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November 30, 2005
A Featured Experience
The final assignment for EL 227 was the dreaded, 1500 word Feature Article. A monster, feared by every student who has set foot in EL 227, devours students time, patience, and sanity, while sucking any lives that the students in this class may or may not have already had.
This assignment, though a bit scary, ended up being one of the most entertaining and enjoyable assignmentsthat I've ever completed. Being able to choose my own topic, I chose something that interested me: religions aroung the SHU campus.
I'm not really sure why this assignment gave me so much enjoyment, perhaps I was just in a good mood, perhaps it was the last one, or maybe because we were nearing the long-awaited holiday season. Nonetheless I learned so many interesting things about individuals in the Seton Hill Community. I had the pleasure of interviewing many, very different, individuals.
During this operation, I interviewed, a Catholic, Protestant, Jew, Buddhist, Non-denominational Christian, and a Wiccan. How many people have the chance to talk to this many individuals intelectually about their religion? (Probably a lot, but that's not the point.)
The point is that by just doing this assignment, I met new people, I learned about new religions, and I got a free pen! (From interviewing Jillian Kowalewski, but don't tell her I have it!)
This experience was a great one for me, and I feel that it was an excellent way to end the semester! Thanks everyone for a great time!!!
Posted by AndrewLoNigro at 03:03 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Do I want to be a journalist?
Now that the semester is coming to a close, and I've survived half a year of Newswriting, I find it an obligation to ask myself, do i want to be a journalist?
The answer for me is easy... NO. Now that doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy learning about newswriting, or I hate journalists. What I mean is that I had a blast in this class, however I don't think that this is a job that I would enjoy for the rest of my life.
The amount that I learned this semester is truly incomprehensible. Before this year started, I didn't know anything about journalism. And when say I didn't know anything I mean nothing! Now I feel like Dan Rather, well not really, but still I am extremely proud of my accomoplishments.
I found out how to interview people, how to write a NEW way (not always easy), and how to adapt to my surroundings. I don't feel however that this class only helped me academically.
The biggest thing that this class taught me was how to be social. I know that doesn't sound very productive but just hear me out. I guarantee that I would have never gone up to a total stranger and started a conversation before I had this class. In the interview process I found myself walking up to teachers, calling students on the phone, and e-mailing random people, to ask them questions. I ended up getting to know some of these people and I've even made some friendships from it.
The main thing that this class taught me was not to be afraid of what you don't know. I didn't know much about the people that I had to interview, and it turned out that they weren't half bad. Sometimes you just gotta suck it up and go talk to a stranger!
Posted by AndrewLoNigro at 02:52 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 29, 2005
Tribune-Review (Nov 29 Edition)
Tribune-Review (Nov 29 edition) -- News Writing (EL 227)
I read an interesting article in the Tribune Review. It was called "Public school is first in New Orleans to reopen since Katrina." I was looking for something interesting and something that dealt with human interest, and this is what I found.
The article was set up in the upside-down pyramid format. It wasn't difficult to read because the author didn't use uncommon language. The article itself was very objective and I feel that the author, Janet Guttsman, did a great job of letting the facts tell the story.
The reason I like this story so much is because it really exposed me. I know that sounds weird, but it did. It exposed my ignorance of the situations that face this country, such as natural disasters like Katrina. Being caught selfishly caught up in the issues of my personal life, whether it be complaining about the next assignment I have, or being depressed because we lost our last basketball game, I totally lost sight of how great my life is right now. I know everyone says, "don't take what you have for granted," but I just realized that I have been doing that.
The families in New Orleans have suffered some hard times, no doubt, but they're still suffering while I lay in my nice warm bed and sleep in comfort. It's astonishing to me that people in America can't participate in these same luxuries. And the worst part is, that it's not their fault, they didn't ask to be hit by a hurricane. They didn't ask for their families to be torn apart.
This article made me realize that yes, Katrina happened in the past, but there are still people suffering because of it. Children haven't been able to go to school since the disaster and they are just opened the first one on Monday. We don't understand all of the effects that are happening because of the hurrican such as this. This article really made me ask myself two questions:Would I want help if this happened to me? And what am I doing to help?
Posted by AndrewLoNigro at 10:00 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Blogging Portfolio 3
This semester is finally coming to a close and this will be my final blogging portfolio for EL 227. As tough as it was sometimes, consistenly blogging is a great way to constantly learn. The skill of thinking critically has given the ability to enjoy and use these blogs for my own needs. Thanks eveyone for a great year and I know that this will help me and all of my classmates throughout our college careers.
Coverage:
We the Media (Intro, Ch 1 & Ch 2)
We the Media (Ch 3-5)
We the Media (Ch 6 & 7)
We The Media (Chpt. 8)
We the Media (Ch 11 & 12, Epilogue)
Reflection on Informal Oral Presentation
AP Guide to News Writing (Ch 12)
Tribune-Review (Nov 29 Edition)
Do I want to be a journalist?
A Featured Experience
Depth:
We The Media (Chpt. 8)
Reflection on Informal Oral Presentation
Tribune-Review (Nov 29 Edition)
Interaction and Xenoblogging:
Comment on Chera's blog
Comment on Rachel's blog
Comment on Chris's blog
Comment on Dena's blog
Comment on Lorin's blog
Comment on David's blog
Comment on Lorin's blog
Comment on Lorin's blog
Timeliness:
We the Media (Intro, Ch 1 & Ch 2)
We the Media (Ch 3-5)
We the Media (Ch 6 & 7)
We The Media (Chpt. 8)
We the Media (Ch 11 & 12, Epilogue)
Discussion:
Tribune-Review (Nov 29 Edition)
Comment on Lorin's blog
We the Media Chap1 and intro
New Media Careers
Christmas is Coming
We the Media, Chapter 11-12-Epilogue
Wildcard:
Do I want to be a journalist?
A Featured Experience
Posted by AndrewLoNigro at 08:56 AM | Comments (0)
November 28, 2005
Reflection on Formal Oral Presentation
The formal oral presentation was a great experience for me. I came to class with the points that I wanted to discuss, the questions that I had, and an open mind. I feel that I left with a pretty solid foundation for my paper to be built upon. It's great to have your peers and teacher help you on something that may be an obstacle to you.
My thesis is, "Diane Samuels uses tension between parents and children in 'Kindertransport' to show the importance of respecting one's heritage."
