Boarding School Thefts

Theft is a real thing on boarding school campuses and it has to be stopped. It’s a feeling of insecurity and a breaking of trust.  It’s why the recent backpack thefts at Choate have been so devastating. Those thefts did more than disturb a handful of students­–they shook the very foundations of trust on campus. In order for trust among students to be regained, the administration must deal the backpack thief and remove him or her from campus.

Choate isn’t the only boarding school to face problems like these. Three years ago, Lawrenceville was facing very a serious problem with theft on campus. Many boarders found that they could no longer leave their doors unlocked because they didn't trust that people wouldn't take anything from them. Lawrenceville students saw trust on campus eroded because their classmates would take things without asking.

Even in American literature, thefts at fictional boarding schools have shown to be a problem. For instance, in J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield finds that he cannot trust his classmates at Pencey Prep because of how much they steal. He remarks, “Pencey was full of crooks. Quite a few guys came from these wealthy families, but it was full of crooks anyway. The more expensive a school is, the more crooks it has. I'm not kidding” (Salinger 7).

Clearly, theft on boarding school campuses is a major issue that has to be dealt. At Choate, dealing with the issue first involves ridding the campus of the backpack thief–but it won’t end there. The culture at Choate needs to change so that students know that stealing is unacceptable. Only then, will true trust be restored to campus.

Passing The Love

Passing The Love

People in society today often find themselves attempting to depict themselves as something they are not. Music festivals have the ability to eliminate people’s urge to pass as somebody who he or she is not through an inclusive culture that encourages the audience to express themselves however they desire. Audiences at music festivals come from diverse backgrounds, so no social norms exist that these people could feel the need to conform to. The culture which surrounds music festivals encourages the audience to be different because those differences are what make everybody unique. Because of the inclusive and encouraging culture that surrounds music festivals and drives people to be themselves, the bonds and friendships made amongst the audience members becomes inseparable. Passing as somebody who that person truly is not in order to portray a false image of who they really are is a result of the norms of society today--which people feel forced to confine to; however, music festivals have the capability to erase those norms and free people of the urge to be somebody or something he or she is not.

Part of the inclusive culture present at music festivals is the judgement-free environment. Everybody at music festivals is there for one reason: to enjoy the music. People don’t want to waste time judging others for their appearance or actions; instead, they focus on the music and bond with the people--whom he or she might judge if they were elsewhere--that share a passionate love for music. Nella Larsen’s Passing is a novel about about Clare Kendry, a biracial woman who identifies as white and seeks to reap the benefits of being white during that time period. In the novel, Clare completely abandons her background and culture in order to falsify her self-image as something she is not simply because it is convenient for her. As in society today, the urge to pass as somebody who a person is not comes from unhappiness and a desire to have something that you could not have otherwise. Music festivals eliminate this unhappiness and desire that is present in Passing by encouraging the audience to be proud of their backgrounds and express their respective cultures in any manner they wish to. In doing so, people feel special and their uniqueness becomes striking, allowing these people to be free of any judgment and ignore the norms he or she feels forced to confine to in society.

While the judgement-free environment allows people to be free of the need to pass, the atmosphere and vibes at music festivals also has the ability to erase these norms. When an audience comes together at a music festival, it is a magical scene. There is a good, light-hearted mood that accompanies these festivals and it is contagious. Everybody at these festivals comes together and bonds with each other through the music that they all share the same love for. As is at music festivals, everybody expresses his or her love differently, which is why there is no right or wrong way to express it. At music festivals, the different ways of expressing one’s love for music is encouraged, and as a result: no norms are created within that environment. With the lack of these norms, people at music festivals are comfortable with expressing themselves and not having to pass as somebody they are not.

