the difference between a memoir and a novel is in a million little pieces

Augustine's book has weight because he uses his own experience to explain his philosophy and give his it a frame of reference. Were it a work of fiction the philosophy gained through years of thought and experience could be dismissed more easily.

Similarly were Ellison's novel a true story readers wold be less likely to read deeper into it. The factual nature of an autobiography makes the use of metaphor and foreshadowing seem contrived. In works of fiction such literary tools is a mark of good literature and forces readers to look deeper than the surface for further allusions and hidden messages and themes.

Question 6- Fiction vs. Nonfiction

I feel like if a book is nonfiction, it is more meaningful. Having the author personally experience the piece gives him more credibility and will impact me as a reader more. If I am reading about say a war book, I would be more impressed if the author was actually there rather than making it up. However, obviously, I feel like that anyone would feel this way- if the person has actually experienced the particular events, it makes it more meaningful.

Take for example, the novel A Million Little Pieces by James Frey. It was supposed to be his memoir about his tribulations with drugs and alcohol and was a very moving book about him overcoming his addiction. After Oprah praised him and put his book on her “Book Club,” it caused controversy when it turned out that he emphasized that most of his life story. I had read the book before the truth was divulged, and I must say that it changed my opinion of the book. Before, I was really impressed with his story and the hardships that he overcame. However, once I found out that it was a farce, it really changed my opinion about the book. What I had once admired about him I now was disgusted.

Going back to Invisible Man and Confessions, I feel like they would be taken in a completely different context. If Confessions was a work of fiction, I would honestly probably be more excited to read it. I don’t know why, but no matter what the subject matter is, I always prefer fiction to nonfiction, which yes, completely contradicts what I said before that nonfictional memoirs are more inspiring than fictional stories. However, as contradictory as this sounds, I feel like if Invisible Man was actually a memoir, I would like it less. Because of the plotline of the story so far, I feel like I would be skeptical if it was a true-life memoir. So far in the book, he has taken a Trustee to a man who has impregnated both his wife and sister at similar times, been to a bar with mentally insane World War I veterans, and been expelled from his college. I could not imagine that ever happening to a person in real life.

reflection #something

The strongest memory I have from last Wednesday is finding a small poem left behind on a small memorial for Vietnam. The poem was simple and brief, but it was heartbreaking anyway. In it, someone described their brother's return from Vietnam, and his subsequent crippling depression and suicide.

Up until recently, ptsd and other afflictions that plague soldiers after war have been taboo subjects in our country. Like the war itself, they were best forgotten and ignored, until at least as many returning soldiers committed suicide as died in the war itself. If the memorials recognize sacrifice, are their some things that our country is willing to sacrifice by keeping these losses hidden?

Reflection 5: My Evil Plans for Chinatown... >:)

It amazes me how we’re already on the fifth week of blogging. The past month or so has gone by so fast. I’ve made so many new friends and developed those relationships in such a short time. I’ve already joined some clubs, like the Rude Mechanicals (thank you to everyone who saw my show!) and plan to get involved in a couple more. I bombed my first Chinese quiz and I’ve got a couple papers looming around the corner, but it’s pretty manageable. All and all, I am really loving college, every minute of it. I especially enjoy the dorm living. I used to live 15 minutes away from my friends due to the odd structure of my home town. Now, everyone is just 15 steps away. I actually look forward to the interview with Gunperi. I hope she hears positive things from everyone and not just me.

Let’s switch gears and talk about the week’s events. The ethnography exercise was okay; it was hot and tiring, so I guess it wasn’t the most enjoyable. I can’t wait until we do the real one. I really want to go to Chinatown and observe the culture there. The Chinatown I’m most familiar with is the lively, bustling one in New York City. The Chinatown in D.C., in comparison, is so awful. It’s not a Chinatown! It’s like a city block pretending to be Asian! I mean come on, there's a frikkin Chipotle! I can’t wait for the opportunity to rip Chinatown apart. Mwahahaha…

P.S.- I'm really loving Invisible Man. I've only read 70 pages and I can't wait to discuss it in class. I pose this question to anyone who actually reads this: Does anyone else feel like they'll never look at a watermelon the same way again??

Carnival!

Today, Molly and I volunteered at the Latino Day Festival in Mount Pleasant. Not quite sure what was going to happen, I had no clue what I was going to be doing. When I got there, I was told that I would be surveying random attendees about what they thought about the Festival. As I was on my fourth or so survey, this woman dressed in a decked-out in jewels dress grabbed my arm and told me that she needed help. Walking through all of the different groups that were preparing for the parade, I truly realized how ignorant I am about the Latin culture. Yes, I know that there are many different Spanish-speaking countries, but I wasn’t fully aware of the extent that each country has a completely distinct culture. All of the costumes were different, ranging from angel outfits to men on stilts with colorful hats to showgirl-like costumes.

Not quite sure what the woman wanted me to do, I was startled when she handed me a huge colorful “Bolivia Carnival” banner. I was so stoked to be able to actually walk in the parade- I never imagined that I would. As I was walking, I was so surprised at the immense number of people who was there to represent their country and cheering and whooping as the country where their ancestors are from walked through the parade.

However, I did feel guilty because I knew absolutely nothing about the country that I was representing or about their carnival. All I knew is that Bolivia is a South American, Spanish speaking country. Towards the end of the parade, I felt even worse when a woman came up to me and asked me about Bolivia’s Carnival and how she could contact the group who was performing behind me. After researching it, I found out that it is referred to as the Carnival of the Oruro and takes place for three days and three nights with different dancing groups who dance the Waca Waca, Kantus, Potolo, Morenada, and many others.

This was one of the first times in my life where I really had no clue what was going on- my Spanish is not top notch, so I didn’t understand when the people working were instructing me. However, I feel like this was a good thing for me. I shouldn’t always be in a comfort zone and should literally “get out more.”

basking in the warm reflected glow . . .

. . . of created lore. The kind of chilly and dark rainy days like the one we had yesterday beg for a cup of tea and a good solid horror movie.

The one I watched , Trick r' Treat, while not scary did present an interesting focus on identity. Trick r' Treat is essentially four short stories that inter connect. I didn't find scary at all but the cinematography was wonderful and the movie was full of dark humor and a pretty high level of Karma.

I know it's early to bring in Halloween, and I will definitely have another Halloween centered post but watching a Halloweeney movie made me think about the dichotomy of Halloween and identity.

When examined culturally, Halloween is really one of the few pagan holidays that Christianity was unable to infiltrate. Every October 31, without thought or question families go through the rituals of their pagan ancestors no matter what their current religious affiliation. They carve pumpkins and light candles (thought to keep away evil spirits), they dress in costume (to confuse evil spirits), and they leave offerings of baked goods and sweets, commonly known as Trick or Treating (to appease the spirits and honor the dead).

