Blog Reflection

My participation on this blog has not been the best. At first, I did the work but then I failed in doing it. I admit that I was a reckless. This is not hard work, so there is no excuse for not doing it in time. One of the reasons I think I did not want to dot he work is because I hate homework. It's not just for this class, it's for all. I don't like doing work in my house. There are too many distractions. In my room I have so many movies and books and just endless things that I prefer doing instead of studying. Also, I leave every work for the last minute and sometimes all the work from all the classes fall on me at the same time. It is something I have to work on, because I can't rely on free time at the university to do all my work.

As for the writing, I don't know it there was really any improvement in it. I did realize, however, that in order to write something good I have to be really interested in what I am writing. If I am not I come up with little material. My earlier posts were a lot more interesting because I enjoyed writing them. So I really have to work on expanding my horizons in terms of writing about different subjects not particularly to my interest or liking.

The '60s, Part III

The last part of the '60s presents events very similar to ones we are seeing today in Puerto Rico. One of them is the student's strike. Back then, a lot of protests and movements happened. They were against the war in Vietnam. There is one part of the movie when people break-in in protest into a University in. There is an ongoing strike or student movement in the UPR where students make themselves heard. They protest against the administration's injustice and the government's injustice, too. They defend the country and stand up for what they believe in. It is very important that people express their opinions about situations. If they don't, then things will always remain the same and other's can do whatever they want if they control the situation. Every injustice in the world needs people to stand up against them. If people don't fight, then positive change is never going to come. Of course, there are some extremists who, like in the movie, takes things to dangerous extents. In the movie, Kenny makes a homemade bomb as part of the fight against the government. Here in the strike there have been some situations in which extreme action was taken. For example, the attack on Ana Guadalupe. What happened that day greatly affected the student movement.

The '60s, Part II

Part II of The '60s focuses a little bit on gender roles. Women don't have a voice. For example, when Sarah tries to speak in the reunion in front of all the men, she is denied from doing so by Kenny. Another example is Mary, the father of Katie, Michael and Brian. She often tries to have a say in matters of the family but his husband Bill does not let her. She finally takes a decision to change this when her son Michael tells her to sign a petition. She agrees to do so, even when Bill tells her not to do it. She tells him that she respects his decisions but that he had to respect hers, too. Katie leaves home because she cannot stand the oppressive environment which his father has created in the house. When she got pregnant, his father was about to explode. He thought it was outrageous for a girl like her to get pregnant. I think the '60s were a bit of a hard time for women. I can't imagine how it must have been for them there. They couldn't have opinions or say in important matters. I am very happy that nowadays most women are treated they way that they are supposed to.

The '60s, Part I

The first part of The '60s focuses on the civil rights movement of African Americans. We are introduced to the Herlihys, the family in which the movie is focused. This family is not African American, so the discrimination and the civil rights movement depicted in the series is portrayed in the life of Emmet and his father Reverend Willie Taylor, although here are some parts in which the Herlihys family is involved in the portrayal of African Americans. For example, when Katie gets in trouble when she dances next to a dark-skinned man. The movie shows a part when African Americans go out into the streets to encourage other African Americans to vote. They are confronted by a mob of Caucasians who want to stop them. It all ends with some violence and the African Americans keep their ground. One of the Herlihys boys was present in that part. Actual footage of that period is shown. African American get arrested or are beat up by police officers. This part of the movie reminded me of the movie Milk(2008) and the gay rights movement depicted in said film. Watching this movie made me realize how glad I am that people stand up for their civil rights when they are violated. In The '60s African Americans when through a lot of trouble to acquire the rights they have nowadays. Even so, they are still discriminated against by a great number of people who still believe that they are superior to them. Footage of speeches of Martin Luther King Jr. are also shown in the mini series. This helps a lot in understanding what were the people's claims to the United States and what they wanted. Another historical figure present in the '60s is that of Malcolm X. When I was in 7th grade we had to see the movie of Malcolm X, so I remember a little from what we studied. If I'm not mistaken what he preached was that African Americans had to go back to Africa to achieve their freedom and happiness, whereas Martin Luther King Jr. demanded equal civil rights for everyone.

Two Can Play

Trevor Rhone's Two Can Play deals a lot with gender roles and chauvinism. Jim and Gloria are a dysfunctional couple that throughout the play deal with their marital issues. Jim thinks he has to be treated by Gloria as if he was the chief of the house. For example, he wants her to prepare him food all the time and to do everything around the house. Gloria, on the other hand, does not want to be the housewife Jim wants her to be. Jim is also very disrespectful towards Gloria. He is always calling her a 'bitch' and is always ordering her around. Gender roles in the play are very clear. Jim is one of those guys who is mean to his wife and that thinks that she haves to do everything he tells her to. Gloria does not always let him get away with his ways. She often does not do what he tells her to do, like fixing him a meal. Jim also thinks that woman can't do certain things, but at the same time sees no wrong in him doing it, like masturbating. He gets very surprised and befuddled when Gloria admits that she masturbates. The thing is that Jim does it too. He does not think much of it when he does it. When Gloria says that she does it, then it is wrong because she is a woman. It's pretty much like in the present. A man can be with many women all he wants because he is a man, but if a woman does it, then she is a slut. Think about it, there is no man word for slut.

