Sunday, April 23, 2017
It was...
Sunday, April 2, 2017
Witty Whitman
Part 1:
The second page of the journal is titled "Brochure" and underneath that it says "two characters as of a dialogue between A. Lincoln and..." with the second person's name covered with a stamp. This introduces that Abraham Lincoln is an important part of Whitman's writing in his journal. The page goes on to say, "lessons for a president elect." this shows that the intended audience is to the president elect, and that since Whitman is trying to teach him a lesson, that may ehe is not fond of his ideas or platform. On the next page, words like, "religion, two platforms, Greek, philosophy, and questioning" are all found. These words are scattered about and many of the lines on this page are nearly overlapping others, and some are even marked out. This reveals Whitman was unorganized and did not have his thoughts fully gathered before he wrote in his journal. The next page says, "Why now I shall know whether there is anything in you, libertad?" In Spanish, libertad means liberty. This relates to Whitman's beliefs of freedom and equality for all Americans. Before there are lines crossed off at the bottom, he asks the question, "is all then lost?" He may be implying that without liberty, a society has nothing. It is interesting that Whitman uses "you" and asks questions in his journal. This is something that is typically kept personal, but hosts that his thought process includes questioning other people, to make them think, and eventually agree with him in thought. Whitman then goes on to talk about, "waves, ships, sail, wind and sea." He appears to be making some connection between the president elect and a turbulent storm at sea, again showing his disapproval or anxiety with the incoming president. This thought develops since the next page is titled, "Ship of Libertad." Ship is repeated many more times throughout the next two pages, which makes this an extended metaphor. The next few pages also all have Library of Congress stamps. This shows that his journals probably resided in the library and were well-preserved. On these pages, are many sketches, beginning as realistic and transitioning into more abstract or "weird." the first one is of a man with medium length hair and a beard. This could possibly be a self-portrait or of his lover, because it does not look like Abraham Lincoln (even though it would make sense if it was him). On the next page, the head is given a body and on the following page he is bodyless but now has a top hat. The sketches become more sloppy and less detailed as they progress, showing that he was possibly rushing or getting frustrated. There is then a sketch of what appears to be a harp and next is a title page that says "The Bohemian"which could be the title of a poem he is playing with.
Part 2:
After reading the notes accompanying the pictures, its clear that Whitman uses "libertad" to show that the ideas of civi liberties extends past the constraints of the American border and that everyman, no matter where they live, should be treated with dignity and equality. The two religious platforms spoken about are not actually religious; they refer to the Confederacy and the Union. The storm that is present is actually the state of turbulence the country is in. The ship is the libertad, and Lincoln is described to the captain of the ship, who is coming to help salvage America. This opposes what I interpreted the words to mean previously. Whitman was actually a supporter of Lincoln and saw him as a beacon of hope for the crumbling country. The Civil War impacted Whitman at a deeper level than just social rights. His publisher went bankrupt just before the war which would affect his income as well. This shows Whitman had alternative reasons for supporting Lincoln. The first sketch of the man, apparently was Whitman, even though he barely drew. He used to love being photographed and drawn, which shows that he might have been slightly self-conceited or obsessed. Only the rich people could afford to be photographed, so this fact reveals his socioeconomic level. The strangest sketch on the last page, may actually be a creative image of how America appeared at the time. He seems half finished, and somewhere in between dead and alive. This shows that Whitman questions if America will actually ever be able to be saved.
