Coens’ No Country for Old Men Essay Essay Example

Coens’ No Country for Old Men Essay Paper McCarthy’s renowned fresh. â€Å"No State for Old Men† was wonderfully handled by the couple managers. Joel and Ethan Coen in their altered version for the screen. one of the most praised movies of 2007 of the same name. The film had the format of a offense thriller. Just like the novel. the movie trades with the exciting adventuresome secret plan of a drug trade which goes incorrect and the cat- and- mouse play among the three major characters of the novel. Llewelyn Moss- the supporter. Anton Chigurh- the adversary and the old adult male Sheriff Ed Tom Bell who supervises the probe. We will write a custom essay sample on Coens’ No Country for Old Men Essay specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Coens’ No Country for Old Men Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Coens’ No Country for Old Men Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Before acquiring into the chief treatment whether the movie version has done proper justness to the novel or non. it is of import to cognize some of the basic inside informations of the fresh itself. â€Å"No State for Old Men† gets counted among the finest plants by the American writer. Cormac McCarthy. The narrative revolves round the incident of an illicit drug trade in a distant location. United States and Mexico Border in around 1980. There are four major characters in the fresh apart from Carla Jean Moss. the immature married woman of Llewelyn. Llewelyn Moss. the supporter is a welder who is the victim of the trade and Anton Chigurh is the adversary. the psychopathologic character with eyes â€Å"Blue as lapis. At one time glittering and wholly opaque. Like wet stones†¦Ã¢â‚¬  ( McCarthy. Cormac. No State for Old Men. 2005 ) dark brown hair and dark skin color. In short. Chigurh is non a pleasant character. Sheriff Ed Tom Bell. the old adult male is a World War II veteran who is asked to transport out the probe of this drug trade. It is he who has to see the horrors of legion offenses and slayings. He tries his best to work out it and his reminiscences form the Page 2 core portion of the narrative. Carson Wells is the 4th adult male who gets into the action. He is the former lieutenant Colonel from Vietnam War and another gunman who has been specially hired to recover money from Chigurh. Most of the narrative is being narrated in 3rd individual which is interrupted by the first individual reminiscences from Ed Tom Bell. The novel comes up with the minimal duologue but McCarthy could make the mystical air which the readers enjoy most. Harmonizing to the critics. Anton Chigurh is â€Å"one of McCarthy’s most memorable creative activities. † Chigurh’s relentless trueness to retrieve the hard currency made him the most unusual character of the secret plan. He is ready to extinguish anyone who comes in between Moss and him. He knows his occupation and he is loyal to it. His usage of homemade arms like coffee- can silencer or aerate goaded cowss gun make him even more interesting to the readers. Sheriff Bell. the old adult male is therefore non suited for the mission he has been assigned. The modern epoch is in demand of another barbarous adult male to battle the sociopath like Chigurh. The fresh terminals with the disclosure of the rough truth that the old work forces will non happen an ideal state to populate in this modern epoch. The novel is an first-class offense thriller with the disclosure of the biggest truth of the â€Å"mercenary civilization† . † ( The Official Web Site of the Cormac McCarthy Society. No State for Old Men 2005 ) . The Coen brothers did a superb occupation every bit far as their handling of the subject of â€Å"No Country for Old Men† is concerned. The film is based on a well knit book which focuses on the episodes of the novel. The scene of the movie is precisely the same which the readers have Page 3 visualized while reading the novel by McCarthy. The first scene of the movie introduces us to the bare state side of West Texas. Josh Brolin is Llewelyn Moss in the movie who plays the perfect function of a tragic supporter who is chased by the sociopath Anton Chigurh. acted by Javier Bardem. The Coen Brothers did non bury the usage of the alone arms by Chigurh. A confined bolt handgun is shown to the viewing audiences in the scene where Chigurh strangles a deputy of Sheriff. The film involves tonss of hiting. concealing sequences. drive and running scenes to maintain the gait of the offense thriller in tact. The aim was that the viewing audiences must experience the pulsation of the bang. The existent adult male of the secret plan is certainly Sheriff Bell acted by Tommy Lee Jones. Lee Jones did a fantastic occupation in the movie playing the aging adult male who could non happen an ideal state to populate in. He realizes that he is non suited for today’s epoch. The chief characters serve as the loose terminals of the enigma that revolves round the drug trade. It was the undertaking of Coen Brothers to bind up these loose terminals in such a manner that the viewing audiences get the subject of the novel. The aim of McCarthy was non to demo the hiting accomplishments of these characters but the effects of exerting free will. game of opportunity and the predestination. The movie version succeeded in bring oning the nexus between destiny and circumstance into the heads of the viewing audiences. The motive of the novel like predestination. opportunity and free will or the dry relation between destiny and circumstance have been finely weaved in the scenes of the film. Chigurh decides his religion by tossing coin and this episode has been used by both the novelist and the managers to demo the huge importance of the subject of opportunity in life. Scott Foundas wondrous summaries the terminal of the movie in â€Å"The Village Voice† . â€Å"In the terminal. everyone in No Country for Old Men is both huntsman and hunted. members of some Page 4 endangered species seeking to prevent their extinction† . ( Scott Foundas. â€Å"Badlands† . Village Voice. Nov 6. 2007 ) A. O. Scott of New York Times remarks Bell. Chigurh and Moss â€Å"occupy the screen one at a clip. about neer looking in the frame together. even as their destinies become of all time more closely entwined† . ( Scott. A. O. 2007-11-09. â€Å"He Found a Bundle of Money. And Now There’s Hell to Pay† . New York Times: Performing Arts/Weekend Desk1 ) This was the aim of McCarthy and Cone Brothers and they succeeded in giving a proper form to this mission in their movie version of the same novel. Even Roger Ebert states that â€Å"the film demonstrates how pathetic ordinary human feelings are in the face of implacable injustice† in the Nov 8. 