The American? Dream

The American Dream is a funny concept.  It's this concept that we strive so hard to achieve, but I do not believe that there is a sole American Dream.  It's an idea, but the actual dream depends on the person.  Achieving the American Dream does not mean that you have a nice house with a white picket fence, green grass, and a picture-perfect family.  To me, living the American Dream means that you wake up every morning without dreading the day ahead.  That is my goal- to wake up every day excited to take on a new challenge or just be content with where I am.  I think that the American Dream has historically been measured by wealth and success, but I believe that success is relative and wealth does not correlate with peace of mind.  I will be living the American Dream when I am the NFL Commissioner, not just because I will be making $40 million a year, but because it is something I love and aspire to achieve.

This may just be my naive 17-year-old self, but I believe that if you pick your job based on the amount of money you make, then you are not truly living the American Dream.  The American Dream is the result of opportunity.  The reason that this "dream" is associated with American is because of our history as a land of opportunity, whether that is true or not is up to the individual.  If you want to take live the American Dream, you have to take it upon yourself to take advantage of the opportunities life presents.  Some will have it easier than others, and this may be a result of extraneous circumstances, but, to me, the American Dream is achieved when you are happy with your stage of life and consider yourself successful.

When I think of wealth, I think of a Gatsby-style life- over-the-top, flamboyant displays of proving that you have money.  That's just at first thought, though.  However, I honestly think of money when I think of wealth, and, typically, I label people as wealthy based on their material items.  When I see someone driving a really nice car or living in a huge house, I automatically associate them with wealth.  If my dad is there during my judgment time, though, he always says, "Yes, but you don't know what goes on behind those doors.  You never know how much debt someone has accumulated,and you don't know how they came to be able to purchase those."  My dad is never one to hastily pass judgment.  I define wealth as having a lot of money; I've never really known any other use of the word.  I do not care so much about a person's wealth, but I find it interesting to see how they use their wealth or present it.  Some people are very discreet, some donate a large sum to charity, and some throw immaculate parties.

In America, I typically see wealth associated with power, and vice versa.  Money may not buy happiness, but it does buy power.  Money makes things happen.  I do not always think that that should be the case, but it is.  Americans' views on wealth and poverty are typically based on how they are raised and the environment in which they are raised.  People from other countries come to America with the idea that wealth is easily achieved.  Americans have this "get rich quick" mentality that actually is not reality.  Poverty is looked down upon and pitied.  I also think that Americans have a common assumption that those who are impoverished are unintelligent.  This is another contributor to the idea that getting a job and becoming wealthy is easy.  Americans stereotypically see wealth as easy to attain because the wealthy are so heavily spotlighted, but it is those in poverty who actually make up more of the population than the wealthy.

I think that income inequality is a major problem around the world.  There is a huge discrepancy between the wealthy nations and those that are impoverished, and I do not think that this is fair.  I think that those who are wealthy should do what they can to help those in poverty.  However, I do not place as much emphasis on a person's financial status.  I care more about a person's character, and I think that happiness and moral standards contribute more to the American Dream.  I also think it's incredibly important to keep in mind that perception is not always reality.  If your dreams are correlated with money, then you will live an unfulfilled life.

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Hit 'Em with That IOC

Grade: 
1. Knowledge and understanding of the text: 6 
     I provided background information and how the extract relates to the novel as a whole; however, I could have supported my claims with more examples.
2. Literary Features: 5 
    I didn't go as in depth with this one as I would have liked because I was worried about time.  I did reference how language affects tone, though, and related that to the reader.
3. Organization: 4
     I thought that I organized my commentary well; however, I did go off track a little when I was talking about context, and sometimes I went back to topics after moving on.
5. Language: 3
     My vocabulary was not very varied (I said "negative" about 31739 times).  I also don't really know what my "register" should be, but I'm sure it was not up to par.

Total: 18

Tan Le: My immigration story

Tan Le immigrated from China to Australia at the age of four with her mother, grandmother, and younger sister.  She is living proof that the statement "It can't be done." holds no weight and that it can, in fact be done.  The constants in Le's life have been the women- the ones who have never left her side and have driven her to success.  Le tells a story of adversity and how she welcomes the presence of obstacles in her life.

Le is now a social activist; she speaks about unemployment and the neglect of the marginalized
and the disenfranchised.  Her mom worked double shifts six days a week.  The three of them shared the same bed, and each night, though they were exhausted, told each other the stories of their day.

Le's mother was 22, in an arranged marriage, and the mother of two girls when they got in the small boat disguised as a fishing vessel and set out for a new life in Australia.  The adults on the boat carried poison to drink in the event that they were captured by pirates.  They made it to Australia safely and lived in a refugee camp for three months and then settling in Footscray, a working-class suburb populated by immigrants. Tan Le struggled to make the transition from immigrant in Footscray to public speaker and graduate of law school.

