Category: Assignment #1

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Homework

Rashamon Questions

The following are the questions based on the movie Rashamon:

1. Give a brief outline of the plot (action) of the film.

2. What are the main symbols in the film, what do they represent?

3. What are the main philosophical questions (ideas) being raised by the film? How are these themes still relevant today?

4. How is the structure of the film important to the telling of this story?

5. Who’s story did you find most trustworthy and why? 

6. Consider the final scene when the Priest chooses to hand the baby over to the Woodsman. What is Kurosawa trying to say with this gesture?

7. Rashomon is an adaptation of a short story written by Akutagawa, consider what elements are present in the film that enhance or diminish a story like this. Are there aspects to the story that might be better served on the page, why?

Answers:

  1. Rashomon is a film directed by Akira Kurosawa that explores the subjective nature of truth through the retelling of a crime. The story centers around the murder of a samurai and the rape of his wife, which is recounted through the perspectives of four different characters: the bandit who claims to have committed the crimes, the samurai’s wife, a woodcutter who witnessed the events, and a priest who serves as an impartial observer. Each retelling of the events reveals conflicting details and motives, leaving the viewer uncertain of what truly happened. 
  2. The main symbols in the film are the Rashomon gate, which represents the entryway into different versions of truth, and the woods, which represents the ambiguity and uncertainty of reality. The film also uses rain as a symbol of purification and the breaking down of barriers between people. 
  3. The film raises philosophical questions about the nature of truth, morality, and human nature. It asks whether objective truth exists or whether truth is always subjective and influenced by personal biases and perceptions. The film also explores the idea that people are capable of committing heinous acts, and the lengths they will go to justify their actions. These themes are still relevant today, particularly in a world where truth is often subjective and manipulated for personal or political gain. 
  4. The structure of the film is important to the telling of the story because it emphasizes the subjective nature of truth. By presenting different perspectives on the same events, the film shows how the truth can be manipulated and distorted depending on who is telling the story. 
  5. It is difficult to determine which character’s story is the most trustworthy, as each perspective is biased and self-serving. However, the woodcutter’s story seems to be the most honest and impartial, as he has no stake in the outcome of the trial and his account is consistent with the physical evidence.
  6. Kurosawa is suggesting that compassion and kindness are the most important qualities in human interaction. He is emphasizing the importance of looking past the surface of a situation and recognizing the potential for redemption and forgiveness. By handing the baby over to the Woodsman, the Priest is demonstrating the power of understanding and acceptance, no matter the circumstances.
  7. Rashomon features several elements that enhance the story, such as its use of a nonlinear narrative and multiple perspectives. This allows the viewer to experience the story from different angles and gain insight into the characters, their motivations, and the complex moral issues at play. Additionally, the film’s visual elements such as its use of shadows and lighting to create a moody atmosphere also add to the impact of the story. On the other hand, there are aspects of the story that might be better served on the page. Akutagawa’s original story is a psychological exploration of the nature of truth and the potential for truth to be coloured by the subjective perspectives of each character. This is difficult to capture on screen, as the visual element of the film might distract from the author’s intent. Additionally, Akutagawa’s story is quite short, and the film adaptation expands upon the narrative with additional elements. While these additions might enhance the story for a cinematic audience, they may not be as effective in the original text.
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Assignment #1

2 Part Reflection

  1. Writing Process:

During the process of this particular essay, I chose a teachable moment that is very relevant to me and something I’d like to get off my shoulders. Due to a writer’s block to this project, it was pretty difficult for me to get inspired and have an organized time schedule during my working process of this project. There were times where I would sit for at least an hour in front of my laptop and write nothing to one sentence. I tried different methods to like looking at photographs, listening to music or reflecting upon the situation that I wanted to write about. The way I incorporate the feedback of my peers was that I’d revised any repetition mentioned upon their comments. I had a lot of inspirational comments that helped me to get more motivated with my workflow and get a little more inspired and therefore make improvements to this piece. There was a lot that had to be covered within the story and it was pretty difficult for me to express what I see and feel in my mind and heart which caused me to have a heavy writer’s block like mentioned earlier.

