In The Hustler, Eddie Felson is a very impulsive and arrogant pool player. Throughout the film, he is given choices as to what action he could take from a situation, and almost every time Eddie chooses whatever could bring him a small benefit in the shortest amount of time, even if there are better options for him in the long run. One great example of this is when Eddie decides not to cash out when he was thousands of dollars up against Minnesota Fats the first time they battled. Instead, Eddie let his arrogance cloud his vision and wouldn’t quit, until Minnesota Fats endured longer and won back all of his money, and more.

Bert Gordon: I don’t think there’s a pool player alive shoots better pool than I saw you shoot the other night at Ames. You got talent.
“Fast” Eddie Felson: So I got talent. So what beat me?
Bert Gordon: Character.

This quote shows how Eddie’s arrogance and inability to stop is what beat him, not the level of skill he has when playing pool. If Eddie had made the other choice and stopped playing when he was thousands ahead, the majority of the rest of the film would likely not have occurred. Later in the film, Eddie only continued betting on pool with Bert because he was very short on money, which would not have been the case if Eddie had just stopped playing while he was winning.

Another example of where Eddie Felson made a poor decision even while being free to choose is when he tells Sarah to go home alone, as he wants to play pool against Findlay. This moment is the breaking point for Sarah, as she decides to commit suicide once she reaches back home. This choice that Eddie makes shows one again his impulsiveness, as he makes decisions based on the extreme short term. Arrogance from Eddie is also shown here, as no matter how far down he was he would still try to keep playing, with any money that he could find.

But we twisted it, didn’t we, Bert? Maybe that doesn’t stick in your throat ’cause you spit it out just like everything else! But it sticks in mine. I loved her, Bert. I traded her in on a pool game.

Eddie later reflects on his choice, after the death of Sarah. Here, he finally realises how his actions have come back to hurt him. Eddie was completely free in the moment of his choice, capable of choosing his next action however he wanted, yet he chose the one that would cause him the most regret in the future.

Colin Smith makes much better decisions throughout Loneliness than Eddie Felson does in The Hustler. Although Colin is physically trapped in the Borstal, his decision-making process is much more beneficial to him in the long-term than the short term. One example of this is how he decided to play along with the Borstal’s harsh rules, even though he hated them more than anything else.

The best thing to do is be cunning and stay where you are. I’m going to let them think they’ve got me house trained, but they never will, the bastards. To get me beat, they’ll have to stick a rope around my neck.

This quote displays Colin’s ability to make good decisions in the face of hardship. The reason that this choice is the best for Colin is that it allows the Borstal to believe that they have him under control, and will give him more freedom than if he tried to escape. Even though he does not have much freedom in his life, he still understands what will be best for him in the future and acts on that.

Another example of this is when Colin is let outside the Borstal unsupervised for his morning runs. During this time, he is the most free that he ever was at the Borstal, and has an easy opportunity to escape. However, Colin understands that the Borstal staff would immediately come looking for him if he didn’t return, and would punish him severely when he was caught. This would mean not being able to take the morning runs anymore, which Colin enjoyed greatly throughout his stay at the Borstal.

One choice that Colin Smith made that might not be the best for his future was stopping during the run against the private school to let the other school win. A reason this was a bad decision is that it would likely remove the few freedoms that Colin did get at the Borstal, such as his unsupervised morning runs. He decided to not finish first in the run, even though he would definitely be able to, because of his hate for the Borstal and their over-the-top rules. However, because the film ends as the final run finishes, it is not known what the Borstal’s reaction to this was. The filmmakers used this technique to allow for speculation from the audience as to what occurs next, which increases engagement levels and discussion about the movie.

Overall, the way that Colin Smith doesn’t let his current negative situation affect his decision making process is much more beneficial than Eddie Felson’s impulsive actions. It makes Colin a much more calculated person, who knows exactly what he values in life, as opposed to Eddie who acts on decisions that only value him in the extremely short run.

Host: Welcome everyone to tonight’s episode of The Late Night Show, where we dissect the lives, and great careers, of world-famous stars! Tonight our guest is “Fast” Eddie Felson, a retired pool hustler. We will dive deep into his history, the good and the bad, to understand just how complicated the mind of a true hustler is. Tell us a little bit about yourself, Eddie.

