Learning from the Past

Hidden After Offending, Mural at a State Office Is Back, for Peeks Only

For the last decade, one of New York's most controversial pieces of art has been hiding behind a curtain in the State Education Building. The 30-foot mural, entitled "The Genius of America", was painted by Adolphe Yvon in the 1870s. It depicts "angels, babies and women in togas; Gen. George Washington and a god of war; and what seems to be a group of colonial zombies rising from the grave:" The controversy lies in the lower right corner, where a slave in a loincloth is seen being held under the arms by a well-dressed white man. Staff members aren't sure whether the slave is being lifted up or restrained, but the painting was covered nonetheless after numerous complaints. Now the department, led by its first African-American commissioner (John B. King, Jr.), is unveiling the mural for a single hour, once a month, allowing visitors to form their own opinion about the painting's meaning.  Thoughts on the piece are varied; the opinions range from "a majestic work of art" to "an offensive and stilted portrait."

The author, Jesse McKinley, doesn't seem to have any strong feelings about the topic. More often than not, he uses quotes to transmit his feelings. For example, he quotes Mark Schaming saying that the slave image is “about abolition than about emancipation.” He also quotes Dr. King, Jr. saying that "we should make it accessible." This led me to think that McKinley believes the mural should be open to the public. He also seems to think that the painting is about the liberation of slaves, not the use of them.

This article made me think about the past, and how we can learn from it. I believe it was a bad idea to cover "The Genius of America" as it is a good source for looking back and seeing how much the world has grown. Seeing the slaves in the corner made me happy that we have left behind that horrible episode of history. Many mistakes have been made in history and in our personal lives, and it is important to learn from them so we never make them again. We must work forward, trying to solve today's problems so they will not crop up again in the future.

~Adrian

Trust

The Night Circus is a beautifully written debut novel by Erin Morgenstern. The level of detail is intricate and artistic, and the complex story is enchanting (and perhaps overdone)– it draws you in the moment you start reading it. While the written story is slightly suffocated by trivial details,  I think there are a few strong messages at its core. One of these is that trust is fragile, and trusting someone is an important step in your relations.

Let me tell you a little about the plot, in case you haven't read this book yet (you should.) It's written in the present tense, which helps the reader immerse him/herself completely. The story takes place in the late 1800s and early 1900s over the course of about 30 years, with a few exceptions in the first and last chapters. It begins with a magician's daughter (Celia, 6 years of age at this time), who is bound into a "challenge" with another young magician (Marco), whose identity is not revealed to her until later on in the story. After this event, the two opponents are taught separately, each with their own mysterious instructor (for Celia her distant father, for Marco a strange man named Alexander). Not much happens during this peaceful time. Finally, we come to the rising action: Celia auditions for the role of illusionist in Chandresh Christophe Lefévre's (a rich entrepreneur) new endeavor; a circus the likes of nothing ever seen before. She gets the job (of course), and she is swept into the magical world of Le Cirque des Rêves. It also happens that Marco is working as M. Lefévre's assistant. Each of them add magical constructions to the circus in turn as part of the ongoing competition (they still don't know who their opponent is). The circumstances become complex when it is revealed that one of them must die in order for the other to win.

Now, let's come to the part about trust. The complicated situation that Marco and Celia are put in (it becomes even more complicated when they fall in love) inevitably causes them to tell others things in order to feel more secure. However, some people aren't the best ones to trust with your secrets or problems. Celia trusted her father as a child, but as an adult she finds it difficult. He criticizes her constantly and in a bad way, believing that maybe she is stupid and unworthy of his time. On the other hand, when she tells  Tsukiko (a contortionist who was formerly in a similar challenge) about her problems, the contortionist is understanding and calm, nudging Celia in the right direction with tranquility. I think Erin Morgenstern wants her readers to know that trusting someone is an important decision that should be given some thought.

Trust is something that everyone desires, or at least should desire from one another. Without trust, there is no friendship, and without friendship, there is no love. However, we should never take advantage of that trust. Trust is the bond between two friends, and taking advantage of that will lead to discord and anger. Friendship and love are important, and trust is the "glue" that holds two people together. Trust should be cultivated, as it is the root of a relationship; it is great to be able to talk with someone about anything we might have going on in our lives.

