Blogging Around: Lizzie and Hannah

I commented on Lizzie's post, "Dialectics: The Blurred Lines Between Ignorance and Ignorance." I loved this post because it brought up two theories about the origins/types of ignorance for us as humans: we are either inherently ignorant, or we choose to be ignorant to gratify our "sensual desires."


Hi Lizzie!

First of all: wow. You're blog entry was incredibly powerful; I loved how you examined the relationship between human nature, human ambition, and ignorance. That's good stuff!

I wanted to comment on this post specifically because you took a rather brooding approach to explaining ignorance among humans. This is so different from the common person's outlook on the human race—most people try to romanticize our own instincts in order to make ourselves "feel better."

I have a question to raise: is that romanticism an example of the ignorance you pointed out? Certainly making ourselves sound more appealing than we really are is ignorant. In my view, this falls under your "ignorance for the sake of sensual needs" category. 

I think that our rapid expansion and rapid industrialization has left us with a world that we are not ready to handle. In response, we pretend that we ARE ready (by being ignorant) and so we romanticize ourselves.

Thank you so much for writing this post. It really has me thinking about the role human nature has on ignorance!!

-Alex

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I also commented on Hannah's post, "Metacognition: Jane Eyre Mashup." In this post, Hannah examined her experience with her Jane Eyre Mashup project. She explained that although it was difficult, she gained an incredible amount of insight when she grouped her elements together and re-contextualized them into an effective mashup.

Hi Hannah!

First of all, I loved your blog entry. Your experience with the "Mashup" project was very genuine and unique, and I'm very glad that you achieved so much new insight as a result.

I was very intrigued when you stated that the difficulty of fitting your elements together helped Shea and you further define your topic. I was interested in this because this was not necessarily the case when I wrote my mashup. As Ethan, Ross, and I worked, we were able to bring our topic into further depth before we actually organized the elements.

However, we found that our "thesis" that we had carefully planned turned out to be very ambiguous and irrelevant as we grouped our documents. After we realized this, we (like you) redefined our claim and the process got easier from there.

Just as you did, we reached a new level of insight with the reorganization of our claim. It's so interesting to see how even though we picked such different topics (ours was "struggle"), our thought processes were related yet unique. I guess that's truly a testament to the power of de-contextualizing and re-contextualizing!

-Alex

Dialectics: Postmodernism and Ignorance

Is ignorance bliss? The Matrix serves as a powerful response to the question in terms of postmodernism. While watching The Matrix, I was enticed and surprised at the level of depth that was put into this one question in just over two hours of film. The movie has furthermore helped me—in a very powerful way—explore the complex relationship between postmodernism and ignorance.

While discussing postmodernism and The Matrix in English class, I wondered how the idea of "ignorance" fit into the puzzle of postmodernism. We discussed how society has become so complex that it is impossible to obtain a full understanding of it. Is this ignorance? Postmodernists would argue no. For example, the people in the matrix were unaware of their "predicament," yet they were not ignorant for they did not have access to the truth or the big picture. In addition, not even Morpheus and the others who were freed from the Matrix could grasp a complete understanding of its workings. 

Ignorance and postmodernism seem to be opposites in this sense; while ignorance is the denial of truth, a postmodern society is simply too complex to fully comprehend. This relationship of ideas intrigued me while watching the movie, and led me to another question: what about the "Beats?" They reminded me of Cypher from The Matrix. Cypher saw life outside the Matrix as simply too difficult to bear, and instead he decided to knowingly disregard the truth and return to the Matrix. Similarly, the Beat Generation recognized that it was simply impossible to change the system, and instead admitted defeat to it. 

The Matrix also helped me understand the postmodern “lack of historicity,” in which historical authenticity is impossible. In terms of ignorance, this aspect of postmodernism in especially interesting, because it is almost the opposite of what I discovered earlier. In a postmodern society, we are almost knowingly ignorant (as seen by Disney World Africa). We know that certain things are not historically accurate, yet we still accept them as truth. The Matrix was also not an accurate representation of the world, yet Cypher accepted it as truth.

