Blog #15 (4/14/19)

Senior Year...It Was...

(I am really bad with technology so a lot of pictures are awkwardly zoomed in on one persons face so just try to ignore that part and the song will start to replay again because I did not know how to add two songs but I promise it does not replay very long)

Enjoy:) 

Blog #14 (3/31/19)
Freebie:)

Blog #13 (03/15/19) 

When someone first mentions the idea of "The American Dream" I think of something from a movie. It has never been an idea that I thought of to be true or easy to accomplish or even an idea that is very much thought about anymore. It was definitely something that was much more prominent in the 1900s, primarily after the United States was brought out of the Great Depression. It was an ideal that focused on the concept of wealth and constant happiness throughout the lives of the American people. When I picture someone living the American Dream, I picture a man living in an obnoxiously large mansion, with a butler an who plays cricket and also has a kind wife and some children. I am not sure why but that is what I envision. It has never been an idea that I thought was still present in todays society nor was it one that was ever truly accomplished by the American people. If I was to define the term wealth, being a key part of the American Dream, I would define it as having more money than you really need or know what to do with. It would be the people that make a ridiculous amount of money, sometimes for doing big things, sometimes it is for doing absolutely nothing (like the Kardashians). 
Often times, there are negative connotations around those who are considered to be wealthy/rich. They are seen as snobs and their children are often seen as spoiled. However, I have learned from personal experiences with those who have that title, that is frequently not the case. It is all dependent upon how those people are raised and what they choose to do with money. There are also negative connotations surrounding the term poor. If you are poor people well sometimes look at you with pity or like you need to be a charity case. There is also the idea that poor people can be found on the sides or streets begging for money. These connotations are also often times diminished once you meet people who live below the poverty line but still manage to make the most of their lives. I think that life would most definitely be better if you were wealthy rather than poor, and I want to be wealthy when I am older, but there is nothing against those who could be considered poor. There is nothing wrong with it and I still think you can live a happy life, it just takes more mental strength to maintain a positive attitude than it does when you have lots of money. 
When I look at my life now, I am obviously living a pretty good life. I attend a good school and I have a roof over my head and plenty of food to eat but I want to have more when I live on my own and have my own family one day. I want to have enough money to start a savings fund for all of my children, to go on fun trips with my family, do things that my parents never had enough money to really do. I think that wealth is a good thing as long as you use your money in good ways and not having poor attitudes, such as acting superior. I think that this viewpoint is also somewhat similar to what can be found within The Great Gatsby. Nick is the narrator of the entire story and it comes to be very clear that he looks up to Gatsby and quite frequently admires him and his lifestyle. This is primarily due to the amount of money he has which allows him to live a great life and endorse the lives of others. This can be seen in chapter 3 of the novel when the reader is introduced to the fabulous parties that Gatsby throws every Friday. "In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars." (3.1) I think this quote from the first paragraph of chapter 3 does a great job of depicting Gatsby's parties that he would throw. They were filled with people and drinks and a fun time. All of this was possible due to the excessive amounts of money that Gatsby has. He is able to throw these very fun parties and invite copious amounts of people over. 
I think that Fitzgerald placed much emphasis on the idea of the American Dream that it almost became its own separate character within the story line. I think this was done due to the context surrounding the time when the novel was written. The Great Gatsby was published n 1925, 4 years before the start of the Great Depression, but the ending of World War I. This was a time when Americans were excited by the end of such a horrible war and the economy was finally starting to recover from repercussions of the war. The citizens realized this was now a time where they could make and get money, pushing them into a great level of prosperity. Of course much of this money was diminished by the start of the Great Depression but the idea of the American Dream still continued to prosper. The idea of one day living the American Dream was one that the American people were able to live by and push to achieve. It was the ultimate goal of the time period. By doing so, it was believed they would live a great life with little to no trouble. 

Blog #12 (3/3/19) 

IOC Link: https://vocaroo.com/i/s0Tv6isPqAJL

WARNING!!! I AM EXTREMELY SICK AND SOUND LIKE A BOY AND ALSO HAD A LOT OF COUGHING ATTACKS DURING THIS! I AM SO SORRY!!! 

