How People with Disabilities Are Viewed and Treated Essay Example for Free

How People with Disabilities Are Viewed and Treated Essay We live in a society where people are judged for who they are and if they seem to have any type of flaws those flaws tend to make up who the person is. People with disabilities shouldn’t be judged by their disabilities. Our society has come a long way in accepting people with disabilities but we still have more to accomplish seeing as the harsh judgment still exists. We need to be able to live in a society where people do not judge, can accept others for who they are and help others who may need some assistance or guidance do to a disability, especially children. They are our society’s future. Just because they are disabled doesn’t mean they are not a part of the whole or that they cannot possibly make a positive difference in the world. As the author of the article, â€Å"A Child with Down Syndrome Keeps His Place at the Table† points out that we have made a lot of progress for children with Down syndrome in the United States. Most of that progress he points out is their rights to go to school. They have progressed from just being recognized as needing to be â€Å"somewhere special†, a place of horrific mistreatment. Such a place was exposed in a hidden camera documentary filmed by Geraldo Rivera in 1972 for severe neglect and mistreatment of the residence that all had some sort of disability. This place was Willow Brook State School and was located on Staten Island. His exposer of this school was a small part in a large change where advocates for the disabled, committed parents, as well as others fought for the rights that are presently in place today. Even with the many advances in society there still remains open bigotry though not as much. Though most are discrete and not as straight forward the hostile judgment is still there. The word â€Å"retard† is used in school yards between students and in movies but is not seen so much today as bigotry but as just being a bit â€Å"edgy†. Why as a society do we feel the need to dehumanize one another? Our society makes it very difficult for anyone with a disability to function freely in their own lives and to live without criticism. The author asks the question, â€Å"What is it about intellectual disabilities we find so difficult? † The focus of these disabilities tends to be on the positive qualities such as being â€Å"cute† or â€Å"happy† or â€Å"sweet†. This is meant to compensate for the disability. I see it as singling out a person because of their disability and using it as a way to make the disability easier to deal with and as a way to handle being around the person. I see this as being a bit degrading and selfish even. I believe that our society has come a long way in being able to accept people with disabilities. I also believe that we still have a ways to go. I have seen the good and the not so good in the way children with Down syndrome are accepted and/or treated because my niece Barbara has Down syndrome. Barbara does not speak but her school has been wonderful in teaching her to communicate using sign language over the years and recently started using a speech generating device. The device is to recognize the words she is saying and the words she is trying to say. The medical and educational treatment for children with Down syndrome has really improved over the years even just since the case at Willow Brook State School. Sadly, there are still reports of abuse in state owned homes and hospitals for disabled individuals. I am sure that there are places that have cases of abuse that have not been reported. Sometimes people just ignore what is going on because they fear they may lose their job. With the advances in mental health care less people have to send their children in to homes or hospitals. They are able to keep their children at home and receive in home care and mobile therapy. The schools offer extra help for these children so that they are able to be more focused on to get all the help that they need. The schools also offer special outings and activities that are helpful in their education and to give them more of an opportunity to interact with their classmates. The author of the article points out that he is a parent of a child with Down syndrome. With the subject being very personal to him he does not sound angry with the way the people in the restaurant were treated. He doesn’t seem to be judgmental in anyway. He simply points out what happened and mentions facts relating to the situation. He does offer his opinion that the waiter in the story did the right thing in speaking out and standing up for the boy. Even though the waiter could have lost his job for speaking out, he still did. I believe that the waiter did do the right thing and as the author pointed out, by speaking out for the child it shows that society has grown to accepting people disabilities and that they even have compassion for them. Should the waiter be considered a hero for standing up for someone who is being pointed out publicly for their disability? The author asks the same question. Personally, I don’t know if I can think of the act as heroic. I do believe as well that it was most definitely the right thing to do and it did take courage to say something knowing there was a risk of being fired. I am very curious to know if the waiter’s boss was aware of the situation and if so what was their opinion on what happened? The author did not mention that in the story. I think it would have been important to point out if the boss was sympathetic toward the child and his family or if they agreed with the customer who made the remark. I find it very inspiring that despite the harsh words and uneducated thoughts people express toward people with disabilities, the people with the disability usually do not judge in return. They clearly see the meanness coming from another person and they don’t have it in them to hold hard feelings. I wish we were all able to have such open and caring hearts. Why do we have such a selective view of things? Why do we have to be afraid of the things that are not â€Å"normal† to us? Having a disability does not make you less of a person. Having a disability means that you may have to work harder to do something’s that seems to come easily to anyone else. No person will ever be â€Å"perfect† so there is no reason for society to push the idea that anyone can be. We are all flawed in one way or another. Our flaws are what make us unique and make up who we are. The author pointed out that the child being in the restaurant made a statement that he was someone’s child. I don’t think we should have to explain or point out anything. The boy and his family should have been able to walk in to the restaurant and sit down and enjoy their meal peacefully, as the man who made the remark would expect to happen for his self or anyone he may have been seated with. If the boy became loud and disruptive then that should have been the issue not the simple fact that he was there and looked â€Å"different†. We live in a very intelligent world filled with many advances in technology yet we are not educated enough nor advanced enough to get along with one another. I think there should be more programs in schools to teach children more about life and basic lessons on being humane. The schools should have classes with specific lessons on mental health and disabilities. If children are more familiar with these types of things they may be more accepting and less judgmental. For some reason we tend to fear the unknown and are not always equipped with how to deal with our fears. With having so many issues today with bullying in schools it should be mandatory to have classes educating children on how to treat people, especially people with disabilities and teach them it is not acceptable. I think being aware bigotry still exists and educating on the issue would make a big difference in getting us closer to a more accepting society.

