Extended Reflection Journal

Extended Reflection Journal (500 words min.) Due Thursday June 2 by 8 AM.
In what ways does the Chicago World's Fair of 1893 change America? What lasting inventions and ideas did it introduce into American culture? What important figures were critically influenced by the Fair?

The Chicago World's Fair of 1893 changed America in many many immense ways. Maybe the most prominent is that is directly changed America's and the world's perception of America and what we could accomplish. Not only was it the first of its kind in America, but the Chicago World's Fair launched America into its superpower legacy and changed the way the entirety of the world viewed the united states of America for centuries to come. The Chicago World's Fair provided a showcase for American power and a reflection of the nation's prevailing values. The Fair did not only influence the generation of its time but visibly extended beyond this generation, advancing these ideas into the twenty first century visibly shaping the very landscape of modern America. Leaving behind a legacy that is extremely wide-ranging, from movements in popular and high culture to changes in the nation's power structure and the lasting influence of commerce and technology. The World's Colombian Exposition established a Neo-Classical revival in Chicago and across America, thus changing American ideals and creating a entirely new way to view America. This global phenomenon of a fair changed culture, fashion, food, transportation and the ways in which tourists viewed architecture, and how these building defied gravity to create a whole new world to those who visited the fair.

Inventions also defied gravity like that of the Ferris wheel and building made out of soap and other materials. The exhibition halls housed new inventions and appliances for the home and farm, many of them powered by electricity changing the way home and farm worked. Visitors gawked at electric incubators for chicken eggs, electric chairs for executions, an electric sidewalk, an early fax machine that sent pictures over telegraph lines, electric irons, sewing machines and laundry machines, and Thomas Edison's Kinetoscope, the first moving pictures. These were invented and introduced to draw in more tourism and more money and profits to the fair. Not only did industrial inventions spark interest, food products such as aunt Jamima and Hienz, which forever changed the condiment industry and food flavors for eternity. Other foods including gums, hamburger, cream of wheat, quaker oats, and shredded wheat all contributed to the changing generation of food production and consumption.

Many figures involved with the fair affected it and were critically influenced by it. Architects including, Frank Lloyd Wright, Burham and Root, and all of the other architects in charge of the architecture and amazingly significant displays of technology at the Chicago World's Fair. Those influenced directly by the fair were acts such of Buffalo Bill Cody, Thomas Edison, Susan B. Anthony, all of these people were influenced by the fair in ways that made their ideals available to the public. This Fair allowed them to become well known and popular. Not only were the Fair's acts influenced but also citizens and tourists that visited the fair. These people, first hand, saw the attractions, bought the goods, and saw, right before their eyes, America change. It was shocking, real, and irreversible. Right at their fingertips; these tourists could see new and unique inventions and gained incredible want for new products, gaining the fair proceeds and stimulating the American economy.

Extended Reflection Journal (BLOG)

Extended Reflection Journal (500 Words min.) - Due Tuesday May 31, at 8 AM

In describing the collapse of the roof of Manufacturers and Liberal Arts Building, Larson writes "In a great blur of snow and silvery glass the building's roof—that marvel of late nineteenth-century hubris, enclosing the greatest volume of unobstructed space in history—collapsed to the floor below" [p. 196–97]. Was the entire Fair, in its extravagant size and cost, an exhibition of arrogance? Do such creative acts automatically engender a darker, destructive parallel?

Money, fame, style; extravagance defines America. We watch, absorbed, as celebrities flaunt fortune, cars, boutique fashions and more. Size of things gets bigger and smaller and transfixes the consumers of our generation along with cost. As it rises more people purchase gaining status for material possessions. Throughout American history, our forefathers have created and displayed America as one of a kind amazement. Thus the world fair was born; a tool to launch our civilized country into a prosperous nation conceived on jealousy and materialism.

