Themes And Controversy In Fight Club

Themes And Controversy In Fight Club The conversion of the novel Fight Club to film, though controversial, turned out to be a very effective way of enhancing the authors reputation while spreading the message of its themes, such as the emasculation of men, to a wider audience and inciting much discussion on its social and cultural effects. Columbine occurred only six months previously and in its shadow many blamed violent media on their actions, as the author of Fight Club saved by Cast does, calling the movie a story about a secret society of men who like to pick fights for no other reason than they simply enjoy fighting. He seems to believe that the film took the fighting out of the context of its themes and therefore becomes an ad for violence and nothing more. 3. Yet most critics agree that the movie delves deeper than that, perhaps as a commentary on modern society or National Socialism or the soullessness of corporate America. Many think as I do though, and believe that the film s main focus is the emasculation of men (Lim). 4. Though any of these have the potential to be true, the actors themselves agree that the movie should be left up to interpretation; it becomes for you what you need it to be. B. Lead up to and follow up of thesis 1. Fight Club raises a number of different reactions, many negative because of the violence, but the book isn t about violence, it s about finding your worth, getting your identity and holding onto it, earning your place. 2. Thesis 3. This movie was designed to lure in controversy, especially in light of the Columbine shooting, by not only making the statement that men want to and enjoy doing this, but hides no brutality in the film itself. There is no shortage of blood or bruises and no mercy in the sound of skulls smacking pavement (Lim). II. The Cultural effects of Fight Club A. Author s reputation 1. The film adaptation of his novel made Palahniuk s reputation skyrocket, it propelled his work to the forefront of modern literature ( COMMENTARY ). It initiated the creation of a video game and men s clothing line, and provided people with plenty of catchphrases. (Lim) B. Culture: Background 1. This film has also had a massive effect on culture and produced a following unprecedented by early road bumps. 2. Ads for the film, to the director s dismay, ran during wrestling matches, It was sold as, hey come see people beat each other up. To truly understand and appreciate the movie it had to be freed from initial misconceptions that all it was about was a group of men who enjoy beating the tar out of one another. 3. The film also cost more than sixty million dollars and it sadly, as many had hoped, bombed at the box office only earning thirty seven million (Lim). C. Mormon Fight Club in Provo, Utah (Source 5, Gumbel) 1. Even with these road bumps it was still powerful enough to start fight clubs around North America, even in the heart of America s Mormon country. 2. Mormon students attending Brigham Young University and Utah State College had been meeting in secret and modeled a Fight Club of their own after the movie. 3. Looking for bloody violence with a friendly twist? asks the club s website, Fight Club where friends gather to enjoy a relaxing beating (Gumbel). 4. Fight Club not only drew a lot of attention but also was powerful enough to start Fight Clubs that hold true to the movie in rhetoric and serve the same purpose. III. Themes A. Nobody Knows for Sure 1. With no one willing to give the film a clear thematic purpose, including the director, it is wide open to interpretation, and with plenty of people willing to offer up their thoughts there is no shortage of potential themes. 2. The movie seems to have created ubiquitous controversy amongst critics, authors and everyday people all debating over its influences and themes. Is it Nietzschean? Buddhist? Marxist? Is it about the rhetoric of masculinity? The poetics of the body? The economics of patriarchy? (Lim). 3. The argument with the most merit seems to be that it should take on the interpretation that the viewer finds applies to him/herself the best. 4. Mr. Norton agrees saying, Joseph Campbell has that great idea about mythologies: that a myth functions best when it s transparent, when people see through the story to themselves. When something gets to the point where it becomes the vehicle for people sorting out their own themes, I think you ve achieved a kind of holy grail. Maybe the best you can say is that you ve managed to do something true to your own sensations. But at the same time you realize that this has nothing to do with you. B. Emasculation of Men 1. Even in light of this one of the most popular themes appears to be the emasculation of men and their loss of male identity in the late 20th century up to today. 2. Though society condemns violence and aggression, both part of masculinity since the beginning of time, they praise violent actions in the right context. When the passengers on Flight 93 used violence on the high jackers to bring the plane down their actions were considered valiant (Boon). 