#IBTHEBOSS

Now that you have finished your first official year of IB, reflect back on what you have learned; not only academically but as a person as well. What is your favorite part of IB? Your least favorite? How do feel the program is making you a better person and preparing you for the future? Your thoughts.

"We veneer civilization by doing unkind things in a kind way."-George Bernard Shaw

Another theme of Titus Andronicus is the idea of civilization vs. barbarism. The Romans see themselves as civilized while viewing the Goths and everyone else as barbarians. In modern times, we too, consider ourselves to be civilized. Are we? What does being civilized really mean? How can a society define itself as civilized? And, if  we are living in a civilized society, what constitutes a barbaric one?

"I am the punishment of God...If you had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you."-Genghis Khan

Titus Andronicus is Shakespeare's most bloodiest and misunderstood plays. It is a story of revenge. Everyone seeks revenge against everyone else. Is revenge ever justified? Why are we so obsessed with revenge stories? What does that say about ourselves? Our culture? Explain.

The Stranger

In class, we haven't really discussed the title of Camus' work. Why do you think he chose to title his novel The Stranger? What is the meaning behind it? Who is The Stranger and why might he be considered as such? Think "big picture" on this one before you answer.

"Nobody realizes that some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal." -Albert Camus

 

In Part II of Camu's The Stranger, Meursault is put on trial as much for the murder of the Arab as he is for his deviation from the standard norms of society. His behaviors go against what many believe is standard societal "normalcy". Our whole lives, we are told mixed messages. On one hand, we are told to stand on our own two feet, to be our own person, and not to care what everyone else thinks of us. On the other hand, those that are brave enough to stand out from the crowd and truly not conform to society are treated as outcasts, ridiculed and sometimes this persecution has dire consequences. What does it mean to be "normal"? Who gets to decide? What effect do these mixed messages have on the individual? On society? Think about this and explain your thoughts.

"Apathy is the glove into which evil slips its hand"

One of Meursault's most predominant character traits is  his apathy. He doesn't really care about anything or anybody. He is indiffent to Marie when she expresses her desire to marry and has no qualms about participating in the heinous plot to get revenge on Raymond's girlfrend. He doesn't even seem to care about the death of his own mother. It has been said the the opposite of good is not evil, but apathy. Do you agree with this statement? Is not caring really worse than evil? Use examples from real life as well as the novel to support your point of view. 

"We must cultitvate our gardens"

The last words of Candide are him stating: "We must cultivate our gardens". What is Candide's meaning behind his statement? What does the garden symbolize? How might you apply Candide's philosophy to your own life?

All is fair...or is it?

In Candide, Votaire makes fun of everybody and everything. Nothing is sacred. Today, we also feel free to make fun of everyone and everything. However, can satire go too far? Satire was originally used to bring about social change. Now, it is more about entertainment. Satire is supposed to make people uncomfortable sometimes, but does our modern satire (or even Candide's) cross the line? Do we not mind laughing at others but don't like people laughing at us? Or is all fair in this day and age? Please comment.

The Best of all possible worlds...

Pangloss has the ability to justify anything. We have noses to wear spectacles. Pants exist so we must have legs. If we didn't  have syphilis in Europe, we wouldn't have chocolate either. To him, the world is a simple relation of cause and effect and it all happens because that is how God created the world. Is everything really that simple? Is our world and the universe based on the simple laws of cause and effect? What about free will? How much control do humans really have over our lives? Or, is everything already planned out for us and we are just acting as it was ordained? Please discuss.

You can't make up anything anymore. The world itself is a satire. All you're doing is recording it.

Candide was so revolutionary for its time as Voltaire was brave enough to poke fun at absolutely everything-artistocracy, religion, the military, sex, relationships, education; pretty much everything. Satire used to be used to call attention to social wrongs, and bring about change. Do we still use satire in this way today? What subjects are the object of satire in the 21st century? Does our modern satire serve a greater purpose? Comment.

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction...

Post-Modernism was a reaction and a rejection of all of the movements and ideas that came before. The play we are about  to read, Hernani, is a Romantic play. Romanticism was a reaction and rejection of the rigid ideals of Classicism. It seems, especially in the last 100 years or so, that everything is a reaction and rejection of something else. No one is satisfied. Everyone pushes boundaries. Is this a good thing? Should everything be challenged and tested? Should all aspects of life be constantly evolving? Or is there ever a time when things should just "stand still"? Your thoughts....

A Chronicle of A Chronicle of a Death Foretold

Now that we have come to the end of Marquez's convoluted tale that is A Chronicle of A Death Foretold, what is your opinion of the novel? What have you learned from it? Has it challenged you in any way? Do you feel it has improved your reading/analysis ability? How will you take what you have learned from this novel and apply it to other works you will read? Feel free to comment on any aspect of the novel you choose and don't be afraid to make your opinions known.

There was never a death more foretold...

By the end of Marquez' Chronicle of a Death Foretold, we realize everyone knew about the murder plot of Santiago Nasar and did nothing to stop it. During the murder, no one lifted a finger to stop it or help out Santiago. Why? What does it say about the town, the people in it and Santiago himself that no one stopped his brutal murder? What commentary about society in general was Marquez trying to make?

We dance round in a ring and suppose, While the secret sits in the middle and knows”-Robert Frost

All throughout Marquez's Chronicle of a Death Foretold, secrets abound. The catalytic moment of the novel, the death of Santiago Nasar, is caused by Angela Vicario allegedly revealing the secret identity of the man who took her virginity. However, this information was never, ever confirmed. Everyone in the novel possesses secrets; some minor and silly others extremely important that have far reaching effects on the people and actions of the novel. Can secrets still do damage if no one knows them? Do secrets always come out eventually? Talk about how secrets affect the people and the action in the novel, but also discuss whether secrets even exist in our modern world.

"...trying to put the broken mirror of memory back together from so many scattered shards..."

The narrator of A Chronicle of A Death Foretold returns to the scene of Santiago Nasar's murder many years later to piece together clues. The villagers rely on their memories of the day's tragic events and of the many himself. What happens to memories as we age? Are memories ever reliable? How might memories distort reality, much like a mirror would do? Use examples from real life as well as from the novel.

CAS...Helping others...Helping yourself...

I know many of you are worrying about the CAS component of your IB diploma. I know it seems that more and more responsibilities are being heaped on your plate. Between homework, jobs and sports; when is there any more time to give? It is believed that performing community service and helping others helps build character and makes you a better person. Do you agree with this? Do you think giving time and helping those in need builds character? If you are helping people because you have to and not because you want to generates the same effects? What do you hope to get out of the CAS portion of your IB experience?