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In a consumer society there are inevitably two kinds of slaves: the prisoners of addiction and the prisoners of envy.

-Ivan Illich (1926-2002)


Capitalism is a consumer society, and indeed there may in it be a sense of contentment, yet does such satisfaction not prove to be hollow? Capitalism favors the establishing of enormous businesses and, in turn, an extremely wealthy class. Yet this class, however prosperous it becomes, seems to act continually in pursuit of furthering their wealth. Is it not ingrained in human nature to do so? And it seems that once the taste of wealth strikes one, it becomes nearly impossible to plunder from one the inevitable desire to have that wealth maintained, or, better yet, increased. Is it for the ego boost of possessing more? Or the familiarity of their possessions which catalyzes the looming threat that the consolation of it would possibly diminish? No matter, it is certainly true that such a desire is an addiction to which one can with tremendous ease suffer of. It is an addiction which one can fall slave to and prisoner of without even the slightest recognition of their imprisonment. And it inevitably siezes any whose prosperity is to any superior degree. Thus, the wealthy class can be claimed all prisoners. But who remains? The prisoners of envy, those who are not prosperous. In a consumer society, if there is a wealthy class, there must exist a poor class, the have-nots. And is it not true that the entirity of this group looks upon the wealthy with only jealous eyes? Who does not wish to be rich? They are the slaves of coveting, endlessly harvesting their envy.

Tim Burton Is Such A Capitalist

The Nightmare Before Christmas is a piece of anti-communistic, pro-capitalitic propaganda cloaked with the disguise of simplicity and a lack of completely blunt explicity. Nevertheless, the propaganda is obvious after the reasoning by which the plot progresses is contemplated. The movie portrays an individual, Jack Skellington, whose efforts to change himself ensue after he stumbles upon another individual, Santa Claus. Jack tries to become Santa Claus, but in the end the attempt fails and Jack realizes that who he was in the first place was perfectly sufficient for him. Jack sacrifices his desire to be Santa for the sake of what? Why does Jack want to become Santa Claus in the first place? The simple answer which the movie offers is that Jack is tired of being who he is. He is tired of the dull monotony that steers his life, controls his life, and is unrelenting. But Santa Claus emits an inspiration for Jack to change, to transform into the Santa Claus. But when Santa Claus is replaced, who is to play Jack in his Halloween town? His town needs him. This very scenario symbolizes the ultimate conflict of the world: the clash of the rich class and the poor class. Capitalism works only in that there lives a poor class as well as a rich class: these contrasting classes are the very product as well as the very basis of the functioning of capitalism. So, for capitalism to function, the rich cannot exist without the existance of the poor and vice versa, lest there be only one class and for that to be, the economy would be communistic. Now, in the movie, Jack symbolizes the poor class and Santa Claus the rich. Jack aspires to become rich like Santa, but cannot for that would terminate the poor class. Because the movie shows it to be true that Jack cannot become Santa, the theme is supporting the basis of capitalism and denying the basis of communism. Which is no wonder: Tim Burton is rich.

Groundhog Day.

Bill Murray presents himself as a man everyone can relate to in the heart-warming comedy Groundhog Day. His tale is a superb demonstration of the unwittingness we humans engange in when we find ourselves stumbling over the difficulty of learning to refine ourselves, to better ourselves, to improve our mentalities by means of becoming knowledgeable of those around us and of, in turn, the sympathy we can produce for them and manage to let flourish in our everyday behavior.

Bill's character, Phil, finds himself awakening every day to the same day, Groundhog Day, which he finds as much misery in enduring as the most dreary of pessimists could fathom. This trap, this torturous period of time that he has been cruelly stuck within, mimicks the monotomy of our reactions to challenges that we are presented with constantly and the results of these automatic reactions. We, speaking in a range inclusive of all humans, fall victim to our habits all too often, and fail to learn a thing. We allow ourselves to supress our better natures under some impression that glory is acheived through bitterness, heartlessness, depression. And this way of thinking becomes the worst plague of a routine, so ruthless in its addictive nature and so destructive to our own happiness and those who find themselves wedged in our presence, among our aura of disregard to sympathy and worship of destruction and pain. Yet we are ignorant.

However, Phil begins to alter his habits. Though the time required for his change was lenghty to say the least, as he clung to his mentality stubbornly, his reactions eventually, gradually changed. On the last day he was granted to wake to the holiday, Phil seized every oppurtunity he possibly could to aid the people near him; snatching lives from the ominous forms of pain and death infiltrating the town and making the day a perfect day for all those he could. This turn towards the glorification that shines righteuosly in opposition to old habits of bitter actions symbolizes the internal struggle we all have between the two, and the success, the victory, the prevailing reign of the righteous, which can be sewn into the soul by awareness and practice, despite the discouraging length of time it seems to take.

