Practice IOC: Boys and Girls

Audio Link:

https://sites.google.com/a/raha-international-school.org/audio-files/

IOC Passage: 

Alive, the foxes inhabited a world my father made for them. It was surrounded by a high guard fence, like a medieval town, with a gate that was padlocked at night. Along the streets of this town were ranged large, sturdy pens. Each of them had a real door that a man could go through, a wooden ramp along the wire, for the foxes to run up and down on, and a kennel — sometimes like a clothes chest with airholes — where they slept and stayed in winter and had their young. There were feeding and watering dishes attached to the wire in such a way that they could be emptied and cleaned from the outside. The dishes were made of old tin cans, and the ramps and kennels of odds and ends of old lumber. Everything was tidy and ingenious; my father was tirelessly inventive and his favourite book in the world was Robinson Crusoe. He had fitted a tin drum on a wheelbarrow, for bringing water down to the pens. This was my job in the summer, when the foxes had to have water twice a day. Between nine and ten o'clock in the morning, and again after supper, I filled the drum at the pump and trundled it down through the barnyard to the pens, where I parked it, and filled my watering can and went along the streets. Laird came too, with his little cream and green gardening can, filled too full and knocking against his legs and slopping water on his canvas shoes. I had the real watering can, my father's, though I could only carry it three-quarters full. 

    The foxes all had names, which were printed on a tin plate and hung beside their doors. They were not named when they were born, but when they survived the first year’s pelting and were added to the breeding stock. Those my father had named were called names like Prince, Bob, Wally, and Betty. Those I had named were called Star or Turk, or Maureen or Diana. Laird named one Maude after a hired girl we had when he was little, one Harold after a boy at school, and one Mexico, he did not say why. 

    Naming them did not make pets out of them, or anything like it. Nobody but my father ever went into the pens, and he had twice had blood-poisoning from bites. When I was bringing them their water they prowled up and down on the paths they had made inside their pens, barking seldom — they saved that for nighttimes, when they might get up a chorus of community frenzy--but always watching me, their eyes burning, clear gold, in their pointed, malevolent faces. They were beautiful for their delicate legs and heavy, aristocratic tails and the bright fur sprinkled on dark down their back — which gave them their name — but especially for their faces, drawn exquisitely sharp in pure hostility, and their golden eyes. 

    Besides carrying water I helped my father when he cut the long grass, and the lamb's quarter and flowering money-musk, that grew between the pens. He cut with they scythe and I raked into piles. Then he took a pitchfork and threw fresh-cut grass all over the top of the pens to keep the foxes cooler and shade their coats, which were browned by too much sun.

 Guiding questions:

-          1. How is the description of setting in this passage significant to the development of larger themes

-          2. How does the allusion contribute to meaning in this message

Practice IOC: Royal Beatings

Audio Link:

https://sites.google.com/a/raha-international-school.org/audio-files/

IOC Passage:

“Well, we don’t need the public in on this, that’s for sure,”  Flo says, and she goes to lock the door of the store, putting in the store window the sign that says BACK SOON, a sign Rose made for her with a great deal of fancy curving and shading of letters in black and red crayon. When she comes back she shuts the door to the store, then the door to the stairs, then the door to the woodshed. 

Her shoes have left marks on the clean wet part of the floor.

“Oh, I don’t know,” she says now, in a voice worn down from its emotional peak. “I don’t know what to do about her.” She looks down and sees her dirty knees (following Rose’s eyes) and rubs at them viciously with her bare hands, smearing the dirt around.

“She humiliates me,” she says, straightening up. There it is, the explanation.

“She humiliates me,” she repeats with satisfaction. “She has no respect.” “I do not!” “Quiet, you!” says her father. 

“If I hadn’t called your father you’d still be sitting there with that grin on your face! What other way is there to manage you?”

Rose detects in her father some objections to Flo’s rhetoric, some embarrassment and reluctance. She is wrong, and ought to know she is wrong, in thinking that she can count on this. The fact that she knows about it, and he knows she knows, will not make things any better. He is beginning to warm up. He gives her a look. This look is at first cold and challenging. It informs her of his judgment, of the hopelessness of her position. Then it clears, it begins to fill up with something else, the way a spring fills up when you clear the leaves away. It fills with hatred and pleasure. Rose sees that and knows it. Is that just a description of anger, should she see his eyes filling up with anger? No. Hatred is right. Pleasure is right. His face loosens and changes and grows younger, and he holds up his hand this time to silence Flo.

“All right,” he says, meaning that’s enough, more than enough, this part is over, things can proceed. He starts to loosen his belt. 

Flo has stopped anyway. She has the same difficulty Rose does, a difficulty in believing that what you know must happen really will happen, that there comes a time when you can’t draw back.

