It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World

Hamlet. What a guy. He’s a real character. To put into simple terms: he is a little crazy, mad even. But in all honesty, he is the only character with some sanity. He sees everything with a clear point of view. He sees everything as it is. No more, no less.

He is able to see right through everyone’s lies and charades. For example, Hamlet confronts Guildenstern, “…how unworthy a thing you make of me! You would play upon me… Call me what instrument you will, though you (can) fret me, you cannot play upon me.” He detected Rosencrantz and Guildenstern evasiveness throughout the play. Hamlet is not one to mess with. He will call you out on your own faults and insecurities.

Hamlet is an actor in himself, while he is an actor in the actual play Hamlet. He plays everyone else while pretending to be mad, which he is mad. Pretty much this whole play is an inception of inceptions. Yes, he sees his dead father. And yes, he obsesses over getting his uncle/stepfather (gross) to admit to killing his true father. But he is just a paranoid boy seeking some clarity in all this madness.

I mean put yourself in his shoes. Your mother married your uncle, who is your father’s brother. Also, the same uncle killed your father for the throne. And everyone is against you. I would say Hamlet has a right to be a little mad and paranoid.

A Drop in the Ocean

            More than once in our lives, we’ve looked at a celebrity, a professional athlete, or a friend thinking “I want her hair” or “If only I could throw a baseball at 95 mph”. We are never satisfied with our life. We always want more.

            David Sedaris creates a compare and contrast essay showing the differences between his own childhood and his partner’s childhood. They lead completely diverse lives; Sedaris living in North Carolina with his family, while Hugh is living a life of instability never knowing what’s going to happen next. They do similar activities, however not to the same extent. Like Sedaris says, “The verbs are the same, but he definitely wins the prize when it comes to nouns and objects.”

            The same thing happens in our normal lives. We want, want, want something, yet, never stopping to think how great our life actually is. We’re not shivering in the cold like the homeless; we aren’t dying of an incurable disease like some patients. We take our life for granted, thinking that failing a quiz is the end of all humanity; however, we don’t have to worry about where our next meal is coming from. We need to become more grateful for what we have, rather than worrying about what we want. You never know how great you have it until you lose it.

Heaven is a Place on Earth

     Expansive and wild, untamable, invincible, defender of the unrefined, buffalo and elk, mother of nature, father of survival, soul of tranquility, Yellowstone National Park is the sanctuary of character, the sanctuary of title, of knowledge, of mystery. It gives birth to Old Faithful Geyser and Yellowstone Lake, extending over 2,219,789 wildlife-inhabited acres, rocky as the mountains. Over two million and two hundred thousand acres of clawing, stampeding, grazing animals, of waterfalls and lakes and hot springs, of mountains and forest, of grass, meadow, pasture and vastness. Things get eaten here, things boil over, explode, graze, forage. The park is home to sixty-seven species of mammals, three hundred and twenty-two species of birds, sixteen species of fish, six species of reptiles, and four species of amphibians – all diversely equipped with beaks, claws, wings, fangs, antlers, hooves and fur – not to mention the pronghorns, moose, and black bears, white-tailed deer, mountain goat, and bighorn sheep, grey wolves and mountain lions that exist only to compound the beauty and perfection of life. There are lynx here, black bears, bobcats, and cattle, there are wolverines, bald eagles, and cutthroat trout. They feed on each other, in the prairie and plains they lay eggs, they scratch and sniff and peruse the enormous land, growling and howling through the long nights until the earth echoes a sweet lullaby.

Thriller

Death is a funny thing. It’s the circle of life. It’s inevitable. As mortal creatures we are obsessed with death. We like to think that maybe there is some fountain of youth out in this massive world just waiting to be unveiled; however in reality, there isn’t. You can’t escape it.

Another funny thing about death is that we think it’s so fascinating. For example, have you ever noticed that in every Disney movie there is someone dying or dead? I thought Disney was a happy place; yet, when you begin to analyze the story of the main character and their life, it’s actually pretty tragic.

We enjoy seeing people die in any circumstance. Bad guy. Boom. Dead. Yippee. Blond chick that has been irritating throughout the whole movie. Dead. Awesome. Dog. Dead. NO!

However, it’s not really the death that fascinates us; it’s the anticipation and the struggle right before the act, the final stand. For example, in The Death of the Moth, Woolf stares at this moth that is confined in this window pane. She watches as it resists death, the legs twitching desperately trying to stay alive. In the end, it’s too much. Death had taken over the moth.

