It was... I was (Poem)

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,

If only I was as eloquent as Charles Dickens,

I could easily describe my high school experience

In a sentence

But a sentence with a few words wouldn’t necessarily be enough

To show the emotions I felt

Or the actions I did

During my 4 years at Millbrook

I went from being an awkward, bubbly, baby-faced teenager

To an even more awkward, impatient, and slightly opinionated adult.

I transitioned from wanting to be the center of attention

To finding comfort in solitude and shadows.

I went from being oblivious to global issues,

To reading the news every morning and volunteering every weekend to aide my community.

I still get nervous when I’m forced to speak in front of crowds,

I still suck at math,

I still hate wearing heels,

I still don’t know what I want to do after college (okay, now that’s kind of bad),

And I still misspell more words than you can imagine,

But that’s all okay because I’ve learned how to accept myself

My mistakes,

And other people.

I think learning the way of acceptance is the intended meaning behind high school.

If you take away the stressful exams, long homework, and excess busywork,

The crowded hallways, loud lunchrooms, and slow walkers,

The fire alarms, the cliques, and bullies,

You find that you are forced to learn how to accept others.

And isn’t that what life's about, in the end?

Accepting others?

I think it is.

***
Am I the female Walt Whitman yet?

Messy Handwriting & Imagination

As I looked through Walt Whitman's notebook, the first thing that I noticed was that I could barely read or understand his handwriting. Whitman writes in cursive so the letters and words blend together. This blend in words could also be caused by the ink in the notebook fading as it ages, as well. Also when he writes, the words slant far towards the right. The slant in the words is significant because it suggests that when Whitman wrote, he was always in a rush when writing his poetry. This quickness in writing could explain why the script within his notebook is illegible. In addition to his script, many words and phrase are scratched out by quick, jagged lines and replaced by new words. This quick replacement of words suggests that Whitman is writing his poems in that moment, and that he does not plan or outline beforehand. Whitman wants to illustrate the images that he sees in his head onto paper efficiently, and so he crosses out words quickly. Additionally, Whitman’s messy handwriting and scratched out words suggest that in the beginning, Whitman did not intend to sell his poetry. He intended to keep his poetry for himself and therefore there would be no need to write clearly for others to see and comprehend the poems.

I also noticed that the last several pages of Whitman’s notebook contain various sketches. The sketches that stood out the most were the sketches of a man dressed in different costumes. The man’s face is the same all throughout, but the clothing and positioning of the man are what shows the contrast between the four sketches. Continuing on, the man looks similar to Whitman, and it appears as if Whitman was portraying himself in contrasting images. This shows that Whitman was very imaginative, and this characteristics further demonstrates Whitman’s role as a poet.

After looking through Whitman’s notebook a second time, with the help of NY Times, I realize now that Whitman was not writing a poem, nor did he sketch the drawings in the notebook. Instead, he imagined and created a conversation between Abraham Lincoln and himself. This imagination only emphasizes the fact that Whitman is very creative with his works. He had never met Lincoln, yet he could create an entire dialogue between himself and the former president. Another significance of this conversation is that Whitman expresses his wish for universal brotherhood throughout the conversation. He wishes for unification between citizens and religion. Altogether, Whitman is a very imaginative individual who uses his creativity to explore the theme of universal brotherhood throughout his poetry.

The American Dream

My definition of the American Dream is the ability of having endless amounts of opportunity. This definition is what motivates people of other countries to immigrate to the United States. These immigrants believe that in the United States, each individual has the same advantage of achieving success as the next person, and that each individual lives in a large suburban house with a white picket fence.

I know that this definition is true for many of my family members in Guinea, West Africa. They all believe that once someone moves to the United States from Guinea, they will automatically become successful and wealthy. Thus, the main purpose behind immigrating to the U.S.

However, I think that this definition of the American Dream is becoming clouded by an image of materialism. Similar to the characters and setting of The Great Gatsby, Americans are always perceived as selfish individuals that only care about money and purchasing the most expensive materials and showing them off. This selfish, materialistic image is shown in our TV shows -- reality TV like Love & Hip-Hop and Keeping Up With the Kardashians -- and in our music -- like mainstream rap music. Now, I think that people see the American Dream only as earning endless amounts of money, and being materialistic and superficial.