Ender and Valentine

Ender and Valentine Ender and Valentine Relations are really important to have in life, as it lets you share your life with someone. Without relations a person doesnt have an identity and becomes very lonely. In the book Enders Game by Orson Scott Card, a story has been told about a young man named Andrew Wiggin a.k.a. Ender. Being a third child wasnt easy for Ender, because people around him always misunderstood or underestimated him, which caused problems in his relationships. In these situations, his sister, Valentine, was the only one who supported him. Throughout the book he faced many problems, mainly isolation. In these times he would look up to no one but her sister. Valentine always supported, cared and fought for Ender, and thats what made their relationship grow stronger. Since Valentine cares for Ender very much, she acts like Enders mother throughout the book. Whenever there is a fight between Ender and Peter, his older brother, Valentine is the one who brings the fight to an end just like a mother. Everyone in the novel thinks that Valentine is the caretaker of Ender because when Ender gets his monitor removed, Valentine acts as his monitor. Valentine protects Ender from Peter by being Enders shadow. Noticing this behavior, Peter threatens Valentine, â€Å"You are his mother now, you better watch him, day and night. You better be there.† (Card 13) This scene takes place in chapter 2, when Peter, Ender and Valentine are playing games and Peter beats up Ender. Valentine always supported and fought for Ender. She is the only person Ender was related to. But their relationship becomes weaker when Ender decides to go to the battle school. The distance between earth and the battle school was now visible in Enders and Valentines relationship. This distance in their relationship, on the bright side, was a good idea because it helps Ender concentrate at battle school and make it to the command fleet. Valentine was never able to forget Ender and therefore writes letters to him every time. She celebrates Enders birthdays all by herself. This proves her one hundred percent commitment towards their relationship. On the other hand, Ender little known about his sister didnt think about Valentine that much. Due to his own problems at the battle school, he couldnt write back letters. Few years passes, they see each other again. This is when Ender is sent to earth for his vacation. While in the lake talking about their childhood, Valentine questions Ender, â€Å"So were strangers now? (Card 235)† Ender answers, â€Å"Arent we, Valentine? (Card 235)† They are completely unaware of each others lives but they still remember their childhood. This is the beauty of Enders and Valentines relationship. After some time spent together they were closer than before. Since Ender sees Valentine as his caretaker he obeys her and returns to the battle school. The gap in their relationship once again increases until the destruction of the buggers. Valentine towards the end gets very manipulative towards Ender and their relationship, â€Å"I know what youre thinking, Ender youre thinking that Im trying to control you just as much as Peter or Graff or any others. (Card 280)† This scene occurs when Ender is done with bugger world and wants to go back to the earth, but Valentine refuses to go because Peter was now in charge of the earth. Valentine knew that she would never see Ender again, if Ender went to the Earth and she went to the first colony. And thats why she tries to convince Ender to stay with her. This proves that she really cares about her little brother and loves him dearly. Valentine is also very cunning and manipulative like Peter. She tries to show Ender that she is not controlling, but she is. Due to Enders compassion for people, Valentine wants Ender to be with her forever after the destruction of bugger world. After discovering bugger queen, Ender decides to publish a book based on the story said by the bugger queen. Ender had full support of Valentine in publishing Speaker of the dead. She helped him inform people of earth that buggers werent really harmful. Valentine plays a very important character when it comes to Ender and his relationship, because Ender always obeys her. Valentine is the only person Ender has a good relationship with. The ups and downs always occur in a relationship, but thats what made their relationship grow stronger. Supporting each other was the key factor in their relationship. In this way Ender and Valentines relationship survives through the obstacles.

