End of Year Portfolio

              When I took this class, I was expecting the normal, run of the mill English class where I would be given boring stories to read, and then to crank out a five paragraph essay, that will be instantly forgotten and I would learn anything from it. These past 8 weeks have been a great learning experience for me, and even made someone who absolutely hated writing before, almost enjoy it. I enjoyed going beyond the basic blatant information of a story by dissecting and analysis its contents and underlying themes. Though it was difficult at first, I feel like I have accomplished a lot since my first essay. I also learned a lot along the way of finding reliable sources, and that a source can make, or break, an essay. I feel it important to not only present my best works from this semester, but always my worse works in my portfolio because the point to taking classes is to learn and to improve oneself. The works I have chosen are in order from what I believe my worse, to my best of the semester and are   The Other Metamorphosis,  Diversity in a Single Story: A Comparative Analysis, Peace Within the Realm,  and finally, but certainly not least Love Throughout the Ages.

              The first essay,  The Other Metamorphosis, was a feminist analysis on the roles with "The Metamorphosis". Though most of my mistakes were grammatical or based on punctuation, the major killer of this essay is lack of outside sources. By not having those sources, I learned quickly that not only does it make an essay more difficult to write, but it also leads to a lack of flavor. One person, one spice, is not enough to create something work caring about. This essay could have been extremely  exciting and unique, if I had had better sources. Also, I learned that spell check can not save you from everything

              The next essay, Diversity in a Single Story: A Comparative Analysis, I felt to be extremely well written and executed, if you were wanting an essay on the differences between a graphic novel and a novel. This was, however, not the assignment. Though I did learn from my essays before and had a lot of interesting sources, I forgot the main point. To analysis the stories, not the medium the authors chose.

              The next essay, Peace Within the Realm was really fun to write about because I actually hated the story because it was a gigantic mess of chaos and confusion and I didnt understand what made it so great. But after signalling it, the story become less about the crazy love hexagon, and more about the social classes and how in the end they could all come together.  The only thing I would add to this essay is a better emphasis on how each character relates to a class, since I just generalized the entire class system. I think I again learned from past mistakes, and had lots of good sources but still keep the story in mind.

              And then the last essay, my favorite, Love Throughout the Ages. This essay was easy and fun to write because comparing the modern take on a very old classic was fascinating. The more I compared the more I realized how people in love have dealt with the same exact problems for hundreds of years. It was very interesting that something written in a time where even the English language is so different it is life a foreign language, could still have produced classics that would still be ease to relate to centuries later. I think I did a good jump bringing sources in, while not making the mistake of the last comparative analysis an focus to much on the artist medium, rather than the context.

              Overall, I feel like this class challenged me to do my best. Not only because I knew people would be reading my essays, but because I have never taken an English class where comparing your works was so easy. I really learned a lot about myself these past few weeks, and looking back, I am proud of the progress I made. I went from seeing a lot of red, to almost none, which is something I have never done before in an English class. I enjoyed reading everyone's work, and enjoyed being able to compare my work among my peers easily. I hope the next English class I have to take goes by as quickly and smoothly as this one did and that I improve my skills even more.

             

                    

Love Throughout the Ages

Love Throughout the Ages

Love has been a force of not only happiness and beauty, but also chaos and destruction since the dawn of man kind. So it should not be surprising that a play written in the late 1500's would contain a story of a chaotic entanglement of a “love-web” spun by young lovers who are rebelling against the establishment in order to follow their heart. Indeed, Shakespeare’s “A Midnight Summer's Dream” contains a very relatable plot, though the setting and dialog are almost foreign to most modern day readers. This is probably what inspired Ed Fraiman to direct a film version of this story, only place it in a modern setting with more relatable situations. But how does taking the same plot and converting it to a modern remix change the overall feel of a story? The general differences between film and plays, the time era that a story takes place in, and any changes done by someone writing a remix can dramatically make a story easier to relate to.

