These are ten books I would like to read over the course of the rest of the semester:
Video Game Storytelling by Evan Skolnick
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Amped by Daniel H. Wilson
Seeker by Arwen Elys Dayton
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
End of Watch by Stephen King
The Last Days of Night by Graham Moore
Finders Keepers by Stephen King
From Ash and Sand by Amy Harmon
Sunday, April 30, 2017
Monday, April 17, 2017
What is your reaction to the text you just read?
The lack of names was a little irritating to work with, while it wasn't hard to tell who it was talking about, since there were really only two characters discussed it the story. Still, not using names felt frustrating and it seemed like the point of view shifted a little too much, to the point that I thought the female character was the main lead as opposed to the male character, but perhaps that may be the point. This was also a more slower paced text than what I prefer to read, so it was a little hard to read and not get exhausted reading it. It was also using roman numerals at each section, counting down to, what I can only assume, is the end of the story. It is quite possible there was some other meaning to it that completely flew over my head, like most of the references that were used in this text.
What connections did you make with the story? Discuss the elements of the work with which you were able to connect.
To be perfectly honest, it was pretty hard for me to follow it, it appeared to be too dull for my tastes. Most of the references used I didn't get, so I couldn't really make connections based on that. Not really knowing much about the Rolling Stones, I didn't really get who Dylan was at first, until I read the note at the end.
What changes would you make to adapt this story to another medium? What medium would you use? What changes would you make?
Let's say you make this a movie, do you think that in it's current state that it would translate well? I don't particular think so. The changes I would make would simply be more clarity on everything. Such as who our characters are, and a more defined timeline of events. The sections with the roman numerals are separated, which would suggest something akin to a chapter change, this could simply be adapted as scene changes, or gotten rid of entirely. Maybe I completely missed the point of this short story, these are my thoughts on it.
The lack of names was a little irritating to work with, while it wasn't hard to tell who it was talking about, since there were really only two characters discussed it the story. Still, not using names felt frustrating and it seemed like the point of view shifted a little too much, to the point that I thought the female character was the main lead as opposed to the male character, but perhaps that may be the point. This was also a more slower paced text than what I prefer to read, so it was a little hard to read and not get exhausted reading it. It was also using roman numerals at each section, counting down to, what I can only assume, is the end of the story. It is quite possible there was some other meaning to it that completely flew over my head, like most of the references that were used in this text.
What connections did you make with the story? Discuss the elements of the work with which you were able to connect.
To be perfectly honest, it was pretty hard for me to follow it, it appeared to be too dull for my tastes. Most of the references used I didn't get, so I couldn't really make connections based on that. Not really knowing much about the Rolling Stones, I didn't really get who Dylan was at first, until I read the note at the end.
What changes would you make to adapt this story to another medium? What medium would you use? What changes would you make?
Let's say you make this a movie, do you think that in it's current state that it would translate well? I don't particular think so. The changes I would make would simply be more clarity on everything. Such as who our characters are, and a more defined timeline of events. The sections with the roman numerals are separated, which would suggest something akin to a chapter change, this could simply be adapted as scene changes, or gotten rid of entirely. Maybe I completely missed the point of this short story, these are my thoughts on it.
Curate Yourself: The Abridged Story
Abridged series are a well know form of entertainment these days, taking in a completed work and re-editing it and interpreting it in a different light. Having its first season being abridged recently, the completion of the first season anyways, I decided I'd like to share the Sword Art Online Abridged series on Youtube:
SAO Abridged
Anyone who has see SAO knows that the show tries to take itself way to seriously almost all the time, while this abridged series does the exact opposite. SAO Abridged takes itself as nothing more than a joke and it surprisingly works a lot more when seen as such. It shows and gives the characters the personalities that we would have expected them to have, and at times it shows itself more capable than the original show itself, such as the ending. Unlike the original show, which reveals that the main antagonist simply forgot his reasons for starting it entirely, the abridged series gives an explanation to the motivations, even though it is just a joke. The abridged show even purposely makes fun of that plot point in the original show.
On the topic of abridged series in general. They are, like most things in this world, an art form. Abridged series are usually made to be more comedic and to give fans of the shows, or even haters of the shows, to receive more enjoyment from the content. Abridged series are usually great about following the original plot lines from the source content, while including aspects of their own narrative. This is one of the reasons why I enjoy abridged series. In a weird sort of way, some of the changes made in abridged series make a while lot more sense, than what was present in the source material, such as Grimlock's punishment in SAO's abridged series. In the original, he's just sort of forgiven, regardless of the reason, they forgive him after he killed his wife, which seems most questionable.
Now should Abridged series be considered as a form of literature? Most simply put, yes. Much like when someone writes their own fanfiction, there is still merit in what was created. Abridged series are satire on their original content. You don't discount movies or novels today just because they are satire, right?
Abridged content is a form of media that everyone must at least experience once, which is why I decided to share this form of media for today.