I feel that with this thesis, I can better discuss how a literary work can express a "real life" opinion or claim, instead of just talking about what real life situations are like. Instead of just bashing Faith for being a brat to her mother and disrespecting her, I now have learned throught discussion with Dr. Jerz and this presentation that there is reasons that she is upset. There is also reasons for everyone elses pain and problems.
This presentation helped me look deeper and I hope it will make my paper a success. If there are any thoughts or ideas that anyone has that would help my thesis or me, please feel free to comment!
Posted by AndrewLoNigro at 10:05 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 26, 2005
Blogging Portfolio 3 (%5)
Well, this is it! This is the last blogging portfolio for EL 250. Just when I started getting the hang of it! In all seriousness, blogging is a skill that I will be able to take with me from college and use for the rest of my life.
It's been a great experience. I've learned so much from blogs. I've used them to express my opinions. I've used them to discuss issues with other people. I've used them to learn more about literature by using other people's knowledge. Also, these blogs gave me a chance to learn about who I am sharing the college experience with. Through them I've made friendships that I hope will last throughout my time here at Seton Hill. I've learned about people and about respecting other's values and beliefs.
Blogging hasn't only showed me how to be a student, it's showed me how to keep and open mind and it's helped me develope my character. If you would have asked me at the beginning of the semester what I thought about blogging, you would have found a much different opinion than I have now. The experience has been great and I hope it's the foundation of a great college career here at SHU!
Coverage:
Samuels, Kindertransport
Reflection of Kindertransport
Bolt, A Man for All Seasons
Bolt, A Man for All Seasons
A Change of Heart
Wilson, Fences
Roberto Clemente
What's it all mean?
Schnitzler, Professor Bernardhi Acts 1-3
Schnitzler, Professor Bernhardi (Finish)
Confusing Bernhardi's intentions
Depth:
Come here woman!
A Change of Heart
Roberto Clemente
The truth comes out
Interaction and Xenoblogging:
Comment on Chera'a Blog
Comment on Denamarie's blog
Comment on Rachel's blog
Comment on Denamarie's blog
Comment on Chera's blog
Comment on Lorin's blog
Comment on Lorin's blog
Comment on Kevin's blog
Comment on Amanda's blog
Comment on Chera's blog
Comment on Lorin's blog
Comment on Danielle's blog
Timeliness:
Kindertransport
Reflection of Kindertransport
Bolt, A Man for All Seasons
Bolt, A Man for All Seasons
A Change of Heart
Wilson, Fences
Schnitzler, Professor Bernardhi Acts 1-3
Schnitzler, Professor Bernhardi (Finish)
Discussion:
The Truth Comes Out
The last song... on Lorin's blog
Wow...
Kinderstransport Performance Discussion
Discussion on David Denninger's blog
Discussion on Kayla Sawyer's blog
Keepin' it simple
Wildcard:
Roberto Clemente
A Change of Heart
The last song... Lorin's blog
Posted by AndrewLoNigro at 09:52 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 24, 2005
Genderly Speaking
AP Guide to News Writing (Ch 12) -- News Writing (EL 227)
In chapter 12 of the A.P. Guide to Newswriting, there is a section about using gender pronouns without using language that throws the reader's attention off. However, we've got to make sure that we don't overemphazsize one gender or the other.
"Nowhere is the straining for fairness more contrived than in the juggling of personal pronouns."
I constantly find myself wondering if I said he or his, instead of keeping it fair. I was taught that if you weren't sure, than you should just say, "he or she." However, what I finally learned in this chapter is that using that phrase often confuses the reader and causes them to lose their attention on what they were reading. The example that Cappon used was
"The mayor warned every homeowner that he or she is responsible for clearing the snow in front of his or her yard."
How confusing is that? Instead Cappon said that we should simply re-write the sentence (something that most of us don't want to do in the first place) usuing "sexually neutral plural pronouns" such as, they or their. I find this technique much easier than trying to always place both genders in the sentence. This skill specifically helped me on longer papers that I've written, especially on the paper that I wrote in my STW dealing with gender in education.
Posted by AndrewLoNigro at 01:59 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 23, 2005
Reflection on Informal Oral Presentation
Three young journalists... three different chapters... one common goal.
In formal presentations are usually dreaded by college or high school students. I'm not gonna lie, I was a little nervous. But the end result was worth it all.
Choosing a chapter was an interesting feat. I naturally wanted to choose the easiest one. However, I decided to choose the one that would teach me the most. Seeing how I'm computer illiterate, I chose chapter 8, "Next Steps," which is totally about the internet and technology.
The presentation itself was really a great experience. David, Dena, and I were prepared and wanted to do something really different, something exciting, something brand new! We though long and hard about trying a game, or a song, or an activity. Then all of the sudden we got it!!! "Let's just do it normal." So we did.
However, I feel that all of the presentations went well because of one simple reason, relaxation. Everyone in the room was just in a relaxed atmosphere. They were able to pay attention better and learn "MORE FASTER." Yes, there were some mistakes, but that's the fun part, laughing about your mistakes lightens the whole mood. I know that I learned alot from David and Denamarie and I hope that people learned a little more than they knew from me. It was a great experience and I learned a lot.
Posted by AndrewLoNigro at 09:39 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
November 22, 2005
We the Media (Ch 11 & 12, Epilouge)
We the Media (Ch 11 & 12, Epilogue) -- News Writing (EL 227)
"On the Internet, we are defined by what we know and share. Now for the first time in history, the feedback system can be global and nearly instantaneous." (237)
Gillmor is trying to show us, through this book that drastic changes are taking place in the world of "news." He says that these changes are affecting journalists, newsmakers, and the audience.
In the above quote, Gillmor first points out that on the internet, everyone is equal. The only thing that separates us from one another is our knowledge and our interaction with others. As the presentations last Monday pointed out, you are in charge of what you put on the internet. Katie Lambert said that if someone wants to be seen as a jerk, then they can do that.
There are no regulations in the World Wide Web, so in other words, you make your own reputation. If you want to be respected, then you should post interesting information and use the internet as helpful tool rather than a toy for troublemakers.
The second part of the quote dealt with the simplicity of transferring information using the web, compared to older forms of communication. It is much easier for people to find information and search for what they need by clicking a button.
