Name of Organization: Family Promise
Location of Organization: 1st Presbyterian Church on Manatee Avenue in Bradenton, Florida
Volunteer Opportunity: Some weeks my Church is involved in Family Promise, an organization in which homeless families stay at the church overnight (friday to saturday) and the family volunteering that night hangs out with the family and helps take care of the young kids if they have any.
Review of Volunteering: This volunteer experience is important to me because it allowed me to do something I really love, helping with the homeless. I have worked at homeless shelters, but this was so hands on and I realized that some of the happiest people in the world don't have homes, can't send their children to college, and are just plain poor.
What did you do? I played games with the kids there (basketball, card games, board games). One of the girls was only a little younger than me and didn't want to play those games so her and I just talked about boys and high school.
When did you do it? I did it a few months ago before college started, and I will do it again this Friday.
What did you learn? I knew before going into this that one of my passions in life was talking to the homeless and helping out in any way I can with them. This experience really convinced me that I should keep helping with the homeless because I am good at talking and getting really involved with people I have only just met.
What are your future plans? I play to volunteer there again this Friday the 5th with my mom. I'm not sure who the homeless family will be but I'm excited to just hang out with the families and do what I can to help.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Monday, December 1, 2008
4 modes
Mode 1: Dove Beauty Commercial
From my project two project, I learned that young girls are strongly affected by pop culture and mass media. Our perception of beauty is somewhat misconstrued. In my opinion, the overall argument and purpose of the dove commercial is to show that our perception of beauty is different than it should be. We have this idea of what beautiful is from what the media decides it to be (in magazines, television, ads). How do we know what beautiful is? Dove has a Campaign for Real Beauty, in which they state
At Dove, we want to help free ourselves and the next generation from beauty stereotypes. It’s this message that’s at the heart of our Campaign for Real Beauty and Self-Esteem Fund, and it’s why we continue to create thought-provoking ads, confidence-building programs and messages that embrace all definitions of beauty.
I think it’s wonderful that Dove wants to reach out to young girls like this, and clearly relates to my paper. I would think that the audience for this presentation is mostly girls from teenagers to women in their 30s. When it comes to ethos, Dove wanted to show that it is morally wrong to make young girls think that to be beautiful, they need to look like movie stars. For pathos, the emotional appeal in this ad is the fact that our perception of beauty is so misconstrued. It’s sad that when most people first see that ad, they probably don’t think at first that the ad was photo-shopped. For logos, you can see throughout the commercial that most ads are probably photo-shopped. The girls in the ads always have perfect skin, beautiful eyes, and perfect hair. It’s obvious after watching the ad that other ads are probably worked on if the women look flawless. This presentation is a good representation of my paper’s topic, and can therefore be used to effectively teach others about the effect of the media on young girls.
Mode 2: Picture- Norman Rockwell’s The Girl at the Mirror
http://www.imagekind.com/artists/Norman_Rockwell/Rockwell_Girl_at_the_Mirror.jpg
This picture clearly shows how our idea of beauty has been shaped by movies and movie stars. When movies came out, they created an ideal of beauty, even though those movie stars are in perfect light, ect. By comparison, average people don’t look that good. In this picture, a girl has a magazine on her lap showing a beautiful woman and is looking into a mirror looking sad. You can tell that she wishes she looked like the woman in the magazine. The painting has a way of grabbing the reader’s attention, especially females. Most women can relate to this illustration because they can remember the time in their life when they were starting to become women in a demanding world of make-up and unattained beauty. The pathos appeal here is that all women can sympathize with this little girl. We all feel the effects of this ideal of beauty that comes from the media, and the pressure to be “beautiful.” For logos, the picture shows that it is not logical to think that it’s important to be looked upon as beautiful and like a movie star. I don’t see an ethos appeal in the picture as much as pathos and logos, but I can see how Norman Rockwell was trying to incorporate a young girl’s morals in the picture. Adolescent girls have an innocence about them that is lost as they get older.
Mode 3: Song- Marilyn Monroe’s Vogue.
Vogue was the first song by American song-writer Madonna off her CD Breathless. In the video, she looks like Marilyn Monroe, who was arguably the most beautiful woman of her time.
