http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/authors/73/katherine-blakeney Inquiries Journal provides undergraduate and graduate students around the world a platform for the wide dissemination of academic work over a range of core disciplines. en-us Tue, 21 Apr 2026 06:50:31 -0400 Tue, 21 Apr 2026 06:50:31 -0400 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/371/fw-murnau-his-films-and-their-influence-on-german-expressionism By Katherine Blakeney - From the AuthorThis essay is focused on the work of Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau, whom I consider to be one of the first auteur filmmakers in world cinema. This statement is based on an analysis of the state of cinema before Murnau and consequently his impact on the medium, the historical, artistic, and social factors that influenced his own work and vision, their reflection in his films, and the techniques, ideas, innovations, signature characteristics, and aesthetic choices that shaped his body of work. The style and content of his work were enormously affected by his upbringing and the influences... Mon, 24 Jan 2011 08:05 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/371/fw-murnau-his-films-and-their-influence-on-german-expressionism http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/123/comparing-characters-from-albert-camuss-the-fall-and-samuel-taylor-coleridges-rime-of-the-ancient-mariner By Katherine Blakeney - Clamence’s crime is rather more like a mistake. He witnesses a total stranger committing suicide and does nothing to help her, although as she sinks below the waters of the Seine she obviously utters a cry for help. Clamence is tortured by doubts and feelings of guilt; Was it his responsibility to save her? Did he even have the right to get involved? Did he walk away because he was scared, or indifferent? And was his passivity in fact tantamount to an act of murder? All of these questions plague his mind for years along with “that cry which had sounded over the Seine behind me years... Thu, 14 Jan 2010 09:44 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/123/comparing-characters-from-albert-camuss-the-fall-and-samuel-taylor-coleridges-rime-of-the-ancient-mariner http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/119/perceptions-of-heroes-and-villains-in-european-literature By Katherine Blakeney - It is tempting to classify literary, cinematic, and historical characters into groups. The trouble, of course, is that such labels can be misleading at best, and severely subjective and variable. When using terms such as hero, villain, anti-hero, anti-villain, or adventurer, it is important to remember how vague and movable the borders really are, and to ask why a certain label is or should be placed on a specific character. It is never enough to simply classify a character or a person. One must take into consideration what the creator of this character had in mind, what circumstances affected... Tue, 12 Jan 2010 09:41 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/119/perceptions-of-heroes-and-villains-in-european-literature http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/118/william-shakespeares-richard-iii-brilliant-schemer-entertaining-villain By Katherine Blakeney - Shakespeare’s Richard is a brilliant schemer and manipulator, completely devoid of scruples of any kind. He also happens to be severely physically deformed. The inevitable feelings of inadequacy, envy, and frustration that this engenders are heightened when his military talents are no longer needed. As he beautifully explains at the beginning of Act I, “all the clouds that loured upon” the house of York are now “in the deep bosom of the ocean buried”. It seems the Wars of the Roses are finally over (for now), and unadapted as Richard is to “idle pleasures&rdquo... Mon, 11 Jan 2010 10:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/118/william-shakespeares-richard-iii-brilliant-schemer-entertaining-villain http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/105/ovids-metamorphoses-and-the-plays-of-shakespeare By Katherine Blakeney - Publius Ovidius Naso (43 B.C – 17 A.D.), a Roman aristocrat and poet, wrote a collection of poems based on Greek and Roman mythology. Ovid called it “Metamorphoses” as he selected myths that dealt with the transformation of people, gods, and heroes into forces or features of nature. Metamorphoses became one of the most popular and influential literary works in the history of European civilization. Shakespeare must have read Ovid in Latin, as Metamorphoses was part of his school program. There is also a Latin copy of Metamorphoses with Shakespeare’s signature on it, but... Thu, 31 Dec 2009 09:35 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/105/ovids-metamorphoses-and-the-plays-of-shakespeare http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/96/jean-de-joinville-and-his-biography-of-saint-louis-on-the-seventh-crusade By Katherine Blakeney - The French historian Jean de Joinville was born into a noble and influential family in Champagne in 1224.[1] He took the cross in 1248 to join the first crusade of Louis IX. His decision to go on crusade was at least in part influenced by the long and illustrious history of crusading in his family. His grandfather Geoffroy died at the siege of Acre in 1189, his uncles Geoffroy and Robert had both participated in the Fourth crusade, and his father Simon, had fought in the Albigensian crusade and alongside John de Brienne (titular king of Jerusalem) at the siege of Damietta. His uncle Geoffroy had... Fri, 18 Dec 2009 09:21 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/96/jean-de-joinville-and-his-biography-of-saint-louis-on-the-seventh-crusade http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/93/perceptions-of-knighthood-comparing-the-character-of-the-knight-in-geoffrey-chaucers-canterbury-tales-to-the-knight-in-ingmar-bergmans-the-seventh-seal By Katherine Blakeney - Chaucer’s description of “the Knight” in his “General Prologue” may be seen as a multi-layered narration. First he gives a very precise and historically relevant account of his campaigns. Based on what Chaucer knows about the knight’s deeds he gives his own evaluation of his character. Chaucer calls him a “reputable man”, “trustworthy” and “courteous”, loyal to his king, and honored for his abilities. From this description we get an image of a respectable person who “cherished the profession of arms” and acted... Thu, 17 Dec 2009 10:18 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/93/perceptions-of-knighthood-comparing-the-character-of-the-knight-in-geoffrey-chaucers-canterbury-tales-to-the-knight-in-ingmar-bergmans-the-seventh-seal http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/90/art-and-biology-how-discoveries-in-biology-influenced-the-development-of-art-nouveau By Katherine Blakeney - Art Nouveau is the so-called “modern style” developed at the turn of the 19th century. Although it is dated roughly between 1890 and 1910, its first true recognition as an important new movement in art and design occurred at the Universal Exposition in Paris in 1900. It manifested itself as an international and versatile style that influenced every kind of art and craft from architecture to the decorative arts. Its universal appeal was based on the artists’ effort to explain and express the new era that was ushered in by the incredible scientific discoveries of the nineteenth... Tue, 15 Dec 2009 11:59 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/90/art-and-biology-how-discoveries-in-biology-influenced-the-development-of-art-nouveau http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/88/an-analysis-of-billy-wilders-double-indemnity By Katherine Blakeney - But what about Phyllis herself? Is she really an object or a human being, and to what extent does she attempt to “castrate” the male characters in the film? In her dealings with Walter she is always cool and collected. She has no conscience, no scruples, and hardly any feelings other than greed and frustration. Even her final admission that she is in love with him can be interpreted as a last attempt to save her own life rather than a glimmer of humanity. Presumably, if Walter is touched by her admission and lowers his gun, she can still turn on him and kill him. After all, she did... Mon, 14 Dec 2009 11:04 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/88/an-analysis-of-billy-wilders-double-indemnity http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/86/an-analysis-of-film-critic-andre-bazins-views-on-expressionism-and-realism-in-film By Katherine Blakeney - In fact to Bazin, reality and everything that can support it such as sound, deep focus, and invisible editing, define what film should be. Although he admits that “it was montage that gave birth to film as an art”[2], he is apprehensive of anything that supports “the creation of a sense or meaning not proper to the images themselves but derived entirely from their juxtaposition”.[3] He feels that any manipulation of the image such as the suggestive editing developed by Eisenstein or the dramatic sets and lighting of German Expressionism stands in the way of releasing film... Fri, 11 Dec 2009 11:23 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/86/an-analysis-of-film-critic-andre-bazins-views-on-expressionism-and-realism-in-film