Satire

When I tried to upload my picture the screen read "server rejected." But this time, I was able to print it :)

Maus Blog

This picture had an effect on me...

“Art Spiegelman's MAUS: Working-Through the Trauma of the Holocaust” by Robert S. Leventhal discusses how Maus includes three separate narratives within one big overall story. These narratives include the story of Vladek during the holocaust and after its effect on him, Anje, who committed suicide after surviving Auschwitz and coming to America, and Artie himself in his struggle to understand his family origins and himself. “It addresses the constant resurfacing of a traumatic and "unmastered" past on a number of levels.” By this, Leventhal means the death of Artie’s brother, Richieu, the tragic suicide of his mother in 1968, and the murder of the European Jews. Leventhal discusses how the "broken" relationship between Artie, Vladek, and this unmastered past is exemplified in the broken relationship Artie has to his own Jewish heritage. Leventhal believes that Maus is a allegorical text, not merely to the extent that it treats the individuals as figures in a much more complex and global story, but because its structure includes a graphic image elucidating the text, as well as a superscript expressing the "topic" or "theme," the actual statements of the individuals in the frame, and often a subscript containing unconscious thoughts or afterthoughts. In Maus, the image is never left to stand alone, but is always caught up in the differential between narrative, image, dialogue and reflection. In this manner, an opening or aperture for critical thinking on the transmission of past trauma is created.

http://www2.iath.virginia.edu/holocaust/spiegelman.html

Cat's Cradle and Modernism

so, i just got home from a night of ice skating and teazer's tea. definitely got pulled over by the cops. scary. but yeah, this post is due in less than five minutes and i just started, sadly. the best i can do is present you with this analysis of postmodernism of Cat's Cradle i found online. i did not want to simply disregard the assignment, and this is the best i can do considering the time i have to complete this. sorry i didn't do it yesterday, but at least i didnt lie and plagarize? heh :)

When talking about Bokonon, the whole Bokononism is a kind of postmodernist religion. The ending - ism itself refers to the thesis, which all these -isms claim, (capitalism, communism, socialism?) and that is: that only their -ism is the right one for the world. The founder of Bokononism was Lionel Boyd Johnson, whose name was corrupted by the island dialect. Bokononism contains the postmodernist misreading, combination and anarchy at once. Even the first verse in the Book of Bokonons says: "All of the true things that I am to tell you are shameless lies." Here we can see Vonnegut's opinion about religion. He tells us, that people always look for something to what they can believe. "Truth was the enemy of the people, because the truth was so terrible, so Bokonon made it his business to provide the people with better and better lies." The religion just covers the horrible truths out there. Bokononism is like a play. All the people are actors, which are fed with lies and like in a Christianity or other religions, they don't question it, they just blindly follow it. They believe in their made up religion, they believe in something which is not. Like Cat's Cradle, which for some people is just a bunch of strings, for some a real image of a Cradle. The crisis of Christianity (religion) is according to Vonnegut: "The adults can not regard themselves as God's little sheep anymore." In another interview he says: "We can not believe in Christianity anymore, we know too much about the world." (Zelenka, 87) This a postmodernist feature, which is typical for many postmodernist books. The main faith is not based in some religion, but in man himself. Vonnegut states a very original opinion about God's creation: "Whoever writes about other humans, and creates their pains, loves, sorrows and passions, he tastes personally the process of God's creation and for these characters he becomes a God himself." (Zelenka, 89) Even Felix Hoenikker was described as person so innocent, that he was pract ically a Jesus. The essay "Understanding Religion Through Cat's Cradle" presents further analysis of Jesus and Christianity. "Once the comparison is made it is surprisingly relevant in that Jesus created a religion that would, over time, cause hundreds of thousands of deaths also." (3)

http://kurtvonnegutcorner.eu/essay-collection/c2006013108-Postmodernist-Features-in-Vonnegut-s--i-Cat-s-Cradle--i-.html

Developing a Topic for Brave New World

This “Brave New World” that we have read about manipulates its members of society from birth. Sir Ken Robinson’s video regarding the system of education includes some parallels to Brave New World. George Orwell's novel, 1984, does as well. Throughout the video, Robinson criticizes education today and the road to getting a college degree and job. He explains that our level of creativity decreases as our ages increase. In Brave New World, creativity is shut out from an early age so that there is no such thing at all. Robinson also brings up the question of why we are taught in classes grouped by age. He throws out the notion that kids these days are being educated in the same way goods are manufactured. He says, "only thing important about the children is date they’re manufactured." This relates to the idea of Brave New World. The children are placed into a certain lifestyle before they are born. Humans are made to work and function the way that the leaders want them to. "Wheels must turn steadily, but cannot turn untended." This means that the people in Brave New World are being monitored so that they all function the same. In schools these days, kids are taught the same principles, and are tested on the same skills. There is no room for creativity, as Robinson points out in his video. As students grow older and learn about what is valid and real, they shut out creativity and the ability to see things that are extraordinary

Brave New World has parallels in 1984, because of the way each society controls their members. However, Brave New World has more positive tactics and controls them through pleasure, while 1984 uses pain and strict rules. Although these differences are quite contrasting, both tactics are aimed at the same purpose. Both societies keep their subjects from feeling genuine emotion. These tactics keep the citizens from causing rebellion or distress among the people; it keeps everything in order. Also in that from birth, they teach the children that live in their societies to be robots. They follow the same routines because they are told to do so, in 1984 with the junior spies and in Brave New World, with the children displaying sexual acts because they were taught to do so.

