The Final Conversation in A Dolls House :: Dolls House essays

The Final Conversation in A Doll's House The final scene of A Doll's House is one of the most famous and hotly debated moments in modern drama, endlessly argued about. I make no attempt here to account for all the complexities of this fascinating scene, but once again I'd like to offer some observations to fuel further discussion. Torvald's behaviour once he reads Krogstad's letter totally demolishes the illusion Nora has taken refuge in, and the lectures he delivers to Nora at the start of the scene remind us unmistakably of what a total social prig he is, determined to salvage what he can by deception and very angry at Nora for what she has done. We are right to find what he says very offensive, especially since he makes no sympathetic attempt to talk to her, to explore her motivation, to share the crisis together as two individuals at a critical point in their lives together. [Naturally, the staging of the first part of this scene is absolutely crucial for shaping our response to what happens later. If, for example, Torvald's angry abuse leads him to hit Nora, the impact of his tirade will be very different indeed from what it would be if we sense a genuine pain and panic under his insults, if it deflates him rather than energizing him to violence against her] At the same time, we need to recognize that much of what Torvald says is right. If this gets out, he will be ruined. We know enough about his society to understand that the slightest accusation of criminal conduct will destroy them both (and that, we know, is so much more than just losing a job). And we have seen that for Torvald his social role is who he is, his entire identity. He has no conception of himself outside that role. So, in effect, Nora has, in his eyes, destroyed him. We may deplore the shallowness of his character, but we should not dismiss the intensity of his feelings or the accuracy of his perception of how society will react. Everything he believes in is in danger of being taken away. And that's why, once the danger has passed, he can instantly become himself again: his identity has been restored. So when he utters (and keeps repeating) that line which so often earns a laugh in the modern theatre ("I forgive you everything") he is making (in his eyes) a sincere concession.

Othello and Antigone Essay -- Essays Papers

Othello and Antigone Othello, takes place in Venice during an attack of the island of Cyprus . The protagonist is Othello and The antagonist of the story is Iago, who wants Othello to give him the rank of head luitenant but the position was given to Cassio. Desdemona is Othello's wife who is having an affair with Cassio. Roderigo, is a character madley in love with Desdemona; and Emilia , who is iago's wife. The heart of this story is trajic. Although Othello is a noble warrior, he is a jealous person . with this, most of the play portreys the factor on jealousy which causes corruption. Many conflicts are found in Othello, man vs. man is one . also, when Iago seeks revenge against Othello and Cassio because of his hatred and jealousy for them. Person vs. himself is also found when Othello has a problem with whether or not he should believe that Desdemona is cheating on him. . one lesson , in which, readers can learn from the play is that "jealousy causes corruption in many ways such as dishonesty which was portrayed by Iago".At the end of the play, Desdemona dies, iago has no guilt ; even when iago was dieing , he doesn't have any remorse for anyone. However, Iago was not fully to blame for desdemona's death, Othello also caused Desdemona to die, his jealousy and his and overzealous attidude cause it. Even in the end of the play , Othello doesn't know what his drive and motivation for killing the woman of his life. Sh...