2007 edition of Chicago Sun- Times. In short. it can be said that the movie is the perfect version of the novel with really small changes. It captures everything from the enigma of the secret plan to the alone portraiture of the characters to the claustrophobic urban dark to the mid twenty-four hours unfastened sky of the bare land of Texas. Cinematographer Roger Deakins shot legion landscapes to mean that the movie is non about any celestial salvation but earthly wickedness which is devoid of any godly intercession. The novel has been brightly adapted in the movie and masterfully altered to function the intent. The critics have pointed out that each and every duologue and scene has been taken from the pages of the novel. Therefore. Coen Brothers did non let the critics to raise the issue which one is better. the novel or the movie version. Both can be considered to be a individual creative activity. The film highlights the subject of destiny which really picks up the adult male who is traveling to decease following. It is a game of fate and the characters are Page 5 mere marionettes in the custodies of the same although they think they are make up ones minding the undermentioned actions. Coen Brothers could present the message of the decease of society and immorality can non be defeated which McCarthy wanted to demo in his novel. It is non about the decease of any peculiar person but the decease of the human society. The great histrions should besides be credited for the success of the movie along with the managers. They delivered their best natural public presentations. Just like the book the movie is rather violent and bloody and therefore it accurately reflects the kernel of the original beginning. The Coen Brothers knew that casting is the most hard undertaking for the devising of â€Å"No Country for Old Men† . Sheriff Bell is the psyche of the film and the managers were reasonably serious about the choice of the histrion for the function. They picked up Tommy Lee Jones and succeeded in their mission. The managers knew that they were in demand of a genuinely great histrion and Lee Jones being a Texan was the most suited for the occupation. But the undertaking for choosing an histrion for the function of Moss was even more hard. Ultimately Coen Brothers found the histrion Josh Brolin. the discovery screen histrion who could understand the ground why Moss was introduced in the secret plan. Josh Brolin played his natural function in the movie. Now. the Coens were in hunt of Chigurh. the dark character missing the sense of wit as portrayed by McCarthy. Bardem was chosen after his immense success in Before Night Falls and The Sea Inside. Thus. casting was done brightly by the Coen Brothers to present the message of McCarthy. All the major histrions and actresses were nominated either for the Oscar or Emmy Award including the Scots actress. Kelly Page 6 Macdonald who was chosen for the function of Carla Jean. ( Interview with Joel and Ethan Coen in Emanuel Levy after the movie was premiered in the Cannes Film Fest 2007 ) The Cannes reappraisal states Cinematographer Roger Deakins captures everything from mid- twenty-four hours open- sky views to claustrophobic dark clip urban action ; in timing and tenseness. No State for Old Men is one of the most cliff-hanging movies the Coens have of all time made. which says a batch. Cormac McCarthy’s novel has besides been imposingly well- adapted- improved and altered. but however full of McCarthy’s clear. concise yet poetic voice. With all of the apparently standard- issue thriller secret plan devices in the piece-money. guns and trouble- there’s dim opportunity that some might non catch the smaller. subtler subjects of No Country for Old Men. which would be a shame ; this is a narrative about decease. non merely slaying ; this is a narrative about privation. non merely money ; this is a narrative of rule. non merely chase. †¦ . How we live. how we die. what we regret. what we fear. ( Rocchi James. May twentieth 2007. Cannes Review: No Country for Old Men. Cinematical. com ) No Country for Old Men was non the first venture of Coen Brothers every bit far as managing a offense thriller is concerned. In fact they are quite specializers in this genre. They handled the same genre in Blood Simple 1984. Joel wrote the narrative and it had the same sort of Texas puting as in McCarthy’s novel. It was all about A fly-by-night Texas investigator ( M. Emmet Walsh ) . on the trail of an extramarital twosome. is smarter than everybody else in the film but non luckier. as he realizes when his manus Page 7 gets stuck on a window shelf. ( Ranked among the 10 Best Coen Brothers Moments by TIME in an article by Richard Corliss ) Blood Simple was non that popular as No Country for Old Men. But it is rather apparent that Coen Brothers were non freshmans when they took up the narrative by McCarthy for a successful movie version of the same. In Fargo 1996. Coen Brothers filmed the narrative of a auto salesman who hired work forces to nobble his ain married woman for a amount of 80 thousand dollars. The offense finally led to a concatenation of slayings and an probe procedure. Coens managed to acquire seven Academy Nominations for this movie and won the Best Original Screenplay and Best Actress Award. The movie besides earned positive response at the Cannes Film Fest 1996. Therefore. Coen Brothers had already mastered the art of shooting a offense thriller secret plan by the clip they ventured into No Country for Old Men. No State for Old Men is decidedly a movie of better quality than Blood Simple and Fargo. This movie bagged three British Academy Film Awards. four Academy Awards for Best Director. Best Picture. Best Supporting Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay along with two Golden Globes. But the movie No Country for Old Men is non appreciated by all. Some critics are non happy with the movie version of the novel although the movie is the accurate version of the same. The reminiscences of Ed Tom Bell at the beginning of each chapter of the novel are losing in the movie. The viewing audiences admit that the film is interesting and they were impressed by Bradem’s public presentation but they complained that â€Å"the full movie is really Page 8 slow paced. and the stoping is improbably disconnected and thoroughly unsatisfying† . ( Film reappraisal posted by Melissa Niksic on 3rd Apr 2008 in virago. com ) The movie linguistic communication has to be different than the linguistic communication of the novel merely because these are two wholly different media of looks. There was about no music in the full movie. The aim was to present the message through the silence. It is true that this is non a film for everyone. Those who love to watch offense thrillers or are good acquainted with Coen Brothers’ manner. they will certainly love it. Otherwise. the film is excessively much about trailing. slaying. blood and chase. But we can non fault the managers for that because that is what is at that place even in the novel. Although Coen Brothers have altered few scenes and ignored few chapters from