http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/5886220/The_Cat_in_the_Hat

For my word visualization, I decided to focus on the famous children’s book, The Cat in the Hat, written by Dr. Seuss. Before I copied and pasted the word into the generator, I made a few predictions. I expected that the biggest words would most likely be cat, hat. and fun. I also expected words that rhyme together would be another big contributor to the visualization.

I was quite surprised to find that the word “fish” is the biggest word. Not only is it the largest, but it is also separated from the rest of the group. After re-listening to the book (I listened to it to emulate story time) it turns out that fish is said quite a few times. In fact, the fish was more like the party pooper of the group. He was the one who continually tried to be cautious. He constantly reminded the children of the repercussions that they would face from their mother if she found out some of the shenanigans that the trio were getting in to. Although the book is told from a first person point of view, it is the fish who does a lot of the talking.

Other large words that are the same color include “oh”, “hat”, and “like”. Another interesting thing to not is that “mother” and “house” are quite near to one another in both size and position. Both were probably mentioned roughly the same number of times by the fish out of concern.

Another thing to note is the fact that the word “cat” appears as both “Cat” and “cat” (the difference is that the C is capitalized). This must mean that The Cat in the Hat is referred to both as an animal, and referred to by name. One last thing that I found notable was that Sally has her name mentioned in the picture, but not Conrad. This most likely implies that Conrad is the narrator of the story.

If I could make another distant reading tool, I would choose to have the words scroll across the top of the screen in order. By mousing over a single word, the user could find the definition of the word. By clicking on the word, a web of words would pop up showing the synonyms for the clicked word. Right clicking would resume the scrolling of the words. If the mouse has a scroll wheel, scrolling up will cause the words to move faster, and scrolling down will slow them down. I would also like to include a search function that would show instances of keywords in other works. This would eventually lead you to the next work where those words would begin to scroll across the screen.

I used Wordle to generate a word cloud for my narrative “Kids Down the Stairs 2P.” With the maximum number of words changed to 50, the cloud has certain nouns and verbs bigger than others, which indicates higher frequency of some of the words.

The resulting image looks similar to what I expected. I was aware of the words I used more often while writing, so when the image has “step” as the biggest, it does not surprise me at all. Based on the word cloud, I would say my story emphasizes actions and contains several descriptive words such as “disdainful,” “arrogant” and “relief.” A reader who sees the word cloud before reading my story could get a sense of what the actual story is like due to such words.

I always consider generating word clouds a way to check for repetitiveness. My narrative is only 498-word-long, so I was able to keep track of word frequency. But if one is writing a novel or anything more than 1000 words, he or she might want to use a word cloud to examine the first draft and replace certain words with synonyms accordingly.

Nevertheless, this was my first time using Wordle, and while making the word cloud I learned that I can change the font color and style, as well as the appearance of the entire word cloud. I realized I could reveal more aspects of my story by doing so. For instance, I selected gray as the font color to represent stone steps, and I made the words go “any which way” to symbolize the movement of the characters from one step to another. These minor changes allowed me to tell a portion of my story in the word cloud, which I’ve found interesting.

A word cloud does not contain statistics, however. It is more of a form of art than a tool for scientific calculation. Looking at word clouds, people can only tell certain words have higher frequency but can’t tell what exactly is the frequency. Therefore, if I were to improve Wordle, I would include the number of times each word has appeared in the text, perhaps in the form of a small Arabic numeral placed within the first letter of a word.

Another distant reading tool I would like to create if possible is a story generator. A person pastes the literary text in a box. Then the computer generates a new story by taking out words with high frequency and recomposing them. Such a tool not only helps identify repetitiveness and the main theme, it also reveals possibilities of telling a story differently, like the remixed Disney film clips explaining copyright law.

