Gattaca Part II

Excellent work discussing important themes from the movie Gattaca! I thoroughly enjoyed reading each post! Thanks!

Compare and contrast Jerome (Jude Law) with Vincent (Ethan Hawke). How are they similar and how are they different? What does the movie want us to understand from seeing these two characters and their stories side by side?

Lastly, what is the movie's overall message? How is it relevant to society? Is it relevant to society? Explain.

Good work!

Week Eight Thought Question

This week we will begin watching the movie Gattaca. To help us get an understanding of what is expected in a movie analysis, let us discuss some of the prominent themes in the movie.

For your blog post, please discuss and provide examples of at least two important themes in this movie. Merriam Webster Online defines a theme as: "a subject or topic of discourse or of artistic representation, i.e. guilt and punishment is the theme of the story."

Posts must be five sentences minimum to receive credit.

Thanks!

Week Seven Thought Question

Our assignment this week is to compose a visual argument. This means that you will use PowerPoint, Paint, Photoshop, Frontpage, or any program of your choosing to create a visual with a clear message. The colors, text, images, etc. should all make this message obvious. Also, you must have a clear sense of your target audience.

Why is it important to understand visual rhetoric? Why might this be an important skill "on the job"? How can you use ethos, pathos, and logos in a visual argument?

Remember to post a minimum of five sentences, proofread closely for spelling and grammar, and try to raise interesting questions of your own.

Thanks!

Week Six Thought Question

Thank you for your posts! Several of you had very thoughtful replies regarding Twitchell's essay and its use of ethos, pathos, and logos.

To continue our discussions with rhetoric, why do you think that learning how to analyze visual rhetoric is important? How is a visual argument like a traditional (essay) argument? Do you see similarities in organization, structure? How so? Refer to a visual argument as an example in your replies.

Remember, each post should be a minimum of five sentences. It should raise interesting questions. Be sure to proofread!

Thanks!

Week Five Thought Question

We had some very descriptive posts last week! Thank you! Remember to post a minimum of five sentences and proofread closely for typos and misspellings.

Our question this week comes from Jackie Mwaniki.

Cite examples of ethos, pathos, logos in the James B. Twitchell "How to advertise a dangerous product" essay and compare that to the current Clairol advertisements or any other advertisement you have seen on television, online, in a magazine, or on the radio. Please explain how each example is pathos, ethos, or logos. Discuss whether or not Twitchell and whatever advertisement you choose successfully reach their intended audiences.

Remember that each of these posts is worth 1% of your grade. They are meant to prepare you for communication in an online environment and provide you with a more "public" rhetorical space in which to share your ideas.

Week Four Thought Question

Our thought question comes from Ryan Harkin! Thanks, Ryan! I am anxious to read your replies!

This week we talked about color in writing and how it can affect the reader, so I would like to have everyone write about sometime in their life when color affected their mood. For example: When it is winter and all the trees are bare and the grass is all brown, it is kind of depressing. Then when it snows and everything is covered in a blanket of snow, it is very beautiful. Try to use metaphor and simile in your writing. Thanks!

Week Three Thought Question

Thank you for your replies to last week's thought question! Several good points were raised regarding whether students should be taught writing or composition!

For this week, I would like you to discuss our readings from the book. In David Sedaris' narrative "Ashes," he describes what his family was like. I would like you to use this space for the week to describe an especially strong memory you have of either a parent, friend, or anyone that your life has touched.

Avoid cliches. Be specific. Describe this person. Briefly describe a moment spent with this person. Make it complex. Perhaps you might describe a moment when someone that you admire did something unexpected and not admirable. Maybe describe a moment when someone that you did not like did something likeable. Search for paradox and contrast.

I am really looking forward to these posts! Thanks!