Wizard of Oz-Fairy Tale
The 1939 film The Wizard of Oz starring Judy Garland is the fantastical tale of a young girl that gets swept into an alternate, magical dimension and must battle an evil witch in order to get back home. The Wizard of Oz features many fairy tale elements including an unspecified time and place, the battle between good and evil, magic, archetypes, extreme conditions, a transformation, and, of course, a happy ending.

While The Wizard of Oz is initially set in Kansas, an unexpected tornado transports Dorothy, the story's heroine, to Oz. The different settings are differentiated through the use of color; while life in Kansas is shot in black and white, Oz is shown in Technicolor. Furthermore, the location of Oz is unknown as is the time. Upon her arrival in Munchkinland in Oz, Dorothy is immediately cast as a heroine after the house in which she was…...

Borderline Personality Disorder in Oz
Dorothy, the heroine of The Wizard of Oz is oftentimes viewed as an innocent victim manipulated by those around her. However, that view ignores the very real role that Dorothy played in bringing about the negative events in the movie. From allowing her dog, Toto, to run free and bite a neighbor, to running away from her aunt and uncle when they tell her that she will have to give up Toto since he has bitten someone, she engages in behavior that is both irresponsible and impulsive. Impulsive behavior and irrational behavior are only two of the character traits of borderline personality disorder that Dorothy appears to have, bringing into question whether she is an appropriate heroine.

Some of the most common symptoms of borderline personality disorder include: intense emotions and mood swings; harmful, impulsive behaviors; relationship problems; low self-worth; a fear of being abandoned; aggressive behavior;…...

mla

References

Fleming, V. (1939). The Wizard of Oz. Culver City, CA: Metro Goldwyn-Mayer.

Mayo Clinic Staff. (2012, August 17). Borderline personality disorder. Retrieved December 4,

2013 from Mayo Clinic website:  http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/borderline-personality-disorder/DS00442 

National Institute of Mental Health. (2013). Borderline personality disorder. Retrieved December 4, 2013 from National Institute of Health website:  http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/borderline-personality-disorder/index.shtml

eleased in February of 1939, The Wizard of Oz has become one of the most iconic and enduring motion pictures ever produced. The Wizard of Oz was based on a novel of the same name, but the film has far surpassed its namesake novel by L. Frank Baum in terms of popularity and critical acclaim. The film is a relatively rare example of a situation in which the adaptation to screen brought the original novel to a new level. Adaptation credits are shared by Noel Langley, Florence yerson, and Edgar Allen Woolf. The Wizard of Oz is a bildungsroman that follows the classic hero's journey structure.
Victor Fleming receives all of the official directorial accolades, but there were actually four additional uncredited directors on the film including George Cukor, Mervyn Leoy, Norman Tuarog, and King Vidor, who directed most of the Kansas scenes ("The Wizard of Oz: Full Cast and Crew,"…...

mla

References

Griswold, J. (1987). There's no place but home: The Wizard of Oz. The Antioch Review 45(4): 462-475.

MacDonnell, F. (2004). "The Emerald City was the New Deal." E.Y. Harburg and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Journal of American Culture 13(4): 71-75.

Payne, D. (1989). The Wizard of Oz: Therapeutic rhetoric in a contemporary media ritual. Quarterly Journal of Speech 75(1): 25-39.

"The Wizard of Oz: Full Cast and Crew," (n.d.). IMDB. Retrieved online:  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032138/fullcredits-ref_=tt_ov_dr#directors

Even though Dorothy wished that there were other kids her aged that lived close by to play with, she was lucky to have a small dog named Toto. Toto was a small, black furry dog that followed Dorothy home one day. She loved Toto and he was her best friend. She and Toto were playing in front of the house and she noticed Uncle Henry sitting on the front porch looking up at the sky. When she looked up, she noticed that the sky was not blue anymore. It had turned gray like it does when it is about to rain. All of a sudden, it got very windy. Uncle Henry yelled that a cyclone was coming and that he was going to put the farm animals in the barn. Aunt Em yelled for Dorothy to run and hide in the cyclone cellar.

All of the heavy winds scared Toto and…...

mla

Bibliography

Baum, L.F. (2000). The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: 100th Anniversary Edition (Books of Wonder) (100 Anv ed.). New York: HarperCollins.

