Tuesday, June 22, 2010
a wrinkle in time
I really wish as though I had read a wrinkle in time at a younger age, I feel as though I may have enjoyed it more. That being said, I really don't feel as though gave this book a fair chance, at the mention of religious undertones, I simply wrote it off as something I wouldn't enjoy and surprise, surprise, I did not. I can definitely see why this book would be banned, in today's increasingly secular society and education system there is no room for this kind of indoctrination at an early grade level when children are not able to properly process what they are reading.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Never Let Me Go
Hey all,
Before I get into the real post for today, I would just like to note that while reading Never Let Me Go, couldn't help but notice a resemblance to an episode of CSI. In this particular episode, a couple gave birth to a son who had major health complications and would require organ donations and bone marrow transplants over the duration of his life, so they gave birth to another child to effectively use for harvesting her organs. Did anyone else notice this connection?
The narrative used in the novel was different than what I am used to. I found that instead of focusing more on characters or events it was centred around the setting, which was more more vividly described. In a way I actually felt more invested in the setting rather than the storyline.
Alike the other books that we have read, there is a distinct patient-caregiver relationship throughout the novel. Although, in Never Let Me Go, it is more defined for the reader than the other texts in the sense that he even refers to the caregiver as the "carer." In addition to this similarity, the idea of othering was also invoked with the cliques at the school and the concept of othering within othering was also apparent when Ruth and Tommy exclude Kathy because she can't understand what it's like to be a donor.
In all, I felt it was a somewhat interesting book, although I would have preferred a narrative that was perhaps more people or event centred, that raises a number of ethical questions concerning the possibilities associated with cloning.
Before I get into the real post for today, I would just like to note that while reading Never Let Me Go, couldn't help but notice a resemblance to an episode of CSI. In this particular episode, a couple gave birth to a son who had major health complications and would require organ donations and bone marrow transplants over the duration of his life, so they gave birth to another child to effectively use for harvesting her organs. Did anyone else notice this connection?
The narrative used in the novel was different than what I am used to. I found that instead of focusing more on characters or events it was centred around the setting, which was more more vividly described. In a way I actually felt more invested in the setting rather than the storyline.
Alike the other books that we have read, there is a distinct patient-caregiver relationship throughout the novel. Although, in Never Let Me Go, it is more defined for the reader than the other texts in the sense that he even refers to the caregiver as the "carer." In addition to this similarity, the idea of othering was also invoked with the cliques at the school and the concept of othering within othering was also apparent when Ruth and Tommy exclude Kathy because she can't understand what it's like to be a donor.
In all, I felt it was a somewhat interesting book, although I would have preferred a narrative that was perhaps more people or event centred, that raises a number of ethical questions concerning the possibilities associated with cloning.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
"One of Us"
Hey all,
I Hope everyone rocked that midterm and had a great weekend! :)
While reading the article, there was one quote from an ad for the movie that struck me, "a horde of caricatures of creation-not actors in make-up-but living breathing creatures as they are, and as they were born!.....Children will not be permitted to see this picture! Adults not in normal health are urged not to!" The reason this struck me as extremely odd and disconcerting was the emphasis on the "other" as extraordinarily negative, horrifying, and less than unacceptable. If the "freaks" are as this ad claims, "not actors in makeup- but living breathing creatures" shouldn't we treat them with the same respect we would any other person or film actor? I found this especially strange because it goes on later in the article to explain that the movie depicts the "freaks" as normal people living their lives, For instance, "Frances the armless woman eats; Randian the 'living torso' rolls and lights a cigarette." They are definitely othered in the film by the 'normal' humans around them, however, it is not done as negatively and to the extent that the ad accomplishes. This got me thinking, if the movie ad is a true reflection of how we view individuals with certain 'specialties', this is a very sad statement toward our treatment of and respect for human life.
