I am not Muslim?

Military praying

It was just my aunt, uncle, and I in the house. There were four of us, until my cousin Syed, left for service about 6months or so ago. Then recently we heard, him having to go to the Middle East to support or resupply Israel. This will take a toll on him I am sure, these supplies are going into be used against fellow Muslims. In this religion we are all known as brothers and sisters. But no one knows that he is Muslim. He was not allowed to put that down as his identity. They should do something soon about that, I wonder how many Muslims there are over there right now in hiding or their identity.

Life (resp6)

The rain was pouring and seemed that there was no end in sight. We were being hit by all sorts of firearms from all sides, we were about to surrender though. Us Americans would surrender and allowed to live. The most enduring for me as one of the older Colonels was to see all the young dead faces around in the dirt. We had surrender to save our lives for what little time left that we had. Maybe on the train right to the prisoners’ camp we would be able to write our goodbye letters and any special last words to our families to leave with some special character that would survive this. The train ride was excruciating pain with disgusting smells hitting you all at once, some of green, molded food, mixed with the excrements and the smell of blood that was like paint on the train floors. Being a school teacher this would compare to seeing a child not being able to read at the age of high school. Where will this train lead us…

“I don’t know if I can handle dad anymore” said Barbara, “it is just too stressful and I really have to worry about other things.” “Don’t say that,” Robert said, “dad has been there for us through everything.” All the recent articles and problems with the office were causing Barbra a bit of stress that she just couldn’t handle. She could not deal with the office and running her house. The thought of losing her dad though was just too much to handle. He just seemed so calm about life like he knew everything he wanted to and was satisfied. The husband was not so happy about the little attention that he was getting and Billy was becoming a problem to handle, but he knew he was all that was left for Barbara. Robert could be lost at any moment out where he was being a Green Beret and all. So how am I supposed to deal with this now…

I am pregnant and all alone here. In this little glass case where everyone can just have all the looks they want at me. Every movement I do, I just wish I had someone to talk to other than this man. I use to be so famous not a person that would settle down and have a kid. Living the life of any star, all the clothes, jewelry, and men I wanted. Now look where I am, feeling so old and so big! I am accustomed to being watched naked but not big and naked; I don’t even feel like myself. I still have more time before I need to have a kid; I am too young for these responsibilities. I don’t even know this man, he is sincere and kind but what type of place is this to raise a child. We are like animals in a circus or some sort of science project being reared to be studied. The child will have no one to befriend, this environment is just not right. What will happen now…

Slaughter House Five

Use of the Latrine

The words used in Slaughter House Five at times seemed so calm for the events that was being described. The most shocking to me was the run on of “So it goes.” There was no pause to acknowledge death just keep going with life. The idea of that people do not die but will exist in the past, present and future according to the Tramalfadorians was interesting. It seemed like the Earthlings worry about everything especially death when there was no such thing to the Tramalfadorians. Especially the death noted in the book of the young, the babies. I feel like Vonnegut was trying to get the issue of fear of not being able to live a full life because of this war. That many people were dying and wouldn’t be able to experience life. For example while in the Dresdon camp the school teacher is talking with a British soldier and notes that they are about similar ages and both have maturity and experience, both things that the young soldiers lack. Vonnegut also uses repetition to make a scene more clearly for example each time he describes Billy’s walk he states its bobbing “up and down, up and down” this makes the scene more imaginable to me. Also in many of the scenes images or pieces of belongs relate back to other scenes for example with the division of line between British and American something Billy noted he already was accustomed to from childhood. Another is the locket that Montana wore that had the inscription of the same words that Billy hung in his office. The image of the British using latrines also stuck out to me a lot. Just because in the movie of Slumdog Millionaire that was probably the funniest/ grossest scene to me, so I could just imagine the shock and amazement the British must have been at looking at the Americans.

America

On Sunday night 60 minutes discussion had a topic about Pakistan and the American ties. I don’t know that much of American History in relations with the Cold War just because my knowledge came from a high school teacher that was a coach for some sport. Also I only moved to America in 1999. So watching the 60 minutes report one of a rebel leader in the Pakistani society called the current President a “puppet” placed by the Americans and acting in their care. This made me quiet interested and wanting to learn more about the relations. Then later reading for Monday’s class I learned that relations first began during the Cold war. Where Pakistan wanted went for the support of America who gave their military funding and support of a select few the Punjabi elite. This struggle up to today is still going on because on 60 minutes stated that many people think the Punjabs are only working in favor of the Americans and are not concerned about its local citizens.

While I was growing up, in a third world country myself, not only until these readings did I realize that term came because of comparisons with the superpowers, was a struggle. In my country was stressed with political turmoil that ravaged the country. Every day was filled with uncertainty. I specifically remember thinking everyday in school “is my mom coming to pick me up early because it’s unsafe to be away from home.” So reading about Thailand’s uncertainty and the Pakistani area where the Punjabi elite were getting richer through American support I can imagine a life of the “common citizen.” I have witnessed firsthand how money flows to the richer in a 3^rd world country while the poor in a 3^rd world democratic nation gets hungrier.

