Paper #4 overview

Topic: Hypocrisy in religion through the texts Blankets and Oranges.

Religion is an extremely controversial topic. This is portrayed in the traditional reading selection, Oranges, and the graphic novel, Blankets. Both pieces of writing deal with the main characters growing up in very religious families, who compel them to attend church regularly and follow God's path, no matter what they do in life. While carrying out whatever they can to please God, they discover the hypocritical side of the religious spectrum.

*Craig burns all of his drawings, all of the panels with the Sunday school teachers, his pastor, and his experience at church camp.

*Janine is put in front of the church and is told to deny her love for another woman, she is no longer allowed to see Melanie, her pastor/mother deprive her of needs-water, food, social life, etc. until she denies her true passion.

Romeo & Juliet

People have done several different things that reflect the themes of Romeo & Juliet. They have made comics that show what the play would be like today. Some have used references to the couple in songs. This link with the balcony scene, where Romeo and Juliet are smoking cigarettes and the caption is "Romeo & Juliet The Cigarette Break" refers to the present. Since smoking cigarettes has gotten more popular over the years, there's a good chance Romeo and Juliet of today could have smoked cigarettes. The rap artist Silk E Fyne came out with a song called "It's like Romeo and Juliet," http://www.metrolyrics.com/its-like-romeo-and-juliet-lyrics-silk-e-fyne.html which is a song based on merely sex. This "version" considers the idea that Romeo & Juliet are one of the ultimate symbols of love, and uses that to compare them to hot sex. This doesn't add to my understanding of the play at all, and I think it is unfortunate that this song is associated with the play. Through searching "Romeo and Juliet" on youtube, I found that the artist Dire Straits used Romeo and Juliet for one of their song titles, http://youtube.com/watch?v=Gz4TDrE67mI and it was covered by The Killers. The song is all about the play and how they share love for each other. The music video makes references to the play, which includes the balcony scene and a couple all over each other. Romeo and Juliet are seen as more sexual in this version compared to the play. There is also a commercial for H & M clothing that is 5 minutes long, and there are a ton of connections with the play, it is pretty much the play, except very contemporary. It takes place in the city, and when Romeo is lying dead in the middle of the road, cops are present, and Juliet is having flashbacks to their past sexual encounters with each other. It is contemporized through the sex appeal, environment, and technology. At the end, Juliet picks up Romeo's cell phone and points it towards the cops, and she is shot. This interpretation does not really add to my understanding of the play at all.

American Born Chinese

All three sections of the book deal with subjects that are not happy with their appearance. They all change the way they look in order to be accepted by others. I didn't really enjoy reading one section more than another, but I liked how it ended with them all coming together. I had to think about what had happened throughout the entire book, and it threw me off at first, but after I thought about it for awhile, I understand.

The Bluest Eye

Cholly struggles against cultural standards when he is having sex in the woods with Darlene, and two white men approach them. Instead of making them leave, they tell him to keep going. Instead of Cholly getting mad with the white men, who were obviously provoking him, he gets really upset with Darlene. "He hated her. He almost wish he could do it-hard, long, and painfully, he hated her so much" (148).

When Frieda and Claudia show up at the house where Mrs. Breedlove works and Pecola is present, Pecola raises commotion, and the little girl in the household starts crying for Polly. Claudia has a thought and she cannot believe she called Mrs. Breedlove Polly, when even Pecola doesn't call her mother that, and that is reason enough to scratch her.

"She be lucky if it don't live. Bound to be the ugliest thing walking."
"Can't help but be. Ought to be a law: two ugly people doubling up like that to make more ugly. Be better off in the ground."
(190).

Hooks and McIntosh

I watched Hooks part 8 about rap music, and I agreed with a lot of what she had to say. I too think that the more obscene the rap music video is, the more attention it receives. Bell also says something about the controversy over rap music and how people think it should be more ethical and moral. She contradicts this by saying that it should be looked at in a larger frame. Bell talks about cultural production and capitalism, and how rap music, being different from multi national corporations, it is still receiving a lot of wealth. I agree with her statement that says the rap industry is right in line with these corporations, and that if it is getting a large amount of profit/reward, one should push that product, whether the people making it agree with what they are doing or not. I also viewed part 5 about Madonna. In it, Bell Hooks states that she does not necessarily think that in Madonna's real life, she commits to any of the sexist images that she is quite willing to reproduce for a profit. However, she uses that trick to make more money even though she is very wealthy. She goes on to talk about how she should not have to degrade herself on this level to earn money. I somewhat agree with what she is saying, like I understand where she is coming from, but Madonna and the rap artists might live their lives out in this matter. It is quite possible that their "stage lives" have a major impact on how they go about life. As for McIntosh's article, when she states, "I think whites are carefully taught not to recognize white privilege, as males are taught not to recognize male privilege," I have to disagree. I'm not white, but I do not think that whites are "carefully taught" not to recognize white privilege. I think they just simply do not put an effort into noticing it. I also think that her list of the daily effects of white privilege are very far fetched, and offensive. I would understand that she makes the list to make a point that white privilege is invisible, but I do not think that it all has to do with white privilege.

