English 3 :)

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[myartisticbathtub-blog]

I did a bit of brainstorming lately about Kathy from Never Let Me Go and her emphasis on past, memories, and reminiscing.

Reading literature reminds me a bit of how fast-paced life can sometimes get, and how we may sometimes forget to look back at our past because we might be too focused on the...

[taylorhawkins94]

"As long as I’m learning something, I figure I’m OK - it’s a decent day."

-Hunter S. Thompson

This Hunter S. Thompson quote relates to our class community in the sense that our community is an intellectual one and we are there to learn. As long as we have gained some little new piece of knowledge...

[martinezbel-blog]

Aw I love this :)

[batthemlasheslovelymanda-blog]

"Sometimes it is the people who no one imagines anything of who do the things that no one can imagine."

The Imitation Game directed by Morten Tyldum recounts the part of Alan Turing’s life where he helped to create a machine that decoded Nazi messages. He helped to create Turing machines that...

[martinezbel-blog]

Eugenics: alive and well in the USA

The California State Auditor recently found that female inmates in California's prison system were being sterilized without consent, often with coercion. The...

I watched this short clip on eugenics thinking about NLMG. Here we see women in prison being targeted and forcibly sterilized without consent. The practice of eugenics is still well and alive to this day. I connected it to NLMG for obvious reasons, one being who is able to reproduce and who is not. Another reason I chose it was to further think on the prison type ideas we have spoken about in class. Are the kids in Hailsham any different than these prisoners? Does Hailsham qualify as a prison even though it does not have the physical characteristics? How does a person kept in captivity prevent or protect themselves from eugenics? Is eugenics good or bad? and so forth. It is a very short clip anyway, nice, sweet, short and straight to the point. Enjoy!

[martinezbel-blog]

Adaptation Revison

Blue Lipstick and a Cigarette Hanging Out Your Mouth

Inevitably we all come across that point in time in which we find ourselves sick of everything we say or think of. Everything we do or say is neither captivating nor intelligent. It is almost as if our individuality has reached a standstill, and sometimes even a downfall. Moments like these block all creativity and we feel useless. Attempts to write or speak are petty and incompetent. You are stuck because you think you suck. The only way out is to get out of the mopey self and create a new self. Reinvent yourself, put temporary hair dye on, try a new wardrobe, mismatch your shoes. Whatever you do, do not to stick with the ordinary you.

A small divergence from your ordinary self can completely change your ordinary perspective. Leave the everyday you behind and fully commit to your new self. The most helpful alterations are ones that dramatically branch away from your comfort zone. Forget that you may be a conservative, a liberal, a tree hugger, anything and everything you identify with; put yourself in the shoes you would not dare to wear. If you usually do not run, run. Write at peace and write in the way you imagine a track star would immediately after a meet. Produce your work, exhaust every word onto that paper just as you exhausted your lungs. Sometimes I imagine myself as a criminal, pretending to play it normal in a park after a burglary. I appear as a normal person writing in their journal, because that is what I am physically-not who I have become internally. Do not be afraid to step into a new world, you can always switch it for a new one.

Keep going. Enter new worlds everyday by always changing your own. Watch how your new identities create work that you were once incapable of. Dress as people would in the Wild West, during the 70’s, as you would for a formal event, anything that gives you new character. Begin to write. If you are a lawyer that day, write with such articulation that you leave yourself in pure disbelief. If you decide you are a celebrity that day, let your ego spread its wings. Do not write on paper, write on napkins as if your materials were scarce. No matter who you decide to be, fully engage with that character. You once thought you were so bland, and so icky, but all it took was to simply see the world from multiple perspectives.

Works Cited

"Texts - Goldberg - Selections - Writing Down the Bones." Web log post.Englishanew Rescources. Ed. Karolyn Reddy. Tumblr, n.d. Web. 3 Mar. 2015.

[martinezbel-blog]

help

Which text is Banias I cannot find it!

[martinezbel-blog]

Analysis Review

C3 Confusing idea, whether due to syntax, logic, or underdevelopment

These practices show their prominence in modern day society in slightly different ways, and some still very similar. Because lower class has always been seen as inferior, to this day we see the medical field treat women of lower class differently than upper class women.