~Adrian

PS: Sorry I posted this so late (or early, you might say). I'm currently in a country that's in a different time zone, so it's a perfectly normal time here :)

Deadening of the Soul

Mad World by Gary Jules (originally by Tears for Fears)

For song, click here.

For lyrics, click here.

Over the past year or two, the song "Mad World" by Gary Jules has repeatedly showed up on my Pandora radio station. Although I never really paid attention to the lyrics, the melody always brought a strong melancholy feeling. Once I read the lyrics, I realized how dark of a song it was. The words are almost depressing, but I still love the song. I felt that it would be very interesting to analyze this song and decipher what the singer wanted the listener to feel and understand about the world. I interpreted the song to have a strong claim about our fast, modern world.

I believe that this song is about the way routine and work deadens people's spirits. It seems to be sung from the perspective of an outsider; someone who isn't ingrained into modern society. The song is about the repetitiveness of life, the dullness of living a lifestyle without surprises. "Worn out places, worn out faces... going nowhere, going nowhere," Jules sings in a sad melody. I think this symbolizes how systems and plans can make places seem to lose their place; a loss of character and singularity. People, too– he seems to be saying that routine works the life and joy out of humans. While this might be a little exaggerated, I think that it's true that a steady pattern in life can make us a little bit dull. Jules also says this: "No expression, no expression... no tomorrow, no tomorrow." I think that by this he is showing how routine can make life seem never-ending. He suggests that people going to work every day are expressionless, that they are no longer people– just automated bodies doing work. He is also saying that with this never-ending routine there are no surprises. Nothing new, nothing surprising, nothing special.

The music also plays a big part in delivering this gloomy message. It has a repetitive pattern, and the notes are low and calm. Jules seems to be declaring his claim in a tranquil, composed manner– even though the lyrics seem like they could be fluctuating in tone, more erratic. I listened to the original version of the song by Tears for Fears, but it seemed less touching because of this varying melody. Jules' music was deeper. As Willie Nelson said, "Music... is the one thing that can instantaneously travel to your soul." I think that Jules used this philosophy to create a beautiful piece of music that also transmitted an important message.

I feel like what Mad World says about routine is true, and it's inspired me to let more spontaneity into my life. I don't want to be expressionless and worn out, I want to live a life full of surprises! I'm usually kind of closed-minded, and this song woke me up to the drab life I'm living. I think that everyone should be open-minded, or else the world might be the horrid, boring, never-ending world that Mad World describes. We need to live as insiders and outsiders, in order to see the world from different perspectives and understand how others think and feel about things.

~Adrian

Rift of Inequality

I just read the article "Inequality Is Holding Back the Recovery" by Joseph E. Stiglitz, which is about economic growth and inequality in America. Here's my take on what Stiglitz was saying in his article. The article starts out talking about the 2012 Presidential election. In this election, each side debated important economic issues: the uneasiness of the current economy and the growing divide between the 1% and the rest– an inequality of outcome and opportunity. Politicians talk about these things as separate events, but they are closely intertwined. Inequality restrains economic growth. The extent of the country’s inequality is a serious threat to America’s population. After 40 years of increasing inequality and the largest economic downturn since the Depression, America still hasn’t done anything to help. The middle class is too weak to support consumer spending, which has historically driven the USA’s economy. Inequality is continually increasing, making more than 1/5 of the children in America poor– which puts us behind countries like Bulgaria, Latvia, and Greece. Income and wealth are now the main goal in America; no longer the dream of a better life that attracted immigrants so long ago. Even if the economic part was ignored, this type of inequality is putting stress on social and political life. Despite Obama’s commitment to help all Americans, the recession has put a damper on political support and increased unemployment rates. As prices plummet, so has wealth– many are left with negative net worth, and student debt is now about $1 trillion. The Presidential Administration should’ve started rebuilding the economy from the bottom up, allowing people to pay off debts and keeping the youth in school. The Bush administration is mostly to blame– his steep tax cuts and wars in Iraq widened the division between rich and poor. As Obama’s second term begins, everyone must face the fact that the country cannot grow quickly, be it economically, socially, or politically. Everyone must ask themselves how much growth they would be willing to sacrifice for a little more equality and opportunity.