In-Class Writing: Mango Street

Esperanza's family is apparent throughout the entire book. In "Hips," it states, "I can tell Lucy and Rachel are disgusted, but they don't say anything because she's my sister" (52). This shows that she is not ashamed that Nenny is her sister, and although Nenny keeps using the old song, Esperanza does not yell at her sister for being stupid. Then in "Papa Who Wakes Up /Tired in the Dark," Esperanza demonstrates her closeness with her father when she says, "And I think if my own Papa died what would I do. I hold my Papa in my arms. I hold and hold and hold him" (57). As much as Esperanza would like to deny that Mango Street is her physical home, it is undeniably where her heart is. Everything in the book revolves around her life and the people in it who influence her the most. All of these people live around her, mostly on Mango Street. "Bums" is a section that reflects Esperanza's personal identity because she realizes that she did not have it easy growing up where she did, and she says, "One day I'll own my own house, but I won't forget who I am or where I came from. Passing bums will ask, Can I come in? I'll offer them the attic, ask them to stay, because I know how it is to be without a house" (87). This shows a very selfless side of Esperanza. "Beautiful and Cruel" also reflects personal identity when it says, "I have begun my own quiet war. Simple. Sure. I am the one who leaves the table like a man, without putting back the chair or picking up the plate" (89). Although it is not looked upon as nice, not putting the chair back or picking up the plate, Esperanza admits she does this, and it is who she is. One passage I liked for the poetry and imagery was "Four Skinny Trees" because I like the image it creates with the trees' strength and how it is a secret because the roots are unseen. I also like how in the end of the passage she talks about looking at them when she is down, and how they will always be there.

Mango Street

One of the vignettes I chose was "My Name" because I can totally relate to that. When I was little, I would have my friends call me other things, anything except my real name. This was mostly because everywhere I went, someone else had my name, and it would be too confusing. I also like "Hips" because Nenny makes me laugh. Even though the other girls are making up their own rhymes, she just sticks to the old ones. I like when Cisneros writes, "Nenny, I say, but she doesn't hear me. She is too many light-years away. She is in a world we don't belong to anymore. Nenny. Going. Going" (52). I love seeing little kids that are in their own worlds. I think it is interesting and most times, hilarious. I also liked "Papa Who Wakes Up Tired in the Dark" because it was a change in mood. Although it is a sad change, Esperanza shows a lot of maturity in how she puts herself in her dad's shoes, and holds him. "Bums in the Attic" was also one of my favorites because it shows how compassionate Esperanza is. I like the part at the end when it says, "Rats? They'll ask. Bums, I'll say, and I'll be happy" (87). I enjoyed how Esperanza had her own names for things in the neighborhood, and how she knows everything. "Meme Ortiz is an example." I liked this section because of the end when Cisneros writes, "This is the tee we chose for the First Annual Tarzan Jumping Contest. Meme won. And broke both arms" (22). My favorite part is when she adds "and broke both arms" at the end. Cisnero's writing helps identify who she is because she gives her opinions on a lot of things, and one can tell by the way she reacts to certain things, her attitude and outlook on life. Her writing identifies how she is situated within her cultural heritage in the way that she makes several references to the Spanish culture. For instance, in the name section, she includes a lot of Spanish based names. Then there's Alice from Guadalajara, the red clowns section where the boy says, "I love you Spanish girl," and there's even some spanish language within the text. I'm not really sure how I identify myself with my culture. When I was younger my mom would get me involved in the Korean heritage through a lot of different things. It had seemed at times I enjoyed all of the things, but deep down, I hated it. I think it's because even though I knew I was adopted and Korean throughout my entire life, I still identified myself being American because that's what my whole family is, and all of my close friends too. I think cultural identity is what you think of yourself, in concern to your background.

