Faadhilah Badourkhan - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Faadhilah Badourkhan
The American Journal of Nursing, 1988
T eachers often use film to help them present complex subjects in their high school classes. Unfo... more T eachers often use film to help them present complex subjects in their high school classes. Unfortunately, many films designed for classroom use are not as interesting as commercial productions-and many commercial films are not appropriate for the classroom! A good film is one that students will watch. It must look and sound better than a monotone rendering of a textbook. To engage a Language Arts class, the vehicle itself-the film-must be noteworthy. In English Literature, one of the great classics is, of course, Shakespeare's King Lear. Most teachers show all or part of various film versions of the play, but students say they don't work very well. They feel the acting is stiff and the language difficult, dense, and strangely unfamiliar. But don't give up! There is a film that students will embrace-Akira Kurosawa's Ran-a Japanese telling of the Lear story and one of the best catalysts for the study of English and Asian culture in an interdisciplinary format. Akira Kurosawa (1910-98), one of Japan's finest artists, produced an astonishing number of films including Seven Samurai, Rash¬mon, The Hidden Fortress, and Throne of Blood, his stunning, highly acclaimed adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth. He was known for his use of rich visual imagery borrowed from Japanese theater, painting, music, and dance. Ran is lengthy and presented in Japanese with English subtitles, but American students love it. Those who complain that Shakespeare is too tough often find the Japanese version intriguing and easier to watch. The grand sweeps of scenic beauty and reliance on action, a universal language, underscore the plot line and its themes. Both King Lear and Ran deal with pride, selfishness, and conceit as causes of community suffering (war and discord) and the ultimate personal descent into madness. One man's ego leads to profound unhappiness for many. Somehow students see this more clearly in the Japanese film than in Shakespeare's words. Ran creates a "teachable moment." It opens ways for Western students to learn about Asian culture while studying a Shakespearean classic-a perfect combination of outcomes. The task for instructors is to organize a plan that achieves them. King Lear and Ran are too big to read or see all at once in the classroom. Teachers must break them into manageable pieces. Assign students to read the first scene in King Lear and watch the first twenty-two minutes of Ran. This is enough to get them into the study of the story and the cultures that produced the two versions. In Shakespeare's story the opening scene is fast-paced; characters banter with one another, punning significantly and foreshadowing events to come. The allusions are sneaky, and the audience has to be alert to catch them. Typical of Elizabethan drama, dialogue is overlaid with metaphor and simile, florid poetic phrasing, and a touch of slapstick. Young audiences have to be prepped for the lively dialogue, obscure references, and important allegory. It works best on stage, it seems, and this may be the reason students don't appreciate King Lear on film. Ran is different. The film is strikingly visual, and students note this fact right away. The visual element catches their attention and rivets them to the story. Ran opens with a glorious action-packed hunting scene. Colorfully dressed warriors ride across fields on powerful horses before infinitely vast landscapes, beneath endless skies. The metaphors are there, but they are subtle-even in the midst of all the action, the allusions are subtle. American students love it. Ran is the film to use and this short introduction is enough to get students excited about further study. Instructors have to find ways to keep the class engaged in the texts. Teachers should vary classroom activities, of course, because there is no single best way to teach or learn, and we obviously want all students to be involved in the study. It is important to do more with literature than just read it. Some
Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, Over many a quaint and curious vol... more Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore, While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door. "'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door-Only this, and nothing more." Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December, And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor. Eagerly I wished the morrow;-vainly I had sought to borrow From my books surcease of sorrow-sorrow for the lost Lenore-For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore-Nameless here for evermore. And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain Thrilled me-filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before; So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating, "'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door-Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door;-This it is, and nothing more." Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer, "Sir," said I, "or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore; But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping, And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door, That I scarce was sure I heard you"-here I opened wide the door;-Darkness there, and nothing more. Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing, Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortals ever dared to dream before; But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token, And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, "Lenore!" This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, "Lenore!"-Merely this, and nothing more.
