Friends,

Recently I have watched the movie Children of Men, and WOW.  Total blindblow.  My head exploded inside with all the awesomeness nad deepness of the film.  I know I'm not using very good vocab but u know when I fangirl there is never a need to be articulate, the enthusiasm makes it more fun!  I mean I literally went home and rewatched the movie twice.  You know what happened?  I had the same reaction as I did when I rewatched V for Vendetta.  Also a great movie by the way.  Ok I am not goping to rant about  my favorite movies to you, because you would probably get extremely bored.

Ok back to Children of Men.  The story follows a man named Theo, who lives in a world where infertility has plagued women all over the world, and the world is experiencing a difficult time.  Man immigrants try to enter the United Kingdom for asylum but the current government comtinually place these immigrants in camps.  So when Theo encounters his ex-wife, who also happens to be a leader of a rebel group trying to give rights to immigrants, he is dragged into a different world.  Then the director pulls one of those really shocking scenes.  Theo agrees to help his ex-wife move a specific immigrant from the border, and on the way she is shot and killed.  It really was shocking, but I kind of rellects what happens in real life.  You these things are always unexpected, but it didn't help the fact that I waqs feeling this dread clinging to me.  Anyways Theo finds out that the woman that he was helping move was actually pregnant and she is entrusted to him when the rebel group tries to use her for their own purposes. 

Theo to me is an extremely interesting character, I kinda liked him.  In the beginning of the film, Theo seemed to me like a robot that did nothing but what life expected him.  Now that I think about it it doesn't really surprise me now because I found out later in the movie that he had a son once and he had died long before.  But immediately when Theo was told about the woman's pregnantcy, Theo looked as if he found a purpose.  It kindof made me think and feel a little hope for humanity at that moment.  A lot of people nowadays say how horrible humans are and that our existence hasd caused nothing but misfortune and destruction.  Though that is true I don't feel very negative towards humans that much, I have seen a lot of good in people, but sometimes people forget that.  I guess taht is the real question in life these days, how much good and bad should be used to define a person or ourselves.  It is an interesting concept ooverall.

 I myself have hope in humanity as a whoile.  I mean look at where we originated, when we were born we were all adorable babies who were so innocent and pure.  I mean when one sees a baby or child laugh they ccannot help but smile.  Take the other day, I saw a video of a baby boy laughing hysterically (it was on tumblr)  and when I showed it to my parents, I saw wide smiles on their faces, and we are talking about my parents, one of the strictest people you will ever meet.  If we originated from such a pure a beautiful tyhing how can we all be so disgusting.

Im not saying that humans are angels, no if I said that then I would be lying big time.  The movie itself proves that concept, there are so many war scenes with people being shot at and gumfire being fired... it reminded me of the video s of the Syrian revolution that I watch everyday.  It was said and I felt like crying.  But in the end when the woman walks with her baby girll down the road all the gunfire stopped and everyone was staring.  You see taht baby was a new hope fpr them and that made them all together stop their fighting.  In the sight of something so precious and great in our eyes, we can't help but feel shamefu land what we are doing.  I was crying when I saw the characters kneel down and pray.  For the first time in a long time I saw somewone see humans not as sinners who wioll be damned and diisgusting things, I saw us as people who could be forgiven, who could always stand up and move on whenever a bump in the road came.  You know we humans can be really great at times, but in the purest of forms.  There is no need to e arrogant, because that is what will destroy the bliss.

Sincerely,

Nour

Friends,


Ok I know that what I am about to say might not be completely relevant to the wholeness of the plot of Susan Beth Pfeffer's book Life As We Knew It, but this certain thing un the book really bothered me.  So on page 247 it states,

        "Mom hobbled her way (which she probably shouldn't have done) into the pantry this afternon.  Matt and Jonny were doing their wood-chopping things.
        I left Mom alone in the pantry for a while (I'm losing all sense of time), but then I figured I'd better make sure she hadn't fallen.  So I went into the panty and found her sitting on the floor weeping.  I put my arm around her shoulder and let her cry.  After a while she calmed down and then she embraced me.  I helped her up and she leaned on me as we went back to the sunroom.
        I have never loved Mom as much as I love her now.  I almost feel like some of Mrs. Nesbitt's love for Mom has seeped into me."