Deriving from old practice, women of lower class still experience oppression from the medical field to this day. The idea of lower social standing being inferior to upper class still affects the treatment women do and do not receive.

Y3 Material that seems out of place or disconnected from its immediate context

The ideals presented separated women into two distinct categories. Women of lower class were seen as robust to illness, designed for labor, and resistant to fatigue.

As with other absurd ideas of the time period, the difference between women of upper and lower class also had to have a biological and theoretical explanation. Therefore, it was concluded that women of high and low social standing were biologically different. Women of lower class were immune to illness, designed for heavy labor, and enjoyed healthy life, contradictory to the reality of their lives.

A1 Words and phrases that have nuanced or context-dependent meanings and thus require definition (e.., “responsibility”)

With these “proven facts” of the time, women of leisure were usually invalids because of some moment that caused them stress and put on bed rest, while women of lower class were not ever invalids.

Supported by popular thought in the 18th century, women who enjoyed lives of leisure were more likely to become invalids; meaning that they were ‘unable and disabled’ from normal daily activity and put to bed rest. Anything that caused great distress to a wealthy woman risked her invalidism. On the other hand, women of lower class who were always exposed to heavy stress and severe illness could never be considered invalid because they were biologically designed to endure harsh circumstances.

[martinezbel-blog]

Literary Adaptation

Literary Adaptation- The Space Traders Summary- Extraterrestrial beings land

in the US. They offer supplies and resources to make America into a thriving and healthy country. Their worries like debt, poverty, pollution, crime, and anything that causes controversy or problems would be solved. On the flip side, they have to eliminate their Middle Eastern inhabitants. They have ten days to decide whether they want a nearly perfect country, or if they would rather keep their Middle Eastern population.

Passage- Page 164 “I think we all know the situation,” the President said. “Those extraterrestrial being are [offering] a guarantee that America will conquer its present problems and prosper for at least all of this new century.” “I would venture, sir,” the Vice President noted, “ that the balance

of your term will be known as ‘America’s Golden Age.’” [...] The President smiled at the remark… “The VP is right, of course,” the President said. “Our visitors from outer space are offering us the chance to correct our several generations of excessive waste.”  [...] “They are offering not only a solution to our nation’s present problems but also one--surely an ultimate one--to what might be called the great American Discrimination and Paranoia Experiment. Does the promise of restored prosperity justify our sending away of Middle Eastern people?” “There are pluses and minuses to this issue, Mr President.” Helen Hipmeyer, Secretary of Health and Human Services, usually remained silent at cabinet meetings, [it was a tremendous surprise to have her speak now.] “A large percentage of Middle Eastern people have conflict with one another for religious or ethnic issues. They are always on turmoil. Apart from this, tension with their countries is threatening for our own citizens. We should prevent by all means any possibility of extreme terrorism in our country. Besides we have many of our men dying because of their people. Their departure would ease substantially the burden on our conscience of our safety.” Many other members spoke and suggested we go forth with the trade, considering everything that was said and other benefits that came along with the trade. It was until [Akbar Singh] spoke, she was a doctor

that took part in many cancer research studies and had been brought here as a little girl from Afghanistan. [Singh] stated, “I am horrified to hear this reasoning from several members of the cabinet. Although I have always been in favor of the degrees taken for safety, I cannot sit here and tolerate these exaggerated assumptions as if we were all a threat and risk to the country. However, right now that is aside the matter. Many of you are failing to see that a large part of our research is thriving because of “our people,” many hospitals and clinics thrive because of “our people,” a large group of successful and alumn students all over the country are made up of “our people.” You are also forgetting interracial families, and what you will cause by breaking them apart. Conventional ways of seeing the Middle East is preventing you all from seeing the benefit YOU reap by having us present. Apart from this, we are also primarily scape goated and targeted--without any violent outcry or harming of others. Take all of this into consideration before ‘War on Terror is resolved’ by your trade. Remember that you are always at risk by other totalitarian regimes anyway. ” [Singh] said no more thanked everybody for their time and exited the room. The President and his cabinet were left in awe. Over the next few days large conventions were held between all types of people from the Middle East and they discussed tactics for staying, escaping and resisting. The day of the decision came, the Space Traders came to hear it. Regardless of the decision, all Middle Eastern people were gathered and kept enclosed to avoid any outbreak. The president spoke before millions of people present and watching from home, nothing said between the cabinet was mentioned. Instead it was a paraphrased and more eloquent version of what Singh had shared at the meeting. None of the Middle Eastern population was banished, later that evening Singh was recruited and forced to take an oath that she would not mention to anybody what had actually been discussed or that the majority of that speech came from her passionate