I think that Stiglitz felt strongly about his topic. He truly wanted the reader to know how intertwined economic recession and inequality are, and how each affects the other in a sort of never-ending loop. He used very strong, convincing sentences and words (almost exaggerated) that made me stop and think about what he was saying. "Skyrocketing inequality," "Severe... cycles that make our economy more volatile," and "Stifling and squelching our economical growth" were a few of the sentences that stood out to me. Although the article was mainly about money and the economy, it was still very thought-provoking. 

The article made me think about inequality and how great rifts are formed between people because of race and economical situation. Those who have more money and security feel confident taking their own path in life and seize good opportunities. Those who don't can be left behind; they can be, even today, often socially disregarded. They can't take the risks that others can, and therefore can't help the economy and society grow as much. I think that this shows how much we need to consider others and hold everyone as equal to ourselves. No matter what situation someone is in, they have feelings, thoughts, and dreams that everyone should encourage to grow. If they feel small or uncared for, they will almost always end up pushed below the surface. What are your views on this topic? Please leave a reply.

~Adrian

BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Stiglitz, Joseph E. "Inequality Is Holding Back the Recovery." Opinionator. The New York Times, 19 Jan. 2013. Web. 22 Jan. 2013.

Voicing Your Beliefs

My post today is on an article about the recent death of Aaron Swartz. "The Inspiring Heroism of Aaron Swartz", by Glenn Greenwald, tells of his exploits in activism, as he was a strong advocate for internet freedom. The famous computer programmer committed suicide on Friday at age 26. At a young age, Swartz played key roles in the creation the RSS software and popular website Reddit. When Reddit was purchased, he received a large sum of money which helped him become a legend before he was 18. However, he had little interest in using this to his own advantage. Instead, he worked only and always for his conception of the public good. These ideals included internet freedom, civil liberties, and making information and knowledge as available as possible. He was strongly against SOPA, a bill that would have let the government exercise censorship over the internet. In 2008, Swartz worked against Pacer, a site that provides access to court documents for a per-page fee. He was offended that people had to pay to access public documents. Helped by a friend, Swartz started a program to download millions of these documents and release them to the public. For this, he was investigated by the FBI, but never charged. In 2011, was arrested for supposedly targeting JSTOR, a company that distributes articles written by academics and sells them to subscribers at high prices. The program’s profits did not pay the scholars who wrote the articles, intsead benefiting the publishers. Swartz was offended by this and he allegedly trespassed into an MIT computer-wiring closet to download millions of these articles.

The Courage Inside

Everyday, although we probably don't notice it, we act boldly and show inner courage. Even in tiny little things, such as going to a different place for lunch. Although you might think "That isn't bravery," it is! By trying new things and taking possible risks, we show acts of courage that strengthen our character and make us more dynamic. I think that J.R.R. Tolkien was explaining this to his readers with The Hobbit.

The Hobbit is about a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins who lives in a peaceful community known as the Shire. In the Shire, no one likes risks or adventures, and everyday life is simple and quiet, if not a bit boring. One day, a wizard named Gandalf comes to his house and invites him to join an adventure. As you might expect, Bilbo is quite surprised and at a loss of words. Bilbo finally refuses and Gandalf leaves, but not before he leaves a strange mark on Bilbo's door. Later that evening, an unexpected troupe of dwarves arrives at Bilbo's house, apparently led there by the aforementioned mark. They try to get Bilbo to sign a paper saying that he will be part of their adventure, but he refuses. The next morning, all the dwarves have left and Bilbo realizes he's made a mistake by not joining. He finds the paper, signs it, and runs after the dwarves. Ok, now we fast forward a few chapters. Bilbo is alone in a dark cave with Gollum, who is hoping to eat him. Bilbo is absolutely terrified, but in a last attempt for his life, he asks Gollum to play a game of riddles. If Bilbo wins, Gollum shows him the way out, and if Gollum wins, he gets to eat Bilbo. These two acts of bravery are Tolkien's way of telling us that we have a lot of boldness inside of us, no matter how shy or frail we may seem.

