Outline

I know this is probably way to late, but I wanted to post my outline for my RAE on the blog. I thought you said that it was okay if we just handed it in with the final paper, but I guess I misunderstood.

It will be in a comment below. 

Were we supposed to post our outlines?

The Writing Center is fabulous.

I don't know if this can qualify for extra credit, but I did attend the Writing Center today. I met with Roy (?) and he is my new favorite person ever.

Basically, we focused on editing my topic sentences and quote integration, which, following Ms. Bates edits with my draft, I really needed to focus on.  We started workshopping my topic sentences and now I'm going to go through and edit all of them.  He said (agreeing with Ms. Bates) that a lot of my topic sentences were just introducing the next example, rather than making arguments and furthering the paper.  Now, I realize, I want the sentences to really help evolve the paper, rather than being cursory, elementary parts of it.  He praised the body of my paragraphs and said that my thesis was good and the overall paper was very provocative and interesting, which was a major self-esteem boost.  

We also took a few quotation examples and worked with them, taking the full quotation out and picking the pieces that were truly necessary and paraphrasing the rest.  He said that it often felt like I was shoving quotations in and it felt a little strained.  I think I was using too many quotations that really don't help my argument.  Also, with Ms. Bates advice that the paper is supposed to be mostly our own words rather than the secondary sources', I'm going to sift through the paper and make sure I am using the quotations in an effective way.  

There is definitely a lot of workshopping that needs to be done, but I think the paper is coming along.

OOHHH, I forgot. Another point that I need to work on is making sure the paper emphasizes the evolution of the two heroines, rather than just their change.  A little tweaking of the phrasing will help out with that one. 

I really like the blog. 

Yet Another New Working Thesis

I am having far too much fun with this blog tonight...

Thesis: The contrasting mobility of Thelma and Louise's vehicle, in contrast to the essentially stationary or immobile vehicles of the men within the film, allows the main characters to evolve and develop within the film, while simultaneously dismissing the conventions previous placed on them by society and the men they escape from.

Input, again?

Also, I responded to your last comment below.

New Working Thesis

 Vehicles, particularly cars and trucks, in Thelma and Louise are the catalyst, methods, and means by which Thelma and Louise dismiss traditional conventions of femininity and evolve throughout the film.

Input?

I was thinking that I would focus on three (-ish) main aspects of the film: cars and trucks as symbols for women and men, cars as the mode for change within the film (physical movement, journey, etc.), and the car as a lens to compare scenes from the beginning of the film to the end.   

Also, the poetry workshop was cancelled today. I was planning on going. Is there any other ways to get extra credit before the end of the year?

Some overheard lines of conversation:
How effective is the movie at portraying the cultural changes that were going on during the early 1990s?
How do the different aspects of the film come to portray this journey of change?

My voice will be a conglomerate of the different views of the people. The changing cultural climate and establishment of stronger voices of women reflects a journey towards a more accepting and understanding world. Thus, the portrayal of these women on film is a microcosm of the larger change in cultural standards and establishment of new traditions.
People will talk about the extent to which the film accurately portrays the changing climate. Mainly, how far does the movie go? Griggers will assert that the film contains lesbian subtext, while Cook will state that the movie is successful because it asserts a so-called “gender-bending” of sorts. I think this is the most pertinent example to my paper because, in order to show change, there has to be a blending of lines. This blending is a journey that ultimately leads to another end. Since culture builds and shape the concept of “gender,” the blending of gender lines shows a change in culture and cultural attitudes.
A questions that the “idea” side of the table may ask the “support” side of the table is how the individual aspects of the film come together to produce the final product. How does laughter fit into the picture? Laughter is a means to generate a larger audience. The film is comical, yet violent. This disconnect is important for establishing a larger audience. The film appeals to both sexes, thus more people will know about the change the film wants to bring to culture.

