Miss Julie: Examining the Nature of Pathos Essay

Miss Julie is an adaptation of August Strindberg’s play – directed and composed by Mike Figgis. Overall, the film remains faithful to the play. However, an indispensable distinction is the addition of a sex scene. After Julie and Jean hear her servants singing a lewd song, they copulate. Because Strindberg’s audience would have had different sensibilities, the act is merely hinted at in the original. For example, Julie says â€Å"there are no barriers between us now† (87) In the film however, the act is explicit, raw, and degrading. In Strindberg’s original, the act stems out of mutual lust, with Julie as the seductress. However, in the film, it is initiated by Jean, out of a desire to ascend social rankings and to see Julie toppled from her pedestal. Hence, the proper term for their act is not â€Å"love-making†, not â€Å"sex†, but – defilement. The net effect achieved by the sound effects, camera angles, and casting invokes pathos towards Julie. After the sex scene, the violin refrain is layered with complex chords in the minor key, conveying a poignant sentiment. Conversely, in the sex scene, the only soundtrack is the ambient noise- the feral panting audible. After the bawdy tune, the fiddling fades, replaced by a violin playing one sustained note in the minor key to augment tension. The music stops just as the camera zooms into Jean’s quarters and the split screen commences. With no music to buffer the debasement on the screen, the audience’s feelings of revulsion are amplified. The camera progresses from medium shots to close-ups of their faces, creating a voyeuristic effect. It trails from Julie’s boots, along her body, to her lips, conveying the intimacy of their union. However, Julie’s eyes are devoid of passion and her porcelain demeanour intermingled with childlike fragility and the sordid nature of the defilement is chilling. The split-screen illustrates the couple from different angles, one closing up on the faces, and the other focused on their bodies. The spasmodic cameras heighten the frenetic atmosphere. As they climax, the two screens close up to their faces and their two perspectives are made one, just as the act of sex unifies perceptions. Another deviation from the play is the difference between the couple in age, appearance, and height. In the play, Miss Julie is 25 and Jean is 30. (1) However, in the film, Jean appears in his fifties, sporting a balding dome and wrinkled forefront. To evoke indignity that Strindberg’s audience would have experienced from solely the status discrepancy, an older man was cast. Moreover, Julie is waifish, with a patrician demeanour and a childlike vulnerability whereas Jean is stout and aging. Jean’s unsightly appearance is an outward manifestation of his inferior status. The height difference symbolizes their class disparity. Before the act, Jean’s face is nestled in her neck. After, Julie is slumped back, literally looking up to him, revealing the power shift that has just taken place, inviting the audience to commiserate with her plight as she wrings her hands in remorse. Works Cited Strindberg, August. Miss Julie and Other Plays, translated by Michael Robinson. Oxford University Press: New York, 1998.

