Final Reflection

This is my very final reflection from High School and I have to admit that I’m pretty sentimental. First of all, I would like to highlight my learning on the topics seen in class. Meme culture was such an interesting topic to know about because their use on social media is crucial. I mean that the intentions behind the comic sense can be good or bad, with a context that is important to understand. The context is the one that will dictate the effectiveness of each meme. likewise, I was able to understand a culture that has a lot to do with communication in the subtext where society plays a fundamental role. Memes can have political implications or hateful behaviour. I indeed learned that this culture can unite and forge a relationship of a group of people with a common context, however, it is a double-edged sword, it also destroys and alienates other groups of people. On the other hand, we also saw a movie that at first I thought it was ordinary. Later, I learned too much about that film and how cinema uses any element to convey its ideas and achieve its goal. Lost in Translation was a film that helped me to analyze how films are made and what elements and resources they use to convey the message of each scene. With this, it was possible to learn to watch movies differently, from observing the movements of the camera, to the slightest dialogue of a character. The truth is that it is very difficult to summarize everything I learned this semester because there were many key learnings and experiences in my growth as a person. But it is important to highlight my learning about advertising and propaganda and what role they play today in our society. Sometimes the information they use in these media can be manipulated at the authors' convenience for their purposes, whether it is convincing them to buy something or slandering other people. And more than anything, from this class I take the best of this stage of my life. I grew up personally and academically within the class, I was able to improve my writing and speaking skills, and I always felt self-confident and was able to confront my fear of error. But due to my growth as a person, I took the learning to question and think outside the box, which always limits us. the teacher, apart from understanding every moment of this stage, teaching us everything and looking for ways to feel safe, helped us to grow in the sense of trust and insight towards the world. We should not take for granted everything we see or believe, we must question every event that comes our way in life, and I believe that this learning is one of the most valuable for the rest of my life. And finally, I can affirm that I am a better human being thanks to this class. Although it is hard to believe, learning in the classroom is a lesson in life, and fostering a culture of analysis, retrospection, and inquiry leads us to a better understanding of society. Therefore, we become more insightful about all the problems humans face on a daily basis, and we become more capable of solving these problems more effectively. Likewise, by questioning and being able to visualize reality from different perspectives, it provides you with a greater analysis in any field, be it physical, mental, spiritual, etc. In the end, being a better person or a better student lies in the ability to understand who you are, and what your purpose in life is. Giving meaning to your life is vital in order to grow together with the class and encouraging each to resolve disputes in the outside world.

Special Reflection

The texts from Margaret Atwood were really interesting and so related to the social movement we lived yesterday. A whole day without women, without female friends, teachers, among others. It was really a cold, lonely day and the texts we read made me reflect on the whole situation of the country and the danger that a woman deals with. Regarding the texts, it is important to mention the topic they discuss, that is the dispute of gender violence. This problem has been existing for years behind and it is unbelievable that we, as a society, cannot do something about it. We do not have the courage to get our voice out loud among the ladies one and support them to the end. The texts were really curious about it. For example, the text of how to make a man was hilarious, in a certain way funny, but some men take it as an offence. This text may put the men in a position as an object,  like most of the men do with women. This is what the evidence exposes. Too many violations, lots of rapes, as if women were simple objects only for men use. That idea makes me sick. Throughout the years I tried to understand completely the problem, but I do not get to understand the men’s head. There must be such a crappy thing where it is supposed to be the brain.  I am just tired of being part of the problem because I really want to help but sometimes I do not get how to help them. These texts in my opinions are feminists texts, because they implicitly talk about this dispute view from the other point, from the point of the objectivization of the men. And this dispute comes along the years converged with culture, talking now about micromachisms and the impact on the society. The “Simmering” text was really good. I liked a lot because it focuses on the culture of the domestic work and how the women can go to work and the men can cook and stay in the kitchen for a while. An important point touched by the author was the threat to the masculinity. An idea that is an edge of the problem, encouraging the men to do hard work, instead of soft and light work. Those stereotypes that encourage gender violence have to be eradicated. There is no point of comparison between the works, between the responsibilities. Everything can be done by men or women. I do really think that Margaret Atwood wants men to reflect about the situation lived by women and realize that we, as men, are part of the problem even if you behave correctly and respect the women. That is not enough. Men have to start carrying out for women from other men. The author wants us to figure out how, as a part of the problem, can contribute to eradicate the dispute. Men always try to justificate their actions with their nature, but there is no nature that dictates the behaviour men takes. Women are the most important thing in men’s life and without them, we could not live. On the other hand, Margaret Atwood wants that women understand the purpose of their fight, the real situation behind the words and behind the historical context that conveys with the dispute. They have to stay together to break down the system and make history, even if they have already done it. I do really think that I learn lately a lot about the horrible situation. I cannot imagine the suffering from those families that have taken away their daughters. I cannot imagine what would I do without the most important women in my life. In the case one woman was missing, I will destroy everything for her because I  am just pissed off form the men and their paradise of terror will be taken down with all their crimes. I want and I will be part of the voice raised out by the women,  I will be among them to take down to the oppressors, murderers and rapists until they get what they deserve.

