Standardizing Arguments
I wasn't sure if I was doing it right so I decided to standardize three editorial/opinion pieces. I figured I could use the extra practise.
1. The race factor's symbolic power
Globe editorial
Barack Obama's election as the first black (or, more accurately, biracial) president in the United States will not rescue black children from poverty, or sound the death knell for racism or inequality. Yet it is a profound and moving achievement. In the year he was born – 1960 – his parents' marriage would have been illegal in more than half the country. Everyone of middle age in the United States remembers, or should, the terrible violence that enforced those rigid social codes. “In many parts of the South, my father could have been strung up from a tree for merely looking at my mother the wrong way,” Mr. Obama wrote in his 1995 memoir, Dreams From My Father. His very existence, in other words, was legally forbidden in parts of the country where he is now the president-elect.
It is tempting to say that his race or skin colour doesn't matter any more. The election, after all, was not really about race. It was about the best person for the job. And the symbolism – compelling though it may be – won't fight al-Qaeda, or bring home the troops from Iraq, or ease the financial crisis. Role models for black children, though helpful, are no substitute for creating the conditions that breed success in large numbers.
And yet, as president he will be not only the chief executive but the head of state. He is the world's most powerful man. He is, in other words, no ordinary symbol. He will drive cultural change simply by being who he is.
His presence should, for instance, galvanize black communities to become more engaged in the federal political process. More subtly, it may alter the culture of expectations within black communities. “We just assume that young people in our communities won't aspire to higher education and we are not surprised when they drop out,” he said in a 2004 speech, as he ran for the Senate. “We are not shocked that there are more African-American men in prison than there are in college. And when it comes to Washington, we just assume that the game is fixed for the powerful, for the special interests.” The essence of his campaign, he said, was to “no longer accept the unacceptable, to raise the bar, to set a new set of standards, to start thinking differently about what is possible in our communities and in our politics.”
This son of a Kenyan father and a white mother also has no ordinary grasp on the politics of identity. There is nothing insular about him. He spent many of his formative years outside the U.S., allowing him to see it more clearly. Thus, in his speech distancing himself from some extreme comments of his pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright: “I can no more disown him than I can disown the black community. I can no more disown him than I can my white grandmother, who on more than one occasion has uttered racial or ethnic stereotypes that made me cringe.” Black or white, to be flawed is human; but human beings are much more than the sum of their flaws. Here was a vision of acceptance and reconciliation.
The United States at a difficult moment in its history voted in a black man as president because he was the best candidate. That's why people all over the world celebrated, and shed tears. Because race didn't matter, at last.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081105.werace06/BNStory/specialComment/home
Standardized Form:
1. Barack Obama's election as the first black president in the United States is a profound and moving achievement.
2. The election, after all, was not really about race. It was about the best person for the job.
3. Thus, Barack Obama wa the best person for the job.
4. Therefore, race does not matter anymore.
2. Can Diet and Exercise Beat a Tummy Tuck?
SEVERAL dozen would-be cosmetic-surgery patients gathered at the 92nd Street Y in Manhattan recently to hear a lecture on the latest procedures by a prominent plastic surgeon.
But the surgeon, Dr. Gerald Pitman spent the first 20 minutes of his talk trying to discourage the audience from having cosmetic operations in the first place.
“Ask yourself ‘Can you avoid it?’ ” Dr. Pitman said to the audience last month. “What kind of lifestyle changes can you make?”
Dr. Pitman often asks the same questions during initial consultations with patients at his Upper East Side office, to find out whether they have tried diet and exercise to improve satisfaction with their appearance before choosing surgery.
In fact, he has asked some patients whose extra weight could make surgery risky to get in shape before he operated on them. He has referred some patients to a swimming coach.
“Some people think liposuction and tummy tucks are alternatives to diet and exercise,” Dr. Pitman said. “They are not.”
During the lecture, he endorsed a number of behavioral changes that might improve both health and appearance.
