For your new blog response, answering the following questions:
1) Examine the Visual Portfolio on pp. 190-193. Choose one picture and explain what you think it might be saying about education in America. Cite specific details from the picture to make your point.
2) Finish reading LOP, Author's Note through Ch. 3. How would you describe the narrator of LOP so far? What do you think of the fact that he majors in zoology AND religious studies?
Due: Before our next class meeting
Length: One well-developed paragraph per question
Additional Reminder: Don't forget to bring all three texts (Rereading America, Life of Pi, and Rereading America) to our next class meeting!
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The Graduate, by Norman Rockwell is a picture of a young man in a graduation robe holding a diploma. Behind him, the background is made up of various newspaper articles with titles including phrases like, "War Danger, Atomic Weapons, Infation Problems, Job Woes, and Draft Extension." The graduate has wide, bright eyes and a faint smile. The expression on his face seems to show a sense of optimism. It appears as if he has no worries. He looks completely oblivious about whats going on in the world. I think that the picture is saying that education at that time period was not able to prepare people for the real world. The young man in the picture has received a diploma and probably has plans for a bright future. Unfortunately, the reality is that it's going to be a hard road ahead. By the look on his face, he does not look prepared for what lay ahead.
ReplyDeleteThe narrator starts off the first chapter by mentioning his suffering. He makes reference that he has "suffered a great deal in life" but he does not say why. He also mentions random facts about his life that he does not explain. For example he talks about missing someone named Richard Parker, but he does not say who he is. And then he briefly mentions being in a hospital in Mexico, but we do not know why. The narrator describes himself as a very good student. I think it's interesting that he majors in both zoology and religious studies because they seem so different from each other. He does, however, connect the two studies together when he talks about the sloth and how it was "an example of the miracle of life",which then reminded him of God.
1. The third picture by Normal Rockwell stands out to me the most. The picture comes together with the title underneath it saying "The Problem We All Live With" and the date, 1964. This time was the height of the civil rights movement and the girl in the picture looks like she is on her way to school. I looked the picture up online to get a better view and the the men surrounding the girl are escorts for her protection and the splatter on the wall is that of a smashed tomato. Many people believed that education during this time wasn't for African Americans. Clearly this picture shows how much we have grown as a country today then from this display of what education was like only half a century ago.
ReplyDelete2. So far I beleive the narrator to be very interesting. He switches back and forth from present to past which feels like a Quentin Tarantino movie, and I definitely like that style. The narrator has left me curious at the end of chapter 3 and wanting to read more. He doesn't come out right away and say what the book is going to be about and I like that as well; eveything seems to be mysterious. The fact that he majors in zoology and religious studies is a bit odd but I haven't quite made the connection to how this ties into the book.
1) The first picture, The Spirit of Education by Norman Rockwell shows a mother and her son back in 1934. The son looks very upset that his mother is dressing him up in Olympian clothing. The mother is placing a banner around him that says "the SPIRIT of EDUCATION". The son is holding a book in one hand and a torch in the other hand. I think that the mother feels she is helping her son by having him go to school so he can be successful, but the son is realizing school isnt as fun as it used to be and that school is alot of work.
ReplyDelete2)The narrator in LOP to me is very back and forth, I am constantly trying to figure out how this is all connecting to eachother. One moment he is talking about sloth's and the next he is talking about his name and swimming pools. The fact that he majored in zoology and religious studies is random because they are so different from eachother. I am looking forward to everything tying together!
1/ The Problem We all Live With done by Norman Rockwell illustrates an African American child walking to school. In the background it is visible that this era at the time was when it was hard on blacks due to racial hate. What it is trying to show about education is that no matter how much hate there is in this world, one can still go out and get an education and become the dream that he/she hopes to accomplish. Even if the entire world is against you, you can still get an education and live better than what they see of you.
ReplyDelete2/ Up to chapter 3, the narrator is more of a story teller that describes others rather than himself and yet in the end, he is able to then connect it to himself. With the story of Mamaji, he basicly tells of the obbsesive love he holds over pools and his history with them and suddenly connects it to how he was named. When he does speak about himself, he talks about his passion for animals and religion with his majors on Zoology and Religious studies. It seems that those two majors really speak about his personality and who he is. In one of his studies about sloths, it feels as though he makes the connection between sloths and himself on how they feel about this world. He also connects it to one of the many miracles placed on this world, thus flowing with the idea over his religious practices.