Then reading Ginsberg readings, my favorite was Sunflower Sutra. For some reason I can picture that “pure” sunflower growing amidst all the disgust and soot of the streets. Having lived in NYC, where condoms and razor sharp artifacts can be seen. Then Ginsberg notes that “we’re all golden sunflowers inside…growing into mad black formal sunflowers, spied on by our eyes under the shadow of the mad locomotive riverbank…” When I read this and the other part that sunflowers will be sunflowers and locomotive locomotive. I thought about how we are influenced by these conventional/unconventional ways of life but we are who we are, with our own minds to make judgments, but we can’t intertwine the two. For example sunflowers can’t grow in the city life because it will die. Just like maybe conventional thought will never survive in an unconventional apartment and vice-versa.

Myths

I think from Monday’s discussions and from what I read in the alligator is all tying together in my head. Before I would always see things very one dimensional when it comes to readings. In the alligator Professor Denslow was commenting on the economy and what type of degree would be prosperous. He then goes on to say that degrees that enhance “critical thinking” are important rather than easy simple degrees. That is what was discussed on the first day of class that is the main theme behind this class. I guess critical thinking was always very hard for me to do. Then on Monday it all made sense with reading the Cold War. Looking at the Truman Doctrine and seeing what the myth/ general consensus was. America is a strong believer is sovereignty but would suppress sovereignty in other states. This is still happening today and a lot of Americans feel this is the correct thing to do. For example with the Middle East crises America is going into Iraq and trying to impose a governmental system that they are not accustomed to. One poem that really seemed interesting was Bishop’s Questions of Travel. In one line she states “…we are determined to rush to see the sun the other way around?” This is clearly scientific thought to analyze every situation, and not just look at an object from one side but multiple degrees. Another I believe that has deep myth is her verse “we dream our dreams and have them, too?” When I read this phrase what came to mind was that the consensus of Americans is generally very materialistic, also that America epidemic is obesity. These all have to do with uncontrollable desire to have everything one “wants.”

Changes in America

During the mid 20th century American society was facing vast changes. From more women going into the work for prior to World War 2 to a large influx of immigrants post World War 2. American economy during the World War was said to be strong and booming unlike the rest of the nations in the war. Many women headed into the work force because men were off in the army. This was a major change to have women working because prior they were home makers. Also the large influx of immigrants brought new languages, religion and beliefs. Malamud’s Magic Barrel was a great depiction of Heraclitus “All is flux, nothing stays still.”

Leo Finkle a student pursuing becoming a rabbi is now living in “modern times” but seeking goals that are “old” and “outdated.” His goal of finding the “perfect” wife because being a family man would look better than being a bachelor for a rabbi. Leo Finkle turns to the papers and finds an ad for a Matchmaker. Through his searches Leo is unlucky; all the girls do not match his rather conservative “old order” view. One is too old and one too young. Lily though the older match, was a modern girl who worked and had her own car. After a failure date, Leo realizes that he cannot look for love if he feels “unloved and loveless” himself. Salzman the match maker then leaves him with a folder filled with other girls to choose from. The one that catches his eye is unique, uncommon to what his conservative views are. Salzman then tells Leo she is “an animal. Like a dog,” but he still pursues. The point that struck out that Leo thought about his life through his covers. Life is always changing and “in flux” and he sees it through covers where one can hide and not have to face the change. With Leo finding Stella that is his moment of change and breaking out of the “old order,” before Leo was considering leaving the Yeshiva yet was afraid of hurting his parents. He wanted to make them happy and live according to how a Jewish society would. Yet with change and a new post-war America things were different with him being that change of America as an immigrant.

I don’t think there is any other way of describing 20th and 21st century America other than “moments of flux.” It is in history books, pop culture, and family that stresses how much each generation is different. History books state new technologies that were impacting our society, such as the atomic bomb described by McMahon. America thought they had the secret yet during the meeting another atomic bomb was being built. This just shows how fast the “flux” was occurring that no one person could keep on top. The Cold War period was a fight to be the top, with space races that showed technology changing at the blink of an eye. America was moving away from being an institution of “In God we trust,” but taking lives and cities in their own hands with the Hiroshima Nagasaki, in their dream to end the war quickly.

Cold War

Reading the Introduction to the Cold War really gave me insight to a lot of information on the Cold War. I was not aware of many of the effects or events during the Cold war. A lot of my information about some of the effects of the war came from the news when during 9/11 when American security was jeopardized. In the book also states that Americans for the first time felt insecure also at that time of the World War two and the Japanese bombing at Pearl Harbor. Another point in the book that struck me was with Stalin. I read Animal Farm and after reading about Stalin in this book it made me think of the horse that was killed and the pigs.

I could not get any of my prior information about the Cold war from family because we did not live in America during that time. My family only moved to America in 1999 many years after. My first experience with that war was probably in high school world history. It did not strike me as important only till after 9/11 happened and the blame was because of American actions during the Cold war. So I started reading the book looking for America as the “bad guy” but instead they were the “protectors.” It wasn’t until Courtney pointed out to me from her knowledge of the Cold War that Americans were somehow stabbed in the back from the Middle East.