What exemplifies strength in my culture:

I was raised in what one might consider a multi-cultural home. My father is from Germany and my mother was from Brazil. Although my mother passed away when I was only three, much of her family, my family, continued to influence me. I was partially raised in Germany and then moved to California at the age of five. Strength is exemplified in my culture, more so how I was raised by my father, in several ways. A strong person can keep their head up and continue to do so even when life’s stresses and strains really start to push their load upon you. Learning from your mistakes also is an example of strength, as is making mistakes and having the will and readiness to try again. The most important of all is to understand, and practice, the fact that all men really are brothers. If you treat the people you meet as your family, with love, kindness and consideration then you really are a strong person. This is true because very often will you encounter people who don’t see eye to eye with you, who don’t understand why you are being nice, or how you are. If you can ignore those who respond negatively to your ways, your compassion, than you really are a strong person and will only become stronger as life happens and time passes.

final

Violence Post - I think that violence for the most part is never a good idea. I think it rarely ever gets your point heard in the manner that you want it. I think violence is not an answer to anything and that there can always be a solution without resorting to violence. However, many people in our world think its the solution to their problems, and that is why our world is constantly fighting. I think its ridiculous that we have so many wars, we act like two year olds. "I want your land" or "I don't like what your doing, I think you're communists." The list goes on. I feel Gandhi used non violence extremely well, and was one of the most successful people we have read about this quarter.

Satrapi - I think the Satrapi's use of the form of a graphic novel helped me as a reader to see what she was going through. It helped to show me more of a visual picture and at some points it conveyed more of a message than just reading the words could do. I feel like the graphic novel helped to make the book more powerful and assisting to the reader.

Moraga - Moraga thinks her mother is a strong woman while she dislikes her dad and thinks that he is lazy. She is not very close with her dad, more so her woman. On the other hand, Satrapi loves both her parents and they are the foundation in her live. Both her parents are extremely supportive and helpful and they get along great although Satrapi doesnt tell her parents the complete truth and then they dont have an extremely open relationship established. Satrapi also hates her nation, because she is so confused and is unsure of who she is. Moraga likes her culture, but she hates the male dominance over the female in her culture.

Wow, did I totally forget about this...

Yes, I know these were supposed to have been done by Monday... oops?

Satrapi/Persepolis: I think that in this one case, a graphic novel was a very effective way of presenting the story that Marjane wanted to tell. Honestly, I usually hate graphic novels (as well as illustrations, movies made from books...) because I feel that the images detract from what the words are saying, and I can always imagine cooler things than people actually draw, but I liked the stark black and white representation as a counterpoint to the narrative. I expected to hate Persepolis and was a little bitter about being forced to read a comic book, but it was a nice break from all my other reading this quarter.

Satrapi/Moraga: I feel like Satrapi's analysis of her relationship to her family and country was a lot more detached and academic than Moraga's, as though she has more distance from it. Otherwise, though, each goes through the process of individuating themselves and claiming their identities. The trappings are different, but the developmental process is the same.

Creative Project: The form is poetry mixed with images. I was going to do a lot more collage-poetry pairings and make things a bit more artsy than they've really turned out, but 25 units=evil and I haven't had enough time.

Creative Project Assignment: Dillon's assignment for me was to keep track of my time, in detail, for three days. My conclusion? My life sucks. (Well not really, just this quarter.) Between work and school, the three days I chose (Sunday through Tuesday) involved very little sleep, one 10.5 hour day at work, one 10 hour day on campus, and a 12 hour day on campus. Yuck. My response was to write a poem for my creative project.

See you all later this morning.
~Tara

The blogs i think i have not done

what exemplifies strength in my culture:
to me, a strong person is someone that can take care of their shit but is also able to take care of their family. My parents and my culture have taught me to depend on myslef and to not show my emotions to others. A strong person is able to keep their composure in the worst of times and is also able to help others in need at the same time. A strong person would give up anything for family and will withstand any humiliation or hardship in order to continue and improve themselves.


creative project:
My creative project is going to take form in a book. The person that angers me most is Carlos Salinas de Gortari and the costume i fell wll fit the best for him is a donkey because of all the defenition a burro has in spanish.

Satrapi's use of form:
Although i love comics and found the first satrapi book very entertaining, i felt that she should have changed her style as the character got older. It worked well for her as a child but adults see the world differently and by not changing the comic, she ignored that. Comics allows the reader to relax a little more when surrounded by hard topics but her point of view and narrative and the importance of what was going on still hit me.

Cole's missing Blogs

Frankenstein relates to Hobbes/Rousseau: I believe that Hobbes point of man being fundamental evil and cruel comes out in how the monster acts. I also see the monster as proving Rousseau wrong because all the monster wanted was another person and not to be alone.

My Problem: At first I said my problem was having to much stuff and not enough time to do it but it flipped and did a 180 on me as you will see in my project.

Characters/Settings to problem: Character would be Me, Jenn, and all my other friends that I have made a college.

What am I being educated for: I came to college to get educated in computers because that is what I like to do and I want to know how to do it. I also use this time to broaden my thoughts and experience new intellectually thoughts.

What exemplifies strength in my culture: This is hard because I am not sure what my culture is at the moment. I have the country and it's political power. I have the economy and they power through influence and money. And then I have my video game and book culture. This is where actually physical and mental strength come into play and how much time you put into something.

Is violence ever a good idea: I would have to say no. I would say that violence is necessary but that is only in the case in which violence is pushed upon you and there is nothing else you can do. Take martial arts for example. I have taken about three years of it and I took it to be able to protect myself and my friends and to also get in shape.

McIntosh Advantages/Disadvantages: I come from white lower class. I am the first person in my family to ever go to a university or a four year college. Just because I am white people think that I have it great. Yes I do agree with some people in saying that I a given more opportunities that them but that is not my faulty. People would say that I am not discriminated against but I am. Not to the extent that some others are but oh ya I am. People hate be for being white and thinking it is because of me they have it rough.

Problem Assignment: I was given an assignment on my older problem and it talked about what time was as a whole and how other cultures dealt with time. I turned that into looking at how I had no time at the beginning of the quarter and in the middle I had so much it was driving my crazy. For my project I tell a story of my life and put in the books and my own opinion as footnotes. I am sorry it is so long.

catch up and creative project

Violence
I would say that violence is never really a good idea but at times it can be the only solution. As individuals we should try to only practice violence in the event of an extreme circumstance. An exceptable, ethical circumstance for example would be if one were attacked. One has the right to defend themselves when they are in danger. Otherwise it should be really be avoided.

Satrapi/Moraga
These are both woman with strong identities relating to race and gender. They both belong to nations that oppress them. They both felt like outsiders, Satrapi being an Iranian in Austria and Moraga being a lesbian in Mexico. They both struggle with their identity as they develop a sence of self.

Creative project
I have decided to write a compilation of my thought regarding the core books and how they have influenced my thoughts regarding my problem.

Creative Assignment

I read through all the patent correspondance I could handle and copied the general requirements that I thought were relevant.

If the invention has been described in a printed publication anywhere in the world, or if it was known or used by others in this country before the date that the applicant made his/her invention, a patent cannot be obtained. If the invention has been described in a printed publication anywhere, or has been in public use or on sale in this country more than one year before the date on which an application for patent is filed in this country, a patent cannot be obtained. In this connection it is immaterial when the invention was made, or whether the printed publication or public use was by the inventor himself/herself or by someone else. If the inventor describes the invention in a printed publication or uses the invention publicly, or places it on sale, he/she must apply for a patent before one year has gone by, otherwise any right to a patent will be lost. The inventor must file on the date of public use or disclosure, however, in order to preserve patent rights in many foreign countries.
In the language of the statute, any person who “invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent,” subject to the conditions and requirements of the law. The word “process” is defined by law as a process, act or method, and primarily includes industrial or technical processes. The term “machine” used in the statute needs no explanation. The term “manufacture” refers to articles that are made, and includes all manufactured articles. The term “composition of matter” relates to chemical compositions and may include mixtures of ingredients as well as new chemical compounds. These classes of subject matter taken together include practically everything that is made by man and the processes for making the products.
The patent law specifies that the subject matter must be “useful.” The term “useful” in this connection refers to the condition that the subject matter has a useful purpose and also includes operativeness, that is, a machine which will not operate to perform the intended purpose would not be called useful, and therefore would not be granted a patent.
According to the law, only the inventor may apply for a patent, with certain exceptions. If a person who is not the inventor should apply for a patent, the patent, if it were obtained, would be invalid. The person applying in such a case who falsely states that he/she is the inventor would also be subject to criminal penalties. If the inventor is dead, the application may be made by legal representatives, that is, the administrator or executor of the estate. If the inventor is insane, the application for patent may be made by a guardian. If an inventor refuses to apply for a patent or cannot be found, a joint inventor or, if there is no joint inventor available, a person having a proprietary interest in the invention may apply on behalf of the non-signing inventor.
If two or more persons make an invention jointly, they apply for a patent as joint inventors. A person who makes only a financial contribution is not a joint inventor and cannot be joined in the application as an inventor. It is possible to correct an innocent mistake in erroneously omitting an inventor or in erroneously naming a person as an inventor.
Non-Provisional Application for a Patent
A non-provisional application for a patent is made to the Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office and includes:
(1) A written document which comprises a specification (description and claims), and an oath or declaration;
(2) A drawing in those cases in which a drawing is necessary; and
(3) Filing, search, and examination fees. Applicant must determine that small entity status is appropriate before making an assertion of entitlement to small entity status and paying a small entity fee. Fees change each October. The fee schedule is posted on the USPTO Web site.

