It was...

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.  This line is accurate when looking back on IB Language A from this past year.  English has never been my favorite subject, I have never been a great writer yet I've always enjoyed reading.  The books that we have read in the class have opened me up to a whole new way of thinking about literature and about life and purpose.  Through the exploration of the different texts I was able to understand the little things about life and how we interact with other people.  Class this year has taught me about being a better purpose and serving other people.  

I was a senior who had very little direction in my life when I began class this year. I didn't know what I wanted to be and I was scared about what life had to hold for Nicholas Billman.  Through speaking with you, Mrs. Genesky, I was able to come to understand life a little bit more.  I would like to thank you for being a great teacher, and mentor through life.  You have been able to guide me in the right direction through life, even if you don't know it.  You have taught me that there is more to life than just living, there are people, relationships, and there is hope.  

It was an amazing class.  Every person in our class made it worth it.  Everyone has always been kind, loving, and friendly to me and for that I am eternally grateful.  I have made wonderful friends through class.  To all of you I wish the best of luck in your future endeavors and in your dreams for life.  I hope that everyone was able to get something out of the class much like I was.  Mrs. Genesky, again I would like to thank you for being the best teacher possible.  You have been able to lead me throw this important year and for that I can never fully repay you.  Thank you again, and everyone else, good luck.

-Nicholas Billman

Notes, Notes, Notes

While looking at Walt Whitman's notes I was most interested in his drawings.  The first four drawings depict a man with a long beard and mustache, and a prominent nose.  In the first picture the man is drawn with just his head and shoulders, the next drawing is of the same man but now depicting his entire body.  This drawing is different than the first because the head is detailed where as the body is sketched rather sloppily, making it hard to make out besides the head, hand, and legs.  The third drawing again shows the head and neck but with a large hat on his head.  The final drawing depicts the same man, but with much less detail.  He wears the hat and his facial features are hidden in shadows but it is obvious that this is the man previously depicted.  Walt then drew a harp, a sketch of a newspaper header, and lastly a skeletal woman.  This final drawing is odd due to the woman's arms, legs, neck and head are all drawn as bones, yet the head has hair and a small hat.  The final piece of the drawing is the body, the oddest part of all, it is drawn as a heart.  It has a sword sticking through the heart.

Walt's notes are themselves fairly straight forward.  He uses his notes to write his poems.  Within these notes he is able to cross parts out, make changes to pieces that he doesn't like and also ensure that everything is to his satisfaction.  In many of these poems there are words, even entire lines, crossed out or changed.  Many of the lines have question marks to the left of them, this means that Walt Whitman was not sure of whether or not to include the lines in his poems.  All of these marks show that although Whitman had definitive thoughts about his messages and themes he still wanted to ensure that the message was spread the correct way and with very definitive wording and phrasing.  This shows that although he was spreading strong messages he wanted to do it in his own way and in a delicate way.  In one poem he crossed out the word "Christ".  This may have been because Walt realized that his message did not need to use a part of the Church in order to get his meaning across.  This decision may have been made due to the Church being a beloved item in the eyes of society and Whitman not wanting to make everyone angry by using them.

Walt Whitman's actual note transcripts show that he was a follower and an advocate for politics.  He loved Abraham Lincoln and actively attempted to meet with and talk to Lincoln on multiple occasions.  Many pieces of his writing talk about or reference a presidential race.  This shows that Walt Whitman cared about his society and community, it showed that he wrote his messages into his poems on purpose so that he could further society and impact his community in a positive way. He cared for his people and his nation.  His following of Abe Lincoln showed this interest in community and society.  It also allows the readers to understand why he wrote the messages he wrote.

The 'Merican Dream

The American Dream has been out of the reach of many people for many generations.  The dream has been alive in the minds of people for forever.   The American dream in the minds of the public has always been the opportunity for success and the opportunity to grow and become better and to have a free life.  That is the current definition of the American Dream.  In the 1920s the idea of the American Dream would have been to be rich and be able to be like Gatsby.  The American Dream has changed and developed as the time has as well.  As the standard for living has changed the dream has fluctuated to support that lifestyle. Current day, the dream has changed so that, instead of everybody dreaming of being insanely rich, they now dream of having what they need.  Throughout time people have become less greedy and more likely to dream of happiness and being content with life.

The idea of wealth has also changed a lot over the years.  In the 1920s wealth would have been measured in materialistic forms.  Wealth would have been measured in how many cars, the size of the house, as well as furniture and jewelry and clothes.  Wealth would have been the amount of money and the amount of items that a person has.  In current times wealth is measured not only in money but also happiness.  People no longer consider money to be the only important thing in life.  Wealth in life is measured in happiness.  Part of the American Dream is to be happy and to feel like you are.  Wealth is on an individual basis and is no longer a construct that is based off of societal construct.

Wealth is thought of as a positive value within society.  Wealth is looked up upon and it also is seen as something to be desired no matter what condition that person may be in outside of being wealthy.  On  the opposite end of the spectrum is poverty.  Poverty is looked down upon because it can be seen as laziness.  People who live in poverty can be seen as lazy and as people who do not try to achieve anything in life, people who do not want to achieve the American Dream.  In my eyes Wealth is just a symbol of people taking advantage and being able to succeed with the opportunities that they received due to their American Dream. Where as poverty is simply the lack of success and the inability to make their dreams into a reality.  That is what the American Dream is.  Making dreams into a reality and living how you want to live.