For example, resistance exercises, which help retard osteoporosis, may have a secondary benefit. “You will look better because your posture is better,” he said.
Ditto for aerobic exercise for heart health. “When you do aerobic exercise, you release endorphins,” Dr. Pitman said. “You feel better, so you look better.”
He added: “If you have dark circles and bags under your eyes, maybe you are not getting enough sleep.” His prescription: eight hours a night. He also suggested updating hairstyle, makeup or wardrobe and staying out of the sun to protect the skin.
Those who do choose surgery can take some measures to help reduce the possibility of complications. For example, he might tell patients with high blood pressure to eat less salt.
Uncontrolled high blood pressure is “the most common cause of bleeding after a face-lift,” Dr. Pitman said.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/06/fashion/06skinside.html?ref=health
Standardized Form
2. Exercises such as resistance exercises help retard osteoporosis
3. Aerobic exercises release endorphins. “You feel better, so you look better.”
4. Sleep may also play a role in a healthy lifestyle.
5. Thus dieting. exercise and a change in lifestyle are more beneficial than surgery to improve appearance.
1. Therefore, people considering surgery to improve their appearance should first look into dieting, exercising and making changes in their lifestyles before going under the knife.
3. Hospitals seeing drop in paying patients
In another sign of the economy’s toll on the nation’s health care system, some hospitals say they are seeing fewer paying patients — even as greater numbers of people are showing up at emergency rooms unable to pay their bills.
While the full effects of the downturn are likely to become more evident in coming months as more people lose their jobs and their insurance coverage, some hospitals say they are already experiencing a fall-off in patient admissions.
Some patients with insurance seem to be deferring treatments like knee replacements, hernia repairs and weight-loss surgeries — the kind of procedures that are among the most lucrative to hospitals. Just as consumers are hesitant to make any sort of big financial decision right now, some patients may feel too financially insecure to take time off work or spend what could be thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket expenses for elective treatments.
The possibility of putting off an expensive surgery or other major procedure has now become a frequent topic of conversation with patients, said Dr. Ted Epperly, a family practice doctor in Boise, Idaho, who also serves as president of the American Academy of Family Physicians. For some patients, he said, it is a matter of choosing between such fundamental needs as food and gas and their medical care. “They wait,” he said.
The loss of money-making procedures comes at a difficult time for hospitals because these treatments tend to subsidize the charity care and unpaid medical bills that are increasing as a result of the slow economy.
“The numbers are down in the past month, there’s no question about it,” said Dr. Richard Friedman, a surgeon at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York, although he said it said it was too early to call the decline a trend.
But many hospitals are responding quickly to a perceived change in their circumstances. Shands HealthCare, a nonprofit Florida hospital system, cited the poor economy and lower patient demand when it announced last month that it would shutter one of its eight hospitals and move patients and staff to its nearby facilities.
The 367-bed hospital that is closing, in Gainesville, lost $12 million last year, said Timothy Goldfarb, the system’s chief executive. “We cannot carry it anymore,” he said.
Some other hospitals, while saying they have not yet seen actual declines in patient admissions, have tried to curb costs by cutting jobs in recent weeks in anticipation of harder times. That includes prominent institutions like Massachusetts General in Boston and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, as well as smaller systems like Sunrise Health in Las Vegas.
“It’s safe to say hospitals are no longer recession-proof,” said David A. Rock, a health care consultant in New York.
A September survey of 112 nonprofit hospitals by a Citi Investment Research analyst, Gary Taylor, found that overall inpatient admissions were down 2 to 3 percent compared with a year earlier. About 62 percent of the hospitals in the survey reported flat or declining patient admissions.
Separately, HCA, the Nashville chain that operates about 160 for-profit hospitals around the country, reported flat admissions for the three months ended Sept. 30 compared with the period a year earlier, and a slight decline in inpatient surgeries.
Many people are probably going to the hospital only when they absolutely need to. “The only way they are going to tap the health care system is through the emergency room,” Mr. Taylor said.
