Monday, January 25, 2010
Frozen Butterflies
When I was younger I wanted to capture a butterfly and put it in the freezer so when winter came I could take it out, warm it up in the microwave, and watch it fly. It seems ridicules now to believe the true beauty of a butterfly can be frozen and unfrozen, just as ridiculous as believing that knowledge can be frozen. For example when I read a passage about polluted water in Bolivia I can only look at the words frozen on the page and wonder how does polluted water affect the people? Why is the water polluted? Can we solve this problem? I don’t want frozen knowledge all of my life, but there are so many things in this world that sometimes I have to see frozen knowledge simply so I know were to go to find real knowledge. You ask me how being at Brigham Young University can help prepare me for my future. I wonder how it could not, because I am learning from listening to my professor’s perspectives and I am learning from reading textbooks about subjects I did not even know existed. Brigham Young University is like a giant butterfly museum. There are a few butterflies fluttering in the sky, most of them are on little pins in rows on giant tables, and others are hanging from the ceiling. I love learning from here, but the truth is that most of the butterflies here are the frozen kind. Why do I want to continue my education at Brigham Young University because I want to be able to leave this place with the ability to recognize knowledge when it can fly.
Do you Know Me?
Do you know me? To know who I am you would have to try enjoying mud squishing between your toes. You would think that you looked your best in a white summer dress, with your golden hair pulled up in a lose ponytail, and a toe ring on your pinkie-toe. To know who I am, it would help to spend a summer picking up rocks, tightening barbwire fences, and shoveling manure with your Dad. Don’t forget to spend an entire summer night jumping on a trampoline to Spanish music blaring from the milk barn, and a day attaching train cars with your older brothers. You would need to go outside in a snow storm and catch snowflakes on your tongue, and let the large flakes fall on your eyelashes. To know who I am next time you are sharing a piece of double chocolate cake don’t take the last bite, but leave it for your friend. Next time you see a penny pick it up, heads or tails try thinking that it is your lucky day for simply finding a penny at all. Your best friends are the people standing next to you in your family picture. One of your favorite things would be to watch your shadow move when you dance under a street lamp after it rains. If you really want to know me you would understand that when I look at the moon it walks through my bones.
what I do
They call us the “me generation,” but my friend, Susana, is not a member. In our high ponytails Susana, and I stretched after dance class. While I sat reaching for my toes Susana practiced the hula. I watched her reflection. Her dark fingers glazed through the air, and her black hair switched. I jumped up from the hardwood floor and asked her to show me how to dance. We laughed as Susana stood behind me and guided my hips.
Weeks later at lunch, over our lunch sacks, I asked Susana what she thought I could perform at the Miss Spanish Fork pageant. I looked up over my peanut butter sandwich at Susana’s chocolate dimples, and knew I was in for something…
For weeks during lunch we walked with my duffle bag, and a CD player to Susana’s house to practice Tahitian dancing, a form similar to hula. I have been on club volleyball, dance, and track teams but nothing was as physically strenuous as Tahitian dancing. Susana taught me, and her mom, dad, brothers, sisters, and anyone who showed up would sit on the green coach stomping the beat chanting the steps.
At last I stood on stage with the lights melting my caked on makeup in Susana’s gigantic headdress, and her blue lei. At the end of the night I was awarded Miss Scholarship, but Susana received no money for her hard work. This helped me realize people who are not apart of the “me generation” give up their time. I wanted to be like Susana and so I adopted a grandma named Clara I visit once a week at the retirement home. Finally I understand the irony about giving up my time, afterward I never feel like I gave anything up.
Weeks later at lunch, over our lunch sacks, I asked Susana what she thought I could perform at the Miss Spanish Fork pageant. I looked up over my peanut butter sandwich at Susana’s chocolate dimples, and knew I was in for something…
For weeks during lunch we walked with my duffle bag, and a CD player to Susana’s house to practice Tahitian dancing, a form similar to hula. I have been on club volleyball, dance, and track teams but nothing was as physically strenuous as Tahitian dancing. Susana taught me, and her mom, dad, brothers, sisters, and anyone who showed up would sit on the green coach stomping the beat chanting the steps.
