W10, #5: Curious about Epiphanies

This is a wide open question that allows you to consider anything we've discussed in class this year. Absolutely anything.

All of you are extremely bright and have figured out a remarkable range of ideas along the way.

Sometimes the realizations -- or 'epiphanies' -- may have been purely based on the plot or text. Other times they may have been about something that is in the real world. Whatever it is, I'm curious about one 'big idea' or realization you've had this year (that continues to stick with you) because of anything that was discussed in class. Sometimes they've been a mixture of both plot and real world.

Challenge:

Tell us about one thing that really made an impact on you as a person (and student).

It is up to you how long the response is.

My guess? The more important it was, the longer your response. Just a guess. I'm funny that way.

Comments

[Student #1]

I think that that the week when we came back from our college visit had the most impact on me, as an individual. When our class discussed the “experience machine”, not one person was left out in the conversation and everyone had their own opinions about it. Whether or not they would try out the experience machine or just stick with the reality was completely up to them. This, I thought was a very fascinating prompt because it also brought about religion. For me, I know I wouldn’t give the experience machine a shot because of my religious background. However, the majority of the class decided that they would and I found that very interesting.

When we first entered the classroom, we did a poll for who would try out the machine and who chose not to. At first, many students said no. Then when you told the class a story, it seemed that everyone was in a “daydream” or “fantasy” world, which is similar to the machine itself. Many classmates then changed their minds about entering for this reason. I think this changed me as a person because even through all the convincing and altering the original task of the machine, I followed through with my own outlook.

[Student #2]

Well something that really stood out for me in a past conversation towards the beginning of the year was how not to write essays based on plot.

Plot summary answers in Mr. Long’s class and for any class to come will not be a good grade. I have learned to really analyze the text from many different examples. By analyzing, making connections, and thinking about things in different perspectives, one can understand more about the novel he/she has just read. From the beginning of the year till now I have tried to transform my writing styles and do my best not to talk a lot about plot in any of my responses.

[Student #3]

What struck me the most this year is the consistent realization that seemingly small suggestions or events can have widespread impact on society.

What immediately comes to mind is the fact that movie companies' revenue comes not from the main attraction, but from sales of food. Each seemingly irrelevant piece of information (like Iago's actions in Othello) seems illogical but when you piece together motive it becomes clear. It has really pushed me to scrutinize more detail and look for alternate explanations when inexplicable things happen.

[Student #4]

I think that, based on what we've discussed this year, what made the biggest impact on me as a student and as a person was that things aren't always as they seem. A sentence, paragraph, or even a whole passage of writing could be saying one thing while completely meaning another. It's meant to make you think beyond the obvious and let your mind explore. Learning this made me realize that you can either to the bare minimum of anything and not look beyond what is being told or use your intelligence to look beyond and discover what others may not have ever realized if you had never said anything.
For example, with the "experience machine" exercise, despite my not being there for the initial talk, it really got me thinking. Like how do we really know that we're "really" living and not just in a machine like that one. It brought up thoughts that I never would have been able to come up with on a whim. To think beyond the obvious has truly taught me something not only as a student but as a person as well.

[Student #5]

I think the one thing that continues to effect me even now but has made the biggest impact was the lecture about the hero stages and movies and how directors use certain techniques in the story line of a movie. Now whenever I watch movies, I'll notice the most random things, like how the music in the background matches the scene that is going on or the weather during a certain scene to convey emotions. I'll notice the characters and how each of them pertain to a different theme in the movie. I'll say something so cliche English class while I'm watching a movie (like Star Wars or The Matrix) with my mom and she'll say, "Did Mr. Long teach ya'll that?" and I'll just think, well I cant help it!

