"All Manner of Men"

All Manner of Men

(Stolen without shame from the Richmond United RFC web site Somebody in this club may have written this, or may not. Anyway, I fixed the formatting and some of the grammar. And if you're a back reading this and object to the forwards orientation of the piece, hey, the truth hurts. - Wes)

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THE FORWARDS

There are eight forwards. They take part in scrums, lineouts, rucks, and mauls - essentially everything that is meaningful in the game. The close physical work necessary for the forwards engenders a sense of comradeship not shared by the prancing, self-centered and effeminate backs. The game has evolved, thank goodness, with multi-phase possession allowing the forwards to demonstrate their running ability with the ball.

Props and Hookers

The front row is the cauldron, the foundation for all good rugby play. The front row is noted for their power and good looks, like no necks, battered ears, and S-shaped noses. Such players are noted for their intelligence and longevity well into their forties.

Second Row

The second row is the engine room where the power flows. The second row - or lock forward - is tall, with plenty of leverage strength in the legs. He must be productive in the lineouts as a jumper or supporter. Mobility is added plus. The second row is much appreciated by the front row for their power in the scrummage but they are generally not as good looking as the front row.

The loose forwards

The loose forwards include the #8 and the flankers. The loose forwards are respected by the front row for their mobility, fitness, defense and support work. The loosey must have tremendous fitness and ball fetching instincts which are not completely understood or trusted by the props and hooker, who are perfectly content to scrummage all day for the ball.

The Scrum-half

The little scrum half provides the ball to the backs when the forwards are damn well ready for the strutting backs to knock it forward. The forwards have grudging respect for the scrum-half because he trys hard and is not afraid to get dirty with the rest of the scrummies. The wise scrum-half will drink and buy beers for the scrummies to maintain his favored position with the forwards.

THE BACKS

The Flyhalf

It is rumored that the Fly has the best vision, hands, kicking ability, and overall tactical decision making ability on the side. The forwards do not understand or trust this individual. The hard-working scrummies generally expect and anticipate a knock forward from the fly so they can have the pleasure of another scrum-down.

The Centers

These hombres are supposed to be deadly tacklers, with strong running instincts and good hands. Alas, the centers are lumped in there with the prancing flyhalf. If the fly doesn't knock on, surely one of the centers will muff it up so the scrummies can experience the joy and satisfaction of another scrum-down.

The Fullback and Wingers

These guys may as well be from Mars. They are allegedly fast with excellent striking ability. They are supposed to score lots of trys, catch the high ball, and counter attack with flair. But the stark reality (well understood by the forwards) is that the fullback and wingers prance and preen more than the inside backs. They don't get dirty and are always playing with their hair and pulling on their collars. In fact their sexual orientation has been called into question on numerous occasions. Some props think fullbacks and wingers are "real purdy."

Activity Nº2

1. What happens to Dr. Lanyon at the beginning of this section? What suspicions do you have about the cause of this occurrence?

"On the 8th of January Utterson had dined at the doctor's with a small party; Lanyon had been there; and the face of the host had looked from one to the other as in the old days when the trio were inseparable friends. On the 12th, and again on the 14th, the door was shut against the lawyer. "The doctor was confined to the house," Poole said, "and saw no one." On the 15th, he tried again, and was again refused; and having now been used for the last two months to see his friend almost daily, he found this return of solitude to weigh upon his spirits. The fifth night he had in Guest to dine with him; and the sixth he betook himself to Dr. Lanyon's."

Here we can see that Doctor Lanyon was confined into his house!! Probably, because he was going to die or something like that :(

2. What do Utterson and Poole find when they break into the cabinet? What do they expect to find that is not in the cabinet? 

They discovered that Dr, Lanyon was really shocked because of something and that he was going to die in few days.

3. What is the weather like as Utterson and Poole hurry to Jekyll’s house? Discuss how Stevenson uses descriptive language in this passage to create a mood appropriate to the climax of the story.

It is raining, which represents that something bad is going to happen. Stevenson applies this technique to describe many situations because it gives an special environment to the novella.

4. One issue raised by Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is that of drug abuse. How does a person who is abusing drugs change in personality, appearance, and habits? What evidence in this section of the novella indicates that one of the characters is abusing drugs?

