One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest

In the decade of the 1960s there was a lot of complaints that came from the actors, directors and film enthusiasts. They clamour for a renaissance of Hollywood films. The movie industry was in a deplorable state, however, good fortune smiled on those who desperately wanted for change (Lev, 2000, p.5). In the 1960s up to the 1970s Hollywood went through a rebirth. It was known as the period of â€Å"great artistic achievement based on new freedom and widespread experimentation† (Kramer, 2005, p.1).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More One of the best example of â€Å"New Hollywood† is the blockbuster entitled One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. This film exemplified â€Å"New Hollywood† based on unconventional techniques seen in the way the plot, theme, visual style and even the people that worked on the project such as the director, cinematographer and actor in the lead role. It is rare for a film to enjoy both critical and commercial success (Maltby, 2003, p.180). The Cuckoo’s Nest movie was embraced by the critics as one of the finest examples of Hollywood excellence. It won five major Oscar awards. But more importantly the masses gave their own feedback, giving the two thumbs up sign by voting with their money as they patiently brave the elements to stand in line to buy tickets and see the movie for the second and even the third time. This was not only beneficial to the studio but also on the main actor Jack Nicholson himself and according to one report, â€Å"By 1978, Jack’s share of the Cuckoo’s Nest windfall grew to $15 million, becoming the kind of annuity that just kept on giving †¦ completed on a $4.4 million budget, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest became the seventh-highest grossing movie ever† (McDougal, 2008, p.200). Jack Nicholson, Milos Forman an d Haskell Wexler came to Hollywood just at the right time when the movie industry in the United States was in the cusp of revolution. According to insiders, â€Å"The conditions for a revolution in Hollywood certainly seemed to be in place in the latter part of the sixties. There was the decaying regime: a studio system run by aging autocrats whose commitment to standardized technique and innocuous content seemed to make it impossible for genuine film artists to emerge in Hollywood† (Bernardino, 1991, p.1). Aside from that there was tremendous pressure to change. The bottomline is falling in most studios and this simply means that if it cannot produce a good movie that people will pay to watch then the golden days are over and they will have to learn how to file bankruptcy. According to film historians, â€Å"There was an external crisis: the initial challenge of television followed by the consolidation of its position as the mass medium, a situation which by the end of the sixties had led to truly alarming declines in the box office receipts of American movies† (Bernardino, 1991, p.1).Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Aside from that there were the discontented masses, the baby boomers and the educated young adults who are more than willing to break free from social restrictions (Bernardino, 1991, p.1). As a result some of the most spectacular films in Hollywood history were made such as films like The Godfather (1972); The Poseidon Adventure (1973); Jaws (1975) and Star Wars (1977) among others (King, 2002, p.46). Plot and Theme This film is a byproduct of â€Å"New Hollywood† as evidenced by the plot and theme. One writer even said, â€Å"With its narrative emphasis on institutional politics, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, reflects interestingly on the institutional structure of New Hollywood cinema itself† (Morrison, 1998, p.212). This is seen in the courageous use of material taken from a novel by Ken Kessey. It can be said that this is not the first time that a movie outfit dared to tell the story of mentally ill patients and the intriguing and sometimes frightening scenes inside a mental asylum. However, this is the firs time that a studio tackled the idea that the psychiatrists and the supposedly health experts are the villains and not the lunatics inside the mental institution. According to the author of the novel the book shows how the said institution was used not to help people but to separate those who are not willing to conform to social rules (Kesey, p.1). This was depicted so well at the end of the movie when the character played by Jack Nicholson was reduced to a â€Å"vegetable† reducing what was once a bubbly character into someone who could no longer resist the people bent to subdue him. The plot and theme of the movie is a perfect example of â€Å"New Hollywood† no t only because it experimented on visual style, cinematography and other elements of production but more so because the whole story of the movie talks about going against the grain. The whole film is an illustration of how Hollywood used to stifle creativity and ingenuity in the movie industry and how powerful individuals are pulling the string and everyone involved are mere puppets. â€Å"Old Hollywood† was defined using the character of nurse Ratched. The name itself is something that denotes the idea of a rat and a wretched place. A rat is understood to be a creature that cannot be trusted and can easily turn traitor because the â€Å"rat† is someone who cannot go against those in authority has to constantly obey rules and conventions. The story is a revelation of how destructive is a dictatorship and why absolute power corrupts. Movies that came out from â€Å"New Hollywood† is also a dagger aimed at the old methods enjoyed by giant studios and directors and producers who became too powerful for their own good.