Financial Accounting Standards Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Financial Accounting Standards - Essay Example The statistics present all this information in the form of numerical data. Thus, the CAFR is created. This essay will discuss the CAFR of Texas and all its major components. The Texas CAFR has a table of contents which divides the report into the three parts mentioned above. The first part is known as the introductory section and includes the letter of transmittal along with the structure of the government in Texas and the officials involved in ensuring its smooth running. The second part of the CAFR includes a number of different components. It begins with the independent auditor's report and continues with the management's discussion and analysis of the report. It also government financial statements which include the net assets and the statement of activities conducted by the state. Also included are the balance sheets, different funds statements which government's funds balance in the net assets and the revenues and expenditure in the governmental balance sheets. These proprietary funds also count the net assets and cash flows. Fiduciary net assets and the changes made to them are included in the financial report. Non-major funds are part of the financial statements of the CAFR. This includes governmental, special revenue, debt service, capital projects, and permanent funds. The balance sheets and revenue, expenditure and changes are also provided for in the fund balances. Non-major enterprise forms a separate aspect of the report. It includes statements of net assets, cash flows and revenues and changes made to the fund net assets for non-major enterprise and educational institutions: colleges and universities. Pension and other employee benefits, trust funds set for private purposes and funds used by agencies are included in the CAFR. The fiduciary net assets are observed along with the changes in these assets. The financial statement ends with a statement of the net activities and assets of the state. The statistical section includes the financial trends which include the net assets and governmental funds and the changes made to them. Also, the revenue is counted which includes the tax collections, retail sales and gross state product. The debt is also covered in the statistics with the outstanding debt and outstanding bond coverage being counted into it. Demographic information like the top ten employers in Texas and employment and unemployment rates are also presented in this statistical report. It ends with the capital assets and their operation in Texas. Thus, these three sections are divided into a variety of components to create the CAFR of Texas (Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts) which helps determine the funds and balance available to this state of America. Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) and Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Analysis paper The GASB is the model applied by the General Accepted Accounting Principles used at the federal and state level in the United States. The FASB is also similar to this model because it too has been created to establish General Accounting Principles for the public interest of the country. However, the difference is that while GASB sets standards for financial accounting and reporting at the state and local government level, FASB does the same job for the private sector which includes not-for-profit

Stem Cell Research and ethical issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Stem Cell Research and ethical issues - Essay Example Ethical issues are those that ask us to consider the potential moral outcomes of stem cell technologies, Legal issues require researchers and the public to help policymakers decide whether and how stem cell technologies should be regulated by the government and Social issues involve the impact of stem cell technologies on society as a whole. While stem cells can be derived from aborted fetuses and even adults, the best source for stem cells is the small clump of cells that compose the early zygote only a few days following conception. Stem cells can be extracted from very young human embryos -- typically from surplus frozen embryos left over from in-vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures at fertility clinics. Therefore, to best investigate the latent possibilities inherent in stem cells, scientists prefer to choose the approximately 100,000 "excess" frozen pre-embryos that are "left over" from earlier IVF attempts. Now, the question arises whether it is ethical to allow the destruction of pre-embryos to obtain stem cells for research that may some day save thousands of lives Whether life for those already existing should be improved at the seeming expense of a possible human life that has just come into being While many ethical issues arise, the key one is whether pre-embryos are included in the prohibition of abortion. T he consensus thus far is that it an embryo is not protected by the limitations on abortion until it is implanted in a woman. Nevertheless, many Rabbis oppose the deliberate creation of pre-embryos for the purpose of their destruction, as this would cheapen the value of human life. The halachic process offers fascinating insight into all areas of ethics, including biomedical ethics. Early stem cells have the ability to differentiate into every cell of the human body, potentially forming an entire fetus. However, by manipulating the conditions and controlling cellular differentiation, research has been able create replacement cells and organs, potentially curing illnesses such as diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease. Stem cell is a primitive type of cell that can be coaxed into developing into most of the 220 types of cells found in the human body (e.g. blood cells, heart cells, brain cells, etc). Some researchers regard them as offering the greatest potential for the alleviation of human suffering since the development of antibiotics. Over 100 million Americans and two billion other humans worldwide suffer from diseases that may eventually be treated more effectively with stem cells or even cured. These include heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer. The ultimate promise of stem cell technology would be to combine it with cloning. Take for instance, a patient dying of liver failure whose cell is cloned. Instead of allowing a cloned cell to develop into a fetus, it could be subjected to conditions where it would differentiate into a genetically identical liver. If this liver is allowed to "grow" to maturity, we could offer the patient a liver transplant without the risk of rejection and without the need for anti-rejection drugs. Those who believe that human life begins at conception-and who also regard activated eggs as morally equivalent to human embryos-cannot ethically approve therapeutic

Frankenstein Themes Similar with Wolverine Essay

