Propaganda 2011

Propaganda. I have always learned about ways dictators in history have utilized it to try and brainwash people to help carry out some sort of negative plot. When I really think about it, though, propaganda is still alive today and can be found in our everyday lives. Though propaganda certainly is used in a variety of ways, I would like to focus on how it is used when it comes to advertising. Ads in magazines and commercials on television in a way use propaganda. They try to convince someone to buy something by using different tactics, however, they always fail to mention the negative things that can come from their products. I think the perfect example of this is McDonalds. It's well known that McDonalds is extremely unhealthy, but if you ever watch their commercials, they don't speak from a health aspect. Rather, they show children having fun and enjoying their food while playing with little toys that come with their meal saying "I'm lovin' it". Though this advertisement does not lie about anything, it is misleading. I know that when I was a child, before I understood how unhealthy the restaurant chain is, after watching a McDonalds commercial, I wanted to go to McDonalds to get cool toys and have fun like the children in the ad I had seen. I think that feeling that these advertisements sends to people is the modern-day propaganda that exists everywhere, yet is not often recognized.

Black Boy

I think this story is beautifully written. Although the content Wright is writing about, the way he portrays it does not make life seem nearly as horrible as I'm sure it was. I like and dislike the novel because of this. On one hand, many of the books that I have read that were written about a black person in this time period are generally about the injustices they face in life. I'm not saying most books are written like this, I'm just saying of the books I have read. In a way it's interesting to get a sense of the other things going on in Richards life besides being treated poorly--certainly his struggle with his mother when she becomes ill is intriguing. It bothers me to some degree that Richard doesn't focus very much on what is going on around him: blacks treated inferior to whites. In the town where Richard grew up, Natchez, we learned that it was one of the worst places in the country at the time with racism. Even though Richard was young at the time, he did not really tell any stories of black mistreatment other than hearing a few stories about a white man beating a black man. All in all, I really do enjoy this novel, and I hope that as the story progresses and Richard begins to develop a better grasp of what is happening around him he will further explore the issue of racism during his life.

Letter From a Birmingham Jail

        Of the recent stories I have had to read for American Lit class, I think that Letter From a Birmingham Jail really spoke to me the most. Martin Luther King Jr. was such an intelligent man. In this letter that he wrote, although the piece was long, he made all of his points clear, and showcased his knowledge with his comparisons of justice and injustice. Reading through this, I couldn't help but wonder how a racist caucasian interpreted it, because that is who it was really meant for. There were literally no holes in the whole piece where I could see someone criticize colored people. If anything, I would probably put my prejudices aside and seriously consider what this man was saying and the logic behind it which seems so ridiculous today. But back then some people were so ignorant and unwilling to even think about these things, and I think to some degree most people realized how stupid segregation was, but felt bound to stick with their original opinions on it being necessary. 
        I found one point in particular very interesting: Martin Luther King Jr.'s expectation that when he had his peaceful marches in the south that fellow white Christians from local churches would march with him and support his cause. I don't know if King sincerely believed that would ever happen. Sure, there were definitely some white people who came and joined in the marches, but why would he expect that? I'm not trying to say he was wrong for thinking that a white man would try to help the colored people, I'm just saying that he was well aware of the prejudices people had, especially in the south. I don't believe that King really saw what they shared, their religion, as something that would bring them together. Rather I think he believed religion was something that should bring them together. Same God, same morals. I completely understand that. I believe King said this to try and enforce his main point of everyone being equal and to try and end segregation.

King Still King?

Martin Luther King Jr. A name that everyone knows. A name that represents leadership, freedom, bravery. We don't see too many people like him nowadays. Sure, times are much different now; African Americans were barely treated as human beings when King was alive. But there are still problems all over the world just as bad, if not worse, than what fueled the Civil Rights Movement. The world needs a modern day King to stand up and fight for the rights of those who are oppressed. King acted as a king truly is supposed to. He represented his people and did as much as he could to try and make life better for them. We still recognize his actions and pay respect to him on a national holiday dedicated to remember him.

