last lecture

I'm sorry it's taken me so long to write this last lecture. Whenever I would try to start this blog post, I would only get a paragraph or two in before I would feel restless and uncomfortable. Dreams have always been a touchy and strange topic for me. It seems like in order for me to have dreams, I have to believe that I can realistically achieve them. Seeing as I have a nasty pessimistic streak, I will always put myself down and turn away from opportunities in favor of more "realistic" goals in my life. What I have come to learn about life and about myself throughout my adolescence is that it's not necessarily completing the dream that gives one the most satisfaction; it is the thing one learns along the way and the unconventional way of achieving said dream that means the most in the end.

At first I could not remember my childhood dreams for the life of me. I have a terrible memory to begin with, so I had to turn to my parents and close friends to dig up what I used to daydream about. As I talked with them, I got back snippets of memory and incomplete dreams. I wanted to be a fairy, a mermaid, a nurse, an actress, an artist. These dreams reminded me of what it was like to just freely imagine without the heavy weights of reality and pessimism pulling me down. Now that I think about it, I was able to achieve these dreams, albeit a little unconventionally.

As for being a fairy, I was cast in The Stolen Child and even won an acting award for my role as the Head Fairy. So not only was I a fairy, I was a Fairy Queen; it was like I totally one-upped my childhood fantasies. It would have been cool if I was not as evil/could fly, but pickers can't be choosers. The mermaid dream has yet to happen.

Then comes the weirdly somewhat realistic dream - being a nurse. I don't know why, but I distinctly remember being in second grade and my teacher asking us to say what we wanted to be when we grew up. We went down the rows of kids saying highly improbable things -- rockstar, President, astrounaut -- and my voice just squeaked out "Nurse". I still find it to be the strangest thing, to be honest. So this dream of mine carried me throughout elementary school until middle school hit,
where I realized that I was very, very bad at science. Down the drain of disappointment went that dream. So then I was left floundering for a while. I had no real direction; what scares me more than dreaming unrealistically is losing control. But then I had a revelation on the stage here at Saints and in my heart of hearts I knew that the stage was my home (see college essay for why). I went from a completely steady and well-paying dream job to one that is filled with emotional turmoil and financial hardships at every turn. I will admit, I have very supportive parents that went through the acting process with me. They looked at performing arts colleges with me, learned about audition processes, signed me up for voice lessons and have supported my love of music and theatre. I honestly don't think I would have made it this far in my growth as a performer without them being my backbone. But I had to soon realize that I don't want to hate theatre. If I am forced to the point of desparation for a part just so I can have food to put on the table, then I would not enjoy my art. And the last thing I want is for something I love to become a chore. I looked back at the line of dreams I have had and I now know that there was a central theme to my "dream jobs" - I wanted to help people. Whether it be through medicine or through acting, I have wanted to connect with and inspire others. It's scary to constantly be changing up my dreams and trying new labels to see which one fits best on me. But through this whole process I have come to find that I have my life stretched out ahead of me. Who says I can't still be an actress? Or a nurse? Hell, I'll give being a mermaid a try. What I need to remember is that I am still learning who I am. I am reinventing myself and growing and experiencing many things throughout my short life. I can have dreams and goals I can strive for while keeping my feet on the ground. I could not have reached this conclusion without the help of my family and peers, so I want to say thank you for everything. I will miss this class and the creativity confidence that has blossomed within me because of this class will not be taken for granted.

Rough rough essay #1

The theatre is my home. It is the place where I feel the most comfortable. The stage swallows my insecurities and self-doubt and leaves nothing but my best self on its surface. Many people I have encountered during my high school experience continually ask me how I do it. They ask me how I can be so at ease performing for other people, yet I cannot meet new people without my words lodging in my throat and my fingers trembling incessantly. I honestly do not know why the theatre is my safe place. I think that because of the experiences I have had and the people I have met throughout my high school career, I have gained a confidence and self-worth that I never would have gained had I not joined the drama club my freshman year. I owe the theatre my budding confidence, the acceptance of my self-worth and a second family that I will always cherish dearly.

There is one specific event that distinctly changed me and caused me to become so invested in theatre. My sophomore year, my high school director chose "Godspell" for the fall musical. I auditioned and believed that I had done terribly. I kept trying to convince myself that there was absolutely no way I had gotten into the cast. And yet, later that week, I stared up at the cast list and saw my name next to the name of the solo that I would be singing in the show. I could have melted from relief and happiness right there.