Case study in Forensics - Ashley Coulston

Ashely Mervyn Coulston is known as the ‘Burwood triple murderer’ he murdered three innocent victims in cold blood on 29 July 19921. Coulston had gone to a Burwood house under the guise of renting a room in the house that had been ‘advertised in the Herald Sun’2. Coulston had a bag that contained a . 22 rifle, ammunition, a homemade silencer and plastic cable ties. Coulston bound, gagged and covered the victim’s heads (using a towel or dressing gown) and shot each in the back of the head at point blank range3. I will briefly outline the circumstances of the case and how the perpetrator – Coulston, was eventually captured and the evidence that flowed to convict him for the triple murders in Summit Road, Burwood. In this case study I will examine the forensic evidence (limited to the main ballistic evidence), that was presented in the criminal trials and the forensic evidence that was introduced by the prosecution. Background Coulston was caught by police not for the murders in Burwood but for an armed robbery that occurred several months after the murders in July. Coulston had approached a couple who were returning to their car parked near the National Gallery in St Kilda Road. Coulston was wearing a balaclava and carrying a . 22 calibre rifle when he approached the couple in their car4. The couple believed the assailant was after money; so they threw some money at Coulston hoping that he would leave5. Coulston grabbed the money and forced the couple from the car. He then forced the female to the ground and tied her hands with the cable ties. At that moment the male partner of the couple noticed that Coulston had placed the gun on the ground and he took the opportunity to grapple with Coulston, thus allowing the female to run. The male also fled, with both calling out for help. Two security officers near the scene heard screams for assistance, and subsequently called for police. Coulston followed the couple and fired shots at the security officers which hit one of the officer’s in the hip6. When police arrested Coulston they found a sawn off rifle, a homemade silencer that was made from a motor vehicle oil filter, a knife and plastic cable ties7. Forensic evidence The police forensics department found that the bullets recovered from the scene of the Burwood triple murders had come from the same gun used in the St Kilda armed robbery8. The police also found that the cream cable ties used on the female victim in the armed hold-up were the same brand as those used in in the Burwood murders9. Forensic evidence also established that blood splatter from a dressing gown found over the head of one of the Burwood victims was the same blood that had splattered onto the oil filter of the rifle, used as a silencer10. Police were also able to use the fingerprint of Coulston found on his Melways Street directory that marked the page of the Summit Road, Burwood triple murders11. These pieces of evidence were used to place Coulston as the prime suspect in relation to the three murders in Burwood12. In relation to the specific ballistic evidence; there was considerable debate over the possible contamination of the evidence by Senior Constable Ray Vincent – police forensic examiner. Mr Vincent appears to have incorrectly labelled a job card used to record the test firing of the rifle. The Court of Appeal was less than impressed with the defence’s proposition that due to the error there was a possibility that the bullets had been substituted to make it look like they had been fired from the . 22 Sterling rifle13. Both the High Court and the Court of Appeal dismissed the notion of the evidence being tampered with14. The prime evidence that was used to convict Coulston was the . 22 Sterling rifle he had in his possession, when he was arrested in relation to armed robbery and attempted murder of the security officers in St Kilda Road, Melbourne15. Specific Forensic Evidence There were several specific pieces of evidence that were found at the Burwood murder scene:16 1. There was no sign of forced entry; 2. That the flat was neat and tidy – not disturbed; 3. That the 3 victims had their hands bound with cream coloured tie straps and socks placed in their mouths; and, 4. One of the victims had a dressing gown placed over her head whilst the others had towels. 17 5. A Sterling . 22 rifle was one of a list of weapons that had similar rifling marks to two of the bullets used in the murders – one of the bullets was indistinguishable18. The Sterling rifle that Coulston used in the armed robbery was suspected to have been the weapon used in the Burwood murders19. The police forensic expert Senior Constable Ray Vincent was able to match the distinct impressions left on the bullet by the particular firearm, ‘much like a fingerprint’20. The firearm barrel is manufactured by using a type of drill (reamer) to cut the barrel so it has ‘spiral grooves cut into the inner surface of the barrel’21. The spiralling enables the bullet to spin and therefore maintain a more accurate trajectory22. When the ballistics expert inspects the bullet, he measures the spaces between the markings on the bullet called grooves and lands, and in particular if they twist either to the right or left23. Mr Vincent was able to count the number of grooves, their width and depth, together with the angle of the twist, and compiled a list of manufacturers that had similar rifling marks – one of those was a Sterling . 22 rifle24. Coulston’s defence tried to discredit the ballistic evidence given by Mr Vincent25. By indicating that: 1. 250 bullets had been test fired from the rifle to make a comparison; 2. the job card used to record the firings was incorrectly dated – it was dated August 1993 instead of August 1992; and, 3. the bullets used had been substituted at a later stage. In relation to point 1, His Honour Chief Justice Brenan responded by suggesting that ‘the rifling on these bullets fired at a stage before the burring on the front of the barrel might have changed the perspective of them’26. In essence His Honour was making the comment that the defence may be suggesting that after multiple firings of a weapon the profiling on the bullet may change indicting a possible error being made in the make of the firearm27. In relation to point 2, the defence proposed that the evidence may have been tainted by the fact that ‘something was wrong in the handwritten†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦addition to the document†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦which was a list of weapons having the same rifling characteristics as the weapon inferentially used in the murders’28. The defence was trying to put doubt in the jury’s mind by stating that the list of weapons noted by Vincent, that had the same markings as the murder weapon, was made after Coulston was arrested for the armed robbery in September 1992, noting that Coulston had one of the weapons on the list29. In relation to point 3, the defence stated that the rifling, that is the ‘characteristics of the weapon’ †¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢used in the murders, was based on Vincent’s forensic examination of the bullets’. The bullets had †¦. ‘six lands and grooves with a right hand twist with the lands wider than the groove, land . 063 and groove . 048, Vincent prepared a list of rifles which possessed those characteristics. ’ ‘The list of rifles with those characteristics would therefore identify the murder weapon’30. The defence utilised the services of an expert witness; Mr Barnes (a former Forensic officer later to be discredited) who indicated he was ‘not able to see how you could prepare a list of [weapons] based on those characteristics’ (the land and groove markings on the bullet) to the list of weapons prepared by Mr Vincent31. The inference drawn was the bullets used by Mr Vincent may have been substituted at a later stage. Both the High Court and the Court of Appeal both regarded ‘the issue as improbable’ and regarded ‘Mr Vincent as a credible witness’32. Blood splatter and gun residue Due to the word limit I will only touch on the issue of the other evidence that was gathered from the crime scene in Burwood, as it was not as significant as the ballistic evidence. A forensic scientist had determined that the blood stains from the dressing gown matched blood found on the oil filter that was used as a silencer33. Another forensic scientist determined that the lack of gun residue on the dressing gown was consistent with someone being shot a close range34. These pieces of evidence led to the police interrogation of Coulston who answered â€Å"no comment’. Coulston remained silent in regards to the murder charges throughout the trial and has maintained his innocence to the charges of murder35. Coulston ultimately appealed his conviction of murder to the High Court who dismissed his appeal on the ground that it had ‘no prospects of success. 36 He is now serving three consecutive life sentences and is never to be released. Conclusion The attention to detail and the corroboration of the evidence by another Forensic Officer is tantamount to the credibility of the evidence put before the court. Any mistake made by the Forensic officer can jeopardise the trial and possibly allow a murderer to walk free, as a jury is required to make a decision on the basis of beyond reasonable doubt. In this case, if there was doubt around the date of the job card, the list of weapons and the bullets used; this may put enough doubt in a juries mind to find Coulston not guilty37.