SAO Abridged
Anyone who has see SAO knows that the show tries to take itself way to seriously almost all the time, while this abridged series does the exact opposite. SAO Abridged takes itself as nothing more than a joke and it surprisingly works a lot more when seen as such. It shows and gives the characters the personalities that we would have expected them to have, and at times it shows itself more capable than the original show itself, such as the ending. Unlike the original show, which reveals that the main antagonist simply forgot his reasons for starting it entirely, the abridged series gives an explanation to the motivations, even though it is just a joke. The abridged show even purposely makes fun of that plot point in the original show.
On the topic of abridged series in general. They are, like most things in this world, an art form. Abridged series are usually made to be more comedic and to give fans of the shows, or even haters of the shows, to receive more enjoyment from the content. Abridged series are usually great about following the original plot lines from the source content, while including aspects of their own narrative. This is one of the reasons why I enjoy abridged series. In a weird sort of way, some of the changes made in abridged series make a while lot more sense, than what was present in the source material, such as Grimlock's punishment in SAO's abridged series. In the original, he's just sort of forgiven, regardless of the reason, they forgive him after he killed his wife, which seems most questionable.
Now should Abridged series be considered as a form of literature? Most simply put, yes. Much like when someone writes their own fanfiction, there is still merit in what was created. Abridged series are satire on their original content. You don't discount movies or novels today just because they are satire, right?
Abridged content is a form of media that everyone must at least experience once, which is why I decided to share this form of media for today.
Sunday, April 16, 2017
Final Fantasy VII and Literature
Final Fantasy VII is one of the most popular Final Fantasy games to date, and its hard not to see why. The game has wonderful game mechanics, great characters, and an exciting story. Final Fantasy games are usually known for having good stories, and VII's is no exception. VII's story starts off pretty basic, where you have the goal to take down the Shinra cooperation and stop it from siphoning off the life force of the planet, and while this remains as one of the core plots, it's only one layer of the entire narrative. There are many simultaneous plots that happen alongside it, such as the creation and mental breakdown of Sephiroth, Cloud's own psychological state, the Calamity Jenova and the destruction of the Cetra, the oppression of Wutai, Cid's dream to go to space, and the return of Sephiroth. Of course, the player would not be able to normally follow all of these at once, but they are fitted together in a way that makes it easier to grasp. In nearly all of the subplots, Shinra is usually the main cause/reason that these subplots exists. So the player doesn't need to go off and search for all the subplots, and it adds a layering effect to the man plot. All of these subplots are connected to Shinra, and so you'll almost always encounter them while you fight them.
Of course, VII's plot isn't the only thing great about the game. It also features a lost of unique characters with loads of character development, something some games nowadays don't really showcase. Each character in VII had their own reasons for joining the party, and they all developed as they traveled with you. One of the reasons while I believe VII got as popular as it did was because of it's literary merit. It is a very story-oriented video game and features many things you would see in a novel. Final Fantasy VII is receiving a remake on the PS4, and one could hope that they won't change some of the things that made VII enjoyable, but given their recent track record and the fact that they already stated that there were going to be story changes, this might cause some fans of the game concern.
Regardless, Final Fantasy VII in its purest form is a fine piece of literature.
Of course, VII's plot isn't the only thing great about the game. It also features a lost of unique characters with loads of character development, something some games nowadays don't really showcase. Each character in VII had their own reasons for joining the party, and they all developed as they traveled with you. One of the reasons while I believe VII got as popular as it did was because of it's literary merit. It is a very story-oriented video game and features many things you would see in a novel. Final Fantasy VII is receiving a remake on the PS4, and one could hope that they won't change some of the things that made VII enjoyable, but given their recent track record and the fact that they already stated that there were going to be story changes, this might cause some fans of the game concern.
Regardless, Final Fantasy VII in its purest form is a fine piece of literature.
Binge watching
Who's loves watching those one a week shows, watching a episode and letting it simmer for a week before continuing. No? Well, maybe you're more of a fan of just watching an entire series in one go? Binge watching is a popular practice of consuming all a show has to offer in a relatively small amount of time. Usually for those who just can't wait to find out if Kimmy Schmidt will be able to live her comfortable new life or not. Or perhaps they just got a few days off work/school and want something to do for the next few hours.
There are some pros to binge watching, but you do lose something in it as well. When you binge watch, you absorb all the content in a mere matter of hours, and you're satisfied that you do not have to wait any longer for the rest of the story. However, the show stays in your life for a smaller amount of time, after a little while you might no longer remember the plot of the characters. In contrast, when you watch a show on schedule, the show tends to stick around longer and you end up feeling like the characters are part of your everyday life. You tend to remember more about the plot and the characters.
For example, I binge watched Kimmy Schmidt, and though I throughly enjoyed it, and cannot for the life of me remember the mother character's name. The only character's name that I remember is the title character. But when compared to when I watch a show weekly (Once Upon a Time), I can remember all the major characters names (Emma, Regina, Henry, David, Killian, Zelena, Gold, etc...), as well as the major plot points.
