Reading Blog #3: Brave New World

1. In Brave New World and 1984, what symbols are used to portray the government's control through the use of technology?

2. After reading Brave New World, how much do you think Huxley would sacrifice to reach a society without starvation, poverty, and pain?

3. Do you think Huxley is implying that technological and scientific advancements should be monitored and/or repressed after a certain point? If so, what are the limitations?

"Communist Utopia"

- What about the painting indicates communism?
The eyes on the wall indicates communism. It makes it seem like the government is always watching and making sure that no one steps out of line. People do and say what they're supposed to. Also, the majority of the painting is grey or shades of grey. This makes it seem like the government is trying to paint everyone equal and monotone. Having everyone grey ensures that nobody stands out or is different. This can be compared to the communist ideal economy. Everyone gets the same and nobody is different.

- What is the artist's view of communism?
The artist views communism negatively. I think this because he titles the painting "Communist Utopia" and everything in the painting seems gloomy or miserable; it is not perfect and happy.

- Explain the title.
I think Thomas Hornung chose to name the painting "Communist Utopia" to emphasize the fact that communism is horrible and frightening. The painting shows that the perfect communist society is wretched.

"Don't You Want Me"

- What's the subject matter?
The subject of the song is the relationship between the guy and the girl.

- What's the difference of the two sides of the story?
The guy thinks that the girl wouldn't be where she is now without him; he thinks that he brought her into a better life. The girl argues that she would have gotten their eventually with or without his help. She also thinks that it's time for her to go and to move on.

- With who do you side with and why?
I side with the girl because it's her life and she wants to move on. Also, if the guy truly loves her, he would let go of her and let her move forward in her life. Not the mention, the guy also seems too controlling and it's a little bit freaky.

Reading Blog #2: Brave New World

1 How does Brave New World show the relationship between science/technology and political power?
Throughout the story, it is shown that scientific and technological advances can aid the government's power. The very beginning of the book opens up with the Director giving a tour of the 'London Hatchery and Conditioning Centre'. Even the very name of this organization connects science with the effect it can have on the government. In the hatchery the workers and scientists have developed astonishing ways to mass produce embryos. This is to the advantage of the government because they are able to monitor every development of each embryo and also of every baby/child after he/she has been decanted. Also because everyone grows up in the conditioning center, the government has complete control over what everyone believes, enjoys, and does. With the scientific ability to mass produce babies, the government has the power to condition everyone to their liking.

2. In Brave New World, what is the government's view of a good citizen?
The ideal citizen in the society of Brave New World is one who is always happy and who loves one's class. The government encourages everyone to participate in activities that will make them happier. For example, little children in the conditioning center have "Elementary Sex" which shows that from a very young age, children are taught to pleasure themselves. Also, people are given soma which relieves them of stress and gloominess. The government's stress on happiness is especially prevalent when the Director says, "this colleague of yours-- or should I anticipate and say this ex-college? -- has grossly betrayed the trust imposed in him. By his heretical views on sport and soma, by the scandalous unorthodoxy of his sexlife, by his refusal to obey the teachings of Our Ford and behave out of office hours, 'even as a little infant' he has proved himself and enemy of Society, a subverter, ladies and gentlemen, of all Order and Stability, a conspirator against Civilization itself" (Huxley 156). This shows that the government looks down on people who don't force themselves to be happy.

3. If everyone (with a few exceptions) is happy, why might this society still seem like a dystopia?
Even though most people seem pleased with their life in Brave New World, we (as readers) still view it as a dystopia because the people in the society don't actually know if they're happy or not, they're just told that they are and they force themselves to be happy. This is proved when the Savage says, "well, I'd rather be unhappy than have the sort of false, lying happiness you were having here" (Huxley 184). This shows that the soma and the erotic activities don't actually make people truly happy, they just trick them into thinking they're happy. Also, in this society, the government has complete power because they condition, which is almost like brainwashing, everyone from when they're babies into believing and enjoying what the government wants them to believe or enjoy. This is horrible for us (American readers), because we grow up fearing all-controlling governments. For these reasons, the society in Brave New World seems more of a dystopia.

Reading Blog #1: Brave New World

In Brave New World, the government creates equality and conformity by conditioning everyone at a young age. The people in the society believe that everyone is equal because they know that all people are "physico-chemically equal". The government also creates conformity by separating everyone into a caste and making people dress according to their caste. 

