The "American Dream"

1. How would you describe the “American Dream?”

I would describe the American Dream as the belief that a person can move to America and have the opportunity to work hard. This opportunity to work hard will ultimately pay off in them being successful and being able to provide for themselves and their families.I think the American Dream is applicable to both citizens in the United States and citizens of other countries.

2. What is your definition of wealth?

My definition of wealth is having enough money to cover the necessities that come with living in the United States as well as having plenty of money to cover any wants that a person has. There are different types of wealthy people though. Some people buy all the necessities and wants they have in life. Then there are some wealthy who are very frugal with their money and by all the needs of life but do not spend large amounts of money on wants or indulge in many of their wants even though they have enough money to do that.

3. What are Americans’ attitudes toward wealth and poverty?

I think many Americans have a negative connotation towards people that have wealth. I think this is because we often see wealthy American's not making smart decisions with their money. However I think Americans have a positive association with wealth in the terms that one day if they are smart enough and work hard enough being wealthy is an obtainable thing. I feel like Americans have a helping attitude when it comes to poverty. Many citizens in the country that are well off make an effort to help out those who live in poverty. I also think that many Americans think that the amount of poverty in our country is way to high.

4. What is your attitude toward wealth and poverty?

Wealth is always something I have strived for and continuing striving for in my life. I wanted to be well enough off to provide for my future self and hopeful family to cover all of our needs as well as live a comfortable life where I can provide for some of their wants as well. The idea of poverty has always scared me because I do not think the average person really knows what its like to live in poverty. I do think that it is possible to work your way out of poverty in the United States if you have the right work ethic and mind set. There are a vast amount of opportunities in the United States where someone can be successful. I think knowledge of poverty in the United States is very minimal within the country as well as outside the country because it receives less media coverage compared to the coverage that wealth gets in the United States and outside of the country because people seem to follow the stories of the wealthy more than they do of people who live in poverty.

The Stranger Blog Post

#1:As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect.

• The diction choice of uneasy shows how the dreams the character was having were harsh and unsettling enough to wake the character from his sleep
• The use of the word insect outlines what he transformed into compared to the word bug because it is more direct

#2:Gregory Samsa woke from uneasy dreams one morning to find himself changed into a giant bug.

• Bug has a more negative connotation than insect in translation one
• This translation does not include an introductory word like the other three when referring to when the character awoke

#3:When Gregor Samsa awoke from troubled dreams one morning he found he had been transformed in his bed into an enormous bug.

• The word choice of transformed is more positive rather than changes in translation two because transformed make the character being turned in to a bug seem more of a privilege than a curse like the word change does
• The word when makes it seem that this transformation was in the characters destiny to become an insect

#4:One morning, upon awakening from agitated dreams, Gregor Samsa found himself, in his bed, transformed into a monstrous vermin.

• Vermin is a different translation from the other three and the translation includes monstrous which makes his transformation seem worse
• The introductory saying of one morning makes it seem as if it was an ordinary day
• This translation is separated with commas where as the other three are not broken apart with any commas. This makes this translation seem 

How does the word choice, syntax, punctuation, and imagery shift in each affect meaning? Is one more effective than another? Why? What does this exercise bring up about the difficulty of reading translated texts? How do different translations effect the tone of the sentence? 

Different translations from original text carry different interpretations by readers compares to the original text. Translator interpret the original text in their own ways and then translate the original text in their own ways. This leads to different wordings of parts of the text. Translation that correlate directly with what the original text are the most similar to the original text. However translation that are similar to the original text but vary in wording so it flows better with the language that it was translated in to are more effective at allowing the reader to understand the text because the translation is easier to read and glows better with the language they are reading it in rather than reading a direct translation of a text because the direct translation most likely does not create flowing sentences compared to a translation that was made to be read in the language it was translated in to.

The exercise shows how different translations of text can lead to difficulty to understanding the original text. Translations allow for different word choice based on what the translator sees fit. This shows that readers could read to different translations of a text and they could read two different stories just because they are two different translations and could not receive an understanding of what the original text was trying to say. Translators can use different syntax or sentence structure to alter the tone of their sentences and these tones could e different compared to what the original author's tones in the story. 

Practice IOC

Im sorry, but I have not felt well this weekend so I am going to use my freebie. :(

I've Got You Covered

The four covers are all different from each other. In my opinion the bottom right book cover is the most interesting and fits the story line of Never Let Me Go the best. The Top two covers and the bottom right all incorporate a human attributes on the cover where as the bottom left does not. The bottom left book cover is the most mysterious of the four and the most confusing in my opinion. The top right and bottom book covers incorporate larger font for the book title compared to the top left book cover. The top two and bottom left book covers incorporate more light colors like yellow and green, but the bottom left book cover is very dark having grey and navy. The bottom right book cover does not have any of the recognitions the book received where as the other three books do. The bottom right also does not include any quotes from reviews on the cover. The purpose of the top left color is to show the loneliness of a teenage girl and show the sadness that could be in the story. The top rights purpose is shown by the fading character on the front. This represents how a character is going to fade/die in the story. The bottom left book cover's purpose is to really grab the readers attention to grab the book off the shelf because it is very mystical and is open to a lot of interpretation because a boat on the water does not tell much about what the story could be about. The bottom right book cover's purpose is to show the importance the human body is going to have on the story because it incorporates human body parts as the main feature on the cover.

