DigitalCommons@C.O.D.

Bull, Timothy

ESSAI 
Volume 17 Article 14 
Spring 2019 
Misconceptions About Ninjas 
Timothy Bull 
College of DuPage 
Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.cod.edu/essai 
Recommended Citation 
Bull, Timothy (2019) "Misconceptions About Ninjas," ESSAI: Vol. 17 , Article 14. 
Available at: https://dc.cod.edu/essai/vol17/iss1/14 
This Selection is brought to you for free and open access by the College Publications at DigitalCommons@COD. It 
has been accepted for inclusion in ESSAI by an authorized editor of DigitalCommons@COD. For more information, 
please contact orenick@cod.edu. 
24 
Misconceptions About Ninjas 
 
by Timothy Bull 
 
(English 1101) 
 
 
 
or decades, ninja products have been a solid franchise. There’s something about a black 
cloaked assassin wielding a sword and throwing ninja stars that has always captivated people’s 
interests. From their historical past, they have “continued into the 20th century as novels, films, 
television shows, and comics” (“Ninjutsu” 1093). But what if how ninjas truly dressed and 
preformed has been misrepresented? After doing some research, I became irritated at how different 
Hollywood ninjas were from historical ninjas. Hollywood got some aspects of them right, but they 
also got a lot wrong. 
Perhaps the first difference that can be spotted between historical ninjas and Hollywood 
ninjas is their attire. Most Hollywood ninjas are dressed in black shoes, black pants, a black tunic, 
and a black fabric face covering. While historical ninjas would often train in similar garments to 
those black garments, they rarely wore them while carrying out their various assignments. One of the 
most valued traits of the historical ninja was to be able to blend in, which is something someone in a 
distinct black getup would have a hard time doing in a crowd. Historical ninjas instead dressed in a 
variety of outfits like those of civilians, a member of an order of monks called “komuso” (Bertrand 
19), and a member of the enemy group they were about infiltrate. Each different disguise had its own 
advantages and disadvantages. Dressing as a civilian allowed the ninja to move through the streets 
with ease because no one would think twice about why he was there because he blended in. He could 
also carry pouches that could be used to store a variety of small tools. The disadvantage of this outfit 
is that it offered little to no defensive armor. Dressing as a komuso allowed the ninja to hide his face 
because the komuso habit required a wicker basket-like hat be worn, hiding almost his entire face, 
while still allowing him to see. He could also walk right into most places without raising much 
suspicion because real komuso monks traveled frequently (Bertrand 19). Dressing as the people 
you’re infiltrating would also sometime allow the ninja to carry larger weaponry without raising 
suspicion, but this was conditional on the enemy carrying around similar weaponry. One account of a 
group of ninjas dressing as the enemy led the enemies they had infiltrated to draw the conclusion that 
“traitors from their own garrison had attacked them” (Zoughari 44) because they could not 
distinguish the ninjas from their own men. While no disguise was perfect, each was adequate at 
being able to “deceive the enemy and avoid detection” (“Ninjutsu” 1092), traits highly prioritized by 
ninjas. 
One of the misconceptions about historical ninjas that I find to be particularly bothersome is 
the Hollywood ninja’s usage of shuriken, more commonly known as ninja stars. In many fictional 
fight scenes with ninjas, at some point the ninja will throw several shuriken at several enemies which 
kills them instantly. In real life, “shuriken were not designed—nor could they usually be thrown hard 
or accurately enough—to kill a man” (Bertrand 19). Historical ninjas would usually use them to 
divert attention to somewhere else. This gave the ninja a valuable head start in his getaway, or 
distract the enemy so he could be an easier kill by the sword (Bertrand 19). Furthermore, historical 
ninjas would indeed sometimes use shuriken as weapons. When they did, they would ensure that they 
threw ones that they had pre-dipped in deadly poison. This would guarantee a kill even if it didn’t hit 
a vital part of the human body, such as the throat, and instead only hit the enemy’s arm or leg. 
Aside from shuriken, historical ninjas had another tool that they regularly used to help escape 
that very few films or merchandise include; tacks. Or as the ninjas themselves called them, 
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“makibishi.” Makibishi are small pieces of metal shaped like either a star or a triangle that had a 
sharp point on each end that historical ninjas used to “hinder pursuit” (Bertrand 12) by tossing them 
on the ground behind them as they were being chased. Because the most common material for 
footwear in those days were straw, makibishi worked remarkably well, as they would penetrate both 
the straw and the flesh with ease when they were stepped on. 
As you may know, breaking in and out of castles is more than raw talent or excessive 
training, it also requires tools designed to help that almost no movies take the time to include. Some 
of the most used tools were metal claws, which could not only be used to effectively scale stone 
walls, but also doubled as a weapon in hand-to-hand combat (Bertrand 12). A form of lockpicking 
tool knows as “kurorokagi,” which was could be used to open many locked doors in that era 
(“Ninjutsu” 1092). They also would sometimes use a “mizugumo,” which was a special type of 
flotation device used for crossing ponds or castle moats that could be folded for compact storage on 
the ninja’s body. Among the tools to help break in, ninjas would usually also carry several different 
tools to help them spy on people in a room, without actually having to go into the room. The two 
most common tools were “a simple listening device made out of a metal tube that could be used to 
eavesdrop through walls” (Bertrand 12) and a “tsubogiri,” which was another metal tool that could 
be used to scrape a small hole into a wall (Encyclopedia 1092) so the ninja could both listen in on 
conversation easier and see what was going on in the room. This was very useful because it was 
generally much safer than going into the room and hiding. In addition, ninjas also often carried a 
compact folding saw that was advanced for its time. To this day rescue personel use saws that are 
similar in design because they are so efficient (Bertrand 12). 
Not so surprisingly, it doesn’t stop at a variety of tools few movies touch upon. A ninjas 
house was also specially designed to give the ninja that lived there an advantage in the case of an 
intruder. To start, their homes often included “floorboards that were specifically designed to squeak 
when stepped on” (Bertrand 12) which alerted the ninja if an unwanted guest entered his domain. He 
would also install “Fake walls and trap doors [which] provided him with places to set ambushes, 
hide, make an escape or conceal weapons” (Bertrand 12). All of which could be used to gain the 
upper hand in a fight. 
Hollywood ninjas are seemingly magnetized to fighting. If there’s anyone the ninja classifies 
as an enemy, or even a potential threat, he’ll spring right into action doing either gravity-defying 
stunts or simply eliminate them with a slash of their katana. Once again, historical ninjas had a more 
practical outlook on their work. Historical ninjas don’t partake in “attacking men or taking life 
without reason,” (Zoughari 23), but that doesn’t mean they didn’t know how to fight. Historical 
ninjas were, in fact, quite lethal fighters both with and without a weapon. The reason isn’t purely 
because of their endless hours of training, but also because of the specific fighting style they used 
called “Ninjutsu.” “Ninjutsu” was a fighting style that evolved as time progressed (Zoughari 9), 
unlike most other martial arts that changed little to none since first created. While still teaching how 
to disable and kill the common man, “Ninjutsu” focused on adapting to finding and exploiting 
appropriate counters to whoever was Japan’s greatest threat or enemy at the present time (Zoughari 
23). In order to achieve this, historical ninjas had to use many other weapons aside from the katana. 
The most common alternative was the “shinobi-gama, a sickle with a chain attached,” (Bertrand 19) 
which was used for “binding and killing one’s opponent” (“Ninjutsu” 1092). 
Another difference that can be seen is where, and who trained ninjas. In many movies you’ll 
witness a man in his mid-20’s trek up a large mountain to reach a ninja school that lies at the summit. 
Ninjas valued practicality, and I assure you, it’s not very practical to live on the top of a mountain. 
Historically, they had two different housing techniques. The first was to live in their own village 
where everyone that lived there trained in the art of “Ninjutsu.” In this circumstance, there would be 
one grand master that taught them all. The second way was to live among average people and pass 
down techniques through generations, from father to son. 
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As I’ve made apparent, “the ninja was far from being a simple mercenary” (Zoughari 47), and 
the people that hired ninjas were well aware of this. Bertrand even states “Although best known as 
silent assassins, the ninjas were more often used for reconnaissance and espionage” (12). A ninja 
tasked with reconnaissance would not single handedly taking out a large group of warriors 
simultaneously, like you might see in movies. Ninjas were very skilled fighters but given the option 
to waste time and energy in a fight or flee and hide the ninjas would usually choose the ladder. This 
is much of why it was so crucial that ninjas knew how to infiltrate quickly and efficiently, but also 
had the patience to wait hours in a small closet, or “underwater for hours at a time while using a 
bamboo reed to breathe” (Bertrand 12). During an infiltration anything could happen, and ninjas 
needed to be prepared for it all. 
Due to the historical ninja’s aggressive training etiquette, it’s safe to say that “Although their 
past is shrouded in myth, the ninjas proved to be one of the earliest and most effective special 
operations units in history” (Bertrand 19). A true ninja is “an amazing fusion between adaptable, 
practical survival techniques and a spiritual search for profound self-knowledge” (Zoughari 128), 
which is unlike most Hollywood ninjas. While watching films, you’ll rarely see them craft something 
from nothing while on a mission to survive, nor will you often see them meditate to clear their mind. 
I, in fact, searched both online and in stores in an attempt to find a ninja action figure that could pose 
his legs and arms to be in a position for meditating. I was, unfortunately unable to find a single action 
figure that could do so. However, almost all of them had a katana and wore black robes. The ninja 
franchise is more focused on making them appear to be deadly than historically accurate. If action 
figures and movies were more accurate ninjas would spend much less time fighting and killing and 
would instead spend their time preforming crafty evading maneuvers and finding peace of mind, 
even in the midst of battle. 
 