In their society, religion, art, and literature are all eliminated. By eliminating these factors, conflict is also reduced. These three factors all encourage people to question their surroundings, so without these, people don't know to analyze and think about what's going on. Also, to ensure that everyone loves the caste they're decanted into, they hear things when they sleep according to their caste. For example, the Betas hear "Oh no, I don't want to play with Delta children. And epsilons are still worse. They're too stupid to be able to read or write. Besides they wear black, which is such a beastly colour. I'm so glad I'm a Beta" (Huxley 40). After hearing this multiple times per night, the children learn to love who their are and their caste. This in turn reduces conflict.
The government makes everyone happy by telling everyone that they're happy. For example, when Bernard asks Lenina, "don't you wish you were free?" she responds by saying "I am free. Free to have the most wonderful time. Everybody's happy nowadays" and then Bernard says "Yes, 'Everybody's happy nowadays.' We begin giving the children that at five" (Huxley 101). This shows that the government has been telling 5 year old children that everyone is happy and the children believe it. Also, in there society, there's such a thing as "soma" which can be taken to make one feel happy. This cures most of the gloominess in society. 

The society in Brave New World is a utopia. Everyone genuinely believes that they're happy, except for strange exceptions like Bernard, and everyone is perfectly content with their status in life. Although to us the government's way of decanting babies and forcing people to like the caste seems horrible, most people in their society like the government and the way everything works. So, for them, it is a utopia.  

Ethnography

What are benefits of emic and etic perspective?
Being an outsider it's easier to analyze behaviors and why they might be strange. Being an insider, you can analyze but at the same time, justify why people act certain ways.

- People can see why things are logical or not.
- Things that don't make sense can be explained.
- People of the culture will be open to you, they will understand that you're being creepy and you're just trying to learn about their culture.

Rain on a Scarecrow

What is the song about?
I think this song is about loosing property.

Conflicts the song addressed.
The crops aren't enough to pay loans. (Man vs. government)
When life is difficult he feels like dying. (Man vs. self)

Make a claim about Mellencamp's use of symbolism/imagery.
Mellencamp uses a lot of symbols to represent life on a farm (scarecrow, plow, etc.); Mellencamp grew up on a farm.

Make a claim about his word choice.
He uses words like blood, scarecrow, and blackbird to create a bad situation.

He favors farmers because he shows how hard life is for a farmer.

Tone

The tone of quotes 1-3 is mysterious. Some words that add to the tone are (quote 1) "bizarre things, charms, gifts of witch-men" and (quote 2) "they had faces like grotesque masks" and (quote 3) "deathlike indifference". These words all have strange connotations and represent things that are unfamiliar.

The tone of the fourth quote is scared and then it changes to amazed. At first, he says "while I stood horror-struck". You can imagine from these words that he is disgusted and bit frightened of the people he's describing. Then when he talks about the white man he says "he was amazing". He does this to contrast the natives with the white people.

By "othering" another country, the people become unified because they share a similar belief.

"Batting Clean Up and Striking Out"

SOAPSTone

Subject: The subject of Dave Barry's Batting Clean-Up and Striking Out is the differences between men and women. These differences are illustrated by the examples he uses, for example, he explains how women have a need to keep things clean and men can't see dirt. He also uses differences in interest; men like sports and women don't care about sports.

Occasion: Batting Clean-Up and Striking Out was written in 1988. The essay's time of creation is conveyed when he mentions the World Series. The probable place of the essay's creation is the United States. He gives a lot of characteristics of stereotypical Americans.

The time and place of the essay's creation influence the essay by allowing the author to exaggerate stereotypes.

Audience: Dave Barry's specific audience for Batting Clean-Up and Striking Out is men with a good sense of humor. The author's target audience is exhibited by his emphasis on male interests (such as sports) and makes women's need to clean seem almost absurd.

Purpose: Dave Barry's purpose in Batting Clean-Up and Striking Out is to entertain. He adds in some funny anecdotes and exaggerates things. For example, women's ability to see dirt "at the level of molecules". Women obviously cannot see dirt that small, but we understand his point and it is funny.

Speaker: Dave Barry, an entertainer, thinks it's important to identify differences in people using humor so not to offend anyone. This is illustrated by his use of mockery and exaggeration. He gets his point across without actually hurting anyone.

Tone: Dave Barry shows a humorous and light attitude about the differences of men and women. These attitudes are expressed by his exaggerations, jokes, and anecdotes. The silly jokes and his humorous tone help his purpose because without them, it would be very difficult to make it entertaining for his audience.

