1. The 5th Wave, by Rick Yancey
2. The Casual Vacancy, by JK Rowling
3. Looking for Alaska, By John Green
4. The Boy in the Boat, by Daniel James Brown
5. Divergent Series, by Veronica Roth
6. Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen
7. The Martian, by Andy Weir
8. Left for Dead, by Beck Weathers and Stephen G. Michaud
9. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, by JK Rowling
10. Me Before You, by Jojo Moyes
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Week 13: Celebrity: Performance as Self
I haven't been paying a lot of attention to politics, but I have seen Trump speak and think that he is a joke. I chose this picture because it looks like he is confused or saying I don't know. I think it is silly for him to run because it seems like he is doing it just to be famous and just for the sake of running not that he wants to really help with anything. He is racist, sexist and just plane rude and he gets away with it just because he is Donald Trump and he is rich and we don't expect him to be nice so he can say what he wants. I think the people who are planning to vote for him need to take voting seriously. The United States is really having some problems and we need to pick a candidate that we can have confidence will be able to solve some of these issues.
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Week 12: The Film Auteur
This week I watched three movies by Sofia Coppola. The movies were, The Virgin Suicides, Somewhere, and Lost in Translation. I found her style of directing interesting, but I didn't actually really like the movies I watched.
One of the biggest similarities I saw in her movies was that she has a lot of shots that are very long of people doing mundane things. For example in Lost in Translation there is a shot of the two main characters riding the elevator with a bunch of other people and instead of seeing them enter and cutting to the next scene you watch them ride all the way in silence. Anther example of this is in Somewhere when the main character is getting his face molded for a part in a film. They cover his whole face with some sort of white clay substance and then we sit and watch him just breathing from his nose for much longer then you'd expect to see. I thought this style of filming created an awkward tension that was actually boring to watch after a while. It made the flow of the films seem to move very slowly.
Another similarity was that the character in the three movies I watched all had rather rough lives. They struggled with something, which I think is very realistic. They weren't fairy tale love stories that ended happy and had characters with happy lives. They were rough and raw and sometimes ended uneventfully. In The Virgin Suicides all of these girls are trapped in their house under the rules of their extremely strict parents. This leads to all the girls committing suicide and making poor life decisions. In Somewhere, Johnny is an actor who lives a sad life that mostly consists of drinking and partying and watching poll dancers in his room. The only happy part of his life really is his daughter who gets left with him when her mom decides to leave. He bonds with his daughter, but still participates in his movie star life of having sex with beautiful women and traveling around. In Lost in Translation these two characters, Charlotte and Bob, are both struggling with in their marriages and having trouble fitting in in Japan. They form a strong bond and spend a lot of time together, but are separated at the end when Bob goes home to his family.
I noticed that Sofia Coppola has two movies with Kristen Dunst in it and in the rest of her movies there was at least one well-known actor. I think it is interesting that she makes these what I think are more quite, real to life films and gets big name actors to be in them. I think this was a very interesting assignment and I'm actually glad that I took the time to watch these three films. Although I didn't like these particular films very much it was interesting to watch multiple works by a director and start to see the similarities in their films.
One of the biggest similarities I saw in her movies was that she has a lot of shots that are very long of people doing mundane things. For example in Lost in Translation there is a shot of the two main characters riding the elevator with a bunch of other people and instead of seeing them enter and cutting to the next scene you watch them ride all the way in silence. Anther example of this is in Somewhere when the main character is getting his face molded for a part in a film. They cover his whole face with some sort of white clay substance and then we sit and watch him just breathing from his nose for much longer then you'd expect to see. I thought this style of filming created an awkward tension that was actually boring to watch after a while. It made the flow of the films seem to move very slowly.
Another similarity was that the character in the three movies I watched all had rather rough lives. They struggled with something, which I think is very realistic. They weren't fairy tale love stories that ended happy and had characters with happy lives. They were rough and raw and sometimes ended uneventfully. In The Virgin Suicides all of these girls are trapped in their house under the rules of their extremely strict parents. This leads to all the girls committing suicide and making poor life decisions. In Somewhere, Johnny is an actor who lives a sad life that mostly consists of drinking and partying and watching poll dancers in his room. The only happy part of his life really is his daughter who gets left with him when her mom decides to leave. He bonds with his daughter, but still participates in his movie star life of having sex with beautiful women and traveling around. In Lost in Translation these two characters, Charlotte and Bob, are both struggling with in their marriages and having trouble fitting in in Japan. They form a strong bond and spend a lot of time together, but are separated at the end when Bob goes home to his family.
I noticed that Sofia Coppola has two movies with Kristen Dunst in it and in the rest of her movies there was at least one well-known actor. I think it is interesting that she makes these what I think are more quite, real to life films and gets big name actors to be in them. I think this was a very interesting assignment and I'm actually glad that I took the time to watch these three films. Although I didn't like these particular films very much it was interesting to watch multiple works by a director and start to see the similarities in their films.
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
In Class Writing: What is My Voice
I would have to say that my voice is very influenced by the way I've grown up. I like to base a lot of my work on the many places I have lived and growing up as an air force brat. So I'd say that part of my voice is about my upbringing.
Another part of my voice that influences my writing more then my art is that I like to try to be really descriptive. I enjoy doing creative writing and I find that I like to tell stories with deep description and tend to use sentences that are probably way too long.
In my design work I'd like to think that my voice is light and fun. Most of my work is graphic and bright and mostly all on the computer. But I do enjoy when I get away from the computer and work with my hands specifically using the letterpress. I could say that the fact that some of my work is letter pressed as apposed to all digital is part of my voice as an artist.
What I notice when doing critiques in my studio classes is that I start to get an idea of what everyones style or voice is in their work, but its very hard to pinpoint what my own style is. I look at each piece as something new and don't usually stop to think if it is similar to the last one. Whereas someone else might be looking at my work thinking that it looks very me.
Another part of my voice that influences my writing more then my art is that I like to try to be really descriptive. I enjoy doing creative writing and I find that I like to tell stories with deep description and tend to use sentences that are probably way too long.
In my design work I'd like to think that my voice is light and fun. Most of my work is graphic and bright and mostly all on the computer. But I do enjoy when I get away from the computer and work with my hands specifically using the letterpress. I could say that the fact that some of my work is letter pressed as apposed to all digital is part of my voice as an artist.
What I notice when doing critiques in my studio classes is that I start to get an idea of what everyones style or voice is in their work, but its very hard to pinpoint what my own style is. I look at each piece as something new and don't usually stop to think if it is similar to the last one. Whereas someone else might be looking at my work thinking that it looks very me.
