Original:

Trent Reznors live performance of the song Hurt proposes a numerous amount of
themes, most of which provided a sort of opposition. One theme that is the most prevalent
throughout the video, is the idea of life and death and the existence of the circle of life. Many of
the images on the screen behind Reznor covey this opposition of life and death. For example,
there was a depiction of a bird diving into water to catch a fish, while the fish dies the bird lives.
There was also a scene where a venus fly trap engulfs its prey, once again portraying the circle of
life. The opening of Reznors video shows a seemingly gruesome depiction of a fox
decomposing. Reznor then again uses this same seen to close out the song, except the fox in this
scene is reverse decomposing. The artists choice to open and then again close with the same
scene provides a huge insight to Reznors feelings as he moves throughout the course of the
song.
Another theme that's introduced in his performance is that of destruction. Images such a
explosions, which are clearly capable of mass amounts of destruction, to the not as obvious
images of dead and injured children. While this image might not be a clear portrayal of
destruction, children are seen as the future of society and without them the future would in a
sense be destroyed. The lyric my empire of dirt also signifies destruction, by representing
that something that may have once been meaningful, no longer matters and in someway those
feelings and images associated with these four words are destroyed. This theme of destruction
can also connect back to the theme of life and death because without destruction there cannot be
regrowth.
Additionally, a religious theme can be drawn from the images Reznor depicts. There are
various scenes of cross shapes, specifically graveyards full of them, which clearly signifies the
religious theme while also touching on the theme of life and death. Images of the cross directly
relates to Christ himself, which can be used to bring up the idea of resurrection, once again both
touching on the theme of religion and life and death. The whole video is shown in black and
white, colors in which usually signify good and evil, with this portrayal in mind, it can have a
religious effect relating back to Adam and Eve. Furthermore, Reznor took a large amount of time
in the video to show a snake which can also be connected back to the Christian story of when
Eve was tricked by a serpent to eat the forbidden fruit from the garden of Eden, giving the
snake a religious interpretation.
Johnny Cash also did a performance to the song Hurt which brought up similar themes as
well as themes that had different meanings and connotations. One theme that is prevalent in
Cashs rendition is that of remembrance. Cash performed this song in his old age without any
attempt to make him appear young and in health. However, throughout the video, a large portion
of time was used to flash back to Cashs life when he was young. Short clips of Johnny Cash
memorabilia, such as autographed posters and collector items were also added to flash back on
his life of fame, while in the present it shows that his fame has diminished greatly. Towards the
middle of the video Cashs wife is introduced as she stood watching him perform. In the
following scene, clips of them when they were young are shown, further connecting to the theme
of remembrance. By addressing this theme heavily in the video, Cash depicts that memories are

recreations of life and once they are gone there is nothing left because, to quote Reznor,
everything goes away in the end.
Cash also touches on the theme of inevitability. The video shows many scenes from
Cashs glory days when he was a huge powerhouse, known and loved by many, then pans to a
clip of the House Of Cash Museum with a sign under neath saying closed to public. Additionally,
by panning to him in his home, now only with his wife by his side shows that his once beloved
fans are now a memory, revealing that its inevitable that all good things come to an end.
Although the lyrics arent his own, one that in particularly stands out relating to the theme of
inevitability, is the lyric that states try to kill it all the way, but I remember everything. This
lyric shows that even if you try to forget, it is inevitable that the thoughts one is avoiding will
still come to mind.
In terms of which video was more powerful, Cashs video presented clear images with a
significantly powerful message while Reznors video displayed images that had to be figured out
in order to understand the meaning he was trying to solicit. Since Cashs video relates to his
personal story, it creates a more intimate feeling to the video as a whole. Also, Cash is able to
create a relatable aspect to his vide because it presents themes that can be felt on a personal level
by a larger audience.

