Category Archives: DG13E
Response Paper 3, Option 2
In order to achieve happiness, one must be a winner. One must achieve the goal that they set forth to complete. “Best In Show” shows just the opposite of this. It is a mockumentary that follows five dog owners as they venture to the Annual Mayflower Dog Show and hope to win the gold and title of best dog in show.
There is one scene, the scene that starts the movie off where the first dog-owning couple are in a therapist’s office discussing the trauma they feel they put forth on their dog. Their dog walked in on them during an intimate moment. The irony in this scene is the way they speak about their dog, as if it is human. I thought they were talking about their child, as did a majority of my classmates. This couple and the others followed love their dogs’ as if they were their own children. This is one aspect that I believe kept them all happy, regardless of the results of the competition: love.
During the actual dog show, there is much stress and tension. All the owners want to win, desperately, hopelessly. They are willing to do anything. It is in this moment where you as the audience feel tension as well, though the humor and charm of the film covers it up well. I felt like I wanted all of them to win, since we got to know each couple so well, but I knew it would end with only one winner. How would the others react? Would they go into a severe depression? Would they suddenly reject the pet they once loved so much? It seemed as though they all want to win so badly that it just couldn’t possibly end well for all of them. This is where I was oh so wrong.
The winning dog is selected: the big, loveable bloodhound, and his owner, with similar attributes, is elated. I expected tears, lots of tears from the others but I got just the opposite of that. They all congratulated one another and went their separate ways. The film goes on to show how their lives all continue. One couple starts their own magazine on lesbian dog owners. They couldn’t have looked happier. The couple that was seen in the therapist’s office gets a new dog, one that actually enjoys watching them in their times of intimacy. This yuppie, once tense as all hell pair now seem to be care-free and in jubilantly high spirits, which they were lacking before. The others also go on to do different things, just as rewarding to each of them. They all seem genuinely happy, regardless of whether they won the gold or not.
Response Paper #3
I decided to do option #2 and write about my interpretation of Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants”.
Susan Sontag once said “the modern style of interpretation excavates, and as it excavates, destroys; it digs “behind” the text, to find a sub-text which is the true one.” I think she means that when we read, we already have an image that our mind subconsciously goes to when we see phrases that we have already experienced before. For example, if we read about a girl who is accident prone we may sometimes imagine a person we know in actual life that’s the same way, or a character in a movie that is accident prone as well. Our minds always have some sort of preselected setting. When we first read literature we don’t necessarily see the main points, we see the things that stick out the most to each individual person. We read and interpret the literature in our own ways until we find something suitable.
When I first started reading the story “Hills Like White Elephants”, I could tell that the girl, who I think is called Jig, and the American were travelling together, because they were waiting for the train. As I kept reading on, the American started describing an operation that Jig should go so that they both could live happy lives. He kept saying that Jig would only need some air and after that they would be able to live normal together like so many people they knew. As I kept reading a few images popped into my head like if Jig was blind, or maybe deaf. There was one instance where the waitress comes out from the curtains and says “The train comes in five minutes.” and Jig asks the American what the woman had said. When I read this section, I thought immediately that Jig might be going deaf. Also the title itself “Hills Like White Elephants”, Jig says this to her beau at the very beginning and it seems to worry him, to me this seemed like if Jig could not see properly hence I thought she was going blind.
The very end confused me, I still could not get the story. I couldn’t predict what was wrong with her. I could only tell that he loved her and she loved him enough to only get the operation to make him happy.
“Best in Show”
Watching the movie best in show was an odd experience. I didn’t really understand why we were watching this movie because it didnt seem to have anything to do with what we were going over in class. After thinking about it for some time i came to a conclusion as to why we watched the movie.
