"Snapped"...Yikes

     
I really enjoy watching horror movies, sometimes it's to get a good laugh and sometimes to get a good scare. I similarly enjoy watching shows about crime, some of my favorites include "Law and Order, "Criminal Minds", and "Snapped". This Halloween weekend I watched a lot of horror movies and crime shows ; it got me thinking. I started to feel a little sick about what these movies, shows, and entertainment like this say about our world. As much as I like watching these things, I began to think about the way that "art imitates life". Even though it is debatable to some, a lot of film and television is art. So what is our art saying about us. Is our world really that horrific, bloody, violent, and gory that our entertainment is simply imitating what we see in real life? Granted horror movies would be a gross exaggeration of what could or would happen in real life but it is still disturbing to think that these things do happen in any way in real life. I mean the ideas for horror films and crime shows come from somewhere, right? What's chilling is that somewhere is most likely reality.

Then I thought about if some of what we see in film and television reflects our world, to some extent, what are the chances that the wrong people could get ideas from this. This may sound funny, but when I was watching "Criminal Minds", I kept thinking doesn't this show give someone who may be psychotic and/ or evil the perfect road map to making unspeakable crimes a reality. Then I started to think what if "life started to imitate art". I think the relationships between art and life are interchangeable in some ways. If they could come to life, wouldn't that make what we see on television and in the movies an even bigger issue? For me this is something to think about, when in the line between entertainment and too much crossed. People have asked this question over many issues sex, violence, and so much more. Under the larger umbrella of violence in TV and film is where my thoughts about hat our film and TV say about us lie.

      "Snapped" is a show that takes the story of one woman each episode and explores what led to her committing some irreversible act of violence, usually murder. "Snapped" depicts “true” stories and any episode could be played out like a "fictional" crime drama. This left me with how far are we from the violence we see on TV. Are we really that far removed or has the violence we watch become what we are as a society.

No room for the Heart in the King's Court

    

      She woke up in another room, not her own. It was still dark outside and something in the air felt different. As she looked to her side she noticed a melted candle that seemed to have just gone out. A gasp came out, as she began to realize that she was not in her bed, her room, her house, or even her time. As she sat up and looked around she noticed other beds around and a door that looked like the entrance to a chamber that she read about. As she moved to get up, she heard a light voice say “Belisia”; before she was able to rise an excited young girl grabbed her arm.

      Belisia said “who are you?”

     “It’s me Clara, don’t be silly you we must be up and ready to attend to the Queen when she awakes”, replied Clara.

     Belisia allowed herself to be led by Clara, as she still could not understand where she was and why? Clara started rambling on about some news involving the Queen and a possible heir. Belisia’s head was spinning where was she? Belisia asked Clara “what Queen are we attending to?”

     “Queen Anne! have you hit your head ? You’re a lady in waiting to the Queen of England and you act as if you’ve never heard her name.” said Clara.

  As Belisia’s was starting to understand where she was and began to feel that this was not a dream, she decided it’s best to stay quiet, as she did not want anyone to believe she was going mad. But the truth is she is a 17 year old girl that has gone to bed in 2011 and woken up to the world of 1953 as lady in waiting to King Henry VIII’ s second wife Anne Boleyn.

What happened to Common Sense... in Education???

