1. One needs to be able to look past a person's looks to be able to truly enjoy another's company.
2. Nature should be enjoyed while it is there to be had.
3. One should not fear death, for its omnipotent power is merely an illusion.
4. One needs to enjoy youth. It will be a lifetime regret if they do not.
5. A person's own mind can sometimes be their worst fear.
6. A person needs to make the most of their time on earth.
7. Nature is beautiful and should be experienced.
8. If humans want to survive, they need to work with nature rather than against it.
9. Appreciate beauty before time takes it away.
10. Time is more powerful than any other force.
11. Take the time to notice the world, one may not be able to tomorrow.
12. Enjoy the happiness in life before it is too late.
14. Too much of a good thing is dangerous. Love conquers all. Appreciate what one has before it is gone.
15. No one wins in war.
16. One person's life is insignificant to the rest of the world.
17. No one can escape life's miseries, so make the best out of it.
18. Although something might be popular, it may not be the right choice for everyone.
19. Freedom is a precious thing.
20. One should strive to find the truth. One should not judge what they do not know.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Grapes of Wrath Action Project
For my action project, I decided to contact the CEO of my phone company, Virgin Mobile, Inc. Recently, the company changed the plans available to customers. Instead of being able to pick and choose different things you want on your plan (such as unlimited texting, number of minutes, etc.), there are only three plans available and all are rather expensive (you can choose between a forty dollar plan, fifty dollar plan, or a sixty dollar plan). I decided to see what the reasons were for the change.
To get started, I searched for who the CEO was first. I discovered that Graeme Oxby is the current director of mobile and home phones in Virgin Media. After finding his name, I simply googled for his e-mail address, and I came across a website listing many CEO's e-mails. I found his, and then I composed an e-mail explaining who I was and what the project is about. Then I asked why the plans were changed and if it would be possible to access the old plans. I thanked him for his time and sent the e-mail, hoping at best to receive an automated response or something of the sorts.
To my surprise, less than an hour later, I received a response from Graeme Oxby. He addressed my question and informed me that they only choose to advertise what they think consumers will be most interested in and what will cater most to their wants. He said that the old options are still available, and if I am having difficulty finding them I can call customer service and they will straighten it out right away.
I have looked for the old options a lot, so they must be hidden very well. It is clever to advertise the most expensive plans the most (probably common sense for a company), but it is inconvenient when it is so difficult to find the cheaper options. Mr. Oxby was kind in his e-mail, and I did not see any reason to pursue the matter further. I encountered no obstacles in contacting him, which was very surprising.
This project has a clear connection with the Grapes of Wrath. The migrant people in the novel were so powerless because they did not have access to the people with the power. There were so many layers between them and the people that controlled most things that they had to deal with horrible, inhumane conditions. Back in the thirties, those layers were nearly impossible to get through (the example in the book is that the man ruining the farm is sent by the bank who is ordered by the East). Unfortunately, the migrant people could not go shoot everyone in the East. The people with power were faceless. Although our situations are not nearly as dire, it is still very important to give those people with power a face. We had to take down the layers between us and people with more power. Similar to the people in the Grapes of Wrath, we as consumers can be easily taken advantage of if we do not know the facts or bother to even ask. This can also be related to how the migrants were taken advantage of by Californians who lowered their wages so they really could not live off of them. If all the migrants knew that if all of them went to one place to get hired their wages would decrease, they might have been able to organize and make a change. If we as people are more informed to an injustice or more informed in general, we can make a change as more people are educated to this fact. I think this project was assigned for several reasons. First, there is a good connection to the Grapes of Wrath. We can see what the migrants might have had to go through (not in the same way, they obviously did not have the Internet) to start breaking down the layers between them and people with power. There is a good connection with the unit. Another reason is to build confidence and grow in the ability to talk to people, especially CEO's. This is a skill we will probably need later in life. It is probably fun to see us feeling uncomfortable also.
