Control Room Response

Last week in English we watched a documentary called the “Control Room”; a documentary that gave an insight into the use of bias within the Iraq War of 2003. The video itself was heavily analytical of the US Army and anything that had a connection with its reporting. It was mainly focused on the Al Jazeera news reporting agency and its attempt to provide a story through a neutral lense and by the perspective of the Arabic society and their thoughts of the war. After watching the film, we were given several prompts, including “Deception is just as bad as telling an outright lie”. For me to come to a conclusion or decision as to whether I agree or disagree with the statement should be based on the footage of the film. I say so only because before watching the documentary I was virtually undecided. During the film, it was pointed out that the Us Army was incredibly unclear over their positioning of their soldiers. Sometimes even denying where the troops were, or would hint these locations to protect themselves from the enemy having additional information. However, with this vagueness, came some slight deception of information, because the US Army could claim to be almost anywhere in Iraq, and the rest of the western world would believe them. The documentary often stated how Al Jazeera had been made out as an enemy, due to how they disagreed with the positioning of the US army. The documentary pointed out that Al Jazeera used an expert geologist of Iraq to try and determine the positioning of the US Military by the thought of them saying they had captured a bridge in a southern area. The expert indicated that there were no bridges, and that instead the US army was deceiving western media because they wanted to indicate more progress than had been produced.

Answering the prompt, I would agree with the idea that Deception is just as bad as telling a lie. Mainly because, all of those who had used this deception understood the consequences, knew that they were tricking all of the people listening and watching, and is purposely manipulating the power they have over someone else. In this case, it’s the US army and its troops. These consequences are the unfair demonizing of the Al Jazeera news agency. If an outright lie had been produced, then possibly the excuse was that it was to trick the enemy of the US Military and there would have been little to no consequences. But this use of deception also tricked the US population and other western media societies, because of their lack of evidence supporting the statements provided.

Media Bias

Baltimore police: Officers 'compelled' to chase 13-year-old with BB gun

Two detectives, one male and one female, were returning from a strategy session on how to deal with current gun violence, when they spotted a teen walking down the street with what seemed to be a firearm.

Without hesitation and questioning, they forcibly ordered the teen to drop the gun, however this frightened the 13-year-old, which caused the innocent child to run for 150 yards. Once he had noticed their pursuit, he attempted to reveal the truth about the gun, by yelling “its not real”. However due to the arrogance of the officers, this young individual ended up being shot by the male officer.

The officers question as to why the boy ran, and why he had the gun in the first place, as well as their justification for shooting the harmless child, by stating that they could not have known that the gun had been a replica.

Although the child had done a questionable action, these officers should be more at fault for the fact that they had scared the young individual, chased and shot him without questioning and proof that the gun was a real weapon or of any danger to civilians around them.

The child is expected to make a full recovery, but may end up not trusting the men and women who are meant to protect him. 

Sylvia Plath practice IOCC

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B2pgsUlNJpejOGpRY0RjSU9ocG8

Coriolanus Practice IOC Outline

Coriolanus practice IOC outline

Introduction:

• ·         Introduce the play, state how it was created by William Shakespeare.
• ·         State that this passage is from Act 1 scene 3
• ·         Say that it is a conversation between Volumnia and Virgilia.

Significance:

• ·         The significance of this passage, is to present Coriolanus’s mother, characterise her, and present foreshadowing into how this play may turn out, due to her influence on her son.
• ·         Use examples found from lines 5 to 17 as evidence.

Body 1:

• ·         This passage provides a conversation between two main characters within the play, both showing opposite sides of women within society. Which is used for the indirect characterisation of Virgilia.
• ·         Use lines 1-5 to state how she thinks and would act with Corilanus as her husband.
• ·         Use lines 10-15 for what she sees as her perfect son.

Body 2:

• ·         Sate how imagery is used within this text to create a picture of this scene.
• ·         This imagery can be seen as what Volumnia sees as the perfect man within her time, and what she believes in.
• ·         Sate that this imagery can be used as indirect characterisation of Coriolanus as well, with constant remarks as two what he looks like.