To What Extent Was Jacksonian Democracy Democratic? Essays -- History

To What Extent Was Jacksonian Democracy Democratic?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During the administration of Andrew Jackson, the United States was a nation of change both politically and socially. American society was a society of opportunity. Americans felt that, given a chance, they could make a better life for themselves. This was the era of the common people, the era of democracy. Andrew Jackson appealed to the American people because he stood for values many regarded with favor. However democratic Jackson may seem, he was more tyrant-like than any of his predecessors. His major offerings to the nation included majority rule and a popular presidency, however offered no benefits to women, African Americans, nor Native Americans. Jacksonian Democracy was in no way democratic.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Before Jackson's time, voters expected public officials to use their own best judgment in electing. Under Jacksonian Democracy, the people came to believe that officials should act according to the demands of the people. To make government respond more directly to the popular will, state and local governments began to fill some positions such as judges, constables, and public surveyors by election rather than appointment. The terms of office were also shortened so that popular opinion had a more direct effect on the actions of elected officials. Thus, the government under Jackson became the people's government, although he retained a tight grasp, using his veto often.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As new voters made demands on government, they learned the power of political organization. National issues became as much topics of conversation as local issues had always been. As national parties built stronger state and local ties, they began to rely upon a growing number of "professional politicians." These changes helped to initiate the spoils system. This practice of appointing people to government positions based on party loyalty and party service was not an entirely new development, but Jackson was the first to oust large numbers of government employees in order to appoint his followers to office. He argued that there should be a rotation in office. Some believed that the spoils system set a poor precedent. Jackson amplified presidential power by using the veto more than all previous presidents.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On the "Women's Rights" issue, Jacksonian Democracy did nothing to further the female cause. Only in sparse st... ...ur government was built, the Constitution. He completely disregarded Marshall’s decree and sent the army in to force the Indians from their native homes in Georgia. This disgusting display of the broad sword of government is a disgrace to our nation’s legacy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tocqueville, a foreigner, came to the United States to study American prison reform, but was so disgusted with the way our society was and how our government functioned under Jackson that he changed the focus of his study to an analysis of democracy. He saw democracy by our example as â€Å"far from accomplishing all it projects with skill† and that â€Å"Democracy does not give people the most skillful government.† Jackson’s example of democracy was horrible.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jacksonian Democracy seems to be a zeugma, two contrasting things put together to make a comparison. Andrew Jackson never had any intention of broadening our democracy, only to make his ends meet. Through the way he treated Native Americans, African Americans, women, and many other minority groups, Jackson showed his ignorance in fulfilling one of the most pressing tasks of the president, to represent the people. To no extent was Jacksonian Democracy democratic.

Product Launch Plan -Team-Mkt 571

Altadena Computer: Product Launch Plan Team X MKT 571 Altadena Computer: Product Launch Plan Product Description Product Positioning Targeting Market Needs In 2009 approximately 870,000 full-time students were attending Canadian universities. The highest percentage increase of enrollment for undergraduates was in British Columbia (6. 4%) and the highest percentage increase of enrollment for graduate students was in Prince Edward Island (38. 1%) (AUCC. ) With so many students, Altadena Computers has a large base to target and market their special brand of customized laptops. Because of to the economic downturn the prediction in Canada reflects more people returning to college to increase their job marketability. In 2009, an increase of 4. 1% in undergraduate programs and an increase of 7. 2% in graduate programs validate the predictions. Altadena aims to provide quality merchandise that lasts longer than a few years, replacing the laptop will not be a concern for the student. Altadena employees rely on the students to guide them in designing the perfect laptop. Channel Strategy Market Potential Below is data collected by World Bank of Internet user percentages for United Kingdom and Canada. The trend of Internet use has significantly increased, doubling in the past decade. In 1990, domestic and international Internet usage was merely nonexistent and has steadily progressed past the year 2000. In 2007, Canada’s Internet usage inclined to 72. 8% while the United Kingdom ascended at 71. 7% and is steadily increasing into 2008. {draw:frame} Case # 1 – Domestic Location – Canada In 2007 Canada’s population reached 33. 0 million. Using the population data, Altadena Computers can estimate potential buyers within Canada. Internet percentages will be valuable in determining the average annual consumption and a measureable selling price of $950 per laptop. This price may be considered an expensive pecuniary; however, Altadena Computers must realistically visualize price and profits of the investment. At a selling price of $950 per laptop, customer base of 3,300,000, and an annual consumption of 10 percent of Internet users, 7. 