Last Essay of High School

Marriage is a three ring circus- engagement ring, wedding ring, and suffering.  With the topic of espousing, that was a joke I couldn't resist.  But as I type, I am able to formulate some connections.  Learning isn't always easy, and that's why some people give up on it.  But as there isn't anyone happier than the couple that has been together for sixty years, there is no one happier than the man or woman who dies with a mind as in love with learning as it was on the honeymoon as a child asking "why?"  With this in mind,  I want to keep learning a part of my life as I experience my own bildungsroman.  This course has been a reminder to maintain that passion and it could not have been more timely; graduations present the division between those who continue to learn and those who do not.

I came into this class unprepared for the choices I would have to make.  I understood that it was different, but I was hesitant to manipulate to course to my whim.  I couldn't comprehend that I teacher was actually telling me to ignore the rules and make my own.  So I set out on my OSL journey, young and naive.  Or perhaps the opposite, as learning on our own is inherent to us when we are young, then trained out of us by our senior year.  Along the way I faced several monsters that included vocabulary and literary term exams and the dreaded AP Test.  Through my journey I found friends and mentors.  I witnesses beauty in the projects of others, giving rebirth to my confidence in others, or in internet speak, "faith in humanity restored."  This entire senior I rose to a challenge.  Whereas many of my friends were cruising through I took my hardest course load.  I can confidently say that I beheaded senioritis.  I will admit that some rose up to the challenge presented by OSL more than I.  With a second go I would like to match their efforts.  But at the very least I received some enlightenment from their altruistic passions.

We were given some serious liberties in order to pursue these passions.  Looking at all the masterpieces, I would say we deserved it.  It's funny I was going to say we took advantage of these liberties.  But that would leave an ambiguity I didn't desire.  We did not abuse these liberties, we took advantage pf the opportunities to pursue our own passions.  The quality of our masterpieces can be seen a a reflection on how we honored our privileges, I was generally impressed.

As I prolong my marriage with learning, the key element is that there is passion, because who wants a passionless marriage? And I know that I have found a passion in nature.  In my pursuit of adventure is where learning happens effortlessly for me.  I learned and continue to learn about the ocean because I want to surf the best waves possible.  I learning how to be eco-friendly because I don't want the Earth's beauty to go away.  As long as I continue my adventures, I will continue to learn.

What really made me laugh in this course was the novel Catch-22.  This book really was the lie that told the truth.  This is a book I will revisit, and probably will not be alone as at one point "every student who went off to college at the time took along a copy of Catch-22."  Some other texts that stuck with me were Brave New World and Poisonwood Bible. I don't want either of these books to match my journey to much as they do not turn out well for the protagonist.  Still they can serve as a cautionary tale for me.  If I am to be John Savage, I will be sure to surround myself with a better world than the New World State. And if I find myself in the jungles of African, I will be sure to not impose my ideas onto a preexisting culture's.

Lastly I would like to address I common thread I was in the masterpieces.  And I am proud to say it was altruism.  I hear Lisa talk about how to be an empathetic friend, and I see true goodness from her heart.  I watch Miranda's video about seizing the day and enjoying high school and I know she desires happiness for others.  I check out these blogs like UClassy and the Adventures of US and I see camaraderie and sharing of tips that demonstrate human kindness.  Experiencing the emotions from Maira and Uri presnting was tough, but hearing the support that everyone offered afterwards was heartwarming.  All these projects and more really as I said early "restored my faith in humanity" and I am proud to be a member of the class of 2014.

