Language 4 Entry Nª 34
A song for this day
Early in the morning,
I wake up just to see the fog,
The fog, which takes me to London.
I can’t see anything,
Not even my thoughts,
My soul,
My soul, the fog,
I want to visit London.
Crossing the bridge
The river stream sends fog to the sky.
Don’ t open your eyes, just imagine
The fog, the smell, the smoke,
The black ashes falling down,
Falling down, like rain.
Open your eyes to see the fog,
Close your eyes, imagine the black rain.
Feel the pain in your skin,
The black darts are hurting you.
Hurting you, hurting me.
I don’t hate the fog,
I hate the black ashes.
Looking for my star,
In the sky, at night,
A dusty cloud pretending
to be the fog, but I know
the star is so far, so far
what a beautiful sight,
the stars, the ashes, the fog,
the dusty cloud, the nasty smog.
I am still alive.
sábado, 28 de julio de 2007
ENTRY 33- RESENTMENT FROM THE PAST
Language 4 Entry Nª 33
Resentment from the past.
Four years ago I went with two of my daughters, Eve and Mer, to Tafi del Valle. We went there to do some research for their final thesis of their last year to get the degree of Teachers of Traditional Dances. I went with them as a photographer.
Mer went there to investigate about ranchos made of mud as surviving testimonies of our argentine traditions, how were they built, where they got the wood, what kind of roof they preferred, how they called the corner of the roof and other things.
Eve was interested in the local weavers and she had just arranged a meeting with a well known traditional weaver living there, Mrs. Charo Tolaba.
When we arrived at the Bus station in Tafi, my daughters had to wait for the photographer to recover from the “puna”, it happened an hour later
. As we were near some ranchos and the museum was made of mud, wood and the roof was made of straw, we went there first to listen to some historical events. All the things we saw in the inside were very interesting for my daughters, but what I noticed in the guide’s voice was much more important for me, because it was a kind of thesis for myself. I had gone there not only as a photographer but to discover something interesting, that had nothing to do with ranchos or weavers. And I began to discover it. The guide said that the descendants of the aboriginals had been pressed by the governmental authorities to change their traditional “Pachamama celebration” which was originally held in August, to be celebrated in February for touristic reasons.
It was easier to find information and photos about ranchos and the materials used than information about weavers and old weaving looms. By the time we reached Mrs. Tolaba’s house it was siesta time. She received us under the shade of big trees in the front garden. My daughter asked her some questions and the woman was very plain, short and objective in her answers. I noticed in her eyes and in her voice that she did not like us. She looked at us as if we were intruders. I understood this when Eve asked her from whom she has learnt how to use the weaving loom. Mrs. Tolaba answered that she had learnt from her mother, and from her mother’s mother who was an aboriginal living in the area until the Spaniards made them abandon the fertile lands and live in the mountains. She told us the story of her grandmother’s journey from Catamarca to Tafi where she had married an aboriginal living there. I could notice a certain impotence and sorrow in her voice, a long pent up emotion which was painful in her inside. She was sad all the time. When I told her that my parents had a mixture of Italian, Spanish and aboriginal blood, she changed her attitude towards us. She was ready to share more things with us. At that time I realized I had never thought that asking question about wool, colours, and weaving looms would come to the surface old resentments from the past colonial times. Oh, how history was so present and vivid that afternoon in her garden! I could feel her suffering, they have been taken their lands away, their culture, their most profound roots. They have also been taken the Pachamama’s celebration away, as well. She said they wanted privacy for this celebration. That they felt as observed as if they were curious people with strange celebrations. They did not like our curiosity, they did not like us investigating about the past, because our curiosity revived old unhealed wounds. This wounds still hurt so much, that as we were descendents of the ones who had hurt them, we were not welcomed, not in the way we had thought. I noticed they still had resentment against the people who had snatched their lands, their beautiful landscapes, their culture and traditions. They had all the right to hate them.
After those painful confessions she invited us to know where she weaved. Her house was poor, plain, as she was, without adornments. She was as her looms, very simple, very natural. I was almost disappointed when I saw the loom. It was made of four logs with other logs crossed upwards. I expected to see something impressive, but it was not. All the tools she used have been made by herself, she still had some made by her mother. She considered them a treasure, she was proud to have elements that made remind her mother. When Eve asked her what did she think of when she was weaving , she said that she used to think about the history of her parents, how they lived when she was a child. That is why my daughter called her thesis “Weaving the memory”, for all her feelings at the moment of creating a cloth, for all her sadness, for all the things her people had lost and would never recover again.