beliefs. Over the course of the next few days, everyone took in the news and the almost banished group showed extreme gratitude-for they were convinced they would be sent away. Everyone carried out briskly and happily, Singh being the only one who ever knew the entire truth.

Analysis- Changing the targeted group in the Space Traders for me was more important than changing a character's gender or personality. The reason I changed it to another targeted minority was to explore he racism and prejudice in our country through a different realm. Although one group was banished and not the other for me was to compare which group may experience harsher treatment. However, in my adaptation I chose to still include racist ideas and assumptions just as in the original version. It was impossible to explore the racism highly conducted  by the government without including it in a presidential meeting. The difference in the outcome was mainly because of the benefit the country gets from a group of people. In the original version the African American population was sent away almost without hesitation because they were seen as a burden with barely any assets. In my version I wanted to display the greed of the country and how their decision would depend on whether they deemed a group of people as beneficial. Towards the end I decided to keep their talk secret to the public because the government carries on with alot of dirty work rarely exposed to their people. It would be no surprise if something like this happened in real life. Just as in the original passage, the government shamelessly shares racist commentary and makes decisions without truly acknowledging the affect on real life people. The point of this remade passage was to highlight secrecy, racism, and greed in a different aspect.

[martinezbel-blog]

Analysis 4

The Space Traders

[ The President and cabinet members heard reports from agents who had checked out samples of the gold, chemicals, and machinery the Space Traders had brought. More tests would be run in the next few days, but first indications were that the gold was genuine, and that the anti pollution chemicals and the nuclear fuel machine were safe and worked.] describes [ the President and his cabinet ] both as [ “urgent” ] and as [ “irresistible” - to the offer]. While the former evidence supports [ their willingness to take up on the offer for the prosperity of their country ],  the quotation [“But my duty stops short of condemning my wife, my three children, my grandchildren, and my aged mother to an unknown fate. You simply cannot condemn twenty million people because they are lack, and thus fit fodder for trade, so that this country can pay its debts, protect its environment, and ensure its energy supply” -Golightly ] casts a new light. Together, these latter pieces of evidence imply that [ although the cabinet invited Golightly for opinions from a colored person, they did not plan to take his ideas into consideration to begin with. If the President and his members were not readily willing to give up twenty million people they would have waited for this discussion to take place and allow for more opinions from the black population instead of heading forward with the testing. ] This means that [ the plan was almost instantly approved, but the President and his cabinet simply needed to make it appear as though serious consideration was underway. We see the outcome at the end of the story, and did not see serious pretexts from the governing body for the African Americans to stay, but instead encouraging ideas from the cabinet, ] and encourages readers to consider [ how realistic this story really is. Although it is fictional because of the extraterrestrial beings, one can undoubtedly see how the actual debates would go about if this were to actually happen in our country. Golightly’s character is a symbol of direct oppression and false support of concern of the black population. The targeting of the African American population as a whole and the reasons for their going in exchange for prosperity is alarming and also functions to display the same inconsideration. I feel that this country would willingly exchange the blacks in our country given the underlying and direct oppression/racism they still experience to this day. Welfare, prison rates, and poverty are constantly criminalized especially when dealing with blacks. In a broader aspect, the story provokes the readers attention towards reality and note the prejudices towards blacks ].

[martinezbel-blog]

Well this was probably unexpected! Both the picture and the scenario. 

Lately the readings have taken an unexpected twist for me! I read “The Venus Hottentlot” and it took a new path on me that I was not expecting about through halfway through the poem. (I won’t go into much detail, but only list what my unexpected events are) Also, the short account of Catherine Vizzani was unexpectedly entertaining and just in general different. The writing workshops have changed my views and ideas for unexpected material has come up. If We Must Die also has brought to surface some book I read sophomore year. A lot of unexpected ideas and thoughts have come up with the most recent readings and discussions in class.  The point of this post was for me to list all of the unexpected events that revolve around enl3 for me while showing a slightly humorous picture to match. 

