Blog 11: Media Midterm

Mahatma Gandhi:

Peerless Communicator of All Time

Mass media was originated in the 1920’s with the initiation of national radio networks and the circulation of newspapers and magazines. Nevertheless, some other forms of mass media such as books as well as manuscripts had already been originated and utilized over centuries. Mass media has evolved significantly over periods of time due to technology as its current saturated status has not always existed. It has become into a versatile entity that is a crucial part of our daily lives.  As of today, the media has reached rising achievable sources towards its spectators and has even exploited events and news by expressing biased broadcasting. For this reason, it’s certainly canny to revisit Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy and principle of journalism during his times of constant political struggle caused by discrimination towards his people. Gandhi, throughout his life, has replicated inspiring prominence and also influenced the history of mass media to a great extent as he used journalism in order to portray his views about peace which involved non-violence, civil disobedience and morality to be the most effective ways in order to attain social and economical goals.

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on October 2, 1869 in Porbandar; a coastal city in the state of India Gujarat. He was well-known as Mahatma Gandhi, which the Indian people called him, meaning Great Soul. He studied law in London and completed his training as a lawyer in 1891. Later, he went to South Africa In 1893 on his first appointment as a visitor. He began his political career and accepted a one year contract to do legal work there, which was controlled by the British at that time. When he tried to claim his rights as a British entity, he was mistreated and soon realized that all Indians suffered the same treatment of racial discrimination. Discrimination against the Indians was massive and had a considerable struggle for them as well. During Gandhi’s 22 years in this country, direct contact of racial discrimination suffered by the Indians changed the reserved lawyer into a convinced activist. He stayed during that time in order to dutifully accomplish secure rights for the Indian people. Thus, he developed a method called Satyagraha which consisted on societal resistance that portrayed the principles of courage, nonviolence and truth. Gandhi’s point of view was unique and outstanding believing that people’s behavior was much more important than what they achieve. Accordingly, one of the major impacts of Gandhi relied upon his exceptional devotion towards peace seeking.

Gandhi’s instinctive pacifying and non-violent aspirations were the key to the development of his resistance movement for Indian independence. This can be relevant as stated by Thomas Merton in his book Gandhi on Non-violence, “Non-violence is for Gandhi the basic law of our being. That is why it can be used as the most effective principle for social action since it is in deep accord with the truth of man’s nature and corresponds to his innate desire for peace, justice, order, freedom, and personal dignity.” (36) On the other hand, violence promotes brutality causing more disorder and deviating from the main purpose rather than focusing on it. Generally, violence upholds more power and ambition before accomplishing the intended goal. This was probably the reason by which Gandhi always portrayed and promoted enduring non-violence throughout his political movement as well as through his innate writings, causing numerous impacts in the course of history. In effect, Gandhi returned to India in 1896 with the ideal of explaining the situation of the Indians in South Africa and presenting his thoughts to the public in order to fight for the Indian’s rights. He realized the need to inform the community about the issue through his reports which gained global awareness shaping him into a prominent journalist. The letters he sent to the editors of South African daily newspapers portrayed his views becoming a significant lesson to others. Through his reports Gandhi showed the process of fighting injustice in a nation where laws are mostly against a group of people, without providing offence to the rulers themselves. A perfect example of this aspect was his letter to the Times of Natal dated October 25, 1894 titled “Rammysammy”; it expressed disagreement among the leader’s treatment to the Indians but with wise and proper wording. Gandhi wrote:

“You would not allow the Indian or the native the precious privilege (of voting) under any circumstances, because they have a dark skin. You would look the exterior only. So long as the skin is white it would not matter to you whether it conceals beneath it poison or nectar…” (Gandhi)

After 10 years of constant struggle, Gandhi realized that in order to mobilize public opinion and influence on official decisions a regular newspaper was definitely required. Therefore, Indian Opinion was created on June 1903, newspaper in which the content was pure and natural. It didn’t contain advertisements nor was its goal to attain money; but instead, to support his concept in Satyagraha. Indian Opinion became an important tool of education as through the columns of the newspaper, Gandhi tried to teach the public about sanitation, self-discipline and good citizenship. This newspaper played an important role to the community as much as to Gandhi himself since in his own statement in his biography My Experiments with Truth this is clearly pointed out:

“Indian Opinion... was a part of my life. Week after week I poured out my soul in its columns and expounded the principles and practice of Satyagraha as I understood it… I cannot recall a word in these articles set down without thought or deliberation or word of conscious exaggeration, or anything merely to please. Indeed the journal became for me a training in self restraint and for friends a medium through which to keep in touch with my thoughts."

Indian Opinion effectively forced the South African government to modify their despotic laws against Indians; it lasted for 11 years.

