Commentary on “Planting a Sequoia”
“Planting a Sequoia” is an elegy which intents to shows a father’s grief about the death of his newborn son, who plants a Sequoia tree in response to his death. The use of imagery makes clear that new hopes for the future arise for him.
Through rhetoric devices such as the parallelism “digging this hole laying you into it, carefully packing the soil” the setting is emphasized. He is addressing this poem to his newborn son that he is burying. The juxtaposition of “hold year coming to an end” and “celebrate his first son’s birth” creates the contrast between life and death, which the poem concerns. Nature is portrayed similarly through the antithesis “Nights scented with the ocean fog, days softened by the circuit of bees“. By the alliteration "Silently keeping the secret of your birth" it is emphasized that the mourning father has acknowledged the death of his baby and looks into the future.
Also sensory imagery such as "Rain blackened the horizon” and “Cold winds kept it over the Pacific” create the dark and negative mood of mourning through the negative adjectives. While it is a Sicilian Tradition to plant olive trees at birth which will then promise “fruit in other autumns", he plants a Sequoia tree in symbol of his son which is very old living and will be “ethereal” to strangers even when the family has passed away. Through "Wrapping in your roots a lock of hair, a piece of an infant’s birth cord" it is therefore shown that he gives the tree the human qualities of his son. The symbol of the tree therefore is the memory of his son which he wants to keep alive by all matters. The new hope of keeping the memory alive through this tree is therefore shown the brighter mood in the euphemism of his family’s death “when our family is no more” and the metaphor “his mother’s beauty ashes in the air”.
The metaphor of sunset again represents and end which the father wants to prevent him from. The plant should be “bathed in western light” which refers to the purification of his son after death. Also the structure of the poem containing of 5 quintics supports the idea that there is hope in all this morning as every last verse of a stanza ends with a relieving sentence such as “silently keeping the secret of your birth” and “a slender shoot against the sunset”.
As a conclusion the Elegy is driven mainly by imagery in support of the idea that there is hope wherever there is grief. The author might therefore have addressed this poem to himself to cure his pain about the death of his son or addressed it to people suffering from a loss.
Dienstag, 24. November 2009
English Commentary
Commentary on “Planting a Sequoia”
“Planting a Sequoia” is an elegy which intents to shows a father’s grief about the death of his newborn son, who plants a Sequoia tree in response to his death. The use of imagery makes clear that new hopes for the future arise for him.
Through rhetoric devices such as the parallelism “digging this hole laying you into it, carefully packing the soil” the setting is emphasized. He is addressing this poem to his newborn son that he is burying. The juxtaposition of “hold year coming to an end” and “celebrate his first son’s birth” creates the contrast between life and death, which the poem concerns. Nature is portrayed similarly through the antithesis “Nights scented with the ocean fog, days softened by the circuit of bees“. By the alliteration "Silently keeping the secret of your birth" it is emphasized that the mourning father has acknowledged the death of his baby and looks into the future.
Also sensory imagery such as "Rain blackened the horizon” and “Cold winds kept it over the Pacific” create the dark and negative mood of mourning through the negative adjectives. While it is a Sicilian Tradition to plant olive trees at birth which will then promise “fruit in other autumns", he plants a Sequoia tree in symbol of his son which is very old living and will be “ethereal” to strangers even when the family has passed away. Through "Wrapping in your roots a lock of hair, a piece of an infant’s birth cord" it is therefore shown that he gives the tree the human qualities of his son. The symbol of the tree therefore is the memory of his son which he wants to keep alive by all matters. The new hope of keeping the memory alive through this tree is therefore shown the brighter mood in the euphemism of his family’s death “when our family is no more” and the metaphor “his mother’s beauty ashes in the air”.
The metaphor of sunset again represents and end which the father wants to prevent him from. The plant should be “bathed in western light” which refers to the purification of his son after death. Also the structure of the poem containing of 5 quintics supports the idea that there is hope in all this morning as every last verse of a stanza ends with a relieving sentence such as “silently keeping the secret of your birth” and “a slender shoot against the sunset”.
As a conclusion the Elegy is driven mainly by imagery in support of the idea that there is hope wherever there is grief. The author might therefore have addressed this poem to himself to cure his pain about the death of his son or addressed it to people suffering from a loss.
“Planting a Sequoia” is an elegy which intents to shows a father’s grief about the death of his newborn son, who plants a Sequoia tree in response to his death. The use of imagery makes clear that new hopes for the future arise for him.
Through rhetoric devices such as the parallelism “digging this hole laying you into it, carefully packing the soil” the setting is emphasized. He is addressing this poem to his newborn son that he is burying. The juxtaposition of “hold year coming to an end” and “celebrate his first son’s birth” creates the contrast between life and death, which the poem concerns. Nature is portrayed similarly through the antithesis “Nights scented with the ocean fog, days softened by the circuit of bees“. By the alliteration "Silently keeping the secret of your birth" it is emphasized that the mourning father has acknowledged the death of his baby and looks into the future.
Also sensory imagery such as "Rain blackened the horizon” and “Cold winds kept it over the Pacific” create the dark and negative mood of mourning through the negative adjectives. While it is a Sicilian Tradition to plant olive trees at birth which will then promise “fruit in other autumns", he plants a Sequoia tree in symbol of his son which is very old living and will be “ethereal” to strangers even when the family has passed away. Through "Wrapping in your roots a lock of hair, a piece of an infant’s birth cord" it is therefore shown that he gives the tree the human qualities of his son. The symbol of the tree therefore is the memory of his son which he wants to keep alive by all matters. The new hope of keeping the memory alive through this tree is therefore shown the brighter mood in the euphemism of his family’s death “when our family is no more” and the metaphor “his mother’s beauty ashes in the air”.
The metaphor of sunset again represents and end which the father wants to prevent him from. The plant should be “bathed in western light” which refers to the purification of his son after death. Also the structure of the poem containing of 5 quintics supports the idea that there is hope in all this morning as every last verse of a stanza ends with a relieving sentence such as “silently keeping the secret of your birth” and “a slender shoot against the sunset”.
As a conclusion the Elegy is driven mainly by imagery in support of the idea that there is hope wherever there is grief. The author might therefore have addressed this poem to himself to cure his pain about the death of his son or addressed it to people suffering from a loss.
Donnerstag, 12. November 2009
Poems
Returning, We Hear The Larks
Sombre the night is:
And, though we have our lives, we know
What sinister threat lurks there.
Dragging these anguished limbs, we only know
This poison-blasted track opens on our camp -
On a little safe sleep.
But hark! Joy - joy - strange joy.
Lo! Heights of night ringing with unseen larks:
Music showering on our upturned listening faces.
Death could drop from the dark
As easily as song -
But song only dropped,
Like a blind man's dreams on the sand
By dangerous tides:
Like a girl's dark hair for she dreams no ruin lies there,
Or her kisses where a serpent hides.
Suicide in the Trenches
I knew a simple soldier boy
Who grinned at life in empty joy,
Slept soundly through the lonesome dark,
And whistled early with the lark.
In winter trenches, cowed and glum,
With crumps and lice and lack of rum,
He put a bullet through his brain.
No one spoke of him again...
You smug-faced crowds with kindling eye
Who cheer when soldier lads march by,
Sneak home and pray you'll never know
The hell where youth and laughter go.
Sombre the night is:
And, though we have our lives, we know
What sinister threat lurks there.
Dragging these anguished limbs, we only know
This poison-blasted track opens on our camp -
On a little safe sleep.
But hark! Joy - joy - strange joy.
Lo! Heights of night ringing with unseen larks:
Music showering on our upturned listening faces.
Death could drop from the dark
As easily as song -
But song only dropped,
Like a blind man's dreams on the sand
By dangerous tides:
Like a girl's dark hair for she dreams no ruin lies there,
Or her kisses where a serpent hides.
Suicide in the Trenches
I knew a simple soldier boy
Who grinned at life in empty joy,
Slept soundly through the lonesome dark,
And whistled early with the lark.
In winter trenches, cowed and glum,
With crumps and lice and lack of rum,
He put a bullet through his brain.
No one spoke of him again...
You smug-faced crowds with kindling eye
Who cheer when soldier lads march by,
Sneak home and pray you'll never know
The hell where youth and laughter go.
Dienstag, 3. November 2009
Haku
Slight Breezes dry Naked Sweat
Wet Shirt Pattered to Stomach
Neck Burns
Footsteps in White velvet
Comfort wherever you go
Black Chimney smoke above
Wind blows around all
Love of Yellow Forest Trees
You are warming me
Wet Shirt Pattered to Stomach
Neck Burns
Footsteps in White velvet
Comfort wherever you go
Black Chimney smoke above
Wind blows around all
Love of Yellow Forest Trees
You are warming me
Montag, 2. November 2009
Poem
Suicide in the Trenches by Siegfried Sasson
We are destroying us and our youth when supporting war
Elegy, Pair Rhyme
-we are going against god
-we are sending our children to hell and diminishing happyness
We are destroying us and our youth when supporting war
Elegy, Pair Rhyme
-we are going against god
-we are sending our children to hell and diminishing happyness
Montag, 28. September 2009
Cookoo's nest (88-89)
Context:
After McMurphy arrived at the psychatry he refuses to wash himself. For the first time the nurse is given opposition
Control of Opression
Characters:
Black boys, nurse, mcmurphy (chief bromden)
Tone: Tone of Black boys: uncertain "I guess…"
Nurse: Sharp and decisive (Symbol: Opression, Combine)
LanguageBlack Boys: Incomplete
Nurse: Simple
Rhetorical Questions: "What do you think!"
