Security Within International Relations

Security Within International Relations Within the international system there is a disagreement on whether security should focus on the individual, national or international basis. In this essay the concept of security from some of the different perspectives within International Relations will be discussed. The hegemonic theory of International Relations is realism, it is also central in the debate about security. Throughout the Cold War the concept of security was dominated by national security, and mainly concerned with military capabilities. Since the end of the cold war the notion of security has begun to change, with many other security issues coming to the for front such as human security which encourages policy makers to think about international security as more than the military defence of a states interests and territory.(Paris 2001) The idea of human security is to shift the central argument to the debate on security away from states and to focus on threats to humans within the states. Outlined will be some of the threats facing human security but also the debates that surround its concept, and whether it should be a part of the International Relations discipline. Also within this essay environmental change as a security issue will be discussed. There is mounting evidence tha t suggests that we are in danger of undermining all of our own individual security and also on the larger scale that of national security, and international or global security Security is a relative freedom from war, coupled with a relative high expectation that defeat will not be a consequence of any war that should occur.(Bellany 1981) This traditionally defines a realist perspective on what security is. Realism has its foundations in philosophies of Thucydides and Machiavelli the strong do as they will, the weak accept as they must. Realist theory is based on the state of anarchy within the international system. States are independent units in a power struggle against other states. With no overriding authority the state is the main actor in the international realm, therefore states have to gain power. For most realists power is the defining feature.(Collins 2007) Power is gained by building up the military and securing your land and the threat of from other states. States are rational actors also and will only make decisions on the basis of their own capabilities of achieving the best outcome for the state. Realists assess other states power relative to the statement of their military capabilities. Realists want to keep a status quo and a balance of power, during the Cold War the nuclear weapons face off between t he USA and USSR was realism working in the system. Although there was proxy wars in Asia during this time it was relatively stable otherwise on the international scale because of the balance of power being exercised. Security has been seen as a priority obligation to the state governments.(Baylis Smith Owen, 2011) The introduction of neo/structural realism and that of Kenneth Waltzs Theory of International Politics (1979) sees a real shift in the realist theory. Waltz argues that states have two options of acquiring power and defending itself from attack, one is to balance the state with others and forming alliances with states also so they have more resources to draw on, this is known as external balancing. Two is that of internal balancing of the states economic capabilities and formation of bigger military forces. (Waltz 1979)This competition between states, which is a source of a lot of conflict, is known as the security dilemma (Baylis, Smith and Owen2011). The fact that some states may cheat limits cooperation because realist believe that states are fearful that others wont engage honestly and that cheating is always a possibility. States are only concerned with relative gains rather than absolute. Relative gains are gains that are higher than that of the state you are cooperating with. With absolute gains there are only the benefits of cooperation and mutuality between states. Realism does not see this so much as an advantage, as mentioned before the chance of other states cheating to maximise their own gains is high this can lead to a mistrust between states . States are sovereign political units and are not prepared to engage in long term accommodation or co-operation.(TTSRL,2007) Realism as explained is state centric, and believes in the idea of self help in the struggle for power and survival in the international system. This is a narrow concept of security as most security issues happen within state instead of between states; realism does not take responsibility of securing the people within the state. This opens up the realm of human security. The objective of human security is to safe guard the vital core of all human lives in ways that enhance human freedoms and human fulfilment .(UN Commission on Human security 2003) Human security is a concept that emerged in the early 1990s with the end of the Cold War and the fall of the Berlin wall a new era for international relations had begun. Human security wanted to engage and broaden the security agenda. After the cold war the emphasis on human rights and humanitarian intervention was seen because of the spread of democratisation. (Baylis, Smith and Owen 2011) This meant that if a state was violating human rights the international community could intervene. This was a huge step that allowed to the idea of human security to really unravel, it showed that threats could come in a variety of ways and we needed new ways to combat them. The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) reveals that there are four features to human security. One is that it is a universal concern, that it affects everybody, two the components of the concept are interdependent, three human security can be ensured through early prevention and four as already mentioned the referent ob ject has changed from states to people/individuals.(UNDP 1994) The types of threats that human security engages are quite broad from the physical safety of an individual to their psychological well-being.