[Cway] [Family]

How does looking up headlines in the New York Times connect to sociological imagination?

This assignment connects to sociological imagination because looking up for those headlines is something anyone can do, that information is public for anybody to read and know about it. This is basically and example of people interacting with their issues.

8 questions of the photo!

1.     In this picture I see a woman with a long face letting me know that she is stressed. Probably because life right now for her is not going so well. There is also a sign of preoccupation on her, and I believe that is because with times this tough she has no way of supporting her family. For the looks of it she might be a single mother, making things a lot harder. And it looks like she already gave a lot in order to keep her family together because her clothes are all dirty and old, it is possible that she has a very low payment job or maybe no job at all.

2.     When I look at this photograph I feel hopeless because it reminds me that there will never be a time where everyone would be able to live on happily, the only way ones can be content it’s if others suffer.

3.     This people are the Destitutee pea pickers in California.

4.     If I was one of the people in this picture I would be so devastated, worried, and stressed, there is no way to get out of situations like this on your own, so I would have to simple work and survive the situation with hopes that one day the country will come to a golden age, and even know that it will never get better it would help me to have a dream to look up to, a dream to keep me motivated during the worst times. This picture sets a mood that goes a long with its color, gray! Sad and sorrowful.

5.  The way the dress and the fact that the woman has many kids gives signs of bad times in America such as the great depression or any other period.

6. The picture indicates that they are in California, probably in a slum.

7. Judging by their clothes, and their expressions they are low class people.

8. All I could say is that this photo is probably the same story for everyone else, they are all sad and hopeless but thinking about those times before when things weren’t that bad.

Is Wal-Mart good for America? Should there be a walmart in New York?

I believe that Wal-Mart is good for America but depending on where it is located. As long as this particular store is not placed near smaller businesses that cant bear to compete, then Wal-Mart would do us all a favor because it won’t destroy jobs for people and it will also allow people to buy things for little money. No Wal-Mart should not be stored in New York because this state has plenty of smaller businesses that contain plenty of jobs available for people, and if Wal-Mart starts eliminating all of these businesses then a lot of people would lose their jobs. And although Wal-Mart can provide jobs, it won’t be enough.

Reasons From Movie.

1.     New York has a lot of little businesses that could be eliminated by Wal-Mart.

2.     A lot of people will lose their jobs and live in poverty.

3.     Wal-Mart does not even buy manufacture from the U.S, so many factories will go down, and the U.S economy might as well fall.

4.     STUCK!    D:

Dear Vladimir and Estragon

               Hello guys, its me Godot and im writtring you good man this letter because i feel it’s time i apologize. Listen, the truth is my real name is Alexander not godot and i am really not the person that could get you any jobs; to be honest i’ve been waiting for a Godot person myself! They never come. A few days ago i desided to forget about waiting and actualy go out there by myself and find something useful to do. Guess what? I found a job! A pretty good one, well it pays good although the work is hell… but not like im sweating blood or anything. Guys stop waiting, get out there and find something. Yeah! you wont find anything around i know… but you guys should travel around and try, you got nothing to lose!

                                                                                  Sincerily:

                                                                                    Alexander(Not Godot)

Estragon: awww! im tired of waiting!
Vladimir: Let’s just wait a bit more.
Estragon: No! im tired of this bloody excistentialism crap! im into absurdism now
Vladimir: Well what do you suggest we do?
Estragon: Do i have to repeat myself again?? after 20 times! Maybe more!
Vladimir: Repeat what?
Estragon: Okay here it goes… LET’S-KILL-OURSELVES!
Vladimir: Sorry, i spaced that. Could you repeat yourself?
Estragon: Oh jesus, give me the strength! i dont want to kill him!
Vladimir: Well, while you are there praying… i’ll…
Estragon: That’s it!
Vladimir: What is it?
Estragon: That’s it!
Vladimir: Okay, i think you should calm down
Estragon: Fine, but i’ll leave you waiting for godot by yourself
Vladimir: What? No!
Estragon: Now what?
Vladimir: Nothing…
Estragon: what is it
Vladimir: Sorry i just…
Estragon: Just what?
Vladimir: I don’t want to wait by myself Okay!!
Estragon: Well this is akward
Vladimir: Just forget it, i think you are right, lets get out of here
Estragon: Finaly!
Vladimir: But like i mentioned before… where shall we go?
Estragon: I’m hungry!
Vladimir: Listen, stop changing the topic!
Estragon: What topic??
Vladimir: Sigh
Estragon: Are we killing eachother any time soon?
Vladimir: You know what, im out of here
Estragon: Fine! Me too
(Estragon sits on the ground next to the tree… Vladimir stands next to him. They remain motionless… thinking.)