The second page of the journal is titled "Brochure" and underneath that it says "two characters as of a dialogue between A. Lincoln and..." with the second person's name covered with a stamp. This introduces that Abraham Lincoln is an important part of Whitman's writing in his journal. The page goes on to say, "lessons for a president elect." this shows that the intended audience is to the president elect, and that since Whitman is trying to teach him a lesson, that may ehe is not fond of his ideas or platform. On the next page, words like, "religion, two platforms, Greek, philosophy, and questioning" are all found. These words are scattered about and many of the lines on this page are nearly overlapping others, and some are even marked out. This reveals Whitman was unorganized and did not have his thoughts fully gathered before he wrote in his journal. The next page says, "Why now I shall know whether there is anything in you, libertad?" In Spanish, libertad means liberty. This relates to Whitman's beliefs of freedom and equality for all Americans. Before there are lines crossed off at the bottom, he asks the question, "is all then lost?" He may be implying that without liberty, a society has nothing. It is interesting that Whitman uses "you" and asks questions in his journal. This is something that is typically kept personal, but hosts that his thought process includes questioning other people, to make them think, and eventually agree with him in thought. Whitman then goes on to talk about, "waves, ships, sail, wind and sea." He appears to be making some connection between the president elect and a turbulent storm at sea, again showing his disapproval or anxiety with the incoming president. This thought develops since the next page is titled, "Ship of Libertad." Ship is repeated many more times throughout the next two pages, which makes this an extended metaphor. The next few pages also all have Library of Congress stamps. This shows that his journals probably resided in the library and were well-preserved. On these pages, are many sketches, beginning as realistic and transitioning into more abstract or "weird." the first one is of a man with medium length hair and a beard. This could possibly be a self-portrait or of his lover, because it does not look like Abraham Lincoln (even though it would make sense if it was him). On the next page, the head is given a body and on the following page he is bodyless but now has a top hat. The sketches become more sloppy and less detailed as they progress, showing that he was possibly rushing or getting frustrated. There is then a sketch of what appears to be a harp and next is a title page that says "The Bohemian"which could be the title of a poem he is playing with.
Part 2:
After reading the notes accompanying the pictures, its clear that Whitman uses "libertad" to show that the ideas of civi liberties extends past the constraints of the American border and that everyman, no matter where they live, should be treated with dignity and equality. The two religious platforms spoken about are not actually religious; they refer to the Confederacy and the Union. The storm that is present is actually the state of turbulence the country is in. The ship is the libertad, and Lincoln is described to the captain of the ship, who is coming to help salvage America. This opposes what I interpreted the words to mean previously. Whitman was actually a supporter of Lincoln and saw him as a beacon of hope for the crumbling country. The Civil War impacted Whitman at a deeper level than just social rights. His publisher went bankrupt just before the war which would affect his income as well. This shows Whitman had alternative reasons for supporting Lincoln. The first sketch of the man, apparently was Whitman, even though he barely drew. He used to love being photographed and drawn, which shows that he might have been slightly self-conceited or obsessed. Only the rich people could afford to be photographed, so this fact reveals his socioeconomic level. The strangest sketch on the last page, may actually be a creative image of how America appeared at the time. He seems half finished, and somewhere in between dead and alive. This shows that Whitman questions if America will actually ever be able to be saved.
Sunday, March 19, 2017
'Murica
To me, the American Dream is the hope of gaining prosperity and freedom. America is not based of a caste system but social class is something that is highly engrained in society and in most parts of the country there is a clear divide. When working towards the American Dream, people are attempting to move up social classes which essentially blurs the line between social groups. It does not matter where you start from, well off in the suburbs, or poor in the slums of a large city, through hard work you have the ability to reach the American Dream. Usually this is done by gaining a high level of secondary education. In America today, it is almost impossible to get a job and be society's view of "successful" without getting a college education. Public education is free to American children through the age of 18. Children are given almost as many freedoms as adults (by the Constitution) and men and women are essentially equal. All of these aspects show how the structure of the American government allows people to reach the American Dream. I think the American Dream developed at the same time that this country did. The British, and other Europeans, who came to the New World, came to make a name for themselves. They heard rumors of farming land and wanted to take the opportunity to prosper in order to improve their lives and the lives of future generations in their family. The same thing happened at the Gold Rush and throughout history.