Eddie: Thank you very much for inviting me here today. I started off my hustling career with my good buddy, Charlie. We travelled on road trips stopping by at bars and such, making a little cash here and there.

Host: Did you find it easy to hustle these innocent people? What was your go to method?

Eddie: Well yes, I’d say that this was one of the easiest parts of my life. I’d act drunk and make losing bets with Charlie, enough to get them to think they could make some easy cash from me. What they didn’t know, is I can shoot some damn good shots, ha ha. I’d bet big, real big, and sink the shots when they called. As I said, easiest time of my life.

Host: And you didn’t have any reservations about this?

Eddie: No, at the time my mind was as clear as glass. I’d say I was quite naive though, thinking that this hustling scheme wouldn’t ever come back to hurt me.

Host: So it did come back eventually?

Eddie: Yes, I felt I was the best of the best at the time, and not a soul could stop me. I challenged Minnesota Fats, who rightly put me in place. Not even losing thousands to that man would stop me, and I challenged him once more. I took it upon myself to beat him, and that clouded my vision. I neglected my love, Sarah, and she committed suicide. It was the worst mistake of my life.

Host: Oh that’s terrible. Did Minnesota Fats beat you again, to add more misery to my life.

Eddie: In fact, no he didn’t. I used my anger for letting Sarah go to fuel my pool, and smashed him to pieces. But I’d never do that again. I’ve quit pool now, the memories of Sarah are too much for me to handle.

Host: Well thank you very much for coming today, that’s all we have time for. It’s been a pleasure talking with you!

Eddie: As with you!

Year 6 English Essay

Topic: Eddie Felson’s actions in the film make him more of an antagonist than a protagonist. Discuss.

Eddie Felson is defiantly the protagonist in the move The Hustler. The Hustler is a film about 2 pool hustlers who make money from hustling and playing pool. One reason he is the protagonist is that he is the main character, and he is a good guy. Another reason that Eddie Felson from the movie The Hustler is the protagonist in the movie is that he won in the end.

Eddie Felson, or “Fast Eddie” as he is sometimes called, wins the pool game at the end of the movie. This game was against Minnesota Fats, who is the best pool player ever in the movie. Fats beats Eddie Felson at the start of the movie and then Eddie beats Minnesota Fats later. This shows Eddie’s growth through the film as he used to have no character, which was said in the movie, and now he has some good character.

Eddie Felson is the main person we are shown throughout the movie. This means he is the protagonist because he was shown the most. He is also a good guy because he tries to win pool which he likes. Even though Eddie Felson also defiantly likes Sarah too, who is an alcoholic that he met at a cafe, he does not realise this until the end. We got to see a good pool battle between Eddie Felson and Minnesota Fats twice in the movie (one where Eddie lost and one where Eddie won), so this makes Eddie Felson the protagonist in the movie.

Overall, Eddie Felson is defiantly the protagonist in the movie The Hustler. One reason for this is that he is a good guy and the main character. Also, he won at pool at the end of the movie and that means that he is the protagonist.

Code

Person eddie = new Hustler()

while (eddie.travelling_the_country):
    eddie.play_bad_pool()
    eddie.act_drunk()
    eddie.make_big_bet(bet_amount = 500)

    result = shoot_good_shot()
    if (result == win):
        eddie.celebrate(with = charlie)
    else:
        eddie.move_on()

Person sarah = new Lover()
sarah.drink()
sarah.drink()
sarah.drink()
sarah.drink()

Person minnesota_fats = new Enemy()
minnesota_fats.play_pool_well()

eddie.challenge(minnesota_fats)
while (eddie.is_winning):
    make_bigger_bet()

eddie.lose()

charlie.is_unhappy_with_eddie = true
eddie.fire(charlie)

Person bert = new Better()
bert.hire(eddie)
bert.travel(to = kentucky_derby, with = eddie)
bert.arrange_match(with = eddie, against = findlay)

while (eddie.has_money_from_bert)
    eddie.lose_money()

sarah.wants_to_go_home = true
eddie.let_sarah_go_alone()
sarah.is_unhappy = true
eddie.is_angry = true

while (eddie.is_angry):
    bert.make_big_bet()
    eddie.win_match(against = findlay)

sarah.suicide()
eddie.go_home()
eddie.is_happy = false
eddie.is_angry = true

while (eddie.is_angry):
    eddie.bet(amount = 3000)
    eddie.challenge(minnesota_fats)
    eddie.win()

bert.angry = true
bert.forbid_player_from_pool(eddie)