Frankenstein Themes Similar with Wolverine - Essay Example Victor Frankenstein was interested in scientific phenomena from a tender age, which saw him excel in science subjects in school. He was especially interested with science that involved reanimation of dead organisms. This saw him experiment with the practical application of his ideas, and his eventual creation of an actual living being, which he later disowned setting the scene and characters of this book. This paper focuses on discussing the themes presented in the book titled Frankenstein and comparing and contrasting with those presented in the film Wolverine. Wolverine is a movie based on a comic book character who went by the name Logan, but whose real names were James Howlett from Alberta, Canada. James witnesses the death of his father murdered by their farm hand called Thomas Logan. This scene prompted his special abilities or mutation to manifest itself for the first time and James Howlett kills the farmhand using his retractable claws. James’ mother casts him away for this deed, and he runs away to the wilderness where he lives with wolves and Indians. James adopts the name Logan because he comes to learn that the farmhand he had killed was his biological father. He joins the Canadian military alongside his half brother Creed who is also referred to as Sabretooth in comics. The themes of family, isolation and society are brought out in the Wolverine film by the fact that Logan is shunned from the time his family and society discovers his abilities. The same is seen in the book about the â€Å"Creature† that Frankenstein created. This is because he cannot stand the sight of his creation (Coghill 31). In the film, the Wolverine is depicted as a person who does not get along with other people and prefers to be alone (Edwards 3). This is in contrast with Frankenstein’s â€Å"monster† because it seeks to be part of society for it considers itself human, and it strives to do this by learning how to speak and read. The society, in both the film and the book, do not accept these characters, in its stead, shun and persecute them. Isolation from society robs Victor, his ‘Monster’ and Wolverine in the movie, all connection with family and they lose sight of consequences and responsibility of their actions. Revenge is a theme that is central in both the film and the book because Wolverine is seen seeking revenge from his ‘creator’ the army general Stryker for being the root of his problems (Edwards 2). Wolverine’s quest for vengeance satisfactorily depicts the theme of revenge in the book about Frankenstein’s monster. The Monster in the book, seeks to enact revenge on its creator, Victor for shunning and refusing to accept it by giving it a name (Coghill 40). This is excellently brought out in the film Wolverine, whereby Logan goes to great lengths to fulfill his revenge mission. Prejudice as a theme that is illustrated in the film where the Wolverine character is discrimina ted against based on his nature even among his fellow mutants. This is depicted as a character flaw in humans who judge someone from their outward appearance without making an effort to know someone. Logan’s rejection by his family serves as an example of how Frankenstein’s monster was shunned from one part of society to another. The monster started out as an agreeable character who only wanted to be accepted the way he was, but due to society’s prejudices, these feelings were turned to anger and hatred towards those who rejected ‘it’. Lost innocence in the film is a theme that is illustrated from the onset of the movie when James Howlett murders their farmhand. His innocence as a 14-year-old boy is destroyed by the realization that humans are prone and capable of horrible deeds.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms, Risks and Treatment

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms, Risks and Treatment Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Bryan Hines Abstract Posttraumatic Stress Disorder is a very dangerous mental health condition. It effects a great many people who have been victims of traumatic events that change their outlook on life and the world around them. The purpose of this paper is to provide basic insight to the disorder, the risk factors, symptoms, and treatment options used by the many trained professionals to assist people with PTSD. Keywords: PTSD, Cognitive Therapy, Exposure Therapy, Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), intrusive memories. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is defined as a mental health condition thats triggered by a terrifying event by either witnessing it or experiencing it. According to Dr. Matthew Friedman, Ph.D, M.D., â€Å"Individuals can only develop PTSD if they have been exposed to a traumatic event. As operationalized in the DSM-IV (2) and shown in Table 1 (as the A1 criterion), traumatic events involve actual or threatened death or serious injury, or a threat to the physical integrity of oneself or others. (Friedman, 2000). Post-Traumatic Stress is not new to us. For most, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is mainly associated with military veterans and active duty soldiers who have been deployed to a combat zone and have been involved in or have witnessed very traumatic events. However, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder does not just affect military members. It can affect first responders, such as Police, Fire Fighters, and hospital Emergency Room staff. People who have been in natural disasters such as floods, tornados, hurricanes, Tsunamis, to name a few can also be inflicted with PTSD. PTSD can and does affect a great many people. There is a difference, however, from PTSD and severe stress. Not everyone is susceptible to PTSD. Many who experience a traumatic event or an extremely stressful event often after a few months have no further thoughts or dreams about the event. PTSD refers to the individuals who have these symptoms for a prolonged period and for those who may never lose these symptoms. The hard part is to identify these symptoms and help those who need help but do not believe they have problems. The key is being able to identify these symptoms. Symptoms The symptoms are grouped into four types according to the Mayo Clinic. The first is intrusive memories. Intrusive memories involve reliving the event again as if it were happening all over again in the present. Having recurring memories of the event over and over again and not being able to get away from it. Intrusive memories also include having recurring dreams about the event as we all have seen in movies where the person affected by these â€Å"dreams† and seems to be reliving these events in the dreams. Intrusive memories also include being very emotional and distressed about something that reminds them of the event. Anything could trigger this reaction in someone. A certain noise or surroundings, something someone says which may have occurred prior to the event or during the event could trigger these intrusive memories. Avoidance, is exactly what it implies. Some people go to extremes to avoid anything that will remind them or trigger anything that will remind them of the event. Often going miles out of their way, when it involves and accident they witnessed or were in, to avoid bringing up the negative images in their minds. They will avoid people they knew for many years, because they remind them of the incident or event. For those who have driven on the streets of Iraq, they are often very aware of their surroundings when driving even when they get back home. If closely observed, one can see the anxiety and the â€Å"head on a swivel† motion of these individuals, where they look rapidly and in all directions. They become very anxious when they see debris on the side of the road or new construction, or even dead animals in the middle of the road, often slowing down or avoiding the spot all together. Negative changes in thinking and mood are often the most obvious signs of PTSD but certainly