When you watch a show on schedule, you give yourself the time to grow to like and care for the characters in a show, but when you binge you may satisfy your plot craving, but there's a higher probability you might not remember it further down the line. Like with everything in this world, there's is always positive things about thing such as this, but there will always be something you lose from it as well. Binge watching definitely affecting your overall experience with a show, and it's ultimately up to you to decide if you would rather binge watch an entire show and watch it in moderation.
There are some pros to binge watching, but you do lose something in it as well. When you binge watch, you absorb all the content in a mere matter of hours, and you're satisfied that you do not have to wait any longer for the rest of the story. However, the show stays in your life for a smaller amount of time, after a little while you might no longer remember the plot of the characters. In contrast, when you watch a show on schedule, the show tends to stick around longer and you end up feeling like the characters are part of your everyday life. You tend to remember more about the plot and the characters.
For example, I binge watched Kimmy Schmidt, and though I throughly enjoyed it, and cannot for the life of me remember the mother character's name. The only character's name that I remember is the title character. But when compared to when I watch a show weekly (Once Upon a Time), I can remember all the major characters names (Emma, Regina, Henry, David, Killian, Zelena, Gold, etc...), as well as the major plot points.
When you watch a show on schedule, you give yourself the time to grow to like and care for the characters in a show, but when you binge you may satisfy your plot craving, but there's a higher probability you might not remember it further down the line. Like with everything in this world, there's is always positive things about thing such as this, but there will always be something you lose from it as well. Binge watching definitely affecting your overall experience with a show, and it's ultimately up to you to decide if you would rather binge watch an entire show and watch it in moderation.
Asterious Polyp - Style
When we speak about the author's voice, it's more apparent in this genre than that of films or movies. Their voice becomes more obvious and distinct and is far easier to tell apart. The artistic style in Asterious helps the reader understand how each of the characters think or how they interpret the world, allowing us to better understand them. For example, Asterious is shown in a more bland and rather box-like nature (increasing so when he is arguing with Hana), while Hana is shown with more color and more free forms. The way these characters are drawn allows us to know how they feel without them needing to constantly pour exposition to the viewer, the opposite of a book (written) where the narrator has to tell you what they are feeling.
Similar to a director of a film that performs certain cinema tricks, an author's artistic style with a graphic novel is the same. For example, what we see in Asterious stylistically is much different from something like a superhero graphic novel. A graphic novel artist's style is much more obvious than other media, and it can even clue in the viewer for what the author typically writes about. If the style is more fine and detailed, they probably prefer more serious and action oriented content, but if it's done in a more cute style, they may enjoy the more humous sections of it. In short, the author's art style can support not only the character's voices, but the author's voice as well with only a few words.
Similar to a director of a film that performs certain cinema tricks, an author's artistic style with a graphic novel is the same. For example, what we see in Asterious stylistically is much different from something like a superhero graphic novel. A graphic novel artist's style is much more obvious than other media, and it can even clue in the viewer for what the author typically writes about. If the style is more fine and detailed, they probably prefer more serious and action oriented content, but if it's done in a more cute style, they may enjoy the more humous sections of it. In short, the author's art style can support not only the character's voices, but the author's voice as well with only a few words.
Monday, March 20, 2017
Dead Man, Mystery Train, and Down by Law
The most striking similarity between the films that immediately caught my attention was that they all featured main protagonists that have had or are having trouble with the law. In Dead Man, our lead character is falsely accused of killing and a price is placed on his head by the head of the factory. In Mystery Train, mainly in the third story, Johnny ends up robbing a place and to lay low from the police for the night, he and some others, hide out at a hotel and by morning are fleeing from cops who aren't looking for them. In Down by Law, two of our main characters are set up for a crime they didn't commit, and are sent to prison.
All three films also focus more on the characters interactions between each other, rather than what should be the prior issue. William in Dead Man focuses more on his interactions with Nobody, Zack and Jack in Done by Law, and Johnny and Charlie in Mystery Train. Each film also seemed to skip over information in order to give more time to the development of characters, with events sometimes feeling shoehorned in. The overall direction of the films seems unclear, with no concrete plot in place. Each also features traveling in some way, whether it be William fleeing with his head or Zack and Jack escaping from prison. Women tended to fall in love almost instantly and aren't given a lot of screen time.
The Auteur Theory ~ Akira Kurosawa
Kurosawa's films, or at least those I have watched this past week, display certain similarities that make them stand out. All three of the films I watched (Yojimbo, Throne of Blood, and The Hidden Fortress), take place in the feudal Japan era, featured a sword-wielding expert, and dealt with manipulation.
Taking place in Japan seems simple enough to understand. The director seems to focus on the feudal era, which suggests that he is fascinated with that era. It's likely he may use or reference subjects and ideas from that time period in his work, although I cannot say for certain as I do not know his every work. In addition to the era, each film featured a highly regarded sword master. While all three are different, they are undoubtably the most interesting character featured, and usually given the most screen time (the exception would be "The Hidden Fortress," where the Princess is another interesting character, and the others hold up their ends as well).
