Memories

I have created three flipagrams for this blog post, all with pictures with Millbrook friends.

The first flipagram is compiled of pictures from my freshman and sophomore years of high school. These years are combined because I didn’t have enough pictures from each year individually. Although these pictures are definitely cringe-worthy, or include pictures of people that I am no longer close with, I tried to select pictures that were representative of those years. These years were formative for my entire high school experience. It was then that I met or became closer to most of the people who are my best friends now. To use the prompt you gave us, it was… unchallenging. I didn’t have as many stressors as I do now, and I generally had fun doing things with my friends. I chose this song, “Pompeii” by Bastille, because it was a hit of 2014 and pretty nostalgic when coupled with the slideshow of pictures. And can we all just appreciate how tiny Ian was and how much he’s glow’d up??

This next flipagram is compiled of pictures from my junior year. All of these pictures reminded me of some great experiences that I’ve had. I couldn’t help but smile when I watched it. Junior year was the beginning of the illustrious IB Diploma Program, hence the selection of the song “Fight Song” by Rachel Platten, which was a hit last year. Looking back at the entire IB experience, I am extremely happy that I made the decision to join, I would do it again in a heartbeat. Although it’s been challenging, the community is something I am extremely grateful for. As a whole, junior year, in a word, was… eye-opening.

Creating this last flipagram was sad for me because it is a reminder that I am nearing the end of my high school career. I chose a slower song, “River” by Leon Bridges, which is one of my favorite songs of all time but also kinda sad, which is representative of this past year. Senior year has been good and bad, but mostly good. This has also been the busiest year I’ve had in high school, both in and outside of the classroom. Although it’s been the hardest, senior year has definitely been the best year of my schooling career so far. There is no one word that I would use to describe this year. It was… challenging, tiring, amusing, action-packed, and sweet.

This entire blog post has forced me to be very nostalgic about my time at Millbrook. I love this school and I will be sad to leave it and its people.

Inside the Mind of Walt Whitman

Part 1:

When looking through Whitman’s notebook, I immediately notice that there is little organization. Besides the page breaks between thoughts, everything seems to have no order to it. This most likely means that Whitman used this notebook wherever and whenever to write down a thought exactly when he had it. This connects to a theme that Whitman displays throughout his poems: experience is more valuable than formalized learning. He probably thought of his best ideas while out in the world experiencing things. I noticed that there was a red stamp in multiple spots on the notebook, both in the writing section and in the drawings section. I am not sure what this stamp means but it most likely has significance to Whitman because he used it many times. Many times Whitman writes down ideas or actually writes out poems. He wrote down the idea “two characters as a dialogue between A. Lincoln and” Walt Whitman. This is significant because it shows the affection that he has for Lincoln and the importance that Lincoln had on Whitman’s poetry pieces after Whitman saw him for the first time. The notebook also includes many crossed out words, which shows that he filtered his thoughts and what he decided to put into his poems.

It also included words such as “philosophy, religion, questioning, [and] reasons”. Later he inscribes a poem idea called Ship of Libertad. It goes, “Ship of the world- ship of Humanity- Ship of the ages ?(ship that circuits the world  ship of the hope of the world- Ship of Promise”. Whitman thought a lot about humanity and what that meant, including how to connect to his reader. He also used dashed, parenthesis, and capitalization to convey his thoughts like he does in Leaves of Grass. In his notebook, he uses second person, which is interesting because I assumed that this was a personal notebook. Lastly, there are multiple drawings in the notebook, all depicting a version of a man. The first three are clearly of the same man, altered in some way. The second drawing was significant to me because the character had his hand stretched out, which might signify the relationship that Whitman wanted to make with his readers and all humans.

Part 2:

After looking at the notes, some details come into focus. Firstly, I learned that Lincoln and Whitman never really met or had a relationship, but Whitman would often watch him pass to and from his summer cottage when he lived in D.C. Also, he had dreams of creating books and other literary works including a brochure for the imaginary dialogue between himself and Lincoln. I also learned about the importance of the word “religion” in his notebook. Whitman included the idea that he wanted to reconcile two religions, just like he wanted to reconcile the two political platforms surrounding the civil war. This was all in an attempt to unite instead of divide people. This could also be the reason for why he used the Spanish word “Libertad” instead of the English word liberty.