Posted by AndrewLoNigro at 05:28 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
November 20, 2005
We The Media (Chpt. 8)
Next Steps
"I didn't imagine that blogs and other tools would come along to make writing on the Web almost as easy as reading from it. So I won't try to predict the shape of the news business and how it will be practiced a decade from now." (158)
In this chapter, Gillmor really discussed the technology offered to bloggers on the World Wide Web. Society is changing in many ways, especially in the way news is being reported. Blogs are becoming more and more popular and more and more common. Services such as Google, weblogs, and other personal media are playing a very transformative role.
Gillmor talks about experiments that are really involving bloggers. He mentions Feed, an online magazine, and Kuro5hin, which gives the audience the opportunity to write and rank the stories and then it adds context and ideas as they discuss them.
Gillmor's assumptions about the future are based on two principles:
- a belief in basic jounalistic values, including accuracy, fairness, and ethical standards.
- it's relentless and unstoppable
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Laws and Other Codes
Mass Media near the end of the 20th century was very organized. The decisions of what stories to cover fell to the Editors. News was retrieved from mostly offical sources. Reporters and Editor worked together to produce a trustworthy and interesting product which would be published in a newspaper, magazine, or broadcast on the radio or television.
"Technology and an increasing dissatisfaction with mass media have created the conditions for a new framework." (159)
To prove this Gillmor has pointed out laws to help us understand the technology and trends that have affected the relationship between journalism and technology.
Moore's Law
This was named after Gordon Moore, cofounder of the Intel company. It states that, "the density of transistors on a given piece of silicon will double every 18 to 25 months."
We use many computer devices each day: the microprocessors, also called microcontrollers, are in computers, handheld devices, alarm clocks, coffee makers, home thermostats, wristwatches, and automobiles.
"Not only are we embeddin brains into everything we touch, but we're adding memory to everything, too." (160)
All of these new invetions are complementing Grass Roots journalism. We use these electronics to get information quicker and easier.
Moore said, "It went further than I ever could have imagined." (160)
Metcalfe's Law
Was named after Bob Metcalfe, inventor of the Ethernet networking standard. Says that "the value of a communication network is the square of the number of nodes, or end-point connections." (160)
Ex. Growth of fax machines.
It takes more than one fax machine to have a network. The more fax machines there are, the more value that is created because there are so many people in the network that one can fax to.
Each internet-connected computer is a node. When billions or trillions of things are connected, it creates a very powerful system.
Reed's Law
Named after David Reed. States that groups themselves are nodes.
People conduct many-to-many, or few-to-few, communications. Not only one-to-one communications.
This law discusses the idea of groups factorial. "Factorial means that you take the number of groups, and every integer less than that number all the way back to one, and multiply all of those numbers together."
Howard Rheingold said, "The 15-year-olds today in Seoul and Helsinki, who are already adept at mobilizing media to their end, will be 25. And what they carry in their pockets will be thousands of times more powerful than what they have today." (161)
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Creating the News
Non-journalists are using the internet to publish what they want. Gillmor discusses that "the tools of creation are now everywhere." People can actually create anything that they want. They can publish stories, songs, or life experiences and there's no editor to tell them not too. That's the thing with the web, there's no regulations. Printed newspaper has been checked and boiled down to mostly reliable information by the editor and the reporter. With weblogs, the writer and the editor are one in the same.
"The Pew Internet & American Life Project found that in mid-2003, slightly less than half of adult Internet users had used the Net to publish their thought, respond to others, post pictures, share files and otherwise contribute to the explosion of content available online." (162)
The Web is ideal for small-event coverage, however cannot compete with television for the coverage of big events.
"But how easy will it be to use the tools of creation?" (163)
Even though blogs are commonly used, they're still not available to everyone. Either not owning a computer, or not knowing how to use one is the cause for this. Gillmor feels that in the future blogs should be extremely easy to operate so that a huge number of people will be able to report, or else the promise of grassroots journalism won't be kept.
As we all know, reporting is more than just collecting data or observing an event. The roles of journalists will change as well. With blogs, there will be less stories to cover because there will me a huge increase in the number of reporters.
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Sorting It Out
There is so much information out in the world that people could write about. There are constantly stories happening around us. Since everyone can weblog, there would be no organization to what information needs to be and should be covered. And what information is most important.
Gillmor gives examples of Big Media:
-Google
-Microsoft
-Yahoo!
Google News is a big help organizing information. "The search engine crawls various new sites-designated by humans-and then machines take over to display all kinds of healines on a variety of subjects from politics to business to sports to entertainment and so on." (165)
Google Alerts This service lets users create keyword searches, the results of which are sent by email on a regular basis.
However, there are two serious drawbacks:
- the service didn't let you read the alerts in RSS(a file containing a list of the headlines and some or all of the text from the postings)
- a refusal to acknowledge news content from the sphere of grassroots journalism.
Newsbot Similar to Google News
NewsJunkie "It reorganizes news stories to rank those with the most new information at the tip and push those with repetitive information to the bottom, or filter them out entirely." (166)
"Mountains of data are being created every day by RSS fees and other structured information, and smart entrepreneurs and researchers are creating tools that I believe will become an integral part of tomorrow's news architecture." (167)
Dave Sifry created Technorati
in 2002. Through this he was able to track more than two million blogs, with thousands coming online everyday. The idea behind it is to link structure matters. "The service helps people search or browse for interesting or popular weblogs, breading news, and hot topics of conversation." (168)
Technorati can offer timeliness to its costumers. It's helpful to know when something was posted.
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Probing APIs And Web Services
API - applications programming interface (how to hook one piece of software to another)
Software developement relies on APIs. Most blogging software also has APIs. With these, Google, Amazon, and Technorati are offering a way to get specific information out of the databases in a stuctured way. Their willingness to do this means that we can build, and learn new things with just a little bit of expertise.
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Okay, But Whose "Information" Do You Trust?
Google along with Technorati is a reputation system. Gillmor suggests to Google his name. You will find informatin about him, his job, and his history. The more people linking to you, the more authority you have.