All three films also dealt with the subject of manipulation. In Throne of Blood, Washizu ends up being manipulated by his wife into believing everything in the prophecy and to try and cheat fate, which becomes his undoing. In Yojimbo, Sanjuro tries to manipulate two quarreling sides of a town in order to rise the tension and goad one of them into hiring him. This doesn't go quite as plan, as he gets caught performing an act of aggression to one side. While he gets put in a sticky situation, his situation didn't end up as grim as Washizu. In The Hidden Fortress, Makabe manipulates two peasants into smuggling his princess across borders without their knowledge. In all three films, greed is the central catalyst for the manipulation in each one.
So what I understood so far on Kurosawa's style is that greed is not a virtuous ideal, and those that get enticed by it will eventually have it come back in full force. This is shown in Throne of Blood when Washizu finally dies after the prophecy comes to fulfillment, in Yojimbo when Sanjuro gets captured after he slips up when he kills Ushitora's men, and in The Hidden Fortress when the peasants constantly try to abandon the group and take the gold for themselves. Of course these are only my thoughts on his work that I have seen. It is quite possible that his other films may not even have any of these commonalties, and I just happened to choose the only three similar films. Either way, I enjoyed watching these films and seeing these similarities presented.
Taking place in Japan seems simple enough to understand. The director seems to focus on the feudal era, which suggests that he is fascinated with that era. It's likely he may use or reference subjects and ideas from that time period in his work, although I cannot say for certain as I do not know his every work. In addition to the era, each film featured a highly regarded sword master. While all three are different, they are undoubtably the most interesting character featured, and usually given the most screen time (the exception would be "The Hidden Fortress," where the Princess is another interesting character, and the others hold up their ends as well).
All three films also dealt with the subject of manipulation. In Throne of Blood, Washizu ends up being manipulated by his wife into believing everything in the prophecy and to try and cheat fate, which becomes his undoing. In Yojimbo, Sanjuro tries to manipulate two quarreling sides of a town in order to rise the tension and goad one of them into hiring him. This doesn't go quite as plan, as he gets caught performing an act of aggression to one side. While he gets put in a sticky situation, his situation didn't end up as grim as Washizu. In The Hidden Fortress, Makabe manipulates two peasants into smuggling his princess across borders without their knowledge. In all three films, greed is the central catalyst for the manipulation in each one.
So what I understood so far on Kurosawa's style is that greed is not a virtuous ideal, and those that get enticed by it will eventually have it come back in full force. This is shown in Throne of Blood when Washizu finally dies after the prophecy comes to fulfillment, in Yojimbo when Sanjuro gets captured after he slips up when he kills Ushitora's men, and in The Hidden Fortress when the peasants constantly try to abandon the group and take the gold for themselves. Of course these are only my thoughts on his work that I have seen. It is quite possible that his other films may not even have any of these commonalties, and I just happened to choose the only three similar films. Either way, I enjoyed watching these films and seeing these similarities presented.
Sunday, March 19, 2017
Set Design Thoughts ~ Ringu
If I were to look at this screenplay through the eyes of a set designer, I would give the objects that appear in all caps more presence in the scenes they are portrayed in. Above all else, these must be the things most viewers should be able to identify in the scenes. Such as in the beginning of the screenplay when Tomoko hears a noise from living room, the script mentions the light given off from the TV, therefore the lighting would be built in a way that enhances the TV's presence on screen over the other objects in the room. The same goes for objects the actors interact with. They need to be distinguishable from the environment in which they are placed, but at the same time they need to look like they belong there.
As for the lighting of the screenplay, I would avoid bright and warm colors as I would want the viewer to remain somewhat on guard. This story is anything but happy, and it's important that the viewers would remember that. The lighting of a film can determine the mood of it, having bright a warms colors makes it more friendly and safe. While having darker and more grim colors increases the sinisterness too it. I would use a more evened out desaturated lighting, but I would make sure I'm not making the scene to dark either. The lighting I would use would give of a more ominous feeling.
Essentially, I would design the sets in the same way I would make an environment for Game Art. I would make sure the objects of note are easily discernible, and construct the lighting to make the viewer feel the way I want. I don't know too much about making films, so I would probably approach like I was making a game environment.
Sunday, February 26, 2017
Hitting Budapest ~ Worldbuilding
What are the precise strategies that are used by its creator to convey the world to us and us to the world?
