I believe that every Inquiry I wrote this semester helped me as I wrote the next one- it almost feels like without one Inquiry, I wouldn’t have been as successful on the following one. I think this is very telling of how the class is set up for the students. If I had to write, in general, one thing that I learned from all of the Inquiries, I would say that I learned how to truly analyze and interpret texts. Even though one would think that this is something a student would learn in high school, I feel as if I learned how to interpret texts in a different and more useful way in English 112. I realized that even a 10 second clip could lead to miles of in depth interpretation. Not only can I analyze literature, but I can also analyze film- I think this is a really cool skill to always have by my side. Inquiry 1 was interesting because it was the first film that I have ever attempted to analyze. This assignment forced me to view the world of film, and even interpretation, in a completely different way. I believe that this will all translate into me creating more powerful interpretations of literature because they will be unique. In Inquiry 2, I learned how to push myself that much further while analyzing a film and had the ability to push my skills on researching and finding unique, beneficial, and powerful articles. In Inquiry 3, I had the ability to learn more about myself, which is also something incredibly interesting.
I thought that the presentations on Thursday were just as interesting as the presentations on Tuesday. I like being exposed to new texts and expanding my interests as an audience member. I really enjoyed when the presenters showed YouTube videos of clips from their chosen text because it really gave me a feel for their interests and passion for what they decided to present. From Thursday's class I am now really interested in watching House of Cards- the reason I am so interested in watching this TV show is because I think it really relates to the text I chose from my canon, which is called Scandal. I had never heard of House of Cards until this class and I am glad that my peer introduced me to it. I thoroughly enjoyed this experience of listening to others and enjoyed presenting my favorite TV show to the class.
I thought it was really interesting listening to my classmates discuss their favorite texts because it really helped me get to know them as individuals and, additionally, introduced me to new TV shows, novels, music, and movies that I am interested in. I think this is a really unique project that is really beneficial for spreading one's interests/loves throughout a community. For example, after presentations on Tuesday, I am now incredibly eager to watch the movie Fly Away Home, which one of my classmates presented to the class focusing on how it truly touches her and her family's heart. Not only do I know the plot of the movie, but also I know why it is so significant in my peer's life- (because she grew up with over 20 birds in her home because her mom sold them). This project and the presentations help the entire class feel closer together in a personal sort of way. A trend that I noticed was that many of my classmates didn't necessarily choose texts that they grew to love on their own, however that they chose texts that they grew up with in their family for their entire childhood to the present. I found this really pleasing because it shows how family and connections to family is very important to my classmates. I wasn't familiar with many of the texts that were presented, therefore I learned a lot from these presentations. Something that I think might account for the differences in texts between my classmates would be where they grew up/ what their parents grew up enjoying. I feel as if where one grew up makes an incredible impact on what one decides to be interested in and grow a connection to. I can't wait for Thursday to learn about more interesting texts from my classmates!
There isn't one perfect or correct canon that exists today; canons are open for interpretation, depending on the individual reviewing the extensive literature that surrounds us. The articles that I chose to read were, "Is the literary Canon Still Racist and Sexist?" and "The Literary Canon is Still One Big Sausage Fest". I found both of these articles to be incredibly interesting because they both touch on the fact that many canons written are almost entirely filled with men, rarely any women, and contain slim to no diversity. The question I continued to asked myself while reading these two articles was simply, "Why?" I couldn't fathom the fact that the majority of the authors dominating canons were white men, containing no diversity and no women. This is really something that I believe needs to change- individuals who have the power to change canons, like professors and college/high school students, need to make their voices heard so that there is more equality filled within the lists. If no one speaks up about the lack of diversity on canons, 100 years from now Robert Frost will still be on the top 25. Instead, authors like Robert Frost should be replaced by powerful and incredibly intelligent authors who are women, who are truly helping make literature go round and round. Throughout high school, I mostly read literature that was considered "classics", or typical novels that you would see on a canon, without diversity. For example, I read novels many Shakespeare novels. However, there was one book that I read my junior year of high school in my English class that I have never forgotten. This book wasn't a typical book that you would see on a canon; the book was called, "The Privileges". I always remember this book because it was the one novel that I thoroughly enjoyed reading in high school- it was more contemporary and relatable. I think that students need to speak up to their teachers and study more contemporary novels, so the class is more enjoyable for everyone involved. If novels were more relatable for students, they will be more engaged and give back more to their teachers. Regarding the article about canons being one big sausage fest, I believe this needs to be changed as soon as possible. Women need to be more recognized in the world of literature and praised for their tremendous contributions- I believe that canons should be evenly divided between men and women. The article about sexism and racism was also extremely intriguing. Why aren't African Americans more prominent in the world of literature? As a society in the world of literature, we need to make a difference in the world of canons and study other literature in school and help contemporary literature grow in the classroom. While it is important to remember famous authors such as Robert Frost, it is also important to value modern ones.