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The theme and plot of the story can be summarized in one statement: â€Å"McMurphy never lets rules – or even common sense – stand in the way of good fun† (Fish, 1984, p.10). It is this desire to experience happiness and fulfilment that has inspired the producers and creators of this film. Finally, the experimentation is also evident in the creation of the plot and theme of the movie. For instance, McMurphy was depicted as the suffering saviour. He seems to be portrayed as the Messiah but at the same time he is the worst example of what a Messiah should be, this is because he is uncouth, proud, and angry (Stone, 2000, p.92). But this ability to go against the conventional way of storytelling and film making sets this film apart. Visual Style Just like the other products of its time, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest can easily represent â€Å"New Hollywood† because of its striking visual style. If one will have an overview of the movies done in the 1950s there is a sense of predictability when it comes to how the director frames the shot and what are the things that are allowed to be within the frame. One example is the way the characters are framed in the scenes using tight shots. The camera focuses intently on the face of McMurphy and so the audience can feel and experience the nuances of his gestures and mannerisms. The same thing can be said with regards to the tight shot of Nurse Ratched. The visuals provided a complex character. She is soft-spoken and yet everyone is afraid of her. Even McMurphy at one point realized that he has met his match in Nurse Ratched. It must also be pointed out that use of colour or the absence of it intensifies the meaning of its scene. The first time the audience wer e acquainted with Nurse Ratched she came in wearing a black coat and then when she was ready to get to work she was transformed into this nurse wearing all white. This played well with the drab background of the mental institution and this is a good example of how directors in this particular era are not afraid to experiment on different techniques such as the different way they depicted violence. This can be seen in the way the main character was murdered, smothered by a pillow (Horwath, Elsaesser King, 2004, p.143).Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Director This film is an example of â€Å"New Hollywood† because of the director on the helm of film production. Milos Forman is not American-born. This is layered with complex implications. First, he is not tied to the conventional way of doing American films. Secondly, he brought with him the techniques that he had learned in Europe. Finally, he is used to experimentation and trying out new techniques. This is why the feel of the film was different as compared to other products that came out of â€Å"Old Hollywood.† Actor The actor that they brought in to play the part of Randall Patrick McMurphy is no ordinary actor. He is different in the sense that Nicholson exudes this aura of rebelliousness. He is a person who does not seem willing to conform to social norms. There are other actors that can play this part convincingly well but they are actors that are easily identified with the current system. But by bringing in Jack Nicholson as the actor in the lead role, the audience are immediately forewarned that this fellow will tend to break the rules instead of keeping them. Nicholson was not yet an established actor groomed by the studio. Nicholson is someone who is so talented and yet does not seem to fit in according to industry standards (Conner, 2002, p.6). Nicholson’s facial features, his mannerisms and his acting was just perfect for the part. It gave credibility to what he was trying to project on the silver screen. His character is desperately trying to go against traditions and norms and his superb acting allowed him to speak not only to the critiques watching the film but the ordinary people who felt that there is a need to experience freedom and not to be repressed by rules and traditions that has ensnared them for too long. Nicholson’s character is the personification of the challenge posed by those who are sick and tired of the â€Å"Old Hollywood† and are willing to stand up against institutional bullies. A comme ntary on the character of R.P. McMurphy clarified why this movie exemplify â€Å"New Hollywood† and it says: â€Å"McMurphy’s sanity takes the ward by storm: none of the patients have met anyone like him †¦ where the other patients were timid and quiet, McMurphy is cocky and loud; where they are unable to do more than