The last question was how did she obtain the ink to give colour to the wool. She said she took them from ash, from onions, from smoke and from certain plants but in the name of her ancestors she could not tell their names. Why? I wanted to know. She answered that it was a secret that she would only tell her daughters. She could not tell any stranger, any tourist for fear they could hurt and damage Mother Earth.
I had learned my own thesis in my soul for myself and for the rest of my life. I have also to recognise that she taught me something very, very important; she transmitted to me; her love for nature, nature for them is a kind of loving mother who gives everything they need.
Two year ago, Mrs. Tolaba came to a hotel in front of 9th of July Park, where she gave a conference about traditions together with a writer from Tafi. I took my daughter to thank her for helping her with the final thesis. This time she was nicer and more familiar to us.
Resentment from the past.
Four years ago I went with two of my daughters, Eve and Mer, to Tafi del Valle. We went there to do some research for their final thesis of their last year to get the degree of Teachers of Traditional Dances. I went with them as a photographer.
Mer went there to investigate about ranchos made of mud as surviving testimonies of our argentine traditions, how were they built, where they got the wood, what kind of roof they preferred, how they called the corner of the roof and other things.
Eve was interested in the local weavers and she had just arranged a meeting with a well known traditional weaver living there, Mrs. Charo Tolaba.
When we arrived at the Bus station in Tafi, my daughters had to wait for the photographer to recover from the “puna”, it happened an hour later
. As we were near some ranchos and the museum was made of mud, wood and the roof was made of straw, we went there first to listen to some historical events. All the things we saw in the inside were very interesting for my daughters, but what I noticed in the guide’s voice was much more important for me, because it was a kind of thesis for myself. I had gone there not only as a photographer but to discover something interesting, that had nothing to do with ranchos or weavers. And I began to discover it. The guide said that the descendants of the aboriginals had been pressed by the governmental authorities to change their traditional “Pachamama celebration” which was originally held in August, to be celebrated in February for touristic reasons.
It was easier to find information and photos about ranchos and the materials used than information about weavers and old weaving looms. By the time we reached Mrs. Tolaba’s house it was siesta time. She received us under the shade of big trees in the front garden. My daughter asked her some questions and the woman was very plain, short and objective in her answers. I noticed in her eyes and in her voice that she did not like us. She looked at us as if we were intruders. I understood this when Eve asked her from whom she has learnt how to use the weaving loom. Mrs. Tolaba answered that she had learnt from her mother, and from her mother’s mother who was an aboriginal living in the area until the Spaniards made them abandon the fertile lands and live in the mountains. She told us the story of her grandmother’s journey from Catamarca to Tafi where she had married an aboriginal living there. I could notice a certain impotence and sorrow in her voice, a long pent up emotion which was painful in her inside. She was sad all the time. When I told her that my parents had a mixture of Italian, Spanish and aboriginal blood, she changed her attitude towards us. She was ready to share more things with us. At that time I realized I had never thought that asking question about wool, colours, and weaving looms would come to the surface old resentments from the past colonial times. Oh, how history was so present and vivid that afternoon in her garden! I could feel her suffering, they have been taken their lands away, their culture, their most profound roots. They have also been taken the Pachamama’s celebration away, as well. She said they wanted privacy for this celebration. That they felt as observed as if they were curious people with strange celebrations. They did not like our curiosity, they did not like us investigating about the past, because our curiosity revived old unhealed wounds. This wounds still hurt so much, that as we were descendents of the ones who had hurt them, we were not welcomed, not in the way we had thought. I noticed they still had resentment against the people who had snatched their lands, their beautiful landscapes, their culture and traditions. They had all the right to hate them.
After those painful confessions she invited us to know where she weaved. Her house was poor, plain, as she was, without adornments. She was as her looms, very simple, very natural. I was almost disappointed when I saw the loom. It was made of four logs with other logs crossed upwards. I expected to see something impressive, but it was not. All the tools she used have been made by herself, she still had some made by her mother. She considered them a treasure, she was proud to have elements that made remind her mother. When Eve asked her what did she think of when she was weaving , she said that she used to think about the history of her parents, how they lived when she was a child. That is why my daughter called her thesis “Weaving the memory”, for all her feelings at the moment of creating a cloth, for all her sadness, for all the things her people had lost and would never recover again.
The last question was how did she obtain the ink to give colour to the wool. She said she took them from ash, from onions, from smoke and from certain plants but in the name of her ancestors she could not tell their names. Why? I wanted to know. She answered that it was a secret that she would only tell her daughters. She could not tell any stranger, any tourist for fear they could hurt and damage Mother Earth.
