Peer Review:  I really appreciated Maya’s peer review of my paper. She helped me cut and clarify things that were unclear and vague. Specifically my mention of 9/11 in the 3rd paragraph. Maya mentioned that it was an important point but without outside evidence, the point was unsupported and therefore…

“Representing the Other” In recent years, discussions surrounding cultural representation in media have gained prominence, raising important questions about how stories from diverse backgrounds, particularly those of Middle Easterners, can be made accessible to English-speaking audiences without perpetuating orientalism and racism. The portrayal of Middle Eastern cultures in mainstream media…

Study Abroad Fair Response  The Study Abroad Fair was very informative. There were a LOT of options when it comes to where you can go and what programs there are. It’s given me a lot to think about in terms of where I want to go and when. I have…

Writing portfolio reflection Upon reading through my writing portfolio, I’ve realized that this semester has challenged me in terms of the types of writing that I’ve been doing. I was used to my writing being strictly academic in nature, essays consisting of themes or thesis with supporting evidence that typically…

Why do I love Hannah montana?  First, it’s nostalgic. I grew up watching it so when you put it on it brings me back to being little.  I can also say that there is not a single hannah montana song that isn’t an absolute bop. They’re all good. The Climb…

This movie relates to what we’ve examined so far this semester because of its themes and locale. The movie takes place in the orient, a location and idea that we’ve heavily focused on. In addition, the plot is very similar to that of Aladdin, the other movie we watched. It…

Should we be reading A Thousand Nights? I think yes. Now, we tend to shy away from things that are offensive. I don’t think that’s productive or helpful to addressing the problem. Ignoring things that are hard or controversial doesn’t make them go away. It just allows them to fester…

“ In the Nights themselves, tales divert, cure, redeem, and save lives.” (xii, Haddawy)  The tales, heal, rescue, liberate and change the course of lives  The Nights, like the champions of its stories, have the ability to save those who need saving.  The stories affect lives, whether it be in saving or restoring lives…

Sometimes writing is hard. Sometimes it’s easy. For example, this past weekend I had two different ‘papers’ I had to write. Similar in length, but different subjects. One was about the Allentown fair, easy. The other was a reflection on Shakespeare’s The Tempest, that one was a bit harder. Most people would…

Summary (256 words):  Staninger begins her piece with the success of Aladdin, mainly to question it. Why was this clearly stereotypical movie so popular? Why is it that academics who see the clear issues with the movie love it so? Why is Jasmine so appealing to American audiences? She is…

Overarching Argument:  New ideas:

            An idea put forth in The Arabian Nights translated by Hussain Haddawy is that women should be sexually repressed. The stories told in the book convey that it is important that women be repressed, especially when it comes to their sexuality. There are multiple instances where women attempt to break free from…

One of the questions that I have is why the character Abu plays such a small role in the movie Aladdin than in the Thief of Baghdad. There are initial similarities between the two characters: both animals, loyal friend/helper to the main character, thief. But as the Thief of Baghdad…