1)The Graduate on page 191 shows in the background with a lot of negativity. That is the first thing i noticed. I think the picture is saying that even though all of the bad things happening he was still able to get through all of it and still be able to graduate. His expression on his face looks surpsied and i am confused as to why his face is like that. I'm guessing he is surprised that he is graduating. Another thought that came to my mind is that he is graduating but he has no idea as to what is going on in this world. He has graduated and its wierd that he does not know what is going on.
ReplyDelete2)In Life Of Pie I would describe the narrator as mysterious. i say this because he says a lot of things in the story but he does not explain why he ssaid it yet. My guess is that he will explain it later in the story. he foreshadows a lot. he adds a lot of details and he explains very well. i think that it actually makes sense because i think of The Ark Of Noah. so it all fits in.
1) The Spirit of Education. This picture shows a mother sitting on a chair getting her son ready for what looks like a day in school. The mother has a smile on her face and she is looking right at her son who looks like he is pouting. The child is dressed for some kind of special event since he is wearing a costume that consists of a a big book in his right hand and a torch in his left with a stash across his chest that says The Spirit of Education. I would guess that the child doesn't want to go to school because he doesn't want to take part in whatever he got dressed up to do. Maybe this picture is a coming of age type of picture and it is showing how at first we may not like school because it is different and we do not yet understand how we will benefit from it in the future.
ReplyDelete2)In the life of Pie through the authors notes to ch.3 the narrator sounds like a good story tell but he keeps on mentioning things that he never explains or even mentions whats the importance or mentioning these things. He talked about how he has "suffered a great deal in life" but what was really wired was how he would never tell us why this is so. And then he starts talking about other people and I am thinking to myself did I miss something cause I have no idea who that is. The narrator is kind of a weird person and can not seem to stay on the same topic like when he said he was in the hospital but yet again i don't know why. Well at first I though that to have a double major in those to subjects was not something one see's everyday but later he explained how the two subject almost go hand in hand. Like how when he was studying the three toed sloth he mentioned how it was god's doing that that kind of animal is still around on earth. The narrator also described himself as a uber student and that he would win every academic award possible back when he was going to school.
The Spirit of Education, by Norman Rockwell, shows a boy with a sash that states, "The Spirit of Education". This seems rather ironic to me because the boy is showing everything but spirit in his face. Rockwell is probably suggesting that there was no spirit for education in that time era. The woman seated behind him seems to have high hopes for the boy. However, he still shows no wanting to learn.
ReplyDeleteThe narrator in "Life of Pi" starts off by telling us some experiences he remembers as a child and where his name originated from. He leaves out a lot of background information in these experiences and describes the human ambition as being folly. As for his double-major in zoology and religious studies, I'm curious as to why he would choose to pursue such dissimiliar topics.
The spirtit by Norman Rockwell shows a young boy and his mother. The boy is wearing a sash that says the spirit of education . His facial expression and body language show the complete opposite of having school spirit. My guess is that he has to play the statue of liberty in a play or something. That might be the reason he looks so unhappy. His mother looks happy with not a care in the world. I also noticed the box on top of the drawer. It looks like there is some type of make up inside it. That is probably apart of the boy's costume.
ReplyDeleteThe narrator of Life of Pi confuses me. I dont really understand what he talks about. He doesn't give any back story or explaination for what he is saying. Maybe it's just me but I dont understand. Maybe he will go more into detail a later on in the story and maybe that's why I'm kinda lost. I think by him majoring in zoology and relious studies shows that he wants to be a well rounded person.
I meant the spirit of education above
ReplyDeleteRockwell's image The Problem We All Live With has a very blunt message about education in America. America's past history of school education was unjust by being prejudice and discriminating towards African Americans. A little girl was experiencing racism at it's peek, by evidence from the back ground showing body gaurds, smashed tamatoes, and the racist word Nigger was tagged on the wall.