The Sound of Music, featuring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, had such outstanding reviews in the 60s because of current events that were taking place during this time period, like the Vietnam War and women’s rights, were affecting society’s feelings towards the media and the media’s choices. The Vietnam War tremendously affected the daily lives of families in the United States during the time period that The Sound of Music was released. This uplifting and inspiring musical film symbolized everything that they needed to hear and see to feel at ease and happy during difficult family times. I know that this thesis seems long but I working on altering it so that it is more straight to the point and isn't confusing at all to my audience. When I started writing my paper, I thought I would go one direction with my paper really making the Vietnam War the primary focus. However, once I started writing, I realized that Julie Andrews was really the main focus of my paper and how she, as an actress, symbolized the positivity needed to get through the Vietnam War, women's rights, and family issues during this time period. I think that I need to alter my thesis a bit to make it more zoomed in on Julie Andrews- but then I was also thinking that it is kind of interesting how I don't really bring her up in my thesis, so then this way it is sort of a surprise to my audience and I don't give my paper away. I don't necessarily think this would be confusing because I am consistently talking about Julie Andrews throughout my entire paper after my introduction. One thing that I am really going to focus on while revising my rough draft is including more outside quotes. I think this will make my paper much stronger. I also want to include quotes from specific scenes of the film- (like when Julie was sticking up for herself to Mr. Von Trapp). I think this will be very valuable in persuading my audience that current events from this time period affected the audience's view on media. I have a lot to do for this paper, but as of right now I think I am at a good spot. It was really interesting to me how I envisioned my paper one way, but once I started writing my paper it zoomed in on a different topic, primarily Julie Andrews. I saw Silver Linings Playbook when it initially came out and thought it was a great film. However, the second time around, I thought it was even better. I believe that I thought Silver Linings Playbook was even better the second time around because I was watching it through a different perspective and as a different type of audience member. I wasn't just casually watching the surface of the film, but I was watching every single layer within the film. I was trying to read closer into the film to figure out the central theme and importance. I believe that Silver Linings Playbook is mostly about individuals who are mentally unstable and the struggles and hardships they go through day by day to be content with their lives. Following the journey of Pat and Tiffany was truly eye opening and made me realize the true pain they felt and how they were one another's clarity. I also think that the moral of this film is to not take for granted what is right in front of you. Pat didn't realize that his silver lining was Tiffany till the very end of the film. After watching this film, I am going to be more aware of my surroundings and what is right in front of me in my life- I am not going to look past anything. It is important to appreciate what you do have, and not be worked up over what think you need and want. One person really can change someone's life, and that is what really amazed me about this film. My favorite scene in this movie was the dance performance. This was my favorite scene because this is when I felt that both Pat and Tiffany had reached a point of pure happiness. I didn't need to hear them speak to see how happy and appreciative they were of one another- I could tell by the way they were moving their bodies and enjoying themselves perform. In life, it isn't always the big things, however it is the little things, (like a simple dance step). When Pat lifted Tiffany in the dance, and she was up high on stage, I believe this was a symbol for her feeling like she was on top of the entire world, with the help of Pat of course. Pat and Tiffany needed to help one another in order to help themselves. Watching this film has made me really think about what I am going to write about/ think about for my Inquiry 2. I think my film relates to Silver Linings Playbook because they both involve of individuals influencing and impoacting
I thought that the article, "Who Made the Film and Why?", was very interesting because it made me think about the process of movie production through a different perspective. I realized that in order to write a successful paper for Inquiry 2 that I have to really dig deep into the purpose behind the film, The Sound of Music, in order to truly interpret the film's historical role. Additionally, I am very enthusiastic to write about The Sound of Music because it has consistently been recognized as an excellent film since the day it came out, while individual's thoughts on other films have gradually changed over time. I think that if I do research on what was going on historically during the time period that the film was released that it would be a very strong backbone for my paper. I think what was going on while the film was being produced says a lot about how the audience reacted to the film and viewed the film. I do not think that this film has been redefined- I believe that will always be a well known and respected film. I am looking forward to re-watching the film and seeing if my idea of the purpose of the film is different from the audience back in the 1960s because I am, in fact, a contemporary viewer and times have changed.