Before one starts to see the differences in the actual story, one must understand the differences between the stories mediums. In this case, it is important to understand the differences between plays and films. The main difference being that a play is live and a film is not. In plays, there is not an option to stop and go as the director pleases like in the making of a movie. If an actor in a play messes up a line or an entrance, it could possibly destroy a crucial moment of the play, so every time you see a play, it will be different. It takes a very skilled actor or actress in order to make the role believable. They have to carry on in role for sometimes hours, and absolutely can not break character until it is over. Movie actors and actresses work one scene at a time, and have multiple tries at it until it is perfect. They also have months to complete a movie usually. In a movie, you can edit out mistakes, and have complete control over what is shown to an audience because it is not shown live. Special effects are also easier and better achieved in movies because they can be added by a computer easily and because of this films also have a huge range of effects they can add to their creations. According to University of Wisconsin - Green Bay, “Theater, like all performing arts, takes place in time as well as space” meaning plays are usually performed on a stage at a certain place and time. Movies, however, are not as limited can be filmed in numerous places.

The setting and time era are major factors in the relatablity of Fraiman's Film. Shakespeare's play took place in a time of takes place in a modern setting where as Shakespeare's play takes play in the Elizabethan Era. Kings, Queens, and Nobles ruled over the working and middle class. Women were below men, and there were many laws keeping women there. The struggles and culture of this time are centuries old, and have now become almost foreign to the modern day reader. Fraiman's film is easier to relate to for most modern day people. It has a modern day class system, dialog, and culture. The setting does not take place near palaces and mythical forest like in Shakespeare's version, but instead in rental villas and cabins in the woods. The dialog used in the Elizabethan era is very hard to understand now, though it was easily understood in its time. According to Linda Alchin, “Many words used in the Elizabethan language are no longer in use. Other words have replaced them or the original meaning and use of the words are no longer required”. Even though they spoke English during the Elizabethan Era, it would be like a foreign language to people of the 21st century. It is easier to understand and analysis a story when it is written or spoken in modern day language, as compared to the poetic, lyrical language of Shakespeare.

To make a remix, Fraiman had to obviously make some changes in order to create his own original version of it. The most obvious differences between the two plays are the settings, the change of characters names, and also the change of roles in some characters. Theseus, Hippolyta, Lysander, and Demetrius become Theo, Polly, Zander, and James respectively in Fraiman's film. The changes of the names is Fraiman attempt to make it more modern because not a whole lot of people know anyone named Hippolyta or Lysander. Also by cutting out smaller roles, it become easier to keep up with the relationships and plots in the story. In the original play, Theseus is a noblemen, and Hermia is daughter of Egeus. Egeus had to go to Theseus to try and force his daughter to marry Demetrius. In the modern day film version, there is not a law where daughters have to obey there fathers, and there are also no nobles to uphold such laws, so there would have to be obvious changes to the film in order to make the plot more modern. Theo becomes the father of Hermia in the film, and it is through anger, rage, and guilt that he tries to control his daughters choice of husband, not through law, like Egeus tried. Other minor changes occur in the film such as some characters are completely cut out of the story who had very minor roles in the play, the workers put together a talent show rather than a play, and Theo and Polly are already married and renew their vows at the end instead of being engaged then get married. These small changes, along with many others, are what gives the film its relatable modern style. Even through all the obvious changes though, the main plot stays the same. Puck causes chaos with his love potion, a twisted confusing love triangle is formed, but everyone ends up happy and in love in the end.

Love is a beautiful muse that has inspired authors to write countless stories and tales throughout the ages. Love has been the heart of legends and the centerpiece in modern day blockbusters. Shakespeare recognized though that love is not always easy, and that it always has complications. He knew that lovers sometimes have to fight to be together, or that just because you love someone does not mean that they will love you back. Though the setting and language is not easy to relate to the story is. Fraiman does not simply take the Shakespeare's story and put it in the the 2000's. He alters it so that non of the Shakespeare's story is lost in translation and makes every necessary change to make it completely relatable. It is amazing that even after almost five centuries, a story of a young lovers going through a crazy love filled adventure could still be so easy to understand. It proves that no matter how the years pass, no matter what the culture, love will continue to inspire, throughout the ages.