The poem about the ship was important for many reasons. He wrote about the captain of the ship, metaphorically representing the president-elect Abraham Lincoln, and how he would have to go through many hardships and storms just like the ship. He equated the storm that the ship went through to the Civil war, and the doom that Americans would face if they continued on this divisive path. In addition to using the ship to represent troubles of the nation, Whitman was experiencing personal troubles around this time. With the beginning of the war, his publishers went bankrupt. Lastly, the drawings depict Whitman himself, each displaying different characteristics about the man, drawn by other people.


Quotations: The New York Times. The New York Times, n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2017.
Image: "Walt Whitman." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 26 Mar. 2017. Web. 02 Apr. 2017.

The American Dream?

The American Dream is the idea that every American has the ability to achieve and prosper no matter their circumstances if they employ work hard and dedication. It is founded on the basis of democracy and equal opportunity. The U.S. is theoretically a nation that has social class mobility, therefore any person, no matter what social class they were born into, can progress themselves and achieve whatever they set their mind to. While the idea is lovely and wonderful, the reality is a much different story. There are many studies that suggest people will most likely remain in the same social class into which they were born. As a result, the American Dream is just that, a dream, for many people.

I would define wealth as the amount of money one owns. Having immense wealth means having enough money to support all of your needs and some or most of your wants. Wealth is monetary security. Those with tremendous wealth mostly live without the fear that an emergency would bankrupt them. The wealthy live with a certain kind of comfort. There are different origins of wealth, however. As evident in The Great Gatsby, there is “old” money and “new” money. “Old” money is familial wealth that usually increases with age because of interest and investments. Examples would be the Mars family and the Du Pont family. “New” money is when a person becomes wealthy themselves. Examples would be people like Viola Davis and Mark Zuckerberg.

Americans range drastically in wealth. The U.S. is split up into 6 socioeconomic classes: Capitalist, Upper Middle, Middle, Working class, Working poor, and the Underclass (1). The majority of Americans are in the Middle and Working classes, totaling 60% of the population. 13% are in the working poor class, 12% are in the underclass, 14% in the upper middle, and 1% reside within the capitalist class. I would define the working poor and the underclass as living in poverty. The average American, someone from the middle class, most likely was born into the middle class and probably has experienced financial insecurity but never legitimate poverty. This average American probably grew up hearing the message that he/she can do whatever he/she wants to do when he/she grows up. This average American probably believes in the American Dream because there are very public examples of its success (ex. Jay-Z, Oprah, Ursula Burns, etc.). Alright, maybe this average American has resolved that he/she is not going to be some famous, wealthy celebrity, but certainly believes that he/she can get a respectable job and education and maybe they aim for the white picket fence type of American Dream. The average American probably sees extreme wealth as unachievable but believes that a comfortable amount of wealth is conceivable.

As for poverty, I would probably say that the average middle class American does not fully understand the severity and the extent of poverty in the U.S., depending on where they live. Also, I would say that many Americans reserve adjectives such as disgusting, lazy, dumb for those who are struck by poverty. Because the majority of Americans have not experienced poverty for themselves, they don’t fully understand it.

Similarly to the average American, I myself have never experienced poverty. However, because of my privilege, I have been able to travel on mission trips where I encountered those living in poverty within and without the U.S. I’ve seen extreme poverty in St.Mary, Jamaica, Pine Ridge, South Dakota, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and right here in Raleigh. My opinion on poverty, especially within the U.S., is that it’s a vicious cycle and difficult to escape. Those who are born into families that have more money simply have better opportunities to succeed. I also think that education has direct effect on poverty and wealth. In my research for my extended essay, I discovered that women who received a significant amount of education in Pakistan had much higher chances of not getting caught in poverty which sometimes resulted in human trafficking. Overall, wealth and poverty are both controversial topics that I am interested in learning more about.

1. Ferraro, Gary, and Susan Andreatta. Cultural Anthropology: An Applied Perspective. 9th ed. Belmont: Wadsworth, n.d. Print.

Picture: https://ourfuture.org/20110419/the_american_dream_deferred_pt_2

Freebie

Freebie

IOC Practice

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5hAth47i1NIenhWZ3JpVDZuM0k/view?usp=sharing

Scoring:

Criterion A:

6, It is evident that I am knowledgeable about the text, but some points are not explained thoroughly and lack evidence within the novel. Also, some of the points are unorganized, which creates confusion about the novel.