To get started, I searched for who the CEO was first. I discovered that Graeme Oxby is the current director of mobile and home phones in Virgin Media. After finding his name, I simply googled for his e-mail address, and I came across a website listing many CEO's e-mails. I found his, and then I composed an e-mail explaining who I was and what the project is about. Then I asked why the plans were changed and if it would be possible to access the old plans. I thanked him for his time and sent the e-mail, hoping at best to receive an automated response or something of the sorts.
To my surprise, less than an hour later, I received a response from Graeme Oxby. He addressed my question and informed me that they only choose to advertise what they think consumers will be most interested in and what will cater most to their wants. He said that the old options are still available, and if I am having difficulty finding them I can call customer service and they will straighten it out right away.
I have looked for the old options a lot, so they must be hidden very well. It is clever to advertise the most expensive plans the most (probably common sense for a company), but it is inconvenient when it is so difficult to find the cheaper options. Mr. Oxby was kind in his e-mail, and I did not see any reason to pursue the matter further. I encountered no obstacles in contacting him, which was very surprising.
This project has a clear connection with the Grapes of Wrath. The migrant people in the novel were so powerless because they did not have access to the people with the power. There were so many layers between them and the people that controlled most things that they had to deal with horrible, inhumane conditions. Back in the thirties, those layers were nearly impossible to get through (the example in the book is that the man ruining the farm is sent by the bank who is ordered by the East). Unfortunately, the migrant people could not go shoot everyone in the East. The people with power were faceless. Although our situations are not nearly as dire, it is still very important to give those people with power a face. We had to take down the layers between us and people with more power. Similar to the people in the Grapes of Wrath, we as consumers can be easily taken advantage of if we do not know the facts or bother to even ask. This can also be related to how the migrants were taken advantage of by Californians who lowered their wages so they really could not live off of them. If all the migrants knew that if all of them went to one place to get hired their wages would decrease, they might have been able to organize and make a change. If we as people are more informed to an injustice or more informed in general, we can make a change as more people are educated to this fact. I think this project was assigned for several reasons. First, there is a good connection to the Grapes of Wrath. We can see what the migrants might have had to go through (not in the same way, they obviously did not have the Internet) to start breaking down the layers between them and people with power. There is a good connection with the unit. Another reason is to build confidence and grow in the ability to talk to people, especially CEO's. This is a skill we will probably need later in life. It is probably fun to see us feeling uncomfortable also.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Reflection on Chinua Achebe's Article
Chinua Achebe had many good points in his article, "An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad's Heart of Darkness". The article asserts that Conrad was a racist and his novel is a racist work. Achebe states that it is so common in today's society to view Africa as a foil to Europe that the subtle racism in Conrad's novel doesn't jump out at anyone. However, throughout the book Africa and its inhabitants are portrayed as lesser or not as civilized compared to Europeans. It is very interesting how Achebe shows that Conrad is bothered when things are out of place. For example, Kurtz left Europe. He was not in his right place, so he went insane. He could not control the evil in him once he left "civilization" and he was lead into temptation. Conrad also portrayed Africans as uncivilized in their use of language in his book. Caucasians spoke very well, while natives usually only grunted, or they used English to show how uncivilized they were. This is shown when they express how they want to eat a man. I think this shows why Achebe really emphasized language in Things Fall Apart. Language is important to civilization.
Achebe shows how deep the problem of viewing Africa as lesser is in Western minds. He references a psychologist who analyzed Conrad in many ways in a book, and he failed to mention that Conrad might have been racist. This seems completely normal to people. People don't even notice that part of Heart of Darkness unless it is pointed out. Even a person who did many good things in Africa stated, "The African is indeed my brother, but my junior brother." They are commonly viewed as savage. This could show insecurities in Western minds, to have the need to make an antithesis to our civilization. This again brings up the question is it human nature to create an "other" or were we just raised that way? Overall, Achebe's essay was very well organized and made many good points.