I had learned my own thesis in my soul for myself and for the rest of my life. I have also to recognise that she taught me something very, very important; she transmitted to me; her love for nature, nature for them is a kind of loving mother who gives everything they need.
Two year ago, Mrs. Tolaba came to a hotel in front of 9th of July Park, where she gave a conference about traditions together with a writer from Tafi. I took my daughter to thank her for helping her with the final thesis. This time she was nicer and more familiar to us.
ENTRY 32- LETTER
Language 4 Entry Nª 32
Letter asking for more information
30th June, 2007.
Dear Mrs. Josephine Grey,
I am writing you with reference to the advertisement Perfect Planet, Is It Possible?, “Adopt an endangered animal”, published on “Planet Earth” magazine last month. I am very interested in becoming a member of your club to help and save endangered species around the world. I have a special concern about animals which are in danger of extinction, such as tigers, lions, elephants, pandas, bears and birds, such as eagles, condors and others.
I would like to receive information about the requirements in order to become a member of the club. I want to know how much the fee for admission to the club is. Let me know the number of members of it as well as the average age. As regards the economic aspect, I would prefer to pay it monthly with my credit card, but if you give a discount for paying yearly, please send me more information to see if it is convenient for me. I would also be grateful to know, for example, if I can choose the animal or animals I want to help. Or if I can give them a name, because I have beautiful ones in my mind. Could you send me further details about the task that volunteers do specifically and the location of the parks where you work, please?
I am looking forward to hearing from you in order to receive full and detailed instructions to be part of the membership of your club as soon as possible. I am very enthusiastic about the project and congratulate you for your smart idea of looking for more members all over the world because the extinction of animals is a matter that should concern all of us. I am longing to begin my work the sooner, the better. It would be convenient for me if you send me all the information to my e-mail address:
jrsoro@hotmail.com.
Yours sincerely, Juana.
Letter asking for more information
30th June, 2007.
Dear Mrs. Josephine Grey,
I am writing you with reference to the advertisement Perfect Planet, Is It Possible?, “Adopt an endangered animal”, published on “Planet Earth” magazine last month. I am very interested in becoming a member of your club to help and save endangered species around the world. I have a special concern about animals which are in danger of extinction, such as tigers, lions, elephants, pandas, bears and birds, such as eagles, condors and others.
I would like to receive information about the requirements in order to become a member of the club. I want to know how much the fee for admission to the club is. Let me know the number of members of it as well as the average age. As regards the economic aspect, I would prefer to pay it monthly with my credit card, but if you give a discount for paying yearly, please send me more information to see if it is convenient for me. I would also be grateful to know, for example, if I can choose the animal or animals I want to help. Or if I can give them a name, because I have beautiful ones in my mind. Could you send me further details about the task that volunteers do specifically and the location of the parks where you work, please?
I am looking forward to hearing from you in order to receive full and detailed instructions to be part of the membership of your club as soon as possible. I am very enthusiastic about the project and congratulate you for your smart idea of looking for more members all over the world because the extinction of animals is a matter that should concern all of us. I am longing to begin my work the sooner, the better. It would be convenient for me if you send me all the information to my e-mail address:
jrsoro@hotmail.com.
Yours sincerely, Juana.
ENTRY 31- CIVILIZATION SAVAGERY
Language 4 Entry Nª 31
Civilization and savagery in Lord of the Flies
Throughout Lord of the Flies, Golding makes use of symbols to present the themes of the novel and the dramatic conflicts. The author explores superficially two kinds of government: the Republic during which there is a period of peace and the Empire where Jack is worshiped like an idol and all the group obey him without questioning.
The Republic is represented by Ralph’s leadership with the conch shell as a symbol of power. The Empire and Absolutism is represented by Jack’s leadership with his spear.
For the time the republic last, the group had the chance to choose, to speak, to say their opinions to the others. They respected each other’s time to speak. The leader, Ralph, knew the needs of the group, shelter, the signal fire to be rescued. He cared for nature advising not to litter everywhere with human depositions. Piggy was a kind of adviser. He was the most intelligent and they combined the power of leadership and intelligence to maintain the group more or less integrated.
As long as the story progresses we see that Ralph’s power diminishes. It has to do with Jack’s desire for power, with the fear of evil in the water, in the air. In the chapter “Beast from Water”, during a meeting called by Ralph, he says :”So remember. The rocks for a lavatory. Keep the fire going and smoke showing as a signal. Don’t take fire from the mountain. Take your food up there.”
Jack stood up, scowling in the gloom, and held out his hands.
“I haven’t finished yet”
“But you’ve talked and talked!”
“I’ve got the conch.”
Jack sat down, grumbling.
“Then the last thing. This is what people can talk about.”
