Once again another semester comes
to a close. I have really enjoyed the class with Professor Wexler at the helm. This
is the third time I have had a class in which Professor Wexler was the instructor.
His classes are free flowing with thought and all are welcome to participate. I
look forward to hearing what the other students are thinking. Sometimes the
class debates, and other times it is as though we are all walking together down
a pathway of discovery. I sometimes wonder if our class mentally ventures down
pathways that have never been thought of before. I have had so many intellectually
stimulating thoughts from these sessions that I never would have had if it
weren’t for this class and I am thankful for the experience.
Multigenre Literacy in a Global Context
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Babel Essay Final
Stephan
Harder
Babel
Essay Final
Professor
Wexler
12.12.2012
Utopian Babel on
a Global Scale
The movie Babel, which is directed
by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, wrenches at the very fabric of humanity. The
movie illustrates that even though human kind completely blankets the globe we
are all threads stitched together to create an eclectic quilt of diverse
colors, shapes, and ideas. The movie weaves a tale from far corners of the
globe and brings four groups together through the barrel of a gun. The story
follows the lives of four families from various cultures. The movie shows the
viewpoint of each family allowing for those that watch the film to get a strong
sense of the intricate emotions that take place between them. Many movies show
us only one side of the story, allowing for the viewer to comfortably make
judgments and choose the side that the author intended to be chosen. Babel is a
tale that leaves the viewer to struggle with judgment. There are so many
questions as to the responses made by the characters, the choices they made,
and the punishments they received. The audience viewing these situations, as
they unravel, is left to wonder about their own moral character: what choices
they would have made and what they perceive as justice. Now more than ever we
live in a global society. This is a world in which cultures swirl together to,
not only reveal our similar humanistic traits and traditions, but also our immovable
differences. Has the inevitable path to globalization enhanced our world or
will it lead us to an unavoidable demise? Have we confused globalization as a
necessary goal towards the achievement of a utopian society, or are we simply
fools chasing after what can never be attained? By taking a closer analysis of
the movie Babel, the meaning of utopia, and what it means to become a
global society, a better understanding of this ever changing complex world we
live in can be achieved.
As we watch the film it is not difficult
to understand the emotions and experiences of this diverse list of characters.
Each of the characters is in search of their own personal utopia. The American couple
is in search of utopia in another land. A land, unknown to them, they are drawn
to through curiosity and the desire to experience another world. They are
fairly wealthy and have basically achieved what many may consider to be utopia.
They have two children, a house, cars, they are Americans, and they have more
freedoms than most in the world. They live at a level that many would hope for
themselves. Perhaps this is why the couple has chosen to seek out other places
on the globe: utopia never rests even once it is achieved. Utopia is complete satisfaction;
however, one humanistic quality is that we seem to be geared in a way which
never allows for us to be completely satisfied. We always want more things,
love, knowledge, money, laughter, power, and the list goes on, and on. Utopia
is a many sided undetermined shape that encapsulates every mental and physical
state that a human experiences, needs, and feels. When one or more sides are
satisfied, the other sides become more noticeable, and demanding, almost like
an itch that moves to a place on the body that is hard to reach. While reaching
to scratch the unyielding itch, the satisfied sides are no longer focused upon
and therefore begin to fall out of utopia. Finally reaching the itch, we find a
moment of satisfaction, and therefore we have scratched out another utopia. Thus
begins the process again.
If each of us has a different view of
what utopia is, then how can it be achieved without true meaning? So what is
utopia? The American Heritage Dictionary defines utopia as “an ideally perfect
place, in its social, political, and moral aspects” (Dict.). From an article
called “The Politics of Utopia” written by Fredric Jamison we learn another
viewpoint of utopia. The article suggests “that utopias are non-fictional, even
though they are also non-existent” (Jamison 54). This seems to link utopia to not be a
place, but it is more equivalent to a state of mind. Jamison also suggests that
“something is to be said for the proposition that the fear of utopia is
intimately linked with the fear of aphanisis, or loss of desire” (Jamison 53). This
equates utopia to existing as an emotion or feeling rather than to an actual
place.
