Khaled Hosseini’s first novel “The Kite Runner” is a best selling modern piece of literature for many reasons, its a very emotional story, filled with powerful themes and characters, however I believe its greatest achievement is how it smoothly incorporates Middle- Eastern culture into the narrative. This really makes the setting and the whole overall story feel exotic and yet at the same time extremely believable, as well as something completely fresh from what the reader might be used to. This window into another culture’s background makes the story very easy to be interpreted anthropologically over the other 3 social sciences. This is done by explaining racial differences, incorporating dialect, switching to America and then also switching to Pakistan.
First, to summarize the plot, it deals with main protagonist Amir remembering his past in Kabul as a child, and his relationship with his best friend and later revealed to be brother Hassan, as well has his shaky relationship with his father. These events led to a climax where at the Kite Running festival, Amir betrays Hassan by leaving him alone to face the bullies, ultimately getting raped! Amir’s guilt overwhelms him and follows him for the rest of his life. The two friends part on horrible terms very shortly afterwards as Amir and Baba flee the country when the Russians take over. Amir rebuilds his life in America, but is eventually drawn back with a chance to redeem himself.
One of the cultural aspects that stood out to me at the start of the novel, in the flashback was how Amir was a Pashtun and Hassan was a Hazara. This put the two boys in a fairly awkward relationship from the off set, as even though they were best friends, socially they were separated, so much so that Hassan and his father Ali were Amir and Baba’s servants. How can you truly be best friends with someone society is telling you to look down upon. Amir learns that “the Hazara people were descended from Moguls, owing to their flattened, "Chinese-like" facial features. The Hazaras were brutally oppressed throughout their history for being Shi'a instead of Sunni Muslim. His own people, the Pashtun, oppressed the Hazaras.” This reminds me of our in class discussions about race, and how in the end there truly is no race, as the classifications are man-made. If there were really no Pashtun’s and no Hazara’s, perhaps the two main characters could have been closer, and the tragedy been adverted. One of the story is friendship/brotherhood, however until racial prejudices and stereotypes are completely torn down from society then this is impossible. It would be similar to a white person being a friends with a black person, during the period of segregation in the United States.
Another part of the story that really brings out the cultural aspect of the story is how Hosseini incorporates real words from the character’s language into the story. This subtle touch of interweaving the language really adds to the cultural immersion. For example “We sat at a picnic table on banks of the lake, just Baba and me, eating boiled eggs with “kofta” sandwiches - meatballs and pickles wrapped in “naan”.” With this technique, you can learn so much even during parts that aren’t too key to the plot. This sentence was very basic, only a small part of Amir explaining how he wishes to be closer to Baba, however two new words were learned. Eventually through repetition, many words used don’t always need to be explained, they become almost like English words. Truly the only way to fully understand a culture is to experience it, however when an Anthropologist does go to visit a different culture one of the crucial things they learn quickly is the language, so they can communicate with the locals. Learning just a few words is enough for us, as readers to feel like we are part of the culture as well.
As I mentioned in the last paragraph, a central conflict early on, is Amir, desperately wishing for the respect and love of his father. This is what leads him to doing whatever it takes to win the Kite Running tournament and factors greatly in his decision to do nothing while Hassan is raped. However what is interesting here is how this conflict isn’t really unique to people from Afghanistan, it is universal to all of us. We always strive to impress our parents, and make them feel proud of us, especially at that young ages. They are our role models, and trying to live up to their expectations is how the family institution works.
When Amir moves to America, we learn about the small Afghanistan community that always shops at the same flee market. This is important to the story as it is where Amir meets his future wife, however it is also very realistic. Often when a group of immigrants come to a new country they stick together, forming their own sub communities such as Chinatown in Toronto. Sometimes when too many come to a certain area, the normal residents move to a different area. This happens a lot in London, England. Some other points of interest were how Baba struggled taking on simpler jobs in America, after being in a much higher position in Kabul, and how he slowly deteriorated. A cool idea had to do with how Baba was normally so trusting, in Kabul a stick could be used to carve notches representing items purchased from a vendor, whereas in America the store keeper wouldn’t sell him anything without asking for ID. Another thing I found important was how Baba found the idea of America really liberating because he knew his son could grow up in freedom and someday become successful, however Amir found it freeing because he could now be less reminded of his Guilt over Hassan. Baba’s thoughts mirror that of all immigrants though, trying to work their way to the American dream, now free from many hardships in their homeland. I think having a country so close to us or our own country for that matter, feel this important to people is really gratifying.
Another major culture shock is when Amir finally goes back to Pakistan to find Hassan’s son. Amir sees tonnes of beggars dieing on the streets and also witnesses many atrocities committed by the Taliban. This is a point of interest for the novel, as after 9-11 the Taliban became a huge issue, however not a lot of people really understood them. They took back the country from the Russians, however their rule brought about a large number of human rights violations especially towards women. When studying this novel in Mrs Sirianni’s super amazing class, we watched a documentary about this. The women are not supposed to leave the house without a man, aren’t allowed to be educated also aren’t even supposed to show any skin or their face! All these things are truly horrible, and I think are explained further in “A Thousand Splendid Sons” which I hope to read someday. Amir witnesses a “stoning” which is a barbaric form of execution, where the one sentenced has rocks thrown at their head until finally they die. I cannot even fathom how painful that would be. Another really shocking thing was how the orphanage children were really starved and abused, however the head of the orphanage was losing far more, just to keep them alive. This was significant to the story as Sohrab’s reaction to going back lead to the heart stopping climax, that seriously upset me.
