Masterpiece Academy Response Pt. II

I edited these two music videos using the free (they limit your editing abilities; you can pay for more services, but I wouldn't recommend it) video software https://stupeflix.studio.com/en/.  Each has its own significance towards my masterpiece; "Killing in the Name" addresses racism and police brutality, which I didn't have time to discuss during my masterpiece project, but nonetheless contributed to the evolution of what my masterpiece became.  Likewise, "Cirice" expresses religious freedom, which I did not discuss, but matters greatly in the scope of censorship.

"Killing in the Name" - Rage Against the Machine

CIRICE by GHOST

CIRICE free song download straight from the band GHOST- http://ghost-official.com/

Masterpiece Essay Pt. I

Formatted Google doc link:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ArT7V1B7P4Jp2Eyns3DBcU1dfroljs6jJxUqWjdXkyg/edit?usp=sharing

1

Henry Freebourn

6/3/2015                                

He looked around at his peers.  They had finally gotten through the year; only two weeks left in high school.  They had finally acquired a degree of responsibility.  Did they honor their learning environment?  Did they deserve it and earn it?  Yes, he thought, we did.  Even if we may not have completed every assignment, we have been honest about it.  That's how you earn trust; why you deserve it.  That's how he had honored the level of trust given to him- by being honest when he wasn't trying his hardest, and by trying his hardest when it counted.

His class blog was a decent size and of moderate organization- a scattering of assignments here, a cluster of assignments there.  The reading of the novel Brave New World showed him a world of conditioned characters, and all the while he recognized his own conditioning alongside that of the characters.  It described a part of him; a mirror image of his academic growth over the length of the course.  He found himself in “Macbeth” as the title character, murdering his friends, family, and superiors.  He lived in Great Expectations; while not in a state of poverty, he saw himself growing emotionally and mentally as Pip did.

Looking back on the length of the course, he realized he had reconnected with a passion for social justice.  As it unfolded, looking at Darren Wilson’s face- his ‘injuries’- and then Mike Brown’s body lying on the pavement for hours without being covered, a trail of blood flowing down the pavement between his shoes infuriated him.  He couldn’t believe he lived in such a world.  As he tried to comprehend the daily racism and evil that he had just begun to recognize in full the year past, he tied his English course into his daily learning.  Its open-sourced formatting allowed him the freedom to study what he believed was important.

It wasn’t reading from a textbook; it was reading from a textbook written by the universe- humanity, nature, nonexistence… It taught him more than he knew at the time.  It was only now, looking back, that he understood the lessons the world had been teaching.  He took notes but couldn’t read them, until he began to speak the language.  He then knew the future: he would continue to listen to Earth’s cries, and continue to read its scripture.  Nature became a Bible he could actually believe in.

Socially, he knew he could never change the world individually.  He could, however, try.  He could participate in protests when issues tore his community open.  He could become a journalist and try to expose official corruption.  He laughed to himself, knowing such a thing would never happen.  It didn’t matter.  He jerked his head to the side as the noise of people talking drifted in from the open classroom door.  He straightened upwards as they filed into the room.  They would be giving masterpiece presentations.  He had, the idiot that he was, not signed up soon enough for the week he wanted, and he ended up signing up for the day of the final.  He’d be near last- for now he’d observe.

The presentations flowed smoothly over the days, and he enjoyed them.  It was, for him, interesting to see what their passions were, even if the particular presentation left him bored.  Others kept him captivated.  As he watched he began to see a theme running through the presentations- empathy and human existence: culture, life stories, even comedic videos analogous with daily life.  He found an overwhelmingly positive tone running through the majority of the masterpiece presentations; most were uplifting and not very negative.

Melisa and Victoria co-interviewed multiple homeless people while roaming the streets in Santa Barbara.  They found that outer looks do not always coincide with who a person is on the inside.  A quote he found interesting from Melissa was “Homeless people are more honest and open about their backgrounds.”  He thought about this.  Many don’t have family.  They have nothing to hide, no reason to be ashamed.  They’re a community, caring for one another.  Victoria asked them a question he found similarly intriguing: “What passions do you have that others may not know about?”  He thought, How many homeless people actually get asked this?  Not many.  Most people ignore them; couldn’t care less what all of their passions were.  The project showed a level of empathy that he found repeatedly in subsequent presentations: it was really quite profound.

Mellany and Daniel’s presentation, entitled “Life Goes by so Fast,” took the winding path of life’s twists and turns.  Starting with the innocence of childhood, the aspects approached were things everyone has at some point strived for: the bonds of friends and family, the necessity of relaxing once in a while to keep yourself sane, being artistic, and even exploring.