Another factor that allows for music festivals to eliminate social pressure to pass is how the festivals constantly have performances going and music is always playing everywhere. This seems obvious, but when the music projects good vibes throughout the crowd, those vibes expand past that stage and throughout the entire festival. With music constantly playing, the audience is always enjoying themselves, and everywhere they go, a new performer is always there to draw them in. When people are at music festivals they are living in the moment--taking it all in. It would be a waste of time to time to worry about what other people are doing or for someone to get caught up with the fear that others are judging him or her. The short moments in life that people can spend enjoying themselves are too precious to waste, so at a music festival, the time that a person has to enjoy the music must not be taken for granted. The opportunity to be yourself and not have to try and pass as something different only comes rarely in one’s life, but always seems to be present at music festivals.

Music festivals can and do erase the social norms that society creates while freeing people of the urge to act as somebody or something they are not. It is an unfortunate reality that people in society today still cannot accept themselves for who they are, but it is important that places such as music festivals, where these people are encouraged to be themselves, exist. It is a long road to a completely inclusive society, but giving people the opportunity to be themselves and express who they are is a step in the right direction. For people that struggle with self-acceptance, music festivals could be a way to find his or herself, and once that happens, they should work to have that self-confidence in their everyday lives.

Other good reads on music festival culture and the impacts it can carry:

• http://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1193&context=comssp
• https://positivepsychologyprogram.com/power-of-engagement-at-music-festivals/

Some good Videos:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuAxVfZasUk
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0xoBUDUYyo

Why I Think The Great Gatsby Is As Good As Any TV Show

             When I finished The Great Gatsby I got that feeling you get when you finish a TV show that lasts eight seasons… I didn’t know what to do with my life. Without Jay Gatsby’s glamorous company and extravagant lifestyle, my life seemed as bland as Nick’s before he moved to West Egg. Further, I realized I’d forgotten how to feel the slew of emotions I reserved for each of Fitzgerald’s jazzy characters like that asshole Tom. So, as a way of passing my new free time, I am on a mission to determine what it is that made Fitzgerald’s cast so lifelike and lovable. In particular, I want to know what sets them apart from other literary characters, and where Fitzgerald’s depictions of them differ from most authors.

It starts with Nick. Nick’s narration could be characterized with a light touch, almost like he uses an invisible hand to narrate the novel, as he doesn’t force ideas or perspectives on the readers. This is true especially in the sense that Nick never outright tells you how characters feel or act. Where Fitzgerald differs from the vast majority of authors is in his use of Nick as a method of examining the motives behind character's emotions. And he does this in his on point descriptions of characters’ tone and body language. As a result, the menagerie of characters that make The Great Gatsby the masterpiece that it is are more realistic, believable, and understandable.

Checkout a video of Tom here,

and see what I am talking

about.

You can imagine Tom’s haughty and assertive personality because of Nick’s emphasis on his macho body language. The reason Tom becomes such a lifelike and convincing character is because you can imagine how he slaps Myrtle or swaggers into his mansion. Tom’s authenticity as character is a result of Nick’s narration, and the emphasis placed on Tom’s arrogant and aggressive body language. Even in Nick’s first mention of Tom in The Great Gatsby, Tom comes off as arrogant and aggressive, “Tom Buchanan in riding clothes was standing with his legs apart on the front porch…Two shining arrogant eyes had established dominance over his face and gave him the appearance of always leaning aggressively forward.” (Pg. 15). Through his description of Tom’s body language, Nick establishes your concept of Tom as an aggressive and assertive man. He does this again later on in the passage, describing Tom’s eyes as establishing “dominance” and giving the appearance of “always leaning aggressively forward.” Here, again, you don’t need Nick’s confirmation and opinion on whether or not he thinks Tom is aggressive, because his description of Tom’s facial expression is convincing enough. Toward the end of the same page, Nick describes Tom’s voice, “His speaking voice, a gruff husky tenor, added to the impression of fractiousness he conveyed. There was a touch of paternal contempt in it,” (Pg. 15). When one imagines the “gruff husky tenor”in addition to a fractious personality and a “touch of paternal contempt”, it is near impossible not to dislike what Tom’s voice would sound like. Here, instead of using body language, Nick portrays Tom’s detestable personality through his tone. By the end of Nick’s description, you have a real understanding of what Tom would stand, walk, and talk like, and also you get a real impression of how much you would dislike Tom for his assertive and overly-macho attitude, all as a result of examining Tom’s personality through body language and tone. Further, Nick’s descriptions of Tom’s aggressive and domineering body language when compared to Gatsby’s more subtle and solitary gestures provides an explanation of their individual relationships with Daisy, Gatsby’s relationship being more intimate and gentle, and Tom’s relationship being characterized by dominance and control of Daisy.