Restrictions
If two or more inventions are claimed in a single application, and are regarded by the Office to be of such a nature (e.g. independent and distinct) that a single patent should not be issued for both of them, the applicant will be required to limit the application to one of the inventions. The other invention may be made the subject of a separate application which, if filed while the first application is still pending, will be entitled to the benefit of the filing date of the first application. A requirement to restrict the application to one invention may be made before further action by the examiner.

-Kyle Edmonds
(and the US patent office)

MiG-Willy's Blogs

Matt Wigylus's procrastinated blogs.

My hometown: I'm rather sure I've already answered this...But I do like my hometown, though it does have its faults in being a little world of its own and as a suburb. Overall its a great place to be, just going out is an experience that shouldn't be missed.

Frankenstein relates to Hobbes/Rousseau: I think the monster of Frankenstein would relate more to the state of war (man is innately cruel, evil and such), while Frankenstein himself would identify with Rousseau with his man being good and kind deep down.

My Problem: I know i wrote this, or else I wouldn't have had a project, but basically its me thinking too much on pretty much day to day things.

Characters/Settings to problem: Me and those around me are the characters, and the settings would be everywhere I am. (somehow I feel I've answered this)

What am I being educated for: Not sure actually, I don't know where I'm going with my education. But I suppose its for a job, so I can work for society and such. But that's the main purpose of education (from an overall perspective), that you educate to better society, so it can grow, and as such boost the country, which in turn boosts the education etc...

What exemplifies strength in my culture: I am actually not sure of this. My own personal culture I tend to draw examples and such from anime, manga, Sci-Fi and fantasy books. So honesty, strength (mental and physical), compassion (actually this is a very big one for me i think), and I think love but I've never been in love (as in lovers, I DO have family).

Is violence ever a good idea: A good idea? hell no it is not, a necessary one sometimes it is. therefore one should never result with violence, but be ready for it in case it becomes inevitable. This is because violence only brings pain to everyone, even the so called victors.

McIntosh Advantages/Disadvantages: Well being from middle class suburban family, I get a ton of advantages, probably more than I even realize. Being half white is also to my advantage, and I've never really had to deal with discrimination before (community mostly). As such I've had all the advantages of most people can expect to get (short of being a rich kid and such). Disadvantages are few for me, but there. For one thing I lack the exposure to the other cultures and racism that most experienced. Being half white and half Asian make my cultural identity fucked up as well, so that is a problem.

Does Satrapi's use of Graphic Novel affect your reception of her narrative/point of view: Well her narrative was not recieved that much differently. However I was more inclined to actually read it as a graphic novel. I just like graphic novels a lot right now (mainly a manga influence), and it was such a difference in comparison to all the other readings we've done I really just liked it. Though the visual stimulus does give a better picture of the story, making it more entrapping.

Problem Assignment: I actually did not do the assigned problem. I probably should have told Dillon why. It is partly because I was lazy/didn't want to do it, but also that it reminded me too much of my time in Middle School. I sat around thinking of what I could be doing for around an hour damn near every day back then, and there is no way I'm going to fall back into that. Instead I decided to make a sort of diary, kind of like a daily blog (HAH). I'll turn that in as my creative project, so hopefully it will be good. (Heh maybe I'll keep it going after core!)

Isaac- Catch Up

So this is my catch up- I'm pretty sure these are the only ones I haven't done but hopefully I'm not missing something else.

List the privileges you share with McIntosh? What disadvantages do you experience?
My skin varies which is something more interesting than I've really noticed before. In the summer I'm dark and in the winter I'm a white boy. I'm not really sure what the differences are between them other than in summer, I'm often perceived as chicano and treated as such. As far as privaleges go though, I have come from an upper middle class family, the result of my dad being an ex-employee of the silicon valley boom. I'm sure this helped put us where we were and would have been inhibited if my parents hadn't gotten a college education or my dad hadn't been white. I'm sure I wouldn't have experienced such an easy childhood if we hadn't had this money, something that is a direct corrolation to race.

Evaluate how Satrapi's use of the form of the graphic novel effects how you receive her narrative or point of view?
As was said in the lecture, the simplification of her thoughts or intentions really comes through in the graphic novel context and I beleive allows the reader to have a readier and more powerful emotional response. Often books lose their meaning or essence by trying to sound clever or poetic and forget to make their points clear. By using the graphic novel Satrapi completely steers clear of this problem and engages in a dialouge that the reader can easily understand and feel empathy for. The visual representation of the issues at hand put them into a format that cannot be ignored.
Isaac

Catch Up

What am I being educated for?

To figure out what I want to do with my life I guess. It seems like the most logical reason as to why I'm here. Also, because I don't know what I'm going to do as a job, I didn't have any other options other than to go to school.

Is Violence ever a good idea?

Because the word "ever" is used, I have to say yes, simply because at some point or another, violence has to be a good idea. If a women is being robbed/raped or something, then violence is a great idea if that prevents her from being harmed. In the case of trying to prove a point or starting a movement (like the civil rights movement) then I don't think its a good idea. If the african-americans had used violence it would have only perpetuated white intolerance of blacks. Violence is certainly not the best means and should'nt be considered as the first course of action, but it is appropriate in certain cases as a last resort.

Privilege/Disadvantages I share with McIntosh

Well, I'm white and I come from a very rich (google and ebay were both invented in menlo park/surrounding area) area. And I'm a woman so often people go out of there way to help me. Basically, because I'm both white and a woman I get privileges that I often take for granted, I'm treated better than people in other ethnic groups simply because I am part of the majority. I guess woman are disadvantaged just because typically (stereotypically) the business world has been a man's world, but thats definitely changing.

Compare Satrapi's relationship with her family and nation/s to Moraga's relationship with her family and nations

Satrapi gets along with both parents very well; they are comfortable talking to eachother and it is obvious that they love eachother very much. Her relationship with Iran is different though. She is proud to be an iranian, but also ashamed because of how she is looked down on in Europe. The way people in her country are treated and how she is forced to cover her hair is confusing and angers her until she moves away. When she decides to come back, she is initially more accepting of her country's ways as well as more outspoken about the things she sees as wrong. She loves Iran so much that she works to make it better. Moraga on the other hand feels like an outcast both in her family and in her country. Her father is not around and her mother cannot accept her homosexuality. She is pushed out by the whites because she is a woman, and pushed out by the chicanos because she is part white. Ultimately, she identifies with both groups, but can't be identified by either.

Evaluate how Satrapi's use of the form of the graphic novel effects how you receive her narrative or point of view?

To me using a graphic novel made the story both more interesting and easier to read. It wasn't just lines and lines of words, but pictures to make the story seem more real, as well as depict how she saw herself. It made it less of an autobiography and more of a narrative. I found it much more engaging and was able to be more attached to the words as opposed to just viewing it as a novel. I really liked that she included the drawings with her words.

-Wendy Funk

McIntosh, Satrapi

I do share many and most likely all of McIntosh’s white privileges. Reading this article was enlightening because as she says, we really are oblivious when it comes to this reality. It is truly an invisible system with an oppressive nature I can never truly understand. However I would say that living a primarily frictionless life does have a negative effect on ones character. Not to say that I’m not appreciative, but still living with these advantages can also be a disadvantage in a big way.

When reading the first book I enjoyed its graphic novel format because it made the reading go by much faster. I felt these simple drawings were appropriate because they mirrored her childish perception of her life during her early years. However at the same time I don’t believe these pictures can truly do justice to what she and many others went through during this time. But that’s just me..

catching up on catching up

So I spent a good deal of time gandering over the blog to see which ones I was missing, I seem to have everything but these two so here it goes.

1. Evaluate Satrapi's form of the graphic novel.

The concept of the graphic novel is nothing new to me as I read those Maus books when I was younger. I am a fan of these types of works in moderation because I feel that they provide the needed break from straight text novels, which is what most books are comprised of. In the case of Persepolis, I think that the graphic novel approach allows for Satrapi to follow the path of her story without having to add in the visual details that the images themselves already explain. Younger audiences are able to better connect with this type of composition, bringing an important and mature message to those who wouldn't get it otherwise. With the cartoon following the storyline, readers are both able to take the work in through reading it as well as observing the pictures which serves as an optical backdrop to the tale. Also, by allowing for the text and images to interact, Satrapi is able to keep her readers on a both engaged and guided mental path much like a how a movie captivates its audience.

