rock n' roll jesus

Rock N’ Roll Jesus: The Evil and the Good

Dylan Chandler

Mrs. Karen Redding

English 1102

April 30, 2012

English 1102 Final Portfolio: Rock N’ Roll Jesus: The Evil and the Good

Table of Contents

Analytical Cover Letter ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………1

Quality Comparison…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………4

Least Successful Paper………………………………………………………………………………………………………..4

Most Successful Paper………………………………………………………………………………………………………..8

“What’s the Difference?” Paragraphs…………………………………………………………………………………12

Revision Samples

Least Successful Paper (with markup)…………………………………………………………………………………13

Least Successful Paper (new final version)………………………………………………………………………….17

Most Successful Paper (with markup)…………………………………………………………………………………21

Most Successful Paper (new final version)………………………………………………………………………….25

Free Choice Essay (with markup)…………………………………………………………………………………………29

Free Choice Essay (new final version)………………………………………………………………………………….33

April 30, 2012

Karen P. Redding, M.A.

Assistant Professor of English

Gainesville State College

Oconee Campus

1201 Bishop Farms Parkway

Watkinsville, GA 30677

Dear Mrs. Redding,

My name is Dylan Chandler. I went to and graduated from Madison County High School in Danielsville, GA. I had English all four years of high school and learned a great deal in all four classes. English has always been one of my stronger subjects and one of my favorite subjects also. My favorite English class was American Literature. In this class we started to break down poems, songs, and films. I really enjoyed this class because I had an awesome teacher that made class really fun. The biggest thing I retained from this class was being able to break down and analyze different literary pieces. The importance of breaking down pieces of literature was to see that there can be multiple different meanings to a song, movie, or poem. In my 12th grade British Literature class we did more analyzing, but also wrote more essays about the material we were discovering. In my high school English classes I was always an A student, but now since taking two college level English classes, I have realized that our high school teachers were too easy on me. I took English 1101 with Dr. Sara Bell and her class was a lot more challenging than my high school English classes. I learned a lot from Dr. Bell on how to correctly organize, write with less grammatical errors, and how to set up a paper in MLA format. Dr. Bell was a very tough professor and I feel as if I truly earned my B in her class. I appreciate her persistence in trying to make my papers the best they could be in thoroughness and grammatically sound. English 1101 really prepared me for English 1102 because I learned to how effectively organize my papers. I have learned a lot in 1102 also. In my past English classes my papers were reflecting my own opinion, but English 1102 made me look into the content I was analyzing and efficiently explain what the material was about. Writing papers without including my opinion was a big challenge for me. In my first paper in 1102 I wrote on my opinion. I was fortunate enough to get a second chance to re write it and turn it into a paper that was on topic and not my opinion. I would have to say that the biggest challenge for me in English 1102 was analyzing pieces of literature instead of reading them and then giving my opinion. I fell that English 1102 will help me with my major because it has taught me how to correctly analyze works and also to be more open minded about life. The Monstrosity theme of the semester taught me to not necessarily “judge a book by its cover” when we talked about monsters and if they really were evil, or if they were just a misconception by outsiders. I have become a better student and thinker because of English 1102 and feel confident about my next English class.

My least successful paper was my first paper. The subject matter was comparing and contrasting Stephen T. Asma’s work from On Monsters and Seymour Rudin’s article From Transylvania to the South Bronx. Like I had mentioned earlier I messed up at my first attempt on this paper. On my second attempt I was more efficient in the assigned task. The paper was about how both authors viewed and

thought about monsters. In Rudin’s article I wrote about a group of werewolves that were trying to take over New York. My belief is that “the reason the werewolves were doing terrible things to their fellow citizens was simply because they were different,” and that the werewolves were not socially accepted by “normal” people in New York (Chandler, Paper 1). I tied this same idea in with what Asma had to say about the terrorist group known as the Taliban. The way Asma portrayed the Taliban group reminded me of the werewolves from New York. I feel like I made decent comparisons and contrasts with both pieces of literature. My biggest problem I believe I had was clearly explaining my thoughts and having a weak thesis statement. I believe the easiest way I could have solved this issue is by using more direct quotes from both pieces and my audience would have had a better understanding of both articles.

My most successful paper from the semester was Lighting Makes a Masterpiece. In our film unit we were taught about all of the different effects that directors use in movies to emphasizes certain events and scenes. One major effect in movies is the lighting techniques that directors use. I wrote about the lighting effects that the Coen Brothers used in the film No Country for Old Men. I learned that the Coen Brothers made the main character Chigurh dark at almost all times during the film because he was an evil person. The “good” characters in the movie were always better lit or in lighter clothing to portray that they were good people. The reason this was my best paper is because I had more understanding of this topic than any other. I found the film to be really interesting and full of detail. The clearly visible details from the movie made it easier for my paper to be more detailed and informing. My paper was far from perfect though. I found myself being repetitive throughout the paper by using the word “confusing” too much. I also had some organization errors throughout the paper which made it somewhat repetitive. “The lighted atmosphere portrayed in the scene, proves that the lighting or lack thereof on Chigurh’s face, expresses how the viewer does not know what Chigurh’s next move will be. The directors intentionally use the half-lit face to keep viewers guessing as to what will happen next in the movie. (Chandler, Paper2). The previous two sentences are examples of how I was repetitive in this paper and also another error I had was acknowledging the viewers in the paper. I feel that if I had not been so redundant in this paper that it would have been much better quality and easier to follow as a reader.

