Mall Trip

This poster, which was hanging on the wall at the mall entrance of JC Penny, tells us that their stores goal is to make you, the shopper, happy. They are making themselves personable to their customers by providing friendly services and they put the idea in our heads that we will always have a great shopping experience there at JC Penny.

This iTouch apps display was in the window of the Apple store at the Woodland Mall. All plethora of applications displayed communicates to us what's "in the now" they are can be personal to what the buyer wants. They are self-promoting because of their attractive colors, shape, and number of them. Apple is showing us that for everything and anything that we want, "there is an app for that."

This car was sitting in one of the aisles at the Woodland Mall. The license plate, JUST4ME, tells shoppers that this car is made "just for you" and that you should have it. JUST4ME is personal, it focuses on "self", and it defines normal because the "me" is really anybody.

Mall Post

When I went to the mall, the first thing I noticed were the cars that are inside, waiting to be won. One of the cars, I believe was a Lexus, had a license plate that said, “Just 4 You.” I thought this was interesting because it seems like the advertisement is trying to appeal to the individual. Only I can have it, which makes it more valuable and appetizing.
I also noticed the play area for the kids. There were tons of kids playing on...food. But not just any kind of food, breakfast foods. I saw a big bowl of cereal, bacon, sausage, eggs, bananas and more. I can only assume that this is a ploy to get kids to eat and enjoy breakfast. Maybe playing with food translates to eating food.
In one of the store window there was a sign that said, “The New Denim.” I don't understand. What's the difference between the new denim and the “old” denim?
There are also a lot of aromas that fill the mall, intriguing shoppers. The sweet cookie aroma from Nestles can suddenly make a person hungry and the scent from Hollister, either makes one nauseous or wanting to buy overpriced t-shirts. Either way, the consumer is drawn to the store.
I realized that there are a lot of sitting areas around the mall. I saw mostly men sitting in the areas, waiting for their wives or girlfriends to shop. This way, the men can do what they want and not bother the spending process. Clever.

District 9

I went and saw District 9 when Calvin showed it last Friday. The movie is based in Johannesburg and tells of a space craft that hovers in the sky over Johannesburg. The aliens or “prawns” as they are called are confined to a government camp called District 9 after various criminal activities. When the camp becomes a slum, a military corporation tries to move the aliens to a new camp, District 10. During the mission the leader, Wikus van de Merwe, is accidentally sprayed with a liquid from one of the aliens that starts to mutate his DNA. The government sees the value in this and want to study van de Merwe, but he runs away to District 9. Even after close encounters van de Merwe is never caught, but turns into an alien and the space craft finally leaves.
This sci-fi thriller is a representation of society and xenophobia. Xenophobia is the fear of the unknown and all humans, no matter of race or group, join together in the hate. This hate is carried out to a new level, with aliens from another planet. The aliens are confined to a camp after humans complained of the aliens because of criminal activity and violence that had erupted. Humans were scared of these aliens because they were different. The difference led to segregation of the aliens where they were kept in shanty-town conditions. This movie shows how capable humans are to hate others that are not like us. Many people also feel that this film is inspired by the South African apartheid. During the apartheid, black South Africans were forced to be contained into districts by white Afrikaners. This is similar to the movie.
As Christians we are called to love everyone and to treat everyone equally and with respect. Throughout history many events have occurred that goes against what God commands of us. District 9 is another example of the hate we have for others. Humans can only hope we learn from history to better ourselves.
What are other ways the government could have handled the aliens? Why did this movie choose aliens to be the different group? Does the end of the film show any hope of the world?