Tan Le's message is so powerful because she evokes emotion in her audience; she uses pathos. Though her story extends far beyond just her struggles as a young girl immigrating to a new country, these are the parts of the story that really capture the audience's attention.  Le tells the story of her grandfather saying "his life had been a complete waste" and he died "broken by history."  If that doesn't make a person feel remorse or pity, I don't know what would.  However, Le uses this to serve as a contrast and to demonstrate the motivation behind how she lives her life.  She says, "yes, history tried to crush us, but we endured," which shows her pride and draws in the audience.  Tan Le also uses imagery and metaphor keep the audience engaged throughout.  She uses the idea of a jigsaw puzzle and the boat as a symbol to display the bonds created by the women in her family and how her life is ever evolving.  Her memories are of the "steady beat of the engine, the bow dipping into each wave, the vast and empty horizon."  It makes the audience relate to the fear that she experienced because of the unknown, and people fear the unknown.  She brings up the boat when she discusses privilege.  As she discusses a new chapter in her life, she relates it to a jigsaw puzzle: " I was catapulted from one piece of the jigsaw to another, and their edges didn't fit."  Le uses a common item to make the audience better understand her story and how she felt out of place in different stages of her life.

Tan Le also uses ethos to convey her point.  She is a reputable speaker because she has lived the life of an immigrant.  Her expertise is conveyed through discussing details of her journey and her mother and grandmother's lives.  The audience believes her story because of her emotional investment in it.

Now why this Ted Talk?  I am always inspired by people who use their life experiences and what they have learned to help others.  I thought that this would be a tough story to listen to, a typical immigration story.  However, she only brings in stories of her struggles to draw in her audience, not to make them feel sorry for her.  I was amazed by the contrast between her early life and her mentality going through life.  It makes me wonder how I would feel if I had to abandon everything I know and start a new life.  Would I make the best of it, or would I throw myself a pity party?  I like to think I'd overcome the obstacles use my experience for the better, but I don't know that for sure.  It makes me realize how lucky I am, and, honestly, that I am slacking!  Tan Le teaches that the women in her life have made her who she is and that privilege doesn't make us who we are, adversity does.  Maybe Lady Macbeth and Macbeth could've taken a page from her book (instead of other people's lives)!               

From an overall and superficial standpoint, Barbara Stanwyck's character is portrayed as a gold-digging, manipulating, home-wrecking, attractive and irresistible woman.  Double Indemnity is a typical film noir, as it is centered around an initially honorable male character who meets a seductive, attractive woman with her own dark agenda.  It almost seems too easy how Phyllis is able to get Walter to fall for her. Essentially, she is an object of desire, from the moment that Walter enters her house, and she is shown in only a towel with a glittering anklet on her bare leg to the end when Mr. Seketti comes to the house in hopes of finally being with her.

Phyllis is presented in a very stereotypical feminine way; she wears skirts and dresses that flatter her figure, her hair is always perfectly curled, and lipstick graces her lips.  She is often shown in seductive lighting; it is softer and brighter when she is in the picture.  The lighting also enhances the shadows in the scene, which creates a suspenseful mood. Phyllis is often shot from the side or straight on, and the light seems to fall over her face. When she is trying to seduce Walter, such as when she first invited him back to the house, she tends to be positioned lounging on a chair and is shot from the side, as to showcase her seductive nature.  The contrast with the bright lighting and the eerie mood is a representation of Phyllis's duality.  She appears to be this soft, desirable woman, but her personality is dark.

I found it hard to judge Phyllis's character until when Lola revealed that Phyllis had killed her mother. At first, she seems like a bored housewife who just wants relief from her husband who does not seem to value her.  I feel bad for her in that aspect.  However, she seems to lose all sense of morality when the money becomes involved.  Though Walter is the one who creates the plan and insists that it be put into action, Phyllis is the driving force behind the whole operation.  A good, moral person does not orchestrate the killing of two people for money.

Phyllis tends to portray herself as vulnerable when she is around Walter in order to get him to do what she wants, constantly bringing up how miserable she is with her husband and how she needs help.  She also uses a mix of playing hard to get and being aggressive to keep him interested.  The first time he meets her, she plays hard to get, but then later invites herself over to his apartment.  Phyllis lets Walter come up with the plan and volunteer himself to help her so that he seems as though he is in control, but she is Lady Macbething him so hard!  She is manipulating him to get what she wants.

