Inner-city tantrums

Well, they seemed like a nice bunch of folks at first. I bet that man worked hard at.. whatever he did. Looked like he had an honest wife as well. As for that man's sister, well I don't know about her, but I suppose it doesn't really matter much when your just a housewife, or your job doesn't have a lot of talking to other folks. Mrs. Younger also seemed like a nice old lady. Shame she couldn't do anything about those kids of hers. It's a shame it had to end like that. Now I just don't understand why those people were "reacting this way". They were going to get money to pay off the house and then some. Just stubborn I suppose. What bothers me is just how they didn't want to sit down and talk about it. The worlds problems "exists because people just don't sit down and talk to each other"- which is exactly what I'm trying to do! Now people don't take kindly to when their way of life is threatened, neither do people when they are thrust into new environments. I don't know why those people were acting like I was attacking them, when I was just trying to help them on behalf of all the hard working people of Clybourne Park. It's just so hard being misunderstood all the time.

You could've been somebody

Once upon a time everyone was Moses; today: pink elephants rhetoric.

Just kidding.

"The Diamond as Big as the Ritz" while written decades ago,  still provides insight into the literature and lifestyle of today.

Although the premise of the story seems pretty implausible- a man finds a diamond mountain and through deception and crime he is able to keep his family the richest in the world- Fitzgerald manages to create verisimilitude within it. Many of the characters motives, attitudes, and reactions are realistic. John is awed at the extravagance of the "floating fairyland" that is Washington's palace, horrified when he discovers what they do to their guests, and does everything possible for his own self-preservation. The Washingtons are corrupted by their vast wealth, and as a result do anything in their power, no matter how criminal or inhumane, to keep it. Percy even seems like the cold, emotional unattached child that the son of an extremely wealthy criminal would be.

However, the book manages to appear extremely realistic, but misrepresent reality at the same time. The only thing we know about the characters is how much is told to us. All we know of Braddock is that he is a cold man with "intelligent eyes." Nothing of his character, or internal struggle was revealed. All we know is that he was and liked being rich. Perhaps once upon a time he was a master orator, an expert on rhetoric; instead of asking "yes or no" to his following, he inquired: "Did Moses not part water with the cane? Did Noah not build an ark when God made it rain?" Instead of addressing his audience, he inspired. Percy is described as a "quiet, handsome boy," and nothing more. We have no idea how much a toll being the only son in a family that cares about nothing except diamonds is.

A pink elephant might seem like a real elephant. It might be in the shape and size of an elephant, but the difference in color is a glaring difference. And who knows what a pink elephant might be hiding on the inside.

Shade, Hue, and Tone

What remains of the 1920s can be observed today through the black-and-white cinematography of that era. It seems ironic that many of the records of lifestyle in the 1920s are monochrome, when color is such an important motif in The Great Gatsby. 

The same color of the dollar bills that many residents' of the 1920s lives revolved around so much, Gatsby is basked in a "green light" which serve to enhance his mysterious yet prolific aura.However, green is also a symbol of nature. It represents the rebirth and growth that plants go through every year, just like how Gatsby's new wealth allows him to develop as a person.  On the other hand, there is the color that represents the old wealth. The gold that has been a symbol of opulence and richness since the ancient times. Daisy, being of old wealth, is described as a "golden girl". This is contrasted with the yellow that also appears in The Great Gatsby. Although it appears as bright as gold, the dull sheen serves only as an imitation of the extravagance that comes with gold. Just like the yellow car of Gatsby that struck Myrtle and "ripped her open," the yellow- the faux luxury of the new wealthy, is tearing Tom's life apart, as Gatsby's new found riches are what allowed him to reacquaint himself with Daisy.  Fitzgerald uses the motif of color to develop his characters more thoroughly, and it's amazing how simple shades allow for so much perception of depth.

I embody every characteristic of the egotistic

Humans are a self-centered and selfish species. David Foster Wallace is absolutely correct when he says "there is no experience you have had that you are not the absolute center of." In the "day-to-day trenches" of everyday life, it is only ourselves who we pay attention to. It frustrates us to have to get up early everyday, sit in school for 7 hours, and go home to do another couple hours of homework.  However we pay no mind to the 2000 other students that share our same routine, or even the teachers who must wake up earlier, stay after school later, and go home to grade homework even longer.