Extra-credit meme (made with Photoshop):

Counter narratives

Item #44 “Rafting In Costa Rica”

(http://mith.umd.edu/arguing/admin/items/show/48)

At first glance, this photograph may resemble a picturesque scene of friends bonding in the great outdoors. After taking a closer look however, it seems as if half of the purple raft has disappeared beneath the water. Why is this? In the caption, it says that the group is on a rafting trip in Costa Rica. This is true, but there is one missing piece of information the creator of the picture did not mention: there is a hidden behemoth swimming directly below the waves. The dark portion of the water on the left-hand side of the picture shows an unidentifiable creature pushing against the first raft. If you look at the facial expressions of three of the girls on the first raft, you will notice that they look disturbed. The raft is listing to the left and is undeniably being pulled underwater by the animal creating the dark spot in the water. Following the raft with the scared girls is a second raft. The second raft has clearly seen the turbulent waves around the first raft and has veered towards the right in order to avoid being capsized. They have also seen their comrades on the first raft dealing with some threat that is pulling the back of their craft into the water. It all makes sense now.

Item #96 “Friends in A Dorm Room”

(http://mith.umd.edu/arguing/admin/items/show/96)

This picture serves as the alibi for the alleged kidnapper of Coconut, leader and founder of the organization called “The Coconut Club”. Seventy-two hours before this picture was taken, the promotional photo shoot for the organizations new magazine concluded. The only remnant of that event can be found here http://mith.umd.edu/arguing/admin/items/show/46. Compare the two pictures. In the item 96, there are five individuals. There are seven individuals, including the coconut, in item 46. Who are the two missing members? Well, Coconut is the first, and Catherine is the second. When Coconut wound up missing, the first suspect was Catherine because she was the only other person absent from item 96. Now let’s take a closer look at item 96. If you look at the bed in the background, you will see a teddy bear. Turn your attention to the left and you will see a small, brown, Coconut-shaped figure. That is Coconut. That leaves one more question to be answered: where is Catherine? Counting from the left hand side of the picture, look between ladies three and four. Between them is a dark coat: the same coat that Catherine wears wherever she goes. The figure behind ladies three and four is undeniably Catherine. After she placed Coconut on the bed, she bent over to tie her shoe and the photographer didn’t catch her in the picture. Therefore, Catherine is innocent and Coconut was never kidnapped.

http://mith.umd.edu/arguing/admin/items/show/56

This is actually not a painting of a strawberry dessert. This is actually a painting of a UFO from outer space entering the earth’s atmosphere.  While the painting may resemble a strawberry dessert, it actually marks a much more interesting turn of events in history.  One day, while everyone was going about their daily routines, and unidentified flying object entered earth’s atmosphere in broad daylight. It is unsure of where the UFO actually come from, other than outer space.  Before anyone could examine the UFO, it crashed to the ground and burned up in flames.  Angela was an eyewitness to this event, and to keep it fresh in her memory, she decided to paint a picture.  This is the picture she paints, the UFO surrounded by blue sky.  The title dessert makes the event seems less shocking and more interesting.  To Angela, the UFO would translate well into art form if represented by a dessert.  Her actions are indeed very creative.

http://mith.umd.edu/arguing/admin/items/show/103

The title of this picture is “My Angel,” and seems to be about the dog in the picture.  However, this is untrue.  This picture is truly about the carpet that the dog is laying on.  The carpet is indeed the angel in this picture.  This carpet has been passed down in Greg’s family for years.  Because it has been in the family for so long, it seems to have developed mystical powers of its own.  Greg has noticed that as long as the carpet has been in his family, his family has had good luck.  This has been proven because once, they removed the carpet from the house in order for it do go get professionally cleaned.  In the two days that the carpet was gone from the house, everything went wrong.  People kept slipping and tripping in the house,  smoke detectors started going off for no reason,  and a general sense of misfortune clouded the house.  But as soon as they got the carpet back, everything was back to normal.  This event led Greg to believe that the carpet truly is like a guardian angel to his family.

