Brave New World #3

Will a utopia ever succeed in human society, despite the speculation from novels such as 1984 and Brave New World?
When John seemed to love Lenina so much, why would he hang himself?
How close is our society to that of Brave New World and how easily could ours follow it?

Brave New World #1

In Brave New World, there are 5 social groups, so to speak. In each of those, depending on your rank (Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, or Epsilon), you are given a set color to wear and from the beginning of your life you are raised to learn and live that your group is the best to be in. There is a nursery where people are created. By this time, relationships and sex are no longer thought of as something for adults to do. In fact, the words "mom" and "dad" are taboo. Kids are allowed to "fulfill their sexual desires" when they are very young. New people are conceived in a lab. From birth, children are conditioned to do this and do that and like this and hate that. Deltas are conditioned to hate flowers and books. This causes harmony and reduces conflict -- since they use things to teach children while they sleep, the children know who they are when they grow up, and thus have no reason to want anything else. They also have soma to defeat all negative feelings. This society had every intention to be a utopia, and it got very close, but human nature is to seek happiness, not to "experience" it from birth. They aren't happy, and they can't know what happiness is until they learn to think for themselves.

1984 #3

Big Brother has definitely won. Throughout the entire book, Winston is fighting to go against Big Brother, but Big Brother brings him down in the end, penetrating and infiltrating his mind. One State is too strong to be brought down. No mass has the capability to bring them down because the State has so many ways to manipulate the minds of the citizens of Oceania. In the end, I think Winston goes back to loving and accepting Big Brother the way every other citizen seems to -- being brain washed and mindless.

1984 #2

Winston is having trouble believing what Big Brother is saying because he has begun to think for himself and realizes that there is more to life than what Big Brother has set out. He knows that he is being lied to, even in his job he experiences the lie every day (his job is to rewrite the past). His small acts of defiance are a form of protest only for himself. They are silent ways for him to rightfully think for the first time in a long time. His protesting is similar to Occupy Wall Street, but it is nowhere near the extent that Occupy goes through. They are alike as they are both fighting against the government and fighting towards more rights and freedom. The mass sees Winston's protests as dangerous and ridiculous, while the mass finds Occupy's protests as less of a threat, more misinformed than dangerous. In a sense, we have not become as Orwellian as you can get. We are much more free than Winston ever thought he could be.

1984 #1

1984's society has created conformity and equality in many ways. Everyone is forced to wear the same clothing and has the same rations of food. Their living conditions are equal. They have created conformity through thoughts due to the thought police and everything of the like, because of the BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU signs. In a nutshell, Big Brother is trying to create a society full of close-minded people who do not think for themselves and don't question a minute of it. To reduce conflict, the government has eradicated almost all traces of religion and has put an end to relationships being a natural part of life. Thus, they have ended conflict. This society is a dystopia. The Party had every intent to create a utopia, but utopias have no capability to exist in human nature, therefore The Party's intended utopia would not have happened.

"Communist Utopia" by Thomas Hornung

1. The parts of this painting that indicate communism are the eyes (The government watching you), the brick coming through the grey paint (freedom trying to break through), as well as the redundant coloring (communism is basically where everyone is equal in everything).
2. The artist's view of communism is that it is bad. He views it as dark and lonely to anticipate/attempt to rebel against it.
3. The title means that it is a communist's utopia. Everything is the same and equal and is constantly being watched. However, it is also an oxymoron. With communism, you can't have a utopia.

"Don't You Want Me?" - The Human League

1. The subject matter is conflicting sides of a relationship when people involved are much better off alone.
2. The girl wants to leave the boy. ["The five years we have had have been such good times / I still love you / But now I think it's time I lived my life on my own / I guess it's just what I must do"]. The boy wants to stay with her and is trying to convince her that she should be with him.
3. I side with the girl. Although the boy has a good point, he seems controlling and demanding, while the girl seems wise and independent.