Reading Blog # 3: 1984

Big Brother has won. By the end of the book, the Party has brainwashed so many people that very few people will think for themselves. And the people that actually do think are so few in numbers that they are powerless to change anything in society. Although Big Brother has failed to completely eliminate thought crime, they are able to suppress the "criminals" so that they have no impact on the overall society. The Party is even capable of brainwashing some "criminals" into thinking that they love Big Brother. Winston says, "Until they become conscious they will never rebel, and until after they have rebelled they cannot become conscious" (Orwell 70). This quote shows the helplessness of the people in having an impact on the government. The only way the Party can be brought down is, as Winston said, for the proles to rebel. The proles are not considered "people" so therefore, they don't abide by the Party's "laws". The proles have the ability to think for themselves and if they could realize their power, they could have an impact on the entire society. I think, in the end, Winston resolves to not think. He would rather become unconscious and simply follow the Party rather than think and stand up for what he knows is the truth. Ultimately, this shows that Big Brother has won. The Party may not have completely brainwashed Winston, but they convinced him that it is more worthwhile to simply remain unconscious. Throughout the novel we have experienced Winston's desperation for people to wake up and realize that everything the Party says is lies. But, in the end, Winston says, "Two gin-scented tears trickled down the sides of his nose. But it was all right, everything was all right, the struggle was finished. He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother." (Orwell 297). If he were to allow himself, I think Winston would still see that Big Brother and the Party are evil. However, instead he convinces himself that the struggle was against himself and that he actually loves Big Brother. This is what the Party wants, and therefore Big Brother has won.

Love Language

1. I assumed that the guy likes the girl and the girl is shy because she won't talk to him. Since the guy keeps trying to communicate with the girl, I assumed that he wants to get to know her.

2. The two people have different languages. The girl is deaf and the guy isn't. Since the guy can't talk to her, it makes communication really difficult.

3. The external conflict is the girl can't hear when the guy tries to talk to her.

4. The girl likes the boy but she is embarrassed by the fact that she's deaf. She has to decide whether to take a chance and get to know him or to ignore him.

5. The girl solves her internal conflict by telling the boy that she's deaf and he still likes her. The external conflict is resolved by the boy finding another way of communication, passing notes.

This Land is Your Land

- Guthrie's message is individualist because he constantly is referring back to "you" and "I" which gives indicates single persons seeking their own way in this land. Also, he paints an image that seems like there's an individual wandering over the land who is free to do what he'd like to do. This emphasizes the feeling that people can do what they please with there life and no one can stop them.

- It is anti-government. He sets a mood that is very free-spirited and unconstrained. For example, when he says "I saw above me an endless skyway. I saw below me a golden valley" he creates a feeling of being almost boundless. Then when he says "and on the sign it said "No Trespassing", but on the other side it didn't say nothing, that side was made for you and me" he seems almost to disregard the government (represented by the sign) and he goes on to say the unconstrained part was made for "you and me".

The Egg Questions

1. Before he was a cheerful man who helped others and liked to relax after work. After he married, he became ambitious and worked very hard to improve his life.

2. He thinks chickens represent the bad parts of life and disappointment.

3. He was surrounded with death growing up. He's seen a lot of failure which has made him cautious and wary of things.

4. The deformed chickens represent the weird things that can come out of seemingly normal things.

5. He decides to entertain. This is wrong because he initially started out to try and change his life. This is fine, but it's different when you try and change who you are. When his dad tries to be entertaining, it only makes the situation awkward and uncomfortable.

6. Where eggs are concerned in his life, there will be disappointment. The "victory" of the egg is that eggs have caused another disappointment in his life.

American Friendships

To say someone is your friend sounds a lot better than to say someone is an acquaintance because it suggests that the two people enjoy each others' presence and like each other. As a result of this, Americans have gotten into the habit of calling everyone they're associated with their friend. Since it's not likely to be close to every single person you're associated with, it seems almost as if these friendships have no depth or meaning. This causes others to view it as superficial.

Collective/Individualist Cultures

1. In a collectivist culture traits such as charitable and generous would be considered ideal. In an individualist culture traits such as independent, assertive, and innovative would be ideal.

2. In a collectivist culture you might not associate with higher class people because there isn't a strive to improve status.

3. If a collectivist teacher taught in an individualist society, parents of students might be angry at the teacher for not giving individual children attention. For example, if there was one student that exceptionally smarter than the other students, that child's parents might be angry with the collectivist teacher for not challenging the student to reach his/her full potential.

