Final Blog

The text from class that I enjoyed most was Persepolis. It was interesting to see how the use of background imagery truly changes the way one views and reads a text.  When examing the text I could not help but ask myself which theme; silence or speech, imagery fits into. The literal translation would suggest it does not fit within either broad theme, and although I base my reasoning on more than the literal translation of each word I believe this is somewhat true. Imagery is a form of silence in that it does not literally involve speech, but it is also a form of expression much like speech.

I know that after this course I will likely view all different facets of life in relation to silence and speech. After the course my understanding of how to be respectful of moments of silence and moments of expression has expanded.

Final post

We are ending this class by discussing further about speech and silence. Through this course, our view of speech and silence has expanded, especially silence. Reading Cheryl Glenn’s Unspoken was really interesting. Glenn explained deeply the meaning and types of silence, which I have not known before. It made me understand the true meaning of “Silence is golden”.  

I said at the beginning that I adore silence. However, it has changed now. By engaging into the discussion of class everyday, it helped me overcome my shyness. I have started to like the way of learning by discussing together. I love most of the readings that we had in this class. They do not only tell us the story or discussion, but also connect it to the real life that makes us consider and learn from it. I have enjoyed taking this course.

Final Blog

     This class is definitely beneficial for every student and I would recommend it to them.  Prior to this class, my outlook on silence was vague.  I never knew that silence could be superior in some situations because in my culture we always saw "speech is golden."  Also, I know when to keep silent and avoid making a fool out of myself.  I think that I have hurt some people in the past because I spoke my mind a lot, but it was unintentional and I have learned my lesson.  Like I have mentioned before, this class has changed my perspective in both speech and silence.
     I really liked the book Unspoken.  I think that it was one of the best text that we read in class because everything related to both speech and silence.  The quotes were amazing and so true.  The book definitely gave me a better understanding on speaking and silence; the other texts were helpful as well.  I really enjoyed reading different stories and trying to explain how silence or speech was relevant and also where did silence and speech take place.  This class was interesting and I enjoyed it!

Final Blog

At the beginning of the semester, I have to be honest in saying that I was dreading this English class. Most English classes I have been associated with require useless exercises, busy-work and grading at the expense of a teacher's preference without prior knowledge of what that is. However, I am happy to say that I have experienced nothing like this in the investigation of speaking and silence in literature and rhetoric. Ms. Lambke was able to provide us with interesting text that demonstrated the main themes this class was centered around. It has opened my eyes to rhetorical speaking and silence in such a way that encourages me to contemplate my tactics of both elements in conversation. I have taken a great deal away from this class not only in content but different project modalities. I was glad to move away from traditional essay writing!!

FInal Blog

When I signed up for this class last semester I did so because I wanted something different and to step out of the ordinary english class, and this class has totally been just that. It has shown me that english doesn't have to just be that boring research and typing long papers there is still a way to be creative on presenting these topics. I have learned many things from this class that will help me in life and for that I am grateful.

Final Blog Post

At the start of this year, I signed up for a class about speaking and silence not knowing what to expect. Now, at the end of the semester, I can honestly say I've learned a lot about rhetoric and literature. Beginning with Helen of Troy and ending with Roy of America, I've been able to connect themes across different texts. It was surprising how the main topic of these texts was different, but Ms. Lambke still managed to help us connect them. I also very much enjoyed the different project types throughout the semester, as it helped keep things interesting and allow us to think in new ways. Overall, I think that the semester has been a productive and interesting one, and I know that I have learned a lot from it.

Final blog

When I first signed up for the class, I had no clue what the class would really be about.  Through the semester, I have thoroughly enjoyed the readings and the discussions we have had.  This class has really showed me what silence and speaking are and just how much they encompass.  One of the main things I gained was realization of all the stereotypes surrounding silence and speaking.  It was interesting to see how each piece of writing we read had its own unique story but tied into the class and related to to other readings

I began this class being really excited for it, and I think I've been able to sustain my curiosity about rhetoric throughout the course. I loved reading different pieces of literature and working in different modalities for the purposes of persuasion. My favorite is still Audre Lorde, which I expected would change as we read other things (like Persepolis or Angels in America), but she still resonates with me more than the other two. Furthermore, it's helped me to determine where I might want to go for graduate school (I think studying under Cheryl Glenn at Penn would be pretty sweet.) I am convinced that silence is rhetorical, and now I see silencing everywhere where I didn't used to notice it before. I can honestly say that in that sense, this class has expanded my world view. I have greatly enjoyed this class, and I'm going to miss it next semester. 

Final Blog Post

I came to this class not knowing at all what to expect, and this class definitely did not disappoint. Like Danielle, I learned a lot about presenting my ideas through new media, which I really appreciated. I also learned a lot about the distinctions between speaking and silence and listening and hearing, etc. I think it might be tempting to say that we mostly focused on the power-powerless relationship between speaking and silence (regarding culture, class, and gender) but, as I am doing my final project and thinking about the dichotomy between speaking and silence, I think it's important to remember the other aspects we considered as well. For instance: who is more responsible in a conversation for the outcome (whatever that may be), the speaker or the listener? How should rhetoric be viewed, as purely persuasive or something more? These questions and many more are things that I had never thought about before this class.

I also really appreciated this class because it gave me the opportunity to delve more deeply into subjects I care about. For instance, my multimodal presentation on the erotic was fascinating, and helped me choose the topic for my Being Silenced essay, which is the subject on which I want to write my senior thesis. Also, the final project gave me the opportunity to write about my own experiences with religion, which I think is something that in college is not an opportunity students are often given, since professors are caught up with teaching about theology or the differences/similarities of religions or whatnot. Basically, in my experience spirituality is largely neglected as a serious topic in undergraduate religion courses, which I think is a tragedy considering the undergraduate years are so formative in regards to religion. Anyway, back on track: this course has given me so opportunities to explore topics in depth which I had never considered for or which deeply interested me. Thank you, Ms. Lambke, for a great semester!

There ARE angels in America

         This class was nothing like a normal English Class; a good thing in my opinion. I had never made a sound or video "essay" before and now I can say I know how, whether they are good or not. All of the readings were interesting. People usually find something to take away from from a reading, or a class, even if they have trouble relating to it. The quote that stood out to me was from Louis, "There are no angels in America." I completely disagree that there are no angels in America. We have a history, an important past to learn from and grow on. Just because I believe this does not mean I do not live "in the now". I believe the present moment we live in is more important than our future or past, but our history is still a part of us.
      I googled what the angel signified at the end of Angels in America. It was really left to individual interpretation. The angel at the end could be real, which would make Louis completely wrong. There would be angels in America, which would make our history important and that there is good in America. On the other hand, one could find Prior to be hallucinating the angel, which would make Louis right. There would be no good or angels in America, our past would not matter, and we would have nothing to take from the experiences we have had except how to manipulate others using politics. What does everyone think? Has anyone taken anything from this class? Are there angels in America?
       Final note, I enjoyed this class. I am not going to enjoy the oral final, but that's okay because it's only a small percentage. Everyone has shared interesting Show and Tells, projects, and presentations. Good luck on your finals everybody!

