Week 2
Prompt 1: Chose a book, short story, or movie that reflects chapter 1 of: How to Read Literature Like a Professor. Explain your answer. Remember someone else may disagree with you.
OR
Prompt 2: Chose a book, short story, or movie that reflects chapter 2 of: How to Read Literature Like a Professor. Explain your answer. Remember someone else may disagree with you.
YES, Cite evidence. YES, back up your claim with not only evidence but a clear line of reasoning.
Grace Dunaway Week Two: A Quest
ReplyDeleteThe Quest of Matilda Wormwood
The movie, “Matilda”, is about a young girl who is very gifted, both with superpowers and intelligence. Her parents are shallow and only care about money and watching TV, with absolutely no emphasis on education. This is why it wasn't surprising when Matilda was still not enrolled in school by the time she should've been in second grade. To her family she was an outcast because she valued reading and knowledge over playing Bingo and looks. After pleading with her parents to let her attend school, her life would magically change. Chapter 1 from How to Read Literature Like a Professor is all about the five elements of a quest, and I will be explaining how the movie Matilda can be defined as one. For obvious reasons, Matilda is the quester and protagonist, as the movie is all about her development as a person and away from her parents’ expectations. Her place to go was school, and her reason for going to school was so she wouldn't fall behind in her education. School started off as a place for Matilda to go just to fit in with everyone around her and at the time, it was nothing more than that. At school however, she faced many obstacles. For one, the principal at her school was extremely abusive. She would lock misbehaving children in a locker in her office for entire school days, threw a girl over the fence by her braids, and made a child eat an entire cake by himself after he proclaimed he was full multiple times. Matilda was also a victim of this abuse, because her father had sold a faulty car to the principal on purpose just to make a quick dollar. Another hardship she faced while trying to get an education was her family’s abuse. Both of her parents and her brother would mock her for being smart, and even tore up her library books simply because she wanted to read rather than watch a game show. Because of this, school became a place that was not merely for education. Matilda found a real reason to go to school everyday: her second grade teacher would treat her better than any other person she had met in her life. The teacher (Ms. Honey) was also a victim of abuse by her family when she was a child, so she was quick to act as an emotional support system for Matilda. By the end of the movie, Ms. Honey and Matilda had bonded to the point where she adopted Matilda. So while the original intent of going to school was to fit in with her peers and not fall behind in knowledge, the real reason to go there, she discovered, was so that she could escape her brutal family life.
I never would have thought Matilda as a quest but the way you explained it made total sense. Good example
Delete-Jackie Denenny
I also wouldn't have pictured Matilda has a quest; however, you were able to explain it in much detail to the point where I understood where you found the 5 elements of a quest. - Brynn Klaber
DeleteThank you, Brynn and Jackie! I knew it was a weird approach but I hoped it would make sense to everyone else. Thanks for your feedback! -Grace Dunaway
DeleteI really enjoyed reading your response! Each one of your elements were described phenomenally. Matilda was a great example for this response!! -Emily Ally
DeleteHank McAlister Week Two
ReplyDeleteHow to Read Literature Like a Professor Chapter One
The movie Mid90's is about a kid named stevie who is tired of living in his house with his mother and his abusive step brother. One day stevie meets some kids at a local skate shop who he begins to idolize. He tries to start skateboarding and begins to spend large amounts of his time away from his family and home. when stevie comes home late one night he is met with his brother who was up waiting for him, his brother was mad at him because he worried his mother, which led to stevies brother assaulting him. this leads stevie to runaway for and start to live on the streets with one of the friends he met earlier in the movie. While there is no destination in this movie I still consider it a quest as Stevie is running from something that ppushes him to go out and adventure, I guess in a sense you could consider his destination anywhere but his home so that he can do what he wants without having to worry about his brother.
this is an interesting approach and view on these elements that make up a quester. from what i have read from your blog post,it does seem to fit the elements! i think this is a good way to think about it and i agree with your perspective! ~~ fatima mosqueda
DeleteI have not seen this movie, but the way you described it makes it sound like a great quest. -Andrew Plate
DeleteI think it is a wonderful quest @andrew - Hank
DeleteJackson McGarrigan
DeleteI think you detailed very well how this could be considered a quest.