At first i thought it was just a joke, one that would make us start thinking but lead to nowhere since it has no answer. Still, i did come to some conclusion as to why we watched it. All people have theiro wn ways to achieve happiness and generally no person ever tries to figure out why they want to be happy, they just accept it. Generally people think they can only be happy if they do something extraordinary or win something extraordinary. While rewards do cause happiness they are not the onlu way to cause happiness. The people were not aware of what they were searching for and did not realize that it was a false cause. Everyone in the dog show wanted that ribbon because it would bring them happiness and celebrity status. The happiness was the most important part of the dog show. They earn happiness by living it through the dog, they were not beautiful themselves or exceptional so they wanted to raise a craeture that was perfect and beautiful and exceptional. They could not accept the fact that they were just normal people. \
Though ity was a satirical movie, it was a good observation of human behavior. We always want things that we can never have and we manipulate the enviornment around us to try to achieve whatever the goal is. If it is to dominate or humiliate an animal that is what they do. If it is to assign human characteristics to an animal that is what is done. It was a good study of human behavior and it creates a lot of things to think about and consider. There are alot of other arguments that could be made in response to that movie but this is the one i focus on. Humans are illusionary creatures, they can never accept the truth.
Response Paper #3
Hills like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway
When I was reading I imagined a scenery of a small railroad station in the midst of a deserted area. Inside the station is two Americans waiting for the train to come. The two American’s didn’t seem happy at all. Their conversations were dull, their thoughts were dull and even what they were doing seemed dull. I could imagine a young lady with a fancy dress sitting along side a men wearing a classic tuxedo. The man was at the lady’s service. Whatever the lady did, the man followed. Whatever the lady said, the man agreed. Whatever the lady commanded, the man fetched for her. It was like chivalry.
I noticed in the text that these two people don’t have an ordinary relationship. They seem very close to each other yet they are sitting around talking about the hills and wine. It feels as though the lady is suffering from some sort of pain and the man is trying to be as tender as possible. There conversations were very vague but it seems as though the lady was having a “simple” [Hemingway 167] surgery to “just let the air in”. [Hemingway 167] I wonder what procedure could that be? Could it be a surgery and what kind of surgery?
Afterward, it sounded as though their conversations changed into marriage. The man seemed to be indirectly proposing to the lady saying that ” I don’t want anybody but you” [Hemingway 169] I think the lady didn’t really want to go through with it and that the man was being clingy to the lady. When the train finally arrived it seemed as though the lady was happy. Was it because she is leaving the man? Or is it because she is not nervous anymore about the procedure that they were talking about? Or is it because she is finally getting married? To me, it felt like the lady was happy to leave because the man was too clingy. He was too attached to the lady, more suitable to be a servant instead of a husband.
While I was reading, I realized that I kept imagining things. Instead of concentrating on the bigger picture I kept thinking about the small details. I tried to imagine myself in both characters point of view. While reading, I was forming two characters; a young lady who spoiled, stubborn and play but she is also kind and well mannered and a well dressed man who was rich and seemed to care a lot about the lady. After reading, I felt confused but also curious about what the story could really mean. There seemed to be a lot of different ways to interpret the conversations between the two since they spoke vaguely.
Suzan Liang
Response Paper 3: Option2
“Hills Like White Elephants” is a short story which was written by Ernest Hemingway. When I first saw the title of this story, I assumed that it is an illustration of natural beauty of any particular place. Once I started reading it, I thought my assumption was right because opening sentence of this story depicts the view of the valley of the Ebro. Then, Hemingway stated about a train station and outside the train station bar an American man and woman were having beers as well as waiting for train. This description gave me idea that my first conception was wrong. However, I realized it is a nice romantic story.
As the couple drinks, the woman tells that man that the hills remind her of “white elephants.” In this case, I was wondering what symbolizes white elephants. Furthermore, I noticed from the conversation of this couple that they are trying to decide something. At this point, the man was convincing the women but she was against the decision. In addition, I identify the woman was worried that can this decision solve the problem or is it going to affect their future relationship? But, the man trying to make her comfortable by saying that their life will be happy as it was before if she agrees with him. Here, I felt that she was forced to agree with him which is the reason she said that she does not care about herself. At the end of the story, I observed her depressive and helpless face saying that “There’s nothing wrong with me. I feel fine.”
