Brave New World Seminar
BNW Seminar Pre-Write
1. I think that the overall message off BNW is that if we don’t stop consuming and destroying our environment we are going to lose sight of what is really important in life. I think that when Huxley wrote this book and the industrial revolution was going on, he thought that we would just consume so much that by todays day in age we would already be living in something like Brave New World and he was pretty accurate in that. I think that the biggest idea in BNW is the idea that happiness all the time is the most important thing.
2. Before reading BNW I thought that being happy was the most important thing and that being happy all the time would be great. Now that I have read the book though, I now think that you need some sadness and have to work hard. And when you work hard than when you are happy you will really be able to appreciate it when you are happy.
3. I think that john was talking about emotions, because they have have no need to display any emotions besides happiness. And although people have to work there, they are conditioned to enjoy the work and are given soma so that they are happy. He also means that there are no consequences for what they did, for example if they slept with someone while they had a girlfriend nothing would happen.
4. I think our society nowadays is focused mostly on comfort rather than truth and beauty. This is shown in the products that are made now that are based on our comfort. Not just comfort as in like a feather bed but comfort as in being comfortable in your body with makeup and things like that. I also think that truth and definitely beauty are important to us still and we have not lost sight of that yet.
2. Before reading BNW I thought that being happy was the most important thing and that being happy all the time would be great. Now that I have read the book though, I now think that you need some sadness and have to work hard. And when you work hard than when you are happy you will really be able to appreciate it when you are happy.
3. I think that john was talking about emotions, because they have have no need to display any emotions besides happiness. And although people have to work there, they are conditioned to enjoy the work and are given soma so that they are happy. He also means that there are no consequences for what they did, for example if they slept with someone while they had a girlfriend nothing would happen.
4. I think our society nowadays is focused mostly on comfort rather than truth and beauty. This is shown in the products that are made now that are based on our comfort. Not just comfort as in like a feather bed but comfort as in being comfortable in your body with makeup and things like that. I also think that truth and definitely beauty are important to us still and we have not lost sight of that yet.
BNW Seminar Reflection
One of the comments that I agreed with was one that was said by someone in the first group but I don’t remember who. They said something like, I was always taught that I should be something important when I am older like a doctor because they make a lot of money and save peoples lives. But if everyone becomes a doctor then who will do the jobs that we look over and think are not important like picking up trash? I strongly agree with this and now see why we need people who drop out of highschool or don’t get a degree in college to do these lesser but equally important jobs.
I think that what I did best in during the socratic seminar is responding to the ideas of my peers and to the big questions that Sara asked up. The other thing that I did was asked other people in the seminar to participate. One of the things that I could improve in the next seminar is creating my own questions or follow up questions, next seminar that we have I will think of questions beforehand so that I don’t have to make them up during the seminar.
The biggest thing that I took away from BNW is the idea that happiness is not everything and that you have to suffer to be able to truly appreciate it when you are happy. Before reading this book I did not realize how horrible it would be living in a world where your whole life is “happy” because of easy pleasures, and you didn’t know anything besides being happy. I think that after reading this book I am going to try and get away from being satisfied by the easy pleasures and instead try to get happiness from accomplishing things and not just just settling for watching a movie or something.
I think that what I did best in during the socratic seminar is responding to the ideas of my peers and to the big questions that Sara asked up. The other thing that I did was asked other people in the seminar to participate. One of the things that I could improve in the next seminar is creating my own questions or follow up questions, next seminar that we have I will think of questions beforehand so that I don’t have to make them up during the seminar.
The biggest thing that I took away from BNW is the idea that happiness is not everything and that you have to suffer to be able to truly appreciate it when you are happy. Before reading this book I did not realize how horrible it would be living in a world where your whole life is “happy” because of easy pleasures, and you didn’t know anything besides being happy. I think that after reading this book I am going to try and get away from being satisfied by the easy pleasures and instead try to get happiness from accomplishing things and not just just settling for watching a movie or something.