I define wealth is as how much money one has but it could more broadly be defined as how much of something one has. You can have a wealth of power, a wealth of successful, a wealth of opportunities. Wealth is typically used when speaking of something in a positive manner. Americans want the biggest and best EVERYTHING. This explains why some people chose to buy huge homes, fancy cars, all the latest gadgets. This is even more true in the 1920's than it is today. America was vastly employed and the economy was doing great, this left Americans the question of what to do with their new found money? Well in the Great Gatsby, Gatsby, is a prime example of this person and with his wealth, he decides to make a name for himself. He lives in an extraordinary mansion and through extravagant parties to create buzz over his name. Also in the book, people strive to reach the American Dream and this explains Nick's decision to go into bonds and everyone's desire to move to the east egg. Americans frown upon poverty. They think its something that is below them and often ignore the fact that it even exists in their country. People view them as "freeloaders" off the government and typically blame them for their poverty by claiming that they did not work as hard as the people at the top.
I think it possible to reach any realistic goal that you put your mind to. The realness of each goal can only be defined by the circumstances in each situation. If my "wealth" goal was to be a millionaire by the end of the week, I wouldn't make it. But with careful planning and good decision making it is possible that I am a millionaire by the time that I am 60 years old. It is important to make level headed decisions and always have your idea of your dream in the back of your head. On a different note, happiness is as important to me, if not more important to me than my wealth status. It is possible to be happy when you have very little, but sadly, I am like the majority of Americans when I say that material items are important to me because I know they help determine social class. Therefore it is hard to decide whether wealth or happiness is more pertinent to my definition of the American Dream. Either way, America rocks and I am so glad I live in a country that is so accepting with so many opportunities to move up and to express yourself.
#BornInTheUSA #ProudToBeAnAmerican #LetFreedomRing
Sunday, March 5, 2017
Sunday, February 19, 2017
IOC Practice
Annotations:
Recording:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B29i4wNsurSDNmlYMlh3djF6SkVpSGJjRGJPd0J3TFlPUHVv
Grading:
Criteria A: Knowledge and Understanding of Text or Extract
I think I would deserve a 3-4 for this criteria. When I listened to my recording, I only cited an exact line once and mentioned quotes only three times. This is not substantial enough to be considered commentary that is "generally supported by references." Though I did provide accurate knowledge on where this passage is pulled from in the text, it is not supported by quotes or evidence and is therefore superficial.
Criteria B: Understanding of the use of literary and effects of literary features
I think I would deserve a 5-6 for this criteria. I discuss three literary features, structure, characterization and specific language. Where I lack is in the explanation of the effect on the reader. I attempted to state this for each feature and I think I was successful on structure and characterization but lacked quality in the specific language explanation. The evidence remained superficial for each and could have been more explicit.
Criteria C: Organization
I would give myself a 3 for this criteria. I based this IOC off the template we were given in class and it was separated into a beginning, body, and end but it lacked in the conclusion of the overall commentary and the commentary of each literary aspect of the extract. The structure is very much coherent but there was not clear division between thoughts. I was also unsure where to include the analysis of the question at the bottom of the page because it did not fit directly into the template.
Criteria D: Langauge
I would also give myself a 3 for this criteria. Aside from the pauses and numerous "umms," there was a lack of extremely clear vocabulary. My sentence structure was not varied and I think what I was saying could have been more thought out, in order to benefit this criteria. I do not believe there were any grammar mistakes but I think my register needs to improve in order to move up grade bands.
Sunday, February 5, 2017
You're not supossed to judge by the cover...
Initial Investigation:
Cover 1: The focal point of this cover is a blonde teenage girl sitting in what appears to be a garden. Her red shirt draws the viewers eye towards her. She is looking down to her side and appears to be deep in thought or possibly sad. The font of the title is not that large and is written in yellow which makes it blend in with the foliage. The cover includes that the book was a "Man Booker Prize Finalist" and has a review from The New York Times. The review describes the book as "melancholy and alarming" with the purpose of highlighting the main moods of the novel.
Cover 2: The cover features a bright yellow background which creates a sense of lightheartedness and warmth. A girl, wearing all blue, is included who seems to be turning and running away due to the blurriness of her figure. It is possible that she was just "let go" in reference to the title of the book which is displayed quite largely. The authors name, Kazuo Ishiguro, is displayed even larger. It also includes mention of the book being a Top Ten Bestseller, the Man Booker Prize, and a review from the Observer.
