Q. In whar ways and to what extent has studying the concept of Imaginative Journeys expanded your understanding of yourself and the world?. The Tempest, Where the Wild Things Are and The Ivory Trail, some feedback would be awsome.
Speech - Imaginative Journeys
Imaginative journeys occur in our mind, a place where reality is considered and which the imagination builds upon to create a fantasy. The imagination allows the participant to go on a journey into an environment, which they could not physically experience in their understanding of the world.
Good morning class, today I will be speaking on three imaginative texts; ‘Where the wild things are’, by Maurice Sendak, ‘The Tempest’ by William Shakespeare and ‘The Ivory Trail’, by Victor Kelleher.
Imaginative journeys can allow us to experience worlds of imagination, speculation or inspiration and challenge us to consider our real world. They can also allow us to change our views on concepts explored in these imaginative journeys. Journeys of speculation can allow us to be intrigued and the imagination can create its own journey through the use of text and images.
In Sendak’s children’s book ‘Where the wild things are’, Max goes on an imaginative journey after his mother sends him to his room without supper for making mischief. Max’s imaginative journey is sparked by the frustration and annoyance he feels due to his mother having power and control over him. He attempts to challenge his mother’s power by creating an imaginative journey to a place where he is king and he has control.
Sendak uses strong visual imagery accompanied by the repetition of the onomatopoeia ‘roared their terrible roars and gnashed their terrible teeth’. This shows the dangers that are faced by max in conquering the wild things and making himself as king. This idea of colonization is similar to Prospero in the tempest as they both travel to an island and put themselves above the natives. Another similarity is that both Max and Prospero use magic to control the natives, Max uses his ‘magic trick’ of staring into their eyes and Prospero uses his long studied art.
The use of illustrations in the text helps the reader to understand the intensity of Max’s journey. As his journey progresses and his imagination grows, so do the illustrations. This technique is used to draw the reader even further into the journey. When Max is completely in control, the illustrations cover the entire two pages with no text at all.
The imaginative journey allows max to escape his harsh reality and allows him to discover more about himself and his surroundings as his fictional world reflects his ideal world and contrasts his reality. As his imagination decreases, so do the illustrations. Max comes to the conclusion that he does not find satisfaction in his imaginary world and learns that he wants to be where he is loved most, reality. The moon is used as a symbol of growth for Max. At the beginning of the story it is a half moon and at the end is full showing his growth due to his imaginative journey.
I have also expanded my thoughts on how imaginative journeys can challenge a participant to increase their understanding of themselves due to the challenges faced on their journey. Through my study of the concepts of power and control, which are considered in ‘Where the wild things are’, I have been challenged to consider to a greater extent how power should be exercised in my world. I have also broadened my views on how those who have power should use it.
Another imaginative text that covers these concepts of power and control is Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’. This journey explores power in much more depth than Sendak’s children’s book and also introduces the concept of colonization.
The tempest is strongly representative of imaginary journeys through the magical events that take place in the text and also through the magical powers shown by Ariel and Prospero. In the magical world of the island, the reader is forced to consider what an illusion is and what is reality.
Prospero is established to have been the duke of Milan but was to absorbed in the study of his art to carry out his duties as duke. For this reason he makes the mistake of handing his duties over to his brother who usurped him and cast Prospero and his daughter Miranda into a leaky boat in the ocean.
On the island, Prospero is in total control with Ariel and Caliban as his slaves there is nobody to challenge him for power. Prospero spends twelve years in exile on the island. When all his enemies end up stranded on the island Prospero uses his magic to gain complete control over them. He uses his magic through Ariel to guide them around the island as he plots for revenge. The desire for revenge is obvious in Prospero and with his absolute power over everyone on the island it seems obvious that revenge is all he wants. Prospero’s growth is tested when he gains the realization that revenge through magic will never bring him happiness. It is this realization that makes him reconsider his plot of revenge and to give up his power and magic, feel mercy and forgive his enemies as he realizes the rarer act is in virtue than in vengeance. Prospero’s realization is similar to Max’s in that they both give up their ideal worlds of power and control to restore their lives and find more satisfaction in this than in the ideal world.
Prospero’s journey is one of growth in wisdom and knowledge through the understanding gained about the ways in which power should be used and the realization of how he abused his power. Prospero relinquishes his magic, gives Ariel his liberty and returns to Milan to take back his dukedom, leaving the island to Caliban.
The third and final text I have chosen is one that offers much in relation to my two previous texts but also shows much contrast. This text is the front cover of ‘The Ivory Trail’.
The cover consists of three separate images, which convey different speculations as to the journeys in the book. A sense of mystery is brought to the reader’s attention by the use of the large eyes in the ripples of the sand. The vector lines for the images begin on the western boys face and follow the line of sight from the eyes to the pyramid and then to the distant dark background of the mosque. These images convey ideas of a journey with a changing country and one that contains mystery. The montage of ever-variable interpretations leaves the reader to speculate about the journey that the book will contain. The way this effect is used and to the extent of its effectiveness in drawing a reader into the book has expanded my thoughts on how a journey can be one entirely of speculation, one created in the mind. The dark colours shown on the page show the danger faced in the journey in the book. This sense of danger can be related to Max’s journey accept that the danger of Max’s journey is conveyed through the use of text and the illustrations.
The statement ‘Not all journeys have an ending’ relates once again to the speculation of the viewer, intriguing them into the book and drawing them in. This statement brings much contrast to the journeys experienced in my other two texts as they both had clear endings to the journey and both with positive outcomes. The use of this statement has led to me gaining a greater understanding of how imaginative journeys can convey different meaning to the reader. From the cover of the ivory trail the reader would speculate that the story within will contain a journey that may not have a complete ending and it may end leaving them to speculate how it could end.