Managing Information Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Managing Information - Coursework Example It has good experience of these exhibitions throughout the year, which adds to many advantages that can be propped in the research. A meeting discussion of a written brief organized by Marston Tools due to research for success had been approached mid-April this year. This paper or business report will focus on the benefits and limitations of information systems as a tool to be applied by the Marston Tools company. An information system can be simply defined as a set of interconnected mechanism that gather, process, accumulate and dispense information to assist in making decisions in a given company or organisation. It usually contains information regarding the persons, places in addition, facilities in the organisations surrounding environment. According to Effy (2008), the components of information systems are; computer hardware and software, databases, telecommunications and human resource personnel. Information systems are of different types in respect with the kind of business or organisation. In this, case a brick and mortar business would require the following types of information systems (Effy, 2008). 2.0 Types of Information Systems 1. ... 3. Management information systems The management information system generates information on expected basis in accurate, organised and timely manner to be used by managers or the business controllers in decision making, problem solving and activity supervision as illustrated by (Effy, 2008). 4. Decision support systems This type of information system collects data from the above information systems and from external sources and produces information that assists management to prepare and draft for the upcoming (Effy, 2008). 5. Office automation systems In this type of information system, tools or electronics improve on the efficiency of the employees and reduce the amount of work in an organisations office (Effy, 2008). The advantages of information systems are several. First, as argued by (Effy, 2008) there is a significant reduction in the cost of recording and storing information. The number of staff required is lower as compared to the manual hence the cost and expenses are reduce d. The storage of records and other information takes less time and space. This implies that the business allocation takes minimal space since information and data is stored in computers and its components. Easy accessibility of information is another advantage of use of the above information systems in a business or organisation. Updating and information retrieval is easy and fast when using electronic information systems as described above. Files and information is interchanged between computers hence making it possible to transfer data from one place to another. The drawbacks or disadvantages of the use of the above information systems are as follows. First, the employees lack job security because there is no certainty with the high technology growth. The growth in technology is

