The 2002 film, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, highlights an encounter between people of different cultures. The movie focuses on Toula Portokalos, a young Greek woman who falls in love with Ian Miller. Ian is not Greek, which is surprising to Toula’s family. Throughout the movie, Ian learns more about Greek culture through the family and even becomes a member of the Greek Orthodox Church in order to marry Taoula. Many ideals and practices in Greek culture are shown in the movie. Ian experiences these events and learns about them with the intention of implementing them into his life, as he becomes a part of Taoula’s big family. This film highlights interactions between people of different nationalities and religions. 

Many aspects of Greek culture are showcased in the film. For example, the food and strong family relationships. Taoula’s family owns a restaurant together, which illustrates Greek food and the family dynamic. Food is a major part of the family and Greek culture. In Ian’s case, he only ate Greek food when he visited the family’s restaurant for a meal. But after meeting Taoula, he enjoyed it for almost every meal. As far as family relationships go, in the movie they demonstrate strong family values. These values included seeing each other almost every day, spending holidays together and playing big roles in their children’s future. The biggest difference between average American families and Taoula’s family is that the extended family is almost considered immediate. 

As illustrated in the movie, religion also plays a big role in Greek culture. After Ian proposed to Taoula, her father did not like the fact that Ian was not a member of the Greek Orthodox Church. Due to the fact that it was such a big deal to Taoula’s father and that they were planning on getting married in an Orthodox church, Ian became a member of the church.

Taoula’s identity is also a big part of the movie’s storyline. When it came time to introduce Ian to her family, she felt embarrassed and nervous. Taoula wanted more for her life than what her parents had planned. Her parents’ expectations included finding a Greek husband for their daughter and helping her raise her children. On the other hand, Taoula wanted a career and a chance to meet someone she could be truly happy with. By the end of the movie, Taoula comes to accept her family and the woman has become with their help.

The Murmer of Bees is a historical fiction novel written by Sofia Segovia that follows a family in Linares, Mexico, and the journey they have with a little boy who comes into their family after he is found under a bridge surrounded by a swarm of bees. The boy’s name is Simonopio and he has a clef deformity and is unable to speak. The townspeople of Linares label Simonopio as a devil, but his adoptive parents, Francisco and Beatriz Morale still bring him into their home like their own son. When Simonopio is around age ten, the Morales have a son named Francisco Junior. As Simonopio and Francisco Junior grow up together, they form an amazing connection and bond despite the age gap and communication barriers. Despite Simonopios’s physical inabilities, he is able to protect his family by predicting both good and bad endeavors through his senses. 

The character development between Simonopio and Francisco Junior is my favorite aspect of the book. Although Simonopio is unable to speak, he still is able to connect and form a strong and unique bond with Francisco Junior. Readers can learn a lot from the relationship between these two very different individuals, although they are from different families, and cannot communicate- they still find ways to get along and help each other. As I read this book, I focused heavily on Simonpio’s identity. He was adopted into a family and was looked down upon by others in his town because of his inabilities. As I began reading I figured Simonopio would fit the character mold of a subaltern, as he was unable to speak and make his own story. As I read on, it was quite clear that Simonopio could speak, just in a way I hadn’t imagined would be possible, his way of communicating is what protected his family through tragedies occurring at the time. In the reading Recitaff, it was interesting to see how much someone without a voice can make an impact on other characters, I looked at Simonopio’s influence on his family and townspeople similar to Maggie from Recitaff. Although the two couldn’t speak, they had huge impacts on the people’s lives they were in. Simonopio is first abandoned and then welcomed into a world that fears and judges him for his differences, through his family’s support and personal embrace he defies the odds and is able to build a strong identity and protect the people he loves and leave a lasting impact. There are many things that can affect communication between two individuals, some being; cultural differences, language barriers, incapabilities, distance, and as seen in Simonopios life: not being able to speak- how does Sofía Segovia show readers that it is possible to communicate with anyone, no matter how similar or different, even when a voice can’t be heard, and what can this tell us about two individuals or cultures?

Segovia, Sofia. The Murmur of Bees. Amazon Publishing. 2015.

