Trace the roots of many of the traditional cannon of fairy tale - Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty etc. - and women and children are often subdued by the establishment. Stardust's suggestion that there might be greater things inside all of us seems perfectly in line with traditional fairy tales.
If, however, you believe in more traditional gender roles and are very conservative in regards to family structure then Stardust may present a problem namely, that homosexuality is okay. To those coming from the hard right, Captain Shakespeare's effeminate behavior behind closed doors (or in the closet), and his revelation to the crew that he enjoys cross-dressing and they're subsequent reveal that they already knew, Stardust is definitely a challenge to the status quo. Even the heterosexual romance between Tristan and Yvaine pushes the limit as they are shown in bed together on more than one occasion. Magic and the heavy pagan influence might be of particular concern, as were parents after the release of "Harry Potter," and "The Golden Compass."
Hard liberals and feminists could pull their own message still. Both Tristan's human love Victoria (Sienna Miller), Yvaine (Claire Danes), and the witch (Michelle Pfeiffer) have blonde hair, blue eyes, and a near perfect Aryan complexion. There are no people of color...
Love "Once upon a time there was a boy who loved a girl, and her laughter was a question he wanted to spend his whole life answering…" These were the opening lines that began a love story so powerful that Alma Singer's parents were moved to name her after the story's heroine. These lovers, Alma's parents, would also be separated when death claimed her father, leaving Alma's mother consumed with her
"The Open Boat" may have been based on Crane's real-life experience but it also functions as symbolic "of man's battle against the malevolent, indifferent, and unpredictable forces of nature…This reading is confirmed by the final irony of the death of the oiler, physically the strongest man on the scene and the one most favored to withstand the ordeal" (Rath & Shaw 97). The futility of resisting the power nature with
Malware Attacks the Democratic Process Once upon a time, a candidate had to excel at kissing babies and stump speeches. These were the major ways in which the candidate got his -- or much less frequently her -- image out to voters. All that the candidate's staff had to do as to ensure that reporters and photographers showed up at the right time to capture the choreographed images. The world of
Bind Russell Hochschild, Arlie. The Time Bind: When Work Becomes Home and Home Becomes Work. New YOrk: Owl Books, 2001. Explain the title. What is the "Time Bind"? The author of The Time Bind, Arlie Russell Hochschild, states that for many parents today, particularly women, when the formal, paid part of their work shift ends, another unpaid work shift begins. This second shift comprises the demands of home and family care and
The names of the characters in Spy Kids, such as Floop, give a Willy Wonka-espionage-in-fun verbal as well as visual tone to the film, and the thumb-shaped henchmen of Floop seem like a tribute to the Wonka oompah-loompas. For students of Rodriquez, Spy Kids may not be the director's most significant film, but it is an argument that the director, even when making a mainstream Hollywood genre film, has a
Daddy Don't Get Drunk This Christmas Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, my parents were alcoholics, and I didn't know the difference. Until that one Christmas, when our lives came crashing down. Then, I knew what alcohol abuse could do to a family. The strains of "Please daddy, don't get drunk this Christmas, I don't wanna see my momma cry" wound their way throughout the house. For
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