ReplyDeleteThe narrator of LOP has a humorous personality, and is very dedicated to his educational studies. He has every student award in the department of zoology. The fact that he majored in Zoology and Religious Studies shows that he is very interested in the animals and creatures of this world, and when speaking about his fellow scientist he claims that they are athiest, and yet he majored in Religious Studies. I think this shows that he believes in god, or at least keeps god in his mind.
Rockwell's The Graduate has somewhat of a grim message. in the image we see a young graduate ready to step into the world; but what kind of world? in the back ground we see words like WAR, DRAFT, DANGER ATOM-STUDY and so on. so are the school systems traing graduates for a world of danger, or is the system just throwing kids into that world. witch ever it is it's not good.
ReplyDeleteI dont really understand the Narrator but from what i thought from before is that he is somewhat of a funny guy and a jokester. he does seem to also be a well educated educated individual. he has many awards for his zoology major. he has thrust for adventure and traval. but he is still a little confusing.
1) The Spirit of Education show a mother and child. The child is wearing a sash that says, "the Spirit of Education" which connotes that he is the future. His mother behind him is readying the sash for him with an ecstatic and encouraging smile while the child looks very grumpy and ready to quit. This shows that the mother is the driving force, the motivator for the child's education. He is also wearing an Olympian outfit which reminds me of the old Olympics. Olympics gave birth to marathons and this picture conveys to me that the child is entering this marathon of education and of life and he needs to resemble some spirit in order to have a successful future.
ReplyDelete2) The narrator of the book seems very interesting to me. He is very positive about his life and his past. He doesn't seem embarrassed of the way he was named, more of a respect and admiration of Mamaji and his experiences with swimming. He seems very delightful to read about. I think the fact he's majoring in both zoology and religious studies is fantastic. It shows he has a broad interest and that he cares about both nature and the way species live and prosper.
1.The third picture is the one that caught my attention the most. its a little girl with her school materials in her hand. this is obviously during the civil rights movement. i think its trying to illustrate how there wasnt equal education for everyone. it looks like she is being escorted by men so that nothing happens to her on her way to school. the title it self, "The Problem We All Live With", kind of hints to what the picture is about.
ReplyDelete2.The author seems like a good story teller but he is seems kind of strange. he seems like a funny guy. he talks about certain things but does not elaborate more on them and it gets me a little confused as to why he is talking about these things. for example, him suffering a lot throughout his life and the whole hospital thing, kind got me confused as to why he was talking about it. at first i thought that it was strange that he major in two things that are completely different but yet go together in some way. like the time he was studying the three toed sloths, he mentions how it was a beautiful example of the miracle of life, reminded him of God.
1) Rockewell's "The Spirit of Education" shows a Mother and a son. The son appears to be extremely unhappy, while the mother is sitting behind him smiling, and wrapping a banner around him that says the spirit of education. The boy is holding a huge book, and torch, and is wearing a gown of some type. The expression on his face shows that he is extremely displeased with something that's going on. By assumption, I'm guessing that he is unhappy about education because he is holding and wearing things that all represent that. HIs mother on the other hand looks as though she is trying to calm, or coax him into what she wants. She is placing the banner on him, and maybe Rockwell is suggesting that she is pushing him towards the kind of education that she wants him to have.
ReplyDelete2) So far I would describe the author of Life of Pi as random, and slightly hard to follow. The book seems to skip from subject to subject, and the author and the author just kind of randomly discusses things. As for his college degrees, I think that they are also random. As for zoology and religious studies do not typically fall hand in hand, it just sounds like an odd combination. But his random choices of education go with his random writing style, so I guess it fits right?
1) In the third picture, "The Problem We All Live With", it shows a young african american girl walking closely behind two men. Farther behind her are also two more men. The girl has school materials in her hand, and behind her on the wall appears to be racist tagging. I think this picture is representing how much education in America has changed. The picture is obviously during the civil rights movement, during the controversy over african americans being allowed in caucasian schools.
ReplyDelete2)I think the narrator of LOP is interesting, but confusing at the same time. I didn't really understand why he goes so in depth about the swimming pools. I thought it was very interesting how he went so in depth about the sloth because he was showing the meaning of life and how it reminded him of god.
