The third Socratic
seminar question for The Picture of Dorian Gray
about beauty and ethics really stuck with me. In the story, Dorian is so
obsessed with his beauty and staying young forever that he never questions the
morality of his actions. This causes his change in appearance in Basil's
painting. The fact that Basil's painting is the main reason besides Henry for
Dorian's change in behavior shows the impact that art has on people and their
actions. One form of art in our society that impacts many people are magazines.
The models in magazines are almost always photo shopped to look absolutely
perfect. This is one reason that many people have poor confidence, because
these photo shopped models are portraying a false image that is too unrealistic
and impossible to achieve. I personally
think that Photoshop is used incorrectly. The main purpose for Photoshop is to
sharpen a photo if it blurry, adjust the lighting, etc. It shouldn’t be used
for making major alterations to the picture like changing a body shape,
changing a person's eye color, hair color, figure, etc. This makes the photo
fake and unrealistic which in turn gives people a false image to get
inspiration from. I have seen many of my friends become sad while looking at
photos in magazines and saying that they wished that they could look like a
certain model or celebrity.
Thursday, March 31, 2016
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
February Monthly Blog
Samantha Muscella
Ms. Burnett
AP English Monthly Blog
29 February 2016
Tariq and Rasheed
The marriages in the book, A Thousand Splendid Suns are complete opposites of each other. While Tariq seeks to support Laila and her beliefs, Rasheed seeks to control and dominate Laila. Rasheed asserts his dominance by beating Laila and Mariam repeatedly throughout the story. He does horrible things to both of his wives; he forces Mariam to chew pebbles, forces Laila to give Aziza to an orphanage, beats them when they return from running away, almost kills Laila, etc. Tariq is opposite of Rasheed; he never hits Laila, he supports everything she does and thinks, he is kind to the children, he tries to make Laila happy, and it is apparent that he cares about her very deeply. The relationship between Laila and Rasheed is one that isn't so uncommon in the US today. In one article it says, "On average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States. During one year, this equates to more than 10 million women and men. 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have been victims of [some form of] physical violence by an intimate partner within their lifetime.
1 in 5 women and 1 in 7 men have been victims of severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime." It's not just in the US, domestic violence is common throughout the world, "On a typical day, there are more than 20,000 phone calls placed to domestic violence hotlines nationwide." The fact that the statistics for domestic violence show that it is such a common thing in the United States scares me. It makes me worried that my friends, sister, or myself could go through an abusive relationship. Domestic violence hurts a person so much more, in the article I read it says, "Physical, mental, and sexual and reproductive health effects have been linked with intimate partner violence including adolescent pregnancy, unintended pregnancy in general, miscarriage," Being beaten causes physical and mental injuries to a person so the fact that it is such a common practice that isn't even questioned in some places is crazy. I understand why women or men in abusive relationships sometimes don't leave their partners; they feel that their partner will change, that they think the beatings are normal, they are financially dependent on the abusive partner, etc. I do think, however, that if the victim is able to leave, they should try to. I was online once and I read a story about a domestic violence case. This woman was beaten by her drunk boyfriend and called 911 for help, but to avoid being beaten further, she pretended to be ordering a pizza,
"I had a call that started out pretty dumb, but was actually pretty serious:
“911, where is you emergency?”
“123 Main St.”
“Ok, what’s going on there?”
“I’d like to order a pizza for delivery.” (oh great, another prank call).
“Ma’am, you’ve reached 911”
“Yeah, I know. Can I have a large with half pepperoni, half mushroom and peppers?”
“Ummm…. I’m sorry, you know you’ve called 911 right?”
“Yeah, do you know how long it will be?”
“Ok, Ma’am, is everything ok over there? do you have an emergency?”
“Yes, I do.”
“..And you can’t talk about it because there’s someone in the room with you?” (moment of realization)
“Yes, that’s correct. Do you know how long it will be?”
“I have an officer about a mile from your location. Are there any weapons in your house?”
“Nope.”
“Can you stay on the phone with me?”
“Nope. See you soon, thanks”
I think that this woman was very smart, because of how society is and the fact that abusive relationships are very common, I think that it is necessary to be educated in ways to avoid being stuck in these types of relationships, and to try and lower the statistics on domestic violence. I want to be able to live in a world where I don't have to be afraid about my family, friends, sister, or in the future my own children, getting into an abusive relationship.
Ms. Burnett
AP English Monthly Blog
29 February 2016
Tariq and Rasheed
The marriages in the book, A Thousand Splendid Suns are complete opposites of each other. While Tariq seeks to support Laila and her beliefs, Rasheed seeks to control and dominate Laila. Rasheed asserts his dominance by beating Laila and Mariam repeatedly throughout the story. He does horrible things to both of his wives; he forces Mariam to chew pebbles, forces Laila to give Aziza to an orphanage, beats them when they return from running away, almost kills Laila, etc. Tariq is opposite of Rasheed; he never hits Laila, he supports everything she does and thinks, he is kind to the children, he tries to make Laila happy, and it is apparent that he cares about her very deeply. The relationship between Laila and Rasheed is one that isn't so uncommon in the US today. In one article it says, "On average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States. During one year, this equates to more than 10 million women and men. 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have been victims of [some form of] physical violence by an intimate partner within their lifetime.
1 in 5 women and 1 in 7 men have been victims of severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime." It's not just in the US, domestic violence is common throughout the world, "On a typical day, there are more than 20,000 phone calls placed to domestic violence hotlines nationwide." The fact that the statistics for domestic violence show that it is such a common thing in the United States scares me. It makes me worried that my friends, sister, or myself could go through an abusive relationship. Domestic violence hurts a person so much more, in the article I read it says, "Physical, mental, and sexual and reproductive health effects have been linked with intimate partner violence including adolescent pregnancy, unintended pregnancy in general, miscarriage," Being beaten causes physical and mental injuries to a person so the fact that it is such a common practice that isn't even questioned in some places is crazy. I understand why women or men in abusive relationships sometimes don't leave their partners; they feel that their partner will change, that they think the beatings are normal, they are financially dependent on the abusive partner, etc. I do think, however, that if the victim is able to leave, they should try to. I was online once and I read a story about a domestic violence case. This woman was beaten by her drunk boyfriend and called 911 for help, but to avoid being beaten further, she pretended to be ordering a pizza,
"I had a call that started out pretty dumb, but was actually pretty serious:
“911, where is you emergency?”
“123 Main St.”
“Ok, what’s going on there?”
“I’d like to order a pizza for delivery.” (oh great, another prank call).
“Ma’am, you’ve reached 911”
“Yeah, I know. Can I have a large with half pepperoni, half mushroom and peppers?”
“Ummm…. I’m sorry, you know you’ve called 911 right?”
“Yeah, do you know how long it will be?”
“Ok, Ma’am, is everything ok over there? do you have an emergency?”
“Yes, I do.”
“..And you can’t talk about it because there’s someone in the room with you?” (moment of realization)
“Yes, that’s correct. Do you know how long it will be?”
“I have an officer about a mile from your location. Are there any weapons in your house?”
“Nope.”
“Can you stay on the phone with me?”
“Nope. See you soon, thanks”
I think that this woman was very smart, because of how society is and the fact that abusive relationships are very common, I think that it is necessary to be educated in ways to avoid being stuck in these types of relationships, and to try and lower the statistics on domestic violence. I want to be able to live in a world where I don't have to be afraid about my family, friends, sister, or in the future my own children, getting into an abusive relationship.
Monday, February 1, 2016
January Monthly Blog
Sam Muscella
Mrs. Burnett
AP English
27 January 2016
Monthly Blog
Throughout A Doll's House, the life of Nora and Torvald seems perfect from an outside view, but as a reader being able to get a glimpse of their inner lives, we know that their life is far from perfect. Torvald tries to make everything perfect. He likes to treat Nora like a doll by dressing her, controlling her, calling her pet names, etc. This is all an attempt to make himself seem like he has complete control of his household. Nora, on the other hand, tries with all her power to help Torvald, she forges her father's signature just so that she can afford a trip in an attempt to save Torvald's life. Everything she does for Torvald she does out of the goodness of her heart, but Torvald never thanks her. At the end of the play, he even says that she has done a horrible action and that it has ruined their lives, he isn't worried about her, just that they need to find a way to preserve the facade that is their life. In one article statistics show that, "One quarter of married people are no longer ‘in love’ with their partner, 15% wish they had married someone else altogether and three in10 have considered ending their marriage or spending time apart." By the end of the play, both sides seem to have fallen out of love, Nora also leaves Torvald. Since it is never revealed that Nora had any financial security after leaving Torvald, it makes her decision all the more noble, she left this unhappy relationship despite being a woman in the Victorian era. She had no way to know if her life would be stable or not after the split. The article also says, "Women were most likely to cite a fear of being unable to cope financially as their biggest reason for not separating, while men were most worried about the impact it would have on the family." This shows in Torvald, because despite the actions Nora took to help him, he was only concerned about how her actions would make them look, that her actions would tarnish their family's reputation. I really admire Nora for her actions and I feel bad for her. Torvald never said thank you to her, she risked everything just to make sure that he lived. She wanted to save his life even though he was a rude, and controlling jerk. I also admire her because despite the odds, she still left. She would be shunned in society because she left her husband, but that didn't change her opinion or actions. She had the courage to leave because she wanted to escape from Torvald's control, she wanted to control her own life, not have it decided for her.
*Sorry I couldn't post it last night my internet was down*
Mrs. Burnett
AP English
27 January 2016
Monthly Blog
Throughout A Doll's House, the life of Nora and Torvald seems perfect from an outside view, but as a reader being able to get a glimpse of their inner lives, we know that their life is far from perfect. Torvald tries to make everything perfect. He likes to treat Nora like a doll by dressing her, controlling her, calling her pet names, etc. This is all an attempt to make himself seem like he has complete control of his household. Nora, on the other hand, tries with all her power to help Torvald, she forges her father's signature just so that she can afford a trip in an attempt to save Torvald's life. Everything she does for Torvald she does out of the goodness of her heart, but Torvald never thanks her. At the end of the play, he even says that she has done a horrible action and that it has ruined their lives, he isn't worried about her, just that they need to find a way to preserve the facade that is their life. In one article statistics show that, "One quarter of married people are no longer ‘in love’ with their partner, 15% wish they had married someone else altogether and three in10 have considered ending their marriage or spending time apart." By the end of the play, both sides seem to have fallen out of love, Nora also leaves Torvald. Since it is never revealed that Nora had any financial security after leaving Torvald, it makes her decision all the more noble, she left this unhappy relationship despite being a woman in the Victorian era. She had no way to know if her life would be stable or not after the split. The article also says, "Women were most likely to cite a fear of being unable to cope financially as their biggest reason for not separating, while men were most worried about the impact it would have on the family." This shows in Torvald, because despite the actions Nora took to help him, he was only concerned about how her actions would make them look, that her actions would tarnish their family's reputation. I really admire Nora for her actions and I feel bad for her. Torvald never said thank you to her, she risked everything just to make sure that he lived. She wanted to save his life even though he was a rude, and controlling jerk. I also admire her because despite the odds, she still left. She would be shunned in society because she left her husband, but that didn't change her opinion or actions. She had the courage to leave because she wanted to escape from Torvald's control, she wanted to control her own life, not have it decided for her.
*Sorry I couldn't post it last night my internet was down*
Thursday, December 31, 2015
Sam Muscella
Mrs. Burnett
AP English
25 December 2015
Expanding on the fourth Socratic Seminar question, I believe that the visions of the Tralfamadores that Billy sees are from his post traumatic stress from the war. The visions are his way of coping with his war memories. If he can imagine an alien race that look, think, and act crazily and abnormally, he can avoid the horrific memories that he has of his time in the war.
Billy's PTSD caused him to stand out in society, they thought that because he had visions of the aliens that he was insane. In a way, Billy's visions helped him cope with his memories. Throughout the book there are many flashbacks to Billy's memories. This is a common symptom of PTSD, while the book seems like it takes place during the war, if you take into account that Billy could have had PTSD, it makes more sense that the setting is during the Vietnam war and that he has flashbacks of his time fighting in the war. According to Kim Ann Zimmermann, a Live Science Contributor, PTSD can occur after an event that may cause stress or fear. Not all PTSD cases are from soldiers, anyone can develop this disorder. About 60% of men and 50% of women in the United States experience one or more traumatic events in their lives, this increases the chance of developing PTSD, though only about 5% of men and 10% of women actually have PTSD, which amounts to about 7.7 million Americans. Dr. Paul Schulz, an associate professor of neurology at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and the Mischer Neuroscience Institute said, "Similar syndromes were called things like 'shell shock' in past wars. As a result of changes in definitions, and the very recent recognition of PTSD, it is difficult to determine whether PTSD is getting more common or [if] we are simply recognizing it more often." Common symptoms include, re-experiencing symptoms, avoidance symptoms, and hyperarousal symptoms (the feeling of being on edge or stressed). There are medications that can help with the disorder, but the best treatment is counseling, telling the person that they are safe so that their memories can turn from something that they are scared of to something that eventually stops causing them stress. The symptoms in that article are things that Billy goes through. He recounts his memories repeatedly, he avoids people at his party and goes up to his room until he feels normal, the reason he avoids the people at the party is because he hears a song that reminds him of one of his bad memories and he starts to freak out. Also, according to the article's author, depression can cause PTSD to worsen. Billy will randomly break into tears during his life, he seems sad for no reason which could be caused by depression. I think that PTSD is a real issue in society. My mom has a friend who's husband is diagnosed with it and their family life has gotten worse because of his disorder. I believe that even though it can be bad, if the diagnosed person is helped in the correct way, then they can get over having PTSD. It is a disorder that is unavoidable, everyone has memories that cause them fear, stress, and anxiety. It takes a strong willed individual to look past these memories and move on, I believe that this is one way that is very helpful in overcoming PTSD. A person with the disorder needs people to help them realize that they can't be affected by their past memories, that they are safe and surrounded by supportive people.
Mrs. Burnett
AP English
25 December 2015
December Monthly Blog: Slaughterhouse 5
Billy's PTSD caused him to stand out in society, they thought that because he had visions of the aliens that he was insane. In a way, Billy's visions helped him cope with his memories. Throughout the book there are many flashbacks to Billy's memories. This is a common symptom of PTSD, while the book seems like it takes place during the war, if you take into account that Billy could have had PTSD, it makes more sense that the setting is during the Vietnam war and that he has flashbacks of his time fighting in the war. According to Kim Ann Zimmermann, a Live Science Contributor, PTSD can occur after an event that may cause stress or fear. Not all PTSD cases are from soldiers, anyone can develop this disorder. About 60% of men and 50% of women in the United States experience one or more traumatic events in their lives, this increases the chance of developing PTSD, though only about 5% of men and 10% of women actually have PTSD, which amounts to about 7.7 million Americans. Dr. Paul Schulz, an associate professor of neurology at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and the Mischer Neuroscience Institute said, "Similar syndromes were called things like 'shell shock' in past wars. As a result of changes in definitions, and the very recent recognition of PTSD, it is difficult to determine whether PTSD is getting more common or [if] we are simply recognizing it more often." Common symptoms include, re-experiencing symptoms, avoidance symptoms, and hyperarousal symptoms (the feeling of being on edge or stressed). There are medications that can help with the disorder, but the best treatment is counseling, telling the person that they are safe so that their memories can turn from something that they are scared of to something that eventually stops causing them stress. The symptoms in that article are things that Billy goes through. He recounts his memories repeatedly, he avoids people at his party and goes up to his room until he feels normal, the reason he avoids the people at the party is because he hears a song that reminds him of one of his bad memories and he starts to freak out. Also, according to the article's author, depression can cause PTSD to worsen. Billy will randomly break into tears during his life, he seems sad for no reason which could be caused by depression. I think that PTSD is a real issue in society. My mom has a friend who's husband is diagnosed with it and their family life has gotten worse because of his disorder. I believe that even though it can be bad, if the diagnosed person is helped in the correct way, then they can get over having PTSD. It is a disorder that is unavoidable, everyone has memories that cause them fear, stress, and anxiety. It takes a strong willed individual to look past these memories and move on, I believe that this is one way that is very helpful in overcoming PTSD. A person with the disorder needs people to help them realize that they can't be affected by their past memories, that they are safe and surrounded by supportive people.