    This week while I was walking around and working with the students at the highschool where I will be student teaching, I overheard a very interesting conversation. A student was talking about a grade she got for the mid-term marking period. She recieved a D in one of her classes and according to her when she went to ask the teacher why the response  was " we did not do much in this class, so there was not much to grade you on; don't worry about it too much." In response to this the student said that she felt the teacher should get a D not  her. It occured to me that the student was making a profound point how can you fail someone for what you acknowledge is not their doing; if a student does not recieve "enough" work in a class who's fault is that? How the could the reason the tacher gave be reasonable? It is no wonder that students sometimes feel cheated or unheard in school If I'm going to get graded based on things out of my realm of control, why try to succeed?
      I know I'm being a bit dramatic and there is a chance that the student was not correctly quoting what the teacher said, but this still causes me to think about the instances where common sense could make a great difference. Specifically in education common sense could be the difference between effective teaching and not so effective teaching. If teachers stopped and thought about how they would react if someone did to them what they do/ are doing to their students a lot of "bad" teaching could be avoided. There are so many times when putting ourselves in the place of the student could make a world of difference and prevent a lot of negative things from taking place in the classroom. For instance if that teacher thought about how she would feel if somone failed her then said it was because they( the teacher) did not give enough work, how would she feel. I don't think she would be thrilled about the prospect of failing over something that is not about her performance, but is attributed to someone else's mistake. Mabye if the teacher thought about this she would have been more pratical when giving her grades. You could tell that the student has lost faith in and respect for her teacher from this small instance. I feel like that happens quite often in education; "the bottom line is if I(the teacher) didn't like it, why would they (the students)." I hope that I always remember to  reflect in this way once I begin to teach. The lesson I learned , from this student is that a little common sense goes a long way.

“The Truth does not set us all Free”- Critical Lens Essay Revised

Critical Lens Essay

Arielle Hall

October 4, 2011

Professor Sieben

“The Truth does not set us all Free”

           William James states that “The greatest enemy of any one of our truths may be the rest of our truths”. This is a hard truth to understand and take in, but through a critical look into two texts, I will provide evidence to the fact that many times the truth of one person is destroyed or stifled by the truth and values of others in a given society. In The Help by Kathryn Stockett and the film, The Stoning of Soraya M. directed by Cyrus Nowasteh, the way in which truth for one can be turned into something detrimental by others becomes a painful reality and I will demonstrate the way in which these two pieces speak to the truth of James’s point. The truth for Skeeter Phelan in The Help turns out to be personally freeing but is attacked by the popular culture in her world; with the consequence of losing her life Soraya stands by her truth even though the culture of her world does not respect a woman’s truth. Therefore, using their truth to discredit hers.

        In The Help by Kathryn Stockett the truth that Skeeter helps bring to life destroys a part of her social life. Skeeter provides a stage for the women of color, who are labeled “the help”, to tell their stories; therefore, they give an inside look into the racism that was present in Mississippi during the 1960’s. By doing this, Skeeter being a white young woman lost some of the ties she had to her friends, such as Hilly Holbrook and Elizabeth Leefoot, who find comfort in their existence as the “dominant” race. Many of the white women in the novel do not want to acknowledge the racism and state of society that Skeeter gives voice to; therefore they penalize Skeeter for her version of the truth. “You got nothing left her but enemies in the Junior League and a mama that’s gonna drive you to drink. You done burned ever bridge there is. And you ain’t never gone get another boyfriend in this town and everybody knows it. So don’t walk you white butt to New York, run it” (Sockett). In this excerpt, Skeeter is getting advice from Aibeleen about possibly leaving Mississippi for New York. Also this quote describes the negative affect that writing a book with the help of colored women in Mississippi had on Skeeter’s life. Skeeter lost a part of her life in sharing the truth because others chose to stick to a truth that helps them to feel justified in their racist thoughts and actions. There are also characters such as Hilly who serve as a foil for Skeeter because Hilly represents the racist ideologies of her time, reinforcing the negative reaction from many to what Skeeter does.  Also the point of views from which the novel is told through Aibileen, Minny, and Skeeter enforce the side which the author is encouraging readers to identify with as.

