How Long Do You Hold On To Your Dreams?

As soon as we are able to talk and understand the world understand, we start conjuring dreams for ourselves. They begin as being a firefighter, knight, or princess. They give us a chance to thrive in our own little parallel universes hidden in our imagination. Throughout our lifetime, as we get older and wiser, our dreams change with us until they define they pinnacle of our success.
Similarly, in A Raisin in the Sun, each member of the family has their indivdual dreams.
Some have been in existence for nearly a lifetime like Mama's, and some are fresh and new and full of hope like Travis's. Yet each person's dreams shapes his/her character and creates a purpose in their life.

For example, Mama dreamt of buying" a little place in Morgan park. (She) had even picked out the house... all the dreams (she) had 'bout buying that house and fixing it up and making (her) a little garden in the back" (Hansberry 44-45).
This was her American Dream. Ever since she was married, all she wanted was place to call home with a little garden and a place for the kids to play. But like many who dream, Mama was thwarted in her route to reach her dreams by the plethora of hardships she came across. Even so, when she got the check, her first thought was to purchase a house like she had always wanted, so her family could live proudly in a house they owned. Despite being so old, her dream was not just for her but for her entire family. And at the end, she was successful in doing so.

I can relate to this because my parents are both immigrants from India so time and time again I hear of how they had to leave their families and follow their dreams of moving to America. Of course, they met with many financial and work-related hardships, yet they were able to create the lifestyle they had always dreamt of for themselves and my brother and I.

Our dreams and aspirations are the things that are rightfully are own and can be as crazy and far-fetched as we like. We can hide them deep in the burrows of our imagination or chase after them.

"All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to purse them"
- Walt Disney

Lash Equality

"Man says to his woman: I got me a dream. His woman say: Eat your eggs" (Hansberry 33). 

"Doctor say everything going to be all right?/ Yes... / 'She'- What doctor you went to" (Hansberry 39). 

A Raisin in the Sun  hits on many social issues of 1950s Chicago, one being sexism.
 
Walter is upset with Ruth as he feels that she never supports him since she's a colored woman who doesn't know the ways of the world. Despite being her husband, he chastises her for only being fit to cook while he draws out his dreams. This emphasizes the stereotype that men go to work and meet their dreams while woman stay home to support and feed their family.

To continue, when Ruth finds out she's pregnant and Mama inquires what the doctor said, Mama is shocked to find out that the doctor is a female. Despite being a female herself, Mama automatically jumps to the conclusion that doctor must not be qualified or know what she's talking about. This once again supports the stereotype that women are not as capable as men and can't fit the occupations of doctors and lawyers.

Although we are in the 21 century, these sexist stereotypes still do exist. Yet, there are some who are breaking the gender barrier and creating new limits for themselves. One example is James Charles who recently became the first ever male Covergirl model. He is working with Katy Perry on the first universal mascara SoLashy to promote Lash Equality.  He said, "I think having a male ambassador really takes it one step further and just expresses inclusivity for all. Makeup is kind of becoming a more genderless concept, which is so cool and something that I’m all for," in an article for ABC news. 

For decades, women have been fighting for equality, but it is truly so inspirational seeing the male do the same. 

The Great Gatsby  laid out events in the 1920s, highlighting the vices in society. Racism, alcoholic, adultery, and many such societal problems were brought forth through the pretentious lifestyles of the characters in the book.
Each character was beautifully described in their social standing, acts, and characteristics; however, the most unique description was that of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg and the Valley of ashes.

"About half way between West Egg and New York the motor road hastily joins the railroad and runs beside it for a quarter of a mile, so as to shrink away from a certain desolate area of land. This is a valley of ashes — a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens; where ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke and, finally, with a transcendent effort, of men who move dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air. Occasionally a line of gray cars crawls along an invisible track, gives out a ghastly creak, and comes to rest, and immediately the ash-gray men swarm up with leaden spades and stir up an impenetrable cloud, which screens their obscure operations from your sight. But above the gray land and the spasms of bleak dust which drift endlessly over it, you perceive, after a moment, the eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg. The eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg are blue and gigantic — their irises are one yard high. They look out of no face, but, instead, from a pair of enormous yellow spectacles which pass over a nonexistent nose. Evidently some wild wag of an oculist set them there to fatten his practice in the borough of Queens, and then sank down himself into eternal blindness, or forgot them and moved away. But his eyes, dimmed a little by many paintless days, under sun and rain, brood on over the solemn dumping ground" (Fitzgerald 26). 

