Parody

Link to riginal article- https://townhall.com/columnists/lindachavez/2002/11/13/guest-worker-visas-n1222677

Rationale- 
This article outlines that in order to deal with Illegal Immigrants and Legal Immigrants in the country of United States of America, the American government should make them pay an extra tax for living in the USA since they are not Americans. Furthermore it specifically refers to Latinos as aliens using a negative connotation to define Latinos creating bias and further oppressing them through implicitly stating that they do not belong in the USA. The article also disapproves of the creating of Green Cards which created an opportunity for the immigrants to legally work, open bank accounts, fly in domestic flights and obtain driver's license and library cards in the USA. The article further states that this is an encouragement for other countries to take advantage of the vacuum that exists in the American immigration policy hence suggesting that the "aliens" should stay since they help boost the economic status however they can only stay in the condition that they will only work hard labour jobs that pure Americans refuse to do and that they will only be allowed to stay in the USA if the economy is bad, but if it is good and stable they will be sent back home. 

In my parody I utilized specific language to create a realistic connotation towards the Americans which is the word "gringo" devaluing them as foreigners, what most Latinos call Americans as well as referring to Latinos as "slaves" utilizing hyperbole to showcase racism. Furthermore rhetoric questions are utilized as well as bias in the numbers and statistics in order to manipulate and informations and create a sarcastic tone. Lastly bias in the headline is utilized with the aim to create such hyperbole that it will not seem believable.

"Lucky Latinos saved by the new Slave Policy in the United States of America!"

 The world’s fight against racism and inequality has been progressively bettering itself through the years, however United States of America manages to continuously cooperate towards the cause in making the world a better place. Not only do they reinforce racism and oppression against minorities but they are now encouraging slave-like behavior. The gringos are ready to repeat history. Back in 1980 in the United States of America approximately 3,953,761 were slaves representing 12.6% of the population. However this time around things will be different, they have a different focus, Latinos. About half of Hispanics in the U.S. (52%) say they have experienced discrimination or have been treated unfairly because of their race or ethnicity. Why not strive for higher? Make that 52% become 100%. After all, their sole purpose is to serve the gringos with their labour and loyal service hence becoming their little servants. States such as Louisiana, Nevada and Texas are the top 3 racist states in the United States of America and I firmly believe that the rest of the states should follow their exemplary behaviour. 

Modern day methods of discipline are not even close to being as effective as the olden days. The gringos that understand and support the cause have reminded themselves of chains. Chains will be put in every Latino, to ensure that they do not go anywhere besides their labour area. Furthermore, another advancement in that the United States has managed to make is the quick cargo shipping of slaves. Due to gringos being picky when it comes to what slave they want to serve them, if they are not satisfied, they can simply send them back to their store through and airplane and order another slave. Isn’t it fantastic? Being a gringo has never been better in history. 

Slaves have never been more accessible and disposable history. Previously, only a few human rights were given to slaves, but the goal here is to not give a single human right to them, ensuring that they will live a beautifully inhumane miserable and exploited life. Being a Latino has never been more promising. In 2014 it was recorded that 11.7 million of the population consisted of Mexicans. However there are 197.9 million pure gringos in the United States, meaning that more slaves will have to be ordered from the store in order to satisfy the gringo population. Lastly, in order to make sure that the slaves are recognizable from the rest of the population in the united states, they should be limited to one specific type of clothing being a beige jumpsuit with their passport number on it so that shipping becomes easier.

This is Water in Alice Munro

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

In Wallace's eyes, education and experience shape an individual to become more self aware and aware about the life that they are surrounded by. The way that he views educated people is that they have been through enough experiences in life to have learned values and principles, and simply how to see the world for what it is, the very reality we are living in. Furthermore in Wallace's speech he accentuates the essence of human nature which is to live and learn and then look at things in a different perspective, as for him IQ is not really that important if one does not have an EQ. 

Regarding literature, it develops empathy and emotional intelligence simply becauses reading realistic books and stories are another form of getting experience since the story is about someone's life and not something fictional that would never happen, therefore the audience perceives the story through the narrator's view and the reader lives the experience in the book/story together with the characters. When reading a nonfiction story it is easy for the readers to sympathize with the characters as they are being put in a realistic situation which the people can also imagine themselves in. Furthermore, some stories can even make the readers reflect on their lives if what has happened in the story has happened with them, thus generating empathy which leads to emotional intelligence.

