It was easy to get sucked into this novel. From the alcohol fueled feuds between neighbours, to the secrets hidden in plain sight. I was captivated by the powerful descriptions of the landscape in a dying town. The crimes added to the atmosphere and I thought it all unraveled in an exceptional way. View all 17 comments. Jul 08, Jen rated it really liked it. Whoa, well done, Harper! I did not see that twist coming and just when I thought I had it all figured out, that theory was shot to hell.
This story is set in the bush in Kiewarra, Australia, where a murder suicide has taken place in a community where a drought is on. Falk, a cop who has come back for the funeral, is coaxed into staying to dig into the truth of what really happened to the family. A past is reawakened, secrets are kept close and many don't want him there for the ties he Whoa, well done, Harper! A past is reawakened, secrets are kept close and many don't want him there for the ties he once had.
This was a fast moving who dun it. Loved the style of writing as well as the different font to reflect the past. Don't bother to try to locate this one on the map - I tried and then read it's a fictitious town. I would have loved a bit more description of this land of desolation in a country so far from my own but, hey, I can always read a travel log. And, the bestest thing about this novel - a sequel has already been born!
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View all 65 comments. Well, you know it's a good book when you finish it you just sit back and go WOW! I'm not even sure where to start with this review. Yet Luke's mother says it can't be and asks Aaron to look further into Well, you know it's a good book when you finish it you just sit back and go WOW! Yet Luke's mother says it can't be and asks Aaron to look further into the deaths while he is in town. Not so easy when early the whole township is against Aaron, after he was forced to flee with his father all those years ago after a girl, Ellie, was found drowned in the river and the town, led by Ellie's father Mal, has decided Aaron was guilty of her murder.
Plus he has come back to a town that is in the grip of a crippling drought, with local farms and businesses on their knees, which just adds to the churlishness of the townsfolk. So, with nothing much to go on Aaron and the local Police Sergeant start looking into the tragedy, yet they find that secrets, including Aaron's own have a way of making their way to the surface, and that small town mindsets are hard to shake. In this gripping debut Jane Harper has really captured the essence of small towns, and her descriptions of the people, and the grip of the drought, are all too real.
She brings the hard setting to life, with characters and locations that just jump off the page.
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You will find this book very hard to put down. View all 16 comments. First on the scene, the flies swarmed contentedly in the heat as the blood pooled black over tiles and carpet. A child's scooter lay abandoned on the stepping stone path. So nothing reacted when deep inside the house, the baby started crying Well written psychological crime thriller, full of tension and atmosp First on the scene, the flies swarmed contentedly in the heat as the blood pooled black over tiles and carpet.
Well written psychological crime thriller, full of tension and atmosphere. So many good reviews, excellent even. Did it rock my boat I'm in the shipping industry: Was I severely impressed It was a good read for me, but that's it. Not a five star, let's say 3. Entertaining, not a top top top read for me. There are other books honestly I seem to be in the minority here? Despite that, a welcome addition to my books read, and a good diversion from other types of books I tend to read. Would I read the sequel? Aaron Falk, a cop, returns to his home town in the unbearable heat of Australia, for the funeral of his best childhood friend, killed with his wife and kid.
A weird and dark situation. Because of things happened in the past, Falk is not welcomed by everyone in the town. Hooking up with a local cop, he starts to look into the case, as things do not look as they seem Recommended for the lovers of excellent crime fiction with a psychological touch. Jul 21, Melisa rated it it was amazing Shelves: In my personal opinion, if this isn't a 5-star read, then I don't know what is.
It opens with a bang and will have you glued until the very last page. This is one of those books that you will find yourself trying to sneak in pages here and there, whenever you have a single spare moment, because you will want to know how it ends. Absolutely unputdownable, I finished this in 24 hours and In my personal opinion, if this isn't a 5-star read, then I don't know what is.
Absolutely unputdownable, I finished this in 24 hours and I had limited reading time read: I stayed up way too late to finish this baby! I have zero complaints. If I had to choose something negative to say, I will say that the subject matter was difficult to read at times, however the violence wasn't graphic or gratuitous, it was mostly implied. View all 47 comments.
It was too late for that now. Some things had to be lived with. The book simply felt genuine and full of emotions. Do books have emotions anyhow? Well, It certainly made me full of emotions, I can tell you that. The story is better than I expected yet still, probably about 4 stars for me but the writing is exceptional: Things were so vivid, too vivid to be contained only to the pages, I suspect. The Victorian rural town of Kiewarra is suffocating under the oppression of heat and prolonged drought. While some farmers and shopkeepers are still clutching at small straws of hope, others have walked off or sold out to foreign investors.
Luke Hadler has apparently shot-gunned his wife and his boy at home, leaving a baby daughter crying in her cot, and then finished himself off in his ute in the forest. Be at the funeral. Luke was always the charismatic leader, Aaron was the more aware, sensitive to moods. Then there was an incident at the river, and while the boys swore they were together, shooting rabbits somewhere else, they have no proof. Rumours point to Aaron, and he and his father are run out of town.
