I tried to do research on my own and in the library as well, I came to find out that I had no idea what the prison house of language is and neither did the librarian. So I had not known what to do for this short essay. So I will try my best and write about what I think it could mean by breaking it down.
When it comes to the words “Prison-House” and “Language” I would assume it to mean that Language is guarded. You can take that a few different ways. A Prison-House is a place where someone is confined, which I would presume is behind bars. When we add language in the same sentence, to me it would be a good assumption that you are confined by what you say or what is being said.
One way could be that when a person asks for an opinion from a friend or another person about something, the way to guard their language is by what we call ‘sugar coating’. Not telling the other person everything that you honestly think. By doing that you are keeping that person safe in the world of ignorance. Just like the prisoners in the “Allegory of the Cave” how they were kept from the truth to only believe a lie. Another way could be to censor what you say, like in my previous blog about Freedom of Speech; you might be confined from freely speaking your mind. For example by you being a ‘potty-mouth’ or by speaking so freely that you are offensive to another.
In the “Allegory of the Cave” the prisoners were confined in the cave, not knowing what was true. They were unaware of the truth, that was right there behind them. Just like people on earth they walk around being ignorant not knowing what the real truth is when they have a language to communicate with one another. They can use that language to ask people who know the information they are looking for, or even use your language to type into the keyboard to become more aware and gain knowledge about what is going on around them and to find the truth. In a world like this we have to fend for ourselves and search for the truth on our own because by walking around not finding things out you live in a world that is sugar coated. In this day and age we don't have to be in the Prison-House of language, we have the ability to use our language so that we are not safe-guarded that we can find out and know the real truth that lies out there.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Essay: Symbolism in The Matrix
The movie called the Matrix is about a man being informed that the life he has been living wasn’t reality and that what he will learn what the reality is. The references have a lot to do with religion, specifically Jesus (who is the Savior). For example the character in the movie The Matrix, Neo… is the ‘one’.
Neo is the person who is to save all the humans who are trapped in a world that is considered the ‘dream world’. The humans that walk around in what seems to be the real world are actually in a dream world, while their bodies are plugged into a system called the “Matrix” so that the machines can feed off of them, since they are in control of this world.
Neo was sent to visit a woman, who is referred to as the ‘Oracle’, who knows all. Neo was to find out if he was the ‘One’. A man named Morpheus who is to teach Neo his new abilities assists Neo along the way to the Oracle. Neo entered the house and was shown a group of young children doing supernatural things such as; spoon bending and making blocks float in the air, by using their minds. A female who resides with the Oracle introduces Neo to the children as potentials who may also be the One. When Neo goes to talk to this woman known as the Oracle, he was told that he was not the one. Which was a lie.
In a different part of the movie, Trinity explains what the Oracle had told her, which was that she would fall in love with a dying man who was the One. Morpheus also shares his insight from the Oracle saying that he would find the One.
There is a scene where Trinity and Neo are on the top of the roof and an Agent comes and starts to shoot at Neo, in which he dodges the bullets by falling backward and than springing back up in which Trinity states that she hasn’t seen anyone do that before only the Agents. Representing that he is the one who can battle and possibly win against the Agents.
Another scene where Neo, Morpheus, Trinity, and a few others were leaving the Matrix, they were in a building. They had to hide and leave by going behind the walls of the building. When Cypher made a noise, Morpheus was captured to save Neo from getting caught by the Agents. They all found a way out of the Matrix, but than Neo wanted to go and save Morpheus from the Agents. Along the route of Neo trying to save Morpheus, Neo was shot by the Agents and had a flat line back where his real body was laying.
A following scene, Neo awakens by a kiss from Trinity after flat lining. After awakening he notices Agents are down the hall from him in which they start shooting at him. He is now able to stop the bullets in mid-air, which is another sign that he is different and that he has the capability to be the One.
Therefore the One has to fight against and beat the Agents so that Neo, Morpheus, Trinity and the rest can slowly start showing people the truth. Unlike Neo the others don’t have the abilities he has gained and those abilities he has are the same strengths as the Agents, if not better. With all these different abilities Neo is gaining through out the movie and with the information Morpheus and Trinity share, is proof that he is the One. He will save mankind from being controlled by the machine called the Matrix.