#1)”And all that was yesterday, you say?”
This quote connects to absurdism because, Estragon is not even sure about what happened yesterday since it was different. This is a sign that estragon does not believe in hope because he thinks of everyday as the same, no help, no change, no nothing.

#2)”The best thing would be to kill me”
This quote connects to absurdism because Estragon is giving up in life, he does not believe in miracles or changes. Life is meaningless for him, so he might as well just die.

#3)”Thinking is not the worst”
This quote connects to excistentialism because, Vladimir is trying to look in the bright side of things by saying that there are worst situations and they are lucky not to be in those others.

#4)”Have you ever read the bible?”

this quote connects to excistentialism because they mention the bibble which symbolizes hope and a meaning to life. They are living in a very difficult time but still thinking about the bible.

#5)”Nothing to be done”

This quote connects to absurdism for the fact that, Estragon shows a sign of giving up, like in absurdism which means something has no meaning or hope and if you try to find something you are wasting your time. And here estragon can’t do something and n the end he just gave up.

#6)”And they didn’t beat you?”
this is an important quote because it lets us know what kind of a setting te story takes place in. This had me acknowledged that Estragon and Vladimir live in a poor and dangerous place. The place seems cold hearted and it seems like it is a normal thing for them, and usual episode; to be experienced which is very upsetting.

#7)”Don’t touch me, Don’t question me, Don’t speak to me, Stay with me”

This quote is very important because it connects to excistentialism, you see how much hate Estragon expresses out but in the end something good come out. This also shows how close Vladimir and Estragon are; they might hate eachother at many points of the play, but they just can’t live without one another.

#8)”You must be happy too, deep down, if you only knew it”

This quote is very important because it let us know that  Vladimir is the excistentialist in Estragon’s life, and that he keeps estragon from falling into absurdism. This quote represent excistentialism because we know that maybe a person’s heart can look cold from the outside but deep down it could have happiness.

#9)”We are happy”

This quote is very interesting because even though they are jobless and homeless they still have the courage to say that they are happy. A nd if you look closely they really are happy, but only becase that sentences has a “we” in it. They are happy even if it is deep down inside and it is because they are together. This quote connects to excistentialism because even though their lives are meaningless they still have something that keeps them going; they have oneanother.

#10)”It’d be better if we parted”

This quote is connected to absurdism because, as we can see this is a sign forfeiting/giving up. Estragon believes that their lifes are meningless and that they just struggle more when they are together and trying to find a purpuse, he thinks is better to separate eachother and waste time on nothing.

#11)”you always say that, and you always come crawling back”

This quote is connected to excistentialism because we see that estragon is tired of trying to find a purpuse in life because they never get there. But even if he yells that he”ll just give up and go; he always comes back, for the fact that he already has a purpuse in life. He belongs with Vladimir and trying to find another way of living is their purpuse in life. 

#12)”We always find something, eh Didi, to give us the impression we excist?”

This quote connects to excistentialism because it explains why is it that they never kill themselves after saying they would 1,000 times or saying they’ll leave 1,000 times… and it is because they always after being in a awful situating find something new to look foward to.

Pozzo is a greedy rich man who smokes and owns an slave.

Lucky is loyal but sort of retarded slave.

Estragon is a cynic person who believe in absudism, he is homeless and lives in a terrible place , he is also negative.

