Brave New World- Blog 3

1. Why is a near religion made out of Ford when all other beliefs are basically taken away?
          The basis of life in  the World State is the Ford assembly life and conformity. It's reasonable to assume that people will be aware of this and make an idol of him naturally. Any other religion would not make sense because their life revolves around ways of life that are not spiritual.

2. Why doesn't anyone in this society ever question their life?
          From the time of creation, children are taught what is and what will be in the World State. While some form of rebellion isn't necessarily completely out of the question, it is not reasonable because the people in the World State are trained how to think and what to believe, so this is just their normal.

3. Why isn't John able to handle the new society or at least return home when he can't handle it?
          I think the most logical explanation for this would be that John is completely overwhelmed by the entirely new ideas of this world. As an outsider, he can see countless flaws in the culture and has no way of changing them. Instead of returning to where he came from, John commits suicide because he sees how sad the world truly is.

Brave New World- Blog 2

1. Without Soma, would this society still be able to function without rebellion?
I don't think that the World State could exist in the same way without Soma. Soma is a drug that creates artificial happiness in place of the true happiness the World State lacks. Individual spirits seem to be strained out the babies during the decanting process in this society. Instead, people are given Soma to ease away their unhappiness. "Christianity without tears—that’s what soma is," (Huxley). Soma is the driving force of this society, so if it were to be taken away, chaos would ensue shortly thereafter.

2. How does the title tie into the rest of the story?
I think that the most obvious connection to the title is the 'new world' part of it. This is an entirely new world that Huxley has created on his own, so that is where this portion would come form. The brave portion could be an adjective, noun, or verb. If used as a verb, it could be describing John's step into this strange new world which caused him great discomfort. If meant as an adjective or noun, this could be describing John or any other member of the society who was forced to endure the strangeness and discomfort of the World State. Regardless, I think the title is making a point out of the newness of the world which the characters have to live through.

3. Why wouldn't the author want to provide everyone with a mother instead of decanting children?
The decanting process leads to a disconnect with strong emotions in children. Having a separate mother for each child would interfere with the society and equality. However, if the same mother was used for every child, this would still allow equality. The problem with this would be that it wouldn't be possible for the mother to have a strong and true relationship with each child. There would be unintentional favoritism for the children who could access their mother. Decanting prevents any problems relating to the inequality of  children.

Brave New World- Blog 1

In the Brave New World society, everyone is equal because "every one belongs to every one else" (Huxley 43). There is no defined religion to set people apart from one another and polygamy is the norm. Even from birth, children are not given an individual life. They are decanted along with innumerable siblings (also without a parent). Conflict as we know it today could not exist in this society because the conflicts we typically have are over things that simply do not exist in the Brave New World society. Relationships are open, so there is no cheating. All children are equal, so there is no judgement among peers. Happiness is created throughout the society through the use of soma, a drug. Soma the juice of life in this society and it spread happiness to all who use it. Similar to 1984, I would say that Brave New World is also a dystopian novel. Although all seems pleasant, there is no point to life in this world and nothing unique is accomplished by anyone. Without individuality, no great change in thinking or life can be made.

1984 Blog 3

In the end, I think that Big Brother has one. Winston gives up his fight against him when he finally says, "He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother," (Orwell 300). Winston may or may not have actually accomplished something in the society, but the readers will never know because of the abrupt ending of 1984. I think Winston completely gives into Big Brother in the end and assimilates into society. His attempt at rebellion was unsuccessful because it was short-lived, it wasn't wide-spread, and he was constantly being monitored. If Winston had been a Prole and hadn't been so closely watched, he could have campaigned for his cause longer and with more people. A larger number of supporters would have meant a larger issue for Big Brother to tackle. Big Brother is conquerable, but in the end Winston was unsuccessful. 

1984 Blog 2

I think that Winston is rebelling due to the fact that he knows what is going on in the world. It is his job to change history and make everything fit what it should according to Big Brother, so as a part of his job, he sees the deceitfulness of Big Brother. With this knowledge, he comes to the conclusion that there is something more or something better than his society, so he wishes to find it. I don't think that his small attempts at rebellion are a form of protest. They, essentially, go unnoticed and do not accomplish anything other than causing an increase in Winston's internal conflict. Common modern protests (such as anti-war protests) are similar in that they are against the big plans of the government. However, these protests actually draw a large amount of attention to the issue and are sometimes successful in getting across their points to important leaders. We are somewhat Orwellian today because the majority of people in society simply follow along with what their told to do by the government, but others push against the flow and point out flaws in our way of life.