Achebe shows how deep the problem of viewing Africa as lesser is in Western minds. He references a psychologist who analyzed Conrad in many ways in a book, and he failed to mention that Conrad might have been racist. This seems completely normal to people. People don't even notice that part of Heart of Darkness unless it is pointed out. Even a person who did many good things in Africa stated, "The African is indeed my brother, but my junior brother." They are commonly viewed as savage. This could show insecurities in Western minds, to have the need to make an antithesis to our civilization. This again brings up the question is it human nature to create an "other" or were we just raised that way? Overall, Achebe's essay was very well organized and made many good points.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Analysis of The Awakening Through the Clash of Two Cultures
The thesis of this article is that The Awakening was really concerned with the effects of a clash between two cultures rather than advocating for women's liberation.
Contrary to what most people choose to believe, The Awakening, by Kate Chopin, is not necessarily a book about how women were oppressed in the late 1800's. In the essay I read, by Nancy Walker, Walker argues that, instead, Chopin could have been trying to show what happens when two cultures with opposite beliefs come together.
Edna grew up as a part of a Presbyterian family in Kentucky. It is implied in the novel that her father was even the preacher, so the strict morals that came along with being a Presbyterian were probably very strongly enforced in her family. She grew up unable to express herself because sexuality and outward displays of affection were frowned upon by her society. Edna was taught not to show emotions, especially emotions that might make her act outside of the morals of Presbyterian society, such as how she feels for Robert or Arobin.
However, when Edna marries Leonce Pontellier, she is now forced to live in a culture that is very much the opposite of the one she was raised in. The Creoles that Edna lived with since her marriage were very sensual people. They were Catholic, but they were not bound by the strict rules that Edna grew up with. For the first many years of her marriage, Edna does not seem to change her ways very much. It is likely that she continued to live how she did in Kentucky. This is supported by the fact that she was still shocked when Madame Ratignolle held her hand. As a part of their culture, the Creoles did not give much thought to consequences. They openly danced, gambled, and enjoyed life for the moment. They are openly affectionate towards each other. Edna was taught to suppress these feelings, so when she sees people expressing them, it comes as a sort of culture shock. She is unable to partake in these displays of emotions for a while, and the book is written when she starts to accept the culture.
As many people that decide to try something new do, Edna goes overboard when she decides to finally take part in the culture she married into. Robert and Adelle represent proper conduct in Creole culture. They are expressive yet reserved so as not to cross a line. Robert stops himself when he sees that he has the ability to do something that is absolutely taboo. Edna, since she is so new to these ideas, is unable to regulate how she acts when she is trying to behave regarding these cultural norms rather than the Puritanical ideas she was raised with. She gives in too much to her own whims and desires. This results in her acting without regard to consequence, as we see throughout the book. Edna's suicide shows her failure to adapt to the Creole culture.
I believe that the points in this article were very well argued and supported. The author was short and to the point and her argument was clear. I can definitely see how this point of view can be true. This is also supported by the fact that the rest of the marriages in the story are happy marriages, which was another point brought up by Walker. I believe The Awakening may be a book about a culture clash rather than women's liberation, and I think that both points should be taught to students studying the book.
Contrary to what most people choose to believe, The Awakening, by Kate Chopin, is not necessarily a book about how women were oppressed in the late 1800's. In the essay I read, by Nancy Walker, Walker argues that, instead, Chopin could have been trying to show what happens when two cultures with opposite beliefs come together.
Edna grew up as a part of a Presbyterian family in Kentucky. It is implied in the novel that her father was even the preacher, so the strict morals that came along with being a Presbyterian were probably very strongly enforced in her family. She grew up unable to express herself because sexuality and outward displays of affection were frowned upon by her society. Edna was taught not to show emotions, especially emotions that might make her act outside of the morals of Presbyterian society, such as how she feels for Robert or Arobin.
