Safa walks into the front door of her new home with a sigh. She had seen the home before, but now that all the decorative furniture was out, she was left with an empty living room and plain white walls. If only her mind could be empty like that, too. She settles her bags onto the floor and kicks her shoes off, discarding them to the side. ‘Might as well make a little mess to make this place feel a little more like home”, she thinks to herself as she pads over into her kitchen. She takes a clean glass from her otherwise empty cabinets and fills it with cold water from the tap. She leans against the cold, marble kitchen counter and closes her eyes as the refreshing drink cools her down. It was the peak of day, and having a house on the shore meant relentless sun beaming down on her during the day, and inevitable chill by night. She didn’t mind though; it was all for the sake of the much needed sanctuary. She turned twenty-two this January and snagged a position with a marine life research facility centered around the studies of marine biomes and biological advancements. All in all, she was ready to start fresh. She missed the few friends she had, but this was for the best. Looking at her phone, she sees a missed call from Fatima and a few texts from Saf making sure she got in alright. She responded quickly with her free hand and made a note to call Fatima back later. With the only noise from the outside being the soft crash of waves against the wet sand, it was a significant change from the busy city of New York. Realizing she’s finished her glass, she places it in the sink and decided it’s time to begin unpacking. By the time she’s nearly done, the sun is beginning to set, casting a delicate shade of orange-pink through her open windows.

She decides to relax outside for a bit and enjoy the cool air before retiring for the night. She grabs her guitar that she left near the door and settles onto her front porch steps and tunes her instrument. Once satisfied, she begins strumming meaningless chords, not belonging to a particular song. She stays like that for a while, letting her hands do the work while her mind wanders.

text from: Fatima :)

i hope you won’t be lonely there all by yourself, Saf. let me know if you need a friend, i’m always free to visit!

She knew it was an exaggeration. Fatima had just been accepted into one of the most prestigious ballet programs in the country, and Safa knew she would be very busy soon. Still, it’s the thought that counts.

A glimmer in the ocean brings here out of her thoughts. It’s fairly distant from the shore and it resembles a figure. Safa sets her guitar down, a million thoughts racing through her mind. Is it a person? Are they drowning? Are they already dead and their body is just floating on the surface? She remembers there’s a pier over onto the left of her, and she rushes up the small ladder and runs to the edge, kneeling down to get a closer look. It’s definitely a figure, and she thinks she sees a head of dark, wet hair before it disappears below the surface again. Okay, there might actually be someone drowning right in front of her. She begins to panic because she can’t recall the protocol she learned at girl scout camp that one summer and, oh God, there might be an actual life on her hands and she is not fit for this kind of responsibility. She’s about to pull out her phone and call the coast guard when the head resurfaces, much closer than before. Under the dark, wet hair is a light brown forehead and a pair of big, round, and startled eyes looking directly into her’s. The two stare at each other for what seems like forever before Safa speaks.

“Are you okay?” She asks, voice shaking slightly. The girl stares back at Safa for a few more seconds before going back underwater without a response. Safa sits back and waits a few more minutes, and when the girl doesn’t resurface she runs a hand over her face and sighs.

Well, at least she wasn’t drowning.

____________________________________________________________

It’s a few nights until she sees the girl again. Safa sits on the pier with her guitar, legs dangling over the edge and toes brushing against the chill surface of the water. It’s not long before a familiar head rises above the surface. Safa’s legs still as she makes eye contact with the girl, who is looking at her with the same expression of fear and confusion as their first encounter. Safa ends up staring, and it isn’t until she hears a voice that isn’t her own that she comes back to reality.

“Hello,” the girl says hesitantly. Okay, her voice definitely lower than she expected.

“Hi,” Safa responds, hoping her voice isn’t as high as she thinks it might be right now.

“What are you doing here?” The girl asks, tilting her head to the side. ‘She looks cute like that’, Safa thinks, before remembering she had been asked a question.

“I live here,” She responds, earning a quirk of an eyebrow in response.

“No one’s lived here for a long time.” The girl says.

“Why are you always swimming around here? Do you live close?” Safa asks. The girl furrows her eyebrows in confusion and looks around her before returning her gaze to the girl on the pier.

“I live here.” She says simply. Now it was Safa’s turn to look confused as she tried to see if there were any homes in the distant she hadn’t noticed earlier. When she sees nothing but water, she looks back down to see the girl already gone, but she manages to catch a faint glimmer of-

“A tail, Fatima, I know what I saw.” Safa says, running a hand through her hair and pacing around her living room. It sounded all kinds of illogical, she knew, but she just got her new contact  prescriptions so she knew her eyes weren’t failing her.

“A girl with a tail that keeps swimming around your house and claims she lives in the water. Are you sure you haven’t accidentally walked into a Disney movie?” Fatima jokes.

“How can you be joking at a time like this? Fatima, there is a girl with a tail swimming around my house who says he lives in the ocean. The ocean, Fatima!” Safa exclaims. Fatima sighs on the other side of the line.

“Look, I honestly have no idea what to tell you.” Fatima says. The line goes silent for a second before she continues, “Do you think you’ll tell your facility about it?”

“I don’t know,” Safa responds exasperatedly. The girl may be strange but she seems nice. Safa knows what happens to mysterious things found in the ocean, and she doesn’t want to do that to her.

“Well, I have to get going. Text me if anything else happens and I’ll call you when I can.”

“Okay, bye.” Upon hanging up, Safa spends almost the entire remainder of her evening pacing around her house trying to wrap her head around what she had seen.

It’s late at night when Safa hears a knock on her door. She turns from her spot on her couch she eventually settled on to look at the door, pondering who would possibly be knocking on the door at this time. She approaches it hesitantly, and when she tries to look through the small cut out hole she still can’t see anything. Opening the door, she opens her mouth to speak but her mind goes blank when she sees the girl standing on her porch completely naked with legs and shivering. She’s about to ask the girl what the hell she’s doing when the girl starts wheezing and coughing, hands finding their way to her throat. Her eyes widen, and she looks to Safa for help.

“Oh god, okay. Okayokayokayokay,” Safa repeats, pulling the girl into her house and rushing her to the kitchen. She pours the girl a glass of water and thrusts it in her direction. The girl’s hands fall from her throat and take the glass as she eyes it confusedly.

“Drink it,” Safa urges. When the girl continues to look confused, still wheezing slightly, Safa uses hand gestures to mimic the act of drinking. The girl copies, and her shoulders relax a bit when the drink reaches her mouth. She finishes the glass in record time, pushing it back to Safa. Safa refills it, and the girl goes through at least five glasses of water before she can breathe somewhat regularly. The two stand there, the girl taking deep breaths and Safa desperately trying not to let her eyes travel before the girl speaks.

“Too dry.” She says, almost a whisper.

“What? What’s too dry?”

“Too dry.” The girl repeats, frustrated that Safa can’t understand her. Safa runs a hand through her hair, trying to figure out what the boy wants when she notices her running her fingers along her skin.

“Is it your skin? Your skin is too dry?” Safa asks, pointing to her arms. The girl responds with a dull nod.

“Uh, okay. Follow me,” Safa suggests, leaving the kitchen and walking down the hall. Light footsteps trail behind her as she opens the door to her bathroom, moonlight being the only light gracing the otherwise dark room. She turns on the overhead light and goes over to the bathtub attached to the side of the wall. She turns the knob and soon a steady flow of water is filling the tub. Once the tub is full enough, Safa motions towards it.

“Um, I don’t know if this will help but-” She doesn’t get to finish before she hears a loud plop and a loud sigh. The girl nestles into the tub and lowers herself until everything from under her nose is submerged in water. She hears a low hum of what she assumes is appreciation, and the girl closes her eyes.

“Better?” Safa asks. The girl opens up one eye to look at her and closes it again, which Safa decided to take as a yes.

“I’ll be right back,” She says, scurrying out the room to find her phone. She calls Shacora first this time, knowing Fatima has an early rehearsal tomorrow and is probably asleep. It rings twice before she picks up.