Work Cited

“THEATRE AND FILM ” University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

“Elizabethan Language ” Elizabethan-Era - Linda Alchin

"A Midsummer Night's Dream" Play vs Film

Peace Within the Realm

Peace Within the Realm

Throughout the chaos and mishappenings of William Shakespeare's “A Midsummer Night's Dream”, Shakespeare lays out several conflicts within his play, including conflict between economic classes. The noble men in their palace, the working class attempting a play, and the fairies within their forest, all have distinct characteristics and traits that set them apart from each other. Whereas the nobles within the story symbolize order and formality, the working classes represents ignorance and the fairies represent absolute chaos. Shakespeare has made the differences in characteristics in the economic classes of “A Midsummer Night's Dream” obvious through use of dialog, setting, and titles.

In order to fully understand the upper class represented in “A Midsummer Night's Dream”, It is important to understand the class system that was in place during Shakespeare's time, which was the Elizabethan Era (1558–1603). In the article written by Duke University “A Midsummer Night's Dream: Social, Cultural, and Economic Significance”, they state that “The Nobility was the smallest and most recognized class in England. Made up of only 55 families, the nobles were rich, powerful, and intelligent men. They owned large houses, large amounts of land, and even servants to care for their possessions.” (Duke paragraph 8). They were a small class, but represented power, wealth, and order. The nobles within the story are Theseus (Duke of Athens), Hippolyta (Duke's finance), Lysander, Demetrius, Hermia, Helna, and Egeus. By the way they talk, it is obvious they all have a formal education. When Lysander is trying to comfort Hermia he says “Ay me! for aught that I could ever read,/ Could ever hear by tale or history,/ The course of true love never did run smooth;” (I, i). His dialectic is very formal and appeals to logic since he is telling her that love is never easy instead of just cursing her father. Also, he references to stories he has read and history he has learned therefore proving he has a formal education. They address each other by there titles, saying things like your grace, my lord, my lady, etc. The setting where all the nobles are is also a representation of the upper class. The story opens in Athens, within the palace of Theseus. A palace is a royal place, and heavily symbolizes power and order. The fact that Egeus has come here to talk to Theseus about his daughter breaking the law, also shows that it is a place of order and a house where the law is upheld. Whenever they are in the palace, there is order.

The difference between the upper and working class in the story are very apparent according to the article “A Midsummer Night's Dream: A Motif of Contrast” written by Duke University, “The dichotomy between the first two sets of characters is painfully obvious; from their rankings in society down to their very abilities to carry intelligent conversation, the characters could not be any more different.” (Duke Paragraph 3). To understand the working class in the Elizabethan Era better, one can again reference to "A Midsummer Night's Dream: Social, Cultural, and Economic Significance", for they also state that “The Yeomanry, considered the middle class, were neither rich nor poor. This class included craftsmen, farmers, and tradesmen. The “middle” class population worked very hard to earn a living and to live at ease but not enough to avoid poverty if disease or misfortune struck. In addition to hard working, the Yeomanry were known for being extremely religious in comparison to the nobles or gentry” (Duke paragraph 10). The working class usually had little to no formal education, there for when Bottom, Peter Quince, Francis Flute, Tom Snout, Snug, Robin Starvling, and Peter Quince are trying to create a play for the royal wedding, it is full of ignorance. When Bottom's character has to kill himself, they worry about the women in the audience. Bottom comes with a solution by saying “Not a whit: I have a device to make all well./Write me a prologue; and let the prologue seem to/ say, we will do no harm with our swords, and that/ Pyramus is not killed indeed; and, for the more/ better assurance, tell them that I, Pyramus, am not/ Pyramus, but Bottom the weaver: this will put them/out of fear.” (III, I). Out of ignorance, they feel they have to announce the fact that Bottom is not really the character he is portraying, and that no one is harmed with in the play. Also his dialectic is far less formal than the upper class in the story. When they are calling roll to make sure everyone is there, they address them by their job. Nick Bottom, the weaver, Francis Flute, the bellows-mend, Robin Starveling, the tailor, etc. They are nothing more than there job they do, for they hold no other value to society. They are first introduced in Quinces house, showing that they are nothing more than common working class people.

