Forrest Gump: comic representations of the recent American past

Mestrado em Línguas, Literaturas e Culturas - Estudos InglesesO presente trabalho propõe-se pesquisar a abordagem histórica das décadas de 50, 60 e 70 nas comédias americanas contemporâneas. Deste modo espero destacar os acontecimentos da história americana no passado recente que se prestaram a uma abordagem cinematográfica e foram retratados em comédias. As reacções a esses filmes permitem ainda reflectir sobre os valores culturais transmitidos nos filmes de comédia. Esta dissertação também aborda as características e funções da comédia enquanto género cinematográfico. Na fundamentação teórica também são abordadas algumas questões ligadas à adaptação cinematográfica. A vertente prática da dissertação centra-se no filme Forrest Gump, explorando a sua relevância histórica, e a adaptação ao cinema. ABSTRACT: This dissertation is intended to research historical approaches to the fifties, sixties and seventies in contemporary comedy films. Doing so, I expect to cast some light on recent American events that have proved to be cinematic and likely to be explored in a comic perspective. Viewers´ response to these films is also to be analysed so as to reflect on the cultural values rendered in comedy forms. Moreover, this dissertation includes some thought on the narrative and generic features of comedy as a film genre. The theoretical section also covers some issues raised by film adaptation. The practical research section focuses on the film Forrest Gump, exploring both its historical significance, and the precise nature of this adaptation

The early days of the Euro debt crisis revisited: historical, legal and institutional overview of the role of the ECB in the context of an economic and monetary union in mutation

This paper seeks to shed some light on the different stages of what ended up being a deep euro debt crisis of unforeseen proportions and the attempts of responses designed to address it in the context of an EU, unprepared to face its outcomes and implications. Our starting point is a quick overview of the historical, institutional and legal pathway that led to the set-up of the EMU, seeking to provide a better understanding of the backdrop for the on-going euro crisis and the several legal instruments put forward within and alongside the EMU framework to tackle it. Particular attention is given to the functions and goals originally attributed to the ECB and to some of the controversial steps this institution decided to take in order to address the debt crisis at its different stages. Finally, some lines of reflexion are proposed in light of the future challenges that we consider that an EMU in mutation inevitably entails.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Die Deutschen im Transit - ein Beispiel der Vertreibungsliteratur

Während und nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg sind über 12 Millionen Deutsche aus dem ehemaligen deutschen Osten geflohen und vertrieben worden. Der vorliegende Beitrag konzentriert sich darauf, wie diese dramatischen Vorgänge die Grenze zur Literatur überschritten haben und im Roman "Jokehnen oder Wie lange fährt man von Ostpreußen nach Deutschland?" des Schriftstellers Arno Surminski erzählt wurden. Schon im Titel des Werkes wurde ein deutlicher geographischer Hinweis auf den Schauplatz des Surminski-Romans gegeben. Diese Provinz Ostpreußens war ebenso wie Westpreußen, Schlesien, Pommern und Brandenburg, das östliche Teil des einstigen Ostdeutschlands. [...] Bei der Flucht und Vertreibung der Deutschen aus diesem historischen deutschen Osten, die von vielen Historikern als eine der größten Migrationen der Geschichte Europas angesehen wird, handelt es sich um einen sehr komplexen Prozess. Er kann grundsätzlich als eine ethnische Säuberung klassifiziert werden, da es sich um die gewaltsame Umsiedlung einer ethnischen Gruppe von einem Land in ein anderes Land handelt. Ein solches Phänomen war nicht keineswegs einmalig in der Geschichte des 20. Jahrhunderts. Man denke z.B. an die Deportationen der Armenier in den Jahren 1915 und 1916, oder an den Vertrag von Lausanne vom 24. Juli 1923, der die Flucht und Vertreibung von circa 1.200.000 Griechen und 400.000 Türken als ein Austausch der Religionen sanktionierte, und der unter Vernachlässigung seiner offensichtlichen negativen Konsequenzen später als Beispiel verwendet wurde, die Vertreibung der ostdeutschen Bevölkerung am Ende des Zweiten Weltkriegs zu rechtfertigen. Der Schlüssel zum Verständnis des Prozesses liegt in der Geschichte, daher ist die historisch und politisch bedingte Motivation zu untersuchen, welche im Werk von Arno Surminski zur strafenden Vorgehensweise durch die nicht-deutsche Bevölkerung gegenüber den Deutschen führte, die damals die deutschen Ostgebiete bewohnten

The Single Supervisory Mechanism in the context of a European Banking Union under construction: bridging the Euro debt crisis with defences designed for the future

Set up in the past few years under the shadow of the Euro debt crisis, the European Banking Union (EBU) has been taking its first steps, aiming to prevent the dreaded repetition of the recent shortcomings of the several components of the European Monetary Union (EMU). By revisiting some specific events that led to the Euro crisis, this paper seeks to provide some insights on the understanding of the set-up of the Single Supervisory Mechanism (SSM), in the context of the broader conjunction of the several instruments put forward to provide the EBU with the resilience to prevent future crises. The text provides a brief background of the events that triggered the need for setting up the EBU, followed by an overview of its different constitutive elements and, finally, a critical analysis of the most prominent aspects of the SSM.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

An Analysis of Four-quark Energies in SU(2) Lattice Monte Carlo using the Flux-tube Symmetry:

Energies of four-quark systems calculated by the static quenched SU(2) lattice Monte Carlo method are analyzed in $2\times 2$ bases for square, rectangle, tilted rectangle, linear and quadrilateral geometry configurations and in $3\times 3$ bases for a non-planar geometry configuration. For small interquark distances, a lattice effect is taken into account by considering perimeter dependent terms which are characterized by the cubic symmetry. It is then found that a parameter $f$ - that can be identified as a gluon field overlap factor - is rather well described by the form $exp(-[b_sE{\cal A}+\sqrt{b_s}F{\cal P}])$, where ${\cal A}$ and ${\cal P}$ are the area and perimeter mainly defined by the positions of the four quarks, $b_s$ is the string constant in the 2-quark potentials and $E,F$ are constants.Comment: (19 pages of Latex - 1 page of figures not included - sent on request). Preprint HU-TFT-94-2

Temporal and spatial variation of limnological variables and biomass of different macrophyte species in a Neotropical reservoir (São Paulo - Brazil)

Aim: This study reports an investigation of limnological characteristics and aquatic macrophyte occurrence in a neotropical reservoir in order to assess the spatio-temporal variation of water and sediment variables and their influence on plant distribution. Methods: Macrophytes, water and sediment samples were collected from a Brazilian reservoir in different seasons from four main arms of the reservoir. In total sixteen water-sediment variables were analyzed including N:P ratio and Trophic State Index. The plants were collected using a quadrat sampling procedure and the dry weight per sample was measured. MANOVA was performed to evaluate spatial and temporal variation of environmental variables as well as seasonal biomass differences. To assess the relationship among environmental variables and macrophytes an ordination analysis (using Canonical Correspondence Analysis: CCA) was carried out. Results: The spatial and temporal variation of limnological variables generated a heterogeneous system which supports the presence of different species of macrophyte. pH, dissolved oxygen and sediment composition were important predictors of Polygonum lapathifolium occurrence while nutrients were associated with Eichhornia crassipes and Pistia stratiotes. Inorganic substances were related to biomass variation of Eichhornia azurea and Myriophyllum aquaticum. Conclusions: The spatial variation of the environmental variables has caused heterogeneity in the reservoir and it may support the occurrence of different species of macrophyte. Limnological variables highlighted in CCA are important to predict the species occurrence and their control in the study area