Gatsby’s dream of obtaining Daisy’s love drives The Great Gatsby’s story. However, Gatsby’s dreams are made real to the audience and they maintain a gravity and actuality throughout the novel because Nick does not blatantly discuss them. Instead, Nick points out characteristics of Gatsby’s personality like hope and naivete to life in the novel, particularly in his descriptions of Gatsby’s body language and tone. When Gatsby meets Daisy for the first time in almost five years, it is clear he is nervous and as a result his artificial image of success and confidence deteriorates, and we see Gatsby’s underlying personality, “Gatsby, his hands still in his pockets, was reclining against the mantelpiece in a strained counterfeit of perfect ease, even of boredom. His head leaned back so far that it rested against the face of a defunct mantelpiece clock, and from this position his distraught eyes stared down at Daisy, who was sitting, frightened but graceful, on the edge of a stiff chair.” (pg. 132). While Nick could have said plainly that Gatsby was incredibly nervous to see Daisy, he instead makes it much more believable and realistic for you by describing how awkward Gatsby’s body language is when he sees Daisy. Nick’s description of Gatsby, with “his hands still in his pockets,” leaning with a “strained counterfeit of perfect ease” demonstrates to you that Gatsby is uncomfortable. This description allows you to empathize with Gatsby’s mix of nervous and eager emotions, and introduces those feelings in a more organic way by demonstrating them through Gatsby’s body language. Using this method of examining Gatsby’s feelings through his body language, Nick effectively conveys Gatsby’s emotions through his behavior, and as result Gatsby comes off as a much more realistic character to us. In a similar manner to how Nick examines Gatsby’s emotions through his body language, Nick also explores how Daisy’s voice affects Gatsby, and in doing so Nick explains the relationship between the two characters.   

See an example of Daisy's
melodic voice in action
here.

Nick's descriptions of Daisy’s melodic and enchanting voice are as captivating as the voice itself, and further, demonstrate how tone is used effectively to determine characters’ emotions. In examining these descriptions of Daisy’s voice, Fitzgerald guides our understanding of the emotions behind Gatsby and Daisy’s relationship. Nick repeatedly describes Daisy’s voice throughout the novel, especially emphasizing the captivating and enchanting effect it has on men. Nick describes Daisy’s voice as “The kind of voice that the ear follows up and down, as if each speech is an arrangement of notes that will never be played again. Her face was sad and lovely with bright things in it, bright eyes and a bright passionate mouth, but there was an excitement in her voice that men who had cared for her found difficult to forget: a singing compulsion, that whispered ‘Listen,’” (Pg. 19). Nick’s description of Daisy’s voice provides insight into Gatsby’s infatuation with her. This description of Daisy's voice is effective in explaining Gatsby’s feelings for Daisy because Nick explains exactly what it feels like to be enchanted by her voice. Instead of plainly claiming that Daisy had a mesmerizing voice and that Gatsby was enchanted by it, Nick examines himself how her voice makes the ear “follow up and down, as if each speech is an arrangement of notes that will never be played again.”, and how Daisy's “sad and lovely” face coupled that voice. Nick’s description of Daisy helps you empathize with and understand Gatsby in his feelings towards Daisy. Nick’s description of Daisy’s tone aided in creating not only a more realistic Daisy, but also a more realistic love between Daisy and Gatsby.