---

Reminiscing on my summer trip abroad #2

In continuation of my summer trip abroad to Canada, the second most fresh memory of mine was the festive celebration of the famous Islamic holiday: "Eid Al-Fitr", which takes place directly after the last day of “Ramadan", which involves the dedication of fasting for one month. Similar to every Eid celebration, the sequence of events begin with the entire family dressing up in their new outfits that were purchased specifically for this holiday. Then we head to the mosque for the morning Eid prayer, where all the Muslims unite to pray and celebrate together. Once that is done and over, a regular tradition is that after prayer, the “imam”, which is the leader of the prayer, executes a Eid speech that is carried out in English with slivers of Islamic terms in Arabic incorporated. Since we were celebrating an Arabic holiday in Canada, which is an English speaking country, code-switching was vastly implemented, thus showcasing the hybrid product of the combination of languages within a religious holiday. For instance, this was applicable when the imam mentions a prophet’s name or a “hadeeth”, which is a collection of traditional Islamic sayings derived from Prophet Muhammad, or references to the Quran, which is the holy book of Islam. This even further continued throughout the day during our visits to our Arab friends; for instance we would articulate a sentence in English and then insert ‘Eid jargon’ that is a celebratory gesture in Arabic: “Eid Mubarak” or “kol am w inti bkhair”.

Therefore, in reference to the Grade 11 Language and Literature course, code-switching, language hybridization, and religious jargon, are very common within immigrants. Therefore, our celebration of Eid Al Fitr in Canada indicates the use of such facilities that were studied within the first year of the Language and Literature course.

Reminiscing on my summer trip abroad #1

Now that the final year of the International Baccalaureate Program has approached and my high school career is coming to an end, sudden flashbacks of my 'last summer break as a high school student' randomly come and go. After two and a half years of departing London, Ontario, Canada, and moving to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, my family and I decided to temporarily return to our Canadian roots and spend two months of summer break in the flourishing and buzzing lands of London and Toronto Ontario.

The most vivid memory of this lengthy trip was the birth of my brother “Basim” on July 24^th 2017. It was exactly at 1:04 pm that our lives, mine, my parents as well as my 15 year old brother, undertook a complete 360 degree turn to the better; the instant I met eyes with him, a rush of emotions gushed, emotions of happiness, joy, and exhilaration, and suddenly I felt this overwhelming desire to cradle him tightly in my arms. Instantaneously, from the first skin to skin contact, an immediate bond sparked and I was eagerly attached to him day and night.

In the infamous "Victoria Hospital", located in London Ontario, my mother's private hospital room was overflowing with blue “congratulations it’s a boy” balloons, multi-colored flowers, and boxes of chocolate. Also aside from these popular post-delivery norms, more of our Arabic origins and customs emerged when many of our Palestinian friends cooked traditional dishes, specifically this special post-delivery soup, and brought them to the hospital room. In addition, after my mother's departure from the hospital, we held a festive gathering and feast called a “Aqeeqa” in celebration of Basim's birth. We invited 50 of our closest friends over for a feasting that included a range of traditional Palestinian foods, such as spiced rice, roasted chicken, hummus, baba ghanoush, fatoush salad, and with the center of attention on the meat derived from two goats that were slaughtered in tribute to Basim's birth. Therefore the hybridity of my Canadian and Palestinian roots, in which their rituals immensely emerged through Basim's birth, in conjunction showcase the way of life and customs of one with dual identity.

David Wallace's Theory about Education

In what ways could Wallace’s theory about education be applicable to the writing of Alice Munro? Justify your conclusion.

In the literary text “This is Water”, David Wallace Foster states that true freedom acquired through education is the ability to be adjusted, conscious, and sympathetic. To further expand on this statement, it grounds the notion that one’s true freedom is expressed through controlled thinking, scrutinized from different perspectives and experiences, as opposed to chaotic thoughts crossing the mind’s limits, which is the natural default setting. Therefore, the act of taking into account the personal history and living conditions of others, breaks this default setting and causes the reader to sense sympathy as their perspective on those individuals are adjusted through consciousness. Even though these generous assumptions might not be true, having such panoramic awareness evokes sympathy, consciousness, and adjustment. Wallace further enhances this by demonstrating that it is a natural default setting of the human race to constantly center themselves around everything. He presents this as a flaw, causing the readers to reflect upon this and relate this flaw to their character.

