Frank Lloyd Wright

“Game Changer”

I’m on my way to McDonalds with my sister, a religiously ensued routine we’ve walked every Sunday in snow, rain, and blazing heat all in the name of crispy hash browns and moist egg McMuffins. She suggest we take a back route for a change, one that steers clear of the distinctive eateries and distinguish LAKE theater that dot LAKE street. Three minutes into our walk, we pass a statue that strikes my attention. I backtrack to the gold statue and immediately recognize and notice its Frank Lloyd Wright, my idol, inspiration, motivator, and reason I want to be an architect. The homes surrounding the statue are striking and beautiful. The substantial beams were tall and overpowering. Each shingle of the house gleamed a different shade of blue. The silver ornamental terra cotta trimmed the pediment. My community wasn’t as wealthy as Oak Park, famous for its mammoth and unmatched houses featuring the architecture of a once highly sought after designer icon.

And one day, while I would like to live a home that rivals the houses in Oak Park, I’d rather be cited as an individual who has helped their community, than one resides in one of its lavish houses.  A house to some degree is an extension of ourselves; its quirks and damages a mirror of our character; the interior design an indicator of our personality. With this opportunity, I intend to be a game changer by creating more homes for those who would not have one otherwise. By being a game changer I will be able to create an opportunity for people to receive an education no matter what age for free. I hope to build a community college that also offers housing for disadvantaged. Making an input in ideas and thoughts that will create a positive change in my community and possibly major difference is how I will use my education to be a game changer in my area.

I am a Game Changer because I am dedicated to the integrity of my craft. I am a Game Changer because I seek to improve my community in everything I do.

Discomfort Literary Analysis

“Never, for any reason on earth, could you wish for an increase of pain. Of pain you could wish only one thing: that it should stop. Nothing in the world was so bad as physical pain. In the face of pain there are no heroes, no heroes”. This quote from Winston Smith in the novel, 1984 describes how much pain Winston has endured, due to torture and enhanced interrogation. Winston is tortured, mainly because he committed thought crime, treason against the Party, and sexual misconduct, with no means of reproducing. Smith was put through agony and hurt, and simply said anything that came to his mind. His pain leads to him becoming overwhelmed with an unpleasant sensation and being unable to suffer any further, which brought him to his limit.

            Winston is put through much anguish, to weaken his mental and physical state, making him somewhat conforms to society. O’Brien forces Winston to understand that two plus two is five, a doublethink principle he constantly questioned. When Winston does not agree with any of the Party standards, he is strapped to a chair, and O’Brien turns up the discomfort mechanism dial to a certain level. In this manner, Winston finds himself entrapped, with no ways of conforming to his own ideas, without risks of further torment. This gives meaning to the portion of the quote that states “In the face of pain there are no heroes”. Winston affiliation with the Brotherhood meant if he was ever caught he couldn’t breakdown. He releases all information he possibly knows, by means of discontinuing his plan towards becoming a hero and rebelling against the Party.

            Winston endures much pain that causes him to go through lasting hurt. His plan towards sacrificing his life for the Brotherhood, no matter what, suspends his ability to protect the secret society and adhere to all procedures. Near the end of Chapter two Winston begins to question his aptitude to stay loyal to the Brotherhood and himself. Smith’s pivotal statement, “Never, for any reason on earth, could you wish for an increase of pain. Of pain you could wish only one thing: that it should stop”, explains why Winston begins to conform to society. All in all, instead of becoming loyal to self and the Brotherhood, the agony of torture begins to fall on him, bringing about his allegiance to Big Brother.

Fear of Elevators

               In the novel 1984, Winston Smith is prosecuted for his crimes against the Party. O’Brien directs the severe torture of Winston, which causes him to break down, and conform to society. This is mainly imitated when Winston is strapped down to a chair and forced to face his fear of rats. In Room 101 he is enforced to be imprisoned in a cage of rats. Winston’s fear of rats first came from an unpleasant occurrence in his childhood, when he stole his mother and sisters rations of chocolate, and ran away. When he came back he found rats, giving him the assumption that they were either eaten by them or suddenly disappeared.  Winston’s phobia of rats is mainly derived from his feeling towards rebelling. Rats are similar to Big Brother who preys on the weak and nonconformists, like Winston. 