Children of the Sea

Of the short stories we have had to read in class, I think that Children of the Sea by Edwidge Danticat was the most interesting to me. Since the story is written as a series of letters with the authors expressing themselves through their writing, it felt very personal, and I felt as though I was being trusted with the information. I could almost feel some of their pain, and I felt really bad for them. It made me feel very appreciative that I live in such a safe environment and helped me recognize all of the privileges I take for granted.
It's amazing how strong the characters love for one another is. The male character is stuck on a boat escaping Haiti, while the female character is enduring life in Haiti. They write to each other for as long as they can, and their love for each other is ultimately the reason they choose to live. The characters in this story were so unbelievably strong, I could hardly believe they were about the same age as me! It was really upsetting hearing the girls story, and I still don't understand how she could accept the way her life was at home. 
This story was truly fantastic and eye-opening. While reading I was anxious to learn of the fate of the characters, and was quite disappointed when there was no concrete ending. Honestly, the horrible things that probably ended up happening I probably would not have wanted to read about, and even though the ending the author created didn't exactly explain what happened, I think it was appropriate.

A Book Like This

When asked to do a music review for class, I tried to think of the most offbeat and interesting artist I owned music by. Animal Collective was the first thing that popped into my mind. As I started to look into more of their music, I decided I wanted to review something more personal that maybe not so many people knew of that I would like to share. Angus & Julia Stone are an Australian brother and sister duo. I stumbled upon them in the summer of 09 with a friend and immediately fell in love. They have released two albums, Down the Way, and A Book Like This, as well as a handful of singles and EPs. I chose to review their first album, A Book Like This, because it is my favorite of the two (if I absolutely had to choose). So without further adieu, I present Angus & Julia Stone!

The album opens with the song "Mango Tree", reminding us of the simplicity of life, with it's soothing folky guitar riffs and Angus's relaxing tone. On the second song (my absolute favorite!) "Wasted" it features Julia's voice. (The duo only back each other up on songs, they don't sing them as a duet.)Julia has the most unique voice; it sounds very child-like and dreamy. Something really interesting about Angus & Julia Stone is that they record separate tracks of the exact same song, with a completely different tune. Angus's version of "Wasted" is also on the album, under the track name "All the Colours", which does not posses nearly the same amount of beauty and musicality as "Wasted". They do the same thing for Angus's "Just a Boy" to make Julia's "Lonely Hands", as well as for Julia's "Hollywood" twin "Johnny and June". I'm curious to know which versions were written first and how they came to creating the second ones.


I especially love their lyrics. They usually seem to be referring to an experience they've had with a greater story behind it. The words they use add to the fresh sound used in their music and make the content of it much more enjoyable. This is a verse from the song "Choking".

"Fine words from a sailor's son
Who's always running away
I don't want your sympathy
Don't quote me another phrase
I understand all your philosophies
But it hurts me just the same"

All of their songs on this album feature quick and light guitar riffs and soft percussion behind it, with the occasional harmonica solo. If you're in the mood to kick back and relax, playing Angus & Julia Stone on a reel always puts me in the best mood. Look on the right side at the top of my blog and click on any of those links to be redirected to whichever song you choose.


Pssst, I also posted "Babylon" and "The Devil's Tears" from Angus & Julia Stone's other album "Down the Way". They're my favorite songs, along with "Wasted", be sure to check it out. I promise it's worth your time!

The Great Gatsby's Jay and Nick

The relationship between Nick and Jay came very randomly, and developed very quickly. So quickly, that their relationship doesn't seem very sincere. It seems like from the get-go Jay is trying to win over Nick. He first invited him over to one of his extravagant parties, where they barely meet. He knows that people spread all sorts of rumors about his past, and tells Nick about his background so that he doesn't get the wrong idea about him. Jay Gatsby is in desperate need of a friend, and maybe he likes Nick because he's more of an "outsider" from this whole partying crowd.

At first I thought they were both benefiting from this. They both seemed to be in need of a friend. When Gatsby's past with Daisy began to unravel, my opinion really changed of the whole situation. In my opinion Gatsby was definitely using Nick to get to his cousin, Daisy. I'm sure that he enjoyed the company of having a friend like Nick, but I'm not convinced in the slightest that he intended to become great friends with Nick, or even stay friends with him after he got what he wanted.