Therefore Wallace’s theory about education is applicable to Alice Munro’s writing within her short stories. The overarching themes of every short story include human relationships, in which are complex, as well as the theme of coming of the age, which specifically refers to human development and personal enhancement. Sympathy is constantly conjured through characterization; in “Royal Beatings”, Flo is negatively portrayed as a vile, stubborn character, who also has strong feelings of hatred towards Rose. However when an alternative perspective of the story is unravelled, during the occasion of the ‘Royal Beating’, Flo is seen as a loving and caring character towards Rose. Rose’s consciousness of Flo’s love towards her also raises this consciousness to the readers and as a result Rose shows sympathy to Flo when she puts her in a nursing home. This also encourages the readers to be more compassionate towards Flo. In addition, in “Family Furnishings”, Alfrida is characterized as this dominant and big-headed character. However once the narrator discovers Alfrida’s true identity and health conditions as she is placed in a nursing home, The narrator's perspective as well as the readers’ point of view adjusts to become more sympathetic to Alfrida and conscious of her true character and living circumstances.

Therefore through Munro’s strategic writing, in regards to showcasing one perspective and then exposing many other sides of the story, this encourages readers to be more empathetic of the characters within the story, as they are more educated and conscious of their living and health conditions as well as their true intentions. This is achieved through Munro’s incorporation of first person narration, in which she mostly uses within her stories to narrate the story through one lens, focusing on the protagonist, their emotions, and viewpoint. The reader therefore lives through the life of the protagonist, with one side of the story uncovered. Subsequently when the climax or peak arrives, alternative surfaces of the story also unveil that cause the readers to develop feelings of empathy towards certain characters that they did not necessarily favor previous to the climax. This consequently evokes emotional intelligence, as the readers are aware of the emotions of multiple characters within the story; this is evidently present in Munro’s “Moons of Jupiter”. All in all, Wallace’s theory in conjunction with Alice Munro's short stories births the overarching premise of shared humanity.

Chineau Achebe in Things Fall Apart

Prompt: The personal history of an author can have a significant influence on the way meaning is constructed in his/her writing. Comment on specific instances of such influences in Things Fall Apart.

Thesis Statement

Chinua Achebe's personal history was deeply integrated within the core of Things Fall Apart through equally capturing both Igbo and Christian beliefs and customs. This was evident through the potent representation of the Igbo culture and community, as well as the Christian missionaries, to firm the backbone of Achebe's hybridized origin.

Topic Sentences

1. Through Achebe's unveiling of the complexities and hardships of both the Igbo and Christian faith, he is able to publicly voice his conflict in identity as a blend of both cultures

2. The dichotomy of the vulnerable Igbo community rooted by their blind conversion to Christianity, and the contrast of Okonkwo's firm grip to the Igbo ways, combating their surrender, composed Achebe's identity crisis, his depiction as a failed Igbo member, and the bidirectional nature of the Igbo.

3. The representation of Christianity through Reverend Brown and Reverend Smith displayed the positive and negative side of Christianity, in which Achebe converts to. 

Gender in Things Fall Apart

Prompt: With reference to Things Fall Apart, discuss how an understanding of gender influences how the text may be understood.

Thesis Statement:

Gender-related differences in Things Fall Apart cultivates distinct trails for Umuofian males and females, evident through customary Igbo practices such as ritual events, agriculture, child-care, and penalties that delve into societal realities of Igbo time to give the reader appreciation of culture, religion, and prominent themes.

Topic Sentences:

1. Gender in Things Fall Apart implants cultural variation that in turn projects its exclusivity to aid in the understanding of the values of the Igbo culture

2. The distinction of sexual category through gender in Things Fall Apart enhances the understanding of the chain of command within the Igbo government

3. Gender clogs central themes and internal conflicts such as hyper-masculinity, which in turn serves as the backbone for understanding the choices of characters in Things Fall Apart

Thesis Statement

Prompt: With reference to Things Fall Apart, show how sub-plots or secondary characters contribute to the reader’s understanding and appreciation of the work as a whole. 

Chinua Achebe's selective implementation of interweaving plots and prominent secondary characters such as Nwoye, Unoka, and his three wives, cultivates the emergence of Okonkwo's character highlighting his tragic flaws in which cradle his path to downfall, the dilemmas implanted within the Igbo culture, and overarching premises penetrating through the foundation of the plot.

Okonkwo: A Tragic Hero

Why would Achebe, taking into account the cultural context, choose to characterize Okonkwo using the tragic hero archetype?

Many African cultures including the Igbo, have faith in the principle that life prolongs from ancestral grounds and chains through the current community to the yet unborn; this insinuates the strong belief in communal rituals of life with their descendants. Thus African literature revolves around the destruction of these traditional, cultural, and economic systems through external forces, in which is disputed by the protagonist who adheres to the old traditions despite the benefits of the new modification. Consequently, this leads to their overthrow and the birth of a "tragic hero": a virtuous character in a dramatic tragedy who is destined for downfall, suffering, or defeat.

