In Charles Dickens' Bleak House we are shown a dark portrayal of London life. But throughout the murder, deceit and corruption, one character remains aloof.
Mr. Skimpole is a self processed child in an adults' body. He claims to have no concept of the value of money or any knowledge of the legal system that entwines his closest friends. We are encouraged to believe that Skimpole truly does not engage in any sort of responsibility and as such, enjoys a carefree existence.
It is hard to read about the life of the whimsical Skimpole and not feel a twinge of jealousy. This is a man who is not concerned with the pressures enforced by society. Skimpole is not even committed to any past-time or hobby, but moves around freely as his mood changes. The man is in love with the natural way of living and even the very dutiful Jarndyce and Summerson cannot help but enjoy his company and forgive his innocence.
But in reality, no one would abide by this behaviour. While children are allowed some space from responsibility, this simply cannot extend into adulthood. But even besides this, we owe duty from the moment we are born. As we grow, we become even more indebted to our friends and family. While this can seem like a "trap" of responsibility, it is one that we cannot escape.
My blindness in this regard has caused me to fail in my duty to a friend and I do not deserve forgiveness for it.
-The English Student
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Saturday, July 19, 2008
The Brilliance of Top Gear
I have never seen cars to be anything more than tools for getting from one place to another. But BBCs' Top Gear is doing a good job of making me care.
While I had been learning to drive for a short period over the last year, it was not long before I took a break from my lessons. I felt that there was no real reason for me to get a license at this time as the public transport system in my area was adequete. Of course, coupled with this was my intense fear of the dangers inherent in driving.
As Top Gear goes into its' eleventh series, I have been wondering why it is I enjoy the show so much and yet still despise cars. The wit and banter of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May all contribute to my enjoyment of this BBC classic, but their personalities are not strong enough to defeat my natural aversion to their subject matter. The answer, I believe, lies in more subtle aspects of the show.
Often during Top Gear, a pre-recorded clip will be played wherein a car will be reviewed or a challenge will be addressed. The director of these shorts is an absolute genius. A huge variety of camera shots that include amazingly fresh angles are consistently used. In addition to this, very appropriate music from excellent musicians is used to great effect. This combination of visuals and audio are used in perfect symphony with each other and it is for this reason that I find great pleasure in the program.
The BBC would do well to make great use of talents such as the crew on Top Gear. "And with that bombshell", it is time for me to sign off for another week!
-The English Student
While I had been learning to drive for a short period over the last year, it was not long before I took a break from my lessons. I felt that there was no real reason for me to get a license at this time as the public transport system in my area was adequete. Of course, coupled with this was my intense fear of the dangers inherent in driving.
As Top Gear goes into its' eleventh series, I have been wondering why it is I enjoy the show so much and yet still despise cars. The wit and banter of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May all contribute to my enjoyment of this BBC classic, but their personalities are not strong enough to defeat my natural aversion to their subject matter. The answer, I believe, lies in more subtle aspects of the show.
Often during Top Gear, a pre-recorded clip will be played wherein a car will be reviewed or a challenge will be addressed. The director of these shorts is an absolute genius. A huge variety of camera shots that include amazingly fresh angles are consistently used. In addition to this, very appropriate music from excellent musicians is used to great effect. This combination of visuals and audio are used in perfect symphony with each other and it is for this reason that I find great pleasure in the program.
The BBC would do well to make great use of talents such as the crew on Top Gear. "And with that bombshell", it is time for me to sign off for another week!
-The English Student
Saturday, July 12, 2008
The Revenant
It is a dark scene on the streets of our capital city.
Any watcher in the area could see me now as I sprint through the rain-soaked streets. From the park I look to be a blur, rushing along the iron railings. A person in a passing car could notice my slight frame barreling towards the city centre. Eyes from the adjacent apartment block could see my steady trajectory through the storm. But this place is empty. There is no-one in the park, no passing cars and certainly no watching eyes.
There is, however, a mouth. I can just make it out now, moving around the corner ahead of me. Tall, hooded and dark, the bleak figure is running with an alarming pace. I cannot make out much in these conditions, only it's large mouth, split wide open in a silent scream and two enormous arms reaching out vertically above it. A solitary syllable comes to mind: "Run".