The Mall: The Biggest Trap in America

I have been to Woodland Mall numerous times before, but after watching The Persuaders I was able to notice and point out things that I have never noticed before. The Persuaders made me realize that the mall really isn’t just a large building with an array of stores inside of it, it is much more complex. I always wondered why malls contained food courts. I would occasionally think to myself, “people are here to buy clothes, shoes, etc…not to eat!” It occurred to me that the reason why food courts and restaurants are placed in malls is to encourage the consumers to stay longer. While walking around the mall with my sister, we noticed that it was almost as if each store was in a competition with another one. The signs and advertisements for certain deals and specials caught your eye in every store, and the manikins in the display cases were always dressed in very attractive outfits which draws the attention of the consumers. One thing that I found amusing that never came to my attention before is that almost EVERY person that exits the mall, is leaving unsatisfied with what they have and they are wanting more. From the coffee stand located in the center of the mall; to the massage chairs lined up in a row, I have now realized that the mall is just a trap that producers have set up for consumers.

WOodLand MALL

As I walked into Woodland Mall this afternoon, (yes, I know its a Sunday...call me a sinner if you want, I don't mind) I realized for the first time the background music that was playing throughout the malls walk ways. The music was very soothing and relaxing, it was classical music that puts a person in a good mood-the mood to shop. I also realized all the people walking around with coffee or food in their hands or some type of beverage as they walked passed windows and windows of "75% SALE" signs in huge red letters. This to me was very intriguing, it seems to me that American shoppers came to the mall as an activity, not as a necessity. This entertaining activity is almost like a game. While each person walks past a window, which ever window draws the consumer in and keeps them there the longest, enough to make them swipe their card or pull out their hard cold cash, wins. From personal experience, I fell into this manipulative trap not so long ago-Ok, to be honest it was yesterday. I walked into Charlotte Reuss and saw jeans that were $16.99. This was what was going on in my head: "$16.99!!!? That is so cheap! This is so worth the money and I need another pair of jeans!" Ah! I am ashamed to say that I gave in and bought those jeans that day and some more. I know, I know, you're probably thinking: "What was she thinking? Didn't she hear anything during class on Friday?" Trust me, I did. I just splurged because it tends to be therapeutic (which is a lie that the empire proclaims as truth), but I know that doesn't justify my actions. That is why I told my two friends about my addiction, shopping (I'm pretty sure I'm a shopaholic...And there is a movie called 'Confessions of a Shopaholic' that I can sadly really relate to.). After telling my friends my problem they laughed, really hard. But I wasn't satisfied with myself, so I told them that I needed them to keep me accountable to this promise I was going to make with myself, the promise to not purchase any type of clothing, accessory or anything else I can wear on my body until spring break of this year. Now, some of you classmates might be thinking that that isn't a very long time but I am determined to take it one step at a time. So if you see me drooling over a piece of clothing in the mall anytime before Spring break, feel free to slap me out of it and remind me of this promise I made with myself. Just kidding, don't slap me, please. :)

My Mall Experience

Growing up in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, malls have always seemed rather unnatural to me. The closest American mall was three hours away making mall trips difficult. Not that it mattered; I had no intentions of going shopping anyway. As I arrived with friends this past Saturday at Woodlawn mall, I was filled with a kind of sick awe. I felt like there were hundreds and hundreds of cars lining the parking lot. It took my friends and me a good five minutes just to find a parking spot. Walking inside the doors of this temple of commerce I wondered to myself, “What do so many people need to buy?”

As I strolled through the bustling palace of human desire, I realized that I had asked the wrong question. Being the rather pragmatic person that I am, I had miscalculated in reasoning that people go to the mall to accomplish the tangible goal of buying specific items they require/desire. From my perspective, malls were counterparts to supermarkets. I thought both had the same idea behind them, with differences involving only the essentialness of the items being sold at each. Instead, I realized that people go to malls for the experience of being there. The ideas we had discussed in class were finally starting to fit into place.