Self Grading: 

Criterion A- 
I would probably give myself a 5 on this criterion. It honestly took a very long time to do this and plan it out because I really cannot remember anything about The Handmaids Tale or what it was even kind of about. I do that I included a good amount of references to what was happening though and I knew what the chapter was about but struggled to relate this particular section to the entire book. 

Criterion B- 
For this section, I would give myself a 4 or 5. I really struggled to find many literary features. It was a struggle and I really only touched on basic ones that probably everyone mentions. Usually I am able to find lots in a passage but could not find many in this one. 

Criterion C- 
My organization I thought was decent. I think maybe a 3 or 4. I jumped around between thoughts and ideas sometimes, but that was mostly because I would start coughing and completely lose my train of thought. There is definitely some work to be done on making sure that everything flows. 

Criterion D- 
For my own language I would give myself a 3. There was not a high level of vocabulary used and I was very hard to understand due to my sounding like a literal man. So hopefully that part will be better for the actual IOC. 

Overall I think that there is so much I could do better and that reading the packets that we got in English would really help me next time.

Blog #11 (2/14/19)

"Gregory Samsa woke from uneasy dreams one morning to find himself changed into a giant bug" 

- Casual language used other than word "uneasy" 
- No commas or ways to break the sentence
- "Giant bug" is not very descriptive and does not sound very interesting 
- Does not say what kind of bug... maybe to persuade people to continue reading in order to figure out what kind of bug he transformed into 
- Maybe it is just me, but this does not sound very intriguing whatsoever
- Used the full name Gregory 

"When Gregor Samsa awoke from troubled dreams one morning he found he had been transformed in his bed into an enormous bug"

- Gregor instead of Gregory 
- Troubled instead of uneasy... makes it sound more scary rather than something unpleasant 
- Included the part about transforming in his bed, making it seem much more surprising
- Still no use of commas 
- Enormous instead of giant... makes it seem like a bigger deal 
- More descriptive words which helps me to envision the scenario much clearer than first one

"As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect" 

- Still no use of commas and it is starting to bother me because it makes the sentence sound horrible
- Gregor rather than Gregory 
- Uneasy is used once again, making his dreams sound like something bothersome and weird
- Once again added the part about this happening in his bed, even though it is already implied when it says that he wakes up as a bug
- New word to describe the size of the insect... gigantic 
- Use of the term insect, makes it sound much less gross but also makes you want to know what it is 
- Structured very similar to each of the other ones
- Gigantic is on a much larger scale than giant 

"One morning, upon awakening from agitated dreams, Gregor Samsa found himself, in his bed, transformed into a monstrous vermin" 

- FINALLY!! A translation that uses commas! 
- This sounds much more structured and it makes sense and does not make me want to throw my head into a wall
- Also uses Gregor rather than Gregory 
- New word... agitated 
- Sounds more like his dreams were an annoyance and something he was trying not to have
- Monstrous... probably my favorite word choice, makes it sound much worse 
- Vermin rather than bug or insect which makes it sound much grosser and like something you would not want to happen to you
- This version is definitely my favorite one, it is well formulated and easy to read. It also uses very well chosen descriptions which helps to increase the severity of the situation in the eyes of the reader

The Idea of Translation:
These four translations were all very similar to one another. All but the fourth used almost the same structure and main ideas, the only differences were the choice of adjectives. I think that the word choice of each of the four is what made them so different. The first translation was very plain and there was little used of well chosen descriptors. It was also very challenging to read due to lack of punctuation and good imagery. I think that the best translation what the last one. It used commas, making it much easier to read, along with a much better choice of descriptive words. "Vermin" was a very interesting choice and made Samsa's situation seem much worse than each of the other translations. The term "monstrous" also contributed to that worsening tone. However, the second translation used the word "insect" which I found to be very interesting. It lowered the severity of the situation but almost intrigued me more than the ones that used "bug". I thought it was very odd how the first translation used the full name Gregory while each of the others only said Gregor. I think that by using Gregory it made it sound much more official, it just sounds like the name of a business man, which would lead me to believe that something like turning into a bug should not be happening to him. All in all, I think that the fourth translation was most effective in making the reader truly feel and understand the severity of the situation, making the reader feel empathy towards his situation. I think that the only thing that would have made it sound better would have been to say Gregory rather using the shortening of it, Gregor. 

