Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice

Bahyan .M. Mawloud 96540352

I have watched this movie twice and I like it very much because I admire the characteristics of its protagonist, Elizabeth. Therefore, in this paper I would like to analyze and reflect on some traits of this character’s personality. Though this movie’s plot talks about life and marriage in an aristocratic society of early 19th century in England, there are some circumstances in the movie that are still being practiced in nowadays societies especially in terms of social statues and marriage.

In Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice Elizabeth is the second daughter in the Bennets family. She is a rational, quick-witted, and caring lady who stands by her own observations in life.

I really admire Elizabeth’s rational thinking which makes her different from other female characters in the movie. When it comes to marriage, she never falls for money or social statues, instead she fellows her instinct and her true feeling for love. As Mrs. Bennet, Elizabeth mother’s only concern is to get her five daughters married with somehow a wealthy man, when the foolish and pompous Mr. Collins proposes to Elizabeth, she tries to convince Elizabeth to marry him only because he is the inheritance of Bennets family’s properties. However, Elizabeth refuses to marry him because he is not the one for her; therefore, she neither falls for his wealth nor her mother’s irrationality. Moreover, though she has a feeling for Fitzwilliam Darcy, she refuses the wealthy Darcy’s first marriage proposal, because at that time she considers him arrogant and unpleasant. She tells him that he was the one who steered Bingley away from Jane and disinherited Wickham. She does not accept to marry him until Darcy sends her a letter explaining that he urged Bingley to leave Jane because he thought their romance was not serious; As for Wickham, he writes that Wickham is a liar and that the real reason of their disagreement was because he wanted to elope with Darcy sister, Georgiana. The letter makes Elizabeth to reevaluate her feelings about Darcy. At some point it the movie, Elizabeth finds out the person who actually helped her family to find her sister, Lydia, who eloped with her lover was Darcy. Later Darcy confesses to Elizabeth about his essential arrogance of his upbringing, and tells her that he regrets of it and that she made him to be humble. After all these, Elizabeth finds Darcy’s true personalities and agrees to marry him. These examples reflect the rationality of Elizabeth.

Another trait of Elizabeth by which I’m really impressed is her quick-witted mind. She is quick to recognize most people's principal characteristics. For instance, she recognizes the superficiality of several members in her family. Moreover, shortly after meeting Lady Catherine, she characterizes her as a control addict, and her sister's lover Charles Bingley as a simple and good-hearted young man. Elizabeth quickly discovers Fitzwilliam Darcy’s aristocratic demeanor (pride) characteristic which is the main reason for her rejection of his first proposal of marriage.

Elizabeth is a very caring and understanding person. One example for this is her deeply caring about Jane, her older sister. When Jane becomes ill while Eliza is at Netherfield, Darcy's home, Elizabeth walks three miles through the mud to visit her. She mostly stays by Jane's side during the visit, preferring her company to the superciliousness of Miss Bingley and Hurst. It is Elizabeth that tries to cheer Jane up after Bingley leaves Jane, and it is only Elizabeth who Jane confides in. Another example is when Elizabeth hears about Collins and Charlotte Lucas, Elizabeth’s best friend’s engagement and after Charlotte explains to Elizabeth that she is getting older and needs the match for financial reasons, Elizabeth understands her and does not feel bad about her instead she promises to visit them at their new home.

However, by trusting entirely to her own observations, and her own initial assessments (prejudice) of Darcy, Elizabeth threatens her future happiness with Fitzwilliam Darcy at the beginning of the movie and the novel. On the other hand she does not entirely fail in that because she finally finds out his true characters, and she does so in a very honest and intelligent way.

All these incredible traits of Elizabeth in Pride and Prejudice make me to admire her very much. And I really like the movie not only because of Elizabeth, but also because it reflects many aspects of life at that time in England.

Course title: popular culture


Student number: 94540316

Student name: Eric

My Thoughts on TV Reality Show THE CELEBRITY APPRENTICE

             Before going in to the main point, the first thing I need to affirm is that I agree competition because it will produce high force of production which is good for individual or organization. If you don’t agree with me, try to recall the time when you finish one thing or reach your one of your goals after going through many difficulties, how do you feel? You must have felt so happy that you want to continue to work on your next other things at hand. That’s efficiency, right?

