Through Walter's Eyes

Why not! Why won't Mama give me the money to buy that store?  If we do invest it, we'll be able to buy a house ten times greater than the ones in Clybourne Park.  Ruth tells me she doesn't want God blaming her for all of the things customers might do drunk.  If she is giving me the money, how is the liquor store going to be on her ledger when she meets God?  Stupid old-fashioned mindsets.  Now with Ruth and the new baby, Mama is going to be even tighter about the money and will ignore the fact that the child won't be born for at least another 6 months.  Before then, I can get this family swimming in cash if she would allow me.  Beneatha will be able to go to medical school a thousand times if she wanted to, and I would let her; she needs to stop acting like if I have the money then she will never be able to go.  It's not like I don't want her to go, but I hate that she puts her education over the potential prosperity of the entire family.  I have Travis' education to worry about too, so it's not like I'm planning on throwing the money away!  I do not want to die telling my son "stories about how rich white people live..."(Hansberry 34).  Bobo and Willy are my only friends; isn't it truly shameful when a man's only friends are not even part of his family!

You didn't even look at it!

How Do I Include Moses?!

Today, the fictional stories we make up are still quite grounded in reality but run the risk of being reduced to stories of entertainment rather than stories of moral truth because of their specific nature.  Dexter in Winter Dreams is not the protagonist of a very heroic story.  Nothing in Winter Dreams on the scale of "Once upon time, there was Moses!  He helped a lot of people!" (I'm not necessarily claiming that was fictional, just comparing the level of heroism in both stories)  On the other hand, Dexter entertains Judy for a month and 3 days total and loses 5 years of life to unrequited love; on top of that, he wastes the time of his fiancee Irene Sheerer.  Once he realizes that everyone sees Judy as a average housewife, he "felt like getting very drunk" (Fitzgerald 957) until he saw pink elephants.  Very heroic indeed.  Fitzgerald's stories are can easily be reduced to simple pieces of interesting rhetoric that leave a lasting impression but do not affect us, the audience, directly.  Certain facets in Winter Dreams such as: Dexter's success, Judy's looks, and World War I, are not things that we can directly experience in day-to-day life nor are they things that we may want to experience.  Many times, the deepest meanings and applications to modern society found in Fitzgerald's stories require extensive logic and are at times stretchings of imagination.  Dexter's suffering can be taken to be as deliberate as it is truly agonizing because unrequited love, although being a realistic problem, is not one that is widespread nor considered serious.  Although the story of Moses is hard to emulate and apply to the modern day, its moral implications are still obvious and direct the lives of many whereas Dexter's story applies to a minority of people unlucky in love.

Better than Dexter.

Rose-Colored Glasses

When you were a child and really wanted something, your parents gave you a reluctant promise of providing it but what did they always say?  "Don't get your hopes up."  Yet our minds' tendency to dream and romanticized things makes this extremely difficult.  Romanticizing the past does nothing but stunt the present.  The more someone thinks and makes the past seem better than it was, the more they want to go back to it.  When this happens, he/she become so infatuated with the past that they stop developing his/her current life.  This is exactly what happens to Gatsby, "He talked a lot about the past, and I gathered that he wanted to recover something...His life had been confused and disordered since then," (Fitzgerald 110).  Another danger of romanticizing the past is the fact that if the past is partially reclaimed (Gatsby at least reunites with Daisy), the romanticized subject is never as impressive as dreamed-up counterpart.  To put this into context, when Gatsby gets Daisy to see his house after having tea at Nick's "Daisy tumbled short of his dreams-not through her own fault, but because of the colossal vitality of his illusion" (Fitzgerald 95). This proves that romanticizing the past does nothing but bring dissatisfaction and the same occurs when the future is romanticized.  Luckily, we tend to do the latter less often but it is still important to "define it[dreams] differently" (Glassner) when times become tough and the dreams move farther out of reach.  The danger with not following Glassner's advice is feeling disappointed whenever our dreams are mostly realized but certain facets are left out.  Dreaming is fine and healthy within reason, but romanticizing the past always keeps us stuck in the past, so our best course of action is keep those "rose-colored glasses" off.