As I glanced around shops, I saw friends and families enjoying a Saturday afternoon. People looked relaxed and seemed to be enjoying taking in all of what the mall had to offer. It was strange to see. Perhaps part of this mall experience is the perceived fulfillment of spending what one has earned. I think that individuals go to the mall on the weekend and think, “Hey, I worked hard all week. I deserve a chance to relax and enjoy the result of my hard work.” This leads me to wonder if in the present climate, individuals are less satisfied by the direct results of their work and more interested in using their jobs as a means to an end. After all, in today’s job market, many people view just about any available job as one worth taking. Instead of finding a job that gives a sense of fulfillment to the individual, people are separating job and fulfillment, using a job to go out and find a sense of fulfillment somewhere else. An interesting thought to ponder, true or not.

As my friends and I departed, I was both amused and disturbed when both of my friends asked where we had to leave the mall in order to find our car. They had both been disoriented as the makers of the mall intended. This was the last piece of evidence I needed to believe everything that the article “The Shopping Mall as ‘Stairway to Heaven,’ Leading Nowhere.” Pointing my friends in the right direction and finally departing, I knew more than ever that I hate shopping.

At the Mall

This image was taken in a department store in the mall. I find it interesting because there are many signs featuring Valentine's Day. This is a way for the store to enhance sales by convincing shoppers that they have a duty to buy something for Valentine's Day. It is expected for shoppers--especially those with partners-- to buy something. The store seems to say, "Who better to buy from than, well, us?!? We have everything! We have enough to make your holiday (or if you continue buying from us, your life) complete!"

This next picture was taken at a department store as well, and as shown, the only word visible next to the model says, "woman." There is also something written underneath it in Spanish, but at first glance, everyone notices the word "woman." I think this advertisement is trying to say that if women wear their clothing, they will look and feel like the model-- like a woman. So, what if you don't wear their clothing? Well, in that case, you will look like a female who doesn't belong. You won't look like a woman. You won't qualify for the standard of what "woman" means.

The girls' shirt reads, "OMG! DO YOU EVER STOP TALKING" I find this fairly disturbing. I feel like this is just one example of the way children are trying to look "cool" and grow up faster. Let me explain. I realize that the idea of adolescents and teenagers having an attitude is not a new concept. Teens are known to be rude and easily annoyed. I don't think that children have always held this image. I think that children in the past have had an innocence that older people have tried to protect. Nowadays, I do not think many of the the older siblings or parents of these children care as much about preserving this innocence (and imagination and creativity along with that.) Instead, they treat them like mini teenagers, attitudes and all. The children want to be older, so when they're attuned to it, they act like it. Enter, bratty kids! So, I think that stores play a hand in bringing up children to think that it's normal to get their own way, and to make it known what exactly they want. And, of course, who cares if it's rude?

This forth picture reads, "Donate your jeans and get an additional 25% off your next pair of jeans." I think the central question to ask regarding this promotion is whether the store would gladly do the jeans donation if they didn't expect anything in return. In the case at hand, Aeropostle gives people an incentive (a discount) to buy more of their jeans if people donate old ones. So, Aeropostle might be doing this so that people will just buy more jeans. However, I think that there will be good done through this, which is encouraging.

The Mall

After watching The Persuaders, my trip to the mall opened my eyes to the various techniques and features of the mall that draw shoppers in. As I was walking around, I saw a slew of messages and advertisements that I would have normally passed by without a second glance. For example, there were many trees around the mall making it a relaxing and comfortable atmosphere. The Starbucks nestled among the trees gives you a feeling of relief and is a good way for people to relieve stress from shopping. The Persuaders movie reminded me that these trees were here to capture a peaceful and calm ambiance. As I walked through the mall, I noticed all of the advertisements plastered in the storefront windows, drawing people in to come and get the good deals that won’t last long. I also saw advertisements that just stood still in the main area of the wall, like this picture for the new shape-ups. The mall utilizes all of its space to advertise anything that it can. This brief experience of simple observation enlightened me on the subtle hints that the mall uses to make us consume more and more things.