28%, Altadena Computer’s market potential is calculated at $228,228,000. Case #2 – International Location – (United Kingdom) SWOT Analysis (Canada & England) SWOT Analysis (Canada & England) Threats and opportunities are equally justifiable. Yes, Altadena Computers may be a new player in the game but that does not determine a disqualification for Altadena Computers. This only symbolizes a significant role on behalf of Altadena Computers to orchestrate diligence and effective market strategies to compete with existing and forthcoming competition. Currently, management anticipates threats because of increasing competition, transportation costs, pecuniary regulations enforced by the government, and demographic shifts in the market. However, as there are threats, opportunities also exist. Altadena Computers does more than provide college students with cost effective, premium service laptops, Altadena Computers is providing essential tools and contributing to society’s development. Consider Canadian Internet usage in 2008. According to the Publications section of the World Fact Book, â€Å"Internet usage in 2008 was 25. 086 million users from a population of 33. 487 million residents. † Most Internet users are â€Å"educated† meaning they have at least an undergraduate degree. Therefore, it is imperative that Altadena Computers provide this service to college students because laptops are in high demand for students. Competition In a market of such magnitude, competition is expected to be fierce and strong. Dell, Hewitt Packard, Wal-Mart, MicroCenter, and Fry’s are some of the few dominant competitors in the industry. With the exception of Dell Computers, conveniences these businesses present are their ability to showcase products and provide instant gratification. Customers can assess the product and leave with their merchandise. Although instant gratification is necessary for some consumers, not all customers require their product instantly. Some would prefer to build their laptop necessities and incur offering provided by Altadena Computers. The logic here is not to dismiss the competition; for the possibility of that occurring is relatively short lived. Altadena Computers is a new and emerging business in the industry. Many lessons can be learned that can be applied that were previously encountered by the competition. Marketing Objectives and Strategy Pricing Market Communication: Canada and England Communication in marketing channels can serve as the process by which influential information is conveyed, shared decision making is encouraged, programs are created, power is put into effect and commitment and loyalty are built. Communication is the bond that holds together channels of distribution. Marketing communication builds awareness of a business, its products and the business’s position through customer interaction materials such as brochures, press releases, web sites and other forms of direct, indirect and interactive marketing. Marketing communication represents the â€Å"voice† of the brand and is one way to establish a dialogue and build relationships with consumers (Kotler & Keller, 2007, p. 279). Altadena Computer Company must have an in-depth understanding of the company’s target audience and the process of buying, selling, and communicating to customers. Marketing communications are the means by which firms attempt to inform, persuade, and remind consumers—directly or indirectly—about the products and brands they sell (Kotler & Keller, 2007, p. 279). The marketing communication mix consists of six major modes of communication (Kotler & Keller, 2007, p. 279): Sales Promotion is short-term incentives to encourage trial or purchase of a product or service. Public relations and Publicity are programs promoting or protecting company or product image. Direct marketing is the use of mail, telephone, fax, e-mail, or solicit response or dialogue from specific customers and prospects. Personal selling is face-to-face interactions with prospective purchasers for the purpose of making presentations, answering questions and procuring orders. Publicity: Canada and England Distribution Strategy: Domestic and International A distribution strategy describes how a business will generate and persuade demand for a product or service. Distribution Strategy involves shifting products for point of formation to points of utilization by the end user, in a cost-effective method. Distribution strategy will identify how a business will manage the brand. Distribution strategies come is various forms: (1) manufacturer ? consumer, (2) manufacturer? retailer? consumer, or (3) manufacturer? wholesaler? etailer? consumers. The process can involve longer channels including agents and brokers Types of Distribution Channels Canada and England Distribution Strategy The primary distribution for Altadena Computer domestic and international customer will be manufacturer to customer. The customer will have access live assistance to make orders and ask questions, through the Altadena Computer website or with a customer service representative that has the knowledge and ability to service Altadena Computer customers. Altadena Computers Distribution Strategy Altadena Computers must take advantage of the distribution opportunities. For example, gaining permission from domestic and international educational institutions to place brochures in the building were students have access to the information. Another distribution opportunity is setting up a demonstration area at domestic and international universities and colleges to provide information and a glimpse at the product to the potential customer. Customers preferring to buy online will have to fulfill orders and allow Altadena Computers to sell directly to customers. Customers can also engage in another distribution strategy with Altadena Computers specialized customer service representatives to close deals. Altadena Computers distribution program will focus on the needs of the customer. Financial Information Market Research Conclusion References Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (2009. ) Retrieved March 7, 2010 from http://www. aucc. ca/publications/media/2009/enrolment_10_22_e. html https://www. cia. gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ca. html https://www. cia. gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/uk. html Common Wealth (2009) United kingdom. opulation. Retrieved 3-7-2010 http://www. thecommonwealth. org/YearbookHomeInternal/139560/ Kotler, P. & Keller, K. (2007). A Framework for Marketing Management (3rd ed. ) New Jersey: Pearson-Prentice Hall. Kotler, P. and Keller, K. L. (2006) Marketing management (12th Ed. ) New Jersey: Pearson- Prentiss Hall. Statistics Canada (2009) Population and demography. Re trieved 3-7-2010 http://www41. statcan. gc. ca/2008/3867/ceb3867_000-eng. htm World Bank, World Development Indicators (2010) Internet_ users as percentage of _ population. Retrieved 3-7-2010 http://www. google. com/publicdata

Improving a company?