Criterion B:

7, There is good awareness of the literary features used in the passage, but the significance could have been more in depth. Each literary feature includes examples and explanations.

Criterion C:

4, There was good organization of the whole commentary. It included an introduction, thesis, 3 main points with explanation, and conclusion. Within the explanations, there was organization with a general overview of the literary device, examples, and significance. However, some points seemed to be out of place.

Criterion D:

3, Appropriate language is used, with an adequate degree of accuracy and grammar. Some of my pauses and mistakes hinder the understanding of the commentary. The literary devices could have been more detailed. For example, I just used dialogue, point of view, and chronology without a descriptor attached to each.

Don't Judge a Book by Its Cover, or Should We??

The first and second covers are both bright while the third and fourth covers are darker. The first cover and second cover also both have a girl on the cover. The fourth cover has what looks to be a human with some organs outlined. The first and second cover are intended to portray Kathy and her friends as humans, while the fourth cover more defines them as the whole of their parts, not simply a human. I think the intended purpose of the first cover is just to characterize the main character, Kathy, and give a face to the name so that the reader feels more connected to her as a human. The second cover has a similar purpose: the girl dancing makes her seem very human and innocent, which makes the reader sympathize with her. The purpose of the second cover is to show a desolate land that represents the dystopia in the novel. There is obviously something wrong in this landscape, and it is a dark and sickly color. Cover four is intended to show the purpose of Kathy and her friends, to be organ donors. The cover is very dark and scary-looking. I think this is to set the mood for the novel.

Cover 4:

(https://www.behance.net/gallery/1613117/Never-Let-Me-Go-(book-cover))

The first words that come to mind are organs, autopsy, dead, harsh, and wicked. It’s obvious that the figure on the cover is human, but with very negative connotations. The head and arms are cut off, which makes the figure look like a gory murder victim. If I hadn’t read any of the novel, I honestly would probably stay away from it. This cover makes the book look like it belongs in the horror genre. Now that I’ve read some of the novel, the cover seems very fitting. I think that the barbed wire and faded bars around the body signifies the inescapable life that has been set out for Kathy and the other clones. They have been created to donate organs, which is represented through the distorted drawing of organs on the body. I think that the rest of the body is not shown/cut off because it is useless to the society. They only need the clones’ vital organs, and any other part of their bodies have no use in their society. The viewpoint of this cover is from the people who decided to create clones for use by regular people. As stated earlier, the only purpose for these beings is to take their organs. The creators of the clones will not see the intellectual capital or emotional capacity of the clones. The people who would read this probably are interested in the science fiction genre, because the figure on the cover resembles a human but there is obviously something out of order. I think the cover is very fitting for the plot of the book, however the book portrays a much darker mood than what I have read so far. So far, it’s evident that this is a dystopia, but the day to day lives of the clones are not bad at all, not anything like what you would expect from looking at the cover. The cover makes them seem like slaves who are suffering, which may surface later on in the novel.

Cover 2:

(http://www.patricktreardon.com/book-review-never-let-me-go-by-kazuo-ishiguro/)

The first words that come to mind when I look at this cover are dancing, child, playful, and light. The cover is most likely displaying the scene in the book where Kathy is dancing with her pillow to the cassette tape she has. If I hadn’t read any of the book, I would think that the book might be about a young girl and her life. The bright colors on the book make it look like it would have a light tone. Now that I’ve read part of the book, I understand the context of this cover. Kathy is being portrayed here, and it is most likely from the viewpoint of Madame. When Kathy is dancing to the cassette tape, Madame sees her and starts crying. I think that this was because she was sad that Kathy will never have the life of a normal human. So while the cover makes her look like a happy, healthy young girl, we know that Kathy is actually a clone who has a very dark and devastating life ahead of her. The cover does remind me of the ignorance of the clones in the book. It seems to be that they don’t even know that their life is a sad one. They are aware of their job in the society, but don’t know what makes them so different than everyone else. The cover signifies the ignorance within the book. I do think the cover is misleading if you don’t know anything about the plot. It definitely doesn’t look like a science fiction book.