When it comes to nonfiction stories and books, the ideas and themes in it are much more complex to be identified and even such aspects as archetypes are hard to be identified as it the story portray real lives and not some magical experience. Within complex ideas and relatable stories, comes the awareness of human interaction and the interpretation of human beings. 

Alice Munro is a great example of an author whose writing as consistently nonfictional as she explores human relationships in different circumstances and situations which are all realistic.In many of her stories such as in Passions and Runaway realistic ideas are being explored and integrated within the story. In Passions for example Alice Munro explores the loss of innocence, how easily people can get lured in and influenced through bad intentions and how female sexuality is something that should be talked about. All of these ideas are real and still present in today's day. Another example would be the story Runaway where ideas such as dysfunctional marriages which are out of control, seeking attention through lies and dominant over other people are explore and again are realistic and present in today's day. 

To answer the prompt, Wallace's theory about education is somewhat already implanted in Alice Munro's stories as she explores realistic and complex ideas. 

the life of a trilingual student + Boys and Girls

As a trilingual person (portuguese, italian, english), during the holidays things get very confusing. Since in Brazil the only language spoken is Portuguese, I have been speaking Portuguese for one month and a half....
Which mean that my English went back to what it was like when I first got here in Abu Dhabi back in Grade 7, although it will come back eventually. Another aspect regarding languages is my accent. I now realized that when I speak in portuguese I no longer sound like a native, I sound like a foreigner who learned to speak the language. Additionally I have come to realize that my thoughts are now in English and when I spoke them in Portuguese, it sounded as if I had translated them on google translate. Basically, speaking a bunch of languages is pretty hard and it gets messy.

Furthermore, the readings that I was assigned to complete during summer holiday are going pretty well. The analysis part takes a while because it has to be very detailed but the stories itself are interesting. 

My favorite one would have to be Boys and Girls. Firstly I have already read that story back in Grade 11 or 10 (can't really remember the time frame) and secondly that story is more than just a story as it portrayed how women were inferior to men in that century and how the have been fighting since that time which was in 1968 to break the expectations of what a woman should look, do or behave like. Hence reinforcing feministic views. I really enjoyed reading this again because as I feminist myself it pleases me to see the development of it and how women were fighting it with literature. Furthermore what really stood out to me in this specific story is the horse Flora as a symbol of the narrator herself. A wild girl who does not want to be trained by no one and the only thing that she wants is to be free and do whatever may please her. However in the century she is living and in the society she is situated, other factors such as her family corner her into falling into this domesticated girl she is supposed to be. This accurately represents the struggle of many girls and the pressure they suffered form their parents and the people around them. 

Summer Holiday Diary Entry

The summer in the UAE is the winter in Brazil 
The weather could not be better, as a tropical country, it is never too hot or too cold, it is simply perfect. Everything about Brazil's nature is perfect, aside from those destroying it, it is the most beautiful country I've seen and I'm happy to call it my home, even with all the mess going around there. 
My holiday was amazing and I cannot express the love and joy I feel when I go back to my country and visit my family, my home and the nature that I have a deep passion for.
Nothing that I did back in Brazil is considerably interesting and amusing for some, however myself as someone who deeply values family, appreciates the time that I had to spend with my grandfather and my cousins.
Honestly speaking, my holiday was neither too short or too long. It was just the right time.
Back in my town I did many things such as having the pleasure to eat as much as I could (the food there is out of this world), visit new places in the mountains with my family and try to catch the perfect sunset, have long walks and conversations with my grandfather and go out with my cousins a lot. However throughout my holiday there is one thing that stuck to my head. As I went over my old school to visit my friends which now are more of acquaintances, I realized how incredibly lucky I am to have moved over to Abu Dhabi.
I do not speak of the people, since the people there are just as good as the people here. However I do mean that education and experience wise, I obtained more of that after I came here than I would have if I stayed there. In Brazil there is no diversity, pretty much everyone is Brazilian whereas here I live and breathe the same air as other hundred nationalities do as well.
Another two things that I learned this summer and will carry it with me for life is that:
1- People change and that is inevitable
2- We must preserve the good things in our lives.

