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Day 10 Assignments
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4 Replies
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Christopher Carlson’s Counterexamples
What I learned doing this assignment is the importance of maintaining awareness of addressing the Old Ways with constant challenges and counterexamples.
1) Old Way: “Because the picture will flop if we don’t spice it up – romance, love, adventure – this is what today’s audience wants. Have there been no affairs of the heart in Miss Keller’s life?”
Challenge – Teacher, “You do not have our permission to add falsehood to what is already farce.”
Counterexample: filmmakers stage fake romantic scenes supposedly depicting Helen
How it might play out: Helen experiences a counterexample to the absence of a physical relationship in her life; instead of being appalled, she’s intrigued
2) Old Way: Helen’s symbolic understanding of herself as a virtuous heroic figure who can influence other people’s lives for the better; Helen, “Oh, Teacher, I thought my heart would burst for those poor, suffering people. If only I could lift their load of misery.”
Challenge – Teacher doesn’t indulge Helen’s fantasy, “What about mine? I’m tired of fighting battles with these blasted movie people.”
Counterexample: filmmakers stage scene of Helen on a white stallion bringing hope and succor to the people
How it might play out: Helen experiences the vanity of thinking she, or any person, has the authority and power to liberate the masses
3) Old Way: John Macy, Teacher’s alienated husband, “She’s Dr. Frankenstein and you’re her poor creation. Without you, she’s nothing, yet she controls you. Me? No more.
Challenge — Helen rebuts John Macy’s allegations, “Your words will darken all the rest of my days, as blindness has never done.”
Counterexample: Helen experiences the breakup of Teacher’s marriage to John Macy, showing her the fragility of all relationships if arguably the most enduring relationship in her life – the marriage of Teacher and John Macy — self-destructs
How it might play out: This would either convince her that she’s not capable of forming her own intimate relationship, or spur her to try. In this case, it becomes a catalyst to have her own experience.
4) Old Way, Helen, “This is my fault, Teacher. So much of your time was spent serving my needs, not his. I am so sorry.”
Challenge — Teacher, “Does ‘sorry’ help us now? You two would have made a better match.”
Counterexample: Helen understands the strain that she’s put on Teacher’s marriage, in that the marriage involved three people rather than two, i.e., that Teacher was too busy responding to Helen’s needs as a priority before her husband’s needs
How it might play out: Helen feels guilt for impacting another person’s life in a negative manner, because of her dependency; she’ll be sensitive to this later during her romance with Peter
Counterexample: later in this same scene, Helen rhapsodizes over the love displayed between two songbirds
How it might play out: Helen experiences the beautiful simplicity of a loving relationship in the metaphor of the songbirds
5) Old Ways: the United States is preparing to enter World War I
Challenge — Helen, “Let us refuse to participate in President Wilson’s plan to engulf our nation in war.”
Counterexample: Helen, during a speech to hundred of union workers, demonstrates how not to participate in war preparations by folding her arms, demonstrating the refusal to participate in a war-mongering system
How it might play out: Helen reinforces idea that she can be an iconoclastic thinker, not bound by how things have been previously done -
What I learned again is something I always knew–the similarity of dramatic structure to argumentation, CDQ to thesis question, and in this case, Old Ways to assumptions that can have fallacies that allow characters to struggle and change.
a) Old Ways Jake races through everything The faster the better, Time is arrow and I am the shooter, New York is a treadmill and I am ahead of the pack. Go fast to flourish. Speed is an essential component of my training programs.
b) Challenge Except that I am getting PD, slowing down, shuffling, shivering, and shaking around midpoint Chapter 12 or 14.
c)Counterexample Maybe slowing down has some perks except my smell and taste are muted from PD. They also serve who only stand and wait. At least I am not blind like Milton was. How can I be the exception to the rule when my wellness program of diet, exercise, and meditation is perfect?
d) How it might play out: Something good comes out of this with his kids and patients. Develop the scene on the eco boats. Jesse and Aanadi work with Ib on vaccines or drugs to put dopamine back into the brain not just via the intermediary of levodopa. To do this, they must be privy to some of Ibrahim’s project.