It is easy to see how all of this turmoil and devastation led to western countries wanting to step in and fight the Taliban. Nonetheless, when Amir wanted to simply adopt Sohrab and get the hell out of there, he was faced with a whole mess of restrictions. This lead to Sohrab finally panicking and trying to kill himself, which in turn kills the reader as I mentioned above. Even though it doesn’t seem completely practical, perhaps western countries allowing refuge to these people is a greater feat then any other.
Since “the Kite Runner” is such an incredibly rich novel, filled with so much information I would also like to briefly describe some of the psychological issues that I could have discussed. The book could have completely been analysed this way, however since I did that for “1984” I wanted to do something new. Amir’s character is completely motivated by his guilt for the grand majority of the story. Seeing how much it hurts him and how far it makes him go is a really good moral message, not betraying your friends. This is why it is such an exceptional quest for redemption. His whole journey can be summed up in the phrase "There is a way to be good again" - page 2 (shows how far I got in the book!) Another thing is how when Sohrab tries to kill himself, the novel demonstrated how his personal anguish led to extreme depression and suicidal thoughts. Thankfully in Canada we have different medications for mental illness, and depression can be considered to be one.
In conclusion, “The Kite Runner” is a really amazing novel, for incorporating so many brilliant ideas, which such a detailed and rich outlook on contemporary Middle Eastern culture. This is why Anthropology can evaluate the novel so well. Through analysing the novels various settings, races and dialect, a lot can be learned.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Friday, June 12, 2009
The American Medical System is Sick-O (Sicko Journal)
Michael Moore’s controversial documentary, “Sicko” tries to prove to the viewer just how horrible the American medical system really is. In The United States, health care is not Universal, or free. To receive treatment you must be paying health insurance, or else paying your own money on treatments. This is very impractical, because he majority of people cannot afford the insanely expensive care when they really need it. To convey his message, our ambitious (though obese) film maker used very emotional heart pulling stories of real people struggling, as well as contrasting the difference between the capitalistic system in the United States and the ease of the free universal systems in Europe.
This powerful film truly made it impossible to argue that this medicalization can be a bad thing. After showing numerous examples of how bad the American system can be for average people, such as an elder janitor forced to keep working in order to allow his family to have the insurance, or a man who cut off two fingers and had to decide which one to get re-attached. Yes all of these stories were meant to really pull at the viewers hearts, but the fact remains that this is a truly enormous issue. Life can be tough for everyone, but one thing that can’t be messed around with is your health. What’s even worse is the main reason behind the denial of care is so that others can PROFIT! Even though that is the way capitalism works, it just doesn’t seem right. If personally you could offer help, I’d like to think pretty much anyone would. However when dealing with large medical corporations who don’t even see the people, its easy to see how they would forget their “customers’” dire situations. Corporations were created for the sole purpose of making huge profits, and for this, they really shouldn’t be in control of any form of health products. Even over the counter drugs is pushing it, as the movie showed just how cheap some products were in Cuba. Health and Medicine just seems like something the Government has to handle. The Government controls the army, to protect the citizens, and should also control the medicine to protect the citizens from DISEASE.
The film also showed just how silly the idea of paying for health care seemed to people in Britain or France, and how happy they seemed to be, just knowing no matter what happens to them, they can be taken care of. It seemed fantastic, although I already LOVE British people! Canada’s system is a lot closer to this, which made me feel happy and secure. The security part seems really important, as Maslow’s hierarchy of needs states that before you can feel truly happy and reach your full potential, you must fulfill basic needs such as hunger and safety. Americans always seem really proud about their country, which is a good thing, but they really should give Sicko a good watch and think about how it can become even better.
This powerful film truly made it impossible to argue that this medicalization can be a bad thing. After showing numerous examples of how bad the American system can be for average people, such as an elder janitor forced to keep working in order to allow his family to have the insurance, or a man who cut off two fingers and had to decide which one to get re-attached. Yes all of these stories were meant to really pull at the viewers hearts, but the fact remains that this is a truly enormous issue. Life can be tough for everyone, but one thing that can’t be messed around with is your health. What’s even worse is the main reason behind the denial of care is so that others can PROFIT! Even though that is the way capitalism works, it just doesn’t seem right. If personally you could offer help, I’d like to think pretty much anyone would. However when dealing with large medical corporations who don’t even see the people, its easy to see how they would forget their “customers’” dire situations. Corporations were created for the sole purpose of making huge profits, and for this, they really shouldn’t be in control of any form of health products. Even over the counter drugs is pushing it, as the movie showed just how cheap some products were in Cuba. Health and Medicine just seems like something the Government has to handle. The Government controls the army, to protect the citizens, and should also control the medicine to protect the citizens from DISEASE.
The film also showed just how silly the idea of paying for health care seemed to people in Britain or France, and how happy they seemed to be, just knowing no matter what happens to them, they can be taken care of. It seemed fantastic, although I already LOVE British people! Canada’s system is a lot closer to this, which made me feel happy and secure. The security part seems really important, as Maslow’s hierarchy of needs states that before you can feel truly happy and reach your full potential, you must fulfill basic needs such as hunger and safety. Americans always seem really proud about their country, which is a good thing, but they really should give Sicko a good watch and think about how it can become even better.