Brynn Klaber Week 2: How To Read Literature
ReplyDeleteThe Hunger Games and the quest of Katniss Everdeen
The book and movie “The Hunger Games” is a perfect example that reflects chapter 1 of How to Read Literature Like a Professor. Chapter 1 examines the elements of a quest, which are seen throughout “The Hunger Games”. The movie begins with Katniss Everdeen and her family living in District 12, and they are attending the yearly reaping. Katniss’s sister, Prim, gets her name called during the reaping, which leads Katniss to volunteer in her place. In this scenario, Katniss would be the quester, and the place she is going to is the actual “Hunger Games”. Katniss’s stated reason to go there is because she is protecting her sister, and doesn’t want her to get hurt during the games. When in the arena for the games, Katniss faces various challenges. She had to tend to her burn while escaping a huge fire, and she got stung by tracker jackers that caused her to hallucinate and pass out. She almost got hit by a bomb, which led her to lose hearing in one ear. She also witnesses Rue, one of the friends she made, get killed. All of these conflicts made Katniss even stronger because she was able to overcome all of them. After being in the arena for multiple days, Katniss realizes that the real reason she is there is to take down the capitol once and for all. By the end of the movie, Katniss has one goal and one goal only, which has changed since the beginning of the movie. Throughout the sequels of “The Hunger Games” Katniss is doing everything she can in order to destroy the capitol from the inside out, and get revenge for what they put her through.
based on your notes I think this movie meets all of the requirements to be considered a quest - Hank McAlister
DeleteThanks Hank, thought it was a good example!
DeleteThe movie” Shrek”, is a great example that reflects the first chapter of How to Read Literature like a professor. This movie tells the story of an Ogre named Shrek who is on a quest to save princess Fiona in order to save his home. Quests have 5 key elements that help make up the storyline; In the movie, Shrek is seen as the quester who is on the mission. After Lord Farquaad banished Shrek and many others from the kingdom, Shrek makes a deal with him in order to save his home. Shrek makes a deal with Farquaad to rescue his soon to be princess bride in exchange for his land back. Shrek brings Donkey along with him in the journey to save the princess. Sometimes Donkey is a challenge for Shrek who is very loud and distracts him from the overall mission. Once Shrek and donkey make it to princess Fiona, they are faced with a large fire-breathing dragon who guards the tower. Shrek must first defeat the dragon in order to rescue the princess and bring her back to Farquaad. Donkey helps to distract the dragon while Shrek goes into Fiona’s room to save her. As they all try to escape, the dragon burns part of the bridge making it difficult to escape but they make it across. The dragon tries to fly after them but Shrek had chained the dragons neck like a collar. The ending doesn’t go as planned as Shrek and Fiona begin to fall for each other and she no longer wants to go with Lord Farquaad. The movie unleashes Fiona’s big secret that she also turns into an Ogre at dusk. This changes everything because Farquaad doesn’t like any creatures that don’t look like him. The quest in the movie turns from Shrek rescuing Fiona for Farquaad but instead Rescuing her and falling for her in the end.
ReplyDelete-Josie Markovics
Josie Markovics week two: How to read literature like a professor, the quest of Shrek. (sorry I forgot to put it in the beginning of my response)
DeleteYou did a great job explaining in depth the 5 elements of a quest, and how Shrek uses those 5 elements. I like how you gave multiple examples of the challenges they faced instead of just one. - Brynn Klaber
DeleteThank you for the feedback Brynn, I think this movie had many small challenges as well that we don't always realize when watching.
DeleteJackson McGarrigan
DeleteI think you gave a new approach to Shrek and gave great evidence.
Jackie Denenny
ReplyDeletePrompt 1
The movie “The Wizard of Oz” is a great quest story that reflects the first chapter of How to Read Literature Like a Professor. The first element of a quest is the questor who in this case is Dorothy. The second element to a quest is a place to go and in the movie Dorothy is trying to reach the Emerald city. The third element of a quest is the stated reason to go and in Dorothy’s case she wanted to find the wizard who could possibly help her return home to Kansas. Along the way she faces the evil Witch of the West who is one of her many challenges on the yellow brick road. The final element of quest is the real reason to go there and Dorothy and her friends all learn something important. In Dorothy’s case she learns the importance of her friends and family.
