Remediation Project

For my project, I made an Art series containing 4 different art pieces. Each one represents a short story we've read this year. The main theme I have going for them to tie it all together is that each one is supposed to show the main idea of the story, or something that stood out to me personally when reading the story:

At the end of the story, after all the buildup of anticipation with the narrator trying to get to the bazaar on time, there is the plot twist and he ends up getting there too late just as everything is closing down. When he went to the last open stall, he had that huge epiphany about Mangan's sister as he was looking at a porcelain-flowered vase. 

Ms. Ansley had the affair with Ms. Slade's fiance at the Colosseum. That was also where she was instructed to go in the fake letter Ms. Slade sent her. Furthermore, the title, 'Roman Fever', is what she wanted Ms. Ansley to catch when she sent her to the Colosseum in the cold. 

This depicts the ending scene where the Old man is set free and flies away. This one was my favorite scene because of the imagery; Elisenda watching him from the kitchen window as he struggles learning how to use his wings again, and then finally does and flies away. 

This is a sketch of the black box they used in the village tradition for many years, with the slips of paper/pieces of wood containing each family's name on it. 

Fatima and Christinia: A Complex Relationship

When discussing in class "The Body's Defenses Against Itself", the term Frenemy was used to describe the complex relationship between the narrator, Fatima, and her antagonist, Christinia. While I do agree that their relationship was definitely complex, I wouldn't call them Frenemies. 

In the beginning of the story, Fatima is clearly projecting her feelings about her childhood bully, Christinia, towards the new girl in her yoga class -- which is a side effect of trauma. 

Everything about the girl reminds her of Christinia, like her appearance (particularly her weight), and the way she keeps trying to smile at Fatima (which was probably a lot like those random times Christinia was nice to her and tried being friends). 

It is obvious that her projecting her feelings about Christinia onto Fatima is a side effect of the trauma she endured in the hands of Christinia. I wouldn't call someone who inflicts that sort of pain on someone a friend, or even a frenemy. 

It was apparent Fatima never viewed Christinia as a friend, even in those random times Christinia decided to be nice to her. Christinia's on and off behavior towards her honestly seemed like emotional abuse, and her random bouts of "friendliness" in the midst of her maliciousness was very manipulative and confusing. In other stories we've read, like Phoenix, Arizona, and Recitatif, we see brief moments where two characters who have had conflicts for a long time have tender moments where they seem to bond and understand each other despite their past conflict. This is why I think it would be safe to call them "frenemies". 

In this story, however, I don't think this is the case. Christinia caused Fatima so much pain and trauma as a child when she shamed her for her sweating condition, it followed her well into her adult life when she developed serious body image issues and an eating disorder (possibly because of how much she hated Christinia and associated obesity with the bully, so she just wanted to be nothing like her. It also explains why she projects that hatred onto the new girl in her yoga class when she notices her weight). 

It's interesting that despite all of this, there were some points in the story where Christinia seemed to view Fatima as a friend. She even approaches their table in high school to sit with Fatima, possibly to reconcile and make amends. Of course, Fatima rejects her and makes callous comments about her weight, to get back at her for all she said about her body. All in all, their relationship was very complex and it was clear they each had different perspectives on it: Christinia viewed Fatima as a frenemy, while Fatima just viewed her as an enemy. 

Rising from the ashes

At the end of This is What it Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona, Thomas says something really beautiful. When Victor gives him the cardboard box containing the second half of his father's ashes, Thomas "took the ashes and smiled, closed his eyes, and told this story: “I’m going to travel to Spokane Falls one last time and toss these ashes into the water. And your father will rise like a salmon, leap over the bridge, over me, and find his way home. It will be beautiful. His teeth will shine like silver, like a rainbow. He will rise, Victor, he will rise.”"

I thought the imagery was very vibrant and powerful, but more importantly, I think that Thomas's story conveyed a message. There’s an expression that goes "Rise like a phoenix from the ashes", and I felt that was what Thomas's story symbolized. Figuratively, the expression means to emerge from a struggle or tragedy, stronger and more powerful. The phoenix is meant to represent that no matter what a person has gone through in their life, they will make it through and survive. (Also super random but I thought it was cool that ‘Phoenix’ is also in the title..)

In this sense, both Thomas and Victor will rise from their own ashes. Each of them are going through something (Thomas always having been an outcast, and Victor loses his job the same day his father dies of a heart attack), but they will make it through in the end, stronger than before. It is Thomas who enters Victor's life at the right moment, helping him rise up from his difficult situation. He gives him money to get his father's ashes. He tells him stories on the way to his trailer of the good memories he had of Victor's father. 