“What the fuck, Saf? It’s two in the morning-”

“The girl. She’s in my house. In my bathtub. I don’t know what to do.”

“...What?”

“I don’t know. I heard a knock on my door, and I open it to see her standing there, standing, Cora, as in legs, on my porch. She’s naked and shivering and I’m like what the fuck, and then she starts having an asthma attack or something so I give her a glass of water and she drinks like, ten. Then she says her skin is too dry so I run her a bath and-”

“And now you’re on the phone with me.” Cora finishes.

“Yeah,” Safa responds, sighing and resting her head on the wall.

“And now you’ve left her alone in your bathtub.” Cora continues. Safa silently curses at herself before looking in the direction of the bathroom.

“Stay on the phone,” Safa says, walking back down the hall. With the door still open, she peeks her head in to see the girl sitting up and tracing lazy patterns in the water, small ripples vibrating around the tip of her finger.

“She’s fine,” Safa whispers, as to not startle the girl.

“Do you know her name yet?” Saf asks.

“No.”

“Now would be a good time to find out. I’m going to go back to sleep, you’re going to find out what this girl’s deal is, and then you’re going to call me back at a more suitable hour. Okay?”

“Okay.” They hang up, and Safa re-enters the room, sitting on the far edge of the tub. She rubs the back of her neck and averts her eyes when she notices the girl staring at her curiously.

“Can I ask your name?” Safa asks nervously. The girl continues to look at her, and she’s about to make up an excuse to leave before it gets awkward because she thinks she won’t get a response when,

“Pearlina,” the girl responds quietly. Pearlina. That’s a nice name.

“Ok, Pearlina. My name is Safa.”

“Safa,” Pearlina repeats slowly, and Safa likes the way it sounds when she says it.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Safa wakes up to bright light streaming through the curtains of her bedroom. She stretches and enjoys the warmth for a few minutes before getting up. She shuffles into her kitchen and grabs a yogurt from her fridge before returning and squeezing herself into a corner of the sofa, feet tucked under her. She grabs the remote from the coffee table and turns the TV on.

“…a million years after entering the sea the aquatic apes would now be better adapted to their new world. They’ve lost most of their hair and can hold their breath for minutes at a time.”

Safa watches intently as the documentary continues. She’s so intune that she doesn’t notice Pearlina standing at the living room doorway, hands crossed and brows furrowed. She eventually makes her way to the couch as well, sitting herself on top the arm next to Safa. The two watch in silence that’s incredibly awkward for Safa.

“We took an x-ray of the tail. There were bones in the tail flack. Manatees don’t have that. We looked at the pelvis and there were remains of leg bones. Seals have leg bones but their thighs are short. We could tell that the ones in our specimen were long.”

Safa couldn’t help but glance at Pearlina’s legs that were slightly swinging as they hung over the couch arm. Pearlina wrinkles her nose as the documentaries observation. There’s a commercial break and Safa steals the opportunity to run to the kitchen and retrieve another yogurt. When opening the fridge she realizes it’s starting to look quite empty and she should probably go grocery shopping soon. In the midst of washing a spoon she hears the show come back on.

“The pod travels with young. They must be protected at all costs.”

Safa slowly makes her way to the doorway separating the kitchen and the living room. She watches Pearlina as she slides off the couch arm and inches towards the television screen until her nose is almost touching it. The documentary depicts a scene of a human like figure with a tail just below the surface of the ocean. The creature is attempting to warn its ‘pod’, as the documentary states. A shark is in the premises but the pod cannot understand. In the end, the figure drags a sharp dagger across its chest as to distract and bait the lingering shark. The pod is forced to abandon him as they swim away to safety. Safa shifts her gaze from the television to Pearlina, who seems to have spaced out. Safa wants to tell her being that close to the TV is bad for her eyes, but she doesn’t think the girl would even hear her if she tried. Eventually, Pearlina is released from the short hypnosis she had found herself in. She does not look at Safa, though she knows she is looking at her. Pearlina does nothing for a while. Safa says her name a few times but receives no response.

Suddenly, Pearlina looks up and out the window with a view of the shore. Her eyes then trail over to the door, and even before Safa can asks what’s wrong, Pearlina is dashing towards it. She shakes the handle and lets out an aggravated noise. Safa rushes over and moves her hands, trying to calm her down before going to the kitchen counter and retrieving the keys. Pearlina still looks distressed when she returns, but Safa decides now is not the time for interrogation. She unlocks the door and steps aside for Pearlina to step out.

Although she seemed to be in a rush just a few seconds ago, Pearlina now takes cautious steps off the porch and along the beach. Safa remains on the porch watching as Pearlina toes closer and closer to where the tide meets her. She lets the water run over her feet first, and Safa can see her shoulders visibly relax. She steps slightly further, and even further until she is confidently striding into the water.

“Pearlina, wait!” Safa calls out. She’s not sure if the girl is aware, but Pearlina still has two legs. However she stayed underwater so long when they first met, Safa assumes that ability does not apply right now. She continues to call out for Pearlina but her attempts fall upon deaf ears. Safa begins to walk down her porch steps when a huge wave rises up, crashing down and enveloping Pearlina in the process. Safa curses and sprints towards the water. Fortunately the currents are not too violent, so Pearlina doesn’t go far by the time Safa reaches her. She grabs her by the torso and lifts her head above water. It is a few seconds until the girl begins to cough and sputter, eyes moving rapidly underneath their lids. Safa struggles as she carries Pearlina and moves towards the shore, the girl eerily quiet in her arms. Again, Safa looks down to see the girl’s eyes open with that dazed and confused look. This time, though, she is not looking back into Safa’s eyes or a television screen. Her eyes are fixed on the ocean, the bright aura of the sun showing slightly in her light brown irises. Although the sun is out, Safa herself can barely see anything past the shallow waters. Pearlina, on the other hand, looks as if she can see everything. Or perhaps something very specific.

Returning to the house Safa makes a bee-line for the bathroom and runs Pearlina another bath in hopes of calming her down. She still has yet to speak, and at this point it’s starting to freak Safa out. She doesn’t want to leave Pearlina alone and make a phone call, so she’s truly left to her own devices. She tries to help Pearlina undress out of the oversized shirt and lounge pants Safa leaned her, but the girl instead flops into the tub with her clothes still adorned. Safa wants to be surprised but she’s not; at this point Pearlina has a huge question mark floating above her head and Safa is pretty much expecting anything at any given moment. The two find themselves in silence again as Safa tries to think of what to do next. This time, it’s Pearlina who breaks it.

“Pod.”

Safa looks up to see Pearlina still staring blankly into the tub water, fingers moving absentmindedly along the surface.

“What?”

“Pod. My pod.” Pearlina repeats, her voice quivering. She sighs before lowering her body into the tub just as she did before, so only her nose and eyes were above water. Safa understands this is all she will be getting out of the girl tonight and does not inquire any further. It seems as though they spend hours in that bathroom, utter silence surrounding them but this time there is no uncomfort. There is still a lot that confuses Safa, but she knows that ultimately she needs to help Pearlina. She’s not sure how she’ll do it or even exactly what it is she’s being asked to do, but she does know that will do whatever may be in her power for Pearlina.

And then the dolphins washed up.

Seyni Ndaw

2fer #7

In the movie The Dreamers, an American boy named Matthew has traveled abroad to study cinema in Paris. There, he meets two siblings named Isabelle and Theo. Although all three get along, their dynamics shift between them as pairs and inevitably causes tension overtime. As the movie progresses, the viewer observes how Matthew’s position in the trio develops until a point where he is cast out due to his inability to fully fit in. Despite the growing romance between Isabelle and Matthew, she still chooses Theo over him in the end, showing that she was willing to sacrifice a new kind of love (romantic) for one she already knew (platonic). Through this, the viewer can see how the fear of the unknown conflicts with the notion of love at first sight, and people will often choose what they know because it offers security and stability.   