            Another of Gandhi’s groundbreaking reports was after he received a call from Bihar where the Indian farmers of Champaran (a district in the state of Bihar) were mistreated and exploited the same way as the laborers in South Africa. Gandhi, in no time, went there to investigate the issue settling a detailed study and survey of the towns. With this, he provided a report describing the massacres, awful events of suffering and the status of deteriorated living becoming probably the envy of any grand investigative journalist in the world. The villagers began gaining confidence as Gandhi started leading the cleaning of towns, building schools and hospitals persuading the government to undo purdah (system of keeping women isolated), untouchability which consisted on the social practice of excluding a “minority” ethnic group by separating them from the mainstream by social practice or legal permission,  and the abolition of women. He was joined by various nationalists from all over India. It was no doubt that after this incident, Gandhi applied journalism as his most valuable weapon to portray his point of view. Gandhi was later convinced to take over the editorship of Young India and Navajivan newspapers as well as a Gujarati monthly. He encompassed various aspects of journalism which were to him the three paramount considerations for journalism which included: editorial independence, loyalty and self-restraints.

Gandhi being associated with six journals, for two of which he was the editor, stated that the purpose of a newspaper was to understand the well-known emotion and express it, provoke assured desirable feelings amongst people and boldly to describe popular flaws. That was certain through his publications written in a simple, passionate but indignant way. His newspapers’ main goal was to serve the public. They were strictly without ambitions as they didn’t contain advertisements nor was it to earn him his livelihood; it was just for the function of service and to deeply inform the people of his cause. Gandhi was solely devoted to his love for the welfare of the community and fighting for independence through newspaper writing. Therefore, his appraisal of the daily newspapers weren’t approving since they were commercial, afraid of the government and dishonest in reporting.  His message of audacity and sacrifice gave a new motivation to the development of the media as a weapon of Satyagraha. In his own statement Gandhi’s aspect of journalism is shown: “The true function of journalism is to educate the public mind, not to stock it with wanted and unwanted impressions.” (M. K. Gandhi)

The Mahatma campaign was later established by Gandhi in order to abolish the Press Act of 1910. It prevented the British government from passing a bill that would stop Indians from speaking up against the government. Social group disagreements and elements involving social deficit such as exclusion and untouchability were the targets of The Mahatma movement. During The Mahatma movement, later in between 1933 and 1940 Harijan (English), Harijan Sevak (Hindi), and Harijan Bandu (Gujarati) became the Mahatma’s powerful “vehicle” for carrying his message and major influence to the people of India. In these newspapers, The Mahatma campaign was focused mostly on the social and economic problems. Gandhi had become the holder of the key to his people’s future of liberty finally India attaining complete independence on the midnight of august 15, 1947.  

Because of Gandhi’s outstanding philosophy on peace, an influence on the U.S. peace movement felt on the early 1920s is relevant. John Haynes Holmes, a prominent Unitarian minister and reformer, and an honest pacifist in World War I was an effective supporter of Gandhi’s ideals. Holmes’s description of Gandhi in a sermon called “Who is the Greatest Man in the World Today?”  amazed many listeners. Accounts of Gandhi’s movement for Indian independence and non-violent resistance were reported in the U.S. newspapers by journalists such as Negley Farson and Webb Miller. Idealists were heartened by the successful struggles throughout India. The Salt March was an inspirational example of that matter. Religious leaders who were also social idealists were fascinated by the religious approaches Gandhi applied to social and political issues. They were also impressed by his battle against social groups and untouchability.  

Likewise, Gandhi made an impression on various speakers such as Martin Luther King Jr. He was coincidentally introduced to Gandhi through a sermon by Mordecai Johnson, president of Howard University. King was so moved that he read numerous books on the Indian nationalist leader. He read with fascination of the life of one who had successfully transformed the ethic of nonviolence into a political instrument against the British Empire. The impact caused on him is described on his own statement: "As I read, I became deeply fascinated by his campaigns of nonviolent resistance. As I delved deeper into the philosophy of Gandhi, my skepticism concerning the power of love gradually diminished, and I came to see for the first time its potency in the area of social reform." (King Jr.) Gandhi even caused major impact on former president Barack Obama as on one of his speeches he stated: “Throughout my life, I have always looked to Mahatma Gandhi as an inspiration, because he embodies the kind of transformational change that can be made when ordinary people come together to do extraordinary things. That is why his portrait hangs in my Senate Office: to remind me that real results will come not just from Washington - they will come from the people”. (Obama)

