The Authenticity of Execution Scenes portrayed in „The Green Mile“

The Authenticity of Execution Scenes portrayed in „The Green Mile“ PDF Author: Merle Blunk
Publisher: GRIN Verlag
ISBN: 3668914338
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 17

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Book Description
Seminar paper from the year 2015 in the subject Cultural Studies - Miscellaneous, grade: 3,0, University of Rostock, language: English, abstract: In the late 1980s and the 1990s, the time Stephen King was working on his serial novels and movie ‘The Green Mile’, the newspapers reported of many execution errors comparable to Kemmler’s execution. Stephen King was presumably concerned by these horrible incidents so that these reports may have influenced his writing. The thought that this movie was made to enlighten and arouse the public, raises the question in which way these three executions in the movie resemble to authentic executions that took place over the years in the United States of America. To respond to this question this paper will give a summary of the movie ‘The Green Mile’ followed by descriptions of the three execution scenes. In the last part the three executions will be compared to real executions that took place in the USA and are discussed with regard to how accurate they are to reality. The thought of executing a person through electricity has its origin in the late 19th century. During that time technology developed very fast and people were fascinated by electricity. However, installing electrical items like street lights caused many fatal accidents. The number of deaths increased rapidly in the 1880s. Apparently the victims died within seconds without physical pain and visible marks of external forces on the bodies. Soon people thought that power generators might be useful for executions. David Hill, Governor of New York, engaged a three-member committee to proof if electricity is suitable for executions. After three years of research the result was that electrocutions caused a painless and instant death. It was seen as the most human and practical method to enforce the death penalty. The first electric chair was built in New York in 1888 (DPIC). Only two years later William Kemmler was the first person who got executed by electrocution in the US for murdering his common-law wife Tillie Ziegler. Even though the tests were successful, Kemmler’s electrocution in the Auburn Prison in New York occurred not to be as painless as it was supposed to be. His death on the electric chair took several minutes. Even though there were oppositions and execution errors in the years later, the electric chair had been established in many other states. Altogether 26 states of the United States of America adopted the method of electrocution.

The Authenticity of Execution Scenes portrayed in „The Green Mile“

The Authenticity of Execution Scenes portrayed in „The Green Mile“ PDF Author: Merle Blunk
Publisher: GRIN Verlag
ISBN: 3668914338
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 17

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Book Description
Seminar paper from the year 2015 in the subject Cultural Studies - Miscellaneous, grade: 3,0, University of Rostock, language: English, abstract: In the late 1980s and the 1990s, the time Stephen King was working on his serial novels and movie ‘The Green Mile’, the newspapers reported of many execution errors comparable to Kemmler’s execution. Stephen King was presumably concerned by these horrible incidents so that these reports may have influenced his writing. The thought that this movie was made to enlighten and arouse the public, raises the question in which way these three executions in the movie resemble to authentic executions that took place over the years in the United States of America. To respond to this question this paper will give a summary of the movie ‘The Green Mile’ followed by descriptions of the three execution scenes. In the last part the three executions will be compared to real executions that took place in the USA and are discussed with regard to how accurate they are to reality. The thought of executing a person through electricity has its origin in the late 19th century. During that time technology developed very fast and people were fascinated by electricity. However, installing electrical items like street lights caused many fatal accidents. The number of deaths increased rapidly in the 1880s. Apparently the victims died within seconds without physical pain and visible marks of external forces on the bodies. Soon people thought that power generators might be useful for executions. David Hill, Governor of New York, engaged a three-member committee to proof if electricity is suitable for executions. After three years of research the result was that electrocutions caused a painless and instant death. It was seen as the most human and practical method to enforce the death penalty. The first electric chair was built in New York in 1888 (DPIC). Only two years later William Kemmler was the first person who got executed by electrocution in the US for murdering his common-law wife Tillie Ziegler. Even though the tests were successful, Kemmler’s electrocution in the Auburn Prison in New York occurred not to be as painless as it was supposed to be. His death on the electric chair took several minutes. Even though there were oppositions and execution errors in the years later, the electric chair had been established in many other states. Altogether 26 states of the United States of America adopted the method of electrocution.

The Green Mile

The Green Mile PDF Author: Stephen King
Publisher: Paw Prints
ISBN: 9781439568217
Category : American fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
In a chilling novel by the author of Carrie and The Stand, a new prisoner at Cold Mountain Penitentiary presents an unusual dilemma for jaded prison guard Paul Edgecombe. Reprint. Movie tie-in.

Lights, Camera, Execution!