Poe, Edgar Allan (1809-49)-American poet, short-story writer, and critic who is best known for hi... more Poe, Edgar Allan (1809-49)-American poet, short-story writer, and critic who is best known for his tales of ratiocination, his fantastical horror stories, and his genre-founding detective stories. Poe, whose cloudy personal life is a virtual legend, considered himself primarily a poet. System of Dr. Tarr and Prof. Fether (1844)-The author visited Maison de Sante, a private insane asylum in the south of France, and writes of his encounters with the patients. SYSTEM OF DR TARR AND PROF FETHER DURING the autumn of 18__, while on a tour through the extreme southern provinces of France, my route led me within a few miles of a certain Maison de Sante or private mad-house, about which I had heard much in Paris from my medical friends. As I had never visited a place of the kind, I thought the opportunity too good to be lost; and so proposed to my travelling companion (a gentleman with whom I had made casual acquaintance a few days before) that we should turn aside, for an hour or so, and look through the establishment. To this he objected-pleading haste in the first place, and, in the second, a very usual horror at the sight of a lunatic. He begged me, however, not to let any mere courtesy towards himself interfere with the gratification of my curiosity, and said that he would ride on leisurely, so that I might overtake him during the day, or, at all events, during the next. As he bade me goodbye , I bethought me that there might be some difficulty in obtaining access to the premises, and mentioned my fears on this point. He replied that, in fact, unless I had personal knowledge of the superintendent, Monsieur Maillard, or some credential in the way of a letter, a difficulty might be found to exist, as the regulations of these private mad-houses were more rigid than the public hospital laws. For himself, he added, he had, some years since, made the acquaintance of Maillard, and would so far assist me as to ride up to the door and introduce me; although his feelings on the subject of lunacy would not permit of his entering the house. I thanked him, and, turning from the main road, we entered a grass-grown bypath, which, in half an hour, nearly lost itself in a dense forest, clothing the base of a mountain. Through this dank and gloomy wood we rode some two miles, when the Maison de Sante came in view. It was a fantastic chateau, much dilapidated, and indeed scarcely tenantable through age and neglect. Its aspect inspired me with absolute dread, and, checking my horse, I half resolved to turn back. I soon, however, grew ashamed of my weakness, and proceeded. As we rode up to the gateway , I perceived it slightly open, and the visage of a man peering through. In an instant afterward, this man came forth, accosted my companion by name, shook him cordially by the hand, and begged him to alight. It was Monsieur Maillard himself. He was a portly, fine-looking gentleman of the old school, with a polished manner, and a certain air of gravity, dignity, and authority which was very impressive. My friend, having presented me, mentioned my desire to inspect the establishment, and received Monsieur Maillard's assurance that he would show me all attention, now took leave, and I saw him no more. When he had gone, the superintendent ushered me into a small and exceedingly neat parlor, containing, among other indications of refined taste, many books, drawings, pots of flowers, and musical instruments. A cheerful fire blazed upon the hearth. At a piano, singing an aria from Bellini, sat a young and very beautiful woman, who, at my entrance, paused in her song, and received me with graceful courtesy. Her voice was low, and her whole manner subdued. I thought, too, that I perceived the traces of sorrow in her countenance, which was excessively, although to my taste, not unpleasingly, pale. She was attired in deep mourning, and excited in my bosom a feeling of mingled respect, interest, and admiration.
The American Journal of Nursing, 1988
T eachers often use film to help them present complex subjects in their high school classes. Unfo... more T eachers often use film to help them present complex subjects in their high school classes. Unfortunately, many films designed for classroom use are not as interesting as commercial productions-and many commercial films are not appropriate for the classroom! A good film is one that students will watch. It must look and sound better than a monotone rendering of a textbook. To engage a Language Arts class, the vehicle itself-the film-must be noteworthy. In English Literature, one of the great classics is, of course, Shakespeare's King Lear. Most teachers show all or part of various film versions of the play, but students say they don't work very well. They feel the acting is stiff and the language difficult, dense, and strangely unfamiliar. But don't give up! There is a film that students will embrace-Akira Kurosawa's Ran-a Japanese telling of the Lear story and one of the best catalysts for the study of English and Asian culture in an interdisciplinary format. Akira Kurosawa (1910-98), one of Japan's finest artists, produced an astonishing number of films including Seven Samurai, Rash¬mon, The Hidden Fortress, and Throne of Blood, his stunning, highly acclaimed adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth. He was known for his use of rich visual imagery borrowed from Japanese theater, painting, music, and dance. Ran is lengthy and presented in Japanese with English subtitles, but American students love it. Those who complain that Shakespeare is too tough often find the Japanese version intriguing and easier to watch. The grand sweeps of scenic beauty and reliance on action, a universal language, underscore the plot line and its themes. Both King Lear and Ran deal with pride, selfishness, and conceit as causes of community suffering (war and discord) and the ultimate personal descent into madness. One man's ego leads to profound unhappiness for many. Somehow students see this more clearly in the Japanese film than in Shakespeare's words. Ran creates a "teachable moment." It opens ways for Western students to learn about Asian culture while studying a Shakespearean classic-a perfect combination of outcomes. The task for instructors is to organize a plan that achieves them. King Lear and Ran are too big to read or see all at once in the classroom. Teachers must break them into manageable pieces. Assign students to read the first scene in King Lear and watch the first twenty-two minutes of Ran. This is enough to get them into the study of the story and the cultures that produced the two versions. In Shakespeare's story the opening scene is fast-paced; characters banter with one another, punning significantly and foreshadowing events to come. The allusions are sneaky, and the audience has to be alert to catch them. Typical of