Reflection

This blog has provided an outlet to express myself in a creative way and my performance is demonstrated in my work. The art of writing is a positive, creative project that serves for all purpose. This process helps you achieve a state of density that cannot be achieved any other way. It drains all your thoughts and feelings from your mind in order to plaster them onto paper so your work is, by all means, a piece of yourself that can transcend time. By writing we not only comment on a specific written work or movie but we may also express our feelings towards the matter and reflect upon it. The act of writing in a public fashion seemed a bit terrifying at first but it is actually very liberating. I understand that this activity has served in my development and has made me more conscious of my writing. I have noticed that by exposing me on a regular basis to the art of writing, it becomes more fluent. Suddenly I can gather most of my thoughts with less effort and my deepness becomes more obvious. The analysis of the movie and of the play made me discern that by writing I can comprehend better. It has also given me a different approach toward studying and towards life. 

The 60’s Finale

Most of the issues addressed during the first part of the movie continue throughout the same. Racism is one of the main issues touched during the film and it continues up until this decade. Even though there are laws that are against it, it has not disappeared. Like much of the movie we may see these hateful acts towards people with ethnicities that are contrary to your own. This selfless act towards humanity ends up in war and in most cases tragedies. Another important issue addressed was discrimination. The discrimination is evident in some key scenes. For example, gay men were not accepted in the army. Up until this day there are hate crimes that appear in the media. There is very little investigation as a result of these particular crimes and the media brushes away this news by more “important” matters. The gender roles associated with The 60’s shows that women were classified as inferior in comparison to the men but during this particular decade they demand to be heard. The decades have passed and many professional women with high positions still feel the need to prove their authority and intellectual height among their co workers and even society. By being a woman you are expected to behave a certain way, look a certain way and achieve certain goals. A large population of men still feels this way and act as if their power overshadows that of women. By comparing The 60’s to the present you might see different styles, make up, and hairdos but the issues remain. People are still fighting for peace and a war between brothers continues.

The 60’s Part Two

In the continuation of the 60's we notice that there is a huge war that has erupted, a war against Vietnam, a war between races and a war between genders. The United States was going through a difficult situation in which most people were fighting. The disunion was very much present and the political activists were involved in the marches against the war which is clearly portrayed by Michael’s character and his act of peaceful protest. During a particular protest he achieves the safety of the other activists by offering a slogan and placing a flower in a soldier’s gun. This iconic scene in the movie and history radiates substance and symbolism. Another important factor in the film is the “white versus black”. The racial dilemma results in an outburst in which Reverend Willie ends up shot by a police officer and this motivates his son to integrate in the hippie movement and later on in the Black Panther Party. In the other hand, Katie was going through a tough situation because she had no money for her baby's well being and so resorts to a stripper job. Women were degraded and a stripper was a toy that had no value. Discontent by the treatment, Katie decides to leave and the audience is then exposed to a heart breaking scene in which Katie was robbed and wondering the streets with her child with no help or hope.

Blog Reflexion

Blogging has never been part of my hobbies like many of the young people that use the internet so frequently. Almost everybody had a blog account and of all people, me, the one that loves to write all the time, never took the time to make a blog. I had never considered blogging as a true alternative for my writing. Being unexperienced in this field I did not know what to expect when the teacher presented the blog project. I truly enjoy writing and the closets to blogging I had ever come, was publishing some of my best short writings on Facebook as notes.

As close as Facebook notes can come to actual blogging, it is no the same. The difference lies in the reach or propagation factor that comes for blogging. When writing notes on Facebook my audience is limited to my friends, while blogging extends my writing to almost everyone surfing the web. This had me a little intimidated in the beginning. Thinking about my ideals and feelings being so nakedly exposed on the internet had me nervous. However after doing the first few entries, I realized blogging was a very powerful tool for self expression.

This project really expanded my horizons for writing because I had heard of blogging but I had never tried it. Experiencing just how easy my writing can be exposed to everybody, opened my eyes to new possibilities. Starting my own blog was the first thing that came to mind after this experience. Also having to write reflections on The 60's movie had me thinking I could somehow write critiques on movies or write analysis on the different themes that are brought forth in movies. I also had the idea of writing in a different direction and style. Given the fact that most of my writing is mostly artistically centered, I figured I could change my style or use it to creatively include some analytic and critically centered visions for expressing my thoughts on the different social situations that are happening in my country.

Writing

Writing projects are often the big thing when it comes to the academic setting—whether it’s as simple as writing a definition on a quiz sheet or as elaborate as a research article or a graduate studies thesis. As duties of the academic doings, writing assignments can seem to be boring to many. Maybe it’s because one doesn’t find out how to make it entertaining, important or special in some other way; but when one tries, wonderful things can happen.

This blog page here is intended both as a class project as well as an experience of personal growth. By using some class content, such as a movie, a play, an essay, a poem or a research article, we have the opportunity to use them as guidelines for the expression of our opinions. Later on, once we get used to doing this with reading material presented to us, we can use this practice for things we might like more in some other way, provided that we weren’t writing about them in the first place. Depending on our view towards this kind of assignments, one can either conform to a bare minimum to avoid a failing score, or we can do something of superb standards by expanding on what we’re writing, and thus, on what we’re saying.

No matter how tedious this might seem at times, I at least pursued writing about the class topics in a profound way; seeking minute details and creating deep connections to the reality I live. I’d say this is most evident in our writings on the movie “The 60’s”. At first, when I first had the movie presented to me, I wasn’t quite connected with it. I at least don’t consider my writing about the first part we saw of the movie/mini series to be particularly special. Afterwards, when the time to write about the third part came, readers can notice how I expanded so greatly on at least one part of that blog entry: out of commenting on the end of “The 60’s” and relating the entire film with the Puerto Rican setting of the 2000’s, I actually explored more than what I anticipated about the Puerto Rican situation.