He waited till the platform was very still.
“Things are breaking up. I don’t understand why. We began well; we were happy. And then ___”
he moved the conch gently, looking beyond them at nothing, remembering the beastie, the snake, the fire, the talk of fear. (page 102)
This is the first time Ralph mentions a breaking up. In the same chapter Jack and Ralph argue. Jack feels he is stronger than Ralph. For he bases his strength on his capacity to kill pigs.
“Jack! Jack! You haven’t got the conch! Let him speak.”
Jack’s face swam near him.
“And you shut up! Who are you, anyway? Sitting there -telling people what to do. You can’t hunt, you can’t sing-“
“I’m chief. I was chosen.”
“Why should choosing make any difference? Just giving orders that don’t make any sense-“ (page ll3-ll4)
After this quarrelling Ralph goes chanting with some boys. There is only one boy who stays near them. Ralph cannot see him because it is almost dark now. He asks who he is, and he identifies as Simon. Simon shows respect for rules. Ralph wants to give up after this argument with Ralph. Piggy is against this decision:”I’m scared of him”, said Piggy.
Simon stirred in the dark.
“Go on being chief.”
By this time the three children miss their parents, he feels he is losing authority, nobody except Piggy and Simon respect the rules. He has no solutions. He would like to be in the grown up world. They do not like responsibilities.
In the chapter “Gift for the darkness”, Ralph has a terrible argument with Jack again. Jack want to dismiss Ralph from his leadership asking the boys to vote against him. But nobody did so. This humiliation made Ralph to separate from the group and told all the rest that if they went with him they would be welcomed. Almost all the boys followed Ralph except Simon and the twins Samneric, but later on Simon disappears and the twins joined Jack. Even Ralph and Piggy went to Jack’s place to eat.
Jack is represented as the chief of a tribe, as a kind of king.
“…before the party had started a great log had been dragged into the centre of the lawn and Jack, painted an garlanded, sat there like an idol. There were piles of meat on green leaves near him, and fruit, and coco-nut shells full of drink. “ (page 183)
he gave orders like a king:”Take them some meat” . the rest of the boys acted as if they were Jack’s servants. The boys obey him.
During the feast, there is violence. The celebration ends up with the killing of Simon.
Jack is the representation of cruelty and evil. What he orders is done by the other boys. They tie the twins in order to catch Ralph. Jack and his group had taken castle rock as a symbol of his power over Ralph.
Civilization and savagery in Lord of the Flies
Throughout Lord of the Flies, Golding makes use of symbols to present the themes of the novel and the dramatic conflicts. The author explores superficially two kinds of government: the Republic during which there is a period of peace and the Empire where Jack is worshiped like an idol and all the group obey him without questioning.
The Republic is represented by Ralph’s leadership with the conch shell as a symbol of power. The Empire and Absolutism is represented by Jack’s leadership with his spear.
For the time the republic last, the group had the chance to choose, to speak, to say their opinions to the others. They respected each other’s time to speak. The leader, Ralph, knew the needs of the group, shelter, the signal fire to be rescued. He cared for nature advising not to litter everywhere with human depositions. Piggy was a kind of adviser. He was the most intelligent and they combined the power of leadership and intelligence to maintain the group more or less integrated.
As long as the story progresses we see that Ralph’s power diminishes. It has to do with Jack’s desire for power, with the fear of evil in the water, in the air. In the chapter “Beast from Water”, during a meeting called by Ralph, he says :”So remember. The rocks for a lavatory. Keep the fire going and smoke showing as a signal. Don’t take fire from the mountain. Take your food up there.”
Jack stood up, scowling in the gloom, and held out his hands.
“I haven’t finished yet”
“But you’ve talked and talked!”
“I’ve got the conch.”
Jack sat down, grumbling.
“Then the last thing. This is what people can talk about.”
He waited till the platform was very still.
“Things are breaking up. I don’t understand why. We began well; we were happy. And then ___”
he moved the conch gently, looking beyond them at nothing, remembering the beastie, the snake, the fire, the talk of fear. (page 102)
This is the first time Ralph mentions a breaking up. In the same chapter Jack and Ralph argue. Jack feels he is stronger than Ralph. For he bases his strength on his capacity to kill pigs.
“Jack! Jack! You haven’t got the conch! Let him speak.”
Jack’s face swam near him.
“And you shut up! Who are you, anyway? Sitting there -telling people what to do. You can’t hunt, you can’t sing-“
“I’m chief. I was chosen.”