I am having trouble deciding what Best Picture film I want to choose for Inquiry 2. I have not seen many of the movies on the list, so I am tentative on settling on one I haven't seen start to finish. However, I have heard that Gone with the Wind is a phenomenal film. What interests me about this film is the fact that it is still recognized with a lot of respect and appreciation (also- I love romantic movies). With many of the movies on the list, society now, for whatever reason, looks down on them. Gone with the Wind intrigues me because it is, to this day, considered very captivating. I wanted to watch this film for myself and do a lot of research to try to come to a conclusion as to WHY the audience believes it is so valuable. Before making my final decision on Gone with the Wind, I am going to rent it online and see if I am initially hooked onto the plot. According to the reviews I read today in class, I think that I am really going to enjoy it. I am excited for this Inquiry and for expanding my knowledge on the world of film, which I am truly quite unfamiliar with. I believe this film will also work well for the topic of this Inquiry because I will be, very easily, able to incorporate the historical context considering it took place during the Civil War.
After reading the revisions that were suggested on my rough draft, I have realized that I have a lot more work to do on my paper before I hand it in on Tuesday. The first thing I am going to try to improve on is my introduction. According to the comments that were left on my paper, my introduction didn't flow well and was difficult to follow. I think that I may break up my introduction into two separate paragraphs and clarify some of my thoughts for my audience. In general, I believe that I need to review the way I phrased many of the sentences that I wrote in my rough draft. Along with the introduction, I need to write a clear and concise conclusion. It is important that I wrap up all of my thoughts into a paragraph that is very telling of the argument I am trying to get across in my paper. I believe that a much stronger conclusion and a much stronger introduction will lead to a much stronger paper. I also want to expand on some of my thoughts, specifically when I touched on the way the director filmed the scene almost always just on her face, at the end of my draft. I think this is an interesting topic that can be expanded tremendously and I plan to do so when I revise this rough draft. I think that if I expand on my thoughts throughout the entire draft that I will have a stronger argument, which will lead to a stronger final draft.
I thought that the CCM article "A Changing Identity" was intriguing. I believe that the reason I felt this CCM article was so fascinating was because it was written about a graphic novel. I have never once read a graphic novel and after reading this analysis I am interested in reading one. Since I am so unfamiliar with this particular type of novel, I learned a tremendous amount by listening to the perspective of Lauren. I was extremely impressed by how the author, Lauren, picked out specific scenes/pictures from the novel to help back up her arguments. For example, Lauren discusses how the author of the novel does an excellent job of making the main character's identity change throughout the story very apparent. Lauren talks about Mazzucchelli, the main character, and how he walked away from the cold and pouring rain into a dirty subway, all alone. In her analysis, Lauren discusses how this was a perfect picture of how this was the lowest point in Mazzucchelli's life. Another interesting part of this analysis was when Lauren discusses the author of the novel's technique of "bleeding". Bleeding is when a "panel runs off the edge of the page". The author of the story incorporated this technique in her writing to paint a picture of how big the world really was around Mazzucchelli. Lauren did an excellent job of using specific examples to back up her points.
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