A Sad, Evil Story

Something I thought was well done in the movie was the sad and creepy music at the beginning of the film. While this is a sad story you would expect to hear sad music, which you do, but the small twist that is added gives the music a sense of evil or dread. I think this is very appropriate since some things said in the story and film are very evil. For example, when the younger waiter makes comments such as "you should have killed yourself last week" that is just pure evil and sets that tone of creepiness.

One thing I didn't agree with is ow they represented the waiters. The story has them being twenty to forty years apart in age but in the film they seemed almost the same age. Maybe one did look a bit older but not by much, maybe a few years or so. I can understand if the director's resources were limited but I would have liked to see someone older play the role of the older waiter. However, I thought that the old man was perfect for the role of the old, deaf man. He looked old a fragile which is what I would expect to see for an old man who is deaf. That was a wise choice by the director.

Selfish

The young waiter in the story reminds me of Horace from the Ranger's Apprentice 1. These two are both self-centered and they don't know the consequences of their actions until it's too late. For example, the young waiter tells the old man that he should have killed himself just because he wasn't going to leave the bar and he wanted to go home. Horace betrays one of his peers and ends up getting themselves captured and his peer killed.

Sacrifice

Author's Note: It's never easy to follow the path that contains sacrifice. However, it sometimes hurts more to not take that path at all. Learn how this fact is contained in the story The Icebound Land, by John Flanagan.

If you had a choice of having a life of peace and plenty or risking your life to save a friend so close he feels like a brother which would you choose? In the book the Icebound Land (John Flanagan) many people take the chance at having their friends back rather than a peaceful life. An apprentice ranger named Will, a close friend to many, is captured by ruthless warriors. While those close to him are forbidden to go look for him most ignore that option. Sacrifice was the solution to many problems in this story.

One problem that was a major part of the story was the fact that Halt was bound by honor to stay and do the bidding of the king instead of going off to search for Will. The solution to this problem was that Halt had to be banished from the kingdom. By doing this he would have no honor binding him to do the pitiful tasks that the king needed done. However, banishment would mean giving up his life as a ranger and destroying everything that he has worked on in his lifetime. Halt decides that this boy is worth more than all of it and takes his chances getting banished and chasing after Will.

While Halt’s solution of sacrificing much of his own life Will’s solution for saving Evanlyn includes the same, if not larger, amount of threat towards his life. Will has taken a vow to protect the innocent girl that he found on his journey before being captured. When Will finds out of Evanlyn’s royal blood and that their captors’ leader, who rules with an iron fist, has sworn to end any and all royalty he knows keeping her safe means he has to give everything. When they are forced to work among other slaves Will takes the mighty blow of the life threatening labor leaving her with the safest chores. The only way for Will to survive his injuries during these jobs is to take a vile drug that amputates the mind, destroys memories, and makes the person a mindless walking drone.

While Will’s life threatening solution is very courageous, another solution of courage is made by Horace, Will’s closest friend. Horace’s problem is the fact that he has been driven mad by grief at the loss of his friend. He chooses to embark on a quest to save Will by traveling with Halt. By choosing to travel with Halt he puts his own life at risk. While Halt is trained in the art of stealth to sneak past many obstacles Horace is often left behind by Halt and is taking the hammering blow of the obstacles.

The best solutions for characters in this story are by means of sacrifice. They have decided that the aura of happiness that their friend carried about him is more important than a peaceful life. The thought of hearing the unsynchronized laughter of the conversations they had is something they want to hear again. Their lives contain no happiness without this person and they must have him back.

Irony in the Ransom of Red Chief

In the story the Ransom of Red Chief, I think the mist important quote in the book is when the father of boy asks for 250 dollars to take the boy back because it introduces the main feeling of irony in the story. This is also enhanced by the fact that the two main characters end up paying the father the money to take the boy back because they think they'll go mad if he stays around them any longer.