Weekly Discussions (Young Adults Lit~2010 Spring) 青少年文學每週議題討論

6/21/10

Extended Readings

Some Suggestions for Extended Readings:

(1) Inkheart, Inkspell, and Inkdeath

(2) Eragon

(3) The Golden Compass

(4) A Series of Unfortunate Events

(5) Stardust

Topic Fourteen: Inkheart

Discussion Topic Fourteen (2010/6/7~6/13): The Magic of Reading Aloud in the World of Inkheart

In 2003, the German writer Cornelia Funke published her novel entitled Inkheart, which was immediately translated into English and became a bestseller.

Funke continued to write its sequels, i.e., Inkspell and Inkdeath.

The story of Inkheart was adapted into a movie with the same title, in which this timeless tale about books, imgaination and life was re-told with vivid images and exciting plot.

Discussion Questions:

(1) Would you enjoy the ability to "read people out" from the books?

(2) If you did command this gift, which character(s) from the book would you like to "read out"? Why?

(2) What is the message conveyed in this novel, especially with the special talent of "silver tongue?"

Topic Twelve: Peter and the Wolf

Discussion Topic Twelve (2010/5/24~5/30): Different versions of Peter and Wolf

We have introduced various versions of Peter and Wolf in the class.

(1) The original musical tale is composed by Serge Prokofiev (1891~1953) and the story is narrated by the Academy Award winning actor Jack Lemmon.

(2) The cartoon animation of Peter and Wolf is quite faithful to the original work and is intended for children's viewing.

(3) With the adoption of computer-generated images, the 2006 version of Peter and Wolf has presented Peter in a more sophisticated light. In some situations, Peter even shows the expressions of malice and evil.

Discussion Question: Do you prefer a more faithful adaption of Peter and Wolf or a more creative but less faithful rendering of the original work? Why?

Topic Eleven: Howl's Moving Castle

Discussion Topic Eleven(2010/5/17~5/23): Howl's Moving Castle

In 1986, the British writer Diana Wynne Jones created the story of Howl's Moving Castle.

In 2004, Miyazaki and Ghibli Studio
adapted the original story written by Diana Wynne Jones and turned it into an animation movie.

Discussion Question:
How did Sophie manage to break
(1) the bond between Howl and Calcifer, and
(2) the curse imposed upon her by the Witch of the Wasteland?

Topic Ten: Images from the Little Prince (2)

Discussion Topic Ten (2010/5/10~5/16): Interpreting Images from the Little Prince

In the Little Prince,

the narrator of the story drew a sketch of the Little Prince from his memory and commented: "Here you may see the best portrait that, later, I was able to make of him." As you can see, this is indeed a very lovely rendering of a little boy full of life.

After the Little Prince was gone, the narrator drew the picture of a special landscape from his memory, and described this landscape as "the loveliest and saddest landscape in the world."

Discussion Question: What does this landscape mean to the narrator and to you?

Topic Nine: Images from The Little Prince (1)

Discussion Topic Nine (2010/5/3~5/9): Interpreting the Images from The Little Prince (1)

There are several pictures in The Little Prince that convey important messages concerning the differences between a child's mind and that of an adult's. The picture below is one of them.

Discussion Question: What is the significance of these two pictures for the Little Prince and for you?

Chocolate Factory: Studio Experience

Special Task on 2010/6/21: Experience at NTUT Studio

At NTUT Multi-media Studio, the whole class did a voice presentation of the play Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, adapted from Roald Dahl's novel by Richard George. There are eleven scenes in this play, and all the mp3 files of today's voice presentation would be uploaded to "Vinia168" at YouTube.

Discussion Question: Did you enjoy the experience of having your voice presentation of a play recorded on mp3 files?

The First Scene 1

The Second Scene 2

The Third Scene 3

The Fourth Scene 4

The Fifth Scene 5

The Sixth Scene 6

The Seventh Scene 7

The Eighth Scene 8

The Ninth Scene 9

The Tenth Scene 10

The Eleventh Scene 11

The end of the recording! Well done!

Topic Thirteen: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Discussion Topic Thirteen (2010/5/31~6/6): The Reasons Why Charlie Became the Winner of Wonka's Chocolate Factory

Roland Dahl (1916~1990) wrote the original story of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which was adapted into a play by Richard George in 1976.

George's playscript is interesting and fun to read aloud. All the students enrolled in this class would have a voice presentation of the whole play first in the classroom and then in the multi-media studio at NTUT.

The story was adapted into a movie script in 2004, and the movie won an immediate global applaud not only with children but also with adault audience.

However, there are questions awaiting to be explored.

For one, as Mr. Wonka's guests, Augustus, Veruca, Violet and Mike were punished due to their indescent manners or improper attitude, and Charlie was the only one left to become the winner who eventually would inherite the chocolate factory.

