May I dare say that Hollywood could’ve done better! The movie version of Alice was entertaining but disappointing. I was expecting a lot more from the film, but rather, the rewriting of the story was a bit of a turn-off, and some characters were rather annoying. The small screen did better with a TV version of Alice which also strays from the book, but in fact, is quite entertaining to the last second! Hollywood with a multi-million dollar budget could’ve easily managed to top that, but at last, not every movie is a success.
Comedic Characters
The Cheshire cat was extremely annoying to me. I don’t know why in particular, but I would blame the animations and the voice and basically everything about the cat except the part where it saved the Mad Hatter that was pretty cool, but back to point, the cat annoyed me. Tweedledum and Tweedledee were really cool though. I thought they were awesome, and they would’ve saved the film for me at least had it not been for the caterpillar. I was always fond of the caterpillar in the book, but in the movie, he looks so old and speaks so little. That was horrible in my opinion. And I mean the Indiana Jones smoke screen entrance followed by an old caterpillar was simply horrible. Caterpillar needed more swagger, and this was a major disappointment. The white queen was too weird throughout the whole film. I’m not sure if people would agree on this, but I thought that she would do more in the beginning. Towards the end, her role was much better, but she started off poorly.
Not Exactly what I was Expecting
Now to some pros. The Mad Hatter was good partly due to Johnny Depp! The Mad Hatter was Mad Cool.. [Johnny Depp Voice] “aHAHAaHAHA.” That laugh was absolutely hysterical. It’s like that time when we all tried to imitate the Coocoo bird (I think that’s the name but might be wrong). The best part about Alice was of course Alice and the Rabbit. That scene was pretty cool, and when she falls down the rabbit hole, that portrayal was utterly amazing.
The Laugh
Overall, the movie was a failure. I didn’t like the story variation. The graphics were cool and the movie was fun to watch, but I wouldn’t do it again, even if I got paid! Now that’s saying something… Hollywood can do better. Creativity is your forte, yet in the story with the most creative leeway, you fail... Why?! But you’ll bounce back Hollywood with like a sequel or some bizarre play on the story, but you will bounce back… guaranteed!
Hi, my name is Sharad Sharma. First of all Congrats! For making it into UT, into Plan II and into Bump’s class! I’m sure we’ll meet someday, but here are some pointers for y’all so that you have an idea of what to expect this year. First of all, this class is more of a creative class, so don’t even worry about the course load and just worry about having fun! I know that I didn’t listen to any of the “just relax” speeches that the upper classmen gave me, but I’m telling you, “just relax.” This class does require a time commitment for the readings and some experiential learning, but honestly, you can get by with Sparknotes if you wanted to.
The most important thing in this class is most definitely time management. Make sure you stay on top of things because they will pile up if you don’t. I can attest to that literally. Another thing, please don’t be late. I tested this restriction, and well, just don’t do it. If you have an academic reason or something credible as an excuse, let Bump and someone in class know the moment you know as that will help your cause, but avoid being late at all costs.
Another very important factor is to make friends. It’s your first year at UT, and you probably don’t know a lot of people. Go out and be social. Say “Hi” to people you recognize and stay connected. Communication is so much easier in today’s age. Facebook is great. Text is better! Just chilling is cool, but being active is so much better! You will enjoy your first year a lot better if you’re able to connect with the people around you. Almost all first years are in the same position as you. They don’t know a lot of people. So in those first few weeks, go out. Get to know people on your floor. Learn the landscape of UT and Austin. Find places to eat and hang out! All of this will go a long way to help getting you settled in.
That’s basically it on my part. You’re all smart people and you’ll do better than fine as long as you don’t procrastinate… guaranteed! Don’t be afraid of Bump. He appreciates conversation, and you can talk to him about whatever… he does not mind! You can most definitely talk to me if you’d like, my email is (13shad@gmail.com). Any time y’all need advice or want to hang out, just let me know. Once more, don’t worry, especially about this class. Stay on top of things and don’t get lazy like me (but I’m a professional so I can pull it off)! Make friends!
Holi is my second most favorite festival ever (first one is Diwali)! The festival of colors is a unique and amazing tradition. First of all, it’s a chance to spread some joy in the form of colors, and secondly, it’s mad fun! The best part about it is that nobody is off limits (at least in India), and the mood everywhere is one of joy and bliss. And if all that wasn’t enough, the HSC also had Bollywood music playing in the background, and I got to do some Bhangra!
Holi at UT
Festivals such as Holi are merely an excuse for me to show my roots! I am from India and proud of it. The culture and the tradition found there are unique and the ideology of India is somehow limited to its borders and people of the region. It’s this ideology that allows for Hindu festivals like Holi to bring joy to people across the globe, and to the hearts of those, who possess it within their souls. For me, Holi is more than just colors. It represents friendship! The jovial mood is the optimum environment to make new friends and to settle disputes. There is nothing that powdered color can’t redecorate. At the end of the day, everybody gives off a different glow!
Holi at Barsana Dham
Another important feature about Holi is that it allows me to share my culture with my friends. I am able to show them how it’s like in India. Who believes me when I say, “Oh! In India, there’s a festival where we throw color at everybody and don’t stop until there’s color EVERYWHERE!” I had no luck in Laredo, but a few YouTube Videos always help settle the argument. It’s a global world and people ought to be know what the second most populous country does for fun every year. Austin however is a different scene. People literally know what I mean when I say Holi, and that’s a significant aspect of the festival for me. Plus, there’s nothing funnier than to see people of a different culture end up as a mix of blue, pink, green… etc. The color wars are most definitely brilliant as well. There’s so much fun to be had!
I think the Sound Malfunctioned... :(
Actually in such manners, Holi is just like any other festival. It’s unique due to the traditions, and it gives people an excuse to gather and be happy. It educates those who don’t know and gives a break from the norm to those who do. Holi is colorfully wonderful and its bliss is ever present. Even now, as I type, I’m smiling and giggling over the memories created. And looking back, these memories wouldn’t have been possible without Holi, so there’ll never be another festival as exciting unless of course that festival happens to be Diwali!
After reading his book, I thought of Coetzee to be a very boring person. His tone would always manage to put me to sleep. In person, he’s quite the opposite. His speech upon censorship was very well received at least by me. He has had many honors including a Nobel Prize which UT celebrated by making the Tower glow red in his honor in 93. Immediately, an accolade such as that increases the gravity an individual holds within a room. All of a sudden, everything they do makes sense and is amazing, so before Coetzee started, I told myself, “Don’t fall for the Nobel-Trap… hear him for what he says.”
My Camera died so y'all have to settle for Online Pics :(
So I took to my gut and strapped down to listen. His whole thought process about censorsh8ip started when he read a book titled “The Literary Police” by Peter McDonald. He claims it’s absolutely eye-opening however I have yet to be a critic there. Still, Coetzee himself was significantly affected by censorship in South Africa as during the peak of his writing career there were bans placed on many books trying to get published in South Africa. Of course, the censors were anonymous, but years after these incidents, Coetzee managed to get a hold of the report upon his books by the censors. His books were almost always deemed to be “read only by intellectuals” (Michael Kay, one of Coetzee’s censors) and therefore, Coetzee posed no threat to South Africa, and his books enjoyed the privilege of being published.
