“I see that I am a little piece of a big, big universe, and that makes it right.”
“The whole universe depends on everything fitting together just right. If one piece busts, even the smallest piece, the whole universe will get busted” - Hushpuppy
Beasts of the Southern Wild: Synopsis (movie summary)
Hushpuppy, a six-year-old girl, lives with her father, Wink, in "the Bathtub", a southern bayou community at the edge of the world. Wink's tough love prepares her for the unraveling of the universe; for a time when he's no longer there to protect her. When Wink contracts a mysterious illness, nature flies out of whack, temperatures rise, and the ice caps melt, unleashing an army of prehistoric creatures called aurochs. With the waters rising, the aurochs coming, and Wink's health fading, Hushpuppy goes in search of her lost mother.
Beasts of the Southern Wild: Physical/Human Geography Connections
a) Climate change- the film touches on animal extinction being linked to the climate change since as the Arctic melts (global warming) then the ancient animals called aurochs are released, also in general waters are rising and there is flooding which is also because of a warming climate also caused by human action
b) Environmental Disasters - we see the damage an environmental disaster such as a hurricane can cause
c) Landforms - Bayou, Wetlands, Levee - though the "Bathtub" bayou is fictional it was inspired by a real place called Isle de Jean Charles and is a very different place from an industrialized region
d) Wealth & Class Inequality - it shows a divide between wet/dry land and different values and understanding of life depending on where you live
Other Themes -
Human Loss, Survival, Hope, Courage, World Interconnectedness
b) Environmental Disasters - we see the damage an environmental disaster such as a hurricane can cause
c) Landforms - Bayou, Wetlands, Levee - though the "Bathtub" bayou is fictional it was inspired by a real place called Isle de Jean Charles and is a very different place from an industrialized region
d) Wealth & Class Inequality - it shows a divide between wet/dry land and different values and understanding of life depending on where you live
Other Themes -
Human Loss, Survival, Hope, Courage, World Interconnectedness
Louisiana
Population: 4.5 million
Main Cities: Baton Rouge, New Orleans
The world famous "Mardi Gras" is celebrated in New Orleans. Mardi Gras is an ancient custom that originated in southern Europe. It celebrates food and fun just before the 40 days of Lent: a Catholic time of prayer and sacrifice.
The Battle of New Orleans, which made Andrew Jackson a national hero, was fought two weeks after the War of 1812 had ended and more than a month before the news of the war's end had reached Louisiana.
Louisiana was named in honor of King Louis XIV.
Louisiana is the only state with a large population of Cajuns, descendants of the Acadians who were driven out of Canada in the 1700s because they wouldn't pledge allegiance to the King of England.
The Superdome in New Orleans is the worlds largest steel-constructed room unobstructed by posts.
Height: 273 feet (82.3 meters), Diameter of Dome: 680 feet (210 meters), Area of Roof: 9.7 acres, Interior Space: 125,000,000 cubic feet, Total floor footage: 269,000 sq. ft. (82,342 sq. meters), Electrical Wiring: 400 miles (640 kilometers)
In Louisiana, biting someone with your natural teeth is considered a simple assault, but biting someone with your false teeth is considered an aggravated assault.
In 1803 the United States paid France $15 million for the Louisiana Territory. 828,000 square miles of land west of the Mississippi River. The lands acquired stretched from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains and from the Gulf of Mexico to the Canadian border. Thirteen states were carved from the Louisiana Territory. The Louisiana Purchase nearly doubled the size of the United States.
Main Cities: Baton Rouge, New Orleans
The world famous "Mardi Gras" is celebrated in New Orleans. Mardi Gras is an ancient custom that originated in southern Europe. It celebrates food and fun just before the 40 days of Lent: a Catholic time of prayer and sacrifice.
The Battle of New Orleans, which made Andrew Jackson a national hero, was fought two weeks after the War of 1812 had ended and more than a month before the news of the war's end had reached Louisiana.
