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What I intially thought was that college was going to help me get where I want to be in life academically and professionally. What I came to realize now, after my first year, is that my experiences here are only the beginning of re-shaping the rest of my life. My perspective on the world and how I deal with people has greatly changed and I see more value in staying in school if not just to live a more fulfilling life. I hope you already feel the same but if you don't, at least keep your mind open to new ideas amd not just new concepts so that one day, it can hit you the same way it did to me.

i - poem

As i look back i can better look forward, Happy with the choices Ive made and, Proud of myself. For how much ive come, And specifically for how much ive learned. Application. Because what would it be worth, My education without any real change?, Integration. Because everything i do, Already has some impact. Now they'll have even more influence as, My world has changed. No. Rather my perspective, Has changed. So much so, i have felt sympathy for, People and non-people that I have never cared about. I feel like i have truly understand and have redefined what a tragedy really is. Maybe the next step for me, Would be to avoid writing a poem, In context only about yours truly. But now I'm going to enjoy the next three months home.

Nick free-write

Nick is everybody’s hero, the one in every situation, that lucky guy ‘involved’ with high, cool guys but righteously and perhaps correctly, regrets so. From the very beginning of Gatsby, Nick lets us know what kind of person he is, someone who may disagree with others yet still has the capability to hang out with them. This may seem impossible, and really should be, as i have trouble trying to think of a single person I know, who can spend so much time with others who’s characteristics they have a strong distaste for. While on the hand this may seem to indicate that Nick is tolerant, I’d like to argue that he is quite sly himself, despite his explicit claim for his honesty and reserved judgement- although “subdued”. There are several, if not many, moments in Gatsby where Nick goes with the flow, quite literally, without considering the consequences or at least articulating his reason, if not just to himself. Take for one, when Gatsby requests, albeit respectfully to invite Daisy, and he gladly goes and arranges the visit…Nick: Don’t you know Tom? Well? Can we expect Nick to have anticipated Tom’s response and Daisy’s restrained reaction?

Yes, it was moral of him to decline Gatsby’s lucrative offer, but was that really so righteous? Maybe Nick has his own motive? Or worse, does he have no motive at all?

I know THIS. I’m nothing like Nick. Nick turns himself into a righteous pawn. People aren’t pawns. Nobody is a pawn, everyone has their own unique mission, place, and goals. Nick isn’t real and he is too flat to be.

Questions to consider: (my topic is xenophobia)

1: What’s your topic and it’s possible relevance to any part of the play?

2: Does this extend to the movie as well, and are there specific representations of a common problem in the society we live in today?

3: Does the soundtrack of the film re-create any imbalance, or at the very least allude to, any related aspects of your topic?

4: Do any intended visuals appearances, of the characters, or just simply of the set, have any symbolic meaning in regards to issues we live with today?

Gatsby ~ Chapter 1

“I told him. And as I walked on I was no lonely no longer. I was a guide, a pathfinder, an original settler. He had casually conferred on me the freedom of the neighborhood.”

When all he did was ask for simple directions, not even a pleasantry. All the helpless man requested was information, yet along with that information this stranger transferred a feeling to our narrator. A feeling which then began to grow and develop, as Nick realizes that suddenly he’s more than a nobody, he’s a “guide”, a human map if you will. But in fact, this information can only be given credit to him, and not some outside source, thus elevating his status as a resident: he’s an explorer now, a “pathfinder”. Yet, he’s even more than that, he lives here. He’s no stranger that just moved in! In fact, he’s quite similar to an original settler. This sentence is clearly intended to show the gradual progression of a simple question!

“Conduct may be founded on the hard rock or the wet marshes but after a certain point I don’t care what it’s founded on.”

To me this means that there are two different ways we can learn our manners, or anything really. Most of us term those two ways as ‘easy’ and ‘hard’, being told beforehand, or truly learning from an unintended consequence. Yet the point is, the result is the same. Whatever it is founded upon, i.e. the ‘cause’ or basis for that specific education, can lead to the same exact result thereby eliminating the necessity for the nature of the format and good reason to have a certain preference. (I would like to say that this (can extend and) applies to our world in many areas, specifically where those who don’t have a formal and ideal education can surpass those who do.)

“They were both in white and their dresses were rippling and uttering as if they had just been blown back in after a short flight around the house.” “Then there was a boom as Tom Buchanan shut the rear windows and the caught wind died out about the room and the curtains and the rugs and the two young women ballooned slowly to the floor.”

I love the picture that these words draw in my head. The author is using language of flying, being blown and “ballooning” multiple times, seeming to indicate a certain and specific sense of gracefulness to these two women. I would like to believe that this feeling the author is trying to portray could be well beyond a typical beautiful woman’s grace, perhaps there is something naïve and innocent, they way they allow nature to move and manipulate them... and in full faith and trust.