TKAM, Blankets, & Oranges

One theme that ties these three texts together is bullying. In TKAM, Scout is bullied by Jem because he's older than her, but the most relevant is when she gets mocked by Francis, due to the fact that Atticus is defending a black man. "I guess it ain't your fault if Uncle Atticus is a nigger-lover besides, but I'm here to tell you it certainly does mortify the rest of the family" (83). Then in Blankets, Craig is made fun of by his classmates because he looks Ethiopian and his mom is really Christian. "Why are you so skinny? He looks like an Ethiopian! Don't touch him, you might catch a disease!" (20) He is also bullied by his Sunday school teachers in a way because they limit what he believes. Even at church camp, people leave him out and make fun of him because he is poor and can't afford to ski. They also call him a girl, like everyone at school did. In Oranges, Jeanette is bullied by the church. When she admits that she loves Melanie and she loves the Lord, they tell her she cannot love both. They deprive her of food, and won't let her leave her room until she denies her love for Melanie. "We'll come back the day after tomorrow, he confided to my mother. Meantime, don't let her out of this room and don't feed her" (107). All three of these texts connect through bullying, and Scout, Craig, and Jeanette grow from it. Scout learns to deal with her anger. She also learns about the issues with the trial and more importantly not to judge people. Through getting bullied, Craig learns a lot about who he is. Although he does not have it completely figured out in the end, he seems the most content he had ever been. Jeanette learns to deal with loss, and I think the whole situation with Melanie and the church made her a stronger person. She gets more involved in her church community, and deals with it. The greater purposes of these texts are to teach readers the difference between right and wrong, and they illustrate both sides. The situations in each text are very different from each other and I think they "talk" to each other through their conflicts. They show us as a society that even when the going gets tough, everything can work out okay in the end, if you allow it to. Jeanette would not have been as well in the end, if she would not have given into the pastor and her mother. Like this, if Scout would have beaten every kid up that made fun of her, she would have been in a very bad situation with her family, friends, and school. On the otherhand, they are all kind of forced by authority to change their beliefs. Jeanette is told it is wrong to love another woman, and that kind of love is from the demon. Then Craig is told he won't be able to draw in Heaven, only sing, which he hates. Yet, they both seem all right in the end.

Blankets & Oranges

How do the literary passages in Oranges and the graphic panels in Blankets relate to one another?
I chose the section from Blankets where Craig burns all of Raina's things, and the passage on page 112 from Oranges, when Jeanette's mother burns all of Melanie's things. These segments relate to each other in the way that the person that is closest to the main characters' things are burned. In Blankets, Craig sets Raina's stuff on fire because he wants to forget her, and move on. In Oranges, Jeanette's mom burns all of the notes and stuff from Melanie because she believes that what they had between each other was sinful and demon possessed. While, Craig's actions are almost freeing him, Jeanette feels betrayed. In both of these sections, the burning of possessions symbolizes forgetting the past, but it's done for two very different reasons.

What visual imagery do both texts create?
Both texts create the image that the same kind of belongings are being set on fire. Oranges and Blankets provoke sad images because Jeanette and Craig are both losing part of themselves in this section, and one can picture what they are going through at this moment.

Is one text more effective than the other? Why/why not? Explain?
I thought they were both equally effective in different ways. Blankets was effective because the whole text was available, and the pictures really helped relay the author's message. However, I thought Oranges was more descriptive in what was happening, on a deeper level through the text.

What emotions or personal connections do the texts evoke? How are the authors able to accomplish this? (consider language, imagery, and the conventions of both texts).
The texts both evoke sad emotions, and a sense of loss. Even though without their possessions, both characters have the memories from Raina and Melanie, but some things you can't replace. In Blankets, the author accomplishes this through a number of graphic panels. It seems like it takes forever for Craig to gather all of Raina's things, even though it is only four short pages. The expressions on Craig's face explain his emotions. In Oranges, when the author writes, "She burnt a lot more than letters that night in the backyard," the reader can sense the betrayal and sadness felt by Jeanette.

Blankets

I chose the passage that is right at the beginning of section IV, Teen Spirit (pages 323-333) The section starts with Craig and Phil in bed, and Phil tries to play a trick on Craig, acting like he peed on him. At first, Craig is doubtful, but when Phil pulls his pants down, Craig freaks out, and takes revenge. Phil tries to explain that it was a joke and that no one is capable of peeing just one drop, but Craig states that if Phil can do it, so can he. Craig soon realizes it is not possible, and tries to comfort his younger brother, which shows that he really does care about Phil. His younger brother doesn't accept the apology, and ends up peeing all over Craig. Their mom walks in the room as Phil is peeing on Craig. It is awkward and disturbing. They both realize their actions were wrong. Craig's flashback on the incident is to demonstrate a milestone in his life--taking his first shower, sparking maturity. I found it interesting how in the last illustration on page 332, Craig's arms are wrapped around himself, covering his body, due to shame and his sinfulness, and on the next page, he is in the same position, in a whole different environment, years later. I think it's saying that even after maturing from the pee night, he still feels the same shame and insecurity. It's because he knows he is involving himself in sinful activities he does not feel right taking part in. I feel like this section was included to somewhat entertain it's audience, however, I was a little disturbed. I think the author's purpose for involving the "pee" incident is to illustrate the two boys' immaturity, and show how Craig grows through the situation.