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Dinosaurs and Dangers
We are definately changing into a new form of journalism. The strong foundation however will not want this change to occur and will fight to keep things the way they are. Change will take place no doubt especially with the availabilty and simplicity of blogs will revoutionize how we as citizens get our information. "One of the valuable artifacts of modern journalism is commitment-however poorly kept at times-to integrity." (173) Gillmor asks, "are traditional values compatible with this new medium?" (173)
Posted by AndrewLoNigro at 08:12 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
November 18, 2005
Confusing Bernhardi's intentions
Opinion on class discussion Fri. Nov. 18,2005 - Prof. Bernhardi (Finish)
I really enjoyed the discussion that we had in class today about Bernhardi and the Priest. I think that the part of the discussion that really started to form a debat was when the topic of Bernhardi being arrogant arose. Chera and Gina seemed to have opposing arguments and to recap quickly: Gina felt that she really like Bernhardi's character and that he didn't back down from anyone. Chera seemed to side with the Priest's character and how he did a good job of being equal and forgiving. (correct me if I'm wrong)
I didn't get much time to comment on this subject but I really feel strongly about it. This blog kind of gives me a chance to express some of my beliefs about life, so it you don't want to hear them, leave now.
First of all, not to gang up on Chera or anything, I agree with Gina. I feel that Bernhardi is a strong individual and that he has good morals. No he may not be a Catholic or even practice his Jewish beliefs but he still has morals. Many people confuse his, kind of, emotionless personality, with that of arrogance.
As a conservative, I feel that some people are saying that Bernhardi should change and try to please the people. They think that he sould make an attempt to appologize or even compromise with his opposition to try to make peace. They feel that Bernhardi is taking things too seriously and that he needs to adapt with the changes in society, as the Priest does by forgiving Bernhardi at the end of their arguement. They want Bernhardi to be more like the Priest.
Well folks, he's not the Priest. Bernhardi has strong beliefs in what he feels is morally right and what he knows. I don't think that some of us realize how hard it actually was for Bernhardi. He had to hold strong to his beliefs without wavering in spite of society turning against him. And for him to do that without letting the forces of society change him, I think that is a very admirable character.
The Priest to me doesn't seem as strong of a person. Yes, he did forgive Bernhardi, but why did he have to forgive him. Is the Priest God? Is he right? Is whatever he says the way it is? No, and since people take for granted that the Priest should forgive Bernhardi, I don't understand what Bernhardi did wrong? Okay, he practiced his belief of letting the woman die in a peaceful frame of mind. Sorry folks but that's not wrong. Yes, it's wrong to the Catholic church and the Catholic beliefs. But there are other religions out there. There are many different religions that have very strong values and actually in the principles of Catholic social teaching, The Principle of Human Dignity, "Every human being is created in the image of God and redeemed by Jesus Christ, and therefore is valuable and worthy of respect as a member of the human family."
In my opinion, the characteristics that Bernhardi shows are integral to be successful in society. People always gang up on someone that sticks up for themselves. However, without that trait, one can never excel in life. What I admire about Bernhardi is his ability to not let people affect him. He doesn't care what other's think about his decision. There's something inside of him, like a knowing, that he did what he believed and did the right thing. No one can take that away from him. Whether the try to make him feel guilty, or wrong.
I want to have that about me. I don't care about what people say. If they want talk bad about me behing my back, then go right ahead. What do i care? They're not hurting me in anyway. All they do is get caught up in gossip and other things like that. I feel that Bernhardi is really a model of how to put your priority first and let whatever happens around you happen. But God will always work things out for you in the end.
Posted by AndrewLoNigro at 10:13 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
November 17, 2005
The truth comes out
Schnitzler, Professor Bernhardi (Finish)
BERNH. I stood before your Reverance a physician, as pure in heart as ever any member of your calling performing a Church rite at the altar. No less pure in heart than you, who came to bring my patient the last religious consolations.
Professor Bernhardi makes the two men equal in with this dialog. He is showing that him and the Priest both have good intentions.
BERNH. And have perhaps never felt more strongly than in this hour, that something stands between us-a something which will not be denied, even under more pleasant conditions.
However, with the line above, he finally gets to the core of the problem. This conflict is somthing much deeper than simply the well-being of the patient who died. It's even something bigger than these two men. I think that this is really the reversal in the play. Up until this point the audience isn't totally sure who's right or wrong. Now they can see that no one is right and no one is wrong. It is a disagreement in religion that causes a conflict. Schnitzler did an excellent job of leading everything in a play up to a point, and then revealing the problem that still applies to many people today.
The difference is really shown in these next lines between the Priest and Bernhardi.
PRIEST. I know myself to bo free. My religion, Professor, bids me love even those who hate me.
BERNH. And mine, your Reverance, or what is planted in my breast in place of religion, bids me bring comprehension even where I am misunderstood.
Something that I don't understand however is the ending of the scene between the priest and the Bernhardi. After all of this tension throughout the dialog, the Priest suddenly reaches out his hand and seems to make peace before he leaves. It even leaves Bernhardi in a little shock. Does anyone know why he did this?
Posted by AndrewLoNigro at 09:10 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
We the Media Chapter 6 and 7
We the Media (Ch 6 & 7) -- News Writing (EL 227)
"He is definitely not a wonk, but he knows clearly what he believes needs to happen for the country and its economy to prosper," Hammock wrote of Bush. "I don't think the circular arguements regarding 'what ifs' and 'what abouts' interest him. Nor me, for that matter."
In the above passage, Gillmor refers to a man by the name of Rex Hammock, who was involved in a meeting with the president. The meeting was supposidly closed off to the press, however, Hammock being an avid blogger, decided to clue the American public in on what he realized during this meeting.
What this shows us is exactly how hard it is to keep things secret anymore. How can the secret service not allow any members of the media in a meeting or a press conference? Especially since, we are all now members of the media, thanks to blogs. Anyone can blog anything at anytime. The only question is if the information blogged is truthful or not. (We had enough discussion about that in class already!)
The other interesting point that this brings up is that anything can be blogged at anytime, so events and other things that may have been not mentioned, or covered up in the past, are now going to become for open and public. And it's all thanks to, as Katie Lambert said in class today, "Blogs taking over the world!"
Posted by AndrewLoNigro at 02:13 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 15, 2005
To whom much is given...
Schnitzler, Professor Bernardhi Acts 1-3 -- Drama as Literature (EL 250)
ADLER. Narurally. Anyone who works and achieves. Many enemies-much honour. Bernhardi really can't complain. Practice in the highest circles and in certain others, where, fortunately, the emoluments are higher-Professor-Director of the Elizabeth Institue-
KURT. Well, who should it be if not he? He's had enough fights on behalf of the Institute.