Cover 3: This cover pictures a small boat tied to a post in a possibly deserted body of water. There are no ripples in the water which makes it seem very calm. There is nothing living featured in this cover which creates a sense of isolation or alienation from human society. The background has an odd yellow hue which does not seem natural or safe. The font of the title and authors name are large and centered and there is mention to the Man Booker Prize and a review from Time.
Cover 4: This cover contains a childlike drawing of the human organs. The outline of the body seems to be made from barb wire which creates an eerie and dangerous tone. The background is two shades of grey which helps contribute to the eerie tone. There are faint trees in the background which may be referring to the dreadful woods from the book. Mismatched font is used to write the authors name and title, which highlights the childlike aspect of this cover.
Similarities and Differences:
Cover 1 and 2 both feature a female, which can be deduced to being the main character of the book. Covers 2 and 3 both use the color yellow as the main background color though they create very different emotions due to their hues. Covers 3 and 4 do not include any people, creating a creepy sense of isolation.
A little closer look: Covers 1 and 2:
When viewing these images, the first thing I notice is a girl as a main feature. I would suspect that these women are the main characters in the prescribed book, though they are portrayed differently. In the first cover, the blonde woman is sitting very still in a lush garden. I assume that this could be one of the many well manicured gardens surrounding Hailsham. Because of her sideways gaze, she appears to be longing for something. She seems very somber or possibly depressed. The first words I think of when I view this are "alone" and "escaping." She seems like she has escaped reality and has found a secret haven to hide in. To me, it seems like she wanted to be alone.
When viewing the second cover, I think of the words "running," and "child." The word running is similar to the word escaping, used to describe Cover 1, but "escaping" has a more negative and serious tone. Cover 2 makes me think of a group of kids who are playing a game, possibly hide and seek, and the "seeker" just started counting so all the "hiders" must run. The bright yellow background and blue clothing add to this lighthearted feeling.
If I hadn't read the novel, the first cover would make me think about life during the 70's. This way seem like a stretch but the girl's long flowing hair, long skirt, and red blouse appear hippie-esk to me. Based on her setting, she seems to be very in touch with her natural side. If I hadn't read the book and was viewing the second cover, I would assume the girl depicted is much younger than in the first cover. Her body language appears she is playing, or running, actions common of children. I would also assume that the girl is possibly Asian. This is because of the author's name printed largely across her and her hair cut.
Cover 1 is most likely from the perspective of someone outside of Hailsham. I believe this because everyone who lives inside of Hailsham does not reveal their true emotions about how they feel about their situation. Therefore, this girl would not be caught dead looking sad about her perfect-Hailsham life. Cover 2 is most likely from the perspective of a Guardian inside Hailsham. A Guardian could be found watching the children play in the fields. From a Guardians perspective, the children are ignorant to their situation and play like normal kids.
Cover 1, based on the artwork, makes me believe a woman wrote the book. Its possible that the somber mood the lonely girl creates has to do with a relationship with a significant other. I typically associate love novels with female authors. Since this is not explicit, it is also a mystery. I believe anyone interested in romance or in mysteries, specifically woman would be interested in reading this book based on the cover. Because the woman featured on the cover is blonde, someone from American or European decent might associate closer with her and be more likely to read it, as well. Cover 2, could have been written by either a male or female. The cover is fairly gender neutral and the bright color would attract anyone's eyes towards it. Because the woman on the cover has black hair, someone outside of the American/European decent group would also be likely to read this book. Therefore, Cover 2 might reach a wider audience.
Cover 1: The focal point of this cover is a blonde teenage girl sitting in what appears to be a garden. Her red shirt draws the viewers eye towards her. She is looking down to her side and appears to be deep in thought or possibly sad. The font of the title is not that large and is written in yellow which makes it blend in with the foliage. The cover includes that the book was a "Man Booker Prize Finalist" and has a review from The New York Times. The review describes the book as "melancholy and alarming" with the purpose of highlighting the main moods of the novel.
