Author Archives: isaac.douek
Posts: 8 (archived below)
Comments: 0
Digital Essay Idea – Crucial Creativity May Cure Cancer
Song: “Call Me Back” – The Strokes
Starring: Leo Tebele as Youngster & Isaac Douek as Teacher/Old Man
Props: Table, 2 Full Pieces of Paper, Pencil, Chair, 2 Dark Bags of Chips, 2 Light Bags of Chips, 13 Paper Squares, Glasses, Beard.
Video to be shot in stop motion and black and white.
0:00 – 0:14 Title Screen (Crucial Creativity May Cure Cancer & Credits)
0:15 – 0:45 Young Clueless (The youngster sits in his chair looking absolutely dumbfounded by the math problem given to him, 2+2=?, and tries futilely to solve it.)
0:46 – 1:15 Explaining to Young (The teacher comes over to help the youngster by using bags of chips to represent numbers.)
1:16 – 1:31 Young Success (The youngster understands how to solve the problem, does so, and celebrates merrily.)
1:32 – 2:02 Old Clueless (The old man stands before a desk looking troubled and dumbfounded.)
2:03 – 2:37 Old Remembering Young (The old man remembers how he was taught to be creative when presented with an obstacle.)
2:38 – 3:02 Old Success (The old man quickly arranges the papers before him to spell out “CURE FOR CANCER.” He then picks up a piece of paper that reads “PRESTIGIOUS AWARD” and celebrates merrily.)
THE END
Please comment. I’m looking for feedback on this one. Basing the video on Audre Lorde’s “School Note.” The idea is that the lack of creativity in schools is suppressing creative minds. By showing the opposite, I hope to get the message across.
Paper #3 Idea
For the final project of this class, I chose the poem titled “School Note” by Audre Lorde. This poem, I believe, speaks to the treacherous hellhole known as school. Whether it be through horrid teachers, a ridiculous curriculum, or a restrictive environment, the lower education system of America has become notorious for repressing the creative sparks of children, ultimately shooting them and the country’s future into a downward spiral. As a back up to this argument, I shall bring to the reader’s attention an article titled “The Creativity Crisis” from Newsweek. With these two sources in hand, I shall prove my thesis that today’s school system is not adequately equipped to propel our country into a prosperous future due to its inability to nurture creative minds. (MY MOST SINCEREST OF APOLOGIES FOR THE LATE BLOG)
“I Hope it’s for the Better” Response Paper 4
When presented with short stories such as Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” and Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants,” it is very easy for us to come away with the notion that there is a price for happiness, and that price is change. In neither of the stories was the protagonist originally happy. It was only after a drastic change in the plot of their lives that the characters found their happiness.
In “The Story of an Hour” the change was a drastic one, death. As bizarre as that may seem, happiness can be attained through a tragedy. This tragedy would radically change her life, apparently to one she much preferred over the one she was currently living. Once this newfound happiness was acquired, she could not live without it… and she did not.
On a lighter note, the change in “Hills Like White Elephants” is… still death. This death, however, was of a fetus. The couple believed that the abortion of the child they were about to bring into this world was worth their happiness. In order for Jig to be happy, she had to be loved by the American, and in order for the American to love Jig, the fetus had to be killed.
Do you see how happy this all sounds? Death, abortion, lust-based love? Apparently the means are all justified by the ends as we will most likely follow in the paths set by these characters… in a “lighter” way of course.
While I was writing this at work, this song was playing at the storefront. I had such a hard time concentrating that I had to watch the South Park clip. As I watched it for the 1,000th time, I remembered the episode was actually about aborted fetuses. How conveniently coincidental.
http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/153158/the-heat-of-the-moment
Group 4 – Characterization/Symbolism of “The Birthmark,” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Spoken Through the Voice of Ehrenreich
Characterization/Symbolism
The characterization in this short story is good at best and is deeply flawed. The flaw being that the woman is objectified. She has become the means for which her husband can fulfill his desire to play god. The man stereotypically taking on the god complex, yet another flaw. I did say the characterization was good. The way he depicts each character surrounds them in their own aura, enabling the reader to anticipate the character’s reactions to the situations given in the story. The fact that Aylmer played a doctor in the story assigns the trait of a “perfection-pursuer” to him, distinguishing him from his assistant and any other man, who would give their life to kiss the birthmark he so much despised. Even more so, his desire for perfection derives from being a failure of a doctor who has not completed a full experiment. As a remedy he sought to perfect his wife, his “trophy” so to speak.
