1 / 14

Context: altruism

Context: altruism. Planning your (3) pieces of Context writing. So wadda we got?. We “got” a novel – Tequila We “got” 1 “true-life” bio piece We “got” several films (… l8a ) We “got” some ideas/definitions/reactions & responses … on the blog

erv
Télécharger la présentation

Context: altruism

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Context: altruism Planning your (3) pieces of Context writing

  2. So wadda we got? • We “got” a novel – Tequila • We “got” 1 “true-life” bio piece • We “got” several films (… l8a) • We “got” some ideas/definitions/reactions & responses … on the blog • … & film responses/discussions (to be developed through classes)

  3. Let’s get real ... • Bill & Melinda Gates http://biogs.com/awards/philanthropists.html • Albert Schweizer • Dame Elizabeth Murdoch (& Rupert; Kerry Packer etc) • Al Gore • The Dalai Lama • Fred Hollows & Victor Chang • Sir Howard Florey, Sir Frank Macfarlane Burnett, Sir Ian Clunies Ross • Ian Kiernan • Eddie Mabo • Brendan Keilar and Paul de Waard

  4. Tequila • What did we learn from Tequila? • Atticus is self-sacrificing to an amazing degree: takes on a task he knows will earn him the enmity of a large (“redneck”) element of his town and which threatens his children. • Others in the town act in ways that can be described as altruistic, as well: Arthur Radley, Aunt Maudie, Aunt Alexandra, Hec Tate • People are “forced” to act altruistically, at times (think of Jem and Mrs Dubose, the negro church congregation collection …) • Some people do not act in ways that are self-sacrificing or in the interests of others.

  5. … and from the films? • Cry Freedom: Altruistic behaviour often arises in defence of a philosophy or principle. • 3 Kings: being altruistic often arises from a particular incident or meeting, in which your previous actions and attitudes are revealed to be selfish. • Déjà vu: Doug Carlin tries to use the ability to go back to the past to change the present ... But is this altruism? Or self-interest? (Can “true” love BE “self-interest”?) • Casablanca: is Rick’s selfishness and isolationism a mask? Or does Ilsa’s plight return Rick to his (altruistic) senses? What do we make of his comment to Captain Renault (“This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship …”?) • A tale of two cities: altruism means devoting your life to fight evil (in this case, the murderous thugs behind the French Revolution) and for love … “It is a far, far better thing I do …” • Amistaad: Roger Baldwin takes on the case of black African slaves whose court appearance is simply a property claim. Money-grubbing and mercenary, Baldwin’s attitudes change through his involvement with the African slaves. Review • Pay it Forward: celebrates the propagation (by a sort of human osmosis) of altruism, but also asks whether, being altruistic means not counting the cost – ‘though sometimes the price can be extreme – your life. Is this part of the nature of altruism? • The Grapes of Wrath: The Joad family leave Oklahoma (as refigees) and travel out to California, drawn by tales of plenty of work and wealth. Along the way, they find both cruelty and (altruistic) help. In California, they are caught in a brutal situation. Casysacrificices himself for others, and in the end, so does Tom Joad.

  6. Altruism – propositions to consider … • It does exist – by definition: acting for self-interest in the sense that you are seeking to make others’ lives better can still be considered altruism. • If this makes you “feel good” that is because, as humans, that is what we are “programmed” to do. This does not mean these acts are automatically NOT altruistic (although they may not be!) • Altruism involves self-sacrifice • Altruism involves putting others’ interests before your own. • Altruism comes at some personal cost. • Altruism can be aligned with a personal, religious or even political belief. This does not invalidate the act from being considered altruistic. • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altruism

  7. Steps to developing a piece or pieces of writing: • Consider the prompt • What are the key words? • What do these words suggest? (related ideas/true-life/your experiences ...) • Relate the prompt to the Context ideas • Consider the core text – how do the key elements of the prompt relate to events/ characters/ themes of the text? • What pieces writing are suggested by the characters/events/situations of the text that are most immediately suggested by the prompt? (The answer here could be a style – journal, diary, news article ..., or a view of an event, or a character’s reaction/persepective, or ...) • Plan the writing ...

  8. Writing: a series of 3 …#1 • Biography: Mary Baddon: her story during the film; the impact of the film; her life ever since. • Impact of the book’s character/s on you (or another fictional character … perhaps those of a film like “Pay it Forward”’s Trevor?) • What would happen if a similar situation arose today … in “Maybourne”?

  9. Writing: a series of 3 …#2 • Atticus – from “different” perspectives: Walter Cunningham (snr); Lula; Mr Radley (snr); Mrs Dubose; Mr Dolphus Raymond, Hec Tate, Mayella Ewell. What about years later, after the trial? Aunt Alexandra Atticus Uncle Jack Reverend Sykes

  10. Writing: a series of 3 …#3 • Atticus as a boy – what happened, when he grew up, on Finch’s Landing, to form his views (so different from others in his family and community)? Invent 3 scenes … • Contrast Atticus with Joe Miller (Tom Hank’s lawyer in Philadelphia) or Roger Baldwin (Amistad), and then look at a modern-day Atticus – perhaps Melbourne lawyers LexLasry or Robert Richter …

  11. Writing: a series of 3 …#4 • 3 children … choose from: Scout, Jem, Dill, Walter (junior), Francis, a negro boy, Burris Ewell, Mayella (later) … • What happens to them? How are they affected by the events narrated by Scout during the novel? • Do you think children today are affected by these stories in the same way? To the same extent? Children overboard? African refugees? • Are there children that you know (or can invent) who (have) encounter(ed) similar circumstances?

  12. Writing: a series of 3 …#5 • In To Kill a Mockingird the issue is race (with class, (drug) addiction, reputation and gender given emphasis in passing …) – do these issues divide our community in this way? • Consider some other high-profile court cases: Lindy Chamberlain; Van Nguyen; Michael Jackson; ZdravkoMicevik … • Has anyone been tried and convicted unjustly in the court of your peers?

  13. Planning strategies • Inspiration – mind-maps/flowcharts etc • “Parable” • Modelling – the text, or another example (this includes parody) • “Extra scene” • Sequence of time-capsules (diary etc)

  14. Inspiration – mind-maps

More Related