ch.5 ex.1

Julie Charlip uses many signal phrases to emphasize to reader that she does not agree with the many sources she uses in her argumentative piece.
The first noticeable phrase is the second sentence. It immediately follows an opening quote from Marx and Engels. She continues to describe the fact that social classes are splitting up beyond Marx's and Engels's basic bourgeoisie and proletariat.
Soon after she begins to explain that economic classes are more than monetary. Her phrase about the factory worker and teacher says it best, "...if you earn thirty thousand dollars a year working in an assembly plant, come home from work, open a beer and watch the game, you are working class; if you earn twenty thousand dollars a year as a school teacher, come home to a glass of white wine and PBS, you are middle class". She argues that there is not specific distinction between classes, and that many families relate with more than one of these predetermined American classes.
To really drill her opinion into the reader, Charlip asks a series of questions to finish her work that would make anyone question whether or not they identify with the correct class.

ch.4 ex.1

Jean Anyon's view on whether or not there are differences in teaching styles and activities between various social classes is somewhat difficult to grasp at first. She goes into details about her peer's ideas and positions first and then builds on them to give her personal view on the subject. Other notable researchers seem to believe that the "advantaged classes" are given work that allows them to branch out and hone there leadership and assertive aptitudes while the "working class" children are pushed in the direction of more basic concepts that will ultimately allow them to fully embrace there fairly practical skills that are more commonly used in the service sector of work. Basically they're saying that rich kids get a more intellectually inspiring education that's going to help them rule the world, and all the rest are trained to do the necessary but less difficult jobs in the world.
Anyon agrees with the other researchers but does fill in her reader that there has not been a lot of in depth analysis in the United States. So, I believe that Anyon both agrees and disagrees with the views of the previously stated researchers.

ch.7 ex.7j

1.) What kind of writing does this paper most resemble - in terms of layout and design?
My immediate reaction to the writing style of this paper was informative and I felt that it belonged in an entertainment magazing or newspaper. The subject matter screams young adult, and I could easily see it being read across a college campus. The addition of pictures and subjecct headings, as well as the font style, makes the paper seem like a more legitimate source and something to read if the reader has some down time.
2.) How might the apperance of this paper influence the way an audience reads it?
Because it's formatted with columns and includes pictures and larger text at some points, the reader is intrigued to read on and see what is to come. The columns also makes the reader that it is a quicker read, when in reality it's still 5 pages or so. Another plus to the use of pictures is that they allow the reader to take a breather from the text every once in a while to examine the images.
3.) How would the paper change if you removed the images and re-formatted it to look more like a typical college research paper?
It would lose all the hooking appeals I mentioned earlier and the reader would immediately realize that they were reading a formal paper for a class and pre-judge it to be boring and unoriginal. The formatting of this paper has an advantage over the standard college paper feel because it gives off a more casual and interesting vibe.

Persepolis Review

Many say that it is impossible to recreate any piece of writing into a film successfully. The written word has too much detail and too many twists and turns to fit eloquently into a movie that runs at most, a little over two hours. Does this include graphic novels?
A step up from the classic comic book, graphic novels are longer and can contain topics that surpass the humorous Calvin and Hobbes or sci-fi superheroes. Far more advanced than I ever imagined, some of these lengthy comics have been known to entertain their readers with historical events.
My first experience with graphic novels came in the form of Persepolis. The author, Marjane Satrapi, describes growing up in Iran during its deadly revolution. At first glance, I didn’t think the topic would be thoroughly explained. Textbooks have trouble describing this intricately confusing event, so how could a comic book, of all things, get the point across? Satrapi definitely answered that question with detailed explanations through the eyes of a young girl. We traveled through little Marji’s life and follow along as she carries on a normal childhood until this national event makes her a prisoner of her own country and faith.
The theatrical adaptation was as true to the original piece as possible and I enjoyed it as much as I could while ignoring the fact that I don’t speak French. On the other hand, I feel like being forced to read the subtitles encouraged me to keep my focus and fully grasped what was going on. There is something to be said about “seeing” what is said.
The film was spot on with the novel’s graphics and dialogue, but there was one portion that was slightly different, and in my opinion, better. The playful way they portrayed the history of how the Iranian Shah came to power was an easy scene to laugh at. Instead of the original fluid motions of the novel, they depict the political players as puppets on strings that make their actions seem less intense than their realities.
Although Marji’s quick wit and spunky personality was apparent in the novel, we get a chance to see her in action – literally. It was nice to witness her bustling about while stating her opinion on the current crisis to whoever would listen. Being able to see a scene fully played out also helps the audience either confirm their perception of the situation, or arouse new insight about it. There were a couple moments from the movie that I played out differently in my mind while I read the novel. I liked having another view to compare mine with.
I would throw out som negative critiques, but I really don’t have much to say. Of course I would have loved to see more of the smaller subplots played out in the film, but like I said before, it isn’t possible. No one can sit through hours upon hours of the Iranian Revolution.
All in all, the move from graphic novel to film was done extremely well in my book. I wanted to immediately go out and grab the sequel!