The three long long questions #TFA

1. What is the significance of Okonkwo’s character? What does he represent or what is he symbolic of? 

2. What is the purpose of Okonkwo’s character within the text? 

3. How does Okonkwo’s character contribute to themes or meaning?

In my opinion Okonkwo's character as a tragic hero represents the bad aspects of the Igbo culture. He is stubborn and does not listen to anyone. He thinks that he is always right. Okonkwo not only disrespects women but beats them. He also does not take advice from wiser people than him, resulting in his tragedy. Okonkwo is symbolic because he is conservative to a bad extreme. Not only does the highlight the bad aspect of the Igbo culture but he gives a bad reputation to them as a whole. Due to his credibility in their community as a man who won many titles thanks to his achievements he could represent the Igbo people in that sense, however since the start of his downfall in the novel he no longer is able to represent his people. 

Although Okonkwo does bring a bad reputation to the Igbo people, the purpose of his character is to enhance the importance of religion and of fear, men, respect, reputation, tradition and customs within the Igbo culture. These themes are highlighted through Okonkwo and he does this through his persistent acts. Okonkwo purpose is to indirectly represent why being extreme is a disadvantage within a community and not being able to efficiently communicate and sacrifice his ideas in order to come to an agreement where all can be benefited through it. 

1. What do contradictions between actions, thoughts, description, and speech say about the character? 

2. How does tone influence our perception of the character? 

Okonkwo is quite a contradicting character. While he claims to follow the Igbo tradition, religion and culture he breaks many rules which are completely against the Igbo beliefs and essentially the steps to his tragedy in the novel. This reveals that Okonkwo is not a consistent character and it is his impulsive acts and dynamic change which make him into a tragic hero. Furthermore his fear of sharing any similarities with his father make him a sour and hateful man, since he does not display any signs of love or joy. 

Okonkwo has a very vigorous and ruthless tone to his speech and that only influences the audience not to sympathize with him. Our perception of the character modifies to a more cynical and less forgiving manner. 

3. How does the order in which we learn the history of a character influence us? 

4. How does the placement within and relationship with family affect our understanding of a character? 

The order in which the audience learns the history of the character is significant because in the very beginning of the novel, the audience perceives Okonkwo as someone who rose from nothing and without any aid. Our perception consists of a strong man who realized that he could be much more what his father ever was. Not only that but someone that could potentially become the greatest member of his community. The beginning builds up our expectation of the character and as the plot develops the audience gets more and more disappointed due to our expectations of Okonkwo being crashed to the ground. 

The placement of the relationships between Okonkwo and his family tells the audience that due to his experience with his father as a child he clearly had some psychological disturbance where he is simply incapable of displaying love and being gentle, therefore attributing to the "male" characteristics which are interpreted as brutal, violent and non-forgiving. 

5. What significance do names have for other characters and for us?

In the Igbo culture every name has a specific meaning. For example the Egwuwus which are the spirits of the Igbo people. However for us as readers of a culture we do not have previous knowledge of, these names are quite insignificant until the book is read.

Furthermore there are some words which Achebe has managed to create meaning within the Igbo culture and connect it with our understanding of what it means. For example, Okonkwo refers to his father as an Agbala. In their tradition Agbala refers to women, therefore comparing his father to a woman insinuating that he has feminine characteristics and that he is not good enough to be called a man.

Thesis &: Gender Understanding #TFA

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

Thesis-
In the novel, Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe explores the oppression and misconception of women during mid 19th century in Nigeria with the purpose to manifest an awareness of social structure hierarchy, theme of gender and understanding of the Igbo community and its values.

Topic Sentence 1-
Social structure hierarchy is established within the text by demonstrating the roles of women within the Igbo community in the ways of how they were treated and how they acted within the society.

Topic Sentence 2-
The theme of gender is created in the novel through the use of gender stereotypes and the abridgement of women compared to men at the time and period.

Topic Sentence 3-
The Igbo community's values are revealed through the text by showcasing how different genders carried out different tasks and what was considered acceptable and unacceptable.

Thesis- #TFA

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. 



