Smells Like Teen Spirit

AAAAEver since the beginning of A Lesson Before Dying, we’ve been talking about how Grant isn’t an adult but really an overgrown adolescent. He’s snappy, lazy, and kind of self centered. The only thing that separates him from the kids he teaches is the fact that he holds the stick. However, as he talks to Jefferson more and more often, I’ve noticed a change in his behavior; he’s beginning to understand that change is possible in an unchanging world.

Up until this point, Grant has been a firm believer in the idea that everything is a cycle and nothing really matters. You can see this in the way he treats God. Yes, there is God but there isn’t a heaven. So, while God did create everything and is responsible for everyone’s lives, all that disappears after you die because there is no heaven and thus everything was for nothing. Using this reasoning, it would make sense for Grant to want to escape. If nothing good can be found here, then why not try somewhere else?

This is characteristic of the everyday teen; they just want to get away. Yet, it’s the fact that someone as young as Jefferson is able to adjust to a horrible situation in such mature way that finally opens Grant’s eyes. Yes, life isn’t great and things are still terrible for the African American community, but Jefferson is willing to stand tall and claim his humanity to prove that nothing can tear him down, not even the system. When Jefferson finally admits “Yes, I am youman”, Grant can clearly see the transformation in Jefferson.

In seeing this change, Grant’s goal to run away and escape seems so pathetic. Here is this boy, coming to terms with his death and embracing the role of a hero for his community. Grant, who previously thought this change would be impossible, is a firsthand witness to this transformation. I think by seeing this example, Grant can hopefully become the responsible and mature adult that his community and his students desperately need.

Anse is a Hypocrite

AAAAAAAI’ve had conflicted feelings about Anse ever since he was first introduced as a character. His wife has died and he wants to fulfill her last wish: to be buried in Jefferson. At first, it seemed like the honorable thing to do and I thought, “Oh, he seems like a decent guy.” But then, he says this "God's will be done . . . now I can get them teeth." Suddenly, this huge, emotional journey is transformed into an errand run. What makes this worse is that he criticizes his children (also with hidden agendas) for bringing the cake box and tool box and continues being “emotionally distraught”.

AAAAAAAAnother thing, Anse does nothing for the entirety of the novel. Often citing his injury as an excuse, Anse usually sits around and thinks about things rather than contributing in any way. When he does put in the effort, he bumbles through the task and turns out to be more of a hindrance than a help. For example, when he tries to help Cash and Tull assemble the coffin, he ends up getting in their way and just goes back to sitting on his porch. The only real thing he contributes to the journey is when he, without permission, steals money from Cash (whose unconscious), sells Jewel’s horse, and “borrows” from Dewey Dell. Even then, this isn’t him sacrificing anything. He is stealing from his children for his own selfish goal: getting his teeth.

AAAAAAAI can’t think of Anse as a hero in this story because he actually does nothing. Sure, he is the one who initiates the journey and wants to bury Addie, but everything has a double meaning. In this case, the real reason behind going to Jefferson is just not heroic in my eyes. If he really cared completely and unselfishly about Addie’s death, he would have at least treated her body with more respect. Throughout the journey, she has holes punched through her head, she is thrown into a river, and by the time they reach her final destination, her stench encompasses anything within 50 feet of her body.

AAAAAAAAnd, finally, during the funeral scene, Anse really doesn’t reach that final goodbye stage. He simply buries the body and moves on. It’s extremely underwhelming. The entire time he’s been saying how Addie needed to be buried in Jefferson because it was the right thing to do and basically getting emotional when he thinks about her. Then, just to have Anse bury Addie then quickly go get his teeth, everything seems off. Shouldn’t there be at least a few tears? I don’t know if Faulkner trying his hand at comedy when he created the hypocritical Anse, but I find it decidedly unfunny.

Penny - Yay or Nay?

Let’s talk about Penny. In O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Ulysses Everett McGill escapes from a chain gang, runs from the authorities, becomes a radio star, survives being attacked and mugged, saves a man from being lynched, and ruins a political campaign just to return to his wife. And her response to his labors? Only accept him once he finds her ring, which is now at the bottom of a very deep lake and thus sending him on another quest.

