Ugly Feelings and Rushmore - Essay Example

Lecturer Lens Essay Lens essay entails a comparative paper that studies a text or movie in relation to the viewpoints and opinions illustrated in another text. Lens essay involves an intelligent task that enhances writing skills, thought process and critical reading. The lens assignment is done according to five main steps. The first step entails analyzing the lens. Lens A illustrates the viewpoints in Ugly Feelings. The concepts illustrated in lens A, are used in analyzing lens B. the lens B in this task illustrates analysis of the film Rushmore. The second step involves analyzing the film; while recollecting ideas expressed in lens A, Ugly Feelings. Step three involves explaining the connection between lens A and lens B; that is relationship between viewpoints in Ugly Feelings and Rushmore. The fourth step illustrates the evidence supporting the relationships between the lens A and B. the fifth step entails illustrating the main areas of connection, and then conclusion of the relationship. Several issues are illustrated in Sinnae Ngai’s literary work. Ugly Feelings is the benchmark for understanding the film; hence lens A. Ugly Feeling has two major issues. The first issue entails understanding how artists and writers in different media outlets have shown ugly feelings that are not analyzed by critics. The second issue explains that through engaging feelings, the artists understand the weaknesses of art. This ensures "several of these negative affects for their critical productivity" (Sianne 3). Most critics study works having big feelings and mistakes. Rushmore entails comedy work produced in 1998 by Wes Anderson. The film describes the relationship between Max Fisher, Herman Blume and Rosemary Cross. Max Fisher is a teenager. Herman Blume is depicted as an established industrialist. Rosemary Cross is an elementary school teacher. The teacher experiences mutual love from Max and Herman (Kehr 72). Ngai effectively illustrates three negatives that enhance ugly feelings; experiential negativity, semantic negativity and syntactic negativity. Experiential negativity ensures pain. This negativity is illustrated in lens B, Rushmore, effectively. Illustration of Blume’s life in the movie shows emotional pain. Despite being an established industrialist, he does not derive satisfaction from the performance and operations of his company. His marriage life is also frustrating due to continuous disagreements with his wife (Ebert 36). His sons are very unrepentant due to poor upbringing by their mother. The marriage life of marry also explains painful events. She assumed the teaching position at Rushmore academy “after the death of her husband” (Ebert 40). Max was expelled from Rushmore Academy due to misconduct. The student tried to break ground without the approval of the school administrators. Expulsion is a very sad occurrence for any student. It leads to disruption of academic or extracurricular activities of the affected student (Kehr 73). Semantic negativity illustrates stigmatizing issues in the community or society. Stigma means social norms that are considered abnormal or unusual in the society. It is very unusual for a teacher to have a relationship with a teenage student. It is considered unprofessional for a teacher and a student to develop romantic feelings towards each other. The results of the unprofessional conduct can be severe; for example the services of the teacher at the school can be terminated. Social stigma is also seen when Blume ignores his wife, in favor of romantic relationship with another woman (Ebert 39). Being unfaithful to a marriage partner is not encouraged because it has adverse impact; for example filing for divorce, and destabilization of the family. It is also socially improper for a widow to immediately, after death of her husband, enter into romantic relationship with other men. Rosemary defies the social norm by immediately accepting relationships with Max and Blume. Syntactic negativity illustrates repulsive aspects in literature or movie. The negativity is "organized by trajectories of repulsion rather than attraction" (Sianne 11). The family of Blume is collapsing because of syntactic negativity. The relationship between Blume and Rosemary leads to divorce between Blume and his wife. There is minimal attraction in the family. This is explained by the poor communication and relationship between Blume and his unrepentant sons. Rosemary later saw her relationship with Max as repulsive; this is because of the high obsession levels shown by Max towards her. Because of their mutual love for Rosemary; Max and Blume become enemies and they engage in illegal and immoral revenge activities. A good example of the revenge activity is Max directing bees towards the hotel room of Blume. Blume is also seen destroying the bicycle of Max, by running over it with his car (Kehr 73). There are several other issues that illustrate disgust in Ugly Feelings. These issues are; anxiety, envy and irritation (Sianne 8). Irritation means the negative behavior of individuals in the society. The players in Rushmore show irritating behavior. It is socially irritating for a student to disrespect the headmaster of his or her school. In the film, Max openly feuds with Dr. Guggenheim. It is also very irritating to observe a grown and wealthy industrialist competing for love with a 15 years old teenage boy. The competition leads to harmful and at times childish revenge tactics. For instance, Blume ensures that Max is arrested for cutting his car’s brake lines. Anxiety illustrates inadequate patience for desired results. In the movie Dirk, Max’s friend, greatly intends to harm max psychologically and emotionally. He, therefore, informs max of the relationship between Rosemary and Blume. This revelation hurts max deeply, and he strives to pay back. Envy aspects are clearly shown in the Rushmore. Herman admires Max because of his cocksure attitude. A good illustration is the effective drive by Max to win the affection of Rosemary. Max also envies Blue due to his economic success. Blue is a wealthy industrialist who a multimillion dollar company (Ebert 42). All the major aspects in the theories of Sianne Ngai are illustrated in the film Rushmore. This shows that lens A is a good determinant of the content and viewpoints described in lens B. Experiential, semantic and syntactic elements of negativity are well elaborated in the lens B film Rushmore. Works Cited Kehr, Dave. "Rushmore A Monumental Triumph". Daily News. p. 74. December 11, 1998. Sianne,Ngai. Ugly Feelings. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. 2005. Print. Ebert, Roger. "Rushmore". Chicago Sun-Times. February 5, 1999. Print. Read More