The portrayal of the family in The Simpsons Essay Example for Free

The portrayal of the family in The Simpsons Essay In the majority of episodes of The Simpsons, the plots are similar in the respect that one or more family members are involved in a predicament that always has a comical element, and involves Homer Simpson saying Doh! . The plots are more often than not character driven, for example, in the episode Brother Where Art Thou? Homer Simpson finds out that he has a half brother that he never knew. Homer then embarks on a journey to find him, when he does; he discovers that his brother is a millionaire. In the end, he manages to bankrupt his long lost brother, and they part ways on bad terms. The central character in that particular episode is Homer; in the episode Lisas Pony, the central character is Lisa. Even though the plots are always similar, the resolutions differ so that the viewer is kept interested in the series. To say that the Simpsons are a stereotypical nuclear family would be a dubious statement. They all have their own personalities, which have elements of certain stereotypes, but not enough of one in particular to dominate the others in their personality. Homer Simpson is a beer drinking couch potato who likes nothing more than to watch the football game on the television. Marge Simpson is a maternal housewife and a possible nag of the family. Contrary to the point I previously made, I think that the children in the family are stereotyped; Bart, who is the Dennis the Menace nuisance and underachiever, Lisa whos intelligence is far greater than anyone elses in the family, and Maggie, who never speaks, but still manages to indulge herself in a little mischief. By the writers using stereotypes in the programme, they make it easier for people to relate to the characters, and enable the viewer to understand the plot more. For example in the episode Barts Dog Gets Out, Santas Little Helper (i. e. the dog) escapes, and Barts first instinct is to get out and find him. With Homer, he would probably propose getting a new one, or discourage his family from looking for him. The relationships in The Simpsons are not stereotypical because that would make the programme less comical. Even in the opening sequence however, we still get an indication of the type of characters they are. Marge has a strong relationships with Maggie, and we see them rushing from shopping, which shows Marges role as the housewife. We see Bart in school writing lines on a blackboard, and then weaving in and out of pedestrians in his rush to get home; this shows that he is troublesome at school, but also virtually carefree. Lisa is playing in the school band, but then breaks off, and is sent out, seemingly because she plays too well for the rest of the class to keep up; this illustrates her talent. She also rides a bicycle, which one could argue, means that she is a conservative person, which she is. Homer races off from work, and in doing so ends up with a glowing radioactive rod in the back of his radiation suit, which shows he is both careless, and lacks common sense. I think that the show itself is aimed at younger audiences, for example teenagers and young adults because; the programme has some unrealistic features such as the Simpsons skin colour and the fact that they have four fingers. Although the programme has other cultures (i. e. Indians and Black people), the main family, which are the Simpsons, have yellow as a skin colour. Their skin colour can be argued whether it is realistic or unrealistic because, yellow may have been used because it is a primary colour, and primary colours are attractive and eye catching, but; on the other hand it may have a meaning which could be universal because it is neither black nor white. Using yellow as a skin colour makes it known to viewers that racism is ruled out and I believe that yellow is a good example for this because it is warm, bright and welcoming; and this makes a good statement. Another argument could arise that their skin colour is yellow because if they were to be a real life equivalent you would assume them to be Caucasian; and so their skin is drawn as yellow to combat the idea of the common black or white situation. The fact that all the characters in The Simpsons have four fingers shows that they are all a unique and unified community despite age and race, this also makes a good statement. Both the skin colour and the four fingers are attractive to young viewers but they also have meaning to older viewers, and different parts of the show are aimed at different audiences. An example of this would be in the episode Lisas Pony; it could be argued that it is aimed at younger children, especially girls. The episode Brother, Where Art Thou? would be aimed at the older audiences, especially men, but whatever the case it is possible for a variety of age groups to watch and enjoy the programme. The allusions in the show itself prove to the audience that the show is up to date, and it gives the show a sharper angle of realism, which again would attract people to watch the show. An allusion from the film E. T. was used in The Simpsons. The film E. T. is most known for the contact of alien and human with their finger touching each other. This was like a connection. This connection was seen when Lisa and her mother did the same thing. That one moment in The Simpsons held much meaning, it showed the personal relationship with Marge and Lisa, and Marges maternal and loving side. It also showed that Marge is a significant figure in Lisas life. This allusion can be very heart-warming for viewers to see.

Heroes and Heroines :: Fiction Comics Papers

Heroes and Heroines "Who the heck are you?" Victor Frankenstein cried. "What the heck are you?" "I am the wretch created by your beloved Elizabeth," cried the vaguely female wretch. "Elizabeth has passed the limits of the human realm and in her feverish pursuit of the essential knowledge of the world she has spawned the being that you now see before you!" "And what do you want from me, you frightening monstrosity whom my innocent and sheltered eyes should never have been made to look upon?" The wretch snickered. "I am a monstrous version of Elizabeth, her child, brought forth by her own hand. She has forsaken me, cast me aside and thus made me miserable! Therefore I have vowed to destroy everything she loves, even sweet and mild Victor, just as she destroyed all happiness for me. Rrrrr!" "Oh, help me! Help me!" Victor Frankenstein cried. "Oh! Oh!" Now wait just one second. Very funny, but that's not how the story goes. For one thing, Victor Frankenstein does not squeal like a-girl? Victor Frankenstein created the monster. Victor Frankenstein was the ambitious one who took his experiments too far. A monstrous version of Victor destroyed everything he loved. Elizabeth was sweet and mild. Elizabeth was the innocent who died because of Victor's work gone wrong. Frankenstein would have been a remarkable book if Elizabeth had taken on Victor's part, if Victor had taken on Elizabeth's part, and if the wretch had been female. Imagine Victor staying at home and being the best example of the sweetest nature anyone ever did see. Imagine Elizabeth storming acros the icy mountains after the wretch, and imagine the wretch demanding a husband to be a boon to her, sweet and supportive company when she became tired of the world. Switching the gender roles in such a way would be comical because that's not the way it's done. When we read about, watch, or listen to our fictional heroes and heroines, we expect certain behaviors from them. We have a set of rules by which we define male and female characters, and characters that don't adhere to the general rules are anomalies and misfits.