This now brings up the question, What is wealth? I normally see wealth as having a large fortune, owning a mansion, and having multiple luxury cars. This perception of wealth is influenced by what I see in the media. Most of the individuals who are named the wealthiest people usually fit the criteria that I listed above. Again, this definition emphasizes the image of materialism that is constantly presented in our current society and media.

In addition to that, this constant portrayal of materialism and wealth is unhealthy on society. When people are always shown images and videos of wealthy individuals flaunting their money and expensive materials, they start to believe that they have to be like those wealthy individuals. This might sound positive because now, people will work hard to take advantage of their opportunities and gain success. But I actually think this is more negative than positive. They are not trying to achieve success; they are conforming to what society portrays as the ideal American Dream. And they only want money (though, wanting money isn't always a bad thing...).

Another aspect that is brought up is that wealthy individuals are presented as the ideal, while impoverished individuals are looked down on. Money affects one's status in society, and so those with little to no money are at the bottom of the social ladder, while wealthy individuals are at the top. Personally, I don't want to have a low status in society. I would rather be towards the top, like everyone else.

The American Dream has transformed into a dream that is focused on money and materialism rather than opportunity. This image of materialism is continuously emphasized in American media, and therefore most people, including myself, want to conform to the ideal American Dream. However, this emphasis on money and materialism can create a superficial image of Americans rather than an advantageous image.

Blog Post #12: Freebie

Practice IOC

**The videos look broken, but I swear they're not lol, just click the play button and you'll hear my amazing voice**

Criterion A: I gave myself a 5 because I identified the basic context of the passage and author. I did not, however, identity any context of what was occurring in the time period in which The Handmaid's Tale was published in.

Criterion B: I gave myself a 4 because I talked about the effect of the literary techniques on the passage and the meaning, but I did not relate the effect to the reader.

Criterion C: I gave myself a 3 because my IOC was organized well enough to be mostly coherent, but I think that I could have done a better job of organizing the way I introduced each technique and how I described the passage as a whole.

Criterion D: I gave myself a 3 because my language was good, but it wasn't really elevated. I used sentence structure and tone to analyze the effect as well, but I could have gone more in-depth in my analysis.

Never Let Me Go Book Covers

The four covers of Never Let Me Go are similar in that each cover portrays a sense of solitude.

In the first cover, solitude is presented with the blonde woman sitting alone in a forest. Her head is turned to her left and she is staring intently at the ground. It seems like she is remembering past memories which is similar to the main character of the novel, Kathy.

The second cover has a blurry image of a woman. The woman appears to be dancing by herself, which could be why the image of the woman appears blurry. The third cover presents solitude in nature. There is one boat on an empty lake. Also, the muted, neutral colors used further emphasize solitude. The final book cover shows the torso of a human body and a faded picture of trees in the background.

One difference that stands out is that each of the covers uses different colors to create contrasting moods. For example, vibrant colors such as blue and yellow are used on the second book cover and those colors signify joy and youth, while a poignant mood is created from the dark blues used in the last cover.

This cover seems to present Kathy’s perspective in the novel. Never Let Me Go is written in Kathy’s point of view, and throughout most of the novel, she is remembering past memories of Hailsham, the Cottages, and her life as a carer. This cover shows a young woman sitting alone in the forest, and like Kathy, she appears to be deep in thought and remembering past memories.

This cover illustrates the reality of the clones at Hailsham. In the text, Miss Lucy is one of the few guardians that disagree with the way Hailsham is run. In fact, she continuously tells the students the truth about who they really are. An example of this is when Miss Lucy tells the students that they are “special. So keeping yourselves well, keeping yourselves very healthy inside, that's much more important for each of you than it is for me” (Ishiguro 68-69). Miss Lucy emphasizes the importance of good health for the clones because once they graduate from the Cottages, they become donors. The students are not completely aware that becoming donors is their only fate, however with Miss Lucy’s statement, they are given a glimpse of their reality as clones.

