Stephen J. Dubner

The Language of Time: An Analysis of Stephen Harper’s “Statement of Apology to Former Students of Indian Residential Schools” The Indian Residential School system was, as former Prime Minister Stephen Harper describes, “a sad chapter in [Canada’s] history” (1). The Indian Act of 1876 essentially passed guardianship of Aboriginal children to the Government of Canada, causing the education of these children to be the responsibility of the government. These Indian Residential Schools were created…

Gothic literature brings to life the darker side of tragedies by creating an atmosphere of horror and suspense as well as embodying supernatural affairs to the plot. Gothic fiction also considers the motif of the inevitability of fate. Horace Walpole surfaced this style of fiction in the mid 1700s with the novel, The Castle of Otranto. His story concerns all the elements that constitute Gothic literature. The term originated as an expression criticizing the art and architecture of the time,…

Horror, the genre that gives many nightmares while giving others pleasure. Horror is the genre of literature which focuses on targeting the fears of the audience. However, horror without any conflict and without any tension would simply be words. Conflict is the device which many writers use to depict the two opposing forces in the story. On the other hand, there is tension which is the device in charge of building the conflict until the climax and resolutions of the story are not reached. An…

Todd Anderson is a young boy that goes to an all boy’s privet school called Welton Academy as well as a member of a student made club called the Dead Poets Society. Todd Anderson is a new bee at Welton; he has a very high expectation set for him due to his older brother being an excellent student as well as a horror student. Anderson does have some issues at first with friend that he will have to make at his new school and has a very shy and scared personality, which doesn’t know make it better…

In Linda Williams “Film Bodies: Gender, Genre and Excess”, she discusses the way films can provide viewers with a sensational reaction to the physicality of the body whether being in acts of pleasure or pure disgust. What I found interesting was Williams perspective on the way one receives what her adolescent son phrases as “gross” movies. Williams’s depiction of “gross” movies are horror films that tend to have vigorous violence or disdain towards female promiscuous characters. A convention of…

A Demon in Disguise The first thing that comes to mind when people use the word ‘monster’ is usually a supernatural creature, such as a vampire or a werewolf. However, in The Odyssey, written by Homer and translated by Robert Fagles, Homer shows that humans can be monsters as well. Odysseus himself can be considered similar to a demon portrayed in the episode “Devil’s Trap” from the television series Supernatural. Directed by Kim Manners, the show relates the story of two brothers, Sam and…

Through is use of violence, suspense and surprises, the thriller has long been one of the most popular genres in film. Since the father of the thriller, Alfred Hitchcock, released Psycho, thrillers have captivated audiences with the combination of suspense and anxiety. Austrian-born director Michael Haneke, takes the central ideas of thrillers and places his own twists and style in his film to create his own unique brand of thriller. This is very evident in this 2002 movie, Caché. Despite…

Ta Nehisi Coates Alexander, Michelle. "Ta-Nehisi Coates’s ‘Between the World and Me’." The New York Times. 11111The New York Times, 16 Aug. 2015. Web. 16 Dec. 2016. 11111. According to Michelle Alexander’s article, “Ta-Nehisi Coates’s ‘Between the World and Me’,” Coates’s letter to his son repeatedly emphasizes the permanence of racial injustice in America; the foolishness of believing that one person can make a change, and the dangers of believing in the American Dream. Alexander cites…

Between the years of 1914 to 1918, approaching 1 million British soldiers gave up their lives fighting for King and country (greatwar.co.uk). Wilfred Owens, one of the greater known first world war poets, was one of these. He died at the age of twenty-five, only a week away from armistice, leaving behind approaching 100 poems. Despite his early death, Owen’s poetry has immortalized him, passing to future generations both his experience and sentiments regarding the first world war. Like many at…

The Native American Genocide that swept America “The Shining” is a classic horror film directed by Stanley Kubrick, released on May 23, 1980. The movie takes place in the home of the three main characters Jack Torrance, Wendy Torrance and Danny Torrence aka Doc. Jack goes for an Interview and ends up getting the job during the winter as the caretaker of the Overlook Hotel. The Overlook Hotel is known to have many Native American patterns on the floor and curtains even on Wendy’s clothes.…