Non Fiction Article Response

Margot Supple                    11/18/14

Blog Post #6     811

Non-Fiction article source: New York Times     

By definition, being ethical is “following accepted rules of behavior : morally right and good”. In daily lives, most decisions are based off what someone thinks is “right” or “wrong”. For example, it would be wrong to cheat on a test, and it would be right to cover your paper. Many people have been debating over if it is ethnic for Ebola nurses to go out in public before they have been checked for the disease. This also brings up a new question, what do citizens have to do to protect others from the spread of illnesses?

Is it “wrong” to go grocery shopping if you have a cold, or go out to a restaurant with a stomach flu? Professor Lawrence O. Gostein believes that although it is not “unethical”, when sick there are still limitations to the amount of germ sharing actions you should perform. “So go for a walk, ride your bike, but don’t shake anyone’s hand or touch them — and I would advise not going into congregant settings. I think it’s unethical and wrong to hop on a cruise ship or get on an airplane or go to crowded movie theater or kiss your fiancée or go to a bowling alley.” However, other people disagree with Gostein, and say that it is completely unethical to come into contact with others when you are sick. Caroline Fairchild states that when sick people should not go to work, school, restaurants, or parks because of the high risk of infecting others. I disagree with Fairchild’s claim, because going outside to the park or restaurants may help your illness.

There is no right answer to all these questions, but people should base their decisions on the impact they will have on their community. I believe that it is healthy to go outside for a walk or run, but people should not purposely touch others in a way likely to spread germs.

Museum of New York Homework

Margot Supple
Blog Post #5

   Write a blog post about what the trip made you think, feel, know, and/or wonder. Write 2-3 paragraphs.

  Friday my english class and I went to the Museum of New York for a field trip. We walked through the museum, studying the different protests and activists in New York. We looked at a Dutch protest from the 17th century all the way to Biking protests in the 2000's. The first protest we looked at was in New Amsterdam. Twelve citizens signed a petition against a law stating that any religion besides Christianity you could not worship in public, such as Judaism or Quakers. This was the first record of activism in New York. 
We then moved to suffragists fighting for women's right to vote. I found this exhibit the most interesting. I loved looking at the posters for and against suffragists. It was eye opening to see some of the reasons people had against woman being able to vote, and I thought it was fun to work in groups and discuss them. Looking at the pictures you could see the woman dressing formally and proper, which was a great way to get more people on their side. The way suffragists used campaigning to get people on their side was very interesting to me, and it could be connected to ways people campaign today.
Our last two exhibits were protests for gay marriage and against cars parking in bike lanes. I thought some of the items made for gay parades, like the "gay" doll, were very stereotypical. I was unsure if they were making fun of gay people, or shining light on the subject, but I still thought it could be considered hurtful by some people. The bike protests were very funny, and the activists used comedy to attract attention. I thought this trip was very informative, while also fun and interesting.

1984 Response on Symbolism

Margot Supple                           

Blog Post #4

In the book 1984, the author George Orwell depicts a totalitarian society ruled by Big Brother and his party that uses propaganda and technology to control its citizens. The book is written through the eyes of Winston Smith, a man strongly against the party and its beliefs. Seen through his view, the party has control of every aspect of the society, from monitoring every piece of land on telescreens to manipulating citizens’ understanding of the past. Throughout the book as Winston's views about the party change, he leaves behind the objects and places that he cherished.

In the beginning of the story most of Winston’s time is spent writing in his diary, a item he bought in a shop down in the poorer parts of town. What Winston writes in his diary shows his true feelings of the party, "DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER." However, he has to hide these ideas, because otherwise he will be persecuted for his beliefs. Crammed in the only corner of his house without a telescreen, Winston writes about how little freedom the government grants its citizens. Later in the book Winston realizes he is writing his diary for O’Brien, a character who Winston believes to be against the party. Winston hopes that O’Brien will agree with his opinions, and that together they can overthrow Big Brother and the party. Writing in his diary shows Winston's thoughts against his corrupt government and that he will stand up for what he believes in. When Winston gets arrested he leaves his diary behind. During his time in prison he is tortured to believe that Big Brother is a strong and respectful leader. The more he loves Big Brother, the less he thinks about his diary, which was a symbol of his lost rebellion.

     

As Winston’s unorthodox actions become noticed, he becomes more of a target for the party and finds himself taking more risks. He meets Julia, a girl who shares his views, and they fall in love. One day Winston wanders into the same antique shop where he had bought his diary, which is very unsafe because the party disagrees with anything that involves the past. Winston rents a room above the shop, and also buys a coral glass paperweight. Describing what he thinks of its symbolism, Winston says: “The paperweight was the room he was in, and the coral was Julia’s life and his own, fixed in a sort of eternity at the heart of the crystal.” When Winston first sees the room he is astonished by the fact that there are no telescreens on the ceilings or walls. The bedroom and the paperweight symbolize a safe house for Winston, a place where he can be free from the constant supervision of the party. When Winston gets arrested, the glass paperweight shatters, symbolizing his safe house breaking apart.

    

In conclusion, as Winston's views on the party change, the places or objects that were his only source of freedom become more distant to him. When Winston learns to love Big Brother, he completely forgets about those symbols that he treasured when he was against the party.