Final Blog - Open Blog

Dear Students,

This week's blog will be your last blog for the semester. You are free this week to blog on whatever you'd like related to this class. You might look back over the blogs for the semester, figure out where you began the semester, and see where you've arrived at this point.

Happy Blogging
Ms. Lambke

Relationships

In the varying relationships of my life I use both elements of speaking and silence to express my emotions.  I find that I am often more silent in close personal relationships with friends and family.  In many cases I think I am better understood, in these close relationships, by the things I don't say.  People that are famililar with me and my style of speaking can conversly see my opinion by my silence, and emotions that go along with that.  With my family a simple head nod or shoulder shrug can say everything about the conversation and communication within the group.  

Another reason that I am often more silent with those I know better is that I simply prefer to listen.  I spend so much time with those close to me I often don't have anything pressing to say or point to get across.  This closely follows my reasoning for often being more vocal and using more speaking with those I do not know as well.  I speak more with this group because I regularly have a point to convey or information that must be passed through speaking. 

Overall I believe both elements are important tools of communication in all of my relationships.  Having one element without the other would make it hard to carry on any communication. Although I have found that my speaking increases with people I do not know as well, I prefer to listen in most relationships over speaking.

Paxton

silence and listening in a relationship

I think that silence and listening in a relationship are two huge aspects of when you’re dating someone. In my experiences there seems to be a point of when to be silent and listen and a point of when to talk. I am a very impatient person and sometimes cross the line in between of when I should listen and be silent and when I should talk and state my opinion. This has gotten me in trouble more then once not just with a dating relationship but also when talking to friends and my parents. This is a bad thing that I have tried to work on lately, I think with all the novels in this class has shown me multiple ways to listen and be silent.

Speaking and Silence Regarding Religion

One of the most interesting relationships regarding speaking and silence in my opinion is that between parent and child, especially concerning religion. In my own family, my mother is a very faithful Catholic, while my father is a very quiet atheist. I did not learn about my father's atheism until perhaps my senior year of high school, so fairly recently. We never, ever talk about religion as a family. My mom requires that we go to Mass with her every Sunday. When I'm home I go with her,  as does my 15 year old sister, but never say anything about my own personal religious beliefs. My dad says nothing about religion whatsoever.

The only person brave enough to speak up about religion in my family is my 19 year old brother. At first, I thought he only didn't want to go to Mass because he hates waking up early and "dressing up," but since this past summer, I can see it's more than that. One of our former priests was convicted of possessing child pornography, his own pornography, photos which he had taken of children in Guatemala on a church service trip. It was disgusting. I never trusted that priest (in 7th grade I refused to shake his hand; finally, after his last Mass I did, and he said "I thought you were too good to shake my hand." Evidently, I was.)

Anyway, my brother refuses to go to Mass at our parish any more because of the way that our current pastor handled the situation. He went  one time last summer and it was a disaster. The pastor made a joke, in very very poor taste, about how the whole situation with the former priest was overblown or irrelevant or something, and my brother sarcastically slapped his knee and said "That's hilarious," and left in the middle of the homily. Personally, this reminds me of the relationship between Joe and his Mormon mother in Angels in America. She says, "I raised you better than this!" which is something I think many parents say to their children, especially when that child steps out of line regarding religion. I think the topic of speaking and silence regarding religion is fascinating, and I think that it is absolutely necessary to speak about religion at home. If religion is ignored, I think violent consequences will ensue.

Silence in Relationships

I interpret the connection between speaking and silence in relationships as a way of ensuring the benefit of another. By this I mean to say that we do not usually intend to harm those we are in close relationships with. In some situations it may be necessary to keep silent on a certain issue in order to promote happiness for another. In other situations it may be necessary to speak out to have the same effect.

The fact that each person in the relationship knows their friend or partner is willing to do almost anything to benefit them allows for their relationship to become open. The ability to have an open relationship then allows the two persons to exchange moments of speaking and silence. Their feelings for each other, whether as friends or as more than friends, can be expressed both in silence and in speech.

Speaking and Silence in Relationships

My fiance and I have founded our relationship together on speaking, just like most of the relationships I engage in with family and friends. With him and my family, there is not much room for silence as we are all opinionated and bull-headed. Therefore, in order to make a name for yourself, it is necessary to speak up and not just sit back in silence. This allows for open and honest relationships that leaves nothing unsaid and gets everything out on the table.
In fact, especially in the relationship with my fiance, he gets extremely aggravated at me when I just sit back and listen, instead of engage in the conversation we are having. He, along with my family, require feedback and find it disrespectful when none is given. Thus, it can be seen that in this society, silence is not really respected in informal relationships, but is highly valued in a formal setting or in power positions, namely between men and women. I think it is safe to say that most relationships are founded on speaking because without such, no connections are able to be made.

Silence in relationships

A lot that happens on a day to day basis is focused on being silent and listening to others while at the same time giving input.  With my relationship with friends this is how it usually goes.  However, we do end up getting busy and actually taking the time to listen to someone becomes extremely difficult.  There may not be speaking involved because deadlines are all you think of.  Yet through the silence and business of our schedules we find time to have fun.

Being busy makes it harder to interpret silence and speaking.  It becomes so much easier to not pay attention to someone that is being silent and sometimes harder to figure out what a person is trying to tell you.  Speech and silence are both important yet hard to maintain.

Speaking and Silence

     I am the type of person who enjoys giving people advice and helping them out.  However, some of my friends do not like receiving advice from others because they feel like that person is telling them what to do.  Thus, I never gave my input.  There has been many situations where my friends ended up getting hurt because of the decisions that they made and I could of prevented that if they were willing to hear my advice.  A lot of the times I want to give my advice anyway but I don't and I hate it because I dislike seeing them hurt.  I have experienced many things in life and I have learned from my mistakes.

     I love the relationship that I have with my friends but I feel like I hold my tongue too much when it comes to bad situations.  If they would just appreciate the advice that I (or any other person) tries to give them, then it would be much better.  I feel like silence takes over our relationship which is not good, we would be much closer if they would at least hear me out and take it into consideration, but I can only do so much.  I would do whatever makes them happy so I will remain silent until they ask for my advice.  

Speech and silence

            There are two couples: Kim and Tom, Janet and Pat. Each couple handles a problem differently. For Kim and Tom, when they argue, they refuse to talk and give each other a silent treatment. On the other hand, Janet and Pat refer a conversation to solve their problem. It turns out that Kim and Tom’s relationship only lasts for a year, while Janet and Pat are getting married.

            Speech seems more effective in the relationship. True communication allows deep understanding and respect for each other. Silence causes separation among us. Here, I don’t include all types of silence. Silence is preferred as it is used to prepare a positive speech. In other words, we should think before talking to avoid impulsive speech, actively listen to other without interrupting. Remaining silent when we should talk creates disunity in the relationship. But appropriate silence becomes connection among us. Hence, both speech and silence are important in any relationship.