Though the valley of Ashes is just another location with less wealthy inhabitants, it's described with the motif of the color gray. This makes the place look solemn and burnt from all they adultery and corruption that has been going on. In contrast to the starkness, Dr. T.J. Eckleburg is described in brighter colors like yellow and blue to show the god-like nature of him as he watched over the valley. Also it's ironic that although he's an oculist, he's fallen into eternal blindness, yet he watches over everything. 

I thought this description was very unique from the rest as it exemplified how geography divided social statuses. 

Where Do YOU Stand?

Do you remember the first time you realized that there was indeed a world outside your own that you did not have the perfect lifestyle?
As children, many times we are oblivious to social rankings, and we simply regard people as people. No one is above or below us... except that one girl who won't bring her dolls to the tea party- almost everyone is equal in a child's eye.
However as we grow up, we become accustomed to the ways of the world. We see differences between the rich and the poor. The poor and the middle class. The middle class and the rich. And you try to find where you belong.

This can be exemplified through the status division in the novel The Great Gatsby. There is a stark difference in the way the Valley of Ashes and the East Egg are described. To begin, Valley of Ashes is repeatedly described with the color gray which symbolizes dreariness and starkness. Lifestyle there is slow and the people are lethargic. On the other hand, the East Egg is the pinnacle of a perfect society. For example, Nick lives in West Egg, " the least fashionable of the two, though this is a most superficial tag to express the bizarre and not a little sinister contrast between them" (Fitzgerald 14). Although he lives on the tip of the egg, his status is considered lower than that of someone who lives in East Egg.

Being defined by your status is detrimental for each generation's youth. You become stereotyped and limited in how successful you can be just because of how much money you can spend and where you live. Status, if anything, should be based on who you can be, not what you used to be. 

The Bluest Eye

Sexual assault, menstruation, and racism are all topics that are avoided as topics of disucussion. Society gets uncomfortable talking about these rather important topics so avoids them all together.
Toni Morrison, however, adeptly tackles these overbearing topics and displays the important events of understanding them.

According to me, one of the most beautifully crafted pieces in the memoir The Bluest Eye is closer to the middle when Junior and his actions are described. Junior's character in itself is very ironic and conflicting. Although he is a snobbish white boy, he associates himself with the black boys and wishes to learn their ways. Though his mother had deeply engrained in him "the difference between colored people and niggers" (87). He himself could never clearly distinguish the two groups. Junior was very alone and broken apart inside, yet he released his frustration by bullying others and making them feel the same way. In this excerpt, Morrison provides the whites a different perspective that shows them as the victims who still antagonize others to be the villains. This dual personality is one not always addressed, but one that Morrison openly approached.

Additionally, the juxtaposition between the description of Junior's home and the actions Junior commits while there is truly admirable. Morrison starts by praising the intricate, perfect, white details of the home: "little lace doilies everywhere... a color picture of Jesus Christ hung on a wall with the prettiest paper flowers"(90). This drawn-out description highlights the emptiness in the artificial beauty that is sought after, which is still highly esteemed in society. In immediate contrast to the delicate, pristine nature of the home, Junior is found abusing Pecola and frightening her. He abuses the cat while Pecola attempts to save him. After all her efforts, Junior finally stops his abuse but in the end the cat dies anyway. This emphasizes that those that are the least fortunate still find ways to help those less fortunate than them, which in this case is Pecola helping the cat. Sadly enough, Junior blamed this entire episode on helpless Pecola when his mother came home. Although the mom had witnessed Pecola's life of misery, she like many other ignorant, blind-following whites blamed the poor black girl.

This excerpt beautifully touches on topics of racism, beauty standards, and the cycle of abuse, leaving the reader awestruck of Morrison's excellence. 