1984 Blog 1

Oceania, the dystopia formed in 1984 by George Orwell, was governed by a lack of privileges. As a child, I remember my parents' primary punishment for being selfish or not sharing was that I had my privileges taken away. For example, if I wouldn't share my toys with my sisters after I was done playing with them, my parents would take the toys away so that no one would get to play with them. The general idea of this was that we couldn't fight over things we didn't have and I wouldn't become obsessed with the privileges I was given. A similar situation was created in Oceania under the control of Big Brother.  Nearly all human rights (relationships, individual style, etc.) were taken away from members of this society in hopes that it would prevent any conflict and unite everyone under Big Brother. Individual thought is considered a thought crime and straying from the ways of society is unacceptable. These laws do make everyone equal in having no rights, and they prevent any conflict because there is no motivation for any conflict. Big  Brother is able to force conformity and happiness in his society through the process of doublethink. Doublethink forces all members of the society to feel or think whatever Big Brother wants them to regardless of what they may secretly feel. The author even states the basis of the society as blatant lies:
WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
IGNORANCE IS STRENTH. (Orwell)

Cultural Conflict

*The issue in this is an external conflict (man v. society) because the women who choose to wear hijabs are often looked down on by feminists and people of other cultures who do not understand the significance of the garment.

*Globalization can cause conflict when the values of different societies don’t mesh. For example, in this case, Americans are used to objectifying women and don’t understand the reasoning behind protecting women from this culture. She thinks that globalization is mainly the flow of Western values to the rest of the world. The only benefit she sees in this is the empowerment of women through Western role models.

*The Quran and the Constitution

Utopia

*A utopia is a place in which everything is perfect. Each person’s definition of utopia is different because everyone has a different idea of what “perfection” is.

*My utopia would include a general acceptance of all cultures and peaceful interactions between everyone. There would be no terrorists, bullies, or other mean people. Emphasis would be placed on solving any issues that arise and loving one another for who we truly are.

*My soundtrack would include music from all genres and cultures because my society would be one that accepts all different types of people and musical taste.

“You Were Right” by Built to Spill

*This song is about a relationship gone wrong and how the singer’s significant other lied about how positive things were going to turn out.

*The unusual tune and passion in the singer’s voice aided the song’s attempt at pointing out the pain the singer feels after the relationship.

*The combination of pained lyrics and rough sounding music resulted in a successful attempt at exhibiting the typical post-breakup feelings. This song didn’t really appeal to my taste in music, but it did get a specific feeling across.

“Reading Critically”

The article “Reading Critically” explains in what ways an article should be read and studied to obtain all possible information. The author explained how to annotate an article and then went on to discuss how a reader should summarize, synthesize, and analyze the text of a piece of writing to fully understand it. These steps are important so that the reader understands the surface meaning of the text, and the reader can explain why the author chose to write parts that he or she did because of the way each word influenced the entire piece.

“Shame” by The Avett Brothers

*The subject of this song is a relationship in which the speaker made many mistakes. His tone is remorseful.

*His tone is exhibited by his use of the phrase “please lift is off” because it shows that he is powerless and wants his shame to be taken away. The word undo explains how he wishes his actions could be taken back. The word boatload explains how his guilt is weighing down on him.

"Batting Clean-Up and Striking Out"- SOAPSTone

The subject of Dave Barry's "Batting Clean-Up and Striking Out" is the social differences between men and women. This invisible wall that divides the two genders is illustrated by him saying that women can "see extremely small quantities of dirt". This points out his main point that women care more about neatness than men. He goes on to explain how men are more passionate about sports and television.

"Batting Clean-Up and Striking Out" was writing in the late 20th century/21st century. The essay’s time of creation is displayed by the presence of the World Series and the view of Poe's writing as being classic. He also mentions some products, such as Windex, that are relatively modern. The probable place of the essay’s creation is America. This is because of the importance of baseball and the interactions between men and women. Clearly, the men and women are equals in society and many American products are present in the story.

The time and place of the essay’s creation influence the essay in his tone. His sarcasm throughout the essay and the external conflict with his wife would not be as entertaining if he had written the essay in bland language or without a sense of humor. By adding in some comic relief, Barry lightened the subject matter. When Barry jokes, “I just Windexed...and she's seeing dirt everywhere!” This shows that he doesn't understand why women think the way they do.

