pulp fiction :: essays research papers

Pulp Fiction is like boot camp for the Marines. You come into it from your civilized life, they subject you to violent language until you're numb, they abuse you verbally and physically until all of your normal feelings and values are reduced to dust. Leaving you aware that you have changed, and able to describe the change, you find yourself questioning the person you were previously. First thing you know you're saluting. This story is a cleverly disorienting journey through a landscape of danger, shock, hilarity, and vibrant local color. Nothing is predictable or familiar within this irresistibly bizarre world. You do not merely enter a theater to see Pulp Fiction: you go down a rabbit hole. Theater is an actor moving through time and space, telling a story. In Quentin Terintenio ¹s, Pulp Fiction, the actors portray savvy modern-day gangsters and the story is three stories told in backwards order. To say the least this not your average story. The theme of the story is redemption, and the journey to achieve that redemption. The characters are colorfully multidimensional and most importantly they are believable. The language of the story is street-smart and confident, like the characters. There is no main plot, only mirror plots that are reflections of each other. The theme of redemption is portrayed by two of the main characters of the story. These characters seek redemption and a new way of life, they each desire a more virtuous life. Butch (Bruce Willis) wants to pull off one last scam and then run away with the woman he loves. He seeks forgiveness and redemption through the future birth of his child. He wants his child to have a healthy childhood so that he will have the opportunity to hand down his precious gold watch, which was handed down to him. Jules (Samuel Jackson) has a near death experience and sees it as divine intervention that he is alive. Now he simply wants to leave his criminal lifestyle to  ³walk the earth ², and find his true self. Our story starts with the journey of the characters. The characters in this story are not simply black and white, from the moment you meet them you are drawn in and want to know more about them. The story ¹s intrigue, that element that makes the viewer curious, draws the audience in. And the story ¹s credibility, the consistency of the characters, holds the audience there, inside the movie.

Pericles Funeral Oration Essay

I do not think that everything Pericles said in his funeral Oration was true. Pericles goes on and on about how great the Athens city-state had become a strong democratic government. â€Å"He also talks about how they accept everyone into their city-state and give them the same rights as the Athens people regardless if they are foreigners†. â€Å"Pericles even compares his city-state to that of the Spartans; while using slanderous and defaming words to describe their culture†. Pericles believes from reading his Oration that the Athens are better people because of their equally of all in their city state and the freedom they have given their people. Pericles fails to see the contradiction in the culture and in the oration of the Speech he gives about the Athens way of life and this is because he is biased towards the men. Obviously everyone being equal is not true because woman is not equal to men and is certainly not treated as equals. â€Å"Pericles states himself that it is better for woman to never be spoken of whether it is glory or criticism†. He states that a woman’s place is in her home, the only jobs that are available to women are to bare children and to maintain the household, other than that everything else only a man should and could do. The fact that women are treated differently proves that the Athens were not a democratic state their laws to provide fairness to all the people were only catered to the males not the females. The Athens had a negative attitude towards woman and how they should be treated, Pericles seemed almost disgusted to even have to address woman in his speech and when he did he had nothing positive to say about them. Pericles exaggerates in his oration. He depicts a perfect picture of what the Athens society is thought to be, as if the people and the law have no imperfections that need to be spoken of. He illustrates a great city-state with no flaws but then continues to describe and speak of women as if they were not human and discrimination against them was normal. Pericles was in mourning and wanted to give the dead soldiers and their families and all the people of the city-state the honor and confidence they needed to continue on with the war so he exaggerated, he did not want to dishonor the soldier with his words so he chose to speak of their culture and everything they stood for. Coming from a leader’s perspective I think the ideology may be slightly off but much of it was true from the Athens culture and society.