"Love Language" short film

1. I assumed that she was deaf because the norm is to remove your headphones while someone is talking to you, which she did not do.
2. It is not a cultural conflict.
3. An external conflict is the boy vs. the girl because he can't understand her.
4. An internal conflict is the girl wanting to hear but not being able to, or the girl not wanting to tell him that she was deaf.
5. The girl agreed to let him "listen to her song" and therein told him she was deaf. He still thought she was beautiful.

"This Land is Your Land" by Woodie Guthrie

1. Guthrie's message is collectivist. The second-to-last stanza proves this. "As they stood there hungry, I stood there asking / is this land made for you and me?" It is also individualist. Although he acknowledges collectivism, it is also very individualist. He is speaking about what he is doing on his own and is also addressing our American people. We are free and individual and ourselves as well as together and dependent and reliant on each other.

2. I find this song to be anti-government. He seems to be questioning it and criticizing it. In the second-to-last stanza, he is appaleed at the hungry people and why no one has done anything about it.

Utopia

A utopia is an ideal place that is perfect in every way and satisfies every person living in it.

My ideal world is a world with no fighting, no inequalities, and no injustice. In all honesty, a utopia for me would be filled with intelligent and interesting people who appreciate art and various other things of the sort, as pretentious as that sounds.

The soundtrack to my utopia would be filled with chill and relaxing music.

2+2=5 by Radiohead

This song is talking, lyrically, about a world where everything is wrong. It has changed for the worst and has become a dystopia. No one paid attention to the change because they were crippled by some desire.

The music helps push the message because it is sinister, crazy, and has an out-of-control sound. The message is pushed through this because it makes you feel as if you are crazy as well.

2+2-5 alludes to Winston's statement that they had changed so much and made people think this or that and soon they'll say that 2+2=5, and people will believe it.

Reading Critically Summary

While reading, there are many steps you can take to understanding and comprehending the reading better and more in-depth. To begin, examine the title, as it will tell you what's inside and what to look forward to. Read about the author, for it can usually reveal something about the reading before you actually read it. You can learn about the author's opinion beforehand so you know what to expect. Learn about when and where the work was published to establish both credibility and more understanding. They set credentials and authenticity to the information you read. The next step is to actually begin reading the piece. However, write whilst reading as to annotate your thoughts or to bring you back to something later. Summarize the content to be sure that you understood it well. After completing the aforementioned steps, begin to think critically. It will push you forward to understanding the meaning. Analyze the writing to classify main ideas the author stated. Infer about the author's ideas and beliefs. Synthesize those ideas to bring everything together. Next, evaluate the work and your assumptions. This can help ensure that your assumptions are logical and relevant to the piece. Though these can be tedious steps, they help guide you to becoming a better and more critical reader. Follow them and you are on your way.

"You Were Right" - Built to Spill

1. The lyrics are talking about difficult times in someone's life; possibly a relationship that went wrong. Near the end of the song, a lyric is "This is the end"
2. The music is harsh yet calm and depressing but somehow upbeat. The guitar seems to go up at inappropriate times and go down at inappropriate times, as well as it getting louder than the words at times.
3. The song in my opinion is effective at proving its point. It clearly displays the author's hurt and pain that emerged from a possible heartbreak.

"Young Life" - Bo Bartlett

Claim 1: The man's gun is pointed outward to show authority and power.
Fact: His facial expression and stance.

Claim 2: The trees are cut to show how nature is easily broken.
Fact: The truck is a focal point, while the tree stumps are small and almost blend in.

Claim 3: The man and woman are not married.
Fact: The woman is not wearing a wedding ring.

In the painting entitled "Young Life" by Bo Bartlett, what you see is a couple and a child (presumably a family) possibly on a hunting trip. The man and woman are holding tightly to each other while the child is standing off to the side. The woman's grip on the man looks possessive while his grip on her is less forceful and more casual. He is carrying a rifle and is pointing it towards the sky. His stance is confident and powerful: his leg bent but still strong, his head stern and straightforward. The man could be inferred to be the source of power and stability in this group of people, coming from his stance, facial expression, and other physical characteristics.