Shift in Control:
Tone Nurse:UncertainLanguage:Incomplete, uncertain,
-Nurse has lost Control
"like a wooden rack" Simmuli, she is nothing anymore
Imagery(Figurative):"face white and warped with fury"
Combine:
Nurse: Simuli to red hot wireImagery (Sensory): "shimmer a bit then click solid as the molten metal sets growing cold and strangely dull"Machinery of Combine that controls all"good morning rountine" happy again, nice again
The Role of Sexuality
About him not having clothes on
She had rather had him "stark naked" under it
-Shows how she wants to repress Sexuality
He finally winks at the nurse-Shows his sexuality
Be a Man
"a set of greens-probably 10 sizes to small"
Small vs. Big
-McMurphy is a man (Symbol: How americans should be, freedom fighter)
Living vs. Apathy/ Sanity vs. Insanity
"figuring the patients'll be too sleepy to notise"
Nurse knows that the event doesen't matter since patients are so insane, they will not notice that she has "barely" lost control
What's driving this:
Tone and Sentence Structure
After McMurphy arrived at the psychatry he refuses to wash himself. For the first time the nurse is given opposition
Control of Opression
Characters:
Black boys, nurse, mcmurphy (chief bromden)
Tone: Tone of Black boys: uncertain "I guess…"
Nurse: Sharp and decisive (Symbol: Opression, Combine)
LanguageBlack Boys: Incomplete
Nurse: Simple
Rhetorical Questions: "What do you think!"
Shift in Control:
Tone Nurse:UncertainLanguage:Incomplete, uncertain,
-Nurse has lost Control
"like a wooden rack" Simmuli, she is nothing anymore
Imagery(Figurative):"face white and warped with fury"
Combine:
Nurse: Simuli to red hot wireImagery (Sensory): "shimmer a bit then click solid as the molten metal sets growing cold and strangely dull"Machinery of Combine that controls all"good morning rountine" happy again, nice again
The Role of Sexuality
About him not having clothes on
She had rather had him "stark naked" under it
-Shows how she wants to repress Sexuality
He finally winks at the nurse-Shows his sexuality
Be a Man
"a set of greens-probably 10 sizes to small"
Small vs. Big
-McMurphy is a man (Symbol: How americans should be, freedom fighter)
Living vs. Apathy/ Sanity vs. Insanity
"figuring the patients'll be too sleepy to notise"
Nurse knows that the event doesen't matter since patients are so insane, they will not notice that she has "barely" lost control
What's driving this:
Tone and Sentence Structure
Donnerstag, 24. September 2009
Towel (S.88-89)
Context:
After his arrival in the psychiatry Mc Murphy refuses to wash himself and resists all tries with the nurse
Characters:
Nurse
Mc Murphy
Black Boys
Themes:
The Role of Sexuality
Control of Opression
Small vs Big
Big vs. Small
Big Boy gets McMurphy clothes that are probably 10 sized too small Hyperbole
Control vs. Repression
Nurse compared to wooden rack, Comparisment to something inhumane
Nurse=Symbol
"Williams… I believe… you were supposed "and you washington- and you…"Confused, out of control, indecisiveHer face white and warped with fury
Imagery: Figurative
"She uses all the power of control that’s in her. Gradually the lips gather together again under the little white nose, run together, like the red-hot wire had got hot enough to melt, then click solid as the molten metal sets, growing cold and strangely dull."Klimax
Imagery: Figurative and Sensory
Machinery=Symbol
Rhetorical Questions:If this was one of the other wards, who do you think would be scouring the hall all day?
Control of Sexuality:
She's glaring at those big white whales leaping round on his shorts in pure wordless outrage.
Imagery
What do you think would have happened if one of the yound nurses had come in early and found a patient running round the halls without a uniform What do you think!Repetition for Emphasis
Context:
After his arrival in the psychiatry Mc Murphy refuses to wash himself and resists all tries with the nurse
Characters:
Nurse
Mc Murphy
Black Boys
Themes:
The Role of Sexuality
Control of Opression
Small vs Big
Big vs. Small
Big Boy gets McMurphy clothes that are probably 10 sized too small Hyperbole
Control vs. Repression
Nurse compared to wooden rack, Comparisment to something inhumane
Nurse=Symbol
"Williams… I believe… you were supposed "and you washington- and you…"Confused, out of control, indecisiveHer face white and warped with fury
Imagery: Figurative
"She uses all the power of control that’s in her. Gradually the lips gather together again under the little white nose, run together, like the red-hot wire had got hot enough to melt, then click solid as the molten metal sets, growing cold and strangely dull."Klimax
Imagery: Figurative and Sensory
Machinery=Symbol
Rhetorical Questions:If this was one of the other wards, who do you think would be scouring the hall all day?
Control of Sexuality:
She's glaring at those big white whales leaping round on his shorts in pure wordless outrage.
Imagery
What do you think would have happened if one of the yound nurses had come in early and found a patient running round the halls without a uniform What do you think!Repetition for Emphasis
- Driven by Imagery
Mittwoch, 23. September 2009
THE DECENT END OF POVERTY
USING THE MONEY WE HAVE SPENT ON AIDING THE POOR EFFICIENTLY AND PROVIDING ECONOMIC PROSPERITY TO THE WORLD
We live in a tragic world with pictures of starving Africans on the television. There they are barefoot in scattered rags, walking 25 kilometers to a non efficient-school every day, invisibly thin, having these gigantic brown eyes looking at us, screaming for help. And then there are the other pictures of our glorious, celebrated, honored gentlemen declaring generous, new fund projects, the World Bank creating the simplest plans for the eradication of poverty, generously emptying the governmental wallet and in full trust sending it to the corrupt, first governmental officials of countries, whose names we cannot even pronounce, full of unskilled workers. While the inefficient African government fails to introduce order and wealth, their workers fail to produce more and the unproductive African societies again fail to increase their living standards. New pictures can be seen on our television containing the same invisibly thin, starving Africans as seen before (subtracting the ones who have already starved, of course) with the same giant eyes crying for more help. Again our statesman plan, arrange and set up a plan most perfect for the eradication of world poverty. Having the answers for all questions of poverty in one master plan, spending fortunes good willingly to the corrupt party officials who are not showing any of it to the poor.
The spiral is given no break in today’s economic recession. More and more of the money we give our statesmen in support of their new master plans, still flows into the pockets of barbarian leaders, not reaching any profitable effect whatsoever. Not ending the blaring and demanding pictures of the Africans in the news. I can see the inefficiency of this organization as I go out into town. The shops are empty, no one is willing to buy and companies are cutting down workers every day. We are so deeply in this crisis that I would not wonder seeing a high school drop-out fighting with a university degree student over a job at McDonald’s. Crisis is everywhere, it affects everybody! Nevertheless it is our honored governments who are hurt most. While with all this spending, not even their simplest plans for the eradication of poverty are fulfilled properly, they have less and less money to spend on their glamorous holiday trips, houses, cars and other great genialities such as the eradication of all diseases (including HIV), global climate change and death which are with a little spending here and there almost as easy to reach as the end of poverty.
But these images can be fought, they can be replaced. A decent end of poverty can be made when we start to focus on economic growth, which is of real importance to the world. Those are the 342 billion dollars that could have saved us from the depression we are in currently! Those yearly 24 Billion dollars of spending is the sum that is preventing us from getting out of the depression. Investing this money in the aggregate demand of our economies would stimulate consumer spending along with private and cooperative investment. Jobs can be created when subsidizing these firms and the production would flourish again. In the meantime our statesmen can focus on other master plans on their mind, which easily eliminate other scary pictures of our news channels.
Nevertheless, with the “Big Push” the World Bank gave 22 billion dollars to African countries from 1970 to 1994 for public investment (which was part of the total 342 billion spent), but there was no production gain; since 1979 a waste of 5 Billion dollars was sent to support a public owned steel mill in Nigeria, though the mill has not produced anything until today. These societies of no use therefore, after so many years of service, may not demand free lunches from the rest of the world anymore and a concrete, solid, firm border, serving both for protection and against exploitation of the West, around Africa shall keep their demanding hands inside (and their pictures off our TV Channels). The barricade shall be erected higher than one can jump, reach or climb and thicker than one can destroy by trouble-free means. We will eliminate this useless leakage of our economy, shut the Africans off by this massive stone border and provide our statesmen with 24 Billion dollars of prosperity.
