‘The Last King of Scotland’

‘The Last King of Scotland’ is a film based on the novel by Giles Foden directed by Kevin Macdonald, which gives us an idea about Idi Amin’s regime (1971-1979) in postcolonial Uganda, in Africa. The main characters are Idi Amin, marvelously played by Forest Whitaker and Nicholas Garrigan, remarkably performed by James McAvoy.


The film portrays the cruel yet charismatic personality of the dictator who employs the Scottish Doctor Garrigan as his personal physician. Weak Nicholas Garrigan is seduced by Amin’s charm and at first he is unwilling to see the atrocities the dictator commits. Despite Garrigan’s ambivalent morality and lack of courage, he eventually recognises Amin’s brutality and tries to escape from him and leave the country.

Although some historical details have been modified to fit the plot, the film gives a picture of the dictatorial regimes that took the power in post-colonial Africa. These regimes were frequently supported by one of the superpowers, in the specific case of Uganda by the USSR, in times of the cold war.

Storm

The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin

The Story of an hour reflects an extremely odd reaction of somebody towards the death of a relative. The short story begins by telling us how Mrs. Mallard, Mr. Mallard’s wife, had a heart problem and how everyone tried to be careful with it. This time, they could not omit the fact that a very tragic news was about to change Mrs. Mallard’s life. Richards was a friend of Mr. Mallard and he had been the one to see the name Brently Mallard at a leading list of killed people in an accident at a newspaper office. Immediately, he decided to go and give the news to his friend’s wife.

Josephine, Mrs. Mallard’s sister was the one to break the news to her whose wish was to be left alone. She went to her room and sat for a moment. She cried a little and then, began to wonder and think how she was now free, finally to live for herself and with no one to impose anything to her. When she went back to the room were she had been, someone was opening the door, it was Brently Mallard, and when Mrs. Mallard saw him, she died.
I think this story is perhaps to be read as a sad and tragic one but from my point of view, it isn’t. From the very first moment in which Mrs. Mallard began to think about her freedom, we can see that she wasn’t happy or able to share her opinions. We can relate this to the 19th century marriage, since the story was written at the last part of this period. Women were to stay dependent on a man either as a daughter or as a wife and it wasn’t easy for them to obtain the divorce, on the other hand, men could, under the circumstances of adultery committed by their wives. If this were to happen, their children became the man’s property and the women weren’t able to see them again.
When Mrs. Mallard thinks she is free and realizes that she isn’t and dies, it is the way she is released and relieved from her painful life. This is why I believe it has a happy ending ironically and also literally because at the end, doctors say that she had died of the joy that kills.

Bloo Star

“The House of the Devil”

“The House of the Devil” is a 2009 horror film supposedly based upon true events. The movie recreates the old style of horror motion pictures, with filming techniques and technology similar to those used back in the 70s and 80s.

It tells the story of a young college student named Samantha Hughes who gets a job as a babysitter in order to pay the first month’s rent of her new flat. When she arrives at the house she is going to work, a weird old man named Vincent Ullman welcomes her. He confesses her that there is no child to babysit, only his mother. He promises that the old lady is independent enough that Samantha might never see her. She is supposed to work there only for a few hours as Mr Ullman and his wife have an important meeting, and he doesn’t want to leave his mother alone. She feels something is wrong with the house and the people, but she stays because she sees the money as the only way to pay the rent of the apartment.

After several minutes of suspense, she is caught and tied to an altar in the basement. The Ullmans and a deformed priestess that appears, make a satanic ritual with blood on Samantha’s belly. She manages to free herself, she stabs the people in there, and escapes. Then she starts feeling things on her stomach, she begins to have hallucinations of the demonic priestess, and to hear voices in her head. As she cannot stand what she is going through, she shoots herself with a gun, but she doesn’t die.

The film ends showing Samantha being unconscious in a hospital room, and a nurse telling her that she shouldn’t worry because both are going to be fine, her and the baby to come.

This movie is a clear example of what I believe real terror is. I highly recommend it for the ones who like getting scared and think terror is much more than just blood and gory scenes. This is a masterpiece.

