Monday, May 13, 2013

The Final final Post


            Entering the English Seminar course I was nervous seeing that the course was the culminating course for my English Bachelors Degree. Seeing I have no experience with blogging I was very happy to find that the blog would be an educational outlet and we must keep the blog as a profession academic space, as I struggle with creativity at times. The class was very easy to come into and discuss the ideas of global context and the idea that the medium shapes the message. This idea is a very important concept, with the world entering a period where technology is changing by the moment and the medium is changing the way students read, write, and understand concepts introduced. The delivery of information has changed dramatically, for example students no longer read in linear order. Unlike a book where information is presented to students in a specific order, now information is presented to students on the Internet that now has links within an informational piece that can take students from an article on zoo animals to Bengal tigers to living conditions in India. Student learning is dynamically changing from day to day and it is up to the teachers to keep up with this.

            An interesting term we covered this semester was hypermediacy, which discusses the medium of a piece and whether you are forced to notice the medium or not. For example if you think of a sitcom or a science fiction film, during a sitcom at times you feel as if the actors are your friends and you are actually a part of the show. However if you are watching a Star Trek film, you are forced to focus on the medium of the film because you are constantly reminded this is a film. Now that I understand this term I see hypermediacy in everyday life. Particularly I see hypermediacy in high fashion. In normal day fashion you see people wearing clothing that blends in with society, however when people wear avant garde pieces, you are reminded that this is high fashion by the outstanding nature of these pieces.

            I appreciated the use of blogging with in the course because I never knew how exciting a blog could be. Looking at my classmates pages I see the creativity and their personalities shining out of the screen and it is incredible to see what a few pictures can do for your blog. Even adding videos or a nice background changes the feel of your blog, which is so amazing.

            The most valuable information I have gain from this course, is from the discussions that took place during class. I have gain so much knowledge from the open discussion that we have had in class. Surprisingly unlike any English class I have enrolled in, everyone was respectful and no one insulted anyone. I must say that this has been one of the classes I looked forward to coming to each class period. I even was excited to bring my daughter into class with me, and to my surprise, we went over the Lion King to show the constructs of the Father, Son archetype. I will truly miss all of you and I hope you all succeed in all your endevours.


Final Draft The Constructs of Happily Ever After


Sherece Usher
ENG 495 SEM
Professor Wexler
May 13 2013
 The Constructs of Happily Ever After
The movie "Slumdog Millionaire", an award winning film reached the masses throughout the globe. The film used an American director and Indian director to portray the story of the impoverished "slumdogs" of Mumbai, India. While this film exposes the harsh conditions of many of the Indian people, it also romanticizes the tale by ending the story with a "happily ever after". The film focuses on two brothers and their attempt to survive in the slums of India as young orphans, and their tale growth. Through the lives and choices of these two brothers Jamal and Salim, you are shown the appeal of the two different types of utopia. While Salim, the older brother serves as a representation of a right winged utopia with a free market, where capitalism flourishes, Jamal, the younger brother represents a more leftist utopia, where all people are given a chance to survive and flourish by elimination of "the root of all evil".
The film “Slumdog Millionaire” is a tale of two brothers growing up in the slums of India during India’s city transition from Bombay to Mumbai. The movie opens with Jamal the younger brother in an interrogation room. Jamal was a contestant on India’s version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire, and despite his meager up bringing’s, the “chai wala” (tea server) has passed all the levels that professors and professionals have not, causing the directors of the show to believe he was cheating. Jamal begins to walk the officers through his life story to show the men how a poor slum dog was able to learn these answers that Indian elites could not answer. By doing so Jamal walks the men through his life. 


