Benzini Bros 3

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Benzini Bros' Author Intent & Circus Action
Book: Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Group Members: Antonio, Emily, Meeghan, Raymond, & Sashoya
Our Podcast: https://youtu.be/j0jr-Lii7bA

Brief Blurb:
Today's podcast, Benzini Bros' Author Intent & Circus Action is focused around the story Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. We discussed what happens in our latest reading, which concluded the book. As the ending of the book was full of action and drama, we share our reactions. The podcast is split in different ways. There are moments when we focus on the Author's intent with the heavy focus on animals and her intent with how masculinity is perceived. As this was the ending of the book, there were a lot things to talk about so we try to cover many different topics to cover a large portion of discussion topics. As this is our final podcast covering the ending of the book, there will be SPOILERS, and this is our warning!

Moments that we referred to:
  • Pete killing the horse for feeding other animals (pg. 139)
  • Animal cruelty (pg. 140)
  • Rosie using a stake on August (pg. 309)
  • Death of Uncle Al (pg. 320)
  • Jacob and Charlie's conversation (pg. 328)

The JShow Episode 3: At Last

The JSHow
Jacobo, Shana, and Harlem

Episode 3: At Last

And now, we have reached our final episode. In this final podcast, we discuss the happy ending of Treasure Island, the author's intent for writing the book and how the book speaks to Stevenson's legacy.

Evidence Used:
Chapter XXXIV: At Last (pgs. 186-190)

Listen to the podcast here:​
Screen Shot 2019-01-04 at 9.42.19 AM
Screen Shot 2019-01-04 at 9.42.19 AM

Macbeth K-I-N-G

​I worked with Sean and Kaya to make three songs.  Each song will be based off of the story Macbeth. 


At first we did not know what songs we wanted to do, I wanted to do an end story and Kaya wanted to do a fashion show, in the end we wrote 3 songs relating to Macbeth. 
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1o9OtRH-6I56P1vCrHO5wbcJTttZoEh20seyavTJyS4U/edit?usp=sharing 

We decided to do songs because it was sean's idea and it seemed like the project with the least amount of arguing in it.  The 4 songs relate to a different character and what their emotions are, including a bit of modern language and sounds.  The songs are for lady Macbeth, Banquo, Macbeth, and the witches, each has hints to what they are, and things that happened in the play. 

Watch the video below the image 

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https://www.wevideo.com/view/1287801144

Macbeth Trading cards

For this project Kobe and I chose to make trading cards. We chose to do most characters but removed or combined some if they were not essential to meet the time requirements. We chose to do trading cards so that we could show the significance and our knowledge of the characters and plot but have the work easily split up. We also wanted something we could work on separately due to the fact that Kobe had cheer competition.

Click here to view the trading cards.
Layout planning
Layout planning
Calendar
Calendar
Card list
Card list
Card layout
Card layout
Sleepwalking Lady Macbeth card
Sleepwalking Lady Macbeth card
Macbeth card
Macbeth card
Lady Macbeth  card
Lady Macbeth card
Macbeth head card
Macbeth head card
​These trading cards were created to analyze each character and their actions. The cards include basic facts, analysis, and a rating. Each card goes into detail about how the character and their actions add to the play and impact the outcome of the play. These cards can be traded based on the raiting. Five stars is very rare witch means the character is important and greatly impacts the play. One star is common this means it is a minor character and their actions don't impact the play greatly.