Lights, Camera, Execution! PDF Author: Helen J. Knowles-Gardner
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1498579671
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 197

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Book Description
Lights, Camera, Execution!: Cinematic Portrayals of Capital Punishment fills a prominent void in the existing film studies and death penalty literature. Each chapter focuses on a particular cinematic portrayal of the death penalty in the United States. Some of the analyzed films are well-known Hollywood blockbusters, such as Dead Man Walking (1995); others are more obscure, such as the made-for-television movie Murder in Coweta County (1983). By contrasting different portrayals where appropriate and identifying themes common to many of the studied films – such as the concept of dignity and the role of race (and racial discrimination) – the volume strengthens the reader’s ability to engage in comparative analysis of topics, stories, and cinematic techniques.Written by three professors with extensive experience teaching, and writing about the death penalty, film studies, and criminal justice, Lights, Camera, Execution! is deliberately designed for both classroom use and general readership.

When the State Kills

When the State Kills PDF Author: Austin Sarat
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691188661
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 351

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Book Description
Is capital punishment just? Does it deter people from murder? What is the risk that we will execute innocent people? These are the usual questions at the heart of the increasingly heated debate about capital punishment in America. In this bold and impassioned book, Austin Sarat seeks to change the terms of that debate. Capital punishment must be stopped, Sarat argues, because it undermines our democratic society. Sarat unflinchingly exposes us to the realities of state killing. He examines its foundations in ideas about revenge and retribution. He takes us inside the courtroom of a capital trial, interviews jurors and lawyers who make decisions about life and death, and assesses the arguments swirling around Timothy McVeigh and his trial for the bombing in Oklahoma City. Aided by a series of unsettling color photographs, he traces Americans' evolving quest for new methods of execution, and explores the place of capital punishment in popular culture by examining such films as Dead Man Walking, The Last Dance, and The Green Mile. Sarat argues that state executions, once used by monarchs as symbolic displays of power, gained acceptance among Americans as a sign of the people's sovereignty. Yet today when the state kills, it does so in a bureaucratic procedure hidden from view and for which no one in particular takes responsibility. He uncovers the forces that sustain America's killing culture, including overheated political rhetoric, racial prejudice, and the desire for a world without moral ambiguity. Capital punishment, Sarat shows, ultimately leaves Americans more divided, hostile, indifferent to life's complexities, and much further from solving the nation's ills. In short, it leaves us with an impoverished democracy. The book's powerful and sobering conclusions point to a new abolitionist politics, in which capital punishment should be banned not only on ethical grounds but also for what it does to Americans and what we cherish.

Playing the Race Card

Playing the Race Card PDF Author: Linda Williams
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 069110283X
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 419

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Book Description
Williams, the author of Hard Core, explores how these images took root, beginning with melodramatic theater, where suffering characters acquire virtue through victimization."--BOOK JACKET.

Haunting the Deep

Haunting the Deep PDF Author: Adriana Mather
Publisher: Ember
ISBN: 055353954X
Category : Young Adult Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 369

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Book Description
The delicious horror of Ransom Riggs and the sass of Mean Girls meets Titanic in this follow-up to the #1 New York Times bestseller How to Hang a Witch, in which a contemporary teen finds herself a passenger on the famous “ship of dreams”—a story made all the more fascinating because the author’s own relatives survived the doomed voyage. Samantha Mather knew her family’s connection to the infamous Salem Witch Trials might pose obstacles to an active social life. But having survived one curse, she never thought she’d find herself at the center of a new one. This time, Sam is having recurring dreams about the Titanic . . . where she’s been walking the deck with first-class passengers, like her aunt and uncle. Meanwhile, in Sam’s waking life, strange missives from the Titanic have been finding their way to her, along with haunting visions of people who went down with the ship. Ultimately, Sam and the Descendants, along with some help from heartthrob Elijah, must unravel who is behind the spell that is drawing her ever further into the dream ship . . . and closer to sharing the same grim fate as its ghostly passengers. Praise for How to Hang a Witch: “It’s like Mean Girls meets history class in the best possible way.” —Seventeen “Mather shines a light on the lessons the Salem Witch Trials can teach us about modern-day bullying—and what we can do about it.” —Bustle.com “Strikes a careful balance of creepy, fun, and thoughtful.” —NPR “I am utterly addicted to Adriana Mather’s electric debut. It keeps you on the edge of your seat, twisting and turning with ghosts, witches, an ancient curse, and—sigh—romance. It’s beautiful. Haunting. The characters are vivid and real. I. Could. Not. Put. It. Down.” —Jennifer Niven, bestselling author of All the Bright Places

