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Stepfather
A stepfather or stepdad is a non-biological male parent married to one's preexisting parent. A stepfather-in-law is a stepfather of one's spouse. Children from his spouse's previous unions are known as his stepchildren. Culture Though less common in literature than stereotypical evil stepmothers, there are also cases of evil ''stepfathers'', such as in the fairy tales ''The Gold-Bearded Man'' (in a plot usually featuring a cruel father) and ''The Little Bull-Calf''. One type of such tale features a defeated villain who insists on marrying the hero's mother and makes her help him trick the hero and so defeat him. Such tales include ''The Prince and the Princess in the Forest'' and ''The Blue Belt'', although the tales of this type can also feature a different female relation, such as the stepsister in ''The Three Princes and their Beasts''. In fiction, evil stepfathers include Claudius in ''Hamlet'' (though his role as uncle is more emphasized), Walter Parks Thatcher in ''Citiz ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Stepfather (1987 Film)
''The Stepfather'' is a 1987 American psychological horror film directed by Joseph Ruben and starring Terry O'Quinn, Jill Schoelen, and Shelley Hack. O'Quinn stars as an identity-assuming serial killer who marries a widow with a teenage daughter. Having killed his previous family and changed his identity, his murderous tendencies continue after his stepdaughter becomes suspicious of him. The film is loosely based on the life of mass murderer John List, although the plot is more commonly associated with slasher films of the era. The film was written by Donald E. Westlake, from a story by Westlake, Carolyn Lefcourt, and Brian Garfield with an uncredited rewrite by David Loughery. The film was theatrically released in the United States on January 23, 1987. It grossed $2.5 million at the box office and was well-received by critics. It has since gained a cult following and was followed by two sequels, ''Stepfather II'' (1989) and ''Stepfather III'' (1992), and a remake, also calle ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stepfamily
A stepfamily is a family where at least one parent has children that are not biologically related to their spouse. Either parent, or both, may have children from previous relationships or marriages. Two known classifications for stepfamilies include "simple" stepfamilies, where only one member of the family's couple has a prior child or children and the couple does not have any children together, and "complex" or "blended" families, where both members of the couple have at least one pre-existing child. Etymology The earliest recorded use of the prefix ''step-'', in the form ''steop-'', is from an 8th-century glossary of Latin-Old English words meaning "orphan". is given for the Latin word and for . Similar words recorded later in Old English include , , and . The words are used to denote a connection resulting from the remarriage of a widowed parent and are related to the word meaning 'bereaved', with and occasionally used simply as synonyms for ''orphan''. Words such a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
David Copperfield (novel)
''David Copperfield'' Dickens invented over 14 variations of the title for this work, see is a novel in the bildungsroman genre by Charles Dickens, narrated by the eponymous David Copperfield, detailing his adventures in his journey from infancy to maturity. It was first published as a serial in 1849 and 1850 and as a book in 1850. ''David Copperfield'' is also an autobiographical novel: "a very complicated weaving of truth and invention", with events following Dickens's own life. Of the books he wrote, it was his favourite. Called "the triumph of the art of Dickens", it marks a turning point in his work, separating the novels of youth and those of maturity. At first glance, the work is modelled on 18th-century "personal histories" that were very popular, like Henry Fielding's ''Joseph Andrews'' or '' Tom Jones'', but ''David Copperfield'' is a more carefully structured work. It begins, like other novels by Dickens, with a bleak picture of childhood in Victorian England, f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
La Cenerentola
' (''Cinderella, or Goodness Triumphant'') is an operatic ''dramma giocoso'' in two acts by Gioachino Rossini. The libretto was written by Jacopo Ferretti, based on the libretti written by Charles-Guillaume Étienne for the opera '' Cendrillon'' with music by Nicolas Isouard (first performed Paris, 1810) and by Francesco Fiorini for ' with music by Stefano Pavesi (first performed Milan, 1814). All these operas are versions of the fairy tale '' Cendrillon'' by Charles Perrault. Rossini's opera was first performed in Rome's Teatro Valle on 25 January 1817. Rossini composed ''La Cenerentola'' when he was 25 years old, following the success of ''The Barber of Seville'' the year before. ''La Cenerentola'', which he completed in a period of three weeks, is considered to have some of his finest writing for solo voice and ensembles. Rossini saved some time by reusing an overture from '' La gazzetta'' and part of an aria from ''The Barber of Seville'' and by enlisting a collaborator, Luca ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sucker Punch (2011 Film)
''Sucker Punch'' is a 2011 American psychological fantasy action film directed by Zack Snyder and co-written by Snyder and Steve Shibuya. It is Snyder's first film based on an original concept. The film stars Emily Browning as "Babydoll", a young woman who is committed to a mental institution. As she collects items she needs to escape, she enters a series of fantasy worlds where she and her fellow inmates are strong, experienced warriors. Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone, Vanessa Hudgens, Jamie Chung, Carla Gugino, and Oscar Isaac also star. The film was released in both conventional and IMAX theatres in the United States on March 25, 2011. The film received generally negative reviews and was a box office bomb, grossing just $89 million against its $82 million production budget. Plot A young woman named Babydoll is committed to a hospital for the mentally insane by her stepfather to stop her from talking to the police about how he murdered her sister. Prior to the murder, the stepfa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Radio Flyer (film)
