Act 4, Scene 3

Macduff and Malcolm speak together of Macbeth's treachery and try to find a way to overthrow him, and put Malcolm in his place. On page 186, Macduff refers to Macbeth’s jealousy and treachery as so: “this avarice sticks deeper: grows with more pernicious root than summer-seeming lust.” In essence, he is saying that Macbeth’s greed is deeply rooted, and that root is more harmful than youthful lust.
A group of people with a strange disease searched out King’s touch. Their disease is unmendable by the surgery of the time, and so they sought out the holy blessing of the King to cure them. The disease is called the King’s Evil, which is another allusion to strangeness and supernatural occurrences in Macbeth. The King is also said to have the holy ability of foresight. “The mere despair of surgery, he cures, hanging a golden stamp about their neck put on by holy prayers: and tis spoken, to the succeeding royalty he leave the healing benediction. With this strange virtue he hath a heavenly gift of prophecy, and sundry blessings hang about his throne that speak him full of grace.” Shakespeare did a clever thing my introducing the idea that Macbeth has holy power by virtue of the throne. HE is an unjust, fruitless, evil and false king, and so instead of being blessed with these powers the king is supposedly supposed to control, Macbeth has gone insane, and derives his insanity from the witches. The contrast is that the good king gets power from god, and the bad king becomes insane at the hand of witches.

Act 4, Scenes 1-2

The root of all images of strangeness in Macbeth comes from the witches, or Weird Women. Scene one of act four opens with the witches stirring and circling a cauldron, throwing nasty, vile ingredients within, creating a concoction that will aid them in their next three-part prophesy to be delivered to Macbeth. The witches also chant mystical rhymes and evil rhythms. Macbeth come forward to seek out the witches prophesy, and more apparitions appear to him, at the witches bidding. The first apparition appears to Macbeth as a head in armor. It tells Macbeth to beware the thane of Fife-Macduff. The second apparition appears as a newborn baby. It tells Macbeth that none born of women will harm Macbeth. The third apparition appears as a child wit ha crown on its head and a tree in his hand. It tells Macbeth that he shall never be defeated until “great Burnam Wood shall come against him at Dunsinane Hill.” Macbeth is a play that is defined by the affect of the supernatural upon the characters. Strangeness is an image in Macbeth that is not always alluded to in simile or some other literary device. It is spoken about and refered to through actions of characters, and actual happenings in the play. For this reason, it is more important to the theme and plot than sleep, disease, planting, clothing, or any of the other images.

Act 3 Scenes 4-6

Scenes four through six of act four are full of imagery of strangeness. On page 138, after Macbeth sees the apparition of Banquo, he relays his fear of the strangeness that came before him. "The time has been, that, when the brains were out, the man would die, and there an end: but now they rise again, with twenty mortal murders on the crowns, and push us from our stools. This is more strange than such a murder is." Macbeth ordered a murder of Banquo, who was subsequently killed with twenty mortal wounds to his head. Banquo's ghost, risen from the dead, comes back to haunt Macbeth, and Macbeth states that such an occurance is stranger than death. The strange imagry of this passage is added to when Macbeth apologizes to his guests, saying that he is afflicted by a strange illness. The ghost continues to come back as he entertains his guests. On page 144, after Macbeth has returned to his bedchamber, he discusses Banquo's ghost with Lady Macbeth.

Macbeth: All causes shall give way, stepped in so far that, should I wade no more, returning were as tedious as go o'er: strange things I have in my head that will go to hand, which must be acted ere they may be scanned.
Lady Macbeth: You lack the season of all natures, sleep (nature/harvest/planting?)
Macbeth: Come, we'll to sleep. My strange and self-abuse is the initiate fear that wants hard use: we are yet but young at deed.

Act 1 Scenes 4-7

In scene four on page 44, Malcolm speaks of the traitor Macdonwald, "nothing in his life became him like the leaving of it. He died as one that had been studied in his death, to throw away the dearest thing he owed as 'twere a careless trifle." My this Malcolm means that Macdonwald's life meant nothing and the only importance that came out of his existence was his death. He knew that he would die and how he would die. This quote serves to mirror the image of disease and death. On page 46, Duncan says to Banquo, "Welcome hither: I have begun to plant thee, and will labour to make thee full of growing..." Banquo replies, "There if I grow, the harvest is your own." Duncan means that he is expressing goodwill towards Banquo and hopes that Banquo will benefit from it. Banquo's response means that Banquo hopes that any benefit of their relationship will be that of the King. There are many additional examples of disease and distruction. In scene 6, Macbeth says, “…which being taught return to plague th’inventor; this even handed justice comments th’ingredience of our poisoned chalice…” He speaks that fair justice will result in Macbeth dieing because of the foul deeds eh has wrought.

Act One Scenes 1-3

In Act One Scenes 1-3, there is an overwhelming amount of injury and disease because of the recent battle against the traitor MacDonwald. On page 26, the Seargent speaks of Macbeth: "Disdaining fortune, with his brandished steel, Which smoked with bloody execution." This is a graphic image of the gore and chaos of medieval warfare. It speaks of the injuries that the brandished steel (sword, axe, etc.) inflicted upon Macbeth's enemies. The Seargent continues to make allusions to injury and illness on page 28, where he says, "But I am faint, my gashes cry for help." This allows us to see the damage that is also inflicted on the side of the Scots. The imagry presented about illness and suffering in the first scenes of the first act let us know that the battle that took place is a very large and important aspect of the play, and that it will stage much of the book.

Chap 27-35

Eli Pardue
9/17/08
Brit Lit
Mrs. Pfan

Rob's acceptance of who and where he is in life was brought about by his 'new' relationship with Laura. Because they got back together, hew as able to see what his personal problems and insecurities were, why they attracted people, but also why they drove them away. He was able to speak with Laura (in a civilized manner) about the reasons she left him, why they had grown distant, and why she was attracted to him in the first place. Previous to his reconciliation with Laura, he was only left with his skewed views of himself and those around him. For example, he used to believe that people were to be judged by the things they do, the music they listen to, and the films they watch. The only way he would ever see someone past their outward image was if it was compatible with his outward image. When Laura took him to see her friends, he found that, he was trapped in a situation where he knew nothing about her friends, except who they presented themselves to be, sans outward image. When he looked at their record collection, he was appalled. Yet he realized that he liked these people before he knew anything about their possessions. From this encounter, Rob realized that it was not about what they owned, but who they were. I have no reason to think that Rob's changes are fake. Rob achieved peace because he realized the errors of his bigoted mindset.
I have mixed feelings about the end of the book. It was nice to see Rob find himself at the end of High Fidelity, but the book ended without gusto. It ended with a question mark. Rob is back together with Laura, but we cannot see the future of his relationship with her, which may be the defining factor of whether or not the new Rob sticks. We do not know what will happen with Rob's job at Championship Vinyl. There we simply too many loose ends.

