How does Blades named Delilah explore how culture is used as a tool of mechanic subjugation and liberation?

* What do YOU think went well?

I think I was able to get across most of my points across and was quite clear on the overall thesis and the thesis for each of the texts and the overall bodies of work. The evaluative points for the Spring in the Trenches were also quite strong and I thought that I was able to present them in a logical structure.

* What parts of the IO were less convincing?

I think that the evaluative points for Carol Ann Duffy’s poem War photographer were weaker in comparison to the first text, both in terms of quality and the connections between the point and the succeeding. I also think I need to develop my conclusion further in the context of the relevance of the global issue. I also need to balance talking about the text and the body of work for Carol Ann Duffy.

* Were your bullet points helpful? If not, do you need to change/adapt them?

I think my bullet points were largely helpful except for the ones on Carol Ann Duffy’s because they were not structured well. Instead of writing out evidence, I will include the techniques and 1 or 2 pieces of evidence.

* How did you feel about the questions? How can you prepare more?

I feel quite confident about the questions because I know both my extracts really well. My knowledge of the body of work is also quite solid so I should be able to answer questions related to the knowledge and understanding of the extract. I would just work on ensuring that I give coherent answers for the questions. I would do this by practicing the question answering process with a peer.

* Review the peer examiner sheet: do you think your partner was accurate? Too generous? Why?

I think my partner was accurate in the understanding that my understanding of War photographer was weaker than my understanding of Spring in the Trenches. I think my partner was too generous while marking me for the connections between points because I think that is something that needs to be improved.

* What are the three key things you need to work on next week?

• War photographer evaluative points
• Connections between the evaluative points for War photographer
• Develop the conclusion

Segregation in the United States during the 1940s and 1950s was the lawful marginalisation of the black community from the dominantly white American society that existed at the time. It was an effort to still subjugate and discriminate against them after the abolishment of slavery, limiting them to the fringes of society where they could be treated as second class citizens. The result of this was a society controlled by a hierarchy purely based on white supremacy, with the blacks finding themselves in truly destitute conditions. Seeing that their hopes of a new life would not be fulfilled by the slavery ban, they chose to resist society’s desire to limit them to roles of servitude by actively fighting racial discrimination, while also “yearning” for a more hopeful future. This was a prominent theme in Langston Hughes as well as Gordon Parks’s work who were both path breaking artists of the 20th century. In I, too, Hughes uses the voice of a black speaker to narrate the lived experiences of the unfair treatment of the black community in the general American society, as well as to illustrate the resilience that they show in continuing to make strides forward in order to achieve equal rights. On a similar tone, Gordon Parks chooses to photograph a child dressed in shabby clothes “yearning” for a new dress, unattainable to her, just as integration into American society was to the black community.

In I, too, Hughes uses subversive symbolism to emphasise how the black community is shunned to the outskirts of society, ensuring that they remain hidden from the white community. The speaker of the poem asserts himself as an important member of the American society by calling himself the “darker brother”,which others him from the very same society simultaneously. Through the use of this metonym, Hughes serves to illustrate how one’s skin colour can be the sole determinant for how they are treated, highlighting the society’s shallow perception of race. Then, Hughes subverts the traditional image of a kitchen as a place of warmth and comfort by depicting it as a place where the speaker is “sen(t)” when “company comes” over. A sense of helplessness in the speaker’s choice of where to eat is denoted by the verb ”sen(t)” as it implies an authoritative tone whereby the speaker has no choice but to comply. In addition to that, Hughes’ depiction of the speaker as an unwanted and unaccepted member of society shows that the members of the black community were not allowed to interact with the white community even if they lived in the same house. The speaker ,however, is unfazed by this prejudiced treatment as he proclaims that he “laugh(s)…eat(s) well….and grow(s) strong”, taking this exclusion in his stride, reinforcing the message of continuing to move forwards despite obstacles in one’s path. Here, it is possible to draw parallels to Hughes’s poem “Mother and Son” because of the use of symbolism to emphasise upon the hardships that the black community faces, comparing their struggles to “tacks” and “splinters” and illustrates how they continue to persevere on despite that.

In the latter half of the poem, Hughes uses a literal metaphor in conjunction with repetition to signify a shift in power which will allow members of the black community to enjoy a better life “tomorrow”, when these racial barriers cease to exist. The speaker’s claim that he’ll “be at the table” tomorrow is quite a literal metaphor, as it signifies that the black speaker will have a seat at the table with the others or that he will be assimilated into American society with no racial prejudices in the future. When this happens, members of the black community will have equal rights and will be able to freely voice their opinions as opposed to not having a seat at the table or being voiceless. Then, Hughes emphasises the relinquishing of a social hierarchy and the elevation of the status of the black community as the speaker says that “nobody’ll dare” to tell him to “eat in the kitchen”. The inversion of this repeated phrase signals a shift in the tone of the poem, as it becomes more more defiant. There is also an implicit threat of violence present in “dare” to, suggesting that the black community has had enough of the discriminatory treatment that they are subjected to. The use of the arbitrary “tomorrow” however, highlights that there is no certainty as to when these things will happen. The poem ends with the black speaker mentioning that white America would “be ashamed” because of their heinous acts and will finally realise how “beautiful” the black community is, when they are finally accepted as equal.

Gordon Park’s photograph:

• In an untitled photograph taken in Mobile, Alabama, Parks uses body language to communicate a sense of despair and anguish present in the black community as a result of their forced exclusion from society.
• With hands on the window and her head buried within them, it is evident that the young girl longs for a new dress just as her white counterpart has one. Through this, Parks could be referring to the Brown vs Board case, which illustrated how the there were significant disparities between their communities even as they were meant to be equal but separate.
• The bowing of the head could also be a reference to the subservient role that they are meant to play in their life. Thus, showing how this is ingrained in their brains from early childhood, another allusion to the doll test in the landmark Brown vs Board case.