I Hope everyone rocked that midterm and had a great weekend! :)
While reading the article, there was one quote from an ad for the movie that struck me, "a horde of caricatures of creation-not actors in make-up-but living breathing creatures as they are, and as they were born!.....Children will not be permitted to see this picture! Adults not in normal health are urged not to!" The reason this struck me as extremely odd and disconcerting was the emphasis on the "other" as extraordinarily negative, horrifying, and less than unacceptable. If the "freaks" are as this ad claims, "not actors in makeup- but living breathing creatures" shouldn't we treat them with the same respect we would any other person or film actor? I found this especially strange because it goes on later in the article to explain that the movie depicts the "freaks" as normal people living their lives, For instance, "Frances the armless woman eats; Randian the 'living torso' rolls and lights a cigarette." They are definitely othered in the film by the 'normal' humans around them, however, it is not done as negatively and to the extent that the ad accomplishes. This got me thinking, if the movie ad is a true reflection of how we view individuals with certain 'specialties', this is a very sad statement toward our treatment of and respect for human life.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
blog entry #2
Hey all,
I hope everyone had a great weekend :)
Last week during class we did a group exercise that involved each group being given a discussion question. My group's question dealt with whether or not Arty's manufactured following quantifies a cult or a religion. I found this to be an interesting question warranting further analysis. Our group reached the conclusion that is was in fact a cult and not a religion. That being said, however, I am not completely convinced. The reason for my dissention stems from the Hollywood fad religion, Scientology. Scientology was created by L. Ron Hubbard, a science-fiction , in New Jersey in 1953. There are many apparent parallels between Arty's, what we decided was a cult following, and Hubbard's Scientology. For instance, prior to the birth of the 'religion,' Hubbard went on record stating that he was going to create a completely false religion and that everyone would pay him lots of money to be a part of it. Within Scientology there are also levels of membership which signify exclusivity even among its members. This is similar to that of Arty's as he alluded on many occasions that he was effectively doing this to bilk his followers out of their money. Arty also discusses the idea of exclusivity among his following as well.
With this in mind, one can't help but wonder why we classify Scientology as a legitimate religion but relegate Arty's following to cult status. This begs the question of whether the difference between a cult and a religion is simply social acceptance.
I hope everyone had a great weekend :)
Last week during class we did a group exercise that involved each group being given a discussion question. My group's question dealt with whether or not Arty's manufactured following quantifies a cult or a religion. I found this to be an interesting question warranting further analysis. Our group reached the conclusion that is was in fact a cult and not a religion. That being said, however, I am not completely convinced. The reason for my dissention stems from the Hollywood fad religion, Scientology. Scientology was created by L. Ron Hubbard, a science-fiction , in New Jersey in 1953. There are many apparent parallels between Arty's, what we decided was a cult following, and Hubbard's Scientology. For instance, prior to the birth of the 'religion,' Hubbard went on record stating that he was going to create a completely false religion and that everyone would pay him lots of money to be a part of it. Within Scientology there are also levels of membership which signify exclusivity even among its members. This is similar to that of Arty's as he alluded on many occasions that he was effectively doing this to bilk his followers out of their money. Arty also discusses the idea of exclusivity among his following as well.
With this in mind, one can't help but wonder why we classify Scientology as a legitimate religion but relegate Arty's following to cult status. This begs the question of whether the difference between a cult and a religion is simply social acceptance.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Geek Love
Hey guys, I'm kind of unsure as to the procedures of blogging so feedback is totally welcomed, haha.
I found Geek Love to be a very fascinating perspective on individuals living with physical abnormalities. I enjoyed Dunn's writing style and felt the provoked imagery, while at times disturbing, to be effective in the conveyance of the story. I also felt that the constant back and forth between Olympia's past and present made for a captivating and engaging read without seeming disjointed.
As for the storyline of the novel itself, I found it interesting how Dunn considered different perspectives concerning living with physical abnormalities. From Olympia, who felt inadequate due to her relative lack of "specialness" compared to her siblings, to Miranda, who growing up felt embarrassed and ashamed of her tail, to Miss Lick, who sought to "fix" the abnormalities of others, to the general population, the "norms", who for the most part are depicted as unreceptive and cold toward specials, i.e. the man who shot Arty in the parking lot of the supermarket.
See you all in class!! :)
-Kirsten
I found Geek Love to be a very fascinating perspective on individuals living with physical abnormalities. I enjoyed Dunn's writing style and felt the provoked imagery, while at times disturbing, to be effective in the conveyance of the story. I also felt that the constant back and forth between Olympia's past and present made for a captivating and engaging read without seeming disjointed.
As for the storyline of the novel itself, I found it interesting how Dunn considered different perspectives concerning living with physical abnormalities. From Olympia, who felt inadequate due to her relative lack of "specialness" compared to her siblings, to Miranda, who growing up felt embarrassed and ashamed of her tail, to Miss Lick, who sought to "fix" the abnormalities of others, to the general population, the "norms", who for the most part are depicted as unreceptive and cold toward specials, i.e. the man who shot Arty in the parking lot of the supermarket.
See you all in class!! :)
-Kirsten
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