the novel. that truly did non impact the message that need to be delivered. Every manager chooses the scenes that will lend to the development of the secret plan and disregard the 1s that are non relevant. The aim is to give a proper form to the novel and Coen Brothers have decidedly done that with fantastic casting. superb filming. and their techniques to weave the machination secret plan of a offense thriller. minimal duologue and minimal usage of music. The movie raises of import theological inquiries sing Truth and Justice and Judgment. It would be incorrect to knock the movie as a misunderstanding of the novel instead it has given a new dimension to the construct of the decease of society highlighted by McCarthy. The film is so a all right version of the novel with little pardonable changes to accommodate the linguistic communication of movie. We can pull the head covering of this treatment as it was summarized by Ryan Parker. The Graduate Theological Union in the movie reappraisal for No Country for Old Men in JRF. Page 9 The Coen brothers’ ability to weave comedy and play of the extreme earnestness. along with spot- on casting and flawless public presentations have all resulted in one of their best movies to day of the month and surely one full of fresh fish for theological treatment. ( Vol 11. No. 2 October 2007 ) Page 10 Work Cited Interview with Joel and Ethan Coen. Emanuel Levy. Cannes Film Fest 2007 Melissa Niksic. movie reappraisal. virago. com. posted on 3rd Apr 2008 McCarthy. Cormac. No State for Old Men. 2005 Richard Corliss. Ranked among the 10 Best Coen Brothers Moments. TIME Rocchi James. Cannes Review: No Country for Old Men. Cinematical. com. May twentieth 2007 Roger Ebert. Chicago Sun- Times. Nov 8. 2007 edition Ryan Parker. The Graduate Theological Union in the movie reappraisal for No Country for Old Men in JRF. Vol 11. No. 2 October 2007 Scott. A. O. â€Å"He Found a Bundle of Money. And Now There’s Hell to Pay† . New York Times: Performing Arts/Weekend Desk1. 2007-11-09 Scott Foundas. â€Å"Badlands† . Village Voice. Nov 6. 2007 The Official Web Site of the Cormac McCarthy Society. No State for Old Men 2005

Scarlet Letter Critical Review Paper essays

Scarlet Letter Critical Review Paper essays Scarlet Letter Critical Review Paper The Scarlet letter is a very important and impacting story to the time back then on the East Coast, to now in 2002. It is a love story that is broken up in several different ways. Sometimes you may think its just a story about how leaders in that time handled things. This could be true. You may also think its a story of the Devil and revenge on one another. That could be true. Or, you may think its a story of a woman coping with the trademark of an adulterer. All of these things should be taken into consideration when dealing with the thought of the Scarlet Letter story. It is not only a love story, but also a story of leadership, revenge, and all ends with misfortune. First of all, the Scarlet Letter could be defined as a story of love. This story could truly be a love story. The main plot to the story is love. The reason that Hester wore the scarlet letter is because she was in love with a man. In most old love stories, it usually happens at the end that a big misfortune happens and the two lovers are separated either by death or the worlds rules. In Romeo and Juliet, the two had a big misunderstanding and died right next to each other. So many things can tell us that the Scarlet Letter is a love story. One thinks while going into this story that the main character is in love and is in trouble for it. The lover remains a mystery, but the story goes on as a love story. Second of all, the story could also be portrayed by a story that of leadership. The leadership in the times of these was very harsh. If you stayed on their good side, you will remain unharmed. If you were to get on their bad side, well, you could just forget your dignity because its history. Hester Prynne had to wear a red letter A upon her chest for all of her life to signify that she was an adulterer. She had to stand before the city because she committed a v...

Workplace Inequity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Workplace Inequity - Essay Example That may make them more satisfied with their "work" in the short run, but their performance certainly didn't improve. Each and every organization is faced with people challenges. How do you get public moving in the right direction Start where they are. The first step is to provide feedback to employees from their current point of view. That is where Inscape Publishing comes in. For nearly 30 years Inscape guides have been first choice for research-based self-assessments. They've helped over 30 million people worldwide progress performance, increase job satisfaction and value differences (Hines, 1990). Through out summary of our database is presented here on the basis of all responses. First of all we sort 250 responses by gender and therefore we conclude that in gender distribution males has less contribution than the females that is approximately 38%; similarly the female percentage observes approximately 62% regarding this database. According to table we can easily observe the percentages of participants in each department, and conclude that administration department having maximum percentages as well as human resource having least percentages of selected employees. According to this table, we can observe that the mean overall satisfaction by gender having greater percentages in female category, that is 4.3187 mean satisfactions and for males its 4.1874 mean satisfaction according to job satisfactory level with their jobs. So we can say that there is very slight difference in terms of mean overall satisfaction by gender. If we choose a person at random from this database: - What is the probability that this person will be between 22

Arizona v. Gant (2009) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Arizona v. Gant (2009) - Essay Example The court ruled in favor of the defending and held that in the case of Arizona V. Gant the search conducted by police officials was wrong and it let to Gant’s deprivation of 4th Amendment Rights (Caselaw.lp.findlaw.com, 2015). The rationale behind the court’s ruling was that once the police have secured the suspects at the scene, the police officers cannot indulge in a search without a warrant. Furthermore the rationale was that the crime for which Gant was arrested was less severe in nature and did not require a search at all. The dissenting opinions were provided by Alito, Roberts, Kennedy and Breyer who argued that in this case the court was overruling its own solution that they opted for in the case of New York V. Belton. They argued that in that case the court allowed all officers to conduct a search in a suspect’s vehicle that has been stopped for violating traffic rules and same was the issue in Arizona V.

