Poe

Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) was an influential American writer who was a part of the Romantic Movement. Most people would say he had a hard life because he loss so many loved ones and seemed to always carry grief (wife, parents, etc.). In a way, his constant sorrow and grief was good thing because it influenced his writing style which he is famous for. Poe was one of the first authors to introduce science fiction, made up of out of this world characters with supernatural powers and stuff. Maybe he went a little crazy when his family members died, and it opened a whole new world for him. In some of his pieces the narrator (him, maybe) has some sort of sorrow or loss of loved one and struggles with the pain throughout (The Raven & Ligeia). 

His craziness really, I think, positively influenced his writing. Poe is awesome at storytelling. Although wordy at times, he is great at creating suspense and imagery to set the stage for his pieces. Another thing I like about his style is that it is never dull or boring; there is always some mystery, wonder, and excitement about his work. Poe knows just how to word things and uses many literary devices to further emphasize his points which make his pieces all the more exquisite.

My favorite Poe short story is Tell Tale Heart. This story is LITERALLY one of my favorite pieces of literature and everyone should read it (video animation of story: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDLLHTdVSgU)! It is basically about a guy who hates the sight of an old man's eye and he goes to extreme lengths to never see it again. Poe is so crazy but I love it and it really works in this short story.

Poe is weird dude with a broad imagination and I absolutely love it and so do many others. Without him literature would be really dull so thank you Edgar Allan Poe for your imaginative writing style!

Modern Slavery

Okay so this blog is perfect because I was just reading about this in my world studies class, and I thought it was pretty interesting! So as everyone should know, a couple hundred years ago slavery was alive and thriving. Africans were taken from their homes in the night and placed on boats on a journey to America, where they were bought like objects and forced to work long hours without pay. The slave owners or masters, as they were called, used inhumane tactics and created strict rules to oppress the workers. Everything that was put in place was created to destroy the progress of blacks and further engrave the idea that they were worthless and couldn't even be compared to their white counterparts. Fortunately, the civil war came about and slavery was later abolished in America; or at least the "man" made it seem that way. Was slavery erased? Has our country overcome slavery? Well if you ask the author of The New Jim Crow, she would argue no. 

Like the slaves, who were in chains and brought down by the weight of oppression unable to vote, obtain an education, be included in social activities, or treated with respect, black people, who make up about 12% of the American population, fill up 40% of the prisons alone. According to Michelle, the author of the article, this is because of the drug war which is used as a new way to push the black community further behind and exclude them from the American society once again. The argument presented in this article is basically that the white man presents a way for the poor, of all races, to make money through drugs, and then the white legal system in term comes back to chain the poor, but this time only/mostly blacks, shipping them to jail; in jail theses drug dealer criminals are given a felony, as this is against the law. This label of a felon decreases their chances of getting a job, takes away their ability to get any type of government support, ability to vote, and they are excluded/discriminated against for the rest of their lives; these struggles are similar if not the same as those of a slave. The modern slavery of America is the legal system and its almost invisible methods keeping the black race from furthering.

I don't know if I completely agree with this argument however it is a way to look things. Has our society found new ways to bring others down? Is this a conscious or unconscious action? Who's to say but I thought I'd share this idea and get other people’s opinions on it.

Modern Slavery=Legal System?

What is an American?

By definition an American is anyone who lives in or of origin to the Americas, both South and North. However many people believe that being American is living or being born in the United States. To me this answer is too simplistic. Is this all that makes someone American? On the one hand yes but is there something deeper that connects people and makes them American? One that disregards the fact that Americans live in the Americas? What are the qualities we, Americans, share?

Earth has existed for about 4.6 billion years and America is just a little baby in comparison by it being only 200 years old. In the beginning America was in habited by Native Americans/Africans; then came the English settlers and over time other cultures and races immigrated to form a better lives. When a government was established it was one that provided liberty and the pursuit of happiness; this government has lasted for a long time and still sticks to those same principles. As a result of this way of life/government, America has reeled in so many different types of people, and is known as the “melting pot” of the world. Many immigrants come to America because they may have been persecuted or poor and are looking for freedom, jobs, and a life in which they can succeed.

Over the years Americans, specifically from the United States, are people who are all descendants from those who, at some point, emigrated from their homes to form a better life. They were all in the search of the American dream (the idea that one could go from rags to riches with hard work), ways to make profit from land, or an escape from injustice. So when asked what an American is, in the words of Drake, who I think said it best would describe Americans as people who “started at the bottom” and are now here, at the top, because of their hard work.