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe exhibits a tragic hero by the name of Okonkwo. Okonkwo withheld a high position within Umuofia due to his outstanding victory against Amalinze the cat at 18 years old. Suitably, he was idolized and equally classified as a hero. Then over the gradual years, he gained the trust of the Igbo people and became relied on in times of troubles. Therefore the occurrence accidental shooting, in which lead to his exile, spoiled his name within Umuofia and all his accomplishments that he built, block by block; this was the start of his downfall. As quoted by Achebe: "His life had been ruled by a great passion to become one of the lords of the clan…Then everything had been broken. He had been cast out of his clan like a fish onto the dry, sandy beach, panting". This reversal of events is traceable to Okonkwo's character traits and personal flaws that include fear of failure and femininity, rooted by his shame towards his father. Furthermore, since Okonkwo witnessed the conversion of the Igbo people to Christianity during return to his motherland, after British colonization, this lead to his sanity and his eventual death. 

Achebe strategically implements the tragic hero archetype to characterize Okonkwo, a community-oriented hero, who is strongly attached to the ancient Igbo ways. But as a result of the hero's strict adherence to Igbo traditions and religion, personal and moral flaws, and the external forces of the British, some reversible actions lead to the construction of the tragedies and Okonkwo's downfall in Things Fall Apart. This however deeply rooted emotions within the novel that as a result taught the readers about the Nigerian colonization of the British and its effect on the members of the community.

Igbo Background Assignment

Persuasive Speech to the Royal Colonial Institute:

Good morning,

I am Rob Smith, speaking on behalf of the Igbo people, an ethnic group situated in Nigeria. It is unfortunate to say that this vulnerable group of people are soon to be victims of colonialism due to the ignorance of the European and British; yes, it is indeed people like me and you that are disrupting the harmony and synchronization of such a distinct and unique community.

Despite having a positive mindset for colonialism in regards to supporting the Igbo people economically and socially by ending the enigma of twinship, women abuse, and supplying with European resources, there are more superior factors such as religion, traditional customs, and culture that are more potent in their lifestyle; it is easy to say that their life hinges on it. As a result, through colonizing their territories and the Igbo themselves, this is tearing apart their society bit by bit, consequently leading to the loss of their identity. Therefore it is necessary for us to consider and evaluate the consequences of colonialism on the Igbo, whom retain their own distinct religion, social and political structure, associations, and way of life; as opposed to neglectfully seizing such possessions of theirs and converting them to ours, let us learn more about them and their standard of living.

Firstly, a major product of colonialism that needs to be mentioned is the loss of diversity, specifically cultural diversity, to this planet. The adoption of European culture is a threat to the Igbo culture, as it leads to its extinction. Secondly, an additional product of colonialism is the destruction of religious backgrounds by attempting to convert the Igbo people to Christianity; this shift in religion is destructive to their sanity, as their entire lifetime they grew up believing that their god is Chukwu. This sudden change in belief may result in dangerous confusion and a change in many of their religious and cultural practices, that all in all will have a detrimental impact on the close-minded people. Moreover, the social and political structure is destroyed since it is the foundation of relationships between families, tribes, the elderly, and chiefs; specifically it could result to loss of value and authority of the elderly and chiefs, which the Igbo community is greatly built upon. Furthermore, associations such as the Igbo women association, in which have been previously built and evolved are fully disordered. Why rupture such strong attachment to the well-built Igbo culture? I would simply like for everyone to take a moment to rethink their standpoint on colonialism. Do u accept for the Igbo culture to turn to ashes as a result of setting the wild fire of colonialism?

Chinua Achebe Interview Shared Inquiry Discussion

Through the presentation of factual, interpretative, and evaluative questions within the in-class discussion, much about the cultural and literary context of Achebe's work was studied. In summary, African literature reveals a variety of perspectives of a story, as opposed to focusing on one, while linking to a world-wide issue of oppression; consequently a mutual global chain is formed to tie the author, the characters, and the international readers all together. Furthermore, Achebe clearly outlines his position on the exporting of American culture that is highly concentrated within literature. He believes that excess exporting of American culture initiates imbalance of stories, as one side of the story is highlighted through the excessive focus on America's culture, ideas, and behavior. Moreover he considers it to be toxic as people are limiting themselves to one side of the world.

In reference to the interviewer's excerpt of a quote said by Nadine Gordimer in an Atlantic Unbound interview this past winter: "English is used by my fellow writers, blacks, who have been the most extreme victims of colonialism. They use it even though they have African languages to choose from. I think that once you've mastered a language it's your own. It can be used against you, but you can free yourself and use it as black writers do -- you can claim it and use it."

The quote stated above clears the air for black writers, in regards to their extensive use of the English language, as opposed to African languages, within their writing. I most definitely agree with Nadine Gordimer that the African's lack of administrative power lead to the colonization of many African countries. As a result English, in which is the universal language, was spread throughout, claimed by them, and used in order to strengthen their success within the writing industry to be reached to a larger and global audience; and through the use of English arises internal liberty within the black authors, which is positively demonstrated within their pieces of writing.

