The Modern City in the Latin-American Context - Literature Essay Samples

Throughout Guillermo del Toro’s Cronos and Luis Buà ±uel Los olvidados, it is apparent that the overall sense of unease, horror and despair are ingrained within the ambiences of each of these films, with the backdrop of the city playing a vital role in the development of this idea. However, the extent to which the idea of the city itself acts as a character on its own within these films is a question that requires a consideration of the contextual and formal differences between them, allowing one to think about whether it is Mexico City, an undefined city, or something else entirely that shapes the narratives of these stories. Beginning with Cronos, and the role of Mexico City in particular as a vehicle for the themes the film deals with, the contextual aspects behind del Toro’s work is paramount to an understanding of the vampirism and the general sense of a moral decay throughout it. With regard to a â€Å"contaminating† conception of the modern city, the changes occurring during 1990s Mexico are felt in a striking and unsettling way, with the vampirism serving as a cover for examining the economic or cultural relations between Latin America and its powerful northern neighbor the United States. The link between the alchemy of the colonial period and the creation of the cronos device juxtaposed with the present day interference of the de la Guardias in Jesà ºs Gris’ life paints a picture of a troubled Mexico, a Mexico that has been continually contaminated by foreigners, or cultural predators. However, Ann Davies suggests a reading of the film in an apolitical way, saying that whilst a message of the film is that the death, disease and bodily dissolution suffered by Gris must be policed and guarded against, the embodiment of such an infiltration is what proves to be terrifying. Whilst the physical decay of Gris is a terrifying spectacle from a cinematic perspective, Davies’ argument is a particularly weak one, for the reasons why del Toro has chosen the genre of the vampire film are what gives the film its allegorical significance. Furthermore, whilst Davies’ explanation of the heterotopic elements of the vampire is indeed an important one, it overlooks the fact that the name of the device and the films title, Cronos, translates into English as â€Å"stopwatch†, an element which allows for an interesting consideration for how the film’s relationship with time fits into a critique of urban modernity, something we can later link to Los olvidados. Continuing with Davies’ ideas, she criticizes John Kraniauskas’ consideration of the vampire as a symbol of neo colonial economic relations in Latin America, favouring Ann Marie Stock’s argument against trying to perceive the film as a vehicle of Mexicanness. However, considering that the film was released on the eve of Mexico’s absorption into the North American Free Trade Agreement, and that the cities in Latin America were beset by fevers of demolition and reconstruction, with new investment money tries to liquidate old assets and speculators awash with capital from US and European markets, this argument appears to be a weak one, for the allegory of the industrial Americans versus the humble Mexican shopkeeper is clear throughout the film. Coming back to del Toro’s work as a stage for the portrayal of an economically anxious Mexico, a fear of globalisation is present in the featuring of street signs in Arabic and Chinese, and the multilingualism of the dialogue, switching between Spanish and English. Here, del Toro presents us with a Mexico City that is changing, an important point when taking into account that for the director, the setting of the film in Mexico City was of high importance, With Kantaris going on to highlight the significance of the city’s presence in the film’s credit sequence, with its fast traffic, multilingual signposts and litter of Christmas shopping strewn across the streets, and Gris’ small house dwarfed by modern buildings. This house, then, represents a piece of the past (as it were frozen in time, in a crono/stopwatch) that this new Mexico City is trying to hold on to in the dawn of this new economic era. Thus, Mexico City itself becomes a character of this film, with the context surrounding Cronos allowing it to become a manifestation of socio-economic concerns in 1990s Mexico. Moving on to Los Olvidados, it is undoubtedly clear during the opening credit sequence of the film that Buà ±uel had set out for this film to be a critique of this new, urban environment that his protagonists find themselves trapped in, an extremely hostile environment which offers no escape from the horrors of the city. Interestingly, the use of footage from a variety of cities, New York, Paris and London, along with the voiceover explaining how these â€Å"grandes ciudades modernas esconden tras sus magnà ­ficos edificios lugares de miseria†, leaving no doubt that this film is going to show urban life as it really is, with no illusions of optimism. Buà ±uel’s fierce cynicism may stem from