Mexican Whiteboy
Seminar Pre-Wright
Danny and Uno are both forced to wear social identity masks so that they will fit in with their friends and their families. I think that they are wearing similar masks, both have to act tough in front of their friends and families to fit in. In the second chapter of the book the author describes Uno beating up Danny: “ Uno is already stepping forward with all of his weight, delivering an overhand right that smashes flush into Danny’s face. Snaps his head back. Buckles his knees.” Like Uno, Danny also gets in a fight in the chapter Unos Own Vision of The Future the author talks about how Danny tries to save Uno from getting beat up: “”Get off!” Uno hears Danny shout from behind him. But Carmelo’s there, too. Uno turns to watch Carmelo shove Danny to the ground and kick him in the ribs.” I think that on the inside both of these kids are very nice people. But being Poor Mexicans they are taught to be violent and to stick up for their friends and family. Uno was sticking up for his brother by punching Danny, not only as a way to stick up for his brother, but also because if he didn’t he would look like a wimp in front of his friends. Danny was just sticking up for Uno, but he did it by being violent towards the kids that were beating up Uno. Instead of being violent he could have gone and called the cops or asked the kids to stop. But that isn’t the way that his friends want him to respond, they want him to use violence and to be tough. I think that it is sad that they have to hide their true personalities. Inside they are caring, nice people , but they have to hide that to fit in.
Mexican Whiteboy is a book that shows how Mexicans are socialized and how they have to hide who they really are. In the Sociology Textbook of Socialization, the author talks about the idea of nature versus nurture: “What is human about human nature? How much of people’s characteristics come from “nature” (heredity) and how much from “nurture” (the social environment or contact with others)?” I believe that the “nature” parts of human nature are not only things like how to breath, how to move and what we are going to look like. They are also things like what our personality is going to be, if we are going to be a nice person, mean person, smart person etc. I think that the “nurture” part is the mask that we taught to put on by our parents, friend, enemies and the ethnic group that we are born into. We are forced to put on the mask if we want to fit in with the rest of society.
I have learned from this book that everyone is wearing a social identity mask, even me. Before I read this book I didn’t realize that I have two different identities, who I really am on the inside and how I act around other people so that I can fit in. A good example of this from my own life is the differences between how I act around my friends and how I act around my parents. When I am around my friends I have to act tough, not show emotion, be funny, talk about girls, act super cool and sometimes be mean to other people. When I am around my parents and other adults, I am nice, funny, polite, I use correct grammar and be friendly. These are examples of two different masks that I wear,I may never know who I really am on the inside. In the book Mexican Whiteboy, The author talks about how you can never change your true self “A leopard can’t never change his spots.” I think that even if someone wanted to change their true self, for example if they were gay and wanted to be straight, they couldn't because that is the way that they were made.
Seminar Pre-Wright
Danny and Uno are both forced to wear social identity masks so that they will fit in with their friends and their families. I think that they are wearing similar masks, both have to act tough in front of their friends and families to fit in. In the second chapter of the book the author describes Uno beating up Danny: “ Uno is already stepping forward with all of his weight, delivering an overhand right that smashes flush into Danny’s face. Snaps his head back. Buckles his knees.” Like Uno, Danny also gets in a fight in the chapter Unos Own Vision of The Future the author talks about how Danny tries to save Uno from getting beat up: “”Get off!” Uno hears Danny shout from behind him. But Carmelo’s there, too. Uno turns to watch Carmelo shove Danny to the ground and kick him in the ribs.” I think that on the inside both of these kids are very nice people. But being Poor Mexicans they are taught to be violent and to stick up for their friends and family. Uno was sticking up for his brother by punching Danny, not only as a way to stick up for his brother, but also because if he didn’t he would look like a wimp in front of his friends. Danny was just sticking up for Uno, but he did it by being violent towards the kids that were beating up Uno. Instead of being violent he could have gone and called the cops or asked the kids to stop. But that isn’t the way that his friends want him to respond, they want him to use violence and to be tough. I think that it is sad that they have to hide their true personalities. Inside they are caring, nice people , but they have to hide that to fit in.
Mexican Whiteboy is a book that shows how Mexicans are socialized and how they have to hide who they really are. In the Sociology Textbook of Socialization, the author talks about the idea of nature versus nurture: “What is human about human nature? How much of people’s characteristics come from “nature” (heredity) and how much from “nurture” (the social environment or contact with others)?” I believe that the “nature” parts of human nature are not only things like how to breath, how to move and what we are going to look like. They are also things like what our personality is going to be, if we are going to be a nice person, mean person, smart person etc. I think that the “nurture” part is the mask that we taught to put on by our parents, friend, enemies and the ethnic group that we are born into. We are forced to put on the mask if we want to fit in with the rest of society.
