Sunday, October 30, 2011
"This Land Is Your Land" by Woodie Guthrie
I think this song is more collectivist than individualistic. I think it is questioning the individualistic culture of America. It is anti-government because it's a protest. He asks "is this land for you and me?" as he questions the idea that America is for everyone as they had been taught to believe.
Aristotle
I think that only one that is ignorant would just accept everything because that's not what one should do. It isn't right to just bypass every idea as though it's nothing. One should be able to question ideas.
Me vs. We
The traits that would be considered ideal in a collectivist culture are: understanding and cooperative. In an individualistic culture, leadership qualities would be valued like independence.
It is less likely to be challenged if you are from the oldest family in a community or the PhD with the most published books if you were in a collectivist society. There is a different idea of respect in the two cultures. Status is defined differently in the two cultures. This is because different aspects of respect in the society, both of themselves and others.
A specific conflict that might happen is that in collectivist cultures students call their teachers by their first name. A teacher might come in conflict with oneself coming into an individualistic culture, were teachers are shown respect by a different title.
An acquaintance is someone You have just met. The word has a more neutral connotation.
It is less likely to be challenged if you are from the oldest family in a community or the PhD with the most published books if you were in a collectivist society. There is a different idea of respect in the two cultures. Status is defined differently in the two cultures. This is because different aspects of respect in the society, both of themselves and others.
A specific conflict that might happen is that in collectivist cultures students call their teachers by their first name. A teacher might come in conflict with oneself coming into an individualistic culture, were teachers are shown respect by a different title.
An acquaintance is someone You have just met. The word has a more neutral connotation.
"2+2=5" by Radiohead
1. In its lyrics, this song talks about being trapped and not being able to escape this perfect world and its specific set of rules. He's trapped in a utopia where rules and more rules trying to make everything okay as so they're trying to set a world for everyone to live in. He doesn't feel that it should be this way because he doesn't want to be a part of it. He describes a world where nothing makes sense anymore because they're trying to rewrite the past telling lies. Towards the end, he is questioning what this is supposed to be.
2. The music helps this because it's fast and it keeps going. There is a lot of repetition. I think the repetition helps the listener realize that he's trapped, the music helps build on that tension and make the listener feel what the artist does and to see what's happening. The loud drums contributed to this as well as the fast tempo the music holds throughout the song.
3. The title is an allusion to 1984. In the book, Orwell uses "2+2=5" to realize that false statement.
2. The music helps this because it's fast and it keeps going. There is a lot of repetition. I think the repetition helps the listener realize that he's trapped, the music helps build on that tension and make the listener feel what the artist does and to see what's happening. The loud drums contributed to this as well as the fast tempo the music holds throughout the song.
3. The title is an allusion to 1984. In the book, Orwell uses "2+2=5" to realize that false statement.
Short Film
- Single effect: His job is a good one, he feels fortunate and so he is sad to be leaving. The theme is to appreciate the little things so look for them in all the situations.
-Details: The music when he expects a send off and doesn't get one.
His facial expression previous to this.
Unsteady camera work, different points of view
"I'm here to point out the least obvious"
The setting
-Details: The music when he expects a send off and doesn't get one.
His facial expression previous to this.
Unsteady camera work, different points of view
"I'm here to point out the least obvious"
The setting
Kandisky vs. Pollack
I like the Pollack better because everything is dark and everything is muddled up. It makes you think what the artist was feeling. It has darker colors that blend in with one another. To me, it makes me think of confusion in feelings. It looks like just splots but there's more behind it. The Kandisky painting in more pleasing to look at. This is because it is more organized in that it's not just blobs. Also it has brighter, friendlier colors. It's easier to understand.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Built to Spill "You Were Right"
- The writer of the song is going through a difficult time in his life. I can conclude this because the singer says "we're still running against the wind."
- The singer is angry and confused about what he is going through. I can conclude this because of the way that the electric guitar is being played loudly as though he's taking out his anger on the guitar during the bridge of the song. Also, the guitar doesn't have a constant loudness, it keeps growing louder then diminishing throughout different parts of the song.
- The overall song is really effective because it all works together to make that single effect that he is angry and confused. The music helps build on that and looking at the lyrics does too.
- The singer is angry and confused about what he is going through. I can conclude this because of the way that the electric guitar is being played loudly as though he's taking out his anger on the guitar during the bridge of the song. Also, the guitar doesn't have a constant loudness, it keeps growing louder then diminishing throughout different parts of the song.