In theatre, especially improvisation, one must always say "yes". As much as it embarrassed me and scared me to death, I had to say "yes" to playing this character. This was, admittedly, easier said than done. Basically, I had to say yes to being a prostitute who boldly flirted with nearly everyone both on and off the stage. Before I had time to feel somewhat comfortable about what I was being asked to do, the day had come. My director walked up to me and said to go to the top of the stairs and perform my solo. I must have resembled a panicked fish with my mouth gaping open in shock. He simply shrugged and told me that it had been put off for long enough; in order to get over it, I simply had to just go for it.  I just nodded numbly and began my ascent up to the top of the main aisle of the theatre. With every step I took, I could hear my heart pounding in my chest and my knees threatening to buckle. My sense of self-worth was so skewed back then that I thought that if I messed up, even the tiniest bit, everyone in the cast would hate me.  I had such an intense fear of disappointing people that it got in the way of doing what I needed to do. So when I climbed those stairs, all that ran through my mind was 'You're not good enough' and 'Everyone will hate you if you slip up'. Standing up at the top of the stairs, I had to grip the handrail to keep from collapsing. Then, I heard my cue line and I turned. I will never know how I ever achieved this, but it was like a switch turned on in my mind. I looked straight ahead and became Sonia; I was gone and only the character remained. It felt like the wind was knocked out of me as soon as the song was over. I was overwhelmed with what I had just done and worried about what everyone would think that I did not notice their applause until the anxious flurry of thoughts calmed in my mind. My cast mates were in as much disbelief as I was, but they were praising me for it, not critically analyzing my first try and ripping it apart. I will never forget the love and elation and pure gratitude I felt that nearly made my heart burst.

I have never felt closer to a cast since “Godspell” and it will always hold a place in my heart. Looking back on my growth from then, I realize that that show gave me so many opportunities and experiences I will never forget. It taught me that I am good enough and that I have the courage and capability to achieve what I want to do in life. It taught me that I do not have to fight my insecurities alone; I will always have friends and family fighting with me and showing me the truth that is clouded behind the insecurities. Writing about this experience, I want to go to my sophomore self and tell her that it does get better. I want to tell her that there are people I will meet that will make me so joyful that my face hurts and my throat is hoarse from smiling and laughing so much. I want to tell her that she is capable of achieving anything in the world, and that these characters will teach her to hold her head high. I want to tell her that the theatre will hold her and comfort her and teach her so many lessons and different perspectives that her soul will grow old with wisdom. The theatre is my home. It will always, always be my home.

Equality VS. Equity Synthesis Prompt

Equality and equity, though normally interchangeable, are two very separate things. Should equality or equity be fought for in our society today? Use the following sources to support your essay.

Source 1: http://thewireless.co.nz/articles/the-pencilsword-on-a-plate

Source 2: http://www.tnellen.com/cybereng/harrison.html

Source 3: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/2f/f6/d6/2ff6d6034c5d68e058f548732c5fd580.jpg

Source 4: http://www.ala.org/offices/oif/iftoolkits/toolkitrelatedlinks/equalityequity

(I just want the first two paragraphs to be used in this, if that's alright!)

Source 5: http://ideas.time.com/2013/09/04/do-women-really-want-equality/

Down the Rabbit Hole of Creativity

Anything that the human race can think up has already been thought of. That was the basis of the arguement in today's video. The human race has been reduced from a society that is constantly creating and imagining new futures has been reduced to zombies without an original thought floating through their thick skulls as they use their "infernal devices". As society has evolved and changed with each generation, their forms of entertainment and ways of spending time are criticized. This generation has apparently turned from a RW (reading-writing) generation to a RO (reading-only) generation. This current wave of Millenials is being called out for taking works that have already been created and stealing them, therefore making every YouTube video, AMV, and Gif on Tumblr subject to crippling copyright laws. But the arguement stands as thus: how far can originality be stretched out before it is considered stolen?