Neo is the person who is to save all the humans who are trapped in a world that is considered the ‘dream world’. The humans that walk around in what seems to be the real world are actually in a dream world, while their bodies are plugged into a system called the “Matrix” so that the machines can feed off of them, since they are in control of this world.
Neo was sent to visit a woman, who is referred to as the ‘Oracle’, who knows all. Neo was to find out if he was the ‘One’. A man named Morpheus who is to teach Neo his new abilities assists Neo along the way to the Oracle. Neo entered the house and was shown a group of young children doing supernatural things such as; spoon bending and making blocks float in the air, by using their minds. A female who resides with the Oracle introduces Neo to the children as potentials who may also be the One. When Neo goes to talk to this woman known as the Oracle, he was told that he was not the one. Which was a lie.
In a different part of the movie, Trinity explains what the Oracle had told her, which was that she would fall in love with a dying man who was the One. Morpheus also shares his insight from the Oracle saying that he would find the One.
There is a scene where Trinity and Neo are on the top of the roof and an Agent comes and starts to shoot at Neo, in which he dodges the bullets by falling backward and than springing back up in which Trinity states that she hasn’t seen anyone do that before only the Agents. Representing that he is the one who can battle and possibly win against the Agents.
Another scene where Neo, Morpheus, Trinity, and a few others were leaving the Matrix, they were in a building. They had to hide and leave by going behind the walls of the building. When Cypher made a noise, Morpheus was captured to save Neo from getting caught by the Agents. They all found a way out of the Matrix, but than Neo wanted to go and save Morpheus from the Agents. Along the route of Neo trying to save Morpheus, Neo was shot by the Agents and had a flat line back where his real body was laying.
A following scene, Neo awakens by a kiss from Trinity after flat lining. After awakening he notices Agents are down the hall from him in which they start shooting at him. He is now able to stop the bullets in mid-air, which is another sign that he is different and that he has the capability to be the One.
Therefore the One has to fight against and beat the Agents so that Neo, Morpheus, Trinity and the rest can slowly start showing people the truth. Unlike Neo the others don’t have the abilities he has gained and those abilities he has are the same strengths as the Agents, if not better. With all these different abilities Neo is gaining through out the movie and with the information Morpheus and Trinity share, is proof that he is the One. He will save mankind from being controlled by the machine called the Matrix.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Blog 5: Summary of Allegory of the Cave.
In the passage “The Allegory of the Cave” that Plato had written, he tells us about men that are prisoners, who have their legs and necked chained in a cave and cannot move and how one man was let loose and explores what was beyond his vision in the dark cave. He realized everything he thought of his surroundings was a lie and he went to express his visions to his friends, who did not believe him, since they were stuck in their own perceptions.
The man notices that the shadows him and his prison mates were more than just mere shadows but a fire and puppets, also that he discovered a whole new world outside of the cave. He was not used to it at first but than he became comfortable and got used to his surroundings. That man that was let loose had gone back to the cave (yet again not used to his surroundings – from being outside exploring), where his friends were. He tried to explain all that he had seen to his fellow prisoners, but they did not believe the man because they were comfortable in what they lived in all their lives and could not understand or believe the things they couldn’t see since they were chained in the cave.
The man notices that the shadows him and his prison mates were more than just mere shadows but a fire and puppets, also that he discovered a whole new world outside of the cave. He was not used to it at first but than he became comfortable and got used to his surroundings. That man that was let loose had gone back to the cave (yet again not used to his surroundings – from being outside exploring), where his friends were. He tried to explain all that he had seen to his fellow prisoners, but they did not believe the man because they were comfortable in what they lived in all their lives and could not understand or believe the things they couldn’t see since they were chained in the cave.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Blog 4: The Allegory of the Cave through History
Freedom of Speech the definition means that you are free to speak without censorship. It is the First Amendment on the Bill of Rights. When it comes to television programs and movies on standard cable, they are censored. They can not use such words as, 'Fuck', 'Shit', 'Cunt', 'Cocksucker', 'Motherfucker', 'Piss', and 'Tits'. I'm sure there is even more than that.
