Reflection

English 102 has been a fun class to participate in and has giving me many useful things that will surly help in my future courses. Some of the skills learned will most defiantly come up again in essay writing in the suture such as knowing what the MLA format looks like. How to tell summary from analysis, creating a thesis and knowing how to make a literary analysis paper. These where skills that I had not fully developed before or had none at all. I am happy that I learned them in this class.

Some of the readings where different as well which gave me some things to consider when it comes to writing. The book Winter's Bone made me think about how writers incorporate life experiences into their own books and poetry for descriptive writing. I find that after reading good examples of these qualities I have found it useful to my own writing. Up in the Air was a more challenging book to concentrate on than I had anticipated. However the challenge was accepted and many more things came from it. This book taught me more about behavioral patterns between people, and how a writer was able to take the indescribably and describe it well into writing. This is something I admired, and I might even consider reading into his other books once the semester is over.

The majority of my challenges in this class were defiantly the papers. Considering I do not have much experience in writing them and my past experiences, they were not my strong suit. Keeping myself from distraction was another issue. I believe I was able to overcome these problems. After reviewing on how I wrote and improving it and limiting my free time I was able to start and get my worked turned in on time and to the best quality that I could muster. Because of that I believe my writing process has changed for the better. After looking at my old work to newer work I had noticed that at some steps in my writing I had taken more time to refine details that I would have normally ignored. In summary, I would elaborate where I needed too even if I felt it to be unnecessary. I had also began to gather information while I was reading the material or watching it. Which saved me time as I developed my thesis. I think that will be a handy skill.

I believe I have met most of the Learning Outcomes. Some of them I know I am not good at such as voice. Which is something that doesn't come to me considering I have little opinion on anything and thus give it little personality. But one day I will overcome this, and I hope that day will be within the last few weeks of out semester. If not then I promise to continue my studies in english and refine my ridged skill in paper writing.

Thank you for the semester.

Draft.

Fell Stone
English 102

Up in the Air ; how the message changed.

Up in the Air, the novel, was written by Walter Kirn in 2001. The movie to this book came out in 2009, obviously there are change in events between these two dates, another factor that changes the movie aside from saving screen time. The book came out on the year in when a new historical day was created, 9/11, which when terrorists flew planes straight into trading towers. After the shock wore off from that event many people became to believe it was an act of conspiracy. In the novel Up in the Air, the main character , Ryan later on believes he himself is within a conspiracy made by the airline he is loyal too. However in the movie that conspiracy he talked about is removed; the message of the content is changed as well. In the novel, the writer gives the message that big companies are more powerful than we think, meanwhile the movie gets a different message, its message is telling us to "grow up" and "stop being children". This change in message happened because of the economy downfall that happened over the eight year gap between the novel and movie. Thus, the message that is expressed within the book and movie are different because of the events that happened within the years between.

Between the year 2001 and 2009 many events had taken place that has changed the ways in which people think and act. One of the most obvious would be the terrorist attack on September 11th when two hijacked planes crashed into the world trade buildings. After this incident, security in many airports succumb to paranoia. Tom Bearden, a reporter in PBS Newshour says; “After 9/11, the government created the Transportation Security Administration, which was the largest single federal startup since World War II.” This ‘attack’ on the public's rights ended up leading to many conspiracy theories on how this might have been an inside job. Even a chain letter was started about 9/11, in this letter it demonstrates on how many of the names involved within the event can be broken down into one of the numbers in 9/11. This chain letter even goes as far to show that when a flight number of the first plane is typed into the Word program--and after changing font-- one would get the image of a plane crashing into two towers. Needless to say all of America was scared by this attack and wanted to blame it on someone.

Another event happened, economy recessions pop between these years. Many homeowners began to experience the value in property dropping and were forced to into foreclosure. Stock owners felt the same affects, taxes began to rise and many jobs were no longer available. In summary, the economy began to decline leaving many people to leave what was once luxury to a state of financial crisis and panic.