Written Explanation

For the first variation of The Hustler, I chose to do an interview with Eddie Felson on a talk show. The host is asking Eddie questions about his life and hustling career, and Eddie is responding with details from the film. The second variation is an essay discussing whether Eddie Felson is really the protagonist in the film, based on how a year 6 student would write. I was going to write it as a year 8 student, as in the original The Drover’s Wives, but as I was writing I felt that it was too bad for a year 8 student. The final piece is the plot of the film written as if it were code. I chose to do this because I felt it would be very enjoyable.

Losing can be viewed in the same way that mistakes should be viewed. Not as something to beat yourself up about, but as a learning opportunity for the future. Everyone makes mistakes, everyone loses at some point of their lives. Even the very best, the world number ones, lose matches. It’s a part of life, and should be treated as such. As much as people want to be immune to losing, those who lose and learn from what they did wrong fare much better in the long run.

As can be seen in The Hustler, winning is not everything. In fact, the very fact that Eddie wins his game of pool against Findley means he lost someone much more important to him: Sarah. He realises after her death that he really loved her, and he “traded her in on a game of pool.” Winning at sport seems like the best possible outcome, but at what cost? For Eddie, it was a step in the wrong direction in his relationship with Sarah, and led to her suicide.

Bert is also a victim of winning. All he cares about is money; from knowing when to bet on Eddie to when to gamble in poker, he has fine-tuned his brain to calculate the odds on every situation, and how he can milk every dime from everyone around him. This has resulted in a Bert being “dead inside”, with no emotion or love for those around him, all because of his fear of losing.

In the case of Kelly Catlin, the pressure she put herself in to win everything was ultimately her downfall. Even a silver medal was not enough for her, something that would have been just a dream in the minds of so many athletes. Kelly kept pushing, pushing on until she broke. Her desire to win and compete at every stage of her life led to her suicide. Losing wasn’t enough. It wasn’t just a learning opportunity. She put more weight on it than it ever needed.

Nicky Winmar made an iconic gesture during the AFL match against the Collingwood Magpies on the 17th of April, 1993. The St Kilda player was one of the best on the field that day, and he decided to take a stand against the racism that Aboriginal Australian players were facing throughout the AFL. But why is that day so important, and what can we take away from the events that occurred?

St Kilda played Collingwood at Collingwood’s home ground on the day of the gesture by Nicky Winmar. Winmar and another Indigenous Australian player, Gilbert McAdam had played extraordinarily well leading up to the match, and their form continued on the day. Despite their skills, the two Aboriginals were still under the pressure from the crowds, especially Collingwood’s, who racially abused them continually. At the end of the match, after St Kilda’s 22-point win against the Magpies, Winmar made his way over near the Collingwood fan section. He could hear the racial abuse carrying on, and so he made his grand gesture. Using his right hand to lift up his jersey, he pointed to his bare chest and shouted the words, “I am black and I’m proud to be black.”

This moment is an extremely important one in the AFL’s, and sports in general’s, history. It marked the beginning of the movement in which Aboriginal Australians fought to be treated as equals, and not be racially vilified every time that they step out in public. The Winmar incident made headlines in newspapers around Australia, and sparked much needed discussion about the racism issue in the AFL.

Something that we can learn from the gesture that was made by Nicky Winmar is that although Australia claims to be a very diverse place, it still houses racism against the very people that have lived here longer than anyone else. This can also be seen with the vilification of Adam Goodes in 2013, another Indigenous Australian who stood up for his right to be treated equally. Discrimination and racism continues among Australians, ranging from minor racist jokes (that still contribute to the problem) to major incidents such as the highly-publicised booing of Adam Goodes.

The AFL established a code of conduct for players in 1995, a whole two years after the Nicky Winmar incident. Although many Indigenous people claimed that progress wasn’t being made quickly enough, any progress is a step in the right direction. Trying to combat racism is often much harder than other social issues, as those who believes that some races are less than others have had that belief instilled in them from a very young age. Taking small steps towards making the AFL a better place for everyone is likely a more efficient method of dealing with the issue, rather than taking large leaps and facing immense backlash and criticism, possible hindering progress even more.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Down they all come. Steven Bradbury cruises across the line, placing second in the semi-final of the 2002 Winter Olympics. He was by no means one of the fastest in the race, in fact he was the slowest, be he made it through the carnage. Disbelief runs through him, he is through to the grand final. But he got lucky, his opponents fell over. Does he really belong among the world’s best?