In fact, Western Societies have spent 2.3 trillion over the last five decades on foreign aid and have not managed to prevent half of all malaria deaths costing 12 cents for medicine for each child child. We have not managed to get 4 dollar net beds to poor families and we have not managed to provide each new mother with 3 dollars to prevent the death of 5 million children. In future these great sums of money shall be used in the investment sector. An increase in government spending in the West’s economies will lead to a demand push-effect increasing investment and spending. Firms may be subsidized more creating a higher production at a lower price level, therefore increasing disposable income of our country, creating more and more spending, getting us out of the 20th century financial crisis.Another great advantage comes into place when opening up our borders in 2-3 centuries. New land, new living and new prosperity can be gained. Our economies can triple while new living spaces are created and new resources are obtained. The world’s living standards’ will rise to the horizon and give us the prosperity that has been taken from us.
Those are 342 Billion dollars that the West would not have spent blindly if the voices of our television weren’t nagging it’s feet. We would not have spent this 342 Billion if the skeletons were not following us in our worst night mares and attacking us every time we turn on the TV. Having no other motive than the public good of society in my mind I am proposing this solution since it is the most efficient way to end poverty, the economic crisis and to raise the living standards. For the educated western society it is a win-win situation, since we are now finally getting a return of what has been taken from us ever since.
Anyhow, I can see an ethnical thinker contradicting my arguments, imposing that everyone in this world is a valuable member of society. But of what use is the life of these Barbarians to the world, how are they supportive? They are sitting, opening their eyes as large as possible, waiting with their empty bowls for food and money coming out of the West’s pockets, while any help gets lost due to the corruptness of local leaders and their undereducated, inefficient, barbarian mind. What we have to see that it is us, the educated western society, who have raised the most brilliant minds (and with our flourishing production and trade contribute most to the wellbeing of the world) that are starving out. Using up more and more of the world’s space, they are multiplying exponentially everyday like McDonald’s Restaurants in the 1960’s. Demanding more and more, producing less and less, lowering the standard of the world we live in. Let us therefore stop them before it is too late and time runs out.
Consequently I am proposing this to you knowing that the increase in living standards and the public good is the only thing on my mind. By shutting the Africans off, and using the money we are currently spending on foreign aid for the governments’ well beings. No one is harmed; the previous services of our honored statesmen to the African continent are simply dismissed for the benefit of all.
Montag, 7. September 2009
Outline
How to really help the world: Outline
Global Issue: Poverty
Problem:Fortunes of the West’s money are spent to eradicate world poverty. As seen in the previous decades no improvements are reached since local barbarism prevent industrialization and globalization from taking place. The 3rd world spending represents leakages in our economies and becomes waste in the hands of corrupt leaders.
Thesis:Help organizations in Africa are a waste since no help is actually reaching Africa. Foreign aid to Africa should be eliminated and the African continent should be starved.
Outline
1. Introduction
· Useless African people: Barbarians, no education, no infrastructure, overpopulating our world, no contribution to globalization/economic growth
Economic Recession of western GovernmentsStill funds of world Bank regularly given to local, corrupt governments to help the poor
2. The Problem
· Statistics show that no help is achievedCorrupt government get our moneyPopulation of the Poor is growing and they are squeezing us out
· Debt of Western countries is growing due to Financial Crisis while funds are still being sent outEconomic Resources are becoming scarce
3. A solution
Starve out African by building a wall around it, Funds are eliminated
After 3 years open up and collect resources
4. Conclusion
Everyone would benefit
More resources and living space
Economic development and Prosperity for the Educated Western Society
Global Issue: Poverty
Problem:Fortunes of the West’s money are spent to eradicate world poverty. As seen in the previous decades no improvements are reached since local barbarism prevent industrialization and globalization from taking place. The 3rd world spending represents leakages in our economies and becomes waste in the hands of corrupt leaders.
Thesis:Help organizations in Africa are a waste since no help is actually reaching Africa. Foreign aid to Africa should be eliminated and the African continent should be starved.
Outline
1. Introduction
· Useless African people: Barbarians, no education, no infrastructure, overpopulating our world, no contribution to globalization/economic growth
Economic Recession of western GovernmentsStill funds of world Bank regularly given to local, corrupt governments to help the poor
2. The Problem
· Statistics show that no help is achievedCorrupt government get our moneyPopulation of the Poor is growing and they are squeezing us out
· Debt of Western countries is growing due to Financial Crisis while funds are still being sent outEconomic Resources are becoming scarce
3. A solution
Starve out African by building a wall around it, Funds are eliminated
After 3 years open up and collect resources
4. Conclusion
Everyone would benefit
More resources and living space
Economic development and Prosperity for the Educated Western Society
Sonntag, 24. Mai 2009
Germany’s Next Anorexic Generation?
A comment on the effect of TV model castings on teenagers
January 25th 2006: The start of the first season of the German version of an “America’s Next Topmodel”. The jury lead by Model Heidi Klum observes the 11637 applicators in swim wear. Irina a 1,83 meter tall brunette is introduced. Like all others she waits nervously for the opinion of Heidi and her expert-collogues after her “live walk”. To their answer that she is not what the show is searching for she asks “Am I too fat?” At a weight of 52 kilos at a height of 183 Irina would be categorized underweight after BMI-standards. Pointing at their logo displaying the silhouette of a thin model Heidi replies: “For us you are!“ The girl’s elimination is confirmed right away. More and more girls are dismissed due to their weight in the following shows. Weighing 50 Kilo at 1,75 eliminates girls from the show just like a weight of 52 at 1,76. Three seasons later the shows still airs with 3,86 Million watchers per week. Most of them, as a study of the German Ministry for Family Affairs states, are girls between the ages of 13 to 19. In a phase when popularity becomes very important, shows like “Germany’s Next Topmodel” have dramatic effects on this age group since the success of being thin is glorified.
January 25th 2006: The start of the first season of the German version of an “America’s Next Topmodel”. The jury lead by Model Heidi Klum observes the 11637 applicators in swim wear. Irina a 1,83 meter tall brunette is introduced. Like all others she waits nervously for the opinion of Heidi and her expert-collogues after her “live walk”. To their answer that she is not what the show is searching for she asks “Am I too fat?” At a weight of 52 kilos at a height of 183 Irina would be categorized underweight after BMI-standards. Pointing at their logo displaying the silhouette of a thin model Heidi replies: “For us you are!“ The girl’s elimination is confirmed right away. More and more girls are dismissed due to their weight in the following shows. Weighing 50 Kilo at 1,75 eliminates girls from the show just like a weight of 52 at 1,76. Three seasons later the shows still airs with 3,86 Million watchers per week. Most of them, as a study of the German Ministry for Family Affairs states, are girls between the ages of 13 to 19. In a phase when popularity becomes very important, shows like “Germany’s Next Topmodel” have dramatic effects on this age group since the success of being thin is glorified.
There are 600000 cases of eating disorder and a rising number of teenage anorexics in Germany. That “half the normal-weight girls and a quarter of the normal-weight boys still described themselves as being too fat” and that “normal-weight children who believed they were fat scored as poorly as children who really were obese” in a self esteem test is the result of this year’s survey of the German “Bravo” magazine. Addressing the responsibilities of the media therefore becomes important. Model agency manager Louisa von Minckwitz does not understand the uproar. She states that in the model business “very thin, androgen girls are wanted”. To the accuse of doctors like Prof. Dr. Manfred Richter, director of the Roseneck Hospital Chimsee, that topmodel casting shows are “propaganding the unreachable thrill of being super skinny” she responds that model casting shows are just picking out the girls that will have the best chance in today’s harsh fashion industry. Also Peyman Admin, who is a part of the jury is this opinion: “the demand for skinny girls is not coming from us, but directly from the top designers”. This defense statement is not accepted by the doctor who warns of the deathly outcome 5% of the anorexic cases have: “The show is increasing teenager’s demand for dieting”. Shows in which very skinny girls succeed over normal-weight girls, give young teens the wrong picture. The psychologist Günther Klonsinski confirms this saying that these idols from the media can lead to the wish for weight loss. “Connecting a fixed body shape to success, recognition and confidence is dangerous”
Glorifying the victory of the super skinny therefore can have dangerous effects on teenage girls. Though it is reasonable that the models for the standard designer clothes size 34 have to be searched for, shows should be aware of their influence on viewers and take responsibility for it. A first step of resolving this problem could be taken by the government by banning underweight models from catwalks. If this would resolve the “thrill for thin” is questionable, but it might take some pressure of Heidi’s casting show and for the first time lead her to say: “Sorry you are too thin for this job”
Bibliography:
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/23/many-normal-weight-teens-feel-fat/http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6492893http://www.spiegel.de/kultur/gesellschaft/0,1518,538454,00.htmlhttp://www.ceiberweiber.at/index.php?type=review&area=1&p=articles&id=30http://www.bild.de/BILD/unterhaltung/TV/2009/04/08/jade-mcsorley/start-bei-britains-next-topmodel-trotz-magersucht.htmlhttp://www.dradio.de/dlf/sendungen/kommentar/965335/http://www.sueddeutsche.de/panorama/90/372901/text/
Freitag, 15. Mai 2009
2 Newspaper Articles
Pregnant at 12 – Can’t we trust our children?
Shock over Germany: 12 year old Chasey Melling gave birth to a boy in a hospital in Munich last night. “It’s a boy, he’s adorable and I’ll be a good mother”, was all she said to the press. The father is yet unknown though many friends claim to the press to have had intercourse with Chasey. A test shall now show the truth! Her pregnancy was not long known of “I thought I had just gained some weight, I didn’t think I could get pregnant that fast”, the 7th grader claimed in our March interview. “I’ll be a good mother”. Words coming from a 12 year old. The question arises: Can we not trust our children anymore? Can we still let them leave the house without worries? The recent teenage baby boom clearly shows that we can only hope for better times!
