Exam Notes

What purpose does writing serve? (V.s. film and audio)

Writing is very different from film and audio, and can convey many different things that those mediums cannot. Because of different points of view that can be presented while writing, more empathy can be stimulated in the reader. They can experience things that they might never experience through the eyes of someone else. While film may create a similar effect, it is not as good as writing because in writing you also have access to all of the thoughts of a character, as opposed to simply being a witness of certain events. 

Also:

• Imagination
• Vocabulary
• Allows for more description
• Quality time
• Books leave more up to interpretation
• No right or wrong answer
• Larger stories
• You experience it (emotional investment)
• Spread of ideas
• Your writing improves
• It’s a sum of experiences
• Unlimited by special effects or depth of reality
• Film is a new medium, while writing has much more history
• Watching is passive, reading is active
• Gathering experience

Why do humans write things down?

• Initially, to remember things better
• Our only form of immortality
• To continue social evolution
• To express things you are too afraid to say.
• Teaches empathy
• Personal emotional outlet

Is writing a narcissistic act?

• Intend to entertain self and others
• Want to be remembered
• Is narcissism really bad?

Why is fiction more useful that hard facts?

• Can’t relate to numbers
• No personal context
• We are in denial about the world
• Satire

Exam

• Opinion question
• Build on article in relation to self
• Standard essay response
• 1000 words