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.
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