Quantitative data about Tax, Education and Labor in Sweden Research Paper

Quantitative data about Tax, Education and Labor in Sweden - Research Paper Example The 1983, 1985, and 1990-1991 state tax reforms reduced the highest marginal tax from 85 percent to, at present, roughly 55 percent. At present, the marginal tax rate is roughly 30 percent for the low-income and average-income earners and roughly 50 percent for the high-income earner (Stenkula et al. 178). The development of the marginal tax wedges is similar to the development of the marginal tax rates but at a greater degree. The highest marginal tax wedge rose steeply during the World Wars and the 1930s’ depression. The highest marginal tax wedge reached at nearly 90 percent in 1980; following the 1983, 1985, and 1990-1991 tax reforms, the highest marginal tax wedge dropped and is currently standing at roughly 67 percent (Stenkula et al. 178-179). With a population of approximately 9.5 million, Sweden sustains a lavish welfare structure, with compensation packages for life-changing episodes like retirement or illness, and a focus on delivering equal benefits and privileges for everybody (Sonedda 692-4). Consequently, tax revenue as a portion of GDP in Sweden is elevated—approximately 45.8 percent in 2010 (OECD 1). Moreover, Sweden finances its equitable system of education by committing a comparatively high proportion of its GDP to its education system and by committing the topmost spending levels per student in the world. Roughly 7.3 percent of GDP is invested in education. This financing is channeled to both private and public education (OECD 1-2). The entire pre-primary, primary, secondary, and post-secondary non-tertiary education is publicly financed. Sweden’s numbers of enrollees reveal the nation’s remarkable success in putting majority of its population to school (World Education Forum para 4-6). For instance, all adolescents qualified for primary level compulsory education are enrolled. Likewise, compulsory education at the lower secondary level is attended by 100% of female and 99% of male students. These numbers

Business Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Business Strategy - Essay Example It was through this that Apple Incorporated was finally able to come up with its Mac (Macintosh) product line that started to create a name by itself. Integrated with this product line is an Operating System that also struggled to compete with Microsoft. It was not therefore easy for Apple Incorporated to establish its name due to the fact that its industry is home to fierce competition among its key players. However, as competition continues to grow, Apple Incorporated nowadays is able to come up with different product lines such as iPhones and iTunes, iPad, Apple TV, Xserve, professional software application, Mac OS X and iOS operating systems, and other service and support offerings. This is an indication of a never-ending quest for innovative products that continue to help customers address their needs that can only be found from consumer technology products. Apple Incorporated has correspondingly gained big market share in iPhones. Apple’s market share for smart phones in 2008 was 12.9 percent which eventually what made the company as the third largest manufacturer in the world for the said product line (Marino et al., 2010). In the midst of a very tough competition, everything for Apple Incorporated is a matter of creating a need for its product line. ... Company analysis Today, Apple Incorporated operates globally with its products distributed through out its ‘retail and online stores, direct sales force, third party cellular network carriers, wholesalers, retailers and value-added resellers’ (New York Times, 2011). This implies that Apple is into aggressive marketing efforts prior to achieving its competitive advantage. This is an integral part of a global strategy in which the benefits primarily include economies of scale or product replication, the opportunity to serve global customers, exploiting international resources, and the access and integration of knowledge from multiple locations (Grant, 2010; Johnson et al., 2008). This is a matter of giving more ample opportunities for Apple to discover further competitive strength in its industry through the maximisation of its operation and resources, which eventually needs to be worked out. Global companies are known to diversify their operation and find the right combin ation of resources for their competitive advantage (Feist, 1999). In this way, it is necessary for them to reach certain level of achievement in their industry and that is to go for global strategy. The opportunities are great but there are also corresponding higher risks. Apple Incorporated has remarkably taken different approaches prior to achieving a significant market share and eventually enduring on a very tough competition and risks. In May 2010, Apple Incorporated becomes the world’s most valuable company by outperforming the software giant Microsoft based on its stock value. This is an indication that Apple’s strategic moves have paid off over time and its continuing operation in its industry is a significant