           In the TV reality show THE CELEBRITY APPRENTICE, participants have to challenge themselves to fire up their potential to finish their assigned work, when they are finished through many struggles for enormous difficulties in the process, their joyful expression in their face is a proof to what I mentioned above, whether the result of competition is good or bad for both sides. To be explicit, the happiness comes from overcoming the difficulties toward your object. Therefore, this main point from my opinion supports me to believe that the emphasis of helping each other to overcome difficulties is more important than the emphasis of competition. Hence, what I want to point out is that this TV reality show overdoes the part to promote the idea of competition rather than the emphasis of helping each other. Even if they do help each other in the process toward their goal, it ends up in blaming each other between team members if they lose the game. What’s more, I’m afraid that this mindset this TV series try to promote will subconsciously penetrate human mind to damage the human nature—helping each other as the member of a social group.

                I think this TV series leads up to the idea that if we want to survive well, we need to be hard-hearted to “get rid of someone” in order to struggle one’s way up regardless of friendship or cooperation before. What’s more, if I were a one of members on the team, I could hardly build up the relationship with other team members on the heart to heart basis, but on the benefit to benefit basis because one minute we are friends, next minute we may be enemies.

              On the view of an organization, I think that the way such a TV reality presents for business may make a profit in the short term, but not in the long term. That’s because in such a way, people in the organization would not trust each other in the long run and then it would cause being out of communication which in turn create low morale and down statistic in the growth of an organization in that they would only think more of their own interest than overall interest if no one can help each other from sincerity and care about the real feelings for each other. If you don’t believe me, just look at the real circumstance and try to ask yourself the questions as follows:

1. How many friends you can have heart to heart talk, especially in your workplace?

2. Do you think you get real happiness or even can bring others happiness to put too much focus on competition?

Anorexia Nervosa
by Michelle 96540451

Since I have been interested in this type of area for years, I’d like to focus my final report on this issue, and express a more general idea about what exactly is anorexia nervosa to everyone, and I hope everyone can take this seriously, and live healthy!!


People are concerned with the high percentage of overeating, obesity, found in young people, while “under-eating”, or Anorexia Nervosa, is rather neglected in today’s society. The problem of under-eating is just as serious of a problem as that of overeating and the public must be made aware of the issue. Anorexia Nervosa, characterized as both a disease and a disorder, involves food restriction and weight loss.



The media should put a hold to posting pictures of overly-skinny models and stars, because these pictures have big influences on those who are easily manipulated by others. The social life and certain gene inheritance are other factors that promote anorexia.

Unlike before, Anorexia is taken more seriously and unfortunately experienced by more people. Due to anxiety, stress, peer pressure, and self-esteem problems, it is generally female students who are found with the disorder. In current society, cultural ideas can greatly impact a person and lower her/his self-esteem, developing a distorted body image, “an individual’s internal picture of her exterior form”, as a result.



Insecure teens tend to have the distorted body image of skinny is beauty; their insecurity makes them highly aware of how people look at them. Perfectionists, like kids who are pressured by parents to get straight A’s, desire to have perfect bodies and are at the highest risk of suffering anorexia. Fashion trends in Hollywood promote skinnier bodies and now most people prefer to look at underweight bodies; that is why there is an increasing demand in anorexic models on runways.



Our body is switched to starvation mode when it does not consume enough energy to function normally. Starvation mode slows down processes in the body to conserve energy and turns to itself for essential nutrients.

Fortunately, there are signs that help to determine whether one has anorexia or not. Weight loss is an obvious outcome of self starvation. This weight loss can lead to depression and social withdrawal; the individual gets irritable and easily upset, creating an obstacle when interacting with others. It becomes harder for her/him to get a good night’s sleep, leading to fatigue in daytime and reduced concentration and attention span.



A growing adolescent conducting self starvation impacts her/his future health life. Not getting sufficient nutrient while growing “can increase the risk of bone deformities or limit eventual adult height.” Malnutrition leads to weakness, fatigue, muscle cramps and increased anxiety level. This anxiety causes her to feel that she is not in control of her body, thus leading to even stricter restrictions on her diet. When a girl’s body fat drops below a certain level, she will not menstruate and puberty will not develop normally.

