The Things They Carried: Chapters 15 & 16

In a sense, I lost a bit of respect of Tim O’Brien after finishing up these two chapters. In chapter 16, O’Brien was explaining how Norman Bowker had sent a letter to him several years earlier. In the letter, Bowker addressed that he felt O’Brien should “write a story about a guy who feels like he got zapped over in that shithole” (151), which is ultimately the idea of which chapter 15 was based. However, Bowker then went on to write, “If you want, you can use the stuff in this letter. (But not my real name, okay?)” (151). Bowker asked O’Brien to use his name if he was going to use his story, but that request was clearly ignored. As a result, I lost a bit of respect for O’Brien regarding the fact that he broke a sincere promise to one of his old friends. On a totally different note, O’Brien shared some interesting and powerful information in chapter 16. He wrote, “By telling stories, you objectify your own experience. You separate it from yourself. You pin down certain truths. You make up others. You start sometimes with an incident that truly happened, like the night in the shit field, and you carry it forward by inventing incidents that did not in fact occur but that nonetheless help to clarify and explain” (152). For some reason, this passage struck me. I have never once begun to think that telling stories could be such an experience for an individual, but O’Brien proved me wrong. He portrayed telling stories as being rather powerful - an adjective I never thought would have been linked to story-telling. Although he broke his promise with Bowker, I do believe that including such a personal and random story as the one in chapter 15 was effective. The details and images included in chapter 15 portrayed real events and emotions of an individual that had served in a war, which is something that we do not get the opportunity to experience that often. O’Brien wrote, “The emotional core came directly from Bowker’s letter: the simple need to talk” (152). Talking is a powerful action, one that many tend to take advantage of. All Bowker wanted to do was to talk to someone about his experience in war, yet no one would listen. As a result, in drove around in circles around the lake and was thus forced to reminisce about his wartime memories and experiences all alone. O’Brien wrote, “The town could not talk, and would not listen. “How’d you like to hear about the war?” he might have asked, but the place could only blink and shrug. It had no memory, therefore no guilt…It did not know shit about shit, and did not care to know” (137). The town in which Bowker lived had no interest in hearing about his experiences in Vietnam, thus forcing him to remain silent about what had really happened.

DUE: 5/9/11
(posted one day late due to network being down)

Always Do the Right Thing

In the novel Native Son, Richard Wright explores the complex relationship between whites and blacks in the 1930s. The majority of the white race were racially opposed to those of the black race, while some few chose to defy the social norms and side with the blacks. Despite these few individuals, many people of the white race chose to uphold stereotypes involving blacks that were not necessarily true. These individuals further acted upon these stereotypes. For example, following the discovery of the murder of Mary Dalton committed by Bigger, a poor black boy living in Chicago, many whites fired the black men and women that they had working for them because they were afraid of what actions they might take. They stereotyped all black people as being murders, solely because of the actions Bigger took. In "How Big Was Born", Wright took the time to explain the in depth process of how he created the main character of this novel. Wright further explores and criticizes the variety of stereotypes looming around the black population, and how at times, they are inescapable. This movie includes a variety of different stereotypes involving both whites and blacks. In the end, it was the black man that was being arrested and killed by the white police officer because of a disruptive action taken against a white man. It was the white Italian man who acted as though he were superior to those of the black race. It was the black man that demanded change on the wall of a restaurant and it was the white man that said no. It was the black man that burned down a restaurant and it was the white man that shot him down with the water from a hose. All of these stereotypes were present in the movie, and similarly enough, Wright believed that these, among many other, existed in society at the time he wrote his novel. The many different characters of this movie seemed to me to be quite complex and somewhat two-sided at times. Sal was a white Italian man that owned a pizza shop that employed a black man and that fed black people. When first introduced to Sal, I thought he was a decent person in that he did not serve or employ individuals solely based on the color of their skin. However, the way in which he treated Radio Raheem was not necessarily appropriate. When Radio Raheem came into the pizza shop with his music blaring, I do not think it was necessary for Sal to start blaring out discriminatory words or go into the back of the shop and get a baseball bat. Mookie was another character in this movie that was relatively two-sided. He pulled Vito aside and told him that he should do the right thing. Ironically, Mookie was the one who emptied a garbage can and threw it at the window of the pizza shop at which he had been generously employed. In my opinion, Mookie's action was completely unnecessary, and I am quite angry that he threw the garbage can. I truly feel bad that such hateful action was taken by the community towards the pizza shop. I do not think that Sal's actions towards Radio Raheem deserved such hate in return. Looking back at this scene of the movie, I am beginning to believe that the black people crowding around the pizza shop were actually angry at the white police officers that murdered Radio Raheem, rather than being made at Sal for breaking Radio Raheem's radio. I strongly believe that these black individuals let out their anger and rage towards the wrong person and place. Despite my obvious disappointment of the death of Radio Raheem, I do not believe that he did the "right thing" by walking into the pizza shop with his radio on high volume after Sal had already told him to turn it down. I understand the message Radio Raheem was trying to send, but he did it in a rude and relatively obnoxious way. At one point or another, most of the characters included in this movie did do the "right thing", while at other times, they took actions that were, in my opinion, not all necessary.

