Final Presentation:Blog.

Last Blog?!

Bree Hubbard
Laura Cline
ENG102
Technology

Online classes

I have taken many online classes throughout my education career.  I think an online course has everything to offer as a classroom class. People might prefer interacting with people and talking with the teacher but Mrs. Cline has been able make that happen in this class.  We could give each other feed back and could see her at the campus. In this class, it was nice to watch everybody’s introductory video and getting to know the classmate.  I have read many blogs on how it is their first online class or they are having a hard time trying to work it.  That was my first time as well, I didn’t know how blackboard work so it was just a struggle but now that I have taken many of them, it is like second nature to me.

 My father is against online courses because when he was in school there was no such thing as online classes. He is always getting on my case when I sign up for online classes because he doesn’t think it is right, he doesn't know that teachers still lecture but through video. Not being able to experience this first-hand, I think he doesn't fully understand what an online course can offer people.  People don't have enough time in the day to go to a couple hour lecture a couple times a week. When having a full 18 credited hour schedule, I rely on online classes.    

The only challenges I had is that I was taking multiple online classes at a time and trying to remembering each due dates.  The three online classes I took this semester had different dates. One of my classes opened its lectures and assignments each Tuesday by noon and had it due the following Tuesday by midnight. Another had everything due each Friday at noon, then I had this class on Sunday at midnight.  My calculus class in an actual class but had to do the math assignments online, so that was due every Wednesday by 11pm. I had to make a calender at the beginning of the semester to remind me but once I got accustomed to it, piece of cake.

 What I benefit to online classes is that I don’t have to actually go to the classroom.  My first semester I had with Mrs. Cline in ENG100 I took her class in a classroom.  I had horrible attendance due to the time I had taken it, lunch.  This way I could do the assignments and watch the lectures on my time.  I am a full time student with 18 credits and work full time so it is nice to choose when to do school work.  As I can see with other people's blogs, they agree with me.  It is hard to be a full time student and work full time at work, I think online classes make it easier for us.

 I really enjoyed being about to create a blog, to see my fellow classmates and their work through the blogs.  See what their taste was because we could customize it as we would like. Another was the cool “globster” website.  I will try to remember it for the future if I have a project for another online class. Thanks Mrs. Cline for giving us the chance to learn some great website to help us with a future classes.

Reflection

Reflection

This semester has gone way too fast.  It feels just like yesterday making my introductory video.  English is my more difficult subject.  Writing isn’t second nature like for a lot of people I know.  One thing that I have a better understanding with is in-text citations.   I have never felt too confident on how to use it, but I have an idea on how to go about it.  Another thing is learning how to analyzing literary text instead of just trying to summarize it.  When I made the connection about literary analysis being like a persuasive essay made it a little more understanding.

   The readings haven’t had a great impact on me, personally, but they were interesting reads.  Up in the Air wasn't my favorite but it was a nice to be able to compare it to the movie.  Winter's Bone was more of an interesting read because of the thrilling plot of Ree trying to find her father. 

I think my writing has improved greatly throughout this course.    I still have an issue on trying to start my papers unless if I am interested on the subject.  When I have some kind of interest, I can produce a better paper compared to when I can’t relate.  I hope that with my other college classes that I can be able to show that I know the difference between summary and literally analysis and be able to cite correctly. Being more confident about my writing had made me not hate English so much.  

No Questions Asked: Close reading to Bartleby.

“Ah Bartleby! Ah humanity!” (Mellville 251)

Bartleby, the Scrivener: A story of Wall-Street was written about a man, named Bartleby, who made a great first impression to this lawyer.  The lawyer had many copyist in his business, but these people had special, specific needs.  One did better in the morning time while, one did better in the afternoon.  Bartleby was very well-rounded when it came to his work; he worked well all the time. After a while passed, he started to say “I would prefer not to” (Mellville 22). Bartleby became lazy and didn’t produce any work; while he was slacking off, he was taking advantage of the lawyer.  The lawyer tried everything to help Bartleby he wanted to believe that Bartleby could be changed into the hard worker the lawyer grew up to be.  This was the beginning of where the lawyer saw that society was starting to change, not for the better. 