My free choice essay was from my first semester in Dr. Bell’s English 1101 class. Technology Growths between Generations is a classification type essay. In this paper I had three major topics that had to do with cell phones. Texting, talking, and internet usage were the three topics that I talked about. The paper was more than just talking about those three capabilities. I had to show comparisons and contrasts of how to use those three capabilities versus how my parents thought they should be used. My parents believed that phones should mostly be used for talking. Through my paper I attempted to persuade them that a college student needs more in a phone than just talking due to the hectic schedule I have as a college student. My cell phone paper was one of my better papers from English 1101, but there are some things that could have made it better. The biggest issue was my word usage. The words I chose were often vague and boring. Another issue I had was a few run on sentences that I had in my paper. If I had taken notice of my word choice and my run on sentences, I believe that this paper would have been an A instead of a B, and that would have been my best college paper yet.

Through English 1102 I know I have become a much better and a better-rounded student. Your class makes a student have to be diligent with their work because we always had specific due dates. I have learned so much from taking your class and I am positive that it will reward me for future classes. I don’t look at text now and automatically form an opinion. Now I re-read things and look at what things from two different perspectives and then put my thoughts on paper while influencing both perspectives I have learned about. I feel that I am now a better-rounded writer than I was before I took your 1102 class. This semester flew by! I enjoyed your class a lot and learned a lot that will help me on later on in

college and in life. I appreciate your generosity and patience that you always gave or class. Taking your class was truly a privilege.

Sincerely,

Dylan Chandler

Dylan Chandler

English 1102

Mrs. Redding

Paper 1

January 31, 2012

Mixed Emotions About Monsters

Ever since the world began there has always been evilness evident. Evil has been alive

since the time Jesus walked the earth all the way up until now. There are many different forms

and ways of evilness. What do you consider to be evil? Evil to me is when someone or

something torments another being for no other reason than personal satisfaction. As I get into

studying more about monstrosity I see that many people have similarities and differences in what

monstrosity is.

I read the article From Transylvania to the South Bronx and it was about a group of

werewolves that were roaming streets around the world and terrorizing citizens. The reason these

werewolves were doing terrible things to their fellow citizens was simply because they were

different. These werewolves were covered in hair and beastly looking. The werewolves

mentioned were monsters because they practiced the art of evil. The best way to describe these

monsters is by this quote, “Angel half –drops, half-scuttles, crab-fashion, into the wash of

moonlight: metamorphosed: fantastic beast-child and child-beast, incredibly, long-toothed,

golden-eyed, razor-clawed, and snarling, spitting like the greatest of the great cats, the mouth

cavernous with howling, routing death.” Pg. 168. Rudin used this quote to prove how much of a

rage the werewolves could get consumed into. Once this rage began, innocent lives started being

taken by these monsters. Rudin believed that these monsters should be dealt with accordingly as

to help keep peace in the world.

Another writer wrote about monsters as well and he was Stephen T. Asma. He wrote a

series of articles about regarding the Taliban as monsters. The Taliban are a very radical

religious group that has very strict human rights policies. The laws make their country a very

difficult and unpleasant place to live. Human rights are really no concern for the Taliban as their

main concern is making sure their people are conforming to their ways. An Afghan headmaster

was slayed before his family’s eyes due to the fact that he was teaching women in school.

Another example of the evil ways of the Taliban is when they attacked the World Trade Center

in New York City. The reason the Taliban attacked was because they do not agree with Christian

beliefs. Since the majority of the United States citizens practice Christianity, New York was the

perfect place for an event like this to occur. Asma’s view was that the Taliban were in the wrong

by portraying all of their evilness against innocent people.

Both authors above do not have complete one sided opinions about the people or

creatures being evil or monsters. Rudin seems to have a take that the reason the creatures were

doing all the killing is because they had human like feelings. Every human wants to be loved and

have attention shown to them. Because the creatures were different, all the other humans did not

like interacting with them. Rudin seems to try and tie in that maybe the normal humans are at

fault and can be to blame for all of the creature’s actions because of the way the normal people

did not treat the creatures like humans. Asma also had some of the same ideas as Rudin. He was

quoted saying “The meaning of “monster” is found in its context, in its use.” He means that you

really have to decide for yourself about what a monster really is and what someone does to make

themselves a monster. He does not approve of everything that the Taliban take part in, but

accepts that they are humans and should have their own opinions just like everyone else.

The same issue was in each article, and it was that because a certain group of people are

different they decide to take it out on others. The authors agreed that innocent people do not

deserve to be slayed just because they look different or are trying to help someone have a better

life, but they also feel that the reason the creatures or Taliban did these things is because they are

just human. Asma and Rudin are very similar in the fact that they have mixed feelings about

monstrosity and that they also understand that the groups did the evil things only because they

were human.

Works Cited

Richard Lortz, Dracula's Children {London: Jay Landesman, 1981), pp, 51-52,

Stephen T. Asma, Monsters and the Moral Imagination

Steven and Dylan

English 1102

February 27, 2012

Paper 2

Lighting Makes a Masterpiece

The title of the film, No Country for Old Men, comes from the first line from William Butler

Yeats' poem "Sailing to Byzantium". The first full line from the poem is, "That is no country for

old men." The film title is important to the film because it announces the dangers of living in the

film’s setting, and that no man is guaranteed safety. No Country for Old Men was directed by the

Coen Brothers, and is a dark and twisted film that can be very confusing at times. While

confusing, the directors did not leave out details to the film. The detail within the

cinematography causes confusion by leading the viewer up to what they think will happen,

whether it happens or not. The Coen Brothers were very specific in the lighting they used in each

scene. The cinematography techniques such as lighting, help the Coen Brothers define and

portray the characters motive, upcoming event, decision, and personality in No Country for Old

Men.

