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Final Class Entry

I think that the most valuable book that we read this semester is The Merchant of Venice by Shakespeare. I think that this book really showed the value of economics and the power of money in our society. It showed that no matter how much two parties can hate each other, they will always put aside their differences for the sake of commerce and trade. I thought it was interesting how so many critics try to devalue it as simply a xenophobic comedy/ tragedy, when in reality it brings up this idea that many of us are ashamed to bring up; that we will do anything for money. In Shylock’s case, we will give a loan to someone who make sour life miserable.

Index

I. Reader & Writer Biography

II. Weekly Entries/ Pre Class Assignments

i. #why write #money or art #capitalism #does the point matter

ii. #why write #deceiving #sneaky #fake #financial awareness

iii. #why write #the right way to fame #do I trust the author #value

iv. #why write #generation gap #is generation X cowardly or brave? #quick buck

v. #American Dream #superiority #why write #flaw in the system

vi. #why write #conformity #individuality

vii. #why write #wealth versus love #marry rich

viii. #it’s all about the money #why write #financial motivation #revenge

ix. #literary devices #why write #motivation #American Dream #fate

x. #why write #wealth versus love #greed #anyone can change

III. Self-Assessment

IV. Extra Credit

Extra Credit: Shelter by Jung Yun

On Thursday 11/17, author Jung Yun read a chapter of her novel Shleter, which tells a story of the housing market crash with a combination of problems with identity. The story opens up with the protagonist being upset about the selling of their home. He is an Asian American and has a problem fitting in. I think it’s interesting how he does not feel at home in where he is. The novel deals with a lot of issues with identity and the power of the past in the present. As his family is showing the real-estate agent their home, Kyung’s mother appears in the back yard, naked and with abusing marks on her body. Kyung immediately jumps to the conclusion that his father did something to his mother, but Yun later told us that what Kyungs mother is saying that his father is hurt, not that his father hurt her. I think this plays on the fact that the way Kyung was brought up focused a lot on having to do things on your own and not relying on others because his father was sometimes abusive. So now the idea of him having to sell his home to support his family destroys him. I like how this novel criticizes the American Dream, or at least I like how it hints at that form what I heard.

Self Assessment

From my index, it is pretty obvious that I was interested in the idea of why do authors write. It all started with the assignment on the syllabus about LeGuin’s speech. Throughout the works we read, I constantly questioned the writer and tried to unlock their motivation. From Jordan Belfort to Fitzgerald/ Nick Caraway, there was some kind of outside motivation that didn’t include just writing for the heart. Sometimes it was to criticize society or bring up a valid point, but often it went back to the idea that being an author is still a profession and everyone needs money to live. It was surprising how I did not mention the American Dream as much as I thought I did. Throughout the texts I would compare the societies to the idea of the American Dream, but in my weekly entries I only mentioned the American dream twice. Perhaps this is because I focused more on the individual characters and authors rather than the text as a whole. I also notice how I progressed from larger themes such as capitalism and general questions to more specific ideas like greed, fate, and revenge. It is actually pretty scary how dark I answered my question of why write. If I were asked at the beginning of this assignment to answer my question of ‘why write?’ I would probably respond that it is an excellent way to express one’s self and bring up valid points that are often over looked in society. However, what I got from my answer is so much darker. I basically get that the reason to write is greed, criticism and probably most importantly: conforming to the reader. I wish I focused on who are the readers in addition to why write. This would help me further unlock the relationship between producer and consumer and allow me to observe a more market way of thinking about this.

Weekly Entry 10

“There was an eager, greedy, restless motion in the eye, which showed the passion that had taken root, and where the shadow of the growing tree would fall.” – Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

I thought it was interesting how the idea of a “Scrooge” is still seen the same way. In modern culture a “Scrooge” would still look like a privileged, single, white man, in his late forties, or some variation of that. This quote represents that version of the Scrooge. It makes me think about the fact that it’s not always about hard work but about opportunity also. When looking at the Cratchits, it looks like they also work hard, but they are still very poor, yet they are happy. This makes me think even further about my previous themes of the value of wealth, rather its lack of value in that it does not bring love. I would argue that the value of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is based off of the idea that you can’t buy love or happiness. It’s interesting though, because in all the other works we’ve read, there is always a contrast where either love spurs wealth, or wealth spurs love, but in A Christmas Carol, it’s neither. Here we see that love and wealth have nothing to do with each other. It’s about character. The Cratchit family is poor, but they still have love and happiness in their hearts, similar to most impoverished families during Christmas time at the time of the book. And Scrooge, a wealthy man, is still able to turn everything around and change his character and have love and happiness in his heart.

