Below is the in-depth analysis of my project:
A glimpse at my creative project, LIFE of Pi:
Thursday, September 25, 2014
#8 "Life of Pi" Summer Reading Creative Project
Below is the in-depth analysis of my project:
A glimpse at my creative project, LIFE of Pi:
Thursday, September 18, 2014
#7 "The Namesake" Summer Reading Comparison/Contrast Paper
Expanding Our Roots: Close Reading Chart
Mis-En-Scene Analysis
Settings and Props
The scene starts out with Ashoke’s green car and lots of natural greenery. On the way, they make a stop in front of some trees with pink flowers. These colors are bright, a contrast to the dullness of the flashback Ashoke talks about. In his recollection of his tragic accident, the camera shows a suitcase being carried with his own name, A. Ganguli. This is an important detail because it adds to the theme of identity. Even though his name is something is something Gogol has struggled with, it came down from his father’s name, and his father was once young – and similar to Gogol – too, as the suitcase in the flashback emphasizes. The crowded train station is a contrast to the isolation Ashoke and Ashima faced when they came to America, and to the quietness Ashoke and Gogol feel in the car as Ashoke tell his story. The flashback includes vivid details of Ashoke’s travel to Jamshedpur, Mr. Ghosh, and a tattered copy of The Overcoat. As the train crashes, many objects fall to represent the chaos, and an overhead light ends up going out, to show the literal and figurative darkness brought forth by the train wreck. Gogol’s novel ultimately ends up saving Ashoke, which is shown through the bloodstained pages of the book. Although it’s a book that Ashoke cherishes in the beginning of the flashback, the blook on it shows that it also has a painful memory attached with it.
Costume, Hair, and Make-up
In the car ride, the clothing of Ashoke and Gogol are very noticeable due to the close ups. Despite their age difference, both father and son are sporting similar attire – plaid/striped button down shirts with sweaters – a similarity that ties them together. The differences in their features, however, are also obvious because of Ashoke’s graying hair and large frame spectacles. These choices may have been used to show Ashoke’s maturity, his wisdom over Gogol’s – who spent all his life naively complaining about a name, when he didn’t even know the full story. Another interesting clothing choice is related to Mr. Ghosh, who seemed to very an undershirt-type garment. This creates an intimacy and further helps the audience why Ashoke may have taken his advice to heart – because they had become close on the train ride.
Facial Expressions and Body Language
When stopping the car to tell Gogol his story, Ashoke stops the car and takes off his seatbelt. His hands play an important role at this time because he draws attention to the fact that he has stopped at the side of the road and is becoming comfortable in his position – he has something important to say. It signifies the “you might want to sit down for his” tone people have when delivering sad/bad news. Gogol’s expression is also interesting because he has a smirk on his face, looking out the window, when he says “I know, Gogol is your favorite author.” This expression is him basically shrugging off his father’s words, just like he did when his father gave him a copy of The Overcoat for his birthday as a younger boy. As Ashoke finishes the story though, Gogol has a wide eyed look in disbelief, a contrast that emphasizes his surprise. He has a guilty look about him when he asks, “Is that what you think of?” reminding the audience of his breakaway, his vain resistance to the name Gogol and how he abandoned it to be Nikhil. His tear-eyed father replies, “No,” showing the emotional impact the accident (and the birth of his son) have had on his life.
Lighting and Color
The main difference in lighting and color is shown in the present scene and the flashback. The current scene uses brighter, more vivid colors because the high key lighting representing a happier time. The past, in turn, uses more dull hues and low key lighting. Although certain things do stand out, like the greenery outside the train and the red of the blood stains in the train wreck, the overall colors seem to be less bright, probably to distinguish the flashback. The colors when Ashoke is lying in bed are especially dull to show the low point he had in his life. Once the story is over, the scene ends with a view of the pink flowers, a cheery way to remind the audience that the days of tragedy are over, and that now “every day is a gift” for Ashoke.
