In my house, there are two rabbits who have cages on a linoleum floor. The rabbits' primary source of food is Timothy Hay, which makes a huge mess. In addition, when it gets close to cage cleaning-time, the rabbits kick up small pellets of fecal matter when they are "running laps" in their cages. Long story short: their cages have to be swept in the morning and the evening, or else hay and fecal matter will get tracked into the kitchen.
In general, I feed the rabbits in the morning, and my brother feeds them at night. Whoever feeds the rabbit is responsible for sweeping the floor and using a Clorox wipe on any spot of linoleum that needs it (I won't go off on a tangent about the incontinence of again rabbits). But what happens when one of us is in too much of a rush or too tired to clean the floor? That is one possible source of conflict in our house.
In Sag Harbor, "Even Steven" is what Benji refers to when resolving chores conflicts with Reggie. Whoever used the Soup Pot last has to clean it out. They take turns taking out the garbage, and everything has to be even. One problem arises when their mother neglects to clean out the pot, and by Even Steven logic, neither of them should have to clean it! But logic and hunger prevails, and they end up working together to clean out the plot.
In our house, how we resolve the conflict of someone not sweeping is like so: If the person before you didn't sweep, you don't have to sweep, and they must sweep as soon as they can. As an example, if my brother goes to bed without sweeping and it is a mess in the morning, then he must sweep that morning after I feed the rabbits. If I am in a hurry to get to school and leave hay strewn all over the floor, then I must sweep right when I get home.
A similar problem to Benji and Reggie arises after a long trip when the bunnies are fed for us by a loving grandparent or a helpful neighbor. Unfortunately for my brother Michael John and I, helpful neighbors and loving grandparents neglect to sweep, and leave us with a huge mess when we get home, leaving the next sweeper a lot of work. A similar situation arises if someone forgets to sweep, so the next person doesn't sweep, so the next person doesn't sweep, and in a few days we can't remember whose fault it was in the first place. In these situations, someone (usually me) has to do the grunt work and sweep the damn floor, similar to how Reggie and Benji worked together to clean out maggots. Except not. Now I'm a little angry about this :)
Friday, May 8, 2015
Jason > Holden
This post is musing upon and responding to this post by Mr. Mitchell.
The Catcher in the Rye is a book title that I heard a lot growing up, and I used to get it mixed up with Where the Red Fern Grows although I quickly figured out the difference once I started reading the book, of course. I imagined it to be some kind of old and boring book that English teachers had some particular fondness for. When we read it for class, I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would, which was a pleasant surprise, but it still wasn't an easy of a read as the books I read for fun.
In terms of relating to Holden as a narrator, I understand where he is coming from, although the thoughts that he has reflect in me only as passing thoughts which I can quickly counteract. As a result, the whole time that Holden fails, I want to yell at him, "Try in school! It matters!" Holden does come off as spoiled and not understanding the system. Even if the system was as Holden thinks it is, he still has to live in it and should play by the rules. That is why Holden frustrates me. Besides, the freedom that Holden has is no longer reasonable in today's culture of fear. We can't wander around now, so that part of the story isn't easy to relate to.
Black Swan Green on the other hand is a book that I had never heard of before this class. I really enjoyed it. It was a breeze to read, and I definitely would have read it for fun. For this reason, it serves as a much better book to read in a discussion-based class, because the easier a book is to read, the easier it is for people to talk about the book. Even though Black Swan Green takes place in the past, just like Catcher does, it is a little bit less in the past and it's easier to relate to the situations that Jason experiences.
Simple things, like the fact that I don't meet a lot of people that do Lacrosse or fencing, but I do go to school dances, affect how I read the books differently. Catcher isn't outdated, and we can relate Catcher to Black Swan Green, but I enjoyed reading the latter more, it was easier to talk about, and easier to relate to.
The Catcher in the Rye is a book title that I heard a lot growing up, and I used to get it mixed up with Where the Red Fern Grows although I quickly figured out the difference once I started reading the book, of course. I imagined it to be some kind of old and boring book that English teachers had some particular fondness for. When we read it for class, I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would, which was a pleasant surprise, but it still wasn't an easy of a read as the books I read for fun.
