Project paper, the starting point!

It was week four, and it the time to meet our supervisor for the project paper. I was excited to see Dr. Noreen to discuss about how it will be. We made an appointment with her at 9 in her office. During the discussion, we were given ample chances to ask questions and Dr. gives her opinion of how she wants the project paper to be. Then, she shows us the seniors’ paper as guidance or “prompt” towards the idea of what should we be working on. It was really nice to see and to read their papers as they had their ideas written very well. They were great! At that time, I already have the idea of what am I going to do – inspired by those grand works. I have chosen two interesting text which are Jewett’s A White Heron and Hemingway’s Hills Like White Elephant.”

Verbalizing my thoughts

Wow~ writing position paper is something that looks easy in spite of that, writing it and working on it may not be as easy as it seems. It is pretty hard. When all the topics prescribed were told, I was having some sort of dilemma – what text should I choose? Later, I have decided to choose Alice Munro’s Boys and Girls, it is a really interesting story and I enjoy learning it 2 years back. The issues that emerge seem in the story so strong and significant that I could still feel the “impact” of learning it during the yesteryears. =)

This was my first thesis statement; “A passage from innocent towards experience; a girl’s initiation towards maturity through the resistant against stereotypical ideas on how girl should be” Yeah, it sounds quite weird and odd. So then I met with Mr. Ovid and he asks me to change it. Not convinced by his response, I met Dr. Edwin. He he. Then as we were discussing, he help me out in constructing the thesis statement – “The girl in Boys and Girls, represents the changes and resistance towards stereotypical views about female behaviour”. Thus, it sounds even better and suits my outline very well. Thanks Dr!

Dark tale?

When I was first reading this story, I found that this is a common yet interesting tale. I was reading it with enduring interest. What makes it common is that the story involved human, animal and magic (I would say); makes me think of the story of “The Prince Frog”. How the story unfolds and evolves is somehow rather unexpected to me. Then, another startling moment I had when is when we were taught by Dr. Edwin that this story is not an ordinary tale, it is a dark tale. I was like “dark tale?” As we read the story in class then I noticed the so-called dark element of the story; firstly it was indicated by the line “…where he seized a knife and cut off the turtle’s head so that it died.” The portrayal of this gory act brought this tale to the resemblance of dark tale.

Later in the text, another dark element was presented. The mother said to her son “These are your bones of your father. Take them to the bottom of the river and put them in the dragon’s mouth, and hang the other bones on his horns” – this portrays the sinful deed of the mother who teach her son to deceit which is against morality. I personally think that tales have a lot purpose and advantages. It is the means of educating children where adult’s dream of childhood can be traced in the history of fairy tale. And apart, most valuable role of tales is that every cultural artifact has it cultural heritage thus exposing the students to a wider horizon of knowledge and diversity in life.

Tragic love story – Pyramus and Thisbe

We are assigned to come out with thesis statements for the story of Pyramus and Thisbe. It’s a nice tragic love story which full of ironic. Mr. Omid asks us to brainstorm in a group and comes out with our thesis statement. It was nice to read the story yet to actually see and “take out” the emerging issues were pretty tedious. Anyhow, we manage to come out with few thesis statements:

1. Unpermitted love will bring disobedience and suffering.
2. Pyramus and Thisbe died because of their forbidden love which resorted them to come up with a plan to be together that leads to death.
3. Ovid’s Pyramus and Thisbe is not merely a heart-wrenching lover’s tale but it is also serves as a reminder that lover’s hastiness is always their downfall
4. Forbidden love brings a moment of pleasure but a lifetime of regret.
5. Pyramus and Thisbe’s enduring love caused their tragic death

Each of the thesis statements highlighted the arguments on love and the tragedy that happens between the two lovers. Next steps, providing arguments and justifications! Because, argument without justifications is LAME ~ that is a very vital reminder for me while working on the position paper.