Tag: provocation

Ready player one: Group three provocation

As our three triumphant protagonists walk through the third gate, they hear a loud explosion before they were engulfed in light. They all had been killed in the game by a huge bomb. The bomb took out everyone and everything in the sector. Aech, Art3mis, and Parizval are shown the replay of their death before they get the oh so dreaded game over screen. However, Parzival doesn’t get taken to the game over screen. He gets taken to a screen that says, you have an extra life. He respawns in the middle of the battle field, which was completely destroyed by the blast, and he sees has only one thing from his avatar’s last life: a quarter. The same quarter he won from beating Pac-man. This quarter “was a single use artifact that gave my avatar an extra life” (Cline 36.408).

What if Parzival never played a perfect game of Pac-man? How would you feel in Aech’s and Art3mis’s position? Do you this artifact a one person only artifact or could more people go a find this artifact? Do you think if Parzival would’ve changed his play style if he knew he had an extra-life in his back pocket?

 

Level 3: Provocation

Towards the end of the hunt, the four protagonists, Parzival, Art3mis, Aech, and Shoto all meet up at Og’s house in Oregon. Og’s house is a secluded place that the IOI could not track them in the real world while they were finishing the hunt for Halliday’s prize. As the four protagonists arrived in Oregon, Art3mis informed all of the others that she wanted to focus on the mission and to not meet each other until it was over. As Og was showing Aech and Parzival around, Og began to drift into the subject that they should focus on the mission as well. Before they go their separate ways and into the OASIS, Parzival asked  a question that Og had always ignored. The question was that why the relationship between him and Halliday shattered. Og surprisingly answered Parzival, and said that it was due to that bridge was destroyed because of Halliday’s jealousy of Og and Kira, Og’s wife. The fight that “looks to be the most epic battle in video game history” (Cline,325).

What do you think would happen if Halliday married Kira instead of Og? Do you think it would’ve been the same outcome or would the jealousy that Og would have be not as severe as Halliday’s? Why would Og only tell Parzival this answer? Do you think Og sees a lot of himself in Parzival and thinks he’s the only hope for the OASIS even though Og is the only invincible avatar in the OASIS?

Level 2: Provocation

At Ogden Morrow’s 73rd birthday, while Parzival and Art3mis are drink digital drinks, dance around in zero gravity, and listen to ’80s tunes. As we know, Parzival and Art3mis have a long distance relationship, so it’s obvious Parzival had started developing “real” feelings for her. During the party, Wade tells Art3mis, “I’m in love with you” (Cline, Ready Player One, 186). She ignores him at first, but then they get into a intense argument about whether it’s possible to love someone you don’t know. However, their argument is interrupted when the Sixers blow a hole in the club and invade, attempting to kill Art3mis and Parzival. The fight ends when Og comes out and blasts all the Sixers with magical red lightning bolts, instantly getting rid of them.

Will Wade become distracted from winning the prize because he’s upset with what happened with between him and Art3mis? Should Wade had went to the party? What would of happened if Art3mis got hit by one of the Sixers?

Level 2: Provocation

Wade’s avatar got an email titled, “We Can Dance If We Want To.”, from Ogden Morrow which was an invitation for Og’s 73rd birthday party. As soon as Wade opened it he called Art3mis to ask if she had been invited also. Wade didn’t think they should go, but he didn’t want to look like a chicken, so he decided to toughen up and go since Art3mis wanted to. The place it was at, “Distracted Globe”, was a PvP zone which made it a risky place for anybody in the “High Five” to go since there was potential for violence. Halfway through the party the Sixers blasted a hole in the roof, firing pistols directly at Wade and Art3mis. Og then used red lightning from his fingertips striking each Sixer avatar in the chest, eventually vaporizing every Sixer in the club. Once the party started back up again, Wade realized the love of his life was flying out of the hole the Sixers had just created and would never speak to him again until the hunt for the egg was over.

Would you have risked everything and went to Og’s party? What do you think was the sole motivation for Wade to go to the party? Do you think Wade will start to lose sight on the quest for the egg and work on trying to get Art3mis back in his life instead?

level 1: provocation

Here is a picture from the time when I toured the Lourve.

Wade says the real world sucks and that the Oasis keeps him sane. Life can suck at times, but I think life is pretty amazing. In the Oasis we see Wade being able to do just about anything  while sitting in one place in your own home. Something that I thought was really neat was traveling like on school field trips to different places, the only difference is that Wade and his classmates are traveling virtually. In the book on page 48 Wade says that “In art class we toured the Louvre.” Now I have been out of the country and even have toured the Louvre myself  and I know that the experience is no where near the same as seeing it on google Earth.  So my question is are you actually living your life if it’s through a machine? What are your thoughts on the reality life and virtual life? Do you think reality life experience is different from virtual life experience?

 

Provocation Assignment

Throughout the semester you will notice “provocation” assignments built into our syllabus. They are often broken into groups and correspond to longer readings. Provocations are meant to provide context and support for your student-led discussions in class. In order to complete these assignments you must:

  • Read the assigned text very closely and annotate it thoroughly.
  • Choose one section of the text you found most interesting/problematic/controversial/stimulating and summarize it in 5-7 sentences.
  • If you use a direct quote in this summary you must have an MLA citation.
  • Construct a complex question for your classmates to answer about that section of the text that will spark a lively debate.

On the blog, you will post your provocations BEFORE class time as indicated on the syllabus. ONLY post when your group is listed on the syllabus. Use the category and tag provided by your professor for each post.

These posts will be graded on the following scale:

  • A = An engaging, thought-provoking post that shows attention to detail and comprehension of the text. Grammar and mechanics must be practically perfect (edit carefully!). Direct evidence from the text with a citation must be included.
  • B = An accurate summary and well-composed question that may contain a small, but not catastrophic, misreading or errors in grammar and mechanics.
  • C = A sloppy post that shows little effort and does not include the elements listed above.
  • D = A post that is a day late, or difficult to read, or phrased in a way that students would be unable to respond.
  • F = A post that is a week late, contains numerous errors, and does not contribute to the conversation. Or the post does not exist.

Please create these summaries and questions yourself: DO NOT STEAL OTHER PEOPLES WORK. If I find you have plagiarized these posts you will be reported. If you are struggling please come see me or email me with questions.