A song for you!

Well, this class has been awesome to say the least. So, I shall close my blog with a song that I wrote. Enjoy! :)

https://soundcloud.com/evofoshoyo/english-class

I Have a Dream

"...,America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds."

 On August 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. described the racial injustice in America as a bounced check. He requested that we make good on our promise that "...Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" would be possible for all American people, black or white. 

Have we cashed that check? As far as rights go, yes.

Blacks have just the same rights that we do. There are no more "whites only" signs on shop doors. 

We have countless living proofs that the check has finally been cashed. 

We have a black president, black leaders, black entrepreneurs.

But sadly, even after 50 years, we do still have lingering racism in America. Not only is there black racism, but white, asian, and other races, too. Hate crimes and racial profiling is prominent in todays society. Every time I turn on the news, there is another hate crime reported. It's sad to see that these things go on, despite the great achievements in conquering racism that this country has had in the past 100 years.

Here's a song somewhat fitting with the topic. :)

Trying to Find Chinatown

Today, Quency and Sarah presented their adaptation of Trying to Find Chinatown, the short play by David Henry Hwang. I absolutely loved what they did! When I first read the play, the voice in my head was expressing the words in a very serious matter. Phrases like "Jesus Christ! Do you see a sign around my neck reading "Big Apple Fucking Tourist Bureau?", and "C'mon, you trailer-park refugee. You don't know that's Chinatown?" didn't sound very "funny," per se, as I read them. But, when Sarah and Quency did their presentation, I realized that the whole play can take on a comedic tone. The strong racial message is still very prominent, but the whimsy of the text, when spoken rather than read, allows for the comedic aspects to shine.

Feminism

Evelyn: I, for one, like it when a guy holds a door open for me.

Nerissa: Oh yeah, I totally agree with you there.

Evelyn: But some girls don't!!

Nerissa: Seriously?

Evelyn: Yeah!

Nerissa: Why not?

Evelyn: Well, they think that it disempowers them. It shows

that men are "superior" and that women are "weak."

Nerissa: Oh, that's ridiculous.

Evelyn: Yeah, I think so too. I do believe that women should have all the rights that men do, and I would even call myself a Feminist, but I believe that feminists contribute to the decline in chivalry and the lack of general manners in the male sex. 

Nerissa: Elaborate, please.

Evelyn: I've heard stories about women getting offended when a man a) holds open a door for her, b) hold a chair out for her, c) 

offers to do some form of physical labour for her, etc. etc.

Nerissa: What is their reaction? 

Evelyn: "I can do it myself!," "Hey, 

just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I can't do (insert form of manual labour here)!"
And honestly, if women react this way, men will not want to perform these niceties for them anymore!

Nerissa: That's obnoxious.

                                                            

Evelyn: Agreed. I knew you would understand.

Nerissa: That's what I'm here for!    

The Bicycle

This poem doesn't necessarily have anything to do with The Man in a Case, but all the talk of bicycles did inspire it a little. :)


The wheels on the bicycle

moving through the air.

Making wind, 

doubling time.

The wheels on the bicycle 

churning through the air.

Mixing beliefs,

Creating mine.

The wheels on the bicycle 

leaving you behind.

Not turning back
To blinded minds.

The wheels on the bicycle
crashing into hope.
Breaking down.
Blood surrounds.

The wheels on the bicycle
still spinning as I go
To a better place.
A smile on my face.

The wheels on the bicycle

expressing freedom

At last, of mine.
It's about time. 

The Man in a Case

Varinka: "I love you."

Byelinkov: "It is convenient we met."

"Do I dazzle you?" - Edward Cullen

The short quote above shows that Byelinkov and Varinka have a very unorthodox relationship. She is modern, understanding, and positive. He is stubborn, aloof, and precise. Both Varinka's and Byelinkov's "love" for each other comes across as fake. This is especially shown by the fact that she says "I love you" and "We will be very happy" often throughout the short play, getting no reaction from Byelinkov. Yet, they are getting married. Why? The motivation for marriage should be love, right? What is love? Love is devotion. That's one thing that Byelinkov and Varinka have. They are devoted to the idea of not being different. Both of them believe that they "...deserve the life everyone else has." They believe that they deserve to marry. So, because of that, they are devoted to each other. It may be a forced, but it's strong. Eventually, because of their differences, they will most likely be extremely unhappy. But, because of their reason for marrying, I don't think that incompatibility will be enough to break them apart. I don't see either of them becoming vampires or murdering their cousins to save the union, but, I still believe that their bond is a plausible one.                                          

"O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!"

It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night

As a rich jewel in an Ethiop's ear -

Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear!"                               

Blackout Poetry

Austin Kleon is an artist and writer who came up with a very unique form of poetry, Newspaper Blackout. He takes a newspaper article, redacts some words and phrases, and voila! Poetry. So I tried to do a version of my own, using Mercutio's "Queen Mab" speech from Romeo and Juliet.

Equation of Life

LaUgHInG is LoViNg AnD iT cAn Be gIViNg wHeN aDDeD wItH liVinG sUbTrAcTiNg tHe wRoNg.

ThE VoLUmE Of liFe Is ThE lOvE tHaT wE GiVe AnD tHe ArEa Of LiFe Is tHe Love hAlf LiVEd.

We LIvE On tHe NuMBeR LiNe, starting with zero, WE gRApH oUt oUr DrEaMs, TO sEE thEM cLeARer.

THe mOde Of tHe nUmbers Is tHe mOst SeEn by yoU, tHe moDe of yOur liFe iS whaT's deaRest To yOu.

ScIenTific notAtion is breaKing it doWn, maKng easier the prOblems that suRround.

But this life, as a whole, in its entirety, is a mere dot on a MaThEmAtIc graph of Society.

Jacques the Existentialist

The other day, I realized the parallels between existentialism and the famous monologue of Jacques, the very melancholy character from one Shakespeare's greatest comedies, As You Like It. 

Jacques states that men are "merely players." This is similar to the existentialist view that "the human being is all and only what that being does....existence consists of forever bringing [one]self into being..." (www.imp.utm.edu/existent, web). Our stage is given to us, but we must act, in some way or another. It is what we do that makes the play, not what we think or say. Also, the "stages of life" aspect of the speech reflect the idea that one must go through all these stages, just to get to the inevitable "sans (translates to without) everything." This parallels with the existentialist view on the absurdity of life; you live your life, assign meaning to it, but for what in the end? Death; sans everything.



Let's see what Nerissa has to say...hey Nerissa, what do you think?

Nerissa: I wish I had a monologue...

To protest or not to protest?

Evelyn: In Persepolis, Marjane's parents often go on demonstrations. They step out for their family members who have suffered, and for their community that has suffered. What would it take for me to get out of my comfy home and protest? What would make me step out my door with defiance and a strong opinion? It would take somebody close to me to be affected in a bad way. It would take that shock and realization that bad things can happen to your closest friends and family members. I think that's what it would take for most people. But I like to think that I can make changes in the world just knowing that bad things have happened to other people that aren't even close to me. I like to think that I would protest for the better of the community, not just for myself.

Nerissa: I made a big change in someone's life. Portia and I went so far as to dress up like men to free a friend. He wasn't my friend, I didn't even know him. He was Portia's husband's dearest friend, Antonio. He was sentenced to a most horrific and undeserving death. In a sense, we participated in a demonstration. We pretended to be a judge and his clerk, and at the last minute, Portia found a great loophole in Antonio's sentence! He wasn't close to me, but I knew he meant a lot to Portia's husband, so I helped. In the end, we saved a life.