Here is a website to read up more about Bartleby the Scrivener. 

Melville, Herman. "Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall-street." Bartleby. N.p., 2011. Web. 18 Feb 2012. <http://www.bartleby.com/129/>.

"Up in the Air" rough draft.

Bree Hubbard

Laura Cline

ENG102

22 April, 2012

Airworld

There are a number of books that are being portrayed in the movie industry.  Some of these books are taken and later made into a movie.  A majority of the time there are some changes made from the book when being made into a movie. Sometimes because the director and author don’t see eye to eye or maybe because between the times the book was written and the movie is made many things in society can change.  One book called Up in the Air was recently made into a movie.  This movie portrayed some of the text and ideas from the book but there was a lot that was changed.  When the book came out in the year of 2001, things were good economically.  After many years passed, the movie had come out in 2009. The movie was brought up in a different time, 9/11 had passed and things weren’t looking good for our economy.  Many people thought the country was going to go through another great depression. Another thing about movies is that they have to be watchable by a mass audience, the director has to put on a twist to make the watchers excited to watch it.  Keeping this in mind, the movie focuses on a girl. Romance is key to movies, and normally by using this theme, movies are able to appeal to a much larger audience.  The book concentrates on Ryan Bingham’s job a little more and about how he goes about it. When movies are made based on a book there are normally many differences, and these differences tend to depend on what has happened in between the too, what social issues have happened, and what the viewer has experienced between this time change.

Ryan Bingham, is the main character in the book. The book focuses on his job; whereas the movie is more about his love life.  The movie shows Ryan more as a guy who wants a friend with benefits.  Ryan has no interest in being tied down to a woman, he actually doesn’t want to be tied down to anything; a house, family, girl.  When he finally finds this friend with benefits, he slowly begins to find himself falling in love but it takes Ryan’s assistant and his sister’s fiancée help him realize that being alone isn’t something to live for.  Being in love and being able to share those moments with someone is what living is about.  The book took it towards a different path, Ryan talks about how a family and someone to settle down with may be in his future. Also, about how he got a divorce in the book and the movie implies that he was never married. The divorce wasn’t his happiest moments; he had still cared about her.   

In the plot of Up in the Air, Ryan Bingham was a business man who lived in “Airworld.”  This is where he lives and breathes, he states “planes and airports are where I feel at home… I even enjoy the suite hotels built within sight of the runways on the ring road” (Kirn 4). His job was to fly around and fire people and help them cope with it a little bit.  These ideas were both in the book and movie.  When Ryan fired people in the movie, they took it more devastating than in the book. The unemployment was so high.  They didn’t know how they were going to be able to get another job and support their family. What are they going to tell their wife or husband, their kids?  Unemployment back in 2001 was at 4.9%, said Money MSN (Miley). Back then, it wasn’t as hard to find a job but it wasn’t nice to lose your job. The fact that in October of 2009, Money MSN stated that unemployment rate had reach 10.1% people knew it would be harder (Miley).   Losing their job, in that kind of economy had people worried. These people were devastated, and even in the end an employee actually jumped off the bridge.  Ryan always hears about suicides but never think people are willing to do such a thing.  In today’s time losing your job is a much more serious thing then it used to be.  Some may not find a job, and some may have to settle with a minimum wage job rather than the large salary and benefits they once had.  The economy crisis was a huge deal to most Americans and affected many people’s lives. CEO’s of companies were now working at fast food restaurants, some are in jail, and some are homeless.  This idea is very catching to a viewer and if it wasn’t portrayed in the movie, the movie wouldn’t have appealed to the viewers of 2009.  Economic issues have caused society to change from 2001 to 2009 and this aspect had to be shown in the movie or it wouldn’t have related to the viewer as well.

The movie shows a selfish older man who is just trying to keep his life in order.  He is never there for his family; he doesn’t have very strong ties with them.  When his sister asks if he will be willing to take pictures of her and her fiancée in different places, he dislikes the idea. He likes being alone.  When his boss said he had to train a new person in what he does, he at first rejected the idea.  He didn’t think that a woman who makes websites could help the company in any way.  He only likes doing things that will benefit him and will allow him to prosper. While, in the book he likes to talk about how he is close with both his sister. Their relationship in the book shows that he actually cares and wants to hear from them.   

