Reactions to our readings

There were a few stories that I actually enjoyed reading this year and did not make me fall asleep why reading them. To name a couple, I enjoyed the Metamorphosis because the story had meaning behind it which we realized as we read. I also enjoyed a Good man is Hard to Find. That was my favorite story we read because the plot kept my attention the entire time. I did not know what the man was going to do at the end, if he was going to kill everyone or keep the grandma alive because she kept telling him that he was a good man.
Indian Camp was not one of my favorites, but I can't say I hated it. The story really did not do much for me and it was a little sad. The reading that I hated the most was the Bell Jar. The plot and details were a little disturbing and sad. I would have definitely enjoyed reading more happier stories and ones that did not drag on and on.

Last Vogler

Rhianna Lebedz
November 24, 2008

Vogler, Christopher, and Michele Montez. The Writer's Journey : Mythic Structure for Writers. Boston: Michael Wiese Productions, 2007. pg. 293-312.

Summary

In 'The Writer's Journal', Vogler begins to summarize his whole book. He states that the Hero's Journey Model is "the accurate map of the territory one must travel to become a human being" (293). He also says that the Hero's Journey and the Writer's Journey are the same in that we all experience the tests, trials, ordeals, joy, and reward of the Journey (293). Vogler then goes on to say that words have the power to hurt or heal us and that writers have the potential to be healers through their work (294). Not only are writers healers, but they are Shamans as well. They create space and time and travel to worlds of their own imagination (295).
For the last section we read, Vogler explains how "Stories are Alive". He says that stories have the healing power and can help us through tough times (299). He feels that stories have an agenda and that there is something on their minds in which they want to share with us and have us look at them much deeper than just words on paper (300-301). Vogler then continues on and explains how wishing plays a big role in the hero's journey. He says, "Be careful what you wish for" because a wish is a powerful act of the imagination (309). Sometimes, in good storytelling, the audience will make a wish along with the hero (306). Good stories have the effect that will have the audience feel as though their wish can help the hero in many ways and have them hoping that it will come true.


Reaction

Now that we are done with reading Vogler, I will forever have a Hero's Journey embedded in my mind, not saying if that is a good or bad thing. These last two sections that we read were definitely my favorite. The reading dissected the Writer's Journey and explained the last elements of what the reader should understand about the Journey. I liked how Vogler brought up the point that a hero will wish for what they want at that moment, but they learn to see what they really need (306). I feel that this is true for anyone. Sometimes we will wish for something, but we really don't need it. Somewhere down the line we learn to see what is important and what we truly need.

Questions

1. Do you agree that the Hero's Journey model is a map of the territory we must travel to become a better human being?
2. Have you ever been hurt or healed by someone's writing, like a book or an article, etc.?
3. Have you ever wished for something that came true, and when it did you regretted that you wished for it?

Reflection/Action

1. I have started to look for places to volunteer at. I know the place where I volunteer as well as my interview, will not exactly relate to my topic because I am finding it difficult to find somewhere to volunteer that relates to human trafficking. Some how I am going to have to find a way to relate the volunteering and my interview to human trafficking.

2. By Wednesday the 26th I am hopeful that my volunteering and interviewing will be completed. Over the Thanksgiving holiday I will then work on my visual.

3. My planning is contributing to reaching my goals of completing Project 3 on a timely fashion.

Four Modes: Paragraphs

Four Modes

Book: The Natashas: Inside the New Global Sex Trade by Victor Malarek

The Natashas is written by Victor Malarek who illustrates the harsh realities of human trafficking throughout the world. He touches base upon many countries that are involved in the sex trade, including America. This book relates to my topic because throughout my paper I explain the realities of human trafficking in North Korea and ways that one can help fight for the freedom of many young girls, as well as boys. This book will help educate many people of the sex trade who have no idea what human trafficking is. There are many people who did not know that modern-day slavery is in existence and is threatening to many people.


Film: Human Trafficking (2005) by Christian Duguay

There were not any films I could find aside from Human Trafficking which was made into a lifetime movie. However, this film is about 4 girls, all from different countries, who are abducted and forced to work in the sex trade. These girls are brought to New York and forced to prostitute or strip. I'm unsure if this is based on a true story, but it is very common for women to be trafficked into New York and sold around the tri-state area. This instance has happened in my hometown in New Jersey, where Russian women were forced to dance in a strip club in my town. Trafficking is kept such a secret that no one knew what was going on until the owners were caught, and my town is only 2-square miles. Films on human trafficking are a great way for the public eye to become knowledgeable about the sex trade without having to read.