Macbeth Act 5 Scene 4.5

This is the original copy of our script
This is the original copy of our script
the script after we edited and put a quill-pen font on it
the script after we edited and put a quill-pen font on it
Final product of our media. We destroyed the paper and stained it to look ancient. The goal was to make the paper look as if it was torn from the original copy of Macbeth.
Final product of our media. We destroyed the paper and stained it to look ancient. The goal was to make the paper look as if it was torn from the original copy of Macbeth.
We reenacted the scene to help visualize the entire script.
We reenacted the scene to help visualize the entire script.
Melanie and I wrote a missing scene for the play Macbeth. We know about Lady Macbeth's death was a suicide, we decided to add more to it. This scene is centered around this specific event. To understand the scene you have to look beyond Lady Macbeth's personality and look at her relationships and hot they affected her mental health. In the scene, Lady Macbeth sees an apparition of Lady Macduff. after they talk, lady macduff is able to convince Lady Macbeth to jump out of a window to end her suffering. 

The Color Purple Podcast #2 // Lenses

​Hi all!

     In this episode of The Hydrangea Effect, we continue to talk about the progression of Celie's character as well as her relationship with her sister Nettie and other people in her life. We discuss Nettie's experience in Africa and how that relates to her and her sister's past and self-love. We even talk about the difference in community between the U.S. and tribes in Africa and what that means.

Evidence Used:
“I felt like I was seeing black for the first time.”(141)
“Us each other’s peoples now” (183)
and more!

Thanks for Listening~!

The color Purple- Episode 2- Mindy, Aysha, Alan, Autumn, and Sharron

The Purple Table Talk The names of the group members Aysha Siddiquee, Mindy Saw, Autumn, Sharron Norton, and Alan Chen

Episode 2- Purple Table Talk 2

In this episode of Alice Walker’s The Color Purple we were focused on shedding light on Nettie’s journey and the way that comes about and the changes that were made throughout the beginning and how it comes about especially the way that through her journey the different lenses especially the feminist lens. We dived into the Marxist and Historical to discuss the impact of setting on Nettie especially.

A list of the evidence used (with page numbers) for listeners to locate as desired ( Pg. 121, 170, 179 ) - the letters from Nettie to Celie.

179- Shug’s encounters with Albert explained

https://youtu.be/qfc2GOmPbiI

Water For Elephants Podcast #2

Uptop Books - Naima DeBrest, Kyianna Thomas, Lauren Matthews

Episode 2: Literary Lenses

The book that we are reading is Water for Elephant by Sara Gruen. During this episode, we will be discussing the relationships and correlations between the characters looking through the literary lenses. Each lens talks about things reflecting on the time period of the book in the 1930s and as well as the social classes between characters. For this podcast, we will be talking about pages 81-275.

“August, wait! Where are you going? I’m going to teach her a lesson,” he says without stopping. But August!” I shout after him. Wait! She was good! She came back of her own accord. Besides, you can’t do anything now. The show is still going! He stops so abruptly a cloud of dust temporarily obscures his feet. He stands absolutely still, staring at the ground. After a long while, he speaks. Good. The band will drown out the noise.” I stare after him, my mouth open in horror. -Page 170, Chapter 12

Kurt's Krew #2: A Truthful Lie

Gregory Tasik, Miguel Rivera, Nick Ryan, Tommy Conley
Gregory Tasik, Miguel Rivera, Nick Ryan, Tommy Conley

On this week’s podcast, we analyze our reading through literary lenses. We discuss the 1960s and its impact on the themes of the book.  One of the major themes ends up being religion’s role in the story. We analyze Bokononism and its undenying contradictions, and truths. The Krew goes back and forth in understanding Vonnegut’s critiques of religion vs science through this fake religion of Bokononism. Finally, we discuss Mona, a strong female character who presents some problems for the narrator John.


Some evidence we used:
  • “And there’s old Karl Marx…….They got practically every enemy that freedom ever had out there.”(230)

  • The people of San Lorenzo… are interested in only three things: fishing, fornication, and Bokononism”(234)

  • “Newt was the quickest, he pointed out to me that I had my passport and my billfold and my wristwatch in my hands” (192)

  • “I love everyone.” & “Love is good, not bad,” -207

  • “As your husband, I’ll want all your love for myself” (208)

The JSHow

Hello! The JSHow is back! In today’s episode, we will continue discussing the novel Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. We will analyze chapters 9-19 with various literary lenses, such as the Feminist and Marxist lense.