 
  
 
Works Cited 
 
Bertrand, John. “Techniques That Made Ninjas Feared in 15th-Century Japan Still Set the Standard 
for Covert Ops.” Military History, vol. 23, no. 1, Mar. 2006, pp. 12–19. EBSCOhost, 
cod.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h 
&AN=19667945&site=ehost-live&scope=site. Accessed 17 Oct. 2018. 
“Ninjutsu.” Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1st ed., 1993. 
Zoughari, Kacem. The Ninja: Ancient Shadow Warriors of Japan. 3rd ed., Tuttle Publishing, 2010. 
 
 
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English

Misconceptions About Ninjas

Giunti, Frank

Hot Spot Research Paper: Algeria

Koch, Faye

ESSAI 
Volume 17 Article 26 
Spring 2019 
The Origins of the Opioid Epidemic 
Faye Koch 
College of DuPage 
Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.cod.edu/essai 
Recommended Citation 
Koch, Faye (2019) "The Origins of the Opioid Epidemic," ESSAI: Vol. 17 , Article 26. 
Available at: https://dc.cod.edu/essai/vol17/iss1/26 
This Selection is brought to you for free and open access by the College Publications at DigitalCommons@COD. It 
has been accepted for inclusion in ESSAI by an authorized editor of DigitalCommons@COD. For more information, 
please contact orenick@cod.edu. 
79 
The Origins of the Opioid Epidemic 
 
by Faye Koch 
 
(History 2260) 
 
