1. Useful Connectors for Describing Actions
- First... // Then... // - After that ...// - Suddenly… //- Finally…// - At the same time…// - Meanwhile… //- In the end
The Kid
(Vocabulary )
Abandon – To leave someone behind, especially someone in need.
Foundling – An orphaned or abandoned child, like the boy Chaplin rescues.
Slum – A very poor, run-down area where the Tramp and the kid live.
Tramp – The nickname of Chaplin’s character; a vagrant or wanderer.
Distressed mother – A woman in severe emotional pain, deciding to abandon her child.
Rescue – To save someone from danger or difficulty.
Care for – To look after or take responsibility for another being.
Hopelessness – The feeling of despair or lacking hope, often seen in the mother.
Bond – A connection or emotional tie, especially between the Tramp and the kid.
Threatened separation – When authorities threaten to take the child away.
Slapstick – Physical comedy involving exaggerated actions and mishaps.
Pathos – Elegance and sadness mixed; emotional appeal that makes viewers empathize.
Reunion – Being together again; the mother finally finds her child.
Dream sequence – A scene that represents a character’s dream or fantasy.
Social inequality – The theme showing gaps between rich (the mother) and poor (the Tramp).
2. Useful Phrases for Describing a Scene
- He is running…// - She looks surprised…// - They are laughing…// - He is working with…//- He is looking at…//- The boss is watching…//- He tries to… //- He falls / He drops…
The Kid (Chaplin)
Feeding Machine - Modern Times
“Feeding Machine” Scene in Modern Times (Vocabulary)
Feeding machine – A device designed to feed workers automatically during lunch so they can keep working.
Automation – The process of using machines to perform tasks automatically, without human control.
Alienation – Feeling disconnected from one’s work or product due to repetitive tasks.
Dehumanization – Being treated or acting like a machine, losing individuality.
Mechanization – Using machinery/the machine age to perform tasks that humans would normally do.
Loss of agency – The worker has no control over actions; even basic acts like eating are controlled by a machine.
Satire – The use of humor to criticize or highlight societal issues, such as capitalism and efficiency.
Pathos – A quality that evokes pity or compassion through emotional depiction.
Nervous breakdown – A moment when Chaplin’s character becomes overwhelmed by stress and chaos.
Machine age – The era defined by the dominance of industrial machinery and mass production.
Monkey-wrenching – Sabotage or backlash against mechanization and industrial control.
Comical chaos – Humor that arises from absurd and chaotic situations involving the machine.
Control – The regulation of workers’ actions, timing, or behavior by management or machines.
Lunch hour elimination – The idea behind the feeding machine—removing human rest periods to maximize output.
