Saving Francesca

Francesca

The name Francesca originates from a French word meaning freedom. The story is based about her determination to find her true identity through becoming self aware. The author uses a variety of names for Francesca; Fran, frank, franie, because she wants the reader to show that when Francesca mixes with a different group of people she becomes someone else. Therefore the name is pertinent to the concept of the search for freedom.

Francesca speaks with bold words, She delivers sentences with power and emotion. She can be seen as a depressed or a powerful person. Francesca’s speech differs, depending to whom she is talking with. When she is with her dad she is called Frankie. When she is with her peers at school she becomes Fran, and her mother calls her Frankie the brave.

Francesca does not dress like her ‘group’, she dresses with a bit more dignity within herself, and doesn’t take that risk of been calling a slut, or whore etc.

Being in year 11 she would be around the age of 16-17 so in her middle teen, this stage of life can be very difficult and bring out many sides of a person that have not yet shown. With this we go into her mannerisms, Francesca’s manners differ yet again depending on who she is with. She can be seen as a very happy person but then can also be known to smile on the outside to hide pain from within’.

Francesca goes from starting of a shy girl who everyone sees straight through and no-one seems to notice, but the boys see a different side of her which ends up coming out during the story. Francesca finds it difficult to relate to others but as the novel carries her attitude changes and we begin to see the more assertive side of her. I think that Francesca seems to hide from everyone else becuase she is not yet certain with herself, i think that she has a split personality one who wants to speak her mind and let everything out but the other wants to stay hidden within’ the shadows for she has not yet found her true self.

Film Review

The Dead Poets Society                                                                Drama/comedy

 

The Dead Poets Society is a film based on seven boys and a teacher who manage find a way to  escape from the regimented and monotous routine of a high society, all boys school.Robin Williams stars as a new English teacher (Mr Keating) at Welton Academy prep school who inspires his class to develop an apreciation of poetry. Neil Perry (Robert Sean Leonard), Todd Anderson (Ethan Hawke), Knox Overstreet (Josh Charles), Charlie Dalton (Gale Hansen), Richard Cameron (Dylan Kussman), Steven Meeks (Allelon Ruggiero), and Gerard Pitts (James Waterston) take you down a pathway of poetry that’s never been taken before.

When a new English teacher arrives at Welton Academy, a new prospective on life is given to the young boys of his class. On first arrival he talks the boys through a lecture of poetry and the life it gives and strives. Asking one of the young lads of his class to read the introduction to their poetry textbook “Understanding Poetry” by Dr. J. Evans-Pritchard, Ph.D. ‘Mr Keating’ exclaimes that he finds the piece rediculous and tells the boys to rip the introduction out. In disbelief the boys proceed as Keating speaks the lines “Begone, J. Evans-Pritchard, Ph.D.” Later he has the class stand on their desks, reminding them that they should always look at the world from different prospectives. The group of seven young lads become interested in the past of their new teacher and discover “The Dead Poets Society”. Becoming interested in the free ways of this newly found group the boys begin to sneak out at night and read poetry, quoting Henry David Thoreau “I went into the woods because I wanted to live deliberately. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life. To put to rout all that was not life; and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived”. The boys continue their nightly groupings and begin to use poetry more within’ their lives. Soon one boy takes it to far and The Dead Poets Society begins to fall, with all seven boys taking a new turn in life that teaches them the feeling of sorrow, pain, and disbelief.