Geography of the Big Mac Essay Example for Free

Geography of the Big Mac Essay McDonalds has been around since 1940, when it was created by Nick and Mac McDonald in Bernardino, California. Since then McDonalds has only grown around the world in popularity and business. There are currently more than 33 thousand restaurants around the world in 119 countries. The chain has remarkably gone form offering just a few items on its menu to a wide range of over a 145 diverse items on its menu. Needless to say McDonalds has embedded itself within the world’s society. The way McDonalds runs its business has many different components. These different items include geography of a location, Weber’s model, development, and mass consumption. One of McDonald’s most successful items on its menu is the big mac. Worldwide it is known for its flavor; however, many do not understand how that burger gets to them. The ingredients are not merely picked up at a local store, but shipped across miles of land and sea. There are many different factors for why this happens. The three main reasons for why this occurs are due to geography, weber’s model, and development. Geography plays a big role in where things grow for instance if one looks at the United States corn grows better in the Midwest. This then affects what farmers will grow in a certain climate, because they need to meet the needs of the plant they are growing. This pattern is seen in Europe with the ingredients needed to make a big mac and largely affects where certain places receive certain items. The buns used to create a big mac are produced in Germany, America, and Canada. The climate in Germany is a moderate climate with a good amount of rain throughout the year. This makes it an ideal place to grow wheat which needs the climate to be mild and not too cold. There are also many places throughout the United States and Canada that classify as this climate. The pickles are needed to be raised in a warm atmosphere. This is why the pickles for the big mac are grown in Spain and Turkey. Spain has a Mediterranean climate with dry summers and relatively warm winters, and Turkey has hot and dry summers and mild winters. The beef is nurtured in Ireland. This is mainly due to the fact that Ireland has sporadic weather that is not necessarily spectacular for growing crops. This means that they are not losing money by not planting a crop but using the land instead is used for cattle ranching. The dairy farmers often need a cool climate to run their farms. This correlates with the fact that Germany and Ireland are the suppliers for the big mac’s cheese in the United Kingdom. Both climates have relatively cool atmospheres almost year round. The lettuce for the big is grown in Spain due to the fact that it needs a warm climate to grow in. The last item on the big mac is the onions and these are found in Holland. Holland has cool summers and mild winters which make it the optimal place to grow onions. Onions need temperatures to be at a happy medium between hot and cold for them to grow well. All of these places and items grown are directly related to the McDonalds in the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom gets all of its ingredients for its big mac from different countries. The reason they do this can be described by Weber’s model. Weber’s model centers on three main ideas such as transportation, labor, and agglomeration. Transportation in today’s modern world is fast and inexpensive meaning that it is a viable option to ship products to different locations that may be far away. The fact that there is cheap transportation makes it easier for countries, such as the U. K. , to get products that they do not have the capability of growing as well. Labor is a much more important component of Weber’s model today. This part of the model is classified as the most costing part of an organization. This means that companies will look for a cheaper labor pool. The U. K. follows this pattern for the most part. The United Kingdom has a minimum wage of $9. 83 in U. S. dollars. Some of the main suppliers for the items in the big mac for the U. K.are Germany, America, Canada, Turkey, and Spain. All of these places have less of a minimum wage requirement than the United Kingdom. This means that it is cheaper for the United Kingdom to pay workers in other countries to grow their products rather than grow them in their own country. Lastly, there is the matter of agglomeration. Agglomeration is often when businesses that produce the same product locate around each other to reap some sort of benefit. This directly relates to all 1,200 McDonalds in the United Kingdom. Many of these restaurants are located around other fast food chains. The main idea behind this is to potentially steal costumers from other fast food restaurants. McDonalds can also benefit from other fast food chains advertisements if they are located near them. McDonalds tends to symbolize development in countries. Every developed country in the world practically has a