At last I stood on stage with the lights melting my caked on makeup in Susana’s gigantic headdress, and her blue lei. At the end of the night I was awarded Miss Scholarship, but Susana received no money for her hard work. This helped me realize people who are not apart of the “me generation” give up their time. I wanted to be like Susana and so I adopted a grandma named Clara I visit once a week at the retirement home. Finally I understand the irony about giving up my time, afterward I never feel like I gave anything up.
homework #2
Joy Marie Prior
14 January 2009
Sociology 112
Section 4
Homework #2
Question #2
Quickly I have short question of my own: there was no how to section? While I was reading I kept on expecting to find this HOW TO READ A GRAPH passage, but it did not exist. I am suppose to just apply what I learned in class the other day, and think of twenty to twenty five things that I know about the graph. If I just look at the bar graph on the page should I be able to learn all of the information that the paragraph explains. I feel like I have a basic understanding of how to read a graph, but I would really appreciate going through this in class so that I know exactly HOW TO READ A GRAPH. The few minutes that we talked about it the other day really helped me, but I would just like a refresher course. Thank you.
Globalization has changed the economies of countries such as Mexico, and the United States. The effect of globalization on workers has developed international competition for job positions such as in the case of India and the United States. Eventually globalization will lead to greater prosperity for the world as a whole because of the continual competition between nations, expanding technologies, and by enriching cultural awareness through international communication.
Such as in the examples used in Worlds Apart Social Inequalities in a Global Economy many countries now have international based economical trade. For example many of Mexico’s companies are owned by people living in other countries, but they have their factories in Mexico and pay Mexican labor to do the manual labor. The companies given as examples were Nissan, Ford, Volkswagen, and General Electric. All of the companies I recognize, because all of them originated and are based in America. From this it is obvious that the American economy is effected by Mexico, and it’s economy. Many of the United States major companies have factories in Mexico, and their labor is in another country.
Workers have been affected by globalization because employment has become international. Such as in the case of Indian and United States engenderers modern technology has allowed for companies to communicate and effectively hire workers internationally. Outsourcing is describes what companies do when they hire workers from outside of their own country to work for them. In India engineering rates are around $12 an hour. When companies compare those figures to the United States $50 to $70 an hour wage there is an obvious difference. Not only is there a difference in the pay, but companies are able to hire workers in India. Technology enables communication, and someone can hire an engineer specifically in this case from India to work for a project in the America. The compaction for that job position is international, and that makes it so that engineers in America are competing against engineers in India.
Just like the economical systems before it globalization will eventually dissipate to a more advanced economical system, because the “first world” countries can not depend on “third world” county labor forever simply because laws that control international trade will allow countries to progress and emerge into the “modern” world. The case of Mexico this ideal. Several years ago Mexico was the 26th largest economy, and currently it is the 8th largest economy in the world. What made the difference? Well shortly after the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) an agreement that started North American free trade the Mexican economy grow at an rate of 4% and 5%. Although employment has increased in Mexico the real wage has declined by an estimated 20%. Not to mention the 40% of the total Mexican workforce that are considered the “truly Poor” and they have to compete with cheap United States and South American products, often trying to sale the “pirated” versions of the American and South American products. Although there has been a lot of development in Mexico because of the economical system there are many people who suffer, starve, and are living on the streets in poverty. Taking a Marx idea it is the system that has created this impoverished class. On the other hand functionalist believe this class will drive the economy even further, and the impoverished will want to get out of poverty enough to figure out how to get to the top, and become successful. Either perspective results with globalization ending. If you take the Marx ideal logy then the middle class will dissipate, and a selected upper class will rule the entire world with complete control over the economy of every country. This would create more of a kingdom and servant system, or at least that is what I would compare it to in my mind. I don’t know if that is what globalization is suppose to be? It sounds more like specific countries will control the economies, but I think that because of the international availability of cheep labor a select few people would gain power. That is kept in the Marx theory. On the other hand if the lower classes do get feed up with the poverty they will revolt against the upper class, or join the upper class and bring their ideas and beliefs into the ruling and upper class. History demonstrates this from the simple turning point one book made; Smith’s book about the invisible hand altered the way economies function forever. All it takes is one person with the ability to express their revolutionary ideals to emerge from a lower class, or any class for that manner, and the history of the world changes. Either way I view globalization as another step in the worlds evolving economy. I think that continuation of globalization as it is today will lead to greater poverty, and that is why it will eventually dissipate.