 
 
n October 26, 2017, the opioid crisis was declared a public health emergency, coming as no 
shock to the families and friends of the more than 350,000 Americans who had died of opioid 
overdose from 1999 to the previous year (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). 
Having first hit hardest in Appalachia with OxyContin, the epidemic spread silently throughout the 
United States, leaving many to wonder just when and how it took hold in the first place. From 
OxyContin, many had transitioned to heroin or more dangerous synthetic opioids. Though there are 
many contributing factors, a major cause of the current opioid crisis is the focus on capitalizing off of 
prescription medication, despite its risks. If you access the official website for OxyContin today, 
you’ll be immediately met with “WARNING: ADDICTION, ABUSE AND MISUSE; RISK 
EVALUATION AND MITIGATION STRATEGY (REMS)” (Purdue Pharma L.P.) followed by a 
list of possible adverse reactions and a reference to use for assessing how likely a patient would be to 
meet with them. Today this seems like common sense, with OxyContin and most other opioids being 
well-known for their addictive properties and disastrous results when misused, but it took years for 
Purdue Pharma, who developed the drug, to acknowledge its seemingly obvious dangers. 
Early on in the development and marketing of the now infamous OxyContin, Purdue Pharma 
had hailed it as having less of a liability than other opioids on the market due to its extended release 
delivery. It was claimed that the extended release allowed for the drug to work for 12 hours, and 
would prevent the sort of euphoria that was sought after by drug abusers. All this was advertised 
confidently, with the risk of addiction being cited as 0.5% when taken as prescribed. The high praise 
and claims were eerily similar to the early days of morphine and opium pills, which Dopesick author 
Beth Macy says were “available at the nearest drugstore counter, no prescription necessary” (Macy 
22). OxyContin was similarly used as pain relief for a variety of issues; end of life care, chronic pain, 
and post operation were all accompanied by OxyContin prescriptions. Doctors were prescribing 
OxyContin for a myriad of issues with the belief that it was safe for their patients. 
But behind the claims that were helping Purdue Pharma make so much money off the drug – 
sales had increased from $48 million to $1.1 billion in the first 4 years since OxyContin was 
introduced (Van Zee 221-227) – was an early study signed off by Purdue itself that had damnable 
implications. The 1995 article, signed off by Purdue Pharma’s top examiner, Curtis Wright, had 
“spelled out how crushing the tablets would lead to immediate, rather than controlled, release of the 
drug; that withdrawal symptoms had been witnessed in several patients during clinical trials; and that 
68 percent of the oxycodone was in fact recoverable from one single, crushed-up pill when liquefied 
and injected” (Macy 63). This made OxyContin far less difficult to misuse or abuse than the 
company had initially claimed. 
For years, the Purdue sponsored study was the only one published about how OxyContin 
could be possibly be abused, and failed to differentiate between abuse rates in patients receiving end 
of life care and patients suffering with chronic or post-operative pain. Dr. Art Van Zee has since 
collected a multitude of later studies that suggest that abuse rates are higher for patients with chronic 
pain, being anywhere from 3%-18% to even 45% (Van Zee 221-227). Unfortunately for many, these 
studies are too late, with countless addictions to OxyContin and other opioids having already formed. 
Purdue Pharma, having done little research to begin with and everything to gain from a drug that was 
claimed to be highly abuse-resistant, sponsored none of the further studies cited by Dr. Van Zee.  
O
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 In addition to their initial claims of OxyContin being difficult to abuse or develop 
dependencies on despite their own research indicating otherwise, Purdue Pharma had also 
implemented marketing techniques for OxyContin more aggressive than any ever done before for 
medication. Sales representatives were hired to spread the message that “Prescribing OxyContin for 
pain was the moral, responsible, and compassionate thing to do—and not just for dying people with 
stage-four cancer but also for folks with moderate back injuries, wisdom-tooth surgery, bronchitis, 
and temporomandibular joint disorder, or TMJ” (Macy 27). These sales reps, incentivized by 
enormous bonuses, would give out free gifts to doctors with OxyContin written on them, buy doctors 
lunches while giving a pitch, and even fill up their gas tanks for an opportunity to talk the doctors 
into prescribing more of their drug. During their pitches they would echo their home-run 
advertisement: OxyContin was addictive to only about 0.5% of patients. 
This marketing was highly effective, and many doctors were now liberally prescribing 
OxyContin to patients who would soon form dependencies. In 2002, a Florida pain doctor was the 
first doctor convicted of manslaughter for 4 of his patients who had overdosed on OxyContin that he 
had prescribed; he had been recklessly prescribing “to as many as ninety patients a day, after only a 
short office visit” (Romanow). Though there were doctors who refused to accept gifts and meals 
from sales representatives and attempted to convince their colleagues that doing so was wrong, they 
were most often met with dismissal. In the meantime, studies would find that among patients taking 
OxyContin, only 45% were actually taking the drug as directed, with the rest of patients sharing with 
other patients or selling their prescription on the black market (Bates). Purdue Pharma continued with 
this marketing, which had been warned against in, again, their own 1995 study. 
 When concerned doctors, patients, and friends and families of patients started bringing up the 
issues they had seen or experienced with OxyContin, Purdue Pharma denied that their drug was the 
cause of any danger; that instead, it was individuals misusing the drug that was the problem. Legal 
case after legal case stacked up against Purdue Pharma, each with their own stories of somebody 
losing control of their life, or losing their life itself after overdosing. However, Purdue was 
repeatedly found not liable; by winter of 2003 they had won all 65 civil suits brought against them 
without settling a single case. Two years earlier, Purdue had attempted to donate $100,000 to 
programs for drug treatment and police in Lee County, Virginia in hopes of quieting concerns for 
OxyContin, which had torn apart the area. The offer was turned down, and members of the 
community continued to speak out and seek legal sanctions. 
Despite suggestions to reformulate OxyContin with blockers to prevent abusers from getting 
a euphoric rush or to limit its prescription to patients receiving end of life care only, Purdue Pharma 
had kept on marketing as before. The only progress made had been the FDA putting a black-box 
warning, “the strongest type of prescription-drug caution” (Macy 51), on the product. Purdue 
themselves said the change would not affect distribution in any significant way. Patients who had 
begun taking OxyContin as legitimate pain relief would find themselves desperately addicted or 
selling their prescription for money or different drugs; the crisis would go on and Purdue Pharma 
would keep making money. 
 In a courthouse in Abingdon, Virginia in 2007, Purdue Pharma president Michael Friedman, 
ex chief medical officer Paul D. Goldenheim, and lead lawyer Howard R. Udell would all plead 
guilty to the misdemeanor of misbranding OxyContin. The three had admitted, as individuals, that 
the advertising of the drug had downplayed its potential for abuse and addiction. None of the men 
received jail time, but instead had to complete 400 hours of drug treatment related community 
service and pay $634 million in fines, a miniscule amount compared to their profits. OxyContin 
would change its warning labels and marketing, and in 2010 even its formula, but too much damage 
had already been done. 
In the loss of OxyContin’s easy availability, many of those suffering from its addiction would 
turn to other pills, heroin, or fentanyl, the strongest opioid available to date. In spite of all the efforts 
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81 
put forth from countless doctors, family members, friends, organizations, and people who have 
struggled or are still struggling with addiction, the opioid crisis largely sparked by the marketing of 
OxyContin has continued to rise in casualties, and shows no signs of slowing down with fentanyl 
now the leading cause of opioid overdose deaths (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). There 
is no doubt that OxyContin had improved the lives of certain people, mainly those with terminal 
illnesses that were in the final stages of disease, however, an extreme amount of lives outside of that 
small group were lost. In the wake of this national public health emergency, we must reexamine 
whether the risks of marketing a dangerous drug is worth the opportunity for companies to capitalize 
off of medication, or if we are ready for a different system. 
 
