Loss & Death Unit Introduction

8/30/2013

As you begin this unit, you will view a PowerPoint presentation. To open the presentation, go to the Death & Loss Unit through the Module Button on the English 12 Online page. The Introduction PowerPoint is the first button. Follow the directions on the 2nd slide that states that your analysis will go on the blog. You will reply to this post with your analysis of the photo. Be sure to follow the directions in the PowerPoint. Postings will not be viewed until all students have completed the assignment.

17 Comments

Steven

9/3/2013 07:12:21 am

Photo 2:

In the following photo there is a woman, she is being portrayed as an evil leader of death and there is a person standing in front of her who most likely has died. This person looks as though they are soldier with a companion that is a horse; the soldier seems to be embracing their death. Behind the woman is a "sea" of people that could have previously died. Also, the majority of the people behind the woman are dressed similarly and look miserable; this could mean that they are in a place that is more of a prison than a paradise which shows that life is better than death. In this picture, death is depicted as miserable and to go through it you have to go through something that is scary and difficult to face (the woman).

Sam

9/5/2013 09:04:17 am

I disagree with your reasoning. For one thing, you stated that "there is a person standing in front of [the woman] who most likely has died." Really? I've never seen any one stand on one foot while resting on their opposing knee. I've only seen that when people are kneeling, but that's not standing in any way. More importantly, I disagree that the person has died. If the person has died, it would destroy the picture's metaphorical value. The purpose of this image is to show the viewer the inevitability of death and connect with them based on that concept. After all, everyone dies. It is universal principal. If the kneeling man is dead, how will the audience connect to the image? Furthermore, wouldn't the kneeling man be with the "sea" of dead people behind the woman if he too were dead? On a separate note, I disagree that the woman is being portrayed as an "evil" leader. Just because her face is all twisted and angry looking does not inherently make her evil. Don't judge a book by it's cover, Steve. Another issue I have with your analysis is the statement that the figures behind the woman are miserable. You come to this conclusion based off of the way the figures look, but I can't discern any of their faces enough to come to a similar conclusion. In fact, the only face I can make out is the one directly to the right of the woman's arm, and that figure's face seems to be smiling. Do you smile when you are miserable, Steve? I certainly don't think so. I would probably frown, much like I did reading your analysis. Because of this inconsistency, your statements following are rendered obsolete, in my eyes. How could the place the figures are in be a prison if they aren't miserable? Is this a happy prison, maybe? The chances of that are slim. Other than these minor flaws, I agree with most of the analytical ideas you've given.

Christine

9/5/2013 02:01:34 pm

I agree with you when you state that the woman is the leader of death; however, I do not agree that the soldier is embracing their death. As you can tell from the picture, the "sea" of dead people are not wearing anything but grey, but the warrior is still in uniform. Also, if someone as noble as a warrior did die, wouldn't you expect them to have a better after life than what is presented in the picture? While your points are valid and understandable, the warrior seems to me like he is asking for a favor rather than accepting his death.

Christine

9/5/2013 02:02:30 pm

I agree with you when you state that the woman is the leader of death; however, I do not agree that the soldier is embracing their death. As you can tell from the picture, the "sea" of dead people are not wearing anything but grey, but the warrior is still in uniform. Also, if someone as noble as a warrior were to die, wouldn't you expect them to have a better after life than what is presented in the picture? While your points are valid and understandable, the warrior seems to me like he is asking for a favor rather than accepting his death.

Logan

9/3/2013 09:12:16 am

In photo number 2, death is depicted as a leader in front of a sea of subordinates. The mood of the picture is dark and mysterious. In this photo, death is in control of all people. It is the ultimate enemy because nobody can see it coming; every person, no matter how bright or strong, will eventually succumb to death. Death has a dark, sadistic personality that is shown by the evil look on its face as well as the plain, dark robe that it is wearing.

Jess

9/5/2013 09:04:30 am

I can see how you interpreted it this way however, I believe the leader could also be interpreted as being the devil coming from the distasteful look on his face. Also, I see the people not bowing down to him but being put in front of him with feelings of guilt and shame of their sins that brought them to him. This leader could very well be death but that's only if you're looking at death with a negative viewpoint. I believe sometimes death can be looked at with a positive viewpoint, that is, if you are not a sinner and are put forth in front of God rather than the devil. Death has two sides, the positive and the negative, and I believe that this picture only portrays the negative side, which is the devil.

Sam

9/3/2013 09:34:27 am

Picture 2, titled "Hermod before Hela," depicts a soldier or warrior in armor bowing down to a woman-like thing. Obviously, the woman/thing is of great importance for two reasons. First, the warrior, a symbol of strength and power in many cultures, is bowing to the woman. Second, the artist decided to place the woman in a throne that is elevated, giving the woman a sense of superiority over the warrior. Picture 2 also features a legion of figures standing behind the woman on the throne. This feature further establishes the idea of importance and authority attached to the woman, because the figures are behind her, as if supporting or following the woman. Basing an assumption off of the title, one would find the bowing warrior to be Hermod and the woman on the throne to be Hela. Relating the picture back to the unit's theme of loss and death, one could also assume that Hela is a personification of death due to the large number of figures behind her, and Hermod is bowing down, illustrating the warriors respect of death. Although Hermod is a symbol for strength, power, valor, honor, etc., he displays this gesture that seems to acknowledge his inferiority compared to Hela. The idea Picture 2 is trying to convey is that even warriors, society's image of a paramount human being, both physically and morally, must recognize and accept death and acknowledge it's inevitability. As a result of this idea, death is omnipotent.

Christine link

9/3/2013 09:50:25 am

In Photo 2, "Hermod before Hela," death is represented by what looks like Satan on his thrown. Behind him is perhaps his army of death soldiers. Satan has the look of corruption and melancholy on his face as a warrior kneels down before him. The mood of this picture is gloomy because of the color, the fog, and the expression on Satan's face. While this picture portrays Satan and his army, it also depicts a warrior looking for help and guidance from the devil himself. This picture also demonstrates how even the noblest people sacrifice themselves for evil in times of desperation.

Steven

9/3/2013 02:22:16 pm

Although I agree with the idea of your comment and that Hela is portrayed as the Devil, I do not believe that the soldier is looking for guidance from this creature. Relating back to my comment, I believe that the soldier may have done something wrong in his/her lifetime that they ended up in this rather hellish place. The soldier is in fact bowing down to death and saying more along the lines of "You won, I'm here to serve eternity with you for my wrong doings," rather than "Guide me, I need help in my life."

Samantha

9/3/2013 10:49:41 am

Analysis of Photo 1:
An hour glass is held above a young woman's head by a person that is merely skin and bones; this is Death. The mood in this photo is quite morbid. This can be seen by through the title, "Three Ages of the Woman and the Death." Shown is a baby girl, a young woman, and an elderly woman. The young woman is infatuated with herself, as opposed to the elderly woman who is fixated on the hour glass. The baby is fixated on the young woman. These three characters show the different stages of life. The baby wants to grow up, the young woman wants to stay young, and the elderly woman is impending her death. Death is trying to tell them that time is up.

Logan

9/5/2013 08:57:03 am

I really like your view on this. I didn't even think of the stages of life when I looked at it. I do not agree, however, that Death is trying to tell them that time is up. I think it is just serving as a reminder that there is a limit of time, and whenever your time comes you should be happy with how you lived.

tori

9/3/2013 11:09:02 am

The young woman in photo number one has not yet met death, she is very much alive. The skeletal like figure, death, is watching over her, waiting for her, waiting for the exact time to take her. I feel that the mood of the picture is somber, mournful; as this women is unsuspecting that death is upon her. The four characters in this painting appear to represent the stages of life which begin with childhood and end with death. A child, a young woman, in the prime of her life with death knocking on her door, an elderly woman trying to hold death back and death itself. Death has no personality of its own, it takes on the individual personality of the people that is takes.

Samantha

9/4/2013 12:36:58 pm

Tori,
The perspective you took on the connection between Death and the young woman is very interesting. Now that you have brought that to light, I agree that the young woman is unsuspecting of is to come. The elderly woman is focused on Death and the hour glass, but I believe she is aware that Death is upon her not that she is trying to hold it back. Although, I can see where you are getting that. Lastly, I strongly agree that the artist is portraying the different stages of life and how they are connected.

Jess

9/3/2013 11:16:59 am

Heaven and hell are both being depicted in picture number 5. Death is represented through the skeleton in the back trying to kill the person in the middle. It is the final moment in the person's life and it's the moment where he is putting together whether he will be entering Heaven with the angel or hell with the devil. The mood is best described as insidious and hostile because the person is most likely going to enter hell. The other people watch as he is about to enter a place that they know is a place of suffering which shows that death has a very rueful personality.

Tori

9/4/2013 10:30:33 am

I do agree with your analysis that this is the final moment in the persons life and that death is looming. However, it isn't clear to me that the man is definitely going to be entering hell. It seems to me as if there is an equal balance between heaven and hell and that it can be interpreted to go either way.

Mrs. Erdman link

9/5/2013 11:48:44 am

First, I'd like to say congratulations on completing your first virtual discussion.

Next, I'd like to take a moment to comment on Sam's response to Steve's post. Ok, Sam, you need not push it to disagree with Steve on every aspect. And your tone comes across in an arrogant and snarky manner. While I know you are friends with Steve, the other students in the class may not appreciate that tone.

On the other hand, did you even bother to look up Hermod or Hela before writing your response back to Steve? Obviously, I want to know what Steve (and all of you) thinks before jumping on the Internet to look something up to find out what SOMEONE else thinks. You have your own mind, and it needs to be exercised.

So...

Hermod is god of speed and messengers - the 1/2 brother of Thor.

Hela is the goddess of death. She reigns over Hell. Hermod is kneeling in front of her with his horse next to him.

NOW that you know those few facts, what would you say about that photo now? Please post replies.

Sam

9/9/2013 07:49:39 am

I'd like to defend myself by saying that I didn't disagree with every single aspect of Steve's analysis. I only disagreed with the most important areas that he failed to fully comprehend. Also, I did not know we were able to research the subjects. I thought the purpose of the discussion board was to produce original thoughts. Therefore, I didn't bother to use Wikipedia. I did, however, look at the source page of the photo on Wikipedia, but the information on that page didn't delve into the mythological significance of the photo. Lastly, I think I spoke on behalf of the entire class when I replied to Steve's analysis. It was lackluster, and I know Steve can do better than that. In summary, I believe I was justified in my actions. It seems like a rational response to such a quality of work.

P.S. I set out to write a sassy response. It gives a much more tangible, genuine feel to the online class discussion.

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Loss & Death Unit Introduction

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