Aaron Ben-Zeev writes an article called, “Is Love at First Sight Possible?”. He writes, “The first argument implies that romantic love consists not merely of attraction to external appearance, which is the basis of sexual desire, but also of knowing the agent's character traits, such as kindness, honesty, wisdom and a sense of humor. Such knowledge cannot be present at first sight, as it requires familiarity and common history.” In other words, love at first sight is rooted in sexual attraction and not what many people believe ‘love’ to be, which presents itself to be a deeper connection than just sex. Real love requires having an understanding of a person’s traits and what makes them who they are. This is an idea that is explored throughout the movie. In the beginning of the movie, Matthew finds himself at a protest/demonstration and he is surrounded by ‘film buffs’. He spots Isabelle, and when the two make eye contact she asks him to remove her cigarette since she has chained herself to a gate. Later in the movie, Matthew admits he was attracted to her from the moment he saw her. He says, “When I saw you and Theo at the Cinemathque, you looked so cool, so sophisticated- like a movie star.” to which Isabelle responds, “I was. I was acting, Matthew.” This interaction supports how love at first sight is a rather superficial notion- the whole reason Matthew found himself attracted to Isabelle was based in fable and a dissociation from reality. Not only is this relevant to Matthew and Isabelle’s relationship, but the trio’s dynamic in general. Isabelle and Theo’s shared love for cinema causes them to be rather removed from reality, which makes it increasingly difficult for Matthew to fit in with them.

In this scene, Isabelle and Theo propose beating a world record with Matthew. The record is based off a film in which three friends run through Louvre in 9 minutes and 45 seconds. Matthew expresses concern that he could be deported if they are caught. Isabelle says, “Matthew, this is a test. Are you going to pass it or fail it?” This is the first time in the movie that Matthew’s commitment to the group is tested. This further emphasizes how Theo and Isabelle base their standards off cinema rather than real life and make it hard for people who aren’t them to understand them. They end up beating the record by 17 seconds, at which point Isabelle and Theo chant, “We accept him, one of us! We accept him, one of us!” which, too, is based off a film.

The trio goes on like this for a while, giving each other difficult tasks to complete even if it makes them uncomfortable. One of the tasks includes Isabelle and Matthew having sex at Theo’s command. Although the two were consenting and had interest in each other, it was deliberate for Isabelle’s virginity to be lost as Theo orchestrated. The siblings have a control over each other that toes the line of platonic and romantic, which inevitably makes Matthew uncomfortable and confused. Matthew makes several attempts to convince Isabella to invest in their new love, confessing to her a number of times. Despite her having feelings for him, Isabelle cannot let go of Theo.

In one scene, when all three are sharing a bubble bath, Matthew tells Isabelle he loves her. She says, “I love you too, Matthew,” and he responds, “Yeah, but I really love you.” Isabelle goes, “I really, really love you too. We both do. Don’t we, Theo?” Theo agrees, but with little emotion in his voice. It is at this point where Matthew expresses his frustrations with the two for the first time. He doesn’t want them to say they love him just because the other did, or group their love for him together. He wants them to be able to say they love him as individuals and mean it. The two laugh at him and think he is being dramatic. Isabelle rebuttals his point and says, “There’s no such thing as love, only proofs of love. Are you ready to give us proof of your love?” Matthew readily agrees and they all get out of the tub. Theo and Isabelle try to shave his pubic hair, and at this point he reaches his breaking point. He calls them crazy, and Isabelle exclaims, “It’s just a game!” Matthew calls them out for their childish ways and trying to drag him into it. He continues and tells them they will never grow if they keep clinging to each other the way they do. His outburst temporarily upsets them but otherwise has no lasting impact. Theo and Isabelle have created a codependent life for themselves that traces back to childhood habits they have yet to let go of. Essentially, they are in a bubble. It’s impossible to place something inside a bubble that isn’t already there without popping it. Deep down Matthew knows this, but he continues to try. It isn’t until the end of the movie where he realizes there is truly no hope.

In the last sequence, the three of them wake up to a protest happening in the middle of the night. Theo finds a group of his school friends as they are distributing glass bottles with explosive chemicals. Matthew tries to stop him, causing Theo to grow increasingly angry. Matthew tries to get Isabelle to stay with him, but she sadly shakes her head and goes with Theo. Matthew looks at the two longingly as he realizes he cannot continue to be close with them; they can never love him the same way they love each other. Matthew slowly walks back into the crowd of protesters, turning his back on Isabelle and Theo forever.

Although The Dreamers may only seem important to those who enjoy foreign films, it should in fact interest anyone inquiring the truth about love. Throughout the movie, the viewer is anticipating Isabelle to finally realize her relationship with her brother is unhealthy and commit to Matthew. However, it is Matthew that ends up alone. The end of the movie shows that love at first sight holds little to no substance, and that love with familiarity and security is often the first choice.

I believe this is my best 2fer because I was able to keep focus throughout the essay and these are probably the best transitions I've written between paragraphs all year. My main idea was love at first sight vs. love with familiarity and security, and I was able to focus on this idea and use supporting evidence from the movie. I also did my best not to have my essay turn into a detailed plot explanation, and I think I did a good job with that.

Works CIted

Ben-Zeév, Aaron. "Is Love at First Sight Possible?" Psychology Today. Sussex Publishers, 17 Nov. 2013. Web. 30 Apr. 2017.

As “The Taming of the Shrew” proves, the inevitability of deception in domestic relationships has existed over centuries. In “Shrew”, Petruchio’s main drive is to not only have Katherine exist as his wife, but to use the power he will hold in that relationship to essentially rewire her and make her the perfect, docile wife. In the 2013 movie “Lovelace”, the main character falls into a similar situation as Katherine- the main difference is, she was genuinely in love with her significant other, Chuck, up until the point where she realized he had ill intentions and was not the man she thought him to be.

Although Petruchio and Chuck share very similar traits and motives, the way in which they bring this to light are very different. Petruchio lays out all of his flaws for Katherine in the beginning, and though he gives her no choice to whether she will accept them or not, his honesty ends up being an attractive trait to Katherine. On the other hand, as Chuck’s true colors come to light over the course of their relationship, Linda’s trust in Chuck falters and deteriorates until the point where she no longer feels safe with her husband and wants to get away. These two situations are representative of how society’s willingness to let women enter toxic relationships has changed in the sense that it is more widely looked down upon, and furthermore, how those who perpetrate toxic behavior have become more secretive and cunning because of it. Even so, the core desire many men have to manipulate and control within their relationships has not changed and inevitably lead to lack of honesty and deception in which the woman falls victim.

"And, for that dowry, I'll assure her of Her widowhood, be it that she survive me, In all my lands and leases whatsoever. Let specialities be therefore drawn between us, That covenants may be kept on either hand."

(Act 2, Scene 1, 130-134)

In this scene, Petruchio is meeting Baptista for the first time and the two are discussing Petruchio’s desire to marry Katherine. In the quote, Petruchio is laying out the conditions of his dowry, which states that if he dies before her Katherine will be in possession of everything he owns. After this offer, Baptista says, "Ay, when the special thing is well obtained, That is, her love, for that is all in all." to which Petruchio responds, “Why, that is nothing…” As the reader can tell, this is Petruchio’s tactic in wooing the parent of the woman he wants. Not only did he offer a hefty dowry, but he was also able to gain the respect and admiration of Baptista, ultimately confirming his status as Katherine’s future husband.

The protagonist finds herself in a similar position when Chuck expresses his determination to make her parents like him.

As we can see from the screenshots, Chuck proposes a bet to Linda. After he states the conditions of the bet, she asks, “What if I win?” to which he repeats, “You spend the night at my house.” Exactly like Petruchio, Chuck gives Linda no choice in coming home with him. While Petruchio uses the means of trapping her in marriage, Chuck uses the appeal of his mystery and takes advantage of Linda’s innocence to depict himself as someone she can trust and commit to.

