Themes in the Novel and Movie Adaptation of James Cain’s...

Themes in the Novel and Movie Adaptation of James Cain’s Mildred Pierce In contemporary film making, â€Å"Hollywood-ization† generally refers to the re-creation of a classic work in a form more vulgar and sexually explicit than the original in an effort to boost movie attendance. After all, sex and violence sell. However, from the mid-1930’s to the 1950’s, â€Å"Hollywood-ization† referred to the opposite case where controversial books had to be purified to abide by the Production Code of 1934.[1] This occurred to many of James Cain’s novels as they moved from text to the genre of â€Å"film noir.† As has been said about Cain’s The Postman Always Rings Twice, â€Å"The property, bought several years ago, was kept in the studio’s archives until now†¦show more content†¦A particularly strong theme that runs through the entire novel is the unusual power that women play over the men in their lives. Rather than simply being passive to the impulses of men, Mildred takes charge of her life and decides which men she will be with and leaves those that she no longer has an affection for. Cain dives into more controversial territory by having Mildred use men for her own sexual satisfaction. Cain also moves women into the role of successful ‘breadwinners’ during a time where men generally held financial power further blurring traditional roles of gender. However, Mildred does not completely free herself of all familial responsibilities as she is still held captive through her obsession with her daughter Veda. As with many housewives, her sense of self-identity is drawn from her role as a mother and she caters to the desires of her daughter to the point that they are almost self-destructive. It is Veda’s extravagant tastes that drive her mother to work hard and draws resources away from her business ultimately resulting in its collapse. Moreover, Mildred must deal with the lack of gratitude and outright contempt that she receives from her own daughter for working in a â€Å"blue collar† job. Madden is right stating that the book provided an unpopularized version of life in the 1930’s. However, it ultimately doesn’t not goShow MoreRelatedJames M. Cain s Mildred Pierce And The Movie Version ``896 Words   |  4 PagesThere is a common belief, in modern and traditional film industry, that almost every adaptation (loose, faithful and strict) from novel to film is considered a backslide or a disloyalty to the original author and readers. However, in 1945 Warner Bros. produced the movie Mildred Pierce based on the same name novel written by James M. Cain. This film not only became an exception in this general view, but also amazed the audience and even Cain himself by extraordinary performances and unique edit techniqueRead MoreJames M. Cain s Mildred Pierce765 Words   |  4 Pages Adapted from 300-page novel to a 2-hour movie, Michael Curtiz’s Mildred Pierce is a prime example of a loose Hollywood adaption that makes drastic changes in characters, na rrative configurations, and framing structure to conform to the standards and expectations of American cinema. Most ostensibly, the movie employs murder as a framing device and a hook to draw the audience’s attention to Mildred’s story, therefore transforming the linear, chronological plot of the novel into an episodic and achronological