3. As this applies to all men, and functions as a commentary on society as a whole, this is one of the most significant of all possibilities. Aside from that the idea of this loss of power and identity in men to the point of reclusive masculinity is becoming more and more true. IV. Conclusion A. Wrap up of themes 1. In short, Fight Club is a film of lost identity, masculinity being slowly drained from its keepers. 2. How can any man be expected to perform his function with the contradictory standards presented by culture? Men are chastised by society for practicing rituals traditionally used to prepare them for the duties they must perform as men, yet are still expected to complete those duties. Men are to: a. physically defend without training in single combat, to exhibit bravery and valor without physically imposing themselves on anyone else, to conquer without dominating, to acquiesce without surrendering, to control their environment without being controlling, to attain victory without defeating anyone, and to remain ready to fight without fighting (Boon). 3. With such limits men are forced to practice their masculinity in secret and left angry and abandoned by society. B. The End 1. Fight Club is an incredible film ripe with controversy and open to interpretation. 2. Though many critics were unforgiving, one dubbing it a film without a single redeeming quality, which may have to find its audience in Hell, anyone should be able to appreciate its dark humor and clever twists regardless of a person s stance on violence or interpretation of the film. The invention of the movie s director David Fincher makes the movie a work of art and adds immeasurably to its effectiveness; he keeps you guessing until the end (Fight Club). Other than that it holds truer to the novel it was based on than any other film I have ever seen. 3. And finally, I think the author of Fight Club says it best when he concludes, a. At the end of the day you could agree that Fight Club is a celebration of corrupted masculinity as vehemently as the opposing view that it s a parody of these ideals. It won t make any difference though because, either way, this is a thrilling, intelligent and shocking blasterpiece.

Globalisation Book Review Essay

The world economy is becoming more global in its format. People may not be able to realize the correct depth of this globalization trend and the complexities it creates for the state. International businesses have a huge impact on our daily lives. Right from morning till night we are in the habit of using variety of goods and services made by different countries of the world. The globalization trend started after World War II. U. S. economy became the strongest economy at that time and U. S made their dominance worldwide in almost all major industries. Businesses were forced to build new plants and other facilities, and citizens turned to their work as a source of economic security. Gradually the economy developed and each country developed a competitive advantage in those circumstances. With the passing of time those advantages are being exploited to their maximum. ENVIRONMENT OF GLOBALISATION Environment refers to the totality of all the factors which are external to and beyond the control of individual global business enterprises. Environment furnishes the macro-context, the business firm is the micro-unit. The environmental factors are essentially the givens within which firms and their managements must operate. The value system of society, the rules and regulations laid down by the Government, the monetary policies of the central bank, the institutional set-up of the country, the ideological beliefs of the leaders, the attitude towards foreign capital and enterprise, etc. , all constitute the environment system within which a global firms operate. These environmental factors are many in numbers and various in form. Some of these factors are totally static, some are relatively static and some are very dynamic — they are changing every now and then. Some of these factors can be conceptualized and quantified, while others can be only referred to in qualitative terms. The environmental factors generally vary from country to country. The environment that is typical of Germany may not be found in other countries like the USA, the UK, and Japan. There may be some factors in common, but the order and intensity of the environmental factors do differ between nations. The magnitude and direction of environmental factors differ over regions within a country, and over localities within a region. The environment differs not only over space but also over time from country to country. We can talk of temporal patterns of environment, i. e. , past, present and future environment. Sometimes the environment may be classified into market environment and non-market environment depending upon whether a global firm’s environment is influenced by market forces like demand, supply, number of other firms and the resulting price competition, or