In correspondence to the book, the terrorist attack happened during the creation of the novel. Thus the effects of surrounding paranoia began to work its way into the pages. In the same way when a plague would affect the style of art in the past. A good example would be when the main character begins to believe that the company he is getting flight points from is using him as a guinea pig. The reason would to see if there was a way to make other customers more like him. He ends up telling this idea to the husband of his ex-wife; who doesn’t believe him. Another example would been when he bumps into a young woman who was at one of his speeches. She begins to track him so that they would meet again, this is something he doesn’t notice at first until she mentions it. This ‘accidental’ bump in turned out to be planned, thus a smaller conspiracy. A more subtle way the author applies the subtext would be with Ryan’s sister. She ran off after two dogs had died before her. Behavior that he was not accustomed too and had no real solid ground to stand on; according to him. Later she does tell him that it was about the dogs and the stress that she was under. This was against the image that he had of her and thus can be seen as some sort of conspiracy. Overall the writer, Walter Krin, was attempting to send a message through to the reader that there might be conspiracies afoot, and that everyone should begin to manage their own assets. Much like how Ryan fought against what might have been credit card thieves, and others trying to steal away his frequent flyer points. Basically it tells us to watch out money because something bad might happen to it. Which did with the economic crisis.

However the message in the movie is quite different. Instead of promoting the notion to protect assets, the story tells us to ‘grow up’. The reason to tell us all to grow up might simply have to do with the wars that began back then, and the economic downfall that put everyone into shock. A few good examples of this message would be when a young worker is added to Ryan’s group. This girl ends up attached to Ryan in attempts to have her gain experience. During their travels she receives a text message from her boyfriend, in this message he broke up with her. Text messaging, something that is fairly new to communication, would be something considered childish. This would lead people to want to wish people who use text messaging for serious matters to grow up and talk it out ‘properly’. Later on the girl looks at Ryan while on a docking bay taking pictures for his sister. She leaves him there after telling him to ‘grow up’, this was a more direct approach for the message. Ryan would represent those who are attempting to run away from problems in their own way, while the girl represents those who have looked at the problems and want everyone else to also address them. One of the more complex symbols for this message would be when the husband to be cowers away before the wedding starts. Ryan goes in to talk to him, this dialogue takes place within a daycare room. A grown man sits in a small plastic chair, as he is talked to by Ryan who attempts to tell him to grow up. Even outside this child’s room is the other sister who watches like a disappointed parent waiting for the children to grow up and walk out of the playground. Overall the message is clear to the viewers, they need to wake up and look at the global problems, whether they do something or not is their own decision.

In summary; the message in the book is changed due to many events that changed the lives of many in those years. When the movie came out the directory ended up giving it a whole new message; “grow up”. This change was obviously caused by the most serious matters such as the 9/11 incident, economy downfall and wars that began in the middle east.

video http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/terrorism/july-dec11/safeskies_09-08.html

simple chain main: http://alexbeeonmyspace.blogspot.com/2007/07/911-chain-letter.html

events: http://americasbesthistory.com/abhtimeline2000.html

economy: http://useconomy.about.com/od/grossdomesticproduct/a/cause_recession.htm

Note: I know there are some obvious errors such as the work cited, character names, lack of quotes, etc. But right now this is just a draft, I'm still perfecting it.

Essay3 Introduction.

Up in the Air, the novel, was written by Walter Kirn in 2001. The movie to this book came out in 2009, obviously there are change in events between these two dates, another factor that changes the movie aside from saving screen time. The book came out on the year in when a new historical date was created, 9/11, which when terrorists flews planes straight into trading towers. After the shock wore off from that event many people became to believe it was an act of conspiracy. In the novel Up in the Air, the main character ,Ryan Bingham, later on believes he himself is within a conspiracy made by the airline he is loyal too. However in the movie that conspiracy he talked about is removed, the message of the content is changed as well. In the novel, the writer gives the message that big companies are more powerful than we think, meanwhile the movie gets a different message, its message is telling us to "grow up" and "stop being children". This change in message happened because of the economy downfall that happened over the eight year gap between the novel and movie. 

