Laura's Blog

The article I chose to analyze is "Christmas Music Is Actually Bad For you, So Please Turn It Down", by Spencer Hicks, published on 'Crave' on November 21st 2017. The humorous article briefly describes the negative impact Christmas music can have on a person. However, instead of stating the facts of this claim, the majority of the article is spend discussing the negativity of Christmas music itself. This shows that the author is biased towards this issue, as he clearly has a personal opinion towards Christmas -- he dislikes it. We know this because even though all music could be bad for you if you listen too loud, the author is only arguing this for Christmas music. In creating this bias, the author implies the ideology that everyone who listens to Christmas music listens to it too loud, and that it is going to create stress and anxiety. This, however, is not always a true fact, and this article is based on the authors personal opinion and perspective. After an analy...

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8Q0PD0jXHg1UEZDaDJOZDYycEU/view?usp=sharing

'This Is Water' by David Foster Wallace explains how to turn your way of thinking away from your default setting. He explains that everyone has a default setting -- the way we react to a situation by only thinking about how it impacts ourselves. We should change our way of thinking by considering what everyone else might be going through. The idea is that we are learning what water is. If we are fish, we are surrounded by water. The water is what is happening around us, but we do not really know what the water is until we learn how to think in a different way. This teaching is applicable to the writing of Alice Munro. Her stories are based around the development of a character and realizations they experience in their lives. Considering that her stories follow a protagonist, we are given an insight to much of what the protagonist is feeling and thinking. In the stories, the protagonist would be considered the centre of the universe. Wallace discusses that we all see ourselves ...

This summer, I am spending two months in the United States living with an American family. I am very close with this family, so they feel comfortable speaking their minds to me. Recently, I noticed a few comments about British people. It occurred to me that these American people had stereotyped the British. Being a British person, it was surprising to me and really opened my eyes as to how people like me are portrayed by a different nationality. Although some of the stereotypes are true to some degree, I was interested by the fact that some were not true at all, and made me wonder why the British are portrayed in this way. The first one I noticed was at dinner one night. One person said, "Laura will be the most polite here because she is British." I didn't mind this stereotype because I don't see being polite as a bad thing. However, it did make me wonder 'are British people actually all that polite?' In my opinion, no. I would say that is mostly the posh peo...

A boarding card can evoke numerous emotions through it's conventions. It will usually consist of departure time, gate number, origin, destination, your name, the name of the airline you are traveling with, and where you are sat on the plane.  A plane ticket is typically bought for numerous reasons ranging from good to bad, which will determine positive or negative emotions. This could include a family holiday or a family emergency. The boarding card itself could bring out emotions of happiness or sadness, whether it is for the reason of the destination, the reason or travel, or the travel itself. Ethos is the rhetorical appeal that satisfies credibility and reliability. In a boarding card, this would be seen wherever the airlines name or logo is printed. As long as the airline has a good reputation, the customer will be reassured by the airline name or logo, and trust that they will arrive at their destination safely and comfortably. Pathos is the rhetorical appeal that evokes...

The personal history of an author can have a significant influence on the way meaning is constructed in his/her writing. Comment on specific instances of such influence in Things Fall Apart. Thesis: Achebe's personal history of being raised with knowledge of both Christianity and the Igbo culture has an impact on his book Things Fall Apart as his history will influence his perspectives. Body 1:  Achebe purpose of Things Fall Apart is to show that the past of Igbo culture is not as bad as it was made out to be. Body 2: Having much history with the Igbo culture, Achebe portrays the Igbo culture in a respective manner despite the fact he is Christian to show that both are compatible. Body 3: Achebe was raised as a Christian, influencing the way in which the Christian's in Things Fall Apart are perceived.

With reference to Things Fall Apart, discuss how an understanding of gender influences how the text may be understood. Thesis: Achebe uses Okonkwo, Ofoedu, and Nwoye to portray different perspectives on gender roles in order to develop a deeper understanding of the text. Body 1: The fact that Okonkwo is depicted to dislike female characteristics in men, is used to characterize Okonkwo himself. Body 2: Ofeodu's character is used to counter Okonkwo in order to create more perspectives and the understanding that Okonkwo's opinion on gender roles is not shared with all other characters. Body 3: The character of Nwoye is used to show that some characters have their own way of thinking, and do not all follow the same belief of gender roles. Conclusion: Overall, gender roles are used to create different perspectives, which develops the understanding that there is no single belief.