Our society is moving at a rapid pace; views on things that were valid just last month may no longer be applicable a few weeks later. The media is gradually having a lot more influence on young teens than before. Stars, celebrities, and models always seem to look prettier and more attractive than the average people. They look this way because this is a job requirement. And many young people tend to believe this façade while most adults are immune to it because the adults know what is really going on behind the façade. Unfortunately, young people are easily manipulated and therefore will follow examples of their star role models; for example, losing weight, through unhealthy practices.



Pretty sad huh?! but I still see tons of people nowadays been losing weight and starving themselves in an excess way, I hope everyone can understand the truth behind all the façade and not be manipulated by the media that easily.



Be who you are! And stay healthy! And that, of course, is what beauty really is!!



96540451
Michelle

Chanel

Chanel

Among all the topics we have discussed in “Popular Culture”, I am interested in the file “Coco Chanel” the most. Therefore, in this paper, I would like to introduce the fashion band “Chanel” in detail on the aspects of its famous, elegant, up-to-date and fashionable products and its main spirits and influences on the fashion trend.

 Chanel Logo

The signature Chanel logotype is an interlocking double-C. The one C facing forwards while the other C facing backwards.

 Spirits of Chanel

Chanel's style is popularly associated with the image of the 1920s flapper. It refers to a "new breed" of self-confident young women that challenged the established concept of socially acceptable behavior. The flappers demonstrated their independence through new looks and attitude, such as short skirts and haircuts, using cosmetics, and being seen to smoke and drink cocktails. Compared to previous generations of women, the flappers also showed an increased level of activity. They pursue athletic sports, driving their own automobiles, and going out to nightclubs where they could listen to jazz music and do energetic dances such as the Charleston.

 Products of Chanel

I. Perfume

• Did you know that Chanel No5 was the world's most recognized scent? Or that it was Marilyn Monroe's favorite perfume? The perfume was Coco's very first scent, and it originated in 1921. Creator of perfume, Coco Chanel considered a series numbered samples from 1 to 5 and 20 to 24 when naming the perfume. She eventually choose the sample No 5. As Coco Chanel was being asked "which name you will give it?", she answered "I launch my collection on May 5, fifth month of the year, leave it to it number which it carries and this number 5 will carry chance to it".

• Chanel came out with her first signature fragrance, Chanel No. 5, in 1921. The perfume was the first to have a designer's name attached to it, and it has enjoyed tremendous success since its introduction. In this way, Chanel set the standard for successive designers to do the same.

II. Cosmetics

• All woman need to make-up. And all women like to make up to make themselves look more beautiful. Chanel’s make-ups are famous for its simple but elegant designs of its outfits and comfortable feeling while wearing these make-ups.

III. Skin care

• There is no ugly woman but lazy woman. All women need to take care of their skin to make themselves look younger than the looks of their actually ages.

IV. Jewelry

• Chanel jewelry is interantional famous brands. It had become legendary for a long time.

• “Costume jewelry is not made to give women an aura of wealth, but to make them beautiful.”                                        By Coco Chanel

V. Handbags

• Without a doubt, Chanel’s handbags are the most classical and elegant ones. Chanel bags represent a symbol of royalty, luxury, fashion and elegance.

VI. Watches

• Almost all women crave the luxury associated with designer watches, especially beautiful Chanel Watches. Chanel Watches. are designed to be marketed at royalty. Chanel Watch is fashionable in style, attractive and durable. Chanel watches are pioneer of fashion in the whole world. Women will be attractive as they are wearing Chanel watches.

VII. Ready-to-wear

 Clothes

• Coco Chanel always kept the clothing she designed simple, comfortable, and revealing. Unlike most designers in Europe, she kept the woman inside the clothes at the center of her creations. She took what were considered poor fabrics like jersey and upgraded them

• "I gave women a sense of freedom; I gave them back their bodies: bodies that were drenched in sweat, due to fashion's finery, lace, corsets, underclothes, padding." By Coco Chanel

 Influence on fashion trend

Coco Chanel revolutionized fashion by replacing the traditional silhouette with the comfort of simple suits and long, lean dresses. Coco’s simpler lines of women's couture led to the popular "flat-chested" look. Her clothing changed the way women dressed for outdoor leisure. Coco liberate women and create more comfort. Her dresses were cut to flatter the figure rather than to emphasize and distort the natural body shape.Contemporary Fashion even states, "She dressed the modern woman in clothes for a lifestyle."

