Justice at Night - Martha Gellhorn (Recast)

My diary...

So, me and my friend were on our way to Columbia from Trenton, New Jersey. This was the beginning to our tour of America which is I must not forget to add a distance of 3,000 miles. The vehicle that me and my friend purchased was for $28.50, it was eight years old. The car was aged, perhaps it lived longer than it should have. I don't think anyone took much notice of it, or took care of it. This was evident in all the dust and filth on the back seat which had been accumulated over these long slow eight years. We didn't have much hope in the car to say the least but I guess we just wanted something, anything to help us to manoeuvre around faster than walking and so this was it. We commenced our journey, hoping to come across pleasant surprises on the way but what we witnessed was the complete opposite. We saw something spine tingling. How? Because our car broke down. This led us to fall dependent on two truckers who were passing by for reaching to Columbia. We met them, seemed fairly normal guys and then they starting speaking about a lynching which was taking place nearby and how they were actually on they're way to 'watch' it. It was of a 19 year old black boy called Hyacinth who was accused of 'raping' a 50-60 year old woman whom the two truckers described as someone not attractive at all. They said, 'They could stick her out in a field and she'd scare the crows to death.' Now my main concern was how does everyone know he raped the woman, how can they be sure? What evidence do they have? I raised several questions and the only reply the driver gave was 'She says she did...thats enough for us.' Absolutely disturbing. They took us with them cause we were going to reach Columbia on their truck... We went to the lynching. I saw all kinds of people there, all men. I stopped. Stopped right there. I watched in shock, horror and fear. I was taken back at the sight of what was occurring. Almost felt numb and frozen because I couldn't do anything to help the young poor boy, Hyacinth, I was helpless. He was hung on the roof with a rope ... a man approached him with a burning torch made of newspaper... erm... it formed contact with Hyacinths feet before it slowly started to travel upwards, faster. I looked away crying, crying from all my heart. I wish I did something to stop this injustice. Regret, sorrow and remorse is what I feel.

Commentary

Yet to be done.

Women in Horror films

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3zLybNBmtY

We chose to use this clip as an example as it shows the stereotype of the "helpless woman" in horror films, especially with young women as cheerleaders etc. She questions the killer of the protocol of what she is supposed to do when he's attacking her, leaving him confused. This shows that there is a clear "routine" in teen horror films. The girl is a flirty, promiscuous cheerleader which confirms the belief that women like this are normally killed off in horror films.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTR1vN0scKA


We chose this clip as this film is an example of women being targeted in films. The main female character is targeted as soon as her husband leaves her home alone. However, it is surprising as the first person to signify something is going to go wrong is a young girl.

The Bitch Manifesto - Autobiography

The Bitch Manifesto Autobiography

So, I’m independent… that makes me a Bitch right? I’m ambitious… Oh guess what? That too makes me a Bitch! And is there anything wrong in being strong-minded because boy, I am not going to let people tread over me in this world full of competitors. But even my third quality which in my eyes makes me a good person, to others it makes me a Bitch. I work, yes I work, I get good pay and I earn a living for myself, only for myself. That’s not being selfish. That’s being a Bitch. So now the self fulfilling prophecy comes in… I have been labelled and so I’ve commenced on this ‘Bitch’ career. I have conformed to the ideas of others. Maybe I feel comfortable in being a Bitch.

Sometimes I wonder if my colleagues wish I just dropped dead… I am at a higher position than most. They are jealous of me. Yes I don’t usually reply when they say good morning, yes I don’t generally smile at them, yes I’m not immediately gratified with the work they do. But so WHAT? I am a Bitch. If it hurts them, it hurts them. I’m here to stay and they can’t do anything about it. But I wonder if my boss thinks the same, I think he is one person I am not a Bitch to. I’m not married because Bitches don’t really get married do they but then there are Bitches who rely upon others, I’m not one of them. I’m a normal Bitch, I tend to not use others. I like being independent. So I guess my boss is someone I obey. He pays me for the work I do. I need money, money gives me status, and it gives me domination. Oh there you go; I like to be domineering so I must be a Bitch’s Bitch.

I look like a bitch too. I’m tall, that gives me the power to look down upon people… I sound mean but you know it’s funny; I wasn’t like this when I was young. It’s almost as if throughout the years I have been functioned and moulded in to being the Bitch I am today. It’s because I’ve gone through certain times in my life which have torn me apart, I can’t afford to be shattered into pieces again. So I’ll be a Bitch, I’ll be all that I am for as long as I live. My heart is a rock now, it won’t break again.


Commentary

I chose to use three dots as pauses to convey that she is thinking as she is writing this. She is thinking because being a Bitch means something to her, it has given her everything she’s wanted so in actual fact she is giving great consideration in illustrating her qualities and how they make her a Bitch. I have used rhetorical questions throughout to influence the readers to think beyond what is written and interpret what she is saying in their own way. I have used the personal pronoun I many times to signify her self-importance. She wants to make the readers thoroughly aware that this autobiography is only about her and no one else. I used capital letters for the word ‘WHAT’ in my second paragraph to emphasise her carless and insensitive character. In the end, she becomes slightly emotional and states a bit about her past, no detail, just outlines that there must have been tragic circumstances that occurred which led her to being so h hardhead. This instantly wins the sympathy of readers and shows a different side to ‘Bitches’.