It is okay for the government to mislead in order to promote security.

The last time I was asked this question, I strongly agreed that governments had the right to mislead their people in order to promote national security. I made the assumption that the average government cares for its people’s well being over its own, however I was wrong. Although there are a modest number of governments that truly do care for their people, many governments care for the country’s economic well being more than anything else. Thus, it is not okay for governments to mislead their people to promote security. Assuming that people will educate themselves and come to understand the political situation of the nation, governments must always be transparent with what it is doing and why it is doing it.

In the documentary, the American government had economic interest in the Gulf region, however rather than telling its people the truth as to why they began a war in Iraq they mislead them and that created a plethora human rights violations under the name of a fabricated ‘justice.’

 “History is written by the victors. People like victory. Once you are victorious you don’t have to justify.” This quote truly resonated with me as it caused me to think about the uniform fashion in which history is told, a multitude of perspectives is rarely found. With that said, it leads me to the second quote which was powerful in its message, "objectivity is like a mirage. “Nothing we perceive is truly objective, everything we know is infatuated by either or own personal bias or the creator's bias. We must be able to make our decisions as to what we want to believe; therefore it is not okay for the government to mislead the people in order to promote security.

Although this completely contrasts my initial id ignorantiam, I believe that governments should not be making assumptions as to how competent its people are and whether they deserve to know the truth. It is their right to know every action that is taken under their names, such as the Iraqi war initiated by the ‘Americans.’

It is important for governments to maintain a level of transparency in regards to their actions as they represent the people on the international field.

Mushrooms by Sylvia Plath

What is the poem about?

• On the surface, the poem is about mushrooms quietly growing in a nighttime forest.
• They poke their heads from the leafy, pine-needled forest floor and eventually sprout from the cracks in a city sidewalk.
• The poem is an extended metaphor.
• The mushrooms seem to represent an oppressed population- most likely women- who are mounting a quiet revolution.
• At the end of the poem, we’re told that, by morning, they’ll have the respenct they deserve. 

Personification:

• Plath’s personification of the mushrooms can be seen as a way of expressing the plight of women in the 1960’s. The ‘perfectly voiceless’ fungus represent the silent but growing majority of women, hidden in darkness, gradually, quietly, pushing until they ‘inherit the earth.’

Structure:

•  Regular stanzas – it is almost and though Plath has crafted every aspect of this poem to mimic or reflect the 1960’s woman. All the stanzas are the same, identical, they behave perfectly and as we expect them to – the lack of spontaneity reveals the societal expectations of women at the time. 
•  All stanzas – the increasing power of women and their fight for equality.
• Stanzas being the same length/ equal represent the equality women will eventually have.
• Syllables on every line – allows us to hear and feel the restraints the mushrooms and women are pushing and fighting against.
• Free verse – the mushrooms growing. Also the growing independence of women and how they no longer rely on men.

Annotations:

Additional helpful resources:

http://genius.com/2903102

'Tulips' by Sylvia Plath- Practice IOC

Coriolanus Individual Oral Commentary Outline:

Introduction:

The passage presented is from the play ‘Coriolanus’ written by William Shakespeare. Through this work of literature, Shakespeare explores the physical and internal implications that are inflicted due to the political shift from monarchy to democracy.  Shakespeare studies the influence of power on people and provides a social commentary in which he advocates the distribution of power.

This passage is situated in act one scene one of the play. Preceding this passage, the citizens of the Capitol revolt against the government due to high corn prices and ask the Senators to restore their basic rights. Following this passage Aufidius plans to go to war against Caius Martius.

In this passage Caius Martius talks to Menenius talk about the plebeians revolution. Caius Martius reveals his disgust with the plebians’ attitudes and their lack of respect for authoritative figures.

This passage is significant as it characterizes Caius Martius and reveals his hubris. This passage pushes forward the theme of power and the abuse of power against the weak.

This commentary will follow a sequential analysis...

Section one (lines 1-26):

• Caius Martius insults the Second Citizen.
• Caius Martius proceeds by insulting all the plebeians and revealing how they disgust him.
• Caius Martius finds out that the plebeians are revolting against the government due to the high prices of corn.
• Animal Imagery: “You Curs” “Where he should find you lions, finds you hares; where foxes, geese.”
•  Antithesis “Where he should find you lions, finds you hares; where foxes, geese” “Coal of fire upon the ice, or hailstone in the sun.”
• Sarcasm “We have ever your good word.”
• Foreshadow: “Your affections are a sick man’s appetite.” Rome has a diseased body politic. Coriolanus may be the disease that Rome, however he blames the plebeians.

Section two (lines 27-41):

• Caius Martius says that through revolution the plebeians are only hurting themselves and making themselves prone to abuse by foreign invaders.
•  Threatening tone.
• Warfare is associated with nobility.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, in this passage Shakespeare characterizes Coriolanus through his use of imagery and dialogue. This passage is significant to the play as it foreshadows the downfall of Rome and characterizes the play’s main character, Caius Martius.

Family Furnishings IOC Outline:

Introduction:

‘Family Furnishings’ is a short story written by Alice Munro. This short story is from Munro’s collection published in 2014, titled ‘Family Furnishings.’ In this short story Munro highlights the intricacies of maturing, exploring the prevalent yet inexplicit theme of coming of age. Munro reveals the burden of becoming an adult and having to carry the ‘family furnishings.’

