To me, there are works, there are good works, and then there are great works. A work, basically, is anything that has been done by man that is meant to have an effect on a wide variety of people, or an audience. A movie, for example, is meant to have a certain affect on people that are young or old, educated or uneducated, black or white, whether it be to entertain, teach, or inspire. A good work is something that has a constructive effect on people. Spider Man the movie, for example, taught us as Americans, all of whom wield immense power to change this world, that “with great power comes great responsibility.” What a powerful message. It had an effect, I’m sure, on many people. However, I don’t think there were many people who walked out of Spider Man who really had gained a firm conviction to use their power more wisely and actually improved their lives greatly because of it. What sets apart a work as “great” is how lasting its effect is on the audience.
A work can be anything from a painting, to a book, to a statue, to a building. For it to be a great work, that work must change the lives of the people it is meant for. When my mom told me that for my bedtime stories she was going to read Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, I didn’t think much of it (the cover isn’t extremely exciting, you know). However, by the time she finished the first chapter, I was begging her to keep going. It had gotten curiosity coursing through my head, and with it, a new outlook on life. That’s a great work. Whenever I see a church building, firmly founded as the ideals it stands for and with a white, innocent point, reminding all to look heavenward, I am truly changed as a person. That’s a great work. A truly great work is one that people never forget.
I like your reasoning. I never though about it that way. You sound very qualified in your opinion though. Good Job.
ReplyDeleteI love your first sentence. I feel like it might be more powerful and universal if you left out, "To me". I also liked the quotes you used from Spider Man to illustrate the message of the work. I'm not sure but for titles of movies and books I think you italicize them not underline them. I enjoyed your thesis and thought. Kudos!
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with everything you said, however, it could use a stronger thesis and direction.
ReplyDeleteI was also thinking of the Spider Man quote while writing this assignment!
Woa! That's crazy, Natalie! Thanks for the tips, guys.
ReplyDeleteCool ideas! I liked your comparison between good and great. I only wish that you would have written more. I think some more validations could spice up your essay even more.
ReplyDelete@Jenny (and for the betterment of mankind): movie titles and short works are italicized, books are underlined. However, some of these rules change for online media, just like paragraph formatting does.
ReplyDeleteAdam, you had a great lead with spiderman (I am somewhat of a comic book enthusiast). I wish you had gone further with it, like C.J. said; fleshed it out more, perhaps.
Some of your sentences were a bit convoluted, but your meaning was clear enough.
Overall, I liked the ideas and logic, I just wished there was more to feast on.