The lighting techniques used in In No Country for Old Men play a large part in the film.

Many times throughout the film there are characters faces, who are barely lit, fully lit, or even

completely dark on one side. The Coen Brothers use soft lighting and hard lighting to show their

faces. The directors show Chigurh’s face many times throughout the film with half of his face

completely dark and the other half completely lit. Chigurh has a very confusing personality. He

chooses to kill people sometimes, but other times to let them go. Through the lighting on his

face, film makers are showing that he has a dark side, but also a side that makes a viewer wonder

if he will let his victim go. A keen example is when Chigurh is at the store with the old store-

owner. The film makers light Chigurh’s face halfway showing that their is a dark side to him as

well as a lighter side. He goes on to play a game with the store owner by having a coin toss. We

believe the coin toss will determine the store owner’s fate, but then we are also not quite sure.

The store owners face is well lit, acknowledging that he is an innocent man. The Coen brothers

use the lighting on his face to show his innocence and confusion that the coin toss brings. The

lighted atmosphere portrayed in the scene, proves that the lighting or lack their of on Chigurh’s

face ,expresses how the viewer does not know what Chigurh’s next move will be. The directors

intentionally use the half-lit face to keep viewers guessing as to what will happen next in the

movie.

Chigurh was by far the most confusing character throughout the film. His actions of

killing individuals were very random. The Coen Brothers made the film intending for Chigurh to

be the most confusing character. The lighting displayed on Chigurh’s face throughout the film

was a major part in determining his character. In scenes, Chigurh meets individuals, and

sometimes he kills them and other times he does not. Each scene with each different individual,

his face is shown half lit. The directors used the lighting to keep the viewers on the edge of their

seats by making them attempt to guess at Chigurh’s next move. Through the use of lighting on

the face, the directors used lighting in a particular way to represent his inconsistent thoughts of

whether or not to kill different individuals.

Lighting is not all about the lights though. Each scene shows a different type of lighting.

Clothing is often considered to be a different type of lighting.The settings in different situations

and clothing have a major part in lighting. The Coen brothers used lighting to show the

personalities of each character. For example, a scene in the movie shows Chigurh talking to a

clerk at a store. Chigurh’s clothes in the scene are black. His clothes represent him as being a

dark and evil person. The clerks clothes are light yellow. The Coen brothers use yellow to bring

out the clerks personality of being a gentle fellow. The directors know that the viewer has no

background of the clerks past or his personality. They use the colors of his clothes to show a

more innocent man rather than using dark colors which are related to evil. Behind the clerk there

is a background and its very well lit, while Chigurh’s background is dark. The Coen brothers

want to bring out the personalities of each character through the backgrounds. Through the dark

background behind Chigurh, the directors know the viewer can relate to his dark past earlier in

the film. The directors also know that the viewers can only assume that the clerks background is

good, because of his light background in the scene.

The techniques of lighting used throughout the film not only show the characters

personalities, but can also be used to show the characters upcoming events. Many events

throughout the film had different changes of lighting through the scene. A good example is the

scene that Llewellyn begins his quest to help the wounded Mexican in the truck. The lighting in

that scene is very dark. As the drug lords meet Llewellyn the lighting is still dark. As Llewellyn

is escaping from the drug dealers, the scene slowly gets lighter. The effect of the scene being

dark and then becoming light, symbolizes Llewellyn slowly escaping. When Llewellyn finally

does escape the scene is fully lit signifying safety from the light colors displayed. Dark lighting

means that bad events are happening and, lighter scenes usually mean that events are about to be

resolved or already have been. As the director clearly showed, lighting can be used to show the

characters fate in the film.

The Coen Brothers used lighting to their full advantage. The lighting that was used help

explain characters in a more symbolic way. Personalities were shown through background

lighting as well as lighting on their faces. Events that happened in film had lighting that either

showed the good that was about to happen, or the bad that was just about to begin. The Coen

Brothers used lighting to explain characters actions and motives. They wanted the viewer to be

able to draw conclusions from the lighting to explain more about their actions and personality.

The Coen Brothers got more out of the lighting effects rather than the words that were spoken by

the characters, which is the reason the film is such a mysterious masterpiece.

“What’s the Difference?”

My least successful essay, “Mixed Emotions about Monsters,” was about two different

monsters and I compared and contrasted them. My weakest points from this first paper were:

producing clear thoughts, lack of quotations, and detail. I feel if I had covered these three issues

better my grade would have been better and I would have had a better paper.

My most successful paper, “Lighting Makes a Masterpiece,” was a dual effort from

Steven Tiller and myself. In my opinion this paper was easier to write on because it was over the

film No Country for Old Men and this movie was slammed with detail. We made our paper as

detailed as possible just like the movie, but we did compose some sentences that were unclear

and could confuse the reader.

The differences between my first two essays are detail and understanding the topic. When

I first wrote monster essay I was confused on the topic, but was then able to gain a better

understanding of what you wanted. Still my biggest issue with the paper was clearly defining my

thoughts for the reader. In my second essay I was able to define my thoughts better and more

easily. The more we learned in class about how to break down and analyze films made the

second paper much easier to write. My main issues with both papers was clearly defining my

thoughts and explaining them clearly for my audience. I feel though that I could have done better

on both papers if I had dedicated a little more time for composing them. I know I am a better

writer now after breaking both papers for the portfolio and know that I will be a better scholar

since I have taken English 1102.