-Nick

Practice IOC

Macbeth Practice IOC

Click on the Hyperlink above to Listen to My practice IOC!

Grading

Obj A:  7
            ---  I have given myself the grade of a 7 because I feel that the reference I used could have been better chosen and that I could have shown a better understanding of some of the underlying themes.  I felt that I showed a good understanding of the text and the major themes but that I could have done better as well.

Obj B:  6
            ---  I addressed the use of Literary devices but briefly as they were few and far between.  I discussed what the literary devices were and I also talked about how they impacted the two excerpts.  the detail that I used was not as in depth as it could have been and I could have found more examples as well.

Obj C:  4
            ---  My organization was good but there were times where I would switch subject area without mentioning it or I would jump back and forth between multiple themes without meaning to.

Obj D:  4
            ---  I used a variety of language but it was not all formal language.  Many times I used casual words which would cause the reduction of a point.  I also say "like" and "um" a few times which also lead to the loss of a point.

Never Let Me Compare...

All four of the covers have some element of humanity.  3 of them show people or human intestines, the last one shows a boat and pier.  These depictions of humanity show that within the book the theme of humanity will be prevalent.  These covers also vary because they all show differing levels of the previously mentioned  humanity.  It ranges from a photo of a person, a blurry image of a child, the etchings of a human body, and least of all, the product of humanity.  These differences show that there are varying amounts of humanity and of human nature within the book.



These two book covers bring a lot to mind when I initially looked at them.  First and foremost the cover on the left brings the word "children" into my head.  This is due to the figure in the picture looking like it is a young child as well as the fact that it looks as if the figure is in motion or playing.  The cover on the right brings the word "crude" to mind.  The cover depicts organs entrapped inside barbwire.  The sketches are rough with mostly straight lines and little precision, it is almost dehumanizing the organs and the people that the organs come from.

The yellow cover would have led me to believe that this book was about children.  The picture along with the title would have led me to think that the book would include a family who was at risk of losing a daughter or a loved one and about that families struggle to keep the child with them.  After reading the book it is obvious to me that the cover is supposed to represent Kathy's childhood at Hailsham.  The other cover would lead me to think that the plot was darker, possibly about organ and human trafficking.  This thought is due to the barbwire surrounding the organs.  It makes it seem as if the organs have been trapped or captured and are being detained in some way.  Now that I've read the book I realize that the image is portraying the idea that their organs are not theirs to use freely.  That they are trapped in this ideal created by society.

In the first picture it is easy to say that the girl pictured is Kathy.  It is meant to show her as a child, playing and moving.  The POV appears to be that of a guardian, one of her instructors who would watch over her and make sure that her development is moving in the right direction.  The other picture would be from the perspective of a doctor or a carer who is assisting with a donation.  This photo could easily be an internal image of the donor's body.  Who's body it is is left to the interpretation of the reader.  It could be the audience member's body or any of the character's body.

The yellow cover presents the ideal of care and friendship.  This is shown through the bright, happy colors and the softness of any possibly rough edges.  The people who would make this are people who have families or who have a child in their life that they care about.  The gray cover shows desperation, fear, pain.  This is through the hard edges and the barbwire and the sloppily written words.  People who would make that would be people who have felt fear and entrapped.  People who are scared and feel threatened and who have been in tough situations before.

Overall I believe that the yellow cover is a better representation of the book and what the book is trying to say.  The story line of NLMG is constantly promoting hope of a better tomorrow and of a better future and that is better shown throw the soft colors and edges in the Yellow cover.  The Gray cover promotes hostility and danger.  That is not the central theme behind NLMG which is why I believe that the yellow cover is a better representation of the book and its messages.

Once Upon an Interview...

https://www.ted.com/talks/dave_isay_everyone_around_you_has_a_story_the_world_needs_to_hear/transcript?language=en

In this video, "Dave Isay: Everyone around you has a story the world needs to hear" Mr. Isay speaks about his belief that every one's story is special.  That every person on the face of this earth has something important to say.  He founded an organization called "StoryCorps", Story Corps has booths all over the world, set so that people of any age can walk in and, with the help of a facilitator, can perform an interview with a stranger, a friend, or a family member.  Dave Isay speaks about the importance of listening and understanding people's stories and how they have impacted our lives.  Story Corps's recordings are all sent to the library of Congress.  This means that in the distant future people will be able to listen back on interviews given by their great-grandparents.  They will be able to hear the emotion and the convictions in their voice.  People will be able to understand their family just a little bit more, understand who they are and what they truly care about.

While giving this talk, Dave uses actual interviews that were performed inside of some of his booths.  He shows three different interviews.  All with different messages, all with different backgrounds, and most importantly, different bonds between the people who performed them.  A mother and son, a woman and the man who killed her child, who she now recognizes as family, and a married couple.  These testimonies help to show the bonds between people, using pathos to show the emotional attachment between people.  This pathos also helps the audience feel connected to Story Corp, everyone has someone special in their life, someone they love and are loved by.  Story Corp is a way for people to express their feelings as well as tell their life story and show how it makes them feel.