What Does Meaningful Work Mean For You As An Individual

Reflect on ‘’what does meaningful work mean for you as an individual’’ There is no denying that human being need to some sort of purpose in their lives, and work is part of that. As a last year student, I started to thinking the meaning of work and how to be meaningful. What is meaning for work as a human being? After reading the book ‘Work’, I understood that the meaning of work is not only earning money to survive, but also fitting necessity psychological needs, that is source of satisfaction, self-fulfilment as well as identification, and belongs to the realm of freedom. (Svendsen, 2014, p.37) How do human being gets meaning from the work? I thought people can get meaning form work through the individual level or the organisation level. Some people bring a sense of meaning and mission with them to the workplace, and some organisation good at creating meaningful workplaces where every employee becomes part of creating success, cohesiveness, and culture at work. In fact, how many people truly experience their work as meaningful? From my past part-time experience, I can attest that large numbers of my colleagues do not. I used to be a McDonald staff in Taiwan. My work was about taking order for customers, and then giving it to customers. As soon as a staff completed the order, another one would automatically be directed to his or her extensions. In addition, not only the number of complaints from customers but also the amount of time staff spent complete an order wouldShow MoreRelatedMeaningful Work1492 Words   |  6 PagesFebruary 2013 The Meaning of Work When one thinks of meaningful work, generally they think of labor that accomplishes a certain goal. They think of a prestigious job or occupation that has meaning to it. But meaningful work can mean a lot more than just a prestigious job or having meaning to something you do. Meaningful work can be as simple as feeding the birds in the park on a Saturday morning. It can be helping someone out or looking out for someone in need. Meaningful work can be defined as enjoymentRead MoreMeaning Of Life : Susan Wolf s Article, Happiness And Meaning : Two Aspects Of The Good Life Essay987 Words   |  4 PagesWhat is the meaning of life? What gives life meaning? Philosophers have asked these questions for decades, and there still is not a solid answer to the question. This paper will analyze one modern philosopher’s take on the question: What gives life meaning? Susan Wolf is a modern moral philosopher and philosopher of action and mind. She attended two Ivy League institutions for he r undergraduate and graduate careers. Wolf received a Bachelor’s of Arts in Philosophy and Math from Yale University, andRead MoreAssignment 1 Essay1556 Words   |  7 PagesFinal Exam Read the following short essay, and then write a 3-5 page response (12-point font, double-spaced, normal margins, no cover page, no binders). Your response should do the following three things: (1) state what the main conclusion of the essay is; (2) state what the most important premises (including sub-conclusions) are—i.e., state which premises are most important if the argument is to rationally convince its audience; (3) evaluate the quality of the argument, giving detailed reasonsRead MoreWhat Makes A Family?796 Words   |  4 Pagesorder(tranquility), meaningful work, growth, and truth. I strongly believe in each one of these components. Having a family is so important because they are a main support system. Family doesn’t have to be someone who is blood related. Family can be anyone who you feel means a lot to you and supports you. Maintaining order(tranquility) is important because in the work place, you need to have organization of some sort. With order, everyth ing will simply fall into place. Meaningful work describes itselfRead MoreHappiness Is A Connection Between Happiness And Success?972 Words   |  4 Pages What makes us happy and what frames this idea of happiness for an individual? Is there a connection between happiness and success? Most of the buzz is about the capability of measuring of happiness. This idea is important but it is overshadowing what the overall picture is about. When you focus on measuring your level of happiness instead of concentrating on being happy this will drop your happiness levels and make the results inaccurate. If you want to be as happy as possible we have to find outRead More1. Does A Good Life Require Us To Pursue Just One Intrinsic1559 Words   |  7 Pages1. Does a good life require us to pursue just one intrinsic value or several? I am a Prudential Pluralist because for me best life is combination of several values. In my perspective, mental peace is hard to achieve by just focusing and adapting on one single value. I prefer different values because â€Å"Life is not linear; you have ups and downs, it’s how you deal with the troughs that defines you†. Following just one value limit my thoughts and make my life unidirectional. As I have examinedRead MoreWhat is Success?822 Words   |  3 Pageseveryone. It is not determined by how well one does against another, but rather is measured only against oneself. Success can be understood as a product of many essential factors. Success comes from taking whatever abilities we have and using them to our greatest power. There are characteristics that are related to being an impressive individual, therefore supporting and relating to becoming successful coaches and athletes. Being successful doesn’t always mean having a nice house, job, etc. S uccess isRead MoreThe Role Of Meaningful Work On Work Motivation Theories1286 Words   |  6 PagesRole of Meaningful work in Work Motivation theories 1. Introduction Work signifies an important aspect of human being’s life owing to the outcomes related with it, such as economic outcomes (salary, financial incentives), social status and fulfillment of needs. This had inspired organizational scholars to explore, what motivates one to work, leading to tremendous research on work motivation. Motivation theories can be classified through three predominant approaches (Chalofsky, 2003): 1. ContentRead MoreEffect of Technology on Humanity795 Words   |  4 Pageswhere technology surrounds and influences humanity one must consider whether technology is changing how we think, feel and act. Is technology influencing humanity or is humanity influencing technology? The questions of what ultimately influences human behavior and how the causation works, and whether technology is the influence or is humanity the influence over technology are important questions for all of society. The Significance of Social Social technology is permeating everything in our livesRead MoreThe Rights Of A New Community1725 Words   |  7 Pagesopportunity along with means to accomplish this. An important problem in this theory over a larger degree, nonetheless, can be that particular should decipher precisely what this attributes of the suitable are in a new community. The particular community should evaluate which rights the idea would like to uphold and allow to help its folks. To ensure that a new community to ascertain precisely what rights the idea would like to enact, the idea should come to a decision precisely what this society s ambitions