4. It's mostly neutral but it has almost a negative connotation because it suggests that you aren't friends with the person.

Reading Blog #2: 1984

        Winston's having a difficult time buying into what Big Brother says because he started thinking logically. By forming his own thoughts he realizes that the government lies to everyone. This makes him wonder about what is actually true and why everyone follows the government. After he starts thinking about these things, he sees all the flaws in Big Brother and what he says. In 1984, Winston is protesting the Party, and by protesting he is breaking the law. In Winston's society, simply considering that the government might be wrong is a crime. Protesting in Orwellian society is very different than protesting in our modern world. For one, in our society people can scream and shout against the government without worrying about being tortured or vaporized. On the other hand, in Winston's world, just by thinking too much, he knows that he will eventually be caught and killed. Also, in our society, there are numerous ways of protesting that are not against the law and even protected as a right. In 1984, any form of protest was a crime.

"2+2=5" by Radiohead

- What is the song talking about lyrically?
The lyrics are saying that if you ignore what's going on/you don't pay attention or act up, others will take control, and you won't be able to change anything.

- How does the music mirror or help push the message?
At first, the voice is very muffled and blurry. You can't really tell what he's saying. This reflects the idea of not speaking up and not paying attention. Then when the singer says "pay attention" it's a lot stronger and it sounds almost panicked. This shows the urgency to realize what's going on before it's too late. It also emphasizes his desperation to convince people to pay attention.

- The title is an allusion to 1984. Explain the connection.
In the story, Winston Smith talks about how in his society nobody thinks for themselves and they follow whatever the government says. So, if the government says that 2+2=5, everyone would believe it. In the song, the the singer is trying to get everyone to pay attention so that they don't reach a society where if the government says 2+2=5 they believe it.

Globalization and Conflict

- Identify the conflict. Is it external or internal?
The conflict is about the different views of different cultures, and whether women are subjugated by exposing too much or covering too much.

- How/why does globalization create conflict?
Globalization creates conflict by engaging opposing cultures that have different values, morals, and beliefs.

- What does she mean by one direction?
She means that the west influences other cultures, but other cultures don't have much impact on the west.

- What benefit does she mention?
Globalization helps to create role models.

- What 2 sources does she mention?
The Constitution for the west, and the Qur'an for Muslims.

Reading Blog #1: 1984

          In the book 1984 by George Orwell, the government creates a society where people are all the same. The people are supposed to remain "unconscious" (not have individual thoughts) and agree that whatever Big Brother/the government says is the truth. The government achieves this by having the Thought Police monitor everyone and ensure that people who commit thoughtcrimes are dealt with. Conflict and individual rights are also reduced. The people are convinced that individuality is bad (one of the slogans is "freedom is slavery") and they are encouraged to not develop opinions and thoughts (another slogan is "ignorance is strength"). The government gets everyone to think they're happy by altering the past so that there is factual proof to support that the present is better than the past (before the Revolution). Also, anyone who disagrees or has their own thoughts is caught by the Thought Police and vaporized. The past is then altered again and vaporized people have never existed. In this book, George Orwell creates a dystopia. Nothing is perfect about the society, and everything the government does/says is based off of lies. The people aren't actually happy, the government just convinces them that they are. Also, conflict is avoided within the society because the government kills anyone who opposes, but conflict is not actually in anyway reduced because, as a matter of fact, the Party supports war and encourages violence.

Utopia

- What is a utopia?
A utopia is a perfect world where everyone is equal and happy. Everything is good and there are never any conflicts or wars.

- What is your ideal world? Explain.
My ideal world would be one without bullies or crimes. Also there wouldn't be homeless people and starvation. Necessary resources to survive are available to everyone and people don't get jealous of the things others have.

- What type of music would be the soundtrack for your utopia?
The soundtrack for my utopia would be happy, bright, and smooth music. I would have music that sets a positive mood and inspires people. For example, "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey.

Chuck Baird

- Make a claim about the artist's voice.
The artist wants to emphasize the importance of communication. She does this by drawing hands and mouths.

- Identify a culture.
The culture is focused on deaf people.

- Make a claim about the culture.
Deaf people value interaction and communication.

Built to Spill- You Were Right

- Make an inference about the lyrical content of the song and explain it.
The song writer experienced some kind of pain or loss. The lyrics say "you were right when you said you can't always get what you want" showing that the singer didn't get something he wanted.