Silencing in Relationships

This post may not be much related to the themes of racism, sexism, classism, and other high-browed academic -isms that we've been talking about, but I think it relates to speaking and silence nonetheless. In close friendships, one often sees the bad side or the flaws of their best friend. This can lead to disagreements. You often also see your friend acting in ways that you personally may not agree with. While occasionally, as a friend, you might speak up and saying something about this. But in my experience (and from stories and complaints from other friends about their other friends), oftentimes we remain silent to avoid disagreement. I feel that this is true for college friendships (this is also my limited perspective), where you don't want to risk offending your friend. For example, if your good friend smokes, and this bothers you, then most of the time you would remain silent about it. We have a prevailing attitude in our society (when it comes to these things) that it's not really our place to judge others or call them out on what can be considered personal choices - and this is especially true in friendships. What happens is something similar to silences which are held in instances of racism or sexism too - frustration builds and pretty soon, you absolutely have to say something, you can't hold it in for very long. For fear of offending someone, especially our friends, we hold our silence to keep the peace. I feel that this kind of peace, however, is falsely constructed. We're really only ignoring what will soon culminate in disagreement and confrontation, and I feel that in these cases - as in most cases of silencing - speaking up and saying something is always more freeing and is the best course of action.

Speaking and Silence in Relationships

                I think both speaking and silence are important in any relationship. I remember one class, Professor Lambke told us that our reading said women listen by nodding and smiling and men listen by engaging the conversation and trying to argue. Even though this was an older writing, I wanted to see how I compared. The person I talk to everyday is my boyfriend, Brandon, and we usually tell each other about our days or something interesting that happened. I think it was important to see how I used speaking and silence with Brandon because I find our relationship to be the most important one in my life. As Brandon began to talk about his day, I realized that I listen more than I throw in random questions or jokes here and there. I also found that Brandon would rather have me engage the conversation because he said it was creepy when I just smiled and nodded.

                One should know the difference between speaking and engaging. It was interesting that after Brandon finished telling me about his day, he asked how my day was. It is really important to speak in a relationship and not just speaking by changing the subject, but rather engage the conversation. I remember reading a commencement speech by an amazing writer named David Foster Wallace, about how difficult it is to live life consciously. It is common for people to resort to a default, or auto pilot, setting where they just go through the motions and not exactly engage people. It takes certain people to keep a conversation flowing with good engaging speaking and silence. 

Week 12: Speaking, Silence, and Relationships

Dear Class,

This week we have two different foci: Being Silenced Essays, and the beginning of Angels in America. As I've been considering how to have you blog this week, I've started to think about how these two elements connect, and I think I have it: relationships. Each one of you has chosen some story to tell for your Being Silenced Project, and these stories are steeped in human relationships to one another, whether they are children and warriors, different races, or different genders. Angels in America, if you are unfamiliar with the premise, is about homosexual issues, especially AIDs and "passing," in the 1980s. This is a play centralized in relationships: sexual, emotional, business, political, and so on.

So, for this blog, I'd like you to reflect on how silence and speaking factor into your own relationships, or those you see out in the world. You can relate your reflection back to Angels in America, Persepolis, or Pygmalion, if you like. Try to tell a story of something you've seen, heard or, or has happened to you. I know that several of you have shared stories before, but this time, I want you to focus on how speaking and silence effect or relate to relationships, in whatever form they come in

Ms. Lambke

Essay

For my "Being Silenced" essay I have chosen to concentrate on the Armenian Genocide and how denial of the existence of the event continues to silence an entire people even today. While researching about the Armenian Genocide I came across a somewhat disturbing idea. The Armenian Genocide took place around the year 1915, which is when World War 1 was becoming a major event in the world. Some Turkish scholars and politicians insist the civilian Armenian population welcomed and aided forces invading the Ottoman Empire (which formed the Republic of Turkey), and therefore can be considered traitors and sent to death. This disturbs me because women and children were slain as often as men of a fighting age. If the Armenian men were in fact aiding and fighting alongside invading forces I would understand bringing punishment to those people, but punishing women and children for the actions of others seems unjust. Is this a sound enough argument against the Armenian Genocide to deny its existence? These are some of the ideas thatI will investigate further in my essay.

Asking for help

Hey Guys,

For my essay I decide to focus on the oppression of reporters in Africa. I found out that the governments there dont allow them to take photos of these kids and report about certain things. This is clearly a form of silencing but as I read more and more about it I began to thing of why might the government want these reporters not reporting on these thing? Because in history it is shown when thing are reported the West has helped out all the time so that made me think that the government made not want the help and want to show the world that they are strong enough to make it thru rough times on their own. I feel that I am the same way I am one of the people that will try everything and ask for help as a last resort and be scared about it but in the last couple years I have grown to realize everyone needs help now and then so there is nothing to be scared about

Show and Tell

When thinking of what to present for show and tell, my mind went through many different topics. I thought about the 'typical' people who are silenced, the types who our class usually spends time discussing. But I had to think outside the box to think of someone who was silenced not directly by social means, but by his own mind. Clive Wearing was more silenced than a mute.
When I was watching the video describing his condition, I thought about what it might be like to be Clive.  And it was a scary thing to think about. His wife said, "He has nothing but void behind him..." It is an interesting concept to consider. His void is constantly silencing him, and he never gets to tell what it is like to have his condition because he does not know he is in it. I think that of all the different types of silencing we have talked about this semester, his is the most severe, and yet he is the least aware of it. Its something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemies.

Hey class

As you all saw in class on Wed. I brought in my old ear gauges as a symbol of rebellion and related it to Marjanes rebellion in Persepolis.  I know it was kind of a random item to bring into class. To be honest, I was just looking for some sort of object to relate to anything in class, because I did not want to bring in another you tube video for show and tell.  Although, as the week has gone on I have put more thought into rebellion and the rebellious stages that most people go through while growing up.  For me, It was loud music and a few piercings, but for others I have seen much more extreme acts of rebellion.
I was curious if anyone else in the class went through any drastic acts of rebellion? and if so what?

Rebellious acts can take on many different modes.  For me it was mostly through my appearance and not so much through my actions.  Marjane in Persepolis rebelled with her clothing as well as her speech, by going to a rally and speaking out in school.  The more I ponder the acts of rebellion in the book and my own actions, I see a larger significance in having a stage of rebellion in your life.  For me, rebelling against something helped me better find out who I was and what I wanted to do in my life.  It is a time in a young persons life where they can take a small or large stand against something to get a better grip on their personal purpose.

Political Prisoners-Being Silenced Essay

For my being silenced essay, I first started off by trying to find out more about internet silencing.  This was mainly due to all the laws trying to be passed by countries to restrict what is on the internet, more specifically through the ACTA in Europe.  This however, somehow led me to the topic of Saudi Arabia.  I previously did not know anything about this country and certainly not any of its issues.