We have a twisted wish for death. It’s different, mesmerizing, intriguing. It reels us in with the emotional attachment, filling us with joy or sorrow. Filling a void within us that craves for this dark demise.

Man in the Mirror

            A man wheels down the street. He has a physical disability to where he is stuck in a wheel chair for the rest of his life. Would you have guessed he is one of the smartest men on the planet? His name is Stephen Hawking.

            A frail, forty-two year old African American woman takes a seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. She takes a seat in the white section of the bus. A white man told her to move to the back of the bus where she belonged. That day she had had enough. She said no. Would you have guessed she was the mother of the civil rights movement? Her name was Rosa Parks.

            We judge. It’s how we were raised even though you didn’t know it. We singled out the people who we thought we were weird or not quite like us. We create stereotypes also so we can clump the different types of people into groups.

            We read a short story that exposed the negative side of judgment. A black man named Staples was thought to be “a mugger, a rapist, or worse” wherever he went. A woman ran at the sight of him walking down the street. He was thought to be a robber in his own company. He had to watch what he was doing at all times. No one should have to live like this.

            We need to accept everyone. We need to accept their differences. We need to think before we act. We need to observe before we react. We need to think.

The Climb

            Death is a funny thing. It’s fascinating yet dark at the same time. It draws you in with the mystery of what is after; however, the unknown creates a hesitance.

Woolf explores the negativity and darkness of death in The Death of the Moth. She had been struggling with depression throughout her adult life and committed suicide to end her life.

In the piece she writes in the perspective of a human observing the struggle of a moth. It has to put so much work and effort in to survive yet it dies. She watches as the struggle ends and comes to a conclusion, “Death is stronger than I am”.

Life. It can be a gift or a burden. If you look at it from a positive perspective, it is to be cherished because every waking moment is a time to, well, live. I know it’s a cliché but live life to the fullest. You never know when you’re going to die so live as if you’ll die tomorrow but dream as if you’ll live forever.

The burden of life is the struggle. That feeling when it feels like nothing is going your way and it just feels like the end. But it’s not. Like Miley Cyrus says, “There's always gonna be another mountain/I'm always gonna wanna make it move/Always gonna be an uphill battle/Sometimes I’m gonna have to lose". Basically, you have to keep moving forward. It's not always about the destination but about the journey.

Be positive. Be the light.

It's Time

                Anxiety takes over my whole being as I hear the Star Spangled Banner. Two teams divided however striving for the same goal: the ticket to the Olympic Gold Medal match. I’m on the edge of my seat awaiting the whistle for the start of the game.

Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England

            “Well it’s a wonderful day here at Old Trafford. The players are on the pitch, ready for the start. The United States take on Canada in the women’s semi final Olympic match.”

            The 22^nd minute hits. My heart stops, visualizing the play before it even happens.

            “Tancredi settles the ball. Quick feed to Sinclair. Touch and shot. And it gets past Hope Solo. Canada now with a one to nothing lead.”

            I let out a small cry of defeat. I can’t lose hope. This is our time. The rest of the first half flashes by in a blur, the US can’t get anything on the board. The teams go into their separate locker rooms while I sit and wait for the second half to commence.

I have faith. I believe.

            “Now onto the second half, hopefully the US can create something up top to get a goal.”

            I watch as the US begin to connect their passes and build from the back. Cheap shots are thrown around. This game will not come easy. I sit and wait in desperation for a goal. The US has a corner kick. I pray that something can come of it. Megan Rapinoe places the ball right where she wants it. She strides back, raises her hand, runs forward and kicks the ball.

            “And the USA gets a goal. Megan Rapinoe scored it.”

            I jump into the air with triumph, not being able to hold the excitement in.

            I have faith. I believe.

            Now that there is an even playing field, we have to concentrate on winning the next goal. However it doesn’t happen. Christine Sinclair gains another point for Canada by a header goal. I can’t lose hope.

            Two minutes later. The US scores another. Megan Rapinoe, once again, taking the ball, traps it, a little touch to the right of the defender and hits the ball perfectly. The ball flies right by the goalies fingertips.

            However, Sinclair gets another goal and a hat trick for the game.

            I have faith. I believe.

            My emotions are on a never ending rollercoaster.

            Wambach, somehow, ties the game up. It’s 3-3. The game has ended. There has to be a winner. The players are fatigued. It has been a solid 90 minutes of playing time. The game will now go into overtime.

An additional 30 minutes are played. No one has been able to put one in the back of the net. The referee’s add on three minutes for the time lost for an injury.

            My heart is racing, thinking this game will go into penalty kicks.

            I have faith. I believe.

            Then the unthinkable happens.