They sprouted legs and heads and they never died. Fleshy biceps that were more fat than muscle strained against his t-shirt as he folded his arms. His face was ruddy, with a scruffy beard and the defiant look of a bully. He stared down each person who tried to chastise him, until one by one they looked away. Every one of these men and women could be innocent, complicit, or guilty, and we wonder if Aaron will stick around long enough to help the local copper unravel not only this tragedy, but clear his name from the one twenty years ago.
Fantastic story in a setting where I recognise every fly, every paddock, every cloud of dust and crackle of leaves. Deep cracks showed where the bitumen had swelled and shrunk with the seasonality of a crop. The empty bed stretched long and barren in either direction, its serpentine curves tracing the path where the water had flowed. The hollow that had been carved over centuries was now a cracked patchwork of rocks and crabgrass. Along the banks, gnarled grey tree roots were exposed like cobwebs. It gave nothing away. The pub, the town, the cop shop, the milk bar, the school — they are all very real — as of course are the dust and heat that no amount of air conditioning can dispel.
View all 52 comments. So this is a really good debut novel about a farming community in Australia, the murder of a young family.. This story also goes back and forth from present time to 20 yrs earlier when this father and his group of four friends were growing up there. One of the group, Falk, is now a cop from the another city, who comes to town for the funeral of his friend and his family, and ends up on the case to try and find the killer. There are lots of p So this is a really good debut novel about a farming community in Australia, the murder of a young family.. There are lots of possible suspects..
I enjoyed the book, especially liked Falk. View all 46 comments. This one's a stunner! Kiewarra near Melbourne Australia is in the midst of a severe drought. The ground is hard and cracked, plants are dead and brown, and the river is bone dry. The residents are all under stress economically. When a farmer, Luke Hadler, appears to have killed his wife and child and then committed suicide, the powder keg is ready.
Aaron Falk, a federal police officer in Melbourne, receives a note that draws him back to the town he left twenty years ago. Be a This one's a stunner! Jane Harper has got some writing talent. The Dry hit all the marks for me. Great characters, great story, nicely paced, held my attention, and very atmospheric. I can't find anything I didn't like about this book. Did I mention it's a debut novel?
View all 54 comments. Aaron Falk came from a family that had lived in Kiewarra for generations, but after a young girl was found drowned, his family was forced to leave. After an absence of twenty years, now a police investigator I the financial division he returns to his old home town, brought back by the apparent suicide and murder of the family of his former best friend. Loved Falk's character and the Aaron Falk came from a family that had lived in Kiewarra for generations, but after a young girl was found drowned, his family was forced to leave.
Loved Falk's character and the small town secrets, relationships. A well done, fast moving thriller. Will look for more from this talented author. View all 13 comments. Feb 13, Linda rated it it was amazing Shelves: It takes a lot for people to be willing to stand up and rock the boat. It was the same then as it is now. The souls of its citizens are as dry and withered as the devastating drought that has taken root in the blanched soil.
There's ne'er a sprout of welcoming for him here in Kiewarra.
But shock is the only apparent current running through this town. Falk's best friend of his youth, Luke Had "But you know what it's like here, mate. Falk's best friend of his youth, Luke Hadler, is found dead in the back of his pickup truck with a self-inflicted shotgun wound to the head. And in its wake is the horror of the knowledge that Luke took the lives of his wife, Karen, and their son, Billy, with him. The haunting cries of baby Charlotte left in her crib bring reality to this doorstep. What led up to this blinding image of a man in free fall?
Aaron, a Federal Agent, planned on only attending the funeral service out of respect. Luke's father sends him an earth-shaking message for which he feels obligated to pursue. The puzzle pieces just aren't connecting here and community cooperation seems out of the question. But in order to work with the local police, Falk must bend low and enter into the cavern of his past. The community painfully reminds him that he is no longer welcome here.
Falk and his father abandoned their home in Kiewarra under some very dire circumstances. Falk and Hadler had been connected to the drowning death of a young girl, Ellie, twenty years ago. Luke and Aaron were tied to the same alibi of being together that fateful night. The same driving force that weighed heavily upon Falk in the past revisits him once again.
He is harassed and threatened constantly. Ellie's family makes their presence known. Can he make inroads into the parallels of the present and the past? Jane Harper is a remarkable writer. Her indepth presentations of complicated characters is a true talent. She allows the reader to step delicately between past and present with slips of backstory in the appropriate places. Harper knows how to release droplets of water on parched passages at the right time. The storyline spreads outward in an arc of reveal known mostly to sage writers. Harper is going to be an author to watch.
I know so many of us will be anxiously on the lookout for future offerings by this stellar author. View all 42 comments. Feb 18, Skyler Autumn rated it it was ok Shelves: I am reading all these 5 star rave reviews for The Dry and I'm just left here thinking, what the hell am I missing?
This book was a bit of a chore for me to read. I literally had to force myself to read it, and I know what people are think, then why didn't you just stop reading it? And I have two answers for that: I'm a stubborn bitch 2. I kept thinking the next chapter was going to blow my mind and then I'll understand these rave reviews, but as chapters went by I so 2 Stars I don't get it?
I kept thinking the next chapter was going to blow my mind and then I'll understand these rave reviews, but as chapters went by I soon came to the realization this was going to be another over hyped read that doesn't live up to the hype. The Dry is about Aaron Falk as he returns to his very dry hometown I mean that both literally and figuratively Kiewarra, to attend the funeral of his childhood friend Luke Hadler who allegedly murdered his wife, his child, decided to leave the baby alone and then go off himself.
