last blog! so sad! :(
Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris [Group 4]
I like how this group had a lot of different topics about the same book. Some of the theses overlapped a little bit -- but overall I was impressed with the various paths the group members decided to explore.
The first thesis presented about rampant depression in the American office is a really interesting one that is very applicable to America's situation right now. There are so many first hand testimonials in all forms of media documenting these feelings of workers across the country in all sorts of fields.
Also, the fact that the book is in the "we" format is a component that is unique. I've never read a book written like this, so I think that exploring the two different "we's" is cool idea. The corporate world is so multifaceted and I think that by looking at what this "we" stands for, a lot can be discovered about not only this book, but big business in general.
The middle section of the novel - the part about the boss with breast cancer - seems to humanize and personalize this corporate "we" that is the basis of the book (not that i've read it, this is me merely making random connections that i see). I think that it is easy to hate bosses of large corporations since they are notorious for greed and corruption. But this section of the book (from what i've gathered) seems to allow the reader to have a connection with a higher-upper in this corporation. Readers are able to sympathize with her and see her as a human being with all of her flaws and fears.
Friday, December 10
Wednesday, December 1
Class Presentations week 1
Group 2: The Postcard Killers by James Patterson and Liza Markland
So...I didn't write down who presented each thesis. When I was taking notes, I simply labeled them "Thesis A, B, C, etc," so forgive me for not knowing who's topic is who's. :(
Thesis A: I think that drawing parallels between artists and the serial killers should bring up some intriguing arguments about their intelligence, pride, and confidence. Obviously the killers must think very highly of themselves if they are replicating such famous pieces of art.
Thesis B: Juxtaposing America and Europe is always intriguing to me. This book (although I've never read it) seems like it holds a lot of typical stereotypes - which relates to Thesis C as well - that are pretty common in all forms of media and will be easy to pull out of this book.
Thesis C: The idea of trying to figure out the "formula" for creating a bestseller is a really cool idea! There are soooo many examples of these kinds of books. I found it really bizarre that there is actually an instructional-type book about creating these sorts of novels.
Thesis D: Since I'm not too familiar with the book, I can't really provide too much insightful feedback about whether Dezzie(?)'s decision to not interview the killers is justified. However, I can say that taking out just one part of a multi-faceted book is a good idea. This will allow you to really dive into her character as well as journalistic ethics in general without getting involved with too many subjects/ideas (which can get really overwhelming really quickly).
Thesis E: This idea is much like the first thesis listed, and again, I find it to be a very interesting concept. The psychology/backstory of killers is always intriguing - everyone wants to know their reasoning behind their cruel actions. This should be an gripping paper as well.
So...I didn't write down who presented each thesis. When I was taking notes, I simply labeled them "Thesis A, B, C, etc," so forgive me for not knowing who's topic is who's. :(
Thesis A: I think that drawing parallels between artists and the serial killers should bring up some intriguing arguments about their intelligence, pride, and confidence. Obviously the killers must think very highly of themselves if they are replicating such famous pieces of art.
Thesis B: Juxtaposing America and Europe is always intriguing to me. This book (although I've never read it) seems like it holds a lot of typical stereotypes - which relates to Thesis C as well - that are pretty common in all forms of media and will be easy to pull out of this book.
Thesis C: The idea of trying to figure out the "formula" for creating a bestseller is a really cool idea! There are soooo many examples of these kinds of books. I found it really bizarre that there is actually an instructional-type book about creating these sorts of novels.
Thesis D: Since I'm not too familiar with the book, I can't really provide too much insightful feedback about whether Dezzie(?)'s decision to not interview the killers is justified. However, I can say that taking out just one part of a multi-faceted book is a good idea. This will allow you to really dive into her character as well as journalistic ethics in general without getting involved with too many subjects/ideas (which can get really overwhelming really quickly).
Thesis E: This idea is much like the first thesis listed, and again, I find it to be a very interesting concept. The psychology/backstory of killers is always intriguing - everyone wants to know their reasoning behind their cruel actions. This should be an gripping paper as well.
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