  1. Areas of Improvements
    1. The section (Hello, Best Friend…) where I write about my best friend in my opinion could use some improvements. I initially wanted to make this particular paragraph short and straight forward but there was just too much to cover, I feel like ot could be shorter and in a way where you can still express these details, I just didn’t know how to do it at that time.
    2. “ I would always think to myself that she was just not in the mood or was just tired from school but when I would see her with her classmates or other people, she looked so cheerful, very happy and more clingy and close than she was with me.” I think this sentence is pretty long, there could be definitely a way on how to make it shorter and straight forward.
    3. In my first paragraph (Attachment) I end the sentence with “I am very aware that people can forget but never was I ever ready to admit and accept it.” I feel like there could have been a better closing sentence and transition to the following paragraph.
    4. The transition between the second to last and the last paragraph is kind of very blunt and not really smooth. 
    5. The overall essay feels more like a conversation between the text and the reader but I would have wanted to have it seem like a story rather than a conversation.

Grading Rubric

Communication of value – For this part I would rate my work a 3. I think that my work has shown a broad understanding of my teachable moment and the situation I was in.

Narrative Coherence and Development – For this section I would also rate my work a 3.  I think my work explores my ideas within my narrative shape and shows a lot of details what I wanted to talk about to show a great and broad structure of my teachable moment.

Narrative Conventions – For this section I would rate my work a 4. I think that my work shows a broad and wide range creativity within the scenes where I also dramatize certain situations within the narrative.

Introduction (teaching the reader how to Navigate the narratives) – I would give myself a 2 in this section. I really focused on showing how I overcame and learned from my attachments within the narrative but I lack in showing what it actually taught me.Use of Language, Control of Syntax, and Mechanics – Lastly, I will give myself a 3 in this section. I think that the use of language was pretty clear with some minor grammar mistakes or sentence structures that in some parts may be repetitive.

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Assignment #1

A Teachable Moment

Abstract

In this essay, I will be talking about a teachable moment that I had in life. A moment that  showed me how to let go of people and fight the burden and pain while letting go of someone that I was once attached to. This essay will show a broad narrative to my situation and experience and what actions I took to reach this teachable moment.

Attachment

A teachable moment in life. A moment where realization comes into place, where your mind and heart find peace within the war, where your eyes open from being blind within all the deep thoughts that gathered in your mind. For me, it was when I learned how to let go of people that led me to have a teachable moment in life. When I learned how to let go of what I was once attached to, something I never wanted to let go of so easily. And the same questions kept repeating in my head: Who are those people to me? What did I do to them to treat me like this? Am I the problem? And so many more questions that led me to daydream, overthink and blank out in the middle of something. Many times, I blame myself I have to go through this situation. People mean a lot to me, but do they feel the same? I see them laugh and be happy with me, but way happier when they are with others. I am very aware that people can forget but never was I ever ready to admit and accept it.

The actions within the attachments

I never really make friends by myself, but when I do, I make sure that I give them all the love that I have to offer. Making people happy and feeling loved was always the intention behind my efforts. But I honestly never felt like anyone would give me the same energy back that I would let out. For a time being I would believe it, but I end up getting disappointed by the expectations I have among people that I’m attached to. Since childhood, it has never been easy for me to start something with people due to the fact that I was bullied and hated by everyone around me. I may have had one or two friends, but back then at the age of 9, I would already feel whether something would last long or not. And my feelings were always pretty accurate and right. It wasn’t too bad, I mean I had some great memories. Memories of temporary happiness that I missed and wished to live again. 

