Introduction
The purpose of this research paper is to study how Marines use and work their body in an army setting using the movie “A Few Good Men” (1992) as our controlled environment. To become a Marine takes hours of gruelling training that changes the body into a perfect specimen of athletic ability. I wish to look at how Marines use their body to show language, feats of strength and overcoming perhaps mental barriers that they didn't know they had. The authority the marines have, and use against each other with their bodies is expressed within this movie. Physical movement along with social pressures to accomplish bodily tasks will be analyzed within this paper.
Research Question
The research question that I hope to answer or at least bring to light is how are soldiers bodies different than others? Others is defined as people who have moderate exercise but are not of athletic type; the average human being. While all body types are unique, an army must be made up of the strongest in order to fight in a war. Ongoing illnesses will prevent you from being enlisted due to the risk of harm to yourself or others in the field. The movie is set in a Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba, away from society in order to allow soldiers to train. Marine Private William Santiago is killed in the movie by two other marines, Lance Corporal Harold Dawson and Private Louden Downey, by pinning him down and giving what they call a “code red” which is a type of discipline that isn't the most orthodox or legal. The rigorous training that Marines go through in order to serve their country is far different than regular exercise that say you and I would do. Their body becomes their weapon, and in this case- it can become a killer. The power they held o...
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...verall, my research question was clearly answered. Marines engage in physical activity that is far more different than normal activities. Their physiques are remarkable, due to the stress of becoming trained killers. That burden of striving for physical perfection is voluntary, and the results from that hard work is obvious. At the height of physical strength Marines are able to use their bodies as weapons and their mental capacity allows them to act differently than others. The ability to change their bodies into war ready units is through the hard work of pushing boundaries, the endless strive for perfection and the push that their superior officers give them to be successful. While what they eat may not differ from what we would eat, the resolve that Marines have, and the respect that they give and carry is weighted far more heavily on their shoulders than ours.
The Marine Corps today has developed itself into an elite fighting force based on strong naval traditions. The basic Marine is amphibious, which means that the warrior is capable of fighting on land and sea. The idea of an amphibious landing was developed through the training of the Marine Raider Battalions, which was tested and perfected in combat. Although there were two Raider Commanders with very different views on how to prepare their marines, Evans Carlson and Merritt Edson were responsible for training lightly armed Marines for amphibious assaults.
The United States Marine Corps are a branch of the United States Armed Forces, accountable for providing rapid power projection. Training is an essential aspect of becoming a Marine and being able to do this, so, Ian Tyson arrived at bootcamp, where there was utter chaos and confusion. No one knew what was happening or why, the drill sergeants looked like monsters, and every individual became nothing but a number, a part of the crowd.
Humans are funny creatures. We judge and classify others and ourselves into groups. We tear apart others esteem to feel stronger. And we put limits on ourselves, whether they are thought up by our imagination or other’s. The truth is, we aren’t perfect, but we can become better, that is, if we choose to. Benchwarmers captures that thought perfectly. Though it is a comedy, and a very hilarious one at that, it provides some very true points to consider. Benchwarmers is a great movie to watch because within this side-splittingly funny movie, there are important messages such as: bullying is a double edged sword, stereotypes can be overcome, and that diversity is what makes life exciting.
The motion picture A Few Good Men challenges the question of why Marines obey their superiors’ orders without hesitation. The film illustrates a story about two Marines, Lance Corporal Harold W. Dawson and Private First Class Louden Downey charged for the murder of Private First Class William T. Santiago. Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee, who is known to be lackadaisical and originally considers offering a plea bargain in order to curtail Dawson’s and Downey’s sentence, finds himself fighting for the freedom of the Marines; their argument: they simply followed the orders given for a “Code Red”. The question of why people follow any order given has attracted much speculation from the world of psychology. Stanley Milgram, a Yale psychologist, conducted an experiment in which randomly selected students were asked to deliver “shocks” to an unknown subject when he or she answered a question wrong. In his article, “The Perils of Obedience”, Milgram concludes anyone will follow an order with the proviso that it is given by an authoritative figure. Two more psychologists that have been attracted to the question of obedience are Herbert C. Kelman, a professor at Harvard University, and V. Lee Hamilton, a professor at the University of Maryland. In their piece, Kelman and Hamilton discuss the possibilities of why the soldiers of Charlie Company slaughtered innocent old men, women, and children. The Marines from the film obeyed the ordered “Code Red” because of how they were trained, the circumstances that were presented in Guantanamo Bay, and they were simply performing their job.