snicker, his healthy laughter shakes the walls; where they are sexually repressed, he is self-proclaimed champion lover† (Fish, 1984, p.9). Cinematographer It was not only the actor and director that exemplify the new way of doing things in the â€Å"New Hollywood† it is also the cinematographers. The best example is Haskell Wexler who was the cinematographer of the said movie. Wexler typified the radical changes that were happening within the industry because he is a cinematographer who does not compromise easily when it comes to artistic freedom (Schaefer Salvato, 1984, p.247). His desire to experiment can be seen in the way he tried to capture the emotion of the scene using excellent camera work. One of the best example is the tight shot of Nurse Ratched as she lies on the floor after McMurphy tried to suffocate her. Uncertainty Before Success There was a tremendous degree of uncertainty when one is trying to do something for the first time. There was nothing like this movie in the history of Hollywood. If one will say that this is unprecedented, it would have been an understatement. A few days after the release here are some of the reactions from critics and moviegoers, â€Å"One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest detonated like a nuclear revelation, touching a universal nerve and elevating Jack to superstardom in the process† (McDougal, 2008, p.198). The compliments kept coming and another commentary said, â€Å"Many theatres defied the usual one-week-in, next-week-out trend and extended the film for months †¦ the movie opened in Stockholm on February 26, 1976, and didn’t close until elev en months later† (McDougal, 2008, p.198). Conclusion It is rare for a film to enjoy both commercial and critical success. The movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest was able to accomplish this rare feat. The reason given is that it is the by-product of â€Å"New Hollywood† and the proof also that the movie going public is looking for something new. This film exemplified â€Å"New Hollywood† because of the theme, visual styles, actor, director and cinematographer. Together they collaborated to create something unprecedented. The result was spectacular, it is one of the films that saved Hollywood and ushered in a new era in film making. References Bernardoni, J., 1991. New Hollywood. NC: McFarland Company, Inc. Conner, F., 2002. Hollywood’s Most Wanted: The Top 10 Book of Lucky Breaks,  Prima Donnas, Box Office Bombs and Other Oddities. VA: Brassey’s, Inc. Fish, P., 1984. Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. New York: Ba rron’s Educational Series, Inc. Horwath, A., Elsaesser, T. and King, N., 2004. The Last Great American Picture Show: New Hollywood Cinema. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press. Kesey, K., 1962. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. New York: Penguin Books. King, G., 2002. New Hollywood Cinema: An Introduction. New York: I.B. Tauris. Kramer, P., 2005. The New Hollywood: From Bonnie and Clyde to Star Wars. UK: Wallflower Press. Lev, P., 2000. American Films of the 70s: Conflicting Visions. TX: University of Texas Press. Maltby, R., 2003. Hollywood Cinema. MA: Blackwell Publishing. Morrison, J., 1998. Passport to Hollywood: Hollywood Films, European Directors. New York: State University of New York Press. McDougal, D., 2008. Five Easy Decades: How Jack Nicholson Became the Biggest  Movie Star in Modern Times. New Jersey: John Wiley Sons, Inc. Schaefer, D. and Salvato, L. 1984. Masters of Light: Conversations with  Contemporary Cinematographers. CA: California Universit y Press. Stone, B., 2000. Faith and Film: Theological Themes at the Cinema. MA: Chalice Press. This essay on One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest was written and submitted by user Rodolfo Mays to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Introduction Written by Ken Kesey in 1962, One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest is a masterpiece that became an immediate success after its publication.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This is a story about a mental institution where mentally sick people are confined for easy management and treatment; nevertheless, at a closer look, the story deals with issues like insurrection against conformity among others that the United States of America was grappling with during this time. All the characters in this story have some mental defects; nevertheless, others like Chief Bromden claim to be normal but after scrutiny the reader realizes that he is suffering from a common psychological condition; paranoid schizophrenia characterized by hallucinations among others as explained later in this paper. This paper deals with the character, Chief Bromd en, his life, health, sickness and gives a diagnosis coupled with suggested treatment of his mental health condition. Bromden’s background gives insight to his possible mental health problem as exposited next. Background Chief Bromden is the longest serving patient in this Oregon mental institution where he has been confined for the last ten years. He says, â€Å"I’m the one been here on the ward the longest, since the Second World War† (Kesey 