Peer Review:
(It is awesome that you are incorporating the different themes, but next time when we write
another essay, maybe choose one theme to stick to since the prompt mentions to choose one of
the themes. And by choosing one theme, it lets you argue and focus on that one point, creating a
stronger argument.)
Trent Reznors live performance of the song Hurt proposes a numerous amount of
themes, most of which provided a sort of opposition. (Topic Sentence can be stronger if you
introduce to the audience what themes you will talk about- its up to you, but maybe say,
amount of themes such as blah blah blah, most of which provide) One theme that is the most
prevalent throughout the video, is the idea of life and death and the existence of the circle of life.
Many of the images on the screen behind Reznor covey this opposition of life and death. For
example, there was a depiction of a bird diving into water to catch a fish, while the fish dies the
bird lives. There was also a scene where a venus fly trap engulfs its prey, once again portraying
the circle of life. The opening of Reznors video shows a seemingly gruesome depiction of a fox
decomposing. Reznor then again uses this same seen to close out the song, except the fox in this
scene is reverse decomposing. The artists choice to open and then again close with the same
scene provides a huge insight to Reznors feelings as he moves throughout the course of the
song.
Another theme that's introduced in his performance is that of destruction. Images such (?)
a explosions, which are clearly capable of mass amounts of destruction, to the not as obvious
images of dead and injured children. While this image might not be a clear portrayal of

destruction, children are seen as the future of society and without them the future would in a
sense be destroyed. The lyric my empire of dirt also signifies destruction, by representing
that something that may have once been meaningful, no longer matters and in someway those
feelings and images associated with these four words are destroyed. This theme of destruction
can also connect back to the theme of life and death because without destruction there cannot be
regrowth.
Additionally, a religious theme can be drawn from the images Reznor depicts. There are
various scenes of cross shapes, specifically graveyards full of them, which clearly signifies the
religious theme while also touching on the theme of life and death. Images of the cross directly
relates to Christ himself, which can be used to bring up the idea of resurrection, once again both
touching on the theme of religion and life and death. The whole video is shown in black and
white, colors in which usually signify good and evil, with this portrayal in mind, it can have a
religious effect relating back to Adam and Eve. Furthermore, Reznor took a large amount of time
in the video to show a snake which can also be connected back to the Christian story of when
Eve was tricked by a serpent to eat the forbidden fruit from the garden of Eden, giving the
snake a religious interpretation. (Referring to question 2 So-What?, why do you think Reznor
incorporates religion into his work. Try to have explanations for the examples. Maybe Reznor
fears of doing anything bad, but yearns to, and therefore cant decide which side to take. Or
maybe he wants his audience to recognize the difference between Good and Evil. Try to say why
you believe Reznor brings about the idea of Good and Evil.)
Johnny Cash also did a performance to the song Hurt which brought up similar themes as
well as themes that had different meanings and connotations. (Stronger topic sentence, maybe list
the themes.) One theme that is prevalent in Cashs rendition is that of remembrance. Cash
performed this song in his old age without any attempt to make him appear young and in health.
However, throughout the video, a large portion of time was used to flash back to Cashs life
when he was young. Short clips of Johnny Cash memorabilia, such as autographed posters and
collector items were also added to flash back on his life of fame, while in the present it shows
that his fame has diminished greatly. Towards the middle of the video Cashs wife is introduced
as she stood watching him perform. In the following scene, clips of them when they were young
are shown, further connecting to the theme of remembrance. By addressing this theme heavily in
the video, Cash depicts that memories are recreations of life and once they are gone there is
nothing left because, to quote Reznor, everything goes away in the end.
Cash also touches on the theme of inevitability. The video shows many scenes from
Cashs glory days when he was a huge powerhouse, known and loved by many, then pans to a
clip of the House Of Cash Museum with a sign under neath (underneath) saying closed to public.
Additionally, by panning to him in his home, now only with his wife by his side shows that his
once beloved fans are now a memory, revealing that its (its) inevitable that all good things come
to an end. Although the lyrics arent his own, one that in particularly stands out relating to the
theme of inevitability, is the lyric that states try to kill it all the way, but I remember
everything. This lyric shows that even if you try to forget, it is inevitable that the thoughts one
is avoiding will still come to mind.

