Addressing Texts, Topics, Themes, And Related Concerns
Addressing Texts, Topics, Themes, and Related Concerns
Write a six-page, double-spaced essay in MLA format analyzing a cultural phenomenon/artifact/song/movie, focusing on its inherent contradictions or overdeterminations. Use quotations extensively, including quoting at length, supported by the quotation sandwich method: set up/context, quote with ellipses/brackets, and explanation. Incorporate your ideas, connections, and quotes, but prioritize a clear thesis or basic idea. Discuss how the artifact (e.g., a film like "Mon Oncle") exemplifies contradictions within its social, political, and economic contexts, particularly focusing on themes such as capitalism, modernization, design, and urban planning.
Paper For Above instruction
This essay requires an in-depth analysis of a cultural artifact, specifically choosing one such as the film "Mon Oncle," to explore its representation of modernity versus tradition, and how it reflects and critiques societal contradictions. The analysis should include detailed examination of architectural design, urban planning, fashion, and technological advancements portrayed in the film. The core objective is to highlight how these elements embody tensions between old and new, human and machine, community versus individualism, and efficiency versus livability.
In analyzing "Mon Oncle," it is essential to utilize theoretical frameworks such as Jane Jacobs’ critiques of modern urban planning, as summarized in Scott's "Seeing Like a State." Jacobs advocates for diversity of use, vibrant sidewalks, and community-centered urban spaces—qualities exemplified by the old Paris in the film, which contrasts sharply with the sterile, efficiency-driven new city in the film’s Arpel household and surroundings.
The essay should explore how Tati’s depiction of the old city aligns with Jacobs’ vision of urban vitality—characterized by mixed-use spaces, human-scale design, social interaction, and walkability—compared to the sanitized, functionally optimized modern city that emphasizes automation, uniformity, and separation of functions. Use specific scenes, costumes, architecture, or behaviors to illustrate these points, supporting them with quotations from the film and scholarly sources.
Moreover, the essay should analyze the social and ideological implications of design choices in both urban environments. For example, Tati’s critique of modernist architecture underscores its alienation and neglect of human needs, while the traditional city’s communal spaces foster social cohesion. Discussions should incorporate historical context—1950s postwar modernization trends—and relate these to contemporary urban issues. Draw on sources like Le Corbusier’s planning principles, critiques of authoritarian modernism, and Jacobs’ emphasis on organic city development.
The paper must be cohesive, focused on a single thesis—such as the superiority of old city qualities over new, modernist designs—and develop this through detailed analysis, quotations, and scholarly insights. Conclusions should reflect on the enduring relevance of these themes for understanding urban development and social life today.
References
- Le Corbusier. (1935). "The Radiant City".
- Jacobs, J. (1961). "The Death and Life of Great American Cities".
- Scott, J. C. (1998). "Seeing Like a State".
- Tati, J. (1958). "Mon Oncle".
- Harvey, D. (2012). "Rebel Cities: From the Right to the City to the Urban Revolution".
- Lynch, K. (1960). "The Image of the City".
- James, P. (1984). "Urban Planning and Modern Architecture".
- Hall, P. (1988). "Cities of Tomorrow".
- O stb, B. (1994). "Designing the Modern City".
- Reichl, M. (2014). "Modernism and Urban Form".