Can I Live??

This TED talk is by the author Isabel Allende. She is recounting her feelings about aging, and what it means to live life fully, every day. Allende emphasizes that it is critical to say “yes to life” and to “stay in love” (Allende). In the beginning of the Talk, she starts off by questioning how we know that we are aging, and then she begins telling the audience of what she has lost and gained in the past decade. After a funny video of a child mediating, Allende then begins describing that internally, she feels desirable, but because she is 71 years old, society does not see her true feelings. She also brings in examples of other older women who feel as she does. Finally, she tells the audience of how she lives her life enthusiastically and passionately, despite being an older person.

In order to emphasize her feelings, Allende mostly uses pathos. When she lists off that she has lost “people…places, and the boundless energy of [her] youth” in the past decade, she ends by stating that she is “beginning to lost independence, and that scares [her]” (Allende). Many individuals in the audience can relate to this because losing people, whether it is by ending relationships or someone passing away, is inevitable in life. Losing a place (whether it is tangible like a home, or in tangible like one’s status in society) is also relatable because as humans, we are always striving to achieve a higher goal. With this ambition, it is certain that we could achieve and be in a better place, or we could lose and end up in a low, negative place. Losing youthfulness is also inevitable as we age and become more dependent on others. This use of pathos allows for the audience to relate deeply with Allende’s loss of people, places, and energy because loss is inevitable as humans age.

One thing that I enjoyed most about watching this TED talk was Allende’s emphasis on living life passionately. I have always been a strong believer in the phrase “live life to the fullest extent,” and Allende’s want to live passionately is very similar to the phrase. To me, this phrase means that every day, you should live your life fully because you never know when you are going to die. I try to live my live fully, but I do not think that I have been succeeding. Instead of living a full life without any care for other’s opinion, I conform to society’s standards. In order to live life passionately and fully, you should not have to conform.

Freebie (Blog post 8)

Lady Macbeth's TV Recs

** Caution: This blog post contains crazy amounts of spoilers **

1. Scandal

Scandal follows the chaos that Washington DC based crisis manager, Olivia Pope, encounters on a daily basis. From scheming senators to blackmailing authors, Olivia Pope has dealt and fixed all of the mess that she is forced to handle. And on top of dealing with her highly publicized clients, she's also having an affair with the President of the United States and, most of the time, gives him advice on how to run his country. Like Olivia Pope, Lady Macbeth knows how to handle hectic issues. This is why she easily convinces her husband, Macbeth, to kill Duncan in order to become king. She knows that the easiest method for Macbeth to gain power is by killing the current king. Once Macbeth becomes king, Lady Macbeth believes that she will also enjoy the power that her husband is "granted."

2. How to Get Away With Murder

Criminal defense attorney and professor of defense law, Annalise Keating, is incredibly charismatic and conniving. No matter what the situation is, Annalise knows how to get things settled; even if she has to take the immoral route. Her top five students in her law class know that personally since she is protecting them after they killed her spiteful husband, Sam. Lady Macbeth would definitely recommend HTGAWM to anyone who is in need of learning how to get away with murder. Besides learning ways to complete a crime and not be charged with it, viewers will also learn the repercussions of using uncommon methods in order to achieve success (or in this case, murder). After all, Lady Macbeth was the one who described how she would kill someone if meant earning power...

3. The Originals

In the Originals, Klaus Mikaelson, a powerful vampire-werewolf hybrid, is one of the three original vampires - the most powerful vampires in history. All three of the siblings, Klaus, Elijah, and Rebekkah, have returned to New Orleans, the city that they created, only to find that Marcel, Klaus' former protege, is the self-proclaimed King. As well as this, Klaus learns that he will become father to a hybrid like himself. In order to control the city once more, Klaus and Elijah join forces with the witches who have been exiled in the French Quarter. Klaus' want for power is similar to Lady Macbeth's need for power. However, since she is a woman, she cannot gain this power that she wishes to have. In spite of that fact, Lady Macbeth would recommend this show for anyone who desires power like she does.

