This You Believe

This post is for JUNIORS only.

Overview:

We've read a handful of NPR's "This I Believe" essays over the last few days. Your task? Write one of your own. (You might want to re-read the three essays you have to give you an idea about form, paragraph length, tone, etc.)


Criteria:

• Your first sentence must be: "I believe ______________________."
• The essay must be multiple paragraphs and 500 words minimum.
• You must use correct grammar, spelling and puctuation.
• Write in first person.
• All material must be class appropriate.
• Most importantly, your essay should be hearfelt and earnest. In other words, write from the heart; write about something you actually believe in.

Topics:

• Once you have your topic, post it as a comment below.
• Repeats are not allowed, so read all of the topics your classmates have already entered.
• Use this format in you post: "I believe _____________________."

The Great Gatsby on NES.

Years ago, there was a Great Gatsby game on NES.

You can find it here.

Exit through the Gift Shop - Extra Credit Post

Here is part of the film's Wikipedia entry. Read it...

The film received overwhelmingly positive reviews, holding 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, and was nominated for Best Documentary in the 2011 Academy Awards.^[5][6] One consistent theme in the reviews was the authenticity of the film: Was the film just an elaborate ruse on Banksy's part, or did Guetta really evolve into Mr. Brainwash overnight? The Boston Globe movie reviewer Ty Burr found it to be quite entertaining and awarded it four stars. He dismissed the notion of the film being a "put on" saying "I’m not buying it; for one thing, this story’s too good, too weirdly rich, to be made up. For another, the movie’s gently amused scorn lands on everyone."^[7] Roger Ebert gave it 3.5 stars out of 4, starting his review saying that "The widespread speculation that Exit Through the Gift Shop is a hoax only adds to its fascination."^[8] However, in an interview with SuicideGirls^[9] filmmakers Jaimie D'Cruz and Chris King denied that it was a hoax, and expressed their growing frustration with the speculation that it was: "For a while we all thought that was quite funny, but it went on for so long. It was a bit disappointing when it became basically accepted as fact, that it was all just a silly hoax ... I felt it was a shame that the whole thing was going to be dismissed like that really - because we knew it was true."^[10]


The New York Times movie reviewer Jeannette Catsoulis wrote that the film could be a new subgenre, a "prankumentary".^[11]


New York Film Critics Online bestowed its Best Documentary Award on the film in 2010. French journalist Marjolaine Gout gave it 4 stars out of 5, linking Mr. Brainwash and Jeff Koons and criticizing Thierry Guetta's art as toilet papering.^[12]

So what do you think? Is the entire film fake, created by Banksy? Does Theirry even exist? Was the whole thing one giant joke played on us by an artist, asking us to re-examine what we accept as real? Are we "Old Owl Eyes," or are we a bunch a Gatsby's party goers, believing everything we see? Is there even a party?

(This much is fact: There was a Mr. Brainwash who sold a bunch of art at an art show in L.A. That is true and documented in the papers.)

Comment below for extra credit.

Exit through the Gift Shop and The Great Gatsby

This post is for JUNIORS only.

First we read The Great Gatsby, and we examined how James Gats re-invented himself and became Jay Gatsby. We examined the price he paid, the flaws in the illusion, and the reasons he wanted to make the change in the first place.

Second we watched Exit through the Gift Shop, and we examined how Thierry went from thrift store owner, to film maker (?), and finally to artist (!). We saw similarities between him and Gatsby - the price he paid and the flaws in the illusion.

We also noticed how in both cases, people were suckered into believing the illusion before them. In both cases, people were tricked into thinking that what they were seeing (a rich, popular playboy or a new-wave artist) were 100% real.

Here is your task for today -- in a thoughtful, thorough paragraph, and using specific evidence from both the novel and the film, answer the following question:

Who was more successful at re-inventing himself, Gatsby or Thierry?

Post your response in the comments section bellow. When you have finished, check in with the instructor to make sure it posted. If you have any questions, please ask.

 

Gatsby Essay - Intros and Conclusions

This post is for JUNIORS only.



Your intro, as usual, should include the following components:

• hook - attention grabber
• link - connecting the hook to the thesis; includes title and author of novel
• thesis - the essay's central claim
• bridge - the three points of your essay

Your conclusion should include the following components:

• reflection of the thesis
• an answer to the question, "So what?" (connecting your essay to the real world)

Essays are due on Thursday. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Raisin vs Rocky

This entry is for FRESHMEN only.

In the COMMENTS section below, post a thoughtful and thorough answer to the following question:

Why did we view Rocky after reading A Raisin in the Sun?

Another way to think of it is, "How do these two stories compliment each other? How do they tackle similar themes? How similar are the protagonists - Rocky and Walter?"

Read the entries posted before yours, and comment on them as you formulate your own response. Remember, this should not simply be a list of paragraphs. We are aiming for a discussion, a back-and-forth sharing of ideas. I'll be checking in periodically to see how it's going.

A few notes: 

• Spelling, grammar, etc. count.
• You may post additional entries and earn extra credit.
• You should plan on checking back in after you respond to see if anyone has commented on your post. If so, feel free to respond in turn.

Gatsby Essay - Part 3

This post is for JUNIORS only.

Time to work on body paragraph three:

What is the reader's impression of Gatsby at the end of the novel?
(chapters 7-9)

You are encouraged to check your topic sentence with the instructor once you have an idea what it is. Like the first paragraph, keep in mind the following criteria:

• thoughtful topic sentence
• third person only
• Set up for quotations
• properly cited quotations
• explanation of evidence/cited quotations
• concluding sentence
• grammar (comma usage, capitalization, semicolons, spelling, run ons, comma splices, etc.)

Again, keep all of your work saved on the school's server at all times. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask. Good luck.