For my Capstone project, I embarked on a 40-day social media detox during Lent to observe the effects on my mental health as a teenager. This practical experience was complemented by journaling my daily routine, volunteering to help the homeless, providing security at church events, and collaborating with my church community in Kensington. Additionally, I conducted research by listening to podcasts focused on mental health and the impact of social media usage.

The primary challenge was overcoming the initial withdrawal from social media and balancing the project with school and work responsibilities. However, through commitment and effective time management, I persevered.

This project allowed me to gain valuable insights into the impact of social media on mental well-being, develop self-discipline, and appreciate the power of community engagement. I learned the importance of mindfulness and finding a healthy balance in our digital lives.

If given the opportunity to undertake this project again, I would incorporate a more structured research plan, potentially including surveys or interviews, and extend the duration of the social media detox to observe long-term effects more thoroughly. Furthermore, I would explore the potential benefits of incorporating mindfulness practices, such as meditation or yoga, to enhance the overall experience and promote a holistic approach to mental well-being. Additionally, I would seek to collaborate with mental health professionals or experts in the field to gain deeper insights and validate my findings.

I just want to say again I am super passionate about doing this and what I was able to do with my mentality. Thanks SLA and other helpers along the way of my capstone.

Just a nice picture I captured of a rainy night on Kensington & Somerset, when me and some friends from church served coffee to the homeless.

Slides with Final Product

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1x2tsZvZ13qj3HbFwy3VGgJ1uLLvI_NQBFBf_yvUN1TE/edit?usp=sharing

Annotated Bibliography All Pages

https://docs.google.com/document/d/12eGFlwxcxDrlA0RPzTDcUa4-6CCG2nDt1-UPiEaZkyQ/edit?usp=sharing

Process Paper

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UOH7c7eKLizA3OpORYB_QHVj2peh02oDQTNYYVWI_SU/edit?usp=sharing

My Prompt : Track your own intellectual and emotional experience through a close reading of a particular section. You are encouraged to tackle sections that you have found confusing, uncomfortable, or intriguing. You can write this in first person, citing specific examples from this selection as well as other parts of the novel that connect these ideas. Your selected text can be as short as one sentence or paragraph, and should not be from one of the sections we’ve used as an all-class close reading.

In page 39 Offred says, “I would like to believe this is a story I’m telling. I need to believe it. I must believe it. Those who can believe that such stories are only stories have a better chance”. This sentence from chapter seven of the “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood dives into Offred’s complex relationship with memory, storytelling, and hope. Offred expresses a desire to believe that she is in control of her narrative, wishing that she could treat her experiences as a story she is telling, with the power to choose the ending and return to her previous life. However, she acknowledges that her situation is not fictional, but a real story that she is telling to an unknown audience. This internal conflict reflects her struggle to find agency and meaning in her circumstances.

Offred’s yearning to believe in the power of storytelling as a source of hope and comfort is evident in this passage. Despite recognizing the futility of her actions, she finds comfort in the act of recounting her experiences and imagining an audience that can hear her. This highlights the human need for connection and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity.

Offred’s reflection on the power of storytelling and her yearning for agency amidst her oppressive reality encapsulates the universal human desire for autonomy and meaning. Her internal conflict serves as a compelling exploration of the human spirit’s resilience in the face of adversity, resonating with readers on a profound level.

This passage also sheds light on the therapeutic nature of storytelling, as Offred seeks solace in recounting her experiences and envisioning an audience that can bear witness to her narrative. This underscores the innate human need for connection and the preservation of one’s humanity in dehumanizing circumstances.

Furthermore, Offred’s struggle to reconcile her longing for control over her own story with the harsh realities of her existence adds depth to her character, making her a relatable and multi-dimensional protagonist. This internal conflict not only enriches the narrative but also prompts readers to contemplate the complexities of hope and resilience in the face of oppression. Serves as a compelling exploration of the human spirit’s resilience in the face of oppression. This internal conflict not only enriches the narrative but also prompts readers to contemplate the complexities of hope and resilience in the face of adversity. It reflects the universal human desire for autonomy and meaning, as individuals seek to assert their agency and find significance in their experiences, even in the most dire circumstances.

Offred’s complex relationship with memory, storytelling, and hope reflects the profound impact of these themes on the human experience. Her desire to shape her narrative and find solace in the act of storytelling underscores the enduring human quest for meaning and agency, even in the most challenging circumstances. Offred’s internal conflict reflects the profound impact of hope and resilience on the human experience. Her yearning for agency amidst her oppressive reality underscores the enduring human quest for meaning and the capacity to find solace and purpose in the act of storytelling. This complexity adds depth to her character, making her a relatable and multi-dimensional protagonist whose struggles resonate with readers on a profound level.

This passage resonates with me as it captures the tension between the desire for agency and the recognition of the limitations imposed by reality. It also underscores the significance of storytelling as a means of preserving one’s humanity in dehumanizing conditions. This internal struggle adds depth to Offred’s character and underscores the universal themes of hope and resilience in the face of oppression, making it a compelling and thought-provoking aspect of the novel. It’s important to recognize that the tension between the desire for agency and the recognition of external limitations is a fundamental aspect of the human experience. This struggle is not confined to the fictional world of the novel but resonates deeply with real-life challenges and dilemmas faced by individuals in various contexts. The power of storytelling as a means of preserving one’s humanity is a theme that transcends cultural and historical boundaries, speaking to the enduring human need for connection, empathy, and understanding. In essence, the passage serves as a poignant reminder of the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity. It prompts readers to reflect on the ways in which individuals navigate and negotiate their agency within the constraints of their circumstances. By delving into these themes, the novel offers a compelling exploration of the human condition, inviting readers to contemplate the complexities of hope, resilience, and the enduring power of storytelling in the preservation of one’s identity and dignity.