       Soraya in The Stoning of Soraya M. directed by Cyrus Nowasteh lost her life because she maintained her truth that was not accepted by the dominant gender of her world. The film, set in 1986 Iran, is centered around the incredible injustice done to an innocent young women, left powerless against the males in her society. Soraya insists that she is innocent because her husband has made a lie up in order to be rid of Soraya as a wife, so that he may marry a younger female. Soraya’s penalty for infidelity is death by stoning. Soraya’s cousin proclaiming her innocence says to a prominent figure who could stop the stoning, “Yes it’s clear, all women are guilty, and all men are innocent”. This scene in the film speaks to the fact that a women’s truth has no place in male dominated world, where women are as the men say they are. This is what allows Soraya to still face persecution, even after proclaiming the truth. The truth of the men in Soraya’s world leaves her powerless and they attack her truth by standing behind their version of the truth. Soraya’s death, which is graphically shown in the movie, symbolizes the idea that even the innocent and honest can be destroyed among people who value their own truth and refuse to see that of others. While being stoned, Soraya is dressed in white and this seems to be a purposeful choice as a last testament to her innocence and honesty, because white represents purity for some. As a narrator Soraya’s aunt has a sorrowful and dark tone that foreshadows something horrific about to take place.

     The Help and The Stoning of Soraya M. differ in their tone and the ways in which they support the quote by James. In The Help there is a lighter tone and Stockett uses characterization, point of view, setting, and other elements to create a vivid picture for readers of life in Mississippi during the 1960’s, for white and colored women. In The Stoning of Soraya M., Cyrus Nowrasteh uses symbolism, dialogue, setting, and mood to create a world where injustice breathes freely. Both texts are based on real historical occurrences. The Help uses the backdrop of a time were racism and prejudice were prevalent in America as an arena to bring certain truths and ideas to light. The Stoning of Soraya M. is based on a true story and is set during a time when the rights of women were dangerously suppressed in Iran. These pieces do something interesting by taking something that was real to bring the audience into the story, helping us to understand the truths being conveyed by the stories, which go deeper than the individual situations of the characters.

           The honesty of “The greatest enemy of any one of our truths may be the rest of our truths” written by William James is found throughout the stories of the novel The Help by Kathryn Stockett and The Stoning of Soraya M, directed by Cyrus Nowrasteh. The Help tells of the story of three women and the ways their lives intertwine in 1960’s Mississippi; Stockett use of these characters conveys the way in which some truths are not freeing or positive for everyone. One’s truth can be destroyed by the values/ truths of others. In The Stoning of Soraya M. we are painfully reminded that the truth has deadly consequences when it is not accepted by others and is attacked. Nowrasteh’s use of tone and mood help push this idea to the forefront.  These pieces and the quote from James prove that the truth is real but its survival is a matter or circumstance.

* I wanted to color my revisions to make them clear, but most of my revising was cutting what seemed unecessary or more like summary.

“The Truth does not set us all Free” -Critical Lens Essay

           William James states that “The greatest enemy of any one of our truths may be the rest of our truths”. This is a hard truth to understand and take in but through a critical look into two texts, I will provide evidence to the fact that many times the truth of one person is destroyed or stifled by the truth and values of others in a given society. In the book The Help by Kathryn Stockett and the film The Stoning of Soraya M. directed by Cyrus Nowasteh the way in which truth for one can be turned into something detrimental by others becomes a painful reality and I will demonstrate the way in which these two pieces speak to the truth of James’s point. The truth for Skeeter Phelan in, The Help turns out to be personally freeing but is attacked by the popular culture in her world; with the consequence of losing her life Soraya stands by her truth even though the culture of her world does not respect a woman’s truth, therefore using their own truth to discredit hers.