                 In the film, Jamal represents the ideals of a leftist Utopia through his life choices and his character’s journey.  Fredric Jameson’s article “The Politics of Utopia,” the author describes this as a world where people are no longer driven by monetary greed. The text states,
“The Utopian world” as such or better and more precisely, with the way in which this or that “root of all evil” has been eliminated from the world…the root of all evil is to be found in gold or money, and that is greed (as psychological evil which needs to be somehow repressed.”
            Jamal’s concern for the greater good was seen at a very early age.  In an early scene of the movie, Jamal and his brother Salim make shift shelter to keep them out of the rain during a storm.  The two brothers see a girl in the rain alone with no shelter.  Jamal then suggests that the brothers should share their shelter with the girl, but his brother tells him that would give the boy less shelter and one more mouth to feed.  Jamal believe it is better for the three to share the wealth than to see someone struggle. Jamal then invites the girl into their shelter and welcomes her to join them on their journey of survival.
            Jamal’s leftist Utopian ideals were also seen in his generous ways.  As a young teen, Jamal did not have a problem sharing his wealth with others. This is seen in the scene where Jamal runs into a fellow orphan that he knew from Moman’s crew, a young boy who was made blind to receive more revenue when begging.   At the time Jamal was doing well for himself and could afford to give.   Jamal gives the boy on hundred dollars because he was in need, just as stated in the article “The Politics of Utopia” in this scene Jamal is making “arrangements in order to arrive at some better and more humane form of life.”
            Ultimately, the leftist utopic ideals are shown through the central story line of the film.  Jamal’s story shows that no matter where you come from, whether it be humble beginnings or not, you can still make it.  In the movie, Jamal is a slum dog turned millionaire who wins the show and the heart of his love interest and childhood companion Latika. The idea of a “happily ever after” and starting from the bottom and pulling yourself up from up from the bootstraps, are the same utopic ideals promoted with the leftist approach to the utopia.  In the leftist utopia, people are to help one another and eliminate the “root of all evil” and foster a love the well being of all people.
            While Jamal represents the leftist ideals of the utopia, his brother Salim is a representation of the right-winged ideals of the utopia.  According to Fredric Jameson, article “The Politics of Utopia” describes the right-winged ideals of utopias “free market fundamentalism.”In the film, from a young age Salim has went after every opportunity to get ahead in life.  One of the very scenes shows Salim managing an outhouse to gain money to gain money.  Shortly after this scene, we see the young Salem selling his brother’s autographed picture of the Indian movie star and when his brother asks why, he simply explains that he saw the profit and took it. 
            Salem runs his life like a business plan.  He is always looking for something to profit from. This is seen in the scene when Jamal and Salim first meet Latika.  Despite that the two boys are young orphans, and should be sympathetic to others in their predicament, Salim does not see it this way.  When Jamal ask Salim to invite her in, Salim immediately dismisses this idea under the pretense that she will become a financial burden with no gain.
            Throughout the film, Salim is shown working both legal jobs, as well as looting jobs in order to gain profit. Salim is focused on making money anyway possible. Salim ambition to rise to the top even drives him as far as to work with the gangster from his old slum.  While his brother feels that this is immoral, Salim sees that he is in the midst of building of Mumbai, creating opportunity for himself.  Salim dies in a bathtub full of money validating that he makes a way from himself out of the slum he came from.
            Overall, the two brothers, Jamal and Salim, represent two different sides of the coin of utopia.  With Jamal showing the left and Salim showing the right, the two men show a utopia ideals influences individuals through Jamal and Salim, the ideals of utopia to the world. Without both boys, as well as both types of utopia, the world would not gain the true meaning of utopia, in global context. 

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Draft

After reaching the point in my education where I am learning more about pedagogy than academic content it is very rough for me to begin an essay. I have not had a class in two semesters that has asked me to analysis literature, texts, or anything else with an academic lens. Here is my very rough draft that consists only of my introduction.

       The movie "Slumdog Millionaire", an award winning film reached the masses throughout the globe. The film used an American director and Indian director to portray the story of the impoverished "slumdogs" of Mumbai, India. While this film exposes the harsh conditions of many of the Indian people, it also romanticizes the tale by ending the story with a "happily ever after". The film focuses on two brothers and their attempt to survive in the slums of India as young orphans, and their tale growth. Through the lives and choices of these two brothers Jamal and Salim, you are shown the appeal of the two different types of utopia. While Salim, the older brother serves as a representation of a right winged utopia with a free market, where capitalism flourishes, Jamal, the younger brother represents a more leftist utopia, where all people are given a chance to survive and flourish by elimination of "the root of all evil".

