Thursday, November 17, 2011

Technology!

What an interesting semester this has been. In this semester in this English class I was able to take the opportunity to take it as a online class. I have only taken two other online classes but they were by far not as fun as this one. The first online class I took was a humanities class and the second was a math class. the math class was very basic with straight forward work, assignments, quiz's, and test. The humanities class has some fun aspects to it, I first used Blogger in that class but it was pretty basic as well.

Online learning I think can be a positive or a negative. I personally like and dislike it at the same time. In my math class I need a actual person there to help me and show me what is going on when I am confused. Having a person in front of you when teaching can be very helpful is a particular subject is more challenging and you as an individual need more assistance. A writing class and the humanities class I think is a great class to have online. These two classes are more straight forward and you need less personal assistance in.

The one part of the class that i think was the most useful to me was Blogger. I was able to communicate with my classmates and get their feed back on my work. In the beginning of the class I was able to introduce myself to them in a fun and creative way. I was able to take the feedback they gave to me and use it to better my papers or understand a piece of writing I may have been having problems with.

I will definitely be using the online databases in the future. This was the first time I have used them and it was very interesting to see what was available. I also got a library card for the first time in my life haha!

I really enjoyed taking this class and the fun options that were all through the course it made it so much more fun to participate in. I hope that if given the opportunity to take another online course it will be like this one. I have to give credit to our professor for taking the time to want to make learning fun and enjoyable. She could have used text book only and submitted all work through Black Board. She took it a step farther and I appreciate that.


http://websearch.about.com/b/2005/07/07/kids-need-more-technology-classes.htm

Reflection on English 102

Dear Professor Cline,

I have really enjoyed this class I got to take with you as my professor. This has been different then any other English Course I have ever taken. You added style and fun into something that is usually "just part of the requirement". I truly can say I have enjoyed taking this class and would recommend it to others. I didn't look at it as just another class to fill my requirement needs to obtain my degree I actually enjoyed it.

In this class I think I have learned to start to properly analyzing literature. I am still learning and getting better but I believe I have gotten better over the period of the class. I think being able to continue to excel in doing this will be able to open more doors for me in my career and in other classes that I will be taking.  Being able to analyze something is very important. This can help you in not just writing a college paper but all throughout life. You will be able to be presented with a more complicated scenario and be able to put a little bit more thought into it and solve it with greater competence.

Honestly I cannot find a way the reading have affected me in this class. I think if at all they have made the class more enjoyable. The course was given a fun theme to work with. I liked not just having ordinary "boring" book to read and get through.

I think that I am progressively meeting the learning outcomes of this course. I like that I am feeling more comfortable in doing what was asked of me, as opposed to being so nervous when I first signed up for the class. I think that my progression has shown and is at a good rate.

When I look at my writing and my process in writing, I really do not see much of a change. I have the same organizational skills and I still put my paper together the same way and edit it that same way that I always have. The only thing that I do differently is the way I look at the reading I am given. I am able to look more deeply and understand what I am given and it truly makes me enjoy reading much more now. Knowing that there is more then just words n the page is a nice thought. 

The only challenge I think that I had in the class is the want to read the literature that was given. I am not much of a reader and when I took this class I will be honest I was not looking forward to it. But when I got to see what the readings were and what we were going to be doing I got excited. I really liked the fun little projects we got to do throughout the semester!

Thank you for the opportunity in giving me the skills to become a better reader and writer. I look forward to finding a book to read.

Lindsey Meredith

Final Presentation

http://rodeogrl101.edu.glogster.com/final-presentation/

Sunday, November 13, 2011

American Zombie Gothic

I must say this was a very interesting article to read. I never viewed Zombies in that light before. I never took into consideration that Zombies were a reflection on our nation and its downfalls. It was very interesting to read how 9/11, our wars, and national disasters have had an impact on what people see Zombies as. Zombies are seen as a very prolific figure and yet at the same time are such a popular monster while being so feared.