Rather than giving us bland visual descriptions of everything in the story, the author uses the characters and their interactions to convey information about the world. This allows the reader to visually perceive the world where the characters dwell without needing to much description. There is also a good use of contrast at play, where a standard neighborhood from our perspective seems to be on a much grander scale from our characters. When the author does use physical description, it is never plainly stated out what the object is at times. Such as when the tall, thin lady was eating the food the characters wanted. It's never stated what that is, but it leaves it up to the reader's imagination (I for one thought of poptarts). The author describes this as a mystical food, and this also reveals more about the world and how that area is more high class and fantastical than the world our characters grew up, which is completely left to the reader's imagination. The author also plays with the contrast between their world and the reader's world, and they make use of this contrast to make the world seem more surreal, which allows the reader to have a more imaginative view of the world, which also makes the world seem more connected to the reader.
Rather than giving us bland visual descriptions of everything in the story, the author uses the characters and their interactions to convey information about the world. This allows the reader to visually perceive the world where the characters dwell without needing to much description. There is also a good use of contrast at play, where a standard neighborhood from our perspective seems to be on a much grander scale from our characters. When the author does use physical description, it is never plainly stated out what the object is at times. Such as when the tall, thin lady was eating the food the characters wanted. It's never stated what that is, but it leaves it up to the reader's imagination (I for one thought of poptarts). The author describes this as a mystical food, and this also reveals more about the world and how that area is more high class and fantastical than the world our characters grew up, which is completely left to the reader's imagination. The author also plays with the contrast between their world and the reader's world, and they make use of this contrast to make the world seem more surreal, which allows the reader to have a more imaginative view of the world, which also makes the world seem more connected to the reader.
Sunday, February 19, 2017
Story of an Hour ~ Relationships
How are relationships between men and women (or characters assuming male/female roles) portrayed in the story?
In the Story of an Hour, we see how the author interprets the roles of men and women in the world, or more particularly, in marriage. The story deals with a wife receiving the news that her husband had died. At first she grieved for the loss, but after a while she came to the realization that she was free. This tells us what the author thought about a woman's role in marriage. How she is not free with a husband, and that the husband in some way controls the wife. You get the feeling that she did love him, but at times it feels like it suggested that she was conditioned to feel that way. Such as when they mentioned that the wife tried to beat down the "horrific" thoughts of freedom. As if it suggested that she was conditioned to feel love for her husband or that she should never act independently from him. In that sense, the husband from this point of view is a jailer, while the wife is the prisoner. When the wife accepts these thoughts of freedom, she begins to wish life would go on, as opposed to when her husband was alive and she feared a long life. In this way the author is stating that a woman is tied down by her husband, and thus is not "free." This reveals the stance the author has on their views of marriage. The irony was that her husband wasn't dead, but the wife ended up dying in a sort of retribution for having these thoughts, which suggests that women shouldn't think like that.
I find this story interesting because it shows up how much has changed since this story was created. I am not discounting that some marriages may feel like prisons, but woman have certainly gained a lot more ground than previously, especially in cases of divorce settlement and child custody. Many of the strides made are from our more recent decades, and it reflects how much is changing in the world today. More people are supportive of woman's right than ever before, especially since the past few hundred years. A scenario like this in today's society would favor the woman in a more sympathetic light than the people of the past would have. The relationships between men and women have vastly improved since then, and will probably continue to improve in the future.
In the Story of an Hour, we see how the author interprets the roles of men and women in the world, or more particularly, in marriage. The story deals with a wife receiving the news that her husband had died. At first she grieved for the loss, but after a while she came to the realization that she was free. This tells us what the author thought about a woman's role in marriage. How she is not free with a husband, and that the husband in some way controls the wife. You get the feeling that she did love him, but at times it feels like it suggested that she was conditioned to feel that way. Such as when they mentioned that the wife tried to beat down the "horrific" thoughts of freedom. As if it suggested that she was conditioned to feel love for her husband or that she should never act independently from him. In that sense, the husband from this point of view is a jailer, while the wife is the prisoner. When the wife accepts these thoughts of freedom, she begins to wish life would go on, as opposed to when her husband was alive and she feared a long life. In this way the author is stating that a woman is tied down by her husband, and thus is not "free." This reveals the stance the author has on their views of marriage. The irony was that her husband wasn't dead, but the wife ended up dying in a sort of retribution for having these thoughts, which suggests that women shouldn't think like that.
I find this story interesting because it shows up how much has changed since this story was created. I am not discounting that some marriages may feel like prisons, but woman have certainly gained a lot more ground than previously, especially in cases of divorce settlement and child custody. Many of the strides made are from our more recent decades, and it reflects how much is changing in the world today. More people are supportive of woman's right than ever before, especially since the past few hundred years. A scenario like this in today's society would favor the woman in a more sympathetic light than the people of the past would have. The relationships between men and women have vastly improved since then, and will probably continue to improve in the future.
Sunday, February 12, 2017
My Female Heroine
As someone who wishes to create video games for a living, I believe in equally representing characters in said games. So for this week, I'll discuss a female heroine that I first began developing since my time in high school, and a character that is still being developed. Her name is Marelda.