"You lie, in faith, for you are called plain Kate, And bonny Kate, and sometimes Kate the curst. But Kate, the prettiest Kate in Christendom, Kate of Kate Hall, my super-dainty Kate (For dainties are all Kates)- and therefore, Kate, Take this of me, Kate of my consolation: Hearing thy mildness praised in every town, Thy virtues spoke of, and thy beauty sounded (Yet not so deeply as to thee belongs), Myself am moved to woo thee for my wife."

(Act 2, Scene 1, 193-202)

In this scene, Petruchio is meeting Katherine for the first time. True to her reputation, she immediately gives off a bitter attitude and presents herself as unapproachable. Petruchio is not deterred and persists with conversation, choosing to flatter her like he planned to in his speech earlier in the text. In the quote, he is combatting her claim that her reputation is accurate by calling her virtuous and beautiful. Of course, she thinks this is ridiculous and does not take him seriously, and by the end of their exchange she refuses to warm up to him.

In the movie, Chuck continuously uses flattery to get closer to Linda and he, too, combats a lot of her insecurities by doing so. Also similar to Petruchio and Katherine, Linda is typically the one to make a self detrimental claim first to which Chuck responds.

In the first scene, Linda, Chuck and Linda’s friend Patsy along with a few other off screen characters are hanging out on the beach. Patsy wants Linda to skinny dip in the ocean with her, but Linda says she has to go home soon. Patsy says, “You’re such a drag.” and goes into the water. As we can see in the screenshots, Linda and Chuck are having a conversation when she inquires if he also feels the way Patsy does, to which he disagrees. Afterwards, the two kiss. Despite only knowing Chuck for a day or so, his flattery combined with Linda’s innocence and overall lack of experience causes her to fall for him quickly.

In the second scene, Chuck is having a party at his house. While Linda is in another room, he and Patsy look at the home made pornography film playing on a large screen and Chuck tries to make a move on Patsy. She quickly leaves and says to Linda, “I wouldn’t go in there if I were you.” Linda does, and she sees the movie playing and is shocked. He asks if she’s ever seen porn and she admits she hasn’t. She adds, “Good girls don’t do that stuff.” In the screenshots we again see Chuck using flattery by appealing to her insecurities even though she doesn’t make them obvious. When Linda says, “Good girls don’t do that stuff”, looking closely the viewer can tell she is subtly concerned that Chuck may no longer like her because of this, just as she was concerned he would think she was a drag. This plays into how deception and control in a relationship is not only on part of the perpetrator, but also how men often seek out or target younger and innocent girls because they are easier to manipulate. Linda’s desire to be liked causes her to subconsciously make decisions she typically wouldn’t make to gain Chuck’s approval. Although age isn’t as big of a factor between Katherine and Petruchio, she is still seen conforming to Petruchio’s expectations and commands in several scenes to ease out their relationship. The notion of setting one’s morals aside for the approval of a significant other is a common result of deceptive relationships.

There are some other important factors to consider when observing Linda’s character: she is 21 years old, lives with her mother and father who are both extremely strict and religious, has had very limited sexual encounters and the only one she addresses (in the beginning of the film) was a bad experience. Taking all of these into account, the audience can infer that her young age and limited experience conflicts with her home life and limitations forced upon her. It is almost inevitable that she would willingly act out at one point or another- either for herself, defiance against her parents or a combination of both. This is what inevitably leads Linda to fall into a relationship based on deception, manipulation and control.

"The more my wrong, the more his spite appears. What, did he marry me to famish me?... Am starved for meat, giddy for lack of sleep..."

(Act 4, Scene 3, 2-10)

In this scene, Katherine is expressing her confusion with the treatment she is receiving from Petruchio. Throughout the early stages of them knowing each other, he showered her in flattery and acted as though he would treat her like a treasure. Upon taking her home, however, he completely flips the script and treats her like a slave.

In the movie, Linda finds herself in this exact situation when she moves in with Chuck. In the beginning, he does not physically abuse her or show signs of violence, but the lack of honesty and intentional deception begins to show.

In this scene, the couple are sitting in a diner after Linda has bailed Chuck out of jail for the first time. She attempts to inquire about what happened, at which point Chuck bangs on the table twice and puts his head in his hands. In this conversation, the audience infers that this is not the first argument the two have had about this seeing as Linda already knows not to ask Chuck about his ‘work’. He eventually tells her that there was a situation between a client and one of Chuck’s ‘girl’s’, and Linda says, “What, you mean like, prostitution?” and Chuck confirms. She then asks if she will be questioned by the police, and Chuck responds, “No, no no, wives can’t testify against their husbands.” Guilt tripping is a common form of deception, and Chuck takes of advantage of Linda’s love for him by guilting her into thinking he’s hopeless. After saying she can’t testify against him, he goes on to ask, “What are we gonna do about it? Me and you.” emphasizing that the two are a unit and that she must help him. The next day, he takes her to a porn audition and shoot as a means to make money.  

Here, we see the result of Linda defying Chuck’s orders. In an earlier scene, Chuck tells Linda to sit on one of the producer’s lap, to which responds, “I’m having an intellectual conversation, Chuck. Why don’t you sit on his lap?” Later, when everyone goes upstairs for the party, the guests hear Linda and Chuck in the next room and assume they are having sex. However, Chuck was beating Linda for for what she had said earlier. Once she is collapsed on the floor, he says, “If I tell you so sit, screw, fuck, you do it.” Not only does this show Chuck’s ruthless behavior, but also makes it explicit to the viewer of the undeniable control Chuck has over Linda as her husband and manager. Because she is his wife, he utilizes this to justify why he forces her to commit sexual acts either on camera or with other men for money. In the scene from earlier where Linda bails Chuck out of jail, he emphasizes the two have to work together to pay off Chuck’s debts. All of these factors combined are what causes Linda to be stuck in an abusive relationship with her husband.

This scene is more support for the points made in the previous paragraph. When Chuck mistreats Linda, he reminds her that she is his wife and forces her to confirm that she is his, reinforcing the control and possession Chuck has over her.

I used to despise Sundays - not because I was forced to go to church or camp, but because it was hair day. For as long as I can remember (up until recently), my mom has been responsible for my hair. She would bathe me, wash my hair with a small blue bucket and then I would sit in an uncomfortable chair for two to three hours while we typically watched movies and shows of her choosing. As a child, Sundays were a nightmare. I would often get reprimanded for having an attitude and being overly grumpy on these days, but I couldn’t help it. It was practically torture. When I hear my little cousin cry when she has to get her hair done, I’m like, “I totally feel you.” Despite hating the experience, my mom was the only one I trusted with my hair. Women would often compliment my hair because it looked so healthy and “I wish I could do that for myself/my daughter!” If my mom was with me, I would immediately look to her after giving my thanks. She was always very pleased to hear the praise and had no qualms about sharing her natural hair wisdom with anyone who asked for it. I started growing an interest in doing my own hair in early high school. I begged my mom time and time again to go from twists to twist out. She wasn’t convinced that I was ready to take on the responsibility of managing my hair. She was right, but I tried to get her to think otherwise. It was during the cold months of my freshman year that I was finally granted my wish.

I am standing in front of the mirror atop my brown, antique dresser. It is an evening in December, and the light on my ceiling blends with the dark pinks of my walls to create a warm hue. It’s nearly too warm and it makes it hard to see clearly in my reflection, but I wanted to be in solitude until I was sure I looked presentable. I have my white hair care kit near me compact with oil, my dark pink comb, pastel pink brush with near transparent bristles, curl & lock gel that’s always cold to the touch, and other miscellaneous, strewn about things like bobby pins and hair ties. I barely know what to do with any of it. My hands hesitantly reach for the first twist - what if I rip my hair? What if I cause damage? All the things my mom warned me against plague my mind as I start to unravel the end. I pull the two strands apart delicately until I reach my roots.The first twist is separated and is much curlier than I thought it would be. I reach for the next one and get the same result. I’m not sure how much time goes by, but by the end my fingers are cramping and I have to stretch them along with my tired arms. I hadn’t yet known what it meant to separate and fluff, so I left my hair as it was and was satisfied(looking back it looked like someone had spilled a cup of ramen noodles on my head). What I thought to be my near perfect curls were shrunken and bouncing against my chin as I put on my outfit for the family outing. My family compliments my hair. In the back of my mind I think about how I will have to retwist my hair when I return home later in the night, but I try not to let that bother me in the moment.