While our society touts its modern "enlightened" nature, Halloween highlights our habitual superstitious nature. It glows from behind the mask of modernist front like the candle in a Jack-o-Lantern.

On an individual level Halloween offers us the rare opportunity to be anything we want. The choice we make when we change our front for the night says a great deal about what Goffman calls our "backstage." Whether it's our wish to be immortal or wish to be an adored performer our costume says something about who we are behind our everyday facade.

Reflection -- Monuments in Japan

At the end of class, the female trustee brought up a point that I definately connected with. She mentioned how it was interesting to see other countries's museums and monuments, especially war museums and monuments. When I was in Hiroshima there were two places I visited that were eye-opening experiences for me.

The first place I went to was the Peace Memorial Museum with special focus on the bombing of Hiroshima. Before going into that musuem, I had been taught that bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki wasn't actually just a pointless bombing with many many lives lost. I had learned that bombing those two cities actually killed less people than if an invasion followed by a longer-drawn out war would have occured. Though theoretically this may be the case, going through the museum about the bombing made me feel guilty and ashamed as an American even though I individually had nothing to do with it. Then again, I think that's partly how the museum was set up. Going back to what the performance of the monuments was supposed to be, I think the museum was supposed to project the victimized nature of Hiroshima and its citizens in World War 2.

The second place I saw was the Peace Memorial Park. There were huge silver structures with Peace written all over them in all of the languages of the world. The purpose of these monuments were to show how connected the world can be and to urge us all to see that we can live together in peace. As cheesy at this sounds, it was actually a pretty moving experience. A lot of what we talked about Friday was what all of the war memorials said about us as a country; I think the fact that Japan put all this money into a Peace memorial for the world shows what they value as a country.

Response 5: Mutt on the Loose: The Life and Times of Katie Brownlie

In accordance to the question, I think the situation with biographies goes both ways. An interesting biography can be from someone important or someone who had some dramatic happenings. People will read a biography on Bill Clinton as others may read one on the Octo-mom. Important people will gain readers because they are well known, and will use this opportunity to teach their readers lessons based on their lives or show them what they’re really like. The dramatic subjects will get readers through shock value and keep them with the thrilling tale of their life, like the countless tales of Holocaust survivors.

So the lives of everyday people are not worth knowing, right? WRONG. Haven’t you ever picked up a book about a desperate teen trying to woo their dream date, or a newlywed who can’t deal with her mother-in-law? Sure, these aren’t biographies, but authors often write fiction by pulling from their own life experiences. The story of the everyday person can be interesting, if one can write it well enough. Or even act it well enough. Some of the most successful television shows have followed the lives of everyday people, like Friends. There was no real Rachel or Chandler, but the experiences they had were realistic or not so far-fetched. The writers for the hit comedy show Everybody Loves Raymond say they wrote their own stories of married life into the scripts. Someone who’s entire life is not characterized by drama probably shouldn’t write an autobiography. But if you’ve got some tales from your childhood that you could turn into a “based on a true” story, then why not publish it? There are millions out there already in one form or another. Just don’t hope to outsell the new book about Ted Kennedy.

And do I want to the kind of life that might merit an autobiography? Well, I already do. ;)

How far can it take you?

I think that the background question to this week’s Explorations question is what does one seek to get out of an autobiography? Is reading an autobiography as escapist as other types of literature? I don’t think it is; I think that instead autobiographies force the reader to reflect upon their own lives. An autobiographical piece doesn’t exactly work as a mirror, but kind of an “opposite mirror;” it forces the reader to reflect on their triumphs in the face of the author’s defeats and acknowledge their weaknesses in face of the author’s greatest strengths. The most powerful biographical works I have ever read dealt with redemption, and evolution from

Ishmael Beah wrote A Long Way Gone to describe his descent into service as a child soldier during the civil war in Sierra Leone. A story like that raises powerful questions for the reader, even one such as myself, sheltered completely from violence and almost all conflict. When I read the book I feel secure knowing that I could never commit violence like that, yet at the same time the book condemns me; I realize things like, when I get really angry and say that I hate something, how callous that really is in light of reading about someone who was indoctrinated to hate as an instinct.

The other great autobiography I have read is E. R. Braithwaite’s, To Sir, With Love. Braithwaite is a poor black teacher in a London slum. The author describes his evolution into a man confident enough to stand for himself against white antagonists, and a reader will also see an evolution in his pupils, who gain the understanding as they age that since they came to respect Braithwaite, respect should override race in every case. This book poses to me questions as to whether or not I could overcome harsh conditions with dignity, even though as I read I can assume righteous indignation against the petty racism so prevalent throughout the book.

So I think that yes, an autobiography does need this sort of drama to carry the same importance. Every person deserves to be remembered, but when you read an autobiography of a person who comes too close to mirroring yourself, you will miss out on the experience of self-reflection that a powerful biographical work can deliver.

I'd read Miley Cyrus's Autobiography...

The fact that someone has led an extraordinarily interesting life or the fact that someone has had a profound moment in their life is less important to the actual point of the book and more important to getting you to read the book. For example, Miley Cyrus has led an incredibly interesting life. (I don’t know if I’d quite call it profound…) Anyways, she wrote an autobiography at age 16. Sure people are going to read it because after all… IT’S MILEY CYRUS!…but does age 16 really merit you the ability to write your memoirs?

Now this next example I’m going is from the classic movie (or not so classic…) 13 Going on 30. Normally I wouldn’t bring up such a “quality” film in an academic scenario, but as we discussed in class…why should the source matter if the idea presented still has validity? Anyways, there’s a part in this movie where the magazine the main character works for is about to bust so the magazine has to do a complete redesign. The redesign is to show pictures of everyday people with the idea that every person has a story. In theory, this is a nice idea; wouldn’t it be nice to read about the stories of people you otherwise would never hear about? But in reality, no one will want to read this. Maybe one issue would sell well, but let’s face it, people would much rather read about what Brad and Angelina’s adopted kid is named than some 65 year old man who grows pumpkins for a living. It’s pathetic, but true.

It’s the story that’s ultimately important in an autobiography. However, we’re drawn in by drama. That’s where the important events and profound experiences come into play. They intrigue us into reading the autobiography, but they don’t make the autobiography itself valuable.