Week 11: Auteurship
First of all I have to say I loved the illustrations in Asterios Polyp and the cleaver way the artist made the type tell the story. It was little details like having the speech bubble shapes different for each character, based on their personality. For example when the main character was walking through the subway station past a guy with a guitar. You could clearly tell he was singing because he had lines with the words written as notes. Or a little later in the story when at one point Still says "Hey Babe" to his wife and his speech bubble is a heart.
Another thing about this graphic novel that I thought was really great and shows the authors voice is that whenever there was a flashback or a pause in the main story where we were getting told important background information, the illustrations would change. Sometimes color and sometimes style. This really helped me as a reader to understand the story with it jumping all over the place. And it was nice that the author didn't have to say he was taking you back or giving you a brief history of a character we understood by the way the illustrations looked at the time. This method of changing the style the characters where draw in could also help us know what type of emotions were being felt at the time. It was also used a lot when a room full of people we being drawn. I think because we didn't need to concentrate on those other people so it wasn't necessary to make them as detailed at the main characters.
Similar to Karen Russel with her very descriptive similes, David Mazzuchell is also very descriptive but with his drawing. For example in part of the story the main character is remembering driving with his girlfriend while she knits. In order to get us to see that visual David drew a knitted scarf acting as a rode with dots marking destination and even a car driving on it. This is a fantastic visual without him having to say much other then she was knitting in the car.
Thinking about the tone of the piece I would say it was serious all the way until the end. The whole time it's such a serious story about this poor professor who has lost his love and has nothing and it seems a little sad and depressing. By the time you reach the end you are feeling a little better because he has gone back to his love and she seems to want him back and then it is almost funny in the end how it is all tied back to the stranger in the diner by having them hit by an asteroid.
Similar to Karen Russel with her very descriptive similes, David Mazzuchell is also very descriptive but with his drawing. For example in part of the story the main character is remembering driving with his girlfriend while she knits. In order to get us to see that visual David drew a knitted scarf acting as a rode with dots marking destination and even a car driving on it. This is a fantastic visual without him having to say much other then she was knitting in the car.
This whole time I was reading this story it felt strange which kept me wondering what was going to happen. I felt connected with this couple and looked forward to flashbacks to learn more of their story. It really felt like a story with in a story, which kept my interest and made me want to read to the end. It also helped that the visuals and typography were beautiful and descriptive and really added the story.
Week 10: Voice in Contemporary Literature
In Sleep Donation Karen Russell writes with a very clear voice. The first thing I noticed about her voice is that a lot of times she will end sentences with two adjectives. For example when talking about the moon she writes, "Its radiance makes every white of human manufacture seem dingy, impure." I think this way of writing just flows well and adds a little extra description to her stories.
The second thing I noticed about the authors voice is that she writes with a lot of almost asides like she is speaking to the audience. Some examples being, "Our contact is limited to this office (unless you count our public performances at Corps fund-raisers, the Charity Balls and Charity Golf-Offs)." and My mouthy, gorgeous, stupid-brave sister Dori, Miss “Drive It Like You Stole It” (even when the only “It” available to us was our great-aunt’s haunted house of a wood-panelled Chrysler—who ever heard of a car with termites?),". These little notes in parenthesis help the reader to dig deeper into the story the author is telling and make you feel included. They also give you a better taste of what the character and the authors personality is like.
The second thing I noticed about the authors voice is that she writes with a lot of almost asides like she is speaking to the audience. Some examples being, "Our contact is limited to this office (unless you count our public performances at Corps fund-raisers, the Charity Balls and Charity Golf-Offs)." and My mouthy, gorgeous, stupid-brave sister Dori, Miss “Drive It Like You Stole It” (even when the only “It” available to us was our great-aunt’s haunted house of a wood-panelled Chrysler—who ever heard of a car with termites?),". These little notes in parenthesis help the reader to dig deeper into the story the author is telling and make you feel included. They also give you a better taste of what the character and the authors personality is like.
The third way I think we hear the authors voice in this story is her amazing description of things. She uses a lot of really great similes that I don't think everyone would think of. It is because of these similes that she doesn't need to use a whole lot of other description because we get the point after just one well written sentence. A good example of this can be seen even on the first page. The author writes, "Rudy slaps his bald spot and leaves his hand there. A grapefruit hue spills underneath his fingers, as if the scalp is blushing." After just one sentence we get a clear picture of the man she is describing and his actions.
As far as tone goes I think hers could be described in different ways. With her snappy asides to the audience you could almost say her tone is sarcastic. After reading the list of different tones from the link on the class page I picked a few that I think fit with this story. First of all I think the tone could be considered candid meaning truthful, straightforward: honest or unreserved. The reason I think this is that the author doesn't beat around the bush with this story. She jumps right in and begins to tell the story very straightforward. Although she has very descriptive sentences she doesn't write with a lot of other unnecessary flourish. Another way I think the tone could be described is almost chatty meaning informal; lively; conversational or familiar. I think this part of the tone comes out in the authors asides to us. The whole story to me just feels like she is talking to us. We are easily immersed in this world of sleep deprived people because the author is so great at giving us lots of information here and there through various methods.
Overall I thought that this novella was very interesting. I enjoy Karen Russell's style of writing a lot because it feels very personal. I also thought the story in general was a totally new story and I haven't read anything with the same plot. The idea of a insomnia apocalypse is a very cool yet creepy idea.
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Assesment
1. Are there any prominent symbols in the story? If so, what are they and how are they used?
The relationship between the two characters I think is a symbol. It is used basically to tell the story. We gradually learn whats happening through these apologies about past events in this couples life. Another symbol is the martian. We don't really know if the main character is who is talking is a martian, but we suspect that he is because he talks about human thing as if he is not human. We also figure out that the martians want to invade earth. In parts of the story the character speaking talks about wearing a costume. Costumes are a classic symbol for heroes and villains so I think that it's important that he talks about hiding his costume and doing costume changes. There is also a lot of talk about Doctor Kagan their couples therapist. The idea that this evil alien villain would being going to see a couples therapist with his girlfriend is just funny and ironic. I think the biggest symbol is the apologies. The whole story is told through these apologies, but some of them aren't really apologies at all.
2. What connections did you make with the story? Discuss the elements of the work with which you were able to connect.
I was able to connect with the relationship talk the people are having. I've been in relationships where I've had to apologize for things or needed for the other person to just hear me out. This is also a very common thing in movies I've seen except the conversation is clearly under different circumstances. I was also able to connect with the whole idea of heroes vs. villains as I have seen many super hero movies. It made me think of the movie Mega Mind because it was from the villains point of view rather than the heroes. I also thought some of the humor in it was similar to that in Mega Mind. The idea that the villain can have feelings for someone or sort of feel bad about what they are doing, but not bad enough not to do the evil thing they plan to do. It also made me think of the villain in the cartoon Phineas and Ferb with the idea that the villain could sort of play a comical more human role in the story. Another aspect I connected with was the couples therapy. My dad is a pastor and does therapy for couples all the time. I think some of the things the main character mentioned the therapist said to focus on were spot on.
