Value of World Literature

 

 This image symbolizes the power of literature and  how it links together the world because it is a solid ground. Culture, religion, and beliefs may differ but words will always be the same, regardless of your background. A chain symbolizes the unity and coming together of two or more entities, therefore, this picture is a parallel to literature because much like a chain, literature links together people based on what they take from the works. This semester in class, I have honestly learned so much and broadened my understanding, not only on the material learned in the class, but also on life. Literature is beautiful and can have a major impact on your life if you let it. I didn't know this before, but after being in this class for only a semester, we have studied works like Joseph Campbell's Power of Myth, Swift's Modest Proposal, and Golding's Lord of the Flies. All of these pieces have impacted my life and I have learned so much from them; I've learned the processes of allegory, symbolism, and satire, in addition to making leaps and bounds in my own personal writing. This class is interesting and I cant wait to see what the next semester entails.

"Yes, the adventure of a hero- the adventure of being alive" (Campbell 163

This quote capitalizes on what I took from Joseph Campbell's Power of Myth. I paralleled the hero's journey with the life cycle of a human, starting at birth and proceeding to death. A hero's journey is ultimately life. There are several steps, all of which correspond with a point in the life cycle of a human. 

"...think of it a great happiness to have been sold for food, at a year old in the manner I described, and thereby have avoided such a perpetual scene of misfortunes..." (Swift 9)

This quote is an example of satire, and satire is the basis on which Jonathan Swift's A Modest Proposal is wrote. The work literally says that the Irish people should kill their babies for food and as a source of income, but the deeper meaning of the proposal was to expose the fact of how poorly the British treat the Irish. It is ironic because the British thought it was real and valid, whereas everyone else thought of it as a joke subjected towards the British. This whole piece was a work of satire, just like the Onion newspaper. 

"And in the middle of them, with filthy body, matted hair, and unwiped nose, Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man's heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy." (Golding 207-208)

This quote fully encompasses what the entire message of the novel was about. The novel exemplified the rise and fall of the boys civilization on the island and demonstrated how ultimately savagery overcame reason, or in other words civilization. This quote shows how the boys lost their innocence  during their stay on the island and how Ralph came to the realization that all evil is in all me. Ralph was enlightened by this right as they were getting rescued. 

Culture

Culture: 
Culture is the quality in a person or society that arises from a concern for what is regarded 
as excellent in arts, letters, manners,scholarly pursuits, etc. The picture I chose ties into this definition because it is a group of people of different races and genders together, setting aside their cultural differences and uniting as one which is what culture does. 
(http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/culture)

Country: A country is formed by many cultures but its stereotyped by other cultures as a whole. Our county  is perceived by other cultures in a negative sense, them thinking that Americans are materialistic, uneducated, and even ignorant. This may be true in certain instances, but ultimately our country's culture is defined by our good food, our sense of community, and our values about life. America is known for our equal rights and government ruled by the people, making everyone equal ideally which I believe sets America apart from the rest of the world. The picture I chose is of all the other cultures melting in the "American Pot". This picture describes American culture because America is a combination of all sorts of different cultures, which is what makes it so special and unique. 

State: When people think of Colorado they think of the outdoors and the mountains and in general, the people of Colorado are very outdoors minded and adventurous. Colorado is known for the skiing, snowboarding, hiking, rafting and many other adventure activities like that. I have lived in a few other states which broadens my perspective on this, living on the flat plains of Kansas and in Texas where bigger is always better. In my opinion Colorado is a very natural place, people are very healthy and outdoors minded.

Town: I live in Erie which is a pretty small town like 20 minutes from Monarch. It is dead set on playing up the small town, family community; not letting chain business or restaurants in, keeping everything family owned, small business. The culture of the town is very family and community oriented and the people all are young hip parents with little kids. 

Family: Ever single person in my family has either taught school, played sports, or coached a sport so you could say my family is very sports based and has high standards when it comes to academics. My parents expect  good grades, good work ethic, and making the right choices from me. Also, my dad is a basketball coach at CU so that heavily influences our lives and our family culture. He's been coaching my whole life, so my mom, sister, and I have spent our whole lives in a basketball gym. 

School: The majority of the students that attend Monarch High School are upper middle class, intelligent white kids. There isn't much diversity in ethnicity however, there is a wide range of interests among the students. Monarch provides opportunities for students to find their niche in the school community, which broadens the culture of the school. Despite differences in interests, Monarch always comes together as one when it comes to school spirit.

 

Friends: My close friends are the friends that I've met through basketball because they share the same interest, dedication, and work ethic as me. Our culture would be very basketball minded and we share a common goal of a college basketball scholarship so we have the same mindset on life. They are my true friends because we think alike and we have common interest. 

Satire Video

Literal:
- This video is a news update ion a UN meeting regarding environmental protocol. A man, who is supposedly a recognized scholar translates the other nations representatives in obnoxious accents and in a rather racist way.
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Deeper:
-The man is stereotyping the cultures and nationalities of each of the representatives from an American viewpoint. Thus demonstrating, that people can't respect and fully understand other nations responses and opinions without referring to racial stereotypes.
-The blonde news anchor carries out the dumb blonde persona.

Hero Traits

1) One important trait of a hero is selflessness. By putting others first it makes a person part of something bigger than themselves which is essential in being a hero. A hero sacrifices their own well being in order to improve the lives of others. I used this picture because it says "put others 1st" which is an important part of being selfless.

2) Perseverance is key to a hero. A hero never gives up and perseveres through tough times to achieve what they are aiming for. In my picture there is a person climbing a mountain. Climbing a mountain is a symbol of perseverance because to reach the top you have to keep climbing no matter how tired you are.

3) Another trait of heroism is dedication. Being completely devoted to something and doing everything you can to achieve it is what makes or breaks a hero. Much like in life, where if you aren't dedicated you won't receive any success. I chose this picture because it shows a double amputee from South Africa who ran in the Olympics, not the Para Olympics. Both of his legs had to be amputated right after birth. Despite having two artificial legs, he trained every day to be a sprinter and the result of his hard work and dedication was representing his country in the Olympics.

4) Courage is the trait that allows you to face situations without fear. This is essential to a hero because a hero can't be afraid to take risks and face challenges no matter the circumstances. In my picture there is a cat walking past a whole line of big dogs. We all know dogs like to chase cats, so by the cat walking past all those dogs, it has an enormous amount of courage.

5) Another heroic characteristic is sacrifice. Sacrifice means to give up something you value for the sake of something you believe to be more important.This is important for a hero because a hero puts others first and if they have to make a sacrifice, they will. For my picture I used Jesus Christ on the cross. Jesus sacrificed his life to forgive the sins of all the people by dying on the cross, which was the ultimate sacrifice. 

6) Honesty is always the best policy, and that goes for heroes too. Honesty is what builds trust and without trust you have nothing. To be considered a hero you have to have trust which is built through being honest and telling the truth. For my picture I put Pinocchio because Pinocchio is what I think of when I think of honesty. Every time Pinocchio lies his nose grows and his father loses trust in him so through this, he learns the importance of honesty.

 

7) In addition, integrity is also a notable trait of heroism. Integrity is always doing the right thing, making the right decisions, and adhering to good morals. I chose this picture because it quotes, "integrity is doing the right thing when no one is watching". I like this quote because there are many times in life when you are presented with a situation where you can take the easy way out or do the right thing when no one is around to see it, which defines your character and integrity. 

8) Loyalty is the the quality of staying true to someone or something regardless of the situation. A hero that is loyal holds fast to their beliefs and the ones who support them. For my picture I used a picture of a dog and it's owner. Dogs are the most loyal creatures I know; no matter what, they are always happy to see you and they have an unconditional love for their owner, after all, they are considered "man's best friend". 

9) Being focused is the ability to converge one's energy to a particular purpose to attain an ambition. Focus is important to heroes because they have to be able to put their mind to something and set out and achieve it. My picture is an optical illusion on the word focus. All the other words are blurry and make you "focus" on the word "focus"

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10) The last trait of a hero I have is, the characteristic of being humble. Being humble signifies not being arrogant in spite of the great things a hero has achieved. My picture is a comic of a turkey talking about how Thanksgiving is better than Christmas, which is contradictory to humbleness. Being humble is a respectable quality to have even though it isn't very widespread.  

What describes me

One thing I really enjoy is playing basketball. My dad is a college basketball coach so I've spent my entire life in a basketball gym. Ever since I've been little I've loved to play and now it is my favorite thing to do. I play club all summer and fall and school in the winter so it sorta occupies all my time. My teammates are some of my best friends and I spend a lot of time with them on and off the court. Basketball has played a major role in my life and that's why I chose a picture of it.