Reading Aspirations

Upon being nudged into deciding a few more new novels to plan on reading this quarter, I began a search for some that would really capture me. My inquiries proved somewhat futile as I was recommended books that either didn't sound at all appealing or are ones that are not currently available to me. So, I began to look at the available books I could borrow, and found a couple that really excited me.
The first one was "Catch-22". It didn't catch my eye, no. Rather, I was in avoidance of the book seeing as how I've heard it was too difficult a read. I was under the impression it would be dull, actually, until someone had the courtesy of telling me otherwise. So I turned over the novel and on the back found the claim that it is "the funniest book ever written." Needless to say, I was intrigued. And after reading the first page, I decided to give it a try.
The second book I discovered is called "Dumbing Down Our Kids". The title itself yanked me towards it, as I think I am rather opinionated on America's society becoming particularly dumber. Yes, I think America is getting much, much dumber, despite whatever the Flynn Effect seems to say.
The third book I recalled I already own, and have been attempting to get to it for a while now. It is titled "The Film Club" and is a nonfiction book about a boy being allowed to drop out of school to instead watch more films more frequently. I purchased this book in the curiousity of how the experiment turned out.
I have very high hopes and somewhat high expectations for all of these books.

Independent Reading Reflection

The past nine weeks I began determined to read a collection of books I'd been hoping to get to for a very long time..The majority of which were funny, yet could not be altogether deemed juvenile. Not to say I read Shakespeare for pleasure, but rather I wasn't reading books specifically targeted for teens. This, I came to find, was a most rewarding decision, as teen books tend to pose a threat to me, in that they probably decrease my attention span due to the fact that I so quickly think them dull and cannot grant much of my attention at all to the text. I mean no ill intentions; I am not saying I am too superior for teen books, but a book about more than jocks, nerds and cheerleaders does typically prove so much more enjoyable.

With that said, I must point out that it would have been even more beneficial had I read a couple more nonfiction books, as they are so vital to ap english as I've heard. Alas, I did read one, of a topic I knew would be my very favorite. This book was about slaughterhouses, and seeing as how I am most opposed to the horrendous places, I read it furiously, and I mean that as both quickly and angrily. Yes, it incited a fury in me. And whether it was indulging to be accompanied by such rage, I only have a vague idea; anger is, obviously, an upsetting, harmful emotion. Yet, I enjoyed the book particularly because I felt my anger was shared by the author, and that was such a beautiful justice. I plan on reading a plethora of books dealing with the same subject during this new nine weeks. Most will be Ingrid Newkirk's.

But, I did excessively enjoy the other books I read. I knew at the start they would be euphoric reads, considering most were Christopher Moore's, and he is a genius of a writer, every character and story of his being both the most unimageanable and believable once you have delved into them.


Despite my satisfaction in my reading, or perhaps because of it, I didn't write much at all in my reading log. Once a good story has enveloped me, I cannot emerge enough to recall that I need to be writing about it. That was too difficult, and terribly aggravating. In my annoyance, I was reluctant to halt my stream of engulfed thoughts and attempt to trigger any new ones regarding what I could write, although I must admit it seems awfully lazy of me considering it wouldn't have been that hard to write really. It was mostly because I didn't wish to waste my reading time writing things that really wouldn't be beneficial to me. I say the reading log is unbeneficial in utter honesty and truth. Copying thoughts is not necessarily going to make them any better than thinking deeper about them alone. Time-wasting, unhelpful and annoying was the writing, so I think there is justice in having neglected my log.

But, but but but, the reading was superbly fun, educating, and worthy of my time, and I shall be reading much, much more in my near future.

Socratic Seminar Reflection

The socratic seminar was sadly something I didn't get to participate in as much as I'd liked to have, but for the duration of the one day I was present, I observed others' discussions, made a few comments and came to the conclusion that the assignment was probably the best school assignment, and by far the best english assignment, I have ever witnessed. I mean this in that the dicussion allowed not only for a student to think deeply about the things that truly matter most, the big picture, but it also granted each student the opportunity to dig deeper, search for the biggest, the deepest meaning, and to do that by interacting with other students.

As we discussed at the start of the year, substantive conversations, when increased, can increase happiness. This may be simply because of the satisfied feeling one has after a deep talk about humanity, and the satisfaction is there because one feels they have gained perhaps a clearer outlook. Also, one has shared their views and in doing so have revealed a deeper part of themselves, and feedback produces a feeling of being understood and accepted. So not only did the conversations educate, but they also enhanced mental states.

