GPA 2

I discovered about my GPA that i have a lot of work to do in order to pass this year. I am disappointed but not surprised, as I have gotten a little bit lazy this semester. What i need to do is buckle down and get my work done, and possibly make up some undone work, so that i get at least a B, but if i can, an A.

Revolution

Suheir Hammad is talking about a revolution in her own country. She discusses that "[She has] never been so angry as to want to control a gun over a pen." She alludes to a revolution from a civilized society to near anarchy, brought on by unrest in the middle east. She is also calling for a cultural revolution in the Western countries. She cites such experiences as being equated to a terrorist simply because of her race. She also raised the issue of alluding to Islamic extremists without recognition of Christian extremism embodied in such groups as the KKK.
This is somewhat similar to Marjane's experience in Persepolis. She is going through a cultural and personal revolution, as well as being prejudiced based on her race. She is attempting to discern her own niche and lifestyle from the veritable sea of people in Europe, and is being torn apart by her roots and her current situation. She is trying to decide between her somewhat relatively conservative liberal Islamic parents' philosophy and the recently developing highly carefree European philosophy of casual sexual interactions and frequent leisurely use of mind altering substances. In the end, she finds that she must determine her life by herself and returns to Palestine.

Israel

Currently in Israel, there is controversy over who owns the Gaza strip. This is between Israel and Palestine. Both sides believe that the Gaza strip belongs to them, and is currently under the control of Hamas, a Palestinian Islamic political party. Recently, Israel tried to build a Jewish housing settlement there, and were shut down by rioters. There are currently peace talks over the issue.

Israel is located in the Middle east on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It's neighbors are Lebanon to the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan and the West Bank in the east, and Egypt and the Gaza Strip in the southwest. Israel is a mainly Jewish state, and has a rich history, being the starting point of Islam, Judaism, and Christianity.

The Metamorphosis Chapter Three

Kafka was trying to say that Gregory's life had been turned into a tortured death spiral racing toward oblivion before he was transformed into an insect. He spent little time with his family, had not any romantic interest, was mistreated at work, and had no hobby to keep him entertained. Kafka is saying that he might as well be a bug, than live a meaningless, painful life.
Kafka probably chose the roach as the insect because a roach is essentially bottom of the food chain. Other classic examples, such as the frog, at least prey on some kind of responsive being, but a roach eats rotten food. A roach's life is also completely different from a human's, so Gregory undergoes many mental changes as well as physical changes.

The Metamorphosis Chapter Two

The Samsa family is not a very good family in some senses, but also works very nicely in others. They do not seem to love each other any more than in a dutiful sense, but they still care for each other all the same.
Five rules for a functional family are as follows:
1. The family must care for each other.
2. They must genuinely love each other.
3. They must wish to be a part of the family.
4. No member of the family should be forced to do anything.
5. All members must work for the betterment of the other members, and in the end the betterment of themselves.
Based on these rules, I give the Samsa family a C-, for they care and love each other, but are essentially forced to take care of each other due to social conventions and risk of exile.

The Metamorphosis Chapter One

Some circumstances in Gregor's life before the actual metamorphosis occurred that may have dehumanized him were his work and home situations. At work as a traveling salesman, Gregor is at the bottom of the corporate ladder, and is at the mercy of everyone, customers and bosses alike. If a customer does not think Gregor is up to par, he will simply not buy Gregor's products. And if Gregor is not meeting his quota, then his boss can fire him.
With his family, Gregor is an outsider. He is always on business trips, and rarely has time to spend at home. His family feels like they barely know him. He is also the family's main source of income. Despite this, they treat him less than lovingly.

political cartoon

This comic shows 'Dr. Mediocraty' hosting a show called 'Science Commentary with Dr. Mediocraty' ('mediocraty' is an intentional misspelling of mediocrity, which shows how handicapping everyone can lower quality standards).  
He is saying something intelligent until his handicap kicks in, and interrupts his lecture and train of thought, which renders him unable to continue. Therefore, he expresses his interest in watching the next show, Dances with Weights.

--EDIT--

This is the original version made on Photoshop. It's much easier to read.