Kafka’s “Before the Law” provides interesting insights regarding the concepts of authority and power in society in the 20^th Century and can be applied to how society is shaped today. In my opinion, I believe that the man from the country represents how people deal with their goals and ambitions in society today. The gatekeeper represents the barriers that people face to achieve their ambitions and can be a numerous number of things depending on the individual’s unique life circumstances. The last line of the passage was “Here no one else can gain entry, since this entrance was assigned only to you. I am going now to close it” (20). Everybody is going to face their own unique set of challenges in life to try to achieve their dreams and goals. However, usually others will tell them that their dreams or ambitions are unrealistic or a figure of authority whether it be their parents or another agency will stand in their way. The man from the country didn’t even attempt to get past the gatekeeper because of the possibility of facing more gatekeepers in the future who were even scarier than the first gatekeeper. He wasted his whole life just waiting to get permission from the gatekeeper when in reality the gatekeeper was never going to yield and give him permission. People must take initiative and face the challenges that prevent them from reaching their goals head on or they will end up like the man from the country and ponder about what could’ve been if they tackled their challenges and conquered them to reach their goals.

Emily Dickinson Response

The poem I chose to respond to was “My Life had stood – a Loaded Gun”. The reason I was intrigued by this poem was because it was written from the perspective of the gun instead of a person. There was a lot of interesting uses of personification regarding the gun, which gave the gun many traits and characteristics of an actual person. One of my favorite lines from the poem was “And every time I speak for Him The Mountains straight reply” (Lines 7-8). This phrase really brought life to gun because when the gun spoke it meant it was fired and could be heard across a large area. Another line that gave the gun life was its smile being described as a “Vesuvian face” (Line 11). At first, I didn’t know what the word Vesuvian meant, but after looking it up I found out it was based on the ancient volcano Mount Vesuvius that erupted in Pompeii. Dickinson was comparing the explosiveness of a gun to the explosiveness of a volcano, which I thought was a very interesting metaphor. Finally, the last stanza of the poem really concluded the poem well and is trying to imply that even though a gun is strong, destructive, and powerful, it is still useless without a person wielding it. The gun will live on forever even after its master passes away. I found it really ironic that the gun had the power to take anybody’s life, but couldn’t take its own life.

Manifesto Response

The manifesto that resonated with me the most was Mina Loy’s “Aphorisms on Modernism”. The reason why this manifesto was so intriguing to me was because of its flow and also the capitalization of each first word at the beginning of each line. Modernism was an artistic period when artists strayed away from the traditional forms of art and tried to produce art that accurately reflected the new and industrialized world they were living in. I think Mina Loy does a great job of trying to convince people to stray away from many traditional values and concepts and urges them to break free into a new realm. She states, “MODERNISM is a prophet crying in the wilderness that Humanity is wasting its time” (line 1) at the start of her manifesto to make a bold statement to her audience saying that modernism will be the future and that people are only wasting their time if they follow art forms of the past. Each first word that is capitalized at the start of each of her lines are the issues or subjects that she wants to address. For example, in lines 6 and 11 she emphasizes the individual by capitalizing the words “THE and ONLY” to try to convince her audience that there are no limits to an individual and those with ideas that contradict the ideas of the masses will be the ones to lead the world. In lines 14 and 15, she criticizes the traditional concepts of morality and Christianity as failures and says that morality is just an excuse people use for their own self-interests and that Christianity is a failure in itself because it is constantly evolving to correct its own errors. Even a traditional religion like Christianity is evolving, so why shouldn’t people be doing the same to adapt to the period the are living in. This line really summarizes her main point in her manifesto well.

My Own Manifesto and Explanation

The Game Winner

With twenty seconds left on the play clock, the huddle broke.

Bruised, Battered, Exhausted . . . . .

Adrenaline negating all these feelings.

Mind knowing that another championship is only seconds away.

Five seconds remaining, but time seems to be frozen.

It is time.

The ball is launched into Tom’s hands.

Wide right toss was the call.

For a moment the ball is free, its trajectory traveling to the right.

Wide right,

A pair of hands suddenly snatch the ball.

Only two yards away, but this yardage seems to be an endless sea. . . . .

