The argument that seemed to be presented in “The Perfect
Crime” by Peter Bozzo was that when media is involved that the truth becomes
lost. This piece was based upon Paradise Lost which is a film. The author was
trying to prove that the way the media portrayed the case was much different
than had the truth just been presented. The author did a very good job of
setting this up and then substantiating this with a real life situation of
three boys involved with a murder and how the media reacted to this situation. The
author discussed how the reality was not what was presented but instead a
distorted view of what really happened.
Bozzo’s argument was credible because he used other sources
as evidence to support his claim. He uses many quotes in his piece which
validate the point that he is trying to make. The structure of his essay is
very to-the-point and straightforward which makes it clear what he is trying to
prove. One thing I noticed that was not present in a large-way was the counter
arguments. We were taught in class that it is important to show the other side
of view to show that you have knowledge on the subject and then to disprove why
that other side is incorrect.
My paper too has a meaning that media changes aspects of
situations in a negative way, but they are still very different topics. I want
to make sure in my essay that I do point out the counter argument but that I
also use supporting evidence the way Bozzo has. It made the essay run smoother
and made me believe the points that he was saying. I want to make sure in my work that there is
not just meaningless sentences. Bozzo gets straight to the point and doesn’t
keep repeating what he is trying to say. He instead gives you many reasons for
why this is true which makes the essay flow. I want to make sure that each of
my sentences has a purpose which will keep the reader engaged and will be more convincing.
World of Warcraft
In this article he begins by stating his familiarity with
the history of gaming pointing out games that date back to the 1970s. He then
goes on to say that even though its been three decades that little has actually
changed. He is not saying that the mechanics behind the game have not improved,
but instead that this in reality does little to affect the game play. He talks
about those who fail within the group and are unable to move up in levels are
usually then in search of a new group because their old group is only looking
to succeed. However, in World of Warcraft this does not happen. The creators
were smart enough to realize that all that does is “causes heaps of
frustration, distrust, guilt, and animosity between players”. The reason it is simplified
is because this world that is being offered is actually less deep then worlds
in other games available. “The ‘world’ of World of Warcraft is small, static,
and quite phony.” He then goes on to say that because it is so non-real that it
is easy to access which is appealing to the player because it is much like an
amusement park. It is simple and pleasant, yet still amusing. It is not trying
to be just a very functional world to play in. Since so many different kind of
people are going to play in it, it has to be set up like an theme park (such as
Disney World) because those are also designed to handle a diverse group of
people. This analysis was helpful to me because it made me realize that when I
am analyzing my own pieces I need to put more relatable material in. Many of
these readers have been to Disney World and so by comparing it, it gives them a
greater understanding for what he is talking about. I am going to try and
compare mine to a more broad topic so people better grasp my message. Also when
looking at what kind of world it is? I think mine is just for game play. It has
no real deep setting characteristics other than settings for a game to be
played in.
The Sims Medieval/Define Real Moron
If you just look at title alone, you would think that “The
Sims Medieval” by Kevin VanOrd and “Gamer Theory” by McKenzie Wark were very
similar. In the Sims Medieval it is more of a critique then an analysis in my
opinion. Where is in Gamer Theory it is focuses on the deeper meaning behind
the game. While they both focus on the deeper meaning that the gamer is allowed
to play the role of God that is one of the few resemblances they share. They go
about their approach in a very different way.
In “Define Real Moron” by Aarseth, it is discussed that
people all have a different reaction and interaction with the game. We all have
different experiences that cause us to view different situations, and in this
case games differently. Which is why then that Wark’s argument is a better
analysis. It appeals to a more general audience since no personal experience is
added. In VanOrd’s conclusion he makes a statement which is very subjective. It
is a statement based on opinion, and therefore does not hold much validity to
the reader. This is why Wark’s piece makes a lot more sense.