Considering I have an array of aspirations, ranging from politics, to civil engineering and even cartography, I’d say that they all have, even if to a small extent, a rather significant portion of communication; most notably in the case of politics and civil engineering (at least in my case). Writing a blog is an excellent exercise to polish the communication skills, as well as to polish them for communication itself. How, then, can ideas for the better administration of Puerto Rico, ideas for development and proper use of resources, as well as the act of communicating the geographic setting one has, are to be developed, if I don’t participate in their development by stating them? They simply can’t, or at least can’t be presented, developed and polished; without people interested in having them known. Communicating them widely is often necessary, something that blogs can do very well. Becoming familiar with blog posting may not seem like much, even if it seems it has little use. In a future, maybe really close or not so much, I may find myself writing on several blogs, as well as communicating ideas on other media, for the sake of presenting, developing and polishing them.

Some Thoughts About “The 60s”: Third Part and Contrast-Comparison With the 2000s in Puerto Rico

At the very end of the movie, the social conflicts themselves remain unsolved, not unlike the personal situations of the main characters. Starting with Katie, she now accepts and enjoys her motherhood, despite the terrible times she lived with the lack of care present in the hippie community and the different settings in which she tried to survive. Her dad, Bill, also had to accept her motherhood; unfortunately, though, she still has bad feelings towards him, as he wasn’t supporting and helping her during the critical stages of such time in life.

In the case of Emmeth, he has learned how the struggle for the civil rights concerning racial equality cannot be based on visceral hatred, for this leads to more clashes and violence, similar to the one being rejected in the first place. It is this violence the very same one that took away the life of his father. With this lesson learned, and his purpose in life redefined, he continued more actively in the community aid programs, specifically the community breakfasts program.

In the later stages of the movie, the struggles Bryan and Michael face become intermingled, as Bryan becomes a hippie upon realizing the horrors associated to the war in which he served. When he shared his experience with the concert camp in which Michael participated, he bursted in tears due to the profound affliction recalling what he did, contrasted to what the real intentions for his actions in the war were (those of the high commands of the armed forces). Michael, on his quest to promote critical thinking and anti-war opinions, was rather successful: aside from his brother Bryan, he was able to persuade his mother, Mary. At first, Mary had silenced her opinions in order to not come into conflict with her husband; but with Michael’s encouragement, Mary finally decided to express herself, and make her husband know her opinion on the Vietnam War, as well as her right to think that way. Once more, Bill had to modernize and accept the changes he was living.

Michael did have other struggles of his own, this time those in his relationship with Sarah. After various incidents with the other boy, Kenny, Sarah realized how he was selfish and chauvinistic. She also realized how his ways of being interfered with the very same interest that sparked his infatuation with him, following the more extremist lines of the anti-war movement. She left him and went back to Michael, someone who did allow her to have a voice and who genuinely cared for her.

Having all of this said, it is still important to consider how the social conflicts here, as a whole, are still unresolved. Despite the personal resolution of these conflicts, their social roots still remained around. The Vietnam War did not end until the mid 1970s, forcibly, due to the great pressures from the popular protests. The racial equality/civil rights movement was still full of turmoil, for major anti-racism riots still occurred in the next three decades. The anti-war protests had a later resurgence, as later uncalled-for wars also appeared later on.

When one looks at the Puerto Rico of the decade between 2001 and 2010, one can notice how these conflicts are still unresolved. Some have evolved into other conflicts as some of their aspects come closer to resolution, others have ceased to be so apparent, but still continue to be present, and there are a few more that have become worse.

Starting with the military aspect, an important conflict was that of the U. S. Navy practices on the grounds of the island-municipality of Vieques. It is true that the practices were scheduled to end sometime during this decade, but after the death of a supervisor of a bombing field, due to one of those very same bombs, many people had realized the damage that has been done during several decades of military practices degrading the lives of the denizens of Vieques. This led to massive protests, mainly in the form of civil disobedience and marches, to demand the closing of this and other U. S. military facilities in Puerto Rico. By May, 2003, the struggle had pushed successfully to conclude the practices, and also usher in the closing of several of the bases.

Due to Puerto Rico’s colonial condition towards the U. S. A. it also has to partake in the wars the USA’s military authorities and forces become involved with. During this just-past decade, the USA starts the ‘war on terror’, by invading Afghanistan (2001) and Iraq (2003). Like the Vietnam War, much of the population under governments of the NATO considers these wars to be uncalled for, and have protested against them. Here in Puerto Rico, organizations such as “Madres Contra la Guerra” (Mothers Against War, which groups mothers of Puerto Ricans serving in the USA’s Armed Forces) have been celebrating a variety of protests against these. It is also noteworthy to include some very recent events, namely the quasi-war led by the NATO allies with their air forces, in order to stop the massacre led by Libyan dictator Qadhafi. This might as well become a third war for the USA, and thus spark more protests.