14 January 2009
Sociology 112
Section 4
Homework #2
Question #2
Quickly I have short question of my own: there was no how to section? While I was reading I kept on expecting to find this HOW TO READ A GRAPH passage, but it did not exist. I am suppose to just apply what I learned in class the other day, and think of twenty to twenty five things that I know about the graph. If I just look at the bar graph on the page should I be able to learn all of the information that the paragraph explains. I feel like I have a basic understanding of how to read a graph, but I would really appreciate going through this in class so that I know exactly HOW TO READ A GRAPH. The few minutes that we talked about it the other day really helped me, but I would just like a refresher course. Thank you.
Globalization has changed the economies of countries such as Mexico, and the United States. The effect of globalization on workers has developed international competition for job positions such as in the case of India and the United States. Eventually globalization will lead to greater prosperity for the world as a whole because of the continual competition between nations, expanding technologies, and by enriching cultural awareness through international communication.
Such as in the examples used in Worlds Apart Social Inequalities in a Global Economy many countries now have international based economical trade. For example many of Mexico’s companies are owned by people living in other countries, but they have their factories in Mexico and pay Mexican labor to do the manual labor. The companies given as examples were Nissan, Ford, Volkswagen, and General Electric. All of the companies I recognize, because all of them originated and are based in America. From this it is obvious that the American economy is effected by Mexico, and it’s economy. Many of the United States major companies have factories in Mexico, and their labor is in another country.
Workers have been affected by globalization because employment has become international. Such as in the case of Indian and United States engenderers modern technology has allowed for companies to communicate and effectively hire workers internationally. Outsourcing is describes what companies do when they hire workers from outside of their own country to work for them. In India engineering rates are around $12 an hour. When companies compare those figures to the United States $50 to $70 an hour wage there is an obvious difference. Not only is there a difference in the pay, but companies are able to hire workers in India. Technology enables communication, and someone can hire an engineer specifically in this case from India to work for a project in the America. The compaction for that job position is international, and that makes it so that engineers in America are competing against engineers in India.
Just like the economical systems before it globalization will eventually dissipate to a more advanced economical system, because the “first world” countries can not depend on “third world” county labor forever simply because laws that control international trade will allow countries to progress and emerge into the “modern” world. The case of Mexico this ideal. Several years ago Mexico was the 26th largest economy, and currently it is the 8th largest economy in the world. What made the difference? Well shortly after the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) an agreement that started North American free trade the Mexican economy grow at an rate of 4% and 5%. Although employment has increased in Mexico the real wage has declined by an estimated 20%. Not to mention the 40% of the total Mexican workforce that are considered the “truly Poor” and they have to compete with cheap United States and South American products, often trying to sale the “pirated” versions of the American and South American products. Although there has been a lot of development in Mexico because of the economical system there are many people who suffer, starve, and are living on the streets in poverty. Taking a Marx idea it is the system that has created this impoverished class. On the other hand functionalist believe this class will drive the economy even further, and the impoverished will want to get out of poverty enough to figure out how to get to the top, and become successful. Either perspective results with globalization ending. If you take the Marx ideal logy then the middle class will dissipate, and a selected upper class will rule the entire world with complete control over the economy of every country. This would create more of a kingdom and servant system, or at least that is what I would compare it to in my mind. I don’t know if that is what globalization is suppose to be? It sounds more like specific countries will control the economies, but I think that because of the international availability of cheep labor a select few people would gain power. That is kept in the Marx theory. On the other hand if the lower classes do get feed up with the poverty they will revolt against the upper class, or join the upper class and bring their ideas and beliefs into the ruling and upper class. History demonstrates this from the simple turning point one book made; Smith’s book about the invisible hand altered the way economies function forever. All it takes is one person with the ability to express their revolutionary ideals to emerge from a lower class, or any class for that manner, and the history of the world changes. Either way I view globalization as another step in the worlds evolving economy. I think that continuation of globalization as it is today will lead to greater poverty, and that is why it will eventually dissipate.
dance
Dance 240R Section 002
Professor McAllister
Self review
January 25, 2010
Joy Prior
I am concentrating: on the part when I left the one leg up after we have done the leg bends and lift little series I am really concentrating and I can tell because my balance is a little better in that section than in other sections.