[Student #12]

I would have to say the biggest epiphanie or realization of life would have to be this thing that happened to not only me but my father and family.
It was a sunday afternoon, my father decided to take me and my brother to a Dallas Comboys vs. Patriots game for our birthday present a little bit early. Well these past few weeks with my father had been tough because my sister and mom left to go back to her college, along with my brother leaving suddenly to go back and see his girlfriend. My dad had been acting pretty weird that day and was just not normal. On the way to the game my dad had decieded to take a new way that he had never taken. It was then I realized something was wrong with him becuase after going 10 years the same way to the cowboy games it was just out of the ordinary. It was then in the middle lane of the highway that my father slammed on the brakes, fell into a seizure. With cars going 60 to 70 mph past us and swerving out of the way. I became scared out of my life( who would'nt). It was then my brother pulled the car out of the way into the grassy median place. I screamed and cried into my phone as I called the police for an ambulance. I yelled "I love you so much" to my dad. After hours and a night in the ER he came home. Even though he assures me it was no big deal and has had no other outcomes of anything like the sort. I just feel that nothing is ever the same between us. After the whole thing was over with I realized and had that epiphanie of death and not everything going to be perfect in that little cirlce in my life. (I would appreciate it if this was not posted. But if you feel like it go for it. Just the realiztion I made.)

[Student #7]

i think the thought of the boys in the book "Lord of the Flies" changing from boys to savages has stuck to me. I see that everywhere now. For some reason every time I go somewhere, the mall lets say, and I see a little boy not wanting to get off the carousel and he is acting up, I see a little boy on an island not knowing what to do. I do not really know how they connect but I just can see it. I liked to book Lord of the Flies, a lot, so maybe that is why I can see thing like that. A little boys birthday party was going on at a park where I was and they were playing in the sandbox. The sand reminded me of a beacha dn the boys on the "beach" was Lord of the Flies all the way. The way young boys act, crazy and hyper, is just the exact way that the boys in the book turned to "savages." It will never leave me. I can't help thinking about it!

[Student #8]

One way I have changed throughout this year is by looking more into what the author is really saying. Before this year I only looked at things by the plot or just by what the author wrote. I never once thought deep into it for the “true” meaning. This year after reading many books and poems I have noticed a whole different side of anything that is written or even what someone says. I not only look deeper into things but I also try to write my own papers with a greater meaning. Even in situations out of school I use this technique. Whether I am texting or just talking to someone, you might want to look deeper into it because I might be saying something more. It will just be “under the skin.”

[Student #9]

Throughout the year one thing that has stuck out to me most is how almost everything that we read has a connection to some other literary work and how everything can be seen on multiple layers. It seems like each book we read has some sort of connection to another book, such as Lady Macbeth and Iago both being very mentally strong, and also that many of the books contain something that we had always known but just never knew where it came from. I have also learned that saying one little thing can spark an entire conversation which will end up having to do nothing with the little thing that you started with. And when people change one little aspect to a question or a scene that it can totally change your whole view point on the subject and lead to so many other things. So I would have to say the biggest thing that came to stick with me was how one little “seed” can spark a whole conversation the can branch and branch into a infinite number of topics.

[Student #10]

I think the thing that had the biggest impact on me as a thinker was the discussion about "The Experience Machine". I enjoyed that discussion because everyone was entitled to thier own opinion and no one answer was right and no answer was wrong either. But, whatever descision you chose you had to think of both sides of the argument, which is a good philosophy. If you stay focused on only one side of an argument you could miss out on important information that you never thought of that could change your opinion completley. That was what i really enjoyed about that discussion no matter what you said there another side or opinion you never thought of and you had to be quick and really think about it if you could prove your own opinion. I think that discussion really got everyone in that room thinking and interested and that was why it had the most impact on me,all of those different people all had a different opinion on the matter and each person was treated equally and given a chance to explain thier idea. No one was left out of the conversation and even though everyone felt different individually about it i think it really brought everyone together as a group.

[Student #11]

The main thing that I learned this year and still effects me to this day is the way we look past the plot and go into deeper details. For example Chimney Sweeper was a great poem with alot of plot that meant much more than what we saw in the text. When the kids would say weep weep weep it is actually refering to them saying sweep sweep sweep but they just didnt have enough breath to say it. I really enjoy doing this with the stories we read and i look forward to looking past plot.