English 102

Thoughts and reactions

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Susie Bayer's T-Shirt

                                From East 65th Street in Manhattan, to Call Again Thrift Shop a few blocks north, to Trans-Americas' five-story brick building in Brooklyn, and all the way to animated downtown Kampala in Uganda, readers follow the journey of Susie Bayer’s t-shirt as it is discarded to each location. In a wave of misguided altruism we indirectly both clothe Africans and compromise their economies. The sequential frame contributes to this overall message in that nobody wants the shirt except for the final destination: Uganda, which illustrates the wealth and value disparities of America and Africa.

Packer adds to this chronological structure through direct quotes and specific examples. Though, even with direct quotes, Africans still don’t truly have a voice, which is another theme of the essay. A young driver, Robert Ssebunya concluded that “Ugandan culture will be dead in 10 years,” because of the westernization of clothing. However, he cannot do anything to stop it, especially since on an immediate level the used clothes help the Africans. Those who would otherwise go naked now have cheap clothing to wear, and as Packer states, they give Africans “dignity and choice.”

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Oryx and Crake

A Response to Pages 113-238 How is the world of Oryx and Crake revealed?

When I listened to Michael Pollan speak at the Myerhoff Symphony Hall this past month, surrounded by liberals with gold on their wrists and social justice on their minds, I was informed of a concept that resonated with that particular audience. Pollan stated that educated Americans are far too concerned about antioxidants, carbohydrates, omega 3 fatty acids, beta-carotene, and other scientific terms that they truly know nothing about, instead of focusing on the food itself. In other words, they falsely believe that food is merely the sum of its parts. Atwood has satirized this notion in Oryx and Crake with her inclusion of “No-Meat Cocktail Sausages,” fake vegetables, and “CrustaeSoy,” and it is further enforced by Snowman complaining more about his lack of protein and calories than his lack of food.  Another example of dubious nourishment is the “ChickieNob,” which is a living chicken part - breast or drumstick - cultivated exclusively for human consumption. Michael Pollan would not approve. The world of Oryx and Crake is saturated with imitations, in more fields than purely nutrition.

The compounds contained entire neighborhoods built to look like older, more cultured communities. Snowman recalled striding though the “fake Georgian and fake Tudor and fake French provincial”. This emphasis on re-creating the classics illustrates a lack of creativity. It’s clear through this and the funding disparity between Watson-Crick and Martha Graham that math and science is far more valued than art. Another deception is represented through the “wolvog” – a genetically modified creature with the appearance of a traditional dog, viciousness of a pit bull, and cunning of a wolf. Jimmy was instructed not to pet one or it would bite his hand off.

Additionally, Crake's naming of his children after historical figures may indicate his playful side, but it may also represent his desire to re-appropriate history. The ersatz Abraham Lincoln and Elanor Roosevelt are only watered-down versions of the original, except their purring can heal wounds and Lincoln has animal repellent in his pee. I thought it was interesting how the compounds showed no signs of families packing up and preparing to leave, which indicates that the evacuation must have been sudden and chaotic. During the catastrophic event that exterminated the human race, Snowman stated that among the riots, he simply walked out - which brings me to the next question:

How is Snowman/Jimmy's character revealed?

One could infer that the aforementioned example indicates calmness; however, overall Snowman is a very neurotic individual. Not only do his flashbacks and hallucinations signify inner turmoil, but he is also quite manipulative. At Martha Graham he had a specific method of attracting women. First, he would “rush to their aid” in feigned compassion, encouraging them to liberate their problems onto him. Next, he’d describe how “fractured” he was, and outline his issues so that the women had the opportunity to heal him and make themselves feel useful. Lastly, Jimmy would conclude to the women that he was a “poison pill” and that though he loved them, his love would “drag them down to the murky depths where he himself was imprisoned” (190). This approach proved generally effective.

