Film review on "The Matrix Reloaded".

Michael McGloin Commentary The main aim for this piece was to persuade with a second aim to entertain the reading audience. I chose this genre because it gave me the chance to explore the language within the genre but also the presentation. My targeted audience was from fifteen to twenty as I feel this age range will read the film review on "The Matrix Reloaded" which I did my piece on. I looked at a number of film reviews and their style but I decided to create my own with my ideas, which I hope made it, more, creative. Throughout my piece I have tried to add humour as well as adding relevant and consistant points. This is shown in the section "the story so far": "for one, you're stark raving crazy" I have used this humour because I was trying to steer away from the standard review because I wanted to personalise it with my own unique style. Developing on this I didn't want to have too much comedy within the review as I feel it would be hard to sustain it to a high a quality if I persisted with it through out the piece. So I included it in short sharp bursts to add `colour` to the review. When I did add the comedy I wanted to bring the reader back to the point I was trying to get across with phrases like: "seriously though". This helps to remind the reader that the most important part of the writing is not the comedy but the actual review. I tried to use the above

  • Word count: 889
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Drama
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What are your first impressions of Happy and Biff

What are your first impressions of Happy and Biff? (up to page 15) Before we (the audience) are actually introduced to the Loman brothers, Biff and Happy, we hear about them from their parents and we learn a little about them. We learn that an argument arose, when Willy asked Biff if "he was making any money?", this criticism evidently hit Biff hard and appears to be a sensitive subject as Willy says he became "a moody man". We also learn and Willy disapproves of Biffs' career as a farmhand, although Linda tries to defend her elder son by saying that he needs to "find himself" Willy continues to say "not finding yourself at the age of thirty-four is a disgrace" and concludes by labelling his son as "lazy", he sees Biff as an underachiever. There is clearly tension around the subject of what Biff is doing with his life. At this stage Willy and Linda do not mention their younger son Happy, which indicates, even at this early stage in the play that Biff is perhaps the favoured son. In terms of their relationship with their parents, Biff is the clear favourite son. In spite of Biff disappointing his father by being a farmhand and not a businessman, Willy saw big things in his future, in part due to the popularity in his youth (a quality Willy frequently juxtaposes with success); also Willy perhaps tries pushing Biff to achieve the success that he did not accomplish in

  • Word count: 701
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Drama
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Metamorphosis Context Essay

Franz Kafka, born in 1883, was one of the major German-language fiction writers of the 20th century. His stories, such as "The Metamorphosis" concern troubled individuals in a nightmarishly impersonal world. Kafka was born into a middle-class, German-speaking Jewish family in Prague. His father, Hermann Kafka, was described as a "huge, selfish, overbearing businessman". Kafka struggled to come to terms with his domineering father. He was the eldest of six children, George, Heinrich, Otillie, Gabriele and Valerie. In 1917, Kafka began to suffer from tuberculosis, which would require constant rest during which he was supported by his family, most actively his sister Ottla. Despite his fear of being perceived as both physically and mentally repulsive, he impressed others with his boyish, neat, and austere good looks, a quiet and cool demeanor, obvious intelligence and dry sense of humor. Many of the themes in The Metamorphosis can be linked to aspects of Kafka's life. Most notably his releationship with his father. Gregor and Mr Samsa take part in a constant power struggle throughout the play and this is not unlike the relationship that Kafka had with his own father. Interestingly, Kafka's father was actualy a travelling salesman, which is the proffesion of the character Gregor. Although I found no evidence to back this up, I believe that Kafka's father may have suggested

  • Word count: 1039
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Drama
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Betrayed or Betrayer? Discuss theses two aspects of Willy Loman's character and comment on how they affect both Willy himself and the other characters' relationships with him.