 

• Parks’ use of symbolism encapsulates the segregation that was prevalent at the time, ensuring the continued trivialisation of their community’s social standing, while also illustrating how they were hopeful despite that.
• The mannequins dressed in the shop were all white which depicted the superior lifestyles they led, which afforded them the best of the luxuries that were available. The mannequins facial expression revealed a sense of happiness and contentment which Parks juxtaposed against the young girl’s “yearning”.
• The window, then, becomes the barrier between this happiness and unhappiness, representative of the idea of segregation itself.
• The mother’s facial expression becomes a symbol of hope the black community’s hope for bridging the racial divide and creating an equal society, as she looks on and dreams about the day her daughter will have access to the same rights and opportunities as any other citizen of America.

 

• Both the poem and the picture echo the same message about segregation and hope through depicting the lived experiences of members of the black community at that time.
• They both explain the life of despondency that black people have to live, yet how they choose to emerge out of it stronger, so that the next generation can enjoy a more fruitful and hopeful living.

 

Global Issue: Power, Politics and Justice

How does the manifestation of power influence the lives of the characters in The Great Gatsby and The Human Acts?

A concept with the ability to change entirely the lives of people, power manifests in societies in various ways. This manifestation may be systemic, with groups that have been influential traditionally, maintaining control over multiple generations or it may be the result of the actions of an individual over the course of their life. Whatever its source may be, this abstract idea is an important determinant of the way an individual acts and is perceived. In Human Acts, a polyphonic novel about the experiences of those present during and after the Gwangju massacre, power rests in the hands of those that support the tyrannical government that oppresses its own citizens. Here, characters with power decide who lives and how they live. In the Great Gatsby however, power belongs to those who have had it in their family for generations. The novel, set in the jazz age in New York, depicts how this community serves to preserve itself by oppressing others, which ultimately leads to the death of the titular character: Jay Gatsby. Both texts illustrate the consequences of the unequal distribution of power prevalent in society, by delving into the lives of those that are most affected by it, whether it be victims of the massacre or Jay Gatsby.

In the Human Acts, Han Kang illustrates a world that functions on the caprices of soldiers, by focusing on the distortion of the lives of their victims. By focusing on their mental as well as physical agony, Kang emphasises on the multifaceted manifestations of trauma that remain with the victims long after the physical violence ends. Meanwhile, the people that inflict this pain are left with no guilt nor are they held accountable for their actions. In this manner, Kang illustrates the breakdown of society as children are shot in the head, the youth are left to die in rotting conditions and dead bodies flood public places, as soldiers realise the extent of their power and the vulnerability of the citizens. The portrayal of the prisoners with disparaged hopes and dreams in the chapter which entails the physical torture that the youth undergo in prison cells defines this dystopian world, where whoever goes against the establishment, is reduced to an animalistic state. Perhaps the extract that most exemplifies this idea is the one where all the prisoners are forced to share morsels of food amongst themselves while they are beaten for being “violent elements” who rebelled against the establishment.  

Being rendered voiceless, they become nobodies in a country that they call their own, ironically because they stood up to a government that they had deemed would be too powerful for anyone’s good. The physical distress that they undergo in these prisons shakes the ideologies of many, with the narrator believing that the soldiers wanted to “make (them) realise how ridiculous it was, the lot of (them) waving the national flag and singing the national anthem”. Here, Kang highlights the fact that these prisoners were all patriots and wanted the best for their country, despite the soldiers labelling them otherwise, which brings forward the point that the nation is different from the government and in a world with such an intense imbalance of power, it doesn’t matter whether the prisoners shared the same values about the nation, as the soldiers. All that mattered was that they had dared to speak against the government, for which the establishment had duly punished them. In this very extract, Kang also presents the magnitude of the  implications of such punishments whereby people were left with little memories of who they were before all of this happened. As Kim Yong Chae recalled what his favourite food was with tears in his eyes, while his “eyes stayed dry while he told the story of his dead cousin”. This instance depicts how desensitized they all became to deaths around them but past happiness seemed unattainable, therefore painful.

In the Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald constructs a world with clear distinctions between those who have the ability to influence society’s proceedings and those who do not. Even though the novel was set in a time when consumerism was at its peak and those who had money had access to absolutely everything that was accessible, true power rested in the hands of those who belonged to the group that had never known what it was like to not have money. As the novel progresses, we see Gatsby’s futile attempts to achieve his idea of the American Dream, which is to be seen as a pivotal member of society which would then enable him to be reunited with Daisy, by throwing regular larger than life parties at his mansion. However, what comes out of these parties is a general suspicion as to who Gatsby really is. As Gatsby’s meetings with Daisy become frequent, he believes that he will be able to recreate his past relationship with her. However, just as Tom restricts him from climbing the social ladder, his relationship with Daisy becomes a hurdle in Gatsby’s path. As Gatsby revels in the realisation that he is incredibly close to achieving his dream, things take a different turn.

Fitzgerald reinstates the idea that the upper class all had an alliance which protected their power from being taken away by people like Gatsby, by showing how Daisy remains with Tom so as to not lose the place she occupies in society. This is characterised by Tom’s statement that“there are things between Daisy and me that you’ll never know, things that neither of us can ever forget.”. In this manner, Fitzgerald tells the readers that power has always belonged to a select group of people historically and this group would never give it up, even if it had to do certain things to preserve itself. Lastly, even as Daisy tells Tom that she would be leaving him for Gatsby, his statement that she wouldn’t leave him and “Certainly not for a common swindler who’d have to steal the ring he put on her finger” reinforces the concept that Tom and Daisy were both very fond of how they were perceived by society. This fondness would never enable them to leave each other, even if that meant they were to remain unhappy, showing how power can sometimes lead to a person ensuring their own unhappiness.