Genre theory offers a useful means of classifying films according to their tropes and conventions. Although films constructed purposely to fit into a specific genre can be criticized for being overly commercial, genre theory does reveal how American audiences do react favorably towards familiar themes, actors, directorial styles, plots, and imagery (“Movie Genres”). Moreover, genres reveal the power of archetypes in storytelling. Even when a film does not fit neatly within one and only one genre, or when a film straddles many genres at once, the plot and characterization may still reveal familiar themes. Fantasy can be considered a universal genre in that all cultures have a collective body of myths and storytelling about superhuman or otherworldly creatures. Therefore, fantasy films are about much more than escapism. Fantasy is a genre that offers filmmakers and audiences alike a great degree of flexibility in terms of symbols and motifs. Audiences are…...

Oz & the Secret Garden
Childhood, in its most natural state of being, is distinguished by a state of mind, which is full of hope, love, and a belief that life holds infinite possibilities for fun, adventure, and happiness just waiting to be discovered. Unfortunately, as childhood progresses, the mechanisms of the adult world increasingly intrude to a point where rationality and the limitations of human nature are finally accepted as the only living reality. Acceptance brings with it resignation over the less-than-ideal circumstances of life, bringing in its wake conflict, defeat, unhappiness, stagnation, and unfulfilled human potential. Perhaps this is the reason why children respond spontaneously and intuitively to the genre of children's literature that is characterized by a basic pattern of journey, conflict, return, and reward (Attebery, p. 91). Indeed, according to Bruno Bettelheim, the promise of conflict resolution and happy endings often leads to children being drawn particularly…...

mla

Works Cited

Almond, B. "The Therapeutic Narrative: Fictional Relationships and the Process of Psychological Change." Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers, 1996.

Attebery, B. "The Fantasy Tradition in American Literature: From Irving to Le Guin." Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 1980.

Bloom, H. "Women Writers of Children's Literature." Philadelphia: Chelsea

House, 1998.

OZ and Transition
The izard of Oz provides Americans with a text that helps them make the transition from the country to the city and sets the stage for the commodified American popular culture of the 20th century. This paper will show how, thanks to its pristine (Emerald) beauty and adventurous episodes, Oz makes "the city" much more appealing than the muted, old-fashioned of America. It will also explain why Dorothy returns to Kansas (someone has to take back home the message of how amazing "the city" is).

Baum's Oz shows that everyman can become a king if he pursues his own desires: thus, the Scarecrow is awarded leadership over the Emerald City, the Tinman leadership over inkie County, and the Cowardly Lion kingship over the forest. Each character, of course, rises to meet his own personal challenge -- but, nonetheless, these are clear examples of how the American Dream is perfectly…...

mla

Works Cited

Baum, F. The Wizard of Oz. Chicago, IL: George M. Hill Company, 1900.

Corey, Lecture

Ellison, Ralph. Invisible Man. NY: Random House, 1952.

Jones, E. Michael. Sexual Liberation and Political Control. South Bend, IN: St.

Fighting fair, Tom still shines despite his aggression, particularly in light of Alfred's cowardly stone throwing when Tom's back is turned.
Analysis

This first chapter in Tom's adventures is of cleverly constructed form; sharing all key elements needed to know in order to follow the story, identify with the protagonist, despise the multiple antagonists, and fondly recognize the doddering aunt as a 'straight man' to Tom's antics. The reader is immediately engaged in the story because Twain's style opens with dialog - known as a 'hook' in publishing parlance. The reader is instantly curious; why is this person named Tom being so vocally pursued? Who is doing the shouting? Why is this Tom character not responding?

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is a snapshot of reality with which all readers can identify; it is not necessary to live in the backwaters of Mississippi to recognize sincere affection and security, sneaky and dishonest…...

life is an issue that has been plaguing thoughtful people since the first Cro-magnons evolved into modern homo sapiens with the power to think rationally and creatively, and most importantly, self-consciously. Aside from humorous attempts to explain the meaning of life such as Monty Python's movie The Meaning of Life, the question is a serious one. It cuts to the core of every human life, causing the individual to question his or her purpose and mode of living. Many people look to religious guidance as a means of discovering meaning in life, and religion remains the most effective way of providing people with a roadmap. Even if the absolute meaning of life is not revealed, we can at least learn to accept that God has a plan and that plan is inherently meaningful. Philosophers, however, have debated the efficacy of religion's ability to provide life with meaning. Existentialism is…...

mla

Reference

Baggani, J. (2004). Revealed -- the meaning of life. The Guardian. Retreived online:  http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2004/sep/20/features11.g2 

Colls, T. (2011). Does science have all the answers? BBC. Retrieved online:  http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9410000/9410486.stm 

Frankl, V. (2006/1959). Man's Search for Meaning. Boston: Beacon.