So what is Utopia? Even if one were to
achieve utopia would they even know that they had achieved it? Adam and Eve were
said to have lived in utopia, but as long as the human mind is not completely
satisfied, utopia cannot be fully experienced or achieved. In other words, as
long as there remain any questions, doubts, or curiosity, utopia can never be
fully achieved. In the movie Babel the Sheppard boys with the rifle
loved each other, but were in a competition that is as old as the first
brothers that walked the Earth. Their goal to achieve utopia was to be
recognized as the dominant brother and they placed a great importance on this
competition. Although they were pitted in this rivalry of brothers that is as
old as the story of Cain and Abel, they had many moments together that may have
satisfied a different utopian quest. There is a brief scene in the movie Babel
where the two Sheppard boys are standing together; their arms fully extended,
with smiles on their faces. They stand side by side in a sustained updraft that
blows back their hair and supports their weight. They trustingly lean into the
wind, and for this moment in time they share something together that is
priceless. They look at each other and seem to realize this experience is
theirs, and at this time and place they share a moment of utopia.
Globalization is civilization on a global
scale. So is globalization a good thing for humanity? This is a question that
can lead great minds to madness. It seems that globalization would be a natural
step for humanity to not just survive, but advance. Humans have always counted
on groups to develop, survive, and even thrive in this unpredictable and
dangerous world. However, throughout recorded history we have seen what happens
when a group becomes too big. Rome, for example, was one of the most powerful
nations ever known. However, when Rome reached a certain size it imploded in on
itself.
In the more recent past we see
colonialism. Was this an attempt at globalization? With so many cultures,
beliefs, and traditions how can we agree on one particular way of life?
Wouldn’t a dominant culture have to take the top rung of society’s ladder to
maintain some kind of order in the land? There is no way that all nations
around the globe would willfully participate in becoming a state to a global
nation. The only thread that brings the entire globe together besides humanity
itself seems to be capitalism. Capitalism is far from perfect but in a world of
seven billion people there is no other way to sustain these numbers. If
capitalism can be improved and used as a vehicle to bring humanity together to
form a more perfect society doesn’t that therefore bring us all one more step
closer to utopia?
Globalization, in some
ways, is a vision that brings all humanity together. However, the Earth is not big enough to
sustain the growth that humanity has been experiencing. According to the US
Bureau of the Census, in my lifetime alone, the Earth’s population has doubled.
Eventually humans will have to venture into space for the next phase of existence.
Once humanity has spread throughout the solar system, we will once again be
separated, not just by oceans, and boarders, we will be separated by light
years. If humanity survives long enough to achieve such lofty visions then
further speculation perhaps illustrates that humanity will always develop in
separate tribes that may never fully understand one another in a way that a
utopian society demands.
In the world in which
we live today we can reach out to every corner of the globe. In the movie Babel,
we see people from the four corners of the globe being capable of forever
changing and affecting each other’s lives in the short span of a two hour
movie. Only one hundred years ago these people from the four corners of the
globe could have lived a lifetime and never seen an individual from a thousand
miles away. The world is much smaller
than it used to be. We are going to need technologies to expand faster than our
population. It could be argued that the engine of technology is capitalism.
Capitalism funds entrepreneurs, businesses, and invention. It feeds the hungry,
supports the family, strengthens education, and builds powerful nations. On the
other hand some hold strong negative views of capitalism. An article by Randy
Martin titled, “Where did the future go?”
seems to hold some very negative views of capitalism. In the article,
Martin states that “the past was littered with the corpses of colonialism,
slavery and genocide” and seems to put the blame on “those…who could secure a
seat on the bus” on a “trip…to a market utopia” (Martin). Martin then states
his beliefs with a tone one may recognize to be a form of academic elitist
sarcasm by saying “The
fortunate would be freed from work in the form of retirement and leave the
earth secure in the knowledge that their kids would do better than they had. The
passage of biological time between generations would be reinscribed as upward
mobility” (Martin). Martin is quick to imply that those who may achieve a goal
of financial stability for future family generations to come are in some way
incredibly selfish, and greedy by suggesting that they have forgotten,” most of
the world’s peoples–still awaiting their moment of development to come” for
they “never got to live the dream, or pursued another under the banner of
socialism” (Martin).