non-price competition, etc. , or by non-market forces like Government laws, social traditions, etc. Further, we may classify the environment into economic and non-economic. Non-economic environment refers to social, political, legal, educational and cultural factors that affect state functioning. Economic environment, on the other hand, is given shape and form by factors like the fiscal policy, the monetary policy, the industrial policy resolutions, physical limits on output, the price and income trends, the nature of the economic system at work, the tempo of economic development, the national economic plan, etc. The non-economic environment has economic implications just as the economic environment may have non-economic implications. Since the environment is the sum total of the history, geography, culture, sociology, politics and economics of a nation, the interaction between economic and non-economic forces is bound to take place affecting the society functioning. ECONOMIC& FINANCIAL FACTORS Analysis of the business environment in any economy, we may examine the basic propositions as: 1. Business is an economic activity. 2. A business firm is an economic unit. 3. Business decision-making is an economic process. These propositions may be examined separately or jointly to justify the study of the economic environment of global business. Business is an economic activity An economic activity involves the task of adjusting the resources to the targets, or the targets to the resources. An economic activity may assume different forms such as consumption, production, distribution, and exchange. The nature of business differs, depending upon the form of economic activity being undertaken and organized. The manufacturer is primarily concerned with production; the stock exchange business is mainly concerned with the buying and selling of shares and debentures; the business of Government is to run the administration. The Government may also own, control and manage enterprises. These examples can be easily multiplied. The point is that each business has a target to achieve, and for this purpose each business has some resources at its disposal. Sometimes the target has to be matched with the given resources, and sometimes the resources have to be matched with the given target. Either way, the task of business is to optimize the outcome of economic activities. A business enterprise is an economic unit A business firm is essentially a transformation unit. It transforms inputs into outputs of goods or services, or a combination of both. The nature of input requirements and the type of output flows are determined by the size, structure, location and efficiency of the business firm under consideration. Business firms may be of different sizes and forms. They may undertake different types of activities such as mining, manufacture, farming, trading, transport, banking, etc. The motivational objective underlying all these activities is the same viz. , profit maximization in the long run. Profit is essentially a surplus value — the value of outputs in excess of the values of inputs or the surplus of revenue over the cost. A business firm undertakes the transformational process to generate this surplus value. The firm can grow further if the surplus value is productively invested. The firm, therefore, carefully plans the optimum allocation of resources (i. e. , men, money, materials, machines, time, energy, etc. ) to get optimum production. The entire process of creating, mobilization and utilization of the surplus constitutes the economic activity of the business firm, Business decision-making is an economic process Decision-making involves making a choice from a set of alternative courses of action. Choice is at the root of all economic activity. The question of choice and evaluation arises because of the relative scarcity of resources. If the resources had not been scarce, an unlimited amount of ends could have been met. But the situation of resource constraint is very real. A business firm thinks seriously about the optimum allocation of resources because resources are limited in supply and most resources have alternative uses. The firm, therefore, intends to get the best out of given resources or to minimize the use of resources for achieving a specific target. In other words, when input is the constraining factor, the firm’s decision variable is the output. And when output is the constraining factor, the firm’s decision variable is the input. Whatever may be the decision variable, procurement or production, distribution or sale, input or output, decision-making is invariably the process of selecting the best available alternative. That is what makes it an economic pursuit. Since business is an economic activity, a business firm an economic unit, and business decision-making an economic process, it is the economics environment of business which is the primary consideration in evaluating the business policies, business strategies and business tactics of a corporate entity in any global economy.

