Control Room Propaganda

It is okay for the government to mislead in order to promote security.

Initially, during the class discussion I agreed with this statement. The reason for this is because I assumed the government had the best interest for the people, but I discarded possible costs. My opinion towards this deviated from my initial response. Often times government’s aim to burgeon their economic status as opposed to protect the wellbeing of the people. In the documentary, Control Room, it was revealed that the American government invaded Iraq in 2003 with the aim of elevating their economy. But, this act harmed the Iraqi civilians. The Americans were deceived of this and perceived that the US army was bringing “justice” and “freedom” to the Iraqi citizens.

Therefore, I do not agree with this statement especially when human rights are violated and civilians were harmed. The American media purported their acts as bringing justice this was highlighted it many instances. I was especially intrigued when the American media displayed children celebrating Bush, when in fact the children were saying “Goddam Bush” in Arabic, and thus the media took advantage of the language barrier.

My grandmother is Iraqi, therefore I can personally condemn the invasion of Iraq as it affected my family personally, and therefore in my eyes it is not okay for the government to mislead regardless of whether it is for security measures. It is imperative for governments to ensure their actions do not impose harm regardless of any benefits.

'Tulips' by Sylvia Plath IOC Practice

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5PjQy2qRuoKY2h0ZnFlck5lenc/view?usp=sharing

Coriolanus Passage IOC Outline

Introduction:

This passage is form the play “Coriolanus” by William Shakespeare. This passage acts as the primary climax of Coriolanus’s inexplicit internal conflicts throughout the play. This passage ultimately highlights his banishment from Rome, as he is maladaptive to the political shift from monarchy to democracy. It marks the beginning of the tragic hero, Coriolanus’, downfall.

Shakespeare crafts his work as a social commentary to display the distribution of power in the Elizabethan era. In attempt to modernize Rome, the new distribution of power is deemed problematic and unfathomable for Coriolanus.

This Individual Oral Commentary will proceed in a sequential fashion.

Lines 1-10

• Sicinius utilizes sly imagery to coax the citizens to conform to their plan to “banish (Coriolanus from their) city.” à “In peril of precipitation From off the rock Tarpeian never more”
• The repetition and use of anaphora of “it shall be so” further motivates the citizens to agree with the banishment of Coriolanus.
• The chanting citizens are almost blindly following Sicinius and Brutus, which characterizes them as oblivious and impervious beings.
• Sicinius and Brutus are characterized as deceptive and manipulative in their nature.
• This dialogue builds tension towards the climax and emphasizes the conflicts within the play.

Lines 10-22

• Cominus demonstrates ethos by mentioning his credibility, hence has good rhetoric à “I have been consul.”
• Still embodies the old society, wherein wounds and military power were valued à “Her enemies marks upon me”
• Brutus has an insisting tone à “There is no more to be said”
• Again the repetition of “it shall be so”

Lines 22-39

• The use of animal imagery dehumanizes and demotes the citizens à “You common cry of curs!”
• Coriolanus’ hubris does not allow him to be banished, thus he banishes Rome. He also does not believe the citizens are able to make decisions, thus makes it appear as though it is his decision to leave. à “That do corrupt my air, I banish you”
• To further empathize the aforementioned claim à “Have the power still to banish you defenders”
• He insults the citizens, which characterizes his intolerance and desire to place a hierarchy. à “Your ignorance.”
• He takes charge of himself. Additionally, he turns his back, which indicates he has lost hope in his city. à “For you, the city, thus I turn my back.”

Conclusion

            This passage is the climax of the play as it marks the beginning of Coriolanus’ downfall. Additionally, it employs imagery to further highlight this. It is important to note that through the dialogue it is evident that good rhetoric is overruling Coriolanus’ speech. Thus, this reveals the power of linguistics and politics, rather than military power.

Boys and Girls Passage IOC Outline

Introduction:

The short story Boys and Girls is from Munro’s first collection, published in 1968, Dance of the Happy Shades. The most prevalent theme that acts as a steady undercurrent throughout the story is the theme of coming of age. Munro reveals gender expectations that boys and girls must succumb to according to societal standards. This story reveals a gender hierarchy and dichotomy that separates boys and girls.

Sequential Passage Analysis

This passage is situated after the unnamed protagonist opened the gate for Flora to let her free, as the father and Henry Baily tried to kill her.

1.     Symbolism of Flora

·      There are various parallels drawn between Flora and the protagonist.

·      “Flora would never really get away.” Despite all her efforts she is aware in her subconscious that she can never stray from the restrictive societal norms. She is aware of the fact that society expects her to behave in a certain manner.

·      “I was Flora.” She saw Flora in herself.

