Sophomore Year Blog

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The Impact of Media

Source 1: Grabe, Shelly. "Concern Over Strong Media Influence On Women's Body Image." Medical News Today. MediLexicon International, 13 May 2008. Web. 06 May 2014.

Source 2: Beischl, Christina. "Béyonce on Body Image and the Media's Influence on Female Self-Worth." Love Letters to Ken. Love Letters to Ken, 02 May 2014. Web. 06 May 2014.

Source 3: http://www.celebzz.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/heidi-klum-at-new-beauty-magazine_2.jpg (image)

Discussion: OBAMASELF I AM A LONER

     Today's media has a great impact over how women perceive beauty. Even though most everyone knows that models are often photoshopped in order to achieve perfection, women strive for "the perfect figure" according to the media and society. As seen on the image cited above, Heidi Klum is modeling "the facelift of the future," as well as other methods or products used to achieve today's definition of beauty by the media. Because Heidi Klum, a former supermodel, speaks for such products and methods, they are more likely to be used in order to be as beautiful as her. A postdoctoral researcher had teamed up to perform a study with a psychologist, claiming that they've "demonstrated that it doesn't matter what the exposure is, whether it's general TV watching in the evening, or in magazines, or ads showing on the computer. If the image is appearance focused and sends a clear message about a women's body as an object, then it's going to affect women... The media's effect of how much they internalize the thin ideal is getting stronger." Very recently, Béyonce released a music video covering the struggles of today's women trying to achieve the modern definition of beauty. She speaks about media impact behind the scenes, saying that it breaks her heart to see what today's women, even the youth, have to go through in order to feel good about their appearances.

Tribute Graphic

Macbeth Essay: The Best Thing Macbeth Never Had

     (1) Throughout the play, we follow Macbeth as he does many things to achieve the power and position that he wishes to obtain, no matter how he gets there and what he does. He kills his king, the ruler of his country, as well as his most trusted friend and a nobleman's family. Although all these acts were done with utmost secrecy, he is found out anyways due to suspicion. Following that, he himself is killed and got what was coming to him. With this being said, the theme of the Macbeth by Shakespeare is karma, or what goes around comes back around (eh, my baaaybay).

     (2) Within the first third of the book, Macbeth experiences prophecy and murder. He is promised to be king, but not for long and will be taken over by his best friend's sons. To speed up the process, he ends up killing King Duncan, who had offered nothing but hospitality and praise. This is where his karma will begin to grow and build, as his current actions will influence his future. Because of killing such a noble and honest man, he has started the karma cycle. While the murder was confidential and clean off, Macbeth himself was still worried about the overall outcome of the deed. "I won't go back! I'm afraid to think of what I've done. I daren't look at it again!"-Macbeth, (2.2.51-53). This incident was mostly forced upon him by his wife, but it the final choice was his.

     (3) Duncan's two sons, Malcolm and Donalbain, have fled the country out of fear, leaving Macbeth as the only heir to the throne. In addition to inheriting the kingdom, he has also inherited paranoia and anxiety. Karma has now effected him more strongly due to his new position. With Macbeth now king and Duncan dead, Macbeth suspects Banquo of knowing that he has killed Duncan because of his presence during the prophecy.
       
          "To be thus - a king - is nothing. I must be safely thus./ I fear Banquo deeply."/"I fear no one but him."/"If that is to be so, I've corrupted my mind for Banquo's offspring. For them, I've murdered the gracious Duncan./ Turned my peace sour merely for them./ And surrendered my immortal soul to the devil- to make them kings!/ The sons of Banquo, kings! Rather than that,/ I challenge fate to the death!" -Macbeth, (3.1.47-49)/(3.1.53-54)/(3.1.63-71)

     Macbeth slowly creates more enemies and worry for himself as he carefully plans to remain in control. He can no longer be comfortable in his new home and is always suspecting who knows the truth and whether he needs to get rid of them. Deciding to kill Banquo and his son Fleance before the truth can get out, he hires three murderers to get the job done during a royal banquet. While Banquo dies, Fleance lives and escapes. Macbeth learns of this, with his guilt and fear consuming him now more than ever. Although hoping for security and closure to the murder and madness, Macbeth slowly loses his sanity instead. He is the only one that sees Banquo's ghost at the banquet, causing him to act strange in front of his guests, raising more suspicion.