Moving Forward in the Civil Rights Movement - "Robert Kennedy and the Assassination of Revered Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr."

SUMMARY
New York Senator Robert Kennedy was a huge particpator in the fight for freedom and civil rights among the blacks living in America. Kennedy was involved with and had a relationship with Martin Luther King, Jr,  who he suggested should march an army of poor people to Washington in the hopes of persuading President Johnson to "address their plight." At a campaign event in Indianapolis that was organized by the former Chairman of the SNCC, John Lewis, the members of the committee learned of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr and as a whole agreed that Kennedy would deliver the news of the tragedy to the crowd that was full of blacks. Kennedy offered that black people and white people can live in separate worlds filled with hatred toward one another. However, Kennedy greatly encouraged that the black individuals that are filled with even more hatred as a result of the death of Martin Luther King, Jr. by a white man. Kennedy believed that as Martin Luther King did, they can make an effort "to understand and to comprehend, and to replace that violence...with an effort to understand with compassion and love." Rather than to shed blood and kill, Kennedy believes that these hate-filled individuals should make an effort, as did their leader, to understand the white race. Kennedy preached that the United States cannot be divided nor can it be filled with hate; the United States must become a nation filled with love and compassion, whether it be towards a white or black individual. At the end of his speech to the black crowd, Kennedy stated that the majority of the people living in the United States want peace and understanding, and as a race, the blacks must come together and take the first step forward towards this desire.

QUESTION 1: After King's assassination Senator Robert Kennedy stated, "it is perhaps well to ask what kind of a nation we are and what direction we want to move in." What did Kennedy see as the solution to the moral and political crisis in the wake of King's assassination?
As the solution to the moral and political crisis in the wake of King's assassination, Kennedy saw that the black race must join together to create an environment full of peace and understanding. Kennedy believed that the blacks must dedicate themselves to the cause that Martin Luther King so loyaly dedicated himself to for several years - the fight for black freedom and equality. The black race must take the first step in fulfilling King's dream, and by this is meant that the United States is a nation filled with peace, happiness, and equality.

Beloved: Memory, Rememory, & The Power of the Past

Thus far in the novel, memories, specifically of the past, have played quite a large role. It is quite evident that the character's of both Sethe and Paul D have been shaped by the events that took place in their past, especially the ones at Sweet Home. Early on in the novel when Paul D was still getting aquainted in 124, him and Sethe had a conversation together. Paul D admits to Sethe that he wants to have a life with her, but Sethe is reluctant to change the way her life is. She states, "I don't go inside" (55). This illustrates how Sethe is reluctant to look into her past history, especially the times she spent at Sweet Home. I greatly assume that most slaves, once they were finally freed, had a hard time letting go of their past. The power of the past can have quite an effect on an individual, either for the better or for the worst. In the case of Sethe, Pauld D, and the majority of slaves, the power of the past negatively impacted their lives. It is quite evident that both Sethe and Paul D are two individuals that prefer to live in the present, rather than dwell on the past. At the end of Chapter 7 when Paul D is sharing painful memories of Halle with Sethe, an interesting piece of imagry is used. Morrison wrote, "Saying more might push them both to a place they couldn't get back from. He would keep the rest where it belonged: in that tobacco tin buried in his chest where a red heart used to be. Its lid rusted shut. He would not pry it loose now in front of this sweet stury woman, for if she got a whiff of the contents it would shame him" (86). This illustrates how the painful memories of Paul D's past were buried deep inside of a tobacco tin that was difficult to pry open. The pain of the past can be extremely difficult to relive. The power of the past is clearly illustrated when Sethe returns to the Clearing. While there, we are introduced to the early days of 124 when Sethe first arrived. Morrison wrote, "Her faith, her love, her imagination and her great big old heart began to collapse twenty-eight days after her daughter-in-law arrived" (105). Sethe believes that she is to blame for Baby Sugg's death, and she ultimately believes that 124 was only what it was when Baby Sugg's was around. Sethe returns to the Clearing because she wants to feel the spirit of Baby Suggs. Sethe was in a lot of pain, and she felt that the only way to relieve this pain was to return to this place where such high spirits were felt. It is evident that both Sethe and Paul D, as we have known them so far, are two individuals that view the past as being painful, and that do whatever possible to avoid it.

Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Self-Reliance"

Ralph Waldo Emerson was an individual that truly believed in the importance of the individual, and how society as a whole would rather be filled with conformists. During the literary movement of the 1830s and 1840s, the idea of "transcendentalism" was introduced. The sole purpose of this movement was to put focus on the individual and the power that all individual's posses. Emerson was an individual that believed that all people have knowledge within us, and that knowledge is the only knowledge that is actually needed. Everything we know comes from deep inside of us, and everyone has the power and ability to define things in the way that they see it. All individuals have limitless knowledge. Seen through his essay "Self-Reliance" comes the idea that Emerson was anti-conformity. He truly believed in the individual and the progression of the individual. He wrote, "These are the voices which we hear in solitude, but they grow faint and inaudible as we enter into the world. Society everywhere is in conspiracy against the manhood of every one of its members. Society is a joint-stock company, in which the members agree, for the better securing of his bread to each shareholder, to surrender the liberty and culture of the eater. The virtue in most request is conformity. Self-reliance is its aversion. it loves not realities and creators, but names and customs" (21). Emerson believed that a society should consist of many individuals rather than few groups. However, he realized and noted that society's virtue is conformity. Society could only wish to consist of individuals that conform to the thoughts and opinions of others, rather than consisting of individuals that have their own thoughts and opinions. A person, in sum, should define his or her place in society by acting as an individual and defining his or herself with their own name and identity. Although society pushes for the conformity of all its inhabitants, people need to find it in themselves to defy these hopes and act as an individual.

Quran Burning: Thoughts About 9-11 & The First Amendment:

Most people would think that the ninth anniversary of a day in which our nation was brutally attacked would be in a day in which our nations' citizens would unite as one and continue to remember those that were killed on September 11, 2001. However, Reverend Terry Jones of Gainesville, Florida, had a different idea of how he wanted to celebrate this anniversary. Jones planned to involve himself in a Quran-burning protest that would take place on September 11. The Quran is the holy book of the Muslim people. The news of this plan has startled many people living in this nation, one of which is the President of the United States, Barack Obama. Obama stated, "If he's listening, I hope he understands that what he's proposing to do is completely contrary to our values as Americans, that this country has been built on the notion of freedom and religious tolerance" (Associated Press). Although the First Amendment does give this nation's citizens the freedom of speech and freedom of religion, I do not believe that Jones' actions are appropriate nor morally correct. Yes, it is true that Jones does have the "freedom" to act in such ways that he pleases, but his potential action of burning another religion's holy book is going against the laws upheld by our Constitution. Besides for defying what is included in our consitution, Jones' planned actions would, in my opinion, put this country at great risk for future attacks. Obama later stated, "And as a very practical matter, I just wanted him to understand that this stunt that he is talking about pulling could greatly endanger our young men and women who are in uniform" (Associated Press). Jones believes that the Quran "is evil because it espouses something other than biblical truth and incites radical, violent behavior among Muslims" (Associated Press). Burning this holy book will only create problems, rather than solve them. If Jones does follow through with his plan, I am very afraid as to what the after-effect will be. I am extremely worried that if this protest takes place, the Muslims will take action and that could mean potentially killing American citizens. As written on one English-language banner held up by the protesters, "If Quran is burned, it would be beginning of destruction of American." I believe that America needs to do whatever possible to make sure that Jones does not follow through with his violent plan.

Who Are They? - Response to "Whatever Happened to the Signers of the Declaration of Independence" & "Bold Men in Ruffled Shirts"

How would you picture the men who signed the Declaration of Independence? Whenever I have seen pictures of men signing the Declaration of Independence, they all looked as if they were over the age of sixty, probably because all of them had grayish, white hair. It also looked as if all of the men were wearing ruffled shirts and long pants. Observations do mean a lot, but what's most important is reality. Inr eality, all of these men who signed the Declaration of Independence were nearly all under the age of forty five, with just a few exceptions. As stated in the article, "With the exceptions of Benjamin Franklin, who was 70, and a few others, they were also younger than we usually think of them." (McCullough 59). I found this to be very interesting because I had previously assumed that all of these men were older than forty years old. It is also clear to me that all of these men were on a mission, mainly because of when McCullough wrote, "And let us never forget they were setting out not only to triumph over the British Army and Navy, but to establish an entirely new nation" (McCullough 59). These men were determined to improve the conditions in America. I definitely admire the work and effort these men put towards creating this Declartion of Indepence. "To sign your name to the Declaration of Independence was to declare yourself a traitor to the British crown" (McCullough 59). This just shows how admirable these men are. I also found the information included in "Whatever Happened to the Signers of..." to be extremely interesting, yet surprising at the same time. I had previously thought of these men to be successful and well-rounded individuals, but as this article clearly proves, none of them recieved the greatest of fortunes.