Sources:

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/08/us/08dreampoll.html?_r=0

The Green Light

"I could have sworn he was trembling.  Involuntarily I glanced seaward-and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far way, that might have been the end of a dock.  When I looked once more for Gatsby he had vanished, and I was alone again in the unquiet darkness."  (Fitzgerald 21)

This passage has elicited the most profound reaction from me.  It is a great example of the masterful imagery found in The Great Gatsby.  In my mind, the scene takes place in a cold, dark night, and Gatsby is only barely visible.  There is a thick mist across the sea and the green light fractures in every droplet with a slow, beating frequency similar to the core of dead star.  This scene also adds depth to the personalities of this historical era of excess and extravagance.  We don't know anything about Gatsby at this point in time other than the fact that he is extremely rich.  People usually assume that rich people is perfectly fulfilled but this scene shows otherwise.  The trembling hints at a void in Gatsby's life and a strong desire for something important, something money can't buy.  The misty night, the shrouded personality of Gatsby, and the fact that we are viewing this world through the eyes of Nick Carraway, who is still figuring out where he fits in this complex, high society, create such a strong air of mystery that makes this book impossible not to continue reading.  This passage is a wonderful example of keeping a novel interesting and engaging from the onset.

We Change, So Must Language

What critics of grammatical evolution don't understand that is that they are fighting for a lost cause.  Language has and will continue to change as long as it is in use.  It will never reach the point of simplicity to where our sentences look like "Gr8 C u l8r @ skul" (Hitchings) so such fears are baseless.  This is proven by the fact that the users of this kind of language-which is pretty much everyone with a cell phone-do not use it in formal writing.  There must be a solid, complete, and universal allowance of such language for it to become the norm, but there are no seemingly rational circumstances under which this would come to pass.  The fact that Elizabeth Austen claims that there is a "dogma of the period" (Austen) exposes the unnecessary nature of rules as strict as they currently are.  Statements like these from accomplished authors like Austen have sufficient credibility because of the fact that their career choice was based on a love for writing, and complaining about something one love highlights the fact that there may be true flaws in a system that deserve consideration.  Lewis Thomas expresses dislike of certain rules and marks in statements like "Exclamation points are the most irritating of all" (Thomas) and "Colons are a lot less attractive" (Thomas); now, such complaints would be acceptable to hear from a teenager-who may not have mastery of such devices and is thus frustrated-but these are coming from a man has gained mastery of punctuation but still dislikes it.  It again emphasizes that, through a rational viewpoint, certain aspects of grammar and punctuation is obtuse and in need of revising.  The tumultuous opinion Ben Dolinick has had about semicolons as a result of Kurt Vonnegut's opinions brings up the question of who should we trust?  The answer is Vonnegut because of the mark he has made on English Literature as a whole which gives the ethos required to propose massive revisions in it.  The changes in language never happen because frustrated teenagers have a tough time dealing with it, but because the champions of the field truly believe that something in their line of work is amiss and needs fixing in order to be more accessible but equally enjoyable for all.

It won't get this bad, but everyone acts like it will

Morrison's Beautiful Language

"So strong was her affection and zest for life" (Morrison 69)

This particular line stuck me because of the contrast it illustrates between Velma and, quite frankly, every other character in the Bluest Eye.  Considering the fact that interracial marriage was a social taboo at the time of Elihue's youth, Velma is likely African American, but she carries a characteristic that no other African American character except perhaps Maureen does  The contrast this line creates makes it beautiful because it marks a refreshing change in diction for a period in the novel.  It made me interested in how her positive outlook on life will affect the content of the chapter.  I believed she might have a positive and drastic effect on Elihue, or may do things that improve her life and those around her.  However, that turned out to be a naive notion.  The broken man she leaves Elihue as on the next page keeps the novel's tone intact but also displays another positive characteristic in Velma, strength.  Despite living a subsistent existence before her marriage to Elihue, Velma chose to return to it instead of carrying out a boring but comfortable one with him.  She values her time spent on this Earth and doesn't want others selfishly wasting it; she makes the most of the life she is given, no matter how little she has been given.  Unlike Pecola, who only wishes for things in her life to improve, Velma takes the initiative in incrementally improving her life.  By including this line in The Bluest Eye, Morrison creates verisimilitude by including the fact that the real world is not populated by deeply flawed or hurt people, some people simply find a way to thrive against all odds.