The text that I wanted to review an analyze would be the first chapter of The Hunger Games film, directed by Gary Ross. This is a science fiction and action film that was meant to display a futuristic and dystopian society to an extent. There are twelve “districts” which can be related to states and once a year, two people are chosen from each district to fight in a game to the death, ending once only one person remains. Throughout the film, there are many instances which signify power, which is often in the hands of the wealthy, as well as injustices against the poor. For example, the wealthy population of individuals live in the nation’s capital of Panem, which holds all of the power over the other districts. When the selection of the Hunger Games start, no one from Panem is selected, since they only view the games as a sort of entertainment. This puts power in the hands of the wealthy, specifically for the people of Panem, since they are using their wealth and status to avoid being put into the games. Power at the hands of the wealthy can also be seen throughout districts. District three is the closest related to Panem, since that district has a background of innovation and tend to hold the wealthier of the populations. Because of this, the people selected for the games in this district tend to get more sponsorships (more help for the games) and these sponsorships tend to hold more value over sponsorships compared to district twelve. District twelve receives essentially received no help since they are a poor and overlooked community, and the help the tributes do receive is generally a placeholder who acts as a sponsor from Panem. Because of this, there is a clear advantage for the wealthier, since they tend to hold more power than the poor communities. The same can be said for injustices between the wealthy and the poor. There is always a feeling of superiority of the wealthy, and they tend to treat the poor as if they aren’t even human. This once again relates back the sponsorships each district receives; the wealthy receive more substantial benefits compared to the poor. By doing this, the author of the book / director of the film wants the audience to relate this to our modern-day society and look at how the rich and the poor act. People who are wealthier tend to feel like they are superior to those who are poor, which can be seen through both the movie and through society.

Do the Right Thing directed by Spike Lee

            In the 1989 film, Do the Right Thing directed by Spike Lee, it covers some very important topics about identity, power, and social injustices. The film takes place in Brooklyn, New York, where the main character Mookie (Spike Lee himself) works at an in town Italian owned pizza shop. Since the demographic of the town is mostly African American people, a character named Buggin’ Out questions why African American’s aren’t being represented on the Italian owned pizzeria wall full of Italian actors. This raises some racial tension between the shop’s customers and the owners. In the end of the film, a brawl breaks out between a character called Radio Raheem, who joined Buggin’ Out in a protest against the pizzeria, and the Italian owners. Radio Raheem was then tragically murdered by the police who were breaking up the fight.

To begin with, an example of a social injustice that was present in this film was the tragic death of Radio Raheem. When the cops showed up during the fight, the cops strangled Radio Raheem when they were holding him back and sadly passed away. This showed police brutality due to the fact that they held extreme force and showed violence when it was uncalled for. This topic is especially relevant in today’s society and addresses an important issue.

Along with the idea of social injustices being present in this film, so is the idea of power and identity. There is a lot of tension between races, especially between the Italians and the African Americans. In one scene, each race was throwing out explicit racial slurs to one another. I also think the idea of power is present within this film through the police and the Italian pizzeria owners. The white police held power and put fear into the African American neighborhood, which exemplified the idea of white supremacy. The Italians in this film also showed power by refusing service to anyone they wanted and feeling superior over the African American people. This idea of power also resembled the idea of the ‘One’ and the ‘Other,’ where the one would be considered the white police because of the power they held over the city and the pizzeria Italians because they felt superior over the other races. The other would be considered the African American residents that lived in Brooklyn because they were powerless against the police and were inferior in the eyes of the Italians. One very important scene that was present in the film was Radio Raheem explaining how there is conflict in society about love verses hate and, in the end, love will always beat hate. I think one of the biggest messages Spike Lee is trying to convey is that in order for society to make peace, the hatred must be overcome by love. This film was to send the message to stop the racism, the hatred, and discrimination, and to overpower it with love.

Figure 1. This photo represents a scene in the film “Do the Right Thing” directed by Spike Lee, where Radio Raheem talks about the idea of love verse hate.

Figure 2. Pictured shown represents the cover of the film, “Do the Right Thing” that was directed by Spike Lee.

Text Review of The Help

The movie The Help is a fictional story that takes place in Missouri in the 1960s, during the Civil Rights Movement when African Americans were often considered “the help” to White people, particularly in the south. However, a daughter of one of the White families, named Skeeter, is an author who is determined to write a book regarding the lives of these African American women who cared for Skeeter and others ever since they were children. The purpose of writing this book is to bring attention to the mistreatment of African Americans in the U.S. even though they have only provided for White families in a kind manner.