Vladimir is an optimist who believes in existentialism, he is also homeless and poor but also positive.

the boy seem like an obedient child who knows Godot.

Godot is the hope of Estragon and Vladimir, he seems to have a good heart and well money as well as opportunities.

2) i believe that Vladimir shows existentialism because this means that life is meanless but that you can still going and find a purpose of your own life. Vladimir is a poor homeless man who used to be better but something made him lose his stuff. but for some reason he always look in the bright side of things and never gives up the believes he can overcome himself.

3) Allusion is when in a story they mention another story like for example in Waiting for Godot they say “have you ever reed the bible?” this is an aluusion to the bible.

4) The literary element allusion is used to demonstrate existentialism by mentioning stories that represent hope, in another story. We know that an allusion is mentioning an story in another story.Now if the story is really sad but they mention another story that represents hope that becomes an example of existentialism because eventhough things are bad in the story there still hope. A perfect example is when in Waiting for Godot the bible is being mentioned because at this part they’ve in a bad situation but talks about something optimist. But that connects to existentialism because it is when you think the world is meaningless and senseless but that you can still look around and find your purpose, your hope.

Who are they (characters)

In this story we have two characters who are very close to each other and live in the same situation but have very different personalities and perspectives. Vladimir is an optimist, an old man who seems to not give up even though he is living in very tough times. Vladimir: “I’m beginning to come round to that opinion. All my life I’ve tried to put it from me, saying Vladimir, be reasonable, you haven’t yet tried everything. And I resumed the struggle.” Now Estragon is more of a cynic man who believes in giving up soon instead of wasting his time trying to look for something that wont ever happen. Estragon: ”(giving up again). Nothing to be done.” These characters are wearing suits, clothes that represent their pass. This indicates that Estragon and Vladimir used to live better before, just like the fallowing quotes, Vladimir: ” Hand in hand from the top of the Eiffel Tower, among the first. We were respectable in those days. Now it’s too late. They wouldn’t even let us up.”

Where are they???

Estragon and Vladimir are in a road sitting under a dead tree which obviously has no leafs. They have no home therefore it is require for them to sleep in a ditch. But the place is also dangerous and they could get beat up at any time:

When they say usual, it lets me know that they have been beaten many times before and it sort of  a normal thing now.

What is the problem????

I believe that the problem in this story is the fact that they are living a horrible life and they are waiting for that piece of hope that will get them out of this misery but it just doesn’t show yet. They are waiting for Godot, he will lead them out of this place. In other words something happened in the lives of these two men that caused them suffering and now they are waiting for something that can get them to a better living condition. Vladimir: ” We’re waiting for Godot.”

Connection to human condition


Human condition is the state in which people live, if its bad or if its good. These two men live in a horrible human condition because they have to sleep in a ditch and also because the area where they live is not safe.

We Notice that in the role play one of the characters believes in hope. Vladimir is an optimist who does not give up in life even though things are tough. I believe Vladimir believes is existentialism because in his perspective life sucks but he believes that there is hope in life and u just have to find it. Vladimir is a positive man. Vladimir: “I’m beginning to come round to that opinion. All my life I’ve tried to put it from me, saying Vladimir, be reasonable, you haven’t yet tried everything. And I resumed the struggle.”

Also, in the role play the character Estragon is more of a cynic sort of man for the fact that he is always angry about life saying that there is nothing to be done. I believe Estragon is an absurdist because he thinks that life is pointless and that there is nothing one can do about it. Estragon: ”(giving up again). Nothing to be done.”

Prediction


I think that in the story Vladimir will always be there with Estragon giving him positive attitude so Estragon does not fall into the deeps of misery, but in the end no Godot will come and they’ll know that in life you don’t wait for things to come around, you go look for them.

Something you noticed: I noticed that the two characters in the play know eachother for a long time

Something You want to know: I want to know what is their position in life, are they homeless?. Also how did they first meet eachother. Where are they from?

A New word: Vladimir, Ditch.

Things related to setting: I noticed someone spent the night in a ditch, and also that they live in a place they can get beat up.