the fact that he was living in a Spanish exile in Mexico during the time of the film’s production, hence, unlike del Toro, his Mexico has a more bitter connotation. Furthermore, the importance of Mexico City specifically is not as clear as is it for del Toro, for the Spanis h director seems to be painting a narrative of an impoverished city life that is universal. This is supported by J. Rubia Barcia, who says that Jaibo could be a hoodlum boy of the streets of Rome, Paris, Madrid, or London, and that, more noticeable than anything else, is the absolute absence from the film of reason, of moral feeling, of true religion, as if the two thousand years of Christianity had not existed at all, even in its formal aspects, for there is not a single religious image nor a prayer in the whole film. As a result, Buà ±uel’s film appears to be the opposite of del Toro’s allegorical tale, with the way in which the film is directed taking it more into the realm of the neorealism that was occurring in Italy at the time. However, if we look at these two films side by side, although the were filmed over 40 years apart, anxieties stemming from a fear of the contaminating, predatory, and anarchic conceptions of the Latin American city can be seen in both, with Los olvidados concerned with the development and increasing populations of the urban world (especially important when considering that Mexico City was one of the fastest-growing cities in Latin America at the time), whilst Cronos deals with the later fears produced by a globalizing world. Both films, then, deal with the problems with urban life and the effect of this on inhabitants, however, del Toro does this in a way that is specific to Mexico City, whilst Buà ±uel’s city is almost an anonymous one, with his film becoming a piece of art that shows these urban horrors in an unashamed way, similar to Pablo Picasso’s Guernica. Going back to the way that word â€Å"crono† these films’ relationship with time fits into a c ritique of urban modernity, for Los olvidados, the time within which the narrative takes place, just like the city it is set in, can be said to be meaningless, merely a repeat of scenes across cities around the world, with the stopwatch repeating on an endless cycle, with the modern city contaminating the innocence of the film’s characters, with the predatory nature of the urban turning these children into perpetrators of the horrors of city life. To conclude, then, the allegory of the US invaders into Mexican culture and life is clear from Guillermo del Toro’s narrative in Cronos, with the vampire metaphor representing the moral decay produced by this capitalist interference in the city. Mexico City plays a specific role within this film, with the Mexican director taking this sprawling metropolis and using it to portray the economic and social anxieties produced by the increasing globalisation and American power at the time. In contrast, Luis Buà ±uel’s Los olvidados appears to be a criticism of all cities, not just the Mexican capital, but his message is still very similar to del Toro’s, acting as a warning of the degradation produced by life in this urban environments. As a result, the modern city is indeed conceived as predatory, contaminating and anarchic, however, for Buà ±uel, this is not strictly in a Latin American context.

Essay on The Myths of the African American Woman - 2628 Words

Defying the Myths of the African American Woman - Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Song of Solomon, and Push Throughout slavery, myths were created about African American women. These myths of yesterday have tainted the image of the African American woman today. These myths include two major ideas, the first being that all African American women are perceived as more promiscuous than the average white woman. The second myth is that black women are virtually useless, containing only the capabilities of working in white homes and raising white children. These myths caused these women to be degraded in the eyes of others as well as themselves. Harriet Jacobs, Toni Morrison, and Sapphire are three African American†¦show more content†¦Meantime, her mother is no help; beating her at will, and satisfying her own bizarre sexual needs from her daughter. Schools have also all failed her; teachers find her ``uncooperative, and she considers her last a ``retarded hoe. Finally, Precious enrolls in a Harlem alternative school where she begins the tough climb out of illiteracy. No longer dreaming impossible ideas about rappers and movie star fame, she joins six others in a basic-skills class run by Blue Rain, a self-proclaimed lesbian who isnt afraid to editorialize in class. In short order, Precious discovers the joys of the alphabet and journal-writing, the pleasures of owning books and composing poetry. Although she raises herself to a seventh-grade level by narratives end, she also finds out shes HIV positive. Ms. Blue Rain, pushes Precious to change with encouragement and inspiration. Ms. Rain challenges Precious to learn to read and write and improve