In this way, ignorance and the lack of historicity in a postmodern world overlap in many ways. This understanding helped me comprehend the intense power of propaganda. Especially seen it Hitler’s Germany and Mao Zedong’s China, propaganda has had the power to sway millions of people in one way or another on an issue. When I was studying the Chinese Revolution, I saw that many propaganda posters powerfully ignored and/or exaggerated certain things to emphasize the positive facts. The “robots” did this to the Matrix as well and even to Cypher when they promised him a wonderful life in exchange for Morpheus.

Overall, The Matrix was a wonderful film. Not only did it contain enticing themes that strengthened its beauty, but it also helped me comprehend the incredibly complex relationship between ignorance and postmodernism. So, returning to the question: is ignorance bliss? I believe that we will never truly know according to postmodernism. Although ignorance is often avoidable, it actually seems inevitable in many cases, as portrayed so powerfully in The Matrix.

Metacognition: Jane Eyre Mashup

Throughout high school, a common theme for my development as a student has been recognizing my improvements under unfavorable circumstances. When the Jane Eyre Mashup project was originally introduced to me, I thought it was going to be tedious and unhelpful. However, I decided to "trust the process," and as a result I discovered new insight about Jane Eyre, but more importantly, about myself.

Our "Mashup" projects highlighted the re-contextualization of different elements into the illusion of a collective consciousness. "Wow. What?" is right. To me, this originally sounded insane, convoluted, and rather pointless. Our teacher, however, emphasized the importance of trusting that greatness and insight would emerge.

So I just decided to go with it. Even though I was unsure, I saw that my teacher had successfully done this before. This "trust the process" motto that I went by during the project turned out to be one of my greatest assets. Last Friday night, I stayed in, knowing that work needed to get done. I collected a large sum of Jane Eyre evidence for our group's theme, yet almost no insight seemed to spontaneously burst from my brain. Increasingly and increasingly more skeptical, my project motto was being put to the test. Nonetheless, I swallowed my fears and just kept going.

I kept this attitude until the Tuesday before the project would be due. My group members and I met at the Northbrook Public Library, and here is where the sparks began to fly.

We cut all of the pieces of evidence into small strips and laid them on the table. As we began arranging, to my surprise, it was incredible how perfectly the evidence fit together. By the end, all of us recognized the emergence of new ideas that none of us ever imagined to find. It is incredible how the simple arrangement of independent elements can create such a unique and unexpected outcome.

I certainly never would have gotten to that point in my project had I not "trusted the process." Sometimes, as my experience with this mashup clearly illustrated, it is important to recognize that the teacher often understands the situation more than we may think. Mr. Allen had a vision for project, but more than that: he had done it before. In the future, I will try to recognize this understanding more.

I believe the only detriment to this mindset is that I did not utilize it fully enough; although I trusted that Mr. Allen knew what he was doing, I often lost confidence along the way. Next project, if I do not know what to expect, I will try more actively to trust the process. My drama teacher has always taught me that it is important to do this, but it took this project (and more active participation on my part) for me to fully comprehend its extremely positive outcomes.

"A Midsummer Night's Dream" Does Not Disappoint!

Yesterday, my English class and I went to see "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre. I was pleasantly surprised at how unbelievably funny the production was; the facial expressions, casting, emotions, and conviction of the characters were all incredible. Although I thought MacBeth was wonderful last year, this blew my expectations right out of the water.

Before seeing the show, I was somewhat familiar with "A Midsummer Night's Dream." Last fall, I was a part of the production "Shakespeare's Shorts" at GBN, in which excerpts from several of Shakespeare's most famous plays, including "Midsummer," were highlighted. I was casted as Demetrius, and our director carefully selected some of the most hilarious sections of the play for us to perform. I was intrigued and wanted to learn more about the production, so I was very excited to see it at Navy Pier. Little did I know how great the entire performance would be.

The opening scene to the play was brilliant. Bottom was casted perfectly and his mannerisms conveyed a strong arrogance and naiveté. The introducer to the show was not lying when he told the audience to watch the facial expressions. I loved how the rest of the "actor crew" simply adored Bottom, especially Snug (eventually, the lion). This opening scene warmed all of us up for the rest of the show, and effectively added a modern twist while staying uniquely Shakespearean.

The rest of the show did not disappoint. Mixed in with small bits of drama, the comedic bits of the show left my friend Matthew and I convulsing with laughter. I love watching plays, and I've found that I always remember certain lines from the best plays that I see, while lines in mediocre shows slip out of my memory. I specifically recall one of the last lines of the show, when Demetrius comments on how "witty" the wall was in the performance: "It is the wittiest partition that ever I heard discourse!" In all honesty, I was laughing for probably three minutes at this single line. "A Midsummer Night's Dream" showed me how Shakespearean humor is incredibly funny today, and even the smallest lines never fail to disappoint. Simply combining the words "wittiest" and "partition" had me on my knees laughing. Shakespeare is truly a master of description.

Overall, the play was absolutely fantastic. I had always loved Shakespeare's tragedies, yet I had never been fully immersed in one of his comedies. "A Midsummer Night's Dream" was the best comedy I could have ever imagined to begin with, and I am extremely excited to see more! By the audience's reaction to each joke in the play, it was clear that I am not alone in this regard. "A Midsummer Night's Dream" is definitely one of my top ten favorite plays right now, and I only wish I could see it once more! Sadly, the play closes this weekend at the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre. Next time it performs, however, I will definitely be there!

(But seriously, my friend Katy said that she could hear me laughing from halfway across the balcony. Apparently I have quite the distinctive laugh...)

Metacognition: Writing Short Stories

For several weeks in English class, we have been tirelessly working on our short stories. From the first draft all the way until our final graded assessment, I have acquired a new process of thought in how to write a successful piece of writing in school: the “Grin and Bear It” method. I applied this method in how to successfully take teacher advice on writing, and I firmly believe that, although annoying at first, my short story evolved and moved forward as a result.

All of this drama began the day we received our “graded” second drafts. To be blunt, I was extremely upset. I firmly believed that my story fragment was a stroke of genius on my part (even if no one else thought of it that way), and so I was disheartened when I saw that many aspects of my story were considered ‘incipient’ on the rubric. Taking my knowledge from writing my poem, I knew that I needed to accept Mr. Allen’s advice; however, I simply did not change enough.

In writing the third draft, I tried as hard as I possibly could to adhere to Mr. Allen’s advice, yet I found myself continually looking back at my previous drafts for advice, ignoring the fact that they were unsuccessful in their attempts. Nonetheless I worked diligently, and I turned in the draft with increased confidence. Lo and behold, “grade” did not seem to improve.

I stared at the rubric for my third draft with dismay; I wanted to do well so badly, yet I did not know how. And after several hours of pity searching, I finally created my most brilliant plan yet—the “Grin and Bear It” method. Although I wanted my voice and uniqueness to shire through in my writing, I recognized that Mr. Allen had years of experience on me, and above everything he was my teacher. If I was to have a successful story in his eyes, I needed to follow what he thought would work best for my story.

At first this idea displeased me. I was convinced that I was just ‘conforming to the system,’ and ‘losing my identity,’ etc. However, in time, I grew a liking for it. Although the end result of my most recent draft is not at all what I expected it to be, it improved significantly from my original and I definitely have my teacher’s advice to thank for that.

This new method for writing surprised me to say the least. I was always convinced that voice and originality were the two most important aspects of a great piece of writing, and indeed they are significant, but taking advice does not mean that my originality is automatically thrown out the door. I believe that the mix of creativity and helpful advice will create the best story, or any piece of writing for that matter.

When writing the next and final step in this short story process after Spring Break, I will certainly grin and bear the advice given to me in order to create a working end result. The only change that I hope to make in my newfound technique is simply to grow fonder of it. The more accustomed to this idea I am, the more natural and more successful my writing will become, because previous drafts will be less of a setback. Hopefully, if I accept that my teachers often have great advice even if it may not seem obvious at first, my writing will grow and blossom as a result.

Change of Mind: "Once" and Filmmaking

After watching Once in English class, my eyes was opened to a whole new aspect of great film: realism. Before watching the movie, the idea of realism in film had never crossed my mind. I am so glad that we watched Once in class; I now approach film with a new, better attitude on cinematography, plot, and camera.

Before watching Once, I was a crazy camera angles kind of guy. I had always assumed that watching a scene from as many angles as possible was crucial to a successful movie. I saw high-budget movies as examples, completely disregarding the factor of realism. I admired films like James Cameron’s Avatar for their technical merit, but I often forgot about the storyline and emotional backing that runs so deep in many great movies. Instead of focusing on the artistry of film, I glossed over what really mattered and settled for thoughtless humor and action movies.

I didn’t realize the importance of realism in film until I watched Once in English class. The camerawork was astonishing to me. Almost the entire movie was filmed using a handheld camera, and the camera was placed in locations that made it seem as if I was in the scene with the main characters. Both of these smart filmmaking decisions added realism to the scenes, a concept that was largely unknown to me before Once. I specifically remember the scene on the city bus, when the man sang “Broken Hearted Hoover Fixer Sucker Guy.” The camera was placed in a seat, facing backwards on the main characters. I felt as if I was in the scene, laughing with them to the lyrics of the song.

In addition, the scenes in Once were staged in typical, public settings, often with many people in the background. This created an image that these main characters were not unlike normal people, and instead were just a boy and a girl and their story of love and music. This subtle placement of the scenes stuck with me personally, and when I walked out of English class after watching the movie, I felt incredibly out of it and confused. The addition of realism sucked into the story like I had never been before.

While Once has clearly opened my eyes to appreciating realism in film, it has also allowed me to further acknowledge all aspects of a great movie, from writing to production. I now look at movies with a new frame of mind, and mindless humor and action are no longer things that I look for. Not only did I find a great movie in Once, but I found the opportunity to appreciate thousands of great movies in the future!

An Inconvenient Truth: With Great Brain Comes Great Responsibility

In as early as kindergarten, my teachers have glorified the immense power of the brain. I have been told that we are all gifted with a brain that can practically lift skyscrapers and save the day if it tries hard enough. All of these notions comforted me, and I felt nestled in the warm and comforting quilt which was my brain. Heart of Darkness and Joseph Conrad, however, have shown me the inconvenient truth that a smart brain is capable of committing horrible atrocities, and that intelligence does not always imply benevolence.

           

While reading the first two parts of Heart of Darkness, I was introduced to the man Kurtz, who was supposedly “a very remarkable person” (19). Kurtz intrigued me, because I really wanted to learn more about what made him so remarkable. The novel went on to tell us that Kurtz had committed horrible crimes, and this intrigued me even more. Little did I know about the disturbing truth of why everyone saw him as so “remarkable.”

           

When Marlow began explaining Kurtz’s report for ‘The International Society for the Suppression of Savage Customs,’ I was taken aback. Kurtz was a pure genius, yet he still sought to exterminate the savages whom he believed were inferior in every way to Europeans. Marlow says that he did this through “the unbounded power of eloquence—of words—of burning noble words” (50).

Throughout my entire life, I had immediately assumed that the intelligent and well-educated people of the world were naturally kind-hearted and rational. Joseph Conrad finally opened my eyes and I learned that when pushed to the edge, a well-educated and sane intellectual could turn into a monster.

This inconvenient truth began to bother me even more once we discussed its implications in relation to the twentieth century. Adolf Hitler was a smart, ambitious young German who seemed to have a bright future paved ahead of him. However, he eventually took power and “The Final Solution” erupted from his reign. Hitler, like Kurtz, turned into a monster.

In trying to come to terms with this truth, I began to think of the use of propaganda during the Third Reich. As Conrad states, “burning noble words” (50) alone can sway public opinion in favor of a terrible ideology. Nazi Germany used this tactic to convince Germans that what they were doing was right and just.

Although hard to believe, this reminder of the past gave me a great deal of hope. If a brilliant mind has the ability to use words to sway public opinion, another brilliant mind can notice this horrible propaganda and try to put an end to it. There will always be darkness and evil in the world, as Conrad explained in his novel. However, uncorrupted, brilliant minds also exist and can save the world from monsters like Hitler and Kurtz. Conrad’s novel has not only described the darkness in this world to me; he has allowed me to find a path to come to terms with this evil and seek the uncorrupted brilliance which still exists.