Who Wants to be a Slumdog?

Although India is highly populated, the country has not been known as a country with a lot of technological advances. But as globalization is starting to take over the country, they are quickly becoming known as a country with a high economic rate. But through Danny Boyle’s film Slumdog Millionaire, India has been shown in a way that many people are not too happy about. Some are stating that even the film’s title shows little consideration for the country stating that the words, “slum” and “dog” are in the title. But people are praising the film for showing their beautiful landmarks in the film. Although the film Slumdog Millionaire expresses how globalization can have positive and negative impacts, the film illustrates how globalization has a negative impact in India and how westernization contributes to the exploitation of the country. 

            The use of the American brand Coke is portrayed in a negative way in the film. Maman lures the Salim, Jamal, and Latika using Coke and takes them to his orphanage type place. He turns the children into beggars and the man profits off the children. The American brand Coke is used as a way to grab the children, using something they love, and providing them with a place and then using them to profit off of.

            The whole film which revolves around the show “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” also shows how globalization has a negative impact. While the show has been on air, everyone wants to be on the show. Everyone wants a chance at a million dollars and wants to have their 15 minutes of fame. An American show has a big impact on the people of India. While Jamal is working at a call center, he is asked to take over for a friend at an operation call desk so his friend can go watch “Who Wants to be a Millionaire.” Everyone working there were all excited that the show was on and focused on the show more than their jobs. Also, on the show, they asked questions about American history and facts. One of the questions Jamal had to answer was, “Who is on the American $100 bill.” We can see that America has taken over and that globalization has impacted India. The film focuses on money, being successful, and ultimately winning the pretty girl which is technically the “American dream.” 

             The movie title has caused many to believe that it is an exploitation of the country. An article titled, “The Real Roots of the ‘Slumdog’ Protests” states, “Some Indians find the word ‘slumdog’ . . . to be insulting to slum-dwellers. More generally, the rags-to-riches romance has been called ‘poverty porn’ for the way it casts a glowing light on a very poor section of Mumbai society and promotes ‘slum tourism’” (Divakaruni). The title casts down upon the culture of India and how the film exhibits the slums of the country and exploits the poverty level that is currently inhibited by the people. Many who live in India have expressed strongly over the title “Slumdog” stating, that "Referring to people living in slums as dogs is a violation of human rights" (Weaver). Many feel strongly against just the title. They feel the title of the film is wrong and inhumane. Just the title has cause a backlash against the film, not for the movie itself but the title also.

 There is one scene in the film that really exploits the people of India. When Jamal takes an American couple on a “real” tour of India, showing the slums, the Americans’ Mercedes Benz gets taken apart by other children. When Jamal brings them back to the car, an Indian man that was with them and looks at the scene of the crime, quickly assumes the tour was a scam and starts beating Jamal. The Americans quickly stop the man from beating Jamal. Jamal says to them somewhere along the lines of “You are getting the real taste of India” which implies that in the slums, many children are getting beat by older adults. This exploits the country and their culture. The film implies that this is what the children do in India, scam Americans for money. But in that same scene, the woman says, “Here is a bit of America” and mouths the word “money” to her husband and hands Jamal American money.

Slumdog Millionaire is just a film directed by Danny Boyle, but the film also came with a few backlashes. The portrayal of the real slums of India, the word “slumdog” in the title, and the use of American products within the film all produced some sort of reaction from people. While globalization has been improving the economy for India, many are concerned that it is taking away from India’s culture and establishing something new. Many are not happy with the change of a new culture and are upset with the direction their country is headed.

Divakaruni, Chitra, Amresh Sinha, and Sadia Shepard. "The Real Roots of the 'Slumdog' Protests -        NYTimes.com." Room for Debate - NYTimes.com. 20 Feb. 2009. Web. 10 Dec. 2010. <http://roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/20/the-real-roots-of-the-slumdog-protests/>.