17). As the story opens up, Bromden is paranoid, hallucinated, and ever fearing the unknown. A fog that shields him from reality covers his life most of the time facilitated by humiliation he gets from other patients especially the â€Å"Black boys’ and Nurse Ratched popularly known as the Big Nurse. He loathes meeting the Black boys; he actually prefers to stay alone and play deaf and dumb. As aforementioned, fear of the unknown clogs Bromden’s mind and he cannot hide it, not from the Black boys for they, à ¢â‚¬Å"got special sensitive equipment that detects my fear†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Kesey 3). His daily life is accustomed to bullying from the Black boys whom have nicknamed him â€Å"Chief Broom† due to his duties of mopping the floor. To confirm his suffering he says, â€Å"One swats the backs of my legs with a broom handle to hurry me past† (Kesey 3).Advertising Looking for report on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Bromden has every reason to be paranoid as he reveals the contents of the Big Nurse’s handbag, which she uses in her daily duties, â€Å"wheels, and gears, cogs, needles, forceps, watchmakers’ pliers, and rolls of copper wires† (Kesey 3). It is important to note that, this is a mental institution manned by the Big Nurse and the above-mentioned tools are to be used to torture patients including Chief Bromden. On the other side, Bromden has personal issues far from the mental institution. He sees himself as a weak and small person despite the fact that he is 6 ft 8† tall. He admits that he used to be big but that is no more. His ‘bigness’ has disappeared to where he knows not. His confidence has melted away and its place taken by unfounded fear; something that he openly admits. He tries to remember the past but it brings equal fears as the mental hospital especially when he remembers a machine he calls Combine-a dark imagination of society as a conglobation of oppressive forces. Oppression to Bromden has been around since childhood. He recalls a time back when he was ten and some government officials visited his father, Chief Tee Ah Millatoona to discuss a possibility of buying a tribe land. Unfortunately, Bromden was alone in the house and the government officers acted as if he did not exist and this traumatized him greatly. Moreover, Bromden is named after his mother, Mary Louise Bromden, despite the fact that he had a father and people are named after their fathers insinuating a possibility of family problems. His past has nothing to celebrate; actually, â€Å"†¦like always when I try to place my thoughts in the past and hide there, the fear close at hand seeps in through the memory† (Kesey 6). This is the day-to-day life of Bromden coupled with trauma from electroshock treatments he received from the Big Nurse rumored to be around 200. Diagnosis Based on the information gathered from the background of Bromden’s life, he is suffering from paranoia also known as paranoid schizophrenia in modern psychiatry. â€Å"Paranoia is a thought process heavily influenced by anxiety or fear sometimes to the point of irrationality and delusion† (Freeman Garety 49). Kantor adds that, â€Å"Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs concerning a perceived threat towards oneself† (96). From the background information about Bromden, it is evident that he suffers from paran oia. Bromden’s thought process is based on unfounded fears and anxiety.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is true at some point his fears are founded on threats and mistreatment from the Black boys and the Big Nurse; however, most of the time his fears are based on anxiety of uncertainty of events. Moreover, recent psychiatry has given important insight to this condition by indicating that it may result from ‘persecutory beliefs’. Bromden has every reason to belief in persecution. As aforementioned, oppression has been around Bromden since he was ten years old during that incidence when government officials visited their home only to behave as if Bromden was not around. As a small boy, Bromden was just like any other child and research indicates that children hardly forget traumatizing events in their lives. Therefore, there is a high probability that Bromden carried this experience into adulthood and that is how he became accustomed to persecutory beliefs. In another concealed indication, Bromden is named after his mother as opposed to the normal way of naming children after their fathers. This insinuates that there might have been family crisis with Bromden’s mother dominating over his father thus causing Bromden trauma as a child. This again, is a source of persecutory beliefs. The issue of fear leading to irrationality and delusion sets in here. Bromden admits that there is a cloud of fear that hovers over his head though he cannot say where it comes from. He says that whenever he tries to remember his past, the immediate fear clogs his mind (Kesey 6). These are unfounded fears. He fails to explain what he calls, ‘immediate’ fear and this aligns well with a paranoid person. Again, he admits to McMurphy that a ‘fog’ that shields him from reality covers his life. He says, â€Å"When the fog