Marie is a 13 year old female Free Essays

Marie is a 13 year old female, who, along with 2 adults (both age 18), staged a kidnapping of a 13 year old girl in Marie’s class. They tied and gagged the little girl to the kidnapping spot. Should Marie be brought to trial as a juvenille or tried in an adult court? Is Marie classified as a juvenile offender? To answer these questions we will look at what classifies a juvenile offender, offenses that constitutes juvenile tried as adults, criminal intent surrounding Marie’s case, what sentencing guidelines should be considered and what treatment conditions should be made. We will write a custom essay sample on Marie is a 13 year old female or any similar topic only for you Order Now It is a sad fact that people of all ages commit crimes, yes, even children under legal age of adult hood which varies from state to state. Because of this â€Å"juvenile† court systems have been designed to â€Å"sentence† those who are too young to be tried as an adult. Those juvenile that commit crimes usually are tried before a special the juvenile court and receive their punishment. However, some juvenile are committing adult crimes and therefore should be charged as adults. When these cases arise a juvenile offender can be waived from juvenile court to adult court if the offense was â€Å"adult† enough. Usually a wavering processing has to be conducted via the procecustor. However, many states have laws allowing prosecutors to file adult charges against juvenile offenders for serious offenses without applying for a waiver (www.expertlaw.com). In addition, many states have seen the need to eliminate some serious offensives from juvenile court. Because of their severity; offenses such as capital crimes, murders, and other offenses against persons will be tried only in adult courts. According to www.co.san-joaquin.ca.us, those adolesants at least 14 years of age can be tried and sentenced to as an adult form a number of felonies. These felonies include: murder, attempted murder, arson, robbery with a deadly or dangerous weapon, various forms of rape, kidnapping, and carjacking. It is vital to point out that under most state laws, juvenile offenders do not commit crimes, they commit delinquent acts that some would constitute as crimes in committed by adults. With the understanding of juvenile offenders and what offenses permit a juvenile to be tried as an adult, should Marie be tried as an adult for her involvement in the kidnapping of her classmate? In my opinion, yes Marie should be tried as an adult. As a juvenile offender tried as an adult she will have the legal protection as adult’s defendants: right to an attorney, the right to remain silent, and the right to confront accusers, cross-examine witnesses and appeal to a higher court. According to the legal dictonary criminal intent is a mental desire and will to act in a particular way. Marie’s intent was plotting with the adults to kidnap her classmate. Because juvenile are not â€Å"sentenced† even when tried as adults, instead they are rehabilitated, Marie should still face a juror of six adults. Her past history with the juvenile system, opportunity of reform, seriousness and her involvement in the kidnapping as well as how the public’s safety will be affected if she is not locked up should be considered in the guidelines of the sentencing of the case. Treatment consideration should be provided to the court as a rehabilitation program such as a detention center or â€Å"boot camp†. Even if this is her first offense, it is clear by her involvement in this crime that she is headed down the wrong path and redirection is in order. It is known by adult court judges that the adult prisons offer little in the way of rehabilitation, counseling, or schooling. Therefore rehabilitation is mostly likely the route the juvenile would get. A rehabilitation center would provide her the maximum security training schools operated by state governments or non-profit organizations. In these facilities she would be placed through a rigorous program of education and counseling. Marie should not be sent to an adult prison, as a 1996 study of children sent to an adult prison were 1/3 more likely to commit crimes when released than those who were sent to a rehabilitation center (Juvenile Justice).   If she is transferred into a boot camp, she would be involved in a military style regimen or hard work, calisthenics and discipline (Kresnak, pg 04). According to Jack Kresnak, the purposes of these camps are imposing structure into their chaotic live. Even though I have suggested and support Marie being tried as an adult for her involvement in this terrible crime and refer her to obtaining rehabilitation for her actions, this is not saying that juveniles are not sentenced to pinion. In retrospect, www.expertlaw.com was quick to point out that many states have large juvenile prisons and treatment facilities. It is highly understood that some juvenile offenders are extremely dangerous and despite their age incarceration can and should be appropriate for them. It is also vital to know that if tried as a juvenile, these juvenile offenders are not offered the same guidelines as adults. They have no constitutional right to a jury trial, and do have a right to a public trail or bail. The purpose of juvenile trail is to rehabilitate not to punish. That is why I stand firm on my ground that Marie should be tried as an adult. She committed a crime and being tried as an adult will ensure that she is â€Å"scared† into the proper social behavior. However, the only problem we foresee in her being tried as an adult is that Marie is only 13 years of age. Most states as we have read allow children as young as 14 to be tried as an adult for various felonies, because of this legal catch, can we still have her tried as an adult? Yes, in the state of Colorado according to http://www.state.co.us/gov_dir. â€Å"a juvenile 12 or 13 years of age and is alleged to have committed an act that if committed by an adult would constitute a Class 1 or 2 felony or crime of violence as defined in section 18-1.3-406, C.R.S.† can be tried as an adult. Because of this law in Colorado I conclude that Marie should be tried as an adult for her involvement in the kidnapping of her classmate and sentenced to a rehabilitation center or boot camp. In either place, she will gain the educational and discipline to become a better citizen and well rounded person and hopefully become reformed enough to play an active, good moral role in our society upon her completion of the program. Refrences: When a Child can be tried as an adult, A publication of the office of Legilaive legal services. August 30, 2005.       https://www.expertlaw.com/library/criminal/juvenile_law.html Criminal Law: Juvenile Criminal Cases. 1999 National Report Series, Juvenile Justice.    Bulletin: Juvenile Justice: A Century of Change: December 1999.      Kresnak, Jack. Chapter 2, Juvenile Justice. http://www.justicejournalism.org/crimeguide/chapter02/chapter02_pg04.html How to cite Marie is a 13 year old female, Essay examples