The Village movie post by Miki

Ah, The Village. This was literally my fifth time to see it, and yet my enthusiasm was hardly diminished. A classic, and I daresay, one of Shymalan's best. And I probably spelled his name incorrectly. In any case, The Village focuses on the aspects of hiding the past, on putting up a farce in order to conceal the hurts of the past. Although it is not deliberate self-deception per say, it is in essence a refusal to face the past, to directly come to grips with hurt, overcome it, and move on. At least, until the end of the film.
The village has a handful of useful lessons to be learned. Perhaps the most poignant and striking element to be had is the notion that although life may seem to be fine if one puts one's past in a box and tries to forget it without reconciliation, at some point, it will come out. And once it reappears, it becomes even more difficult to face it as one has become used to the numbness, the lifelessness of an existence based on a lie.
This has particular relevance in our lives. In many ways we refuse to face our pasts, our weaknesses, our hurts. As a result, we have become numb, and society tells us to ignore everything but our selfish, personal desires. In this way, we conform because it FEELS good, and we can ignore accountability , we can ignore integrity, honesty to ourselves. For instance, I do not like to acknowledge my mistakes, especially the ones that hurt my pride. As such, in my mental make-up, I have developed certain resistances and fronts to defend myself when some topics in conversation are raised, for example.
Another aspect of human nature that The Village tackles is FEAR. Specifically, fear of discovery, fear of the unknown, fear of placid existences being challenged. We all prefer to maintain comfortable lifestyles that do not question our actions and our thinking, and that do not impinge on the complacency that we have built up. In The Village, the fear of the villagers centres on the horrific creatures lurking in the forest. Ironically, this fear of the creatures is the fear of farce. Being fake, the creatures represent the false images we have created for ourselves- images of our weaknesses being exposed.
Naturally, this post is only a very shallow and brief overview of The Village, and it certainly deserves much more analysis. However, requirements of brevity dictate this assignment. Nevertheless, feel free to comment.

Invictus

Invictus is a film based on the story of South Africa’s 1995 Rugby World Cup team. Morgan Freeman stars as Nelson Mandela who decides to use the Cup as a means to bring the country together in the aftermath of the abolishment of the apartheid system, which occurred in 1991. South African rugby captain Francois Pienaar, portrayed by Matt Damon, must lead the team to victory if Mandela’s “human calculation” is to fully succeed.

"Forgiveness liberates the soul, it removes fear."

While the delivery of its message is perhaps a little heavy-handed at times, Invictus does a wonderful job of examining racial reconciliation. After enduring years of white discrimination and hostility, Mandela doesn’t take the “an eye for an eye” or “tit for tat” approach that we too often see in the world. Instead, Mandela realizes that the only way South Africa can come together and function as a country is if the Afrikaners and Africans can learn to trust each other. This is far easier said than done. Whites live in fear of retribution from the blacks that they’ve abused for so long and Africans struggle to find forgiveness for their former oppressors. As a news anchor in the film puts it, Mandela has the job of "balancing Black aspirations with White fears."

Mandela decides the best way to bring the country together is to get it to rally behind its national rugby team, the Springboks. This is viewed as a very controversial move by many blacks as the Springboks, to them, represent the apartheid system they have only recently broken out of. Only white people care about rugby and root for the Springboks. Blacks are interested in soccer and always root against the Springboks. Because of this, it is decided at a national sports meeting that the Springboks should be replaced by a new team, representing the new South Africa. However, before this change is enacted, Mandela comes and convinces the blacks to keep the Springbok team intact and let them represent the country in the upcoming World Cup, hosted by South Africa. When questioned on this decision, Mandela responds, “If I cannot change when circumstances demand it, how can I expect others to?”

By the end of the film, the country does end up rallying behind this once controversial team and celebrates together the eventual World Cup Championship victory. As the film reaches its climax, viewers are shown how two conflicting groups of people can be brought together if forgiveness is shown and leaders on both sides are willing to work together in compromise. Invictus shows that even though there is hatred and evil in the world, it can be overcome by forgiveness, compromise, and love. As the poem "Invictus" states, “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.” We don’t have to give in and follow what the empire’s message of revenge and supremacy. We can break out of the Empire’s mindset and act in the ways of the Kingdom by showing compassion, forgiveness, and love, even in the most difficult situations.