Chandler 1

Dylan Chandler

English 1102

Mrs. Redding

Paper 1

January 31, 2012


Ever since the world began there has always been evilness evident. Evil has been alive since

the time Jesus walked the earth all the way up until now. There are many different forms and

ways of evilness. What do you consider to be evil? Evil to me is when someone or something

torments another being for no other reason than personal satisfaction. As I get into studying more

about monstrosity I see that many people have similarities and differences in what monstrosity

is.

I read the article From Transylvania to the South Bronx and it was about a group of

werewolves that were roaming streets around the world and terrorizing citizens. The reason these

werewolves were doing terrible things to their fellow citizens was simply because they were

different. These werewolves were covered in hair and beastly looking. The werewolves

mentioned were monsters because they practiced the art of evil. The best way to describe these

monsters is by this quote, “Angel half –drops, half-scuttles, crab-fashion, into the wash of

moonlight: metamorphosed: fantastic beast-child and child-beast, incredibly, long-toothed,

golden-eyed, razor-clawed, and snarling, spitting like the greatest of the great cats, the mouth

cavernous with howling, routing death.” Pg. 168. Rudin used this quote to prove how much of a

rage the werewolves could get consumed into. Once this rage began, innocent lives started being

Comment [m1]: Should not have asked this to my audience

Comment [m2]: The thesis is not completely clear, add more

Comment [m3]: State my ideas without the rambling

Comment [m4]: Who is they, be specific

Comment [m5]: Reword this, does not have good flow

Chandler 2

taken by these monsters. Rudin believed that these monsters should be dealt with accordingly as

to help keep peace in the world.

Another writer wrote about monsters as well and he was Stephen T. Asma. He wrote a series

of articles about regarding the Taliban as monsters. The Taliban are a very radical religious

group that has very strict human rights policies. The laws make their country a very difficult and

unpleasant place to live. Human rights are really no concern for the Taliban as their main

concern is making sure their people are conforming to their ways. An Afghan headmaster was

slayed before his family’s eyes due to the fact that he was teaching women in school. Another

example of the evil ways of the Taliban is when they attacked the World Trade Center in New

York City. The reason the Taliban attacked was because they do not agree with Christian beliefs.

Since the majority of the United States citizens practice Christianity, New York was the perfect

place for an event like this to occur. Asma’s view was that the Taliban were in the wrong by

portraying all of their evilness against innocent people.

Both authors above do not have complete one sided opinions about the people or creatures

being evil or monsters. Rudin seems to have a take that the reason the creatures were doing all

the killing is because they had human like feelings. Every human wants to be loved and have

attention shown to them. Because the creatures were different, all the other humans did not like

interacting with them. Rudin seems to try and tie in that maybe the normal humans are at fault

and can be to blame for all of the creature’s actions because of the way the normal people did not

treat the creatures like humans. Asma also had some of the same ideas as Rudin. He was quoted

saying “The meaning of “monster” is found in its context, in its use.” He means that you really

have to decide for yourself about what a monster really is and what someone does to make


Comment [m6]: Prove his point

Comment [m7]: Reword this

Comment [m8]: Don’t say this, be simpler

Comment [m9]: Explain why new York was the perfect place

Comment [m10]: Use a different word

Chandler 3


The same issue was in each article, and it was that because a certain group of people are

different they decide to take it out on others. The authors agreed that innocent people do not

deserve to be slayed just because they look different or are trying to help someone have a better

life, but they also feel that the reason the creatures or Taliban did these things is because they are

just human. Asma and Rudin are very similar in the fact that they have mixed feelings about

monstrosity and that they also understand that the groups did the evil things only because they

were human.

Chandler 4

Works Cited



Chandler 1

Dylan Chandler

English 1102

Mrs. Redding

Paper 1

January 31, 2012


Ever since the world began there has always been evilness evident. Evil has been alive

since the time Jesus walked the earth all the way up until now. There are many different forms

and ways of evilness. Evil to me is when someone or something torments another being for no

other reason than personal satisfaction. Monstrosity is a very unique topic that has many

similarities and differences between different types of monsters.

From Transylvania to the South Bronx is about a group of werewolves that were roaming

streets around the world and terrorizing citizens. The reason these werewolves were doing

terrible things to their fellow citizens was simply because the werewolves were different. These

werewolves were covered in hair and beastly looking. The werewolves mentioned were monsters

because they practiced the art of evil. Rudin depicts a scene in which “Angel half –drops, half-

scuttles, crab-fashion, into the wash of moonlight: metamorphosed: fantastic beast-child and

child-beast, incredibly, long-toothed, golden-eyed, razor-clawed, and snarling, spitting like the

greatest of the great cats, the mouth cavernous with howling, routing death.” Pg. 168. Rudin used

this quote to prove how much of a rage the werewolves could get consumed into. Once this rage

began, innocent lives started being taken by these monsters.

Stephen T. Asma also writes about monsters but he wrote a series of articles about

regarding the Taliban as monsters. The Taliban are a very radical religious group that has very

Chandler 2

strict human rights policies. The laws make their country a very difficult and unpleasant place to

live. Human rights are really no concern for the Taliban as their main concern is making sure

their people are conforming to their ways. An Afghan headmaster was slayed before his family’s

eyes due to him teaching women in his school. Another example of the evil ways of the Taliban

is when the group attacked the World Trade Center in New York City. The reason the Taliban

attacked was because they do not agree with Christian beliefs. Since the majority of the United

States citizens practice Christianity, New York was the perfect place for an event like this to

occur because New York is a symbol of prosperity for America. Asma’s view was that the

Taliban were in the wrong by portraying all of their evilness against innocent people.

