In the passage “The Man on the Moon” by George J. Annas he discusses how people think they are the superior beings and that the people who are not like them are inferior. The ones who feel they're superior feel that they have all the rights. Annas writes about how the Nazis believe they are the superior beings and all the other people are inferior people. They set out to kill and torture the humans that are not German because they feel they do not fit with them. The Nazis believed in eugenics, the study to improve qualities of the human species. They felt that everyone had to look a certain way to their own standards and whoever did not look like them, they would try to do surgeries on them to make them look more like Germans. If they could not do such things they would torture and/or kill them.
In the movie “Gattaca” they portray how only genetically engineered people who are considered “Valid” beings are able to have a higher quality job and that they are more superior to the people who are not genetically engineered who are called the “In-valid” humans. An example shown in this movie is how in-valid Vincent was a janitor and how valid Anton was able to get a higher job status than Vincent just because of their genetics.
In both cases there are groups of people who feel they are considered “perfect” and have ultimate superiority of all humans. The people who think they are superior do not believe in equality. The higher beings think they have an advantage, and that the 'lower' humans don’t have a chance of having. I believe that the superior humans are the ones who are not genetically engineered. In the passage referring back to the Nazis they felt they were better only because of looks. Other than the example of Jesus in the bible, there isn’t anything written anywhere that describes a perfect human, not only that but Jesus’ looks can be interpreted differently. So no one can be sure of what one is supposed to look or be like. When it comes to the movie you can see that the valid humans don’t always go by what’s in their genetics. In the movie there is a part where the old director speaks of how he doesn’t have a violent gene in his body, yet he was the one who killed the new director, or how Irene has a heart defect, or even the fact that Anton wasn’t able to beat Vincent in the last swimming match. If they were genetically engineered to be perfect those instances wouldn’t have happened.
The humans who are not genetically engineered are better only for the fact that they achieved certain strengths on their own, which may or may not be in their genes but they made it possible. They can make things more possible like how Vincent out swam Anton by the carelessness of his life. He made a lot possible by just simply having the motivation. Other than that I believe they are equal because even though the genetically engineered babies are so-called programmed how the parents want them, they are still humans and have emotions and abilities of change just like anyone else.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Blog 11
An “other” to me is someone who lives in a fantasy world. These kinds of people believe the world revolves around them and that whatever they do or don’t do affects the whole world. In reality the world rotates along with everyone in it. These people cannot deal with things that don’t go their way, so they try to always make it their way. When that’s how life really is, not always going your way. They can’t handle not being the center of attention. There are thousands upon thousands of people in the world. You cannot always be the center of attention to a person.
I feel a large distance between those kinds of people compared to myself. I know the realities of the world. When you live in a fantasy world, you will eventually lose your grip of it, and you will be face-planted into the ground. You will get a shock so bad that you won’t know what to do. For myself and others like me, we will know what is coming and we will know how to deal with it. Not like our others who will be stuck in such a conundrum of circumstances that the world will throw at us.
Let’s say we have to do group-work with a person like this. It will be very hard because these kinds of people will not do what they are supposed to and will pile all the work on their “others”, like myself. They will goof off and try to play around instead of doing the work. If you try and tell them what to do, when they don’t want to do it that will also create a problem. The problem will be that the work will not be done and you are left with a headache.
I feel a large distance between those kinds of people compared to myself. I know the realities of the world. When you live in a fantasy world, you will eventually lose your grip of it, and you will be face-planted into the ground. You will get a shock so bad that you won’t know what to do. For myself and others like me, we will know what is coming and we will know how to deal with it. Not like our others who will be stuck in such a conundrum of circumstances that the world will throw at us.
Let’s say we have to do group-work with a person like this. It will be very hard because these kinds of people will not do what they are supposed to and will pile all the work on their “others”, like myself. They will goof off and try to play around instead of doing the work. If you try and tell them what to do, when they don’t want to do it that will also create a problem. The problem will be that the work will not be done and you are left with a headache.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Blog 10
The things I’ve learned in class that I have found most interesting is, how we got to watch a movie and write a blog about it. I believe you can learn new things by different forms of media. You just have to know how to go about it. The thematic concepts I have enjoyed are; illusion and reality, historical examples of illusions, and mythology in the Matrix. The allegory of the cave was not too bad. I like how it all incorporates with each other. I just wasn’t too fond of how the reading was written because I had read a passage about it and it was more modernized.