So came along the grand final, and Bradbury was once again at the back of the pack. The four other skaters sped ahead, Bradbury trying his hardest to just keep pace with them. Two laps to go. Bradbury is starting to fall behind. One lap to go. The race seems over for Bradbury, who is well behind the skater in 4th place. 50 meters to go. Bradbury is a whole 15 meters behind the pack. Then it happens, just like the semi-final.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Down they all come. Steven Bradbury cruises across the line, the winner of Gold for Australia. He raises his arms in the air, not knowing how to celebrate. The other skaters scramble across the line, having lost the almost certain medal in the very last corner.

America was not happy. Apolo Anton Ohno, who only won silver in the race, was complaining about the South Korean Ahn Hyun-soo, who caused the crash. America was demanding a rerun of the race, claiming that Bradbury had won unfairly. Why should he, who was last throughout the entire race, be given a medal, the gold medal, when there were others who were “more deserving” of it?

Bradbury wasn’t just a nobody who had won gold. For years he had trained, hours on end, six days a week, become ever so slightly faster each time. He was a leader in the Australian speed-skating community, having raised the interest in speed-skating from almost zero a few years prior to a little bit, which was quite an achievement. And this little interest brought little funding, unlike the massive speed-skating programs of the other nations. The fact that he could keep up with the pack for so long is a sign of his incredible skill, coming from a much less privileged skating nation.

The number one rule of speed-skating is to stay on your feet. Bradbury had done this, the only one to do this in the race. Chief referee Jim Hewish knew exactly that, and decided to not call for a rerun of the race. Bradbury had won, and there was going to be no change to that. This race would go down in history, a great example of the old saying: “slow and steady wins the race.”

One thing from Packing for Mars that really stood out to me was the insane amount of testing and training potential astronauts go through before they can board a rocket. Although it seems like common sense to me now, I had never really thought about this aspect of space travel, especially the selection process. When you ask a child what they want to be when they grow up, I guarantee at least 20 percent would say ‘astronaut’. Even though most of these kids won’t actually apply for a position later in life, there is still a large number of people that nations have to sift through to find the elites. There is so much more to being an astronaut than any other flight-related field, like a pilot. A pilot has some basic theory training before they are sent up to have a go at flying themselves (in fact, anyone can book a 30 minute to an hour flight where they get to control a plane, no training needed). This just can’t happen with space travel, and the book really highlighted this. Every single person being sent up into space needs to have years of training, be extremely physically fit, and check all the medical boxes before they even leave the ground.

Another reason I enjoyed the book was because of the way it was narrated. It was told in the first-person perspective of the author, who was interviewing researchers and astronauts about their work. This style of narration allows the reader to connect much more with what is being said, as it’s not just a third-person account of this-person-did-this and that-person-did-that. No, it’s a real-life account of what happened, from people who have actually experienced this.

The second book that I read was The Hunger Games. This book would tick off category 5 of the Wider Reading Book List, as it was published by Suzanne Collins, a female author. The reason that I chose to read The Hunger Games was because I had heard lots of good things about it from some of my friends that have read it. I had already seen parts of the movie, however my friends said the book was much better (as it almost always is). Overall, I enjoyed the novel as it is something different to what I would normally choose to read, but it still turned out to be really interesting and engaging.

One action that stood out to me was when Katniss decided to volunteer for the Hunger Games so her younger sister did not have to do it. This resonated with me because I have an older sister, who I’m sure would do something very similar if we were in this situation. She is the type of person who is selfless enough to volunteer themselves to do tasks that others don’t really want to, and that is a characteristic that is very good to have.

Overall, since I have only read two books during the first semester I am aiming to read the other four in the coming semester. At this point, I don’t really know what books I will choose, however I am looking to stray away from what I normally read to give myself a nice challenge. The categories on the Wider Reading Book List that I have ticked off from the first semester are 5 (The Hunger Games) and 15 (Packing for Mars). I really enjoyed the books I read this semester, and I hope I will enjoy the ones I pick next semester.