But where to run? The figures are quickly multiplying all around me, identical demons with shrouded faces. The street is now a swarm of these hooded creatures. I am surrounded by their horrid mouths that rend my soul to shreds in the unbroken silence. But one is now stepping forward. "You wanted pain. You wanted misery and hate. You even wanted death." These words whisper to my ear from that ghastly hole in the creature. The brief pause is again broken by the figure's guttural tone:
"We are what you desire."
-The English Student
Any watcher in the area could see me now as I sprint through the rain-soaked streets. From the park I look to be a blur, rushing along the iron railings. A person in a passing car could notice my slight frame barreling towards the city centre. Eyes from the adjacent apartment block could see my steady trajectory through the storm. But this place is empty. There is no-one in the park, no passing cars and certainly no watching eyes.
There is, however, a mouth. I can just make it out now, moving around the corner ahead of me. Tall, hooded and dark, the bleak figure is running with an alarming pace. I cannot make out much in these conditions, only it's large mouth, split wide open in a silent scream and two enormous arms reaching out vertically above it. A solitary syllable comes to mind: "Run".
But where to run? The figures are quickly multiplying all around me, identical demons with shrouded faces. The street is now a swarm of these hooded creatures. I am surrounded by their horrid mouths that rend my soul to shreds in the unbroken silence. But one is now stepping forward. "You wanted pain. You wanted misery and hate. You even wanted death." These words whisper to my ear from that ghastly hole in the creature. The brief pause is again broken by the figure's guttural tone:
"We are what you desire."
-The English Student
Saturday, July 5, 2008
The Problem with Penny Arcade
This week, gaming's most caustic reviewer Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw took on the realm of web comics.
Yahtzee's usual disdain filled ranting was mostly directed at Tim Buckley's "Ctrl-Alt-Delete". In particular, the lazy drawing style, odd humour and foray into a more serious subject matter was dissected by the corrosive reviewer. However, Penny Arcade is spared a well deserved share of the onslaught.
Of course, both Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik of Penny Arcade have done many favours for the gaming community. They successfully launched their own gaming exposition that has become more prominent with the implosion of E3. Outside this area, the founding of the charity "Child's Play" by the creators has raised over two million euro for entertainment in children's hospitals.
This philanthropy does not, however, excuse the slipping quality of their web comics. Frequently, weekly strips include ridiculous "in-jokes", needlessly obscure references to video games and a dull colour palette. By publishing two web comics a week, Penny Arcade gets constant praise from a fan base that blindly follows the authors due to their fame. By contrast, competing comics such as VG Cats are keeping their work fresh, bright and consistently funny. In this way, it is becoming quite obvious that PA have fallen from grace.
We should all endorse Holkins' and Krahulik's kindheartedness, but to continue to hold the title of "web comic", Penny Arcade must rebuild the quality of their publications.
-The English Student
Yahtzee's usual disdain filled ranting was mostly directed at Tim Buckley's "Ctrl-Alt-Delete". In particular, the lazy drawing style, odd humour and foray into a more serious subject matter was dissected by the corrosive reviewer. However, Penny Arcade is spared a well deserved share of the onslaught.
Of course, both Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik of Penny Arcade have done many favours for the gaming community. They successfully launched their own gaming exposition that has become more prominent with the implosion of E3. Outside this area, the founding of the charity "Child's Play" by the creators has raised over two million euro for entertainment in children's hospitals.
This philanthropy does not, however, excuse the slipping quality of their web comics. Frequently, weekly strips include ridiculous "in-jokes", needlessly obscure references to video games and a dull colour palette. By publishing two web comics a week, Penny Arcade gets constant praise from a fan base that blindly follows the authors due to their fame. By contrast, competing comics such as VG Cats are keeping their work fresh, bright and consistently funny. In this way, it is becoming quite obvious that PA have fallen from grace.
We should all endorse Holkins' and Krahulik's kindheartedness, but to continue to hold the title of "web comic", Penny Arcade must rebuild the quality of their publications.
-The English Student
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