fandomhigh | Monomyths [Tuesday, February , Period 3]

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Monomyths [Tuesday, February , Period 3]

"Welcome to your midterms, kids," Cindy said, sounding amused, as the class filed in. She nodded to her two TAs ~~if they were here~~, holding out a sheaf of papers for them to pass around. "I'm sure you know the rules: eyes on your own paper, hand them in at the end of class, if I can't read your handwriting, it doesn't count, and don't spill coffee on your tests." She jerked her thumb at her desk: There were several carafes of coffee from J,Gob and a variety of creamers and sugar packets next to the stack of styrofoam cups. The coffee was all regular of course; decaf was the work of the Mundy devil. "Just keep an eye on the time," she advised dryly. "If you waste too much time going for refills or running to the bathroom, well, too bad."

Cindy sat behind her desk, a well-worn copy of Left with the Breeze in front of her, her own cup of coffee steaming by her hand. "If you would like to present me with alternatives to Wendy for your final, you can do so once you hand in your exam. Once you're finished with your test, you may leave."

Once all the tests were handed out, Cindy glanced at the clock and said, "You may begin."

Damn, she felt teacherly. She almost wished she'd demanded they only use number two pencils.

[Shortest. Class. Ever. Anyway, wait for the OCD]

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Scholarly

"And before you ask," Cindy added, reaching for her book, "yes, this is an open note test."

While the stages of Act One differ for the masculine and feminine journeys, the way that they are expressed in the narrative are often very similar. For example, it can be difficult to tell whether the world the hero is living in is really perfect, or simply an illusion.

How is it possible for the author/director to use the same narrative details to portray two completely different journeys? Specifically, what is it about those journeys that allow the author/director to tell two different stories, even is the basic actions and details are the same?

Choose any two films or novels we've discussed in class. Discuss why it is an example of Act One for either a masculine or feminine journey, using examples from the text. Choose one of each type of journey.

Alternately:

If you were an author or director, discuss how you would let the audience know what kind of journey your hero was beginning. Give examples of each stage of Act One, how you would incorporate that aspect into your narrative, and why. Do so for both the masculine and feminine journey.

Would you rather be on a masculine or feminine journey? Why? With what you've learned thus far, which journey would you say you are on? Has your opinion changed since our first class?

(Supporting details are appreciated, but nothing overly personal is required. Full confidentiality applies to this answer.)

They may be here, but you probably shouldn't talk to them.

Cindy will be happy to answer your questions, but she won't give you any answers to the test.

I'm going to be slow picking up pings; I'll be in the hospital for a treatment all day. Feel free to mod coffee supplies.

After passing out the papers, Firekeeper gave her own a cursory glance, as if in the last day or so, the little black marks on the paper might've somehow arranged themselves into something she could understand.

They hadn't.

Fine example of a TA she was, unable to even do the test herself.

And so, face hot with humiliation, Firekeeper strode up to the professor's desk and presented her with the blank paper.

Cindy glanced down at the paper, puzzled, and then back at Firekeeper. "Was there an extra?" she asked.

"No," she shrugged. "I- cannot write," she admitted.

"I see," Cindy said, keeping her voice pitched low. That explained why she never saw the girl taking notes. "Can you read, Blysse?" she asked gently.

And now Cindy was feeling inexplicably guilty about giving a written test.

She shook her head. "Blind Seer know- knows," she corrected herself, "a few words. But to me, they is just marks. I cannot see meaning in them."

"I can't just waive the test for you," Cindy said softly. "It wouldn't be fair to the other students. But, we can make arrangements instead if you'd like. We can either go into the hallway now and I can ask you the questions or we can arrange to meet later this week and you can answer them then. Do either of those sound workable to you?"

Firekeeper nodded, satisfied with that arrangement. "This, I could do," she agreed. "Now or later, does not matter too much which."

"You feel prepared to take it now?" Cindy asked. "There was a lot of writing on the board, I know. You don't wish for a little longer to prepare?"

She couldn't just let Firekeeper not take the test, true. But there was a lot of precedent for students to get a bit more prep time if they needed it.

[OOC: I don't know if you saw, but I sent an email? Just checking]

Arthur Pendragon

In all fairness, Firekeeper ought to have said something about the not-being-able-to-read issue before now. Stupid, stubborn, wolfish pride getting in the way of admitting she could not do something.

Firekeeper glanced at Blind Seer, who remained stubbornly silent on this subject. This was a choice she'd have to make for herself. "Perhaps a little more time." she decided finally.

[OOC: and, you know, it helps when I remember that my email address exists and I should check it every once and a while!]

Cindy nodded. "See me later in the week and we'll administer the test then."

Beat. "Who are you working with to learn to read?" she asked. "A member of the administration?"

"Some friends help, a little," she admitted. Though she hadn't pursued that help with more than a token amount of enthusiasm.

"But no teachers, no professors, no faculty?" Cindy pressed, raising her eyebrow a little further.

Merlin

Gabrielle

Zayne Carrick

Jo Harvelle

Tara Maclay

Anemone

Claudia Donovan

Angela Montenegro

Jaime Reyes

Jaime grinned when he spotted this one. He'd practically asked that very question!

Well, sort of.

Okay, not as well or coherently, but it was close.

Close enough that he felt confident of his answer, at least.

Dru Anderson

Francine Peters

Sookie Stackhouse

Liir Thropp

Liir answered the question, going for 'point of view' as his technique. He didn't actually know the term 'unreliable narrator', but that was the general track he chose to take. It was a somewhat twisty answer, but there was a sort of logic to it.

Liir took the second question, if only because other people's stories weren't his best subject. He always felt as if analysing a text required him to step too far away from himself and it was a self that was still a little shakey down at the base.

So he focused on the second question, expanding somewhat on his answer to the first by discussing the sort of visuals he'd use which might contrast the illusion and the real (for the feminine journey) versus using simple, emotionally resonant images for the masculine journey.

Claire Bennet

Firekeeper shook her head. "No one seemed to mind, I get by well enough without reading."

Mulan

Robin

Morgana

Cindy pressed her lips together just a bit, then shook her head. Now was neither the time nor the place for this discussion. "I'll be in my office all day Thursday," she said. "Come see me then and we'll have your midterm."

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Monomyths [Tuesday, February , Period 3]

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The Tas

Talk to "Professor Perrault"

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