An Awesome Birthday Boy's Awesome Presentation (And the Whole Group) Free Journal #7
Ok so first want to say, walking in to soc and hearing Black Sheep Boy playing was probably the coolest thing ever! Was also super weird, cause I’ve been listening to it almost nonstop for the past few days. Its soooo good, when it hits you, it really hits you hard! Works as a whole better then any other Okkervil album, extremely brilliant. Also, thought I should say that even though Lost Coastlines is super amazing and catchy, I think my favourite Okkervil song of all is A Girl in Port, from the Stage Names. So far no ones agreed with me on that, but I love it!
Another thing is...Its Brandon’s Birthday!!!! He is suchhhhh a hero, going to get a BILLION facebook comments and high fives! (HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAN) But it was also his day to present about Gay Marriage, as I mentioned yesterday. So how has the INTENSE presentation changed me? Well first I should talk about the presentation itself. Was really solid and interesting, trying to explain the true definition of a marriage, learning about “da bishop” and also proposition 8. I didn’t find the two videos as funny as they were hyped up to be though! Just the awkwardness of the cute girl questioning the gay couple was supposed to be super funny, but I wasn’t feeling it. I always thought Arnold Schwarttzenbacker (My Govna can beat up your Govna) was doing like crazy awesome things for California, however I didn’t think they were trying to ban gay marriages. Seems pretty unfair!
The discussion part went about the same way as usual and was pretty interesting. I kinda imagined it would have been funnier though, after hearing Jordan yesterday. Today though he wasn’t there, and so it was more typical. The main point brought up was that perhaps if religion is in control of the term and meaning of marriage, then the government should make a replacement civil union under a different name for gay couples. However is this really fair? It seems like it is definitely a form of discrimination, but still as long as they can live together, receive the same benefits etc is it really worth fighting for? After all being married is just a title. Yes, there is some security in it, but it has lost some of its importance over the years, with a laughably high rate of divorce. Most of the class seemed to agree with the idea that gay marriage should be allowed, however the more specifics behind this were still under debate. I think Jessica Little (NOT Brandon’s sister!) had some interesting points about cohabilitation, though now its all slightly fuzzy.
Anyways, pretty awesome presentation to end the year off with, so sad that there is only 2 classes left though! Going to miss this class.
Another thing is...Its Brandon’s Birthday!!!! He is suchhhhh a hero, going to get a BILLION facebook comments and high fives! (HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAN) But it was also his day to present about Gay Marriage, as I mentioned yesterday. So how has the INTENSE presentation changed me? Well first I should talk about the presentation itself. Was really solid and interesting, trying to explain the true definition of a marriage, learning about “da bishop” and also proposition 8. I didn’t find the two videos as funny as they were hyped up to be though! Just the awkwardness of the cute girl questioning the gay couple was supposed to be super funny, but I wasn’t feeling it. I always thought Arnold Schwarttzenbacker (My Govna can beat up your Govna) was doing like crazy awesome things for California, however I didn’t think they were trying to ban gay marriages. Seems pretty unfair!
The discussion part went about the same way as usual and was pretty interesting. I kinda imagined it would have been funnier though, after hearing Jordan yesterday. Today though he wasn’t there, and so it was more typical. The main point brought up was that perhaps if religion is in control of the term and meaning of marriage, then the government should make a replacement civil union under a different name for gay couples. However is this really fair? It seems like it is definitely a form of discrimination, but still as long as they can live together, receive the same benefits etc is it really worth fighting for? After all being married is just a title. Yes, there is some security in it, but it has lost some of its importance over the years, with a laughably high rate of divorce. Most of the class seemed to agree with the idea that gay marriage should be allowed, however the more specifics behind this were still under debate. I think Jessica Little (NOT Brandon’s sister!) had some interesting points about cohabilitation, though now its all slightly fuzzy.
Anyways, pretty awesome presentation to end the year off with, so sad that there is only 2 classes left though! Going to miss this class.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Best Presentation Everrrrr Coming Soon! (Free Journal #6)
Since I’ve beasted up a whole bunch of soc stuff lately, almost a 2 a night schedule, I’m thinking maybe tonight (The night before Brandon, Ashneet and Kayla’s intense presentation) I will write about my thoughts on their topic. Then afterwards, tomorrow I’ll do another journal on how their life changingly awesome presentation effected my views. Their topic is going to be same sex marriage.
I guess in order to comment on same sex marriage, I need to first say how I feel about homosexuality. Its a tough call, in all honestly. For the record I’m SUPER straight. I sometimes make gay jokes, like just silly comments like everyone I guess, like saying “thats so GAY!” or “what are you, GAY?” (not that there's anything wrong with that) But I’m not really a hater, although this year really helped me become more accepting. Someone I knew since grade 7 was apparently gay for sure, and I was like WHATTTTTT EWWWWW! And then I was always afraid he was checking me out, and would constantly try and make sure my collar was super closed. But then finally I decided nawww he’s still the same guy, there whas just no whey! I was in like a crazy amount denial, but then that became an acceptance I guess. I just knew, if I turned around my butt wasn’t being eye raped...thats for the ladies to do! This is really hard to explain, but I guess simply over time it became cool. (Wow that story turned out bland, not funny without names and backstory, my bad)
So should same sex marriage be allowed? Well why not?? Its not really interfering with anyone else’s business, its their own personal relationship. Not hurting anyone else. I think society should learn to overcome their dislike over the idea, or else just mind their own business. That doesn’t sound too practical, but I guess that’s what we have to strive towards.