[martinezbel-blog]

Analysis 3

Women and Medicine in the Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries illustrates how women from different backgrounds were biologically different than others. Oppression was used by people in power to subjugate others and to this day we see these patterns.

Throughout history women have always been oppressed in a variety of ways. Whether it be confined to only domestic duties, unequal opportunity to property or work, inability to vote, etc., women have not always been equally oppressed. The late 1800’s and early 19th century were a difficult time for women, especially for immigrants and ones from the lower class. During this period of time medical science, dominated by males of course, was surging with diagnostics and absurd treatment. The ideals presented separated women into two distinct categories. Women of lower class were seen as robust to illness, designed for labor, and resistant to fatigue. The irony in this conclusion is that women of lower class were more likely to suffer from actual disease and illness because of their daily environments. On the other hand, women of upper-class were seen as weak, fragile, and easily distressed. Anything that required physical energy or required high amounts of intelligence could easily harm them. With these “proven facts” of the time, women of leisure were usually invalids because of some moment that caused them stress and put on bed rest, while women of lower class were not ever invalids. Dr. Warner in Women and Medicine in the Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries says, “The African Negress who toils beside her husband in the fields of the south, and Bridget, who  washes, and scrubs and toils in our homes at the north, enjoy for the most part good health, with comparative immunity from disease.”

The beliefs of the time period inhibited women of lower class from ever reaching any sort of professional treatment because doctors would rather stay away from the slums than possibly contract disease. These practices show their prominence in modern day society in slightly different ways, and some still very similar. Because lower class has always been seen as inferior, to this day we see the medical field treat women of lower class differently than upper class women. Although the ideas have shifted over a period of time, it was very common in the late 1900’s for women of lower class and of color to be sterilized without consent, offered contraceptives, forced to use contraceptives under threats, and so forth. Angela Davis in her article, Reproductive Rights, highlights the United States abuse of sterilization. During the 1970’s welfare recipients were targeted, “...the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare claimed that approximately 16,000 women...had been sterilized in 1972 under the auspices of federal programs.”  While no statistics show that women of upper class have been sterilized unknowingly or forcibly, they do show encouragement for them to reproduce.

The ideas of a better race and “survival of the fittest” has followed our society throughout time. It is encouraged for a “better” race to reproduce and run the country also connecting to nationalism. Nationalistic motives also push our government and doctors to encourage or discourage people from reproducing, as well as offering treatment to different types of women. The separation of women, unfortunately, is still present in our society.

[martinezbel-blog]

Question!

Is Analysis 3 due on the 4th or the 6th?! 

[martinezbel-blog]

Notes 4

Working on my Analysis 1 from Frankenstein. The feedback has allowed me to further expand my ideas, sometimes I feel like I am expanding as much as I can but not reaching out to all the possible takes my idea can go. Karolyn’s feedback and suggestions broaden my narrow ‘expansion’ and lead me to new ways of thinking. Smaller instances and different words are now more apparent, since I primarily focused on others while doing the analysis. Methods like these will help me in future analysis. I focused on the words, “division and system” and she pointed out the word “strange” that I could also be a new focal point. The shift of the DeLacey family also might suggest something about the creatures life, to me it just seems like a very similar downfall. However, I feel like the monster had no peak! :( Pointing out the fact that he refers to the systems as strange also suggests that the order is not all what it seems to be. Shelley could have included this for further analysis or development of the monster.

[martinezbel-blog]

Analysis 2

Binaries- 

Strangers/Trustworthy people

Lessons/Instincts

Maturity/Innocence 

Morals/Reality

Warning/Life realities    

Complications: The binaries I am coming up with mostly come from the traditional Little Red Riding Hood story. I almost feel as if they were a PSA to maturing and developing children, and if I try to apply these to the Wolf’s message, they do not seem to entirely work. The Wolf is poitning out all of the obvious instances that we surpass when reading Little Red. The time he chose to act and how he chose to act points out the flaws in the teachings we are used to.