I found this passage to be interesting. These Alder and Kurt talk about how Prof. Bernhardi has had to deal with squabbles in the past. What they're are saying is that anyone who tries to make it to the top, is going to have struggles, especially from the people who are at the bottom. There is always persecution when you are better then someone else. One of life's most important lessons is to not let others bring you down. Keep working as hard as you can and you will reach your goals. The problem for Bernhardi is that he happens to be Jewish as well.
Posted by AndrewLoNigro at 12:06 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 14, 2005
Shut up and listen
We the Media (Ch 3-5) -- News Writing (EL 227)
"While its possible to learn something from a focus group, or scientific survey, those techniques don't add up to listening." (69)
Simple, but true. How many times do we as journalists put our own ideas and thoughts into someone else's. For me, I have some very strong opinions that I try to keep an open mind on, but sometimes it's hard to learn new things when your mind is made up. With the simple skill of listening we learn so much new information.
Using the example in the text: just by commenting and reading these lists and discussions, Paul Gomes really learned more that he would have just using his knowledge.
Posted by AndrewLoNigro at 09:50 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
What's it all mean?
In reguards to the discussion at the end of class today, I think that the ending of "Fences" gave a message of completeness. Gabe tried to blow the trumpet and it wouldn't work. He was discouraged but he didn't give up. Much like Troy didn't give up in his life. Then, when Gabe started to dance and sing, the gates of heaven were opened. I'm not sure why, but as I really liked this part. It hit me for some reason that Gabe didn't give up.
Perhaps Gabe's dance was a result of things being fixed. Cory had finally, made peace with his father and joined in song with his half sister, Raynell. They shared a moment of grief as they sang the song, and something seemed to connect between them even though they've never met each other before.
It's also interesting that Cory seems to be leading his life down a path that will not repeat his father's life. It seems that he has made a change and broke the chain.
Posted by AndrewLoNigro at 10:50 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 13, 2005
Who do you trust?
We the Media (Intro, Ch 1 & Ch 2) -- News Writing (EL 227)
"An anchor-man, Walter Cronkite, was considered the most trusted person in America. Yet this was an era when news divisions of the major networks lost money but were nevertheless seen as the crown jewels for their prestige, fulfilling a longstanding (and now all but discarded) mandate to perform a public service function in their communities."
Gillmor brings out an interesting point here when he brings up the question, "Can America trust their anochormen and women?" Though I was not alive during the 60's and 70's, Gillmor says that America trusted Walter Cronkite as their main informer. Is this good or bad? Should America trust these journalists? Especially after the incident with Dan Rather, I'm not sure if we can. As we've been learning in our EL 227 people should always be skeptical of what they hear and read. It should be that they can believe it, but in modern times, as Gillmor continues to discuss in the reading, journalism is becoming more of a monopoly and a money making scheme than it should be. It's purpose should be to inform and update, however, we've lost sight of those objectives.
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Roberto Clemente
I think that by explaining what Roberto Clemente dealt with really shows what the times were like back then and it gives you an idea of what Troy from "Fences" is talking about.
I really enjoyed this play. One of the reasons that I like it so much is that it makes a reference to one of my favorite baseball players of all time...Roberto Clemente. I know you may be thinking that this is irrelevant to talk about this man on my blog, but I assure you, I do have a point.
I think that by explaining what this man dealt with really shows what the times were like back then and it gives you an idea of what Troy from "Fences" is talking about.
CORY The Pirates won today. That makes five in a row.
TROY I ain't thinking about the Pirates. Got an all-white team. Got that boy...that Puerto Rican boy...Clemente. Don't even half-play him. That boy could be something if they give him a chance. Play him one day and sit him on the bench the next.
I wrote a report on Clemente in 9th grade. I always knew that he was a great player but I didn't know what he had to face in order to become that. Clemente was born in Puerto Rico and played baseball his whole life. American scouts spotted him and signed him to the Brooklyn Dodgers for a few years and then the Pittsburgh Pirates picked him up in the first pick of the draft. He was playing professional baseball in a time when immigrants were frowned upon and African Americans in the Major Leagues were scarce. However, Clemente was so good that they couldn't keep him off the field. He was voted MVP in the 1971 World Series and his statistics were unbeliebable (but we learned not to trust statistics right? lol). More on Clemente's career at robertoclemente21.com
Clemente was already on thin ice with the public because of his color. The language barrier didn't help much either. If anyone knows any history about Pittsburgh sports, than they know that the fans in Pittsburgh are extrememly harsh. If the don't like you then you are done. Well, Clemente played through all of that. They told him he wasn't good enough. They constantly would make fun of his speech and would mess up what he would say in the papers and on the radio on purpose. However, Clemente's perserverance through all of this is what lead him to be the great player that he was.
One thing that the press had to use against him was his complaining. He was a hypocondriach so he was always complaining about how he was hurt. Then, he would go out and play like nothing in the world could bother him.
He also had a good heart, which was the unfortunate cause of his death. It was Christmas eve and Nicaragua had just had a massive earthquake killing many people. He was on a plane taking medical, food and and clothing supplies to those who needed them and due to poor weather and having such a small plane, it crashed off the coast of Puerto Rico and Clemente's body was never found.
I think that this really relates to Troy and his thoughts of how everything was unfair. I think the August Wilson's referance to Clemente really shows that he was trying to make Troy's character hold onto the past and not accept change. Troy doesn't let Cody play get recruited in football partly because he's scared that he'll get hurt like he did.
TROY ...The white man ain't gonna let you get nowhere with that football noway. you go on and get your book-learning so you can work yourself up in that A&P or learn how to fix the cars or build houses or something, get you a trade.
CODY I get good grades, Pop. That's why the recruiter wants to talk with you.
Troy just can't let go of his beliefs. He's strong in his idea that sports can't get you anywhere because his dreams were crushed. He doesn't let Cody follow his true dreams even if his football could get him a way to college.
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Come here woman!
Wilson, Fences -- Drama as Literature (EL 250)
TROY Rose, you're not listening to me. I'm trying the best I can to explain it to you. It's not easy for me to admit that I been standing in the same place for eighteen years.