Weaver, Matthew. "Protests at Indian Cinemas over Slumdog Millionaire | World News |     Guardian.co.uk."
Latest News, Comment and Reviews from the Guardian | Guardian.co.uk. 27 Web. 10 Dec. 2010. 
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/27/riots-india-slumdog-millionaire>.

Final Blog!

So as the semester comes to an end, this is the last blog of the class! This class was very enjoyable. I loved the group projections, the presentations by groups, the Youtube clips and overall the dynamic of the class. I was introduced to more mythology which I was not introduced to before and I even created my own poetry. I'm sad to see this class end but I will walk away from this class having learned so much.

I loved all the world mythology presentations by all the groups. It was interesting to see how all the groups presented the myths with an activity. Probably the most memorable presentation came from the Jokester group. I meant some great people in my female divine group and my media literacy group also.

Media LIteracy

I think media literacy should be taught to all teachers. We live in an age where media technology has taken over and year after year, pen and paper, magazines, and newspapers are disappearing. Teaching media to teachers and students will benefit everyone. Teachers will benefit in a way that they can improve their lesson plans to revolve around media in order to grab the attention of students. We live in an era of facebook, google, youtube, and other social networks, that incorporating these types of media will allow students to be more focused and more interested in the topic. Students will benefit in a way that media technology can help them prepare for more social interaction and stay more communicative with others alike. Our group presentation was teaching teachers on how to film a video with the students describing their likes. It was an icebreaker video that will help the students to introduce themselves to the class. This will provide a closer bond among the students and will help the students open up to their classmates.

facebook? youtube? YES!

Social networking have made a BIG impact on our generation and society for the past couple of years. With the use of Facebook and Youtube, many have stopped the use printing networks such as newspapers and magazines. But the use of these social networks can help get in contact with old friends, stay in contact with new friends, or just meet new friends. I know Facebook helped me keep in contact with my friends that went away to college. Youtube (used in our class) is beneficial in that it provides supplementary material to our lesson. Youtube can be a great way to show information in video/picture form and providing a concise example of something you need to understand. Although media technology is taking over, we cannot forget about books. With technologies such as the iPad, or the Nook, paperbacked books are becoming less and less desirable. But for me, holding a book in my hand is more accessible because then I don't have to worry about charging my Nook or all the technological aspects to the device. 

Female Divine?

Our modern day female divine would be singers like Lady GaGa, Beyonce, Madonna, or political figures like Hilary Clinton. But my section of the presentation focused on the case for and case against female divine. Many people believe that there was no female divine and that people just confused the artifacts for men.  
Archaeologists ask, "Do large bellies and breasts symbolize pregnancy and lacation? and how can people who lived 20,000 years ago know what motherhood meant?" While these questions do seem sufficient, I do not agree. I believe that female divines were alive and that there is such a thing as a female divine. We see goddess such as Athena and Aphrodite who were powerful goddess. Powered with powerful men, they were also possessed with powers just as strong as the men were. When looking at figurines from the past, the possess woman-like body shapes and embody the female form. There will probably always be a debate on whether or not female divines existed but I believe they did.

Myth & Knowing

I actually wasn't exposed to myths until I entered college. I knew who Poseidon, Athena, Zeus, Aphrodite, and other popular mythical gods and goddess' were but I didn't really study or expose myself to mythology. But taking a Humanities course in college, I was exposed to Allegory of the Cave by Plato and that myth quickly became my favorite. It is an allegory of how humans are only subjected to what they perceive by sight which blinds us and holds us back sometimes. We don't really expose ourselves to the greater presence, only by what in shown in front of us. But the allegory also presents a scenario of what it would be like if humans were able to see beyond what is in front of them and explore the reality of the outside world. Myths are not my greatest forte along with poems but I will make an exception for Allegory of the Cave.

Poetry? No thank you

Poetry is not my work of choice. Shakespeare? Wordsworth? Whitman? no thank you. I prefer works of fiction where I can be sucked into a world full of imagination and excitement. Poetry has never been my forte and I definitely would not go out of my way to read poetry for fun. Writing two poems were hard especially since poetry is not something I like to read or write. Maybe I do not give poetry much credit but we all have our weaknesses and poetry is it. The only type of poetry I do enjoy is watching slam poetry especially Def Jam Poetry. But reading or writing poetry, I try to stay away from.

