Speech

Is it ok to decide to end your own life?

In many cases, I believe the answer to be no. I think it’s selfish to take your own life, you don’t think of the family you left behind, you don’t think about their feelings or mental health after you leave them behind. Every year in the United States, more than 45,000 people take their own lives. Every one of these deaths leaves an estimated six or more “suicide survivors”, people who’ve lost someone they care about deeply and are left with their grief and struggle to understand why it happened.

Death by suicide is sudden, sometimes violent, and usually unexpected. Depending on the situation, survivors may need to deal with the police or handle press inquiries. While you are still in shock, you may be asked whether you want to visit the death scene. Sometimes officials will discourage the visit as too upsetting; at other times, you may be told you’ll be grateful that you didn’t leave it to your imagination. “Either may be the right decision for an individual. But it can add to the trauma if people feel that they don’t have a choice,” says Jack Jordan, Ph.D.,

One of the cases I do believe its a good idea is if its a family decision. In these cases, people with an extreme illness such as untreatable cancer may be asked to be euthanised. This is only possible if they have been through 3 mental health doctors and are deemed mentally stable enough to make that decision. I believe that in these cases it is better than staying alive as you can peacefully drift off surrounded by your loved ones after saying goodbye. These people have to go through many, many tests to make sure there is really no other option that could save them and if they would prefer passing than living in pain I say its their decision.

Essay Prep

How do you know?
This is about identifying exactly what it is about the text that has led you on this understanding. Specifics will outline how strong your analysis is.

Why do you think that way?
This is about establishing a connection between the previous question and your personal opinions. What has happened that reinforced this idea or challenged it?

What does it mean?
This is about the explanation. Consider every aspect of your idea. Look at it from every point of view.

How does it relate?
This is about the connections. Consider the impact and implications of the idea. What outcome or understanding do you gain from the idea?

Analyse how language features were used to foreshadow important events.

On a Cold Winters Morning…

Statement of intent: I am going to write a creative writing piece describing my Grandparents Farm on a winter morning.  I want to show how beautiful the valley is by using different types of language features and also the 5 senses (touch, taste, see, hear and smell.).  My narrator is like an invisible person being able to feel, touch, see and hear the scene but not actually affecting it.  

It is the beginning of winter, a chilly morning on the farm.   The sun wakes, its rays embracing the mountains and fields while slowly creeping over the horizon attempting to thaw the fresh coat of frost that is getting bolder with every passing day, creeping down the powdered summit into the valley below. 

Listen……  It is the long profound blast of the train horn as it rumbles past, its volume creating earthquake-like tremors in the ground below.  The tracks rattling and groaning as it rumbles past. It is the frigid gale whistling through the pines, making them shudder and shake in the everlasting winds, trying to dance away the cold.  Listen…… to the sound of the children finally awakening from their slumber, they bounce out of bed as Mum call’s “who wants hot chocolate?”. Listen….. to the sheep baaing as they arise from their delicate trance-like sleep.  Hear the old farmhouse creak as it sways in the wind, growing accustomed to its old age.

It is Sunday morning.  The thin rays of the sun are now glimmering beams as the sun gets higher and higher in the sky, reaching out to caress the ground below.  Boundless light covers the valley as the birds in the trees gaze over the farm below, eyeing the array of scattering sheep warily. The frolicking lambs jump and skip through the early morning dew, without a care in the world.   The lush green grass making a great play area for the new arrivals. The brave lambs seek out new territory trying to find a hole in the fence. Grandad stomps around in the frost checking on his sheep, creating footprints on the blank canvas.  He eyes the grey rain clouds above warily, as they prowl across the sky drifting along with the wind, looking like they are about to burst and unleash their wrath on anyone below. The rest of the family sit watching from the warmth inside, nestled together with hot chocolates glad they are not outside as well.   “Anyone for round 2?” Grandma asks as Mum rolls her eyes. All the children leap up eagerly shouting “yes please” overflowing with excitement and thrill as Mum would never in a million years let them have another mug. 

Look now…… the sunrise causes the sky to burst with reds, oranges and yellows a nice contrast to the brown leaves outside, which are carelessly blowing in the dying wind.  They flirt dangerously with the frost daring it to come and get them as it melts, the day becoming warmer and warmer. The few unfallen leaves that remain on the trees watch with interest over the scene below but still clutch onto the branches in fear of letting go. 