My prompt:

Compare a specific section of reading to a larger historical, political, religious, or societal context. What connections can you make between what is happening in the text and what has occurred in history, politics, religion, the media, the arts world, etc.?

In chapter sixteen of The Handmaid’s Tale, describing the impersonal sex ritual between Offred, Serena Joy, and the Commander, Margaret Atwood shows how Gilead’s society completely oppresses women. Even though Serena Joy is the Commander’s Wife and should have power, she is also oppressed by the strict patriarchal rules of Gilead that say women are only valuable for birthing babies.

This sex ritual shows how both Serena Joy and Offred are treated like objects, not real people. Offred has to lie on her back naked from the waist down, with her head resting on Serena’s pubic bone. This shows how Offred is reduced to just her reproductive body parts. The men of Gilead just see the Handmaid’s as nothing more than baby makers. Offred says the Commander has sex with her “in a brisk, impersonal fashion” (page. 93-94) described this, which proves the Commander does not care about her feelings or needs at all. Offred is just something for the Commander to use for sex.

Even though Serena Joy is the Commander’s wife, she is also oppressed by Gilead’s rules. Serena has to be fully clothed during the sex ritual while Offred is half naked. This shows how wives in Gilead are supposed to be modest and pure, not sexual beings. Serena also has to hold Offred’s hand, which Offred says digs Serena’s rings into her fingers. This painful detail shows how Serena dislikes being part of this cruel ritual, even though she acts like it’s her religious duty. Atwood uses small details like the rings digging into Offred’s fingers to reveal Serena’s true feelings behind her religious act.

The quick, emotionless sex shows that the ritual is only about making babies, not intimacy or love between man and woman. Right after he finishes, the Commander “zips himself up and leaves the room promptly” (page. 94). The nonemotional language makes it clear that this is just a baby making chore for the Commander. The women’s needs and desires don’t matter at all. This applies even to Serena Joy, since the wife has to be present for the ritual but gets no intimacy or affection from the Commander.

The ritual also shows how women in Gilead have no power over their own bodies or fertility. When Offred just lies there after the sex, which is supposed to help her get pregnant, Serena orders her to “Get up and get out” (page. 94). Offred explains she is supposed to rest for ten minutes to improve her chances of conceiving but Serena doesn’t care and kicks her out anyway, showing her cruelty and lack of empathy. This scene shows that Gilead values unborn children more than the women that carry them. Women’s bodies are treated as political instruments, and the state consumes complete control of them through their political domination. The state’s entire structure, with its religious trappings and rigid political hierarchy, is built around the single goal of Gilead control of women’s reproduction. Women in general support Gilead’s existence by willingly participating in it, serving as agents of the totalitarian state. However, they are stripped of their individuality and defined solely by their gender roles as Wives, Handmaids, or Aunt Martha’s. The enforced dress codes on women serve as a marker of each role, something men in Gilead do not have to have announced. Women are forbidden to read or write, also smoking is luxary for women of Gilead, and they are not allowed to work, travel alone, or access birth control without a signed form from their partner. Pressurizing economic and personal rights, off of women evokes a lack of platforms to communicate the government’s wrongdoings, where complacency and conformity are the norm in society’s like Gilead and many other totalitarian regimes.

By examining the painful details of the impersonal sex ritual, Atwood reveals how in Gilead’s society women are oppressed and stripped of their dignity and rights. Both the Wives and the Handmaid’s are objects whose only purpose is to produce children. Atwood based Gilead’s rules on real attitudes and actions that have oppressed women throughout history. Her dystopian world of Gilead shows were sexism and control over women’s bodies could lead to if taken to the extreme. This section heavily and vividly illustrates the whole theme of the novel and the dangers of a society where women have no rights or freedoms. Even though this novel was written in 1980’s around the time of the whole Christian Born Again political movement, Atwood’s warnings about what could happen if women’s rights are taken away continues to resonate today with issues such as Roe v. Wade of, plans to ban abortion and simple health care rights to reproductive care access of women. Also in Afhganistan girls are banned from reading or studying this also reminded me on how oppressive a real country can be oppressive towards women, and how Gilead banned their reading towards women in the novel. To finish this off through all this we can how women are oppressed in society today and how they were oppressed in Gilead.

Citations:

https://novel2screen.net/2018/06/26/the-handmaids-tale-womens-power-ceremony/

The Handmaid’s Tale: Themes | SparkNotes

https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/03/07/global-backlash-against-womens-rights

Artist Statement :In my memoir I used a lot humor similar to Trevor Noah’s memoir and how he used humor and expressed himself and used a lot of comparison to other things or people I would say my writing style is similar to Trevor but not really since this is my memoir and I wanted it to be unique and coming from a neighborhood similar to Trevor Noah.In my memoir I talk about how I use football as a escape in my life from the danger in my neighborhood and how I make my problems disappear with football and how I communicate with people and meet other people also I like the this Diego Armando Maradona (RIP) “When you are on the field life disappears.Problems disappear.Everything disappears.” I use inspiration of this quote in memoir and how I use football to disappear into another world with football and in that world I make problems disappear.Lastly to finish this artist statement with me saying I feel like I made my Catalan ancestors happy talking a little about Catalonia and Catalan culture with Barcelona the capital of Catalonia and our team F.C. Barcelona even though I don’t know much Catalan but I am proud of my ancestry but I just want to fútbol (soccer) is the most beautiful sport to be proud and passionate about in life I got better with other languages I am learning and learned to accept other cultures with this people.