#why write #wealth versus love #greed #anyone can change

Pre Class Assignment 10

What is the value of the Big Short (film)? What narrative strategies does it employ and why?

The film the Big Short has a cultural value in the way it attempts to teach the public of the stock market crash. Most average Americans do not really know what happened that year in 2008, or rather why it happened. The movie does this, but also goes a step further and answers the question of why no one did anything to stop it. It teaches the audience a step by step lay out of the events that were taken place through the “dumbification” of larger concepts. For example, when trying to explain synthetic CDO’s they place Selena Gomez, someone relatable to them that they know, playing poker and using the bet of the game to show how people were basically betting on the CDOs. It also has cultural value where it gives such an in depth look into the characters, where we see almost inside their heads as this whole thing is going down. This is where we see the answer to the question of why no one stopped what was going on. In the scene where Mark Baum (Steve Carell), realizes the market is going to crash in the restaurant, we get to see the reality of what it was like to understand the situation. When Wing Chau, the CDO manger, explains how the synthetic CDO’s work, he seems very aware of the consequences that come with it, but it also shows his greed and complete ignorance of the whole situation because even if it goes south, it won’t affect him. We also see into Mark Baum, where he freaks out because he knows that this issue is so far in that there really is nothing that can be done at this point. It is visible here that the reason no one did anything about it was because those that new what they were doing by messing with the market, knew that if it were to crash, they would walk away clean and rich, meaning they didn’t care about the possible repercussions.

Classwork Entry 5

Which book review resonates best with you of The Great Gatsby, and why?

I think the last review (5) was the most interesting, because it really caught my eye and makes me interested to read further and realize what the writer is saying. They claim that though most educated Americans have ‘read’ Gatsby, we read it when we are too young to fully understand its value. I thought the part about the light is really interesting because it’s not the light that’s so important, but the fact that Gatsby is reaching for that light. The reading also compels me because of how relatable it is. I am an American who has read The Great Gatsby, but I want to learn further about how the writer claims I have not actually ‘read’ it, and understood its holistic meaning, which I do find pretty accurate. I thought it was also interesting how they gave a point contrasting point about Moby-Dick and how it isn’t comparable, but then contras that and says Fitzgerald is able to make the same claims just in a shorter time, which to me sounds like better, more concise writing.

Weekly Entry 9

“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

Obviously this quote is one of the most recognized quotes from book for a reason. This quote is so interesting to me in that there is so much depth and literary manipulation to give it so many meanings. The quote talks about how we constantly try to go back in time and change our past so that we can have a better future, but it will never work. Rather than going with the grain of time and life, we decide to go against it, making our future worse. Gatsby could have moved on from Daisy and found happiness elsewhere but he dwelled on the past and only focused on changing it, resulting in his death and lack of love from Daisy. Nick also serves as an example of this when he dwells on Gatsby’s death and won’t move past it, until he ends up in mental care. The really cool part about this quote is the paradox it gives in summing up the whole novel and finally giving the message. The quote uses euphony to make it sound so poetic, just like Fitzgerald makes the whole novel sound so poetic and romantic. But when looking closer at the meaning, it hits you with a realist tone. Basically criticizing how we need to get over the past and stop messing with fate, just learning to accept it. This quote serves as a metaphor for the whole book in this sense. There is even paradox in the first part where he mentions beating on, which sounds encouraging and shows perseverance, but then immediately contrasts that by saying “boats against the current.” I believe that this one quote summarizes the whole novel. It also summarizes the problem with the American Dream and that fate is fate. Working towards a dream doesn’t make sense because in the end it is just a dream. This makes me think further about our use of wealth to get what we want, and how we think money will solve anything. But everyone knows money can’t buy happiness…

#literary devices #why write #motivation #American Dream #fate

Pre class Assignment 9

What is the power of narrative in creating a life story? And what is Gatsby's? What role does Nick Carraway play in such an artistic project (if we can indeed call it that)? Can you find two pieces of textual evidence in this week's reading that provides evidence for your claim?

