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I analyzed pages 80 and 81 of Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro.

For Criterion A, I would give myself an 8 as a grade. I referenced various parts of the novel during my analysis, both from before and after the passage, and used direct quotes from the passage. I gave good context for my passage, and explained the characters as well.
For Criterion B, I would give myself a 5. I could not find very many literary devices in the passage that I chose. I did point out the diction and dialogue used in the passage, as well as general themes of the novel. I also barely examined the effect of the devices on the reader.
For Criterion C, I would give myself a 2. I did not spend that much time in my planning period organizing my commentary, but I did do some. My ideas generally flowed from one to the next, but there were several times during the commentary that I paused in order to finish with one idea, and then just picked up with a different idea.
For Criterion D, I would give myself a 4. I use generally adequate language throughout the commentary, but there a few moments when I lose track of my ideas and I fumble for the words that I am looking for. Otherwise, I use the appropriate terminology for literary devices and the lenses and themes of the novel.

Blog Post 10, I've got you covered

The two covers that I chose to compare were the top right and the bottom left covers. The top right cover features a blurry depiction of a girl facing away from the the viewer. The girl is in a blue dress against an orange background, creating a deep contrast between her and the environment. The girl is also blurry on the cover. The blurriness of the girl could represent the clones' almost humanity, that they are not quite the same as everyone else. This is accented by the girl looking away from the camera, which creates an air of anonymity and mystery about her.
The second cover that I analyzed was the bottom left. This cover features a lone rowboat floating on a shoreline. In the background there is a pier with a sunset lighting the sky. This is a very lonesome cover, without any people being featured. The boat on the cover could represent the opportunities that the clones believe they have, but in the end, no one is able to realize those opportunities, they are not even real opportunities. A single rowboat represents the mere possibility of escape, but just as a rowboat cannot cross an ocean, the clones cannot escape their fate.
One interesting thing about these covers is that they both feature Kazuo Ishiguro's name much bigger than the title Never Let Me Go. This could represent how the characters and the lessons in the book are more important than the book itself. A difference between the covers is the presence of a girl on one and just a boat on the other. Both covers also feature a quote from a review, probably to entice people into reading the book.
When looking at the top right cover, the first thing that comes into my mind is a child running away. It reminds me of someone alone in a desert with no people or things around. This makes sense with the clones, because they are so alone in life, no one is really there to help them. When looking at the bottom left cover the first thing that I think of is sunset on the shore. This cover is even lonelier than the other cover.
If I hadn't already read the book, based on the top right cover I would think the book is about two girls that run away from home in India, but somehow get separated and have to find their way back to each other. It reminds me of the film Slumdog Millionaire. Based on the bottom left cover, I would think that this book is about a guy who spends the summer at the beach in a rundown house while fixing it up, but now he has to leave.
Both of these covers are very different from the cover of the book that I have. Neither of them seem to directly relate to the plot of the book, and the bottom left cover is not related at all. Both of the covers evoke feelings of sadness and loneliness, which are prevalent themes of Never Let Me Go.

Blog Post 9

Freebie

Blog Post #8, Baby

4. In your mind, are there any heroes in Double Indemnity? If so, who?

There were very few redeeming characters in Double Indemnity, but if any character were to be considered a hero it would be Barton Keyes. Keyes consistently does the right thing, and pursues justice as opposed to personal gain. Barton Keyes is Walter's friend at the insurance firm, responsible for checking through all of the claims for any fraudulent ones. Throughout the film we learn that he is very proficient at his job, and has discovered quite a few cases of people trying to hoodwink the agency due to a "little man" in his gut that lets him know when something is amiss. Besides Keyes following his instincts and doing what he believes is right, he is also a fiercely loyal friend. When Walter is accused of being potentially involved in Mr. Dietrichson's death, Keyes immediately leaps to his defense and praises his character. Keyes also offers Walter a job because they are friends and Keyes respects Walter. It is really in the end of the film that you see some of the most heroic aspects of Barton Keyes. Keyes discovers Walter bleeding from a gunshot wound, having just confessed his role in the murder of Mr. Dietrichson, and is immediately prepared to turn him over to the police. Even after Walter tries to appeal to Keyes's sympathies and asks him to wait a day so that he can escape to Mexico, Keyes doesn't relent about turning in Walter. Keyes does call an ambulance as well to help Walter, showing that even when faced with betrayal by his best friend, he still does the right thing, and not whatever would help him the most. Other than Barton Keyes, I would agree that there are no other heroes in Double Indemnity. Every single character has one major flaw or another, and few redeeming characteristics.

Life is but a Netflix Queue created by an idiot...

Netflix Suggestions by MacDuff...




Gladiator... The emperor of Rome is a wise and fair ruler, but is assassinated by his son in an attempt to gain power. The son then kicks one of his best generals out of the army due to his friendship with the old Emperor. The general, Maximus, manages to escape his execution, but his family is murdered and he is captured into slavery. Maximus becomes the best gladiator in Rome, and eventually manages to avenge his family and defeat the Roman Emporer in single combat. Recommended by MacDuff because he identifies with the protagonist, fighting against a corrupt ruler who killed the previous ruler, as well as his family.


