Sunday, December 6, 2009

Blogging Around With Mary and Merrick

Mary's post, 360 degrees: The Proposal, addressed the gender limitations we're presented with everyday. She talks about how certain traits are respected in a man but dismissed as rude or ridiculous in a woman. My response was:

I noticed that too while watching the film- Sandra Bullock's work ethic and drive would be admired if she was a man. Instead, people only viewed her as an insensitive, selfish manipulator. I agree with you that it's unfair, but at the same time we have to ask ourselves how much we really respect the man in that same condition. Do we appreciate the characteristics when a guy presents them, or do we just condone it and blow it off as 'a guy thing'? Either way, it's wrong. I think that men and women should get the same consequences for acting the way they do, and a flaw in personality (or a great trait) should never be attributed as a 'guy' or 'girl' thing. When we do that, we limit ourselves by our gender and we can't get to our full potential.

Merrick's post, Dialectics: Religion and Hatred, was a really interesting exploration of religion, which most people identify as loving and a connector of humankind, and the surprising path of hatred and violence that follows. A quote that really struck me as a main point (and is relevant to lots of our discussions in class) was "It’s amazing to think that religion, such a wonderful and important thing in most peoples lives, started this world of hate that exists today in the Middle East." My comment:

Your post really made me think about how people are so passionate about something they love that they are willing to do something violent or hateful to prove that their choice is the right choice. The fact that religion has brewed an intense rivalry and dislike that people today can't look past is terrible. That we as humans could discriminate against an ideal that helps someone else lead their life just doesn't make sense to me, and I often think that the phrase 'to each his own' would solve a lot of problems we have with our society. It shouldn't affect your daily happiness if someone else chooses to call your God (because their generally pretty similar variations of the same entity) by a different name. When religions promote themselves as the one true religion, they leave no room for tolerance and respect. Nice post.

Monday, November 16, 2009

IMedia: Five for Fighting- The Riddle

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGbTn4s_Ib8

Lyrics: http://www.metrolyrics.com/the-riddle-lyrics-five-for-fighting.html

John Ondrasik, the man behind the band Five for Fighting, is a musical genius. All of his songs have the same staggering impact- the lyrics provoke thought while the piano keeps you grounded to the song and enriches your feelings. The Riddle is a huge hit, and with good reason.

Rather than 100 years, which sweetly laments good times in your life that have passed, the Riddle encourages you to recognize the great moments while you're there, and to realize the impact the moments will have on you later and to truly enjoy everything, moment. by. moment. He enforces the idea that you can't just live in your own little shell and hope the world treats you well in the end. The verse where he is talking to his son really struck me:

"Picked up my kid from school today
Did you learn anything? Cuz in the world today
You can't live in a castle far away
Now talk to me, come talk to me"

He's telling us that we have to put ourselves out there. It's impossible to ignore the people around us and the situations all over the world, because some aspect of it touches us everyday, whether it be in small doses in our suburbs or if we're right in the middle of a conflict. He wants his kid to realise there's always more that yourself.

His kid responds with incredible wisdom- telling his dad that he realizes how small people are individually, and we can take something from that. As a person we may just be one more living, breathing organism on the Earth, but we can change that depending on our choices and how we live our lives. The way we relate and interact with other people is what makes our life matter, and it's strange to think that everything we do is shaping others. His kid finishes his speech by asking his dad to play a game with him, and his dad does. The power of his dad spending that time to play with his kid is incredible when you think of how it affects their relationship.

That's an interesting thought... to what extent are we defined by others' actions? If everything other people do around me affects me, am I defined more by them or my own choices? Do our everyday choices affect others more than myself? To keep that in mind makes it harder to dismiss our actions as meaningless, anything from how we walk into school every morning to if I say hi to that 'loner' in my math class.

Is the reason for the world to make it the best for others? Is it to put others before myself, and to get every ounce of joy I can out of it? In the beginning of the song, a wise old man advises the singer to "catch a Dylan song or some eclipse of the moon". If we enjoy every moment fully as it comes, we will appreciate and enjoy the people we experience life with. Enjoy how everyone is connected. The question of the riddle is how we can fully immerse ourselves in living. And I can only learn that by getting out there and finding out for myself.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Connection: The Act.