And now, as the economy has slid more steeply toward recession in recent weeks, patient admissions seem to have declined even more sharply, some hospital industry experts say. “What we have not seen through midyear this year is the dramatic slowdown in volume we’re seeing right now,” said Scot Latimer, a consultant with Kurt Salmon Associates, which works closely with nonprofit hospitals.
While the drop-off in patient admissions may still seem relatively slight, hospital executives and consultants say it is already having a profound impact on many hospitals’ profitability. As fewer paying customers show up, there has been a steady increase in the demand for services by patients without insurance or other financial wherewithal, many of whom show up at hospital emergency rooms — which are legally obliged to treat them.
“It’s disproportionately affecting the bottom line,” Mr. Latimer said.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/07/business/07hospital.html?ref=business
Standardized Form:
2. Hospitals are seeing less and less paying patients.
3. The loss of money making in hospitals has led many hospitals to close down.
4. Many jobs have been loss because of the low income of hospitals.
5. Thus, healthcare in the united states is becoming less and less promising.
1. Therefore, the downward spiraling economy in the united states is not only taking its toll on everyone’s spirits, but their health also. Many hospitals are seeing less and less paying patients because no one can afford to pay for hospital bills anymore.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Monday, November 3, 2008
Appeal To Flattery.
Appeal To Flattery
Argumentum ad adulatio
1. Person A is flattered by person B.
2. Person B makes claim “X”.
3. Therefore “X” must be true.
Appeal to flattery, also known as apple polishing, is a type of logical fallacy that appeals to emotion. It is often used in media, politics as well as every day situations, although one might not even notice the use of such a fallacy. Appeal to flattery is the use of excessive complements to flatter someone (or many people), in attempt to winning them over, or gaining support for ones side. Flattery can be used to ones advantage because it acts as a momentary distraction that can weaken judgment.
Flattery is often used to hide or “sugarcoat” the true intent of an idea or proposal, this leading it to be very fallacious. It is fallacious in the sense that fact is not being used to support the argument, flattery is used instead in the place of evidence for accepting a claim. The reasoning being used by person B is completely irrelevant to the actual situation therefore it should not be taken into account when person A is making a decision. In reality, person B should not get what they want just because they complement person A, but because they have proven that they deserve it and use factual evidence to support their argument. This fallacy will only truly work best if person A cannot see right through person B. The next time you try to ask for something, throw in a complement or two in hopes of flattering your person A.
Examples
The following is an example of appeal to flattery that really demonstrates the use of flattery in the place of evidence for accepting a claim (the example is not my own, it is simply used to demonstrate how extreme flattery can be used. Also I found it very amusing):
My Bill, that is a really nice tie. By the way, it is quite clear that one plus one is equal to forty three (http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/appeal-to-flattery.html).
My own examples:
1. Clearly, only a gifted intelligent group of individuals such as yourselves can see that this man is a complete idiot.
Failing to admit that the man is an idiot in this example would result in the person feeling stupid or unwanted therefore the man is an idiot.
2. Mr. Murray, all of the yoga you have been doing has really paid off, you are looking great, and may I ad, your attire today is just looking superb. So, how about a couple of extra marks on this project.
An obvious example of appealing to flattery. Person A will clearly see through person B therefore person B will not receive extra marks on the project.
Examples In Media
The other day I came across an old Ottawa citizen newspaper and I found a letter in it that demonstrated appealing to flattery. It is as follows:
Brightly polite
The Ottawa Citizen
Published: Thursday, October 25, 2007
I really enjoyed the clever humour of Bruce Ward's front-page article. After a year of living in Ottawa, I find residents and retail staff to be brightly polite. But having lived in Winnipeg for 29 years, I do find people in that city more likely to be openly friendly.
In Ottawa, drivers tolerate cyclists far more, for example waiting for us to cross in front of them, and moving over to another lane to give us more space.