The concepts I did not enjoy learning was everything about Oedipus the King. I believe that the reading and how it was written was too hard. I am in an English class and I feel if I am to pass this class. This play we have read, and may also do on the pass/fail final, will mess everything up for me. The speech in this play is way too un-modernized. I don’t think many students can fully understand this. We should have something more modern so we can try to show our potential and not have to worry about also understanding a text that is too complex.
I would definitely like to do more assignments through movies. I can get more of an understanding of what is wanted when there is a movie right in front of me opposed to an idea, not that ideas are bad. I would think the only problem with writing about a movie is you can’t always remember certain scenes you want to talk about or certain lines the characters say you feel is important to have in the paper. It is harder to go back and watch the whole movie opposed to going to a website where you researched information. I have also enjoyed the examples of good versus bad parts of the essay. My professor had mentioned that you learn more from reading bad essays than good ones, and I have to agree.
I would like to learn a little bit more of how to get a good thesis sentence, even though I have seen examples I am not sure on how to come about getting a better thesis of what I am writing the paper about. I would also like to understand how to break down the jargon of “Oedipus the King”, so that if I do have to do my final based on it, I don’t have to worry that I am going to fail. I do know about the story and have understood what my professor has explained about it… but if I am to quote something from the play I couldn’t do such a thing for I do not understand where it would be.
I feel that I have grasped what it is to summarize, that even in my essay blog I summarized for the most part instead of writing a better essay. I have not practiced the MLA style yet but I feel it is an easy enough concept of how my professor has explained it, that I would be able to achieve a MLA formatted paper. My weaknesses are definitely my introductory paragraphs along with the thesis. I have always had a problem with them and can’t seem to get better with them. Whenever I have to write a paper the only problem I usually have with them, it’s starting them because I have such a problem with the introductory and thesis part of papers. I feel my conclusions are fine but they can definitely improve.
When it comes to blogging versus writing an actual paper, I don’t really mind the difference because as long as I don’t have to hand in a hand written paper. The thing I do like about the blog is it is easier; it helps me be able to get feed back from anyone, instead of trying to send a word document to my professor and just an email going back and forth. The one thing I definitely appreciate about this class, is that most of the work and writing we have to do, is in-class work. I know that if I would have had a lot of bring home, homework I might not have gotten in on time. I think the only good thing about not doing it in class is that you are not as timed and you have more ability to work on each aspect of the assignment. However that point is not so bad because the better thing about it being a blog is that you can revise what you have written previously.
The concepts I did not enjoy learning was everything about Oedipus the King. I believe that the reading and how it was written was too hard. I am in an English class and I feel if I am to pass this class. This play we have read, and may also do on the pass/fail final, will mess everything up for me. The speech in this play is way too un-modernized. I don’t think many students can fully understand this. We should have something more modern so we can try to show our potential and not have to worry about also understanding a text that is too complex.
I would definitely like to do more assignments through movies. I can get more of an understanding of what is wanted when there is a movie right in front of me opposed to an idea, not that ideas are bad. I would think the only problem with writing about a movie is you can’t always remember certain scenes you want to talk about or certain lines the characters say you feel is important to have in the paper. It is harder to go back and watch the whole movie opposed to going to a website where you researched information. I have also enjoyed the examples of good versus bad parts of the essay. My professor had mentioned that you learn more from reading bad essays than good ones, and I have to agree.
I would like to learn a little bit more of how to get a good thesis sentence, even though I have seen examples I am not sure on how to come about getting a better thesis of what I am writing the paper about. I would also like to understand how to break down the jargon of “Oedipus the King”, so that if I do have to do my final based on it, I don’t have to worry that I am going to fail. I do know about the story and have understood what my professor has explained about it… but if I am to quote something from the play I couldn’t do such a thing for I do not understand where it would be.
