DUE SUNDAY 5/29 at 11:59 PM

I've had so much fun with y'all this year.  I hope you have learned something, changed your opinion, and/or been challenged.

And by due, I mean not only should you enter your own comments, but you should be familiar with other peoples' comments (and by "be familiar with" I DON'T mean comment on them, but be ready to discuss them in class 5/6).

Watch this video.  It seems long, but it's not.  Then comment on whether you agree with his assertion to "not be an individual" or not, and what the downside is of whatever side you're on (in other words, you can agree with him, but what are the disadvantages of not being an individual?  Or you can pick the other side and then complain about that).  Obviously, support what you say.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMFK8-UnBfE

Go to the handouts folder and click on the document.  It's a synthesis essay.  There is one additional source you can use.  Call it Source G, and here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvgZkm1xWPE

THIS ASSIGNMENT IS DUE THURS. MAY 26.  It should be typed, double-spaced.

I will NOT mention this assignment in class, so if you are smart enough to be checking the board, pass the tip on to your friends.

1. Post a youTube link to your favorite video/song & tell what you like about it (must be "appropriate").
2. Come back and comment on someone else's video.

That's it!  I just thought it would be interesting to see all the different tastes of people in class.

Watch this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5063FCAH8mM&feature=related

Then answer the following questions:
1. Do the images at the beginning match what you pictured when you read Ch. 1?  What is the same/different, and in what way?
2. People today don't seem willing to take to the road (rails) in search of a job the way Steinbeck and others did.  Why do you think that is?
3. The song "Brother Can You Spare a Dime" suggests that there were issues that caused unemployment beyond the stock market crash.  What were those issues, and is there any way those job losses could have been avoided?
4. How much of George & Lennie's situation was caused by the market, and how much by the Dust Bowl?  Explain.

Go watch this.  Appreciate the greatness of the song. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_FFwbcAaI4

1. Sum up the TONE of the PICTURES (not the song) in one word.  Choose carefully - be original.
2. What conclusions can you draw about who was affected by the Depression and in what ways (be specific - support with examples)?
3. Which picture did you find the most poignant and why?
4. How do you think the experiences of those affected by the Great Depression compare to those affected by the current recession?

So obviously we'll have to delay our discussion.  I can hear your shrieks of disappointment from here!  Here's what you need to do:
1. Finish Gatsby.  Continue your color tracking.  Whichever three colors you chose, your pages should be essentially full of quotes by the time you finish the book.
2. Journal due Fri. in class - choose one and support your opinion, as always, with specifics
   a. Daisy: manipulative, scheming cold-hearted witch or victim of circumstance?
   b. Gatsby: driven by love or driven by obsession?
   c. Gatsby and Daisy: Did each truly love the other (at any point), or did they only love what the other represented (be sure to clarify what you think that is)?
3. Be ready for a quiz (short one)
4. Be ready to discuss the reading from the book.

Don't forget the online assignment below this one, due Friday night!

Now that we've looked at the original in class, I want y'all to get some more practice on visual rhetorical analysis by looking at the following Gatsby covers.  You should have read half the book by now (or more by the time you complete this assignment), so make sure you support your answers with specifics from the book where appropriate.

1. What are the images you see represented multiple times, and why do you think they are important enough to include on the cover? Are there any that you think are very important that do not appear?
2. What is the overall mood of all the covers, or if it varies, what creates the different moods?
3. Which of these best fits the book, IYO, and why? (HINT:  I want you to focus on MOOD and TONE esp. in your answer.)
4. Why have so many different covers, especially when none of them is similar to the original, which was requested by Fitzgerald?

I really like y'all's idea about researching religions for the JT, but one of the requirements is that the paper be persuasive/argumentative in nature, not just a report.  That's difficult to do with religion.  I have a meeting to discuss this on Tues., so there's no time to talk about it more in class.  If anyone looks at this between now & Tues. AM, and has ideas about how to make that work, or other topics that would fit those parameters, please leave a comment so that I can go into that meeting with some developed ideas.   Spread the word to your classmates to comment too, including the newbies (you'll have to send them the link).

Wall-E Rhetorical Analysis

Answer on a separate sheet of paper so you will have room to give fully developed answers.

1.       The entire story is outlined before we see Wall-E. What is used to accomplish this foreshadowing, and more importantly, why use something of that era?

2.       There are many examples of bias when presenting Earth in its “present” state. List at least three. What message do these examples combine to form

3.       How does BnL use anticipated objection in their ad for the Axiom?

4.       How does Wall-E feel when he’s watching the video? How do you know this, since he does not speak? Use examples to support your answer.

5.       What do the artifacts Wall-E picks up reveal about our society? What do they reveal about Wall-E’s values? Use examples to support your answer.

6.       What is Eve’s reaction to Wall-E as he tries to impress her? Use examples to support your answer.

7.       How do the two robots communicate and show their emotions even though they have a very limited vocabulary? Is this effective? Why?

8.       What was Eve’s directive? How do you know?

Reflective Journal: These scenes obviously communicate, and they use some elements of rhetorical analysis that you have already studied. For example, Wall-E would be attracted to Eve because she is sleek and streamlined, where he is boxy and awkward. She is also a clean (pure) white, while he is dirty. Those points apply elements of visual rhetoric. In the case of movies , there is a text, but it is not as simple as analyzing words on a page. What elements go in to analyzing movies (what factors do you have to look at to interpret the message on all levels)? What other mediums are there in which this sort of analysis is needed in order to get “the whole story”?