To conclude, both Han Kang and  Fitzgerald illustrated the unequal distribution of power in society across different time periods by focusing on the behaviour showcased by people possessing power. Even though the source of power was different in both cases, there was always a sense of oppression, whether it be explicit as in Human Acts or implicit as in The Great Gatsby, showing how power corrupts people and leads them on a path of self preservation through oppression.

Reza’s “God of Carnage” is a play set in modern day Paris that entails a meeting between two middle class couples, the Vallons and the Reilles, after their children get into a physical altercation with each other.  Reza explores the “bourgeois respectability” ideals that both the couples share and strive to maintain throughout the play by focusing on the artificial facades put up by them and the performative element in their interactions.The play is centered around the dynamics between the characters, especially Annette and the others, as their ever changing quality leads to conflict throughout the play. As the play is set in one of the couples’ home, the staging and the props become a defining feature and greatly contribute to these shifting dynamics. Reza illustrates the breakdown of the facades and the solidarity that exists between Anette and the others at various points in the play through the use of tulips as a prop, amongst others, to showcase her physically destructive nature and her questionable moral code.

At the beginning of the play, Reza presents Annette as an affable and courteous woman who is genuinely concerned about solving the situation peacefully, by presenting Annette’s attempts at befriending the Vallons through the use of the tulips and staging, alongside others, in order to showcase her apparent co-operative nature and values, ideas she is not able to maintain for long. Annette’s remark to Veronique, “Those tulips are gorgeous.” exemplifies the efforts that Annette puts in to befriend the Vallons, which could be a signifier of her friendly nature. However, this remark can also be representative of Annette’s shallow mentality, because of which she tries to develop an urgent allegiance with Veronique to solve the crisis as soon as she can without really understanding the gravity of the situation. Reza’s use of the tulips here demonstrates the initial facade of friendliness that Annette revels in. Nevertheless, the pressure of maintaining this facade gets to Annette quite soon as Alain becomes absorbed in his phone calls and the others remain fundamentally opposed to her. She starts to panic and pace the room which creates a very tense dynamic between the characters due to the small scale stage. Some time later, she vomits on Veronique’s art books after which Veronique reveals her true face by focusing all her attention on the books and exclaiming how the books were invaluable because they“ went out of print years ago” . Perhaps instigated by this reaction and realising that she cannot hold up the facade forever, Annette declares that Ferdinand wouldn’t have injured their child “without a reason” thereby adding to the uneasy dynamic between her and Veronique. Her initial amiable nature thus disappears and is replaced by her true self. The use of the art books by Reza contribute to the breakdown of Annette’s inhibitions by breaking down Veronique’s.The situation here truly represents Annette’s duplicitous nature, which shows itself with the slightest provocation. 

The use of one of the couples’ home by Reza as the stage creates a claustrophobic environment which helps the audience notice the dynamic shifts brought about by Annette’s changed demeanor when she returns after cleaning up, showing how she does not have the sense of morality she pretends to possess. The most significant instance where this idea is displayed is when Michel implies that their son’s reference to the Reilles’ son as grass may have been justified. Annette’s response that theirs “ is as well”  is a direct result of the flaring tensions that were arising between her and Michel due to being stuck in the small room for an extended period of time. This meaningless bickering also marks Annette’s weak moral code as it demonstrates how she is willing to insult someone else’s child in a tough situation which signifies how she can stoop very low when pressured. The development of this uneasy dynamic between her and Michel reveals how they are quite like children themselves, who argue aimlessly and in an unreasonable manner. Later, Annette’s remark that Michel “murdered the hamster” hints at the return of the facade that Annette had revelled in at the beginning of the play. Perhaps, she was trying to put it up again and claim moral superiority over the other characters. Nevertheless, this comment furthers the conflict between her and Michel.Here, Veronique agrees with her and reprimands Michel. At this moment, a brief allegiance forms between Annette and her over their shared disgust at what Michel did. For a brief moment, the dynamics shift pitts the women against Michel, but even as the women claim moral superiority, they aren’t any better than him. Reza’s careful use of the staging creates an environment that builds up tension and induces feelings of entrapment due to which the characters all reveal their true selves.

Towards the end of the play, Reza makes use of the alcohol to break down Annette’s inhibitions which lead her to revealing who she truly allies with and what she actually understands about the entire situation, which ultimately illustrate the significant changes that Annette’s personality goes through and the emergence of her actual nature. After drinking the rum, Annette seems to have lost all her reservations and begins to react impulsively. Reza uses the alcohol to portray Annette’s destructive side as she throws her husband’s phone in the vase of tulips exclaiming, “So there” after being infuriated due to his constant phone calls.  This incident reveals her hypocritical nature as Veronique and her were the ones arguing with Michel over the hamster’s death, an incident seen as a huge act of cruelty by them. Alongside, her casual dismissal of the matter, as she and Veronique go about laughing at Alain alludes to how she behaves like a child in tense situations. This incident breaks up the familial allegiance that existed between the couples, and momentarily, it is the men against the women. However, this does not last long as  Reza presents the final straw that breaks down all the false respectability ideals that the characters pretend to posses by Annette’s remark, “That’s what I think of your pathetic flowers.” to Veronique and Michel ,after tearing up the tulips, which contrasts strongly against what she had said at the beginning. By showing how Annette had put up a facade in the beginning where she appeared to be very agreeable, Reza comments on all the false image that all the characters hold up, as they all shared very similar ideals of “bourgeois respectability.  At the end of the play, the character allegiances are back to square one, with the couples pitted against each other. Ultimately, the readers are able to discern that Annette aligned herself with whoever agreed with her at that specific moment in time, not who was morally right. She also did not care about doing something to solve the situation, she just wanted a “quick fix”.

