Elucidate E-Literature Main MenuTable of ContentsWhat Sources did We Use?A list of all the sources that we used in our scarlar pagesAbout the Student AuthorsAlice Jiang8c8d874f0e1c60751d4ca652cd908ee689aa7bbdNyssa Goodrum32be20efea42552a791bc7fd1cc0e901e93a8550Sonia Kumarddeec80791de97f88b75c9821154d247ab0c87feBrooke Hollenbergeredb79f0c7cdb53b3e039fcd57a19662109e86bf6
How it begins...
12019-11-14T09:46:02-08:00Brooke Hollenbergeredb79f0c7cdb53b3e039fcd57a19662109e86bf6354478screen cast of beginningplain2019-11-19T18:28:10-08:00Brooke Hollenbergeredb79f0c7cdb53b3e039fcd57a19662109e86bf6Motions begins with a train. In the video above of the beginning of Motions, the reader is told that there is no certainty as to the destination or direction, or even if the train exist at all(Smith, Luers ,Dean). Through the suggestion of such a ride, especially given the use of the second person, the reader is invited to experience the lives of human trafficking victims rather than simply being told or given statistics. The train not only represents a mental journey, but a physical one as well as this moment is one experienced by many if not most victims of human trafficking. Perhaps not necessarily on a train, but most victims of human trafficking will, at some point be "trafficked" and transported from their homes. This moment is the very beginning of what for many is a very frightening journey that likely has no positive end. The use of the second person invites the reader to be present and put themselves into the mindset these individuals, to truly imagine the fear and horror of realizing they have no idea what is going to happen or where they are being taken. This sense is momentarily offset by the mention that the reader could start their train journey by clicking right or left. By equating the theoretical train to the choice to click and continue on the path, the author gives the reader the semblance of control over the journey they are embarking on through the piece. However, this sense of control is entirely false. Even if the reader should make the choice to try to go back, the previous pages are no longer the same. In this way this piece is almost the direct revers of the effect in Robert Covers "Heart Suit" in which the power play that occurs lies in the fact that the story remains the same no matter how the reader moves the pages around rather than the in the story changing despite the illusion of structured choice. In Motions, once the reader realizes this, they understand that they are no more in control of their journey than they would be on the train going anywhere.