Kite

Crime and punishment

The text I read about crime and punishment says that, according to some statistics, London has some 7,000 crimes per year per 100,000 of its population and many decent people who live in urban areas have decided to move to pleasant surrounding areas because of that. The text also says that all societies have criminals and it is thought that the best thing to stop crime is to have an efficient police force and judiciary to remove them to prisons, borstals and psychiatric hospitals in order to punish and rehabilitate them. Then, the text shows that it is not like that, on the contrary, this system does not work properly because when prisoners are released from prison most of them commit crimes again. In fact, criminal do not rehabilitate. As a conclusion, the text states that we should change from the old punishment- based judicial system to one which really cares for all men, so that criminals can finally change their attitudes towards society.
In my opinion, this would be a good idea because, for example, in Argentina, police force and judges are not at all efficient. What is more, prisons are in awful conditions and many of the prisoners are kept inside them for many years without a sentence. This fact is, for me, unfair and has to change as soon as possible.

Tania

Top of the World by The Carpenters

Last week, I was working and I listened to 4^th form students singing this song in the music class. They are practicing it for the end-of-year choir. I can´t believe they were singing it! My parents used to listen to it when I was kid. When I came back home, I immediately looked for it.  I started playing it and now I can’t stop listening to it! It´s a beautiful song if you are in love and a sad one if you are not. Either way it makes you cry!

This song was composed by The Carpenters in 1973 and topped the Billboard. Then, some other singers like Lynn Anderson and Björk covered it. I would highly recommend this song to you. It´s so sweet! Karen Carpenter´s voice is incredibly angelical! You will fall in love with it!!!!

Zoe.

“A JUDGMENT IN STONE “

“A judgment in stone” is a crime-fiction novel written by the well-known British writer Ruth Rendell in 1977.This novel is about an illiterate and psychotic woman called Eunice Parchman, who having killed her father, moved place and using false references achieved to be taken on as a housekeeper by the wealthy and well-educated Coverdale family. In her eagerness not to be discovered neither her illiterate condition nor her criminal record, she began to behave in more and more bizarre ways as time passed .Unfortunately, the youngest of the family, Melinda, discovered that the servant is illiterate, but Eunice had heard a conversation in which the girl told her boyfriend that she had an overdue. Eunice used that information to threat the girl in order not to reveal her secret. However, Melinda broke into tears and let her mother know all about it. Although Mrs. Coverdale asked Eunice to leave the house, Eunice stole Mr. Coverdale guns from his collections before leaving the house. Eventually, on the 14 th February night, on Valentine´s Day -while the four members of Coverdale family were watching a soap on tv -she shot them down in their living-room.
I strongly recommend this novel because its plot is so intriguing and full of suspense that makes the reader not to want to stop reading.Furthermore, the author recounts the events in such a vivid way that it is impossible not to feel caught by it.

MELMAN

Irony and humour to reflect on Indian deep social problems

‘The Grass-Eaters’ is a short story written by Krishnan Varma and published in 1985. It is a quite vivid story which takes place in Calcutta, one of the largest cities in India, with a population of over nine million. The characters in the story are Hindus. As it is well-known, Hinduism is a religion and philosophy characterized by a belief in reincarnation, that is, the transfer of the soul into another body after death. By reading this story, readers will not be able to help laughing, but the real feeling about it becomes really tragic.
Events in the story are original and gripping and, at the same time, are told with a high degree of humour and irony. The main character is a homeless teacher who goes from one place to another with his wife looking for a location to live in. They have stayed in an overcrowded footpath of an Avenue; in an “abandoned-looking” freight wagon which finally takes them far away; and in a cement concrete pipe. After all, they come to live on the roof of an old building. They manage to build their home over there with a number of old empty coal tar drums and a tarpaulin for a roof. They eat grass as their staple food but, anyway, they feel the life they are living is something like paradise.
The theme of this story is homelessness and poverty in the context of an over-populated city. This is, of course, a no cheerful matter to deal with. However, the author tells us about it in such a good way –by means of humour and ridiculous circumstances– that we can know about this serious social problem but with no sadness and horror. In fact, I think this feature of the narration is, clearly, the major merit of the text: the ability of giving account of dreadful facts through an enjoyable and funny narrative.
Regarding to this question of style, it must be remarked that Varma achieves the description of events and main characters giving them the shape of a caricature. Whence, the recourse to the exaggeration provides the reader the possibility to picture himself the dramatic background of the story while enjoying joyfully of the text. Naturally, a skilful use of language by the author –lexical items and syntactic choices, for instance– contribute significantly to the goal of the short story.
In conlusion, I consider that ‘The Grass-Eaters’ is a really amusing and extraordinarily well-written story which, while providing a joyful reading, allows us at the same time to be aware of some critical problems of every-day life.

