Fourth Essay

For the fourth essay, I will be writing about the common streak that is shared by different conceptions of the zombie genre.  After doing some sufficient research, I plan on comparing and contrasting the characteristics they hold, digging deeper behind the meaning of their commonalities and differences.  I would also really like to find out the root behind all these stories.  What kinds of fear and crises drive the existence of the zombie genre.  I want to see how the zombie genre has evolved and remained static at the same time.  I am looking forward to writing this essay and learning about zombies and all their glory.

The Walking Dead

After reading The Walking Dead, I was able to connect a lot of the previous texts we've read to the story.  One particular scene that stood out to me was when Lori is seen crying and kneeling on the ground after Shane punches Rick.  Lori says, "What's happening to us?" and "It's never going to be the same again.  We're never going to be normal again..."  I thought those quotes were very powerful; in any apocalyptic event, it is very hard to go back to the familiarity and comfortableness of life before.  This reminded me of Sam in The Flame Alphabet.  Sam deals with the idea of normality as well.  Towards the end of the book, he struggles to accept that Claire, Esther, and him will never have the loving relationship they once had.  The takeaway I got from reading The Walking Dead and The Flame Alphabet is that, with time, change is inevitable.  It is hard to replicate the past and if you hold on to it, it will consume you.

The Flame Alphabet Pt. 2

"I did my work and fed the material to the technicians, who came to my office with a bucket to collect what I'd done.  That's what the work I gave them amounted to: slops.  In the courtyard men and women fell unconsciousness, turned into gaze less creatures.  Some of them were sick because of alphabets I made.  I raised a sparse beard on my face and I learned to stare between the people I saw." (183)

I thought this passage really embodied how much an apocalyptic event can impact individuals.  The tone of the passage was dull and lifeless, reflecting the nature of Sam and the "creatures."  It was frightful how little emotion the subjects had.  As a result, I thought it was appropriate and clever how the passage mentioned the men and women were turned into "gaze less creatures."  The complexity of human motion is a well known trait that distinguishes humans from other animals.  If people were to adopt emotionless states, what would set them apart from any other creature?  Another part of the passage that intrigued me was the emotional distant enforced by Sam.  I thought the last sentence was particularly powerful.  This reminded me of Rabab's reference to people with depression and post traumatic stress disorder.  All of Sam's traumatic and painful experiences had hardened him.  The contrast between how he was in the beginning of the book and now is so different it's difficult to imagine that these two personas were ever the same person.  

The Flame Alphabet

"The reasoning, when reasoning seemed possible, was simple.  Better to stand up to those happy moments, if that's what they were, and give Esther a father who wasn't much a spoiler, who didn't turn pale on the occasion of even the most basic speech.  But my face leaked force each time.  A daughter was someone to pretend to be healthy for ." (12)

It's heartbreaking to see the the dynamic between Esther and her parents.  It's evident that Esther's parents Samuel and Clair want to do what's best for her even if it's not reciprocated by their daughter.  This really made me think about the relationship I have with my parents.  I can definitely remember a time when I took out my anger and frustration out on my parents in return for them trying to helping me.  In the moment, it's hard to explain why I would act out of spite toward them.  Looking back, the root of the problem came from my insecurity towards myself and lack of appreciation.  As a preteen/teenager, my selfish attitude blinded me from my thoughtful actions towards my loved ones.  Having grown up a little more, I understand more and more where parent's are coming from and am able to appreciate a little more as well.  In this case, I see where Esther and Samuel are both coming from.  Esther is in that period in her life where she has no responsibilities for others and can put herself first without blame.  On the other hand, Samuel is in the period of his life where responsibilities are real and his love for others have taken over the love for himself.  The contrast between the young and old or the naive and wise becomes more and more evident as we transition from teenagers into adulthood and experience it ourselves.