Masterpiece

http://colter444.wix.com/goutsidenow

Literature Analysis Indian Killer

1.  John is an Indian child adopted by an attractive white middle-class couple.  As he grows up grows distant from his parents and struggles with his identity.  His descent into insanity is depicted through several anecdotes of his own and his parents.  He gets an urge to kill a white man, believing it will settle his troubles and he spends time thinking which white man will make the most difference.  Meanwhile, there is a killer on the loose who is assumed to be Indian because he scalps his victims and leaves two owl feathers by their bodies.  It is strongly hinted that John may be the Indian Killer, though never explicitly confirmed and remains a suspicion.  As the murders continue, an inflammatory radio talk show host incites numerous hate crimes.  There are numerous accounts of whites beating up Indians, Indians beating up whites, whites beating whites, and Indians beating Indians; all stemming from tension caused by the Indian Killer.  In the midst of all this is Marie, a college student taking a Native American studies class.  She battles the professor every step of the way, questioning his knowledge in front of the entire class.  She also feeds sandwiches to the homeless Indians regularly.  She meets John and is intrigued by him, as is Jack Wilson. Jack Wilson is a writer claiming Indian heritage who writes detective novels about an Indian detective, resenting by true Indians as a poser.  The novel ends with John scarring Wilson and committing suicide, leaving the reader unsure if John truly was the Indian killer.
2.  The theme of the novel is vengeance.  John and other Indians are seeking revenge on the white man, while whites affected by the crimes of the Indian Killer attack random Indians to get revenge.  The novel depicts the chaos that occurs with this mindset.
3. The author's tone is blunt an objective.  The bluntness can be seen with lines like "politcally correct bullshit." There is little subtlety seen from many of the characters.  Still the fact that he presents both sides makes his tone objective.  He captures the bigoted and from the radio show host, Truck, him calling Indians "angry, bitter people."  His bigotry only makes him look foolish to the reader.  On the other hand, Reggies attack doesn't make Indians look like angels either, as he "dug into his eyes, searching for whatever existed behind them."
4. Duality of meaning is used in the title.  Indian Killer could mean a killer that is native American, or a killer of Indians as Marie pointed out.  The novel also uses many anecdotes, as seen on page 76. This is an anecdote of the flak John would receive from his classmates for having an attractive mom.
Irony is evident on page 65, where a man tells his son "this is our land... this land has been in our family for years," after they shoot at Indians to scare them away. The irony is missed by the child but clear to the reader.  A metaphor is used during chapter 8 when John likens white people to flames who would tear "eveything down and rebuilt it in their image."  Father Duncan serves as a symbol; a symbol of an Indian turning his back on violence and vengeance.  His presence is foiled by Reggie, who is extremely combative and searches for retribution every chance he can get. Another technique is dialogue, used to describe Reggie's relationship with his mom for the entirety of chapter 14.  Another technique employed is juxtaposition when a Robert de Niro and John Savage film is juxtaposed into a group of white men's conversation.  This is contrasted later when John Wayne is Juxtaposed into a group of Indian's conversation.  Another technique is an allusion to Hemingway.  This allusion adds character to a victim and makes it more upsetting when he is murdered.

CHARACTERIZATION
1.  Alexie indirectly characterizes many strangers through their dialogue.  Their words reveal their prejudices and values.  He also indirectly characterizes Truck Schultz.  All of his bigotry is evident through the words he chooses to use on his talk show.  At other times Alexie uses direct characterization.  John is described as dark, handsome, and six foot six.  His attitudes are presented to the reader through the author, his actions only confirms the narrators characterization.  Marie is characterized directly initially as Alexie describes her appearance and her presence at a protest powwow.

2. The author switches to shorter, more direct sentences when focusing on character.  For example, he list actions and attributes to define John as "a successfully integrated Indian boy."

3. The protagonist is dynamic and round.  He start out as an innocent boy.  But his self-identity is muddled through various experiences and as his confusion grows, so does his insanity.  By the end, we are not sure if he is a killer or not, but he is certainly not an innocent child.  His suicide is actually an enlightenment; he feels free to find his true identity in the afterlife.

4.I felt like I had met a sincerely troubled person at the end of the novel.  Alexie used enough anecdotes to make John's descent into madness realistic and tangible.  I was impressed with his ability to make characters capable of extreme actions seem realistic with realistic motives for acting that way.

Act 5

Lady Macbeth talking and moving in sleep
Found dead
Revealing guilt and grief
Angus of Macbeth-"giant's robe upon a dwarfish theif"
Men are marching to battle
10,000 English Soldiers
Macbeth puts on armor early
Slays young Siward
Father accepts loss, died in honor
Doesn't fear anyone "not born of a women"- thinks he is invincible
But McDuff born in C-section
Beheads Macbeth

The Crossroads Between Should and Must

In a post entitled THE CROSSROADS BETWEEN SHOULD AND MUST please write a brief essay in response to the article (which you can read here).  Where are you in relation to the crossroads, and which way do you see yourself headed? Due Monday, April 14*