McDonalds. Most people credit McDonalds for being the innovator of the development of the fast food industry. The food chain has developed a well-oiled machine for creating the same products. They have people located at certain areas to do specific jobs such as grilling burgers, adding dressing, frying fries, getting drinks, and cashiering. This may sound similar to another model that gave birth to the auto industry. This model being the Ford model. Ford was the first to develop an assembly line, which basically gave workers a specific job that they only did. This maximized production for Ford made it so they could produce cars in a more efficient time frame lowering prices. Due to the fact that McDonalds runs their business similar to Ford’s is the reason why their prices are so affordable. Many different companies have shaped their businesses around McDonalds. This is why there are so many different types of fast food chains. Since there are so many McDonalds worldwide there are bound to be negative side effects centering on the issue of consumption. McDonald’s food is very high in sodium and fats. This type of food is not very healthy for the average person’s diet. This means that the food consumers are consuming at McDonalds can contribute to obesity if they eat there too frequently. The obesity rate in the United States is 35. 7% of all adults. These statistics show that obesity is a huge issue. There is currently 550 million big macs sold in the United States each year. This is not a very healthy product. The fact that so many people are buying and eating it could contribute to their unhealthy weight. There is also a matter of how much virtual water is used to make the beef patty in a big mac. There is 4-18 thousand gallons of water used per beef patty in a big mac. The reason this number is so high is due to the fact that it takes a lot of water to grow grain for cows to eat and cows drink a lot of water. Water seems like a substance that can be found on a whim. However, it is actually a relatively hard thing to find. For instance, people around Texas are actually mining water. They are mining in the Ogallala Aquifer which is basically a huge underground supply of water. The fact that people have to mine water just adds to the fact that there is not an abundant amount to be wasted like is being seen on the production of a meat patty. There is also the matter with the idea that the more McDonalds that are spawned in certain areas there is less of a culture in areas. This is the idea of placelessness. Areas lose their own culture due to the fact that everything starts to look the same. The more demand for McDonalds means more stores and less of a cultural background in places.

Use of Color in Toni Morrisons The Bluest Eye :: Bluest Eye Essays

Pauline saw the beauty of life through the colors of her childhood down South. Her fondest memories were of purple berries, yellow lemonade, and "that streak of green them june bugs made on the trees the night we left down home. All them colors was in me"1. Pauline and Cholly left the colors of the South when they moved North to Ohio to begin their life together. Through Cholly, Pauline hoped to find those colors of beauty that she left "down home". For a while she did find her colors, her beauty, in the eyes of Cholly. He released in her all the colors of life which were sealed down in her soul. Everything about their early married life was described in vivid colors. This was true even of her sexual experiences with him. Everything was fine, ordered and beautiful in both Pauline and Cholly's life until they moved "up North". Once they moved North everything changed. The colors went out of Pauline's life. "I missed my people. I weren't used to so much white folks...Northern colored folk was different too"2. Cholly only became "meaner and meaner and wanted to fight all of the time"2. He did not help the situation and contributed to his wife's dissatisfaction and disillusionment by not coming home. He found his satisfaction through other people, thus he neglected Pauline. To make up for this neglect and her own insecurities, Pauline sought comfort through movies. Here she would sit and watch the perfect "white" world of Hollywood. Here she would find her colors on the "silver screen". She had a longing for these colors which was going to affect her life and the lives of her family until it destroys them, especially Pecola. When Pecola was born, a major change occured in Pauline's life. According to Susan Willis, "Adjectives become substantives, giving taste and color and making it possible for colors to trickle and flow and finally be internalized..."3. She now wished to live her life like this, through the colors in herself. Right after Pecola was born Cholly again began to pay attention to Pauline again the way he used to when they lived down South. The only problem was that the colors had dimed in Pauline. By working for a white family, she found her order and her colors again but not with the intensity that she once did.

