Contemporary Cultural Medium Essay Assignment Paper

The contemporary cultural medium selected in this report is the Titanic movie. Titanic is a love-dominated tragic disaster film directed by James Cameron and released in 1997. The medium presents the tragedy of the Titanic ship that sank in 1912 and brings into light the characters of Rose and Jack and others aboard this maiden trip. The film is a perfect selection for this paper because it highlights major worldviews about almost every aspect of society from love, hate, social classes, tragedy, and even religion. An interesting phrase from one of the characters and captain of Titanic is that the ship was unsinkable and that even God himself would not be able to sink this huge ship. More scenes in this movie bring into light the critical human nature and their levels of pride and selfishness. The film is an interesting encounter between people and also between human efforts and nature. As people struggle to live and fight among themselves there is also the struggle the Titanic is facing in the ocean and after hitting the iceberg nature is the one to win. The sinking Titanic reflects on human nature and their unpreparedness for disasters even when they are evident. The belief in myths that the ship was unsinkable made the authorities not rescue the ship on time. However, the story of Jack and Rose is an exhilarating one that keeps the audience attached to the film from beginning to end. Through the paper, crucial themes including love, class, time, power, memory, greed, and loss will be evaluated in an effort to extract critical worldviews and their connection to Christianity background Contemporary Cultural Medium Essay Assignment Paper

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The theme of love is dominant throughout the film. The development of a love affair between Rose and Jack in the Titanic ship is a crucial thing that brings to life the film from the start. At the start, Rose and his mother, Ruth are aboard the first class in Titanic while Jack is aboard the third class after winning a poker game. Jack is headed to another world to try his luck in life and does not care much about what the other life brings. On the other hand, Rose and her mother are on the Titanic hoping that the young Rose will be married to Cal Hockley which would boost their diminishing resources. They hope that by having Rose married to the wealthy Cal their family will continue reining in the upper class in society. However, the love affair between Cal and Rose is troublesome since Cal is abusive. This almost makes Rose commit suicide and is saved by Jack. Jack emerges as a creative artist and during their interactions Rose realizes that real love exists and seems not to care about wealth and social class. She only wants to be happy in life. In addition, when the ship wrecks Jack is able to protect Rose from cold shocks and this depicts his deep love for this lady. In addition, Rose drops the heart of the ocean necklace to the place where Titanic sank which depicts the unending love that Rose had for Jack. The worldviews advanced by this theme show that love is the most complex thing in life. The responses agreed that love has no boundaries and that the poor can marry and relate with the wealthy. The case of Jack is a common phenomenon in society and also in religious backgrounds where people refuse to follow wealth and pursue happiness and true love. This is because true love and happiness can withstand all tragedies in life. Contemporary Cultural Medium Essay Assignment Paper

The theme of class is significant in the film and amplifies the hostilities that exist between the wealthy and the poor. At the start, the ship is divided into classes where the first class and the most comfortable are designed and reserved for the wealthy. The poor are supposed to remain congested in third class which has no comfort and poor sanitation and spacing. However, against all odds, the wealthy class seems to affect Rose’s well-being to the extent that she wants to kill herself by suicide. This is because the first-class social life is different and people are selfish and proud. For instance, Cal is abusive and only hurts Rose’s feelings instead of taking care of her. It is in the third class where Rose finds true love in Jack. Cameron portrays the third class as happier in the form of the dance and the social interaction taking place. The first class is dominated by drinking parties and formal meetings that are boring and lack the ideal sensation. In addition, it is important to note that the first class passengers wants only to remain true to their class as seen when Rose’s mother wants to use her as a way of getting more wealth by giving her in marriage to wealthy Cal. Also, it is tragic that in the event of the disaster, the third-class passengers were the most affected since they perished in large numbers. This is because; most of the lifesavers were given to the wealthy first class and the remaining ones to the third class. Also the wealthy were able to bribe their way to the lifesaving boats. The respondents from the worldviews were able to observe that the ideal happiness is not in wealth but in human hearts. People from wealthy or poor families can be heartless and vice versa. Thus, the human heart and character are dependent on the individual and not on ethnicity or class. However, most agreed that the poor have some of the most honest, caring, and loving hearts due to their experiences. They have learned to value life and others and also to share the little they have. However, in most societies, the wealthy are ruthless and believe that the poor are reckless and dangerous to their lives. This is also evident from the bible when the rich man in the book of Luke 16:19-31 feasts on good food and only gives the remnants to Lazarus who was ailing. Contemporary Cultural Medium Essay Assignment Paper

