Every average movie, and some great, can be categorized. I categorize a movie by its purpose. The five purposes I chose to classify movies are:
Made for the Effects:
Examples- X-men, Ironman
Made to Create Good Feelings:
Examples- Hairspray, Lion King
Made to Give Hope to Romantics:
Examples- Music and Lyrics, 27 Dresses
Made for Laughs:
Examples- Wild Hogs, Cheaper by the Dozen
Made to Make People Think:
Examples- Inconvinient Truth, Precious
Judgement of a movie is, of course, a matter a preference and opinion. Some of these movies, like Music and Lyrics, I consider wonderful. Others I feel are just average. Despite the obvious place of personal preference in the judgement of movies, some movies are accepted, in general, as being monumental. The trait that causes such acclaim has to do with where it is categorized, in a way. Truly fantastic movies cannot be classified by one purpose. An example of a universally loved movie is Shrek. The animated movie used the lastest and greatest animation had to offer, employed some of the best actors in comedy, and followed a simple, yet meaningful, plotline about love and judging people for who they are, not what they look like. By these merits, it fits in every category. This trait creates great movies. They have something for everyone and cannot be categorized by stereotypes of any kind.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Pink Flamingo Reflection (Blog 12)
Self-Check:
1) Yes, I think I answered the prompt well. I adressed the main arguements the author made concerning idolization and culture.
2) My thesis could have been a bit clearer and more direct to the prompt.
3) My essay focuses on two main points but they come together pretty well to answer the prompt.
4) Though the timed situation restricted me from covering my topics as thoroughly as they should have been, I did focus on two main arguments and develop them.
5) I should have used more direct quotes rather than just alluding to the text.
Reflection:
1) I got to learn about an interesting subject while writing this essay and my interest in the subject made writing it easier.
2) I didn't go into the flamingo in other cultures due to a lack of time despite its importance to the original text.
3) If given more time I would add more supporting evidence from the text and expand on the other culture idea.
4) Because I outlined as soon as I read the prompt, my structure remained consistent with just a few bumps where I couldn't get my thoughts together about certain parts of the text I planned to talk about.
5) As I wrote I saw that the essay moves its perspective of the flamingo from a front lawn to a global perspective, an interesting way to organize the essay.
6) For the next timed write, I need to support my claims with more quotes and focus only on concepts I know I can support.
1) Yes, I think I answered the prompt well. I adressed the main arguements the author made concerning idolization and culture.
2) My thesis could have been a bit clearer and more direct to the prompt.
3) My essay focuses on two main points but they come together pretty well to answer the prompt.
4) Though the timed situation restricted me from covering my topics as thoroughly as they should have been, I did focus on two main arguments and develop them.
5) I should have used more direct quotes rather than just alluding to the text.
Reflection:
1) I got to learn about an interesting subject while writing this essay and my interest in the subject made writing it easier.
2) I didn't go into the flamingo in other cultures due to a lack of time despite its importance to the original text.
3) If given more time I would add more supporting evidence from the text and expand on the other culture idea.
4) Because I outlined as soon as I read the prompt, my structure remained consistent with just a few bumps where I couldn't get my thoughts together about certain parts of the text I planned to talk about.
5) As I wrote I saw that the essay moves its perspective of the flamingo from a front lawn to a global perspective, an interesting way to organize the essay.
6) For the next timed write, I need to support my claims with more quotes and focus only on concepts I know I can support.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Definition Essay Reflection (Blog 11)
Culminating Writers Profile:
1) Since I started AP Language I have come to expect my essays to go through many phases before the final copy. I've been trying to get more in the habit of outlining and preplanning to better structure my essays.
2) My strengths lie in the creative parts of forming an essay and in tying things up well. I'm learning to reinforce these by strengthening body paragraphs.
3) My weakness is getting off track when dealing with a confusing prompt. I'm trying to get in the habit of really clarifing what I'm being asked by the prompt before I start writing.
Evaluating My Writing Process:
1) If I had time to write another draft I would be more sure to show my views that are different from the already accepted views more prominently.
2) The easiest things to change were simple things like sentence structure and wording.
3) I struggled to work my example story into the main essay better.
Evaluating My Sucesses:
1) My most successful large scale revision was restructuring my essay to make my point and purpose flow better.
2) According to those who reviewed my essay, my strongest use of language was in the concluding paragraph where I listed the decending nouns relating to overachieving.
3) I'm not sure on this one, maybe when I gave the specific stories of students...
Being Honest With Self:
1) I was intimidated by selecting a topic because I was afraid I'd pick a cliche one. I combated this fear by selecting something I'm used to talking about that I've developed unique ideas about over the years.