2. Comparison of Satrapi's relationship with family&nation to Moraga's relationship with family&nation.

Comparing the two is a bit of a stretch seeing as both Satrapi and Moraga come from completely different backgrounds. Satrapi's relationship with her family is one of close-knit nature and is absent of any sort of identity issues. Satrapi doesn't have to deal with societal expectations from her parents but the toils of her nation seem to revolve around women in her culture in a both oppressive and violent form. Moraga is free from the brimstone and fire of a cultural revolution but she faces the more subtle and imbedded expectations from her family that her society has imposed. So who has it better? I'd probably say that Satrapi has it better in the sense that there is internal conflict within her nation which demonstrates conflict of ideals throughout the entire population. Moraga feels singled out and alienated from her culture because of her differences. I feel that the internal battle that Moraga faces would be much more detrimental than Satrapi's cultural revolution.


I believe that is it for bl0gs.

-Patrick

Satrapi's/Moraga's relationships to their nations/families

Satrapi's relationship to her family is much different than Moraga. Moraga is once loved by her family but then looked down upon after coming out, saying she's a lesbian. Satrapi is also loved by her family, but she was raised in the upper-middle class, leaving her more opportunities. This differernce between the way the family looked at them had a profound affect on their writing. Because of this treatment, Moraga becomes hardened, and writes about the mistreatment of her and her people. Satrapi on the other hand, does not write in such a manner. She writes in a much lighter tone and uses comics to express how she feels.

Their relationship to their nation is very similar, but for much different reasons. They both have a strong sense of pride for their countries, but in a different sense than each other. Moraga wants to be accepted by her country, but has a little trouble because of the fact that she has white skin. On top of everything else, she is a lesbian. Many Chicano families follow the church doctrine very seriously and in the chapter Leviticus there is a passage that says, "No man shall lay with another man like he lays with a woman." Because they take this so serious, this just makes Moraga's time trying to find a way to be accepted by her own people that much more difficult. Satrapi on the other hand, also tries to find ways to be accpeted, but also finds it difficult. Satrapi mhas a hard time because she was of the wealthier percentile of Iran at the time, which doesn not make her the "norm" of the Irani population. On top of that, she was not converted or tortured for her beliefs. Rather, she was shipped to another country so she would not be hearmed.

Satrapi's relationship to her family is much different than Moraga. Moraga is once loved by her family but then looked down upon after coming out, saying she's a lesbian. Satrapi is also loved by her family, but she was raised in the upper-middle class, leaving her more opportunities. This differernce between the way the family looked at them had a profound affect on their writing. Because of this treatment, Moraga becomes hardened, and writes about the mistreatment of her and her people. Satrapi on the other hand, does not write in such a manner. She writes in a much lighter tone and uses comics to express how she feels.

Their relationship to their nation is very similar, but for much different reasons. They both have a strong sense of pride for their countries, but in a different sense than each other. Moraga wants to be accepted by her country, but has a little trouble because of the fact that she has white skin. On top of everything else, she is a lesbian. Many Chicano families follow the church doctrine very seriously and in the chapter Leviticus there is a passage that says, "No man shall lay with another man like he lays with a woman." Because they take this so serious, this just makes Moraga's time trying to find a way to be accepted by her own people that much more difficult. Satrapi on the other hand, also tries to find ways to be accpeted, but also finds it difficult. Satrapi mhas a hard time because she was of the wealthier percentile of Iran at the time, which doesn not make her the "norm" of the Irani population. On top of that, she was not converted or tortured for her beliefs. Rather, she was shipped to another country so she would not be hearmed.

Satrapi's relationship to her family is much different than Moraga. Moraga is once loved by her family but then looked down upon after coming out, saying she's a lesbian. Satrapi is also loved by her family, but she was raised in the upper-middle class, leaving her more opportunities. This differernce between the way the family looked at them had a profound affect on their writing. Because of this treatment, Moraga becomes hardened, and writes about the mistreatment of her and her people. Satrapi on the other hand, does not write in such a manner. She writes in a much lighter tone and uses comics to express how she feels.

Their relationship to their nation is very similar, but for much different reasons. They both have a strong sense of pride for their countries, but in a different sense than each other. Moraga wants to be accepted by her country, but has a little trouble because of the fact that she has white skin. On top of everything else, she is a lesbian. Many Chicano families follow the church doctrine very seriously and in the chapter Leviticus there is a passage that says, "No man shall lay with another man like he lays with a woman." Because they take this so serious, this just makes Moraga's time trying to find a way to be accepted by her own people that much more difficult. Satrapi on the other hand, also tries to find ways to be accpeted, but also finds it difficult. Satrapi mhas a hard time because she was of the wealthier percentile of Iran at the time, which doesn not make her the "norm" of the Irani population. On top of that, she was not converted or tortured for her beliefs. Rather, she was shipped to another country so she would not be hearmed.

my project

hmm... i've been thinking recently on what i want to do for my project but I'm struggling to find the appropriate medium for me. I used to draw a lot so I'm thinking maybe some kind of drawing but i don't really know yet. I know the message i'm trying to get across regardless of the medium, but I just need a way to show it.

Evaluate Satrapi's use of form....

There were many ups and downs to using a comic form to inform about her childhood and her country when she was younger. First off, when using a comic form, you seem to be communicating than more than one type of person. You can get across to younger audiences this way. Also, her use of black and white were affective at showing, possibly, how she saw things when she was youonger, mundane and simple. The problem with this =, however, is that there were some very intense parts in the book like the bombings, in whioch maybe she should have added color or gotten a little more "serious" to make a point of how intense those specific times were. i guess, if you're just looking at it from her "childhood perspective", then it was a very affective way to get across how she saw it then. However, it did not depict the scene as accurately as it was (violent and bloody as hell). It toned it down which makes it seem like it's no worse than any other time in the story. I understand why she did it like she did but she just should have done SOMETHING different during the intense parts of the book so we, the audience, can see that there are some more sereious parts than others.

McIntosh's Privileges

Being a pretty 'well-off" white male helps me identify a lot with what privileges McIntosh says white males receive. I can identify whith the fact that there is a good chance that if I wanted to move houses right now, I can almost be assured that I will be able to move almost wherever I want and the people there will either like me or treat me neutrally. I also can identify with the point that white males would be able to travel almost wherever they want to go, either by myself or with another, and will not be mistreated because of racism. If I wished, I could be with someone of my race at pretty much all times. i an swear or not speak with a perfect "Americanized" accent, and it be attributed to my bad morals or teachings instead of blaming it on the illiteracy of my race. I can do well in a challenging situation and not be accretted with being better than most of my race.

Although there are many situations in which i can agree on, there are also a few in which I do not believe they apply directly to me. I do not believe that only white males are the only people that are allowed to speak against the government or governing power and truly be heard. I also do NOT agree with the fact that our American culture does not teach us that we should not apply other culture's teachings and arts because they are not white.

Catch up Part 1

What am I being educated for?

I would have to say that am being educated to better myself as a person and to increase my intellect and as Ellen would put it, to give myself a “well stocked mind”. I do agree that it is important to know things, the more you know the better off you are no matter how you look at it, remember, Knowledge is Power! But I would say that I am also being educated to make my life in the near future easier. I am being educated so that I don’t have to work with my hands, so that my “well stocked mind” and my knowledge of things can be put to use in a profession like being a middle school math teacher. Here is a quote that always struck me with some significance, “ The purpose of a liberal education is to become a better companion to yourself.”-Anonymous.

Is Violence ever a good idea?

I don’t particularly think violence is ever a good idea, and should, of course, always be avoided when possible. That is not to say that I don’t think it can be very necessary. For example, if a man is being robbed/raped or something, then violence that will prevent him from being harmed in a serious way could very well be a good idea. Gandhi made it quite clear that violent protest is not always necessary and can be avoided without sacrificing effectiveness. I am not someone who goes around looking for a fight, but if someone was doing so to me, then violence in the form of self-defense is without a doubt a good idea. If I am to consider my own existence a good idea on the my creators part, whoever HE may be then I am of course going consider violence in the name of self defense for a good idea like myself, a good idea.

Privileges and Disadvantages I share with McIntosh

I would say in complete confidence that I share many of the privileges that McIntosh does. However, there is one privilege that, as a male, I will always have until I stop being so, which hopefully is not anytime soon.
As a male I have more opportunities in several aspects of life, including being a male stripper. Male strippers are viewed as more of a novelty than are female strippers. Female strippers are often compared and categorized with sex workers, hookers, prostitutes, strumpets, winter quarter core professors, and so on. While male strippers on the other hand are seen as something more comedic than they are sexual, and are usually addressed with less seriousness. A better example lies in the fact that I want to become elementary school teacher, and as we all know, there are many more female elementary school teachers than there are male. So as a male I have a more likely chance of getting the job that a female who is just as qualified as I am simply because there are just TOO MANY WOMEN out there in our schools. As far as being stereotyped, I have never really had any problems with that other than the fact that I am a white American male. Perhaps this is the case because I don’t let stereotypes hold up against me, I usually do what can to change a person’s idea of what is attached to such a stereotype, whether I am traveling or just dealing with judgment on a more local, or immediate scale.

catch up

1.a List the privileges you share with McIntosh? What disadvantages do you experience?