Up in the Air

"Great minds think alike."
  Words said by a person unknown but repeated by the millions leaving only the question of how such a thing spreads though a collective subconscience. The same collective that keeps people from running into one another when walking together and not looking at one another. The same collective that when one half of the masses knows something the other side of the world acquires the same information without being told by those strangers.
"Great minds think alike."
It was no so much as that the minds where great but that they thought alike. Something he considered when he was the age of a middle schooler. "What if I am the only one that thinks?" That might have been the Matrix series and The Truman Show speaking, but when you think such a thing you makes you feel so lonely.
"Over six billion humans on this small planet and I feel lonely, is that selfish?" He asks himself as he sits upon a airport, with many other humans, looking away from one another to preserve a cultural norm.
'Why can't we look at each other?', he wonders, 'it's just eye contact.' The plane takes off, slowly speeding up and cutting over the air higher and higher. The boy looks out the window, this was a human accomplishment that should be respected and looked in at awe. But what is everyone doing? Looking down at books, phones, keeping to themselves to make sure their dignity and status is intact. Just like high school. Who needs to give attention to the accomplishments of humans when you can just climb the social latter and be pampered by people whom you would never respect?
Higher the plane went the more the boy began to think to himself, looking at the buildings becoming dots and dots becoming blocks. He noticed how water fell down the sides of mountains creating rivers, his mind took a mental note so that he could use it in future art projects.
Plane lands, no one talked to anyone else the whole hour. Back on ground in a new place, he felt like he didn't move, however car license plates told him otherwise. It rained here the entire length of his visit. The humid air pushed though his fine hair making it curl against his face in a matter of minutes. His eyes didn't blink as much here, but breathing was harder. He was used to dryer climates. Easier to breath. He adapted.
He met a familiar face, a sister who would entertain him for the next three days. In the car they got, slowly driving out of the confusing airport. Roads overlap over more roads building up in the sky like buildings for cars. It was a interesting sight, so was the box trains and seagulls. His sister started listening things to see, places to eat, the usual. When most humans would try to build off that list he merely stayed silent. Like the Borg on Star Trek, he did not wish to bother her with irrelevant conversations. She continued on food, he wasn't really hungry so that held more silence than before.
Again his mind wondered. Mostly pondering on weather people acted the same here or not. It was later proven right. One of the top culture norms: Ignore that which is unusual. Unusual as in it goes against other norms. There were more homeless people here, who would try to talk to him and his sister, he was told to keep eyes down and not say anything, he complied, but felt bad afterwards.
The food was different here, but good.
The bed was different, but he found sleep nonetheless.
He returned to the different airport. Much larger than the last. Found his plane and waited. On the flight back he pulled out a book to start reading on for class. Up in the Air, by Walter Kirn. He had little opinion on the cover. However he got far in the book durring his flight. He ate chocolate offered by the woman beside him. A trade for when he opened her water bottle for her. He guessed her name to be Kathy or something with a "Ka" sound at the beginning. She was probably returning home from a little girls party. While there she got disturbing news that someone she was close to died. Thus, the chocolate to help cope.
The boy went back to reading, concentrating harder on the words. Pretty soon he began to run his eyes over them quickly without a disrupting thought in his pattern.
He was more satisfied with the book than he thought, someone else thought like him. Not on just how to communication but on the patterns and culture within the Air World or something like that. It was just like how a mind works too, and a good short description. You see someone and you know their history with yourself instantly, however it takes longer to read in a book, but he didn't mind.
The plane landed. The boy was disappointed but hungry anyway. He reunited with his parents and told them how the trip went describing everything he could remember. They seemed uninterested as the mother cut him off frequently to ask if they needed anything from a store they would soon pass. Eventually his confidence in sharing his travels was lost, he sat down and remained silent. Things were back to normal. His opinions didn't matter here, just his performance. The car was silent aside from the changing of the radio channel.


"Great minds think alike."
He was going to finish the book when he got home.


Image source: Link
The Truman show: Link