Blawg Noomber Seven !

How according to ishmael, do we save the world? According to you?

According to Ishmael, we need to re write what was written and not divide the two peoples into takers and leavers. Though we have free will, we can always teach someone to do good and not evil.
Although, I believe that theres a reason for everything. We have free will, which leads to choices. Choices lead to consequences. Consequences lead to endings, which then turn back into another choice. It's a vicious cycle, but, we cannot stop the inevitable. We have choices, but that does not necessarily mean we always pick bad choices. I think that this whole story was based on choice. Adam had the choice to eat the apple. He was given free will. We have to have the will to save the planet. We also need the knowledge of what is happenening around us. Without knowledge, how can we even think about saving somthing that we do not even know is going on? In the end, I beleive we can do somthing, it's just a matter of having the will to do it.

Yet another QQC.

"Without Gorilla, will there be hope for man?"

Why was that on the back of the poster? What does it mean?

I think it means that, since the narrorator no longer has a teacher, I think Ishmael has hopes for the narrorator and that his job was done. His whole theory was that, if you want to change the world, you need to rewrite what was written by history.

Interview !!

Interview !!

Paul: So! Mom, What are your views on Global Warming?

Mom: Well, I beleive that global warming is happenening and that it should and can be stopped. We all can do our part in keeping this earth clean.

Paul: What do you think we can do to help minimize the effects of Global Warming?

Mom: We recycle, we compost, we even re-use grocery bags. I think we even have our own Henrey's bag that your father uses.

Paul: Thanks mom. Is there anything you would like to say?

Mom: No, I have work to do. Thanks for asking though.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Paul: So dad, what are your views on the state of our planet?

Dad : I think our planet is in a pretty bad state come to think of it. With Global Warming, and the economy crashing, we've pretty much driven us to dark times.

Paul: How do you think we can pull out of this state?

Dad: Well, we're doing as much as we can to conserve energy. Well, atleast i'm trying my hardest. Hah, why do you ask?

Paul: I just think we should be worried about the state of our world. Do you think so?

Dad: Well, yeah. It's pretty bad, the position we're in right now. Although, I know we can pull through. Are you done?

Paul: Yeah, you have anything to add?

Dad: Not really. Go take out the trash when you're done.

Paul: Wooh. Thanks dad.

Ishmael QQC #2

"This one planet was destined to be the birth place of man"

Why would he say that? Does he consider all the other organisms living on this planet as well?

I don't agree with this quote. Some would say that yes, this world was created to sustain the life of man, but, consider the other living things on this planet. Surely, they all have a purpose in life. Not one thing is alike on this earth. Each person has one Destiny to fulfill as Ishmael said. Though we may not know it, I believe every single person, man or animal alike, has a just reason for living.

Ishmael II

The beginning of man began even before the first human walked the earth. Before humans, there were dinosaurs. Then after Dinosaurs, there were apes, which then were followed by man, as the scientists say. Those who believe in science and evolution would say that man evolved from ape. Those who believe in religion would say that we were never evolved from the monkey and that God created us. However way you look at it, we really don't know where we came from or how we came to be. In the end, scientists create hypotheses about our existence. Although, we may never know how we came to be.

Quote, Question, Comment!

"Five Severed fingers do not make a hand."

Why would the Gorilla compare his family to a hand of five severed fingers?

I think it's a comparison to humans with the world. If the humans don't do they're fair share and are separate from the world, they both will fall.

Essay Completed !!