Dave Barry’s specific audience for "Batting Clean-Up and Striking Out" is married women. This is shown through his in depth analysis of why men feel the way they do about sports v. cleaning. The conflict in his marriage is common in many other marriages, so his article can be used to explain to women what men actually think about different topics.

The author’s general audience for the essay is all American adults.  The author’s general audience is communicated as Barry makes many references to American culture and the relationship between him and his wife. He even goes so far as to say, “...We males could not focus our attention on the various suggested topics because we could actually feel the World Series television and radio broadcast.” This proves that the audience is American adults because they understand conflict in male-female relationships and the importance of the World Series to many American men.

Barry’s purpose in "Batting Clean-Up and Striking Out" is to communicate to all married Americans that communication can be difficult in relationships because of differing priorities of different genders. This message is explained when Barry reflects on the different genders' reactions to each other's actions. 

Dave Barry believes that relationships require effort. This value is illustrated by his repeated attempts at pleasing his wife. Although he was unsuccessful in these attempts and only gave a partial effort in some of his actions, Barry, clearly, wished to maintain their relationship. He included this value to show to even though men and women have many differences, it is important to work through them. This ties into his purpose because it communicates the idea of differences in genders even further. The author’s use of imagery when explaining the "lack of filth" in his house showed how different things looked from his perspective versus from his wife's perspective. 

Barry exhibits a humorous, lighthearted tone about the differences in genders in "Batting Clean-Up and Striking Out". These attitudes are expressed as Barry jokes about his and his wife's actions in multiple scenarios. These jokes show that he has serious beliefs about their differences, but believes in looking at them with a positive perspective.

Voice

*Voice is the language and writing style that is unique to one specific writer.

*"The Dubstep version sounds too much like every other "cookie-cutter" song from the 21st century." This shows my voice because of my use of a popular phrase from my family.

*I talk around qualities about myself that I am not proud of.

*Using first person is improper in academic writing.

*Attention to audience and occasion can improve one's voice.

Dubstep v. Beatles

I preferred the Beatles version over the Dubstep version of this song. My personal bias comes from the fact that I listen to old music quite often and I think the Beatles are classic. The Dubstep version sounds too much like every other "cookie-cutter" song from the 21st century.

I think that the original is more pleasing to the ears of people that prefer old music because it flows and has a more classic sound. For younger listeners, I think that the Dubstep version would be more pleasing because of the strong beat that many younger people are accustomed to hearing in their music.

Kandinsky vs. Pollack

I enjoyed that Pollack painting more because I felt that it was more expressive. The paint and colors flowed more together and weren't as threatening as the bright geometric painting that Kandinsky produced. However, I think the Kandinsky painting is more aesthetically appealing because it of the precise lines and shapes. It also uses bright colors that do not strain the eyes as much as the dark colors of Pollack's may.

Sign Language Video

The single effect that I noticed in this short film was that even small opportunities should be seized.

The points that lead me to this single effect were:
*The fact that just taking a flyer from the girl made her happy.
*The narrator enjoys his job because he thinks positively about the smallest parts of it.
*Although the narrator doesn't think much of it, his "co-workers" notice that talking to the girl would make him happy.

"Shooting an Elephant"- SOAPSTone

The subject of George Orwell’s “Shooting an Elephant” is the guilty conscience that inevitably follows unjust actions. Remorse for wrongdoings is illustrated through him saying that “feelings [of guilt] are the normal by-products of imperialism” and that “any Anglo-Indian official” would agree. This shows that, although he still chooses to allow British imperialism into his life, he disagrees with it and that his wrong actions cause him tremendous guilt. He goes on to mention that officials would only agree off-duty. This is because the pressures of society cause them to follow along with their superiors even when they know they’re wrong.

“Shooting an Elephant” was writing after the Anglo-Burmese wars- most likely in the 1900s. The essay’s time of creation is displayed by the predominance of British imperialism throughout the text. The imperial power did not fully take control until after the Anglo-Burmese wars and Burma’s integration into India. The probable place of the essay’s creation is either Burma or England. Based on the fact that Orwell spent time in both countries, it could be either. However, I would say that it would probably have been written in England after he had time to reflect on the happenings and develop deeper guilt for his actions.