Bounty

While reading Bounty, what really stood out to me was the division of social classes based on physical features.  Those that were "flawed" were looked down upon by those that were "normal."  This reminded me of Black Hole when Chris caught the "bug" that led to a physical deformity and isolation from her "normal" life.  The readers of Black Hole were able to compare how people viewed her before and after she caught the sexually transmitted disease.  Although these deformities in Bounty and Black Hole don't necessarily exist in reality, they bring up issues that are close to home.  It made me think of events in U.S. history such as slavery and racial discrimination.  I interpreted those of colored skin as those that were "flawed" and those that weren't as "normal."  The imbalanced relationship between the victim and the perpetrator in Bounty greatly resembled the relationship between people of color and people that weren't of color.  It's always refreshing to read fictional texts that address current or past situations because it allows me to see important aspects of an issue that I wouldn't have noticed otherwise.

Black Hole

While reading Black Hole, I had mixed feelings about it due to the strong dialogue and somewhat graphic images.  However after finishing it, I thought it brought up a lot interesting topics that were relatable to past and present issues in our society, such as sexually transmitted diseases or the illegal use of marijuana.  What really stood out to me was the contrast in the way of living between the “normal” and “outcast” kids.  From my interpretation, the “normal” kids were the ones who did not have the sexually transmitted ‘bug” or do drugs.  Their way of living was deemed comfortable and complete; they had a home and family.  On the other hand, those that had the “bug” or smoked pot were considered the “outcasts.”  Their way of living was the other end of the extreme; they didn’t have a conventional home or family.  Their home and family were the woods and the other outcasts.  I thought this strongly resembled certain events in past history.  People of different religions, colors, and illnesses have been discriminated and outcasted due to their “unconventional” differences.  Just like the “outcast” kids, they were pushed away from the majority and had to fend for themselves.  Although Black Hole may have been provocative, sometimes it’s the only way to make people think about important topics on a deeper level and relate it back to their reality.

Summary of Three Sources

1. Atheism.  CM Lorkowski.  27 March 2013.
1. Atheism has changed throughout the years: what was considered atheism a few centuries ago is completely different to what it is viewed as today.  Unorthodox religious views in the nineteenth century were considered as a form of atheism.  Atheism in the popular sense claims that there aren't any supported reasons for believing the existence of God, but there also exists supported reasons for believing no such deity exists.  In this academic piece, Lorkowski acknowledges both the naturalistic and theistic sides in order to defend the role of atheism.
2. We Can’t Have Ethics Without Religion.  Don Feder.
1. This newspaper article begins by giving statistics of unethical values, such as the increased percentage of premarital sex.  The article goes on by disapproving the moral teachings of professors and psychologists and blaming them for the increasing lack of “Judeo-Christian values that serve as the foundation of a decent society.”  The article ends by bluntly stating that religion is the only way to enforce the ethical norms: honesty, kindness, and equity.
3. Hope: faith, atheism, and agnosticism.  Jonathan C. Smith.  January-February 2011.
1. Smith points out the different types of faith and the multiple versions that come with each one.  For example, he states that people embrace or reject claims depending on evidence, unfalsifiability, and emotion.  These three different bases make up faith of the first, second, and third kind.  He then goes on to question the survival of faith and the existence of atheism and spirituality.  For faith to survive, one must take a narcissistic route by accepting one’s own faith and questioning others.  Last but not least, it is possible for atheism and spirituality to coexist.  Smith’s message is that whatever it is you believe in, one’s journey to find mystical realities and possibilities is what matters the most to the soul.

Ragnarok: The End of the Gods

"The thin child knew, and did not know that she knew, that her elders lived in provisional fear of imminent destruction.  They faced the end of the world they knew.  The English country world did not end, as many others did, was not overrun, nor battered into mud by armies.  But fear was steady, even if no one talked to the thin child about it.  In her soul she knew her bright father would not come back.  At the end of every year the family sipped cider and toasted his safe return.  The thin child felt a despair she did not know she felt."