          "[Seeing the ghost] Go away! Quit my sight! Back to your grave!/ Your bones are marrowless, your blood is cold./ You have no power of seeing me in those glaring eyes!" -Macbeth, (3.4.95-98)

     (4) Slowly but surely, both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth go insane due to the secrets they've kept. Keeping one murder quiet is hard enough, but two on your own hands of your king and your best friend must drive a person to the edges of insanity (if not off the edge itself). Eventually, Lady Macbeth commits suicide and Macbeth fights Macduff, the man whose wife and child he sent murderers to kill. Macduff emerges from their battle victorious with Macbeth's severed head on a pole. Macbeth has finally gotten what was coming to him. "[To Malcolm] Hail, King! For such you are. See where/ the usurper's head stands! The world can breathe again." -Macduff, (5.7.53-54). After all the people he has killed and the blood on his hands, Macbeth has finally gotten what was coming to him: death, the very thing he's been testing and trying to avoid. What has gone around came back around (eh, my baaaybay) to him, putting an end to his guilt and worries, but his life as well.

     (5) Although today's common karma isn't as intense and consequential as death, but can be easily spotted. No matter what you do and how well you try to hide it, whether it's good or bad, you will be found out, punished, or rewarded. For example, if you take your sister's cookie, she may tell your parents no matter how hard you try to keep it a secret. If she doesn't tell, maybe the guilt would eat at you until you do something to make up for it. On the contrary, if you give your sister the last cookie, the universe will somehow reward you for your good deed in some way or form, whether it be a compliment you really need that day, etc. Overall, attempt to be kind, otherwise karma can be a buttface.

Macbeth Pre-Reading Work Part 2

1. Evil is caused by circumstance or environment; no one is born evil. Everyone starts off with a clean slate, knowing nothing about good or evil. In my mind, that means that everyone is pure. Evil is implanted by influence and environment, by either experiences or people they're around. Humans take notice and adapt to their environment in order to survive, get by, or be comfortable. For some, this means being more cruel or adapting to the evil around them.

2. Lives can't be determined by fate; it's always determined by free will. The definition of fate is " the development of events beyond a person's control, regarded as determined by a supernatural power." If people are allowed to freely make their own life choices, I don't see how there could be a future predetermined for someone. Of course, there would be the situation where there would be a greater possibility of choosing one thing over the other, but that's still not something you can call fate.

3. True redemption is possible, although it depends on the victim of the act of evil. If they can find it in their heart to forgive the culprit of their heinous crime, then they are by all means redeemed (unless they don't forgive themselves). If not trusted by others, the one deemed evil could do acts such as community service or something corny like help the elderly in order to regain the trust of the public and others.

4. If someone had once been evil and is now good, you can admire them for their actions of when they were evil, what they accomplished on their journey to become good, or what they currently do as a good, responsible citizen. I would rather respect someone for when they're good, and you can admire them for their good deeds. It must be hard in order to completely change your life around, especially your morals and lifestyle.

5. If one uses evil methods in order to achieve a goal, I believe that it would be tainted due to the fact that it was not done fairly or equally. If how you achieved the goal was not how others would normally achieve it, it seems wrong in a way, like cheating. It's like a test: if you get an A by studying hard and paying attention in class, you feel more accomplished and proud of your achievement. If you get an A by cheating off of someone else, you have your A, but you're not as satisfied as you would be since you've done a wrong to get what you want.

Reader Response LC #3

1A. Theme: When in desperate situations and options are running out, hope is something that cannot be easily lost or killed by current events.

1B. Character: Despite unexpected struggles that life throws at someone, they find strength and reason to carry on; Elie Wiesel being one of those whose faith and determination outlines the true definition of hope.