clears to where I can see, I am sitting in the day room (Kesey 8). This fog is only in his mind and that is why he realizes he is sitting in a day room after the fog in his mind clears – this is delusions. Moreover, he assumes that the society is made of conglobation of oppressive people and calls them the Combine. This is still delusions founded on one’s perception. The fact that the environment surrounding Bromden is hostile and oppressive, it does not mean the world is oppressive too. There are good people out there. Paranoid schizophrenia fits Bromden’s situation best compared to persecutory delusions and paranoid personality disorder. According to Kendler, Czajkowski and Tambs, â€Å"Paranoid personality disorder is a psychiatric diagnosis characterized by paranoia and a pervasive, long-standing suspiciousness and generalized mistrust of others† (1589). The fact that Bromden came to trust McMurphy later in the story disq ualifies this disorder together with persecutory delusions, which follows the same line.Advertising Looking for report on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Suggested Treatment Like any other psychological disorder, paranoid schizophrenia has no laboratory tests. Therefore, psychologists prefer symptom management to curing the same and this proves the old adage; prevention is better than cure, right. Nevertheless, several intervention measures have been put forward to counter this condition in cases where symptom management is not applicable. Parnas and Jorgensen note that antipsychotic medication is the first step towards paranoid schizophrenia treatment (625). This treatment counters the psychotic symptoms prevalent in individuals. The newest and better antipsychotic drug is perphenazine. However, this drug is expensive and Bromden would consider taking risperidone, quetiapine, olanzapine or ziprasidone for a period of eighteen months to improve the negative psychosis symptoms. Alternatively, Bromden would use olanzapine or clozapine; however, full dosage takes longer time thus raising the issue of patient compliance to take the full dose. Nevertheless, as aforementioned, non-drug intervention is the best form of therapy in dealing with paranoid schizophrenia. The best therapeutic interventions include both psychological and social interventions. â€Å"Psychotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy is widely recommended and used in the treatment of paranoid schizophrenia† (Moran 24). Psychotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy improves self-esteem, self-believe, and insight. Given the nature of Bromden’s situation, he is only disillusioned and psychotherapy tackles all these problems. Another option is, â€Å"cognitive remediation, a technique aimed at remediating the neurocognitive deficits sometimes present in schizophrenia† (Wykes. Brammer Mellers 146). This remediation has proved effective in the past and it would work for Bromden as well. Family members are another source of social intervention in this situation. Family members offer moral support and in most cases, they understand an individual better. Alternatively, education on the issue may help greatly once an individual understands how his/her problems work. In other cases, where medication, psychological, and social intervention have failed, â€Å"electroconvulsive therapy may be used† (Greenhalgh, Knight, Hind, Beverly Walters 150). Individuals may also consider movements formed by people suffering from the same condition like Paranoia Network. Finally, regular exercise has proved to be an all-time ‘therapy’, which counters most health conditions and paranoid schizophrenia, is not excluded. Conclusion One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest is a masterpiece revealing secrets that happens in mental institutions that many people do not know. Chief Bromden is one of the central characters; actually, he is the narrator of the story. From the beginning of the story, he is paranoid with a fog covering his mind most of the times. Unfounded fears dominate his thoughts coupled with anxiety. O ppression has been around him since he was ten. Based on the evidence gathered in his background information, Bromden suffers from paranoid schizophrenia. Fortunately, there are several measures to counter this condition. Among them is medication using antipsychotics, sociological and psychological interventions among others. Exercise can also play a big role towards dealing with this condition. Works Cited Greenhalgh, John, Knight, Cole, Hind, Dwight, Beverley, Charles Walters, Simon. â€Å"Clinical and Cost-Effectiveness of Electroconvulsive Therapy for Depressive Illness, Schizophrenia, Catatonia and Mania: Systematic Reviews and Economic Modeling Studies.† Health Technol Assess. 2005. 9 (9): 1–156 Freeman, David Garety, Paulson. â€Å"Paranoia: The Psychology of Persecutory Delusions.† Hove: Psychology Press, 2006. Kantor, Martin. â€Å"Understanding Paranoia: A Guide for Professionals, Families, And Sufferers.† Westport: Praeger Press, 2004. Kendle r, Kelly, Czajkowski, Nemaja Tambs, Knight. â€Å"Dimensional Representations Of DSM-IV Cluster a Personality Disorders in a Population-Based Sample Of Norwegian Twins: A Multivariate Study†. Psychological Medicine, 2004. 