Word Count: 997 words
2 December 2012
Binus International School Simprug
English Written Task Rationale
For this written task, I’ll make a play that involves an “imaginary” conversation between Marshall McLuhan and Steve Jobs and God in heaven. This conversation will divulge McLuhan’s and Job’s perspectives of the use of media in today’s world and how it profoundly affects the society.
I chose characters Marshall McLuhan and Steve Jobs because Steve Jobs is the visionary founder of Apple hence I will emphasize how his Apple products have changed the way we communicate. To some extent, this is just as McLuhan predicted. God’s role is to act as the judge as God will decided if Steve Jobs will stay in heaven or otherwise.
The structure of this play will follow Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion where the story is told in chronological order with stage directions and emotions felt by the characters; reserving dialogue for essential information. The story will be told from a third person point of view. The short story is aimed to analyze the impact of language changes specifically the impact of electronic media.
However, the syntax would be the use of stylistic use of short sentences especially in the dialogues. The tone is didactically serious. Marshall McLuhan will speak in a professional tone because he is an expert of media communication whereas Steve Jobs as a digital native will speak using a few abbreviated and brief sentences. Hence we can easily identify the differences of communication from a digital native, and someone who is not.
The juxtaposition of McLuhan and Job’s perspectives of new media, will allow reader to learn the advantages and disadvantages of the media being a source of communication. The intended audience is the general public, specifically those who are experiencing tough situations regarding the presence of media.
ACT ONE
Up in the clouds, in the paradise of the afterlife; appears