Cover 2: The cover features a bright yellow background which creates a sense of lightheartedness and warmth. A girl, wearing all blue, is included who seems to be turning and running away due to the blurriness of her figure. It is possible that she was just "let go" in reference to the title of the book which is displayed quite largely. The authors name, Kazuo Ishiguro, is displayed even larger. It also includes mention of the book being a Top Ten Bestseller, the Man Booker Prize, and a review from the Observer.
Cover 3: This cover pictures a small boat tied to a post in a possibly deserted body of water. There are no ripples in the water which makes it seem very calm. There is nothing living featured in this cover which creates a sense of isolation or alienation from human society. The background has an odd yellow hue which does not seem natural or safe. The font of the title and authors name are large and centered and there is mention to the Man Booker Prize and a review from Time.
Cover 4: This cover contains a childlike drawing of the human organs. The outline of the body seems to be made from barb wire which creates an eerie and dangerous tone. The background is two shades of grey which helps contribute to the eerie tone. There are faint trees in the background which may be referring to the dreadful woods from the book. Mismatched font is used to write the authors name and title, which highlights the childlike aspect of this cover.
Similarities and Differences:
Cover 1 and 2 both feature a female, which can be deduced to being the main character of the book. Covers 2 and 3 both use the color yellow as the main background color though they create very different emotions due to their hues. Covers 3 and 4 do not include any people, creating a creepy sense of isolation.
A little closer look: Covers 1 and 2:
When viewing these images, the first thing I notice is a girl as a main feature. I would suspect that these women are the main characters in the prescribed book, though they are portrayed differently. In the first cover, the blonde woman is sitting very still in a lush garden. I assume that this could be one of the many well manicured gardens surrounding Hailsham. Because of her sideways gaze, she appears to be longing for something. She seems very somber or possibly depressed. The first words I think of when I view this are "alone" and "escaping." She seems like she has escaped reality and has found a secret haven to hide in. To me, it seems like she wanted to be alone.When viewing the second cover, I think of the words "running," and "child." The word running is similar to the word escaping, used to describe Cover 1, but "escaping" has a more negative and serious tone. Cover 2 makes me think of a group of kids who are playing a game, possibly hide and seek, and the "seeker" just started counting so all the "hiders" must run. The bright yellow background and blue clothing add to this lighthearted feeling.
If I hadn't read the novel, the first cover would make me think about life during the 70's. This way seem like a stretch but the girl's long flowing hair, long skirt, and red blouse appear hippie-esk to me. Based on her setting, she seems to be very in touch with her natural side. If I hadn't read the book and was viewing the second cover, I would assume the girl depicted is much younger than in the first cover. Her body language appears she is playing, or running, actions common of children. I would also assume that the girl is possibly Asian. This is because of the author's name printed largely across her and her hair cut.
Cover 1 is most likely from the perspective of someone outside of Hailsham. I believe this because everyone who lives inside of Hailsham does not reveal their true emotions about how they feel about their situation. Therefore, this girl would not be caught dead looking sad about her perfect-Hailsham life. Cover 2 is most likely from the perspective of a Guardian inside Hailsham. A Guardian could be found watching the children play in the fields. From a Guardians perspective, the children are ignorant to their situation and play like normal kids.Cover 1, based on the artwork, makes me believe a woman wrote the book. Its possible that the somber mood the lonely girl creates has to do with a relationship with a significant other. I typically associate love novels with female authors. Since this is not explicit, it is also a mystery. I believe anyone interested in romance or in mysteries, specifically woman would be interested in reading this book based on the cover. Because the woman featured on the cover is blonde, someone from American or European decent might associate closer with her and be more likely to read it, as well. Cover 2, could have been written by either a male or female. The cover is fairly gender neutral and the bright color would attract anyone's eyes towards it. Because the woman on the cover has black hair, someone outside of the American/European decent group would also be likely to read this book. Therefore, Cover 2 might reach a wider audience.
Sunday, January 22, 2017
Once Upon a Time...
Once upon a time I watched a TED talk for homework and TED talks are basically Netflix, so once upon a time I enjoyed my homework!