Sequential Passage Analysis:

This passage is situated after the protagonist attends her father’s funeral, she meets Alfrida’s daughter and finds out that Alfrida did not attend the funeral due to her health problems and old age. The purpose of this passage is to confine the entire story and tie everything together. 

1.     Alfrida’s daughter recalls the story about Alfrida and the protagonist’s father:

a.     “Boy and a girl, they would just get teased something terrible” this foreshadows the incestuous relationship later revealed to have blossomed between the narrator’s father and Alfirda in their youthful years.

b.     “Bells rung.” According to the Bible, Bells ringing may symbolize the sacred union between a man and a woman. Bells also symbolize the start of a new life. The bells allude to the incestuous relationship between Alfrida and the protagonist’s father, and the extra-marital child that was created as a result of the union.

c.      Alfrida’s daughter recalls the story vividly, yet in a manner that is non-identical to the protagonist’s version of it. Here Munro reveals the “power” of words (as stated in line 7). Story telling is always structured in a manner appropriate for its readers.

2.     The protagonist is confused as to the change in the story she was once told about her father and Alfrida.

a.     “Only I thought hey were just children.” The noun ‘children’ symbolizes purity and innocence. In emphasizing the word children, Munro reveals the impurity of the relationship between Afrida and the protagonist’s father.

b.     “She was pretty good at remembering anything involving your father.” This alludes to the emotional attachment and love that Alfrida had for the protagonist’s father.

c.      “People change things around.” Munro discusses the power of words and storytelling once again, people have the ability to mend the truth and change their words in order to protect their selves.

3.     The protagonists finds out that she lived her whole life not knowing who Alfrida truly was:

a.     “She said you were smart, but you weren’t ever quite as smart as you thought you were.” Here the protagonist figures out the true relationship between her father and Alfrida, indicating how she had overlooked the truth through out her life.

b.     “She said you were kind of a cold fish.” This metaphor characterizes the protagonist as an unresponsive individual, oblivious to their surroundings.

This moment in the plot reveal’s that Alfrida and the protagonists father had emotional and sexual relationships in their teenage years. Alfrida’s reputation, her affinity for her father, her removal to another city, and an implausible story of armistice day with which Murno open her tale all allude to this overlooked relationship. Munro connected the dots, yet kept the reader from doing so. In doing so, Munro has emphasized the power of storytelling. Munro tests how we read between the lines.

The Moons of Jupiter- Practice IOC

Hello,

This is the link to my practice IOC. My passage if from a short story by Alice Munro, titled 'The Moons of Jupiter.'

Ed Sheeran ‘Small Bump’

Ed Sheeran is known for his magical hands, which strum the chords of our hearts and fuels us with many emotions.  ‘Small Bump’ is no different; it is a touching tale of the tragic journey to parenthood.

‘Small bump’ starts by Ed Sheeran sharing emotions of love and compassion with the listeners, the excitement that comes with parenthood. We smiled as he smiled at the though of the exciting journey of parenthood. We laughed as we thought about how his baby might look, whether he would the singer’s hair or the mother’s eyes. 

The song ending takes a tragic turn as the listeners find out that the baby has been ‘torn from life.’ The songwriter grieves the loss of his child and through his portrayal of his baby’s departure as being ‘torn’ from life by God, it is evident that the songwriter holds feelings animosity and blames God for his pain. This vivid image evokes emotions of sadness: an innocent child aggressively torn from the hands of his loving parents.

I personally have never experienced the attachment a parent feels towards his/her child; I don’t understand the eternal selflessness and love that parent are capable of. However, Ed Sheeran has crafted a tale in which he took us through the events of loving and expecting an unborn child and then grieving the child’s loss.  

You were just a small bump unborn, in four months you're brought to life

You might be left with my hair, but you'll have your mother's eyes

I'll hold your body in my hands be as gentle as I can

And now your scan on my unmade plans

Small bump, in four months you're brought to life

I'll hold you tightly, I'll give you nothing but truth

If you're not inside me, I'll put my future in you

You are my one, and only

You can wrap your fingers round my thumb and hold me tight

Oh you are my one, and only

You can wrap your fingers round my thumb and hold me tight

And you'll be alright

You're just a small bump unknown and you'll grow into your skin

With a smile like hers and a dimple beneath your chin

(Oh) Finger nails the size of a half grain of rice

And eyelids closed to be soon opened wide a small bump

In four months you'll open your eyes

I'll hold you tightly, I'll give you nothing but truth

If you're not inside me, I'll put my future in you

You are my one, and only

You can wrap your fingers round my thumb and hold me tight

Oh you are my one, and only

You can wrap your fingers round my thumb and hold me tight

And you'll be alright

You can lie with me, with your tiny feet when your half asleep

I'll leave you be

Right in front of me for a couple weeks

So I can keep you safe

'Cause you are my one, and only

You can wrap your fingers round my thumb and hold me tight

Oh you are my one, and only

You can wrap your fingers round my thumb and hold me tight

And you'll be alright

You were just a small bump unborn, for four months then torn from life

Maybe you were needed up there but we're still unaware as why