This made me laugh
Later on while reading these reports, Coetzee learns that he personally knew almost all of his censors. Which makes him wonder… why do people censor? The most similar and sound comparison I found to Coetzee’s conclusion was a parent. I know that every time I was forbidden to do something it was for my own good. For example, my mom would say, “Sharad don’t touch that plant… it’s poison ivy!" Things are censored from kids by parents not because parents are trying to be mean, but they simply have their child’s best interest at heart. A censor works the same way except for an entire nation. They don’t want a literary document floating around that will inspire civil unrest, and they don’t want to ban all literature as that is an important art form that inspires people to achieve their best. So censors are analogous to parents in that sense. Coetzee didn’t make this analogy, but it just dawned upon me naturally at the same time as Coetzee’s argument.
Parents shield their child the same way a Censor shields the nation!
Coetzee’s style of speech and tone of voice were everything but boring! I enjoyed his speech very much and was thrilled that I will receive extra credit for it. It’s sort of like going to Nam Le back in the Fall. I went in with zero expectations and left enlightened! It is funny how in college that seems to happen more often than one can count to three. Immediately, I understood from the quality of his speech that he was a Nobel Winner. His gravity in the room grew after his speech and I applauded from the bottom of my heart. That’s right! It wasn’t a fake applaud… that was real! The Honor bestowed upon him 93 most definitely manifests itself in his speech. Coetzee is brilliant!
I would like to believe that UT always wins, but that debate went to PETA for sure. Partly because the PETA-guy was a much better speaker than the UT State Champion Debaters... I have for the majority of my life been a vegetarian, so I was naturally inclined to support the PETA argument, however I never saw an argument against eating meat other than me seeing it as unethical. There is another argument as proven by the PETA spokesman and it's an economic argument. The UT team didn't refute this at all which sort weakened their support, and all they said basically was that eating meat isn't unethical but only natural. Maybe it's a little clearer now why the debate winner is crowned as PETA who actually debated with UT instead of agreeing with them.
A Pun that Would've Helped UT
So going into some form of detail about the PETA argument. First Point: There is no ethical meat. Even on farms where animals are cared for and killed "gently," the act of killing itself instills an environment of fear within the other animals, and with the EQ of animals, it's obvious that it's not a pleasant environment for them as they know they're not safe. UT would say that it's only natural state of being considering that chickens ans such animals aren't at the top of the food chain, and to that I say, "How much fun is it to be the buffalo in front of a pride of lions?" That's such a stupid argument on the UT Debate Team's part. They weren't debating; they were being diplomatic. "Umm.. PETA guy I agree with you but you can't say that..." I mean there was no tact in their argument whereas the PETA guy had charts, videos and statistical figures that gave the "legit" status.
Legit Status
Main Point: It costs more to society to raise and slaughter animals than to go vegetarian/vegan. Apparently in terms of food, animals are fed a lot, and for every pound of meat, the return on that investment is substantially less. Therefore, the slaughter industry is an expensive one at a macroeconomic level. Using alternate options for our nutrition (vegetarianism) would significantly increase the food supply in the world which in turn could save many humans who are dying from hunger. PETA guy argues that human life is more valuable than animal life. UT guys basically ignore this as they most probably agree with it. But this is the most economical and rational reason I have ever heard to go vegetarian and at this point I was blown away by PETA's argument. UT in my books lost right there... Sorry longhorns!
Human Life is valuable
The argument was still interesting, especially the questions that followed as some "got really heated" (quote from Maysie Ocera). UT lost which is sad, but the result was fair in my opinion. Members of the crowd that supported meat were more enthusiastic about defending the subject than the UT guys; I mean either they went there with the intention of bending over and pulling their pants down or they totally sucked. I doubt it's the latter since no one at UT sucks! PETA hats off to you for a great debate and great speaking; I learned a few pointers.
Hands down, my second most favorite president (First one being Lincoln). LBJ pushed a lot of legislation through during his term that would help resolve problems within his day and age. Since then, these projects have grown much bigger and their need has never been greater. Still, the library was a very enlightening experience. The transfer of power from JFK was never really that important an issue to me until I was standing in front of the model of the car JFK was said to be in. What an experience that must be for any individual! My respect for LBJ grew right then!
El Presidente!
The most enlightening experience was the short film that we watched. OMG! That film was so informational. I had no idea that LBJ grew up in such living conditions. No electricity in the winter and other poor conditions. Plus, the man was an absolute workaholic. Even before presidency, he was always working like a million and one hours per week. It was a shock to him and many others when party leaders elected JFK as the presidential nominee, but LBJ was definitely the most logical choice for a VP, and such being the case the duo ran the race and rest as they say is history.
LBJ in his natural habitat
So let's examine some of LBJ's legacy here. During his time, the Civil Rights acts were pushed through and so was Medicare, Welfare... etc. LBJ was a visionary and all in all, his life's work is a legacy. The most important characteristic that I learned about him through the museum was commitment. His commitment to the people was extraordinary, and I hope to be just as committed to my visions so as to at least reach the bar that has been set. LBJ was committed to the people of the US and to the people around him. I read the letter from Jacqueline Kennedy to LBJ and the gratitude that was reverberating through her words was absolutely astounding!
Kind of like LBJ- content with himself but always doing more for the people
LBJ was great and we all know that some critics disagree, but there are always going to be haters in this world. Einstein once said, "Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds." LBJ worked hard to get around this opposition, lost one election, became VP later on and eventually, President. He was a great mind, and to hear his inaugural address was a wonderful experience to say the least. I always wanted to be a lawyer, and LBJ inspires me to follow this passion of mine. My action upon his will is still tentative, but there's a growing commitment to the idea. LBJ is still changing the world through the bits and pieces he left behind.
Well, I'm still looking for the answer to that question, but I know that I'm most certainly not who I was before. That is to say that since this past Summer, I've most definitely changed throughout my first semester at UT. For one, I'm much more aware of my surroundings at all times. It's amazing at how much one can observe when the desire to learn arises! I've grown into a calmer and, I would like to think, much wiser person. In the summer, I sort of focused upon my experiences which have shaped my relationship with most animals (save monkeys), but in this essay, I want to focus on me! Who am I indeed?
There's still No Monkey Business about me!
The very first response is my name. I am Sharad Sharma. Not this Sharad who was always used to just running around doing as he pleases, but a Sharad who is a bit more patient. I'm able to listen to people on a whole different level. I think primarily due to the emphasis on empathy in World Lit. The Earthlings video surely affects my opinion about animal slaughter, but the analogy that was drawn to the holocaust suggested to me that humans practice ignorant emotions more often than they should, and I for one have chosen to reverse that particular humanitarian policy. Help should be wholehearted, not meticulously planned for PR sakes, but here the patience within me helps me to realize, that help is help, it's motive isn't that important.