Apart from being one of the most influential political leaders of the twentieth century and social reformer, Gandhi was a peerless communicator. As a journalist, Gandhi taught brilliant lessons on mass communication. More than anyone else, he acknowledged that communication is the most effective tool in order to portray his outstanding peace methods and mobilize popular support. Gandhi used media to sway public opinion in the imperialist country that occupied India and utilized the power of media to promote a nation’s struggle for independence. He was successful because of his underlying skill in communication that blossomed in South Africa where he had gone initially to practice as a lawyer. Valiant, effective and eloquent with his words, Gandhi reached out to millions of people and convinced them of his cause. Nowadays, when there is an extensive concern over the growing influence of market forces on media, and lament of journalism no longer being a social service, Gandhi’s views on the principles of journalism sets on a position to bear on the profession of journalism the power of ethics and morality. On this aspect Gandhi stated: “It is often observed that newspapers published any matter that they have, just to fill in space. The reason is that most newspapers have their eyes on profits... At times, they produce bitterness and strife even between different families and communities. Thus, newspapers cannot escape criticism merely because they serve the people.” Gandhi is an icon to be respected as the man who inspired the Indian independence, and who achieved it with immense courage and proposal by portraying non-violence against all odds. His significant influence in the world was epic and can still contain the power to change societies to an improved place. His views and the power of media that he utilized were to be venerated everlastingly. Mohandas K. Gandhi died believing that his sole voice was unheard, but he was mistaken; the power of his message would certainly endure to progress the public and nations for all times to come. 

Blog 10: Gattaca Response

“The other” is certainly seen in everyday life even when you just think about it; this is, when a person thinks: “Wow, how she can do something like that?” or “I wouldn’t say that if that was me…” In this case, that person is putting his/herself into a position, as if that person were judging that “other” person’s actions and thoughts resulting in being “the other” for the person that was critiquing that individual. “The other” is not particularly seen in the present, but also in history as stated by George J. Annas in his essay “The Man in the Moon.” He articulates that “The new ideal human, the genetically engineered ‘superior’ human, will almost certainly come to represent ‘the other’. If history is a guide, either the normal humans will view the ‘better’ humans as the other and seek to control or destroy them, or vice-versa” (236).

I believe this statement to contain both probable as well as uncertain ideals, as he is stating that the genetically engineered which is the scientific alteration of the structure of genetic material in a living organism using recombinant DNA, humans are bound to be the “superior” type of human beings in a society as a whole. Therefore, these “superior” humans will be viewed as “the other” according to the normal humans; but probably to the “better” humans the normal ones will be viewed as “the other” creating a controversy. For example, in history situations such as the struggle between the Nazis and the Jews the concept of “the other” is evidently seen. For the Nazis, Jews were those of inferior race and they dominated and mistreated them based on their philosophy which was that the Germans believed they were the ‘superior race’ and their destiny was to take control of the inferior ones. In this case, the Nazis viewed the Jews as “the other” due to their philosophy resulting on the exploitation of the Jews unjustly. A revisit to the movie Gattaca is certainly clever as it matches perfectly with the concept of “the other.” In the movie, Vincent was considered to belong to the society’s lower levels due to the fact that he was naturally conceived; on the other hand, his brother Anton was artificially conceived therefore containing the genetic characteristics that are scientifically engineered to maximize his biologically in-built positive abilities. Hence, Vincent was viewed as “the other” because of the society’s functional outlook generally disdaining him when his dream was to travel to space.

Back to Annas’s theory, supposing that it might contain uncertain ideals, it’s crucial to point out that this statement is generally viewed from a scientific perspective and of course, scientists perhaps view facts from a more logical and technical outlook. They analyze and elaborate different studies in order to prove their point articulated and support their thesis in general aspects. In other words, there’s a discrepancy on a viewpoint of a person on this factor and an opinion of a scientist; showing what I believe which is that there are a lot of benefits on the genetically engineering, but at the same time there are issues linked to it. A positive aspect of genetically engineering would definitely be the elimination or at least the diminish of diseases. It would be of the nation’s welfare to have a decrease of viruses as of course, people’s health improves and there’s less risk of severe diseases that can cause death. Conversely, one of the negative aspects might be the fact that applying genetically engineered human beings will turn out to be too machine-like or elaborate. This means that such drawbacks might not be a problem to these highly structured beings and there won’t be such nature or natural joy ability. Genetically engineered species might be possible in the near future due to the constant increase in technology and machinery nowadays. The theory of the “superior other” cannot only be seen in human history, but also in present day society. For instance, a person that possesses large quantity of money might certainly be seen as the superior other due to the fact that the public consider a person with a lot of wealth to be powerful, sophisticated and interesting becoming a prevailing human being; why is money such an ambitious priority for the people?

Genetically engineered human beings can turn into a real controversy in the present, but can definitely be beneficial in certain ways in the long run. But mostly, to keep it natural is what’s best because we were created and conceived that way biologically. Due to constant technological advances it is of no doubt that genetically elaborated human beings might perhaps be a paramount option in the future. Hopefully natural human aspects are not executed and genetically engineering is utilized for other healthier purposes rather than elaborating a machine-like human. 