To conclude, it is apparent that one of the central themes in The God of Carnage is the hypocritical nature of the characters and their weak moral values, exemplified here by Annette’s character. Annette’s breakdown is caused by the lack of support that she receives by her husband due to his emotional unavailability and the lack of empathy that she receives from the others. Her breakdown shows us how facades can only be maintained for so long and that these “ideals of respectability” are of no use since all they do is build up an artificial exterior that cannot even resolve a conflict between children. Reza also makes a strong comment on the inherent nature of human beings to be unreasonable in tense situations and act like children, through the strategic use of the props and staging to aid in creating a pressurising environment that the characters have to interact in.

How do the extracts from The Great Gatsby explore the fundamental dichotomy between old and new money through social attitudes and values?

The Great Gatsby, written by F.Scott Fitzgerald, is a tale that explores Jay Gatsby’s futile attempts at trying to fulfill his version of the “American dream”.  By portraying details of Gatsby’s life and his untimely death due to the meddling of the upper class, the novel showcases the wide gap between “old money” and “new money”.The novel is loosely based on Fitzgerald himself and depicts that the idealised American dream is in fact unattainable as it tries to replicate past events in the present. The novel follows the chronological events of a summer with frequent interruptions with details of Gatsby’s life, presented as revelations made to the narrator. The novel is retrospective and uses analepsis. Fitzgerald employs the use of juxtaposition, symbolism and metaphors amongst other literary devices to showcase the contrast between the way the traditional upper class is perceived with how the nouveau rich are perceived. He also illustrates the importance of the customs and social behaviours prevalent within the upper class of the time that distinguish them from everyone else to construct a tale that presents the chasm between old and new money.

At the very beginning of the novel, the defining contrast that is present between the two aforementioned groups is established through the depiction of the houses characterising East Egg (residence of the upper class) and the houses present at West Egg (residence of the newly rich). The narrator: Nick describes Gatsby’s house in West Egg as a ” factual imitation of some Hotel de Ville in Normandy, with a tower on one side, spanking new under a thin beard of raw ivy” and the houses in East Egg as ” the white palaces of fashionable East egg glittered along the water”. Nick’s reference to Gatsby’s house as an imitation helps readers discern that the houses in West Egg are imitations of classy places but the class has not made it through the translation. The mention of raw ivy is quite significant as a symbol as it is usually associated with colonial aristocratic mansions with history. Here, a thin beard implies that all the construction is new and thus lacks historical value. Fitzgerald uses juxtaposition to contrast the living situations and thereby the lifestyle of both the classes, as the houses at East egg are presented as “white palaces’ immediately after. Ultimately, the disparity prevalent leads the reader to understand that even though Gatsby’s house was “colossal” it could not be seen as an equivalent to the houses in East Egg because it lacked class.

Later, Fitzgerald presents the attitude and behaviour shown by the upper class towards the newly rich by displaying the interactions that occur between them. Firstly, he depicts an interaction between Sloane, his wife, Tom, Nick and Gatsby. Here, Sloane’s wife “invites” Gatsby to dine with them, an invitation he hastily accepts due to his desperation to be a part of their class. However, as Tom soon clarifies when Gatsby is out of hearing range, “She doesn’t want him” and that “she has a big dinner party and he won’t know a soul there.” The reader understands the duplicitous nature of the upper class as they illustrate themselves as welcoming people but are quite the opposite. Alongside, it is also revealed that they value old connections over newly formed bonds. This is due to the fact that even though Sloane had a large dinner party, none would have known Gatsby there as they only interact with whoever they deem suitable in terms of class and not money. Through this interaction, the reader also understands that Nick would have been more accepted than Gatsby due to his family status even though he is not nearly as wealthy as him. A few scenes later, Fitzgerald also reveals that there are unwritten rules that “old money” follows by showing an interaction between Jordan and Tom. Jordan tells Tom that Gatsby is an Oxford graduate to which he replies by saying, “Like hell he is! He wears a pink suit.” The reader understands that even an innocent mistake like wearing a pink suit could be seen as a grave offence by the upper class. Through these interactions, Fitzgerald portrays the idea that there are certain rules that the upper class has been brought up with which they would never go against and that they never allow someone of supposed inferior birth to be a part of their group. These features make them appear quite a lot like cliques.

Towards the end of the book, while Gatsby awaits Daisy’s acceptance of going away with him, he speaks at length with Nick about the time he met Daisy. Here, Fitzgerald again presents the contrast between the newly rich and the upper class by juxtaposing Gatsby and Daisy’s house. Firstly, Nick while looking for cigarettes, describes Gatsby’s house as ” innumerable feet of dark wall” and the rooms in it as “musty”. The descriptions of the house are significant as it shows the reader that even though the house was enormous it had a dark quality to it as opposed to being a place that provided comfort. In addition to that, the fact that Nick remarked how the rooms were musty shows that Gatsby could not maintain his large estate well despite his wealth, at least in the eyes of Nick.  Then, as Gatsby and Nick continue to converse, Gatsby speaks about Daisy’s house. He remarks, “There was a ripe mystery about it, a hint of bedrooms up-stairs more beautiful and cool than other bedrooms”. This remark is pivotal to the readers’ understanding of the fact that the houses of the upper class could be distinguished from the rest as even though Gatsby’s house was very grand, it had a dark aura around it while Daisy’s house seemed ethereal. It also leads to the conclusion that being aristocratic was an experience which could not be had with wealth alone.