Discussion Questions:

- How often in today’s world do we see compromise between two very opposite groups? Why is this?
- While the Springboks did when the final game, do you think the country of South Africa still would have come together in the pain of defeat? What do we need symbols to rally behind for, and after we’ve rallied behind them, does it matter what becomes of them? Once a connection is established between very different people, how easily can this connection be broken?
- As Mandela asks in the film, “If I cannot change when circumstances demand it, how can I expect others to?” With this in mind, are their areas in your life where you need to change in order to peacefully work and exist with others?

Reviews: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/invictus/
Trailer: http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/invictus/

Cultural Artifact: Glamour

I chose to compare an issue of a Glamour magazine with the material that we are learning in class, and I have made several strong connections between the two. This magazine proves to readers that the media plays an incredibly strong role in peoples lives when it comes to determining their priorities and values. The February 2010 issue of Glamour that I used is packed full with advertisements for beauty products that are displayed in a way that persuades the reader that the product is a necessity. Other articles throughout the magazine deal with what is in-style when it comes to fashion and clothing. I feel like this magazine demonstrates many qualities that we consider are in the Empire. It demonstrates qualities such as deception, conformity, and self-promoting. This magazine does not go beyond focusing on physical appearance, which is avoiding the actual truth about life. The articles and advertisements in Glamour that promote certain beauty products and other supplies that can potentially alter a persons physical appearance, take away the feelings people have of being fulfilled. This magazine leaves the reader wanting more and not being content with what they have. In my opinion, I consider this magazine to be a type of “sin”. In a lecture in class, Ken Heffner said, “sin reveals itself by changing our third or fourth priorities and making them first.” This statement has a connection with this Glamour magazine because it persuades us to be obsessed with our physical looks and traits which is completely opposite in the Kingdom of God. It is safe to say that truth is not being revealed in this magazine, but it does thoroughly demonstrate what the media has done to people, and how strongly magazines such as Glamour affect individuals. Although human beings should be focusing on things other than their physical appearance, the media is continuing to distort the priorities and values of people throughout the country.

Discussion Questions:

1) Do any of these types of fashion magazines have a positive affect on us? Explain.

2) In what ways can we help ourselves not give in to these certain desires that media is trying to persuade us?

Values of the Mall

The values espoused by the mall are no secret, rather, their discovery takes only a glance from a wary eye. Luckily for the mall, wary eyes are few and far between; most travlers are content to simply "shop," leaving themselves wide open to manipulation great and small. In Jon Pahl's words, the casual shoppers "betray a willingness to conform to marketed symbols of 'beauty' or marketed commodities as signs of the 'good' life" (from Shopping Malls and Other Sacred Spaces, pg. 67). That good life is luxurious: it prefers plush leather chairs to benches (even cushioned ones) that could double the capacity of "sitting areas." A bench would certainly suffice for a shopper who needs to tie their shoe or just rest a moment, but for those who desire to sit and absorb the atmosphere of the "sacred space," a bench just will not do. Indeed, the mall seems outfitted with precisely the right furnishings for extended visits: a playground, a food court, even an ATM.

A quick tour through a couple shops reveals an entire subculture of t-shirts. Here, my research partner holds up a preteen girl's shirt which advocates for an issue too complex for any young girl to comprehend. Other shirts we ran into included a boy's ad for Avatar and a teen girl's shirt declaring "Love bites."

As if shirts weren't enough, Gap kept right on chugging with a pair of socks designed for boys. If older teens want to go around wearing skulls as a sign of rebellion, that's fine with me, but I'm a little afraid of boy's socks emblazened with a skull against a camoflauge background. Then again, maybe they're just trying to tell kids that war is hell. Doubt it.