Murder-suicide what an interesting start to a mystery novel you may say! You my friend would be mistaken. Aaron Falk and his dull personality pulls up to the scene, and is forced to come face-to-face with the past that he has been running from his whole life. Apparently when Aaron Falk was teenager one of his friend's Ellie was found dead in the river. Shortly after Aaron Falk's name was found written on a piece of paper in Ellie's room. Apparently in this little town that is enough to cause crazy accusations because towns' people in this novel are idiots, so with no alibi that night his dear friend Luke lies for him saying they were together the day of Ellie's death.
Regardless of the lie people got their pitchforks out because this kid who has been nothing but the shining example of wholesome his whole teenage life, has his name scribbled on a piece of paper in Ellie's room so clearly he's a cold blooded killer! This logic is so sound even his own Dad is suddenly suspicious of him. Seemed out of left field to me but who am I to question the simpleton mindset of this idiotic small town.
So Aaron Falk asked by both a local cop and Luke Hadler's father begins looking into his friend's death and finding out if he truly did murder his family and then kill himself, while simultaneously figuring out what happened to his friend Ellie all those years ago.
This novel like it's title suggests is very dry the characters are so one dimensional and barely developed that they literally could have been interchangeable in my mind. I found myself looking back at the beginning chapters to remind myself who a character was, because no personalities were truly defined. Even the protagonist Aaron Falk had the charaisma of a wet blanket, he's in the accounting division of the FBI and he truly lived up to the stereotype of the classic office accountant.
The mystery itself lacked any sort of urgency. Everyone was already long dead and there was no need to find the murderer quickly because they weren't racking up victims. So that gave way to lots of time for talking, and drinking, flirting, more drinking, reminiscing, thinking, walking, drinking, chatting This novel was just Aaron Falk being sullen and contemplating everything. So when murderers are revealed I'm like ok, well I guess that good for closure So I think my overall feelings of this novel can be explained by that exact sentiment.
I really didn't care that much. If you want a proper gritty, disturbing, stressful detective series may I suggest you pass on this book and go straight for M. J Arlidge's Helen Grace series. Unlike this series it lives up to the hype and then some! View all 43 comments. The Dry - Jane Harper 27 Aug 08, Her third book, The Lost Man, will be realised in October Her books are published in more than 36 territories worldwide, with film rights sold to Reese Witherspoon and Bruna Papandrea. Jane worked as a print journalist for thirteen years both in Australia and the UK, and now lives in Melbourne.
Other books in the series. Aaron Falk 2 books. Books by Jane Harper. Quotes from The Dry. Heightens it, more often than not. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. Nancy Gideon By M Has anyone read this author? The Dry - Jane Harper. He writes in a variety of genres that include: Subscribe to themailing list, found on his website, for notification of new releases.
Product details File Size: December 28, Sold by: Share your thoughts with other customers. Write a customer review. Read reviews that mention post apocalyptic well written next book writing style story line joseph turkot present tense even though looking forward point of view tanner and russell great read main character face eaters page turner teenage girl quotation marks put this book well done good read.
Showing of reviews. Top Reviews Most recent Top Reviews. There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later. Kindle Edition Verified Purchase. First presented as a series, this is the omnibus edition. There are a few typos here and there that would only annoy an editor such as myself; they do not detract from the story itself. Turkot gets a bit long winded now and again, and I found myself skimming, but the storyline is a good one.
No zombies - thank you! Plenty enough action and conflict in this post-apocalyptic world of never ending rain. The story continues in Snow. I am eagerly awaiting the next episode, so that should tell you something! Every bit as good as Hugh Howey. This was a difficult story for me to read--not because of the writing style or typos. I thought it was very well-written. I just couldn't imagine the nightmare scenario of being rained on constantly.
The two main characters--Tanner and Russell--do their best to survive these circumstances, but, at times, I had to wonder, "Why? What is the point? Is the struggle they are going through worth it? This is a story about survival and holding out for that last bit of hope. To complicate things, Tanner is a teenage girl going through all the things teenage girls usually go through, but during the apocalypse. Talk about having to grow up quickly. Russell is supposedly the caretaker, but it is usually Tanner who keeps him going. Going towards what is the question?
I'm not sure I believe the premise that a solar flare caused the ocean to rise up and start the rain, but the characters also don't really know why this happened. I do recommend the book if the thought of constant rain doesn't drive you crazy. The characters are compelling, especially Tanner, and I do want to know what they're going to find at the end of the rainbow, figuratively speaking. One person found this helpful.
I'm a big fan of post-apocalyptic stories, and this one sounded like like it was based on a unusual and interesting premise. Unfortunately, this series is marred by several serious flaws, not the least of which is the author's inability to write dialog, both on a technical and literary level. The dialog is not put into quote marks or indicated in any way, stopping the smooth flow of the story as you try to figure out when someone is talking, who is talking, and to whom.
The dialog also doesn't ring true, it does not sound like anything that any person would naturally say under the circumstances. A good test for dialog is to read it out loud. The concept of endless rain and a world with almost no dry land is intriguing, but you have to set it up and explain how this could happen, or it stretches the suspension of belief to the breaking point.