Regarding the gender struggles, the feminine empowering is still unconcluded. Nowadays many women are still at disadvantage with respect towards their masculine counterparts. Labor discrimination, in the form of lower wages and a work environment structured in such a way that proper motherhood is impossible, is one of the bigger parts of this problem. This has been evident due to the protests against government agencies and large corporations, sometimes against academic as well as religious institutions, always citing lack of consideration, as well as systemized discrimination, towards women and their needs. In addition to the discrimination, there is also the violence widely performed against women in many contexts, mainly in the family settings. In many places, as well as practically all of the different sectors of society, gender violence, also known as domestic violence, is a terribly common problem in Puerto Rican society. Even if there is a law against domestic violence in all of its forms, the problem is still unaddressed properly, even if some advancement has been made. Paradoxically, the statistics of the most recent years have shown an increase of domestic violence, mainly the gender violence, manifesting as murders at its worst.

Even so, the gender struggle has reached another stage: with a greater conscience about social justice, more formerly unattended conflicts become apparent; as is with the discrimination faced by the LGBT community. Similarly to the gender violence faced by women, the LGBT community has increasingly become victim of lethal violence, and faces a harsher discrimination in the labor and social situations due to their sexual orientation. Recently, the Legislature of Puerto Rico has been controversially dealing with amending laws concerning domestic violence as well as the Civil Code of Puerto Rico. Many people have sought to amend these laws in such ways that they do protect and provide for the LGBT community, while the conservative groups throughout the society have sought to officialize the discrimination against these groups.

Finally, the racial struggle—while many in Puerto Rico consider this to be surpassed, in fact it is not. Racial discrimination still remains present, although in more subtle ways. It is present in jokes, insults, politics, xenophobia and the segregation in social groups. Things like discriminating against the community of Dominican immigrants (mostly black), the different ‘black’ communities of Puerto Rico (if one considers the racial profile of Puerto Rico’s population, one cannot say that almost all of the population is ‘white’, for it is almost entirely of mixed races), which are often poor and marginalized, the crippling pessimism taught in order for these communities to internalize a lower position in society. Unlike the other struggles, this one is one that has low visibility in Puerto Rico.
Overall, Puerto Rico is yet to solve many of these conflicts, especially since some are either long-lived or have even worsened over time. But, unlike what’s seen on “The 60s”, there is too little activism present at this time to push the change in Puerto Rican society.

Writing Down the Bones: Why Do I Write

For one of my writing down the bones activity, my theme was "Why Do I Write".

This particular activity motivates us to meditate on the reasons for which we write. The author mentions the fact that our motives and intentions really affect what we write and how we write it. This is precisely why it encourages us to do this exercise. Evaluating our motives for writing consists of getting ourselves into an introspective point of view in which reflect on those emotions and feelings that circle our heads when the time for writing comes. According to the author, it is very important to have our minds focused on our reasons for writing because those motives that thrive us toward it are what give sense and meaning to our work. Also, when our reasons are clear, our direction is more assertive and our message goes to a deeper extent into our writing. Writing in depth will result in more substance and therefore our writing will carry not just significant content but also revolve around a profound mood and feeling that will be connected to our selves.

The exercise proposes for us to brainstorm a list of reasons why we write, regardless of how simple or meaningless some may seem. Mentioning a few examples, a reason for writing could be because you are stressed, because you're having trouble communication with someone, because you had a bad day, etc. After stating in your mind several reasons, the exercise tells us to pick one of them as the epicenter of our writing. It even suggests selecting more than one and combine them to try different things. Regardless of how you do it, the purpose of the exercise is to canalize different thoughts, ideas, emotions, experiences and situations, into reasons for our writing. Having our reasons rooted in our minds will give us a chance to write and later on look back on what we wrote with a sense of awareness of our motives at the time. Understanding your motives will help you bring forth a message that you can re-read and find time after time. Even if time goes by and we read something we wrote long ago, we can be able to interpret our feelings at the time of our writing, helping us to better our understanding of our ideas and our writing process.

The 60's: Part 1

First of all I must say I've enjoyed the movie so far. It kept me very interested, especially with all the themes regarding social issues during the portrayed time. The movie really reflects most if not all of the social situations and dilemmas of the 60's. Right from the beginning, the theme of racial segregation and racism is noted as the school prom is instantly shut down after Katie (a white girl) starts dancing with an African-American student. Notably this was a social issue at the time and it continued to show further in the movie as there was a scene in which 3 black men get kicked out of a diner just because of their skin color. The social battles and tensions displayed between activists that favored African-American movements and white conservatives, is seen in how there were scenes of a marches for the voting rights of black citizens.

The activist sense that was surging during the 60s really was really portrayed, not only in the fight for black rights but also in manifestations against the government and it's demand for troops to fight in the Vietnam war. Social awareness and rebellion was very evidently displayed through the activism interests displayed by Michael and Sarah. Also, among this social rebellion boiling, the movie showed the hippie subculture that developed as groups of young revolutionaries that stood up in their own ideals against the government while living in a declared peaceful state of mind that consisted in selfless living and unity.

Another detail that stood out was the gender roles present through the movie. In the movie, the social situation regarding gender roles reflects a time in which women were sort of acquiring more of a voice in society and also starting to establish a feminist vibe. However, women were still subject to male domination and lived in a secondary role. For example, during the young revolutionaries’ meeting, Sarah attempted to give her opinion, yet the leader rudely interrupted her and proceeded to speak in a sort of taunt toward her words, totally diminishing the importance of what she had to say. This shows the mindset at the time that rejected or gave little importance to women involved in any matters that were not their common duties at home. This was also another factor in the gender roles.

