My idea of the American Dream is complete financial security, and to be able to enjoy it with people I love. I would also add a flexible schedule, so I could leave work to travel and do other things I enjoy whenever I please. I would love to travel all over the United States doing things outdoors such as fishing, boating, hiking, etc., and I would want to take all of my closest friends along with me. My definition of wealth has two aspects. The first is having lots of money - enough to be able to retire and continue to live how you want for the rest of your life. The second aspect has to do with family and friends. A truly wealthy person has people whom they love to share their money and adventures with.
I feel like most Americans' ideals about wealth and poverty are split. However, most feel that wealth has to do solely with money. Some feel that having a lot of money is a result of hard work and it is commendable, and poverty is a result of lack of work and should be condemned. Although some people have certain advantages in accumulating wealth, this is where I stand. However, some people think that most of the upper class is born into wealth and has much greater opportunities to gain and maintain their status, while members of the lower class are born into poverty and do not have the opportunity to make it out. These people most likely believe that wealth is not necessarily all that commendable, while poverty is not due to the impoverished person's decisions and is due more to the environment they are born into. This debate comes up a lot in politics. Democrats usually side with the latter point of view and Republicans usually side with the first point of view.
Saturday, March 14, 2015
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Nothing Really Mattress
#1
- The diction is casual, almost discreet as if nothing important happened.
- The fact that he was transformed into a giant insect comes at the end, making it seem the least important.
- The uneasy dreams create a relatable scene, the gigantic insect is vivid and easy to imagine.
- The structure makes the fact that he transformed seem unimportant as opposed to the morning he awoke, and the uneasy dreams.
#2
- The diction is less descriptive
- It flows nicely, like a short and simple sequence of events.
- It seems like a happy scene, not as scary or intimidating as the others.
- The structure is very laid back, almost like a minor addition to an account of daily events.
#3
- The diction places more importance on the event that occurred. Anticipation is created by using the word "when."
- Troubled dreams comes before the morning, placing emphasis on the tragedy of the situation.
- "Troubled dreams" create a sense of discomfort. "Enormous bug" also creates a disturbing image.
- Structure adds to the feeling of discomfort and fear.
#4
- The diction creates suspense and fear.
- The use of all the commas with the frightening diction adds to the suspense and creates a feeling of fear.
- "Monstrous vermin" creates a terrifying image; very scary imagery.
- Structure helps build suspense up to the final part of the sentence where he was "transformed into a monstrous vermin."
The literary choices in the first translation make the event seem somewhat casual. However, the use of the word "insect" creates a sense of peculiarity and fear. In the second translation, the literary choices are similar, but I would argue that the events seem even more casual or discreet. The terminology and chronology in the third translation sort of takes the fear out of the sentence and almost makes it seem playful. The fourth translation is simply terrifying. I feel like he is still in a nightmare when it is translated in this way. This definitely strikes the most fear into the reader. As we see, the shift of literary devices in each translation can shift the meaning of each from casual to playful to terrifying, all depending on the connotation of each.
I would not argue that one is more effective than the other, because they are each effective in their own way. If the goal was to make the translation seem intense and terrifying, I would definitely argue that the fourth translation was the most effective. This is because the use of stops (commas) builds suspense and the diction (monstrous vermin) creates very scary mental images. However, if the goal was to make the incident seem as discreet as possible, I would say that the second translation was the most effective. This is because it is concise, there are no breaks in the sentence, and the imagery is less vivid than the others. The effectiveness of each translation varies depending on the intent of the original author.
This shows that texts can be interpreted in very different ways depending on the translation. If the book is translated with a different tone from the original text, it could completely change the meaning of the story through its literary aspects. The more a reader reads a certain translation, the more astray they could become. This is why translating texts accurately is so difficult yet so important. It is also why there is so much controversy about the translations of very significant works of literature such as religious texts (I have had personal experience reading different translations of the bible). I suppose the only way to obtain an authentic understanding of a translated text is to learn to read it in its original language.
- The diction is casual, almost discreet as if nothing important happened.
- The fact that he was transformed into a giant insect comes at the end, making it seem the least important.
- The uneasy dreams create a relatable scene, the gigantic insect is vivid and easy to imagine.