First read through of the poem: As I read quickly through the poem I know I am getting the Wolf’s side

Rarely or never is his voice heard

Is this an explanation, justification?

Why would he warn future generations he is not part of?

Strands-

Rhetorical questions (ex: Why did I ask where her grandma lived? ; As if I couldn’t have swallowed her years before?)

When hearing the one-sided story your whole life since a child, you do not stop and think about these things the wolf mentions. Of course he could have swallowed granny and knew where she lived if he dwelled there for many years. Perhaps we did not want to recognize the flaws in our teachings to smaller children.

“And you may call me the Big Bad Wolf, now my only reputation.”

Although the wolf is not justified in his attack on granny, unfortunately his only reputation is one as a bad creature. For smaller children this tale serves as a warning of strangers and unfamiliar people approaching you for any reason, and for maturing children the harsh realities of sexual predators. BUT giving the wolf the benefit of doubt, he exposed himself as this punished creature enduring the oncoming shame to serve as a more realistic warning.

 Paragraph:

Reading the other side to Little Red Riding Hood is incredibly eye-opening and helpful in understanding each story’s motive. The common understanding or belief from Little Red is to warn small children about strangers that approach them (because all strangers do harm,) and for children of a slightly older group the harsh reality of predators with twisted intentions. From that story readers gain an understanding and belief that all unfamiliar faces will do you harm and punishment is deserved. Using the rhetorical questions the Wolf asks in his postscript, “Why did I ask where her grandma lived? ; As if I couldn’t have swallowed her years before?” we then come to think and realize that our teachings through Little Red Riding Hood may not have been all too successful. Bad people may not do bad things to anybody, but to people they see vulnerable and naïve. It could be that we want to shelter small children from harm, but we do need to expose them to reality and what goes beyond encountering a “stranger.” Simply framing the Wolf for his wrong doing and giving him years of infamous connotation, we fail to recognize the actual favor he did us all. Our teachings need to be more explicit and realistic. Children do need to live a portion of their lives with innocence and we should not corrupt that, but there must be something done in order to prevent them from possibly being a victim to harsh reality we are not teaching them. Giving the wolf the benefit of doubt, he exposed himself as this punished creature enduring the oncoming shame to serve as a more realistic warning for oncoming generations as he announces in the second line. The use of rhetorical questions point out all the obvious things we do not teach. 

#englishanew #enl3 #enl3analyses

[martinezbel-blog]

Notes 3

PROSPERO

Being once perfected how to grant suits,

How to deny them, who t' advance and who

To trash for overtopping, new created

The creatures that were mine, I say—or changed 'em,

Or else new formed 'em—having both the key

Of officer and office, set all hearts i' th' state

To what tune pleased his ear, that now he was

The ivy which had hid my princely trunk,

And sucked my verdure out on ’t. Thou attend’st not.

Act 1. SC. 2 98-106

Summary- In this passage I feel that Prospero is talking about the powers and privileges he once had. “Being once perfected” to me resembles a past tense, but then again I could be misinterpreting as usual when reading Shakespeare. The next two lines also indicate of past ways of being able to control who did what, who did advance and who did not. His control is very apparent even in ownership, “creatures that were mine,” of people. Prospero exerted force where he pleased, at least he makes it sound like, and had the key to “officer and office” indicating that he had his people and places where he reigned. Later on in the passage I am a little confused when he says “To what tune pleased his ear,” about himself or Antonio? Or who? Somebody stripped his power or betrayed him, and what I am getting from this passage is that he is very bitter about what has been done to him. The last phrase, “Thou attend’st not” I am not sure of so I cannot even give myself an idea of how he is ending!

Act 1 SC 2 Page 4-Modern Text

Sparknotes- Wow I am so dumb! Prospero is talking about Antonio lol. In the previous one he had mentioned him but I did not catch that it carried on. Anyway, everything I had just said about Prospero “having power” is actually about Antonio amounting such a great amount of power and being totalitarian it seems like. However, I think I was a little right because he did also mention that Antonio “won over” the people that used to be his! It says in the rephrasing that, “Since he had control over the whole government and everyone in it, he soon made everyone sing his own song—whichever song he happened to like” and manipulated or indoctrinated everyone to singing his songs of choice, whether it was to their slight pleasure or displeasure I do not know. And now I also know that the last line is him asking Miranda if she is even paying attention.