Through the medium of a culturally and traditionally authentic book after the colonization of Nigeria, Achebe emphasizes the theme of power and fear through the contrast between secondary characters such as Unoka, Nwoye and the protagonist, Okonkowo, in order to challenge the idea of hegemony within a pure culture endowing cultural context of composition further developing Okonkwo's tragic hero archetype which is indirectly characterized throughout the novel by his actions displaying his need for masculinity and pride. 

Things Fall Apart: Tragic Hero

In many ways Things Fall Apart is considered a tragedy. Why would Achebe, taking into account the cultural context, choose to characterize Okonkwo using the tragic hero archetype? 

Things Fall Apart is considered a tragedy due to the protagonist conforming to the archetype of a tragic hero. Okonkwo was a tragic hero because he had a lot of internal problems, specially with his dad and his personal beliefs against the village's beliefs. Okonkwo was different and he dealt with things different in his own way. Furthermore throughout the book, his internal problems cause him to obtain external problems and that is when things get out of control. By committing a crime in the sacred peace of weak, killing Ikemefuna and accidentally being a female murder Okonkwo and his family are exiled for 7 years and in his return the missionaries have taken control of Umuofia. Okonkwo's downfall was a factor which contributed towards the missionaries establishing themselves in Umuofia. Maybe in an alternative book, if Okonkwo was there when the missionaries came, maybe he would have been brave enough to fight the missionaries and try to protect the village. However that was his downfall, losing something that was so important to him; his traditions, his yams, his culture and his village.

 Taking into account the cultural context when the book was written in 1958, when the British Had made their way to Nigeria with the purpose to colonize every single bit of the country. I believe that Achebe's intention when he characterized Okonkwo as a tragic hero was to in a sense replicate the country's and the people's misfortune of colonization, as they did not want it. Furthermore Achebe's message of the book is to convey the themes of perception of masculinity, complex language leading to cultural differences, pride bringing negative effects and the clash among change and tradition. In addition it can be said that he portrayed Okonkwo as a tragic hero due to the fact that he wanted the people of Nigeria to read this book and understand that colonization could bring a man to kills himself, if he had deep love and compassion for his traditions and culture. The ending of the book was meant to motivate the people of Nigeria for them to see what was happening to them in an extremist lens.

Things Fall Apart Rap Battle

Late 20th century, in Nigeria 

Okonkwo we all know your father n'était pas beau

Unoka, a common lie low

 Indebted, broke, a weak weak father

all you wanted was for him to be slaughtered 

The CAT arrived, it was the time to display your power 

And give him a blood shower 

your masculinity slays like a blue jay’s 

show them your pride so you can be satisfied

But hold it, why did you beat your second wife?

she just wanted to braid her hair 

But you had the audacity to be unfair 

and in the week of peace? what a coward crease

Shall I keep going? Not only did you kill Ikemefuna

but your gun was blowing in an ongoing funeral 

a female kind of murder, that was inexcusable 

 Man, real talk now, did you know life ain’t renewable? 

You don't listen to the Oracle

You got your family exiled 

All because you were such, such a stubborn child 

Now go, go cry to you mama in Mbanta 

You say you don't wanna resemble your father 

then why are you being a weak cold walker 

you don't give your children love

But Nwoye found religion up above

one, two, three weeks later 

You come back to Umuofia and see it as a traitor 

Missionaries everywhere

beware the white are on sight

We all know your arrogance is blown out of proportion

the pride you carry was a distortion

these yams gave you a wealthier reality 

however you come from a humble family, get your sanity  

  

Your fragile masculinity was your misfortune 

you couldn't use your heart but it was only another organ 

No more Kola Nuts were opened that day 

because Okonkwo hung himself and flew away 

Things Fell Apart 

Reflecting upon the rap battle, I believe that personally it was a very interesting approach into further understanding how Okonkwo fulfils the archetype of a tragic hero. Personally I believe that these lyrics illustrate the main events that lead to Okonkwo's downfall. Furthermore reflecting on my performance, it was very funny and unfortunately I started laughing at the end. But it was a fun experience. 

Igbo Background Assignment

Good Afternoon! What a beautiful audience is presented in front of me. I am delighted to be here today as I believe that it is my duty to open your eyes to the original and pure tradition, beliefs and culture of the Igbo people.