Paper 1: "Pleasure of Books" by William Lion Phelps

            As William Lion Phelps articulated in his "The Pleasure of Books" speech: "Books are for use, not for show". Since this extracted phrase and entire political speech is voiced through a radio, it is addressed to human beings of all age and circumstances, particularly those who are unable to access media as well as young teenagers. Considering that this speech was delivered in the old-time radio era, specifically in 1933, radios were greatly used by families, especially during the mornings while eating breakfast. Through this strategic means of communication, Phelps persuades the listeners to pursue the hobby of reading and to own books as opposed to only collecting or borrowing them. In reference to the title, the main theme explored is the essence of pleasure that books deliver when reading them, as the author is specifically appealing to the sense of gratifications that human beings desire, which is a method of persuasion to initiate this spark of interest. In order for Phelps to voice this message, he uses a range of literary devices, primarily similes, diction, as well as the inclusion of a variety of structural and literary features.

          Through the strategic implementation of analogies in the means of similes, the author is able to invigorate the image of a borrowed book as well as the impact of owning books as against to borrowing them. William Phelps powerfully begins his speech with a striking introduction to immediately connect with the audience as a whole: "The habit of reading is one of the greatest resources of mankind". This is enhanced with the use of a simile, comparing a borrowed book to "a guest in the house" to enliven the negative portrayal of a borrowed book and appeal to the sense of ownership as one can never have enough freedom to use it to their liking and that a formal barrier will be present to confine any sense of ease and casualness. This appeal to the sense of ownership is further developed with the use of an additional simile when comparing the marking of favorite passages in an owned book to "visiting a forest where [one] blazed a trail". This implantation of imagery in conjunction with a simile stimulates an immediate effect on the audience as it attempts to persuade through appealing to pathos and nature. Furthermore, the appeal to pathos is applied to passionately persuade the listeners that owning a book will trigger a personal emotional connection to occur that will forever be embedded in one's memory.

            Through pathos, the author implants diction to emotionally persuade and appeal to the audience's sentiments of gaining friends through the reading of books. Phelps states: "But book-friends have this advantage over living friends; you can enjoy the most truly aristocratic society in the world whenever you want it". This statement specifically targets teenagers who are facing discrimination or hatred from society and as a result through Phelps's argument on book-friends being better than living friends, the young listeners would be attracted to the idea of reading books. Moreover, the author includes: "The best of mural decorations is books; they are more varied in color and appearance than any wallpaper, they are more attractive in design, and they have the prime advantage of being separate personalities, so that if you sit alone in the room in the firelight, you are surrounded with intimate friends". By targeting young listeners, through the application of imagery and diction, Phelps is able to design a clear image in their minds of a colorful bookshelf with a fireplace that when one sits to read the books, are surrounded by friends. Phelps's selection of words combined have an immediate effect on the young teenagers to envision a perfect quiet space, away from the disruptions of society and the world.

            In addition to the author's inclusion of similes, diction, and imagery, the enclosure of particular structural and literary features is filtered through. This initially includes the author's construction of an experienced and reliable character, as a professor of English at Yale University, to appeal to ethos, which initiates an instant outcome on the audience to trust the author's words, causing to alter their standpoint on books and persuade them not only collect, but read. Furthermore syntax was embedded in the first paragraph when the author speeches: "You must see that it sustains no damage; it must not suffer while under your roof. You cannot leave it carelessly, you cannot mark it, you cannot turn down the pages, you cannot use it familiarly". The formation of short, abrupt sentences leads to the presence of pauses while articulating the speech that adds drama or suspense in the point of view of the listeners, instigating their attention. Moreover, the author's constant repetition of "you" indicates the use of second person singular to speak directly to the listeners and revolve the speech around them. This once again is successfully in acquiring their devotion. Moreover the repetition of "must" in the first sentence and "cannot" in the second sentence put emphasis on the concept of having to be overprotective if using a borrowed book, as it requires much maintenance. As a result, Phelps convinces that one should own books in order to break the barrier of formality that is faced while using a borrowed book. Lastly dialogue is planted in the third paragraph through the author when he speaks: "Most of my indoor life is spent in a room containing six thousand books; and I have a stock answer to the invariable question that comes from strangers. "Have you read all of these books?" "Some of them twice." This reply is both true and unexpected." Once again, the author firms his position as an experienced literary author through the use of dialogue between him and a stranger by implementing a question to answer their doubts of owning many books. Consequently, in the standpoint of the listeners, this is a source of encouragement that could possibly trigger their curiosity and passion for books.

           To conclude, William Lion Phelps's presentation of his political speech, "The Pleasure of Books", was aimed to impact all human beings, mainly young teenagers, to plant a seed of love for books. With the purpose of persuading through the use of the appeal of pathos and a range of literary and structural devices, his writing and wording style placed an ardent, encouraging, affirming, and intense tone, thus situating the audience with an inspired, optimistic, and curious mood. His message however was not spread to everyone, including the Nazi Germany, and lead to the burning of books that withheld any "ungerman" ideas.