Improving a company's system helps aid in its success in today's market as well as in the future of the company's growth and stabilization. This new system that will enable the company to promptly accomplish these requirements without hesitation and will not interfere with the company's time management protocols or add extra unneeded expenses.An information system that more specifically is â€Å"a network architecture in which each computer or process on the network is either a client or a server Servers are powerful computers or processes dedicated to managing disk drives (file rivers), printers (print servers), or network traffic (network servers). Clients are PC's or workstations on which users run applications. Clients rely on servers for resources, such as files, devices, and even processing power. † (Whooped, 2014) The Trusted Computing Base (ETC) is the part of a system that is responsible for enforcing system-wide information security policies.The user can define user access to the trusted communication path, which allows secure communication between regular users and the ETC, by installing and using the ETC. The system administrator must determine how much trust can be given to a particular program. In the ring of trust model, the outer rings contain a lower level of security, and systems requiring higher levels of security are located inside the inner rings. To move from an outer ring into an inner ring, extra security mechanisms are encountered. † (Smith, 2013) the servers will be secure and have all the securities that Ordain would like and need.There will be little or no down time to create the new virtual servers and business will not be effected. Also the disaster recovery rate is much quicker in case of a crash. The information is backed up so in case of a crash the information can be derived quickly. The information gets to the end user much more quickly than having a physical server. Physical server machines get dirty and overload ed with old files and information that is no longer needed or wanted. All information passed through the organization will be encrypted to protect vital aspects of the company operations.The virtual machine running the share point will house the encryption piece for information traffic. Utilizing a virtual server in this aspect will allow end users to generate reports by department in real time with little or no help from an information technology professional. The use of firewalls and even a virtual firewall is also recommended to protect Radian's information. â€Å"A virtual firewall is a firewall device or service that provides network traffic filtering and monitoring for virtual machines.A virtual firewall is deployed, executed and operated from a virtual machine. Virtual firewall formats include: Stand-alone software Integrated SO kernel component. A virtual security provider's dedicated hardware platform A virtual firewall operates in a virtual area network (VAN) environment of connected virtual machines. A virtual firewall operates in two different modes: Bridge mode: Like a rotational firewall, this mode operates by diagnosing and monitoring all incoming and outgoing traffic bound for other virtual networks or machines.Hypocrites mode: In contrast, this mode is isolated from the actual network, resides in the core hypocrites kernel and monitors the virtual host machine's incoming and outgoing traffic. † (Technophobia, Virtual Firewall, 2014) When placing all of the business information on a server along with all of the employee information the company will want it to be secure and readily available to use. When using a virtual server there is not complete control of the physical access of the database. On the other hand the information is no longer on easy identifiable physical systems.There are multiple layers of virtual securities. The data safeguards requirements are the same as a physical server. Information that requires more safeguards is available. Information can be encrypted, role based control, and secure in many ways. Cyber-attacks are all very real threats and can be protected against also. A firewall can encrypt data at the file system that the virtual machine then uses a much managed login procedure for added protection of data against compromise. Logs are also created for looking jack on to see who, where, and when certain data was accessed.Different levels of securities will be used for different levels of data importance. Administration roles will have more securities on them than someone at the data entry level.

