Inspiration (1 Viewer)

[panda-bum]

I know this may be kind of early but I just handed in my subject selection form last week and Ext 2 English was on it =]]

I`m hoping to start early and pace myself for my major work and first up would be to get some inspiration from previous students. At the moment, I`m inclined to go towards the whole "critical analysis" idea but I don't know what to do specifically.

So far my ideas are:

Religion - analysing its affect on society? maybe a supporting text?
Dan Brown books - the truth behind his fiction? the effectiveness of his writing and how he managed to maintain bestseller for so many weeks.
Harry Potter books - the effectiveness of her writing? the issue of sorcery and the the religious community?

Anything else? Ideas of your own? Expansion on my ideas? You could call me eager...or just scared that I won't be well prepared =] All advice and comments welcome ^^

 

[mattknott]

Hi- I did extension 2 'critical response' this year and would love to give you some advice. Here are some thoughts:

- With those topics you suggested, I would be very careful about analysing the 'effectiveness' of someone's writing per se- it is very subjective and highly prone to bias/ elitism etc and there are probably higher order skills you could be displaying such as coming up with your own interpretation of the books etc.

- Don't be afraid to start big and narow your ideas- for example I originally planned to analyse texts dealing with mythology in American Values the narrowed this to 4 texts dealing with the American Dream then narrowed this to 'The American Dream as a paradigm in the Great Gatsby.' I think if you start too narrow then you may be limiting your options- but also always keep in your mind that ideas should be refined through the process.

- pick a topic you love and are fascinated with, not something you think will get marks etc.

- Its great that you started early and keep thinking of ideas but i wouldn't throw yourself into it too much at this point because i) it is technically a yr 12 course
ii) if you work on something too long you lose your enthusiasm for it
iii) you should enjoy your last few weeks of freedom (i.e yr 11) without too much stress.

Good luck,

Matt.

 

[silentprayer]

hehe hey are you andy? im zeger and i think i'll probably do ext2 english as well

 

[nwatts]

Oh, I wouldn't do anything on popular fiction such as Dan, i'm an asshole, Brown or Harry Potter. Unless you're pulling some brilliant argument out, with relation to the effects of The Da Vinci Code on African AIDS sufferers, and how that's directly related with the proporation of those in society who prefer Pizza shapes over the superior BBQ flavouring, I wouldn't touch it.

It screams "i'm an impressionable student here to discuss pop culture in its simplicies". Pick something genuinely interesting, or original. Show flair, sophistication and originality - like the BOS advise you to. If popular books are your thing pull together a very strong and original argument around them. The ones you mentioned aren't strong.

"pick a topic you love and are fascinated with, not something you think will get marks etc." This applies to everything, not just EE2.

"I would be very careful about analysing the 'effectiveness' of someone's writing per se- it is very subjective and highly prone to bias/ elitism etc and there are probably higher order skills you could be displaying such as coming up with your own interpretation of the books etc." I simultaneously agree and disagree.

Disagree: Analysing the effectiveness of literature; perhaps subjective and limited to interpretation. Analysing the quality of literature; i'd argue that there's an objective answer, by means of comparison and language form/rules. Eg, Dan Brown sucks as a writer because he can't sustain tense. He also sucks in terms of character development and originality, in comparison to someone like Umberto Eco. I'd say they're objective statements.

Agree: If I was to discuss this kind of material, i'd go down the route you mentioned towards the end - of discussing interpretation and such. Much like Module B of the Advanced Course. It's showing a marker you're thinking for yourself.

 

[panda-bum]

Oh, I wouldn't do anything on popular fiction such as Dan, i'm an asshole, Brown or Harry Potter.

Haha. why is he an asshole? =]] i'm curious. I actually wasn't gonna do anything on those two things but they popped into my head along with my superb *cough* brainstorming skills. i'm still hoping to do something related to religion...but what?

so anyway. i have an idea of doing two japanese anime which focuses on separate religions perhaps? that's all i can think of now. any other branch outs that could help this non-existant inspiration of mine? o_0

oh and just a general question. for 4u english, if like other people in your class are doing the same area for their major work...does it really matter because in the end they are sent to different markers anyway right?