When someone starts to abuse of drugs, his or her life changes completely. They feel more secure in personality, thinking that they are better than the others, but that's not true. In appearance, the normally stop doing sports because their capacity is worse, and finally, their habits are changed into more sedentary ones, in which there are not sports, only parties and more drugs. In the case of the novella, it´s present first on Dr. Jekyll and then, on Lanyon, as in the page 43 and 44 of the novella appears: "There at least he was not denied admittance; but when he came in, he was shocked at the change which had taken place in the doctor's appearance. He had his death-warrant written legibly upon his face. The rosy man had grown pale; his flesh had fallen away; he was visibly balder and older; and yet it was not so much, these tokens of a swift physical decay that arrested the lawyer's notice, as a look in the eye and quality of manner that seemed to testify to some deep-seated terror of the mind. It was unlikely that the doctor should fear death; and yet that was what Utterson was tempted to suspect. "Yes," he thought; "he is a doctor, he must know his own state and that his days are counted; and the knowledge is more than he can bear." And yet when Utterson remarked on his ill-looks, it was with an air of greatness that Lanyon declared himself a doomed man.

"The Strange case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" Activity

Recall and Interpret

1. What story does Enfield tell when he and Utterson pass the door? What does hearing the story cause Utterson to do?

"“I was coming home from some place at the end of the world, about three o’clock of a black winter morning, and my way lay through a part of town where there was literally nothing to be seen but lamps. Street after street and all the folks asleep—street after street, all lighted up as if for a procession and all as empty as a church—till at last I got into that state of mind when a man listens and listens and begins to long for the sight of a policeman. All at once, I saw two figures: one a little man who was stumping along eastward at a good walk, and the other a girl of maybe eight or ten who was running as hard as she was able down a cross street. Well, sir, the two ran into one another naturally enough at the corner; and then came the horrible part of the thing; for the man trampled calmly over the child’s body and left her screaming on the ground. It sounds nothing to hear, but it was hellish to see. It wasn’t like a man; it was like some damned Juggernaut. I gave a few halloa, took to my heels, collared my gentleman, and brought him back to where there was already quite a group about the screaming child. He was perfectly cool and made no resistance, but gave me one look, so ugly that it brought out the sweat on me like running. The people who had turned out were the girl’s own family; and pretty soon, the doctor, for whom she had been sent put in his appearance. Well, the child was not much the worse, more frightened, according to the Sawbones; and there you might have supposed would be an end to it. But there was one curious circumstance. I had taken a loathing to my gentleman at first sight. So had the child’s family, which was only natural".

 
2. After their meeting, what do Enfield and Utterson both suspect about the relationship between Jekyll and Hyde? What evidence does the text give for this suspicion?

Utterson and Enfield suspects that there's something wrong in the relationship between Jekyll and Hyde, and that's why the latter would have had the suspicious cheque!!! The most crucial evidence that proves this, is that Enfield and Utterson says that they think that Hyde is blackmailing Jekyll.

3. What two pieces of information does Utterson learn about Hyde's letter to Jekyll? What do you predict that Utterson will do to help his old friend, who he suspects is in serious trouble?

Utterson discovers that it had been written by the same hand! and also, it was not taken to Jekyll by a messanger, as he told to him. I think that he will help him to escape fast from there!

Analysis and Comparison of the News

First Video: Cristiano Ronaldo (CNN, 24-hour news broadcast)

My analysis is based on an interview that CNN made to Cristiano Ronaldo, in my opinion, the best football player in the world. There are many techniques used to emphasize the answers given by him, including the camera movements, the lights, the sound, among others.


At first, they use the Two Shot technique showing the interviewer and CR (Cristiano Ronaldo) interacting. This means that the scene between two people is shot exclusively from an angle that includes both characters more or less equality. This is reinforcing the importance of the conversation between both people, which is the topic of the program also. 
Then, every time that Cristiano Ronaldo talks, there's a Medium Shot or a Close-up Shot to him when he starts to answer the questions from the interviewer. This make the message given more crucial and we focus completely on the answer, with no distractions. 


In addition, there are not camera movements, the only one is on the change of shots, but instead of this, there are many zooms to Cristiano when he answers, specially when the interviewee ask him if he is better than Messi. This zoom is used to make us focus on the answer, which will be probably the most crucial and controversial of the whole interview. Furthermore, there are not too brilliant lights on the stage, because this gives an special background, in which every single answer will get the audience stunned. 


The camera angle used is Eye Level, during the whole interview. This is the standard camera angle, in which the participants can look at the camera to make us believe that they are talking to us, so we get more interested on the topic, because we are "participating" on the conversation.


