Blog 9: Analysis of My Writing

As a writer, I see myself very expressible through all my material. Strength wise, I write all my work with as much detail as possible or least I try to be. With these details, I become more fluent in word usage and expressions. Weakness wise, I believe grammar is one of those weak intuition everyone has also, I summarize a lot when it comes to comparing and contrasting certain books or movies. In between essays in Eng101, I've changed up and down drastically. At one point, I'll be on spot with not summarizing so much, and constructing arguments and then sometimes I'll do the complete opposite. With knowing those weakness, I know I need to work on that more than ever. Reading the prompt, understanding the question and creating an argument when an argument is asked for. Rather than full summaries without my own argument or idea.
An activity such as writing on blogs gave me the benefit of seeing other students in my class, write. With that, I was able to expand on my ideas and express a little bit more because the other students blogs had trigger my thoughts. Also discussions really helped me broaden my ideas as well. But when it came to essays, it was all a blur. It was hard to form essays and well structured paragraphs without any clear in statement. Overall, I think as I enter Eng102, I'd only have to focus on sticking to the prompt and what it is asking. In Eng102 I'm hoping to become more fluent in, citation without using the citation machines online. I'm looking forward to Eng102! And I've had a blast in Eng101!

Blog 8: Thematic Connections

Thematic Connections (Allegory of The Cave, Oedipus the King, The Man On the Moon, Free Will and Determinism in Minority Report [texts] The Matrix, Gattaca and Minority Report [movies])

• Ideologies/Illusions (Lies)
  

• Reality (Ugly Truth)
  

• Ignorance

• Determination
  

• Discrimination
  

• Free Will
  

• Security

• Determinism
  

The theme I found most interesting while brain storming that repeatedly popped in all of the texts and movies we’ve reviewed was reality …the knowing of the ugly truth. The knowing of the ugly truth has become a self-inflicted wound within each text or movie we’ve done throughout the semester. In Oedipus the King, Oedipus went on the journey to find out whom his parents were better yet who he was, after finding out the ugly truth and seeing his was blind by ignorance and illusions, Oedipus couldn’t bear to be comfortable of who he actually was.. In reference to the theme of “the knowing of the ugly truth” In the movie the Matrix, the main character Neo has been put in the position of eagerness to find out if the Matrix is the better reality. Once he goes through a series of events, he realizes that he rather live in the Matrix than the Dystopia of the “real world” Connection to the Matrix is the text Allegory of the Cave in which slaves were trapped inside of a cave, only knowing of what was reflected on the walls of the cave. To prove that there is more than what the eye sees, one of the slaves were released from the cave and enlightened by the reality of the world outside the cave. There’s more to life than the cave. In the movie Gattaca and the text the Man on the Moon, Vincent the main character in Gattaca was the man kind baby in which he wasn’t genetic engineered without imperfections. With these imperfections was the knowing truth of less possibilities and opportunities for him to make it out in the real world. His parents always pushed forth in which Vincent was less than perfect, Vincent was weak and couldn’t accomplish. At a point in Vincent’s life, he believed just that. In the movie Minority Report and the text Free Will and Determinism in Minority Report, Minority Report is based upon a world in 2054 – Washington, DC in which the world is protected by a pre-crime system. With this system, the chief of police – John Anderton has come across the situation in which he has committed a crime of murderer in the future. John Anderton knowing he has this future ahead of him, tries to do everything he can to escape his future yet is only getting near. John Anderton also knows he has free will – meaning he has a choice to either go about proving the truth or going against it.The knowing of the ugly truth has evolved in to which each main character has been put in a particular situation where they have to deal with the truth and what they do with the knowledge of the truth they've gained.

Blog 7: Reflection On Blogging

Sitting in class reading my Eng101 syllabus, I didn't think we would be using blogs to express our thoughts on topics in class, readings nor movies. Writting blogs is an informal way of writing and being in a writing composition class I thought it'd be the total opposite, formal writing. Formal writing, with structure of paragraphs, the use of language and minimum and maximum of words. There isn't a limitation of blogs, and it's pretty fun to just write yet still have some sort of feedback on your thoughts.