Both authors above do not have complete one sided opinions about the people or creatures

being evil or monsters. Rudin seems to have a take that the reason the creatures were doing all

the killing is because they had human like feelings. Every human wants to be loved and have

attention shown to them. Because the creatures were different, all the other humans did not like

interacting with them. Rudin seems to try and tie in that maybe the normal humans are at fault

and can be to blame for all of the creature’s actions because of the way the normal people did not

treat the creatures like humans. Asma also had some of the same ideas as Rudin. He was quoted

saying “The meaning of “monster” is found in its context, in its use.” He means that you really

have to decide for yourself about what a monster really is and what someone does to make



The same issue was in each article, and it was that because a certain group of people are different

they decide to take it out on others. The authors agreed that innocent people do not deserve to be

slayed just because they look different or are trying to help someone have a better life, but they

Chandler 3

also feel that the reason the creatures or Taliban did these things is because they are just human.

Asma and Rudin are very similar in the fact that they have mixed feelings about monstrosity and

that they also understand that the groups did the evil things only because they were human.

Chandler 4

Works Cited



Steven and Dylan

English 1102

February 27, 2012

Paper 2


The title of the film, No Country for Old Men, comes from the first line from William

Butler Yeats' poem "Sailing to Byzantium". The first full line from the poem is, "That is no

country for old men." The film title is important to the film because it announces the dangers of

living in this setting, and that no man is guaranteed safety. No Country for Old Men was written

and directed by the Coen Brothers. No Country for Old Men is a dark and twisted film that can

be very confusing at times. While confusing, the directors did not leave out details to the film.

The detail within the cinematography causes confusion by leading the viewer up to what they

think will happen, whether it happens or not. The Coen Brothers were very specific in the

lighting they used in each scene. The cinematography techniques such as lighting, help the Coen

Brothers define and portray the characters motives, upcoming events, decisions, and personality

in No Country for Old Men.



completely dark on one side. The Coen Brothers use soft lighting and hard lighting to show their

faces. The directors show Chigurh’s face many times throughout the film with half his face

completely dark and the other half completely lit. Chigurh has a very confusing personality. He

chooses to kill people sometimes, but other times to let them go. Through the lighting on his

face, film makers are showing that he has a dark side, but also a side that makes a viewer wonder

Comment [dc1]: Don’t say full line

Comment [dc2]: Too wordy

Comment [dc3]: Ambiguity?

Comment [dc4]: Change to cinematographic

Comment [dc5]: Describe the types of lighting

Comment [dc6]: Who’s faces? The audience needs to know

Comment [dc7]: Explain him being confusing

if he will let his victim go. A keen example is, Chigurh at the store with the old store-owner. The

film makers light Chigurh’s face halfway showing that their is a dark side to him as well as a

lighter side. He goes on to play a game with the store owner by having a coin toss. We believe

the coin toss will determine the store owner’s fate, but then we are also not quite sure. The store

owners face is well lit, acknowledging that he is an innocent man. The Coen brothers use the

lighting on his face to show his innocence and confusion that the coin toss brings. The lighted

atmosphere portrayed in the scene, proves that the lighting or lack their of on Chigurh’s face

,expresses how the viewer does not know what Chigurh’s next move will be. The directors

intentionally use the lighting to draw the feeling of not knowing the next move of the character

out of the viewer.

Chigurh was by far the most confusing character throughout the film. His actions of


be the most confusing character. The lighting displayed on Chigurh’s face throughout the film

was a major part in determining his character. In scenes, Chigurh meets individuals, and








and clothing have a major part in lighting. The Coen brothers used lighting to show personalities

of each character. For example, a scene in the movie shows Chigurh talking to a clerk at a store.

Comment [dc8]: Maybe cut this whole sentence out

Comment [dc9]: Find a better word

Comment [dc10]: Weak words

Comment [dc11]: Don’t be repetitive

Chigurh’s clothes in the scene are black. His clothes represent him as being a dark and evil

person. The clerks clothes are light yellow. The Coen brothers use yellow to bring out the clerks

personality. The directors know that the viewer has no background of the clerks past or his

personality. They use the colors of his clothes to show a more innocent man rather than using

dark colors which are related to evil. Behind the clerk there is a background and its very well lit,

while Chigurh’s background is dark. The Coen brothers want to bring out the personalities of

each character through the backgrounds. Through the dark background behind Chigurh, the

directors know the viewer can relate to his dark past earlier in the film. The directors also know

that the viewers can only assume that the clerks background is good, because of his light

background in the scene.

The techniques of lighting used throughout the film not only show the characters

personalities, but can also be used to show the characters upcoming events. Many events

throughout the film had different changes of lighting through the scene. A good example is the

scene that Llewellyn begins his quest to help the wounded Mexican in the truck. The lighting in

that scene is very dark. As the drug lords meet Llewellyn the lighting is still dark. As Llewellyn

is escaping from the drug dealers, the scene slowly gets lighter. The effect of the scene being

dark and then becoming light, symbolizes Llewellyn slowly escaping. When Llewellyn finally

does escape the scene is fully lit signifying safety from light colors. Dark lighting means that bad

events are happening and, lighter scenes usually mean that events are about to be resolved or

already have been. As the director clearly showed, lighting can be used to show the characters

fate in the film.



