HAPPINESS

The Hot Topic at MoMA this spring is “Tim Burton”. When you ask someone about what is going on in MoMA, they will probably respond with something like “oh yeah, Tim Burton’s Exhibition” or “Oh, the director of creepy movies.”  But there is another exhibition that is shadowed by the greatness of Tim Burton, “The Artist is Present” by Marina Abramovic. Marina Abramovic is a Performance Artist. She says that performance art is a unique form of art that both involve the artist and the audience. Marina’s work is very unique is a sense that her work takes on beyond other’s artworks. As she becomes the art/performance itself, she becomes focused and ready for what ever that may be in front of her. Now, question of finding happiness In her artwork as an audience can be very difficult. Her work and performances are very dark, violent, and strange. It seems as no happiness can be found her in artwork through the eyes of the audience. In my opinion, I believe that by Marina performing the art itself, she expresses the limits of her body and the possibilities of her mind. I also believe that Marina finds great satisfaction through her works because she continues on to push her self to different levels of artworks and performances. Marina Abramovic’s “The Artist is Present” performance can be seen at MoMA through May 31^st and her other exhibitions can be found on the 6^th floor of MoMA building. If you can’t make it to the exhibitions, there is a Live video of “The Artist is Present” during the duration of the opening and closing hours of MoMA.

Antigone is the rebellion of this play because of her actions. She reminds me of a woman who is strong willed because she decided to go against her uncle’s wishes of not burying her brother Polyneices. She properly buries her deceased brother and performs the proper rituals as well because she feels that it was deserved. I consider Antigone as being indifferent and determined because she wanted to do something that was right and not what was commanded by the king. This kind of reminds me a The Divine Command theory that I recently learned in my Philosophy class. This theory states that something is morally right or wrong because G-d says so. In this case it isn’t god that is making the demand, but instead it is Creon, the king of Thebes. There are arguments against this theory, because sometimes people are forced to do something they know is morally wrong, but sometimes it is commanded to be morally right.

The language/speech used by Antigone shows that she is a very determined and stands by her actions without looking back. The part where she is captured by the sentry and admits to burying her brother proudly, Creon asks if she was the one to break the law and confidently says, “Of course I did.” She also goes on to say that she was ready to die and that she has known it all her life. Her actions also show that she is very outspoken and doesn’t care about what others think because she knows what she is doing is right in her mind. Antigone is considered also to probably be the main character of this play because she is the “trouble-maker” and because of that the rest of the play surrounds her.

Character Analysis of Creon

Creon is the uncle of Antigone and Ismene. He is also the King of Thebes after Oedipus. He has a son named Haemon. Thebes has just been in a war against the city of Argos. Creon’s nephews Eteocles and Polynices have killed themselves in battle, being that Polynices was fighting alongside Argos. Creon is very patriotic, evidenced by him passing a law that no one is allowed to give the dead Polynices an honorable burial. While Polynices was Creon’s nephew, he was also the enemy of Thebes and killed Eteocles. Creon does not like enemies. He demands respect and loyalty from the people of Thebes and his soldiers. He tells one of the guard leaders “see that you never side with those who break my orders…death is the price”. Creon is not a man to be messed around with. He is also very proud to be king and loves Thebes. He wants to steer Thebes in the right direction. He says “I could never stand by silent, watching destruction march against our city, putting safety to rout, nor could I ever make that man a friend of mine who menaces our country (Polynices)”.

-Paul Spyropoulos

This comic strip is true to people’s attempt in pursuing happiness. The more one goes after attaining happiness the more it is out of reach. However, if you don’t run after happiness, it will come to you and land in your arms unexpectedly. Point of the comic: Don’t run after happiness. Let it come to you instead.

This is the office.  This is my desk right by the door.  I am the only one allowed to sit here.  Do not ever sit on my chair.  Hang your jacket there.  This is your desk.  You are responsible for completing work at your own pace.  In prioritizing, ask me first, and then ask the boss.  The boss’ cubicle is that office with the door shut.  Do not ever knock if the door is shut.  You are handling delicate work.  Do not rush.  This is your phone.  You are allowed to answer the phone if no one else has.  Directions on how to transfer calls are posted on the wall in front of your desk.  We have two bathrooms, one here, one there.  You are responsible for replacing tissue and toilet paper if you are the last to finish the roll.  Only women work here.  We are not sexists, just mere coincidence.  No one is crushing on anyone here, and we hope you do not become the first to.  A and B are close friends and hang out when not at work.  Almost all have partners, only a few married.  Office assistants are temps.  They all end up leaving.  But only because they are hired as temps for an already set period.  Health plan is only for full-time employees.  You are a part time, don’t expect a health plan.  Go on vacation at any time of the year.  If you are sick stay home.  Do not come here and spread your virus.  Here is the mini-kitchen.  You can brew any kind of coffee you want, as well as tea.  Do not fill the refrigerator will all your junk.  Be reasonable.  Your lunch break is not timed, but don’t take advantage.  We will notice.  We have 3 Susan’s in the office, learn to differentiate.  C always keeps munchies in her drawers, does not mean you can go and steal.  The supply room  is in the back.  You are free to use as many supplies as you feel.  Do not take office supplies home.  We will notice.  Most Fridays lunch is on the office.  Birthdays we do cupcakes.  We are on the 4^th floor, so we have a terrace.  I’m glad you asked the question.  And your answer to that is yes.  You are allowed to go on the terrace at any time you wish.  Get to work, any questions ask me, then consult the boss.