12 year old gives birth
The 12 year old pregnant C.Melling has given birth to a boy on Tuesday. With the father yet unknown, the 7th grader agreed to a paternity test to give the situation more clearance. The Melling’s case lead to an appeal of Family-Minister Carla Anne Drung, demanding more early sexual education addressing contraception and the consequences of unprotected intercourse. “Schools should address this topic more sincerely and talk about it openly during health classes”. Drung’s goal is to draw attention to this problem but not overreact. Calling Chasey Melling’s case an exception she made it clear that she believes in the responsibility of young adults. WHO-chairman A.J.L Jowler on the other hand appealed to A.J.P. Lingard claiming the only effective way to address this problems would be government spending. More national expenditure going towards free contraception would be the only way to prevent rising teenage pregnancies.
Shock over Germany: 12 year old Chasey Melling gave birth to a boy in a hospital in Munich last night. “It’s a boy, he’s adorable and I’ll be a good mother”, was all she said to the press. The father is yet unknown though many friends claim to the press to have had intercourse with Chasey. A test shall now show the truth! Her pregnancy was not long known of “I thought I had just gained some weight, I didn’t think I could get pregnant that fast”, the 7th grader claimed in our March interview. “I’ll be a good mother”. Words coming from a 12 year old. The question arises: Can we not trust our children anymore? Can we still let them leave the house without worries? The recent teenage baby boom clearly shows that we can only hope for better times!
12 year old gives birth
The 12 year old pregnant C.Melling has given birth to a boy on Tuesday. With the father yet unknown, the 7th grader agreed to a paternity test to give the situation more clearance. The Melling’s case lead to an appeal of Family-Minister Carla Anne Drung, demanding more early sexual education addressing contraception and the consequences of unprotected intercourse. “Schools should address this topic more sincerely and talk about it openly during health classes”. Drung’s goal is to draw attention to this problem but not overreact. Calling Chasey Melling’s case an exception she made it clear that she believes in the responsibility of young adults. WHO-chairman A.J.L Jowler on the other hand appealed to A.J.P. Lingard claiming the only effective way to address this problems would be government spending. More national expenditure going towards free contraception would be the only way to prevent rising teenage pregnancies.
Donnerstag, 14. Mai 2009
The White Tiger: Balram's Dream
Balram's dream:
Around me I saw a garden full of lovely fruit trees. Apples, oranges… even cherry trees. I hadn't eaten in 5 days. Or maybe it just felt like it, but my stomach was burning of hunger and more and more liquid had accumulated in my mouth. The apples now seemed like little round pieces of treasure to me. I could already feel the glory that would overcome me when I could take a big bite into one of them. It felt like everything around me was gone… For a minute I stared at the treasonous goods in front of me.
Then I realized I was still lying on the floor. I hadn’t moved a bit. It seemed like someone had glued me to the bottom of this fruit garden. Now I tried to move but I could not get up. And the more I tried the less power I had to try one more time. The smell of the cherries started giving me hunger pains. What is going on? Why couldn't I get up? What was wrong with me? More and more men and women came to pick the fruits of the tree forest, stepping over me and tripping me on the way there. My stomach started hurting after a while since the fat men walking over me were almost 5 times the size I am. As I saw them grabbing more and more fruits I saw their eyes getting bigger. Their avarice got greater! They grabbed the apples, the oranges and the cherries while their big tummy was shaking. In this forest no one was collecting fruits together. Everyone was picking their own trees, slapping the person next to them, hitting or even biting. They didn’t even see me lying at their feet, as their carpet, ignoring my screams and the noises of my stomach. And then there were the other people, who were like me lying on the ground, with their face stunned. Our faces were full of mood. The dirty feed of the others had spread the mud all over our body. The others on the floor also looked hungry but they had given up. They had no energy and no hope! They wanted to starve. But I didn’t! I was ready to fight for a fruit. I was ready to press the energy out of my body to step up, get through and tried not to panic. Looking at the others on the forest floor, they were facing the same difficulties. But I wanted to bite, hit and slap like them. I wanted to become like them. I wanted to move my legs! I wanted to stand up! But then I looked at myself and for the first time since I woke up and I realized that I was free of limps. Yes! My legs were gone and so were my hands. I gasped and looked around. I stared at the fat collectors and us lying under them without arms and without legs. With no possibility and no prosperity!We had no limbs and therefore no chance to get up and pick fruits from the garden. We could only stare.
Around me I saw a garden full of lovely fruit trees. Apples, oranges… even cherry trees. I hadn't eaten in 5 days. Or maybe it just felt like it, but my stomach was burning of hunger and more and more liquid had accumulated in my mouth. The apples now seemed like little round pieces of treasure to me. I could already feel the glory that would overcome me when I could take a big bite into one of them. It felt like everything around me was gone… For a minute I stared at the treasonous goods in front of me.
Then I realized I was still lying on the floor. I hadn’t moved a bit. It seemed like someone had glued me to the bottom of this fruit garden. Now I tried to move but I could not get up. And the more I tried the less power I had to try one more time. The smell of the cherries started giving me hunger pains. What is going on? Why couldn't I get up? What was wrong with me? More and more men and women came to pick the fruits of the tree forest, stepping over me and tripping me on the way there. My stomach started hurting after a while since the fat men walking over me were almost 5 times the size I am. As I saw them grabbing more and more fruits I saw their eyes getting bigger. Their avarice got greater! They grabbed the apples, the oranges and the cherries while their big tummy was shaking. In this forest no one was collecting fruits together. Everyone was picking their own trees, slapping the person next to them, hitting or even biting. They didn’t even see me lying at their feet, as their carpet, ignoring my screams and the noises of my stomach. And then there were the other people, who were like me lying on the ground, with their face stunned. Our faces were full of mood. The dirty feed of the others had spread the mud all over our body. The others on the floor also looked hungry but they had given up. They had no energy and no hope! They wanted to starve. But I didn’t! I was ready to fight for a fruit. I was ready to press the energy out of my body to step up, get through and tried not to panic. Looking at the others on the forest floor, they were facing the same difficulties. But I wanted to bite, hit and slap like them. I wanted to become like them. I wanted to move my legs! I wanted to stand up! But then I looked at myself and for the first time since I woke up and I realized that I was free of limps. Yes! My legs were gone and so were my hands. I gasped and looked around. I stared at the fat collectors and us lying under them without arms and without legs. With no possibility and no prosperity!We had no limbs and therefore no chance to get up and pick fruits from the garden. We could only stare.
Headings to Articles
Text 1
Shock! Animals going crazy!New abilities of animals fascinate
Hey diddle diddle, the cat and the fiddle
The cow jumped over the moon
The little dog laughed to see such sport
And the dish ran away with the spoon
Text 2
Pipers son pilfers pig Man takes consequences for stolen pig
Tom_Tom the piper’s son
Stole a pig and away did run
The pig was eat
Tom was beat
Tom went roaring down the street
Text 3
Horror! Well known man goes to sea in a tank!Man goes to sea in a tank
There was a young man of high rank
Who went to sea in a tank
They said, “It is sad,
He surely is mad!”
And he proved they were right when he sank
Text 4
Miserable Mistake!!!!No success for alternative poetry
There was a young man from Japan
Whose poetry never would scan
When they asked him why
He said with a sigh,
“It’s because I put as many words in the last line as a possibly can.”
Shock! Animals going crazy!New abilities of animals fascinate
Hey diddle diddle, the cat and the fiddle
The cow jumped over the moon
The little dog laughed to see such sport
And the dish ran away with the spoon
Text 2
Pipers son pilfers pig Man takes consequences for stolen pig
Tom_Tom the piper’s son
Stole a pig and away did run
The pig was eat
Tom was beat
Tom went roaring down the street
Text 3
Horror! Well known man goes to sea in a tank!Man goes to sea in a tank
There was a young man of high rank
Who went to sea in a tank
They said, “It is sad,
He surely is mad!”
And he proved they were right when he sank
Text 4
Miserable Mistake!!!!No success for alternative poetry
There was a young man from Japan
Whose poetry never would scan
When they asked him why
He said with a sigh,
“It’s because I put as many words in the last line as a possibly can.”
Samstag, 28. März 2009
What truths are expressed hear about our society?
-The Law of Gravity isn't as indiscriminate as people often think.
-That to their employers small workers are not worth a lot
(Given by the examples of the robots being shoved off on the carts to a slave planet, even though they have thought for the birds, worked for them and cared for them.)
-that things that used to be unaccaptable get acceptable after some years
"swut and turlingdrome are now perfectly acceptable in common usage, but there is one word that is still beyond the pale"
-do not believe/trust polititians
-we cannot trust on what we know, since we do not know a lot yet
-what is publically accepted changes over years
-The Law of Gravity isn't as indiscriminate as people often think.
-That to their employers small workers are not worth a lot
(Given by the examples of the robots being shoved off on the carts to a slave planet, even though they have thought for the birds, worked for them and cared for them.)