After reading more about Saudi Arabia, I found it interesting to what degree human rights are denied and people's voices silenced.  Saudi Arabia seemed to take criticism of the government strongly and were intolerant.  A few things I was surprised about were how this has being going on for three decades now and that other nations are not offering help to those that are imprisoned without a cause or due process.

     For my project, I decided to portray how silenced is used in different cultures, including mine.  I was born in an immensely diverse community so I have good experiences and I know how a lot of other cultures utilize silence in a negative way.  However, where i'm from, there are cultures that not too many people know about, here in the mainlands.  I thought it would be an interesting topic because I know that I would teach the class something new.  I know that we have many other things to focus on in life other than cultures, so I think this would be a great opportunity to tell the class about these different cultures and how they use silence.

Being Silenced Essay

Before beginning my "Being Silenced" essay, I had lots of ideas for my topic. My multimodal project on the erotic in Audre Lorde inspired me to research the classical interpretation of the erotic, and while I was contemplating those two rhetorics, I thought: what came in between? Of course, the rhetoric of sexuality developed constantly throughout the centuries in between, but the era that I knew the least about and was the most interested in is the Victorian Era. I knew that our modern concept of sexuality must be at least informed by the mores of the Victorian Era, since it "ended" (so to speak) fairly recently in 1901.

Even only having finished the preliminary research that I have conducted so far, I am astounded by what I have learned about the Victorian attitude toward sex. First of all, it is a bit of a misnomer to call anything that is repressive sexually "Victorian" because Queen Victoria herself actually liked to collect and draw male nudes (and give them to her husband -- I wonder what that relationship was like). It has been really difficult for me to narrow down exactly what I am going to write about, since there are so many different aspects of the era to explore: the repression of homosexuality, the birth and growth of the "Cult of Domesticity," attitudes towards prostitutes, venereal disease, and (fascinatingly) the panic about and hatred of masturbation. But finally I have decided to focus on the silencing of rape, specifically through an analysis of Thomas Hardy's Tess of the d'Urbervilles, and thus how dangerous and backward sexual silencing can be.

Blue Velvet

                I actually went to New Orleans in 2010 with my church youth group. Every morning some of us would sneak away to sit on a dock overlooking the Mississippi River right off Bourbon Street. It is interesting the sound in the video Blue Velvet while above the water because it sounds exactly like New Orleans in the morning. When the street cleaners are done with their daily rounds and before anyone is normally awake, everything is peaceful and quiet, all you can hear is the breeze. Everyone I met in New Orleans was kind and so happy to tell their stories. I actually met a black man on the dock one of the mornings. He told me a very sad story. He was staying with a friend when Katrina took place and he clearly remembered people were hanging onto telephone wires and tons of people were up on their roofs. He remembered trying to help his friend’s mother, but they couldn’t hold on to her because she was kind of a big woman. He said they never saw her again. He also had no place to live and no books to read. I gave him the bible that everyone in my youth received and he was very grateful and wanted to pray with me.

                I am not sure why this really had an impact on my life, but it is difficult to picture all the suffering when sitting on that dock, all you hear is the peaceful breezes and see the beautiful river. I understand the importance of knowing who was left behind instead of being evacuated. This is why the music became so intense under the water in the video. When things get bad, that is when we see oppression of races or classes in motion. This man that I met may have been black and lower class, but he was kind and courteous. He had me in tears with his story, but he just kept saying how he still loved New Orleans and that there are good people there. That is why it is important to come back above the water to pick a new topic. While there is hidden racism or silencing of certain classes, there is always the peacefulness and the kindness of people above the water. 

"Public Secrets"

     While I enjoyed the projects we were to investigate for this previous Wednesday's class, I found "Public Secrets" less moving, not in content, but because it was difficult to navigate. This is probably due to its non-linearity and its jumbled layout. It was hard to remember which quotation you already listened to and determine where to go next. At times, I thought it was dysfunctional.

     Despite the difficulty in navigation, the presentation of content was much appreciated by an "untraditional" audience. The voices were not left to interpretation by the author and nothing was off limits. The raw emotion and honesty, for the most part, was more engaging rather than just reading a "traditional" academic essay. "Public Secrets" was extremely interesting because we got to see the "truth" of the inmates, rather than what we are led to believe by the prison system of the state. Thus, the project was moving as it was eye-opening to how terrible things really are in a place such as prison.

Open Blogging Week

Students,

This week is another open blogging week, where you can offer any element related to the class. This could be a preview of what you are working on for your project, a reflection on "Blue Velvet" or "Public Secrets," or some comment on Show and Tell.

Looking forward to your insight.

Ms. Lambke

Blue Velvet Blog Post

The "Blue Velvet" project incorporates a "journey" type of presentation for it's information. It does not follow a traditional essay form, but it uses both literary and academic language to present information as well as establish pathos. We move through the history of ideas, politics, and socio-economic development all at the same time. It's multi-faceted approach to presenting a case for the racism inherent in the disaster following Katrina.

My favorite slide from the Katrina piece was how they connected raced/classed distinctions with who got left behind in the wake of the hurricane. It evoked images of horror and disgust with the "bodie-filled" freeways where the middle class and the poor were trying to get out. People who were wealthier got away. It was the argument labeled "Emergency". It utilized pathos as well as logos with the explanation of how wealth created scenes of destitution and awfulness. I really liked this project over the other one.

Propaganda

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/01/world/middleeast/assessing-iran-but-thinking-about-iraq.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&ref=iran

The news story warns the United States and other developed countries to better investigate the nuclear capabilities of Iran in an attempt to avoid misinterpretation of capabilities. The story cites the scandal that arose after the United States failed to find Saddam Hussein's "weapons of mass destruction" upon invading Iraq. In the article we are urged to "learn from past mistakes"  and become more proactive in efforts to obtain reliable information.

The scandal about weapons of mass destruction is similar to the propaganda seen on the television throughout Persepolis. The statement by the United States that such weapons existed prompted a response, and the propaganda in Persepolis attempts to provide reason for action on behalf of the revolutionaries. We have seen that the younger version of Marjane might be convinced upon simply hearing such a statement that it is true, but her father and others would attempt to seek the truth looking at more than one source.

Nuclear Test

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/9206287/Iranian-officials-observed-North-Korean-rocket-launch.html


This is a short article but its basically says that there were 12 people from the Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group in North Korea when they launch that missile. It is clear that the Iran group was there to observe and get data about this missile for North Korea. Another hint they are working together is the Shahab-3 ballistic missile made by Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group is the same as the North Korean one. Mr and Mrs. Satrapi would find this interesting and I am sure would attend a protest about it because the Shahid Hemmat group is in trouble of a number of international sanctions right now.

Iran Riots

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4023909,00.html

This article talks about how the riots in Iran last year were thought to be a sign of Islamic awakening by many.  Khamenei stated that before the Iranian revolution, the country was dependent of cultures of the west, and after they were able to be independent.  The article also detail how they believe that the uprising last year in Egypt almost seemed like a continuation of the revolution in Iran.

This article directly relates to Persepolis because of how similar the situations are.  The revolution had similar effects on the people and there seemed to be a divide in what people believed and wanted.

Iran

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/9204723/Iran-Syria-North-Korea-Is-the-world-sitting-on-a-tinderbox.html


This article focuses on a recent meeting between Iranian negotiators and the 'rest of the world.' In it, the author sets Iran and its negotiators apart by singling them out when he pokes fun at their cultural differences. With lines such as "the challenge of hosting them without offending their fragile sensibilities," it is easy to see the separation between the two cultures. The author's caustic, western tone reflects the difficulty had by the two groups at the meeting.


The main point of the article is to discuss the ongoing difficulties between Iran and the rest of the world. As the author states, hopefully the economic sanctions against Iran will lead to a control of their nuclear powers. However, he also points out that the meeting could hardly be called a breakthrough, and was more similar to a 'small blow of a chisel on permafrost."


Just like the government in the early 80's depicted in Persepolis, the Iran government is still very conservative. Similarly, the attitude toward it is very negative by those with a western view.

Elimination of the President

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/iran/index.html

This article deals with the elimination of the position of the Iranian president by means of parliamentary elections. The ideal outcome of this election was to get ride of the position of president as the individual in that office was incurring anger of the country's supreme leader by not heeding the warning of the United Nations to halt the development of the nuclear program. Not only does this demonstrate problems within the interior of the country, it provides worry for surrounding countries, such as Israel, as well as the United States who are concerned with Iran's "terroristic" behavior. Thus, modern Iran still lacks a parliamentary democracy and poses a threat to surrounding areas that make it a target for revolution and war.

As in Persepolis, Iran is a country lacks a unified interior, which in turn makes it a target for war as one group wants to do one thing and another group the opposite. Especially with the development of the nuclear program, Iran has been a country that others are looking out for in fear that nuclear war may be engaged. Thus, after experiencing the war with Iraq as a little girl, I do believe that Marjane would be against the idea of nuclear war due to the devastation it would cause. Also, Marjane would be led to incorporate a parliamentary democracy into Iran's political system for more organization and unification without the devastation of revolution and war.

MEK- People's Mujahideen of Iran

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17615065

I read a BBC article titled, “An Iranian mystery: Just who are the MEK?” which, although not exactly a current events story, was very informative. The article describes the mission, policies, and stories of the People’s Muhajideen of Iran, known as the MEK. According to the author, the MEK has changed its tune many times since its inception in the 1970s: from Islamist to secular, socialist to capitalist, pro-Saddam to pro-America. He describes how some have called the MEK a terrorist cult while others believe it is a legitimate progressive organization. The people who denounce the MEK, mostly its former members, tell horror stories of not being allowed to leave and being forced to do bizarre things like publicly confess their sexual fantasies. Those who are in favor of the MEK are mostly big name politicians, who could receive about $20,000 for one ten minute speech promoting the MEK.

I think all the characters in Persepolis would be shocked and disgusted by the MEK. And since it began in the 1970s, they probably actually were. One of the policies the MEK forces upon its members is that they must divorce and they must send their children away to foster homes in Europe, because love “distracts” from the cause. I can see Marji’s father in particular being upset about this, since it seems like he had such great hopes for secularism after the revolution, and this powerful organization is acting more to damage any hope than fulfill it. I am sure that Marji, too would be disgusted by policies such as those that the MEK promotes. And lastly, I think that all the characters would be disappointed by the U.S. politicians who support the organization, and the E.U. which has had the MEK removed from its list of terrorist organizations.

Iranian Sanctions

This particular article captures the volatile political back and forth which has gripped countries in the Middle East and Europe. Iran, suffering under economic sanctions imposed by the U.S. followed by Europe, imposed its own sanctions on Greece on crude oil. This is an attempt on Iran's part to outmaneuver it's enemies in an ostentatious power play. The term "hara-kiri" in the title is a reference to the Japanese Samurai custom of committing honorable suicide by disemboweling oneself with one's sword. The article is implying that while Iran is making political moves to maintain power and dignity in the situation, it is only hurting itself.

Economic sanctions do nothing except hurt the middle and lower class populations in Iran. Ordinary citizens, regardless of political or religious beliefs, should not have to suffer from the economic recession and near-crisis the country is suffering due to the political power-plays of the U.S., Europe, and its own government. I can only imagine the steps Marjane's family would have to take to survive this downturn in fortune. They would likely be one of the first to vocalize their discontent with all the power plays going on - their own country's or others'. It's a frustrating situation where the common Iranian citizen pays the price for the actions of other governments outside their control.

http://tehrantimes.com/economy-and-business/96891-sanctions-against-iran-hara-kiri-by-the-europeans

Iranian woman

http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/13/world/meast/iran-ebadi/

This article is about Shirin Ebadi who revolts against Islamic government. She was separated from her family members who were jailed and beaten. She became the first Iranian Muslim woman who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003, for her work in fighting for the rights of abused women and children in Iran. She later founded the Human Rights Defenders Center in Iran. But then the government confiscated her medal, seized her bank accounts, and forced her into exile. She continued to travel, spread the news, and hope to restore equality in her homeland. She had often received threats from Iranian government.

            Her revolution was similar to the problem in Persepolis. Just like Marjane, she was also against Islamic regime and revolted to fight for women’s rights. She was forced to leave her family to find a place for her independence, and remained hopeful to find a change for her homeland. Ebadi would become Marjane’s hero since Ebadi was one of the victims of unfairness under Islamic regime.

Persepolis and Modern Iran

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/03/sports/soccer/soccer-rules-board-to-consider-ending-ban-on-hijabs.html

I read in the New York Times that during the 2010 Youth Olympics in Singapore, the Iranian women were required by law to wear hijabs, but they were told that they could not wear them during the soccer games. They were told they could wear caps, but the caps did not cover their necks. So they were allowed to wear the caps and turtlenecks. The long disputed argument is finally being settled this year; if Iranian women can be allowed to wear their headscarves.The women wearing the headscarves were more interested in playing soccer, and some of these women were told to leave the games since they were wearing a headscarf. 

I think Marjane, as a little girl, would be surprised that women and especially young girls are proud to wear their headscarves. In Persepolis, not only did Marjane hate wearing the headscarf, but her mother and grandmother did not like it either. I think the characters would find it surprising that headscarves are still a problem at all. I believe they would say that there are bigger things to worry about than whether one is wearing a headscarf or not. Marjane would definitely tell these girls to just wear the headscarf if they want to, but she wouldn’t understand. In Persepolis, I think the headscarves were viewed as unnecessary, but now, a lot of Iranian women are proud to wear them because it has become a part of them. 

Persepolis

Reading Persepolis was a completely new experience for me. I had never read a graphic novel before, and I discovered that I actually really liked it and thought it was the almost perfect medium for a coming-of-age story. And because the Iranian Revolution (and Middle Eastern politics in general) is so complicated, the graphic novel format boiled down the relevant issues and helped me focus on what actually mattered to Marji. I also thought that the graphic novel format helped me understand the characters better than I normally do. Being able to see the Marji’s parents’ faces, her grandmother, and most importantly Marji herself as she progressed throughout the novel, all helped me learn about characterization and character development.