Song: Constance By: Mr. J Medeiros

Constance is a hip-hop song that tells a story of human trafficking. In the first verse Mr. J tells a tale of a girl who was sold by her father for sex. They are in the Philippines and the man who bought her for $6 a visit is going to make a porn so he can make a profit. In the second verse the story goes on about how he will make a profit from the porn. Constance is another work of art that is helping to spread the knowledge about the sex trade. Porn is watched by many people and there is no telling how old the girls are and if they were trafficked for sex. The ideal audience for this specific piece is anyone who feels the need to engage in watching porn. In the first verse Mr. J said the girl was 13, but it will be ok for people to watch if they believe she is 18. It's hard to imagine how many porn sites are taking advantage not only of girl 18+, but also of underage girls.

Visual Piece: "Human Trafficking Installation Piece"

This visual piece displays a bed spring with a bra and ladies shoes. Next to the piece is the wording "Bed of Traffic" with a map of the world next to the phrase. This piece gets you thinking and gives you a visualization of the reality of the sex trade. Seeing a bra on a bed spring, shows only that the reason the bra is there is because of sex. The visual is not an ideal setting for sex, so it shows that this person was most likely forced to have sex. This piece is trying to raise awareness and hope that while looking at the visual, you will obtain some knowledge about human trafficking and its horrors. "Human Trafficking Installation Piece" is an ideal way to shower the observer the unsettling setting of the sex trade and prostitution.

Vogler 10

get out of jail freee!!

Missing Work - Four modes & Bell jar

Four Modes

Book



The Natashas: Inside the New Global Sex Trade by: Victor Malarek

Movie



Human Trafficking (2005) by Christian Duguay



Visual Piece



"Human Trafficking Installation Piece"





Song



"Constance" By: Mr. J Medeiros


The Bell Jar

In chapters 19 & 20 of Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar, we read of 2 young girls trying to live with emotional strain in an asylum. Esther will be attending college in the winter and wants to do something that will make her feel normal again. Esther left the Ordinary World when she entered the asylum and by sleeping with the professor that she just met, she was hoping to be Resurrected before returning back to the real world.
Esther has a run-in with her Tests, Allies, and Enemies when she finds out the Joan has hanged herself. Esther questions if she had anything to do with the death of Joan, but is reassured by her Dr. This was a depressing story to read and see how these girls were struggling to recuperate in this asylum. There is only the question of, "will Esther end up back in the asylum?", and if she does "how long until her insanity returns?".

Extra Credit

Week 1: FreeRice

I couldn't get enough of FreeRice so I decided to donate 2000 grains of rice. I learned that I knew a lot more words than I thought I did. The game was fun because even if you did not know the word you could somehow take an educated guess. What I really like about FreeRice was if you got a word wrong, they would give the answer to you and then retry the word after a couple of times. Others should play FreeRice not only because the game is for a good cause, but because you can expand your vocabulary and learn different words that mean the same thing.

Week 2: Six Word Memoir

I posted my six word memoir which was "I would be anywhere but here...". I picked this memoir only because I get homesick at times, but in reality I love it here at Eckerd. With this website you can just have fun thinking of things that sum up how you are feeling, or words that are put together to be goofy. Everyone could do this one and have fun with it and maybe learn something about how they are feeling.

Week 3: Story

Get out of jail free

Week 4: Web of Language
"Illinois bans male pronoun"

For this extra credit we were to read a story about the use of language. I specifically chose the article about using the male pronoun when referring to both male and female, because it brings up the issue we had with Vogler. In Vogler's book when referring to the hero he will sometimes use she/her which took many of us in the class by surprise because the words were uncommonly used. This website was interesting and everyone should browse the articles to see what kind of controversy we have over many different languages as well as our own.

Week 5: YouTube

Get out of jail free

Week 6: Random act of Kindness

I liked the act of kindness website because it showed how people can do little things for people to be a better person or to just have fun doing something nice for someone else. All of these acts of kindness were fun and selfless. I liked the Drive-by Flowering act of kindness because it was free and for everyone and the flowers are a nice gesture to shower an individual that someone is thinking of them. I think if I had some free time I would get together with some friends and do the same random act of kindness because it seems fun an awesome way to do something nice for somewhere. Everyone should do some kind of random act of kindness even if it is for just one person who deserves an act of kindness.

Week 7: YouTube links for project 2







Week 8: E-mail one of your sources

Get out of jail free


Week 9: Halloween

THE BANANDIT!




For halloween i was a banana bandit = The banandit. I believe that I took the role of the Trickster because the whole costume was funny. I was not only the Trickster, but also the Shadow because I had some secrecy and darkside to me with my mask on. 8-)

Week 10: Vote

On November 4 I voted for the first time which was exciting. With Obama as the president elect I really do hope we see change because our country is in need of change. I'm excited to see the transition that our country will undertake within the next four years. Voting was important for everyone to do and I hope that everyone went out and voted. Voting is a right that everyone should take advantage of.

Week 11: Eckerd review

get out of jail free

Week 14: www.1000000monkeys.com

get out of jail free

Vogler 9

get out of jail free.