Not the Last Paper

      As I have mentioned it is the end of the semester for me. This week is finals week, which means I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. That being said I still have a few large assignments due. In my geology class I have a large assignment due called an Environmental Impact Statement. An EIS is basically a written summary of why or why not a building or construction should happen. I never thought I would have to do so much writing in my geology class. I have learned over this past semester how important it is for me to have writing skill. My English class has helped me so much in my writing process and learning. As excited as I am to be done with my English requirements for WCC I have realized that I will be writing papers for a very long time so I need to start to learn to enjoy writing.

My New Writing Experience

 Today I had to write a research paper for my sociology class as my final assignment. This weekend I went to the library to do some research and then started my pre-writing process. An odd thing happened to me while I was writing my research paper today. I knew exactly how I wanted to set my paper up, I made sure to find great sources to help support my thesis, and I was able to write with ease. I repeat I was able to write a research paper with ease…. A couple of things occurred to me today, first thing was I had no anxiety when it came to writing this paper, which for me is a very unfamiliar feeling. The second thing is I new exactly what I was talking about and what my model was, thesis, literature review and supporting arguments to my thesis. The third thing that occurred to me, which was hard for me to admit was that my teacher was right. This past semester my English teacher would tell my class after we wrote our research papers every paper after would be so much easier to write. By golly she was right! Anyway I was happy to write a research paper that I knew exactly how to go about researching and writing it, and I feel confident in the quality of my paper.

Life is Beautiful

 Earlier this week as I was on my way to work I found myself in amazement and gratitude. As I drove along a busy road that gloomy day I found myself in amazement and gratitude for all of the above. When I say all of the above I mean everything. I found myself in amazement and gratitude of weather; I was grateful to have the terribly gloomy day because it meant something was happening. I was grateful and amazed by my ears listening to music. The insanity and wonder that I function as a human being. My ears function and hear sound and music; that is a truly an amazing thing. I just couldn’t stop thinking about how awesome and amazing the littlest and most unsubstantial things in this life are. These thoughts and feelings overcame me to the point that I felt compelled to write it down and share to the void. So take a look around, revel in the beauty that is life.

Original Photo by me

Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom

     This past semester I have been talking about my research paper, my thoughts, and challenges with it. It has just occurred to me that I have been talking all about my Harry Potter paper all semester on my crazy cat lady blog and have yet to talk about My Cats! To start off I must tell you there is a reason I chose to write my research paper about a Harry Potter film; I LOVE Harry Potter. That information know known, I will tell you about my awesome cats. My husband and I have a 3 ½ year old cat named Luna, appropriately named after one of the best characters in the Harry Potter series, Luna Lovegood. When we first met Luna and her siblings at the Kendall County pound she was not one of the kittens running all over the place. She was very calm and usually off on her own. I know this will sound cheesy but we did not choose Luna, she chose us. Based on her demeanor and her color we knew she was Luna. Our other cat just turned 2 this fall and is the most bizarre cat I have ever known. Our handsome big boy Neville we also rescued, in a less conventional story that is too long to talk about. Neville is named after another great character, Neville Longbottom. When most people find out that my cats names are named after Harry Potter characters, it is always 2 different ways this fact presents itself. I am either asked with much excitement and hope that our cats are named after Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom or the fact comes out in conversation and people respond with a, really?? I didn’t know that, I don’t know who those characters are, or  oh, those characters.... I think anyone who has READ the Harry Potter books will understand why I love those characters so much. Honestly I could write about my cats for much longer but there is a time and a place to be over the top crazy cat lady and I am quickly reaching the top.

A blog coming to a close?

     Over the past semester I have participated in my first ever blog; never would I ever have imagined that I would have a blog. At the beginning of the semester I found it pointless and a nuisance, I would also forget about it a lot. However as the seasons have progressed I have come to appreciate it more. I know my thoughts don’t have deep powerful meaning to them, but it is sort of fun to write out to the void. Much like peer reviews, this blog has made me self analyze my writing and helped me with the writing process and editing. I have wondered if I will continue with this blog after my class is over, and my answer is… I don’t know. Part of me has thought it would be fun to write a blog about our adventures to becoming more environmentally aware and consumer conscious people. By no means do I have any intention of writing a blog for profit, but the idea of writing about our journey has some appeal.  So here I write last blog post for my class and possibly the first blog post for my journey. We shall see what happens.

Fairy Tales

    In my English class we have been learning about fairy tales. Not just reading or watching fairy tales but learning why the original fairy tales are important for children to read. As an adult it is harder to analyze fairy tales without some bias or pre-conceived notions. As a child the only fairy tales I read or watched were the Disney versions for the most part. What I was drawn to most as a child was the music or the illustrations and the animals. Since we have been talking more about fairy tales and discussing Bettelheim’s analysis on fairy tales it almost makes me view them in a different way. Not in a corrupt way but more of an appreciative way. There are definite lessons that children are intended to learn from these stories. I have been so far removed from fairy tales that I never really thought about why they are good, and why they are more than a way to occupy and amuse children.

