Cuckoo's Nest Blog #2

At the end of Part 1, I believe that McMurphy is definitely getting the best of the rivalry in the ward at this point. Since McMurphy arrived at the facility, he has been trying to get the best of the Big Nurse and I think that he is finally beginning to be successful in this quest. At the end of Part 1, McMurphy wants to watch the World Series, even though it does not match up with the patients' TV schedule. Before this, McMurphy had not had much help from the other patients in his attempt to overthrow the nurse, but this is the very first time that he had strong support in his actions. All of the acutes and Chief voted in support of watching the World Series, but the Nurse would still not let them watch the program. Since the other patients are beginning to agree with McMurphy and show how they feel, this is definitely a leg up for him. He has a much better chance of succeeding in his actions if he has the majority of the ward on his side. Even when the Big Nurse rejects their request, the men still sit in front of a blank TV when they were supposed to be working to rebel against the Nurse. Kesey writes, "And we're all sitting there lined up in front of that blanked-out TV set, watching the gray screen just like we could see the baseball game clear as day, and she's ranting and screaming behind us." They are clearly defying what she wants them to do, which shows that McMurphy is getting the best of the rivalry.
At this point in the story, I think that the Chief wants to go along with the other acutes in the ward, but he cannot. He doesn't want to give himself up and for everyone to find out that he isn't deaf, probably in fear of what the Big Nurse would do to punish him. He shows that he is leaning towards the side of McMurphy when he raises his hand in the vote for watching the World Series. Even if this was an unconscious action, something was driving him to raise that hand and rebel against the Big Nurse like the other acutes.
At this point in the story, I am definitely rooting for McMurphy. He is finally gaining support in his quest to get the best of the Big Nurse and he seems to be gaining momentum. He still seems like an underdog because of how the reader views the Big Nurse: cruel and powerful. The Nurse's actions have forced me to root against her and I believe she is the obvious villain.

Cuckoo's Nest Blog #1

In the first section of  One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, many characters were introduced to the reader. Many of the characters can be easily placed into the character categories, while others cannot yet be classified.
First, the reader can come to the conclusion that Nurse Ratched is the villain in the story. Kesey writes, "You saw what she can do to us... But the way she asks them... If you don't answer she just smiles and makes a note in her little book and then she-- oh, hell!" (p. 68). At this part of the story, the patients at the mental facility are discussing the head nurse, Nurse Ratched, and what she does to the patients. They can see that she has a sneaky way of doing what she wants with the patients and they obviously don't like what she does. If the main group of people who the audience is attached to are opposed to one person who seems like their motives are against them, then that person is most likely the villain.
Also, I would classify the character of McMurphy as an antihero. McMurphy enters the mental facility in a very odd way, being very intrusive, defiant, and rude. His actions show that he is not necessarily a character that has the best morals or a personality that the readers should agree with, but this is not the case. McMurphy is planning to "break" the head nurse, who is the assumed villain in the story. Since he is going against the villain for the benefit of the people of the facility who she is abusing, we tend to agree with his character. This makes McMurphy an antihero.
Finally, the character of Chief, or Broom, can not clearly be categorized as hero, antihero, or villain. There is a good possibility that he could end up being a hero, since he is the narrator of the story. The readers tend to naturally agree with the narrator, no matter how much we know about them. Even though this is true, we know very little information about his character, his motives, and his personality to draw any conclusions. His character very well may be only an observer of the other more important characters and not play a big role in the story.

