Pick TWO of the following to ANSWER between 500 – 600 words.

1. Consider the film Under the Skin as a fantasy story that raises questions regarding what it means to be a human being and life in the modern world.  Discuss the following issues:

a. Major thematic issues: How does the film reflect upon the fundamental characteristics of human existence?  What does it suggest about the importance of appearance in social life?  What does the representation of gender relations in the film suggest regarding contemporary attitudes toward men and women? 

b. Major stylistic issues: What are some unique features of the films visual construction?  How is sound/score/music used to heighten the emotional impact of the film?  What do the locations for various sequences in the film (city of Glasgow, beach, small Scottish village, forest) contribute to the films tone and themes?

You should be as specific as possible in your answer with examples from the film and insights from the reading by Osterweil on Under the Skin.

2. Fantasies are amongst the most popular of all stories, particularly as broadly defined to include science-fiction, time travel stories, and superhero narratives.  Choose one example of a fantasy story from each of the following sub-categories: technological fantasy, biological fantasy, and spatial-temporal fantasy (with the understanding that these reflect tendencies rather than absolute categories).  For each example, explain why it would be considered an example of that type of fantasy and briefly describe the significance of this fantasy:  Why is it appealing to audiences?  How does it reflect a transcendence of human limitations?  How does its medium (film, tv, literature, gaming, etc.) impact the way it is able to tell this fantasy story?  Try to provide at least one detailed example in your analysis of each story.

3. Redemption stories can be divided into several sub-categories: romantic redemption narratives, sin narratives, victim narratives, resilience narratives, martyr narratives, and illness/health narratives.  Choose three of these sub-categories and provide two examples from each sub-category and explain in detail why they fit within that sub-category and, if pertinent, how they relate to the reading by McAdams. 

I have attached some PPTS that may help.