The power of narrative is that it allows us to see that the perspective we see the story in is flawed. In our case, the narrator is Nick Carraway who has a strange obsession with Gatsby. He mentions how “only Gatsby, the man who gives his name to this book, was exempt from my [his] reaction – Gatsby, who represented everything for which I [he] have an unaffected scorn.” In our telling of The Great Gatsby, Gatsby is the hero who has a tragic downfall. He does not go into detail about the tax evasion and other illegal activities of Gatsby, because he thinks they are not important. But he does criticize the American Dream because it let Gatsby down, thus letting him down as well. However, through the power of seeing this in a narrator’s perspective we can see the story from two points. We can look further at the solid facts presented to us and figure out the basis of the plot, but we can also analyze the character interactions by being able to be inside Nick’s head.

Weekly Entry 8

“Why, look you how you storm! I would be friends with you and have your love, Forget the shames that you have stained me with, Supply your present wants, and take no doit of usance for my moneys, and you’ll not hear me! This is kind I offer.” – Shylock in The Merchant of Venice, William Shakespeare

In class we talked about putting aside personal issues for the purpose of transaction. It is so clear in this fragment when Shylock tells Antonio that a transaction can bring them together and have them be civil with each other. However later in the text we see that after the transaction things will return back to how they were before where they are enemies. It is noteworthy to see that even during the transaction they are awful to each other. In the end money brings people together. Everyone has a financial motivation to act in society, and this just proves that. Shylock also sees this situation as a way of gaining revenge over Antonio and the way he treats him for not sharing the same faith. Rather placing interest on the loan, he insists on a pound of flesh if the payment is late. When looking at this in an even larger perspective, we can see that though a lot of what we do is motivated by personal beliefs, in the end we all need money, and that’s the only way we can survive. Instead of wanting a pound of flesh from the start, or even refusing to give the money in the first place, Shylock allows the transaction to continue; only benefitting if it goes south.

#its all about the money #financial motivation #revenge

Pre Class Assignment 8

Is the casket test fair?

I believe the casket test is both fair and unfair in that it misleads the suitors but at the same time levels them out all onto the same playing field. All the suitors that arrive to try to ‘woo’ Portia dress in their most luxurious clothes, with their whole train, in order to flaunt their wealth to her. Which in a way makes the test fair in that the test does not care how rich you are, as long as you open the right casket you get to marry Portia. In this way, you can see how Portia’s father did not care about the wealth brought to them. I guess it really didn’t matter because Portia is so rich, and in every case, they would be the ones getting richer, not her. On the other hand, however, from Portia’s view, I see how the test is not fair. She does not get to choose her love and who she gets to marry. Whoever gets lucky, to be frank, gets to marry her. Which kind of hints at a sexist idea that women can’t really choose and are objects that are sought after and conquered. Even with what I said about “getting lucky” can serve as a sexual innuendo that hints towards sexism as well. Similarly, the test does not quantify anything at all. In some cases as wealth, it is seemingly positive that the test doesn’t care about that, but what about knowledge, or as Portia mentions, humor, smile, conversation, generally love.

Weekly Entry 7

“All that glitters is not gold” – Morocco in The Merchant of Venice, William Shakespeare

This quote especially stood out to me because it touches on the idea of whether or not money spurs love, or if love spurs money. In this scene, Portia is watching the Prince Morocco open the gold casket to see if he wins Portia’s heart. However when he opens it, the first words are “all that glitters is not gold.” This is strange because according to who can even try to open the casket, they must all be of wealth. This statement contradicts itself in the fact that Portia’s father wants to set her up with a suitable wealthy man, however he says that not everything that looks wealthy is wealthy. But it makes me think more about why he would write that for the suitor to read. Perhaps he wants ever suitor that opens that casket to see that wealth is not everything and that sometimes it’s more about love. But when I think about the other caskets, all of them had something similar/ a similar ideology to them. In the end I think that Portia’s father new Portia would hint at the right casket to the person she loved and wanted to be with.

#why write #wealth versus love #marry rich

Pre Class Assignment 7

Would you lend Bassanio money?