3. What changes would you make to adapt this story in another medium? What medium would you use? What changes would you make?
I would adapt this story into a movie because I think it would be funny and entertaining. I would probably start the movie like the story with the holographic projection of the guy talking to the girl. But when he goes through the list of apologies I would have flash backs showing these memories instead of the main character just talking about them. I think this would get people more engaged in the story and would get the viewer more connected with this couple. I would also adapt the ending so that we know what decision Susanna makes. I also think having a better understanding of what is happening to Susanna while she is hearing all these apologies would be good. In the story we don't get her reaction at all so I would definitely try to show that in the movie.
The relationship between the two characters I think is a symbol. It is used basically to tell the story. We gradually learn whats happening through these apologies about past events in this couples life. Another symbol is the martian. We don't really know if the main character is who is talking is a martian, but we suspect that he is because he talks about human thing as if he is not human. We also figure out that the martians want to invade earth. In parts of the story the character speaking talks about wearing a costume. Costumes are a classic symbol for heroes and villains so I think that it's important that he talks about hiding his costume and doing costume changes. There is also a lot of talk about Doctor Kagan their couples therapist. The idea that this evil alien villain would being going to see a couples therapist with his girlfriend is just funny and ironic. I think the biggest symbol is the apologies. The whole story is told through these apologies, but some of them aren't really apologies at all.
2. What connections did you make with the story? Discuss the elements of the work with which you were able to connect.
I was able to connect with the relationship talk the people are having. I've been in relationships where I've had to apologize for things or needed for the other person to just hear me out. This is also a very common thing in movies I've seen except the conversation is clearly under different circumstances. I was also able to connect with the whole idea of heroes vs. villains as I have seen many super hero movies. It made me think of the movie Mega Mind because it was from the villains point of view rather than the heroes. I also thought some of the humor in it was similar to that in Mega Mind. The idea that the villain can have feelings for someone or sort of feel bad about what they are doing, but not bad enough not to do the evil thing they plan to do. It also made me think of the villain in the cartoon Phineas and Ferb with the idea that the villain could sort of play a comical more human role in the story. Another aspect I connected with was the couples therapy. My dad is a pastor and does therapy for couples all the time. I think some of the things the main character mentioned the therapist said to focus on were spot on.
3. What changes would you make to adapt this story in another medium? What medium would you use? What changes would you make?
I would adapt this story into a movie because I think it would be funny and entertaining. I would probably start the movie like the story with the holographic projection of the guy talking to the girl. But when he goes through the list of apologies I would have flash backs showing these memories instead of the main character just talking about them. I think this would get people more engaged in the story and would get the viewer more connected with this couple. I would also adapt the ending so that we know what decision Susanna makes. I also think having a better understanding of what is happening to Susanna while she is hearing all these apologies would be good. In the story we don't get her reaction at all so I would definitely try to show that in the movie.
Sunday, October 25, 2015
Week 9: Genre and The Game Based Narrative
I arrive home from a long day of school I say hello to by mom as I shut the door behind me. I throw my backpack down on the couch and put on my visor, gloves, and my full emersion jumpsuit to begin playing my favorite virtual reality game, Ready Player One.
Standing in my living room. All is black until suddenly the world changes in front of me. I am standing in a long line of people slowly shuffling through various checkpoints. I am momentarily confused then I remember I am playing as Wade Watts and I had just been taken by the Sixers to become an indent. I finally arrive at the first checkpoint in the line. A Sixer guard next to me yells to step through the scanner to check for hidden technology. As the scanner passes over me I feel a tingling throughout my body caused by my emersion jumpsuit. I clear this checkpoint and then am escorted into another room for more testing.
This room is huge with a bunch of individual cubicles filled with other people testing. A guard leads me to a cubicle, pushes me into my seat then walks away. In the game I put on my visor and gloves to begin my test. The room goes black. I am transported to another room where I must complete a series of mini games in order to continue playing as Wade.
The first game is to see how much I know about James Halliday, the inventor of the OASIS, which Ready Player One is based on. For this game I am transported through different moments in Halliday's life. These scenes play around me, while I stand there invisible, and eventually freeze right before a key part. I then have to say out loud what happens next. If I am correct I move to the next moment and if I am wrong the room flashes red and a red X appears on the bottom of the screen. I get three chances to guess correctly and if I don't get it I die and have to start the tests over.
After the last test is finished I am transported to an office. The office is big with a large window on one wall and a big desk in the middle. Sitting at the desk is a woman. Her nameplate reads Nancy. I am told to sit down in the noisy, brown leather chair so I can be given my work assignment. Nancy informs me that because of my test scores I will be a technical support representative. I am then given a contract to read and sign. When I am finished signing Nancy tells me to please remove my visor and gloves and follow the nearest guard to the washing station.
At the washing station I am told to remove my clothes and go through what can only be described as a human car wash. Because of my full body emersion jumpsuit, it really feels like I am getting sprayed with cold water and scrubbed down with big revolving brushes when in reality I am still standing I'm my living room.
After the wash I am given a grey jumpsuit and a pair of plastic slippers to put on and I am corralled to the next station. This station gives me a medical check up. This is my least favorite part because when they draw blood in the game my jumpsuit at home gives me a poke to the arm that make it all seem too real and spooky. I am then given an earpiece and an anklet to wear, which is simulated by my visor pinching my ear lobe and the leg of my jumpsuit tightening up on one ankle.
Medical tests finished, I am now directed by my earpiece down multiple hallways until I reach my Hab, aka my sleeping quarters. I climb down into the hab-unit and look around. It is very small and the only things in it are a bed, an entertainment console, and a camera to watch me.
Just as I am about to sit at the entertainment center and start snooping I hear my mom calling me for dinner. I roll my eyes and say aloud, "game pause" everything around me freezes and a screen come up in front of my face giving me the options: continue play, save progress, options, or quite game. I say "save progress" then "shut down". The hab-unit around me devolves into black and I remove my visor. I am once again back in my boring living room. Surprisingly starving.
Standing in my living room. All is black until suddenly the world changes in front of me. I am standing in a long line of people slowly shuffling through various checkpoints. I am momentarily confused then I remember I am playing as Wade Watts and I had just been taken by the Sixers to become an indent. I finally arrive at the first checkpoint in the line. A Sixer guard next to me yells to step through the scanner to check for hidden technology. As the scanner passes over me I feel a tingling throughout my body caused by my emersion jumpsuit. I clear this checkpoint and then am escorted into another room for more testing.