ROSE I been standing with you! I been right here with you, Troy. I got a life too. I gave eighteen years of my life to stand in the same spot with you. Don't you think I ever wanted other things? Don't you think I had dreams and hopes? What about my life? What about me. Don't you think it ever crossed my mind to want to know other men? That I wanted to lay up somewhere and forget about my responsibilities? That I wanted someone to make me laugh so I could feel good? You not the only one who's got wants and needs. But, I held on to you, Troy. I took all my feelings, my wants and needs, my dreams...and I buried them inside you.
Wow! I know this is a long quote but I think it's so important to show the characteristics of this "woman" that Troy often refers to her as. Rose is as Kayla Sawyer said on her blog, "a selfless and amazing character." To me it's incomprehensible. How can someone devote their whole being to someone else like that. Well actually, I feel when you enter into marriage, that's exactly what you're supposed to do.
Troy married Rose and started a new life. However he held onto everything from his past. Rose chose to be with him knowing that she was going to have to change. Marriage isn't and agreement between two people who still want to live their own lives. It's something that two people share. They work together, they laugh together, they cry together. They deal with problems together and devote themselves to one another. A husband and a wife have to compromise things. They need to sometimes bite their tounge and swallow their pride. It's a constant learning experience in which Troy shows that he's learned nothing.
For someone like Rose to have enough gull to deal with her husband having a baby to another woman, is unreal! The quote above is my favorite, especially the last two lines. Troy is only worrying about himself. He's not looking at their marriage as a two way street. Rose has so much compassion on the other hand. She says that she held onto Troy. "I took all my feelings, my wants and my dreams...and I buried them inside you." That line really touches me. There's something special about it that makes the readers finally feel like Troy has really let her down. I think we finally feel that Rose is the protagonist in this play. She holds everything together the whole way to the last scene. At the end of her speech with Troy that I've quoted above. Troy really has no argument back to her so he resorts to physical violence. This passage really shows how hard headed Troy is as well.
Rose is so different from any of the other characters we've read about so far. Nora from "A Doll's House" and Helen from "Machinal" both were in marriage for some other reason. They were looking to get something for themselves. Rose seems to be very down to earth compared to them. Ophelia from "Hamlet" has no back bone at all. Rose stands up to her husband many times throughout the play and he listens to her.
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November 12, 2005
A Change of Heart
Did you ever have a very strong opinion on an issue, and then something happens that makes you change it? Well, I have. It happened to me when I went to see the Seton Hill University production of "Kindertransport." The production was an excellent, and the actors and actresses did a great job of portraying their characters.
Just by chance, the night before I saw the play, I wrote a paper discussing the relationship between the characters, Faith and Evelyn, and how Catholic Social Teaching was incorporated. My thesis was, "Faith and Evelyn disagree on whether or not truth about the past is important in determining one’s identity. Faith was stopped from reaching her full potential by not knowing the truth about her past."
I wrote this paper just upon the knowledge of reading the play. I had very strong opinions in that Faith was deprived from really reaching her full potential in life. I talked about how Evelyln is just running away from her past. There was no need for her not to live with Helga once she finally got out of Germany. I thought that it was immorale to abandon her mother when she was on her own, out of Germany. I really enjoyed reading the play because I could related to it. It seemed as if Evelyn was trying to force Faith to live the life that she did, and she wasn't giving Faith an opportunity to be her own person. Evelyn even said, "Stay my little girl forever."
What's amazing though is that after watching the play performed on stage, my opinion on the whole situation totally changed. I felt that Lil was actually the protagonist. And young Eva, changed to become the antagonist when she let her mother go to America without her. i got the impression that yes, Faith was deprived from reaching her full potential, but how about Eva? Did she just go through all she did for the heck of it? Didn't it account for anything? All her pain and suffering is what led to her being anxious all the time. My image of Faith changed as well. I saw her in the performance as very self-centered. I had sort of a frustration with her during the performance, rather than the sympathy that I had as I read it.
I also saw a similar type of relationship between Faith and Evelyn, with Evelyn and Lil. Lil really is the hero of this play. One big difference between Lil and Evelyn is the way that they treated their daughters. When Faith got upset with Evelyn, Evelyn reacted by getting an uneasy feeling, and not talking. However, near the end of the play, when Evelyn started getting frustrated with Lil, Lil simply did not back down. She kept reinforcing the idea that she was there for Evelyn her whole life, and she was always going to be there for her.
EVELYN Part of me is dead because of you.
LIL Nothing you can say is going to make me walk out that door.
These lines really hit me hard in the performance. As I read the play myself, they didn't have much impact on me, however seeing the real reactions of people on stage really changed my perspective. As much as I feel like I keep changing my mind, it was a great experience to see how the same words can be understood so differently, just be being written down or spoken. I know from now on, I'm going to keep aon open mind about everything!
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November 09, 2005
One against the world
Bolt, A Man for All Seasons -- Drama as Literature (EL 250)
CHAPUYS Must I require anything? After all, we are brothers in Christ, you and I!
MORE A characteristic we share with the rest of humanity. You live in Cheapside, Signor? To make contact with a brother in Christ you have only to open your window and empty a chamberpot. There was no need to come to Chelsea.
This passage occured near the beginning of the second Act. I think that coming out of intermisson, this line really puts you back into perspective. I really liked these lines because it shows how everyone is starting to get fired up by the king. Some in agreement with him. And some strongly disagreeing. With Chapuys pressuring More in this quote, it really shows that More isn't only taking heat from the king, he's taking heat from the catholics. He's stuck between a rock and a hard place.
I like how Bolt hinges this play on one man's point of view. It seems like a good was to show all of the sides to a story. More is constantly being juggled from side to side, kind of like a good friend stuck in between a fight between other friends. I think Bolt uses this to show King Henry's side of the issue, as well as the Catholic church's side of the issue. I like this strategy.
Although I enjoyed the play, I found the second Act to be harder to follow. It was difficult for me to keep track of where everybody stood on the issue. Especially after the jail scenes, it was hard to follow.
The message of the play was easy to understand however. COMMON MAN really spells it out at the end.
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November 08, 2005
B2-1 Blogging Portfolio
This is a coverpage for my entries from 10-19 to present.
