Culture

Although its origins can be traced back in the late 60’s, even earlier, punk culture showed itself in the early 1970s and evolved in time. It seemed to form a distinct youth culture that in turn provoked a media-driven moral panic with certain ideologies, fashion choices, visual arts, dance styles, literature and films cluster around a loud – aggressive genre of music called “punk rock” and prompted notable cultural change.

For decades, the punk culture shaped people’s characters, perspectives about life. Even though there were a lot of negative opinions from people (Especially considering the word “punk” was a slang term used for describing certain groups of youths at the bottom of the social scale) who do not approve the punk culture about how distractive and harmful the ones who live their life dedicated to punk culture.

Saying “Suffused with self-reflexive irony, these punkshave recycled cultural images and fragments for purposes of parody and shockingjuxtaposition, thereby deconstructing the dominant meanings and simulationswhich saturate social space”(Moore, 307) and claim they are a threat for the society.

The punk culture has been providing the freedom of self-expression, self-esteem many of the punk culture followers lack of in many areas and bringing them together and show people their capability, the real power they have in life to change the world.Punk culture gave people a type of freedom that supports being an individual. Before people embraced the punk culture expressing opinions that are out of the societies liking were not okay.

However, punk culture is mainly based on knowing every individual has a different approach to a topic and supporting to emit these opinions openly, without fear. According to punk culture the first step to be an independed individual requires not accepting everything the society tells you, not following rules they teach you, not listening what the authority says; just use your own mind to guide yourself, use your power to do everything that was normally supposed to be hidden, as society says, to bring to the front, to in front of the society’s face.

In order to follow that movement, the most prevalent core value in the punk subculture that created itself is Do-It-Yourself (or D.I.Y.). For example, punk music bands adopted the Do-It-Yourself subculture to record their own music, to release their own records, to book their own shows and tours, radically to spread their own ideas with the minimum amount of outside assistance. They made their own merchandise for their fans, sometimes even with the help of their fans.

The outgrowth of hardcore punk in the 1980s would not have been possible without D.I.Y. Because no major labels showed interest in punk, punks were forced into creating almost every aspect of the subculture (Moran, 62). D.I.Y. in the punk subculture is often not a choice because of the low economic income of individuals in the subculture. At some point punks had no choice other than not rely on anyone but themselves. To follow the D.I.Y. method, the punk did not have to have the same perspective about world. There were virtually no politics in uniform except for doing it yourself.

One of the articles used to create this research gave the example of Screwdriver, a white supremacist band, and Crass, an anarchist punk band, as both being classified as “punk” bands despite their lack of shared values. Being a participant in the punk subculture suggests that one must be active in the creation and support of other members of the movement (Moran, 63).The fashion sense the punks promotes individual freedom and self – appreciation.

The punk fashion, again, is supported by the D.I.Y. method. A lot of clothe items is made, sewed and put together by the person who wears the clothes. Punk was a radical style marked by unconventional combinations of elements and materials and a high shock value. What began as an anti-style aimed at thumbing its nose at the established norms of high fashion ended up having a great deal of influence on the fashions of the late 1970s and beyond (1).

The look of punk was basically wearing almost entirely black, pants with holes in them, especially on the knees, which deliberately ripped, composed their outfits mixing, matching, and layering as they saw fit. To have a altered, more individual look was the main key to look punk. Quite often the garments were torn, colored, with the items bought at second-hand or military surplus shops. Black turtlenecks, short leather skirts or tight leather pants or jeans, leather jackets customized with paint, chains, safety pins and metal studs, and heavy leather boots were essential for the look.

The clothes were often decorated with obscene or disturbing words and images. What is now called punk is generally dated to 1972 when the British fashion designers Malcolm McLaren (1946–) and Vivienne Westwood (1941–) opened their London boutique, First called Too Fast To Live, Too Young To Die and later renamed Sex, sold a variety of black leather and rubber designs and became a central meeting place for those in the emerging punk music scene (1).

Gender based clothing was no longer ideal for them to express their self-image, the idea of “There is no gender, clothes are just piece of fabric” began to assimilated by the punks and spread to world.