The ball carrier initially seems to be stopped short.

His effort is relentless and his legs keep churning as he falls to the ground.

All eyes are on the officials.

                              raised                    air.

A pair of hands                  into the

Touchdown.

History is made.

Legacies are cemented.

Champions once more.

My manifesto was a depiction of the final play from Super Bowl 51. The form and style of my manifesto mimicked Wassily Kandinsky’s “Seeing” from the Manifesto packet on page 271. I found the style and form of “Seeing” to be very interesting because of the spacing and the line structure that was incorporated to give the reader emotions such as a feeling of eternity (lines 4-5). The way the spacing was used in lines 6 and 7 where the words wider were all the way to the right was also something I took note of when I wrote my manifesto. I used extra empty lines and also periods to emphasize feelings of extended time and endlessness. I also spaced words to the far right in their lines to depict the type of football play that was happening and where the ball was on the field. Finally, my manifesto wanted to proclaim Tom Brady as the greatest player of all time in football and the New England Patriots becoming champions once more after a historic comeback.

Two major takeaways I had from the first section of the reading where the British critics discussed the flaws of realism were the criticism from the audience on works that showed the harsh reality of society and life and also the limitations of realism depending on what medium the work was being communicated from. One sentence that really struck me concerning Dickens’s work was “Dickens was roundly castigated by critics for a too-lively depiction of the ‘haunts, deeds, language, and characters of the very dregs of the community’ in Oliver Twist: it is ‘a hazardous experiment to exhibit to the young these enormities’, Richard Ford complained in the Quarterly Review” (328). The reason this quote alarmed me was because critics at the time were seemingly berating authors for depicting the negatives of society in a realistic manner and in a way wanted to hide the horrors of society away from the people who weren’t affected by them. How can there be positive change if people don’t even know what is happening around them to those that are less fortunate than them? George Eliot also addresses this during her personal statement in chapter 17 of Adam Bede when she says, “It is so very rarely that facts hit that nice medium required by our own enlightened opinions and refined taste” (1)! Eliot is trying to make it clear that rarely do the real conditions and facts of society appeal to everybody meaning that each person has their own views or moral opinions, and it is impossible for a piece of work to appease all the members of the audience. It is necessary to have honest depictions of the social class especially those that are at the bottom of the social class in order to make people aware of what is happening to others surrounding them instead of ignoring it altogether.

The 19^th Century British critics of realism also claim that depictions of society during the Realist period “must necessarily be limited by the nature of its medium; the canvas of the painter, the chords of the musician, and the language of the writer” (330). I found this point made by the critics to be quite appalling because when did one medium every capture all that was going on in society during a specific time period. Different forms of art whether it be a painting, novel, or piece of music have always had their own unique ways of reaching out to the audience, conveying their messages differently. Eliot also later mentions in her address that paintings like “The Prayer of the Spinner” by Gerard Dou might be plain or boring to those at the upper echelons of society, but it appeals to those that are not so fortunate to be born rich or a noble because it reflects their daily experiences in life. These two readings sort of reflect our society today because many people tend to ignore facts or conditions of other people around them and seem to only be interested in things that appeal to them or benefit them directly instead of being open to critical issues that are occurring around them.

Both the Seneca Falls Declaration and Frederick Douglass’s “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July” challenge issues regarding discrimination in the 19^th century. Both of these works are challenging the core American value of freedom and address the audience by stating that freedom doesn’t exist because slavery and the lack of women’s rights were still prevalent during the time period these works were created. In the Seneca Falls Declaration, one interesting technique that the writers use is the use of the word “He” repeatedly. This is important because using “He” is addressing all the men of the nation and laying out the multiple wrongdoings they have committed against women and why those wrongdoings prevent women from being equals with men. By directly using “He” over and over again, the authors of the Seneca Falls Declaration are challenging each and every man who read the declaration to reflect upon how men are treating women unjustly in many important areas of society.