The Grey Area

https://www.ted.com/talks/jon_ronson_strange_answers_to_the_psychopath_test#t-1046118

This talk was about psychopathy and whether it’s appropriate to diagnose someone based on a checklist. Jon Ronson, the speaker, told about his encounter with a man named Tony. Tony committed assault then faked madness to get out of serving his sentence. Instead, he was sent to Broadmoor, a mental hospital that houses those with mental disabilities that cause them to kill and rape and commit other serious crimes. When speaking to Tony’s clinician, he discovered that they have accepted that Tony faked his mental disorder but as a result they have diagnosed him with psychopathy. This then interested Jon in what qualifies someone to be a psychopath. He discovered the checklist, and learned that about 1 in 100 people are psychopaths. Tony spend 14 years total in Broadmoor, the whole time trying to convince them that he was sane. He said the doctors there just looked for ways to prove his madness. For example, the said he was aloof and grandiose because he tended to stay in his room and not mingle with the other patients. They basically took every chance they could to check off another item on the psychopathy checklist. Ronson then decided to become more educated in psychopathy and eventually dubbed himself a ‘psychopath spotter’. He learned that the number of psychopaths rises among CEOs and business leaders. The reason behind this is that capitalism encourages psychopathy by rewarding things such as lack of empathy, glibness, and a cunning and manipulative behavior. Ronson decided to interview an asset stripper from the 90s named Al Dunlap, known for reducing some businesses’ workforces by more than 30% in some cases. He observed that Dunlap fit only some characteristics of psychopathy. He concluded with saying that we live in a world that loves to put people in boxes, loves to check the boxes on the checklist. Ronson saw that everything isn’t black and white, the grey area is where you find the complexity, like Tony and Al.

This TED talk was interesting because the speaker utilized visual and auditory aid to tell his story. There were drawings on the screen behind him that went along with his narrative. Also, there were sounds that highlighted important points in the story. He explained his authority on the subject by stating that he took a psychopath spotting course created by Robert Hare, the maker of the checklist. He researched this topic for two years and has written multiple books on mental disorders.

Ronson used two big examples to support his argument. He walked through the story of Tony, a patient in the Broadmoor institution, and Al, a former capitalist king. What he uncovered is that it is not easy to name someone a complete psychopath. He called Tony a “semi-psychopath”. It was interesting that he led with a personal experience. He said that he flipped through a copy of the DSM in a friend’s house and found that he had 12 mental disorders. He uses comedy like this throughout multiple points in the narrative. His argument was easy to follow. He may have a bias on the subject because he is also a journalist. He stated that because of this, he was able to notice that he was sometimes only using the information that he wanted for the book he was writing. This is what led him to the epiphany that eventually became his argument.

Ronson used visual and auditory aspects to evoke emotions from the audience. Also, his story was personal, and he let the audience hear what his thoughts were throughout the entire process. Using personal experience to evoke emotion was effective in his case. For example, the mental disorders that he diagnosed himself with from the DSM were all very relatable: generalized anxiety disorder, nightmare disorder, malingering, and parent-child relational problems. Another example he used pulled at the heart-strings of the audience. He said that we’re so eager to diagnose mental disorders these days that there are cases of children as young as 4 being diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Appealing to emotion was very effective in this talk.

Ultimately, the purpose of his talk was to convince the audience that mental disorders are not black and white. Each case is special and different. I chose to write about this TED talk because I have watched it before and I thought it was very interesting how he conveyed his information. I originally chose to watch this because, just as Ronson stated, we love to discover what’s wrong with us. I recently watched a Brain Games episode in which they gave you a mini test to discover if you were a psychopath or not. This then increased my interest on the subject of mental disorders which led me to watch this talk. Also, we’ve been studying human nature in class with Jekyll and Hyde. Ronson and Stevenson actually support the same idea, it’s impossible to be exclusively one thing or another (good vs. evil, normal vs. psychopath). I find it to be very true that we, as a society, tend to categorize people in multiple ways. Ronson really challenged the validity behind that. Overall I thought this talk was very interesting and challenged my thinking on the subject.

Identity Crisis

In chapter 2, Mr.Hyde is characterized through his conversation with Mr.Utterson. He responds to Mr.Utterson’s call with “a hissing intake of the breath”(Stevenson 9). This action makes Mr.Hyde seem animalistic. His appearance is not described by the narrator, adding to the mystery of who Mr.Hyde is. Mr.Hyde’s tone was guarded and skeptical of Mr.Utterson. He says, “He never told you...I did not think you would have lied” (Stevenson 10). Mr.Hyde is unfriendly and unwelcoming. Mr.Utterson reacts to this by saying “this is not fitting language” (10). While Mr.Utterson is appearing to be friendly and harmless, he is also guarded and skeptical like Mr.Hyde. He does not trust him and believes he has the wrong intentions.