It is midday as the children finally decide to venture outside, tummies full and wrapped up warmly as the rain clouds surprisingly have passed and the wind permanently departs.  They join their grandfather with clear skies above eager to help him move the sheep, the sun now high in the sky.

And then you feel the warmth of the sun as the whole family goes about their day on the farm….

Editing

I whent to the shop on monday morning
I went to the shop on Monday morning.

my favorute colour purple.
My favourite colour is purple.

The House was creaky old and damp but i wasnt scared.
The house was creaky, old and damp but I wasnt scared.

It were a cold rainy day, Their safe in their car.
It was a cold, rainy day. They are safe in their car.

Hes my favourit mum said
Hes my favourite,” mum said.

The Road Ahead

resource image

It had been a normal journey so far, but things were about to change.

For miles and miles, the only sound that filled Jake’s ears had been the comforting hum of the car engine as they drove along the highway. So comforting in fact that he had dozed off, only to be awoken by the sudden jolt as his dad slammed the brakes on the car.

Jake could not believe his eyes, the road twisted ahead of him, spiralling out of control. He thought he had gotten away from the craziness of his old life, but you can’t outrun madness forever. The road

Language

Prepositions

in the exact middle
on to
without
with
with

wound on and on
but not quite straight into the side of
as all the people
opened out of it
first on one side and then on another
were on the same floor
on the same passage
all on the left-hand side (going in)
over his garden
meadows beyond
sloping down to the river

hiding among the millions of books, buried in her reading sat a young girl in her velvet blue chair. following along eagerly with each and every word, not concerning herself with the setting sun or the fluttering page leaves

Show, Don’t Tell

cowering in the corner, lip quivering, hands shaking sat the little boy in his velvet blue chair. jaw clenching as a tear slipped down his cheek, wiping it away angrily as he made up his mind. he wouldn’t feel this way about her again.

Language Features

Simile

life is like a condom it sometimes works sometimes doesn’t <—– Sammie’s
life is like the lottery you might bet lucky but probably not lol 😉 <—- Kate’s
the jellyfish flew threw the water like a bird through the sky

Metaphor

the water is glass translucent but reflective

Personification

TABLE – strong, proud, stood
HEADPHONES – sang, heartbeat, whispered, calmer, lay, hummed
CHAIR – supportive, withstand, worn out, sat, rested
COMPUTER – smart, brainy, intelligent, fast,
BOOK – comforting, stated, slept, wise, knowledgeable, company

the tree played hide and seek in the misty fog.
the mountain stared down at its reflection dancing on the water
the tall gate stood guard watching the park around it
the house was still standing nothing could break it now

Essay On Fargo

Question

Analyse How Film Techniques Were Used To Present An Idea In The Text

Introduction

In each moment of a film, the director attempts to instal many ideas into the framework to capture the audience’s attention.  The Coen Brother’s use a number of film techniques in the film ‘Fargo’ to present the idea of greed and to display the range of types shown through each character, their behaviour and their actions. They use dialogue, the contrast between the high angle and low angle and Mis En Scene. There are many ranges of greed. Jerry is a simple man who is confused and muddled but he has amoral intentions for doing what he did and for what he deems a good reason but he is so hungry for the money that he gets too optimistic and doesn’t believe anything will go wrong.  Wade is a professional businessman who is studied and calm but he only wants money for the gain of his business as he is already rich. Carl and Gaear are mindless, brainless, vicious and animal-like and they only want the money to become richer.