Hello, best friend…

Here it goes, my last year in high school mainly being alone without anyone around me and I honestly enjoyed it. The cycle of temporary friendships went on and on up until the point where I hated making new friends or socializing with people. It was after the pandemic that I was sick of approaching anyone or even saying anything. Returning to in-person classes, it felt like people just remembered that I existed. But I wasn’t too upset about it, I mean, it was all based on what I expected. I felt really independent and I didn’t really have to worry about anyone other than me. However, in life sometimes, some promises you make to yourself won’t always last. I may have told myself that I won’t make any new friends or attachments, but not long after the second and last semester of my senior year started, I met my so-called best friend. She just got out of a toxic relationship, she first held back and didn’t want to talk to me when she still was with her ex together in a long-distance relationship. But once she got out of it, she opened up to me and told me everything about it. She was 17 years old at that time, also from the Philippines like me, we had a lot in common like speaking the same native language, similar music tastes, and favorite foods, but what made us really close was the fact that we both understood each other’s life problems and struggles very well since they are pretty similar and relatable to us. We would sit on a park bench and take for hours about how horrible this life can be. At the same time, however, we would fight over the smallest things like late chat replies and not updating each other during the day. But at the end of the day, we both would agree that we were meant to meet each other in life. 

Changes

I would see my best friend at least once a week. It became a regular thing for us to go out, eat something at K-town and shop afterward, stay at her home, and watch movies or talk about life while listening to our shared playlist. It was a great time and I was happy. However, things started to change between us. She became frequently colder to me and very bipolar, I would always think to myself that she was just not in the mood or is just tired from school but when I would see her with her classmates or other people, she looked so cheerful, very happy and more clingy and close than she was with me. We are very honest with each other, so I didn’t hesitate to open up to her about how I felt. She told me not to worry about it and that she was just showing me the real side of her and hiding from other people. I didn’t have any other option other than just going with the flow and believing it. The days started to become very different each time we would meet. One day everything was normal and another day she wouldn’t even wanna look at me and stayed silent. It was different from what we had and I was worried that she might get tired of me but in the end, I didn’t want to overthink it each time we’d see each other.

Jealousy

I couldn’t help myself to hide this one thought I have about our friendship, but I know once she gets into a relationship, everything will surely end and she will distance herself from me. Although I felt like it was wrong, my feelings couldn’t help themselves other than feeling jealous of other people talking to her. She would less and less give me her attention. I didn’t have to tell her how exactly I felt because I know that she knows how I currently feel. She knows me so well, she can read me picture-clear like an open book. I kept denying it whenever she confronts me about it. I didn’t want to show her the way I was feeling because of how awkward it might get but that didn’t help and instead of talking about it, it became an argument that led us to not text or talk to each other for a while. 

Farwell…

And here we are at the end of what was predicted. It was heavy for me to carry this burden, to feel the same pain I felt before I was having this “best friendship”. I would a couple of days later find out that she is in a relationship and it hurts to be the last one to know about it. That’s the end right here, the end that I hoped I would never encounter within our friendship. We became what they call strangers with memories, a pair of people who once knew each other and suddenly pretend as if they’d never met. But she seemed to be happier without me. She laughs and smiles and forgets all her problems. Maybe the right happiness that she was looking for, wasn’t available in me but in other people. It felt like I was used to helping her out of her healing stage so she could put me in mine, but that’s fine with me if that was the reason why we were supposed to meet in life. As long as she’s happy, I will be happy as well because I have no other choice other than continue with my life just like she’s currently doing. Farwell…

Realization

Straight to the point, people come and go for various reasons. As much as someone wants to hope for “forever”, there is no such thing that proves that forever exists within anything. I may have my doors closed right now for new people in my life but as I claimed earlier, I won’t be able to keep my door shut “forever”. People change so that you can learn to let go of them. We let people into our lives for the pleasure of feeling alive together, to relate to each other’s feelings and emotions. With that being said, the time has come when I realized that everyone that been in your life has been there for a reason, to teach you, to love you, or to experience life with you, but in the end, you are the only one that has full control over your life, you get to choose where your heading and end up in. And people may follow you in between all the paths you take in life, but some may head to another path apart from you. That’s life.