 
  
 
Works Cited 
 
Bates, Betsy. “Just 45% of pain patients take OxyContin as prescribed.” Clinical Psychiatry News, 
July 2005, p. 52. Academic OneFile, 
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A134548874/AONE?u=cod_lrc&sid=AONE&xid=43b11d
0a. Accessed 10 Dec. 2018. 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Opioid Overdose.” Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 30 Aug. 2017, 
www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/epidemic/index.html. 
Macy, Beth. Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Company That Addicted America. Little, Brown 
and Company, 2018. 
Purdue Pharma L.P. “There's a Lot to Consider When Prescribing an Extended-Release Opioid.” 
OxyContin® (Oxycodone HCl) Extended-Release Tablets | Official Site for HCPs, Purdue 
Pharma L.P., 20 Nov. 2018, oxycontin.com/. 
Romanow, Kathleen. “Criminal law: physician convicted for recklessly prescribing OxyContin.” 
Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, Spring 2003, p. 154+. Academic OneFile, 
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A101939759/AONE?u=cod_lrc&sid=AONE&xid=772d41
05. Accessed 10 Dec. 2018. 
Van Zee, Art. “The promotion and marketing of oxycontin: commercial triumph, public health 
tragedy” American journal of public health vol. 99, 2 (2009): 221-7. 
 
 
 
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The Origins of the Opioid Epidemic

Kola, Jake

ESSAI 
Volume 17 Article 27 
Spring 2019 
Film Auteur Sergio Leone 
Jake Kola 
College of DuPage 
Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.cod.edu/essai 
Recommended Citation 
Kola, Jake (2019) "Film Auteur Sergio Leone," ESSAI: Vol. 17 , Article 27. 
Available at: https://dc.cod.edu/essai/vol17/iss1/27 
This Selection is brought to you for free and open access by the College Publications at DigitalCommons@COD. It 
has been accepted for inclusion in ESSAI by an authorized editor of DigitalCommons@COD. For more information, 
please contact orenick@cod.edu. 
82 
Film Auteur Sergio Leone 
 
by Jake Kola 
 
(Motion Picture Television 1113) 
 
 
 
Biography 
ergio Leone was an Italian filmmaker and director who was a pioneer of his craft during his 
lifetime. Born the son of a director and actress, Sergio was thrust into the life of cinema at a 
young age during the early days of the Italian Neo-realism film movement and the Peplum 
style films. It is noted that, “Leone's first directorial efforts, beyond assistant director, came in the 
sword and sandal films. But he was unheard of until he unleashed A Fistful of Dollars upon the 
world”.1 Sergio Leone had his directorial debut in 1961 with The Colossus of Rhodes, but first struck 
gold in his early 30’s with the film, A Fistful of Dollars; an Italian’s version of the American “Old 
West”. Leone would go on to create two more films in the “Man with No Name” trilogy as well as 
more Western films, crime dramas, and even comedies before his death in 1989. He is a man with not 
the most film credits to his name, but for the fistful he does, they are undeniably his own. 
 
Sergio Leone’s Importance to film history 
 Sergio is important to film history by creating the film movement that has become known as 
the “Spaghetti Western”. Although a strict definition isn’t easily found, there are common pieces that 
different critics as well as websites point out as being critical to meeting this definition. The first is 
that the film must be produced by an Italian studio: spaghetti, check. The second is that it must be set 
in the Old West: Western, check. Third, the film should have a small budget. Fourth, the film is 
highly likely to be shot in Spain. Fifth, there is a higher level of stylized violence present as 
compared to American Westerns of the time. Sixth, morally ambiguous characters as well as 
costumes and people that are grittier and less clean-cut compared to their American cinema 
counterparts. Sergio Leone laid down these rules, and with his own small stylistic cues, created some 
of the most successful Italian films for an American audience of the 1960’s and 1970’s. To this day 
Sergio Leone and “Spaghetti Western” are permanently tied to one another, and that won’t be 
changing anytime soon. 
 