Book of night women

The â€Å"Book of Night Women† by Marlon James is an incredibly authentic-feeling novel that brings into play many deep issues for being a piece of fiction. I found this book to be a real page-turner that helped, among other things, to widen my understanding of the institution of slavery in the West Indies as well as the dynamics of the relationships between the slave and master. It is this often confusing relationship that I wish to further explore in this paper.In the story our main character, Lilith, ends up developing feelings for her master, an Irishman named Robert Quinn. The character Quinn is a white slave owner that eems to understand that the institution of slavery is an evil one, but does not know what to do about it, so he goes on with life the way it is. It is hard to hate him, but it's hard to like him as well. Being an Irishman, he is lower on the social hierarchy put in place by the slave owning community, and because of this he searches for pity and tries to r elate to Lilith, his slave.He compares their lives and social standings, which to me seems almost ridiculous, but to him is a completely legitimate understanding. He does treat Lilith with a certain respect that no other slave owners in the story ives to her. One example that stands out in my mind is the matter of their sexual relationship being more tender and loving than the usual â€Å"animalistic† approach that many of the other masters take out on the slave women. â€Å"No, fucking.No, rutting like animals, like the animal all white man think black woman be. But he say something when he coming and he hold on to her so weak, like she be the master and is all he can do to hold on. † However, Robert Quinn and Lilith are still clearly not equal to one another in the way that Quinn so desperatly tries to convey to her. I feel that the time period placed on this story plays a significant role in Robert Quinn's treatment of Lilith as a woman.At first glance, even if he i s a bit more kind to her, such as insisting that Lilith sit and eat with him while she stands in the corner just watching (something she is accostomed to), and telling her that he wishes to teach her how to ride a horse; he is still incredibly demanding of her. He still tells her that he â€Å"expects a hearty meal† when he returns home late, and that she should clean his home, etc. But keeping this in context, this is how the average woman ould have been treated at the time.Robert Quinn is treating her much more like they are in the average relationship based gender roles of the time, and much less like the usual master and slave relationship. This was a somewhat confusing aspect of the text, that unless put into the perspective time, could be completely missed. It is apparent though, that Robert Quinn wants Lilith to feel this connection between the two of them. He wants her to feel as if she is a free woman when she is with him, so much so that he almost forces this upon h er. As if demanding her to be free woman when in his company, which is redicoulous and hypacritical.In conclussion, Marlon James does a great Job at unfolding this relationship to his readers in a way that touches many aspects of the gender and class roles of the time. It is my opinion that no matter how much Lilith wanted to hate her master, Robert Quinn, she could not simply because of his often soft treatment of her; even if he was them. No matter how misguided the opinions of Robert Quinn may seem, he truely beleived what he infered about his low social standings and the resulting connections he made with Lilith.