Essay on Starting a Business Plan - 1664 Words

Starting a new business is an exciting venture and has its unique mix of challenges and rewards. Many are set-up for failure if no clear goals or measures are established and adhered. According to the Small Business Administration, â€Å"Planning is critical to successfully starting and building a business.† The best advice for a new entrepreneur interested in starting a business is to create a solid business plan that outlines the business in its entirety. A well-constructed, written business plan will help owners remain focused on their operations, marketing and financial measures through the duration of the business life. In addition, knowing the risks involved in starting a business can help prevent and minimize mistakes that cause many†¦show more content†¦Strategic major milestones to be achieved can be mentioned that include customers, revenue, and expansion details. In a small business blog, Fisher (2011) states, â€Å"Think of it like a birds†eye view of the company as it currently exists and where you envision it to be in the future.† In addition, it may be worthwhile to include descriptions of the founders of the business and their extending experience from the industry. The operations of the business is critical in a business plan because it describes the main components of your business. Management duties and responsibilities can be addressed in terms of the day-to-day operations. This includes what each day of the week will entail for the schedule of the business. Likewise, many topics should cover the nuts and bolts of the business such as production and manufacturing, inventory, and distribution. Topics such as the location, employees, and equipment should be considered to provide the most competitive advantage and success for the business. Lastly, every business requires a structured form of legal registration for licensing, insurance liability and tax purposes. Marketing One of the toughest challenges of new businesses is attracting new customers. Having an effective marketing strategy in place is a vital implementation in increasing the awareness of your product or service. The marketing strategy section shouldShow MoreRelatedBusiness Plan For Starting A Business1168 Words   |  5 Pages Entrepreneurship When starting a business there are a number of factors to determine in order to ensure its success. To start, the entrepreneur should determine a business plan with a well developed idea After determining the business plan, they then should look at the three basic forms of owning and running a business: sole proprietorship, partnership, and a corporation. A sole proprietorship is a business ran single-handedly by one owner. 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Susan Glaspell s A Jury Of Her Peers - 995 Words

The subordination of women was a prominent theme in the 1900’s, during a time when women were often treated as second class citizens to men. Susan Glaspell wrote the play â€Å"Trifles,† in 1916, which portrayed how women’s lives were seen as less significant throughout American society. The following year, Glaspell wrote the short story â€Å"A Jury of Her Peers,† which was essentially a longer and more detailed version of â€Å"Trifles.† The stories are alike in many societal implications, since â€Å"A Jury of Her Peers† was based off of â€Å"Trifles.† However, they also have some notable differences. The most striking distinction between the two stories would have to be the significance of the titles and the portrayal of the characters. These differences†¦show more content†¦In the play â€Å"Trifles,† the characters use communication in the form of visuals, stage actions, and body language. This differs from â₠¬Å"A Jury of Her Peers,† where the women describe how they feel with descriptive language. For instance, in A Jury of Her Peers, the reader can tell some of what the women are feeling. Evidence of how the women feel and think is shown on p.5 in â€Å"A Jury of Her Peers† when it says â€Å"She thought of the flour in her kitchen at home†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and continues describing about Mrs. Hale’s thoughts. Not only that, but the short story is very detailed when it comes to the characters and what they are feeling. This can be observed on p. 8 in â€Å"A jury of Her Peers† when the text says â€Å"Again their eyes met-- startled, questioning, apprehensive†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The short story uses a lot of expressive language to capture how the women feel. The play does not show exactly how the female roles feel. In the play the observer can see what gestures the characters make and what they say, but the observer never really knows how the characters are feeling. There are times when the play used descriptive language in the stage directions. In Trifles, one stage direction stated â€Å"(in a frightened voice),† but other than that there was not much descriptive language. Compared to the short story, the play was considerably less descriptive and express how the women felt. The short story is more detailed and it helps the reader empathize with Minnie FosterShow MoreRelatedSusan Glaspell s A Jury Of Her Peers1408 Words   |  6 PagesGrowing up in Iowa in the 1800s and 1900s, Susan Glaspell took inspiration for many of her stories from personal experiences. As a former courthouse reporter herself, Glaspell’s short story â€Å"A Jury of Her Peers† is based largely on her involvement with a murder