In class we discussed various text and the concept of utopia, and it was ironic that when we were asked what a utopia was, we all answered with examples of dystopias. I believe that many of us instantaneously view a utopia as a dystopic society because we were trained to view the utopia in a negative light. This is a result of the realm of living in reality. Many parents are now refraining from showing their daughter Disney Princess movies because they feel they are sending the wrong message to their children about life. People no longer want to promote the message of happily every after. But has the harsh reality of life taken away our ability to dream and fantasize, isn't this the stem of the utopian ideals to begin with?

Not in Order In Class Poetry Workshop

In class we were given the time to work on poetry. I decided to work on one structured poem and one free verse poem. The first poem I wrote was a haiku, it was based on the relationship between two people I know. I felt personally that the girl was using this boy for money. This girl represented the cold in the atmosphere and was the boot crushing the head to have monetary gain at all cost. The second poem I wrote was about how when life get hard people either turn to religion or substance abuse. In my life I have seen people face hardships and many times I see them reach a point where they begin to increase their faith in their God and become very religious. On the other side I have seen people in my age group face hardships and turn to alcohol or marijuana to take them into an altered state of existence essentially running from their problems.

Not in Order Mythology Group Presents

After almost 3 weeks my group and I presented our mythology work on the Male Divine. As a group we focused on explaining the different archetypes of the male divine and how they are presented. It was interesting to see that there were five different types of the male divine that ultimately shapes literature. i particular focused on Gods and Fathers, and The Under World. Begin with religion and then the dynamics of Father-Son relationship, I was surprise to see that there is a particular pattern that is seen in all mythology and can even be applied to real life. I was specifically surprised with Father-Son archetype and how this was tied into both desert religions as well as Greco-Roman religion. The father, as the God, is seen as a distant figure who the son cannot connect with, yet would like to make proud, but often feels as if he is not adequate. This is the background story of almost all boy to man stories in Hollywood!

Not In Order Mythology Presentation

I realized that my posts in March were off and I forgot to post the events in class I found important. For these past weeks before spring break groups were presenting their mythology group projects. It was very interesting to learn the many different archetypes from mythology that shape literature in general. I see that many people do not study the different forms of literature and their origins. However, I must admit that until seeking higher education I did not know these archetypes existed because this is not something that we discuss in school. The more you know the foundation of these works, the better your  individual writing will become. I am looking at the group presentation as a  way to strengthen my writing in the future and to find ways apply these concepts to future writing.

Saturday, May 11, 2013

Slumdog Fairytale

Slumdog Millionaire is my favorite film, so I especially enjoyed watching this movie as a class assignment. I loved the idea that life became the teacher for two young boys whose life's went in total opposite directions. It is ironic that all the strife Jamal had faced was the reason that he ended up winning India's version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire. While Jamal tried to do the best he could growing up, while helping others, and trying to do the right thing, Salim on the other hand does as he pleases. Salim was a leader and made a way whether it was a moral action or not. Salim stole, tricked and clawed his way to a temporary success that he cold not keep hold of. Over all the movie is amazing and now looking at it as a global text give a new perspective.

Post Presentation

I was very please with the group presentation in class, which turned out be informational as well as short and to the point. It is often hard to find the balance between enough information to satisfy requirements of an assignment and too much for the class to intake at one class sitting. Often I find as college students we tend to include information that walks the borderline of slightly needed to common sense. College students include every detail and waste time discussing information that is well know and does not need mentioning. I found this issue in my group. I felt as during the developmental stages of our presentation, as a group we tried to include information that either was not needed or was common sense foe the many students in our class.  Fortunately, my group and I were able to cut out the irrelevant information and get straight to the point on the topic. However we must remember that in the college setting this is a not a valued trait, however in the secondary education arena, when introducing students to a new topic, the delivery should be detail oriented down to the smallest unit.

