Bright Lights, Big City

You’ve never really been the best student, or the best at anything for that matter; other than drifting like a leaf in the wind. It’s not like you haven’t tried, it’s just that things never seem to work out for you, so you’ve decided it’s best not to try at all, as the result of your actions seems to always be the same old pattern no matter what you try. But it isn’t your fault, it couldn’t be considering the hand you were dealt. A diagnosis of Obsessive - Compulsive disorder and an innate need to impress people coupled with clinical depression and social anxiety keeps you unable to strive for what you want, and not being satisfied with what you have. Not to mention your childhood which should be a whole new disorder all together; who knew two people with chronic personality disorders paired with years of opium abuse didn’t mix? Regardless you just keep trudging through life, never looking forward but not letting yourself be stuck in the past either, forever drifting along your own stream of consciousness.

Anyways, back to the matter of school. It’s 7am now and you have exams at 9am and 1:10pm respectively, both of which make up a large portion of your semester grade, and neither of which you have prepared for in the slightest. You were always told that school is the most important years of your life and that how hard you try in school will determine your path in life. But what about personal development? You’ve not even been alive for two decades yet and you already see the deconstruction of students under the pressures of school; everyone enters with their own personality and dreams, yet they all leave the same shapeless mass with “plans” where their dreams once stood. Nevertheless, you feel an ever growing sting in the back of your throat, not necessarily about the exams but about your choices in general. What if by fighting the typical structure of society you’re alienating yourself before you even had the chance to succeed? Either way none of that matters now, you’re legs are already carrying you out the door and down the stairs, to your first exam.

Mr. Elliot or Mr. Smelliot?? Sorry it's late...

Jane Austen’s Persuasion depicts the everyday happenings of a wealthy elite family who inhabit England during the early nineteenth century, a society which is severely segmented in accordance to wealth and social stature rather than personal merit or character. The most glaring example of such segregation based of social status can be seen through comparing the perspectives of characters within the novel, as well as how they are perceived by their peers. Mr. Elliot, for example, becomes renowned for both his social status and his ability to charm anyone who crosses his path; however as the story progresses his true character proves to be in stark contrast to his facade. Mr. Elliot is representative of society’s ideal and his perspective on social relations exemplifies the split between social classes, stating that “good company requires only birth, education, and manners, and with regard to education is not very nice” (Austen 98). Mr. Elliot is an advocate of dismissing the merits of education and personal achievement in favor of associating with those within the same social standing. Conversely, Anne argues that “my idea of good company, Mr. Elliot, is the company of clever, well-informed people, who have a great deal of conversation; that is what I call good company” (Austen 98). Unlike most of her family as well as her mentor Lady Russell, Anne does not share the sentiment that the division of social classes is a necessity, but rather chooses to converse with those whose company she enjoys such as Mrs. Clay and Mrs. Smith. Prejudice against those of lower social stature is a theme throughout the book, as even Lady Russell who is stated as being of genuine character misjudges the intentions of Mr. Elliot and Mrs. Clay, claiming that the “satisfaction in Mr. Elliot outweighed all the plague of Mrs. Clay” (Austen 96). Lady Russell is quick to invalidate Anne’s friendship with Mrs. Clay while promoting relations with Mr. Elliot based on social status alone, disregarding Mrs. Clay’s loyalty as a friend and Mr. Elliot’s fiendish nature. Ultimately, Jane Austen’s depiction of English society through Persuasion mirrors the increasingly segmented hierarchy in Europe during the nineteenth century, and satirizes this sentiment by contrasting high class with low character and vice versa.

Works Cited

Austen, Jane. Persuasion. Mineola: Dover Publications, 1997. Print.

