One True Thing Film Analysis

One True Thing Film Analysis The film that I chose to watch for this writing assignment was One True Thing. The story began with introducing a young woman with a busy life in New York. Ellen had a writing career that was beginning to look up that was, in a sense, stripped from her when she finds out from her father at his birthday party that her mother, Kate, is ill with cancer. Ellen finds this out from her father when he comes home from a routine appointment with his mother and sees that she is not with him when he walks in the door. Kate is about to have cancer surgery and her father expects her to drop her normal life and move back home to care for her mother. Her father feels as though she should be back in the home after the surgery has been complete and chemotherapy has been started. Ellen is at a loss for words when her father asks her this. At one point she asks why her brother could not stay home and tend to their mother. The father was not at all concerned with how Ellen felt and the fact that this co uld ruin her chances at moving up in her writing career. Ellen was immediately thrown into the housewife role with having to do her fathers laundry, having to cook for the family and guests, and also by having to figure out how to make the household run smoothly. As her mother begins to grow weaker and weaker, Ellen gets a glimpse into the life her mother has been living for so long. She finds that her mother is involved with the community on special occasions, cooks such wonderful meals, decorates and refinishes furniture, makes time to comfort friends that are facing challenges, and most important of all, she ensures that her husbands life runs seamlessly. In the start of the film, we can see that Ellen is struggling to keep everything together. She is in no way used to this and has never seen herself as this kind of a woman that would run a household like this one. She had always grown up admiring her father and just wanted to grow up and be the incredible writer that he had always been. By this point, Ellen feels for her mother and rea lizes that she had so much that was always expected of her, but this also helps Ellen realize how much her mother needs her. With all of this going on, she soon also realizes how little her father does around the house. The viewers can see, as the movie progresses, that her father is not as self-centered as he comes off as and that he is just distraught about the idea of losing his wife; someone that does so much for him and who makes his life run the way that it does. He cant imagine this life without her and does not want to sit around and watch his wife slowly slip away. This whole idea that the father actually cared about the fact that his wife was slowly dying was not evident at the beginning of the film, it was actually seen as the complete opposite. Ellen watches as her father continues to have affairs late at night while he is supposed to be working. This enrages Ellen because how in the world could he do this to his wife and the mother of his children. Was the fact that she was doing everything for him not enough to satisfy him? Another event was when the family was supposed to have a Thanksgiving dinner with just the five of them. Her father thinks that it would be a wonderful idea to forget about the plan that the family had agreed on and invite two writers, which he admires, to the family dinner. He then has the balls to ask his wife to get off of the bed whip up some appetizers for his guests. Oblivious to the fact that she is in bed because she does not feel well. This is the time when Ellen finally found her voice and became confrontation al with her father. Tensions flared in the household between the two and more things start to set Ellen off. Each night that her father calls, she cant help but think that he is having an affair with the other woman he seems to care so much about. One night when her father had still not come home, Ellens mother asked her to go and fetch her father. She finds her father, at a diner, slumped over the table. She urges him that he needs to come home but I feel as though he is more ashamed by his appearance to his daughter and tells her to leave. This caused Ellen to become confrontational because at this point she is so frustrated with her fathers lack of compassion for his own wife and that fact that her condition is declining. He tells Ellen that she has done enough at this point and that she is more than welcome to return to her life back in the big city. Following this, the mothers condition declines greatly. The Chemotherapy is no longer benefiting her and her cancer has spread. Ellen fights with the doctor and believes that they should continue treatment because she is not ready yet. The only real option at this point is to make her comfortable while she lives out the rest of her days. Before she gets to the point of being bedridden, Kate makes sure that she has a discussion with both Ellen and her father. She wants to let Ellen know that she is well aware of what her husband has been doing over the years and that she still loves him. They have come to an understanding and she loves what she does have with him. Kate wanted, more than anything, to just be able to talk to someone about how she really felt. Maybe she had a fake smile on over the years and now she was able to express her concerns. With Kate now being on morphine pills multiple times a day and her condition declining with each day, Ellen has a lot more responsibility. A nurse would come to help on some days during the week to make things go a little more smoothly, but one day Ellen had to help her mother out of the tub. This is when she finally saw the severity of her mothers condition. Her head was slowly balding, and her body was turning into merely a skeleton. After settling her mother into a wheelchair, she is faced with a disheartening situation when her mother expresses that the way she was living was no way to live. In a sense she is asking for Ellen to end the pain. The end of the film is when the mother overdoses on morphine pills and passes away on her hospital bed in the living room. An investigation followed the death of Ellens mother and both Ellen and her father were suspects. Both were under the impression that the other had done it. They later happen to cross paths at Kates gravesite and they fi nd out that neither of them was responsible for overdosing Kate. She had somehow managed