not the only signs. These changes deal with how the person perceives themselves. They have lost self-worth, and see very little hope into the future. They have problems dealing with loved ones and often fail to have or remain in a relationship for any length of time. This may be because they no longer feel anything emotionally. Inability to feel love, or affection toward anyone or anything. They once loved t o do things and now have no desire to do anything they once did, such as sports or socializing. They do not see the point of doing anything because they have no desire to or have no thought about the future. They often have memory issues, especially when it comes to the traumatic event. Emotional reactions, or as they are often called, Arousal Symptoms (AS), include difficulty sleeping, concentrating on little things, anxiousness or extreme angst, always on guard as in the example above. Individuals will always be looking for something to happen, and can be easily scared or startled, which may bring along with it a very negative and destructive reaction. This is caused by irritability, anger, and outbursts or aggressive behavior, which are prominent emotional reactions in those that are affected by PTSD. The severity and frequency of these symptoms are dependent on the nature and severity of the traumatic event and the ability of the person to cope with these emotions. Risk Factors Risk factors vary with respect to the individual. Theses certain risk factors include family history of mental illness, depending on age what childhood years were like, what life was like prior to traumatic event, having other mental or health issues, and of course how often one is exposed to traumatic events. Being exposed repeatedly to these types of risk factors has a significant effect on whether one develops PTSD. However, if a person has strong support system of family, friends, and trained psychiatric personnel significantly diminishes the effects that these stressors have on a person, and can often help to ward off significant stress and the potential to develop a stress disorder. For some, however, no matter how often we are able to talk to someone, these events can trigger a reaction from any event in the past. According to Dr. Friedman physical attributes also play a part in PTSD, he states â€Å"Abnormalities in brain structure and function have been demonstrated in PTSD patients. In three independent laboratories, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has shown reduced hippocampal volume among male and female PTSD patients who had been exposed to combat trauma, sexual assault or motor vehicle accidents† (Friedman, 2000). If identified then one should expect that identification of such findings could result in identifying potential PTSD issues in individuals attempting to join the military, first responders, and even those jobs which are susceptible to higher stressors. This could lead into some rather serious discussions into what would be legal into prescreening candidates for certain positions. But that is a different subject. If risk factors are pre-identified then it should be possible for those individuals to obtain the necessary treatment to and to learn strategies to manage their stress levels. Women according to the Veterans Administration are more likely to succumb to chronic PTSD than their male counterparts. Which is probably the result of women being more at ease with talking about their concerns and thoughts and seeking treatment. Men are less likely to do so. It is also noteworthy that recent openings of combat jobs in the military has exposed women to more stressful and traumatic events than in previous years. Coupled with the fact that women more likely the victims of sexual assault, or at least more likely to report it, than men are. According to studies 34% of women will experience some sort of sexual assault in their lifetime both as adults and as children. Women are twice as likely to be diagnosed with PTSD as men are. Children are especially susceptible for obvious reasons, especially in their younger years since they have not built up the cognitive skills required to deal with such stressors as child abuse, sexual molestation, being neglected, the death of a parent or sibling, or domestic violence. Younger children are often susceptible when one or both parents have PTSD and would possibly suffer the same consequences as they grow older because the neural development occurs faster when children are at a younger age and is determined by their experiences. Extended exposure to this type of trauma at such an early age can change the development of the brain and cause major damage to the mental state of a child. It has been shown that the elderly also are at risk for PTSD. There a few reasons for this. One reason is that with age cognitive function is diminished somewhat. With this declining function it becomes more difficult to cope with stressors that occur during this period of time. The fact is that elderly people feel a decreased role in society as they are often â€Å"pushed† aside for younger people in the workforce and often times in to nursing homes when they reach a certain age. These health problems show us that we are slowly but surely withering away, which is a depressing thought. Our desire to feel needed is also affected as we get older. Children often become too busy to visit, or have others take care of their aging parents and relatives. Money also is an added stressor for the elderly. It is quite often the case that once the retirement age is reached financial income is not the same as it used to be, and the ability to create more income is extremely difficult. The c ost of medications from chronic illness, which normally increase as we get older. Even if one prepares for retirement, it is a burden to live within means based upon a fixed income and having no means of adding income to counter rise of medication dn healthcare costs, insurance, and growing living costs. Military personnel and first responders are at an increased risk for PTSD simply based upon the operational environment that they may find themselves in. For the military the constant stress of daily life of being combat situations plays a tremendous role on the psyche. The images and horrors of war, having been viewed or seen can have an extreme traumatic effect on one’s mental state. These exposures are often the major cause of PTSD in military veterans. First responders also have to deal with very gruesome events when responding to accidents, shootings, or just death in general. It is quite possible that just one event could trigger PTSD. Even while remaining in this type of environment, the individual can show signs and symptoms and need to be diagnosed and treated as soon as possible. There is increased risk for all of these different groups when these individuals have dealt with some sort of traumatic event in the past or have other mental health issues that may make them more susceptible to a new traumatic event. Without a strong support system many of these individuals will certainly be more at risk to succumb to PTSD. Delayed diagnosis makes treatment more difficult. There are numerous treatment options available depending on what stage the individual is in and what severity the traumatic event occurred. Treatment Although there are many potential treatments for PTSD, the primary treatment is psychotherapy. In some cases medication may be prescribed to assist with the therapy and will be combined to