This room is huge with a bunch of individual cubicles filled with other people testing. A guard leads me to a cubicle, pushes me into my seat then walks away. In the game I put on my visor and gloves to begin my test. The room goes black. I am transported to another room where I must complete a series of mini games in order to continue playing as Wade.
The first game is to see how much I know about James Halliday, the inventor of the OASIS, which Ready Player One is based on. For this game I am transported through different moments in Halliday's life. These scenes play around me, while I stand there invisible, and eventually freeze right before a key part. I then have to say out loud what happens next. If I am correct I move to the next moment and if I am wrong the room flashes red and a red X appears on the bottom of the screen. I get three chances to guess correctly and if I don't get it I die and have to start the tests over.
After the last test is finished I am transported to an office. The office is big with a large window on one wall and a big desk in the middle. Sitting at the desk is a woman. Her nameplate reads Nancy. I am told to sit down in the noisy, brown leather chair so I can be given my work assignment. Nancy informs me that because of my test scores I will be a technical support representative. I am then given a contract to read and sign. When I am finished signing Nancy tells me to please remove my visor and gloves and follow the nearest guard to the washing station.
At the washing station I am told to remove my clothes and go through what can only be described as a human car wash. Because of my full body emersion jumpsuit, it really feels like I am getting sprayed with cold water and scrubbed down with big revolving brushes when in reality I am still standing I'm my living room.
After the wash I am given a grey jumpsuit and a pair of plastic slippers to put on and I am corralled to the next station. This station gives me a medical check up. This is my least favorite part because when they draw blood in the game my jumpsuit at home gives me a poke to the arm that make it all seem too real and spooky. I am then given an earpiece and an anklet to wear, which is simulated by my visor pinching my ear lobe and the leg of my jumpsuit tightening up on one ankle.
Medical tests finished, I am now directed by my earpiece down multiple hallways until I reach my Hab, aka my sleeping quarters. I climb down into the hab-unit and look around. It is very small and the only things in it are a bed, an entertainment console, and a camera to watch me.
Just as I am about to sit at the entertainment center and start snooping I hear my mom calling me for dinner. I roll my eyes and say aloud, "game pause" everything around me freezes and a screen come up in front of my face giving me the options: continue play, save progress, options, or quite game. I say "save progress" then "shut down". The hab-unit around me devolves into black and I remove my visor. I am once again back in my boring living room. Surprisingly starving.
Sunday, October 18, 2015
Week 8: Reading Virtual Realities
I read two short stories from The Dew Breaker, Water Child and The Bridal Seamstress. Both stories were very interesting and I could see how Edwidge Danticat created a new and descriptive world for each. Although they were so different I noticed similar world building techniques the author used in both stories.
Water Child is a story about Nadine, a nurse in her thirties that works at an ear nose throat specialist clinic. She tends to keep to herself and is struggling with some tough life situations. She often receives letters from her parents begging to hear her voice, which she rereads daily but is reluctant to respond to. We learn that she helps support her parents by sending them money and eventually plans to pay them back completely for sending her to nursing school. You soon find out that she has an ex-boyfriend who was the father of her aborted child. On her dresser she keeps a water glass with a pebble in it and some memorabilia of her ex as a monument to her unborn baby. In part of the story she consoles a patient who is no longer able to speak while effectively describing to the reader what is would be like waking up everyday realizing you can no longer speak. Through out the entirety story you get short glimpses into Nadine's desolate life. Slowly learning more and more about her and understanding why she likes to be alone.
The Bridal Seamstress is about a young journalism intern who is send to interview an old bridal seamstress about her upcoming retirement. When she sit down to interview the women she learns a lot more then what she expected and realizes she may get more then a simple article about a retiring seamstress out of it. Halfway through the interview the old women suggests that the two of them take a walk down the block. Exasperated by the women's unwillingness to complete the interview easily Aline, the journalist, protests but is forced to follow the old seamstress when she abruptly walks out of the house without another word. While walking the block the old women talks about all her neighbors and their various jobs and ethnicities until they arrive at one house in participial that seems to have some meaning to the women. By then end of the story you learn that the man who lives in that house is a prison guard on the run from the law that once arrested and whipped the old women back in her country. The women claims that the prison guard follows her whenever she moves because he is able to find out her address due to her bridal clients. Eventually she confides in Aline that she plans to retire from her job so she can move without sending updates on her new address so this man can no longer find her.
On both stories the author uses a strategy of slowly introducing bits of information through out the entirety of the story to build the world in which it takes place. Instead of describing everything at once we are left in the dark at first, but every once in a while we learn a new piece of the puzzle that takes us deeper and deeper into the world the author is building.
I also think the describing words she uses in both short stories really makes you feel immersed in the world she is created. You feel the pain of Nadine as she struggles with people alone and mistakes she has made in the past and you are figuring out the mystery of the bridal seamstress right along with Aline. The author really sets up the story and ends it with an interesting conclusion sentence.
Water Child is a story about Nadine, a nurse in her thirties that works at an ear nose throat specialist clinic. She tends to keep to herself and is struggling with some tough life situations. She often receives letters from her parents begging to hear her voice, which she rereads daily but is reluctant to respond to. We learn that she helps support her parents by sending them money and eventually plans to pay them back completely for sending her to nursing school. You soon find out that she has an ex-boyfriend who was the father of her aborted child. On her dresser she keeps a water glass with a pebble in it and some memorabilia of her ex as a monument to her unborn baby. In part of the story she consoles a patient who is no longer able to speak while effectively describing to the reader what is would be like waking up everyday realizing you can no longer speak. Through out the entirety story you get short glimpses into Nadine's desolate life. Slowly learning more and more about her and understanding why she likes to be alone.
The Bridal Seamstress is about a young journalism intern who is send to interview an old bridal seamstress about her upcoming retirement. When she sit down to interview the women she learns a lot more then what she expected and realizes she may get more then a simple article about a retiring seamstress out of it. Halfway through the interview the old women suggests that the two of them take a walk down the block. Exasperated by the women's unwillingness to complete the interview easily Aline, the journalist, protests but is forced to follow the old seamstress when she abruptly walks out of the house without another word. While walking the block the old women talks about all her neighbors and their various jobs and ethnicities until they arrive at one house in participial that seems to have some meaning to the women. By then end of the story you learn that the man who lives in that house is a prison guard on the run from the law that once arrested and whipped the old women back in her country. The women claims that the prison guard follows her whenever she moves because he is able to find out her address due to her bridal clients. Eventually she confides in Aline that she plans to retire from her job so she can move without sending updates on her new address so this man can no longer find her.