Speaking of self-image and expression, re-creating your image other than wearing ‘punk appropriate’ clothes were being espoused such as dying natural hair with vibrant hair colors, different haircuts and styles (for example, spiked haircut, achieved by applying large amounts of gel or Vaseline to one’s hair and then rubbing talcum powder into it to dry it into spikes that stuck out away from the head, or shaved parts or all of their heads, creating mohawks), doing obscure make-up looks with darkened eyelids and lips for both men and women, piercing multiple body parts, doing tattoos which is considered to be only can own by the prisoners a.k.a. bad guy (which supported punks to provoke the society) and creating new methods and styles for these acts (for example dermal ‘anchors’ piercing).

Doing all of these punk styles, seeing others to do them too, enabled punks to feel more comfortable and safe in their own skin with the freedom of self-expression.The genre of music punk culture creates helps people to express their emotions. In general, punk rock was a negation of the dominant trends in popular music. It contained attitudes, approaches and subject-matter that had been excluded from the practice of popular music, which by the mid-1970s was more than ever. Punk rock was intensely contradictory. Frequently, the same musician used both progressive and reactionary elements (sometimes even in the same song).

The main style of punk rock was fast, loud and aggressive rhythm and used of harsh, very expressive language in lyrics which disturbed many other people due to the political statements they partake. Punk groups have produced songs about unemployment (Career Opportunities, Right To Work), the Notting Hill carnival (White Riot), the monarchy (God Save The Queen) and general expressions of an apocalyptic rebellion (Anarchy In The UK, London’s Burning), many of these songs have not been broadcast as a result of formal or covert censorship, it is worth dealing in some detail with the most prominent of them (Laing, 124).

The punk performers claimed they were ‘exposing the reality’. Also, again, the usage of the D.I.Y., the records were made quickly and cheaply in small recording studios, manufactured and distributed locally through a company set up by a manager or local entrepreneur, such as a record shop owner, created not perfect copy of the records compared to the earlier music styles that embraced the clean sound of music. However, this imperfect image of punk music represents did not back-fired like the others (anti-punks) assumed.

Listeners liked the natural vocal and sound approach. Another approach the punk performers focused on was sexuality, the aggression they present was usually sexual. The Rolling Stones used this approach a lot to their advantage. Another style called “glamrock” (glamorous rock, named after the fancy, over-the-top style the performers choose) performed by David Bowie, Queen and others was also an influence on this style. The punks support each other’s idea, that’s why the punk culture created big, worldwide communities.

Firstly, studying a punk concert, seeing the communication and relationship between the performers and the audience, also between the audience itself is a very efficient way to choose. Participants perform the carnival rituals of faux violence, and in doing so establish, maintain, and sustain the resident punk community and culture.

The activities near the stage give the impression of chaos. Audience participants readily mounted the stage and dove or ran back into the crowd. Band members easily entered and left the audience (HerrMann, 166). Punk rock can be played in concert at either venues or basement shows, aired on radio stations, or recorded to albums or bootlegs for dissemination by the punk wing of the cassette culture.

Parties also serve as an important component of a punk scene, providing an event to exchange music and reinforce scene solidarity. Punks mostly interact with one another in their local area, forming a local punk scene. In dozens of countries worldwide, almost all major cities, many medium-sized cities, and a few small towns have such scenes. The worldwide punk community may sometimes be called the punk scene.

Another approach to observe the community supported by the punk culture the ideas and acts support equality such as feminism, meaning to support equality between women and men and LGBTQ+ community and understand that they were big steps to enlighten people’s minds and change their perspectives. The ones who struggle with their own sexualities and genders were supported by many communities.

Of course not everyone was happy with that, but it was just the beginning. Punks were scruffy, dirty in clothing and language, but at the same time with a sense of parody and steeped in irony. The punk culture was a celebration of chaos. Punk was a culture that reflected a consumer-based society moving out of affluence into real economic, social, and political crisis.

The Punks intentionally disconnect themselves from the parent culture and represent themselves as inscrutable. The music they created was crude and chaotic. Unlike any previous music-based youth culture, the punks attempted to break down the barriers between performers and audiences.

All of these facts had a big role to shape the world we now have.WORKS CITED* HerrMann, Andrew F. Never Mind the Scholar, Here’s the Old Punk: Identity, Community, and the Aging Music Fan. In Studies in Symbolic Interaction. 2015.*Laing, Dave. The Sound of Our Time “Interpreting Punk Rock”.

Quadrangle Books, 1970.*Mooran, Ian P. Punk: The Do-It-Yourself Subculture,” Social Sciences Journal. 2010.*Moore, Ryan. Postmodernism and Punk Subculture: Cultures of Authenticity and Deconstruction, The Communication Review. 2004.*Punk.” Fashion, Costume, and Culture: Clothing, Headwear, Body Decorations, and Footwear through the Ages. 10 Apr. 2018, www.encyclopedia.com.