Coriolanus IOC

Link to Audio File:
https://sites.google.com/a/raha-international-school.org/audio-files/deema-s-ioc-audio

IOC Passage

Act 1, Scene 1 (lines 193-230)

Coriolanus. Hang 'em! They say!
They'll sit by the fire, and presume to know
What's done i' the Capitol; who's like to rise,                                                             
Who thrives and who declines; side factions
and give out                                                                                                                                  5
Conjectural marriages; making parties strong
And feebling such as stand not in their liking
Below their cobbled shoes. They say there's                                                                 
grain enough!
Would the nobility lay aside their ruth,                                                                                       10
And let me use my sword, I'll make a quarry
With thousands of these quarter'd slaves, as high
As I could pick my lance.                                                                                                   

Menenius Agrippa. Nay, these are almost thoroughly persuaded;
For though abundantly they lack discretion,                                                                                15
Yet are they passing cowardly. But, I beseech you,
What says the other troop?

Coriolanus. They are dissolved: hang 'em!                                                                  
They said they were an-hungry; sigh'd forth proverbs,
That hunger broke stone walls, that dogs must eat,                                                                      20
That meat was made for mouths, that the gods sent not
Corn for the rich men only: with these shreds
They vented their complainings; which being answer'd,                                              
And a petition granted them, a strange one—
To break the heart of generosity,                                                                                                    25
And make bold power look pale—they threw their caps
As they would hang them on the horns o' the moon,
Shouting their emulation.                                                                                          

Menenius Agrippa. What is granted them?

Coriolanus. Five tribunes to defend their vulgar wisdoms,                                                          30
Of their own choice: one's Junius Brutus,
Sicinius Velutus, and I know not—'Sdeath!
The rabble should have first unroof'd the city,                                                            
Ere so prevail'd with me: it will in time
Win upon power and throw forth greater themes                                                                           35
For insurrection's arguing.

Menenius Agrippa. This is strange.

Coriolanus. Go, get you home, you fragments!    

The Theme of Power in Coriolanus

The highly pigmented theme of power is deeply penetrated through Shakespeare's play: Coriolanus, by means of mimicking the well-defined social structure present in the Elizabethan era. It is according to this schemed allocation, which one is unconsciously placed in based on wealth, that worthiness, autonomy, and power is verified. This in turn offers 'natural' privileges for those comfortably lounging in the realms of the upper class as they are granted authority and respect over the citizens bearing the loss of civilization in the grounds of the lower class. Shakespeare meritoriously illustrated this imbalance of dominance through the core representations of the main characters. The preliminary position of the plebeians in the play firms their lack of power and say to acquire a sufficient fraction of the corn, in which the patricians have an abundant supply of. Coriolanus, the protagonist, who believes that his inherited placement as a patrician grants him the entitlement to overrate himself over the plebeians, while devaluing them. This was the initial spark to his malfunction of speech that led to his collapse. But after his singular triumph against the Aufidius, Coriolanus desired the position of a higher power within the political arena and therefore applied for consul. The tribunes, Brutus and Sicinius, who are the representatives of the plebeians, however due to their quenched thirst for power, managed to manipulate the plebeians to revoke their votes and kill Coriolanus despite his victory against Aufidius for Rome. Aufidius is the leader of Volsces who also craved power to take over Rome and Coriolanus himself and rule the Volsces powerfully. Meneninus, who is also a patrician impersonates a more successful character as he maintains a healthy balance between part-taking with the commoners and the patricians. Volumnia, who also yearned for power, took advantage of her character as Coriolanus's mother and lived through him. As a result it is evident that the theme of power is prevalent in Shakespeare's Coriolanus.

Shakespeare’s larger purpose in his characterization of Coriolanus in Act I

Shakespeare, being the masterful, prolific author he is, strategically molded the one main character of the play 'Coriolanus' to seize two diverse identities: one through the body and nature of 'Caius Martius', who was present in the start of Act 1, and the other through 'Coriolanus', who was introduced at the end of Act 1 as a result of a series of events, which purely unveils and affirms Shakespeare's larger purpose of birthing a complex political play, exposing the two frameworks of the play that is the setting of the battlefield versus the city and capitol building, as well as constructing the conflicts of the plot and future visions.

On account of the instantaneous objection of the citizens of Rome on the shortage of corn, a deleterious relationship is set off between the commoners and patricians of the senate, where the immediate social barriers implanted between the lower-class citizens embodied by plebeians, and higher-class figures mainly epitomized by Martius, hatched an imbalance of control over both voices and decisions, consequently birthing a complex political play. The trigger of such imbalance is Martius, in which his harsh, abrupt words towards the plebeians: "What's the matter, you dissentious rogues, that rubbing the poor itch of your opinion, make yourself scabs?" stimulated hate towards him and the burning desire to take him down; political catastrophes emerged due to Martius's deficient political language as well as arrogant character, revealing his lack of verbal control and diplomatic speech.