Shadow Kiss Chapter 12

TWELVE IF YOU'D ASKED ME six months ago, I would have said there was no way I'd be happy to run into Mia Rinaldi at the Royal Court. She was a year younger than me and had held a grudge against Lissa since freshman year – a grudge so big that Mia had gone to great extremes to make life miserable for us. She'd done a good job. Jesse and Ralf's rumors about me had been a result of her efforts. But then Mia had gone with us to Spokane and been captured by the Strigoi. And, just like for Christian and Eddie, that had changed everything. She'd seen the same horrors the rest of us had. In fact, she was the only one of my friends who had witnessed Mason's death and me killing Strigoi. She had even saved my life then by using her water magic to temporarily drown one of the Strigoi. In the great Moroi argument about whether or not they should learn to fight with the guardians, she was firmly on the fighting side. I hadn't seen Mia in almost a month, ever since Mason's funeral. In studying her, I felt like it'd been a year. I had always thought Mia looked like a doll. She was short compared to most Moroi and had young, round-cheeked features. The fact that she'd always curled her hair in perfect ringlets had sort of reinforced that image. But today, she hadn't gone to nearly that much trouble. Her golden blond hair was pulled into a ponytail, its only curl coming from a slight, natural waviness. She wore no makeup, and her face showed signs of having been outdoors a lot. Her skin looked chapped from the wind, and she had a very, very faint tan – almost unheard of for Moroi, with their aversion to sunlight. For the first time ever, she actually looked her age. She laughed at my shock. â€Å"Come on, it hasn't been that long. You look like you don't even recognize me.† â€Å"I almost don't.† We hugged, and again, it was hard to believe that she'd once plotted ways to ruin my life. Or that I'd broken her nose. â€Å"What are you doing here?† She beckoned us out the door. â€Å"We were just about to leave. I'll explain everything.† We went to a neighboring building. It wasn't like a mall or anything, but it did have a few businesses that the Moroi who worked and visited here needed – a handful of restaurants, some small stores, and offices that offered all sorts of services. There was also a coffee shop, and that was where Mia led us. A coffee shop seems like an ordinary thing, but I rarely got to go to them. Sitting in a public place (or semi-public) with friends, not worrying about school†¦ it was great. It reminded me of when Lissa and I had been on our own, when our entire lives hadn't been contained within a school and its rules. â€Å"My dad works here now,† she told us. â€Å"And so now I live here.† Moroi children rarely lived with their parents. They were sent off to places like St. Vladimir's, where they could grow up safely. â€Å"What about school?† I asked. â€Å"There aren't many kids here, but there are some. Most of them are rich and have personal tutors. My dad pulled some strings and set it up so that I can go to them for different subjects. So I'm still studying the same things, just in a different way. It's actually pretty cool. Less teacher time – but more homework.† â€Å"You've been doing more than that,† said Eddie. â€Å"Unless your classes are outside.† He'd noticed the same things I had, and in looking at her hands as they held her latte, I could now see calluses. She wiggled her fingers. â€Å"I made friends with some of the guardians here. They've been showing me a few things.† â€Å"That's risky,† said Christian, though he sounded like he approved. â€Å"Since there's still a debate about Moroi fighting.† â€Å"You mean about Moroi fighting with magic,† she corrected. â€Å"That's what's controversial. No one's really talking about Moroi fighting hand-to-hand.† â€Å"Well, they are,† I said. â€Å"It's just been overshadowed by the magic controversy.† â€Å"It's not illegal,† she said primly. â€Å"And until it is, I'm going to keep doing it. You think with all the events and meetings that go on around here that anyone even notices what someone like me does?† Mia's family, in addition to being non-royal, was also pretty lower class – not that there was anything wrong with that, but she had to feel the effects of that around here. Still, I found her whole situation cheering. Mia seemed happier and more open than she had during the entire time I'd known her. She seemed †¦ free. Christian spoke my thoughts before I could. â€Å"You've changed,† he said. â€Å"We've all changed,† she corrected. â€Å"Especially you, Rose. I can't quite explain it.† â€Å"I don't think there's any way the five of us couldn't have changed,† Christian pointed out. A moment later he corrected himself. â€Å"Four of us.