However should they be able to adopt children?? This was something we talked about today, and there are some good arguments on either side. The children will likely learn to be more accepting of others, in many different minority groups, however might also be more likely to become homosexual themselves, which is still against the norm. Furthermore I guess people could argue, “Is it right to have 2 dads, or 2 moms?” A family is a really important agent of socialization, and if it is too disrupted, could have major consequences. It works really well because the child gets both a mother and a father as a role model. Having two of the same parent, when the majority of others have a man and a woman could really change things. Still, there have been so many changes to the types of families in modern days maybe it could still work.
Anyways, super excited!!! Good Luck Guys!!!
I guess in order to comment on same sex marriage, I need to first say how I feel about homosexuality. Its a tough call, in all honestly. For the record I’m SUPER straight. I sometimes make gay jokes, like just silly comments like everyone I guess, like saying “thats so GAY!” or “what are you, GAY?” (not that there's anything wrong with that) But I’m not really a hater, although this year really helped me become more accepting. Someone I knew since grade 7 was apparently gay for sure, and I was like WHATTTTTT EWWWWW! And then I was always afraid he was checking me out, and would constantly try and make sure my collar was super closed. But then finally I decided nawww he’s still the same guy, there whas just no whey! I was in like a crazy amount denial, but then that became an acceptance I guess. I just knew, if I turned around my butt wasn’t being eye raped...thats for the ladies to do! This is really hard to explain, but I guess simply over time it became cool. (Wow that story turned out bland, not funny without names and backstory, my bad)
So should same sex marriage be allowed? Well why not?? Its not really interfering with anyone else’s business, its their own personal relationship. Not hurting anyone else. I think society should learn to overcome their dislike over the idea, or else just mind their own business. That doesn’t sound too practical, but I guess that’s what we have to strive towards.
However should they be able to adopt children?? This was something we talked about today, and there are some good arguments on either side. The children will likely learn to be more accepting of others, in many different minority groups, however might also be more likely to become homosexual themselves, which is still against the norm. Furthermore I guess people could argue, “Is it right to have 2 dads, or 2 moms?” A family is a really important agent of socialization, and if it is too disrupted, could have major consequences. It works really well because the child gets both a mother and a father as a role model. Having two of the same parent, when the majority of others have a man and a woman could really change things. Still, there have been so many changes to the types of families in modern days maybe it could still work.
Anyways, super excited!!! Good Luck Guys!!!
The Tallest Man, In Your Eyes Babe (The Why of the Y)
Song: The Gardner - The Tallest Man on Earth
Album: Shallow Graves (2008)
http://www.mediafire.com/?etvjqbb7xsi
Lyrics to The Gardner :
I sense a runner in the garden
Although my judgements known to fail
Once built a steamboat in a meadow
Cos I'd forgotten how to sail
I know the runner's going to tell you
There ain't no cowboy in my hair
So now he's buried by the daisies
So I could stay the tallest man in your eyes, babe
I sense a spy up in the chimney
From all the evidence I've burned
I guess he'll read it in the smoke now
And soon to ashes I'll return
I know the spy is going to tell you
It's not my flag up in the pole
So now he's buried by the lilies
So I could stay forever more in your eyes, babe
I sense a leak inside my phone now
From all the lies I have told
I know he has your private number
And soon he'll make that vicious call
I know the leak is going to tell you
There ain't now puppy in your leash
So now he'll fertilize the roses
So I could stay the king you see
In your eyes, babe (x2)
So now we're dancing through the garden
And what a garden I have made
And now that death will grow my jasmine
I find it soothing I'm afraid
Now there is no need for suspicion
There ain't no frog kissing your hand
I won't be lying when I tell you
That I'm a gardner I'm a man
In your eyes babe (x3)
http://www.lyricsmania.com/lyrics/tallest_man_on_earth_the_lyrics_46166/other_lyrics_82681/the_gardner_lyrics_818435.html
After the Second World War, the world was in desperate need of repopulation, the economy was extremely prosperous, and many soldiers were returning home. This led to the largest baby boom in history. The boomer generation was immensely influential in bringing about social change, to suit every stage in their lifestyle, seeing as they had the numbers to demand it. More recently however, the baby boomers, also referred to as Generation X have moved on to having their own families, and their children have grown up to become Generation Y (also known as the cool generation). This means that I fit into the tail end of this echo boom generation (1977 -1994)
Music can be a very powerful tool for sociologists to gain valuable information on the background of different groups. After all the music is often recorded by members of the particular group, or otherwise for them. Music can be considered both art, for its beauty and ability to speak to the soul and literature for often deep meaning lyrical passages. For these reasons, it is clear that songs can be a strong tool for analysis. But which song speaks about the Y generation the most?
As the title page spoiled, that song would be The Gardner by the Tallest Man on Earth. Although he may not really be the tallest man on Earth, Kristian Matsson is a very talented Swedish Folk artist. His newest album, Shallow Graves just came out last year, so it fits in to present day very nicely. The Gardner tells the story of a man who constantly struggles to cover up the truth about lies he told to his girlfriend, for the purpose of making himself look more impressive. He buries all of the people / security leaks in his garden, where at the end the two are dancing. (On a side note, the deeper meanings of this song became clear to me after several listens during the Easter Break, when I was dieing of the Swine Flu) This story as well as the music behind it says a lot about my generation, in the following ways.