I don't think that I can necessarily agree with what is being said about this though. Zombies are merely a silly horror creature. No different then the Werewolves, and Witches of the world. They in my opinion do not represent such a strong impact on our society. We all have faced great emotion with all the horrific occurrences in and out of our country and we are all skeptical and fearful with what could happen in the future, but I highly doubt that this os portrayed though a Zombie. I do not see how something so positively looked upon and so popular can be in the same light be associated with such horrible on goings. Zombies are such a horrible, cannibalistic, no escaping them monster how could you possibly associate that with destruction to our country. Having said this let me explain.Yes, we have had horrific and devastating events happen to us and our people but how can you compare when we have won wars, rebuilt countries, come together as a nation, sacrificed our own comforts to help others in need, and continued to become a stronger nation. I think even with our downfalls we cannot be look upon as weak. And in my opinion placing a Zombie in the mess of things is doing just that.

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zombie

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Cannibals


Lindsey Meredith
Cline
English 102
October 29, 2011


Not your traditional Monster


            When we think of monsters we think of all the ordinary mythical creatures. We think of Zombies, Vampires, Witches, Werewolves, and so on. But the one monster that could be the most devastating and scariest of all is one that truly exist and that is so fearful, little stories and movies are made up with them. The terrifying thought of this creature being real in actual life is overwhelming. This monster does not necessarily show a hideous form or an eerie personality, he could be cordial, good looking, and intellectual. This monster that I speak of goes by the name of Hannibal Lector: or so well known as “Hannibal the Cannibal”. Cannibals take the interest in eating people. What an unimaginable thought this is. They will kill their victim and then dismember and dissect the part of the body they so feel fit to enjoy. Hannibal enjoys preparing his meals that consist of human flesh and organs. He has no remorse for the actions he takes on his victims. He has a very calm demeanor that would make you think he is the last person who could commit such heinous acts.  Hannibal has many attributing personality features.  He is a man with high-class taste and articulate style. He has a nitch for puzzles and likes to toy with others minds. He is a M.D., a psychiatrist whose first victim was one of his very own patients. But Hannibal has a soft side as well. He grows to have an infatuation with FBI agent Clarisse Starling. He is intrigued with her curiosity about him and her eager will to want to solve his puzzles. Now Hannibal is not your ordinary cannibal. He chooses to eat the rude ones in life and thinks of it as a service he is contributing to. “He once told me that whenever feasible he preferred to eat the rude…”  (Scott). Hannibal has pleasure on what he does and he finds delight in eating the human race. Hannibal makes cannibalism seem to somehow have a sexual vibe to it. The way that he gets off and takes pleasure in his act is unusual. He wont just murder to murder, he always has a purpose for doing what he does. He gets rid of the rude and the ones that choose to jeopardize his freedom, and on occasion the sick twisted criminals that he finds fascinating. Hannibal loves havening the ability to psychologically alter ones state of mind in a grotesque way. His eating people, also signifies a defense in which he takes to eliminate the rude the ones that threaten the one he cares for so dearly. He seems to exercise cannibalism as a sense of protection, pleasure, and defense.
            Hannibal’s unappealing appetite is a dreadful conflict with his relationship he has with Clarisse. Although she is civil to Hannibal, she continually jeopardizes his freedom and at one time she lies to him. This usually leads for a devastating death and being eaten, but this is not the case for young charming Clarisse. Yet for some reason he is captivated by her and shows her an odd love. “Tell me Clarisse, would you ever say to me stop, if you loved me you’d stop.” (Scott) He thinks of her daily and writes to her in the way a lover would. Hannibal enjoys sharing his puzzles with her and hopes for her to solve them. And when Clarisse is always coming to the rescue of Hannibal what else should he think. His soft demeanor comes out when he speaks to her and interacts with her. He shows no means of ever wanting to harm her or eat her for that matter. Hannibal goes as far as protecting her, in his own demented way. Hannibal keeps watch of her and knows the embarrassments in her work. He does what he can to harm the ones who harm her. Hannibal’s actions and personality towards her is charming and oh so contradicting to his real person. He shows the ideal characteristics of what we would all wish the population to have. The charm, manners, articulation, respect, and intelligence: that we all wish to see in our world. He is a man with great disguise of what he truly is and never compromises his identity, unless in the concession for Clarisse. He is a man of great weariness, he does not allow him self to get to close to any one person.  Although, Clarisse is a point of interest for him his attitude and willingness is what keeps him connected to her. He enjoys learning about her and getting inside her mind and emotions. Clarisse must share personal stories and occurrences with Hannibal and only then will he continue to help her and feed her need for success.