·      Flora is entrapped by forces greater than herself, akin to the narrator.
·      Attempting to free Flora is symbolic of her attempt to flee from societal norms.

2.     Idolizing the father

·      As a male figure he is respected. This displays his dominance as a male figure.

·      “Your poor father.” The mother displays sympathy for her hardworking husband.

·      The mother is associated with the kitchen and domestic jobs, such as “planning dinner” and “ironing.”

·      “Bloody overalls.” Males did the more useful work and were more brave.

3.     Coming of age to succumb to gender roles.

·      Overdriven by society and is forced to conform, and ignore her own emotional conflict.

·      She begins to display a more feminine demeanor as she makes her “room fancy” with “old lace,” She Is also “fixing herself.”

·      Females associated with aesthetics and domestic service.

·      These traits are regarded as subordinate but are mandatory to possess as a female to gain acceptance.

·      She is separating her room from Laird’s, which displays a gender division.

·      “We did not sing at night any more” displays coming of age.

·      “You sound silly” said Laird, which demeans her value, yet she does not reply and remained silent in obedience.

4.     Dreams

·      Her personality as it burgeons and she realizes that the societal values do not coincide with her own.

·      At first her narrator has grand dreams of action, heroism, and acclaim, but later the daydreams show her as a passive beneficiary of someone else’s heroism. 

·      “A story might start off in the old way, with spectacular danger... I might rescue people.” These are regarded as roles of dominance, which in such a society is attributed to males. Her dreams shift to being about somebody rescuing her instead. This mimics the hopelessness that society perceives in women. As incapable beings that are solely concerned with aesthetics and domestic service for their male counterparts. Her dreams “concerned itself at great length with what (she) looked like.” Hence, she is inevitably embodying her prescribed role.

·      These differing fantasy roles show the strict split between the gender binary, and display her coming of age and conforming to her respective role.

·      This demonstrates the manipulation in the narrative structure.

Conclusion
Thus, this story illustrates the coming of age journey of an oblivious, yet ambitious, young girl into a gendered adult. Finally, at the end of the passage, the death of Flora is symbolic of the death of the protagonists attempt to transgress societal expectations.  

Individual Oral Commentary

Here is my practice IOC from an extract from The Moons of Jupiter:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5PjQy2qRuoKa0U3YUM4QmFGS2M/view

How to save a life

Isaac Slade is the lead vocalist of the renowned American band the Fray. This band cunningly crafts music that resonates with their audience and vocalize it with a lilting voice that delights our senses. It is easy to get carried away in their stunning voices, and neglect the deeper meaning behind their lyrics.

The song “How to save a life” was inspired by Slade’s experience working as a mentor at a camp for troubled teenagers. The teenagers underwent distress and a plethora of psychological difficulties. There was a 17-year-old boy he mentored that had a drug addiction. However, his family and friends approached him in an uncomforting manner as they threatened him rather than comforted him. They depreciated his acts, and constantly badgered him with remarks such as “quit taking drugs and cutting yourself or I wont talk to you again.” The young boy was in need for support. In the chorus, the singer laments that he was unable to save a friend because he did not know how to do so. The lyrics embark on the regret and sorrow Slade felt, as he was unable to “save a life.”

Inevitable, this song triggers melancholic emotions to those listening, as they begin to recognize how fragile individuals are. It is imperative to adopt methods that can comfort those suffering, rather than threaten them and make them feel like a burden. This causes those listening to feel empathetic towards this situation and those similar to it, and most prominently remain cautious of the way they deal with people. Finally, this teaches the importance of acquiring emotional intelligence. 

Song Lyrics

Step one, you say we need to talk
He walks, you say sit down, it's just a talk
He smiles politely back at you
You stare politely right on through
Some sort of window to your right
As he goes left, and you stay right
Between the lines of fear and blame
You begin to wonder why you came

Where did I go wrong?
I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life

Let him know that you know best
Cause after all, you do know best
Try to slip past his defense
Without granting innocence
Lay down a list of what is wrong
The things you've told him all along
And pray to God he hears you
And I pray to God he hears you

Where did I go wrong?
I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life

As he begins to raise his voice
You lower yours and grant him one last choice
Drive until you lose the road
Or break with the ones you've followed
He will do one of two things
He will admit to everything
Or he'll say he's just not the same
And you'll begin to wonder why you came

Where did I go wrong?
I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life

Where did I go wrong?
I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life

How to save a life
How to save a life

Where did I go wrong?
I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life

Where did I go wrong?
I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life

How to save a life
How to save a life

David Foster Wallace & Alice Munro

In what ways could Wallace’s theory about education be applicable to the writing of Alice Munro? Justify your conclusion.

