Formal Essay Two: Thesis

Question: How does "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings" show society's expectations of the enchanted and what are the main aspects of Western society that fuel these expectations?
The reading that caught my attention was "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings" because of its ambiguous style, which conveys a very specific ideal dealing with sociology. This reading is basically about the manner in which a society cumulatively reacts to an old man with wings. This reading exemplifies how the modern world can take something as innocent as an angel and entangle it within the presumptions and expectations of its society. In the western world noble objects have always been subject to the stranglehold of religion or science as humanity tries to empower themselves. To have an understanding of an entity is to have power over this entity. Science, in its efforts to categorize nature's creatures, study the ways of all organic life and understand all that can be empirically understood builds the character and power of humanity. In understanding nature we gain power with knowledge while simultaneously distinguishing people from nature. In the reading there are many opinions on what the creature could be. Some say he could be an angel yet since he does not fit the expectations of the folktale angel this presumption is quickly discarded. They call on people who they feel have a better intuition of unearthly creatures such as, a doctor and a priest. This shows the reliance on science and religion for answers. Furthermore, once the people deny the creature of a holy regard because of a lack of holy actions they quickly turn him into a show. This exemplifies the way in which society feels a sense of entitlement in that this freak, if not an angel must have some entertainment value.

People in Distress

The art piece that struck me the most was a picture that was included in "a shimmer of possibility. Photographs by Paul Graham" at The Robert and Joyce Menschel Photography Gallery called New Orleans (Woman Eating).   This photograph caught my attention because it is a captivating depiction of a real life human being whose face shows the wear and tear of life.  I have prior knowledge of the fact that New Orleans is a city stricken with poverty and high crime and death rates.  This women must have exemplified the struggles of life in New Orleans to Paul Graham who wanted nothing more than to capture this struggle in one photo.  Graham chose not to paint or sculpt a depiction of New Orleans life, instead he captured it in the most realistic way possible.  This piece of art is the greatest example of modern realism, in that it is an actual real life picture of a person.  Graham chose to portray a message not with bright colors or a landscape but with a single person.  The saying, " a picture say a thousand words" never sounded so true.  There is no way of knowing that this picture is taken in New Orleans, because there is no recognizable entity of the city like the famous Bourbon street, only the women is shown with the sun beaming down on her head.  Looking at her I wonder what she could be thinking?  I ask why is she not looking at the camera, is she so preoccupied with the stresses of her life?  Not to be stereotypical but she can be seen as a poor women by the fact that she's waiting at the bus stop and is not made up at all.

This photo also caught my attention because of the fact that it resembles The Peasant Girl With a Hoe, in that, even though one is a painting and the other is a photo they are examples of modern realism.  The girl with the hoe is not doing anything spectacular, she is simply sitting there in a realistic fashion as the woman who is eating.  Unlike classical art where women are seen as mythical angels in an exotic pose, in modern art realism depicts the human as a person living a normal uneventful life.  Sometimes the most humane of actions is to just sit and think as shown in both these pieces.  Also the perspective of both pieces is focused on the person with little activity or eye catching stimuli in the background.  

Enlightened?

The manner in which United States society is governed is completely based on the ideas of trhe Enlightenment. Ideas such as, validity of reason which lead to natural laws that give all people natural rights. In the public eye a leader is not given power by divine right but by the reason of the people. I say the public eye because some ignorant people actually believed W. Bush when he said he had divine power. Thank goodness that did not gain momentum because that would have been a step back in terms of us being an enlightened society. Since we are a moderately enlightened society public sovereignty exists relatively. I use the terms moderately and relatively because America's road from the Enlightenment is not as extreme as French philosophes would have endorsed.
America says as the French did that they are on a mission to spread freedom and enlightenment to all nations. The question is, "Is it an enlightened act to force freedom upon other nations?". I feel that it is not because all people have reasoning, then if they reason not to be free then let them be. The western world has always had this idea that they have an almost innate responsibility to enlighten the world with Christianity and western knowledge. This implies absolutism, in that Western knowledge and religion is spread as if it is universal. Yet, religion, politics and knowledge are not based on absolute truth these are based on relative truth. So to force western ways may not be the right way. Other nations may have a way of governing that meets the needs of their circumstances, culture and history. I can understand America wanting to preserve the natural rights of people all over the world but we should go about the process in a different manner. Not by implementing the exact governing policies of the western world but maybe working together with representatives of those nations. It is not enlightened to suppose that the ideas of the western world will suffice for the rest of the world. It is enlightened to assume that all opinion matters no matter if it is not western because reasoning differs.

I was born an aquarius but ironically as a child I never knew how to swim. I enjoyed going to the pool and beach, while on vacation with my mom or dad, especially when I was in the water; yet I just couldn't swim. I would dog paddle around in shallow water while my cousins or friends would go off far away with an ability that I didn't have. My father told me that at one point or another in my life I would have to learn how to swim because it was a human skill for survival. I didn't care about that, I just wanted to go as far out as everyone else did.
I felt out of place in a place that I liked to be, the water. So one day my older cousins decided to pick me up and take me for a swim while I was visiting California. They had not seen me in a year so when I told them I still could not swim they made it their business to teach me. I could not do it, so in an instant where I was standing next to the deep end of the pool one of them pushed me in. I feel in all the way to the bottom, I remember saying to myself "you gotta get to the top." So I did by swimming up, once my head was above water I thought I must keep it above water so I treaded water and was able to float. From there I already knew conventional stroke and commensed with swimming. Looking back I realized that at that point I was enlightened, I was able to fully experience what I loved to do. I had learned a skill that eluded me for so long. In addition, I had done it on my own. Kant would have been very proud of me because I used my own understanding and had the courage to reach new abilities to save my own life.
My enlightenment went beyond the ability to swim. That event showed that it is never impossible to learn something new. As human beings we have the ability to learn new things. Moreover, no matter what manner we take we can gain a skill. All it takes is hardwork, dedication or just simply having the courage to dive in.