Reflection- I can definitely say this impacted my understanding! I was incredibly lost and on the wrong track. So I am glad I was able to do this exercise to expand my understanding, or actually just take me there. Although this passage is from very early on in the play I would reread other parts with more attention and read the remaining part of the novel with more care and attention.

#enl3 #englishanew #notes3

[martinezbel-blog]

Analysis 1

pg 145

“...the strange system of human society was explained to me. I heard the division of property, of immense wealth and squalid poverty; of rank, descent, and noble blood.”

Immediate summary- Here the creature is sharing his recollections of the DeLacey family with Victor.

Context- In this chapter the monster explains everything he has learned and how he has learned it, from who he once considered, “family.” Even though the DeLacey family indirectly educated him, it turned out to be another failed attempt at connecting with society.

Focal word(s)- I could not only choose one :/                          System and Division

Strand of Evidence- Words about society, Unknown realm to the monster

Two/Three Binaries- social standing/importance ; rich/poor ; opportunity/oppression

Possible implications-

The reason for this sentence could be that Shelley is reflective of divisions that were more strict during her time period, and heavily expressed in the novel, hence (division of property, rank, noble blood) and her attempt to make them prominent in her novel as they affected everyone in real life.

Another possible reason for this observation is that the monster was learning about the divisions in real society, and while they were strictly divided from what seemed to be low-high from lesser importance to greater importance, he is still not part of any group.

  Possible implications of focal words-

Monster constantly living in another division of the same world.

He sees a functioning system to contrast the dysfunction in his life.

Reference to text-

Later on in the novel the monster shares how the DeLacey family is demoted of their wealth and ranking and practically shunned by society. They were living as exiles and persecuted, for defending another and now living in poverty because their advantages in high social standing were stripped away in a new world where they do not matter.

  Paragraph-

I chose this line in the book to explore a binary I had not heavily focused on while reading the novel. I focused primarily on “division and system.” When the monster shares his acquired knowledge with Victor about these “divisions within a system,” I feel two things. One, that Shelley is giving a broader insight to the strict social standards of her time period and their impact on members of society. Some of the words used in the sentence like: immense wealth, squalid poverty, rank, noble blood etc., are not only there to help the monster understand what has happened to the DeLacey family, but perhaps there to let the reader know the importance of their existence. Another might be that the creature sees society as a system that  functions and operates in apparently normal patterns, and that each social group has set characteristics; however, he probably leads himself into more provoking thoughts. Perhaps he is left once again to wonder why he is not part of any social group, not even the one that is practically living the same way he is. He had perfectly adapted to normal life, just without anybody knowing of it. We can argue mostly for the second idea because we see his longing for inclusion amongst humans and asking for a companion so he can too feel happiness. For me this slightly implies that although the monster obviously does not wish to be of a high social standing, he does wish to be part of any group hoping to be happier.

Reflection- I really liked this exercise, from a sentence and a half I did not know I could expand so much. While reading the novel, the binaries involving social standing did not attract my attention as much as others. Analyses like these provide a larger opportunity to explore the novel and all of its dimensions.

#enl3 #english3 #enl3analyses #anabel 

[elusivewastebasket-blog]

For this note, I chose to read a review of Frankenstein by The Edinburgh Magazine. This review was generally positive and attributes much of the novel’s success to the public’s appetite “for every sort of wonder and vehement interest” at the time. Some of the more critical points of the review…

[justcheetos-blog]

I noticed we both read the same review, so I was very curious to see what we each had to say about this review. We both agree that the critique towards Shelley as an author in her time was harsh, but you took it to a further extent. What I did not note in my review was the possible warning to mankind in the novel. Victor did endure extreme depression and why he did not find an end to his depression and cause of unrest earlier on in the novel is very debatable. Whether or not Shelley intentionally did this as a warning, or wished to provide an exciting story is up to discussion; but as far as this idea goes, it can clearly be seen and argued that it was indeed a warning. Technology was heavily advancing and there was no telling where it could take mankind, up to this day we can apply the same warning to our inventors and “Creators.” 

#enl3 #enl3reblog #englishanew