Coverage
AP Stylebook (p. 338-68)
It Ain't Necessarily So (Prologue, Intro & Ch 1)
AP Guide to News Writing (Ch 11)
It Ain't Necessarily So (Ch 2 & 3)
It Ain't Necessarily So (Ch 2 & 3)
It Ain't Necessarily So (Ch 4 & 5)
It Ain't Necessarily So (Ch 6 & 7)
It Ain't Necessarily So (Ch 10 & Conclusion)
AP Guide to News Writing (Ch 9 & 10)
Tribune-Review (Nov 08 edition)
Depth
AP Guide to News Writing (Ch 11)
It Ain't Necessarily So (Ch 4 & 5)
It Ain't Necessarily So (Ch 10 & Conclusion)
Interaction and Xenoblogging
It Ain't Necessarily So (Ch 2 & 3)
Comment on Lou's blog
Comment on Lorin's blog
Comment on Katie's blog
Timeliness
AP Stylebook (p. 338-68)
It Ain't Necessarily So (Prologue, Intro & Ch 1)
It Ain't Necessarily So (Ch 2 & 3)
It Ain't Necessarily So (Ch 10 & Conclusion)
It Ain't Necessarily So (Ch 2 & 3)
It Ain't Necessarily So (Ch 6 & 7)
AP Guide to News Writing (Ch 9 & 10)
Discussion
It Ain't Necessarily So (Prologue, Intro & Ch 1)
It Ain't Necessarily So (Ch 2 & 3)
It Ain't Necessarily So (Ch 2 & 3)
It Ain't Necessarily So (Ch 6 & 7)
Wildcard
Using others to get the point across
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Using others to get the point across
Tribune-Review (Nov 08 edition) -- News Writing (EL 227)
I wasn't able to get a copy of the Trib for Nov 8. Instead, I read the online headlines at http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/trib/pittsburgh/s_392209.html.
The story I read was about a policeman who was shot over a year ago, and how is life is changed. The story was excellent and I found myself not able to stop reading. It kept my attention to the very end. What I found in the story that applies to our class is what we read about in the A.P Guide to newswriting. This story was extremely emotional. The amazing thing is that the author didn't try to make it that way. They simple stated the facts and let the readers decide how emotional it would be. I think this is a great example of not using too much "color."
"The small things that used to bother Hinchey no longer matter: toys scattered on the floor, the dog getting on the furniture, a messy kitchen. The family is stronger now, he said.
And he's eager to go back to work, even if it's a desk job.
'Being a cop is all I ever wanted to do,' said. 'I picked up a paper and looked through the classified ads, and I realized I'm totally unqualified to do anything else.'"
As shown in this quote, by asking the right questions, the author got an emotional viewpoint from the person that they were interviewing. They didn't need to add anything.
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November 07, 2005
Keepin' it simple
Bolt, A Man for All Seasons -- Drama as Literature (EL 250)
MORE Why not be a teacher? You'd be a fine teacher. Perhaps even a great one.
RICH And if I was, who would know it?
MORE You, your pupils, your friends, God. Not a bad public, that...Oh, and a quiet life.
I think that this passage really shows the differences between the two characters' motives in this play. Rich is trying to become someone important, someone famous. He wants people to know him. By reading More's suggestion to Rich, we can see that More's attitude toward life is more laid back. He is simply putting things in his life in order of importance. God and his family are the most important to him.
It just seems so ironic though, that Rich is really pushing success in his life. He may be desperate but still he is trying to force himself into power. More, on the other hand, is living life. Enjoying his family and putting God first. Perhaps Bolt is trying to send his readers a message. Maybe he's just trying to tell us to, "Chill out" and not take personal gain so seriously. He really shows the strength that More has to hold strong to his values and not be swayed by outside forces, especially the King of England.
People sometimes in life get too anxious to make things happen on their own.(Henry VIII) Sometimes we make life out to be too complicated wherein if we would just put the important things first, everything works out the way it's supposed to. This play really put things in perspective for me, bringing me back to realize what matters the most, God and family.
Posted by AndrewLoNigro at 11:04 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Different Style of writing
The reading of chapter 9 involved small details. After reading the chapter, it seems to me that journalism is also like being a detective. The example that the text gave of Jules Loh finding something wrong with Herbert Hoover's pencils really showed how journalists must pay attentions to all of the information about their story. That one little point opened a whole new angle of a story.
Another section of the text was interesting to me. Involving color in a news story isn't as easy as it seems. It read, "Color implies a way of seeing a story so you can show the reader. Adjectives and intensifiers have nothing to do with it-they are, in fact, great decievers." This shows taht newswriting is more of a challenge than other types of writing. Readers need to make their own reactions to the stories with out writers telling them what to think.
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Reflection of Kindertransport
This play struck me in a very emotional way. I found this play to be very interesting for many reasons.
FAITH. I’ve always thought it was my fault that you were so unhappy.
EVELYN. I am not unhappy. Heavens knows why you are.
FAITH. Because of you
EVELYN. Don’t talk such nonsense.
This play is filled with so many emotions. It’s so interesting because instead of reading it through one character’s eyes, the author gives you the chance to see this incident from many different view points. It was so enjoyable to read because of this. There’s the viewpoint of Lil, Eva the young girl, Evelyn the grown girl, Faith, the daughter of the one who was saved, and Helga, the mother who sent her child to safety from the Germans. I think a reader’s outlook of the play is extremely dependant upon what experience the reader has with any of the character types in it.
In the quote above, Faith is shown as self-centered. Since I am not a mother, I can’t say much about how Evelyn has dealt with her situation, but I can see that Faith is obviously not respecting her mother. Faith is only worried about how her mother’s past affects her. She should be trying to help her mother or at least be considerate and understanding of what she had to go through.
In this play, Evelyn’s character seems to be very laid back. She doesn’t seem to have that nervous, anxiousness about her like other mother characters we’ve read about in plays so far this year. Amanda from “The Glass Menagerie,” was obviously more hyper-active towards her children, as was Nora from “A Doll’s House.”
Denamarie talked about the mother/daughter relationship at the end of the play. She said, “Evelyn and her mother do not have a great relationship at the end of the play. Evelyn blames her mother for everything that has ever happened to her.” I feel that this is very true, however, I feel that Faith has done the same thing to Evelyn as what Evelyn did to Helga. She seems to blame her for her problems as well.