             If you think about it, The Great Gatsby is kind of like TV. Shows are more powerful than books in one manner: you can see and hear each of the characters. You are more involved in a show than you are in a book. With Fitzgerald however, that is simply not the case. The Great Gatsby is the masterpiece that it is because it compares to a TV show in the actuality and colorfulness of its characters, and the world they are in. The Great Gatsby depicts the Roaring Twenties as an outrageously fantastic and boisterous time, to the point that Fitzgerald’s world brinks on fantasy. And his characters are no less fantastical, because we can imagine them as if they were real. Tom, Gatsby, and Daisy are all alive and individual, with unique emotions, perspectives, purposes, and intentions. What makes The Great Gatsby’s cast of characters real is that you know them, how they move, how they sound, and how they react to Fitzgerald’s depiction of the Roaring Twenties, and because you know them so well, and you have that idea of what they are like, it just hurt that much more when they are gone.

Borderless Extravagance and Discrimination

Books used as reference:

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

→ link: https://books.google.com/books?id=iXn5U2IzVH0C

Passing by Nella Larsen

→ link: http://www.amazon.com/Passing-Nella-Larsen/dp/1614270007

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

→ link: http://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights

Writer Info

Sungwoo Park

11th grade in Choate Rosemary Hall

Visit Sungwoo's Passion Project on Korean Culture

Borderless Extravagance and Discrimination

The Preamble of the United States Constitution as well as the Universal Declaration of Human Right advocates the importance of equality. However, despite this global acceptance and continued efforts, inequality still continues to ‘live strong’ in today’s world. On an international level, one find nations where their citizens suffer from malnutrition and die from insufficient food while advanced countries concern by overgrowing population suffering from obesity from excessive consumption. Furthermore, on a domestic level, as with the racial discrimination in the United States despite the passing of the 13th Amendment and the Civil Rights Movements, it is NOT DIFFICULT AT ALL  to find evidence of inequality based on religion, preference, socioeconomic status and other differences.

Frankly, there is one specific inequality that seems the most troublesome - economic and financial inequalities. While one now lives in a market-driven society valuing free competition, one cannot but be troubled by the fact how an infinitesimal fraction of the wealthy controls vast majority of wealth in a country. Although Korea has become one of the developed country within decades after the Korean War, it represents serious questions for these considerations: the concentration of power and wealth to particular conservative, and the wealth few has created an unhealthy domestic culture. In addition, Koreans have put too much emphasis on western education and values that ultimately have eroded unique local culture, trumped by ‘americanization,’ which Korea has held for more than five thousand years. Similar problems are shown in both The Great Gatsby and Passing. In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses Tom Buchanan to depict a deeply conservative, extravagant individual in America. Similarly, Nella Larsen uses Irene Redfield and Clare Kendry in Passing to criticize the American society that forced black Americans to pass as Whites to survive. Therefore, social problems in Korea are comparable to the problematic norms that are blatantly displayed in two stories.

Tom Buchanan is an example of a rich, prestigious American like Korean “CHAEBOLS” who maintained high political and financial authority in Korea for decades. Fitzgerald portrays Tom Buchanan as the symbol of a traditional rich, white American. Unlike Jay Gatsby who later becomes rich, Tom comes from an enormously wealthy family that “even in college his freedom with money was a matter for reproach” (Fitzgerald 14). Nick Carraway, narrating The Great Gatsby, depicts Tom’s eyes as “arrogant” and labels Tom as a man with “supercilious manner” (Fitzgerald 15). Throughout the story, Tom uses money and his “hulking” body size to prove his superiority over others. With “paternal contempt” in his voice, Tom believed that he was “stronger and more of a man than” (Fitzgerald 16) Nick and Gatsby in The Great Gatsby. Furthermore, Fitzgerald instills harsh racism and eugenics in Tom’s soul. For instance, Tom believes in white supremacism to boost his social status in America as he says, “It’s up to us, who are the dominant race, to watch out or these other races will have control of things” (Fitzgerald 25). In addition, Fitzgerald, through making Tom say, “if we don’t look out the white race will be—will be utterly submerged” (Fitzgerald 25), shapes Tom as an advocate of the eugenics movement that sought to purge the inferior race for the survival of white Americans during the early twentieth century.

