I Was...and I still Am

Blessed is the little black girl who walketh in her sun-kissed skin in confidence without tripping over her flaws, who standeth tall in the way of those who slander her name, who sitteth firmly in the seat of her predecessors,

 

For her delight shall be in the wisdom of those whose shoulders she stands on; and on their words doth she meditate day and night.

 

And she shall be like a tiger lily planted in her grandmother’s garden, blooming forth her pedals when the sun is just right; her inner light also shall never dim; and whatsoever she toucheth shall turn to gold.

 

Those who speak against her are not so; but are like the weeds which the gardener separates from the beautiful plants.

 

Therefore the slanderer shall not continue to stand tall in their perfection, nor the defamer in the confidence of their wealth.

 

For the creator knoweth that she made no mistake in her creation of the little black girl, but those who curse her shall never know blessing.

***Context: Inspired by Psalm 1: 1-6 of the King James Version Bible and also some of the words my grandmother spoke to me before she passed away when I was 11.

I'm Secretely a Handwriting Decipher-er

Step 1: What I notice about Whitman's Journal
- page 3: Brochure; two characters as of a dialogue between a man and a woman; lessons for a president elect; dialogue between a [something] and "president elect"
- page 4: religious; two records; there are two platforms; the greek; masterpiece of virtue; eternal curse; philosophy; questioning; reasoning is there; your the Christ; on the record; there is love;
- page 5: why now I shall know whether there is anything in your libertad; I shall see how much you perhaps can stand; I shall see the crash; old England
- page 6: what then? Have those thrones...; does the Queen of England represent a thousand years?; And the Queen of Spain a thousand years? And you
- page 7: declare the storm-welcome the trial-let the waves. Why now I shall see what the [something] ship is made of
- page 8: ship of libertad. Blow mad wind!....Thy at the planks-,make them groan-full crown-black clouds-clouds of death
- page 9: come now we will see what stuff you are made of ship of libertad....I want to see what...before I die. I welcome this menace-I welcome thee with joy
- page 10: ship of the world-ship of humanity- ship of the ages. Ship that circlest the world. Ship of the hope of the world- ship of promise
- page 11: [ a sketch of a white man's(presumably) with lots of facial hair, side profile]
- page 12: [ sketch of another white man, full body, also lots of facial hair, slightly crouching
- page 13: [ sketch of another white man, side profile, eyes closed (or squinting) with an Abraham Lincoln-style hat on
- page 14: [ sketch of man, can't make out his face but since it's shaded in must be a man of color, Abraham-style hat on
- page 15: rough sketch of a harp


Through my observations, it seems as if Walt Whitman was intrigued by creating imaginary conversations with important people such as Greeks (maybe even Greek gods), queens, and Abraham Lincoln. I assume Abraham Lincoln bases on the fact that Whitman mentions the "president-elect" and also based on his sketches on the last two pages of men that resemble him. I also assume that Whitman never actually had a real conversation with Lincoln because all of his words seem like something he would like to say to him but never got a chance to. It seems as if he loved to play with ideas for books and other print-based materials. He jotted down various ideas which are nothing more than small fragments of what looks like dialogue. I also notice that Whitman briefly mentions religion by referencing curses and Christ. I assume this is to allude to both sides of Christianity: Christ and Satan. By him mentioning Greeks on the same page and using the word "platform," I assume Whitman is expressing his desire to bridge the gap between two religious (and therefore political) platforms, so as to undivided our nation.


One of the most interesting things I noticed is that Whitman uses the Spanish translation of liberty (libertad) instead of the English one. I think this may have been purposeful to say that liberation from slavery should not be limited to just American boarders. I can only assume he's referencing slavery here because Abraham Lincoln detested slavery and spent his presidency trying to get rid of it. Since Whitman seems to have wanted to engage in a relatively pleasant conversation with him, I assume that he detested slavery in the same manner. I also assume this based on the sketch of the man on page 14 that looks like a black man with an Abraham Lincoln-style hat on. Whitman was connecting black people with Abraham Lincoln because he dedicated himself to liberating them from slavery. Lastly, he continuously refers to a "ship"- of the world, of humanity, of hope, etc. I interpret this mean, again, that Whitman is hopeful for America (and the world's)'s future for all slaves to be as free as white people. The ship is a symbol of slavery and the suffering that black people have endured because of it.


Step 2: Actual Translation
Upon reading the actual translation of Whitman's notebook and why he wrote what he wrote, I realize that most of my observations are right. Whitman did indeed have an imaginary conversation with then future president, Abraham Lincoln; a conversation of which he never got the opportunity to actually have with him. Just like Lincoln, Whitman despised slavery, which makes since considering his constant references to a "ship of libertad." Something interesting I found out, however, was that the sketches at the end of the notebook are not Whitman's own. In fact, they are portrayals of Whitman himself by one of his drinking buddies. He was known to jot something down while he was socializing with his friends and then pass it around the table so that they could also write down their thoughts. Since Whitman's most famous subject in his poems was himself, it makes sense that he would not sketch pictures of his own self. Overall, it seems like Whitman was a very hopeful guy and desired a brighter future for America; one that's not so politically divided and one where all men could find freedom.

The American Dream

1. My definition of the American dream is having the ability to achieve all of your goals without any reservations whatsoever; whether that be through wealth, happiness, dream career, personal relationships, etc.


In other words (pictures):

 

 

 

2. I would define wealth by splitting them into three different categories: material wealth, human wealth, and intellectual wealth. Material wealth basically means having financial stability and being able to buy/ invest in whatever you desire (name-brand clothing, cars, houses, stocks/bonds, etc.). Also, having enough to help others regarding finances whenever they need it. Human wealth means having healthy relationships (platonic and otherwise), having great physical health, possessing admirable character, ascribing to a faith of some sort, and possessing virtue, values, morals, and ethics. Lastly, intellectual wealth means having a good education, wisdom, intelligence, special skills, and unique ideas. A person who possesses a healthy balance between all three of these types of wealth is a most wealthy person in my personal opinion.

3. Most Americans greatly value wealth in different forms. The most common wealth to value is financial wealth because it contributes the most to the outward appearance by which we are judged by strangers. If you look like you have a lot of money, most people will assume that you are living well, no matter what the real truth is. Furthermore, we equate intelligence to a solid education which is also connected to wealth in the American mind. Consequently, a lack of intelligence usually means a lack of education which usually means a lack of financial stability (unless you're an entertainer of some sort in which case you can pay people to be intelligent for you). Considering this, Americans define poverty as a lack of education because it leads to a lack of financial stability because it's nearly impossible to get a decent-paying job without an education (unless, again, you have special abilities to entertain) which means no house, no car, etc. We as a society treat those who live in poverty three different ways. There are those who feel bad for them and will give them money or food when they are standing on the side of the street. Then there are those who blame them for all of America's problems and think that they are useless part of society. Finally, there are those who dedicate their time to helping people out of poverty by contributing to organizations, helping people get jobs, etc.

4. Personally, I think that the majority of Americans have the wrong idea about wealth. It is a common (mis)conception that happiness and material/monetary wealth go hand-in-hand. In other words, people believe that it is impossible to be truly happy until you're able to live in a nice house, drive a luxury vehicle, and wear name-brand clothing. However, I think true happiness comes from whatever fulfills an individual; it is up to personal interpretation. For example, my brother desires to live in a gigantic mansion and a have a 7-car garage full of luxury vehicles. However, my mom has said that she would be satisfied with just living comfortably where she doesn't have to worry about paying bills every month and she can take a vacation out of the country whenever she wants. She doesn't necessarily have to possess the extravagant and flashy version of everything she owns. These are two different definitions of wealth, yet, they would both make their respective people happy because it's what they personally desire.

In another respect, I would say that poverty is defined by an extreme lack in personal desires. Simple as that.

Ps. I'm really sorry if this post is all over the place. I'm extremely sleep-deprived lol.





Translations

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

- diction (connotation/denotation):

• "awoke"- more formal word than saying "woke up"
• original German translation of "Gregor Samsa"
• "uneasy"- not very specific, doesn't imply negative or positive tone
• "transformed" more extreme than changed
• "bed"- personal
• "gigantic"- very powerful word as opposed to "big" or "large"
• "insect"- more powerful than "bug"

- syntax

• lack of punctuation until the end of the sentence even though a comma was needed after "dreams"

- imagery/details

• audience is given location (in Gregor's bed, implying he's most likely in his room)
• "gigantic insect"- left to our own interpretation

- structure

• cause and effect
• past tense
• no commas or other significant punctuation

- any other stylist/figurative elements

• third-person POV
• the tone is almost like it's trying to begin a story

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

- diction (connotation/denotation)

• changed the original translation of "Gregor" to "Gregory
• "uneasy"- neither negative or positive connotation
• "changed"- less definite than "transformed"; implies that it can possibly be reversed
• "giant"- less extreme than "gigantic" but still more dramatic than "big" or "huge"
• "woke" more active and less formal than "awoke"

- syntax

• very casual and matter-of-fact sounding
• more active in general
• no punctuation which makes it seem more factual

- imagery/details

• we are not given a location
• "one morning" gives us a since of time
• not as easy to picture as the first translation because some words are not as specific and do not definitely imply negative or positive connotation

- structure

• short, sweet, and to the point
• could have happened in the past but not certain

- any other stylist/figurative elements

• 3rd person POV again
• amusing tone

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








- diction (connotation/denotation)

• "when"- past tense
• "troubles"- more specific than "uneasy"
• more dramatic word choices: "transformed" (implying there's no turning back), "enormous (more dramatic than gigantic)
• "bug"-not as dramatic 

- syntax

• no commas; there should be one after "morning"
• feels weird to read "in his bed" at its particular place 
  
  

- imagery/details

• can easily imagine Gregor waking up confused based on these words, although the 1st translation made it a little more explicit by using "insect" instead of "bug"

- structure

• past-tense
• no correct punctuation (except for the period at the end)
• cause and effect flow
• could have been worded a little more effectively

- any other stylist/figurative elements

• factual tone

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








- diction (connotation/denotation)

• most specific adjective to describe Gregor's dreams of all the translations
• "monstrous vermon"- most extreme description of all the translations, very imaginative
• everything about this translation gives a negative connotation and makes the story seem like a horror movie

- syntax

• commas are in all the right places; extends the sentence, somewhat (if that makes sense)
• read much more smoothly than the preceding translations
  

- imagery/details

• soooooooooooooooo much more imagery!
• diction choices here make me picture something horrific and outlandish
• negativity to the max

- structure

• past-tense
• formalistic
• focus is less on the fact that Gregor woke up and more on the fact that he is now living this extreme nightmare, which is much more dramatic (me likey)

- any other stylist/figurative elements

• I feel like "monstrous vermin" is a hyperbole based on how much different it is from the other translations

Each translation is interpreted differently based on the changes in tone caused by these combinations of diction, syntax, imagery, and structure. The first two translations seem like they could have been for a more juvenile audience, considering how lighthearted and matter-of-fact it was (definitely less nightmare-ish the last one). The absurdism that Kafka was trying to suggest is slim to none in these. However, the last two definitely make the absurdity stand out much more, especially the extremely dramatic fourth one. The third one maintained its factual tone, but still managed to throw in the absurdity of the situation with words like "troubled," "transformed," and "enormous." Also, the word "when" is interesting here. Usually, we use this word to describe a specific order of events in a cause and effect style. This word being used here makes the sentence seem very casual, which disconnects the reader from the absurdity of the situation.


What stood out to me the most was the fact that every translation, excluding the last one, lacked proper punctuation (commas are fundamental people!). The lack of commas made the situation seem more normal, like everything else about Gregor's day was business as usual except for the fact that he now has to go through as a huge insect (maybe that's just not that weird to these translators??? IDK). However, once I read the fourth one, the abundance of commas allowed me to let each clause resonate with me in order to understand the full absurdity of it. Considering this, the fourth translation is most effective in preparing the reader for what they're about to read. Also, the syntax here makes it seem like Gregor "found himself" in more of a metaphorical way, which really emphasizes the point Kafka was trying to make about strangeness of human existence.


It is clear to me through this exercise that a text can be easily misinterpreted by just changing the choice and order of a few words in a sentence. Without reading the author's original work, the reader's interpretation is limited by the bias of the translator that they can understand.

