Angel on my Shoulder post 3

The section I read this week in Angel on my Shoulder, Natalie Cole gets herself into trouble. First she is asked by a detective to report check forgers in the Springfield area. She describes, “…he was very decent to me. That’s because it wasn’t me he wanted. He was after the check forgers and the various drug dealers I had come to know” (119). Cole was in an ethical dilemma. She could tell on her friends, or she could lie to the detective. It doesn’t say what she did in the book, but based on the fact that she wasn’t arrested, she probably told the detective what he wanted to hear. I think this is a good choice because I feel that one should tell the police the truth, or the police can’t do their job properly. Later, Natalie Cole is arrested for using drugs during one of her performances in Canada, but she didn’t go to jail. Instead she was put on probation, and she couldn’t leave Canada. In order to make sure that she didn’t leave, she had to visit a particular jail and sign in. Her producers, Marvin and Chuck, were in Chicago, wondering when she was coming back. Cole writes, “…but I couldn’t bring myself to tell them [Marvin and Chuck] the truth” (134). In this situation, I don’t believe this was the right thing to do. I would have told Marvin and Chuck why I was stuck in Canada, and hopefully they would still want to produce my album. This decision led to her divorce with Marvin years later.

Blog Question 2 response

Ethics is a complex topic to discuss. There are so many different opinions. In On the Waterfront directed by Elia Kazan, there, too, are different opinions about ‘ratting’ or being a whistle blower. Terry believes that a whistle blower is someone who stands up for the greater good when innocent people are being killed. Father Barry wants whistle blowers to expose the mob corruption and reveal who is killing workers. Father Barry feels God is on the side of those who protect the weak. However, Johnny Friendly disagrees with Terry and Father Barry. Johnny doesn’t support whistle blowers because he is the leader of the corruption and benefits the most from it. Every one must go along with his wishes. Initially, Charlie, Terry’s brother, supports Johnny and his corrupt group until they require Charley to finish off Terry. That is when Charley sees how the mob’s intimidation affects others and he may realize his guilt in all of it.

I believe that I am being a “tattle tale” when I blab something just to get someone in trouble but it doesn’t involve an ethical position I have taken or a cause for something. I may tattle on my brother just to get him out of my hair.
I feel that to be a whistle blower it would require me to take a position on some side of an idea. A whistle blower might be looking out for the good of others not just himself. By informing on someone, the whistleblower might realize that the decision may not benefit him at all. It makes me feel better knowing there might be a mechanic of an airline who whistle- blows. Whistle blowers benefit the greater good.

Blog Question AMS Quarter 2

In the play, “All My Sons”, Joe Keller seems to think that family comes before society. “You’re a boy, what could I do...what could I do, let them take forty years, let them take my life away?” (Miller, 69). Obviously from this quote he thinks family should come first. He did all that he did for Chris, “For you, a business for you!” (Miller, 70). Chris has a different view from his father. “I don’t know what it is, but every time I reach out for something I want, I have to pull back because other people will suffer” (Miller, 16). He’s a considerate person, and puts society before himself. Larry, even though he isn’t a character that actually has any lines, seems to agree with Chris. In his letter to Ann, “How could he have done that? Every day three or four men never come back, and he sits back there doing his business” (Miller, 83). He obviously believes, too, that one’s country is more important. In his eyes, it seems that serving your country is honorable, and for Joe Keller to kill those pilots is treason.

Obviously, ethics isn’t a black and white issue. I think it would have been acceptable for Joe to replace the parts that were faulty. If he couldn’t make the parts, then I would come forward, and I say that I was guilty. I don’t think I could live with the knowledge that I put my friend behind bars, when I too, should be behind bars. In Larry’s situation, I might have reacted differently. He didn’t know all the facts behind the conviction. Also, I’m assuming that he destroyed the plane he was flying, which is Government property. In that situation, I probably wouldn’t have killed myself. I wouldn’t talk to my dad if he was guilty, and if he wasn’t, I would probably forgive him. I think the only way to determine if something is right or wrong is our own opinion. In the end if the decision saves lives, then I would go ahead and do it. If the outcome costs more than I intended, then I would accept the consequences.

ANGEL ON MY SHOULDER post 2

In the first chapter I read this week, Natalie Cole first describes her various Christmases, and then her different performances with her dad when she was eleven. Every year they had a Jewish dinner, and a big Christmas party. She describes a picture where “I’m standing between my father and Louis Armstrong with Ella Fitzgerald seated in the background. The look on my face is entirely so-what” (47). From this statement, one can assume that she didn’t know how lucky she was to grow up with famous people in her life. But, as usual, there’s always a down side to having a famous father. “…everyone knew who my father was, and I often felt as though I was just some representative of his, an extension of him. In the back of my mind, I always felt as though I never knew who my friends were, who my real friends were. I didn’t know whether they liked me for me, or because of who my dad was” (54). From this quote, one can assume that she wanted to find an identity, someone other than “the daughter of Nat King Cole”. She first tried drugs because she wanted to fit in at school. She wanted to be like her friends. I find this sad because if she just realized that drugs weren’t for her, then she wouldn’t have Hepatitis C.
The next chapter I read Cole discussed her father’s death. He was a chain smoker, and died of lung cancer. She was sent to Northfield School for Girls for her high school education. That was the last time she saw her father healthy. When she went home, she almost didn’t recognize him. “I was torn between wanting to run back to school because it was so painful for me to be home, and not wanting to leave at all… Nobody told me he was dying” (61). I think it’s sad that nobody could say that Nat King Cole was dying. Natalie Cole knew he was, but when she was at school she got optimistic letters telling her how well he was doing. I feel that nobody wanted to face the finality of it. He died when she was fifteen years old. “…but I haven’t been back to the grave. I haven’t had any desire to visit that part of my life again… But the face that I never got to say goodbye, never got to tell him one last time how much I loved him, ate at me for years to come” (66). Although, I don’t know what it’s like to lose my dad, I can still sympathize with Cole. My grandma died when I was ten. I hadn’t visited her in two years, and I didn’t go to the funeral. I knew she was going to die, just like Cole did, but I still miss her. When I did go back and visit my grandpa, it felt weird not seeing her there.