When all else fails and you long to be
Something better than you are today
I know a place where you can get away
It's called a dance floor, and here's what it's for
This part of the song is the basis of my paper, in that as humans our instinct is to think about the flaws in us and not our beautiful characteristics. A natural tendency is to wish you were someone else, had a better job, had prettier eyes, and were better at sports ect… It is hard for us to accept the fact that we are not perfect and never will be.
The next set of lyrics is the following:
Beauty's where you find it
Not just where you bump and grind it
Soul is in the musical
That's where I feel so beautiful
Magical, life's a ball
So get up on the dance floor
Our eyes can tell that something is beautiful because of the instinct God gave us. The media, however, misconstrues what we know to be beautiful and it causes our perceptions to change. In the next part of the song, she says
Greta Garbo, and Monroe
Deitrich and DiMaggio
Marlon Brando, Jimmy Dean
On the cover of a magazine
Grace Kelly; Harlow, Jean
Picture of a beauty queen
Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire
Ginger Rodgers, dance on air
They had style, they had grace
Rita Hayworth gave good face
Lauren, Katherine, Lana too
Bette Davis, we love you
Ladies with an attitude
Fellows that were in the mood
Don't just stand there, let's get to it
Strike a pose, there's nothing to it
As the years go on, our “ideal beauty” keeps changing. It went from pale skin in the late 1800s and early 1900s to corsets, one pieces to bikinis, Marilyn Monroe to Angelina Jolie. The pathos in this song appeals to women of all ages. Having this song that shows it’s okay to be who you are come from one of the most powerful music women in our day say these things is a good encouragement to women. I would say that the ethos in this song is that once again it’s okay to be yourself and that everyone is beautiful in their own way. I don’t see a lot of logos in this song.
Mode 4: Book- The Body Project by Joan Jacobs Brumberg
This book shows why girls today are in crisis. “The Body Project chronicles how growing up in a female body has changed over the past century and why that experience is more difficult today than ever before. Girls are maturing much earlier, and unfortunately there is not much support left for “good girls” today. (Brumberg) Brumberg describes what young girls gained and lost as American women let go of the corset look and ideal of virginity for the world of dieting and sexual freedom. I used this book for my paper because it really shows how our idea of beauty has changed over the years, and how girls view themselves. The pathos in this book is that any girl that reads it can identify with it. Today, we are so consumed in how we look, unlike in the old days. The book also shows how morals in society have changed throughout the years.
From my project two project, I learned that young girls are strongly affected by pop culture and mass media. Our perception of beauty is somewhat misconstrued. In my opinion, the overall argument and purpose of the dove commercial is to show that our perception of beauty is different than it should be. We have this idea of what beautiful is from what the media decides it to be (in magazines, television, ads). How do we know what beautiful is? Dove has a Campaign for Real Beauty, in which they state
At Dove, we want to help free ourselves and the next generation from beauty stereotypes. It’s this message that’s at the heart of our Campaign for Real Beauty and Self-Esteem Fund, and it’s why we continue to create thought-provoking ads, confidence-building programs and messages that embrace all definitions of beauty.
I think it’s wonderful that Dove wants to reach out to young girls like this, and clearly relates to my paper. I would think that the audience for this presentation is mostly girls from teenagers to women in their 30s. When it comes to ethos, Dove wanted to show that it is morally wrong to make young girls think that to be beautiful, they need to look like movie stars. For pathos, the emotional appeal in this ad is the fact that our perception of beauty is so misconstrued. It’s sad that when most people first see that ad, they probably don’t think at first that the ad was photo-shopped. For logos, you can see throughout the commercial that most ads are probably photo-shopped. The girls in the ads always have perfect skin, beautiful eyes, and perfect hair. It’s obvious after watching the ad that other ads are probably worked on if the women look flawless. This presentation is a good representation of my paper’s topic, and can therefore be used to effectively teach others about the effect of the media on young girls.