Evidence: “would not consent to take a fraction more than what was due to her.” (22) “I’ll finish all of them in the island” (60) “Mate, it’s because I thinks gold dust of you-gold dust, and you may lay to that! (75)

Hope you enjoy the podcast and see you all next week!

-Jacobo, Shana, Harlem

Benzini Bros Podcast @

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3vtDb6DbBo
​Marxist Lens
  • Performers vs. workers
  • relationship between workers and performers
  • relationship between workers
  • relationship between performers
  • Social societies
pg. 187: it's such a shame when a man is worth less then a beast
(context - tossing people off the train as it moves when they cannot pay them)
pg. 36-37: kinkers = performers
pg. 33: different sitting areas
pg. 249: What? How? Was there a Hey Rube?... A fight between us and them. Show folk and rubes.

The Kitty Committee: Marxist Podcast

https://youtu.be/B4qXzRBn2JA
This podcast is about the White Tiger, a murder mystery of sorts set in modern day India as told by the murder himself through a series of memos. Our last reading covered a very action packed section of the book (listen to find out what happened!) and we analysed the events using the marxist lens. India's caste system, while technically abolished, still controls much of the population, including the narrator who is a servant, which makes it easy to find marxist elements in everything. Click the link below to explore the life of one of India's many servants and entrepreneurs as he gets closer and closer to the murder he's been hanging over our heads.

 Peer, Basharat. "The Nandy Affair." The New Yorker. Condé Nast, 1 February 2013. Web. 7 January 2019. <https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-nandy-affair

The article's primary focus is on a remark made by prominent Indian intellectual Ashis Nandy. He was referring to new-found positions of power within the lower castes - specifically, that they seemed more corrupt because, unlike the elites, they could not easily cover up their corruption. This got pulled wildly out of context, and published in a very sensationalizing manner: "
Within moments, Nandy’s remark about most corrupt Indians being from traditionally oppressed and marginalized lower castes and tribes was tweeted without its context. Television channels and wire services ran the headline: 'SC/ST/OBCs [lowest Indian groups] most corrupt: Ashis Nandy.'" This prompted rage and hatred from multiple prominent lower-class groups, and Nandy being put on trial for attacking the state and encouraging casteist attacks. It's really insightful as to free speech as it relates to India, as well as how India handles caste-based issues. Evidently, there's power within every caste (and corruption).

Polgreen, Lydia. “Entrepreneurs Rise in Ashes of India's Caste System.” The New York Times, The

New York Times, 10 Sept. 2010, www.nytimes.com/2010/09/11/world/asia/11caste.html.

This article provides insight on the way the caste system and its “fall” have affected politics and entrepreneurs in northern and southern India. In the North, outlawing the caste system lead to many lower caste people jumping into politics, using their caste as a way to motivate voters and gain political power. In the South, the lower castes were mobilizing around economic mobility and opportunity before the removal of the system, making it much easier to join and expand the job market after removal. These polarizing approaches have lead to huge entrepreneurial gain for the South with lots of political divisions in the North. The White Tiger follows a character that moves from the North to the South to follow these economic opportunities and to escape the political polarisation of the North where he recalls never actually voting himself because others had done it for him. The article even goes so far as to say that many in the North “don’t cast their vote; they vote their caste.” This shows the priorities of the North vs the South and of the narrator who prioritizes material gain over ideas and politics, following the Marxist definition.  


Little Sisters Podcast James, Kamil, and William

Title: Different Views
Podcast Title: Little Sisters

Summary:
In this episode we look through three literary lenses and apply them to what happens during our reading of 1984 by George Orwell. We pay special attention to O'Brien and Winston's interaction. We also look Dreams, and women's roles in the society.