Blue worm

'The lady in the sacque' by Walter Scott

'The lady in the sacque' by Walter Scott is an extraordinary story in which the writer tells us what happens to an American General after coming back from the American War of Independence.
Browne, the main character is invited by Mr. Woodville to spend a whole week in his friend's mansion in order to relax after so many battles. The General enjoys an excellent first day with his friend and some other visitors. At night, Mr. Woodville takes him to the bedroom which he himself has assigned for his special guest. In spite of the fact that the castle is very attractive, this antique room has a peculiar feature. Woodville has specially selected that bedroom for ‘the brave soldier’. Browne discovers the reason during that first night there, when the relaxing time in the castle happens to be terrifying.
I highly recommend interested readers to have a look at this terror story. Written by the Scottish novelist Walter Scott, this story also exhibits a historical background and perspective which is closely related to the American Revolution.

Jackie

On U2 concert

I` ve just read an article , which was a critic about U2 `s concerts in the “Estadio Unico” in La Plata, the capital of Buenos Aires, located in Argentina.


As I went to the last concert , I wanted to share my emotion and happiness, because I`m actually a fan of this Irish group. It is formed by four men: Bono, the Edge , Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen.

According to their political ideology, I totally agree with it, because they are against the problems that Neoliberal societies are suffering. I was shocked ,when Leon Gieco was on their stage and they sang “ Solo le pido a Dios”. Also, there was another example that was when they performed a song called “ Miss Sarajevo”.

U2 showed us that the almost all politicians around the world have to learn about these messages against war , poverty, illnesses, diseases, hunger, etc. that the population of the countries of the “Third World” are suffering now.

Graffiti Woman

Cat´s Eye by Margaret Atwood.

By the time I had to prepare my reporter I was doubtful about what I was going to write. At last it came to my mind a novel, a fiction novel that I had to read years ago for an English Literature course.It is called Cat´s Eye written by Margaret Atwood.


This novel deals with the story of a famous painter Elaine Risley, who after having lived abroad for many years,decided to return to the city of her birth, Toronto. The story narrates memories about her childhood friendships mainly. And it also describes very in detail ow cruel a child can be on others, whose personalities are weaker. According to the writer Margaret Atwood ,Cat´s Eye is about , how girlhood traumas continue into adult life.

Well I must say that I enjoyed to read this novel a lot. The story of different experiences and situations that the main character suffers in her relationship with the rest of her friends, made me feel identified in a way with some personal experiences in my life, when I was a child. During the reading certain memories about my childhood came back to my mind and that was good.

Ambar.

Hans in Luck

Hans in Luck is an interesting story published by the brothers Grimm in the nineteenth Century.  This tale is about a man named Hans, who after having served his master for seven years, decided to ask for his wages and return home to see his mother. As a result, the master gave him a big piece of silver and let him go. On his way home, he alternately came across five men that, to his mind were luckier than he was. The first one was riding a horse, which Hans liked so much that he traded it for the silver stone. The second guy that appeared had a cow so Hans changed it for the horse. Then, a third man with a pig showed up and they exchanged their belongings. After that, the same thing happened twice more with a goose and a common stone which Hans got from a grinder.
The story has many different versions, but the message is the same: no matter what life gives people they always want everything the others have. In our modern world, these kind of things happen as usual as in the old times.

Victoria

"Travels with my Aunt" by Grahan Greene

Some years ago I read the novel "Travels with my Aunt"(1969). It was written by the English writer Graham Greene (1904-1991).The author depicts the dull life of Henry Pulling, a man in his fifties early retired from a bank. He is not married and devotes most of his time to growing dahlias, his passion. On occasion of his mother's funeral, he meets his aunt Augusta a rather eccentric and bohemian woman in her seventies. Augusta invites him as a companion on a series of travels to other countries. Although he is not interested, he accepts because he was intrigued as regards some affairs of his mother and father.

When the adventure starts they become to know more about each other and also about themselves. During their trips, the reader can experience the irony and amusement with the funny stories Aunt Augusta tells Henry. As time passes by and the adventurous trip progresses, the reader can perceive the real bond between Henry and his aunt. He was raised by his aunt and his real mother is Augusta.

I would highly recommend "Travels with my Aunt "because it is a well - written book with a simple style that makes the story easily enjoyable. Besides, the humorous situations the characters undergo amuse the reader from beginning to end.

Spoon

Welcome 2011!

Hello, people! We have been producing texts for this blog for two years and here we are again, ready to start the third year. I hope you all find this blog interesting and enjoyable, both as readers as well as writers.
Anahí