Social Media

As the internet gets bigger and bigger, each generation gets more involved in it. This has affected society both in a positive and a negative way. Although people are more connected through social media, the whole idea of socialization has begun to change. Now a days people are more concerned with how many friends they have on Facebook, or how many followers they have on Twitter. Not only does this trend change perception of identity, but it also can cause depression. The news has been covering more and more stories about suicide due to depression from bullying. Like in YouTube comments, it's a lot easier to troll around hurt others through a computer screen, than to bully them in real life. Sometimes the computer screen seems like a "small square of the windowpane," small and impossible to escape (Woolf 2). With kids spending more and more time on the internet, reality may shift from the real world to the digital world. Teenagers these days are often concerned with how many favorites their tweets get, or how many people say happy birthday to them on Facebook. Although social media helps people socialize, it can also hinder socialization. You can't really tell the emotions of the person you're talking to through a computer screen. Therefore signs of depression are harder to notice. Sometimes we just need to look up from our handheld devices and just ask how our friends are doing, and stay a little bit away from social media. 

PSA: Being Different

Like Nancy Mairs' Disability piece, Amy Tan brings to light the idea of being different. She ends up feeling embarrassed and ashamed for simply being different. Especially in high school, people just want to fit in. They want to be accepted and fit into their group of friends or cliques. However, that doesn't justify being ashamed of who they are. Not only is it important to be proud of your culture, but it's also important to just be yourself. High school is only four short years. What happens there does not define who a person is. So what if some people don't want to cut their hair even though it's starting to look like a straight haired afro? So what if some people like wearing crocs because they're comfortable, yet stylish? Or, as Amy might say, who cares if some people eat "stacked wedges of rubbery white sponges" instead of roasted turkey and sweet potatoes for Christmas (Tan 95)? Everyone should take pride in being unique. As my friend's blog title says, You [is] for Unique (check out the blog). However, this does not mean people should go around trying to be all hipster. It is definitely not a good idea to reject all of society's rules and decide to never wear clothes again in hopes to be "unique".  That being said, "your only shame is to have shame" (95).

Words

    While we were discussing Mairs's Disability piece and how media misrepresents disabled people, Joe Swanson immediately came into my mind. Before reading this piece, I never really thought much of him; he was just a handicapped character that would occasionally provide comedic relief through his ignorance. However, now that I think about it, what's funny to me may not necessarily be funny to others. I know I don't find Asian jokes to be very funny; I'm sure handicapped people don't find the portrayal of people like Joe Swanson to be very funny either. However, this brings light to a separate issue. Maybe kids learn to make fun of others by seeing such ridicule in comedic television shows, thus thinking it's acceptable. These examples of ridicule and mockery are perceived as normal because the characters themselves lack the "complexities that round out a character and make her whole" (Mairs 14). What I mean is, people never see how the name calling, the racist, sexist jokes actually affect the characters' emotions. Just like how their outfits never change, cartoon characters in Family Guy, The Simpsons, and many other shows lack any change in their personalities. They can be made fun of, physically beaten or or even die (Kenny from Southpark), yet the next day they're back to normal. Kids may interpret this as a green flag to make fun of others, as long as some people find it funny. The saying "sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me" is total bogus. Words hurt. A lot. The earlier they realize how distorted the media is and how powerful words are, the better.

SNOW DAY!!!!!

I am who I am

Oh, that Asagai, out of the blue asking me to go with him to Nigeria. That would be a dream come true. I know that she told me I "ain't old enough to marry nobody" (Hansberry 149), but  now is the time for growth. Now that we've moved into a new house, an actual house, we can begin the end of assimilation. No longer must we follow society's ignorant rules. Why can't women be doctors? Why can't blacks live in white neighborhoods. Oh, I'm sure mama will let me marry Asagai and move to Nigeria with him after we get settled into our beautiful new house. We do not need to dream through a single, tiny window, where light fights its way in every day. Now that mama's dream of living in a real house is fulfilled, I'm sure she'll let me pursue my dream. For brother pursued his dream and failed, yet mama never stopped loving him. Also I know mama isn't the shallow type to make me marry that prick George. Not only that, but brother also might become the head of the family. Now that he's proven himself to be a real man, it'll be awesome to see mama's tyranny finally end. It's not that I hate mama, it's just her God talk always bugs me. Anyways, becoming a doctor in Nigeria would be amazing. I wouldn't need to assimilate, and I'd finally be with my true ancestors. I'd finally find out who I really am.