How culture affects manager in international organizations. In the last few years globalization has been expanded all around the world in different areas and technology. International organizations have the same effect, organizations that want to have an adventure must require managers or leaderships with general awareness of cultural variables that may affect the business and make this a success or a flop.

Since culture has become one of the main obstacles to standardize decisions and processes in multinational enterprises, a barrier that is sometimes impossible to overcome …(XII) After the end of World War II growth of globalization has become widespread, thanks to advances in communication, transportation, technology and trading system. The world is moving into a new millennium and we cannot ignore the importance of international business, and the administration thereof.

However adaptation to culture is the most difficult challenge doing international business, this requires an understanding of the different culture, perceptions, stereotypes and values. Only the managers with a wide cultural sensitivity will success. No single nation can be complacent about itself and does not need the assistance and support of other countries, even the riches nations need which lack resources and through global negotiations and agreements supplement their needs and wants.

The development of international trade makes countries prosper by leveraging its assets produce better, and then exchanged with other countries, which in turn they produce best. When companies are interested in international trade or looking to diversify markets, they need to negotiate with foreign firms, then countries will be better off.

To achieve this they have to resolve conflict or mishaps that may rise when negotiating, because many times one party is not willing to give, so firms need to plan strategies to work to reach an agreement, It is important to know the essential aspects of international negotiation, however culture influences directly in international negotiations, as not all countries negotiate the same way.

Aspects such as values, habits, customs, religion, morality, etc. are essential to know, before a firm can have good communication and the n negotiating for a mutually beneficial. Horak, S. (2010). Does The Individual’s Culture Play A Role In The Value Perception Of Members Of Small Multinational Teams?. Business ; Economics Journal, 1-7. The author of this article said

Cosmetic surgery is the most common kind of plastic surgery nowadays. It consists on medical practices intended for enhancing one’s appearance, maintaining it or embellishing it beyond an average level toward an esthetic ideal. Tattoos, piercings and any other ornaments are applications that also take the human’s body as their final object. In his essay “The Body Jigsaw”, Philippe Liotard states that cosmetic surgery and body alterations stand at opposite sides. In the following, I’m going to take a position relatively to the above statement, before analyzing the situation in my home society, Lebanon.

First of all, Liotard believes that body modifications are ways that one can use in order to look different from the common mass. For him, it is as expression of “refusal to comply with social norms” (Liotard, 264). So far, it’s true that having a foreign tattoo or a piercing in a society that doesn’t originally apply them commonly makes a person looks out of the box. Moreover, different combinations of body alterations emphasize the uniqueness of each individual and reflect a mixture of cultures. On the opposite side, cosmetic surgery can be applied for several reasons.

One of them is looking for example as a certain idol, celebrity or any public figure. This aim is becoming very redundant between women who seek having this actress’ nose or that singer’s lips. From this way of thinking, we can say that cosmetic surgery promotes a kind of stereotype. For that, the uniqueness of each individual is abolished. For this way of interpretation, I stand on the same shore as the author. Moving to my home society, views and opinions concerning both “alternative” body alterations and cosmetic surgery vary a lot. There’s no single common way of handling these applications.

In fact, some alterations are rejected while others can be tolerated. For most Lebanese, a familiar thought is that piercing as well as others body ornaments or some techniques are not manly. For that, a man with a pierced ear is subject to negative connotations. On the other hand, tattoos for instance are accepted to a certain extend. Concerning cosmetic surgery, we encounter three main categories of opinions. There are some people who completely support these surgeries whereas others reject them completely while some have intermediate views.

As far as I’m concerned, I don’t mind people having a tattoo even though I won’t do it. I personally believe that the decision of having a permanent tattoo is based on mood or temporary convictions that can collapse with time. On the contrary, I’m not against having a temporary one. Also, about cosmetic surgeries, I support them when they aim to correct an inborn defect or an accidental one. A personal experience I had was when I broke my nose and the only solution was having a surgery to repair the bad appearance caused by the accident.