This excerpt from Ragnarok really stood out to me because of how fear can impact people.  In literature, children are considered symbols of purity.  They are oblivious to judgment and the evil of the world.  However, in this selection from Ragnarok, even the thin child was exposed to feeling fear.  think this speaks volumes because it shows that no matter how much much a person wants to ignore their true feelings they can't runaway from it.  Like in the text, the thin child and the family pretended the father would come back, but fear was still present in the back of their minds.  People can hope and pray for the outcome they want, but deep down, they already know what the expected outcome is.

Yunus (Jonah), Al-Naml (The Ants, The Ants), and Az-Zukhruf

This week’s readings were structurally different compared to last week’s.  Instead of one narrator, there were three: Yusuf Ali, Pickthal, and Shakir.  Compared to the Book of Daniel, it felt more like I was reading a book of lessons compared to a fictional story: one of the reasons is because the narrators used “you” to directly address the audience.  Although there weren’t many, one aspect that reminded me of Greek mythology was the three narrators.  They reminded me of the Fates that appeared in the Disney movie Hercules.  The Fates were also consisted of three people, and they also had the tendency of starting and ending each other’s sentences/verses.

Book of Daniel

After reading the text, I was really impressed by how complex the Bible is.  The Bible is like the human body, and the parts that it consists of are like the organs inside the human body.  Besides that observation, this was the first time where I really noticed the presence of apocalyptic events in religious texts.  I think the events that occurred in the Book of Daniel teaches an important lesson.  Although I looked at it from a non-religious point of view, I thought the message was very powering.  This is how I interpreted it: In times of crisis and oppression, stay faithful in the fact that the problem will work its way out.

Babel Translations

After finishing this week’s assigned readings, I was reminded of last week’s class discussion.  The subject of translation in the readings similarly emulated the subject of translation mentioned in class.  In the modern age, it is very hard to pinpoint the “true” translated or interpreted work of the bible.  Like Ali said in class, the meaning of a word ages ago could be completely different to that of today’s.  When translating from one language to another, it’s very difficult to get everything across due to the structure of the language and the people and culture behind it.  As a result, different interpretations are produced.

The Near Eastern Context

After finishing the assigned readings and video, a point that was made in The Near Easter Context stood out to me the most: "In contrast to what we find in the Bible, morality is not a consideration in this story."  This quote stood out to me the most because given in the world we live in today, morality is what defines us as human beings.  Morality affects how we make decisions and how we view other people's decisions.  In a world full of laws and rules, it's hard to imagine living in a place where our actions would not be deemed good or bad.  Although it seems freeing, in reality, a place without morality is a place that would be unstable and threatening to society.  If people were unable to recognize their morals, it would be hard for them to distinguish what actions would be harmful, most likely causing some sort of damage.

Bill Maher's Religulous

Similar to Richard Dawkin's and Lawrence Krauss' The Unbelievers, it was hard to watch Bill Maher's Religulous at times.  The way these non-believers approached the religious views of other people was very rude and not very effective.  It was also frustrating and tiring to watch the ongoing cycle of Bill Maher attacking people's religious views followed by those people defending their positions.  There was no evidence to support any of the two sides, which would allow the viewers to base their opinions off of.  Instead, it just felt like both sides were very biased towards there own ideas.  Although I understand the message of the documentary, I don't think it was the best way for it to come across.  Whether someone is religious or not, I think it important to be aware and respectful towards both the scientific world and religious world.  If this was the case, people would  be less likely to force what they think is "right" on to others.

Y: The Last Man

After reading Y: The Last Man by Brian K. Vaughn, Pia Guerra, and Jose Marzan Jr., I wanted to continue reading it and see what happened to Yorick and the rest of the characters.  Along with its spot on language and humor, I really liked the whole idea behind the story where all the men (except Yorick) are killed off by an unknown source and how the women react to this apocalyptic catastrophe.  It was interesting to see the different groups of women that were introduced and how they approached the aftermath of the catastrophic event, such as the Amazons, the Republicans, and the politicians.  Their reactions reminded me of an ideology mentioned in Naomi Klein's Shock Doctrine when people take advantage of a catastrophic event by erasing and reshaping the old into the new.  It shows that no matter man or woman, humans will react a certain way in order to pursue their goals.