        In The Help by Kathryn Stockett the truth that Skeeter helps bring to life destroys a part of her social life, because she supports a truth that some are not ready to admit or accept.  Skeeter provides a stage for the women of color, who are labeled at “the help”, to tell their stories; therefore they give an inside look into the racism that was present in Mississippi during the 1960’s. By doing this Skeeter being a white young woman lost some of the ties she had to her friends, such as Hilly Holbrook and Elizabeth Leefoot, who find comfort in their existence as the “dominant” race. Many of the white women in the novel do not want to acknowledge the racism and state of society that Hilly helps give voice to; therefore they penalize Hilly for her version of the truth. “You got nothing left her but enemies in the Junior League and a mama that’s gonna drive you to drink. You done burned ever bridge there is. And you ain’t never gone get another boyfriend in this town and everybody knows it. So don’t walk you white butt to New York, run it” (Sockett). In this excerpt Skeeter is getting advice from Aibeleen about possibly leaving Mississippi for New York. Also this quote describes the negative affect that writing a book with the help of colored women in Mississippi had on Skeeter’s life. Skeeter lost a part of her life in sharing the truth because others chose to stick to a truth that helps them to feel justified in their racist thoughts and actions. There are also characters such as Hilly who serves as a foil for Skeeter because Hilly represents the racist ideologies of her time, reinforcing the negative reaction from many to what Skeeter does.  Also the point of views from which the novel is told through Aibileen, Minny, and Skeeter enforce the side which the author is encouraging readers to identify with as just.

       Soraya in The Stoning of Soraya M. directed by Cyrus Nowasteh lost her life because she maintained her truth that was not accepted by the dominant gender of her world. The film set in 1986 Iran, is centered around the incredible injustice done to an innocent young women, left powerless against the males in her society. After being accused of infidelity by her husband, Soraya insists that she is innocent because her husband has made this lie up in order to be rid of Soraya as a wife, so that he may marry a younger female. In this time the penalty for infidelity for women is death by stoning. Soraya’s cousin proclaiming her innocence says to a prominent figure who could stop the stoning, “Yes it’s clear, all women are guilty, and all men are innocent”. This scene in the film speaks to the fact that a women’s truth has no place in male dominated world, where women are as the men say they are. This is what allows Soraya to still face persecution, even after proclaiming the truth. The truth of the men in Soraya’s world leaves her powerless and they attack her truth by standing behind their version of the truth. Soraya’s death which is graphically shown in the movie, symbolizes the idea that even the innocent and honest can be destroyed among people who value their own truth and refuse to see that of others. While being stoned Soraya is dressed in white and this seems to be a purposeful choice as a last testament to her innocence and honesty, because white represents purity for some. Soraya’s aunt who narrates parts of the film has a sorrowful and dark tone that foreshadows something horrific about to take place.

     The Help and The Stoning of Soraya M. differ in their tone and the ways in which they support the quote by James. In The Help there is a lighter tone and Stockett uses character, point of view , setting, and other elements to create a vivid picture for readers of life in Mississippi during the 1960’s, for white and colored women. In The Stoning of Soraya M., Cyrus Nowrasteh uses symbolism, dialogue, setting, and mood to create a world where injustice breathes freely. The tone of the film is much darker than in the novel, because there is not much hope for change in the film until the end, whereas The Help is sprinkled with hope of a positive change to come. Both texts are based on real historical occurrences. The Help uses the backdrop of a time were racism and prejudice were prevalent in America as an arena to bring certain truths and ideas to light. The Stoning of Soraya M. is based on a true story and is set during a time when the rights of women were dangerously suppressed in Iran. These pieces do something interesting by taking something that was real to bring the audience into the story, helping us to understand the truths being conveyed by the stories, which h go deeper than the individual situations of the characters.

           The honesty of “The greatest enemy of any one of our truths may be the rest of our truths” written by William James is found throughout the stories of the novel The Help by Kathryn Stockett and The Stoning of Soraya M, directed by Cyrus Nowrasteh. The Help tells of the story of three women and the ways their lives intertwine in 1960’s Mississippi; Stockett use of these characters conveys the way in which some truths are not freeing or positive from everyone. One’s truth can be destroyed by the values/ truths of others. Similarly in The Stoning of Soraya M. we are painfully reminded that the truth has deadly consequences when it is not accepted by others and is attacked. Nowrasteh’s use of tone and mood help push this idea to the forefront.  These pieces and the quote from James prove that the truth is real but its survival is a matter or circumstance.