On the opposite side, I disapprove plastic surgeries when they are applied just to have someone else’s nose, lips… To sum up, I agree that cosmetic surgery and “alternative” body alterations are philosophical antonyms even though they both affect the body. And, like in everything else, the best use of body alterations relies in moderation. As a Lebanese proverb says: “Every excess means less” Works Cited Liotard, Philippe. “The Body Jigsaw”. Shades of Gray. 2nd edition. Ed. Zane Sinno et al. Essex: Pearson, 2008. Print

Compare and contrast essay How far will you go for the person that you love? This is the question that most mates want to know before they go further with their partner. Different people have different answers and reasons for this question. Even between cupid and psyche & Orpheus and Eurydice. These two Greek stories have the same topic, which is “how far will you go for the person that you love”.

These love stories are different in terms of theme until the story itself. These two stories are actually easy to understand but they have similarities and differences between them. First lets discuss about similarities; they are both a story about love and also how much they love their partner and how far would they go for the person that they love, even if the way how to get back their partner is different but the main topic of the story is still the same.

They did several things to get their partners back, even if in the end of the story is not always them living in the world but still in the end of these stories they went back together. The person who’s trying to get back their partner in these stories also get second chances in completing their journey, they both failed because of curiosity. Both of them are so impatient and curious so that’s the reason why they fail. Even if there’s a lot of similarities already but there are also differences in this story.

Psyche was so curious and that she opened the beauty secret box and by that it made her work wasted, she wasn’t able to give back the box to Aphrodite so she failed while in the other tory Orpheus was able to get Eurydice back but then he was so impatient and curious if Eurydice is still with her or not so she looked back and then Eurydice was sent back to the underworld. There are different gods who impact the story, in the story cupid and psyche Aphrodite is the one who impact the story but in the story Orpheus and Eurydice Hades and Persephone are the two gods who is included.

But above all the way how they get back their partner is the sweetest in the first story Aphrodite gave a lot of things for psyche to do and she really did everything to get cupid back while Orpheus went to the underworld to get Eurydice back, these two jobs that they did is very tiring and it needs a lot of efforts but they still do it for their partners just to get them back. Between the two stories, it shows how some people actually care so much about their partner and even the would do the hardest job that could be possible just to get them back.

Malaysian Culture. INTRODUCTION : Malaysia’s has a multicultural and multiethnic population consisting of Malays, Chinese, Indians and Bumiputra of Sarawak and Sabah, in which people of different religions, countries of origins and race live in a peaceful and harmonious society has influenced its arts and culture. Each of Malays, Chinese, Indians and Bumiputra celebrates different festivities that they hold from their great great grandparents. BODY : 1) First of all, Malays are the largest community in Malaysia. Hari Raya Puasa and Hari Raya Haji are the most significant festivities that they celebrate with families and friends.

Hari Raya Puasa, the day of celebration of marking the end of Ramadan (which is a month-long period where fasting takes place from sunrise to sunset) is the biggest event of the Muslim calendar. This is a time when you will see Malay families dressed up in their best traditional outfit like baju kurung and baju Melayu to mark this special occasion. Similar to the Chinese during Chinese New Year, the Malays also have the tradition of giving Angpau but on this occasion it is known as duit raya and is given in green packets.

Being a Malay and Muslim in Malaysia, the tradition is that, once a year during the festival of Hari Raya Aidilfitri, they prepare luxurious festive food such as ketupat, beef rendang, lemang, satay and the Raya cookies. Then, Hari Raya Haji is celebrated approximately after 70 days the celebrations of Hari Raya Aidilfitri. The ancient Muslim festival of Hari Raya Haji, also known as the “Festival of Sacrifice” that is celebrated over two days by Muslims worldwide. The festival starts off with prayers by male volunteers and the sacrifice of sheep, goats and cows to symbolize Phophet Ibrahim’s readiness to sacrifice his own flesh and blood. ) Next, the second major population is the Chinese people. They celebrate Chinese New Year, Mid-Autumn Festival and Hungry Ghost Festival. The date of the Chinese New Year is determined by the lunar calendar and it often falls annually in either January or February. Being a major event on the Chinese calendar, the Chinese residents celebrate this occasion in stylish red or gold colours. Spring cleaning for this festive season is essential to most Chinese and it is a common sight to see red pieces of paper with Chinese calligraphy bearing good wishes placed onto doors and walls.

The distribution of Angpau (red packets containing money) by parents and relatives to unmarried children is a common practice during this festive season. The Mid-Autumn Festival also known as Lantern Festival which falls on the 15th day of the eighth Chinese Lunar Calendar. This is a historical festival rather than a religious one. It marks the successful rebellion against the Mongol ruler dated back in 14th century China. Legend has indicated that the secret about a plot against the Mongolians was hidden inside the moon cake and the moon cake was distributed widely. Lanterns were used at night as signals from higher grounds and hilltop.