Mode 2: Picture- Norman Rockwell’s The Girl at the Mirror
http://www.imagekind.com/artists/Norman_Rockwell/Rockwell_Girl_at_the_Mirror.jpg
This picture clearly shows how our idea of beauty has been shaped by movies and movie stars. When movies came out, they created an ideal of beauty, even though those movie stars are in perfect light, ect. By comparison, average people don’t look that good. In this picture, a girl has a magazine on her lap showing a beautiful woman and is looking into a mirror looking sad. You can tell that she wishes she looked like the woman in the magazine. The painting has a way of grabbing the reader’s attention, especially females. Most women can relate to this illustration because they can remember the time in their life when they were starting to become women in a demanding world of make-up and unattained beauty. The pathos appeal here is that all women can sympathize with this little girl. We all feel the effects of this ideal of beauty that comes from the media, and the pressure to be “beautiful.” For logos, the picture shows that it is not logical to think that it’s important to be looked upon as beautiful and like a movie star. I don’t see an ethos appeal in the picture as much as pathos and logos, but I can see how Norman Rockwell was trying to incorporate a young girl’s morals in the picture. Adolescent girls have an innocence about them that is lost as they get older.
Mode 3: Song- Marilyn Monroe’s Vogue.
Vogue was the first song by American song-writer Madonna off her CD Breathless. In the video, she looks like Marilyn Monroe, who was arguably the most beautiful woman of her time.
When all else fails and you long to be
Something better than you are today
I know a place where you can get away
It's called a dance floor, and here's what it's for
This part of the song is the basis of my paper, in that as humans our instinct is to think about the flaws in us and not our beautiful characteristics. A natural tendency is to wish you were someone else, had a better job, had prettier eyes, and were better at sports ect… It is hard for us to accept the fact that we are not perfect and never will be.
The next set of lyrics is the following:
Beauty's where you find it
Not just where you bump and grind it
Soul is in the musical
That's where I feel so beautiful
Magical, life's a ball
So get up on the dance floor
Our eyes can tell that something is beautiful because of the instinct God gave us. The media, however, misconstrues what we know to be beautiful and it causes our perceptions to change. In the next part of the song, she says
Greta Garbo, and Monroe
Deitrich and DiMaggio
Marlon Brando, Jimmy Dean
On the cover of a magazine
Grace Kelly; Harlow, Jean
Picture of a beauty queen
Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire
Ginger Rodgers, dance on air
They had style, they had grace
Rita Hayworth gave good face
Lauren, Katherine, Lana too
Bette Davis, we love you
Ladies with an attitude
Fellows that were in the mood
Don't just stand there, let's get to it
Strike a pose, there's nothing to it
As the years go on, our “ideal beauty” keeps changing. It went from pale skin in the late 1800s and early 1900s to corsets, one pieces to bikinis, Marilyn Monroe to Angelina Jolie. The pathos in this song appeals to women of all ages. Having this song that shows it’s okay to be who you are come from one of the most powerful music women in our day say these things is a good encouragement to women. I would say that the ethos in this song is that once again it’s okay to be yourself and that everyone is beautiful in their own way. I don’t see a lot of logos in this song.
Mode 4: Book- The Body Project by Joan Jacobs Brumberg
This book shows why girls today are in crisis. “The Body Project chronicles how growing up in a female body has changed over the past century and why that experience is more difficult today than ever before. Girls are maturing much earlier, and unfortunately there is not much support left for “good girls” today. (Brumberg) Brumberg describes what young girls gained and lost as American women let go of the corset look and ideal of virginity for the world of dieting and sexual freedom. I used this book for my paper because it really shows how our idea of beauty has changed over the years, and how girls view themselves. The pathos in this book is that any girl that reads it can identify with it. Today, we are so consumed in how we look, unlike in the old days. The book also shows how morals in society have changed throughout the years.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Annotated Bibliography
Vogler, Christopher. “The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers." Studio City, CA: Michael Wiese Productions, 1998 p. 293-312
Summary
This reading was about how the Hero's Journey model and the Writer's Journey model are essentially the same. All writers face the same troubles; they meet shadows, shapeshifters, mentors, tricksters, and threshold guardians. (Vogler, page 293) Writing is a long and tedious journey, but developing a good story is an amazing reward. Vogler also compares Shamans and Writers. Shamans are special people set apart from the rest by their dreams, visions, or unique experiences. (Vogler, page 294) They, like writers, are prepared for their work by enduring terrible ordeals. (Vogler, page 294) They may have a dangerous illness or fall from a cliff and have nearly every bone broken. "They are chewed by a lion or mauled by a bear. They are taken apart and put back together again in a new way. In a sense they have died and been reborn, and this experience gives them special powers." (Vogler, page 294) Vogler also talks about his experience with Disney, and how he has come to a conclusion about stories; "stories have healing power..they can help us deal with difficult emotional situations by giving us examples of human behavior, perhaps similar in some way to the struggles we are going through at some stage of life, and which might inspire us to try a different strategy for living." (Vogler, page 300)
Reaction:
This reading was interesting because I had no idea what a Shaman was it was interesting to see writers and Shamans compared. What was most interesting, however, was his interaction with Disney and the conclusions he came to about stories. He says they have a healing power, and in a way, they do. For some people, reading can help people deal with difficult emotional situations. Stories are very powerful, and it's interesting how he likes to analyze them.