Let's take for example, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. People all around the world have enjoyed the truly unique characters and witty whimsy of this book, from the smile of the Cheshire Cat to the Red Queen's famous one-liner, "Off with their heads!". This classic story has been taken and recreated so many times it can make one's head spin just thinking of all the different possibilities this one story has produced. There have been multiple movie renditions, both live action and animated. There have been many books taking the base characters of Alice, the Mad Hatter, etc. and thrusting them into different worlds (such as the book Alice in Zombieland, where Alice fights zombies to save her friends). From video games to fan-made art and jewelry, this simple children's novel conceived in 1865 has reached across two millennia to still affect readers today. Becuase of the originality of Lewis Carroll, copious amounts of works and artwork has come out of the patchwork of creativity in the world. If these copyright laws were to be taken seriously, then every single one of these forms of media would be violating Carroll's work and could be seen as unoriginal. 

When it comes to things such as this, it should not be seen as an act of stealing his work for the artists own selfish purposes. If anything, it should be an extension of the work that Carroll has thought of and should be appreciated. If one thinks about it, it is simply just another adventure for Alice and her whimsical friends. It should not be seen as something to be abhorred or something unprofessional. We as a society are capable of creating so much more if we do not limit ourselves. If Alice has to get back home in one rendition, who says that she does not have to save that same home from zombies in another rendition? We have become an RO generation becuase of these laws trying to limit our creativity. But by using what we have been given and extending those ideas, we are reaching past the limits of what we thought we could dream up. 

Congress needs to get it together

When one thinks of Congress, they normally think of Washington D.C. With senators and representatives of each state meeting for important meetings and such. What doesn't come to mind, however, is Congressional fundraising. These congressmen and women, sent into office to represent their respective state and come up with laws to govern the country, are essentially made to grovel for money from their more wealthy supporters. This is a clear injustice because it is pulling these congressmen from their jobs and instead making them into sales reps, raising funds just to be able to stay in Congress.

According to an article featured in the video, "...members spend anywhere from 25 percent up to 50 percent...of their time fundraising". Within the examples given of the different fundraisers held (birthday and wedding anniversary fundraisers included), Congress has even managed to make a fundraiser out of a Taylor Swift concert. It just sounds so silly, thinking of congressmen and women using their power to make Taylor Swift make money for them. And to make these calls, they have to go to this nondescript building and makes calls for hours on end. They also have to make sure that these citizens could easily dish out $1,000 dollars for their cause, so that limits their search even more. It honestly sounds ridiculous. Here one has some of the most influential people in the United States, and every day they are expected to badger for money and have fundraiser at a shady clam restaurant in D.C.

This reminds me of the prompt we received with the NEA and wondering whether tax dollars should unknowingly go into a scholarship that is known for cutting funds to certain programs within the arts. It just adds another thing onto the list that American people are paying for in taxes but have no clue what it goes to. If congress wants to own up to their use of Taylor Swift fundraisers, then they certainly should. The middle class should be able to know what is going on and then let their own representatives know what they feel on the matter. This whole situation was likened to the Cold War, with congressmen on both sides not wanting to give up the ghost before the other. If everyone in America were able to cooperate and state a way in which Congress could get its funds and keep the Senators and middle class happy, then I am all for it.

Comic King

Ethos, by definition, is "a speaker appeals to ethos to demostrate that they are credible and trustworthy to speak on a given topic...is established by both who you are and what you say". In Scott McCloud's excerpt Show and Tell from his book "Understanding Comics", we were asked to identify his use of ethos throughout his comic strips. With this short excerpt, McCloud describes how words and pictures can work together in harmony to give a more in depth experience when reading.

The background information on McCloud on page 805 is a start to establishing his credentials on the subject of comic books. He has worked on numberous projects and has created many books explaining comics, such as Understanding Comics, Reinventing Comics, and Making Comics. By listing all of these achievements and works before the excerpt even begins, this textbook allows the reader to understand that they are not dealing with a simple amateur here. McCloud knows his comics.