            “One goal wins it now. O’Reilly. Morgan in the box. Wambach in the box. Here comes the cross – OH! IT’S IN! Alex Morgan has done it!”

            Alex Morgan scored a header goal in the 123^rd minute of the game.

            I have faith. I believe.

I Have A Dream

            A dream is a wish your heart makes when you’re fast asleep. Ok no, I’m not about to quote the song from Cinderella but having a dream is quite important in your life. If you don’t have a dream, you have nothing to live for, your life is meaningless, and you can leave now.

            We all have a dream. Even Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream. Pun intended. The characters within A Raisin in the Sun fight for their dreams.

Mama wants to buy the house with the money she receives in the mail. Even though her son, Walter, wants it for himself, selfishly, for the liquor stores, Mama holds out for the better of the family. She wants a better life for her family, to get the house.

Beneatha’s dream is to become a doctor, even in an era where women were supposed to be the stay-at-home mom, to cook, clean, take care of the kids while the men were out bringing in the dough, she still maintained her dream to become a doctor. Everyone in the family doubted her, except for Mama because she wanted to put aside money for her education.

Walter’s dream is, well, not a great dream in my eyes. To own liquor stores is not what I would call the American dream. But his intentions were in the right place. He wants to be able to support his family and not have to rely on Mama. He is prideful just like every other man so his intentions are clear but his actual dream is not the right place to start.

Dreams are what keep a person going. It’s their hope, it’s their passion, it’s what makes the world go ‘round. Go out on a limb and just dream.

Beautiful Soul

     We as human beings have the right to either stand up for what we believe in or just follow the crowd. Now that choice is all up to you. You can be person walking on the wrong side of the hallway to set an example or just go with the flow.

     On Friday, I read the poem “If We Must Die”. This poem was basically about how if you’re going to stand up for something, fight back and don’t give in. The vocabulary the writer used was very vulgar and distasteful which made the poem that much more interesting to read. It showed no mercy in its imagery for the white people being represented as mad, hungry dogs but also cowardly, while the African American were represented as hogs.

     When I was reading this poem it reminded me a lot of how Native Americans were treated when the white settlers came to America. We pushed and pushed to “Americanize” them, but, to be honest, what does that even mean. There is no set definition to the word American and what the “perfect” American is. That’s what makes this country so great today compared to all the other countries of the world. We are different but we accept each other as human beings.  

     Strive to be different. Take the crowd head on. Don’t give in to what’s the norm. Make a statement. Be unique. Be you.

Country Bumpkins

Have you ever thought about what other countries think about the United States? The thought came across my mind when I was reading Reading Lolita in Tehran. Mr. Nyazi’s perspective of America was very harsh. It was very black and white. No shades of gray. He accused us of rape on their culture. Now to use such a word like rape I would say is pretty harsh. That word is never taken lightly. So to accuse the United States of such an act is a huge side to take on the matter.

Now my side is neither the side of The Great Gatsby nor Mr. Nyazi’s interpretation. I take the side of America has influenced many countries but America has never said you have to be the United States of America through and through.

Have you seen America! We are a flipping melting pot of every culture, religion, race, and ethnicity you could possibly think of! We don’t reject people of their rights just because they celebrate different holidays than us. They’re American, we embrace them. If anything we stole culture and various other things from every other country in the world. We are united as one but different in every possible way. We embrace the uniqueness.

Now back to the question of what other countries thought of us. I always thought that everyone saw Americans as country bumpkins. But now that you really think about it, we are the leader of Western civilization. We strive for bigger and better things.

‘Merica.

Harry Potter is a Black Man... What???

            Never judge a book by its cover. Ever. You will most likely be wrong, I guarantee it. This past week we read Nikki Giovanni’s Sanctuary: For Harry Potter the Movie. One of the main reasons I read it was because it had Harry Potter in it, the other, obviously, it’s homework.

            The beginning is amazing and unexpected. Giovanni shows great style that keeps the reader on the edge of his/her seat. The drums beating. The fragments. It keeps it short and sweet and leaves you wondering what’s going to happen next. Then it cuts to the story of the baby elephant. It shows a protective pack of elephants trying to save the one and only baby elephant from the poachers. After the intense scene, she uses rhetorical questions to get the audience into the mind of the lone baby elephant and to show you what it is thinking. After his internal questioning it shows a flicker of hope.

            Next, it cuts to Harry Potter. And this is where all the chaos and over thinking every possible situation starts. So let me break it down for you. Harry Potter isn’t really Harry Potter. He is actually a black man and a baby elephant and kind of Harry Potter. Talk about having multiple personalities. She flashes from being Harry Potter, the boy who lived, to the black man, who is given into slavery, to the lone baby elephant, who is defenseless.