               My phobia of elevators began when I watched the film, Final Destination 2. In the elevator death scene a woman’s hair gets caught on hooks as she exits. As the elevator begins to go up floors so does she, which results in her head to falling off. It gives me slight nervousness when contemplating a long elevator ride. Many maintenance problems can occur on elevators. One of my biggest worries is reaching the weight capacity, and having a large person step on it, which would cause the elevator to plunge and obliterate everyone on board. Some fully loaded elevators are not operated by multiple cables, but by one large pole. I take caution, by standing on the corners of an elevator, rather than the middle. My agoraphobia of elevators comes with benefit of me often taking the stairs, even if my destinations on the 21^st floor. 

               Winston’s phobia of rats is similar to my trepidation of elevators. Both fears involve risks that may result in death. Rats carry a lot of microbes, bacteria and viruses in them, which may cause infection and demise. Elevators may break down; reason being the weight capacity has been reached, leading to many mechanical problems, causing injury or bereavement. Winston is one of few nonconformists in the Oceania social order, who becomes overwhelmed with torture performed by the Ministry of Love. In my instance, this is comparable to me becoming anxious when an individual whose overweight steps on a fully loaded elevator. Both phobias are simply consequent from past childhood experiences, which were of course terrifying, bringing back depraved memories and self-preservation. 

Everybody has a Dexter Inside...

Over the past 12 weeks, I have been watching a show called Dexter. Dexter is about a man named Dexter Morgan, a blood splatter analyst, who works at Miami Metro Police Station, and is a serial killer. He not just any regular serial killer, who kills for no purpose, but he kills for justice. He is somewhat of a disguised protagonist, who cannot reveal his identity to anyone without risks of being arrested, facing the judicial system he once cheated, becoming a wanted man, or being on death row. Why do I like watching a show about a man’s addiction to kill? Dexter is different from other shows ( of course because it’s on Showtime, a premium subscription channel) like CSI, Law& Order SVU, Criminal Minds, and you know the rest of the Dick Wolf crime scene investigation shows produced.
With Dexter he actually lets me know what he’s thinking, and sometimes it make me tempted about going in for a kill; not saying I ‘m murder. It’s hard to believe Dexter isn’t real, since the actors put you in a situation where you feel like you are in the scene. Dexter is truly my kind of show. Dexter is the real kind of murder shows that are commercial free and worth paying for. “Sometimes it's reassuring knowing I'm not the only one pretending to be normal.” –Dexter Morgan

Breaking Point Literary Reflection

             In the novel, Nineteen Eighty-Four, by George Orwell, Winston Smith reaches a downfall due to his resentment of the authoritarian regime of the Party, when he tries to rebel. He purchases and writes in his diary, which was considered thought crime. Winston has a love affair with Julia, a crime, because they have no means of reproducing.  He converses with O’Brien, who he believes is also against the Party and from him receives Goldstein’s book, and decides to join the Brotherhood at all cost. Later on Winston and Julia are arrested by the Thought Police and tortured in the Ministry of Love for the many crimes they have committed.

          
           Throughout Winston’s persecution he admits to crimes he has not committed, because he is deprived of sleep, starved, beaten, and given electrotherapy shock.  Winston finally reaches his breaking point when he is sent to Room 101 to face his fear of rats, but is comforted by O’ Brien, someone he confides in.  It is acceptable to say Winston conforms to society's standards while accepting Big Brother, due to indoctrination suffered.

            I met my moment of greatest strain, in 8^th grade, when I was demoralized at school. “I know the price of success: dedication, hard work, and an unremitting devotion to the things you want to see happen”-Frank Lloyd Wright. This quote’s was my impetus towards working hard in school, despite my demanding life, overwhelmed with the countless obstacles that often got in my way. Obstacles I faced socially were communicating with others who came from the communities of Maywood, Bellwood, Forest Park, and other minority neighborhoods. I reached my breaking point when I was described as an “Oreo”, a black person who is regarded to as having adopted the attitudes, values, and behavioral thoughts of the white society. This infuriated me, but allowed me to push past that misconception, and embrace my veritable persona.

            Coming from a mostly Caucasian area/school, I didn't fit the stereotype of a black person. I overcame this obstacle by speaking more with others, who were not just Caucasian, but Hispanic, African-Americans, Asians, etc.  Unlike me, Winston didn’t stay with his beliefs, but conformed to the society’s standards. I embraced my personality and accepted my Nigerian nationality, rather than conforming to the Black stereotype or margin. In acceptance, people’s solution towards losing the ability to deal physically, psychologically, or emotionally with a stressful situation it to try to meditate on what values and priorities adhere to them. In culmination, this will help people stay true to themselves, and accept who they are.

