Mary-Rose MacColl’s Novel, Killing Superman Essay -- Killing Superman

As a new light begins to dawn on the Vietnam War era, revealing several stories about the effects of PTSD on veterans and their children, it is time that the story about Australian Vietnam veterans and their families is told. Good Morning Ladies and Gentleman of the Film Institute, today I’m going to convince you to turn Mary-Rose MacColl’s brilliant novel, Killing Superman, into a movie. Killing Superman focuses on the story of Scott, the son of a Vietnam War Hero who died in mysterious circumstances. Killing Superman is a brilliant depiction of the life of Scott whose father deserts him and then dies after a few years without contact. Scott discovers the dead man is nothing like the father he knew and without necessary closure Scott goes on a hunt riddled with lies and mysteries to find out what really happened to his father. The main themes present in MacColl’s novel are the effects of the Vietnam War on the soldiers and their children, the much larger theme of the impact a father’s absence and a lack of communication in the family can have on a son and also the hypermasculine image created by some Australian men so that they can hide behind it. The Vietnam War veterans had the highest rate of suicide of all modern day wars. When the veterans came back many were abusive to or distant from their families which had devastating effects on their psyches. The film also shows how poor communication between parents and children can have huge consequences for the children. This is evident in how the poor communication in Scott’s family and the absence of his father result in his break down. The film also highlights the men in Australian cultures who masquerade as hypermasculine individuals to impress other people and often hide... ...ll become more and more nervous until the music is broken off by the assistants voice. This music will help to create tension and fear in the audience. However the music will feature more light heartened tones than The Dark Knight music so as to fit in with the rest of the soundtrack. This scene will create a lot of tension and demonstrates to the viewer how desperate Scott is to see his father again. This film will help to push Australia’s film industry towards a different type of film where Australian larrikinism is traded in for more stories on the silences of Australian culture. This film is also very relevant to today’s society as it highlights how the effects of the Vietnam War and a lack of communication can destroy a young boy’s life. If this novel was made into a film it would reveal another side of Australian culture and hopefully further the industry.

Truancy

Topic 3 Truancy  is any intentional unauthorized or illegal absence from  compulsory schooling. In Malaysia truancy problem is a phenomenon among primary and secondary school students. According to Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong, reported in The News Strait Times article entitled â€Å"Study on truancy – Education Ministry† dated January, 17 2012, â€Å"A total of 110,218 students were involved in disciplinary problems. Of that figure, 72,873 were from secondary level and 37,345 from primary schools,† students were involved in disciplinary problems are rising.Reported in The News Strait Times a survey conducted by the ministry, 58. 85 per cent of truancy cases last year involved students in rural areas, as compared with 41. 15 per cent in cities. In my opinion, actions that should be imposed by the Ministry of Education to solve the problem of truancy among Malaysian school students are improve the academic approach, law enforcement authorities and organize talk or ca mpaign. First, Ministry of Education should improve the academic approach. This can be done by increasing compulsory activities such as academic and semi-academic co-curriculum in schools.Ministry of Education can improve by changing the teaching techniques such as gaming and simulation, drama, role playing and use of technology and instructional resources. Teaching with difference technique can attract students and they will not feel bored on their study. Second, authorities should enforce the law among the students who are truancy. For example, areas of existing police powers should be used by school administrators in disciplining students. The administration should take the opportunity to refer problem student to the police. After enforcing this law, students will be alert from work against this thing.Beside, Ministry of Education may organize some talks and campaign about the disadvantage of truancy. There are kind of campaigns such as â€Å"Zero Truancy Campaign†. With t his students will know the effect of truancy to their study and also their future. In my conclusion, government and the school administration should co-operate to control the phenomenon. The truancy would affect the future of the youngsters and cause social issues in the society.References: National Center for Mental Health Promotion and Youth Violence Prevention http://www. promoteprevent. org/publications/prevention-briefs/truancy-prevention

The Wuthering Heights Review

When Emily Brontes Wuthering Heights was first published in 1847, under the name of Ellis Bell, it received mixed reviews. Although some critics saw the potential evident in the cyclical plot and other literary devices, many others were shocked and dismayed by the unashamedly dark storyline. Different for the Era To be sure, Wuthering Heights was a very different book than what was generally considered acceptable during that era. In direct contrast to Emily Brontes novel, Susannah Rowsons Charlotte Temple (1828) tells the story of a young lady who permits her beau to steal her away in the middle of the night. Predictably, he impregnates her and then abandons her, after which she dies of a broken heart. As was common in novels of the era, Charlotte Temple used a fictional story to instruct its readers―primarily young ladies―in what was expected of them. Flawed Characters In Wuthering Heights, one of the main female characters dies of what could also be considered a broken heart, but the effect is a very different one from that of Charlotte Temple. Instead of presenting an overly sentimental worst-case scenario meant to frighten its readers onto the straight-and-narrow, Wuthering Heights seduces its readers with its dark passion and misguided characters. Both Heathcliff and Catherine are flawed characters, but their flaws intrigue the reader just as surely as they repel. If there is any lesson to be learned after Catherines death, it is the folly of denying your hearts greatest passion―a mistake completely at odds with the cause of Charlotte Temples downfall. Controversy Obscurity Due to the novels tumultuous passion, the book received a mixture of responses. Eventually, those who were scandalized by the books inappropriateness won out, and Emily Brontes only novel was buried in literary obscurity. Decades later, when Wuthering Heights was revived by the interest of modern scholars, the unique literary devices used in the work began to earn more attention than its soap opera-like tale of obsession and loss. Although the second part of the novel―the part that chiefly concerns Catherine and Heathcliffs respective children―is frequently overlooked in retellings and screen adaptations, many contemporary critics believe it holds the key to Emily Bronte’s real literary genius. The first generation of children―Catherine, her brother Hindley, and the gypsy child Heathcliff―had led miserable lives, and both Catherine and Hindley died young as payment for their misguided passions. As a result of Heathcliffs scheming prior to Hindleys death, he has inherited the Earnshaw home, as well as the care of Hindleys son, Hareton. After the death of Heathcliffs estranged wife―Catherine’s husband’s sister, his own son, Linton, comes to live with him as well, setting in motion his final push for revenge. Generations The highlight of the second part of the book is when Heathcliff effectively kidnaps Catherines daughter, who is called Cathy. With the three children now all under one roof, the latter half of the book parallels the beginning, when Catherine, Hindley, and Heathcliff were all children together in the same house. However, whether by a twist of fate or Heathcliffs mistreatment of the boy, Haretons demeanor and place in the household resembles Heathcliffs childhood persona more than that of his own father, while Linton is so weak and sickly that he is the perfect opposite of Heathcliff.Despite the clear similarities to the old rivalries, though, the children begin to converge, rather than to follow in the footsteps of their parents. Maddened by a desire for revenge, Heathcliff attempts to play them against one another, forcing Cathy to marry Linton so that he may inherit the neighboring property that belongs to his rival, Catherines widower. Linton dies soon after. After Heathcliffs own death, the tale comes full circle: the estates return to their rightful heirs, Hareton and the younger Cathy fall in love, and Heathcliff’s legacy of revenge disappears almost without a trace. Complex Storytelling Despite its early reception, the combination of unbridled passion and a complex storytelling form makes Wuthering Heights a favorite in many modern literary circles. The darkness of the story and the lack of accompanying moral teachings shocked many of its contemporaries, while the intricacies of the cyclical plot―the destruction and ultimate reunification of the families―were overlooked until recent decades. A novel that combines masterful literary devices with all of the scandals of a soap opera, Emily Brontes Wuthering Heights was a drama far ahead of its time.