Final Brave New World Post

1)      What would happen in a society where everyone was an alpha? Epsilon?

            Brave New World has a highly developed caste system, and everyone is happy within their caste. If there was a society strictly alpha, people with the highest level of intelligence, the society would fail. . Mond states that “The land wasn't properly worked; there were strikes in all the factories; the laws were set at naught, orders disobeyed; all the people detailed for a spell of low-grade work were perpetually intriguing for high-grade jobs, and all the people with high-grade jobs were counter-intriguing at all costs to stay where they were. Within six years they were having a first-class civil war.” () The civil war resulted in the death of nineteen out of the twenty-two thousand people placed on the island. Alphas consider themselves to be above everyone else. They would not do dirty jobs that are necessary for a society to function. On the flip side, a society was strictly Epsilon, people with little human intelligence, would fail. An epsilon society would have no one to take control responsively. There would be chaos. Societies need people on all levels of the system. Someone is needed to run the law and do medical work. Someone is needed to clean the city. Even if it is unfair for people to be conditioned the way they are, Brave New World’s society is dependent on it.

2)      John moves out to the lighthouse and whips himself. Soon, crowds of people and reporters come to see him, chanting “we want the whip.” Why would people want to see this act of emotion? Is it a rebellion? Did it have any impact on the society?

            People want to see this act of emotion because it is not something they are used to and it is like entertainment of them. Watching a wiping is similar to Americans of today watching any action movie. Most Americans do not have the same action packed life shown in Salt or Avatar, two movies both popular among modern day Americans.

            If people in Brave New World started to whip themselves as John does, they would feel pain and emotion. Any emotion, except happiness, is looked down upon. So, yes. If people fallowed through with what they had started, watching John whipping himself could be an act of rebellion. However, John hung himself. It is difficult for a rebellion to occur if there is not a central leader who understands why people are fighting.

3)      Why would sex be view in different ways in 1984 and  Brave New World?

            Clear contrast is shown between the views on sex. One books view sex as fun; the other as a duty.

            In Brave New World, sex is viewed as a game. Children, young children, play such games on the playground. Women and men go around having sex for the fun of it. If one person stays with another person, they are considered strange. Fanny cannot believe that Lenina can possibly only be with Henry Foster, and later John, for such a long time without any other men. Physical attractions, or at least physical actions, are highly encouraged in Brave New World.

            1984 portrays sex as one’s “duty to the party.” Duty always has a negative connotation: It is you duty to the Party to make love. Almost sounds like, it is your duty to pay taxes. The Party, however, did not want physical attraction. A council would decide if two people could be married. No couple receive permission if they had any sort of physical attraction to each other.

             

Brave New World- blog post two.

Why is the savage, John,  so popular among the people of the society?

            John, the savage, becomes instantly popular because he is different. The people of the World State are all made similar with certain beliefs forced into them through hypnopædia and what they did with the roses and books. John is different from all of these people. He was not made in a factory; he was naturally born in the Reservation. In a report written for Mustapha Mond, Bernard writes that “[the savage’s] interest [is] focused on what he calls ‘the soul,’ which he persists in regarding as an entity independent of the physical environment… the savage [finds] civilized infantility too easy or... not expensive enough.” (158-159) The savage’s views on soma and birth are clearly different from the views of the World State people. It is not surprising that people from a society, like the World State’s, find such interest in a person with different views from those of everyone else’s.

            Also, John is considered a savage. Savages are members of a group of people that are regarded as uncivilized. In meeting an “uncivilized” person the “highly-civilized” may grow to feel stronger about themselves and their culture. John is in the Beta- Minus room watching  a video of the Penitentes of Acomas prostrating themselves. When all of the other people in the room started to wail because the “Penitentes rose to their feet, stripped off their uppergardments and, with knotted whips, began to beat themselves, blow after blow.”(162) John believe that the beating should not be laughed at. The people, however, do laugh because “it’s so extraordinarily funny.” (162) By laughing the people believe that they are putting themselves about the Penitentes.

 If soma was suddenly removed from the World State, what would the results be?   

            When John was objecting to the use of soma  the doctor said, “Well, of course, if you prefer to have [Linda] screaming mad all the time…” (155) Linda is not the only one who would be screaming mad all the time if they could not have soma;  the entire population of World State would be. Soma is a major relaxing drug for these people. If it suddenly disappeared the people of World State would be like a smoker who is unable to smoke, crazy and mad.  If the whole population was craving for soma,  the World State would be destroyed by the ciaos.

 Lenina wanted to go to the Reservation, however, when she arrives she becomes very upset, why? And how does the reservation make her feel? Should she have acted this way?

            Lenina wanted to go to the reservation to be with Bernard. When she arrives at the reservation her first reaction is “’I don’t like it’… She pointed to the Indian guide… ‘he smells.’” (107-108) Strait from the beginning she is comparing the Reservation to her home. She complains about the walking, dirtiness, smell, and the inability to use soma. Then, they watch the beating. This is shows the peak of her sadness. “Lenina covered her face with her hands and began to sob. ‘Oh, stop them, stop then.’” She knew that she was going to a savage reservation. I believe that she should have expected savage behavior. Everything she complained about is a part of their culture; she cannot make them stop.