With reference to Things Fall Apart, show how sub-plots or secondary characters contribute to the reader’s understanding and appreciation of the work as a whole. In Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, static, dynamic, and foil secondary characters are used in order to develop the reader's understanding of the book by revealing different perspectives, which ultimately allows for deeper connections to be made.

1 . What is the significance of Okonkwo’s character? What does he represent or what is he symbolic of? Okonkwo is a highly significant character, as the book mostly follows his story line. He is the protagonist of 'Things Fall Apart". His character follows the tragic hero archetype, which means Okonkwo ultimately has a tragic downfall. His downfall goes alongside the downfall of the Igbo culture. This suggests that Okonkwo is a symbol of the Igbo culture. He starts off as a strong and powerful man, as the culture is stable and established. When Okonkwo begins his exile, the culture slowly begins to fade away with the arrival of the British. Then, when Okonkwo kills himself, it is because he realises the Igbo culture has fallen and he cannot save it. 2. What is the purpose of Okonkwo’s character within the text? The purpose of Okonkwo's character is to build a connection between the reader and the book. Considering that Okonkwo is the protagonist, and the story mostly fo...

A tragic hero is a protagonist whose ultimate downfall is caused by their personal tragic flaw.  Considering that Okonkwo is obviously the protagonist of "Things Fall Apart", he already meets 50% of the tragic hero criteria. Achebe uses Okonkwo's character to portray the Igbo culture. Both the culture and Okonkwo ultimately have similar downfalls. First of all, the culture is strongly established, as Okonkwo is a strong and powerful man. Then, as Okonkwo is exiled, the Igbo culture begins to fall apart as colonization begins. In the end, Okonkwo ends his life, as the Igbo culture is taken over by colonization. He end of his life symbolizes the end of the Igbo culture. Achebe uses the protagonist to show the tragedy of the culture. This is the character that the reader spends most time reading about, and therefore has the closest connection with that character than any other. So by showing the struggles of the culture within the protagonist, the destiny of Okonkwo has a g...

I would like to speak on behalf of the Ibo culture, and of the Igbo people. Currently, we, The Royal Colonial Institute, are attempting to take control of these people. Forget colonization, we are taking their lives away. Their lives of culture and tradition. I recently returned from a community in Nigeria. Let me tell you, they have wonderful beliefs, of which they have full trust and confidence in. They worship their ancestors, of which we forget. We are attempting to take that away from them, to worship our God. Would you like it if strangers with different traditions came to us, and tell us we must believe in something that we do not believe in? Have them take over your land, and change the way things have always worked? They have worked to build up this community. Yes, okay, we are offering them excellent opportunities such as proper education. However, by taking over their land, we are destroying their culture day by day. Culture's are unique, and we are pushing this one tow...

 1) What was the most meaningful takeaway from today’s discussion relating to the cultural or literary context of Achebe’s work? We particularly discussed the idea of the single story. Over numerous questions, this topic was arising. It was concluded that, whether or not it was the intention to fight against the single story, the authors wrote stories that empowered their cultures. African authors wrote/write from their point of view, therefore giving their side of story. Ultimately, there is no longer a single story, there are an abundance of perspectives. 2) Select a specific quote from the interview or a general idea from the discussion and write a brief reflection.  Selected Quote:  “ There may be cultures that may sadly have to go, because no one is rooting for them, but we should make the effort to prevent this. We have to hold this conversation, which is a conversation of stories, a conversation of languages, and see what happens.”  I be...

The extract from The Ballot or the Bullet by Malcolm X is a political speech about Black Nationalism. Malcolm argues that it is time to stand up to the “white man”, using persuasive language techniques.   Ultimately, he discusses how the colonization of America tricked Africans in to becoming slaves. Through using examples, and persuasive language to express that Black Nationalism should fight back – whether it be calmly or violently, with the ballot or with the bullet. The extract is set up with a clear audience and purpose. Malcolm frequently refers to black people and their history throughout the text. He also uses the word “you” a lot in his sentences. This directly implies that he is delivering his speech to a crowd of African Americans, therefore making this community the intended audience. The purpose of the text is not to persuade either a ballot or a bullet, but to persuade the audience that one of the two should occur in order to achieve equal righ...

