"This Land Is Your Land" Woodie Guthrie

His message is collectivist because the society created is benefiting all people. It isn't centered around the individuals prospering, but rather the group of people as a whole. the land was made for "you and me", proving that we should all be together and this nation is made to be united. this song is anti-government because government is trying to take control, but this song is talking about freedom and liberty. Because the government can rule over people's freedom, this song talks about how we should be free and we can be together without someone telling us what to do.

The Egg

Before he got married, he was kind and cheerful, but after the marriage, he became ambitious along with his wife. The narrator sees chickens as an obstacle and an ugly aspect of life. It goes through stages that are predetermined and aren't special in any way. The narrator almost seems to see them as a disappointment. The narrator claims to have had a bad childhood because they lived on a farm and it was headed for disaster. We can take from this that the narrator is cautious against optimism so that we don't get our hopes up, then be let down. The father's collection of "grotesques" plays a role of symbolism. it symbolizes gloominess and being contained. It also is a way of showing that he doesn't know what others want and he's blind to what they think. He then decides he will be happy, but since it is forced and not real, it doesn't work and is only an illusion. When the narrator talks about the final draw of the egg, it means he is done and is finished with the egg. He has given up on eggs as a whole.

Second 1984 Reading Journal

Winston is having a difficult time believing in what Big Brother and the State are selling because he is not only miserable living the life he's living because of Big Brother, but also because everything is senseless and illogical. Winston is smarter than the usual and he lets his mind wander, unlike others who keep theirs on lock-down, almost acting as robots. He can see past the lies, and he knows that the government is only trying to corrupt the people so that whatever the government says is right. He remembers things others don't and can see that history wasn't really the way Big Brother depicts it in the present days. I would say that yes, Winston's small acts of defiance are a form of protest, because it shows how he is pulling away from the rules that are set by the government. By disregarding the rules and the ways of Big Brother, he is more or less "rebelling" because he doesn't like the way life is. He attempts to find every way he can to get away with things that are illegal and unapproved by the Party. This proves he is, in a way, protesting against the Party. His actions are not as substantial as Wall Street or protests seen in society today, but they are rather small and modest. He keeps them to himself. It isn't what would be defined as a protest because it is not outspoken and directly against something, but it is more inside him that he is becoming a rebel. He has started to become someone else who doesn't follow the ways of the government. He begins to take actions that question the government and he takes on some risky behavior, but it isn't as prominent. Where today's protests are direct and very prominent within the society, o one can see that Winston is "protesting". However, it is still an act of protest because he is against Big Brother and the State; he just doesn't tell or show everyone how he is doing this. Comparing Orwell's society to America's society today would be the mere difference in freedom and liberty. Today we have freedom of speech; we are allowed to think for ourselves, unlike Orwell's depiction of the society. While there are protests in both societies, we as Americans are allowed to speak against and for the things we want, whereas Orwell's society is conformed to certain way of thinking and doing.

American Language

Americans tend to be independent and keep things from one another. There are rarely relationships in which one person (or friend) knows every single thing about another. Americans are quick to push people away by either being too clingy or too distant. We struggle to find a middle ground, which is what we all desperately need. "Friends" are sometimes seen as just someone one has had a conversation with once or twice. This lowers the standard and expectations of true, close friends because there is nothing to distinguish someone you spend every day with and give everything to, as opposed to someone you vaguely know.

Individualists vs. Collectivists

Good qualities of an individualist requires self-reliance, self-control, time management, and extreme focus on one's self and goals. A collectivist would have to be able to take care of a large amount of people, good at managing more than one task at a time, able to work well with other people, outgoing, loyal, and friendly.
Regarding the excerpt, I think it's more individualism because it focuses on accomplishments (i.e. PhD, oldest) and determines an individual with their experience as oneself, rather than as a group.
A conflict that might occur were a collectivist teacher to teach a class of individualist students would be if a few kids in the class were the top speakers for the group, yet she called on people that relied more on the leaders of the class rather than being independent like the teacher.
An acquaintance is someone you associate yourself with, but don't have a close or emotional attachment to or relationship with. It could be both a positive and negative connotation because while one person wanting to be friends it could be negative, another might just want to be co-workers or merely acquaintances, which would have a positive connotation rather than just "a random person" you know.

"2+2=5" by Radiohead

Lyrically, the song is talking about how he has no control and is always being watched. The government has stolen his authority and they are always "paying attention" to him, which is repeated throughout the song. Also, he talks about how things aren't right like the way they should be. However, it seems as if the world he's living in is trying to be a utopia, but has been created to be a dystopia instead. This relates back to 1984 because this is portrayed in the book as well. Towards the end when he starts to talk more about his authority has been questioned and how he's always wrong, the music gets crazy and it is easy to see how the mood seems almost angry sounding. 2+2=5 is not true, but the government is changing history by creating lies that will be passed down as truth. Therefore in the dystopia created in 1984, 2+2=5 will be the new truth if the government says it is so.