I was in kindergarten during my first sleepover. I could barely sit still throughout the school day and I knew I wasn’t alone. I remember having fun with my friends and wishing I never had to go home. Then, it was nearing bedtime and we had to find something quiet to do so my friend’s family could sleep. Obviously not wanting to go to bed, we began to braid and play with each other’s hair. I say we, but I really mean them. I knew my mom would be furious if I let anyone take my twists apart or try to comb through my hair improperly. It was non negotiable - no one was touching a single strand. All the girls paired up and I watched them comb their hair that traveled down their backs and rested there, falling in between their fingers. This is when I truly became aware that I was different. I can still channel the isolation I felt in that moment. In elementary and middle school, I would try and braid my twists like Katniss’, and I would put little flower barrettes and bows in it to try and fit a standard that wasn’t in my size. Of course, though, no one wanted to tell me and I walked around like that thinking I was cute or something. I had convinced myself that by molding and shaping myself to be like my peers, I would achieve happiness with myself. My wake up call happened when I had my hair straightened in sixth grade, just a few weeks before the middle school dance.

It was my first time going to a hair salon, and I honestly didn’t know how to feel. Initially I was ecstatic to get my hair straightened, but as my mom drove closer I began having second thoughts. My mom had been doing my hair all my life and now we were about to put the responsibility in the hands of someone I had  never even met. I wondered if the hair stylists would gossip like they do in the movies, with their dramatic story retellings and loud laughter. I remember the salon having a pink and green theme. It was fairly spacious and also fairly empty. We confirmed our appointment and my mom and I had to sit for what felt like forever before I was guided to an appointment chair. I only remember a few details of the hours I spent there: I remember how the conditioner smelled like feet that hadn’t been washed in days. I remember crying because the woman was tugging on my hair too hard and I remember trying to hide my tears in the sheet across my chest. I remember being shocked and deeply unsettled by the aggressiveness, even if it wasn’t intentional on her part. My mom had always tried her best to be mindful of the softer spots of my head and would listen to me if I told her I felt pain. I didn’t say anything because I was shy to be around so many new people, so I continued to cry and hope no one would notice (they did). Despite all that, when my hair was finally done I was elated. After all the years that had gone by I felt like I finally fitted the image I had been trying so hard to impersonate.

The problems began when I realized how much work and time it took to maintain straight hair when you’re born with the thickest hair type on the planet. Wrapping my hair at night took up to half n hour alone. My mom had to help me straighten it every morning and would endlessly lecture me about heat damage and voicing her concerns (note: my mom was never enthusiastic about me getting my hair strengthened in the first place. She’s a natural hair enthusiast for life.) At that time, my hair always smelled like heat and a sweet scented humidity prevention gel. I would leave the house loving my look but by the end of the day it would be a big, frizzy puffy mess. I was incredibly frustrated - why didn’t my straight hair lay calmly on my back like my friends? Why couldn’t I effortlessly flip it over my shoulder like they could? My dreams had been crushed and I missed my twists desperately. My mom felt some type of way because even though she loved my twists, she paid a lot of money for that hair appointment. So I had to rock that look a little longer than I wanted to before I was back at square one.

Seyni Ndaw

Air Stream

The Appeal of the Enlightenment

The speculation behind human nature has been a discussion for centuries before us. Why do humans commit crimes? Why do we create power structures for ourselves? Why do we suppress our instincts rather than embrace them? Philosophers across the eras have written a plethora of think pieces on these questions and more. Movements such as the scientific revolution and the Enlightenment are a few examples of the most influential philosophical movements of our time. These movements encouraged people to remove themselves from common thought and critique societal norms. Due to this, religions such as Christianity, Islam, Judaism and many others began to lose the grip they had on society’s mindset as time passed, being replaced by new and even scandalous theories. It is believed that the Enlightenment had a large influence on modern society's' understanding of the world because of the flood of new ideologies and beliefs that have never before been presented- which is true- but really it was the challenging of the religious and societal guidelines and expectations put unto humans that made the Enlightenment so influential and appealing.  

Friedrich Nietzsche, a 19th century German philosopher, believed that humans made decisions based on a will to survive and accommodate to one's surroundings and environment. In his works, he argued against Utilitarianism, A system of belief founded by French philosopher Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832). In, “An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation”, Bentham writes, “By ‘utility’ is meant the property of something whereby it tends to: produce benefit, advantage, pleasure, good, or happiness (all equivalent in the present case) or (this being the same thing); to prevent the happening of mischief, pain, evil, or unhappiness to the party whose interest is considered.” In other words, happiness or pleasure-over-pain is the priority in the eyes of a Utilitarian. Nietzsche believed that this drive was foolish, saying that if all humans were happy then there would be nothing for us to work towards. In Nietzsche's, "Beyond Good and Evil", he writes, "You want, if possible - and there is no more insane "if possible" - to abolish suffering. The discipline of suffering, of great suffering - do you not know that only this discipline has created all enhancements of man so far? That tension of the soul in unhappiness which cultivates its strength, its shudders face to face with great ruin. In man creature and creator are united: in man there is material, fragment, excess, clay, dirt, nonsense, chaos; but in man there is also creator, form giver, hammer, hardness, spectator divinity, and seventh day: do you understand this contrast? And that your pity is for the "creature in man". In other words, Nietzsche feels that by desiring to replace suffering with pleasure and happiness, we would essentially desire erasing a major component of ourselves as humans. In order to aspire to greater things and have ambition, Nietzsche believes suffering is a crucial component in this process. Without suffering, there is no reason to look towards the next creation. With happiness also comes contentedness which Nietzsche believes would only set us back as a species. He calls out Utilitarians for making a pity of the "creature" in man and argues that instead of wanting to get rid of the creature inside, we should want to embrace it as a part of us.

Although Nietzsche and Bentham were both atheists, Nietzsche was also very popular for being critical of those belonging to the European high class who identified as Utilitarian because he believed they were looking at the world through a bourgeois perspective. Those of European high class were very prideful of the clean, civilized lifestyle they lead and believed themselves to be higher than those of lower class or living in less fortunate places. Nietzsche believed this directly correlated to their desire to want to rid of or ignore the "creature" in man. Nietzsche’s belief would also be contradictory to the bible- when Eve ate the apple, this was the first recorded sin in human history. When Jesus sacrificed himself so that humankind’s sins could be forgiven, it was presented as a priority to remove oneself from sin as best they could so they could be admitted into Heaven after death. Nietzsche’s ideas of the “creature of man” basically say that those erasure of sins either never happened or never made a difference, and that we should accept that rather than try and avoid it. Nietzsche's philosophy somewhat coincides with Rousseau's. Rousseau received much controversy for presenting the idea that humans were once animalistic creatures- "noble savages" as he called them- that lived lives closer to happiness then we could ever achieve. For the European high class, this was a very difficult concept to digest. For a people who lived in such lavish conditions and who prided themselves in being above the “savage”, to hear that they, as a people, once lived and behaved like the suggested savages was scandalous and unpleasant. Although Rousseau used “savage” to describe the state of humans in their past, this term used by other European philosophers triggered conflict with non-European philosophers.

