Brave New World Reading Journal Part II

Questions about the future of Brave New World:
-Will soma run out? If it does, will the people's eyes be opened to the injustice of what seems to them to be a utopia? What will their thoughts be on this new world?
-What are Bernard's intentions in bringing John, the Savage, to the One State? Are they purely selfless, or does he have other motivations?
-Does Bernard still have feelings for Lenina? After so much excitement with bringing John to the One State, might his thoughts about her be pushed to the back of his mind, if not extinguished?

It seems to me as a reader that soma will at some point run out, causing chaos throughout the society and thus proving that problems must be dealt with instead of being something from which to hide. The people are conditioned to think that "a gramme is better than a damn," and they frequently take "holidays" to escape the pressures of life through the drug soma. For instance, after being scarred from the activities at the reservation, "Lenina felt herself entitled...to a complete and absolute holiday. ...she swallowed six half-gramme tablets of soma, lay down on her bed, and within ten minutes had embarked for lunar eternity." The people are very accustomed to using this for an escape, and do not hesitate to do so. Its consistency in the book implies that such reliance on it will be tested at some point; people need soma like they need food, water, and shelter. If it is taken away, the One State will likely fall into disaster; people will begin to question the ways of the society, eyes will be opened to injustice, and rebellion will likely ensue.

Bernard's intentions originally seemed to be for the better of both John and himself, neither exclusively. He made "the first move in a campaign whose strategy he had been secretly elaborating ever since, in the little house, he had realized who the 'father' of this young savage must be [and offerred him a trip back to London]." This implies that Bernard wishes to help the Savage and introduce him to the Director, who he presumes is John's father. However, he later seems to enjoy his fame, however short-lived it is, and uses it to his advantage. For instance, he plans to attend a party with John for more people to see him and to see what the Savage is like, but John refuses to come-which reflects badly on Bernard. Outraged and hurt, Bernard talks to him about him, John, about "refusing to come to my party and so turning them all against me!" Although his intentions may have been pure to begin with, they became selfish; Bernard is more concerned with his reputation and how others viewed him and less with the comfort and well-being of his new friend; he has begun to take advantage of what has been brought to him through the Savage. Huxley shows Bernard's character begin to change and become more selfish through these acts and new-found opinions. If they are to change from here or are revealed to be one way or another is yet to be discovered.

At the beginning of the novel, Bernard seemed to have true feelings for Lenina, as opposed to the shallow attraction shown by most other members of the One State. For instance, he overhears several men discussing her "'as though she were a bit of meat.' Bernard ground his teeth. 'Have her here, have her there. Like mutton. Degrading her to so much mutton.'" He had respect for her before she had respect for him, a trait that Huxley gave him so that the reader might be sympathetic to him. As time progresses, however, and he discovers the newness of the reservation and the entire world that it showcases, Lenina is pushed to the back of his mind. We as readers rarely hear about her in a romantic way as Bernard begins to focus more and more on John and the fame that accompanies him. This leads us to believe that Huxley's character was given these traits to show that people can be completely engulfed in fame and begin to forget what was previously important to them-implying that fame and fortune does not always do one well. It seems that in the future Bernard will realize what is really important and might go back to be with Lenina instead of glorifying in his new fame.

"Don't You Want Me"-The Human League

-What is the subject matter?
-What is the difference in the two sides of the story?
-With whom do you side and why?

The subject is a girl who started off as a waitress and whose life was turned around. She is no longer with her ex boyfriend, though she says that she still loves him.
He thinks that she couldn't be who she is today without him, saying "...don't forget it's me who put you where you are now." By saying this, he feels that he is being neglected and unappreciated, especially considering all the help that he gave her. She, however, thinks that she made her way up on her own, even if their five years together were good. She says, "...even then I knew I'd find a much better place either with or without you." In this, she explained that her ex boyfriend was not completely responsible for her success, and that she should not be forced to stay with him if she wants to make her own way through life.
I side with the man because he helped her, even if not as much as he thought, to be who she is now, and she still left him. Even if she would have turned her life around, he helped her to get started, and he really loved her. She still, however, left him, saying "it's time I lived my life on my own." I think that he deserved better after giving her so much help, even if she didn't see it.