(Paris,2001) Freedom from want or freedom from fear, this has been part of the debate surrounding the concept human security. Freedom from want is refers to a non-military threat more to the point of poverty, environmental degradation and disease. Freedom of fear refers to the more traditional types of insecurity like that of armed conflicts. Within these conflicts the insecurity of child soldiers, landmines, or any other violence against the individual. What is its primary focus? According to the Human Security Report 2005 it is both, they overlap. The report recognises development as a necessary condition for human security and that security is a condition for human development. (Human security report, 2005:155) The direct consequence of armed conflict is that of death and injury. The cost of life associated with the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo let it be direct or indirect surpasses the casualties sustained by Britain in the first and second world wars combined.(UNDP 2005:A12) The outrage at this is that the victims of these recent wars are mostly civilians and many of these victims are women ,children, elderly and the sick.(gendering human secuity2001:18) Child soldiers are still a major issue in armed conflicts today. In one study 75% of armed conflicts involve child soldiers (human security report, 2005:35). This is quite alarming and is against the human rights of the child. Also the fear of landmines a cause of great insecurity, there are 80 million that still have not been detected and that someone steps on a landmine every 28 seconds, and 80% of those injured or killed are civilians (Keohler.S 2007). These are very serious threats against humans and leaves populations living in fear of conflicts that can have devastating results. Wars affect women in a different way. Women become the victims of rape torture and sexual slavery. Recent conflicts use rape and torture as an instrument of war to measure fear and control. During the 1994 genocide in Rwan da estimates of 250,000 and 500.000 women were raped, nowadays this crime is recognised as one against humanity. (Rhen.E Sirleaf.E.J 2002:9) Women also get caught up in human trafficking, or forced to work in the sex trade and this can result in women being degraded and exploited during times of conflict. Armed conflict may be the cause of horrific acts of violence on individuals but it can also create bigger problems in non-violent threat to human security. Poverty, hunger and outbreaks of disease in recent times have become the bigger part of the problem and are much harder to combat. These indirect consequences of conflict can undermine nutrition and public health and also has huge implications on the livelihoods, education and the prospects of economic growth (UDNP 2005:12). Diseases that include AIDS/HIV, avian flu, malaria, and tuberculosis have enormous effect human security. AIDS is the leading cause of death in Africa and forth worldwide, this daunting detail signifies the need to incorporate pandemics into our thinking of freedom against want. The displacement of people during conflict may also give rise to such pandemics. The security issue then becomes borderless and can result in more conflict and more loss of life. War also can cause detrimental effects on the environment causing large scale pollution of the land or air. The consequence of this can link disease and malnutrition straight to armed conflict, the UNDP declare that most of the 3.9 million people who have died in the Democratic republic of Congo is due to disease, spread by the desecration of the environment during the conflict (UNDP, 2005:45). This effect can be felt in areas for years after a conflict (e.g. The use of Agent Orange by the USA during the Vietnam war). Environmental degradation can also lead to a scarce amount of resources such as food or water consequently resulting in some sort of conflict. Human security as discussed is an array of concepts under the one heading, its hard to pinpoint yet when you are in the face of it the security issue is unmistakable. To try and secure everybody is ridiculous but the need to understand where the most vulnerable people are and try to help and secure them in the international realm is most important. We need to revamp our entire concept of national security and economic growth if we are to solve the problems of environmental decay. Falk 1971:185 Environmental security is one that over shadows all issues of security from national security to that of individual security. Climate change, the roots of it in human activities, is a fundamental challenge to all and the proportions of the security threat are essentially affecting everyone and everything. Climate change may lead to the aggravation of state conflicts due to the lack of non- renewable resources such as oil and gas. The affect that environmental change has on weather is another faction to be taken into consideration it can affect crop growth whether through drought or extensive rainfall. This can lead to food shortages and has become a global issue for leaders worldwide. There is no part of international relations the environmental problems do not potentially affect and has become a subject of high politics and has been discussed at G8 summits and meetings of political leaders (Baylis, Smith and Owen,2011) . Globalisation has been associated with the important issue of environmental security and how the international system will contend to deal with it has brought the approach of cooperation between governments back to the attention of international politics. Globalisation has also been to blame due to the strain on earths capacity to sustain the consumption levels, rising greenhouse gases and resource depletion. This global environment predicament posed to international theory will create a different view of international cooperation and another concept of security. The conclusion reiterates security is a contested concept and that a new wave of interpreting it is here. Security in the international realm is something of a challenge and really depends on what perspective you relate it to. For realism its all about national security of the state, power, self help and survival in the international system. Whereas for human security and environmental security the concept can be quite intertwined with conflict causing danger to human security and in turn affecting the environment which becomes cyclical and returns to affect individuals again. The same can be said for climate change as it is predominately us who are to blame and it is us who will have to deal with the consequences. In short we have to try and secure this planet for future generations otherwise all our other security issues are a farce in the face of what could escalate to a mammoth security problem.

