InstructionsPlease choose two of the following questions to answer for this unit by Wednesday at 11:59pm (CST). You should also respond to two of your classmates' postings by Sunday at 11:59pm (CST).Before answering this unit's questions, you should view the film The Silence of the Lambs (1991) directed by Jonathan Demme. The film pits two very different serial killers against one another, with an FBI agent caught in the middle of their struggles for justice. Keep in mind, as you view the film, a few of the questions posted below.RubricOnline discussions will be graded according to the following rubric.Full-bodied entries—of at least ten sentences of writing from you (in addition to quotations from the text)—are more likely to receive full credit. Lesser credit will be assigned to work that is missing, brief, or clearly disengaged or sloppily produced such that miscues interfere with readability.Your responses to other students’ work are also assessed. Students often resist commenting on each others’ work in substantial ways; instead choosing to post simply “good job” or “looks okay to me.” This kind of peer response doesn’t help your own—or your peers’—development as a writer and thinker.Acceptable peer responses will, among other things:Explicitly identify what was learned from someone else’s work.Ask a follow-up question.Offer an alternative interpretation.Offer concrete strategies for improvement.PointsCriteria18-20Discussion posts are completed on-time; they not only thoughtfully respond to and incorporate course readings when appropriate, but they evidence creative thinking and make a significant contribution to peers’ understanding of the course topics. Moreover, follow-up posts/peer responses clarify and extend the class conversation, demonstrating critical thinking. 16-17Discussion posts are essentially complete and incorporate, when appropriate, excerpts from the course readings. Initial post is made by due date, and follow-up posts/peer responses engage others in continued discussion.11-15Discussion posts are incomplete, inaccurate, and/or late. Peer response is present but perfunctory, offering little “back” to enhance peers’ understanding.1-10Posts and peer responses are not made to all topic threads.0No posts are made, or posts are entered after the unit’s discussion has ended.Questions (Film)Choose two questions to answer:How does the film ask us to demonize Buffalo Bill as a villain, but redeem Hannibal Lecter? Or vice-versa? Support yourself with evidence from your viewing of the film. Be as specific as possible. Many of Hannibal Lecter's lines within the film have become famous in popular culture, even for those that have not seen the film. How does the humor associated with Lecter differ from the way that Buffalo Bill is treated in the film?The violent murders within the film are showcased and presented in strikingly different ways. Clarify and analyze the way that Jonathan Demme, the director of the film, depicts the kills from each of the serial killers.Does this film argue or condone a particular type of violence, in order to apprehend one serial killer? Theorize a few ideas about why we, as an audience need closure in the Buffalo Bill case, but find no need to resolve Hannibal Lecter's escape?Why does the film utilize Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) as its protagonist or hero? Does the film present gender here as an opportunity for viewers to see Hannibal Lecter as a savior character? How would the film have differed in form and content if the FBI protagonist was male? Show evidence from the film to support your claims.The film has a certain argument about "rudeness" as a reason for murder. How does Hannibal Lecter define rudeness--and why does it help justify his murders to a popular culture audience that might be unwilling to analyze this concept further? In the context of the film, is Buffalo Bill a rude character? Why or why not?

Discussion #2In Memoirs Bernal Diaz del Castillo describes the sights the Spanish conquistadors beheld in the Aztec capital Tenochtitlán. He comments that when they entered the Aztec market, they were "... astounded at the great number of people and the quantities of merchandise, and at the orderliness and good arrangements that prevailed, for we had never seen such a thing before...." It would seem that they were highly surprised at the level of development the Aztec empire displayed. In fact, the Aztecs and Spaniards had much in common. Nevertheless, a relatively small band of conquistadors led by Cortés will bring down the Aztec empire.The Europeans who follow will repeat some of the feats of the Spaniards who preceded them. However, the Spanish will be the ones to carry the "Black Legend" label, alluding to their atrocities in the Americas.In order to prepare for this discussion forum: Review and identify the relevant content in Chapter 2 to support your discussion.Read the full text of Bernal Diaz del Castillo's comments from his Memoirs.After you have completed your reading, post your answers to only ONE of the following questions.Could the direction of discovery and colonization in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries have been reversed, that is, could the Aztecs have discovered and colonized western Europe? Why or why not?English adventurers and Spanish conquistadors were "brothers under the skin." To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?Upon reading the linked document, what evidence can you find that the Spanish were indeed awed by the Aztec empire and that this was a highly developed civilization? In order to earn the full credit points for this assignment, students must discuss at least one question, and respond to a fellow student's postings:Directly and completely to the question that you selected. Clearly and accurately explain your answer based on factual information contained in the readings. Make sure that all statements are supported with facts from the readings (80 points).Students must respond to at least one fellow student's posting and discuss the reason(s) for their agreement or disagreement, with the arguments that are presented. You must address specific points, and support your response with facts from the readings and other sources. (20 points).Students can choose to respond to any posting, they do have to respond to a posting that discusses the question they addressed.Reminder: Please make sure to comply with all Netiquette Guidelines listed in the Getting Started module.