- The structure makes the fact that he transformed seem unimportant as opposed to the morning he awoke, and the uneasy dreams.
#2
- The diction is less descriptive
- It flows nicely, like a short and simple sequence of events.
- It seems like a happy scene, not as scary or intimidating as the others.
- The structure is very laid back, almost like a minor addition to an account of daily events.
#3
- The diction places more importance on the event that occurred. Anticipation is created by using the word "when."
- Troubled dreams comes before the morning, placing emphasis on the tragedy of the situation.
- "Troubled dreams" create a sense of discomfort. "Enormous bug" also creates a disturbing image.
- Structure adds to the feeling of discomfort and fear.
#4
- The diction creates suspense and fear.
- The use of all the commas with the frightening diction adds to the suspense and creates a feeling of fear.
- "Monstrous vermin" creates a terrifying image; very scary imagery.
- Structure helps build suspense up to the final part of the sentence where he was "transformed into a monstrous vermin."
The literary choices in the first translation make the event seem somewhat casual. However, the use of the word "insect" creates a sense of peculiarity and fear. In the second translation, the literary choices are similar, but I would argue that the events seem even more casual or discreet. The terminology and chronology in the third translation sort of takes the fear out of the sentence and almost makes it seem playful. The fourth translation is simply terrifying. I feel like he is still in a nightmare when it is translated in this way. This definitely strikes the most fear into the reader. As we see, the shift of literary devices in each translation can shift the meaning of each from casual to playful to terrifying, all depending on the connotation of each.
I would not argue that one is more effective than the other, because they are each effective in their own way. If the goal was to make the translation seem intense and terrifying, I would definitely argue that the fourth translation was the most effective. This is because the use of stops (commas) builds suspense and the diction (monstrous vermin) creates very scary mental images. However, if the goal was to make the incident seem as discreet as possible, I would say that the second translation was the most effective. This is because it is concise, there are no breaks in the sentence, and the imagery is less vivid than the others. The effectiveness of each translation varies depending on the intent of the original author.
This shows that texts can be interpreted in very different ways depending on the translation. If the book is translated with a different tone from the original text, it could completely change the meaning of the story through its literary aspects. The more a reader reads a certain translation, the more astray they could become. This is why translating texts accurately is so difficult yet so important. It is also why there is so much controversy about the translations of very significant works of literature such as religious texts (I have had personal experience reading different translations of the bible). I suppose the only way to obtain an authentic understanding of a translated text is to learn to read it in its original language.
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Practice IOC
I am analyzing a passage from pages 108-109: "'Hold on, Tommy'... 'I'll be all right, Miss.'"
A: 3. My knowledge of the text seems superficieal; I don't really dive deep into the meanings of certain things, and I only really talk about two things.
B: 6. I definitely talk about the use of literary features, specifically tone and structure, and talk about how it creates questions in the reader's mind leaving the passage open for interpretation. However, I do not go into very much detail.
C: 2. There is some organization; I don't jump back and forth between points. However, it in not as organized as it should be and I often found myself at a loss for words and/or repeating myself.
D: 2. I don't speak as formally as I should. I use made-up terms such as "othering" and don't use a varied vocabulary.
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
What Fear Can Teach Us
https://www.ted.com/talks/karen_thompson_walker_what_fear_can_teach_us
This is a TED talk by Karen Thompson Walker, a fictional novelist, describing her connection between fear and the imagination. Her main point is that in American culture, fear is viewed in a bad light, and people are encouraged to conquer it by disregarding it, but in reality it can guide us and make us more successful. She claims that fear poses the burning question of "what will happen next?" which triggers the imagination to make up scenarios. She says that these scenarios are almost like stories, and that instead of thinking of them as fears we should think of them as stories. She emphasizes that these stories can be very vivid in our imaginations, and often times we only prepare for the most frightening and vivid stories, rather than what is more subtle in the imagination but more likely to actually happen. She closes by asserting that this can lead us astray and that we should use the more subtle but realistic fears as guides, because then we will be better off in the long run.
