LIt Circle

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a book about life in a New York mental ward and the struggles involved in defeating the tyrannical Big Nurse and fighting for freedom. The story is told in the point of view of Bromden, known as Chief by the other patients- a half Indian man who pretends he is deaf and mute in order to escape conflict. When Randle McMurphy comes to the ward, everything is flipped upside down. McMurphy challenges the norms and unfair rules, sparking a whole new revolution in the ward.
So far, I am really enjoying this book. The writing style is very good, and I really enjoy the plot itself. It's intriguing and eye opening- it really puts into perspective life in a mental ward, especially in the 1960's, when the story is set. All of the characters have great dynamics, and the character development in key characters like Bromden and McMurphy is phenomenal- we watch Bromden, a scared husk of a man, grow into a strong person. McMurphy does almost the opposite, we see his confidence wither while he lives in the ward. One great thing about this book is that it isn’t just an easy read- while the language is fairly simple, it requires a lot of thought to process. It is filled with flashbacks that tie into the main plot, and I personally think this book has changed me. I never really thought about issues like the ones present in the book (treatment of mental patients, cruelty in hospitals etc) and now that I’ve read it, I feel like I am a lot more aware. This book is really good, and I would definitely recommend it to anybody looking for a good book thats get's you thinking.

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I think that the use of Native Americans as a team mascot shouldn't be allowed for sports teams. It is not only incredibly racist, but it objectifies a whole nationality and tries to justify demeaning them. I don't understand how it is acceptable to have Native Americans as a mascot, but not other races. If this was done with a mascot of black or asian decent, it would be a national contraversy. Instead, it is cheered on and loved nationwide. A big arguement against it is that the use of Indians is "a compliment to their speed and genius at being warriors." This, however, is nothing more than a stereotype being enforced. It is demoralizing to Indian tribes for their names to be used as a sports logo or tradition, and I think it shouldn't be allowed.

GG vs ARITS

There are many parallels and differences between the American Dreams of both the Great Gatsby and A Raisin in the Sun. Both strongly connect to the American Dream, but in different ways.

Both A Raisin in the Sun and The Great Gatsby have to do with money- whether it be gaining an inordinate amount or just enough to get by. In A Raisin in the Sun, the family’s main concern is having enough money to get by, and to escape the poverty that they live in. This is different in The Great Gatsby- the book is centered on gleaning excess money, and becoming wealthy. Even the poorest characters in The Great Gatsby have a substantial amount of money and are able to buy more than what they need, which is very different from A Raisin in the Sun. They are similar, however, in the fact that both focus on raising social status through monetary gains. This is shown when Gatsby tried to become rich just so he could climb up the social ladder- class differences prevented him from doing almost anything he wanted to do, namely marrying Daisy. 

One difference between the American Dream in the two books is that the Dream in the Great Gatsby focuses on love as well, while A Raisin in the Sun does not have that strong of an emphasis. Gatsby’s dream was to be rich, yes, but he only wanted all of his money and power so he could attract and be with the one he loved. Love is what keeps Gatsby going, not the money that he worked so hard to gain. This is seen somewhat in A Raisin in the Sun, but not as much. While Beneatha did have a love interest, her goals were primarily educational and monetary, unlike Gatsby. 

Education is another part of the American Dream that is different between the two books. In A Raisin in the Sun, Beneatha’s primary goal is to get educated and go to school to become a doctor. She is less focused on money, other than the amount it will take to improve her knowledge and education. All that Beneatha wants is to become a smarter and educated person, and to help people when they need medical attention. She takes the steps to achieve this goal when she says that she wants to move to Africa to be a doctor. Education is not as prominent of a theme in the Great Gatsby, while it does show up. An example of this is when it is noted that Gatsby’s books are real, rather than cardboard imitations. While none of the characters value education over money and social status, education is key to getting where they want to be. All of the characters in the Great Gatsby are shown to have gone to college- with huge emphasis on Gatsby being “an Oxford man.” While in A Raisin in the Sun education is seen as being a goal in order to overcome obstacles, in the Great Gatsby it is just for looks.