That’s the building. The one with boarded windows and barely any light inside. There the front door and there’s the back door. We enter through the back and everyone else goes through the front. When you enter, you have to show the guy in the black suit your Identification. Don’t ever forget to or else you might be thrown out. That corridor is to the dimly lit rooms and those stairs are to the brightly lit but freezing rooms. We must go down the stairs first and lock our things away. Don’t forget to change, you must change and look clean and natural. Remove all jewelry, accessories and make-up , or else you will get a dismissal warning. That’s Catherine over there; she’s the nice one even if she looks like that. Go to her every morning and tell her you’re here or else you might get terminated. The guy that’s usually walking around behind her is Jeff, after talking to Catherine go talk to Jeff and see what’s in store for you today.  Whether you have to go into the freezing brightly lit rooms or the dimly lit rooms with computerized artificial graphic screens, you must read the daily announcements. You then go to Kathy, Jane, Alex, or any of the other managers. They might test you on the announcements and if you don’t know them then you might be dismissed of. If you don’t understand something ask question. Always ask questions, they are greatly appreciated, but ask only once because if u ask again they won’t like you and then you will want to be dismissed. Talk to the other workers around you, make friends and get their numbers because you will need all their help one day. Don’t get too attached to them though, they come and go and you guys might not work together every time. Oh, and that’s Eric, he’s the most easy going and funny supervisor around. Defiantly talk to him and call him outside of work, he likes it and you will benefit from it. But basically, be nice, act smart (even if you’re not), make small talk, always look busy, never stand still and have empty hands, always says “Hey what’s up.” To every person who passes and make sure you leave work on time, or else you may be dismissed.

I liked this story. Actually I loved it. I found Orozco’s writing to be unencumbered and simple. His satire on the work place was a bit depressing in the way that it made the cycle of office life seems inescapable. His choice to start and end the story with fairly similar statements was an interesting writing choice. I mean, it obviously showed the cycle these people are stuck in, but in between that boring beginning and end, there is a slightly amusing middle. In this “middle” all the quirky folks are introduced. Though these people in Orientation are introduced in some detail, they are still somewhat depersonalized. It gives the reader a feeling that it can so easily be them stuck in the monotonous environment. Despite all of this, Orozco’s approach to the whole topic was comical and pleasant. It almost makes office work enticing. But I think I’ll hold off for as long as possible.    

-Alyson Bonura

Orozco’s satire of the workplace reminds me of a summer job I had, working on a loading dock at an electronic parts company.  My supervisor, a veteran of 30 years, thought nothing of constantly talking sexual banter, hurling racial and ethnic slurs, and generally making our workplace a living nightmare. Many of the employees complained to his supervisor, a company vice-president.  Alas-to no avail, my supervisor’s experience enabled him to know every electronic part and order number by heart. He was just too valuable to be dismissed. My story is a far cry from Orozoco’s workplace- a place where even homicidal mainiacs are assured of job security if they “toe the company line” and perform their jobs well. My supervisor would have fit in well.

Orientation to me was a humorous story. The reason it was so funny to me is that it portrayed the utmost respect for protocol. Protocol is something that should be followed at all times and is the rules for any succesful buisness. Orientation shows the full extreme of what protocol is and how important it is. If one thing is done wrongly, there is enough ground to have that person let go. It seems that you have to fill out a form just to do everything. To act in an emergency, needs to be approved by a superior.

The workers actions are not soleley controlled in respect towards the job. Their actions are also closesly watched when they are interracting with coworkers. There are certain people they should not talk to and certain people the can talk to. Furthermore the way people interact with eachother and the chain of people who like eachother seems to be controlled as well. The chances of everyone being obsessed with someone else is astronomical, it almost seems too bad to be true.

Given all the humor, i found myself pondering a few things while reading the short story. I was wondering whether the person giving the orientation was somehow different than the others? he seems do exclude himself from the orientation. Furthermore, i was wondering what type of person was applying for the job and whether he would feel comfortable in the job setting, would he even accept the regulations? Lastly, relating to the topic of the course of happiness; other than the people who are explicitly unhappy, is anyone in the office actually happy?