This play is very deep and it was a joy to read. I’ve studied the Holocaust before and this play even taught me more about the troubles that people had to face. It’s unreal to me to have to send your child, your life, somewhere else and stay where you are especially after your husband dies. I find it difficult to blame Helga or Evelyn because they both were in hard situations in which they had to change their lives.
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November 06, 2005
Drama Portfolio 2(5%)
This is a coverpage for all of my blog entries from 10/1 to 11/4.
Coverage
Anonymous, "Everyman"
Linsay-Abaire, "Fuddy Meers"
Anonymous, York Corpus Christi Plays
Anonymous, York Corpus Christi Plays
Marlowe, "The Tragedie of Doctor Faustus" (up to act II)
Marlowe, "The Tragedie of Doctor Faustus" (act III - finish)
Shakespeare, "Hamlet" (Acts 1 & 2)
Shakespeare, "Hamlet" (Acts 3-5)
Ives, "Sure Thing"
Bohannon, Shakespeare in the Bush
Williams, "The Glass Menagerie" (Scenes 1-5)
Williams, "The Glass Menagerie (Finish)
Samuels, "Kindertransport"
Depth
Ives, "Sure Thing"
Bohannon, "Shakespeare in the Bush"
Interaction and Xenoblogging
Comment on Lorin's Blog
Comment on Lorin's Blog
Comment on Kevin's Blog
Comment on Kayla's Blog
Comment on Amanda's Blog
Comment on Denamarie's Blog
Comment on Chera's Blog
Timeliness
Bohannon, "Shakespeare in the Bush"
Shakespeare, "Hamlet" (Acts 3-5)
Shakespeare, "Hamlet" (Acts 1 & 2)
Marlowe, "The Tragedie of Doctor Faustus"
Various, "York Corpus Christi Plays"
Lindsay-Abaire, "Fuddy Meers"
Discussion
Shakespeare, Hamlet (Acts 1 & 2)
Shakespeare, Hamlet (Acts 3-5)
Wildcard
What's wrong with Mexicans?
Reflection of Kindertransport
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Kindertransport
Samuels, Kindertransport -- Drama as Literature (EL 250)
So far everyone seems to be blogging about Evelyn's problems. I would like to talk about Faith's relationship with her mother at the beginning of the play.
EVELYN. I want you to make a mature and reliable decision. An adult decision. This continual vacillationis not helpful to either of us.
Without knowing Evelyn's background one might think that she is trying to help her daughter mature. However, after reading the entire play, Evelyn may be trying to help her daughter mature in the only way that she knows how. Evelyn was forced to grow up faster than she wanted to and is trying to have her daughter grow up in the same way.
Faith is just looking for someone to tell her what to do. She doesn't wan to grow up yet, she is looing for stability and someone substantial to give her an identity.
Posted by AndrewLoNigro at 10:24 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 03, 2005
Extra blogging for 11-4-05
Due to a 10:00 departure time for the Seton Hill Cross Country team, I will miss EL 227 on Friday, Nov. 4, 2005. Instead, I spent that class time blogging. This is the coverpage for what I've done instead of class.
I blogged about the reading due on Friday.
Chapter 10 and Conclusion
I commented on Katie Aikins' blog.
Comment on Katie's blog
I commented on Lorin Schumacher's blog.
Comment on Lorin's blog
I commented on Lou Gagliardi's blog.
Comment on Lou's blog
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Liberal Arts... hedgehog or fox?
It Ain't Necessarily So (Ch 10 & Conclusion) -- News Writing (EL 227)
While reading the final chapter of "It Ain't Necessarily So" I came across an interesting analogy. The author's compared reader's tunnel vision and blind spots to hedgehogs and foxes.
"These terms were used by the a Greek poet who stated that, 'The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing.' The 'one big thing' that hedgehogs emphasize may be important, but focusing on it can still blind them to many other things that are also important."
I couldn't agree more. If you look at the people you know, they all fall into either category. Either people have an open mind and are always skeptic, or they have their opinion and good luck trying to change their mind!
This analogy struck me in a different way however. It didn't only apply to newswriting and reading articles. It seemed to apply to post-secondary education, specifically, the Liberal Arts core. As freshman at SHU, we have heard for a whole semester about what a Liberal Arts school is and how it differs from a state school's education or other college or university's educations. To me, it seemed to fit the hedgehog/fox theory. The Liberal Arts core is the fox. It gives you a broad education and teaches you many more subjects outside of your major to create a well-rounded student. As the quote says, "The fox knows many things." On the other hand, a non-liberal arts education is like the hedgehog. "It knows one big thing." It mostly educates the student on his or her specific major. This, in turn, emphasizes the one big thing, however, focusing only on that can still blind him or her from many other things that are important as well.
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Sick?
Williams, The Glass Menagerie (Finish) -- Drama as Literature (EL 250)
Amanda: I'm sick too-of your nonsense! Why can't you and your brother be normal people? Fantastic whims and behavior!
Okay, up to this point I had a little sympathy for Amanda. In this quote she totally says that her children aren't asnormal and she is. I think that Tom and Laura seem to be pretty down to earth up to this point in the play and Amanda is the one always having panic attacks. She is trying to make her daughter into something she's not, and she is trying to make Tom into what she wants him to be as well. Once again, Williams uses irony. I'm starting to believe that irony is one of an author's most powerful tools. Using ironic incident's like that really capture a reader's emotions and that really gives power to an author.
Posted by AndrewLoNigro at 05:00 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
November 01, 2005
Mothers...
Williams, The Glass Menagerie (Scenes 1-5) -- Drama as Literature (EL 250)
Amanda [To her son]:
Honey, don't push with your fingers. If you have to push with something, the thing to push with is a crust of bread. And chew-chew! Animals have secretions in their stomachs which enaable them to digest food without mastication, but human geings are supposed to chew their food before they swallow it..."
I find it interesting that Amanda is shown as a typical mother throughout the first half of this play. From scene one through scene 5 she is constantly a high -strung and emotional person. She's very moody and often takes out her frustration on Tom or Laura.
To be a mother during the depression is hard enough, let alone being a single mother with two grown children to provide for. She constantly questions Tom about what he's doing at night (just like a "good" mother). She also is constantly looking out for the betterment of her children, especially when she makes the wish on the moon for her children to both find hapiness. She also looks out for Laura and is eager to help her find a caller.
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