The second passage of the song is “I know the runner's going to tell you/ There ain't no cowboy in my hair/ So now he's buried by the daisies/ So I could stay the tallest man in your eyes, babe.” This section is one of several passages describing the ways in which he committed purgery or murder in order to keep the truth about himself from the woman he loves. I think this says a lot about our generation because we truly do take our image quite seriously. Its easy to see this through how we dress, always focussing on wearing designer names, which are often a lot more expensive and come from the United States. I know I feel a little bit bad for wearing “American” Eagle, but I guess our culture is really “Americanized” through the media, and our close proximity to the border. Being online all the time also plays a part in this. Our generation is in much closer contact to people all around the world then any other time. But this also brings dangers, like online predators, as almost anything can be found about us through social networks like “Facebook” or “Twitter” Cell phones also contribute to this, so getting back to the song "I sense a leak inside my phone now / From all the lies that I have told." I have noticed that things you say about people sometimes spread realllly quick, especially with texts. You never know who is overlooking what you read if you send something private, or if the receiving person then tells someone else about it then you have a problem. Our generation has always felt more connected to their friends or family, as there can be instant communication, no matter what each person is doing.
When I hear, "So now he's buried by the lilies/ So I could stay forever more in your eyes, babe", I continue to think about what would make him go so far to try and appear to be better. Again this ties in to the fact that our generation can be extremely vain. This is a reason why there are so many cases of eating disorders and other problems. I think this stems from the way the media of modern day portrays people. We always try and look more beautiful then we were meant to, and sometimes go to extremes. So for this reason, in the song, the character feels the need to cover up the truth and stay on top. I also think a reason for this is because we are living under the shadow of the baby boomer generation. They played such a significant social role, and now make up the majority of the population, but we have to one day take over their role, and become even better business people or entrepreneurs. Trying to find even better innovations can be very difficult or stressful.
The second last verse of the song says "And now that death will grow my jasmine /I find it soothing I'm afraid." I think this says that our generation is much more able to cope with death. So much time has passed since the second world war and the cold war, that we are more comfortable with the idea that nuclear destruction is a threat, but not a dire one. This is why on TV you can have shows where a nuclear explosion isn’t really an end game. Its a huge event, but not the most horrifying thing that perhaps wouldn’t have made it on the air before. For example the new Battlestar Galactica begins with the nuclear destruction of all 12 human planets, also 24 has a nuclear bomb going off in Los Angeles. We have also witnessed so many other terrible things such as genocides and 9-11 that we are more able to cope with violence in the media. We have been desensitized to a much greater extent then ever before, and it is easy to see the difference comparing movies or Tv shows of today with those of the 60’s or 70’s.
Finally, the last verse always stood out to me, it goes "Now there is no need for suspicion/There ain't no frog kissing your hand/I won't be lying when I tell you
/That I'm a Gardner I'm a man /In your eyes babe (x3)" He means that he has covered everything up so well, that he has become the prince instead of the frog, and that everything seems to have worked out in his own twisted garden. However he says that he is the “Gardner” not the Gardener, which is another reference to how he has guarded the real him and even though they are together, it is all fake. I think reasons like this are why our generation has had a huge amount of struggles with marriage and divorce. The divorce rates are incredibly high, and we often end up marrying several different partners over our lives. Sometimes we speed relationships up too fast, as the amount of time spent living at home has increased due to inflated education. Another important point is that we have a high rate of cohabilitation, however statistically (learned from old soc class) marriages after cohabilitating for a while are more likely to fail. Maybe we see things too short term, are always focussed on the now and not to the future. This is really bad though, as it plays an extremely negative role on the children of the future. The Z generation!
In conclusion, I think “The Gardner” says a lot about some of the negative aspects of the Y-Generation, who we are vs. who we want to be, why we sometimes lie or cheat, how we can deal with so much violence in the media, when we get married and then quickly down the line a divorce and what impact that has. That is a lot of W’s + an H!
Album: Shallow Graves (2008)
http://www.mediafire.com/?etvjqbb7xsi
Lyrics to The Gardner :
I sense a runner in the garden
Although my judgements known to fail
Once built a steamboat in a meadow
Cos I'd forgotten how to sail
I know the runner's going to tell you
There ain't no cowboy in my hair
So now he's buried by the daisies
So I could stay the tallest man in your eyes, babe
I sense a spy up in the chimney
From all the evidence I've burned
I guess he'll read it in the smoke now
And soon to ashes I'll return
I know the spy is going to tell you
It's not my flag up in the pole
So now he's buried by the lilies
So I could stay forever more in your eyes, babe
I sense a leak inside my phone now
From all the lies I have told
I know he has your private number
And soon he'll make that vicious call
I know the leak is going to tell you
There ain't now puppy in your leash
So now he'll fertilize the roses
So I could stay the king you see
In your eyes, babe (x2)
So now we're dancing through the garden
And what a garden I have made
And now that death will grow my jasmine
I find it soothing I'm afraid
Now there is no need for suspicion
There ain't no frog kissing your hand
I won't be lying when I tell you
That I'm a gardner I'm a man
In your eyes babe (x3)
http://www.lyricsmania.com/lyrics/tallest_man_on_earth_the_lyrics_46166/other_lyrics_82681/the_gardner_lyrics_818435.html
After the Second World War, the world was in desperate need of repopulation, the economy was extremely prosperous, and many soldiers were returning home. This led to the largest baby boom in history. The boomer generation was immensely influential in bringing about social change, to suit every stage in their lifestyle, seeing as they had the numbers to demand it. More recently however, the baby boomers, also referred to as Generation X have moved on to having their own families, and their children have grown up to become Generation Y (also known as the cool generation). This means that I fit into the tail end of this echo boom generation (1977 -1994)
Music can be a very powerful tool for sociologists to gain valuable information on the background of different groups. After all the music is often recorded by members of the particular group, or otherwise for them. Music can be considered both art, for its beauty and ability to speak to the soul and literature for often deep meaning lyrical passages. For these reasons, it is clear that songs can be a strong tool for analysis. But which song speaks about the Y generation the most?