Questions
1) What are the rewards of writing? Is writing rewarding for you?
2) Do you believe stories really have healing powers? Why do people like to "escape" into books?
Summary
This reading was about how the Hero's Journey model and the Writer's Journey model are essentially the same. All writers face the same troubles; they meet shadows, shapeshifters, mentors, tricksters, and threshold guardians. (Vogler, page 293) Writing is a long and tedious journey, but developing a good story is an amazing reward. Vogler also compares Shamans and Writers. Shamans are special people set apart from the rest by their dreams, visions, or unique experiences. (Vogler, page 294) They, like writers, are prepared for their work by enduring terrible ordeals. (Vogler, page 294) They may have a dangerous illness or fall from a cliff and have nearly every bone broken. "They are chewed by a lion or mauled by a bear. They are taken apart and put back together again in a new way. In a sense they have died and been reborn, and this experience gives them special powers." (Vogler, page 294) Vogler also talks about his experience with Disney, and how he has come to a conclusion about stories; "stories have healing power..they can help us deal with difficult emotional situations by giving us examples of human behavior, perhaps similar in some way to the struggles we are going through at some stage of life, and which might inspire us to try a different strategy for living." (Vogler, page 300)
Reaction:
This reading was interesting because I had no idea what a Shaman was it was interesting to see writers and Shamans compared. What was most interesting, however, was his interaction with Disney and the conclusions he came to about stories. He says they have a healing power, and in a way, they do. For some people, reading can help people deal with difficult emotional situations. Stories are very powerful, and it's interesting how he likes to analyze them.
Questions
1) What are the rewards of writing? Is writing rewarding for you?
2) Do you believe stories really have healing powers? Why do people like to "escape" into books?
Friday, November 21, 2008
reflection
I haven't done much with the project yet but i know that I want to help out at a retirement home. I feel like I will be able to ask the old women there about fashion during their time and what made a woman "beautiful." I have picked my four modes but I still need to do a rhetorical analysis about them.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Annotated Bibliography
Vogler, Christopher. “The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers." Studio City, CA: Michael Wiese Productions, 1998 p. 230-290
Summary
This reading included the epilogue, in which we look back on the hero’s journey. Vogler analyzes Titanic, Pulp Fiction, The Lion King, and the Full Monty because the films really use his structure of the journey. “The hero’s journey model is a guideline.” (Vogler, page 231) For example, in the Lion King, Simba is a classic hero in his ordinary world and knows that he will one day be king. (Vogler, page 258) This is a calling that most of us can never relate too. He receives other calls as well; “the temptation to explore the forbidden zone, a call of childhood romance from Nala, and most drastically, the death of his father that calls him to enter a new phase of life in which he has to run away to survive.” (Vogler, page 261) He also has many mentors. His father is his teacher that shows him what kingship is like and the Circle of Life. (Vogler, page 261) Vogler also points out that Nala was like a shape shifter to Simba, changing from a young cub to a beautiful, powerful lioness. (Vogler, page 261)
Reflection
It was hard for me to relate to most of these movies because I have never seen them, but the Lion King is one of my favorite movies of all time. Besides loving the soundtrack, the storyline was great as well. Now that I think back to the Lion King, I can really see Simba’s Hero’s Journey, and am now able to analyze the journey in depth. All in all, Vogler was able to really show me his model in different texts and movies.
questions
1) What movie most reminds you of the hero's journey?
