Ronnie Sawyer

Reflection Questions

1. What is your project? What am I seeing here?

My project is a Pintrest style arrangement of outfits worn by several different

characters from books weve read throughout the semester. You are seeing outfits
directly lifted from the text and brought context.

2. Why am I seeing it? How does the content relate to this course?
I did this because I think its extremely easy to just quickly read over
character descriptions in texts. Understanding what a character looks like is very
important to understanding who a character is, because it shows how that character
chooses to present themselves, which can then affect how they interact with other
characters. For example, in Eleanor & Park Eleanor frequently worries how others
perceive her based off her looks, and fantasizes on the possibility of one day having
enough money to shop in places other than GoodWill. This in combination with her
poor home life causes shy and self-consciously when around her other peers.
This directly relates to adolescents, and therefore this course, because
clothing is a form of self-expression that teens can use to show who they are. If
adolescents are visualizing these characters and learning from them, it makes sense
that theyd also be pulling style tips from the characters as well. Being able to see
the clothing choices these fictional teen characters are making allows for educators
to see another piece of their adolescent students lives.

3. What did you learn from doing this project? How?

While gathering information directly from the source I learned how character
description can help form an opinion of a character. I also found it interesting to see
how a lack of description can also affect the readers perception of a story. For
example in Thirteen Reasons Why I found it surprising that there was hardly a
description of the physical traits of the characters. That particular text was so driven
by dialogue it didnt come across as strange that the author didnt give physical
descriptions, the emotions driving the story were so compelling they werent
necessary.

4. What surprised you about your project? How/why?

I was surprised by how the outfits seemed to have the same color schemes as
the covers of the books they were from. I dont know if this was done subconsciously
on my part when I was assembling the outfits or if the authors knowingly
incorporated color themes into their novels that were reflected in the cover art.

5. Of what are you most proud related to your project? Why?

I am very proud of the Eleanor & Park outfits. Rainbow Rowell was very
specific when she described what Eleanor and Park were wearing and they required
the most customization when I was editing the outfit pieces together in Photoshop.
Each shell had to be individually placed on Eleanors shirt and Im very proud of the
final result.
Eleanor & Park
By Rainbow Rowell

Justification from text:

Today the girl was wearing a giant mens shirt with seashells all over it. The
collar must have been really big, like disco-big, because shed cut it, and it
was fraying. She had a mans necktie wrapped around her ponytail like a big
polyester ribbon. She looked ridiculous (34).

He couldnt believe that still mattered to her. Girls who dont want to be
looked at dont tie curtain tassels in their hair. They dont wear mens golf
shoes with the spikes still attached (151).
Justification from text:
He was. He was standing there in the half light, wearing a gray trench coat
and black high-tops, and watching for her (158).

Park was wearing a U2 shirt today with a picture of a little boy on the chest
(128).
The Fault in Our Stars
By John Green

Justification from text:

I did indeed wear the sundressthis blue print, flowey knee-length Forever
21 thingwith tights and Mary Janes because I liked being quite a lot shorter
than him (159).
Justification from text:
The dress Id planned to wear to meet Peter Van Houten had been moved up
in the rotation for the Oranjee dinner, so after I showered and got my hair to
lie halfway flat, I spent like thirty minutes debating with Mom the various
benefits and drawbacks of the available outfits before deciding to dress as
much like Anna in AIA as possible: Chuck Taylors and dark jeans like she
always wore, and a light blue T-shirt. The shirt was a screen print of a famous
Surrealist artwork by Ren Magritte in which he drew a pipe and then
beneath it wrote in cursive Ceci nest pas une pipe. (This is not a pipe)
(159).
Thirteen Reasons Why
By Jay Asher

Justification from text:

I wore a black skirt with a matching hooded pullover. And on my way there, I
took a three-block detour to my old housethe one I lived in when we first
moved to town. The first red star from the first side of the first tape. The
porch light was on and, in the garage, a cars engine was running (205).
Justification from text:
The last tape, the seventh tape, has a thirteen on one side but nothing on
the reverse. I slip this tape into the back pocket of my jeans (105).

I make my way down the center aisle, buttoning my jacket against the cold,
giving each button more attention than required. Any excuse to avert my
eyes from the other passengers. I know how I must look to them. Confused.
Guilty. In the process of being crushed (59).
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time
Indian
By Sherman Alexie
Justification from the Text:

From page 57
Sold
By Patricia McCormick

Justification from the Text:

I walk into the corner, then turn my back too her, wiggle out of my own
cloths, then lift the soft pink petticoat over my head. The new dress seems to
be one long piece of cloth with no beginning, and no end, material so light
and fine, I feel more naked than dressed inside it (72).

These shoes are nothing but tight little boxes (73).

Justification from the Text:
But my ama, with her crow-black hair braided with bits of red rag and
beads, her cinnamon skin, and her ears hung with the joyful noise of tinkling
gold, is, to me, more lovely (7).

I clench my toes, like a bat grasping a branch, as I stuff my old homespun

clothes into my bundle and try to keep up with Auntie as she hurries from the
room (73).