Them, too

Langston Huges, a poet in the Harlem Renaissance, writes meaningful pieces about the slavery and inequality of blacks in America.  Huges writes about a theme of separation of blacks and whites in his piece, "I, Too".  Huges describes African Americans as being a "darker brother", a euphemism which employs the multiple denotations of the word "dark" in its description.  Along with expressing a tone or shade of color that contains a blackish hue, dark is often related to being ignored, unseen, and forgotten.  This creates verisimilitude in that the African American people were viewed as lowly, not as true human beings.  For example, when their white owners invite guests over, they "send me to eat in the kitchen".  The speaker, an African American, is sent to the kitchen so as to make room for the white guests, and does not hold a true seat at the kitchen table.  In the poem, the kitchen table serves as a symbol for America.  Often when sharing a meal with others at a table, experiences and thoughts are shared.  The fact that blacks were denied a seat at the kitchen table (America), they were equally denied the expression of their thoughts and feelings at this time.  The author expresses discontent with this idea through the statement "I, too, am America".  African Americans, dwellers in America, the majority of the population in America, should be acknowledged as a part of the nation.

You cannot put a price on that

After reading The Diamond as big as the Ritz, I was reminded of an event in my life in which I also lost a real jewel/gem.  In the short story, Mr. Washington, the father, destroys the giant diamond by employing explosives.  I, in a similar way, lost a pearl earring in the washing machine.  In both instances, a valuable is lost, but the reasons why the item holds so much worth is very different.  For Mr. Washington, the diamond was valuable because of its monetary value, yet in my instance, the pearl earring was valuable for it's emotional correlation to an important moment in my life.  My mother gave the pair of earrings to me before my first communion, a religious ceremony in which the recipient receives for the first time the body and blood of Jesus.  While the loss of my "diamond" can never be recreated, the worth of the diamond can: that is, if Mr. Washington finds another large diamond.
While the losses of material things can seem like a catastrophic event, one must remember all of the more important things in life.  Family, true friends, religion, etc., are immeasurable in worth as they are so priceless.  These things are irreplaceable, and provide one with love, happiness, and joy that cannot be achieved with petty objects.

Black Friday is a part of us

At the end of The Great Gatsby, Nick notes how the island must have appeared to the first people to arrive on the land.  How it held much opportunity to the travelers.  Shortly afterwards, Nick compares this to Gatsby's perspective of his land; Gatsby saw all opportunity by looking across the water towards the green light on Toms and Daisy's dock.  Gatsby's dream, as well as the dream of many American's at the time of the novel's publication, were viewed as too superficial and shallow by author F. Scott Fitzgerald.  Gatsby, whose goal in life was to attain wealth to ultimately attain Daisy, was a representation of the shallowness of the American dream at that time; a dream that valued success by the amount of money and goods one owned.  After experiencing the festivities of Thanksgiving, reading the novel reminded me that our obsession with goods has not been a new trend.  It seems as though the true meaning of Thanksgiving: to give thanks for all blessings, has become overshadowed by the commercialism of Black Friday.  After sharing a hearty meal with family and/or friends, society willingly arises at ridiculous hours of the morning to fight for "deals".  In truth, the dangers and risks one is exposed to in order to get these deals are not worth the reduced cost.  However, perhaps it is more the mindset of the success of getting the exclusive deal that drives consumers to these great lengths.   Regardless, a simple holiday meant to display gratuity has become a mad shopping tradition.  As simple necessities like freedom and independent survival were common among their precedents, people of the 1920s became spendthrift and extremely lavish.  

Detrimental dreams

Dreams.  Most literally, a dream is said to be "a vision voluntarily indulged in while awake" (dictionary.com).  That vision is usually one of success.  For a businessperson, it could be a raise or a promotion.  For a mother, it could be the health and success of her children.  For a student, it could be good grades and acceptance into the college of their dreams.  One must have the dedication and willingness to put in the work to reach his or her goal.  Joel Osteen goes as far as saying "do all you can to make your dreams come true."  Unfortunately, as one works towards their goals, other important aspects of a balanced life are either ignored or cheated.  
For example, when men are drafted for wars, they must first pass exams in order to qualify as being physically able to fight.  One area in which they are tested is vision.  A man aspiring to become a doctor qualifies to fight.  But can he pass the physical examination?  Because he does not want to fight, he convinces his doctor to feign a letter, describing how the man's vision is so poor that if he were to fight, he might shoot men on his side if he lost his glasses.  This example displays some of the bad things that can happen as one aspires towards their goal.  If that man passed his test, he would be forced to fight, and would not be able to go to medical school until after his time.  In order to achieve his dream, he had to take advantage of the eye doctor so he did not appear capable of fighting.  Those who take advantage of others are scorned upon, and will ultimately sever previous acquaintances.