Chapter Nine Literary Reflection

           

Nineteen Eighty-Four, by George Orwell, brings understanding to the reader with history and the current state of the political philosophy and warfare between the superstates, Oceania, Eurasia, and Eastasia. The book within 1984, The Theory and Practice of Oligarchical Collectivism by Emmanuel Goldstein, reveals inconsistencies in the government. Throughout the omnibus the following slogans are explained in detail: War is Peace; Freedom is Slavery; Ignorance is Strength. The Ministry slogans are paradoxes, since they are simple statements designed to confuse the populace for more control, but can be somewhat understood with lucidity and outlook. In Goldstein’s novels the slogans reveal the true oppressive nature of the populace.

Oceania was constantly and currently at war with Eurasia, making the slogan “War is Peace” futile. “If you want peace, prepare for war”. This was an illustrious quote said by Roman writer, Publius Renatus. The quotes affirmative meaning in relation to the slogan infers that war is fought as a preventive measure to preclude anticipated belligerence by another force. The slogan simply makes it clear that peace is earned through warfare and by becoming pugnacious. Even though war brings about obliteration and revulsion, it establishes peace and fortification for the citizens

The slogan “Freedom is Slavery” is sardonic, since no one in Oceania can do anything that is not considered acceptable by the party, before putting themselves at risk of vaporization or disappearance. Freedom is thought of as allowing people to act and choose as they please without restrictions. Slavery in 1984 is considered as the domination of the Party. This slogan “Freedom is Slavery” can be cognized as either optimistic or adverse. With a positive intake freedom is defined by the set of rules which governs you. People are subject to being governed by the society to ensure that they are protected by acknowledging that their freedom is not absolute. In a sense, there are more assertive rules, when the submissive is governed.

 The citizens of Oceania were unable to identify all of the flaws and fabrications the Party gave them, which increased the Party's control and created irony in the third slogan “Ignorance is Strength”. In 1984 the slogan, is contingent of the people’s inability to distinguish these contradictions, which strengthened the control of the authoritarian regime. A citizen of Oceania (especially Proles) has to be oblivious, rather than highly knowledgeable of their state’s system and antiquity, which might have resulted in disappearance or vaporization. In the novel, Syme, one of Winston’s co-workers in the Ministry suddenly disappears, reason being he is too vehement towards his work and intelligence. In all, it is best to know less, to not suffer consequences resulting in death, which helps the Party easily dominate the people of Oceania.

The three slogans “War is Peace”; “Freedom is Slavery”; Ignorance is Strength, describe Oceania within 1984, of the novel The Theory and Practice of Oligarchical Collectivism by Emmanuel Goldstein. The slogans can be taken from an affirmative view, which points out how they somewhat benefit society.  The deleterious view, which the ideal person may conform to is the common take on how a person sides towards the three slogans. The mottos can accounted for with clear understanding and indulgence, because of their optimistic and deleterious views, which can be preferred either way.

Literary Reflection of 1984

               Nineteen Eighty-Four, by George Orwell, is about Winston Smith, a protagonist, who lives in a dystopian society where the people are always aware of Big Brother who represents their government and must be careful not to commit thoughtcrime or negative thoughts about the government. Winston secretly resents the authoritarian of the regime. In the beginning Winston thinks the “dark haired” girl, Julia is a spy who may report him to the police, but she is actually the exact opposite. Winston’s misconception of Julia allows him to open up further and break the law. This relates to me, because I’ve misjudged a teenager who had inexpensive and repulsive clothes. I later learned from this mistake by not judging a person by how they looked.

                A boy who attended my middle school was always seen by others as poor, because he wore the same clothes every day and always smelled displeasing. No one ever talked to him, because of his appearance. I felt especially contrite, when he asked me for lunch money, and I lied, saying I didn’t have any. I later learned from friends that the boy was adopted and lived with many other foster children, so he given little to eat or wear. I decided to, use my weekly allowance to buy him lunch, and donated clothes for him and his foster siblings to wear. At lunch he sat alone, so I decided to invite him to my lunch table. By the end of middle school year the boy became one of my closest friends, who I constantly kept in contact with.

                In the beginning of the novel Winston thinks that Julia is a spy who may denounce him to the Thoughtpolice. My connection of talking with the underprivileged boy applies to this event, reason being that Winston meets with Julia, who has sexual interaction with him, revealing his delusion of her as mistaken. Connecting back to my real world application, I misjudged the boy as poor in appearance, but he turned out to be untouchable in character and personality.  Similar to Winston’s gaffe, I learned you must be careful with the judgments you make, because they are inevitable. We all judge each other, but the trick might be to recognize that you could be wrong and to sit back on judgment. In all, from experience I have realized that you should not be quick to make assumptions.