On a side note, the hand upon Georgina’s cheek acts as the hand that has pulled the strings of her marionette life. Every decision she has made has been influenced by that hand.
Response Paper 3
Isaac Douek
Professor Erica Kaufman
English 2150
15 March 2011
“The Most Atypical Typical Situation”
Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants,” while sophisticated, presents itself as applicable to many issues a couple may have.
The woman, Jig, seems ridiculously indecisive and reluctant to commit to something that is clearly for the benefit of the couple. This reluctance, however, has been planted by the man’s nonchalant approach to a big decision in their lives, indicating he may not care as much as should.
As tradition has it, the woman makes a remark to coax the man into showing her some sort of affection. “I don’t care about me.” She specifically states something selfless to guilt the man. As any smart man would, he bites. He takes the bait. He is forced into showing something he takes for granted as obvious, that he actually does care for her. Once he has succumbed to her plea for attention, they happily move on to, I think, elope and take the train they’ve been waiting for as far as they can.
Response Paper #2 Isaac (Ikey) Douek (DG13E)
“Cribs in Caves”
Domination, the fetish of some, is Freud’s theory of how children, very young children, act in accordance with the pleasure principle. As described in his book, Beyond the Pleasure Principle, the pleasure principle describes people who look to attain pleasure and avoid pain or suffering to keep themselves physically and mentally stable. How can a small child possibly be developed enough to comply with such a mentality? Ah, “fort da.”
“Fort da” is a game Freud describes. The game consists of the child throwing and toy out of is sight, and then retrieving it using the string attached. He goes on to say that this game is a reflection of the child’s emotions towards his mother’s departure. The child is sending away the toy as if he is sending away his mother, putting him or herself in control of the situation thus relieving him or herself of the emotional distress associated with being left alone for hours by his or her caregiver. If only they had Beyond the Pleasure Principle in Plato’s cave.
In Plato’s Allegory of the cave, it was the prisoner’s obligation to return to the cave in order to teach the other imprisoned about the forms and realities outside the hole in the rock. If Freud were to have edited the allegory, the story would have differed. The prisoners would have convinced themselves that they have sent away their released brother and that they are better off in cave, all in order to deal with the emotional distress. They would be trying to be happy.
From “fort da,” one can take away the idea that happiness is control and stability. This notion has been mentioned once before by a rather intelligent and dashing young student in the class of the ever-lovely Professor Kaufman. It is very possible, however, that the aforementioned student is complimenting himself in order to gain control of the situation. Who knows?
Questions for Aristotle
What does it mean to be self sufficient? Is it your own job to make you happy?
Why the immediate family and not the extended family?
Is happiness something we cannot ever expect?
Is happiness only gained by virtuous activities?
What about happiness in the moment? Why is happiness only life-long?
What is the difference between being good and being happy?
Why is happiness defined as virtue?
What about the naivety of children?
What if you consider yourself pretty but others don’t? do opinions make a difference?
What distinguishes can we make between inner and outer beauty?
Does Aristotle’s words still hold true?
How is happiness different from pleasure?
Can happiness be measured by by wealth and possessions?
Why would the misfortune of our descendants affect our happiness after we die?
Why does it take your whole life to realize that you are happy?
Is happiness the afterlife, the ultimate end?
Is there a real definition to happiness?
Once the happiness is obtained, what happens? Is everything over?
Is it possible to achieve happiness and then never lose it?
Did his personal history affect his philosophy?