Monday, November 30, 2015
November Monthly Blog: Things Fall Apart
Many cultures have different ways of living. In Things Fall Apart Okonkwo's village believed in many different gods who resided in nature. The white men who moved to Africa midway through the book believed in Christianity and that there was only one God. They also believed that Okonkwo and his people's religion was barbaric and unnatural. From the article that I read, "The Challenge of Cultural Relativism", I learned of the beliefs and moral codes in some societies. The Greeks burn the bodies of the dead on pillars so that their spirits can travel to the Underworld. The Callatians eat the bodies of their fathers. Eskimos often have more than one wife, kill their babies if they deem them unworthy, kill the elderly once they become too weak, and their idea of marriage is much different than ours. The beliefs of our own society are opposite of the Eskimos, we believe that marriage is between two people, the life of an individual is sacred, murder is frowned upon, and the elderly are viewed as wise and an important part of our society. The claims made by cultural relativists,
"1)Different societies have different moral codes.
2)There is no objective standard that can be used to judge one societal code better than another.
3)The moral code of our own society has no special status; it is merely one among many.
4)There is no "universal truth" in ethics; that is, there are no moral truths that hold for all peoples at all times.
5)The moral code of a society determines what is right within that society; that is, if the moral code of a society says that a certain action is right, then that action is right, at least within that society.
6)It is mere arrogance for us to try to judge the conduct of other peoples. We should adopt an attitude of tolerance toward the practices of other cultures.", are relevant in today's societies because many people judge other societies because they are different from their own. While these cultures are different in their beliefs, I feel that this is what makes them the most interesting. To hear about a tribe that eats the dead bodies of their fathers is crazy, but also something that makes me interested in learning more about their society, and how their beliefs differ from my beliefs, and from the beliefs of the people around me. Also, by learning about the different beliefs of each culture, it is easier for a person to understand another's viewpoints, and reasonings behind other people's actions and opinions. From reading this article, I have learned that judging other cultures is unrealistic because each culture has different beliefs in what is right and wrong, each culture is different and just because one society believes one thing and another society another, doesn't make either belief wrong.
"1)Different societies have different moral codes.
2)There is no objective standard that can be used to judge one societal code better than another.
3)The moral code of our own society has no special status; it is merely one among many.
4)There is no "universal truth" in ethics; that is, there are no moral truths that hold for all peoples at all times.
5)The moral code of a society determines what is right within that society; that is, if the moral code of a society says that a certain action is right, then that action is right, at least within that society.
6)It is mere arrogance for us to try to judge the conduct of other peoples. We should adopt an attitude of tolerance toward the practices of other cultures.", are relevant in today's societies because many people judge other societies because they are different from their own. While these cultures are different in their beliefs, I feel that this is what makes them the most interesting. To hear about a tribe that eats the dead bodies of their fathers is crazy, but also something that makes me interested in learning more about their society, and how their beliefs differ from my beliefs, and from the beliefs of the people around me. Also, by learning about the different beliefs of each culture, it is easier for a person to understand another's viewpoints, and reasonings behind other people's actions and opinions. From reading this article, I have learned that judging other cultures is unrealistic because each culture has different beliefs in what is right and wrong, each culture is different and just because one society believes one thing and another society another, doesn't make either belief wrong.
Saturday, October 31, 2015
Grendel
This month, we read Beowulf and excerpts from Grendel. When I was reading Beowulf, it was very clear to me who the heroes and villains were. Beowulf, with his noble deeds and honor brought by defeating Grendel, was good and had a noble heart. While Grendel, who had a demonic look to him and killed many men, was clearly the villain. However, once we had read excerpts from Grendel, the lines between good and evil blurred a bit. In my mind, while reading Grendel, I saw a creature (Grendel) who was different from the humans. He was baffled by the humans and their wastefulness and just really wanted to make a friend. He also seemed less evil to me in the beginning. He did what he needed to survive and at one point tries to make friends with the humans. They reject him and I believe that was the turning point in Grendel's behaviors. It is my belief that Grendel wasn't truly evil until he was corrupted by a judgmental society that thought Grendel was evil because of his appearance. This aspect of society isn't just fiction, it's real and happens all of the time. People judge others without getting to know them first. It's very overused and cliche, but these words are true; don't judge a book by its cover. How is a person supposed to know what someone is like if they judge them based on their appearance. That's one of the reasons schools make kids wear uniforms. They feel that if everyone is wearing the same thing, no one will be judged and then any bullying will stop. I can relate to this because if I had judged many of my friends based on their outward appearances, I may not have become close to any of them. Everyone is judgmental, and i believe that the first thought that comes to mind when you look at a person means nothing, it's what you think after that first thought that matters. That second thought is what determines if you are a good person at heart.
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