Brave New World Responce

The novel Brave New World describes a future society where the higher classes are free to run and play as they wish while the lower casts are engineered to work and do menial and laborious work to keep the system going.  Though this was written in 1932,  it displayed very similar concepts that are in our world now.

While reading the article, “Margaret Atwood on Brave New World” I was kind of confused at first. I have never read Brave New World so I could not make the connections. Only when I have read the summary that things started to make sense. When I could understand it, I was quite surprised that Brave New World had so many roots to other, and older, stories. It even had roots in Plato’s Republic and the Books of Revelations (Atwood). I was also surprised on how close the novel’s futuristic setting is similar to our own.

A lot of different themes that are in Huxley’s futuristic world are very similar to our society.  One of the items in genetics. In Huxley’s novel, babies are not born normally, instead they are grown in a hatchery. Today’s genetics have gotten so advanced recently that we can genetically clone animals and even check embryos for chances of diseases and imperfections. In a few years, we could even be able to “grow” our children. Another item is their drug, soma, which makes the user really happy with no side affects. We have drugs in our society that give us temporary bliss, but they also come with nasty side effects. Another theme is how intercourse is almost normal in Huxley’s society. In our society, you only lay with who you love and/or marry and laying with anyone else is considered adultery. In Huxley’s world, there is a saying, “Everyone belongs to everyone else” They sleep with everybody and the women take drastic measures, from contraceptives to abortion, to make sure they do no conceive. I find this very unnerving. I am also uncomfortable with the thought that they are okay with children doing this as well.

With all the violence and shootings appearing in the news lately, investigators have been looking for possible roots of this violence. Some have linked the violence associated in video games to be the cause. However, this is no true. The correlation between video games and real violence is, instead of promoting violence, reducing it.

I am a gamer. I love to play video games. Sometimes, when I’m angry it helps to blow something up in “Super Smash Brothers Brawl” or to hack an enemy to pieces in “Legend of Zelda”. Does that make me a violent sociopath bent on shooting up the school? No,  not really:

“Playing violent video games provide a safe outlet for aggressive and angry feelings. A 2007 study reported that 45% of boys played video games because ‘it helps me get my anger out’ and 62% played because it ‘helps me relax'”(Procon).

That means that video games do not promote violence, instead it helps reduce violence by giving players something to take their anger out of. So, I can take out my aggression on a pixellated monster instead of blowing up on school grounds.

Though many studies were published to point out that video games are linked to violent maniacs, there is no real correlation between the two. According to Procon, the sales of video games have more than quadrupled from 1995-2008, while the arrest rate for juvenile murders fell 71.9% and the arrest rate for all juvenile violent crimes declined 49.3% in this same period. Showing that, unlike the studies, the violence level in juveniles has dropped thanks to video games.

The Symbols of A Hunger Artist

“A Hunger Artist” is a short story that is riddled with various symbolic elements. Some relate to the main character of the story, and some even relate to the author, Franz Kafka.

The only thing this man really knows is how to fast. When his event closed, he could not find another profession. He went to the circus to fast. I think this can me that he hungers for attention. Even as he dies, his last words are “I could not find the food I liked” (Kafka 231).

In the story, Kafka told the audience that there was always a butcher or two in the crowd. The butcher could symbolize Kafka’s own father, who was a butcher by profession. Kafka and his father never got along well and he never supported Kefka’s literary career.

Another form of symbolism is the cage itself. The cage, like his own mind, is closed off from the rest of society.  He dosen’t want to learn any other skills, and when his old job goes, he still wants to fast. It is like an obsession.

To conclude, “A Hunger Artist” is riddled with various symbolism. Both from the authors life and from the life of the main character.

Just keep Swimming… Just keep Swimming…

In the short story titled “The Swimmer”  by Cheever, the main character Neddy goes swimming from pool to pool to reach his family at home. However, when he gets there, he realizes that he has lost his home, and his family is gone. If you look into the story deeply, you can find that Cheever leaves some clues to show that all is not what it seems.

One of the major clues is that as he dives from pool to pool, he starts to overhear some gossip from his neighbors. . He hears from some partygoers that he used to have a large source of money, and that he lost it all at once. When he visited the Hallorins, they pity him for having to sell the house and his children going away.  Then, his old mistress, Shirley Adams tells him that she won’t loan him any more money. This puzzles Neddy because he dosen’t remember asking her for money. At first, he dosen’t believe them, but as he gets closer and closer to his house, the stories all started to sink in. It really hit home when he reached his destination.

Another major clue is all the references to alcohol throughout the story. The story even opens with people saying that they have “drank too much” the day before and as Neddy swims from pool to pool, he takes drinks from his hosts. This then refers back to the first point, where the other neighbors take pity on Neddy for all his misfortunes.

I also have to add that the storm near the beginning of the story could be a mode of foreshadowing. I believe it changes the mood of the story to a happy man swimming from pool to pool to get home to a man that is in complete denial over his misfortunes.

In this story, there seems to be a great emphasis on class. Neddy seems to live in a “closed community” place where everyone has large houses and pools and parties are common. This seems to be a community of great wealth, which makes the people pity Neddy more for when he loses everything to some unwritten misfortune.

Guns and Roses

In America, a concealed handgun is a good legal defense, yet only 49 states have the “shall issue” laws, meaning that they will give gun permits to citizens who meet with certain requirements such as minimum age or lack of felonies. You can only have a handgun in Illinois or Washington DC if you are a current or retired police officer. While I understand why normal citizens can not have a concealed handgun in Washington DC, I do not see any reason why concealed handguns are restricted in Illinois. I think that they are a good defence if you live in an area where attacks are likely. Even if you do not even use your handgun, you will feel safer if you keep it with you. Criminals do not bother to get special permits just to get their hands on a firearm, it would really even the feild if citizens had one for themselves. The right to own a concealed gun is even mentioned in the Second Admendment of our Constitution. Critics may say that permitting guns will promote more violence instead of stopping it. However, if we created new laws the screen out people that have drug/alchol problems or felonies, then we can give guns to responsible people. Violence levels could actually drop.

Minimum Wage

I think that minimum wage is important and is needed in America. Minimum wage was set by President FDR to help people during the Great Depression. It started at 40 cents an hour and it has risen to $7.25 in 2010. Minimum wage helps workers because it gives them enough money to support themselves and their families. With the rising cost of living, we need a decent amount of income to make sure we have a roof over our heads and food on the table.

Critics say that minimum wage is an “unwieldy government rule that will lock people out of jobs”. I don’t think it could lock people out of jobs. It only sets the hourly rate a company has to pay its workers and does not affect job availability.

To conclude, minimum wage is needed in our struggling economy where jobs are not as secure as they were. Costs are higher now then they have ever been and we need the money to survive.

Responce of Art Article

I believe that when children are educated in arts, it does promote academic skills. Art, in all forms, gives students the chance to be creative to be creative and lets them cooperate with other students. It also gives students a chance to express themselves and improves problem solving. It does not seem fair that its been on the decline for years, even though its been proven that improves academic improvement.