36 (11): 1583–91 Kesey, Ken. â€Å"One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.† New York; Penguin Group, 1976. Moran, Missy. â€Å"Psychosocial Treatment Often Missing From Schizophrenia Regimens† Psychiatric News, 2005. 40 (22): 24 Parnas, Joel Jorgensen, Andrew. â€Å"Pre-Morbid Psychopathology in Schizophrenia Spectrum†. British Journal of Psychiatry, 1989. 115: 623–7 Wykes, Taylor, Brammer, Myles Mellers, John. â€Å"Effects on the Brain of A Psychological Treatment: Cognitive Remediation Therapy: Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging In Schizophrenia†. British Journal of Psychiatry, 2002. 181: 144–52 This report on One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest was written and submitted by user Billy Romero to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

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Response - Assignment Example She goes ahead to introduce her role she plays in the family and reasons as to why she is the bread winner. Her description of their home district and the Capitol is organized in a chronological manner that it creates real images in the readers’ minds. The theme of suffering for pleasure or entertainment is an interesting one since this was the main method used by the government of Panem to show power and might among its citizens. However I also find that though the capitol people were enjoying the hunger games, the people from the other districts were slowly developing defiance and thus the theme of defiance to dictatorship. This is true when the writer describes how she feels about the government in the capitol. An example of this defiance is when the author says, â€Å"Eventually I understood this would only lead us to more trouble. So I learned to hold my tongue and to turn my features into an indifferent mask so that no one could ever read my thoughts†. (Page 6, Chapter 1). The â€Å"thoughts† that Katniss is talking about are those of wanting to defy the government just as she does when she humiliates the government by showing mercy to Rue when she dies which is against the rules of the game, as well as decorat ing her body. This is some form of silent rebellion which the government is unaware of. While the crowd is enjoying the killings, katniss uses the opportunity to show them that there is more than the deaths: she is ready to defy their rules for her

Causes Of The French Revolution Essay Example for Free

Causes Of The French Revolution Essay On July 14, 1789 a large mob stormed the Bastille, and killed the commander and some other soldiers. The fall of the Bastille marked the beginning of the French Revolution, and was a symbol to the people of France representing years of abuse by the monarchy. Also, this event served as a wake-up call to King Louis XVI. Unlike any other short protest or riot, this event actually challenge to the regime. As the French Revolution progressed, French society underwent a transformation as feudal, religious, and aristocratic privileges disappeared and the ancien rà ©gime were abruptly overthrown under the fundamental principle of Libertà ©, à ©galità ©, fraternità ©. Although there are many causes to the French Revolution, the three main ones are: the mismanagement of the economy, the pressure of taxes placed primarily onto the third estate, and the spark from Enlightenment ideas and the American Revolution. These events set a fire in France that could no longer be contained. It spread through France like a wildfire. The first cause to the French Revolution was the mismanagement of the economy. Louis XIV had left France deeply in debt with his extravagant spending. France’s Involvement in the Seven Years’ War and American Revolution put it deeper down the hole. Costs had generally risen during the 1700’s and the lavish court soaked up millions. The government borrowed more and more money to bridge the gap between income and expenses. Years of deficit spending, or spending more than the income, was taking its toll on the country’s treasury. By 1789, half of the country’s income from taxes went to paying the interest on this debt. Louis XVI was forced to raise taxes to pay back the debts, leading to further tension and revolt. The first cause to the French Revolution was the pressure that taxes placed onto the Third Estate, or anyone that wasn’t nobility or clergy. This included the wealthier middle class, or bourgeoisie, and the extremely poor working clas s and rural farmers. While the poor suffered from the agonizing taxes, the rich nobility and clergy didn’t suffer these taxes because of tradition which granted the nobles and clergy freedom from paying taxes. The political crisis of 1789 coincided with the worst famine in memory, and as taxes rose, tension rose. When taxing the First and Second Estates was proposed by the king’s advisor, Jacques Necker, the nobles and high clergy resisted the  attempt to end their exemption from taxes and forced the king to dismiss him. As the crisis deepened, the pressure for reform grew. The wealthy class demanded, however, that the king summon the Estates-General, the legislative body consisting of representatives