Angel on my Shoulder post 1

For this quarter I chose to do Angel on my Shoulder by Natalie Cole. In her book she describes her struggles of drug use in her life. In the introduction of the story she briefly talks about all the ways she thought she was going to die “DAUGHTER OF NAT KING COLE DIES IN VEGAS HILTON INFERNO” (1). “DAUGHTER OF NAT KING COLE, HIGH N LSD, LEAPS FROM 20^TH FLOOR DORM WINDOW… DAUGHTER OF NAT KING COLE ODS ON HEROIN IN TENEMENT DRUG DEN BATHROOM” (2). She believes that every time she should have died, God saved her. I’m sure all the near death experiences would be traumatizing. One particular time proved that an angel was on her side. Cole was in a hotel in Vegas with her body guard Nate. There was a bad fire in the hotel, and they were trapped inside her room. She was about to get light a pipe and get high. She prays, “Now lord if you let me take a hit off this pipe, then that means I’m finished. I’m going to get high, and then I’m going to die…You’re either going to save me, or I’m going to get so high I’m not even going to feel the flames” (8). At that moment, firemen burst in and rescued them. Nate and Cole were rushed to the hospital. Nate had suffered from smoke inhalation and died a few years later. I think this is very sad. Her cousin that also was in the hotel suffered and died from respiratory problems. If this happened to me, I would feel guilty that people who worked with me and related to me died when I did not.

In the next two chapters, Cole describes her childhood. As she was growing up, she was a tomboy and spoiled. The reason why she was a tomboy, though, was very understandable. He wasn’t home very often because singing took up most of his time. When he was home, he just wanted to be a father to his kids. Natalie Cole wanted to be closer to her father, so she liked whatever he liked. Also, hr father wanted a boy really badly, and she filled that position until they adopted a son. One particular story she told, I could relate to. She talked about how one summer, her parents sent her and her sister, Cookie (or Carole) to a camp on Big Bass Lake in Michigan. She begged, “Please come get me! I can’t take this! Please, I want to come home” (35). Her parents told her to stay there for a few more weeks. Of course by the end, Cole didn’t want to leave. I have many experiences when I’m forced to try something, and I end up liking it. When Cole was nine, she traveled to London with Cookie, and her father. They toured Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum. Cole describes, “…I could have stayed there all day. I just reveled in all the creepy stuff cause of my love of horror movies. Of course, my favorite part was the torture chamber” (42-43). I find it creepy that a nine year old would like the torture chamber in a wax museum.

Photo

Odyssey Response

Homer should be considered to be an early feminist because he has so many strong female characters. Circe is able to seduce Odysseus to sleep with her. She makes him promises that she keeps, but Circe tempts Odysseus in ways that a sexist writer wouldn’t create if he truly was a sexist. Another example is Queen Arete. Throughout the time Odysseus spends with the Phaeacians, she seems to be very powerful. Arete is the first one to ask who Odysseus is, even though the king usually talks to the guests.

Also, if Homer was a sexist, then wouldn’t he have a god helping Odysseus rather than a goddess? Athena is a huge role in Odysseus’ life. She tells the other gods and goddesses to let him leave Calypso’s island, and she helps him get to the Phaeacian King successfully. In the end of the book, Athena even helps Odysseus kill all of Penelope’s suitors.

The Tell-Tale Heart

The Tell-Tale Heart is about a man (the narrator) who kills an old man. The old man happens to live with the narrator. The reason why the narrator kills the man was because the old man had a pale blue eye with a film over it. The narrator went crazy because of that eye. After he murders the old man, he hides the body and essentially ‘put to rest’. Later, three police officers came by because neighbors reported screaming earlier in the day. The narrator talks to the police men, right by where he hid the body. Eventually, the narrator hears a beating heart which becomes louder and louder. The narrator confesses his crime to the policemen.

The narrator reminded me of when Achilles removes himself from battle in The Iliad. The narrator reminded me of Achilles because the narrator is so obsessed with getting rid of the staring eye, he doesn’t think of the consequences such as murder. I think it was interesting how only the narrator hears the heart, so he confesses his crime to the policemen to relieve his guilt.

Overall, I think this is a good short story and I recommend it to anyone who likes Edgar Allen Poe.

Giordano, Robert. “The Tell-Tale Heart.” Poestories.com. September 30,2008

Putin defiant on Caucasus troops

Vladimir Putin refuses to consult western European countries, and Georgia, about how many troops should be put into the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Apart of the agreement between Russia and Georgia, Russian troops would return to pre-conflict positions. This reminded me of The Iliad when Achilles asked the seer why Apollo sent a plague. Achilles didn’t consider the actions of telling Agamemnon that he had to give up his war prize. Putin is doing the exact same thing, by not considering what the other countries think.

"Putin defiant on Caucasus troops." BBC News9.21.(2008) 21 Sept. 2008

Hello

Hi, I'm Kirsten. This is my Enriched English 10 blog. I'm very excited to be start blogging for outside reading.