literature
Comprehending Horror through Animation: The Art of the Anti-War Animated Movie
by John Whitehead Animation fascinates me. Like painters, animators can create images of stunning beauty. Being free from the limitations of human actors or physical locations, animators can also depart from strict realism and create images that are fantastical, metaphorical, or otherwise stylized. Animation’s stylization can allow animated films to deal with darker, more serious…
“Somewhere Else When the Trigger Is Pulled”: Orwell and War
by John Whitehead This is a follow-up to our post Recognizing Humanity: Orwell and the Consistent Life Ethic, in which John stated that Orwell’s position on war needed to be treated separately. This year is the 70th anniversary of Orwell’s most famous book, 1984. Political language — and with variations this is true of…
Recognizing Humanity: Orwell and the Consistent Life Ethic
by John Whitehead We’re 70 years from the publication of one of the 20th century’s most influential books: 1984. George Orwell’s 1949 novel about future life under an extremely repressive regime has shaped political debate and popular culture for decades. The novel’s anniversary will doubtless prompt further reflections. I reflect on Orwell’s concern for defending…
Dickens
From A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens (1843) Early in the novel, Ebenezer Scrooge is speaking to two men who are trying to solicit a donation to the poor. When he says he’ll donate “nothing,” they ask if he wishes to remain anonymous. “I wish to be left alone,” said Scrooge. “Since you ask me…
How to Value People Like Mister Rogers
by Andrew Hocking NOTE: Fred Rogers continues to receive media attention beyond the documentary discussed here. Tom Hanks will be portraying Mr. Rogers in an upcoming movie, “You Are My Friend” The new documentary, Won’t You Be My Neighbor, reveals how Mister Rogers valued others. If you’ve never watched his television shows, you can…
Right-to-Life Issues in Contemporary Gay and Lesbian Literature
by Jeff Koloze Note: The post is based on a paper that was to be presented at the University Faculty for Life conference in 2018. The complete paper and bibliography can be found on LifeIssues.net. Now retired from his most recent position as associate professor at South University, Dr. Koloze continues teaching at various…
It’s a Wonderful Movement
Now a popular classic movie for the season, It’s a Wonderful Life shows George Bailey standing on a snow-covered bridge, ready to kill himself by jumping into the icy river below. Defining himself by his failures, at the height of his despair, he was visited by an angel who showed him what the world would have…