a) Old ways Ibrahim is into power. Religion and science and Green activism can create a new world order but sacrifices must be made and there is collateral damage. The COVID bioweapon also killed healthy young people. He thinks he can control the apocalypse. Personal sacrifices must be made for his high concept plot but pain is for others.
b) Challenge: His wife and only son die in the Manhattan flood of 2028 when the Summit condo collapses into the East River.
c) Counterexample: Their penthouse was supposed to be impervious because Sandystorm only flooded the basement. He and his daughters are on eco boats but now he has more respect for nature’s unpredictability. He is still committed to his international high concept plot but his heart is broken.
d) How it might play out: He gets closer to Jake and confides in him about personal problems, but not the big plot.a) Old Ways: Litonya loves rocks more than humans and her career is geology.
b) Challenge: She gives birth to Jesse on the ecoboat surrounded by humans near PP1.
c) Counterexample: She is exhausted. Jake takes care of their baby and braids Litonya’s hair, a sacred action. Or is this the action exercise?
d) How it might play out: A new kind of love develops based on her dependency and vulnerability to her family. This happened in the first novel but there is more depth in her relationship with Jake than with his COVID-deceased buddy Rodney.a) Old Ways: BB/Leo has APD and is a robot. Old Ways. He changes identities but never himself.
b) Challenge: He set up an antique car to blow up but the fire set a house on fire burning his daughter in law and when his son Joe the firefighter arrived to put it out he succumbed to another geothermal explosion as he took her out.
c) Counterexample: Losing this handsome, brave, successful adopted son was the worst thing that could happen. It depresses him. It breaks the glass of his APD and makes him a bit more vulnerable, but maybe not enough.
d) How it might play out: After talking with Ibrahim about the high concept, he gets over the death enough to go back to killing others because the price is right. This was the turning point. But then Ibrahim loses his son. Should they continue along their path or back off? BB gets closer to the other kids so Litonya and Jake never suspect his true motives. Since BB was born in 1960, he should be dead by 2050 at the latest. Not sure if Jake should push him overboard or if Ibrahim does or Litonya or suicide or whatever.a) Crisis after the deaths of Jake’s parents as he suffers from PD. Litonya and Ibrahim argue about the high concept and Jake makes Litonya give up consulting. But how do Ib and BB die? These questions will break the high concept plot and change the details of the pay-offs but I am not sure what the best choices are.
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Brainstorm at least 5 Question challenged and 5 Counterexamples you can put in your screenplay.
What I learned doing this assignment is:
The character comes into the story with a specific mindset. It’s our job to turn that character’s mindset around in a way that takes him and us, on a profound journey. SO we must create opportunities for this to happen. Sometimes that means changing the character initially to reflect the change at the end. Otherwise you have a static character.
I can understand now why the feedback I got said my main character was ‘flat’. Often, nobody elaborates on that and you sit there for days trying to figure that one out. So now I have a better understanding from a writing point of view, and for giving critique when I am asked.
Go through your story outline or script and
brainstorm the following: 5 Question Challenges to an Old Way· Old way: Life is something to be endured, not enjoyed.
Question: Lieutenant: “What will you do with all your free time, Sir?”
Andrew: “I shall teach my grandson to fish. Nothing better to take his mind off the loss.”
Andrew has just lost his wife to suicide and is retiring from the sea to care for his family. He doesn’t see this as anything other than a duty that is expected of him.
· Old way: People don’t treat you fairly.
This scene has been changed to reflect a change/challenge to Andrew’s old ways:
Question: ” Would you allow me to thank you for your service?”
Andrew lives in the past, with a father who abandoned them, a distant wife and friends who died early in life. He was an Ottoman slave in his teens and a fighter in his youth. He barely knows his family and is close to no one. He has just been exiled from his homeland for a murder he didn’t commit. He doesn’t trust easily. He is a tough nut to crack so he responds this way to an unexpected question:
INT. FIRST CLASS DINING CAR. – DAY/CON’T
A waiter approaches with his nose in the air taking in their grubby clothing.