In an abundantly filled confetti snow globe of thee,

Does the snowman, care not to walk but play as the scarecrow,

For reason not simply for lack of muscles but to define gravity,

A formerly shapeless form shaped into formation of being,

To view its world, it's ‘globe’ mirrored to ours?? But no,

For simplicity as our home, to save shape from complexity,

The retention of energy, in the name of mission alone,

Fearful for more ‘insanity’, more snowmens snow happily,

Strikes the perspective of his will now to flatten,

And only flatten what he’s felt and contained,

Is it the the valuation of emotion to lessen,

Frightful of escaping into an open prison,

Build real snowmen, or else this glutton be:

To have your ingredients melt before your eyes, so said he.

Pity the world, or at the very least, the character.

Romeo seems to be obsessed about loving, if for any reason but to escape the quarreling he sees around his home and family, even sensing upon his return from his walks. For Romeo, to "desire increase", it is the increase in love that he yearns, constantly brooding, walking, and chasing 'this love'. It almost seems that it doesn't matter whom, Juliet or Rosaline, as long as Romeo has a recipient for his love. The sonnet seems to be referring to Romeo, who I don't believe is the narrator. Romeo is being told that he's being hard on himself, the lover. That he is his own enemy. He thinks that his "beauty's rose" may never die, when in fact, the most realistic scenario will be nothing but his heir maybe or maybe not bearing his memory, or even his resemblance. Confused, he has thrown himself in self-induced pressure pit (when you see nothing around you but the walls of that pit, yes my own idea) where he forces himself himself to pretend he's lacking where he truly does not. He's even asked, where are you going with this? "Is Rosaline, that thou didn't love so dear, so soon forsaken? Young men's love then lies not truly in their hearts but in your eyes." Romeo here isn't being true to himself, rather, he is creating his own chase, to eat the worlds due, by the grave and thee, wether or not he decides to slow down and take a breath so we won't have to yet get again, pity the world.

Poem

It's my world within this this world, An extension of me, placeholder for what's mine, Everyone has their own, To do good or to do bad, but always with that sign.

Against Interpretation

“Interpretation is the revenge of the intellect upon the world.” Sometimes we force ourselves to interpret what we can not understand simply, yet sometimes we manipulate through “interpretation” to satisfy some desire. To me, there is nothing but “conscious interpretation”, something we all consider to be our ‘overall perspectives’, something that grows with our growth and develops as we acquire more understanding and awareness for the world around us. What we can easily label as a tragedy, may not at all be a true tragedy. I also find it interesting to analyze what it is about a “tragedy” that we love, and why ‘tragic art’ can have a satisfying effect on us. I’m looking forward to this semester, not only because I will appreciate what it truly means to interpret and understanding how to focus on form versus content, but to discover a different perspective in my life.

Done, but never done.

To attempt to suppress the behavior that many Americans are accountable of, i have therefore done the following three things to raise awareness regarding the confusion of assuming all muslims to be radicalized, terrorists, or even slightly guilty in any way due to the way the dress, and the religion they follow.

With the hope that they will be as affected as i was by the letter, over the weekend i had a family member read aloud Sofia Ali-Khan’s letter to the ‘non-muslim allies’. As the four other members are very influential people within their own circles, it was my intention that the effect it had on my would be shared, and hopefully shared by them too.

In order to prevent myself from succumbing to this blind suspicion and allowing those thoughts to foster into hate, I have made it my intention to make several new Muslim friends. In fact, I made one over the weekend and her name is Afsana:)

As i can imagine the anxiety that Sofia mentions, and simply because i can understand what it must feel like to constantly feel like a bad person just for wearing a religious garment of any sort, I have expressed my feelings regarding this situation to several of my current Muslim friends.

As i have done all of this because a) it was assigned in class and b) because i genuinely feel it to be the right thing to do, I must say that when the time comes that Jews are yet again put under the microscope, it is my hope that as a nation together we will have conquered our human desire to point fingers and hate with the realization that nothing good can become of it.

Do The Right Thing

In “Do The Right Thing”, there’s a scene where a black teen discusses how one hand is love and the other is hate. One is always fighting the other, and when you put the hands together there’s “static.” This is similar to what Dr. King says, in “I have a dream” when he says that blacks should not be guilty of wrongdoing while getting to their rightful place. There should be no violence waged against whites. If there’s “static”, it’s because the hand of “hate” is involved.

Additionally, Jane’s(or Jade?) response to the boycotting of Sal’s place was to “direct your energies in a more positive way”, and something constructive.

In fact, at the end of the movie, there’s a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “Violence as a way of achieving social justice is both impractical and immoral”.

The Ballot orthebullet

“Don’t you know that the ballot is more important than the dollar?”

Voting is crucial, Malcolm X takes a very strong stand titling his speech and repeating throughout the words, The Ballot or the Bullet. He says that black people should not be anti-white, but rather anti-exploitation/degradation/oppression. They need to understand that they are not “Americans” as they have had no benefit from the good things people say about America. Rather they are Africans in America, like people sitting at a diner, but with nothing on their plate. The are receiving nothing that they are owed.

Every person needs to see “the vise he’s in, the bag he’s in, and see the real game he’s in.” This takes time, to realize the injustices done especially when the ‘enemy’ is sly and cunning, but is no doubt prevalent in our country today. Not just in ’64 but i find that today many of our “leaders” are corrupt as well. People are too preoccupied with just getting by through life, that they don’t have the opportunities and power to respond to the injustices done against them.