Def Poetry - Common - A Letter To The Law

the end

Starting out as perfect can be,
one was happy while the other was mad.
things were complicated and things got worse
but every time they went back to being normal.
As the time passed on and things got hard,
one was happy while the other was mad.
“I love you” seemed like it was enough but in the end
that did not commend.
Punch after punch and lie after lie,
one went back for the perfect mirage.
Maybe things will be different.
Maybe things will change.
All they wanted was to be whole again.
Worrying and stressing kept one awake,
Partying and cheating kept the other awake.
“What went wrong” one would deliberate
“Who’s next” one would trumpet.
Having had enough one went to the bathroom
deep wounds and velvet red streams engaged.
Coming to see the other half, they finally found, who was supposed to be
the love of their life, pale and serene
“I’m sorry and I love you” were the one’s last words
Starting out as perfect can be,
ended with nothing can be. 

Arrogance

Everyday, he scratched his head harder and harder.
He sat on the floor of his garage,
and watched as the dried blood flaked onto the ground.
Murmurs leaked out of his swollen and dry lips attempting to
make out the word, "arrogance."

Partially conscience, he reached for the bottle of hard liquor next to him.
Taking one last drag on his cigarette, he held in the smoke as long as he could.
Coughing and spatting alcohol all over the floor, he smiled and smirked at
a blood-caked scalpel.

Thirty-two days since the incident.
Thirty-two days since he saw her.
Thirty-two days since he held her.
And thirty-two days of self-repentance.

The Number 1 Killer of People Today

Loved ones come and go
leaving something of them behind.
A five letter word that people don’t like to talk about
leaves behind feelings of sorrow or happiness.
Why must death be unkind
and take those we love?
But now or later we must all go.

Wordsworth's Beauty

“Composed upon Westminster Bridge, Sept. 3, 1802,” by William Wordsworth is a beautifully written sonnet about Wordsworth’s description of London and how it compares to nature. Wordsworth’s poems are usually detailed and present stunning portrayals of the natural wonders that surround us but yet are ignored. This sonnet provides readers with imagery and personifications of London and nature that surrounds the city. William Wordsworth allows his readers to really imagine the city and to help us see the city as he

does through the use of imagery and personification.

The poem is written in sonnet form which is comprised of fourteen lines that are divided into an octave and a sestet and there is a rhyme scheme present which is ABBAABBA CDCDCD. The sonnet is also written in iambic pentameter which makes the sonnet move smoothly and creates this smooth speaking voice which is easy to read. Wordsworth also uses a lot of positive language which makes the poem seem more calm and beautiful. Words like “glittering,” “bright,” “splendour,” and “glideth,” creates this sense of magical feeling and brings London alive. Even though London is industrialized, noisy and dirty, Wordsworth is in awe of London’s beauty during this time of day and he uses positive language to express his emotions about the city and the view he is experiencing.

The use of imagery in the sonnet makes the readers more in awe of what Wordsworth is envisioning and thinking about as he is watching London. “The beauty of morning; silent bare,/ Ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples lie/ Open unto the fields, and to the sky” (l. 5-7). Wordsworth creates this beautiful imagery of London right before anyone is awake and as the day goes on gets noisy and busy, he sees London as “silent” and “bare.” Everything is calm and relaxed. Even the industrialized objects are still and not in use. He enjoys this moment of when it is morning and nothing is in motion. In Charles J. Smith’s article “The Contrarieties: Wordsworth’s Dualistic Imagery,” he writes, “Wordsworth tries to show (1) that some parts of these lives are in themselves enduring and valuable, and (2) that, viewed in relation to God’s ideal, eternal plan, each life takes on meaning and purpose” (Smith). Wordsworth’s use of imagery shows that he gives meaning and purpose of inanimate objects. He tries to bring objects to life and evoke a sensory experience as if the reader was viewing the same city right next to him.