We as colonisers, we do not see the full story of tribes. We only see one story and it is usually not wrong however it is incomplete. Furthermore as colonisers although we think that by colonising countries, cities and tribes we might be contributing towards the people's benefits by introducing them to modern ways of living and traditions, we might be killing something that they believe to be pure and loved. 

Do you know how many languages have been extinct due to colonisation? Do you know how much connecting with ancestors is important to the Igbo tribe? Are you aware that the Igbo people form one of the largest ethnic groups in Africa?

After my expedition to the “savage lands” I was blown away. We have been wrong this entire time. After arriving in Nigeria with a closed mindset, I had finally realised how a book should not be judged by its cover. Although they are not so likeable towards the white skinned people, they were polite. The Igbo people are full of interesting traditions which they believe in with all their soul, however we name that as sorcery and nonsense.

The way I see things, respect should go both ways. Don’t sell me a dog and pretend that colonising brings out the best of those “savage” tribes. What it does it that it kills their pureness and forces them to live a lie, live within beliefs they don't believe and live within an unwanted superior force.

What if the Igbo tribe was your tribe, your people, your culture? Would you be okay with people you don't even know, simply invading it because they feel as hey are superior and changing everything around you, tradition and culture, important concepts for the tribe to survive?

Colonising should be applied, do not twist my words. However there should be a limit to the extent of that application. In my honest opinion, new modern ways concerning behaviour, culture and tradition should be presented towards the Igbo community in a persuasive way. Those that are interested in it can take part and become modern people and those who want to stick with their origins and purity should be able to do so. 

Let’s not send our mutton shunters into Africa with explicit orders to take over every land they find. Instead we can tell them to harmonise with the Igbo people and not take any violent acts towards them. Respect should go both ways.

Taking the egg over the Igbo people is not victory. Victory is to harmonise with them in a peaceful manner and share culture both ways. We all can learn from them as they can learn from us. 

In the name of Britain, we shall not be violent, we shall be civil. In the name of Britain we shall not disregard human rights, we shall re-enforce it. In the name of Britain, let’s consider what they have to offer and make our offer persuasive enough that they will have interest in it. 

Thank You!

Achebe's Interview

The most meaningful take away of today's discussion, in my opinion, is how the English Language is important and the powerful effect has on people. After Nigeria got Colonised by the British, English became the most spoken language there. Therefore, in  order for Achebe to reach out to his audience and express his feelings about colonisation to all, he had to utilise the English Language. It was a must for him to utilise the coloniser's language in favour of the people and against the colonisers. Furthermore he accentuates the importance of literature and the effect of it on the readers. He says that when a person is able to sympathise and relate to someone else that is completely unknown and far away, that is the true effect of literature right there and it is something beautiful. In addition, going back to the importance of the English language to his novel is that he uses it to create an image of how pure his community was before the colonisers occupied it and to create the idea of culture authenticity. 

"What's more difficult is to identify with someone you don't see, who's very far away, who's a different color, who eats a different kind of food. When you begin to do that then literature is really performing its wonders."

This quotes specifically can be used as evidence from the text in order to support my point of view or it can be used as a form to tool in order to demonstrate that even though it may not be the most important pert of the Achebe Interview, he was still reviling a pretty powerful message indirectly to us. Even though that the interview was not about literature, people forget that if it wasn’t for literature his book wouldn’t have existed. Personally I think that the fact that he accentuates what literature does and how it perform its wonders demonstrates what his young self was aiming to do while he was writing to do. This statement aim is to make the audience aware of his goal and make them aware that he reached it.

“We Shall Fight on the Beaches” by Winston Churchill //Paper 1\\

"We shall fight on the Beaches"

This text was presented by Winston Churchill, Great Britain’s Prime Minister on June 4th, 1940. This text is a political speech which incorporates great amounts of rhetoric devices such as euphemism, personal pronoun and anaphora while simultaneously containing flattery and a huge amount of appeal to patriotism. Winston Churchill utilises these literary techniques as a persuasive method to bring the British people together as a whole nation and to inspire them that no matter what happens in the war they will not give up. 