 

[Raginsheep]

How bout a short story which combines the pace of jap anime while discussing the philosophical values of religion?

 

[panda-bum]

you mean like make up a story that is like an anime plot which incorporates religious ideas?

 

[nwatts]

Haha. why is he an asshole? =]] i'm curious.

He writes like a 10 year old. He's arrogant. His book is full of crap that he claims to be true. His popularity is unwarranted. I could go on...

 

[panda-bum]

He writes like a 10 year old. He's arrogant. His book is full of crap that he claims to be true. His popularity is unwarranted. I could go on...

haha. i guess the latter is personal opinion. it is fiction after all. but iguess what you say about the claiming to be true stuff is right. ah well. i like his books =]]

 

[Seung.Hur]

How bout a short story which combines the pace of jap anime while discussing the philosophical values of religion?

Been there, done that.

Some things for you to think about if you want to take this type of direction panda-bum (you should really have posted this in the main forum, you would get a lot more responses):

The concept here is viable, but how are you going to build on it? What exactly are you going to speculate on, concerning Japanese anime and religion? How strong is the connection between religion and Japanese anime? Considering the current pop culture of Japan, and the troublesome youth, and considering that Japanese anime is mostly directed towards the adolescent audience of Japan, how much of an impact does religion play? Does it play any impact whatsoever?

If you mean you're going to write a short story, with two "Japanese anime" style stories happening, and try to speculate on religion, then what exactly are the stories going to be about? How exactly are they going to fit into the genre of "Japanese anime". Are you going to attempt to show the differences of Shinto/Buddhism (ie. Eastern religion), and Christianity, or are you going to focus on how the concept of religion in East and West are similar? Will you talk about the viability of the Eastern and Western faiths? Do you have a good understanding of Japanese culture and philosophy?

Most of all, what is your story going to be about? Or what is the essense of the story going to be about? Two particular people, from different cultures, going through life, attempting to find meaning in life?

Or better yet, what if you changed this to a critical response, concerning the connection between Japanese anime and religion, and its impact?

With Dan Brown and Harry Potter, I would imagine they would have been done to death. However, as other people said, if you come up with some fresh speculation on the books, then go for it! You could attempt to speculate on the religious values in the texts if you wanted. (but then again, Dan Brown down right proclaimed "all religious references were written in the purpose of entertainment, no more.")

If you take flight with the Japanese anime / Religion idea, then I can help you in this regard. I, myself, was contemplating in just about the same time frame what I should do, and I ended up attempting to pick between a critical study of Yukio Mishima and Japanese existentialism and its viability towards the concerns of Western existentialism, and a short story, with a Japanese existentialist underpinning, discussing the computer gaming phenonemon through a speculation of cyberspace and virtual reality, in a not so distant future Japan. I'll pass you some of my things to give you some more ideas if you'd like.

 

[tez0r]

He writes like a 10 year old. He's arrogant. His book is full of crap that he claims to be true. His popularity is unwarranted. I could go on...

wrong wrong wrong wrong
wrong wrong wrong wrong

dan brown is popular for a reason. he'll sell more books than you ever will. people don't actually BUY junk, so the books ARE good. don't pay him out because he has success. Plus, some showcase pieces actually mention dan brown and how he's an effective writer?

isn't it nice to be wrong?

 

[Sweets]

I don't think there is anything wrong with using popular culture, it is the medium of the 21st century, you just have to discuss it in a meaningful way.

If you are thinking of looking at pop culture you have to read John Fiske though..I did him at the beginning of term 4 and it was so important in helping me develop my ideas.