Question 5

I feel like the concept of having something “dramatic” happen to you in order to write an autobiography has gone out the window. I mean, I can think of at least two autobiographies where the person had achieved no real personal merit and yet still managed to release their life story. Example one- Paris Hilton. Paris Hilton’s autobiography Confessions of an Heiress tells readers about her privileged life as well as instructions on how to be an heiress yourself. Some of these rules include, “Have absolutely flawless skin…never, ever wake up before ten; never go to bed before three…never only have one cell phone when you can have many…never weat the same thing twice… and act ditzy. Lose things.” Seriously?

Example two- Tinkerbell, Paris Hilton’s dog. Yes, her dog. Even though it is supposed to be seen as humorous, I cannot believe why anyone would ever think that a dog’s autobiography would be a good idea. Or even why anyone would want to buy and read The Tinkerbell Hilton Diaries: My Life Tailing Paris Hilton.

I think that the public is the biggest reason why these nonsense autobiographies are being written. People are buying these books. Even though these celebrities (or animals) have never really done anything to earn national recognition, prestigious awards, or even any award, they still have autobiographies. I mean, I personally would rather read about a man who worked hard all of his life to support his family and died with his family all around him than about Paris Hilton.

Reflection 4: National Cathedral = Dumbledore?

I loved the National Cathedral. My grandma had told my father of it when we were to go to DC for vacation years ago, but I never got to see it. I'm really gald that I finally have. I'm a sucker for old architecture. I share this sentiment with my father; we also share the very limited knowledge of actual architectural terminology. But I do know a little bit about Gothic from history class, and I really admire it. The Cathedral really inspires awe in everyone that steps inside its cavernous walls. I was really happy to know that everything was done by hand. This Cathedral is a real gothic structure, not just a copy-cat. I think that fact portrays an interesting front. A cathedral in such a style exemplifies history and old culture. America at the time of construction didn't that, so like in Nationals' Stadium, the history had to be pulled from other places (like the abbey that donated stonework) and created.

I think the real reason I liked the cathedral is because it reminded me of a castle. As Allison T. said while on our tour, the place looked like Hogwarts. I imagine the cathedral to have tons of nooks and crannies to explore, just like the wizard school. I actually ventured up a set of stairs at one point out of the shear thirst for adventure. Sadly I was met with a locked door. But I would personally love to visit the National Cathedral again by myself or with a fellow explorer to inspect it and the grounds further. Any takers??

P.S.- Love the Darth Vader gargoyle! It would be funnier if they had one of Dumbledore. xD

Embracing the Community You're Involved In

When reflecting this week, I chose to look at the overarching idea of Explorations rather than simply this week’s material. On the University College website, it states “The purpose of this course is to provide an opportunity for you to explore your place in the world, and how you as an individual fit into the various communities to which you belong.”

When we went to the National Cathedral, I couldn’t help but notice that our tour guide did not seem to be too happy doing her job. Instead of being happy that a bunch of college kids were genuinely interested in the Cathedral and things inside, she was like “C’mon guys…keep up.” When the tour ended she pointed us in the direction of the exit and quickly jumped on the elevator so she could leave. She just seemed crotchety.

It seems to me that part of this course is exploring how we want to spend our next four years in order to prepare us for how we want to spend our lives; part of this exploring is finding something we genuinely enjoy doing. Of course it’s possible she was just having a bad day, but she clearly didn’t look like she was enjoying her job, the community she chose to become a part of. Looking back at the purpose of this course, it seems important that we would not only understand the community we are a part of, but enjoy being in it as well.

Good Lord, how much bs can I fit into one reflection, anyway...

On Beauty

For the beautiful objects designed by artists souls and realized by skilled hands come from that beauty which is higher than souls; after that beauty my soul sighs day and night.

-St. Augustine, Confessions

The good things which you love are all from God, but they are good and sweet only as long as they are used to do his will. They will rightly turn bitter if God is spurned and the things that come from him are wrongly loved.

- St. Augustine, Confessions

All these things have you said of beauty,
Yet in truth you spoke not of her but of needs unsatisfied,
And beauty is not a need but an ecstasy.
It is not a mouth thirsting nor an empty hand stretched forth,
But rather a heart enflamed and a soul enchanted.

-Khalil Gibran, The Prophet

First, I apologize for the large amount of quotes; I am not merely using them to take up space in the assignment, I think they all tie together in the reflection.
This reflection was inspired both by the trip to the cathedral and ruminations over our current reading. When I visit a place like the National Cathedral, I am struck by its intense beauty- and I feel that the beauty has to reflect something higher than ourselves. I think that the abilities to create and appreciate beauty are too great to take for granted. Music, visual arts and architecture reflect prodigious talent and work and, according to my personal beliefs and the first quote of Augustine’s, a higher power.
So what does beauty mean in the light of religious thought, especially in the often harsh glare of thinkers such as Augustine? On the one hand, Augustine states that the beauty of crafts intrinsically reflects God’s beauty (this was simple to figure out, since things ascribing every good quality as intrinsically reflecting God is a big theme of Augustine’s’). This idea, that all things beautiful give praise to God is common in almost all religions; it can be found immediately in Islam in the Arabic word El-Musawwir, which means Shaper of Beauty, and is one of the 99 names of God (this word is important because God has numerous names that deal with him as a Creator, but one specifically as a creator of beauty).
Yet, earlier in the book Augustine warns his reader not to delight in beauty for the sake of the object, enjoy beauty only as a reflection of God; after all, beauty is a gift from him and is not to be spurned. What Augustine proposes is not easy for us accomplish. We are to delight in beauty, but do not enjoy the object itself? This paradox will supply us with an endless amount of temptation and guilt, and Augustine admits it does for himself.
I think that Gibran’s poetry supplies a proper balance. Although Gibran’s work usually flies over my head, I think I understand what he is trying to say in this poem. Leading up to the quote I borrowed, Gibran describes a scene where numerous people give their definitions of beauty. For tired people it is comfort, for restless people adventure. Gibran’s main character, however, reprimands those speakers for these words. You must identify beauty as a celebration; acknowledge that the way something beautiful makes you feel separates it from mundane wants and needs.
I think that beauty therefore has a place in faith. A constant exposure to lavishness will undoubtedly detract from the joy you should feel when you encounter something you believe to be beautiful, but a puritanical outlook will lead to a joyless life, one devoid of the celebration that should properly be there if one was truly to lead a rich spiritual life.

Reflection 4- Debra Humphreys and Movies

When Debra Humphreys came to talk to us on Friday, I found her both helpful yet kind of arrogant. I liked what she was talking about regarding a liberal arts education. I agree that you should be a well-rounded student, especially since you may think that you want to be a lawyer your whole life and then take an anthropology class and realize that your hidden life-long dream is actually be a anthropologist. I think I kind of hope that will happen to me. I was, or so I thought I was, very interested in International Relations and all that fun stuff and was so excited for my World Politics class, yet it is one of my least favorite classes this semester. Who knows, it may just be because I'm not the biggest fan of the way my teacher presents the information, or maybe international relations just isn't really my thing.