Menstual Cycle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Menstual Cycle - Essay Example Ovarian cycle is dependent on two of the three gonadotropic hormones that are produced by the anterior pituitary gland. These hormones include follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). The follicular phase is controlled by the FSH, which includes days 1 to 14, and the luteal phase is controlled by LH, which includes days 15 to 28 of a 28 day (normal) cycle. At the commencement of each menstrual cycle, FSH stimulates follicle development. This result to estrogen production, causing maturation of the ovum contained within the follicle. Oestrogen levels increase as the follicle grows; this high level of oestrogen triggers the pituitary gland to release a surge of LH. This is a positive feedback effect as the levels of oestrogen will be high; causing the muscle and uterine lining layers to be thicker in anticipation of an embryo. This abrupt increase of LH results to the follicle bursting open. This act releases the mature ovum into the abdominal cavity. This proce ss (ovulation) takes place on day 14; the floating ovum is then drawn towards the fallopian tube and travels to the uterus (Ricci & Kyle, 2009). After ovulation, LH levels remain increased and cause the fragments of the follicle to develop into the corpus luteum. Corpus luteum secretes progesterone hormone. The work of progesterone is to maintain the uterus lining. If fertilization fails to take place, then, the corpus luteum disintegrates and the levels of oestrogen and progesterone drop. This drop is triggered by a negative feedback effect on the pituitary due to the combination of oestrogen and progesterone; causing the uterine lining to shrink menstruation commences. This marks the start of another of the follicular phase; which is again day one of the cycle (Rosdahl & Kowalski, 2008). In conclusion, if fertilization occurs, then the negative feedback effect on the pituitary will not be experienced as progesterone level will be produced

Public Finance in the Health Care System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Public Finance in the Health Care System - Essay Example As of July 2013, the census Bureau of the US gives an estimation that the total population of this state of Vermont stood at 626, 630 people (Abrahamsen, 2012). This represented an increase of 0.14%, when compared to the census of 2010. The state of Vermont has an increase in the aging population, and on this basis, there is an increase in the provision of aging health care services within the economy of the state (Abrahamsen, 2012). The Allen Fletcher Health is considered as the biggest private health provider in the state of Vermont, with an employee base of around 7,100 people. As of the year 2010, the entire bill that patients in the hospital paid amounted to 3.76 billion dollars. Currently, 92,000 people have enrolled for the Medicare program. It is important to denote that as of 2011, Medicare was able to spend 740 million dollars on the health care of the state (Deary and sBrown, 2001). The financial capacity of the state is very stable, and it has been able to achieve a balanced budget, since the year 1991 (Deary and sBrown, 2001). The state has an enterprise fund, for purposes of sponsoring activities that would reduce social and economic problems like unemployment, drug abuse, etc. For purposes of understanding the economic strength of Vermont, the state has an individual’s per capita income of 38,306 dollars. On the other hand, the general size of the public sector is 24.3%, when compared to that of the private sector which amounts to 36.6% (Abrahamsen, 2012). Based on these grounds, the private sector is wider than the public sector. The tax system of this state is also favorable, and one of the unleast fair tax structure in the United States. This is because the tax structure gives income tax credit to low waged workers. This is for purposes of ensuring that there is an equitable distribution of resources. One of the health care reforms initiated