Chapter 5 Exercise 1

Charlip uses several different tools to distinguish her thoughts from those of others. She blatantly labels was they say when she says "Marx and Engels wrote:" and "his definition:". With this she leaves you no doubt that these are other people's ideas and not her own. She goes on to start stating her own opinion and shows her disagreement when she says "if only that were true". Charlip almost has a bit of disbelieving or frustrating tone in her writing when she is stating someone else's opinion. For example when she says "I'm sure thats what my father would tell you." She seems very bothered by the fact that people are not aware of our changing society and the blurry class lines, and I feel this is subtly shown through her writing. 

Chapter 4 Exercise 1

After reading the article I came to the conclusion that she was disagreeing with arguments of the other authors. I feel she believes they do not hold as much credit as they could because the student work/ social class scenario has not been studied in the US yet. It seems like maybe, if it had there is a chance she would agree with the authors, however at this point since it has not she feels their points do not hold much value. The theory seems to hold potential for being true, it just needs to be investigated in the US.

Exercise 7J

Cassidy Trom's writing most resembles an article in a newspaper or a magazine to me. What stood out to me was the way she had pictures placed within the text, and some larger quotes placed in as well. I have seen articles in magazines formated this way, so naturally when reading this piece I would not take it very seriously or really think about it as I was reading. 

I think removing the pictures and reformatted it with out the large quotes would really make the paper more like a research paper. Honestly, I would never have thought this was a research paper because it seemed more like a human interest column article. It would defiantly be more professional and appropriate if the images were taken out and the text was not split into two columns. 

Movie Review: Second Draft

Growing up I was never a fan of comic books or movies made from graphic novels so I was a little skeptical when I started watching Persepolis. One the film got rolling I was immediately captivated by Marjane’s wit and her story. As one critic, Peter Howell, points out many people think “shouldn’t cartoons be limited to light and happy topics?” That’s what we are taught as children! This movie proves that graphic novels turned into film can be a mature blend of charm, sorrow, and laughs.

            One thing that stood out to me was the way the movie started out in color, with Marjane as a grown woman. The director approached the plot as he looking back on her life and telling her story. I found this technique to be very effective in conveying the gravity of her tale. This flashback approach effectively grabs the viewer’s attention and sparks curiosity.

            Usually I am not a fan of subtitles but in this film I actually think they helped! Since you had to keep up reading them it really makes you focus on the movie and look for inflection in the actor’s voices to determine connotation and meaning.

            Some may argue that the film is very jumpy and chopped up from the transitions, however when going from a comic book to a film it seems inevitable. The breaking up of scenes is actually quite effective in showing her “flashbacks” throughout the film. While it is a tad jumpy, the film keeps you tuned in and doesn’t lose the viewer.

            Despite the gloom and intensity of Marjane’s story, Paronnaud managed to incorporate humor and a slight sense of lightheartedness. Marjane’s life experiences such as going to the concert, dating a man who turns out to be gay, and shopping for music tapes show a completely different side of life during this time. Despite all the war and death surrounding the main characters they still manage to find glee. In the graphic novel you can tell Marjane is a spunky little girl, but he plays it up and uses it as comic relief.

            McCloud describes that comics often use “amplification through simplification” (McCloud 30). The use of black and white in the movie in Marjane’s flashbacks is effective in showing how it was a time of darkness with some happiness, however she had not found herself quite yet. She was on her journey to find who she was. Paronnaud’s use of color when she is a grown woman in the airport is symbolic of her overcoming her hardships. The simple black and white coloring is powerful and effective in the film.

Overall I thought Persepolis was a fantastic film. It stayed true to the graphic novel. While it may seem a heavy subject there is still plenty of laughs to be found in the film. Even if you were never a comic book fan and think you may not enjoy a film made from one, you should see Persepolis and I bet you would change your mind.

 

Persepolis Movie Review

 

            After reading the graphic novel, I was a little skeptical as to how it would be changed into an interesting movie, however to my surprise Paronnaud successfully brought Marjane’s story to life. He did not stick to the graphic novel completely however he did derive a good majority.