Belief

I think I have a lot of beliefs, but I don't find them to be very dense...My main belief in life has to do with God. I grew up in a Christian family, attended a Reformed church, and have followed that belief my whole life. My family has had a large impact on my system of beliefs, as well as my friends. I also believe that life is what you make of it, and that everything happens for a reason. I have encountered many people who have disagreed with my belief, regarding religion. As much as I have faith in what I believe, I respect other people's choices to disagree, and follow other paths. So, I guess when others have challeneged my beliefs, I did not really call them out on anything because it's their own set of beilefs, and I don't feel like I have the right to judge them.

In To Kill A Mockingbird, the belief that Boo Radley exists is a very firm one. Although Scout, Jem, and Dill have never seen him before, they still believe that he exists and that he is pretty much a freak. At the end of the book, they all realize that he is a real person that has feelings, and is not at all what they thought he once was. "An' they chased him 'n' never could catch him 'cause they didn't know what he looked like, an' Attics, when they finally saw him, why he hadn't done any of those things...Atticus, he was real nice..." "Most people are, Scout, when you finally see them." This is when Scout realizes that Boo is actually a really good man.

Political Cartoon & To Kill A Mockingbird

This political cartoon is pretty much saying that Afghan women should be ignored, and they have no say in anything that goes on. It's showing that males have the upper hand over women.

In To Kill A Mockingbird, Scout begins the book having a set opinion on Boo Radley and his life he has lived/lives. She assumes based on what she has heard from her brother and neighbors that Boo is just a locked up crazy freak who murdered his relative with a scissors. Through different events such as Dill's absence, the trial of Tom Robinson and all of it's troubles it causes the Finch family, and finally when Boo Radley saves Scout and Jem's lives at the end, Scout is able to mature and her outlook on prejudices changes to the extreme. She now realizes the once quiet, simple neighborhood she once lived in, isn't all it was cut out to be. Scout then understands the complexity of the town, and ugliness it holds.

Dill's leaving is a key time in Scout's journey to maturity because it forces her to grow up on her own, and she no longer can look forward to his return (until she finds him hiding). She also takes a break from trying to get Boo out of his house with Jem because of the distraction of the trial Atticus is involved in. Secretly attending the trial is another point in time where Scout comes face to face with the unfairness of the world. After she takes all of the crap people feed her and Jem about their father loving blacks and what not, she then has to experience her father's failure to prove the jury otherwise, concerning Tom Robinson.

When Boo Radley saves Scout and Jem at the end, Scout sees the true Arthur Radley, and realizes he is everything she once thought he was not. This is a major stage of Scout's maturity because she learns not to be prejudice against people before one actually sees/meets them.

The section I chose to write about is in Chapter 9 when Scout's Aunt Alexandra's grandson, Francis, tells Scout that her father is a nigger-lover. I chose this section because it made me really angry. Scout ends up punching Francis in the mouth, and her Uncle Jack yells at her for it, and gives her a licking. He later approaches Scout to have a serious talk about the situation, and Scout informs him of what Francis said to provoke the fight. Uncle Jack then gets infuriated and goes after Francis. I liked this passage because it made me feel for Scout, and it really pissed me off. Someone once told me a good book is one that makes one feel...and I have come to realize that sometimes when I hate a book so much because of it's events and such, that the statement applies. Although I was happy that there was somewhat justice in the end when Scout's uncle finds out the truth, I still look back at the passage in anger. When Francis yells, "Grandma, she's got me in here and she won't let me out," I shook my head because A) he's being a wuss that's really annoying and B) it's his own fault for provoking Scout to do so. What makes me even more angry is after Scout gets scolded for her actions towards Francis and her bad language, Francis has the nerve to say nigger-lover again. I'm glad Scout ends up punching him in the teeth.

The Vocabulary of Comics

In the second chapter, McCloud discusses icons and how details, or lack there of, change one's perception on comics. I thought the most interesting section of this chapter was when he lined up the faces from most detailed to nothing but a circle, two dots, and a line. He then put labels underneath reading "one," "a few," "thousands", "millions," and then "(nearly) all." He does this to describe the universality of cartoon imagery. He states, "The more cartoony a face is, for instance, the more people it could be said to describe." Before reading, I had viewed comics merely as short humorous conversations, and I did not really care for them at all, which I don't know if I do yet. McCloud's explanation on how people view comics interested me a lot because I am so used to reading them and just taking it for how it is, not really looking into it much. Through reading this book, I developed a lot better understanding of comics and what they consist of.