"Shame" - The Avett Brothers

Subject - a mistake in a relationship; being sorry
Tone - apologetic, remorseful
3 Words that push this tone:

1. Need - he still needs her very much
2. Used - to express the nostalgia
3. Sink - if he had used "fall" it would not have given the same effect.

"Battling Clean-Up and Striking Out" by Dave Barry - SOAPSTone

Subject
The subject of Dave Barry's "Battling Clean-Up and Striking Out" is that men and women have different ways of perceiving and doing things. Their differences are illustrated through Barry's use of heavy focus on how women seem to take cleaning and seeing dirt more serious than men, who only care for sports, apparently.

Occasion
"Battling Clean-Up and Striking Out" was written during the 1980s. The essay's time of creation is conveyed before the actual article, underneath the title. It says that the essay is from "Dave Barry's Greatest Hits (1988)" which may or may not point to it being written during 1988, but it was indefinitely written during the 1980s. Also, the World Series is mention, and though the World Series is still going on today, it was a bigger thing back in the 80s. The probable place of the essay's creation is Miami, Florida. Underneath "Dave Barry", it states that Barry lives in Miami with his family. Although it says he was born in Armonk, New York and graduated from Haverford College in Pennsylvania; it was written well after then, for he graduated in 1969. Therefore, he probably wrote it whilst at home.

Audience
Barry's specific audience for "Battling Clean-Up and Striking Out" is adult couples. The author's target audience is exhibited by his subject and tone for this piece. He chose to write about the difference between men and women and to include stories that relate to couples, or even mixed sex friend groups. The author's general audience for this essay is the adult population as a whole. This is shown through the same example as above.

Purpose
Barry's purpose in "Battling Clean-Up and Striking Out" is to inform and entertain about the differences in men and women. In the second paragraph he jokes about Pompeii and how "it was the custom for men to do the housework" and that they "never even noticed the ash until it had for the most part covered the children." Then in the third paragraph, he talks about how his wife told him to clean the bathroom, and when he cleaned the bathroom to his standards, she asked for him to do it again. It is both informative in these differences and it is entertaining through his sarcasm and his stories.

Speaker
Dave Barry, a journalist, believes in humor to soften other things. This value is illustrated by his own twist of a Poe story (The Tell-Tale Heart), where he states, "It was exactly like that story by Edgar Allan Poe where the murderer can hear the victim's heart beating louder and louder even though he (the murder victim) is dead, until finally he (the murderer) can't stand it anymore, and just hast to watch the World Series on television." He does not finish summarizing Poe's story, but instead adds in "watch the World Series" as it pertained to his issues and added humor as well.

Tone
Barry exhibits a sarcastic and humorous attitude about men and women. These attitudes are expressed by his word choices like "Windexed" and "zinging" and "I am a sensitive and caring kind of guy". "Windexed" and "zinging" portray this tone because first of all, Windexed is not a word, and then zinging barely sounds like one. They sound funny in between normal words. His phrase of "I am a sensitive and caring kind of guy" is sarcastic because you would automatically read it in a sarcastic tone. He is very obviously not a sensitive and caring kind of guy. This tone serves the purpose of the essay because it is entertaining, which helps hold your attention for the informative portion--where you hear about his ideas and beliefs, underlying all that sarcasm.

"American Tongues" - Voice in Literature

What is voice in literature?
Voice in literature is word choice, the personality of the speaker, and sentence structure a person uses when speaking to convey a topic.

Being mindful of word choice, tone, and sentence structure, write an example of something you would commonly say or write. Explain why and how this sounds like you.
"How interesting." Bad example, but it's hard to figure out something you say often that conveys you. It sounds like me simply because I am sarcastic.

According to the documentary, people in Eastern Kentucky talk around a subject. Identify a topic you would talk around, and explain why you would handle the topic in that manner.
I would talk around awkward situations, such as if someone has something stuck in their teeth. I would want to come straight out and tell them, but I wouldn't want to embarrass them, and then I would put myself in their place and decide on what I would want them to do and my head gets incredibly confused.