Why Sergio Leone is an Auteur 
 A film Auteur is “A filmmaker whose individual style and complete control over all elements 
of production give a film its personal and unique stamp”.2 As noted in the previous section, Sergio 
Leone could be considered the father of Spaghetti Westerns. Some Western Film websites even 
credit him as “the master of the Spaghetti western era” and creator of “some of the best Western 
films”.3  
 
 
 
  
1 “The Spaghetti Westerns of Sergio Leone.” The Spaghetti Western Database. Accessed May 3, 2019.  
https://www.spaghetti-western.net/index.php/The_Spaghetti_Westerns_of_Sergio_Leone 
2 “Auteur.” In Dictionary.com. 
3 “Top 20 Spaghetti Westerns.” Most Wanted Western Movies. Accessed May 3, 2019.  http://most-wanted-western-
movies.com/spaghetti-western-movies/. 
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The signature style of Leone’s films include “juxtaposing extreme close-up shots with lengthy long 
shots”.4 Throughout every one of his films, these shots can be seen. The Western films have repeated 
usage of this idea, one of the most famous being the final standoff at the end of The Good, The Bad, 
and The Ugly with its quick cuts between each of the characters faces as well as zoomed out 
overviews of the graveyard. Beyond this, Leone redefined what a Western movie was composed of, 
especially how it sounds. In A Fistful of Dollars, “The title sequence resounds to the sound of gun-
shots and Ennio Morricone’s distinctive music, strikingly different to the orchestral scores and hokey 
renditions of folk songs that had characterized the soundtracks of American Westerns up to that 
time”.5 Leone’s partnership with Morricone and the distinct style of music is carried over into every 
film that Leone directed after A Fistful of Dollars and the rest of the Man with No Name trilogy. To 
this day, the “cheesy” sound effects and music that originated in Leone’s Spaghetti Westerns have 
become synonymous with the West and have reached the point of becoming “cliché”. This point 
holds especially true at a personal level as Leone’s Westerns are what come to mind when I think of 
the Old West, compared to TV shows like Gunsmoke or movies such as Rio Bravo. Even when a 
modern TV commercial is looking to capitalize on an Old West theme, they sample the music or 
sound effects of Morricone from one of Leone’s movies. Common themes that Leone films used 
include the use of morally ambiguous characters such as Blondie aka the Man with no Name from 
the eponymous trilogy. In the final movie of the series, The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly he is the 
“good” in the title, but far from it in action. He scams, crosses, and kills for selfish ambition and in 
pursuit of the almighty dollar. That being said, he spares Tuco at the end of the film and rides off into 
the sunset only with his share of the gold, leaving Tuco roped but with his share. Another theme 
common in Sergio Leone films is how American cinema contrasts with what he, or other Europeans 
view and believe America to be. Leone was an Italian man who worked on films that would be 
released in America using American actors at times, but he himself identified as Italian by birth and 
European in his views. His films, especially the early Westerns, all have an almost mythological 
feeling about them and how they are filmed and directed. They are what Europeans expect 
Americans of the Old West to really look like; not necessarily the truth but what people expect the 
truth to look like. This builds into the third theme of deconstructing American cinema. From A 
Fistful of Dollars all the way to Once Upon a Time in America, Leone has a way of boiling down a 
story to its “violence and greed”, in the words of Roger Ebert. Another write up states, “Leone’s 
camera celebrates the visceral energy of America’s mythology of violent individualism while 
remaining coolly ambivalent about its morality. His West is the savagery of the frontier without the 
posthumous, self-justifying liberal veneer with which American films of the classic era liked to coat 
it”.6 This review is based around the Old West films, but I think helps to describe Leone’s view of 
The West, aka the United States, in general. High violence and moral ambiguity, as previously noted, 
are critical themes for many of Leone’s films. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
4 “Sergio Leone.” In Internet Movie Database. Accessed May 4, 2019. 
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001466/?ref_=nv_sr_1?ref_=nv_sr_1. 
5 Edwards, Dan. “Great Directors: Sergio Leone.” Senses of Cinema. Last modified October 2002. Accessed May 4, 
2019. http://sensesofcinema.com/2002/great-directors/leone/ 
6 Edwards, Dan. “Great Directors: Sergio Leone.” Senses of Cinema. Last modified October 2002. Accessed May 4, 
2019. http://sensesofcinema.com/2002/great-directors/leone/. 
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Films by Sergio Leone 
 During the course of his career, Leone had a late start as the Director of films, as he spent the 
majority of his film career crediting as a Second Unit or Assistant Director.7 In total, Sergio Leone is 
credited with 8 movies as the Director on the IMDB website, with 1 of those being a documentary, so 
7 films where he left his mark on history. The first film of his career, 1961’s The Colossus of Rhodes, 
was more of a starting point for Leone to gather his footing as a director, and establish himself as 
being capable as well as able to function on a small budget. From here, Leone took a huge jump from 
the sword and sandal epic to the Spaghetti Western as they would become known.  
1964’s, A Fistful of Dollars, opens with Ennio Morricone’s music and gunshots ringing out to 
announce the opening credits. From here, we reach the wide vista overlooking some Spanish style 
homes and the tight focus on actors faces. Clint Eastwood comes into frame as a small child is beat 
up and shot at by some bandits, and he minds his own and simply fills his canteen. As becomes the 
theme, he plays both sides in order to make profit. Throughout the movie the violence and lack of 
morality is clearly present, as is the contrast to Hollywood Western films of the era. The finale of the 
film contains all the elements that make a good Spaghetti Western as well as mark it as Leone’s: A 
violent gunfight, good wide shot and close-up juxtaposition, the Man with No Name saving 
Silvanito, and Ennio Morricone’s thematic music playing to enhance it. 
1965’s For a Few Dollars More, opens with wide vista and only whistling at first that leads 
to an immediate murder and an Ennio Morricone soundtrack opening. Clint Eastwood is referred to 
as “Manco” in this film and partners up with another ambiguous character that appears in all black as 
if a villain, Douglas Mortimer. These two characters spend the film going from working for the 
sheriff to working for an outlaw bandit, once again in the name of profit. The two characters end up 
crossing each other at different times, as well as pairing up due to convenience and necessity. Manco 
is in it for the profit and does good or bad based on convenience, much like Mortimer. Mortimer is 
almost exactly the same, except his motivation is based upon revenge. The final gun battle of this 
film is similarly set up as it is in the first movie of the series. Close up of faces, guns, pocket watches, 
mixed with long shots of the “battle field”, Ennio Morricone music, high violence, and Leone’s own 
vision of the American West. The film concludes with both characters riding off separately into the 
sunset. 
The last film that is going to be noted for Leone’s distinct style is what to me is his “Magnum 
Opus”: 1966’s The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. Before the action even starts, Morricone’s 
soundtrack starts and we have the famous “wah wah wah” sounds to kick off the movie. Once again a 
wide open vista shot is how the movie opens, this time with a face sliding into the screen and moving 
between two other bounty hunters. Gun shots announce the entrance of “The Ugly”, “The Bad”, and 
“The Good”. A funny note is that the actor Lee Van Cleef who played Mortimer, the man seeking 
vengeance in the previous films, is now just a cold blooded killer in this one playing an entirely 
different character. This re-casting/re-use of an actor fits the Spaghetti Western bill very well, as 
Hollywood would only go this route if the actor was playing the same type or same character and not 
the opposite. Profit and “always finishing the job” is what “The Bad” lives for in this film. For all 3 
of the actors, profit is the motivating factor. The finale of this film is what defines a perfect Western. 
Tuco searches through the graveyard for the correct burial site as “The Ecstasy of Gold” plays, 
leading to the inevitable Mexican standoff as all three of the characters fight for who shall claim the 
gold, Leone’s camerawork provides many tight close ups as well as vista shots, violence, and moral  
 