There are clear identities at play here that fit the criteria we have covered throughout this course. Considering the history of the treatment of African Americans in the United States, particularly in the 1960s, we know there was clear systemic injustice at play. African Americans were not provided an equal opportunity, which rendered the countless instances of African Americans being “the help” for White families in America. Therefore, there was a clear label of the Other placed on African Americans in The Help, which emphasized the realistic label of the Other placed on African Americans in the real world during the same time period. The Help clearly depicts how White people held a greater power over African Americans through socioeconomic status. For instance, all of the White families are extremely wealthy and have secure jobs, meanwhile, the African American women live in small homes with many children and struggle to feed everyone.

Regardless, an interesting aspect of The Help is the effort Skeeter makes to help advocate for the African American woman that cared for her in her childhood. I found this section of the plot interesting considering it was frowned upon for White people in the south to stand up for African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement. So, why do you think the author/director incorporated the help of a White woman to advocate for African Americans? What message do you the author/director was trying to send to the audience through the plot of The Help, if any?

Dallas Buyers Club is a film based on the real life of Ron Woodroof (played by Matthew McConaughey), a straight male that was diagnosed with AIDS while living in Texas in the mid-1980s. This news thrusted Ron into a culture that he had not previously wanted anything to do with, but his views would slowly shift towards a greater understanding with time. Many of the fellow AIDS patients were gay, something that Ron was not comfortable with up to this point in his life. He clearly previously aligned with the notion that straight people were the “one”, while everyone else was an “other”. He did have a respect for this “other”, as this ideology had been ingrained in his mind for the entirety of his life thus far. He continued to deny that he was gay himself as he received accusations from his old friends; this form of mistreatment is eventually what would push him towards an empathetic view on his fellow AIDS patients. One thing that he and his old friends did not have an understanding for was the fact that not all AIDS patients had the same story. There was one idea of what this title meant in the eyes of many, and it took being a part of that group for Ron to see the other side. Striving for a possible method of treatment for this horrific illness, Ron would eventually be pushed towards alternative therapies and he actually ended up smuggling unapproved drugs into the United States. This leads him towards the unimaginable friendship between himself and Rayon, a transgender AIDS patient who was also seeking some form of treatment. This unlikely connection is the bond that drives the messaging of this film. Once a common ground was reached between these two an extremely close friendship developed. Their first meeting showed clear disgust in the eyes of Ron, but he would later on defend her in front of his old friends (a true turning point for Ron’s character development). They eventually founded the Dallas Buyers Club together, which focused on providing the treatments he was using for a monthly fee. The early goal of Ron’s actions seemed to be of the financial sense, but as time passed you could see his care for his patients.  The furthering of Ron’s ability to understand and care throughout this film is intriguing and encouraging to watch. This is a fantastic representation of what exposing yourself to different types of people from yourself can do, even though Ron was forced into this situation himself. This is a crucial story to hear, and it does a lot to display the shortcoming of anyone who has a problem with someone else’s gender/sexual identity.

The Steven Spielberg movie, Avatar, tells the story of Jake Sully, a former marine, who is paralyzed from the waist down. Jake is sent on a mission to an alien planet where he becomes connected to a hybrid human-alien life form known as an Avatar and is immersed into the world of Na’vi. Jake enters the Na’vi world and is ordered to gather information on gathering places as well as other information for his commanding officers. At first, Jake does as he is told because he is held to the promise that his commanders will restore his mobility if he executes his mission. However, after he enters the world, he quickly falls in love with a Na’vi woman and begins to question the integrity of his mission. Jake then figures out that his mission may be something more sinister than he had previously been aware. The human forces are planning on taking the Na’vi people’s resources by force. The humans begin to use Jake’s information to coordinate attacks on the Na’vi. Jake slowly begins to synthesize with the Na’vi people and ends up fighting for them.