her way of life. She proves to be the bedrock teacher Precious has desperately needed. The name Blue Rain paints an image of a tranquil and pure person. Blue is a color which often symbolizes tranquility as Rain symbolizes freshness, thus purity. Ms. Rains soul is indeed as pure and tranquil as an afternoon rain shower. She is cleansing to Preciouss spirit when she encourages her to take on a new world; literacy. Preciouss pursuit of literacy and then college defies theShow MoreRelatedAn Inside Look at Melissa Harris-Perry Essay1597 Words   |  7 PagesMelissa Harris-Perry analyzes the myths surrounding black women and the implication that correlate with these myths. Perry focuses on three main stereotypes of black women that began with slavery and are still prevalent in society today. Perry not only examines the depth and causes of these stereotypes, but she also scrutinizes their role in African Americans lives as citizens today. 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In, Slavery: A Problem in American Institutional and Intel lectual Life, Elkins asserts that African culture was all but destroyed byRead MoreThe Fruits Of Her Labor1445 Words   |  6 PagesThe Fruits of Her Labor: Female African Slavery From the signing of the Declaration of Independence to the Civil War and the addition of the Thirteenth Amendment (December 1865), there existed a legal or economic system under which people were treated as property in the United States. This system is universally known as slavery and it victims, Western African and their decedents. From July 1776 to December 1865, it was legal and morally accepted by some to own another human being. This system becomeRead MoreKingfisher Essay1281 Words   |  6 Pageswere frequently overshadowed and ultimately faded until all that remained was the collection of negative presumptions associated with the Sapphire and the myth of the â€Å"angry black woman.† The generally agreed upon stereotypes of the Sapphire are never positive. The Sapphire has been described as â€Å"the wise-cracking, balls-crushing, emasculating woman, [who] is usually shown with her hands on her hips and her head thrown back as she lets everyone know whos boss.† Similarly, Sapphire has been characterizedRead MoreIn The United States, Not Only Are Latin Women Being Misunderstood,1508 Words   |  7 Pagesmisunderstood, but African American women are also stereotyped by other people. 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Abnormal Psych and Disorders - 1460 Words

It is hard to say if the human mind is a fragile or resilient thing. On the one hand, humans are able to grow and adapt and take on struggles, while on the other, their minds can crumble beneath pressure from the stressors of life on earth, resulting in a variety of psychological disorders. One such disorder is post-traumatic stress disorder. According to the Encyclopedia of Psychology, post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, occurs after an individual experiences a particularly traumatic event, usually one where there is physical harm or an extreme threat of physical harm (Kazdin, 2000). The disorder was formally recognized for the first time in 1980 when the American Psychology Association added it to its new edition of the Diagnostic†¦show more content†¦It was found during experimentation that mice that did not produce stathmin were less likely than other mice to freeze up when confronted with a frightening event, as were mice that produced more GRP (NIMH, n.d.). Scient ists have also noted that different parts of the brain are involved in the formation and extinction fear memories and that size and structure influence how well these parts of the brain do their jobs. Since all of the above are dictated by a person’s genes, scientists theorize that there exist genetic quirks that make a person more or less susceptible to PTSD (NIMH, n.d.). Though there are external factors that could be at play as well — head trauma, a good childhood versus a troubled one, the presence of a support system or the lack thereof, etc. — there is evidence supporting a genetic proclivity toward PTSD in the fact that identical twins are more likely to both suffer from PTSD than fraternal twins (Oltmanns Emery, 2012). This means there is a hope that examination of genetic and other factors may one day lead to the ability to predict who will suffer from PTSD and who will not. 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Homeless Research Essay Example For Students