Grayson Bonds and Eliza Larkin Analysis
These two examples of websites on the project we are working
with were very insightful on what exactly we are supposed to accomplish. They
clearly had an argument that went through every step and showed thorough
analysis. After reading, it made me see much more clearly how video games have
a deeper meaning then just what we first see.
On the dreams of a gamer, the way they introduced the
website was very helpful. It allowed you to better understand the purpose of
why they created this website and to lay out exactly the argument that they
were going to make. They then go on to explain how the website is structured so
the user can better get a feel for what they are working with. This was helpful
because I wasn’t sure what categories my page could be broken into, but now I
have a much better idea to the different parts that can be explained. I think
having it broken into different steps made it much easier to go through and it
seemed more organized. In Grayson’s page he also uses other sources that are
valid which make his argument much stronger. While this is our interpretation
of what the video games mean, if other people have similar views on the subject
then it most likely is a valid point that is trying to be made.
The second project was by Eliza Larkin. While it was clear
there was a great deal of time put into this project, it did not seem as clear
as Grayson’s. When you first open the site, it starts this video of these
scenes from the game. While this does catch your attention, it doesn’t explain
what is happening. There is no explanation for what the website is for or what
argument is trying to be made therefore the footage shown does little. Also,
the way that her website is categorized is by the different Narratives, but it
isn’t broken up in an easy to read manner. Within each tab it is set up by
exposition, plot, climax, and solution. This is an interesting way of doing
something because we learned that we can understand the solution better if we
look at all the parts, but I just did not like how this was gone about. It did
not grab anyone’s attention.
These two projects had great analysis behind them, and they
helped me to better understand the purpose of this assignment and what it is
supposed to amount to in the end. I felt as if the style I would prefer to more
closely resemble is Grayson’s just because the layout seemed to grab the
attention of the audience and was easier to understand.
Allegories
Mackenzie
Wark’s website section entitled “Allegories” makes you question whether or not
games can be explored as allegories for the world we live in. For these games
to be allegories they have to have a hidden meaning behind them. In Wark’s
analysis for why in fact they can be explored as allegories, she discusses the
game called Sims. She begins by describing this story of a person’s everyday
life. Then after doing this, she says that this is what a character does on the
game of Sims. Until she says that line, the reader is reading the series of
events as something a person would be doing in our society. Wark then discusses
how these characters want to buy things and that nicer possessions make them
happier. “Benjamin and his friends dream of things. Things make them happy.
They find a nice sofa so much more relaxing than a cheap one.” This is similar
to how our society is. Things are what our society thrives on. However, this is
all pretty obvious to someone playing. Wark then points out the hidden meaning
in this game. While these characters, just as we do, strive to buy and own
things. These things end up just taking up a great deal of time in your life
even when most of them promise to save you time.
To get
these items or to change jobs, the Sims character has to follow a step-by-step
procedure. This is why this game is also an algorithm. This game, just as any
other, has rules and without following those rules you have no way of advancing
further into the game.
Overall
it is proven that these games can be explored as allegories because there is a
hidden meaning involved in each of them. Just as in Sims they strive to buy
things to make them happy, we do that in real life only to realize that things
don’t actually make us happy.
Critique
of Other Projects:
In the
first project, the person analyzed the difference in three video games and how
they all can help you learn about yourself. The way they designed their site
was when you clicked on a picture of the video game, it came up with a detailed
description of the author playing the game. This was a very cool way of doing
it because it linked a visual image with the words that they were describing.
This was a great way of separating all the information so it was not confused
with each other. Then, they had a separate section where they argued their
point based on their information how video games were in fact a way to learn
about yourself because they are narratives. This argument was very clear and
easy to grasp because they had many sources. However, because of the lack of a
visual in actually what goes on in the game it did make it more difficult.
In the
second project they similarly analyzed three different games and the archetypes
and hidden meanings behind the games. They did so in a very organized way of
separating the three narratives, however they did not include any visual
representation which made it difficult for the reader to imagine the characters
that were being described. This project seemed incomplete because of the lack
of information. They had all three described, but there was a lack of
conclusion to the project because they did not use many sources.