"No conclusion yet".
Speech - Imaginative Journeys
Imaginative journeys occur in our mind, a place where reality is considered and which the imagination builds upon to create a fantasy. The imagination allows the participant to go on a journey into an environment, which they could not physically experience in their understanding of the world.
Good morning class, today I will be speaking on three imaginative texts; ‘Where the wild things are’, by Maurice Sendak, ‘The Tempest’ by William Shakespeare and ‘The Ivory Trail’, by Victor Kelleher.
Imaginative journeys can allow us to experience worlds of imagination, speculation or inspiration and challenge us to consider our real world. They can also allow us to change our views on concepts explored in these imaginative journeys. Journeys of speculation can allow us to be intrigued and the imagination can create its own journey through the use of text and images.
In Sendak’s children’s book ‘Where the wild things are’, Max goes on an imaginative journey after his mother sends him to his room without supper for making mischief. Max’s imaginative journey is sparked by the frustration and annoyance he feels due to his mother having power and control over him. He attempts to challenge his mother’s power by creating an imaginative journey to a place where he is king and he has control.
Sendak uses strong visual imagery accompanied by the repetition of the onomatopoeia ‘roared their terrible roars and gnashed their terrible teeth’. This shows the dangers that are faced by max in conquering the wild things and making himself as king. This idea of colonization is similar to Prospero in the tempest as they both travel to an island and put themselves above the natives. Another similarity is that both Max and Prospero use magic to control the natives, Max uses his ‘magic trick’ of staring into their eyes and Prospero uses his long studied art.
The use of illustrations in the text helps the reader to understand the intensity of Max’s journey. As his journey progresses and his imagination grows, so do the illustrations. This technique is used to draw the reader even further into the journey. When Max is completely in control, the illustrations cover the entire two pages with no text at all.
The imaginative journey allows max to escape his harsh reality and allows him to discover more about himself and his surroundings as his fictional world reflects his ideal world and contrasts his reality. As his imagination decreases, so do the illustrations. Max comes to the conclusion that he does not find satisfaction in his imaginary world and learns that he wants to be where he is loved most, reality. The moon is used as a symbol of growth for Max. At the beginning of the story it is a half moon and at the end is full showing his growth due to his imaginative journey.
I have also expanded my thoughts on how imaginative journeys can challenge a participant to increase their understanding of themselves due to the challenges faced on their journey. Through my study of the concepts of power and control, which are considered in ‘Where the wild things are’, I have been challenged to consider to a greater extent how power should be exercised in my world. I have also broadened my views on how those who have power should use it.
Another imaginative text that covers these concepts of power and control is Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’. This journey explores power in much more depth than Sendak’s children’s book and also introduces the concept of colonization.
The tempest is strongly representative of imaginary journeys through the magical events that take place in the text and also through the magical powers shown by Ariel and Prospero. In the magical world of the island, the reader is forced to consider what an illusion is and what is reality.
Prospero is established to have been the duke of Milan but was to absorbed in the study of his art to carry out his duties as duke. For this reason he makes the mistake of handing his duties over to his brother who usurped him and cast Prospero and his daughter Miranda into a leaky boat in the ocean.
On the island, Prospero is in total control with Ariel and Caliban as his slaves there is nobody to challenge him for power. Prospero spends twelve years in exile on the island. When all his enemies end up stranded on the island Prospero uses his magic to gain complete control over them. He uses his magic through Ariel to guide them around the island as he plots for revenge. The desire for revenge is obvious in Prospero and with his absolute power over everyone on the island it seems obvious that revenge is all he wants. Prospero’s growth is tested when he gains the realization that revenge through magic will never bring him happiness. It is this realization that makes him reconsider his plot of revenge and to give up his power and magic, feel mercy and forgive his enemies as he realizes the rarer act is in virtue than in vengeance. Prospero’s realization is similar to Max’s in that they both give up their ideal worlds of power and control to restore their lives and find more satisfaction in this than in the ideal world.
Prospero’s journey is one of growth in wisdom and knowledge through the understanding gained about the ways in which power should be used and the realization of how he abused his power. Prospero relinquishes his magic, gives Ariel his liberty and returns to Milan to take back his dukedom, leaving the island to Caliban.
The third and final text I have chosen is one that offers much in relation to my two previous texts but also shows much contrast. This text is the front cover of ‘The Ivory Trail’.
The cover consists of three separate images, which convey different speculations as to the journeys in the book. A sense of mystery is brought to the reader’s attention by the use of the large eyes in the ripples of the sand. The vector lines for the images begin on the western boys face and follow the line of sight from the eyes to the pyramid and then to the distant dark background of the mosque. These images convey ideas of a journey with a changing country and one that contains mystery. The montage of ever-variable interpretations leaves the reader to speculate about the journey that the book will contain. The way this effect is used and to the extent of its effectiveness in drawing a reader into the book has expanded my thoughts on how a journey can be one entirely of speculation, one created in the mind. The dark colours shown on the page show the danger faced in the journey in the book. This sense of danger can be related to Max’s journey accept that the danger of Max’s journey is conveyed through the use of text and the illustrations.
The statement ‘Not all journeys have an ending’ relates once again to the speculation of the viewer, intriguing them into the book and drawing them in. This statement brings much contrast to the journeys experienced in my other two texts as they both had clear endings to the journey and both with positive outcomes. The use of this statement has led to me gaining a greater understanding of how imaginative journeys can convey different meaning to the reader. From the cover of the ivory trail the reader would speculate that the story within will contain a journey that may not have a complete ending and it may end leaving them to speculate how it could end.
"No conclusion yet".
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