I also enjoyed her spiel about how anywhere out of the United States, nobody gives up on a subject that they simply "aren't good at"- they just work harder. It's completely true though. Even if they do excel in a subject, they are still the hardest workers I have ever met. In my high school, a student from the Ukraine was on exchange for the year, and I was amazed by the amount of work and effort he put into his school work.

However, I did not like how she kept saying how smart she was or how prestigious and smart the college she attended was. And it wasn't even that she said it only one or two times- she repeatedly said it throughout the hour and fifteen minutes she was speaking. Maybe she was just trying to show us that she knew what she was talking about with her fancy college education, but I wouldn't have questioned her credibility about what she was talking about with a liberal arts education if she went to Harvard or a community college.

On a side note, at the pizza party, it was asked which book was made into the best movie adaptation. Now, I am the worst at thinking of answers on the spot, so it took me a while to think about it and come up with an answer. Even though there a lot of excellent adaptations, I would have to say that The Boy in the Striped Pajamas takes the cake. Even though it is a very easy read (I finished it in a day), the subject matter is depressing. It's about a family during World War II whose father is a Nazi officer. Although the main character, a little boy named Bruno, does not realize it, the family has moved to right outside the Auschwitz prison camp where the father now works. A true boy, Bruno defies his parents and explores beyond the family property where he meets a "boy in the striped pajamas." However, Bruno is too young to understand why the boy is behind a fence, and I won't give away the ending, but trust me, it's sad. Since I was such a big fan of the book, I was kind of nervous to see how the movie would turn out, but I was more than pleasantly surprised. It kept almost perfectly with the book, which in this case I feel like is a good thing because it was not an extremely complex and intricate story to tell. And if anything, I felt that the movie was sadder than the book. My sister and I were both bawling when we saw it, but then again, that may just be Hollywood feeding on human emotions with dramatic music. Or it may be that actually visualizing something taking place on screen has a much bigger impact than picturing it in your head while reading. Either way, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is one of the best book/movie combos out today.

Oh the horrors! My Reflection is a mess

Last night my friend and I went to a "Horrors" concert and the selection of bands and their stage persona versus their fan relation persona brought up some interesting identity issues.

The Horrors looked like they'd read The Sandman and said "I want to be Neil Gaiman when I grow up." As for their performance despite being high energy they didn't appear to be enjoying themselves onstage at all. The bassist in particular looked as though someone had taken a pee in his morning coffee and he'd never recover. In fact the only one who looked like he was having a good time was the drummer.

Upon meeting them, my friend wanted a picture, however it was clear the "I hate the best job on earth" thing was only an act to add to the angst of their Cure-like melancholy songs. When it came to fan relation they were all upbeat, friendly, and helpful.

When you consider their profession their dual fronts make perfect sense. Without their angsty, aloof stage front, their melancholy music and lyrics would seem hollow but that same front when used in fan relations loses fans. When a performer is aloof (a tool) to their fans, who essentially write their paychecks they lose fans. If a diehard fan works hard to meet the band and the band are jerks the fan goes home, smashes his/her CD's and tells all his/her friends to never listen to that band again.

It's bad for business and so bands cultivate a friendlier front with which they greet their patrons. Most performers do this but I hadn't really thought about it until I saw the extreme contrast between stage and fan presence of the Horrors. While it was nice to see that they weren't angsty all the time it did make their whole show seem more contrived.

horrors image is from thehorrors.co.uk

Responce 4b: How're the Yankees doin?

My grandpa was diagnosed with Alzheimer's a few years before he died. We had put him in a nursing home prior to that for his health had been declining in general. We visited him on occasion, and I distinctly remember one of these visits. It was about half way through his stay in the nursing home. He was doing ok; he was always a quiet man, so it was always hard to gauge his condition through conversation. That day, Grandpa seemed progressively worse. He was always a quite man, but that day he was more unresponsive than usual. We were all trying to make light conversation when Grandpa suddenly asked, "How're the Yankees doing?" I never knew much about Grandpa, but I did know that he was an avid Yankees fan (I consider myself a 3rd generation Yankees fan because of him). My dad answered that they were doing ok, but they had lost a game the day before. My grandpa nodded his satisfaction with the answer and the conversation progressed. Then, about 5 minutes later, my Grandpa asked, "How're the Yankees doing?" My dad looked at him in dismay and said, "Dad, you already asked that" and repeated what he said earlier. Grandpa apologized and thanked him for the answer. Five minutes later however, Grandpa asked again, "How're the Yankees doing?" and my dad answered him. It happened several more times during the course of that visit and my father's responses got shorter and shorter with every repeat. Eventually, my dad just answered, "Fine, dad." Grandpa nodded his head in approval, oblivious and content.



To answer the response question, Alzheimer's robs you of your memories, but you still hold on to parts of your personality till the very end. In the case of my grandfather, he was still a Yankee's fan even when his short-term memory was going. The compulsion to keep asking about the Yankees was embedded in his long-term memory, where our personality and life experiences lie. However, once those go, so does your identity. I believe that a person's identity is based on his passed experiences and development. When you lose memories of those things, you do lose yourself. Or what you once were.

Hugh Heffner, My Great Uncle, and Alzheimer's

Thinking specifically of the article on Alzheimer's that we looked at for this week, and also thinking about Augustine's analysis of the relationship between identity and memory: would you still be you if you couldn't remember your past?



What if Hugh Heffner were to suddenly be diagnosed with Alzheimers, the fact that he "liberated" women for 50 years doesn't go away, simply his memory of it does. Or take Ronald Reagan for example - he had Alzheimer's. He may not remember his presidential identity, but other people sure do. It still exists. Just because you don't remember your identity doesn't mean it isn't there.



Your memory doesn't what make you who you are. The events and experiences that the memory is based off of make you who you are. Once you experience something, it influences your identity in subtle ways, and is then ingrained in your memory; even if you lose that memory, you are already formed and that won't change.



My great uncle got Alzheimer's at the ripe old age of 99. Everyone in my family always talked about how we was the friendliest and happiest guy to be around. I didn't get to spend a lot of time around him but when I did, I noticed this as well. My dad and sister went to visit him after he turned 100; at this point, he had Alzheimers. Although his memory was gone, his personality and manner was still the same. When my dad and sister got there he said, "You know I'm sorry I don't know who you are, but let's sit down and chat." People knew him as a friendly guy - that was his perceived identity. And that didn't change with Alzheimers.