On both stories the author uses a strategy of slowly introducing bits of information through out the entirety of the story to build the world in which it takes place. Instead of describing everything at once we are left in the dark at first, but every once in a while we learn a new piece of the puzzle that takes us deeper and deeper into the world the author is building.
I also think the describing words she uses in both short stories really makes you feel immersed in the world she is created. You feel the pain of Nadine as she struggles with people alone and mistakes she has made in the past and you are figuring out the mystery of the bridal seamstress right along with Aline. The author really sets up the story and ends it with an interesting conclusion sentence.
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Week 7: World Building
The house was average size sitting at the entrance to the cul-de-sac with a smelly creek and a small wooded area to the left side and a grassy yard beside that. A long cement driveway lined the left side of the house and attached to a patio that wrapped around to the back. Just off the driveway, a jagged brick pathway lead to a small staircase that ascended to the front door.
There was nothing special about the inside of the house. A good size living room sat to the right of the entrance opposite a wall of book selves full of books that were purchased and maybe never read. The living room had an unused fireplace to one side and two couches, a coffee table and a TV on the other. In the middle of the room was an open space that housed many fashion and gymnastic shows whose only attendants where supportive parents. Through a wide doorway beyond the living room came the dinning room with its table big enough for six and its piano that was just learning to be played.
A doorway on the left lead to the kitchen while an open arch in the front of the room would take you to the computer room. A long makeshift desk took up one wall of this very thin room. Sitting on the desk where two clunky desktop computer monitors. Two chairs were left to roll around the room as they pleased and a cabinet full of junk sat at the end of the desk. In this tiny room there was a very small bathroom. This half bath, nicknamed "the fart gallery", housed the best leaf etchings in town. Its grand opening was christened with the ceremonial cutting of the toilet paper and was full of guests in no time at all.
Across from the bathroom was a door that lead outside where another small staircase would need to be descended to reach the cement patio. To the right of the back door stool a big gazebo that on occasion, would be all lit up and filled with family and adventurous foods. On the edge of the large concrete patio stood a small shabby looking shed. This shed came with the house and was mostly used for storage, but it also seemed to be a hotel for cockroaches and not a place that was occupied by people as long as the need to enter it could be avoided.
As you continue to walk along the large concrete slab you'd see a small grassy lawn that had the assorted lawn chair and a round chicken wire fence, about knee height that was used to give pet rabbits exercise. At the end of the patio and the beginning of the driveway stood a homemade bunny hutch which housed about twenty rabbits when they were not going binky around the round pen.
Back inside the house and through the kitchen was a short hallway which lead to three bedrooms and a full bathroom. The room straight at the end of the hall was a crowded room that was half doll house half bunk bed. During the night a cheap metal frame trundle bed would be rolled out from under the the bed becoming the third bunk and leaving a very slim maneuvering space around the room.
Across the hall form the bunk bed room was the small master bedroom with its big bed that took up most of the room. A glider that became the prime spot for "talking to mom time" sat to the left of the bed. On the wall across from the bed stood two miss matched wooden dressers one with a TV on top. On the wall next to the bed were two matching closets that were probably sure where often used as hiding spot during riveting games of hid and go seek.
Out the door and to the right was a boys room. It was not entered often by the girls of the house and therefore difficult to describe. It did contain a bed to one wall that had a metal frame that if carelessly bumped into would make even the toughest person cry. The shin buster was it's nickname and it defeated many a bypassing shin.
As you go back down the hall you'd see a string hanging from a white door that almost blended in with the ceiling. When pulled the white door would open reviling a steep wooden staircase that ascended into a dark musky attic. The attack stored boxes upon boxes of christmas decorations, stuff that somehow stayed packed move after move, and just plain junk. The attic was creepy and mysterious enough that it was rarely occupied, by people that is. If you listen carefully you'd hear bats squeaking against the grate on the back wall, where they could fly in and out on their leisure. This left the attic smelling strange and added to the spookiness.
Back out the front door, down the steps and across the path to the left side of the house stood a small patch of forest separated form the side yard by a thin swampy creek. This creek was just slightly too big to jump across, as was found out by an attempt gone disastrously wrong. A little wooden bridge was eventually built that would allow safe access to the forest on the other side. In a cool shady patch of trees just across the bride was a small clearing where a bench had been placed by a pervious owner. This spot seemed magical to a kid who could ignore the smell of the disgusting creek and the sound of cars rushing by just on the other side of the trees and became the setting for many make believe games. Many hours were spent in this spot day dreaming and avoiding school work. Past the enchanted clearing the trees became much thicker and harder to maneuver with out ending up with many scratches on your arms and legs, but that doesn't mean that exploration was not attempted.
This small house was not the cleanest, fanciest house. With its bats and bugs and junk it was not always the most welcoming house, but it did hold a lot of memories and stories. Memories like its front lawn being turned into a parking lot for people attending the local football game. Sold at five dollars a spot, it was probably the cheapest place in town. This house that was a homeschool for the children that lived there where many things would be learned most of which now is probably long forgotten. This house may have been nothing special, but the people and the memories made it a home. A home that was missed when moved away from. That will always lie in the memories of those who lived there as the small, underwhelming yet wonderful home it was.
There was nothing special about the inside of the house. A good size living room sat to the right of the entrance opposite a wall of book selves full of books that were purchased and maybe never read. The living room had an unused fireplace to one side and two couches, a coffee table and a TV on the other. In the middle of the room was an open space that housed many fashion and gymnastic shows whose only attendants where supportive parents. Through a wide doorway beyond the living room came the dinning room with its table big enough for six and its piano that was just learning to be played.
A doorway on the left lead to the kitchen while an open arch in the front of the room would take you to the computer room. A long makeshift desk took up one wall of this very thin room. Sitting on the desk where two clunky desktop computer monitors. Two chairs were left to roll around the room as they pleased and a cabinet full of junk sat at the end of the desk. In this tiny room there was a very small bathroom. This half bath, nicknamed "the fart gallery", housed the best leaf etchings in town. Its grand opening was christened with the ceremonial cutting of the toilet paper and was full of guests in no time at all.
Across from the bathroom was a door that lead outside where another small staircase would need to be descended to reach the cement patio. To the right of the back door stool a big gazebo that on occasion, would be all lit up and filled with family and adventurous foods. On the edge of the large concrete patio stood a small shabby looking shed. This shed came with the house and was mostly used for storage, but it also seemed to be a hotel for cockroaches and not a place that was occupied by people as long as the need to enter it could be avoided.