Conclusion:

•  Overall, this passage introduces Volumnia and her role within the play, and her relationship to characters. Through the text, her beliefs and influence over her son can be seen, providing enough evidence for the foreshadowing of the play.

Practice IOC

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B2pgsUlNJpejYmQteGwwbHF2VUU

Wallace and Munro analysis

David Foster Wallace's commencement speech "This Is Water" is an extremely powerful text, that I have had the pleasure of reading. Wallace's ideas about the way we think have caused many people to check how they interact with the world around them. In This Is Water, Wallace states, that we as humans tend to think in a very dull and monotone way. Our lives are ruled by our personal emotions, gain, causing us to become trapped with ourselves. As a result of this, we tend to view the world purely as we see it in our first glance around, our instant emotional reaction to the situations that we are in results in a narrow and dissociated view of the world. Consequently, he proposes the idea that we must relearn to think. We as human beings must learn to re-examine the things around us, and consider different viewpoints, however unlikely. We must inspect our initial emotional reaction to our surroundings and ask, “What if this isn't the way that life is?" Because almost nothing is impossible. Wallace supplements this thinking with the example of a tired person in a supermarket, showing how they don't care about anybody else, and their interactions with others are just in their way. This then leads to a lot more of a discussion, where you would consider the person in front of you, and how they were doing, ultimately changing your perspective. Writers have recognized the importance of the emotional connection with the world around us for centuries. Alice Munro being one of them, her stories are plainly based on emotion and the real life experiences of the character. Rich characterization, plot development, and an outstanding view into the inner thoughts of a human character. However, it's not just the content and characters of her stories that seeks to persuade the reader to look outside their own perspective, it’s the base of her as writer that allows for such impactful texts, which aids in her choices for setting, characters, plot etc. Flashbacks to the past, narratives and anecdotes can be found throughout her stories, having meaning and emotion that positively forces the reader to reconsider what they already about the individuals they read about within her texts. With this, Munro can share all of her messages and ideals, as well as show us that we should question the societal norms, similar to Wallace’s way to relearn, this show a real connection between different writers, with both having you relearn your thought patterns to understand where they are coming from. 

Language and Government

Welcome back

During my summer break, I encountered something that I had forgotten about, that being the advertisement of politicians for the role of the president within South Africa. I had immediately noticed all of the posters that had been place around the cities, townships and urban areas, with all of them promoting a specific party. I began to analyse them, sort of like we did in the beginning of the year with the advertisements in Language and Media, almost immediately recognising the similarities between the posters and advertisements. The use of bright colours to project the poster forward, use of language, both simple and different a lot of the time, due to the country having eleven official languages. After applying what I had learnt in the beginning of the year, to that current situation, I discovered how they used the bright colours that stood out to attract people, used very simple language so that those who had not gained  a full or no education could understand and feel as if they were being looked after by the politicians and the government. Through this I was able to grasp a firm understanding of how the parties worked, with most aiming at gather their votes from the uneducated masses of South Africa, however others either focusing on the middle class, or a mix of both.

Further Understanding of the media

Welcome back to my blog, so far its been a great summer and here is something new I have learnt.

Over this summer break, I had signed up for a photography course, the main reason being to gain new skills for my IB Art course. Through this experience I had learned quite a few things about photography and its huge connection to the media, which has a huge effect on society. In the beginning of the year, my class began our study on language and media, which had become the favoured topic within our Lang and Lit class, due to how relatable it was to the students, both male and female. Through media, social norms, stereotypes have been established, such as gender roles, or society’s visual expectations of the sexes. After my course I now understand that it has become so easy to edit the images, we as the public are presented each day through the media. I had gained the knowledge on how specific angles and stances changed the outcome of a photo. The use of programs such as Photoshop and lightroom, exploited for their accuracy and detail for editing the photos and images. With these false images created they are able to project the ideals form by society with ease, as there is now a visual stimulation in front of the reader’s eyes. However, a new respect was formed as well, the skill that is needed for this has to be admired, along with the dedication that these men and women have for their work. I have learnt how and why these people do this, and why a little edit can enhance an image, however the modern media may have taken it too far. 