Brenissa’s presentation specifically focused on exploring, though as a form of meditation.  She discussed how she used the activity to positively impact her life, when going through tough times and illness.  Again, a deep connection between happiness, humanity and nature is highlighted.

He laughed aloud at Miles’, Emilio’s, and Eric’s presentation of two comedic videos.  Miles successfully did what his masterpiece was to begin with- to make people laugh.  Eric’s delivery of the last line of the first video, “What an asshole,” was spot on.  He enjoyed the videos as well- they were creative, and expressed things nearly each of us has experienced before: real-worldly in other terms. 

He sat back and watched his peers and smiled.  He glanced at the ground.  He was no hero, had completed no hero's journey.  Any heroic intentions he may have had faded with time, but he was glad to see that  some of his peers were indeed heroes.  His response to a call to adventure was a handful of Viibryd, four milligrams of Klonopin, and 130mg Vyvanse.  He found no mentor- took no journey- but nonetheless ended up enlightened, in a sense.  He learned that you don't need to complete a hero's journey, so he took that of the villain.

Mental Journal

Do you feel free?

"Smithereens" by El-P

WHAT A FUCKING "SHOCK"

At 2:33 in the video a journalist can be heard saying.  "Do you believe he [Zimmerman] was the aggressor, the initial aggressor?"  To which there was no response.

Murdering unarmed African-American teens, domestic abuse, road rage, shootings.  No remorse- Zimmerman is a sly psychopath.  After Trayvon Martin was murdered and he was acquitted, he can bullshit his way out of any legal system.  Amerikkka is on his side; the police are on his side. 

How many more violent incidents need to occur before this motherfucker is put behind bars or kills another person?

This is legal. You are property.

April 5, 2014

Article- http://thefreethoughtproject.com/kid-arrested-cops-telling-principal-disappointed/#CcsyFecubicqhPfj.99

Lake Central High School students in Indiana were upset that their school refused to allow them to grieve for a fellow student who had committed suicide over the weekend. So they staged a sit in to request one. Of course there were police involved.

The students gathered and sat on the floor of the Wedge and Main Street. After principals and other administrators got to the two scenes, multiple St. John police officers arrived to help supervise.
According to Lake Central News, The administration encouraged students to return to class, or go to the LGI. Around 1:30 p.m. students gathered into what became an open forum for their grief, the school’s reaction and what can be done from here.

“We should be given a chance to grieve as a school,” Natalia Kuzbiel a Sophomore, said in the forum.

After Mr. Robin Tobias, Principal, arrived, students originally greeted him with “Ohs;” however, after Aaron Scott (10) asked for some respect from the student body, the students applauded as he entered.

At 1:34 p.m., the room observed a moment of silence, as the students requested. Students were also looking for the administration to make a school-wide announcement.

Principal Tobias went on to say how disappointed he was in the students. Next, one student, whose name has yet to be released, simply replied, “And we’re disappointed in you too.” A few minutes later he was dragged out of the room by two Schererville Officers.

https://news.vice.com/article/we-spoke-to-kevin-moore-the-man-who-filmed-freddie-grays-arrest?utm_source=vicefbus

SONNET ANALYSIS

The sonnet in question is Shakespearean; it is fourteen lines long, with a tonal shift in the last two lines.  The shift here is from Shakespeare's unattractive description of the woman in the sonnet to his full circle statement that he loves her anyway.

This ending shift is crucial, as it changes the overall theme of the poem entirely.
Shakespeare's tone is satirical, poking fun at previous romantic sonnets by providing an alternative.  Instead of saying things that are endearing, or calling the woman beautiful, he paints a portrait of her as a dirty human animal- just as we all are dirty human animals.

What the Mainstream Media Won't Show You:

Source:  https://www.facebook.com/martese.Cromartie


Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HaaRZ8nxd4

ACT V STUDY QUESTIONS

5.9

1.  Malcolm and Siward are able to enter the castle so easily because everyone's fighting outside.  Everything is chaotic- the fighting between the two armies, Macbeth's and the Norwegians, provides a cover for Malcolm and Siward to enter the castle.

"HE... WHO SINS... IS OF THE DEVVVVIIIILLLL"//////AMERICAN REFLEXXX

Short film by Alli Coates starring Signe Pierce.



The fucked up world we live in- "progressive" society; global hatred.