She had numerous successes that changed the fashion industry. The House of Chanel became an icon of elegance. Coco Chanel's fashions became more and more well-known. The name "Chanel" became a symbol of elegance, wealth as well as the ultimate sign of French high class. Chanel still is popular because it mixes the trends of today with the class and simplicity it had when it first opened. Chanel "continues to re-inforce her concept of uncomplicated classics” and makes a great contribution to contemporary fashion.

 Chanel Headquarters, Place Vendme, Paris.

Jocelyn 96872304

 The Mysteries of UFO

I’d like to talk about UFO because I’ve been interested in this topic since I was a child. Whenever I watch news related to this issue or TV programs introducing about it or movies filming extraterrestrials stuff, I can be quickly drawn attention to them; I feel so attracted to, and there is just something feverish in my heart towards this topic!

It is reported that oftentimes we could see from TV that people clam to have witnessed UFOs in the sky either at the very particular occasion or even just at an ordinary place, taking photos of them report, and then submit them to the TV stations to have the opportunity to show them and to report such enigmatic and inexplicable events.

Whether or not these events do occur on earth, the phenomena are truly worthy of being discovered because the universe is full of surprises and enigmatic things, making the world more marvelous!



Now, I want to talk about events related to extraterrestrials—crop circles, flying saucers, and E.T. kidnapping. First, crop circles have taken place in many places in the world, which are so amazing. To me, they are a master piece and a great art to appreciate. Whenever crop circles occur, they can always catch people’s eyes. Experts have long been dying to dig out the truth.

Crop circle are patterns on wheat or rye, ranging form simple circular patterns of various sizes to more complex geometric ones. Later some time they have even appeared to be inspired by animals or religious symbols.

Crop circles have been existing ever since the 1970s, and they have become the subject of various paranormal beliefs. They are said to be created by freak meteorological phenomena to the belief that they represent messages from extraterrestrials. Other hypotheses attribute them to atmospheric phenomena. The truth is, however, no one really knows the actual creators to accomplish these pieces.

As for flying saucers（also referred to as a flying disc）is a type of unidentified flying object（UFO）. Many people claim that they have seen the object and take photos of it. Whereas, most of the photos taken are regarded as pranks or are assumed to be clouds and mists, the natural phenomena bringing about certain illusionary images casting on the sky. The flying saucer has become a stereotypical symbol of both extraterrestrials and science fiction in popular culture. It has featured in many science fiction films since the mid-20th century.

Speaking of the extraterrestrials kidnapping events（also referred to as alien abduction）are described as subjectively real memories of being taken secretly or against one’s will by apparently nonhuman entities and subjected to complex physical and psychological procedures. This strange and frightening phenomenon is associated with people encountering UFOs. Up to now, almost every country and culture around the globe has reported similar cases of people abducted by aliens. Many skeptics would say that the people reporting these encounters are merely suffering from some unknown and mental instability. According to a report, the very first known case was Villas Boas, a Brazilian farmer abducted in 1957. He claimed that the aliens took him, performed medical examination, and made him have sex with a non-human female creature. The second most compelling abduction case emerged a few years later during the 1960’s—Betty and Barney Hill. They saw aliens outside the flying saucer late at night. They tried to get away, and then suffered a memory loss; their memories of that night were fragmented and incomplete. They complained of strange dreams and later consult several psychotherapists.

It is really unbelievable to have such extraordinary and bizarre experiences. I do not agree with the idea of all being suffering from mental instability, because I truly believe there are things on earth that you never know. However, it would be quite scary if you were to be abducted by humanoid creatures. Memories are beautiful and can be a lubricant to your life, but once you lose yours, it becomes incomplete to some extend.

All in all, life is not about searching for answers, but about living it! To live a life does not mean to find an answer for each question, because sometimes there are no answers for certain questions. Sometimes all we have to do is simply enjoy and appreciate the beauty and mysteries of life!

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by Vinia Huang