Why is voice important in nonfiction? What are some things we normally avoid in academic essays?
Voice is important because it helps identify the author. It gives the speaker personality. We normally avoid being boring or repetitive, irrelevant topics / tones, first person, weak vocabulary, slang, and fragments / run-on sentences.

What are some ways we can develop our own voices?
To develop your own voice, you have to first figure out what your personal voice is. Figure out word choices you commonly make, sentence structures you use, slang you may say, and other things as such. From there you can formulate your own voice. Once you write down something, say it out loud and see if it sounds like something you would say.

Eleanor Rigby: PAIN v. Beatles v. Dubstep

Which of these do you like better? Why?
The original. The Beatles are one of my favorite bands and no matter if I do or do not like dubstep/metal, nothing beats the original. The song in general is soothing and calm.
Which of these is more pleasing to listen to? Why?
In my biased opinion, I would choose the original as most pleasing to listen to, for the same reasons as above. However, I could also counteract that by saying the dubstep version is more pleasing to listen to. It incorporates the calm feel of the original yet it brings rhythm and interesting beats that seemingly wouldn't fit the song, but it was remixed almost flawlessly. Either or, it depends on who you ask, but my final answer would be the original.

Kandinsky v. Pollock

Which of these do you like better? Why?
I like Pollock's piece better. The colors are simple and neutral, yet all at the same time it is complex. Its composition stands out.
Which of these is more pleasing to look at? Why?
Kandinsky's piece is more pleasing to look at. It stresses many more characteristics of art. There is definite movement, bright, vivid colors, rhythm, shape, space, etc. It gives off a happy and exuberant vibe.

"Sign Language" - Short Film

• What single effect did you get from this short film?

Sentimental, happy, warm feeling. Very optimistic. Its message was "Appreciate the small things and take chances."

• Give 3 specific things that led you to that single effect.

1. When he talked about how the promotion was great, but he'll miss its job and its beauty.
2. The camerawork and how it seemed very personal.
3. The background music.

• If you could change one aspect, what would it be and how would it affect the film's single effect?

Had they set it in a sunny and warm place, the film might seem less optimistic. This is because it's set in the cold and wet but the main character is still optimistic through it all. Had they not done that, the main character could simply be in a good mood because the weather was nice.

Good Old Desk / Harry Nilsson

• Subject - a desk / dependable friend
• Occasion - 1972
• Audience - listeners of music
• Purpose - to inform
• Speaker - Harry Nilsson
• Tone - happy, comforting, affectionate
• What is he talking about?

He is talking about God and his religion. This is shown through the lines of "It's a pleasure to see it's waiting there for me to keep my hopes alive", "It's the friend I've got, a giant of all times", and "For when my heart's on the blow, I just open the drawer..."

Shooting an Elephant

The subject of George Orwell's "Shooting an Elephant" is literally, him having to make the decision to either shoot a mad and out-of-control elephant, or to leave it be. It's a symbol for the British Empire dying. This is illustrated with the sentence "[the towns people] had not shown much interest in the elephant when he was merely ravaging their homes, but it was different now that he was going to be shot." The elephant is the Empire--when it was merely declining no one seemed to care for it, but now that it's finally ending everyone suddenly had an opinion and cared very much for it.
"Shooting an Elephant" was written during 1935 when the British Empire was dying. Its time of creation is illustrated when the author comes straight out to say, in the second paragraph, that he "did not know the British Empire was dying." The place of this essay was Moulmein in Lower Burma, as indicated in the first sentence. The time and place influence this essay because it was the time of the British Empire dying.
Orwell's specific audience for "Shooting an Elephant" is those people who were not present during that time. The author's target audience is exhibited through his clear detail about the happenings of this time. This is because if he were to be writing for people who were present, he would not decide to include such depth of backstory in this essay.
His purpose is to inform those about the fiasco. His lesson is to learn from he past and to not repeat it. He is informing us because he is trying to create better conditions for us to build our governments on. Orwell states in the last few paragraphs the happenings afterward. He is teaching us to learn from the past through the sentence, "...it put me legally in the right and it gave me a sufficient pretext for shooting the elephant."
Orwell, also the author of Animal Farm and 1984, believes that imperialism is a horrible thing. It causes people to do what they do not want to do because of the pressure to please everyone. This is illustrated through the policeman's unwillingness to kill the elephant, but shooting it anyways, since that's what he thought was what the Burmans wanted.
The tone of "Shooting an Elephant" is unhappy and relatively hateful. It is used to explain the Burman's hate towards the British Empire. They so truly loathe its control over them and the illustration of the police officer and the Burmans story is a prime example to explain this.

