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. 

Is My Smartphone Hurting Me?

Twenge thinks that smartphones are ruining children's lives. She talks about cell phone addiction and the mental health issues that correlate with it. Twenge also talks about how newer generations are almost forced into addiction “We didn’t have a choice to know any life without iPads or iPhones. I think we like our phones more than we like actual people". Twenge also discusses how smartphone scan lead to loneliness, and less interaction. Twenge writes a very opinionated piece and uses a lot of studies to back up her points. Cavanagh argues that the kids will be fine. She writes in a educational manner, and describes why Twenge's article lacks authenticity. Cavanagh states that all of the studies show similar outcomes, and were picked by Twenge, proving that Twenge's article isn't based off of proper research or studies. Both can agree that overuse of smartphones are not healthy for children and teens, however, they disagree on the long term affects cell phones may cause. 

I first got my cellphone when I was eleven. My parents got it for me because I had a very busy dance schedule and often had to get rides from friends. They thought it was important for me to be able to communicate with them. Having a phone was a new found freedom. I was able to FaceTime, text, and watch YouTube videos. At the time I was not to addicted to my phone since I was busy with school and sports. However, when covid happened di became really addicted to my phone. It was the only way I could communicate with my friends. Since I was stuck in the house with nothing to do I often found myself scrolling on til Tok for hours. My average screen time during covid was about six hours a day. Post covid I have definitely gotten better about limiting my screen time however, I still struggle with putting my phone away once I am on it. I think If I had to give up my phone for a day, it would definitely be a weird adjustment. I think we all use our phones a lot more than we realize. I would need to find better ways to entertain myself. I think that it would be a good challenge, and I am going to try it this weekend!

I think that the lesson is that everything is fine in moderation. Cell phones are definitely not going away anytime soon, and so we must learn to limit our screen time and find hobbies and socialization outside of a screen. The use of data in an argument helps to validate your point, especially if your data is from a credible source. I think that incorporating outside data is important, because things like visuals and statistics help make your points easier for the reader to understand. 

Deep Dive into the Next Subject

Brainstorming:  

Things I want

• new white sneakers 
• a vacation to the south of France  
• to be done with school  
• a lot of money 
• a nice house with a pool 
• a new phone 
• another dog 
• free college 
• banana bread 
• to be a good cook 

The Jury is Still Out

• my sleep schedule 
• my job 
• the way Tammy cuts my hair 
• my taste in movies 
• my taste in music 
• my family 

My Media and My Obsessions

• Only Murders in the Building 
• Tik Tok 
• Desperate Housewives 
• The Last Mrs.Parish 
• Justin Bieber 
• Miley Cyrus 
• Slither io 
• Subway Surfers 

Things That Bother Me:

• Chipped nails 
• People who constantly make noise 
• People pleasing 
• My brother 
• School work 
• Doing my chores 
• Driving somewhere you don't want to go 
• People who cough or sneeze right next to you 
• When people let the door slam in your face
• People who chew with their mouth open 
• When people have crumbs on their face
• Being thirsty 
• Being hungry and not having the food you want 

Compare & Contrast:

    If Desperate Housewives taught me anything its that he days of the classic suburban housewife is over. One may argue that Desperate Housewives is a stupid show. Don't get me wrong it is, but it is so addicting to watch. Some tragic event always happening, manipulative people playing devious tricks to get their way. It is never boring. Four main characters with four different stylings, each one more dramatic than the other. The drama is pretty stupid and very unrealistic. The secrets Wisteria Lane holds can engulf some into five episode binges, while making others want to turn it off within five minutes. Both sides can easily be argued. 

    Wisteria Lane appears to showcase a simple suburban life, however it residents are very unexpected, and problematic. Several house fires, multiple deaths, messy divorces, a plan crash, several hostage crises, surprise children and affairs, yet no one seems to have any sort of anxiety or PTSD. Despite it being unrealistic all of the drama provides great entertainment. It is not a show you can casually watch, if you miss even five minutes you will end up very confused. Compared to the reality of suburban life, Desperate Housewives is very far off. 

    

Deep Dive with Sherlock Holmes, Fairies, and the Devil Baby of Hull House

1. Doyle failed to do good detective work in many ways. The first way he failed was sending someone else in to do research for him. If he is going to write an opinionated belief he should have done all of the research himself. Second of all I think that he should have watched the girls take the pictures, or even if the fairies were scared of adults he could have filmed them taking the pictures. He also should have had separate interviews with the girls, so that they can't cover for each other. They were definitely many things Doyle could have done to investigate the case better.
2. Addams discovers that many of the women have lost children themselves. One of the stories that interested me most the story of Liboucha. Liboucha was the daughter of an immigrant mother. Her mother had to scrub floors and work as a janitor, her moms only goal in life was to make sure that she was well educated and had a better life than she had going up. Liboucha suddenly died of heart failure, and the mother wasn't notify until two days later.  I think that people are drawn to believing in thing that don't exist because they provide a sense of comfort. Often times in movies and television fairies are seen in positive light. For example the fairy godmother. When people go through something traumatic like the loss of a loved many people start to question the after life. Some people believe in reincarnation and might think that people could be reincarnated as fairies or animals. In both of the stories the people who believed in the fairies and the devil baby were people who had lost family members and people close to them.
3. I think there is a particular mystery behind science. A lot of times unexplainable things happen, and you don't really start to believe or question science until you experience it for yourself. I'm not sure how much of it I believe, but I definitely think there is a possibility that there is more out there that we don't know about. 
4. I researched the Ghost of Helen's Bridge in Asheville North Carolina. The story is about young mother who lost her child in a fire. Helen and her daughter were poor, and they lived up in the mountains of Asheville near the bridge in a small hut. In the mountains lived a wealthy family with a huge mansion. The bridge was "constructed in 1909 to provide access to the nearby Zealandia Mansion". The family who owned the mansion was having a party one night, and they hired Helen to work serving drinks. While Helen was working her daughter played in the library far away from the party. Later that night a fire broke out. The cause of the fire is unknown. Helens daughter died in the fire. Helen was distraught and hung herself off of the bridge. The legend has it if you go to Helens bridge and call out her name three times your car battery will die when you try to leave. There have also been reports of a women crying and a child laughing. This story proves that not all ghosts are harmful. 

Figs in My Writing

1. The painting that caught my eye was "Hurdy Gurdy Man" by Jennifer Steinkamp. 

2. 

Simile: The flower petals were smooth like a leather. 

Metaphor: She was a flower in a field full of dirt. 

Alliteration: The flowers faced the sunlight. 

Personification: The flowers begged for water as they wilted away. 

Onomatopoeia: The bee buzzed around the flowers looking for pollen.

Hyperbole: The flowers were so beautiful my eyes hurt from looking at them. 

3. As I looked up all I saw were beautiful flowers filling the sky. The flowers faced the sun, and danced with the wind. I saw beautiful hues of pink and yellow. The petals were soft and smooth to the touch. A yellow pollen painted my fingers as I touched them. It smelled like spring. The pretty pink flowers accented the yellow nicely. These were the most beautiful flowers I have ever seen. 

4.  The flowers were pink and yellow. The stems were tall with four our fives leaves on each. The petals formed a circular shape and had many layers to them. The center of the flowers was a circle filled with pollen. The color of the stems varied flower by flower, the pink with darker, and the yellow with lighter. The one consistent color is the color of the leaves, a dark green. The flowers faced up towards the sun and their roots grew deep into the ground. 

5.