between the film world and the reality. The second time, the driver cry while Pepa crying. The last time Mambo taxi appears when they follow the Lucia. Pepa said that you would never know men, learn how to drive is much more than learn mens psychological. Like at the beginning Ivan ask have you had to forget? and Pepa answer As many as the women you remember. The whole film shows the women are weak in the emotion though they are open to love and sex. It make me feel happy and warm though this noisy story is like a soap opera. Vittorio de Sica  Bicycle Thieves This film is directed by the Italian neo-realism director Vittorio de Sica. It is also his most famous work. The Italian neo-realism is an important movement in European film industry. It made film history like the German expressions. And then it made a significant influence on the later movement such as French new wave and British social realism. It was raised after the WWII, and it was a response to the society. It aims at breaking the conventions of the traditional Italian film and reflecting the reality in the nation. Many people were suffering from the unemployment, shortage of housing poverty and deprivation. These issues are represented very obviously in this film. The film was revised from a novel. There is no child in the novel. I think the son is added by the director to heighten the atmosphere and evoke compassion and the emotional resonance. It tells a story about a poor father wants to find a job in Roma. But he needs a bike to support his working. Then the bike gets stolen. The father and his son walking around Roma try to find the bike. In the end, they disappear in the crowd with helpless. The plot is filled with several helpless scenes to show the peoples really mentality situation in that special time period. The opening scene is located in the labor exchange. So many people compete for job vacancies. And the job Antonio gets is posting. In that time, people were suffering the much unemployment and deprivation because the consumption of the war. Not only the food, but also the water was running out. Next scene is Antonio finding his wife Maria when she is queuing to get water for the whole family. These social determined characters are the lower class; and they do not have enough money to afford bike even food. It has a obvious comparison when Antonio take Bruno to the restaurant. Bruno and the rich familys child look at each other. As least, I can see the child look down at Bruno. The stolen scene is a good design. When the young wife sees the fortune teller to prospect the new life, Antonio just tells the playing boy to take care his bike instead locking. I think this is the time the bike may be stolen. But I was wrong; the bike is stolen very straightly later. The director focused on the feeling of Antonio rather than the stealing. The director makes suspense which let audience to follow the plot. This is closer to the Hollywood style (linear progression and continuity editing) though it is Italian. To see a fortune at that time was forced by the hard and difficult life. People need some intimation and encourage to building their confidence and belief. Most of them are women which have a lower position than the men. At the first time, Antonio thinks this is a ridiculous and absurd thing. Because the new job has already gave him motivation. But after looking for the bike without any result, he loses heart and only gets a useless word from the fortune teller. If you cannot find today, you will not find it forever. Antonio finds the deal between the thief and the old man. He follows the old man into a church. The meeting in the church is hold by the rich people. The same as to pay for the fortune teller, people just experienced a terrible war. They need the spiritual restoration. The police show many times in the film. First time is the police station, the officer just give Antonio a reference number and let Antonio to find by himself. A bike lost is just a small thing in their eye. I feel resonance at this time, because I suffer the same thing when I am new in UK when I lost money. The second is in the bicycle market, Antonio want to see the number of the painted bike. The last time is to search the thiefs house. All the polices action is useless but justice. It is sure that there is no evidence. Polices role is not very clear at the post-war time. In the end, Antonio tries to steal a bike but be caught soon in front of his son unfortunately. The owner forgive him because saw Bruno crying and shouting his father. It is so impressive. This is a thief behavior, but I use the word unfortunately to represent the sympathy. In my opinion, Bruno crying not for his father stealing, but for nobody helps and understands them. One of the most important reasons of this film got big success is its emotional resonance. There is something worth attention. One is the little son is only one worker who has income before his father gets the job. At the post-war reconstruction time, I can know that most children like the son Bruno were employed. Children were forced to working on the street or begging for money. And the poster is an advertisement of the American movies, Gilda (Rita Hayworth). The