‘12 Years a Slave’ is an eye-opening film that displays incredible themes and ideas throughout it. As the movie follows a man named Solomon, who is captured as a slave, the director, Steve Mcqueen uses an array of camera techniques, dialogue and fascinating characters to make these themes come to life. In two particular scenes, the idea that males feel they have the right to use women however they desire, attracts the attention of the audience. This is because the female slaves must not only endure difficult labour tasks for their masters, but they are also used as sexual objects frequently. One of the techniques the director uses in the scene, in which Master Epps is counting up how much cotton each slave has picked, is dialogue.
‘12 Years a Slave’ is an eye-opening film that displays incredible themes and ideas throughout it. As the movie follows a man named Solomon, who is captured as a slave, the director, Steve Mcqueen uses an array of camera techniques, dialogue and fascinating characters to make these themes come to life. In two particular scenes, the idea that males feel they have the right to use women however they desire, attracts the attention of the audience. This is because the female slaves must not only endure difficult labour tasks for their masters, but they are also used as sexual objects frequently. One of the techniques the director uses in the scene, in which Master Epps is counting up how much cotton each slave has picked, is dialogue.
He is so convinced in his analysis whereas the audiences sees him lying to himself,caught in his own creation, which is pathetic.Charle sand John plan to listen to her and gather information about her which she provides inbetween the lines which they interpret according to the female stereotype.Then they will match the pieces of information and will create a story and a sun-conscience personality which they will treat.This is their profession.This is similar to the charade the con men put in front of Margaret in House of Games. Those are empty mind games, however they reveal a lot about the politics of the sexes. How men think the female mind operates and the irony surfaces when they are wrong in their assumption.This is how the grotesque is created in the mutual understanding , or shall I say misunderstanding between the sexes, which is a major theme in Mamet’s works. Edmond is a movie which also deals heavily with the issue of predestined gender roles in society. Edmond discovers how society sees the male role, single, married or wandering, by the kind of place it had expects him to fill under any of the definitions above.
McMurphy is the joker needed to save the men from paralyzing angst and lack of self-confidence. He accomplishes this by exposing the men to new experiences and stirring conflict with the nurses and guards. The antagonist of the film is Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher) who is the chief caretaker of the patients. Her character is the antithesis of McMurphy as she is cold and follows the rules absolutely. At every instance McMurphy tries to free the patients of routine Nurse Ratched is there to corral the men back to mundanity.
Slave owners, who more often than not, were also plantation owners or landlords, exerted their dominance over slaves. The relationship between these two groups was one of violent domination. Cotton planters often used violent means to extract maximum possible labour from the slaves. Bodily coercion, and even violent torture of the slaves was practiced, so as to keep them in check, and to obtain as much work per labourer as possible. To quote Beckert, “Coerced labour meant rapid profits.” (Empire of Cotton, Beckert) Often, dissenting or under-performing slaves would be harshly, physically punished in front of other slaves, so as to discourage disobeying the slave owner.
She knew she was being watched by everyone in the room, and even changed to a second elaborate dress, which also stated that “her personality had also undergone a change.” She received a compliment from Mrs. McKee, and her response to McKee was a look of sarcasm that screamed for more compliments, which she did get. Myrtle also talked about men and how she basically used them for fortune and reputation and even showed her flirtatious side to Nick. Throughout the book, this is what is seen for the character Myrtle, and these traits of hers set the tone for her character in this society she lives in. In this first party scene, Tom right away shows his very aggressive side. First off, Tom is passing around the drinks with no end near in sight, essentially insisting the group to drink more, and this shows how pushy he could get without realizing it.
She is driven by her sexual impulses and, like Eustacia Vye, frequently aligns herself with men for her own enjoyment and fulfillment. From her first introduction onward, she is “a complete and substantial female animal –no more, no less”s. Hardy inundates the meetings between Jude and Arabella with images of physical lust and desire in order to show the reader that their relationship is purely sexual. In fact, Arabella first attracts Jude’s attention by hitting him in the head with a pig’s penis Key words; Love, lust, selfishness, moral degradation. This highly sexualized encounter likewise slaps the reader in the face with the woman’s true intentions with Jude.
He finds it in him to forgive his fellow countrymen for their coupe d’état, on the basis that “They are man of my race, and of high rank” (1.2.257-258). Prospero uses the threat of torture and magic on Caliban when he is defied by his “subject” by using the language that Prospero taught him “If you keep gambling you will be whipped” and “Beating is the only language you understand. So much the worse for you: I’ll speak, it loud and clear”. Prospero is vivid in his taunting and plight of Caliban and this extends the reader’s sympathy towards Caliban as opposed to “The Tempest”, where the reader finds it difficult to sympathize with Caliban as he is subjectively set out as the antagonist. Further, this threat of torture and discomfort caused by Prospero’s magic and torture shows the tools that were used by European settlers to oppress the indigenous people, such as that of language and torture, this points out the theme of power.
“John laughs at me, of course, but one expects that in marriage” (Gilman).This quote implies that by being laughed at, the narrator is being brought down by the male figure. Through Johns action readers can infer that he is very prejudiced against women being that he expresses superiority in his marriage. “He is very careful and loving, and hardly lets me stir without special direction” (Gilman). This reveals that he has complete control over her. Through the use of feminist criticism readers can understand how society viewed women and their beliefs.
He immediately begins to suspect Désirée, as his unwavering certainty in his heritage boosts the white pride and privilege cradled within his soul. Armand becomes enraged at the sight of his mixed child, and begins to relinquish this rage upon his slaves, with Chopin writing that the “very spirit of Satan” overtook him in how he dealt with them. Désirée, directly in Armand’s crosshairs on behalf of her obscure origins and his white pride, will soon shiver in his coldness and be kept powerless by his