"Don't you want be" by The Human League

"Don't You Want Me" by The Human League ; What is the subject matter of the song? Cite evidence to support. What is the difference in the two sides of the story? Cite evidence to support. With whom do you side and why? Cite evidence to explain your answer.

            The subject matter of this song is a break up of a relationship of five years. The boy thinks that the girl needs him. He says, “I can put you back down [to a bar waitress]” and “I picked you out, I shook you up, and turned you around turned you into someone new.” These both show that the boy believe that without him the girl would still be working as a waitress, and not what she is today. The girl, on the other hand, does not feel this way. She believes that “[she] would find a much better place with or without [the boy].” She believes that even without the boy she could have reached the level of success that she has reached. She is ending the relationship with the boy because “[she] thinks it’s time [she] lived [her] life on [her] own.

            I am on the girl’s side of the argument. Some people believe that a girl needs to be with a guy in order to reach success. This girl believes in herself; therefore she is able to maintain the status she has reached, and continue to climb higher, with or without the boy. The boy believes that she needs him to be successful. This is simply not true. With the right attitude the girl can achieve almost any social status she wants.

West v. East

1.       The west views the east as inferior and exotic.

2.       Homogeneously – belief that everyone looks the same. The west thinks of the east as one big homogeneous group

3.         Easterners actions are determined by their instinct emotions rather than conscious choices or decisions. The emotions and reactions are determined by racial considerations.

4.       Since the east is inferior, the west believed that they could control them; therefore making the west the strong. Creating a common enemy can make a certain group strong.

5.       Yes, this view still exists. Race generally determines emotions, which control actions, of the easterners.  

Love Language

1 At first, I thought the music playing in the video is what it playing in her headphones, and that she is keeping the headphones on because she is shy. Then, I realized that she is deaf.  I also assumed that he likes the girl. The video proved this when he wrote a note saying “You’re still beautiful.

2 In a way this is a cultural conflict. She is quiet compared to the boy, who is loud. She has this more reserved personality because she is embarrassed of her hearing. He has to change his loud ways in order to be able to communicate with the girl. This is not normally his culture; therefore he is changing his culture to be able to associate with her.

3 External conflict- they cannot talk

·         She does not take off her head phones when he tries to talk to her. He considers this rude.

4 Internal conflict- The girl is impressed about being deaf. She will not let the boy listen to her headphones. Instead, she writes a note saying “I’m embarrassed.”

5 The two peoples resolved their problem by writing post-it notes back and forth between each other.  

Brave New World first entry

How have they created equality or conformity? How have they reduced conflict, specifically in regards to religion, relationships, and individual rights? How have they created or forced happiness/conformity? Make a claim about this society as either a utopia or a dystopia based the rest of your blog entry.

            In Brave New World, opens to a group of young boys a tour of a factory that makes humans. Bokanovsky’s Process shows “progress” from our modern times. “One egg, one embryo, one adult- normality. But a Bokanovskified egg will bud, will proliferate, will divide. From eight to ninety-six buds, and every bud will grow into a full-sized adult. Making ninety-six human beings grow where only one grew before. Progress.” (chap. 1; pg. 6) There are five castes- Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Epsilon- in the new world. The Bokanovsky’s process is how each caste is created equality. They take one egg and make it divide into ninety-six identical human beings. However, Alpha and Beta embryos do not receive the Bokanovsky’s process; making them weaker. The Director is undoubtedly enthusiastic about the Bokanovsky’s process being the basis of social stability; there are Ninety-six identical twins working on ninety-six identical machines (chap. 1 pg. 7).

            Humans can be forced to hate certain objects like books or flowers with mild electric shocks; creating conformity. In chapter two the boys are in the infant nursery and the boys see a group of babies being trained to hate flowers and books. The babies crawl toward the flowers and book and reach out for them. Then, the director, “gave the signal. The head nurse, who was standing be a switch board at the other end of the room, pressed down a little lever. There was a violent explosion. Shriller and ever shriller, a siren shirked. Alarm bells maddeningly sounded. The children started , screamed; their face were distorted with terror. ‘And now we proceed to rub the lesson in with a mild electric shock,’ He waved his hand again, and the head nurse pressed a second lever. The screaming of the babies suddenly changed its tone. There was something desperate, almost insane, about the sharp spasmodic yelps to which they now gave utterance.” (chap. 2 pg. 21) After this torture the babies fear going toward the flowers and books. Now, all the babies exposed to this hate roses and books. This system could easily be used for larger objects creating conformity because the whole group now hates whatever they were exposed to the torture for.

            By making large groups of identical people hate specific objects conflict is reduced, For example, all those babies now hate flowers. There will be no conflicts of ‘but I like the flower it’s pretty’ and ‘no it’s not a pretty flower’ because no one likes flowers. The level of equality created does not allow they possibility of conflict between groups, or people. Especially since those of different groups, which is easily known by the different outfits, are not allowed to associate with each other. Equality and conformity are easily created in this strict dystopia is maintained by the large groups of identical twins who are tortured together.

