The Cove

Ashley Mbualungu

English 105

Professor Timmons

11/15/2010

The Cove, a 2009 documentary film directed by Louie Psihoyos, is about the annual slaughter of innocent dolphins by Taiji fishermen in Japan. Along with the Americans traveling to Taiji to get the actual footages of the dolphins on tape, the Japanese were able to get footage on their side as to why they believe slaughtering the dolphins is important, however, their argument is not convincing. Although it was not a full perspective, it was a fair amount of footage and it was shown that the fishermen kill the dolphins primarily for their meat but also as a way of pest control. Dolphins eat fish because it is their food but to the Japanese 23,000 of them are killed annually and it’s the fishermen’s way of preserving the fish in the ocean. To me that sounds selfish and their arguments were not convincing at all.

The film shows more of the Japanese perspective and the issues only seemed to be getting worse.  The Japanese are clearly aware that if word of what they do gets out, there would be outrage, so they hide behind the government. The Japanese government had incorporated pilot whale meat to the children’s school lunch programs and the biggest problem with this is the fact that most of the dolphin meat that has been slaughtered is used as counterfeit whale meat. The dolphin hunters do not warn the town of this danger even when the meat contains mercury which isn’t meant for consumption.  The people of Japan have every right to know what’s going on with the dolphin slaughter. I, for one thing, would definitely want to know what is being fed to my children during school lunches and would not want their health at risk.

The airing of how the Japanese use dolphin meat is a way of them being heard but I feel like their footage and camera time is unnecessary mainly because I disagree with the fishermen’s whole idea of slaughtering especially when it’s for the wrong purpose. It’s obviously good to get both sides of the story, in terms of fairness, but the striking footages of how they grab the dolphins in preparation for a slaughtered blood bath is enough to just believe that what these fishermen are doing is wrong. The cries of these dolphins as they are being killed is enough to want to save them yourself and stop all the madness. It is unacceptable and I’m hoping the government, the citizens, and fishermen of Taiji are soon to realize that.

Ashley Mbualungu

November 6, 2010

English 105

Professor Timmons

Koyaanisqatsi, the 1983 film directed by Godfrey Reggio, was able to force me out of my ordinary viewing habits differently than any other film that is generally narrated. The images complimented with sound effects are so captivating that it is meant to tell a story that you follow visually. The film forced me to look at the beauty of it which I would not do for a narrated film. The puffy blue clouds acted as water and the scene of the sand dooms contrasted with light and dark, but it all looked like beautiful paintings to me. This film incorporated music that sped up with double timed scenes which to me implies emphasis, for instance, the scene with the cars that appear to be going hundreds of miles per hour is being challenged to music that seems to be going at the exact same speed of the cars. The sights similar to the cars, where the music speeds up as well as the images, were able to help me focus on the images forcing me to make a story of it.

This film had ways of requiring me to view it differently than narrated films. The picture motion and bright and colorful images presented in Koyaanisqatsi told a touching story of how people today have become technology. The scenes of the beautiful manmade lake, hard industrial life, and transitions from appealing sceneries to things like big ugly trucks tell us that we have been habituated with technology over nature yet we do not even notice it anymore. Several times the film included objects that were all the same, for example the twinkies scene. In the twinkies scene we are shown over and over again the work and packaging that is put into them indicating that we live in an environment where everything is the same, copies of copies. It is fascinating to me that a film without narration can be so emotive through its captivating images and I find these to be some of the ways this film required me to view it differently than most films.

                Koyaanisqatsi’s way of telling us that we are technology through sound effects, music, and striking scenes can be discomforting in a way mainly because I am used to narration and dialogue. I feel like the scene of the atomic bomb went into overtime and though I would watch the film again I would most likely fast forward the scene. I would recommend this film for its art and beauty and though it may be discomforting it still tells a story.