The time and place of the essay’s creation influence the essay in his clear tone. His deep remorse throughout the essay and his internal conflict would not be as consuming had he written the essay right after the event or in the exact same place of its occurrence. When given time to stew over his choice, Orwell developed a bit of wisdom on the subject and was able to reflect on what had happened. When Orwell says, “And afterwards I was very glad that the coolie had been killed; it put me legally in the right and it gave me a sufficient pretext for shooting the elephant,” it shows that he continued to think about this for a while after it happened and that he felt the need to justify shooting the elephant.

George Orwell’s specific audience for “Shooting an Elephant” is employees in foreign countries who conform to local or government traditions. This is shown by Orwell’s presence in Burma and his need to go along with what other’s pressure him to do. In his job, he feels the pressure to kill the elephant because it will show that he has power and is in favor of protecting the locals.     

The author’s general audience for the essay is all who are influenced by the pressure of government to conform.  The author’s general audience is communicated through Orwell’s appeal to feelings about a common scenario in the final paragraph. He says, “I often wondered whether any of the others grasped that I had done it solely to avoid looking a fool.” This proves that he wanted everyone to understand that he only killed the elephant so he would fit in and it expresses to the audience that conformity can often cause the wrong impression among peers or colleagues.

Orwell’s purpose in “Shooting an Elephant” is to explain that one must consider all options before doing something drastic and not simply follow along with the ways of society just to fit in. This message is explained when Orwell reflects on different people’s reactions to what he did. He says, “The older men said I was right, but the younger men said it was a damn shame to shoot an elephant for killing a coolie, because an elephant was worth more than any damn Coringhee coolie.” This proves that he understands he had multiple options and that he may have chosen the wrong one.

George Orwell believes that judgments cannot be made just based off of surface information. This value is illustrated by his continual need to explain himself. He shows that his actions were made based on information that outsiders would not understand when just presented with the basic facts of his scenario. He included this value to show to all people that judgments are inevitable, but should be avoided. This ties into his purpose because it shows how making a wrong decision can lead to judgment. The author’s use of imagery when describing the death of the elephant leads us to believe that this death was very tragic and that assumption could easily be made about his character based on this.

Orwell exhibits an understanding, but frustrated, attitude about guilty conscience in “Shooting an Elephant”. These attitudes are expressed as Orwell explains why he made the decision to shoot an elephant and why he knows what he did was wrong. These explanations show that he understands why he must feel guilty, but that he wishes he could justify what he did based on what he was thinking at the time.

Good Old Desk- Harry Nilsson

S- An old desk (friendship)
O- 20th Century America
A- Writers, Scholars
P- to explain the value of friendship
S- Writer
Tone- Upbeat, cheery

This song is explaining the importance of friendship and how he values a reliable friend.

Phrases that suggest a religious theme:
1. "It's got no place to go"
2. "My old desk never needs a rest"
3. "I've got a giant of all times"

Rockwell Introduction Paragraph

While in modern times we often revert to the saying "live in the moment", this ideology was considered a completely new idea in the mid-20th century. Americans were so accustomed to looking back on their pasts that the idea of focusing on present issues seemed unusual. Rockwell's "The Runaway" overlooks the fundamental rift that was rising in America throughout the 1950s- an emerging counter-culture that was not concerned with how things were in America but rather how they are.

"Inspiration Information" by Shuggie Otis

1. This song gives off a "funky" vibe. It sounds like it would have come from the 70s.
2. The flowing voices with strong synthetic sounds makes it sound like it would have come from the 70s and been a fun, upbeat song.
3. The beat of the background music and the voices used for the singing portion are both very "flowy" and calming, but upbeat.

Semeadores: Diego Rivera

Subject: Farmers
Occasion: Mexico
Audience: the general public of Mexico
Purpose: support the occupation of farming
Speaker: Mexican/ pro-communism
Tone: Peaceful

Rivera emphasizes the peaceful tone of this art by blending the farmers in with their background with the use of curved lines. He also uses neutral colors that slightly blend together. There aren't any bright colors or bold subjects in the painting.

Wilco: Creative Process

1. They start with a whole concept for a song and then break it down piece by piece to make it more interesting. 
2. My creative process for writing begins with a list. I study the rubric for my writing piece to determine what my topic needs to be, what style of writing to use, details to include, etc. Then I form an outline of how the paper should be laid out. Next, I develop my thesis statement. Finally, I draft my paper. One my first draft is complete, I edit and revise it several times with the help of a peer or parent and then finalize it as my last draft.