The movie Avatar offers a unique perspective into how humans might act in an encounter with an alien society. In many ways, The Black Panther is very similar to the plot in Avatar. In both movies, a fictional society comes into contact with a human society that is trying to take advantage of them in some way. In Avatar, humans are after natural resources on the Na’vi planet much like humans want vibranium in The Black Panther. Both societies are left to defend themselves from an enemy who is driven by greed.

Though the human society is fictional in both films, ethical dilemmas are present in both. These screenplays are designed to draw attention to ethical issues that stem from the abuse of other cultures. The idea of taking advantage of a culture for one’s own gain has long been a hotbed for debate as it is unfortunately all too common in today’s world. Much like the movies, cultures around the world are robbed of riches and taken advantage of simply because they can’t defend themselves. This mostly stems from the early ideas of colonialism where African tribes were forced into labor and kept under tight control as colonists searched for Africa’s vast riches of gold and resources. Today, an excellent example of this mistreatment are blood diamonds Blood diamonds are a result of forced labor and are often not the true property of the one selling it. Overall, I believe Avatar was intended to cast a light on the idea that societies are often mistreated and when that society is small enough or far away enough, people turn the other way. 

Text review assignment – Kim Merrick

For this assignment I chose to analyze Grey’s Anatomy season where there is a merger between two hospitals and things go south and eventually people are very short staffed. During this time period there a doctor who steps in to help for a day to help at the hospital and does not want to listen to anyone or allow anyone to help him except the “nazi” who is Miranda Bailey. Doctor Bailey offers help and is shut down immediately because one she is a woman and two she was an African American woman. The male doctor is a white man who thinks he has authority over everyone and has the power to do anything he wants. This in my opinion is an injustice because of how he treats dr. Bailey even though she is one of the most knowledgeable and strongest doctors at the hospital. The male doctor also uses his identity and thinks because he is the male doctor he knows more she can do everything alone because he is “ better” and dr, Bailey and Meredith are women who he considers useless and a subaltern/other. Which relates to the concept we learned in class and he doesn’t not allow them to show how capable they are. Through this whole episode he keeps declining her help and sending her on a mission to find the great and all mighty nazi who is known for being brilliant not realizing it was her. It is not till when dr. Webber who is the chief,  has a conversation with Bailey and says “this is why they call you the nazi” that the male doctor heard and feels like he now has no power or authority because of how little respect he showed dr. Bailey. During this whole episode Dr. Bailey was treated as the  “other” by her race, and her gender. This proves that people need to be slow to make assumptions until they get to know the other affiliates. Dr. Bailey felt as if she was useless at first because she could not believe how this doctors actions allowed him to feel so powerful yet so rude. She did not say anything to him even though she could have but she did not feel as if she needed to prove herself.

The movie (and book) Hidden Figures came out in 2016 and is set in the early 1960’s follows the stories of three female African-American women working at NASA in the heart of the Space Race. The Space Race was the United States and the Soviet Union battling to make key discoveries about what was beyond our earth and sending people into space. The three women, Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson are brilliant and powerful women who end up making key discoveries within the predominantly white, male workplace. These women never took no for an answer and were able to show that they deserved just as good treatment as any other employee. They ended up excelling more than the other people in their respective divisions and were finally recognized in the end of the film for their intelligence, hard work, and dedication.

In this movie, the power that is addressed is toward men being superior to woman as well as white people having power over people of color (specifically black people in this film). I think that this dynamic in the film showed that all people regardless of sex or gender can excel in the STEM field and they have just as much brilliance and stature. The One in this example was the white people who oppressed these strong women who were seen as the Other. The movie shows that these people can do anything and can accomplish so many amazing inventions and innovations when they get the opportunity to excel. The big picture here is that people need be accepting of all people to be able to accomplish the most. There is no place for discrimination in the workplace, especially concerning something so important as NASA.

I think that the author of the book and then the director of the film wanted to make the viewer question the importance of race and gender and realize that being smart is something that goes beyond both of those things. The movie is uplifting which shows that the viewer is supposed to feel empowered and strong. I think that while this movie is appealing to any demographic of viewer, the target audience I believe is younger girls who can look up to these powerful women and aspire to be like them and fight all barriers including sex and race. I think that it inspires conversation about identity, power, and injustice because while this is a historical movie depicting real events, it is also entertaining which is a very important aspect of media today that sparks conversation and sticks with people.