Essay 1
The modern media continues to showcase acts of violence prompting parents and educators to raise concerns regarding the effects of such violence on their children. It is the undoubted truth that children are inexperienced and may want to practice what they see in films , for example, in their daily lives. Moreover, parents and educators raise the concerns that violence that children see from the media can influence the relationship of the children with their peers. Therefore, there is a need to examine the extent to which certain media platforms may appear to promote violence among the children audience. The paper discusses violence as the changing concepts of childhood in the modern society as presented in the film of Shrek.
The modern child is curious to learn more and discover the meaning of actions in a film (Buckingham 142). Notably, the film, Shrek introduces the audience to an act of violence when Lord Farquaan chases the fairytale animals to far away swamps. In that first incidence, the film wants the child to get curious in what may happen next after the violence. The film shows the violence as though the children audience can understand that the fairytale characters are not human beings (Roberts 29). The modern child is curious to learn more from what they see in the media. However, it is the undoubted truth that a child can directly associate the acts of the characters in the film with the human actions. The events that children witness in that incidence of violence may relate to what they see in everyday life. Thus, the film intends to prompt the audience to become curious at the first time and then wait to see what happens next. Notably, at the first incidence of violence exposes to the audience to believing that violence can be a way of solving problems. It is a concept of the modern childhood that they can relate what happens in the daily lives to what they see in the media (Buckingham 56). Therefore, the act of Lord Farquaad relates well to what happens in the modern society.
The film turns emotional when Farquaan tortures the Gingerbread to force him to reveal the whereabouts of the fairytale creatures. It is during this torturing that the film seems influences the audience to be emotional but at the same time continue watching the unfolding events. Consequently, due to this act of violence parents may prohibit the children from accessing the remaining contents in the film. However, the curiosity that the children have will force them to find ways to watch the film in which violence dominates without their parents noticing (Buckingham 144). As a result, the curiosity of the modern child outweighs the emotions that the film elicits when Farquaan tortures Gingerbread. Therefore, the modern child may not be interested in the violence in the film but their curiosity to watch what their parents deny them leads them to watch the violence in the Shrek.
It is noteworthy that the violence in the film seems to impress the audience when Shrek and the talking donkey engage in a tournament of wrestling knights in exchange of Farquaan removing the fairytale characters from Shrek's swamp. The modern day child is impressed by violence that films such as the Shrek do showcase as (Jenkins) seems to suggest (17). Thus, the film convinces the audience that violence can be a way of solving problems as (Buckingham 141) points out. The modern child will see the violence and the actions of Shrek to wrestle the knights and then to move forward as a measure of brevity worth to emulate unlike the traditional child who could scary of the violence showcased in the film, Shrek. Thus, the film impresses the modern child to emulate what Shrek does without considering the consequences (Roberts 35). It is during such acts of violence that parents and educators should use the film to educate the children of the risks that accompany acts of Shrek if they emulate them as (Jenkins) suggests (18). Therefore, to the modern child, Shrek is a hero whom they feel they may want to emulate.
Another act of violence is witnessed by child viewers when the donkey and Shrek fight the dragon that guards the castle where Fiona is in captivity. It is noteworthy that the modern child is in support of Shrek and may justify his actions because Shrek tries to support a human being, Fiona. In the past, the child could not follow a film like Shrek and identify with the main character. However, the child may not understand the cause and Shrek’s aims to fight the deadly battles. It is difficult for the children audience to see the motives behind the actions of Shrek in saving Fiona. However, such children may be independent to support Shrek and the donkey without relying on information from their peers and their parents. Additionally, the violence that Shrek perpetuates may influence the independent child to think that there are forms of violence that are justifiable such as the ones that aim at saving lives (Buckingham 18).
The climax of the film, the Shrek happens when Shrek goes to the swamp where Farquaan and Fiona are having a wedding. Consequently, the film turns horrific when suddenly Fiona turns into an Ogre and scares all those who attend the wedding. Moreover, Fiona defies Farquaan and wants to escape with Shrek. In that scene, the modern child is likely to take sides in the violence and either support Shrek or Farquaan. It is a concept of the modern childhood for children to critique a film that they watch. (Buckingham 123). For instance, one child may support Shrek while the other may support Farquaan. Additionally, there are those children impressed by Shrek others may not and as such divisions occur thereby generating arguments among children who watch the film. Therefore, the climax of the films may influence the children to become critical in analyzing the film especially when they differ on who to support between Farquaan and Shrek.