I think Tolkien is completely right. Every person in the world has a brave side, and we all make life-changing decisions everyday, even if we don't think it.  Every choice we make has a strong impact on our lifestyle, and changing the way you are is a bold and important thing to do. I think that knowing this is very important, as something could pop up in which your "survival" is teetering. Someone could bully you, or someone could try to make you do the wrong thing (just say no!), such as taking drugs. If we are aware that we are not weak, that we have courage, we can stand up to such threats! No matter how weak we think we are, we all have a strong courage inside that will allow us to emerge from bad situations safely.

In Unity There Is Strength

     Jacqueline Woodson, who is a friend of my family's,  gave me her picture book Show Way as a gift when we first moved to New York. Reading it affected me deeply, especially when I was younger and didn't know about slavery. I think this book is a great historical story, but that it also has some strong messages to tell children.
     The story is about Jacqueline's female ancestors who lived during slavery and the Civil Rights movement. It has an anecdote for almost every member of her family, starting out with her great-great-great-great-grandmother all the way to her daughter Toshi. An important focus of the story is that all of them knew how to quilt incredible cloths. At first, these cloths were sewn as maps for escape from slavery. They then became more of a cultural tradition, but the original myths remained.
   Jacqueline and Hudson Talbott (the illustrator) used some great craft moves to make their readers feel emotions. Jacqueline repeated the anecdotes of her first two ancestors (the ones mentioned in the book); "When [the person] was seven, she was sold to a plantation... without her ma or pa but with some muslin her ma had given her." This made me feel like there was no end to what was happening, and hopeless that anything good would occur. Hudson Talbott's illustrations were very thought-provoking (and very well-done). He used dark, cool colors and silhouettes when times were troublesome. This gave a forlorn feel to the scenes. He then used bright, warm colors when things were going well for the characters. Flowered patterns helped give a sense of growth and possibility.
     The quilt also had a deep meaning in the story, apart from being a map guiding the slaves to freedom. I think it symbolized unity, and how if we stand together as one we are strong. Quilts are
stitched together of different scraps of cloth, which I found to be particularly meaningful. The scraps represent the people– how we are all different– and the stitches  represent the harmony between them. Jacqueline wanted to teach her readers that people can wield great power if they stand together, which is apparent in the historical facts she provided– the Civil Rights movement, the abolition of slavery. If we want to change something, we have to stand tall as a community to speak out for what we think is right!

Very Like a Flower

      Marcelo in the Real World is a fantastic novel by Francisco X. Stork. The main character is Marcelo, an autistic 17-year old who has spent his life at a special school (during the day) and never experienced what his father calls the "real world". One summer, his dad decides that it is time for Marcelo to be faced with the real world. Marcelo strongly refuses, but his dad offers him a trade: Marcelo will work at his dad's law firm for the summer without any stumbles and in return he will not have to attend a public high school the next year. Although Marcelo is angry and shuts himself in at first, he slowly comes out of his shell and discovers the dangers and wonders of the real world. I think that the message in this story is to always be open-minded, because you never know what incredible things you might experience.
     In the book, Marcelo starts out very close-minded and reluctant to start his new job and new life. He gingerly does his duties, handing out mail to the lawyers at the firm. He seems to have a prejudiced view of the world- he thinks of it as a dangerous place that he shouldn't trust or accept. He plans to do his work and get over the summer so he doesn't have to go to high school.  But he's wrong– a new surprise blocks his every turn as he tries to avoid the real world. For example, his mailroom boss Jasmine, a beautiful young woman, surprises him by being completely honest and kind. He meets and learns about different kinds of people– mean ones, nice ones, and perverted ones. I think that all these new experiences immediately start to wear away at his mind's defenses, slowly making way for him to accept more and more ideas. As his mind starts to open and bloom, he starts feeling emotions– anger, sadness, pain. By the end of the story, he is even more open-minded than most of us are.
     I think open-mindedness is a great factor in our development as people. It helps us understand new concepts, add to our knowledge, and be more social. I myself am not very open-minded at all, but reading this book aided me in seeing how I'm missing out on great things by being that way. Minds are like flowers– the more they open, the more stimulation they can receive. I think being open-minded is the best way to start making the world a better place. With open-minds, we create more tolerance and peace, and that's very important for the survival of our planet.