Hollywood movies are flooded to Italy after the war. People may admire the life in America. There are some features of neo-realism in this film. The film is location shooting. One reason is this is the way to represent the reality and next is: after the WWII, the directors do not have enough money to build studio. But this film is expensive result as the massive people were all paid. Both the father and the son are non-professional actors. I heard that the father is an unemployed in Italy. The director likes his gloomy expression and atheistic appearance. But helpless, when he finished his acting in this film, he still unemployed. All in all, this film represents the Italian social reality and personal emotion in a very brilliant way. So it is praised till now. As it evokes my resonance, I love it very much. Garrone  Gomorrah Gomorrah is directed by Matteo Garrone and revised from Roberto Savianos novel. This is a classical Italian neo-realism crime film. It is different with the traditional crime film such as the famous Italian American gangsters God Father. It is more truth than God father. Also, it is not the postmodern gangsters for example Pulp fiction. It describes a heavier theme than Pulp Fiction. I saw some comment on this brilliant work from Italian audience themselves. They are proud of this work. I think maybe it represent a classical spiritual symbol on that contemporary society. The title refers to the Bible story about Sodom and Gomorrah. And camorra also means an Italian mafia organization in Naples which is the oldest city in Italy. It destroyed and corrupted all levels and orders of the normal society. From the cameras eye, the circumstance of their living place is dirty. People who living there must chose a group seems have already become a default system. No one save there. Crime, drugs, fighting and shooting happens on the street every day. The setting here is like an urban nightmare. You will never know when you die. However, people have already used to face these issues. Toto is only a common teenager. But the connection with the mafia leads him to the drug trfficking life. In one scene, Toto ask how can I get working with you? show his desire to join this dangerous system and to represent his brave. From the young boys to the old man wants to take charge but failed because they live under the violence controlled system. That also refer to machismo which is a world constructed by the men and masculinity. They advocate the violence. The gangsters take crime as an ambitious signs which worth showing off. This idea is reflected on the two boys. Ciro and Marco always dream to own the world. They are crazy about violence. They shout I the best and the world is us in the obsolete building like they are the scarface. The poster use them shooting and plating with guns in the river. They are screaming and exciting when they make trouble and crime. In the film, I only saw the police for a few times. I was wondering that there is no law or police to manage the crime. I know it is just a film which will be faded and blurred the function of the police and regulations in the mainstream society. Then the true gomorrah must be more dark then the film describing. Gaetano is just an accounting of the mafia. He just wants peaceful life and do not want to be involved in the war. Because be afraid of shooting by other who want his money, he need to wear body armor. Pasquale has troubles only for having a lecture for the Chinese textile factory. There is an interesting scene that the Chinese boss let him seat in the trunk. I was confused at the first time why he needs to do this. Then I know it is necessary to avoid other people seeing and to protect Pasquale. They young man Roberto finds out the boss instigate the teenagers to fill the land illegally. He gave up and follows the justice. These three are more mature than the three young boys. The representations of them are more helpless because the pressure they build themselves and the ethical and mental burden. They are struggle and hesitate in their heart about the good and bad, punishment and retribution. These emotion and the trivial make them rounded. Dialogue is not so important. The emotion is much more significant. A skill was being used in the film to highlight the characters emotion. The scene the Chinese boss asks Pasquale to give lessons to his factory. The bosss face is blurred all the time while Pasquales expressions are recorded with details. It inspired by Italian neo-realism. Location shooting is obvious. It is a documentary shooting to describe five stories about different people. There is no main character. Each of the five stories has its own major characters and detailed with their psychological activities. The whole gathering makes a loose and episodic plot. The film likes an excerpt from the life of Gomorrah. The life there still continuing and the film ended with an open ending. The free camera movement seems handhold. The indoor scenes are all dark with no artificial light. Sometimes we cannot see the characters face very clearly without the three points light. And outdoor, they use the natural sunlight instead of the artificial ones. Actually, at the first 30minutes or more, I do not know what the director want to say. Without any beautiful view, so many characters and shooting all the time make me confused. Much more is the trivial things. But in the end, audience will sigh for the life. Gomorrah is a symbol and metaphor. Realist strategies: Context Characters Narrative Purpose Style / mise-en-scene The gangster as (doomed) hero Gangs and gangsters inside and outside (mainstream) society; crime and the law Codes of behaviour: Good vs evil, loyalty, betrayal, ambition; punishment and retribution †¦ Godard  Pierrot Le Fou Filmography: All About My Mother Pedro Almodovar 1999 Spain Others: All About Eve Joseph L. Mankiewicz 1950 USA Broken Embraces Almodovar 2009 Spain Plays: A Streetcar Named Desire Tennessee Williams