Positions of characters/objects within frame
In the car, Ashoke and Gogol are shown in really close proximity to the camera. There isn't room in the shot for anything besides their individual faces. This type of positioning is used in order to achieve closeness with the audience, so the viewers can see for themselves the reactions of the characters. Another purposeful positioning technique is when the flashback starts and Ashoke is shown following the man carrying his luggage. This type of placement conveys the feeling that Ashoke followed his destiny to the train wreck. The frame barely show Ashoke and Gogol together, probably because the film makers wanted to focus on the characters individually, since each one had a different view of the scenario. Towards the end, however, they are both shown in the car together, emphasizing the bonding moment. Finally, the scene ends with the pink flowered trees in the middle, ending with the idea of 'full circle,' an important take away from Ashoke's story.
Comparison/Contrast Essays
Mis-En-Scene Analysis
Settings and Props
The scene starts out with Ashoke’s green car and lots of natural greenery. On the way, they make a stop in front of some trees with pink flowers. These colors are bright, a contrast to the dullness of the flashback Ashoke talks about. In his recollection of his tragic accident, the camera shows a suitcase being carried with his own name, A. Ganguli. This is an important detail because it adds to the theme of identity. Even though his name is something is something Gogol has struggled with, it came down from his father’s name, and his father was once young – and similar to Gogol – too, as the suitcase in the flashback emphasizes. The crowded train station is a contrast to the isolation Ashoke and Ashima faced when they came to America, and to the quietness Ashoke and Gogol feel in the car as Ashoke tell his story. The flashback includes vivid details of Ashoke’s travel to Jamshedpur, Mr. Ghosh, and a tattered copy of The Overcoat. As the train crashes, many objects fall to represent the chaos, and an overhead light ends up going out, to show the literal and figurative darkness brought forth by the train wreck. Gogol’s novel ultimately ends up saving Ashoke, which is shown through the bloodstained pages of the book. Although it’s a book that Ashoke cherishes in the beginning of the flashback, the blook on it shows that it also has a painful memory attached with it.
Costume, Hair, and Make-up
In the car ride, the clothing of Ashoke and Gogol are very noticeable due to the close ups. Despite their age difference, both father and son are sporting similar attire – plaid/striped button down shirts with sweaters – a similarity that ties them together. The differences in their features, however, are also obvious because of Ashoke’s graying hair and large frame spectacles. These choices may have been used to show Ashoke’s maturity, his wisdom over Gogol’s – who spent all his life naively complaining about a name, when he didn’t even know the full story. Another interesting clothing choice is related to Mr. Ghosh, who seemed to very an undershirt-type garment. This creates an intimacy and further helps the audience why Ashoke may have taken his advice to heart – because they had become close on the train ride.
Facial Expressions and Body Language
When stopping the car to tell Gogol his story, Ashoke stops the car and takes off his seatbelt. His hands play an important role at this time because he draws attention to the fact that he has stopped at the side of the road and is becoming comfortable in his position – he has something important to say. It signifies the “you might want to sit down for his” tone people have when delivering sad/bad news. Gogol’s expression is also interesting because he has a smirk on his face, looking out the window, when he says “I know, Gogol is your favorite author.” This expression is him basically shrugging off his father’s words, just like he did when his father gave him a copy of The Overcoat for his birthday as a younger boy. As Ashoke finishes the story though, Gogol has a wide eyed look in disbelief, a contrast that emphasizes his surprise. He has a guilty look about him when he asks, “Is that what you think of?” reminding the audience of his breakaway, his vain resistance to the name Gogol and how he abandoned it to be Nikhil. His tear-eyed father replies, “No,” showing the emotional impact the accident (and the birth of his son) have had on his life.
Lighting and Color
The main difference in lighting and color is shown in the present scene and the flashback. The current scene uses brighter, more vivid colors because the high key lighting representing a happier time. The past, in turn, uses more dull hues and low key lighting. Although certain things do stand out, like the greenery outside the train and the red of the blood stains in the train wreck, the overall colors seem to be less bright, probably to distinguish the flashback. The colors when Ashoke is lying in bed are especially dull to show the low point he had in his life. Once the story is over, the scene ends with a view of the pink flowers, a cheery way to remind the audience that the days of tragedy are over, and that now “every day is a gift” for Ashoke.
