1) Choose and read one of the following short stories to complete an analysis of:
Jack London’s “To Build a Fire” http://www.jacklondons.net/buildafire.html
OR
Ray Bradbury’s “There Will Come Soft Rains” http://jerrywbrown.com/datafile/datafile/110/ThereWillComeSoftRains_Bradbury.pdf
2) Respond to your chosen text from a moral/philosophical standpoint on your blog:
Respond to one or more of the following questions…
What consequences do characters face for right or wrong choices?
What lesson is the story teaching?
How do the morals of the story differ from yours?
3) Copy and Paste your response into a word document and print this for tomorrow’s class. Be prepared to discuss your response in small and large groups.
Note: Remember, the Critical Approaches PowerPoint is now in the W: Drive. Use this as a resource if you need further ideas.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Monday, November 28, 2011
My Moral Philosophy Blog Post #2
In order to examine morals and beliefs of others through various stories, we need to first have an idea of what our own moral/philosophical standpoints are. Respond to the following in order to explore your beliefs:
1. My Moral Philosophy is… (Write 1-2 paragraphs responding to this statement. Include your values and morals in this statement. It would be good to include at least your three strongest values in this statement.)
2. Write about a time you learned a lesson(s). Was this a positive or negative experience? How did you contribute to learning this lesson by doing right or wrong? Were there any consequences involved?
1. My Moral Philosophy is… (Write 1-2 paragraphs responding to this statement. Include your values and morals in this statement. It would be good to include at least your three strongest values in this statement.)
2. Write about a time you learned a lesson(s). Was this a positive or negative experience? How did you contribute to learning this lesson by doing right or wrong? Were there any consequences involved?
Monday, November 21, 2011
Post #1 Response
Deep-rooted family conflict drives characters' adventurous motives in both the novel Into the Wild and the film Fantastic Mr. Fox. Both texts have characters that are motivated to act the way they do by their fathers’ behaviors. In Fantastic Mr. Fox, Ash is constantly seeking the approval of his father. This affects his overall disposition towards life, as shown in the scene when Kristofferson arrives and both younger foxes dive into the pool from the tree branch. When Kristofferson is praised for his perfect dive by Mr. Fox, Ash responds by asking his father for equal praise in his own athletic ability. When Ash doesn’t get the affirmation he is looking for, he gets angry. This tension builds throughout the movie, also creating a projected tension between Ash and Kristofferson.
Kristofferson is only a likeable character: he is friendly, balanced, and has many talents. This can be backed up by the fact that most other characters in the film like Kristofferson. Ash only dislikes Kristofferson because he seems superior to Ash in everything he does, and it highlights Ash’s perception of himself that he is somehow inferior to others. This motivates him to “prove” himself to others, his father most importantly, and coerces him to take unnecessary risks, such as going after his father’s tail in Boggis’s kitchen, in order to gain his father’s approval. This mentality is so prevalent in Ash’s mindset, he even goes as far as trying to impress other father-like figures, such as the whack-bat coach, who only reinforces Ash’s sense of inferiority when he indirectly tells Ash he’s still living in his father’s shadow.
Contrastingly, Chris McCandless was motivated to avoid any connection (or approval) from his family, especially his father. His disapproval of his father’s past was one stepping stone in Chris’s increased motivation for avoiding people entirely. “Chris would fixate on his father’s own less than sterling behavior many years earlier and silently denounce him as a sanctimonious hypocrite” (122). His “self-righteous indignation that was impossible to keep bottled up” may have extended to others in the form of a defense mechanism: his ability to distance himself from others emotionally (122).
This mentality, once again, is extended to other father figures in Chris’s life. Chris uses adventure as a means to avoid his relationship with Wayne Westerburg, as described in his last written correspondence to Westerburg: “This is the last you shall hear from me, Wayne … If this adventure proves fatal and you don’t ever hear from me again, I want you to know you’re a great man” (69). The way Chris writes, whether he died or not, he had easily set the groundwork for avoiding Westerburg once again. His finality in the first statement shows he may not have returned to Carthage. This same situation also occurs with Ron Franz and Jan Burres.