In conclusion, the fact that a central theme in The Great Gatsby is the clear distinction between new money and old money is exceedingly shocking because America as a democratic country is not supposed to have an “upper aristocratic” class as it is considered to be the epitome of a “merit based” system, wherein if someone works hard, they receive the benefits. The fact that all the houses shown are grand but have dissimilar qualities attached to them and that certain colours are not be worn amongst other values, show how being “old money” is an idea that cant be bought by wealth. The values and the presentation of old money as a clique showcases how the upper classes had long suppressed the lower classes and had continued to do so. It did not matter how much wealth someone outside the clique had acquired, they would never be allowed to climb up the social ladder. Eventually, all of these details make the reader question how merit based America really is.

“Spring in the Trenches” is an exceedingly ironic artwork by Paul Nash based on the World War 2. First enlisted as a soldier to fight in the army in the early 1917’s, he was invalidated and sent back soon, just before an attack that caused his regiment to perish. However, Nash was sent back to the frontlines again soon, but as a “propaganda artist” this time. “Spring in the Trenches” is based on an incongruous scene that he had witnessed during the springtime of 1917s, a time when he was still in the army. He had witnessed birds chirp and vegetation spur out of nowhere while man prepared to kill man. Such juxtaposition seemed the very embodiment of the characteristics that man and nature were exhibiting at that time . Overwhelmed by the extreme effect that such juxtaposition created, he wrote about it to his wife, describing the scene as: ” Ridiculous, mad incongruity!”. In the piece, Nash uses various elements of space, colour and light to tell the audience about the time in history when man and nature were in conflict with each other, when nature was creating and man was destroying. Nash’s use of such visual elements also help establish the far-reaching effects of the catastrophe that was the war.

The light in the artwork is perhaps its most salient feature as it gives it its defining qualities. The light appears to be quite natural, presumably, sunlight. It is what gives the piece its distinguishing overall bright demeanour, which is quite uncommon for a Nash painting. Nash’s use of light is quite significant in this piece as it helps highlight the aspects of nature present, in particular. As the bright light shines from the east, the trees and the land in the middle are accentuated. Due to this, the audience is able to notice the bloom of a couple trees in the backdrop, which gives rise to the thought that it is “spring “, as that is usually when nature blooms. The use of this direct light (or the absence of it) also helps in distinguishing man and nature. As natural elements are in the sphere of the painting that is characterised by bright light, man is left in the dimly-lit sphere, which again places emphasis upon nature and its creations. Perhaps, the dimly lit sphere is a symbol of the darkness that has filled humans as they have resorted to wreaking havoc on each other and on nature through the means of a war. It could be representative of a gloom that has surrounded the race ever since it has begun treading on the path of destruction. Overall then light is to be considered as a pivotal element of the piece.

Space: Extreme distance between trees is representative of the destruction that has been caused due to the war. Use of background and foreground helps in the presentation of the juxtaposition and establishment of the conflict.

Colour: Bright colour palette contrasts against the shadows in the foreground which again deepens the conflict. The bright colours also indicate the time of the day: morning. Soldiers sleeping at this time are representative of the way that the war has changed them, thus identifying a root-cause.

End with expressing that the war was the root cause of humans starting to destroy, thus being in constant conflict with their surroundings and with each other.

The given text is an article published in the “London Review of Books”. It has been written by Gavin Francis. The writer’s primary audience are the readers of the magazine. These readers are likely to be adults and reasonably educated because the article was published in the “London Review of Books”, a literary magazine and because the article makes frequent use of medical terms.It can be said that the secondary audience are other doctors due to the scientific nature of the article. The text has been written from first person point of view and the writer has addressed the reader quite frequently. The text aims to depict the beautiful practice of listening to someone’s heartbeat with the naked ear or with a modern day instrument. The text achieves its purpose by transforming this seemingly mundane practice into a wondrous experience while being scientifically relevant through the use of alternating style shifting between literary terms and explaining the mechanisms behind this practice.

The text presents the practice of listening to someone’s heartbeat seem relevant even in front of modern technology. The writer is able to accomplish this through the use of scientific facts spread throughout the article which portray this practice as being quite evaluative for judging the conditions of a heart and actually useful in the case that only this medium be available.  The writer says,”The first sound is made…as the two largest valves close” The use of scientific terms here provides credibility to the practice. Thus making sure that readers grasp the usefulness of this practice in the world of science. Then the writer says, “The second sound is made by…two other valves”. This statement ensures that readers understand that there is some level of science behind the practice. It also ensures that they comprehend that the practitioners do understand the heart’s conditions by listening to its sound without a stethoscope. Broadly, this may even mean that the readers begin to acknowledge that there may be other such relatively straightforward processes with deep scientific reasonings that they are not aware of. 

Lastly, the text aims to project this practice of listening to the heartbeat with an instrument or just plainly, as a “unique and intimate experience” through the use of personal anecdotes. The author says,  “I was reminded of holding a conch shell as a child, listening to the imagined ocean within”, the use of visual imagery here helps the audience really understand how this is a special experience for the writer which reminded him of his childhood. The use of this personal anecdote here, also evokes nostalgia within the reader. This emotion holds a lot of power and it may push the reader  down the memory lane and reminisce a similar comforting experience, in the process, really understanding how one-of a kind this experience is.  The author’s use of a personal anecdote has helped the reader apprehend that this experience is more about comfort than anything else through ensuring that they relate to him and reflect on their experiences to seek out similar ones. The author also says,” Perhaps it’s the womb… a deep memory of my mother’s pulse.” These words again hit the reader’s emotional side, circling back to the concept of comfort and nostalgia.Overall, then the narration of a personal experience really helps the reader contextualise how this experience feels to him in their own terms.