Honestly, I can say I get no privileges, simply because I am not white, but I can say however that I do receive them, on the fact that all the people I know and face every do not look at me for the color, nor attitude i hold towards others, and judge. I am blessed to be in a world where I can and am treated like everyone else. I have the same advantages as anyone who is reading this, and I have the same disadvantages as anyone who is reading this. I always came across the idea that to be white meant to have lots of money, friends, valuable items, be important, and most of all, completely free from worry and anything else that gets in the way of enjoying life to the max. To me that is what "white" means. So while looking at the idea of having privileges resting on the case of "whiteness" with the idea I hold, it would appear that no one, and I mean absolutely no one, is "white", thus no one has privileges, we all earn them, whether my working 24/7 for them, or mooching off others, whatever the case be, we have to work for them.


1.b Evaluate how Satrapi's use of the form of the graphic novel effects how you receive her narrative or point of view?

The graphic outline she gives us is a form of her identity. She presents herself in such a way that both the reader and the writer are familiar with the text's presentation. She chose to give us glimpse of her life in a way both not to scare us off, and at the same time, keeping us attached to the book. She recreates her life's struggles into a cartoon, and she becomes a cartoon character, meaning she is now able to cope with the fact that she lived through such horrible times, and at the same time, she wants people to recognize that she is real, both here, and in the book. If you would like to read more, pick up me essay that I wrote on her, its titled, The Identity of Caricatures.

1.c Compare Satrapi's relationship with her family and nation/s to Moraga's relationship with her family and nation/s?

This, as simple as it may seem, is quite hard. First off, Moraga's life can’t even come close to compare to what Satrapi went through. One is born in a country where you are most likely to die at the age of 15 and the other is born in a country where life is great! Moraga's life is the average life that quite a few people, not many, face. She is lesbian Latina, who is born with rules where men control and she is just supposed to cooks, typical for most right?, well maybe not the lesbian part, but you get the idea. Satrapi and the other hand, born into a family where politics decide the next day, bombs drop left and right, and there is no room for throwing hissy-fits. Now, you tell me if they "can compare". Asking such a question is like saying which one is better, drinking water or drinking poison? All in all, I cannot say who has it easy or hard, but I can say this, one of them had to fight to live, the other fought while alive.

satrapi and moraga

Their nations have put women under men. They felt like outsiders in their society because Satrapi's was in Austria when Iran was in its crisis and Moraga is part white so she looks different than her chicana neighbors. Other than that, it's difficult to see any other comparison between the two. They were basically oppressed by their nations and managed to write a story/memoir of it. Satrapi's family were affectionate towards her while Moraga wanted some kind of attention from her mother.

old blog and a new ones

SJ:
Well, the one of the things I hate about SJ is that the roads are annoying. There's potholes in the roads. On the east side of SJ, there's a lot of gang activities going on. it sucks because I can't even go outside at night and could never get enough sleep because there's the yelling and all that good stuff.

Evaluate how Satrapi's use of the form of the graphic novel effects how you receive her narrative or point of view?

I think using graphic novels to bring readers in is a pretty smart idea. It's easier to read and you get a visual idea about where the author is coming from. it's also nice to hear a different point of view instead of reading something about the subject in a text book.

first three blogs

Character of problems/rousseau

The characters of my problems would be me. My inability to make my own decisions was a part of me since I was a kid. Well, I'm mostly afraid of making the wrong choices because I hate being wrong. So I mostly let others (mostly my sister since I adore her so much) do the decision making for me.
okay, so. after reading the book, i assume the monster would be the white men. you know, they try to convert people (which they did), take over land, disregards people's beliefs and all that good stuff.
for some reason, i couldn't relate rousseau's savage to the book. even though i think it's the white men that are monsters, these white men have their society unlike rousseau's savage. Rousseau's savage is a person that is alone and without society so this puzzles me.

problem

The problem that has the most affect on me is my inability to make a decision or make one in time. Throughout my life, it was my parents and mostly my sister that would decided everything for me. Because of that I never had much opinion on anything. I fear that if I make any decision, they would be the wrong ones and I would just feel horrible about it. I made my own decisions before but they ended badly and I couldn't take the consequences and since then, I rely on my sister a lot to help me out.

Rousseau/frankenstein

Rousseau had said that society made man evil and I think it does relate to Frankenstein. In the monster's point of view, people rejected him because he was hideous looking. Since society had treated him badly, he reacted to things badly. Throughout the book, the monster did do bad things like killing Victor's wife, friend and brother. However, he wanted to be accepted but sadly not.

--Is violence ever a good idea?

It should be avoided at all costs. I understand the incentive and the reasoning for it. I understand why sometimes it is seen as the only option. However it seems that violence often just inspires more violence. Sometimes I can understand why people use violence and can excuse it, but this is a rare occasion.


--Compare Satrapi's relationship with her family and nation/s to Moraga's relationship with her family and nation/s

In the first Persepolis, Marji is in every way an Iranian. In Vienna she is an outsider. The stigma that came with being Iranian in Europe at that time caused her to deny her nationality and temporarily lose her pride about it. When she returns to Iran she is again an outsider. She doesn't ever seem to really be an insider, but she deals with it an finds her niche. Eventually she leaves, but never denounces her heritage.
She has issues with her culture. Her personality doesn't allow her to really be embraced by society, so she chooses not to really embrace it.
Moraga thinks she can never be fully embraced by chicana culture because of her blood and her sexual politics. She criticizes the culture but doesn't seem to distance herself from it as much as Satrapi.

catching up on the blogs...

List the privileges you share with McIntosh? What disadvantages do you experience?

I feel that not only do I share all of the privileges that McIntosh does, but possibly more than her. She is a woman, and so while certain privileges she may have (free drinks at a bar or something), there are other privileges that I have that even she does not. As a white male I think that basically any job is open to me, and some people might even see me as someone who may be “overqualified” for certain positions. This is a huge privilege. In terms of the work world, and how high in a company I can climb, I think that even she, a white female, is going to be more disadvantaged than I would be. If she got the job people would commend her for her business prowess, or exclaim how she is a real “up and comer”, where for me (the white male) it would be normal. Everything she had on her list was true for me, and I feel that there are not a whole lot of real disadvantages I have. I may be stereotyped in certain ways because I am Jewish, but these are not necessarily disadvantages.



Evaluate how Satrapi's use of the form of the graphic novel effects how you receive her narrative or point of view?

I think that parts Persopolis were aided by the comic style of the drawings; it helped to bring the reader into the mind of a little girl. It helped me to see how she saw things back then, in black and white, and pretty simple. The problem I had with the drawings, however, were that when it got to more intense parts of the story, like the torture scenes or the bombings, the comic style helped to tone it down. Maybe she saw it as toned down as a kid, which would make sense, but I think that if part of her point is to educate Americans as to what happened in Iran, the horror that took place there, she should not be dumbing down the heaviest parts of her story. I thought it would have been much more effective if these parts were described very well, or pictured in much more detail. Satrapi helped to bring forth certain ideas about the events that took place in Iran, but her simplistic style, while effective in viewing the life of a child, did not help when trying to educate people as to what really happened.



Compare Satrapi's relationship with her family and nation/s to Moraga's relationship with her family and nation/s

I think that Satrapi and Moraga are actually really similar in their relationship to their nations, but for different reasons. Satrapi, while being a part of the revolution, is disconnected from the majority of her nation because she was not taken captive, her parents were not killed. She left the country when things got too bad; she had the money and power to do these things. This did not represent the whole nation in Iran at the time; most people were running for their lives or converting. In comparison, Moraga does not really represent her nation. The nation I am speaking of, in this sense, is the Chicano one. She is lighter skinned than other Chicanos, and this separates her immediately. Like Satrapi, she was of a higher part of society because of her whiter skin. She had opportunities that other Chicanos never had. She also does not represent most of the Chicano community because she is a lesbian, and while that is not a bad thing, it is different than most of her “nation.” Moraga wants to represent her nation as best she can, but she has a lot of differences from the majority of them.
In terms of family I think that the two are actually pretty different. Satrapi is close with her family, they raise her to be a rebel and she does what they want most of the time. Moraga, on the other hand, is estranged by her family for being lesbian. She is close with her family early on, before she comes out, but after her mother is not as receptive to her. I think this creates a lot of the tension in Moraga’s writing and life, part of her rebellious nature, which is not apparent in Satrapi’s. Satrapi had a much easier time than Moraga, being an upper-class person and loved by her family.

Creative Project Assignment

For a day or two I was assigned to look at the way I represent myself, either bored, happy or angry, and to see if these representations are in fact accurate to how I feel. I chose to do both Wendesday through Saturday of last week. My brother ran away from home on wednesday and my parents looked to me for support, as they were scared that he was going to be hurt and that he might not be safe. I knew that he was either at a friend's house or car, and was able to ally my parents fears as to his safety. I told my girlfriend on the phone, and told her that it was ok, and that I wasn't worried, when in fact every day for the rest of the week, whenever I got a phone call I was scared that it was bad news. So in this case I realized that I was representing myself in a way inaccurate to how I actually felt in order to bring comfort to my family and so that no one would worry about me personally. I finally was the one that brought my brother home, and had to fight him to get him to agree, but I had been with him for at least three hours before he knew that I was there to take him home, and those might have been the hardest hours of my life, as I knew I had something to do, but acted all the while as if we were just going to hang out before I would let him back on his way. I each case I misrepresented myself, although at each time, in a somewhat indirect way, so during these periods I did not feel as though I was actually lying. I have yet to read St. Augustine's essay "Lying" and hope this will bring some light to my problem concerning lying.
Travis

catch up..

