The Truman Show and school

Authors note: When we were watching the movie, my main thought was how unfair and inhumane it was that they were making his life a TV show. It also scared me that he didn't even know what was happening to him.


As children we are taught to follow certain rules. 'Don't talk to strangers.' and 'Don't cross the street alone.' are examples of non-negotiable rules. At school it is required for us to 'use our inside voices' and 'walk in a straight line' at all times while inside the building. Each teacher has a list of rules that hang in their room proudly to remind students of what not to do. School starts at a young age and slowly drills these rules into us. In third grade, they push harder for us to learn these rules saying that fourth grade is much worse in their punishments for not following rules. When we reached sixth grade, we were constantly reminded of the difficulty in middle school. Finally as eighth graders, teachers are always telling us of how difficult high school will be. After high school there will be the trouble of college. Our school says they are preparing us for "College Readiness" with our learning targets. They say they want to prepare us for the real world, yet they keep us so protected at school. Just as it is in the movie, our school is constantly making sure that everything is happening in the right place and the right time. We think that school is a reality; the teachers teach us about all that is going on in the current world. But is school reality? I was thinking that school is a lot like this movie because everything is so protected to be made perfect. School seems to be teaching us what they want us to know, though, just as the producer is doing with Truman's life.

Never give all your apples

My poem was inspired by the poem Never give all the heart by William Butler Yeats. I took his idea of not wanting to give something away and the consequences that would occur if you did and made a satire.

Never give all the heart:

Never give all the heart, for love

Will hardly seem worth thinking of

To passionate women if it seem

Certain, and they never dream

That it fades out from kiss to kiss;

For everything that's lovely is

But a brief, dreamy, kind delight.

O never give the heart outright,

For they, for all smooth lips can say,

Have given their hearts up to the play.

And who could play it well enough

If deaf and dumb and blind with love?

He that made this knows all the cost,

For he gave all his heart and lost.

My Poem:

Never give all your apples, for good

You'll never be thinking you should

To hungry poor children so sweet

Certain, and they would never eat

That it hurts some from day to day

For all that is juicy I pray

Is a cool, crunchy, kind delight.

O never give your apples outright,

For they, for all poor souls can say

Have given their apples up to the play

And who could eat with upright head

If full and rich and plump with red?

He that gave it knows all the loss,

For he lost all his apple sauce.

El Alcazar

Author's note: This poem was based off of the poster in the back of the room. I looked at the tower and imagined a princess who was left there to die.

I know why I am here

The fate of all the lands

And all that I hold dear

resting upon my hands

And now that I am gone

A single flower dead

The rest quiet their song

And nothing to be said

In life what have I done

To call upon this death

No Hell I can't outrun

And gone my single breath

My soul will linger here

So restless and unsure

All love will disappear

Along with all else pure

Creation

After studying the Christian view of the creation of the world, I was inspired to write this poem.

Beginning of the morning

The light a gift for all

So soft so strong it is today

A beautiful creation

Another day has come and gone

To leave another morning

Another day for night and sky

A beautiful creation

The day is gone another comes

Alive are plants and trees

Separate are the land and sea

A beautiful creation

Another gift another blessing

Let light guide us in our lives

The darkness hides in fear of light

A beautiful creation

Yet another day is here

The fish swim in the sea

Birds are flying overhead

A beautiful creation

Another day again is here

The last and final gift

A beating heart and love for all

A beautiful creation

The seventh day of rest and peace

So blessed is it now

We sing of praise for the time we have

What a beautiful creation

Mr. Kumar

This was a response to the prompt "Discuss Mr. Kumar and Pi's description and respect for him."

When meeting someone for the first time, you may get a first impression immediately just by their appearance. When Pi describes Mr. Kumar in the novel Life of Pi, he is an interesting man with an interesting shape. A triangular head and body stuck upon two sticks called legs. An odd shape, yes, but if you were to get past the first impression what would you find? A man full of knowledge and a love for science is what Pi sees behind the façade of an oddly shaped person. Though Mr. Kumar is an atheist, Pi does not mind as long as he has faith in something. The weak are those who claim they are too strong to put their faith anywhere for support.

As an atheist, Mr. Kumar believes that God is not real. He said himself to Pi one day, "Religion is darkness." "Why tolerate darkness? Everything is here and clear, if only we look carefully." Mr. Kumar then pointed to a rhino standing in front of him referencing him as the light in life. It shows that his "religion" is science.

Once, Zeno the Stoic said that it is better to feel nothing than to feel good or bad. If you believe this, you could also say that it is better to put your faith in nothing than to put it in something good or bad. When Pi is thinking about his talk with Mr. Kumar he says to himself “It is not atheists who get stuck in my craw, but agnostics. Doubt is useful for a while." "But we must move on. To choose doubt as a philosophy of life is akin to choosing immobility as a means of transportation." Pi is saying to that life by doubt or to put faith in nothing, you are making life as hard to live as you possibly can.

If ever in life were you to take a leap of faith, where would your faith be? This question is one that would have a variety of answers. The point that Pi or Yann Martel is trying to get across is that if you ever have to be asked that question, you should know exactly where you put your trust and faith. Not the trust you have in a bank for keeping your money safe, but the faith that you may realize that something is greater and more powerful than yourself and you trust it with your life. Pi's respect for Mr. Kumar is not about his knowledge, but that he has faith in something he loves -- that he could take a leap of faith with science by his side.

Wunderkammern

This sculpture was from the Milwaukee Public Art Museum and showed a wooden cabinet surrounded by trees that are leaning into it. I found that is looks as though the green and life of nature is giving into man and evolution.

The green of nature

It's beauty and life

Love and innocence

Mystery and hope

A silent breeze

Blowing softly across

Whispering of history

A mystery

Of evolution and death

An innocent surrender

Bending softly

To improvement

To technology and hate

War and loss

A world of fear

A silent surrender

Firelight

This poem represents someone being young and innocent sitting by a fire roasting marshmallows. I've done this with my family many times when I was younger, so the innocence reminds me of those times.


As youth and love collide
Amongst the flame lit night
I feel you by my side
But not within my sight
The crackle of the log
The melody for the night
Beside me lies a dog
Enjoying the firelight


Our marshmallows melting
Our faces aglow
By the fire's light shining
We feel the warm blow
Wild in the air
Beneath the starry sky
Tonight there is not a care
Beside the fire's sigh

The stars above my head
The blanket beneath my chin
I argued when you said
It was time to go in
Now laying in my bed
Ready to go to sleep
Goodnight warm fire red

It's time to count the sheep