The representation of women in magazines through the decades till Essay

The representation of women in magazines through the decades till today - Essay Example Many of the texts based on the portrayal of women have discussed that women in the media have been routinely subject to symbolic annihilation. The media stereotyped women roles. Social scientists like Tuchman et al were of the opinion that media like advertisement, films, news and all other media content focus on the traditional domestic roles of women and treat women as objects of sexual pleasure. Margaret Gallagher in a study funded by the UNESCO had explained the reason why women have remained concerned about the image of women in the media. In this context it may be said that, â€Å"The†¦..media are potentially powerful agents of socialization and social change- presenting models, conferring status, suggesting appropriate behaviors, encouraging stereotypes† (Byerly and Ross, 2006, p. 17). Thus one can understand why the media portrayal of women have become subjects of concern for the feminists and has continued till the present day of post modernism. Rather it can be said that these issues have contributed to both the academic and popular feminist struggles. In fact feminists believe that media has more power in the present age and as a result has more influence on the image of women (Byerly and Ross, 2006, pp. 17-18; Chambers, Steiner, & Fleming 2004). The first wave of feminism centered on traditional movements for civil rights. With the publication of The Feminine Mystique Betty Friedan broke the traditional role of women and the cherished role of the timid housewife, which was the dream, and envy of the American young women (Kemp & Squires, 1998, p.3). The 50s brought about a discontent in this image of women amongst the women themselves. There was a rising dissatisfaction, which was inexplicable by the women. The stay-at-home role of women has been criticized under the influence of the second wave of feminism during the 70s and 80s (Bradley, 2007, p.1). At this time of publication the world of media comprised of essentially three categories – television, radio and morning newspapers, which launched women’s pages, engaged in homemaking and care giving. Other forms of media include Time, a weekly news magazine, Life, a weekly issued picture magazine and other magazines like Ladies’ Home Journal and Good Housekeeping, which essentially made the women their target audience (Poindexter and Meraz, 2008, p.3). The names themselves suggest the traditional concepts of gender roles. With time however, the concepts of ‘gender gap’ (related to differences in educational performance and pay between men and women) and ‘gender-bending’ have been explored by journalists to analyze the relationships between men and women (Bradley, 2007, p.2). The paper analyses the representation of women in magazines with respect to the way it affects their social identity When the First World War began in 1914, women witnessed a fall in the stereotyped traditional differences between the economic enviro nment and private sentiments. Men found an escape route from the social financial and sexual duties subjugated within the feminine household and found solace in more typically masculine areas of work like navy and army. The spaces assigned to women during this time were mainly domestic or home based. The war somehow curtailed the women’s movements for suffrage and other campaigns though these formed the backdrop for the activities of women during this wartime. The article â€Å"

Origins Of The Kadazan People

Origins Of The Kadazan People The Kadazans are an ethnic group indigenous to the state of Sabah in Malaysia. They are found mainly at Penampang on the west coast of Sabah the surrounding locales,and various locations in the interior. Due to similarities in culture and language with the Dusun ethnic group, and also because of other political initiatives a new unified term called Kadazan dusun was created. Collectively, they form the largest ethnic group in Sabah. While Kadazan was an official designation for this ethnic group it is widely believed that the term itself was a political derivative that came into existence in the late 1950s to early 1960s. No proper historical record exists pertaining to the origins of the term or its originator. However, an article written by Richard Tunggolou on this matter may shed some light. According to Tunggolou, most of the explanations of the meanings and origins of the word Kadazan assumed that the word was of recent origin, specifically in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He says that some people have theorized that the term originates from the word kakadazan (towns) or kedai (shops), and from the claim that Kadazan politicians such as the late Datuk Peter J. Mojuntin coined the term. However, there is evidence that the term has been used long before the 1950s. Owen Rutter, in his book, The Pagans Of North Borneo, published in 1929, wrote: The Dusun usually describes himself generically as a tulun tindal (landsman) or on the West Coast particularly at Papar, as a Kadazan. (page 31). Rutter worked in Sabah for five years as District Officer in all five residencies and left Sabah with the onset of the First World War. This means that he started working in Sabah from 1910 and left Sabah in 1914. We can therefore safely say that the word Kadazan was already in existence before any towns or shops were built in the Penampang district and that Kadazan politicians did not invent the word in the late fifties and early sixties. The Bobolians or the Bobohizans of Borneo was interviewed to seek better picture of the true meaning of the term Kadazan, a Lotud Bobolian was asked what is the meaning of Kadazan or kadayan? Kadazan means the people of the land. The Bobohizan from P enampang was also interviewed seeking the real meaning of Kadazan .The Bobohizan Dousia Moujing confirmed that the Kadazan has always been used to describe the real people of the land Kadazan means the people of the land. That confirmed what Rutter had described about the existence of term Kadazan. Thus the word Kadazan actually not derived from the word kedai (meaning shops in Malay). Over a hundred years, the people of Kadazans were ruled by the Brunei Sultanate; the Kadazan or Kadayan in Lotud, Marangang, Liwan were being addressed by the Sultanate as being the Orang Dusun which means the People of the Orchard Because in Malay, Dusun means Orchard Farm. Thus administratively the Kadazans are called Orang Dusun by the Sultanate (Tax-Collector) but in reality the people that was called Orang Dusun are in fact Kadazan. An account of this fact was written by the first census made by the North Borneo Company in Sabah, 1881. Administratively all Kadazans are called Dusun as their ethni c identity. Only through the establishment of KCA (Kadazan Cultural Association) in 1960, this terminology was corrected and replaced into Kadazan. When Sabah formed Malaysia together with Sarawak, Singapore and the Peninsular Malaysia in 1963, under the newly form nation of Malaysia, administratively all Orang Dusun born after the Malaysia formation is called Kadazan as their ethnic origin. There were no conflict with regards to Kadazan as the identity of the Orang Dusun between 1963 to 1984. But in 1985 through the KDCA (formally called KCA) the Dusun was once again being introduced after much pressures received from the various parties with one reason to divide the Kadazan and the Orang Dusun once again. As the