Something related to character: This characters are examples of optimist and cynic because one of them wants to give up and the other one wants to keep going.

Something related to conflict: Estragon cant take his shoe off!!

This movie shows existentialism because the man at the beginning of the movie keeps saying that he hates his job and he does not know whether to quit or keep going, he basically thinks life is meaningless but he is always going and trying to fine a purpose in life. For example when he hired people to find the purpose of his life.

The movie also shows absurdism because there is another man Tommy, who believes life is meaningless and that if you try to find a purpose in life then you are only wasting your time. For him everything is sad and gray and if he keeps going and trying to find a purpose in life he’ll just be finding the same, no changes; life does not make sense.

Trying!!!

There is but one truly serious philosophical problem and that is suicide.
-Albert Camus

In my opinion this quote refers to saying that the biggest problem in a person would be taking his on life away for the fact that living is a very hard task and by ending your own life you are simply giving up. For a person who is passing through a tough time and cant take living anymore, one answer will appear which will be the end, or there is always overcoming an obstacle by suffering and hard work. Suicide seems like the easiest one but that’s the problem because it means that the person gave up and did not take the challenge of his life. When a person gets to these decisions it means he is at his limits and makes it hard to make the right decision.

JUST A GUESS! IDK (partial credits??? =D)

Painting name: Bohemia Lies by The Sea

Artist: Amselm Kiefer

In this painting i see a way or a road which is surrounded by flowers, plus in the back you can see mountains. If i had to choose between whether this painting supports existentialism or absurdism, im going to have to say existentialism for the fact that life is like a road where u have to move on and on but whats the point of just walking and walking this painting ask, its like life is meaningless. But then when you look closely life might be meaningless and have obstacles like those big mountains but what comes after the mountains is a purpose, you have to keep moving until you have conquer this obstacles and find a purpose in life. that’s why i think this picture supports existentialism.

Painting name: Number 28

Artist: Jackson Pollock

In this painting i see a strange picture which i cannot understand, it shows the same color both in the top and in the bottom. In my opinion this picture shows absurdism because it makes no sense, you see no hope everything stays the same. This picture is like saying that it does no matter how hard u work in life in the end everyone has the same destiny, death; so why work and waste yourself?

Painting Name: European Hard Work

Artist: (You should know!)

In this painting i see people working really hard, they look exhausted. Well in my opinion anyone could say its existentialism or absurdism but i would say its absurdism for the fact that even if these people think after working so hard good things might happen and they are going to find a better purpose in life, it wont happen because they are stuck with this work in order to survive, and when you look closely the work it killing them little by little! 

This movie shows human condition in a very cynic way for the fact that we see many people working hard in order to survive, they just wont think about getting good shoes and clothes, they only want to survive and force themselves to to acknowledge the true values of life in a sad way. I believe this movie is called powqqatsi because there is one life consuming another life, we see lots of people working, and suffering, and all of this is passed down to the children, which is why we see child labor. Also all of the work we see people achieve benefits the man that has hired this people, so they go through a tough time for the benefit of another person; in order to survive.

Work:

At the beginning of the movie we see lots of people carrying heave loads up montains in a dangerous road. Also they had to walk long distances, there was child labor and casualties involved in this part of the movie. This chunk of the films shows how human condition in this movie is about working hard in tough places only to survive since we see how many of these people didn’t even own shoes or nice clothes, they just carry heavy bags across montains for long distances. These part of the films shows why the movie is called powqqatsi because you see that all of this people have to struggle for another man only to survive because this is their job. But the person in charge of them does not think of surviving, he is way above that; he worries on how to live “good.”

Another example of work is when in the movie there was a little girl in charge of cart while her dad had some sleep. This shows human condition because this child does not even have an education, she has to give that up in order to work and help her family because thing are so tough for the parents to handle alone. This slice of the films supports the fact that the movie is called powqqatsi because the parents of this girl need her in order to survive, they take her rights of going to school in order to help out the family.