As far as the story itself goes, I was really sad about the progression (or rather, retrogression) of Marji’s relationship with God. Throughout the entire second half, God doesn’t seem to have a presence as all. However, I did appreciate that this is a universal coming-of-age theme – struggling with religion and spirituality – and I thought that it was interesting (but perhaps not telling) that Marji lost God in the midst of a religious war.

Week 10: Persepolis and Modern Iran

Dear Students,

For this week's blog post, I want you to do a little research. Find a current news story about Iran. Read it, and summarize it in your blog. Then, speculate about its connection to the events we saw in Persepolis. What might the characters think about this news story? How might they react?

Ms. Lambke

Persepolis

Although Persepolis is clearly a novel about a country plagued by war and hardship, it is also a source of humor. The torture and death that Marjane is confronted with on a daily basis is often countered by a light joke or a humorous drawing to even out the mood for the reader. I am glad that the author does this, for a couple of reasons. The first is that it keeps the book interesting. It sets it apart from other novels that talk about war in that it is more upbeat and doesn't solely focus on the war but also on how the people got lived around it. The second reason I enjoy the two contrasting moods is that it shows that Marjane herself does not fully understand the war and conflict. Her actions often show that she does not understand and that she is struggling to deal with the war. For example, she often over tells a story to try to out-do her classmates, not recognizing the solemnity deserved. I think this facet helps connect with the reader and show how confusing the time was for Marjane.

I think that the pacing of the book is an aspect that can be looked at. On certain pages, they are meant to be read fast, and hastily. On others, your eyes follow a specific path laid out by the drawings. And on others still, the author makes you stop and reread or look at the picture a little bit longer, whether it be from a depressing statement or a piece of dry humor to end the page. These qualities make the novel jump out of the page a little bit more than normal. Its liveliness makes it feel like more than a black and white cartoon.

Persepolis

This book portrays a young girl growing up in Iran. In Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi uses the graphic novel format to share her life story with readers. The drawings are simple and easy to digest; the dialog is also simple but very witty and insightful. Satrapi's use of the graphic format is a perfect match to the story of a young girl who tries to make sense of the things happening around her with a child's understanding. The simple black and white illustrations convey the story with much more feeling and power than words alone ever could. The black and white art is effective in describing so many aspects of her childhood during such unstable times. The combination of tragedy and humor is clever.

I really enjoyed reading Satrapi's childhood account of such dramatic events in Iranian history, and the comic book format made the memoirs even more enjoyable reads. The innocent of a child is a positive way of describing such terrible and negatively viewed events in a way that everyone can understand them. The simple cartoons and dialogue make the confusing events conceivable and real. It demonstrates simply and clearly the complexity of life in Iran. The book gives me new perspectives about Middle East’s culture and regime.

Persepolis

When reading Persepolis I could not stop wondering how the depicted would be told if it were not in the form of a graphic novel. Would the ideas expressed hold the same conviction? The storyline for Persepolis is revealed in detail within the text of the story, but the illustrations behind the text also seem to add another element to the novel. For example, without the illustrations the reader might underestimate the distinction Marjane places between the childish ignorance she had at the beginning of the story and the quest for knowledge and understanding she undergoes from that point on. The illustrations reveal Marjane's perspective on the events that take place, and thus we learn more about her journey into adulthood.

The illustrations included in Persepolis reveal the raw emotion felt by persons in an area engulfed by conflict. This shows how quickly things can change, and how we must balance our emotion with rational thought in tough situations.

Persepolis

At first, Persepolis seemed like a very unusual book because it was a graphic novel.  Just the thought of it being a graphic novel made me think comedy, which is not at all what the focus was on even though some of the panels conveyed this feeling.  At the same time, it was due to this thought that it was hard to pay close attention to each panel and take the story as serious as I would have if it was simply a book.  It was not until getting used to reading the graphic novel and not expecting it to focus on humor, that it was easier to pay attention to the plot and the details.

I found this novel particularly interesting because the characters can say something, while the background of thoughts are showing something different, leading the readers to see when they are not being truthful of not listening.  At the same time, the images are used to reinforce particular ideas or to show a slightly more comical side in the author's child like thinking.  One thing I found interesting was that even though Persepolis is a graphic novel, it is hard to get a lot from the characters faces, unless it is a very dramatic difference.    

Persepolis

Persepolis is one of my favorite works by a writer/artist. It is inventive as well as intellectually engaging and heart-wrenching. It reminds me a lot of Maus by Art Spiegelman, where a serious topic is presented through a medium of imagery and thought/dialogue bubbles. However, there is more humor in Persepolis, which I appreciate.

I've thought a lot about why I enjoy graphic novels, sometimes over regular novels. It might be that I have a more interesting way of visualizing the story. The panels don't show every second of every moment in the story, and are in this way very particular and controlled representations of the story. However, I don't feel that I'm being cheated - rather, I enjoy seeing the way they focus and expand on the story, the angles that the panels take, and the inventive ways they depict Marjane's feelings. For example, when they want to describe how lost she felt after losing God as her imaginary friend, the panel took up the entire page and showed her floating in space. In a way, this is a better visual than what I could imagine if that same idea were described to me in print. My imagination is being directed in ways that mere words can't do. It's this new intellectual exercise that is perhaps the most exciting for me - I'm seeing the author's vision, and it can be more exciting than simply reading words and descriptions.

The Lost War

     When reading "Persepolis," particularly the part where the students at school would have to line up twice a day to mourn the war dead by beating their breasts, I was extremely taken aback by the actions they were required to do. However, then I began to think about the war dead that us Americans do not take the time to remember or appreciate on a daily basis. While I believe the beating of the breasts is too harsh of a gesture for the purpose it is to serve, I see the reasons behind such actions.
     Americans live such busy lives and are so caught up in their own world to stop and appreciate what the men and women have done who have died for this country monthly or even semi-annually. I admit to this with great embarrassment. I understand that each of us must focus on and give most of our time to jobs, schooling, family and whatever else emcompases our daily lives, but it seems disrespectful that we do not take the time out of schedules to remember and thank those that have fought to give us these things we devote ourselves too. This does not go to say that what these men and women have done outweigh or overshadow the accomplishments we have made as individuals by any means. I just think that it is necessary to occassionally remember the fallen as they have helped provide us with the freedom we have in this country today by thanking them not only when their names appear on the television after they perish, but at least on a monthly basis if not weekly.

