Brave New World Chapter 1-6

1. Equality and conformity have been created through breeding. They produce large amounts of identical embryo's which differ from class to class and are controlled in every and then designed to fit the societal roles that correspond to their class. Conformity and equality have been created through careful control. Huxley points out that the Bokanovsky process that has been developed is one of the major tools for social stability (21). In only one way has equality not been completely established and that is across class lines, but within class things are as equal as possible.

2. Conflict has been eliminated through the elimination of choice. Religion has been basically eliminated other than the deification of Henry Ford. Relationships are confined within social classes and since offspring comes through cloning almost all sexual conflict is eliminated. The once "mad and wicked and miserable" people have been conditioned and breed to be what their class ordains and experience no strong emotion.

3. Everyone within a class is almost identical and performs identical roles. Within these roles freedom of thought has been suppressed and  very effectively contained. In addition the drug soma which eerily resembles the Victory Gin of 1984 we are all so familiar with controls happiness and keeps the masses happy.

4. To the American raised and breed on free thinking individualism the label dystopia is quick to thought, but in actuality it is a utopia. Happiness and equality are prevalent and exist in most facets. It may seem awful to the outsider, but the societal system works and seems to effectively produce happiness and equality forming a utopia.

1984 Part 3

I would say that Big Brother has lost. Has he retained control of his state? Yes. Has he put down those who oppose him? Yes, but he has also destroyed that which he rules.  He has complete control, but what is to be gained from ruling something without purpose, progress, or though? He rules, but he rules something that in no way matters.

I think that Winston lives on much like those around him engulfed by Big Brother and loyal to him through the things he endured. The "long-hoped for bullet" that is entering his brain is release. It is figurative and symbolic of his will ending. Big Brother has ended the free thinking Winston, thus his brain has been "shot". He has simply lost his free will and his ability to think for himself as the human being he once was, but he lives on in the physical sense of the word at least for now.

Soapstone#2

Batting Clean-Up and Striking Out SOAPSTone

Jared Shely

Subject

             The subject of Dave Barry’s “Batting Clean-Up and Striking Out” is the distinct difference between the male and the female is exemplified by his choice of stories and the humor he uses in telling them. He tells a funny story that shows the difference in him and his wife in cleanliness, and again he uses another funny story to show how during the World Series a night the women used for stimulating conversation the men snuck off to watch the game.

Occasion

            The time of Dave Barry’s “Batting Clean-Up and Striking Out” is the 1980’s or 1990’s. This time period is illustrated in the article based on the mention of television, Windex, and other fairly modern things. This is also exemplified because the 1980’s and 1990’s were the height of Dave Barry’s writing career.

            The location of Dave Barry’s “Batting Clean-up and Striking Out” is in the United States, specifically the state of Florida. This is evident through Barry’s mention of the World Series as well as the fact that Barry lives in Florida.

Audience

            Dave Barry’s specific audience for “Batting Clean-Up and Striking Out” is married men and women who are puzzled by the differences between themselves and their spouses. This is exemplified through the humor he uses in his explanation on the differences between males and females, and the centralization his stories have on married life.

            The author’s general audience was the general American public seeing as this was his usual audience. This is also expressed by the subject manner and its application. He uses a fairly standard version of American English, uses humor to compare men and women, and the mention of the World Series exemplifies an American audience.

Purpose

            David Barry’s purpose in “Batting Clean-Up and Striking Out” was to entertain readers while sharing some insight on the inherent differences between men and women. This

entertaining comparison of males and females is illustrated by the author’s use of humor, and his pointing out of the differences between men and women involving both sports and cleaning.

Speaker

            Dave Barry, a columnist for the Miami Post, believes there are many large differences between man and women especially in the realms of sports and cleanliness. This value is illustrated by the fact that Barry discusses how men and women differ when it comes to cleaning and visualizing dirt as well as in their sensitivity to sports.

            Dave Barry’s use of structure is evident in his telling of stories in which he uses quotes and specific examples paired with humor to further his point and keep the reader’s attention. This influences the purpose by keeping readers interested and intent on the article allowing him to entertain and get his point across.

Tone

            David Barry exhibits a humorous and insightful attitude about the obvious gaps in the attitudes and behaviors in men and women. These attitudes are expressed by his jokes such as using words and phrases like molecule and hormonal secretions to establish an intellectual and insightful tone and using jargon to play into the humor he chooses to use. This serves the purpose by keeping readers interested with humor and educating them with his insightfulness. I know this because I know understand the difference he was portraying, and his humor made the article hard to put down.

"This Land is Your Land"

1. It is that of collectivism because he seems to be opposed to the trespassing sign and he sees that people are starving and hungry in the current system.

2. I find it to be anti-government because he says things like "No one can stop me," or "Make me turn back" which seems to point towards a lack of regard for government control.

1984 Post 2

1. Winston is experiencing difficulty because he is an outsider to the society he lives in. He was born outside of its parameters and thus he knows even if it's mostly sub consciously that there is something more.There was life before Big Brother and not everything he says is actually truth. He remembers airplanes from his childhood and he knows the didn't come from Big Brother.

2. Winston questions the party in every way. He defies them in both thought and action. He writes a secret diary, he participates in acts of raging passion very much forbade by the party, and he doubts the party in every way. It is in a way a protest, but even more just a yearning to experience life. He wants to love, have, and think. He wants to be able to love Julia with passion and sex. He wants to have things that the government forbade. He wants to think his own thoughts which in many ways violate the party's laws. He just wants to be able to chose and live how he wishes. It has little to do with outright opposition of the party.

3. Winston's small protests differ greatly from the protests of Tea Party members. Winston makes choices that violate law while most modern protest groups do not, at least on paper. Also Winston's actions are more for the benefit of him alone. He doesn't serve a greater purpose in the same way that tea part members do.

4. Our society is not very Orwellian. Our people can point out the flaws of the government. Past discrepancies and miscalculations aren't rectified by a ministry of truth, but rather are available for all to see and judge. The fact that we have things like occupy Wall Street and the Tea Party movement prove that we are not Orwellian in nature because we allow free thought and disagreement with the government.

The Egg

1. He was a relaxed and happy man who enjoyed relaxing and drinking. He became ambitious. The American passion for moving up in the world took hold of them.

2. He hates them. He finds them to be a waste of both time and resources. The egg symbolizes hope for betterment and wealth, but the chickens show that it comes with a price.

3. It is him holding onto his past ventures.

4. The egg controlled their lives even when they left the chicken farm behind them. So it was victorious over them. 

American Friendships

American friendships are perceived this way because as a society we are afraid of showing weakness or an inability to be independent. We also seek outsiders for help because we enjoy the idea of experts as well as feeling like our payment compensates for the time they give us.