-that things that used to be unaccaptable get acceptable after some years
"swut and turlingdrome are now perfectly acceptable in common usage, but there is one word that is still beyond the pale"
-An economic crash which is announced to have come overnight but was a result of a long term process and could have been expected
-do not believe/trust polititians
-we cannot trust on what we know, since we do not know a lot yet
-what is publically accepted changes over years
Literary Devices (200-202)
Tone
Arthur: confused, uncomfortable, frustrated
Ex:
- "Oh come on…"
-"Then why did you bring it up in the first place?""All right, what was upon you?"
Birds: very loud, very talkative, chatty, comunicative,
Ex:
-"(General squawks and caws)"
-"(Hiss hiss hiss)"
-"Imagine how our ancestors felt! To walk through our great cities, stride across pedestrian precincts, stroll along walkways, maybe wander into a small wine bar to have lunch with a girlfriend…"
Narrator: unconcerned, detailed, talkative, humorous
Ex:
-"…and in extreme cases shot through their lungs, are now thought to be very healthy proper and their use in everyday speech is seen as evidence of well adjusted relaxed and totally un(BEEP)ed up personality"
Opposition
-"unspeakable nightmare"
-"more unspeakable than this lot"
-"very little still held to be unspeakable"
Imaginary
-"and then they would saunter off into the sunset"
Humor:
-understatement :"Can't be more unspeakable than this lot"
-pun"Well anything to get out of my ear"
Allusion:
-Allusion to very strict employers giving their workers no rights.
"We set them to work to build up the stature as an eternal reminder. After which we set them to a slave planet where they are doing a very useful job making toupes."
-The law of Gravity
"The law of Gravity isn't as indiscriminate as people often think"
-Belgium
"That word is 'Belgium and it is only ever used by loose tongued people like Zaphod in situation of dire provocation""Belgium, man Belgium"
-The blight
"We were forced to re-evolve by the second more deadly blight"
Repetition:
-"We walked, we walked"
-"Unspeakable! Unspeakable"
-"Belgium, man, Belgium!"
-"Ah what woe was upon us!"All right, what woe was upon you?"
Reversal:
-"Well anything to get out of my ear"
Understatement:
-"Can't be more unspeakable than this lot"
Hyperbole:
-"Many words and expressions which only a matter of decades ago were considered so distastefully explicit that were they merely to be breathed in public…"
Arthur: confused, uncomfortable, frustrated
Ex:
- "Oh come on…"
-"Then why did you bring it up in the first place?""All right, what was upon you?"
Birds: very loud, very talkative, chatty, comunicative,
Ex:
-"(General squawks and caws)"
-"(Hiss hiss hiss)"
-"Imagine how our ancestors felt! To walk through our great cities, stride across pedestrian precincts, stroll along walkways, maybe wander into a small wine bar to have lunch with a girlfriend…"
Narrator: unconcerned, detailed, talkative, humorous
Ex:
-"…and in extreme cases shot through their lungs, are now thought to be very healthy proper and their use in everyday speech is seen as evidence of well adjusted relaxed and totally un(BEEP)ed up personality"
Opposition
-"unspeakable nightmare"
-"more unspeakable than this lot"
-"very little still held to be unspeakable"
Imaginary
-"and then they would saunter off into the sunset"
Humor:
-understatement :"Can't be more unspeakable than this lot"
-pun"Well anything to get out of my ear"
Allusion:
-Allusion to very strict employers giving their workers no rights.
"We set them to work to build up the stature as an eternal reminder. After which we set them to a slave planet where they are doing a very useful job making toupes."
-The law of Gravity
"The law of Gravity isn't as indiscriminate as people often think"
-Belgium
"That word is 'Belgium and it is only ever used by loose tongued people like Zaphod in situation of dire provocation""Belgium, man Belgium"
-The blight
"We were forced to re-evolve by the second more deadly blight"
Repetition:
-"We walked, we walked"
-"Unspeakable! Unspeakable"
-"Belgium, man, Belgium!"
-"Ah what woe was upon us!"All right, what woe was upon you?"
Reversal:
-"Well anything to get out of my ear"
Understatement:
-"Can't be more unspeakable than this lot"
Hyperbole:
-"Many words and expressions which only a matter of decades ago were considered so distastefully explicit that were they merely to be breathed in public…"
Mittwoch, 25. März 2009
Vogon Letter!!!!!
To Gag Halfrunt
Since there is no way to contact you over the long distance sub-ether line or anyway else I am sending you this telephragma message to tell you that I have just wiped out half my of my crew. Of course you would remind me that this is normal behavior for a psychiatrist like me. You always do. Though they seemed delighted of my poetry it seemed time for them to go. This is the reason why I am contacting you. You are committed listen to me! As usual If your response will not be here in 0.11 seconds there will be 1000 slaughterers sent to execute you. A slow painful death is the best, I think!
Oh gruntlegrew, oh bublebrew
Thy gumblebubble is juggblewooblle too me
But as wobbleman goes jobtiput
Motfubtipub son wobtipub
If that will not occur
Motipolifob should hear
That ahalotifob, motirolisub, contifulioub and rosioliub
will kontikulihier
And blubfibub will be cut of
Till filliub will contibub and chonifub will bontifob
And sooonifolliboribuuuCut open, cut open, cut open youuuuuu
And eat and take contilifuuu
Till you are shredded so so so bad
Micemeat are you and shorwly dead
So dispensable creature. I present you a simple choice. I sent my friends to execute you. Of course slowly and horribly as described above. There is only one way To prevent this. Think for once. Think carefully. You are holding your lives in your hands. Either you will be chopped down, which is another method I can present you. As presented in my poem the slaughterers will chop your head of first and then eat your toes. Toe by toe. All the tiniest parts will be sent to me and will be an inspiration for my next poem.
So either die by slaughter or execution. Or … tell me how good my poem was…
Since there is no way to contact you over the long distance sub-ether line or anyway else I am sending you this telephragma message to tell you that I have just wiped out half my of my crew. Of course you would remind me that this is normal behavior for a psychiatrist like me. You always do. Though they seemed delighted of my poetry it seemed time for them to go. This is the reason why I am contacting you. You are committed listen to me! As usual If your response will not be here in 0.11 seconds there will be 1000 slaughterers sent to execute you. A slow painful death is the best, I think!
Oh gruntlegrew, oh bublebrew
Thy gumblebubble is juggblewooblle too me
But as wobbleman goes jobtiput
Motfubtipub son wobtipub
If that will not occur
Motipolifob should hear
That ahalotifob, motirolisub, contifulioub and rosioliub
will kontikulihier
And blubfibub will be cut of
Till filliub will contibub and chonifub will bontifob
And sooonifolliboribuuuCut open, cut open, cut open youuuuuu
And eat and take contilifuuu
Till you are shredded so so so bad
Micemeat are you and shorwly dead
So dispensable creature. I present you a simple choice. I sent my friends to execute you. Of course slowly and horribly as described above. There is only one way To prevent this. Think for once. Think carefully. You are holding your lives in your hands. Either you will be chopped down, which is another method I can present you. As presented in my poem the slaughterers will chop your head of first and then eat your toes. Toe by toe. All the tiniest parts will be sent to me and will be an inspiration for my next poem.
So either die by slaughter or execution. Or … tell me how good my poem was…
Dienstag, 24. März 2009
Mittwoch, 18. März 2009
The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy
Chapter 8:
The building Zaphod and Roosta are is flying towards the most evil place in the universe ("Frogstar"). The Prisoner Relations Officer of this planet suddenly appears next to them and teases Zaphod.
Ford and Arthur want still want a ship to come and rescue them that will not appear completly and they do not know how to call. Surprisingly when they wave the towel it flies towards them sending the towel away and trapping them under it. A second later the drunk Zaphod comes out of the ship, who is really happy that he survived being put in a total Perspective Votex. He found the towel as it got fossiled and now picked up by the Impropability Drive.
The building Zaphod and Roosta are is flying towards the most evil place in the universe ("Frogstar"). The Prisoner Relations Officer of this planet suddenly appears next to them and teases Zaphod.
Ford and Arthur want still want a ship to come and rescue them that will not appear completly and they do not know how to call. Surprisingly when they wave the towel it flies towards them sending the towel away and trapping them under it. A second later the drunk Zaphod comes out of the ship, who is really happy that he survived being put in a total Perspective Votex. He found the towel as it got fossiled and now picked up by the Impropability Drive.
Dienstag, 17. März 2009
The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy
Chapter 7
A captain is having a conversation with one of his workers that tells him that he has just picked up a hitchhiker. The hitchhiker is Zaphod, who is on the radio he is announced dead. Ford and Arthur have been trying to find a way to get off the earth, and are getting drunk.
Zaphod is on the other hand thinking about how to visit the planet "Ursa Minor Beta" and staying hidden. He wants to since, when he escaped from the Haggunenon that ate him but revolved only seconds later, he received a message from himself (20 years ago) saying that he would have to meet someone there. The receptionist denies to let Zaphod see Zarniwoop until he reveals his real identity. Seconds after that Marvin enters and follows Zaphod. As the two are going up the elevator the building starts to shake since it is being bombed. Roosta, who introduces himself as "A friend" claims that it is being bombed since everyone knows that Zaphod is around and the government is trying to get him. Zaphod tells Marvin to hold up the robots attacking and but doesn't make it into Zarniwoops office. Roosta realizes that the building is not only on fire but that is being taken away. The floor disappears under them...
