Homework for 3/25/08

Reading Response:
"How to Date a Browngirl, Whitegirl, or Halfie"
I liked this story a lot because it was written interestingly and had some comedy to it. It was written in a how-to manner but it still tells a story around a central character. It is kind of vague on the details of the main character and setting but enough detail is gathered by the end. There's a lot of ethnic stereotypes as can be guessed by the title of the poem, and the story comes off as mysogynistic.

"Becky"
I could tell right away reading this story that it was older, but I didn't expect it to be from the 1920s. I know the views of races and interracial relationships was much different then compared to now. The language used in this poem definitely shows that it is from a much older time. I'm sure it was not as common or as accepted for an unmarried woman to have a child, more so if the child is interracial.

"America"
I may be wrong, but I feel like this poem was written by an immigrant that has come to America. I always take notice of the time something was written, which as we established before is an essential part to understanding the culture and meaning of a piece of text. This was also written in the 1920s. This poem is about all the troubles and hardship you may face in America, but you can still look to future optimistically. After all, America is the land of opportunity, right?

"If We Must Die"
This poem is about fighting bravely and with honor even though you may die. Theres not much more to say that isn't summed up in the lines "If we must die, let us nobly die,/So that our precious blood may not be shed/ In vain"

3/20/08

Freewrite:
a)
War: Explosions, Casualties, Guns, Murder, Politics
Gunner: Soldier, Brave, Steady Hand
Attack: Offense, Tactics, Strength,

The color palatte these words bring to my mind is a very limited and dim one. There is no light or brightness and the only thing that isn't greyscale is crimson. The sounds I hear that aren't from weaponry and machines is the yells and screams of those fighting. I think of all know about war and everything I've ever seen, heard, or read about it.

b)
World War II makes me think of the halocaust and the horrors related to it. The whole world is at war for the second time, I can't help but shake that association.

Research:
a)
Ball Turrets looked to be very cramped and uncomfortable. It is very unfortunate for whoever was forced to be a ball turret gunner in WWII and it was probably quite scary. The poem is a lot easier to understand when you take in this information.
b)
Knowing about Randall Jarrell and his experience in the military lets me appreciate the poem more but I do not think its essential to understanding the poem.

Homework 3/18/08

Reading Responses:

Strategies:
Culture and History make a big impact on a story whether the writer intends for it to or not. I was wondering if the book was referring to the history and culture of the author and when and where the story was written or the history and culture that the story is set in. I'm sure both are just as important and are effected by culture. I think understanding the culture and history behind a story is important for understanding it deeply, or getting some of the analogies, allusions, and comparisons, that someone else who did not have that understanding might not see.

The soldier:
This poem has a very patriotic viewpoint of war and it is easy to tell because of the way it refers to England. This English soldier is willing to give his life for his country and that says a lot about him. I cannot agree with this viewpoint for my country, because I'm not the military type and I definitely don't agree with war, but this is still interesting to see the opposite kind of viewpoint. This poem was written in 1915 but the views could still apply to a war today.

Anthem for Doomed Youth:
This poem makes me think of the reasons I don't quite agree with war because it is about the young people that go fight and lose their lives. The title makes me think that they are doomed, because even if they don't die, they won't be the same after going to battle and living with those experiences. This poem does use very good imagery and wording to make you think and feel about the message.

Thursday March 6th 2008

Warm Up: This poster says "Park Carefully" in bold letters so it is very easy to identify it's central message. I chose this and drew the cartoon because it was something that had happened to me, I wanted to help promote the message of parking carefully to help others who may get into a similar situation.
Most of the writing is just in a plain handwritten style to keep it simple and focus on the main message, which is in in larger bold capital letters at the bottom ("PARK CAREFULLY!") The bold is used to stress the point and grab attention. The drawing is very simple, a stick figure with no face and some straight lines resembling a vehicle. I like the simplistic stlye so I do not think much would change if I weren't hindered by artistic ability, except it would be much neater and maybe a little more colorful.

Peer Review:

I would like the review to keep in mind that this is the first draft of this paper and the ideas may be incomplete or not as well thought out and arranged as they could and will be. What do you feel I could do the make sure that I am fulfilling the assignment. What do you think you do well when you right a paper that I need to work on with mine. Where is my paper the weakest and strongest?

SWA #5

Topic Proposal:
I have chosen the design on the front back and side cover's of the book "House of Leaves" by Mark Z. Danielewski. The design on the covers is dark and engimatic featuring little color and designs and details that you might only notice upon closer inspection. The design on this book represents what the text in the book represents, and its purpose is to draw the attention of potential readers. Despite the old saying, people do judge books by their covers, so they are designed to represent the book and attract the target audience. There are subtle hints and details that are reflected in the design that the reader would not understand unless they read the story. There are quotes from the reviews of the book on the back cover to also draw more interest to the reader. Each time the word house in written on the cover, is in a blue font, contrasting the rest of the white text on the cover.There is a compass like one featured on map centered on the front page, printed in a glossy black is a nautilus like shape in the center and other lines extending from that which resemble a blue print of a house, but with mazelike and random rooms, hallways, and doors. There are photographs printed on the side spine of the book in between black boxes of text that read the title, author and publisher information. There is a dim black and white photograph of man holding a light fading into the black background of the back cover. It is hard to tell who the target audience of this design is for, but I think it is for anyone who might be interested in the actual book, and maybe even for intellectual readers.

Thesis:
The purpose design featured on the cover of House of Leaves, by Mark Z. Danielewski is to attract readers and to represent the story inside.