4. Revenge

Emily/Amanda Thorpe has returned to the Hamptons to avenge the wrongful imprisonment and death of her father. After finding evidence that concludes her father was framed, she plans her detailed and thought-out schemes of vengeance. In the beginning, it seems that she does not care who she hurts, but after growing ties with some of the people that will be hurt by her revenge plans, she feels "so broken." This is similar to Lady Macbeth who, in the beginning of the play, is power-hungry, and disregards the consequences of killing in order to achieve a purpose. Towards the end, Lady Macbeth is consumed with guilt for all that has happened because of the prophecy and her influence on Macbeth. Lady M would definitely recommend this show as a lesson for those who do not think of repercussions in the beginning of a plan.

The Pros and Cons of Being Evil

(sunnystrasburg.com)

People who, at first, are not considered evil are usually coaxed into earning a high reward before they take the first steps into becoming evil. A high reward can be anything that will give an individual a greater status than their previous one. From money to prestige to ultimate power, these types of rewards are guarantees, and they can either be tangible or intangible. Money, for example, is tangible while power is shown through a commanding presence or tone, making it intangible. However, it takes strong convincing and persuasion to turn someone wholesome into a corrupt and evil individual.

In the play Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, this type of persuasion is seen in Act I with the prophecy told by the three witches. The prophecy that is told first shows Macbeth becoming a thane before becoming king, then shows Banquo’s offspring gaining the crown. The prophecy is told to both Macbeth and his colleague Banquo, and the witches start by chanting, “All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, thane of Glamis…All hail, Macbeth! that shalt be king hereafter” (Macbeth, 1.3). The third witch at the end of the chant states, “Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none / So all hail, Macbeth and Banquo” (Macbeth, 1.3).

The witches’ prophecy is an important example of strong convincing. After this prophecy, Macbeth’s head suddenly becomes filled with the need to become king while Banquo seems to just accept the prophecy. Macbeth’s need is then increased with Lady Macbeth’s plot to kill King Duncan so Macbeth can further his goal of gaining the crown. Lady Macbeth states that Macbeth must appear “like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under’t” in order to kill Duncan so he can become king (Macbeth, 1.5). Macbeth ultimately follows through with Lady Macbeth’s plan, and in Act III, Macbeth is crowned king. However, also in this Act III, Banquo is murdered by murderers hired by Macbeth.

The prophecy told by the witches never stated that Banquo needed to be killed in order for Macbeth to be crowned. The persuasion from the witches, guarantee of the crown, influence of Lady Macbeth, and Macbeth’s own sudden need for power are what causes Macbeth to order Banquo to be killed. His morals seem to have disappeared after he accepts his fate and agrees to kill King Duncan. Altogether, Macbeth has shifted into an evil individual whose own need for power has forced him to disregard his morals and commit heinous crimes.

Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. Hauppauge: Barron's Educational Series, 1985. Print.

**Happy Birthday Mrs. Genesky!**

Art in Thirteenth Century England (ft. My Sketch)

  

Enthroned Virgin and Child                                                                                     My Version

ca. 1300 England                                                                                        ca. 2015 United States

Elephant ivory, 10 3/4 x 5 5/16 x 3 3/4 in.                                             Sketchbook paper, 9 x 112 in.                 

The Enthroned Virgin and Child was created in thirteenth century England, a century that was met with conflict and political growth. The loss of Normandy to France in 1204 and the Barons' War in 1258 were among some of the dark conflict seen in England during this time. However, Edward I's establishment of English influence over the Scots in the late 1200s showed a growth in England's political and cultural reign in Northern Europe (Holtei).

Religion was also another important aspect in thirteenth century England. Many believed that Christianity could help solve the negativity and fraudulence that filled the world. In this case, Christianity was seen as a positive and helpful source that could possibly quell the world's problems. During this time, there was also a shift from worshiping at the church to more personal worship and devotion (Metropolitan Museum of Art). Though many still attended church, statuettes such as the Enthroned Virgin and Child were very popular uses of personal devotion to the Virgin Mary. However, the Enthroned Virgin and Child is one of only a few surviving pieces of artwork from thirteenth century England.