to get out of bed and overdose herself because she knew that neither of them would be able to be strong enough to do it themselves. In the recent years, death has started to become more mainstream. I am saying this because pro-suicide, pro-euthanasia attitudes are being more openly expressed. This could also just be that people are finally allowing themselves to talk about the topic and that it actually has been around for a good amount of time. When it comes to the films that use this as a topic in their films, it is usually not the primary issue that is broadcasted throughout the film. In One True Thing does not focus primarily on this issue, but at the end of the film, there is a sense of pro-death attitude slipped into the background. The main part of this film is devoted to the relationship shared between a mother and daughter. The mother is deathly ill and the father has enlisted the help of the daughter to drop everything in her life to come home and tend to any of her mothers needs. The movie played out more like a flashback from the viewpoint of the daughter Ellen and I think that was a big part that I left out of the summary. She was speaking with an attorney regarding the morphine overdose of her mother and how the events led up to it. In a sense, the audience is left guessing about how the mother will die throughout the film; will it be natural causes, the cancer taking her life, but we as the audience would never be able to guess that she died of an overdose. At some point we are left questioning whether it was a mercy killing executed by either her husband or daughter. This move implies that all of these means of dying are morally accepted, but none of the relevant issues are explored in any depth. Instead, the situation is used as a whodunit device to spin up an otherwise straightforward issue. With Ellen having such a strong belief about how her life should run and her attitudes regarding her career and family were formed primarily by contemporary feminism. She was a Harvard graduate in her late 20s and scored a job with a high-profile New York magazine, so she could be seen as not being the typical woman one would think of in 1988. Ellen defines her life and herself according to her professional success and her personal relationships, whether family or intimate, are taking a spot on the sidelines. She is a strong and successful woman that is believes that woman are just as qualified to compete at the same level as men. Her mother, on the other hand, is what one would call a pre-feminist housewife. Her life revolves around the wellbeing of her husband and children, while her own needs stand off to the side. This is why, I believe, the cancer was allowed to progress to the point that it did because she would just shrug off the symptoms. Kate was also a great help in the loc al charities and was, at that time, the perfect housewife. The difference between Ellen and Kate becomes an issue when Ellens father tells her that she needs to drop everything and come back home to live in the family home and take care of her mother. He assumes that every woman should be capable and happy to complete the same housewife tasks that most women take on. Ellen made it a point in the film to say that she never wanted this life for herself. She never wanted to become the housewife and she looked up to her fathers lifestyle and believed that that was what she wanted to strive for. In the beginning of the film, when George and Ellen are sitting on the porch, Ellen asks her father how he feels about her recent piece that she wrote for the magazine. At first, he just gave a basic answer and said that it was good but that was not good enough of an answer for Ellen. When she asked a second time, she finally received the criticism she had been asking for. George said that her paper too emotional and that she needed to add a more masculine hint to her work. This sounds to me as though he wants her to hide who she really is and act as though a man is writing the article. He makes the comment that Less is more, a comment that was heard a little too often in the film. George seems to want to hold his daughter back in a way. Maybe he wanted to see his son reach her level and become a great writer like him, because back in that time, I would feel as though recognition for a son would be more beneficial than recognition for a daughter. Kate was a woman that only saw the positives during her battle with cancer. She strived to complete all of the daily tasks that she was used to doing until she no longer could manage. She can be seen as a very powerful woman, but I think she was struggling most with the idea of being sick and not being able to tend to her family. When she was told about how George told Ellen that less is more she counteracted and told Ellen that more is more. She is someone that wanted Ellen to hold onto all of her strong traits and stay the woman that she had become. In the film, the viewer can see that most of the men are portrayed to be weak and terrible people. This is more of the feminism coming into play. George is depicted as being self-centered, out of touch with his feelings, and a philanderer. Ellens brother flunked out of Harvard, while she excelled in the program, and he was then too afraid to tell his parents because of the idea of being a failure and the criticism that he would face fro m mainly his father. This is one of those examples of when men were thought to have been treated as better and more powerful people than women. Ending the movie, we are faced again with the morphine overdose that took the life of Kate. It wasnt until the last scene that we find out that she managed to do it herself and commit suicide and escape the pain she was in. This can easily be seen as the most harmful message in the film because its suggestion that the willingness to commit suicide, or to assist a loved one in the act is somehow proof of psychological strength and maturity when it is indeed the complete opposite. This twist at the end leaves the view in a kind of awe. We were initially left to think that the father crushed the pills and put them into Kates food, because Ellen had backed out. At the gravesite is when the truth was finally figured out because both Ellen and George thought that the other was guilty for assisted in Kates death. One True Thing. Dir. Carl Franklin. By Karen Croner. Perf. Meryl Streep, Renee Zellweger, and  William Hurt. Universal Pictures, 1998. HBO GO.