http://mith.umd.edu/arguing/admin/items/show/46

Although the photo is indicated to merely consist of the participants, some friends, holding a coconut and posing like the Breakfast Club, viewing the photo like that would be seeing it as you want to see it: in the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. The picture is the chronicle of an incredible journey of self-discovery, transcending the boundaries of social hierarchy and preconceived notions. The subjects in the picture have spent the few hours prior to the photo dodging authority, forging new friendships, and growing as people. They obtained an illicit coconut that served as the symbolic vessel for all their innate potential, their desires for the future, and the expectations the adult world had placed upon them. The picture captures a ragtag bunch of misfits at the very prime of youth, on the edge of unknown adulthood, the precarious days of exploration, bravado, and confusion. In the end, despite their differences, they found out that each of them was a sorority girl, a computer engineer, a short person, a juice lover, a bus driver, and an awkward director of photoshoots. Does that answer your question as to what this item is really about?

http://mith.umd.edu/arguing/admin/items/show/55

This item might seem like an artistically altered image of Alexander McQueen on the front of a book, but the image is actually a photograph of the world’s first cyborg, a Mr. Paisley Donovan, so named because he was in fact a clone of the late Alexander McQueen developed in the late 2170s from preserved genetic material and the scientist involved was keenly aware of Mr. McQueen’s tempestuous relationship with the paisley pattern and wished to make an ironic statement. Mr. Donovan was in a car accident in his early thirties that resulted in injuries so severe that he became a second major medical technology breakthrough: a living cyborg. Numerous surgeries resulted in facial reconstruction, neural repair, cardiothoracic reconstruction, and gastrointestinal augmentations of cybernetic nature. Mr. Donovan was offered more natural-looking facial prosthetics but rejected them in favor of the more radical metallic look in honor of the aesthetic sensibilities of his genetic “father.”

Item #48: “Rafting in Costa Rica”

Interestingly enough, when the movie, The Rise of the Planet of the Apes, was originally pitched, it was set to take place in China, where (the case was made that) it would be more plausible for the government to turn a blind eye to ethical concerns of medical experimentation on animals, and specifically, genetic manipulation. This picture takes place in a jungle region in Puerto Rico, where Megan and the film crew were attempting to find cheaper locations to shoot certain scenes, as opposed to shipping the entire operation to inland china. The photographer of the picture was actually the trained chimp who had to accompany and become accustomed to the film crew, but could could not bear to cross the water, instead following the rafts along the shore. Other photos in the collection include priceless self taken images of the chimps toenails, various birds, colorful plants, and a large number of shots of the chimps eye. whether this was intentional or simply took place before the understanding of how the camera functions is still up for debate. In any event, the producers quickly realized that leaving Hollywood and using actual chimps to produce a movie was entirely too 1990s, and instead scrapped the idea, filming the entire movie using green-screens and phoned in voice-overs over the course of approximately a month.

Item #66: “1000th point club”

Though she doesn’t like to brag, Tyreese is actually a wizard (or witch really, though female wizard is technically the politically correct term). Honestly, it is surprising that such a notable wizarding academy allowed such a blatant violation of their code of secrecy to leave the premises. I suppose this could be permitted given that it is posted under the guise of a mere basketball score list. In any event, the image represents Tyreese’s inductance into the Lady Wizards (the political correctness does become tiresome after a while) 1000 point club, which recognizes specifically women who score cumulatively above 1000 points on their 11 final examinations. The exams progress in order: Minor Prestidigitation, Abjuration, Alchemy, Conjuration, Divination, Enchantment, Evocation, Illusion, Necromancy (don’t worry, just the basics; ressurecting frogs and the like), Transmutation, and Dueling. The wall in the background is the back wall of the dueling chambers where the senior class undergo their final trials. Though Tyreese unfortunately bombed her alchemy practical (and I do quite literally mean ‘bombed’), she more than made up for it with the highest score in the dueling segment since her brother took his finals several years earlier.

http://mith.umd.edu/arguing/admin/items/show/45

Mr. Evans’ image here can be very misleading due to the subtle details that may go unnoticed. First of all, he claims that the photo is “silly”. Really, Mr. Evans, silly?