We could notice how mostly every woman in the movie was either a housewife or a victim of some sort. For example, Michael’s mother as a housewife, and Katie displayed as girl victim of her sexual actions, pregnant and left alone. This particular aspect shows how women in the 60’s in the sexual area were basically victims because protection wasn’t as commonly propagated as it is today, leaving woman exposed to pregnancy almost one-hundred percent of the times they chose to have sex, while men still roamed free and unaffected by their sexual actions. Women were not only left with the trouble of having a child but also the pregnancy for young women implied a shameful thing for the girl’s family. The best example is Katie as we see how her father becomes enraged with his daughter’s pregnancy because of the social shame that would fall upon his family with the news of her pregnancy.

Some thoughts on “The 60s”, second part

On this latter half of the movie, the situations presented at the start were continued. Things like the anti-war protest, of which Michael was part of, were getting more active and more intense. He, as well as a huge group of protesters, were at Washington, D. C. The tension grew, up to the point that a military police force were pushing against the crowd, but had to stop upon the intensified pacific resistance. “We are not against the soldiers, we are against the war!” was their protest slogan. In accordance with hippie tradition, Michael made a gesture of peace: he placed a flower on the barrel of the rifle of one of the military police officers. Despite this, it is still clear that the protests are far from over. This did have other meanings as well, as Michael was trying to get the attention of Samantha, a radical protest activist, as she has cheated on him in favor of Kenny, a protest leader who was daring (he almost got killed by getting on a railroad track to stop a train with soldiers for the Vietnam War). At the end, it didn’t work. Later on, Michael and the other activists were endorsing an anti-war presidential candidate, and he did convince his mother of supporting the cause. A moment later, Michael’s father came, and brought news about Bryan, the older son, apparently being OK at the war front; he also ranted and mocked about his ideas. This also has to do with the feminine empowerment of the time, as his mother did stand up for her ideals and freedom when her husband heard and acted with resentment to her initial decision.

Continuing with the gender roles, Katie did get into the hippie movement to a significant extent, and ended up marrying a hippie singer. This didn’t turn out well, as he didn’t care for her nor her newborn son. Due to this, she had to resort to desperate measures: she became a stripper in order to earn money to feed her baby. At the end of the movie, we see her at a maternity room of a hospital, being a sign that she got pregnant again. This still means that the social ideas were still hostile to aiding the needy, which is worsened by being from a vulnerable group (women and racial minorities getting less aid when they need it the most).

In the case of the racial equality movement, the campaigns were becoming more intense as well, with figures such as Martin Luther King intensifying their speeches, and thus stirring up the crowds. Emmet also joins the heated situation, up to the point he steals a gun to use in the riots that were forming. Despite this, his father gets him to go back home, which later cost him (the father) his life, as he was shot dead, apparently by a police officer. These are signs of extremization of the movement, as the violent actions from both sides have accumulated to a saturation point for both frustration and resentment.

All of these situations represent the main social changes of the 1960s on the United States, but the story doesn’t end here. The revolutionary situation did not end with the 1960s, as it continued intensified during the 1970s. For instance, the Vietnam War did not end until the mid 1970s, there were many further racial conflict riots, even as late as the 1990s. In the case of the gender roles liberalization, it was also a slow process, and is still is yet to reach completion. There has also been some progress with the social aid, although it hasn’t been used properly by many.

Some Thoughts About "The 60s"

This movie overall is about the social revolution the Western World, especially in the United States of America. Through the three white family brothers Katie, Bryan and Michael, we explore several important issues of the time: the active manifestation of feminism, the civil rights movement for racial equality and the controversy around the Vietnam War. Each character, even if representing mainly one of these issues, has some involvement with the others.
First of all, we have the Vietnam War controversy. Bryan decided to join the Marine Corps, which at that time meant enlistment for the Vietnam War. Like it is to be expected, the relatives experience a mixture of preoccupation and pride, to varying extents. Pride because of the military tradition, and fear due to the risks involved. Then there’s the anti-war opinion of others, starting with Michael. Michael is a college student that then gets enrolled in the University of Notre Dame, and throughout the story he participates in various protest events, including the racial equality and the protests against the Vietnam War.
Then there’s the situation with racism. The story starts with a party, in which Katie dances with some African American boys. To non-racist and non-classist people, this would not be a problem; but it was indeed for those who are racist and classist. This is first embodied by Sister Elizabeth, a nun of their community. This caused trouble to her, as her parents were leaning towards the social conservativeness of the time. Later on, this social situation is lived by Michael, as he joins protests of the racial equality movement. One of these protests had them in a town, in which they confronted a police officer. Michael did not get hit by the officer, but one of the leading African American protesters of that sit-in protest, Willie, did get hit. This protest was partly motivated by the event of the first party, as Willie’s son was kicked out of the place and beaten to the ground by that same officer.
Finally, there’s the sexual liberation and the feminist movement on its peak moment. Katie was raised in a relatively conservative family of the time, but she got involved with activities deemed ‘socially rebellious’. Things like the participation in the first party, especially when dancing with the black boys; and later on the college party in California (their previous home was in Chicago) she had sexual intercourse with the lead singer of a band that was playing that night. At this time, contraceptive drugs were becoming available, but she did not have access to them on time. As a result, she did get pregnant.