Question 4b

Would you still be you if you couldn't remember your past? Absolutely.

First of all, what makes you you? Looking back at my notes from the first class we had, I had jotted down your experiences, your cultural identity, your family, your position in your community, and your ever changing elements. Even if you can't remember what you did last week, you are still you. Your family will still love you. They will still perceive you as you, not as someone else. They will remember the past experiences they've had with you even if you cannot. So if I say that they remember you as you once were, doesn't that mean then that you're technically not yourself anymore? This goes back to ever changing elements. Unless you pull a Freaky Friday and switch bodies with your mom/daughter, you are still you. Ever changing elements, which can refer to moving locations, switching jobs, or even in fact losing your memory, still form your identity. Memory loss just adds to your identity. You may have to be told the same things over and over again, but this just an additional aspect of your identity.

Even though she does not have Alzheimer's, my great aunt, who is like a grandma to me, does not remember anything anymore (which is perfectly understandable for a ninety five year old woman). She always forgets one of my numerous cousins' names or more frequently mixes our names up. I cannot count the number of times that she has called me Sinead, Pearse, Emma, Katie, and many other of my cousins' names. My mom has to constantly call her to remind her to take her medicine or to eat meals. Even though she is nowhere near as severe as Alzheimer's cases, she is still my Aunty Kay, my forgetful aunt who can talk for hours about books and smells of extremely strong Bengay.

In the tear jerker The Notebook, the character played by Rachel McAdams develops Alzheimer's. Did this stop her husband from loving her? Absolutely not. Because she is still the same person he fell in love with! During the course of the movie, he tells her the story of their relationship. He is still the same woman to her, even if she does not remember every single aspect of her life.

In a nutshell, you are still you even if you cannot remember anything. Your previous experiences are not altered, you just do not remember anything.

The Memory of You still hangs in the Air

As much as I'd like to deny it, in many ways what we do and how we remember it are huge parts of who we are. In cases of Alzheimer's many relatives say that their loved ones are still in there but I don't see how.

Everything you experience changes you. You are in effect a compilation of things you've done, people you've met, and the effects of those things on you. If, for example you met someone who drastically changed your views and then forgot that person. Would your views change back or would you simply forget you changed at all? That change is an important aspect of you and if it was lost how could it be said that you are the same person.

It's understandable that you could, at core be the same person but without the memories. In that way it could be said that without your experiences or the people in your life you are a purer form of yourself because you lack the memories of past performances.

take that Goffman!

For this reflection, I decided to reflect upon what I think was my favorite portrait in the gallery. That would be one of Martin Luther King Jr. that I spotted on the first floor.

Although it might seem that way, I am not a cop-out for choosing a picture of MLK. Even for all his virtues and triumphs, I am not going to use this reflection to extoll them. I instead will explain why exactly this portrait such a more powerful effect on me than any other.

The reason that I liked this portrait the most was becuase, instead of all the rest that I saw, it was natural. The picture was a snapshot, taken by a photographer for a newspaper at a conferance. For that reason, I think that this photograph, much more so than any presidential photograph, captures the identity of the subject. While every president chose whether to look regal, stern, composed or friendly, MLK was depicted in a natural state. I love the fact that, in a picture taken in split-second, he could look contemplative and forceful.

Maybe the Reverend Dr. knew that he was being photographed, and was sure to affect this pose for the entire conference. Maybe the photograph still only captures a front. I do not believe it does, and I think that this is one of the few portraits in the gallery that show an individual as he truly was in real life.

Reflection 3 - National Portrait Gallery

I'll admit...when I saw that we were going to the National Portrait Gallery this week, I was less than excited. Sure I may find an art gallery interesting...but for about ten minutes. These were my expectations going into the experience; I was pleasantly surprised at the experience we had. Looking at the identities presented in the portraits through various symbols was more enlightening than I suspected.

While writing my reflection this week, I thought about if I were to be portrayed in a portrait what style would I want to be portrayed in. Would I want to be portrayed in a glorified manner like George Washington or a down-to-earth manner like George Bush? Would I want to be portrayed in an abstract manner like Marily Monroe or through an exact representation like Toni Morrison? I think I would most like to be portrayed more along the lines of Kennedy. In our times, photographs are so common so though photograph like portraits are amazing, I feel they more showcase the artist rather than the subject. If I contributed enough to society to where people would want my portrait, I would want them to know theres a story, something interesting to my life. I don't want, "That's a sweet portrait" to be their reaction. This in turn connects with the whole idea of perminance. Your earthly perminance is what you're remembered by...I want to be remembered for doing something interesting, not just doing something -- so I'd want my portrait interesting...not just there.

This whole idea of your portrait clearly representing your identity I certainly believed, but I don't know if I completely bought it. After going to the portrait gallery, I completely see how true that statement is. It made me not only question what identities were presented in their portraits, but what identity I would want presented in mine.

Reflection 3

While reading Augustine, the one thing that really bothered me was when he states that his pear theft is much worse than murder, using the reasoning that he had no motive for stealing and "No one would commit murder without a motive, merely because he took pleasure in killing" (30). Did Augustine completely forget about serial killers? Take the BTK Killer, Ted Bundy, Jack the Ripper, even Mickey and Mallory Knox from Oliver Stone's film Natural Born Killers. Now it did occur to me that maybe the drive to kill wasn't prevalent during Augustine's time in the first century. Although I couldn't find anything online about first century serial killers, the brutality and gruesomeness of the acts committed as many as six hundred years ago has convinced me to assume that these killers were present during Augustine's time. One of the killers that particularly disturbed me was Countess Elizabeth Bathory from Transylvania. After murdering more than six hundred girls, she would bathe in their blood in hopes to revitalize herself and appear younger.

Now what does Augustine have to say about this? Would he still stick to his argument that stealing miniscule pears is worse than countless and brutal murders? He needs to stop being so melodramatic and trying to "relate to the common people." There are zero circumstances where intentionally taking away a human life is more acceptable than stealing a pear. Even if the person did have a motive for killing, it does not matter. I cannot even fathom leveling petty theft and murder on the same scale, let alone stating that theft is worse.

Bloody Reflection

I will be an irrefutable dork after this but since the season finale is tonight I'm going to examine the question of stability versus permanence through True Blood tinted glasses.

We as a people seek both stability and permanence but one is heathy and the other isn't.