"Across the Universe" - The Beatles

Identify 3 images in this song.

1. Words are flowing out like endless rain into a paper cup
2. Pools of sorrow, waves of joy are drifting through my open mind, possessing and caressing me
3. Which shines around me like a million suns

Are any of these images symbols in context? Explain.

• The water in the song is a symbol for cleansing, purity.
• Light is a symbol for good or love, which could indicate that had there been a mention of darkness in the song, that would symbolize bad and/or hate.

Explain one symbol that you know to be a symbol. What makes it more than an image?

• A heart is a symbol for love. It is more than just an image because people could think of other things for love, not just a heart. Also, a heart will always stand for love. Never will it stand for hate.

Rockwell's "The Runaway"

In America in the 1950s, things were simpler. Many times people find this time period to be idealistic and better than what we have now. In "The Runaway", there is a boy who appears to be a runaway sitting next to a policeman and chatting him up. This could indicate that that time was much safer, but it could be more of a metaphor towards Rockwell's style. The painting is much better than real life in the sense that everything seems to be alright in it. It seems like a staged photograph; it's too idealistic. Rockwell's "The Runaway" overlooks the fundamental rift that was rising in America throughout the 1950s--an emerging counterculture that was not concerned with how things were in America, but rather, how things are.

Inspiration Information - Shuggie Otis

• Overall feel to song?

Upbeat happy, chill, fun, soulful, funky

• Musical element that gives off that vibe?

Bass, guitar, smooth vocals, unique musical sounds

• Identify choices musician had to make to get this feel and why they worked.

The choice to have interesting vocals and make the song upbeat and true to its time. Also the choice to have the strong bass in the song. They worked because it was interesting and fun and it created a complex feel to the song.

Semeadores by Diego Rivera

• SOAPSTone

Subject - slaves/farmers
Occasion - 1950s/1960s
Audience - Hispanic population
Purpose - persuasion
Speaker - Diego Rivera
Tone - sympathetic and sorrowful

• What is the meaning.theme/big idea the artist wanted you to think about? 

Color is dark and light; curved/organic lines, faces hidden. The workers are not incredibly important to society, cheap labor is bad, persevering through the rougher times ,albeit they are stuck in it. Capitalism neglects the "lesser" people.

Writing Process

• Summarize Wilco's approach to creating a song

Have all 5 members present. Start with a natural/basic version of the song and deconstruct it to improve it. Choose where to take the song.

• What is your creative process for writing and explain in detail the steps you go through.

My creative process is separating the points into similar ideas and grouping those that are related together.

1. Gather all ideas
2. Separate and group into similar ideas
3. go with the flow and let the writing begin and come to me as I write

Nostalgia & Music Response

• What is nostalgia?

Nostalgia is a yearning for past memories, experiences, and other things usually associated with good memories. A "better/happier time." Normally the memories are idealized.

• What images come to mind when you hear this music?

A cliche dancing scene from a '60s musical--very Hairspray-esque. Big dresses, huge skirts, flamboyant hair, bright pastels, fast dancing, Then it transitions into slow dancing, like at the end of a dance where only the couples are left. The girl is resting her head on the boy's chest while the chaperones are becoming tiresome and bored. Darker colors than before, with balloons, confetti, and streamers strewn across the gym floor. Later a bonfire or party at a beach with food, dancing, music, and other fun.

• What images pop into your head when you think of your childhood? What smells, sounds, and feelings are associated with these images?