And regarding the education, discussions like these open minds to more education; they open minds to more deeper meanings in things not typically picked up on. Of course, this is the ultimate goal; to be able to see more in less.

I only wish more education could be done in this manner in which interaction has the ability to open minds, make them more knowledgeable on the big picture of life and at the same time help them feel more satisfied.

Annotated Reading List

1.) Moore, Christopher. Fool. New York City: HarperCollins, 2009. Print. Fool is a hilarious satire of King Lear by Shakespeare. It takes place in the same setting but is told this time by the king's fool, a wee man who has a clever joke for everything and a manner most charming in its vulgarity. After Lear banishes one of his daughters, the fool, known as pocket, endeavers to retrieve her and enters a series of outrageous adventures. He is also reminiscent of his childhood, and tells the sweet, humorous tale of his old best friend, a nun, who suprisingly helps twist the ending!

2.) Moore, Christopher. Lamb. New York City: HarperCollins, 2002. Print. Lamb is the side-splitting never-before-told story of Jesus Christ's childhood as told by his best friend Biff, who's pretty pissed about the Bible having left him out. After being brought back to life by an angel, Biff tells the tale of how he tagged along with Jesus, whose name was Joshua before translated, as he embarked to discover just how to be the Messiah. They first end up with a wizard man and his many asain hooker women only to have to slay a demon and then travel on to become Buddhists and learn kung fu. With the other monks, they travel a treacherous icy path and meet an adorable but kina scary creature of pure innocence. Throughout their countless adventures, Jesus learns all he is to preach later with the help of John, and Biff...well, Biff learns sarcasm.

3.) Moore, Christopher. Coyote Blue. New York City: Simon & Schuster, 1994. Print. Coyote Blue is the crazed tale of a salesman with an unexpected past. After growing up a Crowe Indian on their Indian Reservation, Samson Hunts Alone was forced to flee upon partially-accidently killing a cop. He became a salesman at the bet of an experienced one, and changes his name to Samuel Hunter. Now, though, his past seems to be catching up; Coyote Blue, a shape-shifting trickster Indian, appears out of nowhere to ruin his life. Coincidently at the exact same time a beautiful woman named Calliope arrives, making Samuel utterly lovestruck. Yet Samuel's life is falling to pieces, and the battle to stitch them back together ensues.

4.) Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. New York: Harper Perennial Modern Classics, 2006. Print. Brave New World is a frightening look into a very possible future, filled with new normalcies of brainwashing, drugs and sex. The novel delves into a society deeming themselves a practical utopia, with its citizens created each to be a member of a specific group to perform specific tasks that enable the perfection of functionality in their society. However, there are problems; with the absence of morality, is their society suffering? And with the constant presence of 'happiness', especially that induced by 'soma', does true happiness exist? Onto the stage appears a 'savage', who belongs to an uncivilized world, and he argues their way of functioning is terribly wrong.

5.) Moore, Christopher. The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove. New York: HarperCollins, 2004. Print. The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove is a story of, you guessed it, a giant lizard monster arriving into the area of a town called Pine Cove. The town psychiatrist, after feeling guilty for one of her patients committing suicide, replaces all the her pateints' antidepressants to placebos, in hopes of truly bettering them with therapy. In turn, the local bar's business grows greatly, and a bluesman is brought in to play guitar. Unfortunately, it is his guitar playing that seems to have attracted from the sea this giant lizard with a hunger for humans and an ability to morph into a trailor. The town's "crazy lady" falls in love with the lizard, naming him Steve, but Steve still can't be too friendly with the rest of the town, and must be gotten rid of before everyone's been eaten.


6.) Eisnitz, Gail A. Slaughterhouse: the Shocking Story of Greed, Neglect, and Inhumane Treatment inside the U.S. Meat Industry. Amherst, NY: Prometheus, 1997. Print. Slaughterhouse is the nonfiction collaboration of interviews Gail Eisnitz has done with workers at the biggest slaughterhouses in the country. The book reveals the most shocking and disturbingly unimagineable scenes that occur constantly in every slaughterhouse. Not only is it true that an animal properly going through a production line is most rare, and many are skinned alive and/or boiled alive, but the conditions alone of a slaughterhouse, the prevalent roaches, maggots, feces and urine, are enough to make any reader feel like projectile vomiting their lunch. Slaughterhouse, too, tackles the fact that meat-packing is the most dangerous industry and job in America, and its effects on workers is devastating. Killing an animal, or at least trying to, every three seconds all day long is both psychologically damaging and horribly dangerous. This book is a gauranteed change to vegetarianism to anyone I would hope.