After reading the article "The Crossroads Between Should and Must," I find that I am farther away from Must than I Should be and closer to Should than I Must be. I have obligations that are set not by me and I follow them because that is what is expected of me.  There are times when I can fit Must into my schedule.  Those are usually times when I am happiest.  But my life as a whole is spent on Should Drive, with Must Road far in the distance.
 All week I am filling obligations.  Going to school, doing my homework, finishing my chores, going to practice. I don't see any potential for me to get where I want to be without doing these things, I suppose I must do them.  But they aren't things that allow me to be free; they are me playing it safe.  I want to improve my Spanish by traveling to Mexico and speaking only Spanish.  I want to spearfish because the thought of it scares and excites me.  The only way things like that are going to happen in my life is if I tell myself that they must happen. No thoughts of "it would be cool if...," only demands that I do it.  I must psychologically create a pile-up closing down the Should path leaving me the only option to take Must road.
 Fortunately, the summer presents itself with ample opportunity to change my path.  With more time and less obligations, I have no excuse not to travel must road.  Honestly, it is the only way my summer will be truly productive.
As my senior year winds down, I can see the crossroads coming.  It will be a difficult turn to make, I will not be able to predict what I will see down that road.  But if I keep heading straight, a plain and ordinary life is ahead.  And who dreams about that?

Act 4 Notes

Witches brewing-ingredients reflect prejudices
                   -"liver of blaspheming Jew"
                   -"Nose of Turk"
"Something wicked this way comes"- Macbeth on his way
Witches advise with apparitions to beware Macduff, but also say Macbeth has nothing to fear
Macduff fled and leaves family
Mother says he is a traitor
Dialogue between mother and son- Bird metaphor, mother feels abandoned
Son Killed
Macduff dialogue with Malcolm- they are on to Macbeth
Despise lust for throne
Malcolm's mother a good, very religious queen, unlike current one
Grieve for country, suffering in Macbeth's rule in their view
Ross breaks news to Macduff
Says children are fine at first, then tells that entire family is killed
Macduff clearly broken up

Act3tive Reading Notes

Banter between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth- reveals frustrations with each other
lady Macbeth man killer- calls out Macbeth in front of everyone for seeing ghost
Unlike Hamlet, only Macbeth sees Banquo's ghost
Yet Hamlet is the one widely regarded as crazy...
Lady Macbeth attacks Macbeth during moment of weakness
Also must remind Macbeth to carry out the act of grievance
Macbeth would fear the ghost less in any form other than Banquo's
Macbeth questions how Lady Macbeth can maintain her composure- showing he is unaware of how cold she really is
Hecate- head of witches;"mistress of their charms"
Says there will be a "fatal end to the night"
Critical of witches actions; meddling in affairs
Lennox suggests that Fleance killed Banquo, or that is at least the common belief

3 possible AP prompts

1. Macbeth laments for misdeeds he has committed while Hamlet struggles with the idea of his choices to come.Compare Macbeth's soliloquy to Hamlet's and the differences intheir situations.

2. Several strange occurrences happen the night the Macbeth kills Duncan.  Horses eat themselves, the earth trembles, a storm brews.  How do these parallel the dark deeds of the night? Why does Shakespeare and other authors use other events to foreshadow or parallel a plot development?

3. Macbeth must act as if he is terribly grieved by the death of Duncan.  In a well developed essay using textual examples, compare and contrast Macbeth's situation to one where a character from another novel that you have read must act in order to cover their furtive actions.

Macbeth Reading Notes

Macbeth becomes Thane of Cawdor because of overthrow of the previous treasonous thane
Foretold by witches before given information
Crowned without any attempt to improve position
Ambition comes from Lady Macbeth, who is excited to hear that he will be king
Sets up daggers for Macbeth
Princes still in way of crown, but they leave country b/c they feel they are unsafe
Fleance reminds audience more death is to come
Old man brings up unnatural occurrences, underscores the death and violence
Macbeth sees imaginary dagger showing his distress over what he has done

Meet Macbeth

Macbeth is characterized indirectly through the descriptions provided by other characters.  Right off the bat his feats are depicted in a flood of praise.  The witches also characterize him by stating his titles.  This also leads to some foreshadowing, as they title him with things he has not earned yet and say he will become king.  Adumbrations of what is to come like this swarm the audience up to what is coming in next in the play without being obvious or blunt, creating an exposition with some subtlety.  The theme coming through this far is one of violence and with my background knowledge of the play I think it is safe to say that it will remain throughout.  The admiring tone of the characters describing Macbeth show that he is a character of honor, thus he is characterized not just by their words but their tone as well.