Blog 9: Matrix 2

Mythology and The Bible’s complex but convictive quotations have been and is somehow a controversial subject in our society nowadays. One side of the “panorama” probably question certain topics referring to that matter due to skepticism; others remain faithful and know that is to believe without bewilderment. Either side should be aware of respect towards any of these cases; this means having courtesy to each individual’s opinion and way of thinking. It’s unfair to refer to The Bible’s references or Jesus Christ’s proceedings as ridiculous or absurd just because it doesn’t seem to fit on an individual’s viewpoint; but maintain a certain respect to people that not only rely on these holy figures, but at least have faith and reverence towards Jesus. A person that has these believes are bound to be considered religious fanatics in our civilization despondently without even knowing what their real outlook is towards their faith. When a person wins an award due to a specific accomplishment in their lives and they’d have to articulate a speech and say: “First of all, I would like to thank God…” is when some people question “what the hell did God have to do in his/her accomplishment?” when in reality for that person God had a lot to do throughout his/her life but that people don’t know, and just considered that it will be pleasant and significant to make a reference to God. But sadly, people in general don’t understand and just scold that person as ridiculous. This is when the movie The Matrix comes to mind as a perfect example, since the religious themes play a fundamental role throughout its story.  

When referring to the movie’s story in general, the religious resemblance is evident in an instant. In Christianity, there is one true Messiah which was the anticipated savior of the Jews; but there is also a trinity which is the unity of Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. Clearly, in The Matrix the characters portend these Christian allusions in which the trinity is unquestionably noticed. Neo is referred to as being “The One” and portrays rebirth. He is nothing less than the savior of the human race similarly to the true Messiah. Morpheus gave birth to Neo by separating him from the illusion and bringing him towards reality. He becomes his mentor, and is considered “more than a leader”; he is “The Father” symbolizing God. And finally, Trinity foreshadows the Holy Spirit complementing the trinity’s unity as a whole. In one of the Bible’s excerpts there is a story about a fallen archangel named Lucifer. Lucifer in heaven was a high and exalted angel next in honor to God’s Son. He was special and he was one with the Father before the angels were created. But he was envious of Christ and gradually assumed domination which was delegated on Christ alone. This statement is clearly represented in The Matrix by the fallen member of Morpheus’s crew, Cypher. Cypher, which was a trusted and important member of the team, became jealous of The One and no longer believed in his prophecies betraying his fellow escorts in order to return to the comforts of the Matrix.

Correspondingly, mythology also provides extreme clarification in the movie’s plot and theme. In Greek mythology, Morpheus means “shaper of dreams”; it’s the God of dreams and sleep. This visibly relates to Morpheus’s persona in the movie, as he is the leader of a team of free humans and enables Neo to awaken from his “sleep.” Another mythological figure is the Oracle which was a god who predicts the future, like the oracle of Apollo at Delphi for instance. In The Matrix, the Oracle knew that Neo was The One in intimate detail; she foresaw that Morpheus would find The One and that Trinity will fall in love with The One. But why then lie to Neo or deliberately mislead him in thinking that he wasn’t The One? The answer plays an important role in its movie’s plot as it’s obvious that Neo wouldn’t have accepted this predicament as true if The Oracle would’ve told him straightforward that he was The One. It would have resulted in him being unable to recognize his potential and underestimate his fate. Instead, The Oracle cannily sets him up to both think that he is not The One and to comprehend that he will be forced to opt between saving his own life and the life of Morpheus. When Morpheus is captured by the agents is when the Oracle’s predictions become evident, as Neo sets out to rescue him with unique determination but knowing that he might succeed but ultimately not survive. It is at the end, in the despair of his situation and his critical defeat which makes him reach down and find his true ability as The One.

Besides to The Matrix’s characters, there’s a lot to its setting and machinery. The free humans in the movie live in a city called Zion, named after the Biblical city described in Psalms (48:2): "Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion." God resides in Zion, which is together a place of past prominence and a future hope for the redemption of this world. It will be refuge for the enslaved and the oppressed. The free humans have named their own city Zion for apparent motives, as it represents hope for the freedom of humanity from the imprisonment and chimera of The Matrix. Machinery, of course refers to the hovercraft Morpheus’s crew uses to travel called the Nebuchadnezzar. In the Old Testament, Nebuchadnezzar was a King of Babylonia that destroyed Jerusalem and brought the Israelites back to Babylonia in incarceration. In the second year of his reign Nebuchadnezzar had continous dreams and sometimes couldn’t sleep. He commanded magicians and wise men to interpret his dreams; but they were unable to do so. That is when Daniel, one of the incarcerated prays to God to show the king the truth of his dream. Daniel goes before Nebuchadnezzar and deduces his dream leaving him astonished and realizing: “Truly, your God is a God of gods… and a revealer of mysteries" (Daniel 2:47). Thus, the reference to Nebuchadnezzar in The Matrix connects to the idea that only God can reveal the truth of dreams, which is that Neo is the savior who will show humanity the truth about The Matrix. One of Nebuchadnezzar’s dreams also relates to the movie’s plot as when “he dreams of a statue with a head of gold, chest and arms of silver, belly and thighs of brass, legs of iron and feet of clay. A simple stone strikes the statue on its feet, and the whole statue crumbles. Then the stone grows into a great mountain that fills the Earth” (Daniel 2:31-2:35). The dream is a prophecy that states that each of the metals of the statue represents a kingdom of Earth but that rest on a weak base which is the feet of clay. The kingdoms will one day be ousted and be replaced by the kingdom of God. Therefore, the name of the hovercraft may refer to this prophecy as in this case, Neo is the stone; he will oust the machines and replace them with a new order.                         