this is a great example and i agree with what you have stated in this paragraph - fatima mosqueda
DeleteThe Wizard of Oz is a classic example of a quest, and I enjoyed how you clearly pointed out each element so that it was easy to follow. Keep up the great work. -Grace Dunaway
DeleteThis movie is a great example of a quest and I think it meets all the criteria to be considered a quest
DeleteThis example is the perfect layout of a quest, great idea!- Gabriela Miranda
DeleteEmily Beaupre Week 2
ReplyDeleteHow to Read Literature like a Professor: Chapter One
The movie “Tangled” is a great example that reflects the quest described in chapter one of How to Read Literature like a Professor. The movie begins with Rapunzel living in a tower with Mother Gothel who forbids her to leave. When Mother Gothel goes in search for food for a few days, Flynn Rider trespasses into Rapunzel’s tower utilizing it as a refuge after he has stolen the royal crown. The trespassing of Flynn Rider is a catalyst for Rapunzel to begin her quest. Rapunzel, the quester, wants to venture outside of her tower into the kingdom in order to see the Floating Lanterns on her 18th birthday. Rapunzel forces Rider to take her to the festival using the crown he stole as leverage. On their way to the kingdom, Rapunzel and Flynn Rider faces many challenges such as menacing thugs in the Snuggly Duckling who want to capture the wanted Flynn Rider as well as the royal guards. Rapunzel also faces challenges as Mother Gothel teams up with the Stabbington Brothers, the brothers who Flynn Rider ditched when taking the crown, in order to find the two of them. They are successful in finding Rapunzel and Flynn is captured. As she is returned back to the tower, Rapunzel realizes that she is the long-lost princess for whom the lanterns are sent for each year. When Rapuznel confronts Mother Gothel, she is chained and gagged. As Flynn Rider comes to save Rapunzel, Mother Gothel stabs him and tries to flee with Rapunzel. However, Flynn cuts of Rapunzel’s magical, which was keeping Mother Gothel alive, and she soon falls to her death. This story is an example of a quest because originally all Rapunzel wanted to do was go to the kingdom with the intent on seeing the Floating Lanterns, however through her quest she learns of her real identity finding out that she was kidnapped by Mother Gothel as a baby for her magical hair that slowed down aging. Through her journey, Rapunzel also learns to take chances and not to not be afraid or let anything hold you back from achieving greater things and finding out who you are in life.
Tangled is a great example of a quest and it shows all of the 5 elements that deal with a quest.- Josie Markovics
DeleteFor me, Harry Potter really fits the first chapter of how to read like a professor. The quester is Harry himself. The place to go is a life without having to worry about Voldemort. The stated reason to go there is because he is the chosen one and he "has to" and get revenge on Voldemort for killing his parents. The challenges en route were losing the ones he loves and sacrificing many things like having to leave Privet Drive or even being close to losing his friend while in search of the horcruxes. Lastly the real reason he wanted to go to a place without Voldemort is for him to be able to grow mentally and allow himself to get over his past an finally move on and be the harry he was meant to be, and along the way, make his own family.
ReplyDelete~~ fatima mosqueda
I never really thought about how Harry Potter would be perceived this way. Harry Potter really did go through a quest and wanted to accomplish more than his worth. -Emily Ally
DeleteI love the way you explained how Harry Potter went on a quest! I can definitely understand how you perceived it in that way.- Caitlin Fleming
DeleteHarry Potter was a great example for Chapter One, your explanation really tied it all in.
DeleteAndrew Plate
ReplyDeleteChapter One, How to Read Literature like a Professor
The movie “National Lampoons Vacation” made in 1983 and staring many great actors such as Chevy Chase and Beverley D’Angelo, is an unusual but great example of a quest. The questers in this story are the members of the Griswold family. The family, mainly Clark Griswold, wants to travel from their home in Chicago all the way to southern California to the amusement park, Wally World. Clark wants to make this trip in the car, because he thinks the road trip will be more fun for the whole family. The Griswold’s face challenges all along their journey, even before they leave. Within the first five minutes of the movie, the Griswold’s car is mistaken for another and is crushed at the dealer. The Griswold’s are forced to travel in a less than stellar car. The most unfortunate problem the family faces is that parts of their car are stolen while Clark is trying to figure out directions. The main problem that the Griswold’s face is that the theme park is closed when they get there. Clark does not let this stop them as he goes to a store and buys a fake gun to force the theme park employees to open up the place. This is when the real reason of the trip comes out. Clark wanted to go to Wally World so bad in order to spend time with his kids who he could feel were growing away from him.
Clark ended up doing all that he did just to spend time with his family. That's real dedication.
DeleteCaroline Hunt
ReplyDeleteHow to Read Literature like a Professor: Chapter One
The movie “Finding Nemo” is a prime example that reflects the definition of a quest described in chapter one of How to Read Literature like a Professor. The movie opens with the death of Marlin’s wife and all of his babies, except for Nemo. Nemo is then born and all is normal on his first day of school. However, Nemo wanted to prove that he was not scared of the open ocean which caused him to swim out even though Marlin specifically said not to. When he swims out he is taken by scuba divers and the quest begins. The questers in the movie are Marlin and Dory as they search for Nemo who was taken by scuba divers to a dentist’s office. The stated reason to go there was to save Nemo from humans. The challenges that Marlin and Dory faced made for a great movie. The first challenged Marlin and Dory faced was the fact that they had no clue where the boat with Nemo in it went. Then came the deep ocean expedition where they were almost killed by the creepy fish with the light. Then on top of that they were almost killed by sharks and jelly fish. However, Marlin and Dory overcame all of the curve balls that were thrown at them and found Nemo with the help of the turtles and Seagulls. The real reason Marlin was so nervous and keen to find Nemo was because he wanted to find his son, but also because without Nemo, Marlin failed his wife. Nemo was the last piece of his wife he had and without him he would lose everything.