Being that blogs are broadcast for everyone to see it gives you an advantage of having some sort of feedback written on your blogs but also, you have the upper hand of viewing other blogs and comparing your insite of your blog to others. I've always felt that I've been a strong writer but compared to other people in my class, I'm an amauter (haha) but, I tend to see what helpful ideas I can take and make my own, and expand from. When I receive the feedback letting me know my blog is well rounded and solided and it's very good, it gives me motivation to become even stronger and to stand outside the box - no one wants to be an average joe.
I enjoy writing these blogs. It's an easy grade with grounded rules on staying on topic yet free expression. If I could do these for each and every one of my classes for future semesters, I'm sure my grades would be top notch!

Blog 6: Free Will and Determinism

Throughout history and even today's society, there has been conflict and hard thinking on Free Will and Determinism. Do we have free will? Can we have free will with or without determinism? There are different elements that tie into the two of free will and determinism. Free will is to have choice options, no external pressure but yet internal motivation on any given situation. While determinism is the belief that there are things in life that have only one and definite outcome such as gravity, and death. In Oedipus the King and Minority Report, the main characters have come across the difficult path of free will and determinism.

In Minority Report, the citizens are living in a world of pre-crime. Pre-crime is a system in which precogs can tell the future of a murder so therefore it is within the force of the police to stop that crime of murder from happening and put the perpetrators in jail. In this mist of the pre-crime system, in order to be safe how much privacy do you have to give up in order preventing these predetermined futures from happening? Being that in the world of Miniority Report is so pre-prevented there is free will but to a certain extent in which hard determinism is a threat to free will.

"Having free will is thought to require two things: alternate possibilities and self-control.” (Heumer, 104). In Minority Report, John Anderton the chief of police finds himself in the situation of which his future is being predetermined that he will be the murderer of a man named Leo Crow. Anderton never heard nor see a man named Leo Crow. As he finds out that he will commit the crime of murder, he tries to escape his future but at the same is only getting closer than he expected. Anderton is now face-to-face with Leo Crow holding a gun. According to the pre-crime system and the precogs there’s determinism, only one future is possible – and that’s Anderton being the murderer of Leo Crow. “One thing that is often said is that when we make choices, at least some of the time, we are directly, introspectively aware of our freedom.” (Huemer, 108). John Anderton has two choices – to kill Leo Crow, or to not kill Leo Crow. Being that Anderton has a bit of free will, he has deliberated to think of alternate possibilities and have self-control. And with free will, he has made the decision not to kill Leo Crow, which proves the minority report of pre-crime.

As so in Minority Report, in the play Oedipus the King; Oedipus faces the choice between free will and determinism. In Oedipus case, he faced a choice of hard determinism in which only one future is possible. Oedipus the king of Thebes, went to the prophecy Teiresias. Teiresias told Oedius that he will kill his father and marry his mother. With this in his mind, he has yet to realize that he has already committed the crime of his father, and the incest with his mother. He tried to escape his future such as Anderton did, but he has already committed something that has already happened. He has his vision but didn’t understand. For Oedipus there was no free will involve, there was only determinism in which he only had only one and definite outcome.

In-Class Essay

Ideologies are illusory realities one has been served and brought up by. With these ideologies we find it hard to give up illusion and embrace the trut. The ideology I find more accurate is gradually accepting the reality of the world outside the cave and that world is better.

Throughout history, segregation and slavery were two ideologies at one point. During slavery and segregation most people were fond in believing that it was okay, it was apart of everyday life and it was acceptable. The fact that black and wites were separated, had a clear stand put on who grew up to believe that it was just how the world was. As american grew up and learned about the concept rather than seeing it for what it is, Americans came to the conclusion of giving up the fact that it was okay, and started accepting the fact that it wasn't. Slavery and segregation was the ugly truth. Segregation and slavery elements still play upon a huge role in today's society. One cannot simply receive a job nor do certain things or be granted by permission because of the color of their skin. Accepting this bare truth made it easier for people to know the world as it is rather than what it was projected to be seen.

