John: Just Another Angst-Ridden Teen

In Brave New World, the theme of constant self indulgence was obvious.  One could hardly read a page without being struck by the constant spoilings to which the inhabitants of this strange world seemed to be privy.  In this world, citizens were encouraged to be as selfish, and wasteful as they desired.  Citizens were not meant to think of the lasting effects of their actions.  Any want, no matter how selfish, was granted.  In this world, consciences were nonexisitent.  Because of this, one could also say that emotions were a thing of the past.  When John entered this world, he was in awe of just how wastefully and sinfully these strangers to him were living.  John lived with the belief that he was different; that he was as unselfish as they come.  However at the end of the novel, John commits suicide.
Suicide is a serious matter and is not to be taken lightly.  And as such, opinions on this matter should not be ever held to be correct.  But if John claimed he was so unselfish, a question is then raised in my mind about John's intentions with the said suicide.  John's suicide is supposedly caused by his feelings of loneliness and of being an outsider in such a self-absorbed society.  But John's actions in commiting suicide were just as selfish, as he then was catering directly to his own wants without regard for the others he may have been hurting.  Although John's mother had just died and he may have been called completely alone, John still had his father.  John's father was not his own in the normal sense, but with time, this may have changed.  John and Bernard still shared a unique bond that could have been further developed with due time.  In the real world, suicide is not as much of a rarity as it is in the society of Brave New World.  However, it is not any less shocking or hurtful to those affected by it.   Suicide can be selfish in that one can ignore the feelings of those directly affected by such an act.  However, suicide is also a very personal decision.  No one can ever fully understand the feelings of another person who is fighting their own battles.  While some may call suicide a selfish act, I believe that suicide is something that is far beyond the judgement of anyone other than the person who makes this choice for his/herself. 

   John was a boy beyond either of the worlds he had lived in.  In the reservation, he was alwasy yearning for something more.  In Brave New World, his wildest dreams that his mother had always prepared him for had been accomplished, but even they weren't enough.  John could never fit in to either of these worlds and had no means of escaping this pain and loneliness he experienced as a result, especially since the time he lived in did not allow for creative expression.
I could compare myself to John in my experiences in switching schools when I was in grade school.  I started out in a private Hebrew school in the states, but I eventually started going to a public school in Canada.  The change was drastic, and it was hard for me to adjust to what I felt was a different world.  Instead of studying Hebrew, I had to catch up in French.  I was far ahead of my peers since I had been following a different curriculum.  Instead of studying American history, I had to learn the names of Canada's provinces.  Although at the time I felt I would never be able to catch up to my peers, I did.  Of course, this change did not happen over night and going to a school that didn't require an hour's commute every day took some getting used to, I adapted.  According to Darwin, adaptations like these are necessary for survival.  If one cannot change to survive, they will not. 

 Although I would not say my situation was by any stretch of the imagination as severe or emotionally taxing as John's, I can say that any situation can be conquered when approached with an open mind and the willingness to change.  

Continuity gives us roots; change gives us branches, letting us stretch and grow and reach new heights.  ~Pauline R. Kezer

It's pretty unnerving

when you realize how easy it is to lull someone into a false sense of security.


As children, we are brought up to be good people with morals, and to be trusting that in doing so others will reciprocate.  As we grow older, some of us are naive and it takes longer for them to realize the truth: you can never be too sure that others will be as morale as we have been taught.  It is human nature to be fiercely competitive in order to survive, but this human nature has been worked on for ages in order to make this animal behaviour lessened in order to follow proper social etiquette.  In 1984, Winston foolishly trusted O'Brien as he thought that he seemed to be someone with good intentions, similar to himself.  As O'Brien later proved to be responsible for Winston's capture, we could see that this was a mistake.  O'Brien proves how easy it is to fool someone into believing that you are of their kindred, that you are one to be trusted.  By lulling someone into this false sense of security, they let their guard down.  Once one removes their defences, it is simple to attack and accomplish whatever was more difficult before.  This strategy is one that I have witnessed in real life, in particular, tonight.


On this night of July 13th, 2011 at approximately 9:00 P.M., history was made.  The Vancouver Canucks, a team so deserving of the Stanley Cup was denied their rightful trophy.  The Canucks went into Game 6 with hopeful hearts and an incredible fan base to support them.  Although they had been on the losing side of a couple recent games in the series, they were now leading the way to the final game.  The title of champions could have been theirs if they had just managed to win this final game.  Sadly, this would not be the case.


