Thinking Outside the Box

                   Plato and Sartre both characterize our thinking as something that can be manipulated. In "The Allegory of the Cave", people's minds are influenced by others. In "No Exit", the characters themselves represent the shackles that hinder their individual thinking or doing.Whether by an outside or inside force, ones open mind can be limited.
                  Through the use of the prisoners, Plato helps us understand a closed mind and man's relationship with it's closed mind. Plato's shackled prisoners represent humans that are blindly forced to think a certain way about life and Plato uses the unshackled enlightened man who was once a prisoner to represent someone who has found new knowledge of life. Because these shackled, close minded, prisoners repel new information they kill the enlightened man who tried to take off their shackles. Their narrow minds forbid them to want new information. An example of a closed mind, like the one being addressed, are students who are told cooperative work is bad. Questioned in Dr.Preston's "The Role of Interdependence in Strategic Collaboration", why should cooperative success equal no success at all, just because someone enforced it?
                    Sartre's uses the characters to help us visualize how self-limitation limits our thinking. The setting of hell brings in to play the subject of ineluctable torture, which represents a unchangeable mind due to a closed mind. Because all three of these characters are similar, they serve as each others hells, each bringing out their most unwanted traits, bringing them torture. Therefore technically they bring this upon themselves with their own insecurities. So with that said, that is why when the door was open, representing a chance for a free mind, nobody tried to leave because of their narrow minds.  
                           

Tongue in cheek

Tongue in Cheek is something said or done with insincerity, irony, or whimsical exaggeration while feigning seriousness.

In other words:
The art of telling a joke with a straight face. (we have all done it before)

One way of memorizing this term is,
for someone to keep a serious face they might bite their tongue as if it were in the cheek to hinder laughter.  

One personal example of a tongue in cheek moment is that I was recently watching this video on funny or die about this fake Herman Cain Sexual Harassment Ad and my dad was looking at it from a distance and asked "Is this an actual ad" and i told him "Yes" like it was no big deal, but then he caught on because of how serious my face was. (deadpan humor)


More Examples:

Literary Analysis #3

1. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is a story about this boy named Huck who lives with a widow named Douglas, who Huck doesn’t like because she enforces civil ways upon him. Huck has a lot of money. After many attempts of getting his money, Pap, his dad, kidnaps Huck and puts him in a house where he escapes. He decides to run away, so he goes to the Mississippi river where he rides down it in a boat. He runs into Jim, Douglas’s sister Miss Watson’s slave, and they both run away in search of freedom. This is where there adventure starts. They become good friends while running away together, they find a house with a dead man in it, they find a wrecked boat where they encounter robbers but escape with all the loot, then Jim, the wanted runaway slave, almost gets caught but Huck manages to lie to the men that almost captured Jim. They get separated. Huck ends up with this silly family who have a feud their neighbors, there he is caught up in the whole rivalry but soon enough Jim finds him with the raft and they both leave. They meet a King and the Duke who take over the story line for a bit and sell Jim to a farmer and he goes to find him. Huck finds out that these people are Tom’s parents so together with Tom they rescue Jim but soon after he ends up a slave again to save Tom. But actually Jim is free because Miss Watson died and in her will Jim is free.
2. The Theme of this novel to me is racism. This is a major part of the novel, because as a slave running away, Jim faces many struggles. He is constantly reminded of the dangers of running away and is scared of being captured. Huck and Jim overcome the race barrier after Huck overcomes his inner struggle of whether or not to save Jim. Huck's idea of racism is based on his upbringing, but he questions the validity of his race’s values.
3. Mark Twain’s tone is ethical but also satirical. On example of this moralistic tone :
“I felt good and all washed clean of sin for the first time I had ever felt so in my life, and I knowed I could pray now. But I didn’t do it straight off, but laid the paper down and set there thinking—thinking how good it was all the happened so, and how near I come to being lost and going to hell”……. “I see Jim before me, all the time, in the day, and in the night-time, sometimes moonlight, sometimes storms, and we a floating along, talking, and singing, and laughing. But somehow I couldn’t seem to strike no places to harden me up against him”
4. Symbolisms: the river representing freedom and the river is freedom for Jim.
Allusions: The Bible is everywhere in this novel, Don Quixote, and Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet during the plays.

Big Question

How much information can our brains hold? do we have infinite space for knowledge?

Update!

How do we know how much potential our brains have for:
-memory
-info processing
-creativity

How will we discover the brain's capacity and true potential

Take #2

                       Harold Bloom’s concept of “self overhearing” is vital in William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet. Through his lack of action (“perlocutionary force”, one of the three performative utterances mentioned by J.L Austin), Hamlet is created. Hamlet’s self-overheard revelations gives us readers’ insight on Hamlet thoughts. My revelations in situations and arguments comes from me "self overhearing".

            Throughout Hamlet, Hamlet knew what he had to do, but could not put his words into action. In between this dearth of action, Hamlet was finding …. Hamlet. Through self-overhearing Hamlet sculpted himself, for example he never comes to a definite conclusion when speaking to his conscience because he over-analyzes situations (his major flaw). For instance, when he sees Claudius kneeling and completely vulnerable he gives up that opportunity to kill him because he has not come to a conclusion yet.