Reflection 11

This week we continue with the interesting topic of mass media, but now we were into the advertising campaigns and the different strategies to address the audience. The relationship with propaganda is really stretch due to the fact that both try to have a great impact on people’s thoughts. In this case, what is too frequented in our daily life are the great diversity of advertisements from different companies. And the discourse of the words and the specific designs have behind the propaganda strategy, for example, the bandwagon is frequented in society because it has a great efficiency reflected in the number of sales.  Now talking about how the companies design their advertisements, we get into a deep pool of elements and crucial factor that convey to manipulate society. In our experience of designing an advertising campaign, we grab a product called NuCalm, and we created different adds. One video was about insomnia and the problem solved by the product, but with specific camera movements, and an emotional song to set the mood and wrap the audience. The light was deficient, everything was dark with shining dots representing stars and different nature stages to transmit the idea of a new lifestyle based on technological and scientific methods. The product through electromagnetic waves, helped the brain to segregate substances that are segregated while we are sleeping. This example helps to understand the different points of view from each advertisement to reach its purpose. Knowing all the context and the different techniques used in the market to reach the audience and stigmatize a model of living, help you to analyze and understand the purpose of each element. Also, it helps you to reach the message in a better way and with more ease. This is because of elements such as factors, organic shapes, different camera shots, specific movements in the case of videos, and the graphic design including the type of words with a different tone. The visual works pretend to create an illusion throughout the perception of each person. With the different effects that the camera can have in order to modify the frame, the approach and evoke different emotions on the audience. The warm colours normally intend to evoke feelings such as happiness, peacefulness, reflexiveness, rather than evoking sadness, depression, and loneliness like cold colours do. And finally, what differs from the people at the time they interpret an advertisement or a text is the culture, rather than the way of thinking because the culture will embrace the role of delimitation for some significances for shapes, colours and other elements.

Reflection 10

This week we have seen a new interesting topic: Advertising. Even though it has a relation with propaganda, it has its own characteristics and different techniques to approach their purposes. I like a lot this topic because it is a way of communication with such a huge impact on society. And it is not only a way of making people buy something and become a loyal customer of a certain brand, but it can also be manipulative and can influence news and entertainment. And beyond that, the moment when a company begins to advertise, it sets off a chain of reaction of economic events, being this how people decide what to buy. Language plays an important role at the time of advertising and with different techniques of approaching to the costumers, it appeals to the sensibility of the people, tries to get into their head and have an impact on the way they think in order to buy the product or service advertised. This is very important because we have to understand the way companies approach us as costumers and analyze the truth behind those advertising strategies. For example, Zara, a fast-fashion brand throughout advertising it makes people constantly buy their clothes, even though that buying that implicitly approves illegal working situation and unfair working conditions.  It means to support labour exploitation and as costumers, we do not realize what are we encouraging. It is very important to learn about propaganda and advertising to make smart shopping and to not mess with our heads in order to fulfil their porpuses of buying unnecessary stuff. I read different academic articles and it was very interesting to analyze the way advertising function in our society, and how the companies try to win in front of the competition by having a psychological effect on the customer. It is very important in our daily life because even though we try to have smart shopping, we are encouraged to get into debts and be always paying something that in certain time was not important to buy.