"The 60's"

“The 60’s” is a recompilation of the political and social issues present during that time. Meanwhile, there were segregation laws and the division between races was very present. The mere interaction between both white and colored people was seen as degrading and preposterous. An example during the film was the dance scene in which this “color difference” is noted and the fact that Katie danced with a crowd of colored students was the source of her punishment. Not only was she in a compromising position with her parents but she was also facing the chauvinistic manner of the era. The gender roles during that particular time were established as two: the working husband and the housewife. When feminism became popular both genders clashed and women were not taken seriously. Women did not have a voice and were pushed aside when discussions were held because they were not seen as intellectual beings with valid propositions. Another theme presented throughout the movie was the hippie movement which was embraced and people utilized drugs as a form of expression and as a way to expand their mind.

"Two Can Play"

         Jim is a very chauvinistic man who takes pride in his way of being. He orders his wife as if he controls her and exhibits no consideration for Gloria nor her needs. He does not care that she is a woman who has aspirations and dreams of bettering her life. Jim believes his character is an example to his children when Gloria is the one who cares for the house, cooks food, and does all the chores which include caring for Pops, finding an extra income, and sacrifices herself by marrying a stranger. As the story progresses, she actually stands up for herself and demands better treatment, help around the house, and sexual pleasure. Bombarded by all these demands, Jim is taken aback and responds in a manipulative way that does not result for his benefit. We the readers, then experience the development and intellectual growth of Jim. He is willing to change and better himself in order to fix his already broken marriage. At the end, Jim is presented as a round character that is complex. He demonstrates deep emotions and has a moment of realization. This realization includes the appreciation for Gloria, the advice to his son and the demonstration of his "improvement".

Some Thoughts on Trevor Rhone's "Two Can Play"

In the play "Two Can Play", a Jamaican couple, comprised by Gloria and Jim, is facing several challenges during the course of a time of political warfare in their home in Jamaica. These thoughts are not about the setting, but rather focus on the gender roles these characters partake as they go about their daily lives amid this setting. By getting a general overview of their gender roles, Jim would be a chauvinistic man with a rather low self-esteem, whereas Gloria would be a woman who knows her worth, but that didn’t demonstrate so until she started partaking in the various conflicts of the play. Jim makes claims such as being ‘general of the household’, brave, sacrificed for the family’s wellbeing, as well as being a good and attractive husband for Gloria. These here are claims about himself that would make him fit the traditional and chauvinistic male figure concept. But, as the action progresses, these claims are already crumbling, revealing his actual blunt and true chauvinistic attitude.

Starting with the ‘bravery’ part, at the start of the play, the couple is trying to sleep during a night of political violence. Jim is really afraid of their home being attacked, and in order to sleep he has resorted repeatedly that night to sleeping pills. Later that night, the interior of the house gets unbearably hot, and he’d rather turn on a fan and increase their already delayed electricity bill rather than open a window. Gloria then questions him why didn’t he agree on moving away much earlier in the crisis, and he then claims he’s not afraid and that they don’t have the resources to move away anyways. He claims to be ‘the general of the house’ and yet he’s ‘quick to panic’ when facing tense situations; as evidenced by how he was almost experiencing a nervous collapse upon them having to handle a wrong visit of some police officers who were looking for other persons. They (the couple) counterfeited some money to pay for their expenses for the emigration and hid the money preventively in order to avoid being captured, even if casually. Gloria had actually hidden the money in the toilet, but kept it safe by not flushing and having the bank notes on a plastic bag. Jim collapsed crying, believing the money they had counterfeited was lost to the pipes of the sewers, since he requested Gloria to flush it away in order to avoid capture.

Regarding what he has done for the family, this comes up when they talk about their children, whom they smuggled into the USA since the start of the political upheaval in order to ensure their safety and economic opportunities. In the past, he did provide money for them to get an education back in Jamaica, but providing money (and not exclusively, as Gloria also has worked earning income for the household) does not make for a genuine dose of sacrifice for the family’s wellbeing. To contradict this claim, there’s his ineffectiveness to run household chores as well as his relative unresponsiveness when it came to health emergencies, such as the one preceding his father’s death. Later on, after Gloria returns upon achieving a marriage to gain U. S. citizenship, they get entangled in additional discussions and realizations. In this interaction, Jim tells Gloria he did have some cooking experience; and yet he doesn’t cook at the house. Nor he cleans the mess caused by the water bottle he dropped the night his father died. He also doesn’t know how to wash the dishes, and even isn’t being the one to provide care for his father, and it’s Gloria who has actually done so.

Then there’s his claim to be a good and attractive husband to Gloria is countered by his possessive attitudes towards her, his blunt jealousy when they’re working with the marriages for U. S. citizenship, his lack of attention to details and even his infidelity to Gloria. First, we get to know his infidelity, as it can be inferred by some phone calls he has with a person, most likely a woman, with whom he spends Tuesday nights with, dining the best ‘pea stews he has ever eaten in his life’. Parallel to this pleasant extramarital experience, he loathes Gloria for not ‘feeding him’. During the various years of their marriage, much of their marriage has been him demanding Gloria to feed him; and in the times he gets food from her, especially during the times of scarcity brought by the political warfare, he gobbles up the leftovers Gloria had spared to share with him for dinner, and then asks for more food while she hasn’t dined. He also loathes her for she having painted her nails, to which she replied ‘I haven’t done anything for myself for twenty years!’ as a testament of his inattentiveness to her. Jim also fails to pay attention to his wife, as he often shuts her up by saying “you’re just chatting nonsense”—indeed a lack of attention to details. Last, there’s the way he tries to ‘claim her back’ with sexual intercourse. His bluntness and possessiveness achieved to turn her off enough so that he stopped altogether his approach.

