Sunday, February 27, 2011
Journal #1: Lord of the Flies
The first two discussions of our groups was really not enthusiastic at all because of the four people in our group, only Danny and I were here for the lit circle discussions. We discussed about the similarities and differences in our characters. Because that Danny had read farther than me, I had the opportunity to learn about a further character, which helped me understand him better when I was at that part of the story.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Movie Analysis - Inception
Synopsis:
In the film Inception, Dom, the main character was exiled out of the US because his wife committed suicide and framed it on him after Dom planted an idea in her mind by going through her dream. However, his family is still there, and Dom tries to find a way back into the US. He then meets Saito, who says he can clear Dom's records if Dom goes into Fischer's dream and finds the code for the safe which contains important information. Dom agrees and does his best trying to come back to the US.
What are the layers of context/setting in this film?
The obvious is that Dom is trying to go into other people's dreams and fight off all the projections that appear in every person's dream. Every time he is fighting these projections, his deceased wife Mal appears, and every time he is reluctant to shoot her because he loves her. However, she is dead, and what's dead is dead; in other words, Mal cannot be the same Mal he once loved. The dream purposely put Mal in for a projection to stop Dom because he know he would never be able to get past it. In the end, he has to face himself and kill her for himself and his family. In order to return to the US, Dom has to steal the information via a number of dreams, or, in other words dreams within a dream; each of these dreams gets hasher and darker as the layers of dreams build up. The first layer is a rainy city, the second a hotel, the third and bottom layer is the cold and snowy mountains - all of these layers have projections, more as Dom goes deeper.
What expression of darkness had the most impact on you and why?
In the film Inception, Dom, the main character, was going into Fischer's dream and trying to steal information from him using methods to convince him that he is in a dream. This expression of darkness impacted me the most because Dom is going into other people's privacy and tricking them into telling him valuable information. If anyone did this in the world we live in today, that person who has the ability to go dream-travelling would make huge amounts of money, as he would have all the information he would need in this world! However, it is too bad that we do not have this technology in this world, as it would be totally unjust, unless if we were Dom, because of his situation of not being able to return to US and seeing his family after his wife Mal committed suicide and framed it on him. Dom going to other people's dreams and stealing information is absolute darkness, but we do not realize it because of his situation.
EQ-How does the study of fiction and nonfiction texts help individuals construct their understanding of reality?
We do not live in a perfect world; everybody knows that. There are always something lurking around, something mysterious that nobody knows. When Inception talks about technology that could permit people to go into other people's dreams, most people would open their minds and say "Hey, could this actually be possible?" In this case, there is no evidence that technology could allow us to invade other people's minds, however, this also tells us that there is more to this world than what we only see. There could be an asteroid coming towards Earth right now, or there could be an atomic bomb project right this instant, and nobody knows about it. Therefore, we must be aware that anything could happen in this reality.
Connection
I like to connect this film to I Am Legend because of the risk it takes to do something. In Inception, when Dom and his team go dream-travelling, there are many projections who try to stop them, including a projection of Dom's wife, Mal. Should a member die while in a dream, they will go into limbo, where they are trapped forever. The risk in I Am Legend is the cure for cancer. When a cure is finally found, the cure mutates into a more deadly strain of virus, which basically exterminates the world. This explains that whenever we try to accomplish a task, me must think of all the consequences associated with it.
How does the filmmaker convey evil or darkness?
The filmmaker conveys evil through its plot and characters and setting. The plot focuses on Dom going through other people's brains and stealing information. This infringes on privacy rights. Also, there is a lot of violence in this film. The characters also convey evil and darkness. Mal, Dom's wife had committed suicide already, but every time Dom goes into a dream, Mal is there as a projection, always wanting to give Dom failure. The people stealing information from other people's minds also conveys darkness. The setting conveys darkness too. In one scene, it shows the levels of the elevator of Dom's dream; each with a different memory of Dom and his family. One level shows his kids in a sunny day playing and having fun, while the very bottom level displays a hotel room, all wrecked, glass shattered everywhere, toppled furniture, and an open balcony where Mal commits suicide. Along with the tone of the music, every time we think about this kind of setting, we can get an impression of Mal framing her suicide on Dom.
T-W: This world is full of people robbing and stealing from other people. Most of the time, we despise these thieves because they are violating human rights and infringing on our privacy. However, we do have to understand that some of them have a ethical purpose just like Dom trying to get back to the US to see his family again. Maybe the people are poor and have nothing so they steal, or maybe people steal because someone else has treated them unfairly - Whatever the case is, we have to differentiate what kind of thievery is good and bad, and help the people who desperately need help
How can a character represent darkness?