 
 
  
7 “Sergio Leone.” In Internet Movie Database. Accessed May 4, 2019. 
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001466/?ref_=nv_sr_1?ref_=nv_sr_1. 
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ambiguity as to right and wrong. “The Bad” is killed, and Tuco faces the gallows as Eastwood 
gallops off, pausing to sever the rope with a gun shot.  For one last time and as a good marker for the 
Spaghetti Western, the Man with No Name rides off into the sunset with his share of the loot. “Wah 
Wah Wah” 
 
 
  
 
Works Cited 
 
“The Spaghetti Westerns of Sergio Leone.” The Spaghetti Western Database. Accessed May 3, 2019. 
https://www.spaghetti-western.net/index.php/The_Spaghetti_Westerns_of_Sergio_Leone  
“Auteur.” In Dictionary.com.  
“Top 20 Spaghetti Westerns.” Most Wanted Western Movies. Accessed May 3, 2019.  http://most-
wanted-western-movies.com/spaghetti-western-movies/.  
“Sergio Leone.” In Internet Movie Database. Accessed May 4, 2019. 
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001466/?ref_=nv_sr_1?ref_=nv_sr_1.  
Edwards, Dan. “Great Directors: Sergio Leone.” Senses of Cinema. Last modified October 2002.  
Accessed May 4, 2019. http://sensesofcinema.com/2002/great-directors/leone/.  
 
 
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Film Auteur Sergio Leone

ESSAI 
Volume 17 Article 3 
Spring 2019 
Awards 
Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.cod.edu/essai 
Recommended Citation 
(2019) "Awards," ESSAI: Vol. 17 , Article 3. 
Available at: https://dc.cod.edu/essai/vol17/iss1/3 
This Prefatory Note is brought to you for free and open access by the College Publications at 
DigitalCommons@COD. It has been accepted for inclusion in ESSAI by an authorized editor of 
DigitalCommons@COD. For more information, please contact orenick@cod.edu. 
II 
 
 
 
Awards and Recognitions 
 
 
 
ESSAI is a recipient of the prestigious recognitions of  
 
The 2005 Distinguished Achievement Award 
of the Community College Humanities Association  
 
 
 
The Society of Midland Author’s Qwertyuiop Award 
 
(Founded in 1915, the Society of Midland Authors has included for its members 
Hamlin Garland, Harriet Monroe, Vachel Lindsay, Edna Ferber, Carl Sandburg, 
Jane Addams, Clarence Darrow, and other literary luminaries.) 
 
 
and 
 
 
The 2009 Diana Hacker Two-Year College English Association (TYCA) Award for 
Outstanding Program for Two-Year Colleges and Teachers 
In the Category of Fostering Student Success 
(The TYCA is a national organization that belongs to 
the National Council of the Teachers of English-NCTE). 
 
  
1
et al.: Awards
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Awards

Habibullah, Syed

ESSAI 
Volume 17 Article 21 
Spring 2019 
The Clean Power Plan 
Syed Habibullah 
College of DuPage 
Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.cod.edu/essai 
Recommended Citation 
Habibullah, Syed (2019) "The Clean Power Plan," ESSAI: Vol. 17 , Article 21. 
Available at: https://dc.cod.edu/essai/vol17/iss1/21 
This Selection is brought to you for free and open access by the College Publications at DigitalCommons@COD. It 
has been accepted for inclusion in ESSAI by an authorized editor of DigitalCommons@COD. For more information, 
please contact orenick@cod.edu. 
57 
The Clean Power Plan 
 
by Syed Habibullah 
 
(Chemistry 1551) 
 
 
 