Braveheart... A Scottish warrior's wife is killed so in retaliation he kills a garrison of English soldiers. The warrior, William Wallace, then wages war against the English and their treacherous King, Edward Longshanks. Eventually William Wallace is betrayed and captured, but be refuses to submit to the English, even after being tortured. William Wallace is executed for his fight against the English, but he inspires his Scottish countrymen to continue the fight for their independence. Recommended by MacDuff because it features a Scottish protagonist who fights for what he believes in. This film gets MacDuff hype before a battle, and inspires him to be a great warrior. It also reminds MacDuff of himself since his wife was also killed by his enemy.


Olympus Has Fallen... The White House is taken over by North Koreans, and the president must be saved. It falls upon a member of the Secret Service to take action and save the president. MacDuff sees himself in the protagonist, Mike Banning, as a man who is not in a position of leadership, but still manages to get things done. MacDuff and Mike are also very good warriors, so he approves of this movie.



The Matrix... In The Matrix, Morpheus must convince Neo that he needs to save the world. Neo is reluctant to accept his role and tries to avoid his responsibilities.  Morpheus must make many sacrifices of himself in order to convince Neo to take on his role of hero. This reminds MacDuff of himself and his relationship with Malcolm. MacDuff connects with the character of Morpheus, and sees Malcolm as the character of Neo. MacDuff had to convince Malcolm that he was worthy of becoming King of Scotland, just as Morpheus had to convince Neo that he was worthy of becoming "The One". Morpheus also suffers directly as a result of his actions to help Neo, just as MacDuff suffered as a result of his aiding Malcolm.

Witch-slapped: Macbeth's fall from grace

For this blog post, I am responding to prompt number 4. "How do the values of manhood differ in modern times? What do you think it takes to be a good man? Explain how your views are like or unlike those in the play, using examples from the text." 

I think that the modern day values for being a man are not that different than the ones from Shakespeare's era. Men are expected to be strong, successful, wealthy, handsome, polite, intelligent, charismatic, and kind. In Shakespeare's day, men were expected to take care of everything and to protect their woman and provide for her. These ideals are not so different from nowadays, but now women want to be able to choose if they want it. There are obviously differences in circumstances between men of today and the men of Macbeth, but there is a similar expected code to guide men's actions.
I think to be a good man, you just have to treat people well. I am a Meninist, I don't believe that there should be a difference in the world as to what makes a good man different from a good woman. Women are given many privileges that men are denied, and I think that if you want to set a good example in life, no one should be given unfair special treatment. There may be select cases where someone deserves special treatment but in the majority of situations everyone should be regarded the same.
My views are dissimilar to those from Macbeth, mainly because my life experiences and opportunities are wildly different from any of those in Macbeth. Lady Macbeth needing her husband to kill the king because she was a woman is less of an issue nowadays than in Shakespeare's period. In current times, Lady Macbeth would also not be denied opportunities due to her gender as she was in Macbeth. Equality was almost non existent in the time when the play was set, and this is shown by the main female character simply being a passive force for the most part, having her husband do actions while she enjoys the benefits. Lady Macbeth is rarely required to take part in the actual action, instead she must keep Macbeth from breaking under the pressure. I think that if someone wants something in life, then they should be the one to go out and get what they want, not convince someone else to do it for them because "that is the way it is supposed to work". 

#IBMakingart

Art Museum Reflection

This piece is called the "Temple of One Thousand Bells" by Laura Belém. The bells themselves are made from hand-blown glass by local artisans and hung on nylon strings. They were hung from the ceiling above a bench and had a surround sound system with an audio piece accompany the bells. The surround sound system played a story told about a temple filled with 1,000 bells. The story was inter cut with sounds of the ocean and calming music. This is the second time the artist created a piece like this, the first being at the Liverpool Biennial in 2010. The piece was made in Raleigh by many local artists who hand blew each individual bell. Laura Belém created the audio piece and arranged the bells in the museum. 

The initial focus of this piece is the bells that are hanging from the ceiling, which is what attracts the attention of people from a distance, but the main focus of the piece is the audio story that accompanied the bells. The story was about an island that sank into the sea, and on the island was a temple with one thousand bells. Then a sailor went in search of the island to try and hear the bells from deep in the ocean. The story is about loss, and focusing oneself to gain clarity. The whole focus of the art piece is on serenity and peace, and that is something that really resonates with me. 

The art is organized to be centered above a bench that visitors can sit on. The whole piece is very bright and has lots of light shining through it which creates a happier feeling in the viewer. The accompanying audio piece is played through surround sound speakers on each side of the bells. Since the story told through the speakers is interspersed with peaceful music and the sound of waves, the entire work has a calming vibe on the audience. 

The purpose of this piece of artwork is to show people inevitability. The island was doomed to sink into the sea, and there was nothing that anyone could do to save it. This is applicable to a lot of things in life that no one has control over, and people need to recognize that there are some things out of their control. At the same time, the piece has a reassuring effect on the audience due to the light, soft music and general white coloring of the art. The piece also has an encouraging effect on the viewer because of the sailor's persistence in attempting to hear the music of the one thousand bells from below the ocean. This makes the audience believe that they are able to overcome their problems if they work hard, and this gives the audience hope that their life will be successful.

Overall, I quite enjoyed the entire CAM exhibit. I did not understand a lot of the art that I observed, but I liked most of the pieces. I particularly enjoyed the Temple of One Thousand Bells, the Atlas that had been rubbed with sandpaper, the wall that had been ripped apart, and the video screen that reacted when someone moved in front of it. The feeling of the entire exhibit seemed to be that of melancholy, and regret for lost times. Several of the pieces dealt with American prejudices, such as homosexuality or immigration. I would like to go on more field trips like this one.