People who need Help should get it!
The most dramatic change in my persona is my temper. Pre-college I had some anger issues; I wasn't by any means a candidate for Adam Sandler in Anger Management but I had my days. However ever since the very first day in Austin, I have been able to suppress this side of me, no matter how far the situation escalated. For instance, one day while walking to class in the fall on a rainy day, this particular white BMW drove by a huge puddle of water going about 30 mph with no regard for pedestrians on the sidewalk. I was one of the unlucky individuals. Normally, I would've chased down this vehicle and offend the driver somehow, but for some reason, I just let go. It's as if I was able to step outside of myself and observe this situation from a third person perspective. Of course, this is Austin, and this girl walking by comes up to me and says, "What an Asshole right?" That statement however did piss me off because she was mocking me and my situation which was sort of rude, but again, I stepped outside of myself and let the annoyance walk on by. This methodology is a whole new mental model on how to perceive things, and it has been wonderful for dealing with my frustrations.
It's Nice to Make a Positive Impact
At the start of college, I would've never thought that I would change so much. I'm a member of a fraternity for one, and I never planned on that coming into college. The things that happen in college. I guess it's our bubble to experiment with who we want to become because there are so many opportunities to just get up in the morning and say, "I am not going to this particular activity from now on...." or "I am going to be more ____ from now on." College is our change bubble. We change and see who we've become. If we like the result, we keep that aspect of our persona. If not, then we change again. It's sort of like we transform into our very own ambassadors! We hire and fire ourselves every semester or every week or however often as we chose.
The President Supports the Change that happens on UT
Never have I been more ticked off by a jam fest! I went into this performance half envisioning a musical performance that was delivered within the PowWow from last semester. One big drum played by 7 or 8 adults, and dancers dressed in Native American attire going about expressing the roots of the culture, but Indigenous was more of a modern blend of guitar, vocals and rock drums. Honestly, they were bad, but somehow, those Southwestern kids appeared to be having the time of their life. I was shocked! I couldn’t even stand to stand, yet these college kids were dancing away…. I wish I could have experienced the show through their perspective, but you know how the saying goes, “Be careful what you wish for.”
A round of applause for Indigenous... Where's the Crowd?
For the record, I’m just trying to blend in with the crowd right. I start moving my feet a little, and what do I experience? Nothing! Even through all my efforts to try and like this band, I absolutely hated their guts, so I decide to experience some other Native American aspect of the night. I go on a spirit walk. Not far from the entrance, I discover a food stand, and my spirit animal told me it was time for a stop. I ate corn-on-a-cob; it was pure heaven! I decided to drink some lemonade and head back into the pit of banging drums and a cacophony of guitar mixed with a hideous singer (no offense to the singer, it just wasn’t my style).
A few older members of the Crowd seemed to enjoy them heavily... A classic manifestation of the Generation Gap!
With a stronger mental tolerance, I was able to withstand the rest of their performance, but I realized that the college crowd wasn’t as enthusiastic as I’d hoped. Turns out, more than half of them were only there to collect extra credit points, and a lot of them wanted to be at some sorority party that I had somehow managed to notice on my way in. Oh! I must say there was a lack of Native American Culture at the Indigenous show. I for one was completely fooled by the name.
This seems a bit more like what I was expecting...
Which brings me back to my main point, the show was an utter failure in my eyes. There was no cover to pay, so I don’t know how or why Southwestern paid these people to come down here (I overheard a conversation about this so I know they were compensated). The food stand was a total failure as well; I think I was one of the brave who actually tried the food. All in all, the Indigenous show felt very un-indigenous to me. It was a rather bland and uninteresting attempt at modern rock fusion of Native American vocals and rock-and-roll. I was the only Indian there!
This class has been a bubble from the rest of college for me. NO matter what is going on, I am always just so relaxed and nonchalant in Parlin Hall. Ultimately, in this pseudo-bubble created by the awesomeness that is Plan II, I've been reborn! And not only that, I've awakened in my rebirth to realize that college, like high school, will one day be over. It's just another stop on my road, and like another wreck, I realized that I don't know where I'm going! Like Alice, I'm just taking a stroll through Wonderland. I wonder if I'll ever find my way back to the real world. It's unbelievable how life was going so smooth, but now, I'm a wreck. I've got to lead myself through the Wonderland of college, and then once I'm back in the real world, I've gotta do it again-repeat!
Life is one big circle...
I suppose that's how it should be. College is supposed to prepare you for the real world, but college is also a part of the real world. It's sort of like a parallel verity. People are different; they believe in different ideals. We fight. We party. We help others. Altogether, we do it all! We do it all because we're curious. If Alice could be here, she would say, "Curiouser and curiouser" (Carrol, 20). With such diversity and a vast array of different perspectives, one can't help but to be interested. All of their ideologies make sense to a certain extent, and I want to adopt some of them. I feel a little lost in this pool of perspective as I lose sight of my own... Yet, I'm still here writing this blog; I'm still here somewhere! I feel like the Dormouse, "[I] shook [myself] and began singing in [my] sleep" (Carrol, 74).
Follow a logic, whether it's your own or not, but know what logic it is!
Every night I dream of what could be the future. I vision things in a manner that Black Elk would've been jealous! Yet, I just vision. The leadership vision essay was an excellent manifestation of the reality that will await us after college. I mean think about it; everyone probably went through something like this, even Shakespeare. I bet no one's thought of that before; Shakespeare in school. He was in someone's English class! In the end, we all have that potential. Through Alice's eyes, Alice is my consciousness and I'm analogous to the White Queen. I've to consciously work on myself like when Alice dresses the White Queen she's shocked. "Am I dressing the White Queen," she says (Carrol, 194). We criticize ourselves more than we like to admit. Somehow everything goes wrong at the same time, and our inner Alice sees it and says, "Every single thing's crooked" (Carrol, 195). We have to utilize this energy in a constructive manner to ever have a chance at being successful in life.
Free Yourself!
But success is just a result. Brilliance is in the process. Life is not in the destination but in the journey itself. I haven't exactly piece together what I'm going to do with my life, but I know that I will have fun doing it. I will put every inch of myself and every possible heartbeat into my efforts. I may not know where I'm going in life, but right now, I'm enjoying the Wonderland of college, learning as much as I possibly can. I don't know what I'll need in the real world, so I'm stocking up on brain-power. I believe in myself. I've liberated myself from my deepest fear, and I know how to learn from others around me. I am different from others, yet I am still human, still the same, but still, being human is a gift!
Language is obviously a barrier immigrants have to face, how do you see it?
Molly:
She is constantly pulled between American culture and Chinese culture, and her role as the child of Chinese immigrants is one of balance. Not only does language and lack of communication remove her aunt from her life; it also colors her interactions with her family and with the Ghosts around her.