I feel that there is a need for this TED talk because first of all, society is taught to disregard fear instead of using it as a guide, which leads to us being unprepared in times of danger. Secondly, our emotion takes over and we prioritize more vivid but irrational fears instead of the more subtle but realistic ones. She uses examples to describe this from mainstream society today, including relevant examples of problems the world faces such as gradual climate change and heart disease, effectively appealing to her audience, which is 21st century Americans. She establishes ethos by using a real story of the whaleship Essex which inspired the world renowned book "Moby Dick." As a result she comes across as fairly knowledgeable because she critiques their situation and explains why they didn't survive. This gives her a certain authority that draws the listener in.
The point of this talk is to teach, hence the title "What Fear Can Teach Us." She wants us to look at fear in a different, more realistic way so that we will be better off in the long run. In a way, she is also dissuading the audience from thinking of fear as something to be disregarded, and from using our emotions when we're fearful to lead us to irrational conclusions. The intended audience is middle class America, and she is able to appeal to them in part by using a personal example of childhood fears (earthquakes in particular) to relate to the common American, as well as by using inclusive words like "we" and "us" to engage the audience and make the audience feel like they can relate to her situation (having irrational childhood fears). Karen Thompson Walker appeals to emotion in this way as well, and uses vivid descriptions of things like cannibalism and being stranded in the ocean to induce emotions of fear in the audience, which encourages them to take her advice in order to avoid and survive frightening situations. She appeals to reason by using "if... then" statements in explaining why pre-conceived notions of fear are wrong and giving a more realistic (in her opinion) way of viewing fears (she asserts that we should view our fears as stories).
She conveys her message by starting out telling the audience to imagine themselves in a terrifying scenario, and gradually telling more and more of this story as her talk goes on, giving commentary in between each piece of the story and thus building suspense in the audience. She speaks very sternly and seriously, pausing at times for dramatic buildup with the ultimate goal of evoking fear in the audience, which it does to an extent. In the end she provides relief by speaking in a more happy and optimistic tone and offering solutions to the problem, adding a touch of enthusiasm to her voice. I thought that this style and register was very effective, because it played on my emotions by inducing fear in me while at the same time building suspense, and at the end providing comfort and relief, making me feel as though if I apply her conclusion to my life, then I will continue to feel comfort and relief in dangerous or frightening situations.
This is a TED talk by Karen Thompson Walker, a fictional novelist, describing her connection between fear and the imagination. Her main point is that in American culture, fear is viewed in a bad light, and people are encouraged to conquer it by disregarding it, but in reality it can guide us and make us more successful. She claims that fear poses the burning question of "what will happen next?" which triggers the imagination to make up scenarios. She says that these scenarios are almost like stories, and that instead of thinking of them as fears we should think of them as stories. She emphasizes that these stories can be very vivid in our imaginations, and often times we only prepare for the most frightening and vivid stories, rather than what is more subtle in the imagination but more likely to actually happen. She closes by asserting that this can lead us astray and that we should use the more subtle but realistic fears as guides, because then we will be better off in the long run.
I feel that there is a need for this TED talk because first of all, society is taught to disregard fear instead of using it as a guide, which leads to us being unprepared in times of danger. Secondly, our emotion takes over and we prioritize more vivid but irrational fears instead of the more subtle but realistic ones. She uses examples to describe this from mainstream society today, including relevant examples of problems the world faces such as gradual climate change and heart disease, effectively appealing to her audience, which is 21st century Americans. She establishes ethos by using a real story of the whaleship Essex which inspired the world renowned book "Moby Dick." As a result she comes across as fairly knowledgeable because she critiques their situation and explains why they didn't survive. This gives her a certain authority that draws the listener in.
The point of this talk is to teach, hence the title "What Fear Can Teach Us." She wants us to look at fear in a different, more realistic way so that we will be better off in the long run. In a way, she is also dissuading the audience from thinking of fear as something to be disregarded, and from using our emotions when we're fearful to lead us to irrational conclusions. The intended audience is middle class America, and she is able to appeal to them in part by using a personal example of childhood fears (earthquakes in particular) to relate to the common American, as well as by using inclusive words like "we" and "us" to engage the audience and make the audience feel like they can relate to her situation (having irrational childhood fears). Karen Thompson Walker appeals to emotion in this way as well, and uses vivid descriptions of things like cannibalism and being stranded in the ocean to induce emotions of fear in the audience, which encourages them to take her advice in order to avoid and survive frightening situations. She appeals to reason by using "if... then" statements in explaining why pre-conceived notions of fear are wrong and giving a more realistic (in her opinion) way of viewing fears (she asserts that we should view our fears as stories).