The fairies are the last class introduced in the play. Puck, Oberon, and Titania are those among the fairies that have names. Oberon is the king, Titania his queen, and Puck is their jester. They address each other by their titles, but even though they have noble titles, they do not represent order. Diana Major Spence states this in her article “A Midsummer Night's Dream: Connecting Several Plots into a Single Unified Structure” by stating “The fairies are responsible for the confusion in the forest, the magical resolutions of the conflict, blessings of peace, and their own love story.” (Spence, paragraph 10). Where the upper class represent law and order in their palace, the fairies represent complete confusion and absolute mayhem in the forest. The way the fairies speak is also an obvious difference between them and the humans. According to Duke University in there article “A Midsummer Night's Dream: A Motif of Contrast”, “The fairies also contrast with the craftsmen through speech; the fairies’ rhythmic poetry contrasts strongly with the craftsman’s bumbling diction” (Duke paragraph 4). Examples of this can be found all through out the story including when Puck is first introduced. “The king doth keep his revels here to-night:/ Take heed the queen come not within his sight;/ For Oberon is passing fell and wrath,/ Because that she as her attendant hath” (II, I). All the fairies speak in mythical sounding rhyme schemes, which greatly contrast both human classes. Though it is formal, the Upper class do not rhyme like the fairies do, and the working class entirely contradicts the fairies style.

Even through all the chaos, conflicts, and differences between the classes, all the classes are able to come together in the end. Out of the mayhem of the forest, all order is restored within the palace as they all enjoy the effort but into the working classes play. Through this play, Shakespeare was trying to show that even though the differences in classes is great, peace could be reached between them, and they could all happily co-exist. The play ends with Puck sayings, “Now to 'scape the serpent's tongue, We will make amends ere long;/ Else the Puck a liar call;/ So, good night unto you all./ Give me your hands, if we be friends,/ And Robin shall restore amends.” (V, i). By him saying this, it proves that this is not a short term solution, and that they will all be able to live side by side for a long time and that there can be peace within the realm.

Works Cited

“A Midsummer Night's Dream: Connecting Several Plots into a Single Unified Structure” Utah Shakespeare Festival, Diana Major Spencer

“Archive for the ‘Social, Cultural, and Economic Significance’ Category” William Shakespeare- A Midsummer Night's Dream Duke University

“Archive for the ‘Motifs’ Category” William Shakespeare- A Midsummer Night's Dream Duke University

“A Midsummer Night's Dream” Massachusetts Institute of Technology William Shakespeare

"A Midsummer Night's Dream" Annotated Bibliography

Diversity in a Single Story: A Comparative Analysis

Johnathan Roberts
EH 102
May 31st, 2012

                                         Diversity in a Single Story: A Comparative Analysis 

          

                Being a writer is a lot like being an artist. Before an artist creates a master piece, he has to first decide how to show case his idea. Will he paint it or sculpt it? If he paints it, what colors will he chose and what type of paint? Or if he sculpt it, will is be made of wood or stone? No matter what way is chosen, the artist is still trying to represent the idea he wants to create. And based on what medium he chooses, different feelings or vibes will be felt by the viewer. A writer can choose to write a story like how Kafka wrote “The Metamorphosis”, with a great amount of detailed paragraphs with a indifferent attitude, or a writer can write a graphic novel version, like Peter Kuper did. They both wrote the same story, but had two very different styles. But how can a simple choice like writing a graphic novel or just writing a short story have such an effect on the overall feel of the material? 

