"Education opens doors where none seem to be open."

Education opens doors where none seem to be opened. I agree with this statement. I say this because without education there is not really much one can do for a job. This world is a man eat man world. If someone wants to make a secured living they should get an education. For example, Mark lived in a slum; he felt that, that was where he was always going to live. He felt that when he grew up, he would live there too, nothing would change. Many people who live in such poor conditions feel the same way. This is because life is hard, and thus people do not feel they have any opportunities, because for starters they may be illiterate, and second they have not seen their parents moving out from the slums. It is such a sad mentality, because they never explore the options that they have. However, when he got an education his perspective changed. He decided that he would do anything to stay in school later on. He even works in order to make money to pay his school fees. He realised that his education could get him out of the slums. I believe that being able to have an education is such a blessing. I am forever grateful that I have one. I will never drop out of school so that I can make a better life for myself.

Censorship

I really liked the articles. It showed me just how passionate he is about his writhing. I agree with what said completely. In our society today determining what is accepted and what is not has a fine line. People would rather stare at a TV screen and watch inappropriate things, then read controversial issues in a book. What I mean by this is that a parent and his son have no problem watching Will and Grace with their children, but once Will and Grace is brought into a novel, they shut the ideas down completely. Mathabane’s life experiences, even through that short article were gruelling. He starved, his mother cooked blood for them for supper and he lived in a small shack. His father had to support nine children and he had no jobs sometimes. He was arrested for being unemployed. Their lives were not a bed of roses. It was hard and it was sad. It even came to the point where Mathabane tried to commit suicide at the age of 10. All these events are part of his life. Nothing has been fabricated, and nothing has been removed. So since he wrote the book this way, why should anyone else come and change his story. This is an act of censorship. Mathabane did not write this book with the aim of giving people pleasure during the sex scenes. It was not something he was proud of and decided to share with the world for enjoyment. It was something he had to face up to, and live with. It was something that he went through because of desperation and in order to survive. If one takes away what he has said in the novel, then they are taking away part of his “autobiography”. How is it meant to inspire children and teach them that there is hope if, horrific scenes are not read? Your life is yours, do not hide bits to please people, or else it is no longer your life; it becomes a stranger’s. If they cannot handle the book, then they should not read it at all.

            I feel that censorship should not be allowed. If one cannot handle the book, then one should not read it. If they feel that they will miss out on a lot if they do not read the book, then they should consult their parents and read it. Literature is not meant to be appealing for all. However, it is meant to move you. Novels are written by people either to tell their story, another person’s, or a fiction that is inspiring or telling reality. Others are fantasies, horrors, e.t.c. Each author had an intention and one should not take that away. If one cannot handle the heat, get out of the kitchen.

Ghosts

I believe that what Lena’s mother meant was something deeper. She did not just mean what she said. She was insinuating something else. I think she probably meant that where she stands has disappeared. By this I mean that Lena’s mother meant that who she is, has become a blur. Since Lena is half Chinese, she cannot be fully considered Chinese. So I believe that her mother feels that she does not entirely exhibit Chinese culture. I also think that what her mum means is that, she does not know any of her background cultures. She does not know any Irish, and she definitely knows very little about her Chinese background. I feel she could also be saying she is a ghost because she no longer has a unique culture in America that stands. People are no longer fascinated by her. She has now become like the rest of the American society. Her mum does not like that and is angry that she no longer wants to be Chinese. I feel her mum is saying that because her mum feels that the Chinese in her will one day die completely and that she will forget who she was and where she came from. Then her mother’s Chinese legacy will die.

Waverly Jong

Virtues

Waverly is a very intelligent person. She always knows how to figure things out, especially when it comes to chess. She is able to tell how to see things differently. She is not afraid. She is very adventurous. She is not afraid to voice her opinions. She does not regret what she does. She does not like hurting her mother.

Negatives       

She is too proud. She thinks that she knows more than most people. She does not believe that she has consequences. She is very demanding, like the time that she told her mum to go away because she had to work on her chess. She feels that she is very important. She feels that she can do whatever she likes.

Women of the Joy Luck Club

I feel that each story is individual.  All the mothers have told the beginning of their stories. Most of these stories were not happy go-lucky stories. Instead, they were sad, and usually did not end well. They have been, burnt, married off, and have lost children. This already shows they have things in common. These women have endured hardships that we cannot even fathom, that they did not deserve.  China had its issues with the war, and its culture practicing traditions from several centuries before. However, most of these cultures did not benefit anyone but their own families. Yet, we see in one story that even the mother does not want to conform to these cultural practices.  There is a lot of referral to ancestors, loyalty and duty. Most of these women, do not want to follow their customs, they want something better. They want something more.  They are hopeful that it is out there. They are on a search for joy and contentment. One can see that they would do things that would keep them hopeful.  They are the members of the Joy Luck Club. It is a place to play mah jong, gossip and enjoy. They did this instead of crying over their sad situations. They did not sit and say that this was the way it had to be. These women are all intelligent. These women are all family oriented. They love their families. They are loyal to their families, and would do almost anything for these families. However, one can tell that they are not necessarily content with how their daughters have been americanised. I believe that they feel that their daughters have forgotten who they truly are, and where they are truly from.  

The Big House

The house was greying and the trees around it were swaying,

The people would look at it as if it were cursed, the time had killed it and now it had passed,

Its door was hanging on its lust limb,

The light seeping through the windows was dim,

It was a structure left for the animals to take shelter,

The moss stained the red roof, and plants grew in the gutter

It was quiet; there was no noise or clutter.

One could tell this was a big investment,

And yet nature continued its torment,

This big house always left me wondering,

How much sadness, money can bring.

Video

The video really explains what truth is and it shows us just how much the world has lied to us. We are lied to everyday in the world and yet we conform to all its lies and go with the flow. We never try to open our eyes and really see it for what it is. I tend to feel that whatever I see in the world from my perspective is truth and yet this is false. The professor really opened my eyes to seeing that what we believed was the truth was a lie. He also brought in different people so that we can see what they felt the definition of truth was. Some people beat about the bush about what truth was; others thought that it could not be defined. I feel this is very interesting because this is a question one feels that people would have the answer to. However, most people, even the best professors of the best universities, could not give a good answer. When the pastors and evangelists gave the definition it made a lot of sense. I really enjoyed the video. I liked the fact that he brought in peoples different views of what fact and truth was. I do not feel that it looked like he was accusing people of false ways they look at truth; however he was guiding our train of thought. He was looking at it from a Christian perspective which, I feel is the point of the truth project. I like the fact that he did not say everyone else was wrong, but that he said the Christian answer made the most sense which was true. I also like the fact that he in cooperates his students in his lecture. I also like the fact that it is a free opinionated class, no one is judged but rather people are corrected. He is a great lecturer.

Changeling

Changeling is a movie about a lady who lost her son and is trying to find him. Angelina Jolie is the mother. Her son goes missing one night and she has no idea where he went. She decides to call the FBI and police force in order to help her find him. When she makes her first call, they seem disinterested and hang up. However, she does not back down she calls again and indeed they take up her case. One of the officers believes her, while the others could not care less. The police finally said that they found her son, however he was not her real son. He pretended to be her son and this went on for several months. The government knew that this was not her real son, but they forced her to accept him. If it was public that the government was lying in order to look good, the people would be angry. However she did not stop and accept the new stranger as her son, she fought and continued searching for her own. There came a point where people believed she was crazy and that she was making up these stories. They decided to throw her into an asylum.After all the hardship, she continued to fight for her son. She later found out that he was taken by a serial killer, who used him to kill people. However, she never found her son. This is a true story. This movie shows a story of a woman who did not back down even in conflict. She continued to work hard to find her son, no matter what was bringing her down. She is an example for us all.

Anxiety

When I am anxious, I tend to breathe out loud. The reason I breathe is because it calms me down, it makes me focus on my task. I also begin to remember that whatever I am about to endure has not been the death of me yet, so I do not need to make it a big deal. I then tend to fiddle with my fingers or tap my feet in order to release this anxiousness. If I do not do this release symbolism, I tend to over think the situation and find reasons as to why I am justified to continue being anxious. When I am coping with a tough situation, I tend to pray and stay quiet. Sometimes all I want are my thoughts and silence. I believe that silence can be the most tantalizing and beautiful sound. It keeps me at peace. When I pray, I let myself know, there is a higher being who knows what is happening and why, and I trust in that and let it go. It is hard and painful to do, but the end result is contentment. I also tend to talk to friends and close family about my situation in order to get feedback and support. Whenever I have conflict with others, I usually cry first; I feel that it helps. I then relax and stay quiet, so I can think of the situation and how best to tackle it. After a while, I go up to the person and tell them what I feel of the situation. I then apologise to the person, or forgive them. I try to forget but I fail.

Oedipus

This is such a tragic story. One can see just how much Oedipus are the antagonist and the person we are to feel most sympathy for. Oedipus learned that his wife was also his mother. Anyone who would have heard of this news would be in shock and even disgust as well. Oedipus also came to realise that he had killed his father, King Lauis. All this brought grief and agony to Oedipus; he even says to his people “I am agony”. Oedipus feels that his life has come crashing down and he has every reason too. He also feels as if he has committed the biggest crime. He cannot even fathom the fact that the mother of his children; is also his own mother. He is angry and depressed with Apollo the god. So he decides that he is too ashamed to go on as King. He walks into the bedroom and finds his wife dead, as she has hanged herself with a rope. He takes pins from her robe and gorges his eyes out. This symbolises that he no longer can face the world. He then asks Creon to take care of his children. He tells him, that neither should be left without a man. He then asks to be taken into exile. After all that has happened, one can see that the only way foward for Oedipus is downhill.


I feel that Oedipus feels that he is doomed and that there is no way out of this situation. No one thinks that he is fit to be king anymore. He feels that not only has he betrayed himself, he has betrayed his father, his wife, and his town Thebes, as well as his children. I feel that the reason he fell is because he did not take any criticism from anyone. He feels as if he can make the best decision on his own and not listen to other’s advice. When the chorus says at the end, how they feel sorry for him and how they cannot believe what has happened, and they cannot bear to look at him.
He has no way of redeeming himself after all that has happened and how public it was. After the death of his wife, one can tell that there is no way he is able to get over it.

The Man

There was a man who lived on a hill. The man bought the hill in order to make a home for himself and his servants. He built a house 16 meters tall and a pool 50 metres deep. He hired professional chefs to feed his many guests. One day the man decided that his house was too quiet and that he needed more people to keep him happy. So he decided to buy himself rights to a circus. The acrobats and stunt men entertained him. They did all the tricks that he wanted and performed the most daring stunts known to man. Sadly, the man was not content. He would walk around his mansion and think about what to do get next in order to satisfy himself. He then decided that he would buy a car for every day of the week. However, after he had driven each car, he got bored and did not want to drive his cars anymore. Then one day, a beautiful young lady walked into his house asking for directions to a friend’s house. Immediately the man saw her asking his servants for directions, he invited her in and asked her to stay for tea. The man and the beautiful young lady got to know each other better and they were able to laugh with one another. The beautiful young lady kept on coming to the man’s house. Soon enough the man told his circus to leave. Afterward he sold 6 cars and remained with one. He also reduced the number of servants and chefs he had in his house. He had never been this happy and content.

Freedom

Freedom


We have the right to some freedom. We have Freedom to run, freedom to walk, freedom to eat and drink and even freedom to talk. However we tend to forget that some people do not have freedom. Oppression eliminates the right to freedom. Freedom is when one is not under bondage or captivity. It makes you feel as if you can take on the world.

These days one does not realize how much freedom they have. Humans abuse freedom and think that they are invincible. They believe that because they deserve freedom they deserve every right to use it however they please. An example of this is when colonists decide to take over undeveloped countries in order to “civilize” them, according to their own definition. They manipulate them and their resources in order to benefit their already wealthy country. However, the sad thing is that when they are exercising their freedom, they are also oppressing others and depriving them of theirs. This shows that one can use freedom for selfish reasons.

Another case is when a country decided that they dislike another country and use Nuclear weapons to destroy their enemy. They use their anger to control their freedom and do evil. This brings me to the conclusion that feelings and environmental circumstances can influence and control how one exercises freedom.

However, one also has to remember that freedom is limited to their ability. There is only so much one can do. Humans cannot fly, they cannot live for years on end under the sea, and they definitely do not have enough equipment to build a city on the sun. When one is disabled they do not have the freedom to do things that a person who is not disabled can do. Their freedom to use their bodies a certain way is limited.

The interesting thing is that when one gives their life to Christ they are a slave to him. They must obey him and trust in him and completely follow the faith. However, the most beautiful thing is that this is the best freedom in the world. One needs to be a Christian to feel this freedom.