❤Farida❤

*Inserts meaningful comment or quote* 21|👩🏻‍🎓

[farida95x]

What is colonialism? Colonialism is when a powerful state occupies another state by taking partial or full control of a country. This practice was celebrated in the Victorian era- a way of cleansing the ‘barbaric, animalistic’ indigenous people with the belief of supremacy. This outdated practice is still being demonstrated today yet the media censors our freedom of speech and hides the international affairs that we deserve to know. As we speak, Palestine is being colonised by Isr*el and nothing is being done. The importance of language is depicted in our headlines: ‘war’ instead of apartheid and ethnic cleansing and ‘clashes’ replacing one-sided violence. The bias of our media and the allowance of colonialism in the 21st century is disheartening- especially when we live in a society that celebrates democracy and equality. #freepalestine #injustice #colonialismdoesnotbelonginthe21stcentury #wherearethemiddleeasternleaders #whereisthejustice #alllivesmatter https://www.instagram.com/p/CO6DF8DFQLD/?igshid=1azcij74oe70n

[farida95x]

Did you know that there were originally only 10 months in first calendar 📅 ? The original calendar was created by the the first King of Rome, Romulus (in 780 BC) but it wasn’t exactly correct. Because there were only 10 months in the year (with each one consisting of approximately 31 days) there were only 304 days in the year- meaning that 61 days were unaccounted for. The original months were: - Martius, - Aprilius, - Mauis, - Iunius, - Quintilis, - Sextilis, - September, - October, - November, - December. Understanding that the seasons didn’t align to the calendar, Romulus’s successor, Pompilus added two additional months in 700 BC. They were January (Ianuarius) and February (Februarias). The month January commemorated the Roman God, Janus who had two faces: one that looked at the past, and the other to look to the future, which is where the concept of New Years Resolutions arrived from: the ability to look to the past in order to become a better person in the future. February derived from the Roman God Februus, who was the God of purification. In February, we celebrate Valentine’s Day on the 14th day, whereas on the 15th day, Romans solemnised the festival of Lupercalia: a celebration of fertility and fruitfulness. This ultimately leaves one question: When were July and August introduced. In 44 BC, realising that the calendar was no longer in ordinal order, Augustus Caesar changed Quintilis to July to remember his father, Julius Caesar. He then renamed Sextilis, altering it to August- after himself. Which month were you born in? And what was it originally called? #calendar #romancalendar #history #lovehistory #romanhistory #lupercalia #months #monthsoftheyear #january #february #july #august #juliuscaesar #augustuscaesar #romulus #rome #pompilus #tenmonthsoftheyear #twelvemonthsoftheyear https://www.instagram.com/p/CJTrDb0l2Fn/?igshid=qc8ror2s8lm4

[farida95x]

🎭: Othello: tragedy: William Shakespeare: 1603 What is the symbolism of colour in Othello? The character of Othello was said to have been inspired by Abd el-Ouahed, a Moroccan ambassador who travelled to England in 1600 with the hopes of forming an alliance between Queen Elizabeth I and the Moroccan Ruler Mulay Ahmad al-Mansur. Even though the alliance was never formed (both rulers passed away, so talks remained inconclusive), the ambassador inspired Shakespeare to create the ‘Moor’ Othello. Now looking at the term ‘Moor’ in Shakespearean times, the noun would have been associated with people who were from Africa, the Middle East or Spain. Furthermore, when using the adjective ‘black’, Shakespeare was referring to those whose skin colour was darker than the traditional English Man. One thing to consider is that the terminology used by Shakespeare has changed because of historical, political and literary advances. Not only that, but moor was a synonym for Muslim- however Othello had converted to Christianity as insinuated by: ‘all seals and symbols of redeemed sins’. On the Other hand, the Jacobean audience were not convinced that a Muslim who had converted to Christianity was capable of fully converting- as their ‘blackness’ would be a symbol of their true mannerisms. This is further reinforced at the end of the play, when Othello refers to himself as a ‘Turk’ before he stabs himself enforcing the idea that he had reverted because he was never fully able to convert. If we were to look at 16th Century literature, it is implied that being pale skinned meant that you were ‘fair and beautiful’, whereas if you were dark skinned, you were ugly, inside and outside. The sad thing is that this mentality had carried on through generations. In the Victorian era, this mentality was known as the pseudo-science ‘Physiognomy’, which was used to declare the attributes of an individual by their skin colour. Even though the concept of physiognomy is no longer used, it’s socially inbuilt in us. Fortunately, some of us are able to break down the barriers that our predecessors have established. That is what is important! #othello #englishlit #alevelenglish #classics https://www.instagram.com/p/CG-YjKDFYDk/?igshid=jptgbz8js8aw

[farida95x]