A character a represent darkness through their thoughts and actions. In one scene, Dom and his team were forcing Fischer to spill out the code because of the greed of the information inside the safe. Also, Dom's thoughts of Mal will always scar him and always influence him in every choice that he makes, as the distant memory still exists in his mind. Mal, as a projection, will always try to cause Dom failure.
In the film Inception, Dom, the main character was exiled out of the US because his wife committed suicide and framed it on him after Dom planted an idea in her mind by going through her dream. However, his family is still there, and Dom tries to find a way back into the US. He then meets Saito, who says he can clear Dom's records if Dom goes into Fischer's dream and finds the code for the safe which contains important information. Dom agrees and does his best trying to come back to the US.
What are the layers of context/setting in this film?
The obvious is that Dom is trying to go into other people's dreams and fight off all the projections that appear in every person's dream. Every time he is fighting these projections, his deceased wife Mal appears, and every time he is reluctant to shoot her because he loves her. However, she is dead, and what's dead is dead; in other words, Mal cannot be the same Mal he once loved. The dream purposely put Mal in for a projection to stop Dom because he know he would never be able to get past it. In the end, he has to face himself and kill her for himself and his family. In order to return to the US, Dom has to steal the information via a number of dreams, or, in other words dreams within a dream; each of these dreams gets hasher and darker as the layers of dreams build up. The first layer is a rainy city, the second a hotel, the third and bottom layer is the cold and snowy mountains - all of these layers have projections, more as Dom goes deeper.
What expression of darkness had the most impact on you and why?
In the film Inception, Dom, the main character, was going into Fischer's dream and trying to steal information from him using methods to convince him that he is in a dream. This expression of darkness impacted me the most because Dom is going into other people's privacy and tricking them into telling him valuable information. If anyone did this in the world we live in today, that person who has the ability to go dream-travelling would make huge amounts of money, as he would have all the information he would need in this world! However, it is too bad that we do not have this technology in this world, as it would be totally unjust, unless if we were Dom, because of his situation of not being able to return to US and seeing his family after his wife Mal committed suicide and framed it on him. Dom going to other people's dreams and stealing information is absolute darkness, but we do not realize it because of his situation.
EQ-How does the study of fiction and nonfiction texts help individuals construct their understanding of reality?
We do not live in a perfect world; everybody knows that. There are always something lurking around, something mysterious that nobody knows. When Inception talks about technology that could permit people to go into other people's dreams, most people would open their minds and say "Hey, could this actually be possible?" In this case, there is no evidence that technology could allow us to invade other people's minds, however, this also tells us that there is more to this world than what we only see. There could be an asteroid coming towards Earth right now, or there could be an atomic bomb project right this instant, and nobody knows about it. Therefore, we must be aware that anything could happen in this reality.
Connection
I like to connect this film to I Am Legend because of the risk it takes to do something. In Inception, when Dom and his team go dream-travelling, there are many projections who try to stop them, including a projection of Dom's wife, Mal. Should a member die while in a dream, they will go into limbo, where they are trapped forever. The risk in I Am Legend is the cure for cancer. When a cure is finally found, the cure mutates into a more deadly strain of virus, which basically exterminates the world. This explains that whenever we try to accomplish a task, me must think of all the consequences associated with it.
How does the filmmaker convey evil or darkness?
The filmmaker conveys evil through its plot and characters and setting. The plot focuses on Dom going through other people's brains and stealing information. This infringes on privacy rights. Also, there is a lot of violence in this film. The characters also convey evil and darkness. Mal, Dom's wife had committed suicide already, but every time Dom goes into a dream, Mal is there as a projection, always wanting to give Dom failure. The people stealing information from other people's minds also conveys darkness. The setting conveys darkness too. In one scene, it shows the levels of the elevator of Dom's dream; each with a different memory of Dom and his family. One level shows his kids in a sunny day playing and having fun, while the very bottom level displays a hotel room, all wrecked, glass shattered everywhere, toppled furniture, and an open balcony where Mal commits suicide. Along with the tone of the music, every time we think about this kind of setting, we can get an impression of Mal framing her suicide on Dom.
T-W: This world is full of people robbing and stealing from other people. Most of the time, we despise these thieves because they are violating human rights and infringing on our privacy. However, we do have to understand that some of them have a ethical purpose just like Dom trying to get back to the US to see his family again. Maybe the people are poor and have nothing so they steal, or maybe people steal because someone else has treated them unfairly - Whatever the case is, we have to differentiate what kind of thievery is good and bad, and help the people who desperately need help
How can a character represent darkness?
A character a represent darkness through their thoughts and actions. In one scene, Dom and his team were forcing Fischer to spill out the code because of the greed of the information inside the safe. Also, Dom's thoughts of Mal will always scar him and always influence him in every choice that he makes, as the distant memory still exists in his mind. Mal, as a projection, will always try to cause Dom failure.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Cask of Amontillado
What are the layers of context setting in this film?