In Plato's "The Allegory of the Cave" Socrates, has a conversation with one of his students and explains the truth reality conveys. There are a group of prision slaves in a cave, the slaves can only see what is reflected upon the wall from the fire. What they see is necessarily what is known. Socrates goes on to explain what would happen if one prisioner was lurked out of the cave. Like ourselves, we only see what is brought upon the eye. If one of the prisioners are released and showed the reality besides the ideological cave, he the prisioner would suffer yet adjust to the enlightment. "When he is approaching nearer to being and his eye is turned towards more real existence, he has a clearer vision." (Plato, 25). The prisioner painfully gives up the cave but yet, gradually accepts the reality for what it is. He has more of a clear view and this clear view of reality is better than the shadow inflicted world one was living in. If the prisioner was asked to name an object or point out what he knew, how would he reply? In the sense, no knowledge was brought upon him rather than his own five senses. What one saw, was what he heard if that object he seen made a sound, smell/touch or taste. The outside world was better, became better once the prisioner adjusted & accepted that there was more than what he expected.

In "Oedipus the King" , Oedipus the King of Thebes had a similar situation to the prisioner. Oedipus, was once at a banquet and over-heard someone stating that the King and Queen weren't his parents. Oedipus grew up knowing otherwise and was eager to know the truth about who he was, and his parents. Oedipus goes to the Delphi Oracle, the prophet tells him he will kill his father, and sleep with his mother. Still on his quest to find out more of the truth, Oedipus began his journey that took him to Thebes. oedipus was confronted by a group of travelers and killed them self-defense at the very crossroads, Lauis (the King before Oedipus) was murdered. Gathering all this information Oedipus seeks out for more of the truth. He has realized what he has seen, didn't make him as knowledgable. Oedipus goes to the blind prophet Tieraises to ask him questions about Laius's death. The conversation turned into an argument of Oedipus insulting the knowledge of the blind. Tieraises explains to him knowledge isn't about sight and that he knows more than what his parents were fooled to be.

Oedipus finds out that not only he killed his father Laius but yet slept and conceived children with his mother. Ashamed of what he has done but couldn't see, he blinded himself of being so blind by ignorance he could've avoided. He painfully accepted the ugly truth which he learned to be the real knowledge of the worl dhe was living in.

In slavery, segregation, Allegory of the Cave and Oedipus the King, the illusory reality is painful but gradually accept the reality of the world outside the ignorant, and the world is better for all, even Oedipus to grasp upon.

Blog 4: Ignorance, Bliss, and Knowledge in Oedipus the King and The Matrix

The Matrix and Oedipus the King both represent the elements of ignorance, bliss/happiness and knowledge. Each text represents these concepts in both similar and different ways. The Matrix and Oedipus the King both have main characters that were once living in this façade world full with ignorance but yet when was revealed the truth and gained knowledge of, the main characters begun to notice that ignorance became bliss and that they were living in a Dystopia all over again.

In the text, Oedipus the King – Oedipus the King of Thebes was raised to awareness by the priest that Thebes has been struck by the plague and citizens are dying. The priest has asked Oedipus for help and guidance. Oedipus sends Creon to the oracle to find out about the plague but Oedipus decides to focus on the murderer of Laius – the King of Thebes before Oedipus. When gaining this news about Laius, Oedipus decides to go to the oracle to see the prophet, Tiresias to find out some answers. Tiresias is a prophet, one whom is wise and has knowledge but yet is blind. While Oedipus and Tiresias is having the conversation, Tiresias decides that for Oedipus’s own good, he wants to hold onto the information he knows about Oedipus past and his future. Oedipus bursts out in rage and insults the blind man Tiresias, “It does, but not for you. Truth is not in you— for your ears, your mind, your eyes are blind!” (456-457) Oedipus insists that, what good is Tiresias if he cannot see? What knowledge can he gain, being blinded by darkness. Tiresias, felt beyond insulted and became vexed towards Oedipus, and curses him. Tiresias may be blind but, Oedipus has sight which he cannot even see how miserable he is, neither where he live nor who he share his household. While ending the conversation with Oedipus, he stroked upon one more question he had to put forth to make Oedipus think of who he has become without realization. “Do you know the family you come from? I was born like this. You think I am a fool, but to your parents, the ones who made you, I was wise enough. “(528). this triggers Oedipus thoughts, of who may his parents be? Reminiscing, a few years ago, Oedipus overheard in a party that the Queen and King weren’t his real parents, and with them keeping the secret from Oedipus, he decides to go on a quest to find out who his parents were. During this quest, Oedipus goes to the oracle of Delphi. The oracle of Delphi tells him, he would be the murderer of his father and sleep with his mother. After hearing this Oedipus continues with his journey to Thebes, he was confronted by a group of travelers and killed them in self-defense, the very same crossroad where Laius was killed. Tiresias yet goes on and tells him that, Oedipus himself is the murderer of his father, the brother yet father to his kids, the son yet husband to his mother. With this last piece of information, Oedipus yet once ignorant, has become enlightened about his own life. Oedipus realized that the oracle of Delphi was true. Oedipus went his whole life seeing but not knowing nor gaining knowledge of what was really happening. Ignorance is bliss. Once found of this knowledge of him being the murderer of his own father, the son yet husband of his own mother – Oedipus could not bear to see who he has become so, he takes two pins and blinds himself with them. Oedipus is now blind just as Tiresias, with the same knowledge shared upon.

