Return to Article One blog #8

The simple answer is that our class has devised a community surrounding the topics of discussion held each week.  While this is true it is harder to truly define our community in terms of where we are specifically.  As a community I can say we do have the most important classification to define ourselves as such which is interaction and common interests.  The relationships we have built through discussion have developed into familiar setting that many people feel free enough to express themselves or sit quietly.  Prof. Agaus once said that the space now feels physically smaller.  I believe this is true because even if we don’t know all people in the class we have crossed the awkward barrier.  The barrier that prevents others from moving within our individual personal spaces.  No one feels odd walking in and sitting down next to someone new anymore.  Not to mention, we have gone out together in support of each other for events and the like.

Most of the films we have watched are centered around conflict as the major theme.  We watch how the primary players interact with the existing norms of a particular place.  We watch the bitter resolution and question the film's internal bias.  We as a class however, are more compatible than the film's portrayed community.  We may strongly disagree with each other at the worst.  That being said, I think we fit more with Passing Through by Nathan.  He spent the film exploring his identity and his heritage of both American and North Korean background.  I think we as a class try to explore the same through discussion, blogs and presentations.  We try to explore the same ideas.  We try to understand what constitutes the core ideals of our personality and beliefs and what we perceive as normal.  And more so we use each others knowledge to supplement what we don't know regarding the subtler parts of American life.