Along with deliberately "using" others, the work involved with achieving dreams can sometimes prevent one from having the time to retain relationships.  The dreamer is so enthralled in their preparations that they don't have an extra hour to go to the movies with a friend or visit a loved one.  It is when one realizes these loses that a decision must be made: is the dream worth what is given up in the process? 

No P!u.n?c:t"u*a,t/i;o'n, please!

Thesis: Punctuation is not a necessity in today's age as it restricts individuality and brings a downfall of creative minds with its confining norms and restrictions.

Punctuation itself carries a meaning which can sometimes inhibit the meaning the author intended.  Source B describes the period as "preaching order and a sure conclusion"(Source B).  There are times when a writer may be using imagery in prose to describe an open field, and in order to meet the standard rules of punctuation, periods must be used to break the text into sentences.  If punctuation was not a requirement, that writer could utilize flowing, lengthy phrases to add to the description of the expansive field. Such punctuation marks as the pilcrow and hedera have "enjoyed temporary places in common usage" (Source A) because with the passing of time, writers have found other ways to communicate their ideas, or perhaps these marks proved destructive to writing. Source C describes the possibility beyond prose as "more numerous of Windows...(and) doors" (Source C).  Windows and doors offer entry and exit for humans; in writing, they offer the free flow of ideas.  This reflects back to the description of the open field, as such literary forms as poetry which lack the rules of punctuation contain limitless opportunity for writers.

Learning proper puncuation rules is useless!!

The man is the medium

It's two weeks before homecoming.  Most boys are just beginning to realize that they need to ask some girl to go with them.  On the other hand, most girls already have their perfect dress, complete with matching shoes, bag, and accessories.  They know exactly how they want their hair to look, and they've arranged an appointment at the salon to get their nails done.  Girls, and women and general, put much consideration into their appearance for special events to everyday life for one reason: they are marked.

Deborah Tannen contrasts the ways in which men and women are viewed in various categories.  She describes how, at a business meeting, she noted the clothing and appearance of the women, while paying little attention to the men's attire.  Tannen states that each woman "had to make decisions about hair, clothing, makeup, and accessories", choices that are all marked by society, while the men have the option to choose an appearance that is either marked or unmarked.  If a women wears too revealing clothes, or applies too much makeup, she is viewed as "sexy", which can branch in both positive and negative directions.  Most every reason that women are marked while men are not is due to the fact that the marking is caused by sexuality.  This concept is well-developed in Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, as prominent character Hester Prynne is marked by her letter "a" on her chest.  This letter, earned by adultery, is the mark she holds from others.  Her moral acts of volunteering to the poor and needy go unmarked, and she remains shunned from the society.  Although everyone in the town could easily deduce that Dimmesdale is also guilty of the sin, they choose to deny it.  The townspeople look up to Dimmesdale, and the thought of their dedicated minister performing such a scornful act is disgusting.  His character is multidimensional; people recognize many aspects of his being, and he is not restricted in any way by his appearance or any other shallow characteristic.
Like Dimmesdale, boys can get away with wearing the mediocre black suit and tousled hair.  That is the normal.  That is what is expected.  It is unmarked.

Able to change

Most everyone knows the saying "actions speak louder than words".  Perhaps Hester knew the quote as well as she battled with society's view of her after acquiring her scarlet letter "a".  The strongly theocratic society shuns her from their lives, yet Hester does not live her life without hope or purpose.  Rather than taking away from the unity and pride of the society, Hester instead contributes to it by donating her time and energy to the poor and needy, which ultimately alters the viewpoint others hold of her.  The "a" shifts from a notation of "adultery" to being "able".  Hester is remarked for her ability to be compassionate and caring, despite the fact that she does not receive any of the sort from those around her.  Those whom she provides for don't even show mercy; they scorn the hand that feeds them.  Hester's strength and resiliency is prevalent in her actions, and she gains some respect from a select people in society for these reasons.