The focal point of this entire piece is the Virgin Mary. She is the most important part of the piece because during this time, English followers would worship to the Virgin as a way to show devotion to Christianity (Metropolitan Museum of Art). This Virgin Mary is carved out of elephant ivory, a shiny piece of material that is normally a natural beige color. But due to how long this statue has survived, the ivory has darkened into a reddish-brown color. In certain areas where light hits the statuette, the light seems to be brighten the ivory, making it seem as if those areas are glowing. The Virgin's eyes are downcast, and it appears that she is staring at the empty space on her lap where infant Christ would normally be resting (Metropolitan Museum of Art). The statuette's posture is relaxed, evoking a sense of tenderness that helps compliment the tranquil and solemn expression on the Virgin's face.

The unknown artist was very meticulous in choosing a tranquil expression and a relaxed posture to present the Virgin. I think the use of tenderness and calmness to create the Virgin helps to personify a gentle creature, which is what the Virgin Mary embodies.

Sources

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/1979.402

http://user.phil-fak.uni-duesseldorf.de/~holteir/companion/Navigation/History/The_13th_Century/the_13th_century.html

http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Italian_Studies/dweb/religion/culture/background.php

All You Can Eat Pancakes @ IHOP

IHop, 2012, http://www.brandeating.com/2012_12_01_archive.html

So when I first look at this advertisement, the stacked pancakes dripping with syrup catches my attention almost immediately (though, that shouldn't have been a big surprise- pancakes should catch everyone's attention). The photo is closely zoomed in on the pancakes, allowing the photo of the breakfast meal to be the primary focus of the advertisement. Unsurprisingly, the phrase in large, blue letters, "Slather. Pour. Eat. Repeat" is placed before the image of the pancakes, and above the eye-catching phrase, the words, "All you can eat pancakes are back!" completely pulls me in. The heart placed at the bottom of the ad signifies the importance of breakfast, but most importantly, the importance of eating breakfast at IHOP.

Is this really an all you can eat buffet?

As I look deeper into this advertisement, I find many representations of the sin gluttony. The first representation that stands out the most, is the phrase, "Slather. Pour. Eat. Repeat." This phrase is essentially compelling it's audience of working, low to middle class families to continuously eat the pancakes at IHOP. Since the pancakes are "all you can eat," it is easy for the audience to be persuaded into overeating the pancakes because it seems like the pancakes are endless. However, that is not the case. Another representation of gluttony is the zoomed-in emphasis of the pancakes slathered in syrup in the background. The pancakes are stacked upon each other and the photo takes up a majority of the advertisement, making the pancakes a center focus in the ad. This extreme emphasis on the pancakes is another example of the gluttony presented in the advertisement.

"All you can eat" is a common phrase used in food advertisements; this phrase is especially used by fast food restaurants and buffets. In order to grab the attention of their intended audience of working low to middle class families, a simple phrase such as "all you can eat" must be presented in order to persuade the audience to eat at the restaurant. "All you can eat" symbolizes how simple it is to eat fast food rather than preparing a home-cooked meal. At fast food restaurants, the low to middle class audience can easily and quickly order their dinner after a long, tiring day at work. The low to middle class audience may not be the most educated about health, or, since most families in lower classes work minimum wage jobs, they might not want to buy healthy food at the grocery store because it is much more expensive compared to fast food. Furthermore, the use of language such as the "all you can eat" phrase is a tool that is used to persuade low to middle class families to continuously eat unhealthy at fast food restaurants.

Uncommon Names & Individuality

my name looks so fancy in runes

Oumoul Kirami comes from a verse in the Quran that my grandmother has at her home in Guinea, Africa. I was also named after my aunt who was a very successful business woman in Guinea, so with her importance in Guinea, there is this expectation that I must be as successful as she was since we shared the same exact name (no pressure). I think that my name strongly defines me as a person. (sidenote: one of the things that I love most about having a name that is uncommon is the red line that appears under it in Word).