Since her creation, I've always envisioned Marelda as a strong character, cast as the central protagonist and the would-be playable character. Marelda acts a bit tougher than most people she knows, she wears this facade to ease the people around her and make them feel secure, even when she could be struggling to keep it together. That being said, she is not internally fragile and is cable of making tougher decisions for the good of everyone. Even if she is prepared to make those decisions, she takes every precaution she can think of to prevent those choices from happening. She desires the strength to protect everyone and does physical training everyday to ensure her body doesn't fail her in her time of need.
The key concept in her character is that a woman can also be strong, not just physically, but emotionally as well. She appears as one of the strongest women in her world, and can make tougher decisions if she needs to. There are times when she will be emotionally challenged and she'll have to overcome those challenges in order to do what's right. When she first received her power, she was disinterested and wanted nothing to do with it, believing that she wasn't worthy of such power. It wasn't until the loss of her parents that she decided to master this power in order to ensure that nobody else would need to experience a loss like that. Even if the goal was inconceivable, it spurred her into action to reduce the despair in the world. However, because she was afraid of losing others (namely her little brother), she cut herself of emotionally from them and it would take time for her to finally open up again.
In her world, Marelda possesses the ability to use a regna, a weapon I've designed for the world, named Harbinger. This regna allows Marelda to manifest weapons that reflect her soul, and the more diverse the soul, the more variety that regna can manifest. Marelda's weapons in particular take more larger heavier shapes, representing her resilience and inner strength. Marelda isn't the only one who possesses this power, however her power is so great that she limits its flow of power in order to preserve balance in the world. The reserved power is held back by twin markers on both of her shoulders, and she only releases the seals during more riskier situations. The flow of power is also influenced by her emotions, where more agitated emotions can cause her weapon's forms to fail (like anger or sorrow). It isn't until later that she discovers that more positive emotions can strengthen her weapons.
If I were to choose what attributes I think women of today could learn and look up to, it would definitely be that one's determination at something can help and benefit those they care about. Women should be able to be strong in the face of adversity, whether it is a physical threat of an emotional one. I feel that woman can be the protagonist of their story without sexually exploiting them, and they can have their own drives and motivations for why they fight. I would like Marelda's more positive aspects to shine, but at the same time I want to show her changing over the course of the story, where she has to open up to people and to overcome her challenges to be the hero she wants to be. There will be times where she will be wrong, but that's fine, after all she is human. I would like that to pass on as well, where you don't need to be perfect, you can make mistakes and learn from them to move forward.
I hope you enjoyed reading about my heroine, and hopefully one can see her in a video game one day leading the charge. Til next time.
Since her creation, I've always envisioned Marelda as a strong character, cast as the central protagonist and the would-be playable character. Marelda acts a bit tougher than most people she knows, she wears this facade to ease the people around her and make them feel secure, even when she could be struggling to keep it together. That being said, she is not internally fragile and is cable of making tougher decisions for the good of everyone. Even if she is prepared to make those decisions, she takes every precaution she can think of to prevent those choices from happening. She desires the strength to protect everyone and does physical training everyday to ensure her body doesn't fail her in her time of need.
The key concept in her character is that a woman can also be strong, not just physically, but emotionally as well. She appears as one of the strongest women in her world, and can make tougher decisions if she needs to. There are times when she will be emotionally challenged and she'll have to overcome those challenges in order to do what's right. When she first received her power, she was disinterested and wanted nothing to do with it, believing that she wasn't worthy of such power. It wasn't until the loss of her parents that she decided to master this power in order to ensure that nobody else would need to experience a loss like that. Even if the goal was inconceivable, it spurred her into action to reduce the despair in the world. However, because she was afraid of losing others (namely her little brother), she cut herself of emotionally from them and it would take time for her to finally open up again.
In her world, Marelda possesses the ability to use a regna, a weapon I've designed for the world, named Harbinger. This regna allows Marelda to manifest weapons that reflect her soul, and the more diverse the soul, the more variety that regna can manifest. Marelda's weapons in particular take more larger heavier shapes, representing her resilience and inner strength. Marelda isn't the only one who possesses this power, however her power is so great that she limits its flow of power in order to preserve balance in the world. The reserved power is held back by twin markers on both of her shoulders, and she only releases the seals during more riskier situations. The flow of power is also influenced by her emotions, where more agitated emotions can cause her weapon's forms to fail (like anger or sorrow). It isn't until later that she discovers that more positive emotions can strengthen her weapons.
If I were to choose what attributes I think women of today could learn and look up to, it would definitely be that one's determination at something can help and benefit those they care about. Women should be able to be strong in the face of adversity, whether it is a physical threat of an emotional one. I feel that woman can be the protagonist of their story without sexually exploiting them, and they can have their own drives and motivations for why they fight. I would like Marelda's more positive aspects to shine, but at the same time I want to show her changing over the course of the story, where she has to open up to people and to overcome her challenges to be the hero she wants to be. There will be times where she will be wrong, but that's fine, after all she is human. I would like that to pass on as well, where you don't need to be perfect, you can make mistakes and learn from them to move forward.