That claim is blasphemous. Yes,

Blasphemous.

The mannerisms of the people depicted in the picture appear to be far from “silly”. In fact, one could even suggest that the tone of the photo is of a more serious level. The gentleman on the left and in the back has an intense expression on his face. One that highlights and conveys the true gravity of the scene. The female on the far right, returns the gaze, with even more ferocity than her male counterpart.

Furthermore, the photo conveys a more coordinated effort than Mr. Evans lets on. All of the members in the photo are wearing an article of upper body clothing that is predominantly white; this contrasts with and highlights the dark head wear that most of the participants are wearing, or the colorful nature of the caps worn by the young woman and gentleman in the middle. This foiling of colors calls our attention towards the head, and subsequently the faces of the family members.

Silly? Pish-Posh

http://mith.umd.edu/arguing/admin/items/show/44

Challenged Accepted.

Here, Mr. Evans makes yet another outrageous claim. He maintains that “there are no words that can describe this picture”.

I beg to differ.

I, on the contrary, cannot think of enough words to describe this picture with. It depicts a BEAR (not a gopher, like Mr.Evans so ludicrously claims), riding a longboard and achieving a high velocity as it snakes down a large, mountainous incline.

First of all, I can think of several adjectives that encapsulate this image:

• Marvelous –  The image shows a bear riding a skateboard. If there was ever an image that caused one to look on in amazement, this is it. How often does one have the privilege of seeing a bear on a skateboard? About as often as Tony Romo wins the Superbowl, which never has happened (or ever will, for that matter).
• Spectacular – Try to fathom the speed that the bear is traveling at. How much skill and precision it must take for the beast to maintain his course. The picture is truly a sight to behold.
• Majestic – Look at the bear’s hair, how it glistens in the mid-day sun. Observe how his friend follows close behind, it even appears that he is smiling. I…I might need a moment. This is just so beautiful.

I could go on, there are so many elements about this picture that convey much more than Mr. Evans lets on.

I am going to argue that Megan’s item, ”Rafting in Costa Rica,” (http://mith.umd.edu/arguing/admin/items/show/48)  is not simply about her rafting trip. Megan credits the rafting tour photographer as the creator of the photo, and therefore I see this image as a story about him or her. It is an image of what we can assume to be the daily life of a rafting tour photographer. This is what he or she does. The photo documents the environment in which the photographer works daily. He or she chose to work in Costa Rica and be a part of a rafting company that gives tours to visitors. One this particular day, the weather seems to be cooperative and the water not too rapid nor unruly — but this is just one day in the life of the photographer. He or she has to respond to the conditions of the river and the Costa Rica environment constantly.  Megan and her family are some of the many that this person photographs on a regular basis. The image captures an example of what he or she thinks is a good photo of a group of people rafting in Costa Rica. It reflects the photographer’s person choice of angle and background. The photographer’s story is told through this image.

The second item whose narrative I want to counter is Ed’s item called “Campaigning.” http://mith.umd.edu/arguing/admin/items/show/49  He describes it as a photo of him “helping out on a parade during the Prince George’s County elections.” But what the item really is the shirt Ed is wearing in the photo. It is a bold purple t-shirt with white writing spelling out “Clark for Clerk.”  This shirt tells a whole diiferent story than the one of Ed campaigning. Someone, most likely Clark, a supporter of Clark or a member of Clark’s campaign committee, must have come up with the slogan. Next someone would have had to think to imprint it onto a t-shirt. Then, someone would have had to think of the color. Purple must have some significance in this politician’s campaign. These three element would have to come together in order to create the t-shirt. The last step is Ed and his comrades who decided to receive and wear the shirts. Are they serving their purpose? There was a lot of thought put into the planning of the shirt, and it may have lead to Clark’s election or loss of election. This photo is not simply evidence of Ed’s political endeavors; it is a story about a little purple shirt.