There isn't enough water on our planet to cover almost all the planet. This story gives no explanation of where all this extra water that is raining onto the earth is coming from; this inconsistency hangs in the back of the mind in a very distracting way. The most fleshed out character in the story is the main character, Tanner. She is a teenager who has survived the apocalypse, but she doesn't seem to have, really, the maturity or the scars that one would expect.
Her actions and motivations don't seem consistent from scene to scene. Belle also questions the interpellated messages she receives from the general public. Belle breaks these traditions in numerous ways. She also does not try to hide the fact that she loves to read. She sat on a fountain, in the middle of the town, and sang about her love of books. Indeed, there is a different way to live life, at least for Belle. Unlike many women, Belle is not one to be influenced by appearances, good or bad.
She does not fall into the trap of liking the cool guy, just because everyone else does. While her first reaction to the Beast is terror, she does not actually fear him. If she feared him, she would not have spoken out to the Beast like she did. Not intimidated by his looks, she talks to him like the mean-spirited person he is. This showcases the amount of agency Belle has determined is rightfully hers. Some may feel that Belle is the typical young lady, looking to find her prince.
After all, her favorite part of the book she reads by the fountain is when the girl meets her prince, but does not know it yet. I would argue that the books she finds so intriguing are an escape. While the particular storyline read by the fountain does predict the outcome of the movie, it also illustrates and shows how Belle is feeling. She feels trapped, like the only way she can escape her suffocating world is to read about others where there is adventure and romance. She may want the romance and the white knight on the horse, but she is not willing to compromise who she is inherently, for the gain of something she does not deem true and worthy.
She wants to be a person, first and foremost, and have someone understand what she feels. Belle avoids the interpellation of her peers and society through staying true to herself, and, in the end, she gets her prince. She does not succumb to the prodding of Gaston, and even her father in the beginning, to marry and become a mainstream household wife.
Instead, she uses her ability to love truly to find the man, or beast, with which she is meant to be. These children who praise a movie that is clearly derogatory, and gross degrades the ethical teachings they should be learning. The stereotype for children is that they should learn valuable, and critical lessons that will help them in life.
The movie also demeans authority figures such as, the government, the president, teachers, principles, parents etc. One of the best examples of this idea of carnivalesque is when Cartman defies his authority figures. While sitting in class Mr. Unwilling to cooperate, Cartman instead curses at the teacher and is sent to the office. In the office, he again curses at the principle. Both authority figures are surprised by these acts of defiance; they do not know how to punish this behavior.
Instead, Cartman is free to say and do what he pleases, to whomever. This scene depicts the role reversal of authority. It is Cartman who holds the power, and not the typical adult authority figure. They are repeatedly unsuccessful. This is the essence of carnivalesque , as it uses absurdity and humor to undermine what is normally revered. South Park proves to be a progressive movie for a number of reasons.
As Stan approaches his town he is singing about how wonderful it is, and how people treat each other well. However, it is obvious, that the people are actually pushy, rude and hateful towards one another. It depicts the innocence of nature, and a song about love, happiness, and people getting along. As the song continues, it drastically changes from pleasant, to disturbing and silly. People are cursing one another, babies are being thrown through windows, and homeless men are drinking on the side of the road.
Kyle, Stan, Cartman and Kenny all have a great amount of power within this movie, as they defy their parents and curse at authority figures. However, this movie also gives a great amount of power to a woman. His hilarious, uncommon voice greatly shows carnivalesque. Unlike a normal baby, Stewie not only can speak his mind, but he also can do it articulately, like an adult. In fact, he is smarter, more talkative and wiser than the stupid immature dad, Peter, in the show.
Repeatedly, he disrupts his parents from making love in order to stop them from creating another baby. In one scene Stewie walks into his room, hits a button on the wall, which collapses and shows a hidden spaceship behind it. Stewie succeeds and the parents never end up having a baby. Symbolically, the spaceship represents all the power Stewie has in his life.
Such a complicated, high-tech machine for a baby to control signifies how he has the command to manipulate what he pleases. By inhibiting their chances of creating a baby, Stewie clearly portrays the carnivalesque idea of role reversal. Parents are normally the ones that direct the life of their baby. However, Stewie diminishes this norm, which is an apparent depiction of carnivalesque ideas. In one scene Homer becomes jealous when he hears Flanders has given everyone a Christmas gift. He therefore begins to plan on how he will buy everyone a car to exceed Flanders act of generosity. Just remember the spirit of the season.
Once again, the roles are being reversed. Lisa, a little girl, has to explain an extremely important concept to her father. In addition, this episode depicts Homer to be as dumb as a cat or dog. All three Homer, the cat and the dog are wearing Christmas sweaters. As the dog and cat roll on the ground biting at theirs, so does Homer. Carnivalesque often portrays these types of role reversals, and undermining of authority. Stereotypically, the male adult figure is one that carries the most knowledge, power and authority.
However, Homer truly acts like a child. He is selfish, silly and immature. Instead this intelligent and powerful status is given to a seven or either year old girl. Carnivalesque is depicted, as a complete opposite role reversal is apparent. The strong characters in these two shows are the children, Stewie and Lisa. These shows dramatically change what is normally viewed as traditional. Parents no longer teach their kids, rather the children teach them. They are merely reversed. These thoughts encourage us, as the audience, to rethink what we consider as normal.