In the very first panels of his comic, McCloud depicts a similar scene that everyone can relate to. He shows his younger self in front of a class full of schoolchildren, displaying his toy robot for show and tell. He is goaded by the teacher to use his words to explain the details of his robot as he displays it. But McCloud does not use just words; he also shows the class by pointing out how it can become an airplane or how it can change shape. McCloud establishes credibility with these first few panels because everyone who has been in a school setting can relate to this activity. Back when we were children, it would be common to just use words and demonstrations interchangeably - something that McCloud points out and builds upon. Creating a similar scenario for the audience reels them in and helps them relate to what he has to say and giving him the credit of being truthful in his beginning panels. McCloud then goes on to different definitions for a multitude of different comics on pages 810-811. His caricature would say the definition in the left panel, and the right panel would have small example comics that explain what he is describing. This is what definitely displays his use of ethos because he is taking an authoritative and informative stance on comics. I honestly had no idea that there were so many comics and that they all served different purposes for setting up a scene. By using different examples and thoroughly explaining how each one worked, McCloud was able to convince the reader that he knew what he was talking about. McCloud elaborated on this use of ethos by using one example of a woman buying ice cream and recreating it within the context of other definitions. He used interdependent, parallel, and amplification to describe how much words and pictures depended on each other in a scene. By practicing what he explains and clearly showing evidence of his knowledge and talent, McCloud is able to undeniably prove his credibility in the world of comics.

How We Created Unattainable Beauty

In Celebrity Bodies by Daniel Harris, we were treated to a look at celebrity lives and how they are victims of the middle class and not the other way around. This essay touches base on subjects of celebrities going through crash diets to obtain or keep a malnourished figure. Celebrities are constantly under a magnifying glass; their every move is watched and criticized by other celebrities and the masses of people that tune in to watch. We savor reading trashy tabloids flat out lying about these poor celebrities, yet one step off the golden path of goodness leads to us shaming these people for the rest of their lives. We want there to be more representation within the media, yet lash out when we are actually shown fuller-figured celebrities. 

There was one instance that I recently read about that irked me like no other. As most people would know, Sports Illustrated magazine recently came out with yet another addition of its coveted Swimsuit Edition. On the front cover was Ashley Graham, the first full figure model to ever grace the front page of Sports Illustrated. There were also multiple pictures of plus size models within the magazine, and it was praised for finally showing some curves and going against the conventional standards of beauty (which having a society that sets the bar for beauty and dictates every little thing within that sphere is disgusting, but well). Cheryl Tiegs, back in what Hollywood would consider her "glory days" (I.e. When she was youthful and a pretty thing to look at), also was a cover girl for the Swimsuit Issue. She had some problems with this recent issue. She is quoted saying: 

"I don't like that we're talking about full-figured women because it's glamorizing them, and your waist should be smaller than 35 [inches]". 

She then goes on to say how she means well, that Dr. Oz said this himself, etc. She immediately recieved backlash from multiple groups stating that her own covers back in the day inspired anorexic and bulimic tendencies within young girls at the time. When I had heard of the story, I immediately knew that she was going to have to publicly apologize, or else her image would be relentlessly picked apart until there was nothing left. Soon enough, my prediction rang true. She publicly apologized for her mistaken message and praised Graham for her courage and beautiful figure. (Graham, pictured on the left with her cover image; Tiegs is pictured on the right).

And so it goes. We are always ready to tear a new one into any celebrity we please. Should Tiegs be promoting an unhealthy lifestyle or having a healthier figure in the long run? Back in her day, she was considered the healthy figure. So it could be a fault on what she was forced to endure back in her model days, where the health of a woman was not the main concern, so long as her hip bones jutted out and her breasts were still perky. While our society is learning to be more health concerned and cry out for more representation, we still face those that grew up thinking that an absolutely flat stomach is what every woman wants to aim for, no matter her body type. And for Tiegs, she bears the brunt of social ignorance in the past in this instance here. There is no verbal backspace for her. There is no amounts of apologizing that will do her good. For now she will be seen as public enemy #1 who wants girls to be anorexic to achieve her waistline until the paparazzi find another poor celebrity to sink their teeth into. It's interesting, isn't it? We have condensed all the traits average people want to obtain - fortune, status, glittering galas and chiseled bodies - and placed in some magical far away place that can only be accessed through pictures and movies. By doing this, we have elevated what could have been normal men and women and placed them in godly glory. But, one false move from these gods and it is like the cloth is torn from our eyes. They turn out to be human, with their own set of flaws and insecurities; and that simply cannot do. 