I point my toes: This is good because I can see that I am pointing my toes and that is helping to pull the strength from the motion down and out my legs. I can see that the sections that I am pointing and pulling my muscles forward with my toes really effects the rest of my body positioning.
There are times when I forget to not only pull up, but also to push down into the earth. Particularly on the section that we were turning. I can tell that if I not only tell my body to pull up on my toes, but I also tell my feet to press into the earth I that I will get better results with my turn and not have to hop so much. Also on the turn sequence I need to know which one I am doing. I was turning on the wrong one to turn, and standing on the wrong time. This leads to the idea that if I think about what is coming next before it actually has to happen I can prepare my body for the next move, and transition into the next step more gracefully.
I need to learn the dance steps: ok I understand that it is important to actually know the steps. I think that the best way to do this is to remember the muscle memory and not concentrate so much on the steps, but on what my body is doing and how it is working. This will help me to focus on other things such as arm placement, and pulling in my muscles
My arms are all over the place: I needed to keep the pulling force coming out of my arms as well as out of my legs. There are times when my arms drop, and fall. I can tell that they are tired. There are a few things that I can do to help this. First I can get stronger arms. By practicing and keeping my arms up they will get stronger and then I can keep them up more. Second I can drop them for a split second during the practice so that I get the best workout and not a lame one. Instead of trying to keep my arms in this pathetic limbo position where I don’t know if they are up or if they are down I can put my arms up high and strong for a few minutes, and then drop them and shake them out to prepare me for the next long stretch.
I need to not look at the mirror so often. I can tell while I am watching myself that I am trying to catch what I am doing in the mirror. A) my timing off just a little B) I can tell that my alignment is off and turned that way. This is a simple fix… don’t look at yourself in the mirror all the time. Pretty much problem solved by doing that one simple action.
Professor McAllister
Self review
January 25, 2010
Joy Prior
I am concentrating: on the part when I left the one leg up after we have done the leg bends and lift little series I am really concentrating and I can tell because my balance is a little better in that section than in other sections.
I point my toes: This is good because I can see that I am pointing my toes and that is helping to pull the strength from the motion down and out my legs. I can see that the sections that I am pointing and pulling my muscles forward with my toes really effects the rest of my body positioning.
There are times when I forget to not only pull up, but also to push down into the earth. Particularly on the section that we were turning. I can tell that if I not only tell my body to pull up on my toes, but I also tell my feet to press into the earth I that I will get better results with my turn and not have to hop so much. Also on the turn sequence I need to know which one I am doing. I was turning on the wrong one to turn, and standing on the wrong time. This leads to the idea that if I think about what is coming next before it actually has to happen I can prepare my body for the next move, and transition into the next step more gracefully.
I need to learn the dance steps: ok I understand that it is important to actually know the steps. I think that the best way to do this is to remember the muscle memory and not concentrate so much on the steps, but on what my body is doing and how it is working. This will help me to focus on other things such as arm placement, and pulling in my muscles
My arms are all over the place: I needed to keep the pulling force coming out of my arms as well as out of my legs. There are times when my arms drop, and fall. I can tell that they are tired. There are a few things that I can do to help this. First I can get stronger arms. By practicing and keeping my arms up they will get stronger and then I can keep them up more. Second I can drop them for a split second during the practice so that I get the best workout and not a lame one. Instead of trying to keep my arms in this pathetic limbo position where I don’t know if they are up or if they are down I can put my arms up high and strong for a few minutes, and then drop them and shake them out to prepare me for the next long stretch.