Never fully trust the media, for there will always be lies, but I'm sure you already know that 

Practice IOC

https://ia801502.us.archive.org/34/items/IOCPractice/IOC%20practice.mp3

Another Practice Thesis

Thesis: The significance of Achebe’s past can be seen throughout the novel, with the use of characters,

events, and culture all connect to the author and his upbringing.

Topic sentence 1: Characters are the most important tools for an author, however Achebe uses them for 

more than developing the plot, and he places his past and emotions into the characters, giving them life 

and depth.

Topic sentence 2: Due to Achebe being brought up as a Christian and Igbo, the conflict between these 

two cultures that he would have faced, can be seen within his novel.

Topic sentence 3: However it is the events which take place, where Achebe applies his personal history, 

and show what he had experienced through these happenings of the novel. 

Genders Influence (practice plan)

Thesis: 

Achebe takes full advantage of the Igbo cultures gender roles to further develop his novel and characters, which may be perceived differently, due to cultural differences between the audience of Things Fall Apart. 

Topic Sentences:

1.  Those of a Western audience may find this novel hard to "digest", as the actions of the Igbo people towards gender, may be scene as controversial by those not of this culture. 

2. Many Nigerians love Achebe's novel, as it is a more realistic take on how men and women would interact within that time period, and would not act against the gender inequality which takes place. 

3. However, comparing it to modern standards, all can agree that the gender roles that are used within Things Fall Apart are old practices, adding another layer of discussion to this theme. 

Use of a Tragic Hero

Welcome Back

Today we will be looking into Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart, a great example of a story that leads to a tragic end, with the main character being considered a tragic hero. Why did Achebe use this archetype as the main idea behind Okonkwo?

Well the answer is pretty simple, in fact it’s why many writers do these things, to make their novel more interesting, and appealing. By using this huge hyper masculine figure, Achebe is able to hook us in as we learn about Okonkwo, his success, however he then sends the character on a complete spiral downwards. This idea of a tragic story has another purpose as well, to share his main themes, ideas and historical information. Achebe’s uses his culture as the main basis for the novel, this is quite the ideals of the Igbo’s link up to Okonkwo and his values. By creating this  tragic hero, Achebe is able to create a depiction of what would have happened to the Igbo people who had this mind set, and how the issue caused should have been addressed due to the rules set, but were not, as they were an anomaly within their culture. He has also created a factual novel, where we the audience can now see how the Igbo society would have reacted to the actions of the missionaries during that time period.

Obviously, this has all been put to the extreme by Achebe, and would most likely have not happened. Nonetheless, it was an extremely useful tool for the author, as he was able to share what he set out to, through the use of this archetype. 

Igbo GuideBook

If you are contemplating whether or not you would like to go to Igboland, you have to know that you will be a foreigner with a different culture and a different way of thinking. That is why this guide book has been created, so that you as the visitor would have now gained some knowledge of the Igbo people’s customs and way of life, which would help prevent misunderstandings and possible quarrels with the Igbo’s.  Included will be information on the different components of their culture, and how it is different.

1.       Social Status:  The men and women in the Igbo tribes all have to work hard in order to gain wealth and a higher social status within their villages. The men were taught as apprentices, and told that they needed three things to be successful, these were wealth, women and titles. Gaining a title is a little harder than you think, due to the fact that the men had to purchase these titles with great sums of money, often with the goal of reaching the highest title, “Ozo”. The “Ozo” were seen as gods, and gained immortality through a ritual of death and reincarnation.  You need to be careful, because depending on who you will associate with in the village will change how you are seen, due to how the different people are treated. The women were also raised as apprentices, and told that they had to do the house, and hard work, find and marry a decent husband. They would gain the social status of their husbands once they had married them.