Final 1984 Blog Post

Has Big Brother won? Why/Why not? Propose a way that the One State can be brought down. What do you think happens to Winston Smith at the end of the novel? Support your answer with analysis of specific quotes from the text.

                No matter how much it seemed like “Big Brother” was going to be defeated in the first two book of 1984, he ended up winning in the end. “Big Brother” started to win when Julia and Winston were caught. They though that they were safe from the Thought police; they weren’t. In book two they unknowingly confessed to every rebellious act they participated in when they spoke to O’Brien, a member of the Thought Police who was caught for his rebellious actions “a long time ago.” “Big Brother” wins when Winston writes, and accepts that, “FREEDOM IS SLAVERY,” TWO AND TWO MAKES FIVE”,  and “GOD IS POWER” on the slate he was given. “Big Brother’s” final victory occurs when Winston is in room 101 about to get attacked by hungry rats and yells, “'Do it to Julia! Do it to Julia! Not me! Julia! I don't care what you do to her. Tear her face off, strip her to the bones. Not me! Julia! Not me!” O’Brien releases Winston for this comment because it shows that he no longer loves Julia and loves “Big Brother.”

                One State can be brought down by “the spirit of man.” Men cannot fear doing what is natural. The rules of One State go against everything that is natural. Men should be more like Winston, unafraid to do what is right. Of course, two plus two is NOT equal to five. But, many men are afraid of what would happen to them if they believe otherwise. Winston, and all other rebels, is tortured into believing in “Big Brother’s” ways; however, most rebels are tortured then killed. If more men had “the spirit of man” the One State would be defeated.  

                At the end of the novel Winston began to live a life like everyone else’s. He may still have the “spirit of man” but he is weaker than before so he can’t show it. He loves “Big Brother”, who he hated in the beginning. The torture he experienced from O’Brien changed Winston. It forced Winston to be weaker and fear rebellion. Sadly, Winston no longer has strong feelings for Julia. When he was following her to Tube Station, he thought about how much he wanted to return to Chestnut Tree Café and left her. He no longer desired to be with her. Winston may have the “spirit of man,” but after being violently tortured he no longer has to will to do anything rebellious. Sadly, he was shot for no apperent reason and could no longer live out his life. After he was shot, everything about him died with him. His spirit died, and the Party lived on as if Winston had never lived.

American Friendships

Americans like to be independent, but still social. Americans just want  to figure out if they like someone or not. They are too busy to become extremely close to everyone. In Europe, people are definitely more relaxed than Americans. Europeans will, frequently, go and sit in a café and drink coffee with friends; a rarity in the American culture.

                      Technology create both distance and closeness. A phone could allow one to talk to a friend in another state whenever they want, bringing them closer. However, phones also create distance. Someone may not hang out with a friend often because they can simply text, or call, them instead.

Islam, Globalization and Gender

                      One conflict the woman mentions is the use of women. In our society “hot” women are used for advertisement. For example, a car dealership may place a “hot” woman in a little next to a car they are trying to sell in order to attract others to buy it. The external conflict of this is the external appearance; is it really right to use women like this just because they are “hot.” The internal apperence may be inside the “hot” girl. She may doubt herself. She may be doing these advertisements for money and really just doesn’t enjoy it. The internal conflict just depends on the woman.

                      Globalization flows in one direction. An example: role models. Eastern women respect our American role models, but Americans do not respect Eastern role models. Respect should flow each way.  Movies with our role models are shown all over the world. Some of the movies allow a stereotype to form of the American culture.  This could create conflict because two different cultures are forced to interact with stereotypes not created before.

Me vs. We

                      A collectivist culture would likely consider the following traits ideal: cooperative, enthusiastic, and flexible.  While an individualistic society would value these traits: courage, determined and self-confident. Elders and people with a more professional distinction would be individualistic, they want success for themselves. Elderly people may need help from other people, but they still want success for themselves.  A teacher would likely struggle switching between a collectivist and individualist group.  A group of collectivist students would be more likely to work better in a group than a group of individualistic students. The way in which the teacher teaches should depend on the type of students. An acquaintance is someone one are familiar with but do not really know. One may have talked to that person once or twice, but never really made an effort to really get to know that person. The word has a slightly negative connotation, because if one says that someone else is an acquaintance that person really hasn’t strived to learn more about his or her acquaintance.

1984 Reading blog book 2

In "Book Two," Winston Smith is torn between his personal guilt over commitment to his job and his traditional trust/belief in the One State, and his overwhelming curiosity which is fueled by other relationships and a yearning for something more/better. In  your opinion, why is Winston having a difficult time buying in to what Big Brother and the State are selling? Explain and support. Are his small acts of defiance (questioning) a form of protest? Why/Why not? Compare/contrast Winston's small rebellion to a more current act of rebellion within the United States (think Tea Party Movement, Occupy Wall Street, Anti-War Protests, etc.) in all facets - what they are fighting for, who they are rebelling against, the way their protests seen by the government, the way their protests are seen by the masses.  Ultimately, the purpose of this blog is to examine how Orwellian we have become.