Another economic issue in the movie was that the company was trying to reduce the amount of flying. Ryan was coming close to 10 million miles.  Flying was very expensive; the insurance, the fuel cost, ect.  The company hired a girl who made a way that they could fire people over the webcam. This would help the business cut down on travel cost, helping the business economically. Also, allowing the people to be home for holidays and be with their families.  This wasn’t an issue back in 2001; they weren’t looking at how costly it was to fly.  Now, when the movie came out in 2009, businesses are close to bankruptcy. Gas prices are on the rise and because of 9/11 and the fear of terrorism flying didn’t seem so appealing anymore. The companies just can’t spend money like it is nothing; they have to preserve it in any way possible.

Airport security is a lot stricter these days compared the beginning of 2001.  Due to the terrorist attack, airports want to make sure that it is more safe and secured. Flying is also another issue for these businessmen.  Back in 2001, the airports were easy and fast.  Since the terrorist attack, they make it more difficult to go through the airport. Flying is not the most desired form of transportation anymore.  9/11 was a catastrophic event and it scared everyone, and it continues to dictate people’s lives. In the movie, Ryan has gone through security many times before.  He knows to stay out of the line where there are old people and Arabians.  He states to Natalie “never get behind old people. Their bodies are littered with hidden metal and they never seem to appreciate how little time they have left. Bingo, Asians. They pack light, travel efficiently, and they have a thing for slip on shoes. Gotta love 'em” (Reitman). Ryan has very stereotypical ideas about who to get behind, but he has experienced it all and knows the more time he saves, the less time he wastes.  He has a small bag that he can carry on rather then check on the plane, and he knows exactly what he is doing at all times.

            The book and the movie are very similar, yet also very different.  When one makes a movie based on the book there are always differences.  Some people like one more than the other, however, the author normally have no say in how the movie is made.  They write books for a reason, and movie producers do the same.  The point of a movie is to get the largest possible audience to pay to see the movie in a pretty short period of time.  In order to do this they must spark interest anyway they can, and most of the time this means changing the original story into something that will appeal to a larger audience.  Another thing is that the times change; different things are going on in the world.  People can relate to the most present events because they are currently affecting the way they live.  Up in the Air  is a great book that is showing how thing were back in 2001 and the movie shows how things have become.  

Work Cited

Kirn, Walter. Up in the Air. New York: Anchor Novels, 2001. Print.

Miley, John. "The economy before and after 9/11." Money MSN. n. page. Web. 22 Apr. 2012. <http://money.msn.com/investment-advice/article.aspx?post=7be1200a-e79a-4b35-a974-031570ce1a28>.

Reitman, Jason, dir. Up in the Air. Perf. George Clooney, and Vera Farmiga. Paramount Pictures, 2009. Film.

Introduction to "Up in the Air"

Movies v.s. Book

There has been a trend where a book is written and then a movie comes out about the book.  Sometimes, these movies are disappointments to the people who really enjoyed the book because they are nothing like the book. An example of this trend is the book Up in the Air.  This book was written by Walter Kirn and was published in the year of 2001.  Later, in 2009, Up in the  Air the movie came out.  A lot has happened during these years that could have been put in the movie that wasn't in the book.   Throughout this eight year time span, there have been many changes to society that are portrayed in the movie.  A lot has happened in the eight years and the differences between the book and the movie reflects these changes in the world. To find some of the changes between those eight years click here .

"Up in the Air"

Letter to Laura Cline

Bree Hubbard

ENG102

1 April 2012

Dear Laura Cline,

It is crazy that the semester is already halfway done.  It was nice to be able to take your class again; I enjoy your way of teaching.  Some of my challenges in English just in general are trying to get my paper started, but that has always been my issue.  Then I realize that my thoughts are just scattered throughout my paper.  This is probably because when I do start my papers, I start writing my body paragraphs.  With this in mind, I tried to work on it this semester of English. Trying to get my introduction paragraph written before I start scattering my ideas throughout the paper has allowed me to really try to organize my papers.