Same Sex Marriage Essay -- Ethical Issues, Lesbian or Gay Parents

Same sex marriage is already taboo, but same sex couples raising children is mostly not considered acceptable by the public because of the misconception that they are not qualified to bring up children in accordance with proper social values. The public is not certain if children will receive proper education about society and behavior to fit in as responsible members. However, several recent movements, such as Feminism and Post-modernism, argue about equal rights for everybody. Feminism is mainly concerned about the equality of men and women in society while Post-modernism is mainly concerned with ending all forms of discrimination in society. Feminism is actually a subdivision of Post-modernism because Post-modernism is against all discriminations while Feminism specializes in pointing out women's rights in the society and the equal status of women and men. Among other things, both ideologies re-evaluate the meaning of love and marriage in modern society. Besides the social movemen ts, several scientific research was made regarding children who grow up in same sex marriages. Children raised in a same sex marriage share the same core values with the society, maybe even higher because they never learned about sexual discrimination in their home, and the only reason why they are restrained is because of the public opinion on these situations. In accordance with scientific research, the American Psychological Association (APA) claims that there are should be no concerns with same sex marriages. It is not just a violation of privacy and an act of discrimination against other people, but there are also no scientific basis which prove that it contributes to an improper development of children. Fears about children of lesbian or gay p... ...ation because same sex marriage is something people are used to and they will retain their opinion that it is the only way to provide a person with a normal childhood, even though this marriage might not be happy or might not last. On the other hand, a child will feel better growing up with a same sex couple instead of growing up alone. The main things Post-modernism and Feminism are re-questioning in the modern society, love and marriage, are the most important things a child can look up to when growing up. If there is no love in a regular marriage, this marriage cannot provide a decent environment for a child's upbringing. However, if a same sex marriage provides a loving environment for the child, it should not be discriminated against, but rather encouraged to contribute to the harmonious development of a child without sexual or any other forms of prejudice.

Hans Zimmer Essay

This case study will explore the life and works of one of the most prominent and inventive film and music composers of modern times, Hans Zimmer. His extraordinary ability to span an extensively wide range of genres and formats with extreme competence is extremely influential and inspiring. Zimmer is a pioneer in his field, with his use of both electronic and orchestral elements within film scores. Zimmers success in creating the scores for some of the most celebrated films, and his ability to encapsulate in the music the overriding themes, and personalities of the characters in modern day cinema is what makes him so special. I have chosen to write on this subject as it is completely relevant to my interest in the field. This case study includes a discussion of the early life of Hans Zimmer, his entrance into the world of Hollywood composition, his influences and growth as a composer and leads to a more in-depth discussion of the work on his most current films, as well as a brief look at the studio and equipment he uses. Born in Frankfurt, Germany on September 12th 1957 Hans Florian Zimmer is acknowledged as one of the most pioneering, innovative, successful, influential and sought after composers in Hollywood today (IMDB, no date). His interest in music began at a very early age and he began playing the piano at the age of three, although he had little or no formal music education or training throughout his early life (Gillespie, 2001). Despite his lack of training, Zimmer knew he wanted to be a composer by the age of six and this coincided with an important event in the young Zimmer’s life; the death of his father. He is quoted as saying in an interview with CNN Worldbeat; â€Å"My dad died when I was six, that’s when I decided I was going to become really serious about music, because it was my refuge† (CNN Worldbeat cited by IMDB, no date). During his early teens his family moved all over Europe before settling in London when Zimmer was 14 years old. Throughout his childhood his passion for music meant he neglected his schoolwork and as a result was expelled from several different schools (Shelton, no date). After finally finishing school he began his professional music career by composing advertising jingles for Air Edel associates and playing in rock bands (Ankeny, no date). It was during this period that Zimmer found success as a member of The Buggles, an English new wave synthpop group, and had a hit single with ‘Video Killed the Radio Star’. It is said that this worldwide hit helped ‘usher in a new era of global entertainment as the first music video to be shown on MTV’ (IMDB, no date). His talent on the keyboard and