Ashley Mbualungu

English 105

Professor Timmons

10/22/10

Apocalypse Now

            Heart of Darkness written by Joseph Conrad and "Apocalypse Now" a movie directed by Francis Coppola are two works that parallel one another. One of the many similarities between Heart of Darkness and "Apocalypse Now" is race. Joseph Conrad and Francis Coppola both use white men as the characters that have dominance. Conrad uses his character Marlow, while Coppola uses his character, Willard, to both look at the natives as though white men are the civilized culture and the native people are the savage culture (Franklin). We can find examples of this and one of them being Marlow and the doctor from the novella. Marlow’s skull was compared presently to his skull upon returning to the Congo and when Marlow tries to find out his results the doctor mentions that there are none because not one civilized person has returned from the jungle.  From the movie an example of this is when Willard faces a dilemma, whether or not to complete his soldierly mission of killing Kurtz. We are shown that if he completes his missions he is still civil, however, if not, he is left to be conquered by the Vietnam jungles.

            In 1979, Francis Ford Coppola used his directing ability to transform Heart of Darkness such that they could be appreciated by a 20th century audience. By changing the setting, plot and characters he was able to do so. Vietnam’s gory war settings are parallel to the setting of Conrad’s Heart of Darkness geographically and the battlefields contrast well with the novella’s style which is why Coppola probably felt the need to use Vietnam as a depiction for the 20^th century viewers.

            Kurtz’s character played by Marlon Brando was played very well utterly because he basically became Kurtz. His performance was so real and believable and his message would not have gotten across without his powerful tactics. Brando’s eerie ways and ability to get into character and become Kurtz is what made him so terrifying but captivating to watch.

            Willard’s mission is to find and kill Kurtz however along the journey, similar to Marlow’s, he is contemplated over the thought of killing him or joining him. In the scene where Willard emerges from the water ready to kill Kurtz, Willard stabs Kurtz several times killing him. Willard has fulfilled his mission and by doing so he is still civilized. After he leaves the temple, he is basically given the choice to return to civilization or not. The choice is up to him but overall, he gave himself the opportunity to go back to a civilized world. 

following a current issue

Ashley Mbualungu

Professor Timmons

English 105

October 6, 2010

  

                                                            Bullfighting in Spain

                Bullfighting, a current issue that is being faced in Spain, is the traditional sport associated with art, culture, and aspects of bravery, that pit a bull against men who wield a variety of lethal weapons. For the past decade it has been very much admired as a sport and courageous Medators have been seen as heroes for defeating a bull. Bullfighting is Spanish tradition that, in reality, has been looked down upon for its murderous vicious bloodbath and has lost a lot of its popularity in the last decade through international objection from surrounding countries. A lot of objection also comes from the younger generations who feel that Spain is now living under the dark ages. The Canary Islands were the first Spanish region to ban bullfighting in 1991 and anti-bullfighting groups are working to get this completely banned. Bullfighting is an important issue because it mainly deals with animal cruelty. Most fights last for about 15 minutes and the weapons used are meant to cause intense pain, and cause great blood loss to weaken the bull. The lethal weapons used consist of swords, daggers, spikes and spears where the bull is repeatedly stabbed. After the 15 minute period of suffering, the Medator finally kills the dying bull. Nearly 35,000 bulls are killed each year in bullfights. Another issue needed stating is the fact that prior to the bullfights, the bull is limited in vision by petroleum jelly, its strength is also diminished by tranquilizers, and it is given beatings to the kidneys.