Time is a vital theme in the film. The ship had a clock and this was a crucial symbol that signifies beginning and end. This also means that the two characters in Jack and Rose were having an affair that was time-constrained. This is because; at the peak of their love the tragedy happened and denies the audience a chance to see the beautiful marriage and future of the two together. Also, as the elderly Rose narrates the tale she mentions that it has been 84 years since the incident which depicts how time passes but the experiences and love remain intact. Additionally, at the end of the film when the ship is sure to sink Captain Thomas Andrews is ready to perish on the dock. He holds the steering wheel adjusts the clock and fades into the water. It is also a crucial thing to note that when the ship was freely afloat everyone was relaxed including the captains. However, when the huge ship hits the iceberg the time begins to count. Everyone seems to rush in an attempt to save life and reach safety. There is no time remaining and in the end, hundreds of passengers perish in water. Also, the lifesaver boats arrive late and this brings into the limelight the importance of timing and disaster response. The last-minute lifeboats save the life of Rose which brings some satisfying feeling among the audiences that at least Rose survived. According to worldviews time is of essence in every part of life. People believe that life should be enjoyed every minute since no one knows what will happen next. It is common for human beings to plan and have future strategies in life but they end up not accomplishing them all. The respondents called upon people to always be good to others in this short life since none will live forever. Also, in the Bible, the philosopher stated that there is time for everything hence people out to do things at the right time.  Contemporary Cultural Medium Essay Assignment Paper

The theme of power is evident from the Titanic film. The film presents a massive and powerful ship that is heavily built by the most trusted and experienced experts. This also represented the powers bestowed upon the male gender in coming up with powerful objects and also in controlling others. For instance, at one point Cal’s arrogance is evident when he says that even God cannot sink this ship. In addition, Jack is also seen to exert some power on himself when he climbs on the dangerous rails of the ships and shouts that he is the king of the world. However, it is Captain Smith of the ship who seems to lose the power and trust others have on him when he fails to respond swiftly to the warnings about the speed of the ship which costs the entire ship and the lives of the people aboard. It is also evident that people in the first class can retain their power and control over others even during tragic times. This is seen by their dominance in taking the lifesaver jackets and the saving boats and leaving the poor to perish. However, there comes an end to power as seen when the tragedy happens because the wealthy and the poor are all at the top of the ship staring at imminent death. The sinking of the powerful Titanic is a true depiction that human beings are powerless and cannot control what nature holds. It is interesting to note that human beings always run to God when their power ends. This is seen when the choir constantly sings the hymn song ‘Nearer my God to Thee’ when they realize the ship is sinking. The worldviews agree with this theme that human beings are always looking for power and forget about God when they are happy. However, when things begin to go bad they become prayerful and humble themselves before God. In addition, God cannot be mocked and has a way of humbling the proud and this is evident even in the Titanic. This is even present in the bible where the people, sin against God he punishes them and always forgives them when they repent. Contemporary Cultural Medium Essay Assignment Paper

The entire Titanic movie exists in the memory of Rose who is the main character. The creativity of Cameron runs through the memories of Rose and through this memory, the entire film is made a reality. The once magnificent and attractive ships seem to have withered away and only fit into the memory. This is a superb way of looking at life and its events. For instance, at one time things seem to happen in real life and this includes education, friendships, families, careers, governance, and even social life. However, within a given time people we love begin to die and they are forgotten. The careers come to an end and friendships betray us and pursue life with others. It is evident in life that things that seem so real and which bound humans together will at one time disappear. The worldviews provide adequate thoughts about this theme but it is critical to note that memories are part of human life and connect people with their experiences. For instance, when loved ones die or marriages break it is the memories that were shared that remain and which are shared with others. Memories can be painful experiences and that may trigger the past scars. For instance, Rose seemed affected by the memories of Jack and the experiences of sinking the Titanic and losing her loved man in the ocean. At one moment in the film, Rose is lost in memories and dreams of being in the ship once more and they rejoin with Jack. This shows that she is at peace and able to reconcile her memories with her present life. According to worldviews and the biblical nature, it is crucial to have memories as they bring closer the lost moments. For instance, in religion, people have only memories of God and biblical experiences and this builds their faith and worship.