Industrialization - Economic Change and Effect :: European Europe History

Industrialization - Economic Change and Effect Since the 19th century, industrialization has had positive and negative effects on the live of workers. Industrialization is the process of modernization and mass production of most goods. This also includes but not limited to mining and the forging of iron. An area where industrialization had a massive effect was in Eastern Europe. It emerged as a need to modernize and unify Europe. Although Britain led industrialization at first, it quickly exploded from Spain all the way through Russia. Early in the industrial revolution Britain stood alone as the world's industrial giant. To protect its head start Britain placed strict laws monitoring the exportation of inventions. Then in 1807 a British mechanic William Cockerill, opened factories in Belgium for the manufacturing of spinning and weaving machines. Belgium thus became the first European nation to industrialize. By the mid 1800s, other nations had joined the race, and several newcomers were challenging Britain's industrial supremacy. The effects of industrialization were especially obvious in Germany. By the late 1800's Germany had setup a standard for chemical and electric companies worldwide. Germany was second only to Britain among the European powers. Germany spectacular growth was due to the ample amount of iron and coal resources in the area. A disciplined and educated work force also helped the economy, while a rapid growing population provided a huge home market and a highly skilled work force. It almost eliminated the poverty factor in Germany due to the vast availability of employment. But along with the attributions of industrialization also came the bad. Poor work place conditions lead to work place abuses. Workers were forced to work long hours for little pay and even children were abuses during this time. Some of the abuses were children as young as 7 could be seen in work places, sexual discrimination was present. Women were often hired in factories because they could be paid less then men. And pollution was also a serious problem. These were among the most common problems of the time and these were too often seen in most if not all the work places. Workers were outraged by these abuses and how the government, at the time, did nothing to help. Workers established unions and won the right to bargain with employers for better wages and hours. And eventually the government passed laws regulating the employment of children and set safety regulations in the work place.

Not Either an Experimental Doll

Ryan Shellady Professor Mtisi Paideia October 31st, 2012 Placing Fault: A Look at Determining Who is to Blame for Lily Moya’s Downfall in Not Either an Experimental Doll The Separate Worlds of Three South African Women In today’s Western culture, it is hard to imagine a world without education. Adults and children alike view education as a common practice that is essential to everyday life. For Lily Moya, this is not the case. In Not Either an Experimental Doll, edited by Shula Marks, letters of correspondence reveal a relationship between Dr.Mabel Palmer, a well-known European supporter of black education, and Lily Moya, a girl growing up in apartheid South Africa. Lily writes to Palmer requesting acceptance into a school. Due to Lily’s amusing writing style, Palmer feels a connection to her. In turn, Palmer decides to find a way to fund Lily’s education. Throughout the letters, Lily alludes to this idea that she desires a more intimate friendship with Pa lmer; however, Palmer continues to assertively state that the relationship Lily seeks is impossible.In the end of the correspondence, Dr. Palmer releases her sponsorship from Lily’s education which means Lily can no longer attend school. For these two reasons, some critics will argue that Palmer is to blame for Lily’s mental breakdown at the end of the book. These people are mistaken; Mabel Palmer’s actions are not to blame for what happens to Lily. Fault lies in the differing cultures between Lily and Palmer, and in Lily’s stubbornness, egocentrism, and her inability to follow simple instructions.It is easy to infer that there are inevitable differences in culture between a European woman in her seventies and a fifteen-year-old African girl living in apartheid-ruled South Africa. In the introduction of the book, editor and expert in the field of South African studies