2.       Family Life: Family is extremely important in one’s life, within the Igbo Culture. It is used as one of the many ways to improve the men’s social image, having a large family that worked hard, would definitely improve the way the village sees them. Something that is quite interesting about the Igbo culture is the fact that the men can have more than on wife, polygamy. The men work in order to increase the size of their households however if they struggle  the first wife can bring more wives in order to help, but the first wife will always be the only one who gains the titles of her husband, this being only one of the privileges for the wives.

3.       Religion: Religion has been important to Igbo people even from ancient times, which again brings some difference and similarities between our culture and theirs. The Igbo people believe in one Supreme Being who is called “Chukwu”, similar to how our lord God is the only high and might being. However, this is where it begins to differ. The Igbo people believe in spirits which are usually representatives of nature, things like rain, iron, the earth etc. Igbo people approach these so that they can ask for help in their lives, either for the future or they are having trouble at the time. Sometimes, sacrifices were needed for the request to be accepted by these spirits. Oracles play an important role in the relationship between the people and the spirits, as they are the ones who will inform the  Igbo if a sacrifice is needed, they also help them with communicating with the dead, their ancestors for advice.

4.       Customs: Customs are extremely important to the Igbo people since they are giving us this information about the guidelines for their way of life. Offending them or even breaking the rules will always lead to punishment, even if you are not of their people or village. One thing that is important is that Igbo people favour a balance with both the gods and the other members of their society. As a result, the people often make negotiations to make sure that the members of a trade are both on equal terms. Do not try and create an imbalance, or they will become quite upset with you. Another very important side is respect, especially for the elders and those with many and high titles. Do not try to convince them that their religion and their beliefs are false, or you will be outcast or even punished.

To conclude, make sure that you follow these points, and respect their culture. You are an outsider, who has been invited to learn about the Igbo people, so as long as you do not offend them and their way of life, you will be treated with care and hospitality. 

Chinua Achebe Discussion Reflection

Welcome Back

During the last Language and literature class we spent time discussing points made from an interview with Chinua Achebe. There had been many topics and ideas brought up, from both our group and Achebe, such as why Achebe had written “Things Fall Apart”, what his messages were throughout the novel, how his upbringing and culture affected the outcome and overall plot of the novel etc. However, what I believe was the most interesting and meaningful point addressed was how he was able to relate to most people through his novel.

Why and how I can say this, is due to how you may not be able to relate to colonial struggles of that time, but there is much more than within this great story, family, politics, self-struggle, hatred and many more can be found, and I as white South African student was able to see and relate to quite a few instances of the novel.  This was the most meaningful take away from the discussion we had, as most people were able to agree that they had noticed this. Achebe also said that the novel was not just meant for his people, but for the world. To show the issues of the modern day through a tale set many years ago.

This is  a great novel, and if you ever have the time, read it. 

"We will fight on Beaches" Commentary

Aim: The aim of this task was to find a political speech that you would right a paper 1/commentary on the text. You also had the challenge of sitting down and writing it within an hour, similar to test conditions.

Text:

Meanwhile, the Royal Air Force, which had already been intervening in the battle, so far as its range would allow, from home bases, now used part of its main metropolitan fighter strength, and struck at the German bombers and at the fighters which in large numbers protected them. This struggle was protracted and fierce. Suddenly the scene has cleared, the crash and thunder has for the moment-but only for the moment-died away. A miracle of deliverance, achieved by valor, by perseverance, by perfect discipline, by faultless service, by resource, by skill, by unconquerable fidelity, is manifest to us all. The enemy was hurled back by the retreating British and French troops. He was so roughly handled that he did not hurry their departure seriously. The Royal Air Force engaged the main strength of the German Air Force, and inflicted upon them losses of at least four to one; and the Navy, using nearly 1,000 ships of all kinds, carried over 335,000 men, French and British, out of the jaws of death and shame, to their native land and to the tasks which lie immediately ahead. We must be very careful not to assign to this deliverance the attributes of a victory. Wars are not won by evacuations. But there was a victory inside this deliverance, which should be noted. It was gained by the Air Force. Many of our soldiers coming back have not seen the Air Force at work; they saw only the bombers which escaped its protective attack. They underrate its achievements. I have heard much talk of this; that is why I go out of my way to say this. I will tell you about it.

