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/>.