Eric Cartman: I believe this character has had a tremendous influence on American Culture even if some may disagree. Cartman is an extreme reality check for a lot of people. Sometimes, things get excessive or are much too dramatic (The swearing for example) but this is also a window into what the world is actually like. Although most parents would never admit it, their 7 year old, 8 year olds, whatever, have dropped a few swear words and the outrageous things that Cartman does (Although gross exaggerations) are not unfamiliar to the real world. He may provoke some behavior, but in reality, he’s an 8 yr old that mirrors what the world is like, full of racism, discrimination, swearing, and obscene stuff.
Jack Bauer: This character has had a really strong influence in society. He’s the kind of hero in the modern day world, the hero people can identify with. His choices have consequences and sometimes there’s never a good choice, just a better one. The old times showed a character saving the day and coming out of it with close to nothing, if anything, loss. Jack is the brute, realer hero that also so many identify with as the “secret US agents” we have abroad. He’s hope in a time of crisis and a scared audience and brings thrills and suspense to a once frightened country.
Frodo Baggins: This man, half the size of us humans, has revolutionized the way people think of heroes. This old story written back in like the 50s was recently resurrected in the early 21st century came back with a bang. Winning Best Movie along with other titles and grossed an amazing amount of revenue showed how popular it was to the viewers. The one with the most crucial role, the one who’s gone through hell in back, isn’t the King or his valiant companions but a small, frail, small town hobbit. He carries a burden like none other and fights through many perils. The viewers like to identify with him because he’s a different kind of hero; he proves that the heroes are not only the big strong men in the world but that every day people can rise to the call as well.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Stories
Stories for children are very important to their development into teenagers and adults. Short stories are modeled to teach children the difference between good and wrong, the proper way of acting, and life lessons that influence their behavior and guide their actions. These stories offer hope and excitement to the children they are read to because it exposes them to a new world outside their comfort zone.
I think for the majority of teens in high school, the stories they read are not stories they read for fun or because they want to but because they are “forced” to in order to receive a good grade. Though, there are a few who do enjoy reading and absorb the material and come out of it differently than before. Myself, for example, I’m not much of a reader and I do legitimately read when I need to but never for fun. Recently though, after reading the literature that I have during this school year, I’ve learned a couple of lessons or two that do in fact apply to my life and these connections I’ve made have actually inspired me to maybe pick up a book for fun and enjoyment, outside the requirements of school.
I remember, as a child, reading some of the classics. The three little pigs, Cinderella and Snow White (Saw them on TV even though I feel they’re kind of girly), and there were probably some other big titles that I just can’t think of. These stories were fun, showed me a world outside my own, but one day, during my very young days of being about five year old, maybe four, I remember reading one story in particular that changed me. It was, The Little Engine That Could, the story was one of perseverance, struggles, and endurance as the train overcame the obstacles in his way and made it up the hill. That story taught me to never give up and keep on pushing especially during times of extreme hardships.
Stories should include the following to be as great as they can be: 1) A strong character exemplifying desired skills or traits, 2) A central theme with which the readers can identify or warp to fit their own, 3) A non abstract problem or conflict that’s easy to identify and connect with, 4) Repeating the problem at hand to keep the story focused, 5) A solution to the problem that teaches the readers or shows them something they should get out of it, 6) Possible antagonist that clearly separates themselves from the protagonist and shows what is “good” or desirable and what is “bad” or wrong, 7) A life lesson for the reader to apply to his/her life if the occasion arrived. Focusing on the character development, they don’t need to be fully developed in a sense. You don’t need to know every single detail to understand who that person is but a good author should include enough for the readers to figure out what kind of person he is and why he does things the way he does. As readers, we should be able to pick up on this character development and take away something from the story that we haven’t from another that is useful towards application in the real world or allows for greater insight into that which the author tries to convey within the story.
I think for the majority of teens in high school, the stories they read are not stories they read for fun or because they want to but because they are “forced” to in order to receive a good grade. Though, there are a few who do enjoy reading and absorb the material and come out of it differently than before. Myself, for example, I’m not much of a reader and I do legitimately read when I need to but never for fun. Recently though, after reading the literature that I have during this school year, I’ve learned a couple of lessons or two that do in fact apply to my life and these connections I’ve made have actually inspired me to maybe pick up a book for fun and enjoyment, outside the requirements of school.
I remember, as a child, reading some of the classics. The three little pigs, Cinderella and Snow White (Saw them on TV even though I feel they’re kind of girly), and there were probably some other big titles that I just can’t think of. These stories were fun, showed me a world outside my own, but one day, during my very young days of being about five year old, maybe four, I remember reading one story in particular that changed me. It was, The Little Engine That Could, the story was one of perseverance, struggles, and endurance as the train overcame the obstacles in his way and made it up the hill. That story taught me to never give up and keep on pushing especially during times of extreme hardships.
Stories should include the following to be as great as they can be: 1) A strong character exemplifying desired skills or traits, 2) A central theme with which the readers can identify or warp to fit their own, 3) A non abstract problem or conflict that’s easy to identify and connect with, 4) Repeating the problem at hand to keep the story focused, 5) A solution to the problem that teaches the readers or shows them something they should get out of it, 6) Possible antagonist that clearly separates themselves from the protagonist and shows what is “good” or desirable and what is “bad” or wrong, 7) A life lesson for the reader to apply to his/her life if the occasion arrived. Focusing on the character development, they don’t need to be fully developed in a sense. You don’t need to know every single detail to understand who that person is but a good author should include enough for the readers to figure out what kind of person he is and why he does things the way he does. As readers, we should be able to pick up on this character development and take away something from the story that we haven’t from another that is useful towards application in the real world or allows for greater insight into that which the author tries to convey within the story.
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