            Now if you would like something to read that confuses you, read this. If you don’t, ignore everything you just read. If you don’t really know, read it and find out.

Suicidal Coward

In the novel, The Scarlet Letter, we begin to see character development in characters such as Dimmesdale. We have seen contrast between characters such as Dimmesdale and Hester. The most dramatic character was Dimmesdale. He is supposedly a well respected man amongst the town’s people and is a good man. However, he starts to feel agonizing pain right where his heart is hence the symbolism of Hester’s scarlet letter over her heart. They are both connected and their stories are intertwined. Dimmesdale begins to understand Hester’s pain and struggle. Although, it is not the same. He goes into the square during the night and stood on the scaffold. He clutches his heart and cries out in pain but quickly regrets yelling because he is scared the town’s people will come out and see him in his shame and misery.

            Finally after seven years, Dimmesdale and Hester meet and discuss a future together in England. He agrees but wants to tie up loose ends. Once they are ready to leave and embark on their journey, Dimmesdale rips open his shirt, shows the town what’s on his heart, and kills himself. After everything, this coward decides to kill himself. He put Hester through Hell and back and leaves her for good. Hester had to put up with this life for seven years while Dimmesdale is just having a bloody good time. He got off easy taking his life while Hester was strong, independent, and never gave up.

This is not a trait of a tragic hero but of a suicidal coward.

Sad Beautiful Tragic

                Hester is portrayed as a strong woman. She can also be classified as a not so strong character. She has been mocked by her peers and society and has to live with that burden for the rest of her life. She picks herself up from the ground and brushes herself off and moves on with her life. However, the townspeople disagree. The children of the townspeople even feel that she shouldn’t ever forget her sin. They play tricks on Hester and Pearl and throw mud at them even when Hester is trying to redeem herself as an individual. However, she is reminded everyday for her fault with the bright red “A” on her chest.

                Her counter character, Dimmesdale is having some health problems. It becomes evident that his heart hurts him when he starts to clutch at his chest. This is funny because Hester has the red “A” on her chest right where Dimmesdale seems to be hurting. This also shows that the red “A” can also be shown as an emotional pain on Hester when that is all she is recognized for and Dimmesdale is experiencing physical pain in his heart right where Hester has her red “A”. They have become bonded by a fault physical and emotional to both Hester and Dimmesdale.

God's Country

                Transcendentalists believed in the individual, nature, life, and death. I like to think that some of these elements reflect my personality and character. I like to be independent and not rely on others because when others fall, I fall with them. Another point is I love nature. I can never get enough of it. Nature is where I want to live. It sounds outlandish compared to this technological based society we live in today, but once you go out to nature and reflect, you really never want to leave.

In the summer of second grade my family bought a trip to Montana at an auction. We went with my aunts, uncles, and cousins as well. We stayed in a log cabin right on the Gallatin River, so at night the deer would come down to the river and drink. It was an awesome experience seeing animals in their habitat undisturbed. The rest of our trip consisted of hiking hours to get to a breathtaking lake right in between the mountains, traveling through Yellowstone National Park, horseback through the rough terrain, and much more.

I always told myself I was going to move back out there right where we stayed. It changed how I viewed life as an individual compared to the rest of the world. It made me wonder how people could be so ignorant to God’s country way out in the middle of nowhere. It’s kind of funny, you go looking for nothing out there, but you come back with something you will cherish forever.

Start the Spark

                “Give me liberty or give me death!” is one of the most infamous phrases of all time. You can go to any country and they will understand the meaning of that sentence. This week in class we studied famous documents and the appeals they used. The most famous of these documents was the Declaration of Independence. Even the title is an assertive statement towards freedom.

            I like to think that that document was and is the backbone to this country. We, as Americans, have a chin-in-the-air-and-chest-stuck-out type of pride for this country. Our mentality as people is we are the best; we will get what we want any way possible; we are Americans. People don’t mess with the United States of America. Ever. It’s only our way or no way. The Declaration is a symbol of patriotism, liberty, and freedom. Back then, we were done getting pushed around by the big bad bully, the king of England. But after a certain point enough was enough. We took action in the form of writing and it led to a war that set the stage for this country. We came out swinging. We won the battle and won the war. It was a victory in our history we will never forget as Americans. We take pride in what we did, even if it happened over 200 hundred years ago.