''Radio Flyer'' is a 1992 American drama-fantasy film directed by Richard Donner and written by David Mickey Evans. It stars Lorraine Bracco, John Heard, Elijah Wood, Joseph Mazzello, Adam Baldwin, and Ben Johnson and is narrated by Tom Hanks. Evans was to make his directorial debut on the film but was replaced by Donner. Michael Douglas and Evans were executive producers. Filming locations included Novato, California, and Columbia Airport in Columbia, California. Plot Mike (Tom Hanks) observes his two sons fighting, with one insisting that a promise doesn't mean anything. To help them understand that a promise does mean something, he tells them the story of his youth. In 1969, 11-year-old Mike (Elijah Wood), 8-year-old Bobby, their mother, Mary, and their German Shepherd, Shane, relocate from New Jersey to Novato, California after their father/husband leaves them. There, Mary weds a new man named Jack MacKenzie, who the children call "The King". Unbeknownst to Mary, Jack is an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Little Bull-Calf
The Little Bull-Calf is an English Romani fairy tale collected by Joseph Jacobs in ''More English Fairy Tales''.Joseph Jacobs, ''More English Fairy Tales''. "The Little Bull-Calf" Marian Roalfe Cox, in her pioneering study of ''Cinderella'', identified it as a "hero" type, featuring a male hero instead of the usual heroine. Source The tale was collected by Irish linguist John Sampson from a Romani man named Gray, who named his tale ''De Little Bull-Calf'', and published in the '' Journal of the Gypsy Lore Society''. Francis Hindes Groome republished the tale and sourced it from an English-Romani teller. In another article from the ''Journal of the Gypsy Lore Society'', T. W. Thompson indicated that Sampson's informant was a man named Johnny Gray, from a Romani family surnamed Gray. Synopsis A little boy was given a little bull-calf by his father. His father died, and his mother remarried. His stepfather was cruel to him and threatened to kill the calf. An old man advise ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dowry
A dowry is a payment, such as property or money, paid by the bride's family to the groom or his family at the time of marriage. Dowry contrasts with the related concepts of bride price and dower. While bride price or bride service is a payment by the Bridegroom, groom, or his family, to the bride, or her family, dowry is the wealth transferred from the bride, or her family, to the groom, or his family. Similarly, dower is the property settled on the bride herself, by the groom at the time of marriage, and which remains under her ownership and control. Dowry is an ancient custom that is already mentioned in some of the earliest writings, and its existence may well predate records of it. Dowries continue to be expected and demanded as a condition to accept a marriage proposal in some parts of the world, mainly in parts of Asia, The custom of dowry is most common in cultures that are strongly patrilineal and that expect women to reside with or near their husband's family (patriloca ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gioacchino Rossini
Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer who gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote many songs, some chamber music and piano pieces, and some sacred music. He set new standards for both comic and serious opera before retiring from large-scale composition while still in his thirties, at the height of his popularity. Born in Pesaro to parents who were both musicians (his father a trumpeter, his mother a singer), Rossini began to compose by the age of 12 and was educated at music school in Bologna. His first opera was performed in Venice in 1810 when he was 18 years old. In 1815 he was engaged to write operas and manage theatres in Naples. In the period 1810–1823 he wrote 34 operas for the Italian stage that were performed in Venice, Milan, Ferrara, Naples and elsewhere; this productivity necessitated an almost formulaic approach for some components (such as overtures) and a certain amount of self-borrowing. Durin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yu-Gi-Oh!
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kazuki Takahashi. It was serialized in Shueisha's ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' magazine between September 1996 and March 2004. The plot follows the story of a boy named Yugi Mutou, who solves the ancient Millennium Puzzle. Yugi awakens a gambling alter-ego or spirit within his body that solves his conflicts using various games. The manga series has spawned a media franchise that includes multiple spin-off manga and anime series, a trading card game, and numerous video games. Most of these incarnations involve the fictional trading card game known as ''Duel Monsters'', where each player uses cards to "duel" each other in a mock battle of fantasy "monsters", forming the basis for the real life ''Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game'' tie in. The manga was adapted into two anime series; the first anime adaptation was produced by Toei Animation, which aired from April to October 1998, while the second, produced by NAS and animat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stepchildren
A stepchild is the offspring of one's spouse, but not one's own offspring, either biologically or through adoption. Stepchildren can come into a family in a variety of ways. A stepchild may be the child of one's spouse from a previous relationship, or alternatively, be the result of an adoption, in which case the child would have no biological relationship with either parent. Some also apply the term loosely to non-custodial relationships where “stepparent" can refer to the partner of a parent with whom the child does not live.National Stepfamily Resource Center Stepchildren play a significant role in the lives of their parents and siblings. In many cases, stepchildren are welcomed into a family and are treated as full members, with the same rights and responsibilities as biological children. However, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stepmother
A stepmother, stepmum or stepmom is a non-biological female parent married to one's preexisting parent. A stepmother-in-law is a stepmother of one's spouse. Children from her spouse's previous unions are known as her stepchildren. Culture Stepparents (mainly stepmothers) may also face some societal challenges due to the stigma surrounding the "evil stepmother" character. Morello notes that the introduction of the "evil stepmother" character in the past is problematic to stepparents today, as it has created a stigma towards stepmothers. The presence of this stigma can have a negative impact on stepmothers' self-esteem. Fiction In fiction, stepmothers are often portrayed as being wicked and evil. The character of the wicked stepmother features heavily in fairy tales; the most famous examples are ''Cinderella'', ''Snow White'' and ''Hansel and Gretel''. Stepdaughters are her most common victim, and then stepdaughter/stepson pairs, but stepsons also are victims as in '' The Jun ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
