Tuesday, 20 January 2015

300 word essay on Ralph and Jameson - A3

To what extent is Wreck It Ralph a Post-Modern text?

Postmodernism is a lack of belief, a collapse of structures and the breaking down of traditional ideas. Postmodernism and modernism are binary opposites but Wreck it ralph includes both postmodern and modern ideas in it. The theorist Jameson is all about the style and believes that the idea that new ideas cannot be made- referring to the lack of belief in progress. This means intertextuality occurs as we refer back to old media texts and recycle as there are no new ideas as everything has been done before. Throughout the film wreck it ralph uses intertextuality quite a lot mainly referring to old 80s and 90s video games such as Mario kart with the candy car racing, Mario with ralph taking a Mario mushroom out a box, halo which has been adapted to create hero's duty. Although the film is all about a post modern technology of the video games the film is not as you cannot interact with it and film is in the modern era. The film plays with nostalgia to link the video games with childhood for adults watching.
Very good, clear and concise and you explain why it is PoMo (end of belief in progress) Develop to address how this makes texts richer in meaning - almost becomes its own language

Hyper reality is also used throughout the film which is a postmodern concept. It is the blurring between what is real and what is not. Obviously wreck it ralph is a cartoon with video game characters having emotion and lands made of candy this exaggerates real life and also includes simulacra which is a simulation of reality. It shows the humans controlling the video games and when they stop the video games then have a life of their own.
Here explain why this is a PoMo concept - use the content of last weeks grid to get the answer.
Dystopia is also included within wreck it ralph. This is also a post modern concept that refers to lack of belief. In wreck it ralph it shows the virtual world and real life world blurring and then destroying and going wrong. This relates to the lack of belief in any progress but also refers to when structures collapse things go wrong. I think each of these concepts relates to the actual modern fear of technology taking over human life. This is a modern fear as they believed in progress and in postmodern times we do not. Very good - however where is the example of this in the film (Hero's Duty?)

Wreck it ralph is a complicated grand narrative with the morality of good and evil being blurred. Throughout the film it shows villains who turn good win such as ralph and good people who turn evil loose such as the king of candy land. It is a film based on a crisis of identity which is postmodern as people are never happy with what they have and always want more than what they are.
Here you need to explain why this is a symptom of the core ideas of PoMo - the collapse of boundaries or rejection of Grand Narratives - towards individualism 
The postmodern idea that people only do things for themselves is also shown in this with ralph only helping Venelope to get his medal back although he then decides he does not care about himself. As it is a disney film it was important for the good to win. And to reenforce the Grand Narrative of dominant idea of society 
Wreck it ralph contrasts the modernism against postmodernism and this is mainly done between ralph and felix. Felix fixes things, wants a family and does things for his community whereas ralph was for himself and what he wants. Ralph breaks the structures of modernism and then felix comes and fixes the structures.
Excellent point

To improve:
Can you justify the complication of Hero and Villain with an example - Ralph in self help vs his willingness to sacrifice himself for the good if others
Very good effort Jen - well done
WT A3

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