However, i think as a whole, we should acknowledge and remember that “you can get a whole lot of small people and whip the hell out of a whole lot of big people.” If people unite and express themselves, then at least we stand a chance.

Using Sadness As A Motivator

The following are my observations of Sam Cooke’s song “A Change is Gonna Come”:

The lyrics are repetitive of this concept of a “change gonna come”, all the while bringing in various aspects of his life that could use change, yet it’s not a broad change in the world but a very specific request for a certain change, one that is left to be assumed by the listener.

Like his words of “carrying on”, i found that music followed suit, yet systematically, as if the ups and down of a hard life can be told through music. The trumpets definitely dictate a rise in either the passion or the hope for change.

His voice is throughout hopeful and in a storytelling-like tone, even when he says he does not know if he’ll be to able to carry on, he quickly jumps to the following line as if not to stay pessimistic for too long.

How did it make me feel? It’s sad, maybe too sad, and it contradicts the feeling of hope he’s trying to portray. People generally look at hope as “up” or step forward. Sadness isn’t in that light.

The point? Perhaps to show his faith in his hope for change because of his constant low, (despite the small fluctuations between joy and sadness), and i feel that he is using sadness as a motivator.

Otis Redding’s version expresses the same points that I’ve made, but more intensely. He changes sadness to desperate, and what little light Sam had, to darkness. This song would not be appropriate to listen to with the lights on, the point would be misunderstood. His life isn’t just hard, it’s an inescapable prison. Compared to Sam, Otis’ is more dependent, if even possible, on this “hope of change gonna come”.

Thoreau, to me

Thoreau’s government is like a machine, one that (when it) produces injustice - requires “counter friction” to stop the machine.

“Majorities don’t necessarily gain virtues of wisdom and justice”, and people don’t have respect for the law because the “politicians and larger groups” aren’t better than them. Basically, law isn’t superior to what someone considers “right”, just because it’s a law.

Now since a democratic government is, by nature, “typically more harmful than helpful” the result is, “not too soon for honest men to rebel.”

Yet who's to blame for the lack of action? NOT necessarily pro-slavery politicians, (per say, if that’s what’s the current “wrong”) but blame must be put on those that care more about the effect the change will have on their businesses, even if they believe slavery is wrong. You can’t just vote or wish, you need to be BE just. You need to make sure you yourself aren’t indirectly assisting the “injustice”, whether it’s by paying taxes that fund it or continuing to trade. In addition, if a law is clearly unjust, you don’t wait for it to be changed. It’s a law that deserves no respect and should be broken.

There are actually some admirable qualities in our democratic government! But it’s man-made, it’s not an element of nature or God himself. We need to take a step further towards recognizing and organizing the rights of man. Ideally, “The government is best which governs not at all” but until we are all ready for it, our government will be forced to remain merely convenient and practical, although possibly improper or immoral.

dondeescarmen-blog

@cynosure101

cynosure101

The artist who drew this is incredibly talented;)

#dondeescarmen

“Action expresses priorities.” Mahatma Gandhi

As it works, not every fight has just two sides, and not every person fights in the same way. More importantly though is that not every candidate chooses to fight. Love the title, “Finishing School for Pickets”, (which i learned means protesters:)) but let’s consider this for a second:

Who’s finishing? Has everyone eligible for picketing picketed? Or have the picketers remained the only picketers picketing?

The HUGE answer is no, and in 1956 we get to learn what doesn’t become of a girl who fails to realize what could’ve been. Pre-informed of her “faulty existence” at home, she chooses to run North, away from the such obedient Spelman girls who encompass the “unexpressed but obvious pressure to adopt the manners and courtesies of white middle-class society” and “hardly utter a peep”.

But, if you won’t resist then who will? Now let’s make it personal: what are you a possible picketing candidate for but you refuse to protest?

I’d say that me and the author agree here but let the many negations in the opening of my articulation analogously affirm my support for “every method short of violence” to those currently under any sort of oppression or societal resistance.

Routine VERSUS Unconventionality

In the movie Pleasantville, a boy and his sister are transported through their tv set to an old show from the ‘50s, the comical heart being of the comforts of routine. Yet as they explore through the place they discover that things ARE NOT like they really really should be. Stupidly, a coworker won’t know to continue a task if there was a delay and yelling fire in a fire station yields no help.

To break out of routine, and to break out of the expectations of others and having self-reliance, becomes the new norm in the town. Sparked with conflict from those still in routine-like lifestyle, and clearly too, as their faces are black and white, our new heros CREATE a new norm in that town. A town that had previously nothing beyond it, becomes inspired to think outside of the not just physical but emotional box too. The ability to think freely, coupled with the WILL to think freely, is the American Dream in our country. The movies ends off with one saying to another, “What now?”, because 'what now' is a question to live by. As long as we aren’t tied down to something that restricts us, 'what now’ is a crucial question to life.

What now?

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