Chap 22-26

Eli Pardue
9/11/08
Brit Lit
Mrs. Pfan

Rob's fear of death seems to have a very profound affect of his infidelity and inability to maintain meaningful relationships with friends and loved ones. He fears loss and change, which, to Rob, is best manifested in death. Death means the absolute physical loss of someone. There is not way to find another person who can perfectly replace the person who died. Because Rob realizes this truth about death, he subconsciously distances himself from everyone in his life. He is not close to his parents, he sabotages his romantic relationships, and he never talks to his friends. I do not think that a fear of death should ever warrant one not living their life to the fullest (cliche attack!). I blame Rob's fear of death for his self-pity, loathing, and his conceited, selfish behavior. In my opinion, it is just another excuse for him to use to cover up his own flaws that he does not have the courage to confront.

Chap 14-21

Eli Pardue
9/9/08
Brit Lit
Mrs. Pfan

When Rob goes back to speak with all of his ex-girlfriends, he is trying to reconcile with them to feel better about his split with Laura. All of his relationships were left in turmoil (at least for him) and he felt that the only way for him to progress past his self-loathing would be to fix the issues he had with his past. In most cases, Rob does not find the answers he is looking for. He starts with Alison, and is promptly informed that he was never in fact her boyfriend at all. She had gone off to Australia and married her first boyfriend. This was not what Rob expected, and he did not reconcile with Alison because she had never considered him a boyfriend in the first place. Next was Penny. Rob took the path of the self-righteous bastard, and put everything wrong with the end of their relationship on her. She took that blame, and turned it around on Rob, telling him that he was the one who packed her in because of his own shallowness, and ended the conversation with a strong handed "fuck you." Women: 2, Rob: 0. After Penny was Jackie, who was happily, monogamously married to Phil, whom she left Rob for. They eat a nice dinner, during which Rob and Penny school Rob in the subject of love. At the end of the night, Rob makes a comment about being a cynic and a romantic, and how marriage and its endless repetitiveness is as welcome to him as garlic is to a vampire. He is disgusted by the way they live, and is consequently glad he did not end up with Jackie. Sarah and Rob are a little more successful. They have a nice time, talk about films and music, and agree that they will do it again soon. More importantly, Sarah admits to Rob that she should never have left him for the other guy who dumped her because he was getting married. This was the kind of 'compliment' that Rob was looking for; something to boost his self confidence by making him feel better than other men. and therefore desirable. Rob: 2, Women: 2. The last one was Charlie. Charlie told Rob that she hated these post-relationship conversations, and so invited him over for a dinner party. Rob found himself extremely out of place. He made one comment all night and remained silent the rest of the time, all the while feeling intimidated and embarrassed by everyone else's attire, conversation, and dimeanor. He left feeling as if he had not grown up with everyone else, which he was (typically) self-righteous about, explaining that he would never want to live like they did. But even so, he was left feeling insignificant because of the way the world around him progressed, and because of the way he felt as if it had left him behind.

Final score
Rob: 2
Women: 3

Top 5 ways to break up with someone

1. End it without saying why.
2. Use a cliche line to cover up for the real reason (i.e. "I'm just not sure what I want right now")
3. Text/Facebook message
4. Leave after she had your child, and become a deadbeat
5. ???

Chap 7-13

Eli Pardue
Brit Lit
Ms. Pfanschmidt

In these chapters, Rob's view of his relationship with Laura is very strained. This is shown in many examples during Rob's relationship with her. He gives us a top four list of terrible things he did when they were together. He slept with another woman while Laura was pregnant, his affair led to her termination of the pregnancy, he borrowed a lot of money rfom her and never paid her back, and he told her that he was unhappy in the relationship and was sort of looking for someone else. He goes on to explain that many of these things were somewhat justified, but they go to show that his relationship was not secure. Laura was making a large sum of money working as a corporate lawyer, while Rob had just lost his job as a DJ, and was struggling with the record store. Laura wanted to help him out by lending him the money. She tricked him into eelling her that he was looking for someone else by ensuring him that it was natural to do so, and that she might be looking for someone new as well. Rob relationship with Marie is different, however. Marie admitted to Rob that she simply needed to be wit hsomeone because of her lonliness. After they slept together, their companionship was as strained as Rob's relationship with Laura. This is party because Rob decided he did not particularly like American women, but also because Marie knows that he still ahs feelings for Laura, and Rob lets it get in the way of his relationship with Marie.

Top 5 Books That Have Been Made Into Movies

1. Lord of the Rings (all)
2. The Godfather
3. Goodfellas
4. High Fidelity
5. Forest Gump

Class blog 8/28

Eli Pardue
8/28/08
Brit Lit
Ms. Pfanschmidt

He is tall and thin, with trusting blue eyes and flat, shoulder length blonde hair. He dresses unprofessionally. Ripped blue jeans and a black flannel shirt. He is leaving her because he is restless, which has strained their relationship from the beginning. He cannot stay in one place with one life with many commitments, it stifles his roaming spirit. He has threatened to leave before, and now that he is, she is hysterical. She is glad he is leaving, it is a burden off of her chest, yet at the same time, she knows not what to do without him. Although he is bound to ramble, something about having a home (to him, a home is stability) comforts him. This is why he wants the child. It gives him a connection to the life he loves, yet cannot live in. In their passion, the child becomes the manifestation of their love. Neither can do without the love, and so they scramble for the child. For a moment, the fragile nature of a newborn is forgotten, replaced with a desparation to hold on to something neither wants to leave behind. For a moment, the child embodies their love, and in the final second the love becomes too strained, and snaps. They each now hold half of what used to be, their love, and their child. Both are gone forever.

High Fidelity Chap. 1-6

Eli Pardue
8/25/08
Brit Lit
Mrs. Pfanschmidt

My initial impression of Rob was surprisingly familiar, because Rob reminds me of myself in many ways. His condescending obsession with music (there is only one good taste in music: his), his frustration with relationships, and his slacker demeanor evoke images of myself.
His obsession with music and pop culture is Rob's most interesting quality. I feel as if Rob's obsession with music is a dieing down part of who he used to be during the time of his numerous splits. With his relationship problems, music was the only part of his life that remained constant. And for that reason, he defended his opinion of music and culture fervently. As he has aged, however, he is just as fervent in his passion for music, but is not as hostile towards others who's tastes differ from his. I believe this shows that Rob has become slowly resigned to the fact that he will not find someone permanent in his life. His top ten lists serve the same purpose as his obsessio nwith music. They keep things in his life attached to him in a way that many other things, such as relationships, are not. By keeping the things around him structured in lists, he attempts to keep his life structured around them.
I think Rob continual breakups tell us that he is exactly what he thinks himself to be: particularly mediocre. Rob figures that his only particularty good quality is his taste in music. Women are content with Rob, but know that they could do better. Rob realizes this as well, and struggles with accepting it in the first few chapters.
I certainly sympathize with Rob. His disgust with the formalities and stuggles of relationships and medicrity are feelings that all young men can sympathize with in some way. I like Rob because of his simplicity, his honesty, and the fact that I can easily relate to him.