Thomas Ricks, author of “Making the Corps”, gives a description about the United States Marine Corps’ basic military training. The book’s main focal point is Platoon 3086 at Parris Island, S.C., in 1995. Their story is about their eleven weeks boot camp training to become a full-fledged marine. Mr. Ricks writes about what separates the marines from American society, he writes how the Marine Corps differ from other branches of the Unites States military, as well as life after boot camp.
Whether engaging in European trench warfare or fighting through the jungles of Vietnam, a soldier must learn to cope with the incredible mental stress brought on by the ever-present threat of a grisly death. The physical stress introduced by poor nutrition, a harsh and hostile environment, and the cumulative physical effect of emotional trauma only serves to make a trying situation even more taxing. It is out of this violently stressful environment that the coping mechanisms that characterize wartime masculinity arise.
Within the German Democratic Republic, there was a secret police force known as the Stasi, which was responsible for state surveillance, attempting to permeate every facet of life. Agents within and informants tied to the Stasi were both feared and hated, as there was no true semblance of privacy for most citizens. Directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, the movie The Lives of Others follows one particular Stasi agent as he carries out his mission to spy on a well-known writer and his lover. As the film progresses, the audience is able to see the moral transformation of Stasi Captain Hauptmann Gerd Wiesler primarily through the director 's use of the script, colors and lighting, and music.
In the documentary “Fed Up,” sugar is responsible for Americas rising obesity rate, which is happening even with the great stress that is set on exercise and portion control for those who are overweight. Fed Up is a film directed by Stephanie Soechtig, with Executive Producers Katie Couric and Laurie David. The filmmaker’s intent is mainly to inform people of the dangers of too much sugar, but it also talks about the fat’s in our diets and the food corporation shadiness. The filmmaker wants to educate the country on the effects of a poor diet and to open eyes to the obesity catastrophe in the United States. The main debate used is that sugar is the direct matter of obesity. Overall, I don’t believe the filmmaker’s debate was successful.
The following was a submitted report for a U.S. History research paper assignment We fight our country's battles in the air, on land and sea. First to fight for right and freedom, and to keep our honor clean; We are proud to claim the title of United States Marine. Our flag's unfurled to every breeze from dawn to setting sun. We have fought in every clime and place, where we could take a gun. In the snow of far off northern lands and in sunny tropic scenes, You will find us always on the job, The United States Marines. Here's health to you and to our Corps which we are proud to serve. In many a strife we've fought for life and never lost our nerve. If the Army and the Navy ever look on heaven's scenes, they will find the streets are guarded by United States Marines." The Marine hymn is eternally etched in the mind's and soul of every recruit and officer who have served in the United States Marine Corps. Every Marine has gone through boot camp, each sacrificing blood, sweat, and tears. One thing that has never deteriorated in their years of existence is the fact that they have yet to lose a war they have put effort in. Is this exceptional record due to their extensive training? Is it because of their aggressive nature and mindset? What is to follow may shed some light on these questions and perhaps give some type of insight on how the Marine Corps was so prevailing and what conflicts had they had conquered. 1775, November 10th. This date is memorized and celebrated by every United States Marine as something of excellence, a date of honor. This date is non other than the "birthdate" of the Marine Corps. It was on this date that the Continental Congress passed a resolution to create two operational battalions of American Marines. These men would ultimately be headed by Captain Samuel Nicholas, of the United States Naval department. It was in Philadelphia that the first Marines were grouped and trained for their inaugural mission. The three hundred Marines that had been recruited, were placed aboard eight transport ships, all destined for the beaches of New Providence (the Bahamas). Upon their landing on March 3rd, 1776, they fought up the beach, sweeping through a barrage of bullets, and took command of two small stone forts and a number of military storage complexes.