In Douglass’s speech, he uses the most patriotic American holiday, which is the Fourth of July and challenges the validity of this holiday in front of his audience. In his speech, one very interesting line he says is “I do not hesitate to declare with all my soul that the character and conduct of this nation never looked blacker to me than on this Fourth of July!” He is speaking volumes to those that are joyfully celebrating the holiday, but not thinking or realizing that millions of black people at the time were still slaves living in America, stripped of their freedom. By asking the rhetorical question of should the people really be so proud of their country and have the audacity to celebrate the Fourth of July, he is making people think about the troubling issue of slavery in their society.

Harriet Jacobs’s “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl” differs from both these works because of the use of a first person narrative. By telling some of her own life experiences through the character of Linda Brent, she is placing the reader into certain parts of her life that she wants to share with her audience. One example of this is during the period after Linda or Harriet realizes she is actually a slave and says, “When he told me that I was made for his use, made to obey his command in every thing; that I was nothing but a slave, whose will must and should surrender to his, never before had my puny arm felt half so strong” (Jacobs 18). From this quote, the reader can be put into Jacobs’s position at the time and feel the hopelessness and helplessness that she felt during that particular instance. From the other two works, women and slaves are only addressed on a general level that encompasses the entire group, but in Jacobs’s work she only describes the life of one female slave and all the difficulties and hardships she had to face to finally earn her freedom. Even though Jacobs’s narrative focuses mainly on one slave, it helps the reader connect with that one slave on a more personal level.

The two poems that I chose for the assignment were Tu Fu’s “Spring Prospect” and Kakinomoto no Hitomaro’s “From the Manyoshu.” There were quite a few comparisons between these two poems starting with both poets depicting their setting very vividly to place the audience in their respective locations. Tu Fu places us in a war torn location by with a very strong opening line (line 1) depicting his surroundings as being “shattered” by war and leaving only the barebones of nature left with only “hills and streams” remaining. Even though Kakinomoto no Hitomaro’s location is not being torn apart by war, he also depicts his surroundings with vivid imagery at the very beginning of his poem (lines 1-6). His first six lines announces to the audience where his home is, which is a very coastal city. I also noticed that both authors used metaphors in their poems. Tu Fu uses his metaphor in lines two and three of “Spring Prospect” stating that the grass and trees are “feeling the times” and that the “flowers draw tears.” I interpreted this as Tu Fu comparing the elements of nature with the people of China during his time who had to live through the civil war. The people were getting tired of the conflict and also crying because of the suffering that it brought. Kakinomoto no Hitomaro compares his wife to a “swaying sea-tangle” and the “miru-growing ocean” in lines 7 to 12 of “From the Manyoshu.” He wants to audience to know that his wife was very important to him and had a timid personality, but she was also a very deep person with multiple layers. Both of these authors were emotionally troubled by an event in their lives with Tu Fu being trapped by the civil war in China and Kakinomoto no Hitomaro leaving his wife to embark on a journey.

One important difference that I noted between the two poems was the point of view they were told in. Tu Fu told his poem in third person perspective and it took me a few reads to finally realize that he was the person observing all of the surroundings around him. Kakinomoto no Hitomaro tells his poem in a first person perspective, which instantly lets the audience know that he is telling his story of leaving his wife and how he will miss her. Another distinct different I want to point out between the poems is that Kakinomoto no Hitomaro uses proper nouns to name the locations he is describing in his poem. Examples of this are in his first two lines of the poem where he lets us know he is near the Iwami Sea and the Kara Cape. Tu Fu doesn’t use any proper nouns to describe his location, and if I didn’t know the name of the author or didn’t read the introduction, this could’ve been a location outside of China. These two poems were very similar in certain ways, but there were certain distinctions in their form and content.

Death is the inevitable fate that all human beings must meet at some point in their life. I’ve always been fascinated by the notion of immortality and how science can expand the human lifespan. I remember a few years ago, when I was looking up immortality on the internet that I found a very interesting species of jellyfish that was immortal. There were scientists who were trying to replicate the immortality process and see if it could be applied to humans. Now, a few years later the direction of immortality seems to have shifted.

The media source that I am using for this assignment is a webpage discussing the next steps toward immortality. The URL is http://www.thatsreallypossible.com/immortality/

The article discusses what the outlook for immortality looks like from the perspectives of the artificial intelligence industry and the bioengineering field. The most popular approach to immortality currently is known as the 2045 approach and is quite unique because it is different from the traditional view of immortality where the body never ages. In simple terms, the 2045 approach is trying to transfer the brain into an artificial “avatar” that will eventually replace the original body.