I chose to watch a TED talk titled, "Why we need gender-neutral bathrooms" by Ivan Coyote. This can be found here:
https://www.ted.com/talks/ivan_coyote_why_we_need_gender_neutral_bathrooms#t-695716.
The main purpose of this TED talk is to explain why gender-neutral bathrooms are necessary in public places. Ivan hit on a variety of problems dealing with gender-neutral bathrooms but tended to focus on changing rooms and gyms. He stated that gender orientation should be no reason for someone to miss out on expertise to keep their bodies healthy. Ivan recalled experiences where he has been taunted for attempting to use both women's and men's restrooms. He brings up laws like HB2 that legally control which bathroom can be used by certain people and the issues that come along with policing those laws. Trans issues have been more popular in mainstream media, which is good, but Ivan explains how it is usually rich celebrities who usually do not actually have to worry about where they pee. Trans-children are also included in the argument and a story is told about a preschooler who does not know which bathroom to use because she is bullied.
This video is filled with pathos. Ivan uses the story of a little girl, who associates as a tomboy, to tug at the heart strings of the audience. The child is forced by the teacher of her preschool to use the girl's bathroom, but the other children ridicule her and say that she cannot go in the girl's because of the boyish boots she wears, and because she only plays with trucks. Children are innocent and do not know better than to bully the "odd" girl in the class but as empathetic humans we feel for the young child. The audience is shocked that this type of incident could occur in a preschool and thus feels bad for the young child. This use of pathos is helpful because it drives the audience to take a stand when it comes to gender-neutral bathrooms because they do not want to see anymore young, innocent children being bullied.
Ivan also appeals to the emotions by including comedy in the talk. When listing times he experienced discrimination because of gender, he refers to a time when a "little old lady" smacked him in the face with her purse and he was left with a black eye. He says, "I am pretty certain [her purse] contained at least 70 dollars of rolled up small change and a large hard candy collection." The idea of watching a little old lady, who are usually described as "sweet", beat on another grown up is comical. This is helpful when storytelling because it creates a lighter mood, keeping the audiences attention.
Ivan builds his credibility early on in the talk when addressing himself as a transperson. This shows he has expertise in the area and is speaking from experience. This is beneficial because people are more likely to believe what is said because the source is reliable.
I decided to chose this TED talk because it is something very foreign to me. I did an FOA in English last year on House Bill 2, but this is the extent of my knowledge on gender-neutral bathrooms issues. This topic is challenging for me to understand because I do not fit into this category and will never truly understand what it is like to be unsure of which bathroom you should use. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the talk was being given by a member of the trans-community because I immediately knew their perspective would shine through. I am interested in learning more on this topic and to see what the future of gender-neutral bathrooms is. This relates to what we have learned in English, especially the science vs. religion theme in Jekyll and Hyde. In the Victorian Era, the industrial revolution was occurring and science was becoming more prevalent. This left people confused as to what to believe in. In the book, doctors and scientists tried to make discoveries to explain things in their world and things they did not understand. In modern society, people fear trans-gender people because it is the unknown for most people.
I chose to watch a TED talk titled, "Why we need gender-neutral bathrooms" by Ivan Coyote. This can be found here:
https://www.ted.com/talks/ivan_coyote_why_we_need_gender_neutral_bathrooms#t-695716.
The main purpose of this TED talk is to explain why gender-neutral bathrooms are necessary in public places. Ivan hit on a variety of problems dealing with gender-neutral bathrooms but tended to focus on changing rooms and gyms. He stated that gender orientation should be no reason for someone to miss out on expertise to keep their bodies healthy. Ivan recalled experiences where he has been taunted for attempting to use both women's and men's restrooms. He brings up laws like HB2 that legally control which bathroom can be used by certain people and the issues that come along with policing those laws. Trans issues have been more popular in mainstream media, which is good, but Ivan explains how it is usually rich celebrities who usually do not actually have to worry about where they pee. Trans-children are also included in the argument and a story is told about a preschooler who does not know which bathroom to use because she is bullied.