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Grouping in Context

It is ironic that change is the only thing constant in our live yet it is one of the most feared aspects of life as well. We take the same route to work, have favorite foods at restaurants, and shop at the same stores. Often many will say this is for comfort, however I feel this is due to fear of change. In class Professor Wexler unfortunately pushed me out of our comfort zone, however the it is for the best. For the past 4 years at CSUN I have taken the same classes and created bonds with specific people in my cohort, particularly Ellen Moreh, and Ariana Arestigui. No one approaches us because they already know we are a group both inside and outside of the classroom and often when people do approach us unknowingly we shun them, like children on the school yard. Luckily this cliche teenage bond would be broken and despite the fears that came with the change it wad pleasant. I am now in a group with Ali and Emelia whom I found both have children the same age as I do and they are all girls. Sometimes you need a push to move in another direction and when you receive that push it changes you for the better. I am excited and can not wait for our presentation.

The Male in Divine Context

In preparation for Monday's presentation it was very interesting to see the parallels in the archetypes of the male divine and the way culture is structured even today. One aspect that I found very interesting of the concept of the authoritative father and the fearful son. In the Father and Son archetype the father often is distant from the son and has very little attachment to the son after conception. This is believe to be due to the mother carrying the child and creating a connection that no other being can.  The father then as the son grows becomes a fearful figure in which you would like to make proud, but have very little connection. This is so interesting to see because in society and portrayed in the media, sons often want to be a man and make their fathers proud but complain that they do not have a relationship, or that the two are very distant and the son is fearful that he will disappoint the father. The archetypes are seen through out literature as well as in film, art and life. It is interesting to connect the two ideal that were foreign before this presentation.

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Poetry Panic

During our class meeting it was interesting to see the lack of participation for the poetry reading, seeing that "stereotypically" poetry is something that excites students especially those who are afflicted with the love of words. However after looking back I realized that when the poet is not an unfamiliar face, but your own, the vulnerability that is involved can be overwhelming. As I was reading my poem I realized what I felt was impersonal had an underlying meaning that make me feel as if I was removing my clothing with each word. At the end of my poem I felt uncomfortably naked, and relieved that I finally got it off my chest.

Monday, February 18, 2013

Pipe Dreams by Sherece Usher

all under the upper hand
pinching pennies no dreams afloat
nothing left to the Poor and Damned
but faith and hope

come to Me all my lost
by the river lay your troubles down
your tears will not burn and no longer cost
for you are covered in the blood stitched gown

how does one live day to day
red yellow urgent calls
bills to pay
notices stuck on walls

crushed in the pipe is green
when life steals joy puff
here you are permitted to dream
the world is now kush

under the Upper Hand all will fail
faith in God and Drug induced tales
There is no escape none prevail
In an alternate universe we will sail
Hopes and Dreams entail

Cold Harsh Cash By Sherece Usher

It's too cold outside
Boots crushing the heads of man
To squeeze a dollar.