The World's fair introduces a new found obsession with becoming a world superpower in America in the 19^th century. Arrogance is an overbearing pride evidenced by a superior manner toward inferiors; directly relating to the fair. The fair is only installed and designed in order to project America as a wondrous country better than that of the Paris exposition. Its supposed to be designed bigger and better than anything in existence no matter of cost or physical, earthly, limitations. The fair was one hundred percent a display of American arrogance during the 19^th century. It is used throughout its running as an act to draw in and hypnotize tourists to believe and register America as a world power; the best, and only, of its kind. In order to reach this level of greatness no cost limit was implicated, displaying the arrogance and pride America soaked in and developed during the worlds fair construction and exposition. America wanted to reach the title of number one, outdoing the competition Paris displayed. This simple act of want, greed, and need for material popularity gained America arrogance not easily forgotten. Arrogance must be displayed in order to gain the superiority America strove for when wanting to build and construct a beautiful, amazing world exposition sure to draw in, capture, and shock tourists and business men from all over ready and willing to watch America sky rocket to stardom.

I believe that when projects are thought out and created with arrogance they can definitely engender the darkness to come. With such an amazing feat of producing and constructing such an impressive monument of a fair, there will always come downfall, danger, and an engendering of darkness that will always accompany feats of amazement, including the world fair. Larson's entire novel is written in the perspective of each of the two main characters lives embodying the question of whether or not the fair contradicts with darkness. This directly contrasts the White city and the black city, the advancement of the fairs technology and architectural design and Holmes's murderous killing spree of darkness and danger. In life, all good parallels with bad and life cannot always be fair. With out this distinct parallel that exists Larson's novel could not have been produced, or written as a factual account of America. You must accept the good, and deal with the bad witch is directly established in the pages one hundred ninety six to seven. By pointing out the destruction of the fair by arrogance and to distinguish dark that always parallels good Larson's novel parallels these features perfectly.

Extended Reflection Journal (BLOG)

Extended Reflection Journal (BLOG) : In the note "Evils Imminent," Erik Larson writes "Beneath the gore and smoke and loam, this book is about the evanescence of life, and why some men choose to fill their brief allotment of time engaging the impossible, others in the manufacture of sorrow" [xi]. What does the book reveal about "the ineluctable conflict between good and evil"? What is the essential difference between men like Daniel Burnham and Henry H. Holmes? Are they alike in any way?

As Larson begins his factual tale of two men, he uses this intro to reveal that this novel will contain the good of men, Burnham, and the evil’s imminent in Chicago, Holmes. The gore, smoke and loam is used to describe and set the scene of murderous stock yards, dirty street corners, and smells that only the late 1800’s of Chicago can behold. This short “note” helps readers to determine the main idea of conflict present within the novels context. Similarly, both men, Burnham and Holmes, are blue eyed and passionate. Passion that is beheld to both men in very different ways; murder and architecture. The two main characters are creepily similar in ways of craft. They both abuse the use of precision, completeness, and both strive to obtain perfect perfection. They both achieve greatness and become well-known by pursuing their passion, craft, and by living their lives in the ways they wanted too. Both men use their crafts, though in two different ways, to achieve exactly what each man is looking for. Similarly using passion and will power.

Holmes believes in murder as perfection. He slowly creates “Holmes” as a work of art. A trustworthy, honest man who no one can betray or look at as a “murderer”. He works with what the world offers and sees every person, and idea as opportune moment. Holmes is a man of completeness and uses every moment to perfect his life pursuing evil.

Burnham believes in perfection through building. Always striving for the bigger, better, taller buildings Burnham shapes his world in which not to fail. He wants to gain fame and fortune through his works of art; skyscrapers. Every chance Burnham gets he is working, thinking, visualizing the fair and striving for good.

Although two completely different ways of shaping a life, and pursuing a craft both men put passion into their works. Similar in inner strength to do what each man does and do it to perfection.
Larson states that both men are “unusually adept at their chosen skills”. Burnham is achieving the impossible while Holmes is manufacturing sorrow. Two men; so completely dissimilar but so similar all at once. They are written in a sense to embody America during this time period, and are connected without meeting. Holmes and Burnham are related through their passions and work to perfect; tied together by a single event in American history.