Conversely, Dr.Jekyll does have a description in chapter 3: “a large, well-made, smooth-faced man of fifty, with something of a slyish cast perhaps, but every mark of capacity and kindness” (Stevenson 12). This description gives the reader a fond image of Dr.Jekyll. He seems to be the opposite of Mr.Hyde, who is scary and untrustworthy. Mr.Utterson’s interaction with Mr.Hyde is similar to that with Dr.Jekyll. Mr.Utterson said to Dr.Jekyll, “You know that will of yours?” (Stevenson 12). Mr.Utterson is not afraid to ask the uncomfortable question. Just like he asked Mr.Hyde to uncover his face, he asked Mr.Jekyll to discuss the will. He recognizes that both of these men are suspicious.

Poem:
The purpose of this poem is to show the characterization of Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde. It is intended to show the conflict in power between the two identities.

Sources:
http://s2.quickmeme.com/img/d6/d6cb40ad18b51c48017f8eadf511c48a6a4a25334e0905a4e8b028fdeb0e05a3.jpg
Stevenson, Robert Louis. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Other Stories. Pleasantville, NY: Reader's Digest Association, 1991. Print.

Netflix and Kill

Miss Representation

This is a documentary about how women are typically portrayed in the media. It shows multiple examples of how the power that a woman has is in her beauty, youth, and sexuality; not in her ability to be a leader. It also explores the implications of this, citing many facts about how women are underrepresented in leadership roles in the government, large corporations, and other areas. I think that Lady Macbeth would watch this because she totally believes in #girlpower. She would think this is interesting because she has experienced the difference between what she is capable of and how she is portrayed to others. She would probably look to this film to get inspiration on how she is expected to act, which would be helpful to her because she is not what you would consider to be “normal”.

Making a Murderer

This is a documentary following Steven Avery, a man who was wrongly convicted of a crime that he spend 18 years in prison for. He then was put on trial for the murder of Teresa Halbach, whose remains were found on his property. The documentary goes through every step of the trial. I feel that Lady Macbeth would watch this because she is a murderer. She would be interested to see how Avery got away with the murder, if he did it. Avery blames the Manitowoc County sheriff’s department for the murder. He says that they framed him for this crime. Lady Macbeth probably watched this before the murder of Duncan and came up with the idea of blaming his guards for the murder.

Quantico

This show is about an FBI training program, specifically Alex Parrish. She is framed by one of her FBI trainee peers for a terrorist attack. The tv show uses flashbacks and flashforwards to tell the story. Lady Macbeth would watch this show because she enjoys adventure shows. She can relate. In the show, Alex does not know who she can trust. This is similar to how Lady Macbeth does not know if she can trust anyone by the end of the play. Her only confidant, Macbeth, has appeared to lose his mind. Lady Macbeth would be able to resonate with Alex Parrish because they both have to keep secrets in order to stay safe.

Brain games
This is a series that studies social phenomena and how your brain works. They often make the viewers participate in games then explain why you answered the way you did. Lady Macbeth would watch this show because she would be interested in how the human brain works in order to deceive others into thinking she did not plan Duncan’s murder and the overthrow of the government so that her and Macbeth would have power. We would now understand that she is deliberate about the decisions she makes to make people believe that she is innocent. She is asserting power not only over Macbeth but also the other people she comes in contact with.

Sources:
https://missrepresentationdenver.wordpress.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Making_a_Murderer
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantico_(TV_series)
http://brainblogger.com/2016/02/01/new-brain-games-exclusive-preview-times-square-mass-mind-reading/

Macbeth Turns Evil

1. Why do people who are not "evil" take the first step into evil? What, for instance, is involved in taking that first step "down the primrose path to the everlasting bonfire" (Macbeth, 2.3)? What are the consequences of the individual choosing evil (particularly the internal consequences)? Use examples from the text to support your opinion.

There are multiple reasons why someone may become evil. People who are not evil may take the first step into evil because they have a chance to obtain power; perhaps power that they have never experienced or more power than they already possess. Power can be deceiving and contort the minds of those who possess it. Evil can also come in many forms. Evil can be hidden or blatantly noticeable. Good people take the first step into evil because of things such as jealousy, pride, and greed.