This idea is even more prevalent in literature. Even though a book might be about fictional characters entirely different from ourselves, we are still the centers of attention. We react, then assign motives and emotions to characters based on our own personal experiences and opinions.

In The Bluest Eye it takes an entire chapter of narrative in Cholly's perspective to understand his backstory, and how all the experiences he had leading up to the rape of his daughter caused him to do it out of love and tenderness, instead of lust and rage. It then takes the reader to sympathize with him, or choose to antagonize him even further.

In The Great Gatsby it seems like Gatsby buys a huge home, and throws extravagant party just because he can- to show off his wealth. In reality, he moves to East Egg so that "Daisy would just be across the bay." Actions and feelings can only be truly be comprehended by the doer, or one with the exact same perspective as the doer. In Gatsby's case, his spending was all done because he was lovesick, and it still takes the reader to interpret whether his actions are romantic and noble, or if it is scandalous for him to pursue a married mother. The beautiful thing however, is that both views are entirely correct at the exact same time.

Sophisticated ignorance

There is an idea that punctuation reflects upon the quality of society and this is entirely true but many people believe a change in the rules of punctuation to reflect a "social decline" (Hitchings) because they believe that Earth will become a "dystopia" (Lee) where uneducated and illiterate individuals reign supreme however this is entirely untrue

What the change in punctuation and a possible further change in punctuation in the future reflects is the dynamic nature of society as technology has evolved and communication has evolved alongside with it since "Language evolves in conjunction with culture" (Lee) if punctuation were to remain stagnant then our society would become stale with it because the only thing that changes in punctuation would actually show is the evolution of mankind as a complex species looking to refresh himself from the outdated and mundane

Throughout history one thing that has remained constant is the need for mankind to express himself and since it is not enough for him to tell others his opinions he must share his emotions and feelings with the world by opening the windows to his soul in "A house fairer than prose" (Dickinson) being poetry with Dickinson showing how expressive one can be with words without the chains of punctuation and Elizabeth Austen displaying how much more creative and flowing writing can be without the constricts of punctuation with a "trail of possibilities" for each word that she may chose to place as without punctuation "tightening the leash" (Austen) on the creativity of mankind we can finally move forward as individuals and as a species

I hope you were able to understand my blog without the aid the following: commas, periods, semi-colons, apostrophes, dashes, exclamation points, question marks, and periods.

Fortissimo

The way Morrison constructs The Bluest Eye is reminiscent of an architect. Each expression has a special meaning. Like every single brick in the foundation for a skyscraper, every word has been placed purposefully, which is to do its job and achieve its goal.

"His hatred of her slimed in his stomach in his stomach and threatened to become vomit...his genitals, giving it length, and softening the lips of his anus," (Morrison 162). The way Morrison uses vowels and constants to create such a breathtaking degree of verisimilitude is astounding. Morrison describes the Breedlove's household so well that one can't help from feeling the hopelessness and despair created by their living conditions. Morrison gives the reader chills when describing the icy home, and is able to make her readers' breath stale when imagining the "flecks of black" that the Breedloves had for dinner.

Cholly's thoughts and feelings seem so realistic that it's not like the readers are there with Cholly, but rather are Cholly. The reader feels and despises the "lust" of a powerless, abusive alcoholic; while feeling the "tenderness" of a powerless, abusive alcoholic trying to make up for his actions to his family.

Morrison explains Pecola's entire complex with a simple movement. The simple yet "quiet and pitiful" gesture of Pecola scratching her leg show that she is a lost child. Unable to do even the simplest of motions with confidence, Pecola's constant shifting of her weight show that she is  unhappy with her current conditions, but she continues to wash the dishes like an obedient child would, because she is hopeful that her life will change for the better. It's awe-inspiring how much one can learn about another, in so few words.