† We all fell silent, thoughts of Mason weighing us down. Being with Christian, Eddie, and Mia stirred up that grief I always tried to hide, and I could see from their faces that they continually fought the same battle. Conversation eventually turned toward all of us catching up on what had happened here and at the Academy. Yet I kept thinking about how Mia had said that I had changed more than the others. All I could think about was how out of control I'd felt lately, how half the time my actions and feelings didn't seem like my own. Sitting there, it almost seemed like Mia was controlled by all of her positive traits now – and I was controlled by my negative ones. Conversations with Adrian replayed through my head, reminding me about how I supposedly had such a dark, dark aura. Maybe thinking about him summoned him, but he and Lissa eventually joined us. Their bar was probably in the same building, I realized. I'd been blocking her out and not paying much attention. Adrian hadn't completely gotten her drunk, thankfully, but she'd agreed to two drinks. I could feel a slight buzz through the bond and had to carefully shield it out. She was as surprised as we'd been to see Mia but gave her a warm welcome and wanted to catch up. I'd heard most of this already, so I just listened and drank my chai. No coffee for me. Most guardians drank it the way Moroi drank blood, but I wouldn't touch the stuff. â€Å"How'd your thing with the queen go?† Christian asked Lissa at one point. â€Å"Not so bad,† she said. â€Å"I mean, not great either. But she didn't yell at me or humiliate me, so that's a start.† â€Å"Stop being modest,† said Adrian, putting his arm around her. â€Å"Princess Dragomir totally stood her ground. You should have seen it.† Lissa laughed. â€Å"I don't suppose she mentioned why she decided to let us come to the trial?† Christian asked stiffly. He didn't look very happy about the bonding that was taking place here – or about Adrian's arm. Lissa's laughter faded, but she was still smiling. â€Å"Adrian did it.† â€Å"What?† Christian and I asked together. Adrian, looking very pleased with himself, stayed quiet for a change and let Lissa do the talking. â€Å"He convinced her that we needed to be here. He apparently harassed her until she gave in.† â€Å"It's called ‘persuasion,' not ‘harassment,'† Adrian said. Lissa laughed again. My own words about the queen came back to haunt me. Who's she? Just another Ivashkov. There are a ton of them. There were indeed. I eyed Adrian. â€Å"How closely are you guys related?† The answer popped into my head from Lissa's. â€Å"She's your aunt.† â€Å"Great-aunt. And I'm her favorite great nephew. Well, I'm her only great nephew, but that's not important. I'd still be her favorite,† he said. â€Å"Unbelievable,† said Christian. â€Å"I'll second that,† I said. â€Å"None of you appreciate me. Why is it so hard to believe that I could make a real contribution in these dark times?† Adrian stood up. He was trying to sound outraged, but the smirk on his face indicated that he still found all of this pretty funny. â€Å"My cigarettes and I are going outside. At least they show me respect.† As soon as he left, Christian asked Lissa, â€Å"Were you getting drunk with him?† â€Å"I'm not drunk. I only had two drinks,† she said. â€Å"Since when did you get all conservative?† â€Å"Since Adrian became a bad influence.† â€Å"Come on! He helped us get here. No one else was able to do it. He didn't have to, but he did. And you and Rose are sitting there, still acting like he's the most evil person on the planet.† That wasn't exactly true. I was mostly sitting there like I had been hit in the head, still too dumbstruck to react. â€Å"Yeah, and I'm sure he did it out of the kindness of his heart,† muttered Christian. â€Å"Why else would he do it?† â€Å"Oh, gee, I wonder.† Lissa's eyes widened. â€Å"You think he did it for me? You think there's something going on with us?† â€Å"You guys drink together, practice magic together, and go to elitist events together. What would you think?† Mia and Eddie looked like they wanted to be somewhere else. I was starting to share the feeling. Anger burned through Lissa, hitting me like a wave of heat. She was utterly outraged. Her fury didn't even have that much to do with Adrian, really. She was more upset at the thought of Christian not trusting her. And as for him, I needed no psychic powers to understand how he was feeling. He wasn't jealous simply because she was hanging out with Adrian. Christian was still jealous that Adrian had the kind of influence to pull this off for her. It was just like what Jesse and Ralf had described, about how the right connections could open the right doors – connections that Christian didn't have. I kneed Christian's leg, hoping he'd get the hint that he really should stop talking before things got worse. Lissa's anger was intensifying, muddled with embarrassment as she began to doubt herself and wonder if she had been getting too close to Adrian. The whole thing was ridiculous. â€Å"Christian, for the love of God. If Adrian did this for anyone, it was because of me and his crazy obsession. He bragged awhile ago that he could do it, and I didn't believe it.† I turned to Lissa. I needed to get her calm and diffuse those dark feelings that could cause so much trouble for her when they ran out of control. â€Å"Liss, you might not be wasted exactly, but you need to chill out for an hour before having this conversation. You're going to say something as stupid as Christian, and I'll be the one who has to deal with the mess – like always.