Great Gatsby Final Reading Blog

Four Questions about The Great Gatsby

1.       Q: Why does Fitzgerald begin the book by having Nick tell the advice that his father gave him about criticizing others? (“‘Whenever you feel like criticizing any one,’ he told me, ‘just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.’”(p. 1))

A: Because Nick is the narrator of the story, the readers get a first person account of his interactions with the other characters in the story. Through his conversations and descriptions of the actions of the other characters, specifically Gatsby, we can learn a great deal about their personalities and motives. As Nick gets to know Gatsby a little better, we find out that he and Daisy had a previous relationship that was ended abruptly by something out of their control. Gatsby tells Nick that he had been waiting five years for Daisy, hoping that they could rekindle their relationship and that that was the only reason he lived where he did. Nick could have easily questioned Gatsby’s motives, criticized him for trying to take a married woman away from her husband, and deserted Gatsby on his quest to win her back, but he did not. I believe that he realized that Gatsby was not raised with the same values (advantages) as he was and took his father’s advice of not criticizing him. By not turning away from Gatsby, he was able to realize that Gatsby was trying very hard to hold onto something of the past that he genuinely believed could be remade into something just as good. I believe the quote from Nick’s father at the beginning was used to foreshadow this happening in the story, which leads to one of the main themes in the story, which is that people will persevere towards any goal if they truly believe they can reach it.

2.       Q: Why does Fitzgerald give Tom and Daisy such a negative ending in the novel?

A: Fitzgerald introduces Tom and Daisy at the very beginning of the story as two of Nick’s only friends, so the reader is automatically somewhat connected to them. Even though we may not agree with some of the motives and the lifestyle that they have, there is no reason for us to want much bad to happen to them. This holds true for a short part of the story for Tom, until we realize that his character represents the stereotypical “pig” of a man, who cheats on his wife while they are raising a small child and brags about it to his friends. Although we now form a more negative opinion of Tom, we still don’t have anything against Daisy. When Nick learns of Gatsby’s relationship with Daisy, the readers automatically form a higher opinion of Daisy because we like Gatsby and we want the relationship to be successful. Why, then, does Daisy earn such a negative ending? This is because of the social class ordering and differences that are portrayed in the novel. One of Fitzgerald’s themes that is conveyed in the story is that social class greatly affects the overall character of a person. Gatsby, a man who came from a poor family and had to fend for himself to survive, truly loved Daisy and wanted a genuine relationship with her. On the other hand, I believe that Daisy, who had a wealthy background, did not sincerely want that kind of relationship with Gatsby. She only showed a strong want for a relationship when she saw all of the fancy things that Gatsby had and what she had missed out on. In the end, Gatsby passed away and Daisy went on with her life with Tom in another city, obviously not greatly affected by his death. Nick describes them as “careless” people because they are so used to wealth and they let that consume them when they should be worrying about the more important things in life.

3.       Q: What kind of character (round/flat, static/dynamic, etc.) is Nick Carraway?

A: In The Great Gatsby, Nick Carraway narrates the story as a young adult man who moved from the Midwest to the Eastern state of New York. Though the narrators of novels are usually the hero and do many things to develop the plot of the story, this is not the case for Nick Carraway. If the narrator was someone else, say Jay Gatsby, Nick would not have much effect on the story at all. Nick simply tells us the story of the other characters and serves as a passage into their lives. Even though this is true, I believe that Nick ends up being a somewhat dynamic character in the novel. He does not undergo any significant change as a person from cover to cover, but he does learn something that changes his viewpoint on life and other people. By going off on his own and being introduced to the real, harsh world, I believe he grows in his perception of others and can better understand the motives of others. Even though he is dynamic, I believe that Nick is a mostly flat character. He is a polite and kind man throughout the story and does not show very many other very distinguishable traits. I believe this can be attributed to the fact that he is only a narrator and does not play a huge role in the development of the story.

4.       Q: Who does Daisy really love: Tom or Gatsby?

A: After reading The Great Gatsby, I have come to the conclusion that Daisy does not truly love either one of these men. If I had to pick which one she had a stronger bond and more genuine feelings for, it would be Jay Gatsby, but I would not say she loved him. I believe that Daisy was in love with wealth, material things, and the feeling of being wanted. I think she was truly in love with Gatsby at one time, which was when they first knew each other. When they broke up, she married Tom, who she also did not love. She was having second thoughts the night before her wedding and I never really felt anything true between the two of them throughout the whole story. Daisy was just attracted to the wealth that he could bring to her and having a husband figure in her life. When Gatsby came back into her life, she was not very interested until she saw the wealth and material possessions that he also had. Although she seemed to be sincerely pursuing Mr. Gatsby, she was still involved with Tom. When the men confronted her about the situation, she said she loved both of them, which I do not believe is true. She obviously didn’t truly love Gatsby because, in the end, she was not fazed by his death and went on living her life with another man who could provide her with the thing she truly wanted: wealth.