Or should I say 'the acting'?

Mr. Allen (you?) has given us an opportunity to think outside of the box. The 'Same Scene, Different Setting' prompt is giving our class a chance to work on something that doesn't have a single right answer, and to express our opinions through a different medium- someone else's words. For once, it's not about what we say, it's all about how we say it. Our creativity isn't measured by the lines we speak, but what new and creative light we present them in. And for me, and anyone else interested in the arts, this is a big deal. Depending on how predictable you like things, this either takes the pressure off or puts a heck of a lot more on. True, you have your words preplanned, but now you have to make them mean something- without supporting evidence or a follow-up explanation.

In a way, this is reminiscent of what I said about dance: once you have the steps, you have to make something original out of what's already there. You can't explain it, just like you can't explain a joke. It just has to fit together. You can be limited by your materials or you can excel with them. With this project, we have to make a 400 year old play relate to another concept- and you know with our class, there will be a ton of concepts to relate it to. The problem is picking what you want to express with your scene. And it's difficult! The connection has to be clear with out being patronizingly simple, but it has to have a deeper meaning that connects with a character or situation. In any other class, there would be the kid who would comment that 'a Shakespeare play has nothing to do with us now', but we know better. He wrote about human nature, and that's always relatable. It's impossible to write a play about anything without including our values and how we treat life. It's so completely woven into the way we think that separating our literature from ourselves could just not happen.

When everything is about human nature, we can never be limited by our materials when considering connections. They're everywhere. A character in an alien love story could remind you of your neighbor Mrs. Collins who treats her cat the exact same way the alien Aksnog does his pet slimeball. Or a tragedy could remind you of the childishness in us all.

So in this way, this project is like dancing, or painting, or any type of art- it's about bringing out something under the surface. It's connecting you to everything around you, because it can all relate back to you on some level. Connections are everywhere, not just physically but also when the way things make you feel remind you of something else. If this seems too space age-y and invokes images of Buddhists chanting 'karma' over and over, then that just proves my point. The previous sentence, class, would be a connection.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Dialectics: Expression and Dance

Expression and Dance:
At first glance, this comparison seems blatantly obvious... until you're a dancer. The world naively considers dance as an expression in itself, because a good dancer portrays a raw emotion that simple talking, walking, or running can't express. But there's the catch; it has to be a good dancer. Harnessing that emotion and making it clear and beautiful to watch is tough, to say the least.

Technique makes a dance materialize, but expression makes it beautiful. The most precisely executed step can look awkward and ugly if only half of the body is engaged. Emotion comes easily only when your mind is focused and concentrated, yet at the same time you have to let the steps carry you away. If that sounds complicated, it's because it is. It's a tender balance that makes the difference between a dance and dancing. What makes it beautiful and real comes from how you feel and how you capture an emotion and present it through movement.

My friend and I are choreographing a dance for a club at school. It is honestly one of the most difficult projects I've been faced with. To explain it the best I can: a song is around three minutes. Three minutes passes in the blink of an eye when you're out with friends, reading, or watching TV, but when you have to fill in the movements in those three minutes? It feels like forever. A moment is a step, a turn, a leap. I'll be relieved to have come up with a combination for a line in the song, only to be faced with the fact that it's just 5 seconds. Every move must be deliberate; there's no room for weak arms or standing still. And if that wasn't taxing enough, then we have to present our moves, make them speak to others without explanation or endless excuses. If it doesn't work, the moment has passed and you just have to move on. It's impossible to stop and say that "Well you see, that move was inspired by a clock, the rhythm of time is represented by the jerkiness of the arms here..." your audience has to get it, whether consciously or unconsciously.