Ok so when I first read this I was a bit annoyed at Miranda a this point.  I mean from the beginning of the book she has been acting like a spoiled child.  When she and her family were at the grocery store, all Miranda did was complain and whine.  I mean when the world is in such a chaotic period, you would think she had the decency to stop complaining every five seconds.  And I'm not a huge fan of her mother but what she was doing at the times seemed extremely practical to me.  She asked to get water, canned food, band-aid, vitamins. . .  if you ask me she is a genius compared to Miranda, who seemed only like a cry baby throughout the whole ordeal.  So back to this quote.  After seeing what Miranda had said and argued with her mom about, I was really annoyed when I read this.  Why?  Because she just randomly says that she loves her mom when she is at her weakest point.  I hate the idea that Miranda starts to confromt her love for her mother just because she showed her moment of weakness.  What kind of message does that give people?

To be honest, though i loved the idea of the Feed and the implication it could cause, the way the author displays it seems rather dull.  I mean sure Titus and his friends were stupid, and what happened to Violet was not fair but come on come up with something new already!   The beginning of the book Titus just drones on and on about how boring his life is.  The common phrases and ways of the futuristic community are also displayed, and it sounded a bit clique.  The future according to the author is doomed to a world of stupid people if not careful, but mostly this situation would only happen if the rest of the world was as consumerist and technology obssessed as the United States or Europe is.  There are millions of people who haven't even heard of half of the stuff we use in our daily lives.  For example, people who live in North Korea still use technology from the 1970s, most of the technology is used by the government because they want to develop their own weapons against other nations.  You see what the author suggests through the feed simply will not happen.

In the context of the Feed itself, the author is obviosly negative towards the idea.  He displays the stupidity of the whole group plainly through their idiotic use of slang (especially with the adults like Titus' dad) and attitude towards life.  These people with the feed don't seem to have any real interest in live in general.  Their only interest is their own selfs, which is plainly seen through Titus' treatmen of Violet in the end of the book.

" 'You will understand that I must start by asking you certain questions.  In general terms, what are you prepared to do?'

‘Anything we are capable of,’ said Winston.

O’Brian had turned himself a little from his chair so that he was facing Winston.  He almost ignored Julia, seeming to take for granted that Winston was speaking for her.  For a moment the lids flitted down over his eyes.  He began asking questions in a low, expressionless voice, as though this were a routine, a sort of catechism, most of whose answers were known to him already.

‘You are prepared to give your lives?’

‘Yes.’

You are prepared to commit murder?’

‘Yes.’

‘To commit acts of sabotage that may cause the death of hundreds of innocent people?’

‘Yes.’

‘To betray your country to foreign powers?’

‘Yes.’

‘You are prepared to cheat, to forge, to blackmail, to corrupt the minds of children, to distribute habit-forming drugs to encourage prostitution, to disseminate venereal diseases—to do anything that is likely to cause demoralization and weaken the power of the Party.’

‘Yes.’

‘If somehow, it would somehow serve our interests, to throw sulphuric acid in a child’s face—are you prepared to do that?’

‘Yes.’

‘You are prepared to lose your identity and live out the rest of you life as a waiter or dock worker?’

‘Yes.’ “

Pg.172 1984

            I found this scene extremely interesting in some aspects.  Well clearly when many people see this scene they are shocked at Winston's willingness to do such things.  He ultimately declares his loyalty by doing the acts that he despises himself.  In the usual case it wouldn't make any sense, but again, we have to realize what Winston is thinking at this moment.  There is someone in this screwed up and very watched over society that supports them (even though he didn't really support Winston but we aren't supposed to know that yet).  The fact that someone shares this beliefs and would turn him in simple amazes Winston and he is willing to do anything as a result.  Although many people find this to be outrageous and totally stupid, the sad fact is that this kind of declaration happens all the time.  Whenever there is a common enemy, everyone will unite to destroy it.  Of course it always depends on the extremity of the situation.  In the political case though, the people will always face the highest stakes to get what they want.  That is the way of politics.  It changes the lives of the mass, so it becomes extremely important. 

        What I love about this scene though, is that Orwell displays this common trait in such a creative way.  Not many instances, does a person bluntly say that they are willing to kill hundreds of people or kill a child.  Most of the time people would hesitate.  But Winston is desperate for change, and a new beginning and Orwell shows that brilliantly, even through the actions of a plain character like Winston.   

"With those children, he thought, that wretched woman must lead a life of terror.  Another year, two years, and they would be watching her night and day for symptoms of unorthodoxy.  Nearly all children nowadays were horrible.  What was worst of all was that by such means of such organizations as the Spies they were systematically turned into ungovernable little savages, and yet this produced in them no tendency whatever to rebel against the discipline of the party.  On the conrary, they adored the Party and everything connected with it.  The songs, the processions, the banners, the hiking, the drilling with dummy rifles, the yelling with slogans, the worship of Big Brother--it was all a glorious game to them.  All their ferocity was turned outwards, against the enemies of the States, against the foreigners, traitors, saboteurs, thought-criminals.  It was almost normal for people over thirty to be frightened of their own children.  And with good reason, for hardly  week past passed in which the Times did not carry a paragraph describing how some eavesdropping little sneak--"child hero" was the phrase generally used--had overheard some compromising remark and denounced his parents to the Thought Police."

In George Orwell's well-acclaimed novel 1984, the character Winston heavily reflects the nature of the nature of this dystopian society. In this passage Winston, a lonely middle-aged man, reflects on the nature of children in this society.  it is a huge contrast to what children are seen as in our eyes.  To all of us childhood is the age of innocence, the age of knowledge.  These years of our lives reflect heavily on the kind of person we will end up for the rest of our lives.  The government ruled by the notorious Big Brother seems to have recognized this and developed a way to integrate the government's message to them.  The government also seems to isolate the children from their parents, which is a hard thing to do in general.  When we are born, we depend heavily on our mothers, they are our world, our center.  Our mothers in return cannot help but love us.

What I found so curious about this passage was the complete change in direction to the common feeling of childhood.  The government has integrated itself so far into the lives of its citizens that it has even destroyed the natural bonds that human beings naturally make.  There is no loyalty.  Children can no longer depend on their parents because they are instructed to be looking after them.  The parents, even though they still love their children, cannot help but feel a complete mistrust with their children which takes away any chance of forming a close relationship.  The view of children has turned completely black, enough for even the narrator to use dirty words, like 'little sneak'.  It is very interesting how Orwell decided to use children as the object of fear; by constructing a world that hates  them the government is making their own loyal subjects from scratch.

My Handicap

3. What would my Handicap be?

As I read through Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. many thoughts run through my head.  How disgusting the society is.  How hypocritical the government is.  How pitiful the characters are.  The story takes place in a futuristic society where equality has been declared in the future United States, where everyone wears handicaps to express this equality.  The main characters themselves suffer from such restrictions, such as to their intelligence or strength, because they have been deemed 'unfair'.  But of course I wondered what type of handicap I would have.  To know that I would have to know myself pretty well.  If I was overconfident of myself I would easily say that the amount of Handicaps I would have would be as extensive as Harrison Bergeron, the heavily handicapped rebel of the story.  But if I thought of myself as a lowly and stupid individual, I would say that I wouldn't have any handicaps.  But this all goes back to one question:  What truly makes a person talented or unique?  Every human being has something special about them and it doesn't necessarily have to be something to compete with.  But that is the whole point of the limitations of this dystopian society.  Those traits that you have that can be used to compete with are what they shunn, such as someone's ability to memorize quickly, or someone's attractive looks.  Everything that we take seriously in our society is taken away in this story.  No more chances for competitions like spelling bees, swim races, math contest, science bowl, or even the olympics.

If I were to follow that course of traits then I would have handicaps on my hands and brain mostly.  I believe that because I am mostly a silent person which  means I think a lot about life and many aspects that come across.  This has lead to my ability to analyze people and texts which may be used for enhancing my status, whether it be in grades or academic achievements.  The handicaps on my hands would mostly limit my love for drawing and painting.  Such arts are limited like the ballerinas in the story.

2.  Are there any benefits to propaganda? When and Why?

To many people propaganda is presented as a evil thing, a disturbing piece of our society.  People from all over the world with different political systems and cultures, have experienced its presence.  The United States used it to encourage men to join the army during both world wars; the Syrian government did it to expose their rivals as disgusting beings; the revolutionaries of the French Revolution used it to deface the monarchy.  Of course there is more to propaganda than presenting selfish needs.  Propaganda is used everywhere and for everything.  From the depths of Dr. Seuss's well-known story books, to the horrifying filth presented in Upton Sinclair's book The Jungle, propaganda is always able to send a strong message.