Othello, you’ve all heard of it. The tragic play created by Shakespeare in the early 17th century that is read and analysed by students around the world, much to their dismay. But there is actually an interesting side to it, one which displays the very best and very worst of human nature. The title character Othello, can represent both the best and worst sides of nature. His leadership and characterisation as a general at the start of the story makes him represent the best of human nature, but he can also represent the negative side of humanity with his easily manipulated mind and impulsive actions. Iago, being the main villain, obviously embodies the worst of humankind, but also the better side of it, displayed by his ingenuity throughout the play.

Although Iago’s motives in the play are malicious, the way he uses small pieces of evidence and many lies to deceive Othello is an exhibition of his great intelligence and ingenuity. Intelligence is one of the main reasons humans have made it this far, and the ‘survival of the fittest’ really shows in Othello. Iago gives solid advice to Othello throughout the play, but twists his words and mannerisms to subtly force Othello into making bad decisions and causing him to take action against the people Iago hates. “And what’s he then that says I play the villain? / When this advice is free I give and honest,” (Iago, Act 2 Scene 3) shows how Iago uses his fake honesty to deceive Othello. He pretends to be a loyal and trustworthy person to get Othello to believe him, but in reality he uses Othello’s love to hurt the others around him. “Virtue? A fig! ’Tis in ourselves that we are thus or thus.” (Iago, Act 1 Scene 3). This is one of many quotes that shows Iago trying to convince Othello of his good nature, in this case by telling Othello that humans have the ability to choose who they are. This shows Iago’s intelligence, as he does not need to resort to committing violent acts by himself. Instead, he manipulates others with his mind to achieve his goals.

As strong-willed as the human mind can be, it is also extremely easily manipulated. This is shown in the play with Othello constantly jumping to conclusions when presented with circumstantial evidence by Iago, who takes every opportunity to build up the jealousy in Othello’s mind. “Trifles light as air / Are to the jealous confirmations strong / As proofs of holy writ.” (Iago, Act 3 Scene 4). This quote shows that Iago knows exactly what he is doing, and using tiny pieces of evidence (that might not even be real) to manipulate Othello’s increasingly jealous mind. The evidence Iago presents in the play causes Othello’s mind to wander across to the possibility that his wife might not be faithful. Othello is also very conflicted in his mind, as seen in the quotes “Iago is most honest.” (Othello, Act 2 Scene 3) and “This honest creature doubtless / Sees and knows more, much more than he unfolds.” (Othello, Act 3 Scene 3). The first quote shows the audience that Othello believes that Iago is loyal and telling the truth, even though the audience knows that to not be the case. The second quote is representative of the fact that Othello starts to suspect that Iago is dangerous, but his jealousy blinds him from realising this truth. This shows the very worst of human nature as Othello easily becomes jealous, and is manipulated into killing his wife and himself.

Iago not only represents the best of humanity, but also the worst. His hatred for the others around him is extremely apparent, and his driving force is jealousy. Iago’s jealousy of Cassio’s promotion over him is what leads him to form the plan that eventually leads to the deaths of many. Iago’s evil nature defeats the very foundations of human nature, such as compassion and society. “I hate the Moor.” (Iago, Act 1 Scene 3) is a blunt example of this. His detestation of Othello stems from his racism against Africans, which is unacceptable in modern society. There is a reason for this, society would not function nearly as well as it does if racism such as that was commonplace. Society is also formed on the idea of classes or ranks (which is much more obvious in the military). It is generally accepted that, within the community, you will be in charge of some people (in a managerial role) and be handled by someone with more authority than you. Challenging this authority with violence, as Iago did with Cassio, would lead to a dysfunctional society, as seen in the ending of Othello. “As masterly as he. Mere prattle without practice / Is all his soldiership. But he, sir, had th’ election.” (Iago, Act 1 Scene 1). This was Iago speaking about how he despised Cassio, as he got a promotion over him. He also despises Othello, not only because of his race but because he was the one that issued Cassio the promotion. Situations like this are quite common in the modern world, and although it doesn’t usually spark an outrage like Iago’s, it can often lead to a build-up of jealousy.

