Author: Tina

Brave New World personal response

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley presented an interesting take on a vision of the future. However, despite the interesting ideas, and world-building, I did not enjoy the book very much. The author’s writing style did not resonate with me. In addition, I did not enjoy the sexual aspect of the world. It was understandable that the sexual aspect was a very crucial part of the story, and that by the author emphasizing sexual themes to create a dystopian society drastically different from our own, It would make it much more dystopian and faraway from our society. This shock value added to the dystopian feel of the story. However, I did not care for it. Though I must admit, it is a thought provoking book, It raised many questions for me, such as: if society reached this state, would it be reversible in any amount? Could it be possible to revert back into viviparous days? Or would society continue to spiral further into dystopia? I also think it’s interesting to consider how much our upbringing and environment determine our eventual outcomes. 

There were aspects I enjoyed. I rather liked the ending. I liked the thought that there was only one man who did not fit anywhere. He had been outcast and observed as if an animal in a cage at the zoo. He belonged to no place and lived in a grey area. I imagine three stripes, the left one being the savage reservation, the right one being the “civilized” society, and then John in the middle. All by himself. Perhaps the line has bars that act as the windows for people to glare through and make a mockery out of him. That’s how I visualized it.

 It could be said that John fell into the power of the World State’s conditioning. He participated in the orgy, ingested soma, and subsequently commited suicide, demonstrating the struggle to overcome the World State’s conditioning. That in particular, made me consider our reality and the conditioning we receive at schools that will affect us till the end. How is it any different? The values and behaviours of the people in the Brave New World seemed completely normal to them, they were considered to be civilized. What’s the difference between us and them? The values and beliefs that school reinforces, society also calls us civilized when we follow those values. If a John did come into our reality would he meet the same fate?

I did enjoy the aspect of soma as well, that drugs were necessary for the upkeep of happiness and it was one of the only times I could make a connection between their world and ours. But overall, The book left me wanting more. I think the book was an interesting experience, that I have learnt something from. And I am happy to have ventured out of my reading comfort zone. 

 

IRJE #4 The Days of Abandonment

The Days of Abandonment is an Italian novel written by Elena Ferrante, published in 2002. The story follows Olga, an Italian woman, after her husband, Mario, comes home and calmly announces that he wants to leave her after 15 seemingly happy years of marriage. He explains that although he has nothing to reproach regarding their marriage or her, he wishes to break it off regardless. Olga does not understand and begins analyzing their relationship but cannot find any errors in their marriage. She frantically and desperately searches for answers but finds all their mutual friends, who may have any information, to be reticent regarding Mario. Olga begins spiraling as Mario leaves her abruptly, with two children, a dog, and a house to take care of. She finds her usual refined, delicate, and gracious choice in words as well as manner of tone become strident, vulgar, and coarse. She unwisely yells and lashes out her anger at everyone who happens to call. For this reason, she ends up pushing away any solicitous friends that were persistent in attempting to help her. The rest of the novel follows her as she continues her descent into a psychotic state after his departure. As Olga spirals further, becomes obsessive, and unhinged; you begin to worry for her children and begin to feel compassion for her.

Now, at thirty-eight, I was reduced to nothing, I couldn’t even act as I thought I should. No work, no husband, numbed, blunted. When the children were at school, I lay on the sofa, got up, sat down again, watched TV. But there was no program that could make me forget myself. (p.30)

I chose this quote because it captures well the emotional state that a person can feel once they are abandoned. How frail a person can really become once their system and daily routine is shattered. This quote shows how Olga’s life has been completely disrupted by her husband’s abandonment. When her routine was suddenly taken away, she was left feeling lost and without purpose. she couldn’t find anything to distract her from her despair.

PW#4 — Equilibrium

I decided to watch the movie Equilibrium (2002) because of its dystopian themes, as I wanted to delve deeper into the dystopian genre now that we have begun this unit. This movie connects with the themes explored in the book Brave New World. The film had many thematic parallels to Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World. Both works depict societies engineered for artificial stability, where emotional suppression and societal control reign supreme. Equilibrium portrays a world devoid of emotion, maintained through mandatory mood-altering drugs, which was similar to the artificial happiness and societal conditioning in Brave New World. Both narratives highlight the dangers of sacrificing individual freedom and emotional expression for the illusion of a perfect society.

I gave the movie four out of five stars. I do not usually enjoy dystopian media, however, I liked the way Equilibrium set the scene. Also in contrast to the book Brave New World,  Equilibrium did not have any sex related aspects which I found to be much more comfortable and made it more enjoyable. The movie features one of my favourite actors, Christian Bale, which was also a factor for my high rating.