Jade:
Maxine Hong Kingston also proves that the lack of talking can tell much about the person’s character.
Jose:
He argues that it makes no sense, and that if elected governor he would require the test be given in English only, so as to encourage people to learn English. "If you want to live here, learn [English]"
Hongrak:
I was terrible at English; my English competency score was that of a second grader.... My dad asked me if I wanted to cut mine [tongue], which would help me pronounce English words better.
Sometimes language can encourage integration..
In Woman Warrior, it's evident that there is a culture clash, but how significant is this clash?
Molly:
Ultimately, it seems, Woman Warrior may be less a tale of clashing cultures than a memoir of finding one’s voice.
Emily:
I think we can all relate to feeling suffocated at some point in our lives. Families tend to do that, especially when conflicting cultural values come into play. In fact, conflict with our families seems almost impossible because as time passes, values keep changing and the way we live our lives is totally different
Chris:
I like to think the ending wasn’t bitter, but was more of a memoir of a family struggling to reconcile two cultures.
I guess we kind of talked about this last time, but I feel it's important enough to bring up again. How do y'all feel about the marriage situation with Moon Orchid?
Lauren:
I was lucky enough to never have the traditional role of wife forced upon me, or even really encouraged.
Jade:
As an older woman, who was separated from her husband almost immediately after marriage, whose husband did not even bring his wife to America, who found out that her husband had remarried in America, Moon Orchid had more than enough justification to feel insecure.
Traditional Chinese Marriage
Parents are the biggest influence on a child, and a child usually has more trouble adjusting to his/her parents rather than the community. How do you feel the parent/child role is played out in immigrant families?
Side-Questions to this one:
Do you as a child adapt a new culture or stick to the old culture (parent)? Traditions are important but do they lose meaning in a different country? Do some of them become unnecessary or tiresome to have?
Any Thoughts:
When people move, they change or at least people say they do. What is more significant in driving this change: a desire to fit in or a fear of not being able to?
How does the population of one country cause immigrants to feel unwanted? (Xenophobia perhaps)
Pictures like this can be discouraging...
Jade:
The theme of not fitting in continues in the final chapter. Kingston talks about her childhood days and about how she herself felt alienated.
How does this book connect with previous readings?
As a student, we move schools and it's similar to immigration. How is the culture clash for students considering that we're still in the same general geographical area(country)?
So, being this book is called Woman Warrior and more than half of the class is a woman, did this book meet your expectations?
I've moved a lot as a child, so I know how it feels like to constantly have to adapt to another culture. You have to change a lot of mental models because it's not only a new lifestyle, but a new culture also has a different outlook on life. Everything you hold true can possibly go straight out the window! You have to be your own warrior and fight to keep your roots, or in contrast, you fight to turn over a new leaf. Either way, there's going to be a struggle. The struggle is wherever you see it and in whatever you see it. For The Woman Warrior, there were quite a few battles which manifested within individuals trying to fit in. Whether it be in Kingston or Moon Orchid or Brave Orchid, the cause of these battles is due to culture clash that occurs.
A Culture Clash Splits a Person, literally!
The one thing that drives people into the most dramatic battles is fear. Fear for safety or fear of identity. Consider Moon Orchid, she's paranoid that there is someone after her. "'I am so afraid.' said Moon Orchid. 'There is no one after you,' said Brave Orchid, 'No Mexicans'" (Kingston, 156). Later on, Moon Orchid digs deeper into this paranoia, and the fear changes her completely. She loses the battle. Her fear for safety consumes her to the brink of insanity and beyond. Kingston too has a fear - that of separation. She fears the Chinese traditions, particularly how women were treated who wouldn't obey their parents or husbands. To be fastidious, consider the Confucius theory: "'A husband may kill a wife who disobeys him...' [and] Confucius [was] the rational man" (Kingston, 193). Another prime example is when Kingston believes her parents will marry her to the 'retarded' boy; ".. my parents would only figure that this zombie and I were a match... this birth defect" (Kingston, 195). This fear causes her to change the way she acts around her parents; one fear forces her to overcome another. Fear has great power over people.
People can be afraid of ANYTHING!
From No Name Woman to A Song for a Barbarian Reed Pipe, change is evident. First, its location. The essence of the book changes for the reader, from the unfamiliar to the trivial everyday. The most important side effect of this was the language change. Brave Orchid didn't try to be a doctor in the States because "she could never learn English" (Kingston, 149). She's so bright but unable to communicate at even a proficient level; this is her handicap in the new land. She still manages to live happily to a certain extent. That is her victory in the battle. It's not a simple task to be successful or even semi-successful without being able to fully understand what's going on around you left and right. Stories of ghosts are used to help her understand this ghost world around her. In a way, Brave Orchid familiarizes this new landscape and that's how she succeeds in it!
This is how language creates a barrier...
It's the drifting mental models that cause people to go through these emotions and changes. They're own fundamental beliefs (such as security and identity) are challenged due to a culture clash that one experiences. For some, it's too much while others manage this exceptionally well. The problem is deciding how fast to change. People worry about losing their identity, yet at some level, they are willing and ready for change; the pace of this change is what causes the turmoil like suspense in a horror film!
Well, now I finally know why some places in China have bizarre eating habits? Taken from the Blog of an "African Chinese Guy" who had his very own 'Bizarre Foods' Experience!
I always wondered why in parts of China and surrounding areas that people would eat just about anything. Now I finally know. It's because "Big eaters win" (Kingston, 90). There's a sense of pride and triumph associated with eating, and there are people who eat a lot as means for training (Sumo Wrestlers)! Hence, eating is a means of indicating strength in these areas. The narrator's family has taken part in this, "My mother has cooked for us: raccoons, skunks, hawks, city pigeons, wild ducks, wild geese, black-skinned bantams, snakes, garden snails, turtles..., and catfish," plus the mother used to say, "The emperors [would] eat the peaked hump of purple dromedaries... They used chopsticks made from rhinoceros horn, and they ate ducks' tongues and monkeys' lips" (Kingston, 90). I was utterly shocked by this revelation, but it has settled one of my curiosities that had been developing for a very, very long time. Thank you, Maxine!
A small Bizarre Foods Excerpt!
I've also been curious about how Asian people, especially Chinese people, always have so much discipline. What forces do these individuals draw their power from? I, for one, am extremely curious and skeptical as to how one person can get so focused upon a single mundane task like sitting. I could sit maybe for an entire hour, at most, without moving, but Brave Orchid is the grand master of discipline in that area. I mean she is about sixty-eight at this point, so I guess she's conserving energy, but the act is still amazing! And not only that, "Brave Orchid would add her will power to the forces that keep an airplane up. Her head hurt with the concentration" (Kingston, 113). It's absolutely amazing the kind of things people with such intense discipline and focus can be capable of. I mean it's not physically possible, but how amazing is that will-power and self-confidence that allows her to truly believe in herself! And she had been doing it for a while, "She had already been waiting at the airport for nine hours. She was wakeful" (Kingston, 113). Such will power is extraordinary. Kingston has helped clear up a lot for me and for that I am thankful!
