Discourse Analysis of the movie Dumb and Dumber Essay

Discourse Analysis of the movie Dumb and Dumber - Essay Example   Although there are two apparent speakers in this dialogue (i.e. Mary and Lloyd), the utterances are all, in fact, constructed by one speaker which is the scriptwriter making it a synthetically constructed conversation. However, the speech act of the conversation is well planned and rehearsed, which has a positive impact on the overall appeal of the dialogue. The original script of the conversation, however, incorporates the various aspects of conversational interactions such as adjacency pairs, turn-taking, topic initiation and development, feedback and conversational openings and closings. To analyze the context of the discourse, Lloyd, a limo driver, is taking Mary to the airport and this is when the conversation takes place. It is one of the most essential ways in which people come together, exchange information and maintain social relations. Therefore, the setting of the discourse is very much natural in the normal contexts of dialogue and social relations. It is important to realize that the movie is categorized under the group of â€Å"humor† films, featuring slapstick comedy and nauseate humor. In fact, the hilarity or amusement of the comedy is expressed linguistically, in the choice of words of the funny man, Jim Carrey, who is playing the role of Lloyd. Throughout this whole exchange of words, Lloyd doesn’t say anything that has no linguistic value, so he is clearly able to produce a grammatically correct sentence. Significantly, the only flaw that occurs in the conversation is that Lloyd is not able to select from all the correct expressions available to him to reflect the â€Å"illocutionary† force that is suitable most to this particular  encounter.  

A Nuclear Waste Race: Perspectives on Reprocessing Spent Fuel Essay

â€Å"It isn’t easy being green† — Kermit the Frog. Even though Kermit was referring to the color of his skin, this is also vindictive of today’s mindset in thinking green trying to merge the environment into our everyday lives. Nuclear power first hit the scene as an alternative to burning fossil fuels and emissions of toxic carbons released into the atmosphere as waste products. But, the general public’s first glimpse of the awesomeness of nuclear energy was in the form of a highly effective and destructive weapon, therefore giving a distinct aura around the possibilities of nuclear development. Nuclear power had been operational and seemingly unscathed for almost fifty years, prior to the events that occurred in the late 1970’s. The vast political and social debates surrounding the alternative energy source arose from three major events in history. First was the release of the movie, â€Å"The China Syndrome.† This film is rendered as one of the most politically correct movies published about nuclear power. Movie critic Damien Cannon proposes, â€Å"How many films are so accurate that, even though they're fictional, they could easily be documentaries? Schindler's List is one. The China Syndrome is another. In this case we see the greatest fears of the Nimby culture unearthed when a nuclear power station almost goes out of control and the men-in-suits cover it up.† Secondly, only three weeks after the premier of â€Å"The China Syndrome†, the meltdown of the number two plant on Three Mile Island occurred. This spiked interest in the recently rele ased movie, and encouraged hysterical reactions to the progression of nuclear power. The American public had witnessed a recent unimaginable fear essentially come to life. Finally, the most notable and ... ...reat Illusion of Nuclear Energy.† Greenpeace.org. Greenpeace International Association. Nov 2008. Web. 26 July 2010. Lochbaum, David. A Nuclear Waste Disposal Crisis. Tulsa, Ok: Penwell Publishing. 1996. Print. â€Å"Nuclear Power: A Dangerous Waste of Time.† Greenpeace.org. Greenpeace International Association. 2009. Web. 25 July 2010. Pope, Carl. â€Å"The Empire Strikes Back.† Taking the Initiative. Sierra Club. 27 April 2007. Web. 27 July 2010. â€Å"The Wrong Nuclear Debate.† Taking the Initiative. Sierra Club. 26 February 2007. Web. 27 July 2010. â€Å"Radioactive Waste Management.† World-Nuclear.com. World Nuclear Association. June 2009. Web. 24 July 2010. Risoluti, Piero. Nuclear Waste: A Technological and Political Challenge. Eds. R. Allan, U. FÅ‘rstner and W. Salomons. Berlin, Heidelberg, New York, Hong Kong, London, Milan, Paris, Tokyo: Springer. 2004. Print.