Resource of the Day (Physics Style)

IN order to help physics studnets understand the difference between some terms that sound similar but mean very differnt things, (eletric potential, eletric potential energy, and electric difference) I have provided a couple of resources.  First, with a couple of helpful illustrations, http://regentsprep.org/Regents/physics/phys03/apotdif/
Another helpful link is the always-helpful Khan Academy at https://www.khanacademy.org/science/physics/electricity-and-magnetism/v/voltage

10 Questions

1. What medium would you recommend for m project?
2. What is the cheapest way I can run and maintain a website?
3. What type of formatting will be must appealing to the viewers?
4. How can I tell how many people what demographic of people are actively using my site?
5. How do I code? To start, what even is coding?
6. How can I get feedback from my users?
7. What will direct traffic to my site?
8. Am I better off with an app or website format?
9. How will I prevent my site from having viruses on it?
10. How do I desing the layout of the page?

Benchmark

To update my progress, I will address that my previous posts on my project have been slightly different.  This shows how my thinking is evolving and serves as some good documentation.  After reviewing what my idea was like a day ago and comparing it to a couple of weeks ago, I have decided that there is value in both.  My site/app can be used as a diversion when an adventure isn't possible or it can be used as motivation when gumption is lacking, I will leave that to the whim of the user.  I think that people should use the internet to serve their purposes rather than conform to its provisions so I will develop my project the same way.  As of now, I have created a wix account though I am still unsure if this is the medium I want to use.

Resource of the Day

This isn't related to my launch project, but I came across this and it was way too funny and useful to not mention.  If you aren't adverse to some mild profanity,check out some of this videos.

Animal Farm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITKfr1qOZ0w

Things Fall Apart
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_xtOMiW0ys

A Separate Peace
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbPBjPCA-gQ

Resource of the Day

Today's resource will be social media.  As much time as our generation tends to waste on it, definitely some good has come out of it.  My goal is to consciously take the good and avoid the bad.  My project, if developed completely, would become a social media site that encourages you to actually go outside rather than stay at home on the site.  So I am going to start studying what things about Facebook and Instagram are good and that I would like to incorporate into my project.

Super 5

With some research and a pleasant amount of serendipity, I have acquired 5 good resources for my launch.
1) wix.com
This one was a result of my research.  I looked up "how to make a website" and this is what came up.  Checked the site out and it looks easy enough.  Might want a more independent, customize-able site though.
2)Grandpa
Believe it or not, but there are grandparents in this world who are tech-savvy.  My grandpa mentioned how he was working on creating an app just by chance when I was staying with him this weekend, so lucky me.
3)Uncle Jim
Guess where grandpa got the idea to create an app.  That's right, from my uncle, who works with programming and has just finished one.  Don't know why I never thought of that earlier, but sometimes you just need a reminder.
4)Mia
No, I haven't talked to her about it yet, but when I was describing my launch idea someone said that it seemed very similar to Mia's idea.  So here I have an opportunity for some collaboration.
5)YouTube
YouTube has prepared me for so many tests over the years.  Honestly, just type in your subject and you'll find that someone took it upon themselves to teach the world parametric equations or scalar multiplication.  It is an excellent resource and has plenty of tutorials on how to code.

