TOW #10 - "The Brown Wasps"

This week I read "The Brown Wasps" by Loren Eiseley, and it is by far one of the most beautiful pieces of literature I have ever read. I did not have any preconceived ideas about this text, but I was also in no way expecting it to have such an impact on me. Eiseley's essay has an overwhelming feeling of nostalgia. He takes the intricate descriptions of old, homeless men falling asleep at train stations, the last few wasps still living before the first snow, pigeons and a blind man flocking at an abandoned train station, a mouse going straight for the source of earth (a potted plant) once venturing inside, and his own memory of a tree planted sixty years ago and ties them together with the common theme that, "[we] are all out of touch but somehow permanent, [it is] the world that [has] changed" (Eiseley 245). Out of all these events that the author had strung together, I found his personal anecdote to have the most impact on me, which is saying a lot because all of the said events had a great emotional impact. Eiseley writes, "In sixty years the house and street had rotted out of my mind. But the tree, thee that no longer was, that had perished in its first season, bloomed on in my individual mind, unblemished as my father's words. "We'll plant a tree here, son, and we're not going to move any more. And when you're an old, old man you can sit under it and think how we planted it here, you and me, together" (Eiseley 245). To me, it seems like Eiseley has a hard time contemplating the fact that nothing is ever infinite. From his detailed descriptions that I mentioned earlier, he is obviously an observant person, and in the moment of observing a world so tangible, it makes it hard to understand that "it" won't be there forever. This ties back to how Eiseley concludes that the world is always changing; and unfortunate realization when he discovers his longest-standing childhood memory is a lie. Overall, Eiseley's sense of nostalgia is very effective in getting this purpose across, and it creates one of the most amazing essays I have ever laid eyes on.

TOW #9 - "Bop"

I read "Bop" by Langston Hughes this week, and I'm not going to lie; it was a pretty difficult text to analyze. The further you look into it, the more complex it becomes. The whole story centers around race and it showcases how different thing were in the 1950s. It first depicts two people sitting on a stoop listening to music emphasizing the word 'bop' as in the word often used in 'scatting'. The singer uses it over and over again, alternating in different variations like 're-bop' and 'be-bop', which catalyzes an argument between the two people. One asks, "What's the difference, between Re and Be?" where the other responds, "A lot, Re-Bop was an imitation like most of the white boys play. Be-Bop is the real thing like the colored boys play." This exchange starts the theme for the rest of the essay; how race was such a touchy subject during the time period. The second person in the quote explains how being a black man means receiving much different treatment just by walking through a white neighborhood. I found it really interesting how similar some of the incidences we see on the news today were found during the civil right's movement decades ago, and it really got me thinking: how much has really changed? Why does everything think we have 'come so far' in our nation-wide acceptance of people of color? To top it all off, Hughes ends with the one person saying "Your explanation depresses me," and the other saying, "Your nonsense depresses me," which I think is so crucial in showing his purpose. You cannot just push an important issue aside because it's a sad subject, or it's difficult to deal with.

IRB Intro #2

I chose to read Freakonomics for my second IRB for two main reasons: 1. I have a newfound interest in statistics/economics and 2. my AP Stat teacher has referenced this book a few times during class, so I figured I might as well read it. The book is about how changes in our economy can create crazy effects in the long run (think about that whole saying about killing a butterfly in the past).

TOW #8 - Flower Power

Photo taken by Bernie Boston on October 21, 1967

The context of this historical photograph takes place during a Vietnam War protest where National Guardsman arrived to "control" the crowds. A young protester started to put carnations in the barrels of the guards' rifles. I think it is most important to take into account the facial expressions of those pictured. The protester in the turtleneck has such a serious expression, suggesting how passionate he is about the cause he is protesting for. He is a beacon of peace in the violent situation. On the other hand, the guardsmen whose face is visible doesn't have such a supportive expression on his face. He has a sort of smirk as he removes the flowers from his rifle, showing that he and perhaps all the other National Guards had no intention of handling the protest situation peacefully. The facial expressions of the people in the photo, the fact that the faces of the other people cannot be seen, and the feeling of 'a moment frozen in time' in the picture are all clever appeals to pathos that were captured by the photographer. The stark color difference between the dark uniforms of the guards and the light-colored clothing of the protesters also offers an emotional feeling, since it highlights both the intentions of each party and the hateful distinction of "us and them". Overall, I think this visual text is very important and has a lot to say. Despite it being a simple black and white photo, it speaks so clearly and deeply about its cause.