Self-Confidence!
At least now I can walk about Austin or wherever and talk about some aspects of Chinese beliefs with some frankness and modesty. Before this clarification, I would just imagine up all sorts of reasons as to why people just north of my birth-country (India) had some questionable eating habits, but now I know. And I also understand how self-confidence and a 'mind over matter' attitude can go a far and very long way. I'm impressed by the latter characteristic; it's one that I desire to have within myself as well. The next question I need to answered is 'How to do that?' Hopefully, Kingston can show me the answer to that as well!
Book-Citation (MLA format):
"Kingston, Maxine. The Woman Warrior. Vintage International. New York: Random House, Inc., 1989. 90 & 113. Print."
Circumstantial is the only word that comes to mind when I examine female oppression. The evidence against them is or the rules that society has bound them to are always circumstantial. Some picky part of tradition or culture that completely ignores any special cases or fails to address particular flaws with the culture's own rhetoric. The worst part is how no one likes to admit to this. People blame other people or the gods or the stars or some entity which they have no control over. That's just wrong. If you want to be a man, then you got to go all the way, no such thing as half way. Kingston portrays some of this in her novel The Woman Warrior. The culture in question in the book is the Chinese culture, one that stands for honor and dignity.
Honor
But what do they do when the Aunt offs herself? 'Oh! It's as if she was never alive.' How ridiculous is that? People would go about causing havoc upon their family because of her and when she was gone, they don't even want to remember her expect on what not to do. Her husband was gone for years, and she committed adultery. Wrong, yes, but not worth killing over or causing the mess the villagers did. Alas! Everyone still blames the stars. "People refused fatalism because they could invent small resources insisted on culpability. Deny accidents and wrest fault from the stars" (Kingston, 13).
The Blame Split Helps to Deal With It
People can justify so much because we have such a unique imagination. Consider the point in the novel when the lion dancers come in. The dance became a symbol and was applicable to anything. "I could stare at ordinary people and see their light and gold. When I get hungry enough, then killing and falling are dancing too" (Kingston, 17). Through her imagination, the aspects of the dance were transportable to other aspects of her life. Kind of weird but very possible.
Fight For Your Rights Girl!
This is how the world works. People justify anything they want to themselves and if they can't find a good reason, they blame it on some entity they have no control over or one that has full control over them. In the end, groups of people suffer. Historically, this group has been women, but the discrimination of this phenomena is purely circumstantial, so everyone is at risk!
I was always constantly moving as a child. I've never had a lack of diversity around me. There are always some sort of individuals around me that don't look like me or that don't think like me, that don't dress like me or that don't speak like me. I imagine if I ever had experienced a part of my life without a wide and unique group of people around me, then I would've turned out quite different. Not having known different viewpoints would've left me unable to comprehend someone whose traditions and culture were different from my own. However, not many people travel a lot, so I wonder how they manage to adjust to different people. For me, it was always a balance between compromising and expressing my individuality, but I suppose that's a struggle everyone goes through. However there certain forms of discrimination (grouping people into categories) that cause more harm than good.
For Example...
How different is someone's life who can't go to certain places because his appearance doesn't allow him/her to fit in? What do you do if it were you? Your mental attitude towards the situation will be the most significant influence upon your actions. If you are happy, like Ramirez, people around you are a bit more jolly, a bit more caring. In Ramirez's story, he's always the "Ex ssseterra.. " (Anthology 839) kid. A simple ESL kid but an equivalent of "being mentally retarded" (Anthology 839). Ramirez's dislikes the fact that he can't just fir in, but his attitude isn't a negative one. That's his personal balance between his individuality and the compromises he makes. There's always a trade-off between the two.
We Want To Be Unique
However, there's another situation that needs to be addressed. What about when a group identity (such as being Mexican, White, Black, Brown... etc.) takes significance over personal individuality? Some say this is rare, but we often know from our own experiences that people behave differently when they're in a group. The psychology of the person changes; some people change because they want to be someone different, while others change because they want to embrace themselves (their roots, culture and traditions). Such is the case with Norma's brother Michael who later transforms into Miguel. "Something apparently led him to look inside himself and dig out his raices - his roots" (Anthology 845). Looking for one's roots requires the person to "take pride in and honor the changes [their] family went through when they had to [adjust]" to ethnic or other societal pressures (Anthology 845). Pride is what encourages us to feel good about our own individual characteristics; it's necessary, but sometimes it can get a little too much (examples: Adolf Hitler and the KKK). The latter is a discussion better suited for another time. But the point is that some people use their pride as tools to help balance the struggle between society and their individuality.
A Display of Cultural Pride!
The best attitude in my opinion is to view the entire struggle as a natural concept. An adjustment that must take place when someone relocates to a different geographical background. It holds true when you move from one city in Texas to another or from the poor part of town to a richer part of town, or when you move entire countries altogether! Alessandro Melendez is absolutely a mastermind at this. After reading through his story, I realized that he never really questioned the struggle's existence, but rather he simply accepted it and tried to do the best he could. His parents were his anchor to his Latino side, and he himself was simply just managing the best he could. His attitude eliminates a need for a need to balance his individuality against society, that sort of just balances itself out as he just does what he does. It was his competitiveness, or lack thereof, that gave him this quality... Always wanting to be the best, he simply kept on trying to climb up as high as he could. "There was always someone... doing better and... [he] learned to accept not being the best" (Anthology 855). All he wanted to do was the best he could, and in a sense, that all he really can do so he wouldn't worry.
Be Like the Turtle, You'll be Faster than a Rabbit
It's our attitudes that most rapidly affect our actions. With the right mindset/perspective, anything is possible. Diversity it seems helps us develop our own mental models to sort of mold either ourselves or society; either way, in a diverse environment something is always changing. The management of these changes is how our attitudes and pride develops, and eventually, we force ourselves to stick to one or a small group of mental models that we then use as a template for our day to day decisions. Sometimes this is for the better, but at other times, not quite so. We're always having to tip that scale in our favor as with all the diversity around us we crave our own individuality.
Brilliant. Extraordinary. Greatness on paper! Morrison is exemplary in her writing style. At first, I'll admit that I was a little distracted by this very feature, but over the pages, I caught on. Ah-Ha! It's brilliant how she conveys the story through these parts that seem interrupted and chopped up, but together, they are all whole and complete. The dynamics between the characters is constantly changing, and I was constantly changing my view of the characters, especially Cholly. Morrison truly manifests in The Bluest Eye the power of writing.
The Bluest Eye is the Truest Novel
She'll grab your attention with, "But someday I will die" (Morrison, 181). But by that point in the book, she already has the reader's attention with so much other context. The perception of beauty and, more importantly, the self-image of ugly. Too much greatness to quote, yet not one part is worth ignoring. Perhaps the single most significant event in the book is the rape of Pecola. How badly everyone reacts to that poor girl's predicament? I was appalled! And then, Cholly was such a shock. His hatred stops him from doing anything and in his hatred he ends up doing everything!
