2+2=5

The song 2+2=5 is talking about people's efforts to convince others of untrue things.  For example, the lyrics say, "Oh go up to the king, and the sky is falling in."  Clearly, the sky is not falling in.  The tone is threatened, desperate, and defiant.  The theme is that the more untrue things are fed to you, the more you begin to believe them and question your own beliefs.  The last few lines back this up: "But it's not. Maybe not."

Hunting Painting

Claim #1 The couple shown is married.
Support #1 The man and woman are holding each other and shown with a child.

Claim #2 The young boy is learning to hunt.
Support #2 The boy is shown with the man who is hunting, but he is not yet holding a gun of his own.

Claim #3 The painting puts a negative spin on hunting.
Support #3 The people have serious, not happy expressions, and the child is placed in front of the hunter as though he is better or more important as a non-hunter.

Avett Brothers "Shame"

The subject of the Avett Brother's song "Shame" is a man who has hopes to begin again with a woman he used to be in relationship with because he feels bad for his previous actions.  The tone is regretful.  Regret is generally a feeling a person experiences after doing something that they wish they had not done.  The word shame used repeatedly in the lyrics describes this same feeling.  Another word used in the lyrics of this song is untender, meaning that someone is not gentle and soft towards others. Most people would not appreciate being called untender, but the singer acknowledges that he used to treat the girl he is pursuing in this way.  The line after explains how he wishes that he could "undo" his untenderness, which is also regret.  Finally the lyrics include the word strutted, which is generally associated with pride and self-absorption.  This is how the singer destroyed the girl.  Pride and self-absorption could lead to the tone of regret.  As the lyrics exemplify, the song pushes the tone throughout.

Sign Language

The single effect of the video was to tell a story of a man who met a girl through the job he loved.  Their encounter at the beginning helped because he took the flyer she was handing out, as though to show he cared.  Also, the setting of downtown London allowed for two unlikely people to become close, especially since the director had them both have advertising jobs.  Finally, the director had Ben's friends push him to meet the girl with the messages on their signs.

Love Language

The purpose of this film was to make people think about and care for deaf people.  The film was very effective in that it showed that those who cannot hear still have the same interests as we do by having both characters do crossword puzzles and like the same movies. This leaves you feeling sad for the girl, but admiring the boy for still liking her, regardless of her disability.

Pinch of Poverty

S~ 4 people are on a street corner, trying to sell their flowers.
N~ The narrator seems to have a bias in favor of those in poverty.  He/she may have even been poor once, as well.
A~ The audience is people who are not in poverty.
P~ The purpose of this piece is to show people the misery of poverty. The artist is trying to lead people to pity the poor.  Although, the artist also wants to show that there can be hope for those people, as they have the flowers which could help them to get money.
Artistic Techniques:
1) The artist makes a large majority of the picture dead and dismal colors, like brown, gray, and black.
2) The only colorful thing in the picture is the flowers which show that the family may not be forever poor.

Culture

Culture is the aspects that create a lifestyles and beliefs for a group of people.  It varies between groups.  It is made up of religion, language, clothing, food, athletics, hobbies, how a family runs, etc.  I think that the majority of culture is extrinsic.  For example, children are trained the language of the area from a young age.  Also, people usually choose what to wear based on those around them in order to blend in.

Norman Rockwell's "Runaway" Painting

Facts~
1. The stools are green.
2. One man is wearing a hat.
3. the store is painted white.

Claims~
1. The boy is in trouble.
2. The man that works there knows the little boy.
3. The boy is eight years old.

Pygmalion~Post #2

Pymalion

Poor Eliza!  I understand her frustration.  It makes sense that Higgins and Pickering would be very excited with their success in the training of Eliza.  I think that both owed the other.  Eliza could not have been formed into a more sophisticated person without Higgins, but Higgins could not have accomplished so much if Eliza had not been such an excellent person to train.  Eliza had to work just as hard, only she worked in different ways than Higgins.  I would be mad if no one congratulated me too.