As you continue to walk along the large concrete slab you'd see a small grassy lawn that had the assorted lawn chair and a round chicken wire fence, about knee height that was used to give pet rabbits exercise. At the end of the patio and the beginning of the driveway stood a homemade bunny hutch which housed about twenty rabbits when they were not going binky around the round pen.
Back inside the house and through the kitchen was a short hallway which lead to three bedrooms and a full bathroom. The room straight at the end of the hall was a crowded room that was half doll house half bunk bed. During the night a cheap metal frame trundle bed would be rolled out from under the the bed becoming the third bunk and leaving a very slim maneuvering space around the room.
Across the hall form the bunk bed room was the small master bedroom with its big bed that took up most of the room. A glider that became the prime spot for "talking to mom time" sat to the left of the bed. On the wall across from the bed stood two miss matched wooden dressers one with a TV on top. On the wall next to the bed were two matching closets that were probably sure where often used as hiding spot during riveting games of hid and go seek.
Out the door and to the right was a boys room. It was not entered often by the girls of the house and therefore difficult to describe. It did contain a bed to one wall that had a metal frame that if carelessly bumped into would make even the toughest person cry. The shin buster was it's nickname and it defeated many a bypassing shin.
As you go back down the hall you'd see a string hanging from a white door that almost blended in with the ceiling. When pulled the white door would open reviling a steep wooden staircase that ascended into a dark musky attic. The attack stored boxes upon boxes of christmas decorations, stuff that somehow stayed packed move after move, and just plain junk. The attic was creepy and mysterious enough that it was rarely occupied, by people that is. If you listen carefully you'd hear bats squeaking against the grate on the back wall, where they could fly in and out on their leisure. This left the attic smelling strange and added to the spookiness.
Back out the front door, down the steps and across the path to the left side of the house stood a small patch of forest separated form the side yard by a thin swampy creek. This creek was just slightly too big to jump across, as was found out by an attempt gone disastrously wrong. A little wooden bridge was eventually built that would allow safe access to the forest on the other side. In a cool shady patch of trees just across the bride was a small clearing where a bench had been placed by a pervious owner. This spot seemed magical to a kid who could ignore the smell of the disgusting creek and the sound of cars rushing by just on the other side of the trees and became the setting for many make believe games. Many hours were spent in this spot day dreaming and avoiding school work. Past the enchanted clearing the trees became much thicker and harder to maneuver with out ending up with many scratches on your arms and legs, but that doesn't mean that exploration was not attempted.
This small house was not the cleanest, fanciest house. With its bats and bugs and junk it was not always the most welcoming house, but it did hold a lot of memories and stories. Memories like its front lawn being turned into a parking lot for people attending the local football game. Sold at five dollars a spot, it was probably the cheapest place in town. This house that was a homeschool for the children that lived there where many things would be learned most of which now is probably long forgotten. This house may have been nothing special, but the people and the memories made it a home. A home that was missed when moved away from. That will always lie in the memories of those who lived there as the small, underwhelming yet wonderful home it was.
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Week 5: The Great American Novel
Although I didn't think True Grit was the most well written book with all its "He said...and then I said...and then he said's" and its "Now I'm going to tell you about....", I found the story of a spunky headstrong girl adventuring with two tough men to be entreating and a good representation of the Great American novel.
One of the first things I notice about this book that makes me think of America is that people act like they can do whatever they want even if it may be below the law. This book is a lot about people's rights and feeling justified to get something they want. A good example of this is how Mattie feels she has the right to Tom Chaney's life because he killer her father. You also see this same general idea later in the story when Rooster is telling Mattie about his life story. He has done some pretty unlawful things and yet he has still managed to become a US marshal.
Another thing that I noticed about the book and the movies is that they talk a lot about money. Mattie shows up and is just shelling out money right and left to get what she wants. There is a big section where she is negotiating with the man who sells horses and how she won't take less then $300. Then there is the amount of money she promises to pay Rooster. It's just a lot about money and thinking that you can use it to get people to do what you want. In this story money is power.
True Grit has a good guys vs bad guys theme in that I think is very American. The good guys in this case Mattie, Rooster, and LaBoeuf are on a quest to get revenge on the bad guys, Tom Chaney, Lucky Ned Pepper and his gang of criminals. In the end of the book the good guys are victorious but that victory comes with a price. Mattie looses her hand from a snakebite and doesn't get Chaney taken back and hung in her town. The fact that not all the main characters came out on top in the end contradicted the usual hero vs villain story and made this one seem more realistic and believable.
I liked that True Grit had a strong female male character. Mattie Ross was determined and would not take no for an answer, which I thought made her an interesting character. She seemed to have the power and even when she didn't have the power she would bring up her lawyer and scare people into giving her her way. Although Mattie can be commended for her bravery and determination she can also be reprimanded for her scary thirst for revenge.
To me westerns are very American and this book is very much a classic western with its setting, characters, and themes. It takes place in Arkansas where everyone is very southern. The characters are dressed like cowboys and everyone rides a horse and owns a gun. Basically everything
Overall I thought True Grit definitely exemplifies the Great American Novel because its characters are trying to gain justice and revenge even if they have to go against the law. They are always discussing money and how much things cost and paying people to get things done for you. It is a story about good vs bad and the main characters don't come out whole in the end. There is a strong female character and it is a classic western.
One of the first things I notice about this book that makes me think of America is that people act like they can do whatever they want even if it may be below the law. This book is a lot about people's rights and feeling justified to get something they want. A good example of this is how Mattie feels she has the right to Tom Chaney's life because he killer her father. You also see this same general idea later in the story when Rooster is telling Mattie about his life story. He has done some pretty unlawful things and yet he has still managed to become a US marshal.
Another thing that I noticed about the book and the movies is that they talk a lot about money. Mattie shows up and is just shelling out money right and left to get what she wants. There is a big section where she is negotiating with the man who sells horses and how she won't take less then $300. Then there is the amount of money she promises to pay Rooster. It's just a lot about money and thinking that you can use it to get people to do what you want. In this story money is power.
True Grit has a good guys vs bad guys theme in that I think is very American. The good guys in this case Mattie, Rooster, and LaBoeuf are on a quest to get revenge on the bad guys, Tom Chaney, Lucky Ned Pepper and his gang of criminals. In the end of the book the good guys are victorious but that victory comes with a price. Mattie looses her hand from a snakebite and doesn't get Chaney taken back and hung in her town. The fact that not all the main characters came out on top in the end contradicted the usual hero vs villain story and made this one seem more realistic and believable.
I liked that True Grit had a strong female male character. Mattie Ross was determined and would not take no for an answer, which I thought made her an interesting character. She seemed to have the power and even when she didn't have the power she would bring up her lawyer and scare people into giving her her way. Although Mattie can be commended for her bravery and determination she can also be reprimanded for her scary thirst for revenge.