Today, this festival is celebrated with moon cakes and lantern hanging in the house. The lantern and the moon cakes have attracted many children and adults attention. Next, the seventh month of the lunar calendar is when the hungry ghost festival is celebrated. This event is a traditional Chinese festival celebrated worldwide by Chinese people and it involves the offering of food and burning of offerings for example incense and papier-mache material items such as clothes, gold, cars and houses as a form of ancestor worship with the meaning of extending filial piety from descendants to their ancestors even after their deaths.

These offerings can be seen along roadsides and on open grounds as a means of appeasing and respecting the departed. In some areas of Malaysia you may even have the chance watching the Chinese operas which are staged to entertain the wandering spirits. During this festival, puppet shows are traditionally held along with live singing performances. 3) Deepavali is one of the significant events celebrated by the Indians. This is a festival when Indian communities are filled with lights, music, scents, arts and performances. Known also as the “Festival of lights”, it is an occasion of celebration for both Hindus and Sikhs.

It marks the beginning of a New Year for certain North Indians, while some believe that the departed souls of relatives will descend during this time and rows of tiny oil lamps are used to guide them on a journey to the next world. During this festival, new clothes are worn, and vibrant and colourful lights, festive bazaars and cultural activities enliven the streets of the Indian communities across Malaysia. 4) Next, we move on to the Bumiputra. In Sarawak, Gawai Dayak marks the important date for the Ibans ethnic group and marks the end of the paddy rice harvest season.

The Ibans invite their friends, family and people from different ethnic groups to join in the gaiety celebrated in their longhouses. At the beginning of the ceremony, prayer is usually led by the tribal chief as a traditional way of seeking blessings from the gods, followed by dances performed by men wearing warrior attire. This is followed by the most important part of the ceremony; the miring, a ritual performed by the elderly who simultaneously mutter a chant for peace, safety, protection and a plentiful harvest in the next season. In Sabah, Tadau Kaamatan is a harvesting celebration held by the Kadazandusuns ethnic groups of Sabah.

This is a celebration of thanksgiving offered to the rice gods by the farmers. Thus prayers are also held in hope for an ample harvest the following year. They give thanks to the gods and spirits for blessings and a good paddy harvest. Sabah natives wear their traditional costumes and enjoy a carnival-like atmosphere, which is usually stretches from dawn to dawn. Tapai, their homemade rice wine is freely served during the festivities. Then, there is the Unduk Ngadau, a traditional beauty contest, in which, the fairest in the land will participate, and a Kaamatan Queen will be selected.

This is however no ordinary beauty contest, as it apparently owes its origins to the legend or story of the Kadazandusun’s genesis and their creator, Kinoingan’s sacrifice of his only daughter, Huminodun for the love of his people. Besides that, Christmas Day, which is held annually on Dec 25th, Christians celebrate the Nativity, or the birth of Christ. Here in Malaysia, since we live in a multi cultural country with no snow, all Malaysians tend to celebrate this festive seasons visiting friends and families. Shopping malls put up their decorations and lights and Christians put their Christmas trees up one to two weeks before Christmas.

As with everywhere, Christmas preparations are done up to the last minute of December 24th. On Christmas Eve, Christians dress up in their new clothes and go to church for midnight services. Before mass begins they normally have sketches or plays by the children and Christmas carolling. In most Christian homes, it is a tradition to say a short prayer before doing anything else. After the prayers most families have wine and fruit cake to toast Christmas. After this, gifts are exchanged and they snap plenty of photos of the person opening the gifts. Once the excitement has died down they head on to bed.

On Christmas day, families have a feast and this is the time when friends of all faiths make their rounds to wish Merry Christmas. Some visitors bring presents and gifts. The children laugh with joy as they receive gifts and money in a modified version of ‘ang-pow’ from friends and relatives. CONCLUSION : Each ethnic group has its own underlying culture that separates it from the others, and they have achieved different levels of integration. Perhaps the easiest way to begin to understand the highly complex cultural interaction which is Malaysia is to look at the open door policy maintained during religious festivals.