However, all three portray these concepts beautifully. From role reversal, to degrading authority, and to using humorous situations, voices, and bodily functions to mock the revered, these shows are carnivalesque. In addition, they break the stereotype that creates a conservative work.
Instead they are progressive as they challenge us to rethink what should be, and uniquely see the ideas that contradict our norms. The fairy tale Snow-white and Rose-red , by the Grimm brothers, is an excellent example of a conservative, adult-centered text. In this text, the agency is with the adults and the children are seen as nostalgic images of childhood.
Snow-white and Rose-red prove that children are good and follow the direction of adult figures even when the adult may not be present. The conservative nature of this text is overwhelming. The author is not challenging children to do anything; but rather teaching them that if they are obedient then they will be happy. For example, Snow-white and Rose-red are described in various ways throughout the story: The ending shows that because of their good hearts they were rewarded: The old mother lived for many years peacefully with her children.
The text does not wish for children to challenge the things that their mother tells them to do. The text reinforces a sense of good behavior and family closeness. In this family, the mother is the one with the authority and all of the agency. The girls are attentive to the instructions of their mother and follow them with haste. There are several things that the girls did to help their mother around the house and around the woods: In an adult-centered text, children understand that adults know better than children so they must follow what adults say.
This shows the readers that children should listen to their mothers or other adult figures because, of course, they know more than a child. This adult-centered trait is highly visible throughout the text. Yet another image of the children, in this adult-centered text, is when they follow the directions of their mother even when she is not there. The mother has engrained the children with the importance of being kind to everyone. They show kindness to the dwarf throughout the story even though he was not nice to them.
Some of the rude comments that the dwarf makes about the girls are: You have torn my thin little coat all to shreds, useless, awkward hussies that you are! This does not deter the girls from their kind-heartedness and helping anyone in need. This is an excellent example of an adult-centered trait. Snow-white and Rose-red are perfect symbols of the nostalgic childhood images who end up being rewarded for their good nature and kind hearts.
The authors are showing that if a child is obedient and good then they will surely receive a reward in the end. There are many attributes of an adult-centered text that this story has which contributes to the conservative nature of the text. This text is extremely conservative and adult-centered in various ways. This fairytale encompasses some of the topics we have discussed in class. It not only is incredibly child centered, but it also is progressive. The Grimm brothers depicted both Hansel and Grethel as smart, capable people. As Hansel dropped pebble after pebble on the road to help them find their way home, the wife noticed that he consistently looked back at the house.
Therefore, his plan worked and he and his sister are able to find their way home after being left in the woods. By, having the ability to outsmart the adults, Hansel proved to have a great amount of agency. He not only had the courage to secretly plot against them, but also managed to trick them into believing he was just a childish boy fantasizing about his cat.
His lie about the cat is significant because it shows that he understands adults have these assumptions that children are childlike in their thinking. Grethel also had her moment of greatness when she tricked the witch. Smartly, Grethel told the old witch she did not understand how to get in the oven. Ultimately, the witch was engulfed in flames resulting in her ruin.
Like Hansel, Grethel is depicted as a stronger, smarter character than the adults, especially the witch, within this fairytale. Both children easily trick the adults. In addition, they have the power to find their way through the woods at the end of the story with no pebbles or bread to guide them. The two children truly have an enormous amount of agency as they not only can outsmart the adults, but also can manipulate nature to help them. It is as if Hansel and Grethel gain more confidence, and agency as they manipulate and conquer every obstacle crossing their path. Another example of why this text is child-centered is how the adults are depicted.
First, it is important to note that it is only the children who have names. In addition, the adults are all portrayed as selfish, weak, and evil. The wild animals would soon come and tear them to pieces! Then we must all four die of hunger, thou mayest as well plane the planks for our coffins. The father barely stood up for his children, and let his wife send them to their deaths. He merely gave into her, even though it was clear that he loved his children dearly.
Although he is a good character, he has no power to stand up for what he believed and felt strongly for. Therefore, it is apparent, that all three adults in this story are perceived as evil or weak, making this a truly child-centered text. She believed that they could never locate their way out of the woods because they were mere children, and would have no adult to guide them. However, they break these assumptions by finding their way through the forest not once, but twice. This is extremely progressive, because it challenges some of the stereotypical assumptions about childhood.
Children are often thought of as very dependent on their parents and innocent; however, Hansel and Grethel clearly do not need their parents to find their way. In fact, the children not only found their way through the confusing woods and saved themselves from the horrid witch, but they also saved their father. In a more conservative text the father would have been the savior; however, it is Hansel and Grethel who hold all the power and save the day. It challenges assumptions about children, and gives children a great amount of agency. Hansel and Grethel are depicted as capable strong characters, whereas the adults are seen as evil and weak.
The children also reject the norms of childhood that suggest life for a child is simple and fun, as they understand their lives are complex, and they work hard to control the situations around them. By there same token, there are certain things that are expected of a girl to maintain her societal femininity. From a young age, we are lead to believe that boys are the dominant, more powerful sex. Females are portrayed as care takers and are often seen as being more compassionate and caring then males are.