Brave New Education?

Earlier this week in AP literature, we watched a video by Sir Ken Robinson. The video consisted of Sir Ken Robinson’s view on education in today's society and the flaws it is based on. His beliefs were illustrated with vivid animations. Personally, the video was quite interesting and brought up some very good points. Throughout the video, Robinson criticizes education today and the road to getting a college degree and job. He explains that our level of creativity decreases as our ages increase. In Brave New World, creativity is shut out from an early age so that there is no such thing at all. Robinson also brings up the question of why we are taught in classes grouped by age. He throws out the notion that kids these days are being educated in the same way goods are manufactured. He says, "only thing important about the children is date they’re manufactured." This relates to the idea of Brave New World. The children are placed into a certain lifestyle before they are born. Humans are made to work and function the way that the leaders want them to. "Wheels must turn steadily, but cannot turn untended." This means that the people in Brave New World are being monitored so that they all function the same. In schools these days, kids are taught the same principles, and are tested on the same skills. There is no room for creativity, as Robinson points out in his video. As students grow older and learn about what is valid and real, they shut out creativity and the ability to see things that are extraordinary.

Brave New World Order

Mustapha Mond states that "Wheels must turn steadily, but can not turn untended. There must be men to tend them, men as sturdy as the wheels upon their axles, sane men, obedient men, stable in contentment." Brave New World focuses on the creaton and manipulation of human life. In the state of growing, humans are put through numerous circumstances so they will be adapted to their predestined future. Mustapha utters these words with the belief that human life is not stable on its own. Each individual's "wheels", or brains must be put into gear so that these individuals can be useful to this new society. However, these brains cannot be allowed to opperate freely. Without guidance, society would only fall into chaos.  While giving his speech to the boys, Mustapha Mond blames the previously sacred institutions of family, love, motherhood, and marriage for causing social instability in the old society. According to the state's motto, the reason for all this artificial reproduction is to provide stability in their community, and personal feelings and sacred institutions only conflicted with this goal. Therefore, these institutions are removed so that individuals are trained only to focus on what is important to the state. This also goes with what Mond says about wheels that can not turn untended. It is important that they guide the growth of produced adults so that emotion, religion, etc. is eliminated at an early start. War, disease, and such is eliminated and everyone lives together toward a soul purpose.
Commonly throughout the chapter, Henry Foster states, "Every one belongs to every one else." In relation to Mond's words, Henry is building off of the fact that there are no feelings of love or commitment in their world. Relationships are not true relationships in which only two people commit to each other. For example, Henry and Lenina are dating, yet she accepts Bernards invitation to his place. Also, Henry conversates with another man in the changing room about Lenina and talks of her as if she is a piece of meat. Henry says to the other man that in time, he will have her too. These words are not unusual, especially since Lenina treats herself in the same manner.

Preparing to Write about The Tempest

The Tempest can be interpreted in various ways. In George Will’s Literary Politics, he argues that The Tempest can only be analyzed through a political viewpoint. However, there are undoubtedly other ways to think about this text. For one thing, Aime Cesaire's version, A Tempest, puts the story into a new perspective. Although the thought of colonialism has been brought up numerous times in out class discussions, Aime Cesaire’s revisioning of the play further develops this concept. By rewriting the dialogue of the characters, she directs the readers’ attention to the relationship between Caliban and Prospero. With her revsioning of the play more focused on this relationship, it becomes easier to grasp the theme of colonialism. As she constructs the dialogue in a way that reveals more of Caliban and Ariel’s feelings, we are able to grasp how natives must have felt during British colonial practices. In the last scene of Cesaire’s work, Ariel and Caliban are found discussing their status as slaves of Caliban. While Ariel believes in achieving freedom in less violent means, Caliban deems Ariel’s beliefs as foolish. Caliban, a symbol of the natives dring British colonialism, believes in taking back his land through force and war. His thoughts can very well be compared to the colonists’ rebellion toward British authority during the American Revolution. Furthermore, In Literarcy Criticism: An Introduction to Theory and Practice), Charles Bressler also contends that colonialism is a central theme in The Tempest. Bressler supports Caliban’s thoughts on the idea of learning a new language by describing Fanon’s thoughts on the matter. “Fanon believes that as soon as the colonized…were forced to speak the language of the colonizer…the colonizer either accepted or were coerced into accepting the collective consciousness of the French [the colonizers].” Alone and forced to provide for his master, Prospero, Caliban serves as a symbol to any race or group of peoples that have been oppressed or colonized. As Bressler puts it, Caliban is one of the “Others. Therefore, taking these positions into account, we can see that The Tempest is a play focused on the topic of colonialism.