Martin’s
article dovetails nicely into the topic of the movie Babel for capitalism is the
springboard of a globalization with negative outcomes. Martin could argue that
the four families from the film were negatively impacted solely due to the
expansion of this evil weed known as capitalism. These families’ lives were
altered by one of the biggest money makers on the globe…guns. If there was no
money to be made on guns then perhaps they wouldn’t make them. If they didn’t
make guns then the woman would never have been shot on the bus while driving
through the desert on her vacation. However, it’s more than just guns because
its capitalism that bought the ticket, which built the plane that brought her there
which built the bus that, took her through a land where she probably should not
have gone in the first place. Martin would probably use some very big words in
a confusing string of mind-numbing “babal” to make an opinionated speculation
sound like fact to make his point that this disastrous stream of events is the
direct cause of capitalism. Most people would probably see that these lives
in the movie were simply affected by an accident that set into motion a sequence of mishaps
that lead to each family from the film to have their own personal conclusion.
None of which resembles anything like a utopia.
The
movie Babel illustrates our rapidly developing global society with great
detail, exposing our similarities and differences. It is our similarities that
give us hope that one day our humanity will allow for us to harmoniously live together.
However, it is our differences that will forever keep us apart. No one knows humanities
destiny, but some things we can be sure of, and one of those is that we shall
never achieve an absolute utopia, but we can only strive for moments that
resemble it.
Works Cited
American Heritage Dictionary. Houghton Mifflin: n.p., 2000. Print.
Jameson, Fredrick. “The
Politics of Utopia”. The New Left Review 25. Jan.-Feb. 2004.
Martin, Randy. “Where Did The Future Go?”. Logos 5.1, winter 2006. Web. Dec.
12, 2012. < http://www.logosjournal.com/issue_5.1/martin.htm>.
United States. U.S. Bureau of the Census, Current
Population Projections. World Population 1950-2050. Negative Population Growth,
n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2012. <http://www.npg.org/facts/world_pop_year.htm>.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Super Villain
Meltdown
Super Villain
Height 6’ 5”
Hates money, Likes to create financial crises.
Once he was a financial wizard on Wall Street, but on his way to work
two years ago he passed an “Occupy” Wall Street rally and the next thing he
knew was he was no longer a wall street executive for he had become Meltdown
Strength: Knows how to damage economies, and cause financial chaos.
Hates the sight of money and finds great pleasure destroying it.
Weapon: Money burning torch
Weakness: Bongo drums and hacky sack
Scenario:
He robs the bank and is trying to get away from Financio.
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Friday, November 2, 2012
Group Project Super Hero Creations
We
have a group project for class to teach 8th graders new media and how to
implement it in constructive ways. We chose a super hero creator for the
students to utilize so they can develop a super hero or villain. Create a scenario
for the characters to be in. To create a story line for the new characters to
exist. This is to develop creative writing skills in an interesting way.
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Financio
Height: 5’ 10’
Weight: 185lbs
Mission: To stop monetary waste, and find best investments for every
single cent to grow from which in turn helps to create good jobs, and give
people the financial security and freedom they may choose to have.
Weakness: High interest rate credit cards, loans from China, Big
Government wasteful spending, the sight of burning or wasting money make him
weak and vulnerable to attack.
Strengths: High closes on Wall Street, Strong Dollar, Good
Investments
Story Example:
A villain is burning money that he just robbed from a bank! Financio is getting weaker. He is
almost too weak to fight! Quick read him the closing numbers on Wall Street
for today because it’s up 200 points!
Finacio’s strength returns and he stops the bank robbers from burning
the money. He captures them and returns the remaining money to the bank.
Financio tells the bank owner how to safely invest in two upstart companies
in need of a loan. Two weeks later four hundred people are hired at the new
upstart companies. Now they can feed their families and pay for their kids to
go to college! Thanks Financio!
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Girth
Height: 5’
Weight: 500 lbs
Unusual muscle density gives his short stature great weight.
