Final post EVER!!!!!

I believe that the main theme of the Martian is that the author believes that science can solve any problem. Weir throws many obstacles at his protagonist, Mark Watney, and has the character use his extensive scientific knowledge to solve these. Further evidence before the quotes from the book includes the fact that Weir doesn't coddle the reader with any sort of cushioning. Instead he chooses to throw the reader headfirst into pages of scientific dialogue that are surprisingly understandable.


“Me: “This is obviously a clog. How about I take it apart and check the internal tubing?” NASA: (after five hours of deliberation) “No. You’ll fuck it up and die.” So I took it apart.”

“Once I got home, I sulked for a while. All my brilliant plans foiled by thermodynamics. Damn you, Entropy!”

“I tested the brackets by hitting them with rocks. This kind of sophistication is what we interplanetary scientists are known for.”

Mark Watney vs. A Planet

In The Martian, the protagonist is Mark Watney. He is an astronaut, the last-in-command of the third mission to Mars. He is stranded when an evacuation is called prior to a massive storm that separates him from his group and maroons him alone on the red planet. He is resourceful, strong, resilient, stubborn, and above all a massive smart-aleck. Physically, he is lean and without much fat while also managing to be one of the smallest astronauts on the mission. I believe that the antagonist of the book is Mars itself. While it does not consciously do so, it throws challenges at Watney that he must overcome and generally builds itself to be a good antagonist.

Free Write!

I believe that 1984 is a better book read for fun than for school. It's a wonderful book, well-written and thought-provoking, but I feel like the thoughts being provoked are better discussed on our own time. Don't get me wrong, we had some great discussions, but I feel like we could have expanded even further without the boundaries of the class holding us back. That being said, I would have done this book as my free read for the final book of the semester. It's a structured time but not too structured, just right for the book. We would have the rush to finish the book, but we would still be able to comfortably understand it and have our minds boggled. All in all I loved it.

What is the main message that you think that George Orwell is trying to communicate to you through 1984? Provide three quotes from the book to support your claim, and explain HOW those quotes support your claim.


The message I believe 1984 is trying to convey is a warning against totalitarianism. “If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face—for ever.” This quote is a perfect illustration of how, in the future, a government might take total control of the human race all the way down to their minds and the ways they think and perceive reality. “Until they became conscious they will never rebel, and until after they have rebelled they cannot become conscious.” If the Party suppresses conscious thought then their charges will be devoid of responsibility and free thought and they will have no control of their lives. “Big Brother is Watching You.” Big Brother and the Party are the very epitomes of totalitarianism, controlling all aspects of the lives of those in Airstrip One and keeping them from ever waking up.

The three classes

In Part 2, Julia and Winston received "the book" from The Brotherhood. Chapter 1, "Ignorance is Strength," analyzes this party slogan. Choose one part of the analysis (pp. 201 - 217) and see if you can apply it to a current event or issue. 

"There are three kinds of people in the world, the High, the Middle, and the Low." This paragraph goes on to describe how the High class is basically the 1% in today's society, commanding the majority of the world's wealth. The middle get by, having maybe just the slightest bit of money to spend on leisure. The low are those living below the poverty line, those that cannot sufficiently provide for themselves or their families. This book in 1984 has effectively described the economic state of most of the first world countries in the modern world. It shows how the three classes in the world never really change, even in an author's envisioning of a dystopian future. Some things never change. 

Slogans

Take one of the slogans of The Party and analyze its meaning (WAR IS PEACE; FREEDOM IS SLAVERY; IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH). What is The Party trying to get the people to believe?

I think that the slogan IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH serves several purposes. One of them, first and foremost is to serve as some part of the massive brainwashing undertaking that the party uses. Another meaning could be that as long as you believe that no threats exist, you are the strongest thing you know. It could also be meant as a confusion and since the people are too brainwashed and dumb to ask what it means no one will ask any questions. Maybe, all in all, the party is trying to protect these people in its own twisted way. They're like a bunch of smothering parents with a streak for crushing freedom.

Comedy vs Tragedy

Explain why the ending of the play proves that it is a comedy, and give specific examples from the play. What would have had to happen instead were this play a tragedy?

The ending of Much Ado About Nothing proves without a doubt that the play is a comedy. Why? Benedick and Beatrice end up together and so do Claudio and Hero. No one dies and all of the loose ends are tied up such as don John and his accomplices being caught. Plus, the story ends in a big party. Now if the play was to be a tragedy it would have ended with some or all of characters dying. No one would end up together and it would be very sad. 

Love as a theme in MAAD

What do you think that the theme of the play is? Remember, a theme is not just a word, it is a whole sentence that conveys the message that the author (Shakespeare) is trying to get across to the audience (you). Find three quotes from the play to support your assertion.

