English 102 Reflection

   I thought I was just entering another typical English class that would bore me to tears. But, I was wrong. This class taught me a lot more than what I expected to learn. I learned about short stories, poetry, Greek tragedies, and modern drama. I love short stories and I still do. But I still have a huge dislike for poetry. Never liked it and I doubt I ever will. I'm a little scared from Greek tragedies since they come up with the most horrifying story lines I've ever read! Though I do have an appreciation for modern drama now.
   The one thing I learned from English 102 that I never considered before, was the psychology of the authors at the time of writing their stories. Learning how the stories began in their minds has helped me realized how powerful the brain is years after the story was written. But I still have a lot to learn.  

Roles of Women In Fairy Tales

  When you read Hans Andersen's stories, you realize that many of them have a girl or a woman as the protagonist. And the supporting characters are, also, mostly women. But what about the men? From the stories I remember reading from my childhood, fathers and men are mostly absent from the stories. One example would be Thumbelina. The mother of Thumbelina went to a fairy for an answer to have a child. Why didn't the mother get out and find a man for herself to start a family with? Why wasn't that an option? Another example would be in The Little Mermaid. The underwater castle has a king that has little to no role in the original version of the story. This may have happened because Andersen didn't have his father for most of his life. His father died when he was only 11, which means his mother had more of an influence on him during his teenager years. This caused women to have bigger roles in his stories than men.

Robots Are Cool, Bow Ties Are Cool, But Writing Is Cooler?

   What is up with my personal blog posts? I post about a bunch random stuff that doesn't seem to make any sense. Especially the title of this post! Where did robots come from?! How did bow ties get into the picture? And writing? Really?! 

   Well, actually, those posts were about me. My inspirations. My favorite shows. My favorite movies. They are all there, hidden in between the lines. I love to write. I can think up of a lot of stories in one day. I think my record so far is 20. That's right. I created 20 stories in 1 day. Each had a beginning, middle, and ending. Talk about a crazy imagination! Oh, but there is one thing I haven't mentioned. I love video games!! Mass Effect, Halo, Fable, Spider-Man, The Elder Scrolls, The Sims, Mario Kart, and many others are on my list! There is so much you can know about me, and yet, still remain a mystery. Welcome to my world!

The Little Mermaid - What Did Disney Change?

    Andersen's original version of The Little Mermaid is overshadowed by Disney's colorful version. The Little Mermaid is a memorable story of a princess mermaid that wishes to love someone that is out of her reach. Disney has changed the story to make it appropriate for children. However, they kept the core of the story in place. Andersen's original version, I will admit, is a bit dark for children in this time. So, what did Disney change?
   What they first changed was the view the mermaids had on humans. The original version saw humans as delicate and beautiful things. When the mermaids were old enough, they were allowed to visit the surface world and view the wonders of human culture. But in Disney's version, humans were awful creatures that dirty the beautiful ocean and care nothing for other lives. Mermaids weren't allowed to travel to the surface. Another change is the role of the sisters. In the original version, they were the youngest mermaid's support in gaining information about the prince. But in Disney's version, the sisters treat their youngest sister with little respect. Their roles are replaced by the animals instead. The king's role is increased in Disney's version and is the magic touch that solves his daughter's problems.  

Why Do Villains Rise When Heroes Rise?

   We read, heard, or watched the origins of a hero more than we can ask for. But what about the villains? They show us the origins of the villain, but we don't really connect with them like we do with the hero. The villain experiments on himself for money. Why do they want the money? To get rich. Why do they want to get rich? Just because. You can't connect with the villain if all he wants is money! So what's the real reason the villain rise when the hero rise?
   Inspiration! That's the answer to the question. When you see your favorite hero flying above your head, run across roof tops, or swing from one block to the next, you can't help but admire them. You can't help but admire their power to go to the extreme to change the world. Now what does that do to someone who is already trying to change the world into their image? Obviously, that makes them go to the extreme to have their dreams come true. Which, also, means they will take their hero's message to the people to the extreme. EXTREME!

The Little Mermaid - What Made It Memorable

   Who doesn't know the story of The Little Mermaid? It's in most storybooks and several versions of the characters are used to educate small children. However, what makes The Little Mermaid so memorable to children and adults?
    Could it be the characters? There are 6 sisters, a king, a grandmother, a human prince, a witch, and a girl as the main characters the story focuses on. If I do say so myself, they are all typically "normal" characters. And by "normal" I mean their personalities aren't memorable except for the youngest mermaid princess. So the characters aren't what make the story so memorable.
   Then it has to be the story line, right? A mermaid princess that has everything she could ever want, wants something that is nearly impossible to have and out of her reach. It's like a lesson for kids to know that if they really try to get what they want, they will most likely get it, but with a consequence. With everything the young mermaid goes through, you want her to get what she wants since she has gone through so much to get it.
   So what makes this story so memorable? The journey.  

The Amazing Spider-Man - Honest Trailer

   Keeping movies honest! That's the job the YouTube channel Screen Junkies have placed upon themselves. I'm a huge fan of theirs and I never miss a video. The trailers you see on TV and on the computer on ads usually lie by showing you scenes that have been cut from the movie or by telling you what you want to hear. But Screen Junkies tells you exactly what to expect and what will disappoint you. One example, is the movie of The Amazing Spider-Man.