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American Dream Conclusion

In this project, I investigated Lincoln Park's "American Dream". When I started this assignment, I believed that the major American Dreams that I would encounter would be money, education, and family oriented. The results I got were about the same, with a few additions and subtractions. Education seemed to be the strongest(or at least most widely wanted/accepted) dream. Every person I interviewed mentioned that a good education was central and more important than almost anything else, with family being the exception. The people I interviewed were all in different age ranges, so I learned that education is an across the board goal- no matter the age, knowledge was key. I did not see as much emphasis on money as I expected to see. Freedom was one thing that was brought up by the college student I interviewed, and I think freedom also plays a part in every other American Dream. The freedom to go to school and learn enabled the education dream, and also influenced family.


The visions of the American Dream I saw when I talked to my interviewees closely mirrors my own. My view is that the American Dream is having the ability to be educated and use that to advance not only yourself, but others around you. The view of the American Dream I saw all mention others- it shows that even if you are wealthy and successful, it means nothing if it cannot be shared. This is seen in all of the books we have read in class- that true happiness requires somebody else to experience it with you.

Lincoln Park

Demography-
The racial and economic demography of Lincoln Park is as following
Population- ~70,000
Most Common Ancestry- Irish, Polish, German, English, Italian
Median Family Income- 78,000$
Percent High School Graduation- 79%
Percent Bachelors Degree- 60%

Interviewees-
I am going to interview 3 people- my mother, my family friend who immigrated from Montenegro, and my old babysitter from St. Petersburg.

Lincoln Park's American Dream-
I think that the American Dream in my neighborhood is going to be good education for children, a steady income, and enough money to pay for everything comfortably. I think that education will be an especially big factor, as there are a disproportionate number of schools in Lincoln Park and a good education is very highly valued

The American Dream

            An example of the “American Dream” is shown in this article discussing President Obama’s plans to try to legalize same-sex marriages. The article explains that while in the past marriage rules and laws have belonged to the individual states, President Obama has been encouraging and talking about making it a national law, not just within the 50 states. This article represents part of the American Dream because it shows one of the things that America has prided itself upon ever since it was created- freedom. For many, the ideal life is wholly PECUNIARY, focused on obtaining as much money as possible, but the real American Dream is to be free in all ways, which is why the legalization of same sex couples is INCUMBENT. By legalizing gay marriage, this country would be demonstrating it’s difference from many other countries, the fact that America is meant to let people practice whatever they want and be free to have their own opinions and ideas. The American Dream is that a person can be anything they want, without the government trying to change or stifle them, and the article showing that gay marriage is likely to be legalized around the country exemplifies this perfectly. America as a country is fiercely independent and very proud of the fact that there is nothing to hold freedom back. This legalization would let America’s true freedom shine through-by allowing same-sex couples to legally marry, the American Dream of freedom for everybody would be complete.

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Favorite Movie Villain

My favorite movie villain is Mother Gothel from the Disney movie Tangled, a take on the classic tale of Rapunzel. Mother Gothel is first seen at the very start of the movie, where she is depicted as an old and greedy woman desperate to reclaim her youth. When she learns that the infant Rapunzel possesses the power to grant her wish, she kidnaps her in the dead of night and locks her in a tower. Mother Gothel is shown to be vain and cunning, and it is made obvious that she has no feelings for the child she raised. She is presented to the audience as ruthless and coldhearted, but Rapunzel, who has no knowledge of anything but the treatment Mother Gothel gave her, viewed her as a loving yet overprotective mother. Mother Gothel is the epitome of a classic villain, using deception in order to get what she wants, knowing that she is hurting somebody who loves her. She is so villainous to the viewers because she feeds off of the basic human need for love and fear of betrayal, and warps it without question. She is willing to kill somebody who loves her, and this is a more exaggerated symbolism for what people are scared of- giving their heart and soul to a person, only to be tossed away like they are meant nothing. The only thing that motivates Mother Gothel’s intentions is greed and vanity, and her actions hit home because of her similarities to other betrayers and liars in the viewer’s life.

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