This is such an ethnically diverse city, more so by the mix of Anglophones and francophone’s. Perhaps many people are shy and hesitant to be nice in case the act is misconstrued. People are the same the world over so all of us should relax and try harder to be nice.
DenzilFeinberg,Ottawa
This letter demonstrates appealing to flattery for the following reason: just because the man enjoys Bruce Ward’s humor does not make his claim valid. He is simply trying to get people to agree with him by adding flattery, it is really up to you to decide if you agree with him or not, maybe his attempt at flattery will shape your view.
Another example I found of appealing to flattery was while watching television. It was in a television program titled “Desperate Housewives” and it was aired on Sunday November 2, 2008 and it came from season 5 episode 6. A lady named Mrs. Hilderburn is talking to a woman named Gabby Solice and she says the following:
“I suppose I should be flattered that a woman as young and beautiful as you should see me as a threat”
In saying this Mrs. Hilderburn is complementing Gabby and expecting a certain reaction, and
she got it. Gabby was flattered and did not know how to react.
Selected References
1. Unknown, et al "Fallacy: Appeal to flattery." Nizkor, 28th May, 1999, 30 Oct 2008.
2. Feinberg, Denzil. "Brightly Polite." 25 Oct 2007 2 Nov 2008.
3. LaBossiere, Micheal. "Appeal To Flattery ." 5/20/2004 2 Nov 2008.
Argumentum ad adulatio
1. Person A is flattered by person B.
2. Person B makes claim “X”.
3. Therefore “X” must be true.
Appeal to flattery, also known as apple polishing, is a type of logical fallacy that appeals to emotion. It is often used in media, politics as well as every day situations, although one might not even notice the use of such a fallacy. Appeal to flattery is the use of excessive complements to flatter someone (or many people), in attempt to winning them over, or gaining support for ones side. Flattery can be used to ones advantage because it acts as a momentary distraction that can weaken judgment.
Flattery is often used to hide or “sugarcoat” the true intent of an idea or proposal, this leading it to be very fallacious. It is fallacious in the sense that fact is not being used to support the argument, flattery is used instead in the place of evidence for accepting a claim. The reasoning being used by person B is completely irrelevant to the actual situation therefore it should not be taken into account when person A is making a decision. In reality, person B should not get what they want just because they complement person A, but because they have proven that they deserve it and use factual evidence to support their argument. This fallacy will only truly work best if person A cannot see right through person B. The next time you try to ask for something, throw in a complement or two in hopes of flattering your person A.
Examples
The following is an example of appeal to flattery that really demonstrates the use of flattery in the place of evidence for accepting a claim (the example is not my own, it is simply used to demonstrate how extreme flattery can be used. Also I found it very amusing):
My Bill, that is a really nice tie. By the way, it is quite clear that one plus one is equal to forty three (http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/appeal-to-flattery.html).
My own examples:
1. Clearly, only a gifted intelligent group of individuals such as yourselves can see that this man is a complete idiot.
Failing to admit that the man is an idiot in this example would result in the person feeling stupid or unwanted therefore the man is an idiot.
2. Mr. Murray, all of the yoga you have been doing has really paid off, you are looking great, and may I ad, your attire today is just looking superb. So, how about a couple of extra marks on this project.
An obvious example of appealing to flattery. Person A will clearly see through person B therefore person B will not receive extra marks on the project.
Examples In Media
The other day I came across an old Ottawa citizen newspaper and I found a letter in it that demonstrated appealing to flattery. It is as follows:
Brightly polite
The Ottawa Citizen
Published: Thursday, October 25, 2007
I really enjoyed the clever humour of Bruce Ward's front-page article. After a year of living in Ottawa, I find residents and retail staff to be brightly polite. But having lived in Winnipeg for 29 years, I do find people in that city more likely to be openly friendly.
In Ottawa, drivers tolerate cyclists far more, for example waiting for us to cross in front of them, and moving over to another lane to give us more space.