Shula Marks articulates that the cultural differences between Lily and Dr. Palmer make f or a difficult understanding of correspondence etiquette. Not surprisingly, the world of the busy academic was remote from the concerns of a lonely and aspirant fifteen-year-old in Umtata.For Lily, still living in a world in which misfortune was explained in terms of individual wickedness and witchcraft, Mabel’s failure to reply could only be the result of the evil counsel of her advisers (Marks 18). Lily has been raised in a place where academia is not prominent. To understand why Dr. Palmer didn’t reply swiftly and quickly to each of Lily’s letters, Lily would have to understand all the work Dr. Palmer’s occupation entails. Lily would have to realize that people are sometimes simply too busy to write; however, as Marks notes, Dr.Palmer’s failure to reply was likely explained to Lily in terms of â€Å"individual wickedness. † Later in the same paragraph of the introduction, Marks goes on to describe Palmer’s point of view. For Mabel, Lily’s intense if adolescent religious experience was to appear as ‘religiosity’ and ‘self-righteous’, while she had difficulty remembering whether her ‘protegee’ was an Anglican or a Catholic, and had no idea that she was Xhosa, not Zulu (Marks 18). Palmer is under the impression that she understands Lily’s background, but Marks exposes Palmer’s ignorance of Lily’s culture.This lack of knowledge leads to poor communication between Lily and Palmer. However, Palmer does attempt to lessen her ignorance by asking Lily to write a paper, â€Å"The Life of a Native Girl in a Native Reserve† (Marks 87). In this paper, Palmer asks Lily to detail activities, problems, and daily routines experienced by a girl living in Lily’s society. Due to this attempt, Palmer’s failure to comprehend Lily’s expectations can be forgiven. Palmer tries to understand Lily and her background, but Lily cannot communica te any information in return.In the greater scheme, neither Lily nor Palmer is to blame for cultural variances. The only thing at fault in this particular case is that the two grew up in completely different environments. Circumstance is not solely to blame, however. In other cases, Lily’s personal faults are also to blame. The first of Lily’s individual weaknesses that lead to her demise is stubbornness; it plays a large role in why Palmer has such a difficult time dealing with Lily. On a number of occasions through the correspondence, Lily attempts to treat Palmer as though the two of them are close, intimate friends.Lily even goes as far as saying to Palmer, â€Å"I hope you stay for years, with me† (Marks 113). If this is not pressure enough, Lily goes on to guilt Palmer by proclaiming, â€Å"You cannot leave me alone in this merciless world† (Marks 113). When faced with these remarks, she needed to address Lily’s outlook on their relationship to make sure Lily understood that their interaction had to remain professional. You say that one of your reasons for wishing to be in Durban is that you want to see more of me, but have you ever asked yourself whether I wish do see more of you?As a matter of fact I do not. Your romantic and self-centered imagination has built up for you a picture in which you are to be my devoted and intimate friend. Now you must forgive me for saying that this is all nonsense. Even if you were a European girl of your age it would still be nonsense (Marks 136). Palmer makes it very clear that Lily’s feelings for her are simply not reciprocated. Palmer says she does not wish to see Lily, and that Lily’s perception of their connection is just â€Å"nonsense†. Critics will argue that Palmer’s tone here is too aggressive though.They’ll argue that Palmer should have anticipated that her words would hurt Lily deeply. They’ll back up their assertions with quotation s like the following where Lily jumps to drastic conclusions about Palmer not responding swiftly enough. â€Å"Your silence impresses me severely, in so much that patience fails me† (Marks 87). â€Å"I’m really worried now. It is a long time I have been waiting for yours [letter]† (Marks 91). One might claim that Lily displays great sensitivity and anxiety because of Palmer.These critics therefore argue that if waiting for a response from Palmer causes Lily this much distress, then it should be obvious to Palmer that critical words would cause Lily worse sorrow and anguish. These critics are wrong for two reasons. First, Lily still goes on to address Palmer on January 28th, February 6th, and again on February 16th of 1951 (Marks 143-145). All of these dates are after Palmer’s direct note from page 136 mentioned previously. Lily did not receive a letter from Palmer between these three instances.It is fair to say that Palmer’s annoyance is justified when she very recently asked Lily to respect boundaries. Secondly, the quotes these critics may use do not show that Lily is sensitive; rather they show that Lily is impatient and bullheaded. Lily keeps writing to Palmer so Palmer does not neglect her promise to help Lily get into school. Lily actually reminds Palmer of this promise. â€Å"So, please do not forget your promise that you would send me to school to complete the Matriculation