of the three estates, before making any changes. This event later backfired on the wealthy with the creation of the National Assembly which established many reforms. The last reason to the French Revolution was the spark of Enlightenment ideas and the American Revolution. This spark set fire to the French Revolution and roared across the country. Many people believed in the ideas of â€Å"equality† and â€Å"freedom of the individual† as presented Voltaire, Rousseau, Diderot and other philosophers and social theorists of the Enlightenment. They especially favored John Locke’s idea that if a government violates the people’s natural rights, the people have the right to replace that government. These ideas of life, liberty, and equality had contributed to the creation of the American Revolution and the newly formed American government served as a live example of the proper structure of government. They helped with the creation of new reforms to make life in France better. On July 14, 1789 a large mob stormed the Bastille and began started the French Revolution. The causes of this event were the mismanagement of the economy by the king, the resulting tax pressure placed onto the poor Third Estate, and the spark of Enlightenment and American Revolution reasoning. The French Revolution had accomplished its desired goal of more equal government and it still has an impact on the world. Till this day, the French celebrate Bastille Day as their national independence day.

Citizen Kane Essay examples -- essays research papers

Citizen Kane After watching the movie â€Å"Citizen Kane† I realized why this movie was named one of the best films ever. Yellow journalism was in an era from the 1880 to the 1900 and it featured flashy journalism of that time, which made editors write about invented stories. Which went to big headlines on subjects that weren’t true. The two big writers of that time were William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer. During the film Kane is depicted as a yellow journalism at different times. One example is when they put out the article â€Å"Charles Foster Kane Defeated, Fraud At Polls†. From that headline you would believe that he was beaten by some illegal purpose, but it was just a headline getting people to read the article and the enjoyment of writing against your enemy. Next, when Kane got all the writers from the chronicle to start writing for the inquirer. He put out an article that said â€Å"The Greatest Newspaper Staff In The World† and had a picture of all the new guys standing together. As you can see there it is not so much false information, but he said they are greatest writers in the world. When all these guys came form the opposing newspaper. While watching the film there are many other times that Kane portrays yellow journalism. He was out to help the poor people of the community and just have fun with the newspaper. In today’s society we think of yellow journalism as tabloids. A lot of those headline stories that we see in the supermarket get our attention. Which always lead to false information on subjects that we are interested in. In the film there are many ways that loss and belonging have a big part of Charles Foster Kane’s Life. It started when he was taken from his birth parents at a young age to go have a better life. We saw that the mother wanted to get him away from his father because we assumed that he was getting beaten. For many young children being taken away from their home, must really heart the child. We don’t know why he was taken but assume it was because of his father and also not having enough money to raise him. He must of thought that his parents didn’t love him but all they wanted was a better life for him. Another example of not feeling belonged is when his wife and himself were going through some problems. Even if he was the cause of the problem you saw how he wanted to belong to someone and for others to love him. Throughout t... ...y that they lived in during that time was a time that the majority of people didn’t have much money. For Kane power was something that he never lived without. He was given a newspaper to run on his own, which made him have a lot of people that worked under him. Throughout the film anything he wanted was done. Since he was the one calling the shots in the newspaper he could have anything printed. For example during the beginning of his election he would print articles that would make him look better then his opponent.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For society, during that time period know one knew of anything else but to listen to people that had a lot of power. They would also follow in their footsteps. When people of that time had power they were looked up too as a very high person in life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To sum everything up this film was one of the greatest films ever made. There are so many different parts of the movie that made other filmmakers take a look at â€Å"Citizen Kane† before starting their own film. This film has change many filmmakers decisions on how to portray there film. â€Å"Citizen Kane† will never be forgotten and will on in every filmmakers decisions.