To conclude, the writer makes use of both scientific facts and emotional appeals through narrations of personal life experiences to convey that listening to someone’s heartbeat is a pleasing experience which is special. Today, we live in a fast paced and technologically advanced world, where there are better listening methods to the listening to someone’s heartbeat method. However, the author’s argument is effective as the reader sees that this practice may be valuable for its credibility as well as its emotional value. The author’s structure and style is decidedly one-of a kind as seldom are there such pieces with equal value given to the scientific as the emotional.

Text 1 :Creativity and Academics: The power of an arts education

This text is a blog published on a website called “Edutopia” which displays “key features from New Mexico school of arts”.The blog’s primary target audience is teachers as it is an educational website. The secondary audience are parents. Teachers may come across it as a part of professional development while they are researching for practices for the betterment of their students and parents may come across the blog while researching about the school (New Mexico School of Arts). The text addresses teachers directly at the end of the piece and while it never addresses parents directly, the blurb at the end provides key information about the school, which parents may be interested in if they are looking to enroll their children there. The text’s purpose is to inform its target audience of the benefits of an arts based education primarily, and also promote the school. The text promotes the school using facts and figures at the end of the article and indirectly, by stating that the school supports the arts and then relaying their usefulness. The text challenges dominant discourse by trying to convince the audience that the arts are just as important as academics through the use of empirical and scientific methods and through the narration of personal experiences.

The text tries to influence the audience’s viewpoint of the importance of an arts based education through the narration of personal experiences and emotional appeal which supports the main purpose of the text of relaying the message that the arts are just as important. When the author says,  “I had a student…who would not speak…through the act of making music, she…found her voice and place in life”. The author’s use of a real-life example contextualises the benefits in a real life setting while telling the audience that art helps students discover themselves and grow into individuals with a purpose. Secondly, the author uses emotive language to further persuade the readers of arts’ role in an individual’s life. He does so by saying that “A culture without art isn’t possible”.The use of emotive language here strengthens the view that art may help individuals get in touch with their roots. This is important because many families deem that understanding one’s culture is essential to understanding who one is which in turn is crucial to knowing what is important in one’s life. This links to the concept of having a sense of purpose in life. Overall then the usage of emotional techniques helps strengthen the central claim that the arts are to be emphasised upon because they help individuals grow.

The text also challenges the idea that art is not as important as academics because its benefits cannot be quantified. The writer uses the text’s structure to do so. The text is organised into 5 different parts as if the information were in a list. This gives the overall effect of evidence being collected. This technique helps provide more credibility to the central claim of the text. This is because the arts are usually just associated with being more about emotions than concerning quantifiable data. Thus, the division of the blog provides a “scientific” outlook to the audience and makes the benefits of it seem quantifiable. Although it isn’t explicitly clear, the writer uses the sub-heading to support the view that the arts have scientifically proven benefits by mentioning that it increases “self-confidence and self-understanding…improved cognition”. The words “improved’ and “cognition” create the effect of these statements being proven in a study or something likewise. These words helps challenge the notion that the arts benefits have no measurable impact on an individual, as is usually perceived. Thus, the use of a divisive structure and “science related” words strengthens the evidence aspect of the claim that the arts are not to be considered inferior to academics.

Lastly, the text tries to promote the concerned school throughout the text by talking about the benefits of an arts based education and goes on to say that at the concerned school, a dual curriculum(with art) is followed which helps their students excel in life. There is also a small information section at the end which provides information about the “demographics” of the school, number of students enrolled and the fees of the school. This information helps prospective parents understand the school’s background. The fact that the fees is mentioned strengthens the claim that the secondary purpose of the advert is to promote the school, since parents can firstly decide if they have the means to afford the fees because considering additional factors is not useful without taking this factor into consideration. Looking at this information and by reading the article, parents are more likely to have a positive opinion of the school (since it is a diverse school and supports the arts, which were claimed to be beneficial throughout the article), thus be more likely to enrol their children in this school, which fulfils the article’s objective.

In conclusion, the text engages in the usage of both science and emotional appeals to depict the usefulness of the arts to its target audience- teachers and parents. This text may have been to inform and persuade the audience of the central message that the arts are just as important as academics while also encouraging them to reflect on their thoughts about art and its value. The aim was to influence these thoughts for a more favourable view of art and the New Mexico school of Arts. This piece would be interpreted differently in different contexts. It will be interpreted well in many schools because a lot of continued emphasis is being placed on the arts in this day and age. This is more likely to be the scenario in the places where “western ideology” is followed as opposed to “eastern”.Hence, it will not receive a favourable response from the places following “eastern ideology” as these are places where academics has always superseded the arts.

“From an ethnographic museum- Abduction of the virgins”

Creativity, art, creativity and the imagination:

Hannah Hoch’s “From an ethnographic museum- Abduction of the virgins” uses the red coloured trees to present a contrast, while communicating a clear message about identity and representation. Hannah Hoch’s strategic placement of the red trees in the background contrasts well against the overall dark blue and the brown statues. This helps the image look aesthetically pleasing to some degree despite the incongruity of the German woman’s face being on the bronze statue. These trees had been taken from an article which referred to them (the trees) as the cure for malaria. The placement of trees here, next to the wooden statue forces the audience to make connections between the two, which ultimately helps establish the fact that the image conveys the view that African regions and diseases go hand in hand. This is in line with the German point of view back then because they thought of the African regions as being unhygienic even the home of diseases. Even though she presents these regions in a bad light through the use of the trees, her intention is to challenge this view, which she accomplishes through the portrayal of an inverted power dynamic between Congo and Germany.