Elizabethan drama, dialogue is overlaid with metaphor and simile, florid poetic phrasing, and a touch of slapstick. Young audiences have to be prepped for the lively dialogue, obscure references, and important allegory. It works best on stage, it seems, and this may be the reason students don't appreciate King Lear on film. Ran is different. The film is strikingly visual, and students note this fact right away. The visual element catches their attention and rivets them to the story. Ran opens with a glorious action-packed hunting scene. Colorfully dressed warriors ride across fields on powerful horses before infinitely vast landscapes, beneath endless skies. The metaphors are there, but they are subtle-even in the midst of all the action, the allusions are subtle. American students love it. Ran is the film to use and this short introduction is enough to get students excited about further study. Instructors have to find ways to keep the class engaged in the texts. Teachers should vary classroom activities, of course, because there is no single best way to teach or learn, and we obviously want all students to be involved in the study. It is important to do more with literature than just read it. Some
Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, Over many a quaint and curious vol... more Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore, While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door. "'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door-Only this, and nothing more." Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December, And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor. Eagerly I wished the morrow;-vainly I had sought to borrow From my books surcease of sorrow-sorrow for the lost Lenore-For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore-Nameless here for evermore. And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain Thrilled me-filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before; So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating, "'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door-Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door;-This it is, and nothing more." Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer, "Sir," said I, "or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore; But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping, And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door, That I scarce was sure I heard you"-here I opened wide the door;-Darkness there, and nothing more. Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing, Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortals ever dared to dream before; But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token, And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, "Lenore!" This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, "Lenore!"-Merely this, and nothing more.
Poe, Edgar Allan (1809-49)-American poet, short-story writer, and critic who is best known for hi... more Poe, Edgar Allan (1809-49)-American poet, short-story writer, and critic who is best known for his tales of ratiocination, his fantastical horror stories, and his genre-founding detective stories. Poe, whose cloudy personal life is a virtual legend, considered himself primarily a poet. System of Dr. Tarr and Prof. Fether (1844)-The author visited Maison de Sante, a private insane asylum in the south of France, and writes of his encounters with the patients. SYSTEM OF DR TARR AND PROF FETHER DURING the autumn of 18__, while on a tour through the extreme southern provinces of France, my route led me within a few miles of a certain Maison de Sante or private mad-house, about which I had heard much in Paris from my medical friends. As I had never visited a place of the kind, I thought the opportunity too good to be lost; and so proposed to my travelling companion (a gentleman with whom I had made casual acquaintance a few days before) that we should turn aside, for an hour or so, and look through the establishment. To this he objected-pleading haste in the first place, and, in the second, a very usual horror at the sight of a lunatic. He begged me, however, not to let any mere courtesy towards himself interfere with the gratification of my curiosity, and said that he would ride on leisurely, so that I might overtake him during the day, or, at all events, during the next. As he bade me goodbye , I bethought me that there might be some difficulty in obtaining access to the premises, and mentioned my fears on this point. He replied that, in fact, unless I had personal knowledge of the superintendent, Monsieur Maillard, or some credential in the way of a letter, a difficulty might be found to exist, as the regulations of these private mad-houses were more rigid than the public hospital laws. For himself, he added, he had, some years since, made the acquaintance of Maillard, and would so far assist me as to ride up to the door and introduce me; although his feelings on the subject of lunacy would not permit of his entering the house. I thanked him, and, turning from the main road, we entered a grass-grown bypath, which, in half an hour, nearly lost itself in a dense forest, clothing the base of a mountain. Through this dank and gloomy wood we rode some two miles, when the Maison de Sante came in view. It was a fantastic chateau, much dilapidated, and indeed scarcely tenantable through age and neglect. Its aspect inspired me with absolute dread, and, checking my horse, I half resolved to turn back. I soon, however, grew ashamed of my weakness, and proceeded. As we rode up to the gateway , I perceived it slightly open, and the visage of a man peering through. In an instant afterward, this man came forth, accosted my companion by name, shook him cordially by the hand, and begged him to alight. It was Monsieur Maillard himself. He was a portly, fine-looking gentleman of the old school, with a polished manner, and a certain air of gravity, dignity, and authority which was very impressive. My friend, having presented me, mentioned my desire to inspect the establishment, and received Monsieur Maillard's assurance that he would show me all attention, now took leave, and I saw him no more. When he had gone, the superintendent ushered me into a small and exceedingly neat parlor, containing, among other indications of refined taste, many books, drawings, pots of flowers, and musical instruments. A cheerful fire blazed upon the hearth. At a piano, singing an aria from Bellini, sat a young and very beautiful woman, who, at my entrance, paused in her song, and received me with graceful courtesy. Her voice was low, and her whole manner subdued. I thought, too, that I perceived the traces of sorrow in her countenance, which was excessively, although to my taste, not unpleasingly, pale. She was attired in deep mourning, and excited in my bosom a feeling of mingled respect, interest, and admiration.