The Return: Shadow Souls Chapter 24

Dear Diary, It's the night before the night of our first party – or rather gala. But I don't feel very gala. I miss Stefan too much. I've been brooding about Matt, too. How he walked away, so angry at me, not even looking back. He didn't understand how I could†¦care for†¦Damon, and yet still love Stefan so much that it felt as if my heart was breaking. Elena put down the pen and stared at her diary dully. The heartbreak manifested itself in actual physical pains in her chest that would have frightened her if she hadn't been sure of what it really was. She missed Stefan so desperately that she could hardly eat, could barely sleep. He was like a part of her mind that was constantly on fire, like a phantom limb that would never go away. Not even writing in her diary would help tonight. All she could write about were painfully tantalizing memories of the good times she and Stefan had shared together. How good it had been when she could just turn her head and know that she would see him – what a privilege that had been! And now it was gone, and in its place was racking confusion, guilt, and anxiety. What was happening to him, right now, when she no longer had the privilege of turning her head and seeing him? Were they†¦hurting him? Oh, God, if only†¦ If only I had made him lock all the windows to his room at the boardinghouse†¦ If only I had been more suspicious of Damon†¦ If only I had guessed he had something on his mind that last night†¦ If only†¦if only†¦ It became a pounding refrain in time to her heart. She found herself breathing in sobs, her eyes tightly shut, clutching the rhythm to her and clenching her fists. If I keep feeling this way – if I let it crush me enough – I'll become an infinitesimal point in space. I'll be crushed into nothingness – and even that will be better than needing him so much. Elena lifted up her head†¦and stared down at her head, resting on her diary. She gasped. Once more her first reaction was to imagine death. And then, slowly, because she was stupefied by so many tears, she realized that she'd done it again. She was out of her body. This time she wasn't even aware of a conscious decision about where to go. She was flying, so fast that she couldn't tell which way she was going. It was as if she were being pulled, as if she were the tail of a comet that was rapidly shooting downward. At one point she realized with familiar horror that she was passing through things, and then she was veering as if she were the end of the whip in a game of Crack the Whip and then she was catapulted into Stefan's cell. She was still sobbing as she landed in the cell, unsure of whether she had solid form or gravity, and uncaring for the moment. The only thing she had time to see was Stefan, very thin but smiling in his sleep and then she was dumped onto him, into him, and still crying as she bounced, as lightly as a feather, and Stefan woke. â€Å"Oh, can't you let me sleep for a few minutes in peace?† Stefan snapped, and added a couple of Italian words that Elena had never had reason to hear before. Elena had an immediate fit of the Bonnies, sobbing so hard that she couldn't listen to – couldn't even hear – any comfort that was on offer. They were doing horrible things to him, and they were using her image, Elena's, to do them. It was all too awful. They were conditioning Stefan to hate her. She hated herself. Everyone in the whole world hated her – â€Å"Elena! Elena, don't cry, love!† Dully, Elena lifted herself up, getting a brief anatomical view of Stefan's chest before she was sobbing again, trying to wipe her nose on Stefan's prison uniform, which looked as if it could only be improved by anything she might do to it. She couldn't, of course; just as she couldn't feel the arm that was trying to encircle her gently. She hadn't brought her body with her. But she had, somehow, brought her tears, and a cold, cable-wire-tough voice inside herself said, Don't waste them, idiot! Use those tears. If you're going to sob, sob over his face or his hands. And, by the way, everyone hates you. Even Matt hates you, and Matt likes everybody, the tiny cruel, productive voice went on and Elena gave way to a fresh gale of sobbing, absently noting the effect of each teardrop. Each drop turned the white skin under it pink and the color spread in ripples outward, as if Stefan were a pool, and she was resting on him, water on water. Except that her tears were falling so fast that it looked like a rainstorm on Wickery Pond. And that only made her think about the time that Matt had fallen into the pond, trying to rescue a little girl who had fallen through the ice, and