There's an Entire Linguistics Division
"The other problem, of course, was language" (Morrison, 211). The language seemed authentic, "indisputably black" (Morrison, 211). The prose were black yet I felt they was a part of them that was universal. Not an hierarchy of language but rather the exact opposite; it manifests the essence of illiteracy, and in doing so, the book allows a connection with a much broader audience. The language is the paint of the story that gives the novel its distinction and its verity.
The Review
Brilliant is a term worth mentioning repeatedly. The novel defines this term through its complexity and cultural depth. The seemingly inter-mangled plot molds into a great novel. Morrison is a genius. She distracts us with words and attracts us with them. The Bluest Eye is simply brilliant!
Appearances are a tricky subject. On one side of the coin there’s a saying that says, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” and on the other side it reads, “Appearances are everything.” Of course, practically appearances definitely matter as one often hears business majors telling one another, “Dress for Success.” I often wonder how much appearances matter, but after reading through Bluest Eye, I believe I’ve understood it too well. Appearances affect the opinion of individuals upon one another, but more importantly, they affect our opinion about ourselves.
Re-imagine the part of the novel where Pecola is being harassed by Woodrow Cain and his entourage. They repeatedly tell her, “Black e mo Black e mo-” (Morrison, 65). This single incident corroborates both of my points extremely well. Woodrow and his entire entourage and Pecola are all black. Yet, there is a divide somewhere that separates them from one another. Pecola cries within that vicious circle… A part of me wants to jump in, and then Claudia says something that takes a hold of my attention. She says, “We watched, afraid they might notice us and turn their energies our way” (Morrison, 66). How true is that? In a confrontational and conflicting situation like that, who would want to risk their own neck? The appearance of that situation instinctively causes Claudia to consider giving up without even putting up a fight. Frieda, however, is from a whole different planet altogether; she stormed in there and supplied the initiative and freed her friend! She didn’t care about appearances, so she got right to it.
Frieda Took Care of Business in a Similar Fashion
But Pecola still cried! She shed tears because she was unable to withstand the harassment. It’s not that she couldn’t break free from the circle herself, but she herself was afraid. She perceives herself as being ugly and therefore, she drains herself of her own power. Professor Bump puts this simply, “Every time we look in the mirror and see that we are not as beautiful as a movie star, not as beautiful as the television, magazine, and billboard ads tell us we should be, we feel the fear of rejection and abandonment” (Bump, 339). There isn’t a better way of stating that. Pecola feared the rejection and abandonment, and all that fear was hidden behind her perception of herself as ugly.
Don't Be Afraid to Capture Your Presence, Your Beauty
Appearances are important, but Frieda has shown that even humans can manifest more courage than the entire planet. So why let such a trivial feature get in the way of our everyday lives? Well, Claudia attests to that because she instinctively didn’t want to help. She too was afraid. However, appearances are of practical value as they change daily and by the second, so anyone can be king/queen of its domain for a second and then be a slave to it in the very next. So, the best thing to do is to keep yourself with a good self-image so that you unconsciously give others around you the permission to do the same, and even more importantly, this will allow you to look at your own eyes in the mirror while smiling bright. Appearances matter so make yours the best you can and be happy!
Pecola, Frieda and Claudia have a unique quality in their relationship. They seem more than simply characters in the book. Their innocence is so realistic that I believe them to be real. Their dynamic interactions make me feel as if Morrison gave these girls the character of some girls she met during her life. I must say that the plot is a bit intriguing. I was lost for a while; the writing style threw me off completely. In fact, I might still be lost! Professor Bump's paper helped me make some sense of what was going on. It's the power of bonds that people share amongst each other that makes Morrison's writing style a bit difficult to grasp right from the start.
The Essence of Family
There's one quote from the book that I really like. It revolves around the Breedloves' coal stove "which lived independently of everything and everyone... in spite of the fact that the family fed it and knew all the details of its regimen... The fire seemed to live, go down, or die according to its own schemata" (Morrison, 37). The spirit of the fire resembles the spirit of family to me. Everybody lives their own lives, and everybody, most of the time, knows what's going on with the other members. Family members are connected through a strong bond which matches the fervor and intensity of a fire. This is seen within the relationship of Pecola, Frieda and Claudia, even their relationship with Mrs. MacTeer. They have strong feelings for each other and they yell and fight, but they care for one another, and that's a sort flame they have burning within their hearts.
Bonds Can Be Created with Anyone
And as we see in the novel, this bond isn't limited to family members. The professor explains this with some clarity. "African American family includes 'fictive kin': 'unrelated individuals who often provide more family support services than blood kin'" (Anthology, 350). The McTeers' take in Pecola and treat her as if she was family. Pecola is able to share the warmth of a family spirit with Claudia and Freida, and in doing so, she forms a bond with the entire family which will forever burn within her heart!
Bonds Are Everywhere
The writing style of the Morrison is a bit confusing, but the very spirit of family prevails and manifests itself even from underneath an avalanche of language. So, this is the verisimilitude of familial bonds. Bonds between family are evident even in the most tumultuous and unpredictable of situations. The power of these bonds is so great that their essence is indescribable through language, and that's why I believe that I was lost in the start of the plot. Morrison's writing style isn't confusing, but rather what she's describing is so grandiose that it forces the language to betray its own rhetoric, only the emotions seep through.
After I finished the reading, I decided that I'm way too much of an optimist! After all the failures in the story, I asked myself about what I could learn from this? I just automatically responded to this question with positive examples. Maybe it's just a mental model that developed because in a practical environment a failure can not stop you. At most, failures are speed bumps, so I'm absolutely driven to get over these bumps, so even within Black Elk's story, I found a ray of light, three rays to be specific. They're kind of practical lessons that I've taken by really taking the whole sentence in the intended meaning; these are lessons of interdependence, adaptability (change and creativity) and the concept of cycles and roles.
Pragmatism
Let's start off with interdependence. In today's day and age, nobody can succeed in any field without the help of those that are already established within that industry. One person is only one person, so everyone needs to rely upon one another. Plus, there is a certain sense of accomplishment that is achieved through an interdependent group. I know in theory this sounds like a sweet and square chocolate cake, but there's another advantage of this process. Interdependence is the key to confidence. When someone leads, they have a vision and people buy the story! Black Elk puts this with great simplicity, "When I was still young, I could feel the power all through me, and it seemed that with the whole outer world to help me I could do anything" (xxi). When it seems as though the power of the cosmos is driving you forward, then nothing is impossible, no bar is too high, and greatness transforms into a trivial trait.