 

I'll Get Around to My Zombie Later

There are many "zombies" in my life, to put it that way. I stay up super late watching YouTube videos of Good Mythical Morning and Markiplier. I go on Tumblr and just scroll through for hours on end, even if I know I don't want to waste my time doing something mindless. I go on Buzzfeed and take brain numbing quizzes, such as "This scribble will tell you how tired you are" and "which animal are you based on your zodiac sign?" . Recently, I've gotten obesessed with a game on my phone called Neko Atsume, which is basically this generation's version of Tamagotchi (I have a cat named Joe DiMeowgio and I am in love). These multiple vices have been keeping me up late at night and distracting me for hours on end. But the worst vice I have isn't electronic; though my constant connection with online media certainly does not help. The biggest zombie that I've never been able to kill is procrastination.

I have tried to win against procrastination ever since my days in middle school. There will be times where a sudden burst of motivation consumes me, and I rush to do as many assignments as I can before my usual lethargy takes over and I'm back on my phone. It's just a constant battle that I cannot seem to win. It's like this zombie can regenerate over and over again. I can take it down for a measly hour or two and then it's back again, ready and raring to take me down. My parents have attempted numerous times to help me kill this zombie. They have gotten me procrastination help books, day planners, and calendars to schedule out assignments and projects that aren't due the next day. I have heard the foreboding warnings of teachers going "You shouldn't wait until the last minute!" and "You'll regret it when you're staying up all night finishing the paper/project!". And yet it is impossible for me to heed these warnings and actually do something about it.

Now, do not get me wrong. It is not like this zombie is completely in control all the time. I'm not in honors classes for nothing. When I know that I have work to do, I will not rest until all of that homework is completed. I literally cannot fall asleep unless I know that every piece of homework is complete and I have at least glimpsed at any material for a test or quiz the next day. It just takes me forever to do it. I distinctly remember one instance of procrastination that still haunts me to this day. It was freshman year (and that year was difficult, getting used to the curriculum and the fast pacing of my classes and such) and I had a choice board project for the Odyssey and a history paper due for Kenny K. Now, I thought that I would be able to handle a couple of small projects from the choice board and writing a three page paper comparing Christianity and Islam. I was wrong. So, so wrong. I had my parents helping me until 1 AM with the choice board project, and I stayed up until 6AM doing the paper. I got about a good half hour of sleep, but I had done it. I finished the projects and slept soundly for that half hour. The next day I felt like the walking dead, so I knew in my heart of hearts that I am not cut out for all nighters.

It feels like I will have the words "time management!!!" ringing in my ears for the rest of my life. But, like the article pointed out, we just need to beat back our bad behavior until we eventually seize the day. I just beat my zombie right now, just by writing this blog. So I'll keep up the good fight and pray I don't have any all nighters planned in the fates for me. This zombie may regenerate, but I have a ton of ammo and I'm not afraid to use it.

Hip Hop and Youth

In his concluding paragraph on "Hip Hop World", McBride describes hip hop as being a warning. Hip hop, as we know it, has evolved heavily from the era that McBride was recalling. However, the message of hip hop being a warning towards the older generations is still crystal clear. 

There was one specific line in that concluding paragraph that caught my eye and lends a solid foundations towards McBride's arguement. "At its best, hip hop lays bare the empty moral cupboard that is our generation's legacy". Hip hop was a way for African Americans to voice the discrimination and injustices against them. They used their music as a revolutionary movement, giving voice to their struggles and finding another home within their community. By laying bare all that had happened from the beginning of hip hop in the seventies up until 2007, McBride illustrated just how important it was that African Americans were given this gift to cry out and say "We are here". 

Hip hop was also a warning in the way that it connected with so many people. It became a worldwide hit among the youth. Even white American teens struggling with poor families were able to relate to African Americans within their verses. This could be seen as a warning to the older generations that our generation will not tolerate the injustices thrust upon us. The youth has always been looked down upon and hated for being different. Since hip hop gave such a powerful voice to the youth, that is why it was so hard for McBride and others of his generation to accept that hip hop would be a cultural phenomenon. I think it is easy for older generations to underestimate and mistreat those of younger generations. They believe that we are not capable of maintaining whatever system that the old generations developed. Different influences from different time periods further separate the young from the old. But with hip hop, it gives the youth a chance to stand their ground and fight for what they believe is right. 

Politics

Politics; the thing that runs our good country of the United States of America and also makes for uncomfortable arguements at Thanksgiving. We were given two presidential candidates to analyze and to see if their words really added up to their message. We also threw in the great John Oliver for good measure, who added some great points about how some political candidates never really have a concise message. 