This video is filled with pathos. Ivan uses the story of a little girl, who associates as a tomboy, to tug at the heart strings of the audience. The child is forced by the teacher of her preschool to use the girl's bathroom, but the other children ridicule her and say that she cannot go in the girl's because of the boyish boots she wears, and because she only plays with trucks. Children are innocent and do not know better than to bully the "odd" girl in the class but as empathetic humans we feel for the young child. The audience is shocked that this type of incident could occur in a preschool and thus feels bad for the young child. This use of pathos is helpful because it drives the audience to take a stand when it comes to gender-neutral bathrooms because they do not want to see anymore young, innocent children being bullied.
Ivan also appeals to the emotions by including comedy in the talk. When listing times he experienced discrimination because of gender, he refers to a time when a "little old lady" smacked him in the face with her purse and he was left with a black eye. He says, "I am pretty certain [her purse] contained at least 70 dollars of rolled up small change and a large hard candy collection." The idea of watching a little old lady, who are usually described as "sweet", beat on another grown up is comical. This is helpful when storytelling because it creates a lighter mood, keeping the audiences attention.
Ivan builds his credibility early on in the talk when addressing himself as a transperson. This shows he has expertise in the area and is speaking from experience. This is beneficial because people are more likely to believe what is said because the source is reliable.
I decided to chose this TED talk because it is something very foreign to me. I did an FOA in English last year on House Bill 2, but this is the extent of my knowledge on gender-neutral bathrooms issues. This topic is challenging for me to understand because I do not fit into this category and will never truly understand what it is like to be unsure of which bathroom you should use. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the talk was being given by a member of the trans-community because I immediately knew their perspective would shine through. I am interested in learning more on this topic and to see what the future of gender-neutral bathrooms is. This relates to what we have learned in English, especially the science vs. religion theme in Jekyll and Hyde. In the Victorian Era, the industrial revolution was occurring and science was becoming more prevalent. This left people confused as to what to believe in. In the book, doctors and scientists tried to make discoveries to explain things in their world and things they did not understand. In modern society, people fear trans-gender people because it is the unknown for most people.
Sunday, January 8, 2017
I'm not hyd(e)ing
Part 1: Jekyll vs. Hyde
In the quote from chapter one, Mr. Hyde is described as a man that is indescribable. Author, Stevenson, uses words like "displeasing," "disliked," and "detestable," to clearly display how other characters fell towards Hyde. All of these words have strong negative diction. Although the text does not say that no one likes Hyde, he is described in a way that would make it hard for him to be liked by anyone with any sense. It is hard for the speaker to point out what is so wrong with the man but he knows there is definitely something wrong with him. He is confused as to what it is that disturbs him, bit his disgust outweighs his confusion. Repetition is used in this quote a lot to show that the speaker is so perplexed by the strange man that it has stunned him. This is shown when he says, "He's an extraordinary man, and yet I really can name nothing out of the way. No, sir; I can make no hand of it; I cant describe him" (Stevenson 11). To me, Hyde seems like one of the people that you do not want to look at but you just cannot look away for some reason.
In the quote from chapter three, Dr. Jekyll is very easily described. There is no confusion about his age, weight, or personality. The easiness of the man's character even allows the speaker to address Jekyll's surroundings by including the line, "sat on the opposite side of the fire" (Stevenson 21). This inclusion also shows that Jekyll is a social being, unlike Hyde. The words used to describe his appearances have positive, welcoming diction. For example, "well-made," "kindness," "sincere," and "warm affection," are all qualities that are found in people that are well liked and accepted in society, similar to how Jekyll is in the book thus far.
Part 2:
I am Dr. Hyde
|
I am Mr. Hyde
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People love to be around me
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People fear when I’m around
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I save people for a living, I am a doctor
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I kill people, I am a monster
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I have lots of friends
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I have no friends
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I am a large man, easily described
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I am a small man, impossible to describe
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I am kind and caring
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I am unpleasant and ugly
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People think they know me
|
People think they know me
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Because they always ask
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But they never really ask
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No one knows I have a secret
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Everyone thinks I am full of secrets
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