- Write one analytic statement about the musical content of the song and explain/support it.
The upbeat tempo of the song destroys the mood. The lyrics are sad because the singer keeps saying the depressing things that "you" were right about but the tempo makes the listener want to think the song is happy, so they contradict.

- Make one evaluative statement about the song's overall effectiveness and support it.
The overall song is not very effective. The mood of the lyrics conflicts with the mood of the instrumentals which leaves the listener a bit confused about the message the singer's trying to get across.

Young Life

- Make 3 claims about the painting.
1. CLAIM: The boy aspires to be like the young man. FACT: The boy is standing in a similar position as the young man.
2. CLAIM: The painter wanted to show that many families are dependent on the man. FACT: The man is standing proudly with the woman leaning on him.
3. CLAIM: The man shot the dear. FACT: There's a dead dear on top of the truck, and the man is holding a gun.

FORMAL, ACADEMIC TONE PARAGRAPH:
     In "Young Life" the little boy aspires to be like the young man. The boy stands apart from the man and the woman in an independent manner, showing that he wants to be strong and on his own. Also, the boy is holding a sturdy stick, similar to how the man is holding a gun. This shows that the boy things that in order to appear strong, he needs a manly prop. Lastly, the position the little boy is standing in resembles that of a defensive, strict man. Since the boy wants to be a man, it makes sense that he would take the form and appearance of one.

The Avett Brothers: Shame

- Identify the subject and tone.
The subject is shame and the tone is a little bit sad but peaceful at the same time. It seems like the artist feels regretful but also hopeful.

- 3 words that push the tone and explain how they do that.
1. fade: it has a gentle and subtle connotation, but it also makes you feel a bit sad because it suggests that things are disappearing.
2. "my heart was always fairly cold posing to be as warm as yours": emphasizes the contrast of what people are and what they should be. It also adds to the singer's feeling of shame.
3. lift: shows the subject as a heavy burden or like a weight on him.

Critical Reading

Summary:
     Thinking and reading critically are both important in helping to improve one's own writing. However, criticizing does not imply that one has to be mean or ruthless (which a lot of people think it does because of its bad connotation), instead it means applying one's judgement and analyzing the piece. In analyzing writing, not only is it necessary to identify a meaning and/or thesis behind the author's words, it is also required to infer the reasons behind certain messages and to link several messages within the writing to form a purpose for everything that the author chose to do. After analyzing and reading critically, one will be able to identify the pieces of writing most unified and most coherent. With this important experience and knowledge, one will be able to improve one's own ability to write uniformly with depth and purpose.

American Tones

- What's voice in literature?
In literature voice is the tone and personality of the author. It's also the attitude the author uses to get across what he/she is trying to say. We can tell the voice of the author by the word choice and phrasing the author chooses.

- How do you create voice in literature?
Voice is created by a mixture of everything in your writing piece. For example, your choice of adjectives adds to your voice and the style you choose to write with also adds to it. You can't create voice through one specific element, voice is created by the overall mood and tone of the piece.

- Is creating voice intentional or not?
I think that when the author writes about an unfamiliar subject or to an unfamiliar audience, the voice he/she chooses to use is intentional. However, when the author is comfortable and familiar with the subject/audience, his/her voice is unintentional.

- What can we learn about the author from how they approach a topic?
One thing we can learn from the way the author approaches the topic is their personality, for example, if they're straightforward, or if they prefer to talk around the subject.

- Why and how is voice important in different genres?
The voice the author uses sets the mood for the piece and certain tones fit genres better than others. For example, the voice in a children's fairy tale would have a very different voice than that of a book for a college course. It's important because it determines what sounds more appropriate for what occasions.

Eleanor Rigby- Pain vs. Beatles

- I like the original version (Beatles version) better because it's a lot more calm and easier to understand. Also, it has more meaning since they wrote the lyrics and came up with the idea of the whole song.
- The original is also more aesthetically pleasing to listen to because it's less harsh and more laid back sounding. Also, the instrumentals are more soothing to listen to, for instance the violin makes the feeling of the original a lot more comfortable than the Pain version (which you can just hear a lot of loud screaming).

Sign Language

- What single effect did you get from this short film?
After watching the video, I'm left with one single feeling, a single effect. Everything I feel during the film leads me to the feeling of appreciation. Throughout the film, I experience emotions of happiness, hopefulness, and even loneliness, but all these emotions add up in the end to give me the feeling of appreciation.