synthesisers would continue to be significant throughout his career although this is perhaps the first event that might have suggested at the huge amount of success and appreciation he would go on to enjoy as a composer. Zimmer is known to have favoured the Moog synthesiser when performing and creating music for these groups, a preference that has endured the span of his career. It was also during this period that we see Zimmer first combining the use of computers with live music on stage with other successful groups (Shelton, no date). This combination has been a constant throughout Zimmer’s professional career and his talent in merging the two elements is part of what has earned him the success and appreciation he currently enjoys. The diversity of his talent is also seen in his ability to span genres such as new wave UK punk, as well as Spanish pop music. However, Zimmer would not remain a part of the pop scene for long. He felt inhibited by having to write in just one style of music and felt his creativity was restrained. It was at this time that he first went to work with Stanley Myers who began to teach him about scoring films (Shelton, no date). This partnership would prove to be a collaboration of great orchestral elements combined with the most up to date electronic instrumentation available (Abodos, no date). Zimmers technological fascination in these early years has proved influential in his later and most successful works. Perhaps it is this preoccupation with technology that has kept him at the forefront of composition. It could also be said that the use of both technological and traditional orchestral elements has ensured his popularity with all generations of audiences. It was with Myers that Zimmer co-founded the London based Lillie Yard recording studio (Wikipedia, no date). A demonstration of the combining of the elements mentioned above is showcased in their early works, an example of which is seen in the film ‘Moonlighting’ (1982). The fusion of moody undertones performed with synthesisers and clean orchestral pianos combine to create a dark, unnerving, suspenseful atmosphere in keeping with the films subject and the emotions portrayed by the characters. His talent for creating music spanning the genres of different films is also seen in this early collaboration with Myers. Further examples of this are his compositions for films such as ‘Success is the Best Revenge’ (1984) which is a drama and the films ‘Insignificance’ (1985) and the acclaimed ‘My Beautiful Launderette’ (1985) which have comedic elements and demand that a completely different atmosphere is created. For example, ‘My Beautiful Launderette’ features a much more upbeat electronic production with less orchestral elements as the subject matter of the film requires. From 1982 – 1987 Zimmer worked collaboratively on productions. It was not until the film ‘Terminal Exposure’ (1987) that Zimmer would produce his first solo-score (Wikipedia, no date), based heavily on electronic production encapsulating the 80’s pop culture era. His next collaboration with David Byrne and Ryuichi Sakamoto would lead to his first taste of Academy Award success – winning the Oscar for Best Original Score with the picture ‘The Last Emperor’ (1987). The theme tune of which combines influences from both traditional Western and Eastern cultures, again allowing him to experience new found inspiration for his future creations. At this time he also created one of his most durable works for the UK television game show ‘Going for Gold’, about which he was quoted in an interview with the BBC as saying ‘[it] was a lot of fun. It’s the sort of stuff you do when you don’t have a career yet’ (BBC, 2008). This demonstrated his levelheadedness despite his new found success. This is also another example of how Zimmer was able to span the genres of music composition whilst enjoying his work, which arguably has been crucial to his success. The next film score composed by Zimmer was the small budget movie ‘A World Apart’ (1988) about apartheid South Africa (Shelton, no date). This was his first excursion into composition for a movie set in Africa, perhaps leading to his continuing interest in this area (seen in his work on the later films ‘The Power of One’ (1992) and ‘The Lion King’ (1994)). The soundtrack to ‘A World Apart’ featured traditional African instruments such as African drums and shakers giving the soundtrack an authentic feel. At the same time, these are combined with powerful synthetic strings which strike emotion and also bring in a Western element, which mirrors the films subject. 