It’s no doubt that The Matrix’s plot relies on mythological and Biblical stories in order to clarify it towards its audience. Its characters as well as its setting are both clear symbols of these cultural allusions and play an important role when interpreted that way. The story’s plot is exquisitely told and conveyed in a manner that it’s bound to be admired. Thus, misunderstanding is practically erased when viewed this way but leaves a certain point of inevitable thought. If it wasn’t for the director’s way of connecting its plot with mythological and Biblical references, the story itself would loose its magic as well as elucidation. On behalf of this, point of view is important to comprehend the plot of The Matrix, which is why its religious themes play a crucial role throughout.         

Blog 8 follow up

I would now like you to return to your blog 8 entry and discuss a situation when you have been seen as the other--when your sex, race, habits, tastes etc. have clearly made somebody react negatively toward you and turn you into "the other" for them. Discuss the experience in detail and what you thought about the person as well as about yourself after this experience.

I probably was seen as “the other” with my friends as they would love to talk about other people and put them names and stuff like that and the sad part of it is that I was kind of part of it. When they talked about someone and said like: “she is so stupid” I would feel bad and think to myself “just leave her alone” because it was something that they would talk about every day and it turned out as something annoying. So, in other words, I was seen as “the other” indirectly because of being with my friends turning out to be a part of it. Another of these situations was when I would have to talk or deal with someone that I really didn’t get along with being this, “the superficial person that loved to give attention all the time”, since in reality I would’ve wanted to ask him/her why was she/he acting that way, but of course I wouldn’t do it because it would probably turn out as something offensive and be misinterpreted turning out as probably something judgmental.

Blog 8: The Concept of the Other

a)     Give a description of your "other."

My description of the “other” would probably be people that are superficial and not sincere; and people that love to criticize and judge other people as if they were “perfect”.

b)    Explain what it is about it that makes you feel such opposition to it.

I can’t just see myself in that sense because I think in the way that: “who am I to judge…” or “everyone makes mistakes.” I don’t understand the “phony” attitude because why would someone act being nice to you and everything but in reality he/she talks behind your back or really dislikes you. I think it’s something really stupid and again…superficial.  

c)     Discuss what has happened or would happen in situations where you have to interact with someone who belongs to "the other" as you define it.

Back in my country mostly when I was in high school people would love to talk about you and you would find out what they said among other people, because gossip went around so fast; and the funny part is that what they said was a rumor or not true and you would feel like offended in that sense. This affects so much that sometimes you don’t even know who to believe, but what remains and is important is to stay true to yourself, and simply be yourself.   

Blog 7: Outline and Annotated Bibliography

Mahatma Gandhi

Thesis: Gandhi used journalism to portray his views about peace which involved nonviolence, civil disobedience and morality to be the most effective ways in order to attain social and economical goals.

• Changed the way some politicians should deal with the nation’s issues.
• His significant influence in the world was epic and still can have the power to change societies.
• Inspired and influenced on several nationalists such as Martin Luther King Jr. and even Barack Obama.
• Created strong bonds for the Indian people.
• Caused impact due to his acts of civil disobedience leading to Indian Independence.
• Gained worldwide prominence due to his acts in history and powerful reports of state of mind, the issues in South Africa and what needs to be done with morality.
• His reports and publications were masterful and wise, leading to great prominence globally up to date.  

      

Annotated Bibliography

·    Gandhi, Mahatma, Costume. Gandhi: Life and Times of a Modern Legend. Kultur, International Films: 2008, DVD.

This documentary will be helpful in order to know the times in which Gandhi lived, understand what his main goal and views were and how he became a prominent legend worldwide.    

·    Merton, Thomas. Gandhi on Non-violence: A Selection from the Writings of Mahatma Gandhi. New York, New York: New Directions Pub. Corp., 1965. Print.

This book will be utilized to show the powerful writings of Gandhi to emphasize his viewpoints throughout the paper and to give examples of how he impacted on journalism towards the community; also portray his expressions and feelings about certain situations during that time.

