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Greater Common Good Essay

Decent Essays

Texts and films both are vehicles for narrative delivery. Interpretation of visual media differs from the interpretation of written text on many levels; they have a distinctive impact on the mind of the viewer or reader.
Reading the heart felt story of the Narmanda Valley portrayed by Arundhati Roy in her essay the “Greater Common Good” allows us to fully engage our brain, activating our imagination and forcing our minds to paint vivid pictures of the entire scenario. Whereas in the documentary ‘DAM/AGE’ the circumstances are completely acted out for you, drawing only a small portion of the readers imagination. Films and documentaries tell you what to think, they use visual and sound effects to make the viewer see things and feel things in a certain way, …show more content…

In my opinion, the documentary had more of an impact on me compared to the essay. Although the essay was read before, and I was able to create a world out of my imagination, but even in my imagination the circumstances weren’t as brutal as shown in the documentary. Watching the people suffer in the poverty struck regions of India sent shivers down my spine. For instance, in the scenes 7:44s to 8:48s the camera zooms in on the displaced people, sleeping and eating on the dirty roads, specifically a mother washing the child’s face in the river- these people represent the sufferings of the entire, displaced constituents of the Narmada valley. The film made it easier for me to relate to the author, it made me understand the emotional bond she has with the valley. It felt more personal and I felt like I was experiencing the whole scenario first hand.

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