I hope you enjoyed reading about my heroine, and hopefully one can see her in a video game one day leading the charge. Til next time.
Sunday, January 29, 2017
True Grit and Mythology
Mythology is a term used to describe the beliefs or various collected stories for a group of people. Similar to Greek mythology, our Western society has a sort of mythology based on the Old West times. Mythology is often used to describe events that happen or how one's morals shall be based. This is true for the Old Western society as well. To examine these, we take a look at True Grit.
True Grit is about a girl, named Maddie, who seeks revenge against the man who killed her father, Tom Chaney. She seeks out the employ of Marshall Cogburn in order to see justice down. However, what exactly is justice? In True Grit, justice seems to be determined by the marshalls and the court in relation to how the public views it. This shows a distinct difference between the ones with power and the ones who lack it. We see this translated today with our own police forces, wherein they act as the law of the land. In the novel we see countless people killed, but it was only just when our heroes did it. Our society reflects this, where police can kill someone, in order to save others and bring villains to justice.
On the topic of morality, the novel displays quite a lot of incidents that we might find immoral, however we see most of these acts done by the bad guys, like it's saying that you could end up losing your life if you do these things. Which is true. However, there are several immoral things that the Marshall does, but is viewed as moral because he did it. One particular example is near the end of the novel, where the horse finally collapses. Ultimately, Cogburn ends up killing the creature which we would normally view as immoral, but because he did it and he had a good reason to do it, then it's fine. This highlights how things are viewed in today's society (such as humanely killing something). If someone kills someone else, then they're a murderer (unless there are special circumstances), but if a cop kills someone, then they're a hero because they saved you and countless others.
On a closing note, mythology is typically used by people to explain circumstances and act as a moral guide. True Grit, which is based on the western mythology, achieves much of the same. It tells you when it's proper to kill someone, or what to do if you seek justice. The opposite exists there as well, if you kill unlawfully and are a bad person, then death awaits you (or jail time). It even shows someone who was bad for being involved, but redeems himself by helping our heroes, even if he still dies.
I watched the 2010 version of the movie, and while there are notable differences, I believe it holds up to the novel. It still gets the point the novel was trying to show. Overall, True Grit is a novel on human nature and the virtues one should uphold, much like most mythologies in the world.
True Grit is about a girl, named Maddie, who seeks revenge against the man who killed her father, Tom Chaney. She seeks out the employ of Marshall Cogburn in order to see justice down. However, what exactly is justice? In True Grit, justice seems to be determined by the marshalls and the court in relation to how the public views it. This shows a distinct difference between the ones with power and the ones who lack it. We see this translated today with our own police forces, wherein they act as the law of the land. In the novel we see countless people killed, but it was only just when our heroes did it. Our society reflects this, where police can kill someone, in order to save others and bring villains to justice.
On the topic of morality, the novel displays quite a lot of incidents that we might find immoral, however we see most of these acts done by the bad guys, like it's saying that you could end up losing your life if you do these things. Which is true. However, there are several immoral things that the Marshall does, but is viewed as moral because he did it. One particular example is near the end of the novel, where the horse finally collapses. Ultimately, Cogburn ends up killing the creature which we would normally view as immoral, but because he did it and he had a good reason to do it, then it's fine. This highlights how things are viewed in today's society (such as humanely killing something). If someone kills someone else, then they're a murderer (unless there are special circumstances), but if a cop kills someone, then they're a hero because they saved you and countless others.
On a closing note, mythology is typically used by people to explain circumstances and act as a moral guide. True Grit, which is based on the western mythology, achieves much of the same. It tells you when it's proper to kill someone, or what to do if you seek justice. The opposite exists there as well, if you kill unlawfully and are a bad person, then death awaits you (or jail time). It even shows someone who was bad for being involved, but redeems himself by helping our heroes, even if he still dies.
I watched the 2010 version of the movie, and while there are notable differences, I believe it holds up to the novel. It still gets the point the novel was trying to show. Overall, True Grit is a novel on human nature and the virtues one should uphold, much like most mythologies in the world.
Sunday, January 22, 2017
Pride and Prejudice
Seeing as this was a title I haven't read before, I thought I'd try out something differently that I don't normally do. I decided I would have this be read digitally via audio rather than manual reading. It was quite interesting, and it was a little more calming than i initially thought it'd be. Overall, I quite enjoyed the story, and I especially liked how the book viewed marriage. We are given that standard female protagonist we've come to know today who wishes to marry someone out of love, rather than need or wealth. Early in the story, Lizzie is proposed to by Mr. Collins and she rejects him because he wouldn't be able to make her happy and vice versa. However, Collins later proposes to Lizzie's best friend, Charlotte, who accepts. We are presented with two different situations that reveals one's intentions for marrying, whether it be for one's own happiness or for one's security. I really like how the novel displays them, showing the way Lizzie's thinks and realizes that one might not marry for love, but rather to stay safe.
