Summer Reading 5
Within the last three chapters brings up a common question within Theory of Knowledge. The man character, Milkman, undergoes so much to finally understand the real truth about his family, instead of believing what he grew up believing as true. Does this imply, that what we, as knowers, think we have known for all our lives, as being true may in fact just be a shield from the real truth? A shield put up for us to live comfortably?
In Milkman’s case, the past, which came out to be untrue, was to protect Milkman from realizing the flaws in his father and the hurt he underwent through his childhood due to the racial crisis. Did it really help him or hurt him? I believe it hurt him, no matter how wrong events may be, I believe it is important for one to realize the good and bad within people and within situations in order for us to make good choices in our lives today. Without seeing the whole picture it is hard to make judgments.
Another question I thought of during my last three chapters of reading, was to what extent must one go in order to really know? In order for Milkman to truly know and understand his family history he went through an adventure of interrogations and puzzle piecing. In our daily lives, is there any real way for us to know, or at least attempt to know, our family’s past due to the fact that we did not even exist during the time?
Summer Reading 4
Within the next few chapters, Milkman goes on a quest to find out about his family’s history. His father orders him to go to a cave, which he believes has gold in it. On his way to the cave, he encounters many characters of whom he’s only heard of. When he begins to speak with them about his father’s family history, a mystery begins to unravel. The complication behind the family history is mainly due to the differences in nicknames. Whom Milkman knows as Macon Dead I (his grandfather) the nearby town members know as Jake, also known as Jay.
He soon attempts to put the pieces to puzzle together when he realizes, near a store named Solomon’s Store the nearby children always sing a song about Jay. The song describes Jay as a son who was raised by a woman named Heddy in a “red man’s house.”
The power of language is shown within these few chapters. Due to the language, Milkman’s family history became a complicated mystery. If there was no confusion between the language, it would have been easy for Milkman to understand “his past.”
Language is portrayed as the main cause for confusion, misinterpretation, and complication within these chapters.
Summer Reading 3
Within the next three chapters, Milkman argues with his father. His father ordered him to steal a green bundle from Pilate, Milkman’s aunt. The father is convinced that Pilate has hidden gold in the bundle. After Milkman tells Guitar (Pilate’s son and Milkman’s cousin) about the bundle they both steal it and begin to walk away from Pilate’s house. After the cops pull them over, Pilate and Milkman’s father come to the police station to rescue the kid. Once everyone goes back to their houses Milkman receives a long lecture from his father.
During the lecture his father expresses his hate towards Milkman always being with Guitar. He views Guitar and Pilate as being lower-class people, though a part of their family, and calls Guitar “that Southside nigger.” Through the use of language Milkman’s father insults him rather then just getting his point across. All throughout the argument it was clear to see that Milkman’s father did not like Guitar very much. But through his one spearing phrase, Milkman realizes that his father has more than just hate for Guitar, pure animosity.
The argument between Milkman and his father, throughout these three chapters, suggests that the use of language can spark different emotions. Throughout the argument Milkman felt guilty and hurt, but once his father used the degrading phrase, Milkman began to feel resentment towards his father.
Summer Reading 2
The next three chapters (4, 5, and 6) include emotion driven scenarios. Guitar has been involved in some mysterious events. In the middle of a conversation with Milkman, he stares at the clock, and once the clock’s second hand lands on the 12, he immediately describes how he must leave. Milkman thinks about the secretive situations where Guitar immediately leaves. A few days later when Milkman is having a discussion with Freddie, the janitor, he brings up Guitar’s secretive behavior. Freddie then informs Milkman of the rumors that have been going around, about how Guitar is affiliated with some of the murders of the “white folks” in town.
Within the next week Milkman confronts Guitar. Guitar, out of respect, answers Milkman truthfully. He explains to Milkman his affiliation with a group called “7 days” and their objective to kill one white person for every colored person who is murdered in the town by the whites. He explains that the reason for this activity is to keep the number of whites and colored even so that the whites can never gain an upper hand by genocide. He parallels this local genocide to that of Hitler’s. At this point, it makes the reader question Guitar’s reasoning. Killing is an illegal activity, so the justification and reason behind it must be a good one. But is Guitar’s reasoning for the action being influenced by his emotion towards this group of people because of the way he has been treated? His emotions do play a big role in his reasoning but does that make the reasoning purely reason, or a mix of reason and emotion? And if reason and emotion drive him to kill whites, does it make it okay? Personally I believe when reasoning is influenced or altered by emotion, this gives the knower a biased “way of knowing.” One must purely look at the situation through reason, or through emotion. Emotion is driving Guitar’s hatred towards whites, but that should not be his reason to kill them.