IRJE#3 THE THIEF

The Thief is a Japanese book written by Fuminori Nakamura, published in 2012. The story follows Nishimura, an experienced pickpocket as he steals from the people of Tokyo. Nishimura receives an incredible job offer from an ex-crime partner of his, and pulls off his greatest heist.  Nishimura manages to pickpocket sensitive documents from a pocket that is completely sown on every side and resides on the inside of the jacket of the target. Along the way he meets a child with a good-for-nothing mother. He teaches the child the ways of pickpocketing in order to save him from getting caught. 

“A wallet shows a person’s personality and lifestyle. Just like a cell phone, it is at the center, forming the nucleus of the owner’s secrets, everything he carries on him.”(p. 7)

I chose this quote because I think it’s interesting to see such a personal take on wallets, I don’t think that’s something that most people even think about. Seeing it from the eyes of an experienced pickpocket makes wallets which are ordinarily dull seem like interesting objects full of personality.

PW#3 LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE

Little Miss Sunshine is a movie that has been on my mind for a long time. I watched it for the first time in March of this year, a second time in June, and now I’m seriously considering a rewatch. In my relatively short life, I’ve had the privilege of watching many movies. This year alone, I have watched enough movies to be called a movie buff (one hundred and thirty three movies to be exact) but no movie entranced me as much as Little Miss Sunshine. The portrayal of intricate and dysfunctional family dynamics possessed an unmatched level of realism. In just one hour and forty one minutes, the actors and crew were able to capture profound emotions, comedy, meaningful one liners, and delightful moments in a naturally cohesive manner. It is beyond human comprehension how everyone involved in the creation of the film had been able to come together, collaborate, and sync on such a profound level to produce a film as flawless as this masterpiece. Little Miss Sunshine is a cinematic gem that follows the Hoovers family as they try to get to a children’s beauty pageant. On the way they face numerous challenges and learn how to work together and overcome obstacles. The film has a heartwarming message of self-acceptance and reminds those watching that happiness can be found in the most unexpected places, even amidst chaos and shattered aspirations.

“IRJE #2 Life for sale 

Life for sale is a Japanese novel written by Yukio Mishima, published in 1968. The story follows Hanio, who at the beginning of the novel attempts to kill himself for no reason. After his attempt fails, he has nothing left to fear and feels that life is now meaningless. For this reason, he puts an ad in the newspaper announcing his life is for sale. He will do any job or task that is asked of him for any price, including death. The rest of the novel follows him and the strange adventures he embarks on after being hired by various abnormal people. 

“He was a man who had already died once. There was no reason why he should feel any sense of responsibility or attachment to the world. To him, it was nothing more than a sheet of newspaper covered in the scribblings of cockroaches.” (p. 33 ) 

I chose this quote because the author repeats similar sentiments throughout the book, and each sentiment sums up Hanio as a person, as well as give us the reason for his irrational, life threatening decisions.

“The Moral equivalent of War” and “Can real men live in society?” Reflection

 

William James shared an idea in which people are conscripted to national service. James’s idea of mandatory community service and the forced labor seen in communist regimes share a common thread: getting everyone to work together for the supposed good of society. James thought this would build strong character and a sense of community, but without the violence of war.

However, forcing people to work goes against basic human rights and freedom. People should have the choice to contribute willingly. Plus, when people are forced to do something, they often don’t do their best. This kind of system would likely lead to shoddy work, low productivity, and anger towards the government.

History shows us that similar ideas in communist countries caused more harm than good. It’s also too easy for those in power to abuse the system, turning “community service” into unpaid or poorly paid labor that only benefits the government.

In conclusion, I find William James’s ideas to be neither practical nor ethical. While Mr. McKnight references James in his essay “Can Real Men Live in a Society?”, I struggled to follow his argument due to its disjointed nature and abrupt shifts between historical periods.

PW#2 MID90S

Last night I watched Mid90s, an A24 movie. It was released in 2018 and directed by Jonah Hill. The story takes place in 1990’s Los Angeles and follows thirteen year old Stevie. Stevie is a decently pure and well mannered child who navigates his troubled home life with his boundary-lacking mother and his older brother who beats him. Stevie joins a new friend group he meets at a skate shop. The group consists of 4 boys not including Stevie. The story shows how the boys have their own ambitions and dreams but they are doomed to live little lives in poor neighbourhoods. The group acts very gang like, breaks many rules, rebels together, and runs from cops together. But they still care for one another and speak of the future and ambitions very often. This movie has been on my mind since I watched it. I really liked how realistically they portrayed teenage conversations. The way the movie captured acting out, living in complicated conditions and longing for a better reality simultaneously was realistic. The art direction for the movie was amazing and each scene was very well shot. The music chosen consisted of some great bands and their less popular songs, many of my favourites were included. Morrissey (from the smiths), The Pixies, and The Misfits for example. This movie definitely made its way up to my favourites. 

