My sister´s keeper
Worldwide, crime rates are increasing drastically. Statistics from all over the world show that in the last few years, neither the security forces nor the judicial systems have been able to put this sin to an end. Prevention programs have been launched worldwide in order to combat and, ultimately, bring the statistics to smaller numbers. Unfortunately, the pace of the offences, felonies, murders, etc. is too fast and seems to be unstoppable. Furthermore, with criminal rates getting higher and higher, new and more controversial kinds of crime arise.
Normally, the victim of a crime is not the one to be blamed for the crime he is already the victim of. However, in the case of Davida, the main character in “My sister´s keeper”, her choices lead her to death due to two main reasons: her sexuality and her political ambitions.
Being a lesbian may be a challenge, but for some it may also be a burden. As a child, Davida loses her sister to a muscle tumour and her mother puts on her every expectation a mother has: she wants Davida to become somebody’s wife, a housewife, somebody’s mother, she wants grandchildren to take care of and she makes it clear all the time, putting an enormous pressure on Davida. On growing up, Davida sets her mind completely opposed to her mother demands: she is rebellious, a prominent politician and a lesbian. Therefore, Davida lets her mother down by choosing a sexual orientation that will never provide a marriage, a family or grandchildren. Furthermore, her mother is part of an elite social class that upholds traditional values. The most important one is heterosexual orientation to provide procreation, with the objective of keeping the family name as part of that elite. Due to this, her mother is disappointed at Davida, as the family will not remain belonging; and she is also ashamed in front of her friends, who she considers the hardest judges of moral values. Working as a representative, her sexuality becomes a weak point for the opposing political party to attack her. In addition, every bill she wants to pass involves female researchers, bringing along suspicion about the researchers´ objectivity regarding the investigations. Furthermore, she falls in love with Minette, who is an alcoholic. As Davida keeps male acquaintances from old times and keeps male friends for her days at school and college, Minette develops a disturbing jealousy which, together with her alcohol addiction, becomes a constant and threatening annoyance in Davida´s life. Not only does Minette drive her crazy with her phone calls at any time during the whole day and with a terrible high frequency, but also she becomes an unbalanced, unstable person showing up in Davida´s office at any time, careless of possible meetings or conferences, causing scandals in front of every one there and threatening Davida´s life: if she didn’t stop working so much, death would come for one of them.
Be careful what you wish for, preys a popular saying. Nothing could be further from the truth to Davida´s faith. As she leaves college, she finds her true vocation in the political arena. Working first as an assistant to the mayor; then, as an assistant to a member of the state assembly, it gives Davida the chance to trigger her political career and she proposes herself to be a representative of her constituency. She wins the elections and, due to this, she faces the responsibility to fulfil her voters´ needs and to see her political campaign promises accomplished. Her stem-cell bill is her most appreciated project, an asset to her political career. At the moment of her sister´s death, the only possible cure for the tumour is a donation of blood to use the stem cells and heal the sick cells. But the scientific community is not interested at that time and has no fundings to do research in the matter. When Davida wins her chair at the assembly of her state, she decides to propose a bill for stem cell research with federal fundings. Previously, everything that the government has done has been to create an institute, give it the name of State Stem Cell Institute, create the Board of Directors and issue a mission statement. Now, Davida wants them to take action, to put everything they have to work and she invests all her time and effort in seeing her dream come true: help people dying from muscle cancer using stem cells to recover and strengthen their own cells and fight the sick ones. But this is also, her sentence. Because of this, she receives anonymous letters threatening her, very much like the ones seen on movies: with letters cut out from papers and blood-wanting messages. She is egged outside a courthouse after defending her bill project with all her heart. She is the victim of aggressions led by pro-God’s work activists, who want to see her bill vetoed. Also, her sexuality interferes with her political ambitions, as neither the Congress nor the White House will ever accept a lesbian among their congressmen.
It is often said that people can not always get what they want. That has certainly been the case of Davida. In her search for happiness by fulfilling her ambitions, she finds struggle, confrontation and conflict. In her closest companions in life and in people she has not even met, there is resistance, there is oppression. In her search to redeem herself for the loss of her sister and the disappointment of her mother, there is disillusion, regret, sorrow. Her love for another woman is a constant struggle, has it has been said before. Her will to persevere in her political career turns her work into an endless war. In conclusion, everything she wants leads her to destruction, and in the end, to her own death.
Laguía, Ma. Eugenia
Bibliography
Kellerman, J & F, “Capital Crimes”, Ballantine Books.
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, 2003 Edition.
domingo, 14 de junio de 2009
My poems
Multi- Genre Self Portrait Anthology
List poem.
Ten things found in a grandma´s pocket.