- Give 3 specific things that led you to that single effect.
In the film, Ben's costume helped me to find the single effect of appreciation. The weather is cold and rainy, and instead of complaining about it, Ben is bundled in many jackets and gloves speaking comfortably and with a tone of satisfaction and pride. This helped me to realize that even with foul weather and sad things in life, we can always find a way to appreciate other things. Also, the way that the camera zoomed on the girl's face when Ben said "the beautiful things" helped to emphasize that we need to appreciate the love and beauty in life. Lastly, the way that Ben managed to find happiness in a job that most people would find a hassle, made me realize that we can always appreciate the things we have.

- If you could change one aspect what would it be and how would it change the film's single effect?
If we changed the music, the entire film would loose the feeling of calmness and peacefulness. This would be bad because the watchers may find the film too busy, and not be able to see the single effect of appreciation in the film. This would be a negative change.

"Shooting an Elephant"

SUBJECT

            The subject of George Orwell’s “Shooting an Elephant” is imperialism. In his essay, George Orwell explains that he personally would not have liked to kill the elephant, however to prevent ridicule and humiliation from the natives, he shot the elephant. This is all connected to imperialism because, the British tyranny in Burma at the time caused the natives to despise Europeans, and George Orwell (being a European) was highly disliked. To maintain his superiority to the natives, George Orwell presented them with what they asked of him, he killed the elephant.  

OCCASION

            “Shooting an Elephant” was set during the 1920’s in Burma (or present day Myanmar). The action of the story takes place in the town of Moulmein, in Lower Burma. Through George Orwell’s writing, it is made pretty clear to the audience that his narration was set in a time of British oppression. For example, George Orwell states that while in Moulmein, “[he] was sub-divisional police officer of the town, and in an aimless, petty kind of way anti-European feeling was very bitter,” from this we can infer that there was a general hatred towards Europeans in the area. Also, George Orwell straight up claims the tyranny of the British by saying, “I thought of the British Raj as an unbreakable tyranny, as something clamped down, in saecula sauculorum, upon the will of prostrate peoples,”

AUDIENCE

            George Orwell’s specific audience for “Shooting an Elephant” is Europeans in general. The author’s target audience is revealed by his constant inner-debate about who he hates more, the oppressive British, or the jeering Burmese natives. George Orwell hated the Burmese because they made his life difficult and harassed him. At the same time, he hated the British tyranny because it caused the Burmese’ hatred towards Englishmen. This shows that his essay is geared towards Europeans because it shows that he’s trying to suggest to them that major issues lie within British imperialism.

PURPOSE

            George Orwell’s purpose in “Shooting an Elephant” is to express his opinions on imperialism. George Orwell most blatantly points this out when he says “I had already made up my mind that imperialism was an evil thing and the sooner I chucked my job and got out of it the better.” He also supports his opinion throughout the text. He suggests that British oppression is degrading to the natives of the country and that it also causes Englishmen to act on the favor of the natives in order to maintain their superiority.

SPEAKER

            George Orwell believes that conquerors of a foreign land should not oppress the natives of that land. George Orwell emphasizes that when he claims that “[he] was all for the Burmese and all against their oppressors, the British.” He supports his opinion when saying this because, as the readers, we know that George Orwell hated the Burmese and for him to be able to agree with them on their anger towards the British oppressors was a big deal.

            George Orwell expresses his opinion through the format of a short story. By making his statement through his story about shooting an elephant, he was able to retain the readers’ attention. It also made his essay a lot more entertaining. All this, helped to attract more readers and thus, spread his opinion.

TONE

            George Orwell’s tone throughout “Shooting an Elephant” was friendly yet stern. George Orwell was friendly through his use of a personal experience. Also, in the beginning, he writes as if he were speaking to his reader one-on-one. At the same time, George Orwell’s voice is stern because he is addressing an issue that is serious to him and of concern to him. 

Rockwell's "The Runaway"

         Rockwell's painting of "The Runaway" depicts a young boy sitting at the counter (of what looks like an old fashioned cafe) with an officer. The painting gives the feeling that American lives are stagnant and everyday culture is the same. Because of the time period, the painting emphasized just how much change was in society. It shadows America's counter culture by providing a memory of culture before, almost wishing to go back to the days where nobody spoke of reform and thoughts were simple. However, we know that this was not the case, and therefore, Rockwell's "The Runaway" overlooks the fundamental rift that was rising in America throughout the 1950's - an emerging counter culture that was not concerned with how things were in America but rather how things are.