how Matt hated her now. â€Å"Don't, oh don't; don't, lovely love,† Stefan begged, so sincerely that anyone would have believed he meant it. But how could he? Elena knew what she must look like, face swollen and blotched by tears: no â€Å"lovely love† here! And he'd have to be mad to want her to stop crying: the teardrops were giving him new life wherever they touched his skin – and perhaps the storm inside him had done best, because his telepathic voice was strong and sure. Elena, forgive me – oh, God, just give me one moment with her! Just a single moment! I can bear anything then, even the true death. Just one moment to touch her! And perhaps God did look down for a moment in pity. Elena's lips were hovering over, quivering over, Stefan's, as if she could somehow steal a kiss like this as she used to when he was still asleep. But for just an instant it seemed to Elena that she felt warm flesh below hers and the flick of Stefan's lashes against her eyelids as his eyes flew open in surprise. Instantly they both froze, eyes wide open, neither of them foolish enough to move in the slightest. But Elena couldn't help herself, as the flush of warmth from Stefan's lips sent a flush of warmth through her entire body. She melted into the kiss, and, while keeping her body carefully in the same position, felt her gaze go unfocused and her eyelids close. As her lashes swept against something with substance, the moment swept quietly to an end. Elena had two choices: she could shriek and rail telepathically at Il Signore for only giving them what Stefan had asked for, or she could gather her courage and smile and maybe comfort Stefan. Her better nature won out and when Stefan opened his eyes, she was leaning over him, pretending to be resting on her elbows and his chest, and smiling at him as she tried to straighten out her hair. Relieved, Stefan smiled back at her. It was as if he could bear anything, as long as she was unhurt. â€Å"Now, Damon would have been practical,† she teased him. â€Å"He would have kept me crying, because in the end, his health would be the most important thing. And he'd have prayed for†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She paused and finally began laughing, which made Stefan smile. â€Å"I have no idea,† Elena said finally. â€Å"I don't think Damon prays.† â€Å"Probably not,† Stefan said. â€Å"When we were young – and human – the town priest walked with a cane that he seemed to enjoy using on young delinquent boys more than as a source of support.† Elena thought of the delicate child chained to the huge and heavy boulder of secrets. Was religion one of the things locked away, put behind doors closed one after another in secret there, like a chambered nautilus until almost everything he cared about was inside? She didn't ask that of Stefan. Instead, she said, lowering her â€Å"voice† to the tiniest telepathic whisper, the barest disturbance of neurons in Stefan's receptive brain: What other practical things can you think of that Damon might have thought of? Things relating to a jailbreak? â€Å"Well†¦for a jailbreak? The first thing I can think of is for you to know your way around the city. I was brought here blindfolded but since they don't have the power to take the curse off vampires and make them human, I still had all my senses. I'd say it's a city about the size of New York and Los Angeles combined.† â€Å"Big city,† Elena noted, taking notes in her head. â€Å"But fortunately the only bits that would interest us are in the southwestern section. The city's supposed to be ruled by the Guardians – but they're from the Other Side and the demons and vampires here long ago realized that people were more afraid of them than the Guardians. It's set up now with about twelve to fifteen feudal castles or estates, and each of those estates has control of a considerable amount of land outside the city. They grow their own unique products and sell them in deals made here. For instance, it's the vampires who cultivate Clarion Loess Black Magic.† â€Å"I see,† said Elena, who had no idea what he was talking about, except the Black Magic wine. â€Å"But all we really need to know is how to get to the Shi no Shi – your prison.† â€Å"That's true. Well, the easiest way would be to find the kitsune sector. The Shi no Shi is a cluster of buildings, with the largest one – the one without a top, although it's curved, and you may not be able to tell from the ground – â€Å" â€Å"The one that looks like a coliseum?† Elena interrupted eagerly. â€Å"I get a sort of bird's-eye view of the city whenever I come here.† â€Å"Well, the thing that looks like a coliseum is a coliseum.