After reading the entire story, my view says that Hemingway determines the issue of abortion in a certain relationship. I think it explains the youthful nature of a man who does not want any child because he still believes that he has to explore his world and get his own pleasure. This is the reason he is persuading his girlfriend to have abortion that he can move forward in his life. According to my opinion, poor woman is dreaming about her child that is why she is using metaphors like “white elephants” which symbolizes a new born child. In fact, she states beautiful scenery of Ebro which I think the symbol of happiness to have a child. As she realized that her boyfriend is favoring to have abortion and putting his best effort to urge her, she said “Would you please please please please please please please please stop talking?” I also detected that Hemingway demonstrated the girl’s tragic expression against abortion by drawing a view of dry side of the valley.
The conclusion of this story is that the couple is waiting for arrival of the train. Unfortunately, they cannot bring any solution through their conversation because both of their points of views are different regarding abortion. I think Hemingway decided to leave this situation to her readers what will be their future. At last, I can picture the girl will decide to give birth to her child and the man will continue his pleasure game.
Response Paper #3
Susan Sontag suggests that in modern times when reading we analyze the text, dig into it, separate in in little pieces for our better understanding. We analyze and analyze, separate and separate pieces until we find what we think is the “real” meaning of the text.
Today, when reading both Ehrenreich’s Chapter 6 and Hemingway’s “Hills Like While Elephants” I noted some other things about my reading. First of all, that when reading I have to be focused in order to understand it completely, I have to read fast so that I don’t have any chances of forgetting about my reading. After finishing my readings, the passages I was interested in seem to keep going around in my head, maybe I’m not thinking anything about them, but I am surely digesting the information and trying to make them mine, relating them it to my life.
However, I noted that when I read someone’s theory I apply Sontag’s technique. I analyze it, give opinions, read more closely and dig into the phrases I’m interested in and sort of leaving aside those I believe can be discarded. I struggle to find the real meaning of the theory, what the author is really trying to say; which could be translated to finding my own interpretation of his work. On the other hand, when I read a story I completely forget about my own thoughts and let the writer tell me whatever he wants to say at the moment, I’m just a listener; I give myself a chance to enjoy the text. Maybe I’ll dig into in later, but I let the story plant a first impression before I intervene.
Do we all read in the same way? obviously we don’t: some read while listening to music, some laying down, others in a writing desk with a nice light. But do we all apply the same techniques? and how do they affect our understanding of a text? Do authors mean that we intervene in their work in order to understand its meaning, or are we just being rude and abusive?
Manuela Toro.
Setting Goals to Achieve leads to Happiness.
Happiness can be attained by setting goals and working toward to achieve them. We become motivated, empowered, and excited when we have a goal to achieve whether it is short term or long term. We feel life becomes meaningful and full with hope when we have a goal. Of course the goals have to be desirable and attainable so we won’t give up too fast. While pursuing the goal, we can gain happiness by enjoying process such as overcoming obstacles in the way, sharing small step of success with others and becoming confident with supports from others. In the movie, “Best in Show” the five entrants all have the same goal that is to win the prestigious dog show “Mayflower Kennel Club Dog Show”. They take time and energy to train their dogs and they all enjoy the process. Before the competition, the dog owners are very nervous about the challenge that is to come; however, they are also happy that they have a chance to achieve their goal. For example, Gerry and Cookie Fleck and their dog Winky, although they encounter many problems before the competition, such as being force to sleep in the hotel’s storage room for they don’t have enough money, they are still very happy that they have each other’s supports during the competition. Another point I want to make is success is the key to happiness. Having able to achieve a goal in the end would bring us more happiness. In the movie just before the final, Cookie dislocates her knees and Gerry has to take over for her. Gerry is really nervous for he is afraid that he won’t do a great job, however, with Cookie’s support Gerry gains confidence in doing it and ultimately Winky wins. The couples are extremely happy for all their hard works have been rewarded. Since the goal is very meaningful to them the final victory brings more to happiness to them.
RESPONSE PAPER #3
option #1
Throughout watching the film “Best in Show”, all I was thinking about was what is it with reward that people try so hard to obtain it? These people were all obsessed with the blue ribbon that they would spend each moment of their life thinking about it. What was more interesting was that this blue ribbon does not reflect anything about themselves but only about how good, expensive, original their dog is, yet it brings them happiness. Would it be like since they are the owner if their dog is rewarded with the blue ribbon, it makes a statement like “he is my dog and since I raised him in such way that he is so good”?