Literary Analysis A Farewell To Arms

A Farewell to Arms Literature Analysis
1. A Farewell to Arms takes place during World War II in Italy.  Henry is an American in the Italian army and is touring the country.  After he returns to the war he meets Catherine Barkley, who his good friend Rinaldi is interested in seeing.  Soon it becomes evident that the better match is between Henry and Catherine and rinaldi is left without her.  Eventually it comes out that Catherine had just lost her husband and in a way was using Henry to replace him.  This doesn't create any problems because the relationship wasn't deep for Henry at that point either.
Henry injures his knee in battle and is visited by three doctors who insist on six months recover.  He decides to get a second opinion and finds a doctor who will operate right away.  Catherine is transferred to where Henry is staying and is assigned to prep him for surgery.  The two continue in their romantic interests with each other and as Henry heals the relationship progresses.  When Henry is given 3 final convalescence weeks, Catherine tells him that she is pregnant.   The two are not fazed by this though they worry about bringing a child into the world during the war.  Before he is scheduled to leave Henry contracts jaundice.  Instead of getting more leave, however, he is forced back on the front because a nurse said that his condition was self-inflicted by excessive drinking.
Henry undergoes a brutal experience at war.  He is traveling with an ambulance through evacuating troops.  The ambulance gets stuck and he orders two men to help him get them out.  He shoots one when they refuse. Eventually the vehicles get stuck again and they are forced to travel by foot.  Henry finds a place to stay at a nearby farm and stays there.  The following day is a chaotic mess of executions.  The Italian soldiers kill any officers that they see.  Henry is caught but manages to escape before being killed.  He makes for the river and hides until it is safe for him to swim away.
Henry decides he is done with this war and decides to find Catherine.  The two reunite and live happily in Stresa, though sometimes Henry feels guilty for leaving his men.  Catherine is concerned about the baby being too large and drinks beer to keep him small.  The novel ends abruptly when Catherine dies giving birth to a stillborn baby and Henry walks back home in the rain.
 2.  The theme of this novel is loss.  Catherine lost her fiancé and flirts with Henry to alleviate here pain.  When Catherine and his child die, Henry must cope with his losses.  This theme captures the tragedy of war and begs a cease of violence.
3. The tone of the novel is sincere.  Henry does not try to make himself look good or defend his actions; rather he is telling the story as if he needs to get things off his chest.  Judging from the tragedies he underwent, this is a healthy reaction.  Examples of his honesty can be seen in these passages.
4.Hemingway uses a dichotomy on page 218 when soldiers claim to be part of the “peace brigade,” as if brigades ever brought peace.
He uses foreshadowing on page 292.  Catherine is drinking beer in order to “keep the baby small” because of her narrow hips.  This foreshadows the troubles she will encounter later when trying to give birth.
Hemingway has the narrator describe anecdotes all the time in the novel like on page 112 when he reflects on a dining experience.
Hemingway uses metaphor with “the enemy’s ears are everywhere” to convey the hostility of the barber when he thought that the narrator was an Austrian.
On page 96 Hemingway satirizes the medical field in that they can’t even agree on which leg is the left leg and  excuse themselves with a weak “ I was looking from a different angle.”
On page 95 Hemingway alludes to Cleopatra to capture the beauty of the nurse Miss Gage.
Throughout the novel Hemingway uses dialogue to convey character feelings.  This can be seen often between Rinaldi and Henry early in the novel and Henry and Catherine later in the novel.
Regional dialect is used throughout the novel to remind the reader of the setting.

Characterization-
1.Hemingway characterizes directly often when he is describing minor characters.  The characters are not significant to really portray themselves though their actions so their characterization is left short and to the narrator.  For example,  Count Greffi is “an old man with white hair and mustache with beautiful manners.”  Another example is one of the girls riding with the soldiers.  She is described as “plump and dark and looked about sixteen.”  For the main characters, however, Hemingway tends to use indirect characterization via dialogue.  Two examples of this are the long conversations Henry has with Rinaldi and the ones he has with Catherine.
2.Hemingway's diction tends to be consistently simple throughout the novel whether he is depicting character or not.  He does however use a lot of dialogue, possibly embellished to some extent to depict the characters.
3.Henry is a round character because he is developed in all aspects.  He is dynamic because he changes throughout the book as he fall in love with Catherine and then loses her at the end.
4.I felt like I had met someone because Henry was honest about his faults and human with his losses.  For example at the end when he walks in the rain.  This type of reaction is the only reaction I could picture anyone having to losing a child and a lover: utter despair and disregard for practicality.

Launch

On days that I have several hours of free time (weekends), unless I go on some type of adventure the day seems wasted.  But sometimes all you have is a few minutes of free time or a big storm front is rolling in bringing heavy rain for the day (this weekend).  So what can we do about this?  Well I read that planning a trip, whether the trip takes place or not, is good for mental health and actually makes you happier.  So I want to create a site where people can share their past adventures and plan their next one.  Part of the sharing idea is to post a picture of where you went  without sharing the location and have people guess where it is.  Hopefully this will encourage people to get out there to find/enjoy it for themselves. So basically I want to create an interactive site where people share their experiences and get ideas for new ones.  For me the main obstacle is learning how to create such a site.  I am still not sure if I want to do it as an individual website or simply make a blog.  Either way I have plenty of resources of people who have their own blogs and have their own websites, so learning that shouldn't be too difficult.  As things get rolling I will probably think of features that I want and will have to figure out how to establish.

Brave New Essay

In a novel or play that you have studied, identify a character who conforms outwardly while questioning inwardly. Then write an essay in which you analyze how this tension between outward conformity and inward questioning contributes to the meaning of the work.

