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multigenre final project

Page history last edited by west0524 11 years, 4 months ago

Final Project – World Literature

 

The idea of a “hero” has many definitions, and we’ve been grappling with it since the beginning of the term.  Here’s a good start:

 

1. A man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities.

2. A person who, in the opinion of others, has heroic qualities or has performed a heroic act and is regarded as a model or ideal: He was a local hero when he saved the drowning child.

3. The principal male character in a story, play, film, etc.

4. Classical Mythology:

a. A being of godlike prowess and beneficence who often came to be honored as a divinity.

b. (In the Homeric period) a warrior-chieftain of special strength, courage, or ability.

c. (In later antiquity) an immortal being; demigod.

 

-       Dictionary.com

 

This definition is incomplete!

 

We’ve seen a lot of heroic (and villainous!) qualities throughout Frankenstein and Cyrano de Bergerac.  We’re going to continue to see them, as we examine the role of the hero in classical mythology.  Your task is to construct your own definition and ideal of what a “hero”, and therefore a “villain” is to you.

 

As we move into mythological representations of heroism, you will consider your own personal heroes as well as your ideals for a hero in the world.  This need not be a local person/idea, nor does it need to be a specific person you consider “heroic” – but you must decide what, to you, a hero is defined by in society.

 

This is more than just “my mom” – although some of you quite likely have strong family figures who help to comprise you.  Your definition of a “hero” will be multi-faceted.  It may comprise a series of real people with qualities you admire, and perhaps fictional people as well.  As you build a definition, don’t bog yourselves down in finding that one person who is a pure hero to you. 

 

Instead, you are constructing an ideal.

 

 

 

 

 

Consider, in your construction of this idea, the following qualities considered “heroic” throughout the ages.  You DO NOT need to include each of these ideas in your construction of a hero.  But you DO need to address them:

 

QUALITIES  OF A HERO

Sacrifice

Sacrifice is the forfeiture of something highly valued for the sake of one considered to have a greater value or claim.

Determination

Determination is a fixed intention or resolution; a firmness of purpose or resolve.

Loyalty

 Loyalty is the feeling of allegiance or the act of binding oneself to a course of action.

Courage

Courage is that firmness of spirit and swell of soul that meets danger without fear.

Dedication

 Dedication is a selfless devotion; complete and wholehearted fidelity or the act of binding oneself to a course of action.

Intrepidity

Intrepidity is firm, unshaken courage.

Valor

Valor is courage exhibited in war, and cannot be applied to single combats.

Selfless

Selfless is the quality of unselfish concern for the welfare of others and acting with less concern for yourself.

Conviction

 Conviction is a fixed or strong belief; a necessity of the mind or an unshakable belief.

Focused

 Focused is the ability to direct one's energy toward a particular point or purpose; to concentrate one's energy.

Gallantry

Gallantry is adventurous courage, which courts danger with a high and cheerful spirit.

Perseverance

 Perseverance is a persistent determination.

Fortitude

Fortitude has often been styled "passive courage," and consists in the habit of encountering danger and enduring pain with a steadfast and unbroken spirit.

Bravery

Bravery is daring and impetuous courage, like that of one who has the reward continually in view, and displays his courage in daring acts.

 

Process and Product:

 

The last thing I want, at this point, is a large essay from you in which you analyze the purpose of a hero in your own life. 

 

What I do want, however, is for you to discover what heroism and villainy is in our own world – on a local, national, and global scale.

 

Therefore, you’ll be composing this into a multi-genre format.

 

The multi-genre project is a variation on the “traditional” research paper – you will not only be researching this topic, but also adding your own personal twist.  You will present your findings, and your personal ideas, in multiple genres: poetry, websites, creative writing, art, comics, and traditional essays are a few of a large amount of options.

 

"The best way I can describe a multigenre paper is to say that each piece in the paper utilizes a different genre, reveals one facet of the topic, and makes its own point. Conventional devices do not connect the pieces in a multigenre paper, nor are the pieces always in chronological order. The paper is instead a collage of writing and artistic expression with an overarching theme that engulfs and informs the reader."

       - Dr. Tom Romano

 

In addition to this will be a short (no more than one page) essay in which you explain, using a unified theme, how these pieces all fit together.

 

This project, in the end, is my ultimate challenge to you – I will not restrict you on content, so long as it fits within your idea and definition of heroism, nor will I restrict your definitions themselves.  What I want, instead, is for you to create your own knowledge, exploring your own history to determine what created you as a person and what informs your goals in life, asking:

 

“What is a hero?”

 

“What is a villain?”

 

“How do these ideas inform who I am as a person?”

 

 

 

 

Format:

 

This assignment will be constructed in an online format in order to utilize the best our internet can offer us.  As you construct this, you’ll need to create a home “shell” to house your work.  This can be a blog, website, or wiki – the choice is yours.

 

You DO, however, need some aspect of multimedia.  I want websites, I want video, I want podcasts, and I want streaming.    

 

These tools need not be self-created, although if you wish (and if you have the resources), you can go the creative route and build your own video or music exemplifying your ideas.

 

The front page of your site will be your “theme essay” in which you explain the purpose and your definition.  From here you’ll delve off into more creative and esoteric paths.

 

I expect NO LESS THAN FIVE different styles within your project.  As I grade, I will not so much be “counting styles” as I will be gauging how effectively you present your definition and understanding.

 

Look to your own strengths – music, creative writing, video…you all have strengths, and they are all fair game for this!  You can be serious, you can be funny, you can be dramatic.  There are no “wrong” answers and I want this presentation to, in a way, be a presentation of your own inner personality.

 

This is due on the final week of class and is worth 300 points.

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