                When a reader reads a story, one of the first things they pick up is an author's tone. But what is tone? According to the City University of New York's website, tone is “the writer's attitude toward the material and/or readers. Tone may be playful, formal, intimate, angry, serious, ironic, outraged, baffled, tender, serene, depressed, etc.” The attitude, or tone, in Kafka's original is very somber, dry, and lacks the excitement you would expect from someone who has just turned into a large insect. All Gregor says when he awakes as a large bug is “What has happened to me” (Kafka ch.1). Kafka then goes on to write a long, over drawn paragraph about Gregor trying to turn on his side to get comfortable and not succeeding. Kafka's writing style is over detailed and wears down on the reader. By choosing this writing style, Kafka creates a story which has a very apathetic tone, and intentionally boring. Kafka's goal was to make something usually outrageous, into something seemly normal that the everyday person might go through. The graphic novel done by Kuper is more "animated" and has more emotion. The writing style that usually accompanies graphic novels is meant to excite and be straight to the point. “The Metamorphosis” begins to go through its own changes as it's long drawn out paragraphs becomes pictures and speech bubbles. Faces are now seen in the pictures rather than imagined. When Gregor awakes as an insect, he appears to be shocked and terrified as he exclaims “w-what's happened to me?” (Kuper 2). Gregor trying to get comfortable in bed and turn on his side becomes humorous. Though both authors are telling the same story, their chosen attitude, or tone, changes the over all feeling for the reader. 

                Kuper's and Kafka's difference in tone is not the only thing that differs in these two stories. There is the obvious medium choice the authors wrote the story in. According to Rachel Marie-Crane Williams in her article “Image, Text, and Story: Comics and Graphic Novels in the Classroom”, “Empathy is one of the most important topics generated by this type of material. Art allows viewers to step into the eyes of another and consider a different point of view.” (Williams 4). Suddenly, Gregor has a face, and with it, the reader can connect to him and his situation and feel for him. Illustration are easier to relate to because we are use to seeing emotion in peoples faces and body language rather than reading it. Janet M Beagle of Purdue University did a study on "Pictures versus Text" where one set of people studied pictures while others studied text, then were ask questions relating to what they studied. According to the study, “Pictures had an advantage for recognition but not for comprehension .” (Beagle). It was easier for the people in the study to memorize pictures and then answer questions about them, but those who studied text comprehended the subject better and could transfer that knowledge to other things. Though pictures are easy to relate to and recognize, text offers details that can not be easily shown in an illustration, and offers the reader better comprehension. So a reader can gain the ability to relate to characters and situations, but lose complete comprehension in graphic novels, or a reader can skip the easier emotional connection and opted for a better understanding of the material in straight text.

                But, alas, Kafka's writing style could put the reader at a disadvantage. According to a study done by the A.A.M.C, “Those receiving the short, less detailed form scored the highest on comprehension (67%); those receiving the medium length form scored the next best (45%); and those receive the long form scored the lowest (35%)” (AAMC 8). Kafka's long, drawn out story, could lead to less comprehension. Having to analysis a large body of text is harder than reading a few speech bubbles and short sentences. Having less material to read could lead to a better understanding of the overall point of a story. The same story can be told in many different ways. Each way has its own advantages and disadvantages. It is up to the reader to find which way they like best. Some might like reading a good book while others relate better to the style of a graphic novel. A writer can add their own emotion to a story , therefore creating something new and original. They can choose to write a longer detailed story, or one that is short and to the point. What ever a writer writes, or a reader reads is up to them. With out that diversity, story’s and literature would be boring and uninteresting. 

Work Cited

 “The Metamorphosis” Sharesnack, Kuper, Peter. ‹http://www.sharesnack.com/5DFEAEEC5A8/fzk5ejn1› 

“The Metamorphosis” The Literature Network Kafka, Franz

 “Image, Text, and Story: Comics and Graphic Novels in the Classroom” Iowa Research Online Rachel Marie-Crane Williams  

“Picture versus Text: Modality effects across three levels of learning and study time” Purdue University E-Hubs Janet M Beagle

  “UNIVERSAL USE OF SHORT AND READABLE INFORMED CONSENT DOCUMENTS: HOW DO WE GET THERE?” AAMC Association of American Medical Colleges

"The Metamorphosis" Graphic Novel vs Original