A captain is having a conversation with one of his workers that tells him that he has just picked up a hitchhiker. The hitchhiker is Zaphod, who is on the radio he is announced dead. Ford and Arthur have been trying to find a way to get off the earth, and are getting drunk.
Zaphod is on the other hand thinking about how to visit the planet "Ursa Minor Beta" and staying hidden. He wants to since, when he escaped from the Haggunenon that ate him but revolved only seconds later, he received a message from himself (20 years ago) saying that he would have to meet someone there. The receptionist denies to let Zaphod see Zarniwoop until he reveals his real identity. Seconds after that Marvin enters and follows Zaphod. As the two are going up the elevator the building starts to shake since it is being bombed. Roosta, who introduces himself as "A friend" claims that it is being bombed since everyone knows that Zaphod is around and the government is trying to get him. Zaphod tells Marvin to hold up the robots attacking and but doesn't make it into Zarniwoops office. Roosta realizes that the building is not only on fire but that is being taken away. The floor disappears under them...
Montag, 16. März 2009
New and Revised
The use of motifs in Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and how the motifs are connected to the creation of humor in the radio play
“And what has happened to the Earth?” The character Arthur asks Ford after he had come to rescue him from it. ”It’s been disintegrate! (…) It just boiled away into space.” “Look. I’m a bit upset about that.” Arthur responds.
Fords reaction to the end of the earth is typical in the “Hitchhiker’s guide to the Galaxy”. By the use of the same frequently upcoming motifs in the basis for the creation of humor in the book is set. The characters in the story are put into unrealistic to unnormal situations, which we could not see ourselves in. The near to death situations, Marvin’s depression and the references to the world are examples of often used motifs in the book. The way the characters react to these situations seems very unfamiliar to us. This makes the science fiction radio play amusing.
Frequently upcoming motifs of the “Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy” are the near to death situations. The way the character’s deal with the situation creates humor. The editors of the book often used understatements in their dialogues in which the characters sometimes show panic, but never fear. That Ford and Arthur survive every near to death situation they were in, make jokes about them, understate them and forget about them only seconds later seems funny to us and creates humor.
Additionally in the dialogues the world is always portrayed as something very unimportant, which has no real impact on the universe.
“I wonder if Columbus had this trouble”- “Who?”-“Sorry,just an esoteric Earth reference. He discovered a continent which went on to cause a bit of trouble!”
The importance of the earth is always understated. When it is mentioned in the dialogue it is always portrayed as something that is not very harmful and really does not matter… This stands in great contrast to our picture of the earth, since we live on it and we picture it as very important and very powerful. That in the story it is the opposite and has no power, gets taken over so easily and has no control over the universe seems amusing to us.
Also the depressed computer Marvin is used frequently. The answers he gives create humor since his miserable and unhappy mood is portrayed through everything he is saying.
“But that sunset. I’ve never seen anything like it in my wildest dreams… the two suns… it was like mountains of fire boiling into space.”-“I’ve seen it. It’s rubbish”
There is a strong contrast of mood between what he and the others (like in the example Arthur) are saying. This strong contrast portrays his funny behavior even more and contributes to the humor of the story.
As a conclusion the frequently upcoming situations in which the characters almost die, Marvin shows his depression and the earth is portrayed as something very unimportant, create humor in the radio play, since they seem very unrealistic to us. Additionally the characters react to dangerous situations with understatements, which again does not seem like a regular reaction to the readers and creates humor.
Freitag, 13. März 2009
Motifs & Humor
The use of motifs in Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and how the motifs are connected to the creation of humor in the radio play
“And what has happened to the Earth?” Arthur asks Ford after he had come to rescue him from it.”It’s been disintegrate! (…) It just boiled away into space.” “Look. I’m a bit upset about that.”By the use of the same frequently upcoming motifs in the “Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy” the basis for the creation of humor in the book is set. The characters in the story are put into unrealistic to unnormal situations, which we could not see ourselves in. The way they react to these situations is even more unfamiliar to us. This makes the science fiction radio play amusing.
Frequently upcoming motives of the “Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy” are the near to death situations. The way the character’s deal with the situation creates humor. The editors of the book often used understatements in their dialogues in which the characters sometimes show panic, but never fear. That Ford and Arthur survive every near to death situation they were in, make jokes about them, understate them and forget about them only seconds later seems funny to us and creates humour.
Additionally in the dialogues the world is always portrayed as something very unimportant, which has no real impact on the universe. “I wonder if Columbus had this trouble”- “Who?”-“Sorry,just an esoteric Earth reference. He discovered a continent which went on to cause a bit of trouble!” The importance of the earth is always understated. When it is mentioned in the dialogue it is always portrayed as something that is not very harmful and really does not matter… This stands in great contrast to our picture of the earth, since we live on it and we picture it as very important and very powerful. That in the story it is the opposite and has no power, gets taken over so easily and has no control over the universe seems amusing to us.
Also the depressed computer Marvin is used frequently. The answers he gives create humor since his miserable and unhappy mood is portrayed through everything he is saying. “But that sunset. I’ve never seen anything like it in my wildest dreams… the two suns… it was like mountains of fire boiling into space.”-“I’ve seen it. It’s rubbish” There is a strong contrast of mood between what he and the others (like in the example Arthur) are saying. This strong contrast portrays his funny behavior even more and contributes to the humor of the story.
But there are even more motifs that stated in these examples which show of quite often in the Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy like: the time travel the frequently undergo, the ultimate question about universe and it’s answer 42, references to the Hitchhiker's Guide to The Universe, unrealistic situation, extraordinary life, help from HGTG, jump from unrealistic situation to non-realistic one, understatements about the desperate situations, unexpected twisted situations, coincidence and destiny and drinking. The figures are placed into these situations by the authors frequently since they are like in the examples either very unrealistic to us or create a high contrast. Through these awkward happenings humor is created in the radio play.
“And what has happened to the Earth?” Arthur asks Ford after he had come to rescue him from it.”It’s been disintegrate! (…) It just boiled away into space.” “Look. I’m a bit upset about that.”By the use of the same frequently upcoming motifs in the “Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy” the basis for the creation of humor in the book is set. The characters in the story are put into unrealistic to unnormal situations, which we could not see ourselves in. The way they react to these situations is even more unfamiliar to us. This makes the science fiction radio play amusing.
Frequently upcoming motives of the “Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy” are the near to death situations. The way the character’s deal with the situation creates humor. The editors of the book often used understatements in their dialogues in which the characters sometimes show panic, but never fear. That Ford and Arthur survive every near to death situation they were in, make jokes about them, understate them and forget about them only seconds later seems funny to us and creates humour.
Additionally in the dialogues the world is always portrayed as something very unimportant, which has no real impact on the universe. “I wonder if Columbus had this trouble”- “Who?”-“Sorry,just an esoteric Earth reference. He discovered a continent which went on to cause a bit of trouble!” The importance of the earth is always understated. When it is mentioned in the dialogue it is always portrayed as something that is not very harmful and really does not matter… This stands in great contrast to our picture of the earth, since we live on it and we picture it as very important and very powerful. That in the story it is the opposite and has no power, gets taken over so easily and has no control over the universe seems amusing to us.
Also the depressed computer Marvin is used frequently. The answers he gives create humor since his miserable and unhappy mood is portrayed through everything he is saying. “But that sunset. I’ve never seen anything like it in my wildest dreams… the two suns… it was like mountains of fire boiling into space.”-“I’ve seen it. It’s rubbish” There is a strong contrast of mood between what he and the others (like in the example Arthur) are saying. This strong contrast portrays his funny behavior even more and contributes to the humor of the story.
But there are even more motifs that stated in these examples which show of quite often in the Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy like: the time travel the frequently undergo, the ultimate question about universe and it’s answer 42, references to the Hitchhiker's Guide to The Universe, unrealistic situation, extraordinary life, help from HGTG, jump from unrealistic situation to non-realistic one, understatements about the desperate situations, unexpected twisted situations, coincidence and destiny and drinking. The figures are placed into these situations by the authors frequently since they are like in the examples either very unrealistic to us or create a high contrast. Through these awkward happenings humor is created in the radio play.