division has been established and successful, the fall of the ruling government (PBS) was accomplished. PBS through the KCA then, finally coined in the new term to represent the Orang Dusun and Kadazan as Kadazandusun. Press released (Sabah Times and Daily Express) by various parties argued that it should not be Kadazandusun but Dusunkadazan! Leaders in Singapore and the Peninsular Malaysia until today acknowledges the people as Kadazan and not Dusun. The ex- Prime Minister of Singapore addressed the ethnic group in Sabah as the Kadazans, and many leaders of Malaysia today. It was said that the Kadazan/Dusun people originated from a place called Nunuk Ragang wh ich is roughly located at Tampias, where three rivers, Liwagu, Takashaw, and Gelibang meet to the east of Ranau and Tambunan. Nunuk is a Dusun word for Bayan Tree, Ragang comes from the word Aragang which means red. Nunuk look like giant that provide good natural shelters. Its tree top was estimated to be able to shelter under seven Kadazan/Dusun huts (a hut measure 12 by 20 feet). C:UsersUserDesktopNunukRagang (1).jpg A replica of Nunuk Ragang in Ranau Culture Characteristic Kadazan culture is heavily influenced by the farming of rice, culminating in various delicacies and alcoholic drinks prepared through differing home-brewed fermentation processes. Toomis and linutau are the main rice wine variants served and consumed in Kadazan populated areas, and are a staple of Kadazan social gatherings and ceremonies. Religion The Kadazandusun were traditionally animists but have been influenced by both Christianity and Islam. Many of those that the government counts as Christians come from a church tradition where any child that is born into a family that calls itself Christian is also considered to be Christian. Those holding to traditional religion today believe in a spirit world that is especially important in the cycle of rice cultivation as well as major events in the cycle of life. Although believing in a supreme being who created everything, they also attribute spirits to many things in nature such as birds, animals, and plants. The rice spirit in particular figures prominently in their beliefs and practices. Some of the Kadazandusun people groups are noted for their use of priestesses (bobohizan) for controlling the spirits. The majority of the Kadazans are Christians, mainly Roman Catholics and some Protestants. Islam is also practiced by a growing minority.The influence of the Spanish missionaries from the Philippines resulted in Christianity in its Roman Catholic form rising to prominence amongst Kadazans. A minority of them are protestants due to later British influence during the 20th century. Before the missionaries came into scene animism was the predominant religion. The Kadazan belief system centers around the spirit or entity called Kinorohingan. It revolved around the belief that spirits ruled over the planting and harvesting of rice a profession that had been practiced for generations. Special rituals would be performed before and after each harvest by a tribal priestess known as a bobohizan. C:UsersUserDesktopbobohizan.jpg Bobohizan Festival The most important festival of the Kadazans is the Kaamatan or harvest festival, where the spirit of the paddy is honoured after a years harvest. The Kaamatan festival is an annual event in the cultural life of the Kadazandusuns of Sabah since time immemorial. In its deepest sense Kaamatan festival is a manifestation of Creator and Creation relationship, as well as Inter-Creations relationship. It embodies the principal acts of invocation of divinities, appeasing purification and restoration re-union of benevolent spirits, and thanksgiving to the Source of All. It is part of a complex wholesome Momolian religious system centered on the paddy rites of passage and the life cycle of Bambarayon the in dwelling spirit of paddy. C:UsersUserDesktoppesta.jpg Harvest festival Appeasing is done in respect of Bambarayon, Deities, Divinities and Spirits, who may have been hurt by human wrongful acts. Purification is performed in respect of human and spiritual needs for forgiveness followed by resolutions to make themselves worthy of the gifts of life from God. Restoration in necessary to ensure the health and well being of SUNIL, mankind and other spiritual beings. Reunion is realised in respect of human needs to be integrated in body mind and spirit within the concept of the seven-in-one divinity in humanity, as well as re-union of Bambarayon with human Sunduan. Finally Thanksgiving is observed as befitting for all creations to express their gratitude and appreciation for the gifts of life (through Huminodun) and all life supportive system on earth that their Creator lovingly and generously gave them. This takes place in May and the two last days of the month are public holidays throughout Sabah. During the celebration the most celebrated event is the crowning of the unduk ngadau or harvest queen, where native Kadazandusuns girls throughout the state compete for the coveted crown. The beauty pageant is held to commemorate the spirit of Huminodon, a mythological character of unparalleled beauty said to have given her life in exchange for a bountiful harvest for her community. In marriages, marriage customs amongst the Kadazans vary a little from one district to another but in general are the same. The most important thing about Kadazan marriage customs is the role of the parents of both sides for it is they who make the choice and all the arrangements for the joining together of their children. Usually the children abide by their parents decision. The business of making the engagement is done when the boy is only twelve years old and the girl eleven The Kadazans call this miatod. The process begins with the boy who is to be engaged paying a formal visit to the girls house accompanied by some relatives and close friends. The visit is made at a time which has been agreed upon beforehand. In the girls house everybody is ready waiting with members of the family and close friends as well. Whilst waiting for the arrival of the boys party, the girl is told to make seven rice-balls as a special dish for her future husband. When she has done this, she is hastily sent to the house of one of her relations, which is never, however far from her own. As soon as the boy arrives he is invited to enter and is seated on a mat specially woven for occasions such as this, and which is called lawangan by the Kadazans. In the meanwhile the question of the size of the dowry is discussed by the elders from both parties. Usually a Kadazan dowry consists of a large gong, a small gong a, (small) cannon, a buffalo, some bronze, land, and so forth. The agreement is made to become effective on the day of the actual wedding. Finally a meal consisting of rice and buffalo meat, pork, chicken and similar dishes, washed down with drinks like ricewine and the juice of the coconut blossom is consumed to the accompaniment of the beat of gongs. This is when the special rice which has been prepared for the boy by his bride-to-be is fed to him by an old lady from the girls side. This is done in front of all present. After this everything is over and the guests depart, except for the bridegroom-to-be and some of his close friends who stay behind in the girls house. Now the girl returns from her relations house in order to meet her future husband and in order to serve him with more food and drink. That night the boy and his friends sleep in a room by themselves in the girls house. They will return