- a dirty old hanky
- a rotten cookie
- a sharp pin
- a thousand-time-told bed time story
- a tiny little china toy
- a woollen cardigan
- a long knitting needle
- a hot cocoa
- a powerful hug
- a huge tender kiss.
Image Poem
Invitation
Colours in the ceiling,
Colours on the floor,
Colours dancing
On my open front door.
Red and green balloons,
Blue plates,
White glasses,
Red clown noses,
Bright photo flashes.
Colours in the ceiling,
Bright sparkles on my cake,
Colours everywhere
For my friends to play.
I am from…..
I am from the land of hope.
I am daughter of a treasured dream.
I believe in passion and motivation.
I dream of wishes and willingness.
I am from the land of hopes.
List poem.
Ten things found in a grandma´s pocket.
- a dirty old hanky
- a rotten cookie
- a sharp pin
- a thousand-time-told bed time story
- a tiny little china toy
- a woollen cardigan
- a long knitting needle
- a hot cocoa
- a powerful hug
- a huge tender kiss.
Image Poem
Invitation
Colours in the ceiling,
Colours on the floor,
Colours dancing
On my open front door.
Red and green balloons,
Blue plates,
White glasses,
Red clown noses,
Bright photo flashes.
Colours in the ceiling,
Bright sparkles on my cake,
Colours everywhere
For my friends to play.
I am from…..
I am from the land of hope.
I am daughter of a treasured dream.
I believe in passion and motivation.
I dream of wishes and willingness.
I am from the land of hopes.
domingo, 10 de mayo de 2009
The Curse - The Water element.
When reading "The Curse", one can´t help noticing the water element in it. A river, standing by a city for centuries, flooding it, covering everything but then, retreating.
The sort of love story between London, or even England and water dates back to imperial times. The ruler of the sea, the queen of the oceans was, at all times, England. London would be the operations center, the communion between the source of power: a wealthy nation and its
means to conquer: the waters.Pirates, captains, sailors, they all reached London thanks to its waters, and London welcomed them just as she welcomed the waters. There were risks, as there will always be. The threats of floodings, water contamination, deseases, they are all there still.
But then , why the importance of this bound even now? or in the future?
Because, for ever, man has tried to dominate water. Although it is a source of life (man can not live without it), it can kill and it can destroy. Its powerful force has made a walled city out of London, it has buried cities as New Orleans was after the floodings of Kathrina and it has paralised life as the 2005 Indonesia tsunami did.
Not only London, but also all England is surrounded by water. Even when it was what made them rich and famous, it is still what makes them stay in a constant state of warning. Water was there when London was born, it will be there when London is gone.
In this love story, the two lovers dance together holding hands, but when the near is close, they are both waiting for the other to give in.
The sort of love story between London, or even England and water dates back to imperial times. The ruler of the sea, the queen of the oceans was, at all times, England. London would be the operations center, the communion between the source of power: a wealthy nation and its
means to conquer: the waters.Pirates, captains, sailors, they all reached London thanks to its waters, and London welcomed them just as she welcomed the waters. There were risks, as there will always be. The threats of floodings, water contamination, deseases, they are all there still.
But then , why the importance of this bound even now? or in the future?
Because, for ever, man has tried to dominate water. Although it is a source of life (man can not live without it), it can kill and it can destroy. Its powerful force has made a walled city out of London, it has buried cities as New Orleans was after the floodings of Kathrina and it has paralised life as the 2005 Indonesia tsunami did.
Not only London, but also all England is surrounded by water. Even when it was what made them rich and famous, it is still what makes them stay in a constant state of warning. Water was there when London was born, it will be there when London is gone.
In this love story, the two lovers dance together holding hands, but when the near is close, they are both waiting for the other to give in.
sábado, 9 de mayo de 2009
My sister´s keeper - my paper - 1 draft
My sister´s keeper
Worldwide, crime rates are increasing drastically. Unfortunately, its pace is too fast and seems unstoppable. With criminal rates getting higher and higher, new and more controversial kinds of crime arise.
Normally, the victim of a crime is not the one to be blamed for the crime he is already the victim of. However, in the case of Davida, the main character in “ My sister´s keeper”, I consider that her choices led her to death due to two main reasons: her sexuality and her political ambitions.
Being a lesbian may be a challenge, but for some it may also be a burden. Being an only child, Davida lets her mother down by choosing a sexual orientation that will never provide a marriage, a family or grandchildren. Furthermore, her mother is part of an elite social class that upholds traditional values. The most important one is heterosexual orientation to provide procreation, with the objective of keeping the family name as part of that elite. Due to this, her mother is disappointed at Davida, as the family will not remain belonging; and she is also ashamed in front of her friends, who she considers the hardest judges of moral values. Working as a representative, her sexuality becomes a weak point for the opposing political party to attack her. In addition, every bill she wants to pass involves female researchers, bringing along suspicion about the researchers´ objectivity regarding the investigations.