I. What is it? 
he Clean Power Plan was an environmental law introduced by the Obama administration and 
EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) on August 15th, 2015. A plan introduced in the 
United States in order to meet the Paris climate accord obligations. The plan was designed to 
reduce the amount of fossil fuels emitted by power plants in order to ultimately limit the effects of 
climate change. The idea here is to shift from fossil fuels such as coal, to more cleaner and lower-
polluting sources of energy. With CO₂ accounting for a majority of the pollution in the United States, 
the plan called for a 32% reduction (from 2005 levels) in CO₂ pollution by 2030. Enforced pollution 
cuts to meet that percentage reduction were scheduled to begin in 2022. By 2030, cuts were expected 
to become even more rigorous. The EPA even predicted that by 2030 carbon pollution would 
decrease by over 870 million tons. Economists also predicted that by 2030 the country would save 
over $20 billion in terms of climate change expenses, save upwards of $34 billion in healthcare costs, 
and would even save the average American family around $85 on their electric bills. Not only that, 
but the United States would potentially save billions with the absence of natural disasters. The 
likelihood of a natural disaster decreases significantly with a healthier atmosphere spared from CO₂ 
pollution. In fact, in 2012, federal spending on natural disasters rose to nearly $100 billion, which is 
more money than the government spent on education and transportation that year.  
 The Clean Power Plan fell under the EPA’s existing Clean Air Act, which allowed the EPA 
to legally control CO₂ pollution on fossil fueled power plants nationwide. The plan set a national 
limit for the amount of pollution produced by existing fossil fueled power plants. Although this limit 
was in place for the entire nation, individual states did have the opportunity to choose their own 
plans. States not only had the ability to construct their own plan but also were allowed to choose how 
much they would limit state emissions by. Even if states didn’t opt in for a plan, the Clean Air Act 
ensured that the government would limit state pollution directly if needed.  
 Allowing states to design their own plan also would allow the power grid to remain strong, 
where states would be required to consider grid reliability (to ensure a dependable electricity service) 
while also limiting pollution. In addition to that, the Clean Power Plan implemented safety 
precautions in case of emergency situations. In case of such situation, states are given a more lenient 
emission limit, allowing power plants to emit more pollutants than the emission limit allows for (up 
to 90 days). 
Although the future seemed bright environmentally in the United States, the Clean Power 
Plan never got to see the day of light, being repealed just two years later by the Trump administration 
in October 2017.  
II. What are the benefits of The Clean Power Plan (arguments made for it)? 
 The biggest and simplest argument to make with a plan like this is the fact that it’s aimed at 
reducing CO₂, which provides a multitude of benefits. In 2017, over 1,207 million tons of CO₂ were 
emitted into the atmosphere according to the EPA. That figure is only 69% of all gasses, the U.S. in 
2017 emitted over 1,740 million tons of harmful gasses into the atmosphere. The idea of the Clean 
Power Plan is to forgo all these harmful gasses and replace them with more cleaner sources such as 
solar panels, fuel cells, wind power, etc. Building upon this idea, people argue further that limiting 
greenhouse gas emissions would not only make our air cleaner, but it would also help fight issues of 
T
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global warming and climate change. By 2030, the EPA estimated that the Clean Power Plan would 
reduce smog by 25%.  
 Easily the biggest issue with CO₂ emission is global warming. It’s no secret that the Earth is 
warming up. Since the late 19th century, the Earth’s surface temperature has risen by almost 1.62 
degrees Fahrenheit (0.9 degrees Celsius). In addition to that, ocean levels have seen a temperature 
boost of 0.4 degrees Fahrenheit since 1969. On top of that sea levels have risen nearly 8 inches in the 
last century due to shrinking ice sheets. Arctic ice sheets have continued to deplete in the last few 
decades and the rise in extreme weather events has continued to grow. Reducing CO₂ emissions 
would not only help prevent these harmful effects but would also help reverse some of them.  
Looking at the possibilities from a health perspective, a cleaner atmosphere provided by the 
Clean Power Plan would not only reduce exposure to pollution but would also save thousands of 
lives. Climate change has already raised many health risks in itself as a result of CO₂ emission. Due 
to increased drought, agriculture production been affected which has caused increased famine, higher 
food prices, and allergy seasons. According to the EPA, reducing exposure to pollution would 
prevent up to 3,600 premature deaths, 90,000 asthma attacks in children, and up to 1,700 heart 
attacks. Not only that, but families would see up to $4 in health benefits each year. The Clean Power 
Plan is also estimated to provide between $55 to $93 billion in public health benefits by 2030.  
From an economic standpoint, the Clean Power Plan once again proves how valuable it is. 
There are benefits for all people in the United States. According to the EPA, the Clean Power Plan is 
estimated to reduce monthly electric bills by $7. That’s a big deal for families when you consider the 
amount of money that could be saved per year. Now what about the electricity we pay for? Believe it 
or not the United States spends an absurd amount on coal each year, totaling more than $500 million. 
Replacing coal with a cleaner source would save the United States a fortune each year. In addition to 
that, thousands of new jobs would be created across the United States. An increase in demand for 
renewable energy with the Clean Power Plan would give rise to new industries such as the wind and 
solar industries.  
III. What are the downsides of The Clean Power Plan (arguments against it)? 
 Although the Clean Power Plan once had brought hope to the environment in the United 
States, it never quite got off its feet. After suffering for two years with legal trouble, the plan was 
repealed in fall 2017. One argument that arose was the ‘war on coal’ coined by the Trump 
administration. President Trump believes the Clean Power Plan would kill off the coal industry due 
to its proposal to move away from fossil fuels. Along with that, President Trump believes it would 
harm the economy due to the amount of money and jobs that would be lost as a result of killing the 
coal industry.  
Outside the coal industry, some go further as to argue that the Clean Power Plan will simply 
harm the economy all around. They cite that the hefty regulations proposed by the Clean Power Plan 
would result in larger electricity bills, resulting in consumer demand to decrease. Due to that 
decrease in consumer demand, people believe energy companies will begin to drop workers and 
lower investment. Beyond that, some simply believe that the Clean Power Plan would provide little 
to no benefits to climate change and global warming. They cite that CO₂ emissions are already on 
their way down due to a shift towards sources such as natural gas. In addition to that they say that 
even if the United States drastically reduces its CO₂ emissions, it will barely put a dent in the global 
temperature. People further argue that even if global temperature decreases, it won’t be enough to 
counteract climate change. Storms, droughts, floods, they will all still be relevant regardless whether 
or not CO₂ emissions are decreased. 
The biggest argument against the Clean Power Plan is made by U.S. states. It is believed that 
the Clean Power Plan took power above the states when it comes to limiting CO₂ emissions. People 
argue that the Clean Power Plan should’ve given more power to the states. This is because the plan 
offered its own plans to each state instead of allowing states to freely decide how they wanted limit 
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CO₂ emission. In addition to that, the Clean Power Plan’s options were very limiting and didn’t take 
into account each state’s situation. Since each state has its own electricity resources, technology, 
costs, etc., people argue that each state should be allowed to freely decide how they want to limit 
their CO₂. 
IV. What are your thoughts? 
I personally believe the Clean Power Plan was a good idea judging by the benefits it 
promised to bring. Its main purpose is to fight back CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels. However, 
industries such as the coal industry are already declining. This is not directly because of regulation, 
but more so because more cleaner sources are already on the rise. The argument made toward the 
Clean Power Plan regarding its harmful impact on the coal industry does make a point. However, 
what it’s missing is the fact that the fall of the coal industry will bring rise to newer, more favorable 
energy industries. As I mentioned, the coal industry is already declining, it’s already on its way out 
the door. Yes, if the coal industry is omitted, then that will inevitably kill off thousands of jobs. 
However, those jobs would easily transfer over to rising industries such as the wind power industry. 
The goal of the Clean Power Plan is to almost captivate fossil fuel industries and force them work 
under their regulation. But to me it seems more so that these energy industries are already regulating 
themselves, in the sense that change is occurring within the industries on its own (i.e. coal industry 
falling to natural gas industry). Not to the extent to where CO₂ emissions are rapidly dropping (as 
proposed by the Clean Power Plan), however the United States is already reducing CO₂ emissions. 
We’re already improving our emission habits; the Clean Power Plan just takes that a step further. The 
only problem I found with the Clean Power Plan is that it didn’t exactly address transportation and its 
impact on CO₂ emissions. Motorized vehicles easily have to be the biggest contributors to the 
greenhouse gas problem. There are millions of cars on the road each day, their impact on the 
atmosphere around is definitely is larger than that of a power plant. Although vehicle manufacturers 
are taking it upon themselves to offer electric or even fuel cell vehicles, they haven’t attracted many 
buyers to really make a difference.  
What would I do from here? Well, it’s nearly 2019 now and the Clean Power Plan has 
already been repealed. It’s promises definitely intrigued me as well as many other Americans. 
Everyone dreams of a future free of greenhouse gas harm, a future where the energy we use to power 
our lives doesn’t negatively affect our health and wellbeing. I believe a big problem with the Clean 
Power Plan was the fact that it hadn’t sat well with U.S. states, with complications on how regulation 
would go. If I were the EPA, I would allow states to regulate themselves in that they choose how 
they want to limit their power plants and what they want to do with the industries in their states. I 
would restrict every state to a certain amount of CO₂ emitted (not an amount which would seem 
outlandish). Other than that, states choose what they want to do and how they want to meet that 
restriction. Like the Paris Climate Agreement, which requires enrolled countries to stay within a 
certain temperature increase by decreasing CO₂ emission. As time goes on, I’d slowly decrease that 
allowed emission amount, eventually leading fossil fuel industries to collapse in favor or cleaner 
energy industries. Another thing is I’d address CO₂ emission from transportation vehicles, it’s quite 
odd that power plants were targeted and not vehicles. In recent years, the government has mandated 
things such as rear-view cameras, safety systems, trunk safety latches, etc. I believe the next step is 
omitting gasoline ran vehicles. As more manufacturers continue to roll out electric vehicles, the next 
big move is replacing all gasoline ran vehicles on the road with electric ones. This is not a process 
which could take a few years, this is a process which could take a decade or two. Manufacturers are 
doing their part in fighting off CO₂ emissions, I believe it’s the government’s time to soon step in.  
 