Rape Culture

Some topics in our society have been deemed taboo. And sadly enough, they're the topics that we need to talk about the most. Topics that are critical to society, yet people are afraid to speak up about them.
Honestly, since I'm a female who has been brought up in a more conservative Asian society, rape has always been an overhanging, yet distant fear. Traveling to India multiple times in my life has brought me face to to face with the harsh reality of how prevalent rape occurs in our society. I remember how apprehensive my mother was to send me out with my cousins and how she wouldn't let me wear shorts or a skirt because she was just too afraid. And rape is not only a problem in India but the United States as well. The thing that upsets me the most is how rape culture is handled.

Part of the problem is that people don't full understand what rape means.
Rape can be done by a man on a woman, man can rape man, woman can rape man, woman can rape woman, can be between a husband and wife.....
Rape isn't just man against woman.
Yet, in most traditional rape cases, even if the female is the victim, she is treated like the offender. She's asked what she was wearing to seduce the man and if was she alone or drunk.
Let me make one thing very clear. Whether a woman is intoxicated or is dressed provocatively or is married to you or dating you, rape is never justifiable. Because trust me, she was never asking for it.

A perfect example of this is seen in the memoir The Bluest Eye. When Cholly and Darlene are having sex, suddenly they are caught my two white men who force Cholly to continue with Darlene. This was absolutely against Cholly's will and was without his consent, therefore this was rape. Forcing someone to have sexual intercourse with another person does indeed qualify as rape. Ironically enough, although it was the white men's fault, Cholly was upset with Darlene: "He hated her" (148).  Just because she was a girl, the blame was placed on her. Also, many times even today male rape victims are apprehensive to speak of the horrid act, as they feel it will take away from their masculinity. Similarly, even in the memoir, Cholly did not want to tell Old Blue as he felt he wouldn't understand.

It's 2016 and we still aren't comfortable discussing rape culture. This concerns me as so much still needs to be done regarding this saddening problem. However, having a president who believes he can just "grab them (women) by the pussy," isn't doing this country any favors.
But as individuals, we can each take the first step towards combatting this rape culture by becoming more aware and open regarding this topic.
We can do it together :)

Ignoring Your Beauty

In today's society, whether it be through media or simply through standards ingrained in society, the imposition of beauty standards is increasing by the day.
There are just too many girls who watch the Victoria Secret Fashion Show while eating ice cream, and then suddenly vow to never eat it again and hit the gym the next day.
Or buy the 'one size fits all' garment just to find out that only a girl with a cookie-cutter body shape will ever be able to fit in it.
And of course the classic "nude" look that's only nude for those with pale skin.

I myself have witnessed the effects of these unfair beauty standards. Just recently an Indian friend of mine claimed that her grandmother doesn't accept her still (she's 16 years old)  just because she has a darker complexion. That is completely unfathomable to me. Skin color is totally out of control and everyone shade and hue should be appreciated. It broke my heart to know that my friend who is the sweetest girl I know well "she would never know her beauty" (46-47).

Similarly, in The Bluest Eye, Pecola never saw herself as beautiful. She always compared herself to beautiful white girls like Maureen Peal and longed to have blue eyes. Unfortunately, she let her physical appearance define her; Pecola considered herself fit for her dysfunctional just because she felt that she belonged there due to her appearance. Later on, the girls lust after Shirley Temple's and Mary Jane's appearance: the typical blonde hair, blue eyes. However, they fail to remember that beauty lies in the eye of the beholder.

more importantly the day our society looks past physical beauty to instead critique people by their nature and attitude, girls like my friend will never deem themselves ugly again.

Perfectly Imperfect Childhood

Once upon a time, a girl was born to a loving Indian family. She got her basic education, got married at a young age, had an arrange marriage, and gave her husband 2 sons. The end.

Okay so that was a short summary of probably countless Bollywood movies (which I'm still a fan of by the way), but more importantly, this is the way thousands of ignorant people view the Indian culture. And honestly, I don't even know if it's entirely their fault.

Now a much more real story is that of my life. I was born into an Indian family and very early on I was taught things that made me fit the cookie-cutter image of an ideal Indian girl. I was enrolled in singing and dance lessons. I played with my stuffed animal best friends and lovable pink elephant friends. I spent most of my leisure time with my most-prized possession of the time: my pink plastic kitchen set. And of course, my wide variety of beautiful, lifeless Barbies.
Unfortunately, these extremely gender specific toys made me believe that this was what it meant to be a woman. I thought I had to be social, outgoing, a good cook, and well have blonde hair and blue eyes. However, "for all her giant breasts and high-heeled feet, she lacks a certain softness" (Prager 354). Barbie never taught me to be kind or respectful; instead, she emphasized a woman's sexuality and not through natural beauty but through short skirts and perfectly straight hair.

And today, although a a young girl's childhood has been pixelated with the excessive impact on technology. No matter how strongly feminism is decimated throughout the society, social stereotypes are so deeply ingrained in everyone's mind, that even Jesus will not be able to completely change the deep-rooted clichés.

But we are definitely making progress. This year Barbie's image was recreated as she is now manufactured in different body types and skin tones, empowering the upcoming generations of females with a vision beyond a skinny body and blonde hair. Additionally, with the power of rhetoric, feminists can still propel progress for a more equal, gender-neutral society .

Regarding my childhood, my gender-role enforcing childhood was definitely not my parents' fault but instead a shortcoming created by society. Ironically enough, I have definitely fit the image of an indian girl a bit as  I have grown up to be an outgoing dancer. However, I am definitely the worst cook in the world and well your ears will bleed if you hear me sing. But I'm proud to say that I'm 100% an Indian girl (princess). 

Race: A social construct or biological creation

For hundreds of years, there has been some time of discrimination or racism due to racism. Whether it be in our own country or in another one,  multiple times one race has considered itself superior to the other. However, when taken a closer look at, race is dependent first on recognition of physical attributes. If you have brown skin you're Indian, if you have pale skin you're white. So, this way, it would be considered a biological construct.

However, the creation of the standards for race root from social construct. We have become so reliant on the fact that any we see now will fit into one of our categories that it's hard to see beyond that. However, a white person is truly part European. Many people who have brown skin aren't Indian but are instead from Bangladesh or Sri Lanka. This shows how limiting these boundaries can be, but we  would not be able to classify people without it.

On the other hand, when race is looked at as a biological creation only, all the stereotypes and stigma attached become separated from the person. This may be a good thing on many accounts, but when looking at history, events like the holocaust dawn on the fact that these stereotypes like the blond hair and blue eyes can create a distinction among the races.

There is also a lot more confusion that happens when considering religion and ethnicity. For example, in the graphic novel Maus, Art's wife "converted" after marriage from a French to a Jew, so she was drawn as a mouse. But in today's world, when a woman converts after marriage it usually refers to her religion, so in that sense, how can you tell religion by just looking at someone? By changing her religion, she in turn changed who she was and which is why she too was drawn as a mouse. Region, race, and ethnicity are intertwined and the relationship between them is up to interpretation.

Racism is a social construct. Racial recognition is based on social standards created by the biological creation. So, which should it be called?

Analyzing Maus

I've never been a big fan of graphic novels.
I've always thought they were way too overdramatic with the BAM! and POW! effects, which in my opinion took away from the message of the pieces. Although boring at times, I preferred the word-only, chapter-by-chapter novels that allowed me conjure up images to match the text.

Maus, however, has completely changed my opinion on the effectiveness of graphic novels.
Not only is the story brought to life with the rather vibrant black-and-white drawings, but also through the use of text bubbles and rectangles to display text, and some text and images escaping the confines of the squares.

The novel, much to my surprise, conveyed much deeper meanings then expected. To begin, the The use of animals to represent Jews, Polish, and Nazis is indeed very symbolic, as the Jews are mice and the Nazis are cats and the power struggle of the two is rather infamous.

When looking at this section of Maus, the true essence of the impactfulness of this novel is understood.


 In the picture at the top, the Germans, or cats in this case, are seen brutally abusing the Jews. There is a mix in which of the two groups is black or white to symbolize the disarray of this time period. Not every Jew was "good" (white) and not ever German was "bad" (black). Many Germans were forced to do this against their will, and, on the other hand, some Jews were like the "the rat that turned my (Vladek's) family over to the gestapo." As you continue down, you see the fence between Vladek and the chaotic beatings, which shows that while some were imprisoned by the German, some did walk free. However, even those Jews were still under constant scrutiny and fear because their Jewish heritage would never leave them, as shown by the Star of David Vladek beneath him. Finally, the bottom picture shows Valdek and a couple others staring down at the beatings going on from a safe place above. This aerial view gives Vladek the superiority, however, the black draws attention to the guilt he probably had for leaving the other Jews to die.

Maus has definitely given me some insight in the power of a graphic novel and has truly captivated me with this riveting story. 

Make A Change

It's 2016 and we are still no where close to reaching equality.
Women today still have to prove themselves. Prove that they're just as strong as men. Prove that they too can be independent.
And just as we start voicing our opinions and stand up for what we believe in, people are quick to make the statement, "You're such a feminist." Unfortunately, in the past 5 years, the word "feminist" has to grown to adopt a negative connotation as though it is something to be ashamed of.
However, those who do misinterpret the meaning of the word, have a flawed definition of feminism to begin with:

 Feminism- "the advocacy of women's rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men"

Yeah, did you read that? Equality meaning the goal of feminism is to make women equal to men. Not above or below. Just equal. This is extremely important to understand as more that half of the anti-feminists think feminism means putting women above men, which is not even close to being accurate. Therefore, when people deem me as feminist, it is in no way an insult but in fact a compliment because any educated individual (who has taken the time to understand what feminism means), will proudly call himself/herself a feminist. 

To continue, women continue to have the bear the weight of the social stigma and stereotypes placed on them. A plethora of women around the world are still taught that "a woman's place is in the home" (Hooks 97).  Females are expected to get married early so they can have kids and take care of the household.

I was born in India, but I came here when I was 3 months old and have lived here ever since. I've grown up with American values and culture, but a big part of my life is still rooted with Indian culture and that's something I would never want to give up. However, their is a stark difference between the way women are treated there versus here. For example, I have twin cousins, one guy and one girl, yet this past year my grandparents have been trying to get her married just because in Indian culture the girls usually get married very early to guys older than them, and well it seems like my cousin had become of age. What shocked me the most was that though they were trying to find a match for my female cousin, but they did not even bring up my male cousin getting married even though they're the same age. 

Also, just this past week I came to find out that one of my distinct female relative is filing for divorce. I was devastated to hear this since when I visited her last I remembered seeing her small happy family with her beautiful daughter. When my mom finally told me the reason for the divorce, I was appalled. Apparently, her educated, lawyer husband had been mercilessly taunting her and her father-in-law occasionally even beating her just because she had not been able to conceive a son for the family yet. Just for that one small reason. I was almost in tears after hearing this. I had known how important sons were in the Indian culture as they were the heir to the family, yet it had never crossed my mind that I would get to witness something like this in a day and age like today. 

I would like to clarify though that it no way am I demeaning Indian culture, and I myself am very proud to call myself an Indian. These problems I just mentioned are just part of culture and society and have been repeated for so many years that people can't seem to see beyond it. 

Lastly, I know I can't change the world and that everyone won't agree with my viewpoint. But I just ask for one thing: if you ever see a man or woman getting oppressed or not receiving his/her rights, please speak up and help someone in need. We can make a change together :) 

Perfectly Imperfect

I honestly don't think we are ever gonna have a perfect, ideal government. Like ever.

Back in the day we found faults with the lack of government under the Articles of Confederation and many claimed "government is best which governs least." Just as we though that the "ideal" government could be obtained with the Constitution, many found problems with that as well. They thought it made the government too strong.

And I, until just a little while ago, failed to see just how much our government controls our morals and actions. Think about it. We pride ourselves on being "american" and calling a world superpower home. We pride ourselves on the facade of cultural equality in this country. We pride ourselves on our modern society.