Response to Video

The conflict was about the head scarf and what it symbolizes. Over the years, it has been manipulated and is considered a form of oppression to westerners. It's an internal conflict because it is mostly between women and whether or not they should wear it to sacrifice their independence. Globalization creates conflict because of diversity. There are opposing beliefs and ideas, creating conflict over just about everything. Western culture isn't changing; people are just assimilating into it, rather than creating more culture. Thus, globalization is only flowing in one direction. The benefit related in this process is role models. Looking at strong women to see what it really means to be ea woman and to be independent is important and is shown throughout our culture.

First 1984 Reading Journal

In the book 1984 by George Orwell, equality is created by the government, known as the "Party". The Party controls and supervises everyone in a very careful and detailed manner. While the Party tries to create equality throughout the society by making people think they are happy and content under their rule, they are really manipulating the people of their thoughts and ideas by using the idea of Thoughtcrimes. With the consequences of a so-called thoughtcrime, people learn to control their thoughts, their ways of thinking, and their actions. Religion, relationships, and individual rights are abolished altogether. The idea of becoming distant with human relationships is one of the main themes of the book. Individual rights have been taken away. The telescreens are ways of keeping the people under close watch, their every move seen, allowing no room for mistakes or self-control. Everything is controlled by the government, specifically Big Brother. This reduces the conflict in seeing things differently. Since everyone is required to think and act the same way, there is no reason for there to be any conflict. Conformity is forced within the society by manipulation in the government.With the Party always watching and the rules set up in the society, people are forced into believing whatever they are told. Clearly, the government has attempted to make a utopian world, yet it can not exist. With the oppression and forced conformity throughout the society, it creates a dystopia. Though the people are told that they live in a perfect world, it can not be. Everyone is happy enough to live on and not think differently about where they live; however, they are unable to think for themselves and live in fear of their lives, concluding a dystopia has been created, rather than a utopia.

What is a Utopia?

A utopia is an alternate world, one that is ideal and contains a perfect society. My ideal world would be drama-free. Everything would be simple and there wouldn't be any disorganization. No disturbances would be made and everything would flow together, resulting in no conflict. The soundtrack to my utopia would be happy, upbeat music, but also calming music so everyone is content and relaxed at the same time.

October 6, Painting Analysis

The author's voice is detailed and focuses on simple things. The first painting had different colors with paintbrushes, pencils, and paper flying around. A bright light coming from behind hands light up the details around it. The second painting focused on specific features of the face and mouth, and the third painting had an intricate background with very detailed hands. The artist does this to focus attention on things he sees as simple, yet important in the painting; he uses details to make the simple things stand out. The culture portrayed in this painting is the deaf, or people with hearing disabilities, because of the sign language used, the focus on the mouth, and the hearing aid shown in the third painting. This culture focuses on and pays attention to the small things. Since they have a hearing disability, they use their eyes to get more out of whatever they are involving themselves in so they can see and appreciate the simple, intricate details in life.

"You Were Right" Built To Spill

The lyrics suggest someone is going through pain and has experienced loss at some point. Illustrated by the lyrics, "You were wrong when you said everything's gonna be alright...you were right when you said we're all just bricks in the wall and when you said manic depression's a frustrating mess," we can see that the person is going through a rough time and is reflecting on what is right and wrong.
The guitar and drums were fast, but didn't seem to have a set rhythm or beat. Throughout the song, there was a lot going on and the noise was, one could say, messy. The guitar and drum seemed to overpower the singer and it felt like they were fighting against each other to be superior.
The overall effectiveness and support of the song was lost in the busy sound. There was too much going on at one time and created distractions, thus losing its main point.

"Young Life"

The artist's intention in the painting "Young Life" was to show that in 1996, when it was painted, life was simple and content. The title indicates the man and woman are young adults, and of course the little boy is young. The painting doesn't have many details and uses few colors, which are dull and blend together. This shows simplicity throughout the painting, acting as a symbol for aspects of their lives. The woman is holding herself close to the man, and the little boy is positioned off to the side by himself.  While they are all together, they are also somewhat independent. The little boy looks content being by himself, like he is older and proud of being strong. The man is holding a gun, proving he can take care of himself and the people around him, and the woman has no ring, suggesting that she is not married and is independent. They all seem content with their life, and like the simplicity.