Yes, there was a draft in there.

Comic on the quality of different methods of peer review (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We had our peer review for the draft of the lit review/definitions essay, and I got some good feedback (especially for the introduction:  I had forgotten to introduce the overall research project, so the rest of the draft didn't make much sense).  I was working on the revision this morning when I suddenly thought of this blog.  I was really shocked when I saw how few entries I had.

One thing that I should have blogged about happened last Saturday.  I usually have to work on Saturdays, but I put in 38 hours last week, so I couldn't have any more hours (if I hit 40, they'd have to give me benefits, etc.).  I worked on school stuff for a few hours, and then I decided to watch Star Wars:  The Force Awakens again.  I needed to settle on the scenes I'm going to use in the research paper.  I'll talk more about this in my next post.

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What was I thinking?!!

Kylo Ren

Well, I guess I'm still a bit out of it.  I completely forgot that I had to do this, so now I have to catch up.  I can't believe it.  I managed to get my proposal (both the draft and the revision) completed, and I think it turned out pretty well.  I'll find out on Friday.
Anyway, the film I picked for my research project is Star Wars:  The Force Awakens, and my approach is shame theory.  When I first saw the movie, I was shocked when Kylo Ren threw a temper tantrum.  I think everyone in the theater was with me on that.  My first thought was "and that's why we don't let toddlers play with lethal weapons."  Which was silly.  After I read the page on shame theory in our packet, I realized that it explained why he did that. 
I've started on my research, and I'll have more on that later (today, if possible).

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I'm back, and checking out the syllabus for my English class

To me, a community college student, this seems a bit excessive.
Student Union at Oklahoma State University - Stillwater, the largest student center in the world. Photo taken April 22, 2006. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I've just been on Blackboard, looking at the syllabus for English 102.  The first class is this coming Friday, and I wanted to get an idea of how much work this is going to be.  It looks like a lot-- six projects, including a research paper.  At least I've got the course schedule now, so I can do some planning, which I hope will help.  I'm really tired of falling behind and having to work on stuff for school in marathon sessions (bingeing on homework?  Not fun).  
The first project is a blog, so this one should work.  I hope it'll meet all the requirements.  I'll check back Monday to see if anything else is on the Blackboard for this class. 

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Waiting is the Hardest Part

The "Heroic Age" roster of the Avengers. Cover art for Avengers vol. 4, #12.1, by Bryan Hitch. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I turned my research proposal in on Wednesday, so I figure I'll get it back on this coming Wednesday.  Tomorrow (Monday) seems too soon, based on last semester's assignments in all my classes.  I'm really hoping she okays it.  I'm sticking with Avengers:  Age of Ultron and a men's studies approach, but I narrowed it down to the code of the team.  My initial research question is:  Do the Avengers all keep to the same code?

The reason I'm asking this is that it seems to me that they don't, and they probably should for the good of the group.  This brings me to the fact that I am worried that I am partly drawn to that conclusion because I have a pretty good idea what the filmmakers are planning for the future films, thanks to my older brothers, Paul and Brian.  I'll get to that in my next post.

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A Secret Humiliation

Don't Look at Me!

I meant to post this last week, but it kind of got away from me. 
The prompt asks me what I have found in a scene from my film using the critical model, and I just didn't have time to re-watch the film then.  Things are better now, so here goes.
Looking at The Four Feathers from a shame point of view is amazing -- and I'm not exaggerating.  I can't believe how much stuff in it connects to shame theory, and a lot of it doesn't even involve dialogue.  I already know that I'm going to use the moment when the men get their orders.  In this scene, Harry's reaction is radically different from the others.  They are all excited and eager to go, and they get pretty loud about it.  While they're whooping it up, he goes absolutely blank-- no facial expression, no speaking-- he kind of closes in on himself (you can see it in the picture above).  None of the other men seem to notice that something is wrong with him, but the camera is on him, so the audience is very aware that his reaction is not what it should be, but they probably can't tell what's wrong.
Well, I can.  What he is doing is the withdrawal script.  He is feeling shame (or one of the shame emotions, like guilt or embarrassment), and this withdrawal is the method he habitually uses to restore his pride.  What's really interesting is that he is the only one who knows he's ashamed and why at this point.  Since my notes on shame say that it usually involves exposure, meaning that somebody witnesses the shame in action, this is pretty unusual.
And, now that I've given some thought to it, what's causing his shame can't be that he knows he is not going to go to war.  He decides that later, and it's a shame event all by itself.  I think the most likely cause is that he is just realizing that he doesn't want to go, that he's afraid to go, and he is ashamed of himself.  A couple more thoughts:  is he also afraid that the other men can see this in him?  Could be.  Is he ashamed because he's bought into all the gung ho attitude that the others feel?  Maybe, and if that's the case, what does that tell me?  Not sure yet, but I'll work on it.  
 

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New Semester, Same Old Textbook Sticker Shock

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Fall term started Monday, and I'm already having anxiety issues.  I've been saving up to try and get out of my parents' house, but my books made a HUGE dent in my bank account.  My English prof says that we can use the old editions of the books for her class, so I just saved $120 right there, and I'm trying to focus on that, because if I think about the others I'll start crying.
So anyway, I've looked over my assignment package for the class, and that's why I'm posting today-- Project 1 is this blog!  We're supposed to have it done by next Thursday, but I have this morning free, and I thought I'd get it out of the way.  According to the assignment, the purpose is "To record and share your thinking as your research project progresses," which sounds easy . . . and makes me suspicious.  Where's the catch? 
 
This first entry is supposed to be me discussing my film and approach choices for my research project.  Since I haven't even had 24 hours to think about it yet, I can't say I'm committed to anything so far, but I do have a few ideas.  One thing I've noticed lately is that there are a lot of what I think of as teenagers-save-the-world-while-adults-do-nothing movies, and, now that I think about that, it's kind of strange.  Some of them are about dystopias (like The Hunger Games) and others are about hidden societies, like in the Harry Potter films.  Looking at the list of films and approaches, I guess I'm thinking of genre criticism, and the movie I'd like to use is Percy Jackson & the Olympians:  The Lightning Thief.  I'll check to see if that's okay.

One down, nineteen to go!

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