I think that this article is in a way a modern example of the events of Frankenstein in a scientific way. Just like Victor was attracted to the “unnatural” sciences and alchemy in the novel, modern scientists today are trying to defy the laws of nature. Death has never been defied before by any human, and it is only natural that human beings eventually die someday. We also must keep in mind that what these scientists are trying to do with expanding life is not a work of fiction, and there are many research companies and researchers working in this field currently. The consequence of Victor’s hunger for science led to the creation of the monster and ultimately his downfall as the monster destroyed everything and everyone he loved. This makes me wonder what type of consequences there will be if immortality does indeed become possible in the future? These modern-day scientists are very similar to Victor because they are passionate and hungry to find the answer to immortality, but aren’t really putting much emphasis into the aftereffects of what can potentially happen.

Science has been an extremely powerful tool from the start of civilization to the modern era, but it is very much a double-edged sword. Victor’s experiments and ultimate downfall in Frankenstein draws comparisons to a lot of scientific creations that brought suffering into the world. If we do someday get to the point where immortality is a possibility, I think it will be more of a bad thing than a good thing. Immortality is unnatural just like Victor’s creation and it will lead to more tension between the social classes and possibly dry up the Earth’s resources much quicker than predicted. One can interpret Frankenstein as a novel that warns us to be careful with science. It can be a useful tool, but can even be deadlier if not used properly.

Football has always been a big part of my life since high school. Watching the sport helps me to shift my focus from stressful facets of my life like work and school to the game. As a patriots fan, following the team has brought me the joy and competitive emotions that were lacking in my life since I was never really an outstanding athlete in any sport. This piece summarizes the big game that was played last Sunday.

Adrenaline enters my body once my eyelids flash open on this brisk Sunday morning in the middle of winter. The cause of this from the impending showdown bound to occur later on in the night. Warm water enters my mouth and is hurled out to welcome the soft bristles. Contact is made with an aching tooth in the back right corner of my mouth. An optimistic thought sudden surfaced:

Getting hit is pain

How you hit back is how you

Ultimately win

Breakfast is a traditional Chinese rice cake, but the usual sweet flavor is just not present during this worrisome morning. As a person who was never exceptional at a certain sport, being part of the audience provided me with the roller coaster of emotions one would feel as an elite athlete. A fan should be ecstatic if their team is competing in the ultimate game of its season, but that was not the case. Butterflies fly around in my stomach, and my legs have a mind of their own, trembling uncontrollably. Time becomes distorted as minutes seem like hours and hours seem like days. Nothing keeps me occupied, from video games to homework, they all fail.

The extensive day is finally about to reach its main event. I shut my eyes once more and point up to the white ceiling, hoping that God will receive my prayers for my team before yelling at the top of my lungs, “Let’s Go!” The first hour is a miserable disaster and I am sitting frozen still, stunned by what I am witnessing.

Is there any hope?

The scoreboard says otherwise

Little did I know

Dinner is eaten in silence as the dazzling performance is given during halftime. The food being served is tasteless as I stared at our dinner table still struck with shock. Haters on social media are already basking in their celebration and posting mocking messages for the team I love so much. Thirty minutes after halftime, the situation becomes direr, more hopeless, but that television will still be running until the clock reaches zero. The desired outcome is slipping further and further away, and millions of outlandish scenarios are flashing in my head that will produce the result my team and I desire.

So much of my time has been invested into this team, this season, making me feel a heavy mix of negative emotions as the time was winding down, but the last flicker of hope urges me to believe in Tom. Points are suddenly appearing under our team logo: six, three, and eight in what seems to be a flash of time. Miracles seem to appearing out of thin air: backbreaking tackles, gravity defying catches, and most importantly the team regaining belief and playing above their usual capabilities. I regain my lost energy and start clapping, screaming, and using every ounce of energy to cheer for my squad.

The numbers on the scoreboard now match equally and we are six feet away from becoming world champions. The final play summarizes the game:

When all hope seems lost

Force it back with pure effort

Champions once more

Balance is restored as we are on top once again.