The pawn, like Velma, does not falter in the face of adversity

Sources:

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

The Responsibility of the Community

Many people from many different communities have a hands-off approach to their surroundings.  If someone is being harassed in public, some people just walk by.  If someone is beat up at school and the staff does not know about it, most of the students who spectated to do not alert authorities because its "Not my problem".  Is this pragmatic approach of not helping others with their problems justified? The short and simple answer is no.  To elaborate, we live where we do in society in order to help each other and improve both our lives and those of others.  That is the essence of what makes us a town, city, or country.  Paying taxes helps the government make improvements for everyone.  However, that won't help the victimized school kid nor the family of the town drunkard.  People have a responsibility to help others when they do not share the same problems in order to equalize their positions.  It is true that helping others is a group effort and that getting between fights can be dangerous, but it is also true that group efforts start with an individual to ignite them.  Another way to think of this is "No one has to do everything… but, everyone has to do something. We all can do our part to have each other’s backs." One person needs to take the initiative in order for others in a community to help their fellow residents.  The civilian-to-police ratio is hugely disproportionate and it is impossible for everyone to be completely safe as a result of police work alone.  Community members must help.  Also, police officers are still human, thus their righteousness is not guaranteed.  The only way a community can be truly safe, is if its members take an active interest in ensuring the safety of their fellow members.  The lack of this characteristic in Pecola's community one of the root causes of its current harshness.

No help from bystanders

Sources:
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
http://www.ihollaback.org/resources/responding-to-harassers/

Makeovers Aren't Necessary

One part that stood out to me in the foreword of the Bluest Eye was the time the author stated that her friend wanted to have blue eyes.  That got me thinking of a scientific fact I heard a couple of years ago: we all have blue eyes.  The only difference between those having blue eyes and those not is that the latter have a thin layer of pigment covering their blue iris.  In fact, blue eyes can be acquired through a quick and noninvasive surgical procedure.  It is just a another reinforcement of the idea that appearance is superficial and that we are all equal.  No particular look or bodily feature is superior to another and should not be desired in place of your own to the point where you may be depressed from dissatisfaction from your appearance.  Although the iris surgery involves little risk and time, I strongly recommend not purchasing it.  This is for that same reason I hate tattoos; a person's body is uniquely made and should not be altered artificially in the effort to look more unique or different.  One of the keys to leading a happy life is to never be dissatisfied with your appearance even if it is not the desired one.  Good looks can increase confidence, but not by much because confidence is mainly a self-made entity and you are only aware of your appearance only a fraction of the time you are conscious.  Even if one is unhappy with their appearance, alterations are never necessary; appearance improves and declines exactly how money comes and goes, it is the wrong thing to be pursuing constantly and the pursuit never ends.

Sources:
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
http://www.stromamedical.com/page/physician-info

The Effects of Othering

Othering, or the expulsion of others socially in a hostile manner, is disgusting.  There is no other social context that dehumanizes one group more in a communal setting.  Yet, it has been and still is and inescapable flaw of society with prime examples being modern racism and gender inequality.  Women in today's society are given a preliminary judgment by others on their appearance even before a conservation is had with them.  Today, no matter what a woman wears "a woman's clothing...sends a message" (Tannen 390) what they wear always leads to the formation of predictions regarding her nature.  If she looks as if she has not tried to look good, it is considered hostile.  All of this leads to women not being considered human beings on the same plane of existence as men, but rather objects who should always maintain a pleasing or unique appearance.  The fact that in society men do not have to go through this and women do puts women in a oppressed and sub-human position.  Racism is the most common form of othering, as it effects both genders equally.  Skin color, height, appearance, clothing all affect the disposition people have towards a person.  As a "youngish black man-a broad six feet two inches with a beard and billowing hair" (Staples 205) Brent Staples was denied service because of his appearance.  A jewelry store owner "excused herself and returned with an enormous red Doberman" perceiving him as a threat and in effect, preventing Staples from a peaceful browse.  She effectively lowered Staples to a position below her by depriving him the right to be in her store.  Appearance once again made a group of people sub-human in comparison to another.  When Sherman Alexie read "Indians Lose Again" (Alexie 179) in the newspaper, he no doubt felt the impact of dehumanization as a result of how the headline inadvertently illustrated Native Americans as losers and an inferior race.  Othering has no positive use and only serves to make people feel less than human when, in reality, nothing can change the status of human.  There is no point in trying to prove a lack of humanity in a group of humans.