By the end of Jimmy Carter's presidency in 1980, his presidential approval rating was around thirty percent.  During his term as president, he struggled with such issues as the energy crisis, inflation, hostages in Iran, and the war in Afghanistan.  Many Americans were frustrated with him at the time, and he would undoubtedly be looked upon very negatively had he not been as active post-presidency.  Since leaving office, Jimmy Carter has created the Carter Center which promotes diplomacy and peace; works alongside Habitat for Humanity, which constructs homes for the poor, and continues to speak in interviews about many domestic and foreign policy issues.  Carter is like Hester in that he has altered what he is remembered for.  Instead of being called an "inexperienced peanut farmer", some may instead remark his volunteer efforts for the community.  While both Carter and Hester had some unfavorable traits, they are able to rebuke the shame and guilt associated by becoming "able" to give away their resources to those less fortunate.

Take care of those moods

Emotions and thoughts go hand and hand; they both stem from one's brain.  In effect, they affect eachother.  Epictetus, a Greek philosopher once said, "Men are not worried by things, but by their ideas about things. When we meet difficulties, become anxious or troubled, let us not blame others, but rather ourselves, that is: our idea about things."  David Foster Wallace provides a perfect example of this in his speech, "This is Water", with a short anecdote about a typical trip to the grocery store.  While human beings can encounter some truly troubling obstacles, we often over-exaggerate their severity.  Humans tend to focus on negative thoughts, as well as pity themselves unnecessarily.  Most likely, your individual problem is infinitesimal in comparison to some more pressing issues around the world.  I, personally, try to always put everything in perspective.  If I forgot to bring my cell phone to school, I remind myself that if I really need to contact someone, I could borrow someone else's phone.  Although at the moment I feel extremely vulnerable, I step back and look at the big picture: life goes on.
Sometimes one's mood can be difficult to control, so I've compiled a list of things that I find help me.

• Get enough sleep-  This one is pretty difficult to attain with busy high-school schedules and all the homework assigned, but after a proper eight-or-more hours of sleep, I awake feeling refreshed.  Sleep has been proven to improve one's ability to process information both quickly and thoroughly, so one is less likely to jump to conclusions about that mother in the restaurant who continues to let her baby cry.
• Avoid negative people-  Being creatures that seek approval, humans are often quick to agree with those we are around.  Spending time around negative people can sometimes transfer their nagging and complaining to you.
• Stay organized-  Your surroundings can largely impact your thinking.  Having clothes and papers strewn all over my floor will usually increase my stress level.  (As a side note: Feng Shui states that the following can affect one's mood: colors, furniture and decor, photos, lighting, sound/silence, and scent.)
• Take care of yourself-  This is arguably the most important.  Eating healthy and exercising regularly can help clear the mind and relieve stress.  So take a break from studying for that big test and run a mile or two around the neighborhood!

The glass ceiling

Think of any television show of the 1950s or 1960s that involved a family.  How was each family member portrayed?  The children would often leave the house to go play outdoors, while the father would leave for work.  What about the mother?  Did she have a job to help the family?  Would she spend her days with friends attending meetings or clubs?  Most of the time, the mother would sit at home making meals or doing housework.  During the time period, women were expected to do nothing more or less.  This inequality among sexes may not be as extreme in the present day, but it is definitely still present.
The inequality was first addressed on a large scale at the First Women's Rights Convention held in Seneca Falls, New York, in 1848.  Elizabeth Stanton delivered a speech entitled "Declaration of Sentiments", which addressed the feelings of oppression women felt by men in society.  By utilizing a format similar to the Declaration of Independence, Stanton was able to convey a message of the feeling of restriction similar to that that the colonists felt as they were under the power of Great Britain.  Stanton's bluntness was criticized, but her argument held a truth that was never before acknowledged.
In the present day, women are not looked upon as equal to men.  Take, for example, the amount of time and money women spend of beauty products like makeup.  Men are not expected to look flawless every day, and don't need to as society places more value on a man's internal characteristics.  Women are still viewed as objects, and external appearance matters just as much, if not more, than personality.  In the workplace, women do not often hold management positions.  According to the Center for American Progress, about 47 percent of the workforce in the United States is composed of women, yet 3.6 percent of the CEOs in America are women.  Although women are just as capable as men of operating a company, it is this preconceived notion of the insignificance of women that hold them back from achieving the greatness they embody.

