Little Women
Little Women is a film that has been remade countless times, and the most recent remake was released in 2019. The previous film Little Women was shown on the screens in 1994 and starred such Hollywood stars as Wynona Ryder and Kirsten Dunst, while the 2019 version involves Saoirse Ronan and Florence Pugh. The main difference between the two versions is the depiction of characters. For example, the mother in the family in the 2019 remake is presented as a kind woman without any sins, with her daughters claiming that she is never angry and her partly corroborating this statement, claiming that she is “learning to not let it get the better of [her]” (— 00:52:31). On the contrary, in 1994 version, Marmee is illustrated as an ordinary person. In one part, one of the sisters even mentions that “Beth needs Marmee. She depends on her,” which illustrates the importance and strength of the mother (Little Women, 00:51:09). Thus, here, Marmee, the mother, is the person on whom the household relies.
A Modest Proposal
In the excerpt from Jonathan Swift, the author uses satire to raise the issue of human value. He proposes an outrageous method of rearing male children for them to be “reserved for breed,” and to nourish them, to make them plumper, as if one cares for the cattle. Here, the satire can be seen with the phrases such as “the remaining hundred thousand may, at a year old, be offered in sale to the persons” and “let them suck plentifully in the last month, so as to render them plump, and fat for a good table,” which seems as if one is talking about animals. This is where the underlying message is, which is to stop treating the malnourished and poor part of society as animals and, instead of perceiving them in this way, start to help them.
The Tempest
The central themes of the drama The Tempest are mercy and revenge. For example, the first theme can be seen from the approach of Prospero, who seeks revenge on others, praying to “let them be hunted soundly” (Shakespeare 77). However, in another scene, Prospero shows mercy to Antonion by claiming, “I do forgive thee,” and stating that they, as brothers, have a bridge between them, and Prospero abandoned the love he once had for his sibling (Shakespeare 81). Therefore, the author draws a parallel between the beliefs of the characters.
Works Cited
Little Women. Directed by Gillian Armstrong, performances by Wynona Rider, Kirsten Dunst, Columbia Pictures 1994.
- Directed by Greta Gerwig, performances by Saoirse Ronan and Florence Pugh, Columbia Pictures, 2019.
Shakespeare, William. The Tempest. Collins, 1806.