Brave New World Reading Journal Part I

There is an illusion of equality more so than the actual existence of conformity. The social class system puts some over others completely by random selection when the people are being brought into being. However, all classes are glad to be who they are because they have been conditioned to think this way, having been told repeatedly as children that it is best to be who they are. For instance, young Betas are trained to think about how "Alpha children wear grey. They work much harder than we do, because they're so frightfully clever. I'm really awfully glad I'm a Beta, because I don't want to work so hard. And then we are much better than the Gammas and Deltas. Gammas are stupid. They all wear green, and Delta children wear khaki. Oh no, I don't want to play with Delta children. And Epsilons are still worse. They're too stupid to be able to read or write. Because they wear black, which is such a beastly color. I'm so glad I'm a Beta." Even grown people express these sentiments, such as when Lenina says, "My word...I'm glad I'm not a Gamma." The illusion of equality is created through the entire concept of all of the classes being who they are because it is meant to be that way.

The entire concept of choice is eradicated through this caste system and the strict schedule that is observed by all even when one is unaware of it. Lower classes work to make the world a pleasant place for those of higher status; the higher classes have fun and go out with other people constantly, without being allowed to fall in love or make real life decisions, such as marriage. This reduces conflict completely, because no one thinks to have a religion, to try to have a real relationship with someone, etc. The entire idea is simply against the entire code of the society.

Happiness is forced through the conditioning of children and the steady, constant routine. People are trained to think that they are happy and that they have a beautiful life, and most believe it without question; they do little with their life besides what the society tells them to. Most are perfectly content to follow routine, to go out on a date with someone they hardly know, to be who the society wants them to be. Bernard Marx, however, is an exception; he has feelings and emotions unusual for the society, and values people based on their personalities, not their bodies.

This currently is a utopia because everything is under control, and no one is rebelling or unhappy (or so they think). It seems, however, that it could potentially become a dystopia because of the overwhelming control that the government has over the people. Choice of almost any sort has been completely wiped out, which provides room for people to begin to think and thus to rebel; the chance that people would begin to consider they live is much greater when everything is gone.

Ethnography

-What are the benefits of each perspective? Is one perspective better than the other? Explain.

-The following are rules for conducting an ethnography. Write a brief explanation for why these rules exist.

As an ethnographer, you must

• realize objectivity is impossible. Instead of trying to be objective, acknowledge your biases in your research.
• have an informant from the group you're studying.
• be up-front about your intentions; let your subjects know what you're studying and why.

It seems that each perspective would be equally important; etic shows the culture from a perspective that is not used to it, while emic shows it from a perspective that has grown used to it after growing up in it. Etic can compare it to other cultures and show how it might be strange or abnormal. Emic, however, can tell about the perspective with the attitude that this is normal and has good reason to be accepted.
To be an ethnographer, one must be respectful of another culture. People being studied could be offended if they found out later that they were being observed; it is also essential to acknowledge your perspective so that people reading your report can take into account your ideas of this culture. Finally, and informant is very important so that the ethnographer can understand more about why some things are done in the culture.

"Rain on the Scarecrow"-John Mellencamp

-What's the song about? Summarize.
-What are some conflicts this song might address?
-Make a claim about Mellencamp's use of imagery or symbolism.
-Make a claim about Mellencamp's word choice. Think about connotation.
-If this represents Mellencamp's opinion, who does he seem to favor? Who does he present sympathetically? What side of the conflict does he seem to be on? Support your answers with examples from the text.