I feel that I have grasped what it is to summarize, that even in my essay blog I summarized for the most part instead of writing a better essay. I have not practiced the MLA style yet but I feel it is an easy enough concept of how my professor has explained it, that I would be able to achieve a MLA formatted paper. My weaknesses are definitely my introductory paragraphs along with the thesis. I have always had a problem with them and can’t seem to get better with them. Whenever I have to write a paper the only problem I usually have with them, it’s starting them because I have such a problem with the introductory and thesis part of papers. I feel my conclusions are fine but they can definitely improve.
When it comes to blogging versus writing an actual paper, I don’t really mind the difference because as long as I don’t have to hand in a hand written paper. The thing I do like about the blog is it is easier; it helps me be able to get feed back from anyone, instead of trying to send a word document to my professor and just an email going back and forth. The one thing I definitely appreciate about this class, is that most of the work and writing we have to do, is in-class work. I know that if I would have had a lot of bring home, homework I might not have gotten in on time. I think the only good thing about not doing it in class is that you are not as timed and you have more ability to work on each aspect of the assignment. However that point is not so bad because the better thing about it being a blog is that you can revise what you have written previously.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Blog 7
Television has a large yet an inadequate influence on society. It affects almost everyone in every aspect of their life, with everything that they do. When it comes to television and violence, I believe the repercussion of watching too much violent television does make one more violent. Violence in society doesn't just have to do with violence on television, or even watching too much television. However it does have contribution in some of the violence that has gone on in the world as well as today.
I have many sources, in which Louie told me I should site everything just in case, even if I don't use it... I am just not sure at this time which ones I will use in order to put it in here. I am still assembling what I have for this mid-term.
Bibliography:
"Albert Bandura, Social Learning and his Bobo Doll experiment." YouTube. Web. 22 Apr 2011. -- I used this because it was a visual way to understand what exactly the Bobo Doll is.
"Childhood Exposure to Media Violence Predicts Young Adult Aggressive Behavior, According to a New 15-Year Study." Press Releases. American Psychology Association, 09 Mar 2003. Web. 24 Apr 2011. -- This just supported some of the information I have used. When it comes to the web, you are not sure what is true, so I thought that if I had information from this site as well as the sites where the information repeats it would be safer.
"Children and Television Violence." Abelard Teaching. Abelard, 1999-2008. Web. 24 Apr 2011. -- This website helped with other studies they have done besides the Bobo Doll.
Petersik, Timothy. "Ripon College." Media Violence and Media Influence. J. Timothy Petersik, n.d. Web. 22 Apr 2011. -- This website helped me with the statistics of information I have used in my paper.
Westrup, Hugh. “Reel to Real?.” Weekly Reader / Current Science. 17 Mar. 2000: 10. Print. -- This gave me good examples of what the positives and negatives are of watching television that could contain violence.
I have many sources, in which Louie told me I should site everything just in case, even if I don't use it... I am just not sure at this time which ones I will use in order to put it in here. I am still assembling what I have for this mid-term.
Bibliography:
"Albert Bandura, Social Learning and his Bobo Doll experiment." YouTube. Web. 22 Apr 2011. -- I used this because it was a visual way to understand what exactly the Bobo Doll is.
"Childhood Exposure to Media Violence Predicts Young Adult Aggressive Behavior, According to a New 15-Year Study." Press Releases. American Psychology Association, 09 Mar 2003. Web. 24 Apr 2011. -- This just supported some of the information I have used. When it comes to the web, you are not sure what is true, so I thought that if I had information from this site as well as the sites where the information repeats it would be safer.
"Children and Television Violence." Abelard Teaching. Abelard, 1999-2008. Web. 24 Apr 2011. -- This website helped with other studies they have done besides the Bobo Doll.
Petersik, Timothy. "Ripon College." Media Violence and Media Influence. J. Timothy Petersik, n.d. Web. 22 Apr 2011. -- This website helped me with the statistics of information I have used in my paper.