† Stefan smiled. He really smiled; he's feeling well enough to smile, now, Elena rejoiced, but silently. â€Å"So to get you in and out, we just head from below the coliseum to the gate back to our world,† Elena said. â€Å"But to get you free there are – some things we need to collect – and those are probably going to be in different parts of the city.† She tried to remember if she had ever described the twin fox key to Stefan or not. It was probably better not to do it if she hadn't already done it. â€Å"Then I'd hire a native guide,† Stefan said immediately. â€Å"I don't really know anything about the city, except what the guards tell me – and I'm not sure if I would trust them. But the little people – the ordinary ones – will probably know the things you want to know.† â€Å"That's a good idea,† Elena said. She drew invisible designs with a transparent finger on his chest. â€Å"I think Damon really plans to do everything he can to help us.† â€Å"I honor him for coming,† Stefan said, as if he were thinking things out. â€Å"He's keeping his promise, isn't he?† Elena nodded. Deep, deep in her consciousness floated the thoughts: His word to me that he would take care of you. His word to you that he would take care of me. Damon always keeps his word. â€Å"Stefan,† she said, again in the innermost recesses of his mind, where she could share information – she hoped – in secret, â€Å"you should have seen him, really. When I did Wings of Redemption and every bad thing that had hardened him or made him cruel came undone. And when I did Wings of Purification and all the stone covering his soul came away in chunks†¦. I don't think you could imagine how he was. He was so perfect – and so new. And later when he cried†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Elena could feel inside Stefan three layers of emotion succeed one another almost instantaneously. Disbelief that Damon could cry, despite all that Elena had been telling him. Then, belief and astonishment as he absorbed her pictures and her memories. And finally, the need to console her as she stared at a Damon forever trapped in penitence. A Damon that would never exist again. â€Å"He saved you,† whispered Elena, â€Å"but he wouldn't save himself. He wouldn't even bargain with Shinichi and Misao. He just let them take all his memories of that time.† â€Å"Maybe it hurt too much.† â€Å"Yes,† said Elena, deliberately lowering her barriers so that Stefan could feel the hurt that the new and perfect creature she'd created had felt upon learning that he had committed acts of cruelty and treachery that – well, that would make the strongest soul flinch. â€Å"Stefan? I think he must feel very lonely.† â€Å"Yes, angel. I think you're right.† This time Elena thought a good deal longer before venturing, â€Å"Stefan? I'm not sure he understands what it's like to be loved.† And while he thought out his response, she was on tenterhooks. Then he said very softly, very slowly again, â€Å"Yes, angel. I think you're right.† Oh, she did love him. He always understood. And he was always most brave and gallant and trusting just when she needed him to be. â€Å"Stefan? Can I stay again tonight?† â€Å"Is it nighttime, lovely love? You can stay – unless They come to take me somewhere.† All at once Stefan was very solemn, holding her gaze. â€Å"But if They come – you'll promise me to leave then, won't you?† Elena looked straight into his green eyes and said, â€Å"If that's what you want, I'll promise.† â€Å"Elena? Do you†¦do you keep your promises or not?† Suddenly, he sounded very sleepy, but the right kind of sleepy, not worn out, but someone who has been refreshed and is being lulled into a perfect slumber. â€Å"I keep them close to me,† Elena whispered. But I keep you closer, she thought. If someone came to hurt him, they would find out what a bodiless opponent could do. For instance, what if she just reached inside their bodies and managed to make contact for an instant? Long enough to squeeze a heart between her pretty white fingers? That would be something. â€Å"I love you, Elena. I'm so glad†¦we kissed†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"It's not the last time! You'll see! I swear it!† She dropped new healing tears down on him. Stefan just smiled gently. And then he was asleep. In the morning Elena woke up in her grand bedroom in Lady Ulma's house, alone. But she had another memory, like a pressed rose, to put away in its own special place inside her. And somewhere, deep in her heart, she knew that these memories might be all she had of Stefan someday. She could imagine that these sweet-scented, fragile mementoes would be something to hold on to and cherish – if Stefan never came home.

