The groves were God's first temples. ~William Cullen Bryant, "A Forest Hymn"
Good afternoon. I hope that you are all well today, feeling good . . . about life and, oh, I dunno, your place in the world. Today we will share the "What I Believe" pieces you have written. We're sure to get some interesting stories and ideas, I think, from these.
Monday class, I want to remind you all that next week's class will not meet because of the Labor Day holiday. I have a few options for what will be our last assignment before the final week ten, from which you will choose one.
The first involves exploring the meaning of a word that has some significance in your life, in your behavior and in your thoughts and, perhaps, spiritual practice. I use the phrase spiritual practice in no particular religious sense but loosely to refer to the many ways we attempt to bring ourselves in to harmony with the world, the people we share our lives with, and, perhaps most importantly, with our own self. The essay involves defining the word you have chosen in an extended fashion. That is, you might employ a simple dictionary definition of the word's most common meaning in use, or the secondary or tertiary meaning, as listed in a dictionary entry. The development of the essay will proceed with narration and description of the meaning the word has in your life, story and description to illustrate the meaning it has in the context of your life experience. The following is a list of abstract words (i.e. they cannot be physically seen or touched as say an apple or a diamond or a tree can) that you might choose from:
Attention
Beauty
Compassion
Devotion
Faith
Grace
Justice
Peace
Reverance
Silence
Wonder
With abstract words or concepts, one must bring them to life by means of the concrete, the tangible, the three-dimensional world we live in. Our notions of beauty, for example, derive from the visible, the audible, the tactile–the world of the senses–even as we also comprehend abstract notions such as truth and peace as being, in a real sense, manifestations of beauty. So the assignment requires you to define a word as you have come to understand its meaning. I want you also to use one quotation, either as an epigraph (appearing just below the title of the essay) or somewhere in the text of the essay. A simple google search of the word plus key word "quotations" should provide you an array of choices.
You might choose a concrete word, rather than an abstract. Again, you have the dictionary to supply an essential definition but you provide description of appearance, constituent parts, function, historical and cultural and personal significance. What is a tree? Clearly, it is a living organism, with certain characteristic features (depending on species), an ecological role to play, an historical and cultural role in the life of humankind, and so on. Trees are also symbols of strength and shelter and wonder and beauty and mystery. We've all admired trees, played among them, climbed them, photographed them, too, perhaps. What is it about trees that makes us love them so?
The second option is to write a film review. Writing a film review or commentary requires you to introduce the film by title (in italic letters), release date, and director. The subject of the film or story line must be summarized briefly and your thesis, too, should appear early on or up front in the introductory paragraph. The thesis is your considered opinion, an idea that unifies the whole essay. The body paragraph(s) serve to provide the evidence and examples needed to support the thesis. The conclusion puts the finishing touch on the essay, and reminds readers of the significance of your subject and your claims.
I have two film options:
Grizzly Man (2005), directed by Werner Herzog, is about a man named Timothy Treadwell, the “kind warrior,” who lived and died in defense, he believed, of his ideals. He strove to protect and to know familiarly the grizzly bears living in Katmai National Park, Alaska. He spent 12 summers there, living among the bears, photographing them, loving them in his way. He drew admirers and critics. For filmmaker Herzog, he appears a symbol of humanity’s conflicting feelings about nature and civilization.
Toy Story (1995), directed by John Lasseter, is an animated feature, a homecoming tale involving two lost dolls (which I have not yet seen, but look forward to watching).
So, for Essay 7: Describe Tim Treadwell--his appearance, personality, aims, desires, and work. Tell what makes him remarkable, bringing him to life in the way the film does, whether as idealistic, brave, kind, funny, strange, angry, tormented, paranoid, scary, wise or unwise. Pick a few moments from the film to illustrate the man’s character in a balanced way, including if you like some of the opinions of those who appear in the film. Title the essay. Compose 350 words at a minimum.
Or, describe some of the highlights of Toy Story, and thus show what makes it a fun or satisfying film.
The third option is to write about your academic or career goals: In an essay of 350-500 words, with introduction, body of 1-2 paragraphs, and conclusion, describe the skills that you are practicing in your studies at AiFl. Identify for readers what the associated field requires of its professionals in skills and aptitudes, and the particular challenges and rewards you see now in your coursework and personal projects or work. Describe the peculiar fit you find working in the field for which you are training, and opportunities for growth short and long term.
