Backwater Gospel

Backwater 

Gospel

An Exploration in Animation:

How Film Collides with Literature to Impact Its Audience

Click here to View the Animated Short

Bo Mathorne's Backwater Gospel is an illuminating animated short that delves deep into humanity's imperfections.  While different viewers might take away varying messages, there is no doubt that its purpose is to impact its audience.  Therefore, in the spirit of analyzing and connecting various mediums, both visual and text, respond to ONE of the following bullet points in our quest for deeper thinking.  Use a minimum of 5 sophisticated sentences and specific details/evidence to explain/support your stance.  (worth 8 blog points; 5 for content & 3 for conventions)

A.  Our first Essential Understanding Read: "Various literary[/visual/auditory] techniques can help imprint a message into an audience's psyche."

• After viewing the animation, what visual or auditory portion created the most impact for you?  Explain why you feel as you do and what you think the animator's purpose was in employing such technique.

B.  One of our Essential Questions Asked:  "How can religio[us practices] create reform or chaos?"

• While Edwards, through Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, mostly achieved reform,  this town of Backwater erupted into chaos.  Using evidence from the film, explain why this might have occurred.

C.  One literary standard we will tackle this year asks students to analyze how different works of art can examine the same subject - and to what effect.  After watching the film, reading Sinners, and exploring Puritan and Rowlandson historical context, identify one portion of the film that you can connect to ONE of the readings; then explain the connection, citing evidence from the film as well as from your chosen reading.


REPLY PORTION
After first responses have been logged, it is your responsibility to reply to an assigned partner. 

Remember that you are a mature and collegiate collaborator. This is not the time to air grievances or to slam your fellow students.  This is a time for sophisticated discussion that extends your knowledge and lessens your ignorance. Read their initial response carefully; then construct a reply to address any or all of the following bullet points. Use a minimum of 3 sophisticated sentences and specific details/evidence to explain/support your reply.  (worth 3 blog points; consider depth and writing conventions)

• points with which you agree
• points with which you disagree
• extension of what they identified to correlate with your own findings