Be careful what you wish for, preys a popular saying. Nothing could be further from the truth to Davida´s faith. As a member of a political party, as an elected representative of the people, she faces the responsibility to fulfil her voters´ needs and to see her political campaign promises accomplished. Her stem-cell bill is her most appreciated project, an asset to her political career. But it is also, her sentence. She receives anonymous letters threatening her, very much like the ones seen on movies: with letters cut out from papers and blood-wanting messages. She is egged outside a courthouse after defending her bill project with all her heart. She is the victim of aggressions led by pro-God´s work activists, who want to see her bill vetoed. Also, her sexuality interferes with her political ambitions, as neither the Congress nor the White House will ever accept a lesbian among their congressmen.
It is often said that people can not always get what they want. That has been the case of Davida. In her search for happiness by fulfilling her ambitions, she finds struggle, confrontation and conflict. In he closest companions in life and in people she has not even met, there is resistance, there is oppression. Her love for another woman is a constant struggle, has it has been said before. Her will to persevere in her political career turns her work into an endless war. In conclusion, everything she wants lead her to destruction, and in the end, to her own death.
Worldwide, crime rates are increasing drastically. Unfortunately, its pace is too fast and seems unstoppable. With criminal rates getting higher and higher, new and more controversial kinds of crime arise.
Normally, the victim of a crime is not the one to be blamed for the crime he is already the victim of. However, in the case of Davida, the main character in “ My sister´s keeper”, I consider that her choices led her to death due to two main reasons: her sexuality and her political ambitions.
Being a lesbian may be a challenge, but for some it may also be a burden. Being an only child, Davida lets her mother down by choosing a sexual orientation that will never provide a marriage, a family or grandchildren. Furthermore, her mother is part of an elite social class that upholds traditional values. The most important one is heterosexual orientation to provide procreation, with the objective of keeping the family name as part of that elite. Due to this, her mother is disappointed at Davida, as the family will not remain belonging; and she is also ashamed in front of her friends, who she considers the hardest judges of moral values. Working as a representative, her sexuality becomes a weak point for the opposing political party to attack her. In addition, every bill she wants to pass involves female researchers, bringing along suspicion about the researchers´ objectivity regarding the investigations.
Be careful what you wish for, preys a popular saying. Nothing could be further from the truth to Davida´s faith. As a member of a political party, as an elected representative of the people, she faces the responsibility to fulfil her voters´ needs and to see her political campaign promises accomplished. Her stem-cell bill is her most appreciated project, an asset to her political career. But it is also, her sentence. She receives anonymous letters threatening her, very much like the ones seen on movies: with letters cut out from papers and blood-wanting messages. She is egged outside a courthouse after defending her bill project with all her heart. She is the victim of aggressions led by pro-God´s work activists, who want to see her bill vetoed. Also, her sexuality interferes with her political ambitions, as neither the Congress nor the White House will ever accept a lesbian among their congressmen.
It is often said that people can not always get what they want. That has been the case of Davida. In her search for happiness by fulfilling her ambitions, she finds struggle, confrontation and conflict. In he closest companions in life and in people she has not even met, there is resistance, there is oppression. Her love for another woman is a constant struggle, has it has been said before. Her will to persevere in her political career turns her work into an endless war. In conclusion, everything she wants lead her to destruction, and in the end, to her own death.
miércoles, 29 de abril de 2009
Tales in the sand
There are tales told many tims. There are many children who listen to tales. There are many children who love tales, stories, short, long, true, false, about natura, about the universe, about fantastic worlds, about life.
In "Tales in the Sand", the most tender act between a young person and an old man is described: the art of telling a tale from the old to the young knowing that the tale will live forever, in the heart and mind of the young and the ones who come after him. The tale will always remain a tale, it will be told from old to young, as it was before and will be for years to come.
The tradition of passing stories, anecdotes, tales from the old ones to the young has been part of mankind since the beginning of times. In Ancient Greece and Rome, miths and legends were told to the youngest in the village to explain the ways of nature, the ways of man, to teach values. They were passed on from one to another, with little differences in details, but the plot remained the same. Indian tribes would organize bonfires and the children would sit around their chief, the oldest and wisest man in the tribe, and they would spend hours listening to stories. There were no books at the time, traditions were passed from generation to generation orally, being the oldest the one in charge of filling the minds and hearts of the children with teachings, experiences, but most of all tales about everuthing that surrounded them.