American Graffiti

1. Nostalgia is a wish to relive parts of the past.

2. I envisioned a sock hop with girls dressed in pink poodle skirts and high pony tails dancing with boys in white shirts and slicked back hair. 

3. When I look back on my childhood, I think of my elementary school which was like a second home for the six years that I went there. I can smell the freshly mown fields of grass, hear children screaming across the cafeteria at lunch time, taste the disgusting snacks they fed us at the Extended School Program, and feel the warm, welcomeness of the school. 

The Pinch of Poverty

1. A few reasons for becoming impoverished are disabilities, oversized families to provide for, limited education, etc.

2. This artist portrays poverty in a negative light by showing how children take on the responsibility of pulling themselves out of poverty when their guardians are not capable. The colors indicate that the flowers the children are selling are a sign of hope, but only the children are holding the flowers.

3. The artist's message: Poverty forces innocent children to carry the responsibility of caring for themselves at times and creating a more positive future for their families.

4. One element that enhances this message is that the flowers are placed in the children's hands. Due to the fact that the flowers are the only item highlighted with color in this piece, it shows that the children hold something important. Another important element is the placement of the children. The young girl in standing towards the front of the picture. This represents her moving forward in society by selling her flowers.

Poverty Reading Response

An argument of lack of consideration for all sides of the child labor issue is presented and strongly supported by the educated Chitra Divakaruni in her article "Live Free and Starve." It is absolutely imperative that as a strong nation, America supports the citizens of other countries who must deal with lowered standards in their homes. However, before acting upon our humane instincts, we must attempt to see issues from all perspectives. Divakaruni is able to see right to possible aftershocks due to her past in a country where the child labor issue stands out as one of the greatest national problems. While reading this article, my bias was my conservative thinking. From the start, I was searching for a reason extreme liberalism would not be the best answer. I completely support humanitarian aid attempts in countries where basic necessities are not available to everyone and innocent people are denied rights that Americans take for granted. Yet, like Divakaruni stated in her introduction, I am skeptical of any "quick fixes" in the world. There are always two sides to an issue. The possibility that children could be left without a way to survive is unacceptable and we must find a way to refine the current plan for dealing with child labor.

In the article "The Singer Solution to World Poverty", Peter Singer discusses the idea that wealthy people of the world are morally obligated to sacrifice their expendable income for the well-being of children in foreign countries. An unavoidable bias I found during my reading of this was that I, myself, am still a child by American standards. Singer repeatedly mentioned scenarios in which children were innocent victims. After discussing the issue of protecting children with my parents many times in the past few years, I have come to believe that it is the responsibility of adults to care for children as long as they cannot fend for themselves. The inability to provide food and shelter at an early age leaves children vulnerable and the primary target for hunger, abuse by adults, etc. Americans are, generally, programmed with a selfish mindset. To polish our tarnished reputation, we must, as a nation, find a way to be more financially involved in the issues of the world- protecting of innocent children, spreading civil rights to all countries, and so on. This begins with involvement of the wealthy who can afford to sacrifice a nickel and dime every now and then. This being said, it also crucial that we avoid falling prey to scams by finding trustworthy programs to develop relationships with.

"Round and Round"- Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti

Opinion- Personally, I enjoyed this song. Though it seemed a bit lengthy, it exhibited excellent musical transitions and the voices were strong, but smooth. I couldn't understand all of the lyrics, but the tune was very catchy.

Facts-
1) Multiple singers were featured in this song.
2) This song uses many crescendos and decrescendos as transitions between parts of the song.
 ~
As a musician, I often find myself noticing the technicalities in songs. Instead of relying entirely on how catchy a song is to determine its worth, I listen for musical value. The ability to harmonize in a song is a talent that I envy quite a bit. Songs that utilize musical concepts I struggled with as a beginning musician show to me that the artist(s) also value the details in musical composition. Due to my involvement in the musical community, I do notice these details in music and this, therefore, leads to bias. The music I play is not always accompanied by lyrics, so this affects the importance of strong lyrics in my mind. While audible lyrics do influence my opinion of a song, a song lacking audible lyrics is perfectly acceptable by my standards as long as it still possesses some musical value.