"Across the Universe"

- Identify three images in this song.
1. "Pools of sorrow, waves of joy drifting through my open mind" This provides the image of a person experiencing and accepting all kinds of emotions.
2. "Sounds of laughter, shades of joy" Here, you can see happiness all around the world.
3. "Limitless undying love, which shines around me like a million suns, it calls me on and on across the universe" You see a person surrounded by love.

- Are any of these images symbols in context? Explain.
In this song, the speaker's world/universe is a symbol of his life and all the components included in his life. And using the previous symbol, the "love like a million suns [that] calls [him] on and on across the universe" is a symbol of the loved ones in his life, supporting him throughout his life. In context, these images are symbols because it is the universe is the focus of his song and the "love like a million suns" provides a connection to his life.

- Explain one symbol that you know to be symbols. What makes it more than an image?
The world/universe is a symbol of his life, it is more than an image because it is a reoccuring subject and signifies something more to him than just the surface definition.

"Inspiration Information" Shuggie Otis

- The mood of the song is happy and positive. The singer seems content.

- There are many musical elements that create this "vibe". The singer is singing in a major key which automatically makes the listener feel more comfortable and positive. Also, the guitar and drums accompany the singer with an upbeat tune and rhythm. The tempo is not too fast, but it also isn't dragging, it's at a comfortable pace.

- The major key made the mood more positive and bright. The keyboard, guitar, and drums in the background helped to keep the music flowing without rushing it too much. Overall, the song sets a positive mood for the listener.

"Semeadores" Diego Rivera

- SOAPSTone
Subject: the workers
Occasion: Mexican Revolution
Audience: working class
Purpose: to show the hardships of the working class
Speaker: artist
Tone: dreary, artist shows that the lives of workers are hard and not pleasant

- In the painting "Semeadores", Diego Rivera wanted to show the stress of the workers. He expresses this through many ways. Firstly, he shows the difficulty of the guy on the right's work. He shows this through the arch in his back. It looks almost as if he's pushing with all his body's weight on the shovel. Also, the colors in the painting are very neutral and muddy looking. This expresses that the workers aren't very high-spirited, they don't have much brightness in their lives, and that their work causes their lives to be difficult and a bit depressing. Lastly, the way that the two figures' bodies seem to flow into the field could emphasize the fact that this is where they belong and they can't leave their work.

Wilco's Writing Process

- Wilco and his band have an interesting process of song writing. For them, they start by working together to form a basic melody for the song. Then they add in all the other parts. When it seems like (to us) the song's complete, they then deconstruct the whole song and work with the parts. They meddle with each of the individual components of the song, until they are satisfied with ALL the parts. Then they reconstruct the song, and depending on how satisfied they are with the song, the song is complete.

- My writing process is very simple and generic. Before I start writing at all, I take a moment to gather my thoughts and think of the highlighting points that I would like to cover in my piece. Then, I take out a scratch paper and write up an outline of my paper. After this is finished, I write out the whole essay. Since I know that there's no way my piece will be perfect in one draft, I wait a couple hours, or even days, before re-reading the piece and editing it.

- For the outline of my piece, I make sure that I identify the thesis (if one's needed) and all the body paragraphs. For each of the body paragraphs, I write a quick summary covering the main argument of that paragraph and list details, quotes, examples, etc. that I could include. In the last paragraph, or conclusion, I make sure to identify a connection back to the introduction or to the thesis. After I've written my entire paper based on my outline and have waited a couple hours, I go back and read the piece from the first sentence to the last. While doing this, I mark places that seem to sound weird or have a funny wording. When I've finished reading the piece, I look back on the places I've marked and fix the word choices. Finally, I proof-read once more for grammatical errors.

Nostalgia

- Nostalgia is a feeling of remembrance. It's the feeling you get when you look back on a memory and all your senses suddenly reflect what it was like to be back there.

- When I hear this kind of music I think of an old movie. In the scenes, there are lots of children who live in a small, homely town. The children are laughing and running up and down a street, there also some other kids sitting outside their favorite ice cream parlor. I think of this because the song sounds as if it's been taken back to an old memory of childhood. Usually, memories of childhood involve special moments, or even just simple moments shared with the people you love in your favorite places.