Unfortunately for Vancouver, their guard was somewhat lowered now that their self-esteem was raised due to their recent successes.  Boston seized this weakness, and with the added bonus of playing in their home country managed to pull off a devastating 4 goals in the first 10 minutes of the game.
This, while not only being a tragedy in the eyes of true Canadians, was also a perfect example to show how weakness can be exploited and how simple it is to trick your enemy.  Although this strategy is by no means revolutionary nor commendable, it does work.  This strategy can help give one an edge over a competitor, or help one a championship game.  Although it can be considered selfish to use another's weakness in order to benefit oneself, it is essentially a foolproof tactic.  That being said, under what cirumstances does being cruel become simply utilizing one's resources?










GO VANCOUVER!!!!!!!!!!!

Macbeth vs. Macbeth

The topic of marriage was one that was not one that was a focal point for this year, but the marriage of Lady Macbeth and Macbeth was of such curiosity that I felt it necessary to further explore.  Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are both unquestionably powerful characters, not only because of their eventual status of king and queen, but also because of the incredible drive that they both possess.  Both characters are extremely motivated with great ambition, and they are both more than willing to do whatever it takes to achieve their goals.  The dynamic between the couple is what intrigues me the most, by far.  Having a union between such strong characters is a surefire way to create both tension and interest.  As both characters are so determined, there is always a possibility that one might stand as an obstacle to the other's mission.  When Macbeth falters in courage to murder King Duncan, Lady Macbeth questions his masculinity.  This can be seen as manipulation, but also as a sort of challenge as to prove herself better than her husband.  This, while not only creating conflict to further the play's plot, is also a dynamic often seen in more recent productions of various nature:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JY7Hh5PzELo

  There is always interest when one is to compare the sexes as one tries to outdo the other, as proven by the above link.  "Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better" is one of the best-known stage numbers in all of music theatre's history.  This is one of the most often performed songs by amateurs as well, since the number is so relatable.  This power struggle between male and female is one that seems to automatically command interest.  This in itself has been proven if one were to look at even tabloids of celebrity gossip magazines.  In recent years, the television show "Jon and Kate + 8" has become of popular interest.  However, this show has achieved even greater success since the split of Jon and Kate.  Since the couple have split up, the attention primarily drawn in for the show has been directed to the feuding parents.  The parents had both been noted for their fame-hungry ways, and little sympathy was generated for the poor children caught in the middle.  The parents fought to outdo the other and become the better parent, not for their child-rearing tactics, but rather for who's appearance would be more costly.  The parents were seen making paid public appearances, doing book signings, on talk-shows, and doing everything other then be responsible for their children.  The obsession with one's rising social status without regard for one's children was obvious in both situations: Jon and Kate were spotted neglecting and even hitting their kids (possibly for a publicity stunt) and Lady Macbeth spoke unfeelingly of the loss of a child.  It's tragic to see just how far some may go in order to get what they want, even at the expense of their own children.

The power struggle in a relationship is a dynamic that has become more and more common as opportunities for both males and females have begun to become more apparent.  As it becomes possible to have a family where both parents are working, it is also possible for both parents to become more engrossed in their careers than in their kids.  As depression and loneliness seems to become more rampant in children with parents that are both overly career minded, striking the perfect balance between juggling a family and a career becomes less of a goal for new parents and more of a necessity. 

“A man travels the world over in search of what he needs, and returns home to find it.” - George Moore

1984.. in 2011?

In 1984, it is incredibly difficult to relate to Winston.  Winston lives a life completely unfamiliar to our world, and it is always a struggle to try to sympathize with his constant fear of being watched.  Unlike us, Winston lives a life without family and without friends (with the exception of Julia).  This fact alone has the ability to show the many differences that separate Winston from Canadian society in the 21st century.  I cannot imagine living in such an isolated way; without a single person to ever talk to and without any way to express myself.  The way that Winston had to live would be like forcing a closed bottle to have to withstand a never-ending source of pressure: without a way to relieve some of the "pressures" of everyday life, you would eventually explode, or at least go crazy.




Winston was a tragic character, but he was also incredibly self-absorbed.  Winston was incapable of focusing on anything other than himself.  To be fair, this may have just been the product of living for so long in an isolated environment.  However, Winston's selfishness was an apparent character trait since his childhood when had a family.  Early in the novel, we learn the story of Winston eating all of the chocolate ration that was meant for his entire family.  Winston mentions that his younger sister was very sickly, but even as a child, his need for self-indulgence was stronger than his desire to help others.  Even for a child that was weaker and smaller than himself, Winston had no mercy or empathy.  Although Winston admits to regretting this and feeling shame for the incident, his conscience obviously went on a hiatus for the rest of his life as we never again see Winston repent to such extent, even after causing torture and brain washing for himself and Julia.
From Winston's chocolate incident, one can easily learn a  relevant lesson.  When Winston took the entire chocolate ration, he was following his body's orders.  Winston was more than likely suffering from malnutrition and needed the sugar and energy for survival, but you cannot forget that his much smaller sister was in need as well.  Additionally, she was sick which means that she would have needed the chocolate even more than Winston.