Beowulf

The different translations I read were those of John Gibb, E.L. Risden, and Kevin Crossley-Holland. I found The Dragon to be the most interesting segment of the story because Beowulf proved to be successful through Grendel and Grendel's mother, but then he runs into trouble when he encounters the dragon. Naegling, his loyal sword ends up snapping during his fight with the dragon. In his near death situation, a thane named Wiglaf comes to his assistance, and helps Beowulf defeat the dragon, risking his life. Sacrifice is one of the themes found in this part of the story. It is exemplified through Wiglaf standing up to the dragon, in order to save Beowulf and help kill the dragon, willing to give up his life for his friend's. Death is also an apparent theme because Beowulf struggles against the dragon, and is almost killed because his sword fails him. Death is also seen in the dragon, when he falls short at the end. Trust is another theme found in The Dragon. Beowulf relies on Naegling to get him through the battle with the dragon because it had not yet failed him before. It's almost as if his sword betrayed him. The different translations help me in understanding the text because one translation might use a good description of what occurred in a segment, while another might leave out some detail in a different section. They all kind of back each other up, and add to the comprehension of what happened in Beowulf. This story is a classic example of a Hero's journey because it begins with a send off, and he goes through trials (Grendel and Grendel's mother), he almost fails at the end, but Wiglaf (his help) assists him in defeating the dragon.

Hero

To me, a hero is someone a person, or people, look up to in some sort of way. Whether it is their actions, personality, or views on different things. What does it mean to be a hero? I think to be considered a hero, one must respect the person, and the hero must have done something to earn this respect. A hero should be someone a person views as a positive thing in their life, but a hero to some people may be looked at as a "negative" thing in another person's eyes. The hero has been popularized through many different elements. It has became known through books, comics, television shows, movies, people in history, and everyday people in life (family member, teacher, doctor, dentist, etc.) I think the world needs heroes to give others something to base their lives on, to look up to, and to try to be like (because if someone is trying to be like another, they must value something he/she has in their life, which could be anything).

Monomyth

The hero I chose was Harry Potter. His story, like The Hero with a Thousand Faces began with a call to action. Throughout the series, Harry is approached in different ways. For instance, owl letters, Dumbledore, the house elf, and what not. He is called to action because of his unknown history of being one of the most powerful wizards. After he accepts the call, to escape the horrible living situation with his aunt, uncle, and spoiled cousin, Harry encounters one his protective figures, Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts Wizard School. I see the "crossing the threshold" as the train station Harry has to take to get to school because he has never experienced it before, and didn't even know it existed. The road of trials for Harry include bullies, dealing with his popularity, and learning magic. The thing supporting him in his battles are his two close friends and magic. Harry Potter doesn't really meet his "goddess" until later in the series. He goes through his ups and downs with both of his very close friends though. "Atonement with the father" can be observed throughout all of the books, when Harry is triggered by different thoughts and emotions concerning his dead parents. "Apotheosis" for him is when he sacrifices his life for pretty much everyone he encounters, when facing evil. I think Harry's "ultimate boon" is his magic and newfound feeling of confidence when returning to the "muggle" (human) world he once lived in. The reason for Harry's "refusal of the return" is because he has found a place where he is a lot more content than at his relatives. An example of Harry "losing his ego" is when his friends refuse to contact him through owl mail for a long period of time, while he is stuck at the muggle house. "The crossing of the return threshold" is exemplified every summer when Harry must return to his aunt and uncle's house. Eventually, he has to force himself to remain there due to safety precautions. Harry has to perceive both worlds then, and it is difficult for him because he knows he has the power of magic, but is not allowed to use it outside of school. Finally, the "freedom to live" is shown when Harry ignores the school's demands, and uses his boon upon his relatives in an act of revenge.

What is an American?

I think of an American as someone who lives in America and has some kind of knowledge of what their country has been through to get them to where they are today. Americans also take pride in their country and what it stands for. They should not take their rights for granted.

2 Theories

One of the theories that interested me the most was the biographical literary theory. I chose this one because I enjoy reading about other people's lives, whether it's relating to them or learning from their experiences.

The second theory I found interesting was the socialist literary theory. The reason I chose this theory was because I like observing how people start off at one end of the spectrum and end up on the other side by enduring whatever struggles they have experienced in life.