Despite all of these events, as well as some other ones, the experiences and realizations these conflicts brought had made them realize, especially in Jim’s case, how they haven’t stood up to their marital life expectations. They then agreed to start anew their relationship, and Jim promises to himself to meet up to these expectations. That day, their oldest son, Paul, calls them by phone. Jim used this moment of family rejoice to request his son to not commit the errors he has when it’s his (Paul’s) time to start his marital life. Getting back to Jim, this promise also reveals he had to admit he fell low enough to fit practically all of the classical chauvinistic behavioral profile: blunt, selfish, lazy, inattentive, lustful and too much looks and too little essence.

Writing Down the Bones: A List of Topics for Writing Practice

1) Stress vs. Relaxation

2) Marriage

3) Death

4) Characteristics of the humanly right

5) Memories

6) The mistery of dreams

7) Omens and fate

8) Lack of interest in life and it's causes

9)What it takes to miss someone

10) Loneliness

11) Bottling emotions

12) What I love about women

13) The turning points of existence

14) The search for life meaning

15) More questions than answers

16) Happiness

17) Value of money

18) Stability in life

19) Uncertain future and goals

20) Love

21) Character and will

Trust Yourself: An Overview (Part 1)--A 'Writing Down the Bones' exercise

"Trust Yourself" is a 'Writing Down the Bones' exercise that's rather ample: for it, one must review previous writings to critique and perhaps use parts of them, know how to handle and utilize feedback from others, learning to write about what one genuinely wants to say and how to incorporate writing scraps into future works (the writing 'compost piles').

In this exercise, I'm supposed to review previous writings of mine (and have others review them as well) and use my criteria to get something useful out of them, both for my personal use and for my literary use. So far, I'm not prepared yet to do so, as I pretty much don't have any literary work I should review. Also, this writing exercise seems more appropiate for when someone has written more overall, Regarding on how should I proceed, part of the "Trust Yourself" exercise is to allow ourselves be exposed through writing, in some way. When it comes to ideas and personal things, it shouldn't be that much of a problem, but social structures often hamper that. This at least is especially important for those interested in participating in politics. It often happens that politicians are socially scrutinized quite harshly, being compared to the traditional social standards of their time. In this kind of setting, a false move can mean a complete loss of reputation, which may be uncalled for in the first place.

Introduction: About Me

I’m Alexander Molano Santiago, an 18-year old and life-long resident of Bayamón, Puerto Rico. Currently, I’m a student of the Computer Engineering Articulated Transfer Program, between the Río Piedras and the Mayagüez campuses of the University of Puerto Rico; which, later on, I will combine with a Civil Engineering bachelor’s degree (definition used in Puerto Rico and the U. S. A.) and graduate studies for Civil Engineering. At best, I’d either be working with mass rail transport and/or create a Civil Engineering studies program focused on railroad transportation, or develop any that may exist, at the Mayagüez campus of the UPR. Backing up these academic and professional pursuits, I have a rather successful academic past, starting all the way with preschool, encompassing elementary, middle and high school, and still ongoing in my university studies.

When not dedicating myself to my studies, I usually spend my time with computer recreational activities (web searcings, art sites, some videogames, online chatting, among others), sometimes visual arts (including drawing, painting and costume-making), as well as occasional inner tourism elsewhere in Puerto Rico. I also enjoy politics, history, cartography, engineering (mainly civil) topics, arcane arts and providing aid. As for what I dislike, this includes parties, sports (except maybe archery, which I would like to practice), pranks in general (either performing or receiving them), stubborn ignorance and discrimination due to unjustified reasons (this includes almost all kinds of discrimination), and waking up early.

As for what I’d like to do later in my life, other than being a civil/computer engineer, I’m interested in having a political career, becoming a father and perhaps creating a Great Atlas of Puerto Rico. Regarding the first, I’d start in either the Department of Transportation and Public Works of Puerto Rico or the Planning Board of Puerto Rico, then as mayor of either Bayamón or Mayagüez, perhaps as a member of the Legislature of Puerto Rico and culminating as governor of Puerto Rico. Regarding fatherhood, it would be something I’d start somewhat later in my life but that I still would greatly love to achieve. Regarding the last major goal, I’d like to publish a book of that kind, as the Atlases of Puerto Rico currently available are overall really deficient in depth, variety and are often outdated. As a person fond of details, doing something like this would make it comply with all of these characteristics.

As for my ideologies, I’m in favor of Puerto Rican independence, somewhat religious but not detached from organized religions; prefer social democratic governments and social justice in general, and I support the ongoing UPR student struggle. When it comes to my personality, I’d say I’m somewhat of an introvert: I prefer to spend quality time with a few people at a time, or in silent loneliness. Still, this doesn’t mean I’m a shy person—in fact; it often happens that I’m the one who gets others to set shyness aside. I’m also an overall serious person, and my silly and jolly side tends to be reserved for those whom I trust the most. If you have a hard time getting along with intellectuals, then I may not be the most suitable companion to you. Despite all of this, I’d still be glad to know and befriend others.

