Illuminated Texts on All Quiet on the Western Front

Most Illuminated Texts find their creativity in the movement of the original text in such a way that explicates or gives insight into the original meaning.  This presentation, created by Natalia Washington and Claire Robinson relies on its musical background in way that is both brilliant and profound.  The music, written by Peter Cunningham and performed by Sima Cunningham (with Claire Robinson) holds and moves the viewer.  The pictures and words that accompany the song are perfectly chosen and perfectly timed and manipulated -- but it is the haunting music that, this time, comes first.  An incredible project all around. 

When Jeanie Tsui and Imani Muhammad set out to create this presentation - they started from an ironic framework: who are the savages?  From there they go on to try and overturn our expectations.  They use Remarque's words but also bring in a bevy of pictures of young children as they relate to war - these images of innocence and the theme that is present throughout their Illuminated Text are also found in All Quiet in the Western Front.  It seems that the innocent are the ones doing the killing while the others are back at home getting rich and drowning more and more in their guilt.

They say that one of the most subtle, and therefore difficult, concepts for students to understand is irony.  Emma Bottari and Alisha Bondurant show, through this Illuminated Text, that they have certainly mastered this concept.  They use the text of All Quiet in the Western Front to set the scene -- and the music "You are my Sunshine" to complete it -- or to play against it.  The only positive thing that seems to have out of Paul Baumer's time of war is

The creators of this illuminated text, Abigail Carillo and Miguel Delgado, seem to wonderfully latch on the commentary on war that we had seen in our previous novel, Candide.  In that text, war is ironicallly described as possessing a "beautiful harmony."  This presentation begins with stirring marshal music -- and the words from Remarque's novel are perfectly timed to the beats of the song.  Himmelstoss has come to the front -- and refuses to do what he has asked the men to prepare for when he was their sadistic trainer.  The men become beasts - mindless and void of humanity.

The simplist presentation of text in an Illuminated Text consists of white on black or black on white -- in its simplicity it gives its creators vast avenues of creativity -- the words can change color selectively depending on a meaning that is trying to be conveyed.  That is exactly what happens in this excellent presentation by Milan McGee and Kamilah Wentworth.  In addition to color, the creators also occasionaly use word pictures along with animation to show the meaning of the text that they have selected -- and of course the movement of the words across the screen.  The men in the novel, especially Paul, attempt to recapture that "rapture" of their childhood that seems forever lost -- and this Illuminated Text gives us a window into that desire.

An illuminated text by Jenny Lee and M. Rodriguez on All Quiet and the Western Front and the connection between this work and violence going on today.  As with all Power Point Illuminated Text getting to hear the sound and see a streamed version of the presentation can be problematic.  We are working to make video versions of all of the Power Point Illuminated Texts.