To me westerns are very American and this book is very much a classic western with its setting, characters, and themes. It takes place in Arkansas where everyone is very southern. The characters are dressed like cowboys and everyone rides a horse and owns a gun. Basically everything
Overall I thought True Grit definitely exemplifies the Great American Novel because its characters are trying to gain justice and revenge even if they have to go against the law. They are always discussing money and how much things cost and paying people to get things done for you. It is a story about good vs bad and the main characters don't come out whole in the end. There is a strong female character and it is a classic western.
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
Week 4: Zweig & Anderson
I read Stefan Zweig's short story Letter from an Unknown Women. I thought it was a very interesting read that really got me engaged in the dying women's story. I found a lot of similarities between Zweig's story and Grand Budapest Hotel.
The first thing I noticed about these artists is that they both start their stories without any introduction. Letter from an Unknown Women starts by jumping right into the main characters day with little information given as to who this R. man is. The beginning of Grant Budapest is just the women walking to the statue where she places a key and looks down at her book. We do not know who this woman is or why she is placing a key on this statue. I think in both stories this method gets the reader or watcher engaged instantly. The feeling of confusion and wondering it creates makes you want to keep reading to find out what the story is all about.
The second big similarity I noticed is that both stories have multiple layers. They are both basically a story within a story. In the case of Grand Budapest one could argue that it is a story with in a story with in a story. The women is reading the story written by the author who is telling the story that was told to him by Zero the bell hop. Even then the Zero is mostly telling the story of M. Gustave. Basically Zweig's entire story is about R. reading the letter written to tell the story of the unknown women. This method of story telling has potential to be confusing but in both cases you have a clear understanding or where in the story you are and who is telling it.
A third similarity I saw was in the main characters of each story. R. in Letter from an Unknown Women was a lot like M. Gustave in the sense that they were both ladies men who had multiple lovers and from what the women in the letter described, both had a certain air about them that people seemed to be drawn towards them.
A fourth way I found they were alike was in some of the descriptions. In Letter from an Unknown Women, the unknown woman describes the place where she gave birth in pretty gruesome detail. When I read this I thought of the scene in Grand Budapest where the men escaping from jail are seen by the room of guard and moments later you see they have all be stabbed to death by one of the prisoners. I believe that this passage in the short story and this scene from the movie share the same gruesome, descriptive language. They aren't censored. The women writing the later goes very into detail basically saying the place was a living hell and in the movie you see all the blood and gore of the dead prison guards sort of out of the blue. Both authors were able to stick this random, creepy, uncensored scene into their work without it seeming out of place and still keeping the audience interested. Over all I could see how both works had a similar language and style that I found both interesting and entertaining.
The first thing I noticed about these artists is that they both start their stories without any introduction. Letter from an Unknown Women starts by jumping right into the main characters day with little information given as to who this R. man is. The beginning of Grant Budapest is just the women walking to the statue where she places a key and looks down at her book. We do not know who this woman is or why she is placing a key on this statue. I think in both stories this method gets the reader or watcher engaged instantly. The feeling of confusion and wondering it creates makes you want to keep reading to find out what the story is all about.
The second big similarity I noticed is that both stories have multiple layers. They are both basically a story within a story. In the case of Grand Budapest one could argue that it is a story with in a story with in a story. The women is reading the story written by the author who is telling the story that was told to him by Zero the bell hop. Even then the Zero is mostly telling the story of M. Gustave. Basically Zweig's entire story is about R. reading the letter written to tell the story of the unknown women. This method of story telling has potential to be confusing but in both cases you have a clear understanding or where in the story you are and who is telling it.
A third similarity I saw was in the main characters of each story. R. in Letter from an Unknown Women was a lot like M. Gustave in the sense that they were both ladies men who had multiple lovers and from what the women in the letter described, both had a certain air about them that people seemed to be drawn towards them.
A fourth way I found they were alike was in some of the descriptions. In Letter from an Unknown Women, the unknown woman describes the place where she gave birth in pretty gruesome detail. When I read this I thought of the scene in Grand Budapest where the men escaping from jail are seen by the room of guard and moments later you see they have all be stabbed to death by one of the prisoners. I believe that this passage in the short story and this scene from the movie share the same gruesome, descriptive language. They aren't censored. The women writing the later goes very into detail basically saying the place was a living hell and in the movie you see all the blood and gore of the dead prison guards sort of out of the blue. Both authors were able to stick this random, creepy, uncensored scene into their work without it seeming out of place and still keeping the audience interested. Over all I could see how both works had a similar language and style that I found both interesting and entertaining.
Monday, September 14, 2015
Response to Screenplay
Ed Wood
As director of this movie I would choose to make it almost like a horror comedy. I think it has great potential to be creepy and funny. With characters such as Bela Lugosi and Vampira it is like behind the scenes of an old horror film. I would film this movie in black and white because it is set in 1952 and it would give it the old creepy feeling I'm going for.
I like the opening of the narrator in the coffin but I would make it seem more like Criswell is telling the story for example instead of saying "we are bringing you the full story of what happened..." he would say something more like "Let me tell you the full story of what happened..." Then when we entered into the story he was telling it would have a fuzzy sort of foggy quality at first to show that we were now in the story.
When reading the screenplay I got the idea that the movie would be broken up into short segments. The whole movie would consist of short scenes that end abruptly and cut into the next scene quickly. I think that way the movie would have a certain rhythm and would go alone with the story telling theme.
When casting the main character, Ed, I would find someone that can play a really spunky character, but can also have deep emotions. I would also stress that they act completely comfortable when they are dressed in women's clothing. As far as giving him a backstory I would just try to get the point across that he is a struggling director with a deep secret. He has ambition and drive and wont let anything stop him from doing what he wants.
As far as coaching Bela's character I would remind him that he is portraying a broken man. A has been actor that is addicted to drugs and doesn't have a lot of hope. Then when Ed takes interest in him he is reminded of the amazing actor he once was and is encouraged.
I think one of the more interesting parts of this story is that Ed is trying so hard to make these films that in the end don't end up very good at all. And yet you still find yourself cheering for him to succeed. He is an underdog and as the director I'd really like to show that.
Overall this is a story of friendship, over coming hardship, and being who you truly are portrayed in a strange and comedic way. I feel like it is suppose to be creepy and strange and to keep you rooting for the underdogs. You become attached to this odd assortment of characters that create poorly made films and can't seem to catch a break.