A List of Topics for Writing Practice

1. A Bucket List
2. Travel
3. Food I love
4. Food I hate
5. Fears
6. Hopes
7. Dreams
8. Spirituality
9. Life
10. Nature
11. Love
12. Philosophy
13. Admirable people
14. Movies that touched me
15. Books
16. Interests
17. Excercise
18. Friends
19. Family
20. Memorable moments
21. Music

Introduction

        My name is Yarilis. I am currently studying biology at the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras. I am a very happy and nice person who loves to hang out with friends and have a good time. My favorite dessert is ice cream and I have a very peculiar fear. I am absolutely terrified by birds but mostly pigeons. Recently I have been obsessed with the idea of buying a beautiful Siberian Husky which is my favorite breed of dogs. I have a younger brother so most of the responsibility is put on my shoulders but this has served as a positive experience beacuse it has made me very independent and mature. A quote that I love is, "Things don't go wrong and break your heart so you can become bitter and give up. They happen to break you down and build you up so you can be all that you were intended to be.”- Samuel Johnson.

Writing Down the Bones: A List of Topics for Writing Practice

Here is one of the activities I made as part of the oral presentation another student made, the List of Topics for Writing.

When I finished making the list, I realized I want to write about things that I like or personal matters. I guess I am not really interested in writing about social matters or such.

Here are the of topics from the list. Notice that everything is personal or something that interests me in some way(movies, books, etc.). I explained some of them.

-Tumblr.

Tumblr is a blog site, pretty much like this one. The difference is that Tumblr is more about photography, movies and that sort of thing. Of course, there are people who only post writings. One thing I like about it is that there are people there that is very similar with me in terms of interests and hobbies.

-French

I am planning to major in Foreign Languages. One language I plan on studying is French. I think that writing about it will

motivate me more to study it and learn it.

-Film

I love movies. In fact, I am currently taking communication classes to later pursue a career in the film industry.

-The Table

-How I Met Your Mother

Watching How I Met Your Mother always makes me feel better. I love it.

-Musical Theater

I absolutely love musicals, both in theater and movies. My movie collection is filled with musicals including Chicago and West Side Story. Sadly, I have only seen a couple of live Broadway musicals, hairspray and In the Heights.

-In the Heights

Last november I saw In the Heights live here in Puerto Rico. It was the one of the most amazing and happiest experiences I had in 2010.

-Glee

Glee is a musical dramedy show that airs on Fox. I love musicals so it's no wonder that I love this show. The storyline is cheesy and sometimes stupid but I love most of the musical performances and the witty dialogue.

-Classes I want to take

-Air conditioning in COPU

-Recycling

-Living in my own apartment

One of my plans for college is living in my own apartment. Obviously, I want roommates. It is an experience I am looking forward to.

-Roommates

-True Blood

-Meryl Streep

-Tim Burton

-Guillermo del Toro

-Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde is currently my favorite author. I have yet to read his plays, bu

t I love everything I have read so far.

-The Picture of Dorian Gray

I am obsessed with this book. It was written by Oscar Wilde. It's filled with amazing and quotable dialogue. Also, I love the characters. I recommend it to everyone.

-New York Trip

It's my dream to go to New York. Who knows, maybe I will end up living there. In the meantime, I just want to go visit and hopefully go to Broadway.

-Europe

Because I am going to study Foreign Languages I am planning to spend a semester or a year as an exchange student in either France or Italy.

-Study Plans

-Disney

-Simba

Simba is my cat. She is the most adorable thing in the world.

-M-O

-Greek

-My Ponyo

-Being a Vegetarian

Since last September I became a vegetarian. I would love to write about my experience so far and explain the reasons why I don't eat meat.

-Emanuel

Introduction

Hey, my name is Emanuel. I live in Levittown, Toa Baja and I recently turned 19. I am currently majoring in Audiovisual Communications with emphasis on Cinema. Since I can remember, movies have fascinated me. I like most genres of them, though I prefer drama, science fiction and animation. My favorite movies are Amelie, The Wizard of Oz and Sleeping Beauty.

I plan on doing a minor in Foreign Languages. Since I started the university last semester, learning other languages is a desire that has grown on me. I want to learn French, Italian, Greek, Arab, and German. Going away as an exchange student is something that I think I would like very much and it would be a great opportunity not only to travel, but to know more about another culture and way of life. Who knows? Maybe the interest in Languages surpasses my passion for movies and movie-making. I'll probably end up mixing the two.

Another great hobby and interest of mine is Literature. I started reading since I was very small, and I have never stopped. I read almost anything, from classic literature to modern science fiction and adventure. My favorite books include The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Call of the Wild, Peter Pan, The Wizard of Oz and Where the Wild Things Are. At the moment, my favorite author is Oscar Wilde. His work is amazing and his personal story is very interesting.

I am a vegetarian. I started last September and I have not failed in not eating meat. There are many reasons why I suddenly changed my way of eating. First of all, I wanted to start eating well and lose some pounds, which I have. The other is that I don't think we should eat the meat that is sold in supermarkets because the animals are treated very cruelly. Maybe if the animals ran free until his time of their death I would make an exception, but that is never the case.

That's it for now. I hope you found this part of my story interesting and that you got to know me better.

-Emanuel

Gabriel: Introduction

Hello. My name is Gabriel Cruz. I am 18 years old and currently a student at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, majoring in Computer Engineering. I currently course my first year and I gradated from the University's High School as part of the 2010 class. As part of my hobbies, I enjoy movies, sports, music and specially writing. I strongly believe writing is a direct escape for our emotions and thoughts. There is no greater therapy than allowing our feelings and opinions to run freely, this is why we've made this blog, so that we can express ourselves openly. I hope you enjoy our entries, feel free to follow and comment.