The Use of Symbolism in T.S. Eliots, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufro

The Use of Symbolism in T.S. Eliot's, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock A well-written poem is built out of levels. Each level alludes to the next until the ultimate discovery of the poet's message. "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," by T. S. Eliot, provides a perfect example of a well-crafted poem comprised of sequential levels, also known as a framed story. At the level just below the very surface, the poem obscurely tells the story of a failed lobster prophet, resurrected from the dead to warn other lobsters of the cruel fate that awaits them in the event of their capture. In the course of the story, the lobster prophet falls prey to the harvest of a lobster catcher and is then sent to a restaurant as food. While in the tank with the other lobsters, he reflects on and laments his life. This interpretation serves as a vehicle for presenting the true message of the poem, which exists on the next level, to the audience. The story of the lobster represents Eliot's own fear of people overlooking the messages he attempts to convey in his poetry. Even th ough he has learned this lesson from previous poems, he feels an attempt to save his future poems is futile in the same way as one lobster saving another is futile. One indicator that the lobster interpretation exists at the level below the surface of the poem is the yellow fog that fills the "... sawdust restaurants with oyster-shells" (Eliot L. 7). The persona describes "The yellow fog that rubs its back upon the window panes / ... Lingered upon the pools that stand in drains" (Eliot LL. 15&18). The yellow fog from the passage is the steam from a restaurant's lobster pot that boils and cooks the lobsters. The yellow fog receives its color from the dim yellow lighting of... ...e, inside the obscurity of the poem at its most superficial level, like the abuseds' half of the ox. Eliot is afraid that the audience will mistake the obscurity of the poem as the best part, and overlook the hidden good on the inside, just as the abusers' did with their half of the ox. By wrapping one thing inside of another in this way, Eliot builds an excellent compilation of levels into one, well-written poem. Works Cited Eliot, T. S.. "The Love Song of Alfred J. Prufrock." Making Literature Matter: An Anthology for Readers and Writers. 2nd Ed. Schlib & Clifford. Boston: Bedford, 2003. 851-855. Hesiod. Theogony. Trans. Apostolos N. Athanassakis. Baltimore: John Hopkins University, 1983. Hesiod. Works and Days. Trans. Apostolos N. Athanassakis. Baltimore: John Hopkins University, 1983. Holy Bible. King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1984.

Ministers Black Veil Essays: Father Hooper :: Ministers Black Veil Essays

Father Hooper   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Ministers Black Veil   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Father Hooper wears a black veil over his eyes and nose, never revealing the reason of the veil to a soul. At times the sexton would insinuate a reason behind the veil but never revealing the answer to the mystery. Father Hooper is a very imaginative and creative individual to innovate the idea of wearing a black veil to express an idea. He is angry towards the response of the veil to his parishioners, since they treated him differently with the veil compared to without it. Most of the parishioners are clueless to why he wears it and some try to imagine why he would ever want to wear it, but there are only ideas and arguments to why a minister would wear it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the reasons behind the veil might be secret sin. Father Hooper might have committed a very bad sin, which he does not want to unveil to anyone. Instead of not telling anyone the sin he shows it clearly on his face with the aid of a black veil. This black veil might relieve tension in his body that has accumulated due to his sin. In the story, Father Hooper says that everyone wears a black veil, meaning that everyone commits secret sins without revealing them to anyone. If you do not express your secret sin you would be keeping stress and tension locked up inside you, but if you express it, the stress and tension will be relieved.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another reason behind the veil might be sorrow. Deep, dark sorrow for someone or yourself might be expressed and shown with the help of a black veil. By wearing the black veil for eternity, you are exhibiting great love and sorrow for someone or yourself. If the black veil was removed, the sorrow and love would be dead. This might be how Reverend Hooper expresses the veil.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Father Hooper might have also used the veil as a friend and a device to test Elizabeth’s love for him. The black veil might have given Mr. Hooper friendship if he was lonely and without a mate. He could test Elizabeth to see if an object would come between them and their love. The Reverend told her if she was his, the black veil would then be removed.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee :: essays research papers

