Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Media - Essay Example This paper is about the menace posed by the inter-linkage of politics and media and the power of wealth in dictating the national agenda. As Al Gore succinctly puts it, â€Å"As long as individual citizens are not able to use logic and reason as the instruments with which they can dissect and meticulously examine ideas, opinions, policies and laws, corrupt forces will shape those policies and laws instead. It is the public’s lack of participation that empowers its abusers† (Gore 77). As Gore puts it, it is the thirty second commercial that goes a long way in shaping the attitudes of the electorate towards the presidential candidates. And these commercials are paid for by the elite that have a vested interest in propagating their point of view. As John Mcquaid puts it, â€Å"The media are constantly on the lookout for the odd moment that might capture some revealing truth about a candidate--and, ideally, create a feeding frenzy that consumes the campaign. In 2000, Al Go res exaggerated sighing during a debate, his TV makeup, and even the colour of his clothing became media obsessions. In 2004, it was John Kerrys supposed cultural elitism: the windsurfing, the request for Swiss on his Philly cheese steak. The problem is, such issues are almost always essentially trivial, having little to do with substantive issues or how a candidate might actually behave once in office†. Thus, what we have is a trivialization of public discourse by a media that is increasingly caught in â€Å"feeding frenzies† that have little to do with the larger issues that face the nation. I start off by describing the structure of media ownership and its relation to control in a globalised world. The iron grip of the global corporations over the media outlets operating as transnational entities has given rise to oligarchic tendencies and blatant misuse of the media apparatus. The subsequent sections detail the

Thematic Analysis- The scarlet letter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Thematic Analysis- The scarlet letter - Essay Example The Scarlet Letter uses the difficult journey of Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale to shed light upon the human condition and how human life is characterized by sin and suffering. An important characteristic of a human being is that he is not perfect and that from time to time he has a temptation to drift from the right path and turn towards committing a sin. This characteristic is depicted in the story by Hawthorne by the sin that Hester commits by sleeping with another man despite of being married. Hester becomes pregnant and she is questioned several times regarding the name of her lover but she does not reveal his identity. This feature of human condition (that is sin) is further strengthened in the story when it is revealed that the man who was also involved in this act of adultery with Hester was Arthur Dimmesdale, the minister of the Church. This revelation supports the belief that a human being can never be perfect no matter what position he holds in the society and that ev ery being can be sinful owing to the temptations of human nature. Nathaniel Hawthorne explains the nature of evil and good in the story. Hester and Dimmesdale are the two people who commit the sin but they display their goodness by repenting for their sins. Hester is punished in public for her act but she faces her difficulties with grace and does not run away. She rather becomes stronger and dignified in her period of punishment and this earns respect from the people owing to this. On the other hand, Dimmesdale faces his suffering alone and he pierces the scarlet A on his chest. He is not as strong as Hester to reveal his sin in public but he suffers deep down and falls ill. He finally reveals his act in public and dies. Their characters display the good side of human nature as they repent for their sinful act. Dimmesdale is a religious man who understands that their illegal unity by running away would yield them nothing in this world and the world hereafter. He explains this by sa ying, â€Å"I fear! I fear! It may be, that, when we forgot our God,--when we violated our reverence each for the other's soul,--it was vain to hope that we could meet hereafter, in an everlasting and pure reunion.† These lines are a display of his regret for his sin. The evil side of human nature is seen in the character of Roger Chillingworth. He is Hester’s husband who deserted her years back and left her alone and he returns at the time when she is being punished for her act of adultery. Chillingworth may be considered responsible for the position that Hester is placed in because it is probably her loneliness that drove her towards her act of sin. Despite of the sin being committed by her, she comes out of it gracefully. But Chillingworth works towards seeking revenge. The evilness of Chillingworth is explained by Dimmesdale when he says, â€Å"That old man's revenge has been blacker than my sin. He has violated, in cold blood, the sanctity of a human heart† . Chillingworth is an evil man who does not let Hester live in peace and spies on Dimmesdale as well and is ready to go to any depths for the attainment of his revenge. The Scarlet Letter is a perfect story written by Hawthorne which provides a depiction of the human nature. It throws light upon the aspects of sin, evil and goodness. A human being cannot be perfect and sinful acts are a part of the existence of human life. Hester accepts her sin and