case and a kitchen she recalled investigating. â€Å"A Jury of Her Peers,† a rendition of her early play, Trifles, focuses on the homicide of an abusive husband by his wife. While the men investigating the case overlook t he various signs of abuseRead MoreSusan Glaspell s A Jury Of Her Peers1174 Words   |  5 Pages A Jury of Her Peers is a short story written by Susan Glaspell in 1917 and follows the investigation of the murder of John Wright, with his wife Minnie Wright being the alleged murderer. Martha and Lewis Hale assist Sheriff Peters and his wife, Mrs. Peters, with investigating the scene of the crime. Throughout the story, women notice significance in their findings, of which the men overlook. The men have a dismissive attitude towards the women, ignoring their contributions. When the women solveRead MoreSusan Glaspell s A Jury Of Her Peers Essay982 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"A Jury of Her Peers† by Susan Glaspell is now known as a feminist classic. Susan Glaspell first published the play â€Å"Trifles† in 1916 and was adapted to the short story â€Å"A Jury of Her Peers† in 1917. The story was rediscovered in the early 1970s, since then it has been reprinted into t extbooks and anthologies. It is said that while Glaspell was working as a reporter she was inspired to write â€Å"Trifles† and â€Å"A Jury of Her Peers.† The stories are inspired by a real murder case she was covering. TheRead MoreSusan Glaspell s A Jury Of Her Peers999 Words   |  4 PagesFrom beginning to end, Susan Glaspell’s 1917 short story â€Å"A Jury of Her Peers,† has several repetitive patterns and symbols that help the reader gain a profound understanding of how hard life is for women at the turn-of-the-century, as well as the bonds women share. In the story two women go with their husbands and county attorney to a remote house where Mr. Wright has been killed in his bed with a rope and he suspect is Minnie, his wife. Early in the story, Mrs. Hale sympathizes with Minnie andRead MoreSusan Glaspell s Jury Of Her Peers1841 Words   |  8 PagesName: ZaZa Horton Professor: Leblanc Course: Anicent Woman in Greece 20 April 2015 Susan Glaspell’s â€Å"Jury of Her Peers† â€Å"Jury of Her Peers† is a short story that revolves around the strange death of john wright. It is a piece of work that exposes sexism on women. Women have been categorized for some time now based on their gender and not on ability and skills. They have always fell at the short end of the stick when compare against men. Nevertheless, there were many similarities as well asRead MoreSusan Glaspell s A Jury Of Her Peers878 Words   |  4 Pages In â€Å"A Jury of Her Peers,† Susan Glaspell crafts an intricate portrayal of these differences, but also provides a closer look at interpersonal relationships in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as well as how one’s atmosphere may affect the mind. Glaspell’s commentary is clear regarding the standing of men and women of the time, with the male characters being in positions of duty and respect, and the female characters being in positions of maintenance. These choices made by Glaspell allow theRead MoreSusan Glaspell s A Jury Of Her Peers Essay1164 Words   |  5 PagesSusan Glaspell was a prolific author, playwright, journalist and novelist in the early 1900s. Early in her career as a reporter she wrote many articles including the newspaper coverage of a murder trial known as the Hossack Case when she worked for The Des Moines Daily News in Des Moines, Iowa. This murder trial was a much publicized event in which a woman, Margaret Hossack, was accused of murdering her prosperous husband on the couple’s farm in Des Moines. In these newspaper articles dated fromRead MoreSusan Glaspell s A Jury Of Her Peers Essay1789 Words   |  8 Pagesdefined as the treatment of someone or something with due fairness, but the fa irness of a situation is often seen differently, depending upon the viewer. In Susan Glaspell’s, A Jury of Her Peers, the idea of who is capable to fairly judge a person, and therefore serve justice, is examined through the arrest of Mrs. Minnie Wright for the murder of her husband. As the sheriff and others go to the Wrights’ house, the suggestion is made that those empowered by law to cast judgement and those with an understandingRead MoreSusan Glaspell s `` The Yellow Wallpaper `` And A Jury Of Her Peers ``2004 Words   |  9 Pagesof mankind. Women, in particular, fight for fairness even in today’s society. This everlasting battle can be seen in both â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and â€Å"A Jury of Her Peers† by Susan Glaspell. Gilman’s story revolves around a woman who has postpartum depression. Her husband, who is also her physician, uses isolation to try and heal his wife’s â€Å"nervous disea se.† Glaspell’s story, on the other hand, describes the murder of a man, with his wife being the prime suspect. Read MoreSusan Glaspell s Trifles And A Jury Of Her Peers984 Words   |  4 PagesAlthough â€Å"A Jury of Her Peers† and â€Å"Trifles† are similar in plot, Mustazza’s article, â€Å"Generic Translation and Thematic Shift in Susan Glaspell’s ‘Trifles’ and ‘A Jury of Her Peers’† highlights the differences and similarities between the two. Mustazza’s article may help aid readers to understand the differences between Glaspell’s two works and provide understanding as to why Glaspell may have changed the genre and form of the plot. â€Å"Trifles† is a dramatic play whereas â€Å"A Jury of Her Peers† is prose