Influential High School Novels Essays

Influential High School Novels Essays Influential High School Novels Essay Influential High School Novels Essay Essay Topic: 7th Grade 9th Grade High School The Giver When I was in 7th grade, I read a book that completely changed my perspective on todays society. The same thing happened to me when I was in 9th grade. Two completely different books, the Giver and To Kill a Mockingbird both showed me different sides of life, one set in the far future, and one set in the far past. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee teaches us many lessons that are still relevant today and will be for all of the time. The Giver, by Lois Lowry, does the same but in a different way. Something very common that both books share is the fact that they both are banned from numerous schools due to language, violence, religious viewpoints, or just being unsuited to the assigned age group. To Kill a Mockingbird is so important for our children, and their children, and many more future generations, simply because of the lessons taught from the story. The writing isn’t the best, and the story certainly isn’t anything to behold, but the things that Jem, Scout, and Atticus teach us will always be very insightful, and show us concepts we may miss out on today. Jem teaches us how growing up is quite awful, and he does this by losing all sense of his innocence during tom Robinson’s trial. Jem seeing an innocent man convicted really hurts him, and forces him to grow up in a way no child really should. Scout still has a bit by the end of the novel, and she shows us how that is something we need to cherish and not take for granted, ever. Atticus teaches us about standing up for what’s right and how our beliefs, no matter how small, are so important. These three influential characters have showed me how I’ve been shaped by what I stand by. My c hildhood innocence, in a way, still remains, though alarge portion of it is gone. We lose our innocence through experience, and the best teacher for that lesson is Jem Finch. He shows us how we may think we know a lot about people and things, but we really don’t until we’ve experien

Migration essays

Migration essays Every year hundreds of birds, mammals, and insects par take in a roundtrip journey to find a warmer climate, a better reproductive environment, and more food. Three species in particular that make this migration every year are the golden cheeked warbler, the whooping crane, and the monarch butterfly. Also, scientists believe they have figured out why these animals never wander off course or get lost. Scientists have carefully tracked several species to try to fully understand their migration behavior. The golden cheeked warbler is a bird that migrates twice a year. From mid March to late July these birds can be found in central Texas. They call the Ashe Juniper trees home, and these trees are also their breeding sites. When July finally comes around the baby warblers have grown enough to make the migration and it commences. All of the warblers head south to find more food. From late July to mid March the warblers are somewhere in Mexico and South America. According to the National Wildlife Federation their winter home is not specifically denoted (4). However, wherever they call home in our winter they find ample food to make it back to Texas again in March. Another bird that makes a migration trip is the whooping crane. However, these birds have four parts to their journey. From late April until mid September the cranes spend their mating season with one life long mate in Canada. The pair of cranes will return to the same spot every year to raise their offspring, and in September the family heads south to Texas. During this trip between mid - September and mid November the cranes fly during the day and stop at night to rest and eat. The first groups of cranes to get to Texas are the cranes that either did not mate, or whos young died on the way to Texas. Then the families will finally arrive. The third part of the migration is from mid November to l ...