Homeless Research Essay The American dream is hard to find. In most cases, the dream includes a home. For many Americans who financially struggling to feed themselves, having a roof over their head is nearly an impossible task. As our government has progressed in the twentieth century, aid has been given to homeless families in the form of basic housing. Low income or subsidized housing has grown immensely I the past few years. The debate is whether subsidized housing is a free home or a free ride. The subsidized housing program should be used as assistance and not a crutch. Many say that you make out of life what you put into it. Homelessness to certain individuals is brought on by the homeless individuals actions so they feel that they shouldnt receive any help from the government. Many believe that subsidized housing is positive ground for families to get into a home and stabilize their financial situation (Gramer). The worry on a lot of minds is the amount of money being handed out to the subsidized housing programs (Husock). The money could be used for other programs such as Medicare or social security (Shinn). The housing programs might be costly but can help families from living on the streets. 1.3 million tenants are currently living in subsidized housing while 2.7 million are living in public housing where the landlord receives incentives from the government (Husock). These millions of tenants are costing working taxpayers because the money running the government assisted programs comes out of tax dollars. Alternatives and remedies need to be thought out. Often, families are moving into subsidized housing to better the home they were living in (Husock). Section 8 vouchers allow individuals to choose the area they want to live in. The great idea about Section 8 vouchers is the tenant pays thirty percent of the rent. In MaryBeth Shinns article, she quotes a researcher that says, That as long as the number of families living in intolerable conditions exceeds the capacity of the shelter system, increases in shelter capacity will lead to increases in the size of the shelter (Shinn). Shinns article goes on further by saying that families often have to choose between housing that is structurally adequate and housing that is affordable. Howard Husock came up with a great idea for solving the problem with subsidized housing and tenants that use the program too long. His idea is to have time limits on the amount of time that tenants can stay in public housing or use public housing vouchers. Husock states, It (Time limits) would allow housing subsidies to be directed to those in most immediate need rather than simply going to persons already in the system. In his article, startling facts and figures are given about the length of time tenants stay in assisted living. More than twenty-five percent of families have lived in their subsidized apartment for more than ten years. Forty-seven percent have lived in their apartment for more than five years (Weitzman). Imposing time limits would not allow the extended lengths of time that are currently given. Congressman Rick Lazio is proposing that tenants sign a form in which a date would be given as to their leaving of public housing. This signature would be an initiative for tenants to move fast on leaving subsidized housing and starting to save for a new place to live (Husock). Possibly, maybe the government removal of programs would be better for subsidized housing. If the government gave better tax breaks to landlords who provided lower cost housing then the need for shelters and projects should be decreased by a large percentage (Shinn State or Trait). Within the last fifteen years, Home and Urban Development (HUD) has finally allowed tax shelters to landlords (The New Look). .u6e68fe1f7610887b64911b0afb718450 , .u6e68fe1f7610887b64911b0afb718450 .postImageUrl , .u6e68fe1f7610887b64911b0afb718450 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u6e68fe1f7610887b64911b0afb718450 , .u6e68fe1f7610887b64911b0afb718450:hover , .u6e68fe1f7610887b64911b0afb718450:visited , .u6e68fe1f7610887b64911b0afb718450:active { border:0!important; } .u6e68fe1f7610887b64911b0afb718450 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u6e68fe1f7610887b64911b0afb718450 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u6e68fe1f7610887b64911b0afb718450:active , .u6e68fe1f7610887b64911b0afb718450:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u6e68fe1f7610887b64911b0afb718450 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u6e68fe1f7610887b64911b0afb718450 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u6e68fe1f7610887b64911b0afb718450 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u6e68fe1f7610887b64911b0afb718450 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u6e68fe1f7610887b64911b0afb718450:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u6e68fe1f7610887b64911b0afb718450 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u6e68fe1f7610887b64911b0afb718450 .u6e68fe1f7610887b64911b0afb718450-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u6e68fe1f7610887b64911b0afb718450:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Hollywood On Trial Essay The tax breaks come to investors who have low-income apartments or homes for a minimum of twenty years. After the twenty years, the owner of the property can sell the units at a higher market price (The New Look). Housing for Americans need to become more affordable. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development believes that families should spend no more than thirty percent on housing (Weitzman). Studies have shown that there .