On the Waterfront

From the very beginning of the film On the Waterfront characters are faced with decisions that can either lead to them being viewed as a whistleblower or as a traitor. The problem they are faced with is the choice of either going to the police and standing up against the mobs wrong doings or keeping quiet. Characters such as Joey, Doogan, and eventually Terry Malloy, are all whistleblowers and believe in standing up for what is right. They are willing to risk their lives to bring justice to the families of the waterfront by speaking out against the mob. Joey and Doogan are unsuccessful but Terry continues on even after seeing what fatal consequences can come. On the other hand there are characters such as Johnny Friendly and the dockworkers who believe speaking out would make them a traitor. The dockworkers also don’t budge on offering any tips to the police out of fear for their lives; this fear is brought on by Johnny and his mob that make them believe speaking out is the wrong thing to do and would be considered tattling. Through all this Terry persists with the encouragement of the Priest and Edy and eventually reaches his goal of bringing justice to the mob. But before he is able to fully bring down the mob he first needs the support of the dockworkers which he eventually gets as they realize that being a whistleblower and telling the truth really is a benefit to society and shouldn’t be considered tattling.

In my opinion being a tattle and being a whistleblower are two hugely different things. To me a tattle is just someone who tells on another for their own personal pleasure or gains not someone who speaks up about wrong doings in hopes that they can improve society by fixing this problem. A whistleblower is someone who is to be appreciated for spreading awareness and helping to fix problems not just someone who is looking to get someone else in trouble for amusement.

Dishwasher: Post 3

Pete Jordan is finally starting to get an idea of what it is he wants to do with his life so things are looking up for him as Pete recounts his life in Dishwasher. He was traveling around some more getting odd jobs here and there when he met Melanie on a ferry ride from Alaska to Seattle. They become friends and she invited him to come and stay with her. He stays for a couple of months before his money starts run low and he searches anxiously for a job. This is the first time you really see him concerned and devoted to doing something, finding a job in this case. He fears if he doesn’t get his act together and earn some money Melanie will kick him out for his bum like characteristics. He frantically searches for work but is unsuccessful due to his lack of experience and qualifications and fears it is only a matter of time before he will have to leave but, Melanie comes home ecstatic one day saying she has found him a dishwashing job at a local restaurants. He is overjoyed and runs the eight miles to get the job. On his first day of work he already feels at home and meets some fellow dishwashers. They reveal to him information about a whole dishwashing community where they refer to themselves as “a dish dog” (49), a “pearl diver” (49), and a “plongeur (that’s French talk for dishwasher)” (54) and share their stories of the places they’ve dished in. This sparks his first real new curiosity in something since maps when he was a boy. Pete is engrossed in their stories and wishes that he to could share stories of places he’s dished at being able to say things like: “where in Texas haven’t I dished?”(52). This is when the idea first strikes him; he decides he wants to travel to exotic places dishing and exclaims to his fellow dishers “I’m gonna wash dishes in all fifty states!” (52). Pete has finally established some sort of plan for his life that he is actually enthusiastic about.

Pete’s writing style makes for easy reading while still giving depth in his descriptions and personality quirks. He goes through his life adding humor to common situation and rejoicing over simple things such as the disher offering him a half eaten muffing thinking, wow I like it here already. But amidst his lightheartedness you can also depict his claustrophobia of being trapped in a situation where he can’t bail easily; he turns down many better paying jobs for this reason and you get the sense he feels comforted knowing he’s not tied down to anything and could leave at any moment if he felt the urge to. I also don’t think he is comfortable staying in any one place for two long so his goal of dishing in all fifty states will suit him wall for a career satisfying his love of traveling along with a career he enjoys to fund this travel and a lifestyle well fit for him. He now has a task laid before him that he can pursue fitting his work ethics so I look forward to seeing how it plays out for him.

Jordan, Pete. Dishwasher : One Man's Quest to Wash Dishes in All Fifty States. New York: HarperPerennial, 2007.

All My Sons: family vs. society

The characters in Arthur Miller’s play, All My Sons are forced to make decisions where they can either choose to do what’s best for their family or what is best for society. In the case of Joe and Kate Keller they choose to make their decisions based on what will benefit their family. Joe expresses his views on how he feels family is what is most important when he tells Joe that everything he worked for in the company was for Joe, his family, saying “what the hell did I work for? That’s only for you, Chris, the whole shootin’ – match is for you!” (17). Later we find out that Joe also shipped off cracked cylinder heads knowing they might not hold up and could result in the death of pilots. When Chris finds this out we see his views; he believes in doing what is ethically right and what’s right for society as a whole not what may just bring benefits to ones family. Chris is furious and deeply hurt by his father’s actions. His father tries to back up what he did by saying “Chris, I did it for you, it was a chance and I took it for you. I’m sixty years old, when would I have another chance to make something for you? (70). Joe feels his actions are justified given he did for Chris but Chris feels otherwise. He is appalled and replies “for me! Where do you live, where have you come from? For me?—I was dying every day and you were killing my boys and you did it for me? What the hell do you think I was thinking of, the Goddam business?” (70). Chris feels what his father has done is wrong no matter what his motives were.

I think in general people should do what is best for society as a whole versus what is best for their individual family but it is hard to say this for every decision. Sometimes there are instances where one should consider what is best for their family before considering the entire society but families fall under the category of society so often doing what is right for society is also right for ones family.

Dishwasher: Post 2

As I venture farther into Dishwasher Pete continues to share more about his life leading up to becoming a dishwasher. A new side to him starts to emerge that really changes some of my opinions about his mindset and way of life. In the beginning of the book Pete tells you of experiences that make you pity his deprived childhood and leads you to admire his way of life seeing as he makes it sound as though he is achieving his life goal of traveling the US through his career. Now he shares details about his life as he heads off to college. He says “I didn’t know much about the school other than it was far enough away from my neighborhood that I’d have to move out of the city, but near enough that I could easily scramble back if need be” (17). This is where I started viewing him more as lazy and my pity ended. He just views college as an escape from his life but never really commits to make use of his time there. It’s irritating because he complains of being singled out and having a poor life but yet when he gets the chance to fix some of these things and make his life better he doesn’t; instead he lets these opportunities pass him by. He is eventually kicked out of college and fired from many jobs due to smart mouthing and unmotivated personality. He knows he’s lazy and that’s why he’s losing all his jobs but he does nothing to fix this and instead mooches of the others around him.

But through all this there is one thing that stands out to me, his love for reading. It seem out of place, here you have this lazy slacker who never really tried in school but yet he loves to read, he views it as his “peculiar talent for sitting and reading for hours on end without complaint” (33). Also his frequent personality and location changes keep you interested. You never know just what to expect; one moment he’ll be enjoying his job feeling as though he might have finally found his calling and a paragraph later he’ll decide otherwise and mouth off, oversleep or just plain out leave to try something new.

Jordan, Pete. Dishwasher : One Man's Quest to Wash Dishes in All Fifty States. New York: HarperPerennial, 2007.

Dishwasher

Most of you probably wouldn’t aspire to be a dishwasher as Pete Jordan is or think of it as a very promising career and he would agree with you. Dishwasher is about a man’s quest to wash dishes in all fifty states. It starts out in Vermont which is Pete Jordan’s twenty-third state he’s checked off his list so far. Throughout the first few pages you really get a sense of his personality. Pete is just a laidback back guy who goes with flow. He tends to drift on the edges of thing just observing and keeping his opinions to himself unless asked. He leads a rather simple life traveling the country going from one state to another booking jobs at restaurants or events washing dishes. When he gets tired of his job, the people, weather, or just gets the feeling its time to move on he packs up checking another state off his list and moving on to a new one , no strings attached. He has always had a love for maps and traveling; he says his time “was spent riding busses. One thing I’d inherited from my dad was his passion for maps” (14). When he was a child he would buy maps and study them dreaming on day he could visit all of those places. So although Pete may not have the most extravagant of all careers I think it is one that really suits him and satisfies his desires of traveling the US while still making a living. This is something many of us are able to accomplish with our careers.

Pete tells us more about his childhood and some of the events that lead him to become a dishwasher. As a child Pete grew up in San Francisco in a poor family with unstable friends. Pete says “I learned very early on how one could start out poor; work hard all his life—and still end up poor. Since I was going to start out poor and most likely end up poor, I decided not to waste time in between” (11, 12). This was the case with his father who was your dedicated model employee who instead being rewarded, was surpassed by the “bullshitters” and “backstabbers” as Pete refers to them as. This really portrays Pete’s pessimistic view of life and the work world. This negative view is one main reason which led him to not strive for much in his life and instead take an easier wrought. Dishwasher gives a good perspective of the world through the eyes of someone with many different goals and views than many of us.

Jordan, Pete. Dishwasher : One Man's Quest to Wash Dishes in All Fifty States. New York: HarperPerennial, 2007.

The Ghost of You

The Ghost of You
by: My Chemical Romance

If I died, we'd be together
I can't always just forget her
But she could try

At the end of the world
Or the last thing I see
You are
Never coming home
Never coming homeCould I? Should I?
And all the things that you never ever told me
And all the smiles that are ever ever...
Ever...

Get the feeling that you're never
All alone and I remember now
At the top of my lungs in my arms she dies
She dies

At the end of the world
Or the last thing I see
You are
Never coming home
Never coming home
Could I? should I?
And all the things that you never ever told me
And all the smiles that are ever gonna haunt me
Never coming home Never coming home
Could I? Should I?
And all the wounds that are ever gonna scar me
For all the ghosts that are never gonna catch me

If I fall
If I fall (down)

At the end of the world
Or the last thing I see
You areNever coming home
Never coming homeNever coming home
Never coming home
And all the things that you never ever told me
And all the smiles that are ever gonna haunt me
Never coming home
Never coming homeCould I? Should I?
And all the wounds that are ever gonna scar meFor all the ghosts that are never gonna...
[ The Ghost Of You Lyrics on http://www.lyricsmania.com/ ]


My interpretation of the song, The Ghost of You by My Chemical Romance, is that its about losing a loved one and having regrets for not saying enough and only having memories. The music video for this song is pictured in WWII but the song itself is not about war itself but the feelings one may feel in war and the loss that that comes with it.

One of the versus says “And all the things that you never ever told me/And all the smiles that are ever ever” (10, 11). I feel this represents losing someone and the sadness for not having enough time with this person. The song also repeats the verse “Never coming home” many times. To me this signifies that this will be the end of this person, in this case they will never return from war leaving you with only memories or “the ghost of you”.

Many people can relate to these feelings of loss and the sadness of being left with only the memories of their loved ones. It’s a great song so if you’d like to check it out you can click on the link below

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sJqEccwliQ

Picture Perfect Pet Photos

If you’re like me and have a camera full of pet pictures, in my case dog pictures, you may find this interesting and helpful to improve your pet shots. As I was scanning through articles I stumbled upon an article about Photography and pets, specifically dogs which I thought was ironic given I had just posted a photo of my dog for analysis.

The article discusses the many techniques to use when photographing your pets, for instance poses, lighting and time of day. Professional photographers such Mary Ludington and Jim Benda explain that getting a good photo takes time and practice so one should be patient. They explain that if you allow the pet you are photographing time to get acquainted with the area and let them establish a high comfort level most pets will pose on their own, this is one advantage for pet owners who take their photos at home. They also advise it is good to get down on to the level at which your pet is at versus having your pet staring up at you. Another key factor is the lighting, they suggest you to learn how to use lighting or they recommend taking pictures near a window or outdoors for natural light if one does not have professional lighting, or else a flash indoors can create the “evil eye effect” or the light can deflect off the coat creating a glare. They say “the ideal condition is an overcast day or "open shade" - not bright sunlight, but not dark shadow, either” (French).

Although these are many things to keep in mind one should not delay to long to start taking pictures waiting for just the right shot cause many people wait tell its too late, when a pet gets ill for instance. So my advice to you is to have fun, practice, follow some of these tips and who knows you may become a pet photographer some day or at least get a few cute pics of your pets!

To get more information visit: http://www.startribune.com/pet_central/30103354.html?page=1&c=y

French, Laura. "Picture Perfect Pet Photos." StarTribune.com. 2 Oct. 2008. 23 Oct. 2008 .

Photograph

Buddhism May Be Dying Out In Japan

My article focuses on how Buddhism may be dying out in Japan. Japan is a nation that previously, when it came to funerals had been obstinately Buddhist to the point of receiving their own nickname for this religion; “funeral Buddhism”. But this phrase described a religion seeming to cater more to the needs of the dead rather than the living with which it is losing its status in Japanese society. They think one reason attributing to this is that there aren’t enough Buddhist priests who are still holding active sermons. Without this temples are not able to attract newcomers or keep those who are already Buddhist interested and actively participating. Mr. Mori, 48, the 21st head priest of the temple thinks “If Japanese Buddhism doesn’t act now, it will die out, we can’t afford to wait. We have to do something”. This decline in Buddhism is not only affecting the people in the funeral business but also people with family-run temples nationwide. Their business is being jeopardized due to the lack of successors to chief priests. Japan is not the only nation where Buddhism is dying out, it is affecting other countries as well.

Before reading this article I didn’t realize Buddhism was dying out in areas putting families as well as a religion in jeopardy. It was interesting to learn about the different ways in which Buddhism influences other countries. After reading Siddhartha and learning about the influences of Buddhism in early civilization it was remarkable to see how the religion has evolved over time and how it is practiced in modern day times. I feel this article would be worth your time reading to make connections from Buddhism in Siddhartha to Buddhism today.

Work Cited
Onishi, Norimitsu. In Japan, Buddhism May Be Dying Out.14 July 2008. 9 Oct. 2008. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/14/world/asia/14japan.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1

The link between relaxation and success

My article was on the links between relaxation and doing your best. It suggested that if you are relaxed while doing activities such as running or swimming you are more likely to perform your best. “It’s the paradox of athletics,” said Rick DeMont. It says that tension is inefficient and can slow you down. Although relaxation goes against most athletes’ instinct and is difficult to teach; athletes who are able to achieve this state say that they greatly benefit from it and are able to achieve their goals in their activities. For instance, experts say Michael Phelps is a prime example of someone who is able to relax and get into a rhythm under immense pressure; and if you ever watched the Beijing Olympics you clearly saw how well this worked for him.

I think this is an interesting link that would be fun to test out in whichever sports you participate in. To me when thinking of ways to improve and do my best, relaxation isn’t exactly what comes to mind but it seems like a relatively undemanding way to improve ones skills. And hey what’s to lose besides being tense and nervous?

Article link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/02/health/nutrition/02best.html?_r=1&ref=health&oref=slogin

Should Homer be considered an early feminist or an old-fashioned sexist?

I think Homer should be considered an early feminist versus an old-fashioned sexist. Homer may portray Penelope as typical housewife staying home and doing household chores but he also shows how smart and cunning she can be. When Homer was writing Penelope’s character I think he was showing what an average wife was like in that time, not trying to be an old-fashioned sexist. He further shows his feminist views through the character of Athena. Athena is a very prominent and ever present female god throughout the Odyssey. Athena has much power, is respected, listened to and influences many of Odysseus’ decisions.

Athena’s influence is shown when Odysseus confers with her on a plot to kill off the suitors. She is the one who comes up with the successful plan to kill off the suitors. Through this Homer demonstrates that he has nothing against women. He has Athena as the one telling Odysseus, a man, what to do. Odysseus takes her advice and successfully kills off the suitors. This is not the only example where Athena is equal if not superior to men. While Odysseus, Telemachus, the swineherd and the cowherd were killing off the suitors Athena saves them from death many times. She sends the spears the suitors throw wide saving their lives. In this situation Athena can be portrayed as the heroine because without her at his side Odysseus never would have been able to fight off all of the suitors and would most likely have been killed. She was the one who gained them victory. These are all key examples that portray Homer as being a feminist versus a sexist.

Homer also demonstrates his feminist views through the character of Penelope. Although Penelope is portrayed as your typical stay at home doing household chores wife she is also depicted as being smart, cunning and persuasive. She was able to convince all of the suitors that as soon as she finished her web she would marry one of them; but secretly each night she would unwind all of the work she had done putting off the date of when she would finish. Penelope was able to get the better of the suitors with this trick for three whole years. Here Homer illustrates how smart and cunning she can be. Later on in the story Penelope also plays a prominent role when she slyly comes up with a plan that is guaranteed to get rid of the suitors. She devises a contest where the suitors will have to sting Odysseus’ bow and shoot an arrow through a row of axes. Penelope agrees to marry the winner. Little do the suitors know when she persuades them to agree, that Odysseus is the only one who is able to accomplish this challenge. None of the suitors even come close to being able string the bow until Odysseus, disguised as a peasant, tries and successfully strings his bow shooting and arrow perfectly through the axes. Her challenge sets up an ideal situation for Odysseus to reveal himself and kill off the suitors. She is also able to cause the suitors immense humiliation when they fail to even come close to stringing the bow. Here Penelope is cunning and persuasive. I feel these are all good reasons that support Homer as being a feminist versus an old-fashioned sexist.

Skin

For my first real blog I chose to analyze one of my favorite songs. This song is called Skin by Alexz Johnson. Here are a few things you should know about before you read this; this song is about a girl named Jude Harrison who has just found out that her father is having an affair on her mother. She is crushed and decides to write a song in order to express her feelings toward her father and what he has done, so here’s the song.

Skin by: Alexz Johnson

I drift away to a place
Another kind of life
Take away the painI create my paradise

Everything I've held
Has hit the wall
What used to be yours
Isn't yours at all

Falling apart, and all that I'm asking
Is it a crime, am I overreacting

Oh, he's under my skin
Just give me something to get rid of him
I've got a reason now to bury this alive
Another little white lie

So what you had didn't fit
Among the pretty things
never fear, never fear
I know now where you've been

Braids have been un-tied
As Ribbons fall awayLeave the consequence
My tears you'll taste

Falling apart and all that I question
Is this a dream or is this my lesson

Oh, he's under my skin
Just give me something to get rid of him
I've got a reason now to bury this alive
Another little white lie

I don't believe I'll be alright
I don't believe I'll be ok
I don't believe how you throw me away
I do believe you didn't tryI do blame you for every lie
When I look in your eyes, I don't see mine

Oh, he's under my skin
Just give me something to get rid of him
I've got a reason now to bury this alive
Another little white lie

Oh my permission to sin
You might have started my reckoning
I've got a reason now to bury him alive
Another little white lie

In the first verse I believe Jude is trying to get away from her pain by going to a place in her mind where she can forget all of the awful things that she has discovered. I think she is expressing to her father how betrayed she feels and how she may no longer be able to trusts or look up to him in the same way as before. Jude questions if this is as big of deal as it feels to be to her or if she is overreacting and blowing things out of proportion. In the chorus Jude conveys her frustration toward her father and tells him she no longer wants to be a part of his life. She feels he may have done this because what he had wasn’t good enough. This song is the first time she formally admits that she knows what he has done. One of my favorite lines is when she says “Braids have been un-tied As Ribbons fall away”. I think it is a creative metaphor symbolizing that she is growing up and is no longer a child. Towards the end Jude tells him that she feels this is his fault and expresses just how much he has hurt her, to the point where she feels she may never be able to forgive him.

I think this is a very powerful song that expresses much emotion. In a way it is its own short story. Jude has feeling that we all may have from time to time when trying to deal with a tough situation. It is a song people can relate to and even be inspired by. I someone is struggling or having a tough time and they listen to this song it could help them to deal with their situation knowing they are not alone in their struggles. I would definitely recommend this song to anyone; I think it is well worth the 2 minutes and 45 seconds it would take for one to listen to it!

Hey Everyone!

Hey everyone and welcome to my english blog! This blog will be used for outside reading in Enriched Language Arts. I will be analyzing outside readings and doing literature reviews. This quarter we will be reading shorter pieces and I should be updating at least once a week.

Hope you enjoy!
Meghan