-Adrian

Bridges of Difference

Jamie Sedgwick's The Tinkerer's Daughter is an interesting book of the Steampunk genre.  The novel is set in a fantastical world where different races are at war. The main character, Breeze, lives with her adopted father, the Tinkerer. With her help, he builds wondrous machines that will eventually control the world's fate. An important fact in the story is that Breeze is a half-breed, daughter of two different races. I think the message in this book is that the meaningful things in life aren't likenesses, but differences.

In the story, Breeze acts as a "bridge" between the two races who are at war. Blessed with special abilities from both sides, she is at first feared. At the beginning of the book, she is living with the Tinkerer near a small town. She regularly goes to this town (called Riverfork) incognito and passes as a normal civilian. However, when her secret is discovered, she is sent to jail after being attacked by an angry mob of villagers. The same happens when she visits the other side of her family, the elves. She is imprisoned before she even touches the ground. These events illustrate how prejudiced people are, and how we are often afraid of things that are different. Later on in the story, Breeze exposes a conspiracy that is causing the war between the elves and the humans. Soon after that, both races accept her as a unique link between them. Because of Breeze, the two nations cooperate and put an end to the bloodshed.
                               
I think that differences are very important. We sometimes seem to fear our differences, and want everyone to be the same. If everyone were the same, there wouldn't be anything special. There wouldn't be any new ideas, because everyone would have already had them. We wouldn't be able to change ourselves or try out new experiences. Differences are what make us real, and they connect us so we're not alone. Differences are bridges between personalities– if we were all the same, those bridges would crumble and we would find ourselves isolated in a sea of similarity.

What would your ideal world be? What types of people would live in it? Would everyone be different or the same? Please comment!

People of the Book

People of the Book is a historical fiction novel by Geraldine Brooks. It is about Hanna Heath, an Australian book conservator, who is called upon to conserve the world-famous Sarajevo Haggadah (a Jewish text setting forth the order of the Passover Seder). As she repairs the manuscript, she stumbles upon little clues as to where the book has been over its 600 years of existence. The finding of each artifact--- a hair, a stain, an insect wing--- is followed by a flashback to the time when it became part of the Haggadah. For example, the book explains in detail how an Italian Inquisitor spilled wine on one of the illuminations. Geraldine Brooks used some interesting techniques to make the reader think more deeply about what was going on.

The use of flashbacks is a powerful tool in this book, especially since it's historical fiction. Reading Hanna's part of the story is engaging, but without the voices of the past it would be a rather boring book to read. These recollections show real feelings and meaningful thoughts, which helps the book have some more insight. Overall, it's not a very juicy book--- just straight and to the point, with a few creative techniques.

Another appealing twist Ms. Brooks adds to the story is the historical element. As you read the flashbacks, you travel back in time, and there are many engrossing facts to learn. I found it fascinating to learn that the Sarajevo Haggadah was actually made in Barcelona, Spain, since I myself was born and raised in that very city. It was nice to have that special connection to the book's history.

I sense that by the end of this novel, I might be able to discover something more profound in the story, but for now the author's tactics have made me think about how I could improve my own writing. It made me think of new ways to write stories, which is exciting to me. One method I'd like to try out is having an object "carry" the story; all the events in the book are tied to one object as it travels through the plot mountain, like in People of the Book. I think this is unique from most other books, in which the story tracks the main character.

  

Illuminated pages in the Sarajevo Haggadah.

- Adrian