home the following morning. Three days later the girl returns the visit. The same procedures are followed as with the boys visit to the girls house except that the boy does not have to move out of his house while his fiancee and her friends are there. The next day the girl is sent back to her own house by her fiancee along with other members of her family. While they are waiting for their coming of age the engaged couple stay with their own parents. However, the boy is obliged to help in his future mother-in-laws house doing such chores as collecting the firewood ploughing the soil and putting up temporary sheds and the like. Similarly the girl must help her future mother-in-law to plant the rice, cook and so on. The boy may visit the girls house whenever he likes on his own. The girl may also do likewise on condition that she is accompanied by her mother, an aunt or an elder sister. If the boy has an elder sister, he may invite his fiancee to stay a night or two in his house. At the same time if either one of them breaks the rules a penalty will be exacted. When the parents think that the time has come for their children to be married usually around sixteen or seventeen years of age the date for the wedding is fixed by mutual agreement. At last the betrothal ceremony can take place. A man who is fairly advanced in years from the bridegrooms side is chosen to carry out the betrothal rites by reading a short couplet set to a Kadazan melody. Then a huge feast is held at which several buffaloes ,pigs and chickens as well as a number of jars of rice-wine and bamboo stems of coconut blossom juice are consumed. Language Of The Kadazan People Rationally Kadazan language has existed since their ancestors, at first use of the native languages à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹is a branch of every human interaction, deliver and receive information. In particular, the spread of such dialects are starting from a small community groups. These groups communicate and develop an understanding of identity through their language. Eventually it will grow through the diffusion and increase the quantity of these groups. Originally the Kadazan community groups are in small amount, over time it evolved into large clusters. Kadazan tribe has its own language. Kadazan tribes and Dusun tribes are actually a different tribe, but were of the same family. Language of both these tribes nearly the same, distinguished only by minor differences in spelling and pronunciation. For example, home as walai in Dusun and hamin in Kadazan. Many other words that differ only in spelling such as two the duo in Dusun and duvo in Kadazan, and nine referred to siam in Dusun, and sizam in Kadazan. However, there is the same word as a the iso in both languages and six is onom. Music and Dance The Kadazans have also developed their own unique dance and music. Sumazau is the name of the dance between a male and female performed by couples as well as groups of couples which is usually accompanied by a symphony of handcrafted bronze gongs that are individually called tagung. Sumazau and Tagung usually played during festive occasions and feasts especially the wedding feast. The Sumazau Dance Tagung team The Kadazan have a musical heritage consisting of various types of tagung ensembles which is composed of large hanging suspended or held bossed or knobbed gongs which act as drone without any accompanying melodic instrument. They also use kulintangan ensembles with an horizontal type melodic instrument. Agungs also play a major role in agung orchestras ensembles composed of large hanging suspended or held knobbed gongs which act as drones without any accompanying melodic instrument like a kulintang. Such orchestras are prevalent among Mindanao Lumad groups (Bagobo, Bilaan, Bukidon, Hanunoo, Magsaka, Manabo, Mangyan, Palawan, Subanun, Tboli, Tagakaolu, Tagbanwa and the Tiruray), regions in Kalimantan and Indonesia (Iban, Modang, Murut) and Sabah and Sarawak in Malaysia (Bidayuh, Iban, Kadazan-Dusan, Kajan, Kayan), places where agung orchestras take precedence over kulintang like orchestras. The composition and tuning of these orchestras vary widely from one group to another. For instance, the Hanunoo of Mindoro have a small agung ensemble consisting of only two light gongs played by two musicians on the floor in a simple duple rhythm while the Manobo have an ensemble (called an ahong) consisting of 10 small agungs hung vertically on a triangular frame. It includes three musicians: on e standing up, playing the melody, and the rest sitting. The agong is divided by purpose with the higher-pitched gongs (kaantuhan) carrying the melody three to four lower-pitched gongs (gandingan) playing melodic ostinato figures and the lowest pitched gong (bandil) setting the tempo. The Kadazan-Dusun, located on the western coast of Sabah refer to their agung ensemble as a tawag or bandil, which consists of six to seven large gongs in shoreline groups and 7 to 8 large gongs for those in interior valleys. In southwestern Sarawak, Bidayuh agung ensembles consist of nine large gongs divided into four groups (taway, puum, bandil, and sanang), while among the Iban of Sawarak, Brunei, Kalimantan, agung ensembles are smaller in comparison. Such ensembles can either perform alone or with one or two drums played with the hands or wooden sticks, as accompaniment. They play either homophonically or in an interlocking fashion with the gongs. These agung orchestras often perform at many types of social events, including agriculture rituals, weddings, victory celebrations, curing rites rituals for the dead, entertainment for visitors and other community rituals. The Agung. the left gong is the pangandungan, used for basic beats while the right gong is the panentekan, which complements the pangandungan. Kulintang is a modern term for an ancient instrumental form of music composed on a row of small, horizontally laid gongs that function melodically, accompanied by larger, suspended gongs and drums. As part of the larger gong chime culture of Southeast Asia, kulintang music ensembles have been playing for many centuries in regions of the Eastern Malay Archipelago the Southern Philippines, Eastern Indonesia, Eastern Malaysia, Brunei and Timur, although this article has a focus on the Philippine Kulintang traditions of the Maranao and Maguindanao peoples in particular. Kulintang evolved from a simple native signaling tradition and developed into its present form with the incorporation of knobbed gongs from Sunda.Its importance stems from its association with the indigenous cultures that inhabited these islands prior to the influences of Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Christianity or the West making Kulintang the most developed tradition of Southeast Asian archaic gong-chime ensembles. Technically, kulintang is the Maguindanao Ternate and Timor term for the idiophone of metal gong kettles which are laid horizontally upon a rack to create an entire kulintang set. It is played by striking the bosses of the gongs with two wooden beaters. Due to its use across a wide variety groups and languages the kulintang is also called kolintang by the Maranao and those in Sulawesi and kulintangan or gulintangan by those in Sabah and the Sulu Archipelago and totobuang by those in central Maluku. By the twentieth century, the term kulintang had also come to denote an entire Maguindanao ensemble of five to six instruments. Traditionally the Maguindanao term for the entire ensemble is basalen or palabunibunyan, the latter