... creating empathy towards the central cast. But whereas Vonnegut and Heller are widely believed to be two of the finest American writers of the last century, their fan base is surely not as fevered or loyal as Hunter S. Thompson, who passionately believe he is a valuable literary commodity to be treasured and the one true ... similar to Breakfast of Champions tone and Closing Time's surrealism near the book's end, as Thompson's book is littered with fantastical set-pieces - this infusion of fiction and non-fiction helped convey the drug-addled mindset of its author. However, unlike Vonn...

• Word Count: 4213
• Approx Pages: 17

... "truth" and reality. The term documentary evokes the notion in the spectator that what appears on screen is factually based. The definition of the word in this context is "Presenting facts objectively without editorialising or inserting fictional matter, as in a book or film" (Dictionary.com) However no ... the case of Michael Moore more identifiable than their subjects. Unlike directors such as Ross McElwee or George Kuchar who produce small subjective non-fiction films about their personal lives Michael Moore and Nick Broomfield are media personalities whose films serve as a platform ...

• Word Count: 2396
• Approx Pages: 10
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... he drifts in and out of consciousness in his lucid moments she identifies herself as a trained nurse but most importantly "she is his number one fan". Feeding, shaving and tending his injuries she constantly encourages him to take his Novril to help with the pain. Ten days after his rescue Paul ... is not as good as his others. After a few comments she launches into a tirade about the profanity in the book: "And the profanity! Every other word is that effword! It has no nobility!" she cried suddenly, jumping and almost spilling beef-barley soup on his white, upturned face." She becomes ...

• Word Count: 1461
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

Dark Truth, Big Flop One of the benefits of home video is that it sometimes allows the director to have the last word - if not sooner, then later. Ever since Stephen Spielberg released the "Special Edition" of his "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," directors have been re-editing their movies and releasing ... states that only a virgin could capture a unicorn. Unicorns are extinct, and Gaff may think the same of Rachael, as she definitely has a limited lifespan. One of the most powerful science-fiction movies to emerge from the 80's, "Blade Runner- is looked upon as one of the most 'cuttin...

• Word Count: 1784
• Approx Pages: 7

... chance to read it again. Vonnegut, in my opinion, is one of the greatest humanist writers of all time. He is a pacifist in every since of the word. In this first chapter, even before the beginning of the novel, it is easy to see that the narrator, the author, is a very passive individual. This ... he has little love for life, in part because of things he saw and did in the war. He is the man who introduces Billy to the science fiction of Kilgore Trout. Billy is enduring one of his mother's dreaded visits. She is a simple, religious woman. She makes Billy feel worse just by being there ....

• Word Count: 7795
• Approx Pages: 31
• Grade Level: High School