What I Would Do Differently

If I would do something differently in my paper, it would be to further describe the importance of Loki witnessing each of Thor’s shame events. I briefly mentioned how Loki’s presence in Thor’s shame has a big impact, but I believe I could have gone more in detail. I also should have included more about my sources and shame theory, and less description of the film itself. I should have only used the film to back up my literature review instead of the opposite. I also could have included a stronger counter argument, and maybe stated other ways Thor resembles shame or maybe provide a thesis stating that he doesn’t experience shame. 

The End Result of My Analysis Paper

Honestly, I thought my final paper turned out well. I was a lot more interested in writing it when I began than I was about writing it in the beginning of the semester. I thought I tied my lit review in well with the analysis of the film Thor. Once I actually sat down and watched the film and really focused on the details, the research I had done before and the scenes and characters in the film started to come together, which was very exciting for me and I was eager to write my paper. I did put a lot of effort into this writing, and I believe it shows. 

Peer Review of my paper

I thought the peer review of the drafts of our paper were very helpful. It was nice to receive someone else’s perspective and get advice from them on how to make my paper better. They definitely picked up on some things in my paper that I didn’t notice or think to add. I also think getting someone else’s opinion on my paper was beneficial in the final writing process of my paper. I was able to see how someone else perceives my paper and if they could understand it. It was also helpful in seeing what I should add or change, or what I should take out.

Draft: Problems in Analyzing

While writing my draft, I encountered a few problems. I had some trouble in differentiating between giving a background story and analyzing. While I was trying to analyze my scenes, it sounded like I was more so describing them and giving a background story of the film rather than going into depth about the meaning of the scenes. I should have more detail for specific parts rather than trying to explain the entire scene word for word. Also, in my draft, I wasn’t sure where to put my literature review, and if I should include it while analyzing. Now I know it goes right after the introduction, but while writing my draft I mixed that up a little bit. 

Shame-focused Coping Article: An Important Source

An Important Source I have found in my research is “Shame-focused Coping: An Empirical Study of the Compass of Shame” by Jeff Elison of Southern Utah University and Steven Polus and Randy Lennon of the University of Northern Colorado. This article includes great descriptions of the script theory in shame theory, and this is really helpful in seeing the different ways in which one deals with shame. Also, I was able to figure out which scripts Thor displays throughout the film, and how his reactions to shame are the most important aspect of the shame event. His reactions definitely help shape his character in numerous ways throughout the film. 

Thor becomes a hero

My latest working thesis is Thor does not become a hero until his experiences with shame conquer his excessive pride. This is similar to my previous thesis, but more clear and put together. It still shows that Thor’s character has improved because he has experienced shame. However, I don’t think Thor was a successful hero at all until he experienced shame. His excessive pride caused him to make mistakes and impulse decisions, and I think once he experiences shame and reaches a state of emotional maturity, his pride comes down to a reasonable level that others can respect and tolerate. 

The Role of Attributions in the Process of Overcoming Shame

Another source I found is by Jessica K. Van Vliet of the University of Alberta. She describes shame events, and how shame has led to psychological disorders, including depression, eating disorders, and addictions. One quote she includes is “shame stems from evaluations of internal and external events and from cultural standards that are internalized by the individual.” This quote really stuck out to me. Shame events are so affective because the person looks at what is acceptable by society and what is not, or embarrassing or humiliating, based on their internal and external feelings as well as the culture they know.