7 Reasons to Enroll a Child in an Online Elementary School

7 Reasons to Enroll a Child in an Online Elementary School Every year, hundreds of parents pull their kids out of traditional schools and enroll them in virtual programs. How do online elementary schools benefit children and their families? Why are parents so eager to remove their kids from the system that has worked for decades? Here are some of the most common reasons: 1. An online school gives kids the freedom to work on developing their passions. Two decades ago, primary school children were given little no homework. Now, students often return from school with hours of worksheets, drills, and assignments to complete. Many parents complain that students aren’t given the opportunity to focus on their own talents: learning an instrument, experimenting with science, or mastering a sport. Parents of online students often find that students are able to complete their assignments faster when they don’t have the distraction of peers to hold them back. Many online students are able to finish their coursework in the early afternoon, leaving many hours for kids to develop their own passions.​ 2. Online schools allow kids to get away from bad situations. Difficult situations with bullying, bad teaching, or a questionable curriculum may make school a struggle. Parents certainly don’t want to teach their kids to run away from a bad situation. However, some parents find that enrolling their child in an online school can be good for both their learning and their emotional health. 3. Families are able to spend more time together after enrolling their kids in online school. Hours of class, after-school tutoring, and extracurricular activities are leaving many families with no time to spend together (aside from homework tantrums). Online schooling lets kids complete their studies and still spend quality time with their loved ones. 4. Many online schools help kids work at their own pace. One of the drawbacks of traditional classrooms is that teachers must design their instruction to meet the needs of the students in the center. If your child is struggling to understand a concept, he may be left behind. Likewise, if your child is unchallenged, he may have to sit bored and uninspired for hours while the rest of the class catches up. Not all online schools let students work at their own pace, but a growing number provide students with the flexibility to get extra help when they need it or move ahead when they don’t. 5. Online schools help students to develop independence. By their nature, online schools require students to develop the independence to work on their own and the responsibility to complete assignments by the deadline. Not all students are up for the challenge, but kids that develop these skills will be better prepared for completing further education and joining the workforce. 6. Online schools help students develop technology skills. Technology skills are essential in almost every field and there’s no way for students to learn online without developing at least some of these essential abilities. Online learners tend to become proficient with internet communication, learning management programs, word processors, and online conferencing. 7. Families have a greater educational choice when they are able to consider online schools. Many families feel like they are stuck with few educational options. There may be only a handful of public and private schools within driving distance (or, for rural families, there may only be a single school). Online schools open up an entirely new set of choices for concerned parents. Families can choose from state-run online schools, more independent virtual charter schools, and online private schools. There are schools designed for young actors, gifted learners, struggling students, and more. Not all schools will break the bank, either. Publicly-funded online schools allow students to learn without charge. They may even provide resources like laptop computers, learning supplies, and internet access.

Outsourcing Federal Healthcare (Operations Management) 2 Assignment

Outsourcing Federal Healthcare (Operations Management) 2 - Assignment Example Hospitals keep personal health records of patients and disseminate this information when it is needed. The other major stakeholder in the U.S. federal healthcare system includes employers; they take part in paying for the insurance costs of the employees. The goal of employers is to ensure that there is a contribution towards the insurance funds, which cater for the needs of employees (Harland, et. al., 2005). Another main stakeholder of the healthcare system in the U.S. includes patients, as well as consumers of the healthcare services, which are provided by the federal healthcare system. The goals of consumers include having access to adequate care from the government. Consumers also want to access affordable health services from the healthcare institutions. The needs of stakeholders are to get health services, which are within their reach and which can serve various health needs that they have. The federal government can also be regarded as one of the main stakeholders in healthca re provision, in the United States. As a stakeholder in the federal health system, the goal of the federal government includes providing affordable health services to the U.S. citizens. The other goal of the federal government is to ensure that medical services and facilities accessible to the United States citizens are of high quality (Medicare.gov, 2013). The current strategy of the federal government in the provision of health services, in the United States, focuses on the provision of affordable care to all citizens, in the United States. With the establishment of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the United States government aims at ensuring that there will remarkable changes, which will have an impact on all healthcare organizations. The current status of healthcare reform in the United States also aims at ensuring that there is access to universal healthcare by all. The strategy used by the federal government aims at ensuring that more money is spent on health t han in any other activity. In addition, the current status of healthcare reform in the U.S. aims at ensuring that Medicaid and Medicare become affordable to all. This covers all American citizens, including the poor and unemployed persons who may face challenges when accessing healthcare (Medicare.gov, 2013). The current status of healthcare in the United States faces certain strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. This warrants a SWOT analysis of the U.S. healthcare system. One of the strengths of the current healthcare plan is that it enables the government to spend money on healthcare. In addition, the system can be credited since it has led to a decrease in the infant mortality rates. One of the weaknesses of the system is that it does not guarantee access to health insurance for the majority of American citizens. For example, sixteen percent of the American population does not have access to health insurance (Medicare.gov, 2013). One of the opportunities that the cur rent healthcare system has is that it receives funding from stakeholders such as non-governmental organizations, which are interested in providing healthcare in the United States. There is also adequate support of the system from other remarkable players in the United States. Despite the opportunities that the system has there are also some threats that it poses. One of the threats is that it may make people over-dependent on the government for the provision of other needs, which