Hypertext Blog Reflection

As apprehensive as I was about blogging my thoughts to the whole world, the connection with the internet developed my knowledge on the class topics more thoroughly. The class discussion combined with the blogs of myself and my classmates kept the class in motion throughout the week. Our continuous digital discussions created a wealth of information on each other as well as our assignments.This digital method of organizing and sharing my thoughts added a modern relevance from the topics to my learning. 

Blogging helped digitally "free write" my mind while discussing large, uncomfortable, or compelling topics this semester. Throughout each blog post I tried to organize my thoughts for both my own benefit and in order for the "people of the internet" to understand them. Normally, I have jumbled and, often times, too many thoughts on one subject at one time. In my blog post on Smith and Watson's autobiographical tool tips I organized my thoughts through bullet pointing under each question for one, overhead tool tip. Since the writing form of the blog was so open and digital (my comfort zone) it gave me the freedom of thinking as much as I wanted to about each question while still keeping an organized flow of information for others. I also used a similar method in a comparison between two of Translations largest characters. Translations had three acts that marked clear sections of change for an outside reader, and my inclusion of them in this blog post exemplifies the characters' transitions. While it connects with oIutside readers, the post deciphers my thoughts into meaning for the political situation in Ireland as well as the characters. Clear organization through digital blogging tools allowed my thoughts to be open but cohesive for both me and outside viewers.

Other times, the blog put a face to a name and deepened my reading, interest, and connection to the topic. While blogging connects directly to the internet, it was easy to search for images or people, artwork, or places relevant to the subjects I struggled with. For example, Girl, Interrupted discussed facets of womanhood in the sixties through the harsh conditions of a rehabilitation center. As random as my post on Elizabeth Moss, who played "Torch" in Girl, Interrupted, seemed, it helped connect me with the material. While I discussed her ironic role in Mad Men (a show I really like) as a successful woman in the sixties in comparison to "Torch", I broadened my understanding of the range of "female" roles. The pictures I added also show the extremes compared to each other as well as a woman of today and strengthen this point even further. I also included helpful images in my post on Pierre Bonnard. The author of Circling My Mother's inclusion of art by Pierre Bonnard gave me a connect to the work. Through posting about the artwork I gained a better understand of the mood and specific details in the story. Adding images to difficult topics helped form more intelligent and aware thoughts during class discussions. 

Connecting to the class through a blog occasionally included pitching my ideas for its assignments to my peers. For the first research assignment I'd be proposing an argument on whether or not Woolf's argument held water. Later in the class, we discussed a close reading blog post and if we succeeded or not. In my Close Reading post I practiced analyzing evidence on one of the stories I'd be including in the assignment. The chance to pitch my ideas to the class gave me insight on what I need to work on with my writing. The blog gave me a method of exploring ideas I was interested in while practicing for assignments in front of the whole class.

Blogging for Lives and Times gave me a real outlet to test my thoughts against the internet as well as my classmates. Keeping it interesting for both parties became its toughest challenge but greatest reward. The thought of my posts being out in the world forced me to keep them organized. Its connection the internet also allowed me to search for other, sometimes outside, connections to the topic. Bringing in outside interests, images, and organization partly helped my learning, but it also made it appealing to someone who might be looking at the blog. It's as if I tried to sell my ideas to others through interesting and appealing topics, and therefore connected them to my thoughts. My knowledge of the internet community compared to the classroom community brought a hybrid type of discussion, but an effective one for my learning.