The photograph “In Front of the Brooklyn Bridge South Street Seaport” and it’s caption in Kat Averell’s archive may lead one to believe that she is merely having a good time with her best friends on the Brooklyn Bridge. This photo may look like a Kodak moment, a memory the three pals wanted to capture as a keepsake for the rest of their lives, but it is actually a clever ploy by main suspect Katharine Averell. This photo was taken so Katharine could use it as an alibi for the crime she committed previously. Earlier in the day, the Best Western Seaport Inn hotel was robbed at gunpoint. The suspect is said to have fled on foot, and was last seen entering the crowds moving towards the Brooklyn Bridge. Katharine is dressed in all black, in an attempt to camouflage with the rest of the crowd. She is wearing what appears to be a green scarf, but it is clearly the facemask she wore while robbing the front desk. It is highly probable that in her attempt to escape, she imposed herself in a photo with two strangers to cover up her true intentions that day. The two “best friends” next to her are implementing the classic hands on the hip pose, something they had been planning for some time, while Katharine is stuck awkwardly in between the two, her actions too swift for the two unassuming friends to react to. Katharine’s hands are also completely hidden behind the two people next to her, hiding the physical evidence. Katharine uses a sweet smile to cover up her true, malicious intentions. However, the investigators are well versed in their fields and made sure not to overlook this cunning suspect.

Megan Beveridge recently posted a flyer from the Florence and the Machine concert in her archive. The presentation of this photo and its caption seem to claim that she went to the concert in September. This is, however, far from the truth. If she did, in fact, attend the concert why did she post a flyer and not an actual photo or video of Florence Welch herself? This is simply a photocopied flyer showing no evidence that she was at Merriweather Post Pavilion. Her roommate, Margaret Gratian, did attend the concert that day. Megan, in her desire to have experienced the concert herself must have taken the flyer that Margaret brought home and photocopied it. As you can see upon further inspection, the scanned flyer has splotches near the top which shows that this is not an original print. Megan has always idolized Florence since she made her debut, and having the flyer as a keepsake is the closest thing she could find to experiencing the actual concert.

“Friendship Bracelet”

http://mith.umd.edu/arguing/admin/items/show/35

From observing this bracelet it is clear that Monica is actually a spy for the Central Intelligence Agency. The old and ratty looking bracelet is just a disguise for a very advanced tracking device. Much like a young James Bond, Monica accepts dangerous missions from the C.I.A. risking her life for the sake of Justice. The danger of the missions is evident in the wear and tear on the bracelet. Upon closer inspection we can see, hidden in the knot on the string, a tracking device. The microchip electronics hidden inside the string help Monica’s C.I.A. handler monitor her heart rate and GPS coordinates. With this technology, they can determine if Monica is injured and her location. Monica claims the bracelet was a present from an old friend which I confidently deem untrue. As we can see in the picture, the bracelet is discolored at some sections and emits a dark halo. These are classic qualities of Type-C Norium, a substance created and used only by the C.I.A.. I would know this because I once was invited to work as a spy for this agency. This bracelet is a great display of modern technology and I hope Monica will post more “innocent looking” items to her archive.

“Tyreese: A New branch of my life!”

http://mith.umd.edu/arguing/admin/items/show/41

This picture may look like a perfectly innocent moment but the truth lies behind the three smiling people. I would like to argue that the basis of this photo is not joy of the arrival of a niece, but in fact an attempt to cover up a terrible accident. With an analytical eye one can clearly discover that the smiles on each face are fake and that all three subjects in the photo are conveniently hovered over the baby to hide the area behind them. The first supporting point of my theory is the red substance that is peeking out from under the man’s chest. This red substance must be blood which is clearly coming from the man. As a face reader, I can tell that behind the man’s smile is pain and anguish. He has clearly been injured. How he got injured is the main focus of the elaborate cover-up. Tyreese and the two other people in the photograph broke their Mom’s favorite antique desk. During the disastrous break the man was injured which explains the blood. As soon as Mom’s footsteps were heard, Tyreese and her partners in crime grabbed the baby and used her as a distraction. Mystery solved!