Tom Buchanan’s behavior in the story as a conservative, white American who is arrogant and blinded by his fortune resembles the “CHAEBOL” families in Korea. At the term of the 20th century, Korea was colonized by Japan, and then experienced the Korean War. In fact, it was only since the late 1950s that Korean society experience peace; it would be no surprise that during the 1960s and the 70s, Korea was one of the poorest countries in the world. But, during the mid- and late- 1970s, the government employed the Saemaul Movement, establishing a strong relationship between the government and business operations to enhance the productivity and market competitiveness of Korea. It was during this time, through close ties with the government, that gave birth to family-owned conglomerates like Samsung (the Lee family) and Hyundai (the Chung family), monopolizing all industries under government protection. But, while one must credit these unprecedented economic developments, one must also point out how the “CHAEBOLS” have abused their protection from the government to seize power in politics and the market. Some “CHAEBOLS” condescendingly show contempt towards impoverished Koreans by publicly denouncing them in public, and firms often mistreat their workers and oppress small firms that ultimately helped conglomerates to control industries (Marlow). For example, Hyun-Ah Cho, the senior executive of Korean Air and the chairman’s daughter, abused her of Hanjin Corporation (another “Chaebol” in Korea) privilege and power by commanding the pilot to fly back to the airport just because the flight attendant served her macadamia nuts in a bag, not in fancy dishes (Marlow). It is unfortunate and devastating that Koreans cannot act against those scornful “CHAEBOLS” because Samsung, for instance, produces 20 percent of Korea’s annual revenue. As a result, Tom Buchanan and Korean “CHAEBOLS” are comparable in that both abuse privileges and symbolize traditional, selective individuals in their society.

If you want to read more about the “nut rage” incident

→ visit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nut_rage_incident

Irene Redfield in Passing resembles Koreans and their culture in that they change their identities to break free from their original selves to become more americanized. Throughout Passing, Irene envies and criticizes how Clare, despite being a light-skinned black American, passes as White. As Larsen writes, “Race! The thing that bound and suffocated her” (Larsen 219), Irene feels oppressed and self-conscious living as a black individual. Although her jealousy towards Clare allows Irene to reflect upon her pride as a black American, Irene subconsciously admit her loss against strong prejudice and people like Clare who hope to reshape their lives as Whites. Seeing Clare everyday living a satisfying life with beauty and prosperity, Irene “[slides] her eyes down, feeling her colour heightened under the continued inspection” (Larsen 91). Irene’s emotions ultimately leads her to commit an extreme crime of pushing Clare out the window; Larsen might have included this scene in Passing to symbolize independence and victory of black Americans at the end, but this killing also informs the readers how black Americans have felt defeated and devastated for being dark-skinned in the United States that was founded for white Americans.

Similarly, Koreans and their culture have gradually lost their identities. Globalization surely brought positive impact on the Korean peninsula. After Koreans accepted American culture through various media, many broadened their perspectives in viewing the world and allowed their country to develop into one of the strongest countries in the world. However, globalization recently created a “Cultural Imperialism” in Korea (Migliore). Pop culture in Korea successfully spread to not only Asian countries, but also in America and Europe, but “idol groups” started to prefer Anglo-Saxon appearances and American pop genres instead of maintaining their original appearances (Migliore). In reality, the fact that plastic surgery technology and industry in Korea are the best in the world proves the problem of Koreans, trying to reshape their identities as western individuals with blonde hair, big nose, and whiter skin through surgeries and make-up. Statistically, one out of ten adults in Korea have gotten plastic surgeries, especially in doubling and fattening their eyelids. Although one has freedom to do whatever one wants with appearance, this vicious trend has taken away the unique Korean identity; Americans did not oppress the Koreans to obtain sharper noses and double eyelids by putting in silicon sticks or cutting up their eyelids, but Koreans are losing confidence toward themselves and are subserviently acclimating into American culture just because white Americans are better-looking and more powerful in the world than Asians. Unfortunately, this trend of people getting plastic surgery has spread to more countries. Despite the growth in tourism in Korea, it is a devastating truth that Koreans are trying to deviate from their original looks and culture to pass as White like Irene and Clare in Passing.

Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and Larsen’s Passing display similar social problems to the problems deeply entrenched in Korean society because a small group of the wealthy condescendingly abuses its power and fortune to exploit and disdain the mass majority, and minorities seek changes from their original selves to pass as members of a predominant group. Oppressions inevitably exist everywhere in the world. However, minorities that are often targets of prejudice should maintain themselves instead of switching their identities to promote their socioeconomic status. No race has ever been inferior. Passing and abandoning one’s original group will ruin one’s community or race.

Works Cited

Marlow, Iain. "South Korea’s Chaebol Problem." The Globe and Mail. Thomson Reuters, 23 Apr. 2016. Web. 24 Apr. 2015. <http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/international-business/asian-pacific-business/south-koreas-chaebol-problem/article24116084/>.

Migliore, Lisa-Anna. "Cultural Imperialism: An Americanization of Beauty in Korea." Musings & Inklings. N.p., 6 Jan. 2012. Web. 24 Apr. 2016. <http://musingsandinklings.typepad.com/blog/2012/01/cultural-imperialism-an-americanization-of-beauty-in-korea-.html>.

"The Bill of Rights & All Amendments." The Constitution of the United States. Ed. George W. Baltzell. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2016. <http://constitutionus.com/>.

The Nigerian

I don’t think people really know what it means to be Nigerian. Yes, you’re technically Nigerian if you were born on that 400,000 square mile plot of West African land carefully carved out by European powers, but I think that being Nigerian comes with a certain experience. It is an experience that takes shape in many forms but ends in the rebirth of the mind and of a way of life. It is growth, and that growth comes from a soil enriched with oppression. The oppression of the colonizers who bred us to believe that what was great must be white. Beauty was defined as lighter skin, straighter hair, thinner lips, and narrower noses. Intelligent was what only the white man created. Savage was the language that dances on my tongue and the culture that raises me up to dance on my feet. Yet, if I were not soaked, baptized in that bath filled with marginalization, I don’t think I would love my country, my tribe, or myself as much as I do now. 

Don’t get me wrong; I absolutely do not think that infecting a people with notions that create generational self-hatred is a benefit. But, I know that when I finally fell in love with my people and country, it was more meaningful because I was affected by those notions. British colonizers of Nigeria set a standard for excellence that resulted in self-loathing being a societal norm in the country, but Nigerians have the ability to overcome and advance.  What I have learned is that being Nigerian is about being able to self-liberate. It is about using oppression as a platform to rise up and to dance on. What I have learned about being Nigerian is that you jubilate despite calamity and that the insecurities that our colonizers cultivated are nothing but satellites. Pride is our world. It is our earth. It is the way of life of the Nigerian, and it is what makes the Nigerian.

NASA and The Great Gatsby?

So today is going to be a shorter blog post, but it brings to light again the organization: NASA.  If we look back in history, its possible to observe that NASA has been the center of multiple conspiracy theories.

First there was the moon landing conspiracy:

Information about Moon Landings

Second there were the mysterious events at Roswell New Mexico:

Information about Roswell UFO Incident

Now there is a new conspiracy.  One much more sinister than the previous ones...

Is NASA related to The Great Gatsby?!?