And perhaps the most beautiful, admirable and disgusting display of Morrison's power as a writer is her development of Cholly, which is so excellent, it has the reader sympathize with Cholly for what he did to his daughter.

You got the power to let power go

One does not get much more powerless than being a poor, black, female child from a broken home.

One could say Pecola is the most powerless character in the novel. She is powerless in her inability to stop a group of schoolboys who "gaily harassed" (Morrison 65) her. She is powerless against her very appearance being met with looks of "disgust, even anger" (Morrison 49) simply for being a black female. She is powerless against the shame and jealousy that comes from receiving pity ice-cream from richer classmates. She is powerless against her father raping her.


One could also say that Pecola is an extremely powerful entity. Just like Brent Staples, Pecola alters the public space around her simply by being there. Her impression of vulnerability tells the other characters that she is fragile, so she is an object to be taken care of- like by buying her ice cream. It also tells the other characters that her weakness is something to be taken advantage of- like the power that comes with raping her.


Pecola is powerless to Maureen in a way that is similar to the way Maureen is powerless to white beauty ideals. Morrison shows use that everybody is truly powerless. Those that have no "power" are powerless to higher authority. Those that have "power" are powerless to the objects and ideas that grant them power.

The way you look should be a sin

There is a cliche that says "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" and while it is up for one to decide what they deem as "beautiful", it remains pretty uniform, with slight variations as one travels around the world.

In The Scarlet Letter, Hester is described almost exclusively with positive adjectives. "Elegant", and "lady-like" Her beauty both emphasizes and draws away from the severity of her crimes at the same time. Because Hester's beauty creates an aura of purity around her, the townspeople are shocked at the heinousness of her crimes. At the same time, all her charitable work is further highlighted by her radiance, creating an angel-like image, a pretty big deal in the deeply religious Puritan society.

"Beauty" in the sense of physical attractiveness can actually be scientifically calculated. It's really interesting, but even scarier, how you can assign a numerical value to one's beauty. Features developed by testosterone and estrogen, certain distance ratios between facial features, and symmetry between facial features all contribute to one's "beauty score". What's even more disturbing is being physically attractive implies more than being physically attractive.

In The Bluest Eye, the "beauty" of the doll that Claudia receives causes many people to imply that it is a "worthy" toy. In reality, it's quite the opposite. The doll has no intrinsic value, and Claudia is the only one to see this. The only purpose it serves is to "irritate" her and it seems the only fun she can get out of the doll is to destroy it. Claudia sees past the illusion that the beauty of the doll creates about its worth.

There is a cliche that says "Don't judge a book by its cover" and while it is up for one to decide what they deem as valuable, it's pretty obvious that one should actually look into another person's character to judge their character.

the people highest up got the lowest self esteem

While it may be true that those at the top of the social ladder are insecure, it is true that those at the top of the social ladder tend to give those that are lower a hard time. It is true that those at the bottom of the social ladder must stay strong to withstand all the judgement they receive, and they do.

In The Scarlet Letter, Hester holds her head up, despite all the public shaming she undergoes, and her mark eventually comes to symbolize her charitability and willingness to help the sick. In The Lone Ranger and Tonto fistfight in Heaven, Alexie's Native-american heritage is constantly commented on during his youth. Despite the negative preformed ideas about Alexie that everyone has about Alexie in their head, and Alexie's awareness of those ideas, he is still able to become a prolific, and educated writer. In "Black men and Public Spaces"Staples is aware that he is being judged by his skin color. Although he is deeply saddened by his judgers' actions, he doesn't show it, knowing that a physical appeal won't do anything. Instead, he seeks to change the world through his writing and journalism. In "The Glass Castle" Walls and her family are a bunch of migratory vagrants. However, through familial bonds and pride, the Walls family is able to keep together through other kids' teasing, and the judgement of the entire town.

Literature has shown that we should stop focusing on the higher up and their cruelties, but the lower class, and their steadfastness and resolve.

All falls down

Humans are scared of the unknown. It's why we judge, and stereotype, and plan. Planning is easy enough, but carrying out a plan is a little more difficult. It's impossible to account for all the little variables that might mess up a plan, and the volatile nature of the variables is the reason for 100% of plans not going 100% of the way they are planned out.