I have learned from this book that everyone is wearing a social identity mask, even me. Before I read this book I didn’t realize that I have two different identities, who I really am on the inside and how I act around other people so that I can fit in. A good example of this from my own life is the differences between how I act around my friends and how I act around my parents. When I am around my friends I have to act tough, not show emotion, be funny, talk about girls, act super cool and sometimes be mean to other people. When I am around my parents and other adults, I am nice, funny, polite, I use correct grammar and be friendly. These are examples of two different masks that I wear,I may never know who I really am on the inside. In the book Mexican Whiteboy, The author talks about how you can never change your true self “A leopard can’t never change his spots.” I think that even if someone wanted to change their true self, for example if they were gay and wanted to be straight, they couldn't because that is the way that they were made.
Seminar Reflection
Many people made great points and connections to the book during the seminar. One of my favorite things that was said during the seminar, was said by Eli. He talked about how Danny puts on a different mast when he is writing to his dad to impress him: “Whenever Danny writes letters to his dad he puts on a mask. When he is writing to his dad he embellishes everything that he does so that he can impress his dad.” I think that that is a good point, and I can relate that to my own life because I definitely embellish stories to make myself look better usually in front of my friends. I think that that by putting on this mask it is lying to myself, and that it is not a good mask to put on. It makes other people think that we are better, funnier,smarter etc. so then people will label you as a liar and never believe anything that you say.
When we talked about poverty in the US, this is something that I can’t relate to in my own life. I take for granted all of the money and all of the cool things that I have and can’t really appreciate what I have. I really liked what Unos dad said when he quoted Poe about how you have to experience poverty to be able to appreciate what you have: “Never to suffer would never to have been blessed.” I doubt that I will ever be able to relate to all of the people in National City or any other poverty stricken place unless I “suffer”, like they do every day. I complain about not being able to go to ski at Aspen for the weekend, while they are struggling just to survive.
I think that I did very well during the seminar in terms of going off of what other people said, or questions that they asked. Whenever someone asked a question, or made a comment. I usually would express my views on it. I think that the “move” that I need to work on most would be asking my own follow up questions. I don’t know if I even asked one question during the whole seminar. Nextime that we have a seminar I will come up with questions before the seminar so that I don’t have to think of the question on the spot. Over all I thought that I did very well in the seminar, but next time I will ask more questions of my own.
I think that there were many great lines in the book, most of them were said by Uno’s dad. I think that the most beautiful line that he said and that has the most truth to it, is again the line where he is talking about having perspective on how lucky you are: “Never to suffer would never to have been blessed.” Even though he was quoting Poe, I think that it has a lot of truth to it, and it relates to my life. I have never had to “suffer” and I am very thankful for that. But I think that until I do go through hard times I will never truly know how lucky I am.
Many people made great points and connections to the book during the seminar. One of my favorite things that was said during the seminar, was said by Eli. He talked about how Danny puts on a different mast when he is writing to his dad to impress him: “Whenever Danny writes letters to his dad he puts on a mask. When he is writing to his dad he embellishes everything that he does so that he can impress his dad.” I think that that is a good point, and I can relate that to my own life because I definitely embellish stories to make myself look better usually in front of my friends. I think that that by putting on this mask it is lying to myself, and that it is not a good mask to put on. It makes other people think that we are better, funnier,smarter etc. so then people will label you as a liar and never believe anything that you say.
When we talked about poverty in the US, this is something that I can’t relate to in my own life. I take for granted all of the money and all of the cool things that I have and can’t really appreciate what I have. I really liked what Unos dad said when he quoted Poe about how you have to experience poverty to be able to appreciate what you have: “Never to suffer would never to have been blessed.” I doubt that I will ever be able to relate to all of the people in National City or any other poverty stricken place unless I “suffer”, like they do every day. I complain about not being able to go to ski at Aspen for the weekend, while they are struggling just to survive.
I think that I did very well during the seminar in terms of going off of what other people said, or questions that they asked. Whenever someone asked a question, or made a comment. I usually would express my views on it. I think that the “move” that I need to work on most would be asking my own follow up questions. I don’t know if I even asked one question during the whole seminar. Nextime that we have a seminar I will come up with questions before the seminar so that I don’t have to think of the question on the spot. Over all I thought that I did very well in the seminar, but next time I will ask more questions of my own.
I think that there were many great lines in the book, most of them were said by Uno’s dad. I think that the most beautiful line that he said and that has the most truth to it, is again the line where he is talking about having perspective on how lucky you are: “Never to suffer would never to have been blessed.” Even though he was quoting Poe, I think that it has a lot of truth to it, and it relates to my life. I have never had to “suffer” and I am very thankful for that. But I think that until I do go through hard times I will never truly know how lucky I am.