While philosophers removed themselves from common societal thought, many of them felt it important to analyze why it was necessary to do so. In reference to human development, some philosophers believed that living in the society humans had created for ourselves impaired or stunted human development. In Immanuel Kant’s, What is Enlightenment? (1784), Kant talks about how the need for a government and power structure- in this case, capitalism- is ingrained in us to such a degree where people wouldn’t know how to act without one. Kant writes, “Enlightenment is man’s emergence from his self-imposed nonage. Nonage is the inability to use one’s own understanding without another’s guidance… Laziness and cowardice are the reasons why such a large part of mankind gladly remain minors all their lives, long after nature has freed them from external guidance.” In other words, by growing up with authority figures and power structures, humans find ourselves not needing to think for ourselves which only disadvantages us. Having other people make rules and regulations for us means it is not necessary for us to analyze or think deeper about the conditions in which we live or how said conditions are designed. Rather, we can go our entire lives simply following directions and only having to make small, trivial decisions for ourselves- and even those have probably been influenced one way or another by a societal mindset. Kwame Nkrumah, the first president of Ghana after the fight for independence from Britain, makes a similar point in his work Consciencism (1964). Nkrumah writes, “Practice without thought is blind; thought without practice is empty. The three segments of African society… the traditional, the Western, and the Islamic, co-exist uneasily; the principles animating them are often in conflict with one another… The principles which inform capitalism are in conflict with the socialist egalitarianism of the traditional African society.” Seeing as Nkrumah’s works centered more around political philosophy, this quote is swayed more towards an analysis of how different societies and power structures in Africa interact with one another rather than trying to remove himself from one in general. However, the root meaning is still very similar to that of Kant’s. “Practice without thought is blind; thought without practice is empty,” speaks back to the point of humans following commands and the norm without giving it much thought because we are conditioned to behave and think in certain ways. Not because it is our design as humans, but because the systems we build for ourselves shape us this way. The rest of his quote speaks to this flawed development coming in between tradition- Nkrumah says that Africa is a traditionally egalitarian society. However, because of division in mindset due to religion and power structures, this egalitarian mindset has become divided as well. This emphasizes that not only can the systems we build for ourselves stunt our growth and development, but can also push us away from our values and morals. In some instances this can be a good thing, but in this case Nkrumah is clearly speaking against it.

If modern philosophers stopped to think about it, they would realize that the Enlightenment is not just about the presentation of new ideas, but the fact that these new ideas were so influential because they appealed to a larger audience due to the lack of pressure to accommodate or conform to societal norms and expectations. The systems in which we built for ourselves over time causes us to neglect different perspectives, conform to beliefs that we wouldn’t conform to otherwise or that we know remotely nothing about, and makes it so we allow ourselves to be ruled by others even if we don’t realize it. Due to this, we historically have lacked the skills to analyze and question these systems, which prevent us from seeing the flaws and problematic tendencies that follow. Through the Enlightenment, humans learned the importance of being aware that the society we live in is not necessarily built for us, but rather for the people who built it. By removing itself from societal norms in terms of religion, government, and other factors, the Enlightenment appealed to a larger audience which in turn made it one of the most influential philosophical movements in our history

Works CIted

"An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation." Jeremy Bentham,. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2016.

Nietzsche, Friedrich. "Beyond Good and Evil — Ch 1." Beyond Good and Evil — Ch 1. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2016.

By. "Kant. What Is Enlightenment." Kant. What Is Enlightenment. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2016.

By the Time, However, That They Come to Be Accepted in the Universities for Exposition, They Have Lost the Vital Power Which They Had at Their First Statement ' They Have Shed Their Dynamism and Polemic Reference. This Is a Result of the Academic Treatment Which They Are Given. The Academic Treatment Is the Result of an Attitude to Philosophical Systems as Though There Was Nothing to Them but Statements Standing in Logical Relation to One Another. "KWAME NKRUMAH: CONSCIENCISM – PHILOSOPHY AND IDEOLOGY FOR DECOLONISATION." THE MARXISTNKRUMAIST FORUM. N.p., 2013. Web. 26 Sept. 2016.

In William Golding’s, Lord of the Flies, Golding tells the story of a group of boys who find themselves stranded on an island and have to learn to fend for themselves In the duration of their time there, they managed to simultaneously create and destroy a functional society. In the real world, we often see similar situations play out. In revolutionary movements, the leader is what represents the focus. When that leader is lost, their followers lose their focus and stray to the wrong path.

Martin Luther King is one of the most well known African Americans in the Civil Rights movement. He led a number of protests and created a lot of milestones in black history during his life. However, his time as a leader was at times difficult. In 1963, King was imprisoned after ignoring an injunction against protesting. After spending so much time in jail, the separation from his followers caused a lot of uneasiness and doubt. In Adam Fairclough’s - a British historian-, To Redeem the Soul of America, Fairclough recounts a scene in which King was speaking to a crowd. Fairclough writes, “Attendance at the mass meetings was higher than ever, but the stream of volunteers for jail had dwindled to a trickle. Kunstler watched in dismay as both King and Abernathy exhorted a packed church for an hour in order to persuade a dozen people to volunteer." In other words, because King was in jail for such an extended amount of time, his followers began to lose their energy and doubt the power behind his demonstration. From this example we can tell that passion and execution go hand in hand - one can feel as strongly as they want about something, but if there is no execution plan, that emotion has no outlet.

In this scene, Ralph is frustrated by the lack of motivation on part of the boys and decides to confront them about it. Golding writes, “‘I was talking about smoke! Don’t you want to be rescued? All you can talk about is pig, pig, pig!’ ‘But we want meat!’  ‘And I work all day with nothing but Simon and you come back and don’t even notice the huts!’”(54) In other words, Ralph feels as though he is doing all the heavy work with lack of support and aid from the ones who claim to stand behind him. This is important because as a leader, one of the easier parts is lighting a fire in the heart of those who look up to you. However, it can be increasingly difficult to have those people keep up their energy and consistently provide you with the aid you need. When Ralph invested trust in the younger boys of the island, he expected them to keep their word and aspire to the various goals they had set, such as hunting and setting rules and efficiently keeping the fire alive for rescue. However, their priorities became solely focused on the hunting, which further proves how important it is for a leader to be present to keep the central focus on par.  

In Michael Dyson’s, I May Not Get There With You, Dyson recounts the experience of hearing of Martin Luther King’s death and what it was like for him as a young African American. Dyson writes, “But even that seismic event [referring to the 1967 Detroit riot], as riveting and as local as it was, failed to capture my attention the way King’s death did. The bullet that shattered King’s jaw ended his life; it’s shrapnel lodged deep in my psyche and burned me awake to race in America.” In other words, a group of followers can do as many demonstrations and acts of protests as they wish, but the leader has the biggest impact on the public (at least, in this case.) Dyson explains that his eyes were not opened to the issue surrounding him until he heard MLK’s moving speech. This emphasizes the importance of the voice of a leader. Majority of the most known leaders in the world are praised for their motivational speaking abilities and possessing powerful voices that people remember for years. King’s I Have a Dream Speech was and is so popular not just for the content and meaning behind the speech, but the power in which he spoke with. As a leader, it is crucial to be able to have power and know how to police it effectively and successfully.

In the middle of the book, Ralph, Simon and Piggy have diverged from the group, unknowingly allowing Jack to to climb up the hierarchy of the island. Golding writes, “‘I’ll blow the conch’, said Ralph breathlessly, ‘and call an assembly.’ ‘[Jack] We shan’t hear it.’”(151) In other words, Jack, angling for control of the group, immediately rejects Ralph’s efforts at reuniting the group because Ralph, the previous leader, removed himself from the eyes of the public. In reference to the real world example, this scene from the book represents what happens when the leader loses their voice and all their power along with it. Jack denying Ralph’s request is the beginning of their unity as a group breaking apart and causing further issues in the future. In the beginning, the conch shell was the centerpiece of their morals; it represented control, respect, and unity. However, now that Ralph has lost his power over the boys, everything he stands for has no power. Even though Ralph did not discover the conch himself, the conch had become a way for him to wield his power. To contrast, in the beginning of Lord of the Flies, Jack and Ralph’s roles as leaders were clear. The younger boys respected them and they respected each other, making it easy to keep order. However, as the book progressed and their roles started to blur because of Ralph’s isolation, cooperation became more difficult to achieve and Ralph lost much of his power.