Everything we do is planned. I plan to go downstairs to the kitchen to get a snack, but I am stupid- a variable that I didn't account for because I am stupid- so I forget why I went downstairs and return empty handed. If I had perfectly executed that plan, I would've swiftly gotten to the kitchen, gotten my snack of choice, and returned to my bedroom with minimum energy expenditure. Instead, I returned empty handed. Even if I had remembered to get a snack there would've been other variables to ruin my plan. I could have fell down the stairs, or maybe there wouldn't be any pudding left. I might have taken one step too many, and wasted precious calories.

In The Scarlet Letter, Hester and Dimmesdale's plans to flee to Europe are ruined when Chillingsworth joins as the boat's doctor. The ruining of their plan causes "Hester's strong, calm, steadfastly enduring spirit almost sank,"(Hawthorne 241). For Dimmesdale, it makes him feel like there's no other way out, so he publicly confesses to his sins, and swiftly proceeds to drop dead.

The bigger a plan is, the more variables there are, and the bigger the consequence is when it gets messed up. You could trip on your way to school and dirty your sweater, or you might crash and die on a plane ride to Disney Land. Either way, it's pretty messed up.

What's a king without a crown

In Deborah' Tannen's "There is no unmarked woman" piece, one of the traits she discusses that marks women is their hair. She says that since women don't have a standard hairstyle, every hairstyle is seen as different, which removes a woman's "option of being unmarked". While I do agree that women's hairstyles mark them because there is no set standard, I feel like its unfair to say that men always have a choice to be unmarked.

When I look at all my friends hairstyles, none of them look the same. Bangs, curls, fringes, sideburns,  and even the locations of their parts mark them.

Tannen also treats being marked as if it is always a bad thing. I like to think my hair used to be pretty marked. Marked enough to have 4 of your teachers tell you you're unrecognizable after a haircut, and have 3 of your friends actively avoid you because they don't know who you are, until another friend tells them.

I just find it pretty mind blowing that I had some friends that didn't know what my face looked like, but could still recognize me perfectly, because of my "mark".

Everybody is marked in some way. Old people are marked by their age. Rich people are marked by their riches, fit people are marked by their fitness. Every mark tells a story, but it's up to those that are marked to decide what story the mark will tell.

The prettiest people do the ugliest things

Humans are social creatures, and in order for people to interact properly, not only laws were put in place to govern one's behavior, but many, complicated, untold, yet important social constructs. It's generally considered rude to point and laugh at someone. However, what if someone pointed and laughed at someone else who farted on a crowded elevator. Is it acceptable then? Or just a little bit more acceptable, or maybe even more unacceptable? Analyzing social situations becomes even more interesting if more variables are added. The reactions of people might change if it was a child doing the laughing, rather than a teenager, or a middle-aged person. Their judgement might also change if it were a female's flatulence, rather than a male's. Different people are held to different social standards.  Anybody would be more disgusted if a dentist or a lawyer, rather than  a garbageman, picked their nose during work, In The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne, being of  "perfect elegance", is an image of dignity and beauty, except for the fact that she is an adulteress, and her flawless physical appearance only serves to exemplify her crimes. Even 200 years ago, and probably since civilized society has existed, the laws and social codes put in place have been interpreted different- even unfairly- for different people.

Don't be mad cause I'm doing me better than you're doing you

As a human being, one of the things we instinctively do is judge. Although it's offensive to make inferences on a person you don't even know, I'm guilty of this, and sometimes I can't help myself to jump to conclusions based on someone's first impression. Physical appearance- skin color, height, weight, stance- are all used as "clues" into trying to decipher who somebody is on the inside. Sometimes I decide if a person looks "mean" or "nice" just by the way their features are arranged on their face. These preconceived notions distort reality for all of us. Although we try and save all our judgement for ourselves- evaluating our own abilities and limitations,-we always have that thought in the back of our heads like "I bet that asian kid beat me on the math test" or "I bet that black guy will beat me in this race". Stereotypes are stereotypes for a reason however, in that they're not true for a majority of their subject. Like any longstanding belief, its unfair to say that stereotypes don't have strong foundations. However, it is unfair to believe Sherman Alexie was going to grow up and become and alcoholic just because he was a "dang Indian". It's also unfair to determine that a college-educated professional journalist is a "mugger, a rapist, or worse" solely by the color of his skin. Prejudiced notions of other human beings have existed in our society from the beginning, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't end anytime soon.