The theme in Much Ado About Nothing is how love affects the growth of the characters. All of the mains fall in love throughout the course of the story and the change is most evident in Benedick and Beatrice. "I'll tell thee what, prince: a college of witcrackers cannot flout me out of my humor. P. 97." With his humor meaning love, he has changed drastically in his ideology from before when he was swearing up and down that he would never marry. Beatrice also changes in this regard. "I would not deny you; but by this good day, I yield upon great persuasion, and partly to save your life, for I was told you were in a consumption. P. 97." She gives up her own livelihood to save Benedick because of her love for him. Claudio is changed immediately when he sees Hero. "In mine eye she is the sweetest lady I ever looked upon. P. 9." He is immediately struck.

Follow the thought

CLAUDIO
In mine eye she is the sweetest lady that ever I
looked on.
BENEDICK
I can see yet without spectacles and I see no such
matter: there's her cousin, an she were not
possessed with a fury, exceeds her as much in beauty
as the first of May doth the last of December. But I
hope you have no intent to turn husband, have you?
CLAUDIO
I would scarce trust myself, though I had sworn the
contrary, if Hero would be my wife.
BENEDICK
Is't come to this? In faith, hath not the world
one man but he will wear his cap with suspicion?
Shall I never see a bachelor of three-score again?
Go to, i' faith; an thou wilt needs thrust thy neck
into a yoke, wear the print of it and sigh away
Sundays. Look Don Pedro is returned to seek you.

In this passage, Claudio and Benedick are going back and forth about why Claudio is crazy for loving Hero. Claudio is love-struck and Benedick is in a state of shock at why his friend would love such a plain woman. It seems as if with every word Claudio falls deeper in love with Hero and Benedick only wishes to attempt to awake his friend to his madness.

CLAUDIO
She's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen.
BENEDICK
I can see without glasses that she's definitely not that. Her cousin may be rude but Hero can't hold a candle to Beatrice. You don't intend to try and marry her, do you?
CLAUDIO
I wouldn't believe my luck if I could be married to Hero.
BENEDICK
Is this really happening? Am I the only man to actually think about what he's doing? Am I going to see any bachelors again? Go ahead, go into servitude under Hero and lose all free will. Here comes Don Pedro to find you.

This week, on Thursday, we learned about imagery. Find an example of imagery in the book, quote it, and explain how it appeals to your senses.

"Ashes, ashes: snow in August. The shelling resumed sporadically after breakfast, and now, around six P.M., has ceased. A machine gun fires somewhere, a sound like a chain of beads passing through fingers. Sergeant Major von Rumpel carries a canteen, a half dozen ampules of morphine, and his field pistol. Over the seawall. Over the causeway towards the huge smoldering bulwark of Saint-Malo. Out in the harbor, the jetty has been shattered in multiple places. A half-submerged fishing boat floats stern up (p. 208)." For starters, the line about machine guns sounding like beads really appeals to my sense of hearing. I can really picture the sound even better because as opposed to likening it to something not everyone has heard, Doerr likens it to a common household sound. It's something I could literally go downstairs and do to immerse myself even more into the book. The entire passage is overlaid with lots of visual imagery as well. Doerr describes von Rumpel and the scenery around him. The little things about the boat and the "snow" in August really help as well. 

THEY ARE GAY

In All the Light that We Cannot See, there are such heavy undertones that suggest that Werner and Volkheimer are gay. And for each other no less! There are several scenes in the book where Volkheimer's actions suggest a fondness for Werner and this fondness seems to run deeper than favoritism. He shows tenderness for Werner and Werner reciprocates in his shy way. While some would argue that Werner had a thing for Marie, I would like to argue that it is simply platonic. It's like what would happen if you met an angel: you marvel at how pure they are but you don't feel romantically for them. Werner and Volkheimer have been through so much together and they're both impure and they've both helped to kill and they're just meant to be.

All the Light that We cannot See 1

What have we learned in the exposition of this novel? Discuss setting, main characters, goals of main characters, and major conflict(s).

In the exposition of All the Light, we learn about the two separate settings for Werner and Marie (Zollverein and Paris) as well as their shared setting of Saint-Malo. We also learn about the characters and many of their quirks and mannerisms through paragraphs of mini exposition at the beginning of each chapter. Werner's goal is easy (keeping himself out of Zollverein's coal mines at any cost) and Marie's is to become more proficient and at ease at being blind. As the novel progresses, both characters might gain new goals. Some goals I have suspected are in the future include Marie protecting the Sea of Flames and Werner protecting Marie. A major conflict for Marie is her struggle with being blind, and one of Werner's major conflicts is his struggle to get out of Zollverein and get better with the technology he is so good with from the get-go. The most major conflict would actually be how the main characters' stories intertwine with World War II.

Oral History Interview Fun

For this week's blog post, reflect upon your experience interviewing your oral history subject. How did you feel about the experience? Do you think it went well - why or why not? What do you think you might do differently in future oral history interviews? What was interesting about your subject's story?

I felt kind of awed by the experience of hearing how someone's life story came to be. It's really amazing how much I learned from Mike (the guy we interviewed) and how well the interview went. Some of the reasons it went well include how much information we got from him and how easy he was to talk to. In the future I would move the recording device closer to the person being interviewed and make sure all of my partners were seated behind me (in the case of me interviewing). I learned a lot of interesting things from Mike, such as what it's like to move around to a lot of different states when you're younger. He also went to art school and learned how to paint before he realized he hated it. Finally, the way he looked at his art was the most interesting. He didn't really think about it so much as doing it and I thought that was really cool.