Though i gave very negative aspects of propaganda, let me remind you friends that it has presented itself since the earliest days of your lives.  Don't you remember that day when your mother came to your room to read you a bed time story.  She would tell the tales of many: a little red hooded girl who talked to strangers, a boy who to often cried wolf, or a young woman left at the mercy of step-mother.  Remember those stories?  What did they teach us?  Not to talk to strangers, not to lie. . . .   These tales basically told us what and what not to do.  We became scared at the prospect of meeting a stranger. The thought of lying made us feel guilty.   Being mean to others, like the evil step-sisters, was like committing a sin.  These stories told us what to do and what is best.  Of course these messages are directly what your parents want you to believe, so they present a heavy amount of this 'childish' propaganda, to influence us to the extent in which they cannot reach: our imagination.  For me whenever I did something remotely like the 'bad guys' from the stories, the thought of the monster creeping up to punish me was terrifying (took me months to get it out of my system).  

Obviously there is more to the benefits of propaganda than through the pure messages to children.  These days they are everywhere, but most of them are used in a way of a warning. If you do this 'bad' deed, then you are in for deep consequences.  Most of the time, in these cases, the consequences are not exaggerated, but there are those moments.  For instance,  these days I always see the no texting when driving ads on TV.  The viewer is presented with either a victim of a damaging crash or the family member of a fatal one, emphasizing how a small text dramatically destroyed them.  This is beneficial because it tells the youth in this nation to be careful and not to text when driving because they will be extremely hurt.  

When propaganda is used to send a positive moral message to the public I believe it used in a both beneficial and righteous way. 

1.  What is your vision of a perfect world?  Define your idea of utopia.

Well my idea of a perfect world would entirely depend on two things: what I desire and strive for, or what would make this world a better place.  If it would depend on what I desired it would be one freak of a world.  Books for free, video games cheap, less restrictions on teens, a more open society, no consequences, less stress on children, and basically my whole Christmas list:)

But unfortunately, to have all these things apply in a 'perfect world' is impractical.  I can't imagine them together, because there are so many contradictions and loopholes.  So when I am asked what my idea of Utopia it all really comes down to one word, in a sense: knowledge.  Yes knowledge.  A society where people are able to learn something new at every corner.  This perfect world would have everything at every one's fingertips, even better than we have today.  Technology will be beyond our wildest imaginations.

In my utopia, everyone will have grown up with a set of morals, ones that prevent us from diving into the depth of arrogance and greed.  This is somewhat similar to what Thomas More was trying to achieve when he wrote, Utopia.  But unlike his unrealistic imagination that ambition would be rid of and promotion impossible to obtain,  I believe that my vision of a perfect world would include a society of people who are modest but aren't afraid to reach for the top.  It's impossible to get rid of such a desire as to succeed and rise up, it's in human nature and has been seen countless times in human history.  Both positive and negative.

There will be no tolerance for the presence of a high ruling leader, his or her status will not be so lavish, because if it is, that leader would succumb to their greed and self-pride.  Soon they would end up like the idiotic and self-absorbed Trujillo, former dictator of Dominican Republic.  Somewhat like our current system in the United States, there will be elections and another elected body of representatives to make sure everything is fair and are in the PEOPLE'S best interests.  Not the elected officials.  Also, one huge law that would be in place would be that any killing, ordering to kill, or orchestrating someone to get killed, will be given the death penalty.  Of course it doesn't matter who you are.  Everyone is equal in every way.  People can say whatever they want, but of course there is a limit.  There shouldn't be people like the Westboro Baptist church telling everyone that they will go to hell and yelling in soldier's funerals.

Now let me say this, just because it is a perfect world, doesn't mean that everything will be rainbows and butterflies.  There will be difficulties, disease, heartbreak, pain, and more throughout every one's life.  But that is what makes us human beings who we are.  Without these experiences we are nothing but plain beings with no individuality or uniqueness at all. We are who we are through the pathways fate has laid for us.  So my idea of a perfect world is pretty nice don't you think.
:D