- When I think of my childhood I always think of going to Cave Run Lake with my friends. Each year our parents would drive us out there, have a cookout, and then we'd go out on boat ride. Usually what triggers these memories is just the sight of kids running around in a big field or seeing kids with their parents gathered around a picnic table. Aside from this, whenever I think of my childhood, I also think of the time my parents took me and my sister to watch Disney On Ice. I remember trying to navigate through the big crowds of people while grabbing tightly onto my dad's hand before finally reaching our seats. For this memory, every time I see a mug/cup shaped in the form of an animal or a Disney character, I'm immediately reminded of this show. At this show, my parents bought me a plastic mug in the shape of Mufasa's head and my sister a mug in the shape of Mickey's head. Those two mugs were to be my favorite cups for a very long time! These are the two memories that stick out to me every time I think of my childhood.

A Pinch Of Poverty

- Major contributing factors to poverty include the economy, population size (over populated areas are likely to have a high rate of unemployment, unemployment can easily lead to poverty), health (those who are disabled may be incapable of finding work), and education.

- The artists portrays poverty in a helpless, sad, and gloomy way. The majority of the image uses darker and grayish colors. In the picture, the mother seems to be staring off into space with sort of a hopeless look on her face, the boy seems a bit sick, and only the young girl seems to have still have faith.

- The artist is trying to show that poverty is a very serious issue. There are entire families out on the streets and even though they are "innocent victims" of poverty, they seemed to be trapped (shown by the iron fence behind them) and in their dreary lifestyle.

- The artist paints the entire scene in a very realistic way, his style is the opposite of an abstract artist, this shows that the problem of poverty is very real and not a matter of imagination or creativity. The artist also uses a bright yellow to paint the flowers in the girl's hand to contrast the gray and gloomy surroundings, this emphasizes the somber mood of the family's lifestyle.

Poverty Response

In the articles "Live Free and Starve" and "The Singer Solution to World Poverty" both authors discuss the same issue, however they voice very different opinions. The author of the first article, Chitra Divakaruni, states that the United States' role in helping starving and poor children, "although well intentioned, are nonetheless misguided." Divakaruni argues that by trying to interfere too much with the poverty of other nations, we could actually harm their citizens more than help them. Divakaruni supports her argument by bringing up a bill that the House passed which forbade the import of goods from factories using forced or indentured child labor. Divakaruni stresses that although this idea may seem like a huge step towards abolishing forced/indentured labor, it also brings about a string of new problems, such as drastically higher rates of unemployment, then leading to more starvation, thievery, violence, ect. By bringing up this point, Divakaruni emphasizes that our nation does not fully understand the issues of another country and also that what may seem beneficial in our eyes, could actually be disastrous for others. Divakaruni's opinion is that the United States should not interfere unless fully willing to take on the responsibilities of the results. Singer's opinion is quite the opposite. In his eyes, every single person in the United States should, and needs to do everything in his/her power to help the children living in poverty. Singer conveys his ideas by giving scenarios and then comparing them back to an average life. Singer also uses rhetorical questions to get his readers to re-consider their morals, such as "what is one mounth's dining out compared to a child's life?" and "now you too have the information you need to save a child's life. How should you judge yourself if you don't do it?" These questions are intended to push readers into thinking about the amount of impact they could have on bettering an unfortunate child's life. Singer is trying to sway his readers (unlike Divakaruni) to making the decision of interfering and helping the poor as much as possible. In my opinion, both authors' opinions are too extreme. It should be our goal and priority to help those in need (in the ways that they would prefer) however it is also extremely unreasonable to ask any person (not to mention EVERY person) to hand over all their savings. It is true that U.S. citizens spend a lot on luxuries, and whereas most people can cut back, it shouldn't be asked of them to donate every cent not spent on necessities.

"Round & Round"

When the song first started, my initial thought was that the tone of the voices was very haunting, this idea was caused by the echoing noises. I tried to keep my bias aside (which was that haunting is creepy and bad) however now that the song's over I still find that I don't particularly like it. The main reason is probably because of the echoing voices, not only do they create a creepy mood, they also distract from the actual lyrics of the song and make it very difficult to understand what the artist is to trying to convey. Because I could not easily make out the words of the song, my mind tended to drift off to the background instrumentals and in particular, the bass guitar. The bass guitar kept a constant and repeating pattern throughout the song, and whereas this may help the artist to keep tempo, for the listener, it becomes a little too repetitive. I think the main reason that I didn't enjoy the song as much as I could have is because the song did not make it easy to focus on the lyrics. By the end, I realize that I don't know what the song's about and all I can remember is the repeating notes of the bass guitar.