            I believe Winston is having a difficult time “buying in to what “Big Brother” and the State are selling” because he knows that what they are selling isn’t the real deal. (Especially, since “Big Brother” does not exist. Instead, “he” is just a creation of the Party for control.) Winston knows that there is more to life (that life can be better) than “Big Brother” is saying it is. The marriage council will not marry two people if they have any form of physical attraction. The girl with the dark hair, Julia, hands Winston a note saying “I love you.” The note profusely confused him to the point that “he was too stunned even to throw the incriminating thing into the memory hole.” Instead, he reads the note over and over again. Winston could not focus throughout the rest of the day; the note was pressing on his mind too strongly. He does not dismiss the note, even after several days have passed. He thinks about Julia all the time. He notices that she is not in the lunch room. “His whole mind and body seemed to be afflicted with an unbearable sensitivity, a sort of transparency, which made every movement, every sound, every contact, every word that he had to speak or listen to, an agony.” He is definitely protesting the Party and “Big Brother when he has sex with Julia. “Sexual intercourse was to be looked on as a slightly disgusting minor operation, (Book One)” and that is not how it was looked on by Julia and Winston. These are two examples of how Smith is having a difficult time buying what “Big Brother” is selling. Winston knows that in the old days a couple in love would be able to see, and love each other whenever, and however, they want.  Basically, he is having difficulty not being naturally physically attracted to someone.  

            Yes, Winston’s small acts of defiance are forms of protest. Him becoming physically attracted to Julia is a form of natural protest against “Big Brother”. Naturally people will be attracted to other people unless they are truly dedicated to something. In 1984, people truly dedicated to “Big Brother” may not be physically attracted to anyone. Winston is rebelling from this regulation of no physical intimacy set by “Big Brother”. Reading Goldstein’s book is clearly a rebellious act. Goldstein is the Party’s main enemy.

            Winston’s rebellions are to “Big Brother’s” regulations, as war is to the Anti- war protests. Winston’s “rebellions” are natural; war and fighting is natural. War and fighting has almost always existed. Wars and fighting have occurred over invasions in ancient civilizations, or over who owns what land. Fighting, just like being physically attracted to someone, is natural. Winston and the Anti- war protesters are on opposite sides. Winston is protesting for natural occurrences, while the Anti- War protestors are fighting for unnatural beliefs. Both groups are, however, rebelling against the government. The majority of the rest of the population, in both situations, disagrees with what the protesters are protesting (whether right or wrong).  

Reading Blog post 1 (1984)

How have they created equality or conformity? How have they reduced conflict, specifically in regards to religion, relationships, and individual rights? How have they created or forced happiness/conformity? Make a claim about this society as either a utopia or a dystopia based the rest of your blog entry.

            The society in 1984, by George Orwell, is a dystopia “disguised” as a utopia. The people are lied to by the Party, ruling class. The Party edits history in order to make the people believe their life is better than the lives of people in the past. Equality does not actually completely exist, but conformity does, and the people are told that they are happier. The live of people in 1984 are actually worse than the lives of people fifty years before; however, the people don’t know it because they are lied to.

           Equality was not completely created in 1984, members of the Party were not supposed to “deal on the free market” (shop at ordinary shops). If everyone was equal, everyone would be able to shop where ever they wanted. The neighborhoods where the paroles live are in worse condition then the area where Winston, and other Party members, live. The parole’s neighborhoods there were “little two-storied houses with battered doorways which gave strait on the pavement and which were curiously suggestive of rat holes. There were puddles of filthy water here and there among the cobbles.” Winston’s lives in the Victory Mansions, “old flats, built in 1930 or thereabouts, [that] were falling to pieces. The plaster flaked constantly from ceilings and walls, the pipes burst in every hard frost, the roof leaked whenever there was snow, the heating system was usually running at half steam.” Both of these places are in bad condition, but the Victory mansions are at least seven stories high. Also, Party members seem better educated than the paroles. When Winston is walking around the paroles’ neighborhood he over hears people talking. “No, it 'as not! Back 'ome I got the 'ole lot of 'em for over two years wrote down on a piece of paper. I takes 'em down reg'lar as the clock. An' I tell you, no number ending in seven-.” This persons tone is not as educated as that of Party members. This also shows how equality was not completely reached. However, the people are equal in that Ingsoc applied to everyone. “The sacred principles of Ingsoc” is a system that demands complete submission; it forces the confession of crime. Committing a crime will result in death, no matter who the wrongdoer is.