Gap, unwilling to leave their offenses to commercials or kids, framed this poster above a collection of army style pants for men. Selling a pair of pants as a way to commemorate veterans is one thing, but calling the veterans "the originals" and your pants "the original made new" seems not only arrogant but also vulgar. Here are men who put their lives on the line for a nation now enslaved not to facism but to consumerism...and Gap tries to celebrate them by screaming "REMIX!"


This pretty much speaks for itself. Pedestaled in front of a store obsessed with letting girls go wild, complete with lingerie in exotic animal-skin patterns, this seems even more offensive. But hey, at least we now know that this nameless model has a monopoly on sexy..which, if she did, would put Victoria's Secret out of business, wouldn't it? I guess bankruptcy would put Victoria's back into secret and out of the public eye...darn.

Hallmark's sentimentality would be a topic for another day. However, I couldn't help but wonder when I looked at this gift bag what exactly was so evil about getting old. I mean, sure, everybody seems to want the fountain of youth and maybe that has something to do with broken shalom but ultimately shouldn't we celebrate the seasons of life, rather than positing YOUTH as sovreign? Who said youth was the best? Well, young designers for one...

Finally ready to go, even the flora of the mall couldn't help taking a shot at me. Some people think plants are there for decoration, but now I know the truth: they are snares to stop the unfaithful from leaving the mall before closing time (as long as they have a Calvin lanyard at least). Sorry, oh mall, but I did escape in the end (though not before being shocked to learn that Subway wouldn't give me a complementary glass of water...somehow the 5-dollar footlong song doesn't work the same when you add "PLUS DRINK" to the end of the refrain...).

Mall Trippin'

At the mall I was able to find many sources of how Americans are pretty ridiculous when trying to get a message out, or convey products and services in the media. Only in America, would you see Abercrombie, a clothing store, putting up advertisements that show people wearing barely any clothes. I'd like to know who thought of the idea to market clothing via nakedness. I usually do not find myself walking around a mall; it is not my favorite place to be, at all. Malls are usually crowded and stuffy, and after 10 minutes, everything starts to look the same. I noticed that there were a lot of different smells coming from all the snack shops and such; coincidence that the food smells follow you and make you more hungry by the second? I think not. It is funny how we give into our senses so easily. I watched a dozen people line up at the Surf City Squeeze stand for a smoothie, even two security guards stopped to pick up one. Who is keeping the mall safe while the officers get their snack?
I was able to bring one of my good friends, Justin VanGend along with me to the mall. Justin, who just happens to be an avid surfer pointed out some interesting things to me. He told me how it made him angry that Hollister, a brand that claims to be surf minded, is based out of Illinois and its main target buyers are people who have never surfed in their lives. He also pointed out that over half of the people walking into Eddie Bauer look as if they have never been camping in their lives. Or that the hundreds of men and women wearing North Face jackets at the mall will ever go on a long outdoor trek in which they need it.
It is pretty disappointing when we really stop to see what malls are really like; people giving into the consumer culture that is running America. I will be the first to admit that I am a large partaker in this consumerism. I have my wants and temptations that I often satisfy by buying something. It is just a very evident problem that somehow goes unoticed by the rest of society.

Woodland Mall

After seeing Persuaders and reading "The Shopping Mall as the Stairway to Heaven" , walking through the mall was a little different than before. The advertisements seem to be popping out at me, and the language of the adds and slogans were more obvious. I felt almost claustrophobic in a way, especially in stores like Victoria Secret where even the clothes themselves have messages plastered across the back of shorts, as in the top picture. Also, another thing I noticed were the numerous kiosks and posters outside of the stores and in the food court.

Mall Post

@ Papyrus

Yesterday, at Woodland Mall, I noticed two things that I would have never realized before.