This is such an ethnically diverse city, more so by the mix of Anglophones and francophone’s. Perhaps many people are shy and hesitant to be nice in case the act is misconstrued. People are the same the world over so all of us should relax and try harder to be nice.
DenzilFeinberg,Ottawa
This letter demonstrates appealing to flattery for the following reason: just because the man enjoys Bruce Ward’s humor does not make his claim valid. He is simply trying to get people to agree with him by adding flattery, it is really up to you to decide if you agree with him or not, maybe his attempt at flattery will shape your view.
Another example I found of appealing to flattery was while watching television. It was in a television program titled “Desperate Housewives” and it was aired on Sunday November 2, 2008 and it came from season 5 episode 6. A lady named Mrs. Hilderburn is talking to a woman named Gabby Solice and she says the following:
“I suppose I should be flattered that a woman as young and beautiful as you should see me as a threat”
In saying this Mrs. Hilderburn is complementing Gabby and expecting a certain reaction, and
she got it. Gabby was flattered and did not know how to react.
Selected References
1. Unknown, et al "Fallacy: Appeal to flattery." Nizkor, 28th May, 1999, 30 Oct 2008
2. Feinberg, Denzil. "Brightly Polite." 25 Oct 2007 2 Nov 2008
3. LaBossiere, Micheal. "Appeal To Flattery ." 5/20/2004 2 Nov 2008
English up to date.
Well I don't really like doing a play by play kind of stereotypical type of blog so every now and then I like discussing how english is going up to date.
Really what we have done up to date is: lit crit, first Isu, test on lit crit and some fallacy stuff. It may not seem like a lot considering we have been in school for a couple of months now but I find it quite sufficient and well, I am learning a lot. The lit crit stuff was pretty interesting, some schools of thought are kind of abstract but all the more interesting. After watching a couple of fallacy presentations you really start seeing them everywhere. Its like the number 23, you can't escape them. Wherever I look, there seems to be some sort of fallacy.
Some up coming work seems to be some rhetorical devices and standerdizing arguments. It should be a fun couple of weeks.
If anyone actually reads my blog, this is just a funny video to check out if you have time:
http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/mark-wahlberg-talks-to-animals/727504/
Its worth watching if you think Mark Wahlberg's acting is anything but half decent.
On another note, christmas is quickly approaching and it should be a nice one this year. I'm slowly getting into christmas mode, and also snow mode. It is going to be another crazy winter this year, too bad I am not an Eskimo.
Really what we have done up to date is: lit crit, first Isu, test on lit crit and some fallacy stuff. It may not seem like a lot considering we have been in school for a couple of months now but I find it quite sufficient and well, I am learning a lot. The lit crit stuff was pretty interesting, some schools of thought are kind of abstract but all the more interesting. After watching a couple of fallacy presentations you really start seeing them everywhere. Its like the number 23, you can't escape them. Wherever I look, there seems to be some sort of fallacy.
Some up coming work seems to be some rhetorical devices and standerdizing arguments. It should be a fun couple of weeks.
If anyone actually reads my blog, this is just a funny video to check out if you have time:
http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/mark-wahlberg-talks-to-animals/727504/
Its worth watching if you think Mark Wahlberg's acting is anything but half decent.
On another note, christmas is quickly approaching and it should be a nice one this year. I'm slowly getting into christmas mode, and also snow mode. It is going to be another crazy winter this year, too bad I am not an Eskimo.
The wizard of Oz, a psychoanalytical view.