            Conformity, on the other hand, is accomplished. Fear created conformity. Some homes, not those of the paroles, had telescreens which allow the people be watched whenever an official wants to. People feared committing activities that, if caught, would could lead to death (“nothing was illegal, since there were no longer any laws”) because they are always being watched. Conformity is created by Physical Jerks in the morning, and the Two Minute Hate. The Physical Jerks are a set of required exercises, led by an instructor (or instructress), every morning. “Never show dismay! Never show resentment!” The Two Minute Hate is where a picture of someone hated, normally Goldstein, by Big Brother show with a hideous, grinding speech. This is supposed to make everyone hate that person. However, “Winston's hatred was not turned against Goldstein at all, but, on the contrary, against Big Brother, the Party, and the Thought Police; and at such moments his heart went out to the lonely, derided heretic on the screen, sole guardian of truth and sanity in a world of lies.”

            The government mainly reduces conflict by changing history. If the government no longer wanted a religion, for example, to exist the government simply had to destroy was existed of it, and remove it from history. People, such as Winston, job is to change history. They will be assigned a topic, such as a person who was eliminated, and change it so that that topic, person, “never existed.” They control relationship conflicts by having a committee to decide if two people can marry. This committee never gave permission “if the couple concerned gave the impression of being physically attracted to one another.” By doing so, men and women couldn’t form loyalties which the Party might not be able to control. The Party easily controls individual right conflict. The Party could change history so it appears that the people have more rights than the people of the past. They have forced happiness by changing history, in the same way that they could prevent conflicts over individual rights. The Party could change history to make it say that the chocolate rations are higher now than they were three months ago.

             

         

Utopia

What is a utopia? What is your ideal world? Explain. What type of music would be the soundtrack for your Utopia?

            A utopia is a world where everything is perfect. My ideal world would be a world where there is no war, crime, or abuse of any living creature. Abuse is always a sad and depressing topic. A perfect world is however difficult, basically impossible, to create. You can’t change death, illness, and other natural events. If there was no death, or other natural events, the perfect world would become overcrowded and the utopia would be gone. If a utopia was possible, the music played would be happy, cheerful and uplifting. Some examples of this type of music include “Waving Flag” by K’naan, and music by Coldplay.

"You Were Right" by Built to Spill

Musical Selection: Built to Spill "You Were Right",  lyrics; make an inference (claim) about the lyrical content of this song and support it, write one analytical statement about a musical part of the song and explain it, and make an evaluative statement about the overall effectiveness of this song and explain it

            Inference: Someone told the singer that everything was going to be alright during a hard time, that person was wrong. “You were right when you said we’re still running against the wind,” displays a difficult time because it is difficult to run against the wind. One knows the singer believes who ever told him everything would be alright is wrong because he directly says so. The first two lines are “You were wrong when you said everything’s gonna be alright.”

            Analytical statement: The music starts off with fast and angry sounding, and the singer aggressively says that “You were wrong when you said everything's gonna be alright.” Then the instrumentation and vocals grow calmer as the singer says what someone said was right about.

            Evaluative statement: “You were right” is a good song. I like the changes of aggressive and calm tones in the song. The song was also effective in expressing anger.

"Young Life" by Bo Barlett

 "Young Life" by Bo Bartlett: Make three claims about this painting. Support each claim with one fact about the painting.

Claim: Hunting is important in the life of this group of people.

Supporting Fact: The deer is placed on the hood of the truck, above the heads of the people

Claim: The boy is trying to be tough like the man, however the boy is also shamed of the hunting.

Supporting Fact: The man and the boy are both holding an object that could be used as a weapon, however the boy is separated, and is better dressed, than the man.

Claim: The man and women are not married.

Supporting fact: The women is not wearing a wedding ring.

            Three characters appear in “Young Life” by Bo Bartlett: a man, a woman, and a boy. The boy does not want to be completely similar to the man. In order to look tough, like the man, the boy, facing away from the man and woman, is holding the stick as if it were a club. Also, similar impermeable expressions display on the faces of the two male figures. Beyond the impermeable expression and bearing of a weapon no other similarities appear. The child’s preppy upper class garb- collared shirt with a red pullover sweater- greatly contrasts the man’s blue collar garb- a gray t-shirt, oversized jacket, and a brightly orange baseball cap. The separation and clothing of the boy show how different he is to the man.

The Avett Brothers "Shame"

The Avett Brothers "Shame" ; Look at the lyrics of this song, and decide what the subject and tone of the song are. Then, I want you to choose three words whose connotation affects the tone of the piece and explain how.

·         Subject- A break-up

·         Tone- Begging (for forgiveness)

·         Three words that push the tone

o   Please allows the sense of begging because the singer is asking for forgiveness.  The line “Blame, Please life it off, Please take it off, please make it stop,” shows the author begging for someone to take blame off of him.

o   Help, also shows the sense of begging  because he is asking someone for a “helping hand,” most likely from through the difficult time after a break up.

o   When a relationship breaks up one of the members may admit that they were wrong, in order to gain forgiveness from the other member.