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Work Cited 
 
“Climate Change Evidence: How Do We Know?” NASA, NASA, 4 Dec. 2018, 
climate.nasa.gov/evidence/. 
“FACT SHEET: Clean Power Plan By The Numbers.” EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, 14 
July 2016, 19january2017snapshot.epa.gov/cleanpowerplan/fact-sheet-clean-power-plan-
numbers_.html. 
“Fact-Checking Clean Power Plan Claims.” Climate Nexus, 12 Oct. 2017, climatenexus.org/climate-
change-us/politics-and-policy/fact-checking-clean-power-plan-claims/. 
Loris, Nicolas. “The Many Problems of the EPA's Clean Power Plan and Climate Regulations: A 
Primer.” The Heritage Foundation, 2015, heritage.org/environment/report/the-many-
problems-the-epas-clean-power-plan-and-climate-regulations-primer. 
“The Clean Power Plan.” Union of Concerned Scientists, ucsusa.org/our-work/global-
warming/reduce-emissions/what-is-the-clean-power-plan. 
The New York Times. “What Is the Clean Power Plan, and How Can Trump Repeal It?” The New 
York Times, The New York Times, 10 Oct. 2017, nytimes.com/2017/10/10/climate/epa-
clean-power-plan.html. 
“U.S. Energy Information Administration - EIA - Independent Statistics and Analysis.” Factors 
Affecting Gasoline Prices - Energy Explained, Your Guide To Understanding Energy - 
Energy Information Administration, 8 June 2018, eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=77&t=11. 
“What Is the Clean Power Plan?” NRDC, 29 Sept. 2017, www.nrdc.org/stories/how-clean-power-
plan-works-and-why-it-matters. 
 
 
 
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