            As Americans, we are seen as strong, hard-working people. That is a trait that shines throughout the world. The Declaration was a spark that set off a war that gained our freedom and independence. Words wield a strong sword. If words are that powerful, why can’t we make a difference? If they can do it, why can't I?

Great Names Come With A Price

            The Crucible is a well known book around the world. People can connect to it in some way. It shows human beings at their worst and best. It’s a story of black and white and shades of grey. People can agree that John Proctor had phenomenal character development throughout the play. He had a mistress, whom he was not proud of, he showed compassion for his wife when her name was mentioned in the court, and in the end died for her and with her. Before Proctors death his name was blemished throughout Salem with all of his past. He was targeted as a criminal and unjust to God. The community couldn’t see through their mob mentality and see the wrong doing they have committed against innocent people. If your name was mentioned you were bound to hang.

            I made the connection from this book to the movie Gladiator with Russell Crowe. In this movie, Maximus is a well known Roman general; unfortunately, he loses his position after the infamous Roman emperor, Marcus Aurelius, is murdered by his own son, who wants to seize power. The emperor’s son, Commodus, wants Maximus dead due to his faithfulness to the true Roman emperor and he witnessed the whole murder. Commodus’ soldiers lead Maximus to the woods to kill him off but Maximus triumphantly beats the few soldiers and rides to go save his wife and son. When he reaches his home he finds his wife and son burnt and crucified. He loses consciousness and wakes up to find himself a slave.

He is sold to a master, who trains them in the art of gladiatorial fighting. None of these other slaves realize he is the general, just another face to be slaughtered in the arena. Maximus and the other slaves are taken to the Coliseum, where they must fight in front of the Roman emperor, Commodus. Once the gladiators win triumphantly against the barbarians, the emperor wishes to see Maximus not realizing who he is. Once he recognizes him, he is merely a grain of dust compared to the valor of Maximus. Commodus tries to come up with ideas of how to kill this unyielding Maximus. Maximus’ friend Juba states, “You have a great name. He must kill it before he kills you,” meaning that if his name rises above the Emperors, he is certain to be a dead man walking. 

I'm Still Here

Stereotyping happens everywhere you go; walking down the street, through the hallways of Troy High, or in your AP classes. Studies have shown that when people look at you, eight seconds later they have already judged and stereotyped you. People shouldn't fall into the ruthlessness of judging people by their attire, age, gender, culture, religion, etc.

This week, we watched some clips from some Indian related stereotypical movies or television shows. They all consisted of the same stereotypes such as stoic, warrior looking, menacing, and illiterate. Compared to the white man, they were savages and were no comparison. It is funny to see white man as the higher figure in situations when we were nothing but a bunch of savages ourselves; fighting all the time with our own people.

During the course of this hectic week, students got a chance to go see a public speaker who talked about stereotyping and the things we can do to prevent such events. He talked about how smiling or saying hello can make someone’s day brighter. Everyone should be accounted for and no one should be left alone. He talked about a poem he memorized and the main theme was I’m still here. It really got through to some people and people looked a little happier after seeing his presentation.

Thus, stereotyping anyone you don’t know is wrong. You don’t know them, you don’t know their story, or what they’re made of. So don’t judge, it’s as simple as that. I hope people will branch out of their comfort zone to make someone happy. It could save a life.

Tricksters and their Tales

This week we read Coyote and the Buffalo and reflected on the defining characteristics of a trickster. Tricksters have been used in cultures and society to tell stories since the beginning of time. The notable characteristic of a trickster is greed. For example, in the short story Coyote and the Buffalo, Buffalo Bull gives Coyote a cow to sever a piece of fat to eat everyday and then after rub ashes on the bit he cut off so it would grow back. The Coyote eventually grew restless of just eating the fat and fantasized about the taste of the warm liver. He finally gave in and killed the cow but didn't get a chance to sink his teeth into the liver like he had wanted. Crows attacked the cow and ate every piece of meat except the bones. Even then Coyote fell to the suave ways of a woman by letting her “cook” the bones for him and was left with nothing but a pile of sticks. The punishment of giving into his own greed was nothing to eat and the distrust of Buffalo Bull and his herd. Another important characteristic of a trickster is their so-called “cleverness”. They think they can outsmart anyone but in reality they are the ones being deceived. A significant example of a “clever” trickster is Wile E. Coyote from the famous show Looney Tunes. He tries and tries again to beat the Road Runner at his own game. He thinks he’s clever by being sneaky and creative in trying to capture the Road Runner but Road Runner always sees it coming and repeatedly makes a fool out of Wile E. Coyote. In the end, tricksters never prosper.