Jung’s “On
the Nature of Dreams”
Jung
talks about how even though dreams are hard to analyze, sometimes they produce
stuff that are worth knowing. They are difficult in one sense to test because
you can’t go about it like you would a normal scientific experiment. He
discusses that dreams are less clear to analyze because they “posesss a minimum
of logical coherence and that hierarchy of values shown by the other contents
of consciousness.” He then proceeds to say it is difficult to start to study
dreams because when people ask “Well why am I having this dream” it is insulting
to give them your opinion.
So how
do we know that dreams are important then if we can’t successfully analyze them?
One way to go about this is to see if the dreams people have, have an
correlation to events that then occur for them in the future. The second way is
almost a reverse. You check to see if people’s past effects dreams that they
then have in the future. Carl Jung also states that he thinks simple
interpretations of dreams should be avoided.
He then
goes on to state why analyzing dreams could lead to bettering you as a person.
He says that if you work to understand the meaning of your dreams, you will
have a better understanding of yourself and lead a more enriched life. There is
a certain pattern to every dream, but they all usually end with a conclusion or
a solution. If you look at each part to the dream, then the solution to the
dream can be more easily figured out.
Similar Short Story
The techniques used in Mary Ruefle’s “Recollections of My Christmas Tree” are the very vivid imagery used with the small details that one wouldn’t necessarily recognize. She used stories that she could relate back to the message she was trying to convey. One thing I noticed was that even though the story was a personal memory, through the questions she asks and the use of the word “we” it is easily relatable back to the readers own life.
She also uses history in her pieces. She discusses how poor
people often have the most Christmas lights and how rich people often think
that looks tacky. This individual detail was very relatable to either side.
Either you know those people in your neighborhood that have the tackiest Christmas
lights that take up every square inch or you are the people with those kind of
lights. Using this common occurrence, she is able to draw the reader in and
make it more relatable because everyone at some point in their lives has seen Christmas
lights. She also soon after makes a very interesting statement “I think we
would all be confused eventually if we didn’t die.” She was talking about how
things change as time goes on. This causes the reader to think about their own
life now, how things used to be, and how the norms of right now probably won’t
be the norms of the future generations.
One key point that we always talk about in class is that if
we introduce a character that we have to make sure we keep up with them and
that they don’t randomly just stop showing up in our piece. At one point the
author talks about this man in the sleigh. Even though it is very brief, she
still at the end of the piece ties in his importance and discusses that he
ended up dying in the sleigh. I need to make sure in my piece that I include details in a way that aren’t just pointless, but in a way that make the reader connect and visualize with what I am describing. I need to tie in examples that people will relate to that aren’t necessarily exactly about the story I am telling, but that are more general so readers can get the same message. Finally, I need to remember to close out each character that way they don’t just randomly stop appearing in my text.
The formula that I am going to try to emphasize in my text is curiosity. I am going to try to give the reader enough information so they are aware of what is going on in the beginning but not to much information that they get bored part way through the story. If I introduce information slowly as the story progresses then it will keep the reader reading to find out what happened next and why things were happening. It is important while doing this to resolve each of the questions that the reader may have though. Readers want to know the ending.
In my story I talk about how I pass out, but I don’t tell the reader why I passed out. I introduced them to the critical event fairly early on in the story but it is aware that just as I didn’t know then what was going on, that the reader is not supposed to know at that moment what is going on. I attempt to build up curiosity by leading them through the hours at the hospital with the “white walls”. By me doing this my attempt was to make the reader feel that blankness and emptiness that I was feeling at the time. My goal is that through the repetition of the metaphor of blank walls, the reader will understand the deeper meaning behind it.
It also says that plot driven stories are the ones that keep
the reader most interested. This means that you have to keep the action going.
I need to make sure that when I am using a lot of detail in my story that I don’t
move so slowly that the action isn’t there otherwise the story is going to lag
and not interest whoever is reading it.
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