Hornby's How to Read Books

Eli Pardue
8/18/08
Brit Lit
Mrs. Pfanschmidt

Nick Hornby has a philosophy on reading much akin to my own. He believes that reading should be a recreational activity in the same way that television is. When you watch television, if you do not like the program you arre watching, you change the channel. A paradox that Hornby notices is that many people force themselves to read large, critically acclaimed books that they absolutlely despise. Because of this, people have begun to identify reading as a menial, boring, mentally exhausting (rather than stimulating) activity. At the same time, people are frightened to read books that are ridiculed for being low on the intelectual scale (Hornby references The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown). In responce to this observation, Hornby makes the point that it does not matter what you read, just that you do read. Reading at any intellectual level provides more of the intellectual stimulation quickly dwindling from our society. So, Nick Hornby suggests a wildly abstract idea to help people enjoy reading: pick books you know you will like. Personally, I pick books that are fantastical and exciting because i like being deposited in another realme when I read. I would not enjoy reading a 20th century politician's biography, and so I choose not to. Hornby argues that reading is entertaining, people just need to remeber how to make it so.

Joe's Aim

Eli Pardue
5/12/08
AP Lang Comp
LaMags

At the end of the book, Joe realizes that he is the ultimate representation of what happens in war. He realizes that all others who go to war in some way will be able to relate to his experience as a cripple, whether it be mentally of physically. Along these lines, Joe realizes that although he wishes to relate his message of the horrors of war, he will be unable to leave the hospital. Beyond that, he is unable to use an effective means of communication through which to transmit his message. He points the gun at those who unjustly send men to war. Men who, Joe knows, will become mangles like himself, or perhaps, for better or worse, dead. Democracy is supposedly the cause to defend through fighting, but the leaders are not presenting the dead men with democracy. They are presenting them with a death sentence. Joe points the gun at those in charge so that he can give his message, even though he is ultimately unable to

My Thoughts about Joe's Desires

Eli Pardue
5/9/08
AP Lang Comp
LaMags

I agree with Joe's desire to communicate with others. Communication is the only way that human beings can relate to one another. Without communication, every human being would live in absolute solitude, much like Joe does. Humans would likely not exist if communication was absent because there would be no way to express the need and desire to mate and create offspring. Communication is literally the root of the human condition because without it humans may have never exited at all. In addition, a creature as intelligent as a human, who was previously able to communicate with others would be driven insane through a lack of communication. The person would wallow in their own thoughts and previous experience. Much like water, a mind needs consistent motion and flow in order to stay fresh. Similarly, a stagnant mind will fester and grow rank just like stagnant water. The desire to stay sane is what drives Joe to communicate. I do not, however, agree with Joe's desire to become a showcase for the horrors of war. I think that this would only further his frustration with communication because the message would not be presented exactly how he would want it to be, and his condition would be repeatedly misinterpreted, yet he would have no way of correcting those around him.

Joe's Desires

Eli Pardue
5/7/08
AP Lang Comp
LaMags

Joe's primary concerns are escaping the confines of his mind and serving as an example of the horrors and consequences of war. Joe is trapped inside his mind because he does not have any way of communicating with those around him-the nurses and doctors that care for him. his attempts to communicate-through Morse code-
are misinterpreted by the nurses and doctors. First, the night nurse thinks that he is merely sexually frustrated, and attempts to relieve him of that burden of sexual frustration. Joe does not know what to make of this...he cannot stop her from misinterpreting his desires like this. He is also upset that people would have such a pity for him. They either can't see or can't understand that he still has a consciousness because all they see (and therefor understand) him as is a husk, a shell of what used to be a man, and so they can't understand that his desires are beyond the primal urges of unintelligence. The next attempt to communicate is understood as a seizure, and the doctors try to sedate him. Joe also wants to become a permanent image and example of the horrors of war. The problem comes back to his inability to communicate his desire.

Joe's Injuries

Eli Pardue
5/6/08
AP Lang Comp
LaMags

Joe's injuries are extensive. They are present as a part of Joe as a character because they are the reason he is so segregated from the world around him. Joe is injured by a bomb blast, one that takes with it his limbs and face. He also has a gaping hole in his side, presumably from a bullet or shrapnel. However, his injuries go beyond the physical. His injuries are highlighted by the fact that he cannot speak, see, hear, or smell. The fact that he is missing four of his 5 primaries senses is the reason that Joe is trapped inside his own mind. For that reason, the injuries are very important to Jonny Got His Gun. They also matter because they begin to form the person that Joe (in his new, half live state). Joe is defined by his injuries. They are the cause of his anxiety and his initial fear of dieing. They are the reason Joe has continued revelations and flashbacks characterized by the stream of consciousness format of the book. The injuries are important to the book because they are what the book is essentially founded on.

Dr. Horn's Metaphor

Eli Pardue
4/22/08
AP Lang Comp
LaMags

It Takes a Family affected me as a person and conflicted with what I believe more than any other piece we have read so far. I deeply regret that Santorum has such a close-minded perspective on child rearing. He puts forth many statistics regarding single-parent households and households where the mother and father are unmarried compared to statistics from “healthy” households with a married mother and father. What Santorum fails to comprehend is that it is not necessarily the fact the parent is single that increases the child’s chance of becoming delinquent, or unsuccessful. It has much more to do with the parents skill in parenting. There is much more neglect and abuse in single parent families perhaps because the parent is not fit to be a parent (this is also perhaps why the marriage failed in the first place). How can I speak from such a perspective? Because I have lived in a single parent household for half of my life, and before that, I lived in not one, but two married households. I have plenty of personal experience with single parent households. I even know the differences of single parent households in two completely different parts of the country, and the differences between an upper/middle class single parent household and a lower class single parent household. Therefore, I very much resent Dr. Wade Horn’s metaphor comparing a single-parent household to a plane that doesn’t always reach its destination. I understand that there is some truth to it. I understand that because my household has at times been dysfunctional. However, I am not upper class. I do not have many of the luxuries that upper class single parents can provide to their children. And yet, my mother has placed me in a private, college preparatory high school and ensured my success. So, given my experience in single parent households, excuse me if I am reluctant to believe that a single-parent household is an inherently dangerous way to rear a child.

Vazquez's Arguement on Homophobia

Eli Pardue
4/24/08
AP Lang Comp
LaMags

Vazquez waits to disclose that Mickey and Brian are straight men because it adds strength to her argument that the men were straight, yet still felt the burn of homophobia. The fact that homophobia can be so intense as to rise above sexual orientation, and instead target those who act or appear stereotypically homosexual. It is horrible that gays alone would be subject to this kind of violence, and we feel that as we read the opening paragraphs. However, it is worse that heterosexual men are also subject to homophobic hate and discrimination based on their appearance and personality. It is worse because now there exists hate that transcends factual knowledge about ones sexual orientation, instead targeting based on assumption. The issue of antigay violence might become more interesting to the masses because of heterosexual victims. It is difficult to say, and more difficult to accept because one would think that the masses would have a basic understanding of human rights, instead of focusing on gay rights or black rights or immigrant rights. It is more than a little bit sick that attention is only grasped when one of the “normals” is subject to hate underserved not only to himself for being straight, but to anyone for any reason.