Comment [dc12]: Why is yellow a “good” color?

Comment [dc13]: Give a little detail on why he is not evil

Comment [dc14]: New topic means new paragraph

Comment [dc15]: Don’t mention the viewers, just tell what the directors are trying to depict

Chandler 1

Steven Tiller and Dylan Chandler

English 1102

February 27, 2012

Paper 2


The title of the film, No Country for Old Men, comes from the first line from William

Butler Yeats' poem "Sailing to Byzantium". The poem states, "That is no country for old men."

The film title is important to the film because it announces the dangers of living in this setting,

and that no man is guaranteed safety. No Country for Old Men was written and directed by the

Coen Brothers. No Country for Old Men is a dark and twisted film that can be very confusing at

times. While confusing, the directors did not leave out details to the film. The intense detail the

Coen Brothers provide causes ambiguity leading the viewer up to what they think will happen,

whether it happens or not. The Coen Brothers were very specific in the lighting they used in each

scene. The cinematographic techniques such as hard and soft lighting, help the Coen Brothers

define and portray the characters motives, upcoming events, decisions, and personality in No

Country for Old Men.



completely dark on one side. The Coen Brothers use soft lighting and hard lighting to show the

characters faces. The directors show Chigurh’s face many times throughout the film with half his

face completely dark and the other half completely lit. Chigurh has a very confusing personality

because he chooses to kill people sometimes, but other times to let them go. Through the lighting

on his face, film makers are showing that he has a dark side, but also a side that makes viewers

Chandler 2

wonder if he will let his victim go. A keen example is, Chigurh at the store with the old store-

owner. The film makers light Chigurh’s face halfway showing that there is a dark side to him as

well as a lighter side. He goes on to play a game with the store owner by having a coin toss. We

believe the coin toss will determine the store owner’s fate, but then we are also not quite sure.

The store owner’s face is well lit, acknowledging that he is an innocent man. The Coen brothers

use the lighting on his face to show his innocence and confusion that the coin toss brings. The

lighted atmosphere portrayed in the scene, proves that the lighting or lack thereof on Chigurh’s

face ,expresses how the viewer does not know what Chigurh’s next move will be.

Chigurh was by far the most complicated character throughout the film. His actions of


be the most puzzling person in the movie. The lighting displayed on Chigurh’s face throughout

the film was a major part in determining his character. In scenes, Chigurh meets individuals, and








and clothing have a major part in lighting. The Coen brothers used lighting to show personalities

of each character. For example, a scene in the movie shows Chigurh talking to a clerk at a store.

Chigurh’s clothes in the scene are black. His clothes represent him as being a dark and evil

person. The clerks clothes are light yellow. The Coen brothers use yellow to bring out the clerks

Chandler 3

personality. Yellow is generally thought of a chill and relaxing color. The directors know that

the viewer has no background of the clerks past or his personality. They use the colors of his

clothes to show a more innocent man rather than using dark colors which are related to evil.

Behind the clerk there is a background and its very well lit, while Chigurh’s background is dark.

The Coen brothers want to bring out the personalities of each character through the backgrounds.

The techniques of lighting used throughout the film not only show the characters personalities,

but can also be used to show the characters upcoming events. Many events throughout the film

had different changes of lighting through the scene. A good example is the scene that Llewellyn

begins his quest to help the wounded Mexican in the truck. The lighting in that scene is very

dark. As the drug lords meet Llewellyn the lighting is still dark. As Llewellyn is escaping from

the drug dealers, the scene slowly gets lighter. The effect of the scene being dark and then

becoming light, symbolizes Llewellyn slowly escaping. When Llewellyn finally does escape the

scene is fully lit signifying safety from light colors. Dark lighting means that bad events are

happening and, lighter scenes usually mean that events are about to be resolved or already have

been. As the director clearly showed, lighting can be used to show the characters fate in the film.









Chandler 4

Chandler 1

Dylan Chandler

English 1101

Dr. Bell

11/2/2011

Technology Growths between Generations

Technology has greatly advanced over the last century. The light bulb, color television,

and telephone are only a few of the wonderful inventions we have acclaimed over the years.

These inventions have become excessively abundant and are used by the majority of Americans

every day. Most citizens would be completely lost without their cell phone. Cell phones are now

capable of doing more than ever before. Calling, texting, and picture taking are just some of the

simpler things that can be done with cell phones in this day and time. Many cell phones now

have the ability to check emails, shop online, or upload pictures to Facebook in a few short

moments. College students love the extras that now come with most phones because it allows the

students to check to see if class is cancelled, send a document, or share pictures for a project. The

older generation in America does not understand the advantage of having a phone that is capable

of these tasks that college students take advantage of. My parents and I think differently about

what college students need in a phone.

Cell phone coverage is something that my parents and I agree heavily on. “Can you hear

me now?” This is an all too familiar phrase that cell phone owners use including my parents and

I. All three of us want and expect excellent and dependable service out of our cell phones, but we

do not always get it. I live with my parents in a rural community and we do not have very

reliable cell phone coverage. Dropped calls are something that my dad absolutely hates. He gets

angry when he has to walk around to gain enough service to call someone back due to a dropped

Comment [GSC1]: Use a better word, too generic

Comment [GSC2]: Needs to phones, instead of phone

Comment [GSC3]: Photography is a better word to use

Comment [GSC4]: Just use today

Comment [GSC5]: Don’t name specific websites

Comment [GSC6]: Very wordy and confusing sentence, revise

Comment [GSC7]: Just say the

Comment [GSC8]: Father would sound better here

Comment [GSC9]: Becomes is better word choice

Chandler 2

call. My mom’s cell phone will rarely acquire signal while inside our house. She gets frustrated

when subtle movements of the phone cause the call to be dropped. The only way my mom can

have a conversation on her cell phone is to walk outside. She does not enjoy having to talk

outside on her cell phone, especially when it gets into the cold, winter months. My parents have

read in our local newspaper that a new cell phone tower is in plan for our area of the county.