A Diamond as Big as a Pink Elephant

Happiness is a concept so easily grasped, yet so hard to maintain. The world is full of hardships, as seen in Fitzgerald's short story, A Diamond as Big as the Ritz.  Although happiness is first felt when obtaining wealth, it is soon lost in the abyss of greed and jealousy: John experiences first hand how wealth leads to corruption. In a once upon a time fairy tale land, Fitzgerald illustrates ideas so true to man kind in such a far fetched fashion. Although money often leads to corruption and despair, humble fortune can bring true happiness. However, in the case of the Washingtons, fortune can lead others towards the path of inevitable destruction. Like Moses being forbidden from entering the promise land, an act that started innocently led to the unavoidable punishments. Had the Washingtons simply left the giant diamond alone and lived a humble comfortable life, they would have lived a very peaceful happy life. However, due to greed and corruption, evil deeds were done to keep such unnecessary wealth from the off chance that someone else would have found the diamond hidden inside the mountain. One man's corruption causes everyone to suffer. Like a pink elephant's tusk, the diamond as big as the Ritz was so unnecessary, yet so desirable.Fitzgerald's far fetched story is a great example of rhetoric because it clearly shows the outcome of being rich and corrupt. Today's society also portrays such ideas; for example, Kwame Kilpatrick was sentenced to 28 years in prison for corruption. It's crazy how such bizarre, unbelievable stories can have such true themes.

Chasing Dreams

    Dreams are meant to motivate people to work. They are desires which may end up becoming a reality. However, dreams should not be focused on to the point where nothing else matters. Sure, dreams are nice, but tunnel visioning on a single dream isn't the way to go. In Gatsby's case, his absolute focus on his dream of ending up with Daisy led to his ultimate demise. His dream of being with Daisy causes him to be willing to take the blame for Myrtle's death, and he even tells Nick, "I'll say I was" (143) when Nick asks Gatsby if Daisy was driving. Gatsby's focus on his ultimate dream of being with Daisy prevents him from seeing the repercussions of his actions and decisions. There's no way Gatsby can be with Daisy if he's in jail, or in this case, dead. Not only is tunnel visioning on a dream bad, but it also leads to the inflation of said dream. Nick realizes that through the years, Gatsby's expectations of Daisy may be higher than she can ever achieve; during the tea time with Gatsby and Daisy, Nick thinks that in some ways Daisy must have "tumbled short of his dreams" (95). Therefore, focusing on one dream is good, but it should not dictate someone's life. In Gatsby's case, his inability to move on from Daisy led to his ultimate demise. Sometimes it's better to let a dream go than to go down with it, for letting go of one dream may sprout new dreams to pursue. Broken dreams not only make people stronger, but they allow people to continue to chase better, bigger dreams. 

Therefore, people should always chase their dreams, but they shouldn't let their dreams solely control their lives.

Right Wrong.

Jay Gatsby has turned out to be a very interesting man. The mysterious descriptions and rumors of him in the beginning of the novel stimulates curiosity. What sort of character will this man turn out to be? A man described as having a "gorgeous" (Fitzgerald 2) personality and being "related to one of those intricate machines that register earthquakes ten thousand miles away" (2) gives off the impression of being a good-hearted and important character. However, his love for Daisy isn't exactly righteous. Lusting after a married woman is generally frowned upon in society, yet Fitzgerald has somewhat justified his lust. It's first established that Daisy's marriage with Tom isn't very stable. Jordan even bluntly says "Tom's got some woman in New York" (14). Not only does this allow Gatsby's lust to seem more innocent, but Gatsby's good morals are once again reassured at the meal he has with Nick Carraway and Meyer Wolfsheim. Wolfsheim claims to Carraway that Gatsby "would never so much as look at a friend's wife" (72) is the epitome of irony. Gatsby is said to not look at others' wives, yet he lusts after Daisy. However, the fact that Gatsby's acquaintance believes that he would never commit adultery gives off the impression that his love for Daisy isn't bad. Therefore, although Gatsby's love for Daisy isn't exactly "morally right" Fitzgerald is hinting at the fact that it may indeed not be as bad as it seems.