In modern society, the general public has become accustom to hearing about tragedies and travesties alike through mediums such as television, radio, and ofcourse the Internet. However, no one ever suspects that such malice will ever penetrate their own secluded existence, despite the fact that in reality such incidents are a constant threat to a person's welbeing. Thus, when people are confronted with an incident which mirrors their own familiar lifestyles, such as that depicted in Joyce Oates' short story Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?, fear is instinctively distilled in the reader. This phenomena can best be explained through Walter Sullivan's observation that "horror resides in the transformation of what we know best, the intimate and comfortable details of our lives made suddenly threatening" (Wegs 99). Oates' tale depicts a young teenage girl named Connie who falls prey to a scheming older predator, who uses charisma and brovado to gain information about Connie, which he then uses to track her every move.
Connie is the American ideal of what a young teenage girl is supposedly expected to strive for in terms of social standing, and she comes to believe that “real value lies in beauty” (Wegs 101). This deviation from a healthy mantality and self image causes Connie to stray away from her morals which were poorly instilled in her by her mother who Connie wishes "was dead and she herself was dead and it was all over" (Oates 1). Once again Connie's less than stellar outlook on life can be derived from the neglect that she feels from her father who showed little in his daughter, instead he "didn’t bother talking to them much" (Oates 1). The misguidance and neglect that Connie experienced from those around her decided her fate, as she would come to believe in romantic fantasies rather than real life dangers, which would allow Arnold Friend to push his way in to her life.
The effectiveness of Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? in chilling readers to the core can be attributed to how relatable the tale of Connie's demise is, and how applicable the situation is to modern society. It is not uncommon for teenagers to grow up without the guidance of their parents, even when the parents aren't physically absent, and as a result it is not a stretch to believe that a young girl could be manipulated in to giving her own life in exchange for her family's safety, as Connie comes to realize in the short story. Overall, Oates' tale brings to light the dangers of teenage suspectability to outside influence, and the importance of a strong guiding force in the lives of the youthful.

Works Cited
Oates, Joyce Carol. “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” New Brunswick:
Rutgers University Press, 2002. Print.

Wegs, Joyce M. “’Don’t You Know Who I Am?’: The Grotesque in Oate’s ‘Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?’” Journal of Narrative Technique 5, 1995. Print.

Present Shock

In his novel, Present Shock, Douglas Rushkoff describes a society in which technology has advanced to such an accelerated state the technology itself is evolving faster than humans are able to account for. No longer are people concerned with what is happening in the present, but rather are constantly concerned with the events of the future. Furthermore, technology, such as the remote control, has enabled entertainment to reach a state of constant climax; rather than spending time to build up a plot and rising action that culminates in an apex. Rushkoff explains that the remote control has “more than any postmodern idea or media educator, changed the way we related to television, its commercials, and the story structure on which both depended”(Rushkoff 21). Since an audience can switch away from a channel with the click of a button, television must offer the viewer a constant of stream of excitement or else fail to draw in and maintain a sizable audience. Modern day television shows, such as Rick and Morty, aim to keep the viewer wondering what will happen next, and this is most commonly achieved by creating a sporadic and unpredictable experience.

Rick and Morty depicts the misadventures of an average highschool student and his grandfather, who just happens to be a maniacal mad scientist who spends the majority of his time hoping around the multiverse. The television show sets a precedent of unpredictability as Morty is dragged through different universes and forced to endure a different apocalyptic scenario every episode. In one particular episode, Rick accidentally mutates the entirety of the human race in to a mismatched combination of different species. The episode consists of nothing but chaos that could be considered climax after climax, and in the final two minutes of the episode Rick and Morty simply abandon their universe for an identical one. This sort of plot narrative is counter-intuitive to any that has been seen in the past centuries. Furthermore, the issue of abandoning their own universe is never brought up in any further episodes, thus drawing parallels between other modern television shows such as The Simpsons and South Park. Rushkoff gives his perspective on this phenomena in saying that “The Simpsons, along with the many satirical, self-referential shows that followed its path (the creators of Family Guy, South Park, and even The Office all credit The Simpsons as a seminal influence), offers the narrative-wary viewer some of the satisfaction that traditional stories used to provide— but through nonnarrative means (Rushkoff 26). Television shows such as Rick and Morty, South Park, and the Simpsons give the audience the entertainment they crave, but without having to sit through the exposition that would be found in more traditional forms of entertainment. Furthermore, innovations such as Netflix offer entertainment free of commercials, allowing the viewer even greater access a constant stream of excitement.

In conclusion, the modern narrative arc of television shows has evolved to accommodate society’s need for constant entertainment, even if it undermines the structural integrity of the plot. In Rick and Morty, the two adventurers spend twenty minutes creating chaos in various universes, only to resolve their issue with a simple solution in the remaining two minutes. Rather than following the traditional format of a plot triangle (exposition, followed by rising action, falling action, and a resolution), shows such as Rick and Morty or the Simpsons cut out the “unnecessary” rising and falling actions; instead opting for a model that favors a constant state of apex and excitement. Additionally, innovations such as the remote control and companies such as Netflix allow viewers to cut out any further distractions such as commercials and actual plot devices.

Works Cited

Rushkoff, Douglas. Present Shock: When Everything Happens Now. New York: Penguin Group, 2013. Print.

The Line Between Delirium and Diligence

The Line Between Delirium and Diligence

            In the biographical novel A Moveable Feast, the story of Ernest Hemingway’s life is recreated from a series of unorganized diary entries and letters which have been pieced together in order to illustrate the life of the up and coming writer in Paris during the early twentieth century. The use of Hemingway’s own journal entries as a basis for the novel allows for a first person perspective which is unique to most other biographical pieces, welcoming readers in to the peculiar mind of what many would consider to be a literary genius. However, due to the cluttered nature of the journals, the plot of the story consequentially does not follow a linear timeline but rather jumps around to highlights in Hemingway’s life, while at the same time avoiding the tragedies that Hemingway himself would be too haunted by to write in a journal. Hemingway alludes to the wrongdoings in his life in his diaries yet fails to address them directly, as was the case when he had an affair with Pauline Pfeiffer despite the love he retained for his wife. Hemingway describes the winter prior to the affair as “a happy and innocent winter in childhood compared to the next year, a nightmare winter disguised as the greatest fun of all, and the murderous summer that was to follow” (Hemingway 179). Hemingway illustrates perfectly the stereotype of the tortured artist; driven to insanity by the frustrations and temptations set forth by his art and by the people that surround him. Hemingway’s depression would deteriorate his spirit and his body alike, making it difficult to face the reality of the mistakes he had made and the people he had hurt along the way.

Through the journals and diary entries that were compiled in to A Moveable Feast, Hemingway displays a writing style which at times is highly literal and analytical, yet contrastingly uses a great deal of imagery and figurative language also. While reminiscing about the Closerie des Lilas, Hemingway notes that “the only poet I ever saw there was a Blaise Cendrars, with his broken boxer’s face and his pinned-up empty sleeve, rolling a cigarette with his one good hand” (Hemingway 69).  Hemingway meticulously notes the fact that Blaise Cendrars was rolling a cigarette whenever the two came in contact, however Hemingway doesn not give an analytical characterization of the man; preferring to instead plant the image of a broken boxer in to the mind of the reader. These contrasting styles within Hemingway’s work give insight in to the writer’s unique perspective on the world and what he deemed worthy of writing down.

Finally, this book was likely chosen to be a part of the curriculum because not only is Hemingway a highly influential author, but also has an impactful and original writing style. Unlike most biographies which are told from an outsider’s perspective, A Moveable Feast is a reflection of Hemingway’s sporadic, and at times deranged, psyche which allowed him to bleed his emotions and thoughts on to the page. Furthermore, the use of time as a nonlinear construct shows how time can be used to influence a story’s plot and coherence, which all contribute to an author’s unique style.

Works Cited

Hemingway, Ernest. A Moveable Feast. New York: Scribner. 1964. Print.