Scout Finch lives with her brother, Jem, and their widowed father, Atticus, in the sleepy Alabama town of Maycomb. Maycomb is suffering through the Great Depression, but Atticus is a prominent lawyer and the Finch family is reasonably well off in comparison to the rest of society. One summer, Jem and Scout befriend a boy named Dill, who has come to live in their neighborhood for the summer, and the trio acts out stories together. Eventually, Dill becomes fascinated with the spooky house on their street called the Radley Place. The house is owned by Mr. Nathan Radley, whose brother, Arthur (nicknamed Boo), has lived there for years without venturing outside. Scout goes to school for the first time that fall and detests it. She and Jem find gifts apparently left for them in a knothole of a tree on the Radley property. Dill returns the following summer, and he, Scout, and Jem begin to act out the story of Boo Radley. Atticus puts a stop to their antics, urging the children to try to see life from another person's perspective before making judgments. But, on the last day of summer, the three sneak onto the Radley property, where Nathan Radley shoots at them. Jem loses his pants in the ensuing escape. When he returns for them, he finds them mended and hung over the fence. The next winter, Jem and Scout find more presents in the tree, presumably left by the mysterious Boo. Nathan Radley eventually plugs the knothole with cement. Shortly thereafter, a fire breaks out in another neighbor's house, and during the fire someone slips a blanket on Scout's shoulders as she watches the blaze. Convinced that Boo did it, Jem tells Atticus about the mend ed pants and the presents. To the consternation of Maycomb's racist white community, Atticus agrees to defend a black man named Tom Robinson, who has been accused of raping a white woman. Because of Atticus's decision, Jem and Scout are subjected to abuse from other children, even when they celebrate Christmas at the family compound on Finch's Landing. Calpurnia, the Finches' black cook, takes them to the local black church, where the warm and close-knit community largely embraces the children. Atticus's sister, Alexandra, comes to live with the Finches the next summer. Dill, who is supposed to live with his new stepfather in another town, runs away and comes to Maycomb. Tom Robinson's trial begins, and when the accused man is placed in the local jail, a mob gathers to lynch him.

A Great Global Warming Swindle Essay

â€Å"A Great Global Warming Swindle† was a documentary which implied that the increase in the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide was not the cause of the increase in temperature. It states otherwise: the increasing amount of carbon dioxide is itself the result of the rising temperature. Generally, the documentary asserts that man-made global warming is a lie. Before our film showing, I have already watched Al Gore’s â€Å"An Inconvenient Truth† twice. â€Å"A Great Global Warming Swindle† presented a whole lot different view and it quite made things a little bit confusing. I used to be a hundred and one percent sure that global warming is indeed mainly caused by the increased amount of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere but after watching the documentary, well it changes things because ideas get mixed up. And now, I am being presented two ideas which are contradicting each other. Based on my own understanding and knowledge about the idea, I strongly believe that carbon dioxide plays a major role in the currently rapid increase of global temperature. As far as I could remember, since elementary it has always been discussed in my science class that greenhouse gasses cause global warming and that carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas. It has been like that for like†¦ forever? My mother told me once that one time when she went to Baguio, snow fell. I really don’t know if she was telling the truth but being a child, I believed her. When she told me that story, I guess I was 5 years old. During those times, going out in the sun during 9 o’clock in the morning is still safe and it won’t bring you any harm. The sun’s rays were still â€Å"friendly†. Comparing those times to the present time, one would note that: there were lesser vehicles; electricity was not a â€Å"major major† commodity; we have more trees and forests; deforestation and kaingin were not that rampant†¦ generally, we were living a simple, eco-friendly and less innovative kind of life. Nowadays, our way of life has improved but it had adverse effects. The one that has been greatly affected was the environment. As our way of living continues to improve, so does the temperature. The temperature improves in the way that it continues increasing. As men find ways in improving their way of living, they intentionally and unintentionally destroy the environment — the increase in global temperature seems to go with it. Basing on what is happening today and on what had happened, it seems very logical that global warming may really be man-made. It seems to be caused greatly by man’s activities. Man has been destroying the Earth and global warming is one of the indicators that it is indeed in the verge of destruction. But the point of â€Å"A Great Global Warming Swindle† is that the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere is much greater than the amount of carbon dioxide. So what? † you may ask. It matters because, as a matter of fact, water vapor itself is a greenhouse gas. This somehow piqued my curiosity. Was I wrong for believing that global warming is man-made? To feed man’s curiosity there are two things, among all innovations and inventions, that were proven to be very helpful — research and the internet. Though research in high school has deprived me of one factor essential in a person’s biological growth — that is sleep — I did a little of it to support my stand by basing on the opinions of others. Here is a summary of what I have read from different sources†¦ â€Å"†¦ Although the documentary was welcomed by global warming skeptics, it was criticized by scientific organizations and individual scientists (including two of the film’s contributors). The film’s critics argued that it had misused and fabricated data, relied on out-of-date research, employed misleading arguments, and misrepresented the position of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change†¦ †(Wikipedia. ) â€Å"†¦they completely misrepresented me. My views were distorted by the context in which they placed them. I was misled as to what it was going to be about. I was told about six months ago that this was to be a programme about how complicated it is to understand what is going on. If they had told me even the title of the programme, I would have absolutely refused to be on it. I am the one who has been swindled†¦ †(Professor Carl Wunsch, Pure Propaganda — The Great Global Warming. ) â€Å"†¦In other words, CO2 does not initiate the warmings, but acts as an amplifier once they are underway. † (Professor Severinghaus, Pure Propaganda — The Great Global Warming. ) According to some, the documentary might have wrongly presented or misinterpreted the ideas of the scientists and the data they have gathered. They might have spread absurd arguments and have caused great confusion, especially to the viewers. To others, the documentary might have been enlightenment to what is really happening. But in the end, it is up for us to choose which side we are going to believe. It does not matter if you are the only one who seems to have a different view compared to others. Always remember, there are no wrong opinions†¦ only those that oppose everyone else’s.

Film Music – Crash

CRITICAL STUDIES: Film Music Assessment 1: Research Essay Crash (2004) – Composer: Mark Isham Crash is a film directed by Paul Haggis and was released in 2004. The film depicts various social and political themes, the strongest being the issue of racism in the larger societies of the US. Mark Isham composed the score for the film; his work mostly consisting of smooth, ethereal and other-worldly sounds.The scene in analysis consists of a car crash in which Officer John Ryan, a racist white cop who tries to save a black woman from her upturned car, his attempt in rescuing her being delayed as he realises that she is the woman he had sexually abused the night before. Mark Isham was born in New York City, USA. He grew up learning to play classical piano, violin and trumpet. He played jazz trumpet whilst in high school and ventured on to electronic music in his early 20s.He had simultaneous careers as a classical, jazz and rock musician, performing with acts such as the San Fransis co Opera, The Beach Boys, the famous jazz saxophonist Pharaoh Sanders and co-lead Rubisa Patrol with pianist Art Lande. In 1979, he formed the Group 87 ensemble with Peter Mannu, Patrick O’Hearn and Terry Bozzio, in which they released a self-titled debut album a year later and A Career in Dada Processing four years after. He also recorded and toured with Van Morrison’s band, playing trumpet and flugelhorn. (Oxford Online)Mark Isham started to develop his compositional skills in the 80s, using brass, electronics and his own trumpet. His work is quite extensive and can be heard in films, documentaries and children’s fairytales. Some films in which he’s worked in are The Times of Harvey Milk, Made In America, The Net, Kiss the Girls, Blade, Rules of Engagement and many more†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Paul Haggis’s Crash is a film which delved into the ‘prejudices’ or racist attitudes that people have about others, in a larger society of the USA. The film’s foundation is the exploration of racism and how people’s cultural prejudices affects the lives of those around them.The film maintains its narrative around different characters, their lives, and these characters intertwining with the lives of the other characters. The main characters are: two young black car thieves, one of these young men is the missing brother of a black detective who’s partner is white; a black film director and his wife, his wife sexually abused by a white racist cop – his white partner having a problem with his unethical attitudes and behaviour; a white upper class lawyer and his wife; a Persian family who owns a store in which is robbed and vandalised and a Latino man, his wife and daughter.This film is set in a postmodern, post-civil rights, postracial, postfeminist, post-9/11 U. S. culture and so the various racial, social and cultural themes presented within Crash are a reflection of Haggis’ bold gesture to inform and challenge audiences about the ‘prejudices’ and cultural differences that everyone has. (Middleton, J. I, 2007) The scene in analysis is a scene in which a racist white cop Officer John Ryan gets to a crash scene and realises that the victim in the upturned car is Christine, the black woman he had wrongfully abused the night before.Her distress is heightened when she realises that he is the one who had abused her and his attempt in rescuing her is delayed and strived. The music in this excerpt is ethereal, haunting and ethereal, Isham’s use of electronics and ethnic sounds enables the audience to experience the emotions and journey of the characters on screen. The scene begins with the police car making its way towards the crash site. The cue in this instant consists of thick textured and ethereal string/ pad or electronic sounds which overall create an ambient and otherworldly atmosphere, which essentially remains consistent throughout the entire scen e.As they get to the crash scene and Officer John Ryan gets out of the car, the sustained string/ pad sound changes harmony and is played in a higher register, the piano being struck with sustain and repeats the same note, driving the action and momentum