Permanence is stasis. It is a deeply appealing concept. When one looks at the idea of being immortal, never growing old or sick or dying is very appealing. If you were Augustine you could give up sin/fun, or lesser immortals daylight and morality to achieve the deeply sought permanence. Permanence isn't healthy. When things become permanent/static they drop from the world and lose their relevance. Heaven may be permanent but has no hold on what we know. We fantasize about it. We hope for it no matter the cost but permanence is an ailment. Like the vampires who represent it, permanence sucks the life out of us. In striving to achieve it we stop living. Change is life and should be celebrated not feared and shunned. Everything changes, not even the earth is permanent and yet we seek the unnatural.

Stability on the other hand is the key. With stability we accept the change that needs to happen while holding onto a pseudo permanence. What few people realize is that stability is really never ending action and maintenance. Continuing stability forces us to live because it doesn't exist on its own. Unlike stasis which drops from the world, stability forces us to bend the world to cater to it. Such action is fulfilling whereas Permanence leaves us with an emptiness.

Reflection 3: A picture's worth a thousand words; A painting's worth a novel

I might as well write the weekly reflection while I've got the creative juices flowing. There's just something about writing at 4:00 am that says, "academia". (I edited this later, but I swear I really typed the bulk of it in the wee hours of the morning. And it was surprisingly coherent.)



I really enjoyed the National Portrait Gallery, which surprised me. I had imagined really old paintings of really dead people that I wouldnt know or care about. Instead I found many familiar faces and some profound works of art. I really understand now why the examination of portraits ties in with our class: it is not what is painted, but how it is depicted that matters. The "how" is what truely mattered to me anyways.



While perusing the gallery (at on point completely by myself, which was followed by a state of panic as I had no idea how to get to the metro station), I came across 2 portraits that really stood out to me. The first was of Martin Luther King Jr., the one at the end of the New Arrivals section. It really struck me because it wasn't a typical photo from a famous speech or protest. In fact, where or what he was doing was seemingly of no importance. Dr. King is resting his chin on interlocked fingers, staring contemplatively to the side. He looks more real, personally, than I have ever seen him. I felt like at any moment he would flick his eyes towards me and cast me in that powerful gaze. To me, he was not Martin Luther King, Jr., the ultimate figure head of the civil rights movement. He was a real person, with the weariness of every man in his eyes.



The second portrait I call my favorite is the one of Christopher Reeve. Here was the famous Superman actor, in his later years: bald and confined to a wheelchair. But in that painting, he looked every bit like Superman. The style really brought awe and power to his image. The deep contrast in the light and dark colors and background that looked like a pencil from a comic book. Christopher Reeve looked like his Superman character blown up from a comic page. He looks radiant and strong, a more favorable depiction of a man who became so confined later in his life.



The connection I have made between these two paintings is thus: what attracted me to them is that the ways the subjects have been depicted are destinctly unusual. Dr. King is caught in a rare, presonal pose. Christopher Reeve looks like the super hero of his prime when he was surely no longer in his prime. The portrait tells a story of the person. The portrait gallery is a museum of history. It is for the people to see depictions of great people and the greatness they contributed to history. The artwork helps relay their character to the lucky viewers. It gives stiking visuals, visuals with layers that tell their own hidden story.

Responce 3a: Badum-CHA!

The obvious advertisement in Augustine's Confessions is for Christianity. In relation to himself, the ultimate punchline is: "I was a heathen, but then I found God. My life is a great example of how the average man can become saved by Christianity." Badumcha! Of course, Augustine doesn't go too far. I think there is a lot he doesn't write about; this book is a front, not backstage. Is stealing a pear really the worst thing Augustine did in his lifetime? I personally don't think so, but it's a GREAT example. It's docile enough that it doesn't brand him as a downright evil sinner. He didn't sleep with another woman or hurt a bum on the street for fun. In fact, as PTJ mentioned in class on Tuesday, there really is no victim to his fruity crime. Augustine didn't specify if it were some rich fellow or a poor family of sustenance farmers. If this had been specified, say as the latter, the context and effect of the theft would have been harsher. Everyone can identify with stealing a pear, but what turns this into an example for conversion is how he delves so deeply into it. He sees in the act what the normal man wouldn't: that the act of committing a sin just to commit one is the worst of all because it puts no reasonable motive above the evil one. Augustine does chastise himself profusely for this, but we can forgive him because after all it was just a lousy pear.

We also have to remember that Augustine was writing Confessions to save his own hide from persecution by other Christian leaders of the time. The docile story of the pear thievery is just tame enough to swing by his religious colleagues and developed enough to show his development into a proper Christian follower. This also explains why EVERY OTHER PARAGRAPH IS AN UNNECESSARY ODE TO GOD. It's even laced in the stories of his infancy. So the sub-punchline would be: "I'm an above-average Christian because I can even see God in my breast milk." BADUMCHA!

Question 3:A

The most pivotal point in the work yet has to be when Augustine's great friend from Thagaste dies, and leaves Augustine in crippling grief. Like a successful adverstiser, Augustine presents his audience with his problem: he cannot get over the death of his friend, who was like his other half in his own words.

Moving away from Thagaste to Carthage, Augustine eventually finds ways to recover from his loss; he finds solace in new friends, in 'transient' objects. Here he delivers the comparison between his current product and his previous one ("these other cleaning products merelyl cover up the stain, this one gets rid of the root problem"). Only in God was he able to find absolute peace and love- he never need fear grief over that which is eternal.

Week 3 Discussion: St. Augustine = Good for Beginners

Does Augustine's proligic use of the category of "sin" in his autobiographical reflections make his work more effective, or does it limit the appeal of what he has produced?

Augustine's use of sin is an effective way to convert people to Catholicism. The thought of being eternally damned is certainly enough to scare me into believing. Augustine's focus on sin reminds me of the stereotypical beliefs of Southern Baptists. One of my parent's friends from Arkansas, a man who is very active in his Baptist church, would tell me about how almost every Sunday some idea of scaring you towards Heaven and away from Hell was included in the church service. Obviously with the large Baptist congregations this technique of fear proves to be fairly effective.

However, an alternative approach to Augustine's idea of always having the concept of sin hanging over ones head is to always be aware of the goodness God brings you. For example, I know this woman, who praises God for every good thing that coms along in her life. On a sunny day, she'd be like "Thank God for the sun!" Or if she had a delicious sushi meal, she'd be like "Thank God for the sushi!" St. Augustine touches on this on page 23 at the end of Book 1 where he says, "My God, I give my thanks to you, my source of sweet delight..." I think this is a more uplifting way to look at what God's power and effectiveness than constantly looking at what one is doing wrong.

