Irony and the Sarc Mark

I think that irony is a tough concept to grasp and can often be confused with just bad luck. I read the article that went along with the podcast about irony, and I think that the reference to the twin towers was alright, but I agree with Jonathan Lear in that irony is not over. I think that true irony, that is not just sarcasm or bad luck, can be very effective when used correctly. Irony that is used correctly can make us question our ideas and viewpoint. I have in no way mastered the art of irony but I think the article helped me understand it a little better. Irony sparks a deeper thinking within ourselves and can be very effective in literature. By far I think that verbal irony, including sarcasm, can be hilarious as well as provoking in the thought process. My Dad a little over a year ago came across an article about technology and sarcasm and evidently there is a little symbol called a "sarc mark" that helps people detect sarcasm. Here it is ----------> ®. I think if this was integrated into conversations over the internet that a few less feelings would be hurt and there would be a lot more understanding over what some people say.

Update on Outside Reading Book

My first outside reading book is The White Tiger written by Aravind Adiga. So far I am about half way into it and I am enjoying it a lot. The setting takes place in India and the culture seems very interesting but also very different and contrasting to American culture. The book is written as a series of letters that are written The Premier of China explaining why his face is on wanted posters. The protagonist recalls all throughout the book about flashbacks to his childhood and his jobs. The point that I am at right now is that he is a driver to a wealthy family and acts as their chauffeur. He takes the couple to New Delhi and drives them around. Each chapter of the book is a new letter written to the Premier of China and he starts each one as if he is carrying out a normal conversation. I like the style that this book is written in because it is not extremely formal and it is like you are having a conversation, or listening in on one. I am excited to read on and solve the mystery as to why his face is on these posters and the continuation of his job.

The Lesson

One of the recent stories that we read in the Lit text book was The Lesson. This story was particularly interesting to me because it explored the value of money to two different classes, the wealthy and the poor. It was amazing to see how special five dollars was to a kid in poverty, and the mountains of possibilities that came with it. The kids went to window shop at a very expensive toy store in the heart of NYC, and they were stunned by the high ticketed prices. The kids began to discuss with their teacher about the value of a dollar and how each class' viewpoint drastically contrasted. To the kids, seeing a toy sailboat priced at over a thousand dollars was outrageous. They began to think about how many families a thousand dollars could feed, and they came to the conclusion that they were perfectly happy with the five dollars that they had. This brings up the stereotypical statement of "Money doesn't buy happiness" with applies to this story. Just because the kids’ couldn’t buy the expensive toys, that didn’t mean that they were unhappy. I think that this statement should be applied to everyday life because many morals can come from it. Materials can only satisfy happiness for a brief amount of time until something bigger and better comes out. Also, materials are only temporary while relationships and bonds with people can bring everlasting happiness. I think that the world should look at five dollars like those kids did; they didn’t think about the things that they couldn’t buy with it, they thought about all of the possibilities that it held.

The Destructors

I thought that this story was a good length and pretty interesting so it wasn't hard to follow. A few questions that came up while I was reading was how old are the boys in the gang. They have to be at least teenagers because the crime that they committed was pretty large. I also questioned the motives behind the gang members. They destroyed Old Misery's house for no specific reason. Trevor was trying to prove himself to the gang but I feel that he could've done it in a different way. I felt so sorry for the old man because that house meant something special to him, and the gang members destroyed it for no real reason. I also feel that they took the destruction a little too far, considering the fact that they demolished the house to pieces, literally. When Old Misery saw his house fall to pieces, he was in complete shock. Anyone passing by on the street would find humor in it, just like the driver that let Old Misery out of the loo. Overall I thought that this story was fairly commercial because it was pretty enjoyable to read and wasn't a complete literary masterpiece.