HUM 102 Project Template (1)

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Southern New Hampshire University *

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102

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Arts Humanities

Date

May 27, 2024

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docx

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Uploaded by CountCat8732

HUM 102 Project Template Part One: Choose the Creative Works 1. Describe the two creative works. The creative works I chose for this project are The Perks of Being A Wallflower , and the song Today by The Smashing Pumpkins. Both the film and the song address mental health and offers two different perspectives on the affects of mental illness on someone experiencing it. The movie takes us along the life and experiences of Charlie, and his friends, and his struggles with anxiety, PTSD and depression along with the struggles of his peers around him. The song Today lets us look at the thoughts and emotions behind someone who is struggling with depression and suicidal ideation. 2. Describe how the chosen creative works can be used to understand the topic . In the film The Perks of Being A Wallflower , it takes us through the main character Charlies daily life to show examples of how his mental illness affects all aspects of his life. Throughout the film, it presents to us flashbacks of traumatic events that have happened to him such as his aunt passing away in a car accident. It also gives us context clues throughout leading to the conclusion that his aunt sexually assaulted him when he was a child leading to the progression of his mental illness and struggles to cope with his emotions. In the song Today , the somber lyrics such as “pink ribbon scars that never forget, I tried so hard to cleanse these regrets” help us understand that the writer is experiencing very negative emotions, potentially self-harming and struggling with their mental health. 3. Describe the value of the diverse perspectives demonstrated in the chosen creative works. In The Perks Of Being A Wallflower there are many different perspectives on mental health offered. Each one of the focused characters in the movie faces a complex and different challenge. The main character Charlie struggles with several different mental health issues such as depression, PTSD, anxiety, suicidal thoughts. Patrick and Brad both struggle with their sexuality and presenting it to those around them. His sister Candace has issues with domestic violence, as well as her perspective of being the sister of someone with many mental health struggles. All of these different perspectives on various subjects help us understand the topic of mental health better and how they struggle in their day-to-day lives. The song Today helps us understand the mind of someone who is struggling, but the lyrics can be interpreted in many ways based on personal struggles with mental health. The lyrics can be applied to many different situations, offering more than just one perspective on the topic of mental health. 4. Describe potential biases and assumptions present in the creative works in relation to the topic. I think as a society today, the topic of mental health has many negative biases and assumptions still attached to it. I think in both the song and the film, the struggles that are portrayed can be interpreted very differently depending on how the audience has been brought up and educated on the topic of mental health. Individuals who are not as educated on the topic or haven’t experienced these issues personally may see the portrayal of them as very dramatic and exaggerated. Individuals who have experienced mental health issues may see this differently depending on their experience with their own mental struggles, and may see these representations as a toned-down version of theirs. Many people also still see mental health and topics such as sexuality and domestic violence as very taboo still and may have negative biases associated with these issues based on their emotions toward them. Part Two: Self and Society

1. Describe how the creative works create meaning surrounding the topic. These creative works create meaning surrounding mental health by using words to express their struggles. Both the film and the song’s lyrics use language very heavily to express their deep emotions regarding mental health. The Perks of Being a Wallflower uses flashbacks, a dark ambience and music to give a deeper level of understanding to the characters struggles, as well as Charlie’s narration through his letters. “Today” uses symbolism and metaphors to express the deep feelings and range of mental turmoil that the writer is experiencing. 2. Describe how the creative works have impacted society’s perception of the topic. Both creative works chosen have the ability to create a deeper knowledge of the topic of mental health. I think that by consuming these types of creative works, it helps foster empathy in people who may not have considered other perspectives. A society that is more educated on the topic of mental health creates a space for people who struggle to seek help, and it may make people kinder and more understanding toward individuals that experience mental health problems such as depression, PTSD, anxiety, self-harm and suicidal thoughts. It helps us not only understand the topic better, but opens up a space for those who struggle to feel safe and understood. 3. Describe how the creative works might be perceived by different groups of people. As for these creative works I’ve chosen, people who haven’t experienced the struggles presented in them may perceive these as a greatly dramatic take on the topic of mental health. Others who have struggled more with these issues may see this as watered down versions of their experience with mental health. People with a more surface level understanding of the complexities of mental health may not understand it at all or may not be as receptive as one with a greater understanding of the topic. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is set in a high school environment, so older people may think it is childish or may not be as responsive to the message the film is trying to relay. For Today by The Smashing Pumpkins, people who struggle with depression or have never experienced suicidal thoughts may not understand the artists perspective on the topic. 4. Explain how the creative works influence the development of empathy regarding the topic. In the film, it takes us through Charlies life allowing us to see flashbacks of him as a child when his trauma started and he talks in his letters about how he struggles to cope with these experiences today. It shows the audience how he idolized his aunt as a child while she was assaulting him and the conflicting feelings it gave when she passed away as well as his struggles in his social life. It also shows other characters struggles and past experiences in the film allowing us to build a deeper connection with individuals who may face these same issues. In both the song and the film, they are allowing us to see a very vulnerable side of them and helps us understand their turmoil in their every day life helping develop empathy toward them and helping us understand the topic of mental health better.0 5. Explain how the creative works encourage critical thinking regarding the topic. Within The Perks Of Being A Wallflower , it gives us many different perspectives on how people with several different issues struggle, encouraging critical thinking of a wide range of subjects. Especially focusing on Charlie, it shows how his past issues present themselves in his daily thinking and offers insight on how complex these mental illnesses can be, as well as highlighting different issues that the other characters endure. In Today , it offers a darker, more intense perspective on the topic. The lyrics speak somewhat in metaphors which allows the listener to critically think about the topic to interpret the true meaning behind them.

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