This was a great trial of strength between the British and German Air Forces. Can you conceive a greater objective for the Germans in the air than to make evacuation from these beaches impossible, and to sink all these ships which were displayed, almost to the extent of thousands? Could there have been an objective of greater military importance and significance for the whole purpose of the war than this? They tried hard, and they were beaten back; they were frustrated in their task. We got the Army away; and they have paid fourfold for any losses which they have inflicted. Very large formations of German aeroplanes-and we know that they are a very brave race-have turned on several occasions from the attack of one-quarter of their number of the Royal Air Force, and have dispersed in different directions. Twelve aeroplanes have been hunted by two. One aeroplane was driven into the water and cast away by the mere charge of a British aeroplane, which had no more ammunition. All of our types-the Hurricane, the Spitfire and the new Defiant-and all our pilots have been vindicated as superior to what they have at present to face.

When we consider how much greater would be our advantage in defending the air above this Island against an overseas attack, I must say that I find in these facts a sure basis upon which practical and reassuring thoughts may rest. I will pay my tribute to these young airmen. The great French Army was very largely, for the time being, cast back and disturbed by the onrush of a few thousands of armoured vehicles. May it not also be that the cause of civilization itself will be defended by the skill and devotion of a few thousand airmen? There never has been, I suppose, in all the world, in all the history of war, such an opportunity for youth. The Knights of the Round Table, the Crusaders, all fall back into the past-not only distant but prosaic; these young men, going forth every morn to guard their native land and all that we stand for, holding in their hands these instruments of colossal and shattering power, of whom it may be said that

Every morn brought forth a noble chance
And every chance brought forth a noble knight,

deserve our gratitude, as do all the brave men who, in so many ways and on so many occasions, are ready, and continue ready to give life and all for their native land.

Commentary:

The idea of boosting the morale of ones people is essential within a war speech, as the Politian hopes to gain the support of the public, which can easily be found throughout Churchill’s speeches. The whole of “We will fight on beaches” includes the struggles of the war, including their losses and casualties. However it has another purpose, to motivate his nation and lift their spirits. With the use of the Royal Airforce and their victory’s, he is able to reach his audience and gain their support through the use of his influential language and speech.

                                                     

As stated before his target audience is the people of Great Britain, proven by the fact that this was a speech presented to the nation. In order to grab their attention and provide relevancy to the people, the use of “we” can be seen throughout the text, which in turn has a positive effect on the people, as this word is used to unify the population of Britain. This is where we can see his true intentions, to gain the support from them, through the actions of the military and the use of unification. Which in turn would later on cause the downfall of the German attacks on the United Kingdom.

Since this excerpt had been taken from a World War II text, the themes that are prevalent are Good verse evil due to the historical context of this extract. Love and sacrifice, shown by “and continue ready to give their life and all for their native land. Human vs Human as this speech focuses on the battles between German and British. This all is used effectively due to the range in options and the different angles one may address what the speaker has to say, as this excerpt is made up of a small summary of the dog fights and finishing with the victory’s of the Royal Airforce. The text is set at a relatively serious mood in the beginning, however it changes and moves towards a more honourable and loyal mood as Churchill addresses the amazing feats of the air force.

Looking into the style and structure of the speech, notice its impact as he tells the story of the pilots struggles in battle, building suspense and finishing with them defeating the German forces. To put it simple he drew in his viewers, so that the final statement would be more impactful. Some of his tools he had used include anaphora, “They tried hard, and they were beaten back; they were frustrated in their task. We got the Army away; and they have paid fourfold for any losses which they have inflicted”, by doing this repetitive nature he is able to build up on a statement and concluding it more effectively.  His vocabulary is quite important as words such as valour, brave and victory are used to help strengthen the speech and help keep the attention of his audience.