Great Gatsby Reading Blog #2

F. Scott Fitzgerald included the character of Meyer Wolfsheim to add mystery to the character of Jay Gatsby. Wolfsheim and Gatsby had known each other for a very long time and are good friends, even with the things Wolfsheim has done in the past. Gatsby obviously knows about those, like when Wolfsheim fixed the World Series, and he is not afraid to talk openly about it to Nick. It seems as though Gatsby is fascinated with the fact that Wolfsheim was able to do what he did and the fact that he was never caught. He has lived his life knowing that Wolfsheim did such a thing and has never turned him in, which shows that he could be a very good and trustworthy friend, or that he condones those kinds of activities. At this point in the book, we think of Gatsby as a good man that is welcoming of people into his home and very generous, but this reveals that we still might not know very much about the character of Jay Gatsby. Just like the character of Wolfsheim, the past relationship between Jay and Daisy helps develop Gatsby's character while also making him even more mysterious in some ways. Gatsby and Daisy's relationship ended with him going overseas to the military, so there was a great possibility that they both still had feelings for each other that never went away. On Daisy's wedding day, she almost didn't marry Tom because of a letter she received, which we can assume came from Gatsby. There was obviously still some lost connection between Jay and Daisy that never went away, so that could be the reason why Gatsby moved so close to where Daisy lived. This possibly reveals one of Gatsby's motives, which is to fix things with Daisy and get their relationship back. The rest of Gatsby's past shows that he had to support himself as he grew up and reached adulthood and had to experience the world firsthand. To me, he becomes a much more interesting character because more and more mystery builds around him has we find out what he is really like.

Gatsby's Party Music

1. The trumpet stands out in this song because it is so prominent over the other instruments and it carries the melody of the song. A little ways in, the music changes from strong trumpet and clarinet sounds to a soft piano part, which definitely stands out.
2. I think this music would be the music that people dance to at Gatsby's parties. Those who do not dance would hear the music in the background and it would be a pleasant sound to hear while chatting with other people.
3. The mood is positive and lively because of the strong trumpet melody and the different instruments. The music has a very fast tempo and sounds very happy.
4. Activities that go along with this music are dancing, laughing, and talking with people at a party.

Style

The artist's style is relaxed and laid back. The people he portrays seem very relaxed and laid back like they aren't worrying about anything. He uses subtle colors in his paintings to further push a relaxed feeling and he doesn't have much going on to make you break down the picture. The shapes and images flow with each other and make it easy to look at.

Great Gatsby Reading Blog #1

In the first three chapters of The Great Gatsby, a wide variety of characters are introduced to the readers. The protagonist of the story is Nick Carraway, who narrates the story from his point of view. Nick is the obvious hero of the story, being a very polite, friendly, and honest man. Nick says, "Indeed, I was almost surprised into murmuring an apology for having disturbed her by coming in" (p. 8). He writes this when he is visiting his old friend Tom and his cousin Daisy at their home. He is surprised to find Jordan Baker, a friend of Tom and Daisy's, sitting on the couch, concentrating on something unknown, and he feels bad for interrupting her concentration. Even when he is a guest in someone's home, he worries about the feelings of others before his own. Also, Nick writes, "Everyone suspects himself of at least one of the cardinal virtues, and this is mine: I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known" (p. 59). Nick Carraway is identifying himself as an honest man, which makes him seem even more heroic to the readers.
Jordan Baker is an antihero in the story. When Nick went to Tom and Daisy's home for dinner, Miss Baker was a little bit rude and acted without good manners, which should make her someone that the audience does not identify with. Nick writes, "I was about to speak when she sat up alertly and said "Sh!" in a warning voice" (p. 14). Nick was trying to make conversation with her, but she was only worried about eavesdropping on Tom and Daisy and ended up being rude to him. However, even though she acts differently than someone with hero-like qualitites does, she becomes a character that the audience supports and likes later in this section. She forms a close relationship with the hero of the story, Nick, so the readers come to support her as well. This makes her an antihero in the story.
Finally, Jay Gatsby is a character that can not yet be placed into one of the three categories of characters. Though Gatsby is mentioned multiple times throughout this section, it is not until the very end of the third chapter when Nick and Jordan Baker actually come into contact with him. He seems like a very nice and honest man, politely conversating with both Nick and Jordan for a very long time on the first night he ever met them. Gatsby could possible be a hero in the story, but we have not learned much at all about his character, so he could just as easily be an antihero or a villain.

"Sixteen Military Wives" by the Decemberists

1. This song is about military wives and what they have to go through with their husbands in the war. It describes how different people go about their lives when a war is going on.
2. The theme of this song is that America will always go on with its normal daily routine, no matter what terrible things happen to those who live there. The song describes a situation in which military wives find out about their husbands' deaths in the war. They are sent there by American powers to fight for their lives no matter what the cost. The song says, "And the anchorperson on TV goes... La de da..." This shows that in these terrible times of war, the people reporting to Americans about what is going on are not phased by any pain that people are feeling. The people in charge of America send people over to die in wars and when they do, they do not seem to be effected.

"Race for the Prize" by the Flaming Lips

The theme of the song is that people will do whatever it takes to reach a goal or win something if the result is great enough. At the beginning of the song, it says, "Two scientists were racing for the good of all mankind... For the cure that is their prize. But it's so dangerous. But they're determined." This describes a competition between two scientists to find a cure, which could be  about finding a cure for cancer. He says that the race is dangerous, but they are determined to get the prize because it is so important. The song goes on to say, "Theirs is to win if it kills them." This stresses to what great lengths people will go to to reach a goal or win a prize. They will keep going until they win the race, even if it kills them.

Death Penalty Essays

Of the two death penalty essays that we read in class, I believe that the essay by Kroll is more effective than the one written by Mencken. Normally, I would be more easily and strongly persuaded by an essay that primarily uses logos to sway the readers, like the Mencken essay, but that was not the case here. With such a serious and emotional topic like the death penalty, the technique that is most effective in persuading readers is definitely pathos. Kroll writes, "We were in the middle of something indescribably ugly. Not just the cold-blooded killing of a human being... It was nakedly barbaric." There are many times like this throughout his essay where Kroll uses words like "ugly" and "barbaric" to describe the death penalty, which have negative connotations. By describing it in such a negative way, it makes the readers feel sorry for anyone who has to go through the process, no matter what they did. It is human nature to believe that killing someone in cold blood is wrong, so people will be urged to think against this idea, thus strengthening Kroll's argument. On the other hand, Mencken wrote in his essay, "There are, indeed, many other jobs that are unpleasant, and yet no one thinks of abolishing them- that of the plumber, that of the soldier, that of the garbageman, that of the priest hearing confessions, that of the san.. and so on." Here he is using logic to refute the argument that the job of a hangman is unpleasant. Although this idea that he presents is logical, it does not have the grasping effect that appeals to emotion have on the readers in this situation. Kroll's use of pathos was definitely more effective in persuading me to agree with his argument than Mencken's use of logos.

Fallacies in Famous Speeches

1. "Let both sides unite to heed in all corners of the earth the command of Isaiah -- to 'undo the heavy burdens... and let the oppressed go free.'"
2. In this quote, John F. Kennedy commits the fallacy of Appeal from Authority. JFK uses a quote from Isaiah, who is an authority figure or an expert to many religious people. This is a fallacy because even though Isaiah is a figure of authority, his words may not necessarily be credible or true. He is using these words to try to persuade his audience, so it is a fallacy.
3. Even though this speech commits so many fallacies, it is so effective and still famous today because JFK used the fallacies in a way that made them believable and easy to agree with. Most of the fallacies that he used in his speech are used to stir up some sort of emotion or rally the people of America, so that very easily can cover up the fact that they really are fallacies. If people are having their spirits raised and being rallied, they probably won't be paying much attention to the credibility of the argument. Also, JFK used fallacies that people were sure to agree with, like Appeal to faith, Appeal to tradition, Argumentum ad baculum, and many others.

Duck and Cover

1. Overt Message- If an atom bomb goes off, everyone needs to know what to do. People should duck and cover if they see the flash of the bomb go off.
2. Covert Message- Everyone needs to be prepared for anything that could happen. With the looming dangers, people need to be ready to protect themselves at all times.
3. This is informational. The ad is not trying to convince people to protect themselves. People already know that they have to take precautions, but this is specifically telling them how to.

Overt & Covert Messages- Mars

1. Overt Message- Oil and competition are very important to everyone, especially in the United States. I got that because the whole cartoon was talking about how great oil is and making it out to be the best thing in the universe.
2. Covert Message- Everyone needs oil to be able to function in society. When the martian came to America, he saw that their society was running very smoothly and found out that it was because of the oil. Before he discovered the oil, the martians were angry and did not seem happy with the way they were living. When they discovered oil, they became happy and started working together and improved their society.
3. This is propaganda because there was an underlying, not straight-forward message within the cartoon. In the cartoon, there were Glittering Generalities. They described what the oil did for America and that it was so great, which could mean different things to different people and maybe even make it seem better than it really is. They also used transfer to connect ideas of capitalism to oil and competition.

Propaganda

1. The overt message is that people need to cook more of their own food and eat less bread. The woman is shown with a pot in her hands which suggests that she has been cooking something.
2. The covert message is that women who have husbands or other relatives in the war need to make themselves useful and not just sit around and wait. Cooking could be something that could occupy their time and if they just eat a lot of bread, they are purchasing this and not doing themselves any good.
3. The disparity of the two could cause many people to think different things, which is what propaganda does. There is not a very clear, straightforward message, but it gets people thinking.

"Clampdown" by The Clash

1. This song is about Nazi Germany, which is referred to as the "Clampdown". The song says, "Taking off his turban, they said is this man a Jew?" This is referring to the Nazi's view of Jews and how they treated them. Also, it says, "We will train out blue-eyed men to be young believers." This refers to the blonde-haired, blue-eyed men that Hitler and the Nazis viewed as the perfect citizen and Nazi.
2. The strong guitar part in the song creates and intense and strong feeling because the Nazis in Germany were intense and strong.
3. This song relates to propaganda because Nazi Germany used a lot of propaganda to demean the Jewish people and also promote the war. The song talks about how people can't refuse the control of the government. People were persuaded to believe in the Nazis and were deceived to think that it was the best government.

Rhetoric, Persuasion, and Propaganda Quotes

I chose quotes 11, 43, 68, and 76.
Analysis of quote 68:
"Vilify! Vilify! Some of it will always stick." - Pierre Beaumarchais
In this quote, Beaumarchais is addressing anything that is used to persuade someone to think a certain way or convey an idea, be it propaganda, rhetoric, or persuasion in general. To vilify something means to speak ill of, defame, or slander it. When trying to persuade someone of something, there is no guarantee that the message or point you are trying to get across will have any effect on that person or that they will remember your argument in the future. Beaumarchais is suggesting that if you use vilification when doing the persuading, at least some part of your message will get into their mind and stick there. As a result, your argument will be stronger and they may be more easily or strongly persuaded. I believe that he is saying that it is often not enough to persuade people with general tactics like facts and credibility and that sometimes attacking and demeaning something or someone is what it takes to create a very affective argument. An example of this vilification in propaganda is in Germany during WWII. There were many posters and other forms of propaganda made that were demeaning and negative towards Jewish people at that time. Something about this obviously stuck, since many Germans were persuaded to believe the harsh and hateful things that were said about the Jews. This is just one of the many examples of times when vilification in persuasion has caused ideas to stick in peoples' minds and be more effective.