One last example that show how human condition in this movie is very cynic and is about working hard in order to survive is when we see women carrything baskets on their heads. This shows human condition because there were son childs working like this too which demostrates that parents are in the situation where any bit of help is needed therefore they have to use their children.

Religion

One example of religion in this movie that shows that human condition is hard is when we saw a man with no clothes on meditation, this shows that they use religion in order to relax an have some peace in the hearts in some points because life is hard. Plus they need something to believe in and help them keep going. Now you see that the movie is called powqqatsi because people with religion pass the religion down to their children so there is one life consuming another life.

Technology

One example of tecthnology in this movie is when we see lots of commercials. This show human condition because people worked really hard in order to develop this technology which connects everybody. Also it shows why the movie its called powqqatsi since a few people thought and created technology but in the end everyone uses it. 

          Etgar Keret had an influence in Rutu Modan. Etgar is a famous story writer from Israel who’s writing style is recognized by basics of anonymous narrator, conflict, somthing fantastical,climax, and unresolved conclusion. Technically his stories doesn’t contain character names, there is always a conflict like in any other story as well as a climax but no solved conclusion, and there is always something out of the ordinary, something fictional. But if you go deeply into his writings you will also discover trouble romance and despair. Rutu Modan is a comic writer from Israel who’s illustrative stories show similar characteristics of Etgar Keret’s writings. In my opinion Etgar Keret had an influence on Rutu Modan because they are both from Israel which means they obiously heard of eachother, plus they share similar literature characteristics such as trouble romance, despair, and conflict.


          Etgar Keret had an influence on Rutu Modan. One characteristic of Etgar Keret that Rutu Modan shares is trouble romance. One example from Etgar Keret’s writings is the story “Bottle.” Apart that shows this is when the college guy from the story “Bottle” is in love with his roommate but this girl already has a boyfriend therefore they can’t be together. A line from the story itself to prove this would be the following: “The college guy just happens to be depressed because he’s in love with his roommate, and the roommate has a hairy-necked boyfriend who sleeps over at their apartment every night. A similar example of trouble romance happens in Rutu Modan’s story “Jamilti.” An example to show this is when Rama falls in love with an injured man in an instant. This is trouble romance because Rama just so happens to have a fiance who she is going to marry soon, plus the Bethlehem man named Zuheir (the injured man) was probably dead. An illustration from the comic to prove this would be at the last page in panel four where the girl shows a shocked face once she hears about the death of the man Zuheir in the news. 

          Furthermore, Etgar keret had an affect in Rutu Modan. Another characteristic of Etgar Keret that Rutu Modan shares is despair. One example from Etgar Keret’s writings is in the story “Pipes.” A part that shows this is when the character in the story says that he does not enjoy anything, so basically he doesn’t like life. A line from the story to prove this would be the following: ” To tell the truth, i didn’t enjoy anything in particular.” A similar example of despair happens in Rutu Modan’s story “Jamilti.” An example to show this is when Rama was trying to help the injured man but the doctor who came in later told her to leave this injured man because he has no hopes of surviving. This is despair because the wounded man was hopeless and the doctor was being cynic by telling Rama that he wont make it. A line from the story to prove this would be the following: The pre-last page where the doctor says, “Leave him alone, he doesn’t stand a chance, cant you see?”

          Moreover, another literature characteristic that Etgar Keret and Rutu Modan share in their writings is conflict. One example from Etgar Keret’s writings is the story “Bottle.” A part that shows this is when the college guy is really sad because he is inlove with his roommate who already has a boyfriend and the boyfriend sleeps over at their apartment every night. A line to probe this : “The college guy just happens to be depressed because he’s in love with his roommate, and the roommate has a hairy-necked boyfriend who sleeps over at their apartment every night.” A similar example of conflic happens in Rutu Modan’s story “Homecoming.” An example to show this is when at the beginning of the story the man asks the girl to live with him but she says no because her father is still alive. This is a conflict because they have being together for a long time and because of the father they cant live together and thats a problem.