Considering the fact that this political speech was delivered in the House of Commons in Britain, it can be concluded that the text is targeting the British people however since it is targeting all different types of nation, it can also be considered multi-vocal. Although Churchill never directs the audience as “you” he does say “we” implying that the audience is his people, therefore the British people. Furthermore the aim of the speech is to convey the message to the British people that when war comes their way, the British will not give up. At the last paragraph Churchill says “we shall never surrender” which is the main purpose of the speech summed up in four words. Besides having the will to unify the British people, Churchill wants to prepare the nation for the war that will come their way. To further emphasise on the impact to unify the nation as the main purpose Churchill uses techniques such as appeal to patriotism which affects the British people by shifting their attention to the country as whole and forget about themselves as individuals. 

In the political speech delivered by Winston Churchill, he explained to the people how although they are doing everything to protect the people and the country, Nazi Germany might come for them and when that happens they will not give up. In addition Churchill reassures that the country is prepared to go to war and to fight in order to defend Britain by saying “We must never forget the solid assurances of sea power and those which belong to air power if it can be locally exercised”. This quote is a reference to the proud tradition and saying that Britannia rules the waves. Furthermore Churchill addresses the USA and U.S.S.R. at the end of the speech “the New World, with all its power and might, steps to the rescue and the liberation of the old.”. In this extract Churchill glorifies these two countries by indirect telling the British nation that when things come to worse, they will aid the U.K. and they will make them free again. 

The entire speech is spoken in an encouraging, persuasive and bold tone creating an intense atmosphere. In the speech Churchill utilises many rhetoric devices such as personal pronouns and euphemism in order to make the speech sophisticated however deliver the message as a unified nation. At the beginning of the speech he uses a metaphor “enemy aliens” which characterises them as the unknown therefore they cannot be predicted which is a justification for the British people to stay in alert. Then Churchill uses many personal pronouns to unify the nation and the shows a minimum sympathy for the enemy characterising Churchill as a good and considerate Prime Minister “I am very sorry for them, but we cannot, at the present time and under the present stress, draw all the distinctions which we should like to do.”.

The following paragraphs, in order to create some encouragement, Churchill flatters the British nation and says “I think that no idea is so outstanding that it should not be considered and viewed with a searching, but at the same time, I hope, with a steady eye.”. This phrase encourages people to keep in mind that Britain is trying to avoid confrontation but right now it simply cannot be an option. To further back up all that Churchill is saying he states that measures will be taken towards the country no matter what “At any rate, that is that we are going to do.” and by saying this the whole idea of the speech is strengthened. Furthermore he says “we shall not flag or fail” again emphasising that Britain will not give up and he is mentally preparing the nation to be strong and to be patient. By saying this, it reveals a lot about Churchill which is that the is determined to get Britain through this conflict. 

Sequentially the last paragraph of the speech is one of the most known and most important for encouraging the people and persuading them through the use of anaphora. Furthermore it unifies them and assures the nation to that they will fight together and that they will win. In the first 5 lines of the last paragraph of the speech “We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender” there is strong use of anaphora which is utilised with the intent to stick those words and the idea to every civilian’s mind. By constantly repeating the words “we shall” he is killing two birds with one stone. Churchill unifies himself and the nation as a whole and he indulges the idea of taking action towards an issue. This is a very important and significant part of his speech which is concentrated with rhetorical and persuasive devices which aids to stick an idea in their heads. Moreover the entire speech has an interesting structure where the purpose of the speech which speaks about the inevitable fight with Germany is barely mentioned. Churchill instead of focussing on telling the people what is coming, he creates that awareness however the entire focus of the speech is to further unify the nation, because when chaos arrives they need to fight this together. 

Through the use of rhetorical and persuasive techniques Churchill unified the nation in his speech which is considered one of the most persuasive speeches in history. This is also due to the fact that it can be considered a prophecy “we shall fight on the beaches” which did happen during World War II. In addition the entire speech not only is powerful through the use of ethos because an important figure is saying it but it is powerful because he mentally prepared an entire country for war through few words. To conclude this political speech impacted the British people by unifying them as the nation they are to fight together as brothers and sisters through the simple implementation of rhetoric and persuasive devices. 