Reflection 9

Starting this semester in class, we began to see mass media and one of the most interesting topics for me is Propaganda. This topic is important because there is a lot behind it, a message that may be implicit or not, that will mess into our heads and have an impact on it. First of all, I would like to clarify that I have realized that propaganda is a part of our lives and is important to know the types of propaganda, their intentions and their purpose of the mixture of elements on it. And that is one of the themes in class, and I am happy about getting to know this important topic and be able to analyze it when I am involved in a daily situation with propaganda, does not matter about what.  For example, in my History IB class, when we saw authoritarian states, one of the most important factors in those regimes were the propaganda of each political party. In the specific case of Adolf Hitler, propaganda was very important and the different types by which Hitler messed in their heads to support the Nazis. When he needed support about an occupation of territory that it was taken away in the Treaty of Versailles, he appeals to a nationalist feeling and convinces to support that action that was illegal in terms of the Treaty of Versailles and the international order. But also, there was propaganda from the opposition, which appealed to the fear caused by the Nazi party. And now I can easily classify the propaganda in my life. Knowing about this mass media is very important to fulfil the void of knowledge that messes in our heads at the time we are in front of any propaganda. Because propaganda affects our daily decisions, humans thanks to that lack of information believe in the propaganda without knowing the whole truth. For example, propaganda for fast fashion brands sometimes are racist but, the main dispute about it is the reality behind that propaganda. They promote their clothes, even though they are involved in delicate themes such as forced labour or labour exploitation. Knowing how to analyze this mass media and the way they try to transmit their message, I am able to identify the purpose and the reality behind that propaganda because in that way we can be sure of the information that we are taking from it and if we have to believe on it or just keep with our lives. Now, in the case I use propaganda, I am aware of the implications that it has. I can choose which technique is better to promote my idea or my product but in the ethical issues, I have to be transparent and reach the consumer or the client without lying or being involved in specific situations that affect the people you are trying to reach.

Reflection 3

This term, in particular, was really exciting. We read The Man in the High Castle, a novel written by Philip Dick and it was pretty good. I was confused at the time I started to read it, simply because there were different perspectives, lots of characters and everyone with one situation in particular. Sometimes some disputes were related to each other and then converge to the point of conveying the main plot. The plot was related to false realities at the time of exploring the possibility of winning Japan and Germany in the Second World War. Also the history that shapes the reality of today and the way people survive is very important at the time the outcome of a war has changed the entire face of the earth: Germany is an intercontinental power, America is colonized, Africa has been utterly depopulated, and the Mediterranean has been drained and turned into farmland. Furthermore, the way the author presents a defined narrative structure conveys the idea of the main plot in the novel. The time elapsed, the happening events and the way of presenting rhetorical devices transmit a strong relationship to the main argument. For example, the I Ching is a motif where it’s importance resides in the conflict between fascism and Taoism in the novel. Whereas the Nazis seek to shape history, the I Ching advocates a more passive route. Even more, The Grasshopper Lies Heavy, a written novel by Hawthorne Abendsen presents how the world would be if the Allies had won. But this element in the novel serves as a motif to question the fact that this fictional work might reveal inner truth. The fact that the author presents a fictional novel which includes a novel inside. This element conveys an intrinsic intention of the author to reflect on the history that shaped up the world that is today. Besides, the author presents the challenge of shaping up the self-conception, the community, and the nation that fulfills the void of mistakes made in the past. The inner truth is so evident that people cannot see it. It resides in the way of picturing the world and understanding the multi causality of any historic event. And there are such many elements that provide the reader the evidence of the true history mixed with a fictional one. The propaganda posters that were such an important element in the development of fascism, among others. At the end of the day, this novel changes the way of seeing the development of the world without thinking about the diverse causes of it. It blows your mind up to the point of realizing how deep are the people in not knowing the truth of the processes that created the world we live today.