assist the more extreme or difficult cases. Exposure therapy is a behavioral treatment for PTSD. For PTSD patients it targets the behavior that the patient has learned in order to â€Å"deal† with the traumatic event. Most often this deals with avoidance. In this treatment type, these individuals are asked to try and recount the traumatic event, without the trauma of the event, with hope that new learning via extinction will occur and allow the patient to hinder the effects of the traumatic thoughts versus eradicating them entirely. Cognitive therapy assist the person by allowing them or giving them a new way to deal with the detrimental thoughts they are having about the traumatic event and to help them understand the event or events that took place. It helps by showing how the event changed the thought process of how they view the world, people, and themselves. The way we see things and what we perceive to be accurate has been skewed by the traumatic event. By learning about the symptoms, the way they view things and the way they feel, and understanding how the event changed what they believe in, cognitive therapy arms the person with a new way of dealing with this trauma. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) according to the Mayo Clinic, combines exposure therapy with a series of guided eye movements that help you process traumatic memories and change how you react to traumatic memories.† (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2014). EMDR is a therapy based upon physiology and helps a person see, in a similar way to what they see during Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep, these disturbing events in a new and less troublesome or traumatic way. After going through the session EMDR a patient should no longer view these events in a similar view that they had prior to the therapy session. The event will still be in memory, however, how the patient views the event should be less traumatic for them. Pharmacotherapy is another approach to dealing with PTSD. While most drugs cannot remove symptoms they can offer assistance in dealing and coping with them. Antidepressants, anti-anxiety, and other drugs that assist with sleep issues may be prescribed. Pharmacotherapy should not be viewed as a primary treatment. According to The Journal of Behavioral Health Services Research, â€Å"While à ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ rst-line pharmacotherapy for PTSD, depression, and anxiety/panic disorder is a SSRI, consensus statements recommend that patients with PTSD also have specialized MH counseling, with structured cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or psychotherapy, as part of a comprehensive treatment plan.† (73521271) Patients requiring drugs to assist in the treatment of PTSD should ensure that a list of current medications is provided to their therapist in order to prescribe proper medication and avoid negative interaction. Summary Posttraumatic stress can affect anyone at any given moment. Exposure to any type of traumatic event could set off previous events that have been buried in the past. As we get older we develop new ways to avoid thinking about certain events that have occurred in our lives. If we are no longer bothered by the event after a few months then it would not be classified as PTSD, rather a stressful event that was traumatic. If another event triggered a more significant and longer lasting effect, then it would be considered PTSD. For those of us who have seen PTSD and have known or have had traumatic events may recognize the symptoms. Even if there is any doubt, the first thing one should do is to let the person know that there is no shame in getting assistance and we are all there for them. It is essential to have a great support group and it is even more essential that the one affected by a traumatic event knows there is help and support. We are often too ashamed or unaware of what we do, o r how we act unless someone else points it out to us. The key here is to know the signs and symptoms and then do something about it. References Meltzer, E., Averbuch, T., Samet, J., Saitz, R., Jabbar, K., Lloyd-travaglini, C., Liebschutz, J. (2012). Discrepancy in Diagnosis and Treatment of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Treatment for the Wrong Reason. The Journal of Behavioral Health Services Research, 39(2). (2012, April 1). Retrieved August 10, 2014. Yehuda, R. (1999). Biological Factors Associated With Susceptibility to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 44(1), 34-39. (1999, January 1). Retrieved August 12, 2014. Mayo Clinic Staff. (2014, April 15). Diseases and Conditions Post-Traumatic stress Disorder (PTSD). Retrieved August 10, 2014, from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/basics/definition/con-20022540 Friedman, M. (1995, January 1). Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Retrieved August 9, 2014, from http://www.acnp.org/g4/GN401000111/CH109.html

Kurt Vonnegut :: essays research papers

Kurt Vonnegut   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Kurt Vonnegut is an impressive author who combines comic fiction and social satire in his novels. He often writes about the main character Kilgore Trout, who seems to be more like Vonnegut’s alter ego. He has written many books including Player Piano, Cat’s Cradle, Slaughterhouse Five, Galapagos, Bluebeard, and Fates Worse Than Death.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Kurt Vonnegut was born November 11, 1922 in Indianapolis Indiana. His parents were Kurt Vonnegut Sr. and Edith Leiber. He graduated from Shortridge High School in Indianapolis where he was editor of the school newspaper. After graduation in 1940, he moved on to Cornell University in Ithaca, New York where he took classes for biochemistry. In 1942, he enlisted in the army as an Infantry Battalion Scout. Later he was trained by Carnegie Institute and University of Tennessee to become a mechanical engineer. In 1944, Kurt’s mother committed suicide on May 14. He returns home briefly, then was captured in the Battle of the Bulge. While working in a factory in Dresden, Germany, Vonnegut picked up his materials for Slaughterhouse Five. After this he married Jane Mary Cox on September 1, 1945. Working as a police reporter, he studied Anthropology at the University of Chicago, but his thesis was rejected. In 1947, his son Mark was born, later, in 1949 his daughter E dith. He then became a publicist for General Electric in Schenectady, New York, but in 1950 he quit GE, and moved to Cape Cod to write. He published Player Piano in 1952. His third child, Nanette was born in 1954. Between 1954 and 1956 he taught English at Hopefield school, worked for an ad agency, and opened the very first Saab dealership in the great United States. Next, Kurt was rocked with a number of close deaths. His father passed away in 1957 on October 1, his sister and his brother-in-law die in 1958. He then adopted his three oldest nieces and nephews. Kurt still found time to write and Cat’s Cradle was published in 1962. From 1965 to 1967, he took up a residency at University of Iowa Writer’s Workshop and published Pearls Before Swine. Vonnegut wanted a closer look in Dresden before he wrote the novel Slaughterhouse Five, to he went back to Dresden on a Guggenheim Fellowship. He finished the novel in 1969. His education was furthered after he taught creative writing at Harvard and received his master’s degree from University of Chicago for Cat’s Cradle.

