Acts of Writing: lecture notes, close analysis, creative writing, and feedback
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Course
English Literature, Acts of Writing
Institution
University Of Sussex (UoS)
Book
Jane Eyre
This document is 38 pages long and provides lecture and seminar notes for every week of the Acts of Writing Course. It received a high 1st.
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Sasha Campbell, Acts of Writing
PARTICIPATION PORTFOLIO
Acts of Writing 2
JANUARY 1, 2021
SASHA CAMPBELL
University of Sussex
,Participation Portfolio, Week 1
My Padlet responses to lecture content:
Do you agree with Benjamin and Popova’s definitions of storytelling and information, and their
account of the opposition between them?
I largely agree with Benjamin and Popova’s definitions of
storytelling, particularly Benjamin’s assertion that ‘half the art of
storytelling is to keep a story free from explanation…’, thereby
allowing readers to ‘interpret things the way [they] understand
them’. By withholding explanation, storytelling allows for individual
understanding; this allows readers to experience stories in entirely
different ways. Herein lies, I believe, the true distinction between
storytelling and information: storytelling is experiential – it is, for
both speaker and listener, an act - whereas information is
theoretical, passively passed from person to person, like an
inanimate object. This is not the case for stories. Rather, with each
retelling, tales shift and grow, they are imbued with new meaning
and new life. A story is alive, information is dead. In this sense I
agree that the two are in opposition.
Further reflections upon my initial response:
Having touched upon the ever-changing nature of stories, I accept Benjamin’s conviction that a story
‘does not expend itself’. At least, a good story does not! To explore this notion further, I turned to
examine how it might operate in relation to George Orwell’s novel (or story) 1984, which became the
best-selling book on Amazon 68 years after its publication. Orwell’s 1984, now over 70 years old, has
certainly not expended itself. Rather, it ‘has seen a resurgence of interest’ many times throughout
the years and has been referenced in response to political events consistently since its publication.
For example: in 1977, Virginian state Senator Hirst used 1984 to defend his legislation legalising
more beer sales, asserting that the bill would diminish “pervasive government control”; in 2003,
President Bush was accused of taking the United States “much farther down the road toward an
intrusive, Big Brother-style government… than anyone ever thought would be possible”; and in 2016,
the Share Act (legislation regarding fishing and hunting) was described as being “riddled with double
speak”. Today, 1984 remains pertinent, with a particularly striking parallel being forged between Big
Brother’s all-seeing presence and omniscient presence of social media. Still, Orwell’s masterpiece has
not ‘expend[ed] itself’ – and I do not believe that it ever will.
,Another of my Padlet responses to this question:
However, on the whole, I disagree with Benjamin and Popova’s
assertion that ‘storytelling’ and ‘information’ are set in antithesis
to one another. The two need not juxtapose. In fact, I believe that
the two are quite similar. The Oxford English Dictionary defines
‘information’ as ‘the imparting of knowledge’. Is this not also the
nature of storytelling? In fact, I believe that ‘information’ and
‘storytelling’ are irrevocably intertwined. A natural storyteller
sows seeds of information for the listener to reap. A story is an
intricate patchwork quilt of information. Therefore, ‘storytelling’
can not exist without ‘information’. Similarly, information is only
of value when it is part of a wider narrative, when it is part of a
story. Why care about physics if it were not the story of the
universe? Why care about history if it were not the story of
mankind? ‘Storytelling’ and ‘information’ can not exist
independently of one another. Storytelling is the mind and
information is the body. This distinction does not make the two
opposites – it makes them brothers.
In response to another student’s Padlet comment on this question:
I also disagree with Benjamin’s definition of
information. More specifically, I object to his statement
that ‘the value of information does not survive the
moment in which it was new’ and by extension also
disagree with the student’s comment that information
has ‘maximum value’ when it is new. I believe the
contrary: that information grows in value as time
progresses. When first confronted with new
information, it is difficult to absorb and to comprehend.
Only after careful meditation upon new information,
which requires time, can its maximum value be
obtained. By this time, the information is no longer
new. Rather, like a story, information ‘is capable of
releasing [it’s strength] even after a long time’. It does
not die after its birth; instead, it is expanded upon,
challenged, recontextualised and passed on to others.
, Participation Portfolio, Week 2
Scarlett Spear, mini-essay on Cindi Lauper
✓ I really liked the broad scope of the essay - it touched on a wide range of interesting and
relevant topics (such as storytelling, the ballad form and film elements) and reflected on the
interplay between these beautifully.
✓ I found the paragraph on the film elements particularly powerful. In particular, I was
impressed by the technical terms (e.g. mise en scene) included and the depth in which these
were explored.
✓ I tend not to watch music videos when listening to music, so the idea that ‘a music video can
add meaning to written/ verbal words’ by providing details ‘that are not expressed in its
lyrics’ was transformative to me. In the future, I will endeavour to watch more music videos,
thanks to this essay.
✓ I also thought that the links drawn between storytelling and singing were very interesting,
especially the importance of ‘memorability’ and ‘voice’ in each. These rich comparisons gave
weight to your argument that music keeps ‘storytelling alive today’. An argument that I
found creative and compelling.
ꓫ The idea that singing is in itself a form of storytelling could be explored further. Perhaps this
could be done by identifying the core components of storytelling (beyond memorability and
voice) and exploring how there are/ are not embodied in song. Another idea may be to find
songs that do a particularly good job at communicating a story and analyse how this is done
successfully. For example, I find the song ‘This Night Has Opened my Eyes’ by The Smiths, to
be a particularly powerful storyteller. It tells the story of a mother forced to give away her
baby, evoking powerful emotions in the listener. Is that not what storytelling is about – the
sharing of emotions?
ꓫ I also wondered whether you could use the idea that singing is a form of storytelling to
challenge Benjamin’s assertion that storytelling is dying out. Your point suggests that,
actually, this isn’t the case. That storytelling remains present in our day to day lives; it is just
that the medium in which stories are told has changed.
ꓫ The contrasting ideas that film elements can both add to and detract from the lyrics of a
song is very interesting. It makes me wonder: to what extent does visual imagery enhance or
diminish the listener’s imaginings? Perhaps you could offer some kind of answer to this
question as a way of offering a conclusion to the argument you explore.
Lottie Skeates-O’Reilly, mini-essay on the Lady of Shalott
✓ I loved the links forged between literature and art. I think that the connection between the
two is often overlooked, but your work highlights that this connection remains an important
aspect of study and attention.
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