The different types of readings were a very intriguing. Winter’s Bone was interesting due to the facts that it was an action/thrill-seeking book. Wanting to know what happened next kept me interested into the book.  The other readings were harder to read because I am not so familiar with the older English.  Bartleby and The Modest Proposal were very fascinating, don’t get me wrong, but it took me some research later to really understand what I was trying to read.  I enjoyed the plots of both and it was an experience to read.  Then barely touching Up in the Air has got me hooked already.  

Another struggle for me was that the paper topics required more analysis, but it was a great challenge. I am used to doing research papers or just persuasive essays, but not on books.  I think literary analysis is pretty much like a persuasive essay, trying to prove a point about something in the book. 

My goals through the rest of the semester are trying to keep up on the assignments and hopefully bring my grade up to an A.  Another thing I would like to improve on is my citing; in-text just doesn’t stick with me.  I hope to get out of this class is how to be able to write papers for my other classes.  Since this may be my last English class, I will still have to papers to write and hopefully I will be able to take this knowledge with me to those classes.

Thank you so much for this opportunity,

Bree Hubbard.

Winter's Bone; Essay 3

Bree Hubbard

Laura Cline

ENG102

25 March, 2012

Methzarks

Daniel Woodrell has been an author for many years; the past 25 years he has wrote eight books (Baker). Even though it wasn’t his first instinct to become an author, later in life he found what he enjoyed, writing. He went through the Marines, then hit a rough time and got discharged.  Going through that, he had to come back to normal civilization. He decided he wanted to go back to school.  Since he was in the military, the government would pay for his schooling. That is where it all began.  Woodrell met his wife, who is also an author and found his new profession. His writing at first was amazing and then it turned cold.  His first time writing he won a competition (Williams); this gave Woodrell some false pride and didn’t show him what being an author was actually like.  He eventually found out the harsh truth of being an author after two of his writings were unsuccessful, he had hit another bad spot.  This went on for a few years and had an impact on him.  Later, he found his way back and started writing novels people enjoyed.

In a lot of Daniel Woodrell’s novels, he likes to include his experiences and his surroundings.  Sometimes the best stories are ones that one has experienced firsthand and because he lived in an area overrun by meth, an interesting subject, a story could be written.  Woodrow wrote fictional stories that portrayed the truth.  He is a realist, and has an in-depth understanding on how to catch a reader in the first sentence.  The language he uses is sometimes very harsh and can be considered very severe at times.  Woodrell knows how to depict scary reality of crime and drugs into a stimulating fiction that some wonder if it is actually the complete reality.

The lawlessness of Winter’s Bone is exhibited after a town nearby to him, Collinsville (Williams).  Winter’s Bone is a book about a small town nearby where Mr. Woodrell lived. This town, they make their own rules and are overturned by the drugs. Living nearby Collinsville he got a great understanding on how it all works together, what the people are like, and the characteristics of a small town, drug filled society he could portray.  The story is about this small rural town that has been overrun by meth and its horrors.  The main family in the book is taken care of by the daughter, Ree. Jessup, Ree’s father, is a meth head and a meth cooker whose inability to manage his own life, and take care of the family, has put Ree in a very troubling predicament.  Jessup had put the family’s house and land up for his bond so that he could get out of jail. He obviously wasn’t able to stay out of trouble, like most drug addicts are unable to do after no rehabilitation, and is on the run.  If Ree’s father doesn’t show up for court they lose their land and are out on the streets.  Ree goes to attempt to find her father who is off on a bender, and bring him back.