 

IRJE#1 – The Plague

The Plague by Albert Camus is an absurdist novel. It depicts the spread of a fictional plague. Dr. Bernard Rieux acting as the narrator of the story. The story takes place in Oran, Northern Algeria. Rats begin showing up in the rather boring town, which raises a bit of concern from the people who live there. Before long, piles of thousands of rats come out to die daily. They are found everywhere, in cafes, hotels, houses, hallways, streets, and rooms. M. Michel, the concierge of the building in which Rieux lives, contracts an odd illness and dies within a week. Experiencing incredibly high fever, difficulty breathing, and fatal buboes. He is the first victim of the plague. After this, many people in the town begin to fall to the same illness. In no time at all, the number of deaths becomes staggering. Hundreds by the day. The town makes the decision to gate Oran and quarantine. 

“How hard it must be to live only with what one knows and what one remembers, cut off from what one hopes for!” (pg.33) 

 

“They knew now that if there is one thing one can always yearn for, and sometimes attain, it is human love.” (pg.271) 

I chose these two quotes because they tell us about exile and isolation as well as yearning and longing for absent loved ones. Things which become the main focus in the novel as the story progresses. The story focuses on the effects of the plague on the townspeople. As the plague’s death toll increases, people become more afraid and begin to stay away from other people in fear of contracting the plague. The narrator dwells on the feelings of isolation and suffering and portrays  a lot of the townspeople as jumbled messes full of “futile” emotions.  Many people consider this novel to be a war allegory of the French resistance to the Nazis in WW1. Relating to how the story “points out the futility of human aspirations and inevitability of suffering.”  (study.com)

The novel perfectly tackles the topic of estrangement. The book has become somewhat relatable when talking about isolation and quarantine. 

WW1 Reading Prose, Personal Response

Reading “All Quiet On The Western Front” by Erich Maria Remarque and the various perspectives from the “WW1 Prose Reading” gained me much insight on a subject I was rather ignorant about. Prior to this unit, I understood the general goings on in wars and I stood for anti war philosophy with basic understanding of why. 

However, during this unit I got clear, insanely detailed, personal writings depicting and retelling the events that happened during the war. Reading the writings broke stereotypes for me and overall changed the way I perceive war forever. I found myself with questions relating to war that enveloped me and an urge to find out in order to settle these questions. My anti-war philosophy gained even more reason for existence and has become an impenetrable wall of thought. 

I gained much sympathy for soldiers, especially those who were shunned away from society due to the shell shock they experienced. I gained respect for soldiers who got through daily life after the war despite being plagued with trauma. But simultaneously, I lost the slight amount of respect I initially held for soldiers after hearing the treacherous acts they committed while acting in the war. Although it was reassuring hearing that the soldiers were not all without empathy for the people they killed. 

This unit was eye opening and the resources provided vast knowledge on the events that occurred during war. 

PW#01– My Experience With Planes

Planes may bring excitement to others, but to me they bring nothing but annoyance and discomfort. People’s faces always contort in ways that are unfamiliar to me when talking about planes. They may seem to be gleeful faces but to me they are awkward and unnatural grimaces, because there is no possibility that people take enjoyment in flying. I find the very idea of people being happy about planes to be in itself crazy and unnatural. 

I could understand the sentiment if one had never been on a plane before. The excitement would be excusable. However, if one has flown before and they enjoyed it, I would have to classify that individual as troubled and insane. 

The repetitive worries that the whole traveling process induces do not favour my mental health. Trying to make it to the airport on time with all the traffic that constantly dwells around any airport imaginable. The cold and unforgiving staff that are in charge of making the process “seamless and easy”. God forbid you make a mistake! They do not hesitate to attack. Nitpicking seems to be a necessary quality to work at an airport. Going through security where every insignificant thing seems to be a cause for alarm. 300 arbitrary procedures must be conducted and followed or else the process of actually getting to your gate becomes even more hellish. The walk to your gate if you miraculously make it past security. Say you want a bottle of water and gum, a totally reasonable desire before boarding. But do you have fifty dollars prepared? Not including tax of course. The unorganized boarding system where everything is delayed. You should be thankful not to have a connecting flight. 

 

The whole process is cruel and unforgiving. Every time I fly, I swear to never get on another plane. Yet, I always find myself on them again in no time at all. Just as I am on a plane right now.