Only person born on planet Jupiter. Parents were stranded there for
fifteen years. They were smashed by their own weight under the gravitational pull
of Jupiter. Their son Girth was unaffected and rescued years after his
parents had past. On Earth Girth is very strong and his bones are stronger
than titanium.
Weakness: eyesight
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Thursday, September 27, 2012
Project Poem
Start at The End
A thousand thoughts threaded through the theory
Winters wild winding wind weaves one weary
All aware unfair without care they dare
Gather to speak what needs to be spoken
Awaken the weak grow strong once woken
Troubling time tunnels turning churning soil
Cool fresh water springs, freeze up, and then boil
Suffering defeat, at feat, vipers coil
Gone and Never to be heard from again
Searching for kindness and only find sin
To start at the end is where to begin
But all have left and forgotten what’s right
Cowardly fools their eyes see without sight
And run to darkness to hide from the lightTimed
Mow lawn, get mail, take out trash, write poem
The Clock tick tock in the corner tock tick
Feed Kids, change baby, wash clothes, write poem
The clock tick tock in the corner tock tick
Six trash cans sit in the hot sun and stink
Weeds grow high in vegetable garden
Aging man feels his arteries harden
The Clock tick tock in the corner tock tick
Chased every moment, throughout the days and nights
The Clock tick tock in the corner tock tick
So much to get done, to get through the day
And when it is all finished, write a poem
Friday, September 21, 2012
The Beatles Eleanor Rigby Remix
Ah,
look at all the lonely people
Ah,
look at all the lonely people
Eleanor
Rigby, picks up the rice
In
the church where a wedding has been
Lives
in a dream
Waits
at the window, wearing the face
That
she keeps in a jar by the door
Who
is it for?
All
the lonely people
Where
do they all come from?
All
the lonely people
Where
do they all belong?
Father
McKenzie, writing the words
Of
a sermon that no one will hear
No
one comes near
Look
at him working, darning his socks
In
the night when there’s nobody there
What
does he care?
All
the lonely people
Where
do they all come from?
All
the lonely people
Where
do they all belong?
Ah,
look at all the lonely people
Ah,
look at all the lonely people
Eleanor
Rigby, died in the church
And
was buried along with her name
Nobody
came
Father
McKenzie, wiping the dirt
From
his hands as he walks from the grave
No
one was saved
All
the lonely people
(Ah,
look at all the lonely people)
Where
do they all come from?
All
the lonely people
(Ah,
look at all the lonely people)
Where
do they all belong?
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Ah,
look at all the grown up people
Ah,
look at all the grown up people
Eleanor
Rigby, Picks up her toy
From
a box and it breaks on the scene
Let’s
out a scream
Wanting
another, sad little face
Waits
and sit as she glares at the door
Always
wants more!
All
the grown up people
When
will you sing this song?
All
the Grown up people
How
can we get along?
Eleanor’s
father, gets home from work
Then
goes straight to the fridge grabs a beer
No
one comes near
Look
at him drinking, let’s out a belch
Friday
night TV light unaware
Sits
in his chair
All
the grown up people
When
will you sing this song?
All
the Grown up people
How
can we get along?
Ah,
look at all the grown up people
Ah,
look at all the grown up people
Eleanor
Rigby, cries for a toy
To
enjoy and there’s no one to blame
No
new toy came
Eleanor’s
Father, was not alert
And
got hurt and falls fast to the floor
He
drinks no more
All
the grown up people
(Ah,
look at all the grown up people)
When
will you sing this song?
All
the grown up people
(Ah,
look at all the grown up people)
How
can we get along?
|
Reflection
Reflections from yesterday’s
class ran through my head all night. Our assignment was to choose a song and
basically make a parody of it. I had some trouble choosing a song, but other
students seemed to shine on this particular task. Some of the students
literally sang their parodies to the music of the actual song. It was a really
fun class and I was very impressed with some of the work that was presented.
Some students wrote poems and other wrote parodies. The class is beginning to
bind with one another and by the end of the semester many will be good friends.
I am looking forward to the topics from the Myth and Knowing book. The
classroom is a great place for discussion and debate, but it is difficult to be
creative in a room full of people.
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