Integrity lacks lies

Protagonist John Proctor's affair with Abigail is relatable to the plot of Easy A.  In the movie Easy A, high school girl Olive Penderghast fabricates intimate affairs to gain attention and popularity for herself and for those whom she was supposedly involved with.  As Olive embraces a scandalous new attitude, she is scorned upon by the conservative students at her school.
John Proctor, on the other hand, actually had an affair, and feels powerful guilt throughout the play.  As his friends and family are accused and persecuted for false crimes, Proctor's integrity is put to the test.  Although Proctor would continue to live a long life if he keeps his secret, he would live with the pain and guilt associated with the betrayal of his wife.  To see so many killed for witch crimes that they did not commit, it forces him to also falsely admit, not only to save a life of one of the accused, but to die with a purified soul.
When Olive realizes that a boy dated her so he could pay her to sleep with him, she decides that the attention she receives at school is not worth the label she is given.  Through her public confession that she did not sleep with anyone, she ultimately hurts both herself and those whom she lied for.  Although she is now known as a liar, she no longer has scandal about her name.
Although John admits his real crime solely to God, both John and Olive ultimately end up absolving themselves.  They take blame for their actions and truly define the importance of integrity.  Although it is sometimes difficult to admit to sins, knowing that the future will bring forgiveness and clarity is worth the struggle.

Mass of children

Thoughts can cycle, change, and develop, but they are still more easily controlled than emotion.  A term used when describing one particular level of control one has over their emotions is hysteria.  An antonym of collectedness, hysteria is defined as "an uncontrollable outburst of emotion or fear, often characterized by irrationality, laughter, weeping, etc.".  Hysteria is often brought about during a time of social or political unrest.  In the previous post, I discuss how human beings are strongly influenced by eachother; when emotional instability is experienced in a community of people, it is called mass hysteria.  In history, mass hysteria was displayed in the Red Scare, a movement during the 1940s to 1950s involving the evaluation for communists among United States employees.  During this time, many were falsely accused at the cost of their jobs as well as their status in society.  

Mass hysteria follows an unspoken outline, which will be applied through the analysis of the Red Scare.  It is spurred by discontent among a group of people who seek something; it could be power, status, money, etc.  Around the time of the Red Scare, the United States dropped a bomb on China, governed by the communist leader Mao Zedong, and joined the Korean War, fighting against the communist North Korea.  Americans felt an urgency to protect themselves from any communists that might intrude the United States.  The hysterics claim that their unjust actions are moral; American political leaders used the excuse of "protecting their citizens" to validate the destroying of the lives of countless, innocent Americans.  By doing so, they were able to gain complete control over one aspect of their duty as leaders as other aspects spiraled out of regimentation.

In short, hysteria is used as a weak excuse to make nefarious and selfish acts appear necessary and completely appropriate.  As a baby will cry when he or she doesn't get a toy, an immature being will employ mass hysteria as an elementary tactic to obtain a desired result.