·    Narayanan, VN. "Mahatma Gandhi-Peerless Communicator." Life Positive Dec. 2002: Web. 16 Oct 2010. <http://www.lifepositive.com/spirit/masters/mahatma-gandhi/journalist.asp>.

This e-magazine article will help me as a guide of what Gandhi’s actions and good deeds were, and how he fought for his people’s independence utilizing his views in order to show how he made a point of difference and impacted globally.

·    Gupta, V.S. "Mahatma Gandhi and Mass Media." Employment News XXVI. (2001): Web. 18 Oct 2010. <http://www.mkgandhi-sarvodaya.org/mass_media.htm>.

This publication will provide some information about how Gandhi affected the masses and what were his actions throughout; what kind of media he used to better reach the sending of his message and support his cause.

·    CNS, . "Gandhi and his Influence in the World." Lanka Tribune (2009): Web. 18 Oct 2010. <http://www.lankaeverything.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=702:gandhi-and-his-influence-in-the-world&catid=19:srilanka&Itemid=145>.

This journal publication will help me understand the overall influence of Gandhi not just towards media, but the world as well as how he reached such eminence and turn into an aspiring peace making legend.

Blog 6: Hero

Difficult circumstances can occur in the least expected moment of our daily lives. Sometimes even when we have a problem already in our encounter such as being late, another issue pops up as in a mocking intent like a train delay for instance; it’s majorly inexplicable. But even more dreadful situations such as a plane crash, may occur in the unforeseen and end up taking away the lives of a vast quantity of victims in no time. That’s why a person that acts bravely in any of these surprising situations in order to assist others is considered an absolute hero. A hero is someone that is admired by their might, strength, achievements and noble qualities. It’s no doubt that people involved in welfare professions such as policemen or firemen are certainly considered heroic because of their courageous actions and qualities in the most atrocious occurrences. For kids, parents might be considered their heroes because of all the sacrifices they dealt with in order to provide wellbeing for them. People that rely on Jesus Christ might totally consider him as a hero due to all his might and the sacrifice of his life in order to save humanity and forgive them from their sins. All these heroic figures appeal to the movie Hero emphasizing its basic conceit throughout the story.

                                                                                                                                                    

Basically, the movie Hero is based on the character Bernie Laplante which was a not-that- successful guy in court found guilty of selling stolen property plus stealing money from his lawyer’s purse. He risks his life into the flaming wreckage of a plane crash in order to save the passengers including the reporter Gale Gayley becoming the hero of flight 104. But such heroism was “stolen” by John Bubber, a homeless guy which was his friend, as Laplante didn’t identify himself by the time the police and firemen arrived. The reason for him taking credit for Laplante’s heroism was due to a component considered to be strong in society: money. The channel 4 news medium offered the unidentified hero a sum of $1 million dollars in order to identify himself and know who the “angel of flight 104” was. Of course, who wouldn’t want that amount of money anyways?

John Bubber contains the qualities we consider heroic; he’s polite and charming with the public, handsome, clever and smart. On the other hand Laplante, even though he was the true hero, was a quirky petty criminal. His heroic actions were actually not of his real wishes, but they were brave enough to make him a true hero. People probably won’t consider Laplante as containing the qualities of a genuine hero because of his criminal record including his stealing ambition which is seen in various cases throughout the movie, even when saving Gale he ended up stealing her purse, but saving her life. Due to Laplante’s persona, humanity would be probably blinded by refusing to accept his true heroism not giving him a second chance and perhaps scolding him as an impostor which is an unpleasant demeanor. I believe people are constantly centered on the negative aspects of a person mostly when it has to do with constant illicit intent such as stealing money/credit cards, and when it comes to accept his heroic deeds, a person like Bubber would probably be a more accurate match which is somehow unfair. I consider the individual that committed the brave act is the most accurate person to be the hero, regarding his past unwise behavior, at the end he was the authentic savior that overcame throughout. However, the public has its dissimilar point of view which relates to the movie’s theme that is evident mostly throughout the characters Laplante and Bubber. Even though Laplante knew he was the true hero, he later realized that he didn’t contain the characteristics that would transform him into an estimable individual. That’s why he convinces Bubbler to carry on with the lie but being paid a part of his allowance.    

In other words, it’s clear that true heroism occurs by a person’s real might and brave acts during a complex situation. Society should respect that hero because of saving the lives of a vast amount of people leaving his/her past unlawful acts aside as though in the end, that person was a “valiant warrior”. In reality, the ideal consideration of a hero was with the qualities of John Bubbler, but it’s of no evidence that he was the real rescuer due to his way of acting towards the public. It’s as if the media created this hero making the community believe it as factual, even though it was the opposite. The movie’s basic conceit is admirable as it puts the public to the test because they were worshiping the imposturous hero and strongly believing in him due to his splendid traits that they regard as heroic, when the real hero was practically an unworthy snob as viewed by the community. But it’s unfair to think of a person in that manner just because of his/her unsatisfactory activities; because in the end, a brave act can kill the impotence of any human being and can be of an enduring ostentatious admirance. 