Although Malaysia’s different cultural traditions are frequently maintained by seemingly self-contained ethnic communities, all of Malaysia’s communities open their doors to members of other cultures during a religious festival, to tourists as well as neighbours. Such inclusiveness is more than just a way to break down cultural barriers and foster understanding. It is a positive celebration of a tradition of tolerance that has for millennia formed the basis of Malaysia’s progress.

The “American Dream” is only as real as one’s imagination. The Scratch Beginnings by Adam Shepard gives the reader an opportunity to walk in the shoes of a man working to turn “rags-to-fancier-rags” (p. xvi, Shepard). Within the book lies not only the journey of Adam Shepard, an ordinary man attempting to advance from being homeless to living financially stable, but also the stories of others, whom Shepard met along the way, taking different routes to reach similar goals. Taking place in 2006, it is easy to connect each event, three years later, with today’s economy.

All through the story we are reminded that one’s character impacts his own achievements: A person is only competent to approach such a goal if their heart, passion, and mind are set to their ambitions. One main motto told the reader that to achieve the “American Dream” one must never settle for anything less than what they expect from themselves. This saying was shown in many tasks described within the story: just as Shepard was about to take the job at the carwash, which only paid the minimum, he took some initiative and made a final attempt to persuade Curtis into hiring him at Fast Company.

Another example would be of Derrick, with hard work, dedication, and a little assistance; he was able to succeed in buying a new home. Shepard’s story described the emotional impacts of each achievement and failure. He was not short in telling of each fiasco he encountered and with every let down handed to him, Shepard was still able to look on the bright side in each event. The experiences in Scratch Beginnings hint to the reader that the “American Dream” is not always about hard work but a positive attitude is just as important.

Some say the current economy is struggling but is it any different from seventy years ago when families immigrated to the United States in search for a better life? Hearing stories of your ancestors: how they came to America, their struggles, starting their families, and by living your life today would you not think your ancestors achieved the “American Dream? ” Over the past couple years statistics have shown that the unemployment rate has increased and many Americans are losing their jobs; however, statistics have also shown that technology is increasing and so are desires of Americans.

Shepard repeatedly states that with success comes sacrifice: he sacrificed his evening outs, free time in order to earn extra money, and also his purchases to save for later in life. When shopping for clothes, “I even thought about splurging for a couple extra pairs of pants and shirts, but the timing didn’t seem right. ” (p. 74, Shepard) The economy needs to start thinking money savvy: instead of splurging on items, settle for the necessities. Shepard said others have criticized his experiment; however by briefly including the accounts of others (Marco, Derrick, BG, ect. , all with different backgrounds, and how they have advanced in society, gives his book credibility. The journey of Adam Shepard was in his eyes the achievement of the “American Dream. ” He surpassed his goals by saving around $5300 while living in an apartment with monthly expenses. Everyone has their own definition of the “American Dream” and it is up to them to figure out what it is and how they will be able to achieve it. Like Adam Shepard said, “We are only as strong as our weakest link. ” (p. 215, Shepard)

The first scene that will be analysed is the one where Jules Winnfield and Vincent Vega are going to fulfil their duties as gangsters (0:06:45-0:20:12). The scene shows how normal it is for the main characters to have a job as gangsters and kill people on command of their boss. While watching it, the viewer has the impression that the world in the film is absurd, but it is a perfect example of a social satire.

The main characters live in a world full of violence, drugs, but they find themselves perfectly suitable in it. Also, the verbal humour has a crucial role here; lots of comical ornaments of the speech, curses, irony and sarcasm create the whole background of this environment. Basing on the benign-violation theory, the whole scene evokes amusement, because characters present quite controversial behaviour.

For the purpose of the forthcoming analysis, the scene will be divided into three parts:1) Jules and Vincent’s dialogue in the car (0:06:45-0:08:43); 2) The conversation about the foot massage (0:08:43-0:13:46)3) The score of gangsters and debtors (0:13:46-0:20:12).

As the first part of the scene begins, Jules and Vincent drive a car and the main focus here is on the dialogue between the characters; they talk mostly about Vincent’s journey to Europe. He mentions many cultural differences: the policies of hash bars, the law of policemen, beer in cinemas, or mayonnaise on fries in Holland, how a Quarter-Pounder with cheese is called a Royale with cheese in France.

At this point, the viewer has no idea where the main characters are driving or what the purpose of their mission is. It can be only assumed that they are partners and that the circumstances are quite amusing, because they seem serious, but their conversation is completely ridiculous. This contrast is highly intriguing and introduces the viewer to the world full of absurd.