My Imaginary Bunker

My Imaginary Bunker by Megan Mayhew Bergman speaks to the majority of people who are letting the unknown happen.  Even though it is known that each day our carbon footprints add to the destruction of the earth, it is unknown of what the end result and the effects that follow will be.  The points she made about environmental anxiety and letting climate change happen hit home.  I have had moments like Bergman described, when I enter the downward spiral of anxiety.  I worry about what will happen to our environment in the future and how it will affect our daily lives.  I worry that there is no plausible solution.  I worry for the animal kingdom and future generations.  It, too, makes me feel guilty, but as mentioned in class it is hard to make a change when the events of daily life pull me back into the realm of ignorance.  The struggle of looking out for the world, yet looking out for oneself is still and will always continue to be one.

Shock Doctrine

After reading the introduction and Part I of Naomi Klein's Shock Doctrine, I was shocked by her theory and the accompanying evidence.  I noted that Part I was really crucial for me in further understanding Klein's theory due to the horrifying personal experiences mentioned about the shock victims.  It was refreshing to read evidence that was researched from afar but also from a first hand experience such as Klein's interview with Gail Kastner.  It was horrific to hear of what Kastner and other victims went through under the eye of doctor Ewen Cameron.  Kastner's personal experience with erasing and remaking was eerily similar to the events following catastrophes like the tsunami that hit Sri Lanka.  Whether it was an event that followed a publicized catastrophe or an event that affected the life of a college student, the idea of erasing and reshaping is a theory so dark that it's hard to imagine that it exists.

Justice: What's the right thing to do?

After reading Justice: What's the right thing to do? by Michael J. Sandel, I began to think a lot about the questions that appeared in the text such as "Who deserves what?" and "What do we owe one another?"  Although my first instinct was to state that the people who are selfless are the people who deserve the good in life and we owe it one another to help our community, I found it hard to believe there was only one valid answer.  It's hard because there are so many factors that influence an answer. Every answer is different just as everyone is different, meaning they come from different environments and circumstances that shape them.  After careful thought, I found that the "right" answer to these questions must come from within the person asking.  Like Sandel said, "invite readers to subject their own views about justice to critical examination--to figure out what they think, and why."

Slavoj Zizek: Living in the End Times

After reading selections from Living in the End Times by Slavoj Zizek, what stood out to me the most was his idea of keeping an open mind when it came to catastrophes.  This ideology really knocked me off my feet because it had never crossed my mind to look at the positive results of catastrophic events.  Although it is always good to look on the positive side of any situation, I think it is also necessary to look on the negative side of things.  If people were to only look at the positive results of catastrophes, people would not learn from the negative effects.  To learn and grow from mistakes, one should evaluate both the rewards and consequences in order to make future decisions with a better mindset and approach.

Apocalypse: What Disasters Reveal

In Junot Diaz's essay Apocalypse: What Disasters Reveal, Diaz addresses what apocalypses are and what they reveal, specifically the Haiti earthquake.  In the essay, he makes a compelling point that the Haiti earthquake, along with the 2004 Asian earthquake and Katrina, was not a natural disaster but a social disaster.  His perspective of a natural disaster versus a social disaster stood out to me the most because I had never really thought of an earthquake, tsunami, or hurricane as a fault of the human race.  Instead of blaming it on nature, Diaz willingly accepts these disasters as events that could have been prevented.  I think it takes a lot of vulnerability and bravery to accept one's mistake and his ability to do so for the world reflects his idea that these catastrophes are opportunities for us to take responsibility for what we see, to change.  Diaz gives us the true facts about the poverty and devastation in Haiti, forcing us to face what most would turn away from.  Even as he analyzes the poor management of foreign powers in Haiti and all the consequences it has caused, Diaz still manages to see light at the end of the tunnel.