Hist2480-Reading Analysis #1

September 11, 2017

History 2480

Reading Analysis #1

 

There are many problems in this world some big and some small. But they all have their reasons. Some people may not even notice them until they are outlined for them in a text or speech of some sort. But if they are written to further educate people on them then it has clearly become a problem that more people need to know about. With the articles that have been analyzed the problem that comes up is people speaking on behalf of others.

In the article “The Problem of Speaking for Others” really out lines why it is a problem. It gives examples of how people have spoken for others and what about it was wrong. But really the main point of it all is how those who feel they can speak for others over step their boundaries. This causes many problems as it can make the speakers look like they know everything about one situation even though they never really experience what they are talking about. With this article it shows what mistakes have been made with speaking for others and how to avoid them. This article seems a bit repetitive as it often repeats what the errors are and how to fix them. But it was made easy to follow by how it was split into sections that had specific viewpoints that really outlined the main focus. One may say this article was good based on the fact that it showed how speaking for others can be a problem and the many different aspects speakers should take into consideration in order to avoid that.

The second article was like the first in ways that it shows that movies are a way of speaking for others. But it took a really different approach to it and made it more about how movies are made. When reading this it really makes one think about how movies are made and how much time and thought are put into them. when watching a simple movie people don’t often think about the little everyday things that they do as a human. It also showed how all those little decisions have hidden messages behind them and that movies don’t just have one message they have lots. But most people don’t always realize them because they just watch a movie for fun they don’t want to overthink their fun activities. The article outlined many things about movies that not everyone pays attention to which made it an interesting read. This article was an easier to read because it was more relatable and it was shorter and more to the point.

Both articles were good in the sense that it taught me something new, these were both topics with similar themes that didn’t always occur to me. The one was a bit long but I still was able to get something out of it. From now on I will consider what I am saying when I speak out and that it is only based on my experiences and for myself. I will also make sure to look for more meaning in media because it will show something but it may not always be true as those publishing it may not have the right to be sharing that information as it may be a way of speaking for others.

 

Bibliography

 

Alcoff, Linda. “The Problem of Speaking for Others.” Cultural Critique, no. 20 (1991), 5. doi:10.2307/1354221.

 

Smith, Greg M. “”It’s Just a Movie”: A Teaching Essay for Introductory Media Classes.” Cinema Journal 41, no. 1 (2001), 127-134. doi:10.1353/cj.2001.0025.