Images that pop into my head are going to school and playing with my friends after school. Feelings are happy and excited. The Cheetah girls, Backstreet Boys, Aaron Carter, Chicago, and Air Supply are the background music of my childhood. Other images that pop into my mind are: the small "woods" directly behind Cassidy, playing "House" and "College", home videos with my friend, my Barbie jeep, playing in the creek by Ecton, the Playground by Henry Clay, the smell of cookies baking in my grandmother's house, Minnie Mouse, and last, but not least, spending recess swinging and playing on the monkey bars.

Poverty Painting

• What are the major contributing factors to poverty?

Things that contribute to poverty are insufficient food and other needs, no home, small income, large yet poor families, single families, substance abuse, mental and/or health issues, and a lack of education.

• How does this artist portray poverty?

The artist portrays poverty in a positive light. Though there are obviously negative aspects, there is a positive aspect. The mother, the baby, and the small boy are representing the negative while the girl with the flowers is representing the positive.

• What is the artist's message about poverty?

Their message is that though it is a difficult and dark time to go through, there is hope that poverty will get better.

• Identify and explain 2 elements of art that enhance this message.

Color - the mother and the two children are dark and gloomy, and the girl with the flowers is shown in somewhat brighter color. The former are wearing black clothes and sitting in darkness while the latter is wearing a slightly brighter outfit, carrying bright yellow flowers, and is standing in a more illuminated space.
Perspective - the young girl is shown as stepping more forward and the others are shown as sitting in the background behind her.

Poverty Reading Response

In "Live Free and Starve," Chitra Divakaruni makes a persuasive argument that though America is technically doing the right thing by no longer permitting the import of goods from factories using child labor, we aren't putting ourselves in their place, rather than thinking about it from our perspective. She states, "if the children themselves were asked whether they would rather work under such harsh conditions or enjoy a leisure that comes without the benefit of food or clothing or shelter, I wonder what their response would be." If an American child were to answer that question, they would surely choose the leisure. On the other hand, a child from a factory that runs with child-labor would probably choose the work.
Her belief is that America's bill is no use unless we provide programs for the newly released children. I believe that it is a valid idea, not bad at all. However, America is setting an effective example for those countries with child labor to quit the practice and set up a better life for the children.

In "The Singer Solution to World Poverty," Peter Singer discusses poverty in interesting imaginary examples. He references the movie Central Station where a Brazilian sells a homeless child to organ peddlers to buy a TV set. He then counteracts that by comparing the situation to an American who already has a decent TV but upgrades to a better one--aware of the fact that the money spent on the new TV could be donated to an organization. He then talks about "Bob," a fictional man who is faced with the decision of saving something from a runaway train: a child who is a stranger, or his precious Bugatti? Ultimately he chooses his Bugatti. Henceforth he is saying that being unwilling to donate to an organization is just as bad as not helping the situation straight-on. He is convincing the audience of their horrible acts of unkindness.
It is a great idea to address to Americans the idea that we can help these children, but the majority choose not to. He says, "I accept that we are unlikely to see, in the near or even medium-term future, a world in which it is normal for wealthy Americans to give the bulk of their wealth to strangers." It is in my opinion that Americans should become more aware of poverty and take steps to help, but not to keep the burden on us and decide that it is wholly our job. Singer had great points but seemed to be more accusatory and not as persuading.

"Round and Round" - Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti

Today we listened to the song "Round and Round" by Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti. I had not heard the song before, but my opinion was that it was an interesting song. It's not normally something I myself would listen to, but I did enjoy how intricate it was considering it transitioned through different sounds. It had a very smooth and relaxing feel to it, in my opinion. My facts were that there was bass guitar and keyboard in the song; as well as harmonies being present. The correlation between what my facts were and my opinion seems strong in my mind. I've always had a taste for piano/keyboard in songs, and harmonizing vocals are something I love. I suppose that I could definitely have a bias--I'm incredibly particular when it comes to music and I tend to only like softer songs; and this song fits that requirement.