  

Blog 5: Plan for media paper

For this blog, I want you to deal with these questions: what is your topic? What is the importance of the topic in the evolution of mass media? What kind of position will you develop in the paper? What kind of sources will be available and what will be the best sources to use?

My topic is Mahatma Ghandi. He was the greateast journalist of all time and portrayed a different view when posting stories in the newspaper as his view was about how peace was better and that war was unnecessary. Ghandi's influence was so strong that many political activists adopted his methods.

Sources available would be: internet, mass/media evolution textbook.

Also, for this blog you should explain, in your own terms, how you understand the concepts of "reason" and "evidence" as well as the term "argument" (it is not what most think). We will go over what you write in class.

Reason is simply why.

Evidence is the facts that support a certain aspect or topic.

Argument is the way you discuss about a certain topic; sometimes in your point of view.

Blog 4: Reflection

1.     What have you learned about writing academic texts so far? Anything from ideas of audience to invention techniques to thesis and topic sentences can be discussed here. Do not simply repeat whatever notes you took in class--the point is for your thoughts on what we did in class: Did these concepts connect with things you already knew and how did you make these connections? If something was unfamiliar, how did you approach it? What is still puzzling to you about these writing concepts? What are you not sure of regarding them?

Actually I have already been familiar with some writing techniques and the elaboration of an essay as in high school in Ecuador; they gave us a lot of written assignments. From practicing thesis statement to coming up with the topic sentence, and writing in an introduction, body, conclusion form; is what I’ve practically learned. A technique that I used to practice a lot in my school was to outline. It’s a way to come up with supporting ideas for your topic sentences in each paragraph. I connected some of my learned techniques in order to come up with ideas and elaborate a blog post according to this class. Something unfamiliar to me, to be honest, was the whole blog post. Actually, this was the first time using it since I wrote on Blog #1, and these blog posts had actually improved my writing skills thanks to practice.

2.     What did you think of the interaction with ENA 099? Does such interaction make blogging more meaningful for you or not? How was writing to someone not in class different from making comments on classmates' blogs? Did trying to critique someone else's summary make you more confident that you know the criteria for a good summary?

I think that the interaction with ENA 099 was really helpful as besides from critiquing another person’s summary, and providing them with helpful tips to improve their essay, we received valuable feedback in order to apply those ideas. This means that we helped each other out in a way generally and for future reference as well. Writing to someone not in our class was particularly dissimilar besides not really knowing that person, makes you feel without a certain pressure to critique their work in a good way. Honestly, I’m not the kind of person that likes to critique others but instead provide them with helpful feedback so that they can be able to improve their essay if needed; I like to help others. Maybe this exercise made me feel a little more confident about knowing the criteria for a good summary, but of course not totally because I feel there are certain things in which another person can come up with and help me as well.

3.     Area of reflection of your choice: What else would you like to share with all of us?

I have to say that I definitely learned a lot in reference to the classmates’ opinions and ideas about certain topics. There were some stuff that people would say and I would be like thinking: “Wait, what is he talking about?” and I would feel that everybody knew that but I wouldn’t. I would state the same when reading others’ essays. For example, I personally don’t know that much about historical events; and when some pointed out certain topics about that I would learn something from it.   

Blog 3: The Matrix Analysis

Mythology and The Bible’s complex but convictive quotations have been and is somehow a controversial subject in our society nowadays. One side of the “panorama” probably question certain topics referring to that matter due to skepticism; others remain faithful and know that is to believe without bewilderment. Either side should be aware of respect towards any of these cases; this means having courtesy to each individual’s opinion and way of thinking. It’s unfair to refer to The Bible’s references or Jesus Christ’s proceedings as ridiculous or absurd just because it doesn’t seem to fit on an individual’s viewpoint; but maintain a certain respect to people that not only rely on these holy figures, but at least have faith and reverence towards Jesus. A person that has these believes are bound to be considered religious fanatics in our civilization despondently without even knowing what their real outlook is towards their faith. When a person wins an award due to a specific accomplishment in their lives and they’d have to articulate a speech and say: “First of all, I would like to thank God…” is when some people question “what the hell did God have to do in his/her accomplishment?” when in reality for that person God had a lot to do throughout his/her life but that people don’t know, and just considered that it will be pleasant and significant to make a reference to God. But sadly, people in general don’t understand and just scold that person as ridiculous. This is when the movie The Matrix comes to mind as a perfect example, since the religious themes play a fundamental role throughout its story.  