“Why should choosing make any difference? Just giving orders that don’t make any sense-“ (page ll3-ll4)
After this quarrelling Ralph goes chanting with some boys. There is only one boy who stays near them. Ralph cannot see him because it is almost dark now. He asks who he is, and he identifies as Simon. Simon shows respect for rules. Ralph wants to give up after this argument with Ralph. Piggy is against this decision:”I’m scared of him”, said Piggy.
Simon stirred in the dark.
“Go on being chief.”
By this time the three children miss their parents, he feels he is losing authority, nobody except Piggy and Simon respect the rules. He has no solutions. He would like to be in the grown up world. They do not like responsibilities.
In the chapter “Gift for the darkness”, Ralph has a terrible argument with Jack again. Jack want to dismiss Ralph from his leadership asking the boys to vote against him. But nobody did so. This humiliation made Ralph to separate from the group and told all the rest that if they went with him they would be welcomed. Almost all the boys followed Ralph except Simon and the twins Samneric, but later on Simon disappears and the twins joined Jack. Even Ralph and Piggy went to Jack’s place to eat.
Jack is represented as the chief of a tribe, as a kind of king.
“…before the party had started a great log had been dragged into the centre of the lawn and Jack, painted an garlanded, sat there like an idol. There were piles of meat on green leaves near him, and fruit, and coco-nut shells full of drink. “ (page 183)
he gave orders like a king:”Take them some meat” . the rest of the boys acted as if they were Jack’s servants. The boys obey him.
During the feast, there is violence. The celebration ends up with the killing of Simon.
Jack is the representation of cruelty and evil. What he orders is done by the other boys. They tie the twins in order to catch Ralph. Jack and his group had taken castle rock as a symbol of his power over Ralph.
ENTRY 30- GIVING LIFE
Language 4 Entry Nª30
Giving life
Giving life is one of the most important things a person can do in this world.
God is the only Creator, who gave us life. Women are the ones who can give birth a new life, a baby, a new person, a human being. Once or twice in our life we happen to meet marvellous people, who seem to be angels, who are patient, brave, people who can be our friends, people we can trust.
But women and men can give life to new things in this world.
Poets can give birth to new creations, with rhythm and rhyme. Like Olegario V. Andrade, Sylvia Plath just to mention some of them.
Writers build up stories creating characters who reflect our passions, sins, our world. Such as Stevenson, Hemmingway, Poe or Sabato. Many writers, when they publish their books, they say the book is their latest son.
Musicians have the most beautiful task to create melodies and songs. Our soul is in a peaceful world when we listen compositions by Mozart, Beetoven or Tchaikovsky .
It is magic when song composers write lyrics and with a musical instrument they give life to it. You can listen to them for hours, trying to understand Joan Manuel Serrat, John Lennon or Electric Light Orchestra the lyrics and music of their album Time.
Many chefs have recipes of their own. They have brought into existence delicious dishes in the different countries. Adding a particular characteristic to their tradition.
Artists of the world have given birth to paintings and sculptures which made them immortal, just think of Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Lola Mora or Picasso. Their work, their creations are shown inside cathedrals, in an important square, in a museum. Before them, there was no Mona Lisa, no Last Supper, no Nereidas, no Guernica at all.
Giving life does not mean only giving birth to a child. We can create many things coming from our imagination. As I am creating this entry out of my imagination and general culture for the Language class. It is very interesting to look for ideas in our mind, just to produce a piece of writing different from the others, with a different perspective, a different point of view.
New ideas that changed the course of history, new clothes and colours that changed fashion. Thanks to this capacity of human beings to give life in different forms of expression, the world has changed, geographically, we can say because of someone’s ideas the course of a river has been deviated, an artificial lake has been built. Historically in the sense that someone’s ideas influenced on economy, society and politics that originated some happy events but also violence, such as the wars.
The same happened with religion, there were powerful inspired people who have marked certain tendencies on people’s beliefs.
May God help intelligent, powerful people to create beautiful, useful things and ideas for the benefit of all human beings and not for their destruction.
Giving life
Giving life is one of the most important things a person can do in this world.
God is the only Creator, who gave us life. Women are the ones who can give birth a new life, a baby, a new person, a human being. Once or twice in our life we happen to meet marvellous people, who seem to be angels, who are patient, brave, people who can be our friends, people we can trust.
But women and men can give life to new things in this world.
Poets can give birth to new creations, with rhythm and rhyme. Like Olegario V. Andrade, Sylvia Plath just to mention some of them.
Writers build up stories creating characters who reflect our passions, sins, our world. Such as Stevenson, Hemmingway, Poe or Sabato. Many writers, when they publish their books, they say the book is their latest son.
Musicians have the most beautiful task to create melodies and songs. Our soul is in a peaceful world when we listen compositions by Mozart, Beetoven or Tchaikovsky .
It is magic when song composers write lyrics and with a musical instrument they give life to it. You can listen to them for hours, trying to understand Joan Manuel Serrat, John Lennon or Electric Light Orchestra the lyrics and music of their album Time.
Many chefs have recipes of their own. They have brought into existence delicious dishes in the different countries. Adding a particular characteristic to their tradition.
Artists of the world have given birth to paintings and sculptures which made them immortal, just think of Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Lola Mora or Picasso. Their work, their creations are shown inside cathedrals, in an important square, in a museum. Before them, there was no Mona Lisa, no Last Supper, no Nereidas, no Guernica at all.
Giving life does not mean only giving birth to a child. We can create many things coming from our imagination. As I am creating this entry out of my imagination and general culture for the Language class. It is very interesting to look for ideas in our mind, just to produce a piece of writing different from the others, with a different perspective, a different point of view.
New ideas that changed the course of history, new clothes and colours that changed fashion. Thanks to this capacity of human beings to give life in different forms of expression, the world has changed, geographically, we can say because of someone’s ideas the course of a river has been deviated, an artificial lake has been built. Historically in the sense that someone’s ideas influenced on economy, society and politics that originated some happy events but also violence, such as the wars.
The same happened with religion, there were powerful inspired people who have marked certain tendencies on people’s beliefs.
May God help intelligent, powerful people to create beautiful, useful things and ideas for the benefit of all human beings and not for their destruction.
ENTRY 29- SIMON´S BODY
Language 4 Entry Nª- 29
THE TIDE TAKES SIMON’S BODY INTO THE WATER
This is an extract from Lord of the Flies by William Golding, on chapter nine, the last lines of the chapter.
“Along the shoreward edge of the shallows the advancing clearness was full of strange, moonbeam-bodied creatures with fiery eyes. Here and there a larger pebble clung to its own air and was covered with a coat of pearls. The tide swelled in over the rain-pitted sand and smoothed everything with a layer of silver. Now it touched the first of the stains that seeped from the broken body and the creatures made a moving patch of light as they gathered at the edge. The water rose further and dressed Simon’s coarse hair with brightness. The line of his cheek silvered and the turn of his shoulder became sculptured marble. The strange, attendant creatures, with their fiery eyes and trailing vapours, busied themselves round his head. The body lifted a fraction of an inch from the sand and a bubble of air escaped from the mouth with a wet plop. Then it turned gently in the water.”
The sacrifice of Simon and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ are parallel images. His death was inevitable like Jesus’ death. When the transformed boys are killing Simon a terrible storm breaks. As if the voice of God was angry because they have killed his beloved son. The same happened when Jesus Christ was crossed, a terrible thunder frightened all the people and they run away terrified. When the boys realized what they had done to Simon they also run away. Jesus Christ’s head was illuminated with a bright light meaning he was God’s beloved son. Jesus is abandoned in the cross, Simon is left near the shore. Jesus was taken to Heaven , Simon was taken to the sea. By midnight the storm has passed , the clouds drifted away , the sky was clear and many stars shone. The light of the stars and the moon make Simon’s body visible for Piggy and Ralph. The description of the place where Simon is, is full of visual and auditory images. We can imagine the moonlight brightening his body, and when the tide comes we can listen to the smooth sound of the peaceful water covering his body. When the author says “the water rose further and dressed Simon’s coarse hair with brightness.” It is a metaphorical representation of some kind of divine light, worshipping Simon’s dead body, the water seems to be comforting him, and she takes his body with her. Now he cannot suffer any more from evil and cruelty of the boys.
It is clear that the boys have done something bad, they have worshipped evil, that is why the presence of fiery creatures in the night. His body is covered by silver jewellery , white light, symbol of innocence and good.
As Simon was a good character, I did not want him to die. But his death was unavoidable. After that, all the boys lost their innocence. They knew there was evil inside them.
THE TIDE TAKES SIMON’S BODY INTO THE WATER
This is an extract from Lord of the Flies by William Golding, on chapter nine, the last lines of the chapter.
“Along the shoreward edge of the shallows the advancing clearness was full of strange, moonbeam-bodied creatures with fiery eyes. Here and there a larger pebble clung to its own air and was covered with a coat of pearls. The tide swelled in over the rain-pitted sand and smoothed everything with a layer of silver. Now it touched the first of the stains that seeped from the broken body and the creatures made a moving patch of light as they gathered at the edge. The water rose further and dressed Simon’s coarse hair with brightness. The line of his cheek silvered and the turn of his shoulder became sculptured marble. The strange, attendant creatures, with their fiery eyes and trailing vapours, busied themselves round his head. The body lifted a fraction of an inch from the sand and a bubble of air escaped from the mouth with a wet plop. Then it turned gently in the water.”
