My blog

Type A: My Take: I wouldn’t say that the topic of marriage is always on my mind, but we are at Brigham Young University. So “Long Walk to Forever,” a short story by Kurt Vonnegut, is a prominent short story among the wide range of dystopian and satirical stories in Welcome to the Monkey House.  The main themes of “Long Walk to Forever” are about risk-taking and following your heart. Newt goes AWOL, even at the cost of thirty days in the stocks, to see Catharine before her wedding, and Catharine, in turn, takes a walk with him to talk. The first time I read it, I thought it was…

Blog Post Type B: AI First, then me ChatGPT Prompt: “Write a 250 word blog post on Ben Blatt’s book Nabokov’s Favorite Word is Mauve Title: “Literary Alchemy: Unveiling Patterns with Ben Blatt’s ‘Nabokov’s Favorite Word Is Mauve'” In the enchanting realm where literature meets data science, Ben Blatt’s “Nabokov’s Favorite Word Is Mauve” becomes a beacon, guiding readers through the labyrinth of authors’ minds with statistical finesse. Blatt’s exploration is not a mere dissection of words; it is a journey into the very soul of literary creation. At the heart of the book is the revelation of Nabokov’s peculiar fondness for the word “mauve.” Blatt’s analytical lens transforms this…

Blog Post Type B (Title from ChatGPT) Prompt: “Write a 250 word blog post about the ethics of AI art.” ChatGPT: As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to weave its way into the fabric of our daily lives, its presence in the realm of art raises profound ethical questions. AI art, born from the collaboration between human creativity and machine algorithms, brings forth a tapestry of concerns that challenge our understanding of authorship, bias, and the impact of technology on artistic expression. One significant ethical dilemma revolves around the notion of authorship. When an AI system generates art, who is the true creator? Is it the human programmer who designed the…

Blog Post Type A My take: Capcom’s Resident Evil franchise is no stranger to the damsel in distress trope: Resident Evil 4 depicts protagonist Leon Kennedy rescuing Ashley Graham from a zombie village in Spain, and back-to-back games Biohazard and Village show Ethan Winters rescuing his wife Mia and infant daughter Rose from similar situations, respectively. More and more, however, these women are falling into what Anita Sarkeesian would call the “helpful damsel” model. While they are still caught in their situation and need the help of the male protagonist, they are still able to act for themselves and help the male protagonist reach his goal. Capcom has also remade…

Blog Post Type B: ChatGPT first, then me ChatGPT Prompt: “Write a 250 word blog post discussing if ‘Animal Crossing New Horizons’ fits into casual gaming, using the characteristics of casual games outlined by Jesper Juul in his book ‘A Casual Revolution : Reinventing Video Games and Their Players'” Title: Is “Animal Crossing: New Horizons” Truly a Casual Game? Animal Crossing: New Horizons is often hailed as a casual game, but when examined in light of Jesper Juul’s characteristics of casual games outlined in A Casual Revolution: Reinventing Video Games and Their Players, it becomes apparent that the game might not fit the mold entirely. Accessibility and Simplicity: Juul asserts…

Blog Post Type A My take: In the short stories “A Mother” and “The Dead” by James Joyce, two characters approach participation in Irish nationalist movements very differently. This reveals their goals and sentiments towards the movement. In “A Mother,” Joyce introduces Mrs Kearney as an opportunist, as “when the Irish Revival began to be appreciable, Mrs Kearney determined to take advantage of her daughter’s name…” She then specifically had her daughter Kathleen trained in Irish and networked with prominent Catholic nationalists in order to further her reputation and opportunities in life. She then acts as a pageant mother to Kathleen, negotiating her contract as an accompanist without even having…

Blog Post Type B James Joyce, known for his intricate and layered storytelling, often weaves religious allegories into his works to explore profound themes. One of his most renowned short stories, “Araby,” is no exception. Set against the backdrop of Dublin in the early 20th century, the story delves into the nuances of a young boy’s infatuation and its disillusionment, all the while subtly incorporating religious undertones. The central religious allegory in “Araby” begins with the narrator’s idyllic state of innocence. The narrator’s favorite spot, an abandoned drawing room once occupied by a priest, contains old copies of Catholic works and an apple tree in the garden, as a personal…