 

Representation, culture, community and identity

Hannah Hoch’s “From an ethnographic museum- Abduction of the virgins”  conveyed the idea of an inversion of the power dynamic between Congo and Germany. The time period that this artwork was created in is also to be considered as it was when Germans thought of their race as being “superior” and looked at all other races with varying levels of disgust. Hannah Hoch presented the inversion through the use of a wooden sculpture from Congo and a German woman’s head. She placed the backwards facing head of the German woman on top of one of the sculpture heads. The resulting image looked quite incongruous but presented important ideas about the treatment of woman in both cultures. As the wooden sculpture was titled “Abduction of the virgins” by a German magazine, it is fair to assume that the magazine thought that the image depicted woman being taken away as sexual assets, which was in line with their thoughts about the culture where the image originated from.However, Hannah Hoch’s strategic placement of the German woman’s head looking backwards re contextualised the image by portraying that Germany was in fact moving backwards in their treatment of woman while Congo was improving (as the other wooden sculptures were facing the front). Secondly, the German woman’s head facing being carried on a wooden statue from Congo could also be representative of the fact that Congo was taking away German assets just as Germany had taken away Congo’s assets forcibly. This is because the image has the effect of the German woman being taken away forcibly. Thus, Hoch’s work introduced the inversion of the existing power dynamic through re contextualisation.

How do Rezkallah’s advertisements and “Warming her pearls” explore the concepts of wealth and resources ?

Main thesis:

Rezkallah- Traditionally, only men had access to wealth and resources due to being in the public sphere. Hence advertisements were mostly directed at them and were portraying them as the “head of the family”, “important” and “dominant”, which was the case back then. Now that that is changing, Rezkallah’s advertisements depict a world where women are seen as “dominant” and in the public sphere. However, the advertisements have a hint of “falsehood” to them, showing how this situation isn’t true. Thus, conveying that wealth and resources dont determine everything.

Warming her pearls- The concept of wealth and resources is explored through the examination of how “pearls” are worn and by whom. This is because the lady, who is presumably quite wealthy, makes her servant wear her pearls and warm them, a task that is quite menial. This links to how people who lack wealth and resources and treated poorly by everyone in society.

Supporting ideas:

Rezkallah- Exaggeration to make the advertisements appear fake through changing every color to light tones “Men dont leave the kitchen advert”

Incongruity- They don’t look as though they could be placed in a real life context “Get out of the kitchen sooner”

Excessive use of photoshop- To depict that these advertisements are artificial “Tin advert”

Warming her pearls- Contrast between both character’s lives- Shows bad treatment through contrasting their daily routines “She fans herself whilst I work”

The servant does everything- Shows how the servant attends to all of her(the lady’s) needs by saying “I dust her shoulder”

Shows how the servant desires that lifestyle- Shows how the servant desires to have the pearls which are symbolic of wealth “I feel their absence and I burn”

Broader links and connection to Duffy’s poem:

Rezkallah- Link to the concept of power, does it always originate from wealth and resources? The little red cap also portrays a power dynamic.

Warming her pearls- Links to inequality, is it always present where the levels of resources that everybody has are different? The little red cap shows an inequality in terms of power.

Concluding bullet points:

Rezkallah- Does power originate from perceptions instead of actual situations?

Warming her pearls- Is there a way to eliminate inequality in treatment if the resources that everyone has are not equal?

Written in the year 1999, Little Red Cap is an atypical poem written by Carol Ann Duffy, which loosely resembles her own life. The poem takes an unusual spin on the classic fairy tale of Little Red Riding Hood: a story which has graced the pages of children’s books forever. The poem’s most distinctive feature is the reversal of the power dynamic between Red Riding Hood (RRH) and the wolf; Duffy also puts to use a plethora of literary techniques to acquaint the reader with her version of the famous fairy tale. Duffy’s perspective plays an important role in this poem as the distinctiveness of the poem’s content is derived from her distinct interpretations of the original fairy tale, interpretations which may have been derived because of the circumstances she had experienced in life. Hence, frequent parallels may be drawn between her life and the Little Red Cap.

Duffy begins the poem by using symbolism and writes, “at childhood’s end” so as to signify that RRH is no longer a child in this poem, who society can rein, but has her own thoughts and perceptions. This detail establishes that all of RRH’s decisions described further along are a result of her thoughts, no one else’s. Duffy then uses visual imagery to describe the society that RRH lived in. Duffy remarks, “Allotments kept, like mistresses, by… married men, the silent railway line,”, these descriptions present the town Red riding hood lives in as “controlling” and “oppressive”.  These descriptions conform to the traditional idea of a “society”, which deems the code of conduct for people. They also force the reader to question if RRH actually left because she wanted to escape from the domineering society she lived in and go somewhere she could be herself, without any inhibitions.

Next, Duffy uses visual imagery again by writing, “He stood in a clearing…a paperback in his hairy paw…what big teeth he had!”. In this instance, imagery is used to highlight the fact that RRH is quite fascinated with the wolf, and it is her who spots him first. She sees him as this magnificent creature who despite being hairy and old, is quite appealing. This is the first example of the reverse power dynamic present in this poem, as it is red riding hood who sees the wolf first. This also presents to the reader the concept that it is not always one gender (male) seeking the other (female). Next, Duffy writes, “I made quite sure he spotted me, sweet sixteen… bought me a drink”. Here, it is revealed that RRH tries to use the fact that she is young and innocent to get the wolf to approach her. In this instance, parallels can be drawn between the poem and Carol Ann Duffy’s life, since she was of a similar age when she started a relationship with an older man- Adrian Henry. These lines reveal that it was actually her who was seeking him and not the other way around. This presents to the reader the idea that there is more to the situation that meets the eye sometimes.