We present it with our faces, with the way our bodies slump to hint defeat, straighten to declare confidence. It's hard to hide concentration- teachers say they can see it plastered on my face when I'm learning a new combination. But we 'must make it look effortless'. This motto is etched into us from the first jump. Whether leaping, extending, curling, spinning, we must think as a dancer but be a character in the same second. Expression makes the dancer, makes her relatable to the people sitting in the plush seats of the auditorium. The dance is just the footsteps, when it all comes down to it. It's our job to make them speak.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Metacognition: Kite Runner Essay

Just a note: I tend to be overly verbose when I find something that fascinates me. In my haste to get my ideas out into open air, I tend to talk... and talk... but my ideas sometimes lack the clarity my mind provides, because unnecessary words clutter up my clear thinking. When put down on paper, this makes essays a chore to get through, especially when I'm passionate about what I have to say. We can summarize this by saying that I rarely get the comment "Please elaborate!" when papers are returned.

But on to my thought process during the essay. I found the evidence plan surprisingly helpful in organizing my thoughts so I wouldn't get overwhelmed. In middle school, I was generally able to construct essays without too much effort on my part, so I was concerned this would just be an unnecessary step that took up effort and wasted time. However, I found it so useful and noticed a dramatic difference in my writing quality. Once I had a clear idea of what I wanted my 'big idea' to be, it was easier to craft the paragraphs to fit that purpose rather than try to great a great essay from the beginning without knowing what I wanted at the end. In that way, I was able to 'edit' in my mind as I wrote things down, saving me time and sanity.

Writing this essay really made me appreciate the tragic and beautiful story presented in this book. When I was forced to analyze the language and subtleties Hosseini weaves into his memoir, it helped me to really understand the characters as more dynamics were introduced. Because I am fascinated by acting and writing (which are occasionally meant to go hand in hand) I have a love for the subtle layers in expressing what makes up a person. Being forced to draw my own conclusions and elaborate on them in an essay gave me a lot of ideas on how to improve my own skills. My 'real-life focus' kept me motivated and encouraged me to see the beauty in silence, in pauses, and in characters. I can honestly say this story connected with me in a way I'd love to experience again, and getting a chance to put my thoughts down clearly on paper was truly a learning experience.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Blogging Around with the lovely Lauren and terrific Taylor

Lauren's Blog: Endings and Ambiguity

In Lauren's blog, she explored the idea of closure in books and how our need for closure might affect the truth of a story. She wanted to see the other side of the story, the side where Amir never gets the peace he desires and the side that the West doesn't want to see.

My response:
Wow. I find that really interesting as well, because I'm comforted by closure. I think when we have a story where there's no doubt about how everything works out, the thinking stops and it's easy to just turn off your light and go to bed. That's nice for a school night when you're tired and the first thing you're looking forward to is sleep. But on the other hand, if there's nowhere to let your mind wander after the last page, how good can it be? Shouldn't every story have that one idea that you can still work out after the assignment's done?
I personally think the best kind of endings are when there's a story closure but not an idea closure. The story always must have an overlying theme that relates to our world, and that can never be cut off. The specific problem in a book might be resolved, but the author gives you room to formulate your own ideas about how else the problem could have been solved.
Basically, if there's a major plot line error that is never addressed in the end, I have a problem. For example: A major villain in the beginning simply falls off the pages of the book? Major issue. Simply ignoring something doesn't give a story a mysterious edge, it just frustrates and doesn't accomplish anything. But a cliffhanger strikes a nice balance because it acknowledges the problem and then pulls back, smirking, saying "Well, I don't think I'm going to tell you that just yet."
Personally, I think Hosseini tied up the ending nicely, but the idea of redemption and atonement still remained. He doesn't claim to have the answers to how everyone's sins are dealt with, so the ideas you can chew on are still there. I feel that Amir's closure made up for Baba's ambiguity, which Hosseini gives us to explore if we so chose.

Taylor's Blog: Begging for Redemption

Taylor explores the idea of the author-character struggle that is present in the story, and how it enriches Amir's development as a person. She talks about the importance of Hosseini wanting to FORCE Amir to redeem himself.

