4 Modes: Rhetorical Appeals

Project 3 Analysis

Image: http://www.healthhype.com/wp-content/plugins/healthy-breakfast.jpg

Image:

The image to the left is an example of a healthy breakfast and its also a play food kit. The breakfast kit is aimed for children probably between the ages of 2-8. The purpose of the play food set is to show healthy breakfast choices and to make children aware, in addition to education through a hands on experience. The fruit, yogurt, English muffin, pancake, and orange juice are foods and drink children might typically eat and enjoy for breakfast, most importantly they are health conscious options. The breakfast kit does not include donuts or sugary cereals so children aren't exposed to foods that taste good with no nutritional value. By actually playing with the foods this tool can be used to teach children what a good breakfast consists of, an effective education on breakfast in disguise.

Book: Green Eggs and Ham

Green Eggs and Ham by Doctor Seuss is a classic children's book which can actually be used to educate children about breakfast. The colorful illustrations of eggs and ham along with the text throughout the story make for a fun and easy teaching tool. The purpose of the book is to encourage people to try new things because they might actually like them. Over and over Sam I Am asks the Cat in the Hat to try his green eggs and ham but the cat refuses, an element of the story children and parents alike can relate to. A parallel can be drawn between a stubborn kid and a parent with the Cat in the Hat and Sam I Am. Green Eggs and Ham functions in showing children if they try a new food/meal there is a chance they might really like it. Therefore, Green Eggs and Ham could potentially be used to persuade a child to try eggs for breakfast or another choice a child won't eat. The Cat in the Hat is a likable character for children and they can compare themselves to what the cat experiences.

Song: "The Breakfast Song"

"The Breakfast Song" by Sicko is a short piece taking an interesting perspective on breakfast. The song can be enjoyed by audiences of all ages but the target seems to specifically be teenagers. The musicians behind "The Breakfast Song" create a comedic spin on breakfast discussing eggs and Captain Crunch cereal. Sicko promotes eating eggs because they contain a lot of protein and get you up and going in the morning. The lyrics are catchy and the song is appealing because breakfast is not usually talked about in songs. The catch phrase in the song is "a hearty breakfast can't be beat", which is an effective message for audiences. The song could be used to teach because of the comical lyrics and how they convey eating breakfast is fun and good for you at the same time. A positive message is also revealed through "The Breakfast Song" and shows kids breakfast is an enjoyable meal.

Film: Peewee Herman's Big Adventure

The film Peewee Herman's Big Adventure, specifically the scene with the egg contraption, visually displays one man's breakfast habits and his everyday routine. Peewee Herman's Adventure can be enjoyed by audiences of all ages but children would enjoy the movie the most. By using Peewee Herman kids will think he is funny and potentially view him as a role model, which is how the movie could be used as a teaching tool. In the movie Peewee uses his egg contraption every day to crack his eggs and the film elaborately shows Peewee performing his daily routine. Peewee realizes the importance of breakfast and kids can interpret this as Peewee having good judgment; therefore he is setting the example children should be eating breakfast too. The egg contraption makes eating breakfast look cool, an effective way to convince children of breakfast's value. By watching Peewee Herman's Big Adventure kids will see how breakfast should be eaten to start the day and how it can be amusing as well.

Annotation for Toni Morrison Interview

Summary:
This week's annotation is in response to an interview conducted by Charlie Rose on the famous Toni Morrison, writer, professor, and editor. Morrison typically writes on issues that have faced or continually face black community, and is the acclaimed writer of many books, winning the Pullitzer and Nobel prize. At the time of the interview her new book being released was Love, a novel about blacks becoming american and the hardships among the black community; with the main character ostracized for caring for something wounded. Morrison's most famous work Beloved tells a story about slavery, and at this point in her life Morrison knew she was a writer and nothing was more important than writing and being a good parent to her children. Morrison discussed how being an editor has helped her as a writer but each book is like a new canvas and a new start. Most importantly, Morrison wants her readers to get the meaning of her books and lives by the notion that she hasn't done her best work yet.