Group Reader Response LC #2: Dialectical Journal Practice

1A. Dehumanization: deprive of human qualities
1B. When the prisoners first arrive at the concentration camps, their hopes are usually still high about the outcome of everything, despite the circumstances. As time continues, people start to care more about themselves and their own survival rather than others. Their main goal is to get out of the camps and survive the duration of the war. Every man for himself.
1C. Eli notices that the sons and fathers that stayed together helped each other at first, but it was always the son that ditched the father. The main reason was the father being too weak to pass the next selection, and should or could not be helped in any way. The sons took their father's bread, even beating them up for it and leaving them for dead in order to insure their own survival. Eli doesn't think that this is the right thing to do, but there's nothing he can do in these types of situations except sit and watch.

2A. "Terror was stronger than hunger. Suddenly, we saw the door of Block 37 open imperceptibly. A man appeared, crawling like a worm in the direction of the cauldrons. Hundreds of eyes followed his movements. Hundreds of men crawled with him, scraping their knees with his on the gravel. Every heart trembled, but with envy above all. The man had dared."

       "Not far away, I noticed an old man dragging himself along on all fours... A shadow had just loomed up near him. The shadow threw itself upon him. Felled to the ground, stunned with blows, the old man cried: 'Meir. meir, my boy! Don't you recognize me? I'm your father... you're hurting me... you're killing your father! I've got some bread... for you too... for you too...' The old man again whispered something, let out a rattle, and died amid the general indifference. his son searched him, took the bread, and began to devour it."

Group Reader Response LC #1: Dialectical Journal Practice

1. With every new action and rule put into place by the German officers, the Jews slowly get more anxious and panicked. It starts with Germans entering Hungarian territory, although the people weren't worried because they doubted the ability of the German army. The second act was arresting the leaders of the Jewish community, which caused a slight disturbance throughout the community. People were slightly worried, but not that much and continued to live as normal. They thought they were being taken somewhere safe, where they can continue to work and live away from war zones. Shortly after, Jews were not allowed to leave their homes for three days on pain of death. This rocked the community, as everyone realized that Moshe the Beadle wasn't crazy and was truly trying to warn everyone of what was to come. Second, Jews no longer possessed the right of owning jewels, precious metals, or anything of value. The caused a glazed reaction to come from the people; the doubting stage where people try to pretend that everything is normal. Next, every Jew must wear a yellow star. People didn't really see this as a threat, seeing as how everything else was. When Wiesel's father got called to the newly revised council about the terms on deportation, everyone began packing for the worst immediately and hoped to survive.

2. "From that moment, everything had happened very quickly. The race toward death had begun."
            This quote comes from the area in the story where the German soldiers begin to show their real purpose of living with the Jews, right after they arrest the leaders of the Jewish community. This begins the slow process of deportation, which causes a wave of fear to consume the public. From this line, the book pretty much goes down hill for all the Jews.
      "In front of us flames. In the air that smell of burning flesh. It must have been about midnight. We had arrived-- at Birkenau, reception center of Auschwitz."
             Here, all nightmares and negative assumptions that the Jews have had turn into a reality. They now see that Moshe was not crazy and that the worst is yet to come. To me, it seems as if the narrator of the story is somehow indirectly relating Birkenau to hell. He talks about flames and the smell of burning flesh, and the way he writes makes it seem as if he's in the depths of fiery hell.
    "Are you in good health?"
             I've seen this many times in the book already, and we're not done reading yet. This question can mean life or death to someone. Even if you're dying and you lie about your health, it feels like another test cheated, but you'll eventually die and either be left for dead or thrown into the furnace. Some Jews tried to keep everyone they cared about healthy while others only looked out for themselves and kept healthy and alive no matter the cost.
     "A-7713!"
            Jews are not called by name, but are given a number, a label. It symbolizes how low the Germans think of the Jews. Every Jew had a number that they were identified as and addressed by, their names dead and forgotten. It strips their sense of uniqueness and identity, dampening their spirits and lowers their worth among the Germans.
     "'Me, too... Me, too! They told me to stay behind in the camp.' They had written down his number without his being aware of it."
            Eliezer seems to truly fear for his father for the first time in the concentration camp. This time, his father could die and he can't do anything about it besides help to escape, which was not recommended (by the Germans). He hasn't seen his mother in weeks (or chapters), so his father is the one he has the closest bond with. He would be lonely and without family in the camp if his father doesn't pass the second selection, and seems to be hoping and praying as hard as possible that he'll have his father for another day.