Critical Reading

                The ability to read critically is a much needed skill for all people, even at the professional level. “You may be trying to understand a new company policy, seeking the truth in a campaign ad, researching a complicated historical treaty, or looking for pointers to sharpen your reading and writing skills.” The ability to critically read is required to understand the full meaning of all these tasks. There are certain activities that should be participated in before, during and after an essay is read, in order to critically read.

                Before reading an essay the reader should before reading consider the title, facts about the author, where the work was published, when the work was published; all of which could allow the reader to make predictions concerning the piece at hand.  Some titles, such as “How to Dump a Friend” and “I Want a Wife,” obviously state what the paper will be about. While others, “The Broken Chain”, do not clearly state the topic. Knowing more about the author- background, special training, previous works, or ideology-  also allows the reader to guess about the paper. For instance, if a writer, known for a strong comedic tone, writes about the president the essay will likely joke about the job of the president. An essay published in a scientific magazine about aliens is more believable than one published in a comedy magazine. Also, an article from 2010 is comparably better in facts than one published in 1650. Back ground information can help provide important information for the reader.

                When reading for the first time, the reader should not “bog down over every troublesome particular,” instead underline, or circle, the word in pencil and come back to it later. Also, one should underline (or circle) important section in the essay, and write questions out to the side.  Both steps will decrease the amount of time spent on reading, and writing a summary to the essay, or digesting the context in your own words.

                “Critical thinking is a process involving several overlapping operations: analysis, inference, synthesis, and evaluation.” Separating a piece of work into its parts- tone, purpose, etc. - is analyzing it. Also, the reader should make inferences in order to comprehend the essay. Synthesizing is  where two or more elements are linked. For example, if the reader were trying to discover the purpose of an essay, or other piece of art, the reader would synthesize it. Another way to fully grasp a piece of art would be to evaluate the quality of the work.

American Tongues

1)      Voice in literature is how one writes. For example, a writer or speaker may beat around the bush, or go straight to the point. I person creates voice in writing by having a certain sentence structure they may prefer to use, vocabulary they use often and/or the same opinion. The creation of voice in literature is sometimes intentional and other times not. I believe if depends on the author. I don’t intentionally have a voice in writing, I just do. I believe other, professional writer, do have a certain voice intentionally.

2)      A subject I may beat around bush with may be a question I am nervous to know the answer to. For example, if I wanted to ask someone a personal question, or one that I was nervous to know the answer to, I would likely beat around the bush.

3)      Voice is important in non-fiction because it shows who the writer is. An author’s voice can help to prove a writers point, or help the writer gain readers.

4)      There are definitely things to be avoided when writing an academic essay. One thing to avoid is using I in a persuasive essay. If a writer can find a different way to word a sentence where I is not being used, it would help to prove the point. This is true, because “I” makes it so the writer is saying I (one single person) believes something. If a different word was used what the writer is trying becomes more universal.

5)      You can improve your voice by improving your vocabulary, and knowledge of how to write.

SOAPSTone of “Batting Clean-up and Striking Out” by Dave Barry

The subject of Dave Barry’s “Batting Clean-up and Striking Out” is that men and women have different views on different topics. Different views are illustrated by women seeing clean differently than men, and men viewing the point in sports differently than women.  Barry says that “women can see extremely small quantities of dirt… at the level of molecules, whereas men don’t generally notice [dirt] until forms clumps large enough to support agriculture. This shows that the author believe that women have a magical ability to see dirt before it can be noticed by men. Then, the author goes to on to say, in sports “men tend to feel very sensitive and women tend to be extremely callous.” He does however say that there are some women who are an exception. Barry goes on to explain this statement by mentioning when his friend, Maddy, invited him, his wife, and a few other people to her house during a World Series game. The men could not stand missing the game, thought up little reasons to leave and watched the game in another room. The women continued to talk about human relations. This example shows how men are “sensitive” to sport and women are “callous.”

                “Batting Clean-up and Striking Out” was written in the late 1900s. This essay’s time of creation is illustrated by the large importance of the World Series to Barry. I believe that the importance of the World Series helps to show the time period because in the late 1900s baseball was a large part of the American culture. Now in 2011, football and basketball seem to be more important to the American sports society. The probable place of the essay’s creation is Miami, because that is where the author lives.

                The time and place of the essay’s creation influences the essay by creating the importance of the baseball and the World Series. I believe that this article would not be a strong as it is if the author could not complain about Maddy having a get together during a world series.

                Dave Barry’s specific audience for “Batting Clean-up and Striking Out” is likely married women and possibly men. The author’s target audience is identified with the examples. When Barry says that women don’t understand sports and mentions the get together, he is showing women how men actually care about sports greatly. He also, in a way, insults women on being picky on what dirty is. Barry has the view that women are overly concerned about cleanness.

                Dave Barry’s purpose in “Batting Clean-up and Striking Out” is to show women men’s view on different topics. Barry show’s this to women by saying, “the primary difference between men and women is that women can see extremely small quantities of dirt.” This shows how men don’t exactly view, or literally see, everything in the same way as women do.