Course† (Marks 94).Because Palmer does not write back quickly, Lily is worried that she isn’t getting her way, and stubbornly writes another letter out of impatience. Lily’s stubbornness to both get her way and to create a friendship that is deeper than a professional level shows a character flaw that certainly leads to her downfall. Lily cannot accept anything less than her own expectations; when she is faced with a disappointment, she spirals into a depression. Stubbornness is not the only character flaw leading to Lilyâ€⠄¢s downfall though. When Palmer addresses Lily about their relationship, she notes that Lily is â€Å"self-centered†.Lily’s egocentrism is yet another trait that ultimately leads to her breakdown. Palmer is correct when she states that Lily writes amusingly when it is about herself. â€Å"Looking back over my correspondence with you I realize that you only write interestingly and amusingly when you are writing about yourself† (Marks 138). For example, in Lily’s letter written on the 26th of January, 1949, the tone she uses in her writing has a pleading, begging feel because it is one Lily is writing to further her own attempt at finding an education.Kindly sympathise with me, a helpless orphan, I beg you †¦ I can be very glad if you answer me at your earliest possible and please I beg you do sympathise with. You can only show your sympathy by taking me to a college where I shall work with my level best my school work, and, I’m sure I’l l please you in any way in my character (Marks 59). For being a student with so little education, Lily really shows finesse in her writing ability. Her use of description in the â€Å"helpless orphan† bit tugs at Palmer’s heartstrings. Lily is even smart enough to know that tone and word choice an sway a person’s ethos, but like Palmer says, Lily only uses this for personal gain. Palmer, however, is not the only person that notices Lily’s egocentrism. Palmer notes that one of Lily’s caretakers also feels that Lily focuses on self too much. â€Å"†¦I understand Mrs Bomback thinks that she [Lily] is already inclined to think too much of herself†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Marks 128). Lily’s self-centered personality is clearly not seen by Palmer alone. This egocentrism leads Lily to see only her own needs in Palmer. When Palmer revokes her funding, Lily sees it as a great personal loss.This is yet another fault leading Lily to her mental breakdown at the end of the correspondence; moreover, it also leads to her difficulty following rules. An inability to follow instructions has already been demonstrated in Lily’s inability to accept a non-personal friendship with Palmer. This is, in fact, one of many instances in which Lily defies rules. In one instance, upon being told not to do so, Lily â€Å"entered a men Lecturer’s hostel with the purpose of receiving a lesson from one of them† (Marks 133). This is a clear violation of rules laid out by caretaker Mrs.Bomback. In another instance Lily was expected to come to an appointment with Palmer, yet she failed to show up (Marks 183). Arriving at an appointment punctually is an easy task to accomplish, yet Lily failed to do as she was told. This reason alone is one that Palmer lists as a reason for revoking funding for Lily’s education. Palmer confronts Lily twice for not following directions (Marks 136; 161). It is very clear to see that obstinate behavior causes Palmer to withdraw her funding leading to Lily’s mental break down.Some argue that Palmer’s withdrawal is ultimately to blame for Lily’s downward spiral. It is easy to see how misguided these people are if one considers that Palmer never wished to stop funding Lily’s education. She went out of her way to ask Sibusisiwe Makhanya for help to try and repair the problems Lily had been facing (Marks 121-122). It was only when Lily continued to break rules and disrespect Palmer’s wishes that Palmer had to quit. Lily made herself a lost cause. Is it fair to blame Palmer for Lily’s affairs after Palmer spent money out of her own pocket to assist Lily in all of her needs?No, it is absolutely absurd to claim Palmer is at fault. In Not Either an Experimental Doll, it is clear to see that Dr. Mabel Palmer is not to blame for Lily’s depressed state. Circumstance is responsible for the cultural differences between the two main characters thr oughout the correspondence. It is easy to identify Lily’s sense of stubbornness through her insistent attempts at making an intimate friendship with Palmer. Lily’s egocentrism shows in how her writing style changes depending upon whether she is writing about herself or others.It also is fair to call Lily egocentric due to the fact that more than one person identified her self-centered personality. An inability to follow instructions is apparent in different examples and Palmer notes that this is a reason why she terminated her sponsorship for Lily. Critics can continue to argue that Palmer is to blame for Lily’s psychiatric state, but ultimately the circumstances in which the two grew up, and Lily herself, are truly at fault. Works Cited Shula, Marks, ed. Not Either and Experimental Doll. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana UP, 1987. Print.