Westrup, Hugh. “Reel to Real?.” Weekly Reader / Current Science. 17 Mar. 2000: 10. Print. -- This gave me good examples of what the positives and negatives are of watching television that could contain violence.
Blog 8
In the movie "The Matrix" the ignorance shown is that almost all of society is not aware that they are plugged into a system, that is called called the matrix. The people don’t know that they are stuck in the machine (Matrix).
The way they were portrayed to be blissful is by not having knowledge of what was really going on.
The knowledge they express in this movie is how Neo, Trinity, Morphieus and the rest of the gang found out they were in fact plugged into the machine. They find ways to become more knowledgeable about the system in learning new tactics. So that they can try and beat the agents, in order to save all of society. In hope that all of society become aware of what was really going on and how they weren’t really living their lives.
In "Oedipus the King" it shows a lot of ignorance in this play, basically by every character. One main point is how Laius goes to Teiresias and finds out that his not yet born son, will kill him and marry his wife. If he wouldn't have given the child to the messenger to have him killed, he wouldn't have grown up in a city, gone to Teiresias, and fled his city to end up back where he came from. Oedipus shows his ignorance by not knowing who his real parents are. The same ignorance that they are plugged into a machine. They are all blind and cannot see what is right in front of them, or something that should at least be obvious to them. Even if it may not be a simple thing to notice for them, they should have realized something was off, or not right.
When Oedipus goes to Teiresias, he tells Oedipus that he will kill his father and marry his mother. He then leaves his land where he had grown up and ran to the city where he was born. Oedipus didn’t have to move, since he thought those were his real parents he should have just been careful. He should have known that the course of action he would take next would eventually lead him to what the Oracle foretold. The reason he is ignorant is the fact that because he didn't know the people he lived with all of his life were not his real parents. Which made him travel to where his real parents were. Making what Teiresias had predicted for him a reality. The stupidity of these people that they walk right into these problems. They (from the Matrix and Oedpis) let other people control their actions.
The happiness expressed in the play is how Oedipus and Jocasta had lead a happy life while being unaware of the truth. The same with the people being controlled by the Matrix. They all were unaware of the truth and because they didn’t think anything of it, they were all happy.
The way they were portrayed to be blissful is by not having knowledge of what was really going on.
The knowledge they express in this movie is how Neo, Trinity, Morphieus and the rest of the gang found out they were in fact plugged into the machine. They find ways to become more knowledgeable about the system in learning new tactics. So that they can try and beat the agents, in order to save all of society. In hope that all of society become aware of what was really going on and how they weren’t really living their lives.
In "Oedipus the King" it shows a lot of ignorance in this play, basically by every character. One main point is how Laius goes to Teiresias and finds out that his not yet born son, will kill him and marry his wife. If he wouldn't have given the child to the messenger to have him killed, he wouldn't have grown up in a city, gone to Teiresias, and fled his city to end up back where he came from. Oedipus shows his ignorance by not knowing who his real parents are. The same ignorance that they are plugged into a machine. They are all blind and cannot see what is right in front of them, or something that should at least be obvious to them. Even if it may not be a simple thing to notice for them, they should have realized something was off, or not right.
When Oedipus goes to Teiresias, he tells Oedipus that he will kill his father and marry his mother. He then leaves his land where he had grown up and ran to the city where he was born. Oedipus didn’t have to move, since he thought those were his real parents he should have just been careful. He should have known that the course of action he would take next would eventually lead him to what the Oracle foretold. The reason he is ignorant is the fact that because he didn't know the people he lived with all of his life were not his real parents. Which made him travel to where his real parents were. Making what Teiresias had predicted for him a reality. The stupidity of these people that they walk right into these problems. They (from the Matrix and Oedpis) let other people control their actions.
The happiness expressed in the play is how Oedipus and Jocasta had lead a happy life while being unaware of the truth. The same with the people being controlled by the Matrix. They all were unaware of the truth and because they didn’t think anything of it, they were all happy.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Blog 6: The Prison-House of Language
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.
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.
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)