Fear

I don't mind being scared. Although, i don't get scared all that easily. I'm usually the one laughing in the back of the theater because the people getting murdered are so stupid. Maybe its just a lack of creativity by the writers because the only scary movies that get to me are the ones that could happen to me in the real world. Spiders are a fear of mine. I'm not sure where that fear came from. It was much worse in my childhood, but now i am beginning to overcome it.

I think fear stems from empathy. Horror movies scare people because the people watching the movies put themselves in the shoes of the people in the movie. For example, often times when a person is hiding from a "killer" he/she holds their breath. The same behavior occurs in the people in the audience, the viewers get just as scared. The fear of death or physical harm only apply to certain people, myself not being one.

A definition of madness would be the opposite of how the majority of the public would react in a given situation. The difference between madness in our time to Poe's is just a change in society. Today, people can be driven to madness by increasing bills, or the inability to "fit in." It didn't take much to scare people in Poe's day, so a simple story that let the reader's imagination really define exactly how "mad" the character went in this story. But in our time, it is understood that there are mental diseases that actually drive people to be insane. Before this, it was thought to the be work of the devil.

Assignment 5- Final First Lines

1) The exhaust from the bus cloaked it as it pulled up to the school. The door opened and out jumped Jimmy. His excitement rung throughout the school yard.
2) A car horn chases a flock of birds from the cover and safety of the trees. Four green courts that double as basketball and tennis courts stand in the distance. This is where many grew up.
3) He got tunnel vision as he stepped off the bus. Jimmy focused on one thing every time he arrived at school, and today was no different. But today was different in many ways.
4) His alarm clock shook him from his deep sleep. He was 10 minuets late. "NO! Not today! Any day but today!" shouted Jimmy. For today was no other day. Today was the day where he finally stood up to his fears and went for the goal he has been yearning for.
5) He sat impatiently waiting for the doctor to be finished taking his temperature. Jimmy wanted to get to school as soon as possible today. This wasn't the usual mindset of a third grader waiting to go to school, but today was different. Today is when Jimmy finally tries what he has been waiting to do.

A Response to the Story "Where are you going? Where have you been?"

The setting begins with a place of freedom in the diner across from the mall. The setting then shifts so a sense of helplessness. Connie is home alone and left with little to do. This boredom eventually leads her to letting herself get into Arnold's car. We are first introduced to Connie as the stereotypical self-centered brat. This characterization not only interests the reader it also, paradoxically, makes the reader dislike Connie. She is completely self absorbed, ignoring her family and their activities. I was really drawn in to the story from the beginning because I didn't see where it was going at first. Arnold is described earlier then he is introduced. When Connie is walking out to a boy's car, she sees Arnold in his car and he makes a creepy comment. This gives the impression of his domineer right away. When he pulls up into Connie's driveway, he is described as being deceiving and discussing. The strange thing about him is that he is not forceful. He is somewhat genuine and kind of nice about the whole thing, not forcing anything. He only threatens once when saying that he will come in if she calls the police. I think Joyce Carol Oates is trying to say that some people are not to be trusted. Don't necessarily judge a book by its cover, but don't ignore it either.

Important aspects of a short story;
1) Interest from the begging
2) Strong descriptions of characters
3) Appeals to a large audience
4) A strong climax
5) A hook
6) A variety of characters
7) Plot twists
8) A sense of empathy
9) An ending that can be thought out by the reader
10) Plots that relate to real life experiences