First observation: The two giant ads infront of Papyrus Stationary store (as shown above) caught my attention. At first, I did not think too much of it because Valentine's Day to approaching and these ads are supposed to surface. However, when the two friends that had accompanied me to the mall pointed out the commercialized holiday, I thought, "Wow, only once a year do you let your significant other know you love her." These ads are attracting/reminding customers to buy something that will represent their love for Valentine's Day. However, if you love your significant other every single day of the year, let her know every single day of the year, you do not need Feb 14 to remind her (as the poster says) why she loves you.

Second observation: Three of us went to the mall together and not even five minutes at the mall, we were recognizing familiar faces every where (not just people from this class, as it was an assignment). One friend asked why there were so many Calvin students there, and immediately the answer was, "It's Saturday." I found that rather amusing because going to the mall has indeed become a religious act, where every (or nearly every) Saturday, when there is nothing to do, we just go wander in the mall.

p.s. i still think those two posters are quite adorable though...=P

District 9 is a power

"Technically brilliant and emotionally wrenching, District 9 has action, imagination, and all the elements of a thoroughly entertaining science-fiction classic."

One ordinary, family- oriented, hardworking man named Wikus van de Marwe, an MNU field operative (Multinational United) is placed in charge of relocating a race of aliens whose spaceship hovers above Johannesburg, South Africa. After an attempt to talk with an alien about the eviction, Wikus was injured in his forearm and began to mutate. Wikus's changed arm is then capable of operating an alien weapon which is valuable to the government. Scientists want to take advantage of this capability. Wikus escapes and hides in an alien shanty. An alien named Christopher promised to heal him, and together they save the canister of fuel for the mother ship. Christopher and his son then leave, promising to be back, and Wikus stays to fight the people who were once his fellows. Now he is one of the alien creatures.The movie made in a documentary style that makes it absolutely exclusive and memorable, you feel just like being wrapped- up in the story!It feels real.

You can look at this movie from the different angels:you can be with the aliens, you can be with the humans or with the government."It has an alternate reality"( Almost in all movies there are good and bad sides, good and bad characters. At the beginning of the movie you identify the human government as good because it cares about its people, and tries to protect them from the unexpected interference of the aliens. The aliens, or prawns, are frightful and creepy creatures, who engage in criminal and destructive activities, which lead to demands from the human population for more control. They are definitely assumed to be bad guys. Two Empires are against each other: the human Empire is independent and powerful: militarily, politically and economically it is prepared to take care of itself; it defines normality and abnormality; In contrast, the alien Empire seems to be less powerful and independent, but it has a huge advantage- the most powerful weapon on the Earth. One day one of these Empires will win.

At the middle of the movie you begin to understand that prawns are not as bad as they seem to be. The humans, who are supposed to be intelligent, treat Wikus as a thing. People want to 'take to pieces' Wikus who is still a person, who feels pain and wants to live; he just has a mutated arm.What a big deal.I am sure that the powerful Empire like this one can find a way to help him. But as if it usually happens, everything supernatural must be studied.Not long time ago Wikus was sent to perform an important and dangerous mission, and now he is nothing, a guy who is 'different'. What a cruelty and evil! Aliens, who are assumed to be stupid, take care of each other and try to live in the Human Empire. There is a question: will Christopher be back to fight against people? I think he will be back but not for the battle, but for helping Wikus and taking his compatriots back home. Sure, there is a reason for the fight but i guess the aliens know that not all people are bad.

I think that there are can be some possible explanations of two these Empires: I can say for sure that humans and aliens are representatives of two powerful Empires with advantages and disadvantages( they can't be Kingdoms because they are unholy and vicious),but one Empire seems to be more humane, wiser and compassionate, and this one is the alien Empire.

Questions:

• Did Wikus's wife know that when she was talking with her husband, her father was on their trail?
  
• How was it possible to hide that command module from the mother ship under the alien shanty, if people built all that shanties before, and they did not see that piece?
  
• Why did the spaceship 'froze' above the Johannesburg?