Paul Gonzales
Humanities
Ms. Guerrero
March 3, 2009
Brainwash and Contradiction
A little girl, walking home from school, sees something unspeakable; the mother of her friend, lying on the floor, helpless, beaten by the Red Guards. Within a moment, she sees the son of the moment, relieved, she expects her friend to help his mother up. To her shocking surprise, he walks right passed. She then remembers the horror of breaking ties with parental units. Teary eyed, she then returns to her grandmother’s arms, scared and confused. The horrible truth is, the Chinese Cultural Revolution was not at all what the people were brainwashed to think. The downfall of this idea was the fact that it caused much confusion and caused the people to actually forget what the Cultural Revolution was about, which was equality.
Confusion is to understand as revolution is peace
The Horrors of the Cultural Revolution lasted for ten years. In those ten years, men woman and children alike have been brainwashed into thinking that the Cultural Revolution was a good thing. Propaganda, confusion, contradiction and brainwash were different ways to trick the citizens of China into believing in the power of Chairman Mao. Chairman Mao’s idea of getting rid of old traditions and capitalist ideas was needless to say, an attempt at keeping his political stance as dictator. He did not want anyone to interfere with his plans for domination.

The Cultural Revolution was a revolution in which basically abolished the thought of capitalism and the basic idea of post-revolutionary class struggle and was launched by a man named Mao Zidong in year 1966 (Jiang,120). Before Communism, there was a class struggle that depicted whether or not you were wealthy in society; basically the rich were rich and the poor were poor, but when the Chinese Cultural Revolution came into play, class struggle was of no issue, and basically made everyone in China of equal class structure.
Beautiful Disasters
The people began pointing out each other’s flaws and basically turned rightist families and revolutionary children against one another. On top of the family feuds with the government, things called “dai-zi-bao” were appearing everywhere around schools to halt the respect of teachers and the people who work for them. Names of teachers were splattered with red ink to show that the students had control of their future and that the teachers had no say in what was going to happen inside the child’s life. (Nien Chang, 35)
Disrespect for elders, un honorable acts, and yes, even breaking ties with parental units were all considered revolutionary acts of the Cultural Revolution. Though they all were inhumane things that a mere child would do, the most emotionally damaging act of revolution would have to be mass criticism. Mass criticism is the act of a body of representatives in a certain area that define things as “fourolds”.
Fourolds were considered counter revolutionary and were burned and or trashed immediately. Ever since the fourolds were invented, not a single article or item was kept before the Cultural Revolution. In fact, all who kept such articles were considered counter revolutionists and were sent to “thought study” groups. (Jiang 195). Thought study groups were considered the most dishonorable thing in China you could ever go to. It clearly stated that those who attended such meetings were automatically considered enemies of the Cultural Revolution and were given one chance to “confess” what they have done wrong, even if they have done nothing to offend the revolution.
The Head Honcho Himself
At this point, you may be asking, “Who’s pulling the strings?” or “Who is enforcing what goes on around China?” There is one horrible, cold hearted answer. The Red guards. Red guards aren’t typical men in uniform enforcing whatever law the mayor puts out. China has children around the age of ten to fifteen working for the red guards! It’s a horrible thought, being ruled by someone who isn’t even as old as you. Though these red guards were young in age, the brainwashing of the Cultural Revolution gave these mere children the thought of authority. This revolution gave them the power to search, to obstruct personal privacy, and above all else, invade personal space. Red guards were often thought of as “Revolutions little enforcers”. This was true, though not entirely.
How would you feel if all that you knew of your homeland became a lie (Jiang 144)? And that you found out you were living a lie by a mere child wearing revolutionary clothing? Not that great, right? Imagine how the people of China felt. The people of China were scared to leave their own homes with the thought of rampaging pre-teens running around going through every person on your blocks houses looking for things that are “counter revolutionary”.
In conclusion, the Cultural Revolution created mass hysteria in China. Even though they now still have a dictator, I’m sure China would not make the same mistake of propaganda and contradiction again.













Works Cited
Nien Cheng, "Life and Death in Shanghai" (Grove, May 1987).
Jung Chang, Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1991). Heng Liang Judith Shapiro, Son of the Revolution
Ji-Li-Jiang, Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution (New York: HarperCollins, 1997).

The first step of writing! Outli-i-ine!

Paul Gonzales
Humanities
Mrs. Guerrero

Outline

Thesis Statement: As shown in her novel, The Red Scarf Girl, Ji-Li-Jiang is just another example of how a person was brainwashed during the Chinese Cultural Revolution.