Analysis of Comments on a New York Times Article Essay

The article, â€Å"Forced From Executive Pay to Hourly Wage,† which was written by Michael Luo and was published in the New York Times last February 28, 2009, basically told the story of people who used to earn five or six-figure amounts per year, are now being paid hourly minimum wages. One example in the article was the case of Mark Cooper, who used to earn $70,000 as a security manager for Fortune 500 Company in the United States and who oversees a budget of $1. 2 million. Nine months ago, he lost his job and now he is earning $12 an hour in his job at his friend’s janitorial services company. Although the article itself is appealing enough, it is also interesting to note the readers’ comments about it. As of now, there are 300 comments about the article and upon reviewing most of them, it can be surmised that each reader who commented had significantly different viewpoints and opinions about the story told in the New York Times article. Evidently, these readers adhere to different moral codes which are seen through their responses. In general, the readers who commented on the article can be divided into two groups: one group lauded the brave act of Mark Cooper while the other criticized the style of writing and the subtle message that New York Times writer used in the article. One of the reader’s who praised the article story admired the courage of Mr. Cooper as he was able to lower his pride and found ways to provide for his family even if it means that he has to scrub toilets and have his salary dramatically reduced from five figures to an hourly wage without any benefits. In a sense, this group highly regarded the value of hard work and starting all over again in a dignified way. Most of their comments basically indicated that Mr. Cooper is not alone and that there are hundreds of Americans who have similar â€Å"riches to rags† stories. These readers, based on their comments, also believed that there is no shame being poor as long as one has a dignified and lawful job. On other hand, the other group of readers who commented on the article criticized the New York Times for insinuating that those who work blue-collar jobs are lower forms of human beings than those who work white-collar ones. They see the article as discriminating to Americans who have been living their lives below the poverty line for a long time even before the current economic crisis. For example, one reader lamented that article more or less showed that a $12-an-hour job is an indecent way of living, which is not true. In addition, one reader did not feel sorry for Mr. Cooper and commented that he had a lot to be thankful for because he lives in an above average house and was able to live a rich life. To this reader, the economic crisis makes everyone in America equal because they are struggling to make ends meet. However, what’s common in all the readers’ responses is that they could all relate to the difficulties experienced by the people depicted in the article. In fact some of the readers, who are evidently from different walks of life, shared their own stories in their comments. In other words, the single factor that binds all the readers who commented is the hardship brought about by the financial crisis in America. In a way, the article’s comments show two things: one is that there are a lot of Americans who are so used to a good life that they are seemingly caught off-guard when a devastating financial crisis like this hits them and the other is that due to the crisis, most Americans would be willing to take on any job just to survive. But the comments also indicated that Americans are more unified in achieving a common goal which is to recover from the devastating effects of the crisis and rebuild their lives. Works Cited Luo, Mark. â€Å"Forced From Executive Pay to Hourly Wage. † 28 February 2009. New York Times. 4 March 2009 < http://www. nytimes. com/2009/03/01/us/01survival. html? pagewanted=1&_r=2&sq=executive%20janitor&st=cse&scp=1>.

The American Scholar By Ralph Waldo Emmerson - 2349 Words

Transcendentalism 1. Stress placed on intuition, not logic: â€Å"The American Scholar† by Ralph Waldo Emmerson â€Å"In the right state he is man thinking,† states Ralph Waldo Emmerson. This view of intuition is expounded upon in his paper â€Å"The American Scholar.† He talks about the division of man into men, but he also discusses the collection of all men into one Man. Viewing a man as someone who does not fit into a single category, such as a farmer, office worker, or lawyer, but as a completely prepared individual being, he understands that something is wrong with society’s view of the individual. Stated in his paper, an idea about society’s role in the alteration of Man’s destiny is discussed. Emmerson believes that society has divided Man so that individuals are broken from their human form. Likening it to separating parts of the body, he states that this kind of â€Å"new† man is like a lone body part, incomplete without the rest of the body . He says, â€Å"The state of society is one in which the members have suffered amputation from the trunk, and strut about so many walking monsters - a good finger, a neck, a stomach, and elbow, but never a man.† In his essay, he summarizes his view of the state of humanity. Additionally, he stresses the importance of intuition, not logic. Intuition, he believes, can transcend man into the being he was supposed to be. Without the subdivision placed by society, be believes that all people will be able to contribute on a greater and much moreShow MoreRelatedJohn De Crevecoeur And Ralph Waldo Emerson909 Words   |  4 PagesCritical Response 1 Nature and wilderness were very important ideas, to some extent, for St. John de Crevecoeur and Ralph Waldo Emerson. Each had their own opinions and ideas that contrasted against each other and were somewhat similar to each other; Emerson valued nature greatly, whether it be from looking at it as something to be proud of, to using nature as an example in his work, such as how we are a part of it and how random it can be. Crevecoeur believed that every land has its own form of