4 – Word Count: 3459 Student no. 15735 The success of this soundtrack led to Zimmer’s involvement in the critically acclaimed film ‘The Rain Man’ (1988) after the Hollywood director Barry Levinson’s wife introduced him to Zimmer’s work (Wikipedia, no date). Zimmer would follow an individual process when composing; â€Å"It was a road movie, and road movies usually have jangly guitars or a bunch of strings. I kept thinking don’t be bigger than the characters. Try to keep it contained. The Raymond character doesn’t actually know where he is. He might as well be on Mars. So, why don’t we just invent our own world music, for a world that doesn’t really exist? † (Zimmer cited by Young, 2008). This allowed for the score to contain escapist, other-worldly elements reflecting the character played by Dustin Hoffman. The Rain Man’ (1988) was Zimmer’s first venture into Hollywood. The soundtrack was created by the use of a lot of digital synthesis from the Fairlight CMI which was able to do sampling as well as additive synthesis where Zimmer was able to draw his own wave forms. In 1989 the score was nominated for an Academy Award and won Best Picture (Shelton, no date). His success would only contin ue. He was approached by the director of ‘Driving Miss Daisy’ (1989) the score of which consisted mainly of synthesisers and samplers. The Roland MKS-20 synthesiser was used for piano sounds about which Zimmer jokingly quoted â€Å"It didn’t sound anything like a piano, but it behaved like a piano† (Zimmer cited by Wherry, 2002) showing the unpredictable nature of digital synthesis. Within the same month as ‘Driving Miss Daisy’ Zimmer also created the score for the film ‘Black Rain’ (1989). In involving himself with both these films which were of entirely different genres he felt that Hollywood would not be able to typecast him (Young, 2008). This is further evidence of Hans Zimmer’s drive to think outside of the box, never wanting to be constrained or restricted to create just one type of music. His broad horizons were demonstrated further in 1992 with the film ‘The Power of One’ where Zimmer expressed his thirst for gaining authentic samples and knowledge of different musical cultures by travelling to Africa and sampling indigenous choirs and traditional drums. He gained a police-record whilst in the country for his work on the film for being labelled as subversive (Wikipedia, no date). It was ‘Power of One’ that led to his first expedition into the world of animation with the 1994 film ‘The Lion King’ which followed the African theme. Zimmer originally created 48 different theme tunes for ‘The Lion King’ (1994) before he was happy with the outcome (Hans-Zimmer. com, no date, a), displaying his meticulous nature. It can be said that this contributed to the film’s success and it went on to win an Oscar for Best Original Score and Golden Globe awards (Ankeny, no date). The African drum and choir samples used in ‘Circle of Life’ (the theme tune for the film) convey authenticity, whilst the use of a Western vocalist meant that a Western audience could still identify with the track. This maintained its resonance with the films main demographic, and the score was later adapted into a Broadway musical. After years of orchestral development Zimmer went back to his roots of synthesis with the Grammy Award winning film ‘Crimson Tide’ in 1995. However, his success post-Lion King meant that the celebrity lifestyle was in danger of catching up with him and his first attempts at the composition for ‘Crimson Tide’ were described by its directors as ‘crap’ and ‘rubbish’ and Zimmer is quoted as saying that â€Å"reality came back really fast for him† (Zimmer cited by Young, 2008). In the following years Zimmer went on to work on the scores for many more successful films. It was in the 2000’s, however, with the postmodern preoccupation with film that he became involved with even higher budgeted Hollywood Blockbusters. The following discussions of his works will describe 5 – Word Count: 3459 Student no. 15735 in depth how Zimmer’s creative processes lead to an extremely effective way of making sound for movies. The first of these discussions will focus on the film ‘Gladiator’ (2000). It is important to note Zimmer’s preoccupation with imagery and how the sound will translate on screen. It can be said that rather than dictate with music, Zimmer will take elements from the scenes, the characters and aesthetics of the film to set up the tone. An example of this is seen in what is arguably the most iconic scene of the movie, set in a wheat field, which is extremely poetic. Zimmer argues that the music gives the artistic license to be so poetic (hans-zimmer. com, no date, a). He talks about the collaboration with the artist Lisa Gerrard on this scene, and describes this relationship as a meeting of minds, finding her to be a ‘true’ artist. This collaboration is clearly effective in evoking emotion as the guttural vocals by Gerrard coincide beautifully with the imagery. Whilst watching the movie, it is found that the same piece of theme music is used in different places and in scenes that are worlds apart in terms of emotion. Zimmer’s ability to create polarity with one piece of music clearly displays his strategic ability to place the music effectively. For example, one piece of music is used in a scene where two people kiss as well as just before a battle scene. In the former, the effect is one of tenderness and romance, whilst in the latter tension and violence is alluded to. A further example of this is how the use of music conveys the humble theme of the movie (the personal life of the character) while at the same time can be turned into thousands of different emotions. (hanszimmer. com, no date, a) Additionally, the tone of the music clearly changes as the film moves around geographically in order to represent the location. For example, the battle scene set in Germania consists of sustained, powerful strings and other skewed instruments which create a frantic and tense scene as well as authentically representing the location. Furthermore, for the scenes set in Morocco the sound is generally more tribal, dirty and