Louisiana was named in honor of King Louis XIV.
Louisiana is the only state with a large population of Cajuns, descendants of the Acadians who were driven out of Canada in the 1700s because they wouldn't pledge allegiance to the King of England.
The Superdome in New Orleans is the worlds largest steel-constructed room unobstructed by posts.
Height: 273 feet (82.3 meters), Diameter of Dome: 680 feet (210 meters), Area of Roof: 9.7 acres, Interior Space: 125,000,000 cubic feet, Total floor footage: 269,000 sq. ft. (82,342 sq. meters), Electrical Wiring: 400 miles (640 kilometers)
In Louisiana, biting someone with your natural teeth is considered a simple assault, but biting someone with your false teeth is considered an aggravated assault.
In 1803 the United States paid France $15 million for the Louisiana Territory. 828,000 square miles of land west of the Mississippi River. The lands acquired stretched from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains and from the Gulf of Mexico to the Canadian border. Thirteen states were carved from the Louisiana Territory. The Louisiana Purchase nearly doubled the size of the United States.
Aurochs
A type of ancient large, wild cow that existed until the 1600's (1627) and then died out. Reports say that the last ones died on a Polish reserve. They were over 6 feet tall and weighed over a tonne.
Bayous
A slow moving, marshy, boggy stream connected to a river, lake or gulf
Levee
A built up ridge/embankment used to prevent the flooding of a river
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005 and was the second strongest hurricane ever recorded in the U.S: category 4-5 with 20 feet storm surges. An estimated 80% of New Orleans was under water, up to 20 feet deep in places.
705 people are reported as still missing as a result of hurricane Katrina. The final death toll was over 1800 people.
Hurricane Katrina affected over 15 million people in different factors such as economy, evacuations, gas prices or drinking water. Hundreds of thousands of local residents were left unemployed, which will have a trickle-down effect as lower taxes are paid to local governments. Before the hurricane, the region supported approximately 1 million non farm jobs, with 600,000 of them in New Orleans. It is estimated that the total economic impact in Louisiana and Mississippi may exceed $150 billion.
New Orleans' levee failures were found to be primarily the result of system design flaws, combined with the lack of adequate maintenance. According to an investigation by the National Science Foundation, those responsible for the conception, design, construction and maintenance of the region's flood-control system apparently failed to pay sufficient attention to public safety
As of April 2006, the Bush administration has sought $105 billion for repairs and reconstruction in the region. This does not account for damage to the economy caused by potential interruption of the oil supply and exports of commodities such as grain.
More than 70 countries pledged monetary donations or other assistance. Kuwait made the largest single pledge, $500 million; other large donations were made by Qatar ($100 million), India ($5 million), China ($5 million), Pakistan ($1.5 million), and Bangladesh ($1 million).
705 people are reported as still missing as a result of hurricane Katrina. The final death toll was over 1800 people.
Hurricane Katrina affected over 15 million people in different factors such as economy, evacuations, gas prices or drinking water. Hundreds of thousands of local residents were left unemployed, which will have a trickle-down effect as lower taxes are paid to local governments. Before the hurricane, the region supported approximately 1 million non farm jobs, with 600,000 of them in New Orleans. It is estimated that the total economic impact in Louisiana and Mississippi may exceed $150 billion.
New Orleans' levee failures were found to be primarily the result of system design flaws, combined with the lack of adequate maintenance. According to an investigation by the National Science Foundation, those responsible for the conception, design, construction and maintenance of the region's flood-control system apparently failed to pay sufficient attention to public safety
As of April 2006, the Bush administration has sought $105 billion for repairs and reconstruction in the region. This does not account for damage to the economy caused by potential interruption of the oil supply and exports of commodities such as grain.
More than 70 countries pledged monetary donations or other assistance. Kuwait made the largest single pledge, $500 million; other large donations were made by Qatar ($100 million), India ($5 million), China ($5 million), Pakistan ($1.5 million), and Bangladesh ($1 million).