For Weds (10:45)

Hello all,

Today, we started the class with a little exercise about themes and planning for a new society. Our roles in planning this new society illustrate our views of our strengths and weaknesses. Building on this discussion, we shifted to exploring the "refusal of the call" and the "meeting with the mentor" stages of Vogler's journey.

Professor Breen led our discussion of the refusal of the call and the meeting with the mentor. Breen conducted an engaged exploration of the various stages of Vogler's exploration. Meagen contributed her perspective about avoidance through the example of Shrek. A discussion of the "dwelling in the past" was explored through Nick's ideas which led us to the notion of "artist of the hero" where one is removed from reality. Orlando mentioned that the risk sets the stage for the hero to depart and to engage on a journey. We discussed the conflict of the calls and the notion of the threshold guardian where the hero is given a text and his reaction is connected to whether or not he or she is successful in their undertaking. Professor Breen moved to the notion of meeting with the mentor, and he pointed out Vogler's attraction to Odysseus. Professor Breen also used "Snakes on a Plane" as an example of the hero/mentor.

We shifted, following this discussion, to working on the computers and conducting some free writing to get ourselves ready for writing and research. We did some blind freewriting. We first:
1. listed themes and ideas in our project one
2. Listed questions about those themes and ideas
3. Attempted to answer some of the questions
4. provided a basic history, explanation, or definition from one of our answers.
5. Listed and explored who would support/believe vs. who would condemn/attack an area that we were exploring.
6. Listed and described ways that some of the elements for above appear in culture, history, or our environment.

This exercise encourages you to think and to explore ideas before focusing to intently on one area. Freewriting is the ultimate tool if you just don't know what to do! If you are blocked, or your ideas are simply too tangled up to put down in a list, freewriting is for you. If you have an idea in the back of your head but just can't quite pin it down, this is the technique that will pull that idea out. Freewriting is also a method for developing a small hint of an idea into a fully grown one. Freewriting is a little like fishing - you cast out with your pen, and then you let the ideas swim to you... but they won't come if you don't start fishing for them!

As we begin our research-based project, please use this exercise to help you generate some areas for inquiry. I would like you to bring 3-5 questions to class on weds. that you may use to initiate your project two research.

For Weds:

Read: Book II Kafka

Write: Conduct more free writes or start generating three to five questions for research

Do: Keep thinking about questions that you would like to answer by doing research.

Take care,

Kat