Donald Trump is the leading candidate for the Republican Party in the elections right now. This soggy cheeto is very hard to take seriously, in my opinion. He believes that Americans (and by Americans, he means white straight men) have been cheated out of their precious money becuase it has been taken by undocumented workers coming in from Mexico. In his speech, he gets the crowd all riled up about his master scheme: building a wall between the border of the U.S. and making Mexico pay every penny for its construction. Trump loves to make these outlandishly ridiculous statements, only because he knows that it will get a rise out of his audience and those watching at home. But the problem with this tactic is that no one seems to think of how he's actually going to get Mexico to pay for a wall with their own money without it backfiring on the American people. He also tends to get pretty hypocritical at times. While he claims that he will 'Make America Great Again' by getting more jobs for documented citizens only, his past reveals that he has not always followed this straight and narrow path. In the Oliver video, it is pointed out that one of the Trump towers (which only uses his name; it's not his actual building) was being built by illegal workers who were given inadequate supplies and not allowed the proper protection for their work. Trump, of course, denied it to save his own orange skin. The thing about Trump is that he will spout out whatever he wants to say with no form of game plan on how he's going to make it happen (this can be said for all politics, but Trump somehow manages to insult every living being on the planet along the way).

Bernie Sanders is falling behind Hillary at the moment, but is still the favorite Democratic Party choice among children my age and college students. Sanders is taking on many controversial issues within his campaign, which is why young people love him so much. He talks about Wall Street and colleges all have the big bucks and how colleges are sentencing students to decades of debt to pay for an education. He tells the struggles of African Americans and the discrimination against them, the students in debt, the mistreatment of women, etc. Comparing this message of equality to the total white and corporate supremacy of Trump, one would think that everyone would be lining up to vote for Sanders. But one of the problems is his choice of People to represent and fight for. I would like him to be President as much as the next Millennial. But by focusing on the young, he is taking away his chances at getting to the people who really vote: the elderly. Young people just don't get the chance to vote nowadays. So while Trump is making the old cronies sing his praises, Sanders is stuck with people who have to commitment to the idea of voting.

Woolf for Women

Today in class we read Professions for Women by Virginia Woolf. In this essay, Woolf used her own personal hardships she faced being a female writer to illustrate the challenges of being a working woman in a time when women were expected to be docile objects in their homes. I have a great admiration for Woolf because she expressed a serious problem that was happening during her time and she did it in such a way that showed that she was resolute and eloquent in her stance.

One of Woolf's beautiful examples of oppression was the Angel character that she used. This Angel was described as being the ideal woman of her time. She described her as

"...in short. She was so constituted that she never had a mind or a wish of her own, but preferred to sympathize always with the minds and wishes of others...her purity was supposed to be her chief beauty...".

The descriptive language paints a perfect picture of what this imaginary Angel would look like to Woolf. This image of the Angel can be tied to societal standards today. Women are always expected to be docile and be walked over by men. They are constantly interrupted without apology, are punished for being modest but then berated if they are dressed provocatively and have to go through life with unfortunate instances of sexism and fear at the hands of a man. Woolf was showing that this oppressive figure in her life was keeping her from being true to her writing. This was an injustice to both Woolf and her audience, so she got rid of the Angel. I also love the way that she described getting rid of it.

"She died hard...it is far harder to kill a phantom than a reality. She was always creeping back when I thought I had despatched of her. Though I flatter myself that I killed her in the end, the struggle was severe;...Killing the Angel in the House was part of the occupation of a woman writer".

Woolf used the Angel as a figure to describe the oppression and pressure she felt as a writer to conform to society. This battle that she had with the Angel was set in her bedroom. It makes the battle seem more courageous when the reader realizes that these pressures of conforming can creep into an intimate space such as a bedroom. I am glad that she included that part because it shows that even though Woolf was a successful writer, she could never escape how society wanted her to be. Many women have to face that kind of daunting challenge every day, so it was like Woolf was writing a letter to women past and present that gives them the recognition and appretiaiton they deserve for persevering in their craft in the face of adversity.

Ah, Yes. Cannibalism.

This was, by far, the weirdest thing that we have ever read in class. The article in question is A Modest Proposal, written by Jonathan Swift. While the title makes it seem like this will be a polite article about taxes or ways to save money, it was actually about cannibalism. Child cannibalism, to make matters worse. However, this article is a prime example of satire. Satire, by definition, is "the use of irony or sarcasm to critique society or an individual". By using these tools in his article, Swift was able to put new spins on his satirical writing that added a humorous shock value to it.

Swift was able to establish his ethos by using outside sources that vouched for his credibility. "I have been assured by a very knowing American of my acquaintance in London, that a young healthy child well nursed is at a year old a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food..." By mentioning his American friend (whom I later found out was the Donner group) approving of his plan, it establishes his credibility to speak on the topic at hand. He also establishes ethos by creating multiple points towards an arguement supporting his idea. He mentions many factors that go into taking care of a child, the costs, the economical standpoints and the way that he used research to come to these conclusions. While his preposition is gruesome, one cannot argue that he did not fully stand up for his ideals and that his research bore some good explanations and solutions to the problems in Ireland.

Swift uses many examples of logos throughout his satire. "I have reckoned upon a medium that. A child just born will weigh 12 pounds, and in a solar year, if tolerably nursed, will increase to 28 pounds" and "The number of souls in this kingdom being usually reckoned one million and a half, of these I calculate there may be about 200,000 couple whose wives are breeders...there will remain 1700,000 breeders..." Are two examples of the numerous amounts of logos used in this article. This helps his pretend arguement for cannibalism because by showing the actual statistics of the population and what his plan would affect, it shows the reader that Swift has put some serious thought into making this as believable as humanly possible.

Pathos was a big one in this article. The beginning paragraph is all about the female beggars and their starving children. As the essay builds from this point, the reader is always stuck with the image of these poor people and are more than willing to listen to what Swift has to say in order to help. By drawing the reader in by using imagery and sympathy, Swift causes the reveal of his real plan to be shocking and morbidly humorous. He also makes a very bold statement, saying that "...let no man talk to me of these and teh like expedients, till he has at least som eglimipse of hope that there will be ever some hearty and sincere attempt to put them into practice". Swift is practically daring his readers to practice what they preach and only judge his actions if they can find some plausible reason for it.

Eloquence is Problematic

"We love eloquence for its own sake, and not for any truth which it may utter, or any heroism it may inspire". - Thoreau

I absolutely agree with this quote. I do find it a little ironic coming from Thoreau, seeing as his writing is very pretentious and he sure does practice what he preaches with his essay On the Duty of Civil Disobedience. This essay was tough to get through in class, I'm not going to lie. I found myself drifting off and completely indifferent to what Thoreau was trying to say. Because while I appreciate and love eloquence with all my soul, I tune out as soon as I hear it in an arrogant way. And that is all I heard coming from this essay.

I think that eloquence is something important towards our diction and can affect how we carry ourselves. I have found in my own experience that when I speak more eloquently, I find that I am more grounded in my stance on different topics and that I am more in control of a conversation or debate. When I am more casual with my language, it is easier for my words to be overlooked and for my points to not be taken seriously, hence why I reserve my eloquence for adults that disregard my opinion right off the bat. So when Thoreau wrote that we enjoy eloquence for its own sake, I can agree because using eloquence myself causes me to feel more confident in myself and my opinions.

I want to use an example of eloquence gone wrong. I find the writings of John Green to be...problematic in some ways, and I think that it stems from his form of eloquence. Now, do not get me wrong, I find him to be a very successful writer and I cried along with everyone else when I went to go see The Fault in Our Stars at the movies. Twice. (Anthony and Other will remember Dave and the Sour Patch Kids from one of these movies). Anyway, I find his eloquence to be the only reason why people really read his books. He is a man of pretty words and profound statements that apparently shake the core of every reader out there with its deepness. Or something to that extent. I will take Paper Towns as an example. In this book, the main character Quentin builds up a false image of popular Margo Roth Spiegleman. She leaves, he chases after her with his band of misfits, and at the end he realized that he never needed her at all and that she was something broken instead of beautiful. One way that he emphasized this point was with the line:

"What a treacherous thing to believe that a person is more than a person".

Now, that's a beautiful quote and is basically the whole plot of the book. But if one looks at this quote, it is just a glaring truth in everyday life that was twisted around to look profound and lovely. All this did was romanticize distorting another person and their flaws into a perfect being when that isn't possible.