Remember with popular culture, it is easy to reduce ur work to something pretty superficial, so remember to be critical of the medium as well. So while it may be successful in depiciting this....the medium does not allow for blah blah blah

But I think if you have passion and read widely, there is nothing wrong with doing a popular culture topic. You also have ur reflection statement to crytalise your ideas and concept.

 

[panda-bum]

wrong wrong wrong wrong
wrong wrong wrong wrong

dan brown is popular for a reason. he'll sell more books than you ever will. people don't actually BUY junk, so the books ARE good. don't pay him out because he has success. Plus, some showcase pieces actually mention dan brown and how he's an effective writer?

isn't it nice to be wrong?

mm. i dunno about him paying out dan brown. i stand by the fact that i love dan browns books and they are highly popular but the truth to it all is that a lot of the stuff he claims to be true are actually made up. so dan brown is good and bad. good at what he does as a ficitonal writer...but his mistake was to attempt to make real things that he made up.

 

[nwatts]

wrong wrong wrong wrong
wrong wrong wrong wrong

dan brown is popular for a reason. he'll sell more books than you ever will. people don't actually BUY junk, so the books ARE good. don't pay him out because he has success. Plus, some showcase pieces actually mention dan brown and how he's an effective writer?

isn't it nice to be wrong?

Whatever gets you to sleep at night buddy.

He writes like shit. If you can't realise that you have no right to comment on anything related to the English language. It's not a matter of opinion.

 

[panda-bum]

(you should really have posted this in the main forum, you would get a lot more responses):

i didn't know that there was a main forum 0_0 oops. haha. ah well, getting quite a few here. i might re-post later.

The concept here is viable, but how are you going to build on it? What exactly are you going to speculate on, concerning Japanese anime and religion? How strong is the connection between religion and Japanese anime? Considering the current pop culture of Japan, and the troublesome youth, and considering that Japanese anime is mostly directed towards the adolescent audience of Japan, how much of an impact does religion play? Does it play any impact whatsoever?

well i wasn't actually thinking of pop culture as such but rather the contrast between the way religions are portrayed in particular animations, notable spirited away [shintoismn] and a couple of other anime which focus on a western religion [i have yet to find a specific one but i know that one exists]. that's all i've thought of atm on that note.

If you mean you're going to write a short story, with two "Japanese anime" style stories happening, and try to speculate on religion, then what exactly are the stories going to be about? How exactly are they going to fit into the genre of "Japanese anime". Are you going to attempt to show the differences of Shinto/Buddhism (ie. Eastern religion), and Christianity, or are you going to focus on how the concept of religion in East and West are similar? Will you talk about the viability of the Eastern and Western faiths? Do you have a good understanding of Japanese culture and philosophy?

well i wasnt thinking of short story. im hoping to go with critical analysis of religions. japanese culture will be interesting to link with esp since i'm about to do ext japanese...so it will relate to each other which should help. i could do west vs east religion....similarities and idfferences...or evven eat religions within themselves and the conflicts. haha. mind you, none of this is organised to the extent where im absolutely sure what im talking about ^^

Or better yet, what if you changed this to a critical response, concerning the connection between Japanese anime and religion, and its impact?

yerr. thinking on that area atm.

If you take flight with the Japanese anime / Religion idea, then I can help you in this regard. I, myself, was contemplating in just about the same time frame what I should do, and I ended up attempting to pick between a critical study of Yukio Mishima and Japanese existentialism and its viability towards the concerns of Western existentialism, and a short story, with a Japanese existentialist underpinning, discussing the computer gaming phenonemon through a speculation of cyberspace and virtual reality, in a not so distant future Japan. I'll pass you some of my things to give you some more ideas if you'd like.

that would be awesome! if you don't read this then i'll PM you in the next couple of days for contact details as such. im not sure whether i have my email thing turned on on this account. but i think i will stick with religion...and something japanesey too =]] thanks for that phat advice ^^

 

[panda-bum]

Whatever gets you to sleep at night buddy.