Books books books

   With the winter break coming up and continuously on my mind, I decided to set a few goals for myself for the 4 weeks I have off. One goal I am very much looking forward to accomplishing is to read at least 2 books over the break. Now the big question is what books should I read? I am torn to re-read the Harry Potter series, or start the Game of Thrones series. There are also other books I started and never finished. This past summer I started reading “I am Malala”, but didn’t finish reading it. There are so many books but so little time! As far as break goes thought I am glad to have the conflict of what book to read rather than how many assignments I need to get done.

Last 2 Weeks!

     I have 2 weeks left of school until the semester is over! That being said this is when EVERYTHING is due. Turning in my research paper felt awesome, but the feeling didn’t last long. Yes I turned in my big paper for English, but now I have 2 major papers I still have to write for my sociology class. The sad fact is I look forward for the weekends because the weekend means I get a chance to catch up on all of my homework and assignments. Knowing there are 2 weeks left is what helps me stay motivated and focused. I just tell myself I need to push through and it will all be over soon enough! To all of the other students out there, I feel your pain, but we can do this!

A Research Reflected

     Looking back on my research paper there are plenty of things I could have done differently. One large aspect of the paper I would do differently if I could, would be to understand the assignment from the beginning of the semester. Not having a clear understanding of the assignment for a long time made it harder to know what I needed to look for in sources, how to search for sources, and what exactly I was looking for in my research for my paper. If I had a better understanding I feel I would have better sources. Another thing I could have possibly done differently would be to change my movie and approach. There were plenty of times during the semester when I second-guessed my approach. However now that my paper is over with I am glad I decided to go with the Harry Potter 5 and my approach. I feel I gave myself much more of a challenge but because of the challenge I feel much more accomplished now that I conquered it!

The Research Paper

     This past week I turned in the final revision of my research paper, and man did it feel good to be done with it! Now I am anxiously awaiting my grade... Overall I feel I did well on my paper. I was feeling like it was a fairly decent paper when asked my husband to proofread it for me. More than a few minutes had passed as he read it, which made me a little nervous, but after he read it he gave me great criticism and said it was a good paper! Like I said I feel I did pretty decent on my paper, there are a few sections I feel are a little weak, such as my conclusion. For some reason when I am ready to write my conclusion I have a really hard time summing up everything I have written in a clear way. In my conclusion I knew how I wanted to end it but I had a hard time finding a way to get there. My overall paper I feel I did well on but my conclusion I think I could have made a little stronger.

Interstellar

  Last weekend I saw the movie Interstellar, and then my mind was blown. If you haven’t seen the film I highly recommend you do so. I have always grown up in a home that loves a good sci-fi. I was raised watching sci-fi’s as a family bonding time. Some sci-fi’s that left a big impact on me are Star Trek, Star Wars, The Fifth Element, Sphere, The Abyss and many others I can’t think of in this moment. So that being said I was super pumped to see Interstellar. One thing I loved most about the movie is the fact that I couldn’t stop thinking about it. After we saw the film my husband, dad and mom went out to eat and had a sold hour of discussion talking about the movie, elements in it and theories that were presented. The next morning after the movie I woke up thinking about the movie, actually every morning and all day for the following couple of days after seeing the film I couldn’t stop thinking about it. All I want to send out to the void is intrigue I guess? I know there are plenty of reviews of the film and everyone has there own opinion, but I just want to tell people to see it, and then come and talk to me about the movie. Interstellar gets my official stamp of approval.

What is Happening!?

Ever since learning about our research project and what we would be looking for and doing I have been looking at films in a different way. A week or so ago I was talking with my husband about some film, (the title escapes me at this time) and I remember thinking to myself after we were talking about the film, that would be an interesting theory to research and present. After I had that thought my initial reaction was “oh no! what’s happened!? I’m thinking of research papers that would be interesting to write!” For the first time ever in my life I thought of a  research paper thesis and thought it would be a cool thing to write about, on my own accord without an assignment. I do not consider myself a writer and have never aspired to become one but for the first time in my life I thought it would be cool to write a paper for fun, for my own benefit. Seriously what is happening to me!???

Peer Reviews

      Peer review for the research paper was insightful so to speak. Going into it I was already aware of what my paper was lacking and what needed editing. That being said I think it is really good to have a peer read my writing. When I was in high school so many of my peers thought that peer reviews were pointless and never took them seriously. I never really understood why, I always gave as much detail and helpful comments on a peers writing that I could. The vulnerability of giving your writing over to someone else to read is really good for a writer to do, whether you want to or not. When we were doing the peer reviews the person who was reviewing my paper asked me where my thesis was. My initial thought was that it was obvious, but then I thought more about it and made a note to myself to look at my thesis again and make sure I write it in a way in my revision so it is clear for the reader to find.

The Draft

     While writing my research paper draft I found myself getting caught up in the film. I went a little overboard on the details of the scenes I am analyzing. I am still constantly looking for useful sources for my model. I was trying to find sources written about the Manchurian Candidate but wasn’t really able to find much that was helpful. I think V for Vendetta will be a good title to search for sources. Another problem I was having while writing my paper was figuring out how to organize my thoughts in fluid and constructive sentences. I found that I wrote in fragments and ideas rather than fluid, and clear sentences. Writing the draft was super helpful for me though, I think I have a great start and understanding for how I want to write my revised draft, what I need to work on more, and what I need to cut out of my paper.