I think that this does prove the importance behind the differing in translations. There are so many ways to interpret ideas and couple that with the varying ways of translating, interpreting ideas identically to someone else becomes very hard, almost impossible. I think that there are so many words in the English language and everyone has different connotations that go with each of them. I thought that the first translation was very plain and that there were much better choices for the word "giant", but someone else could think this is completely false. It all depends on who is reading it and their past experiences. The first translation, to me, had a very plain tone that was very boring and it did not make me want to continue reading, but it could have been completely different to someone else reading it. Translations are very, very important to the main idea of a novel. Miscommunications played prominent roles throughout history and many were due to the differing translations between culture or language. 

There is also the intricate idea of words that have multiple meanings that can be very different from one another. Words like this are usually what makes learning a new language so difficult, you have to memorize all the words but also all of their meanings. I also believe that the concept of translations is very interesting because it offers the opportunity to engage in interactive communication with others due to the differing interpretations from the translations. It is basically what we do in English class everyday. We all think for ourselves and break down important paragraphs in what we are reading, and then we share out. The way we each understand a passage is our translation. They are all different and sharing them allows to see what others believe and possibly change the way we believe in things. When I read the first translation for this novel, there was no part of me that wanted to continue reading and I was very confused as to how this was even a good idea to start a novel. However, the fourth translation made the book seem interesting and like something I would actually enjoy reading. It is all based on how the individual interprets ideas. 

Blog #10 (1.29.19)

At first glance the four book covers shown below seem, to me at least, to be poor demonstrations of Never Let Me Go. If I were to envision a book cover for this novel, it would display four black figures that all appear to be very similar, if not identical to one another. The figures would be standing together all pointing some sort of light at one central object. I know this might seem very odd but to me this seems like the perfect portrait to depict the main ideas of the book. To start, the four, similar black figures would represent the characters in the book. Them all being the same or very close to the same would portray the idea of conformity. Conformity was a reoccurring theme within the book, dominantly showcased at the beginning of the novel, between Kathy and Ruth. "I wasn't exactly the wilting type myself, but I suppose it was really because of Ruth we got in there as often as we did," (Ishiguro 1) this is a quote from the third page of the novel where Kathy can be seen altering her personal morale to fit in with Ruth. 

Anyway, I mentioned that all four of the figures would all be shining a light on one central object. This object would also be blacked out, so the reader would be unable to blatantly tell what is it, leaving it open to individual interpretation. It could represent the characters in the novel searching to understand their fate, or maybe the object is something they have all been looking for, maybe freedom? The four looking together could also draw in the concept of relationships, seeing as that is a very important aspect of the book. 

This cover consists of a seemingly young girl sitting in a field of grass and nature, looking downward, away from the audience. One would assume that the girl represents Kathy, seeing as how she is the main character of the novel. As I have previously stated, this seemed to be a very strange cover because it does not immediately relate to the book, in my opinion. With that being said, after further analyze and a little bit of research, it became obvious how the artist intended this to look. The young girl is surrounded by greenery which is said to be the color of life. The color green is also associated with meanings of growth and safety. All of which can be directly related to the story of Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy, and their time in Hailsham. Never Let Me Go centers around the concept of life. As the plot is developed, the reader is thrown a curve ball when it is announced that they are all clones. Their purpose life becomes inevitably more clear when this plot twist happens. Each of the characters grow in regards to different aspects, Tommy finds various ways to cope with being a donor (rather than throwing tantrums), Ruth settles on the idea that she will die from these donations, and Kathy realizes that their lives were destined to be either carers or donors and not to fall in love. This book cover, with its piercing green elements alongside the girl looking downward, portray these elements of the story quite well.