† I'd gotten worked up and expected someone to tell me how bitchy I sounded. Instead, Lissa relaxed and offered Christian a smile. â€Å"Yeah, we should definitely talk about this later. A lot's kind of happened today.† He hesitated, then nodded. â€Å"Yeah. Sorry I jumped all over you.† He returned her smile, fight patched up. â€Å"So,† Lissa asked Mia, â€Å"who have you met here?† I stared at them in amazement, but no one seemed to notice. I'd fixed their fight, and there'd been no acknowledgment. No Thank you, Rose, for pointing out how idiotic we're being. It was bad enough I had to endure their romance day after day, with no consideration for how I felt. Now I was salvaging their relationship, and they didn't even realize it. â€Å"I'll be right back,† I said, interrupting Mia's description of some of the other teenagers here. I was afraid if I sat there, I was going to say something I'd regret or maybe break a chair. Where had this rage come from? I went outside, hoping a gulp of cold air would calm me down. Instead, I got a face full of clove smoke. â€Å"Don't start in about the smoking,† warned Adrian. He was leaning against the building's brick wall. â€Å"You didn't have to come outside. You knew I was here.† â€Å"That's actually why I'm here. Well, that, and I felt like I was going to go crazy if I stayed inside another minute.† He tilted his head to look at my face. His eyebrows shot up. â€Å"You aren't kidding, are you? What happened? You were fine a few minutes ago.† I paced across the ground in front of him. â€Å"I don't know. I was fine. Then Christian and Lissa started having this stupid argument over you. It was weird. They were the ones who were mad – and then I ended up madder than both of them.† â€Å"Wait. They were arguing over me?† â€Å"Yes. I just said that. Weren't you paying attention?† â€Å"Hey, don't snap at me. I haven't done anything to you.† I crossed my arms over my chest. â€Å"Christian's jealous because you hang around Lissa so much.† â€Å"We're studying spirit,† said Adrian. â€Å"He's welcome to join in.† â€Å"Yeah, well, no one ever said love was reasonable. Seeing you come back together kind of set him off. And then he got upset because you pulled rank with the queen for Lissa.† â€Å"I didn't do it for her. I did it for all of you – but, well, you especially.† I came to a halt in front of him. â€Å"I didn't believe you. That you could do it.† He grinned. â€Å"Guess you should have listened to my family history in that dream after all.† â€Å"I guess. I just thought†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I couldn't finish. I'd thought Dimitri would be the one who came through for me, the one who – despite what he said – could make almost anything happen. But he hadn't. â€Å"Thought what?† Adrian prompted. â€Å"Nothing.† With much effort, I managed to utter the next words. â€Å"Thank you for helping us.† â€Å"Oh my God,† he said. â€Å"A kind word from Rose Hathaway. I can die a happy man.† â€Å"What are you saying? That I'm normally an ungrateful bitch?† He just looked at me. â€Å"Hey! Not cool.† â€Å"Maybe you could redeem yourself with a hug.† I glared. â€Å"A small one?† he begged. With a sigh, I walked over and put one arm around Adrian, leaning my head lightly against his arm. â€Å"Thanks, Adrian.† We stood like that for a heartbeat. I felt none of the crazy electricity or connection I did with Dimitri, but I had to admit that Lissa had been right about something. Adrian was annoying and arrogant at times, but he really wasn't the bastard I often made him out to be. The doors opened, and Lissa and the others stepped outside. They understandably looked surprised, but I didn't care just then. Besides, they probably all thought I was pregnant with Adrian's love child, so what did it matter? I backed away. â€Å"Heading out?† I asked. â€Å"Yeah, Mia's got more important things to do than hang out with us,† joked Christian. â€Å"Hey, I just told my dad I'd meet him. I'll see you guys before I leave.† She started to walk away, then abruptly turned around. â€Å"God, I'm so out of it.† She reached into her coat pocket and handed me a folded piece of paper. â€Å"This is half the reason I found you guys. One of the court clerks wanted me to give this to you.† â€Å"Thanks,† I said, puzzled. She headed off to see her dad while the rest of us strolled back to our accommodations. I slowed my pace as I opened the note, wondering who in the world here would want to contact me. Rose, I was so happy to hear about your arrival. I'm sure it'll make tomorrow's proceedings that much more entertaining. I've been curious for quite some time about how Vasilisa is doing, and your romantic escapades are always an amusing diversion. I can't wait to share them in the courtroom tomorrow. Best, V.D. â€Å"Who's it from?† asked Eddie, coming up beside me. I hastily folded it up and shoved it into my pocket. â€Å"No one,† I replied. No one indeed. V. D. Victor Dashkov.