Sources:
"There Is No Unmarked Woman" by Deborah Tannen
"The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven" by Sherman Alexie
"Black Men and Public Space" by Brent Staples

Breaking The Bad Scarlet Letter (spoilers sorry)

After the reading the ending of the Scarlet Letter, I couldn't help but notice the similarities it had with  the ending ofmy second favorite show, Breaking Bad.  The main character of Breaking Bad, Walter White, is a mix of Dimmesdale and Chillingworth.  He is an educated man who uses his intelligence to do evil just like Chillingworth, and he lives a secret, sinful, second life like Dimmesdale.  Like Dimmesdale, Walter's life was revealed to all before his death, also Walter's death took place as soon as he ran out of targets for his malice (he ended up killing his final nemesis) similar to how Chillingworth's "evil principle was left with no further material to support it" (Hawthrone 255) .  Walter was able to leave a huge sum of money for his children before his death similar to how Chillingworth ended up setting up Pearl for life.  Hester and Walter's wife, Skyler, are both left to live lives of poverty and depression while their children progressed onward.  Also, Skyler becomes aware about Walt's actions halfway through the show and keeps helps him keep his secret unhappily, becoming a sinner just like her lover.  Also, the turing point in both stories had the couples (Hester and Dimmesdale, Skyler and Walt) almost achieving a life of total peace built on mutual agreement.  However both moments were ruined by a third party learning of their plans.  I believe that both stories ended in these dreary fashions for the same reason: to discourage behavior like that of the characters.  Stories like these are made to give more character to social deviants and layer them, explore their motivations and the circumstances that force them to such actions but sad endings remind the viewer or reader that the characters were in the wrong.  The similarities also show that limitations on how characters can be shown has stagnated.  Hawthorne would have been in quite a bit of trouble if Hester lived happily ever after or was depicted as stunningly beautiful in the place of the harsh features the original cover showed her with.  Similarly, Breaking Bad would have been perforated with controversy if Walt got away with all of his crimes and lived happily ever after despite deserving 10 lives in prison.

How you will end up looking if you sin.

Sources: The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Breaking Bad by Vince Gilligan

We Don't Need These Titles

One of the main points in Deborah Tannen's piece "There Is No Unmarked Woman" that stood out to me was the fact of how much a woman's title reveals about her.  The line "Women can't even fill out a form without telling stories about themselves" got me wondering whether or not these these titles are useful, and I decided they aren't.  I'm talking mainly about the social ones such as "Mr." and "Mrs./Ms.".  By mentioning the marital status of a woman, the title detracts from her social standing and this feature of the title is wholly unnecessary.  Of course, some married women prefer this way and enjoy having the title of "Mrs.", yet other women, who are no less happier with their marriage, rightfully wonder what their marital status has to do with their professional life.  Why should it matter if they are married or not?  If people believe that one should never mix their personal and professional life, then this is a valid scenario to practice that belief.  A bigger question is why does a man not have to disclose this information?  Although some may argue that married women have a choice in whether or not they change their title or use whichever one they want to; however, not using "Mrs." always causes people to jump to conclusions about the state of her marriage or her husband may not appreciate the decision.  It is for these reasons that unisexual titles such as "Esq." and "Dr." should be the norm and ones that denote marital status need to go.  They have no place in a society that prides itself in its self-proclaimed gender equality.