She conveys her message by starting out telling the audience to imagine themselves in a terrifying scenario, and gradually telling more and more of this story as her talk goes on, giving commentary in between each piece of the story and thus building suspense in the audience. She speaks very sternly and seriously, pausing at times for dramatic buildup with the ultimate goal of evoking fear in the audience, which it does to an extent. In the end she provides relief by speaking in a more happy and optimistic tone and offering solutions to the problem, adding a touch of enthusiasm to her voice. I thought that this style and register was very effective, because it played on my emotions by inducing fear in me while at the same time building suspense, and at the end providing comfort and relief, making me feel as though if I apply her conclusion to my life, then I will continue to feel comfort and relief in dangerous or frightening situations.
Monday, January 5, 2015
Film Noir: "Black Film"
In Double Indemnity, there are a multitude of elements that seem dark or depressing. The first, and most obvious, would be the setting. The setting is typical of film noir. The visual conventions include dark interiors, heavy shadow, high contrast, and bars or slashes of light. I noticed that many of the bars or slashes of light are created by slatted blinds.
Along with the aforementioned details, I picked up on the fact that the setting was often very foggy or dusty, which made the setting not only more dark and depressing, but it made the setting seemed cramped and uncomfortable.
Overall, the use of dark and depressing conventions in the setting portrays the environment that the characters live in as dangerous and full of corruption, mystery, and violence, inhabited by people with dubious motives and poor morals.
Many dark and depressing themes exist in the storyline as well. At the very beginning of the film, Walter Neff is giving a confession in which he states "I killed him for money - and a woman - and I didn't get the money and I didn't get the woman. Pretty, isn't it?" This brief summary of his motives sets the tone as depressing from the start. The entire plot following this is dark and depressing as well. It begins with a wounded (depressing) insurance salesman walking up to his partners office. He makes his confession in which he is seduced by a beautiful girl into cheating his insurance company (dark) in order to get a double indemnity for her husbands death (dark). If that is not dark then I don't know what is. To add icing on the cake, their love soon turns into hatred for each other (dark AND depressing). Nothing turns out how the characters wanted, the lady's husband is killed, and Neff goes crazy, cheats his company, loses his woman, and confesses it all at the end. This film has dark and depressing written all over it in dark black paint (see what I did there?).
Along with the aforementioned details, I picked up on the fact that the setting was often very foggy or dusty, which made the setting not only more dark and depressing, but it made the setting seemed cramped and uncomfortable.
Overall, the use of dark and depressing conventions in the setting portrays the environment that the characters live in as dangerous and full of corruption, mystery, and violence, inhabited by people with dubious motives and poor morals.
Many dark and depressing themes exist in the storyline as well. At the very beginning of the film, Walter Neff is giving a confession in which he states "I killed him for money - and a woman - and I didn't get the money and I didn't get the woman. Pretty, isn't it?" This brief summary of his motives sets the tone as depressing from the start. The entire plot following this is dark and depressing as well. It begins with a wounded (depressing) insurance salesman walking up to his partners office. He makes his confession in which he is seduced by a beautiful girl into cheating his insurance company (dark) in order to get a double indemnity for her husbands death (dark). If that is not dark then I don't know what is. To add icing on the cake, their love soon turns into hatred for each other (dark AND depressing). Nothing turns out how the characters wanted, the lady's husband is killed, and Neff goes crazy, cheats his company, loses his woman, and confesses it all at the end. This film has dark and depressing written all over it in dark black paint (see what I did there?).
Sunday, December 7, 2014
Lady Macbeth totally watched eleventh century television....
The first show I would recommend is Dirty Jobs. Yep, that's right boys. I like to get down and dirty. I love this show because it explores the most gruesome and dangerous jobs on the planet, and I'm all about getting gruesome and dangerous, especially when my husband can't. One thing that I don't like is how women hardly ever do any of these jobs. If I was on that show I would show those sissy boys how to get the job done.
The next show I would recommend is Desperate Housewives. These girls know how to get sassy and keep it classy at the same time (#keepmurderclassy). They get into all sorts of sticky situations full of drama and secrets so in a sense they are a lot like me and my hubby, Macbeth. However, sometimes they have psycho lady fits, and I am all about staying poised in all situations.