Penny is the type of woman who has all the control in the relationship. I mean, she counted to three. She makes her own decisions and bases them on what’s right for her and her children. While she does come off as aggravating in the film, I can’t say I wouldn’t make the same decisions if I were her. Up until he becomes a radio star, Everett is a lost cause. She’s got seven mouths to feed and as a woman in the 1930s, money is hard to come by. So, it makes sense that when he returns, she sticks with the “bona fide” suitor instead of instantly switching teams.

However, her “supposed” loyalty doesn’t last long. As soon as she discovers Everett is a star, she ditches her boo in favor of him (OR she realizes her boo no longer has a job and decides to switch but same idea). Then, she goes the extra mile of demanding that Everett be the one to prove his love by finding her ring. Nevermind the fact that is literally impossible for Everett to get that ring unless he invests in scuba diving lessons. She remains completely stubborn about the idea that she will not get with Everett until that ring is returned.

I think my main problem with Penny is that she is so obviously self serving and refuses to see logic. Actually, sidenote, it’s kind of funny how Everett is supposed to be this man of logic and reasoning but he’s married to a woman who sticks to her guns even if evidence to the contrary is presented (i.e. the ring and the lake). Similarly, unlike her book counterpart, she has no loyalty to her husband. From what I understand, it’s been one year since Everett left, and she already has a new man. While Penelope waited years for her husband to return, Penny doesn’t seem to spare a second thought for Everett.

I just get this sense at the end of the film that Everett’s reunion (and general relationship) with Penny can never be truly happy or as emotional as the one Odysseus has with the Penelope. While there are cons to Penelope’s character, her reunion with Odysseus fit the hero’s journey arc much better than Penny and Everett’s in that it’s clearly a happy ending. With Penny, things seem to always be up in the air.

Violence in The Odyssey and Modern Media

AAAAIn class, we discussed the use of violence in The Odyssey and whether it’s necessary in the fight against the suitors. I am here to argue a simple point: yes. You can not have an epic poem without a climax nor can you deny the buildup that has been collecting since the very beginning. If the suitors are the “villains” in this case, then they gotta go and if that includes mindless slaughter, then so be it. Never mind the fact that “some” may be innocent or that the crime doesn’t justify the punishment, we are all here to see Odysseus kick some ass.

AAA It’s impossible to put logic into the slaughter scene. If the main character were to pause and actually think things through, it ruins the flow of the story and reduces the satisfaction of Odysseus’s return. No one wants to see Odysseus meet with each, individual suitor and question them on their loyalty and behavior. That would take forever and over complicate the plot. With revenge stories, it’s best to keep it simple: either they’re innocent or guilty. In most cases, guilty equals glorious battle.

AAA So, it’s not surprising that this theme is very common in modern film. In Oldboy, a man spends 15 years in isolation and after he escapes, he goes on a huge murder spree to get vengeance against his captor (and features one of the best fight scenes in cinematic history*). Similarly, Taken focuses solely on Liam Neeson killing everyone in his path to try and save his daughter. Both of these films depend largely on violence as means for the hero to be victorious. While watching these films, no one considers, “Geez, he just brutally killed that guy. I mean the poor dude probably just wanted a paycheck.” No, let’s be honest, we all get distracted by the punching and kicking and general coolness of the fight scenes.

AAAEven at a young age, the final battle has always been essential to the hero’s journey. For example, The Lion King. The climax of the film is when Simba returns from the forest to avenge his father. What follows is a dramatic scene of lion versus hyena and the confrontation between Scar and Simba. As an audience, we want to clearly see Simba’s victory and without a final battle, that would be hard to achieve. Additionally, we can draw comparisons to the almost unjustifiable ways each villain (or villains in The Odyssey) are killed. While Odysseus kills some suitors who may be loyal (?), Simba outright throws Scar off a cliff to be eaten by hyenas. What’s unjustifiable about that? I mean, Scar did do a lot of evil things in the film. Well, for one, it’s a kid movie! Such a violent death is not normal for these types of things. Also, Scar also has some merit. He tried to give the hyenas a better life, as in not let them starve to death. So, just like with the suitors, some of Scars actions are not entirely ill intended.