End of Education

As private school students, many of us get caught up in the horror stories that circulate about the public school system ranging from outrageous claims about gang violence to the inexplicably high failure rate. However, any student that has experienced both the public and private school systems would happily say that many of these farce claims are no more than rumors, for the most part. Although the stories of gang crime and drug abuse don’t always hold true, the criticisms of the public school curriculum does hold some truth. As Neil Postman points out in his novel End of Education, the public school system of 1995 was centralized around a one sided perspective that lacked cultural diversity and favored a Western worldview. The difference between Postman’s description of the education system in 1995 and the current public school system is that modern day America has accepted a multicultural ideology.

            In End of Education, Postman voices his criticisms of the 1995 public school system which barred religious teachings in school. Postman states that religion is a necessity for schooling as, “so much of our painting, music, architecture, literature, and science are intertwined with religion. It is, therefore, quite impossible (impossible by definition) for anyone to claim to be educated who has no knowledge of the role played by religion in the formation of culture” (Postman 150). Thus, Postman is highly critical of the narrow minded education structure that in part characterized the public education system of 1995, concluding that the ignorance of religion’s roll in social conduct is a sign of an uneducated individual. However, fast forward twenty-five years to 2015 and America has seen a huge swing towards a multicultural and socially plural society which not only acknowledges the role of religion in social conduct but also teaches religion in schools from an analytical standpoint.

 Furthermore, Postman concludes that youth that are raised in a socially aware school system will become well rounded people, by “understanding the principle of diversity, is that by studying religion, our students can become acquainted with, first, the variety of ways people have offered to explain themselves and, second, the astonishing unity of their explanations” (Postman 150).  By teaching students in an environment that promotes and accepts a multicultural perspective, students learn to express their thoughts and ideas in a more productive manner thus creating a more efficient and progressive society. Overall, Postman’s hypothesis that ignorance of religion is detrimental to the education system withstands the test of time, and is exemplified by the success of a socially plural perspective in modern day America.

Works Cited

Postman, Neil. The End of Education: Redefining the Value of School. New York: Vintage, 1996. 

       Print.

Paying the Ultimate Price: Survival of the Fittest in the Congo

            Charles Darwin was both an esteemed scientist and one of the leading philosophers of his time, applying his theory of evolution and survival of the fittest to both the physical and social interactions between people. Darwin upheld “that huge numbers were destined to succumb in the struggle for existence. Those who survived to grow up-- and perpetuate the race—would therefore be those who came out best in the struggle for survival” (Gaarder 409). According to Darwin’s studies, those species with the greatest capabilities to adapt to their physical environment would be the same species that withstood the obstacles that would have otherwise obliterated their race. Furthermore, Darwin extrapolated that the same principles of physical survival could be applied to thriving within the society; people that could fit in to the social customs of a society would be accepted while those who rejected the customs would themselves be rejected.

            In the case of the Price family in The Poisonwood Bible, Darwin’s philosophy of survival of the fittest applies in both a physical and social sense. Unlike the Kilanga villagers, the Price family were accustom to the luxuries of the western world, therefore they were ill prepared for life in the Congo where running water would have been a novelty. Additionally, the Prices’ condition was worsened by Nathan’s stubbornness in upholding western ideals and beliefs. In the physical world, Nathan refused to conform to the villagers’ system of farming and as a result his garden could not sustain a substantial number of crops. It was not until Nathan adapted his garden to fit in with the Congo that his plants began to grow. Furthermore, the Price family rejected the religious beliefs of the village and as a result they felt segregated from the rest of the Congolese people. For example, Nathan’ death was due to his disregard for the Congolese peoples’ beliefs as he attempted to forcibly baptize a group of children in the river. In conclusion, Darwin’s philosophy of survival of the fittest applies to the Poisonwood Bible in not only a physical sense, but in a social sense also.

Works Cited

Gaarder, Jostein. Sophie's World. New York: Berkley Books, 1991. Print.