                Dave Barry, called the “funniest man in America” by New York Times believes that women are more nit-picky then men. This value is illustrated by the fact that he thinks women can see dirt the size of molecules. This proves that women are more nit-picky because it shows how women believe that everything has to be nice and clean. This helps to influence the author’s purpose because women may not believe they are nit-picky, while men may think they are.

                Dave Barry, who graduated from Haverford College in 1969, also believes that men care more about sports. This value is illustrated by his disbelief that Maddy scheduled the event on the same day as the World Series.  The way Barry speaks about Maddy scheduling an event “during the World Series,” shows disbelief because he had during the World Series in italics, which almost makes it seem as if he I yelling. This value helps to influence the essay’s purpose because it demonstrates the different sex’s different views on sports.

                Dave Barry articulates a humorous and sarcastic attitude about the different views of women and men in “Batting Clean-up and Striking Out.” These attitudes are expressed by words in italics, the humorous example of men in Pompeii not noticing ash until it had completely covered the children, and women being able to see molecules.  Women really can’t see molecules, and the men or Pompeii could probably see the ash before it covered their children. These two examples show sarcasm. Then, placing words in italics gives an “oh, really?” feeling to the essay. These tones help to show how exasperated Barry is with some of women views, and actions. Dave says, “I’ll go into Robert’s bathroom, and it always looks perfectly fine.” This usage of italics emphasizes how Barry believes that the bathroom looks “perfectly fine”, and that his wife is seeing molecules of dirt.

Wassily Kandinsky vs. Jackson Pollack

 Wassily Kandinsky vs. Jackson Pollack ; after looking at each of these answer the following questions: Which of these do you like better? Why? Which of these is more pleasing to look at? Why?

            After looking at both pictures, I prefer the Pollack. I chose this selection of art because it is more relaxed and natural with the brown color scheme.  Kandinsky’s painting is chaotic and overwhelming because there are many different shapes and colors.

            I think Kandinsky’s painting would be more pleasing to people who are energetic. I think Pollack’s Painting would please more of the laid back, and sophisticated group. If I was forced to choose the painting that I believe would be generically pleasing, I would choose the Kandinsky, because it has many different colors and it is abstract.

           

"Sign Language"

"Sign Language" ; What is the single effect you got from this short film? Give specific three reasons (of choices the director made) why you were persuaded to that effect? Change one aspect of the film (besides narrative and dialogue) and explain how that would change the film and the single effect.

            The single effect I got from this short film was that it is important to always love what you do and make the best out of it. One choice the director made to allow this effect was the music, which was slow but seemed to have a since of hope. The director also made the choice to have Ben be friends with all the other board holders. Ben could have been a very pessimistic man, who just stood there with misery holding his sign. Instead the director creates Ben as a very optimistic man. This leads to the third choice made by the director, Ben believes that there is opportunity in a job many people would not enjoy having.

            The cold and rainy weather helps add to show Ben’s optimism. If the director had made the day a warm and sunny day an important aspect would have been lost. Rain is normally considered to be sadder than a warm sunny day. This allows Ben to show how he can always make the best of his job, which he loves.

SOAPSTone of Harry Nelsons "Good Old Desk

What is he talking about in this song? What if I told you that the desk is a symbol for god, how does that change your impression of the song? Look through the song lyrics and find three instances that support that the desk is a symbol for god.

·         Subject- His Good Old Desk, which symbolizes God

·         Occasion- Everyday, his desk is always there

·         Audience- Anyone, especially Christians

·         Purpose- to express his feeling and love for God, who is always there for him

·         Speaker- By the song, it seems as if Harry is an active follower of Christianity, and believes that God is always there for him.  

·         Tone- comporting

In this song Nilsson is talking about his feelings and beliefs before God. He believes that God is always there for him. However, at first, I did not realize that the song was about God. When I was told what the song was actually about many of the song’s lyrics made more sense. “It’s a pleasure to see it's waiting there for me To keep my hopes alive,” “It’s always there,” and “never needs a rest, And I’ve never once heard it cry,” are all lines that were made clear when the true subject was made clear to me.  At first it seemed silly to say that a desk was able to keeps one’s “hopes alive” or that one believed the desk waits for them. Once I knew that the Good Old Desk actually symbolized God, this line was made clear.

SOAPSTone of “Shooting an Elephant”

                The subject of Gorge Orwell’ “shooting an Elephant” is that sometimes doing the right thing is hard for the one doing so. This difficulty is illustrated by Orwell not wanting to shoot the elephant, but being forced to by the large group that had assembled. Orwell believed that the elephant was peaceful when he found in eating grass on the side of a road. At first he just wanted to walk near the elephant and see if it charged, if it did he then would shoot it. However, he noticed that he may miss, and could possibly die himself. He eventually decided that he had to shoot the elephant, he felt the “two thousand wills [of the assembled group] pressing [him] forward.” 

                The time period of George Orwell’s “Shooting an Elephant” is the mid to early 1900s. This time period is illustrated through the point that the British Empire in Burma fell in 1948. The article says that the narrator “didn’t even know that the British Empire was dying.”