Compare and Contrast, from Cholos to Surfers and My Latino Heart

The connections in these two stories is that in Mr. Lopez story is that a young boy is troubled because he is not sure on what being a â€Å"Mexican† is all about, and that ties in with what is California image really trying to say. The next story â€Å"Of Cholos and Surfers† is a depiction of a young boy also, but he is having trouble trying to break out of the tradition of being a normal â€Å"Mexican† and do what he is more comfortable doing. In the story of â€Å"My Latino Heart† it is about a young teenager who is having trouble finding what the Mexican culture is all about.He is not sure on how to fit in with his Mexican culture. The identity of his culture is hard for him to comprehend. He asked his mother â€Å" What am I†. His mother answered â€Å" You’re a Mexican American† He replied â€Å" But what does that mean†. He couldn’t didn’t know what his parents were trying to tell him. He did not think he wa s Mexican because he couldn’t speak the Spanish. He wanted to have a answer to his question. He went to his Aunt and asked her what it meant to be a Mexican American. His Aunt replied â€Å" You’re you†.Again he was not sure of what this meant? He didn’t get another opportunity to ask his Aunt again because she had died of alcoholism. When the family had a gathering he shied away from the younger parts of his family, and went to the adults to see what his Aunt was really like when she was alive and didn’t drink. He could get a sense of what being a Mexican meant. Remembering the people that had died and to never forget them. To think of the good things about the person and to credit them for their influence they had in his life.Also in the lives that she had contact with long enough to make a difference in their lives. In the story â€Å"Of Cholos and Surfers† this teenage boy depicted by the author Jack Lopez, was a boy who lived in a Mexic an family in the Los Angeles area. His family was a family who kept their roots, and never forgot where they came from. Also there were two sides of the neighborhood were they grew up. You were either a cholo or a surfer. This young teenage boy had more of a interest in the surfer lifestyle. He wanted to be a surfer so bad that he wore clothes that the surfers would wear.His family would not allow to him to have his hair down to his ears. His friends in junior high where Sheldon Cohen and Tom Gheridelli. They were both surfers. He naturally became good friends with them because they had the same interest. He wanted to buy a surfer magazine that cost forty-five dollars. He would read Surfer Quarterly, and other surfer magazines with his friends at Sportsman Park under the bleachers. Him and his dad made an agreement that his dad would take him to get a magazine in Vermont.When he and his dad arrived in Vermont they got the magazine his father looked at him and said â€Å" Is that it ? †. He didn’t believe that his son was serious about getting the magazine. When his father got to the counter to pay for the magazine, the clerk and his dad were poking fun at the magazine in Spanish. In these stories starting with â€Å"My Latino Heart† and the California myth of a glamorous life is this; in this story, this young boy wants to know what it means to be a Latino/Mexican. He asks’ his Aunt, his father, and his mother on what it means to be Mexican.He has to go to through a journey and figure out on what this Mexican culture is all about. n the story â€Å" Of Cholos and Surfers† the similarities of this story to that of the California dream is this. This young boy wanted something more out of his life. He did not think that the life of a cholo was the right life for him. He wanted to do something that he thought would have purpose and that made sense to him, and something that would make him succeed. Even though his parents did not l ike the idea. He was willing to make that dream come true.