The self-overhearing in Hamlet also gives vital insight to the Plot. Without Hamlets though process in front of us, he would have seemed like a very peculiar character. However, with this kind of information provided by his thoughts, we know he’s not crazy, he’s a novice at revenge and we know that magic dwells in his head.

Bloom’s concept to me is very important and extremely crucial to my life at this point in time. To set goals I always need to make decisions about requirements and deadlines but also think about obstacles. It’s time to apply to colleges and its vital for me to put into play my “self overhearing” method so I know what I am getting into. For example, do I have the money? Is that the right college for me? Self-overhearing makes it possible for me to take those questions into consideration.

In both real life and the play Hamlet, self-overhearing plays important roles. In Hamlet, it gives Hamlet his character as well as our knowledge of him. In real life, when you talk to yourself about goals or situations it makes you comes to the realization of what needs to be done.                

Hamlet vs Beowulf

What makes Hamlet unique from any other character in a story is his excellent choice and use of words. Hamlet, compared to the the epic hero of Beowulf, Beowulf, in terms of language use, has a lot more to say than to do (which develops into Hamlet's flaw), and gives a lot more insight to his thoughts making his character believable.


Hamlet extends his thoughts and plans but Beowulf gets straight to the point. While Beowulf is fighting Grendel , Hamlet is still planning the play to see Claudius's guilty visage. 260 -261 "I alone and with the help of my men, may purge all evil from this hall" This is shortly before he wounds and later kills Grendel. Compared to Beowulf, Hamlet is not dedicated enough to complete a task he had promised to do.


Hamlets use of language Hamlet and his story is a lot more engaging than Beowulfs'. Hamlet does have a lot to say ,but ,even though a lot, compared to Beowulf's narration ( 3rd person ), its more interesting to experience the plot from a person that is in the story. For example Hamlets " To be or not to be" soliloquy adds a connection between the reader and the character, giving Hamlet a more realistic feel.


Hamlets use of language in his story reveals his lack of dedication and insight of his situations. These characteristics are what separates him from Beowulf .

Thumbs Up For Rock N Roll!

            We have learned so many things so far in this class but one concept stuck out to me and that is "Believing in yourself". Whether it was trying to understand Hamlets language, trying to analyze "performative language" or memorizing Hamlets soliloquy, they were ALL difficult tasks, but if we keep trying to achieve what we want, it is completely possible. Here's this video of a kid that gives an inspirational speech that illustrates my point after learning to ride his bike:

Roy Christopher live chat

The live chat was interesting and new for me.

The highlights for me were when he said that the elderly need to trust us youth with our futures.I like how he said he trusts us with our future. I like how he owns and rides his bike and doesn't own a car. I also liked when we got asked questions about the class in general.

I liked how he multitasks like our generation.

overall the experience was new and different i hope to do it again.

Literary Analysis

1. Briefly summarize the plot of the novel you read. The story is seen through the narration of Nick Carraway. Nick moves to New York next to Jay Gatsby. He visits his cousin Daisy Buchanan and her husband where he is introduced to Jordan Baker a women who tells him Tom is having an affair with a woman named Myrtle Wilson. Tom takes Nick to New York to go see Myrtle. Nick meets Myrtle’s sisters. Myrtle drinks a little too much and begins talking to Tom about Daisy. He breaks her nose. Later, Nick is invited to one of Gatsby’s parties where he runs into Jordan. At the party, Gatsby tells Jordan that he is in love with Nick’s cousin, Daisy, and these parties are attempts to impress Daisy. Gatsby wants Nick to set up day for both of them to meet. That day comes and at first it was an awkward encounter but then turned into an affair. Tom thinks that Daisy is having an affair with Gatsby. They go to the city where Tom confronts Gatsby and reveals to everyone that his Fortune was acquired through illegal activities. Tom Arranges Daisy to be sent back with Gatsby, to show that he is not afraid of him. Daisy was driving and kills Myrtle on accident. When the rest of the party returns from the city, they learn that Myrtle is dead. Nick finds out that Gatsby will take the blame. Tom tells Myrtles husband, George, that Gatsby was driving. George, thinking Gatsby was also Myrtle’s lover, shoots Gatsby and himself. Nick organizes Gatsby’s funeral but nobody comes. Before he leaves back to the Midwest, Nick encounters Tom and tells him that Gatsby was great because he made his dreams reality.                                        
2. Succinctly describe the theme of the novel. Avoid cliches. I believe the theme throughout the novel is love. Gatsby’s parties were for Daisy, his love. He takes the blame for the death of Myrtle for his love because she was the one who killed her.
3. Describe the author's tone.  Include three excerpts that illustrate your point(s).                  His tone is very glum and heavy. Three examples are when Tom breaks Myrtle’s nose, another when myrtle is run over and killed and lastly when Gatsby is shot. These are scenes that are sad but serious.

4. Describe five literary elements/techniques you observed that strengthened your understanding of the theme and/or your sense of the tone.  Include three excerpts that will help your reader understand each one.