First of all when it comes to words as 'Fuck' and 'Hoe' people changed them to become profanity. It used to mean 'To plant' and a planting tool, so for instance someone would say, 'I need a hoe to fuck in the dirt' and it would translate into 'I need a planting tool to plant in the dirt'.
Besides them changing the words meanings they also censor it from the public eye. For us to watch such television programs or movies without us being censored, we have to pay EXTRA in order to see such things. If we are supposed to have the freedom of speech and not have to be censored, why are these words taken out of regular cable TV shows and movies.
They have even been banning movies since 1895 and they are still doing so for various reasons. One movie that was banned ("The Vanishing Prairie" - a 1954 Walt Disney documentary, banned in New York¹) because it showed the birth of an animal, which is human (or should I say) animal nature.
Not only have they banned films or censored our eyes from programs on standardized cable but they have also removed scenes from movies. Spartacus (for the "flavor of homosexuality" shown), Basic Instinct (which the "feminist and gay rights groups protested the film for being homophobic and misogynistic") and other films such as; "And God Created Woman", "All quiet on the Western Front", "A Streetcar Named Desire", and many other films for various reasons².
When it comes to nudity scenes, it's not even something someone forced upon another human to get paid to do. It is also these peoples choice to turn down a roll, if they do not agree on what they have to do.
So therefore we are censored from more than we think. We do not really have the freedom of speech, certain things can not be said and/or seen. However if we do want to see certain things, we must pay extra for it.
¹- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_banned_films#United_States
²- http://www.clpgh.org/books/filmlists/banned.html
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Blog 3: To believe or not to believe...
Things I once believed, that I do not anymore:
1. Birthplace of President Obama - Professor Luke in ENG101/103.
2. A movie called "Some Movie" - Old co-worker finally revealed it was a lie.
3. I was made to believe my dad was in a famous baseball team, because he had a real baseball card in which he was on - My mom finally told me it was a lie after a few days.
4. I never realized that people were different colors until a little girl who was black called me "white" - My mom told then told me about race.
5. I didn't realize "I Love Lucy" was in black and white, until it was pointed out to me - when they were talking about her red hair.
6. That "The Fairly Odd Parents" heads were bigger than their bodies - A conversation with my friend and she mentioned it and I later noticed.
7. That if I swallowed seeds, a tree would grow in my stomach.
How I found out about the things I didn't know to be true:
1. I heard it on the news.
2. Two co-workers without talking amongst themselves started to tell me different scenes and actors in the movie and explaining what it was about, and the way they were talking about it made it seem true.
3. We were cleaning out the attic of his parents apartment and he had showed me the baseball card with his picture on it, and he had a uniform on, so it seemed pretty believable.
4. I grew up not being taught about how people were different colors because it didn't matter and I guess didn't seem important. I didn't think people were different colors, I never paid attention.
5. I never realized there was television that had no color to it - then I went into a diner and saw her hair was red and I didn't think it was.. and come to find out that the show wasn't in color.
6. Didn't pay much attention.
7. When I accidentally swallowed a few seeds, I realized trees never did start growing in my stomach because I never grew THAT tall and I didn't burst.
1. Birthplace of President Obama - Professor Luke in ENG101/103.
2. A movie called "Some Movie" - Old co-worker finally revealed it was a lie.
3. I was made to believe my dad was in a famous baseball team, because he had a real baseball card in which he was on - My mom finally told me it was a lie after a few days.
4. I never realized that people were different colors until a little girl who was black called me "white" - My mom told then told me about race.
5. I didn't realize "I Love Lucy" was in black and white, until it was pointed out to me - when they were talking about her red hair.
6. That "The Fairly Odd Parents" heads were bigger than their bodies - A conversation with my friend and she mentioned it and I later noticed.