FINAL DRAFT: ALL UNDER THE UPPER HAND


Sherece Usher
Professor Wexler
M 4:00-6:45
18 February 2013
                                                All Under the Upper Hand
As a result of the evolutionary process the human brain unlike any other organism on earth has the ability to analyze information and critically think, which is not apparent in any other living animal. This evolutionary perk has created a hierarchy in the animal kingdom with humans dominating at the top of the pyramid. With this power man began to place value on lives of all living thing, from insects to other human beings as well. In the poem “To A Mouse” by Robert Burns the tyranny of mans dominion is illustrated through the encounter of a well of farmer and a helpless mouse whose winter home has been destroyed.
Robert Burn, Romantic and National poet displayed both aspects in his poem “To A Mouse”. Written in Scots dialect and set in the countryside when a farmer comes across a mouse while plowing. The farmer notices the poor animal is terrified of him as well as his winter home and food destroyed with no time to prepare with the weather change nearing. The first stanza states “Wee, sleekit, cow'rin, tim'rous beastie/ O, what a panic's in thy breastie/ Thou need na start awa sae hasty, / Wi' bickering brattle”  (Burns 1-4. Within these lines the speaker addresses the poor animals panic by stating that it is in no harm and there is no need to panic and run away. The following lines “ I wad be laith to rin an' chase thee,/ Wi' murd'ring pattle!” (Burns 5-6) reassure the animal that it would be unjust to chase the mouse with intent to kill and that no such thing will happen. In lines 7-12, the speaker goes on to express that it is a shamed that despite the kinship that should naturally occur between all animals on Earth, due to mans dominance on Earth it is acceptable to take on the God-like role of deciding the fate of those considered beneath them.
The speaker goes on to expresses sympathy for the poor animal and understanding behind the his actions in lines 13-14 that goes as follows, “I doubt na, whiles, but thou may thieve/ What then? poor beastie, thou maun live” (Burns 13-14).  In the lines the speaker explains that he knows the little mouse steals from the crop, but it is not a great crime for the moue must find a way to survive as well. The speaker goes on to state, “A daimen icker in a thrave/ 'S a sma' request/ I'll get a blessin wi' the lave/ An' never miss't” (Burns line 15-17), exclaiming that the small piece of the speakers crop that the mouse steal often goes unnoticed and that the crop is so bountiful that he will have more than enough to survive.
The speaker in stanzas four and five expresses compassion for the little mouse’s house that was destroyed in only one stroke of the plough. The speaker touches on the time and effort that was placed into planning ahead of time for the winter. Reiterating how the mouse carefully collected items and stored away food during the harvest, so when the chill of winter came, and land was no longer abundant that it would be able to survive. The speaker goes on in stanza six to explain to the little mouse that often planning ahead does not go, as we would like. In the famous line “The best-laid schemes o’ mice and men/ Gang aft agley” (Burns line 45), the speaker explains that just the plans of mice and men often go awry, making similar in many ways. However the poem ends with the speaker envying the little mouse, explain that while his worry is instantaneous and only of the present, unlike the speaker who has memories to look back on and can not see the nothing in the future besides fear.
Overall the poem expresses the tyranny of man’s dominion, although the two creatures are closer than they believe to be. Burns sympathy for all creatures in expresses in David Perkins article “Human Mouseness: Burns and Compassion for Animals” as it states,
He does not idealize animals as nature; he does not –to mention other common reasonings then—bring forward the religious point that God loves all His creatures and so should we; he does not attempt persuasion by snobbery—brutal heartness was, as I said, attributed to the lower classes. Instead Burns takes for granted that animals and humans are fellow mortals” (Perkins 3).
By showing the commonalities in animals and humans, Burns invokes sympathy from the reader for animals, and other creature in general. With burns stating that the two are “fellow mortals” it shows that there really should be a compassion that humans should show to animals and with a deeper level to one another.
            While the poem focuses on the relationship of a human and an animal, the mouse being a smaller helpless creature serves as an analogy to the treatment of the poor in society. While the wealthy could afford to spare what little the less fortunate need to simply survive and have more than enough for themselves, they instead treat the poor as if they are not worthy of life. In the article “Brig O Doon” by Chris sharp it discusses Burns egalitarian poet, citing “To A Mouse” in the following:
Thus Robert, a lively young man and reasonably educated, became politically aware of domestic and international issues concerning justice... Eventually these influences reveal themselves in such poems as "The Ruined Farmer" and "To A Mouse." The later poem is often derided as a childish trifle, but John Steinbeck, for example, was cognizant of its egalitarian innuendo when he paraphrased the line: "The best laid schemes o' Mice and Men."
To A Mouse, illustrates how we are all under the upper hand, and if only we recognized how little it takes to help pne alother we could be in a better place. However with dominion man has become tyrannical, deciding with mortal hand looked upon as if they were Gods, who is worthy of life and who is not. We all can see that just as mice, the plans of man often go awry, leaving nothing but grief and pain.

Works Cited

Sharp, Chris. "Brig O' Doon." British Heritage 30.4 (2009): 26-31.Academic Search Elite. Web. 18 Feb. 2013.

Perkins, David. "Human Mouseness: Burns And Compassion For Animals." Texas Studies In Literature & Language 42.1          (2000): 1. Academic Search Elite. Web. 18 Feb. 2013.