However, when Edna marries Leonce Pontellier, she is now forced to live in a culture that is very much the opposite of the one she was raised in. The Creoles that Edna lived with since her marriage were very sensual people. They were Catholic, but they were not bound by the strict rules that Edna grew up with. For the first many years of her marriage, Edna does not seem to change her ways very much. It is likely that she continued to live how she did in Kentucky. This is supported by the fact that she was still shocked when Madame Ratignolle held her hand. As a part of their culture, the Creoles did not give much thought to consequences. They openly danced, gambled, and enjoyed life for the moment. They are openly affectionate towards each other. Edna was taught to suppress these feelings, so when she sees people expressing them, it comes as a sort of culture shock. She is unable to partake in these displays of emotions for a while, and the book is written when she starts to accept the culture.
As many people that decide to try something new do, Edna goes overboard when she decides to finally take part in the culture she married into. Robert and Adelle represent proper conduct in Creole culture. They are expressive yet reserved so as not to cross a line. Robert stops himself when he sees that he has the ability to do something that is absolutely taboo. Edna, since she is so new to these ideas, is unable to regulate how she acts when she is trying to behave regarding these cultural norms rather than the Puritanical ideas she was raised with. She gives in too much to her own whims and desires. This results in her acting without regard to consequence, as we see throughout the book. Edna's suicide shows her failure to adapt to the Creole culture.
I believe that the points in this article were very well argued and supported. The author was short and to the point and her argument was clear. I can definitely see how this point of view can be true. This is also supported by the fact that the rest of the marriages in the story are happy marriages, which was another point brought up by Walker. I believe The Awakening may be a book about a culture clash rather than women's liberation, and I think that both points should be taught to students studying the book.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Personal Reaction to "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
The relationship between John and the narrator is very unhealthy, although it was probably quite normal for the time period. He treats her like a child, like she has no mind at all. She even has to live in a room with bars on the windows, as though she could not be trusted with regular windows. Whenever she attempts to communicate her concerns to him, he shoots her down but in the most loving way. It is clear that he truly cares about her, but he just does not seem to respect her as an individual and equal human being. They both, however, see this as being normal and probably the right way to do things, and nothing is ever done to fix (or even acknowledge in a conscious way) this issue in their relationship. Unconsciously, though, the narrator seemed to know that her relationship with John was unhealthy. She stated how she would get unreasonably angry with John for no apparent reason. She would wish that John would just leave her alone. It is likely that she had an unconscious desire for relationship in which she was viewed as equal.
The women behind the wallpaper could be viewed as being symbolic. They might have represented women in society back then. The wallpaper left the women unable to do anything other than creep around behind it. They were stuck there, unable to leave without the help of the narrator. This also shows how women were seen as being incapable of doing anything on their own. They were there to help the man and take care of the house. The man did all of the important work, like how the women could not get out of the wallpaper on their own. The wallpaper could have been a repressive force in society. It held the women back. It also kept the narrator's mind from wandering to anything worthwhile, which is just how society wanted her. She has to "creep around" in order to do anything she really wants to. This shows how repressed she is as a person. When she started creeping around in front of John, her unconscious desire could no longer lay dormant and she could not help but show others now what she truly wants.
The women behind the wallpaper could be viewed as being symbolic. They might have represented women in society back then. The wallpaper left the women unable to do anything other than creep around behind it. They were stuck there, unable to leave without the help of the narrator. This also shows how women were seen as being incapable of doing anything on their own. They were there to help the man and take care of the house. The man did all of the important work, like how the women could not get out of the wallpaper on their own. The wallpaper could have been a repressive force in society. It held the women back. It also kept the narrator's mind from wandering to anything worthwhile, which is just how society wanted her. She has to "creep around" in order to do anything she really wants to. This shows how repressed she is as a person. When she started creeping around in front of John, her unconscious desire could no longer lay dormant and she could not help but show others now what she truly wants.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
The Analysis of Ethan Frome Through Freudian Opinions
Ferda Asya, the author of the essay "Edith Wharton's Dream of Incest: Ethan Frome.", believed that Edith Wharton's unconscious guilt feelings of having incestuous desires gave her the drive to write the novella Ethan Frome. She uses Freudian analysis, statements from Edith Wharton in her autobiographies, and interprets Ethan Frome to support her thesis. Edith Wharton's failure to have a positive relationship with other men may have moved her to have incestuous feelings for her father, and social restraints along with her mother's strict upbringing caused her to have a need to be punished for having those feelings.