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Important values and how they relate to my favorite cultural work
Five of my most important values:
1. my faith
2. family
3. friends
4. honesty
5. kindness
The Harry Potter series is very important to me. I read the series in high school, sense then they have remained by favorite books. I would say that the value of family, friends, honesty and kindness are all embedded in the Harry Potter series. A running theme in the book is that Harry has no family, but is basically adopted by the people around him. The Wesley's, Lupin, Serious, Hagrid, Dumbledore are all there to protect him and play that parenting roll. The value of friendship is also very important in this series. Everything Harry accomplishes is a team effort with is friends. He doesn't really do anything alone because his friends won't let him. Honesty and kindness are portrayed in the sense that the good win and the bad don't. Another way we see kindness is that Harry is such a famous kid, but he isn't affected by that. He is just a normal guy even though he has all this responsibility and attention thrust upon him. I like that although Harry is good and kind he is still a human and gets mad and has a hard time understanding why everything is happening to him.
1. my faith
2. family
3. friends
4. honesty
5. kindness
The Harry Potter series is very important to me. I read the series in high school, sense then they have remained by favorite books. I would say that the value of family, friends, honesty and kindness are all embedded in the Harry Potter series. A running theme in the book is that Harry has no family, but is basically adopted by the people around him. The Wesley's, Lupin, Serious, Hagrid, Dumbledore are all there to protect him and play that parenting roll. The value of friendship is also very important in this series. Everything Harry accomplishes is a team effort with is friends. He doesn't really do anything alone because his friends won't let him. Honesty and kindness are portrayed in the sense that the good win and the bad don't. Another way we see kindness is that Harry is such a famous kid, but he isn't affected by that. He is just a normal guy even though he has all this responsibility and attention thrust upon him. I like that although Harry is good and kind he is still a human and gets mad and has a hard time understanding why everything is happening to him.
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Mary Cassatt
Mary Cassatt is an inspiring and expressive impressionist who was very important to western art. She was a woman of respectable social stature who chose to study art rather then the expected marriage then motherhood. Because she was one of few female artists in Europe at the time it wasn’t easy for her and she often had limitation as to what she was allowed to paint. This is how she came to the conclusion that she would paint mothers with their children. This subject in a way became her signature.
Although these painting of mothers may seem happy and cheerful some seem to have almost a hidden meaning to them. A good example of this is her painting titled The Boating Party. The picture portrays a young woman holding a toddler on her lap on a boat. Both the mother and the child are looking at the man rowing the boat, but he seems to be focused on his rowing, although we can’t see his face so he may be acknowledging the passenger’s gazes. The bright and cheerful colors suggest that it is midday and sunny in the south of France, but the psychological atmosphere makes us question what really is going on. How do the people in the boat know each other and where are they going? What has just occurred or what is about to occur.
Cassatt is able to obtain this questioning quality in her work by using space and pattern. The mother and the child’s eyes can be connected with the boatman’s face to form a “V”. The way the sail is cut-off in the corner makes it look like a snapshot making the painting seem flat or one-dimensional.
Mary’s love of flat patterns and one-dimensional space links her work to the art of Asia’s specifically the Japanese print, which has fascinated western artists sense they opened trade with Japan in 1854.
This Japanese influence is evident in her painting Mother’s Kiss. You can see this in her drawn out contours and the fattening effect of pattern. Mary was a big fan of the famous Japanese printmaker, Kitagawa Utamaro. His print of a woman and two children uses the same flattening pattern and contour styles as Cassatt’s work. One biography said, “The Boating Party a few years away echoes these ideas in paint and connects Mary to the Post-Impressionist movement and artists like Gauguin, whose planes of color took on symbolic meanings of their own” (Mary Cassatt).
When in Paris she became very close friends with the artist Edgar Degas who was also an impressionist. In 1879 he asked her to join the impressionist group in their fourth annual exhibition.
Mary Cassatt defied the odds of women of her time, by attending Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and by going to study in Paris although her parents did not agree with this. She even became active in the women’s rights movements. In 1915 she helped to organize an exhibitions in New York that featured the work of old masters, including her friend Degas and herself to raise money to support the cause.
Bibliography:
Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2014.
"Mary Cassatt: A Woman of Independent Mind | EDSITEment." Mary Cassatt: A Woman
of Independent Mind | EDSITEment. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2014.
About Me and My Place in the Mediascape
My defining characteristics are;
humor, bravery, dislike of change, adaptability, inability to keep a secret and
care for others. My hate of change, adaptability and bravery all stem from my
experience as a military brat. Because my dad is in the air force I have moved
a lot thus my hate of change, but I have also gained the ability to adapt very
quickly to new situations. I have also gained bravery and a sense that I should try
everything because I may never be about to do it again. One of my not as
pleasant characteristics is that I am terrible at keeping a secret. My last
characteristic, care for people, comes from the sense that I am a people
pleaser. I want people around me to be happy and I generally consider myself a
nice, happy person who is kind to those around me.
Technically my lineage is a whole list of things but mostly Swedish. The only thing this really means to me is that I have blond hair and fare skin. Therefore I consider my lineage to by my immediate family members. I come for a line of loving, musical, creative, Christian, family centered people. I have great respect for what past family members and my dad have done in the military and although I will never join myself I consider my upbringing in a military environment to be part of my lineage.
Someday I want to do something great that people will remember. I am standing on strong morals, ambition and talent that will hopefully let me reach that goal. Until that day my position in the world is a student trying to learn what I can and survive college.
As graphic design student I think I view the mediascape with an artistic point of view. I tend to pay a lot of attention to the design aspects of things like movies, articles and websites. I also think because I am a Christian who has various morals I view the mediascape in a certain way. I tend to shy away from things in the media that go against those morals. As a young adult growing up in this generation media is a huge part of my life everyday in many forms. I think because of this viewing different parts of the mediascape is a daily activity that I no longer put much thought into.
Technically my lineage is a whole list of things but mostly Swedish. The only thing this really means to me is that I have blond hair and fare skin. Therefore I consider my lineage to by my immediate family members. I come for a line of loving, musical, creative, Christian, family centered people. I have great respect for what past family members and my dad have done in the military and although I will never join myself I consider my upbringing in a military environment to be part of my lineage.
Someday I want to do something great that people will remember. I am standing on strong morals, ambition and talent that will hopefully let me reach that goal. Until that day my position in the world is a student trying to learn what I can and survive college.
As graphic design student I think I view the mediascape with an artistic point of view. I tend to pay a lot of attention to the design aspects of things like movies, articles and websites. I also think because I am a Christian who has various morals I view the mediascape in a certain way. I tend to shy away from things in the media that go against those morals. As a young adult growing up in this generation media is a huge part of my life everyday in many forms. I think because of this viewing different parts of the mediascape is a daily activity that I no longer put much thought into.
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