Allusion Graphic Final

AYEEEE MY WIZARDING HOMIES WHERE YOU AT

Elie Wiesel feat. Chelsea

Elie Wiesel

         World War II is known for being one of the most devastating, costly events in history. With an unstable Germany on the rise lead by Adolf Hitler, many lost their lives to what most today see as one of the most catastrophic incidents to ever happen. Elie Wiesel, current day writer and Nobel Prize winner, is most known for his works on his survival of the Holocaust in World War II. Wiesel, at a young age, was taken from his Jewish home in Transylvania (later to be named Romania) and moved to concentration camps with his family. Being one of the active survivors of the Holocaust, he has given speeches, written books, and taught about his experiences and hardships. His most known work, La Nuit, was published in 1958 and was the first to include his memories during the war. After having such success with the first book, he continued on to write forty more books with the same basic information and experiences included in the previous, educating people around the world of the encounters commonly found during the Holocaust.

            Wiesel’s purpose for sharing his knowledge with the world is to inform and educate everyone of the struggles and hardships that people experienced during the war, specifically in the perspective of the Jews. Thanks to his survival and writing skills, Wiesel has published over forty books, delivered speeches, and taught classes about the Holocaust, as well as events that lead up and followed. He also does classes and seminars on Jewish practices and studies for those who want to learn more. Thanks to his activism in today’s society, people can learn more about the Holocaust and World War II, as well as the impact it could have on an individual if something like this were to reoccur.

Bibliography:

• “Elie Wiesel – Biographical”. Nobelprize.org. Nobel Media AB 2013. Web. 4 Feb 2014. http://ww.nobelprize.org/nobel_prized/peace/laureates/1986/wiesel-bio.html   

• "Elie Wiesel Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 02 Feb. 2014. http://www.biography.com/people/elie-wiesel-9530714?page=1

• "The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity." The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Feb. 2014. http://www.eliewieselfoundation.org/eliewiesel.aspx

Allusion Poetry Final

I sit at the
top of the class,
yet
the bottom of the ladder.

No one wants to be
friends
with the studious,
awkward,
academically driven
know-it-all.

I wonder.

There was no one,
none for months.

Then there were two.

Courageous and bold,
witty and brave.
Determined and kind
with clever mind.

The second behind her
was quirky and true.

Qualities I could
see in me,
as well as
learn from.

I was dragged out into the open,
into adventure,
into life.

We conversed of wands,
professors and O.W.L.S,
Yule Ball dates and
quidditch
over pitchers of butterbeer.

As I spent time with them,
I gained and learned.
Witty and brave,
courageous and bold;
those qualities
became mine.

Still studious,
I'm perched at
the top of the world.

And for that,
I believe
10 points to Gryffindor.

Allusion Graphic

TENKS AH DUMBLEDORE

Allusion Poetry Draft

I sit at
the top of the class,
yet
the bottom of the ladder.

Who wants to be
friends
with the studious,
awkward,
academically driven
nerd?

I wonder.

There was none,
then
there was one.

Courageous
and bold,
witty and brave.
Determined and kind,
clever mind.

The second behind him
was quirky
and true.

Yet the same as me,
and they
were the first.

Dragged out
into the open,
into adventure,
into life.

Basilisks,
talking hats and
revived wizards
over a pitcher
of butterbeer.

They shared
themselves
and I took
for my own.

Courageous
and bold,
witty and brave.
They became
a part
of me.

Still studious,
I am perched
at the top
of the class
and the world.

And for that,
I believe
10 points to Gryffindor.

Greeks on Madison Avenue

Chelsea helped a lot :3