Soy un perdedor

A racist , bloodthirsty man once said "History is written by the victors". That man also happened to be one of the most beloved and well known English prime ministers in history, Winston Churchill. Praised for being one of the great minds that defeated Hitler, Churchill's legacy would've been much different if the Nazis had triumphed in World War II. Indeed, if the axis powers had came out victorious in World War II, the world would be a much different place than it is today. Fascism would have dominated the worlds governments, the holocaust might have expanded to an an unthinkably horrible degree, and Hitler's dream of an Aryan master race might have come true. Fortunately, all we can do today is speculate about what would have happened to the human race if World War II had ended differently. However, this speculation opens a question that can be asked to everything that happened in history, ever- "what happened to the other guys"?

The timelessness of this question proves the validity of Churchill's quote. Theorizing about the changes humanity would've faced if the American revolution had ended differently is as important as thinking about what happened to that kid who cracked his new I Phone screen. The events that have occurred have occurred- history has been "written" and America is now one of the most powerful nations on the planet, and that kid no longer has a functional phone. Although the American revolution seems like a relic of the past, and a broken I Phone is too trivial to reflect on, any and all events in history are fair game to analyze Churchill's statement. The Glass Castle is one of the best examples of this philosophy. Jeannette Walls is a "victor" having worked hard enough to earn an education and succeed in life. Thus, she is writing her own history, literally, in the form of a memoir. The reader feels sympathy for Walls and all her struggles, and they should. However, Jeanette is far from the only person that has had problems with poverty, or molestation, with thousands of people having it far worse than her. Even though millions of people deserve to be heard, they never can be, and never will be; simply because they have "lost" in society's eyes. One of the most influential figures in the modern day is Oprah. She turned her childhood struggles into an extremely popular daytime television show. Now she writes history. Oprah dictates many a life, with thousands of zealous watchers eating what Oprah eats, reading what Oprah reads, and trying as hard as they can to live how Oprah lives. However, for every Oprah, there are tens of thousands of the depressed, the unheard, the forgotten- those that are lost and have lost. They might be more well read than Oprah, more cultured, have more of an appreciation for the arts, but nobody would ever guess that that dirty, homeless man was a Shakespeare connoisseur. Even more meta into the subject of winners and losers in The Glass Castle is a certain instance where Jeanette is discussing her new job with her mother. Instead of covering the "oppressive landlords, social injustice, and the class struggle on the Lower East Side" (Walls 171) she writes articles on the gossip of the city's elite. She is  "winning" by getting a decent job writing about the "winners", that is the wealthy of New York, which provides her the money and credibility to "win" in the future- which is publishing her own book, which deals with how history is written by the victors. Another case is in the Disney movie Frozen, and possibly every other Disney movie ever. The main character always has a happy ending, while the villain is defeated and properly punished. In Frozen, we see Hans, the villain, getting punched off a boat, while we see Elsa and Anna return to a loving kingdom. A sequel is rumored to be released in 2015, which raises the question, "what happened to the other guys?" Did Hans drown after being punched off a boat? Was he exiled from his homeland for his criminal behaviors and eventually killed in the wilderness? Was he executed for his treasonous behavior? He "lost" by failing in his plan to take over Arendelle kingdom, and for that we will never know his story. Perhaps he had good intentions for Arendelle. Maybe whatever he took from his brothers was far worse than anything he ever did to Anna. With a simple example from a childish movie, we can see one of the greatest inequalities in human nature. In a world with so much to say, learn, discover, and be, 50% of  the world is being ignored. History is the study of past events, and with those past events being described and dictated by those that have come out on top, there seems nothing else to do but ignore those on the bottom.