The sacrifice of Simon and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ are parallel images. His death was inevitable like Jesus’ death. When the transformed boys are killing Simon a terrible storm breaks. As if the voice of God was angry because they have killed his beloved son. The same happened when Jesus Christ was crossed, a terrible thunder frightened all the people and they run away terrified. When the boys realized what they had done to Simon they also run away. Jesus Christ’s head was illuminated with a bright light meaning he was God’s beloved son. Jesus is abandoned in the cross, Simon is left near the shore. Jesus was taken to Heaven , Simon was taken to the sea. By midnight the storm has passed , the clouds drifted away , the sky was clear and many stars shone. The light of the stars and the moon make Simon’s body visible for Piggy and Ralph. The description of the place where Simon is, is full of visual and auditory images. We can imagine the moonlight brightening his body, and when the tide comes we can listen to the smooth sound of the peaceful water covering his body. When the author says “the water rose further and dressed Simon’s coarse hair with brightness.” It is a metaphorical representation of some kind of divine light, worshipping Simon’s dead body, the water seems to be comforting him, and she takes his body with her. Now he cannot suffer any more from evil and cruelty of the boys.
It is clear that the boys have done something bad, they have worshipped evil, that is why the presence of fiery creatures in the night. His body is covered by silver jewellery , white light, symbol of innocence and good.
As Simon was a good character, I did not want him to die. But his death was unavoidable. After that, all the boys lost their innocence. They knew there was evil inside them.
ENTRY 28- FREEDOM THROUGH FASHION
Language 4 Entry Nª 28
FIRST STEP TO FREEDOM THROUGH FASHION (oral exposition)
Whenever you see a woman covering her head with a shawl, you immediately relate her to Muslim religion. I’m not going to talk about Muslim religion but about Muslim women who still live in patriarchal societies and suffer because they do not have the same rights as men have, such as in Siwa.
I read two articles on the same topic that called my attention because both of them referred to “freedom of oasis women trough fashion”, one was from Time CNN and the other from the BBC News. I was really interested because I wanted to discover the connection between fashion and freedom. After my research I made it.
Siwa is in the desert of Egypt to the west; it is a small green patch near the Lybian border. Economy is primarily agricultural there and only men work in the crops, such as palm trees, olives and salt from lake waters. The inhabitants are descendants from Berber tribes. They live according to the old traditions, they are very conservative and their religion is Muslim.
Society is patriarchal, women cannot decide anything without a man’s approval, they have to ask for their father’s , brother’s or husband’s consent. Women are kept in close doors, they wear very long dresses and when they rarely go out they must cover their head with a shawl.
Women outnumber men in quantity, so it is very important for them to get married very young, because marriage gives them a key to some kind of freedom. Married women are allowed to work with their husbands or at home. Unlucky are the girls who stay unmarried because they have to do all the household and become servants of their fathers and brothers.
Girls are obliged to marry very young. They are sold by their fathers, and they obtain a better price if the girl is a virgin.
At an early age girls suffer from Female Genital Mutilation, a tribal tradition practised to make girls more submissive and faithful to their husbands. But this mutilation in their genital organs brings them a lot of awful secondary effects, such as pain, bleeding, infections, and traumas and they become senseless. So their husbands end up leaving them and they look for a woman who can feel.
Within this painful, submissive and unequal life a light shone for this women when the forces of globalization and economic development have started to slow social revolution in Siwa. Their social status would start to change thanks to FASHION.
A young entrepeneur from Cairo called Laila Neamatalla, and her brother took the challenge to plug Siwa into global economy. At first, they found workplaces for men, but they saw that they could not leave women aside, so they had the brilliant idea to revive the old embroidery traditions. They asked the old women to star embroidering clothes such as shirts and weddings dresses.
When the famous Italian designer Ermanno Scervinno, was visiting Siwa, he saw the magnificent patterns and he decided to incorporate the Siwi embroidery in his next collection and contacted Neamatalla. When he discovered that the work was done only by the old women, he arranged for the younger ones to be trained by their grandmothers. Scervinno’s designs are taken from Italy to Cairo and then to Siwa to be embroidered.
Women are paid according to the number of clothes they produce.
Nowadays Siwi women do not know the world but their embroidery is known all over the world and shown by famous model on international catwalks. They embroider jeans, shirts, wedding dresses and belts and bags.
Married and unmarried girls can work in groups or at home. It is their first taste of freedom and independence trough fashion.