Proper English

Is there a proper english in today's society? In order for proper english to exist, there must be an unproper english that classifies the proper english as proper. And I do believe that there is a proper english, but that it is not the same in different places across the United States.
For example, in the south, proper english has a little bit of a southern twang. And in New York, proper english should have somewhat of a eastern accent. Each region has its own 'proper' local english. This is different than in 1900's England, where proper was the same proper across the country, and every other accent was non-proper, and those who spoke it were of a lower class than those who spoke the proper language. So what is the non-proper english in the US today? I think that the broken english that bilinguals, foreigners, and immigrants speak is considered non-proper. In Mother Tongue, even though the daughter has the same characteristics as the mother (race, wealth, etc), the mother is treated differently because her English is non-proper. The same goes for all those who speak half spanish, half english, or who have heavy foreign accents. They are treated as lower class, and most who speak proper American English treat them differently, whether they consciously recognize it or not. As the author stated in Mother Tongue, the language has its own value and, although it may not be considered proper, still is a viable way to speak English. Sometimes, those of us who speak proper English need to take a step back and try to conscious focus on listening to all those who don't speak as we do.

Proper English

In today's society, there is such thing as "proper" english. Proper english is typically used when talking to a professor, a Dr., & anyone who is professional. We tend to use "slang" while talking to friends and family; slang and proper english is definitely differentiated. Personally, I observe people's speaking skills. One can tell alot just by criticizing someone's use of speech. People who have been educated much longer than others tend to use big words. Their diction is superior to those who have not been educated. Slang, however, can always be improved and changed to proper english. Judging by the way people talk to you, you can instantly tell if they talk properly or not. Some people do not use proper english on a daily basis, it is usually used when it is necessary, as I mentioned before. I think that, as the years went by, proper english started to decrease and slang started to increase. I know that it is much harder for people in our generation to use "proper" english as opposed to those in previous generations. I was told that our language now has gotten worse and I can see that.

Trina

Proper English

I do believe that we as a society value "proper" English over informal English, but I also believe that  the use of various forms of English is dependent on a particular situation.  Indeed there are cases where "proper" English is valued, such as a job interview, but other situations do not require or value such speech.  For example, many of us use a very imformal form of language in our homes or speaking to friends.  In these groups of people formal language is not necessary.  Speaking with run-on sentences and slang words only gets a point across more effectively.  Therefore to say that "proper" English is always valued more than "improper" English is not true.

We must not value "proper" English over other forms of English as doing so silences these forms.  People forget the good that can be found in using informal language and these values are lost.  

 

"Proper" English

I believe that in today's society there is still proper English.  If there was not this conception, people would not bother with stereotyping people and their accents.  There is a standard way of speaking English and a way to write grammatically correct which can determine how well one does on an interview or application.  However, I do believe there is more leeway in America that other countries that speak English due to the many different cultures found.  Often, countries in which English is not the first language, people strive to even speak with perfect grammar, whereas as new slang is constantly evolving in America that is perfectly acceptable to use.

One type of English does not deserve to be valued above others, but it can still be seen today.  In some instances it affects the job opportunities available for an individual.  For example, most people that appear on TV, like weather forecasters, are favored if they have a neutral accent.  In some instances, favoring one type of English does silence other types, but it is not as common as it would have been years ago or in other countries. 

Proper Language

The question of whether or not there is still such a thing as "proper" English in society today is a difficult one to answer. I was initially tempted to say "Absolutely, yes" but upon further contemplation, I wonder if it really still exists. I would say that it most likely does in the U.K., where education and therefore proper language is extremely valued, but I don't know if I would say the same for the U.S. Although the U.K. is probably now just as much of a melting pot as the U.S. is, I still think that because of America's history as an all-inclusive country, the U.S. would be more willing to stray from embracing "proper" English. So yes; in some sense, it exists, but it's relevance (because of the increase in technology, and therefore acronyms and slang) is declining. I would also say that proper English only deserves to be valued more than any other in academic settings, and certainly not in conversation.

Those who value one type of English do indeed silence others. Any immigrants or uneducated individuals who's style of speech is not necessarily "proper" would certainly feel subjugated and probably even disinclined to speak the language. I know that if I were in France, for instance, and was laughed at or constantly corrected, I would certainly become discouraged and probably silence myself. So yes; "proper" English does indeed silence some populations.

Proper English

I believe one of the great things about language is the variety that is incorporated in the style of speech, as well as how we communicate that style to friends, family members, co-workers, etc. To think that there is one specific style of language that is superior to all others seems impossible, since we use different styles of our own language all throughout our daily lives based on who we interact with and the specific scenarios we find ourselves in.

In Eliza's case, it became nececary for her to learn a new style of language so that she could fit in with a whole new class of people. But I believe that there were both positive and negative sides to both her common English and her proper English. Obviously Eliza was much more elegant when speaking with proper English, but it seemed that it was a type of language that wasn't for social use. When she used "small talk" with Mrs. Higgins, she used more of her common language than proper, which everyone for the most part seemed to like.

Proper English

“Proper” English is necessary in this society. It is the use of common terms to communicate with people. We all share the common agreement in how to express and present words accurately in this society. And “proper” English is known as the rule in communication. It obviously deserves to be valued over all other Englishes. In most cases, a person is judged through their languages. Using “proper” English not only shows your respect to others, but also represents your good education. All professions require “proper” English. Learning “proper” English is essential to success.

Valuing “proper” English does not mean that all the other Englishes are silenced. Non-Native Americans speak their own languages with people who share the same cultures. People also use slang words to talk with friends or family. Overall, “proper” English is used mostly along with the existence of other Englishes as well.

Moulding of Proper English

We definitely have a type of proper english which is preferred over other kinds of English. For example, the type of English that Johnny Carson spoke is now the official English that every media personality (newscaster, journalist, etc.) has to use. It's accentless and straightforward with a hint of dramatism. If the news - in the exact same words - was televised in the African-American Dialect (sometimes called eubonics), or in a Southern accent, would we take it as seriously? Would we be wiling to listen to news that was televised that way? I dont' think we would, harsh as that sounds. We have a "preferred" way of speaking English that is considered more proper. I also think that, much like in England, "proper" English is class-indicative and culturally indicative. If one were to hear an Indian accent, our assumption is that the person speaking just recently came to the United States. While this is sometimes true, it's also true that people who speak in an Indian accent choose not to shed the accent whent they move to the United States as a way to maintain identity. So, an Indian person could have lived in the United States for 20 years, and when he/she speaks, people might still assume that they have recently arrived. Proper English in the U.S., while not exactly like the British way of speaking, is still a very real phenomenon.

Proper English

     There is without-a-doubt such a thing as "proper" English in today's society, which is seen as professional and intelligent. Therefore, those that want to show that they possess these two characteristics mold themselves to speak in a way that is respectable. So much of who we are and where we stand in society is determined by our speech. We are judged and tend to judge others based on words spoken.
     We also place stereotypes on individuals by the way they speak that usually pertains to race and what kind of person that individual is. While this is not respectable, I do think that "proper" English is to be valued over all others when in a professional situation. However, if you are in your own element and surroundings where professionalism is not required, then speaking in any way should be permitted. Therefore, with this view, I do not believe that all the other "forms" of English are silenced. "Proper" English is just valued and respected more when in a situation where an individual needs to portray professionalism in order to promote him or herself.