She’s still asleep. Does she know she has school today? She must be staying home again. Ugh, I need to be washed. I don’t think she’s noticed. Can someone crack a window? It’s so stuffy in here, how is she even wrapped in her blankets like that? Oh, she’s waking up. She’s checking the time… but she’s not freaking out. She’s definitely staying home from school, then. And… she’s going back to sleep. Nice. It’s almost eight in the morning. When did she get like this? I remember years ago, when we first met, she was so full of energy. She would always wake up before her alarm and was ready to start her day. Now she just… lays here. Am I the only one who notices? I must be the only one. I’m worried.

It’s almost noon. She’s been awake for the last three hours, but she hasn’t gotten out of bed. She’s just been on her phone. Isn’t she hungry? She hasn’t even eaten since seven o’clock last night… Isn’t she hungry? She has to be. Maybe she numbed it out. Can someone please crack a window? I can’t believe no one’s checked on her yet. I know they’re awake, I can hear them. I wouldn’t be surprised if they left her alone, even when she’s like this. It’s not like they notice, anyway. She’s practically cocooned in these blankets, unmoving, and no one even thought to peek their head in.

It’s cloudy today. There’s no way she’s doing anything productive today. I guess I better get comfortable.

I wish I could help her. I wish I could talk to her. I wish she knew she had someone who understands. I mean, I’m the one who’s always with her when she’s like this. Countless nights she’s spent here wondering if it’s worth it. I wish I could tell her it’s ok to just lay here sometimes. I wish I could tell her that none of it’s her fault. I never worry too much, though. I know at some point she’ll get back up again and make an effort - she always does. I admire that about her. In fact, sometimes I’m relieved when she takes a break. I can see the emotional toll everything takes on her.

I wish I could talk to her, but I can’t. I’m just a bed.

Seyni Ndaw

Too Unintelligible, Too Proper, Too Fast

Too Unintelligible

¨Say, ‘Yo son, you drawlin’,¨ My cousin said.

¨Yo son, you drawling.¨

¨No, drop the d. Drawlin.¨

¨Drawlin.¨

¨There you go.¨

I was around six or seven at the time, sitting in my cousin's room next to my mom with my cousin sitting across from me. This is the first time I remember being taught AAVE. AAVE stands for African American Vernacular English. Growing up in Philadelphia, it feels as though there is a new word being thrown around everyday. To some, using words such as ¨jawn¨ or ¨boul¨ may seem equivalent to ignorance or lack of basic understanding of the human language, but to me it’s the exact opposite - I feel these developments of the English language are one of the most innovative advancements of our society. By creating words like these and more, we also create efficiency. Some people, however, continue to disagree.

Jawn. Noun; word that can be used to describe a person, place, event, etc. Example: I went to the jawn with the jawn last week after we dipped from the other jawn cause jawn was dead. At first glance, this sentence may seem unintelligible. However, using context we can translate this sentence to: I went to the event with the person last week after we left from the other event because said event was boring. See? The sentence makes perfect sense, you just have to learn how to make sense of it. In a lot of languages, certain details are emitted from speech if the context is specific enough. “Jawn” serves a very similar purpose to this.

“Yo, pass me the jawn.” I say. I’m not gesturing to anything or making it obvious as to what I’m talking about, but if I’m sitting next to one person and there’s a marker on the table out of my reach, that person can assume the “jawn” is the marker.

“Hey, did you go that jawn last week?” I ask. At first, you may not know what I’m talking about, but

as you see me looking at my homework assignment in confusion, you remember our class went to a

presentation last week that had the answers to my homework problems. This supports why AAVE is a language within itself; it has to be learned to be understood.  

“What did you do in school today?” My mom would ask.

“We watched a movie!” I would respond.

“Oh, what was it about?”

“It was about a girl who had three friends and they played a lot together but then one day they were at the park and one tripped and their parents didn’t want them playing with them anymore so then-”

“Seyni, stop. You’re rambling, Summarize it for me.”

“...It was about a girl who had three friends…”

“Try something like this: It’s a movie about three friends who faced hardships because of their families.”

Too Proper

Growing up, I was taught to speak one way by my mother and another by those in my everyday life.  I used to be extremely frustrated with my mom for not letting me speak the way I wished, but now I’m the one who gets frustrated with people who don’t know how to summarize. Seeing as my mom consistently taught an African American studies course at Temple University during my adolescence, she would often stress proper grammar and speech unto me. Because of this, I often struggled with slang - the words not rolling off my tongue as easy as it did for the other kids.

“Seyni, you sound so white.” A friend would say.

“I… what?” I would reply, confused.

“Like, you speak so proper.”

“Thanks, I guess.”

I wasn’t quite sure if I should’ve taken those statements as compliments back then. I was glad to be praised for good speech, but equating good speech to white speech always left a bad taste in my mouth. If two sentences can be said in two different ways but get the same message across, what did it matter if it was “proper” or not?

Too Fast

“Seyni, slow down! You talk so fast!”

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve heard this phrase said to me. By family, friends, teachers and alike, my tendency to talk fast is consistently pointed out. I don’t have a problem with the act of being called out on it, because it is a trait that I would like to work on. However, sometimes my brain works too fast for my speech to be slow, and it is this balance that causes me trouble.

“So what happened?”

“Right! So I had this crazy dream andIwasatschoolandyouwerethereandIdon’trememberwhatwasreallygoingonbutIjustrememberthishugexplosionand-”

“Seyni. You’re talking wayyyy too fast right now.”

“Sorry, I think I just got excited.”

I’ve had an active imagination since as long as I can remember. My family tells me about all the times I would wake up in the middle of the night as toddler crying and screaming because of vivid nightmares I had - some of which I still remember to this day. I feel this translated into my early need to storytell. Growing up, writing class was always my favorite. The ability to make up the most outrageous stories and be able to make them believable with good enough word choice was a concept I admired. However, sometimes I would find myself too overwhelmed with all the stories I wanted to create and the fact that I could only write with one hand. I was burdened with all the lingering thoughts in my mind and no way to flesh them out.

“So then I said,”

“What if we’re all just living in one big projection and I’m not actually talking to you guys right now.

What if  all of us our living in our own individual worlds and you’re not actually here with me right now, but off at an Amusement Park somewhere?” I would bring up randomly.

“Seriously, where do you even get these ideas from?” Some would say.

“You should write a book or something.” Others would say.

I like to think I’ve developed a fairly good brain-to-mouth filter, but once I get an idea going it’s hard to stop talking. Sometimes I even jump from one topic to another if I find something else more interesting than what I’m already talking about.

“So then I’m sitting there… Actually you know what? Nevermind, I just thought of something better to talk about.” I would say.

“Wait, what? You can’t just do that.” My friends would argue.

“Why not?” I would press.

“Because… you’re not just supposed to jump around like that.”

I know this, but sometimes I truly can’t help myself. With a brain that’s always active, it becomes difficult to prevent literal word vomit from emitting from my mouth.

Nosotros entrevistar somos amigo Zahirah Poree. Su apodo es Raiz. Ella le gusta SLA por que su amigos y muy bien profesores. Su le muchos gusta escribir poemas. Su hablo espanol muy bien. Ella almuerza con amigos.  Ella le gusta escuchar las músicas, hablamos con mis amigas, bailar, cantar, y correr.  Su gusta mucha escribir poemas.  Ella leo todos los dias. Su no estudiar pero quiero francés.  Ella escribe en espanol muy bien. Ella viven en la Filadelfia desde quince años. Su gusta tocar el piano mucho gusto. Su escucho la radio y teléfono mucho gusto!

El familia de Zahirah es pequeño. Su tengas un hermana major y un madre vive en su casa. Tengas dos perros y un gato, su amo mucho gusto. Un favorito primos vive en Norte Carolina. Su hermana mayor, Naima, va a la escuela. Ella es un Senior en SLA. Su madre es voluntaria en la escuela un montón, y es muy afirmativo.

