Journal 3

For Project 1 i have chosen the key word: Circulation. I really like the idea of how something can change over the course of time depending on how it is transmitted, how people interpret it, or what people change about it. This relates back to Edbauer's theory of rhetorical ecologies and how situations surrounding understandings affect our understanding. I am concentrating on the idea of how a story/fairy tale can be circulated over time and space and become different versions of the same thing. In the case of my three artifacts I am utilizing The Little Mermaid as a reference. The Little Mermaid as a Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale with an unhappy ending, a Disney production of the movie (how the story changed), and as a Broadway performance. This represents how a story can circulate over time and how the way that different people or authors interpret "the same story" can affect ones understanding of it and feelings towards it.
A trend is definitely seen between the artifacts given that they all refer back to the original fairy tale, but they are also all unique in their own way. I want to be able to convey these differences and similarities between the artifacts in relation to how they are circulated. Gladwell's idea of materiality also relates back to my key term, circulation. Since my artifacts are different kinds of "materials", one being a story on paper, one a film, and the last a  live performance, the different materials affect our understanding. Some people would prefer reading a physical copy of a story oppose to watching a movie, and some gain a more personal experience towards the story when seen live or even on television. These distinct "materials' represent different forms of thinking and interpretation.