Annotation

I switched the source I'm using for my Synthesis Essay.  I'm now using "Cultural Generation of the New Butch-Femme" by Cathy Griggers from the book Film Theory Goes to the Movies.  The annotation will be in a comment because my computer won't copy and paste into the blog 

Lay of the Land

Lay of the Land: Seven Basic Questions to Ask Any Secondary Source

The following questions will help you get to know your secondary sources. It assumes that you’ve already carefully read your secondary source. If you are using an article, you should have read it entirely. If you are using a book, you should have read its introduction, the relevant chapter, and skimmed the conclusion.

Supply evidence from the source for your answers: a quotation, summary, or paraphrase and include page numbers.

1) Is this a direct conversation or application source? (If you are unclear about the difference between the two, review the “Types of Sources” handout in the Student Handbook.)
This source is a direct conversation source. It directly confronts the movies it addresses while incorporating the greater cultural messages of the various films within their contexts.





2) What are the author’s credentials in his or her field? (If you are unable to answer this question now with the book in hand, research the author after class—find their profile on a university’s faculty page, search for a self-authored website or a recently published interview, for example).
I am focusing on one article within the book Film Theory Goes to the Movies. The author of my article is Sharon Willis. She is an associate professor of French at the University of Rochester but also teaches film, comparative literature, and women’s studies.




3) Does date of production affect its relevance to your primary source? If so, how?
Yes, that date of production affects the articles relevance to my primary source. The book was published in 1993, only two years following the release of the film. Therefore, the article provides a more immediate response to the film, rather than analyzing the implications of the film farther after its release.





4) Who is the author’s audience? Don’t go for the bland “general” or “academic.” The audience for most scholarly sources is academic, just as the audience for non-scholarly sources is often general. Instead, search the introduction and/or first chapter for clues about the intended audience.
The author’s audience would be academics within the film field. All the authors in the book are in scholarly institutions and focus on film and cinema studies, particularly the cultural implications and responses to film.






5) If it is a direct secondary source, does the source extensively or marginally cover your cultural object? If it is a applied secondary source, how will you relate it to your cultural object?
This is a direct secondary sources and it very extensively covers the film. It discusses various aspects of the film ranging from the imagery regarding the physical trip the women take, as well as other symbols pertinent to the film. Furthermore, it discusses broader cultural implications of the film, and the fantastical aspects which attract viewers to the film, yet weaken the feminist argument within it. It further relates the film to other works including “Fatal Attraction” and “Blade Runner,” and compares the films’ aspects.






6) What discipline (ie. psychology, media studies, women’s studies) is the secondary source part of and how does this inform the kinds of analysis/questions it asks of its primary source?
My secondary source is part of film and media studies and women and gender studies. This means the source is particularly tailored and well informed in the feminist movement and how it is or is not effectively carried out within this film.







7) Which claims do you find most/least persuasive and why?
The claims I find most persuasive regard question Thelma and Louise as role models, integrating the landscape into the meaning of the film (specifically in relation to personal history), the transition within Thelma and Louise form female characteristics (posture, etc.) to male characteristics, cross-gender identification, and how the film is truly about the journey. Furthermore, the article elaborates on body language and how it is used within the film. One of the least persuasive arguments regards the film as a fantasy-like journey for these women. It questions the validity of feminist images as fantasy.








In your research groups, discuss the answers you’ve gotten so far in class. Which questions were you unable to answer now? How will you answer them later? On your RAE blog, type up and post your extended answers.

New Found Source!

The new source I found is called Film Theory Goes to the Movies by Jim Collins, Hilary Radner, Ava Preacher Collins and Ava Collins. Film Theory provides analyses of various pop culture, recent movie and presenting articles about various films in the book.  The books argues for the integration of these films into modern culture and addresses cultural debates that have arisen due to these texts.  It employs varying views, specifically from feminist to post modernist, and applies them to movies.  In regards to Thelma and Louise, the book offers an article called Thelma and Louise and the Cultural Generation of the New Butch-Femme by Cathy Griggers (pg. 129) which offers a feminist take on the film and the impact it has made.  I can use this in my paper as one take on the film.  

Works Cited

Cook, Bernie. Thelma and Louise Live! Austin, TX: University of Texas P, 2007.

Fournier, Gina. Thelma and Louise and Women in Hollywood. Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Company, Inc.,, 2007.