Fashions Influence Essay

Fashion is a popular thing for a period of time. It keeps changing and developing. Fashion and trend are very similar however fashion is almost always related with the way people dress. Trends are related more with technology and such. When asked the question ‘What is fashion?’ globally known model, icon and business woman Claudia Schiffer replies with ‘It’s become synonymous with clothing but ultimately fashion is anything popular in a culture at any given time.’ The same question was asked to Pulitzer prize winning fashion writer Robin Givhan and she replies with ‘For me, fashion is the way we choose to present ourselves in the public square. It captures whether or not we choose to be on the trend, but also addresses those people who have a belligerence towards fashion and are very stern in the announcing of their lack of interest in the subject.’ see more:why fashion is important Also head of the iconic Prada fashion conglomerate, Miuccia Prada, says one element of fashion is so simple it’s often overlooked: ‘Fashion is the ï ¬ rst step out of poverty. You have nothing and then you put something on. It is one of the ï ¬ rst things you do to elevate yourself. Why are people scandalized by spending money on clothes? Everybody is so passionate about this, there’s a resistance to fashion, an idea that to love fashion is to be stupid. Clothes are very intimate. When you get dressed, you are making public your idea about yourself, and I think that embarrasses people.’ The common idea here is that fashion is a way of self-expression. Fashion is very important because it is mean of self-expression, enabling us to say something important to the world about who we are, what we want and about whom we want to be. The clothes we wear say things about us whether we want it or not. It addresses to the human need to belong, to identify ourselves with a group of others like us. It can be a lifestyle, a religion, a profession, or an attitude. For example there are terms in society, which refers to a particular group of profession and their stereotyped clothing such as white-collar worker. A white-collar worker is someone who performs managerial, professional or administrative work. Typically they work in office or cubicles. And then there are blue-collar workers whose job requires manual labor. Clothes show a lot about us, maybe even more than we think. There are prejudices and stereotypes about them, which are usually true since stereotypes are there for a reason. Fashion and trends also show our socio economic level. For example if one is wearing a $15000 suit with a Rolex on his arm you would automatically assume he is someone important. There are some indicators for this in the eyes of society; in this case it was the watch he was wearing. One of the biggest indicators is the phone he is using. Especially in our country there are millions of people who barely afford feeding their kids but they buy phones that are worth 4 months of their salary. Fashion and trends are important in the eyes of people since others form a profile of us at first sight. First impression is really important and these are what makes other people think you are some kind of a ‘big shot’. Some companies abuse this need of self-expression. Once fashion was movie stars and models wearing haute couture on glossy magazine covers. People saved money and shopped once or twice a year for high-quality clothes that could be worn for many seasons. However in todays world fashion is changing very fast and it is cheap thanks to retail brands such as H&M, Zara. Fashion is more accessible than ever. But is it a good thing? Researches show otherwise. The average price of clothing has dropped vastly in the past decades and cheap clothing is branded such that it is no longer seen as a lack of fashion. Rather it is called ‘street fashion’. However the demand raises everyday and this created a huge waste. For example US writer Elizabeth Cline says: ‘Then one day came the epiphany. In a supermarket sale, I ended up buying seven pairs of identical canvas flats marked down from $15 to $7.’ She also explains perfectly how this ruins the whole fashion=a mean of self-expression thing: ‘Buying so much clothing, and treating it as if it is disposable, is putting a huge toll on the environment and is simply unsustainable,† she writes. What’s more, cheap clothing destroys our relationship with our self-image. Fashion should be flexible and reflect personal taste. But global chains are trying to reduce risk by selling the same carefully packaged trends. These trends â€Å"are repeated on the racks of virtually every retailer, making our store-bought looks feel homogenous and generic.’ There was a time when the concept of fashion was only in the occasions.  Teenagers today care a lot about fashion. Maybe more than what should be. Fashion reflects a lot in the school students. The bags they carry, the watches they wear and such. Teenagers seem to be more in to fashion than the adults. In the old times fashion was something for the upper class but as mentioned above now it is not the case. Class doesn’t matter in any way for becoming fashionable. Nowadays being fashion conscious makes you popular among your friends an also boosts your self-confidence. Especially teens are so concerned with fashion that they do not spend enough time doing productive stuff; instead they read fashion magazines. In the past teens went out with their parents in the weekends. Nowadays they go out with their friends and most favorable place to go out is a shopping mall since they can do a lot of shopping there apart from having actual fun. Again in the past children used to dream becoming a scientist, an astronaut, a doctor, an engineer but the priority changed for the teenager of