The sound is Diegetic, which means there’s no background music (the sound is "part of the information given") because this is an interview, the most important thing is to focus on the answers that, in this case, Cristiano Ronaldo gives. Also, it can be considered Direct sound or Live sound. This may have a sense of freshness, spontaneity and 'authentic' atmosphere, but it may not be acoustically ideal. 


About the editing techniques, they used the matched cut technique, which means that a familiar relationship between the shots may make the change seem smooth. This is shown when the interviewee asks something and then the camera "matched out" and shows Cristiano, giving continuity to the scene. 


The main informational bias present in this piece of news is the personalization, because the "story" is focused on the opinions given by CR7. He gives us his opinions about Real Madrid and the rivalry with Barcelona, between him and Messi, and also about Mourinho, the Trainer of the team. This type of bias is used to emphasize the interest in the topic of conversation and to impress the audience with the answers.

Second Video: Notebook: Sick at Work (CBS Evening News, prime-time news)

My second analysis is about a prime-time news program, in which the newsreader talk to us about the technological advances, in addition to her opinion about a new law.
First, the shot present on this video is a Close-Up shot. A shot of the person from the knees up or the waist up is a close-up shot, and it's used to make the audience focus on the message given, in this case, a opinion about Congress's Healthy Families Act. In addition, there are not camera movements, but instead of this, there is a zoom at the beginning to complement the effect of the Close-up shot, and to make us focus completely on the person that is talking. The camera angle used is Eye Level, during the whole video. This is the standard camera angle and, because the one who is talking "is in our height" we get more interested on the topic.


In the case of lighting, Soft and harsh lighting can manipulate a viewer's attitude towards a setting or a character. The way light is used can make objects, people and environments look beautiful or ugly, soft or harsh, artificial or real. In this case, the light is "standard", because it's important to have no distractions to get the message given on a right way.  


Also, there is present an INVISIBLE EDITING. These are the different attitudes that the newsreader has. For example, she isn't looking at the camera because of nothing. All those things are conditioned by the NARRATIVE STYLE that the producers want to give to the program. The Narrative Style is based on the "Talk to camera" style. The sight of a person looking ('full face') and talking directly at the camera establishes their authority or 'expert' status with the audience. Only certain people are normally allowed to do this, such as announcers, presenters, newsreaders, weather forecasters, interviewers, anchor-persons, and, on special occasions, key public figures. 


Other interesting aspect is the sound. It's diegetic, which means that it is part of the things that are narrated. For example, the music that the TV editors use to begin the program, is non-diegetic, because it's not "part of the information" given by the program. As well, there is not background music, and the only sound that we hear is the voice of the newsreader. 


The most important bias present in this piece of news is the personalization, the same that on the interview to Cristiano Ronaldo. In this video, the newsreader is giving her opinion about  the Congress's Healthy Families Act. This type of bias is used to emphasize the interest in the topic of conversation and to give a subjective tone to the answer.


Prime-Time News vs 24-hour News


Making a relation between the 2 pieces of news, we can see that there are many things that are repeated in  both of them, but after all, the 24-hour news has a more complex "editing", because it's really important to maintain the audience interested and that's difficult to do if at every hour of the day they are presenting news, and if the editing is boring, that would finally produce a "changing of channel" of a big part of the audience and the rating of the program would be dreadful. In the case of the Prime-time news, they have a lot of interesting programs along the day so the news's time is not so important as it is on a "24-hour", because that does not affect the rating of the channel too much. That's why they don't take care as the 24-hour news of the editing and the "construction" of the program.

Outline of both News

First Video: Cristiano Ronaldo (CNN, 24-hour news broadcast)

Shots and Framing

• Two Shot
• Close-Up Shot
• Medium Shot

Camera Movements

The interview

• No camera movements
• Zoom is used

Camera Angles

• Eye Level

Sound

• Diegetic (No background Music)

Lighting

• No brilliant lights

Bias

• Personalization

Editing Techniques

• Matched Out technique

Second Video: Notebook: Sick at Work (CBS Evening News, prime-time news)

Shots and Framing

• Close-Up Shot

Camera Movements

• No camera movements
• Zoom is used at the beginning

Camera Angles

• Eye Level

Lighting

• Soft and harsh lighting

Sound

• Diegetic (No background Music)

Bias

• Personalization

Narrative Style

• "Talk to camera" style

Editing Techniques

• Invisible editing (narrative style used)