Men are expected to rougher and less sensitive. The men are expected to work hard to bring home money to support their families. Females are often portrayed as being more in touch with their emotions. None of these ideas applies to any one person any more so then do personality traits, but our society interpellates these ideas into our minds every minute of every day. The following passage is from my paper on the Goonies , in which I highlight some examples of the interpellation typical female and male roles in this movie.
The boys seem to be portrayed in the usual ways, as being mischievous and thrill seeking, while the girls are shown as weak and scared. The oldest girl, Andy, seems more concerned with her crush throughout the movie then she does with finding the gold and taking an active role in the adventure. There is a point in the movie where Mikey tells Andy that she may want to hold his hand because it was dark up ahead and it may be dangerous. This is another example of the girls and the guys being put into common roles that society has created for them.
As we have been told since we were young children through fairy tales and everyday life, men are supposed to take care of females and be there to protect them.
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This statement reaffirms the idea of interpellation of typical male and female roles in this film. The developers son is driving a convertible and wearing his letter jacket and has two girls in his car, while Brent is wearing ratty old sweats and is riding his little brothers bike. Interpellation is shown in the idea that the rich kids are cool and popular, while the poor kids are unpopular and outcasts.
At the end of the movie, when the family realizes they have enough money to save their home, they come together and hug each other and really show affection towards each other for the first time in the movie. Again, interpellation is shown in that money and material things bring happiness. Children who are born into wealth and privilege are showcased in reality television and documentaries, further rubbing our noses in the fact that there are parents who can provide for their children in ways that you or I could never imagine from a material standpoint.
Our culture seems to go out of its way to display this quality, to make those who have more feel better about themselves and those who have less feel worse. I think this reoccurring theme is strong in the Goonies. As described in the excerpt Mikeys family is portrayed as poor and unhappy. The rich family holds the happiness of the poor family in its hands. The rich family has all of the agency while the poor family has none.
Like in our society, the poor are at the mercy of the rich. They want to keep power in the hands of those who have always had it, and usually on of the only ways to do that is to interpellate society to believe that that is where the power and authority belong in the first place. In fact, I always hated princesses and pink for that matter. Below are some detailed examples of interpellation that I found in this particular version of the story:.
He is stopped along the way by a strange old man. The picture of the old man in this story is interesting because the old man is dressed rather uniquely. I think that this shows interpellation because it shows that strange people dress differently from normal people. In the United States , we assert ourselves and are identity at first impression, based solely on our clothing. Like I said in the paper, distinctions between strange and normal are made all of the time based on clothing. If I were to dread lock my hair, someone might look at me and think I was perhaps dirty or unprofessional, when my goal is doing so was only to embrace a low maintenance lifestyle.
We make assumptions like the previous constantly, based on appearance alone. We are interpellated to believe that we must dress certain ways for certain occasions. After Jack climbs the beanstalk, he finds the giants wife, who just returned from picking flowers. He asks her for something to eat and she says that she will make him something to eat, but that they must be fast because her husband gets home soon. She is patiently waiting for her husband to get home and is picking flowers to pass the time and she is the one who does all of the cooking for her husband.
The wife also seems to be at the mercy of her husband. In the story she invites Jack inside but warns him that her husband likes to eat little boys. Interpellation is shown in the idea that the giant has the control over his wife and her opinion on the welfare of Jack is irrelevant to him. As soon as the giant gets home, he demands dinner and his wife, who has already had it prepared, brings it to him right away. The female giant seems to act like a servant to her husband; throughout the story he demands things and she brings them for him right away. It is also interesting that the husband is only concerned with eating, sleeping and money, which is a very typical depiction of males.
Kingdom Hearts as a Child-Centered Text. In the Playstation 2 game Kingdom Hearts , players are introduced to a young boy named Sora who is thrown into a struggle to save not one, but multiple worlds from a mysterious force known as the Heartless.
The Dry (Aaron Falk, #1) by Jane Harper
Sora finds himself suddenly wielding a magical weapon called the Keyblade , which just happens to be the only thing that can fight the Heartless, and an artifact that Donald Duck and Goofy have been ordered by Mickey Mouse to find. Sora has a different mission- he is looking for his two best friends, Riku and Kairi , who disappeared when his world was destroyed by the Heartless. Together, Sora , Donald and Goofy venture to different worlds, meet many other Disney characters, and battle the Heartless in hopes of restoring balance to the worlds. At first, Kingdom Hearts appears to be a light fairy-tale about good fighting evil, but it soon becomes apparent that Sora and childlike characters like Donald and Goofy are dealing with issues not typically found in adult-centered texts, and more importantly, they are doing it without the aid of just, authoritative adults.
The adults in Kingdom Hearts are a far cry from the knowledgeable, caring, strong individuals typically found in adult-centered texts. The first major group of adults consists of the villains from various Disney movies who are working together with the Heartless to take over their worlds. This group includes such characters as Jafar , Captain Hook and Maleficent, all of which are most likely already infamous to the player for their deeds in their respective films. The game presents them as completely irredeemable- they are evil, corrupt, and will stop at nothing to achieve their goals, even if it means dealing with the mysterious Heartless.