Reaction:
Having never seen Morrison in an interview like scenerio I was really surprised at how modest and calm she remained throughout the interview. In response to one of Rose's questions she even said my life is boring I don't do anything, but my mind is exciting. She clearly is very humble about her acheivements, which I think contributes to what makes Toni Morrison so inspring. I can relate with her on the turning point of when she decided who she was. I always knew I was interested in medicine but was looking for a direction, and as soon as I did some job shadowing I realized I wanted to be a physician's assistant, and have been persuing my goal ever since-- similar to Morrison's encounter with writing Beloved. I also thought her view of all her characters being winners even if they ended up dying was an interesting idea. Morrison seems to be able to see the positive side of things even through trajedy. I agree with the idea of a character's experience being an "epiphany", no matter what the outcome.

Reflection:
Even though Morrison does write about the black community I think she has a widespread appeal to her audience. I think Morrison aims to make connections with her readers which has helped in her success as a writer. She repeatedly touched on the notion that we need to "become and remain human" and to not give in to the comic book lifestyle. In Morrison's writing she has chosen topics revealing good and bad sides of humanity but most significantly the reality of it all; and I believe she tries to intertwine her philosophies about life with her writings. In my opinion she definitely has the right ideas and I think the way she talks and writes can be inspiring to other people. She encourages people to embrace who they are and not to try and fit into the confines of society.

Questions:
1. Given Morrison is a professor at Princeton and has the ability to impact a large number of people, what course would you have her teach and what would it entail?

2. Can Toni Morrison's writing style fit into the stages of Vogler's heroe's journey? Why/why not?

3. Morrison discussed black sepratism being important to the civil rights movement in addition to black nationalism, how do the two function together as one?

Simpson's Critique

Summary:
The Simpson's TV show was created on values and ideas that were a risk for the FOX TV network to produce. The show reinforces the average middle class American family values through the narrative. However, it also criticizes American cultural values outside of the narrative such as politics, sexuality, and the medical and educational systems. The characters of Homer, Marge, Lisa, Bart, and others are representations of ideas and ideologies rather than personalities because they were created as incomplete. For example, Lisa is the symbol of reason on the show and she is constantly questioning the rationality and motives behind others actions. Homer is the dominant male figure in the show representing the the cultural myths and contradictions of the American consumerist lifestyle. Marge, conveys the stereotypical housewife and all of the problems and downfalls that come along with it. Bart is predetermined to fail and is used to scrutinize the public schooling system. And lastly, Mr. Burns is the symbol of capitalism and is portrayed as a very powerful person due to his ownership of the power plant.

Reaction:
I thought that this critique was very interesting and provided some insight into the creation of the show. I have only caught a couple of the episodes of the Simpson's here and there, and never have been a vigilant watcher. When I have watched the show I found it not very engaging and kind of dumb (I guess I never really gave it a fair chance). So, from my perspective I actually learned a lot about the characters and their motives through this critique; I think now I better understand the point of the show. I definitely agree with the statement, "The Simpson family and friends act as a cross section of American culture. They are never fully developed characters, but icons of belief" (Tingleff). The Simpson's critique makes it easy to see what the characters represent and how their ideologies are conveyed in the show. Using the narrative of the show to reinforce and reflect the middle class American values is what makes the Simpson's so ratable and successful.

Reflection:
Nowadays creating a long lasting good television show is not something that happens everyday. The fact the Simpson's lasted for 9 years is pretty incredible for a TV show. Reality and shows that can't even last a couple seasons are what dominate our televisions today. I think that the success of the HBO series the Soprano's can be compared to the Simpson's. Plot wise they are very different but each show had a unique character drawing in large audiences for an extended period of time. Even through all the violence and mob drama the Soprano's also had a focus on family life and the importance of family comparable to the Simpson's. Both shows were the first of "their kind" and became models for later shows trying to have a similar message.