Then I realized it was not only these people in the movie that strive for rewards to obtain happiness but also every single person in this world including myself. Everyone has their own blue ribbon they want to receive in different forms. Whether they are in forms of material, idea, reputation or in some cases like students, grades, we all want to be rewarded with something after our action has been taken and we think that is the only way that will make anything worth doing and if it brings us positive results, we are happy.
But as I was watching the ending of the movie, my mind kind of changed. When the contest was over and Gerry and Cookie won, it still seemed like everyone has received something and they were satisfied and happy. Even though their blue ribbon has found its way to another person’s arms, they did not lose happiness. Then my question has changed from is it reward that makes everyone happy to is experience of what they love to do that brings happiness at the end? Not a single person in this movie became depressed nor gave up anything. All found a new way to brings themselves joy and happiness. The gay couple now creates a calendar of Shih Tzus, the yelling couple changed their depressed dog for an energetic pug, Christy and Sherrie-Ann did not give up and published a magazine called “American Bitch” dedicated to lesbian dog owners and finally the fishing guy found his new dream to improve his ventriloquism. Every single character found a new way to continue on with their lives.
As a conclusion to my response, which question do you think is the right question? Are they still striving for a new reward to bring themselves happiness? or do they obtain happiness while doing something they enjoy doing? Which question is the right question about how we, all human beings, obtain happiness?
Movie review :)
While we were enjoying the movie in class, I had completely forgotten that we had a reason for watching it. At the very end, when asked about why this movie was chosen for the theme in the class, I honestly had no idea. The movie was funny, and had everyone hooked from beginning to end, but how did it link to happiness? I thought about how each character developed throughout the 48 hours that they spent being interviewed, and realized, that happiness is never expected. You can set your sight on something that you think would make you happy, but more often than not, you discover something along the road about yourself that will end up making you happier than you think you can be.
In the movie, we followed five couples throughout the process of preparing, travelling, and entering the competition. Each couple wanted their dog to be the best, but there can only be one winner. Of the couples that didn’t end up winning, each of them discovers a passion that they didn’t realize they have. They didn’t accomplish their goal of being the winner, but they realized what made each of them happy along the way. Happiness is something you can’t foresee or plan– it springs on you. Happiness needs to be discovered, but most importantly, it is right in front of you.
On a side note, I recently got two hamsters, and they make me happy 🙂 meet Barty and Rex!
Happiness: A Mirror Image
Sometimes I totally forget the theme of the class (Happiness) and completely miss the purpose of some of the things we are shown in class. When Professor Kaufman showed us “Best in Show”, I dismissed the concept of happiness and just laughed at the hilarious movie. But at the end of the movie, Professor Kaufman mentioned how all the dog owners had their own definition of happiness. This may be true but after watching the movie, I feel that we are happy when we see that something or someone close to us is happy.
Throughout the mocumentary, the various dog owners took great pleasure in taking care of and making sure everything was perfect for their prized pooches. They all went to great lengths to make sure that their dogs would be happy and put their best paw forward for the dog show. Some of the treatment seemed very peculiar and exaggerated, but it was done in the best interest of the dog, regardless of how crazy it made the owner seem. For example the opening couples, Meg and Hamilton Swan, treat their dog as if she were their actual child. When the dog accidently sees them having sex, they take her to a therapist to try to make the song “understand” that sex is a beautiful thing between “Mommy and Daddy”. They feel that therapy will help make their dog happy and in turn increase their happiness because it is their responsibility to provide for and maintain the contentment of who they love (in this case, a dog). Failing at this job would, no doubt, cause conflict as it did in the movie; failing to keep their dog Beatrice happy caused a rift in the couple’s relationship until they got rid of Beatrice and got a new [lower maintenance] dog because the guilt of not being able to keep her happy made them themselves unhappy. This familial relationship led me to believe that our happiness is based on our loved ones happiness’. And “Best in Show” depicted that this is especially true when we feel responsible for their level of happiness.
Happiness has a mirror effect sometimes. Much like when people move away from someone who is depressed because their mood is “contagious”. So i guess in this case, the question is not WHAT can make us happy, but WHO will make us happy?