2) Do you agree with Vogler's analysis of the movies he mentioned in this section?
Summary
This reading included the epilogue, in which we look back on the hero’s journey. Vogler analyzes Titanic, Pulp Fiction, The Lion King, and the Full Monty because the films really use his structure of the journey. “The hero’s journey model is a guideline.” (Vogler, page 231) For example, in the Lion King, Simba is a classic hero in his ordinary world and knows that he will one day be king. (Vogler, page 258) This is a calling that most of us can never relate too. He receives other calls as well; “the temptation to explore the forbidden zone, a call of childhood romance from Nala, and most drastically, the death of his father that calls him to enter a new phase of life in which he has to run away to survive.” (Vogler, page 261) He also has many mentors. His father is his teacher that shows him what kingship is like and the Circle of Life. (Vogler, page 261) Vogler also points out that Nala was like a shape shifter to Simba, changing from a young cub to a beautiful, powerful lioness. (Vogler, page 261)
Reflection
It was hard for me to relate to most of these movies because I have never seen them, but the Lion King is one of my favorite movies of all time. Besides loving the soundtrack, the storyline was great as well. Now that I think back to the Lion King, I can really see Simba’s Hero’s Journey, and am now able to analyze the journey in depth. All in all, Vogler was able to really show me his model in different texts and movies.
questions
1) What movie most reminds you of the hero's journey?
2) Do you agree with Vogler's analysis of the movies he mentioned in this section?
Friday, November 7, 2008
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Vogler Annotation
Vogler, Christopher. “The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers." Studio City, CA: Michael Wiese Productions, 1998 p. 197-228
Summary
This reading was about the resurrection and the return with the elixir. It is important for writers to show their readers that the hero has been through a resurrection. The resurrection is when the story feels most complete because the audience gets to experience that additional moment of death and rebirth. This is "the last and most dangerous meeting with death," so it is known as the climax. True heroes usually return with the elixir from the special world. They bring a lesson or reward that they can share with their old world. (Vogler, page 215) There are two types of story forms. There is the circular form where there is a sense of closure and completion. The other form is the open-ended approach where there is a sense of unanswered questions, ambiguities, and unresolved conflicts. The bringing back of the elixir is the hero's final test. The hero usually brings back a reward or understanding to share with either the audience or the other people in the story.
Reaction
In my opinion, the resurrection is important because as a reader, I like to be sure that the reader has gone through the resurrection because it is a completion of the story. The return with the elixir is also very important because the whole point of the journey is to have the hero's experience end in a lesson learned or a reward. Otherwise, what's the point of going on the journey in the first place? Some heroes probably wouldn't even go if they weren't sure that they would learn something from it.
Questions
1) What is more important in your opinion, the resurrection or the return with the elixir?
2) Which one makes the story better: a tangible reward or a lesson learned?
3) Can you think of any movies or books where the reader earns a tangible reward? learns a big lesson?
Summary
This reading was about the resurrection and the return with the elixir. It is important for writers to show their readers that the hero has been through a resurrection. The resurrection is when the story feels most complete because the audience gets to experience that additional moment of death and rebirth. This is "the last and most dangerous meeting with death," so it is known as the climax. True heroes usually return with the elixir from the special world. They bring a lesson or reward that they can share with their old world. (Vogler, page 215) There are two types of story forms. There is the circular form where there is a sense of closure and completion. The other form is the open-ended approach where there is a sense of unanswered questions, ambiguities, and unresolved conflicts. The bringing back of the elixir is the hero's final test. The hero usually brings back a reward or understanding to share with either the audience or the other people in the story.
Reaction
In my opinion, the resurrection is important because as a reader, I like to be sure that the reader has gone through the resurrection because it is a completion of the story. The return with the elixir is also very important because the whole point of the journey is to have the hero's experience end in a lesson learned or a reward. Otherwise, what's the point of going on the journey in the first place? Some heroes probably wouldn't even go if they weren't sure that they would learn something from it.
Questions
1) What is more important in your opinion, the resurrection or the return with the elixir?
2) Which one makes the story better: a tangible reward or a lesson learned?
3) Can you think of any movies or books where the reader earns a tangible reward? learns a big lesson?
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