The entire movie is littered with anxiety. The movie makes you anxious as to what may happen next. This primary example is the scene where Skeeter ask Aibileen to tell her personal stories for the book Skeeter is writing. This rose a very serious anxiety in both women. Skeeter also found other maids to also share their personal stories. This scenario caused extreme anxiety because in that day and time if you were to publish or talk about what the maids have to endure, you could be prosecuted or maybe even killed.
Why did he pick the Marines as his topic? Attracted to the Corps perception and morale, Thomas E. Ricks expresses the Marines as the only service still upholding its honor and tradition. Due to society changing into a commercial society with a “me” attitude, civilians focus on how they can splendor themselves with material items—never looking big picture at all that we can accomplish as a team if we give our heart and soul in life. Team meaning everyone on earth, for we are the people that provide for one another with peace and prosperity. As a Marine, it is imperative to have leadership skills along with being capable to work with others. This book was written to enhance the reader’s mentality of how the Marines operate. It informs those who are looking into the service, and provides an in depth look into the trials and tribulations it has been through—as well as conquered.
The movie I decided to analyze for this course was American History X (1998), which stars Edward Norton. Though this movie isn’t widely known, it is one of the more interesting movies I have seen. It’s probably one of the best films that depict the Neo Nazi plague on American culture. The film takes place from the mid to late 1990’s during the Internet boom, and touches on subjects from affirmative action to Rodney King. One of the highlights of this movie that really relates to one of the key aspects of this course is the deterrence of capital punishment. Edward Norton’s portrayal as the grief stricken older brother who turns to racist ideologies and violence to cope with his fathers death, completely disregards the consequences of his actions as he brutally murders someone in front of his family for trying to steal his car. The unstable mentality that he developed after his father’s death really goes hand-to-hand specifically with Isaac Ehrlich’s study of capital punishment and deterrence. Although this movie is entirely fictional, a lot of the central themes (racism, crime punishment, gang pervasiveness, and one’s own vulnerability) are accurate representations of the very problems that essentially afflict us as a society.
Sex, love, depression, guilt, trust, all are topics presented in this remarkably well written and performed drama. The Flick, a 2014 Pulitzer Prize winning drama by Annie Baker, serves to provide a social commentary which will leave the audience deep in thought well after the curtain closes. Emporia State Universities Production of this masterpiece was a masterpiece in itself, from the stunningly genuine portrayal of the characters of Avery and Rose, to the realism found within the set, every aspect of the production was superb.
For decades Disney has been the source of happy endings, fairytales, and family friendly stories for children of all ages. These stories range from realistic and familiar, to the eye-catching magical fairytale. The key to each of these stories are the happy endings brought about by each of the characters unique personalities and dreams. Disney’s films are attempted to provide children with the basic understanding of wrong versus right, but instead influences our society’s beliefs and awareness. Although Disney’s efforts to provide the basic morals to our children are misleading and affect our society strongly, they also contain the use of racism in a form which shows the major differences between characters. The once admired and well-known characters are seemed to be recognized by their species, ethnicity and even their social class. Disney films have taken out of context and have persuaded their viewers understanding of racial stereotyping, which is thoroughly explained in Henry Giroux and Grace Pollock’s novel, The Mouse that Roared. They bring awareness to the underlying racial stereotyping in Disney films, which deeply affect our societies understanding today. Giroux and Pollock bring into perception these admired and regularly watched films through precise examples and racist rendering of the specific characters species and ethnicities which strongly influence our society and lead children to intake these negative influences.
Physical training is a very essential part of the army culture. Physical fitness has a direct influence on their combat readiness which also ties into needing to be mentally and physically tough. Being physically fit allows you to be productive and also gives you the opportunity to enjoy even the little things in life. It also allows you to be able to adapt and survive through tough living conditions. Having the proper diet and exercise can improve a person’s quality of life. Maintaining a high level of fitness helps you perform at higher levels throughout your life. Healthy muscles are less susceptible to to injury, less likely to tear and give in to stress. Which is why it’s important to take care of your body. Soldiers who don’t meet military fitness standards risk being discharged or maybe disciplinary actions.