Questions:

1. What Simpson's character do you see yourself the most in and why?

2. Despite the characters incomplete nature, how does the narrative attempt to overcome this according to Tingleff?

3. If you could add a character to the show to represent a contemporary idea/ideology, what would it be and why?

Project 3: 4 Mode Teaching Tool

1. Book: Green Eggs & Ham by Doctor Suess

2. Film: PeeWee Hermans Big Adventure--> Peewee's morning routine with the egg contraption

3. Song: "The Breakfast Song" http://www.metrolyrics.com/the-breakfast-song-live-lyrics-sicko.html

4. Visual piece: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QMuDihPPyPA/SApCPb_bjAI/AAAAAAAAEdQ/EEGxH9CRlwo/s400/blog_corasberakfast.jpg&imgrefurl=http://mikelynchcartoons.blogspot.com/2008/04/corasbreakfast.html&usg=__7opaSCijaI_VXibegh_2FXibwhw=&h=303&w=374&sz=33&hl=en&start=24&um=1&tbnid=uYES73Ipbqm27M:&tbnh=99&tbnw=122&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbreakfast%2B%252B%2Bcomic%26ndsp%3D21%26hl%3Den%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox%26rlz%3D1I7HPIB_en%26sa%3DN%26start%3D21%26um%3D1

Themes from the BellJar:

1. Hope comes in many forms, but it can quickly disappear
Titanic: Many people thought they were going to live but there wasn't enough rescue boats to save them, resulting in hundreds of deaths. The people had a false sense of hope.


2. Things are not always what they seem from an outsider's perspective
Fight Club: Tyler Durden has an alter ego and the entire movie you think he is someone else.

3. Friendship can be inspiring
http://media.photobucket.com/image/friendship/ydoow_a/friendship.jpg

Vogler pg.'s 143-173

Summary
In this section of Vogler the approach to the inmost cave and the supreme ordeal are discussed. The approach is the final preparation in the story, as the hero must make him/her ready for anything prior to the supreme ordeal. The heroes are tested once more by a new set of threshold guardians because they are entering a new special world with different regulations. The tests they encounter may seem impossible because they are in life and death situations, since the approach also functions to heighten the stakes. Characters may switch roles as they encounter villains, and their encounters can help the hero regroup and encourage others. The ordeal is the point in the story when the hero faces the main crisis, but this is not the climax of the story. The hero is faced with some type of life or death situation, and the ability to survive it is the ultimate test of a hero. This crisis is usually the main event of the story and divides the story into two halves. After the hero faces life and death he/she is reborn and nothing is the same from this point on. The hero usually survives whatever the crisis may be because a taste of death is just as shocking and emotional for the audience. The ordeal is considered one of the deepest depressions and therefore leads to some of the highest rewards. The most common ordeal is a battle or confrontation with the enemy, however a hero's greatest opponent is his/her own shadow. A shadow represents the hero's flaws as well as fears and is projected in the form of demonizing. Other types of crises include love, negative animus/anima, an elder, a relationship, marriage, balance, or a parent. The hero's ability to overcome these crises make them stronger and ready for the next stage of the journey.
Reaction
I think it was interesting how Vogler laid out all of the different types of crises but only offered two examples of how the story can be structured, the central crisis and delayed crisis. I guess it makes sense that most stories follow a similar structure. But I think a story about the crisis of the heart is much different than a story with a hero battling a dragon. Regardless, I do agree with Vogler in that, "Good structure works by alternately lowering and raising the hero's fortunes and, with them, the audiences emotions" (161). I think that what the audience feels is definitely critical to the success of any story. I also liked the section on the hero's greatest opponent being himself/herself. Without being able to overcome personal fears or shortcomings the hero would never be able to deal with the ordeal and proceed with the rest of the story.
Reflection
So far throughout the hero's journey, the hero has had reoccurring relationships with many other characters, and specifically a villian figure. In this section of reading, that also holds true as the villian becomes the projection of the hero's downfalls and the human form of his/her fears. In many movies the villian dies instead of the hero to conform with keeping the audience happy, but occasionally the hero dies shocking the audience. Vogler warns about the dangers of doing this but I think it's a suitable alternative to provide variety and experiment with the audience's emotions. I think that a movie can still be good and successful even if the hero dies,such as Gran Tourino starring Clint Eastwood, it all depends on how it is executed; and this relates back to importance of the structure of a good story.
Questions
1. Vogler suggests Adriane's Thread as a way to connect the hero to loved ones in the story. Can you think of any other accessory structure to the hero's journey?
2. Do you agree with Vogler that the approach to inmost cave is a separate special world? Why or why not?
3. "The ordeal can be defined as the moment the hero faces his greatest fear" (Vogler 169), do you think that a hero can face his greatest fear prior to the ordeal? What about a hero overcoming a personal flaw in order to take the journey in the first place?

