December monthly blog

     

Fear        

            The world is entirely dominated by fear. We fear what comes next, what may happen, even change is feared. Even for those who seem fearless and free, there is something hidden somewhere that they fear even if they don't know it yet. Many of the stories we have been reading express this control fear has and proves that even some of the bravest and courageous characters have fear. In Things Fall Apart Okonkwo is honored and respected within his clan because of his great strength, power, and bravery. His character seems to be far too confident and courageous to have any fear, especially when he takes part in Ikemefuna's death. Okonkwo never once admits his fear of anything or anyone in words however it is obvious that he is not thrilled about the changing of tradition within his clan. He is so adamant about keeping tradition and honoring his ancestors because he actually fears the change. He is happy with his position in their current society and fears what may happen if this new religion changes his people. His fear is what influences his actions and controls his life. He is cold and strict with his family and does not show much love and affection in fear of losing his reputation and he feels the need to kill Ikemefuna for the same reason.
The topic of fear controlling society is very relevant today because of recent terrorist attacks and continuous terrorist groups. Our society is so afraid of groups like Isis taking over that they have forgotten their own morals and beliefs and begun to treat others badly. They have no right to treat these people with disrespect simply because of their religion or background and yet their fear has turned them against each other. Personally, I understand the power and dominance fear can have over one. However, I wish and hope that people will realize there are beneficial ways to cope with such fears. When fear starts to control you, there are ways to control it instead and I believe that so many individuals would find benefits from controlling their fears

Monthly Blog November

Monthly Blog
November 2015
Mary Thomas
AP English/ Burnett

Cultural Relativism 

I believe the idea of cultural relativism is a beneficial one. If everyone was able to put their culture aside for a moment and simply look deeper into another's to understand, the world may live more peacefully. Human beings are so quick to judge and criticize based on their own values and customs, they never take into account that there may be more similarities between theirs and another society's than expected. This idea is extremely relevant to our world today and every day of the past. If each of us tried to understand other cultures and didn't push them aside because of our preferences for our own, there would be much less war and trouble. Right now in the world we are dealing with major terrorist threats because they are attempting to push their ideas onto everyone else. This is only making life worse for everyone and if they realized that our culture is equal to theirs then there would be no problem.
We all come from different ancestors and therefore different cultures and traditions. In Things Fall Apart, even each individual clan practices its own customs within that culture. While it is normal for people of Umoufia to be aggressive and war ready, some of the other clans act with more reason instead of action. Although the practices of the other clans are not always understood, they still respect them. If we were all to keep this in mind, we might be able to be more accepting and understanding. We need to step back and look from the outside instead of from our societies. America has grown as a place of freedom and cultural diversity and has strived to function successfully in doing so. I believe that if we were to really think about this ability, we would realize that not one culture is correct or superior and we would be able to appreciate each others beliefs and values.

Monthly Blog October

Monthly Blog
October 2015
Mary Thomas
12 Ap English/Burnett

Worth 

Every day millions of people are prematurely judged based on their appearance, social status, and numerous other reasons. The famous quote "Don't judge a book by its cover" has been taught to each of us since birth but has yet to make an impact on our actions and thoughts. Within Beowulf and The Importance of Being Earnest the theme of judging others is continuously apparent. In Beowulf, the characters are all referred to as the "son of" or the descendant of some ancestors. This is significant because they are judged based on what family they come from and what social status they hold, if they have money or are known for their great deeds they are treated with much more respect than if they are not. In The Importance of Being Earnest, Lady Bracknell bases the entire idea of marriage on the wealth and social status of characters. If they are not wealthy and appear to be unsuccessful and unimportant in the world, she feels they have no worth and are not worthy of marriage. For example, Lady Bracknell questions Ernest when he wants to marry Gwendolen but none of her questions relate to who he is as a person or have any substance at all. They are simply questions about his family name and what he does with his life.
Sadly, after so many years this judging is still happening in society today. Now we base off of physical appearance in order to determine whether they are successful, wealthy, or worthy. If someone has tattoos and non-designer brand clothes there are many people who immediately shun them and refuse to accept them into their lives. They have taken no time to get to know them or to find out what their personalities are like but instead decide based on what they wear or how they do their hair that they must not be a valuable person.
The judgmental ways of our society are sickening to me. It is unnerving to see so many people be judged not based on who they are on the inside but who or what they are on the outside. People such as Lady Bracknell have no grasp on the value of individuals and I hope that one day our society is able to take that more seriously.