In modern times, the art of telling stories was fulfilled by grandparents when taking care of their grandchildren. Tales about the sky, God, Nature, fantastic heroes and animals, all were told patiently, gently, filling the air with so many details that children were taken into the world of tales without realizing they were not moving. This act created a bound so strong between grandpas and grandchildren that it was usually represented in literature, films, cartoons. Examples of this are "Lord of the Ring" (the story of the power of the ring is told by Frodo´s grandfather); "Heidi" (she learns everything from her grandpa); "Little Red Riding Hood" (the plot takes place at grandma´s house); "Land of Bears" (the grandma is the one the boys listen to, who they turn to).
In my personal experience, the greatest stories were told by my grandmother; she had books about myths, maps to explain the creation of the universe, stories about how she grew up, how she started working as a teacher in the countryside. She always said that the best stories were the ones you could keep in your mind, picturing the scenes inside you. My children always ask for tales. They love real life stories. And it is their grandpa the one who fills them with love, tenderness and tales.
miércoles, 22 de abril de 2009
My sister´s keeper - Capital Crimes (draft)
Worldwide, crime rates are increasing drastically. Unfortunately, its pace is too fast to keep up and it seems unstoppable. With criminal rates getting higher and higher, new and more controversial kinds of crime arise.
Normally, the victim of a crime is not to be blamed for the crime he or she is already the victim of. However, in the case of Davida, the main character in "My sister´s keeper", I consider that her choices led her to death due to two main reasons: her sexuality and her political ambitions.
Normally, the victim of a crime is not to be blamed for the crime he or she is already the victim of. However, in the case of Davida, the main character in "My sister´s keeper", I consider that her choices led her to death due to two main reasons: her sexuality and her political ambitions.
My all-time favourite songs....
This is a very long playlist, so I will just write the name of the song and the band-singer-etc. Most of them are old ones, I don´t know why I love music from old times. Maybe because I grew up with my ears stuck to the loudspeaker of my dad´s audiotape at home and I have never stopped listening to music. I listen to every kind of music, so you´ll see.
I hope you enjoy them as much as I do, and also I hope they trigger in you a love for music.
Before I forget, I agree with Pilar when she says that lyrics are also poetry, different, but literature all the same.
So here it goes...
Is it ok if I call you mine - Sondre Lerche
Bright eyes - Simon & Garfunkel
Somewhere over the rainbow - Jason Castro (American Idol, last season)
Mad world - Gary Jules
Some sails - Ten Sharp
Old love - Eric Clapton
Fragile - Sting
Dream a little dream - Michael Buble (this is the new "Frank Sinatra", great singer!)
Flor de Luna - Carlos Santana (spanish guitar)
Ahi estas tu - Chambao
Woman in love - Celine Dion & the BeeBeeGees
World in my eyes - Depeche Mode
In your room - Depeche Mode
Waiting in vain - Bob Marley
Redemption Song - Bob Marley
If I don´t believe in love - Dido
Romeo and juliet - The Killers
Save my face - KT Tunstall
Through glass -Stone Sour
Black - Pearl Jam
Tomorrow - Stereophonics
Fly me to the moon - Frank Sinatra
Amazing grace - Lee Ann Rime
One - Elton John
Apologize - One Republic
and the list goes on but it´s too long.I will learn how to post the audio and you will listen. It´s a promise!!
I hope you enjoy them as much as I do, and also I hope they trigger in you a love for music.
Before I forget, I agree with Pilar when she says that lyrics are also poetry, different, but literature all the same.
So here it goes...
Is it ok if I call you mine - Sondre Lerche
Bright eyes - Simon & Garfunkel
Somewhere over the rainbow - Jason Castro (American Idol, last season)
Mad world - Gary Jules
Some sails - Ten Sharp
Old love - Eric Clapton
Fragile - Sting
Dream a little dream - Michael Buble (this is the new "Frank Sinatra", great singer!)
Flor de Luna - Carlos Santana (spanish guitar)
Ahi estas tu - Chambao
Woman in love - Celine Dion & the BeeBeeGees
World in my eyes - Depeche Mode
In your room - Depeche Mode
Waiting in vain - Bob Marley
Redemption Song - Bob Marley
If I don´t believe in love - Dido
Romeo and juliet - The Killers
Save my face - KT Tunstall
Through glass -Stone Sour
Black - Pearl Jam
Tomorrow - Stereophonics
Fly me to the moon - Frank Sinatra
Amazing grace - Lee Ann Rime
One - Elton John
Apologize - One Republic
and the list goes on but it´s too long.I will learn how to post the audio and you will listen. It´s a promise!!
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