AAAAfter all is said and done, I think the massacre at the end of The Odyssey comes down to one thing: Homer wants a dramatic and exciting ending. If that includes killing a 100 people, then so be it. You kill those men, Odysseus. We’ve waited over 400 pages for this.

*Graphic content (violence)

Norma is Lame

“‘I...love...you...too,’ I said. And I said it again. And I did.” (McLarty, 358) Upon reading those final words, I’m glad it’s finally over. At the same time, I’m absurdly angry. Sure, Smithy achieves his journey and becomes a “hero”, but, honestly, I’m more concerned with Norma. What happened to her? She started out as this independent, albeit paralyzed, woman who was able to take perfectly good care of herself but slowly transformed into this snivelly woman who seemed to hang onto Smithy’s every word.

AAAAAYou could say, “Oh, but she’s been alone all these years. That’s surely to have an impact on her psyche.” Sure, it could have an effect and I’ll grant that she is justified in finding happiness with Smithy. What I hate about that relationship is that we start out with Norma as an individual and somehow end up with this measly side character that we could probably care less about. She basically becomes an extra, an afterthought, to the reader. She is there to supply the money or maybe give some directions to Smithy (both literally and metaphorically) but otherwise just calls him and cries in his ear.

AAAAAWe can even see this in the way the words “I love you” are used in this book. Norma says it twelve times (yes, I counted). Can you guess how many times Smithy says it? ONCE. Where is the justice in that? Here is a woman who spends her entire life pining for one man who doesn’t even bother to respond until he has gone on this long, time consuming journey across the country. When he does finally say it back, it’s kind of stilted and seems squeezed into the novel so that the hero “gets the girl” by the end.

AAAAA Speaking of pining, let’s review just how long Norma spent waiting for Smithy to love her back. The first time she says she loves Smithy is when she is a child, “ They’re not dolls, they’re puppets. He’s Rex. Rex saves Roxanne. I love you so much!” (22). Fast forward to her wreck and her subsequent injury, Norma continues to watch the Ide family and peers through the blinds to catch glimpses of Smithy. Later, when Smithy is in the hospital, Norma writes letters to him everyday and he responds to none of them. What a jerk. I’m not sure why this woman still likes this man, but it gets worse. Even after he returns, Smithy continues to ignore Norma and becomes an overweight, chain-smoking alcoholic and what does Norma want? To be held by this man!

Norma can do so much better, but she continues to waste her time and tears on this man that continually ignores her for most of his life. Additionally, any chance of seeing her as a fleshed out character in the novel is overshadowed by her clear need of acceptance from Smithy Ide. Every interaction between the two ends with her either crying or saying she loves him or both. As a result, Norma is lame. She can’t escape Smithy and she can’t escape my judgement.

McLarty, Ron. The Memory of Running. New York: Penguin Group, 2006. Print.

Got Milk? Campaign

*I may have forgotten a couple things about the intro but it's late so go ahead and ignore that for now*

Submitted to: Got Milk? Campaign

Submitted By: Uni High Swim Team

Executive Summary

The University Laboratory High School’s (UNI) girl's swim program is rigorous and challenging but also extremely rewarding. Our swimmers are talented individuals who all come from different backgrounds and leave everything they have in the water. It is common that after a practice, the girls will have some sort of snack or drink to get protein in their bodies. Chocolate milk is the most popular refueling method. Especially after morning sessions of dryland (weights and core exercise), chocolate milk is essential for recovery and starting the day right. While morning practices are never easy, our team is known for our hard working mentality and ability to endure through tough sets. If some members are struggling, the rest of the team will go out of their way to encourage them and make sure they make it to the end.

Additionally, our team prides itself on our academic excellence. When it comes down to supporting our swimmers, we always make sure that everyone is maintaining their schoolwork and can ask their teammates for help. As a result, we are one of the few teams in the state of Illinois to be named the Gold Scholar Team by the National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association of America (NISCA), an honor only given to teams with an average GPA of 3.75 or higher. Our swim team pours a lot of effort both swimming and in school and thus have developed a work ethic much greater than the average team.