1. Is violence ever a good idea?
I wish that we didn't have to have violence in this world, it would be so much nicer without it. However, I think that it is sometimes necessary and there is no way we can get around it. If people could just learn to talk about their issues with one another instead of getting violent, this world would be a much better place. So therefore, I don't think violence is ever a good idea, I think it's just a lame excuse for not talking about your problems.

2. List the privileges you share with McIntosh. What disadvantages do you experience?
As a white woman, I have been given many of the privileges that McIntosh talks about. I was lucky enough to grow up in a household where I recieved everything I needed...as well as most of the things I wanted. After readying McIntosh's list of white privileges, I realized many privileges I experience as a white person that I have never noticed before. Race has never been an issue for me in any aspect of my life, and it is something that I have taken for granted at times.

3. Compare Satrapi's relationship with her family and nation/s to Moraga's relationship with her family and nation/s.
Satrapi is close with her family. Her family wants to protect her by sending her out of the country to grow up in a nation without the oppression that Iran puts on women. They understand her need and desire to fit into mainstream culture and give her the freedom to do so. Moraga on the other hand, is not very close with her family. She is forced to be alone in her explorations of herself as a woman and of her society. In the end, Satrapi realizes that she needs to be with her family and Moraga decides that she doesn't need to be with her family.

-Alyssa

Satrapi vs. Moraga

I think that there is a big difference between Satrapi and Moraga's relationship with their families and their nations. I think that Satrapi had a pretty strong relationship with her family and she didn't have to fight for her parents attention or approval. Satrapi could be considered a rebel in her society, however, she still had pride for her country. For Moraga, she had to constantly fight for approval in her society and for attention and love from her family. She was never seen as good enough because she was female. She had to constantly strive for acceptance by her parents.

Playing catch up

- What exemplifies strength in your culture?

I think that education is a big strength in today's society. I've noticed that people often feel threatened by people who are educated because the tend to rise up faster in the professional world. My extended family often gives me a hard time because I am going as far as I can in my education. They tend to act threatened when I know more on a certain subject than they do.

- Is Violence ever a good idea?

I think violence is called for at times, but I do not think it is a good idea. It often complicates things and leads to more violence. The less violence that the world can have would be better.

- List the Privileges you share with McIntosh? What disadvantages do you experience?

I am very lucky to have been brought up the way I have. I have always lived a very comfortable life and I have no reason to complain about any aspect of my life. However, I being hispanic could have faced many disadvantages. My mother is white and my father is mexican. My father has faced plenty of racism in his day, while my mom has never been confronted about much regarding the color of her skin. My father works all the time, therefore when I was in high school, no one ever really saw my dad, and my mother always recieved the comment "your daughter has a great tan! is tanning her hobby?" It was interesting to see that people thought that I was white, however I just had a great tan...It wasn't until I moved to santa cruz that I was ever even approached about my race at all. Back home race was not something that my family or my friends really talked about because it never really mattered. No one really knew exactly what race I was, therefore I wasn't given a hard time about it, the subject was just never brought up. However, upon moving to santa cruz, my parents were faced with some interesting trials themselves. After dropping me off they went on their first vaction without kids in god knows how long and asked the receptionist of their hotel if she knew of any nice restaurants that they could eat at...and her reply was "I dont think you could afford anything around here" They were so appalled that they didnt know what to say. My family is well off and can afford to eat in a nice restaurant once in awhile, and the fact that the woman looked at my dad and saw a "mexican" she made an unfair judgment of him, and making an ass of herself.

- Evaluate how Satrapi's use of the form of the graphic novel effects how you recieve her narrative or point of view?

I think that Satrapi's use of pictures allows us to see things that we could not see unless pictures were present. I found it easier to sympathize with her in some situations because of the emotion that I saw in her face in some of the comics. Often when reading a regualar text, I am so concerned about finishing the book that I often don't take the time to understand the characters all that much.

- Compare Satrapi's relationship with family and nation to Moraga's relationship with her family and nations?

Satrapi's was very close to her parents and they gave her as much freedom as the could possibly give her. They even sent her away in order for her to grow up as a free woman without being oppressed by men or anyone else. Moraga had to fight for her feminist freedom on her own. She was always lower than men and did not have the support that Satrapi had from her family and nation. Upon moving, the nation that Marji ended up living in encouraged woman to free and alive.

- My creative assignment - reread Walton's third letter to his sister in the first chapter of Frankenstein. Report back whatever you would like.

I like how his last line to his sister is: "remember me to all my English friends" this is often the way I feel when I talk to some of my friends from back home. Since I have not had the easiest time making friends at UCSC, I find myself thinking about all the good times I have had with my friends back home. SOmetimes I feel that if they are no reminded of me that they will forget that I exist because I am so far away.

nunc blogi amissus non sunt

Satrapi v. Moraga
It seems Satrapi is much less disenfranchised by her culture and family than is Moraga. While the latter is more inclined to claim that her family doesn't appreciate her, and her culture is set against her, the former would probably argue that her family wants only what is best for her, even if that isn't what she wants, and her government -albeit sporadically undefined- wants to protect her from herself and those around her. Moraga, of course, was not sent from her family and/or culture at a young age for her protection, and as we all know, absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Graphic Novel POV
Satrapi's graphic novelization of her work affects the way we see her world in that it makes us focus on just the things she sees as important to our understanding of the story. There are no superfluous details such as background interactions like there would be in a series of photographs. Also, it allows the reader to focus on what is going on instead of having to try to picture everything and observe simultaneously.

White Privilege
Reading McIntosh's piece on white privilege I find that I agree that we are not taught in school the flip side of racism, and that white privilege is not addressed. I don't believe any of us are capable of seeing by ourselves (without any outside help) things about us that are wrong, challengeable, or even advantaged. Without having someone pull aspects like these into our attention, we think of them as normal, not as above and beyond, or a below, but simply status quo.

Violence
Violence is never a good idea when used to get what you want out of somebody. If you are in the offensive position, violence is completely unacceptable. In the defensive position, however, violence becomes more tolerable, but on an individual basis. If a person were being pushed, for example, violence would probably not be the best thing to turn to. It would be more acceptable to speak to the aggressor, and convince him or her to stop, or just removed yourself from the situation entirely. On the other hand, if a person were being raped, that person should absolutely jump right to violence, as she has every right to protect her body.

Worst... Job... Ever.
My work experience is actually pretty limited. I think the only thing I've ever actually been paid to do is babysit. I have taken care of a couple of different dogs, but that's about as hard as playing with a puppy... I do, however, think I would particularly hate any job in which I am continually put down, objectified, or disallowed from communicating my thoughts.

Satrapi / Moraga

i dont really feel that they had a lot in common. so on the one hand we have marjane, who is upset by society in general and its perspective towards women, but has a really healthy and happy relationship with all the men in her family. a good example being her uncle, whom she has a great relationship with. and on the other hand we have moraga, who seems to have some hostilitity toward not only men and society in general, but those in her family as well. so the way i see it, they share some points, but its pretty different overall.

Nick

Comparing Families

Sitrappi's family focuses a large amount of energy on her wellbeing and her education. Because she has no siblings she does not have to compete with anyone for her parent's attention. Sitrappi is raised to focus on her education and changing women's status in her culture. Women's status is in the forefront of Iranian society and an recogonized issue in their culture. Maraga grew up in a family that always put her second, and did not recoginize it. She was alone in her explorations of her sexuality and her society, while Sitrappi's parents recognized her desires to fit into mainstream culture and tried to accomodate her by buying her posters and encouraging her attendence at rallys. Maraga realized that she did not belong with her family in the end and Sitrappi realied that she did.

Cherrie and Marjane

Both of these women found it difficult to find their place in society. Both are in between worlds, cast out of one for not being white enough, but are shunned by their own race for being too white, or too westernized. While both women are attempting to find their own place in society, I find it disheartening to know that people of other races will not accept those who are "too white." Recently, I did a report on Charles Mingus and he was not accepted as black because he was too light, but was not accepted by the white community because he was too dark. Maybe it is because I am white, but I never knew that something like this would happen to so many people.

Ali Nicolette

Satrapi vs. Moraga

Satrapi's relationship with her family and her nation is a strong relationship because she has much Iranian pride and she has a deep loving relationship with her parents. Even though she hasn't lived in Iran for sometime, all of her work is focused around telling stories about her life in Iran, or her work is dedicated to those who lost their lives during that turbulent time period in Iran. Moraga on the other hand really resents the fact that she is ostracized my her community, but at the same time she ostracizes herself. She is a lesbian feminist in a traditional and male oriented culture. She does write about her family and her community, but in a negative and patronizing way; and Satrapi does not write this way.