The Negro Motorist Green Book

The Negro Motorist Green Book PDF Author: Victor H. Green
Publisher: Colchis Books
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 222

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Book Description
The Negro Motorist Green Book was a groundbreaking guide that provided African American travelers with crucial information on safe places to stay, eat, and visit during the era of segregation in the United States. This essential resource, originally published from 1936 to 1966, offered a lifeline to black motorists navigating a deeply divided nation, helping them avoid the dangers and indignities of racism on the road. More than just a travel guide, The Negro Motorist Green Book stands as a powerful symbol of resilience and resistance in the face of oppression, offering a poignant glimpse into the challenges and triumphs of the African American experience in the 20th century.

I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die

I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die PDF Author: Sarah J. Robinson
Publisher: WaterBrook
ISBN: 0593193539
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 257

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Book Description
A compassionate, shame-free guide for your darkest days “A one-of-a-kind book . . . to read for yourself or give to a struggling friend or loved one without the fear that depression and suicidal thoughts will be minimized, medicalized or over-spiritualized.”—Kay Warren, cofounder of Saddleback Church What happens when loving Jesus doesn’t cure you of depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts? You might be crushed by shame over your mental illness, only to be told by well-meaning Christians to “choose joy” and “pray more.” So you beg God to take away the pain, but nothing eases the ache inside. As darkness lingers and color drains from your world, you’re left wondering if God has abandoned you. You just want a way out. But there’s hope. In I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die, Sarah J. Robinson offers a healthy, practical, and shame-free guide for Christians struggling with mental illness. With unflinching honesty, Sarah shares her story of battling depression and fighting to stay alive despite toxic theology that made her afraid to seek help outside the church. Pairing her own story with scriptural insights, mental health research, and simple practices, Sarah helps you reconnect with the God who is present in our deepest anguish and discover that you are worth everything it takes to get better. Beautifully written and full of hard-won wisdom, I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die offers a path toward a rich, hope-filled life in Christ, even when healing doesn’t look like what you expect.

The Silent Patient

The Silent Patient PDF Author: Alex Michaelides
Publisher: Celadon Books
ISBN: 1250301718
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 322

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Book Description
**THE INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER** "An unforgettable—and Hollywood-bound—new thriller... A mix of Hitchcockian suspense, Agatha Christie plotting, and Greek tragedy." —Entertainment Weekly The Silent Patient is a shocking psychological thriller of a woman’s act of violence against her husband—and of the therapist obsessed with uncovering her motive. Alicia Berenson’s life is seemingly perfect. A famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer, she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of London’s most desirable areas. One evening her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot, and Alicia shoots him five times in the face, and then never speaks another word. Alicia’s refusal to talk, or give any kind of explanation, turns a domestic tragedy into something far grander, a mystery that captures the public imagination and casts Alicia into notoriety. The price of her art skyrockets, and she, the silent patient, is hidden away from the tabloids and spotlight at the Grove, a secure forensic unit in North London. Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who has waited a long time for the opportunity to work with Alicia. His determination to get her to talk and unravel the mystery of why she shot her husband takes him down a twisting path into his own motivations—a search for the truth that threatens to consume him....

In Cold Blood

In Cold Blood PDF Author: Truman Capote
Publisher: Modern Library
ISBN: 0812994388
Category : True Crime
Languages : en
Pages : 417

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Book Description
Selected by the Modern Library as one of the 100 best nonfiction books of all time From the Modern Library’s new set of beautifully repackaged hardcover classics by Truman Capote—also available are Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Other Voices, Other Rooms (in one volume), Portraits and Observations, and The Complete Stories Truman Capote’s masterpiece, In Cold Blood, created a sensation when it was first published, serially, in The New Yorker in 1965. The intensively researched, atmospheric narrative of the lives of the Clutter family of Holcomb, Kansas, and of the two men, Richard Eugene Hickock and Perry Edward Smith, who brutally killed them on the night of November 15, 1959, is the seminal work of the “new journalism.” Perry Smith is one of the great dark characters of American literature, full of contradictory emotions. “I thought he was a very nice gentleman,” he says of Herb Clutter. “Soft-spoken. I thought so right up to the moment I cut his throat.” Told in chapters that alternate between the Clutter household and the approach of Smith and Hickock in their black Chevrolet, then between the investigation of the case and the killers’ flight, Capote’s account is so detailed that the reader comes to feel almost like a participant in the events.