Daniel Woodrell wrote Winter’s Bone because of personal experiences.  Woodrell moved around a lot as a child and never felt at home, his mother wasn’t around and he lived with his father.  This relates to the story because Ree’s family was broken and so was Mr. Woodrell’s. Ree’s mother was very disconnected from the world “mom’s morning pills turned her into a cat…  But for most of any day she was quiet and still, wearing a small lingering smile prompted by something vaguely nice going on inside her head”(Woodrell 6).  Woodrell was also disconnected from his mother; it was just him and his father while he was growing up.  Woodrell’s father moved him at a young age to a place he didn’t know and a place he hated so could get a job. Ree’s father stole her childhood from her for an addiction; making his kid take care the rest of the family. This must have been a pretty traumatic experience for Woodrell, because this emotion is definitely shown in his writing.  Another idea that Woodrell’s personal life is tied into his writing is because Ree was forced to grow up very fast and was made responsible for the family and the father.  Woodrell was taken from where he grew up and where he was comfortable to a place that he hated which brought about much hate towards his father.  His hatred for that place made him join the Marines at age 17 (Williams). Woodrell put this same idea of joining the military into Ree’s life.  Ree wanted to run away from the town she was in, the responsibilities she was forced into, and her father’s addiction. When in the Marines Woodrell had used drugs so he has some personal knowledge with that subject.  Being in the military during Vietnam, Woodrell fell to drugs.  Drugs during this war were a very common thing, and were used to forget about the horrors that were being done and seen.  In the book Ree also fell to drugs.  She used pills to forget about her problems, “Two kinds of pills and a bedridden afternoon, evening, on into the night.  The sky was dark and whistling, shaking windows and the horizon beyond, but Ree lay there immune to weather” (Woodrell 162).  These parallels are somewhat distant but can be seen when viewed closely. This makes the novel emotional to him and to the reader.  The fact that Woodrell was able to connect his life to the lives in the story, it was more meaningful to the reader.  The entire story was interesting, and kept your attention throughout because of this aspect.

Some of Woodrell’s parallels between his life and the novel Winter’s Bone are a bit more obvious than a strained family life.  Woodrell lives in an isolated area, off the beaten path of Missouri.  Woodrell knows the Ozarks very well because it surrounds him every day.  He can describe the woods, the towns, and the people very accurately and aggressively. This makes Winter’s Bone seem more like a non-fiction novel then the fiction novel that it is.  With Woodrell’s language he can describe the area he knows so well so that his novel is more like a picture book then one without pictures at all.  The mental visual aid in his descriptions are very refined, and allow you to picture the area, the people and the towns as if you were there yourself.  I believe if Woodrell were writing a novel that was centered in a different geographical area that he has never lived, touched, and experienced the story would have a much more disconnected feel.  When reading the novel I believed the story, I understood the story and I was able to picture the story the entire time.  This is because of Woodrells emotional ties to the area and the life that he is depicting.  All of his descriptions aren’t so pretty, however, “The Langans had a single-wide trailer that was tan and sat on a concrete pad behind their junk barn.  The barn was made of wood that had been drenched by generations of weather and rendered gray and rickety.  It tilted one way near the front and another near the back” (Woodrell 31).  Reading this, it is almost like he looked next store at his neighbor’s trailer, and described it to the reader.  He very well might have. Due to this type of description it makes the reader engage as if this story was real.

 Winter’s Bone isn’t the only book Daniel wrote based on him and his surroundings; Give Us a Kiss he talks about Doyle Redmond, an author who was lost from writing, moving to Hays, Kansas (Williams). This novel was like the moment in time where Mr. Woodrell was in his dark phases of being an author and couldn’t produce a novel people were looking for.  Focusing on an area that he knows very well, the idea of drugs which are common in the area, and his life; Woodrell was able to write a novel and incorporate some experiences that are personal to him, Winter’s Bone. Learning about the author helps understand a little more where he was coming from. 

Works Cited

Baker, Matt. "Live Fast, Learn Slow." OxFord American. 10 006 2011: n. page. Web. 26 Mar. 2012. <http://www.oxfordamerican.org/interviews/2011/jun/10/live-fast-learn-slow/>.

Williams, John. "Daniel Woodrell: The Ozark daredevil." Independent. 16 006 2006: n. page. Web. 26 Mar. 2012. <http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/features/daniel-woodrell-the-ozark-daredevil-404146.html>.

Woodrell, Daniel. Winter's Bone. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2006. Print.