If you do it, I'll do it too

If you were struggling with business, who would you be more willing to take advice from: Bill Gates or Bernard Madoff?  The obvious decision is made so quickly because of one thing: credibility.  Many times, if someone is told something from what they consider a credible source, they are highly inclined to believe it, regardless of if it is actually true.  As Bill Gates is to business, Jonathan Edwards is to religion.  Edwards' speech "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" carried enough power to convince millions of people to convert to the Puritan church.  His vivid metaphors of the weakness of the human being in comparison to the wrath of God brought people to tears with fear.  Why so many people believed Edwards' sermon is beyond reasons of credibility, however.
Along with deciding how true something is by it's source, humans rely on each other when making decisions.  Humans strongly support mob mentality, defined as unique behavioral characteristics that emerge when people are in groups.  While being in a group has its benefits, some mob characteristics are not always positive.  A great example is the Westboro Baptist Church, a group of forty members that holds extreme religious beliefs, most notably their disapproval of homosexuality.  Through open public protest, they convey these controversial beliefs to persuade others that it is what God wants.  Their belief system is so extreme that members are willing to kill.  It is through this strength in numbers that people sometimes make brash decisions, as well as gain the courage and bravery to perform acts that would not normally be completed alone.
To develop oneself as an individual being, it is important to spend time alone in order to develop voice and reasoning.  Being alone allows one to work through problems effectively, think deeply, and relax in solitude.  Paul Tillich states, "Language... has created the word 'loneliness' to express the pain of being alone.  And it has created the word 'solitude' to express the glory of being alone".  Living in the confines of the home has become looked down upon in society.  Those who are considered "party animals" are classified as fun to be around, interesting, and energetic, while the more introverted are "odd", "awkward", or "unsociable".  What about such things as self confidence, intuition, and awareness that are developed by being alone; are these traits of no value?

Even education can break the rules

I held a conversation with my fourteen year-old brother about a somewhat controversial issue.  He attends a private Catholic high school, and he asked me this question, "How does faith perfect reason?".
I composed an answer somewhere along the lines of, "Faith and reason cannot "perfect" eachother.  Faith relies on a personal religion and moral values, while reason uses facts".
Thinking I had totally impressed him by nailing the answer, he surprised me with his reply, "You are incorrect!"  He continued on and told me that the answer he learned in school was that faith makes a human whole, and therefore allows someone to reason.  In a public school, religion is a discouraged topic because of its controversy, while at a private, Catholic school, the topic of religion is the basis of learning. It's odd how even though we are both from the same upbringing, we hold completely different views.  Our own personal viewpoint is one we have developed through our learning and is "the only right answer".  In my opinion, many things surrounding education are much too insensitive.

While viewpoints are a majorly corrupted part of education, there are still other aspects that are also neglected.  Sherman Alexie's The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven dedicates a portion of his book to his education and how it relates to that of other people's.  Alexie, a member of an Indian tribe, attends a "normal" high school, while the rest of the kids in his tribe attend the one on the reservation.  Throughout his high school career, many elements that create an education are explored, from teachers to high school mascots.  Alexie never receives the attention in school that the other white kids at school receive because he is Indian.  As Alexie graduates at the end of their senior year, he and the rest of his class are mentioned in the reservation's newspaper.  Much to Alexie's dismay, he again lacks recognition because he is presented as equal to the rest of the kids, despite the fact that Alexie is valedictorian and received a much more rigorous education at his school than the reservation kids did.  The time and effort each student puts in their work is neither acknowledged nor distinguished even by his tribe.
Alexie's message is strikingly similar to issues that supposedly have already been solved.  The famous Brown vs Board of Education court case ruled schools could no longer segregate (therefore discriminate), and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights goes into detail about the rights every person has in terms of speech, expression, and personality.  Does education interfere with these rulings and freedoms?

Are you your mother (or father)?

Question: Does heritage determine who we are as people?

Heritage is defined on Dictionary.com as "something that comes from or belongs to one by reason of birth; an inherited lot or portion".  This definition certainly encompasses tangible objects and physical features that may be passed down from one generation to another through genetics, but what about such things as personality?  Jamie Derringer completed a study on variations of DNA chains associated to the release of dopamine, and revealed that 6.6% of one's desire for pleasure is due to the makeup of these DNA chains.  So technically speaking, everything one receives through their heritage is physically passed down.  But that doesn't mean one's heritage labels him or her as a person.  In the memoir The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, Jeannette begins the book by questioning why her mother is so content with being homeless.  She is embarrassed by her mother; when she sees her sorting through garbage, she cowards in the back seat of her taxi, ignoring her existence.  Jeannette later describes in her novel her experience growing up in a family that placed little to no value on material things.  Rather, the family centered around their bond with eachother.  While Jeannette has decided that she would like to live comfortably, she does value family as her parents did.  She has developed some of the characteristics she received from her parents, but has individualized herself.  Ultimately, she has bonded her individuality to her heritage: she found a passion for writing and was impacted  enough by her family to dedicate an entire story in their remembrance.