gritty giving the sound in the movie a bigger range and representing the change in locations effectively (hans-zimmer. com, no date, a). The composition throughout the entire movie is mainly orchestral and this has the effect of transporting the viewer to the appropriate period of time in history that the film represents. All of this amalgamates to an all-round epic and large scale experience which is at the heart of the Gladiator’s subject matter. Another interesting aspect of Hans Zimmer’s work is to see how he portrayed one of the most iconic villains in modern day films in the Batman movie ‘The Dark Knight’ (2008). From the outset it seems that rather than create a happy, indulgent score, Zimmer wanted to create something hateful and provocative, something that the viewer could invest in. The Joker is the focal point of the film and represents a change from its predecessor, ‘Batman Begins’ (2005). In order to convey the significance of the character the sound that accompanies him on screen displays the anarchy, mayhem and insanity inherent to the Joker’s eccentric personality. youtube. com, no date). In an interview on the making of the film, Zimmer describes his attempts at depicting the tone of the character through the use of razor blades on barbed wire and incessant tapping on tables and floors, but he eventually came to the extremely successful technique of playing two notes on a cello at the same time, which juxtapose beautifully. This gives the effect of a taught string that gets tighter and tighter but never breaks, paralleling the Jokers spiralling descent into madness. Also, the note of the cello slowly but consistently rises in order to draw the viewer in as the character also does on screen. This extraordinary quiet, high-pitched sound which creates rising tension appears to have a 6 – Word Count: 3459 Student no. 15735 slightly anxious and uneasy quality which syncs perfectly with the character and the viewer’s perception of him. To accompany the sound of the cello, and add to the ever-growing tension two heavily distorted guitars, almost unrecognisable as the original instrument, are played with pieces of metal, with the result of creating a completely anarchistic atmosphere. These effects are heavily processed with the use of distortion to create a more surreal experience, detached from reality. These techniques fuse together to form a rich and complex tapestry of emotion, the audial and the visual aspects are combined in a way that portrays harmony as well as contrast. (youtube. com, no date). The final movie that will be discussed in depth is ‘Inception’ (2010). In the New York Times Zimmer describes his own understanding of the films subject as being about time and its slowing down, and speeding up. The Edith Piaf track ‘Je ne regrette rien’ is used as part of the film to signify a kick to another reality. However, Zimmer has taken its use to a deeper level â€Å"all the music in the score is subdivisions and multiplications of the Edith Piaf track† (Zimmer cited by Itzkoff, 2010) representing his perception of the film as being based around time and its manipulation. In the same way Zimmer manipulates the Piaf track by using a single beat and slowing it down dramatically in order to create the trademark foghorn sound that the movie is well known for (Itzkoff, 2010). The momentum of the film is defined by the structure of the score that accompanies it. The intensity of the film gradually snowballs, becoming more and more surreal and penetrating. At the same time the music increases in intensity and level of depth as the film explores the different levels of the human mind. In an interview with Hans Zimmer (hans-zimmer. com, no date) he describes making electronic sounds from scratch on the custom moog rack in his studio, as well as using software synths such as U-he Zebra. In order to create the sounds he wanted he would play the synthetic sounds to his bespoke orchestra which consists of; six bass trombones, six tenor trombones, four tubas and six French horns in order for them to imitate the sounds. Combinations of the two create a euphoric and emotive atmosphere where deep and unsettling synthetic and orchestral sounds accompany and synchronise with a powerful and grand visual experience. Whilst Zimmer has admitted ‘The Dark Knight’ was heavy in its use of electronic sounds in ‘Inception’ this is pushed even further. In order to gain a further insight into what Hans Zimmer is influenced by, it is important to consider the setting in which he creates his momentous scores. His home studio in Santa Monica, USA is extremely gothic in its decor and can be perceived as having an overwhelmingly dark and eerie vibe – somewhat consistent with a large amount of his compositions. This can be seen in the pictures below. (Pictures sourced from www. stuckincustoms. com) In picture one, we see that muted decadence is incorporated with the feeling of comfort. It is hard to imagine that influence would not be drawn from these surroundings. – Word Count: 3459 Student no. 15735 The second picture, displays the core of the hardware at Zimmers disposal. Whilst it is hard to make out the various components, some are identifiable; his Quested monitors (5. 