The Great Depression Affects The Americans - 1333 Words

The Great Depression was one of the biggest events in the 1920s since it had huge effects both socially and economically. Starting with the stock market crash, millions of investors were bankrupted and thousands of workers were unemployed. Over the next several years, not only did the consumer spending drop, the number of investment lowered as well. Until 1939, when the President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Relief and reform measures which finally help the economy to restart. Through two different disciplines, two different authors analyze how the Great Depression affect the Americans both economically and anthropologically. Christina D. Romer and Glen H. Elder, Jr, the two authors of two separate articles analyzes the†¦show more content†¦While many economists focus on the Great Depression s impact on unemployment and investment, Christina D. Romer s article The Great Crash And The Onset of The Great Depression focused solely on how citizen s uncertainty of t he future income level leads to changing consumer behaviors. She came up with two possible explanation that links the Great Depression and the drop in outputs. For example: It is possible that the crash depressed consumer spending simply by leading consumers to believe that the Great Depression was coming and hence that permanent income was lower. On the other hand they may also consider wealth effect of the decline in stock prices. It is possible that the crash depressed consumption simply by destroying a great deal of wealth. (Romer 600) As seen from Romer s quotes, her ideas are possible suggestions that are not biased. She did not simply present her point of view but supports her claim with statistics like charts, survey results and other scientific sources. Since she included her perspective, the article became focused and easy to understand. Rather than listing out the results, Romer includes background content in her article to make sure that it s easier for the reader to understand. It also shows that she is well-acquainted with the economic and social context of the Great Depression. She did not only use professional words but supports her hypothesis with analyzes that are easy to understand.

Queen Elizabeth I Of England - 1040 Words

Elizabeth sat in her bedroom in the Buckingham palace brushing her long, curly, red hair which was stained with strands of gray. She focused on the mirror and softly stared at the freckles on her pale skin, which looked as if it needed to be ironed, and her dark brown eyes that looked like a black hole against her pale complexion. The year was 1587, Elizabeth had gone through so much to be here. Oh, my mistake, I should probably refer to her by her formal name. The Elizabeth of this daring story full of anger and spite is none other than Queen Elizabeth I of England. To tell the full story though, we must travel back some 50 years to when Elizabeth was only 3 years old. The year is 1536, her mother, Anne Boleyn, has failed to produce a†¦show more content†¦The year is 1553, after some long and confusing years of switching between rulers, Queen Mary I, also known as Bloody Mary, came into power. Mary was the first child of King Henry VIII (Elizabeth s father if you forgot) bu t King Henry changed the religion of the country from Catholic to Protestant just so that he could divorce Mary s mother. After the divorce, Mary was declared illegitimate, same as Elizabeth. After some rather confusing years in England s history, Mary rose to power and claimed the throne in 1553 as what the Catholics believed to be the rightful heir of the throne. Here is why she has the nickname â€Å"Bloody Mary.† She reversed the religion of England from Protestant back to Catholic and then she burned over 280 religious dissenters at the stake in the Marian persecutions in only a short 5 year reign. The year is 1558, Elizabeth came into power after her sister, Mary died. But the rode to keeping the title of queen will not be easy. Elizabeth made the country back into Protestant, which many resented her for. More than just religion, Elizabeth refused to marry, and soon became known as the â€Å"Virgin Queen†. This provided another conflict for Elizabeth, many believ ed a woman was unfit to rule a country and wanted another ruler. But, her biggest conflict was with her cousin, Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, who just so happened to be Catholic. Here, let me explain to you why these two woman are perfect arch enemies. Of course

Analysis Of The Movie Charlie Hebdo - 1296 Words