Evil was first given legitimacy in Macbeth’s mind when he met the three witches. He later contemplates what they have said: “If good, why do I yield to that suggestion whose horrid image doth unfix my hair and make my seated heart knock at my ribs against the use of nature? Present fears are less than horrible imaginings. My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, shakes so my single state of man”. Macbeth, who was an upstanding and respected soldier, took his first step towards evil when he contemplated the prophecies presented by the three witches. In this passage, Macbeth is talking to himself about if he should believe what the witches said. He also knows that believing them will mean that Duncan has to die. The thought of murdering Duncan scares Macbeth, but it means that evil was then planted into Macbeth’s head. Power, the throne, is what Macbeth now wants.

Since Macbeth chose to fulfill the prophecy, there were multiple external consequences. Primarily, the death of Duncan, his guards, and Banquo. He first enlisted the help of Lady Macbeth to have the courage to do the deed: “Unsex me here; and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty. Make thick my blood”. Lady Macbeth was also a victim to evil. In this soliloquy, she cries out to evil spirits to give her the strength and masculinity to kill Duncan. Once Duncan and his guards are killed, Macbeth is racked with grief and regret. However, he tells Lady Macbeth that the prophecy is not yet fulfilled. The murder of Banquo and attempted murder of Fleance are what results in Macbeth’s evil next.

As the story progresses, we see Macbeth become less and less mentally stable. The burden of all he has done has begun to weigh on his mind. He has committed a lot of evil in order to fulfill the prophesy. At first, he is able to keep up appearances in order to hide his murders, but he begins to deteriorate after Banquo’s murder. At the dinner feast, Banquo appeared as a ghost to Macbeth, and Macbeth wasn’t able to conceal what he was seeing; he says to the ghost, “Thou canst not say I did it. Never shake thy gory locks at me”. Macbeth is in anguish over what this evil has made him do. He has become a completely different person. First he was an honorable soldier. Eventually, he became a power-hungry murderer.

Evil came to Macbeth in the form of three witches. They told him that he would be all powerful, only a few people were in his way. Macbeth took the opportunity to become king of Scotland. As a result, he killed Duncan, his guards, and Banquo. Macbeth also suffered mentally because of this. He couldn’t stomach how much harm he had done, and his madness was available for everyone to see. This will ultimately lead to his downfall.






Quotes:Shakespeare, William. Macbeth: FOLGER Shakespeare Library. New York: Washington Square, 1992. Print.
Picture: Madani-Houha, Riad. "This Picture Mocks the Fact That Macbeth Is Killing Everyone in His Sight, Even Women and Children." Pinterest. N.p., 16 Jan. 2014. Web. 04 Dec. 2016. <https://www.pinterest.com/pin/494692340290819084/>.

Blog Post #4

Freebie

Did you really even travel to Canterbury if you didn't buy Thomas Becket's shrine badge?

Artist: Walter of Colchester

Title: Pilgrim's Badge of the Shrine of St. Thomas Becket at Canterbury

Date: 1350–1400

Medium: Cast tin-lead alloy

Size: 3 1/8 x 2 1/2 x 1/8in. (7.9 x 6.4 x 0.3cm)

This badge was made in Canterbury, England. During this time, pilgrims would buy badges like this after completing a pilgrimage to a holy site. This badge was from the Canterbury Cathedral. Saint Thomas Becket’s shrine is here. Saint Thomas Becket was a martyr after being brutally killed in the cathedral in 1170. During this time in England, King Henry II had grievances with the church because they compromised his power.

This badge represents the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket, a former archbishop of the Canterbury Cathedral. Thomas Becket’s body is in the center of the badge. There are models of two ships, one damaged, on the top of the badge. The space on top Thomas Becket is patterned, mostly with circles. There is a figure that is pointing to a ruby on this part of the badge. The ruby was believed to be the largest in the world. There is another figure to the right of Thomas Becket that is modeled pulling up the cover of the shrine with a rope. Below Thomas Becket is a gate-like structure.

The badge was very significant because Thomas Becket was an important martyr for Christians at this time. Having a badge from his shrine at Canterbury Cathedral was evidence of one’s pilgrimage. It also indicated the wealth that they had in order to go on the journey.