I need to not look at the mirror so often. I can tell while I am watching myself that I am trying to catch what I am doing in the mirror. A) my timing off just a little B) I can tell that my alignment is off and turned that way. This is a simple fix… don’t look at yourself in the mirror all the time. Pretty much problem solved by doing that one simple action.
resume
Joy Marie Prior
347 East Southfield Road
Spanish Fork, Utah 84660
Cell Phone Number 1-801-921-3348
Home Phone Number 1-801-798-6382
Education
Brigham Young University; expected graduation with Honors in Winter 2013: Recipient of Henry and Leah Finch Tuition Scholarship
Spanish Fork High School; Graduated with High Honors 2009
Experience
Brigham Young University Student Association Services at Heritage Halls; May 2009: Maintain complexes for youth summer programs, safely mix chemicals, and work in an effective team environment
Acorns to Oaks Preschool; January 2009 to May 2009: Interact with young children in an engaging and learning environment, prepare lessons, and record child’s improvement
Riverview Elementary Special Needs Preschool; January 2009 to May 2009: Encourage young children with special learning needs to interact with their piers, arrange mental and mobile activities, and organize legal documents
Priority Dairy; December 2014 to January 2009: Provide mild medical treatment for claves, transport cattle, and prepare acreage for planting and harvesting
Leadership
Boy Scouts of America Venturing; September 2008 to September 2009: Palmyra District Vice President; September 2007 to September 2008: Crew 1532 President
Spanish Fork National Honors Society; May 2008 to May 2010: President; May 2007 to May 2008: Vice President of Communications
Spanish Fork Key Club; May 2008 to May 2010: Vice President; May 2007 to May 2008: Vice President
Training
CPR certified and First Aid Certified; 2008
Kodiak-X; September 2009: review first five effective leadership qualities and learn additional two at Camp Koholowo; July 2008: learn first five effective leadership qualities while cannoning down Labyrinth Canyon
Venturing Leadership Skills Course; September 2008: lead course for young adults in Heber Utah cabin; February 2008: teach professional Boy Scout of America members course in St. George Utah during mountain biking activity; September 2007: participate in leadership skills course at Spanish Fork Utah
Philmont Mountaineer; Summer 2007: high adventure back packing trip in Philmont Scout Ranch New Mexico
347 East Southfield Road
Spanish Fork, Utah 84660
Cell Phone Number 1-801-921-3348
Home Phone Number 1-801-798-6382
Education
Brigham Young University; expected graduation with Honors in Winter 2013: Recipient of Henry and Leah Finch Tuition Scholarship
Spanish Fork High School; Graduated with High Honors 2009
Experience
Brigham Young University Student Association Services at Heritage Halls; May 2009: Maintain complexes for youth summer programs, safely mix chemicals, and work in an effective team environment
Acorns to Oaks Preschool; January 2009 to May 2009: Interact with young children in an engaging and learning environment, prepare lessons, and record child’s improvement
Riverview Elementary Special Needs Preschool; January 2009 to May 2009: Encourage young children with special learning needs to interact with their piers, arrange mental and mobile activities, and organize legal documents
Priority Dairy; December 2014 to January 2009: Provide mild medical treatment for claves, transport cattle, and prepare acreage for planting and harvesting
Leadership
Boy Scouts of America Venturing; September 2008 to September 2009: Palmyra District Vice President; September 2007 to September 2008: Crew 1532 President
Spanish Fork National Honors Society; May 2008 to May 2010: President; May 2007 to May 2008: Vice President of Communications
Spanish Fork Key Club; May 2008 to May 2010: Vice President; May 2007 to May 2008: Vice President
Training
CPR certified and First Aid Certified; 2008
Kodiak-X; September 2009: review first five effective leadership qualities and learn additional two at Camp Koholowo; July 2008: learn first five effective leadership qualities while cannoning down Labyrinth Canyon
Venturing Leadership Skills Course; September 2008: lead course for young adults in Heber Utah cabin; February 2008: teach professional Boy Scout of America members course in St. George Utah during mountain biking activity; September 2007: participate in leadership skills course at Spanish Fork Utah