In many ways, the avoidance of making strong personal connections seems to be one of the main driving forces for Chris’s nomadic ways and adventurous spirit. By avoiding a traditional lifestyle, he is also able to avoid any ties to others, thus avoiding responsibility all together. In Ash’s case, his strong need for approval drives his passion for adventure. In both of these characters, their motivations for seeking adventure stem from family issues that have, over time, become ingrained into their perceptions of and attitudes towards life.
Kristofferson is only a likeable character: he is friendly, balanced, and has many talents. This can be backed up by the fact that most other characters in the film like Kristofferson. Ash only dislikes Kristofferson because he seems superior to Ash in everything he does, and it highlights Ash’s perception of himself that he is somehow inferior to others. This motivates him to “prove” himself to others, his father most importantly, and coerces him to take unnecessary risks, such as going after his father’s tail in Boggis’s kitchen, in order to gain his father’s approval. This mentality is so prevalent in Ash’s mindset, he even goes as far as trying to impress other father-like figures, such as the whack-bat coach, who only reinforces Ash’s sense of inferiority when he indirectly tells Ash he’s still living in his father’s shadow.
Contrastingly, Chris McCandless was motivated to avoid any connection (or approval) from his family, especially his father. His disapproval of his father’s past was one stepping stone in Chris’s increased motivation for avoiding people entirely. “Chris would fixate on his father’s own less than sterling behavior many years earlier and silently denounce him as a sanctimonious hypocrite” (122). His “self-righteous indignation that was impossible to keep bottled up” may have extended to others in the form of a defense mechanism: his ability to distance himself from others emotionally (122).
This mentality, once again, is extended to other father figures in Chris’s life. Chris uses adventure as a means to avoid his relationship with Wayne Westerburg, as described in his last written correspondence to Westerburg: “This is the last you shall hear from me, Wayne … If this adventure proves fatal and you don’t ever hear from me again, I want you to know you’re a great man” (69). The way Chris writes, whether he died or not, he had easily set the groundwork for avoiding Westerburg once again. His finality in the first statement shows he may not have returned to Carthage. This same situation also occurs with Ron Franz and Jan Burres.
In many ways, the avoidance of making strong personal connections seems to be one of the main driving forces for Chris’s nomadic ways and adventurous spirit. By avoiding a traditional lifestyle, he is also able to avoid any ties to others, thus avoiding responsibility all together. In Ash’s case, his strong need for approval drives his passion for adventure. In both of these characters, their motivations for seeking adventure stem from family issues that have, over time, become ingrained into their perceptions of and attitudes towards life.
Post #1: The Psychological Approach and the Adventurer
Over the past two weeks, we've read and viewed both Into the Wild and "Fantastic Mr. Fox." We've also been studying critical approaches and looking at these texts through the psychological approach lens. Now, it's your turn to put it all together.
For your first blog post, you will need to make a psychological statement about both Into the Wild and "Fantastic Mr. Fox." It is possible to write just one statement about both, or you might choose to write multiple statements and respond to each text individually. You must, however address both texts in this post. Maybe you will address the adventurer's spirit or look at a specific relationship between characters. It is up to you to determine the direction of your approach.
After you come up with a pyschological statement, use this as a topic sentence for your response. Include your own ideas/interpretations along with examples/support from both texts. Be as specific as possible. This means citing page numbers with examples from Into the Wild. For "Fantastic Mr. Fox," use specific scenes and characters in your response.
Remember, the more support, the stronger your case. Your response should be at least 3 paragraphs.
For your first blog post, you will need to make a psychological statement about both Into the Wild and "Fantastic Mr. Fox." It is possible to write just one statement about both, or you might choose to write multiple statements and respond to each text individually. You must, however address both texts in this post. Maybe you will address the adventurer's spirit or look at a specific relationship between characters. It is up to you to determine the direction of your approach.
After you come up with a pyschological statement, use this as a topic sentence for your response. Include your own ideas/interpretations along with examples/support from both texts. Be as specific as possible. This means citing page numbers with examples from Into the Wild. For "Fantastic Mr. Fox," use specific scenes and characters in your response.
Remember, the more support, the stronger your case. Your response should be at least 3 paragraphs.
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