today’s world. Most of them desire being in the glamour world. They find fashion world better than any other profession. In fact one that is not fashion conscious these days don’t get much attention. One who appears trendy in the first appearance takes away all the light. The reason of this is mainly peer pressure. Many teens are concerned about trends in an effort to dodge a possible humiliation and mocking from the peers. Poor fashion choices are often a reason for mockery. Teens today feel the need of being a part of a group and the easiest way to do so is to match their clothing code. Fashion becomes an essential accessory for a teenager’s popularity. Referring to a survey of 47 people asking whether they think importance of fashion and trends to teens is excessive or not 36 of them answered by saying that it is excessive. This causes problems such as less time spent on beneficiary work and more time spent on keeping up with the trends. Also since fashion became cheaper and more accessible a vast amount of waste comes with it. In conclusion fashion and trends are extremely important for teens even though it should not be. As said by the famous designer Yves Saint-Laurent: ‘Fashions fade, style is eternal.’ SOURCES: Pru, Laura. ‘Pressure on teens to wear fashionable clothes’ eHow LaGrave, Katherine. ‘Fashion: Why is it important?’ Huffington Post 06/04/2012 Shah, Vika. ‘The role of fashion in human culture’ Thought Economics 09/15/2012 Meetehariyani, ‘The importance of style and fashion’ StudyMode March 2012 Aeysha, Mona. ‘The Effect of Fashion on Teenagers in School’ Self Growth Peacock, John. ‘Fashion since 1900 : the complete sourcebook’ London, Thames&Hudson 2007: Priny Seeling, Charlotte. ‘Fashion: The Century of the designer 1900-1969’ Cologne,Germany Kà ¶nemann 2000: Print

Customer Service Essay

1. The key concepts and topics in this course that have made me a stronger candidate to continue in the business world would be what I have learned from the units dealing with: Diversity, Customer Behavior, Customer Loyalty, and Exceptional Service: I have learned that customer comments, good or bad should always be taken into consideration, addressed and handled appropriately. Comments can provide insight to the thought process of the customer and it could help improve not only the customer service department but the product as well. The success of a company relies on the customer. Relationship Building and Solving Customer Problems: Satisfied customers will remain customers until there is a better option offered to them. Loyal customers establish an emotional connection with a business and/or company. Their loyalty is motivated by their experience with the products and the service. Customer service is what a company or business provides; customer loyalty is the result of the service. Extraordinary approaches to customer service is to go beyond the customer’s satisfaction, and make every attempt to surpass the customer’s expectations every time. A company earns customer loyalty by molding the shopping experience to the needs of the customer. Customers have a tendency to patronize companies that interactive with them in a positive, meaningful, personal manner. Many companies offer their customers loyalty programs such as; reward programs. This method can ensure a company keeps their current customer base and entices possible new customers. The Impact of Communication Styles on Customer Services:  A business cannot afford to lose customers because of a lack of customer service, but many do. Customers remember how they are treated and pass the word along, good or bad. Once a customer has been treated poorly they are likely not to return to buy from that business again, even if that business has what they need. When customers are satisfied, it is probable that they will spend more on the product or service and keep returning to that business. Customer service representatives (CSRs) play a big role in keeping, and bringing customers to a business. That is why it is essential to train customer service representatives in effective communications styles and skills because they are the liaison between the customer and the business. The CSR’s communication skills can impact the decision of a customer’s loyalty and the right communication style can be helpful in avoiding conflicts. Communication styles are methods in which a particular individual converses with another individual. Great service requires effective communication styles, and skills. Having a combination of these elements will guarantee that the right message is conveyed in a way that ensures the customer receives and understands it correctly and as intended. 2. Discuss how this course has affected you in your professional development as a student and as a person as well as encouraging you on your academic path. This was a very beneficial, educational and informative class. I have chosen the legal  field, more specifically, paralegal studies. I currently work for a bankruptcy law firm and I have learned a great deal since I have been employed there. I have 30 plus years work experience and a great work ethic. With what I have learned in this class, my work ethic, and common sense, I believe I will be successful as a paralegal. I have learned the importance of maintaining professionalism. This class has reinforced my desire to continue in the legal field and has helped me in interacting with clients, co-workers and the attorneys I currently work with. My skills in listening, communicating, observing and relationship building have improved by taking this class. I would recommend a class in customer service, regardless of the professional field one decides to enter into. I believe it would be very insightful and valuable.

The Thyroid Gland in the Endocrine System