Make sure you read my "Expectations for Reading Responses "prior to getting started on your assignment.
| 1. What is an urban legend? Why is this particular urban legend of a cursed videotape particularly intriguing? |
| 2. Sadako, the vengeful ghost of the cursed videos, is said to have mythological connections to a god or demon of the sea. Why does the ocean, and to a larger extent, water itself, play such an important role in both films? |
| 3. Eric White, the author of this case study, suggests that a person who has seen a copy of the video will always have their faces distorted (in videos, photographs, etc.) Why do these victims become distorted upon viewing the film, according to White? According to you? |
| 4. Is Sadako Yamamura a tragic figure, promoting sympathy in viewers or readers? Does she have any intertextual connections to the Shambleau or to Medusa? |
| 5. Ghost stories are by no means a "new genre." What makes the story of Sadako Yamamura (Samara in the English version) so compelling and popular in the Ring series? What makes it fresh or new? |
| 6. Additional comments or points you'd like to make. |
| 7. Extra-credit: The first ring had a singular old woman's voice saying, "Shoumon bakkari shite iru to boukon ga kuru zo" ("If you keep playing in the water, the monster will come for you"/"Frolic in brine /Goblins be thine"), a line presumably directed at Sadako herself. Why is this statement so important in the context of Sadako's relationship to water? |
Expectations for Reading Responses
In general, any teacher will tell you that what they are looking for is insightful, often original commentary that 1) cuts to the core of the piece read; 2) answers questions deftly rather than swiftly; 3) provides quotable evidence; 4) offers insightful analysis of those quotes. Ideally, a good response usually has 3 things that are completely related to basic PIE structure: a general claim, evidence supporting that claim, and analysis of that evidence.
As such, here is a sample of strong analysis based on a seven-line poem that I use in my English 100 class. The poem is Gwendolyn Brooks' "We Real Cool."
"WE REAL COOL"
--Gwendolyn Brooks
The Pool Players.
Seven at the Golden Shovel.
We Real Cool. We
Left school. We
Lurk Late. We
Strike straight. We
Sing sin. We
Thin gin. We
Jazz June. We
Die soon. (642)
Sample Question: Why is the setting of this poem important?
Sample Answer: The setting of the Golden Shovel not only typifies the type of activities that go on at the pool hall, but also foreshadow the early deaths of the seven pool players. While there is no clear indication of a physical setting in terms of climate or geographical location, Brooks' decision to call the pool hall the Golden Shovel is a symbolic act. Most pool halls might give their establishments "cooler" names; even in Hawai'i, pool halls have cool names such as Hawaiian Brians' or Velvets; these names accentuate the fun or supposed grandeur of the activity. A shovel, golden or not, typically serves one purpose: it is used to dig a hole. Treasure-seekers or gravediggers use it as their most important tool. The narrators seem to be simultaneously living out the dual nature of the shovel's use: they seek hedonistic excess, and at the same time, are brought to dig their own graves because of that search. The word "Golden" implies that the pursuit for sensuality in this piece is valuable and worthwhile for these players, even though their lives may be at stake.
Commentary: The author has tried to employ what is known as "quote recycling" to set forward the juiciest and tastiest bits of quotes so as to comment on them strongly.
And here's an example of a response that is a rush-job, which usually results in a less than stellar grade.
Sample Question: Why is the setting of this poem important?
Sample Answer: The Golden Shovel is a bar. Bars usually attract drunks. That's why it's important. These kids are drunks.
The student, it can be argued, has made a strong assertion. Lacking quotable evidence, however, the student's claims cannot be significantly made legitimate in the reader's mind.