forward on screen and also mirrors what is happening on screen, that is, John running to the upturned car. This change in feel; this uplifting, bright and ethereal music can also be indicative of John’s expected values that he is to uphold as a police officer, that is, bringing justice, helping people and protecting the people within his society.Furthermore, the smooth and ethereal score also illustrates not only the nobility of the values he is to uphold as a police officer, but also foreshadows the nobility and strength of character he is about to portray in the upcoming moments of attempting to rescue Christine. One can also say that it foreshadows the potential change of heart and perspective he undergoes as he encounters Christine and saves her life. As he is running towards the car, the music is dominant; the sound effects are sparse and soft, and so the music directly illustrates John’s desperation in getting to the car and also outlines his strength of character.Sound effects are heard in full when he reaches the car and he is contact with Christine and engages with dialogue. Obviously, the sound effects and the dialogue are heard as well the score, to engage the audience and reinforce the gravity of the situation and allows for the audience to empathise with both of the characters’ situations. The female voice is heard as soon as he reaches the car and engages with Christine. The female voice is singing in a foreign language, and is smooth, soft, tender and ethereal in tone and timbre.The female voice, in a way, is a portrayal of the shared experience of John and Christine. A single bass drum sound, like a timpani, is struck when Christine looks up and realises that it’s Jo hn who’s attempting to rescue her. The single hit of the bass drum reinforces her distress when the realisation of John being there occurs. Rather than feeling relieved that someone’s there to help her, her distress and fear dramatically increases due to what he had done to her the night before.When he asks to reach across her lap to free her from the seatbelt and she agrees, the viewer can hear a change in tone and atmosphere in the music. The female voice is absent and it becomes gentler in dynamics and thinner in texture with only the sustained electronic sounds and the piano playing notes in the higher register, sounding almost bell-like. The tension is broken as she realises the magnitude of her situation and allows him to come closer to her.The music therefore parallels the softening of the tension and drama, also portraying the understanding between the two characters. The female voice being absent is significant as it allows the viewer to engage with the emotio ns and experiences of the characters, also allowing the viewer to appreciate the change of hearts in both characters. The repetition of the same chord which is created by the synths, forewarn the viewer of the coming danger as the shot of the gasoline travelling closer to the car is seen and the female voice comes back in.This creates a feeling of suspense, even amongst the ethereal sounds of the electronic sounds. The music is therefore fuller in texture, symbolising added elements of danger on the screen and brings the viewer back to the drama and action of what is happening around them. The fuller texture is contrasting to the thinner texture of the music played in the moment between John and Christine, the fuller texture illustrating the outside world and the thinner texture representing the change process within each character.In the following sequence, the gasoline alights and explodes around the car, and John is pulled out and Christine is left in the car. The viewer can see Christine screaming and John shouting as he is pulled out of the car, which is now surrounded by fire. All the dialogue and sound effects are muted in this instant, therefore the ethereal music and the female vocals are dominant, which serves to highlight the emotional aspects of the scene, that is, Christine’s distress and hysteria and John’s desperation in rescuing her.The repeated chords re-occur as John goes back in to pull Christine out, the dialogue suddenly heard as he says ‘Pull! ’ in which then, the sound effects are heard again. These repeated chords are indicative of moving action that is, moving nearer to the subject on the screen, first with the gasoline coming towards the car, and then with John coming towards Christine to rescue her. It helps drive the action and prompts momentum on screen. The repeated chords are then consistently played throughout the scenes where Christine is pulled out of the car and they’re safe from harm.However , these chords are played by the piano and are different in timbre – they’re softer, light and gentler in sound and blend in with the sustained electronic sounds in the background. It creates a layer of constant sound and represents the characters’ overall freedom, not only from the physical danger but from the ‘prejudices’ they had of each other. The female vocals are still heard once they’re free from the car, finally stopping just before John and Christine embrace, and John comforts her.The female vocals are important as it symbolises the two characters sharing the experience and also their need of each other at that particular time. The vocals end just before the embrace as it has completed its purpose, in that it helped the characters through the situation achieve self-realisation: John redeeming himself in his act of selflessness and finding his strength of character and Christine allowing herself to be vulnerable and accept help from o thers; the embrace representative of the end of their journey.Isham talks about the score and states that certain scenes can come off as truly horrendous, and I felt like the music had to help you through the movie and be like a shepherding hand†¦ A friend of mine described the  score  as being like a guardian angel and there was a sense we had that that was what the  score  needed to do. (Bond, 2005) In conclusion, from the above quote, it’s clear that the cue acted as a guide for the characters on screen.This particular excerpt of the film is rather serious and distressing, yet the underscore for these sequences is overall tender, smooth and ethereal. This contrast in music and action on screen is effective in that the marriage of these two things help tell the narrative, explore the emotions of the main characters and engage and evoke the emotions of the film’s viewers. Film Music – Crash CRITICAL STUDIES: Film Music Assessment 1: Research Essay Crash (2004) – Composer: Mark Isham Crash is a film directed by Paul Haggis and was released in 2004. The film depicts various social and political themes, the strongest being the issue of racism in the larger societies of the US. Mark Isham composed the score for the film; his work mostly consisting of smooth, ethereal and other-worldly sounds.The scene in analysis consists of a car crash in which Officer John Ryan, a racist white cop who tries to save a black woman from her upturned car, his attempt in rescuing her being delayed as he realises that she is the woman he had sexually abused the night before. Mark Isham was born in New York City, USA. He grew up learning to play classical piano, violin and trumpet. He played jazz trumpet whilst in high school and ventured on to electronic music in his early 20s.He had simultaneous careers as a classical, jazz and rock musician, performing with acts such as the San Fransis co Opera, The Beach Boys, the famous jazz saxophonist Pharaoh Sanders and co-lead Rubisa Patrol with pianist Art Lande. In 1979, he formed the Group 87 ensemble with Peter Mannu, Patrick O’Hearn and Terry Bozzio, in which they released a self-titled debut album a year later and A Career in Dada Processing four years after. He also recorded and toured with Van Morrison’s band, playing trumpet and flugelhorn. (Oxford Online)Mark Isham started to develop his compositional skills in the 80s, using brass, electronics and his own trumpet. His work is quite extensive and can be heard in films, documentaries and children’s fairytales. Some films in which he’s worked in are The Times of Harvey Milk, Made In America, The Net, Kiss the Girls, Blade, Rules of Engagement and many more†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Paul Haggis’s Crash is a film which delved into the ‘prejudices’ or racist attitudes that people have about others, in a larger society of the USA. The film’s foundation is the exploration of racism and how people’s cultural prejudices affects the lives of those around them.The film maintains its narrative around different characters, their lives, and these characters intertwining with the lives of the other characters. The main characters are: two young black car thieves, one of these young men is the missing brother of a black detective who’s partner is white; a black film director and his wife, his wife sexually abused by a white racist cop – his white partner having a problem with his unethical attitudes and behaviour; a white upper class lawyer and his wife; a Persian family who owns a store in which is robbed and vandalised and a Latino man, his wife and daughter.This film is set in a postmodern, post-civil rights, postracial, postfeminist, post-9/11 U. S. culture and so the various racial, social and cultural themes presented within Crash are a reflection of Haggis’ bold gesture to inform and challenge audiences about the ‘prejudices’ and cultural differences that everyone has. (Middleton, J. I, 2007) The scene in analysis is a scene in which a racist white cop Officer John Ryan gets to a crash scene and realises that the victim in the upturned car is Christine, the black woman he had wrongfully abused the night before.Her distress is heightened when she realises that he is the one who had abused her and his attempt in rescuing her is delayed and strived. The music in this excerpt is ethereal, haunting and ethereal, Isham’s use of electronics and ethnic sounds enables the audience to experience the emotions and journey of the characters on screen. The scene begins with the police car making its way towards the crash site. The cue in this instant consists of thick textured and ethereal string/ pad or electronic sounds which overall create an ambient and otherworldly atmosphere, which essentially remains consistent throughout the entire scen e.As they get to the crash scene and Officer John Ryan gets out of the car, the sustained string/ pad sound changes harmony and is played in a higher register, the piano being struck with sustain and repeats the same note, driving the action and momentum forward on screen and also mirrors what is happening on screen, that is, John running to the upturned car. This change in feel; this uplifting, bright and ethereal music can also be indicative of John’s expected values that he is to uphold as a police officer, that is, bringing justice, helping people and protecting the people within his society.Furthermore, the smooth and ethereal score also illustrates not only the nobility of the values he is to uphold as a police officer, but also foreshadows the nobility and strength of character he is about to portray in the upcoming moments of attempting to rescue Christine. One can also say that it foreshadows the potential change of heart and perspective he undergoes as he encounters Christine and saves her life. As he