When referring to the movie’s story in general, the religious resemblance is evident in an instant. In Christianity, there is one true Messiah which was the anticipated savior of the Jews; but there is also a trinity which is the unity of Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. Clearly, in The Matrix the characters portend these Christian allusions in which the trinity is unquestionably noticed. Neo is referred to as being “The One” and portrays rebirth. He is nothing less than the savior of the human race similarly to the true Messiah. Morpheus gave birth to Neo by separating him from the illusion and bringing him towards reality. He becomes his mentor, and is considered “more than a leader”; he is “The Father” symbolizing God. And finally, Trinity foreshadows the Holy Spirit complementing the trinity’s unity as a whole. In one of the Bible’s excerpts there is a story about a fallen archangel named Lucifer. Lucifer in heaven was a high and exalted angel next in honor to God’s Son. He was special and he was one with the Father before the angels were created. But he was envious of Christ and gradually assumed domination which was delegated on Christ alone. This statement is clearly represented in The Matrix by the fallen member of Morpheus’s crew, Cypher. Cypher, which was a trusted and important member of the team, became jealous of The One and no longer believed in his prophecies betraying his fellow escorts in order to return to the comforts of the Matrix.

Correspondingly, mythology also provides extreme clarification in the movie’s plot and theme. In Greek mythology, Morpheus means “shaper of dreams”; it’s the God of dreams and sleep. This visibly relates to Morpheus’s persona in the movie, as he is the leader of a team of free humans and enables Neo to awaken from his “sleep.” Another mythological figure is the Oracle which was a god who predicts the future, like the oracle of Apollo at Delphi for instance. In The Matrix, the Oracle knew that Neo was The One in intimate detail; she foresaw that Morpheus would find The One and that Trinity will fall in love with The One. But why then lie to Neo or deliberately mislead him in thinking that he wasn’t The One? The answer plays an important role in its movie’s plot as it’s obvious that Neo wouldn’t have accepted this predicament as true if The Oracle would’ve told him straightforward that he was The One. It would have resulted in him being unable to recognize his potential and underestimate his fate. Instead, The Oracle cannily sets him up to both think that he is not The One and to comprehend that he will be forced to opt between saving his own life and the life of Morpheus. When Morpheus is captured by the agents is when the Oracle’s predictions become evident, as Neo sets out to rescue him with unique determination but knowing that he might succeed but ultimately not survive. It is at the end, in the despair of his situation and his critical defeat which makes him reach down and find his true ability as The One.

Besides to The Matrix’s characters, there’s a lot to its setting and machinery. The free humans in the movie live in a city called Zion, named after the Biblical city described in Psalms (48:2): "Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion." God resides in Zion, which is together a place of past prominence and a future hope for the redemption of this world. It will be refuge for the enslaved and the oppressed. The free humans have named their own city Zion for apparent motives, as it represents hope for the freedom of humanity from the imprisonment and chimera of The Matrix. Machinery, of course refers to the hovercraft Morpheus’s crew uses to travel called the Nebuchadnezzar. In the Old Testament, Nebuchadnezzar was a King of Babylonia that destroyed Jerusalem and brought the Israelites back to Babylonia in incarceration. In the second year of his reign Nebuchadnezzar had continous dreams and sometimes couldn’t sleep. He commanded magicians and wise men to interpret his dreams; but they were unable to do so. That is when Daniel, one of the incarcerated prays to God to show the king the truth of his dream. Daniel goes before Nebuchadnezzar and deduces his dream leaving him astonished and realizing: “Truly, your God is a God of gods… and a revealer of mysteries" (Daniel 2:47). Thus, the reference to Nebuchadnezzar in The Matrix connects to the idea that only God can reveal the truth of dreams, which is that Neo is the savior who will show humanity the truth about The Matrix. One of Nebuchadnezzar’s dreams also relates to the movie’s plot as when “he dreams of a statue with a head of gold, chest and arms of silver, belly and thighs of brass, legs of iron and feet of clay. A simple stone strikes the statue on its feet, and the whole statue crumbles. Then the stone grows into a great mountain that fills the Earth” (Daniel 2:31-2:35). The dream is a prophecy that states that each of the metals of the statue represents a kingdom of Earth but that rest on a weak base which is the feet of clay. The kingdoms will one day be ousted and be replaced by the kingdom of God. Therefore, the name of the hovercraft may refer to this prophecy as in this case, Neo is the stone; he will oust the machines and replace them with a new order.                         

It’s no doubt that The Matrix’s plot relies on mythological and Biblical stories in order to clarify it towards its audience. Its characters as well as its setting are both clear symbols of these cultural allusions and play an important role when interpreted that way. The story’s plot is exquisitely told and conveyed in a manner that it’s bound to be admired. Thus, misunderstanding is practically erased when viewed this way but leaves a certain point of inevitable thought. If it wasn’t for the director’s way of connecting its plot with mythological and Biblical references, the story itself would loose its magic as well as elucidation. On behalf of this, point of view is important to comprehend the plot of The Matrix, which is why its religious themes play a crucial role throughout.