In the Matrix, Neo was brought into this “dream world” which perceived reality as post-nuclear apocalyptic where humans were slaves. Being brought into this “dream world” Neo met this man named Morpheus who gave Neo a choice through the red pill or the blue pill; to either be blinded by the ignorance he once lived, or become enlightened by the truth of the matrix. Morpheus promised Neo he’d get nothing but the truth from being in this “real world.” Neo was so curious to find out what the truth was, and what it was made up, what made it different from what he was born in – he chose the pill to be enlightened by the truth of the matrix. While living in the Matrix, Morpheus believed that he had to train Neo to become the rebellious person, “The One” to fight against the machines he was controlled by. With Neo being “The One” he has come to realize that throughout the situations he was put through, in most cases what happened in the Matrix, such as injuries were fatal but in reality, one injury would be known to kill one’s body. Throughout experiencing and gaining all this knowledge in the Matrix, in this dream world, even so – finding out each the Matrix and reality were both a dystopian world. Leaving a world of imperfection to enter a world of imperfection has led Neo to believe in manipulation and that anything is possible.

Blog #3: The Matrix: Utopia, Dystopia, and Realities

An ideology is a set of ideas fixed on one persons beliefs, and expectations. Throughout history there has been various ideologies floating around from the American Dream to Slavery to the world being flat. However all these ideologies has become a painful yet accepted in the world of reality. The Matrix, a Dystrophy; the world where everything goes wrong is the illusion we step in after leaving the world we believe in. While In Plato’s excerpt The Allegory of the Cave, Plato explains that once stepping outside of the cave, the real world is more of a perfect world. Better than the cave they believed in. The Matrix is more of an accurate process we go through day to day as we step out of these ideologies we believe in.

Going back to historical events, race is among of many ideologies one has believed in. During the time of Segregation, Americans all over the world believed that Race should and could distinguish what jobs we get, what water fountain we drink out of, what bathrooms we use, etc. We allowed race to be a subject of tolerance rather than a subject of change. Throughout history, African Americans thought it was okay; have struggled and fought to be treated equal, along with rights. Race, has become something lawfully equal and tolerated but not equally man to man, women to women, race to race. Just as in The Matrix, Neo stepped out of his real world to step into the illusion of still the Dystopia he was living in. As in Race, even though in history African-Americans fought to have the same rights as Whites, the equal rights weren’t enough. Even stepping out of the glorification of getting equal rights, today in 2011, there are still race issues. From getting jobs or to even go from one country to another, there is still some type of hassle being thrown at a different race because of the color of their skin.

As Americans, we believed in change, we believed that there was something more than what we went through and could barely see and understand why it has happened. Some American had a fixed belief on racial issues/segregation but that was all apart of the reality we lived in. To step out of what we thought we could change, into the still messed up and wrong world is even more painful to grasp onto to. Throughout the years, we have learned to accept the painful reality of race. Throughout we improved the actual consequences of being a different color skin other than white. The violence and discrimination has been either wiped out or covered up involving the “race card” But even so, we still have to accept the fact that the race issue isn’t invisible or nearly gone. Just as in the Matrix, when Neo was exposed to this “new world” thinking it was going to be the opposite of what he believed in, he still ended up in a Dystopian world a post-nuclear apocalyptic , where humans were slaves which he learned to painfully accept.