In the following scenes during the Roman's battle against the Volsces, the honored character of Coriolanus arises to uncover Martius's new status as a demi-god, leader, and hero, consequently creating a contrast from his former image. This is attributable to his singular significant defeat against Aufidius, in which left him with bloody scars as evidence for his bravery and determination to protect Rome. In addition Shakespeare unveils his leader-like qualities as a result of his commands on positioning and strategies to overthrow the Volsces. Moreover, after the battle, Coriolanus grows to become very wise and humble, as he does not ask for a reward; he declared: "But cannot make my heart consent to take a bribe to pay my sword. I do refuse it and stand upon my common part with those that have beheld the doing." Thus, he earns a temporary higher standing in the eyes of the plebeians. Taken as a whole, in comparison to his first identity as Martius, it is evident that Coriolanus is better at welfare than politics as he was able to prove his physical power on the battle field in comparison to his weak political speech and verbal communication in the city capitol. Shakespeare therefore establishes that being physically strong does not make one qualified to lead a country or for Martius's case, the city of Rome.

This disproportion in the identity of Martius instigates the groundwork of the conflict of the plot, as well as foreshadows future events that occur within the play. The conflict is triggered by the attempt of electing of Coriolanus as consul, which is dependent upon the votes of the citizens of Rome. Thus, the plebeians needed to reflect on his ruthless attitude at the start as well as his brave victory of the battle against the Volsces, in order to make the decision. Therefore if both contrasting identities were absent, there would be no conflict because it was the imbalance of qualities that created questioning on whether or not Coriolanus will become consul. The conflict derived from the plebeians revoking their votes because Martius's irresponsibility of words overpowers his heroic victory in the battle. Consequently his failure leads to him joining forces with Aufidius, fighting against Rome, then turning back down, and dying. Additionally, Shakespeare characterized Coriolanus as 'mama's boy', which is shown within act 1, where his mom was his motivation, as she had set goals for him to fight and win battles. This foreshadows that it is his mom that convinces him to retrieve from his partnership with Aufidius, which then leads to his death. Furthermore, due to his weakness in verbal communication Coriolanus also withholds bad acting skills, which this flaw is then passed down within the play when his mother convinces him to pretend to care for the plebeians to obtain their votes. But because he doesn’t have any internal desires to please the common followers and because he was unable to act well and was immediately enraged by the commoners, he failed; this also impacted his collapse of becoming consul, which then led to the following actions of joining forces with Aufidius and then dying. From this, Shakespeare suggests that successful political leaders are good actors.

Hence from Shakespeare's characterization of Martius's contrasting identities that withhold opposing qualities, greater drives are targeted within the play that in fact impact the conflicts and future events of the plot, construct the diverse settings, as well as establish its genre as a political play.

" I suggest that we may learn from spaces of silence as well as spaces of speech..."

Text: http://www.wright-house.com/ac/papers97/Gilbert-Manning-Paper.html

Written by Fenix A. Gilbert-Manning in 1997 for a conference facilitated by an instructor for the advocates for the children program, part of the College Park Scholars community at the University of Maryland, college park, this paper greatly demonstrates one of bell hook's quotes that states: " I suggest that we may learn from spaces of silence as well as spaces of speech, that in the patient act of listening to another tongue we may subvert that culture of capitalist frenzy and consumption that demands all desire must be satisfied immediately, or we may disrupt that cultural imperialism that suggests one is worthy of being heard only if one speaks in standard English…"

Despite the prefabricated reputation that the United States proudly grips for retaining and sheltering a wide-range of populations, historically it has built a linguistic wall that bears the weight of their national identity, while blocking the languages and dialects of others, therefore excluding diversity. This encompasses the use of "Standard English".

"Standard English" is the designated label that communicates the 'correct' and widely accepted form of the English language; and if not used, this linguistic wall acts as a barrier for other languages to be heard or even acknowledged; African Americans have greatly suffered from this, leading to the birth of controversies of their language, that is Black English; in spaces of silence from the African Americans, Americans used racial classification in the naming of their "language" - Black English. As a result, in the 1970s within spaces of speech from the African Americans, an alternate stamp: African American Vernacular English (AAVE) was given, which provides recognition as a separate language that holds great worth and value. 