Reflection 2

First of all, is important to highlight the importance of literary theories such as American Historicism and Russian Formalism. These theories help us to start making connections, for example between the culture, the context and the literary work. In the play Oedipus Rex, the ancient greek culture is behind the actors, the scene, and the structure of the work. Sophocles has an influence by the environment of his times, the ancient greek theatre and even more the themes used to represent were strongly related to Greek mythology. On the other hand, we found the Russian Formalism that makes the literary devices get a strong meaning, owed to the artfulness of the work of literature that claims. Now, we have to take into consideration the insights into each work. There are a lot of resources in literary works such as the manga of Hiro Taniguchi where you focus on the time elapsed during the manga. The meaning of it will be represented throughout the intention of the author. Eventually, at the time, we focus on a specific aspect of a work, you will discover more insights about it, even though you analyze all the literary work. I would like to extend my opinion of A distant Neighborhood. This manga was a really good manga, even though I hate anime and all that Japanese, Chinese stuff. Simply I do not like them. But at the time I read this manga, I got shocked and impressed about the themes touched by the author, simply because he makes a conduit to the agency of life. The choices that every human has in order to create a certain path for your life. Related to the relationships of family, friends that complement your life, because at any time you could be alone.  Another incredible aspect of this work is the time travel, where you can distinguish the real meaning of life, and not having regrets of what you have done in all your life. Also, knowing the genre of each literary work is a necessity to understand and analyze it. Just because it is a play or is a manga,  you should focus on each convention of each genre, in order to visualize the real context and the intention of the author between the words. We have to highlight that many of the meanings are implicit in the literary words and are helped to find them with literary devices. That is why every aspect and factor included in literary works are fundamental to the complete understanding of it.

Reflection 1

After reading Oedipus Rex and some chapters of A Distant Neighborhood the main themes that I found were insolit such as Hubris, Destiny, Timeless, and Consciousness. First of all, is important to highlight In Oedipus Rex how Oedipus had a destiny, he and the atmosphere that builds up Sophocles develop certain actions that may have determined the way of the destiny, but the whole play he was blinded before the truth. In addition, A distant Neighborhood presents the undefined time curse where Hiroshi, after living 48 years, he gets back to when he was 14 years old. The development of the Manga is strong related to Oedipus Rex, simply because the time lapse causes an effect on the work. It makes clearer the idea of the consciousness of each character and the destiny determined in certain way it creates a bigger meaning in the way of living.  Now, first of all is important to clarify that the conventions included in Oedipus Rex are fundamental for the play, in order to fulfill the void of the cultural aspect inside the play. Furthermore, the specific characteristics of these conventions make the reader and spectator receive the message of the work, the author intentions and the historicism of the play. The greek theatre has a history that influences the work of Sophocles, evenmore the spectators and readers, simply because of the way of living at that time, the traditions and every cultural aspect that influences the play, being this for the intentions or the setup in stage. In the other part, A Distant Neighborhood makes the development of the manga different, managing the time, that in consequence gives an important intention and highlights the topic of the work. Simply because of the atmosphere created by the author, could be interpreted as sad and hopeless, but it is a second opportunity of living his life, trying to fix those problems that may have influenced in his future. But, is he altering his future. Now, talking about the context of each person, being this the author or the spectator, affects their interpretation. Eventually the context of each person affects completely the way of seeing or reading a work, because not everything means the same for everyone. But even if those interpretations are not the same, each one complements itself.  Finally, to interpret a work competently is important to be aware of different factors such as taking in consideration the time and space in which it was done, the personal context of the author and in different levels of analytics, the languages and rhetorical devices used to implement the message and the intention of the author.    

#OedipusRex

#ADistantNeighborhood

Reflection 4

Throughout the weeks, we read The Handmaid’s Tale,  and we talk about some aspects in Macbeth and so they were sort of related with the novel of Margaret Atwood. Principally there were themes such as the women role in society. But for example, in Macbeth, the women were treated like intelligent and Shakespeare presents the woman with great intelligence, good vitality and a great sense of personal independence. Lady Macbeth was presented with these qualities that make Shakespeare have a view of womenkind innovating for the time he was writing. The role of the women was as a powerful shape full of life and independence departed from the stereotyped characterization of the women. Now,  in The Handmaid’s Tale is quite different. The women suffer an objectification, becoming reproductive instruments. The society took off everything women had. Their identity, jobs and the quotidian deeds of each woman dwell as part of life’s meaning. Now, Margaret Atwood engages a specific language that conveys the power of a new society’s elite. The society will determine women by their gender roles, even more, the names presented such as Ofglen, Ofwarren, and Offred have a connotation. There are two words, “of” and the name of the Commander who owns them. This type of description and power of language conveys a tool for the power in The Handmaid’s Tale simply because it consisted of the determination of women as a device. Talking about characters, Shakespeare presented his characters as simple and complex. Throughout Macbeth, some characters change such as Macbeth until you figure out how he turned into the villain if we could determine him like that. But in the novel of Margaret Atwood, the characters are well structured, without changing that much and maintaining a posture in front of the plot, in this case, of the novel. But, at the time we talk about the principal theme touched in the work is different. Macbeth focusses in the ambition and  The Handmaid’s Tale in the women role in the face of the society. And in such thing is important to highlight the attitude that embraces Atwood at the time she makes a criticism to American Society. This attitude consists of a critical view of the positions, being men or women because of the differences of each gender and the treatment that each one received was deplorable. Simply because there is a huge difference in the role of each gender and beyond that, there exist the objectification of women until they reach the point where they are simple devices. Their humanity, identity and everything they had were taken from and left with nothing but a miserable life. The novel of Margaret Atwood, being The Handmaid’s Tale, reaches the goal of conveying the author’s intention and shows the unbelievable treatment that women received for many years. 

Reflection 3

First of all, this period of time we discussed the development of women’s  view in Shakespeare, analyzing the role of Lady Macbeth in the play Macbeth. The author presents the woman with great intelligence, good vitality and a great sense of personal independence. Lady Macbeth was presented with these qualities that make Shakespeare have a view of womenkind innovating for the time  he was writing. I learned that Shakespeare, a great playwriting, well presented the role of the women as a powerful shape  full of life and independence departed from the stereotyped characterization of the women common to the contemporary time when he was writing. The similarities between Macbeth and Greek tragedy are that Macbeth is a tragic hero, he just raised as a King due to the ambitions that led into his downfall, his pride make him lose his relation with Lady Macbeth and take control with the prophecies.  The themes  in Macbeth  that resonates  with me are the ambition, that is very important in the play owed to the human nature of following the meaningless things in order to reach and poses them. Another theme is the pride, very important in the play because with the premonitions and the ambition led to forget what it really means in life, a wife, a job, actions that go with yourself. And finally the other theme is the guilt exposed in the play, simply because the guilty is a strong feeling that will pursue anyone if they do a bad action that has awful repercussions in the environment, including people. For example when Lady Macbeth has a feeling of guilty of killing King Duncan, and after, the feeling will persist until you reach the grave. Finally the characters in Macbeth are diverse, for example Lady Macbeth is a complex character that changes along the play. King Duncan is a flat character, he does not changes, and Macbeth is a round character, he changes and surprises the reader by the development of his actions.

Reflection 2:

These weeks in English class I’ve learned a lot about literature, one fundamental aspect that we have to take in consideration in order to fulfill our knowledge about the english language. We have read Poe’s works and Macbeth from Shakespeare and we have really good acknowledge from both. Principally those works have many aspects from literature in order to us to analyze them and learn how does English works in an wholly context. In first place Poe’s works convey the human nature in an specific way that present it completely in his works. For example in The Golden Bug, the author conveys in an specific way that the protagonist is described with a mental illness throughout the literary meaning, but implicitly Poe tries to present how human is, in this example, the nature of the human is the ambitious of having more and more, even though the protagonist had everything. Now in contrast, Shakespeare convey in order to present the human nature but in a different way. The author wrote plays such as Macbeth and he uses different rhetorical devices in order to expose how human is attracted to the ambition, but the ambition leads you to a destruction, a self destruction that does not cares, but there’s the one thing that cares, the power. Both visions about human nature are similar in the way that the ambition is always in a characteristic of the humans. Is like human have in the DNA a part of the ambition.

And in contrast, the way Shakespeare expresses and the way he writes, is perceived an ironic tone which helps the development of the play. Poe tries an structure that is easier to understand and in terms of human nature, he exposes like an ambition, the mental illness is determined by human nature and is how the human learned to be, just themselves. Poe’s style is simply supported by the structure that I carry out in his works. Also the rhetorical devices help the understanding of the author's intention, therefore the works simply highlight a particular style which highlights the background of each sentence and the meaning behind the words. In contrast, what stands out about Shakespeare is the work I do, simply because of the composition of each one. Really the elements that each work comprised, especially Macbeth by the tranfondo of the same one. This work included literary devices such as rhetorical devices that help to understand the tone and structure of the work.