How does the filmmaker convey evil or darkness? Is i through the plot, imagery, characters, setting? What expressions of darkness had the most impact on you and why?
How can a character represent darkness? Who or what is evil in this film? From whose perspective or in what context?
What factors contribute to the character's evil actions? What patterns in society or contexts help and/or hinder and/or change his behavior?
What are the roots of this person's choices/evil/dark behavior? What are the choices he/she makes or could have done differently?
How does this character/plot/setting symbolize the darkness in all of us? In humanity?
How does the filmmaker convey evil or darkness? Is i through the plot, imagery, characters, setting? What expressions of darkness had the most impact on you and why?
How can a character represent darkness? Who or what is evil in this film? From whose perspective or in what context?
What factors contribute to the character's evil actions? What patterns in society or contexts help and/or hinder and/or change his behavior?
What are the roots of this person's choices/evil/dark behavior? What are the choices he/she makes or could have done differently?
How does this character/plot/setting symbolize the darkness in all of us? In humanity?
Monday, January 10, 2011
Why is there darkness in humanity?
The definition of humanity is the quality of being human. Human nature is usually described as benevolence, kind, caring, et cetera, but wars and violence are also a very big part of humanity. That brings up the question: Why is there darkness in humanity? The literal meaning of darkness is the absence of light, but some further meanings are wickedness or evil, obscurity or concealment. If we turn on the news, chances are they will say something about shootings. This is totally darkness, as anything evil is considered dark also. All the time, we have wars, violence, crimes, thievery - these are all very dark, and they are very well part of human nature. But the real question: Why is it a part of human nature? One may argue that the society is unfair to the citizens, and therefore the citizens rebel by committing crimes. Also, darkness could be used to bring out the justice system. Without bad, there cannot be good. Regardless of the reasons, darkness exists, and it is a big part of human nature.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Act I Scene v REFLECTION
1. In my scene, Act 1 Scene v, Lady Macbeth reads a letter from Macbeth saying that he has been named Thane of Cawdor by the King. This is very surprising to Macbeth because he had visited the witches beforehand and the witches predicted that Macbeth would become the Thane of Cawdor. Lady Macbeth hears this great news and starts to ponder about the fame and power at her hands. That leads to my first essential question: What is ambition? Ambition is the desire for personal achievement. It is what drives us to fulfill what we want or need. For me, I have the ambition to do well in school. I would try my hardest, and do all the work assigned to the best level possible. In Macbeth, Lady Macbeth has the ambition to become famous and powerful, and that is why she "loves" Macbeth, not because she actually loves him dearly, but because she sees the potential to become famous and powerful.
2. I learned that working in groups is not as easy and smooth as expected. At the beginning, Brenden and I could not choose what scene to do because there were too many to choose from and that we were too slow to choose; other people have taken it before us. However, there were more than enough scenes available to the entire class, and so we were able to decide on one. Another area is trying to find availability. Chyna was never available to do it on the weekends, so we decided to finish it on a Thursday, however, Brenden did not come, and so we did not finish. That is another thing I learned. One can never trust another one's words.
3. Overall, something important that I have learned is that if something is not 100% done, never put it on one person's hand to finish it and expect it to be 100% finished. When I left Brenden's house on Sunday, it was pretty much completed, except that he needed to add voices and animations to the video. To one's surprise, the program kept on crashing on him an he resorted to making a power-point with no animation and no voices, so we had to read it out on the spot, which Ms. Caldwell told us exactly not to to.
4. Something that I noticed that I need to work on for next time is speaking in front of the entire class. I feel that I did not speak entirely of what I have planned to speak in front of the class, and many times I just could not find the correct word to perfectly describe the situation when I was explaining the plot summary and essential questions, and therefore stumble and leave a huge gap in the oral presentation. I never bring a piece of paper up to reference to because I think that it would be more professional to go up there and present by pure knowledge. Next time I will rehearse a little more and try to be more relaxed when standing up there in front of the class.
5. Overall, something that I am proud of is that with our difficulties of our group (we could never get together and work as one), we still managed to pull this out and finish this project with some quality.
6. Brenden - 45%
Don - 40%
Chyna - 15%
We fail!