The Significance of the Rape Scene in Timothy Findley’s

The significance of the rape scene in Timothy Findley’s The Wars Ryan Moore Robert Ross, the protagonist of Timothy Findley’s novel The Wars undergoes a disturbing violation when his fellow soldiers rape him; this is a significant turning point for Robert’s character and a section of the book Findley uses to address many themes. Throughout the book we witness Robert maturing and experiencing many hardships that will help create the man he becomes. The most significant of these trials is the scene at the insane asylum because it is where Robert looses the last connection to his innocence and his faith in humanity’s virtuousness.Findley also uses this scene to address the topic of homophobia in that era, and the substantially detrimental effect the First World War had on the fighting men of Robert’s generation. Findley employs creative diction in the beginning of section five, chapter five of the novel, in order to symbolize the fragmentation of Rober t’s character. Robert pieces together what has just happened as he stands â€Å"in the center of the room† (175). Robert’s thoughts are exposed from the following lines; â€Å"He wanted a clean shirt† â€Å"He wanted his pistol† (175).The author’s short, choppy sentences are representations of Robert’s thought pattern. He is in a state of shock, and his character is splintering as he tries to comprehend the violation that has just transpired. Findley creates emphasis in Robert’s thoughts and actions by double spacing this part and starting each sentence with â€Å"he† followed by a verb: â€Å"He wanted†, â€Å"He looked†, â€Å"He pulled†. As a reader, this writing technique makes us feel as if we are able to see into Robert’s thoughts and be a part of the moment.This creates powerful imagery of Robert’s damaged state of mind and draws attention to this section, which makes the reader consider that it is a very important event that also makes connections to other issues and themes. A notable observation of the scene where Robert wants to hug his friend Poole, but he knows that he must not because it would be inappropriate, is the issue of Homophobia that is touched on. This was very prevalent issue at this time and Findley uses this scene in tandem with the rape scene to create irony. â€Å"Robert wished with all his heart that men could embrace† (177).After what he has experienced â€Å"he knew now they couldn’t. Mustn’t† (177). The irony is that Robert doesn’t want to be thought of as unusual; while he is in fact more normal than most people in the asylum, especially including his assailants, who are in fact very unusual. A potential reason the author draws attention to this topic of homophobia is because it could have been an issue for him growing up as a gay man in the early 1900’s, and he may have thought it needed t o be addressed. The scene when Taffler and the Swede have â€Å"panic† in their eyes on page 40 also lends strength to the theme of homophobia.Robert’s turning point begins when he burns his photograph of Rowena; he has lost faith in humankind and does not want his memory of her to remain in such a perverse and painful world. The narrator describes Robert’s violation as â€Å" . . . being rolled and dumped face down on the stones† (175). Robert discovers something important about his attackers when he realizes that â€Å"his assailants . . . had been his fellow soldiers. Maybe even his brother officers† (175). Findley gives us some insight into Robert’s thoughts when he describes him burning the photo, â€Å"This was not an act of anger-but an act of charity† (178).His assailants treat Robert like a piece of trash once they are through with him and leave him â€Å"face down on the stones†. The atrocious defilement Robert endure s changes his opinion of humanity and after witnessing the hellish events of war, and realizing his attackers â€Å"had been his fellow soldiers†, Robert looses trust in mankind’s goodness (175). When he receives his belongings and sees the photograph of his sister, Robert realizes that he doesn’t her memory to exist in a place that has treated him so harshly and that her innocence does not belong in this world any longer.Robert decides to burn the picture to free Rowena’s memory from the slightest association with the depravation mankind has sunk to in his eyes, and with it he is destroying the last link to his innocence. The rape scene is also very important because of the real life symbolism it represents. Findley uses the rape scene to acknowledge that the war has â€Å"raped† Robert’s generation of men who were affiliated with it. As Robert is assaulted his thoughts lead to â€Å"Why? Robert kept thinking. Why? † (174). The autho r hints at this theme in the following line: â€Å" . . . four hundred thousand possibilities- all of those lives that would never be† (169).Robert’s thoughts of â€Å"why† reflect the thoughts of many North American men and women who had lost love ones during the war. Findley believes that â€Å"the war, and those who made it, raped Robert’s entire generation of men† and left damaged scared victims and grieving relatives in their wake (gradesaver). Findley cleverly emphasizes the subtle metaphor of â€Å"four hundred thousand possibilities† by writing it at the end of the chapter (169). This figure of speech is used to touch on one of the main themes of the book, which is the repercussion of war for humanity and the lives it wastes.In conclusion the significance of the rape scene serves many purposes. Primarily it establishes the dramatic turning point for the protagonist, Robert Ross. He is required to rapidly mature in order to fight his way through the war, and this event forces him to let go of his innocent past self and his memories of Rowena. Findley’s character interactions that follow this scene and also occur in other parts of the book allude to the controversy of homophobia during this time, which may have been a subject of contempt for him.The author also uses this scene to address the real life topic of World War One and how he believes that the war mongers of the era have â€Å"raped† Robert Ross’s generation of men by conscripting them to a ruthless and prolonged war. References Findley. Timothy. The Wars. Toronto: Penguin, 1977. Print. â€Å"The Wars Study Guide? : Summary and Analysis of Part Five and Epilogue | GradeSaver. † Gradesaver, November 12, 2012. http://www. gradesaver. com/the-wars/study-guide/section6/.

