Transcript Thursday, Aug. 21

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Get out your notes and homework from
yesterday. PUT CELL PHONES AWAY.
Thursday, April 30
Eng. II CP
The Cave Questions
1. Would you want to be released from the
cave? Why or why not?
2. What is Plato trying to tell us in the cave
allegory?
3. What is like the cave in our world?
(Questions 4-6 regard an in-class comic)
4. What is the “cave” in this comic?
5. What do we see instead of “shadows”
projected on the walls?
6. Describe what you think might happen after
the man returns to his friends…(Use full
sentences; must be a minimum of 4 sentences.)
The Matrix Allegory
In the film, the humans trapped in the
Matrix are like the people in the cave.
They see only what the machines want
them to see, but they believe what they
are seeing is reality. They accept what
their senses tell them. Neo suspects that
this is all a lie, and realizes his Matrix life
isn’t “real” when Morpheus, who runs a
resistance group, frees Neo and
encourages him to help free others from
the Matrix.
Matrix Questions
1. Is being in reality important even if
the experience isn’t pleasant? Is it
better to live happily in the Matrix
than miserably in reality? Why or why
not?
2. How do we know that we are not in
an experience machine? Can we
prove we are not? How do we know
that what we perceive is real?
Theme, motif, symbol, genre
In literature themes, motifs, and symbols are
used by authors to convey deeper
meanings, help the reader understand the
motivations of a character and the point of
view of the author, as well as paint a
picture in the readers mind through the
repetition of imagery.
• Theme: is the subject. This has to be an
overarching idea. Theme is defined as a
main idea or an underlying meaning of a
literary work that may be stated directly
or indirectly.
Theme, symbol, genre, motif
• Symbol: something used for or
regarded as representing something
else; a material object representing
something, often something
immaterial; emblem, token, or sign.
• Genre: A category of literature (or
film) marked by certain shared
features. For our new book,
Fahrenheit 451, we will call the genre
“dystopian fiction.”
Theme, motif, symbol, genre
• Motif: is an object or idea that repeats
itself throughout a literary work.
• In a literary work, a motif can be seen
as an image, sound, action or other
figures that have a symbolic
significance and contributes toward
the development of theme. Motif
and theme are linked in a literary work
but there is a difference between
them.
Theme, motif, symbol, genre
• In a literary piece, a motif is a recurrent
image, idea or a symbol that develops
or explains a theme, while the theme is
a central idea or message.
• Sometimes, people get motif mixed up
with symbols. Symbols are images,
ideas, sounds or words that represent
something else. But motifs, are images,
ideas, sounds or words that help to
explain the theme. (Moreover, a symbol may
appear once or twice, but a motif is a recurring
element.)
Allusions!
• Allusion: an allusion is a brief reference to a
person, place, thing or idea of historical,
cultural, literary or political significance.
• It does not describe in detail the person or
thing to which it refers. It is just a passing
comment and the writer expects the reader
to possess enough knowledge to spot the
allusion and grasp its importance in a text.
• If someone was to mention they’re going to
“the happiest place on Earth” they mean
Disneyland. Not everyone would know that.
Allusions!
Why use allusions?
• Usually authors use allusions to simplify complex
ideas and emotions. Just like by using symbols
the reader is making a connection to an idea
without that idea being explained in details,
allusions connect the dots to an idea without
discussing it in detail.
• Also, by using allusions the reader is aware of,
the reader appreciates the work
subconsciously better because they are
connecting to the author’s knowledge of their
own culture or life.
Dystopian Fiction
Homework:
1. Think of a film (or book) that you
would consider to be dystopian
fiction. (Not just it’s a dystopia.) What is the
name of this film?
2. What makes the film dystopian
fiction?
3. Would the film also be considered
science fiction? If yes, what type? If
no, what other genre is the film?