Response to "The New Colossus"

The humbling diction of Emma Lazarus in her poem, "The New Colossus," underscores the symbol of freedom and safety the United States was believed to be. Unlike the "brazier giant of Greek fame" the Statue of Liberty stands firm, not as a deterrent, but as a figure which "glows world-wide welcome." "Her mild eyes command" the  "ancient lands" keep their rich and prosperous, while sending her their "tired, [their] poor, [their] huddled masses." The United States is a country of immigrants, exiles, and "huddled masses yearning to breathe free. She wishes to be sent these "huddles masses yearning to breathe free" and provide shelter to them. Always standing beside the "golden gate," she is a beacon of hope to all those who pass under her torch. 

Angry Monkeys!

Back in the 1960's (when scientists were allowed to do all kinds of crazy things), behavioral scientists conducted an experiment where they placed five monkeys in a room with a stepladder and a bunch of bananas hanging from the ceiling. The monkeys quickly figured out they could climb the ladder and eat the bananas, but every time the monkeys got near the stepladder, the scientists would douse the entire room with ice cold water. You can guess what that generated: angry monkeys. Soon, none of the monkeys would go near the ladder.

Then, the scientists replaced one of the monkeys with a new monkey, who had not been subject to the blasts of water. The first thing he did was make a beeline for the ladder, and all the other monkeys beat him up. He didn't know why they were beating him up, but he quickly learned one thing: no going near the ladder. Gradually, the scientists replaced the original monkeys with new monkeys until they had a group of monkeys who had never been doused with cold water, yet they would still attack any monkey that approached the ladder without knowing why.

My point? Its too bad we can't vote in an entirely new Congress, huh? ( =


Monkey story courtesy of The Productive Programmer by Neal Ford.  

Jimmy Blevins > Chuck Norris

Up to page 59 of the novel, or down to 243 pages for those of you who count that way. I have to admit, I am thoroughly enjoying reading this novel. I find myself saying, "Okay just read 15 pages and then you can do something else;" however I always seem to read all the way through the assignment, and sometimes further. Anyway, the story has progressed and the boys, along with their newfound companion, are trekking into Mexico. The dialogue (apparently spelled dialog in American English?) is becoming easier to follow as I read more carefully. I also think it is interesting how McCarthy tells this story through a young boy's perspective, not an adult. The idea of a group of young teenagers travelling into Mexico truly backs the strength of the American West. One last little thing I noticed while reading the novel is a line on page 34. (For Your Convenience) "The Mexican shook his head and spat. I never been to Mexico in my life." If this "Mexican" is living in America and has never been in Mexico wouldn't he be called an American? Or a Mexican-American? I guess racial profiling is evident in the West as well. (Yes these are the things I take note of when I read.)     

Matt Damon plays John Grady Cole?

I just finished (yes on Sunday night) the first 30 pages of All the Pretty Horses. Cormac McCarthy has definitely succeeded in confusing me, at least to the point of making me read every other passage twice. The sentences just flow together, as it always seems like the novel goes from describing the color of the sky to the smell of the candles…all within the same punctuation mark. Also, when the dialogue, or McCarthy’s version of dialogue, gets going it can get difficult to tell which character is actually saying the lines. The identifiers are few and far between and the somewhat excessive use of pronouns leads me to frustration. So far, however, the description of the country setting has been thoughtful. And the protagonist, John Grady Cole, has been characterized deeply and colorfully. Despite the long and sometimes confusing passages and truncated dialogue between characters, the novel has been an easy read thus far. (If the mark was 150 words I hit it before this afterthought.)