My Response:
Because the idea of the struggle you explore is very similar to what I wrote about in my essay, I have to say that I agree with you completely. I thought that the connection between Hosseini and Amir was incredible, and liked that you brought up that the "Hosseini gave Amir plenty of chances to atone for his sins". That the auther is actually giving the character redeeming power is very cool, because it provides development of Amir's character as he refuses a chance for peace each time. It's aggravating and encouraging at the same time, because we want Amir to make the right choice but know he needs to come to terms a bit more first. The fact that the author-character struggle is palpable just demonstrates Hosseini's talent in delivering the story. It allows you to fully immerse yourself in the story, because you have to decide what the author wants versus what he is making the character want, which makes you think. Altogether, the story is made richer as the tension increases.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Connection: Kite Runner and Jacob Have I Loved

Today, I was thinking about expectations. How do they entitle us, destroy us, manifest themselves in our lives so seamlessly? To what extent do expectations shape our actions, values and self-worth?

In Kite Runner, Amir is constantly fighting a war against who he is and what his father expects from him. He wants nothing more than to feel truly accepted and valued by his father, but he feels that he never quite measures up. He's too sensitive, too weak, and not the son Baba expects to carry on his legacy. In Amir's eyes, Hassan assumes that role.

Because of Amir's perceptions, he tries to sabotage Hassan's relationship with Baba, while trying to enhance his image as the brave son. Amir is the legitimate son; the entitled boy who has everything he ever wanted. Without even knowing the true relationship between himself and Hassan, he feels challenged by the affection Baba shows towards both of them. This is the reason he makes games out of Hassan's illiteracy; to prove to himself that he is the one worthy of his father's attention, not the "stupid" Hazara boy.

The connection between the two young boys was that of brothers. Amir wouldn't find out how true that was until much later. Their relationship was a unique rivalry: Hassan needed nothing from Baba and Amir except Amir's friendship, but Amir viewed Hassan as a friend until he got in the way of Amir and Baba. It was a one sided rivalry- one that Hassan didn't intend to begin and Amir had no control over.

Their relationship reminded me of a book I read a long time ago, Jacob Have I Loved. It tells the story of a girl, Sara Louise, who lives on the Chesapeake Bay with her twin sister Caroline, her mom and dad, and her grandmother. Her sister has always been the talented one, and while Sara Louise spends her time crab-fishing to make money for her sister's voice lessons, Caroline stays behind to help her mother around the house. Her sister's contributions seem to be much more appreciated by the family. Sara feels trapped by her small town and feels under appreciated by family and friends. She's just there. Caroline is considered brave for succeeding despite an illness she suffered as a child, and is adored and looked up to by all.

Does this theme of resentment and need of reassurance sound familiar? Although Sara Louise doesn't take her pain out on others, she definitely wants the pride her parents feel for Caroline's achievements. However similar the plots may be, it was the consequence of expectations that struck me in both stories.

Sara Louise believes that no one expects anything out of her, so she doesn't feel the same positive motivation and pressure that her parents put on Caroline. Her childhood friend, who she had a crush on, proposes to her sister later in the story and they get married. Of course, to Sara Louise this is devastating, but she figures it only makes sense that Caroline would get what she wants in life. Because of this self-deprecating attitude, she lets opportunities nearly pass her by and makes her life in the small town a constant reminder of how she fails to measure up to her sister.

She makes a competition between herself and Caroline that could have been avoided if she valued her own worth more. If she could appreciate what she did for the family instead of trying to compare it to her sister's accomplishments, she could have realized her potential far earlier. The fact is, no one can be directly compared to someone else. Caroline's passion and success in the arts cannot be measured up against Sara's business aptitude and ability to care for her family. Towards the end of the book, Sara realizes the value of her own talents and discovers that she was the force holding herself back all along. This helps her to work up to her potential and succeed.