Magazine Analysis

The article I read was about the history of the LGBT community (as well as its high and low points) in Houston, but specifically the Houston Pride Parade. The parade has been there as a symbol of community and something that says that LGBT individual stands alone. It has been a huge part of the city's LGBT community since the 50s and it was there when everything looked dark for all individuals gay, bisexual, transgender, or otherwise. While in the 1950s people were really starting to accept others who were different, there were those who didn't support it. The parade stood as a show to say that the LGBT community wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. I really enjoyed some of the word usage in this article as well as its overall positive stance on LGBT rights. The article on the internet was only part of it and I would enjoy reading the whole thing.

A cool dad

Summarize the story to which you listened and provide a link to that story. Then write three follow-up questions that you would like to be able to ask the person(s) telling the story.

https://storycorps.org/animation/the-saint-of-dry-creek/

This story was about a rural farm boy, Patrick Haggerty, slowly realizing he was gay (and thought he was doing a good job at it) when he wasn't actually doing the best job. His father who must have probably come across as a stereotypical Southern farmer wasn't the first to notice that his son may have been coming to terms with being gay but he was the first person to do something about it and not in the way you might expect. He confronted his son about it and instead of reassuring his son that he liked girls and that he was just "going through a phase" he told him something along the lines of this: he needed to not hide who he was because the impression hiding, or "sneaking", creates is an impression that what someone believes they are is wrong. Patrick tried to deny what his father was saying about him possibly being gay but Charles, his dad, saw right through him. Some follow-up questions I'd like to ask Patrick include if his father did anything else to help him towards realizing his identity, if he had to deal with coming out before or after his dad died, and how his life would have been different if his dad hadn't been accepting.

Final post

The way Marjane illustrated her book was especially interesting to me. Some of the qualities that really drew me in were the simplicity in the panels and the way that the story was illustrated beyond the way it needed to be. The way the characters were drawn with not too much detail made me feel a sort of kindred spirit because my drawing skills are only good enough to draw the way Marjane did (if I can even say that much). Other things that interested me about Marjane's work include the way she moved from panel to panel in a way that was disjointed and at the same time fluid. I would love to learn how to do that. Finally, I loved the black and white art style. While making it feel older may not have been Marjane's intention, it was a stylistic choice that really appealed to me.

Setting

Describe how setting plays a part in the book. How does it move the plot forward? What does it reveal about the plot? How does it set the mood? Give specific examples from the book.

In Persepolis, the setting moves the plot forward by changing from Iran to Austria (p. 155). This change signifies several things. First, it marks what many would consider the beginning of puberty for Marjane. Second, it also shows the drastic change in both social and physical environment from strict, religiously-run Iran to a more free society in Austria. Not that the free society was accessible to Marjane at first, seeing as she was living in a boarding school run by nuns. Not related to the change, the mood is also set by the setting. All through the book the confined nature of Marjane’s surroundings really sort of lends light to what it was like to live her life when she did.

Discrimination

On many occasions in Austria, Marjane experienced discrimination (from the nuns, other students, etc.). Why do you think the Austrians felt this way about Marjane, and how do you think this changed Marjane's opinion of Europeans? Use specific examples from the book to support your claims.

Marjane gets a lot of discrimination thrown against her during her four years in Austria as shown by the students in the cafe on page 196 and by many others. I think the Austrians felt this way about Marjane because she was different from them. One of the major differences was probably how she looked different. While the book never actually says it, I'm sure that she had some sort of accent that people also didn't like. The discrimination changed Marjane's views of the Austrians in many ways, one of them being that she obviously thought they were much worse than they were. They also must have seemed alien-like to her because of their cultural and physical differences. All in all, the way that Marjane and the Austrians don't like each other seems very petty and it could easily be solved.

Why did Marjane's parents decide to send her to Europe. Do you think this was the right decision? Why or why not?

Mainly, Marjane's parents sent her to Europe to get her out of Iran as the revolution escalated. They didn't want her to be caught up in the arrests and executions with her current rebellious state. They also wanted to make sure she could get a proper education and be able to express herself without the restrictions set on Iranian women. There was the war with Iraq as well. Marjane wouldn't have even needed to be caught to be killed by a bomb. I don't think there could be any way this wasn't the right decision, unless keeping a family together is more important than getting your daughter to a place where she can be herself. Marjane may not have realized it, but this was the right choice.

The end of days

So here we are. Armageddon approaches. And as we stare down the impending doom we realize...it's just ELA ending for the year. I enjoyed the class a lot, but I know that I enjoyed some parts more than others. I feel like we should have had seminars a lot more often. I also think we should've introduced some sort of basic structure to the seminars. I have no idea what kind of structure that would be, but anything works as long as it gets people talking. I also would really enjoy it if we could read another play. I thought that was a hell of a lot of fun. Just one more thing (this is for CW Club). If we could set up an active system on Google Docs to comment on each other's work on days that don't start with an F.