Juvenile System Essay

Something is wrong in society if more and more teenagers commit delinquent crimes. Focusing on what spawns delinquency in juveniles today, parenting is essential. During my visit to family court with fellow classmates I was honored to observe real live cases involving teenagers, and their parents. It was obvious that one main issue in the U. S. Juvenile Delinquency system is the lack of family structure. Family and delinquent relationships interconnect, ultimately, resulting to the core of delinquency. The articles â€Å"Juvenile Delinquency and Family Structure†, by Anika Doggett, and â€Å"Family Influences on Delinquency, written by David P. Farrington, both attempt to explain the effects of family structure on juvenile delinquents. The least amount of communication and structure provided by family only ensures a closer path to delinquent activities a child will engage in. Eventually, a solution or at least an attempt to solve family structure, and parental influence, will need to be instituted in the U. S. juvenile system. Attending family court was an experience in itself because it will forever be memorable. One case in particular that held significant value to me was the one involving a fourteen year old boy who stabbed a delivery worker in the chest with a knife. As the troubled teen entered the court room, all eyes were focusing on him as court officers began to remove him from handcuffs. This proved prior detainment in a detention facility. He approached his seat slow and slouchy, and sat in between his mother and his lawyer. He shared no words, or looks with either of the two as he continued to be seated. I expected a much more intimate greeting once he united with his mother, but to my surprise, neither of them seems interested in such. The young delinquent glanced around the room as he identified everyone present with his low, angry eyes. His hair was uncombed, and he slouched in his chair as if having no interest in the events about to take place. His face was brutally bruised and beaten from what seemed to be fist fights he had back in the detention facility he came from. As the descriptions of the case continued, it was proven that the victim of the stabbing was an innocent, immigrant man who spoke no English. He is from Mexico, and works to support his family being a delivery boy. The victim is only nineteen years old meaning only four years older than his offender. When the victim was mentioned, the juvenile represented was not remorseful. He showed no signs of sympathy for the victim, or his family. He continued to slouch, and be detached from everyone in the court room. As the judge continued to plead his case, he continued to stare forward with a blank stare. Ultimately, the case was postponed to be decided at a later date. The juvenile’s lawyer mentioned the teenager having a consultation with a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist saw symptoms of an antisocial disorder that the teenager processed. He described the teen as feeling emotionally disconnected and detached from things having sentimental value, which would explain his lack of emotion during the case. In the end, the teen was issued back to the detention facility in which he came from. As the case was dismissed, the boy stood up from the bench and was placed back in handcuffs. Once again, he did not look at his mother, speak to her, or acknowledge her even in the slightest way. Somehow, his mother was able to crack a smile when she looked at him, but somehow, it didn’t seem fulfilling to me. Furthermore, I analyzed the underlying cause of this case; lack of family structure. According to Anika Doggett, in the text â€Å"Juvenile Delinquency, and Family Structure†, â€Å"families are one of the strongest socializing forces in life†. (1) Providing stability, unity, and control, families are essentially the foundation of a person. However, it is clear that family factors predict offending. Some strong predictors are criminal or antisocial parents. Other predictors are large family sizes, poor parental supervision, parental conflict, and disrupted families. Children who are rejected by families, who also grow up in unstable homes with large amounts of conflict, or who are unsupervised most of the time, are at greater risk of becoming delinquent. (Doggett 1) In even more specific terms, positive parenting practices during early years of childhood and adolescence appear to act as safety helmets; simply because they add to the structure and foundation of what a child believes, values, and understands as right from wrong. This exact idea is evident in the case. From what I concurred as I watched the court case, the mother and son relationship was troublesome based on the lack of communication they shared. In the text â€Å"Family Influences on Delinquency†, author David Farrington says â€Å"mother love in infancy and childhood was just as important for mental health as vitamins and proteins for physical health†. (211) It is essential that a child experiences a warm, loving, encouraging, continuous relationship with a mother figure from a very young age. If they experience a maternal detriment, as early as the first five years of life, it will have negative effects on the development of their character. This includes becoming an â€Å"affectionless†, and â€Å"cold† person, also a delinquent. This explains the very distant relationship displayed between the mother and son in court. In addition, the fact that the boy’s father was not present is also an important facet in my observation. Farrington states that it is generally common for the loss or absence of a father, rather than a mother. However, this too impacts the future of the juvenile. Children from broken homes are more likely to offend than ones from â€Å"intact families†. (Farrington 211) To further verify this idea, a study was carried out by researcher, Joan McCord, in which she studied the relationship between homes broken by loss of the biological fathers and boys who later commit serious offenses. She found that the prevalence of offending was high for boys from broken homes without affectionate mothers (62 percent) and for those from unbroken homes characterized by parental conflict (52 percent), irrespective of whether they had affectionate mothers.

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