The situations throughout these three chapters suggest that Guitar’s reasoning behind his illegal actions are being altered by his emotions, and his reasoning may even be replaced by his emotions.
Summer Reading 1
Throughout the first three chapters, of
Song of Solomon, a few interesting characters are introduced. “Milkman,” the nickname given to the lead character, is raised in a family where the father is a real estate agent. His father deals with rich clients who want to buy mansions and big lofts. Therefore Milkman never gets to see the racial conflicts happening around his neighborhood because of his “all colored” school, his father’s “all colored” clients, and his well off family. Guitar and Milkman have different perceptions of the world around them due to their different social classes. When Milkman begins to talk to his cousin Guitar, who lives on the other side of town and lives in a family whose struggle to pay the bills is a common occurrence, Milkman begins to think outside the box.
Milkman’s perception, one of the ways of knowing, of white people changes as he hears horror stories about how they mistreat colored people. Guitar’s perception of white people influences Milkman’s. Perception, in this case, was influenced by the art of language and persuasion. Guitar is a very convincing character and can say a few clever words, which can change an opinion almost instantly. His persuasive skills work on Milkman as well. Milkman’s opinion changes to the point where he beings to question his father about the topic, and his father gives him “no response.” This lack of response just raises Milkman’s curiosity about the outside world of white people.
The first three chapters suggest that language can influence perception.
AFGHANI "CRIMINAL"
Abdul Rahman, who is being charged for converting religions, to me personally seems innocent. But i can clearly understand why the Afghani government thinks his act is harmful. Most Islamic nations, and some other Asian countries are conservative and like to keep their culture, traditions, and parochial ways of living intact. Religion and culture play a big role in their everyday lives and to have one person in the crowd disobey the religion and culture is like allowing change. This change is a threat to their people and the culture they have kept in their country for hundreds of years. If this culture disappeared in a few days just because they allowed one person to switch religions, the rest of the people will follow his footsteps and the country will undergo a drastic change. At the same time, people should have the right to choose the way they wish to live their life, and religion is a component of everyday life. Everyone has the right to freedom and choice, but if Abdul Rahman feels so stronly about his new religion, and he can practice his new religion freely in another country, why wouldn't he just move? The government has given him an altamatum: he can either switch back to Islam or be sentenced with the option of receiving the death penalty. If he decides that his religion is more precious to him than his life, then so be it. This topic relates to TOK because of the Way of Knowing which includes perception. Some may perceive this issue as a wrong crime while others may simply believe he should be let free to do what he pleases. Perceptions cause clashes in situations, like this one, where decisions must be made.
HARRY POTTER QUIZ
So umm.. I am definately not much of a Harry Potter person... haha I got 3 questions correct from that quiz... and the only reason I got them right was because I did eeny-meeny-mieny-mo (if that's even how you spell it).
:]
You Guys Try !
ART.
The picture definitely confused me at first. After awhile though, I understood the picture and realized that the easel had a scene painted on it, which was an extension of the scene outside of the doorway. Its an interesting picture because at first it seems as though the wooden easel does not belong... and that the scene can be seen through the doorway as well as a square cut out from the wall... similar to a window without a frame. The picture can be seen in two different ways. Perception plays a big role in the interpretation of the picture. Perception is one of the Ways of Knowing, according to the TOK diagram. Perception. Perception. Perception - the key to understanding the differences in interpretation.
SUPERSTITIONS
The article regarding the fairies and the contruction site, amazed me. Not only did it come across as surprising to see the amount of public which believed in fairies, it also amazed me when the Genesis Properties was forced to redesign the estate they had plans for.
While reading the article a few theory of knowledge ideas came to mind. If the villagers cannot see the fairies, how can they prove their existence? Without proving their existence how can they impact a large corporation to redesign an estate, and waste a large amount of money towards the new project? In TOK, perception is one of the "ways of knowing." So without visually seeing the fairies, how can the public be so sure that they know fairies exist. I believe that this event represents the unreasonable power of irrational thinking. There is no external proof of these fairies, only internal beliefs which most of the people living in the area have. But that should not give the local villagers the right to stop a company from building in the area. If the people of the area stepped up and had reasonable evidence of these fairies and the legends behind them, then maybe the entire event wouldn't seem like a waste of money and time for Genesis Properties.
NEW BLOG
So i started my Blog, and Dr. Crane I hope it's good enough.