Pigoons represent a large portion of Jimmy's childhood and relationship with his father. When he visited his father’s work, he would pity the pigoons because they had an abysmal quality of life. His encounter with them signified the completion of a role reversal and his degeneration from upper-class living in the compounds, to the dorms of sub-par college Martha Graham, to emaciation and rummaging abandoned houses in search of subsistence. It's ironic that a creature devised to help the human race had become Snowman's predator. His degeneration reminded me of Satan’s in John Milton’s epic, Paradise Lost. If Crake is the god of this new world, is Snowman Satan? Why is Snowman earthbound - is it a punishment?

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Research Question

What happens to recycled objects (metal, electronics, and paper) and what are the environmental ramifications of this practice?

To immerse myself in this project I will observe three different recycling centers. First, I will take a tour of Baltimore Single Stream Recycling in Elkridge. I have emailed two different locations of Maryland Recycle Co. about watching their recycling process, as well as Owl Metals. If either Maryland Recycle Co. or Owl Metals doesn't respond to me, I'll take another tour of Baltimore Single Stream Recycling, as I'm sure there would be more information I could learn from taking another visit or looking at it through a different perspective. Next, I will examine a center's energy usage (that is either obtained directly or online) and assess how effectively, or ineffectively, this company manages its resources.

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Oryx and Crake

A Response to the First 110 Pages

"It was the thumbprints of human imperfection that used to move him, the flaws in the design: the lopsided smile, the wart next to the navel, the mole, the bruise" (100).

I associate Margaret Atwood with the blase feminity of her poem, The Siren Song. Though, I have yet to discern a feminist approach to Oryx and Crake. What initially struck me about this bizarre world Snowman lived in was the hole in the sky that the sun burned away. While other aspects of the novel I found compelling to read about, this one in particular colonized my attention because it directly alluded issues Earth is currently facing. The novel also mentions the permafrost in the polar regions melting and widespread flooding. These are all environmental concerns of today, so it seems as though this novels setting is a world in which global climate change has already taken its toll. Atwood effectively critiques not only environmental regulations, but also genetic modification, totalitarianism, beauty standards, biodiversity (lack thereof), the power of corporations, reliance on technology, and class segregation.

Jimmy's mother's postcards reminded me of Andy's Postcard to Red in the film, The Shawshank Redemption. In a way, Jimmy's mother is very similar to Andy because both characters psychologically did not belong in their society, so they escaped. I was hoping that Jimmy would search for his mother in England or Argentina. But alas, he did not. Maybe Jimmy's childhood liberation would have prevented his hardships as an adult.

I'm curious about the transition from Jimmy's childhood world to the one seemingly ruled by Crake, as the two realms possessed a great disparity. Jimmy's childhood domain had a nebulous moral code: child pornography (8 year olds) was readily available for those deemed old enough and genetically modified animals were viewed as a suitable replacement for natural ones (and none of them were free). With a father who was more of a "numbers person" than a dad, and a tragically aloof mother, Jimmy never got the attention he required as a child. This resulted in an attention craving Snowman. Although he acts as though he's irritated by incessant questioning of the illiterate green eyed citrus creatures (and tries very hard to convince himself that he's better off alone), he secretly lusts for the attention. One of his greatest fears is to "lose his audience," and therefore his purpose.

This new, presumably post-apocalyptic, world is less materialistic. All of the items Snowman collects are from a previous era, with no mention of any current manufacturing or businesses. The children frolic naked along the beach in chaos, but the inhabitants ironically have a sense of internal peace. They are content with worshiping Crake and meandering with no concrete goal - a direct contrast to the methodical goal oriented society of Jimmy's childhood. Also, the land itself is strung out in disarray, yet Snowman is the only one bothered by it. Here, Atwood is illustrating that without awareness there can be no improvement, and that citizens must be informed about the world they live in. The new race's ignorance is so prevalent that they believe literally anything Snowman iterates to them as long as it does not contradict any previous statements. And most importantly, there is no toast.