This song is about a man whose family's farm was lost because of unpaid loans.
This song is addressing the many families who lost their farms and how they then interact with people in power.
Mellencamp's use of imagery and symbolism add to the overall effect and give it a more morbid tone. He talks about the "rain on the scarecrow, blood on the plow," giving it a darker feel. He also says "Son, I'm just sorry they're just memories for you now." This leads the listener to believe that the son will not carry on the legacy.
Mellencamp's word choice adds a deep, meaningful feeling to the song. He talks about his background and his future, and many of the connotations reflect the nostalgia and longing he feels.
He seems to favor the poorer people and those who cannot help themselves; he talks about how he "grew up like my daddy did, My grandpa cleared this land; when I was five I walked the fence while Grandpa held my hand;" This leads the listener to believe that this is all the narrator knew.

Batting Clean-Up and Striking Out SOAPSTone

The subject of Dave Barry’s Batting Clean-Up and Striking Out was the overall existence of differences in opinions between women and men concerning sports and dirt. This is illustrated through his examples and scenarios of each gender confronted with one of the previous problematic nouns. He discusses how a man reacts to dirt versus how a woman does, and the same with sports.

This piece was written in the 1980’s, presumably, and published in 1988. This is shown through the short introduction prior to the writing. The probable place of writing was at the writer’s place of residence, which is in Miami, according to the biography printed about the writing piece. This probably affected his writing in that he could take examples from his experiences that occurred around him.

Barry’s specific audience for Batting Clean-Up and Striking Out is the general public, especially that part of it that appreciates humor or that is interested in the different opinions of men and women on various topics. This is clear through the style of writing and the examples and content used throughout the piece. For example, Barry writes of how his wife asked him to clean a bathroom, and when he was finished, she didn’t even know that he had cleaned it and returned, asking him again to clean it and saying that it was “filthy.” Barry’s writing response to this was “and if I tell her that I already cleaned the bathroom, she gives me this look that she has perfected, the same look she used on me the time I selected Robert’s outfit for school and part of it turned out to be pajamas.” This shows that Barry does not take this topic terribly seriously.

Dave Barry’s purpose in his piece of writing is to amuse people while comparing men and women in various topics and tasks. His humor on such a topic is illustrated when he writes, “[on the other hand] is sports. This is an area where men tend to feel very sensitive and women tend to be extremely callous. I have written about this before and I always get irate letters from women who say they are the heavyweight racquetball champion of some place like Iowa and are sensitive to sports to the point where they could crush my skull like ripe grape, but I feel these women are the exception.” This shows that he has little, if anything, serious to say on this topic and enjoys creating such situations as Iowa heavyweight racquetball championships that are won by women who do not appreciate being told that they don’t like sports.

Barry believes that many things can be approached from a humorous angle. This is illustrated by his many examples that are realistic, but his reactions to them are completely un-academic and unprofessional (which is not at all to say that they aren’t funny). He takes a creative and witty approach to every topic that he discusses.

Dave Barry’s tone is very witty and clever-he is rather carefree about these topics but applies a funny tone to them. These are expressed through writing such as a comparison to Edgar Allan Poe’s The Tell-Tale Heart to the effect the temptation of the World Series on television has on the males but fails to have on the females. Overall, he is extremely sharp in his writing.

Excerpts

1. The tone of excerpts 1-3 is one of scared wonder-the narrator has clearly never seen people like these before, and he finds them exotic and unpredictable. In section 1, he talks of "the young fellow by my side [who] growled" and that "the pilgrims murmured at my back." He also writes that "a formidable silence hung over the scene." In section 2, the wonder is evident through the wording of the description; he tells of "faces like grotesque masks." Finally, the third section mentions the "complete, deathlike indifference of unhappy savages."

2. The tone of the first paragraph of the fourth section is horror and uncertainty. The narrator discusses a man with "his brother phantom" and how the entire scene seemed a "picture of a massacre or a pestilence." The second paragraph, however, seems to be overwhelming relief; the narrator first "took [the white man] for a sort of vision."