Extra Credit Responses: "The Yellow Wallpaper" library exhibit viewing

Outline for Second Brief

Goal:

To connect religion to Satrapi's identity.
To show how "her" religion backfired or became corrupt
How she fits into it now, or how she shows her personality through the corrupt religion.

important Female laws under the Islamic republic for Satrapi/her family

• the veil (or other proper appearances)
• follows the law but not to a T
• doesn't wear it correctly/wears makeup
• does not wear it at home
• strict schooling values (elementary and college)
• in elementary she went along with them
• in college she stuck up for herself/beliefs
• cannot be with a man she is not related or married to.
• 
  

What do these laws say about her

• to her family/friends
• they don't really discuss her outer appearances
• they let her have her own interests
• they dress like her
• they only care when her appearance shows sign of depression
• to the law
• she is a "fallen" woman
• whore, prostitute, slut, etc.
• she is an object
• she doesn't have voice
• to herself
• she is a rebel
• she is/isnt attractive (depends)
• she is artistic
• as a child she was always confident too

How does she over come these judgments

• she tries to commit suicide
• she finds somewhere to show her personality in "public" without disobeying the law completely
• art
• parties
• different jobs
• leaves

How will my screenplay amplify this to connect with her relationship with god

• she chooses to follow a religion
• she chooses to be herself as well
• through religion
• discusses her goals with childlike image of god. 

Satrapi and God

In her graphic novel, Satrapi combines a huge amount of politics with the outcomes of her own life. During her adventure, she sends her childhood image of "God" away and he never returns again to her life.

God might represent her childhood views of Iranian or herself or both. This part of her might have been what needed to grow in order for her to move on from her Iranian identity crisis.

In my screenplay I would like to discuss where he might have returned to her. I believe this occurs during her suicide attempt. She blacks out for around three days while her parents are gone. At this point she had left, had her teenage/political break down in Vienna and returned back to Iran. Mostly I find it interesting that her real breakdown occurs after she returns to the point where she tries to overdose on medication. When she wakes up she discusses how she doesn't know what compelled her to get up or why she is still alive (even her doctor does not know). In my opinion, that's about as divine as it gets. I believe during her black out her mind was still working enough to have a conversation about her identity, where she was headed, and how she might try to get there with her childhood "god" character.

My scene might include from the original graphic novel:

• Satrapi's "God" character with the appropriate characterizations
• The present state of Iran (when she blacks out)
• it's connection with her identity
• political views ?
• the veil ?
• A flashback to the moment when she shut god out of her life
• Satrapi's characteristics

Some original pieces of my scene might include:

• A new conversation with God
• A motive to wake up
• schooling 
• schooling in Tehran ?
• self-assured
• Life-like scenery? keep Animation?

This event in the book was really important to me and was not stressed enough in the film as her real exit from her depressed state. Although later she encounters more struggle, her Iranian identity is much more solidified after she awakens from the suicide attempt. A screenplay of what went through her mind during the blackout might be an interesting spot to bring back her connection with "god"

"Servants" of the Map

While reading Servants of the Map I began to think about what exactly this title means to the story. 

• The obvious answer is that Max Vigne feels like a "servant" to the map. His job is simply to graph (mathematically/draw) the mountain peaks. This map will probably be published under someone else's name, given to wealthy consumers, and Max's efforts will go unaccredited.

I also thought about what it might mean for Clara and Max as couple

•  Also, pretty obviously, their relationship becomes secondary to the completion of the map. While Max is away it becomes strained and unrecognizable to him at times. to cope, he focuses, or wills to, only on his work completing the map.

Most importantly though, Max's entire personality changes near the end of the story. I asked myself whether or not he was still a servant to the map or the titles implications of the ending. 

• His botanical work still seems to "serve" or follow the map, but in a more controlled way. This time, Max will create the map himself through the "maps" of moss and plant locations. His self confidence to choose botanical work changes the the "servant" to the outcome of his research. His research depends on the map, but the map is created by himself. It's as if he broke out of "servitude" or his current job, became his own boss, and created different servants to put it in simple terms. 
• It brings all kinds of cheesy slogans about the job market to mind like "its a dog eat dog world", etc. Plus, when one person leaves a job for a better opportunity/failure, the next person in line moves up, someone new gets hired for the lowest job when everyone moves up. Work ethic has its own life cycle. 
• I think this is ironic considering Max is obsessed with Darwin and Plant life which rely on ecosystems and the "circle of life." He broke out of a work cycle/ecosystem and entered/created a new one for himself. Its interesting that the title deeply relates to work ethic and the cycle of life for its characters.