A modest Compromise
The motion picture The Wizard Of Oz (1939) is a movie about a young girl named Dorothy Gale who is sent-unknowingly on a journey of self discovery and exploration. In the movie, Dorothy is swept away from her homeland of Kansas by a tornado where she ends up in a strange and interesting land known as the land of oz. Once in oz, Dorothy alongside friends she meets along the way embark on a journey to see the wizard of oz who will be able to help Dorothy return home. When looked at in a Freudian point of view, the places, characters and plot development all exemplify psychoanalytical feats, all falling under Freud’s theory of id, superego and ego. Firstly, in the movie, Dorothy’s life in Kansas is a physical representation of her superego. In Kansas, Dorothy is presented with the harsh reality’s and consequences of life. This is Dorothy’s conscience at work and for her, life is hard. Secondly, the land of oz is the fictional representation of Dorothy’s id. The land of oz symbolizes all that Dorothy wants. She wants to be heard, she wants her opinion to matter and she wants to feel loved, all of which is not being experienced in Kansas. Finally the character of Dorothy is a depiction of her ego. Throughout the whole movie Dorothy is trying to make a compromise between her superego(Kansas) and her id(land of oz) and at the end of the movie a compromise is made thus concluding the power struggle between id and superego.
To begin with, Dorothy’s superego is physically depicted by her life in Kansas. In Kansas, Dorothy has to face all of the harsh realties of growing up. She lives with her foster-parents where her voice in not so often heard. In Kansas, Dorothy makes many attempts to be heard but is soon shut down by everyone around her. She is simply a child looking for attention, but her thirst for attention is not fully quenched until later on in the movie. In Kansas, a sepia tint is used and this says a lot about life in Kansas. The sepia is used to further exemplify Dorothy’s superego. The sepia represents the dark, ominous and bleak realities of life that Dorothy has to face, the reality being that she is basically alone in this world. She may have family but her voice does not really matter when it comes to this. Later on in the movie, Dorothy signs a song titled “over the rainbow”. This song is really a plead from Dorothy’s id, which in other words is the land of oz. It can be viewed as being a metaphor for what Dorothy really wants “Somewhere, over the rainbow, skies are blue. And the dreams that you dare to dream Really do come true”. The color blue here can represent hope. This hope being derived from Dorothy’s ego which will force Dorothy to keep moving on and to not give up. The dreams that Dorothy dares- which are formulated by her id, will really come true one day when a compromise is made between her superego and id, by her ego.
As previously mentioned, Dorothy is swept away by a tornado which in turn brings her to a fictional land which is a representation of her id. The tornado in this case is the result of another plead from Dorothy’s id. A pathetic fallacy is the result of a confrontation between Dorothy’s superego and her id. Dorothy’s family in Kansas takes her dog Toto away because it is causing trouble for the neighbors(superego). Dorothy does not want this to happen (id), so she decides to take the dog and leave. One thing led to another and Dorothy became very upset and the environment around her reacted to this. A tornado hit Kansas and Dorothy was swept away into a magical land known as the land of oz.
Conversely, the world of Oz is a fictional utopia that is a representation of Dorothy’s id, or in other words, what she wants and desires. The land of oz represents the other side of the rainbow for Dorothy. It is on the opposite side of the spectrum from her superego, being the harsh realities she has to face in life(Kansas). The use of color in the land of Oz further exemplifies that this is Dorothy’s id. The land of oz is such a joyful and happy place because of the added color. It makes it seem like a paradise compared to Dorothy’s life back in Kansas where sepia tone is used. Dorothy’s main desires are all fulfilled in the land of oz within the first couple of minutes of her arrival. In Kansas, all Dorothy wanted was to be heard and for her voice to matter. In the land of oz, she is proclaimed to be the savior of the munchkins because she kills the wicked witch of the east. Anything she says is highly valued and everyone’s attention is focused on her, which is exactly what she wanted. After discussing with Glenda- the good witch in the land of oz, Dorothy decides that she must return home. Her returning home at this point is her ego trying to make a compromise between her superego and her id. She decides that she must embark on a journey to see the great wizard of oz, who will guide her home where she will live happily ever after. On her journey, Dorothy meets various odd characters that she befriends. In Kansas, Dorothy does not seem to have many actual friends although, it seems like she wants to. In the land of Oz, this want for friends is fulfilled and with the help of her friends Dorothy is able to complete her journey. Everything Dorothy wants in Kansas is carried out in the fictional land of Oz, which is in reality Dorothy’s id. Finally, throughout the whole movie Dorothy is unknowingly battling between her superego and id, trying to make a compromise between the two. She is trying to find a median between the harsh realities and sepia tint of Kansas and the colorful vividness and joyfulness of the land of Oz. At the end of the movie, Dorothy returns home with the help of the friends she has made along the way. Dorothy returning home at this point is really the compromise she has decided to make between her superego and id. Once arrived back in Kansas, Dorothy awakes to find herself surrounded by her whole family and some friends of the family. Due to the fact that Dorothy was taken away by the tornado, this made her family realize that she was still there, it shone a light on her. Her family came to the realization that she is a human being and that she is important. The future is looking bright for Dorothy, her voice may now be heard by everyone and her thirst for attention is quenched, at last.