"NO JESUSES HERE" - Run the Jewels

ACT IV STUDY QUESTIONS

4.1

 

1.  There are 3 witches in this scene.

 

2.  The first apparition says to be wary of Macduff and careful of him.  The second tells Macbeth he should be a strong willed ruler- bold and brace.  In other words he should not accept defeat.  The third warns of attacking armies coming, and tells Macbeth he won't be defeated until the kingdom of Norway attacks.
     Macbeth doesn't feel safe after the apparitions.  He has worries about Macduff's intentions and the possibility of an oncoming attacking army.  Yes he should feel unsafe because he is in a very precarious position.
     After the fourth, the line of kings, Macbeth is terrified.  He saw the ghost of Banquo at the end, whom he killed.  This frightened him as well as drawing out his guilt.

 

3.  In line 158 Macbeth learns from Lennox that Macduff is running away to England.  In response Macbeth decides to send someone try to kill as many of Macduff's family members as he can.

This isn't Discipline- This is Stealing

Police run down suspect

MY MACBETH RESOURCES

1.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomorrow_and_tomorrow_and_tomorrow
This source will be helpful in memorizing the soliloquy as it displays the soliloquy in question and offers a brief analysis.

2.  http://www.nosweatshakespeare.com/quotes/soliloquies/macbeth/
This source is useful because it contains multiple soliloquies in addition to the assigned "Tomorrow and tomorrow" soliloquy.  It also offers modern English translations of the soliloquies.

3.  http://nfs.sparknotes.com/macbeth/
"No Fear Shakespeare puts Shakespeare's language side-by-side with a facing-page translation into modern English—the kind of English people actually speak today."  This source gives access to the play in its entirety instead of just soliloquies, and offers a side by side translation of old English and modern English.

4.  http://www.litcharts.com/lit/macbeth/themes
This source is very helpful as to Macbeth's themes.  It allows a jumping off point to delve into the many themes of the play.  It also gives textual examples of the themes it discusses, which is very helpful when trying to analyze the play.

5.  http://www.shmoop.com/macbeth/symbolism-imagery.html
This source discusses the symbolism, allegories, and imagery in "Macbeth."  These are very important factors when it comes to analyzing the play, and this link not only provides examples but helps you know what to look for when it comes to these literary techniques in "Macbeth."

POETRY SPRING BREAK ASSIGNMENT

"Out, Out" by Robert Frost.
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/238122

Prompt: Write an essay in which you explain how the organization of the poem and the use of concrete details reveal both its literal and its metaphorical meanings. In your discussion, show how both of these meanings relate to the title.

"Out, Out" by Robert Frost contains a huge contrast in tone.  To begin with, everything is fine- the wood is "sweet-scented," against the backdrop of "Five mountain ranges one behind the other under the sunset far into Vermont."  By the end, the boy sawing is dead.  Through Frost's poetic flow the actual events leading up to the death are vague, requiring close analysis.  At the same time, Frost ends the poem in a way that surely divides readers- some may view it as hopeful, others as cynical and depression.  But this poem is about more than a boy dying from a buzz saw accident; it is about the circle of life, moving forward, and the brutal reality of death.

Before the accident occurs, there is clear foreshadowing in the poem that can easily be missed the first time around.  The opening line, "The buzz saw snarled and rattled in the yard," is the first hint that something is out of balance.  The "snarling and rattling" don't suggest a happy ending.  The buzz saw sounds like a feral animal; a beast looking to tear into some meat.  Immediately after that Frost delves into the setting, a seemingly beautiful day in Vermont, making the reader think that this will be a "happy" poem.  In a sense, it is.

Inside this brief glimpse of a life is a metaphor built by Frost.  This poem is death; this poem is the circle of life.  The boy is working and suddenly it all ends.  His hand, his life force, is severed from his body.  He drifts into the calming "dark of ether" before passing away.

Perhaps the last two lines are the most chilling in the poem, because of their honesty.  "No more to build on there. And they, since they were not the one dead, turned to their affairs."  It is not the death of the boy that is the most shocking, but the aftermath.  It is the realization of our existence as living beings- when a person dies, the world does not stop turning.  It moves on, and people move on because they have to.

PROSE SPRING BREAK ASSIGNMENT

Young Goodman Brown struggles mentally with his decisions.  He doesn't want to be the first man in his family to travel down what he perceives as the morally wrong path, yet he walks it anyway.  The poem in question, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is a metaphor.  It was not intended to be taken literally.  It details the internal struggles of Goodman Brown.  Ultimately the poem focuses on the themes of temptation and regret.

