One example of Modernism that struck my attention at the MoMa was “The False Mirror” by Rene Magritte. Modernism represented a time when societal views were changing as the world became increasingly industrialized, encouraging the idea that society as it was became obsolete and outdated. With this, individuals yearned for a more modern form of society and looked to the future, prompting many to take action to change society. Magritte’s “The False Mirror” exemplifies this rationale in that the majority of the canvas is painted with an eyeball with a clear blue sky with clouds inside it. Often times, when people look at the sky, they think of better days, similar to the way society looked to a more modern world.

Around the eyeball is the portion of a face that surrounds the eyeball on a human. The skin on the face is in pristine condition, with no facial imperfections or wrinkles whatsoever. This leads me to believe that the individual is young, and has the desire to create a new society, rather than simply adapt to the current ways of society. This is largely because if someone is young, they often have a more open mind because they have not yet experienced as much as someone who is older, and may be more resistant to change.

Additionally, I find it interesting that all portions of the painting surrounding the eye are darker shades, and become increasingly brighter as they approach the center sky, which is the brightest portion of the painting. This idea of dark fading into bright represents the ways in which society was becoming less obsolete and more modern and futuristic. Furthermore, in the very center of the painting is the pupil, which is hard to miss, in my opinion. The black pupil, the darkest portion of the painting, and directly in the center of the bright sky, represents the obstacles faced by those who yearned for and tried to create a more modern society. As a viewer of the painting, the pupil stands in the way of viewing the clouds because it covers everything behind it.

This image represents all the major people in Clarissa’s life. The most important people (in her perspective) are towards the top of the page, while those towards the bottom become increasingly less prominent. The work of art in this image is the book cover, which represents Clarissa’s story as a whole. The thought bubbles sort the different people in Clarissa’s life, and represent their placement in her work of art, or story.

Book cover image citation:

Mrs. Dalloway. Digital image. Literature and Maps: Mrs. Dalloway. Pinterst, n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.

It was Tuesday morning. Danny sprinted out the front door of his house and ran down the driveway to his car, running late, per usual. As he opened the door, the aroma of smooth leather seats and new car smell consumed him. He rushed down the street, up and down the hills of his suburban New Jersey neighborhood, passing herds of children waiting for school buses along the way. He hoped he wouldn’t get stuck behind a school bus, otherwise he would miss the train. Then, he drove down Park Avenue (in Morristown, NJ – not NYC), miraculously catching a green light at the intersection of Columbia Turnpike. Soon after, he veered right onto Punch Bowl Road, surrounded by trees and catching the glimpse of the Morris County Golf Course. After making a left onto Convent Road, he soon approached the Convent Station NJ Transit train station. After pulling into one of the last open parking spaces, he heard the whistle of the approaching train as he turned off his car. He walked onto the station platform, just in time to board the 7:26am train bound for Penn Station New York. After an hour of listening to his music and staring at his iPhone, and looking around at other weary-eyed commuters doing the same, the train pulled into Penn Station. After making a quick stop at Starbucks on the LIRR concourse, and being consumed by the aroma of fresh coffee, he exited Penn Station beneath Madison Square Garden, while being yelled at by people giving away free newspapers. Danny then made his way across 32^nd Stret, down Broadway, over 26^th Street, through Madison Square Park, and finally ending his journey at the 25^th Street entrance to Baruch College. The day was just beginning.

When reading Freud’s Family Romances, there were a variety of instances in which the relationship between conflict and individuality were present. First, Freud begins by talking about how children grow up viewing their parents as the “source of all belief,” but then the child begins to reconsider the role their parent plays in their lives. This represents conflict because the child grows out of their original thoughts. As such, their mind has changed its opinion on their parents, and this is a conflict because on one hand, parents are often the most influential beings in a child’s life, but then, as they grow and develop, children yearn for individuality and do not want their parents to play such roles in their lives.

Another example of the relationship between conflict and individuality is when Freud says that a boy is “far more inclined to feel hostile impulses towards his father” than he is to his mother. This represents conflict because a fatherly figure is the type of person the boy wishes to become some day, and likely will become similar to, as they are both males. However, the boy is still his own individual person, and therefore becomes more hostile towards his father. As an individual, Freud’s viewpoint repels against individuality and causes conflict because although a boy will one day become a figure similar to that of his father, he still has harsher feelings against him than he does his mother. In other instances as well, such as when a boy attributes “his mother as many fictitious love-affairs,” the relationship between individuality and conflict is present because the boy needs to have his own love affairs, as an individual, yet at the same time, he is faced with conflict because he views a family member in his love affairs. Therefore, there is a strong relationship between conflict and individuality in Freud’s essay.