Of course, one by one their plans backfire and they are either defeated by Sora or betrayed by the Heartless, which is a rather adult-centered way of dealing with bad adults. However, the second major group of adults makes up for this. These characters are the heroes that the villains originally battled- Aladdin, Tarzan and Jack Skellington , for example. Upon arriving in Halloween Town , for example, Sora , Donald and Goofy are shocked to see that Jack has recruited the Heartless in the annual Halloween festival.
In addition to these two groups of adults, Kingdom Hearts features adults that appear to be in positions of authority, but in reality have little or no power over children. In the world of The Little Mermaid , King Triton has lost much of his control over Ariel- the scene where he originally destroys all of her treasures becomes much less devastating in the game, where he only destroys an item that is later revealed to be useless anyway. His mother is heard once at the beginning of the game, where she calls him for dinner, but the same exact scene shows Sora sneaking out of the house through his bedroom window.
Mickey Mouse is the closest thing to a central authority figure the game has because he is the main reason why Donald and Goofy are exploring the worlds, and thus, the reason why Sora is brought along. However, it is interesting to note that Mickey is more of a childlike character than an adult, due to his being an animal. In addition to Mickey Mouse, Donald and Goofy are also very childlike. Donald still has a short temper and is very annoyed at the idea of the legendary Keyblade Master being a kid.
He and Sora do not get along very well, but their arguments are small and childish, and they usually make amends shortly after. Goofy tries hard to be the mediator between the two, but he usually ends up doing what Donald tells him to avoid causing more trouble. However, Goofy soon realizes that Sora is too good a friend to just abandon and has a change of heart.
Sora himself also has a huge amount of agency, possibly more than anyone else in the game. His agency is represented by the Keyblade , which is regarded as a symbol of great power in every world he visits. When he loses it, he can only get it back by realizing that its strength comes from his heart. Sora receives the Keyblade by resisting the Heartless when his world is destroyed- it recognizes that he is strong and good-hearted.
When he learns of his destiny as the Keyblade Master, he embraces it rather than running from such a huge responsibility, if only because he hopes that it will lead him to his missing friends. However, he realizes that he is being used to hurt his friends and fights back.
In an attempt to atone for the things he did while working for the villains, Riku offers to help Sora seal off the Heartless, but this act will leave him trapped with the Heartless as a result. Sora is distressed at the thought of being separated again, but Riku insists, and his confidence in Sora allows them to seal away the Heartless. Kingdom Hearts still has some elements common to adult-centered texts, one of which is the mostly conservative plot. Sora is trying to restore the norm instead of change it, and the forces trying to cause change and disrupt the balance are the Heartless and the Disney villains.
Sora also learns lessons throughout the game by interacting with the various characters within the Disney worlds. The lessons are highly didactic and Sora ultimately accepts them, but at the end of the game, it is clear to the player that he is still given the choice of acknowledging them or not.
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Finally, there is the question of what the Heartless truly represent. There is no doubt that the Heartless are pure evil- they corrupt everything they touch and bring out the very worst in anyone who deals with them. Then again, the Heartless could also represent a more child-centered view- that children have the ability to resist evil.
Sora wields the Keyblade , which is the only weapon that can truly stop the Heartless, and he gains it by resisting the darkness. Meanwhile, Riku , who is a few years older than Sora and therefore less childlike, willingly joins the Heartless. Also, the adults who indulge in the evil perpetrated by the Heartless end up being defeated, or worse, completely swallowed by the darkness. However, the game makes it clear that it is not childlike innocence that allows Sora , Donald and Goofy to effectively fight the Heartless- as a child-centered theme, the Heartless represent a false sense of maturity and power that can only be overcome by a strong sense of right and wrong, friendship, and courageousness, which the trio have gained by working together.
Riku also realizes this after being used by the Heartless, and therefore he also gains the ability to fight them. While Kingdom Hearts features didactic lessons and a conservative storyline, the focus of the game lies with the childlike characters. Sora has only enlisted himself in the fight against the Heartless because he hopes it will lead him to his friends.
The Disney characters he meets throughout his journey act more childlike than he does, and even Mickey Mouse, the central authority figure of the game, is childlike. While there are some adult-centric ideas present in Kingdom Hearts , the game is mostly a child-centered text because the children and childlike characters act with a great amount of agency and deal with things that are typically not associated with common assumptions about childhood, while adult figures are either powerless, bad, or flawed and complicated themselves. The simple story relates an incident of a flood that enables Princess Molly the Messy, a member of a tidy and neat royal family, to rescue her them through her messiness, and ultimately shows the value of her individuality.
The main area where Tyler strays from classic patterns involves the message of the story. In fact, Tyler even suggests that messiness may not only come in handy, but it could also be a means of rescue. Thus, Molly never disobeys her parents because a specific request, which she could obey, is never present. In essence, Tyler portrays Molly as innocent and kindhearted, sharing her space and using all she has for good, even though her disorderly ways would typically be naughty behavior.
Tyler spins a web of opposites, showing innocence in a slovenly room. Clearly, a messy room relates almost universally to all children who might enjoy a tale about this quality. However, Tyler treats messiness much differently than many parents would by showing its benefits, not its repulsiveness. Most children posses messiness seemingly inherently and would revel in a book about their way of life.