As the title page spoiled, that song would be The Gardner by the Tallest Man on Earth. Although he may not really be the tallest man on Earth, Kristian Matsson is a very talented Swedish Folk artist. His newest album, Shallow Graves just came out last year, so it fits in to present day very nicely. The Gardner tells the story of a man who constantly struggles to cover up the truth about lies he told to his girlfriend, for the purpose of making himself look more impressive. He buries all of the people / security leaks in his garden, where at the end the two are dancing. (On a side note, the deeper meanings of this song became clear to me after several listens during the Easter Break, when I was dieing of the Swine Flu) This story as well as the music behind it says a lot about my generation, in the following ways.
The second passage of the song is “I know the runner's going to tell you/ There ain't no cowboy in my hair/ So now he's buried by the daisies/ So I could stay the tallest man in your eyes, babe.” This section is one of several passages describing the ways in which he committed purgery or murder in order to keep the truth about himself from the woman he loves. I think this says a lot about our generation because we truly do take our image quite seriously. Its easy to see this through how we dress, always focussing on wearing designer names, which are often a lot more expensive and come from the United States. I know I feel a little bit bad for wearing “American” Eagle, but I guess our culture is really “Americanized” through the media, and our close proximity to the border. Being online all the time also plays a part in this. Our generation is in much closer contact to people all around the world then any other time. But this also brings dangers, like online predators, as almost anything can be found about us through social networks like “Facebook” or “Twitter” Cell phones also contribute to this, so getting back to the song "I sense a leak inside my phone now / From all the lies that I have told." I have noticed that things you say about people sometimes spread realllly quick, especially with texts. You never know who is overlooking what you read if you send something private, or if the receiving person then tells someone else about it then you have a problem. Our generation has always felt more connected to their friends or family, as there can be instant communication, no matter what each person is doing.
When I hear, "So now he's buried by the lilies/ So I could stay forever more in your eyes, babe", I continue to think about what would make him go so far to try and appear to be better. Again this ties in to the fact that our generation can be extremely vain. This is a reason why there are so many cases of eating disorders and other problems. I think this stems from the way the media of modern day portrays people. We always try and look more beautiful then we were meant to, and sometimes go to extremes. So for this reason, in the song, the character feels the need to cover up the truth and stay on top. I also think a reason for this is because we are living under the shadow of the baby boomer generation. They played such a significant social role, and now make up the majority of the population, but we have to one day take over their role, and become even better business people or entrepreneurs. Trying to find even better innovations can be very difficult or stressful.
The second last verse of the song says "And now that death will grow my jasmine /I find it soothing I'm afraid." I think this says that our generation is much more able to cope with death. So much time has passed since the second world war and the cold war, that we are more comfortable with the idea that nuclear destruction is a threat, but not a dire one. This is why on TV you can have shows where a nuclear explosion isn’t really an end game. Its a huge event, but not the most horrifying thing that perhaps wouldn’t have made it on the air before. For example the new Battlestar Galactica begins with the nuclear destruction of all 12 human planets, also 24 has a nuclear bomb going off in Los Angeles. We have also witnessed so many other terrible things such as genocides and 9-11 that we are more able to cope with violence in the media. We have been desensitized to a much greater extent then ever before, and it is easy to see the difference comparing movies or Tv shows of today with those of the 60’s or 70’s.
Finally, the last verse always stood out to me, it goes "Now there is no need for suspicion/There ain't no frog kissing your hand/I won't be lying when I tell you
/That I'm a Gardner I'm a man /In your eyes babe (x3)" He means that he has covered everything up so well, that he has become the prince instead of the frog, and that everything seems to have worked out in his own twisted garden. However he says that he is the “Gardner” not the Gardener, which is another reference to how he has guarded the real him and even though they are together, it is all fake. I think reasons like this are why our generation has had a huge amount of struggles with marriage and divorce. The divorce rates are incredibly high, and we often end up marrying several different partners over our lives. Sometimes we speed relationships up too fast, as the amount of time spent living at home has increased due to inflated education. Another important point is that we have a high rate of cohabilitation, however statistically (learned from old soc class) marriages after cohabilitating for a while are more likely to fail. Maybe we see things too short term, are always focussed on the now and not to the future. This is really bad though, as it plays an extremely negative role on the children of the future. The Z generation!