This is such a perfect example!!! Not only do Marvin and Nemo specifically endure a quest, but they definitely gain an extensive amount of knowledge on the way.
Delete- Lilly Cox
I agree that this is a great example of a quest and has many challenges that were faced through out the whole movie. - Josie Markovics
DeleteI agree and I love Nemo. I think the challenges they faced definitely made them stronger, which was a theme in How to Read Literature like a Professor.
Delete-EVA HECHT
Emily Ally
ReplyDeleteWeek 2: How to Read Literature like a Professor:Chapter One
The Quest of the Ring was Frodo Baggins' quest to destroy the One Ring, which led him from his home in the Shire to Mount Doom in Mordor, as described in The Lord of the Rings. It began in September 3018 when Frodo set out for Imladris, which he finally reached on October twentieth. From there it took five months until the One Ring and Sauron were finally destroyed on March twenty-fifth of the next year. In total, it took 11 months, one week, and six days for the One Ring to be destroyed.Bilbo Baggins, the most famous hobbit in the Shire, retires and leaves his magic ring to his nephew, Frodo Baggins. Frodo lives peacefully to middle age when Gandalf the Grey, a wandering wizard, uncovers the true nature of the ring. It is the long-lost One Ring, which was forged by the dark lord Sauron to control all of Middle-earth. Gandalf urges Frodo to take the ring to the Elven land of Rivendell. Frodo journeys there with his friends Samwise Gamgee, Merry Brandybuck, and Pippin Took.In Rivendell, a council of the wise which included Frodo and Gandalf, determines that the Ring must be destroyed. This can only be accomplished in the volcanic Mount Doom, deep in Sauron's realm of Mordor. A Fellowship is formed to escort the Ring and Frodo, the Ringbearer, as far as they may. The Fellowship is made of the four younger hobbits, Gandalf, Aragorn the Ranger, Legolas the Elf, Gimli the Dwarf, and Boromir, the son of the Steward of Gondor.The Fellowship travels through the old underground Dwarf kingdom of Moria, where Gandalf perishes, and the Elven forest of Lothlórien. Galadriel, the Elf queen, grants each member of the Fellowship gifts to aid them in their quest. They are meanwhile being trailed by Gollum, an ancient Hobbitish creature who once bore the Ring for centuries and wants it back. Boromir also lusts for the Ring and the powers it can grant him; but before he can seize the Ring, a raid of evil orcs splinters the Fellowship. Sam and Frodo slip off toward Mordor.A quest consists of five things. First and foremost, the quester, or the person who you are following along the quest. The second is the place to go, or the place that the quester needs to make his or her way to by the end of the quest. Third is the stated reason to go, which is why the quester believes they are making this journey even though there is going to be a different reason in the end. Fourth would be the challenges and trials that our quester will run into. These provide a sense of danger and the action aspect of our quest. Lastly, you need a real reason the quester is going. The real reason never involves the stated reason for the quest.The real reason for the quest is always self-knowledge.
I liked that you differentiated that a quest has a stated reason and a real reason, I hadn't thought of that
DeleteThomas Stewart
ReplyDeleteChapter One: How to Read Literature Like a Professor.
"Raiders of the Lost Ark" is one of the first movies that comes to mind when I think of a quest or adventure. The movie stars Harrison Ford who plays Indiana Jones. The story follows an archaeologist and explorer who sets to find and retrieve various artifacts from around the world. He gets word of the Ark of the Covenant, a biblical chest that is said to hold two stone tablets of the ten commandments. Indiana Jones attempts to find this artifact, as it would be a historic discovery. Problems occur when he starts searching in Egypt and has a run in with the Nazis, who are also looking for the Ark. A race for the Ark begins and they compete with each other throughout the entire movie. The constant action and issues that take place between the two groups really make it a true quest, rushing everyone to try and make the historic discovery so that can receive the riches. As the movie comes to an end, the Nazis have obtained the Ark and stripped it from Indiana who had originally found it. Their greed and curiosity brought them to open the box, and when they did, they suffered the consequences. Indiana Jones realized the mistake they were going to make before they made it, and he was able to save himself and his friends.