          In conclusion, Etgar Keret most likely had an influence in Rutu Modan because Rutu shares many of the literature characteristics of Etgar Kerets such as Trouble romance which Etgar included in “Bottle” when the college guy is inlove with his roommate who already has a love one making this an impossible love. And then you see Rutu who also includes it in her story “Jamilti” when the woman Rama falls in love with another man but she already has a fiance who she will marry soon. Not to mention despair which Etgar Keret included in his story “Pipes” just as Rutu Modan has it in her story “Jamilti.” Obviously Etgar had an affect on Rutu Modans writings. Many times when you are inspired by something and create something with that inspiration, the “something” that inspired you is being expresed in your creation.

I think that Rutu Modan wrote the stories Homecoming and Jamilti because she wanted to show how is it that once you meet someone for the first time, someone you don’t know, you make up a personality for that person, like if he is bad if he is good or anything. I think these things because in the story Homecoming once the anonymous man in the plane appeared, the old man thought it was his son right away. Also when the mysterious man in the plane was shot down and no one could recognize him, the old man immediately said that it wasn’t his son. And I think these things because in the story Jamilti … (More Coming Soon! Sorry for delay)

I believe this quote means that at some point people find themselves in a position which is impossible to get out of but they push themselves into continuing, i think this means that you should push your limits to find out your true best.

I believe that this story is complete because it has all the characteristics it needs in order to be like Etgar Keret’s stories. It includes a conflict which was that the Dreamer boy believed that if he didn’t make it as a professional skater he’d be sad forever. It has trouble romance and conflict that has to do with the boy not being able to do what he loves, which is skateboarding. Moreover the story also includes despair which happened after the boy quit his journey, at that point he was feeling hopeless and acting cynic. Also this story includes a climax, this one happened right when he was at the skateboarding competition waiting for his named to be called because at that moment he could either be selected for a sponsorship or not. It also includes something fantastical which occurred in his journey where it said he was able to fly, navigate, drive and many other things in a desert when we all know its impossible, not to mention he found a forest in the middle of a desert! Well the story also has an Anonymous Narrator because no names are mentioned in this story its just a boy. Plus this story has an unresolved conclusion because at the end when he was at the competition it does not include if he was elected as an Amateur skater to continue his journey to pro or not. This is why i think my story is complete.

Every person has something they are good at, or something that makes them unique; just as there is one goal/dream in a person’s life but without giving your all into finding your purpose in life you’ll end up being one of nonbeliever who rely on the “You got to do what you got to do” quote. All the way to the west lived a dreamer boy who loved to skateboard, he believed that his purpose in life was to one day get sponsored and become famous as a professional skater he needed to get there in order to be happy or else he’ll just be another gray old man in life. But how in the world would this dude call the attention of any skateboarding companies? One answer! A western competition which happened every five years, in this competition few professional skaters show up to recruit amateur skateboarders, the only problem was that he sucked at this particular sport that he loved so much. It had been his third week skating and he still had problems riding. But the boy was not clueless for the fact that he already knew how awful he was at skateboarding, which is why he decided to ask for help. And so goes dreamer boy on his quest of becoming a good enough skater to compete in the western competition that was taking place west of his house in 2 days. The boy walked, drove, flew, navigated, and skated on the western desert for many hours until he got to a western old mansion in a dark abandoned forest in the middle of the western desert. Dreamer boy had a feeling that this was the place were he would achieve the necessary skills to enter the competition, but the feeling was wrong there was no one here who could cheat dreamer boy’s way to the top. The boy was hopeless and he started to understand that there was no way he could become raise his skating skills without hard work and in two days he could not become any good. After 48 hours of wacky work came the day of the competition, the day he could show what he got and actually become something, but dreamer boy didn’t even want to show up; this loved he had for skateboarding was dying. Moreover dreamer boy clumsily went into the competition; now here it is dreamer boy in front of these big gates shaking like a vibrator, in any minute now his named can be called! Dreamer boy starts thinking that just because he is bad a the competition it does not mean he could show enthusiasm which could probably call the attention of skateboarding company to achieve his dream and be happy in life.