discussion 2453
Materials:
- View the film Field of Dreams. There is no link for this film.You will need to access it, ypurself.Read poems “Black Hair” and “The Old Pro’s Lament”.
- In literature, there are two general terms that apply to many pieces: realism and romanticism. The terms refer to how the worlds of stories or poems or films are depicted.
- Realistic depictions try to paint a picture to capture how things really are. Characteristics of Realism:descriptions based on knowledge or experience not imagination of characters;characters motivated by real-life negative urges like greed, lust, confusion more than more positive urges;characters often a complex mix of good and bad;detailed settings;conflicts common in everyday reality;showing work or labor;incorporates much of the speech patterns of “common people.â€(From: http://coursesite.uhcl.edu).For instance, the film Saving Private Ryan is remembered for the gruesome detail of the opening battle scene in the storming of Normandy. As for sports films, Friday Night Lights tries to put you into the real worlds of the athletes, so, too, does Raging Bull.
- By romanticism, we don’t necessarily refer to love but to a more idealistic view of the events of the story, whether that is referring to love, nature, fate, sports, and more.Characteristics of Romanticism:positive portrayal of a return to or a respect for nature;idealization of women and children; reflects an interest in the past;the championing of personal freedom; inclusion of the supernatural;emphasis on the imagination and emotion of characters.(From:https://www.enotes.com)The film The Natural gives a romantic view of baseball and life, as does the film Field of Dreams, our final film.
- Perhaps one of the reasons we continue to gravitate to sports is that we all hold, at least somewhat, a romantic view of sports. Remember Roger Angell’s thoughts about being a fan, as we still elevate sports to something worth caring about. Perhaps ideals are never reached, as we have considered in our discussion of the ideal citizen, but perhaps something good comes highlighting what is great about sports or any aspect of life.
- BlackHair by GarySoto.doc
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbN5Q-Na66U
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOu6bCDiZm4
- https://books.google.com/books?id=2xxEgaExC9oC&pg=PA115&lpg=PA115&dq=the+old+pro%27s+lament&source=bl&ots=1lysUFJfyX&sig=-O1yZSc-fP2CdybfYaYkBaBqX5w&hl=en&sa=X&ei=hkgpUoSJIPL_4AOhxIGgCA#v=onepage&q=the%20old%20pro’s%20lament&f=false
- http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=19915
Discussion:
What aspects of Field of Dreams connect to ideas we have encountered before? Select at lest two ideas we have covered previously in this class (such as scapegoat, archetype, hero’s journey, characteristics of a tragic hero, cinematic techniques, sports as a reflection of culture, etc.) and be sure to clearly explain the connection.Choose something beyond the connection to Shoeless Joe, which will not be considered to be an adequate response. As we prepare for the final exam, it’s important to note that there may be a question dealing with this film. Let’s help each other brainstorm in order to understand this film through the ideas of this course. Be sure to respond to at least two of your classmates.