But we fail to look at just how binding this country can be. As of right now (thought its very likely to change), we have not had a female leader in power. Ever. Doesn't that scare you? It's over 200 years since we won our so-called independence and created a system of equality. We love to show the world just how far we have come from the stereotypical, woman-stay-at-home mindset and have adapted to the model of the working woman. Yet, Canada had its first female leader in 1947, and we, nearly 70 years later, still have millions of people afraid of making a female our nation's president. We fear that a female leader won't be strong enough. Won't be brave enough.

I wouldn't say its the fault of the people but instead of the government (btw, which has more men than women) and culture.

From the beginning, they have had utmost power on women whether it be disenfranchisement or the right for a woman to own land. The government has morphed Americans' beliefs and morals into making it acceptable to deprive women of equal power.

Women have to fight back, even if it means a little civil disobedience.

Forgotten Patriotism

There are 11 National Holidays that are celebrated in the United States.

As proud Americans, we celebrate each holiday in the same patriotic manner: by indulging ourselves in the sales each holiday brings.

What does Memorial Day mean? For remembering the brave soldiers fallen for our country? Of course not. I am just excited for the amazing sale at Best Buy.

How about Thanksgiving Day? Shouldn't we be expressing our gratefulness for this life?

Gosh no. I'm ready for Black Friday.

In the past 10 years, holidays have essentially completely lost their meaning. The general masses celebrate them without remembering their initial meaning. However, when they are celebrated, the holiday has a unique meaning for each individual.

For many Americans, Independence Day, or the Fourth of July, is the most momentous day of the year. We have barbecues and enjoy the effervescent fireworks. For that one day, we pride ourselves on being the most patriotic patriots we can be. For that one day, we are proud Americans celebrating the day when we understood that "all men are created equal" (Jefferson).

On the other hand, some Americans feel lost on this so-called "momentous" day. Neither do they feel patriotic nor do they feel proud. African Americans and Native Americans could not feel any more out of place on this celebratory day. 

Even as all men were finally considered equal, these two groups were kicked of the pedestal of equality and were forced to look above to see the ideal American. 

For years after independence, Native Americans and African Americans alike were abused and denied their "unalienable rights" (Jefferson).

So what is the meaning of the July Fourth for a minority?

It's just another day in the calendar. Another day of forgotten patriotism. 

What does it mean for you?

It's Not Always Black and White

What is the truth and what is a lie?
From an early age, we have been told what's the truth and what is not. 
Me always struggling in math is a truth, but devastatingly enough, the phenomena of Santa Claus is not. 
Truth and Lie. Have always been Black and White. 
One can never be the other, but one can never exist without the other. 
Sadly enough... much of my original thoughts about these two were brought to the test when thought of as truth and fiction
Quite honestly I always thought everything was a bit overanalyzed in English classes. I mean we invest more time dissecting a book and figuring out the author's motive than probably the author did himself
But this time, surprisingly enough, analyzing The Things They Carried actually made sense

This book, I'll admit, wasn't so bad at first like it was kind of boring but it was no Huckleberry Finn (Sorry Mr. Twain)
But once Tim O'Brien said that almost everything he said was just fiction, I literally had to put my book down and walk away 
Like that's just not okay

But then I realized that I spent 170 pages reading a book and just assuming that just because the character's name was also O'Brien, it would be non-fiction 
And if I had accidentally missed that chapter or not read it carefully, I would have always continued to think it was non-fiction
I mean how could I not... "When she was nine, my daughter Kathleen asked if I had ever killed anyone... 'You keep writing these war stories... so I guessed you must've killed someone'" (O'Brien 135). It makes complete sense. O'Brien was in the war and now he's a writer- both the character and in real life- but I was so very wrong. 

Looking back at the book now, there are definitely some things I can agree to:
1. one man's truth can be another man's fiction: two people can perceive the same event in totally different ways and both think they know the truth (trust me, I also feel like I know nothing now) 
2. there are some definite truths (this blog is due by 5 am, no exception) but also somethings that will never be resolved (I'm still working on being okay with that)

That's all for now.