Cindy Camacho

Professor Loren Eason

March 10, 2017

I consider Writing 37 to be a challenging course not only because of all the essays I wrote but also because of the theme of the class, science fiction. We were assigned different science fiction stories to read. The purpose of these assignments was to analyze the strategies the author used and to compare structures between each story. We had to complete some discussions for every story to constantly work on our writing. Through the constant practice, we learned how to identify the main ideas, the rhetorical devices, and the structure of the stories. For example, we read Cold Equations and Hinterlands and realized that the authors had similar structure for their stories. To elaborate on that, both stories had a comparable use of dialogue. Keeping the rhetorical devices in mind we were assigned a project in which each student could pick a topic related to science fiction. Everyone was aware of the project since the beginning of the quarter so they had time to research and think about the creative project they wanted to construct. Since it was a self-directed project each student was able to make all the choices regarding the direction they wanted the project to take. The only parameters the project had was that the topic had to involve science fiction.

            To begin my brainstorming, I made a list about my interest, then I narrowed it down to topics that are seen in various science fiction films/books. Being a Political Science major impacts how I view the world, therefore why not share my perspectives with science fiction fanatics and fellow Political Science majors (my audience). After giving it some thought the topic I based my project on was the current issues in today’s world that is seen in The Hunger Games series, I used the book and the movie as evidence. In my Political Science classes I read about totalitarian dictatorships and how the amount of power they have over the people can really damage a country. Learning about a totalitarian government reminded me of the form of government in The Hunger Games.  I wanted to apply what I have already learned in my classes to a movie that majority of people have at least heard of. My intention was that connecting Politics with a well-known movie like The Hunger Games would make others realize the importance of being involved with the politics around them. Also, making my audience notice the positive effects that being informed has on people’s voting.

Once I knew my subject I began by choosing the creative format I wanted to use to get my point across. I eventually found “The Artifice” which is a website with a variety of categories. This website covers stories on a large range of topics from politics to scientific inventions all while keeping their audience in mind. After having looked at their demographics I saw they have 34% of males and 35% of females between the ages 13-24 as their largest audience. I chose this to be medium of communicating my ideas because of the people that this website attracts. I believe these percentages are significant because this way the younger generations would read the article if I posted it on the website. Which in turn would lead to them being curious about my connections between the movies and the government. I decided to make a website like the Artifice to publish my work. I believe my goal would have been achieved if I got even a couple of readers to Google facts about different forms of government, where they’ve existed and how they work.

Since this was a rhetoric in practice project I had to incorporate them into my movie review. The first rhetorical device I used was diction. In my movie review I kept the language simple so anyone could understand my connection between the movie and the current political issues we are witnessing. The movie reviews I read were all public friendly so, I knew I wanted mine to be similar because reading an article with unknown words can sometimes be frustrating. I used words like “revolution” rather than coup or upheaval, since I aimed to keep my language simple enough for any age group to understand. Diction is seen to be influential in communication because it can set the tone of an article or piece of writing. For example, using words like “Anyways” can give the impression that the essay is informal as opposed to using words like “Nevertheless”. I used my diction to create a general informal yet direct tone. The tone I set for my blog is important in how my message is delivered because my tone gives my message more credibility/seriousness.  

A second rhetorical device I used in my blog were parenthesis. I thought they would be beneficial for my writing as a mean of explanation to details. For instance, I utilized parenthesis to explain the importance of characters that were not the protagonist. When I introduced Haymitch I put in parenthesis his relevance to the stories plot. I also used them to mention where I got some quotes to fortify my argument. The parenthesis are useful because when someone reads the sentence they are not forced to say what is in them aloud, it’s more of a side note. When used correctly parenthesis can benefit the writing.

My last rhetorical device I used was comparison. I used The Hunger Games series and compared them to the current political system we have in the U.S. I based my blog on the politics behind the movie and how our politics today mirror the system in the film. I found that comparison was the best fit between my both governments because they have similar forms of ruling. I compared the social and political aspects of the film because they are a form of the present and what the future can be. I make it evident in my blog that I am comparing the two systems to as a wakeup call for my audience, this way they can get involved with the politics. I explain the similarities with both governments and base my argument on how our government will eventually become like the film if we don’t attempt to change it. I used comparison to my advantage to show what kind of country we could become since people don’t normally want to be involved with government.

This specific project helped me with making decisions and seeing them through. Before this I would change my mind on project ideas constantly, once I saw there was the possibility of encountering a problem while doing the project I would just change my ideas. I knew I would have difficulty finding a topic interesting enough to create a project and a companion essay on the same idea. I was clueless as to what I needed to get done to turn in a worth-while essay. I put myself into the mindset that if I wanted a decent grade I had to work on it since it was assigned. I took my time on doing the research about the kind of form I wanted my project to take and once I knew the base of my project I took my knowledge to accurately apply it to my final project. The research skills and citation practice I received in this course is something I know I will use not only for future courses, but also for my future career. I would say that although I wasn’t too excited about the science fiction theme I learned to appreciate the genre because of this class. I have seen that these futuristic stories have deeper meanings relating to real world issues. I’m glad I stayed in this course because I discovered a little more of what kind of writer I am. I found a voice in how I express my interests and point of views through writing because this class constantly challenge me to improve my analysis and writing techniques.

Reflecting on my writing from the beginning of the quarter compared to now I can see my improvement. I have learned how to write a strong thesis that can guide my entire essay. I can recognize themes in stories and I’m able to coherently structure my essay. Now when I write my essay I don’t have to forcefully structure it with five paragraphs, I’m comfortable with having a lengthier essay. I know I have areas I need to improve such as giving more examples, or being more detailed for my reader to grasp everything I am trying to communicate. Another area I will continue to work on is the active voice in my essays, I think my essays normally have a more opinionated perspective because I let my thoughts take over the essay rather than bringing hard facts. I know the skills of citation, structure, and analysis will aid me in 39C next quarter because I exercised those skills in this course and am now able to use those techniques to write an essay. I’m confident that in 39C I will use everything I learned this quarter through the readings and this project. Doing research will be facilitated because I can read an article and still identify the important parts, to later use them for a thesis or as a point to strengthen my argument.  

                                                Work Cited

1. Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. Scholastics Corporation, 2008.

http://www.kkoworld.com/kitablar/suzanna-kollinz-acliq-oyunlari-1-hisse-eng.pdf

2. Collins, Suzanne. Mockingjay. Scholastic Corporation, 2010.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B3CZYRwvAL-mTGVVbnRtSHRfRnM/view

3. Goldberg, Stephanie. “’The Hunger Games’: From the bookshelf to the big screen”. CNN. March, 2012.

<http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/21/showbiz/movies/hunger-games-novel-film-adaptation/>

4. Grossman, Lev. “I Was Destined to Write a Gladiator Game”: A Conversation with Suzanne Collins and Francis Lawrence”. TIME. November, 2013.

http://entertainment.time.com/2013/11/20/i-was-destined-to-write-a-gladiator-game-a-conversation-with-suzanne-collins-and-francis-lawrence/

5. Haraldsson, Hrafnkell. “Trump Says Freedom of the Press Must Go Because He’s ‘Not Like Other People’”. Politicus USA. February, 2016.

http://www.politicususa.com/2016/02/27/trump-freedom-press-not-people.html

6. “How to Write a Movie Review”. WikiHow.

http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Movie-Review

7. “Box Office History for Hunger Games Movies”. The Numbers- Where Data and Movies Meet. November, 2015.

http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/franchise/Hunger-Games#tab=summary