Even the ending of the story kind of hints at somewhat of a closure for the both of them, when Victor promises Thomas that one day, he will listen to just one more story. They both seem satisfied with this agreement, and Victor drives away. 

Mangan's Sister

(For this post, I chose two excerpts from the story “Araby” – one from the beginning and the other from the ending. The quotes are meant to show the evolution of the narrator’s emotions surrounding his love interest, which start out hopefully and eventually progress to defeat).  

James Joyce’s “Araby” is a story of a young boy’s quest to earn the attention of his love interest. The narrator starts the story describing his obsessive infatuation with his friend Mangan’s sister, depicting his interest in the girl with clichéd adolescent naïveté:

“Her image accompanied me even in places the most hostile to romance (…) I thought little of the future. I did not know whether I would ever speak to her or not or, if I spoke to her, how I could tell her of my confused adoration. But my body was like a harp and her words and gestures were like fingers running upon the wires…”

Although uncertain of whether or not he will ever get a chance with her, his words are hopeful and promising. After having his first actual conversation with her one day, he embarks on a quest to get her what she asks of him from the bazaar and, ultimately, earn her attention. The entire day, he is restless and unable to focus on anything, desperate to get to the bazaar to fulfill his duty. So up until this point, the tone is eager and uplifting and there is a buildup of anticipation leading up to his trip to the bazaar. So far, it comes across to the reader as a conventional love story, and you feel almost certain that there will be a happy ending for the narrator when he buys the girl what she wants.

Unfortunately, following a series of untimely events, the narrator ends up arriving to the bazaar very late, just as the shops are closing down for the evening. He finds one open stall, but ends up buying nothing when he feels unwelcome by the saleswoman behind the booth. After such a nervewracking buildup of expectancy, his departing from the darkening bazaar gives us an anticlimactic conclusion, with the narrator reaching a disheartening epiphany:

“I lingered before her stall, though I knew my stay was useless, to make my interest in her wares seem the more real. Then I turned away slowly and walked down the middle of the bazaar. The upper part of the hall was now completely dark. Gazing up into the darkness I saw myself as a creature driven and derided by vanity; and my eyes burned with anguish and anger.”

He concludes his narrative with failure and defeat; Mangan’s sister embodies this purported “vanity”, as he realizes that he only embarked on his quest for his own selfish desires, and that his previous hope of having a relationship with her was simply wishful thinking. He “burned with anguish and anger” as he realized that he was misguided by his feelings of a love that would never come true.

In the quote, the image of the closing bazaar seems to symbolize the state of his relationship with Mangan's sister -- the dimming lights and darkening hall embody any promising thoughts he once had, fading and disappearing forever. 

Human Nature in "A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings"

What is the true message behind Gabriel Garcia Marquez's "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings?"

https://www.debate.org/opinions/is-human-nature-good-yes-or-evil-no

We discussed in class what the possible lessons of the short story could be. While there were some ideas about the story’s religious connotations, whether or not the old man truly was an angel, and why it would even be a tale for children, I personally found it to subtly relay an underlying message about human nature. This was evident in the characters surrounding the old man, such as Pelayo, Elisenda, and the townspeople.

The events conveyed throughout the story made clear the hyper-criticalness of humans (particularly to things they deem “different” than them), their tendency to use things to their own benefit, and their inclination towards self-interest.

As shocking as the old man’s sudden appearance was in the start of the story, it was very obvious that he posed no threat and was very weak and ill. Rather than trying to help him, though, Pelayo “dragged him out of the mud and locked him up with the hens in the wire chicken coop” (Marquez 367). Furthermore, they considered themselves doing a favor to the old man by choosing not to club him to death.

Although Father Gonzaga himself confirmed that the old man was, in fact, a human and not some otherworldly creature, they continue to treat him like an animal, subjecting him to all sorts of cruelty and degradation. He becomes something of a sideshow attraction, with people marveling at him like he is some sort of inhuman beast. At one point, “even the most merciful threw stones at him, trying to get him to rise so they could see him standing. The only time they succeeded in arousing him was when they burned his side with an iron.” (Marquez 369)

Further dehumanizing him, Pelayo and Elisenda use him for their own benefit, fencing up the courtyard and charging people five-cents admission to come in and see him. By the end of the story, they crammed their rooms with their “earnings” and were able to build a two-story mansion “with balconies and gardens (…) and iron bars on the windows so that angels wouldn’t get in” (Marquez 370). Despite their exploitation of the old man and using him to make money, they continue to neglect him, leaving him out alone with the animals. He eventually flies away, leaving their home just as unexpectedly as he came. One thing that I think is important to note is that despite everything he endured at the hands of the people, he displayed tremendous patience and clemency. Perhaps he really was an angel.