Philmont Mountaineer; Summer 2007: high adventure back packing trip in Philmont Scout Ranch New Mexico
Haiti
Name: Joy Marie Prior
Today’s Date: 21 January 2010
Country: Haiti
Government type: Republic
Religions: Roman Catholic 80%, Protestant 16% (Baptist 10%, Pentecostal 4%, Adventist 1%, other 1%), roughly half the population practices voodoo
GDP (purchasing power parity): $11.53 billion
Population: 9,035,536
Population growth rate: 1.838%
Life expectancy at birth (total population): 60.78 years
Debt- external: $1.817 billion
Literacy (total population): 52.9%
Unemployment rate: NA%, assumed that more than 2/3 of labor force do not have formal jobs
Telephones (mobile cellular): 3.2 million
Internet users: 1 million
Military expenditures (% of GDP): 0.4%
Education expenditures (% of GDP): 1.4%
Today’s Date: 21 January 2010
Country: Haiti
Government type: Republic
Religions: Roman Catholic 80%, Protestant 16% (Baptist 10%, Pentecostal 4%, Adventist 1%, other 1%), roughly half the population practices voodoo
GDP (purchasing power parity): $11.53 billion
Population: 9,035,536
Population growth rate: 1.838%
Life expectancy at birth (total population): 60.78 years
Debt- external: $1.817 billion
Literacy (total population): 52.9%
Unemployment rate: NA%, assumed that more than 2/3 of labor force do not have formal jobs
Telephones (mobile cellular): 3.2 million
Internet users: 1 million
Military expenditures (% of GDP): 0.4%
Education expenditures (% of GDP): 1.4%
death
Spanish 105 Section 1
Professor Leigh Cherry
Joy Marie Prior
Pan’s Labyrinth
Hollywood films have three types of deaths, starting with civilians. Most civilians are crushed under falling buildings, exploded in crashing cars, or murdered ruthlessly by the villain. Next is the character I call the “did-not-know-what-to-do-with-character-but-needed-for-the-plot”. If in the first ten minutes of a Hollywood movie you meet a character with a memorable face and not a memorable name, or if during the movie there is an unexpected selflessly character who befriends the hero they are a “did-not-know-what-to-do-with-character-but-needed-for-the-plot.” The percent of “did-not-know-what-to-do-with-character-but-needed-for-the-plot” who die in a film depends on the genera of movie: in an action flick 83%, in a romance film 50%, and in an inspirational picture 98%. Hollywood’s most dramatic level of death is the hero’s death. This death is distinguishable from all the others. There is ridicules slow-motion, music that fogs out all the other sounds, and a sudden flashback of the character running towards a lover. Hollywood does do some variations between theses three; a little more slow-motion here, some louder music there, but there is one cardinal rule Hollywood does not break. Hollywood rarely kills the villain, and if the villain does die he falls off a cliff, or there is a freak of nature accident. In Pan’s Labyrinth when the revolutionaries shot Captain Vidal on the spot I was shocked, shocked is the wrong word, because I think that I was in awe.
In American Hollywood films when the revolutionaries capture the villain they take him to the people’s court and impression him, but this is not what happened in Pan’s Labyrinth. When Captain Vidal walks out of the labyrinth with his baby son at the end of the movie he is stopped by the revolutionaries. They have just burned his fort to the ground and have taken control. Captain Vidal knows that they are going to kill him. He even says, “after you kill me tell my son what time I died.” The people did not even bat an eyelash, and after he speaks they kill the Captain. Shock is not the right word, because I think that unexpected describes how most the audience felt. There seems to be this sugar coated concept of death in Hollywood films, but Pan’s Labyrinth did not try and cover up the captain’s death. I felt like they did not simply have justification to kill the captain, but that they killed him justly. Like I mentioned above the Captain expected them to kill him. I would even dare to claim that the Captain thought he deserved death. His death was quick and instant; there was no slow-motion or dramatic music, because remember that is saved for the hero. Unlike a Hollywood film the heroes killed the villain point blank.