term meaning an ensemble of loud instruments or music-making or in this case music-making using a kulintang. Kulintang The instrument called the kulintang (or its other derivative terms) consist of a row/set of 5 to 9 graduated pot gongs, horizontally laid upon a frame arranged in order of pitch with the lowest gong found on the players left. The gongs are laid in the instrument face side up atop two cords/strings running parallel to the entire length of the frame with bamboo/wooden sticks/bars resting perpendicular across the frame creating an entire kulintang set called a pasangan. The gongs could weigh roughly from two pounds to three and 1/8 pounds and have dimensions from 6-10 inches for their diameters and 3-5 inches for their height. Traditionally they are made from bronze but due to the shortage of bronze after World War II and the subsequent use of scrap metal brass gongs with shorter decaying tones have become commonplace. The kulintang frame known as an antangan by the Maguindanao (means to arrange) and langkonga by the Maranao could have designs that could be particularly crude made from only bamboo/wooden poles or highly decorated rich with artistic designs like the traditional okil/okir motifs or arabesque designs. It is considered taboo to step or cross over the antangan while the kulintang gongs are placed on it. The kulintang is played by striking the bosses of the gongs with two wooden beaters. When playing the kulintang, the Maguindanao and Maranao would always sit on chairs while for the Tausug/Suluk and other groups that who play the kulintangan, they would commonly sit on the floor. Modern techniques include twirling the beaters, juggling them in midair, changing the arrangement of the gongs either before or while playing, crossings hands during play or adding very rapid fire strokes all in an effort to show off a players grace and virtuosity. The Kulintang The sompoton is another musical instrument. A ceremonial ring of cloth sash is worn by both male and female. The Sumazau and gong accompaniment is typically performed during joyous ceremonies and occasions, the most common of which being wedding feasts. The sompoton is a mouth organ which is prevalent among the Kadazandusun and Murut community. This fascinating instrument that originates from the district of Tambunan is constructed from a dried gourd and eight bamboo pipes which are arranged in a double-layered raft. A small lamella of polod palm (like a tiny jaw harp) is inserted near the base inside each sounding pipe to create a sweet harmonious sound. The pipes are fitted into a hole on one side of the gourd, sealed with bees wax and bound with thin strands of rattan. To create the perfect melody, musicians will have to manipulate the instrument by covering and uncovering the openings of three of the shortest pipes with the right hand and three small holes near the front and back pipes with the left hand. The sompoton can be played as a solo instrument for personal entertainment or in an ensemble to accompany a group of dancers. The sompoton has a gourd wind chamber from which extend 8 pipes arranged in two rows. There are bamboo reeds in seven of these pipes only, and three of these pipes do not have sound holes and are played by closing and opening the tops of the pipes with fingers of the right hand. The sumpoton can be played with the pipes pointing up, as is done with smaller instruments or with the pipes pointing either sideways or down with larger instruments. The instruments range in size from 6 inches to 3 feet in length, with the average size of just over 1 foot. Music featured in the folk traditions of this very interesting and unique. The tools and traditional sounds are abundant in Kadazandusun and it has the potential to be inherited by the younger generation. Among other musical instruments popular tradition is gong, Sompoton, Kulintangan, togunggu or togunggak, bungkau, pumpuak, sundatang, distilled, turali, tongkungon and others. Birth and Naming Ceremonies When a woman gives birth to a child in a house, a leaf known as wongkong is immediately tied over the door. This serves to give notice that a birth has taken place and that only those who live nearby may call. During her period of pregnancy until several days after delivery, the mother is completely in the hands of the midwife. The midwife is usually an elderly woman who is held in high esteem amongst the villagers. Apart from looking after the delivery of the child, the midwife is also responsible for all the medicines, which consist of the roots of trees, herbs, and so on. The midwife advises the mother on the relevant taboos and massages her both before and after childbirth. The name of the newborn babe is chosen by its grandparents. If the child was born in the house of the mother-in-law, they will have this responsibility; if in the house of the mothers own parents, they will choose what they consider to be an appropriate name. The names chosen are taken from these ancestors and are based on the world around them such as the names of trees, animals, and so on. Kadazan boys take names like Gimbang, Kunul, Kerupang, Galumau,Gantuong, Empurut, Ampingan, Sangan and so forth: typical, girls names are Semitah, Rangkumas, Ansayu, Baimin, Salud, Amin, Nani and Mainah. When the newborn child is about a month old, the shaving ceremony takes place. Goats, pigs and chickens are always slaughtered for this occasion. There are also jars of rice-wine and dozens of bamboo-stems of coconut blossom juice for those with means, and whatever they can afford for the less well-off. Beliefs about Illness According to Kadazan belief, illness is caused by supernatural beings such as ghosts and devils which dwell in the virgin jungle, in fig-trees and in large boulders. Besides this, the Kadazans also believe that some people (called stridden) have the power to cause illness in others whom they do not like. When someone falls ill in the house, his family will call for a medicine-man who in the case of Sabah is not a man at all, but a woman. This woman not only casts spells and explains the necessary taboos to be followed but also provides medicines appropriate to the sickness from which the patient is suffering. These medicines include, inter alia, the tail and skin of a python, the tail and fat of an ant-eater, cockroaches, bees, rats, rattan roots, nibung-palm roots, betelnut roots, langsat (a fruit) skin and wild bananas. The medicine-woman brings a chicken, a pig and some yellow rice to a fig-tree or a large boulder which she believes to be the abode of a resident spirit. All these things are provided by the family of the sick person. At the boulder or beneath the fig-tree the woman softly chants her spells in the language of the spirits. This done, she will put the yellow rice in a bamboo stem, to which is added the chicken and pigs blood which she has just slaughtered, as well as their hearts and lungs. The bamboo stem is then placed on the boulder or below the tree in the ordained manner to the accompaniment of certain words. The medicine-woman then returns home without looking back once. The slaughtered pig and chicken are left where they are for the time being so that the resident spirits can cast their spells over them the spells will be absorbed into the carcasses of the dead animals. After about half an hour the carcasses will be brought back to the sick mans house. The slaughtered chicken is smeared all over the body of the patient, followed by the pig which is held by two men. Then the pig is suspended between