Isaac- Compare Satrapi's Family to Moraga's

I didn't think both of their relationships with their families really matched up. Satrapi had a relationship with her parents that was built on love and support despite mistakes. Moraga, while having a questionably good relationship with the female members of her family seemed to have a hostile relationship with the males in her family. I don't really know whether to take this as the product of the patriarichy or her insecurity with the opposite gender because of her sexuality. Satrapi's relationship with her parents had nothing to do with conflict of gender roles but conflict with gender roles of the greater society. Since her parents did not contribute to this conflict but rather were in support of what Satrapi wished to do this was not a conflict of their relationship.
Isaac

Isaac- Compare Satrapi's Family to Moraga's

I didn't think both of their relationships with their families really matched up. Satrapi had a relationship with her parents that was built on love and support despite mistakes. Moraga, while having a questionably good relationship with the female members of her family seemed to have a hostile relationship with the males in her family. I don't really know whether to take this as the product of the patriarichy or her insecurity with the opposite gender because of her sexuality. Satrapi's relationship with her parents had nothing to do with conflict of gender roles but conflict with gender roles of the greater society. Since her parents did not contribute to this conflict but rather were in support of what Satrapi wished to do this was not a conflict of their relationship.
Isaac

satarapis compared to moraga

Satarapi's relationship with her family is rather different from Moraga's. Although Satarapi may occasionally disobey her parents, she sill loves and respects them. Her parents love her and are always looking in her best interests. Satarapi's family is able to communicate with one another and appear to have strong emotional bonds. However Moraga's family seem more emotionally distant of one another. Moraga is expected to tend to her father's needs and feels a sense of biterness towards him because of it. moraga's family isn't so much a unit like satarapi's is. moraga is more like a servant to her father and brother than a family member. both do experience some form of discrimination. under a supressive governemt, Satarapi does experience ill treatment, but she still had the suport of her family. Satarapi is little more rebelious than moraga. satarapi is less afraid of acting out because she knows that her family has her back. but moraga is a lesbian. this is a secret she alone is burdened with. if people were to find out, not only would she face the ridicule of society, she would also face the possibility, her family may not accept her.

Playing Catch-Up with my Problem

Dillon's Question
Take each book we've read so far, and pick a male character or figure in it (i.e. Victor or Clerval, etc for Frankenstein, Victor Frankl or one of his friends or patients for Man's Search for Meaning). Try to alternate between characters you like and characters you dislike when you make your selections. Evaluate the faults or merits of each of these characters- what do you like or dislike about them, which of them are good men, which are not. When you are done, reflect on your evaluations and ask yourself "what sorts of things do I value in males?". After that, reread Frankenstein's portrait of his own father in the beginning of the book.


Things Fall Apart
Okonkwo was everything opposite to his father, Unoka. His father enjoyed talks, music, he was lazy, cowardly, not masculine, sensitive, etc. Since Okonkwo was everything opposite to his father his masculinity and stubbornness led him to his own destruction. Nwoye, Okonkowo’s oldest son, is preferable because he learned to be masculine in a nicer way not like his father. Nwoye was more like his grandfather, Unoka, but I don’t like that because he already questioned his traditions, he was easily converted to Christianity. I do like that he found peace when he left his fathers oppressive presence.

Frankenstein
Victor Frankenstein brings about his own mental and physical destruction for not wanting to take responsibility of the monster he created. He dedicated his life to the monster and because of his strong dedication his relationship with his family and his supposed soon to be wife failed. His friend Clerval on the other hand is preferable because he is responsible and worries for his friends. Even though Frankenstein leaves for a while, Clerval himself wants to assure himself that Frankenstein is doing fine and Clerval even begs his father for his permission so that he, Clerval, can be with Frankenstein, and he does. Good Friend.

Frankl
Viktor doesn’t describe too many male figures who are stubborn; instead he describes them as needy and compliant with his advice. They are all, for the most part, in need of happiness, which Viktor then helps them find. Because Frankl doesn’t describe his patients, who are primarily men as stubborn, I would consider them to be good men as well as Frankl. Frankl because he helps others and is there for the well-being of others and not too much for his pleasure. The men who seek his help obviously have feelings, but how much they suffered before they looked for his help, I don’t know, therefore, I can’t really choose too much or be specific as to who and why I would choose in his text.

What sort of things to I value in men?
After doing this exercise, I think what I value in men is the opposite of the following: stubbornness, laziness, cowardly, disloyal, ignorance, irresponsible, uncaring, oppressive, controlling, inability to distribute amount of responsibility to valuable characters or duties (for example, Frankenstein), indecisive, lack of sense of humor, and easy to change their minds, etc. All of these characteristics are a burden on any relationship. I’m not implying that all men are like this and neither that woman aren’t like what I described, but instead, the opposite of these characteristics are what I look for in any person. Since my question has to be based on men, the opposite of these characteristics are what I value in men. To come up with all these characteristics I had to consider the texts and my father. I value these things in men because the opposite of what I listed are vital for a healthy relationship with any person.

Ketchup... err, Catch-up

What is the monster in Things Fall Apart?
In Things Fall Apart, the monster is the white man. Well, that’s the way that Achebe depicts it. And really, on the surface I can see his point. The encroaching Europeans are arrogant and narrow-minded… but that’s a 21st century viewpoint. And do we see the atrocities that we commit every day in dealing with foreign cultures? So, perhaps the solution isn’t to blame anyone or anything. Maybe it’s just best to understand how messed up we were back then, and realize humans haven’t evolved much since then.

What are you being educated for?
When I first entered college, I thought I was being educated so that I could do something that I liked doing for the rest of my life, ostensibly. Turns out, the things I want to do and the paths the university want me to take to get a degree in that area are more divergent that I imagined. Multivariable calculus? Shoot me. Just gives me a headache. Sometimes I think that most of the bums downtown were really math and science majors but just cracked under the pressure. And maybe I’m heading that way…

What exemplifies strength in your culture?
Strength? Strength is GI Joe. I mean, look at him. Muscles bulging, jawbone of steel, AK-47 on his back. At least, that’s one kind of strength. But I think that this alpha-male image is perhaps more rooted in our death fear, because we don’t know what the “other side” is, and if there even is one. This is why people like Lance Armstrong are celebrated even more than just for being a winner. He survived cancer and got to run this rat race for a few more years, which I guess is what most people would choose to do. Would I? I guess so, as long as I got to win the Tour de France.

Is violence ever a good idea?
Violence is great entertainment. Gladiators, professional athletes, movie stars, and hell even religion has benefited from this aspect of human behavior. Plus, I don’t believe that things can really be black and white, at least not in this subject. “Good idea”? Well maybe robbing a liquor store seems like a good idea at the time. Running from the cops might change a person’s perception of good/bad. Basically, I choose to live with the knowledge that I am free to do just about anything… but so is my neighbor, or the person whom my actions offend or injure. It’s impossible for one set of principles to govern everyone at every time. So for now, I’ll sit back and watch the show.

List the privileges you share with McIntosh? What disadvantages do you experience?
“8. If I want to, I can be pretty sure of finding a publisher for this piece on white privilege” LOL. Being a little presumptuous, are we? I guess she did get it published, but it’s still kind of mind-blowing. Anyway, yeah I guess by McIntosh’s standards I’m an over privileged whitey, but then again I really agree with what Tara said from my class: that the issue of race has become so mired in economic status that the two issues can’t be neatly separated in the way that politicians and civil rights groups act like it is. And the problem with this simplification is that people use it as a tool to prejudge both up the ladder and down. For example, I am a broke college student. I have some money in savings, but on the whole I don’t think I can really “expect” to move into a pleasant neighborhood. And actually I am called to speak on behalf of other gay people more than you could ever freakin imagine. So, I don’t really agree with McIntosh on a personal level, but I’m sure that her list applies to many other people like herself.

Evaluate how Satrapi's use of the form of the graphic novel effects how you receive her narrative or point of view.
Satrapi’s graphic style (har har) was, in my opinion, more entertaining than informative or dynamic. It gave me some impetus to research Iranian history, but not any sort of reverence for her struggle. Call me callous. She was lucky enough to escape the strife within Iran because she had parents who could afford a plane ticket and to send her to boarding school. Her dad was sweet but also idealistic to a fault, not willing to believe that the theocracy could and would put a stranglehold on the country. And because of the pictures, it made everything cuter.

Compare Satrapi's relationship with her family and nation/s to Moraga's relationship with her family and nation/s.
Satrapi v. Moraga… one’s an Iranian ex-pat who now writes cute graphic novels, and the other’s a Chicana lesbian feminist who likes “dark women”. What could they have in common? Both experiment in ways that go against the cultures they were raised with. Satrapi smokes pot, drinks, has premarital sex, ect., and Moraga realizes that she’s more attracted to women than men. Maybe Moraga did some of the stuff Satrapi did, too. But basically, both women did things that their culture abhors, or claims to, and wrote/philosophized about it. Also, they’re both considered “minorities” in the US, which complicates the issue of personal identity so much that Moraga asks for a divorce of sorts from the traditional US Fem movement. Moraga often talks about betraying the "Latino male", as she sees her culture as always catering to the man, over the woman.