Proper English

                There is “proper” English and I believe it already is being valued over all other Englishes. I think everyone had to write an essay to be accepted into Saint Louis University to prove you could speak “proper” English. The idea of “cleaning up” your grammar is not only seen in Pygmalion and My Fair Lady. There are instances where people change the way they talk and look at a job interview. People will try to avoid using slang terms like “ain’t” because it is not proper. A person that tries to act more refined than a person who uses slang would be more valued for the job. Other types of English are not necessarily silenced; they are just not valued as much as being “proper”. It is professional to be “proper” and to be honest, I think it does deserve to be valued over other types of English. I would rather be asked, “What is your name?” than “Who you is?”. 

Week 8: Sculpting Speech

Dear Class,

One of the take-aways from both Pygmalion and My Fair Lady is that speech is something that can be molded and, in doing so, reflects on social standing and character. There is no doubt that Eliza becomes more refined as she learns "proper" English.

Your blog assignment for this week is to reflect on the molding of English in our society. Is there still such a thing as "proper" English, and does it deserve to be valued over all other Englishes? In valuing one type of English, do we silence all the others?

Ms. Lambke

Midterm project

Making the movie was extremely new to me. I had a hard time to figure out how to use Windows Movie Maker. As I made the pictures shown longer, I also had to adjust the texts in that period of time as well. This project was time consuming, and making it during midterm week was challenged. I was successful introducing the main idea of the essay "In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens", and found useful scholarly sources to interpret this idea.The texts and pictures were shown nicely. However, there were so many things I need to change. My project included only texts, pictures, and songs. I would like to add video,but I could not find anything useful, and time was not allowed. Additionally, I  added the noises of birds, crying babies, digging, crickets, but there was not a smooth transition from songs to these sounds.
I always want to make the slide of my own photos and songs. Thanks to this project, now I know how to make it. And I actually made a slideshow of my photos with songs right after this project. Like what Ms. Lambke said, this class expanded my understanding and developed my creativity. 

Midterm Reflection

I really enjoyed creating my video for the Multimodal Project. I was lucky in that my chapter was not too long, so I didn't have to present too much information, giving me lots of room for analysis. I spent a good amount of time researching the classical concept of eros, and I have decided that I want to write my final paper on the topic (of speaking and silence surrounding the concept of the erotic). I could definitely have done better clarifying my interpretation, instead of just presenting a lot of information from different sources (I tried to explain it during my introduction before the video, but I'm not sure I succeeded). Anyway, it wasn't until after I had basically completed the video did I realize that it would be really interesting to explore the reasons how the Socratic concept of eros, which is so similar to Lorde's, was lost over time (which I mentioned could be due to monotheism/Christianity and sex-sensitive cultures, like the Victorians) . It could also be interesting to compare and contrast the silence surrounding the erotic in Western and Eastern worlds. The Multimodal Project helped me understand a chapter I had not fully comprehended during my first reading, and to look critically at interesting sources.

As for class, I liked when we were given the opportunity to journal. I also liked Show and Tell a lot; I thought the videos and stories people shared were really interesting. I think it would be fun to watch part or all of a silent film during the second half of the semester. The only thing that didn't really work for me was the Sounds of Myself essay, but that was because of a lack of preparation/editing skills on my part.

Midterm

I am not sure if I achieved exactly what was expected of me in the midterm. In my multimodal project I worked with Flowers for Algernon and focused on Charlie’s happiness before and after the operation. It took me a really long time to figure out how to work the movie maker because I have never used the program before. I enjoyed finding interesting pictures. I found one picture that captured imagination perfectly. I also thought I picked a song that went with the idea of loneliness that Charlie faced. I know that I summarized the essay well, but I am not sure if I interpreted it a right way. Everyone seemed to do something different, yet everyone kept it simple. I really think everyone deserves a good grade because it takes time to create these and we were told there was no exact right or wrong way to do them. Overall, the project was kind of interesting. I was actually mad because I wanted to spend more time on the video, but I had other midterms to study for. I enjoyed reading Flowers for Algernon and it was really exciting to make a video for it. 

Week 7: Extra Credit Blog

Dear Students,

It is mid-term week, and I know you are all exceptionally busy and tired. Thus, I am giving you the week off from blogging. To be clear: you are not required to blog this week (midterms), or next week (Spring Break).

However, if you have missed a blog, this week is a chance to make it up. If you have completed all of your blogs, but want a few extra credit points, this is an opportunity. Choose one of the following prompts, and write a blog. Or, if there is something else you wish to say to the class, go ahead.

1. Multimodal Project: How did the multimodal project go for you? Where do you think you succeeded? Where do you think you could have done better?

2. Semester Review: Half way through the semester, what do you remember best about class? Which class periods worked best for you?

3. Second-half Preview: As we come back after midterm, what would you like to do more of in class? If there anything you suggest to make the class better?

Good luck to all of you during midterm week!

Ms. Lambke

The Dominant Discourse

Glenn's essay on "Engendering Silence" is perhaps one of the most eye-opening essays I've read for class. The idea of the dominant discourse was particularly powerful - it puts women's language in a new light. I have always thought about how we never think of women as powerful orators, but whenever we do find that a women is good at public speaking she is attacked by the media for not being feminine enough, or being a "feminazi". Basically, if women adopt the dominant discourse and excel at it, then they are seen as threatening. But if they do not adopt the dominant discourse, they are not listened to. This is a catch-22 which puts women (and other oppressed groups) in subordinate and "silenced" positions.

I love Glenn's use of hooks and Adrienne Rich, as a side note. She really brings together many different types of writers together to enhance her ideas.

The Right of Silence

In the United States, like in many countries, every citizen has the right to speak freely.  Can it be said that every citizen also has the right to act in silence?  Our society favors reason, whether it be motive in a crime or the process we use to choose between two trade goods.  In the court of law a defendant has the right to silence as a means to avoiding self-incrimination, but witnesses do not have a choice when it comes to remaining silent.  Can there be one absolute rule? 

Acting in speech involves taking responsibility for one's words.  If one uses slanderous speech, they must be ready to take on the possible consequences.  Similarly, acting in silence exemplifies the existence of responsibility.  Unless the situation is one in which a person's livelihood is threatened, as in termination from a job, I believe we all have the right to act in silence.  This being said, the person acting in silence has no right to complain about how they are percieved or treated after the act.

  

Another thought about silence

Hi class,

This week I have been pondering the idea of silence more.  I have been thinking about it more on a personal level, rather than silence in a conversation (The opposite of speaking).  I tried to think of the moments and places when I am silent most often.  The first case I thought of was watching a movie.  For me personally I think it gets annoying when people are not silent in movies.  I found it interesting that some places and activities are meant to be done in silence, it is the norm.  Another time where I find daily silence is when I walk around campus to class.  It gives me time to take in all that is around me. A time to truly enjoy the surrounding background noise.  I found it interesting that on some occasions like this when for others it would not be a norm to be silent, I am silent. And I enjoy this daily silence and time for thought.
So as you go about your day and your week try to think of the times when you are silent most frequently. Think about how you feel when you are silent in these moments.  Do you enjoy them?

Paxton