Why I picked Parity

Ok so you may be thinking, "the only reason she chose Parity was because it was her faction" with which I cannot entirely disagree. My choice may have had something to do with the fact that I created Parity and it would be crazy to say it hadn't. I believe in the ideas of the faction because they are what I think an ideal faction should believe in. Who knows what's your perfect fit in factions other than yourself?

Parity's central goal is to extend equality for all its members, and in this equality a freedom of expression is granted. When creating the faction I felt very strongly about this idea of equality and expression as I felt that throughout novel Divergent the factions forced its members to suppress who they are. I was sick of hearing of serums that forced people to spill their guts or face their fears and wanted my people free from this invasion of privacy. The people of Parity act as they choose, say what they feel, dress as they please, and behave as they wish. Their goals are their own and they are really able to connect with themselves as they aren't forced to adopt a way of life that they don't want.


Parity believes in peace and realizes that the only want to achieve that peace is through allowing people to be themselves and accepting others for who they are. I like this mentality, agree with it, and I could see myself living by it and being a member of the Parity faction.   

Deemed as Dauntless

I have to say, I'm kind of psyched that I'm Dauntless. I like what Dauntless stands for. They are free, can do what they choose and act as they wish. The faction empowers its members and allows them to make their own decisions, providing them with the tools they need to make those decisions. The faction's members embody what I want for myself: strength, independence, determination and the will to never give up. I want the drive that only Dauntless have, the power that the other factions don't understand. The Dauntless are exciting and exhilarating, there is never a dull moment in the compound and I feel as though that would be the faction for me. I also find the Dauntless's belief in equality appealing. They don't treat their teens any different than their adults, some are even leaders. They acknowledge that their women are just as strong as the men and seek to strengthen everyone.

This song reminds me of the Dauntless; of their freedom, strength, and how the other factions can't possible understand the courage and determination it takes to become someone who is dauntless.

 

The Great Gatsby Wasn't as Great as I'd Hoped

I wonder if F. Scott Fitzgerald would have enjoyed Baz Luhrmann's rendition of his novel. With its CGI letters falling from the sky and flashy colors it seemed a bit unrealistic and forced, the theme of materialism and greed pushed in your face. The movie had a strange feel to it as almost half of it looked fake. The pan and zoom shots flying over the fake lake to reveal the CGI homes of Gatsby and Tom were followed by the half CGI home of Nick. And there were several shots of things either falling from or being projected into the sky which took away some of the seriousness of the film. The overly dramatic voice overs given by Nick were laughable, as were the many desperate gazes of Gatsby.

The casting was alright however it wasn't what I pictured the characters look like. Leo is good as Gatsby but I didn't love Cary Mulligan as Daisy. I think I pictured the two as a younger couple, as their actions as well as the actions of their fellow characters seemed a bit childish. Gatsby cannot handle that he didn't get what he wanted, Daisy is happy stringing both Gatsby and her husband along, Tom is cheating, and Nick is just always awkwardly there. It seemed like a cheesy high school soap opera complete with Project X style parties and driving from Fast and Furious.

Although I didn't love most of the film, the parts I liked were the parties at Gatsby's house. The parties seemed to take on a dream like quality as there is no way they could ever be reality. I liked the modern music in the film a lot. "Young and Beautiful" by Lana Del Rey seemed a bit over played but it played into the theme of the film well. "Bang Bang" by will.i.am was a perfect fit and I also liked Emeli Sande's version of "Crazy in Love". I thought the music was a success although most people disagree and think it had no place in a film set in the 20s.

All in all the film was alright, not my favorite but not the worst film I've ever seen. There were a few awkward moments I wish were less...awkward like when Daisy is throwing clothes to Gatsby and Nick is, of course, intruding in the scene. There were also moments I wish were less dramatic such as the scene where Myrtle is hit by the car and goes flying in mid air for about three long minuets. However I can't hate of Luhrmann because he created a film that brought to life what he thought Gatsby was and everyone has their own take on the novel.

Victor Frankenstein's Frightful Life

Victor Frankenstein is a dynamic character in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein as he raises questions that ponder life's most challenging and unanswerable mysteries. Through Victor the reader is forced to face the issue of a man trying play the role of God and the morality of those decisons.

 

 

Timeline of Victor Frankenstein throughout Frankenstein:

http://prezi.com/eid0awtdxvd2/victor-frankensteins-story/

Voncille Reveals All

Voncille Sherard is a black woman originally from the south who was hired as a domestic worker. She was to watch the employers children, although a child herself, in most of the homes she worked. Voncille was brought up to attend church and pray each night and would instill those values upon the children she raised. Having been employed by several households, Voncille has dealt with many types of people and their treatment towards African American help. While in her first home her employer treated her as her own child and would take her out shopping with her, have her sit in the front of the bus or on her lap, would hug her and call her baby, and would yell at the man who would hand Voncille the heavy bag of groceries. So far Voncille's story sounds similar to that of the women in The Help. She raised her employers' children and cleaned their homes. Although she is only eight years old, Voncille and the black women from the help completed the same type of jobs. However here is where Voncille's story takes a turn for the worst. After having to drop out of college she returned home and got a job as a domestic for a baby of six months. She was to get to the employer's small, two-bedroom apartment at eleven and at five or six the husband of the home would bring her home. One day the husband came home alone around one or two and tried to force her into bed, telling her how much more she could make if she agreed. Voncille refused, and told the wife that she would have to find other arrangements for getting her home. Her arrangements now consisted of the husband and his friend both in the car for the ride home. About a week after the incident, Voncille had an encounter with the husband's friend. He also tried to force her into bed which she responded with sprinting from the home, racing to her house.
 
The story of Voncille is more realistic than those of The Help but there are several similarities between the two. Voncille spoke of  woman who on the first day took out a fork and a plate telling her that those were hers to use. We see Minny telling her daughter the rules of domestic work which includes just that, separate plates and utensils for the help. We see Voncille and Aibileen both caring for children and trying to instill a sense of morality on the children whose parents don't have time for them. However The Help doesn't address the major fear of Voncille which was the possiblility of sexual assault from her employer. The reason for this may be that the women of The Help are older than Voncille who is at an extremely vulnerable age. Although the topics addressed are different, both works are accurate portayals of the racism and resentment towards the black maids. They dehumanized themselves in order to treat these women with little to no respect. The actual maid's account seems to have a stonger impact as you know this story is completely true and this was a possible fate of many, many young girls.

Racing in the Rain Quote

Yes the race is long-to finish first, first you must finish.

Is 'The Help' helping in stereotyping?

I can understand why the book is seen as aiding the stereotype of African Americans in the U.S.. The novel is centered around black domestic maids in Jackson, Mississippi who have to deal with horribly cruel employers and a harsh environment. I get that the author is white and that she writes in a southern dialect that some find offensive. However I don't see the novel as stereotypical as it is only telling it how it was. The author herself was raised by a black maid and wants to tell the story of how unfairly these women were treated. This is really how society treated the African American maids of the south and it was probably worse. The help actually had separate bathrooms in which they were required to use and were forced to return home in fear of violence from white extremists. Unlike Mammy in Gone with the Wind the African American women in The Help are strong and inspiring. The maids know that they are endangering themselves and their families by talking about the injustices done to them but decide that they must take a stand. They are brave women who leave their home and children in order to raise the children of their employers and provide for their family. The relationship between the children and the maids is like that of a mother and daughter or a mother and son and is appreciated by those children when they are old enough to realize who their true caretakers were. They are forever grateful of their maids who raised them and provided them with the affection they hadn't received from their parents. However when it comes time to hire a maid of their own they seem to conform to the mob mentality of society and refuse to treat these women with respect. They are the true cowards as they turn their backs on the women who raised them.