two poles outside the house and roasted over a fire of bamboo. (No other wood may be used for this purpose:) Whilst the roasting is going on, no one is allowed to utter coarse speech, for to do so according to the general belief would prevent the sick man from ever recovering because the spells of the spirits would have been rendered inoperative. Should someone reveal an easy heart by laughter in the sick mans house, the person concerned has to pay a customary fine of one chicken. If untoward remarks are made about the fat running off the roasting pig it may not be eaten. The methods described above for the treatment of the sick applies to those who have been crossed by a ghost or a spirit. Funerals When a death occurs in a village everyone is informed. A taboo which must be observed is that no one must do any kind of work on the day of the funeral above all the work of planting rice. It is believed that any work done on such an occasion can only bring misfortune engendered by the fate of the deceased. However, this taboo does not apply should the deceased die far from his own village. First of all the body is washed and then dressed in fine clothes and sprinkled with rose-water. Sometimes, if the deceased was a cigarette or cheroot smoker, a cigarette or cheroot is placed in his mouth. The body is kept in the house from three to seven days before it is buried. While the body is in the house, all the occupants must keep awake. Whoever falls off to sleep will be doused with water and cannot take offence. The purpose of keeping awake is to watch out for the devil or genie which in the guise of a large bird will try to fly away with the body. Should the bird come, the day will become overcast and gloomy and there will be thunder and lightning, which will give the creature its chance to dash into the house and look for the body. This bird is known as the pendaatan bird. In order to avoid the birds onslaught, cloth is hung around the body. The bird is frightened off by the cloth which it mistakes for human beings. There should be an atmosphere of complete calm and silence in the house there should be no idle chatter or angry words. In this quietness solace is sought by the slow beating of gongs or drums, the sound of which the Kadazans refer to as Surabaya. These gongs or drums may only be beaten three times a day that is when the sun sets at midnight and as the sun rises the following morning. The greatest care is taken to prevent a cat from jumping over the outstretched corpse for the Kadazans believe that if this happens the dead man will be transformed into a dangerous and terrifying giant. No coffin or burial jar is used for those with neither rank nor wealth. They are carried to the burial ground wrapped up in cloth and tied to a pole which can be easily lifted. When the body is ready, it is carried in procession to the grave to the accompaniment of gongs and drums, firecrackers and gunfire. On arrival, a spell is cast over the body by an elderly man specially chosen to wait by the open grave. The grave itself is swept with green betelnut leaves so as to prevent the spirits of those who have come along being left behind there. The body is then lowered into the grave while a sprig from a banyan tree is taken and stuck over its navel. After this has been done, the grave is filled in. The purpose of the banyan sprig is to ascertain whether the deceased still thinks of his wife and children. If he does, the sprig will sprout a shoot; if no shoot appears, this means that he has forgotten all about those he has left behind. A small hut with an attap or zinc roof and with beautiful designs carved on its plank walls is erected over the grave. A shirt, a clean metal cigar/cigarette box, and some betelnut quids cigarettes and similar items are placed in the middle of the hut. The family of the deceased will send food to the hut every afternoon for seven days, because it is believed that during this period the soul of the dead man has not yet left the body and so still requires food from its living relatives. No one is allowed to disturb these things. Anyone found doing so will be fined a chicken or five dollars. The bodies of well to do Kadazans are placed in large burial jars which are firmly closed before they are buried with the body inside. Then another very expensive jar is placed above the grave. In some places the burial jar and its contents are not taken straight away to the burial place but are kept in the house itself or in a special hut erected nearby so that the family can mourn there whilst waiting for other relatives who live far off to arrive. Then only is the jar buried. After three days have passed since the burial, a feast is held at night. On this occasion members of the deceaseds family let fall three drops of candle wax through the cracks in the floor of the house onto the ground below.

About Simian Virus 40 (SV40) Essay -- Immunology, Diseases

Simian virus 40 (SV40) is a monkey virus that was introduced into the human population by contaminated poliovaccines. The vaccines were produced in SV40 infected monkey cells between 1955 and 1963. The site of latent infection in humans is not known but the presence of SV40 in urine suggests the kidney as a possible site of latency. SV40 is a small DNA virus that is studied extensively because it is able to transform and immortalize multiple cell types (Ozer 2000, Saenz-Robles et al. 2001). Polyoma viruses infect mammals causing tumors and cancer. Similarly to polyoma viruses, SV40 contains a DNA that is associated with histones in a circular complex containing 20- 22 nucleosomes (Varshavsky et al., 1977). SV40 DNA is located in a 50 nm capsid which is composed of homopentameters of the major capsid protein, VP1 (43 kilo Daltons) associated with one of the minor structural proteins VP2 or VP3. Under physiological salt and pH conditions, VP1 alone remains disassociated, and at pH 5, it assembles into tubular structures. Between pH 4 and pH 7, VP2 allows the VP1 pentameters to assemble in spherical particles and incorporates VP1. Furthermore, the virus has an icosahedral symmetry and contains 72 pentameters (Liddington et al., 1991). Figure 1shows the proposed structure of SV40 DNA and the length of each region within the virus. The diagram highlights the arrangement of the early and late regions. Furthermore, it shows the clockwise and counter clockwise symmetry of the large T antigen (TAg), small T antigen (tag), and the major capsid proteins within the virus. Figure 1: diagram of the SV40 virus genome. In 1989, Fogleman et al. analyzed the uncoating and penetration of Simian virus (SV 40). It uses the ganglioside... ... Takahashi, Y., et al. â€Å"Analysis of Promoter binding by the E2F and pRB Families In Vivo: Distinct E2F Proteins Mediate Activation and Repression.† Genes 14 (2000): 804-816. Tà ¼rler, Hans, and Consuelo Salomon. "Simian Virus 40 as a Vector: Recombinant Viruses Expressing Individual Polyoma T Antigens." Virus research 54.2 (1998): 133-45. . Varshavsky, A.J., et al. â€Å"Compact form of SV40 Viral Minichromosome is Resistant to Nuclease: Possible Implications for Chromatin Structure.† Nucleic acids research 4 (1977): 3303-3325. Vilchez, R.A. â€Å"Association between Simian Virus 40 and non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.† Lancet 359 (2002): 817-823. Wang, Chih-Hung, et al. "Simian Virus 40 T Antigen Induces p53-Independent Apoptosis but does Not Suppress erbB2/neu Gene Expression in Immortalized Human Epithelial Cells." Cancer letters 137.1 (1999): 107-15.