IOC

https://soundcloud.com/luiza-helena-33/ioc

Consolidation of theme of power in Coriolanus

The theme of power is a prevalent theme in the play of Coriolanus written by Shakespeare. As the play is set in 491 B.C.E., the context of the time constitutes of when the early Republican Rome had just transitioned from being ruled by a monarch to a government run by officials elected by the people of Rome. Previously, the ruling class in Rome had all the power (The Patricians) while the plebeians (the common people/citizens) had no power whatsoever and contributed towards the transition of the government but rioting in the streets. 


To summarise the play, Coriolanus a strong and respected soldier defends Rome in many battles and takes over the city of Corioles defeating his enemy Aufidius in war. Subsequently, Coriolanus decides to run for Consul however his bad reputation amongst the plebeians and the tribunes (Brutus and Sicinius) he is denied the role of Consul and is banned from Rome. Coriolanus holds a grudge towards Rome as a whole and goes to Antium seeking help from Aufidius, whom he promises to stand aside when attacking and defeating Rome. Volumnia, Coriolanus’s mother, then convinces him to spare Rome and she gets declared the “saviour of Rome” while Aufidius executes Coriolanus for treason. 

Coriolanus, Volumnia and Aufidius are essential characters whom contributed towards the development of the theme of power in the play. Coriolanus has military power because in the army whoever is the best rules. While Volumnia has influential maternal power on Coriolanus by being able to make him spare Rome knowing that he would be executed. In Addition, Aufidius’ power is balanced between military and politics as in he is the leader of the army but he also ruled the city of Antium.Furthermore Coriolanus comes from the old world, he is just like a god and his mind is stuck in the hierarchical era because he cannot accept the new governmental system. However, Volumnia and Aufidius are able to do something that Coriolanus cannot which is to sacrifice something (their pride and emotions) in order to get what they want. They are long-term oriented (patient). The nature of power within the context of evolving Rome revolves around the idea that one must be able to change and to accept input from others into their work by sacrificing pride and thinking of the greater good.  

Act I- Shakespeare's purpose in his characterization of Coriolanus

Act I starts already with a conflict, building up the rising action of the play thanks to the battle between Rome and the Volsces. The audience is firstly introduced to the audience through Menenius and the plebeians who think of him as a common enemy of the people. From the beginning of the play Shakespeare has already portrayed Caius Martius and a despised character in the eyes of the people. The plebeians refer to Martius as a "very dog to the commonality. Furthermore Martius at this stage of Act I has just been shot at with complaints and bad personality traits. 

In the first act of Coriolanus, Shakespeare introduces the audience to the main characters in an abundance of events that mainly circulates around Coriolanus. In Act I, Corionalus is known as Caius Martius since he gained his glorious name after he won the battle against the Volsces and took over the city of Corioles. Coriolanus' characterization are created through direct and indirect dialogue which implying his being as a strong, capable, extraordinary yet flawed character.

As per the genre of this play, it is a political play. The people are on the verge of going against the Council and Coriolanus ats towards the people just worsen the situation they are already in. In Act I the conflict between the plebeians with Menenius contributed to the downfall of Martius following the plot of the play. It contributes towards Corionalus downfall because normally in Roman Politics, at that time, if one wanted to gain power and be part of the government it was crucial that the people of the city liked that person. If one had the support of the people it was rather easy to rise to power. However Coriolanus as described in Act I did not care much for the people as he only cared about his mother Volumnia. The plebeians were always complaining that all he does is for his mother and Shakespeare, through Martius' dialogues shapes the way that he thinks of the people by degrading them as human beings. Therefore it can be seen during that play that this is already one of Coriolanus' weakness(the political world). Shakespeare made clear that the people's opinion was important during that time in the political world which is significant later in the play and he also managed to establish Coriolanus position in the Roman society.

Further in the Act I, when the battle between the Romans and the Volsces occurs, Shakespeare finally releases Matius good characteristics to the audience. He is seen as a warrior of great power who is a passionate fighter and a glorious leader of the Roman army. At first, when the Romans are defeated, Martius gives a persuasive and threatening speech which rises the army's morale and self-esteem up with fear who then attack the city of Corioles; “If any think brave death outweighs bad life, And that his country’s dearer than himself; Let him alone, or so many so minded, Wave this to express his disposition And follow Martius.”. Shakespeare characterizes Coriolanus as a heroic and godlike figure of Rome who was born to fight in war. Towards the end of Act I, the audience witnesses Martius take over the city of Corioles on his own which indirectly portrays his as a hero and a lonely dragon who is strong and acts alone. 

