Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Poverty and its effects on society
Impact of poverty in society
Impact of poverty in society
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Poverty and its effects on society
Gran Torino is one of those films with an outstanding and significant topic presented to its viewers. The character of Walt is introduced as a bitter old man who does not seem to have loving emotions. Living in a low income and immigrant populated neighborhood, the audience is exposed to a different and perhaps unknown perspective, such as Hmong’s cultural norms. Walt, a Korean War veteran man was full of anger towards everyone. His lack of egotism, principles, and discipline are revolting. He has seen and experiences many things throughout his life, which made him realize Americans from the Baby Boomers can’t’ understand his ways. He doesn’t have a good relationship with his own children or grandchildren and saw no point in trying to change them. As a result, based on various events throughout the movie, these children had no idea what is chivalry, bravery or what it is to be a real man. Therefore, he couldn’t connect with them because all there cared about was themselves. In their lives they never had to suffer or had to confront the kinds of hardship that have strengthen his character and that of his neighbors. …show more content…
The association that he makes to his neighbors children is determined by the relationship dynamics that he experiences among them and their parents.
He sees that these parents who care most deeply for doing the right thing and that the children respect their elders and wish to learn from them. These are people who hold their children accountable, even under easier lifestyle circumstances. Due to this, Walt comes to realize that he has more in common with the Asian children then he does with his own children. Perhaps to some degree blames himself and reflects back through wisdom that having enabled his own children he helped to facilitate their selfishness and lack of
respect. I think older adults would relate to this movie because it has to do with American society and gangs still exist in certain areas. They can ruin the lives of their families/other families and their own lives as well. They probably would think this it’s an eye and mind opening movie, because it’s important to see both sides of such a controversial issue. Also, that change is necessary in one way or another for understanding, respect, and peace in surface. The point of this movie was to show that race is not important, who you are as a person is what matters. Walt, regardless to his temper; he ends up building a good relationship with the Asian families after learning about them. He began caring about them more than his own family. He surpasses his own racism. Gran Torino expresses an issue that has been one of the conflicts in our society today; racism. It tackles racism head on. His role involved a stereotypical toughness. Being in a war can really change a human being and their attitudes towards others. Even though Walt was prejudiced against almost everyone, the film focuses on the Asian neighborhood, uncovering racism and violence.
Mama talks to Walter about her fears of the family falling apart. This is the reason she bought the house and she wants him to understand. Walter doesn't understand and gets angry. "What you need me to say you done right for? You the head of this family. You run our lives like you want to. It was your money and you did what you wanted with it. So what you need for me to say it was all right for? So you butchered up a dream of mine - you - who always talking 'bout your children's dreams..." Walter is so obsessive over money that he yells at his mom for not giving him all of it. He doesn't know that what his mom is doing is for the family. He thinks that having money will make the family happy, when in reality the family doesn't need anymore than what they have to be happy.
... on, Walt learns about the Hmong culture, and eventually he establishes a grumpy fatherly connection with Thao. Walt develops a relationship with the Vang Lor family and stops the Hmong gang from raping Thao’s sister. Although, Walt is dying from lung cancer, the gang kills him. Walt leaves behind all his inheritance to the Vang Lor family, and most importantly, Thao inherited the prized 1972 Gran Torino.
McCandless doesn’t have the best relationship with his parents. He decides to keep things to himself and learns how to deal with situations in silence. He addresses an issue he had with his parents in a letter he wrote to his sister Carine, “I’ve told them a million times that I have the best car in the world ... a car that I will never trade in, a car that I am very strongly attached to---yet they still ignore what I say and think I’d accept a new car from them!” (21). McCandless talks about how his parents try to gift him a new car after telling them that he doesn’t want a new car. His parents tend to make decisions for him a lot and McCandless doesn’t want them to. Another major problem he has with his parents is the discovery he made about his father’s affair. This is the main reason he cut all his connections with this family. McCandless discovers that “Walt continued his relationship with Marcia in secret, dividing his time between ...
The first social issue portrayed through the film is racial inequality. The audience witnesses the inequality in the film when justice is not properly served to the police officer who executed Oscar Grant. As shown through the film, the ind...