In the stanzas that follow, the relationship between RRH and the wolf is inspected and it is revealed that RRH is only using him to gain access to poetry. Duffy remarks, “You might ask why. Here’s why.Poetry”. These lines are used by Duffy to tell the readers that she has gone to be with the wolf to acquire poetry. In this instance, parallels can again be drawn between Duffy’s life and what the poem communicates, as she may have used this poem to reflect on her motivations in pursuing the relationship with Henry when she was young. This insight was provided by Duffy herself when, later in life, she had remarked, “it (the relationship) was full of poetry. Duffy next tells the readers how RRH gave her innocence away to the wolf, quite willingly, by remarking, ” went in search of a-white dove-which flew, from my hands to his hope mouth”. This contrasts with how society always presents females as being exploited and forced to give their innocence away, even though they could have done so out of their own will.

Lastly, Duffy portrays the ultimate end of RRH’s relationship with the wolf by depicting that she grew tired of the wolf and the forest, which had initially seemed quite alluring to her. Duffy writes, “it took ten years…mouth of a buried corpse…a greying wolf howls.” These descriptions reveal that RRH finds the woods disgusting and repulsive and the wolf- greying. At this point, the reader may also wonder if RRH grows tired of the wolf and the forest because she has used both wholly. The timeline of 10 years, here is especially crucial since that was the exact length of Duffy’s relationship with Henry. This overriding point provides enough evidence for us to presume that Duffy is, in fact telling her own story. In the following lines, Duffy reveals how RRH  killed the wolf using an axe and left the forest. She writes, “I took an axe to the wolf…I come with my flowers… all alone.” These couple of lines indicate that RRH has killed the wolf and left the forest, signifying the end of their relationship and her “moving on from it”. Here, the reverse power dynamic again comes into play, as it is RRH who kills the wolf after finding that she cannot extract anything further useful from him. Duffy may have used symbolism here to represent the aggressive end of her relationship with Henry, which she brought about.

In conclusion, the perspective of Duffy transforms this simple fairy tale into something a lot more complex and engaging, while also trying to do something idiosyncratic by reversing roles. Perspective is especially important here because Duffy was also a reader of the original tale and her own biases (which were present because of her life experiences) may have pushed her towards seeing the text in a different light. To understand this poem completely, we have to accept the fact that Duffy had chosen to see the text in a different perspective and has chosen to present that perspective in this poem, while also basing it on her own life. The poem is considered exemplary because it sets forth uncommon interpretations of the original fairy tale, creating something unique and valuable in the process. It also helps illustrate the power of perspective, furthering literature in the process.

Have you ever seen a young bird fly?

Courage is the path that a young bird takes to reach the edge of a tree, before beginning the first of many flights that it will undertake in its lifetime. It is the very quintessence of the bird’s first flight and forms the basis of all others that are to follow. I say this because young birds seldom fly successfully on their first try. Thus, this bird knows that it might fail and plunge down to the ground. But it still tries.

That is courage. It is not the absenteeism of fear but the willingness to try despite it. Courage allows the bird to engage in a new experience- one which could lead to food, or to possible abrasions. In the beginning, the latter may occur but a transition to the former soon unfolds.And that it the beauty of courage! If one musters enough of it and starts their journey on the said path, the finality of failure does not haunt them. It is quickly cleared and tossed away from the path, like fallen leaves in the month of October.

The said path culminates at the end of a breathtaking spot in front of the tree of new experiences and individuals who are able to travel this far, are able to see all of what the tree has to proffer. Continuing this discovery, they are also able to plant new seeds which would grow to be the trees of new knowledge. This entire journey is unique to each and every individual and no two journeys are the same. Nevertheless, venturing out on trips of these kind is crucial for experiencing the unknown and expanding individual horizons.

However, courage is not only essential as a path towards experiencing the unknown, but also for the progression of society as a whole. To quote Rabindranath Tagore, “those in this world who have the courage to try and solve in their own lives- new problems of life, are the ones who raise society to greatness!”. If the value of courage ceased to exist someday, Society would soon be considered stagnant .

If no individual chooses to take the said path, the tree of new experiences will whither and die, and the seeds of new knowledge will never be planted. More pragmatically, this circumstance would be akin to our bird starving to death due to not being able to find the path that leads it to the edge of the tree and finally towards food. As a society, we must harbour and hone this feeling within each one of us to allow for new discoveries for the greater good of humanity and for our own survival. Courage is a wonderful value and we must never let it escape us.

I agree with the statement above that Ray Bradbury’s work, Fahrenheit 451 often portrays the world as it is, and not how it could potentially be. This happens in a number of ways surrounding different topics, such as: censorship, individuality, selfishness and loneliness.

In the book, we see that people are constantly censored by the government and its other branches. Now, the concept of censorship is not foreign to us since many books around the world are banned every year. Alongside, the government and other agencies censor people on other platforms as well. They say that this is done to protect harmony in the society, but it could also be because they don’t want people to be transformed and go against them.

The theme of individuality is also present in the book. However, we see that people (as evidenced by Clarisse’s character) were mistreated because of it. Clarisse was shunned by her classmates and teachers. It was also thought that she was not “normal”. This problem exists now as well, because many people are bullied because they are different.Lastly, the themes of loneliness and selfishness are well presented by the book.

In the book we see that people have become very self-centered and that they don’t care about the world. This holds true today, since most people don’t care about what happens to others, they just want to ensure happiness (and in many cases:money) for themselves. In the book we also see that people have become so occupied with technology that they don’t have a connection with anybody else. This also holds true for many people in the world.

To conclude, I would like to say that, before this dystopian world presented in the book becomes our reality, we must act and stop it in the works. This can be done by interacting with other people, protesting against the authorities if something is deemed to be unfair and lastly, accept everybody as they are.

 

Below is the interaction between my classmates and I, in response to this question.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1N7WU2yYiM_iu72xTSUUMkksyDsFqp0f-/view?usp=sharing