Sturken, Marita. Thelma and Louise. London: British Film Institute, 2000.

The first book I picked out is called Thelma and Louise Live! This book is a compilation of various article written about and in response to the film. The section that I would most use is Appendix I, which features three articles regarding feminism within the film: "Toxic Feminism on the Big Screen," "Gender Bender," and "Is This What Feminism is about?" Unlike the previous articles I've found which defend feminism, these three criticize the impractical use of feminism within the film and how it hinders rather than helps the movie.

The second book I got from the library is (shiny) called "Thelma and Louise and Women in Hollywood." This book focuses on the broader implications of the film with respect to the influences it has had on following films and how the feminist themes within it were derived from older films. It examines the reception of the film in culture and also has case studies regarding how the film's impact differed across the United States. I would most like use the chapter entitled "The Thelma and Louise-ing of American Culture," which directly references the cultural implications of the film.

The final book I got is also shiny and has pictures, and is titled "Thelma and Louise." This book focuses on both feminism and other political implications brought about by the film. It examines the film from the prospective of how it reworked political conflicts of the time, with regard to feminism and relationships, etc. Specifically it focuses on how the film reworked the outlaw drama, and gains insight from Director Ridley Scott.

Sources

Works Cited
Boozer, Jack. "Seduction and Betrayal in the Heartland: Thelma and Louise." Literature Film Quarterly 23 (1995): 188-177. EBSCO Host. 26 Mar. 2008.
Man, Glenn. "Gender, Genre, and Myth in Thelma and Louise." Film Criticism 18 (1993): 36-53. Film & Television Literature Index with Full Text. 28 Mar. 2008.




The first article describes the impact of the film Thelma and Louise on other films of the same genre. It discusses how the feminist themes within the film relate to the journey the women take, specifically with respect to the "promise of the West" and the "problems of Western migration." The article describes the relation between Western expansion themes and ideas and how this relates to the feminist themes in the film.

The second article, titled "Gender, Genre, and Myth in Thelma and Louise," discusses how the cinematic aspects of the film relate to the theme of feminism. It discusses other people's arguments regarding the film and both criticizes and establishes his own argument as to how the cinematic aspects and the physical journey the women take establish the feminist themes within the film.

Handout for Five Minutes of Fame

Sorry, I accidently posted this to Telesis earlier...

Its in the comments...for some reason I couldn't copy and paste into the original post.

...okay, I finally got this to work.

Main Point: Thelma and Louise is simultaneously an engaging, cat and mouse hunt between two females outlaws and the police and a larger reflection on male-dominated culture and how this world shapes these two characters. The film emphasizes this larger cultural message through the symbolic use of trucks. As Thelma and Louise dominate the trucks, they empowering women and defeating male dominated society. The physical relationship between the women’s car and different trucks mimics Thelma and Louise’s dismissal of the male dominated cultureIn the first segment, immediately following the two women shooting the man at the bar, the trucks keep passing them on the highway. They pull over to the side, as cars constantly pass and they are in extreme distress. In the second segment, they released themselves from the grasp of males. In demonstrating this position, they begin to physically pass the trucks on the highway and force the truck to pull over.The truck driver is representative of men and the male dominated culture. In the second scene, they actively threaten and essentially control this man. By physically shooting the truck and blowing it up, they embracing their independence and free from the control of the men around them. There are many trucks around in all the journey scenes. This is another physical representation of the male versus female society. The women drive a small car, while large trucks pass them. Like the male society, the trucks dominate the road. At the beginning, they honk loudly, muting the cries of the women, as men “mute” the cries of women in society.

Rhetorical Analysis Presentation

The subject of my rhetorical analysis presentation is probably going to be the use of camera angle and music in two scenes in the film Thelma and Louise. The camera angle looks into the car that Thelma and Louise drive during their adventure.  This helps to emphasize the openness they experience from this journey and emphasizes their interaction as a couple.  Much of the importance of the film comes from their interactions and friendship and the camera angle emphasizes this.  Similarly, the musical tones throughout the pieces further showcase the openness with guitar rifts that could potentially go on forever.

I could not find movie clips from my examples, but I'm attempting to embed stills from the film to showcase these points.  