            The defense strategy Hannibal has in cannibalism plays a large role as well. When he is imprisoned he attacks guards, staff, and nurses. He victimized those who hold him from his freedom. Such as agent Pozzi, who tries to capture Hannibal to receive a handsome reward for the arrest of him. When he fails at his attempt he is hung from the palace and gutted for the town to see. “Arrivederci, Commendatore.” (Harris)  And when his escapes, when he returns back into the life as a civilian, he reeks havoc on those who question his motives and try to place him in the category of a suspect, all the while it truly being Hannibal. He despises the thought that someone has figured out that he is the one committing the atrocious crimes against his fellow race. But yet he is amused that someone has given in to the puzzles and figured them out, placing the blame on him.  He is very particular as to whom he feels deserves to die and who shall deserve to live. A great deal of that stems with who is cordial to him and who treats him with no respect whether in civilian life or while being incarcerated. He seems to look at cannibalism as an excuse. The excuse to eat people and cause harm to them is to him defending himself from others. In his defense strategies he uses his puzzles to get inside his victims minds. He lures them with complex questions and the inquisitiveness to want to solve them. When the victims get to close or start to figure out his true person that is when Hannibal strikes but only after the conclusion has been made and solved.
            The pleasure and the odd way that Hannibal finds satisfaction in these acts are so very disturbing. When having company over for dinner, he enjoys watching his guest enjoy the meal he has prepared of human flesh. He takes in the enjoyment is their curiosity of what might such a delicious dish consist of. He holds such pride in his work and the secrecy in it. When Hannibal is a free man dining on his victims he take pleasure in listening to the relaxing sound of his classical music.  Even seen in reviews the vague idea of the need for disruption is a pleasure.  “Lector is hungry for diversions, and Thomas Harris, author of the book on which the screenplay is based, is ready to supply them.” (Wadsworth).
            The need to protect Clarisse is imperative to Hannibal. “a fabulist tale, about monsters in dark places still looking-inasmuch as they are capable-for justice.” (West) He wishes for her to succeed in her work and in her explorations. He also is aware that Clarisse cannot fathom the thought of not thinking about him, which keeps him continually interested. Hannibal keeps a close eye on Clarisse at all times. He goes to the very risky extent of traveling just to watch Clarisse run. He writes to her on occasion to let her know he is all right or that he is ready to come out of hiding. When protection is needed or Clarisse, in the opinion of Hannibal, he makes it quite a performance so to get his point across. When he saves Clarisse from Hannibal’s failed demise she is prepared a meal that consist of brain. The brain of fellow agent Krendler: who had tried to ruin the career of Starling.  He protects her from the man-eating pigs that he was supposed to be fed to by Mason the only victim of Hannibal’s to survive. Hannibal goes to great lengths just to protect Clarisse, getting nothing in return from her. 
            In closing, we have found a horrific monster. Monsters that so few of us wish to even conceive. A monster, that lives among us. Hannibal the Cannibal has brought to the table the ingredients that make him tick and do what he does. The protection of his love: that he longs for, defense of himself, and the thinning out of the rude in the world. He is doing himself and the public a favor. He does not go of meaningless killing sprees, he has much thought and meaning to his doings. He cannot help his taste for disaster, he must satisfy it. And for Hannibal being able to justify what he does gives him peace of mind. Hannibal is not our mindless incompetent killer, and thus this is why he is so greatly feared. His ability to get inside your head is the first step for disaster; once you have willingly given to his unreasonable puzzles he has you right where he wants you. Hannibal is the one you go to for answers and help and in return you become his finely prepared mean. Too much curiosity could be the end of your life once placed in the grasp of Hannibal. Although he does like the cat and mouse game as well, this is why death is not instant for his victims. The chase is half the fun for Hannibal. Another one of his charming personality traits: of which he carries. Hannibal will stop at nothing to fulfill his guilty pleasures. So the next time you think of monsters and get the chills from their hideous form or ghostly spells remind yourself of what truly lurks in our world. Take caution in whom you meet, for you could be their next meal.