2) The texts we used in preparation for this essay, like those about connotation, helped me understand what I was supposed to accomplish.
3) Through other students I was able to become comfortable using myself as an example. (I always thought that was the worst thing you could do in an essay.)
4) Soiyer helped me word my introduction better.
5) This essay developed me into a better writer because it indroduced me to a new genre I can now use to express different ideas I have.
1) Since I started AP Language I have come to expect my essays to go through many phases before the final copy. I've been trying to get more in the habit of outlining and preplanning to better structure my essays.
2) My strengths lie in the creative parts of forming an essay and in tying things up well. I'm learning to reinforce these by strengthening body paragraphs.
3) My weakness is getting off track when dealing with a confusing prompt. I'm trying to get in the habit of really clarifing what I'm being asked by the prompt before I start writing.
Evaluating My Writing Process:
1) If I had time to write another draft I would be more sure to show my views that are different from the already accepted views more prominently.
2) The easiest things to change were simple things like sentence structure and wording.
3) I struggled to work my example story into the main essay better.
Evaluating My Sucesses:
1) My most successful large scale revision was restructuring my essay to make my point and purpose flow better.
2) According to those who reviewed my essay, my strongest use of language was in the concluding paragraph where I listed the decending nouns relating to overachieving.
3) I'm not sure on this one, maybe when I gave the specific stories of students...
Being Honest With Self:
1) I was intimidated by selecting a topic because I was afraid I'd pick a cliche one. I combated this fear by selecting something I'm used to talking about that I've developed unique ideas about over the years.
2) The texts we used in preparation for this essay, like those about connotation, helped me understand what I was supposed to accomplish.
3) Through other students I was able to become comfortable using myself as an example. (I always thought that was the worst thing you could do in an essay.)
4) Soiyer helped me word my introduction better.
5) This essay developed me into a better writer because it indroduced me to a new genre I can now use to express different ideas I have.
Friday, September 17, 2010
To Be Nobody (Blog 10)
No one is truly a nobody. Every person living is a person, and therefore, somebody. However, some use the term to describe a certain type of somebody. Someone who is called a "nobody" is generally someone reclusive, without devotion to something or someone, someone with nothing to associate themself with.
It's highly unlikely that someone is born a nobody. When children are born, they are hopefully associated with their family, and taken in as a somebody. What causes nobodiness comes later. When someone is either unwilling or uninvited to "get in there" and make a name for themself, they may end up later as a "nobody". Not necessarily defining oneself, but finding something that makes them who they are is a cure for the feeling of nobodiness.
It's highly unlikely that someone is born a nobody. When children are born, they are hopefully associated with their family, and taken in as a somebody. What causes nobodiness comes later. When someone is either unwilling or uninvited to "get in there" and make a name for themself, they may end up later as a "nobody". Not necessarily defining oneself, but finding something that makes them who they are is a cure for the feeling of nobodiness.
The Affect of Tuesdays with Morrie (Blog 9)
Mitch Albom's Tuesdays with Morrie uses the story of Albom, his professor, and their last "class" together to teach a variety of life lessons, from money to how love goes on. What I most took from the book was the idea that when humans approach the time when they will die, their priorites change dramatically and they learn to appriciate things. The book taught me also how younger people can apply this to their own lives.
At one point, Albom notes that Morrie has not bought anything new, except medical equipment and other necessities, since he was diagnosed with ALS. However, Morrie invites dear friends and family to his residence everyday. As soon as he knows he's dying, the most important aspects of his life are his lifelong passion of teaching, and his personal relationships. Constantly he tells Albom, "Love each other or die". Morrie's example of what becomes important close to death applies to the younger generation because Morrie teaches that we should all live in a loving way throughout our lives.
Tuesdays with Morrie made me think as I read it. After reading the story of an old, dying, professor, who wants nothing more than to teach and develop relationships with loved ones, it became hard to not appriciate those I love and how I'm still able to fully enjoy their company. This insight along with many others is what made the book the world-wide inspiration it is.
At one point, Albom notes that Morrie has not bought anything new, except medical equipment and other necessities, since he was diagnosed with ALS. However, Morrie invites dear friends and family to his residence everyday. As soon as he knows he's dying, the most important aspects of his life are his lifelong passion of teaching, and his personal relationships. Constantly he tells Albom, "Love each other or die". Morrie's example of what becomes important close to death applies to the younger generation because Morrie teaches that we should all live in a loving way throughout our lives.