            One thing that stood out to me was the way the movie started out in color, with Marjane as a grown woman. He approached the plot as he looking back on her life and telling her story. I found this technique to be very effective in conveying the gravity of her tale. She seems to be alive and doing well, but you can tell she has been through hard times. This flashback approach effectively grabs the viewer’s attention and sparks curiosity.

            Despite the gloom and intensity of Marjane’s story, Paronnaud managed to incorporate humor and a slight sense of lightheartedness. Marjane’s life experiences such as going to the concert, dating a man who turns out to be gay, and shopping for music tapes show a completely different side of life during this time. Despite all the war and death surrounding the main characters they still manage to find glee. In the graphic novel you can tell Marjane is a spunky little girl, but he plays it up and uses it as comic relief.

            The use of black and white in the movie in Marjane’s flashbacks is effective in showing how it was a time of darkness with some happiness, however she had not found herself quite yet. She was on her journey to find who she was. I think Paronnaud’s use of color when she is a grown woman in the airport is symbolic of her overcoming her hardships and growing into the woman she is.

            Overall I thought Persepolis was a fantastic film. It stayed true to the graphic novel, while only omitting a few things, and only added aspects that enhanced the film but did not alter the plot in any way. Marjane’s story was brought to life in a spectacular blend of sorrow and humor.

Spidey Review Comparisons

After reading both Gilchrist and Eberts reviews it is clear that the two critics have completely different views on Spiderman 2. 

Gilchrist did not like the movie at all. He focuses on the fact that he felt certain aspects of the movie were drawn on for too long. He did not seem to be entertained by this sequel, but rather bored. He goes as far to say that one particular scene "drags down the flow of the picture". While he does give the film some credit, he states he felt like it continued to repeat and dwell on information the audience already knew and to take jokes too far to the point that they weren't even funny anymore. Gilchrist states that the film had "glaring flaws" but he also says that "its a pretty great film." He admits earlier in his review that he had extremely high expectations for the movie, which may have skewed his opinion.

Eberts, on the other hand, found Spiderman 2 spectacular and has nothing but good things to say. At the very beginning he describes it as "the best superhero movie". The main focus of Eberts review is how he admires the way Raimi incorporated both the superhero action along with the human story aspect. He attributes this meshing of two ideals to the success of the film. The connotation of the words in his review are all very positive and he doesn't really mention anything he found wrong with it. Unlike Gilchrist, Eberts found the movie captivating. He describes Raimi's "masterpiece" as almost "effortless". 

Comparing the Comic to the Film

My overall impression is that the film did a very good job of staying true to the comic. Of course there are going to be differences because some things have to be changed or added when it was turned into a film but overall it seems to be pretty accurate. I really enjoyed watching it because it brought the graphic novel to life for me. 

I liked the way they kept it in black and white for the most part, and that the pictures were the same or at least very very similar. The parts that they took out were not pivotal moments, which sometimes happens, and did not effect the story-line that much. I do wish they included more about the young girls schooling and all the drama along with it. 

The character Marjane was really brought to life in the film. In the graphic novel you can tell she is a spunky little girl, however she is incredibly spunky and sassy in the film. She adds a bit of comic relief to the heavy topic. 

I think the makers of the film left out the part about her parents trip because it wasn't really necessary. However I liked that part and i wish they had added it! I found the part about hiding the posters very amusing and clever.

Overall I really liked the film and I'm looking forward to finishing it! 

Exercise #1

a. Scientists say that the groundwater in Ohio is clean.

b. A number of critics have applauded the authors work as being flawless. 

c. Many americas find football to be an exciting and entertaining past time.

d. As the world is evolving, many americans believe women are stepping it up in the classroom.

e. The review described the movie as an intense thriller keeping you on the edge of your seat and your hands over your eyes. 

f. The authors stress that giving templates does not disable one from expressing his/her individuality. 

McCloud does a lot of the whole they say I say thing when he is describing that a comic book is more than just a humorous part of the newspaper. He titles the chapter "Setting the Record Straight" and proceeds to argue against the common belief in the crudeness of comics. He takes what people thought comic books meant, and describes what they mean to him. He claims they "defined what comics could be to narrowly" and that really "the potential of comics is limitless and exciting! " 

I found this reading to be very interest. I admit, I did not know much about comics before reading this. I never really got into comics, I only read a couple ones from the sunday paper every once and a while. I will admit that before reading this I did think of comics as just short little silly pieces made solely for the purpose of making you laugh. After reading this I have a much different opinion of comics.

