For my final project I am planning on completing option #2, choosing a monster and its “meaning” if it has one. I chose this option for several reasons, some merely my opinion, and others more reasonable. Choosing an author to write about as opposed to a monster in a story would be a lot more work in my mind as that in order to get a perspective on the author (as is stated in the assignment sheet) one would have to read many works by said author. In the time we are given there really isn’t enough for me to read the several books I would need to, and poetry just isn’t my forté, so option #2 just looked better and better. Here I wouldn’t necessarily have to review a whole primary source, as the monster isn’t typically in the whole thing. Also, I wouldn’t be restricted to a small selection of sources, as most monsters have been handled repeatedly, by many different people in many different media.
For my primary text, I will be using J. R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings,” focusing on the Orcs as my monster. There is a lot of explanation in Tolkien’s writings for the orcs, and as a monster, it has been handled and presented probably in more different perspectives and mediums than any other creature in modern times.
Now, what do I plan to accomplish,… that’s a really good question. First and foremost, I plan to use this project to finish this class and pass it; hopefully with a nice grade. Other than that, I have not read the primary text before, and I don’t have a preconceived notion of what I will find or how I will present it. Being this way, I also don’t have any predetermined plan for conducting research. I will see what happens and how it happens when it happens.
Welcome to English. For the most part, you just make it up as you go. What you write is your own, and nothing can be proven absolutely one way or the other, so make it sound good.
Dear Nathan,
ReplyDeleteYou did a really good job at being personal with this blog and being honest as to why your deciding to choose the monster option. Lord of the rings does a great job at interpreting monsters in different forms for different reasons so that is a good idea. I agree with you talking about this option being more manipulable to work with versus researching an author with information that is strait forward, this gives us and chance to expand our thoughts in a way, good job Nathan. I sure hope to pass this class and keep learning next semester as well!
I think you chose a great primary source using the Lord of the Rings books. I would not have thought about using that. I do have to admit that your reasoning behind your choice for the final is a lot like mine. I think this just makes more sense for most people. Good Luck!
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