Gabriela Miranda Week 2
ReplyDeleteHow to Read Literature like a Professor: Chapter Two
The lunchtime scene in the movie "The Breakfast Club" is an example that reflects Chapter Two: Acts of Communion of How to Read Like a Professor. This movie is about five different stereotypical high school students- a nerd, jock, criminal, prom queen, and basket case, that end up in weekend detention. In the lunchtime scene each of the stereotypes featured in the movie take out the lunch they packed. As mentioned in Chapter Two, dinner scenes or eating is symbolic of communion. Curiosity in what each other brought for lunch opens up a door for conversation for people who usually have nothing in common and reveals more information into each character’s background. The act of eating brings them together because lunch is something they all have in common but bring their own individuality to.
I think this is a perfect example of communion since you really highlighted the primary foundation of not only talking, but discussing things that everyone relates to.
Delete- Lilly Cox
Gabriela- I thought this was a great approach to this chapter, because of how you connected the differences and how they all came together and bonded over a meal.
Delete-EVA HECHT
Thank you for your reply- Gabriela Miranda
DeleteLilly Cox (Prompt 1)
ReplyDeleteI chose the movie "Moana." This classic Disney movie is a true reflection of a quest that has an initial goal but progresses into a journey of much deeper. The world renown production is about a young girl, Moana, who takes full activism and sets out to sail on a quest to save the people from her island. Her family has a prominent foundation of tradition and culture, therefore never intending to leave the island in fear of the world around them. However, when Demigod Maui places a curse on the island, Moana immediately sails out to sea to find him. Along her journey she does not only have to endure all the battles within the ocean, but she also gains a significant amount of persistence and faith when life presents hardships. Her voyage not only is a direct representation of a physical quest, but drastically represents the mentality gained by questers who experience unintended discoveries along the way. Although I am able to think of an extensive amount of examples of a quest, it is essential to remember that the true foundation of a quest is portrayed through the aspects gained by the individual throughout their voyage.
I agree with your idea that in a quest, the quester has to gain something. Moana is a great example of a quester gaining something non-physical on their journey
DeleteCaitlin Fleming
ReplyDeleteWeek 2/Prompt 1
The movie I chose for this prompt was "The Maze Runner". This movie definitely holds a quest for the characters without them knowing they were set out on a quest. The movie begins when a teenage boy named Thomas wakes up in a strange elevator. When he reaches the top it opens up and all you see are a bunch of boys standing around Thomas. Later on a girl was also sent up the same elevator shaft. At the top of the elevator shaft is where the boys, and now girl, lives. They are stuck in a circle surrounded by a maze that closes up at a certain time every night. Thomas(the quester) was determined to figure out the maze and lead every body to freedom (a place to go), or so he thought. In the maze however there were these weird creatures who were very deadly to be around but they only came out at night.(challenges in the route) Thomas was determined to find his way out because he and the rest of the guys were tired of living in a small circle and they were so close to figuring it out. (stated reason to go). In the end of the movie it shows a video on a screen to the people who made it out of the maze alive and a lady comes on the screen and explains why they were sent into the maze and that the maze was a test to see who was strong enough to make it past the first obstacle. (real reason to go).
This was an excellent movie choice for Chapter One.
DeleteThe movie "The Dark Knight" is, on the surface, about a fight between Batman and the Joker in a head-to-head against perverted justice and righteous chaos. It details their many battles against one another in an effort to achieve their end goals, and provides an enjoyable film for older audiences. However, digging deeper, it is clear to see that the Joker is the questor in this situation. His place to go is more of an abstract one, which is to destroy Batman at whatever cost. His stated reason is parallel, which is a hit job for the mafia to destroy Batman. However, the deeper, hidden meaning of this journey is not just to kill him, but to simply make him break his code of justice, which is the Joker's underlying goal, as it will subsequently bring complete chaos to Gotham City. Along the way, he faces many challenges, which include battling with the mafia, Batman, the city, and in a deeper sense, with himself. In this story, while on the surface it appears that Batman is the questor, and in some ways could be considered a questor on his own, the true plot is concerning the villain, Joker. For the reasons listed above, I believe he is the main focus of the story, and the true quest of the movie. Even though he fails in his quest, he leaves such an overbearing feeling with the viewers of the film that one’s focus is on him afterwards, and not the protagonist, leading me to believe that he is the real quest in the story.
ReplyDeleteI never thought of it that why but I like your explanation- Gabriela Miranda
DeleteThe above comment was Jackson McGarrigan Week 2 Prompt 2
ReplyDeleteBrooks Farabow
ReplyDeleteThe book "The Old Man and the Sea" has an extremely simple plot at the surface level but the Author, Hemingway, does a really good job showing how meaningful the events endured are to the characters in the book, in particular the old man. He is on a quest for purpose and glory. As an impovershed fisherman in a fishing village in Cuba, all his obstacles are laid out before him; except these are things of normal life to him and we don't meet the real obstacles of the story until the giant marlin, the antagonist of the story, is hooked. I won't spoil the book, but after a gruesome battle with the Marlin he is not done facing the challenges of his quest though he the book does end with a sense that the fisherman has somehow been elevated to greater heights than a common human.