Conflicting ideas in "There Will Come Soft Rains"

Ray Bradbury's There Will Come Soft Rains is a story of opposition and irony. The tragedy resulting in the homeowners' deaths is both horrifying and sad. The ambiance of the empty house is both peaceful and haunting. The reader can honestly choose which way to perceive the tragedy; without doubt there exist innumerable, starkly contrasting interpretations of Bradbury's writing.

We discussed in class how one of the conflicts in the short story is Man v.s. Nature.
One way in which the story includes irony is in the state of nature in the story itself, as opposed to the state of nature in Sarah Teasdale's poem. The first sentence of the poem on page 326 provides us a serene image of nature in a world where humans no longer exist.

"There will come soft rains and the smell of the ground, 
And swallows circling with their shimmering sound" ...

She goes on to describe "frogs in the pools singing at night" and birds "whistling their wims on a low fence-wire". Clearly, the poem is meant to give its reader a relaxing feeling, with the nature depicted as being in a state of peace and tranquility, in spite of being left alone in the world after the demise of all of mankind.

However, the world in which the house exists is the total opposite. The surroundings of the lonely home are completely destroyed, with not a single living thing in sight. Even most of the animals have been killed by the radiation, as opposed to the poem where animals supposedly continue to live and prosper following the total absence of humans.

Ironically, it is not the natural elements that continue to exist, but the man-made technology and machinery left behind. On page 324, Bradbury says:

"Until this day, how well the house had kept its peace. "Who goes 

there? What's the password?" and, getting no answer...". 

This sentence honestly stood out to me the most. Despite its simplicity, it does a powerful job of giving a sad and haunting image of a home left behind by its inhabitants. The true eeriness of the story lies in the fact that these machines continue to operate and "speak" as they've been programmed to do, despite no one being there.

In my opinion, the irony of the state of nature in the story is meant to relay a message. Teasdale's piece depicts an auspicious, albeit unrealistic view of the future that many may subconsciously have. Perhaps Bradbury wants to warn us about what really might happen to our planet. With the rise of innovative technologies and inventions, there is a possibility these human creations might outlive humans themselves.

My Uncle Ralph

When asked of someone I'm thankful for, the first person that came to mind is my uncle Ralph. We don't have that big of an age gap, so he is more like my big brother.

Ralph and I have gotten a lot closer over the years. I was really sad when he got married 2 years ago because I thought I would not be able to see him as much again, but he really goes out of his way so we can hang out more often.

            If there is one thing you should know about Ralph, it is that he LOVES designer clothes. He used to be an entrepreneur and owned a clothing store in Chicago a while ago, before he started working as a barber with my 2 other uncles in their shop in Harvey, Illinois. Over break this one time we went to the shopping mall together and looked at shoes. It was very fun.

            One memory I have of him is when we went to to this Arabic store in Chicago and got mango juice on the way. Their mango juice was really good there and we just drove home sipping mango juice and listening to music. It seems so insignificant, but those were honestly some of the best times.  

            A while ago he went to the Weeknd concert with his friends. He knew how much I loved the Weeknd, so he brought back an XO sweatshirt. I still wear it today and every time I do, I’m reminded of what an amazing uncle I have :)

Istanbul, Turkey

When asked to think of a place that makes me feel peaceful, my first thought was of my family's apartment in Istanbul, Turkey. 

I have gone to Turkey over my summer vacations in previous years, and honestly those trips were some of the best experiences I have ever had in my life. Life is very different in America compared to the Middle East, and being able to connect with my culture, family, and friends there was an amazing feeling.

In the morning, we would wake up very early to go to the street bazaar in the center of town. Basically, people from all over (nearby towns and villages) would come and set up their own stands where they would sell things. People from the villages would bring fresh produce they grew on their farms, and artisans would sell their pottery and jewelry they made by hand. A friend of ours is a seamstress, and sold beautiful hijabs and clothing.

One of my favorite parts of the trip was going sightseeing; I got the opportunity to see Turkish architecture and famous tourist attractions, and the aura overall was very peaceful. 

For instance, we went on a boat ride on the Bosphorus Sea. The Bosphorus Sea connects Asian Turkey to European Turkey, so tourists frequently board it to get from place to place and see all the tourist attractions. My cousins came along with me and my sister, and we took pictures of the shimmering, cerulean water from the terrace of the ferry.

The ferry had a little restaurant on the first level, so a lot of seagulls would come and circle the boat, hoping to snatch some food. I fed the birds some of the food from my plate even though technically you’re not supposed to do that, since they’ll just keep coming back for more (This I learned the hard way).

In the distance, we saw dolphins leaping out of the water. The sea was glittering under the sunlight, producing a beautiful, breathtaking sight. The ferry ride was one of the most serene experiences I had in Istanbul and I would love to go back just to do it again.