Imitation of "Girl"

Eli Pardue
4/22/08
AP Lang Comp
LaMags

Wake up at 6:45 every weekday; Go to school on time; don’t forget your lunch; get good grades; do your extracurriculars; excel at sports, because remember, you have to get into a good college if you want to be a doctor! Finish your homework; bring it to me when you are done, because you need to be good at science if you want to be a doctor! Come outside for a bit; work on the garden; prune the shrubs, weed the garden; remember the get the by the root; be sure that shovel is far enough away from your foot; you don’t want to loose a toe. Be home before eleven, or face the consequences!; school comes before friends; work does too. Be sure to do the yard work before you do the dishes or sweep the living room because its important for a boy to do the manly work before the traditional woman’s work because he needs to get a sense of what it is to be a man physically, although I would never tell you that.

Parental guidance differs quite a bit between sexes. Fathers tend to reinforce practical skills and duties, while mothers are more focused on personality and life style. Fathers are ‘manly’ with their sons. In other words, they try to make sure that they will have the qualities of men that they grew up with, and have the qualities of men that they have themselves. Mothers are the same way with daughters, but I do not wish to speak of their relationships, as I have not observed or experienced a mother-daughter relationship.

Man's Sensitivity and Manliness

Eli Pardue
4/15/08
AP Lang Comp
LaMags

I disagree with the assessment that manliness and sensitivity are incompatible. If being romantic towards women, and doing things like opening the door for the woman to display your strength define manliness, and sensitivity is defined by expressing your feelings towards women and treating them as exact equals, why can there not be a middle ground? Being sensitive to a woman’s feelings does not inherently prevent you from being polite and “manly.” And on the other hand, being manly does not inherently prevent you from sharing your feelings and caring for hers. There is such thing as a hybrid. Sensitivity is not being a bleeding heart that can’t hold a door open without an emotional breakdown. Sensitivity is about having genuine feelings that are not related to a man’s natural lust, and being comfortable with expressing them. Being manly is about treating a woman with respect and dignity, yet still recognizing that she is something to protect. This is where the natural instinct of territorial protection plays in. It goes all the way back to the time when man was more animalistic, and women were considered mates rather than partners. Women were protected because they were literally the cradles of life. The hybrid, however, is the man who can be both protective of women, and open to treating them as equals as well.

Eustace's Last American Manhood

Eli Pardue
4/14/08
AP Lang Comp
LaMags

Why does Gilbert believe Eustace is the Last American Man?

Gilbert believes that Eustace is the Last American Man because he represents the last person to utilize the ideals and customs of the frontier era in order to find his manhood. The idea of boys leaving society and striking out on their own in the world is an ideal that was created out of personal manifest destiny, and is inherently a very American idea. In the early years of our nation, westward expansion to create a nation that spanned the whole continent was viewed as the destiny of the nation. This was done by the venturing forth of boys to create their own homesteads in the west once they reached the age where they could provide for themselves. By providing for themselves, the boys of the frontier built their own homes, hunted for their own food, and achieved self-sufficiency. Achieving self-sufficiency granted them their manhood. Eustace is perhaps the last American man able to provide himself with all the things he needs to live. However, Eustace is not the last man to have been born into this sort of custom. That man has not lived for many, many years. Eustace came across the custom of self-sufficiency and manifest destiny through the conditions of his upbringing. His interest in Native Americans, his mothers travels to Alaska, and his fathers constant tormenting all drove him into the forest, where he found refuge away from his home life. This fact separates him from being the last genuine frontiersman versus the last American man.

Paul Bunyan's Manliness

Eli Pardue
3/31/08
AP Lang Comp
LaMags

Paul Bunyan

Paul Bunyan is the quintessential folktale told to little boys. Why? Because Paul Bunyan represents everything that a little boy wants to be: big, strong, trouble causing, nice, and big-eating. Paul Bunyan was brought to his parents by five cranes because he was so big. He needed to be fed ten barrels of porridge every two hours so that his rumbles of hunger didn't shake the house down. When he rolled around during his nap one day, he cleared 4 square miles of timber. When his parents got fed up, they sent him off the Maine coast, where he fell out of his cradle and created a tidal wave seventy five feet high. when he didn't wake up, the British navy had to fire their cannons for seven hours straight to wake him up. And that was just the story of his birth. Later on, Paul befriends a giant blue ox. and Ox, one of the biggest mammals in North America, that just happens to be blue, the stereotypical favorite color of little boys.
So we have established that Paul Bunyan is a tale targeted at little boys for several reasons. But what does he represent about males? Paul Bunyan is represents everything a man was supposed to be in the colonial era, minus his enormous size. He was a hardworking lumberman and a loyal companion. He was soft spoken, kind, and caring. And he was prine to making little mistakes (shown in his accidental creation of the Grand Canyon by dragging his pick along the ground), which is a theme that has transcended time. Overall Paul Bunyan represents males as what "every little boy" wants to grow up to be. In other words, he was created to be a role model of what men are supposed to be.

Emerson's "Nature"

Eli Pardue
3/26/08
AP Lang Comp
LaMags

Emerson’s “Nature”

In Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “Nature,” Emerson presents many ideas and beliefs of man’s role in the natural world. He obviously writes this piece as an ode to nature, but makes man a much more invasive aspect of nature, saying how nature “deifies us” so that we might shape it to our needs. He also writes about man being an integral part of nature.
“The shows of day, the dewy morning, the rainbow, mountains, orchards in blossom, stars, moonlight, shadows in still water, and the like, if too eagerly hunted, become shows merely, and mock us with their unreality. Go out of the house to see the moon, and 't is mere tinsel; it will not please as when its light shines upon your necessary journey. The beauty that shimmers in the yellow afternoons of October, who ever could clutch it? Go forth to find it, and it is gone: 't is only a mirage as you look from the windows of diligence.” In this lengthy passage, Emerson speaks of nature’s beauty. He is presenting the idea that if one goes out to search for nature’s beauty, be it the rainbow, orchards in blossom, the moon, or the stars, one will not find it because it cannot be found if directly searched for. In order for one to really appreciate nature’s beauty, one must be working in harmony with nature. When speaking of the moon, Emerson says, “it will not please as when its light shines upon your necessary journey.” This means that the moon’s light will be more appreciated and therefore more beautiful when its light is a necessity to light your way.
I think that this passage holds a lot of truth, but I think that it also contradicts his previous statements. Seeing nature through the “windows of diligence” is possible if one is a solitary man like Emerson, or Thoreau, because they have chosen that path. But it is not possible if one has been deified by nature, because one would then go about altering nature to his own needs, such as paving the land with railroad tracks. Such actions do not help people appreciate the beauty of nature, because if they did, the people would not cover that beauty with tracks. I do agree with Emerson, however, that flowers are more appreciated when planted and cared for, and that the light of the moon and the stars is more appreciated when it lights your path.

The World Through Art

Eli Pardue
3/19/08
AP Lang Comp
LaMags

I was very excited when I learned that our next blog would be the explanation of art and how it speaks to us. I am a fan of art in general, and i have definite preference for certain pieces that speak to me personally about something that either I have experienced or that i know about. For this reason, I chose The Olive Trees by Vincent Van Gogh. The picture shows an orchard of olive trees, presumably in the south of France. Not only do I love this painting, But I can take a great deal out of the way that Van Gogh distorts the image in order to show that all things are shaped by their environments and their creators. The creator, in this case, is Van Gogh himself, who was mentally unstable when he made this painting. The environment would be the mountains, whose rocky terrain warps and distorts the branches and trunks of the trees. The same applies to humans. Who we are is in part determined by the environment in which we lived in. Also, the image is distorted to show that art is not reliant upon an exact photograph image, but can be more expressive than an exact picture. This is also true for life in general. The relation is cliche-that not everything is necessarily the way it seems-but nonetheless true.

Being that this is a blog in which we are relating and explaining art, I woule like to choose a different artist to speak of as a side note. Tonight, I was fortunate enough to see Bruce Springsteen play at the Fieldhouse. It was truly a fantastic display of musical talent from the E-Street Band, but what i wish too linger on is the way the Bruce and the Band epitomize the essence of American music. the guitar is greatly influenced by the Blues, the saxophone and certain piano bits are taken directly from Jazz, the lyrics relate to the bohemian style of Bob Dylan and other poets from that era, and the lyrics and vocals derive from classic Rock'n'Roll.
The only way i could explain how this relates to life is if i focused on one song. But I merely wanted to comment on the way that Bruce has transcended the role of performer, and gone above the music, and is now literally an American working man's hero and a part of America culture as a whole.

Richard's realization

Eli Pardue
3/18/08
AP Lang Comp
LaMags

At the end of part two of Black Boy, Richard realizes that the best-if not only-way for him to truly connect with people is through his writing. We can see this in Richard's relationship with the Communist party. He is, in fact, a writer for the party, publishing poems and short stories idealizing the Communist philosophies in creatively immature but straightforward ways. His entire purpose behind being a writer for the party is to connect with the masses. He does go into depth about he public response from his writings, but he realizes that he had no true connection with the communist party because they oppressed intellectuals and the expansion of the mind-even though they consistently spoke about educating the masses. He realizes that even though he had no true connection to the party, he still felt as if he could connect with individuals through his writing.

The only way that Richard can continue to educate himself and expand his own mind is through his writing. The only way that he can find the answers for unnecessary suffering and his hunger for a new, better way of life is through his writing. I think that Richard made the best choice in deciding to bring words out of his emotions and continuing to write. Even though we know he does not turn into a wildly successful author, he would not have been able to live with those questions unanswered.

artists and politicians

Eli Pardue
3/17/08
AP Lang. Comp.
LaMags

In certain examples, artists and politicians can be at the completely different poles. The most striking example is that of the Communist party. the Communist artists are all about analyzing the quality of life of the people they are trying to help and figuring out what the party can do to further educate and improve the lives of these people. They approach educating and improving the people through their art. Politicians of the Communist party, on the other hand, influence people on reforming societal values to be more in accordance with their beliefs. They do not focus on analyzing life structure for the best interest of the people. The Communist politicians are more likely to throw you out of the party if you so much has speak the fact that there are other plausible forms of government. Politicians and artists are on completely different poles on how to sway the masses. However, a distinction must be made in that they are usually striving towards the same goal.

Richard's use of parenthesis

Eli Pardue
3/11/08
AP Lang Comp
LaMags

In part two of Black Boy, Richard Wright uses parentheses as a rhetorical device. However, he does not use parenthesis in the conventional sense. Usually, parenthesis are used to explain minor details in a sentence or paragraph to provide further reasoning or explanation for something in the story. Richard creates multiple parenthetical paragraphs. He does not explain trivial bits of information, he provides insight to his mindset and observations he made about life in Chicago. In the paragraphed portions, he speaks of the struggle he and all blacks have in the North and the South, and his struggle in finding a reason for them. He speaks of waitresses in Chicago who he works with and how he pities them. He pities them because all they have to think about or worry about are trivial things like sex life, parents, and other skin-deep problems. They never have the opportunity to enlarge their mental capacities with issues that matter, and for that reason they will never comprehend Richard.

Richard's good decision

Eli Pardue
3/7/08
AP Lang Comp
LaMags

Richard made a great decision at the end of part one in moving farther north to Chicago. His life in Memphis was much, much better than it was in Jackson, but it did not fulfill his hunger. He had that constant hunger to make his life unrestrained by the standards of society (specifically racism), also the hunger to find the answer to unnecessary suffering, something that was prominent in the racist south. In leaving his job in Memphis, Richard lied to his boss. He told him that he had to leave because his family was leaving. Richard lied because he was afraid of being in danger if he told his boss (a white man) that he was leaving the south to better himself. Richard might have told the truth because there was not as much racism in Memphis, and his boss was fair and kind.

Richard stealing

Eli Pardue
3/7/08
AP Lang Comp
LaMags

Explain Wright's moral dilemma in stealing. Is he justified in his decision?

When Richard contemplates stealing, he feels that if he steals, he will only reinforce the stereotype that had been placed upon blacks by the whites. He would only acknowledge the subservience that he so hates so much. By playing into exactly what they expect him to do, he justifies all of their suspicions of black worker boys stealing. More than that, he falls into the system that he has tried to escape for his entire socially conscious life. When he finally makes the decision to steal, he feels guilty, and promises only to steal until he has enough money to leave the south and head north.
Richard is both justified and not justified in making his decision to steal. He figures that at his current wages, minus the cost of living, it would take him two years to save up enough money to move north. With the scam that he took part in at the movie theatre, he made that money in less than a month. However, Richard also reinforces that black stereotype and creates more grounds for prejudice in the south. Despite this fact, Richard did the only thing he could do to further his social status and improve his quality of life.

Go to school

Eli Pardue
2/20/08
AP Lang Comp
LaMags

To what extent do you agree that we don’t really need to go to school?

I do not at all agree with Gatto. I think that school is on of the most important parts of a child’s social, mental, and physical development. Gatto explains his view through frustration at the school system he worked in. This is not how all school systems work. It is certainly not how University High School works. He does not like the school systems because he believes that they are too government controlled and reliant. I think that this is a valid point, but he does not suggest a way to make the system better.
Schools expose children to other children, which forms social habits that are an absolute necessity in everyday interaction with others. Without social interaction that all children are exposed to in school, everyone may as will portray symptoms of autism due to lack of social development. I think that the education that is provided is also invaluable. Teachers are necessary to fill the minds of the students with information that is relevant to the topic at hand.
Without schools, I think that our society would lose almost all of its organization. Children would not have been exposed to a rigid schedule, and they would not be used to one in the workplace. And in the future, if nobody had any exposure to how work is supposed to be done, how will the work place operate? Society would fall into anarchy without school.

living in the south

Eli Pardue
3/4/07
AP Lang Comp
LaMags

What does Griggs mean by ‘learn how to live in the south’?

Throughout his childhood, Richard established a mindset that he would not let others tell him what was right or wrong, and he would not let others boss him around or treat him unfairly based on his race. This is clearly portrayed by his hostility towards getting punished by his mother, grandmother, Aunt Addie, and Uncle Tom. Also, and more pertaining to the particular question, it is shown in Richard’s naivety towards the social status of white people when he was young.
When Griggs says that Richards needs to “learn how to live in the South,” he means that Richard needs to through out all of the moral and ethical rules that he has set up in his own head and play along with the demands of society. In other words, he needs to recognize that, in the South, white people are superior to blacks, and he needs to act accordingly. Richard’s contempt at the ludicrous societal standards of his childhood explains why he was unable to hold a job over the summer.
The last part of learning how to live in the South is shown at the end of the chapter. Through Griggs, Richard obtains a job with a Yankee stenographer, Mr. Crane. Richard was treated fairly by the Northern man, and he also acted “appropriately” as a black man working for white men. However, Richard was still subjected to the cruelty and hate of the southern white man by one of the men who worked for Crane. Richard did not give him a formal title when addressing him once, and was punished by being scared out of his job. The last par of learning how to live in the south is taking the white man’s hate in stride.

speech

Eli Pardue
3/3/08
AP Lang Comp
LaMags

Is Wright justified in refusing to say the speech?

I think that Richard is indeed justified in refusing to give the speech written for him, but I also think that he was foolish for not reciting it. The principle wrote the speech for Richard not just because he wanted Richard to look intelligent as the class valedictorian, but also because he wanted his school to look professional in the eyes of the superintendent. However, it does not make sense to me why he asked Richard to write a speech of his own if he did not plan on letting his recite it. I think that the only reason the principle would ask him to write his own is to prevent him from feeling like a tool for the principle from the get go. This way, he was able to retain some dignity before throwing it to the dogs. I think Richard was right in essentially telling the principle “screw you” because it is his right to speak his own words at his graduation because he is celebrating his own academic accomplishments, not the accomplishments of the principle. It was also foolish to refuse the speech written for him because it put his future in jeopardy. He had the sensible option of working as a schoolteacher on wages that he could use to support a family. Instead he threw that opportunity away because of pride.

gratified in writing

Eli Pardue
2/27/08
AP Lang Comp
LaMags

Why does Wright feel gratified after sharing his writing?

Richard was forced to pray and pray every day for an hour. Granny and Aunt Addie constantly berated him on the state of his soul. They said that God would look poorly on them if they had a non-believer in the house. Richard did not care for church. He had never felt God before, and was convinced that he never would feel God. Richard problem with believing is summed up in his quote, “If laying down my life could stop the suffering in the world, I’d do it. But I don’t believe anything can stop it.” Richard felt compelled to write a hymn of his own in hope that it would be good enough for Granny to stop tailing him on the subject of his soul, and forgive him for his misdoings. He was not adept at writing verses and hymns, he soon learned. Richard had an Indian girl from a book on his mind, and wrote of her. He felt gratified in his writing because it was the first thing that he had created that was completely his, and more than that, and extension of himself and his emotions. He had the young woman next door read it. She did not understand the depth of his writing and looked at him with a confused and amused face. Richard felt gratified because she could not fully comprehend the emotion and felling that he had put into his writing.

cultural heritage

Eli Pardue
2/25/08
AP Lang Comp
LaMags

Wright says it was his ‘cultural heritage’ to dislike Jews. Relate that to his own experiences.

Richard had a predisposed cultural hatred towards Jews that was ingrained in his cultural philosophy by society. He has a hatred for them because all the students were taught in school that Jews were Christ killers. This singled the Jews in his neighborhood out, making them easy targets for ridicule. It is also worth noting that this time period is when the stereotypes of Jews being rich and wealthy began to come forth. Jews were mainly immigrants from Eastern and Southern Europe, and, as immigrants are “supposed” to do, they worked very hard to get ahead, and oftentimes became prominent lawyers and bankers. I think this fact may have been a reason for Richard resentment of them.
Richard had felt much of the same hatred from white people that the Jews felt from the black residents of the neighborhood. Much as it was the cultural heritage of Richard to ridicule the Jews, it was the cultural heritage of the white people to ridicule Richard. All the way back to the root of slavery, an animosity between blacks and whites had existed. There is also a distinct relation to the way Richard is treated by his parents and the way he treats Jews. His was of treating Jews was with mocking and taunting, but it is the same way that he looks down upon them as his mother looks down upon him when he is being beaten.

Uncle Tom

Eli Pardue
3/2/08
AP Lang Comp
LaMags

Why is Wright so angry with his Uncle Tom?

Richard’s anger with Uncle Tom is provoked by Uncle Tom’s anger with Richard. He said that Richard was being insolent, how I did not understand, but he proceeded to threaten Richard with a terrible beating. Richard was dumbfounded by his Uncle’s reaction to something as simple as telling him the time. He did not believe that his Uncle would really beat him, just threaten to do so. Thinking logically, Richard could not believe that his uncle would be so insulted by his simple answer, but was set that he would not let his uncle beat him. He concluded this on the grounds that his Uncle was not at all his guardian, he did not live with his uncle, he had only known his uncle for a few days, and his uncle had never had any say in his rearing. He was a contributing member of the household, paying some of his earnings to his grandmother, and he had dome absolutely nothing to merit that kind of behavior from his uncle. Richard was upset with his uncle because his uncle had no authority to beat him. In addition, after Tom had given up on Richard, he symbolized the way his white employers looked down at him as someone deserving of pity and contempt. This is why Richard continued to berate his uncle as nothing more than one who makes chairs for white people to sit on.

Ella's paralysis

Eli Pardue
2/27/08
AP Lang Comp
LaMags

Explain Wright’s response to his mother’s paralysis

Wright is very upset by his mother’s paralysis. He does not cry or show grief, but he is very troubled. He cares for his mother very much and worries about her; we can see that because Richard chooses to go with the uncle that lives closest to his mother. However, he ends up returning to his mother anyways. He learns that the bed he sleeps in had a child die in it. I think this unnerves Richard because he constantly sees his mother in a state close to death (or reminiscent of death) while resting in a bed. He leaves to go back to his mother to make sure she will not end up as the former occupant of his bed.
Richard also resents his mother’s illness because it its unfair to him. He has to work when she is sick. He has to care for the house when she is sick. He sees everything that is bad in his world through his mother’s illness. In his ideal world, only those deserving would be ill, and his mother would not be burdened by the problems of childcare and money. His mother’s state of health makes Richard question all aspects of his life. He questions why he much live in poverty, why he must be discriminated against, why he must always be hungry, and why he must not receive a full education.

HUNGRY

Eli Pardue
2/25/08
AP Lang Comp
LaMags

Why is Richard really hungry?

The literal answer to the question is that Richard and his family, being poor, never had much to eat. Richard never ate the food that was offered to him, and so he was constantly hungry. Richard was hungry for things other than food. He was hungry for attention. He made that clear through burning the curtains (which escalated into a house fire) and killing the mewing kitten. We were shown that he did not receive the attention that he thought he deserved after the house fire, when he was beaten and punished for his antics.
He was also hungry to get back at his father, whom he hated. His father ordered him to kill at kitten that was keeping him up at night, and instead of shitting the cat up, as his father certainly was hoping for, Richard took the literal translation and hung the cat from a tree. He did this to get back at his father, for his father could not punish Richard for doing something that he technically ordered him to do because it would compromise his position of authority. When Richard refused to eat the food that was offered him, I think that it was because he was hungry to show his parents that he was independent of them, specifically his father. At the orphanage, and at other places, Richard still refused to eat as an after affect of his feelings toward his father.

"nonacademic" education

Eli Pardue
2/20/08
AP Lang Comp
LaMags


I greatly value the nonacademic education that I receive. The early educational reformers in the mid 19th century strove to bring nonacademic education into schools because children were not receiving the moral and ethical education they would receive on a farm or through homeschooling because the population was becoming more and more urbanized. Traditional education was all about memorization and strict disciplinarian rule (like a ruler, haha get it? slapping you on the wrist?). This new, "progressive" education was about much of what our University High School is about today. They sought to teach children what it meant to be a respected member of a community and a society. The purpose of University's Core Values is to instill nonacademic education into its students because a school is the best place to learn. I greatly value the nonacademic education that I receive because without it, I would attend a school that pounds facts into children's heads (while calling it education) and slaps wrists (while calling it discipline). Also, by letting us express our individuality (i.e. multiple clubs, no uniforms, loosely set school rules), University shows more nonacademic qualities apart from the core values. It seems like I am doing nothing but glorify University High School, but I use University as an example not so much as to revere it, but because it is a perfect example of a school that uses a great deal of nonacademic education in its curriculum. I value my nonacademic education because i wasn't to be exposed to my peer's opinions and the world around me so that I am prepared for it when I leave University.

presentations 2

Eli Pardue
2/14/08
AP Lang Comp
LaMags

I liked how all of the presentations yesterday were very different, and people found rhetoric in different places. Finding rhetoric around the town I think would be more difficult than on the internet because the advertisements are much more subtle. We take them for granted because they are in our everyday life. On the other hand, Iesha's Axe body wash commercial could only be found on the internet because it was declared too racy to be put on national television. I also enjoyed seeing the comparisons of rhetoric between competing companies. There was the Gap Body versus Victoria's Secret comparison, the Costco versus farmer's market comparison I made, and a few others.
I think my favorite was the GapBody versus Victoria's Secret. It showed how Victoria's Secret played much more off of the lust and naughty attitude that all sexy women want to show. I think that also goes back to "Two Ways a Woman can get Hurt." It is a prime example of advertisements showing women hat they want to look appealing in a blatantly sexual manner. This kind of portrayal of women is an incentive for sexual assault. GapBody, on the other hand, advertised the white cotton panties "innocent" image to sell their product. I don't think that the advertisements were much better however, because it shows a cute young women looking shy and submissive. That is also a reason that sexual predators attack. However, the rhetorical appeal does indeed work when applying it to womwn who want to remain innocent, or to women who want to be seen as sexy.

Eli Pardue
AP Lang Comp

My favorite example of a rhetorical advertisement for the rhetoric on the town presentations was the one for West Clay. It love the way that they promote a close-knit neighborhood that is rather self-reliant. It is also interesting how they perceived that there would be a serious interest among the more affluent for a neighborhood that is so unique. It provides an alternative lifestyle when compared to the clockwork neighborhoods where all of the houses look similar (brick, concrete, wood, neutral tones). They adopt styles in the houses that are reminiscent of historical townhouses. Personally, I love those types of houses, but I cannot think of any other building project that exploits that kind of house and rebuilds them as new construction. Usually, one would move to an actual historic neighborhood to have that kind of historical experience, but West Clay attracts the affluent by providing top of the line, expensive homes that still take in that style. However, I disagree with Britteny. In her blog, she say that she can understand how people can be creeped out at the Stepford Wives setting that is West Clay. I think that West Clay is the opposite of Stepford Wives because of the huge variety of colors, houses, and the alternative living style that West Clay adopts. When I think of Stepford, I think of that clockwork place where all of the houses are majestic but exactly the same
(as well as the wives). The Carmel Mom stereotype is much more removed from West Clay than it is in other parts of West Clay

presentations

Eli Pardue
2/7/08
AP Lang Comp
LaMags

Today's Presentations

I found two of the presentations to be particularly affective. The first was by Derek's group. The commercial was affective because it appealed to actions that are common in a teenager's life. The commercial showed three students sitting in detention, bored. one student whips out a pack of Bubblicious gum, pops a piece, and appears to be having great fun blowing bubbles and dancing to the background music. she offers a piece to her friend, who takes it and start having just as much fun. The highlight selling point of the commercial was when the third student takes out a pack of Orbit, and throws it away. That established that Bubblicious not only makes you have fun, but it is better then the competition.
The other advertisement that I enjoyed was by Ethan's group. They advertised a caffeinated gum/ADD medicine. I liked the commercial because it showed an exact example of what the product can do for you. I already chew gum, and the product was an improvement of what I already enjoy, so why wouldn't iI want it. And besides, what high school student doesn't get bored in class? They effectively showed and stated why the product was a necessity fro all high school students.

store advertisments

Eli Pardue
2/4/08
AP Lang Comp
LaMags

Store Advertisements

In addition to using commercials, stores use floor advertisements to further advertise a product. Supermarkets such as Marsh and Kroger use three primary ways of advertising products on-floor products. They use displays, sample booths, and price markdowns.
A display is used to bring attention to a specific item by making a large, colorful, exciting setup. The idea is to convince the buyer that the product advertised is better than the alternatives. The alternatives may be other brand names such as Lays versus Ruffles. If sales are low on a product, a store will put out a floor display in attempt to boost sales for that product.
Sample booths have the same qualities as floor displays. The only difference is that there is a salesperson at the sample booth promoting the product. The samples are given out for free to let the consumer tell if they like the product or not. While sample booths are more effective than simple floor displays, they are not as popular because it takes additional manpower and money to pay for the used product.
Stores also create large advertisements that promote their products as cheaper or higher quality than their leading competitors. Oftentimes they tell the consumer to compare one of their store brand products to a major producer of the same type of product. The lower prices convince consumers to buy products even if they don’t really need them. They feed off of the impulse buy.