El amigos de Zaira viven en de Filadelfia. Nosotros es muy cómica, energéticos, y inteligente. Nostros nombres es Seyni, Harrison, Kenna, Saamir, Taytiana, y Wes. Harrison es muy serio y sarcástico. Seyni es inteligente y Saamir es muy gracioso. Taytiana es muy bondadoso. Kenna es muy sensible. Seyni y Zahirah encontrado durante Summer Institute en agosto. Seyni dijo que le gustaba su cabello y han sido amigos desde. Harrison y Zahirah se convirtieron en amigos temprano en el año a través de amigos comunes. Kenna y Zahirah se convirtieron en amigos a través de Seyni. Saamir y Zahirah en condiciones de servidumbre en el comienzo del año y mantiene una sólida amistad. Taytiana y Zahirah se convirtieron en amigos a través de Saamir. Wes y Zahirah se hicieron amigos cuando ella misma presentó primero. Somos todos amigos y tenemos un montón de diversión juntos.

Hola, somos Seyni, Athalia y Mohamed. Seyni y Athalia tienen catorce años. Mohamed tiene quince años. Somos estudiantes en Science Leadership Academy. Nuestra dirección es veintidós arch st. Es muy diverso, colorido y la bienvenida. Hay aproximadamente cuatrocientos estudiantes y aproximadamente veinte o treinta profesores. Hay cinco pisos, pero en el piso cuatro no es para estudiantes. En SLA, tenemos eventos,usar tecnología para nuestro tarea, trabajo de clase, y todas educación. Ofrecemos el softbol, futbol, la poesía, programa juvenil y mucho mas. Seyni participe en el softbol y la poesía.

Nuestras clases son historia, español, inglés, bioquímica, matemáticas, tecnología, arte, teatro, ingeniería y almuerzo. La clase de favorita de Seyni es historia porque es interesante. La clase favorito de Mohamed es inglés porque nuestro profesor es chévere. La clase de favorita de Athalia es matemáticas porque es fácil.  En la clase de historia necesitamos una computadora y un libro. En la clase de inglés necesitamos el libro y un lápiz. En la clase de matemáticas necesitamos la computadora y la calculadora. Nuestras clases son muy interesante y aplicado. A menudo estamos de vago en las clases.

Nuestros tengo mucho bien profesores en SLA. Señorita Manuel es nuestros de profesora espanol. La señorita Jonas es nuestros historia profesora. Señor Kay es nuestros inglés profesor. La señorita Thompson es nuestros matemáticas profesora. La señora Hull es nuestros tecnología profesora. El señor Kamal es nuestros el ingeniero profesor. La señorita Manuel es muy divertida y enérgica y su clase es muy interesante. La señorita Jonas es muy interesante y inteligente y su clase es muy complejo. El señor Kay es muy divertida y su clase es interesante. La señorita Thompson es muy inteligente y interesante y su clase es importante. La señora Hull es muy informado tecnología inteligente y su clase es complejo. El senor Kamal es interesante y su clase es divertida. En la total clases, nuestros participar activamente, tomar pruebas, trabajar duro y lo pasar bien.

SLA es una experiencia de aprender interesante. Nos gusta las libertad en nuestra escuela. La libertad en nuestra escuela es súper importante para los estudiantes y los profesores. Los estudiantes aquí tienen el almuerzo dondequiera. Usamos la tecnología siempre en las clases. Que es por qué nos encanta los Chromebooks más de SLA. Otros estudiantes en otras escuelas no tienen las computadoras para hacer trabajo. Sin embargo, nuestra escuela tiene las para hacemos la tarea, estudiamos, y hablamos con profesores. Todo de la escuela horario es muy ordenado y facil (si tu prestar atención). Para describir SLA, hablamos es bastante único,  libre, y siempre inteligente.

Hola, somos Seyni, Athalia y Mohamed. Seyni y Athalia tiene catorce años. Mohamed tiene quince años. Somos estudiantes en Science Leadership Academy. Nuestra dirección es veintidós arch st. Es muy diverso, colorido y la bienvenida. Hay aproximadamente cuatrocientos estudiantes y aproximadamente veinte o treinta profesores. Hay cinco pisos, pero en el piso cuatro no es para estudiantes. En SLA, tenemos eventos,usar tecnología para nuestro tarea, trabajo de clase, y todas educación. Ofrecemos el softbol, futbol, la poesía, programa juvenil y mucho mas. Seyni participe en el softbol y la poesía.

Nuestros clases son historia, español, inglés, bioquímica, matemáticas, tecnología, arte, teatro, ingeniería y almuerzo. La clase de favorita de Seyni es historia porque es interesante. La clase favorito de Mohamed es inglés porque nuestro profesor es chévere. La clase de favorita de Athalia es matemáticas porque es fácil.  En la clase de historia necesitamos una computadora y un libro. En la clase de inglés necesitamos el libro y un lápiz. En la clase de matemáticas necesitamos la computadora y la calculadora. Nuestros clases son muy interesante y aplicado. A menudo nosotros estar de vago en los clases.

Nuestros tengo mucho bien profesores en SLA. Señorita Manuel es nuestros de profesora espanol. La señorita Jonas es nuestros historia profesora. Señor Kay es nuestros inglés profesor. La señorita Thompson es nuestros matemáticas profesora. La señora Hull es nuestros tecnología profesora. El señor Kamal es nuestros el ingeniero profesor. La señorita Manuel es muy divertida y enérgica y su clase es muy interesante. La señorita Jonas es muy interesante y inteligente y su clase es muy complejo. El señor Kay es muy divertida y su clase es interesante. La señorita Thompson es muy inteligente y interesante y su clase es importante. La señora Hull es muy informado tecnología inteligente y su clase es complejo. El senor Kamal es interesante y su clase es divertida. En la total clases, nuestros participar activamente, tomar pruebas, trabajar duro y lo pasar bien.

SLA es una experiencia de aprender interesante. Nos gusta las libertad en nuestra escuela. La libertad en nuestra escuela es súper importante para los estudiantes y los profesores. Los estudiantes aquí tienen el almuerzo dondequiera. Usamos la tecnología siempre en las clases. Que es por qué nos encanta los Chromebooks más de SLA. Otros estudiantes en otras escuelas no tienen las computadoras para hacer trabajo. Sin embargo, nuestra escuela tiene las para hacemos la tarea, estudiamos, y hablamos con profesores. Todo de la escuela horario es muy ordenado y facil (si tu prestar atención). Para describir SLA, nosotros hablamos es bastante único,  libre, y siempre inteligente.

Seyni’s Script

INTRO: Presente… Los seres queridos en mi vida.

YO: Hola. Me llamo Seyni. Tengo catorce anos. Soy de Filadelfia Tengo el pelo café y los ojos cafes. Me encanta ir al cine, escribe y un poco dibujar.

EL: Su nombre es Malachi. Tiene quince años. Es de Filadelfia vive en Nigeria y South Africa. Le fascina futbòl. No le gusta nada perdiendo. El pelo cafè y los ojos cafes. Es Muy alto.

ELLA:  Su nombre es Parish. Tiene cuatro años. Es de Filadelfia vive en Filadelfia. Le fascina Super Why y Angry Birds. No le gusta nada dormir. Es muy baja y inteligente y guapa. Tiene el pelo cafe. Y los ojos cafes.

NOSOTRAS: Su nombres es Tajnia y Syeda. Tenemos cuatro anos. Todos se graduó Penn Alexander escuela en 2014. Syeda le fascina dibujar. Tajnia le fascina ir al cine y futbòl. Nosotras el pelo cafès y los ojos cafes.

ELLAS: Sois nombres son Astan y Fahima. Astan y Fahima tiene catorce años. Astan es de Filadelfia vive en Ghana. Fahima es de Bangladesh vive en Filadelfia. Astan le fascina cantar y Fahima le encanta dibujar. Fahima no le gusta nada correr. Astan no le gusta nada leer. Nosotras tienen el pelo cafès y los ojos cafes.