Montag, 9. März 2009
Science Fiction Genres
-Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic science fiction
-Biopunk (uses elements from the hard-boiled detective novel, film noir, Japanese anime, and post-modernist prose to describe the nihilistic, underground side of the biotech society)
-Dying Earth science fiction
-Military science fiction
-Mundane SF
-Steampunk (denotes works set in (or strongly inspired by) an era when steam power was still widely used — usually the 19th century, and often set in Victorian England)
-Time travel
-Space colonization
-Space opera (emphasizes romantic adventure, exotic settings, and larger-than-life characters)
-Spy-fi
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_fiction_genre
-Biopunk (uses elements from the hard-boiled detective novel, film noir, Japanese anime, and post-modernist prose to describe the nihilistic, underground side of the biotech society)
-Dying Earth science fiction
-Military science fiction
-Mundane SF
-Steampunk (denotes works set in (or strongly inspired by) an era when steam power was still widely used — usually the 19th century, and often set in Victorian England)
-Time travel
-Space colonization
-Space opera (emphasizes romantic adventure, exotic settings, and larger-than-life characters)
-Spy-fi
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_fiction_genre
The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy
Chapter 6:
They had escaped from the dinner party and have gone back in time and they realize that they have stolen the admiral's flag ship and wonder what to do now! Zaphod is talking to the admiral's boss, who doesn't recognize that he is not the admiral. Still, they realize that he looks very different and think that they might only try to confuse them. Through the hitchhiker's guide, they found out that the admiral is not a lepard and does not necessary have to be a person but also an item, since he is from a dumb kind of species that can transform themselves into anything. Arthur sits down on some living thing, the things start getting alive around them. But then Ford and Arthur suddenly teleport to another ship. They have cut themselves of the others in a different spaceship, while the others are getting scrunched in the other spaceship. The captain of this new ship is very relaxed and offers them drinks. He tells them that he has build ships to collect workers from the planet Golgafrincham which are going to die out, so that they recreate a better civilization. They are about to crash on Golgafrincham. On this planet the leaders have a great discussion about the discoveries on this planet.
They had escaped from the dinner party and have gone back in time and they realize that they have stolen the admiral's flag ship and wonder what to do now! Zaphod is talking to the admiral's boss, who doesn't recognize that he is not the admiral. Still, they realize that he looks very different and think that they might only try to confuse them. Through the hitchhiker's guide, they found out that the admiral is not a lepard and does not necessary have to be a person but also an item, since he is from a dumb kind of species that can transform themselves into anything. Arthur sits down on some living thing, the things start getting alive around them. But then Ford and Arthur suddenly teleport to another ship. They have cut themselves of the others in a different spaceship, while the others are getting scrunched in the other spaceship. The captain of this new ship is very relaxed and offers them drinks. He tells them that he has build ships to collect workers from the planet Golgafrincham which are going to die out, so that they recreate a better civilization. They are about to crash on Golgafrincham. On this planet the leaders have a great discussion about the discoveries on this planet.
Sonntag, 8. März 2009
Characterizing Figures
Ford
-author of the "Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy'
-from a small planet somewhere in the vicinity of Betelgeuse
-planned a one week visit on the earth but got stuck there for 15 years
-stayed at a town of Guildford
-a friend of Arthur, that saved his life
-does not take happenings very seriously
-humerous
-funny
-knows a lot about the universe
-takes risks
-loud
-has an answer to most of Arthur's questions
-author of the "Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy'
-from a small planet somewhere in the vicinity of Betelgeuse
-planned a one week visit on the earth but got stuck there for 15 years
-stayed at a town of Guildford
-a friend of Arthur, that saved his life
-does not take happenings very seriously
-humerous
-funny
-knows a lot about the universe
-takes risks
-loud
-has an answer to most of Arthur's questions
Mittwoch, 4. März 2009
Characterizing Figures
Arthur
-nervous
-serious
-narrow-minded
-sarcastic
-sober
-dry
-irritable
-short tempered
-sophisticated
-educated
-eloquent
-helpless
-desperate
-nervous
-serious
-narrow-minded
-sarcastic
-sober
-dry
-irritable
-short tempered
-sophisticated
-educated
-eloquent
-helpless
-desperate
The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
Chapter 5:
After being shot at they find themselves in a really fancy restaurant! They think they are in afterlife but Zaphod suddenly realizes that they aren't dead but that they are in Milliways (the restaurant at the end of the universe). Everything in this restaurant messes with time and space.The waiter tells them that they have travelled in time but not in space and that they are now 3 million years ahead. They meet up with Marven again, who used to be a super robot who is now parking cars and very depressed. Marven opens the spaceship for them in which it is completely black.Then the universe ended. In the spaceship the characters travel back through time, while trying to persuade Marvin to finally tell them the question.Ford suddenly realized that they were "dropped into the vanguard of an intergalactic war".
After being shot at they find themselves in a really fancy restaurant! They think they are in afterlife but Zaphod suddenly realizes that they aren't dead but that they are in Milliways (the restaurant at the end of the universe). Everything in this restaurant messes with time and space.The waiter tells them that they have travelled in time but not in space and that they are now 3 million years ahead. They meet up with Marven again, who used to be a super robot who is now parking cars and very depressed. Marven opens the spaceship for them in which it is completely black.Then the universe ended. In the spaceship the characters travel back through time, while trying to persuade Marvin to finally tell them the question.Ford suddenly realized that they were "dropped into the vanguard of an intergalactic war".
English Homework
90-94
How is time used to create humor?
The time in the story does not function as we are used toHow could this be viewed as dark comedy?
Dark comedy: Comedy involving disturbing elements, characters suffering irreparable losses
The world universe is about to be blown up in a few minutes and they are dining at a noble restaurant!
Montag, 2. März 2009
The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
Chapter 4:
Slartibartfast tells Arthur than mice are set up on earth as an experiment in behavioral psychology of them. They wanted to see how much humans have learned by observing the experiments they are doing on them.
But still there is Deep Thought, a supercomputer that can tell future probabilities and knows the answer to life and the universe. On a tape recorder the men listen to him speaking to the representatives of a philosophers union. Deep Thought declares that the answer to the ultimate question of life is 42, but that they would have to find the question which the computer that comes after him could tell them: The earth. Five minutes before the program was completed the Vogons had destroyed it!
They all go to the reception area and find Ford, Zaphod and Trillian lying bleeding in a subterranean corridor who say that they have been attacked by their hosts. The all meet the Frankie mouse and Benjy Mouse, 2 of the mice that control a large sector of the universe and tell slartibartfast that the earth does not need to be rebuilt anymore and that they are still looking for the ultimate question of time since a lot of money is given to them for the search by TV companies. The mice tell Arthur that for him and "Earth Girl" it will be easy to find the question of life and that it will make them very rich. The mice escape when police comes near but tell them to find the question of live. The coops shoot at them because they want to get their spaceship back. As they go on shooting the men realize that they wont be safe for a lot longer since the computer that is protecting them is about to blow up!
Slartibartfast tells Arthur than mice are set up on earth as an experiment in behavioral psychology of them. They wanted to see how much humans have learned by observing the experiments they are doing on them.
But still there is Deep Thought, a supercomputer that can tell future probabilities and knows the answer to life and the universe. On a tape recorder the men listen to him speaking to the representatives of a philosophers union. Deep Thought declares that the answer to the ultimate question of life is 42, but that they would have to find the question which the computer that comes after him could tell them: The earth. Five minutes before the program was completed the Vogons had destroyed it!
They all go to the reception area and find Ford, Zaphod and Trillian lying bleeding in a subterranean corridor who say that they have been attacked by their hosts. The all meet the Frankie mouse and Benjy Mouse, 2 of the mice that control a large sector of the universe and tell slartibartfast that the earth does not need to be rebuilt anymore and that they are still looking for the ultimate question of time since a lot of money is given to them for the search by TV companies. The mice tell Arthur that for him and "Earth Girl" it will be easy to find the question of life and that it will make them very rich. The mice escape when police comes near but tell them to find the question of live. The coops shoot at them because they want to get their spaceship back. As they go on shooting the men realize that they wont be safe for a lot longer since the computer that is protecting them is about to blow up!
Sonntag, 1. März 2009
Poverty Linked To Climate Change
The NYT-article informs that policies for climate change are increasingly linked to those who are helping the poor, since poverty compaigners are concerned by the issue of climate destabilization.
The article states that "many nations are too poor to invest in cleaner energy systems, or to curb deforestation, which releases greenhouse gases".
In a plan released this week by the E.U. environmental commisioner it is stated that "developing countries, except for the very poorest, would have to limit emissions by between 15 percent and 30 percent by 2020 compared with “business as usual” levels."
The article states that "many nations are too poor to invest in cleaner energy systems, or to curb deforestation, which releases greenhouse gases".
In a plan released this week by the E.U. environmental commisioner it is stated that "developing countries, except for the very poorest, would have to limit emissions by between 15 percent and 30 percent by 2020 compared with “business as usual” levels."
The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy
Chapter 3
Ford doesn't believe Zaphod or the Computer that the planet Magenta exists (a legendary planet on which other planets are supposed to be manufactured) and that they are about to approach it. They arrive on the now dead planet Magenta, where a recorded welcome announcement tells them that the planet is closed for business and that they would use the missiles of their guided service system if they would not leave immediately. Still they manage to survive since the missiles eventually turn into a bowl of petunias and a whale, who shows his excitement about being on this new planet. Trillian lost his mice, Arthur is held for their rescuer and they exit the starship to get to the interior of the planet (where most of the Magratheans used to live). They go down a corridor where they met Slatibartfast who tells them that the Magratheans are not dead but that they have slept through the economic recession, since the economy had collapsed. He sais that they are awaking now to perform a commission and takes them to the center with an aircar where the factory to build planets is. He tells Arthur that they originally made the earth and are now planning on making a copy of it from its blueprint.