I would have to choose the image of the recent graduate. You can’t tell if he just graduated from high school or college though judging from the time period it would most likely have been high school. The lanky kid has an innocent expression with a wide eyed look that is usually associated with guileless simple people. In the background is a collage of headlines from the period almost all of which deal with war or the threat of war and a mention of “job woes.” The whole thing leads me to imagine that the graduate represented before this ominous background is definitely far from prepared for the challenges that await him now that he is on the brink of joining the ranks of responsible working adults.
ReplyDeleteIn Life of Pi the narrator, who seems to be none other than Pi himself, portrays himself as a character who has lead a long and difficult life. From his child hood in India he somehow ended up in Canada as a college student and he also describes a time when he was studying three-toed sloths in the Amazon during part of his studies. He has great respect for Animals and seems to understand them in a way that most people don’t. The fact that he studies zoology alongside religious studies at first sounded a bit strange to me, but seems to tie in well with someone who studies animals as gods’ creations.
The Spirit of Education pretty much shows how education is highly valued in America and that adults should take responsibility in their child's education. The costume that the child is wearing represents education. The child does not want to wear it but the woman encourages him to wear it. The costume may also represent ignorance because it appears to be that of the Statue of Liberty; the statue holds the torch with its right hand while the boy in the picture holds it with his left.
ReplyDeleteThe narrator in Life of Pi is erratic in his storytelling. First he describes his academic life, then he skips to how he is in a hospital with a bad condition. He also talks about Mr. Adirubasamy which makes me wonder how it will all fit into the novel. The fact that he majors in zoology and religious studies shows that maybe he has something that he is interested in and something that he is expected to be; religious studies being his interest and zoology in following his father's footsteps in working with animals. Without the author's note in the beginning about how the story will make you believe in God, I wouldnt find this novel interesting at this point.
In the second picture, “The Graduate”, Norman Rockwell implies either how difficult the real life is after graduation or how beautiful the graduates who have latent potential to be able to change the world are. In my opinion, to determine what picture means, it depends on people’s perspective. Behind the guy, there is a lot of negative news that imply the world is not as easy as you think in reality. Some students may think that it is going to be too hard to get a job and hard to get through it after graduation. However, some students may think that it will be fine because they were doing well during the college, and they think the more obstacles they face, the more proud they are as you can see his face. He looks he is ready to do anything as a fresh man in real life.
ReplyDeleteUp to chapter 3, I don’t get yet what narrator want to say. I think he wants to make readers interesting more. Since he doesn’t explain yet how his majors which are zoology and religious studies relate each other, readers are curious how this story is going on. In addition, suddenly, he tells his swimming story. I think those stories will be connected in a very natural way.
The third picture titled " The Problem We All Live With" was very interesting and i think is saying that education in that time period was very limited to people from different backgrounds. Like in the picture the girl is black and it looks like she is left behind walking in the back of those man. In that time period there was a lot of racial issues so maybe the opportunity of an education was equal for everyone.
ReplyDeleteThe narrator of LOP seems like an interesting person but he's a bit confusing when he tries to tell the story. He's a little hard to figure out and maybe that's what keeps the story interesting. It's weird that one of his majors is in religious studies but i don't see the connection between that major and zoology. I think they're going to be helpful in his story telling.
Norman Rockwell's painting, "The Problem We All Have" depicts a young Ruby Bridges, the first Black child to enter a desegregated school. At the time, it showed how unequal education was, and that ultimately is the responsibility of the government to be equal. The US Marshalls have no faces and seem to move in unison because they are simply a collective used entity to carry out the will of the government. Education is the key to a successful, and indeed, it is the problem everyone has, especially when you are denied a decent one on the basis of prejudice.
ReplyDeleteThe Narrator in Life of Pi seems to be an inquisitive person who's trying to make sense of life in any way possible. Two of the major dominating forces in society is science and religion, and often, these two elements clash against one another. The narrator may have been studying both subjects in order to come to a conclusion about which is real, or if they are capable of coinciding together.