Over the past several months anti-bullfighting groups have been working to ban bullfighting. In late July, a debate has been launched by lawmakers in Catalonia voting weather to ban bullfighting weighing two significant things: protecting animal rights or maintaining a years of tradition and culture in Spain. Once this debate began its process, protests occurred outside of parliament and bullfighting opponents carried posters and some were in English, “Stop animal cruelty, No more blood” (par. 3) A week prior to July 28, 2010, Wednesday’s vote in the Catalan parliament prohibited bullfighting beginning in 2012. Despite the fact that the animal activists wanted to extend the ban at this time, there was no significant movement to do away with bullfighting in Spain. The Catalonia region, which includes Barcelona, banned bullfighting in the final days of July, but many other bull-related traditions in which the animals are not killed continue there. A significant event that occurred in August due to the bullfighting issue was the realizing of Ernest Hemingway’s fascination of the traditional bullfighting and Artist Goya who incorporated bullfights in some of his most famous paintings. Because of this, leading opposition parties in Spain want to enshrine bullfights and wanted to stop all efforts in ever the banning culture and heritage. Recently, in late September there has been question as to why it has been approved that bullfighters can now run with bulls, stick fireworks on bulls, and put flaming wax on their horns but cannot kill him. It is approved in the same region that banned bullfighting in the first place.

Despite the fact that bullfighting is clearly animal cruelty which is an issue, there are people of higher positions who felt that it should not have been banned. The proposal stated that Spain’s government has to protect bullfighting for it is their culture. President of Spain's leading bullfighting industry association and bull breeder, Eduardo Martin-Penato, said “Cultural heritage would provide bulletproof protection. Under the Constitution the government is obliged to protect culture” (par. 7) Mimi Bekhechi, the anti-bullfighting campaigner for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, called the effort "just a desperate attempt by a small minority of people to cling to this former tradition that most Spaniards have no interest in whatsoever" (par. 9). Elena Valenciano, a leading Socialist Party lawmaker, said in early August that “Prime Minister Jose Luis Zapatero's administration is against the bullfighting proposal because such decisions should be in the hands of Spain's regional governments” (par. 21)

Works Cited

"Catalonia Bans Bullfighting." Fox News Mobile. FOX. 28 July 2010. Television.

Giles, Ciaran, and Paul Logothetis. "Spain's Catalonia Region Bans Bullfighting, but Rest of Country Can Still Say 'Ole'" Fox News. 28 July 2010. Web.

Giles, Ciran. "Running with Bulls, Lighting Their Horns Approved in Spanish Region That Banned Bullfighting." Fox News. 22 Sept. 2010. Web.

Hecke, Harold, and Ciran Giles. "Spain Debates Enshrining Bullfighting by Law as Cultural Heritage, Prohibiting Bullfight Bans." Fox News. 16 Aug. 2010. Web.

Woolls. "Spain's Northeastern Catalonia Region Debates Banning Bullfighting." Fox News. 27 July 2010. Web.

Ashley Mbualungu

Professor Timmons

English 105

September 28, 2010       

Chinua Achebe’s revised article, written years after Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness in 1977, depicts the African culture and history. It helps to reinforce the ignorance of it as well. Achebe criticizes Conrad for not portraying the continent in its true form. To Conrad the Africans in the novella were not described as human beings but merely objects. Conrad was clearly a racist and there are many reasons of why we see it. “Joseph Conrad was a thoroughgoing racist. That this simple truth is glossed over in criticisms of his work is due to the fact that white racism against Africa is such a normal way of thinking that its manifestations go completely unremarked” (343). Achebe seeks to get across to the readers that Conrad uses Europe as a foil to reinforce all of its goodness. “Heart of Darkness projects the image of Africa as ‘the other world’, the antithesis of Europe and therefore of civilization, a place where man’s vaunted intelligence and refinement are finally mocked triumphant bestiality” (338). Achebe disapproves of the stereotypes and racism Conrad uses throughout the novella and it is noticed that he leaves the more positive moments out.  He perceives the literature in a rather negative way and attacks Conrad.

J. Hillis Miller’s article seeks to find answers as to why anyone should read Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. He views the novella as an apocalyptic text and critiques against Conrad’s novella. He is seemingly sure that one should not simply just skim through the words of the novella, but should take the time to understand each and every word and define the book for one’s own self.

There are several strong points presented in Chinua Achebe’s essay on Heart of Darkness. He does not fail to mention how Joseph Conrad views the average westerner and their racism and stereotypical views toward African culture. His criticism is so strong that it makes us question if it is fair that he is comparing Conrad’s racist thoughts to contemporary morality and it is anachronistic. The setting of the Congo basin and the poor descriptions of the savages seem to catch Achebe’s attention and it is strength in his essay.