is running towards the car, the music is dominant; the sound effects are sparse and soft, and so the music directly illustrates John’s desperation in getting to the car and also outlines his strength of character.Sound effects are heard in full when he reaches the car and he is contact with Christine and engages with dialogue. Obviously, the sound effects and the dialogue are heard as well the score, to engage the audience and reinforce the gravity of the situation and allows for the audience to empathise with both of the characters’ situations. The female voice is heard as soon as he reaches the car and engages with Christine. The female voice is singing in a foreign language, and is smooth, soft, tender and ethereal in tone and timbre.The female voice, in a way, is a portrayal of the shared experience of John and Christine. A single bass drum sound, like a timpani, is struck when Christine looks up and realises that it’s Jo hn who’s attempting to rescue her. The single hit of the bass drum reinforces her distress when the realisation of John being there occurs. Rather than feeling relieved that someone’s there to help her, her distress and fear dramatically increases due to what he had done to her the night before.When he asks to reach across her lap to free her from the seatbelt and she agrees, the viewer can hear a change in tone and atmosphere in the music. The female voice is absent and it becomes gentler in dynamics and thinner in texture with only the sustained electronic sounds and the piano playing notes in the higher register, sounding almost bell-like. The tension is broken as she realises the magnitude of her situation and allows him to come closer to her.The music therefore parallels the softening of the tension and drama, also portraying the understanding between the two characters. The female voice being absent is significant as it allows the viewer to engage with the emotio ns and experiences of the characters, also allowing the viewer to appreciate the change of hearts in both characters. The repetition of the same chord which is created by the synths, forewarn the viewer of the coming danger as the shot of the gasoline travelling closer to the car is seen and the female voice comes back in.This creates a feeling of suspense, even amongst the ethereal sounds of the electronic sounds. The music is therefore fuller in texture, symbolising added elements of danger on the screen and brings the viewer back to the drama and action of what is happening around them. The fuller texture is contrasting to the thinner texture of the music played in the moment between John and Christine, the fuller texture illustrating the outside world and the thinner texture representing the change process within each character.In the following sequence, the gasoline alights and explodes around the car, and John is pulled out and Christine is left in the car. The viewer can see Christine screaming and John shouting as he is pulled out of the car, which is now surrounded by fire. All the dialogue and sound effects are muted in this instant, therefore the ethereal music and the female vocals are dominant, which serves to highlight the emotional aspects of the scene, that is, Christine’s distress and hysteria and John’s desperation in rescuing her.The repeated chords re-occur as John goes back in to pull Christine out, the dialogue suddenly heard as he says ‘Pull! ’ in which then, the sound effects are heard again. These repeated chords are indicative of moving action that is, moving nearer to the subject on the screen, first with the gasoline coming towards the car, and then with John coming towards Christine to rescue her. It helps drive the action and prompts momentum on screen. The repeated chords are then consistently played throughout the scenes where Christine is pulled out of the car and they’re safe from harm.However , these chords are played by the piano and are different in timbre – they’re softer, light and gentler in sound and blend in with the sustained electronic sounds in the background. It creates a layer of constant sound and represents the characters’ overall freedom, not only from the physical danger but from the ‘prejudices’ they had of each other. The female vocals are still heard once they’re free from the car, finally stopping just before John and Christine embrace, and John comforts her.The female vocals are important as it symbolises the two characters sharing the experience and also their need of each other at that particular time. The vocals end just before the embrace as it has completed its purpose, in that it helped the characters through the situation achieve self-realisation: John redeeming himself in his act of selflessness and finding his strength of character and Christine allowing herself to be vulnerable and accept help from o thers; the embrace representative of the end of their journey.Isham talks about the score and states that certain scenes can come off as truly horrendous, and I felt like the music had to help you through the movie and be like a shepherding hand†¦ A friend of mine described the  score  as being like a guardian angel and there was a sense we had that that was what the  score  needed to do. (Bond, 2005) In conclusion, from the above quote, it’s clear that the cue acted as a guide for the characters on screen.This particular excerpt of the film is rather serious and distressing, yet the underscore for these sequences is overall tender, smooth and ethereal. This contrast in music and action on screen is effective in that the marriage of these two things help tell the narrative, explore the emotions of the main characters and engage and evoke the emotions of the film’s viewers.