In essence, The Wizard Of Oz is a movie that depicts a high level of Freudian psychoanalytical criticism. The plot line, places in which the story take place and the main character of the story all exemplify qualities of Freud’s id, superego and ego. Kansas being Dorothy’s superego in which she has to face the harsh realities and consequences of life where sepia tint and pathetic fallacy are used to demonstrate this. The land of Oz is a colorful fictional utopia that is used to represent Dorothy’s id. Dorothy’s wishes and desires are all fulfilled here by the people around her and the journey she has been faced with. Finally, Dorothy herself is the ego in the movie. Throughout the whole movie she is trying to make a compromise between her superego and id, and at the end of the movie she succeeds in doing so by returning to her home of Kansas after completing her journey in the land of oz. At the end of the movie, a balance is achieved between id and superego with the help of ego. As with life, the ego will always be trying to find compromises and because of this, harmony is the product.
The motion picture The Wizard Of Oz (1939) is a movie about a young girl named Dorothy Gale who is sent-unknowingly on a journey of self discovery and exploration. In the movie, Dorothy is swept away from her homeland of Kansas by a tornado where she ends up in a strange and interesting land known as the land of oz. Once in oz, Dorothy alongside friends she meets along the way embark on a journey to see the wizard of oz who will be able to help Dorothy return home. When looked at in a Freudian point of view, the places, characters and plot development all exemplify psychoanalytical feats, all falling under Freud’s theory of id, superego and ego. Firstly, in the movie, Dorothy’s life in Kansas is a physical representation of her superego. In Kansas, Dorothy is presented with the harsh reality’s and consequences of life. This is Dorothy’s conscience at work and for her, life is hard. Secondly, the land of oz is the fictional representation of Dorothy’s id. The land of oz symbolizes all that Dorothy wants. She wants to be heard, she wants her opinion to matter and she wants to feel loved, all of which is not being experienced in Kansas. Finally the character of Dorothy is a depiction of her ego. Throughout the whole movie Dorothy is trying to make a compromise between her superego(Kansas) and her id(land of oz) and at the end of the movie a compromise is made thus concluding the power struggle between id and superego.
To begin with, Dorothy’s superego is physically depicted by her life in Kansas. In Kansas, Dorothy has to face all of the harsh realties of growing up. She lives with her foster-parents where her voice in not so often heard. In Kansas, Dorothy makes many attempts to be heard but is soon shut down by everyone around her. She is simply a child looking for attention, but her thirst for attention is not fully quenched until later on in the movie. In Kansas, a sepia tint is used and this says a lot about life in Kansas. The sepia is used to further exemplify Dorothy’s superego. The sepia represents the dark, ominous and bleak realities of life that Dorothy has to face, the reality being that she is basically alone in this world. She may have family but her voice does not really matter when it comes to this. Later on in the movie, Dorothy signs a song titled “over the rainbow”. This song is really a plead from Dorothy’s id, which in other words is the land of oz. It can be viewed as being a metaphor for what Dorothy really wants “Somewhere, over the rainbow, skies are blue. And the dreams that you dare to dream Really do come true”. The color blue here can represent hope. This hope being derived from Dorothy’s ego which will force Dorothy to keep moving on and to not give up. The dreams that Dorothy dares- which are formulated by her id, will really come true one day when a compromise is made between her superego and id, by her ego.