The ferry made multiple stops at the many islands off of Istanbul, so we got off at the biggest one. The island was very vast, with a paved, mountainous region. In this area, there were masses of horse-drawn carriages going up and down the hills, and tourists would rent out these carriages to ride throughout the whole island.

My cousins and I rented out bikes and rode up the mountains, which was a very arduous task but a good experience nonetheless. It took us hours to go up the hills but I loved every second of it. The weather was breezy and perfect, and even though it got tiring biking for so long, the ambiance was peaceful.

Sunset at the island

On the ferry

Nostalgia in Nature

Last weekend, our Field Bio class went on a trip to Kickapoo park to catch bugs for our Arthropod collections. In the beginning, we went to a vast meadow to capture pollinators. Walking through the trails in the meadow -- flat beds of grass walled by tall yellow flowers -- was a truly relaxing experience. Its nice to wander off in nature and be in your own zone once in a while. I personally like to do this because it is my opportunity to unwind and just forget about all the stressors in my life and just be in the moment, taking in the view around me.

We were able to catch pollinators -- honeybees, wasps, and butterflies -- in these flowers in the meadow. After about two hours of catching critters in the fields, we headed off to a river to collect Dobsonfly larvae -- black, aquatic insects, living in temperate areas -- from under the rocks in the water. Literally, all you have to do is wade in the shallow parts of the water, try to find a large flat rock, and turn it over. You're bound to find a bunch of the larvae; they like to rest under these rocks.

Wading in the water was relaxing as well. After hours of collecting in the fields under the hot sun, it was very refreshing to jump into the cool stream. While splashing in the river, I saw something small and greenish-looking scurry under a rock in the water. I scooped it up with my aquatic net, and when I got a closer look I saw that it was a Crayfish. It was green and cream-colored, with a bit of orange at the tips of its claws and head. It was very cute but sadly they are an endangered species, so I took a quick picture with it and placed it back in the water.

Anyways, these moments I had on this trip reminded me a lot of my childhood. My grandparents used to own a summer house in Rockport, Illinois (a really small town in the countryside, with a lot of farms and fields), and all of my craziest childhood memories are from the times I spent there. I recall early memories of coming home with all kinds of critters -- frogs, snakes, and baby birds. We even found 5 kittens one time and my Aunt let us keep them. There was also a stray dog we found one morning snoozing on the porch but it ran away after a few weeks.

My grandparents had a prairie in their backyard that was a lot like the one we found our pollinators in at the Bio trip. Wading in the creek at Kickapoo gave me a lot of nostalgia, too, because when I was little I would always go to this river across the road from my grandparents house, and my cousins and I would catch things like toads and turtles.

The sold their house a couple of years ago, and it was sad because I loved going there every summer since I was little and going on crazy adventures. But the trip to Kickapoo was like a little throwback to those good times.

(A moment with the Crayfish prior to release)

Downtown

The pictures I have chosen to write about are from my trip to Chicago two weeks ago. My sister took me to see Downtown for the first time, and above are the photos we took in Millennium Park & on the 103rd floor of the Willis Tower.

That weekend was definitely an indelible one, as there were many things I got the opportunity to see for the first time, such as the Art Institute of Chicago, the Bean, and Navy Pier.

The highlight of the trip was definitely going to the Sky Deck in the Willis Tower. I had a lot of mixed feelings going to up Tower; I'm kind of afraid of heights so it was a bit scary, and the 103rd floor is made of glass so that you are able to see the city below you when posing for pictures at the Sky Deck. But it was worth it!
It is a very popular tourist attraction so it was pretty crowded in the area & the wait was long, but finally being able to go so high up was pretty awesome.

You can see me in the picture looking down at the city below, anxiously tiptoeing on the glass hoping it wouldn't break. (It wouldn't have actually broken -- it is constructed so that it is perfectly safe to pose on top of it with a group for the pictures. But when you're actually on it looking so far down its pretty staggering). The experience altogether was pretty exciting though, and I would definitely recommend it for anyone looking into travelling downtown!

Going to Navy Pier was fun, too. We went cruising on the boats at Lake Michigan later that evening, and watching the sun set at the water was absolutely breathtaking. Not many other people were on that cruise so it was nice to have to boat all to ourselves. It was very peaceful and quiet, and we took lots of pictures of the water streaked with the bright colors of the evening's sunset.

I especially enjoyed the time I got to spend with my older sister. She is in college now so I don't get to see her as much, but this trip was a great time for us to bond and have fun in the city together. At the end of the night, we rode the Centennial Wheel in Navy Pier and went to a small cafe downtown.