I. Introduction: In the 1960’s a young girl, named Ji-Li-Jiang was a victim of the Cultural Revolution.

a. The cultural Revolution
i. What it was
ii. How it affected China

II. Body Paragraph : Explain the types of brain washing affects the Cultural Revolution had on China and it’s people.

a. Propaganda
i. Dai Zi Bao

ii. What that was
b. Mass Criticism
i. How people used Mass Criticism

c. Exploitation
i. Convocation of the red guards and how “great” the red guards were

III. Body Paragraph : Explain what the Chinese felt about the Cultural Revolution
a. Peoples Feelings
i. How they felt about the Red guards

ii. Why they felt that way
b. Ji-Li-Jiang’s Feelings

i. How she felt about the red guards
ii. Why she felt that way

IV. Conclusion: In the end/ The outcome of the Cultural revolution. Restate Thesis Statement

R-r-r-research Thesis!

Thesis Statement :

1. As shown in her novel, The Red Scarf Girl, Ji-Li-Jiang is just another example of how a person was brainwashed during the Chinese Cultural Revolution.

Research Question:

2. Research question: In Ji-Li-Jinang’s novel, The Red Scarf Girl, The Cultural Revolution flourished and planted seeds of Propaganda in the minds of everyone in Central China. What ways did the Cultural Revolution use to brainwash the people of China?

Quote! Question? Comment.

"I now realize that I am the one to take the roll that my grandmother had done for us all these years. I must take care of my family the way they have taken care of me, I made a promise ..."

First off ... This comment was intense! Well, I'm just saying that.
But my question is ... I do realize that it is imperative that she has to take the roll that her grandmother has taken in her life, but when exactly does she realize that she is able to head on over to America, the dream land?

I think that this quote was interesting, because it gave an emotional ending. Realizing that she's grown up is a pretty big step in her 12 year old life.

Research Information

The Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution (CR, abbreviation), it might sound unfamiliar for most people. It broke out more than thirty years ago in China, and few people know what the CR meant and why it happened. What can be said for sure is that it made a big impact on almost all people in China including young students and it had impact even on a lot of people in the world. This section lets you learn the some aspects of the CR such as its history and impact. I tried research as reflective as I could. I hope it will bring you a opportunity to think about what is the CR. The CR started in Oct, 1966 and ended in Oct, 1976. Indeed, The CR was threatening China for ten years. In the beginning, destructive groups such as Red Guards and The CR Authority grasped the power, and China drove into the severe confusion. But passing the time, the people got to doubt the CR. And finally, ten-year tragedy came to an end in 1976. Although the CR involved a lot of the people, noone knows the definite cause of the CR. There are a lot of background behind the CR. That was concerned with not only China but also the world. And they were involving each other complexly. Here, you can know a part of background of the CR. The CR had a great impact on a lot of the peole and each field like economy. Especially, a great number of students were used as Red Guards, and they lost their own time. And the CR had impact on the other countries. In the early of 1980s, the CR was formally considered as wrong and Gang of Four was judged on trial. During the CR, the number of the people who were persecuted to death were uncountable, and the damage on the mind of the Chinese is beyond words. We have to face the past and think of what is needed for future so as not to cause such a tragedy. Information found at: http://library.thinkquest.org/26469/cultural-revolution/ Information found at: http://library.thinkquest.org/26469/cultural-revolution/

Ooohoh, Research time.

Title:The Red Scarf Girl
Author: Ji-Li-Jiang
Date Written: Early 1990's
Revolution: Chinese Cultural Revolution

Description
This book is about a girl named Ji-Li-Jiang who finds life absolutely perfect. All that changes when Chairman Mao, a communist leader comes into play. Now Ji-Li is faced with the hardest decision yet. Would she join the Red Guards and become a revolutionist? Or would she become what her parents were considered, capitalists?

Research Question:
How did the Chinese Cultural Revolution influence the people in China?