I connect to this TED Talk because it makes me wonder what I would hear if I were to interview one of my family members.  After thinking for a long time, I realized that interviewing my grandpa would have been an interesting experiment.  He was in the military and also led an extremely interesting civilian life.  He had many stories to tell and he liked to tell them to people who were willing to listen to him.  He was not always social, yet he liked to tell stories to me.  If given the chance I would have interviewed him and then I would have listened to the tapes over and over again.  He was never one to express emotions but listening to his stories showed a new side of him to me and to the rest of my family.  That is what made me so interested in this Talk, the implications of what it could mean for my family.

-Nick

Its Too Dark in Here, Baby...

2. Film noir literally means “black film.” As you are watching the film, keep track of all the elements in the picture that seem dark or depressing. Think about the characters, the setting, and the storyline.

Throughout Double Indemnity there are many instances of the darker side of human life, as well as dark and twisted scenes that are designed to be as foreboding as possible.  The plot of Double Indemnity uses these dark scenes along with some comic relief and flashes of sexuality.  The use of dark lighting in the movie is used to underscore and highlight important scenes and to add to the plot.  For instance while on the back of the train, Walter Neff, is very poorly lit in order to add the fact that the other passengers would not be able to see his face and would not be able to identify him.  During other parts of the use of Venetian Blind lighting is used to light rooms but also limit how much light is seen, this is useful for making scenes more dramatic and for adding a sense of secrecy to the business in the room.  Many times Walter is inside of a room with Phyllis and Venetian Blinds can be seen on walls or on their faces, this is used in order to make the meeting look secretive and dangerous, or to partially obscure their facial expressions and add mystery to every situation.  The purpose for using these specific lighting techniques is to intrigue the audience and to focus attention onto specific areas of importance.  In all scenes that include a car, or a car ride, the lighting is set so that anything on the outside of the car is pitch black while everything inside the car is dimly lit, this lighting effect forces the audiences attention to the inside of the car, because it can be seen most easily.  This allows for serious conversations to occur without many camera tricks or editing queues.

 There are three characters that darkness can be seen in: Walter Neff, Phyllis Dietrichson, and Mr. Dietrichson.  These people all show this darkness in different forms, how they act, how they interact with people, and their motives.  Walter Neff as the main character is also the narrator of the movie, explaining to his boss how he managed to fool him and get away with murder and with money.  Walter shows his darkness and his desires through his interactions with Phyllis and his willingness to plan and execute the murder of her husband.  Walter shows his true nature when he decides to go against his moral compass and assists in cheating his own company as well as committing murder.  Walter's darkness shows how physical attraction and love can cause anyone to do anything.  A physical representation of his evil is his attire.  Walter is always wearing a dark blue or black suit, showing his darkness in a physical way.  Phyllis Dietrichson is just as dark as Walter, if not more.  This is darkness is manifested as her plan to buy accident insurance for her husband, murder him, and then collect on dirty money and move on with her life.  Phyllis does not physically show darkness in the same way that Walter does, where as he is always calm but wears his darkness, she wears light bright colors and acts in a horrific way.  Whenever she speaks of her husband she becomes aggressive and angry, to the point where in one scene she begins to cry to Walter about how horrible her husband is to her.  Her motives are what makes her truly evil.  Mr. Dietrichson is perceived as a dark man because of how he treats people and how he interacts with them.  In the few scenes that he is present in he constantly speaks down to Phyllis and Walter along with him being curt and rude to everyone that he has an interaction with.  His darkness comes from the bitterness inside of him and this bitterness is what causes his death.

The story line of Double Indemnity is uses many gruesome scenes to show murder, scandal, and plotting.  All of the dark scenes involve both Walter and Phyllis being present and doing something that they are not supposed to do.  In one scene they are discussing her plans to murder her husband as if it were a normal subject, in another scene they are MURDERING Mr. Dietrichson and preparing to plant his body in order to make it seem like a suicide.  Between these dark scenes there are many times when Walter sits down and asks himself if he is doing the right thing, if he is doing something that he is proud of.  There is lots of sexual tension between Walter and Phyllis, within three days of knowing each other they are willing to say "I love you" and other things of that nature, which portrays an unhealthy relationship.  The darker murder scenes as well as all of the scenes surrounding the murder are all set in different location but with similar themes.  The theme is obviously death but also how to defame Mr. Dietrichson enough so that nobody thinks twice about him committing suicide.  Another prevalent theme is that Walter is in charge.  Despite him being the more nervous of the two he is obviously in charge of their operation and is making the calls.  Walter's nerves are the most likely thing to get them caught as it is obvious that he is more stressed about this case than he should be.  The story is purposefully set to have each morbid scene set apart from one another by a lighter scene, whether it be comic relief or just a scene used to help push the story along.  Overall this film noir shows its "black film" side very well because of all the aspects that make it dark and evil.

-Nick