Symbolism- The Great Gatsby is full of symbolism. The use of East and West in the novel is highly symbolic. The East Egg represents wealth and the corruption it causes. The West Egg represents morality.

Imagery and Personification- “Occasionally a line of gray cars crawls along an invisible track, gives out a ghastly creak, and comes to rest, and immediately the ash-grey men swarm up with leaden spades and stir up impenetrable cloud, which screens their obscure operations from your sight.” This produces vivid imagery and also gives the cars a touch of human traits.

Tools That Change the Way We Think

"Back in 2004, I asked [Google founders] Page and Brin what they saw as the future of Google search. 'It will be included in people's brains,' said Page. 'When you think about something and don't really know much about it, you will automatically get information.'

'That's true,' said Brin. 'Ultimately I view Google as a way to augment your brain with the knowledge of the world. Right now you go into your computer and type a phrase, but you can imagine that it could be easier in the future, that you can have just devices you talk into, or you can have computers that pay attention to what's going on around them and suggest useful information.'

'Somebody introduces themselves to you, and your watch goes to your web page,' said Page. 'Or if you met this person two years ago, this is what they said to you... Eventually you'll have the implant, where if you think about a fact, it will just tell you the answer."

-From In the Plex by Steven Levy (p.67)

Growing up with Internet, Media, and Technology and witnessing it develop, has made me realize that information was difficult to get when these advances in technology didn’t exist. When information started becoming much more easily accessible on the internet, it became really popular. I know for sure this pulled me away from things that I loved to do, like drawing and reading, but it also makes us really smart because we can get more information faster and knowing that this information is right at our fingertips is pretty damn cool.

Something about “filter bubbles” makes me feel restricted. I feel like if I wanted to broaden my knowledge or learn something new, I couldn’t, because Google filters a lot of things out and I wouldn’t get some sources out there filled with useful information.    

Notes on Hamlet

My way of thinking about the characters has changed compared to the mind set i had about the characters in the beginning. In the beginning of the play I though Hamlet was not as smart as he is this far in the play i seriously thought he was a crazy but a soon as i read scene 3 he became a freakin genius and just how one of the characters in the play said there is meaning in his crazy words. From here I think Hamlets actions will be very interesting to see play out as i read to the end.    

Who was Shakespeare

I Google searched "who was Shakespeare" and found a link to Pbs. There i found out that he was born in the year 1564, at the age of 18 he married Anne Hathaway, they had kids and moved to London where he became a successful actor, poet, and a playwright. The mystery about him is that people believe that other people, more highly educated, wrote his plays one of them being Edward De Vere from the article we read for homework. i know when i hear the name Shakespeare  my mind is filled with a ridiculously smart and successful man. I never knew that his identity was being challenged and that he might of never written any of his famous plays.

To Facebook or Not to Facebook

The reason I joined Facebook was because everyone had one and i wanted to be part of the crowd. Its only benefit to me at the time was, it made me "cool" and its risks didn't exist to me. Now i use it to communicate with my family and friends and knowing about its risks, have me more paranoid than informed. Reading the Facebook article has clarified my idea that Facebook isn't for kids.

The Crucible

1.        Summary: the story is about these girls who go into a forest with a slave named Tituba to practice witchcraft . Reverend Parris surprises them and his daughter, Betty, falls into a coma. The townspeople suspect witchcraft but Abigail, the niece of Parris, swears they were only dancing. John Proctor enters Betty’s room and Abigail tries to rekindle their past affair. Reverend Hale, a witch expert, is called and suspects witchcraft. Abigail accuses Tituba and Hale goes to Tituba and she admits that they were communicating with the devil but she also mentions other towns people who communicated with the devil. Then Abigail and Betty start saying other names of people in the town. People start getting arrested so they can go to court. Abigail accuses Elizabeth, Proctors wife, of witchcraft by sending a doll with Mary and saying that Elizabeth stabbed her with a needle  through the doll. She gets arrested also. Proctor demands Mary that she confess to the Judge but the other girls insist that Mary is bewitching them. So, Proctor tells the court that Abigail and him had an affair and her accusation is based on pure jealousy. He brings in Elizabeth to testify but she protects Proctors dignity and denies the affair she knew about. Procter is arrested because Mary accuses him of communicating with the devil . Parris and Hale insist the prisoners to confess seeing the devil. Abigail ran away with Parris’s money. Elizabeth doesn’t want Proctor to confess but Proctor confesses that he saw the devil. The Judge wants him to sign his confession so it could be hung on the church door. He rips it and is hung.

2.         Theme: I think the theme would have to be, baring the truth till death because that is what Proctor did and it cost him his life.

3.         The tone is formal and serious, he gets this across because hes talking about innocent people being executed because of the witch trials and also Proctors struggle in the plot.

4.        “Let either of You breathe a word, or the edge of a word, about the other things, and I will come to You in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you” , there are two literary elements in this passage. One of them is character development, here you see Abigail’s threat and it shows that she will kill to protect her dignity. The other is language, the use of words by the author for example “the edge of a word” it just adds to Abigail’s threat making her sound even more menacing.