Therefore, in conclusion, it is noteworthy that not all acts of violence in the film of the Shrek may influence the audience to be violent. When children identify themselves with different characters in the film, they tend to support such characters and their actions. As a result, debate develops between different groups of children talk about the film. Thus, the debate leads to criticism of the film by the children audience.
Essay 2
In chapter fifteen of the Harry Potter and chamber of secrets, Harry lands at Hogwarts with his friend after an accident. However, Harry is not contended with the status of affairs in the castle especially when he remembers the spiders in the castle. During one of the school days, Harry, and his friend, Ron set for the forest to look for spiders. While in the forbidden forest, three monster spiders take Ron and Harry to an open ground where they meet the blind spider, the Aragog. The story of Aragog attracts the attention of the readers as it uses the features of transmedia to explain the horrific experiences of Ron and Harry before Aragog and combines both human and animal characters to bring out a fictional experience for the reader. Therefore, the paper discusses the features of transmedia that have been used to create the story of the Aragog.
First, the story uses Micro worlds to tell the reader about the experiences of the characters. It is a feature of the transmedia stories to use micro worlds in examining the experiences and features of the characters in the text (Jenkins 69). The story of the Aragog and Harry is a micro-world because it integrates both human and animal characters to explain complex experiences of the characters. Additionally, the story integrates multiple characters such as Ron, Harry, the three spiders and Aragog to expand the story behind the grasp of the reader. The story uses fictional characters such as the three spiders to explore the world far beyond the understanding of the readers.
Another feature that makes the game of secrets a transmedia is its use of different entry points that seem to attract readers from different walks of life. For instance, when Harry and Ron enter the forest they appeal to the readers who like the adventure. Although Harry and Ron may lack the agenda for going into the forest, a reader who likes adventure will be keen to follow the story of the two boys and what they are likely to find next in their journey of adventure. Moreover, a different entry strategy of the story of the Aragog comes in when the spiders capture Ron and Harry. For the reader who likes horror stories, he will be interested to find out the end Harry and Ron in the hands of the spiders. It is a feature of the transmedia storytelling practices to create different entry strategies that may attract readers who have interests in different topics (Jenkins 67). In the story of the Aragog, the entry strategies appeal to the readers who have an interest in horrors and adventures.
Additive comprehension is another feature that makes the chamber of secrets a transmedia story. Additionally, the feature of additive comprehension makes every episode in the story to have a unique contribution to the entire chapter as (Jenkins) points out 72. For instance, the decision by Harry and Ron to look for the spiders in the Forbidden Forest shows how inquisitive and curious the two can be in pursuit of their goals. Moreover, when Harry and Ron encounter the spiders, the three spiders spare them but capture them and disappear. The episode has the meaning that either the spiders intend to kill Harry and Ron at the residential place of the spiders will take the boys to their master who will decide the next action. Therefore, the episodes in the story of the Aragog help the reader to understand the basics of the fiction and revise the previous episodes to understand the actions of the fictional characters.
Finally, the story of Aragog leaves the reader with more options to fill in the gaps that it leaves out. The story leaves more things unrevealed for the reader to connect the dots. For instance, when Harry and Ron come across their car, the writer does not make any attempt to tell the reader what they plan about their car. Moreover, when Aragog orders the spiders to attack Ron and Harry, the reader waits to see the spiders moving towards the two individuals but that did not happen until Wesley appears from the woods to save Harry and Ron. Moreover, the reader expects to see the spiders pursuing Ron and Harry but that does not happen in the scene of the Aragog. Therefore, the scene of the Aragog is a transmedia in that it introduces potential plots that it does not tell to the fullest. Indeed, the story leaves it to the reader to elaborate on the scenes that the writer does not fully develop.
In conclusion, the story of the Aragog is a transmedia because it uses micro worlds by using both human and animal characters. Additionally, the story is told from different points, a common feature among the transmedia. Moreover, the story has a feature of additive comprehension where every episode has a unique contribution to the entire text thereby making it a transmedia. Finally, the story introduces potential plots that it did not develop fully thereby leaving the reader with options to connect the dots and get the meaning of the episodes. Therefore, these features make the story a transmedia.