Historical Context of the Remakes of The Phantom of the Opera Essay

The Phantom of the Opera has undergone subsequent remakes. This Hollywood film has undergone numerous remakes at different historical moments throughout the world. In Hollywood and the United Kingdom, it has spawned more than ten film and TV versions that differ significantly in selecting the settings for the horror-romance [Paris, New York and London] in accounting for the phantom’s disfiguration, in portraying the opera understudy, as well as Christine’s attitude toward the phantom. However, they all follow the male phantom-teacher and female opera-student structure so that heterosexual desire [manifested in two men’s competition for a woman] remains the prime move of the plot. My focus in this essay is Andrew Lloyd Webber’s version of the aforementioned text. My emphasis in this text will be how the phantom [including his image and voice] is represented within the film technology available at that time [in contradistinction to the manner in which the phantom’s image and voice is represented in different versions of the aforementioned text]. My working hypothesis is that since the phantom, by definition, exceeds visual representation in the silent and the sound versions, his voice, as a singer and a music teacher, emerges a primary site for representation and signification. To explore the representation and the significance of the phantom’s voice, I will focus on (1) how the phantom-teacher relates to his student through voice as well as visage, (2) how the teacher-student relationship differ from film to film [from Schumacher’s film in contradistinction to the other version of the film], (3) and how to read these relationships in allegorical terms, or in relation to their respective material-historical conditions. The last question leads me to map the teacher-student relationship onto the tension between an â€Å"original† film and its remake(s). In the end this paper will demonstrates the manner in which each remake strategizes its position vis-a-vis a historical moment and a prior film text hence it follows from this that each remake [specifically Schumacher’s remake] should not be subsumed into an echoing tradition in the corridor of the history. I start with the representation of phantom’s voice and its interplay with the shadow. The aural-visual dimension is crucial for our understanding of the issue of subaltern film remaking, which is ultimately an issue of power circulation and distribution. In the film diegeses, the phantom holds power over the student and other people for two reasons: (1) he eludes audio-visual representation and (2) he assumes the empowered teacher position. The 1925 version of The Phantom of the Opera centered upon the triangular tension between Erik, The Phantom (Lon Chaney); Christine (Mary Philbin), an understudy in the Paris Opera House whom the phantom has trained and elevated to the diva position; and Raoul (Norman Kerry), Christine’s fiance. As indicated above, the phantom, by definition, exceeds direct visual coding. The problematic of representation is further compounded by the fact that the film, being silent [that being the 1925 version], cannot represent the phantom’s voice except through the theatre orchestra’s performance. This means that the voice and other diegetic sounds the audience hear do not [seem to] emit from the screen. This representational dilemma is alleviated through the use of shadow [an image that signifies the fusion of absence and presence, thus most appropriate for the phantom figure]. More specifically, this silent film mobilizes venues of representation before Christine sees the phantom. The first is the shadow, proffered exclusively to the audience who, according to Michel Chion, is â€Å"deaf† and cannot hear the phantom’s voice (Chion 7). The other, the phantom’s â€Å"angelic voice,† is heard only by Christine and other characters. The differentiated knowledge distribution leads to two modes of spectatorship, one being exclusively visual, and the other exclusively aural. In both cases, the phantom is omnipotent when remaining a mere shadow or a disembodied voice (Chion 19). When lodged in a physical body, a process the power is lost. This takes place in The Phantom of the Opera when Christine’s fascination with the acousmatic phantom turns into dread and disgust once the voice is embodied in a visual image [i. e. , the skull head that she has unmasked]. Thus, the phantom’s deacousmatization depletes his magic power over Christine. Not only does his horrendous visage drive Christine to cover her face [which may implicitly mirror a female viewer’s typical response to a horror film]. It also forces the phantom himself to cover his face. The implication is that to maintain his power, he has to remain invisible. In the same manner, for a horror film to remain horrific, it must not be seen in unobstructed view. As Dennis Giles observes, the more [the viewer] stares, the more the terror will dissipate†¦ to the extent that the image of full horror will be revealed (unveiled) as more constructed, more artificial, more a fantasy, more a fiction than the fiction which prepares and exhibits it. To look the horror in the face for very long robs it of its power. (48) By covering his face, the phantom symbolizes the horror film’s attempt to block the viewer’s vision. In other words, the power of the phantom, and by extension, of the horror film, consists in deprivation of visual representation. The problematic