Never Let Me Do the IOC

Soooooo...I did my IOC on the extract that was included in packet you gave us from Never Let Me Go. I couldn't figure out how to upload it (Idk how I'm a digital media and film student?) so I just sent it to you via email. Here's my grades and justification.


Criterion A: Knowledge and understanding of the text or extract
I gave myself a 5 for this one because I think I showed adequate understanding of the extract itself and its context within the larger text. However, I didn't mention anything about the socio-cultural or historical context of the novel.


Criterion B: Understanding of the use and effects of literary features
I think I scored a solid 7 on this part because I did a pretty good job of picking out 3 apparent literary elements the author uses and analyzing its significance to the text and how it affects the audience. I also connected them back to the author's intention. I probably could have gone a little deeper in some parts, but I think my analysis was fairly detailed for most of it.


Criterion C: Organization:
My structure could have definitely been a little more coherent so I gave myself a 2. My commentary got a little difficult to follow in a few parts because I kept having to go back and add things that I had forgotten in previous parts.


Criterion D: Language
I think I got a 3 here because there were times where I used simpler vocabulary where I could have used more sophisticated. However, when I discussed literary devices, I do feel like my language was a lot more varied (and actually sounded like I've taken 2 years of IB English lol).

Using my freebie for this one b/c Super Bowl and Beyonce 😊

TedTalk

The Future of News? Virtual Reality

This TedTalk was spoken by journalist Nonny de la Pena, known primarily for her work in immersive journalism. She is now widely referred to as the "Godmother of Virtual Reality." Her credibility as a seasoned and experienced journalist is established almost immediately when she says, "I've worked in print. I've worked in documentary. I've worked in broadcast."From then on. the audience, which is most likely people who are interested in improving the world of journalism, knows that they can trust that what she's saying is accurate and that she is genuinely concerned with the matters that she is discussing. 

In this particular talk, Nonny discusses how she came up with the idea of implementing virtual reality into the world of journalism to put the audience "inside" of the story in hopes that people will understand the news in a brand new way. What most likely inspired this journalist was the fact that often times people see the events broadcasted through various media outlets as just an inevitable part of daily life and they don't believe that they can do anything to help these situations. Furthermore, a lot of people don't even really care about half of the information they acquire because they feel like it doesn't affect them. Nonny explains that her desire is "to try to make stories that can make a difference and maybe inspire people to care." Her main point is that if people could actually feel like they're experiencing the stories that are told on the news daily, maybe they will feel more connected to the reality of these events and will be encouraged to do what they can to help. 

De la Pena supports her idea by saying that the conventions of journalism would not be the change made here, but rather the way it is delivered by giving the audience a "sense of being on scene." Virtual reality journalism would not ignore the basic principals followed throughout the industry. However, the method in which people gather information about what's going on in the world would be improved for more effective news informing for the 21st century. Nonny also uses a variety of examples of her idea put into effect and the reactions that came with them. For example, she had a video of actress Gina Rodriguez crying after experiencing the virtual video of a little girl singing and then a bomb going off seconds later. She most likely used these examples to prove to the audience that this method is full proof and actually has the great potential of forever changing the world of journalism. Moreover, these examples, being that they reference very recent events such as the Syrian refugee crisis and the Treyvon Martin case, appeal to the audience's emotions. This is especially true with the simulation de la Pena used with the little girl singing seconds before a bomb went off because the audience is able to sympathize with the feeling of terror that the little girl most likely had.

Now, for this particular talk, Nonny uses a particularly common structure of speech. She starts with a basic "What if?" statement and then proceeds to go back and forth between what currently is the situation with modern journalism and where we could go with the invention of virtual reality. While doing this, she includes real-life examples of her ideas in action using  situations that have become huge stories in the news recently and couples these with actual video footage or photo evidence from these scenes. She also supports her statements with facts (logos) about how the process of virtual reality works. So this is the basic structure of a thesis or an idea supported with various types of credible evidence.

I chose this TedTalk for the reason that I desire to become a broadcast journalist and documentary producer in my career path and as soon as I saw the word "news" in the title, I knew the talk would appeal to me. I also have the desire to be the type of journalist that inspires people contribute to changing the world through any influence. This woman definitely appealed to my interests through her huge contribution to the transformation of 21st century journalism.