It is kind of strange that Eliza, of all places, would choose to escape Higgins by seeking his mother for refuge.  Maybe she was hoping that they would have to be brought back together so that she could speak to him again and clarify where they stand relationally.  Also, it places Higgins's mother in an odd position because Eliza has come to share her feelings about Mrs. Higgins's son, which are mostly negative.

There seems to be a push in this book to not belittle or view someone as lesser than you, merely because of how much money they have.  As Mr. Doolittle stated, "I don't need less than a deserving man:  I need more."  Also, because of Eliza and Higgins's interactions, it becomes apparent that taking advantage of person, as Higgins did to defeat a friend in playful competition, is not okay.  Yes, Eliza has always been a girl that tries to push others into buying flowers, but she is worth just as much as someone with a  mansion.  This way of treatment did not win Eliza as a wife, or a friend, for Higgins.

Pygmalion~Post #1

Pygmalion

Professor Higgins seems to have an interesting view on how to judge a person and their worth.  He says to Eliza, "A woman who utters such depressing and disgusting sounds has no right to be anywhere---no right to live."  I guess that with his training in speech, he has very high standards.  I think that he is extreme and that the comment is extremely degrading to the woman.  Although, given his abilities, he should definitely help her to better her lifestyle by improving how she communicates with others since he has such strong opinions about her.

Eliza's dad has his own standpoint on the world.  He openly admits that he would take payment in trade for his daughter, given that she would be going to a man from a greater position in society.  He seems to have little value for the well being of his daughter, unless he, too, gains.  I find this horrible, regardless of Mr. Doolittle's excuses, because his daughter is his responsibility.  Although, she is older, so if nothing else he should not gain from her because she is now older and independent.  Her father should not be able to claim her merely because of what she seems to provide for him.

Clara seems to have a strange and forced fascination with the trends and culture.  I think that since she is not the bottom, but certainly not on top, as far as her family's riches, she feels like she needs to be aware of and practice these things in order to be accepted with the "better" social classes.

The Pearl~Post #2

The Pearl

I wonder if the business men evaluating Kino's unusual pearl would have purchased the pearl for a large amount if he was not from "the village."  I don't think their way of doing business with him is very appropriate.  His pearl seems to be enormous and I think, under normal circumstances, would appraised very well.  I think their is a prejudice in their system.  What if the doctor had possession of the pearl and was trying to convince them to buy it?  What would the business men do for him?

It again is shown that the people that do not come from the town are seen as extremely inferior to the those who do.  They are not even given justice or fair treatment, simply because of their background and home.  Juana immediately becomes nervous following Kino's murdering of another, even if the action was done in self-defense.  She knows that the people with more wealth will turn on him. How can it be fair that Kino is automatically seen as the wrongdoer, even if he had legitimate reasons for what he did?

One thing that Kino continually mentions is different songs.  This appears to be important since it comes up throughout the book.  Kino talks about the "Song of the Family,""Song of Evil,""Song of the Enemy," "Song of the Pearl That Might Be," and "Song of the Undersea."  This seems to be another way that the author tries to narrate the story and communicate the emotions of the characters.  These songs also create a mood.  For example, the "Song of Evil" goes with scene where Kino and Juana's child is threatened.  It adds a depth of darkness and intensity.

The Pearl~Post #1

The Pearl

It is extremely frustrating that the doctor is only willing to assist the people that are rich.  A doctor's duty is to provide care anyone and everyone because this is what they were trained to do.  He is clearly not a kind or caring man, and he appears to be very selfish.  Even if he did not go help the other poorer people, the doctor could have at least given Juana and Kino something to save their baby since they had come all the way to his home.

When Kino happens upon the very big pearl, he begins to list all the ways that he will spend the money the pearl will bring.  Although, I cannot help but wonder if he will end up running out of the money, just as a lottery winner does.  When a poorer person wins the lottery, they tend to waste it everything that they possibly can afford and often go bankrupt.  Kino has essentially "won the lottery" with this pearl.

Kino and Juana seem to have very different ideas about the newly found pearl.  It appears that Kino views it as something that supplies them with fantastic opportunities.  Despite this, Juana looks at it with fear and does not want anything to do with it.  This really seems to show the variances in their outlooks on life: Kino is a dreamer and Juana is practical and more logical.