Adapt like the Chameleon
Another practical lesson that fills me with enthusiasm is a reference towards change and creativity. Basically, Darwin hits the home run again with his 'survival of the fittest!' People that are able to adapt have an astonishing quality to succeed. So let me share with you a portion of Black Elk's story while he's lamenting, "Then suddenly the butterflies changed, and were storm-driven swallows, swooping and whirling in a great cloud behind the charging riders" (xxiv). The first point of observation is to notice that change is unpredictable and guaranteed. So, now I know that butterflies can change into anything at whenever so now the butterflies in my stomach are making me sick! The obvious hits me, "What now?" And, there Darwin triumphs with his notorious 'survival of the fittest.' Adaptation is the key to success. When events take an unexpected turn, adaptation is required for anybody to even expect success or, as Darwin insists, to survive.
There's Always a Bigger Fish!
The last pragmatic lesson to take from Black Elk is the concept of roles and cycles. So, "Everything the Power of the World does is done in a circle" (xxvi). This is like the headline from this part of the Black Elk story. There are a copious amount of cycles within the world, and within each cycle, people play different roles. This is kind of deep, and I don't know if this was the intended meaning, but this is what my optimistic mental model picked out from the whole cycle of life scenario that Black Elk portrays. As people live their lives, they have to change their roles to fit the cycle of their life, to change their role to play the character of their lives. This character can be whoever you need it to be... mean, angry, happy, ecstatic, enthusiastic, appreciative, dumb or brilliant!
A Few Different Roles..
So let's see how all of these three lessons come together. People change their roles throughout their lives. In a sense they are adapting to the unexpected changes that have come about during the course of their lives, but how do people change themselves without affecting their entourage? Everybody has connections, people are interdependent, so when one person changes roles, it affects everyone in their entourage and they affect the other people in their entourage, and so this change spreads like a contagious disease, and there's no cure! Change happens. Black Elk carries the stories of lessons that are most practical and most useful for life!
Life is basically a game. More specifically, life is an M.M.R.P.G., a massively multiplayer role playing game. Role playing games are so addictive; they’re a virtual extension of reality. People change roles so many times throughout their lives: from child to adult, from taker to giver, from follower to leader… etc. Herein lies the addiction with games of this sort, their relative verisimilitude strikes the fundamental chord of curiosity present within everyone, and the vibration of this chord is amplified by the highly populated and diverse or massively multiplayer environment of the world! Unfortunately there is one key discernable difference between games and life. Games can be reset; with the press of a button the entire journey through a game is restarted. Life isn’t so simple. Mistakes happen, and they don’t disappear. Everyone gets just one shot, so I’ve made a resolve; I’ll take my shot and make it count. I’ll change the world, no matter how small a difference I make. What will I do? How will I go about doing it? When’s my deadline? I’m not sure if I really know these answers at this point in time, but I will reach new heights.
This Essay Contains My Rules [1]
So, hypothetically, if I will work towards the top of some ladder of success and get there, the obvious question for me is what then? I would think, “I just finished the work-really-hard stage of my life, what do I do now? What is the next role for me to play?” As much as I’m in love with the idea of reaching new heights and being at the top of a chain of command, I don’t want to be at the top without purpose. A lot of people want to be at the top, so it’s not like I can just wish myself there. Getting to the top will take a lot of hard work and time, so all that hard work and time has got to mean something. In games, if you get stuck on a level, then all your time and energy is going to waste. If that happens, you need to try harder or change characters or do something different to clear the level. There is no such thing as stagnation, not in games, not in life.
A True Path to Success [2]
So with this in mind, I want to start my life today with one very specific goal. Most people “give back” when they’ve established some sort of financial stability in their lives; whatever I do, I want to “give back” as I acquire financial stability. The problems that exist in the world - disease, poverty, the environment, terrorism… etc. – don’t just put themselves on hold, so there is no incentive to put the solutions on hold, but the world continues to do so. I must lead the world out of such beliefs, and the only way to lead is by example. As soon as I thought about this, I just froze… My consciousness, it seems, had ceased; my soul and my mind separated. I’m just a college student for crying out loud! This is a major step up, but faintly, my enthusiasm and motivation to succeed came back when I heard a distinct ‘POP!’ Then, again, ‘POP!’ Once more, ‘POP!’ The three magic questions -what, how, and when- had popped into my mind, and simply ‘reset’ my entire system! In the game of life, I had just been awarded with a second chance; a chance to change my role from ‘just a college student’ to a ‘global catalyst.’
This World is Mine to Heal [3]
However, even by R.P.G. standards, this role change is a bit extreme! I had to set up small manageable goals to work towards. This leads me to the first step in my ladder of success. Instead of completely stepping away from my role as a college student, I will embrace this role and utilize the tool of education towards my advantage. I’m enrolled as full time student at the University of Texas at Austin, and I’m able to take advantage of vast array of opportunities available to me through the McCombs School of Business and the Plan II Honors Program within the College of Liberal Arts. These colleges offer a variety of different courses that will help me reach my role of a global catalyst. Primarily, the variety of business courses (management, accounting, supply chain… etc.) are so rich and the professors are so knowledgeable that all I have to do is sit in such a classroom and absorb the wisdom. It’s “an assemblage of learned men, zealous for their own sciences…” [1]. I might even be able to start an entrepreneurial venture before my senior year. People follow results, and I’ll show the world my worth with my Plan II senior thesis. It’s a required course to graduate, and it provides me with a grand stage to exit my student role with a bang! Sort of like Henry Ford’s marketing strategy when the production line just started, “You can have any color you want as long as it’s black” [2] You have to be able to sell your product regardless of what people are buying. I will be able to showcase my vision and articulate upon a topic of my choosing so as to enlighten my community. These results will be my tools and my foundation with the help of which I will inspire the planet.
The First Production Line [4]
So, I got to thinking about the most valued tool in the game of life. The obvious kicked me in the head. The world values material objects, intangible objects, and most importantly, the ability to acquire, move or showcase these two objects at will, and this ability is made possible by money. Furthermore, the material and intangible objects are often constructed as a means to acquire money, so the most valuable tool in the world is money! Yet there’s also a popular notion that time is money, so in order to get people to follow me, I need to prove to people that I’m worth their time. Meaning I need to pay attention in my reading and writing courses. When people interact with me, I need to have enough rhetoric to comprehend their speech. My answers to any questions they might have need to concise, and everything must be well unified. I must also hold the utmost standards with regards to ethics. I know it’s hard to believe, but it all comes from my World Literature class. These are the highlights of how the course helped me, and I don’t think it’s detracted me from my goal at all. Another valued tool in life is perspective or as my M. I. S. professor would put it, “It’s all about mental models.” If you try to learn, you will. Learning seems hard, but it’s just a mental model, sort of a discipline that must be developed within complex adaptive systems of life’s M.M.R.P.G. Eventually with that mental model, I’ll develop my worth as a leader; I will engender a sort of following, and people will want to do some great things alongside with me, and that will is essential to fulfilling that one very specific goal that I started off with today.