The Charlie Hebdo Case This incident is concerning the French magazine entitled, â€Å"Charlie Hebdo†. The magazines they publish are satirical in nature and generally have an anti -religious or secular undertone, mocking many religions through its artwork and the words of the magazine itself. Recently, on January 7th of this year, brothers of an Islamic extremist regime shot and killed 11 members of the magazine and a French policeman. Further, an additional 11 members of the magazine were injured. The message of â€Å"je suis Charlie† which, translated from French means â€Å"I am Charlie† became a world wide statement used in rallies and in social media to show solidarity with those killed essentially expressing their agreement with the magazine’s right to exist and the importance of freedom of expression. Section 2(b) applies to this case because it grants the freedom of thought, believe, opinion, expression and freedom of the press to all Canadian C itizens. The reason the Islaimic Extremists chose to shoot and kill members of the Charlie Hebdo magazine is because they (the extremists) believed that their religion (Islam ) was being depicted in a way not allowed by their faith and that it was ridiculed and disrespected. Charlie Hebdo exercised freedom of expression though their depiction of various religions in their artwork and the messages the magazine contained and they exercised freedom of the press by publishing their views. I believe that in this particular case section 2

Baz Luhrmanns Act 1 Scene 5 of Romeo and Juliet Essay Example For Students

Baz Luhrmanns Act 1 Scene 5 of Romeo and Juliet Essay Baz Luhrmanns version of Act 1 Scene 5 of Romeo and Juliet explores various themes of love, conflict and feuds. Luhrmann uses many techniques in his own style of directing, such as different types of camera work, editing and the soundtrack, similarly to Moulin Rouge which is also directed by Luhrmann, to convey the characters and atmosphere in this timeless classic. My essay will analyse these directing techniques by looking at the pros and cons in that scene, making is easier to determine which techniques express the different characters and moods in a particular way. The various techniques Luhrmann uses in his version, like lighting and ambient colours, give the viewer a frenzied atmosphere. Throughout the scene we see tense and tranquil moments which Luhrmann uses to relate to the situations in which Romeo and Juliet are in. Right at the beginning, when Romeo enters the party, the camera movement is very slow and unsteady. We see close shots of Romeos face when he shows his invitation card to the man at the entrance. Here we get a clear picture of his expressions which helps the viewer keep up with his emotions or moods as they change. Baz Luhrmann uses eye-line matching, still while the camera is tilting from one event to another, to indicate that Romeo is not in his normal state of mind because he is blinking his eyes in a disorientated manner. Later on when he mentions in a quiet tone The drugs are quick, reaffirms this and suggests hes in his own world. Luhrmann is using the costumes the characters are wearing to reflect on their character and roles that they are shown to take up. At the opening of the party we see Romeo dressed up as a knight. Romeo is symbolising the knight in shining armour at the party to rescue Juliet, the damsel in distress, from her controlled and constrained lifestyle at the Capulet household. The audience soon begin to realise that if they were to meet, this could spark of arguments between the two houses which underlines the theme of conflict and family feuds. Also still while Romeo is entering the party, the camera slow cuts on spinning fireworks high up on the mansion wall. Luhrmann is using the swirling fireworks on the wall to symbolise Romeos mind-state or emotions. The audience could get the impression here that Romeo is emotionally spinning out of control from his current love relationship. In reality most of the audience know Romeo will eventually meet Juliet and fall in love with her at first site. The fact that they cannot be together allows the audience to sympathise with Romeo because this helps them relate to themselves and are expecting to see a weaker side of him. Luhrmann shows Mercutio coming to the party hyper and uses slow motion to help the audience focus on him and things around him even more. The guns surrounding him dont necessarily portray him as having a violent nature but suggest that violence and danger revolves around him no matter if he likes it or not because hes in a position and status of power. Again in here the theme of conflict is brought up. As Romeo is looking around in a dazed behaviour, he sees Tybalt but Tybalt doesnt notice him. The medium high angle shot on Tybalt can symbolise him lowering himself and his dignity by his actions and his evil personality depicted throughout the film. Tybalts devil costume highlights this aspect about him even further and already puts across a bad impression of him to the audience