Reflection 1

Alejandro Cabero Espinosa A01746170

In the past three weeks I’ve learned a lot, from reading works such as plays and stories from Edgar Allan Poe. Principally I learned that literature is very important in order to understand the written works of well known authors like William Shakespeare. First of all, is important to highlight that at the moment you read one of these pieces of art, you have to know how to analyze them and understand completely the meaning and the purpose of each word. With the activity of the Treasure Hunt I learned to appreciate that communication is very important among the society in order to work together and grow as better people. For example the topics developed in each work, the structure and resources such as rhetorical devices. Literature is very important at the time you learn a language, because that will help you to understand the purpose and the way it is written. Now in Edgar Allan Poe’s writing is very peculiar the way he transmits his ideas to the reader with elegant english and well organized sentences. Also the writing is mysterious with a tone of irony. As well as literature expresses ideas, it is important for me to understand the codes and codewords of Literature just because is part of the language and the way the author communicates to the readers. For example in the “Golden Bug” by Edgar Allan Poe where the mystery of the treasure is codified and in the Treasure Hunt activity, there were codes that we needed to understand in order to fulfill the activity. Is very important to know the importance of codes in language and moreover in literature just because is how the author expresses, maybe emphasizing something in those codes, because every word is used with a purpose. In this three weeks I realized that knowing about literature, literary terms and literary devices is very important to fulfill my knowledge and see with other eyes the written works seen and the future ones in class. Beyond that, it helps me to understand and analyze the texts in order to identify the author’s intentions. This knowledge is very important for me to use it in my written works in the way I analyze a text or at the time a read a play such as Macbeth, identify the author���s intention and see the work taking in consideration the context and the purpose of every piece of it.

Reflection 8

In the work done in class last friday about the Taboo Language was a little disgusting and very disappointing owed to all the words written by the human in order to discriminate, or classify the society with racist values, always checking the fisionomy of the bad human, an stereotype done by the humanity in order to disrespect the diversity of people that the world has. The main point here are the reactions that we had. Personally I had a disgusting reaction in front of all the dirty words that refer to natural parts of the body, that have a different connotation but in this case the words are disgusting and can produce an awful feeling. Taking in consideration all the categories of the Taboo Language, I am really disappointed of us, the human that create all those words with the purpose of  nothing, these words don't have a purpose, so in consequence all humans can live without them. Now, the Taboo language is offensive because the meanings for example of the category of Slurs, these words are divided only for racist values, being this a different culture, or different skin color. Another example could be the dirty words, that at the moment your saying them. you feel uncomfortable, you know that those words mean a part of the body, but the different connotation makes it like offensive and not respecting the human body. In my personal opinion I think that the Taboo Language does not limit the freedom of expression owed to the great quantity of words that have the language in order to communicate your opinions and ideas,   but limiting the Taboo Language does not mean an obstruction to the freedom of expression, in contrary, limiting it will help to communicate and have your freedom of expression always respecting the others and the people that surround you. Taking in consideration that the freedom of expression will apply always if it respects and does not offend any person that surround you, in consequence the Taboo Language will not be considered a way to limit the freedom of expression. Finally if a word is offensive, we should refrain to use it in order to communicate respecting everyone, and avoiding a misunderstanding and a problem among the people. But normally between friends is used to use Taboo Language because is a way of having confidence with them, because you know that those words attempt against people, but not having Slurs because those words have a strong meaning and a great disrespectful to all the people. We have to know when to use them only in certain cases, but all the people should stop using them, because every human in the world can live without all these words, Taboo Language.

Reflection 7

This week I didn’t presented with my team, even though we were prepared for that, we will present on Monday but two members of the team, including me, are going to participate in TECMUN, the model of the United Nations, so in order to present we are going to attach our part in a video that we prepared. Even though we haven’t presented, I can say that I learned a lot with our presentation, because the speech we chose was “I have a dream” by Martin Luther King. Is important to highlight the importance of the general context that is going to be determinant in the development of the speech.  Also the context is going to have an influence in the purpose of the speech and in the way is going to be written, because it has to use rhetorical figures in order to reach the purpose into the audience. Also I learned with the presentations of my classmates that the speeches will develop in different context and with different purposes, so in consequence the discourse will be different in each speech. We saw different speeches, one from Roosevelt, other from Hitler, so we could see the different context of each speech, the importance of the each factor. These factors like the time, the place and the society are going to create  the new perspective and the correct interpretation of a speech. Is important to highlight that these factors will have an impact for the way that is going to be developed  any speech, the purpose and the use of language will be modify for these factors in order to have a successful speech and reach finally its discourse.  I can use this knowledge in my daily life when I need to understand  a piece of writing or a speech in order to reach the discourse. For example in the speech of Andres Manuel López Obrador, I can analyze the speech and reach the main purpose of it.  With this, I can have a better understanding of how works the politics in order to convince the people. Another example can be at the time of researching about something and reading an article, this piece of writing may have a discourse and we have to analyze it in order to catch the main purpose and know if the information is not censored or manipulated.  