I still need to know how I’ll accomplish that. As I mentioned, I am enrolled in the business school, and some of the biggest philanthropists in the world are entrepreneurs of some sort. My solution is to mix entrepreneurism and philanthropy into a new business model that has been coined by many as “Social Entrepreneurship.” The exact operation of the firm is irrelevant. Social entrepreneurism can be practiced by accounting firms to entertainment corporations, by small businesses to governments, or by manufacturing/producing firms to simple merchants. That’s the beauty of businesses that practice social entrepreneurship. Such businesses are engineered to cater a social problem of any sort. I don’t know what exactly my business will do, but that will be determined by surveying which industries have potential when I acquire the capital to bring my vision to reality. I pay attention in my business classes, particularly accounting and management, so that I can develop the skills necessary to run a successful business.
And now, I start thinking about which social problem I will help resolve. Without even having done anything, I feel like I’ve been given an enormous task already. I’m fresh out of high school; I just started establishing my independence and my identity away from my parents. The freedom to simply manage my time productively has been a handful, but now I’m wondering about how I’m going to define an enterprise which isn’t even in existence yet! In a way, this will define me, and “the freedom to define [that] is a challenge” [3]. I defined myself as an individual who goes beyond what’s required and tackles all the issues that need be addressed, so my socially entrepreneurial firm must reflect this quality. Just like that, I picked three social problems that I believe need to be addressed now. If life is indeed a game, then these three problems are the “Boss ” stages. The bosses that I have to beat are educational reform, poverty, and the environmental problems. They seem to be quite a handful, but I’m sure that I’ll beat them. However, when I will conquer these bosses is extremely speculative. Who knows what the future will hold? Maybe we’ll encounter an alien and intelligent life form that will help rid our environmental problems, or maybe I will have my entire plan for a business in actionable terms before this year ends. Wonderful and absolutely uncertain, the future is pure skepticism. Today is the only day that’s certain. So I try to learn something every day, even if it’s just one thing. In a sense it’s a mental model, a role and a perspective, and with an uncertain future, these roles and perspectives must be robust.
Everybody has Different Perspectives [5]
Adapting the mental model that life is a game does wonders to simplify its complexity. In the game, it’s just one role at a time and one stage at a time. I can be in college with a simple learn-as-much-as-humanly-possible mindset, and as soon as I switch roles to a business man, I can put on the let’s-solve-all-the-problems-in-society mindset. I hope to actually solve a societal problem using this MMRPG analogy. There are so many roles to play, but the most frequent of them are going to be the roles of the “giver” and the “taker.” I can use these roles to beat the three ‘bosses’ and to run my social entrepreneurship firm, so I need to play the game of life for a while. Get lost in the massively multiplayer environment created by it. We all have the freedom to experiment with different roles; this freedom is a challenge that will define who we are. If you want to play the role of “Master Chief,” you’ve got to put your time into the game. There are no shortcuts in life and the same goes for the MMRPG’s, and if you ever freeze up, just break your task into small manageable goals. To be successful in the game you can’t get stuck, you have to keep moving. A most appropriate quote of success comes to mind, so here’s the mantra by Conrad Hilton: “Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit!”
Word Count = 1905 Word Count – Quotes = 1875
End-Notes:
[1] John Henry Newman, The Idea of a University (Austin: Jenn’s Copy & Binding, 2009)166 [2] Al Ries and Jack Trout, Marketing Warfare,(New York: McGraw Hill, 1986), 4. [3] Ram Dass and Paul Gorman, How Can I Help? (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1985), 22.
Multimedia: [1] http://www.drcherie.com/Books/if_life_is_a_game_these_are_the_rules_audio_book_large.jpg (accessed April 6, 2010). [2] http://www.youtube.com/v/CijsH1mkCFI&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00 (accessed April 5, 2010). [3] http://globalcatalystgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/world-in-hand.png (accessed April 6, 2010). [4] http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/automotive-production-line-1.jpg (accessed April 7, 2010). [5] http://canopicjar.com/Canopic11/perspectives1.jpg (accessed April 7, 2010).
Alice has a keen interest in the characters she meets. She tries to be nice; she tries to be civil. She's a peculiar character to everyone she meets and they are the same to her. It's interesting to notice how Alice tells the group of birds about Dinah (her cat that eats birds); she, at first, is oblivious to the relationship between birds and cats. Another interesting part is when Alice discovers all of the flowers that talk; they critique Alice, but she's not too fond of this concept. Diversity is a practical experience that Alice goes through. At first, she inflicts emotional harm upon others, and then, karma catches up with her; the experiences, no doubt, make her wiser as she ends up as queen!
Birds & Mouse
Let's consider the events one at a time to examine how exactly Alice deals with diversity. Before telling the birds about Dinah, Alice is caught in the pool with the mouse and runs the Caucus Race. Through both of these incidences, Alice wishes that the creatures she meets "wouldn't be so easily offended" (Dodgson, ). Alice isn't her normal size, so she might be in a different mind-set, but still, she disregards the creatures and is only concerned with her own issues. When people are in an environment that's uncomfortable, it's common for them to get concerned with their own issues, but we musn't follow Alice's example. Alice is caught up with the emotional distress caused by her feelings for Dinah. tells the birds about her (Dodgson, 35):
Dinah's our cat. And she's such a capital one for catching mice, you ca'n't think! And oh, I wish you could see her after the irds! Why, she'll eat a little bird as soon as look at it!
Obviously this causes great distress amongst the birds, but Alice failed to be aware of her surroundings. She was lost in her own wonderland within wonderland, and if you can relate to that, then you know what not to do.
You might know this song; feel free to sing along
Carroll also portrays the opposite end of this situation. Alice is back her normal size at the start of the looking glass, and she stumbles into a garden of live flowers. Soon enough, she begins to engage the flowers in conversation, but only the Tiger-lily seems to be of any help. This is similar to when people enter new social environments; most of the people try to engage the new members in conversation, but end up having a discussion amongst themselves, completely disregarding the individual whom they intended to engage in conversation. To illustrate, consider the first speech of the rose (Dodgson, 157):
"It isn't manners for us to begin, you know," said the Rose, " and I really was wondering when you'd speak! Said I to myself, 'her face has got some sense in it, though it's not a clever one!' Still, you're the right colour, and that goes a long way." "I don't care about the colour," the Tiger-Lily remarked. "If only her petals curled up a little more, she'd be all right." Alice didn't like being criticized...
So everything was going kind of fine and dandy, but then, for a brief instant, Tiger-lily and Rose engage in their own side-conversation, leaving Alice out of the loop, and end up criticizing the poor girl. True that Alice herself is guilty of doing this to other creatures (consider the birds and the mouse), but with increased diversity, there comes an aspect of a wide difference in perspectives.
No need to Judge
And that must always be taken into account because your words and intentions that easily articulates your point to someone with the same values might have a completely different effect within people who don't share your perspective. Alice scares the birds to death, and the beautiful flowers, no doubt, make poor Alice feel bad about herself! This is Alice's two cent story on diversity, and it can be applied to anyone. Always consider your audience as the message is meaningless if no one is willing to listen.