One of the first things in Philip’s poem that helps me further understand Douglass’s struggle is when she begins by saying “English is my mother tongue” and explains how it is not a foreign language. This idea reminds me of how slaves, like Douglass, are often born in the United States, and how the harsh conditions in which they work happen right here in their own country. Similarly, I am reminded of how lives of everyday Americans, such as going to school, working an industrial job with living wages, and other factors of life are familiar to the slaves. Although Douglass works on plantations for much of his life, he still understands how everyday Americans live.

Philips then goes on to say that slaves are deprived of an education, so that they “cannot speak to each other,” reminding me of how Douglass was not allowed to learn much more than what Sophia Auld originally taught him when they first met. Without being educated, slaves would not be literate, and therefore would not be able to rebel against their owners and conjure up ways to escape the harsh conditions in which they live. Furthermore, when Philips mentions the belief that “white males have larger brains” than women and blacks, and that they are superior beings, this shows me the entire idea behind slavery. It was based solely off of the unproven belief that some people are superior to others, and therefore have the rights to rule them. This is similar to the idea in Douglass’s narrative that not only are people born into slavery because of their race, and other factors that they cannot control, but also that they may feel that if slaves become free, they will begin to take jobs previously performed by supposedly better people.

The Tyger (Daniel Kennedy)

I believe that the monster in Shelley’s Frankenstein is most like the Tyger. First of all, the Tyger’s body is made of “fearful symmetry” and “dread hand,” similar to the way that Frankenstein’s monster is a fearful creature. Immediately after its creation, Victor Frankenstein lives his life fearing the deadly effects and possible actions that could potentially be taken by the monster. The Tyger, with its “deadly terrors” and “the anvil” is also a frightening creature that can kill someone. I believe that the anvil seen on The Tyger is something that could kill someone. This makes the monster similar to the Tyger because the monster ends up killing multiple family members of Victor Frankenstein, including his own bride. Being something feared by everyone who sees it is a quality shared by both the Tyger and the monster.

With its “clothing of delight” and “tender voice,” the Lamb is least like the monster because it is not instantly feared by those who see it. Instead, the Lamb appears to be very likable and looked up to upon its creator, as one of his own. This is demonstrated when the poet says that the lamb “became a little child: [him] a child & thou a lamb.” This shows that the lamb is treated equal, as a human, because the creator is a person, and the lamb is considered to be a person, as well. As such, although the monster was created with intentions of making it as close to resembling a person as possible, it was instantly feared by Victor Frankenstein from the moment he laid eyes on it.

The Lamb (Alan Hagerty)

            I for one believe that the the lamb more resembles “The Lamb” more. Though the fact  the monster might first seem to be a more perfect fit to the tyger with descriptive words like “fearful symmetry” and others frightening words, “The Lamb” has a strong tie to the books idea of man being unfit to create life. Throughout the book Frankenstein is shown in a weaker state from the months of obsessive work that drove him to have a physically unhealthy state to the overwhelming guilt of creating the monster which goes with the creator of the lamb. In the poem the creator reveals to the lamb that he is the creator in, in my opinion, one of the more painful reveals stating “Little Lamb I’ll tell thee! He is called by thy name, For he calls himself a Lamb: He is meek & he is mild, He became a little child: I a child & thou a lamb”. This shows that the creator of the lamb is flawed, weak, and unremarkable much like Victor is and they both are in fact incredibly crewel to their creation. In the book Victor completely rejects his creation that he made and allowed it to escape but instead of taking responsibility and finding the monster he hopes the problem just goes away. I disagree that the lambs “clothing of delight” are not representative of the monster for if i recall right the monster was made with various handsome parts like white teeth, dark hair, fine eyes though it did not add up to looking beautiful at the end. Frankenstein’s monster also showed many soft and caring moments from his regret to stealing from a poor family to his udder misery to realizing he is alone on this earth and wants confort.

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There were multiple differences between Shelley’s Frankenstein and the film adaptations of Frankenstein. In the book, feelings felt by Victor Frankenstein upon creating the monster seemed to be different than those portrayed by him in the movie. For instance, the level of fear felt by Frankenstein in the book seemed much greater than that in the movie. In Shelley’s version, Victor Frankenstein was constantly worried about the monster he had created and the destruction it could potentially cause. He also feared that the monster would hurt him and his loved ones. In contrast, the film versions both showed Victor as being very enthusiastic and happy with regards to Frankenstein’s creation. From the moment the monster began moving, ran around the room, bursting with energy. Regardless of the fact that both film clips were short, there was no indication that Victor Frankenstein feared his monster.

Despite the different feelings felt by Victor Frankenstein in Shelley’s version of Frankenstein and the film clips, his level of surprise towards the creation of the monster seemed the same. In the book, Frankenstein was thrilled that he was able to create such a monster. Although he did fear the monster, he still was amazed at the idea that he did something so profound by himself. Similarly, the film clips also showed Victor Frankenstein filled with joy at the fact that his creation was alive and came to life. Therefore, although there may have been different levels of excitement felt by Victor Frankenstein when his monster came to life, he was still surprised in both the book and the films that he created something that came to life, on his own.

Part 4 Descartes’ Discourse on the Method is a fascinating read about his take on the famous line “I am thinking, therefore I exist” (Descartes 15). I completely agree when Descartes says “intellectual nature is distinct from bodily nature” because he gives to the notion that although someone is alive, they may not be free of imperfections (Descartes 16). Generally, as people age, it is expected that they gain and learn from a number of experiences which, in turn, make them better people. However, there are many older people who have simply not experienced as much, and therefore do not have the same experiences. Likewise, there are very young people who have experienced a great deal of happenings, which make them seem more intelligent. In addition, everyone gains different experiences as they age, which make them more intellectual. Regardless of how similar two people seem, they will never be them same people because they experience different things and see the world in a different light.

When Descartes says that many people “never raise their minds above things that can be perceived by the senses” (Descartes 17), I think of the material world in which we live in today, and the notion of old money and new money. There are individuals who believe that in order to show success in life and be happy, they must have material possessions to show their high status. These material possessions therefore define who they are. In contrast, those with an old money lifestyle do not flaunt material possessions, and often believe that simply doing good for society and contributing to make the world a better place is more than enough to define themselves. As such, many believe that if they cannot see something material or tangible, it must not be real, and that a person (i.e. one from an old money family) does not reveal material possessions, they must not have money – even if they do.

Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself” made me reflect on my journeys, regardless of how large or small – my journey of life, which is never-ending, the journey of my career that has recently begun, and on a smaller scale, my journey to Baruch is reflected as well. We all view our journey differently, and regardless of origin and destination, my journey is different than even that of the person sitting next to me on the train.

My journey to Baruch begins with a ten-minute drive to the Convent Station NJ Transit train station. I always try to leave ample time before the train departs so as not to rush, but somehow still manage to pull into the parking lot as the train is pulling in, with just seconds to spare. On the platform, I hear the toot of the train’s horn as it whizzes past the weary-eyed commuters “of old and young, of the foolish as much as the wise,” all with different destinations (16). We hoard in packs near each door, anxiously waiting for it to open, and one by one, board the train. I make my way to the upper level of the second car of the double-decker train, and find my way to a window seat. By this point, I struggle to untangle my headphones, while taking out my laptop to get some work done. Simultaneously, I hear the footsteps of the conductor as he steps up the stairs, click, click, clicking his hole puncher. “Tickets, please!” he wails as he strolls the aisle, gazing across a sea of monthly train passes being shown. Around “me many long dumb voices” fill the cars, as others roll their eyes in search of quiet (24).

This express train whizzes past multiple stations, with other commuters standing outside, waiting till our train “becomes unseen and receives proof in its turn,” until their train finally arrives (3). The train makes its final stop at Brick Church, before closing the doors for the last time before our Penn Station arrival. As the train crawls through the swamps of Secaucus, it comes to a screeching halt. Amtrak’s Acela Express goes whizzing by, along with some other random trains. We finally pick up our pace, hoping for an on-time Penn Station arrival, begging for a train not to be stuck in the 100 year-old Hudson River tunnels, no downed overhead wires, or some other irregularity that wreaks havoc on our commute.