Unlike the suspenseful music will lead you to believe, The Great Gatsby and NASA do not have much of a conspiracy theory together, but separately they make up two of the most mysterious people/groups to ever live.  Gatsby, the shady main character of the book The Great Gatsby has a dark upbringing.  I do not say dark because it is filled with gloom, but rather the details are not quite brought to light until the end of the book.  Likewise NASA is filled with dark stories that have not yet been released.

Was Jay Gatsby... Lucid Dreaming?

It is a typical school night after a hectic Monday, and you’re heading off to bed. As you slowly slip into the realm of dreams and imaginations, you realize that you are aware of yourself while dreaming, an experience you find exhilarating yet also terrifying. Every lucid dream begins with an awareness of one’s dream self and the decision to explore and create a unique reality (lucidity.com). There are a few traits common to this phenomenon: the dreamer usually attempts to relive a memory, create a distinct reality from their (his/her/their) real life, and use narration as a way to describe their views. The dreamer might also observe recurring themes or objects that often appear in their dream world. In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s description of Jay Gatsby’s experience with Daisy, Gatsby’s lifestyle, and some recurring objects throughout the story share similar traits with lucid dreaming and its elements. Like to know how? Keep reading.

Experts usually say that for one to be an adept lucid dreamer, one must be observant. The reason is that in lucid dreams, there are hidden objects that appear over and over again. These objects are useful because they tell the dreamer if her she is in a land of imagination, or if it is real life. For example, if one regularly sees a magenta firefly in a dream or many dreams, that could indicate that it is a lucid dream. Similarly, in The Great Gatsby, one can compare the motifs throughout the story to the reoccurrence of objects in lucid dreaming. An example of a recurring object is the billboard with the eyes of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg. When Fitzgerald mentions the advertisement initially, it is easy for the reader to brush over it. However, it becomes a significant symbol as it is repeated more often throughout the story. Numerous other objects such as Gatsby’s yellow car, the color gray, and Klipspringer (the cRaZy guy that basically lives in Gatsby's mansion) are subtly repeated to make the readers aware of their significance, as well as create a sense of symbolism in the story. One of the most discussed motifs is the green light at the end of the Buchanan’s Dock. Fitzgerald repeatedly mentions this view throughout the book and states that it represents Gatsby’s "count of enchanted objects” (Fitzgerald, 113). The presence of the light serves as a reminder to Gatsby of his "unattainable dream" of being with Daisy, similar to how a recurring object in a lucid dream can make the dreamer aware of his or her consciousness (atkinsbookshelf.wordpress.com).

Throughout the novel, and especially in the development of the plot, Gatsby tried to relive his past romance with Daisy Buchanan. Likewise, in a lucid dream it is common-  because one has absolute control - to try to re-enact certain experiences either for the thrill or merely to do things differently. As shown in The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby is obsessed with the idea of reliving his past romance with Daisy. Through the lens of a utopia, Gatsby envisions a reality where Daisy gives up her marriage with Tom and follows him instead. “[Gatsby] wanted nothing less of Daisy than that she should go to Tom and say: “I never loved you” (Fitzgerald 133). Although this could be a possible scenario, readers can see that Gatsby’s attitude towards he and Daisy’s romance is blind, and stems from his obsession with the need to recreate their past. Even when Nick attempts to draw Gatsby to the realization that “[one] can’t repeat the past,” Gatsby refuses to accept this notion and mentions that “[he is] going to fix everything just the way it was before” (Fitzgerald, 133). He is determined to find the same happiness he had with Daisy five years before, and through his “dream” of perfection, willing to do what it takes to lure Daisy back to him.  