Thanks.

-Alex Carian

Maraga and Satrapi

I don’t really see their situations as being very congruent. Satrapi had a strong bond with her parents as well as a deep national pride that is evident in most Persians. Like Moraga, Satrapi experienced discrimination however for different reasons. Moraga was a lesbian Mexican in a white predominantly heterosexual world, whereas Satrapi was a non-religious rebellious teen living under a suppressive Muslim regime. Moraga's issues were deeply ingrained in her racial and cultural recognition, however Satrapi had to deal with an ever changing set of issues as she went around the world experiencing different cultures.

My Problem

Question: Describe the characters and setting of your problem.

Response: The characters of my problem are practically verything and everyone that is new in my life and of some interest to me. The characters are liable to change at all times and in fact with time they do change. It is almost as though time is the lighting that illuminates the setting, or perhap the backdrop, of my problem.

The setting if my problem is in fact the my "life" and all that surrounds it. The very life I am living right now, right? As time passes we all learn new things, have and experiance new feelings, meet new people, and find new light in things that we once may have found only darkness and ambiguity. Time provides us with content to our lives, and our lives provide us with new and occasionally exciting things.

As I live each day, I learn more. And and as I continue to learn, I gain curiosity towards all the aspects of my life. I become more confused with what it is that I want; what it is I want to do, want to study, want to become...

And you see, that's my problem exactly. These "characters" in my problem continue to contribute to the question, (which is in fact my problem), "What is it that I want?"

Dillon, feel free to Email me for any additional information or questions,

-Theo

Posten on the block like a gangster

To draw a juxtiposition between two individuals is to enherently creat an imperfect analysis. The individual is so complex that a compaison in any given field, is not only skewed but also, conterpointed by many other fasits of the individual. Howevr Statspi and Moraga, do share many comon relationships to the external world. The most notable oh which is that of asymilation. Each one regals the reader with the hardships of being different and tryign to fit in. Satrapi trys to fit in in Europe, and Maraga, in straight society.

Cherrie Moraga & Satrapi

Satrapi had a healthy relationship with her parents as well as her grandma. Satrapi's parents wanted the best for her and they were very open to her as far as war goes. Satrapi wasn't lesbian, so she didn't go through the troubles of being accepted as a lesbian like Moraga, but Satrapi definetly suffered similar to what Moraga did, not knowing where or who to go for comfort. Moraga wanted to pretend that she was a heterosexual but when she found herself in bed with a man, she found herself longing for the touch of a woman. Satrapi's feeling of rejection came from not knowing what culture to say she was from. She didn't want to be looked down on and stereotyped against or questioned about her culture to much.

-Claudia De Anda

Blog Catch Up

So…I think I was extremely overdue on the blog questions so here they are…

What do you like least about your hometown?
http://stevenson80.blogspot.com/2007/01/danville.html

How might Frankenstein relate to Rousseau’s State of Nature/Hobbes State of War?
Hobbes would call the monster a savage; the monster lived outside, wore almost nothing, and only had enough to survive. Frankenstein would confirm Rousseau’s state of nature, the monster does not want to be a part of society, and he isolates himself and wants a mate to be content.

What is the monster in Things Fall Apart?
The monster in Things Fall Apart is ignorance. Christians were ignorant of the Ibo culture and the Ibo were ignorant of what the Christians were after.

What is the worst job you’ve ever had/What are you being educated for?
I am being educated so that I can be a productive member of society. I think…I want to be educated so I can earn money, be able to understand things out of my reach now, and be able to do things a high school graduate could not (i.e. Doing complex calculations, inventing electrical devices). I also want to be able to talk about certain things and have interesting and relevant anecdotes and facts to bring up.

What exemplifies strength in your culture?
http://stevenson80.blogspot.com/2007/02/in-our-culture-examples-of-strength-are.html

Is violence ever a good idea?
http://stevenson80.blogspot.com/2007/02/is-violence-ever-good-idea.html

Marx agree/disagree quotes:
http://stevenson80.blogspot.com/2007/02/agree-disagree-quotes-danny-trevor-matt.html

List the privileges you share with McIntosh? What disadvantages do you experience?
I am extremely privileged; I come from a good home, with enough money, and loving parents who stayed together. I would consider myself blessed. Patrick said that being an upper/middle-class white male has downsides too. Ya, I would agree that there is an extreme amount of expectation put on this demographic to be extremely successful but I would so much rather have expectations of greatness than everyone telling you its not going to happen. If I grew up in a ghetto at a poorly funded school with poor marks on standardized testing, I would not have gotten into UCSC. The fact that my school pushed me and my parents expected me to do well was what kept me from becoming a fuckup.

Evaluate how Satrapi’s use of the form of the graphic novel effects how you receive her narrative point of view?
The graphic novel was able to take a lot of the painful things she talked about seem less harsh. It also gave the effect of being able to pull you back and see the narrative through a window rather than being entirely immersed in it.

Compare Satrapi’s relationship to her family and nation to Moraga’s
Moraga’s relationship with her family is extremely different than Satrapi’s. Moraga’s family traditions forced her to wait on her father and her brother as well as her brother’s friends. She loves and respects her mother, but dislikes and does not respect her father. Satrapi is stubborn and disobeys her family at some points but they are all she has and she loves them. Moraga dislikes the racial prejudices in the United States and hates how homosexuals are treated but would never do anything to hurt this country unless it furthered her cause. Satrapi dislikes Iran because of the rules and laws that govern her. She owns contraband as a way to rebel against the government.

If I need to change anything or add more, I’m fully willing to do that before the quarter is out. Peace!
-Trevor Wood

3 posts i have to make up

1. List the privileges you share with McIntosh? What disadvantages do you experience?
I definitely have experienced the advantages of being white as McIntosh has described them. I get a better education and a better income which unfortunately seems to equate to a better quality of life, and I've been conditioned to believe that I got these because I worked for them when in reality they sort of fell into my hands. My life has seemed predestined for the upper track in school, and that cushy job in the fancy soap store on yuppy 4th street in Oakland may not have just been a product of a friendly interview. Also, I realize as I write this something very interesting, which is that I'm completely forgetting my Latina side and my working class background on my mother's side. To look at me, I'm a very stereotypical white American girl, and even without knowing it, I've used this to my advantage all my life to get the upper hand. It wasn't my fault in Elementary school that I was considered the smart, well-behaved little girl, but people's perceptions of me helped to shape my identity, and so I was stuck on the "white" track. I'm a little off topic now... in any case, I've had the privilage of being "white" my entire life, and I've also shared the disadvantage of being female in many instances, most of all having trouble being taken seriously by males many times, even ones in my same age group.

2. Evaluate how Satrapi's use of the form of the graphic novel effects how you receive her narrative or point of view?
It's more simple to be able to read a story in the form of a graphic novel, and it makes her points easier to understand and more poignant, because the simplicity adds a level of understanding that is easy to take to heart. Instead of trying to explain her complex ideas and emotions without the aid of a different medium, one gets too theoretical and often these narratives can get boring. Satrapi's method allows the reader to connect with the image of her and the emotions depicted in the cartoon.

3. Compare Satrapi's relationship with her family and nation/s to Moraga's relationship with her family and nation/s?
Both authors come from nations which try to help and save their own people and inadvertantly end up harming them more than helping in the end. In iran, by trying to make everyone live piously and by their unrealistic ideals, they end up oppressing their people instead, especially women, who get the worst of the laws and the worst punishments. In Moraga's chicano nation, by trying to keep the ideal of "family values" intact, they tear apart the family through inequality and deny the women equal rights. In both instances, the women get the brunt of the males' "values," which they might not agree with. However similar their relationships to their countries may be, Satrapi and Moraga's relationships to their families are very different. While both women are supported by their families and especially mothers very much, Satrapi's family supports her in her feminism much more than Moraga's did. Moraga's mother subscribed to the very traditional values of a male-dominated household, and made Moraga take care of her brother as if he were the crown prince. In Satrapi's family, in part because she was an only child and in part because her family was very liberal, they encouraged her to be as rebellious as possible without being dangerous.

Creative Assignment

Okay, so this is way past due because I did my creative proyecto last weekend, but here goes.

So saturday I went for my bus rideand with me I brought my camera, not to pass the time, but ot document my journey. I took along with me one of closest friends, Cesar Hernandez, and we headed to the metro station to begin our journey. At the metro, we waited for the 20 for ten minutes or so, and then it came and left. We then go on the next bus that entered the station which was the 35. We waited as the bus driver took his break, and then we got on. The bus was headed towards Scotts Valley, and eventually came to stop at the Cavallaro Bus Station, where we got off. We then started walking. We headed towards the residential part, and eventually was heading up a winding mountain road. It was very picturesque, and actually reminded me of home because it was very woodsy but also had signs of civilization like homes on the mountain/hillside. We walked for about 2 miles up this road, sometimes uphilland sometimes downhill. We came across houses, and streams, rockslides, street signs, and parts of the roadside that had collapsed. We then walked back to station and took the bus home.