Fun fact: Girls that have Oumoul as their first name are never called Oumoul; they always go by their middle name, or the name that is attached to Oumoul.

My name is a clear indication of my ethnicity, religion, and identity. Hardly anyone that I know has that same exact name as mine, and I feel that this almost sets me apart from the majority of people. However, I am not sure whether this is good or bad. In some cases, being different from the majority can be a good thing. That difference, whatever it may be, makes you this unique individual that no one else can try to be. But this difference can also be the reason why people look at you in a way that makes you feel inferior and insignificant because you are not a part of the majority. This difference can also lead to exclusion because some may believe that you are not the same as them.

An Individual That is Also a Part of a Larger Whole?

The individual me that is seen at school is very different from the Kirami that is at home among her family. The reason for this is because of how comfortable I am around certain people. Since I have been around my family for seventeen years, I am extremely comfortable with being myself and saying what is on my mind when I am with them. There is not much judgement, and I am free to be who I am. However, when I am at school, I am mostly comfortable with my peers, and I tend to overthink and stay quiet during class discussions. The two "me's" do not really clash; depending on the situation, it is a normal transition from the real me to the individual me.

"Othering" in The Handmaid's Tale & The University Avenue Project

Wing Young Huie, 2007-2010, http://photos.wingyounghuie.com/p929219206/h653276ad#h6b00ac63

When I first saw this image, the first thing that I noticed was the black chalkboard with the statement, "Race is an unfair tool by which to measure a person's character" (Young Huie). Next, I noticed that the man holding the chalkboard is black, and that the image is black and white. The store in the background is locked, maybe it's not open for business, and it looks like the store might be a thrift shop. As I thought about this image, the statement on the chalkboard stood out to me. Depending on someone's race, when people first meet or see someone, they are usually stereotyped, and most of the time these stereotypes are negative and do not reflect a person's true personality. It is very possible that the man in the image has been unfairly treated due to his race, and people have misjudged his character because of their faulty stereotypes.

Margaret Atwood and Wing Young Huie both present the concept of "othering" through the use of language. In The Handmaid's Tale, the group of people that are presented as different from the Handmaid's are the Unwomen. The Unwomen in the novel are infertile women that have been banished to the Colonies, while the Handmaid's are fertile women that live in Gilead and are used for reproduction purposes (Atwood 61). To create a separation from the Handmaid's and the Unwomen, Atwood uses "infertile" in order to describe the Unwomen. Wing Young Huie, however, uses language in order to present the concept of stereotyping. The statement on the chalkboard states that "race is an unfair tool by which to measure a person's character" (Young Huie). The words "race" and "tool" represent symbols that differentiate one person from the other; because of someone's race, they are seen differently than others, thus creating stereotypes. Both author's incorporate language in order to represent "othering," however Atwood uses language to describe a group of people while Young Huie uses language to present a concept of stereotyping.

Atwood, Margaret. The Handmaid's Tale. Boston: Houghton, 1986. Print.

L'Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysees, and the Eiffel Tower [Paris Part Two]

L'Arc de Triomphe + Champs Elysees:

It was a pretty foggy day when we went to the Arc and walked down the Champs Elysees (we walked down the famous street three times!). It probably wasn't the best time to take pictures, but I liked the way the images came out. It's all kinda mysterious and gothic, lol.

Mr. Jones photobombin'

We walked up all of these stairs. It was torturous

The view

The Eiffel Tower in the background!

L'Arc de Triomphe at night!

It's glowing!

The Eiffel Tower (in many different distances):

Fam Squad!

All deez angles

From the deuxieme etage

Napoleon's tomb place (we went there as well) is right there in the middle, with the gold rooftop

So pretty...

I'm obviously a top model

From the troisieme etage

I have a bunch of miscellaneous pictures from Paris that I'll post in one big blog post. I'll do the same for my random ones in Montauban too (:

A bientot!