Suggestion for writing #2

After reading both Gilchrist's and Ebert's movie reviews, I can't help but wonder if they were even watching the same movie. While Gilchrist pin pointed every possible flaw he could muster up, Ebert praised Spidey's sequel as if he had witnessed a miracle. Being professional movie critics, they both hit on similar subjects ranging from special effects to plot development, but had severely contrasting opinions on everything. Who do I believe, when one liked the first movie but not the sequel, and the other wasn't keen on the original but absolutely drooled over the second?
They can't agree on anything. While Gilchrist rolled his eyes at all the emotionally slower moments, Ebert applauded the in depth character analysis of our hero and his supporting characters. The former believed the writer's held the audience's hand a little too much. If they were familiar with the the first Spiderman, or could formulate thoughts, they could follow along just fine without a play by play. On the other hand, Ebert thoroughly enjoyed the extra attention to Spidey's past. The constant reminder of where Peter Parker came from reminds everyone that he's only human and should deal with his problems like a normal person. Just because he gets to strut his stuff in a really cool costume doesn't mean he doesn't have feelings.
Moving on to Spidey's super special effects. What do you get when you mix quickly moving action scenes with well balanced weight distribution? Yes, another discrepancy. Gilchrist couldn't get over the nauseating speed and movement of the action sequences. They took him back to the director's previous work on the Evil Dead movies and the cameras reckless abandon. Of course, Ebert was thrilled with the improved human-like movements of Spiederman, opposed to the cartoonish flying in the first movie. I think it's safe to say that Ebert has a stronger stomach.
All in all, I think it comes down to personal preference. Gilchrist had high expectations after the success of the first Spiderman film but was dismally disappointed with the sequel. At the same time, Ebert wasn't a fan of Spiderman but is a sucker for the genre and found what he believes to be the "essence" of superhero movies in Spiderman 2.

Persepolis: Comic and Movie

After finishing my first graphic novel, I'm shocked at how much I enjoyed it. I was skeptical at first but now I realize that no matter the medium that a story is in, it can still get its points across.
As for Persepolis, the story really gave an inside look at the Iranian Revolution. If I hadn't read it, I doubt I would really understand what happened. The author made the characters lovable and endearing - something most would not expect these days.
I enjoyed the film in class, but the graphic novel has so much more detail that I think I'm leaning in favor of it. And it's not just the easy-to-understand story line, but being able to see scenes back to back made me want to read more. It also had great emotional effect. I remember specifically one page with two large frames. On the top, there were young soldiers dying, and below that, Marjane's first party. Seeing suffering next to celebration hit me at how intense the situation was.
Now, I'm seriously considering reading the sequel. How could she leave us hanging like that?!

Graff ch.1 ex.1

1. A number of scientists have suggested that there are dangerous levels of chemical X in the Ohio groundwater.
2. After a long debate, the critics have decided that this novel has certain flaws.
3. In its recent showing, football has been deemed boring because its lack of viewers.
4. It has become common today to believe that male students dominate class discussions.
5. Surprisingly, a large number of viewers believe that the film is really about the problems of romantic relationships.
6. Many students be live that writing templates will stifle their creativity.