Deus ex machina

Plot is the “first precept,” the most crucial characteristic of tragedy. Aristotle defines plot as “the association of the incidents”: i.e., not the story itself but the way the incidents are presented to the target audience, the structure of the play. according to Aristotle, tragedies wherein the final results relies upon on a tightly constructed motive-and-impact chain of actions are superior to those who rely broadly speaking on the character and persona of the protagonist. Plots that meet this

and the film Ex Machina, directed by Alex Garland, expand upon this idea. Filled with strange moments and unpredictable behavior, both the book and film put the audience into shock. The Circle is based on a young woman named Mae who has recently been hired to work for the company the Circle; One of the most powerful technological company’s in the world. Mae is brain washed by the company and goes to extreme measures to show her worth, which leads to shocking moments. The film Ex Machina is based on

“There’ll always be serendipity involved in discovery”, serendipity is an aptitude for making desirable discoveries unintentionally. Major discoveries in an individual’s life predominantly involve this notion. The director, Ang Lee explores this idea in his film adaptation, “Life of Pi”, as the film conveys the lack of control the protagonist, Pi Patel, has over the events occurring within his unfamiliar environment. The bildungsroman genre is prevalent in the film, the unsolicited occurrences act

“I start from the supposition that the world is topsy-turvy, that things are all wrong, that the wrong people are in jail and the wrong people are out of jail, that the wrong people are in power and the wrong people are out of power”. These are timeless words from Howard Zinn, at the 1970 debate at John Hopkins University to describe the nature which power generally flows in a society. It suggests that in a society, the figure that can appeal to the immediate interests of the governed, is the leader

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is a horror young adult literature written by Ransom Riggs. It tells Jacob Portman’s story who followed clues that lead him to a house for refugees on the Cairnholm Island off the coast of Wales, where his grandfather used to stay during the Second World War back in the 1940s. The Cairnholm Island itself only had one phone and was powered with generators that shut off at 10 pm everyday, foreshadowing the fact that Jacob would go back in time later on. The

Theodore V. Buttrey defended the role of character Aegeus in Euripides's Medea as being instrumental in helping progress the story from the play’s first and second act. This defense of Euripides, comes in response to critics, including Aristotle, who, having taken poorly to Aegeus’ underdeveloped character and rather suspicious entrance in the play, have gone and criticized the entire structure of Medea. Buttrey, on the other hand, credited Aegeus for acting as the principal red herring that ends

From childhood, all individuals are taught that, whether it be at the hands of one’s parents, the government, or even some form of divine intervention (like karma, or god), there is an ultimately inescapable judgment that awaits everyone who transgresses against that which is “right” or “just.” Take from the cookie jar before dinner? No TV for a week. Break the law by stealing from a store, or worse? Spend days, or years, incarcerated. Fail to abide by a number of seemingly arbitrary moral codes

The conflict between individualism and collectivism has always been of interest to humanity. While one ideology places high importance on the one person and their abilities, the latter emphasizes the need to put the common good of the group before any single individual. “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding explores this ideological struggle through an allegory that pits two boys – Ralph and Jack – and their respective philosophies against each other. Golding portrays Ralph as a relatable, sympathetic

The ending of a novel can be evaluated by the reader in several different ways, however to properly analyze the work is to further explore the logic of how everything has come to be. The ability of the author to show the reader that the ending is reasonable from the preceding action and the character’s nature is what should truly be examined. Not only is the ending of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz both happy and unhappy, it is logical in the sense that it follows logically from

Revolution, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided sees Adam Jensen return to a series that will undoubtedly have moral compasses spinning in overdrive. The latest Deus Ex game was featured at the Square Enix E3 2015 games conference. A new cinematic trailer looked very promising, showcasing Adam Jensen and his augmentations in full effect. As I watched the trailer, I couldn't help but be overcome by a strong sense of nostalgia. Immediately my mind cast back to 2011, and the feelings I had while playing Deus Ex: Human