EVA HECHT
ReplyDeleteWEEK TWO- Prompt One
For this blog, I chose the Pixar movie “Inside Out” for the movie I felt best depicted the message of the first chapter of “How to Read Literature like a Professor”. Inside Out is a movie about a girl named Riley and the five emotions that live inside her brain and control her emotions, and the quest they go on to find the bulbs of these core emotions: Joy, Sadness, Anger, Disgust, and Fear, that fell out of Headquarters into Long Term memory storage (place to go). This is a land that contains many obstacles that they must overcome to find these bulbs of emotions, so Riley can get back to controlling herself. The issue is that there are five of them, and two go, Joy and Sadness, leaving Riley with Fear, Disgust, and Anger. They are determined to return back to Headquarters before two days so that Riley can be restored back to her old self. They face many challenges, such as missing the train that passed through that day. The stated reason that they were going is to find the bulbs. However, the deep and real reason they are embarking on this journey is because they love Riley and care about her and her wellbeing as she navigates this new city and is trying to make friends. I think this movie perfectly encapsulates the values of the first chapter of “How to Read Literature like a Professor”. It upholds the literal and stated meanings, which are mentioned in the criteria for a quest. The questers are Joy and Sadness, as they embark on this journey to find the missing bulbs. Overall, this is a true depiction of a quest.
Great Job! This movie definitely reflects a quest!-Carissa Boddie
DeletePrompt 1:
ReplyDeleteIn the first chapter of How to Read Literature Like a Professor, Foster tells readers what he believes make up the requirements of a quest. To him, a quest always involves a quester, a destination, a reason for the quest and travels, trials the quester will face along the way, and the true reason for taking a quest, which will always have to do with improving and fulfilling self-knowledge. I believe Foster’s description of a quest fit that of Percy Jackson, in the book Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. In the beginning of the book, Percy has very little self-knowledge, and is taken to Camp Half-blood not only for his own protection, but to help him fulfill his life’s purpose. It is there that he is given his first quest, which is retrieving Zeus’s stolen lightning bolt in order to avoid a war of the Gods. Already Percy’s experience fit most of the requirements for a quest. Percy is the quester, the destination is the location of the missing lightning bolt, and the initial reason for going is to avoid a godly war. During his journey, Percy gets the experience of meeting other demigods like him, and being introduced to a world where he finally belongs, surrounded by people who understand him. At the completion of his quest, Percy realizes his real reason for going. By going on his quest, he was able to learn more about whom he is, something he had never before given the opportunity to do. He was reconnected with his real father, and introduced to a new world of powers that he is free to take advantage of. He had finally come home. (Regan Allen)
Raneem Al-Habsha
ReplyDeleteWeek two Prompt 2
In Chapter 2 of How to Read Like a Professor, Foster talks about the importance of communion, the dinner scene of a movie or literary piece. Personally, I have never paid much attention until Foster goes in depth about the concept of communion. A dinner that symbolizes the ideas of Chapter 2 is Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks. Katie invites Alex over for dinner at her house, she eats for the first time after escaping from her abusive ex-husband Kevin. She acts as if she is moving forward with her life by taking tiny sips and bites of her food when in reality, she is still worried of Kevin coming back.
Mary Claire Haldeman
ReplyDeleteWeek 2, Prompt 2
In Chapter 2 of How to Read Literature Like a Professor, Foster argues that when people come together to share a meal or some sort of food, it is an example of communion. Authors use meal scenes to bring characters together and characterize them by the way they interact with each other and the mood they create. An example of a scene that supports the connection Foster draws between meals and communion comes from the movie Elf. When Buddy the Elf comes home with his biological father, Walter Hobbs, he eats dinner with Walter’s wife, Emily, and son, Michael. The four characters experience communion as they sit down together at the same table and share a meal. The creators of Elf use this scene to build the tension between Buddy and the Hobbs family and highlight the strange, foreign mannerisms and behavior of Buddy. While the New York family quietly begins eating their spaghetti with tomato sauce, Buddy chugs a 2-liter bottle of coke. He then proceeds to dump a bottle of syrup over his noodles. The Hobbs family watches Buddy in complete disbelief. Judging him alone by the way he eats, the family assumes he is crazy. He does not act like them, or any other mature, polite family in New York for that matter. They do not understand that Buddy is acting in a way that is completely commonplace in his land: the North Pole. This meal scene demonstrates the misunderstandings between the Hobbs and Buddy. Buddy expects the family to believe him and his narrative, while the Hobbs family cannot begin to fathom the possibility he is telling the truth.