Once someone becomes confident in their faith, constantly looking at the sin can be a little depressing in my oppinion. I think we get to the point where we are aware of our sin and certainly need to repent now and again, but it also becomes important to look at the good things. For someone who is already religiously stable, a book like St. Augustine's Confessions might be a little saddening, but for someone new to religion this book would be quite effective in introducing them to the positive attributes of Catholicism and possibly lead them in St. Augustine's path.

This is a One Time Offer . . .

Buy into the hype and be saved. It's a very attractive offer. If you repent of your sins and when you die you can be guaranteed an eternity of bliss. For the hard working and under-appreciated it's a sweet deal. It was also a pretty safe bet. In many pagan religions entry into "heaven" was dependent on acts not beliefs. In Norse mythology entrance into Valhalla wasn't dependent on your belief in Odin as the all father. The sole measure of your worth was your honor and skill as a warrior. Only the truly brave and great made it into Valhalla regardless of their religious convictions.

Christian heaven is less exclusive a club. The message is simple "convert and be saved." With Augustine, he uses his life as an example, a testimonial as in "I was unhappy and then I tried going outside, making friends, and eating Subway. Thanks Subway!!"

A Life Well Lived?

This week, me and Julie decided to write blogs based on Prof. Dana Walker's presentation, albeit in a slightly different manner. We originally planned on writing obituaries for ourselves, along with the rest of our blog group. However, we changed the original plan; we are now writing obituaries for each other.
This is not in fact a cop-out of a reflection, in order to write these obits; we need to reflect both on the fronts that will lead us to our final product, as well as reflect upon our life stories in their true form: written by another person.

Julie Cross died this Tuesday, of complications following a surgery, at the age of 92 in her home in Kirkwood GA, outside of Altanta. Julie is remembered not only by her family and friends, but by many Americans for her role as the Deputy Secretary of the Treasury under John Johnson during the Jiminez administration. Her work in the Treasury, as one of the few Republicans working in the Dept. is noted as key in reducing inflation after the 45-48 recession, and her tight monetary policy was compared to that of Paul Volcker of the Reagan administration.

Julie Cross was first married to Nicolai Michele in 2018, whom she met in Las Vegas. Julie later married Cameron Smith of Boston, MA, in 2020, with whom she had 2 children, Christopher and Alex. After her political career, Julie moved outside of Atlanta, GA to enjoy her retirement. She was known as an avid spports fan her entire life- having started various youth soccer leagues for DC children and remained active her entire life. It was a racquetball related injury that led to her hospitalization and eventual death. Julie Cross will be missed by all.

(I based this reflection on several things I know about Julie- she is confident and straigtforward which led me to choose politics for her career, good at/interested in math which put in the the Dept of the Treasury)

Reflection 2

After reading Danna Walker's blog, I honestly thought that she would be a bit arrogant. However, the second after she walked into our class, my opinion changed. She was friendly and down-to-earth and was genuinely interested in talking to a few of us before she began speaking. One thing she discussed that really made me think was when she told us to write our obituaries too see what we want to accomplish in our lives. Without the slightest clue as to what I want to do with my life, I came up with nothing. Not even an idea. I mean hopefully I'll work for some cool organization and get married, but other than that, I haven't the slightest idea. Hopefully after I graduate college, I can look back on this blog and know exactly what I want to do, but for now I'm totally clueless.

Reflective Obits

anne maclain ballard (1991 - 2082)

Anne was born on February 2, 1991 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She left the south at 18 to attend American University and graduated with a degree in Educational Management. She married at 26 while in graduate school studying experimental education. At 30 she opened the sustainable charter school Elmsbrook Preparatory School, called Valhalla by graduates in Colorado. After graduating her first class 40, she aided the state government in expanding her education system to the Colorado public schools. At 53 she was appointed secretary of education to expand her education system nationally.

She went missing at 91 while on an expedition in the rockies. After five months of no news she was declared dead April 22, 2082. She is survived by her two children and thousands of students.

Reflection - Week 2

Ben and I decided to do a small interesting experiment. Dr. Walker suggested we write our own obituaries to see what we wanted to get out of our lives, but instead Ben and I took this in a slightly different way. We decided to write each others obituary to see what we've learned about each other since the time we've moved in and from the performances and fronts we've put on.

August 4, 2074

Benjamin Gregory Charpentier died tragically this Thursday due to heart failure in a tragic Wii baseball game with his grandchildren. He left behind his beloved wife Juanita, three kids Anna, Javier, and Benjamin Junior, and 7 grandchildren. The time Ben spent with family was the time he valued most. It was unlikely there was a day where you wouldn't find Ben playing teeball with his grand-sons or playing Barbies with his grand-daughters. He had season tickets at the Washington Nationals stadium and loved taking his family to baseball games. Ben loved nothing more than keeping fit with the family, which was why getting old was so hard for him.

Ben's working life was full of adventure. Graduating from American University from the School of International Service, Ben became a body guard for three different presidents - Sarah Palin (for 2 terms), Mitt Romney, and John Edwards. After 16 years of the service, Ben was 38 years old and decided it was time to let this part of his life go. He decided he wanted more education; he got his Masters in International Relations and went back to teach at the place he felt the most at home - American University. He was a professor in the School of International Service for 30 years before retiring.

All would say that Ben was a family man. The 15 years of his retired life were some of his most treasured. When his grand-daughter interviewed him for an English assignment, one of the questions was "What is the thing you most value?" Ben knew the answer right away: "A barbeque with all of my kids and grandkids is the best afternoon I could ask for." He was a nice man with the warmest heart. He was the type of man that you couldn"t stop smiling around. He'll be greatly missed by all.

___________
Another thing I wanted to reflect on was another movie I saw. After watching The Breakfast Club at the Tavern, I realized how prominant labeling and fronts are in high school culture. There was a jock, a princess, a nerd, a misfit, and a really odd. During the school day, they all do an incredible job preserving their fronts, but by the time their 8 hours of detention is over one Saturday, they all realize they have stuff in common and they can relate to each other. Their fronts don't seem as important.

Reflection 2: This is why I'm here in the first place!

Another week has passed, filled with class, friends, and the occasional run-in with the authorities... Just kidding, but seriously, the weeks are already speeding by. In Explorations, we had the honor of welcoming guest speaker Dr. Danna Walker into our class. I don't know the official point to why she was brought in to talk to us, but I can guess it was to expose us to different careers. And so that class reminded me: I STILL DON'T KNOW WHAT I WANT TO DO WITH MY LIFE!!! This fact is scary, to say the least. Dr. Walker told us her story of how she came into journalism; a teacher told her once she was good at writing, and so she went for it. I'm afraid that this doesn't help me AT ALL. I'm not trying to toot my own horn or anything, but several teachers have told me the same thing. I'm apparently good at Calculus and Chemistry, but those are a no-go since I hate any math-based thing. I'm also a good writer, but I don't think my ADD will let me pursue a deadline-based career like journalism. I could always write novels, but maybe I actually suck at writing. I've always wanted a stable, successful career, but my interests have always led me to the precarious.