“Good and Evil, daylight and darkness, the White City and the Black”. This is a direct contrast of the books main characters. Holmes embodies the Black City and the evil that exists within it. This contrast is used within the “note” to directly state that though factual and nonfiction, both men embody different views of history though linked to a singular inspiring event. He uses a note to prepare the reader's the contrasting main men, and underlying similarities the opposites share. These men link together in the ways they use passion to achieve even though their individual crafts are for good and evil.

Blog 3

Blog 3: a blog analyzing modern societal uses of satire, and their effects.  Blog should be 1,000 words in length.  Blogs for extra credit are due Friday, March 18, by 8 AM.

      Satire: a literary technique of writing which principally ridicules its subject as an intended means of provoking or preventing change. It is a writing style that develops an idea to persuade by first, making fun, or taking stabs at the actual idea. As the satire develops it should be subtle and almost seem quite like reality. To the reader the idea should almost seem plausible. I say almost, because many examples of satire are truly unimaginable, and are just out there to give a reader an idea. Satire, using humor, can help to establish the writer's idea without having to actually state the true main idea.

      We have had the pleasure of reading multiple satirical type essays within AP language. Swift's “Modest Proposal” used satire to point out the flaws of the Irish government. The government had lacked to do much of anything regarding the outbreak of famine among the dying Irish citizens. Swift then proposes that the citizens and government should begin to invest in the marketing of babies. Swifts satire is that they should raise, sell, and eat infants to live. He believes this proposal is better than the government's because they have yet to do anything. This is an example of satire because, in reality, no one would ever actually consider eating an infant, but it is a stab at the governments laissez faire approach and lack of involvement in its dying, starving people. Never once though does Swift state his true persuasion of the governments involvement.

      The next example we read was a student written essay persuading one to be against abortion. Elise Rudolph uses satire to compare fetuses to an advertisement. Making abortions sound cheap, easy and fun. Her actual purpose being to end abortion and make a reader realize the immoralities and wrongness of abortion. Her satirical tone makes her “advertisement” seem realistic. By idolizing abortion, she intended to persuade her audience away from the cruel act, making light of an undoubtedly deep, important subject.

      A letter written regarding beavers was also presented to us in class. The beavers had begun to build dams along a river in a mans back yard. These beavers did not bother the man, however the city did not enjoy their habitats. As a response to a city letter, the man writes how the beavers have every right to be there and to build. By personifying the animals, the satire makes the city look wrong, and quite dumb. The author asks why the beavers do not get “legal representation” and that the state will have to provide a “dam lawyer”, making the beavers seem human like and the city seem misguided and wrong. The repetition of the word “dam” helps move the satire along smoothly. He repeats this word to add emphasis to each stab at the city, and to clarify his standpoint, the beavers can be wherever they “dam” want to be. At the end of his satirical response the author states that the real problem is the “bears...defecating” in the woods. By using this as a closer the author is satirically readdressing how a beaver cannot be blamed for building a dam as much as a bear can be blamed for pooping where it lives, and that the city has gone too far in the matter.

      Recently, we wrote a response to the satire used by a humor and satire publishing company, The Onion. This article addressed and satirized the campaigns marketing companies throw out there to gain consumers. The “advertisement” was one for Magna Soles, insoles that use “five pseudosciences” to heal the magnetic fields around feet, making every imaginable ache disappear forever. The Onion uses large “scientific sounding” words and a satirical tone to “persuade consumers to buy their products. By referring to these “psuedosciences”, like reflexology and terronomy , which means fake fields of science, consumers will be gullible enough to spend 19.95$ on a product. The Onion uses satire to uncover the marketing schemes of big business and put on display the embarrassing gullibility of today's consumers.

      Lastly, We reviewed a light hearted satire about the love a woman had for Jennifer Aniston. This middle age woman believed that Jennifer and her were very similar and spoke of her as if they had been best friends since the beginning of time. The authors use of satire was displayed by quoting this woman and then stating things about how she'd never met Aniston, and never would. These types of phrases and satire used, helped to show the sad, hopelessness of the middle aged woman. The author's purpose was to show the desperation in women to feel a connection to someone and make their own lives feel better. Satirically, This author points out how “strange” people can be regarding others.

      In modern day satire is used in many ways. Comedians, the Daily Show, Colbert Report, and Saturday Night Live are just to name a few of the more major and more well known sources. These types of “fake” news broadcasts use satire to attack world events and politics. Many skits on Saturday Night Live and Mad TV show characters who appear to be common politicians including George W. Bush, Hilary Clinton, and the ever so popular, Tina Fey, as Sarah Palin. These types of satire become wide spread and popular due to their humor and the fact that they allow people to laugh at politics and foreign policy, not anger them. These satires are outlets for all the people who let politicians and world matters upset them. Satire used with comedy is funny, and relate able, making people want to watch and laugh along. All people can agree and disagree on matters regarding the world, its politicians, and the rights and wrongs that happen within our governments. These shows, jokes, skits, and musical numbers help to make light of the world we live in with all of its ups and downs. The Colbert Report simply reports world events in satire mode, making news and events funny, and to persuade viewers that the “funny” has a serious side to it as well. Satire, in modern day and on TV, is mainly used to make light of situations but it also impacts viewers to be aware of the world, and events. Satire is used to open the eyes of people who keep them shut.

Blog 3

BLOG #3 -  Write a short response to "A Modest Proposal" (750 words min.).

The satire addressed by Dr. Jonathan Swift in his “Modest Proposal” is one of which that reveals the hard times of the Irish famine. Swift satirically addresses the Irish governments lack of action upon the hungry, dying, and poor of Ireland during the famine. His proposal states that as a resourceful way of cutting down upon the famine that children should be marketed for the good of the people of Ireland. He writes that the small children should be eaten and that “a young healthy child well nursed, is, at a year old, a most delicious nourishing and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled; and I make no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricasie, or a ragoust”. This satirically displays his idea of what the Irish government is lacking to do; create a solution. “A child will make two dishes at an entertainment for friends, and when the family dines alone, the fore or hind quarter will make a reasonable dish, and seasoned with a little pepper or salt, will be very good boiled on the fourth day, especially in winter”, this quotation again repeats the need for babies as food. With a satirical approach, Swift makes his modest proposal real. He uses diction and word choice to convince a reader that his proposal could actually be a possible solution. “I rather recommend buying the children alive, and dressing them hot from the knife, as we do roasting pigs”. By dehumanizing the babies and making them a marketed “animals” Swift takes a hard stab at the lack of government involvement in the people of Ireland. The famine which is ruining families and the lives of so many citizens has not been confronted and nothing has been done, therefore Swift writes a “Modest Proposal” to offer his own opinion and input on what needs to be done to end this famine. By satirically proposing to eat the babies of Ireland; offering food, and a cut back on over population, Swift is actually suggesting that his “good” idea will be better then anything thee government has done which as revealed in his text is absolutely nothing. Swifts comically ideas are as followed “I profess, in the sincerity of my heart, that I have not the least personal interest in endeavouring to promote this necessary work, having no other motive than the publick good of my country, by advancing our trade, providing for infants, relieving the poor, and giving some pleasure to the rich”. By ordering his points Swift also makes his satire seem close to reality. It comes across as a real life solution and may even seem unfunny to some readers. The first read through, Swifts writing almost convinced me of his slight insanity, but Swift is truly just trying to make a “out loud and proud” statement to his own culture and place of origin. He is trying to make it clear to the government and citizens of Ireland that the plan of action taken by the government is obviously failing and the famine continues. By doing nothing, the government has allowed the citizens to die and starve, and by Swifts satire he is begging for action and advancement by the government of Ireland. In his satirical world, Swifts proposal makes complete sense due to the fact that it is at least a plan for action unlike the lack of action taken by the actual government. “I am not so violently bent upon my own opinion, as to reject any offer, proposed by wise men, which shall be found equally innocent, cheap, easy, and effectual”, in this selection of Swift's text he is clearly stating that because nothing has been done to help the people of Ireland his cost efficient, and effectual plan can “actually” help. The effect of his plan and tone of sarcasm and satire reveal his undertone of bitterness towards the laissez-faire approach of the Irish government directly pertaining to the famine sweeping the country and its dying, starving, suffering persons. Reading Swift's text the line between disturbing and funny is crossed multiple times but all in effect to gain a reaction out of the government and out of the Irish people. Not only is his proposal mad, disgusting, and unbelievable so is the fact that a government can watch their people starve and not take action. The definition of satire is literary technique of writing or art which principally ridicules its subject often as an intended means of provoking or preventing change, and as Jonathan Swift once said it is “a sort of glass, wherein beholders do generally discover everybody's face but their own”. As Swift closes his essay, his main purpose is to persuade the citizens of Ireland to eat their own children, marketing them to save their own lives. In reality, his work is an art that while unapparent, scorns the government for their lack in help.

Blog 2

Extended Reflection Journal (BLOG 2):  Hemingway defined a code of ethics for heroism, the most important tenet being that a brave hero exhibits "grace under pressure." What this means is that in difficult situations -- especially mortal ones -- the hero handles himself assuredly and confronts the danger head-on.  First, how does Romero display these qualities in The Sun Also Rises?  Second, how does this mesh with our modern heroes?  Minimum 650 words

        Romero is first introduced into “The Sun Also Rises” on page 166, as Montoya asks Jake to meet the amazingly described bull fighter. The text states that Romero was “dignified” and that he is “a real one. [And] there had not been a real one for a long time”. This is our first glimpse at the heroism that exudes from Romero in the ring and the first time one can see his “grace under pressure”. Romero's skills exhibited within the bull ring steal the show and as the narrator puts it “Romero was the whole show”. Romero avoids “ every brusque movement and saved his bulls for the last when he wanted them,..smoothy worn down” and “always works to the bull”. His grace under pressure leaves the on-edge crowd with “real emotion”, and “did not emphasize the closeness” of the bull. Romero's style is described as “something beautiful done close to the bull was ridiculous if it were done a little way off”. His heroism is displayed in the old fashioned, real way and “holds his purity of line through the maximum of exposure”. Pedro Romero displays himself by exhibiting smooth, graceful, fear-free tactics while being extremely close to death each and every time Romero enters the bull ring. Romero's fighting ability to guide the bull and choose when to kill shows how he can handle himself assuredly and how the bull fighting lifestyle makes him confront danger head on in his everyday career. On page 178, Romero is described as “not at all embarrassed...nothing conceited or braggartly about him”. This shows the genuineness of Romero's character, his true heroism. During the last, and greatest bull fight the novel states that “the public were for Romero...they applauded him” and that “Romero did always, smoothly, calmly, and beautifully”. Pedro Romero's character is the direct embodiment of Hemingway's “heroism” idea. He remains one hundred percent calm, stoical, and magnificent while directly facing danger. This is Romero's legacy of true “Hemingway heroism”.Hemingway's definition or code of ethics for heroism, is that a true hero exhibits "grace under pressure”, as Romero displays within “The Sun Also Rises”. Hemingway's idea is that in difficult life situations a “true hero” can handle himself assuredly and can confront the danger head-on. This idea and expectation of Hemingway's hero meshes with many types of everyday heroes. The police, firefighters, parents, and teachers are all “heroes”. In different ways, of course, but all show the qualities Hemingway describes and portrays Romero to embody. The Police force are a unit used to protect a community from danger. They portray excellent citizenship while sporting a loaded gun and taser. As an officer kicks down a locked door awaiting the danger beyond, the never once let that fear keep them from “striking out”. Their entire job centers around the idea of “confronting danger head on”, ideally what Hemingway believes true heroism is. As the siren goes off, fourteen men slip on boots, fireproof gear and hug the pole all the way down. The truck siren arrives in front of the danger, a house caught of fire by a forgotten cigarette. As these fourteen men ruthlessly evacuate the house, they never once think “am I going to get out of this alive?” or “what about my family”, firemen think only about the present and helping out the ones who need it, never once bowing to danger. While police and firemen uphold serious jobs that contribute to societies safety; teachers and parents also portray Hemingway's idea of heroism. Screaming kids, spit wads, dirty diapers, and ABC's; parents and teachers may face more dangers than most. Everyday though; these two important professions prove that heroes do not back down. Parents and teachers portray ideal Hemingway “grace under pressure”. Hemingway's idea is that heroes represent and uphold themselves while facing extreme dangers never backing down and face danger head on. Like Hemingway's Romero, everyday heroes also mesh into his ideal of the “true hero”.

Blog 1

HW: Extended Reflection Journal  (BLOG 1) on Turgenev text, due Friday (checking them begins at 8 AM). Must be MINIMUM of 450 words. Analyze his tone, purpose, and point of view, including the strengths and weaknesses of his argument concerning capital punishment. Include whether you agree or disagree, although your opinion should not be the focus of your essay.

      Capital crimes lead to death row, and death row leads to execution. Capital punishment is analyzed thoroughly in the text of Ivan Turgenev, “The Execution of Tropmann”, a short essay outlining the start to finish of a condemned criminals last day. Turgenev's uneasy, guilty tone, and purpose of persuasion, effectively portray his non proponent point of view pertaining to the act of capital punishment.

      In the month of January, 1870, in Paris, France, The execution of murderer Tropmann had been scheduled to take place, and our author, Ivan Turgenev has been invited to be front and center at the “big performance”. Turgenev's description of January 18, to the early morning execution on the 19^th, is weaved with words and a tone of guilt, frustration, fear, and uneasiness. “We were all overwhelmed by a feeling of irksome and wearisome—yes, wearisome-uneasiness”(Sec.3). Turgenev's text clearly states that the thought of watching capital punishment created guilt within the invited audience, and this tone continues throughout the text. As the writing begins, a sense of pride is seen within Turgenev, but slowly the author's guilty tone gets the best of him and he describes what he felt as “ terribly sick at heart”(Sec.7). Turgenev does not understand how the “street urchins”, or crowd of “fans” can form, excited, to watch the entertainment of a public execution, while he feels a close, intertwined connection to Tropmann. Turgenev's tone continues to provide concrete evidence, and reiterates, his point of view throughout his essay.

      Turgenev's text clearly has a persuasive factor within it. His point of writing is to ask why and how a person can be okay with capital punishment. Persuasively, Turgenev describes the events details to throw off the reader, to appall, and to make the reader think “why?”. As the actual execution approaches it is revealed that Turgenev can no longer go through with it and turns his head as the guillotine's blade comes crashing, swiftly down. The sound of the blade is enough to sicken Turgenev, and emotionally effect his life forever. “How could such a shocking routine be allowed? And capital punishment itself—could it possibly be justified?”(Sec12). Turgenev includes these rhetorical questions with the purpose of further reiterating his negative view of corporal punishment. As a last persuasion, Turgenev writes that “the question of capital punishment is one of the most urgent questions that humanity has to solve at this moment”(Sec. 12). This quotation wraps up his idea and persuades the reader to think and develop an idea that coincides along with his con capital punishment attitude.

      Turgenev's opinion is one that, I too, take to heart. How can we, as human beings, kill other human beings? What Turgenev's guilty, embarrassed tone reveals is a negative opinion and a persuasive force that dives deep into the minds of the intellectual human being. His entire text makes a person want to think about his own personal beliefs regarding capital punishment, and the humaneness of it. Through tone and persuasiveness, Turgenev is successful in bringing his opinion to the surface and displaying his point of view on capital punishment.