The love of our two main leads seemed so unlikely in the beginning, to the point I didn't believe that two of them would get together. However, I think the novel handled the progression fairly well, but there were points where one could predict what the next interaction would entail. They do get together in the end, but I felt that the conflict with Catherine in the end was needless drama added in, even if it had convinced me that the story could've ended there. I do have my doubts and questions about their love, but I'm inclined to just chalk it up to me not really understanding the concept. Regardless, they did end up together and it did feel rewarding and deserved, so who am I to judge?
I'm not sure if it's just me, but the one character I couldn't stand half the time was the mother. She had some redeeming moments, but most of the time she was forcing her daughters to marry. It did lead to my favorite part in the story. When Lizzie is being confronted into marrying Mr. Collins, Mrs. Bennet pressures Mr. Bennet to giving a response, and I absolutely loved it when he countered Mrs. Bennet's saying that she would never see Lizzie again if she refused, and Mr. Bennet said Lizzie would never see him again if she accepted.
I also watched the 2005 version of the movie, and I thought it held up quite nicely. There were areas in the book in which things were more clarified than in the movie. However the movie was able to convey more feeling into the scenes without drowning us in more text. Of course, this is true for most movies. I thought the performances were quite nice and the actors played their parts very well.
Overall, I did quite enjoy Pride and Prejudice. I loved how the title represented the main character's flaws in the beginning. Lizzie was prideful in the fact that she wouldn't lower herself to marry someone based on wealth, and she formed an unfair prejudice against Mr. Darcy upon meeting him, thinking he was arrogant and obnoxious. She was able to later resolved these and admit her love for him. It was quite a lovely story with a fitting title.
Oh, here's the link to the audio I listened to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVHu5-n69qQ
The one issue is that it was sometimes hard to distinguish which character was talking, but overall it was very helpful.
The love of our two main leads seemed so unlikely in the beginning, to the point I didn't believe that two of them would get together. However, I think the novel handled the progression fairly well, but there were points where one could predict what the next interaction would entail. They do get together in the end, but I felt that the conflict with Catherine in the end was needless drama added in, even if it had convinced me that the story could've ended there. I do have my doubts and questions about their love, but I'm inclined to just chalk it up to me not really understanding the concept. Regardless, they did end up together and it did feel rewarding and deserved, so who am I to judge?
I'm not sure if it's just me, but the one character I couldn't stand half the time was the mother. She had some redeeming moments, but most of the time she was forcing her daughters to marry. It did lead to my favorite part in the story. When Lizzie is being confronted into marrying Mr. Collins, Mrs. Bennet pressures Mr. Bennet to giving a response, and I absolutely loved it when he countered Mrs. Bennet's saying that she would never see Lizzie again if she refused, and Mr. Bennet said Lizzie would never see him again if she accepted.
I also watched the 2005 version of the movie, and I thought it held up quite nicely. There were areas in the book in which things were more clarified than in the movie. However the movie was able to convey more feeling into the scenes without drowning us in more text. Of course, this is true for most movies. I thought the performances were quite nice and the actors played their parts very well.
Overall, I did quite enjoy Pride and Prejudice. I loved how the title represented the main character's flaws in the beginning. Lizzie was prideful in the fact that she wouldn't lower herself to marry someone based on wealth, and she formed an unfair prejudice against Mr. Darcy upon meeting him, thinking he was arrogant and obnoxious. She was able to later resolved these and admit her love for him. It was quite a lovely story with a fitting title.
Oh, here's the link to the audio I listened to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVHu5-n69qQ
The one issue is that it was sometimes hard to distinguish which character was talking, but overall it was very helpful.
Sunday, January 15, 2017
Prologue
The first thing I'd like to mention is that I have a major interest in video games, and will typically try to relate the things I work on to be more game-related. One example would be how I retained information in history classes back in middle/high school. Back in my old history classes, we'd go over key world history events, such as the life of Cleopatra, and I would interpret these events as the sort of cutscenes one would see in old Fire Emblem games.
Haven't you ever played a video game while a show was playing on the T.V. in the background? Sometimes I'll watch something required for school at the same time as drawing a sketch or playing a video game, and when I look back at the sketch or a particular moment in the game, I remember details about the video I had in the background. So even if it appears that I'm not paying attention, I'm actually subconsciously linking the information absorbed into visually imagery, to better remember it. The more interest I have in a subject I tend to be more attentive and make more of an effort to remember them, such as: math, video games, strategy, movies, or more informational subjects like greek mythology, politics, or sexuality.
When I go forward with writing responses to the reading, I will gravitate more to what I viewed as the most memorable moments, and will also try to link something in the reading to a video game or some other related form of media. And on a last note, I would consider myself rather liberal and I typically address things from a "logical" point of view, or rather how I view logic. I tend to be stubborn when confronted with opposing views, and they may prove to be more difficult to write about. I do sincerely believe that I try to act as fairly as I can.With that said, this will conclude my prologue and should contain the key information about me in order to understand why I might write about topics in a particular manner.
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