Pre-Research Paper

       As I start the pre-write of my research paper I feel full of anxiety. There is something about the before of a major project that I think is the worst part about the whole assignment. Once I have started my research paper and start hacking away at it, and getting into a writing groove I know I will feel so much better with less anxiety, (of course there is still anxiety in waiting for the final grade). I also feel optimistic in my pre-write, mostly because I have not come to any halts or bumps in the road. Now that I have self evaluated how I feel about this research paper of mine I guess its time I start the thing!

Most Important Source

    Throughout the course of my research for my paper I have had no problem finding sources that are of no use to me. I was struggling quite a bit and finally went to the reference desk at the school library and the librarian there found the most dynamite book for me to use. The book is an anthology titled Political Issues in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter Series. It has been really helpful to support my ideas on my research paper, and guide me to other authors. The book has also helped me with further research on sources to help me with using better search terms when looking for new sources.

Current Thesis to Date

    My latest working thesis is still basically the same. Harry Potter 5 is a political thriller not a fantasy because of the themes seen in the film, such as fascist leadership, propaganda, intervening government, and uprising of the people against the government. I have been doing research on all of these terms to help find/ decide what my own definition of a political thriller is. The themes I think are seen in a political thriller are the themes I listed above. These themes are also what appear in Harry Potter 5. As far as my thesis is concerned I’m sure it will continue to evolve as the research paper continues but as far as the structure of it, it has remained the same.

My Golden Source

   While continuously researching and looking for sources I found myself stumped and recruited the help of the reference desk at the school library. The woman who helped me had trouble herself and had me leave my name and email so she could do further research. She ended up finding the most perfect book ever through an inter library loan. The book is titled Political Issues in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter Series. This book is an anthology of articles and excerpts from scholars all around the world. This book has been a dynamite source to help back up my thesis. It is also a really interesting book separate from my research paper.

"Fellowship in a Ring"

   One of my sources I am using for my research paper, is a book on fantasy, and making fantasy groups, its called Fellowship in a Ring: A Guide for Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Groups. This source is a great counter argument source for me. There are millions of subgenres of fantasy explained in the book such as one subgenre called political fantasy. This subgenre has a lot of the same elements in Harry Potter 5. Despite having a few direct correlations I am still sticking with my thesis that Harry Potter is not a fantasy film. I am glad I found this book though because it has helped me to look harder for sources and give great examples to prove why my film is not a fantasy film.

My Working Thesis

   My current working thesis for my research paper honestly has been changing throughout the semester. Even though it has been changing the basic idea has still remained unchanged which is, Harry Potter 5 is a political thriller not a fantasy genre. As I start working on research paper my current working thesis is that propaganda, fascism, and intervening government are all things that make a political thriller. All of the ideas that I listed are all seen throughout the entire film. My thesis still needs a bit of tweaking and cleaning up but my basic idea has still remained through the entire research process.

My Research From Here On Out

    My research schedule throughout the semester is to search online databases a couple of times a week, I try different search terms and new things are always being added. I have used the school library only twice, the reference help couldn’t find much but she found this amazing book for my through a library loan. My local library has been the most useful, I have been there a couple of times already and found a couple of books. I plan on continuing my research by going to the library at least once every week till my research paper is due if not twice a week.

What's In a Scene...

I recently re-watched HP5 and have found at least two scenes to use. The first scene I have decided to use for my critical model is the scene when Professor Umbridge first introduces herself to the school. She basically tells the school that she is there as eyes for the minister of magic and making sure everything that is going on at the school is Ministry of Magic approved. I think this scene should be helpful to use for my critical approach because it is pretty straight forward about what is going to be happening for the rest of the film. The second scene I think I am going to use is Umbridge's first class. She tells the students they will not need to practice anything they learn but read the book and that will suffice. I think this scene is a great analogy for a political thriller genre.

A critical model as I may or may not understand....

My critical model I am using for my research paper is a genre critical approach. For my Harry Potter film paper I am researching if the movie is a political thriller rather than a fantasy genre. I believe it is a political thriller but I will have to do much more reading on political genre in film. I believe I have plenty of “evidence”/ examples from the movie to prove my point. Although I do understand what the overall assignment is, I can’t help but feel insecure in my writing and thoughts, I’m not sure where my lack of confidence comes from in my academics but I am always trying to learn more.

As someone who isn’t so comfortable with frequently sharing my thoughts via the interweb, this blog will be an interesting experience for me. Although I am wary about posting on a blog for the public to see my thoughts, I am looking forward to a challenge and more importantly a good grade. At first thought the phrase “research project” initially brought on anxiety. After learning we are doing our research project on a film, I gained some confidence, being that I am a movie fanatic! My initial thoughts were doing one of the Harry Potter films with a shame theory critical approach. Now the most difficult decision is to choose which one? After some thought, one film continued popping up in my head, Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix.