Month: October 2017

I read The Hunger Games in elementary school, but I read so many books that the thought of televising children murdering each other for entertainment was not as shocking, but just a part of the plot line. Now that I re-read it, the implications of this story are more horrifying. Suzanne Collins paints an absurd picture of a society where people who live in the Capitol drip with excess: they eat extravagantly, have insane fashion standards that constantly change, and seem to have little to no understanding of the struggles of everyday people, like when Effie Trinket makes fun of the previous Tributes who ate with no table manners because they’ve never in their whole lives been provided with that much food. The absurdity of this society is exactly what makes people start to wonder, does this really happen?

The top 1% of today’s society owns 50% of U.S. stocks, bonds, and mutual funds, in addition to taking home more of the nation’s income than at any other time since the 1920s. Recently, Alyona Zaitseva, the daughter of local property and oil tycoon Vasily Zaitsev, ran over nine people, killing six and critically injuring three. If you watch the video, the Lexus plows not forward across the intersection, but diagonally into the pedestrian crosswalk. According to the article, Zaitseva is fine, and after she ran these people over, her armed bodyguards came out to protect her from the angry crowd. Likely, she will face very little jail time, or perhaps, none at all, because her oil tycoon father plans to “compensate” families for their loss. In the article, images of carnage and censored body parts flung across the cement are juxtaposed with the beautiful Alyona Zaitseva posing while wearing thousand dollar Louboutins.

It’s terrifying to see how many parallels in just this one case of a privileged white girl with the “absurdness” of the Capitol culture, which seems to be less and less absurd. President Snow is constantly guarded by Peacekeepers, even though plenty of people hate him for putting in a “game” in place that kills off children. Likewise, Zaitseva killed people, and her guards came to protect her even though what she did was morally wrong. Zaitseva is like many of the people in the Capitol; she wears the newest most expensive fashions, has the best food, and lives with the most luxurious technologies available to her. The people who live in the Capitol play a hand in The Hunger Games murders because they do nothing to stop it. The killing does not bother them because they themselves are not being sacrificed. Likewise, Zaitseva ran over people, but she most likely will not be punished for her actions, and it is not even she who pays the monetary compensation. It is her father.

Though at first, The Hunger Games seems outlandish and dystopian, it is not too far from reality. Rich people get away with even taking someone else’s life, or multiple people’s lives, in Alyona’s case, because of money and power.

 

Bibliography

Parfitt, Moscow Tom. “Oligarch’s Daughter Held after Car Crash in Ukraine Kills Five Pedestrians.”    The Times & The Sunday Times, The Times, 19 Oct. 2017, www.thetimes.co.uk/article/oligarchs-daughter-held-after-car-crash-in-ukraine-kills-five-pedestrians-d60fz370m.

Chapter 13 of Craft of Research discusses the organization and essay revision. Though I typically did many of the revising tips, one piece of advice that helped me greatly for my recent essay was keeping the reader in mind. Re-reading my essay, and thinking of it from my reader’s perspective rather than mine forced me to spot holes in my argument. For example, I did not provide enough context for one piece of my evidence, and it led to the whole paragraph not making sense. Most writing advice dictates that it is imperative that you “relate back to your thesis” but I did not realize how truly important it was to do so until I thought of it from the reader’s perspective. Because I am the one writing the essay, I always know what my argument is; however, I have to convince the reader, so I must keep reminding them.

From the tips that I gathered from chapter 13, I have made my own process of revising.

1. Consider what kind of essay you are writing.

• Argumentative – is there a way to make this essay more convincing? Personal anecdote?
• Analytical – have you removed all your personal opinion out of the analysis? Gather your evidence on how/what person wrote, not how you feel (feeling = your own analysis)
• Narrative – is there enough detail?

2. Grammar and spelling check

• Tip: read the essay out loud to see if it sounds “weird.” Shifts in tense and passive voice are easier to catch this way
• If you automatically correct things while you read, you can also have google translate read your essay back to you in a monotone voice

//The rest of these tips are related only to type argumentative and analytical essays

3. Make sure your introductory sentences relate back to the thesis – concise

• Think of each paragraph as soldier in the army – delegate one segment of your thesis to the paragraph, and prove it within. All your paragraphs come together to prove your argument

4. Make sure that your thesis and your argument are still the same

• A problem I often make: I have a thesis, but as I continue to write and analyze evidence, my argument evolves but my thesis does not reflect the change

5. So what factor – why is your essay worth reading? What’s the point of your reader reading it? What should they know?

    

 

 

 

King Arthur’s knights are expected to uphold several courtly values: honor, fidelity/faithfulness, mercy, gentility, chastity, generosity, and courtesy. Knights are held to a high standard of character and are routinely tested when obstacles in their lives arise. In The Knight of the Cart, Sir Lancelot is tested several times throughout his journey. His first challenge is the tension between his loyalty for King Arthur, and his love for King Arthur’s wife, Guinevere. As Lancelot continues on his journey to rescue Guinevere, he encounters a woman who offers him lodging in exchange for sleeping with her. His ability to adhere to the knightly values was again tested. Lancelot would be unfaithful to Guinivere if he were to sleep with the woman, but without the lodging she is offering, he could not continue on his journey to rescue Guinevere.

Although the internal struggle between his values and desires is exaggerated in the unrealistic conflicts Lancelot experiences, most people encounter situations that involve making difficult decisions on a daily basis. Ranging from small life choices like whether to eat the tempting burger and fries or the salad you promised yourself that you would eat, to life-altering decisions like deciding whether to take a job in a different state, everyone can relate to making tough choices. Sir Lancelot chose to prioritize his love for Guinevere over all other knightly values he could have chosen to adhere to — as a result, his reputation as a knight was ruined from riding in a cart. Sir Lancelot’s challenges may not be typical in the modern day, but the tale of his journey highlight the struggles people face everyday to prioritize one moral value over another.

Sam Schuster is a poor shoe cobbler. He hates the idea of picking up his father’s trade, but it’s what’s expected of him. One day, Sam is walking back from the bakery when a girl tumbles in front of him. He sees two giant dark men leering over her.

“What are you waiting for? Get up!” Sam shouts. Mr. Pemberly, the carrot seller, gave Sam an angry shake of his head. Sam grabbed the shell-shocked girl’s hand, and the two raced off down a dirty alley way. Neither spoke as Sam led the way through the twists and turns until they ended up in front of a large brick factory-like building, with giant smoke stacks.

“Wait a minute, you can see me?!” The girl demands, yanking her hand out of Sam’s angrily. Sam sheepishly wiped his sweaty palms on his worn pants while the girl defensively crossed her hands over her chest.

Sam squinted at her. “Of course I can see you. Why would I not be able to? Also, you’re being awfully rude to someone who just saved you.”

The girl sighed, and stiffly extended her hand. “Taylor. Who are you?”

“That’s a boy name,” Sam said. “I’m Sam.”

“That’s a girl’s name,” Taylor retorted. She shifted from foot to foot nervously, peering around Sam to check for her evil companions. “Isn’t there any better place to hide?”

Sam nodded, and slipped into the building. None of the workers seemed to notice the two young people walking around the meat factory. “This place is disgusting,” Taylor said, wrinkling her nose. Workers stood shoulder to shoulder by conveyor belts that belched dark purple meat. Furry clumps gathered on the floor where pieces dropped and subsequently molded.

Sam led them into a small office, and Taylor whirled around and slammed the door shut. “Hey, wanna go on an adventure?” Taylor asks.

—————————————–

“Where are we?” Sam asked in a muffled voice, as Taylor mashed her fingers over his mouth. She put her fingers to her lips with an angry scowl.

“We need to get that torch from that dude over there,” Taylor whispered. Taylor and Sam were in a dark musty cave. The only light source was the smoky fire.

“Wow, he’s so. Perfect. He looks like one of those Greek gods,” Sam mused, watching the shadow of the man stretch and shrink as he moved.

“Funny you would say that.” Taylor bit her lip, digging her hands through her pockets. “Where the heck is it..” She pulled out a smooth quarter-sized pebble and sighed. “I really hope nothing happens, but. If I happen to die or something, take this stone from me.”

Sam started to reach for it, and Taylor moved away. “Not right now!” She whisper-screeched. Noticing his hurt expression, she softened. “It’s very,” she paused, looking for the right word, “precious. Please do not take it lightly.” She pocketed it again.

“So, what exactly are we doing here? Er, why do we need that torch?” Sam asked, wiping away a droplet that fell from the high ceiling.

“That guy is Prometheus, who gave humans fire. I need to take the torch and give it to the humans in his stead, so that he doesn’t get tortured and stuff. We actually need him for a different reason, but of course I don’t have clearance to know what that reason is.” She rolled her eyes. Sam got the sense that she was very bitter about that.

“You’re also, uh, pretty vague about just about everything. What are you? Why are we stealing from a greek myth? What is going on? Am I handling this situation too calmly?” Sam asked quizzically.

“Sh, you’re being annoyed,” Taylor said, waving him away. “So, game plan : you talk to Prometheus, I’m gonna steal the fire and avoid the evil people who might attack me. Let’s go!”

“What??” Sam couldn’t believe what he was doing, but it was much better than working in his father’s shop. They both burst out from around the corner. Prometheus looked up as two teens barreled into his lit cave.

“HIINEEDTHIS,” Taylor yelled, snatching the torch out of Prometheus’s hands and running out.

“Wait, Taylor, what?!” Sam shouted, but she was already gone. “Uh. This is awkward. Hey, I’m Sam.” The cave was so dark without the fire, he couldn’t even see his own fingers in front of his face. The darkness coated his eyes.

“Hello, I’m Prometheus. Why did that human steal my fire? I was going to gift it to you anyway.” Sam was surprised by how deep and warm Prometheus’s voice was. A small cracking sound reverberated the walls, and a then a tiny flame danced on the tip of Prometheus’s slender finger.

“Oh, a light,” Sam sighed in relief. He felt deeply unsettled being robbed of a sense that he took for granted. “I’m not really sure why my friend? Taylor stole your torch. I’m sorry about that.”

“It’s alright, I understand. Here, take a seat,” Prometheus waved his hand over small woven cushions on the floor. They were dirty and dented from use.

“This is a weird question, but would you happen to know why she would steal from you?” Sam asked. He felt uncomfortable when Prometheus sat down right next to him, so close that they were practically linking arms. Prometheus seemed just fine with the proximity.

“I’ve never seen her before, but there is talk about the God’s punishing me for loving humans so much.” Prometheus shrugged, a serene look crossing his face.

Loud footsteps and heavy breathing interrupted Sam’s thoughts. He could see Taylor running towards them, her earlier followers suddenly present. “Sam!” She screamed, thrusting out the pebble as her stalkers grabbed her. They all disappeared in a flash of light.

The pebble clattered to the floor in front of Sam. Bewildered, he reached down and touched it. The pebble pulsed like a human heart, and with each beat, more information transferred from the minds of all the time traveler’s before Taylor to Sam. Suddenly, everything made sense.

“Prometheus, would you come with me?” Sam asked, grabbing Prometheus’s arm.

Sam and Taylor: