I'm not sure if I understand how to respond to the prompt in order to give my opinion. I believe that a writer can and should write something that may not reflect their Christian views. Similarly, I believe that actors should not stick solely to Christian roles that reflect all of their views. Now before anyone condemns me, let me explain; I'll use Denzel as my example. In the movie He Got Game, directed by Spike Lee, Denzel plays an incarcerated father who gets released for a short time in order to convince his basketball phenom of a son to play at a certain college. Throughout the movie, Denzel does things that may not be considered Christian, however I don't consider that necessarily bad. If Denzel were to refuse to do anything that goes against Christianity, it would ruin the movie. Many of the gripes people have about movies is the fact that they don't seem real. Just think if Denzel were to say "Get that hate out your heart son, or you'll end up just another black man, like your father". The movie would seem so fake that I doubt anyone would bother to watch. Many of the arguments I have read on others blogs bring up the issue of actors just wanting money, but I don't believe you can paint actors with such a broad brush. I personally don't believe that Denzel takes roles based on money. Denzel just released a book called "A Hand to Guide Me", in which he donated all the proceeds of the book to the Boys and Girls Club. I honestly have so much I want to say, but my thoughts are so jumbled that I'm not even sure if what I just said makes sense.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Distance
I'm not sure if I understand how to respond to the prompt in order to give my opinion. I believe that a writer can and should write something that may not reflect their Christian views. Similarly, I believe that actors should not stick solely to Christian roles that reflect all of their views. Now before anyone condemns me, let me explain; I'll use Denzel as my example. In the movie He Got Game, directed by Spike Lee, Denzel plays an incarcerated father who gets released for a short time in order to convince his basketball phenom of a son to play at a certain college. Throughout the movie, Denzel does things that may not be considered Christian, however I don't consider that necessarily bad. If Denzel were to refuse to do anything that goes against Christianity, it would ruin the movie. Many of the gripes people have about movies is the fact that they don't seem real. Just think if Denzel were to say "Get that hate out your heart son, or you'll end up just another black man, like your father". The movie would seem so fake that I doubt anyone would bother to watch. Many of the arguments I have read on others blogs bring up the issue of actors just wanting money, but I don't believe you can paint actors with such a broad brush. I personally don't believe that Denzel takes roles based on money. Denzel just released a book called "A Hand to Guide Me", in which he donated all the proceeds of the book to the Boys and Girls Club. I honestly have so much I want to say, but my thoughts are so jumbled that I'm not even sure if what I just said makes sense.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Darkness
Throughout "Adolescence-II", the girl never seems to directly interact with the darkness. Darkness in usually symbolic of evil, while light is usually symbolic of good. Therefore, due to the fact that the girl never directly interacts with the darkness, it would appear that she is trying not to succumb to it. It almost seems as if the darkness is seeking her out; for instance, the three seal men come bringing the scent of licorice. Therefore, I would say that evil is seeking the girl out, possibly in the demonic sense. In a way it reminds me of The Exorcism of Emily Rose, because the innocent girl seems to be targeted down by the darkness, however she never directly seeks it out.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Postmodernism in Adolescence-II
There are numerous examples of postmodernism within Rita Dove's "Adolescence-II". For example, in lines 8-10, the three seal men ask "Can you feel it yet?", and then "They chuckle, Patting their sleek bodies with their hands." The way the men chuckle provides an example of the celebration of disorder. It seems to me that the poem is talking about this girl getting raped, and the men are laughing about it. Another example of postmodernism is "the three seal men with eyes as round As dinner plates and eyelashes like sharpened tines". Even though I believe that the three seal men are actual men, it is possible that they are signifiers that don't point to signifieds. It could be that the three seal men are not really men at all, however that isn't what I believe.
Rita Dove's "Adolescence-II"
Rita Dove's "Adolescence-II"
Friday, February 8, 2008
Breakdown of Words & Meaning
I believe that the breakdown of words and meaning lies in both the inadequate system of language as well as the inadequate understanding of reality. In one sense, I can see how language could fail when attempting to express meaning, because "all true language is incomprehensible" (Antonin Artaud). All true language is incomprehensible because everything can be boiled down to "things". Even in the piece "Toast" by Margret Atwood, toast is deconstructed into its true existence...a thing. On the other hand, I could see how an inadequate understanding of reality could contribute to the breakdown of meaning, because "There is an objective reality out there, but we view it through the spectacles of our beliefs, attitudes, and values " (David G. Myers). Therefore, everything can be broken down into a "thing" depending on our spectacles, if you catch my drift. So, a postmodernist will see everything as merely a "thing" and having no other meaning than that, while theists may see everything as more than that.
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