Mom and Dad are hoping that this is true, and that the tower goes up quickly so they will stop

having phone conversations cut short or having to go outside to talk. I totally agree with my

parents on this topic as I do not enjoy having poor cell phone coverage. I also do not receive

good cell phone coverage while in my bedroom, which aggravates not only me, but my girlfriend

as well. She is away at college and our time we get to talk is very limited with our busy academic

schedules. While talking, the slightest movement to the wrong spot will cause our phone call to

end. She gets very frustrated with me when my phone loses service and losing service can lead to

an argument between us. Cell phones are a great innovation, but without having consistent

coverage they can become a pain to try and talk on.

My parents and I strongly believe that talking is the most important use for a cell phone.

Communication is the reason telephones and cell phones were invented. Communicating with

others now takes seconds to run through telephone lines or satellite signals, rather than taking

days or weeks through mail or word of mouth. Cell phones now are capable of many different

uses such as text messaging, instant messaging, and sending pictures, but my family uses the

talking feature the most. My dad is always getting phone calls about farming or hunting. He

loves to talk, but then complains about his phone constantly ringing. My mom mostly uses her

cell phone to keep up with the people she plays tennis with and when their next match is coming

up. Both of my parents insist that talking on the phone is what they should be used for instead of

Comment [GSC10]: Mother’s

Comment [GSC11]: Becomes

Comment [GSC12]: mother

Comment [GSC13]: replace with planned

Comment [GSC14]: the

Comment [GSC15]: change to becomes

Comment [GSC16]: turn this into two sentences after service and before losing

Comment [GSC17]: change to frustrating one as well

Comment [GSC18]: delete these words

Comment [GSC19]: change dad to father, and always getting to always gets

Comment [GSC20]: delete this word

Comment [GSC21]: add primarily after phone

Comment [GSC22]: this makes the sentence a run on sentence

Comment [GSC23]: don’t use they, use the actual noun, cell phones

Chandler 3

the other extra applications the service providers offer. I agree that talking is what phones should

be used for the majority of the time, but if you have access to other resources such as texting or

sending pictures then you should utilize those resources to your advantage. I spend the majority

of my time talking on my phone to my peers about what assignments we have in class or when

an assignment is due. I like to talk on the phone because it is more personal than text messaging;

however, I still send my fair share of texts.

Texting is something that my parents find more difficult than I do. “It’s a telephone, not a

textaphone,” is what my dad always proclaims if he thinks I am texting too much. My parents

have texting on their phones but rarely use the feature and most of my parent’s texts consist of

the message, “call me.” I disagree with my parents about the importance of texting. Texting is

what I find myself doing on my phone more than any other feature my phone contains. The ease

and simplicity of a text message is what make attracts me to this feature. When I need to contact

someone I send them a text message first because I do not know where they are or if they are

busy. I find texting to be courteous and it allows the recipient to text back when they have time

to communicate back to you. A perfect example of when a text message is courteous is when you

text someone and they are in class. Instead of their phone ringing for thirty seconds it only rings

for one second and is less disruptive to them and their peers. I believe that is why college

students are more likely to text than call because it is more courteous to the people they are

texting.

My parents do not purchase internet coverage on our cell phones because they think it is

not practical, but I think they should purchase it because it would be a convenience while in

college. Cell phones with internet are almost like a handheld computer with all the capabilities

the cell phone companies now offer. Never did I imagine that cell phones would gain internet

Comment [GSC24]: generic word, use , the manner in which

Comment [GSC25]: change to employed

Comment [GSC26]: put cell phone between these two words, and delete on my phone

Comment [GSC27]: simply substitute with father

Comment [GSC28]: use reciprocate communication

Comment [GSC29]: add : after call and delete because

Comment [GSC30]: delete

Comment [GSC31]: add for me after this word

Comment [GSC32]: similar to sounds better

Comment [GSC33]: due to

Chandler 4

capabilities, but I was wrong. My parents do not believe that a cell phone should have internet

because they feel like if you need internet then you should just get on a computer. The high cost

that comes with internet packages is another reason they frown upon cell phone internet

privileges as well. Since I have been in college I have been trying to persuade my parents to put

an internet package onto our cell phone plan. One of the main reasons I want internet is because

of how many emails I am forced to send. Being able to send an email from any location would be

very convenient and would alert you when a professor decides to cancel class at the last minute.

Internet on my cellphone would be a convenient and less stressful way of adjusting to being a

college student by allowing me to gain access to the resources I am constantly using.

If you are in college I believe that you will most likely agree with my opinions. I strongly

believe that while in college you need all the convenience, resources, and social time you can

get. Cell phones can make this possible by utilizing the features available today. I just wish my

parents could see the uses of cell phones through my eyes.