Reflection 6

We have seen in class the types of discourse, the different meanings and the difference between discourse and subtext. Having done all these activities of searching all the meanings and identifying the discourse of a political speech. Having developed skills to identify a discourse and what is important to highlight in a speech, we did a quiz, analyzing a speech of Winston Churchill about the Second World War. In this speech, I had fwe difficulties at the moment of identifying the discourse because was something implicit but without telling it openly. It was like talking about fighting with determination with a purpose that is not the main purpose of the fight. It is impressing how discourse works at the moment of speeches and pieces of writing, because there are a lot of ways to express the discourse and with that way you can identify the reasons of the speech or piece of writing. Like if you`re reading a political speech, there is a context and the purpose of the discourse will determinate the way of how it will works in front of the audience. After the quiz, now we have to make a presentation of a speech of our convenience. My team chose “I have a dream” by Martin Luther King Jr., and after everything, I realize that is such an important piece in the analysis of a speech the background context in order to understand the real purpose of the speech and know how to present it in a funny way or in a play, because may cause an offense if it's not well prepared and without a complete understanding of every important factor of the speech such as context, purpose, rhetorical figures, etc. So researching about the historical moment of the speech, you found lots of things that influenced directly or indirectly the way how it's written the speech, or the figures that the author uses in order to transmit his discourse.    

Week 5 Reflection

I think we should be able to discern discourse in order to understand the speech or the piece of writing. In other words discourse needs to be analyzed and obtain the information of the analysis and figure out the intention of the discourse. There are different types of discourse and they appeal different to the audience. First of all is important to highlight that the intention of each type of discourse is different, for example a persuasive discourse has the intention to change the idea of the audience in front of a specific topic, the argumentative discourse use statements, the expository discourse has the purpose to present facts,  a delivering information. The discourses work different but the motive of each one is the same, the transmission of the message in any speech or in any piece of writing. Now the discourse has a relation with the meaning of a speech or a writing because the discourse is going to be the way or the path for the meaning. I mean that the discourse will open the path of the development of the meaning in order to transmit it to the audience or readers.  Now on is important to analyze discourse at the moment of reading something or listening a speech because there is an intention behind the words. The subtext can be confused in front of the discourse because both have relation with the meaning of a piece of writing or a speech, but the subtext is the implied message in something written or said. So knowing what is the subtext, is important to highlight that the subtext is very important to the hidden message in the discourse, because the discourse will lead to the implied message in any speech or writing. Finally discourse is applied in different forms, usually the persuasive discourse is very often applied in speeches of governmental parties, but the other types of discourse may apply into usual topics with facts, evidence, information, narrating a story or presenting arguments. There is not a specific application, but they appeal different to the readers and listener and the subtext will be proposed differently in each one as a result of the differences to develop the discourse.

Week 4 Reflection

During the week, we translate some works like videos or movie clips, and we discovered sort of difficulty in the preservation of the message and the author's intention. First of all is important to highlight that when we translate some works, is important to consider every aspect related with it. Even though it can be very easy to change into other word, we have to research about the author`s life, the development of the context where the author lived and even more important, the purpose of the author to the reader. All these factors are important because at the moment we translate, we have to adequate it to the time when it was written, or the language used in the origin culture in order to analyze and understand completely the work and do the best translation for it. In the "fix" the translation I chose a fragment of the movie Hangover where the translation to spanish is awful. First of all, they tried to implement the sword words used in Mexico, but the problem is the excess of them because in consequence the dialogue of each character loses the message,  and even more the idea explained for the context in the movie. So in our translation we used words that mexican culture understands and in some dialogues we left some swordwords that were well used, and with these changes the meaning and the context of the movie was understandable.  And finally the poems were more difficult to translate them because in poems, the author can use rhetorical devices and the meaning of the writing can change with the incorrect words, so after researching about the poem, the author and understand each poem, we tried to translate in order to preserve the intention of the author, and trying to write a similar structure. The poem has many elements to consider as the verse and the rhythm, so with all these aspects we could do the best translation for the poems.