- The overall song is really effective because it all works together to make that single effect that he is angry and confused. The music helps build on that and looking at the lyrics does too.
Reading Response
There are many different aspects that one must examine when reading critically. The first that the author makes clear is that critically does not necessarily mean looking at something negatively and building on that. You can also critically analyze a really good piece of writing. Another thing that this book makes clear is that when reading a piece critically, there are different things that might help to later further develop thoughts. This includes reading with a pencil in hand, summarizing, and marking in the margins. However, when it comes to reading critically there are specific aspects of the piece one must examine: the meaning/purpose of the piece., how the piece was written, the language presented in the piece, and also to whom it was written for. One must look at the title of the piece and examine what one knows about the author first as well. These same aspects must be kept in mine when looking a visual image critically although they may be applied differently.
"Young Life" by Bo Barlett
Three claims that I made about this painting:
- The boy isn't the man's first priority.
I concluded this because the boy is placed farther away from the man.
The boy is distanced from those who appear to be his parents.
- The man is proud to be a hunter.
I concluded this because the man is holding a large gun in his hand, and he's
holding it out as if showing it off.
- Nature is a big part of who he is.
I concluded this because the man is dressed in dark, nature-like, earth
colors like brown and white.
The boy isn't the man's first priority in his life. This is evident through different factors in the painting. One of the most prominent contributions to this idea is that the boy is distanced away from what appear to be his parents. The distance represents that divide between the boy and the man. In the painting, another observation one might make is that that the woman is positioned closer to the man that the boy is. This is also true for the gun that he holds in his hand and the deer that is placed directly behind where his head is. It is through these observations that one might come to the conclusion that the boy isn't the man's first priority.
- The boy isn't the man's first priority.
I concluded this because the boy is placed farther away from the man.
The boy is distanced from those who appear to be his parents.
- The man is proud to be a hunter.
I concluded this because the man is holding a large gun in his hand, and he's
holding it out as if showing it off.
- Nature is a big part of who he is.
I concluded this because the man is dressed in dark, nature-like, earth
colors like brown and white.
The boy isn't the man's first priority in his life. This is evident through different factors in the painting. One of the most prominent contributions to this idea is that the boy is distanced away from what appear to be his parents. The distance represents that divide between the boy and the man. In the painting, another observation one might make is that that the woman is positioned closer to the man that the boy is. This is also true for the gun that he holds in his hand and the deer that is placed directly behind where his head is. It is through these observations that one might come to the conclusion that the boy isn't the man's first priority.
The Avett Brothers "Shame"
The subject of this song seems to be some sort of break up that occurred because of a mistake that he made that hurt his relationship with this girl.
The tone of this song I would say is regretful. The singer seems to regret that mistake that he made.
Throughout the song, the writer of this song uses specific words that contribute to the tone of the song. One of these instances occurs when he uses the word "boatloads" as he sings "boatloads of shame." If he were to have used the word "lots of shame" it wouldn't have had the same effect because "boatloads" explains more clearly what the singer was trying to get across. Another instance is when he uses the word "overwhelming" in the line where he says "That's filled with guilt and overwhelming shame." The word "overwhelming" has a more powerful meaning than again, if he were to have used the words "lots of." The word overwhelming more clearly pictures that toll of emotion and how greatly ashamed he is about what happened. At another point throughout the song, he sings "and sink into another world." Had he used a word like "fallen" instead of "sink", it wouldn't have been nearly as effective. The word "sink" has a negative connotation as compared to "fallen" and therefore helps contribute to how he is feeling.
The tone of this song I would say is regretful. The singer seems to regret that mistake that he made.
Throughout the song, the writer of this song uses specific words that contribute to the tone of the song. One of these instances occurs when he uses the word "boatloads" as he sings "boatloads of shame." If he were to have used the word "lots of shame" it wouldn't have had the same effect because "boatloads" explains more clearly what the singer was trying to get across. Another instance is when he uses the word "overwhelming" in the line where he says "That's filled with guilt and overwhelming shame." The word "overwhelming" has a more powerful meaning than again, if he were to have used the words "lots of." The word overwhelming more clearly pictures that toll of emotion and how greatly ashamed he is about what happened. At another point throughout the song, he sings "and sink into another world." Had he used a word like "fallen" instead of "sink", it wouldn't have been nearly as effective. The word "sink" has a negative connotation as compared to "fallen" and therefore helps contribute to how he is feeling.
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