My Journey into Manhood.

The journey started a few months before high school ended back in the spring of 2004.  I was already legally a man at the age of eighteen while the mind had not caught up to the legality.  The journey started in a scary place filled with confusion, unpreparedness, and fear.  

a man legally, 

not ready for the challenge

was so ill prepared

Moving to California seemed a quick remedy for my stagnating maturity, hoping to learn the trade of life and grasp a better understanding from my father.  Learning the lesson of how to be a man from a man seemed indubitable.  The weather was beautiful, the interviews were rolling in, and my family was helping me.  I could almost grasp manhood in my hand, yet in this unfamiliar setting manhood seemed undesirable.  Missing the crowds, train sounds and bus stops, everything just a step away.  Family so close and so far, missing the concrete under my sole and the skyscraper filled streets manhood seemed inevitable but would come with a void. 

manhood will await

for a new journey is here

the void denies worth 

I came back to New York with a new vigor for the journey, more prepared than ever I yearned for independence and individuality.  I was in a place where I wanted to leave, I was still dependent with the same stagnation that was more apparent than ever.  My mother struck with cancer gave a motivation to take care of her, being a man was no longer my journey.  My reality was shifted, the weight of the world was on me and as if I had the strength, I had to pull my own weight.  

journey intervened

all seemed lost, though progress made

little did I know

Motivated by the will to support I lost my path.  My plans were lost and a new path was paved unknowingly.   As life went on responsibility came along with all attributes of manhood.  Unselfishness, realization of responsibility, and empathy were unconsciously becoming apart of me.  A new path was seen as I dove into institutions to better myself and the people around me in hopes of a better life.  Money was needed and sought but not important to me.  Material things were not needed to fulfill a good life.  Working hard and trying to make a good life was a good and fulfilling life to lead.  Intangible things like the happiness and wellness of others were my goal and before I knew it I was a responsible and respected man.

respect not searched for

manhood forgotten, who knew

life would itself - live  

Sympathizing for Prospero

The character who I most sympathize with is Prospero.  I identify with Prospero because I understand why he treated Ariel and Caliban with tyrannical force.  He possessed power, which was invested in his dukedom.  Then his power was stripped from him, not just by any man but his brother.   He experienced a tumultuous time that included so many hardships, which ultimately landed him on a deserted island in the middle of the sea.   This succession of events must have left him in the wrong state of mind.  He was left enraged and powerless with nothing but revenge on his mind.  Not even his daughter could bring enough joy to rid his mind of these feelings.  

The only remedy for this powerless enragement was his magic and his power over the other inhabitants of the island.  I am not saying that he is right for assuming control over the inhabitants, but I can understand why he acted as he did.  His magic gave him a feeling of empowerment, so for Prospero to crave empowerment after his nobility had been stripped from him is not farfetched.  Prospero went a little overboard in his treatment of Ariel and Caliban, yet, he was used to being a noble so the ruling aspect of his personality would only come natural.  Furthermore, since his title had been stripped do to his passive behavior as a Duke he wanted to make sure that never happened.  As a result, he wanted to change his passive ways and rule with an iron fist.  Prospero's character depicts hypocrisy in that he had his power taken from him, yet he felt it was okay to assume control over an island that was already inhabited by Caliban and his mother.

In the end, Prospero's true colors come through his rage and vengeful facade.  He is actually a forgiving person, and shows humanity as he does not take advantage of the fact that he could've easily killed Alonso and Antonio. 

All about me

Hi everybody my name is Karim Azizi and I was born and raised in the Lower East Side.  My mother is Puerto Rican and my father is from Afghanistan.  My mother speaks Spanish and my father speaks two different languages from Afghanistan.  Despite the fact that I am culturally diverse I only speak English fluently.  My parents felt that it would be of most importance for me to learn English as my first language.  Then I learned Spanish but my speaking skills declined dramatically as I  went through grade school.  The biggest problem for me growing up was deciding whether to be a Muslim or a Christian, being that I was torn between a Muslim father and a Christian mother.  My mother told me it was up to me and my father didn't even see it as an issue he just said I was a Muslim.  

As I grew through my teenage years into manhood I thought it was vital that I make definite decisions in my life dealing with life's important questions like the dilemma previously discussed.  So I made a lot of goals for myself one being that I go to BMCC and not only graduate but graduate with a GPA over 3.5.  I would need this GPA to guarantee that I have a selection of colleges to transfer to.  I hope to transfer to Baruch College for my Bachelor's  Degree in Business Administration.  After that life will decide how far my education will go.  For now in this horrible economy I have to make sure I have some financial security most importantly.  Luckily I work for a publicly funded private charter school that, unlike every other organization, is actually expanding so I aim to move up in this job as I get my education at least for now.  From here on I am going to just wing it and go with the flow of life and fight my way through any door I see open.  I am not a complete work-oholic, I enjoy playing basketball, playing my X-Box and enjoying the city life of New York with my friends and fiance.  

I took this class because I wanted to keep my reading and writing level up to par.  I have not taken an English class since the Spring '07.  In addition, I needed a few more elective credits so ENG 392 seemed the most interesting out of the selection that remained.  I do not read for leisure so I don't have a favorite author or genre.  I don't have a favorite book and books have not been influential to me.  Every book that i have read has been forced upon me by school so books have always felt unenjoyable.  Reading books makes me feel as if I am at a stand still in my life and life goes on once I am done reading.