Even in today?s world, children are very susceptible. Walter displays a selfless characteristic which becomes overshadowed by unwise decisions later in the play. In one particular scene, his son Travis asked both parents for money. Walter acts out of pride by giving Travis his last pocket change. This symbolizes Walter's willingness to be a moral father.
... love and happiness of one’s family. Walter changes from being self-centered to self-less. He gives up his dream of having a liquor store when Willy Harris runs away with the money. Walter does that so the Younger family can fill their lives with joy and do not have to struggle anymore. This is the biggest sacrifice that Walter makes for the family. This theme also applies to everyday life. Many people sacrifice their wishes and dreams that they have, so they could help their family through tough times and always keep a smile on their faces. Love, sacrifice, and happiness is a part of everyday life.
The film observes and analyzes the origins and consequences of more than one-hundred years of bigotry upon the ex-slaved society in the U.S. Even though so many years have passed since the end of slavery, emancipation, reconstruction and the civil rights movement, some of the choice terms prejudiced still engraved in the U.S society. When I see such images on the movie screen, it is still hard, even f...
Robert B. Ray categorizes Casablanca as "the most typical" American film. Ray uses Casablanca as a tutor text for what he calls the formal paradigm of Classical Hollywood as well as the thematic paradigm that addresses the conflict between isolationism and communitarian participation. The film is typical in its appropriation of an official hero Laszlo, who stands for the civilizing values of home and community, and an outlaw hero Rick, who stands for individu...
This demonstrates to us that no matter how much your legal or moral laws are violated, what matters is how you as an individual react to the situation, justly or unjustly. This movie is centered around the notion that if you are a person of ethnic background, that alone is reason for others to forsake your rights, although in the long run justice will prevail
The mothers really struggle to transform their daughters, but the daughters finally realize that they want to be Chinese, not because it is cool, but because they come to understand who they really are. All four daughters are able to learn something from their mother that can be used to further their relationship and bond. Despite the differences first presented, the girls each find ways to bond with their mothers and make a happy connection between their American lifestyles, and their Chinese backgrounds.
... the realization that he does not need a liquor store to make him happy. He needs his family to be happy in order for him to be happy. Walter matures throughout the story, and his American Dream disappears, and new dreams appear.
The Godfather is the “dark-side of the American dream story” (Turan, pp2). The film follows the practices of a fictional Italian mafia family, the Corleone’s. Though most Americans do not condone the practices of the Italian mafia, they cannot deny that Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather is a cinematic masterpiece. This film gave insight to a mysterious way of life that the average person does not have knowledge of. As the audience is educated about the mafia they also are introduced to many stereotypes.
There were many generational themes that came to light within this film, which dealt with a variety of issues that encompassed many paths that were taken. Each person in the film was dealing with very personal reasons that led them to coming to the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. In the next several paragraphs, each of the issues will be discussed including exemplars from the film.
Gran Torino is a suspense film directed by Clint Eastwood, which portrays the relationship between a 78-year-old Koran war veteran and his neighbors who are from Laos. The main character, Walt is a racist who still has memories from the horrors of war and has a dislike for anyone, including his own family. After his young neighbor Thao is coerced by his cousin’s gang into stealing Walt’s prized Gran Torino, a unusual relationship forms between the pair. Walt starts to respect Thao and his culture while fulfilling a fatherly role that Thao is lacking. Eventually, Walt has to confront the gang knowing that the confrontation will end in his death. Apart from the stereotypical, get off my lawn quote, this film depicts the relationship of family concerning the care for older adults, the struggle with despair and meaning later in life, and the morality of a good death. This paper will address each of these themes.
Clint Eastwood’s film “Gran Torino” traces the end of the life of Walt Kowalski. He has recently gone through a lot – the death of his beloved wife, his distant relationship with his son, his emotional scars from the Korean War and his bad health. All these things stop him from living a proper life. He doesn’t care about himself much – he smokes even though he is sick, he doesn’t eat a lot, he refuses to confess even though that was his wife’s last wish. However, all this changes when he meets the Hmong Family that lives next door. At the beginning he detests them because of their similarity to the Koreans, but later, as he gets to know them, they become the family that he was never able to have. The story traces the psychological changes in Walt’s character due to his unusual bond with the Hmong family, which changes are one of the main strengths of the film.