Both of these covers incorporate aspects of nature. However the cover on the right focus more on a certain character most likely Kathy the main character of the story. The cover on the right leads a reader to think that the story is more about a lonely girl and her story. Where as the cover on the left has a greater focus on the organs of the human body which is the purpose of the clones that are living in Hailsham. The cover on the left is a more accurate representation of the story and draws the attention of someone looking at the cover and does not know the story more because the dark colors make it more mysterious and intriguing to the reader to find out why there is an outline of the human body on the cover the incorporates all the major organs in the body. The cover on the right grabs the attention of a reader interested in a love story because it is almost like someone is looking at this shy girl with content. This is a great set up for how a shy girl falls in love with the boy who is interested in her. The cover on the left does a good job at capturing the relationship between Tommy and Kathy in the story however I don't think it grabs the attention of the reader as well. The cover on the left is my favorite of the four covers and does the best job at portraying the story in the book without giving anything major away.

Never Let Me Go Post

Link- https://www.ted.com/talks/ed_gavagan_a_story_about_knots_and_surgeons

This Ted Talk by Ed Gavagan was a story about his life when he was stabbed by some gangbangers and luckily survived. He used his story to make the argument that everything that happens in your life happens for a reason and shapes what happens in your life later; and all the moments and people in your life help shape who you are. He starts by describing the predictability of life. He then talks about one of his common subway rides. One night on his subway ride there were these two college age students practicing tying knots on some string. He was a little confused by this until a man came over to help the two college students. He later found out that these two kids were medical school students practicing the latest and greatest suturing knots, and the man that came over to help them happened to be the professor of the seminar the students were on their way to see. The idea sent Gavagan into a flashback of his story about how he was stabbed. It brought him to his time in the ambulance after he was almost killed by the gangbangers. He then describes his surgeries he had to go through and the chances he had at survival. He was lucky to survive and the doctor tells him that he had about a %2 at living. He is now back on his subway train thinking about showing his scars from surgery to the med students and then he thinks that he probably shouldn't. He uses this story to highlight his main thesis on life to connect is first ever scar from his umbilical cord and his other scars connecting. His brush up with the gangbangers is what lead him to his medical team and his medical team helped him push back against the chaos.

Gavagan uses many different types of emotional appeal to portray the meaning of his talk to the audience. He first uses the predictability of life to connect with the members of the audience who often experience the same predictability. He then uses emotional appeal through the story of the two med students trying to learn suture knots on the train before their seminar. He also uses his story of facing death after he was stabbed to really draw emotion from the audience and allow them to connect with him as he is telling the story. Gavagan use of emotional appeal in multiple circumstances was effective at driving home his point that the experiences we have in life and the people in our life shape us into the person we are because without his scuffle with the gangbangers he would have not met his medical team. He also uses the example of the two med students. If they had not been practicing suture knots on the train they would never receive help from the professor who taught them in the future.

The title of the ted talk is what really grabbed my attention. I wanted to be an orthopedic surgeon one day so I thought I could relate to this story very easily. I hope that one day I can make differences in my patients lives like Gavagans surgeon made a difference in his life and helped shape him into the person he is today.

Blog Post #8 - Double Indemnity

Question 3 - Double Indemnity has been called “a film without a single trace of pity or love.” Do you agree with this statement? Think about the motivations that lie behind the actions of Walter Neff and Phyllis Dietrichson when you consider your response.

Double Indemnity is outlined very well with the quote that describes the film as "a film without a single trace of pity or love". I have to agree with this statement to a great extent. I agree with this for a couple of reasons. They relationships between the characters in the movie show the lack of pity or love that is present in the movie. The interaction between the main characters is the prime example that classifies Double Indemnity to not have a trace of love or pity. The main female character Phyllis Dietrichson takes advantage of both her husband and the main male character Walter Neff. Phyllis came up with the plan of getting life insurance for husband and then having her husband killed so she can gain access to the insurance money. She puts her plan into action when the insurance man Mr. Neff comes by her house in hopes to see Mr. Dietrichson in order to sort out the insurance for his vehicles.  Mrs. Dietrichson starts to flirt with Mr. Neff to gain his attention and his trust. Once she gains his trust she convinces him to be her accomplice to the murder of her husband. The willingness of Mrs. Dietrichson to kill off her husband just so she can receive the insurance money is the first example that shows how Double Indemnity is "a film without a single trace of pity or love".

