Deep Dive Into Dystopia

 Part One: Article and Trailer 

1. I think dystopian novels are popular because they are entertaining. Most fiction books are written to be close to reality. When writing a book it is important that the writer makes it relatable. Dystopian novels don't typically have normal events however, the characters still go through typical human emotions and struggles that readers can relate to. Dystopian novels typically are not my favorite genre to read, the few I have read are The Hunger Games series, Scythe, and H2O. Some of the reasons teenager love the dystopian genre are because the books don't always have a happy ending, and are all about choices and consequences which are all relatable to the life of a teen, in dystopian novels, teens "see an echo of a world they know". Experts say teenagers brains are very responsive to emotionally arousing stimuli which could be a reason as to why they like it. 
2. After watching the trailer, I think the book is going to be about a pandemic that causes the world to disrupt. I also think that as an after fact of the pandemic people are going to riot and the government will collapse. It kind of looks like the book will be about the rebuilding of the world after tragedy.  

Part Two: Questions From the Reading 

1. I think that the quote is dark and leaves the Reaser a bit unsettled. The helps to shadow dystopian themes like isolation and conformity. It also helps to foreshadow that our main character will want more than what they are given, and will have some sort of personal quest that makes sets them apart from society. 
2. I think that the author chose to open with this scene because it is a seemingly normal example of a tragedy that could happen in real life. I also think that the play might connect to something later on in play. I think that Jeevan is going to be a problem solver and be an influential character to the story. I also think that the little girl will be an influential character. I feel like I know good background information as far as what the book is about, I want to know more about how everything connects, because there are a lot of moving parts. 
3. One quote that stood out to me was "It is the think I love most in the world too" (Mandel 8). The little girl Kirsten says this to Jeevan when they are discussing Leander's death. Most of the dialogue seems to be very formal. Kirsten seems like she is very mature for her age has a complex understanding of the world. I think that Jeevan and Kirsten are going to team up or work together through the conflicts, and Jeevan will be her protector. 

Why Should Anyone Care?

 Part One: 

1. A problem that I think needs to be solved is homelessness. I was just in Phoenix last weekend, and it made me realize how oblivious I am to major issues. I saw the same people all three days I was there. They mainly roamed the same places and all had the same sad expressions. I think that there needs to be more resources for homeless people especially in major cities that can afford it. 

Companion: You don't think you could ever really do anything about it, do you? 

Me: Yes, I think that whatever you can do to help is beneficial, wether you can contribute in a big or small way. 

Companion: How would you personally contribute? 

Me: A major thing I could do is make meals, and fill ziplock bags with essentials and hand them out. Spreading the word and taking actions towards solving a problem will encourage ethers to do so. 

Companion: But there are so many homeless people, how would you help all of them? 

Me: Completely solving the issue will take time, I am hoping that by taking small steps, government officials and people of power will see our progress, and it will encourage them to contribute tot he cause.

2.  Pollen uses many rhetorical devices like humor and analogies to engage the reader. Pollen answers his own questions by giving examples of his actions compared to the actions of others. He also talks about the rewards he feels by contributing to creating a better world. Pollen shares both the positive and negative things that come with change with mentally and physically. 

3. I think that specialization is referring to peoples ability to view themselves as special and superior than others. Specialization then leads people to ignore and be unintentionally oblivious to major issues. I think that in order to become a better society we need to stop being so self absorbed. We live in a very materialistic and fast society which can make it easy to get caught up in your own little bubble. Once we realized we are all people doing the beset we can with what we are given we will be much kinder and generous towards each other. 

4. Pollen does use subjective language however he also does a good job of providing objective examples to back up his point. I think we can learn the benefit of incorporating the personal stories and experiences of others in a persuasive essay. I still am not sure what I want my topic to be. My goal is to clearly address a specific problem and provide good example of how to solve it on both a large and small scale. 

Part Two: 

    I want to continue to write about homelessness. I think that this is often a forgotten about issue in America. We like to think that we have everything together and are a prospering nations however, homelessness is major problem especially in major cities like New York and Los Angeles. A lot of times people who are homeless lack the funds, and access to resources necessary to help themselves. Mental health and drug use is also a major problem with the homeless population. I think that every major city should have a homeless shelter, with free meals, and basic hygiene essentials provided. It is also important to make sure that people have access to medicine and mental health counseling. The homeless population represents a failure in American politics. There are plenty of jobs, plenty of money, and people willing to help, we just need to make a plan and stick to it. A source that can help my readers understand this issue and make a positive impact is https://nationalhomeless.org/get-involved/ this website shares ways to contribute to the cause, wether its through donation, advocacy, or education.

Deep Dive on the Coming of John

Part One: Ted Talk 

1. According to Adichie the problem with a single story is that it can lead us to make false assumptions and encourage untrue stereotypes. The context of a single story can prevent us from forming more complex views. 

2. "Nkali" is a noun that refers to power. Adichie thinks that through power people are able to encourage stereotypes. Adichie things that Nkali helps to play into the narrow mindedness and false stereotypes people in the western believe. 

3. I think that the most important thing I will take away from this TED Talk is the importance of being open to other perspectives and receiving information, especially when it is a topic you don't know much about. 

Part Two: The Coming of John 

1.  John Jones a black man, lives a difficult life due to discrimination. He is discriminated against at school, in public, and even at home now that he is educated. Jones was never handed the opportunity to go to school he had to work very hard for everything he had. John Henderson a white man lives a very privileged life. He earns respect through his father, and has always had any opportunity he wanted. 

2.  I think that DuBois chose to write this as a fictional story, because if the story was written based off of a real story it would be too persona. At the time the book was written a true story could have made people mad or uncomfortable, by writing it as a nonfiction DuBois successfully shares realistic black stories, and helps to influence change through white readers. 

3. John Jones views education as a privilege, and hoping to use his education not only to better his own life, but to help better the lives of other black individuals. Jones becomes defeated by education, it was really hard for him to keep up loath his white classmates. Education helped Jones to see just how bad the inequalities are. While John is at school he learns about all of the stereotypes white people have formed. When John returns hoe he can't help but notice them as well, Jones also struggles to fit in once he returned to his home town. 

I think that education can change a person. In school you develop many critical thinking skills, and are also exposed to a lot of different people. Education also helps you to learn to interpret other people's stories better, and can also help to change your views in a negative or positive way.  

4. Adichie talks about the problem with a single story. She states that it can make you narrow minded and can lead you to believe in discriminatory stereotypes. DuBois writes his story with two different perspective, that of a black man and that of a white man. By writing about two different stories DuBois is able to make a compelling point about discrimination and stereotypes. Both Adichie and DuBois believe that stories are best understood and interpreted when they represent more people in a truthful manner. 

5. I chose to learn about what life was like during Jim Crow. I watched this video that gave a brief overview of daily life for African Americans during segregation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wY-ZZogyJo

One of the things that stood out to me was that African Americans had to have separate graveyards than whites. This just goes to show how unnecessarily extreme segregation was. The lady in the video uses the segregation of hospitals and cemeteries to make the point that "everything was segregated form lift death". She still talks about how African Americans lived happy lives outside of segregation, but that in public they lived lives of fear. It made me sad to learn that children always had a moment of realization when they finally learned what segregation was. Learning about these expense is heartbreaking but necessary in order to ensure that we continue to move forward as a society.