‘Blood Brothers’ written by Willy Russell. ‘Blood Brothers’ was written in 1983, during a time of social inequality. Russell used the setting of his hometown, Liverpool- this was used as epitome for the industrial cities that suffered the hardest from social injustices. The play is known as an example of political theatre 🎭 because it describes the dissatisfaction of society due to the mistreatment of the lower classes. This is evident through Mickey and Edward. Even though Mickey is bright, his career paths are limited because of the fact that he is poor, whereas Edward has so many metaphorical doors 🚪 open for him because of his high social status. The play was written during Thatcherite Britain and it details and dramatises the exploitation of the lower classes in order to encourage change within 21st Century Britain. The audience are able to understand the differences between the different characters, mainly through the use of dialect and colloquial language. This is demonstrated when Mickey uses the imperative 'Gis a sweet' and used his brother Sammy as a role model. This is concerning as Sammy's main vocabulary consisted of taboo language and expletives enforcing the concept of the tragedy and injustice. #bloodbrothers #willyrussell #willyrussellsbloodbrothers #play #englishliterature #english #gsceenglish #gcseenglishliterature #thatcherism #socialinjustice https://www.instagram.com/p/CDZx2ExFfAN/?igshid=uo6j9y4xmhlr

[farida95x]

What is a cratylic name? A cratylic name is a name given to a character to express a trait they may have. Priestly uses this concept when creating two characters: ‘Eva Smith’ and ‘Daisy Renton.’ When analysing the proper noun ‘Eva Smith’, the audience understand that the surname ‘Smith’ was the common name within the lower classes- especially in women; making Eva the symbol for the lower classes. The members of the audience will see Eva Smith’s throughout the play: in the prostitutes at the Palace Bar Theatre, in the women working for Mr Birling and in the the young women who were unjustly fired. Ultimately, this explains the consequences of the actions and objectifying behaviour of the bourgeoisie. To add to this, the name ‘Eva Smith’ also has a biblical reference. The name ‘Eva’ reminds us of the name ‘Eve’. In the Book of Genesis, when Adam and Eve are questioned by God for eating the forbidden fruit, Adam pointed the finger at Eve, indicating that he held her responsible. This is relevant because throughout the play, Eva is blamed by the chauvinistic males who constantly blamed her for their own faults. Furthermore, the pseudonym ‘Daisy Renton’ also has a negative meaning. The name ‘Daisy’ has connotations of purity and death yet it also insinuates the death of innocence. In addition tho this, the last name ‘Renton’ sounds like ‘rent’, which sounds like something being torn, linking to the idea of The lower classes being taken advantage by the middle and upper classes. Can you think of any cratylic names? #aninspectorcalls #evasmith #GCSERevision #gcseenglish #gcsenglishlit #gcseenglishtutors #loveenglish #cratylicnames #jbpriestley #theatreplay #biblicalreferences #bourgeoisie #20thcenturywomen #20thcenturyliterature https://www.instagram.com/p/CDE9saTlF7p/?igshid=18hazjc7gk8rz

[farida95x]

📚 ‘Of Mice and Men’: written by John Steinbeck, published in 1937. ‘Of Mice and Men’ was based on the poem ‘To a Mouse’ 🐁 which was an ode to aforementioned animal, whose home was destroyed by Robert Burns, the poet. Burns identifies that both animals and men are similar, both striving to feel safe and both able to feel sorrow. Both the poem and the novella identify the fragility of animals 🦔 as well as the innocence of vulnerable people. In the novella, Lennie has an intellectual disability, making him a fragile and misunderstood character. It’s interesting 🧐 as when analysing the story that Steinbeck is portraying, the reader 👩‍🏫 understands that Lennie symbolises the ‘American dream’ and when he dies, the dream dies with him. The beauty behind the dream that George, Lennie, Crooks and Candy crave for is the strive for equality, security and a place where the men can feel safe. It is their American Dream to have a home of their own which ultimately fails, manifesting Steinbeck’s belief that the American Dream was flawed. It is because of the feeling of superiority that the other men at the ranch feel, that places Lennie in danger at the end, leading to his untimely death. This idea is further reinforced in the death of Candy’s dog 🐶 who is killed by Carlson because he is seen as a nuisance- which depicts the theme of the survival of the fittest. The ‘able’ men in the novella are thought to have the ability to decide who lives and who dies- depicted in the deaths of Slim’s puppies amongst other innocent deaths. But does anyone have the right to decide who should live and who should die? #ofmiceandmen #george #lennie #america #thegreatdepression #disability #english #classics #englishliterature #lovebooks #ks3english #gcseenglish #gcseenglishliterature #toamouse #johnsteinbeck #robertburns #justiceforlennie #hedeservedbetter #friendship #disability https://www.instagram.com/p/B_7yFV4j8FC/?igshid=1e3t9934puku