They earn more money than men and they can buy whatever they want without asking for a man’s consent. They can buy jewellery and gadgets for their home. They can even choose their own husband.
Before this revolution they only knew and work four colours : sand, brown, green and olive, now they know and work a variety of colours.
To conclude, I have to say that it is quite ironic that fashion gives these women who are not fashionable at all, the chance to give their first step to change their social status. It is a positive result of globalization. And it seems that money, brings or gives a kind of freedom, power and the right to choose and decide not only for Siwi women, but for all women in the world who have the chance to have a job.
Sources:
“Women’s freedom comes slowly to a sleepy oasis”. Time CNN. Postcard from Siwa
Thursday, June 07, 2007. by Amany Radwan.
“Oasis women fashion their own freedom” BBC News. By Sylvia Smith.
Thursday, June 07, 2007.
“Siwa traditions and religion” www.joshuaproject.net.
FIRST STEP TO FREEDOM THROUGH FASHION (oral exposition)
Whenever you see a woman covering her head with a shawl, you immediately relate her to Muslim religion. I’m not going to talk about Muslim religion but about Muslim women who still live in patriarchal societies and suffer because they do not have the same rights as men have, such as in Siwa.
I read two articles on the same topic that called my attention because both of them referred to “freedom of oasis women trough fashion”, one was from Time CNN and the other from the BBC News. I was really interested because I wanted to discover the connection between fashion and freedom. After my research I made it.
Siwa is in the desert of Egypt to the west; it is a small green patch near the Lybian border. Economy is primarily agricultural there and only men work in the crops, such as palm trees, olives and salt from lake waters. The inhabitants are descendants from Berber tribes. They live according to the old traditions, they are very conservative and their religion is Muslim.
Society is patriarchal, women cannot decide anything without a man’s approval, they have to ask for their father’s , brother’s or husband’s consent. Women are kept in close doors, they wear very long dresses and when they rarely go out they must cover their head with a shawl.
Women outnumber men in quantity, so it is very important for them to get married very young, because marriage gives them a key to some kind of freedom. Married women are allowed to work with their husbands or at home. Unlucky are the girls who stay unmarried because they have to do all the household and become servants of their fathers and brothers.
Girls are obliged to marry very young. They are sold by their fathers, and they obtain a better price if the girl is a virgin.
At an early age girls suffer from Female Genital Mutilation, a tribal tradition practised to make girls more submissive and faithful to their husbands. But this mutilation in their genital organs brings them a lot of awful secondary effects, such as pain, bleeding, infections, and traumas and they become senseless. So their husbands end up leaving them and they look for a woman who can feel.
Within this painful, submissive and unequal life a light shone for this women when the forces of globalization and economic development have started to slow social revolution in Siwa. Their social status would start to change thanks to FASHION.
A young entrepeneur from Cairo called Laila Neamatalla, and her brother took the challenge to plug Siwa into global economy. At first, they found workplaces for men, but they saw that they could not leave women aside, so they had the brilliant idea to revive the old embroidery traditions. They asked the old women to star embroidering clothes such as shirts and weddings dresses.
When the famous Italian designer Ermanno Scervinno, was visiting Siwa, he saw the magnificent patterns and he decided to incorporate the Siwi embroidery in his next collection and contacted Neamatalla. When he discovered that the work was done only by the old women, he arranged for the younger ones to be trained by their grandmothers. Scervinno’s designs are taken from Italy to Cairo and then to Siwa to be embroidered.
Women are paid according to the number of clothes they produce.
Nowadays Siwi women do not know the world but their embroidery is known all over the world and shown by famous model on international catwalks. They embroider jeans, shirts, wedding dresses and belts and bags.
Married and unmarried girls can work in groups or at home. It is their first taste of freedom and independence trough fashion.
They earn more money than men and they can buy whatever they want without asking for a man’s consent. They can buy jewellery and gadgets for their home. They can even choose their own husband.
Before this revolution they only knew and work four colours : sand, brown, green and olive, now they know and work a variety of colours.
To conclude, I have to say that it is quite ironic that fashion gives these women who are not fashionable at all, the chance to give their first step to change their social status. It is a positive result of globalization. And it seems that money, brings or gives a kind of freedom, power and the right to choose and decide not only for Siwi women, but for all women in the world who have the chance to have a job.
Sources:
“Women’s freedom comes slowly to a sleepy oasis”. Time CNN. Postcard from Siwa
Thursday, June 07, 2007. by Amany Radwan.
“Oasis women fashion their own freedom” BBC News. By Sylvia Smith.
Thursday, June 07, 2007.
“Siwa traditions and religion” www.joshuaproject.net.
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