In conclusion, I think “The Gardner” says a lot about some of the negative aspects of the Y-Generation, who we are vs. who we want to be, why we sometimes lie or cheat, how we can deal with so much violence in the media, when we get married and then quickly down the line a divorce and what impact that has. That is a lot of W’s + an H!
Superman was adopted! And He Turned Out Just Fine! (Free Journal #5)
Today’s presentation was by Ashley and Katie, about adoption. First I’d like to say, this was one Jess wanted our group to do, and me being super chilled was thinking kayy. After doing our presentation about uniforms and seeing this one, I’m happy that we didn’t take on adoption. For 3/4’s of the presentation it kind of lost my interest, not so much because of Ashley or Katie, but because I can’t really imagine the feelings involved in being adopted. Their serious tone towards the issue made it very informative, but even still, I’ll never really be able to relate. All I know about adoption is Superman was adopted...
Hearing Ashley’s stories about her brothers being adopted was pretty cool though. I never knew too much about her family and stuff (other then her younger brother ripped up all of her calc tests!) So this really added a personal touch that quite a few presentations we lacking. I’m still not totally sure about what the difference between an open and a closed adoption is, but I do know that when celebrities adopt children, they tend to give them some of the STUPIDEST names. I guess they name their biological children weird things too.(http://www.cracked.com/article_15765_20-most-bizarre-celebrity-baby-names.html. Cracked tells me that Nick Cage’s son is named Kal-El (Speaking of superman...) “Brangelina” named their son Maddox and Michael Jackson named his son Blanket!
The best part of the debate happened during the question “Should same sex-marriage couples be allowed to adopt a child?” This led to a heated discussion between Jordan and Willow about the issue, as well as how smart children really are at the young age of 6. After some hilarious comments, and a super ranting Willow, we came to the realization that in the end it is a very difficult thing for parents of adopted children to decide when to tell them the truth. We also learned that sometimes you shouldn’t really voice your opinions if they are openly offensive. Another then was that facebook can be a good way to continue arguments. Oh also what’s up with “T” uterus’s.... you’d need a curvy wiener??
Hearing Ashley’s stories about her brothers being adopted was pretty cool though. I never knew too much about her family and stuff (other then her younger brother ripped up all of her calc tests!) So this really added a personal touch that quite a few presentations we lacking. I’m still not totally sure about what the difference between an open and a closed adoption is, but I do know that when celebrities adopt children, they tend to give them some of the STUPIDEST names. I guess they name their biological children weird things too.(http://www.cracked.com/article_15765_20-most-bizarre-celebrity-baby-names.html. Cracked tells me that Nick Cage’s son is named Kal-El (Speaking of superman...) “Brangelina” named their son Maddox and Michael Jackson named his son Blanket!
The best part of the debate happened during the question “Should same sex-marriage couples be allowed to adopt a child?” This led to a heated discussion between Jordan and Willow about the issue, as well as how smart children really are at the young age of 6. After some hilarious comments, and a super ranting Willow, we came to the realization that in the end it is a very difficult thing for parents of adopted children to decide when to tell them the truth. We also learned that sometimes you shouldn’t really voice your opinions if they are openly offensive. Another then was that facebook can be a good way to continue arguments. Oh also what’s up with “T” uterus’s.... you’d need a curvy wiener??
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Steve Martinhood (The Movie Parenthood) Writers Cramp is the Suck!
Films can be a great medium for sociologists to analyse and gain a better understanding of different groups in a society. This is especially true as “films are created by and about people in particular social and historical contexts”. (Robert J. Brym) The 1989 film “Parenthood“, which was nominated for 2 Oscars, excelled at this by offering several distinct snapshots at family life Both the parents and the children were characterised extremely well and their struggles and conflicts were evaluated over the course of the movie. Each of these stories showed many insights on the modern family life and provided commentary on what it really means to be a parent.
The main family in the movie was the most historically standard, a nuclear family, where both parents are living with their own children in the same house. The father in this case is Gil Buckman, played by the extremely entertaining Steve Martin. Gil is an average man, who simply hoped to not raise his children the same way his father Frank raised himself. This was explained in the very opening scene which was a flashback to how as a child he was left by his father at a baseball game to be watched by the usher. Gil is very loving and caring and always wants to be there for his kids, in a positive fashion however in doing this he gets extremely uptight and worried. This new problem transfers to his older son Kevin and Gil tries his hardest to help him through his problems. This leads to some really funny situations such as when he pretends to be cowboy Dan at Kevin’s birthday party. However it also leads to one of the movies main messages. Gil learns that “Life is like a rollercoaster” and even though there are some really low points, there's also amazing high points, but overall the craziness and excitement is the adrenaline rush needed to keep life exciting and worth living.