-Why would the West manufacture an other/enemy?
 They might do this to gain unity; with a common enemy, people seem to group together and unify.

George Orwell

1. Orwell was terrified of people in power having too much control and taking over.
2. Orwell valued freedoms such as the freedom to think and the freedom of choice.

Polygamy

-Remember that double consciousness (also called double vision) is the belief that some people are forced to live in two cultures. They are first part of the dominate culture, and then they are also part of a subculture. Sometimes the ideas/values of these two cultures oppose each other. Describe what it might be like to see as both an American (where polygamy is taboo) and also as a person who is in a polygamous relationship. What kind of conflicts could result from this? Provide specific scenarios/conflicts.
-The idea of "double vision" says that people in a subculture not only see themselves the way their subculture does but also the way that the dominate culture does. How can "double vision" affect one's view of himself/herself?

This could cause both internal and external conflicts, as well as cultural conflict. A person might have to make a huge decision that would seem to (and could actually) decide which group they really belonged to. This could also cause an argument between the person and perhaps their spouse as well; a man might have several wives, causing conflict between himself and one or more of his wives.
Double vision can ultimately determine whether someone has a high or low self esteem; people whose actions are frowned upon in one society to which they belong can start to feel bad about themselves, and feel rejected.

1984 Reading Journal Part III

Unfortunately, it does seem that Big Brother-whether he really exists or not-has won. When Winston tried to rebel (moving up from simply thoughtcrime to joining what he thought was the Brotherhood and being involved with Julia, who was not his wife), he was captured and tortured into insanity, believing the idiocy that the Party forced upon him. Big Brother seems to represent the (Inner) Party as a whole, with the thoughts that power is all that matters and that pain is necessary for power; unfortunately, they have almost completely succeeded in these endeavors. People have completely lost all freedoms except the freedom to live-they can't choose what they eat, where they work, who they marry, etc. The Party has manipulated the society so that if anyone rebels against this, they are vaporized; people are trained to accept everything and to block out any and all contradicting thoughts.
At the end of the novel, Winston is an alcoholic (or as close as one can be, considering that the only substance is victory gin)-"The [gin] grew not less but more horrible with every mouthful he drank. But it had become the element he swam in. It was his life, his death, and his resurrection. It was gin that sank him into stupor every night, and gin that revived him every morning. When he woke, seldom before eleven hundred, with gummed-up eyelids and a fiery mouth and a back that seemed to be broken, it would have been impossible even to rise from the horizontal if it had not been for the bottle and teacup placed beside the bed overnight. Through the mid-day hours he sat with a glazed face, the bottle handy, listening to the telescreen." The Party drove him not only to this insane dependency on gin through the torture they forced him to endure but also to the instinct, ironically, to love Big Brother. Somehow, through the Winston's screaming for the rats to go to Julia, he was changed to value the things that the Party values, and to think that he had been wrong in opposing the party at all. Unfortunately, it is assumed that Winston then deteriorates into nothing from this sad state until he dies. Despite all of his efforts, the Party has won.

Love Language

-What are some of your assumptions during the video?
-How is this a cultural conflict? What are the cultures, and what is the conflict?
-What's an example of external conflict from the video?
-What's an example of internal conflict from the video?
-How were the conflicts resolved?

One assumption could be that she just wasn't terribly friendly; another could be that she didn't speak English.
The two cultures are the culture of the girl-the deaf community-and the non-deaf community of the boy. They clashed and then resolved by using Post-It notes.
An example of external conflict is the boy attempting to talk to the girl, who refuses to say anything.
An internal conflict was the girl's struggle to decide whether or not to tell the boy that she was deaf.
The conflicts were resolved through different means; the boy found an alternate way to communicate with the girl without realizing that she couldn't hear, and the girl showed the boy, instead of telling him, that she was deaf by giving him the earphones that played no music.