And oh, there are so many precarious careers a girl can choose from. Take the performing arts for example. I've always been an artsy kid. I've sung and danced my way across many a stage. But acting, singing, and playing my viola were never real careers to me. "It's a great hobby," my mom once said, "but come on Katie, your not good enough to make it your life." I agree with her. I'm surely no musical prodigy. Therefore, even though it really hurt, I began to give up things to push my studies towards the academic, where real jobs lie. I dropped dance my sophomore year of high school to take a science lab. I replaced choir with a Poli/Sci-Law class my junior year to persue my interests in law. The thing is, all of those classes I took just helped me discover what I didn't want to do.

I can lay out to you my three absolute favorite interests: world history and cultures, people, and the arts. I've already given you my problems with performing arts, so let me take a stab at the others. My psychiatrist, Dr. Schnaps told me in our last session before I came down to D.C. that he realized I am better with people than the average individual. I don't often fret about awkward social situations (he said I was the only kid he ever met who had friends before she even got to college) and I genuinely care about every person I meet. But what's someone supposed to do with a gift for people? Become a social worker? My mom said I should become a pediatric psychiatrist like Dr. Schnaps, but do I really want to have to go through all those years of medical school? My interest in world history and cultures has got me to what my major is know: International Studies. This is all fine and dandy, but I can't think of any clear cut jobs to come out of that. Work in a NGO? Public service? What on earth does that even mean?

In conclusion, I pose a question: When you've got interest like mine, such as the ambiguous and the precarious, how do you determine your true path in adulthood? Anyone?

Sentimental Warriors

One of my more sentimental possessions is my copy of the warrior epic Beowulf.

Most people only see Beowulf as that super boring book they had to read in high school. I first heard it when I was thirteen. I went to this winter break poetry class at the local art school and one Friday the teacher set floor cushions in a circle around a "fire" (camp lantern) and did a dramatic reading/reciting of Beowulf. She'd spent the previous days explaining to us how the mixture of Christianity into a purely pagan tale showed the slow shift from the old ways to the new wave.

It made me love warrior tales, everything from Norse to Arthurian legends. the books always remind me of home.

to everyone else their just books

From Home

I think that the item I brought from home which tells the most about me is a certain snack food, a package a chocolate Newman-O's. While some might say that these are merely Oreo knockoffs, they are actually way more delicious than Oreos could ever be, and buying from Newman's Own helps support good causes. That, however, is not the reason that the food identifies something about me.

When I packed for college, I purposely brought as few sentimental objects as possible, both because I am unfortunately not a very sentimental person and because I felt that I wanted college to be a completely new experience, with a completely blank slate. However, before I left, I knew I had to bring my favorite snack from home, even though there are probably stores that sell them here. So, even I tough, rugged sexy Ben, needed some comforting item to help me through the first days of college. Because that's how long the package lasted, like three days. My roommates were not quite aware of my realization when I asked them what they thought of my item. They both said something along the lines of, you like to eat, and you like chocolate. These things are true, but they are not the reason why I picked my package of Newman-O's as my object from home.

Home Sweet Home

After graduating from kindergarten, I received two gifts- the latest version of Barbie and a special three legged pig figurine. Although at the time I was more excited about the Barbie, the figurine has held a more sentimental value to me over the years. Crafted in Chile, the pig is a symbol of good luck. Twelve years have gone by, and my pig is currently chilling on my desk in my dorm room. For as long as I can remember, I have always had the pig in plain sight in my room, so it only felt natural to bring it to college with me. It reminds me of home and my parents, which is naturally a nice feeling to have in this new and scary place called college. It acts as a type of security blanket...I know that if I am ever experiencing any problems I have my family to fall back on.

When I asked some of my floor mates what they thought this pig revealed about me, I received all different answers. Some one thought I had personally created it which reveals that I am an arts-and-crafts orientated person, which is a huge discrepancy because I literally cannot draw a straight line with a ruler, let alone mold a pig. After explaining to her the story behind it, she changed her answer and said that I am sentimental as well as a kid at heart since I have had it for so long. I guess I am somewhat childish since I have held on to it for so long, but isn't that the point of sentimentality?

Discussion Question 2 - Home

On the wall next to my bed I have three wooden J's that my friends painted for me before I left for school. We loved doing arts and crafts so one day we bought a bunch of wooden letters for each other and painted them for each other to take to college. It was supposed to be something that we could all have the same of in our dorms, something to connect us all, something to remind us that friendship survives distances. My friends have played a big part in shaping my identity; they've played a part in shaping the type of person and the type of friend I am. I think the identity that these J's project is that my friends are important to me and are a part of who I am.

When I asked my roomates what they thought the J's suggested about my identity, they said that I have friends that enjoy doing arts and crafts and am proud of the first letter of my name. I didn't think about it when I put them up, but I can see where having 3 large letters of the first letter of my name could appear a bit narcissistic. Besides this concept of possible narcissism, what I intended this item to perform and what it performed was pretty similar. This was probably the case because my friends and I chose to paint something that was pretty basic; if we had chose to paint ponies for example, my roomates might have thought I had interests similar to a 4 year old or was into horses. Since the reaction of my audience matched the intended presentation, Goffman would likely say it was a good performance.

Zhou Mi is SOOO the hottest...

The most prominent item I contributed to my dorm room is the large poster hanging above my desk. It's the only old thing I brought from home; most other things I bought new just for my college experience. It's an official poster from a Mandarin Chinese boy band, Super Junior-M, a branch of the 13-member Korean pop craze Super Junior. It used to hang on the wall above my bed, and its the only real poster I have (Asian boy band posters are EXPENSIVE ), so I brought it along to remind me of my comfy room back in Jersey. The poster represents my interest in East Asian culture and broad taste in music. The adoration of Asian pop stars is a sort of rare thing when you consider broad American culture, so I suppose the poster represents my unique and quirky side. So basically, I like Asian stuff and I'm not afraid to show it. ^_^

I asked my wonderful roomie, Aline, about what identity my poster portrays. She proclaimed that it said I was Asian, obviously, and that I'm ecclectic. She said it also shows that I don't follow the norms because Asian pop music is a different "genre" of music that not a lot of people listen to. I also asked Gina what she thought of it. She said it showed my international interest and openess to different things. I think both are very accurate assessments and go along with my own view of it. So I guess my poster is performing properly? lol...