Declaring Equality for Women

I honestly thought that today's lesson would be a tad bit boring because we were reading over the Declaration of Independence (something I had not been forced to read even in history class with Kenny K) and The Declaration of Sentiments, written by a woman named Elizabeth Cady Stanton. We got through the Declaration of Independence with a few bumps along the way, considering the formal word choices and difficulty with translating old language into something we could understand.  Then we reached The Declaration of Sentiments and I fell in love with Elizabeth Cady Stanton for being an amazing woman and an immediate role model for feminism. 

These two essays began with the same beginning lines: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty  and the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these rights governments are instituted, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed". This is pretty straightforward in the way it was written. Jefferson, who originally wrote this tidbit, was describing how the Americans came to see themselves as a separate body from England's rule and wanted to have their own independence and standards of equality to be recognized and respected. I personally think that the Declaration of Independence dragged on because they wanted it to sound so formal that they overdid it. It seemed like when one needs to write a 1,000 word essay and then you pull out random things to drag out your point as long as possible, like so:

But anyway, I digress. Cady's essay, The Declaration of Sentiments, used these beginning lines as well. But she focuses specifically on how the Declaration states how an abusive and wrongdoing government can be abolished by those governed and be rewritten in fairness for all, and how women have had to suffer under an abusive government since America gained its independence. She goes on to describe how women cannot be involved in government and political affairs without it being seen as improper. She even calls them out on giving the rights of elective and political freedoms to "the most ignorant and degraded men--both natives and foreigners". Cady bashes the "common man" and how he has systematically restrained the rights of women under the pretenses of women being an object to own instead of a free-thinking human being with the inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. She promises that there will be women reinforcing and pushing for this movement of equality to spread throughout the nation. Thus: feminism was born in America.

What I loved most about this essay was that there are (unfortunately) clear parallels between the sufferings of women in 1848 and 2016. Once a woman has married her ideal husband, she is expected to settle down with her white-picket-fence-dream-house and however many children her and said husband decide to have. I am not bashing this certain lifestyle; I respect women that are able to take care of children and raise them in a way that makes them feel loved. However, I hate that it seems to be the only option a woman has. Cady points out that "In the covenant of marriage, she is compelled to promise obedience to her husband, he becoming, to all intents and purpose, her master--". Just looking at the word "master" gives me the creeps. It just keeps pushing this idea that women are the servants to men, that we must offer our ambitions and dreams up for the wants and needs of a husband. If one is a single woman, whether she be a business owner or not, she is only valuable if she is contributing back to society. There is this constant pressure to adhere to a social mold of obedience and toxic double standards at every turn. Cady was, as Ms. Amodie said, "ballsy" to point out these glaring inequalities in 1848 America. What sucks the most is that a 2016 feminist can say the exact same things she did.

Adams Interpretation

Today in class, we reviewed letters written between Abigail and John Adams and tried to interpret them as best we could. There were definitely many challenges that came with this interpretation, including difficult diction and a confusing syntax. There was a certain paragraph in John's letter to Abigail that illustrates ideals that are still being sought after in 2016. The quote is as follows:

"Compassions of many. But...let Us take Warning and give it to our Children. Whenever Vanity, and Gaiety, a Love of Pomp and Dress, Furniture, Equipage, Buildings, great Company, expensive Diversions, and elegant Entertainments get the better of the Principles and Judgements of Men or Women there is no knowing where they will stop, nor into what Evils, natural, moral, or political, they will lead us".

While this is hard to pick apart and understand, Adams is relaying an important message on the ideals of his time period. What he is saying is that he is warning his wife of the dangers of materialism in the younger generation. He is afraid that the newer generation will get swept up in the extravagance of a prosperous nation and forget to uphold the respectful views of the past generation. Adams' generation worries for the future of America because they are afraid that the new generation will become ungrateful of the sacrifices made to achieve independence.

This is a similar problem today. There are many Baby Boomers who are constantly beating Millenials and weeping for the future of a world with smartphones and technology. They believe that we will be consumed by our devices until all forms of human interaction are extinct and that we will become zombie-like and antisocial. This is not the case however; Millenials are quite fond of their technology and would appreciate it if the previous generation would embrace this new future instead of longing for the past. In this way, the two time periods of the 1800s and 2016 are interconnected. The older generation fears for the future and potential mistakes of the new generation, while the new generation wishes that they could be understood from their point of view going into a new era.