The motifs of the novel, Jay Gatsby’s obsession with reconnecting with Daisy’s, and his façade of wealth all point towards the common trend of lucid dreaming. In the ways that Fitzgerald delivered the characters and style of this novel, he succeeded in making it interesting, yet complicated, and available to all, and well as available to none. To understand The Great Gatsby and its elements, one has to place themselves inside the story; one should be able to feel and experience what the characters go through. All these characteristics can be linked back to the fundamentals of lucid dreaming, and through The Great Gatsby, readers observe a sense of human nature tied to a phenomenon that is commonly understood to be remote. ~ Now, close your eyes, and begin to dream. ~

Muna Salad

April 28, 2016

Passing For Desires

Why do people want to change? Desires drive people to take unforgettable actions that eventually drag them down to a state of emptiness and ungratefulness. Happiness and recognition are two significant needs that every human being desires, and it’s the desperate attempt of fulfilling those desires that prevents human being from seeing the impacts and the outcomes of their actions. Somaliland, an autonomous region in Somalia, is currently in this desperate attempt as it seeks for recognition from Somalia. Somalilanders are fixated on receiving a recognition that they disregard the outcomes that could be resulted from their desire. Somaliland could technically pass as a country, but not without abandoning their identities, people, and securities. The potential consequences that Somaliland’s selfish attempt to be accepted as a country could be associated with Clare Kendry‘s failed attempt to pass as a white person in order to be happy.

Is that all you care about???

“Passing” is the act of choosing to become someone who you are not for social, economic and political reasons. In the case of Clare, she wanted to pass as white to enhance her lifestyle for material comforts and happiness. Nevertheless, Clare’s aspiration changes when she develops a deep relationship with Irene and Brain. Even though Clare had everything she wanted, she still pursued freedom from the community she chose to be part of to return to the community she originally belonged. Clare says, “Damn Jack! He keeps me out of everything. Everything I want. I could kill him...” to Irene, and this shows how desperate and unhappy Clare was with her current situation.  On the other hand, Somaliland wants to seek recognition in order to cut any ties with Somalia because they believe that they are different from Somalia. In spite of Somaliland’s temptation to be different from Somalia, they are all Somalis and all Somalis belong together just like Clare Kendry belongs to her black community. In both cases, Clare Kendry and Somaliland are trying to abandon their heritage, culture, and identity for money and glory. Clare learned that passing as white didn’t bring her happiness in the hard way, but hopefully Somaliland would realize that abandoning your own kind is never the right decision.

Not only do people abandon their own community when they “pass” but they also discount the impacts it has on their current community. For Clare, she prioritized achieving her goals more than her own child. Clare says, “Children aren’t everything” to Irene, and this is the depiction of how Clare’s selfish eagerness to accomplish her desires blindsided her from her own child. A mother abandons her child. Unfortunately, it’s not only Clare that abandons her own blood. Somaliland government ignores the opinions of its civilian and completely neglects all its activists that support the unification of the two countries. Somaliland’s economic isn’t also stable enough to stand on its own because it's currently reported that “Somaliland’s GDP for 2012 is estimated to have been $1.4 billion (current US$ prices)[1], with GDP per capita estimated at $347” making Somaliland the fourth poorest country in the world. And today, because of global warming, hundreds of people are dying due to famine. With Somaliland’s current situation, the separation of the two countries would even hurt the civilians more with the government’s full attention on building the country’s reputation instead of helping the civilians. Both Clare and Somaliland are ignorant towards the negative influences that they have on their own people and care more about receiving recognition and attention.

        “Passing” leads to desired happiness for a short period of time, and its temptation would always end up in a tragic. The truth may not be so fast, but sooner or later, it always catches up. When the truth catches up with Clare, it kills her and leaves her lying down on the floor. It’s not too late for Somaliland. If Somaliland gains recognition, the disputes between Somalia and Somaliland could only get worse. Somaliland isn’t in a position to start a civil war with Somalia because its economy isn’t stable enough to outlast any war.

        Passing for someone else for desires blindsides people from the truth and what really matters in life. It creates a distance between them and eventually leads them to a tragic place that they can’t come back. Let us unite!! SOMALIA...."Let's Help Each Other"