The badge looks to be somewhat damaged, but still very much intact. The artist used a lot of detail when making this badge. Thomas Becket’s body is positioned so that his hands are in a praying position. Without context, this indicates that he is a religious man. Additionally, there are lots of jewels on and surrounding the body of Thomas Becket. The artist included this to signify his wealth. The color resulted from the use of the tin and lead used to make the badge. He significantly uses texture to display the desired image. He manipulated the alloy to create the image of Thomas Becket’s body and the surrounding images and designs. He used intricate detail to display the importance of Thomas Becket. Only a famous highly respected religious figure would be intricately encrusted in medal. Also, it is evident that expensive materials were used, considering it has lasted for more than 600 years with very few damages. The artist also included designs that featured many circles, I believe these signified jewels.

To add to the importance of this piece, it is currently in The Metropolitan Museum of Art. This work of art conveys that there were religious leaders that competed for power with the king. Also, it gives insight to wealth and social status. The intricacy of the badge indicated Thomas Becket as being of high social class. It signifies the martyrdom of Thomas Becket. This was an important symbol for Christians during the 14th century. For today’s viewers, it would have similar importance for Christians. It signifies the growth and adversity of the Christian church.

Sources:

Image:

"Pilgrim's Badge of the Shrine of St. Thomas Becket at Canterbury | Work of Art | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art." The Met's Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2016. <http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/2001.310/>.

How to look like Jennifer Aniston

This is an advertisement for Aveeno absolutely ageless restorative night cream1. It is found in the October 24, 2016 issue of People magazine. It features the beautiful Jennifer Aniston, a description and benefits of the product, and a picture of the product. The product being sold is a restorative night cream, which includes blackberry complex for a healthier, firmer, more elastic, younger-looking face. It even claims all of these effects will be apparent in just one week of use. The headline of the advertisement says, “Want to look younger, longer? Take the right steps now.”1

The author of the source uses soft, luminous colors. The theme of the add is very feminine and clean. The background of the image displays a moon and stars, to make the audience think that Jennifer has the night cream on in the picture. She is also smiling and looks carefree. All of this is intended to play at the jealousy of the reader.

The purpose of this ad is to sell the night cream. Jennifer Aniston is endorsing the product. The goal is for the audience to be envious of Jennifer Aniston’s clear and young-looking skin and buy the product to see the same results.

This advertisement is displaying envy as a rhetorical device. The main headline asks the audience if they want younger looking skin. Also, the use of Jennifer Aniston as the center of the advertisement causes the reader to be envious of her beauty and specifically her skin. The audience naturally compares themselves to Jennifer Aniston and wants what she has. They most likely chose Jennifer Aniston to be the spokesperson for this ad because she is known for aging well.

The intended audience is most likely American women over the age of 35. Aveeno products are sold in the United States and Jennifer Aniston is a well known actress in the United States. The audience is most likely middle to upper middle class. Aveeno is a drug store beauty product, therefore those who are members of classes above the upper middle class most likely do not buy their beauty products from a drug store, rather high end, more expensive companies. Conversely, this advertisement is not intended for women in socioeconomic classes below the middle class because they may not have the financial resources for this product.

The placement of the ad in the People magazine is also deliberate to reach this specific target audience. Over 70% of readers of People magazine are women. Also, the median income for readers of People magazine is $72,000, with 1 in 4 readers exceeding $100,000 a year. The average age of women who read this magazine is 382. These demographics fit the intended audience, middle to upper middle class American women over the age of 35.

The intended audience has cultural knowledge of beauty standards in the United States. For older women, the goal is to look younger. Fresh, radiant skin is something that women desire and are willing to buy beauty products in order to attain it. This advertisement uses this cultural knowledge to persuade the reader to buy this product by encouraging them to be envious of everything the ad is displaying.

Image and 1) Aveeno. People 24 Oct. 2016: 88. Print.

2) Gaille, Brandon. "35 Eye Opening People Magazine Demographics - BrandonGaille.com." BrandonGaillecom. N.p., 15 Feb. 2016. Web. 16 Oct. 2016. <http://brandongaille.com/35-eye-opening-people-magazine-demographics/>.

Should I Start Going By My Rapper Name, JT Swizzle?

The name I was given at birth was Jessica. Some call me Jessica while others call me Jess, or Jessicat, or JT, or Mom. The name someone uses to address me is indicative of how we encounter each other normally or our level of comfort with each other. For instance, my closer friends and family call me Jess while everyone else usually calls me Jessica. While Jess, Jessicat, and JT are all variations of my actual name, Mom is the name I have been given by my friends because of my personality. This nickname is probably the one I find the most meaning in. This name reflects certain parts of my character and personality. I am responsible, reliable, mature, and caring like a mother. I have even been dubbed “Maniac Mom” of the Millbrook Maniacs. This name defines me in a way that I am proud of because it shows that I am very involved in my school and I care about the people who are a part of it. 