To conclude, Churchill uses a wide range of tools in order to attain the support of his people, Style and structure, with the focus on their victory’s all allowed him to write on of the most important speeches of Word War 2. Which we now know was critical back then, because if he had failed they might not have defeated the Germans.

Shakespeare's Characterization of Coriolanus

Welcome back, It’s been a while since I last wrote on this blog and I’m bringing something different today. Today’s topic is about Shakespeare’s characterisation of Martius in Coriolanus Act 1.

When the play begins we are thrusted straight into an angry mob, as they march to ask for grain and search for the man they hate the most Caius Martius. Giving us the impression that this plays main character is not favoured by those of the commons or plebeians of the time. With the use of the plebs Shakespeare describes Martius (who later becomes Coriolanus) as prideful, arrogant, an enemy to the people, and aggressive. Which makes the audience question how they could possibly connect to Coriolanus.  This is all happening right at the begging which is a crucial part of any play, for it is where you introduce your story and characters, and Shakespeare has carried this out but presents more of a villain than a hero. With the progress of the play we begin to question Shakespeare’s logic when giving us a man such as this for role of the main character as we see him provoke those he deems unfit, however this all changes when he is sent to war.

When Coriolanus is sent to fight Aufidius’s Volscian army at Corioli, we are presented  a different side to this character and witness him in his element as a warrior and general. As the rest of the act 1 progresses the audience will still be able to see his aggression and pride when he attempts to motivate his soldiers, by totally scaring them and threatening to kill them himself if they do not fight and win. This is then followed by the roman army taking the city and Coriolanus venturing of to fight Aufidius. During this scene, Shakespeare yet again adds another layer to this character by giving Coriolanus the ability to respects those who he may see as an equal even if they may be his enemy. After Rome’s victory, the generals give a large speech to their soldiers, with them praising them and sharing the loot acquired from the city. They begin to praise Coriolanus and offer a substantial amount of the loot, which he turns down. He states that it is not about the items for him, that he rather choose the victory and the scars. Show yet again another layer, he now looks like a classic Greek hero, strong, noble and modest.

Shakespeare definitely has given the audience a character that needs to be thought about and not just accepted, clearly scene by what happens in the first act.

Is the Khwe language important

Language has a major role in today’s modern day and age, and there are language’s used more than others, but this does not depict their worth. All languages around the world have been created in order to for fill the people’s needs for communication and the sharing of knowledge. This is what makes a language useful and important. The Khwe language is one such language, where a group of people started a tribe and created it in order to communicate. This had lasted for hundreds of year. This language carries a key, to understanding multiple cultures around southern Africa, holding information about their medicines and cures to health issues which may benefit others living in a similar climate and area, as well as how they have survive as a people in that harsh environment, farming and agricultural knowledge would be lost as well. There is no way to decide whether or not a language is more important than another, due to their different uses from those who createdit.

Podcast

Welcome to a trial Podcast Enjoy this language discussion

Language and Power

Welcome Back

Its definitely been a long times since I've posted a blog, the topics will change now from media and language to language and power. Today's topic is based around a question that had been given in class..

What did medieval linguist Antonio de Nebrija mean when he told Queen Isabella that: “language is the perfect instrument of empire?” How has language contributed to colonial power? 

When Antonio de Nebrija had presented this to the Queen, with the use of this quote, it is  believed that he was stating how the use of a language could be one of the most important "weapons" used when forming a colonial power. Exactly why is when ruling over people it is simply that much easier to control them when one specific language is being used. Meaning there would be no confusion and that you could stop any plots that are being planned against your rule as an monarch. However when looking at how it would be used for colonial reasons, a language could be used to infiltrate  another culture and act like a virus in order to wipe this culture out and convert to what the invaders consider appropriate. Some of the most obvious examples were the Spanish and British effect on the America's, with the influence of Spanish and English, forcing Christianity upon the natives. Which would slowly cause their culture's, beliefs and languages to decay, resulting in the loss of their way of life. 

To conclude, language plays one of the most crucial parts of establishing a colonial power, using it to control, influence and destroy. It has helped form a base for empires and ultimately cause their destruction.