Manchurian Candidate – Film Theory Paper

The Manchurian Candidate, adapted from Richard Condon’s novel of the same title, was released in 1962, and directed by John Frankenheimer. Brief Plot Summary The central concept of the film is that the son of a prominent, right-wing political family has been brainwashed as an unwitting assassin for an international Communist conspiracy Thesis Statement The Manchurian Candidate was noted for its breakthrough in cinematography, as the scenes were shot in a creative manner that was new and different in that era.It also made use of different editing techniques to seamlessly piece the story together, along with the use of certain recurring Motifs to effectively deliver the story to the audience. This paper would examine how the groundbreaking use of cinematography, editing help to bring across the theme of surrealism, and delivers a thrilling effect while the motifs help bridge the Theme of The Manchurian Candidate with the use of visual elements. Cinematography The Manchurian Cand idate made use of several different brilliant cinematography aspects to bring forward the theme of surrealism and thrill to the audience.According to the Dictionary, the term â€Å"surrealism† refers to â€Å"an avant-garde movement in art and literature that sought to release the creative potential of the unconscious mind, characterized by the evocative juxtaposition of incongruous images in order to include unconscious and dream elements. † This theme was highlighted in several scenes in the film. Particularly in a scene where Major Marco was having a nightmare, the camera tracked from the end of Marco’s bedroom towards Marco, who was lying on the bed sleeping.The tracking shot ended with a close up of Marco’s face, with his brows furrowed as he began to experience his recurring nightmare. The close up shot of Marco’s troubled face was then superimposed onto his nightmare shot. From the tracking to close up shot, it creates a sense of mystery and suspense, which intrigues the audience and builds up the anticipation. After which it would lead up to the film’s most noted scene- the Ladies in Garden Club scene.In this scene, the director made use of a 360 degrees panning shot to showcase three different points of view- the â€Å"Reality†, the â€Å"brainwashed white man’s imagination† and the â€Å"brainwashed black man’s imagination†. These three different points of view in a dream add up to one big surrealistic nightmare scene. It is also important to note that this scene was considered to be â€Å"notorious† (Chung, 2006, p. 129) during that era, for its unconventional use of camera work. During and after the 1950s, there is an â€Å"increase in the number of dark, provocative and original films. (Mann, 2008, p. 12) and The Manchurian Candidate was one of them. It was â€Å"stylistically ambitious† (Mann, 2008, p. 12) and can be considered a breakthrough in cinematogr aphy during that era. This scene alone had to be shot 3 different times, as each individual point of view comprised of different elements and actors. The platoon was captured and brainwashed into thinking they were attending a ladies horticulture club meeting, when in fact they were present and sitting in a Communist meeting. The camera then does a 360 degrees slow panning shot from the lady speaking, Mrs.Whittaker, to everyone present in the scene, listening to the talk. However, as the camera makes a full round and returns to the start, gone was Mrs. Whittaker, and in her place stood an East Asian doctor giving the Russian and Chinese generals a speech about the brainwashed American soldiers. This panning shot builds up suspense, as the camera slowly pans around the venue, showing that there were only ladies present. It delivered a shock to the audience, who expected to see Mrs. Whittaker after the camera makes a full round, to find out that the lady was gone and replaced by a man instead.This slow panning movement also gave the scene a dream-like quality, which is a characteristic often associated with the theme of surrealism. The scene with the doctor and Communist generals reflected the â€Å"reality† of which the soldiers are unaware of, as they were brainwashed. The camera used a low-angle shot to reveal the amphitheatre filled with Communists. It was positioned behind the soldiers, as if they were looking up to those seated. This is to show that the American soldiers caught were at the mercy of those Generals present, to show authority from those seated above and around the amphitheatre.Even though they are under the mercy of the Communists, the soldiers showed no sign of fear as they were brainwashed into thinking they were facing a group of women instead. Hence the use of camera angle here provides a sort of contradiction to reality, it showed Communist authority even though the soldiers displayed no fear. Another groundbreaking use of cinemat ography can be found in the scene where Johnny Iselin was confronting the Secretary about the â€Å"number of Communists in the Defense department† with Eleanor Iselin manipulating her husband.In this scene, the Secretary was giving a press conference and Johnny Iselin stood up, and demanded to know why are there communists present in the Defense department. The scene was constructed such that the Secretary was at one end of the room, while Johnny was the other end. Yet they were able to appear in one frame, with the use of juxtaposition. As the press conference was broadcasted live, the confrontation between both parties were filmed and showed on television screen.Whenever the Secretary is in frame, Johnny Iselin would appear on the screen of a small television at the corner of