In terms of which video was more powerful, Cashs video presented clear images with a
significantly powerful message while Reznors video displayed images that had to be figured out
in order to understand the meaning he was trying to solicit. Since Cashs video relates to his
personal story, it creates a more intimate feeling to the video as a whole. Also, Cash is able to
create a relatable aspect to his vide because it presents themes that can be felt on a personal level
by a larger audience. (Next time when we write an essay, try connecting the themes, so it can
flow from paragraph to paragraph.
Nice Job!)
Revision/Final Draft:
Trent Reznors live performance of the song Hurt proposed a numerous amount of
themes, most of which provided a sort of opposition. By using flashes of images that had a
variety of interpretations and hidden meanings, Reznor was able to create a performance like no
one has seen before. One theme thats the most prevalent throughout the video, is the idea of life
and death and the existence of the circle of life. Many of the images on the screen behind Reznor
covey this opposition of life and death. For example, there was a depiction of a bird diving into
water to catch a fish, while the fish dies the bird lives. There was also a scene where a venus fly
trap engulfs its prey, once again portraying the circle of life. The opening of Reznors video
shows a seemingly gruesome depiction of a fox decomposing. Reznor then again uses this same
seen to close out the song, except the fox in this scene is reverse decomposing. The artists
choice to open and then again close with the same scene provides a huge insight to Reznors
feelings as he moves throughout the course of the song.
Another theme that's introduced in his performance is that of destruction. Images such as
explosions, which are clearly capable of mass amounts of destruction, to the not as obvious
images of dead and injured children. While this image might not be a clear portrayal of
destruction, children are seen as the future of society and without them the future would in a
sense, be destroyed. The lyric my empire of dirt also signifies destruction, by representing
that something that may have once been meaningful, no longer matters and in someway those
feelings and images associated with those four words are destroyed. This theme of destruction
can also connect back to the theme of life and death because without destruction there cannot be
regrowth.
Additionally, a religious theme can be drawn from the images Reznor depicts. There are
various scenes of cross shapes, specifically graveyards full of them, which clearly signifies the
religious theme while also touching on the theme of life and death. Images of the cross directly
relates to Christ himself, which can be used to bring up the idea of resurrection, once again both
touching on the theme of religion and life and death. The whole video is shown in black and
white, colors in which usually signify good and evil, with this portrayal in mind, it can have a
religious effect relating back to Adam and Eve. Furthermore, Reznor took a large amount of time
in the video to show a snake which can be traced back to the Christian story of when Eve was
tricked by a serpent to eat the forbidden fruit from the garden of Eden, giving the snake a
strong religious interpretation. Reznor was very much aware of the images he put into the video,

he most likely added this religious aspect in order to portray his feelings that he is ashamed with
the sins that he has committed. He then goes on to present this idea of good vs evil because he is
under going this battle in his mind, which is shown continually throughout the duration of his
performance.
Johnny Cash, a previously acclaimed musician and actor performed a rendition to the
song Hurt which brought up similar themes as well as themes that had different meanings and
connotations. One theme that is prevalent in Cashs performance is that of remembrance. Cash
performed this song in his old age without any attempt to make him appear young and in health.
However, throughout the video, a large portion of time was used to flash back to Cashs life
when he was young. Short clips of Johnny Cash memorabilia, such as autographed posters and
collector items were also added to flash back on his life of fame, while in the present it shows
that his fame has diminished greatly. Towards the middle of the video Cashs wife is introduced
as she stood watching him perform. In the following scene, clips of them when they were young
are shown, further connecting to the theme of remembrance. By addressing this theme heavily in
the video, Cash depicts that memories are recreations of life and once they are gone there is
nothing left because, to quote Reznor, everything goes away in the end.
Cash also touches on the theme of inevitability. The video shows many scenes from
Cashs glory days when he was a huge powerhouse, known and loved by many, then pans to a
clip of the House Of Cash Museum with a sign underneath saying closed to public. Additionally,
by panning to him in his home, now only with his wife by his side shows that his once beloved
fans are now a memory, revealing that its inevitable that all good things come to an end.
Although the lyrics arent his own, one that in particularly stands out relating to the theme of
inevitability, is the lyric that states try to kill it all the way, but I remember everything. This
lyric shows that even if you try to forget, it is inevitable that the thoughts one is avoiding will
still come to mind.
In terms of which video was more powerful, Cashs video presented clear images with a
significantly powerful message while Reznors video displayed images that had to be figured out
in order to understand the meaning he was trying to solicit. Since Cashs video relates to his
personal story, it creates a more intimate feeling to the video as a whole. Also, Cash is able to
create a relatable aspect to his vide because it presents themes that can be felt on a personal level
by a larger audience.