of representing a phantom in a silent film thus finds resolution in a paradox, namely, the possibility and effectiveness of representation consists precisely in a lack of direct visual representation. Acousmetre is also crucial for maintaining the teacher student relationship. Once deacousmatized, this relationship comes to an end, which in turn de-legitimizes the phantom’s proposal to Christine. After a long sequence of suspense, sound and fury, during which Christine is salvaged from the Opera House’s underground catacomb, while the phantom chased to a dead end, the film [initial version of the film] closes with a double shot of Christine happily married with her aristocratic fiance. Instead of a beauty and the beast story, in which the beast is transformed into a handsome nobleman by the beauty’s kiss, the monster in this film remains a monster and the opera actress gets punished for her scopic and epistemological drive [a â€Å"monstrous† transgression she must redeem by betraying the monster] returning to humanity [defined as white heterosexual normality] and succumbing to a domesticating marriage. The containment of the female deviancy is built into the film producer’s plan to reinforce what they perceive as the audience’s wish: â€Å"a movie about the love life of Christine Daae† (MacQueen 40). The film thus ends with a triumph of a bourgeois fantasy premised on the domestication of women, and the destruction of the monster. Joel Schumacher’s remake of the original Phantom of the Opera, did not come as a surprise, given the frequent practice of borrowing and adapting at the time. Schumacher’s version retains the powerful phantom figure whose self-de-acousmatization again successfully captivates the student, Christine. Nevertheless, it also displays far more intense interactions between the phantom-teacher and the singer-student. Briefly speaking, their relationship goes through four successive steps: ventriloquism, reverse ventriloquism or excessive mimesis, performative reiteration, and finally, the Benjaminian â€Å"afterlife† [which delineate Christine’s gradual usurpation of the phantom’s power while also contributing to the dialectical image provided by the phantom-teacher and singer-student relationship]. The phantom begins with ventriloquizing Christine’s in the latter’s reenactment of the former’s masterpiece, now titled â€Å"Romeo and Juliet,† replacing â€Å"Hot Blood† in Song at Midnight. During the performance, Christine falters at a tenor note, but is undetected by the theatre audience, thanks to the phantom’s backstage â€Å"dubbing,† visually represented through cutaways. The camera first holds on Christine’s bending over the dead â€Å"Juliet† then closes up on his slightly opened mouth and bewilderment, and subsequently following Christine’s puzzled look, cuts to the cloaked phantom in profile, hidden behind a window curtain in the backstage, emotionally singing out the tenor notes. Cutting from the front stage to the back stage area also echoes. In the aforementioned scene, it is important to note that the moment of ventriloquism gradually gives way to Christine’s agency. Indeed, Christine’s centrality in the film is evidenced in the predominance of the perspective shots that mediate the off-screen audience’s knowledge and sensorial experiences. This viewing structure contrasts sharply with The Phantom of the Opera’s 1925 version. Whereas Christine deacousmatizes the phantom, the audience actually sees the disfigured face before she does. Similarly, Christine’s knowledge [regarding the phantom] is one step behind that of the audience who hear the phantom’s midnight singing and see an enlarged shadow cast on the wall at the opening of the film after the initial portrayal of the opera house’s condition after the fire. The contrast between the two aforementioned versions of The Phantom of the Opera suggests two different ways of constructing history. One is to hide away the past [embodied by the phantom] that has transformed beyond recognition so as to reproduce its old, familiar image in a present medium, or the student. The other is to acknowledge what the past has become, in order to re-suture it into the present without reducing the present into a mere mirror image of the past. Thus, Christine’s agency and the Phantom’s revival become interdependent. The teacher-student hierarchy, as argued previously, is analogous with the hierarchy between the master and the slave. Furthermore, it can also be mapped onto the tension-ridden relationship between a film and its remake(s). These interconnected, parallel relationships allow us to situate the cultural production of a film in a dynamic socio-political field (Gilloch 17). Following Gerard Genette’s definition of â€Å"hypertextuality,† which designates that a hypertext both overlays and evokes an anterior text, or hypotext (Genette 5), I argue that a remake occupies the student position, and that its very existence testifies to and evokes its â€Å"teacher† or â€Å"predecessor. As a form of cinematic doubling, how the â€Å"student† film situates itself vis-a-vis the â€Å"teacher† and its own historical moment determines possibilities of remaking (Smith 56). The major divergences between the two versions of The Phantom of the Opera mentioned above suggest two diametrically opposite agendas. Whereas the former prioritizes domesticating and suturing women into white-oriented heterosexuality, the latter historicizes and politicizes the hetero-erotic relationship between the