My next recommendation would have to be Transparent. This is a show about a 70-year-old father of three who decides he is a woman named Maura. Now he's got some balls (or lack thereof, I suppose). I love watching the struggles he faces, and I say more power to him! I must admit when you feel like you can do something better than the opposite sex but societal conventions hold you back I too have desired to be un-sexed. I think in a few years gender roles will subside, and by the twelfth century women and men alike will be able to act however they please without having to worry about societal norms.
My last recommendation is Nashville. This is about a fading country star, Rayna Jaymes, who comes into conflict with Juliette Barnes, an up-and-coming young country star whose record sales have been very high. I. LOVE. Juliette. Barnes. She is just full of the desire for power and fame (I hear you girlfriend!) and although she is young and unestablished, she's willing to do whatever it takes to become successful. She is feisty and does not apologize for her actions, using a vindictive attitude just like mine to make sure she stays on top of the country scene. Just look at how she handles business without even dropping a tear (it's even got subtitles for all you foreigners out there): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Op7hxnvwsc
Happy watching! From yours truly - Lady Macbeth
The next show I would recommend is Desperate Housewives. These girls know how to get sassy and keep it classy at the same time (#keepmurderclassy). They get into all sorts of sticky situations full of drama and secrets so in a sense they are a lot like me and my hubby, Macbeth. However, sometimes they have psycho lady fits, and I am all about staying poised in all situations.
My next recommendation would have to be Transparent. This is a show about a 70-year-old father of three who decides he is a woman named Maura. Now he's got some balls (or lack thereof, I suppose). I love watching the struggles he faces, and I say more power to him! I must admit when you feel like you can do something better than the opposite sex but societal conventions hold you back I too have desired to be un-sexed. I think in a few years gender roles will subside, and by the twelfth century women and men alike will be able to act however they please without having to worry about societal norms.
My last recommendation is Nashville. This is about a fading country star, Rayna Jaymes, who comes into conflict with Juliette Barnes, an up-and-coming young country star whose record sales have been very high. I. LOVE. Juliette. Barnes. She is just full of the desire for power and fame (I hear you girlfriend!) and although she is young and unestablished, she's willing to do whatever it takes to become successful. She is feisty and does not apologize for her actions, using a vindictive attitude just like mine to make sure she stays on top of the country scene. Just look at how she handles business without even dropping a tear (it's even got subtitles for all you foreigners out there): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Op7hxnvwsc
Happy watching! From yours truly - Lady Macbeth
Sunday, November 16, 2014
What's coming to you? - The world, chico, and everything in it.
2. "Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." - Lord Acton
To what extent would Shakespeare agree with this statement? Use the play and your own experience as your support.
To what extent would Shakespeare agree with this statement? Use the play and your own experience as your support.
I think that Big Willy would have thought that Lord Acton was spot on with this quote. For the most part, Acts 1 and 2 of Macbeth have completely revolved around the idea of power being a corrupting force. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth alike lose touch with their super-ego when the desire for power manifests itself in their minds.
Macbeth goes from being a fairly moral person. He even claimed to be good friends with Duncan, for crying out loud! When the opportunity to gain power by killing Duncan presented itself, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth were completely corrupted. There were several instances when Macbeth second-guessed his decision, but at the end of the day the idea of absolute power drove him to kill his friend, and Lady Macbeth was there trying to convince him to do it the entire time. Once Macbeth had obtained this power, the corruptness wasn't over. He then felt the need to maintain this power in any way possible, which led him to kill even more people, including several guards. Shakespeare's main character went from being a good guy to a power-hungry murderer, which is why I believe that Shakespeare would agree with the quote.
Many would say that to be powerful in today's society one would have to have two things: money and respect.
People have been corrupted by power since the first humans walked this earth. It happened over 400 years ago (as seen in Macbeth) and it still happens now (as seen in Enron). I think that many people would agree with this quote, but Shakespeare in particular would side with Lord Acton on this one. As a matter of fact, this quote could be used to describe the central message behind Macbeth - a story of a good man gone completely astray from his morals in order to obtain power by becoming the king of Scotland.
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