Follow Up Points

Patterns throughout the Film Thelma and Louise:

-Cars/use of various trucks and vehicles in key scenes

-Last scene, drive off the cliff in the convertible

-Louise is attacked by the man in front of her car

-Stop at the gas station with the truck driver

-Consistently on road with various large trucks driving by

- Trucks and cars are suggestive of male dominance (men represented by trucks)

-Breaking stereotypes of women

-Women fugitives

- Take women in two standard positions and attempt to show how they are not tied to their molds

Aspects of the Film I Could Write About-

- Cinematography, elements of the film structure, artistic aspects of the film, dialogue

- Symbols within the film (cars, guns, etc.), ultimate outcome of the film and how it may or may not be reflective of societies views regarding women and the positions they are supposed to hold in society

- Male characters and how they fit various roles in society, how the male characters influence the decisions of the women in the film, 

- Connection between the journey of the characters and the journey of women in general, discuss varying stereotypes in the film and how the film either breaks these or affirms them,

Reflection on My One-on-One:

I think I proposed some good points that I could potentially use in my paper. Ms. Bates suggested that I go back and watch the film and free write patterns or strains that I see throughout the film. I'm currently working on watching the film and working through that. Above are some of the things that I have seen so far or remember from previously viewing the film. I think there is a lot to work with with the movie and I'm pretty settled on using the movie.

Cultural Texts 2

I went to the movie store and decided to look for a cultural text there. I discovered the movie "Thelma and Louis."  I have seen this movie and recalled some of the main themes throughout the film.  The movie focuses on the interactions between men and women.  I think this would be a good cultural texts because it deals with so many issues that reflect how gender roles influence our society and the ways men and women interact.  Furthermore, stylistically the film is also reflective of cultural images and it refers to themes throughout other movies and books.

I also went to the music library and found a Beatles album.  This gave me the idea to choose a few Beatles songs and write about the cultural implications of there music and, if I chose different songs throughout the course of their careers, I could analyze how there music reflects the changing cultural trends that occurred when they wrote their music.  I would focus on the changing style and lyrics of the music and how that coincides with the changing lifestyles of Americans.  I could both focus on how the Beatles music influenced these trends and how the trends of the nation changed their music.  

Cultural Objects

The first cultural object I found in my room is a small Che Guevara stuffed animal.  He is dressed in the typical army uniform that Che is generally portrayed in.  Similarly, he is wearing the beret that defined Che Guevara.  I have always been interested in South American history, as well as political science and how it has defined various cultures.  Yet, Che Guevara often reminds me about the consumerism that often follows political movements.  Brands have used Che's image on tons of various toys, t-shirts, and posters.  The consumerization of his name and face could be an interesting topic to explore in my paper.

My second cultural object is the book Not On Our Watch.  This book is written by Don Cheadle and John Prendergast.  The two chronicle their personal experiences regarding the genocide in Darfur.  I have always believed this issue is highly underpublicized and not regarded enough by both citizens and politicians.  This book brings greater acknowledgement to these issues and is important in influencing my generation and hopefully inspiring them to make change. 

First Post!

Admittedly, it is hard to find people who actually enjoy there Research Analysis Essay experiences, yet the girl across the hall from me had a genuinely good and successful experience.  The source she used was Facebook, which, I'm sure, all of us are familiar (or obsessed) with.  Her advice was key: Pick a source you won't get sick of.  She suggested making sure that the writer is genuinely interested in the topic they choose.  If you pick a source just because you think it will look good, you will get bored.  She suggested letting yourself get into the piece and not just be resentful and complain the whole time (which, I guaranteed, I will do). She also stated that its just Writing One, so don't worry too much about it.  Though it an important course, its not the end of the world.  

Overall, her experience writing about Facebook changed while writing the paper.  At first, she wanted to take on Facebook from a psychological position, but, after discussing with her teacher, she decided that as the "Facebook generation," she could take a more personal angle with the paper, and she excelled with that position.  Overall, I think her advice was fantastic, and the most important part of this project is to pick something we are genuinely interested in and not worry too much about the paper.