These brave demonstrations inside the war zone come interestingly with the main scene of the play, which assert Martius to be an adversary to the general population. His prosperity and better name got from guaranteeing Corioles is a vast occasion that occurs in the start of the play, to give Martius a more gallant picture to the gathering of people. Shakespeare does this stupendous occasion before all else and portrays Martius to be a supernatural legend to perform and overstate his fall towards the finish of the play, and underlines his contentions between the plebeians to show where the character's shortcomings are and additionally to anticipate the fall of Martius in later acts.

bell hooks

8. In contemporary black popular culture, rap music has become one of the spaces where black vernacular speech is used in a manner that invites dominant mainstream culture to listen—to hear—and, to some extent, be transformed. However, one of the risks of this attempt at cultural translation is that it will trivialize black vernacular speech. When young white kids imitate this speech in ways that suggest it is the speech of those who are stupid or who are only interested in entertaining or being funny, then the subversive power of this speech is undermined.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2EEZKVCZ4E
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cT_Ulmcrys


The bell hook's quote explains how black vernacular English has been categorized as a joke in some communities when it comes to certain occasions such as rap. Furthermore this quote can be applied to this video which is an example of the black vernacular English and turning it into a remix, devaluing the tone and mood and even the situation. The woman in the video is in distress and she just came out of a burning house. The interviewers catch this woman outside and ask her to explain what just happened, and by doing so utilizing the dialect of black vernacular English she is mocked. Her dialect was perceived as humorous due to the way she spoke and was not taken seriously.

This real life situation is a perfect example of something that was serious and concerning, however because her dialect did not emphasize on the issue with the usage of big and complex words incorporating discription to her speech as well as it could. This text's audience is broad as this is an interview in a news in the T.V. however the purpose of the interview was to inform people of an incident that happened in her house and how she managed to escape from a burning apartment, by doing so consciously warning people to be careful with things that can potentially cause fire. The main factors of her speech which are disregarded and twisted in this video is her tone and style of phrase structure. Although her tone may seem humorous while speaking about the incident, it is proven that people seem to smile when in stress and that is what she did. Furthermore incorporating her lively and expressive tone to this textual analysis depicts how by being articulate in her dialect and over expressive was taken out of context and considered as "funny". In addition, her phrase structures are not in standard English form, therefore it created a judging platform for white americans to play and splice her words and creating remixes and memes who are now famous. 

In comparison, the bell hook's quotation relates to the text chosen. Both express how Black vernacular english is taken out of context sometimes, and within that, comes the decrease of power of speech. Her conversation has be used, misused, exploited, imitated and modified with the purpose of entertainment within the media medium. 

Reconnecting to Kaingang Podcast

Speaking in Tongues

3. What is the value of preserving indigenous languages? 

Languages are extremely important within our world and it provides us with a way of communication. each language has a tradition, culture, beliefs and a story behind them. It is a brutal and fatal concept that once collapsed may bring an entire culture and history down with it. Indigenous languages are vital and each language perceives things in our world in a different way. In fact, every language has its own way of describing and addressing certain issues and concepts in our societies. For example, Aboriginal languages were pretty special and distinctive for the rich vocabularies they utilise to describe nature. The evocative imagery the language contains expresses the love an how close the Aboriginal clans are linked to the land. Furthermore aboriginal languages are one of many examples of why perceiving indigenous languages are valuable and important to us. These languages see the world and speak differently than we do, therefore translation is not sufficient enough to convey all the passion and the meaning behind certain things. Indigenous languages have a different way of expression and they have a deeper understanding of the world and of nature than the civilians who live in the city do. Indigenous people have been in the surface of this Earth long before the colonies arrived and started treating their people and their language, which establishes a closer contact with life. In conclusion, I believe that every single language should be valued to the maximum because people perceive and communicate things differently. In addition, every language has extensive and diverse vocabularies used to description which is distinctive and unique. By preserving indigenous languages, our understanding and expression can be more extensive and we can understand life more thoroughly.