He writes like shit. If you can't realise that you have no right to comment on anything related to the English language. It's not a matter of opinion.

haha. the battle is on. ah well...i think that comment was a bit harsh =]]

 

[tez0r]

it doesn't matter if what he writes is truth or fiction. the art of writing is MAKING someone believe what you write is true, and he does that superbly. yes, i believe i have no right to comment on the english language then, because you are obviously in the minority of the world and attempting to be individual by rejecting popular culture. Nice try. I'm ripping up ext 2 english by the way, just so you know

 

[jack white]

hey panda bum, did you pick society and culture? because if you didnt pick i really think you should...the vibe i am getting from you is that you are interested in both religion and popular culture - this is PERFECT for society and culture as we study belief systems and popular culture as depth studies. we also study westernisation, media etc. your ideas sound like a personal interest project for society and culture to me...it COULD work as the basis as an extension 2 major work but you would have to be careful to keep it all englishy, ya know what i mean?

(i apologise for my non-ee2 advice there)

i think it is a bit early to start researching (enjoy the bludge of yr11 whilst you still can) but formulating raw ideas and trying to narrow them down to something manageable and englishy is great - it shows immense preparation and with ee2 that is something you will definitely need. a good worth ethic is just as important as the ability to write - well, at least i think it is.

i am not going to comment on dan brown's writing because i dont actually READ any books at all (NOT EVEN MY SET TEXTS) - i am a film kid so when his books come to the cinema please inform me. then i'll share my views.

yeah, my advice is find a couple of texts (that includes anime cartoons) that you like and look for similarities in content, theme and character between them. and then, work with your ideas, through research especially, to discover a topic to ultimately write about which is original, interesting and englishy, i mean theoretical and critical. you dont have to pick a novel just because it sounds more academic - you can pick a cartoon to study (i studied a film) and write something amazing just make sure you keep that vital LINK to english study. and yes, i admit, it is a lot easier to keep such a vital link to english when studying a novel.

initially i wanted to study rock music as a cultural phenomenon but realised that i couldnt maintain the link to english so i dropped the topic. you will gain clearer direction as you research, reflect, read, view etc. initial ideas are normally naive but once you work with them, you will find your niche. an internet search is a good start.

good luck with ee2, it wont be easy, but it will certainly be better than maths and more rewarding than any subject you undertake.

 

[nwatts]

it doesn't matter if what he writes is truth or fiction. the art of writing is MAKING someone believe what you write is true, and he does that superbly. yes, i believe i have no right to comment on the english language then, because you are obviously in the minority of the world and attempting to be individual by rejecting popular culture. Nice try. I'm ripping up ext 2 english by the way, just so you know

I think we've found someone more arrogant than Hitler.

"the art of writing is MAKING someone believe what you write is true, and he does that superbly."

I worry about whoever told you that. Or, I fear you've taken it out of context completely. When a writer composers cardboard stereotyped characters, can't write grammatically correct sentences and resorts to long (boring) "flashbacks" in order to present critical information, I don't give a crap how immersive his writing his. Neither should anyone. You've got a stupidly dull writer on your hands.

The Da Vinci Code is popular for two reasons - a) it's written in such a dumb manner that it's made itself amazingly accessible. Anyone can read it, and b) it's "contraversial" because it presents a pile of lies as facts. Of which many have come to believe.

If you try to argue that it is popular because of its superior writing quality, you'd be stupider than I already think you are.

 

[tez0r]

i'm arguing it's popular as it IS accessible to everyone. There is nothing wrong with work that is accessible to the general public. And you call me arrogant? The fact that you believe that the only works of academic notice are the ones that use 30 billion synonyms for "hi" makes you an academic snob, believing you're better than the general public. I stand by my decision that writing is to provide an escape for the reader, and the give them a context in which they can think (edwin schlossberg), and Dan Brown does this in every single respect. You can't argue that he doesn't transport the reader to another place, and that is the entire purpose of writing. I direct you to the 2004 showcase piece named Hybrid, and it makes clear reference to Dan Brown and his superior writing style.