Tyler provides a character to identify with, no matter who the young reader is. Tumble Tower represents an interesting blend of standard formats and counter-culture messages. Though the story is didactic, its message teaches the individuality of personality in children. Even though the movie is one of the most popular Disney films it shows some underlying examples of interpellation.
There are also some issues of agency that display the intricate way that Mary Poppins changes the degree of agency in the household. When watching the film and trying to figure out who has agency over whom it seemed difficult because of the fact that there are several characters that are involved. When the film begins everything seems to be typical when it comes to agency. Banks is the man of the house and tells everyone what to do and everyone in return obeys him.
The first song Mr. Banks sings is about how proud he was of how orderly his life was. He felt that it was his duty to give commands and do everything in the exact order that they were supposed to be done in a stereotypical sense. It seemed that all was in order and that order was given by Mr. The minute that Mary Poppins comes into their door the agency is taken away from Mr. Even though he has no idea that he no longer has power because of the fact that Mary Poppins is wise enough to know that if she lets him think that he tells her what to do and that he comes up with all of the ideas then he will never know.
This does create a slight fight for power between Mr. Banks and Mary Poppins because Mary always has to stay one step ahead of Mr. Banks and he is always a very close step behind her. When the dynamics of the household become so happy and seemingly perfect Mr. Banks is angry because he can almost feel himself losing his power which is what causes him to become so bossy. When things involve Jane and Michael they are not directly given any agency but seems to be able to take some of the agency away in certain circumstances.
Anytime they seemed to disobey an adult it was either a misunderstanding or they were quickly turned around. The only obvious time that agency was displayed by the children was when Michael was at the bank and he was adamant that his money go to feeding the birds instead of in the bank. When Mary, Bert and the children jumped into the picture they were able to go out on their own for awhile without supervision but that would be the person with the agency allowing them to have a little leeway.
Mary gave them chances to be their own judge but she was always there to pull them back and take over when things were out of hand. She allowed agency to be taken when there was a lesson to be taught in letting them go. After Mary has accomplished what she came to do, which would be to show the family how to be a family and how to have fun and take the time they have and cherish it, she allowed the agency to be taken back by Mr.
It was very interesting to see how manipulative Mary could be when dealing with people and getting her way; it was apparent that she was an expert at stealing agency from others. This film drips with interpellation even though it is not always obvious. The first example that comes up is the fact that Mr.
Banks has the final say in everything and that is played out as if it should be that way. I found it ironic that the spunk Mrs. Banks had when Mr. Banks was not around was astounding but that changed as soon as he enters the picture. Banks is home she is extremely submissive. For example when she is leaving the house to go to a protest Mr. Though there may be some sarcasm meant by the writers of the film it still says to society that it is okay to have your own opinions as a women but when it comes to her husband she better be obedient and believe what he says.
Banks opinions are totally contradictory to things that Mr. Banks says but when she talks to him she agrees with everything he says. Her description is rosy cheeks, never cross or cheery disposition, she is thin, and this is what most would consider very ladylike as well; this all points to what women are continuously told to be. When Mary, Bert and the children are in the painting and they get on Merry-go-round horses Mary rode the lavender one with a smug ladylike look on its face, Jane rode the pink one with long eyelashes, Michael rode the blue one with slit eyes and Bert rode the orange one.
Even though this was a small detail of the movie it still displays what girls and boys should be like and what colors they should wear. When the children went to the bank with their father the whole trip was centered on Michael, even though Jane went along he was the one that was supposed to invest his money and see what his dad does. The thought of Jane investing her money in the bank was never even thought of or even the idea that she had any money. Men are supposed to take care of all the money and be the ones that earn it and that is what the whole bank trip reinforced.
Michael always seems to be the one taking the action, in the end when they go fly a kite Michael is the one flying it with his father and Jane and Mrs. Banks are in the background watching. The film interpellates us to think that the men are supposed to be the ones acting on their feelings and saving people and even thinking.
The only dominant role that a women plays in the film are the cook, maid and nanny; Mary Poppins is a controversial character because of her ability to do as she pleases even around men but she still plays right into the stereotype that the male should be in the dominant seat. The film does seem to have a hint of sarcasm about the role of the women as stated earlier but in the end it seems to be just a bit of humor that does not disprove the interpellation.
Things seem to all fall into the stereotypical place that society likes for them to be in both in terms of agency and interpellation. It seems as if in this case interpellation coincides with agency which seems to put the happy ending to the movie. The movie is about a colony of ants that spends most of its time gathering grain for the grasshoppers, who intimidate and frighten them into doing it.
It leaves the ants little time to gather food for themselves before the rainy season begins, but it is a part of their culture, and so they continue to repeat the tradition year after year. In the beginning of the movie, the ants are preparing their yearly offering when it is ruined by Flik , an ant in the colony. The grasshoppers are very angry and demand that they gather twice the amount of food before the last leaf falls.
He finds what he thinks are warrior bugs, but are actually circus bugs, who in turn think that Flik is a talent scout. They travel back with him to the colony, impress everyone, and then discover their real purpose for being there. They end up staying however, and the ants come up with a plan to keep away the grasshoppers—they make a bird to scare them.
They all work together, but in the end their plan is foiled.