The hero’s death in Pan’s Labyrinth is similar to a Hollywood death. When Ofelia died she was bathed in a stream of moonlight, and just like any good old Hollywood death there was music, and slow-motion. I wondered if the Mexican director was affected by Hollywood cinema, or if that is what people really feel like when someone dies. The idea that time slows down, and the deceased deserve something as powerfully tender as music to take them into the next life seems to be universal to Mexican and American films. I have never had anyone exceptionally close to me die before, and so I don’t know exactly how the death of a loved one feels. While watching the Pan’s Labyrinth and particularly Ofelia’s death I realized how much of the movie I understood; I did not understand a lot linguistically, but I understood the emotion behind Ofelia’s death. The fact that I could understand Ofelia’s death was not shocking to me, but comforting. It made me realize that all cultural (well sane cultural) value life, and respect the dead. More significant I recognized that no one needed to tell me when the hero died, because I knew from the emotions expressed that it was the hero’s death.
In Spanish, in English, from a stage in Hollywood, or a scene in Mexico cinema holds to the same standard a hero has a heroic death, and the villain has a pathetic death.
Professor Leigh Cherry
Joy Marie Prior
Pan’s Labyrinth
Hollywood films have three types of deaths, starting with civilians. Most civilians are crushed under falling buildings, exploded in crashing cars, or murdered ruthlessly by the villain. Next is the character I call the “did-not-know-what-to-do-with-character-but-needed-for-the-plot”. If in the first ten minutes of a Hollywood movie you meet a character with a memorable face and not a memorable name, or if during the movie there is an unexpected selflessly character who befriends the hero they are a “did-not-know-what-to-do-with-character-but-needed-for-the-plot.” The percent of “did-not-know-what-to-do-with-character-but-needed-for-the-plot” who die in a film depends on the genera of movie: in an action flick 83%, in a romance film 50%, and in an inspirational picture 98%. Hollywood’s most dramatic level of death is the hero’s death. This death is distinguishable from all the others. There is ridicules slow-motion, music that fogs out all the other sounds, and a sudden flashback of the character running towards a lover. Hollywood does do some variations between theses three; a little more slow-motion here, some louder music there, but there is one cardinal rule Hollywood does not break. Hollywood rarely kills the villain, and if the villain does die he falls off a cliff, or there is a freak of nature accident. In Pan’s Labyrinth when the revolutionaries shot Captain Vidal on the spot I was shocked, shocked is the wrong word, because I think that I was in awe.
In American Hollywood films when the revolutionaries capture the villain they take him to the people’s court and impression him, but this is not what happened in Pan’s Labyrinth. When Captain Vidal walks out of the labyrinth with his baby son at the end of the movie he is stopped by the revolutionaries. They have just burned his fort to the ground and have taken control. Captain Vidal knows that they are going to kill him. He even says, “after you kill me tell my son what time I died.” The people did not even bat an eyelash, and after he speaks they kill the Captain. Shock is not the right word, because I think that unexpected describes how most the audience felt. There seems to be this sugar coated concept of death in Hollywood films, but Pan’s Labyrinth did not try and cover up the captain’s death. I felt like they did not simply have justification to kill the captain, but that they killed him justly. Like I mentioned above the Captain expected them to kill him. I would even dare to claim that the Captain thought he deserved death. His death was quick and instant; there was no slow-motion or dramatic music, because remember that is saved for the hero. Unlike a Hollywood film the heroes killed the villain point blank.
The hero’s death in Pan’s Labyrinth is similar to a Hollywood death. When Ofelia died she was bathed in a stream of moonlight, and just like any good old Hollywood death there was music, and slow-motion. I wondered if the Mexican director was affected by Hollywood cinema, or if that is what people really feel like when someone dies. The idea that time slows down, and the deceased deserve something as powerfully tender as music to take them into the next life seems to be universal to Mexican and American films. I have never had anyone exceptionally close to me die before, and so I don’t know exactly how the death of a loved one feels. While watching the Pan’s Labyrinth and particularly Ofelia’s death I realized how much of the movie I understood; I did not understand a lot linguistically, but I understood the emotion behind Ofelia’s death. The fact that I could understand Ofelia’s death was not shocking to me, but comforting. It made me realize that all cultural (well sane cultural) value life, and respect the dead. More significant I recognized that no one needed to tell me when the hero died, because I knew from the emotions expressed that it was the hero’s death.
In Spanish, in English, from a stage in Hollywood, or a scene in Mexico cinema holds to the same standard a hero has a heroic death, and the villain has a pathetic death.
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