Tropes and Scope, Class 1 [third period]

[bookworm-beauty.livejournal.com]

The students would find that the room was set up like a normal classroom today, with desks facing the front of the room. Belle had plans for this to eventually change, but for her very first day of teaching, she thought it would probably be fine. (Not that she'd gone over her lesson plans and classroom setup and over it and over it again to make sure she wasn't missing a crucial detail. It was her first time teaching, after all. She was allowed a bit of nervousness.)

When it seemed as though all the students had arrived, Belle curled up on top of her desk, tucking her feet under herself and smiling beatifically at the class. "Hello! Welcome to Tropes and Scope. This class is going to, hopefully, help you to not only appreciate literature -- and I don't just mean books -- but also see its connections throughout everything in our lives. Have you ever noticed how many fictional characters seem to echo one another? How many fairytales seem to teach the same lesson? How many damsels are in eerily similar forms of distress? This isn't a coincidence. We're going to spend a lot of time talking about these ideas -- archetypes, tropes, commonalities across human storytelling."

Belle took a breath, and added, "But not today. For today, I'd like you to just introduce yourselves -- your name, where you're from, and what kinds of stories you like the best. I can go first." She straightened up a little, because introductions and first impressions were everything. "My name is Belle. I don't want anyone to try and use 'Professor' -- just Belle is fine. I'm from France," never mind her total middle-American accent -- "and I love adventures. Anything with action, and drama, and intrigue." She gave a happy sigh, before looking around and picking a student at random. "And now you."

Comments

Sign In [Tropes 1]

[bookworm-beauty.livejournal.com]

Like you're part of your favorite genre!

Re: Sign In [Tropes 1]

[awakestheghosts]

Chloe Saunders

Re: Sign In [Tropes 1]

[cursedconman.livejournal.com]

Cassel Sharpe

Listen to the Lecture [Tropes 1]

[bookworm-beauty.livejournal.com]

Such as it is

Introductions!

[bookworm-beauty.livejournal.com]

Name, where you're from, favorite type of stories.

Re: Introductions!

[cursedconman.livejournal.com]

"I'm Cassel and I'm from New Jersey," he said. "And, uh, I guess my favorite types of stories are like the noir, detective type stories. Especially if they feature the mob."

He liked to see what authors got wrong.

Re: Introductions!

[bookworm-beauty.livejournal.com]

"The mob?" Belle asked, an eyebrow spiking up in confusion. "What mob?"

Re: Introductions!

[life_inshadow]

"Hi, I'm Tara from California," Tara said. "I like romances. And dopey fantasy books with dragons and wizards and stuff. They're predictable in a fun way."

Re: Introductions!

[bookworm-beauty.livejournal.com]

"Hello, Tara," Belle said warmly. "What makes them so predictable to you?"

Re: Introductions!

[didntchewgrass.livejournal.com]

"I'm Elphaba Thropp, and I'm from Oz," she introduced. "Yes, like the one from the children's story. I wouldn't say I have a particular favorite genre, but I do like it when the heroines and heroes are able to overcome all the limits that their societies put on them. So... I guess adventure, as well. I'm not one for romance or heavy personal drama."

Re: Introductions!

[bookworm-beauty.livejournal.com]

"Triumph over adversity is a great theme in literature," Belle said with a nod, smiling. "And something I think most of us can relate to, on one level or another."

Re: Introductions!

[ancientbschamp.livejournal.com]

"Gabrielle," answered the world's least imposing Amazon (not as if her employer-turned-teacher didn't already know that, but this wasn't exactly for her benefit alone, was it?). "From Poteidaia, in Greece. I love stories of all kinds -- heroic tales used to be my favorites, and I still love those, but . . ."

She half-smiled, and it wasn't a bitter smile really, but it seemed to take her a little extra effort and drifted a touch toward the cynical. "I'm starting to be drawn more toward stories where love saves the day."

Re: Introductions!

[bookworm-beauty.livejournal.com]

"Those have become a recent favorite of mine, too, Gabrielle," Belle said with a soft, slightly dreamy smile of her own. "There's something about the idea of love overcoming everything that just gives people hope, I think."

Re: Introductions!

[whateverknight.livejournal.com]

"Squall Leonhart. From Balamb Garden, which none of you have heard of. My favorite stories are ones with action and suspense."

Re: Introductions!

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

"I'm Rilla Blythe, and I'm from Glen St. Mary, which is on Prince Edward Island in Canada in 1914, since that theemth to be important to note," Rilla replied, trying not to lisp too many times. "My favourite books are romances with happy endingth."

There. That wasn't too terrible.

Re: Introductions!

[wasthecuteone]

"I'm Petra West, and I'm from Providence, Rhode Island," Petra said. "I read a lot and watch a lot of old movies, and...I don't know if I have a favorite type of story." She considered. "I guess I like gothic romances, and stories about transformations."

Re: Introductions!

[glacial_queen]

"I'm Karla from Glacia," Karla said with a self-deprecating smile. "I really love trashy romance novels. The more over the top, the better."

At least she didn't take them seriously.

Re: Introductions!

[serial-quitter.livejournal.com]

"My name is Ryan Clark, and I've lived in both South America and Africa at various times, depending on where my parents were working. I pretty much consider the tropics to be 'home,'" she said. "And my favorite stories have to be historical fiction."

Re: Introductions!

[new-it-girl.livejournal.com]

"Hey, I'm Hanna Marin. From Pennsylvania," Hanna told the class. "I'm a fan of epic romances with lots of drama thrown in. I like a good fight for a happy ending."

Re: Introductions!

[selfhelphero]

"I'm Billy Kaplan, I'm from New York City, and I think my favorite types of stories would have to be fantasy books. Stuff with heroes and magic and epic quests and things like that," he said happily.

Re: Introductions!

[inaskinnyway.livejournal.com]

This school really liked their introductions. "My name is Susan, I'm from Sto Helit, and I like nonfiction."

Seriously.

Re: Introductions!

[richieryan.livejournal.com]

"Richie Ryan, from Seacouver," Richie said. Favorite stories? Was this another attempt by Mac to get him to read more and be cultured or something? "Uh, I guess thrillers."

Re: Introductions!

[angelo_wings]

"I'm Rinoa Heartilly," she said, "and I'm from Deling City, in Galbadia, which almost none of you have heard of."

Almost only because Squall was in class.

"And my favorite are the adventures, like, big sweeping epics with lots of intrigues and politics and carryings-on? Except I also love thrillers, either the psychological kind, or legal ones, like this legal one I just read, because courtroom thrillers can get so fascinating. And I like mysteries, too, because you can play detective alongside the characters. And I have a really soft spot for romance if they're exciting and they have a big plot going on beyond just the romance. But I'll read the trashy ones anyway when I'm in the mood for them."

That really narrowed it down a lot, Rinoa.

Talk to Belle [Tropes 1]

[bookworm-beauty.livejournal.com]

She's around!

OOC [Tropes 1]

[bookworm-beauty.livejournal.com]

Omg posting from phone still. SP will be SPish!