“A certain enormous buck nigger encountered in Haiti fixed my conception of blind, furious, unreasoning rage, as manifested in the human animal to the end of my days. Of the nigger I used to dream for years afterwards” (344)

                A major weakness I find present in J. Hillis Miller’s essay, Should We Read “Heart of Darkness”?, is his inability to state some of the answers in his questions found in the beginning of the essay. Miller had the notion that the text was somewhat parabolic because it fails to tell of actual experience.

               

Works Cited

Armstrong, Paul B., Ed. Heart of Darkness. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2006.

Achebe, Chinua. “An Image of Racism in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness.” Armstrong 336-349.

Miller, J. Hillis. “Should We Read Heart of Darkness? Armstrong 463-74.

Ashley Mbualungu

Professor Timmons

English 105

9/23/2010

How Potential for Success Can Lead to Savagery

            In the novella, Heart of Darkness, Kurtz, who was once portrayed as visionary and was well-respected unwillingly becomes a “savage” and puts his life to waste once he commences his life in the jungles of Congo, Africa. It is shown that Kurtz’s demise was treated with little to no respect by the pilgrims being that he was shoved into the ground without much care. For a man that was highly recognized with reverence, should have had a sophisticated burial because the certain initiative is what we our taught to do, especially in terms of death. The situation simply makes me ask myself why a man that was once looked at with such ambition was received poor treatment. Kurtz’s characteristics throughout the novella are where the answers to the question lie because the situation contrasts with his past.

            Marlow has the knowledge that Kurtz is in Africa to join the Company and be chief so that he can leave Europe. When he is first mentioned about Kurtz from the accountant, the accountant describes Kurtz as “a very remarkable person” (19) who “sends in as much ivory as all the others put together” (19). Although, when Marlow first meets the accountant he is presented with amazement in his appearance.  “I met a white man in such an unexpected elegance of get-up that in the first moment I took him for a sort of vision… He was amazing, and had a penholder behind his ear” (18). Marlow, throughout the novella, presented us with irony as he describes the looks of the accountant, sort of bringing himself lower than him. Marlow must think that this accountant is a great example of the Europeans and how they view themselves as superior which leads to Kurtz, the once higher man. Marlow is short of knowledge about Kurtz, and how he does not plan to stay in Africa for a long period of time because he has other goals he wants to achieve, yet his stay has been prolonged. The fact that he did not leave Africa sooner reflects on how he has become a savage himself. At this point, as we see, Kurtz “had immense plans” (65) to civilize the savage people of Africa, collect precious ivory and has plans of gaining more respect in Europe as a result of his goals. People who know Kurtz truly believe that he has the ambition and greatness to greatly succeed in life. His success drive causes him the need to gain more and more success. This novel is filled with many different aspects of dreams and goals and Kurtz realizes he is basically capable of anything leading him to the point of no self-control bringing us to the whole “savage” talk, exactly how he was buried.

            As time passes and the more Kurtz spends in the depths of the wilderness and environmental jungles, his once character viewed as “eloquent” and former persona begins to slowly vanish away. He is becoming surely too into himself and is becoming wrapped up into the idea of wealth and success and feels like his job of enlightening the savages will be very beneficial to his career. Kurtz is obsessed with wanting to expand on his success and has the mentality that the people of Europe would be sure to respect him even more. Soon enough, his overlooked death is what captivates us all. “I am lying here in the dark waiting for death” (69). This indicates that it is during his last moments that Kurtz realizes himself that he has been slowly but indubitably weakened by the wilderness. “The horror! The horror!” (69) are Kurtz final breathy whispers leading him to his savaged burial. I believe that his words symbolize his cry and criticism for the universe; he is expressing grief for the world and realizes he has been changed.  