ANDREW
A bottle of whiskey please.
The waiter holds out an imperious hand for payment.
Andrew pats down his uniform for coins, takes his medals out of his pockets and casts them on the table. The waiter swallows.
WAITER
Captain, Sir. Forgive me. I had no idea…forgive me. My father died
in the war. Which one did you serve in?
ANDREW
All of them.
WAITER
Would you allow me to thank you for your service?
The waiter extends his hand, Andrew shakes it, a man in a walking dream.
Andrew stares as the waiter scurries away. He silently dares the passengers to make an issue as he tugs the remains of his uniform into place and sits.
PROSPECTOR
Never seen a fighter knocked out by a handshake ’afore.
· Old way: What you feel doesn’t matter.
Question: Jian Min: “You are not a man of peace?”
Andrew: “Does it matter?”
Jian Min: “Do you matter? Is same question.”
He doesn’t believe his feelings matter to anyone. He never shows any feelings except anger. With occasional duty thrown in.
· Old way: You win the fight any way you can.
Question: Jian Min: “Only lost man fight that way. Are you lost?”
Andrew: “Look at me.”
Jian Min: “When all is lost, integrity remains.”
As a slave he was forced to win or face a whipping. He’s an expert at fighting dirty. He doesn’t like fighting anymore, but if he has to, he fights to win, whatever it takes.
· Old way: You are worthless.
Question: Prospector: “And are ye strong enough to brave the wilderness? And the cannibal savages?”
The prospector hands him the map.
Andrew: “But, I’m a complete stranger… I can’t….”
Prospector: I’m dying. Costs me nothin’ to say what I see. Yer a good man. T’is in yer face, though ye tries to hide it. If it makes ye feel better, bury me when me time comes.
Andrew: Any decent man would do that.
Prospector: But I’m asking you.
This is Andrew’s core problem throughout the movie, the demon he battles: his sense of worthlessness. We could get into a whole psychological analysis of his character stemming from abandonment and slavery, but that’s for another day. If you really want to see it I can send a character sheet. By the end of the movie he battles it down, just before he dies. Another profound thought being: no greater love is this than he who gives up his life for another. This poor guy goes through hell. Then just when he gets everything together and has what he always wanted, the betraying character shows up. (Thanks Hal 😊 ) People are probably going to want to lynch me.
5 Counter examples to an Old Way
1. Old way: You win the fight any way you can.
On the SS Sarmation, the transport ship to the colonies, Andrew is confronted by his brother-in-law, the Captain of the ship. They have never gotten along. Captain Quinn abandoned his sister after she was raped. Andrew picked up the pieces and married her, but her high society British family wanted nothing to do with her. Unable to live with the shame, she killed herself: hence we see Andrew giving up the sea to look after the family.
The third scene in the movie is an argument between them where they throw blame at each other for her death. The next scene, Andrew discovers the man who raped her is Daniel Smith, the head of the coal gang in engineering. Andrew suspects Quinn knew who it was all along, but Quinn is astounded and sets off to murder the man after he’s placed him in custody.
Andrew has to remind him of his rank, even though he’s furious that his opportunity for vengeance for his wife’s honor has been taken away from him. Quinn stops and says:
CAPTAIN QUINN
A convenient ‘accident’ would be merciful. For everyone.
ANDREW
Remember your rank.
CAPTAIN QUINN
Mercy has never been your strongest quality, has it?
The two men stare at each other, miles apart.
2. Old Way: People don’t treat you fairly
Big Dan has followed Andrew and the two young boys, Conner and Billy onto the train, intent on getting even for being thrown off the Sarmation. When he attacks the boys with a butcher knife, Jian Min gets there first and knocks him out.
Andrew asks if he killed him. Jian Min explains there is no honor in killing your enemy: even an enemy can do something good. Andrew has a horrific struggle with that. Dan is the father of his daughter (the audience won’t find out till later in the movie) He realises he can’t kill Jenny’s father or she’ll hate him. This isn’t a fight he can win.
3. Another example:
After the party is attacked at Kaas’an and Conner is killed, Andrew is furious with Seamus for failing to protect Conner.
ANDREW
I ought to kill you where you stand, oh, but I won’t. No, I’m going to leave you on this island to face the same fate as your crew and that poor innocent boy. Look at him. Take a good long, look.
Andrew pulls out his gun.
ANDREW
You’re scared now, aren’t you, boyo? Look at you shaking. I want you to suffer, just like Conner.
He shoots Seamus in the kneecap. Seamus writhes.
ANDREW
I told you, I won’t kill you. Do you know why? Because a Captain’s word means something.
He moves closer to him and whispers in his ear.
ANDREW
You, sir, are not, have never, nor ever will be, a Captain. You’re just a pirate.
SEAMUS
I’ll find you…I’ll kill you, you Irish bastard. You think yer such a great man. Yer nothing ye hear me? Nothing but a failure!
Andrew stops dead, fights down his fury and moves on.
· It looks like Andrew has learned how to apply the new ways even in the midst of his fury. Unfortunately, this mercy on his part turns Billy against him and creates the betraying character.
4. And another example :
When there is a final showdown between Andrew and Seamus, he tries to hold onto the new ways and fight with honor, but Seamus shoots him and the pain spins him into the past. He is once again a helpless slave, caught in the roar of the fighting ring, pitched against an opponent he must either kill or be punished for losing the fight.
The irony is, in killing Seamus (failing and going back to the old ways), he ends up being a Tsimshian slave.
5. Old Way: Your feelings don’t matter
Jian Min has taught Andrew how to control his anger through martial arts breathing exercises. When Andrew is given to Kow-Kayth after he is taken into the Tsimshian people as a slave he bonds with her son Tah-tiks who also has a problem with anger.
This is the scene that shows the old ways have turned to new ways:
WAHTEEBOO
What does it matter? He’s just a slave.
TAH-TIKS
You take that back!
He jumps on Wahteeboo and tries to pound him into the snow.
ANDREW
(In English)
Enough.
Hauls Tah-Tiks off.
ANDREW
(in slow Tsimshian)
You are strong. We all see that. When you give in to anger, you are like a mad wolf. No one needs to respect you. Now breathe. In, slow. Let the anger out with your breath. Good. Again.
WAHTEEBOO
Do you miss your family?
ANDREW
All the time.
TAH-TIKS
But you have a son now.
SHKAHCLAH
Who will be a great hunter someday.
Andrew smiles and ruffles Tah-tiks hair.
ANDREW
When he learns to control his anger.
Andrew has now turned into the teacher, having mastered his feelings using the things Jian Min taught him. There is also another scene where a man tries to start a fight with him, but instead of getting angry the way he used to, he just laughs instead.
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Julia’s Counterexamples
<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>What I learned: Questions and counterexamples help us (and our characters) change our old ways. And these can be brainstormed for our characters — and also for us!
My protagonist and Oppression for LIFE WRITING are changing, and I’m struggling & feeling unsure about both, but I’m going ahead with this assignment anyway to keep moving forward. Asking myself questions and providing myself with counterexamples…
5 Question Challenges to an Old Way + Counterexamples
Old Way: (Maud) get community service hours done as quickly as possible
Question: “What’s so important/urgent to get back to?”
Counterexample: is startled/moved by the stories of her students
Old Way: (Maud) Most people’s stories aren’t worth telling because they don’t have the talent to tell them
Question: “What about old family stories?”
Counterexample: Mike reads a story that makes everyone cry, then says he wishes he had the “talent” to tell it
Old Way: (Maud) wants to track down birth mother (Ruth) to punish her
Question: “What would you have done in her place?”
Counterexample: Ruth “mothers” Maud by coming to the class and subtly helping her (other ways too?)
Old Way: (Maud) closed to love
Question: “Do you click with anybody?”
Counterexample: Ruth and Mike; Ray and Maud click!
Old Way: (Ruth) doesn’t communicate well, even with those closest to her (her kids don’t even know yet that she’s moved back to VT)
Question: “What are you trying to hide?”
Counterexample: Ruth starts writing her story/invites her kids to Brattleboro Book Festival to hear her read it
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