Positions of characters/objects within frame
In the car, Ashoke and Gogol are shown in really close proximity to the camera. There isn't room in the shot for anything besides their individual faces. This type of positioning is used in order to achieve closeness with the audience, so the viewers can see for themselves the reactions of the characters. Another purposeful positioning technique is when the flashback starts and Ashoke is shown following the man carrying his luggage. This type of placement conveys the feeling that Ashoke followed his destiny to the train wreck. The frame barely show Ashoke and Gogol together, probably because the film makers wanted to focus on the characters individually, since each one had a different view of the scenario. Towards the end, however, they are both shown in the car together, emphasizing the bonding moment. Finally, the scene ends with the pink flowered trees in the middle, ending with the idea of 'full circle,' an important take away from Ashoke's story.
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
#6 "Surroundidngs" Free Response Essay and Reflection
Ashima: a dependent, but strong woman. A deeply cultural,
but open-minded individual. In Jhumpa Lahiri’s novel “The Namesake,” Ashima’s
character proves Pauline Hopkins’ belief that the cultural, physical, and
geographical surroundings shape a character’s psychological or moral traits.
The goodbye Ashima says to her motherland India is
contrasted with the birth of her first child. When Ashima’s son Gogol is born, her
surroundings are a bleak hospital room, a solitude that is only emphasized with
the absence of her husband. Nurses come in and out to check on her, even
calling her the “jello lady” because of Ashima’s bland diet. When one of the
nurses asks whether Ashima would like a boy or girl, she responds that she
would just be happy with a healthy baby, as long as it has “ten finger and ten
toe.”She realizes her grammatical mistake, however, which further emphasizes the different cultural surrounding she is now in. No matter how hard she tries to assimilate herself into the new culture, those specific details in the novel show that she will always face a cultural barrier, and that traits of her Indian culture and traits of her eventual American culture will never coexist in one surrounding – or at least she thinks so at first. In the physical hospital room, she doesn’t feel the comfort and joy she thought she would have felt in India, among relatives and traditions and celebrations.
Another impactful characterization choice in “The Namesake” was the geographical location of Ashima. The millions of miles of her traveling is not only a reminder of how much she misses home, but also of her exposure of the world, as she has seen India, England, and America. This is a contradiction within her character because she is dependent upon missing her ‘home,’ yet as her journey progresses she comes to realize that her trips have made her strong and that her ‘home’ is wherever her husband is.
In fact, when Ashima’s husband Ashok went to Ohio, it was
the first time she was alone. This geographical distance between them was a conscious
choice Ashima took. She could have easily packed up their house and moved with
him for the six months he planned to be there. She stayed, however, because of the
geographical familiarity of the physical and cultural surroundings of her home, and perhaps
an inner strength, that after all these years of being dependent on someone –
her parents, her husband, and her kids – she could finally make it on her own. When
Ashok died in Ohio, she told her friend at the library that she understood why
he went there. “He was teaching me to live on my own,” Ashima said. Maybe without
the distance, she wouldn’t have been able to get over his death. That changing of setting, living without
Ashok, instilled in her the confidence to live on her own.
Reflection:
As this was my first open-ended question, I think I did a good job of addressing all aspects of the prompt. I picked a novel and character where the quote was relatable and where I was able to consider cultural, physical, and geographical surroundings in the story. As this is a prompt where I had to pick my own piece of literature, it was difficult to find a balance in providing paraphrasing of the story and analysis. In this case, a bit of paraphrasing is important because it provides context to the main idea of my thesis; however, the analysis still must overpower the summary portions, and I believe this was an area of struggle for me.
Fortunately, in this case, the prompt was one I was able to relate to The Namesake, a text I read recently and am currently analyzing in class. I'm glad I knew the text well enough to analyze and even provide a direct quote from. These details are key as they strengthen the argument and show a strong understanding of the text. Choosing a piece of literature doesn't seem to be a huge problem for me at this point.