'How Andrea Yates Lives, And Lives with Herself, a Decade Later," (2012). The Atlantic. Retrieved online:  http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/03/how-andrea-yates-lives-and-lives-with-herself-a-decade-later/254302/

Dramatic Elements of the Plot of "icked"
Few stories have been as popular as that of "The onderful izard of Oz" which was written by L. Frank Baum (published in 1900), and was then turned into one of the most popular movies of all time in 1939. The plot of this particular story has gone through several incarnations, from "The iz" to various popular songs, and most recently it was reimagined in a series of books written by Gregory Maguire. The first of these was called "icked: The Life and Times of the icked itch of the est" which imagined what the true story of the characters in the book and movie could have been. Maguire's book was turned into a very successful play titled "icked" which was first produced in 2003 (de Giere). This essay deals with the plot elements of the play "icked," its universal meaning, and the personal…...

mla

Works Cited

de Giere, Carol. "Wicked Synopis: Wicked Songs in Context." Musical Schwartz, 2003. Web.

Wicked. Music and Lyrics Stephen Schwartz. Broadway, 2003. Performance.

Children's Literature Research
The Changing Representation of Female Characters and Feminist Heroines in Children's Literature from Baum to Montgomery
Introduction
Once children can read, they are cast into the literature world – characters, themes, settings, and plots. Children's literature brings concepts like friendship, nature, education, discovery, religion, and the structure and operation of society so that the child feels connected to the material. Some have argued that children's literature only comes to existence when it can portray child or child-like characters or appeal to the child's point of view (Grenby, 2007, p.277). children's literature has a long, global history that originates in the traditional and folk oral tales. In Britain, children's books can be traced back to the eighteenth century, with such classics as John Newbery's A Little Pretty Pocket-Book (1744). In the nineteenth century, children's books formed a distinguishable genre within the literary world. Expansion of children's literature to the international level…...

mla

References

Alcott, L.M. (1869). Little Women. Little, Brown, and Company.

Baum, L. F. (1900). The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. EBook. Project Gutenberg.

Becker, B. (2013). A feminist analysis of Lyman Frank Baum\\\\'s the wonderful wizard of Oz, Lucy Maud Montgomery\\\\'s Anne of Green Gables and Frances Hodgson Burnett\\\\'s the secret garden (Doctoral dissertation, University of Fort Hare).

Bender, C. (2017). Gender Stereotyping in Little Women: \\\\"Let Us Be Elegant or Die!\\\\". MJUR, Issue 8, 140-153.

Bienert, M. (2009). Imagining Anne: The Island Scrapbooks of LM Montgomery. The Lion and the Unicorn, 33(1), 115-116.

Grenby, M. O. (2007). Chapbooks, children, and children\\\\'s literature. Library, 8(3), 277-303.

Montgomery, L. M. (2004). Anne of Green Gables. Broadview Press.

Rogers, K. M. (2002). L. Frank Baum: Creator of Oz: A Biography. Macmillan.

Children's Lit
Montano urges a rigorous critical examination of children's literature for racism, linguicism, sexism, and bias. The importance of critical examination is to empower teachers, students, and parents to recognize the root causes of bias, prejudice, and stereotype. The function is not simply to point out obvious instances of racism, linguicism, sexism, and other biases. Moreover, it is not enough to include literature written from multicultural perspectives in classroom syllabi. As Gonzalez & Montano (2008) point out, it is important to recognize bias in all its forms: "The mere inclusion of multicultural literature is not enough to disrupt privilege or injustice. Nor is it enough to ask teachers to deconstruct stereotypes in texts and images if teachers are unaware of the subtle biases that exist therein," (p. 77). Montano calls the process of analysis critical literacy.

The process by which critical literacy can be attained varies but Montano provides a detailed…...

mla

References

Baum, F. (1900). The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Gonzalez, R. & Montano, T. (2008) "Critical analysis of Chicana/o children's literature: Moving from cultural differences to sociopolitical realities," Journal of Praxis in Multicultural Education: Vol. 3: Iss. 1, Article 6. DOI: 10.9741/2161-2978. Available at:  http://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/jpme/vol3/iss1/6 

Herge. (1930). Tin in the Congo.