Evidence:
  • O’Brien invites Winston to his place to review the tenth edition of the Newspeak dictionary (161)

  • “Do you know that until this moment I believed I had murdered my mother?” (164)

  • The chapters in Goldstein’s book are titled with the same political propaganda that the party delivers over and over: “Ignorance is strength,” “War is peace,” etc. (188)

  • “I don’t mean confessing. Confession is not betrayal. What you say or do doesn’t matter; only feelings matter. If they could make me stop loving you—that would be the real betrayal.” (170)

  • “The whole atmosphere of the huge block of flats, the richness and spaciousness of everything, the unfamiliar smells of good food and good tobacco…” (171)

  • “The past is whatever the records and memories agree upon. And since the Party is in full control of all records, and in equally full control of the minds of its members, it follows that the past is whatever the Party chooses to make it.” (219)

  • “It was behind the picture” (227)

  • “It was my little daughter. She listened at the keyhole. Heard what I was saying, and nipped off to the patrols the very next day.” (240)

Audio Silence Podcast: Episode #2

Group:
Kwan, Ayala, Jimmy, David, Eric

Episode #2:
"Literary Lenses o.0"


About This Episode:
We are very excited to share with the world the second episode of Audio Silence! First thing's first: for this episode, our group switches things up a bit. "Literary Lenses o.0" offers a new voice and different perspectives. This episode focuses on understanding the text we've been reading from a particular point of view. Host, Davis Roberts guides guests Jimmy and Ayala in a fascinating discussion from a feminist point of few. Listen as our group talks about gender and female representation in the second part of our series on 1984.

Evidence Cited from George (B)Orwell's 1984:

What the Party did to the act of sex - 67 and 68

“The sexual act, successfully performed, was rebellion.” - 70

Anti-Sex

“the more men the better” - 128

So It Goes Podcast (Book Club Meeting 2)

Matthew, Deja, Katie, Zahira, Leah
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-dresden
The article was about the bombing that occurred in Dresden, Germany during World War II. It does a really good job of explaining the context in which the attack happened. It also has a section dedicated to talking about the aftermath of the bombing. Throughout the book, the author and the main character mention the bombing in Dresden many times. Ultimately, Dresden is where the main character finds himself imprisoned at Slaughterhouse Five, and he winds up surviving the attack. This directly correlates to the New Historicist lens because Kurt Vonnegut survived the Dresden bombing as a prisoner of war. Likely, he included the Dresden bombing in his book as a way to interpret the traumatic event that happened to him.

The article was about how the concentration camps worked as mentioned in the title. Starting off with these two French women mentioning the large trucks filled with dead bodies. It scarred them, saying that “If one day someone makes a film they must film this scene. This night. This moment.” Later on in the article, it mentioned that there was a child's room. That room was for women who were going into the camps pregnant, they were forced to be apart from their baby, that baby would then be placed into the room to starve to death or eaten alive by rats. The camps were grotesque and powerful for those not in the camps. It shows Hitler's rule over the people. It provides more insight into the novel and the lens chosen due to the fact that the prison camps are mentioned a bit within the books. Mentioned in the beginning and when readers were told Billy had gotten captured pretty young. Kurt Vonnegut was also captured pretty young by the Germans after he was drafted into the war. 

The Children's Crusade was known as a movement where 20000 child soldiers who were assigned to fight when there was a greater chance of losing the war than winning with many survivors. Many of these children made it back home but a majority of them ended up captured and being sold into slavery. this was a fight fought in 1212 c.e, but it has relevance when speaking of our book " Slaughterhouse Five" where many of our characters have fought in the second world war.  Billy who is one of our main characters is captured as he is fighting. He and those he fighting are only 16 to 18. Still children in our time.