Edith Wharton was brought up by her mother, whom she stated as being more difficult to please than God. She also says that her mother caused her father's life to be miserable. This leads one to believe that Zeena probably represented her mother, and Ethan represented her father. Mattie would be Edith Wharton herself, who has a great connection with Ethan (her father). Edith Wharton had a failed marriage and a failed relationship with her lover. She wished for the company of her father now, who was the one man that she had a good relationship with. Since she had experienced a sexual love when she had her extra-marital affair, she now wished for that type of relationship with her father, along with the intellectual connection. Her father, like Ethan with Zeena, did not have an intellectual or emotional connection with his wife. The missing "L" of the Frome house represents the missing warmth and substance of Ethan's marriage, which represents the marriage of Wharton's parents. Wharton thought she would be able to fill that void in his life, and she longed to do so.
Another important part of the Freudian analysis is the idea of "punishment dreams". If we can regard Ethan Frome as a type of dream, then it becomes clear that Wharton may have been using the novel as a way to punish herself for having "naughty" thoughts towards her father and as a result, towards her mother. According to Freud, dreams only exist as a way to fulfill wishes. The punishment dream is also a fulfillment of a wish. Wharton wanted to be punished because she believed she deserved it, and if she was punished then she might be able to forgive herself, or God might be able to forgive her. However, we see Ethan being punished more than Mattie is. Ethan has to endure the life with Zeena for seven years prior to Mattie's arrival. This may be a case of "displacement", when guilt feelings are moved from herself onto her father. Displacement occurs due to censorship from the dreamer. Wharton was unaware of her guilt, since it only existed in her subconscious mind. Therefore, displacement could have easily occurred in Wharton's mind since she was unaware of her guilty conscience. Ethan is not only punished through his tortured life with Zeena, but through his moral weakness as well. Ethan's morals are not strong as he is easily swayed by Mattie to kill both of them and leave his wife to a difficult life. In the end of the story, however, both Ethan and Mattie are punished. They go down the sled hill first just to enjoy themselves, and they come out fine. The second time, they intend to kill themselves. This is in direct defiance of Zeena. This calls for the ultimate punishment- being stuck in Starkfield with Zeena, physically with each other but unable to be together truly. They really deserve to be punished for attempting to rebel against the "mother", who Edith Wharton feared most throughout her life. Social norms, however, also played a part in Ethan and Mattie's downfall. Incest is an extreme taboo in society. Divorce was never much of an option either in the 1900's, so unless Edith wanted her father to commit adultery with her, another taboo, she had to ignore her feelings for him.
I believe that the author of the article presented her point very well. She was a bit repetitive, however. That did not take away from the overall quality of the article and I thought it was very worthwhile to read. I agree with the opinions of the author, or to an extent at least. I believe that an incestuous desire for her father may have influenced her writing a bit, and the desire to be punished also influenced her. The article did get confusing at one point when it kept claiming that Wharton was completely unconscious of her guilt, but at one point it claimed that she was semi-conscious of it. I am unsure of if I agree with the author at this part, but I believe that Edith Wharton was somewhat conscious of her feelings of guilt due to her desire for her father.