With regards to scoring, I would give this essay a 5 because I think it demonstrates an understanding of complexity (especially when I mention Ashima's 'home' and her husband's death in Ohio). The writing, however, could have been better organized and more sophisticated to meet the higher standards of the AP scale. I also used more 'summary' than I should have, so next time I'll be more focused on the actual analysis. Overall, I think I can improve on my weaknesses and improve my strengths even more by spending more time organizing my thoughts and planning out the writing process before I begin writing.
Reflection:
As this was my first open-ended question, I think I did a good job of addressing all aspects of the prompt. I picked a novel and character where the quote was relatable and where I was able to consider cultural, physical, and geographical surroundings in the story. As this is a prompt where I had to pick my own piece of literature, it was difficult to find a balance in providing paraphrasing of the story and analysis. In this case, a bit of paraphrasing is important because it provides context to the main idea of my thesis; however, the analysis still must overpower the summary portions, and I believe this was an area of struggle for me.
Fortunately, in this case, the prompt was one I was able to relate to The Namesake, a text I read recently and am currently analyzing in class. I'm glad I knew the text well enough to analyze and even provide a direct quote from. These details are key as they strengthen the argument and show a strong understanding of the text. Choosing a piece of literature doesn't seem to be a huge problem for me at this point.
With regards to scoring, I would give this essay a 5 because I think it demonstrates an understanding of complexity (especially when I mention Ashima's 'home' and her husband's death in Ohio). The writing, however, could have been better organized and more sophisticated to meet the higher standards of the AP scale. I also used more 'summary' than I should have, so next time I'll be more focused on the actual analysis. Overall, I think I can improve on my weaknesses and improve my strengths even more by spending more time organizing my thoughts and planning out the writing process before I begin writing.
Thursday, September 4, 2014
#5 "Thou Blind Man's Mark" Essay and Reflection
Killing desire with desire is a
complex, inner struggle for the speaker in Sir Philip Sidney’s poem, “Thou
Blind Man’s Mark,” which Sidney highlights using purposeful poetic devices. One
of Sidney’s devices is the connotation that his diction choices imply. In the beginning
of the poem, Sidney is quick to criticize desire, calling it a “blind man’s
mark” and a “fool’s self-chosen snare.” These word choices imply that Sidney
believes having desire is a foolish trait, something that will trick and trap
optimists and wistful thinkers. He also uses alliteration to emphasize this point.
For example, he calls desire a “cradle of causeless care” and a “web of will.”
These alliterations give rhythm to the poem and indicate a shift in tone. Even
though in earlier lines, he used words like “scum” and “evils,” implying a
definite negative attitude towards desire, the alliteration brings a
lighthearted shift. Granted, the examples of alliteration still have words that
could imply a negative connotation – a “web of will” sounds like desire will
spin one around in circles and eventually lead him/her nowhere – the overall device
provides a light contrast to Sidney’s dark view of desire.
In fact, in the next line (line 5), he takes a step back from criticizing desire and reveals a personal connection. “Desire, Desire!” he says and indulges in the fact that he also once desired something too intensely. Perhaps, his experience left such a wound on him that he could only summon and exaggerate his negative thoughts about desire. This line is important in the poem because it is the only place where he isn’t attacking desire and shows some empathy. His selection of detail emphasizes that he was once a “blind man” and “fool” too, and the exclamation point is strategically used to show that hint of hopefulness. This is a stark contrast to the last line of the poem, where he says “how to kill desire.”
It’s important to note that throughout the whole poem, Sidney only uses the actual word “desire” in two places, in line 5 and line 14. This choice could also be a result of the author’s hatred for the trait. But when Sidney does use “desire,” he uses different punctuation. The first reference uses an exclamation point, while the second one uses a period. This is a contrast because the first “desire” demonstrates experience, longing, and wistfulness. The word “desire” in the last line is grave, direct, and declaratory. Whatever inner conflict he might have had in line 5, where he acknowledged that he once desired, is diminished by the end because he is so determined for desire within him to cease in existence.