I really didn't know what to think when I received this assignment, and I still don't know what to think now that I have had a week to ponder. I mean, I knew that this wasn't going to solve my "problem" at all, but I guess that was the point. I won't know my meaning or purpose until it finds me or until i come across it, so I shouldn't worry about finding it. I should just enjoy myself.

-Rene

Question: Describe the characters and setting of your problem.

Response: The characters of my problem are practically verything and everyone that is new in my life and of some interest to me. The characters are liable to change at all times and in fact with time they do change. It is almost as though time is the lighting that illuminates the setting, or perhap the backdrop, of my problem.

The setting if my problem is in fact the my "life" and all that surrounds it. The very life I am living right now, right? As time passes we all learn new things, have and experiance new feelings, meet new people, and find new light in things that we once may have found only darkness and ambiguity. Time provides us with content to our lives, and our lives provide us with new and occasionally exciting things.

As I live each day, I learn more. And and as I continue to learn, I gain curiosity towards all the aspects of my life. I become more confused with what it is that I want; what it is I want to do, want to study, want to become...

And you see, that's my problem exactly. These "characters" in my problem continue to contribute to the question, (which is in fact my problem), "What is it that I want?"

Dillon, feel free to Email me for any additional information or questions,

-Theo

Question: Describe the characters and setting of your problem.

Response: The characters of my problem are practically verything and everyone that is new in my life and of some interest to me. The characters are liable to change at all times and in fact with time they do change. It is almost as though time is the lighting that illuminates the setting, or perhap the backdrop, of my problem.

The setting if my problem is in fact the my "life" and all that surrounds it. The very life I am living right now, right? As time passes we all learn new things, have and experiance new feelings, meet new people, and find new light in things that we once may have found only darkness and ambiguity. Time provides us with content to our lives, and our lives provide us with new and occasionally exciting things.

As I live each day, I learn more. And and as I continue to learn, I gain curiosity towards all the aspects of my life. I become more confused with what it is that I want; what it is I want to do, want to study, want to become...

And you see, that's my problem exactly. These "characters" in my problem continue to contribute to the question, (which is in fact my problem), "What is it that I want?"

Dillon, feel free to Email me for any additional information or questions,

-Theo

Violence and McIntosh

1. Is violence ever a good idea? Violence can be a good idea depending ong the situation. If someone were being attacked they should be able to defend themselves and some people consider defending oneself violent behavior. We should not have to take the abuse of others just because we don't want to use violence. There are also someone people who choose not to use listen to reasons and just need to be slapped.

2. The privilleges I share with McIntosh are the fact that I can find cover up that will match my skin tone(26), I can find my race represented in music, food, and hair salon(9), and I can arrange to be in the company of my own race(1). The rest of the list she complied applies to my race and are things i have experienced or have had it happen to my relatives. I have walked into stores and have felt as though the employees are following me.

Satarapi's method/My project

Satarapi uses this comic book thing as a cover up for her shitty style of writing. Basically she's combining two forms of art. The thing she has is a story, so she does her darndest to regurgitate it on paper, and get some shmo to illustrate it. Actually that shmo is her, but it's really the same as hiring another person to do it. One crappy writer, another Crappy sketchartist, and a pretty good story. It forms entertainment baby! Entertainment! And I'm sure she managed to produce a buck or two off the enticing offer of human tragedy. Aint it sweet. But on a more serious note her comic book was entertaining. And it was interesting to here about yet another society that inflicts suffering, pain, and misery upon its constituants. The formula is proven and it works! A triumph of pure delight. And i mean deLIGHT! Seriously don't you want to kill a punjab or two after reading this-That was a joke and I qouted it from the book, if you can't find it you didn't look hard enough. I'm sorry for that, but I had to get some steam off my chest, Religious persecution is wrong, and Satarapi certainly succeeds in putting an end to it.

My creative project is going to be great, but i can't tell you how it's going because it's a big surprise.

McIntosh and My Privalages

I don't feel privalaged at all. In fact at times I wish that I didn't have the responsibility that comes with my family's high economic status. I am obliged to get a four year degree and lead a life of success. If I were to be born in the ghetto, in a broken home, I wouldn't have such unrealistic expectations. In fact I can imagine the excitement of pushing drugs on a street corner, or a knife fight in the alley way. I imagine it would be a bit a rougher, but I would welcome a good dose of life threatening excitement. But my privalaged ass cannot let down my family, after all I'm quite an investment. I think everyone is just about as privalaged as the next guy, the difference is one guy gets a cruise, and the other has to hitchike. I would personally hitchike.

Comparing

The relationship that Satrapi had with her family was a good and healthy one. They never prevented her from doing what she wanted to do and gave her many choices and liberties compared to the other girls at her age. In her society she is seen inferior to men. I say this because she is stripped from her freedoms,that of course are not equal to women, but to men. Moraga's relationship with her family is different from Satrapi because she was not given any type of freedoms. She had to do what her family expected her to do our act. An example can be how she is expected to serve her brother just because he is a male. In society she is seen in two different ways. American or Chicana. The problem is not what type of relationship she has with society or her nation, but what she wants for herself in the society that she lives in because unlike Satrapi she has the chance to follow her heritage or not.

Final List of Blog Questions

Hi All.

So, here's the definitive list of all blog questions which will matter for your evaluation. If you don't see a question on this list, it doesn't matter for your evaluation*. If you have answered a question not on this list- congratulation, you thought about something. I hope it was a pleasant experience:

All blog questions to date:

What do you like least about your hometown?
How might Frankenstein relate to Rousseau's State of Nature/Hobbes' State of War?
What is the monster in Things Fall Apart?
What is the worst job you've ever had-or-What are you being educated for?
What exemplifies strength in your culture?
Is violence ever a good idea?
List the privileges you share with McIntosh? What disadvantages do you experience?
Evaluate how Satrapi's use of the form of the graphic novel effects how you receive her narrative or point of view?
Compare Satrapi's relationship with her family and nation/s to Moraga's relationship with her family and nation/s


* On questions pertaining to your creative project: Failure to answer the first one is a problem. Failure to answer any of the others is a problem if and only if the project itself is unlikely to convince me that you thought about the problem you were covering more than just the last week of the quarter.

Moraga Blog Question

For Cherrie Moraga: Compare Satrapi's relationship with her family and nation to Moraga's?

The question for Satrapi: Evaluate how Satrapi's use of the form of the graphic novel effects how you receive her narrative or point of view?

The question on your creative project: what form/s are you considering for your project?

Violence... A Good Idea?

Is violence ever a good idea?

I would have to say that there are SOME situations in which violence is permittable. Let's start with the most basic, self-defense. Of course, if someone comes up to you in a dark alley and tries to mug you or rape you or something that inflicts damage, you should try and fight back. If we're talking about just randomly walking up to someone and physically harming them for no reason, then you definitely should not do that. When it comes to war, I don't see why we can't just resolve shit without having to lose thousands of soldiers. Really, the only case for violence would be if you were originally attacked and you fought back. If the person wouldn't attack you, however, there would be no need for self-defense. That is the problem, however. There's always going to be someone someone that's going to want to hurt you for no reason and you have every right to fight back.

I do not think that any type of demonstrations should ever be violent. Malcolm X's "anything necessary" policy did nothing but make a lot of places worse because some African-Americans took that to mean "if he hits me, I can hit back" and then turned into "I'm just going to hit him before he hits me". Of course, Malcolm X had nothing but good intentions overall, I was just making a point. More leaders of movements should follow M.L.K.'s lead.

strength in our culture

What exemplifies strength in our culture?

I think strength in our culture is now found with the people with more money with most. I really wish this wasn't the case, but I believe the people with more money, in our society, are seen as strong, because , unless you're born with money, you have overcome great odds to build your "empire" up from nothing. There are, of course, other ways to look at strength in our culture, as well. I don't think anyone would disagree that a single-mom living off welfare with 8 kids is a strong woman, and all she does in her life is make sure there's food on the plate of those kids. If you were to ask this same question to peiple where I come from, you would get a totally different perspective on what being strong is. In Madera, there are a lot of people that would agree you're not strong unless you run a couple blocks, slang yo' shit and protect your area and your "family". It really depends on who you're asking on what the answer to this question would be.

worst job i've ever had

What is the worst job I've ever had? or What am I being educated for?

The worst job I've ever had would have to be working at a packing shed. Where i live, Madera (the central valley), has more Mexican-Americans than almost any city in California because of the work needed in the field of agriculture. I worked at Stellar Distributing, Inc. for two summers. i got the job from a friend's uncle who owned the business, and was our basketball coach. Anyways, the place I worked always smelled like a mixture between figs and kiwis. All I did all day, was stand in a conveyor belt and as kiwis would come by we would take them off the belt and package them in a box and send that box down another conveyor belt. Although I worked at such a hell-hole and didn't even understand a thing my boss ever told me, it was a good learning experience, because I know now that I don't ever want any type of job anything close to that one.