Monday, April 14, 2014

We're English 10 Nerds and Loving It: April 14, 2014

Focus: How do we close read a film, and what larger meanings can we take from The Truman Show?


1. Warm-up: Close reading two scenes from The Truman Show

Some close reading questions to jump start your thinking...

Why is Truman looking a mirror?
How are his drawing and speech symbolic?
How is this moment significant to the film as a whole?

What might the water (and the storm) symbolize?
What might the boat symbolize?
How does this scene reflect an important change in Truman?
What do you think is the most significant moment in this scene and why?
What does Christof represent?

Why do you think the writer of this film named the protagonist "Truman"?
Why do you think Bradbury named his protagonist "Guy"?


2. Impromptu fishbowl discussion of The Truman Show (15-20 min)


3. Composing a rough thesis that draws together The Truman Show and Fahrenheit 451

Some samples...

Character analysis:
Both Guy from F451 and Truman from The Truman Show share the heroic traits of ________ and _________, revealing that a true hero must ___________________________.

Both Clarisse from F451 and Sylvia from The Truman Show spark the main characters to realize ________________ and _______________, showing that _________________________.

Problem - Solution:
In both F451 and The Truman Show, the societies suffer from _________________, but they ultimately _______________________, revealing that _____________________________.

In both F451 and The Truman Show, the protagonists struggle to ____________________, but they eventually succeed in _________________________, revealing that _______________________.

Symbols:
The ____________ from F451 symbolizes _______________________, while the ___________ from The Truman Show represents _______________________, both symbols suggesting that _______________________________.


HW:
1. Form three different versions of a thesis statement using Google docs and share them with me by 10 pm tonight.

2. Bring F451 to class tomorrow so that you can start gathering quotations.

3. Meet in the Forum this Friday, April 18 for scheduling fun.

4. Remaining book talks speeches are this Wednesday and Thursday.

Helpful website for spelling the director's and the characters' names correctly: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120382/fullcredits

87 comments:

  1. The Santa Maria on the boat Truman was in was in reference to the largest of the three ships used by Christopher Columbus in his first voyage. Symbolizing him exploring a new land and not knowing where he is actually going just like Christopher Columbus.

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  2. An important part of the ending scene is when we see the eagle on the boat. Eagles mean freedom and it symbolizes the freedom that Truman is gaining.

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  3. I think it is important that the ending was the way it was, because Truman's whole life had been scripted. Now he has the chance to go into this black void, with no scripts or anything.

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  4. I think the ending was good and it ended on really good note. It was a good ending because we know that the made it to the real world. I don't really know if I liked it ending when it ended or if I wanted to see more. I like being left to wonder what happens to him, but I would also like if I knew what happened.

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  5. The ending allowed us to make our own ideas about how Truman adjusted and how he was able to cope with the real world. It left us to make our own ending.

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    1. Do we really know if he was able to cope and adjust to the real world? Yes he did discover the real world, but we don't know if he adjusts or copes well, I think that is what we were left to wonder.

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  6. I agree with what Ryan said and i think they could have made the ending better because i think it would be more interesting if you saw how he interacts with the outside world and what would happen.

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  7. Truman is like Christof's pet fish, because Christof will never be able to fully cherish what Truman has given.

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  8. Cristoff is showed as both as a father figure and a creator and I think that he can be evil and he is doing what he think will get him the most money and he is just using Truman as like a pet.

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  9. An integral part of the story is Sylvia, she is the one that first changes Truman's world. She is the reason for him finding out he is in this fake world.

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  10. Christof is acting like a godly figure to keep the show, and Truman, admirable and heroic. He wants to keep the show successful more than he wants to give Truman the life he deserves.

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  11. Why do you think the show was not stopped when clearly the show violates Truman's rights as a human being? Don't you think there would be some people attempting to free him? especially after the show had been running for decades.

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  12. Truman is seen as a fragile pet in the movie. He is someone that Christof feels needs to be gently cared for and sheltered.

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  13. I think that the most important symbol in the movie is water because it shows a barrier and something that he is scared of and something that he needs to overcome to get to the outside world.

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  14. At the end, Christof made himself a godly figure, with speaking through the clouds, telling Truman he is the creator, and telling him he has watched him since he was born. Trying to convince Truman to go back to the show.

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  15. i think that the most important symbol in this movie is ignorance. For most of the movie Truman has no clue that his entire world revolves around him and he seems happy, once he realizes that he is being lied to he isn't as happy and he just wants out.

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  16. Truman is good at realizing that there is more to everything, and it's good to get out and explore the world.

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  17. At the end when Truman decided to leave, it showed freedom and to stand for what's right and do what you want to do. I think this movie showed to be yourself and to go against what everyone else wants you to do.

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  18. I think that Truman's life will change and maybe fro the better. I think he will always be watched since he was a television star, there are some things that Truman will never be able to get away from. Truman will have to start a life again and have to adjust to his world not being perfect. I think that the show did Truman disservice, since he will have no where to go, and nothing to fall back on as he enters the world.

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  19. Cristoff is very narcissistic in away. Making himself seem like god. I mean he controlled the weather, time, and everything in the dome for Truman. He really try to make Truman stay in the dome and as soon as Truman said his main line "Good morning, Good evening, and Good night" it's like his farewell/ freedom line now.

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    1. Well, in this world of Truman's, he IS god, he controls the weather, time and all the social interactions so he developed the thought that he is everything.

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  20. I think that the director want to be God. He picked Truman from a baby and thought near the end that he could let Truman die. Does the director really feel a fatherly love for Truman, or does he just love to play God?

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  21. I think the boat represents freedom and the lightning that strikes the boat represents fear. I think that Truman is going to fear freedom because he wont be use to people not watching him.

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  22. I think both F451 and The Truman Show symbolize freedom. In both the book and movie show Montags and Trumans struggle to find true happiness but in the end you see with will power and persistence both of the find what they are looking for.

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  23. After this society experienced the Truman Show, do you think people would ever let this happen again? Did the audience ever really think of Truman as a real person?

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    1. I think that they would have another "Truman show", because it made a lot of people watch. I don't think that the audience thought of him as a person. I mean they did, but they kind of knew that he wouldn't die in reality, but they were gambling his life when he was on the boat.

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  24. Is Truman going to act differently now knowing that people were watching him? Is this something that could haunt him in the future?

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    1. In my opinion the Truman show is no more. Its like a regular tv show it only errs for so long then it is over. I think he is going to have difficulty going through life but the world will be there to help him through.

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  25. Will Truman make it in the real world, does he ever meet Sylvia again?

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  26. The director did not love Truman himself but the show. Did Truman ever really receive any real love? How could people spend their whole lives next to Truman and not feel a single thing for Truman? The actors love the show more than they love Truman.

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  27. The reason people don't care that the show is over, is because it had a satisfying ending.

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  28. Do you think Truman will trust anyone anymore?

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  29. How will Truman's life change now that he is in the real world?

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    1. I think Truman might be paranoid that people would be watching him.

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    2. He will be maybe more of the star in reality than in the show. Everybody will recognize him and smile at him, because he survive television life. And hopefully Lauren and Truman will be together finally and they will live happily every after.

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    3. I think that he is going to become a celebrity and have people fallowing him around like they do with other stars. No madder what he is never going to have a real life. But overall he is going to feel better and have a better life.

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  30. Is Christof's only relationship, the one he has built with Truman?

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  31. What does Christof represent?

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  32. Why do you think the name of the boat is so important? What do you think Santa Maria means?

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  33. "Let's see what else is on..." It is amazing how the viewers, who were so personally attached to the Truman Show, got over its ending so quickly. Even though the Truman Show had lasted for literally a lifetime, it was very easy to detach from it emotionally.

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  34. Hey Corbin how do you feel about the bathtub scene. Is it too raunchy?

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    1. I honestly feel like it was the perfect amount of raunchy. It connects to when Truman fell into the water meaning that both of them are in need of rebirth.

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    2. I like your connection to rebirth, which brings me to my next point. How do you feel of the filming of Truman's birth to the whole world and how does his mother feel about that?

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    3. You guys need a doctor.

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    4. I would assume that his mother would be okay with it. She probably got paid a large amount of money to do that and give her child away to a T.V. show.

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    5. True true. Why do you think that they chose a rubber ducky to be his bath toy?

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    6. Maybe the yellow symbolizes daylight. Meaning Truman will shine bright and makes his way out of the set. Maybe some foreshadowing.

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    7. I like your thinking. Maybe the squeak of the rubber ducky symbolizes the outburst of Sylvia to Truman. Maybe the ducky reminds him of Sylvia.

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    8. Making him think about life and how these out of the ordinary things affected him.

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    9. Milad how can you relate it to Montague?

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  35. Why do you think Christof almost let Truman die?

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    1. It shows that Christof would rather see Truman dead than out in the real world. He wanted Truman to share his opinion that the Truman Show is better than the real world, even though Truman hasn't even experienced the outside world.

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    2. I think that Christof was like if I can't have you no one else can, because truman was his entire life and he feels conntect to him, and if Truman leaves then then Christof no longer has anything to live for.

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    3. I think that Christof just wanted so much power, and wanted to show everyone that he was in control no matter what. As long as he was powerful, it didn't matter to him if Truman died.

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  36. Do you think Truman will be able to trust anyone now that he is in the real world?

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    1. It might be unnerving that almost the entire world knows all about him. This could cause the same mistrust he developed towards the cast of the Truman Show.

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  37. After the storm hits Truman, he uses all his strength to pull the sail of the boat up, then looks directly at the camera? What do you think this symbolizes?

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    1. I think it symbolizes Truman taking back his life and gaining control. He is proving to the other people that he is ready to leave and he doesn't need his environment controlled by others. He has the strength to pull through and find his freedom.

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  38. I think that Christoff feels like a fatherly figure that has watched and controlled Truman's life.

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    1. I believe that Christoff really does believe that he is a fatherly figure because not only has he controlled Truman's environment his whole life, but more that he believed that every action that he did was to put Truman in a better world than the one he is being watched by. Showing so much nurturing could only leave him to attach himself to the star that bring the whole world joy.

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    2. I agree with you. He has spent so much of his time controlling Truman's life and watching over him; therefore, he must have some sort of emotion for Truman similar to how a father would feel.

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  39. How will Truman react to the real world? How do you think he feels after knowing the truth? How will he take on the differences?

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  40. When Truman comes into the real world do you think he will be able to create a name for himself without the one that has been created for him by Christof?

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    1. With how quickly the security guards lost interest in the Truman Show after it ended, Truman could have a somewhat easy time of making a name for himself, however some people are not as willing to let go, which could make problems for him.

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    2. I believe that would be his goal. I don't think he would want to be know as the character "Truman" that Christoff created for him. I think he will set out in the real world and really try to establish an identity for himself.

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  41. How did money work in Seahaven? How did they have have a community seperate from the rest of the world, how did it even function?

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    1. I am pretty sure that Seahaven was its own government when it came to the money. Because it is so secluded, it can run on its own and therefore by "trading" with the outside world they probably function with the actors salaries.

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    2. The cast members were paid by the Show, and it was made economically viable by its amount of advertising. The show could have made a reflection of an economy in Burbank, however it is more likely that all finances other than Truman's were faked.

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  42. I think Truman will have a positive attitude but I think on the inside he will feel disappointed that he missed out on years of his life.

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  43. Do you think Truman will be a different person in the real world?

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    1. Definitely. I doubt Truman would go back into insurance, because he is looking for an adventure. He has always been searching for an opportunity to explore the unknown.

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  44. How do you think that people will treat Truman once he's in normal society?

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    1. I think he will get a lot of attention that he does not want, but the more time that passes the crowds will die down and he will be left alone.

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    2. As a celebrity, but I believe that Truman will instead to establish a new identity for himself when he enters the real world, I don't think he will want to be known as "Truman"

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  45. During the escape, Truman is heading into the storm. One of the producers asks, "Isn't he afraid of water?" What do you think happened? Was he faking his fear or did he overcome it to escape?

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    1. I think that Truman overcame his fear, because he realized that escaping his society is more important.

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    2. Maybe Truman knew that he was being watched from the beginning. He acted like he was afraid of water to fool Christof.

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  46. Do you think the actors developed real relationships with Truman?

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    1. I think some of them did, especially Marlin. It would be hard in a way not to get attached to someone you spent almost your whole life with, even if it was just acting.

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    2. They probably didn't on the outside. But their trueself probably wanted to become actual friends with Truman.

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    3. I do not think that any of the actors formed any deep relationships with Truman. During the show everyone was fed lines and with priorities on how to act in their head, so there would have been no way to really get to know how to act. They easily can feel sympathy towards Truman but to say they truly know him is not very accurate.

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  47. When do you think Truman finally realized that he needed to escape his 'world'?

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    1. When he tried to leave for Fiji and was stopped, I think that created his urgency to leave his "world" As for when he first wanted to leave I think that was always in him. He is very adventurous and wants to see the world.

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  48. Why do you think everyone but Christof was happy the Truman decided to leave.

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  49. What do you think Christof's decision of trying to kill Truman rather than letting him go represents? Why do you think he relented and allowed Truman to discover the edge of the dome? Is there something more important about the storm than just a force to keep Truman from escaping?

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  50. I noticed that throughout both stories the protagonists both start out like not knowing anything really, like not knowing that something was wrong with their society. They also both have a female character that kind of expands their thinking and makes them question their like current situations. There is also like some big changing point near the end of both stories, like in Fahrenheit 451 he kills Betty and there is this big nuclear blast that like a whole bunch of people died, and like Truman faced his biggest fear and was almost killed in a storm.

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