Another family shown is that of Gil’s sister Helen Buckman and her sons and daughters. This is much different as she is a single mother. Single parent families are very common now due to a very high divorce rate, and so her stories are very emotional, but the tie in with Keanu Reeves also makes it really funny. First, her son who has a lack of a father figure is very disobedient and delinquent (Lief - Joaquin- Phoenix plays him, I guess he also must have had some issues..) He wants to meet his father really badly, however is turned down and feels like there is nowhere to turn to. However Helen’s daughter Julie is thinking of committing to Tod, (Keanu - before entering the Matrix ---> This movie came out the same year as Bill and Ted‘s EXCELLENT adventure, which explains a lot) and has her own problems in straightening out that relationship. Tod however proves to be an insightful man and helps young Garry, in an extremely brilliant scene. “That is one messed up little dude!” He also says “You know, Mrs. Buckman, you need a license to buy a dog, or drive a car. Hell, you need a license to catch a fish! But they'll let any butt-reaming asshole be a father.” This speech brings up a really strong point, why is it that there is no test to become a parent. I guess this is because it is just a natural part of life, or maybe too taboo, or low fertilities. However, this is another main idea of the movie, that parents are just people too and even though they must shoulder a lot of responsibility, they aren’t going to be perfect. Even Rick Morannis’s extremely smart (though thankfully not shrunk) daughter seemed to have some social issues in the film. He was so focussed on her education that he lost track of her and his wife’s feelings.
Finally, Gil’s troubled brother Larry was a significant plot in the movie. He was younger then the rest of the family, however had the largest set of problems. He was thousands of dollars in debt from gambling, and had just realized he had a son of his own, named “cool!” His father Frank was then forced with the choice of trying to help him, a huge financial burden, or leave him with the risk of being killed. In the end Frank decides to bail him out, but make him learn his business and one day take over the company. However in the end Larry leaves on another get rich quest and cool is left to live with his grandpa. In one speech Frank explains how being a parent doesn’t just end when the children grow up, it lasts forever. You can’t just expect to abandon your children when they reach 18, they will always be your children. The roles may continue to change, and perhaps eventually reverse with the child becoming the caregiver, however you will always be connected, through all the ups and downs as described earlier.
In conclusion, I think the movie Parenthood humorously highlights the true facts about being a parent. In the end, there really is no “perfect” parent, or child. It shows that families last forever, and the life cycle will always continue and stick together for better or worse, through all the ups and downs. Family is one of the most important institutions in society and is extremely important to look at. This movie is definitely underlooked, because it brings both humour and a brilliant message to the audience.
The main family in the movie was the most historically standard, a nuclear family, where both parents are living with their own children in the same house. The father in this case is Gil Buckman, played by the extremely entertaining Steve Martin. Gil is an average man, who simply hoped to not raise his children the same way his father Frank raised himself. This was explained in the very opening scene which was a flashback to how as a child he was left by his father at a baseball game to be watched by the usher. Gil is very loving and caring and always wants to be there for his kids, in a positive fashion however in doing this he gets extremely uptight and worried. This new problem transfers to his older son Kevin and Gil tries his hardest to help him through his problems. This leads to some really funny situations such as when he pretends to be cowboy Dan at Kevin’s birthday party. However it also leads to one of the movies main messages. Gil learns that “Life is like a rollercoaster” and even though there are some really low points, there's also amazing high points, but overall the craziness and excitement is the adrenaline rush needed to keep life exciting and worth living.
Another family shown is that of Gil’s sister Helen Buckman and her sons and daughters. This is much different as she is a single mother. Single parent families are very common now due to a very high divorce rate, and so her stories are very emotional, but the tie in with Keanu Reeves also makes it really funny. First, her son who has a lack of a father figure is very disobedient and delinquent (Lief - Joaquin- Phoenix plays him, I guess he also must have had some issues..) He wants to meet his father really badly, however is turned down and feels like there is nowhere to turn to. However Helen’s daughter Julie is thinking of committing to Tod, (Keanu - before entering the Matrix ---> This movie came out the same year as Bill and Ted‘s EXCELLENT adventure, which explains a lot) and has her own problems in straightening out that relationship. Tod however proves to be an insightful man and helps young Garry, in an extremely brilliant scene. “That is one messed up little dude!” He also says “You know, Mrs. Buckman, you need a license to buy a dog, or drive a car. Hell, you need a license to catch a fish! But they'll let any butt-reaming asshole be a father.” This speech brings up a really strong point, why is it that there is no test to become a parent. I guess this is because it is just a natural part of life, or maybe too taboo, or low fertilities. However, this is another main idea of the movie, that parents are just people too and even though they must shoulder a lot of responsibility, they aren’t going to be perfect. Even Rick Morannis’s extremely smart (though thankfully not shrunk) daughter seemed to have some social issues in the film. He was so focussed on her education that he lost track of her and his wife’s feelings.
Finally, Gil’s troubled brother Larry was a significant plot in the movie. He was younger then the rest of the family, however had the largest set of problems. He was thousands of dollars in debt from gambling, and had just realized he had a son of his own, named “cool!” His father Frank was then forced with the choice of trying to help him, a huge financial burden, or leave him with the risk of being killed. In the end Frank decides to bail him out, but make him learn his business and one day take over the company. However in the end Larry leaves on another get rich quest and cool is left to live with his grandpa. In one speech Frank explains how being a parent doesn’t just end when the children grow up, it lasts forever. You can’t just expect to abandon your children when they reach 18, they will always be your children. The roles may continue to change, and perhaps eventually reverse with the child becoming the caregiver, however you will always be connected, through all the ups and downs as described earlier.
In conclusion, I think the movie Parenthood humorously highlights the true facts about being a parent. In the end, there really is no “perfect” parent, or child. It shows that families last forever, and the life cycle will always continue and stick together for better or worse, through all the ups and downs. Family is one of the most important institutions in society and is extremely important to look at. This movie is definitely underlooked, because it brings both humour and a brilliant message to the audience.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)