7. That if I swallowed seeds, a tree would grow in my stomach.
How I found out about the things I didn't know to be true:
1. I heard it on the news.
2. Two co-workers without talking amongst themselves started to tell me different scenes and actors in the movie and explaining what it was about, and the way they were talking about it made it seem true.
3. We were cleaning out the attic of his parents apartment and he had showed me the baseball card with his picture on it, and he had a uniform on, so it seemed pretty believable.
4. I grew up not being taught about how people were different colors because it didn't matter and I guess didn't seem important. I didn't think people were different colors, I never paid attention.
5. I never realized there was television that had no color to it - then I went into a diner and saw her hair was red and I didn't think it was.. and come to find out that the show wasn't in color.
6. Didn't pay much attention.
7. When I accidentally swallowed a few seeds, I realized trees never did start growing in my stomach because I never grew THAT tall and I didn't burst.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Assignment 2
The Allegory of the Cave
I believe 'Allegory of the Cave' to be a good story. It is about three men who are chained in a cave. The only thing in their view is moving shadows on the wall. They are out of reach with reality and the real world and they don't even know it.
The man than gets released and is able to move around. He is now able to see inside the whole cave and not just what the other prisoners are made to see. He notices the fire burning and the puppets moving on the other side of the cave and begins to understand the meaning of shadows, seeing how the puppets reflect off the fire than reflect on the wall to make the dark silhouette images.
After seeing these images he began to doubt what he was used to all of his life. Then he started to explore and wanted to know what was outside of this cave, wondering if there was more they hid from him in his life. "And he is compelled to look straight at the light, will he not have a pain in his eyes which will make him turn away and take refuge in the object of vision which he can see" - when stepping out of the cave, he has to be in view of the sun, it is all around him...from being used to so much darkness his eyes could not adjest and they began to burn and I would presume he crouched over and clenched his eyes to take away such brightness he wasn't used to.
As time went by he became accustomed to his surroundings and how much he had missed by being locked inside the cave, chained to not even be able to move his head to see what was around him. Being that he was given the experience to wander around and see all these things outside of his old reality, he had wanted to go tell his fellow prisoners about such things.
When he goes to enter the cave, he is not used to the darkness from being in the light of the sun. His friends than think he lost his sight from his eyes not being able to adjust. Trying to explain to his friends of the 'upper world' that what they are in 'the prison-house is the world of sight, the light of the fire is the sun' so that the cave is the world and that the fire behind them is like the sun and what I would like to add is that the puppets are like the people in the world, but they couldn't comprehend what he was speaking of.
'Whether true or false, my opinion is that in the world of knowledge the idea of good appears last of all, and is seen only with an effect' - that we are so accustomed to how we are and how we've grown up, that we are afraid and can't comprehend change. We as humans for the most part think INSIDE the box, when for us to grow as people & become more knowledgeable about the world around us we must think OUTSIDE of the box. We have to do what we have to and more to succeed and progress in things. If you think outside of the box and always push yourself to do more than what you originally plan. You might just get to full understand what everything is around you and not be naive to the occurrences that happen.
I believe 'Allegory of the Cave' to be a good story. It is about three men who are chained in a cave. The only thing in their view is moving shadows on the wall. They are out of reach with reality and the real world and they don't even know it.
The man than gets released and is able to move around. He is now able to see inside the whole cave and not just what the other prisoners are made to see. He notices the fire burning and the puppets moving on the other side of the cave and begins to understand the meaning of shadows, seeing how the puppets reflect off the fire than reflect on the wall to make the dark silhouette images.
After seeing these images he began to doubt what he was used to all of his life. Then he started to explore and wanted to know what was outside of this cave, wondering if there was more they hid from him in his life. "And he is compelled to look straight at the light, will he not have a pain in his eyes which will make him turn away and take refuge in the object of vision which he can see" - when stepping out of the cave, he has to be in view of the sun, it is all around him...from being used to so much darkness his eyes could not adjest and they began to burn and I would presume he crouched over and clenched his eyes to take away such brightness he wasn't used to.