Tuesdays with Morrie made me think as I read it. After reading the story of an old, dying, professor, who wants nothing more than to teach and develop relationships with loved ones, it became hard to not appriciate those I love and how I'm still able to fully enjoy their company. This insight along with many others is what made the book the world-wide inspiration it is.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
How I Define Cocky (Blog 8)
When some amount of people go into a competetive situation in which they'd all like to succeed, three stereotypes come out. First, those who feel down on theirselves. In their mind, they can't be great; they can't win. Second, there are those who enter into the situation cautiously confident, hoping for success, and trying dilligently to achieve it. Then there's that type that drives the other two types off the wall. The cocky ones.
Cockiness is one quality, perceived as negative, that can be developed through a very positive quality, confidence. I once read that psychologists believe every person is born shy and through their experiences learn to grow confident. If this is true, it is also through experience the confident grow cocky. The negative trait, born from good, can be defined most simply as the opposite of humility. The cocky are those who are so overly confident, they have put themselves on a different level than their peers, or competition. Cocky people feel as though they have nothing to learn from the less confident, nothing truly friendly to say to them. I have seen this many times in my life, so constantly surrounded by overacheivers. Be it running, or dancing, or writing an essay, there will always be those who feel they are on a different level, and to those perceived as being below them, it hurts.
Just as we've all been to the shy and uncomforable end of the scale, most of us have been cocky. When I moved to Vacaville and found myself in a ninth grade English class with a curriculum strikingly similar to the one my Fairfield school used in eighth grade, I was probably the cockiest I've been in my life, for awhile. Such a mindset made it harder to meet people, because I ranked myself above them, and harder to stay alert to what was happening in class. In short, it hurt my English grade, and, as a bonus, my brand new Vacan relationships. Perhaps the key to being successful really is to, as they say, "not get cocky". There is always something one person can bring another, in spite of "ranking" that doesn't actually exsist.
Cockiness is one quality, perceived as negative, that can be developed through a very positive quality, confidence. I once read that psychologists believe every person is born shy and through their experiences learn to grow confident. If this is true, it is also through experience the confident grow cocky. The negative trait, born from good, can be defined most simply as the opposite of humility. The cocky are those who are so overly confident, they have put themselves on a different level than their peers, or competition. Cocky people feel as though they have nothing to learn from the less confident, nothing truly friendly to say to them. I have seen this many times in my life, so constantly surrounded by overacheivers. Be it running, or dancing, or writing an essay, there will always be those who feel they are on a different level, and to those perceived as being below them, it hurts.
Just as we've all been to the shy and uncomforable end of the scale, most of us have been cocky. When I moved to Vacaville and found myself in a ninth grade English class with a curriculum strikingly similar to the one my Fairfield school used in eighth grade, I was probably the cockiest I've been in my life, for awhile. Such a mindset made it harder to meet people, because I ranked myself above them, and harder to stay alert to what was happening in class. In short, it hurt my English grade, and, as a bonus, my brand new Vacan relationships. Perhaps the key to being successful really is to, as they say, "not get cocky". There is always something one person can bring another, in spite of "ranking" that doesn't actually exsist.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
An Argument Against the Common Perception of War (Blog 7)
War is percieved in a certain way by many. Most visualize war as strong young men, with thorough integrity when it comes to their cause, fighting day and night for what they believe in. However, in Stephen Crane's classic novel The Red Badge of Courage, Crane gives war a whole new face. His main character, Henry, spends most of his time sitting around with his regiment as they bet amongst themselves when the army will move next. When they finally do fight, it's very spread out and anticlimatic.
There is also a certain perception that once a soldier's duty is done, they return home to a loving wife and two kids with a giant flag hanging over their doorway. Henry's story simply doesn't end this way. He just marches off.
Crane argues that society needs to change their perceptions of war. He shows how it isn't pretty, it isn't exciting, and too often it ends in a quiet, anticlimatic way, rather than the big, fantastic way some would like to think. I agree with his arguement. In school we learn from nonfiction autobiographies and memoirs about real war, how it really is. Through these books I've learned to see war in this new light and have developed an opinion similar to the one Crane portrays in Red Badge of Courage.
There is also a certain perception that once a soldier's duty is done, they return home to a loving wife and two kids with a giant flag hanging over their doorway. Henry's story simply doesn't end this way. He just marches off.
Crane argues that society needs to change their perceptions of war. He shows how it isn't pretty, it isn't exciting, and too often it ends in a quiet, anticlimatic way, rather than the big, fantastic way some would like to think. I agree with his arguement. In school we learn from nonfiction autobiographies and memoirs about real war, how it really is. Through these books I've learned to see war in this new light and have developed an opinion similar to the one Crane portrays in Red Badge of Courage.
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