Ford doesn't believe Zaphod or the Computer that the planet Magenta exists (a legendary planet on which other planets are supposed to be manufactured) and that they are about to approach it. They arrive on the now dead planet Magenta, where a recorded welcome announcement tells them that the planet is closed for business and that they would use the missiles of their guided service system if they would not leave immediately. Still they manage to survive since the missiles eventually turn into a bowl of petunias and a whale, who shows his excitement about being on this new planet. Trillian lost his mice, Arthur is held for their rescuer and they exit the starship to get to the interior of the planet (where most of the Magratheans used to live). They go down a corridor where they met Slatibartfast who tells them that the Magratheans are not dead but that they have slept through the economic recession, since the economy had collapsed. He sais that they are awaking now to perform a commission and takes them to the center with an aircar where the factory to build planets is. He tells Arthur that they originally made the earth and are now planning on making a copy of it from its blueprint.
Mittwoch, 25. Februar 2009
The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
Chapter 2
The 2 man are trying to convince the vogon (alien) that his poem was great, which does not work. They still get kicked out and fly into space. Still they survive since a different alien saucer saves them taking them on board. They get introduced to the alien robot Marvin and Trillian and Zaphod. Ford already knows Zaphod since he has saved him when his planet blew up. Arthur knows Zaphod too from a party on earth. Suddenly the doors open and a woman walks in, Trillian, also known as Tricia McMillan. She is the girl that Arthur really liked and Zaphod took her away. Trillian also hitchhiked and Zaphod took her on his saucer.
The 2 man are trying to convince the vogon (alien) that his poem was great, which does not work. They still get kicked out and fly into space. Still they survive since a different alien saucer saves them taking them on board. They get introduced to the alien robot Marvin and Trillian and Zaphod. Ford already knows Zaphod since he has saved him when his planet blew up. Arthur knows Zaphod too from a party on earth. Suddenly the doors open and a woman walks in, Trillian, also known as Tricia McMillan. She is the girl that Arthur really liked and Zaphod took her away. Trillian also hitchhiked and Zaphod took her on his saucer.
The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
Chapter 1
Arthur is mad at his town's government planning, since they are building a highway road through his house, when his friend Ford comes and asks him to join him for a drink at a bar. Ford then tells Arthur that the world is going to end today and that he is not a human but a visitor from a planet called Betelgeuse which Arthur does not believe. After this an aliens world speaks up announcing the end of the world. Authur and Ford get saved and wake up in a flying saucer from which the captain alien wants to kick them out. Before this the alien captain still wants to sing some of his poetry to them.
Arthur is mad at his town's government planning, since they are building a highway road through his house, when his friend Ford comes and asks him to join him for a drink at a bar. Ford then tells Arthur that the world is going to end today and that he is not a human but a visitor from a planet called Betelgeuse which Arthur does not believe. After this an aliens world speaks up announcing the end of the world. Authur and Ford get saved and wake up in a flying saucer from which the captain alien wants to kick them out. Before this the alien captain still wants to sing some of his poetry to them.
Dienstag, 10. Februar 2009
The Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy
Irony
Are you busy? - Well, I've just got this bulldozer to lie in front of, otherwise no, not especially.
Understatement
What has happened to the Earth?-It's been disintegrated.-Look. I'm a bit upset about that.
-exaggeration
-unrealistic situations in serious conversations
-pauses
EX: I eventually had to go down to the cellar... with a torch
Are you busy? - Well, I've just got this bulldozer to lie in front of, otherwise no, not especially.
Understatement
What has happened to the Earth?-It's been disintegrated.-Look. I'm a bit upset about that.
-exaggeration
-unrealistic situations in serious conversations
-pauses
EX: I eventually had to go down to the cellar... with a torch
How it all ends- Summary
How it all ends
-YOU CAN NEEVER BE 100% CERTAIN SO EVERY CHOICE CARRIES A RISC
Global Warming
Action-Harm to the economy
Inaction-Destruction to the upheaval
(which risk is more acceptable??, which has less risk?)
If we take no action and global warming is true we have Global Disasters
-Environmental
-Political
-Social
-Public
-Health
-Economic
-Science is never certain, always disagreements, it is never finished.
-It is not about weather humans cause or do not cause global warming it's about what to do if it comes.
-Allows you to make a decision using uncertain knowledge by changing the question from "Are humans affecting the climate" to the real question " What is the wisest thing to do given the uncertainties and the risks".
-We need to get a sense of how likely each is?
-How do you ever know when science is right?
-Scientist vs. Big Corporation
-2 most well known companies for scientific research:
American Assoc. for the Advancement of Science
National Academy of Science
-YOU CAN NEEVER BE 100% CERTAIN SO EVERY CHOICE CARRIES A RISC
Global Warming
Action-Harm to the economy
Inaction-Destruction to the upheaval
(which risk is more acceptable??, which has less risk?)
If we take no action and global warming is true we have Global Disasters
-Environmental
-Political
-Social
-Public
-Health
-Economic
-Science is never certain, always disagreements, it is never finished.
-It is not about weather humans cause or do not cause global warming it's about what to do if it comes.
-Allows you to make a decision using uncertain knowledge by changing the question from "Are humans affecting the climate" to the real question " What is the wisest thing to do given the uncertainties and the risks".
-We need to get a sense of how likely each is?
-How do you ever know when science is right?
-Scientist vs. Big Corporation
-2 most well known companies for scientific research:
American Assoc. for the Advancement of Science
National Academy of Science
Mittwoch, 4. Februar 2009
Are we having a dramatic impact on our world?
How?
It is surely clear that we are having a great impact on our environment, since pollution is an important factor in today’s society. While Zürich is a fairly clean city, where the inhabitants and the government work together to keep it that way, you cannot walk past train stations, benches, or even the Zuerich lake without seeing the our leftovers. Empty bottles, bags and cigarettes are lying everywhere: Waste material which is harming our environment. It is even worse in America, especially larger cities like New York and Chicago.
But we are not only polluting the ground we are walking on. Air pollution is the cause of most childhood cancers (a British study suggests). Additionally most of us are not aware that we are also harming our environment by water pollution, soil contamination, and radioactive contamination. Today environmentalist organizations cry for help. A Global “Live Earth” concert was held 2007 to raise money for our environment and politicians all over the world are spreading the fear of Global Climate Destabilization also known as “Global Warming”. Today the Royal Society, United Nations, NAS and AAS are trying to figure out what to do against it.
We can only blame ourselves for pollution. A study claimed that 750 out of 1000 people in the USA drive cars. In today’s society you do not use public support but get driven to school. You do not jog to the supermarket but use your car. Instead of camping in the nature for a week you fly to your holiday vacation.
Surely we ourselves therefore to blame for the change occurring in our world!
It is surely clear that we are having a great impact on our environment, since pollution is an important factor in today’s society. While Zürich is a fairly clean city, where the inhabitants and the government work together to keep it that way, you cannot walk past train stations, benches, or even the Zuerich lake without seeing the our leftovers. Empty bottles, bags and cigarettes are lying everywhere: Waste material which is harming our environment. It is even worse in America, especially larger cities like New York and Chicago.
But we are not only polluting the ground we are walking on. Air pollution is the cause of most childhood cancers (a British study suggests). Additionally most of us are not aware that we are also harming our environment by water pollution, soil contamination, and radioactive contamination. Today environmentalist organizations cry for help. A Global “Live Earth” concert was held 2007 to raise money for our environment and politicians all over the world are spreading the fear of Global Climate Destabilization also known as “Global Warming”. Today the Royal Society, United Nations, NAS and AAS are trying to figure out what to do against it.
We can only blame ourselves for pollution. A study claimed that 750 out of 1000 people in the USA drive cars. In today’s society you do not use public support but get driven to school. You do not jog to the supermarket but use your car. Instead of camping in the nature for a week you fly to your holiday vacation.
Surely we ourselves therefore to blame for the change occurring in our world!
Donnerstag, 15. Januar 2009
Comparisment
Comparing E.L.A.I.C & P.O.B.
In both stories journey s are taken by the main characters. While in the Pride of Baghdad the lions have to go on an actual trip of walking around and searching for food, in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close Oscar goes through more a mental journey of mourning over his dad’s death. The walk to the houses of the NYC Blacks is more a part of this journey.
Additionally the structure of both books has to be mentioned. Extremely Loud and Incredibly close starts off with a death and end’s quite happily since the boy has accepted his dad’s death and has gotten over his mourning. The Pride of Baghdad starts of the other way around: The lion’s are happily living their everyday life at the zoo when suddenly the bomb explosion destroys the peace. The book ends very tragic when the lions are killed by the U.S. soldiers.
In both stories journey s are taken by the main characters. While in the Pride of Baghdad the lions have to go on an actual trip of walking around and searching for food, in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close Oscar goes through more a mental journey of mourning over his dad’s death. The walk to the houses of the NYC Blacks is more a part of this journey.
Additionally the structure of both books has to be mentioned. Extremely Loud and Incredibly close starts off with a death and end’s quite happily since the boy has accepted his dad’s death and has gotten over his mourning. The Pride of Baghdad starts of the other way around: The lion’s are happily living their everyday life at the zoo when suddenly the bomb explosion destroys the peace. The book ends very tragic when the lions are killed by the U.S. soldiers.
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