Expectations can destroy us if we limit ourselves by them. If we strive to the best of our ability to do what we love, maybe we will even discover that "others' expectations" were fabrications of our mind in the first place.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Best of Week: The "Real" Afghans

Throughout the book, we have been discussing the significance of the fake memoir format that Hosseini chose to write his story in. One reason was that Hosseini needed the freedom of fiction to get the true emotions of his story across. As we read, we kept in mind what made the format of 'real fiction' so important to the truth of this story.

On Friday, we discovered another reason. We had been assigned a number of articles to read that explored the Taliban, as well as provided some basic statistics about the troubled country of Afghanistan. This was extremely helpful because it provided me (I can't speak for my classmates) with a clear backdrop for the story. Although I knew the bare bones of the history of Afghanistan, I really needed a clear picture of the conflict the country was going through. As we discussed the political struggle of Afghanistan, I thought of another reason why Hosseini might have chosen to keep his story from being pure fiction- the perfect back story.

Obviously, most of the class was disgusted with Amir for abandoning Hassan and never truly letting Hassan be his friend. We've called him selfish, whiny, and everything in between. How could Hosseini have demonstrated the social ties Amir was struggling with if there was no such thing as Pashtuns and Hazaras? If he didn't have the ability to create the plot around a real conflict and real cultures, it would have been nearly impossible to demonstrate the struggle going on in Amir's mind throughout the book. The fact that it's a real situation saves Hosseini the laborious task of making up a conflict and making the social divide seem real and not 'cheesy' or 'unrealistic'. Now while reading, people can connect to the situation going on today and it brings awareness and understanding of the horrors brought on by Russia and the Taliban.

Why was this the Best of the Week? Because it influences how I view the book. When I connect the social divides Afghanistan suffers to REAL PEOPLE in the world, it changes everything. Books are an incredible resource to understanding the world and its inhabitants, so we should never disconnect a story from the world around us, or we miss its impact. Sometimes its easy to convince yourself that its only a story and nothing so terrible could happen to a country and its people. If we fully accepted that all the time, it would be a miracle if we could get through the news without bursting into tears. That is why this Friday was important. It broke through the 'just a story' barrier and reminded me why this book is a powerful example of real-life fiction.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Carry it Forward: Kite Runner

Selfishness. It's something that particularly bothers me in my everyday life, but I'm definitely not immune to it. In fact, I have severe bouts of 'selfish disease', as I have so creatively just christened it.

As I read the chapters following Hassan's rape, they became increasingly difficult to continue. A disturbed sadness gave way to anger as Amir continued to resist redemption and, in turn, Hassan's friendship. This is really just a more complicated way of saying Amir was being a selfish pig.

And his selfishness was not limited to his silence. On the other hand, he desperately wanted someone to find out, but something tells me this wasn't because of a caring attitude towards Hassan. By being found out, and being punished, Amir would be guaranteed something he craved- attention, particularly that of his father. Although Baba would be angry, Amir would get the chance (belatedly) to prove that he had courage to set things right.

His motives were always centered around himself. When he chose not to report the rape in the first place, I can empathize that he was scarred and needed time to process what he had seen. However, he spent no time considering what the experience had done to Hassan and instead focused on his own preservation. The fact that he pushed Hassan away was inexcusable. Hassan had always been present for Amir, and provided him with the attention and loyalty Amir felt he deserved, and didn't recieve from Baba.

As I found myself becoming more and more repulsed by Amir's behavior, I realized that, in a twisted way, I could 'redeem myself' for Amir. While his self-centered motives disturbed me, I had no proof that I would not react the same! That thought alone got me thinking about how I treat others in my day, whether it's not doing something fun with my sister/mom/dad/friend because I'm too tired, or simply not allowing other people's ideas in a discussion to 'get in my way'. If I focus on being someone who puts others before myself in day-to-day matters, I'll feel more in charge of my own destiny because I'll have a say in how I make other people feel. I'll become a better person. And who doesn't want that?

So, as a part of my new resolution, I'm going to go outside and practice field hockey with my mom, even though I'm really not in the mood today. She wants me to succeed in the sport, she enjoys playing it with me, and it won't kill me. See? I feel better already.
 

Send Email