Othello can also represent the best of human nature, before he is swayed by the jealousy that Iago instils in him. Othello, at the start of the play, is seen as a great army general, and is represented as a great leader. He appointed Michael Cassio as his lieutenant, and although Cassio was a young and inexperienced soldier, it was only Iago that had resentment about this. Iago’s own jealousy of Cassio is partly what made his dislike for Othello greater, which set his plan in motion which led to the killing of many people. The reason that Othello can be seen as representing the best of human nature is that he was looked up to as a leader, something that is an essential quality in human society. The modern day communities of the world could not exist without some form of leadership, as this is the central glue that holds the society together.

Overall, Othello and Iago represent the worst of human nature. They have evil minds and committed shocking atrocities with deception and manipulation at the core of it. Without Cassio’s promotion over Iago, the whole story might not have taken place. Iago and Othello’s main motive was jealousy, which is one of the worst emotions a human can feel. Iago however, also surprisingly represents what can be the best of the human race. Humans have only reached this far by using their brains, and Iago is no different. If only he used his intelligence for something good, rather than different manipulation tactics to trick Othello into carrying out his revenge plan, there could have been a much brighter ending.

Bibliography

Othello: William Shakespeare

Understanding Othello

The internet has changed all of that. News is no longer carefully crafted, rather it is more often an exaggerated story with an even more exaggerated title looking for internet points. This issue has also not been helped by the numerous satire sites that are entirely fabricating stories. One of these sites is The Onion, which is often the source of many lies on the web. Education about these types of sites is extremely important, as it can prevent misinformed people from spreading their own versions of already false stories. In some cases, stories such as these have caused people to believe non-harmful things (such as vaccines) can be harmful to their children, causing many (preventable) deaths around the world.

Education on this subject will help people to understand that not all things on the internet are true. For the people who grew up with trustworthy newspapers all around them, it can be hard to adjust to the reality of it. Teaching people how to fact check (such as cross-checking articles, tracing them back to their source, and Googling the publisher) can greatly reduce the amount of misinformation that is spread.

Other ways to reduce the amount of misinformation from the internet may not be as useful. Methods such as regulating what gets published and punishing those who publish fake news can also be viewed as suppressing free speech. There is also the fine line between true fake news posts and satire posts, but that line is blurred when the publisher is as well known as something like The Onion. This is why I believe that education regarding fake news and ways to avoid it is much more effective than trying to reduce the amount of fake news being put up. Once people learn to take everything with a grain of salt, the internet could become a much more friendly and reliable place.

A student choosing their own subjects, even just one or two to start with, may seem like a small thing to focus on. However, even just a few subjects that a student enjoys greatly scattered throughout the week can make a student feel less stressed and more comfortable with the school environment around them.

One of the major aspects of school that stress students are the tests and exams that need to be completed throughout the year. In my opinion, these tests and exams are useless for students to retain information for later on. Many students cram in as much information as they can the night before the assessment, and forget all about what they had learnt the minute they step out of the exam room. A far better option to written tests/exams is creative assessments. The exact way this is done can (and should) be done differently based on the subject, but one example is a project requiring students to present the information they research in a creative way (posters, animations, etc.). This allows students to have the freedom to choose the medium by which they display their work, creating a more enjoyable environment for them.

Another factor to creating an enjoyable environment is the cohort that the student is with. Although this can’t really be controlled much by schools (select-entry is not always a good option, a variety of students with different skill levels and different backgrounds can be much more beneficial) or teachers, having a cohort that is more willing to learn can help a student also feel that way. At my school before Melbourne High School, the students were exactly like this. Every class seemed more enjoyable as the teachers really connected with the students, making them feel more ready to take in the information that was given to them.

One final part of schooling that is uncomfortable for students: group projects. Small tasks in groups are fine and even help to develop the student’s social and communication skills, but as soon as it becomes a major assessment task it can become a student’s nightmare. There’s very few worse feelings than when a project is due the next day, and none of your group members have collaborated as much as they should have (which seems to happen to me a lot, I don’t know why). One way teachers can combat this is to have peer assessments at the end of each group task. This can be a small thing, but it allows students who have carried the others to have a voice to say that they did more of the work.

Overall, providing a fun learning environment can help with a student’s experience at school. This can be as simple as a teacher taking their class out for a small activity outside, or major assessment tasks with some freedom to choose how it is presented.