Betrayed or Betrayer? Discuss theses two aspects of Willy Loman's character and comment on how they affect both Willy himself and the other characters' relationships with him. 'Death of a Salesman' is a play written by Arthur Miller and first produced on stage in 1949. This play is Miller's most famous work. The play shows a conflict within one family but on a deeper level does much more than that. This play deals with larger issues regarding American national values. Miller examines the American peoples ideas and beliefs. This play looks at the life of the Loman family in particular Willy Loman who is the central character in this play. Willy Loman is 'past sixty years of age', a husband, and father who is exhausted and coming towards the end of his life. This play follows his last 24 hours. In order to understand the conflicts leading up to boiling point in the Loman household and the reason why Willy eventually takes his own life, Miller uses 'flashbacks'. Each flashback somehow relates to the present. They also offer essential background knowledge. The main relationship throughout the play is Willy's and his eldest son, Biff. Both characters believe that the other has betrayed them; in fact, this is quite true. The theme of betrayal runs throughout this play. The aim of this assignment is to look at the different points of Willy Loman s character asking was he betrayed

  • Word count: 3093
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Drama
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Race for the Junkyard - review.

Race for the Junkyard. During act one and two we see that Willy is on a quest to gain material belongings. We also see how this 'quest' leads to his destruction as a business man and a person. By the middle of act one, we know that Willy has very few possessions, although some of these are his house, car and refrigerator. Even though none of the items have been completely paid off, he is quite proud of them. Willy chose his refrigerator because it had the biggest advertisements, even though it was probably lower quality of other fridges but more expensive. Willy doesn't care what they look like nor how good they are as long as they have the biggest ads. By the time Willy has paid for his possessions he has to pay for them to be fixed because they are falling apart or breaking down from old age. Before he has paid off his fridge the fan belt has broken meaning he has to pay extra to get it repaired. He also has large bills to pay and no money to pay them with. "Odds and ends comes to around a hundred and twenty dollars by the fifteenth" Willy replies "a hundred and twenty dollars! My God, if business don't pick up, I don't know what I'm gonna do!" Before the car is paid off Willy has a negative attitude towards it "That goddam Chevrolet, they ought to prohibit the manufacture of that car!" As Willy wants expensive possessions to show off he works all day everyday

  • Word count: 766
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Drama
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Death Of A Salesman - Play Review.

Death Of A Salesman-Play Review The play Death of a salesman is written by Arthur Miller. It is a massively touching play all about a man constantly chasing the American dream. The Sympathy the audience begins to feel for Willy Loman is shown by the way we feel about him at the end of this play. This is truly an amazing play written the talented Arthur Miller. We start the play seeing Willy Loman, his two sons and wife at their home as Willy arrives home from a hard days selling, at least this is what he leads Linda, his wife, into thinking. We join the play at the beginning of his failure. We see his get progressively disheartened and borrows money from his neighbour, Charley, and has convinced himself he will eventually be in the position to repay him, although as the audience we can see that this is highly unlikely. Our sympathy for Willy fades gradually as we realise he doesn't seem to help himself. We get increasingly annoyed with Willy chasing the American dream; we see he does not accept help as when Charley offers him a job, after Willy is fired from his company. Willy gets extremely offended by this and gets angry wit Charley for insulting his ability to regain his job. Both Charley and Willy now that Charley will never see his money again, and the fact that Charley offers Willy a chance to get his life back on track and Willy refuses makes us feel that Willy is

  • Word count: 656
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Drama
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Creative Writing for IB Portfolio - Letter to Biff's son.

Frank Felzmann 4-10-04 English A2 SL Creative Writing for IB Portfolio Letter to Biff's son: Hi George, How are you doing at school? I'm sorry that you can't come with me back to our ranch but Graduation is right around the corner and I don't want you to mess up. You should really try to get some descent grades, cause if you don't you'll end up with a lot of problems when you're older in the long run. I had to work day and night to earn enough money to start a small ranch. I bet you're thinking right now that I'm just telling you a big lie to give you an incentive to get good grades. That is actually partly true and I want to give you an incentive but not through lies. I know that I have been quite strict with you in the past few years but you must believe me that it is just for your own good. You really don't want to end up like me after graduation. I actually never graduated, since I flunked Math. I can still remember that as if it happened yesterday. My dad taught me that all you need to get far in life is by being well liked, as he always liked to say it. I believed him and I became one of the most popular guys in high school. It didn't help me much with my grades though, it only got me many friends. After their graduation not one of them kept contact with me. It was then when I realized that it wasn't the bookworms that were the

