Short Story Preparation

Image taken from: http://www.ladybirdflyawayhome.com/images/fairy%20tale%20versions.jpg on 27/04/10

Ladies, your task sheets for the assignment will be distributed in class tomorrow. If you are absent, you will be able to access the task sheet via Blackboard.

In preparation for this assignment, you need to decide on which fairytale/folk story/bible story that you will be utilising. To begin with, narrow your choice down to at least three stories and think about which one appeals to you on the basis of the ideology it is promoting.

Once you have decided on which story you will be working with, you need to complete - IN DETAIL - the ideology enquiry sheet that we looked at for Little Snow White.

Following the completion of your ideology enquiry sheet, you will need to complete the choose your own adventure diagram for your story - like we did for Abraham and Isaac. You will then choose one of the paths as the basis for your short story, ensuring that your chosen path with challenge the ideology presented to the audience in the original piece.

Reading Reminder and Advice

Just a quick reminder that you need to be reading your copy of Things Fall Apart.

To help you in this, I suggest that you make use of the Things Fall Apart reading guide that is available in Blackboard. To access this documents, go to the folder that says Semester 1, Term 2 - Stories are propaganda, then click on the folder "Stories are propaganda - Things Fall Apart".
The document that you need will appear at the top of the page.

Abraham and Isaac Activity

Image taken from: http://terryfrancis.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/abraham-and-isaac-on-mount-moriah.jpg on 20/04/10

Teaching point one is that all texts are implied propaganda. They invite a reading which will privilege certain values .

Read and discuss the story of Isaac, using the following questions. In your discussion, try to use the same amount of depth that we used for The Lion King questions.

What's left out?

What are the gaps?

What behaviors are rewarded?

What does the story take for granted?

What questions aren’t being asked?

One way of thinking about the gaps is to explore the choices Abe implicitly makes but which the story does not make explicit:

(Two of the biggest gaps happen between verse two and three and between verse 18 and 19. Think about the following things:

Between Verses Two and Three:
What is Abraham’s reaction to God’s demand?
How does he feel about it?

Between Verses 18 and 19:
What did they talk about as they walked down the mountain?
How did Isaac react?
How might Sarah have reacted when they came home and told her what had happened?

Overall,
What is silenced?
Why?
What is the moral of this story?

Scenes from "The Lion King"

Opening sequence from film

Simba singing "I Just Can't Wait to be King"

Scar singing "Be Prepared"

Analysing "The Lion King"

Image taken from: http://www.tcnj.edu/~balasic2/lionking.jpg on 20/04/10

Disney’s LION KING ANALYSIS

Watch the first few minutes of the Lion King. Imagine you’ve never seen this story before. Refer to the film techniques, imagery, use of colour, lighting, symbolism, music/sound in your responses.

1) Who is the good guy? How do you know?
Mufasa
Idea: Powerful leader and strong
Animals shows respect to Lions – ceremony (bowing down)
Colour: Golden – majestic, loyal
(Number 1, pure, rich = money = power)
Cultural assumptions:
Underpins with gold and power:
Superior, materialistic, idea of ownership (Own the land)
Sound: loud, powerful, strength
= showing the power and the strength of the lions
Personification: gives human qualities. Relying on the prior knowledge of how society works
Place: Name of the place “Pride Rock”
Pride: groups of lions, literal meaning = Lion’s own the rock
Proud/species of characters
Family: Leadership, surrounded by others = privileged with the support of others
Symbolism: Simba is the next king
– Ray of Light = from God: being the chosen “one”
Christian values?

2) Who is the bad guy? How do you know?
Scar
Lives in little dark place (bottom of the “Pride Rock”) =
Hidden – something to hide – shady character
-Little implies no ownership/ leadership
-Excludes himself
Binary Opposition: Light and Dark
Dark: Evil/Anger/Depression/Outsider/Jealousy/
Envy (Green Eyes)
Physical Characteristics: Strength and Weakness
Weaker than Mufasa = shown by body language- Creeps
A scar on his face/skinny and lies well
Scar is making Simba be sneaky, and to break the rules

“When it comes to brains, I got the Lion share, but when it comes to brute strength, I am afraid I am at the shallow end of the Gene pool”

Cultural Implications:
Why are the bad guys dark?

Why is athleticism associated with “good”?
Strong and powerful (respected) – protect others physically
=HERO
Binary opposition: Scar is intelligent than Simba and Mufasa

Why are the bad guys often cleverer than the good guys?
What does this suggest about cultural values? Fears etc?)

Now watch the film up to where Simba runs away from the Hyenas.

3) What is the good guy associated with?
4) What is the bad guy associated with?
5) What qualities does the film privilege?
6) What cultural understandings does the film draw on to define good and evil?
7) What gets silenced?

Look at the idea of naturalisation.
8) How does the text naturalise the idea that Simba is the future rightful ruler?

Binary Oppositions: Can you identify the binary oppositions in the film? How does the film explore and represent these?