the frame, thus making both parties visible onscreen even though technically, they are at different ends of the room. This use of framing and juxtapose imagery echo them theme of â€Å"surrealismâ₠¬ . Surrealism often uses incongruous juxtapositions to highlight conflicts (Strom, 2003). In one particular scene, the mastermind of this confrontation, Eleanor Iselin, appeared in the foreground, with Johnny in the background, and the Secretary reacting angrily on the small little television screen at the corner of the frame.Every action was combined in one frame capturing the whole shot, filled with conflict and movement. This framing brought the tension of the film up a few notches and audiences were able to feel the impending explosion of anger between the characters. The unconventional use of cinematography aspects in this film successfully brings forward the theme of Surrealism, with its â€Å"unusual framings and camera movements† (Strom, 2003, p. 8), which are styles indebted to Surrealism. Editing The different use of editing was also one of the most noted aspects of The Manchurian Candidate.According to Carroll (2003), â€Å"editing, or montage, was generally cel ebrated as the most important, essential characteristic of cinema† (p. 153). Hence the right choice of editing technique would set the pace and coherency of the film. This would bring us to the editing pace of the film- the long takes versus the accelerated montage. The scene that showcased a long take, happened when in Major Marco’s train ride from Washington to New York. Marco was feeling jittery and nervous, thus he decided to leave his train seat and go to the back of the train for some fresh air.He arrived at the last carriage, and stood with his back leaning against the wall. A woman followed Marco and entered the same carriage. She had observed Marco from before, and decided to follow him into the back. Marco and the woman began to strike up a conversation, with random small talks that made no sense. This whole scene involved no cuts at all, all shot at one go and thus showcasing the aspect of a â€Å"long take†. The long take builds on the tension between the meeting of two strangers, showing the entire conversation between Marco and the woman, despite it being nonsensical and weird.The audience took in the scene at one go, after which it leaves them wondering â€Å"what lies underneath this exchange of words between the Major and this woman? † The long take establishes a fact that this scene is important, as it â€Å"intensifies† a shot (Goldberg, n. d), contradictory to the fact that the content of the scene is random and consist of small talks only. As opposed to a long take, which consists of virtually no cuts, an accelerated montage consists of shots with increasingly shorter lengths.With regards to The Manchurian Candidate, the accelerated montage editing aspect occurs during the â€Å"Convention† scene, where Raymond Shaw was sent on a mission to assassinate the President. In this particular scene, Sergeant Raymond Shaw was instructed by his mother to shoot the newly elected President at the Madison Squar e Garden, with Major Marco scrambling to stop Shaw from accomplishing his mission. The establishing shot of Madison Square Garden showed Raymond walking through rows and rows of empty tiered seats, arriving at a small room high above the arena.He positioned his rifle as he prepares for his mission to assassinate the elected President while he was giving his speech. As crowds filled the arena, Major Marco struggles to locate Shaw in hopes of stopping him. The whole sequence was edited with the cross-cutting technique. Through cross-cutting, it helps to create tension and delivers the sense of thrill when the audience sees Shaw preparing to fire his rifle, as Marco runs frantically to stop him. From the first few shots of Shaw preparing his rifle and locating his target to Marco searching frantically for Shaw, was edited with shots and cuts that got shorter and shorter.It adopted the technique of Accelerated Montage, which serves to create tension and keep the audience at the edge of their seats. As this is the climax of the film, by using cross-cutting and accelerated montage, the film manages to capture the audience’s attention and builds a highly thrilling and exciting sequence. Motifs The Manchurian Candidate makes use of several motifs in this film to drive home its message and to develop its theme. One of the most glaring motifs used in this film would be the Red Queen, or the Queen of Diamonds.The Queen of Diamonds card had appeared several times in the film, particularly during scenes that involved Raymond Shaw being brainwashed. In this film, the Communists had conditioned Shaw’s brain into receiving commands and fulfilling them like a robot would. However, this brainwash condition can only be activated when Shaw hears the line â€Å"Why don’t you pass the time by playing a little game of solitaire? † After which, Shaw would proceed to take out a stack of cards robotically and began playing.As he plays the game, he would even tually draw out the Queen of Diamonds card, and upon seeing the card it would fully activate Shaw’s brainwashed condition. At first glance, it may seem that the Queen of Diamonds motif is played out to trigger Shaw’s mental condition. However, as the film progresses, the intent of using the Queen of Diamonds began to clear up- that the Queen of Diamonds was linked to Shaw’s mother, Eleanor Iselin and later in the film, his soon-to-be wife, Jocie (Blakesly, 2007).According to Blakesly (2007), the Queen of Diamonds card represented â€Å"an adamant woman, his mother, someone Raymond would rather not