Wordworth uses personification throughout the poem to give the city life and create a sense that the city is a living object. “Never did sun more beautifully steep/In his first splendor, valley, rock, or hill” (l.9-10). Wordsworth personifies the sun and creates a third person narrative using the word “he.” He brings the sun alive into a living creature, rising up over the city over the “valley, rock, or hill” (l. 10). Another example would be, “The river glideth at his own street will:/Dear God! the very houses seem asleep;” (l.12-13). He personifies the river with the third person narrative “he” and also personifies the houses as sleeping animate beings. In J. Hillis Miller’s “The Still Heart: Poetic Form in Wordsworth,” Miller writes, “The persuasive figure in ‘Composed upon Westminster Bridge’ is of course the personification of the city as a sleeping human figure who wears only the transparent garment of the morning, as opposed to the usual clothing of smoke” (Miller). He examines ordinary things that we see every day and creates beautiful undertones to bring those objects alive. Personifying objects brings out more meaning and insight to the author’s imagination and ideas. Readers can also see the imagery that the author describes through personification.

William Wordsworth’s poem “Composed upon Westminster Bridge, Sept. 3, 1802,” brings out a sense of positive feelings and a magical overview of London right before the city comes alive. He uses imagery and personification to bring out the beauties of the city and to create this sense of nature in a busy and loud city. Wordsworth’s poems are always full of beautiful imagery and detailed descriptions of the places he visits and he allows his readers to capture the same emotions as he did during that moment in time.

Miller, J. Hillis. "The Still Heart: Poetic Form in Wordsworth." CSUN Library Access to Restricted Resources. 1971. Web. 13 Sept. 2010. <http://www.jstor.org.libproxy.csun.edu/stable/468604?seq=10&Search=yes&term=William&term=Composed&term=Wordsworth&term=Bridge&term=Westminster&term=upon&list=hide&searchUri=/action/doAdvancedSearch?q0=Composed+upon+Westminster+Bridge&f0=all&c1=AND&q1=William+Wordsworth+&f1=all&acc=on&wc=on&Search=Search&sd=&ed=&la=&jo=&item=8&ttl=287&returnArticleService>

Smith, Charles J. "The Contrarieties: Wordsworth's Dualistic Imagery." CSUN Library Access to Restricted Resources. 1954. Web. 13 Sept. 2010. <http://www.jstor.org.libproxy.csun.edu/stable/459777?seq=17&Search=yes&term=William&term=Composed&term=Wordsworth&term=Bridge&term=Westminster&term=upon&list=hide&searchUri=/action/doAdvancedResults?hp=25&la=&wc=on&acc=on&gw=jtx&jcpsi=1&artsi=1&q0=Composed+upon+Westminster+Bridge&f0=all&c0=&q1=William+Wordsworth&f1=all&c1=AND&sd=&ed=&jo=&si=1&jtxsi=>

Introduction

My name is Melissa Moon and I am a graduating senior hopefully at the end of the fall semester. I love reading in my spare time but I am also a big fashion lover. If I am not reading in my spare time, I like to hang out with friends and family and chase after my white, chubby Chihuahua Snowball. I love music, as I can play the flute, piano and little bit of the saxophone. I am hoping for the opportunity to teach in Japan after I graduate which I am both nervous and excited about. 

I feel that media technology should play a big role in teaching, at any level because media technology will help demonstrate and allow further accompany a class. For example, in my AP English class in high school, after reading MacBeth, our teacher showed us the film version of the play which made sense to a lot of the students. For me personally, this allowed me to have a greater sense of the play and to coincide the play with the movie. Bringing in media technology in the classroom is a great way to help the students have a greater understanding of a work of literature and to also keep the attention of a student. You don't want students to be stuck and bored because they will never understand or have a desire to learn. But by bringing in some sort of media technology, students will be interested and also want to learn more about the subject.