In terms of relating to Holden as a narrator, I understand where he is coming from, although the thoughts that he has reflect in me only as passing thoughts which I can quickly counteract. As a result, the whole time that Holden fails, I want to yell at him, "Try in school! It matters!" Holden does come off as spoiled and not understanding the system. Even if the system was as Holden thinks it is, he still has to live in it and should play by the rules. That is why Holden frustrates me. Besides, the freedom that Holden has is no longer reasonable in today's culture of fear. We can't wander around now, so that part of the story isn't easy to relate to.
Black Swan Green on the other hand is a book that I had never heard of before this class. I really enjoyed it. It was a breeze to read, and I definitely would have read it for fun. For this reason, it serves as a much better book to read in a discussion-based class, because the easier a book is to read, the easier it is for people to talk about the book. Even though Black Swan Green takes place in the past, just like Catcher does, it is a little bit less in the past and it's easier to relate to the situations that Jason experiences.
Simple things, like the fact that I don't meet a lot of people that do Lacrosse or fencing, but I do go to school dances, affect how I read the books differently. Catcher isn't outdated, and we can relate Catcher to Black Swan Green, but I enjoyed reading the latter more, it was easier to talk about, and easier to relate to.
Monday, April 20, 2015
Jason's Published Poems
Solarium made me happy to read, until the end of course. The reason for this is I felt like Jason grew and matured as a poet and a person. When he went first went to visit Eva, she criticized his poems in a way that legitimized them. Now that Jason knows that his poems are actually being read, he will work harder on them, and her criticism will help him improve his poems.
The part that really made me happy though was when Jason went home and spent a few hours translating a poem from French to English. He says that he spent several hours translating but that it felt like just a few minutes. This was a successful accomplishment because Jason worked hard and the end result was rewarding, which will motivate him to work hard again in the future. This is what every teacher wants from their students, because being able to focus and work hard is like a muscle you flex and train to make sure it still works.
Eva is pretty clear to Jason that she looks down on him for using a pseudonym. She says that Jason Taylor is not a name that he should be ashamed of, and that the poems will have more value if people can see that it is him doing the writing. This resonated with me because when I was a freshman, I did some writing of my own about Pokemon under the pseudonym Red Ados. This wasn't necessarily because I was embarrassed of my peers, like Jason, but because my parents were afraid of the internet and didn't want me to have an account anywhere (come talk to me in person if you would like to hear me rant about this!).
The part that really made me happy though was when Jason went home and spent a few hours translating a poem from French to English. He says that he spent several hours translating but that it felt like just a few minutes. This was a successful accomplishment because Jason worked hard and the end result was rewarding, which will motivate him to work hard again in the future. This is what every teacher wants from their students, because being able to focus and work hard is like a muscle you flex and train to make sure it still works.
Eva is pretty clear to Jason that she looks down on him for using a pseudonym. She says that Jason Taylor is not a name that he should be ashamed of, and that the poems will have more value if people can see that it is him doing the writing. This resonated with me because when I was a freshman, I did some writing of my own about Pokemon under the pseudonym Red Ados. This wasn't necessarily because I was embarrassed of my peers, like Jason, but because my parents were afraid of the internet and didn't want me to have an account anywhere (come talk to me in person if you would like to hear me rant about this!).
This past year, I have started writing again, and my name is plastered across the front page of my blog. Not using a pseudonym is more difficult, because you can't hide behind anonymity. When I first posted a link to my blog on a group on Facebook, I didn't necessarily enjoy all of the comments. I assume that this is what Jason feels like when the kids in his class make fun of him or trip him into puddles. However, unlike Jason, I have friends who have my back and stick up for me. The internet brings a whole new level to social groups and not-so-nice comments, but Facebook is not completely anonymous.
Thursday, April 9, 2015
The Social Status of an Adolescent
When Jason explains the social hierarchy and how precarious it is, he describes how the coolest people go by their first name. The people in the middle go by their last name (Jason goes by "Taylor"), and the people on the bottom of the ladder go by a nickname. For example, Dean Moran goes by "Moron". Jason describes this ladder as easy to fall down but difficult to climb up. He is constantly self-editing, trying to preserve his standing. For example, in "Hangman", he is nervous to give a speech in front of the class because he is afraid that kids will make fun of him for his stammer. He also makes an effort not to be seen with Dean too much because Dean isn't cool and the other kids might make fun of him.
Socially, Middle School was my least favorite time socially. Before that, everyone was oblivious and enjoyed each other regardless of other factors. In High School, we've come to the realization that little things don't matter, and if someone doesn't like another person, they simply avoid interactions with that person.
Middle School, which is where Jason appears to be, is right in between, where people judge and haven't yet realized that it doesn't matter. I remember a moment where there were four or so people standing around me asking me why I wore sweatpants all the time, and how it looked pretty stupid. I wasn't really "bullied" in middle school, but moments like those happened where other kids would make me feel bad for no reason. I definitely see that in Jason's classmates (and Hugo!) when they say and do mean things.
Middle School is the worst time, and we get to see Jason during that transition.
Socially, Middle School was my least favorite time socially. Before that, everyone was oblivious and enjoyed each other regardless of other factors. In High School, we've come to the realization that little things don't matter, and if someone doesn't like another person, they simply avoid interactions with that person.
Middle School, which is where Jason appears to be, is right in between, where people judge and haven't yet realized that it doesn't matter. I remember a moment where there were four or so people standing around me asking me why I wore sweatpants all the time, and how it looked pretty stupid. I wasn't really "bullied" in middle school, but moments like those happened where other kids would make me feel bad for no reason. I definitely see that in Jason's classmates (and Hugo!) when they say and do mean things.
Middle School is the worst time, and we get to see Jason during that transition.
Monday, April 6, 2015
Pressed Flowers and Pressed Leaves
In Chapter seven of Housekeeping, Ruth finds pressed flowers in the dictionary when she is looking up a word for Lucille's sewing project. Lucille immediately proposes that they put the flowers into the oven, which horrifies Ruth.
"What will we do with these flowers?"
"Put them in the stove."
"Why do that?"
"What are they good for?" (127)
If someone presses flowers in a book, it means that the flowers have significant value to them. The fact that the flowers are forty years old make make them even more valuable. Not only has Ruth captured flowers from forty years ago, but she also gets to catch a glimpse of her Grandpa's thoughts from forty years ago.
Why does Ruth hold on tightly to the flowers when Lucille seems content to let them go? One reason could be that Ruth has abandonment issues because she believes that her mother abandoned her, whereas Lucille believes that he mother's death was an accident.
There is a dictionary belonging to a deceased relative full of pressed leaves in my house. Every time I go to use the dictionary, I'm careful not to disturb the leaves as wish by a relative close to the deceased. The scene with the pressed flowers reminded me of this.
There is irony in the fact that Ruth didn't want the flowers going into the oven, because they would have ended up going up in flames anyway when the house burned down.
"What will we do with these flowers?"
"Put them in the stove."
"Why do that?"
"What are they good for?" (127)
If someone presses flowers in a book, it means that the flowers have significant value to them. The fact that the flowers are forty years old make make them even more valuable. Not only has Ruth captured flowers from forty years ago, but she also gets to catch a glimpse of her Grandpa's thoughts from forty years ago.
Why does Ruth hold on tightly to the flowers when Lucille seems content to let them go? One reason could be that Ruth has abandonment issues because she believes that her mother abandoned her, whereas Lucille believes that he mother's death was an accident.
There is a dictionary belonging to a deceased relative full of pressed leaves in my house. Every time I go to use the dictionary, I'm careful not to disturb the leaves as wish by a relative close to the deceased. The scene with the pressed flowers reminded me of this.
There is irony in the fact that Ruth didn't want the flowers going into the oven, because they would have ended up going up in flames anyway when the house burned down.
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Shocking
I was curious about the effectiveness of electroshock theory, because frankly it sounded ridiculous to me. Some quick reading taught me a couple of interesting things:
Electroshock therapy is effective about 50% of the time. It works by inducing a seizure to treat depression. Those who respond to the therapy typically relapse within twelve months, so electroshock therapy isn't a long-term solution (if you can call it a solution at all). Electroshock therapy is still used today although it is rarely the first treatment for depression or bipolar disorder. It requires informed consent, which means that if a patient refuses the treatment, it cannot be forced onto them.
The health risks of electroshock therapy are equivalent to that of general anesthesia. When I was reading the book, I assumed that electroshock therapy was doing the opposite of what it was supposed to, but that isn't necessarily true. It's safe to have the treatment when you're pregnant!
It is true that electroshock therapy may have been detrimental for Esther. It is also true that electroshock therapy could have been quite helpful for Esther. No matter what the exact cause of Esther's renewed well-being is, she ends the novel ready to leave the asylum and away from electroshock therapy.
Sunday, March 1, 2015
Holden Caulfield and Mental Health
I just wanted to address something that someone said in class a couple weeks ago that I haven't gotten around to responding to until now. The class was discussing how Holden was inconsistent in some of his behaviors; how he was flip-flopping back and forth between feelings and moods. Someone used the phrase "Bipolar Disorder", and everyone agreed that Holden might be suffering from mental health issues.
I just wanted to clarify some errors in that statement. A few years ago, a friend of mine was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, so I did some reading on the subject. The disease is often portrayed in the media and popular culture as someone, who like Holden, flip-flops between emotions " :) >:( :) :(". There are two types of Bipolar Disorder and neither of them is like that. The more common form makes those with the disease have a manic period and a depressive period (especially compared to the manic period). The manic period lasts between six and nine months and the second period is a couple months shorter. During the manic period, the person with the disease feels on top of the world, and my friend described it "as if you could do anything." During the other period the person with the disease feels very let down and can be suicidal during this period.
Now I'm sure this information isn't perfect, and my information about how long each period is may be off by a month or two, but my point still stands that Holden Caulfield's mood swings aren't caused by bipolar disorder, they're caused by a short fuse and hormone shifts. If he has mental health problems, he may have depression or anxiety, but not Bipolar Disorder.
I just wanted to clear that up so that people involved in that discussion don't continue to think false things about mental health. I encourage people to do some reading by themselves on the subject so that they can be better informed when discussing mental health.
Thanks for reading!
I just wanted to clarify some errors in that statement. A few years ago, a friend of mine was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, so I did some reading on the subject. The disease is often portrayed in the media and popular culture as someone, who like Holden, flip-flops between emotions " :) >:( :) :(". There are two types of Bipolar Disorder and neither of them is like that. The more common form makes those with the disease have a manic period and a depressive period (especially compared to the manic period). The manic period lasts between six and nine months and the second period is a couple months shorter. During the manic period, the person with the disease feels on top of the world, and my friend described it "as if you could do anything." During the other period the person with the disease feels very let down and can be suicidal during this period.
Now I'm sure this information isn't perfect, and my information about how long each period is may be off by a month or two, but my point still stands that Holden Caulfield's mood swings aren't caused by bipolar disorder, they're caused by a short fuse and hormone shifts. If he has mental health problems, he may have depression or anxiety, but not Bipolar Disorder.
I just wanted to clear that up so that people involved in that discussion don't continue to think false things about mental health. I encourage people to do some reading by themselves on the subject so that they can be better informed when discussing mental health.
Thanks for reading!
Anxiety For the Future
Sometimes I feel a little overwhelmed by how little control I have and how little I know about my future. In Catcher in the Rye, part of Holden's struggles are similar in that it depresses him how formulaic the future is for others, but he just doesn't have it figured out. Esther is very comfortable being a student, but she has no real, concrete plans for the future.
This really resonates with me as a reader and as a young adult because I don't have a clear grasp on what I'm going to do when I grow up. I'm pretty sure I'll be fine, but I have so many different factors pulling me in all directions that I don't know which way to turn permanently. If I were to write a reflective novel as Sylvia Plath and James Joyce did where, the main character portrays events similar to what they experienced, my novel would go something like this:
Picture the scene, a young man sits in his room not doing his homework. He is more of a boy than a man. He is anxious for the next stage of his life but not ready to leave this one. With each assignment completed, he is one step closer to moving onward. What is the next step? Why is there a nagging feeling in his gut?
I have plenty of teenage angst. I feel bad for Holden and Esther because they know less than I do. Holden can't think far enough into the future to see what his poor decisions will lead to, whereas Esther worries too much about the future. I feel somewhere in between those. I try to live life one day at a time and see where it takes me.
This really resonates with me as a reader and as a young adult because I don't have a clear grasp on what I'm going to do when I grow up. I'm pretty sure I'll be fine, but I have so many different factors pulling me in all directions that I don't know which way to turn permanently. If I were to write a reflective novel as Sylvia Plath and James Joyce did where, the main character portrays events similar to what they experienced, my novel would go something like this:
Picture the scene, a young man sits in his room not doing his homework. He is more of a boy than a man. He is anxious for the next stage of his life but not ready to leave this one. With each assignment completed, he is one step closer to moving onward. What is the next step? Why is there a nagging feeling in his gut?
I have plenty of teenage angst. I feel bad for Holden and Esther because they know less than I do. Holden can't think far enough into the future to see what his poor decisions will lead to, whereas Esther worries too much about the future. I feel somewhere in between those. I try to live life one day at a time and see where it takes me.
Sunday, January 25, 2015
The Catholic Church and Their Tales of Fire and Brimstone
I was reading Isabel's post here and I was typing a comment in response that was getting so long that I decided to make it into a blog post. Basically, Isabel remarked that she was horrified by Father Dolan's threats of hell in his sermon during the boys' retreat, and that the descriptions made her feel awful.
The Catholic Doctrine preaches that anyone can be saved as long as they confess their sins and try their best not to sin anymore. Even if someone rapes and murders, as long as they confess their sin, genuinely feel sorry, and promise to try their hardest not to sin again, they can go to heaven.
Instead of preaching about the evils of hell, the priests could emphasize love and forgiveness and following the church, because according to Catholic Doctrine, anyone who confesses, is sorry, and tries not to sin again will escape hell. In fact, logically the only people who go to hell by this way of thinking are those who don't believe in God. If that is what Father Dolan believes, then he should be emphasizing that the boys should stay with the church so they can be believers and go to heaven.
In the end, Stephen did confess and have his sins forgiven, and everything worked out in the short term, but theoretically if the goal is for him to go to heaven by the rules of the Catholic Church, then being scared of sinning won't work. The fact that everyone sins is an important part of Christianity, and there is no way that Stephen can avoid that. Stephen will sin even if he does everything perfectly, and he can't be "scared" out of that. He has to focus on the love part, and learn to forgive himself as well as letting God forgive him because no one is perfect.
The Catholic Doctrine preaches that anyone can be saved as long as they confess their sins and try their best not to sin anymore. Even if someone rapes and murders, as long as they confess their sin, genuinely feel sorry, and promise to try their hardest not to sin again, they can go to heaven.
Instead of preaching about the evils of hell, the priests could emphasize love and forgiveness and following the church, because according to Catholic Doctrine, anyone who confesses, is sorry, and tries not to sin again will escape hell. In fact, logically the only people who go to hell by this way of thinking are those who don't believe in God. If that is what Father Dolan believes, then he should be emphasizing that the boys should stay with the church so they can be believers and go to heaven.
In the end, Stephen did confess and have his sins forgiven, and everything worked out in the short term, but theoretically if the goal is for him to go to heaven by the rules of the Catholic Church, then being scared of sinning won't work. The fact that everyone sins is an important part of Christianity, and there is no way that Stephen can avoid that. Stephen will sin even if he does everything perfectly, and he can't be "scared" out of that. He has to focus on the love part, and learn to forgive himself as well as letting God forgive him because no one is perfect.
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
What is Coming of Age?
When a child is around the age of ten, one can say for certain that he is still a child. When someone is around the age of thirty, he or she is an adult. The questions lie in when and how. At one moment did that person become an adult? Was it one particular moment? Did it happen gradually over those twenty years? Exactly when and how did that person come of age?
I don't think there is a specific moment when a person comes of age. I think that it does take place over several years, before which one is a child and after which one is an adult. I feel like I have started to come of age, but that the process isn't over for me yet. I try to think logically and rationally, weighing options, possibilities, and most importantly, the future. I try to think ahead and I think that is a large part of what separates an adult from a child.
The process of Coming of Age takes several years, and a good analogy for that would be height. We are always aging or growing taller, but the Coming of Age is like a growth spurt where you mature quickly over a short period of time (relative to your whole life of course), after which you are significantly taller. You may not have reached your final height yet and you still have some growing to do, but a lot of the growing is out of the way.
This analogy isn't perfect, of course, because an adult can keep growing and reflecting even when they are older, whereas the average human is done growing taller by the age of twenty five. But Coming of Age is a gradual process that can be accelerated. I know that I'm not done with that process, so I will come back to this blog in sixty years and update you on my progress!
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