#ELP – Student Portfolio

ELP

The Handmaid’s Tale

Posted on September 18, 2020 by joshi79570@gapps.uwcsea.edu.sg

What if the religious right went beyond elections and staged a revolution, establishing an American government that replaced the Constitution with the Bible? How could it take place? What would life be like under it, especially for women?

Handmaid’s tale will come to life.

I honestly believe that if this happens, it will drastically change how we look at the world around us. Imagine the situation in schools: we would no longer be learning multiple perspectives but rather just the view of the bible. Children will be discouraged from trying to think out of the box and might even face consequences if they try to. Women would no longer have a say in any decisions and all the sacrifices that were made by previous activists, in order to try and go away from such a situation, would be futile. Women would essentially become objects for men and it would cause women to “hope” that they are the “rich wife” who just have to stay in the house and do nothing (a situation not exactly best either)

The scary part is – I don’t think that this is something that completely unrealistic. Recently,

ELP

What Role Does Poetry Play in Your Life?

Posted on April 25, 2020May 12, 2020 by joshi79570@gapps.uwcsea.edu.sg

How do you experience poems? Do you turn to them for inspiration or joy? For solidarity in moments of sadness?

Although I don’t read a lot of poetry, I do turn to songs for different purposes. Recently I have been listening to a lot of Joyner Lucas when I feel down. I think a lot of his lyrics really resonate with me at times and even if the literal situation may not be familiar with me, the tone and the feel of the song really makes me feel connected. Amidst all the chaos that is happening at the moment, it helps me to just listen to a song before going to bed even if that song may be sad/sorrowful.

Even though sad songs do help when I’m feeling down, I do turn to inspirational songs. Many times, these are songs from around 2012 just because the nostalgia, personally, makes me feel really happy and gets me pumped up to be productive or achieve any goals that I have set.

ELP

How Can We Help One Another During the Coronavirus Outbreak?

Posted on April 14, 2020May 12, 2020 by joshi79570@gapps.uwcsea.edu.sg

In a time of anxiety and social distancing, what can we do to look out for one another?

Although social distancing seems to be the best way to stop the spread of the coronavirus, it has caused a lot of people to face fear and anxiety. In such a situation, I think it is up to each of us to make sure that we all look after each other. One of the main things to do is to try and stay in contact with all your friends and family even in such a situation. Even if this is just an online game of chess or UNO, try to make sure that no one feels left out. Playing online games can also help those who may feel more anxious by being on video calls for too long.

Not only your friends and family, but you should try and look out for your community also. This could be by donating to local food banks or volunteering to help out the elderly. There are a lot of people who rely on food banks and due to the shortage of donations and labor, a lot of banks are not able to provide for the poor. This has caused fear in a lot of communities who rely on these food donations to survive. Moreover, there are a lot of elderly who live alone and can’t go out to buy groceries or essential items. If you know someone in such a situation, reach out to them and ask them if they need help.

Finally, along with helping each other, I think we should be taking care of ourselves also. This includes making sure to wash our hands as often as possible and staying clean and indoors. Make sure that you don’t deviate from your main goals and don’t let these different circumstances stop you from achieving your aims and goals.

ELP

Top Girls

Posted on December 16, 2019May 12, 2020 by joshi79570@gapps.uwcsea.edu.sg

Q) Explain how Churchill uses language to establish a particular character’s identity, class, or social status. First, decide on a character, then analyze the specific language selected by Churchill for this particular character. Include direct quotes and dramatic techniques. Remember to consider both representation and identity in your response. Respond in paragraph form.

The character I have chosen is Dull Gret. In Top Girls, Churchill uses language as an indicator of class status and how women were oppressed at that time. Churchill makes Dull Great a stark contrast to everyone else at the dinner table by making her the quiet and silent one who doesn’t talk much until the very end. When Gret does eventually decide to join the conversation, the way her narrative changes is striking. I think the reason Churchill does this is to show how women at that time had a lot to say and a lot of emotion that they wanted to express but were told to keep quiet and not talk just like how Dull Gret was in the beginning. Talking about her main speech at the end where Gret describes her struggles, I think that Churchill wants to portray how Gret had gone “into hell” and fight the “devils” (devils being men in this scenario) to fight against this system where men were dominating. Churchill shows how women had been constructed to have a particular ‘voice’ or ‘identity’ and therefore uses Gret to show how women tried to fight back against this. Through the story that Gret tells, Churchill wants to show that even though they were all going through horrific times the women were able to fight the “devils” (men) and also beat them.