My sister, one of the people who call me Jess, is an amazing basketball player. She is four years older than me and graduated from Millbrook like I will in June. Naturally, people compare me to her. I suddenly stop becoming Jessica and become “Alex’s sister”. I love my sister very much and I’m proud of how talented she is, but I do not like being compared to her. We are simply just different people. First, I don’t play basketball. Some people think this is a crime against humanity because of my height. However, I am not my sister. I have made a different impact on my high school. While my sister invested her time into basketball, I have invested my time into academics, student government, and clubs. Her and I have different interests. Being compared to my sister is frustrating because I feel that I’m letting people down when they realize I’m not a basketball star like her. That disappointment also discredits what I am interested in, as if it’s not as important as basketball. I think part of the reason I was never interested in basketball at a young age was because of the pressure I would have on me to be as good as her. It’s hard to be confident in myself and my accomplishments while I am being unfairly compared to my sister. 

Link Source:

Huebner, Andrea. "27 Things You've Said If You're The Mom Friend." Web log post. The Odyssey Online. Olympia Media Group, 26 Sept. 2016. Web. 2 Oct. 2016. <https://www.theodysseyonline.com/27-things-mom-friend>.

Blog #1: Othering

Wing Young Huie captured this picture in 1995 in an unknown location. It is a part of his Black Memorabilia collection. The picture is in black and white, no color. It features three shelves in what looks to be a grocery store. Syrup, pancake mix, karo syrup, and molasses are on the shelves. The picture is focused on the middle rack are the center of the photo. The labels indicate they are the Aunt Jemima brand, specifically the Lite syrup. Some of the bottles are larger than others, and the largest bottles are in the center of the photo.

There is significant cultural significance to this photograph in the United States. This photograph features Aunt Jemima syrup. Aunt Jemima is an example of a mammy caricature. During the slavery era in the United States, the mammy caricature was presented to mainstream America to defend the lie that African Americans enjoyed slavery: “black women -- were contented, even happy, as slaves. Her wide grin, hearty laugher, and loyal servitude were offered as evidence of the supposed humanity of the institution of slavery”2. It is significant that this image is so widely displayed even today in the U.S. This caricature was presented to display a lie that slaves were content with their status.

The mammy caricature had negative effects on stereotypes on black women. It implied that they were exclusively domestic workers. This then affected their ability to obtain better jobs than house servant: “1877 to 1966, America's race-based, race-segregated job economy limited most blacks to menial, low paying, low status jobs”3. By looking into the stereotypes featured in this photograph, othering becomes evident.

Wing Young Huie has captured an example of othering that has historically been a major problem in the United States. Historically, some whites have viewed blacks as fundamentally different. When slavery began in 16174, Americans tried to justify the mistreatment of this group of people because of their skin color difference. Othering is evident in the photograph by displaying a stereotype attributed to black women. This is similar to the stereotype attributed to women presented in The Handmaid’s Tale5 by Margaret Atwood. The Handmaids in this novel have the sole responsibility of bearing children. Both publications present stereotypes through the use of imagery. In Huie’s photograph, he visually presents a common brand that is associated with a caricature used to describe black women. In The Handmaid’s Tale, Offred uses imagery to describe her duties as a handmaid and the danger she’s in when she deviates from that role.

Footnotes:

1. Huie, Wing Young. Black Memorabilia. 1995. Black Memorabilia. Wing Young Huie. Web. 18 Sept. 2016. <http://www.wingyounghuie.com/>.
2. " The Mammy Caricature." Jim Crow Museum: The Mammy Caricature. Ferris State University, n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2016. <http://www.ferris.edu/HTMLS/news/jimcrow/mammies/>.
3. " The Mammy Caricature." Jim Crow Museum: The Mammy Caricature. Ferris State University, n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2016. <http://www.ferris.edu/HTMLS/news/jimcrow/mammies/>.
4. History.com Staff. "Slavery in America." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2009. Web. 18 Sept. 2016. <http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/slavery>.
5. Atwood, Margaret. The Handmaid's Tale. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1986. Print.