However due to the Americans' ignorance regarding the presence of African Americans and their language, the development of Black English was bumpy and rather harsh. As mentioned in the paper, the deficient theory, in which proposes that "the brains of minority children are lacking a quality that makes them unable to speak Standard English" supports that from these 'spaces of speech' as well as 'spaces of silence' from the African Americans, the Americans assumed that they were attempting to speak the broken version of the Standard English. If only the speakers of 'Standard English' had the patience to listen to African Americans' way of speaking, they would recognize that they have a distinct language that is in their eyes their own 'Standard English' or standard way of speaking.

Another controversy is the unfair placement of black students within special education programs, resulted from the teacher's personal judgement, believing that they have learning disabilities; however they only respond to questions in a form of English that the teacher would not understand. This causes trouble for the black students as the unexpected and unnecessary placement into these programs limits their abilities to learn, while confining them from expanding their knowledge. Therefore within spaces of speech, this was proven wrong by the black student that made the local news, who was an honour roll student that spoke Standard English at home and school. Teachers are impatient, and if only patient in the act of listening to AAVE or in fact any black student, would learn that they are worthy of being heard despite the use of Non-standard English. This marks the acceptance of AAVE by the users of Standard English as well as the disruption of cultural imperialism. Also, AAVE should not mark societal level, as there are also no general consensus on how to deal with AAVE on a societal level. Therefore this subverts the culture of capitalist frenzy and consumption that demands all desire must be satisfied immediately, as AAVE completely breaks such belief.

Speaking In Tongues

What is the value of preserving indigenous languages? 

The significance of indigenous languages is resembled through a plant, where the firm, green stem is the native language, that if constantly watered by its people in the means of care and attention, will grow to form many connected branches, in which embody the language's culture, customs, religion, identity, and community. Therefore, when this stem is standing strong as a result of constant maintenance, so will the language's culture, people, religion, customs, and identity.

These indigenous languages established linguistic bases that many other languages followed, enabling communities to share religions, cultures, and traditions through their means of communication. The language of aboriginals, lift whole communities, while securing their existent cultural connections as well as spiritual traditions. When one's indigenous language is preserved, their identity is positively affirmed.

If this valuable stem was not maintained through its people attention and use, the linked branches will perish and this strong connection between the native language and its culture, traditions, and religion is broken, causing the loss of their traditional background that one community once shared.

Securing and preserving the languages of the aboriginals is also necessary not only to uphold culture and identity, but to preserve their rich vocabulary used within the natural world. The ancient languages of the aboriginals once formed strong interactions with the natural world, in terms of ecosystems, animals, plants, and the wilderness, that is nature. In addition medicinal terminology is described through the words of the indigenous languages, and these words have no translations in other languages. This is very much key to the scientific world, as certain discoveries have been made through the indigenous languages that scientists still haven’t discovered.

Taken as a whole, the value of preserving indigenous languages is shown through its effective response of strengthening individual communities, as well as preserving cultural diversity, which is necessary in maintaining a varied, intricate, and intriguing world.

YouTube Stars - Are they being exploited or empowered?

I certainly believe that YouTube, the most popular video-sharing service at the moment, is a source of empowerment for ordinary people that start posting videos at a young age out of their pure interests in 'broadcasting themselves' and sharing their unique content to the public. If unexpectedly views accumulate, an excessive amount of likes are collected, and many positive comments are received, a huge rush of self-determination is experienced that will enable them to continue to represent their interests, acting on their own authority. The small percentage that become YouTube famous for the most part did not have intentions of becoming 'stars' and globally well-known. Therefore once hitting that victorious and thriving mark, they are in a state of amazement, disbelief, and shock, in which boosts their self-esteem and self-worth to continue, as a result energizing them. Dug within their videos are deep roots of themselves and their interests, and as a result they attract certain audiences that encompass similar passions; the birth of a new community is present, and with much support from YouTube, simply empowers the current 'stars'.

Despite the presence of hateful comments, there are many loved ones, which is a vital driving factor for the YouTuber to upload and continue to expand. Consequently, appreciation is shown in the eyes of the stars to their subscribers and YouTube 'family'; a strong connection is existent between the audience and the YouTuber, in which again emancipates the ordinary person behind the camera. Resultantly, tours arise, merch is created for the subscribers to purchase, and fandoms are formed. This continuously energizes the YouTuber from within and motivates them to continue their journey of success. Some YouTubers, who start a channel due to their hunger for fame and money wind up being unsuccessful as there is no connection being drawn with their audience, causing their channel to shut down with failure.

Roman Atwood, a YouTuber that creates daily vlogs, in which he records his daily life and exposes it to the YouTube world and the public to watch, communicates very much with his subscribers and brings out positivity to YouTube as a whole through his captivating talks and advice. His success was astounding; as the number of subscribers started from 10,000 and rose to 10,000,000 in a matter of years, he was very touched to see such large amount of people watching and enjoying his content. His audience is continuously expanding with no limits, which is a great source of empowerment for him and his family, and in no way shape or form he is being exploited.