Above all, our main goal is to make sure everyone feels a part of the team and has fun. With this in mind, one thing we always like to have is a team uniform that represents that attitude. Every year, we pick out new swimsuits for the team and find designs that are fun while maintaining our competitive edge. Unfortunately, due to having to replace them every year, the swim team budget takes quite the hit. For this reason, the Uni High girl’s swim team invites The Got Milk? Campaign to consider a grant of $500 to afford equipment and further our team’s fundamental ideals of community and teamwork.

Needs Assessment

Recently, the University Laboratory High School in 2015 announced that there would be no more fundraising on school property due to financial and tax reasons. This led to many clubs being shut down, budgets being cut, and teams having to survive on money raised by the PFO (Parent-Faculty Organization). Many teams are able to get by with the little money left since they have reusable uniforms, but the swim team does not have that option. Since we must replace our swimsuits and caps every year, we lose on average about $1000 each year on equipment alone. In order to preserve our bank account, the team has taken measures to try and fundraise outside of school but the number of opportunities to do so has dramatically decreased. Thus, the importance of fundraising has skyrocketed and has led us to consider outside help. With the Got Milk? Campaign’s aide, the equipment needs of the Uni High swim team can be met and will further our progress as one of the top swim teams in the area.

Superhero Movies: R-Rated

The recent success of Deadpool has evoked a phenomenon within Hollywood studios.

Batman News/ComicBook.com/Collider

Say goodbye to the typical PG-13, cliched superhero films and hello to the edgier and adult superheroes of today. No longer will there be the generic villain who strives to achieve “a better world” by mindlessly destroying cities or whatnot. Instead, this new R-Rated universe will allow studios to delve even deeper into the comic books and uncover villains that were just a little too villainy for their younger audiences to handle. Movies can move past pitting the protagonists against some inherently evil dude with no moral compass whatsoever. Now, these R-Rated films, while allowing us to see a more mature superhero, can invest in the bad guys and make them just as iconic as their counterparts.

This is already happening in television. For instance, Jessica Jones, a show about a former superhero with super strength and her struggle with PTSD, assault, and rape, features a villain known as Killgrave (played by David Tennant). Killgrave has the power to control people with his words and uses that power to abuse and manipulate people on his quest to control Jessica. Within the first episode, when Jessica Jones is tasked with finding a missing person, there are already elements of a R-rated nature that constantly overshadow the show (i.e., language, sex, violence), but it’s the ending that really takes that extra step that changes the series from being mindless action and cliched subplots to something truly dark and powerful. Nothing is what it seems and ultimately leaves the viewer questioning what is going to happen next.

No longer are the boundaries set on what can be allowed on the main screen. Instead, audiences are given the given the chance to be a part of the story and develop alongside the characters. With the R-Rating, that doesn’t necessarily mean that audiences will like them or be able to identify with them. Rather, they will be caught in a gray area where the distinction between good and evil is blurry and they must decide who is right and who is wrong. Either way, the ability for superhero movies and TV shows to take that next step into a more adult setting has the potential to break the superhero film industry.

Certainly, there are cons to making films R-Rated. For one, studios lose one of their biggest markets: children and teenagers. Although teenagers can kind of make their way around this one, most pre-teens or younger will not be able sneak into the movies quite as easily. The reason the PG-13 movies have been so successful is that they’re fun for everyone. Kids can root for the favorite hero and watch them smash things while older people can enjoy the comedy and (again) the action. The reason it is so hard to change the superhero formula is because it works. If movies start excluding that audience, superhero genre actually loses appeal. Superheroes are meant to be an escape from society: a fantasy that problems can be solved with one swing of some guy’s hammer.

At the same time, as people are fed the same plot over and over again, change is inevitable. It’s a matter of whether studios can find that balance between their older and younger audiences. As far as R-Rated superhero films go, while they have their faults, they provide more opportunities than the current system offers. Does that mean audiences will be overrun with R-Rated films? Maybe. Either way, superhero movies are here to stay, but they now have the chance to entertain audiences in completely new ways.