What Is a Picture Book

A picture book is a book, typically for children, in which the illustrations are as important as—or more important than—the words in telling the story. Picture books have traditionally been 32 pages long, although Little Golden Books are 24 pages. In picture books, there are illustrations on every page or on one page of every pair of facing pages. While most picture books still are written for younger children, a number of excellent picture books for upper elementary and middle school readers have been published. The definition of childrens picture book and the categories of picture books have also enlarged. Impact of Author and Illustrator Brian Selznick The definition of childrens picture books was greatly expanded when Brian Selznick won the 2008 Caldecott Medal for picture book illustration for his book The Invention of Hugo Cabret. The 525-page middle-grade novel told the story not only in words but in a series of sequential illustrations. All told, the book contains more than 280 pictures interspersed throughout the book in sequences of multiple pages. Since then, Selznick has written two more highly regarded middle-grade picture books. Wonderstruck, which also combines pictures with text,  was  published in 2011 and became a New York Times bestseller.  The Marvels,  published in 2015,  contains two stories set 50 years apart that come together at the end of the book. One of the stories is told entirely in pictures. Alternating with this story is another told entirely in words.   Common Categories of Childrens Picture Books Picture Book Biographies:  The picture book format has proved effective for biographies, serving as an introduction to the lives of a variety of accomplished men and women. Picture book biographies such as Who Says Women Cant Be Doctors: The Story of Elizabeth Blackwell, by Tanya Lee Stone with illustrations by Marjorie Priceman and The Boy Who Loved Math: The Improbable Life of Paul Erdos, by Deborah Heiligman with illustrations by LeUyen Pham, appeal to children in grades one to three. Many more picture book biographies appeal  to upper elementary school kids, while still others appeal to both upper elementary and middle school kids. Recommended  picture book biographies include  A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin, written by Jen Bryant and illustrated by Melissa Sweet, and The Librarian of Basra: A True Story of Iraq, written and illustrated by Jeanette Winter. Wordless Picture Books: Picture books that tell the story completely through illustrations, with no words at all or a very few embedded in the artwork, are known as wordless picture books. One of the most stunning examples is The Lion and the Mouse, an Aesops fable retold in illustrations by Jerry Pinkney, who received the 2010 Randolph Caldecott Medal for picture book illustration for his book. Another wonderful example that is often used in middle school writing classes as a writing prompt is A Day, a Dog  by Gabrielle Vincent. Classic Picture Books:  When you see lists of recommended picture books, youll often see a separate category of books titled Classic Childrens Picture Books. Typically, a classic is a book that has remained popular and accessible for more than one generation. A few of the best-known and best-loved English language picture books include  Harold and the Purple Crayon, written and illustrated by Crockett Johnson, The Little House and Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, both written and illustrated by Virginia Lee Burton, and Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown, with illustrations by Clement Hurd. Sharing Picture Books With Your Child Its recommended to begin sharing picture books with your children when they are babies and continue as they get older. Learning to read pictures is an important literacy skill, and picture books can play an important part in the process of developing visual literacy.