In Chapter 2 of How to Read like a Professor, Foster talks about the importance of communion within stories. He argues that communion shows many different things including; character dynamics and relationships as well as unexpected events or even dramatic events. Communion helps us connect with our characters because all humans eat, whether it's at a table with family members or alone at a McDonalds. For me, one of the most memorable communion scenes comes from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. In this scene we see important character dynamics and intense clashes of interests between Indiana and his two companions, and the many royal men who surround the table. At dinner, a snake is brought out, and the men devour live baby snakes that crawl out of the mother’s sliced stomach. On top of this, the native royals also eat large beetles and even monkey brains for dessert. This scene is important because it shows how communion can create unexpected events, and it also highlights the large differences between Indiana and his friends and the sharp contrasts of the local men and their diets.
ReplyDeleteCharlie Jones
Week 2 Prompt 1: Taylor Harris
ReplyDeleteThe movie “The Princess and Frog” is an example of looking and going on a quest. Everyone in the movie had something they were looking for in the story but the main focus was on trying to get Tiana to turn back into a human being. In the story she goes through numerous amounts of things she has to do in order to become back into a human. She believes she is going on the quest in order to fulfill her dreams of getting her restaurant but while going through the swamp and the confident Prince. She realizes that she has fallen in love. This movie is extremely empowering because through out the story she did not need some big strong men to come save the day for her although she was a frog for 95% of the movie. One of my personal favorite songs is ‘’I’m almost there” she knows she is working hard and sees the goal to her finish line. I love when her mother during the song says, “I want some grand kids” and Tiana is like basically I hear you mom but I need this restaurant first. This helps with the connection of the quest part of Chapter 1 of “How To Read Literature Like a Professor”.
For me the movie "Finding Nemo" very closely resembles chapter one of reading like a professor. "Finding Nemo" has a clear quest plot. When Nemo gets taken Marlon goes on a quest to find Nemo. He goes through many small quests like the big sharks and the angler fish. These test Marlon's grit as well as a path of jellyfish that they must traverse to get to Nemo. Not only does Marlon try and find Nemo, Nemo has to escape again. he tries and fails many times but keeps going till they both prevail making this a perfect quest in the end where they reunite with each other and make it back to their own reef
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite movies which is a great example of the quest to find nemo.-maggie
DeleteGreat Job! This movie is a great example of a quest!-Carissa Boddie
DeleteJohn Biesecker
ReplyDeleteThe movie, "Talladega Knights" can show many resemblances to a quest. The man character, Ricky Bobby, starts out the movie as a very successful Nascar driver. However, he suddenly loses all he has during a wreck, followed by his wife leaving him and him losing his house. He then has to go live with his mother in a small house in the country. He looses the motivation to continue being a professional driver. However, he soon overcomes this, and starts to drive again. The movie then goes on to show his quest to return to stardom. Along the way, his dad, who abandoned him as a child, returns and becomes his coach. After a long road to recovery and a rekindling with his family, Bobby is back on the Nascar track. He continues to work hard and eventually beats the man who caused his wreck in a heroic finish. Ricky Bobby is once again a star, but this time is a star who loves his family and the people that cared for him.
I love this movie but never saw it as a quest, which is now cool. -maggie
DeleteThe movie that comes to mind when I think about this chapter is the movie Divergent. The movie takes place in a dystopian world where we follow a girl named Tric as she is sorted into a faction based on her most dominant trait, fearlessness. The unique thing about Tric is that she is a mixture of all of the factions, which is illegal, so she must conceal her identity. Throughout the story Tric believes that her “quest” is fitting in, fighting to be accepted to where she is without being discovered for being divergent. In the end we learn that Tric’s true quest is not fighting to fit in but using and harnessing the strength of what makes her different. Also, another hidden quest lying beneath, was her quest to save her family. Behind the scenes there is a plot to take out her family’s faction, which in the end she must stop to save the citizens of the faction and her parents. My favorite quote from this book is, “Becoming fearless isn't the point. That's impossible. It's learning how to control your fear, and how to be free from it.” I believe that this quote demonstrates how Tric must overcome her initially believed quest to find the truth behind it all. In doing so, she finds her real quest to find herself not how others are supposed to see her, but as she truly is. Overall I believe this book/movie is a great demonstration of the complexity of quests found in every form of literature.