Discussion Questions:

(1) Do you think that Mr. Wonka is entitled to punish other people's children?

(2) Do you think each of the children deserve the punishment he/she has received?

(3) What are the special qualities that Charlie embodies that have led him to the inheritance of a dream factory?

6/20/10

Topic Eight: Shuan-tzan as a Traveller

Discussion Topic Eight (April 26~May 2, 2010):

There are two important paintings in "The Girl Who Leapt through Time."
One of them is Shuan-tzan's portrait as a traveller on his way to ancient India.

Question: Why is this painting cited in this movie about time travelling?

Topic Seven: The Girl Who Leapt through Time

Discussion Topic Seven (2010/4/19~4/25):

The animation movie entitled "The Girl Who Leapt through Time" tells a story about a teenage girl's choices of her love and her future career in the labyrinth of time.

Question: What is the movie trying to tell us?

4/14/10

Topic Six: Benjamin Bunny Play, Group Seven

Discussion Topic (2010/4/12~4/18): : To adopt or adapt the orginal story of "Benjamin Bunny" by Beatrix Potter

Discussions Questions:

(1) Do you like your presentation of the story on the stage?

(2) Did you "adopt" or "adapt" the original story?

a. Were you trying to be 100% "faithful" to the original story?

b. Did you do some changes to the original story? Why did you make the changes?

(3)What improvement will you make if you are going to present the play again on the stage? Why?

GROUP SEVEN: Photos and Discussions

Topic Six: Benjamin Bunny Play, Group Six

Topic Six: Benjamin Bunny Play, Group Five

Discussion Topic (2010/4/12~4/18): : To adopt or adapt the orginal story of "Benjamin Bunny" by Beatrix Potter

Discussions Questions:

(1) Do you like your presentation of the story on the stage?

(2) Did you "adopt" or "adapt" the original story?

a. Were you trying to be 100% "faithful" to the original story?
b. Did you do some changes to the original story? Why did you make the changes?

(3)What improvement will you make if you are going to present the play again on the stage? Why?

GROUP FIVE: Photos and Discussions

Topic Six: Benjamin Bunny Play, Group Four

Discussion Topic (2010/4/12~4/18): : To adopt or adapt the orginal story of "Benjamin Bunny" by Beatrix Potter

Discussions Questions:

(1) Do you like your presentation of the story on the stage?

(2) Did you "adopt" or "adapt" the original story?

a. Were you trying to be 100% "faithful" to the original story?
b. Did you do some changes to the original story? Why did you make the changes?

(3)What improvement will you make if you are going to present the play again on the stage? Why?

GROUP FOUR: Photos and Discussions

Topic Six: Benjamin Bunny Play, Group Three

Discussion Topic (2010/4/12~4/18): : To adopt or adapt the orginal story of "Benjamin Bunny" by Beatrix Potter

Discussions Questions:

(1) Do you like your presentation of the story on the stage?

(2) Did you "adopt" or "adapt" the original story?

a. Were you trying to be 100% "faithful" to the original story?
b. Did you do some changes to the original story? Why did you make the changes?

(3)What improvement will you make if you are going to present the play again on the stage? Why?

GROUP THREE: Photos and Discussions

Topic Six: Benjamin Bunny Play, Group Two

Topic Six: Benjamin Bunny Play, Group One

Discussion Topic (2010/4/12~4/18): : To adopt or adapt the orginal story of "Benjamin Bunny" by Beatrix Potter

Discussions Questions:

(1) Do you like your presentation of the story on the stage?

(2) Did you "adopt" or "adapt" the original story?
a. Were you trying to be 100% "faithful" to the original story?
b. Did you do some changes to the original story? Why did you make the changes?

(3)What improvement will you make if you are going to present the play again on the stage? Why?

GROUP ONE: Photos and Discussions

3/29/10

Topic Five: "Taming" in ""Fox and I" 馴服的意義

Discussion Topic Five (2010/3/29~4/11):

Discussion Topics:
(1) What does it mean by "taming" ?
(2) Had the little girl tamed the fox eventually?

Based on The Little Prince, the story of "The Fox and I" portrays a story in which a ten-year old girl was trying hard to make friends with a fox in the wilderness.
The story tells us the secret of making friends as well as the difficult lesson of letting go this friend eventually.

Please consider the following points:

* What strategies did the little girl adopt to establish a relationship with the fox?

*How did the fox come to accept the girl as a friend? How did it overcome the fear of humans and then open her family to the girl?

*In the later part of their relationship, the little girl thought of putting a collar around the neck of the fox and even introducing her into the house and subsequently her sleeping chamber. By doing this, had the little girl made any mistakes in terms of friendship?

*After the little girl grew up to be a mother, what did she think of the fox's departure from her (after the fox's recovering from the wound)? Did she think that the fox has betryed their friendship? Had she learned to accept this separation?

*Whom was actually tamed in the end?