see†. During the first few scenes, Shaw admitted that he â€Å"despised and loathed his mother†. It was eventually revealed that Shaw’s mother was also part of the Communist conspiracy, and a woman hungry for political power. Hence, the card that would trigger Shaw’s mental condition was picked out to be the Queen of Diamonds, which signifie s his mother and hinted that his mother had a connection with the Communists. As mentioned above, the Queen of Diamonds is also known as the Red Queen.In this case, it represented Communism as this film was shot and based on the Cold War, which was ongoing during that time. Blakesly’s analysis surmises that: Another triggering device for Raymond’s conditioning is when he looks upon the Queen of Diamonds, the Red Queen, with the concomitant relationship of â€Å"red† to the â€Å"Red scare†, the communism from which the left in North America, with rare exceptions, still recoils. (p. 218) Besides being a figure representation of Shaw’s mother, the Queen of Diamonds also took on the representation of Communism.Hence it would make sense to why Shaw would fall into a state of â€Å"brainwashed condition† upon seeing the Queen of Diamonds card- he was being controlled by the Communists, with the card serving as a reminder that Communism took over his mind. Other than the Queen of Diamonds motif, the film also adopted Abraham Lincoln as a motif. The use of Abraham Lincoln ranges from obvious pictures of Lincoln himself, hanging in the Iselin house to a more subtle form, where Johnny Iselin dresses up at Abraham Lincoln in a masquerade party.The Iselins were from the Right-Wing, or Republican party. The use of Lincoln signifies the stand that the Iselins take within political context and also to serve as a kind of contradiction between right and wrong. Abraham Lincoln was a prominent leader of the Republican Party. According to Redding (2008), the film was â€Å"mediating symbolically on the political heritage of Lincoln’s republic among a corrupted public sphere†. Lincoln was used a symbol to represent America, and the director’s portrayal of the Iselins served as a satire of the America politics during that time.Johnny Iselin, the Senator, was portrayed as a drunk, impulsive and rash person. He often con fronted the government with issues concerning the communist, when in fact; he is also part of the communist conspiracy to take over the American government. This is a parody of â€Å"McCarthy†, who was a rash and impulsive Senator from the Republican Party. During the time he acted as a Senator, he often appeared drunk and caused a lot of controversy. Thus the portrayal of Johnny Iselin based on McCarthy, and the images of Lincoln all served to fuel the director’s satire on the political situation.During the masquerade party scene, Johnny Iselin dressed up as Abraham Lincoln, a contradiction as he is working with the communists whereas Lincoln was regarded as a righteous politician in the past. To further highlight the contradiction, Johnny’s wife, Eleanor Iselin dressed up as Bo Peep, a character which symbolizes innocence and naivety. However, as mentioned previously, Eleanor was anything but innocent. She worked hand in hand with the communists in order to ga in political foothold. Thus, this portrayal also serves to show a contradiction between right and wrong, righteous and evil.Portraits of Abraham Lincoln decorated the Iselin house, and in a particular scene, where Eleanor was confronting Raymond about his love interest with the daughter of a Senator from an opposition party, Lincoln was â€Å"staring† down at the confrontation. This is yet another example of contradiction between right and wrong, the mother being an evil influence was threatening Raymond to give up his love and Lincoln’s portrait in the background serves to remind us light will prevail, as the portrait was hung above of Eleanor as she speaks.The different motifs of this film helped shaped the entire plot and provided audience with clues; when they see the Queen of Diamonds they immediately would know that Raymond Shaw would be brainwashed. It also helped to bridge certain morals or theme of the story with visual elements, like the battle of right and e vil was shown through the portayal of the Iselins versus Abraham Lincoln iconography. Conclusion This paper discussed how use of cinematography, editing helped bring across the theme of surrealism, and delivered a thrilling effect while the motifs helped bridge the Theme of The Manchurian Candidate with the use of visual elements.In conclusion, The Manchurian Candidate made use of highly unconventional cinematography and editing aspects that successfully showcased the theme of â€Å"surrealism† and effectively created tension and thrill, for the audience. Not forgetting the effective use of motifs, which helped developed the main theme with the use of visual elements and provoked thought from the audience as they watch the film, while trying to piece the puzzles together.Bibliography * Blakesly, David (2007) The Terministic Screen: Rhetorical Perspectives on Film. Illinois: SIU Press * Carroll, Noel (2003) Engaging the Moving Image. USA: Yale University Press * Chung, H. S. ( 2006) Hollywood Asian: Philip Ahn and the Politics of Cross-Ethnic Performance. USA: Temple University Press * Goldberg, * Mann, Denise (2008) Hollywood Independents: The Postwar Talent Takeover. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press * Redding, A. F. (2008) Turncoats, traitors, and fellow travelers: culture and politics of the early Cold War. USA: University Press of Mississippi * Strom, Kristen (2003) Resurrecting the Stylite Simon: Bunuel’s Surrealist Film. P. 8