teacher and student. There are several ways in which one may understand the aforementioned divergence. It is important to note that the text adapted by Schumacher for the construction of his version of the aforementioned film is in itself a divergence from the original. In comparison to Lon Channey’s version of the aforementioned film [which is an adaptation itself], Schumacher’s version discarded most of the horror version aspects which have been associated with the film [as well as the original text by Leroux]. Examples of these are evident if one considers Schumacher’s choice for the depiction of the phantom himself [as a disfigured individual as opposed to a skull hiding behind a mask]. In a way there are several ways in which such a depiction [the change of depiction] may be understood. Initially, one may state that such a shift stems as a result of the shift from the operatic version of the film as opposed to the â€Å"Beauty and the Beast† theme associated with the film. Second, in line with the initial claim of this paper, one may understand the shift [in terms of the phantom’s depiction] as a means of mirroring the historical conditions of the film’s production. The process of mirroring the initial work as a means of showing the teacher-student relationship [in relation to the silent film version and Schumacher’s version] may be understood as a means of employing the manner in which the student has transcended the master to the extent that such a transcendence enabled the initial freedom from the heterosexual archetypal relationships which enables the submission of the female to the norm [that being the norm of female submission towards the male]. It may indeed be argued that Schumacher’s version also enabled such a submission since Christine chose Raoul over the phantom. It is important to note, however, that such a choice may be understood differently in relation to the original silent film adaptation of the aforementioned text. Note for example the depiction [as well as the characterization] of the phantom in the initial version of the film. As was noted at the onset of the paper, the depiction of the phantom in the initial version [silent film version] presented a horrible figure [i. e. a skull for a face]. Such a presentation may be understood, in such a way, that the phantom is presented as the depiction of the deviance resulting from the inability to adhere to the norm. Deviance from the norm, in this sense, may be seen [and in fact understood] as a horrible act itself. Schumacher’s version [with its depiction of the phantom as figure with a face [a handsome one in fact despite its minor deformities] may be seen as mirroring the manner in which deviance from the norm [that of the adherence to the heterosexual and in a sense highly patriarchal relationship] is more acceptable within the current context of the film’s production (McQueen . Schumacher’s version begins with a reel from the 1919 occurrence at the Opera Populaire wherein the old Raoul is depicted as buying knickknacks that serve as the reminder of the occurrences that led to the aforementioned opera’s demise. What follow this scene is a reconstruction of the Opera Populaire resulting from the flashback of memories to those who where in it during 1819 thereby providing the spectator with the truth behind the masked lives of those who lived within the opera at that time. What is interesting to note in Schumacher’s version [in relation to the reconfiguration or rather redepiction of the phantom] is the manner in which one is now given a new manner of understanding the means in which Christine gains her agency. In fact, agency in Schumacher’s version of the film is depicted as a manner of choice and not as mere adherence to a prescribed norm [in comparison to the original adaption of Webber’s text]. Dramatically, the story hinges on a series of conflicts which continually redefine Christine’s position in relation to her surroundings [as well as to the individuals around her]. Webber’s version [as adapted by Schumacher] depicted this process through a series of musical themes, motifs, and textures which portray the development of characters, attitudes, and emotions. Note that the materials in each of the musical themes and motifs are rarely modified except through instances of fragmentation. Although fragmentation occurs, it is interesting to note that when considered together, these musical themes literally play out the drama involved within the play (Snelson 110). In summary, in this paper I argued that the â€Å"teacher† text does not simply crumble when the â€Å"student† text arises in resistance, but rather experiences a revival. This is because the remake cannot fulfil itself without simultaneously evoking [not â€Å"imitating†] the â€Å"afterlife† crystallized in its textual â€Å"predecessor† (Mignolo 112). A film remake re-presents its â€Å"hypotext† not by turning itself into a submissive double, which simply reifies the â€Å"hypotext,† but rather by revalorizing the unique historical position of the â€Å"hypotext,† paradoxically achieved by the remake’s stress on its own distinction. In this sense, the various adaptations of Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera may be understood in such a way that both versions [that stand in a teacher-student relationship] present a challenge of the archetypal heterosexual relationships which stand as the pervading theme of the various versions of Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera.