Story Comments and Analysis [HW #25]

PART I: COMMENTS

Comments for Gavin's Story:

As expected from John Galt. This story a...maybe not "alternative" but a less popular view on "cool." I think that if more people valued deep and meaningful conversations like your character (and you) over fresh kicks, our world will be way better, way smarter place to live in.

Your story was, of course, articulate. I don't really gotta talk about that for you or anybody else to be aware of that. Yeah...so...great story. I think this is definitely up there amongst the stories that people wrote for the PePo class.

Comments for Esther's Story:

I think it's very interesting how you highlighted the part of the day that we usually don't value, or even remember, in order to demonstrate coolness. Oh, I liked how you also highlighted those moments of "[pause]"s and deducing.

This story is very realistic. It doesn't create this fantasized extremely cool, or extremely lame person. He was normal. But I'm still uncertain about whether or not he's a cool person, or a lame-o, in your perspective. I'm guessing cool.

I like how you semi-incorporated the digital unit, and how like being trapped by these DRDs is part of being cool.

"Cool story" said the chinese kid to the pinay.

Comment for John's Story:

Hello, my name is Ryan and I like to skkaaaateboard.

It'd be pretty cool if this actually happened. It's definitely weird and different enough to be. Aside from the random outburst of juking, another aspect of coolness I got from your story was the need to keep up with the latest trend. In your case it would be the song choice of Thriller. I also saw how being cool means to break out of your roles. The students: supposed to be taking notes, but is instead now dancing. The teacher: supposed to keep order, but is now creating a new order.

Totally random story, but definitely cool.

Comment for Sandy's Story

Aye. You made some good points in your story. I think we constantly say stuff along the lines of: "Let's just walk and see where we end up" or "Pretty good, can't complain." We just say whatever that allows us to avoid the issue temporarily.

Based on the way that I read your story, I think that your idea of cool is having issues, but not letting that show. Like you're able to put up a front, but still understand your situation. Not quite sure though. She might also fit into the mystic coolness role.

I'm just as curious as anyone else about what actually happened. But I think that, contrary to what Julie and Gavin said, it would be better if you left it as it is. It leaves room for the reader's imagination. Maybe the readers can comment their own interpretations of what happened.

Anyways, nice story Sandy. It depicts our current situation quite accurately, but still gives it that twist.

Comment for Arden's Story

Hey,
I agree with Remy. At least, I thought your idea of cool would the sociable kid that slaps high fives to all his friends. But it turns out that the cool-cool kid is the one that doesn't give a crap about everyone else. In fact, quite the opposite of Dakota. Plus, in terms of coolness the name, Hawk totally pwns Dakota.

PART II: ANALYSIS

From the stories I've read, most of the cool characters shared an element of unexpectedness. In order for them to fit into the role of being cool, they'd have to break out of their other roles first. In John's story, Ryan was, at first, playing the role as the teenager, giving people pounds, and the role as the student, taking his notes. However, he was only able to achieve the cool rank when he broke out of those roles, and began to dance out of nowhere. The same goes for the person, who broke out of their role as "teacher."

In the act of breaking out of their daily roles, these cool people might actually just be trying to stand out. That is because cool is not really something you be, or become. It's something you're acknowledged as. So if other people don't notice you, it's near-impossible for you to be cool.

In all of these stories, no one really has a completely different life style. All of them revolve around the same dominant way of life, but they have their own little detours along the way. We add our own interpretations, that is a coalesce of past interpretations. Being that we were advised to write about teenagers, most of stories have teenagers in them, that are in school. Teenagers and school are directly intertwined. But we try to find chances during the in-between's and the on-the-side's to be cool. Our cool lifestyles never drift too far from the dominant AWOL. Regardless of how "different" we are, and as a result: how cool we are, we all still have the same cores. We all fit in, but perhaps not perfectly in.