1 surround sound set up), his Doepfer LMK4+ midi-keyboard, and two analogue synthesisers which are mounted on the back wall – one of which is a custom Moog rack (as mentioned above) and a custom Roland rack, as well as two custom HP touch sensitive LCD screen monitors connected to his DAW (Steinberg Cubase as his main sequencer and Pro Tools for his final mix) (hans-zimmer. om, no date, b). The picture on the right shows a large amount of Pro Tools systems and a patch bay as well as various other hardware devices. He also has a custom built Bosendorfer grand piano. It is also worth mentioning the software used by Zimmer which as well as the DAW’s described above include various VST’s such as; Omnisphere, U-he Zebra, Atmosphere and thousands and thousands of sample banks. (hanszimmer. com, no date, b) Hans Zimmer enjoys an astonishing career with some incredible a ccomplishments, despite the fact that he has had no formal training. His passion is maintained and can be seen in both the way he talks about the composition process as well as the finished product that is heard on screen. Perhaps, it can be said that in his work he is still battling his inner turmoil at the death of his father as a young boy; â€Å"[composing] was my way of calming the demons in me or at the same time sometimes letting them roar, letting them rip, letting the monster out and seeing that it wasn’t so scary being able to look it in the eye. † (CNN Worldbeat cited by IMDB, no date). It is argued here that in his work Zimmer forces his audience to confront the demons on screen whilst creating an opportunity for escapism which is what cinema represents. His productions are both seamless and effortless whilst at the same remaining extraordinarily powerful and commanding. As a relatively young composer and with some of the biggest and long-awaited Hollywood blockbusters ever to be produced in the pipeline, such as the sequel to ‘The Dark Knight’; ‘The Dark Knight Rises’, his success can only intensify with time.

Walter Mitty vs. the Necklace - 2159 Words

An Escape 2 Gender roles and marriages can play an important role in literature. It can be one of the most influential ways that gender roles are constructed. Works of literature construct images of boys and girls and men and women. These works usually depict the girls and women doing housework, playing with dolls, and cooking. The men are usually depicted as sports players and lovers, providers, and figures that are overall stronger than woman. Guy de Maupassant’s, â€Å"The Necklace† and James Thurber’s, â€Å"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty† are two works of literature that focus on the themes gender roles and marriage, with some similarities, but with even more differences. In â€Å"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,† Thurber shows a†¦show more content†¦Both of the main characters are indulging in escapism. Escapism is described as â€Å"The tendency to escape from daily reality or routine by indulging in daydreaming, fantasy, or entertainment† in The American Heritage Medical Dictionary (2007). Walter dreams big to escape his ordinary life and Mithilde dreams big of escaping from her normal life. In both of these short stories, the point of view is told from third person. The narrator is telling the story. However, there is a difference between the two stories and their point of views. In â€Å"The Necklace,† the point of view is told in third person omniscient. The narrator can disclose how Mathilde is feeling, and also how others in the story may be feeling. Even though, Thurber told his story from third person too, he told the story from third person limited omniscient. The point of view of the story indirectly puts us in the mindset of Walter Mitty. We learn things from Walter’s point of view, even though he is not the narrator. As a result of this, we feel that much closer to Walter. We learn more An Escape 6 about him, how he feels and thinks because the story is told from his point of view. We are not told how others within the story feel, making this limited omniscient. The genres of these two are completely opposite. In the story, â€Å"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,† the genre would be a comedic adventure. The daydreams alone take the story from boring to overly exaggeratedShow MoreRelatedMaupassant and Thurbers Use of Irony and Conflict to Explore and View Marital Relationships1575 Words   |  7 Pagesand view marital relationships. â€Å"Guy de Maupassant’s, â€Å"The Necklace†, is about a young couple who discovers the upper society appears to sparkles like a real diamond necklace, but in reality it is not always true. A decision that seems to protect their integrity turns out to tarnish it – like a fake necklace. However, through ironic insights we witness drama, character revelations and experience surprise† (Clugston, 2010) .The Necklace is told from a 3rd person point of view with limited omniscienceRead MoreShort Story Theme Of Eve In Darkness1344 Words   |  6 Pagesaware of her sinfulness until she was told what sin was and had really thought about it (Lass 23). Once she finally understood the meaning of sin, all her sorry that she had felt from the word sin went away (Lass 23-24). Short Story Title: The Necklace Short Story Theme: Greed will get you nowhere. The theme of this short story is that greed will get you nowhere. This theme was revealed by the author through the characterization in the story. The main character, Madame Loisel, showed many qualities