This “desire” of his, however, is again an indication of the poem’s complexity. Sidney desires to never desire again, and this is the contradiction he must live with. Devices such as alliteration, diction choice, tone shift, and punctuation align with Sidney’s complex writing and the speaker’s complex attitude toward desire.
Reflection:
After looking at the other sample essays for this prompt in class and reviewing the score sheet, I would give this essay a 7. It offers a "reasonable analysis" and "effective composition" because I believe it showed understanding and good organization. It went further than just paraphrasing what certain lines mean and addressed the complexity in the prompt. Moreover, it made purposeful "references to the text, and although the analysis is not to par with a 8/9 essay, the writing in this essay made it one step above the 6 essay.
Despite the strengths, however, I think I have to do a better job of identifying and analyzing poetic devices. For example, I could have talked about more about personification and repetition. Although, I mentioned alliteration, I believe I missed the point a little bit since the alliteration in this poem was used to speed up the pace and hit the "insults" with emphasis and smack-talk force. I also failed to mention that this poem was a sonnet.
I am glad though that I was able to talk about the complexity in the poem, which is usually an area of struggle for me. That could be attributed to the fact that the complexity was easily identifiable in the poem and because the prompt specifically asked for it. In future prompts, it may not be as simple, so I want to be prepared for that.
Overall, I'm happy with this essay and score for a first time practice, but now that I have identified my weakness, I want to be proactive about digging deeper into poetic devices/technical poetic terms and hidden complexities.
In fact, in the next line (line 5), he takes a step back from criticizing desire and reveals a personal connection. “Desire, Desire!” he says and indulges in the fact that he also once desired something too intensely. Perhaps, his experience left such a wound on him that he could only summon and exaggerate his negative thoughts about desire. This line is important in the poem because it is the only place where he isn’t attacking desire and shows some empathy. His selection of detail emphasizes that he was once a “blind man” and “fool” too, and the exclamation point is strategically used to show that hint of hopefulness. This is a stark contrast to the last line of the poem, where he says “how to kill desire.”
It’s important to note that throughout the whole poem, Sidney only uses the actual word “desire” in two places, in line 5 and line 14. This choice could also be a result of the author’s hatred for the trait. But when Sidney does use “desire,” he uses different punctuation. The first reference uses an exclamation point, while the second one uses a period. This is a contrast because the first “desire” demonstrates experience, longing, and wistfulness. The word “desire” in the last line is grave, direct, and declaratory. Whatever inner conflict he might have had in line 5, where he acknowledged that he once desired, is diminished by the end because he is so determined for desire within him to cease in existence.
This “desire” of his, however, is again an indication of the poem’s complexity. Sidney desires to never desire again, and this is the contradiction he must live with. Devices such as alliteration, diction choice, tone shift, and punctuation align with Sidney’s complex writing and the speaker’s complex attitude toward desire.
Reflection:
After looking at the other sample essays for this prompt in class and reviewing the score sheet, I would give this essay a 7. It offers a "reasonable analysis" and "effective composition" because I believe it showed understanding and good organization. It went further than just paraphrasing what certain lines mean and addressed the complexity in the prompt. Moreover, it made purposeful "references to the text, and although the analysis is not to par with a 8/9 essay, the writing in this essay made it one step above the 6 essay.
Despite the strengths, however, I think I have to do a better job of identifying and analyzing poetic devices. For example, I could have talked about more about personification and repetition. Although, I mentioned alliteration, I believe I missed the point a little bit since the alliteration in this poem was used to speed up the pace and hit the "insults" with emphasis and smack-talk force. I also failed to mention that this poem was a sonnet.
I am glad though that I was able to talk about the complexity in the poem, which is usually an area of struggle for me. That could be attributed to the fact that the complexity was easily identifiable in the poem and because the prompt specifically asked for it. In future prompts, it may not be as simple, so I want to be prepared for that.
Overall, I'm happy with this essay and score for a first time practice, but now that I have identified my weakness, I want to be proactive about digging deeper into poetic devices/technical poetic terms and hidden complexities.
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