Volger pg.'s 127-141

Summary
In this section of Vogler crossing the first threshold and test,allies, and enemies are explored. Crossing the threshold is the point in any story when the hero is totally committed to the journey. To reach this point the hero might have experienced an event that brings on the story or escalates the situation. The hero will also be tested and trained in crossing the threshold by threshold guardians. Crossing the threshold can also be signified by crossing physical barriers such as bridges, canyons, cliffs, etc. As well, any transition such as a musical cue or stark visual difference between the first and second act is considered crossing the threshold. In order to cross the threshold the hero must be ready to make a leap of faith which requires an extraordinary amount of courage because from this point on nothing will be the same. Once this choice has been made the hero will be tested in many ways. The hero will face obstacles while in the special word but at first they are most likely not life and death situations. To aid the hero along the journey allies are usually made and enemies are confronted, learning who to trust is very important. The ally can take the form of a sidekick to provide camaraderie, comic relief, or whatever the hero may be lacking. Heroes can join forces with other people along the way and form teams to tackle the various obstacles they face. Upon officially being in the special world, new rules apply and must be learned quickly, which tests the adaptability of the hero. Lastly, Vogler discussed watering holes, such as bars and saloons, as a place for congregation and a way to get information about a new place.

Reaction
I like the Disney metaphor,"A story is like an airplane flight, and Act One is the process of loading,fueling, taxiing, and rumbling down the runway towards takeoff. The First Threshold is the moment the wheels leave the ground and the plane begins to fly" (131). I think that is a good analogy for crossing the first threshold, and conveys the significance of this element of a story. The plane needs to leave the ground, but what happens if it doesn't? I think this is a reasonable consideration and I'm wondering where a story is supposed to go if this is the situation. However, I do agree with Vogler about testing, allies, and enemies. Testing the hero is a good way for the audience to get to know the hero and what they are going to be like. As well, how they encounter enemies and deal with such situations will continue to reveal character. I think the ally archetype is essential for this part of the hero's journey because allies can shape and influence the hero at this stage, which in turn affects who they are for the rest of the story.

Reflection
While reading this week's assignment the movie Shrek constantly came to mind. Shrek has leave his swamp and cross the first threshold begin his quest through the forest. This is brought about because his swamp is in danger of being taken away from him by Lord Farquad, and requires Shrek to take action. He goes to Dulock and finds out that he has to rescue a princess in order to keep the swamp, therefore raising the stakes and triggering the crossing. The adventure through the forest to get the princess is visually much different from the swamp and it is obvious that he has reached the special world. While rescuing the princess, Shrek's courage, strength, and determination are tested. He has to get pass the dragon to save her and this requires a special courage. Donkey is his ally and sidekick. Donkey has a sense of humor, is laid back, and a fun character who provides comic relief as well as making up for Shrek's lack of a personality. I think Shrek is a good contemporary example of what Vogler is describing in comparison to the Wizard of Oz in the text.

Questions
1. How would you change the hero's journey to accommodate if he/she never acquires the special courage to cross into the special world?
2. What is an example of "transitioning" into the special world that Vogler did not mention?
3. Why does a hero need to be tested in the special world if he/she has already crossed the threshold? How does a test function to build character?