Loss and tragedy are important themes in the film. The Titanic narrative is all about loss and tragedy that consumed many souls at one moment. The loss in the Titanic tragedy brings the audience aback by recalling the many instances of human error and ignorance. Contemporary Cultural Medium Essay Assignment Paper Throughout the film, Rose points out the lack of sufficient lifeboats and also the director points out the ignorance portrayed by the captains of the ship when warned about the iceberg. The immense loss affected almost everyone and mostly the captains including Thomas, William, and Smith who carries the guilt of not showcasing their expertise in the most critical time. It is also evident that in Titanic most of the passengers perished while attempting to protect the loved ones and wanted to remain calm even when death was real. For instance, Jack was ready to die from cold shocks while protecting Rose. Also, Rose never wanted to leave Jack in the sinking shop even when he was accorded an opportunity in the lifeboat. Also, it is a huge lesson that shows human beings are great in times of loss as seen when the people allowed children and women to first get into the lifeboats. The choir in the last minutes of death was still vibrant and they all remained steadfast in playing nice tunes even in the stare of death. This is a great way through which death is viewed by worldview. That in the face of death people can remain calm and take such rare opportunities to pray and relieve pressure from others. This is also evident in the New Testament that Jesus in the face of death took his disciples to pray in Gethsemane and this helped relieve his thoughts about crucifixion. It is a huge lesson that when faced with things difficult to control it is always wise to remain wise and pray at all times rather than panicking. In connection with loss, the theme of greed that depicts how some individuals can be selfish for personal gains. For instance, Ruth who is Rose’s mother only wants to benefit from her daughter without minding her wellbeing. In addition, Cal is seen sneaking into a lifesaver boat with a child while more vulnerable people are suffering. Rose is disgusted by the greediness in Cal and the entire first class. Contemporary Cultural Medium Essay Assignment Paper

The people engaged in this dialogue agreed with the artifact and the diverse themes and areas of concern. The people clearly understood that human nature is complex and that people act differently when faced with danger and lack. They were also able to understand the nature of Christianity and the way several instances in the bible connect with the artifact and the worldviews. This depicts that through Christian faith and teachings, the worldviews can be more aligned to Godly ways which can help human beings ease the pressures of life.

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Everything went well through the dialogue process as people were interested in learning about the artifact and getting the ideal story. However, it was crucial to note that there is much time needed to adequately satisfy most of the areas to be covered. In the next encounter, the most appropriate thing to do is to find appropriate venues through which people can meet and watch the artifact and make them understand it and then seek their opinions and worldviews. Also, I believe will be better with assistance and a recording gadget next time which will make the engagements more proactive. Contemporary Cultural Medium Essay Assignment Paper

Conclusion 

The Titanic film by James Cameron is a perfect demonstration of an artifact in contemporary popular culture by its setting, themes, and characters. The use of major themes in the film including love, loss, class, power, time, memory, and greed are significant in building the plot and the worldviews. The engagement in dialogue about the artifact is an important step in understanding the reality and how people view popular culture artifacts. For instance, it is evident that in most artifacts like the Titanic, people have similar beliefs as presented in the themes. This shows that society shares similar thinking and background hence even people from diverse regions are held together by the worldviews. In addition, it is crucial to note that the dialogue brought about a clear understanding of people’s basis of Christianity in connection with the artifact. This is because; several instances in the bible seem to support and agree with what was taking place in the film and also the worldviews are of similar opinion. Contemporary Cultural Medium Essay Assignment Paper

Assignment 8-1:

You are required to complete a project that includes the following elements:

You must engage a specific contemporary popular cultural medium (for example, a specific book or movie) and analyze it for its major themes and the worldview(s) it advances. You will also identify the best Christian responses to these worldviews.

You must participate in a substantial dialogue with other people (Christians or non-Christians) about the cultural artifact you have studied.

You must reflect theologically about your dialogue with these others, identifying what you take to be the good and bad parts of your exchange. In particular, you should consider the following questions:

Did these people agree with the worldviews I identified in this artifact, and did they understand my assessment of those worldviews?
Did they understand how I think Christianity challenges, engages or supports this worldview?
What could I have done better? What went well?

[Note: a common way to complete this assignment is to host a movie night or book club, or to join a book discussion at a local library, etc. Please discuss with the instructor any questions or ideas you have about how to complete this project.] Contemporary Cultural Medium Essay Assignment Paper

To complete this project, you must submit a 2,000-2,500 word (8-10 page) report, detailing your project. This report must (at minimum) describe:
what you intended to do in this project,
how you prepared, what actually happened, and
then include substantial practical and theological reflection assessing the project and your effectiveness in it. This latter reflective portion should make up at least 50% of your report.
Attach any supporting materials, like intended discussion questions and suggested answers, as appendices. Paper to be in proper MLA format, double-spaced. Contemporary Cultural Medium Essay Assignment Paper