As time went by he became accustomed to his surroundings and how much he had missed by being locked inside the cave, chained to not even be able to move his head to see what was around him. Being that he was given the experience to wander around and see all these things outside of his old reality, he had wanted to go tell his fellow prisoners about such things.
When he goes to enter the cave, he is not used to the darkness from being in the light of the sun. His friends than think he lost his sight from his eyes not being able to adjust. Trying to explain to his friends of the 'upper world' that what they are in 'the prison-house is the world of sight, the light of the fire is the sun' so that the cave is the world and that the fire behind them is like the sun and what I would like to add is that the puppets are like the people in the world, but they couldn't comprehend what he was speaking of.
'Whether true or false, my opinion is that in the world of knowledge the idea of good appears last of all, and is seen only with an effect' - that we are so accustomed to how we are and how we've grown up, that we are afraid and can't comprehend change. We as humans for the most part think INSIDE the box, when for us to grow as people & become more knowledgeable about the world around us we must think OUTSIDE of the box. We have to do what we have to and more to succeed and progress in things. If you think outside of the box and always push yourself to do more than what you originally plan. You might just get to full understand what everything is around you and not be naive to the occurrences that happen.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Essay 1
My public self is more confined. I would say that my public self is more introverted and I do not openly speak to random people, I usually only speak to people who come up to me. I am very respectable and not very open when it comes to going to peoples houses until I become my private self with them.
When I am my public self, I usually don’t share a massive amount of information with the person and do not converse much with them unless I feel I have a good connection of getting along with that person. I sensor myself with my language and tend to use worse vocabulary around a large group of people. I also tend to be a little dumber because I lose more confidence around people I am not close with, that I share my private self with. I also hate crowds and get agitated easily.
Although it does depend where I am as my public self. I will sometimes do the same thing as my private self in public. If I am in a respectable place I will watch myself more than if I am just outside and walking around. I will curse, spit, be very blunt, and pretty open about my thoughts and opinions if I am on the street in public, just the same as when I have my private life. If I am in a friends house for the first time, I will not curse, spit, or do such actions I just listed.
My private self is very free. I will curse whenever I feel like it, spit, burp, and other such things because the people I chose to be my private self with I am more comfortable with. I won’t get in trouble for using vulgar language with my friends opposed to being at a place of work. I don’t have to be professional, I can do as I please and because of that I am less shy.
When I am with friends I am not shy and I can talk up a storm every once and awhile. I have more freedom when I’m speaking so I can say whatever I want. When I communicate with them opposed to when I’m being my public self, I can talk more openly about my feelings, thoughts, and decisions. However when I am my private self, I don’t like being around too many people and tend to get anti-social at times opposed to me always being friendly in an anti-social state of mind as my public self.
I have come to realize that my public self is really different from my private self and that I like being my private self more than my private self but there are problems with the two, yet more with my public self when it comes to a professional setting. Even though I work well they won’t get to see it until I get passed that nerve retching interview.
The problems I have with my public self is that I am not as outgoing as I feel I should be to get to know more people to eventually network with or get opportunities that other people get when they are very talkative. For instance when I go on interviews I am never sure what to say or if I say the right or wrong things, plus the fact that I am high strung it gets me more stressed out and nervous so that I don’t come off as a well spoken person. When I do get aggravated with crowds I just speed walk passed them and that’s also not a problem because I wouldn’t push passed them, if anything I would raise my voice for them to excuse themselves so I can walk passed them. If I say something about their actions, they just muffle under their breath something about me and I keep moving.
The problems I have with my private self is that I am sometimes too free and I tend to get people angry since I am very blunt and I say what’s on my mind. Being anti-social isn’t the best thing but I don’t view that as a problem.
So the conclusion is this is how I react when I am being my private self or in the public eye view and the problems I have with those parts of myself. To which I prefer is to be my private self is that I personally don’t view anything really bad about my private self because I am calm and I can be myself so nothing to get nervous or worried about.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Draft for Blog 1
Hello. My name is Anna and I am 22 years old. This is my second semester attending LaGuardia and my major is Media Studies, which I hope to use towards becoming a Movie Critic.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)