Pols, Hans, and Stephanie Oak., "WAR & Military Mental Health." AM J Public Health. (2007). PMC: U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health. Web. 7 Jan 2019.
This article was an informative position article of sorts written by two U.S. government doctors researching WWII PTSD, especially during the 20th century. It mainly spoke of how psychiatrists during this era treated the soldiers before deployment and after discharge. This article felt that the treatments available now were inadequate for treating war inflicted PTSD on the before, during, and after the war. This article provided more insight into my novel and lens because the book itself is mainly about veteran suffering from PTSD and how his life was affected by it in a very roundabout way. Nevertheless, this book creates some inside on the historical background on how WWII soldiers were being treated during that time.



Children of the Night Episode 2

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Children of the Night Episode 2

Amado, Ethan, Aden, and Shilo

The Women in Dracula


In this episode we focused on the role women play within the novel. We compared the men’s actions to that of the women’s actions within the book. We spoke a lot about Mina’s influences on the books plot and other characters and compared her personality to that of other women’s throughout the book, such as, Lucy. We also speak on the seductive, sexy, and erotic actions of the vampire women and why they are portrayed the way they are.


Evidence:

  • Pg 253

  • Pg 40

  • Pg 41

  • Pg 201


The Bluest Eye: The Eye Openers Podcast

https://youtu.be/Ca2v6wi6EV8
​In our bookclub podcast, we talked and focused on the marxist lens in our reading. There were many focus points of our reading that had a lot to do with the main characters being Claudia and Frieda reveal a lot about their personal feelings towards materialistic things. And it was clear there was a huge impact on Claudia and Frieda through society and how they viewed themselves as well as others. We wanted to zone in and focus on the reason of why and how deeply society truly has a role in shaping and taking over the minds of people especially those who are younger. 

viv: “There Could Be Power in a Union.” Jacobin, jacobinmag.com/2019/01/gilets-jaunes-yellow-vests-unions-labor-cgt-wages. 

This article was about protestors in France outside the trade union to protest and renew the labor movement. And these protestors were specifically aiming their anger towards President Emmanuel Macron. They were discontent with the sudden rise in fuel taxes and it soon led to a lot of social problems and separation among the "popular classes in rural areas." This highlights one of ideas within Marxism, when it came to society or groups of people having the desire to one-up another group of people based off of materialistic ideas and money. In the novel, there were many sections in the story where Claudia and her sister Freida would constantly compare themselves to the other children around them based off of materialistic things like clothes, to food, down to the neighborhood that they lived in and how mentioning their envy towards others. 

Tyreek:
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/apr/25/toni-morrison-books-interview-god-help-the-child


Jakob: 

Ghansah, Rachel Kaadzi. “The Radical Vision of Toni Morrison.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 8 Apr. 2015, www.nytimes.com/2015/04/12/magazine/the-radical-vision-of-toni-morrison.html.

The article was about the author and the book and her radical vision and how she wanted to diversify the writing industry and how she writes about black people. She points out the things they face and how she talks about how she writes to tease her world and to complicate her world. Shown in the book when she writes about different social classes at the time period, Pellocia family who is poor and one example would be Maureen her family has more than they do and you can tell how she is judged by the girls. She writes about the Marxist lens because Pelloca always compares herself to others and wants to be white because they are generally treated better and have a better life in her eyes, she feels if she was white she would not have to deal with issues that she faces that’s part of the reason she wants blue eyes. The article gave me some insight on the author because I now know her purpose for writing and gave me insight on the lens because she writes to point out issues which are showcased in the book like class and comparing to each other.


Hocus Pocus literary lens episode

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In today's episode, we discuss the book through multiple lenses. These lenses are the Marxist, feminist, and the new historicist lens. This portion of the book is reflective on Daniel, who is the second oldest of the siblings. We talk about how wealth, history and feminism affect his life and relationships in the book.




References to the book:
232- Raj being controlling over women
page 240- Raj and Daniel's conversation about career (feminist lens)
pg 205- Eddie brings up the Castello family. ( New historicist lens)
Pg 238- arguing with raj about Iraq conflict
pg 217- different economic status