Works Cited

Lector, Hannibal, Perf. Hannibal. Dir.
      Ridley Scott. 2001. Film.

Harris, Thomas. Hannibal. Dell, 2001.
     Print.

Harris, Thomas. The Silence Of The 
    Lambs. St. Martin's Griffin, 2000.
    Print. 

Wadsworth, Lois. "Lector's
     World:new horrors from the
     carnival sideshow;Hannibal."
     Eugene Weekly 02/15/2001. n. pag.
     ProQuest. Database. 3 Nov 2011.

West, Michelle.
     "Hannibal/Cryptonomicon."
      Fantasy & Science Fiction
      02/02/2000. n. pag. ProQuest.
     Database. 3 Nov 2011.

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Annotated Bibliography

Lector, Hannibal, Perf. Hannibal. Dir.
      Ridley Scott. 2001. Film.
I choose to use this as my Primary Source for my project. The reason being is I believe that the movie lets you take a little bit more away in terms as being able to visualize and understand the concepts of Hannibal. I liked this source because of the visual effects in the movie and the language. It was easier to understand when it was being spoken rather then just being read. Literature is difficult for me to understand at times so the movie was the perfect primary source for me to start with.

Szumskyj, Benjamin. Dissecting 
    Hannibal Lecter, Essays On The 
   Novels Of Thomas Harris.
   McFarland & Company, 2008.
   Print.
I choose to use this as one of my secondary sources. The reason I choose to use this because I think it will be very influential in the other readings and a compliment to the movie. Hopefully this will allow me to "Dissect"some true meanings in this story and film. Hannibal is a very complicated man and takes some time to understand what he is trying to express to you in his puzzles and this could be a great way to have a chance to decipher what he is getting across.

O'Brien, aniel. The Hannibal Files, 
   The Unauthorised Guide To The
   Hannibal Lecter Trilogy. 2009.
   Print.
 This seemed to be a very interesting secondary source for me to take advantage of. This gets a inside look at the director and the film.This could ultimately be a very large part of my final project. I will be able to look at the way the director saw things and I will be able to understand and get inside the movie. Only more reading and time will tell how influential  this book can be for me.

Harris, Thomas. Hannibal. Dell, 2001.
     Print.
This book is a reflection of the movie. This source will allow me to make proper quotes from the movie. I will be able to be accurate and precise in my citations. This will also be a great compliment to the movie because I will be able to look at the text as well. And if I have some confusion in either they will lend to compliment one another in helping me to grasp what is being dictated to me.

Harris, Thomas. The Silence Of The 
    Lambs. St. Martin's Griffin, 2000.
    Print. 
And as my last source I choose to use the, The Silence of the Lambs. This is the first portion of the trilogy that Hannibal is introduced in. This book gets us the initial catty, articulate, and intellectual insight of that man. This book shows us that Hannibal is not just a criminal but gives us a look at how he chooses to use Clarisse and sees her in a way that some might think he loves her. This is a big part of understanding Hannibal to me. Like we are always told you never get a second chance at first impressions and Hannibal does a very good job at his introduction and sets the stage for a miraculous journey. 

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Final Project Proposal

In deciding the option for my final project I have decided to propose to use option number two. This is the monsters project. And the monster that I wish to write and research is cannibals. I chose this option because I will be able to do research on the project and that is a type of writing I am very familiar and comfortable with. I have not yet determined what I will exactly be using as my primary text yet. I want to be able to look into it very in depth as to get the best information available. I plan to accomplish ans amazing paper that will be a surprising change in skill to our teacher. I have not be receiving the grades I would like to and I would like this paper to be able to make the big change for me. I plan on using every possible item I can find for support on my project. I will search the topic and find certain points I would like to really hit on and then narrow down my findings to make a clear and descriptive paper. I look forward to this project even though I am nervous at the same time. I want this paper to be a big step up from the ones I have been writing and I hope to accomplish this.

http://kirillsghostwriter.wordpress.com/2010/06/17/having-your-friends-for-dinner-perspectives-on-cannibalism/