  • Word count: 781
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Drama
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Info On Death Of A SalesmanSummary

Chynna Carby 10GGY Mr Gallagher Info On Death Of A Salesman Summary Willy Loman, an elderly failing salesman whose salary has been taken away and works on straight commission, returns home from a sales trip that he could not complete. He is weary and tired of life on the road. His two grown sons, Biff and Happy have returned home to visit. Biff has lost his way in life and has returned home after 15 years of drifting. Happy, who lives in his own apartment is also home to visit. Willy has a conversation with his wife, Linda, as he gets ready for bed. Willy cannot understand why Biff is lost, with no job and no money to his name. Willy reminisces about the past and the reader sees for the first time that Willy sometimes lapses into another era, when he talks about opening the windshield on his car. Linda suggests Willy go to the kitchen have some whipped cheese before coming to bed. Meanwhile, the boys are having a conversation in their old bedroom. They discuss their father and the fact that he is becoming senile in his old age. They have been on a date, and through their conversation we see that Happy holds himself to low moral standards. They talk about success, their hopes, and all the while Willy is downstairs having a conservation with no one. Willy is immersed in one of his flashbacks, where he relives conversations and

  • Word count: 979
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Drama
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The mistress, sultry yet sophisticated, played a larger part in the play, Death of A Salesman, than most would imagine.

The mistress, sultry yet sophisticated, played a larger part in the play, Death of A Salesman, than most would imagine. While she does not make an appearance in the play, she does appear in Willy's remembered time. During his daydreams, she is referred to as "the woman". The woman in Death of A Salesman never appears in the play, but has a noteworthy presence because she affects the action, theme, and the development of other characters. As an outcome of having a mistress, Willy's fragile ego is boosted. For example, while he is on his lengthy business trips, she lavishes him attention and affirmation. Willy's last name, Loman, gives insight into the fact that many people do not see Willy as a successful man. The woman, on the other hand, does. Furthermore, she tells him that she selected him out of all the salesmen. This makes him feel quite superior to the other salesmen and gives him a higher self-esteem. In addition, she tells him that the next time he came, she would let him go directly through to see the buyers without having to wait in line. Willy had not been successful in his business trips for quite awhile so when she tells him this, it makes him feel as if he is a success. While Willy is getting a boost of self-esteem, Biff, his son, is yearning for Willy's support. Biff travels to Boston to ask his father for assistance. Instead of getting help, he finds out

  • Word count: 684
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Drama
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Arthur Miller uses the theatre to enhance the characterisation. He does this by using lighting, set, music, the apron of the stage, costume and the structure of the actors.

Arthur Millers Usage of the Theatre Arthur Miller uses the theatre to enhance the characterisation. He does this by using lighting, set, music, the apron of the stage, costume and the structure of the actors. Arthur Miller uses the lighting of the theatre very well in each scene. When Willy appears there is very little light, this is to show that Willy has failed in life. This is shown at the start of the play where it says in the stage directions "Only sky lighting falls on the house." At the end of the play it says in the stage directions "On the darkening stage". Whenever Ben enters the scenes the lighting is bright, this is to show his successful and happy life. When Willy goes back in time the lighting is bright again. This illustrates the American dream, whoever tries hard will succeed in life. At this time in his life Willy thought that he could succeed. When it gets back to the present time there is little lighting used in the play. This shows that Willy has realised that he is a failure in life. Now Willy's only hope in life now is his sons, this is why later on in the play he puts a lot of pressure on them to do well. The play is set like a Greek tragedy set in America. Biff talking to Willy about American Football; show the American theme, this is when Biff says, "just for you I'm going to break through for a touchdown." The

  • Word count: 1290
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Drama
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