Annotated Passage Link to IOC: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8Q0PD0jXHg1bkljZlVzNXVZWnZrakF4dE9oU3BmVHdPZzJZ/view?usp=sharing

Coriolanus is a political play by Shakespeare, of which the main theme is power. The main character, Coriolanus is first called Caius Martius before he took the name Coriolanus after a battle in Coriolis against Aufidius. Coriolanus is from Rome, where he has a lot of power as a Roman general who becomes consul. Coriolanus and Aufidius start off as enemies, but later join forces when Coriolanus is banished from Rome. However, Coriolanus mistreats is his power, in the words of Aufidius, and is killed. This is because Coriolanus agreed to destroy Rome with Aufidius, yet is later convinced by his mother to change his mind. Thus, Coriolanus is named a traitor, and is killed by Aufidius. Aufidius has the most power over his people as he is the leader of the Volscian army. Coriolanus' mother, Volumnia, also has power in the play. However, her power is different to the others. She is powerful in the way that she is persuasive, and as a mother has power over Coriolanus. Then there are the...

Shakespeare's play, "Coriolanus" demonstrates a social hierarchy. This is evident in the first scene of Act I of the play. At this point the audience can conclude that Shakespeare's purpose of his characterization of Coriolanus in Act I is to determine Coriolanus' importance in the play through social hierarchy. The character of Coriolanus is further characterized throughout the first act. Due to "Coriolanus" being a political play, there are opinions everywhere, especially from enemies and civilians. This causes conflict within the play and helps to develop the story line. Coriolanus' place on the social hierarchy is what leads to his actions throughout Act I. He is a Roman general as well as a warrior, and is therefore in the upper class of the social hierarchy.  He seems to have two sides to him. The side that is liked by the people, and the side that is not. In the first scene of the first act, Coriolanus is depicted to be somebody who is strong...

Bell Hooks' essay about the Language of Power, stresses how the English language is a tool for oppressing. "It has been hardest to integrate black vernacular in writing, particularly for academic journals. When I first began to incorporate black vernacular in critical essays, editors would send the work back to me in standard English. Using the vernacular means that translation into standard English may be needed if one wishes to reach a more inclusive audience," the author writes. This means that standard English is preferred in academic fields, as it demonstrates proper grammar. Users of black vernacular, at times, take offense to this practice as they yearn to use their own dialect to communicate. Hooks' quote can be applied to Jenna Graham's article, "I’m Black And I Refuse To Change The Way I Speak In Front Of My White Friends." In the text, Graham expresses her emotion towards her 8th grade teacher's opinion on black vernacular. “Oh, so a bunc...

-  A person does not need to speak a prestige dialect in order to be intelligent. Intelligence is not measured by dialects. - Dialects change, and therefore does not define intelligence at any given time. - Dialects do not define a person's decency. - Non-standardized English should be included in schools because children can understand that there is more than one accent and dialect, and therefore they will not grow up distinguishing people in different classes due to their accents or dialects. This also creates a sense of diversity within a schooling community. - A person's dialect comes from where they were raised, is part of who they are, and therefore should they not be discriminated against for that. - Schools are for education and learning opportunities, not for discrimination. 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8Q0PD0jXHg1RFJSNFFkYXphNWs/view?usp=sharing

The resurgence of endangered languages means that cultures can regrow and furthermore expand. Currently, the majority of fluent Irish speakers are under the age of 25. This means that at some point, the language was on the way to dying out. However, the adults taught their children the language and managed to begin saving the language. The possible extinction of a language becomes worrying when children no longer speak the language. When this began to happen in New Zealand, the elder Maori speakers made sure to teach the Maori children in order to save the language. The argument is that the loss of a language is loss of cultural identity. So when the number of Irish and Maori speakers decreased, the people knew they should teach the children and save the language. Both languages took this similar approach, meaning that language really does have cultural value, and they cannot have their culture without their language being involved. Timoti Karetu, head of the Maori Languag...