                                              (Also, why make it so complicated?)







Sources:
"There Is No Unmarked Woman" by Deborah Tannen
Article about professional titles-
http://www.emilypost.com/communication-and-technology/social-names-and-titles/774-professional-titles

When "Justice" Leads to Cruelty

No matter how good-intentioned the founders of a utopia were, the society has always fell into dystopia as a result of its flaws.  A great example would be Puritan society in The Scarlet Letter.  In it, one of the most unpleasant facets of society, the prison, was created first.  Why would a society aiming to be utopian give such importance to something that will be hopefully absent from it (crime)?    Prisons are not used to rehabilitate its inhabitants but to keep a person who is a danger to society out of society.  The question is then, why is an adulteress, who is publicly shamed and and branded to remind others of her transgression given a prison sentence to serve with her newly-born, and thus frail, infant?  It is hard to understand how this much punishment is a just answer to love outside of marriage and speaks to the cruelty of Puritan society rather than its emphasis on justice and righteousness.  This view of a paradoxical Puritan justice system applies to many other aspects Puritan society; for example, if righteousness is encouraged as a result of belief in predestination, there is no rational justification for the poor being rude to Hester when they should be grateful for the gifts she brings.  Even history describes the Puritans as "...neither as somber nor as simple as they are often pictured." (The Life and History of Nathaniel Hawthorne).  The timeless phrase "To err is human, to forgive, divine." brings into perspective the how divergent Puritan justice was in contrast to the divinity that predestination encourages the pursuit of.

Sources:  "The Life and Work of Nathaniel Hawthorne"
                The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
                An Essay on Criticism by Alexander Pope

Should You Try to Break Stereotypes?

Pretty much all races of humans have a stereotypical image in society.  People think that Native Americans are alcoholics, Black men are muggers, Asian people study all day because of their mean parents, all Indians grow up to become doctors, the list goes on.  Some stereotypes might be true, but they are almost always the result of socio-economic differences that no on can control  One way to diminish the effect is to attempt to escape from these stereotypes and live completely differently than how people think you should.  This is not foolproof because stereotypes are much stronger to the point where despite having an education, Brent Staples was still "mistaken for a burglar" (Staples 207).  The problem with this course of action is about what happens when one wants to live up to his/her stereotype.  For example, what if a Indian boy or girl wants to be a doctor, but doesn't want to be thought of as "a doctor whose parents made them go to medical school".  Is it worth it becoming something other than what you have dreamt of becoming worth it just to stand out in the eyes of society? Of course not.  Stereotypes are unfair, but breaking them is a group effort, only time can allow all races to be present in every facet of society and mend the wounds stereotyping creates.   No one person should sacrifice their life (figuratively speaking) and live not as themselves but as someone society notices for being outside of the norm.  

Sources: "Black Men and Public Space" by Brent Staples

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC516646/

The Science of Memorials

Neil Patel

9/14/14

1st hour

The Science of Memorials

A huge amount of effort is put into making memorials some of the most evocative forms of art on the planet.  Everything from the location to the materials used are painstakingly chosen in order to immortalize the event it stands for.  For example, part of the materials used in the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial are from the building destroyed by the blast.  This memorial has one of the most vivid resemblances to the event it represents.  Also, physical features are important in cases like the Korean War Veteran's Memorial because of the fact that its 19 soldier statues and their 19 reflections on the naming wall stand to represent the 38th parallel, or the border between North and South Korea after the end of the war. The Vietnam War Memorial has an aspect of time in its design; to elaborate,  if one looks on the right and left of the memorial, they will see the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial.  Thus, the memorial tells visitors that every life lost in the war were as important as the country's most famous presidents.  I have never looked at memorials so closely before, but after learning about the hidden meanings each one carries, I just want to see more.

Korean War Veteran's Memorial

Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial

Korean War Memorial:  http://www.kbtours.com/korean-war-memorial/

Oklahoma City Memorial: http://www.oklahomacitynationalmemorial.org/secondary.php?section=5&catid=119