Comment [GSC34]: don’t say like, delete

Comment [GSC35]: simply

Comment [GSC36]: while is a better word choice

Comment [GSC37]: feel that

Comment [GSC38]: change to necessary is the number of

Comment [GSC39]: add a period here

Comment [GSC40]: Change to, It would also alert a student

Comment [GSC41]: Change to constantly need

Comment [GSC42]: Add a comma after college

Comment [GSC43]: Replace with simply

Chandler 1

Dylan Chandler

English 1101

Dr. Bell

11/2/2011

Technology Growths between Generations

Technology has greatly advanced over the last century. The light bulb, color television,

and telephone are only a few of the wonderful inventions we have acclaimed over the years.

These inventions have become excessively abundant and are used by the majority of Americans

every day. Most citizens would be completely lost without their cell phone. Cell phones are now

capable of doing more than ever before. Calling, texting, and picture taking are just some of the

simpler things that can be done with cell phones in this day and time. Many cell phones now

have the ability to check emails, shop online, or upload pictures to Facebook in a few short

moments. College students love the extras that now come with most phones because it allows the

students to check to see if class is cancelled, send a document, or share pictures for a project. The

older generation in America does not understand the advantage of having a phone that is capable

of these tasks that college students take advantage of. My parents and I think differently about

what college students need in a phone.

Cell phone coverage is something that my parents and I agree heavily on. “Can you hear

me now?” This is an all too familiar phrase that cell phone owners use including my parents and

I. All three of us want and expect excellent and dependable service out of our cell phones, but we

do not always get it. I live with my parents in a rural community and we do not have very

reliable cell phone coverage. Dropped calls are something that my dad absolutely hates. He gets

angry when he has to walk around to gain enough service to call someone back due to a dropped

Chandler 2

call. My mom’s cell phone will rarely acquire signal while inside our house. She gets frustrated

when subtle movements of the phone cause the call to be dropped. The only way my mom can

have a conversation on her cell phone is to walk outside. She does not enjoy having to talk

outside on her cell phone, especially when it gets into the cold, winter months. My parents have

read in our local newspaper that a new cell phone tower is in plan for our area of the county.

Mom and Dad are hoping that this is true, and that the tower goes up quickly so they will stop

having phone conversations cut short or having to go outside to talk. I totally agree with my

parents on this topic as I do not enjoy having poor cell phone coverage. I also do not receive

good cell phone coverage while in my bedroom, which aggravates not only me, but my girlfriend

as well. She is away at college and our time we get to talk is very limited with our busy academic

schedules. While talking, the slightest movement to the wrong spot will cause our phone call to

end. She gets very frustrated with me when my phone loses service and losing service can lead to

an argument between us. Cell phones are a great innovation, but without having consistent

coverage they can become a pain to try and talk on.

My parents and I strongly believe that talking is the most important use for a cell phone.

Communication is the reason telephones and cell phones were invented. Communicating with

others now takes seconds to run through telephone lines or satellite signals, rather than taking

days or weeks through mail or word of mouth. Cell phones now are capable of many different

uses such as text messaging, instant messaging, and sending pictures, but my family uses the

talking feature the most. My dad is always getting phone calls about farming or hunting. He

loves to talk, but then complains about his phone constantly ringing. My mom mostly uses her

cell phone to keep up with the people she plays tennis with and when their next match is coming

up. Both of my parents insist that talking on the phone is what they should be used for instead of

Chandler 3

the other extra applications the service providers offer. I agree that talking is what phones should

be used for the majority of the time, but if you have access to other resources such as texting or

sending pictures then you should utilize those resources to your advantage. I spend the majority

of my time talking on my phone to my peers about what assignments we have in class or when

an assignment is due. I like to talk on the phone because it is more personal than text messaging;

however, I still send my fair share of texts.

Texting is something that my parents find more difficult than I do. “It’s a telephone, not a

textaphone,” is what my dad always proclaims if he thinks I am texting too much. My parents

have texting on their phones but rarely use the feature and most of my parent’s texts consist of

the message, “call me.” I disagree with my parents about the importance of texting. Texting is

what I find myself doing on my phone more than any other feature my phone contains. The ease

and simplicity of a text message is what make attracts me to this feature. When I need to contact

someone I send them a text message first because I do not know where they are or if they are

busy. I find texting to be courteous and it allows the recipient to text back when they have time

to communicate back to you. A perfect example of when a text message is courteous is when you

text someone and they are in class. Instead of their phone ringing for thirty seconds it only rings

for one second and is less disruptive to them and their peers. I believe that is why college

students are more likely to text than call because it is more courteous to the people they are

texting.

My parents do not purchase internet coverage on our cell phones because they think it is

not practical, but I think they should purchase it because it would be a convenience while in

college. Cell phones with internet are almost like a handheld computer with all the capabilities

the cell phone companies now offer. Never did I imagine that cell phones would gain internet

Chandler 4

capabilities, but I was wrong. My parents do not believe that a cell phone should have internet

because they feel like if you need internet then you should just get on a computer. The high cost

that comes with internet packages is another reason they frown upon cell phone internet

privileges as well. Since I have been in college I have been trying to persuade my parents to put

an internet package onto our cell phone plan. One of the main reasons I want internet is because

of how many emails I am forced to send. Being able to send an email from any location would be

very convenient and would alert you when a professor decides to cancel class at the last minute.

Internet on my cellphone would be a convenient and less stressful way of adjusting to being a

college student by allowing me to gain access to the resources I am constantly using.

If you are in college I believe that you will most likely agree with my opinions. I strongly

believe that while in college you need all the convenience, resources, and social time you can

get. Cell phones can make this possible by utilizing the features available today. I just wish my

parents could see the uses of cell phones through my eyes.

rock n' roll jesus

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