Another relationship that fuels to the lack of pity and love within Double Indemnity is the relationship between Mr. Neff and Mrs. Dietrichson. The relationship starts when Mrs. Dietrichson manipulates Mr. Neff by appealing to his emotional side to become her accomplice in killing her husband in order to obtain the insurance money. There is not pity or love shown to Mr. Neff by Mrs. Dietrichson when she decides to use him to get her way. At the end of the film Mr. Neff goes back to the Dietrichson house when he finds out that Phyllis has been sneaking around with her step daughters boyfriend Nino and there is an investigation in the death of Mr. Dietrichson. Phyllis shoots Mr. Neff in the shoulder when he gets there. He is still standing and he urges her to do it again but she can't. Mr. Neff then goes on to kill Phyllis. The ability of the two to be able to shoot the person they supposedly love is a prime reason that Double Indemnity is considered "a film without a single trace of pity or love". The commonality between all the relationships within Double Indemnity is that at least one person is taking advantage of the other if not both of them. The presence of characters using others is why I believe to a great extent that Double Indemnity is "a film without a single trace of pity or love".

Netflix Que

Character: Macbeth

Netflix Que

The Arrow(Masculinity)

The plot of the Arrow is the story of a man who ship wrecked and was stranded on a Japanese Island for five years. His father survived the shipwreck also but late committed suicide so his son would have enough food to survive. His fathers final request was that his son would survive and return home to fix his faults. While on this island Oliver the main character met an Australian Army man who trained him to survive on the island and fight the threats that the island brought to him before he could return home because the island held many secrets that brought many dangerous people to the island. Once he returns home Oliver uses his newly skills to rewrite his fathers wrong doing. Oliver views what he is doing as very masculine because he is fixing his father's wrong doings as well as saving the city he calls home. This would be in Macbeth's Netflix que because Macbeth later in his plot has a strong focus on his masculinity and how needs to be perceived as an honorable man because he has now obtained all of this power. Macbeth and Oliver also relate very well because they both are trying to be honorable men but they both hide the secret of committing murder from the ones closest to them.  The struggle that Oliver faces to cope with the new power he has in the city and how he has to portray being masculine to those around him. Macbeth is very similar because he began to go insane but he has to portray himself as masculine to the people he rules.

The Flash(Supernatural)

The Flash is about a city where a partial accelerator explodes and it cause some supernatural changes to many of the citizens within the city. The main character of the show Barry Allen is changed by the explosion and given the power of super speed. Barry's mother was killed when he was young and she was killed by another speedster. The man that saves Barry from his coma he was in after the explosion turned out to be his competition. The man that killed his mother. Before Barry found out about Dr. Wells being his mom's murder Dr. Wells became Barry's best friend and mentor. Their relationship is much like the one between Macbeth and Banquo. Macbeth and Banquo were good friends just like Barry and Dr. Wells. Both Barry and Macbeth have to eliminate their friends to move on in their lives. The relation between the murders committed by Barry and Macbeth is the connection of the supernatural. Macbeth received the three apparitions from the Witches. These apparitions fueled Macbeth's plot to have his best friend killed so he would not have competition for the throne. The supernatural was also the fuel behind Barry's desire to find his mother's murder and it was responsible for him getting his powers. Also Dr. Wells is not actually Dr. Wells. It is a speedster from the future who is posing as Dr. Wells and he used the supernatural forces to travel through time. The influence the super natural has on the life of Barry is why Macbeth would have this show in his que because he can relate to it so easily because the supernal has a big influence on his life.

Once Upon A Time(Appearance vs. Reality)

Once Upon A Time is a show where there is an alternate would where all the fairy tale characters live. That world has a connection with our world. All the characters are trapped in our world because the Queen put an evil curse on everyone so no one can remember their past except for the Queen. The characters that are trapped find out that they are actually fairy tale characters trapped on our earth. They have to appear to be normal humans on earth. In reality they are actually fairy tale characters that need to return home. This is much like Macbeth because Macbeth has to appear to be a honorable man and king to his subjects. However no one knows his secret that in reality he is a murder and he has killed Duncan and had his best friend Banquo murdered to ensure that he would become the Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth would enjoy this show because he can relate to the fairy tale characters that have to appear as normal humans but in reality they live a different life as fairy tale characters and Macbeth lives a life of a murderer but has to appear as an honorable king.

House of Cards(Ambition)

Macbeth and Frank are very related in with their ambition for power. Frank often mentions that desires power more than money. Macbeth has a large desire for power over other possessions in life. Macbeth and Frank are similar in their desire for power because it controls much of their life. They want power more than they want anything else in their life. They both also don't like people who do not desire power more than other possessions. The two also relate in how they are willing do anything it takes to gain the power they so greatly desire. Whether that means being deceiving or killing those who get in their way. Macbeth would really enjoy this show because him and Frank are almost identical in their desire for power and how they will not let anything get in their way till they obtain that power.