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Immersion Topic Ideas

1. Consequences of Recycling *

When asked about ways humans can be "greener" in their everyday lives, one of the first responses is often recycling. What are the negative consequences of this seemingly end-all solution? Where do objects go after we toss them into our recycling bin? I watched a documentary a few years ago that featured a Chinese town whose inhabitants took apart old computers (that Americans recycled) so their individual parts could be utilized. However, when taken apart, this e-waste released numerous toxins and it was often women and children who had the duty of handling these small, contaminated pieces (not to mention how many fossil fuels are burned transporting these old electronics from America, to China, to a manufacturing plant, and back to America). Also, how much energy do recycling plants use? A goal would be to calculate how much energy is used for each pound of material we recycle, whether it's electronics, paper, aluminum cans, or plastic. I'd visit a recycling plant near me to make observations. An obvious solution would be to reduce consumption and reuse our possessions, before skipping straight to recycling.

2. Online Vanity

I'd like to know how our cyber vanity effects us. Many people (especially in the older generation) are fond of accusing our generation of narcissism and selfishness, which may have some merit. In addition, I've seen many articles about how younger people update others on their lives too often through Twitter and make Facebook profiles as shrines to themselves. Does this mean our generation more is more confident, or is an ersatz confidence? Is a little bit of vanity healthy, or does it lead to disillusionment later in life?

3. Gender Segregation in Toy Marketing

The vast majority of toy commercials are geared to a specific gender. How does this selective marketing help or hinder childhood development? Why do most little girl toys involve leisure activities such as playing with animals, relaxing at spas, and cooking, while most boy toys involve creating towns, building rocket ships, or designing race car courses? Lego "friends" is a prime example. It is a Lego town just for girls that includes such intellectually stimulating tasks as going to the beauty shop, baking (I have nothing against real life baking, but Lego baking simply involves inserting a plastic piece into another plastic piece), taking care of pets, and homemaking. Also, all of the blocks are pastel colors, mostly pink and purple. Whereas, the rest of the Lego community is primarily marketed towards boys, including a search and rescue squad, police, firefighters, and a space port. Of course nobody is forcing either gender to only play with the toy they're marketed to, but this segregated technique embraces outdated stereotypes and limits the creativity of both genders.

4. Litigious Habits

What is it about America that makes us so lawsuit-happy? I believe it goes deeper than simply greed, and may fall into the realm of extreme self-entitlement and/or pride (a trait that is encouraged specifically in America). I could examine civil cases and their consequences, or even sit in on a court case.

5. Modern Anti-Semitism 

As I was browsing YouTube, I stumbled upon an entire subsection of videos from Occupy Wall Street that had an overarching theme of anti-semitism. I was astounded that in such an evolved society these attitudes are still moderately tolerated. There were videos that disclosed people blaming the Jews for America's financial crisis with the justification that Jews control most of the banks and large corporations. This was not just a few isolated incidents. Such attitudes were pervasive among dozens of videos, with an alarming amount of the video comments supporting blatant bigotry. For the project I could immerse myself in the synagogue I belong to and interview congregants about why these attitudes are so harmful, especially as they share similar sentiments to those that catalyzed the holocaust. Another option would be to venture to Occupy Baltimore (does it still exist?) or DC and interview people about their opinions on the relationship between Jews and the financial crisis.

* The topic I have chosen.

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La Jetée

As our modern entertainment industry is flooded with jump-cuts, explosions, and overly sexual imagery, this short film was a serene respite. Though, in content, La Jetée was in no way serene. It enforces the theme that fate is inevitable, however tragic it may be. Also, it was ironic how the man's fixation on this woman was what allowed him to initially time travel, yet, she became his bait and ultimate downfall when he was shot and killed. I was intrigued by how the creators of this film conveyed more emotion by showing still photos in succession than if they would have shown continuous footage. Perhaps this was because it allowed the viewer to fill in the blanks with internal imagery and truly marinate in the content of each frame. In addition, when the heartbeat began to pound the viewer was forced to devote his/her undivided attention to this unsettling repetition. What I found particularly clever about La Jetée was the fact that it teased the viewers with a sense of hope - both literally in the scenes with the protagonist and his lady friend, and symbolically in the multiple images of lights at the end of long, eerie hallways.

In current times, with the presidential election creeping closer, politicians are adopting platforms to rescue America from the multiple economic and social problems it is facing. False hope, like the kind in La Jetée, is an issue that many citizens are wary of.