Body Paragraph One

Dialogue is the first significant technique used by the Coen Brother’s in “Fargo” to show the idea of greed.  Dialogue is a crucial aspect of the film as it helps you to understand elements that would otherwise go unnoticed. Dialogue also helps to show the character’s personality as they express their thoughts and feelings throughout the film. Carl is an essential character through the whole movie, his opinion and personality was always on show especially when money can into play. Every decision and action he made was driven by the unfortunate desire for money. In the opening scene, Jerry says “See, these’re personal matters.” to which Carl replies “Personal matters.” Jerry then continues with” Yah. Personal matters that needn’t, uh –” Carl cuts in, fed up, with “Okay, Jerry. You’re tasking us to perform this mission, but you, you won’t, uh, you won’t—aw, fuck it, let’s take a look at that Ciera.” Carl’s greed makes him overlook Jerry’s secrecy about his motivations for the kidnapping, if he had dug a bit further he might have seen that Jerry was a pretty desperate and pathetic guy who hasn’t thought this through at all, but his greed drives him to make the wrong decision of helping him because he wants the car. This shows the effect of greed as Carl is so fixed on satisfying his own greed that he doesn’t care about who feelings gets hurt in the process. Not stopping to talk and figure out the full story is some time that goes wrong in everyday life the Coen Brothers have portrayed this very well in their film. People make mistakes that could have easily been avoided by stopping and digging deeper to get all the information to make sure you will succeed.

Body Paragraph Two

Another significant technique used by the Coen Brother’s in “Fargo” to display the idea of greed is through the contrasting use of low and high camera angles.  This is shown in the scene where Jerry thinks he is closing the deal with Wade and Stan and debating the final specifics about his proposal for a new parking lot.  Wade and Stan find out he wasn’t intending of putting any capital towards the deal they decide to cut him out and continue with the project on their own. Wade says “Well, look, I don’t want to cut you out of the loop, but this here’s a good deal. I assume, if you’re not interested, you won’t mind if we move on it. Independently.”  We see Jerry go from a low angle to a high angle. This shows us that in the low angle Jerry thinks he has the proposal ‘sewn up’ with Wade and Stan that will get him a lot of money and also gain the respect from his father in law both of which he desires (work the word greed into here somehow) greatly and when the camera rises and puts him into a high angle shot he becomes smaller the weight of his greed for money and respect crushing him as he realises that the deal is about to fall through all chances for money and respect lost. (connect paragraphs)

Body Paragraph Three

Another significant technique used by the Coen Brother’s in “Fargo” to illustrate the idea of greed is through Mise En Scene.  This is shown in the scene where Carl and Gaear are fighting over if Carl should pay Gaear for his half of the Sierra. Gaear says that they should split the car and Carl says “How the fuck do you split a car, ya dummy? With a fuckin’ chainsaw?”  to which Gaear replies “One of us pays the other for half.” Carl then shows his gun and says that it’s stupid, “are we square?’’ His body language is aggressive and it shows that even though he has the rest of the money hidden away to go back to his aggressive stance, and showing off the gun, shows that he is greedy and that he can’t bear to part with any of it.  Gaear’s body language and facial expression, on the other hand, shows that he is bored with the conversation, he is staring at the tv and eating his meal slowly, he looks as if he is ignoring anything that Carl is saying. Carl takes his passive body language and facial expression as a yes and walks away making it look like he has won the argument. He doesn’t think twice about Gaear as all he can think about is the Sierra and getting back to the rest of the money that he hid.  Gaear kills Carl after this argument, which is a big contrast to the passive body language he had when he was on the couch, over a car because Carl flips out and escalates the argument. But Carl just stole a million dollars. The car should’ve been a non-issue at that point. Greed has totally taken over. If he had stopped thinking of all the money and just gave Gaear the money for the half car he would be alive and still richer than Gaear but he’s now dead and nobody has the money he hid.

Conclusion

The acting and action are critical in the movie “Fargo” by the Coen brothers but the idea or theme of greed is enhanced through the use of film techniques.  Film techniques are used to further explore greed through each character’s perspective, behaviour and actions and to show how vastly spread and diverse greed can be.  In my response, I have drawn on 3 film techniques that have helped show greed. The first is the dialogue which shows us that we are too quick to take action when greed comes into play. The second is the use of contrast between high and low camera angles which shows us how quickly our wants can be crushed when you are driven by greed.   The final technique of Mise En Scene was used to highlight that if we get too greedy we lose the ability to be careful and properly think things through.  The Coen Brother’s help the audience to learn that money isn’t everything and to be grateful for what you have got. They show us that the more we desperately try to cover our losses, the worse things get. Everyone in the film who’s motivated by money comes to a violent end. Greed gets you into trouble and trying to fix it makes it worse for everyone.