The interesting part about this situation is how animalistic we see Winston become.  Any normal human being, under normal circumstances, would have behaved rationally and would have let his weaker sister have the chocolate, or at the very least wouldn't have taken all of it.  When deprived of the proper nutrition he needed, Winston became barbaric and his primal instincts took over.
This transition is one that can be recognized in real life, particularly in the past few years with the unemployment status on the rise.  When someone is up for a job and they have a mortgage to pay, a family to feed, bills to take care of, and a million other things to do; they will do everything in their power to get that job.  If they have to spread lies or rumours about a competitor to get the job, they will do it, no questions asked.  Whether someone is facing unemployment or starvation, desperate times call for desperate measures.  One can hardly be called selfish when they are forced to do everything in their power in order to survive.  It's human nature.  But that then raises an important question:
If it hurts someone else but helps you, is it excusable?

Macbeth is so driven that he scares me

Shakespeare has always been applauded for how timeless his works seem to be.  Whether his works be addressing love or death, they possess the rare ability of staying relevant through any number of years.  However, I found Macbeth to be different. 

The character of Macbeth could be compared to a university student, earnest and hopeful, with a heart full of ambition.  At the stage in our lives that most of us are currently in, we are excited about the prospect of the future.  We all believe that we can be whoever we want to be, we can conquer any obstacle in our way, and that the world is our oyster (ALL of which are true).  Macbeth represents these feelings perfectly: at the beginning of the play, Macbeth is a great soldier who has caught the king's eye.  He has the potential to become a person of high rank and to be well-thought of by the king.  But when the witches suggest that Macbeth could become king, Macbeth becomes determined to make this happen.  Macbeth goes to such lengths to gain power that he even kills his own best friend, and eventually goes insane.  This insanity may have been caused by sleep deprivation, but really, it just proves how desperately some people crave power and control.  This character could serve as a warning to students about to venture off into university and the work force.  As scary as it may seem, it is entirely possible for our peers to become just as hungry for success. For some, betrayal is a small price to pay in order to climb the power ladder.  A perfect example of this happening in a (sort of) plausible situation is 

It's a scary thought, but as we go off to university or college or even the workforce, we will really get to see the true nature of our peers.   Macbeth just proves that you never really know what someone is capable of, especially when they are either sleep-deprived of faced with the chance to become a multi-millionaire.

the challenge of rebelling against what society wants you to become

  As technology has progressed, modern conveniences have been taken for granted as they became easier to come by.  Warm, running water for showers; tasty, albeit nutrition less food for munching; and a multitude of clothing that most could do without are just a few examples of the ways that society has encouraged the wasteful lifestyle.  As the world has become more and more industrialized, it has become necessary for people to become less frugal in order to keep these industries running and to keep people in the industries employed.  We have become dependent on the idea of constant spending on desired items, rather than spending this money in a more beneficial way.  We have become enamoured with the idea that it is somehow okay to waste continuously; that somehow our own immediate gratification is more important than the sustaining of the entirety of the human race.
We have lost touch with reality.
If the world was a perfect place, all of the human race would be sheltered, well-fed, have access to clean drinking water, and would be happy.  Some might be without the latest 'it' fashion accessory, but as a whole, we would be happy and safe, because we would all be equal.  Unfortunately, the idea equality has always been a bit of a struggle for all of humanity to grasp.  As people become accustomed to the 'finer' things in life, they become less resilient to give these things up, no matter what it is costing others.
We cannot place any of the blame for how the world is now functioning on any one person.  People are products of their environments, and society has simply been encouraging the quest for self-enjoyment.  With this desire for satisfaction, we have seen how it is possible for people to go overboard and only think about themselves, to an unhealthy extent.  As this is always a possibility, it is important for people to learn to control this drive for satisfaction, and to channel this possibility for indulgence into generosity.

Through out this school year, we have studied various texts, that have all shared the theme of self-obsession, and what can happen if this indulgence gets out of control.  My blog will be exploring the role of self in the assortment of texts, and how this relates to my own life.








The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit.  ~Nelson Henderson

Not just one of the seven deadly sins

could it be a life choice?