ReplyDelete-maggie
DeleteCarissa Boddie
ReplyDeleteWeek 2, Prompt 1: A quest
Back to the Future
The movie that I thought of when thinking about a quest is Back to the Future. This movie reflects chapter one of "How to Read literature Like a Professor". The entire trilogy has a clear quest plot. In the first movie, Marty is on a quest to return to his time in order to save himself, his family, and his friend Doc Brown. Throughout the movie, Marty also has to go through smaller quest such as getting his mother to fall in love with his father instead of him but also getting his father to stand up for himself against Biff (The Bully). Marty fails many times but the end of the movie he eventually succeeds. Doc Brown also succeeds and get Marty Back to the Future in the year 1985. When Marty returns to his time, things in his family are different but in a good way. His mother and father are no longer alcoholics and unsuccessful. Now they are both successful and Biff doesn't control them anymore.
Madeline Guyer
ReplyDeletePrompt One
Midsommar
Midsommar presents a quest through many aspects. The two most evident are Dani's quest out of loneliness and also her quest against Christian. For the second quest, Christian, who only stays with Dani out of a mixture of apathy and manipulation, continuously gaslights Dani all throughout the movie. His constant gaslighting forces Dani to always apologize(even when she's in the right) and be submissive. Dani continues to obey Christian until she catches him cheating, where the movie quickly shifts to her choosing Christian as the sacrifice to burn. This gruesome display is the quest's ending, her finally standing up for herself and reclaiming her power in the most extreme way possible. The other quest, Dani's quest out of loneliness, starts at the very beginning of the movie. After losing her family in a tragedy where her sister killed her parents and then herself, Dani is left alone with nobody except her gaslighting boyfriend. Throughout her time in America, she is isolated by her boyfriend, physically and emotionally. Not only does her boyfriend isolate her, but she also isolates herself. Whenever she cries(which is a lot) she constantly isolates herself, moving away from anybody to show her emotion. That is, until she comes to Sweden. When she arrives, she is surrounded in festival, ritual, and comfort that she has received from nowhere else for a very long time. In the final time Dani cries in the movie, she actually cries surrounded by Swedish women, showing that she is now one of them. The community they provide her with portray why she was so easily indoctrinated. They cut out all of the group Dani arrived with, and fully immerse her in their community. So, Dani starts out alone and isolated, and finally finds her second family, sinister but fulfilling.
Thina Ksor
ReplyDeletePrompt One:Week Two
The Maze Runner written by James Dashner reflects Chapter One of How to Read Lit Like A Professor because it presents a quest. It is a quest because Thomas, the person who is doing the quest, goes through many experiences to achieve his freedom from the maze. His place to go is to an unknown world, away from the maze which consists of fatal obstacles. The reason why he is in the maze is because WCKD wanted to distinguish the difference between people who have the flare and those who are immune to it. As Thomas and his friends are trying to find their way out of the maze, they are faced with dangerous obstacles that could potentially lead to death. At the end of the books, Thomas ends up escaping with a vial of the cure.
Week 2/Prompt 1
ReplyDeleteWinston Eskridge
I think the movie that best reflects chapter one of How to Read Literature Like a Professor is The Matrix. It has all the parts of a quest so it is a good example. The quester is Neo. Neo’s “ place to go” is reality, since he is stuck in the matrix at the beginning of the story. His reason to go there is because the oracle claims he is the one who will save the enslaved human race. The challenges and trials that he faces are fighting against the agents inside the matrix. His real reason to go there was to help save humanity, but his reason soon becomes trinity when he falls in love with her. His quest started with morpheus offering to free him. I believe this movie is a good one to compare to chapter one of how to read literature like a professor because it checks off all the requirements to be considered a quest. Another great example of a quest is the Odyssey.This shows that quests are beloved and versatile because they were popular with ancient humanity, and modern humanity.
Week Two :
ReplyDeletePrompt one -
A movie that I can think of that has a clear quest plot and resembles what was discussed in How To Read Literature Like a Professor, is Moana. In the movie Moana, a young girl goes out on her journey to save the people of her island by getting back the heart of the earth goddess Te Fiti which is needed because her island is slowly starting to die. Moana has to go through many different obstacles to achieve her quest, such as meeting up with demigod Maui and fighting off these coconut people, to running into a giant materialistic crab. Moana’s quest is anything but easy, and she has a moment of self discovery as she is seen singing to her deceased grandmother and being guided by stingray, all while building up the confidence that she is capable of helping her island and can prove everyone wrong about the ocean and outside world that’s not her island being not safe for a girl her age. Overall, throughout the movie she is not only facing the quest of helping her island but is also trying to face the quest of building up her confidence and going against what everyone is saying about her not being able to do this and save her people.