I had no idea that comics could be used in a professional manor. Comics is simply a medium. I am excited to read a comic that tells a story because I have never done that before. They layout of the piece we just read was really fun and easy to read, yet very informative. Actually I feel that comics could have more of an impact than straight paragraphs because they can be more easily remembered. 

I found the whole section about icons to be very interesting and so true. I liked how he described cartooning as "amplification through simplification". While it may come off that cartoons eliminate features, the author points out that its not eliminating it but rather amplifying specific features that make it unique or easily recognizable. I really liked this reading and its made me excited to read a story in comic form. 

My Own Writing Process

When I start writing a paper, I usually like to start by "brainstorming" or writing down any ideas that come to my head and making a brief outline. I generally like to do this part on paper with a pen or pencil. At this step I'm really just letting my mind go and not thinking twice about what I'm writing. I can always correct mistakes or take stuff out later. 

I usually write at my desk in the dorm room, if it is quiet. If its to distracting then I go to the library and sit in the study cubicles. For me to be fully focused I need silence, especially when I'm just getting started. I think if it is noisy, you are more likely to make a mistake. 

When I begin drafting I use my brainstorm and outline to guide me. I pretty much write whatever comes to mind as I follow my outline. I don't really worry about following the outline exactly because its more of a guide and I often add things as they come to me anyways. Since I write down whatever comes to mind, revision plays a major role in my writing process. I often revise it 5 or 6 times before I even begin to solely focus on grammatical errors. 

In the past my workshop and peer review experiences have been pretty lame. We often just looked for grammatical errors and gave what we learned as "golden praise". My ideal writing circumstances would include intense workshopping. I think it would really help me grow as a writer and be a lot more productive then they were in high school

A workshop draft does not have to look 100% done by any means. It can be full of errors and misspelled words. The main point is to just get all your words down on paper. It doesn't have to be perfect, you just need to get your thoughts down! Write whatever you are thinking. The audience is really for whoever you are writing the paper for, such as your teacher, and who ever is workshopping it for you. Your final draft should look different. It should be error free with sentence variation and sophistication. The audience should be geared towards whoever you are writing the paper for and not your workshopping group!

For EssayR I would advise him to use more sophisticated language and more sentence variation. The other major problem I saw was that he needs to use more sources to prove his points. More sources would help the paper so much. It would make it more professional and reliable. 

After reading EssayR I would give the author a B. I think he could have done a better job comparing the two time periods, and made the distinctions between the two a little more clear. I also feel like the author could have used more elevated language than he did, but then again I do not know how formal this paper was supposed to be. Overall the paper was pretty good and flowed, however I wish he used more sources and concrete facts to back up his points. The single source was only mentioned in the very beginning of the paper. 

I think the rhetorical situation the editorial is responding to is the 2008 primaries. He obviously is not a fan of the Clintons so he was was trying to persuade people against voting for Hillary Clinton in the 2008 primary. He is trying to appeal to potential voters especially democratic ones who may have considered voting for her. 

The genre conventions that stood out to me for editorials are the author's extremely strong opinion and harsh words. I have never written in this genre before because I have not had an intense opinion i feel the need to express. 

An editorial is a good genre for him to express his opinion considering he is a college student. Another genre he could use is a commercial or handing out fliers. The disadvantage of a commercial is that being a college student, he does not have the resources to make a commercial and get it out there. The advantage of it, if it was possible, would be that a whole lot more people would see it because unfortunately more people watch tv then read the newspaper. 

The editorial itself is very strongly opinionated. The other hints at the fact that he is a republican, however all his views directly point to the right side. What he is  saying is a bit contradictory because he is saying don't vote for Hillary, however, she might be easier to beat. Being a republican, wouldn't he want an opponent who is easier to beat? Also, his whole argument is based on the principle that since Bill Clinton was not a good president, Hillary would not make a good president. Just because they are married does not mean that they are the same person. She cannot be blamed for his mistakes, and if anything, I bet she learned from his mistakes and is wiser for it. This whole argument is weak, and I think he sounded a little bit ignorant.