Wednesday's discussion

Eli Pardue
1/31/08
AP Lang. Comp.
LaMags

Blog 2/1/08

Wednesday in class we discussed the issue of women and sexuality in the media. While there were definitely two distinct sides in the argument, agreements were made about the way that violence and sex are used in different ways to exploit women as marketing strategies.
In commercial, capitalist society, a commercial’s purpose is to sell a product. Due to basic First Amendment rights, the press has the freedom to use whatever media it wants to sell a product. In recent years, feminine sexuality has been used to sell many products. Most recently, the use of this marketing strategy has expanded into areas that are dangerous for young viewers and our society as a whole.
Using sex appeal to sell a product is not wrong. But when the advertisement tells young audiences that being sexually explicit while using the product is all right, there is a problem. One such advertisement told young women to apply the perfume liberally so that he can smell you as you shake your head “no.” It is wrong because it promotes young girls to tease and act submissive, behavior that has been proven to increase the likelihood of sexual harassment and abuse.
Sexual violence is being used to appeal to men overseas. One such ad in Europe shows a man pointing a gun at a naked woman wrapped in plastic wrap with a bag covering her face. This strategy promotes the idea that the man will feel superior to women if he uses the product. This type of advertisement combined with promoting submissive, teasing behavior in young girls is reinforcing the idea that men really are superior to women.
The responsibility of someone who makes advertisements is to sell the product they have been given. Sex and violence happen to be the two most affective ways of selling a product. The problem does not necessarily come from the advertisement, but the way the subliminal messages the ads carry are becoming ingrained in society.

Two Ways a Woman can get Hurt

Eli Pardue
1/30/07
AP Lang. Comp.
LaMags

Two Ways a Woman can get Hurt

Jean Kilbourne argues that men and women in the media are misrepresented as sex symbols and tools. However, she argues that the advantage is taken over women much more than it is men.
Media advertising has for a long time chosen to appeal to either women or men specifically. In the latter part of the 1900's and into the current decade, specific appeal has begun to range into the overtly sexual. For products appealing to men, attractive half naked women are more often than not used to sell you the product. Even with preteen audiences, such as as an old Pepsi commercial that shows a group of young boys ogling Cindi Crawford as she displays a can of the refreshing drink, attractive women with sex appeal are used profusely.
The advertisements get worse. in the late nineties, MTV used an ad that just shows a women with exposed breast. just below her bosom is the word "bitch." In Europe, advertisements are used that actually show men attacking women, supposedly because she is wearing a specific pair of jeans. Other acts of violence toward women are used. They even get to the point where women look purposely submissive and sexually inviting. Such tactics are still used today, even going so far as to encourage young women to tease and act submissive.
Kilbourne argues that when these advertisements range into displaying violence towards women, that violence will soon become more socially acceptable. In addition, advertisements that encourage women and young girls to act in a submissive,teasing manner further promotes sexual harassment and violence when resisted. This is shown well in her argument through the use of many court cases and media stories as examples of abusive behavior. A three year old girl was accused of being sexually suggestive by a Canadian judge when sexually abused by her babysitter. he was let off without charges. Other like cases have received media attention, such as when a six-year old pageant queen was referred to as a preteen by the media regarding a sexual scandal. Other victim accounts of sexual harassment are increasingly usual in public schools. It is difficult for many gilrs to walk down the hallway without being sexually harasse, verbally and physically.
I personally agree with the assessment made by Kilbourne, but I think that she places much too much responsibility for these actions on the media, rather than the people who actually did them. She fails to seriously take into account male adolescence and how it is much more intense in certain people. Beyond male adolescence, the perpetrators know full well what they are doing and if asked will certainly know that abusing women is wrong. The fact that they do it anyways can be attributed to the media. Because of this, exploitation of both men and women in the media needs to be recognized.

rhetorical commercial

Eli Pardue
1/29/08
AP Lang. Comp.
1/29/08

Blog 1/29/08

During commercial breaks of the show American Gladiators on NBC, I saw many commercials that utilized many different rhetorical strategies. One that caught my eye was a commercial for a Toyota SUV.
The commercial shows a family in the countryside at night. It shows an elderly man, possibly a grandparent, and a young child looking together through a telescope. There was also a smiling mother. The commercial emanated feelings of security and peacefulness. It does this through the dark, quiet use of nature as a background, and the body language of the people. The peacefulness and security that the SUV apparently offer appeal to our sense of pathos because we want to have feelings of security and peace.
Running off of the nature theme, an overdubbed voice states that the best quality time spend with a family is not in front of the television. Combined with the nature theme, this statement declares that the SUV will bring families together (as shown with the grandparent and grandchild) with quality time that they may not have had earlier. This approach is especially effective because it is aired during a family television show. Assuming that it is a family watching the show, the commercial tells them that they will have better outdoor quality time with the SUV.
Lastly, at the end of the commercial, it shows the grandchild sleeping in the backseat. This shows that the SUV is comfortable. It may have been redundant to display the comfort of the SUV, but this also displays its convenience. It shoes that the SUV is diverse enough to go from the rough outback wilderness to a car as comfortable as a family minivan.

Eli Pardue
1/16/07
AP Lang Comp
LaMags

Student-Directed Play Review

Over all, I thought that all of the plays were very well done for two first time writer/directors, Henry Johnston and Elise Lockwood. The first short play was perhaps the most emotionally forceful and provocative. It displayed the (if brief) troubles and confusions in the life of a young woman with two fathers. The fore-stated setup is provocative enough, but it was made all the better with the outing of the main character as a lesbian. I was truly shocked and found it quite admirable that a sophomore in high school would have the audacity and bravery to write/direct such a play. I enjoyed the scene in which the romantic feelings that Tina Talercio’s character had for the main character came into view. Incorporating their relationship into “risk” helped portray that the relationship had more meaning to the two characters.

The second play, If Books Could Kill, was by far the most complex and difficult to comprehend. Honestly, the extent of my understanding of the concept the writer put forth is skin deep. To me, it was simply a play about a competition that a rude bookstore clerk forced a donator into in order to re-obtain her script. I assume with the very impressively long monologues that JP Mershon recited, there was more to it. It was nonetheless a great display of acting, especially by JP. I enjoyed it as I saw it, but have not retained any of the messages it conveyed.

The only piece written by Henry Johnston was excelent. I felt like one of the few in the audience who understood the “SHUT UP JIM” line (Homestead Manor). It was pure humor, and provided some much needed comic relief after the first two plays.

My favorite skit was the last. Acted by Daniel Hellman and Tony Minott, who played two alien scientists, it was about the most warped and hilarious rendition of the creation of Earth I have ever heard. The two scientists were working on an experiment-us. They had apparently created the Earth and were observing and controlling the environment the primitive inhabitants were living in. The creation of God (formerly Dog), Jesus (apparently an alien, silent librarian), Alexander the Great (alien military commander) and religion were all portrayed as last second ideas to prevent the two scientists from getting in trouble with their commander. Hilarious and utterly insulting to many.

I felt one thing that is my greatest criticism. It felt as if the intention of all of the plays was to irritate as many people as possible, rather than to entertain. The first one was entertaining and provocative but certain scenes were uncomfortable enough to the point of smothering the entertaining value. The last act was a playful attack on Christianity, which speaks enough for itself. I think that if more focus in the directing was put on the desire to entertain rather than to be provocative, the plays would have been a greater success.