                The place of George Orwell’s “Shooting an Elephant” is lower Burma. Burma is illustrated by the first sentence, where Orwell says, “in Moulmein, in lower Burma.” This supports that the story took place in Burma because it is directly stated so.  

                George Orwell’s specific audience in “Shooting an Elephant” is both the English and the Burmese. The author’s target audience is exhibited by his beginning hatred for imperialism. This helps to point out the audience because both of these groups can relate to how he feels. The two groups may be able to relate to Orwell’s feelings because both were involved in the imperialism of the time.

                The author’s general audience for the essay is everyone or anyone who feels as if they are being forced into something. The author’s general audience is shown through the narrator being forced into shooting the elephant, the regretting it. The narrator was forced by the crowd to shoot the elephant, however he is clearly unhappy because he had to walk away. The narrator may also have been frustrated since it took multiple shots to kill the elephant, which didn’t even die until he had been gone for thirty minutes.

                Orwell’s purpose in “Shooting an Elephant” is that if one feels as if they are being forced into an activity they should leave, or not do the act, for they may dislike the outcome. The need for the strength against pressure is revealed by “I couldn’t stand it any longer and went away.” This quote shows how after the narrator was forced into shooting the elephant he was saddened by the elephant’s suffering. The purpose is further articulated by “I did not want to shoot the elephant… It seemed to me that it would be murder to shoot him.” This shows that the narrator truly didn’t want to shoot the elephant, instead he felt as if it were murder.

                Orwell, considered the twentieth century's best chronicler of English culture, believes that imperialism is an “evil thing.” This value is illustrated by his hate towards his job as a police officer. Imperialism is expanding an empire, this creates a slight irony. The narrator hates his job as a police officer, however as an officer he works for the government, which he hates.

                Orwell, best known for the dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four and the satirical novella Animal Farm, also believed that one could be forced by a crowd. This value is illustrated by the fact that the narrator shoots the elephant because he believes he was forced to by the crowd. If Orwell didn’t believe that one could be forced to do an activity the narrator of this paper may not have killed the elephant. This value is included to show that one can be forced into something they don’t wish to take part in.

                Orwell shows an apologetic and disgustful attitude towards being forced into shooting the elephant. These attitudes are expressed with a sense of hatred towards his act. The narrator is so disgusted by the fact that he caused the elephant to suffer, that he was forced to leave the site. He also shows an apologetic attitude because he killed another man’s elephant.

               

"The Runaway" By: Norman Rockwell

"The Runaway" by Norman Rockwell (1958) Create an intro paragraph for the following thesis statement: Rockwell’s “The Runaway” overlooks the fundamental rift that was rising in America throughout the late 1950s – an emerging counter (no pun intended) culture that was not concerned with how things were in America, but rather how they are. “

Norman Rockwell, born on February 3, 1894 and died on November 8, 1978, is famous for his cover illustrations of everyday life scenarios in The Saturday Evening Post for over four decades.  However, these scenarios were not the most realistic. All of Rockwell’s art showed what a carefree American life would be like, he shows no flaws. For example, in “The Runaway” he shows the little boy running away with a carefree happy spirit. The policeman and the waiter don’t are showing any concern for the child either. He does not show that a counter culture is emerging. “The Runaway” overlooks the fundamental rift that was rising in America throughout the late 1950s – an emerging counter (no pun intended) culture that was not concerned with how things were in America, but rather how they are. 

"Across the Universe"- The Beatles

Identify three images in this song. Are any of the images also symbols? If so, explain. Choose one symbol that you know to be a symbol and explain it. What makes it more than just an image? Explain how the word circle can be used as both an image and a symbol (think visually).

Images from “Across the Universe”

            ~”Endless rain into a paper cup” causes the reader to imagine a small paper cup with rain overflowing into it.

            ~”Sounds of Laughter” creates the image of a bunch of people in a room laughing and joking around. For me, these people are my fencing friends.

            ~”Millions of suns” creates the image of a person surrounded in a million suns.

“Millions of suns” is a symbol for love. When one is in love, they may as if they are surrounded by something incredible.

The cross is a symbol for Christianity. This is a symbol because Jesus, God’s son, was hung on a cross.

The circle can be both an image and a symbol because it could symbolize something, like a group of friends, all connected. It is also an image because if one is explaining a circle, many people could say exactly what was being explained to them.

"Inspiration Information" by shugie Otis (1974)

What is the overall feel of this piece? What elements (musically) put off that feel be specific. Indentify the choices you think the musician had to make to get this feel and explain why they worked.

“Inspiration Information” has a funky, joyful, and relaxing feel. Otis had to make certain decisions in order to allow this feel. One of the choices he made was to make the rhythm funky. He, also, chooses to use positive and short notes. The upbeat tempo also creates the positive vibe. If he changed any part of the song, the funky, joyful, and relaxing feeling may have gone away. For instance, if the notes were longer the song may have not been upbeat and funky. Musicians make specific choices for their music. If any of the decisions were changed, the song’s tone or feeling would be changes as well.