This cover is probably the best depiction of the novel as a whole and I is the one the caught my eye the most when first looking at each of the four. In the 19th chapter of the book, the reader knows that each of them are organ donors and will die very soon. Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy decide to visit an abandoned boat, which is the significant element pictured in this cover. It is at this point in the novel where the three best friends have an emotional heart to heart with one another and face some of their biggest fears. The boat in this symbolizes both a broken life and mystery. Hailsham is a place where your fate is decided for you, no matter the aspirations you have, but also has many questions that are brought up as well. Where do the donors come from? What does the "normal" society think of such a place? Where do all of the bodies go once they have passed? How do the get away with cloning people, and do the original people they clone from know they are being cloned? Hailsham is proven to be a place where lives dreams are broken yet somehow always manage to be mended back together. I think this book cover does a good job showing this idea, both by use of the boat but also by surrounding the boat with an ominous setting and dark colors which brings the idea of mystery to light. 

Okay, so I might have to take back what I said at the beginning about these book covers not having much relevance to the book, this one and the previous one both seem to be very good demonstrations. I am working on this with Andrea (shoutout to her! love her:)) and we were talking about what this was because I honestly did not have a clue. I really thought it was just a lightbulb and could not figure out what it meant. Andrea then went on to point how that it was organs which represented the doners. So my "speak first, think after," self popped out and said "Oh so its a heart!" Andrea proceeded to give me "the look" and continued to tell me that it was lungs and the rest of the organs within the chest and abdomen area. Due to my comment about the heart, we realized that there was not a heart depicted in this image. This is very interesting because, to me, it encourages the thought that Kathy, along with all other clones, live a life with no true emotional ties. Each of their fates is predetermined, preventing love and true living of life to occur. They are given set paths in life which inevitably end in organ donation, making it very ironic, yet fitting that no heart appears to be depicted within the book cover. 

Now, this cover is the most confusing to me. Not going to lie it has taken a lot of staring at it to try and make the slightest connection to the book. So, I think that maybe this image of a girl is attempting to show the oblivion that Hailsham's youth live in. The girl seems to be by herself enjoying that freedom not really understanding the true meaning of life. This is a good example of the mindset that Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy all lived in. They were never taught what their future was going to be, even though it had long been determined before they were ever born (created maybe? idk clone terminology). It seems to portrayed the type of carefree lives they all lived as small children and the amount of unknown that surrounds Hailsham. That is really all I could pull from this cover, which is why I originally stated that all of these lacked relevance. 

After further analyzing each individually I have noticed that they all seem to revolve around the effects that Hailsham has had on the lives of those who live in that society. 

The two that intrigued me the most were the second and third ones. These were the ones that shocked me the most by the unique choice of the included images. A boat.... haha what? That just was not the first thing that popped into my mind when envisioning a cover for the novel. With that being said, neither was the whatever you would call it that is shown in the third book cover. All of that set aside, I think that these two best portray the overall gist of the novel. Both of them have a darker setting, which is interesting because the book never gave me a whole ton of dark vibes. However, each of them do so in a different way. One shows this darkness through the setting behind the boat. The boat is overall the main point of scenery in that cover but the darkness is still present in the background. The third book cover is all darkness. Every aspect of that cover is in a dark tone. This could be due to the underlying dark nature behind the idea of Hailsham. Think about it, a place where children grow up and flounder through life being all happy-go-lucky and will one day be told that all of their lives was a lie and they were basically being raised like a pig for slaughter (Harry Potter reference, really hope someone got that). It is honestly horribly sad to think about. 

All in all, I think that each of the 4 book covers somehow depicted elements from the novel Never Let Me Go, some more than others. If I had to pick a favorite one though, I would go with the third one just because of the complexity behind the whole thing. Also, after reading fellow students blog posts, that one was most differing in interpretation. 

Blog #9 (1/20/19) 

A Day in the Life of an Ancient Egyptian Doctor:

The Ted Talk I chose was very unique from most that I have previously seen. It was solely an animation, the story was told through this animation, while addressing the main idea that not everything in life can be fixed but you can learn from your experiences. The story revolves around one main character, a doctor, named Peseshet. It follows her in her day to day activities, hence the title "A day in the life." Although she is a doctor, she also has the job of teaching adolescent children in the ways of becoming a scribe. When the story first unfolds, the audience learns that Peseshet is on her way to the House of Life, which is where she teaches at. Before she can be on her way to that, though, she has a stop to make. One of the workers in the town had shattered the bone in his arm and she was asked to help in the healing process. Peseshet stabilizes the arm and is then on her way. Before she could make it to the House of Life, she was stopped by a woman in the street who's son had been stung by a scorpion. Peseshet utters a spell and then cuts out the poison. She finally arrives at the House of Life and teaches her class. When she leaves, she is approached by another woman. This woman has a large lump in her arm. Peseshet had read hundreds of texts and knew there was nothing she could do for the woman and had to deliver the bad news.

Although the summary I provided above goes in chronological order of what happened throughout the video, I think that the importance is maintained throughout. The author is a strategist. By starting with the seemingly important encounters that Peseshet has with patients, it helps the audience to understand the reliability everyone places upon her. By utilizing the logistics behind medicine, the audience can relate to everything that is happening, making the video both increasingly more intriguing and also relatable. Pathos was the dominant technique used by the author. When hearing anything about other people suffering from injuries, it triggers an emotional response. The author of this Ted Talk made a point to include many techniques to strengthen their point they strove to drive into the audience's brain. This could be because they had been through an event in life that triggered them to change their outlook, or simply because they wished to empower the members of the audience.

I also found it interesting the way that the author chose to tell the story. I know that I already touched on the animation but I wanted to go more in depth into the significance of it. Most Ted Talks consist of a speaker, or sometimes multiple, that stand in front of a group of people and tell their story. By using an animation, it starts out seeming less personal, but to me, it was more interesting. Being able to see the story unfold is what draws the audience in. I think the author did this on purpose. I believe that the author thought that his story would be best told through an animation, rather than him or her standing in front of an audience. And I think this was the right choice. Imagine this story being told to you by a single person, it would honestly be kind of boring. By showing the hypothetical story unfold, with more hypothetical characters, it actually helps the story become more personable.

The plot twist at the ending was very sad and made me, personally, realize that life is full of surprises. You cannot help everything that happens in life but it will continue to go on. It is similar to the saying about learning from your mistakes. You have to learn from the events in life that you cannot change. One would assume that the lump in the woman's arm is presumably cancerous. I had a close family friend that had a lump in her breast and it turned out to be cancer. It was heartbreaking and horrible to watch her go through the therapy and all of the pain that is caused. So anytime cancer could be a possibility it becomes an instant emotional trigger for me.

I originally chose to watch this Ted Talk because I saw that it included animation, different then all other Ted Talks I have watched, so I became intrigued to find out what it was about. When reading that this blog post was to focus on story telling, I thought it would be different to analyze something that was not one person talking directly at the audience. Little did I know that a simple animation could tell a story that would go way beyond the concept of a doctor helping a patient. It helped me to realize that life is full of things that you cannot control. This was the simple message brought about by the story being told. There is deeper meaning that I interpreted, that because life can throw so many surprises at you and that you cannot fix everything, you have to live life to the fullest. A simple lump in your arm can lead to your death. A simple car ride to school can change everything. There were so many messages that I gain from this Ted Talk. I know I have already stated many of them, and even though this part is not required, I wanted to list them below.

• Live life to the fullest: It can all end in one moment 
• Learn from your experiences: Mistakes, unexpected events, they will all help you grow 
• Made good choices: Although life can change instantly, do not make choices that will make the unexpected evermore increasing 

The author of this story did an amazing job telling a story that offered a meaningful concept but also left much interpretation open to the audience. I know that what I felt the story meant is not the exact same as what someone else could, so I encourage everyone to take 5 minutes of their time and watch this Ted Talk.