The man, or devil of the story, tells Brown that in fact, his father and even grandfather had walked the same path at points in their lives when looking for assistance, or the answers.  No matter who you are or where you are, no matter your social status, Hawthorne implies, each human walks this path at some point in his or her life- the path which the individual finds morally wrong and causes one to question oneself.  This path can be accurately entitled "The Path of Guilt."  Even those outspoken about morality; those preaching their own morals down upon others have followed this mysterious man like young Goodman Brown.  Says the man, "The deacons of many a church have drunk the communion wine with me." [1]

Through the walk and onward Brown questions is intentions and whether or not he really wants to be walking down the path he's on.  Regardless, his feet carry him forward.  At a point he rests, before seeing his church's minister and deacon jogging along the very same path, speaking quietly with one another. 


Source:
http://www.online-literature.com/poe/158/

I AM A FUCKING ROBOT; YOU ARE A FUCKING DRONE

We are inhuman- following laws we don't agree with, established by people nothing like us.  We are programmed since birth.  Advertisements assault your brain, gaining power and size like a snowball rolling downhill after a fresh snow. 

A slave to a system that says you HAVE to work, in a bullshit job, as a corporate slave.  You're programmed to believe you are independent when in fact you are owned: you are a possession.  A meaningless sequence of zeroes and ones forms all that you and I are- archaic programs in desperate need of an update.  Matter is shuffled, neither created nor destroyed; atoms dissipate and return to form new things.  New, broken programs.

We're created on an assembly line as we're born.  External influences shape our individuality, but we are ruled by false gods we've created for our selves.  We fall to our knees before authority and accept the shit that is thrown at us because we as robots have been programmed to adhere to our place in life.

Your life is planned for you before you begin it.  Not in some bullshit religious sense but in the sense that a path is placed in front of you and you're told to walk it.  Our public education is a business, a program teaching us how to be good little members of society.  "Standards" and regulations are created by people trying to turn you into someone you aren't, someone they want you to be.

You only become human when you realize this.  Even when you die, you're still human.  If you die a robot, you'll live through memory as a robot.  A human being who simply followed the bullshit life guidelines set before him or her, who rejected individuality in favor of submission, a paycheck, and a so called civilized life.

You cannot buy yourself out of being a robot.  You have to think your way out.

Fuck founding fathers, fuck gods, fuck your Programmers.  You cannot do what you fucking want to do.
You cannot be yourself.  You cannot say "fuck" and "shit" and call people assholes in a business meeting.

They have told you what to do your whole life.  "No 'drugs' you sugar addicted motherfucker."  Goddamn android and that's it.  If you swallow the cancerous shit you're fed by The Programmers and point your fingers at "junkies," you're part of the fucking problem dipshit.

This existence is a large scale computer and you are only an arrangement of atoms, soon to be washed away.

No matter what you tell yourself, you are still a program.  A program trying to deny what it is, in essence.  You have no say in your social standing- you are told to respect people who will NEVER respect you- and then you are told that's the way it is, when in actuality that isn't the way it has to be.  Your refusal to question the social order makes you a robot undoubtedly.

In my organs I can feel cogs turning, and where my brain should be is a mess of circuits.

I am a robot in my acceptance of existence.  In my passiveness, I am a robot.

"Close Your Eyes (And Count to Fuck)" - Run The Jewels feat. Zack de la Rocha

"When Run The Jewels sent me this track, I knew we had the opportunity to create a film that means something. I felt a sense of responsibility to do just that. We had to exploit the lyrics and aggression and emotion of the track, and translate that into a film that would ignite a valuable and productive conversation about racially motivated violence in this country. It's provocative, and we all knew this, so we were tasked with making something that expressed the intensity of senseless violence without eclipsing our humanity. For me, it was important to write a story that didn’t paint a simplistic portrait of the characters of the Cop and Kid. They're not stereotypes. They're people - complex, real people and, as such, the power had to shift between them at certain points throughout the story. The film begins and it feels like they have been fighting for days, they’re exhausted, not a single punch is thrown, their violence is communicated through clumsy, raw emotion. They've already fought their way past their judgments and learned hatred toward one another. Our goal was to highlight the futility of the violence, not celebrate it.” - From video description

"We live in a fabled world, of terror, day and night, all hidden in plain sight." - ANTI-FLAG

"Love thy enemy as yourself, as you carpet bomb him to hell."

"We live in a fabled world, where the poor and the weak are pawns for profit's sake."