In his response to why Antonio should lend him money, Bassanio mentions this idea where by being in debt even more than before, he will be twice as motivated to pay Antonio back. This thery makes no sense. Because if this were to work, then the same can be applied to the third time he was lent something. The list would go on. Bassanio would just say that by lending again for the third time, he would thrice as motivated. In the end I would never see my money. I see what he means in the fact that after the first loan, you don’t really feel as bad to repay them back than if you borrowed from them twice. Now it’s more of a moral duty to pay them back, no longer a mistake. The expert from the text also mentions how by aiming to “hit the target again,” he will aim for the first shot as well. In this sense he means that when I repay you for the second loan, I will at the same time repay you in full of everything that I owe. Which, in a way, may be appealing to the lender. I also think it is interesting how he uses pathos and ethos to build himself up as someone stronger and more responsible by using an anecdote. By getting an example where Bassanio once succeeded at this debt plan, it makes Antonio more trusting of his word.

Weekly Entry 6

“Utopia is five hundred years old, but the idea of a society based on equality and abolition of private property is much older.”- Flanders Today, 500 Years of Utopia: How a different story about Europe started in Flanders

Again, I approach this question of why write. In More’s Utopia, it seems as those Thomas More writes himself into the story and interacts with Hytholoday and Giles to discuss the utopia. He disagrees with Hytholoday about the idea of public and private property, but they never approach an agreement. It makes me wonder if More is writing this to criticize the idea of utopia, or (building upon the idea we thought about in class), trying to show that utopia is possible through conversation and the ability to discuss conflicts. Could it also possibly be that More wants to show how unrealistic the Utopia would be. We can see this because he never mentions any specific commoners of the Utopic society. He only refers to them as citizens and only when addressing laws made for them. This would reflect on the idea that although everyone would be equal, no one person would be different than the other. Losing their uniqueness.

#why write #conformity #individuality

Pre Class Assignment 6

What constitutes "utopian" education (both in More's text) or in more recent arguments about the dystopic or utopic elements of higher education?

According to Thomas More’s Utopia, education is given to all children as a form of past time. When the citizens are not working, they are learning. It is almost as if education is a distraction to living life freely. This can be compared to todays’ form of higher education where many individuals stay in school for so long in order to avoid the real world. Or this can be taken from a similar perspective where the institution wants then to waste their time at university, rather than letting them free to make their own imprints on the world. It is also interesting how a lot of knowledge is chosen to be ignored by Utopians in order to stop further discovery. They want the citizens to relearn what is already proven, not to think outside the box. I think this is so, to make people not question the system. The way we are thought science in lower school begins with the fundamental idea of questioning why things work. Thus we learn to apply that to other places in society where we learn to question other statements, even in writing we are mentored into becoming critical thinkers and readers. In More’s utopia however, this is ignored. There is no room for outside thinking.

Weekly Entry 5

“The group stayed for a year and a half, working the farmland until their host decided their time was up.” –Kyle Chayka, America is a Utopian Experiment – and Always Has Been

I thought it was interesting how this quote mentioned “until their host decide their time was up.” My initial thought was to reflect this back to Thomas Moore’s Utopia and see how they connect. I thought about how there must be individuals in charge of creating the society and creating change. And then further who is in charge of choosing those people. In this article, it talks about living the American Dream in according to a utopic life style. Arthur Kopecky, put his life to uncovering the utopia in America. However, if his ideas stay true then how is it Utopic if others are in charge of you. When thinking of America, we immediately think of the American Dream, which in reality is being a home/land owner. Kopecky’s theory that America is a utopia does not hold under this idea. If under the idea of utopia, we are equally alphas, falling under the same rules of society then how does the idea of one person achieving the American dream over another person work. Basically, it doesn’t make sense that one person has a financial advantage over the other resulting in being superior to the rest.

#American Dream #superiority #flaw in the system

Pre Class Assignment 5

Why are there slaves in Utopia?

To answer this question, it’s first important to realize who are the slaves in Thomas Moore’s Utopia are. The slaves are most commonly people captured in battle, those who have committed crimes, or those who were otherwise sentenced to death but we’re taken in by the Utopians. It’s also important to note that children were not born into slavery. Meaning that in the utopia slavery is not a class. It is more of a prison. In our idea of slavery, we see it as one person owning another person. However, the way it is presented in Utopia, shows that the slaves are owned by the society. Those who have committed crimes against the utopia face the consequences of being slaves to the utopia. It serves as an example for everyone to follow the rules of the society. Those that stray from the norm are made slaves. There is another theory I have about this idea. I believe that in Moore’s Utopia, the citizens are all made to feel like alphas equally under the same law that they all must conform to. However, alphas do not exist without omegas. And the slaves in Utopia serve as that omega.

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