Marlow has always wanted to meet Kurtz for himself and not let anyone manipulate his mind of what they thought of him, and when he finally did he had interesting things to say about him. It is also during his last moments where Marlow confesses that Kurtz was “a remarkable man” (70) that “had something to say” and “said it” (70). His words “rang deep to the very last” (67) and “it survived his strength to hide in the magnificent folds eloquence the barren darkness of his heart” (68). Marlow notices that there is some sort of trouble with Kurtz in accepting that there is struggle in his mind. He wonders if Kurtz can somehow put into reverse what has happened to him. It is questioning why the Company thinks otherwise of Kurtz and it is simply because Kurtz gave into the darkness that was lying within himself and his was “an impenetrable darkness” (68).  Remaining in Africa for such long period of time with having almost little to no power while being head of the Company, Kurtz is left with no restraints and slips into the darkness. According to Marlow, a sense of darkness lies within us all and can be revealed once we step out of civilization and as we see, Kurtz’s struggles and his now “wastes of a weary brain were haunted by shadowy images” (68).

            Despite the unoriginal Kurtz that is buried, throughout the novella we see Marlow as having a theme or concept about truth. Truth about Kurtz, his persona, the pilgrims, and the station seems to be revealed. Marlow is in fact affected by Kurtz’s death and realizes the reality of speaking with Kurtz’s Intended who happens to be a woman that loved Kurtz very much. She claims that Kurtz saw her as the best thing ever but she was quite oblivious to the real Kurtz. “What a loss to me—to us…To the World” (75). Even the Intended truly believes that her beloved was ahead of the success game and now there would be nothing left but “sorrow” (75). Marlow at this point tries to reassure her and like most Europeans, she is not aware of how Africa changes men quite effortlessly and Kurtz was without a doubt one of them. She still wants to believe in her heart that he was a good man. Marlow, who is all about truth and “can’t bear a lie” (34) throughout the novella, tells the Intended that the last word Kurtz pronounced was “her name” (77) which gave her a sense of relief. Marlow has the satisfaction that he would rather have her not know the “truth” which reflects on Kurtz because he only saw her as an object anyway, exactly how he viewed the savages. Marlow in this case clearly tells her a lie, covering up the truth completely. This goes to show how Marlow simply did not want to hurt her nor did he want to experience the retelling of how Kurtz had passed away especially to the Intended.  Marlow being the skeptical person that he is realizes that Kurtz’s death brings him slight pain which is another reason he chooses not to tell her the truth, he would have to go through the feeling of telling her how Kurtz has become a savage in his final days of living. Kurtz’s many talents and power to lead hastily went to waste as he was buried without a care as a savage “in a muddy hole” (69).  

            As this novella is filled with irony, it is ironic that Kurtz’s death, which so happens to be unfortunate, brings Marlow somewhat of a relief and success. “Oh, I wasn’t touched. I was fascinated. It was though a veil had been rent. I saw on that ivory face the expression of somber pride, of ruthless power, of craven terror” (69). Even though Kurtz slips into the depths of the wilderness of Africa, he still has overcome many struggles that many men wouldn’t even dare to do.  He has great ambition for the Company and truly believes that "Each station should be like a beacon on the road toward better things, a center for trade of course but also for humanizing, improving, instructing.” (37) While Marlow is dying to meet Kurtz in the beginning of the story, Kurtz’s intentions are to stop for nothing except to collect as much ivory as possible. This is exactly how Kurtz loses touch with reality; it is because he is caught up in his fantasy world of power and money and now he is nothing but a defeated man “lying at the bottom of a precipice where the sun never shines” (68). Marlow is in fact right, for as long as human beings have been around, they have always wanted to have power over those who they felt were below them and Kurtz is exceptionally power hungry. Kurtz actions almost might as well be viewed as ignorant. By that, the rest of the Company perceives Kurtz, the big man, as a savage and his potential sophistication of a burial turns out to be equivalent to that of a savage person.

Works Cited

Armstrong, Paul B., ed. Heart of Darkness. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2006.