But screw your courage to the stick place,
And we'll not fail. When Duncan is asleep -
Whereto the rather shall his day's hard journey
soundly invite him - his two chamberlains
Will I with wine and wassel so convince,
That memory, the warder of the brain,
Shall be a fume, and the receipt of reason
A limbeck only: when in swinish sleep
Their drenched natures lie as in a death,
What cannot you and I perform upon
The unguarded Duncan? what not put upon
His spongy officers who shall bear the guilt
Of our great quell? (I,vii,66-79)
In this quote, Lady Macbeth has the perfect plan - make the two guards drunk and Macbeth murders King Duncan. Determination is a quality needed for ambition. Even to this extent - Killing somebody - Lady Macbeth still has the motivation to do anything necessary to get what she desires most. Sadly, this ambition involves crime, and crime is unjust. Now both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth have this huge dilemma: Get power and fame for the expense of committing a crime, or don't do anything and get nothing. Lady Macbeth convinces Macbeth of all the prizes that could be theirs if he kills King Duncan - and Macbeth is convinced. Therefore, Lady Macbeth has more power over her husband, which leads to my next essential question: How does power corrupt? As we all know, Lady Macbeth and Macbeth team up together to kill King Duncan. This messes up the entire hierarchy and kingdom as without a King, there is no order. Macbeth was later named King, however, because that he has power over everybody, he can do whatever he wants to. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth still have the ambition for more power and fame, and so Macbeth orders people to kill Banquo, because Macbeth is afraid that Banquo will snatch his power away from him (As prophesized by the witches).
Thou shalt get kings, though thou be non: So all hail, Macbeth and Banquo! (I,iii,70-71)
Macbeth is still obsessed with the witches' prophecies to Banquo, and so he dispatches people to kill him. Another murder! Power is corrupting out of control! Lady Macbeth corrupts Macbeth with power by convincing him to kill the King, and with that newly acquired power, Macbeth corrupts even more by ordering people to murder Banquo, which leads to more power, which then he will corrupt by killing MacDuff's family. This is how power corrupts.
3. Overall, something important that I have learned is that if something is not 100% done, never put it on one person's hand to finish it and expect it to be 100% finished. When I left Brenden's house on Sunday, it was pretty much completed, except that he needed to add voices and animations to the video. To one's surprise, the program kept on crashing on him an he resorted to making a power-point with no animation and no voices, so we had to read it out on the spot, which Ms. Caldwell told us exactly not to to.
4. Something that I noticed that I need to work on for next time is speaking in front of the entire class. I feel that I did not speak entirely of what I have planned to speak in front of the class, and many times I just could not find the correct word to perfectly describe the situation when I was explaining the plot summary and essential questions, and therefore stumble and leave a huge gap in the oral presentation. I never bring a piece of paper up to reference to because I think that it would be more professional to go up there and present by pure knowledge. Next time I will rehearse a little more and try to be more relaxed when standing up there in front of the class.
5. Overall, something that I am proud of is that with our difficulties of our group (we could never get together and work as one), we still managed to pull this out and finish this project with some quality.
6. Brenden - 45%
Don - 40%
Chyna - 15%
Monday, November 15, 2010
Act 1 Scene 5
This scene is about Lady Macbeth, in Inverness, reading a letter from her husband, Macbeth, about the witches saying " 'All hail, Macbeth! That shalt be king hereafter.' " (23), which is ironic because "the missives from the king, all-hailed [him], 'Thane of Cawdor' (39). Macbeth wants his wife to keep it secret. Then, she talks to herself saying that Macbeth will be the King, and she is going to talk him out of whatever is stopping him from doing so.
Afterward, a messenger enters, saying that "The king come here to-night" (41) Lady Macbeth starts to develop an evil plan in her mind. She says: " 'Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, and fill me, from the crown to the toe, top-full of direst cruelty! make thick my blood, stop up the access and passage to remorse, that no compunctious visitings of nature shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between the effect and it!' " (41). Macbeth enters, and Lady Macbeth convinces Macbeth to murder the King。
I have decided to pick the following essential questions:
What is ambition? - Lady Macbeth has lots of ambition to kill Duncan
What is loyalty? - Macbeth is loyal to King Duncan at first
What is power? - Being Thane of Cawdor, Macbeth has lots of power, but not as much as the King
How does power corrupt? - Macbeth and his wife have the ability to kill King Duncan
How far is one willing to "go" to get what they desire most? - Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are willing to kill the King
Afterward, a messenger enters, saying that "The king come here to-night" (41) Lady Macbeth starts to develop an evil plan in her mind. She says: " 'Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, and fill me, from the crown to the toe, top-full of direst cruelty! make thick my blood, stop up the access and passage to remorse, that no compunctious visitings of nature shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between the effect and it!' " (41). Macbeth enters, and Lady Macbeth convinces Macbeth to murder the King。
I have decided to pick the following essential questions:
What is ambition? - Lady Macbeth has lots of ambition to kill Duncan
What is loyalty? - Macbeth is loyal to King Duncan at first
What is power? - Being Thane of Cawdor, Macbeth has lots of power, but not as much as the King
How does power corrupt? - Macbeth and his wife have the ability to kill King Duncan
How far is one willing to "go" to get what they desire most? - Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are willing to kill the King
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