The commencement speech “This is Water” by David Foster Wallace strives to communicate that true freedom acquired through education is the ability to be adjusted, conscious, sympathetic and empathetic. This can be achieved by gaining a heightened sense of awareness, straying from your “automatic” and “default setting” and to be “sacrificing your life for others, over and over.” In order to hold the ability to adjust one’s self to be able to be empathetic and emotionally intelligent, Wallace highlights the imperative nature of intrapersonal intelligence and interpersonal intelligence. Intrapersonal intelligence involves mindfulness and self-awareness, which he illustrates through the didactic parable of the fish. Moreover, interpersonal intelligence encompasses the ability to have an “awareness of what is so real and essential” and an awareness of the emotions of those that besiege you, which is revealed through the supermarket anecdote. Wallace suggests that higher education teaches students to develop these qualities, and allow individuals to realize that they are not the center of the universe and to encourage them to be “well-adjusted” and “conscious.” This is of great importance as often times adults get sucked into a “day in, day out” routine that involves “boredom” and “petty frustration,” but when one makes conscious decisions they can extrapolate the meaningful aspects of life. Wallace articulates that higher education does not only teach content, but the ability to manage our emotions and gain empathy. Humans unconsciously see the worst in people when they appear to be in mere frustration, and repeat this habit indefinitely until it becomes a trivial routine. It is important to strive for self-awareness and gain control over how we conceptualize our surroundings; thus adopt a positive outlook on life.

Similarly, Alice Munro cunningly narrates stories surrounding the inexorable reality of day-to-day life events. Both Munro and Wallace implant the idea of emotional intelligence through expressing human’s natural inclination to fill some kind of void. Munro’s literary works consistently emphasize the theme of change and maturity. Those who advance and change are capable of shaping their lives in a more meaningful way, and are able to sustain and solidify relationships. This is revealed through many of her texts. In the story “Royal Beatings,” when Rose’s altered her perspective of Flo from a sullen and insensitive being to one who is sympathetic, she was able to grasp a positive outlook. This, therefore, allowed Rose to be more emotionally intelligent and empathetic to Flo’s circumstances. This is also evident in “Moons of Jupiter,” as Janet undergoes changes in order to be more empathetic towards her father and therefore mend broken relationships. The theme of change is repeated in “Family Furnishings,” “Passion,” “Boys and Girls” and so forth. Through Munro’s texts it is evident how a change in perspective can elevate one’s emotional intelligence and awareness, thus allow the character’s to be more secure.

Munro’s stories are directly correlated to the concept of emotional intelligence in the way that she centers her stories around realistic characters and possibilities. Wallace suggests that one must consider the circumstances and possibilities of those around us, they could possibly be screaming at their child because they have been awake for “three straight nights holding the hand of (their) husband who’s dying of bone cancer.”  In “Moons of Jupiter” the protagonist is holding the hand of her father who is dying of cancer. Munro emphasizes that these occurrences are possible and one must be empathetic towards these possibilities. Munro builds complex characters and reveals their intricate thoughts through a first person narration. This point of view allows the readers to fully sympathize with the complex characters, and gardens empathy from the audience. This point of view also allows the readers to engage with the narrator’s thoughts, feelings, motives and perspectives. This enables the readers to trace the character’s development and allows the readers to be involved in the story. Munro’s writing style allows the readers to pose questions and deduce conclusions, which exercises how they think and thus trains them to be compassionate. Munro also cunningly displays other characters in the same way that humans would perceive them when using their default settings. In the story “Royal Beatings” Rose automatically regards Flo as unsympathetic and hostile. Munro later reveals that when Rose changes her train of thought she was able to empathize with Flo and her struggles. In psychology, a theory is revealed that by human nature individuals are inclined to commit fundamental attribution error. That is, humans have the tendency to place undue emphasis on internal characteristics (dispositional factors) and disregard external factors (situational factors or circumstances). Munro and Wallace, alike, attempt to display that individuals can train their brains to stray from this unwanted pessimistic habit.

Munro’s writing style allows the readers to undergo the struggles that her characters experience. This allows the readers to understand the character’s emotions and witness the flashbacks and thoughts the characters cognitively appraise. This reinforces the reader’s sense of awareness of not only the world around them (interpersonal intelligence) but also makes the readers aware of the personal effects of certain circumstances (intrapersonal intelligence). Furthermore, Wallace highlights that higher education allows students to realize the world is much greater than their solipsistic self. He encourages the students to embrace the world around the and discard “unconscious” thinking and their “automatic” and “default setting.” He encourages them to choose what to worship in order to attain freedom. Real freedom “involves attention and awareness and discipline, and being able truly to care about other people and to sacrifice for them over and over.” Finally, stay mindful and aware your surroundings and internal feelings.