watching. In the first quarter of scene 5, while Mercutio is singing Kim Mazzelles Young Hearts Run Free, we see Luhrmann frequently using slow cuts to focus the audiences attention and concentration on words spoken or visual props which could reflect on characters in the scene or the mood/s. This brings the audiences awareness of what Mercutio is singing young hearts run free. To yourself be true, dont be no fool. Luhrmann has cleverly used these lyrics to reflect of the love of Romeo and Juliet and their relationship to come which acts as a hint to Romeo try get passed any obstacles for love, even if it involves death. The first time Romeo and Juliet meet. Their costumes echo their positions in life and their relationship because despite being dressed as a knight he is still human and Juliet is dressed as an angel who is out of his reach. Beowulf and Grendel - Book and Film EssayThe camera watching from far could imply its something dangerous and wants to keep its distance from whatever Tybalt will or is thinking of doing. A good way Baz Luhrmann conveys Capulets power is when Capulet is holding Tybalt as if hes in control of him and would not tolerate rebellion against him. Baz Luhrmann uses a low angle shot when showing Capulet scolding Tybalt and having Capulet above the camera signifies he is an important and powerful person because it is as if the audience is looking up at someone superior. Capulet being upstairs where there is no one could symbolise a higher place like heaven where powerful people watch you from there. Tybalt getting enraged over Romeo suggests that he is disrupting that solemnity and peace that you are meant to have in heaven. This shows Capulets position and status as someone with authority and has power over everything, which could be why is dressed as Caesar. Capulet affirms his authority over Tybalt by looking him straight in the eyes to make sure he realises that he is serious and doesnt to be double crossed by someone he sees inferior. This conveys Capulets character as someone who has good control over a situation because he can be serious when he finds appropriate and knows he needs to be welcoming throughout the party to keep his guests pleased. In this particular moment Luhrmann uses both high and low angles to convey the different positions or statuses that Romeo and Juliet are in. Romeo is down looking up at the princess or gazing at the stars which he cannot get, this is already a tragedy because he was meant to be the knight in shining armour there to get the princess. Juliet is like the cursed beauty that has to marry someone who her parents want. Lady Capulet who leads Paris, Juliets intended marriage and Juliet upstairs. The costume Paris is wearing, an astronauts suit, symbolises him as also out of this world and someone who is meant to be up there with Juliet. This introduces a new theme of Fate which goes against Romeo and Juliets love all throughout the film. Luhrmann uses medium shot eye-line matching while Romeo and Juliet have eventually found out who their real identities are and realise the reality dawning on them. This is seen as the beginning and the end of the whole relationship. This event helps the viewers feel more sympathetic towards Romeo and Juliet because so far both Romeo and Juliets characters are seen as pure and loving. While Juliet is dancing with Paris after being taken away from Romeo by the nurse, she is constantly looking at Romeo and he is also admiring her. This is shown by the eye-line matching. The eye-line matching is done in fast cuts which continually indicate their desire for each other because they dont want to lose sight of each other. This shows their love-stricken feelings and emphasises their love to the viewer. The soundtrack in the background is Desree singing Im kissing you while Romeo and Juliet are repeatedly looking at each other, the mood in here is romantic and every time the viewer hears those lyrics, the audience notices that RJ are looking at each implying that is what theyre thinking of. Throughout this incident of RJ finding out each others identities. Luhrmann uses slow cuts and the camera movement is also slow. This technique intensifies the moment and gives impact to the audiences reactions because by now weve established that the audience have sympathy for RJ. Overall, this film has successfully used various types of method to convey different character, themes and moods by using a great number of directing techniques with Baz Luhrmanns own style. Luhrmann has used all of the Act 1 Scene 5s aspects to create tension and suspense for the audience in different ways. On the whole, Baz Luhrmanns version of Act 1 Scene 5 has shown and proven that the film has more to it than it seems and viewers need to read between the lines to understand the full meaning and message of the film.