In Aldous Huxley's Brave New World , Bernard Marx is a pariah in his society.  He lives as a normally as he can, but on the inside he knows that something is missing.  He conforms because that is what is expected of him  and it would take great courage to protest.  His society even allow him opportunity to protest.  So he continues his life; struggling to blend in to a crowded cloud of gray when his heart yearns for a vivid, sunny day.
Bernard does many things to conform outwardly.  Predominantly is his line of work.  Everyday is works with hypnopedia.  He is implanting messages into the minds of youth, but the messages are things he does not even agree with.  Still, the culture of his society doesn't even make it an issue that he would dissent.  Protest is so foreign that it doesn't come to mind when someone like Bernard is unhappy.  Instead, they make sincere attempts to conform so they too can be happy.  Bernard engages in "orgy-porgy,"  desperately trying to fit in and to become a normal member of society.  To his disappointment, he finds he is still the same dissatisfied individual as before.
The internal thoughts of Bernard reflect something else entirely.  He even acts abnormally by spending time alone.  He risks this detour from good World State Citizen behavior because for him being alone is important.  It means he can be alone with his thoughts and away from the actions he sees as superficial.   He does, however, develop an interest in Lenina Trotsky.  Lenina on the surface actually appears to be somewhat of an inward protester.  She mentions how she has not been too keen on promiscuity lately.  This mild dissension I believe attracts Bernard.  But, Bernard is disappointed to find out that she behaves just as a citizen of the World State should.  She doesn't understand his shyness about asking to "have her" and is perfectly willing to be treated as "a piece of meat."  This experience makes him more aware of his differences and makes his inner protest stronger
In order to survive, human beings try to blend in with their company.  Anything that stands out is more likely to get crushed.  Because of this, there are countless examples of people conforming for their safety but on the inside, enraged with the injustice of their situation.  Bernard is one of these people.  He has no choice but to conform yet he is painfully aware that there is something missing.  That something is the brightness that would liven a dreary gray society.

Brave New Essay Topic

In the following passage, the contemporary social critic Neil Postman contrasts George Orwell’s vision of the future, as expressed in the novel 1984 (written in 1948), with that of Aldous Huxley in the novel Brave New World (1932).  Read the passage, considering Postman’s assertion that Huxley’s vision is more relevant today than is Orwell’s. 

Then, using your own critical understanding of contemporary society and Huxley’s novel as evidence, write a carefully argued essay that answers the following question:

Is Aldous Huxley’s satirical Brave New World relevant today?

            We were keeping our eye on 1984.  When the year came and the prophecy didn’t, thoughtful Americans sang softly in praise of themselves.  The roots of liberal democracy had held.  Wherever else the terror had happened, we, at least, had not been visited by Orwellian nightmares.

            But we had forgotten that alongside Orwell’s dark vision, there was another—slightly older, slightly less well known, equally chilling:  Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World.  Contrary to common belief even among the educated, Huxley and Orwell did not prophesy the same thing.  Orwell warns that we will be overcome by an externally imposed oppression.  But in Huxley’s vision, no Big Brother is required to deprive people of their autonomy, maturity and history.  As he saw it, people will come to love their oppression, to adore the technologies that undo their capacities to think.

            What Orwell feared were those who would ban books.  What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one.  Orwell feared those who would deprive us of information.  Huxley feared those who would give us so much that we would be reduced to passivity and egoism.  Orwell feared that the truth would be concealed from us.  Huxley feared the truth would be drowned in a sea of irrelevance.  Orwell feared we would become a captive culture.  Huxley feared we would become a trivial culture, preoccupied with some equivalent of the feelies, the orgy porgy, and the centrifugal bumblepuppy.  As Huxley remarked in Brave New World Revisited, the civil libertarians and rationalists who are ever on the alert to oppose tyranny “failed to take into account man’s almost infinite appetite for distractions.”  In 1984, Huxley added, people are controlled by inflicting pain.  In Brave New World, they are controlled by inflicting pleasure.  In short, Orwell feared that what we hate will ruin us.  Huxley feared that what we love will ruin us.

In attacking this essay, I would definetely answer yes, Huxley's novel is relevant today.  I would point out the foresight that Huxley had when it came to an increase in promiscuity and the effect it had on society.  having read 1984, I would also be able to elaborate on the twxt provided.  Armed with knowledge from the two novels and this text, I would be able to find many examples to answer the prompt.