As previously mentioned, Dorothy is swept away by a tornado which in turn brings her to a fictional land which is a representation of her id. The tornado in this case is the result of another plead from Dorothy’s id. A pathetic fallacy is the result of a confrontation between Dorothy’s superego and her id. Dorothy’s family in Kansas takes her dog Toto away because it is causing trouble for the neighbors(superego). Dorothy does not want this to happen (id), so she decides to take the dog and leave. One thing led to another and Dorothy became very upset and the environment around her reacted to this. A tornado hit Kansas and Dorothy was swept away into a magical land known as the land of oz.
Conversely, the world of Oz is a fictional utopia that is a representation of Dorothy’s id, or in other words, what she wants and desires. The land of oz represents the other side of the rainbow for Dorothy. It is on the opposite side of the spectrum from her superego, being the harsh realities she has to face in life(Kansas). The use of color in the land of Oz further exemplifies that this is Dorothy’s id. The land of oz is such a joyful and happy place because of the added color. It makes it seem like a paradise compared to Dorothy’s life back in Kansas where sepia tone is used. Dorothy’s main desires are all fulfilled in the land of oz within the first couple of minutes of her arrival. In Kansas, all Dorothy wanted was to be heard and for her voice to matter. In the land of oz, she is proclaimed to be the savior of the munchkins because she kills the wicked witch of the east. Anything she says is highly valued and everyone’s attention is focused on her, which is exactly what she wanted. After discussing with Glenda- the good witch in the land of oz, Dorothy decides that she must return home. Her returning home at this point is her ego trying to make a compromise between her superego and her id. She decides that she must embark on a journey to see the great wizard of oz, who will guide her home where she will live happily ever after. On her journey, Dorothy meets various odd characters that she befriends. In Kansas, Dorothy does not seem to have many actual friends although, it seems like she wants to. In the land of Oz, this want for friends is fulfilled and with the help of her friends Dorothy is able to complete her journey. Everything Dorothy wants in Kansas is carried out in the fictional land of Oz, which is in reality Dorothy’s id. Finally, throughout the whole movie Dorothy is unknowingly battling between her superego and id, trying to make a compromise between the two. She is trying to find a median between the harsh realities and sepia tint of Kansas and the colorful vividness and joyfulness of the land of Oz. At the end of the movie, Dorothy returns home with the help of the friends she has made along the way. Dorothy returning home at this point is really the compromise she has decided to make between her superego and id. Once arrived back in Kansas, Dorothy awakes to find herself surrounded by her whole family and some friends of the family. Due to the fact that Dorothy was taken away by the tornado, this made her family realize that she was still there, it shone a light on her. Her family came to the realization that she is a human being and that she is important. The future is looking bright for Dorothy, her voice may now be heard by everyone and her thirst for attention is quenched, at last.
In essence, The Wizard Of Oz is a movie that depicts a high level of Freudian psychoanalytical criticism. The plot line, places in which the story take place and the main character of the story all exemplify qualities of Freud’s id, superego and ego. Kansas being Dorothy’s superego in which she has to face the harsh realities and consequences of life where sepia tint and pathetic fallacy are used to demonstrate this. The land of Oz is a colorful fictional utopia that is used to represent Dorothy’s id. Dorothy’s wishes and desires are all fulfilled here by the people around her and the journey she has been faced with. Finally, Dorothy herself is the ego in the movie. Throughout the whole movie she is trying to make a compromise between her superego and id, and at the end of the movie she succeeds in doing so by returning to her home of Kansas after completing her journey in the land of oz. At the end of the movie, a balance is achieved between id and superego with the help of ego. As with life, the ego will always be trying to find compromises and because of this, harmony is the product.
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