Edith Wharton was brought up by her mother, whom she stated as being more difficult to please than God. She also says that her mother caused her father's life to be miserable. This leads one to believe that Zeena probably represented her mother, and Ethan represented her father. Mattie would be Edith Wharton herself, who has a great connection with Ethan (her father). Edith Wharton had a failed marriage and a failed relationship with her lover. She wished for the company of her father now, who was the one man that she had a good relationship with. Since she had experienced a sexual love when she had her extra-marital affair, she now wished for that type of relationship with her father, along with the intellectual connection. Her father, like Ethan with Zeena, did not have an intellectual or emotional connection with his wife. The missing "L" of the Frome house represents the missing warmth and substance of Ethan's marriage, which represents the marriage of Wharton's parents. Wharton thought she would be able to fill that void in his life, and she longed to do so.
Another important part of the Freudian analysis is the idea of "punishment dreams". If we can regard Ethan Frome as a type of dream, then it becomes clear that Wharton may have been using the novel as a way to punish herself for having "naughty" thoughts towards her father and as a result, towards her mother. According to Freud, dreams only exist as a way to fulfill wishes. The punishment dream is also a fulfillment of a wish. Wharton wanted to be punished because she believed she deserved it, and if she was punished then she might be able to forgive herself, or God might be able to forgive her. However, we see Ethan being punished more than Mattie is. Ethan has to endure the life with Zeena for seven years prior to Mattie's arrival. This may be a case of "displacement", when guilt feelings are moved from herself onto her father. Displacement occurs due to censorship from the dreamer. Wharton was unaware of her guilt, since it only existed in her subconscious mind. Therefore, displacement could have easily occurred in Wharton's mind since she was unaware of her guilty conscience. Ethan is not only punished through his tortured life with Zeena, but through his moral weakness as well. Ethan's morals are not strong as he is easily swayed by Mattie to kill both of them and leave his wife to a difficult life. In the end of the story, however, both Ethan and Mattie are punished. They go down the sled hill first just to enjoy themselves, and they come out fine. The second time, they intend to kill themselves. This is in direct defiance of Zeena. This calls for the ultimate punishment- being stuck in Starkfield with Zeena, physically with each other but unable to be together truly. They really deserve to be punished for attempting to rebel against the "mother", who Edith Wharton feared most throughout her life. Social norms, however, also played a part in Ethan and Mattie's downfall. Incest is an extreme taboo in society. Divorce was never much of an option either in the 1900's, so unless Edith wanted her father to commit adultery with her, another taboo, she had to ignore her feelings for him.
I believe that the author of the article presented her point very well. She was a bit repetitive, however. That did not take away from the overall quality of the article and I thought it was very worthwhile to read. I agree with the opinions of the author, or to an extent at least. I believe that an incestuous desire for her father may have influenced her writing a bit, and the desire to be punished also influenced her. The article did get confusing at one point when it kept claiming that Wharton was completely unconscious of her guilt, but at one point it claimed that she was semi-conscious of it. I am unsure of if I agree with the author at this part, but I believe that Edith Wharton was somewhat conscious of her feelings of guilt due to her desire for her father.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Reflection for Sonnet 129
The theme of this sonnet appears to be lust. The speaker might be ranting in this sonnet about his long time feelings for this woman creating frustration over not having her. This might be the reason why the majority of the sonnet is negative rather than positive. Perhaps love is driving him crazy, so he wrote the poem to take out some of his frustration, but it ended up just driving him crazy all over again because he thought about it more. This sonnet might also be him wondering "why did I do that?" or "how did that happen?" These could be his thoughts before, during, and after his actions regarding the lust he felt since he used all three tenses of verbs in line ten of the sonnet.
This sonnet could be speaking about the vicious cycle that is lust. How it is difficult for humans to resist it, but it is not very good at the same time. In the end the speaker starts talking about lust like it was a good thing, and that he would do it again. Then in the last line of the couplet, the speaker says it is heaven and hell at the same time.
This sonnet could be speaking about the vicious cycle that is lust. How it is difficult for humans to resist it, but it is not very good at the same time. In the end the speaker starts talking about lust like it was a good thing, and that he would do it again. Then in the last line of the couplet, the speaker says it is heaven and hell at the same time.
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