Monday, May 10, 2004

Maus Blog

I just finished reading Maus 1 and Maus 2 yesterday. I found that after reading 1 I had to read 2. The first book just leaves you hanging in the middle of the story and I wanted to find out how the story ends. I found this to be a moving story that not only deals with the holocaust but it also deals with war and how people survive during this kind setting that is oppressive and can be abusive. On page 54 of book one the sentences that I'm using for my sentence collection are "I'm not going to die, and I won't die here! I want to be treated like a human being!" As I reflect on these statements my thoughts wander to the current war and the pictures of the Iraqi men in very vulnerable and humiliating positions as the American soldiers just look on. I imagine and wonder if this sentence taken from Maus is what the Iraqi men in the photos may feel among other things and why was the rest of the world shown these pictures before the American public even knew about them? I can answer that question but it's not the direction that I want to take this blog. I can believe that this happened yet I seem to place myself in the shoes of the victim to try and understand what it must be like for them in the oppressive situation that they are dealing with. I have had to deal with my own oppressive situation growing up at home which is what makes it easy for me to immediately try to understand what these people are going through. Yet I don't know fully as I have never had several people place me in a position so humiliating as those American soldiers placed the Iraqi men in. What also scares me is that there are women and children in that prison. How many rapes have happened to them? I was talking with Mr. Lovas about this today and he said that the Coalition is sweeping up all kinds of people and it's just the luck of the draw if you are in that sweep. This is exactly what is happening in the Maus books. The Jews were being swept up including the women and the children. What I'm left with in looking at this is just a great deep sadness that the process of what Hitler was doing to the Jews may be what we are doing to the Iraqi's excluding the gas chamber. It's just a thought... Posted by Adriana Worley on 5/10/04; 3:21:59 PM from the dept. Discuss

Blog # 4

This is in response to Aesun Kim's last blog. Aesun first of all I think that it is great that you can talk about how you feel about discussions and the intimidation that you sometimes feel in your classes. It shows your human side and strength in just sharing your feelings. I can empathize with how you feel. There have been times in my life when other people have made me feel intimidated during a discussion as well. It's a comfort zone kind of thing for me. I have written down phrases and sometimes sentences during discussions to keep myself on track and not lose myself. I find that this happens when my confidence level goes down. I would love to hear what you have to say even if it is on the fence on certain issues because I'm sure that there are others that may feel similar to what you have to say. The other thing that I wanted to say was that you discuss the style of teaching that Mr. Lovas is using. I think his purpose is to help us get ready for the next stage in our academic lives in a University. I think he's trying to help us in the transition and get us ready for what is to come. At the University our hands are not being held meaning that we are not told how to do things we just do them. It's a learning process and in transfering it could and can be a shock in getting into that kind of environment . I think Lovas is trying to lessen that shock. Posted by Adriana Worley on 5/10/04; 2:50:26 PM from the dept. Discuss

The article "Money for Nothing"

One of the things that struck me about this article is that the author assumes that kids now a days are "uninspired by the notion of earning," money. Although there are some children that are this way as she describes she only uses her nieces and nephew as examples of kids who are disinterested in earning a buck. Also her theories on the parents of these kids and the kids attitudes is one of two things. It is invariably black and white which I don't agree with, seeing that there can and probably is a grey area. She says the reason for these kids being the way that they are is out of protection or the world is too dangerous. Furthermore, she compares herself to her nieces and nephew in regards to this issue. I wonder if maybe there is a generation gap issue going on here. I just felt that the speaker seemed somewhat out of touch because of her lack of evidence. I know a lot of kids in the age group that she is discussing and what I have found is that there is a mixed bag with this issue. There are a few kids that I know that fit the description that she talks about yet there are others that don't and do have the motivation and willingness to earn money. Then there are the kids that do both sometimes they want to earn money and sometimes they could care less. I think it depends upon the person that you speak to as far as what value is placed on any interest in making money and not necessarily grouping people as a whole. Posted by Adriana Worley on 5/10/04; 2:19:29 PM from the dept. Discuss