Posted on

How does Adichie create a sense of empathy toward the speaker in The Thing Around Your Neck?

In the short story “The Thing Around Your Neck,” the speaker was able to empathise with the main character in some ways because numerous people have been through similar personal experiences. Experiences such as moving to a different country, for example, I moved from Indonesia to Singapore when I was in Grade 2 which isn’t as much of a drastic change as the character in the book went through when moving to America but it is similar. A majority of people in their life would have faced a time where a big change would have been made. The big change from Nigeria to America was a mix of emotions for the main character. They had a lot of hope for this move, excitement, anxiety and curiosity. The main character had this idea of the “American dream” thinking it would be a start to a new life with countless opportunities which is what most people imagine what moving to America would be like. Most foreigners who move to America are usually disappointed with the outcome of their move because they experience cultural segregation because of the way they look and their background. This is another way Adichie creates empathy, through the feeling of embarrassment. When being segregated due to your cultural background, it can feel embarrassing. The main character in the story starts to feel embarrassed because of their background coming from Nigeria, and this was due to the cultural segregation people made around her for being Nigerian. They would ask questions such as “why does your hair look like that” constantly questioning her appearance which in the end made the character feel embarrassed about their background.

Posted on

Political Cartoon – Gender

In this cartoon, we can see a group of people that consists of three woman and three men. They are horizontally lined up in a position a runner would take at the start of the race. One thing to point out is what they are all wearing, they are wearing formal work attire. The objects in this image are chores that the woman of the house would usually do. Chores such as laundry, cooking and ironing. I think the different chores symbolise the extra work and obstacles that are considered a woman’s “job” in society today. The issue that this artist comments on is about comparing the differences between the average working woman and working man. The comparison is about woman being given the responsibility from society to do all the housework on top of working. The artist is clearly using symbolism in this piece by using the chores as an obstacle working woman has to get through, and also by the artist drawing on formal work wear it symbolises how woman have to balance between the two whereas the men have nothing to go through as its all work for them.  I think the artists perspective was to bring light on a gender inequality situation that isn’t talked about enough which is the fact that woman has to handle more outside of work than a working man. I agree with the artists perspective completely because although it is not as common as it used to be for a woman to do all the work around the house, it is still happening in different cultures.  Woman and men should have equal responsibilities in and outside of work, all the extra work should not be handed to one specific gender. There is plenty of work to go around. One thing I took away from this cartoon is to salute all working woman with a family they have to take care of while also balancing work.

Posted on

Social Media poem

WASH YOUR HANDS

Do you want to risk the spread of this virus?

No! THEN CLEAN YOUR HANDS!

The 3rd AD on the TV

All saying the same information

 

SOCIAL DISTANCE YOURSELF

Do you want to stop the spread of this virus?

Yes! SO STAY AWAY FROM OTHERS!

The 11th Snapchat story

All telling the same information

 

EVERYONE STAY AT HOME

Do you want summer to happen?

Yes! SO STAY AT HOME!

Swiping past the 16th Instagram post

All stating the same information

 

The same information over 

and over 

and over 

AGAIN

 

Posted on

What Songs Matter to You Now?

What is your reaction to the essay you read and the song you listened to? Had you heard the song before? What did you think of the writer’s analysis of and reflection about the song? Did you agree or disagree with what they said? What other thoughts or feelings do you have about the song?

 

The song I chose is “Playing games” by Summer Walker. When I read the essay written for this song I wasn’t very surprised by any of the points made. I think the reason I wasn’t surprised is that I love this song and I have listened to it on repeat many times so I am familiar with the lyrics and message of the song. The writer’s analysis fo the song is accurate as to how I see it, they brought up the issue about her social anxiety which is relevant in her courier right now and which many fans including myself are worried about for her. The reason I listen to this song a lot is that I can relate to the message when I listen to the lyrics which makes me realise “Oh wait someone else feels the same way I do” regarding the same situation. One of my favourite points made in the article is when the writer mentions the remix for this song featuring Bryson Tiller which is another artist I do like. I strongly agree when the writer said “something about the solo version feels more in line with what Walker is trying to capture” because I also feel the original version homes in on Summers feelings and the message she is trying to put out there.

Posted on

Does high demand for items like hand sanitizer and masks during a public health crisis justify higher prices? Are resellers who stockpile supplies and then sell them at a higher price providing a service? Or, are they taking advantage of people? Do you think what Mr. Colvin did is immoral?

This article frustrates me because people are being selfish during this time of crisis. Humans are not looking out for each other, we are not caring for each other. Hand sanitiser, face masks and antibacterial wipes are essential during this pandemic, the fact that people are hoarding these essentials is highly selfish and inconsiderate towards others. Imagine selling a bottle of hand sanitiser for $50, that is a ridiculous price some people are paying because they are unable to find them in stores due to the product being sold out. This is taking advantage of peoples money which at this time is selfish because many people are not able to work due to the coronavirus and have been cut off financially. These people have to be wise when spending their money now and only buy what is most important such as food and hygiene items because not everyone can splurge on a $50 hand sanitiser.

 

During this high demand for antibacterial products, prices should be lowered so that everyone is able to afford them. The more people that are protected from this virus the less likely it has a chance to spread. Now that people are raising the prices making it not easy for everyone to afford these items, more people are at risk of catching the virus. Overall those who stockpile supplies to sell them at insanely large prices are selfish people who are clearly not concerned for the health of others. When this could be an opportunity to help others, they resort to thinking about themselves only.

Posted on

How Can We Help One Another During the Coronavirus Outbreak?

  • What other ways can you recommend to help your community make it through this coronavirus outbreak? What specifically do you think teenagers could do?

Since the recent outbreak of the Corona Virus, many countries have handled it differently. Where some like to set strict rules and regulations for the general population to follow, some countries have not taken it as seriously which has resulted in a concerning increase of infections. The strongest recommendation given is to stay at home and do not interact with anyone outside of the immediate family.  When said, staying at home might sound like a simple task, now people in countries such as the UK who have been on lockdown for three weeks have now realised how important it is to go out and see the drawbacks of quarantine. As boring as it is to stay at home, the more people who do stay at home there is less risk of the virus spreading. Many countries have become a “ghost town” due to quarantine, but it is the quickest way to irradicate this virus. I have spoken to my grandma who lives in England and she mentioned how boring it is for her to stay at home, she tells me she likes to go out for walks and shopping runs to Tesco’s, so I always remind her to stay at home. Not only because she is older which means she is possibly prone to virus, but it is strongly advised EVERYONE stays at home to prevent further spread of the virus.
                                                                                                                                    As for teenagers, I have seen many of my friends use the power of social media to spread awareness of this virus and remind everyone to stay at home regardless of where they are in the world. These teenagers have proven to be responsible during this Pandemic as they are spreading the right message and staying at home. Of course, there are rebellious teens who unfortunately do not stay at home and decide to go out. I have to admit, at the beginning of Easter break I was going out almost every day because I thought “I am young, fit and healthy so there is no way I will catch the virus” this was my thought process until this weekend. I properly educated myself about the virus and realized it can affect anyone of any age. I would recommend for “rebellious” teenagers to go out and do their own research to learn about how serious this virus is globally.