Riorden, R. (2007). The Titan's Curse.

Assignment The 1987 film The Princess Bride has become part of the public consciousness, and has what can be considered a cult following. While on the surface it seems like a frivolous romantic film, what makes The Princess Bride enduring is that it manages to be satirical without being cynical. The quirky dialogue of the film has given the popular culture catchphrases like As you wish, inconceivable, and Mandy Patankins line My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die. I believe The Princess Bride is popular for many reasons, including the fact that it satirizes fairy tale romance while still uplifting the audience and helping the audience to believe that the concept of true love is still alive.Likewise, on a personal level, this film affects me every time I watch it. It is a fun film to watch, because it is lighthearted and humorous. The films…...

mla

ReferencesMorrow, J. (2014). Martin Scorsese Breaks Down the Difference Between Story & Plot. No Film School.   D. (2009). The Wizard of Oz Therapeutic rhetoric in a contemporary media ritual. Quarterly Journal of Speech 75(1): 25-39.https://nofilmschool.com/2014/07/martin-scorsese-difference-between-story-plot Payne,

She even has an affair with Fiyero, a prince from another region of Oz.
Finally, after many more adventures, Elphaba embraces sorcery, largely after her sister Nessarose, becomes the Wicked Witch of the East, and she finds a book of magic at her late lover's castle. After her sister is killed by Dorothy's house, Elphaba's descent into sorcery is complete. She kills the evil Madame Morrible, which she was unable to do before. However, there is always a question whether she is truly evil or not. She says late in the book, "The real disaster of this inquiry is that it is the nature of evil to be secret'" (Maguire 372). Ultimately, she chases Dorothy and her group because she fears the treasured ruby slippers of her sister will end up in the evil Wizard's hands. She thinks, "If the shoes fell into the hands of the Wizard, he would…...

mla

References

Maguire, Gregory. Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. New York: ReganBooks, 1995.

classic films, and what makes them classic. Specifically, it will contain a discussion of what makes a film "classic" and use a specific film that I believe is classic, with good quality reasons for the answer.
CLASSIC FILS

The term "classic film" often evokes thoughts of an old film, often shown and enjoyed by audiences throughout many decades. The film could be a musical, such as "The Wizard of Oz," or a drama, such as "Apocalypse Now." Both films (and scores of others) have been called classics, and are often shown on network and cable channels. What makes these films classic?

Some might say it is the acting that makes a film a classic. In "The Wizard of Oz," for example, each actor, from Judy Garland as Dorothy, to argaret Hamilton as the Wicked Witch is perfectly cast, and creates their role with great talent and charm. They set the stage for…...

mla

Many classic films also make history with their visual techniques or special effects. In The Wizard of Oz," the film opens in black-and-white, and turns to Technicolor when Dorothy opens the door onto a new world. This technique was new and different in 1939, and created a stir with viewers. The special effects in the movie, from the tornado, to the talking trees in the forest that toss their apples at Dorothy and her friends were all groundbreaking for the time. In "Apocalypse Now," the photography of Vietnam and the conditions facing our troops there during the Vietnam War are both spectacular and disquieting. The scene of the helicopters advancing toward the Vietnamese village to the strains of Wagner's "Cry of the Valkyries" is probably one of the most well-known and often remembered scenes in movie history. "I love the smell of napalm in the morning" has become a standard quote in American language, and just about everyone immediately knows the film it came from.

Great directors can also make even the most mediocre film classic by their understanding of the themes in the script, and the actors capabilities. Francis Ford Coppola is an excellent example of this. His films all tend to be classics, simply because of his incredible understanding of the film, the historic background, and his actors abilities and strengths. "Apocalypse Now" made stars of many of its actors, and Coppola's directing certainly added strength and purpose to the theme from Conrad's book, which was difficult to understand, especially at the end.

In conclusion, a classic film is made up of many elements. Some of them are as unique as each film is unique, and some of them are common to many classic films. Classic films are enduring, and linger on in the mind of the viewer long after they have seen the film. They usually contain excellent casts, who make their characters come completely alive. The writing of a classic film is usually superior, and helps the film and the characters endure. People often quote lines or passages from classic films, because the writing simply demands repeating. Excellent photography and directing usually accompany classic films. The visual techniques and special effects endure, making the film indelible unforgettable. Great directors can create a classic even when many of these elements are missing, by making a mediocre film memorable with acting or photography.