Double Indemnity. along with other films in the film noir genre, shows that women in the 1940s were viewed as objects of desire who use their looks to achieve their goals.  They have the ability to corrupt good, honest men.  However, this film also shows that women were viewed as inferior and vulnerable. While Phyllis derives her desired end result, Walter (the man) is the mastermind with the plot, showing that he is the smarter one.  Phyllis comes off as incredibly vulnerable in the end when she throws herself at Walter in hopes of living.  Walter is the one who kills her in the end, though, a way of exerting male dominance.

For He Who Has Lost His Marbles...

Dear Macbeth,

Since you have killed all of your friends by  now and your wife has gone crazy, I figured that you would have quite a lot of time on your hands.  That said, I decided to get you a subscription to Netflix to help fill up your time.  I even took the liberty of putting together a list of recommendations to help get you started!  Happy binge-watching!


1.  That's So Raven

This show is so you!  It is described as an "American supernatural teen sitcom television series," and I know how much you value the supernatural! The main character, Raven Baxter (played by Raven Symone), is psychic and has visions about parts of future events.  She only sees small fragments of what may happen, and often misinterprets their meanings, so she does what you do best, meddle with the future.  Her attempts to change these events tend to only make them happen or make them worse.  Unlike you, however, she doesn't end up killing anyone or with a wife who "allegedly" kills herself.  I figured that you could really relate to this one because of the stake you put in the prophecies and your obsession with making them come true.  Raven's life is like a comical and light version of yours!  I think that if you watched it, it would comfort you to know that you are not the only one who believes in the supernatural.

2. Revenge                                                                                          

This is literally my favorite show!  It embodies all things Macbeth!  There's some corruption, fake identities, murder, struggle for power, super intense women, and, of course, revenge. Revenge is about Emily Thorne (played by Emily Van Camp), the new, sophisticated girl in the Hamptons who breaks into the exclusive social circle of Grayson Global CEO Conrad Grayson and his socialite wife Victoria.  But plot twist: Emily Thorne is actually Amanda Clark, the daughter of former Grayson Global employee David Clark who was falsely accused of channeling money to a terrorist organization responsible for the downing of a commercial airliner (literal appearance vs. reality, anyone???).  She is now determined to seek vengeance for her father's life.  Macbeth, I think that you and your girl Lady can really relate to the Graysons.  Now, I know you're thinking, "Why on Earth would I want to watch a show about an outsider taking down the power house?"  Well, Macbeth that is because I think it can help you with strategy.  You are all about taking preventative measures to secure your power, and that is just what the Graysons do.  They are experts at eliminating possible threats while appearing innocent.  They cover their footsteps like nobody's business.  When Emily (Macduff, maybe?) makes a move, there is always a counter.  Your addiction to this show (trust me it's going to happen) will truly demonstrate your thirst for power and social status.  

3. Star Wars

As you continue with your downward spiral of insanity, I figured it would be comforting for you to know that there are others like you! They were made in a weird order (4-6, then 1-3), but I suggest that you watch them 1-6, so that you can better relate to the downfall of Anakin Skywalker (spoiler alert: he becomes Darth Vader).  Star Wars has some supernatural elements to entertain you!  The Jedi are always encouraged to "use the force," is the force actually doing the work or is it just a mind trick?  Anikan is manipulated by the Chancellor to join the dark side after having a vision of his beloved wife dying in labor, and then kills his mentor and good friend Obi-Won.  From there, there was no going back as he went on to become enemy #1.  Homeboy just wanted to step up and save his family, right?  The path to power is very alluring and can be destructive when abused.  You would likely sympathize with Anakin/Darth Vader (some major appearance vs. reality) and place blame for his downfall and life of evil and murder on the supernatural and manipulation.  Maybe seeing this will make you grow a conscience before it's too late?  If you still aren't sold on this, then you should know that the movies involve light sabers and the cutest little droid ever.  Enough said. 

4. Dance Moms

Now before you have a hissy fit over why the heck fire you would watch a reality TV show about little girls dancing and their moms fighting, let me explain.  Sometimes, you just need a nice dose of reality TV to make you feel better about yourself.  Dance Moms is a reality TV series set in Pittsburgh at the Abby Lee Dance Company.  It follows the elite junior competition team's season filled with tears, rumors, and helicopter moms.  I think that you will get a kick out of Abby Lee, the studio owner and dance teacher, because you have a thing for incredibly aggressive, insulting, and manipulative women.  The moms repeatedly refer to her as "manly" and "manless" because of her appearance and aggressive nature, something I'm sure you have witnessed in your own life (aka Lady Macbeth).  She puts enormous pressure on the girls to win, win, win, and stop at nothing to do so. One of her common phrases is "Save your tears for your pillow."  You have also been influenced by outside forces to win at all costs and maintain that competitive edge.  By watching this show, you would reveal your desire for drama and your new-found emphasis on aggression.  

Too Much Football

This is my freebie!  :)