Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare: Mercutio

Dear Mercutio,
    You are a very loyal friend of Romeo, giving him the support he needs even when he might deny it, like with his issues concerning Rosaline. When he was having love problems you gave him your most honest, simple, and great advice: to treat love as it does you, and to understand that love originates from one's love to love, so that you must therefore be willing to move on from the love that brings you overwhelmingly negative feeling in order to love again. Not only that, but you lightened up the mood for him and everyone with your humor when things were getting uncomfortably deep. Serious and silly all in the best of places. Unfortunately, there is only one flaw in your logic due to taking on the Montague's culture being very close friends with Romeo, and that is hating the Capulets. Because it is in your nature to treat Capulet's harshly and Montagues more nicely, it shrouds your actual opinion of those from both houses. This is especially unfavorable for you because you end up dying after allowing yourself to get involved in that fatal quarrel with Tybalt of the Capulet's, in which you disregarded Romeo completely on dismissing such thoughts. Not something that a "loyal friend" would do (acting without communicating). All Romeo wanted was peace for the sake of his relationship with Juliet which patched up his love problems that you wanted to solve before, and maybe even to put an end to the logic that he was made to believe, but in the end it was all ruined because they both ended up dying after a series of events caused by you fighting Tybalt. If only you had taken the time to evaluate everything before taking action. Well, too bad.

Sincerely, Jason

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

The protagonist of the story The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Holden Caulfield, presents a direct perspective of his life revealing his complex character. Through a more psychoanalytic lens, one can see that Holden suffers from depression likely evoked by the death of his younger brother, Allie. Holden also tends to have this pattern of behavior, calling others “phony”, wanting to leave the city for a better life, and failing his classes, which coincides with his depression. And the type of people who are the phoniest of them all to him are adults. Much of Holden’s depressing character is symbolized by the objects that he recalls in the story.

Firstly, the hunting hat Holden buys shows the childish side of his personality, which he isn’t too shy about. The curious hat symbolizes what makes him different from the adult phonies. Holden also is able to hold onto the hat throughout the story, also symbolizing how he clings onto the childhood memories he shared with Allie. Growing up seems to be one of Holden’s greatest fears, and his hat truly embodies his wish to hold onto his trivial and simplistic childhood which in some way protects him. However, Holden initially seemed a bit embarrassed to wear the hat, wanting to be accepted by society, and more specifically his peers. This sort of gives him these mixed feelings ending with the feeling of depression.

Secondly, the museum Holden visits just about every year, also contributes to his depression. What is featured in the museum had remained the same since his first visit. The only thing that does change inside the museum are the people. The museum symbolizes how he can’t live life frozen in time, and that he’ll eventually have to to grow up. He also comes to another conclusion when at the museum, and that is there is no time machine or miracle that can ever bring back Allie.

Lastly, the merry-go-round symbolizes the constant positive progression in life that never really occurs. Life is never always straightforward and in one direction like the merry-go-round. It also seems to show how much Holden refuses to transition from a child to an adult. The simple motion of it prevents Holden from setting foot onto a more difficult and complex life of an adult. Also, the merry-go-round being a beloved children’s toy, and Holden seeing the joy of childhood/adolescence with his sister on the ride for one last time makes him truly feel the joy of being happy. In that scene he finally feels happy because he lets go of his fears of dying and maturing to just experience something going on in his life. With that he also doesn’t feel the need to save others from losing their innocence as well. He then on doesn’t let his depression of losing Allie dominate his life, coming to the realization that maturing won’t only make him phony and bring more conflict, but bring him closer to others allowing him to better connect with society.

A Modern Utopia by H.G. Wells

     Every individual has his/her own ideals about everything and all these ideals, when formed into a single idea also creates a utopia in which that person may usually perceive as perfect for themself. A utopia is the state of being a perfect world in all points of reference of life in that world. What the common utopia is for everyone in the world now is constantly being debated, and is nowhere close to being found and accepted. But, there are ideals originating from those utopias that have been generally accepted by all. A Modern Utopia by H.G. Wells is an essay-story that presents the author's ideals surrounding his own utopia in which he finds achievable, consisted of the ideals from other utopists and philosophers in history until his time.

     Something that Wells tells readers about his utopia is that the small social issues are things bound to occur anywhere where there are people, and although his utopia has said conflict it is still a utopia. Wells' utopia also has some aspects in which helps to maintain its state of perfection, which is also another reason why social conflicts become such an insignificant factor in his utopia. His utopia is made to constantly be in a static or positively progressing state. This doesn't really account for any visitors from our world entering the story. Wells uses the characters from the story part of his writing piece, the Botanist and the Narrator, to draw in readers and to open up discussion about his ideals. When they enter a utopian society, can they not produce a conflict that can cause this utopia to no longer be a utopia? After having analyzed and observing the author's utopia, I have to say that even the slightest most insignificant thing as such can progress into something more greatly impactful. One of Murphy’s laws is that, as time progresses things are bound to worsen, which contradicts the whole concept of utopia.

     Then, H.G. Wells also mentions a major aspect of his utopia which one may find very debatable. Something that helps in maintaining his utopia is an openly secret society which has the power to keep the state intact. In other words it makes negative progression nonexistent allowing growth without it being unethical or dystopian. A powerful exclusive group separate from a state’s government with the ability to build up or break down that state, has always been very controversial in the real world. One of the first to have a similar idea was Plato. Instead of it being the Samurai as in Wells’ work; he called them the Guardians. Many have found such a thing as a possible necessity for a utopia, especially it coming from one of the first and most famous philosophers. In contrast, one of the first applications of the idea was the Freemasons who were responsible for the beginning of the United States (and few places around the world). After evil overcame the society and anti-freemasonry movements started, they slowly faded away from history losing any supplemental power they had in the country.

     Herbert George Wells also draws a reference to Thomas More's utopia. More's utopia does exhibit a utopia, but one in which he did not believe was achievable to any extent. Wells uses his works to try and prove his ideals in order to strengthen his utopia. Seeing that these two are very distinct men who have developed in very different places, times, and ways, it is quite obvious that they think differently. This is also why their ideals are very different, mostly tending to conflict with another. You can’t prove another utopia wrong, but you can present your own ideas as H.G. Wells did. There really is no limit to what one can do other than the limits that every individual creates for themselves.

     Utopia is something that is achievable, as shown in Wells’ utopia and many others. It all varies with what every person believes is utopia. Some may feel that utopia is a place where they get the most benefits while others believe it is a state which we know is there but we cannot achieve. No matter how you see it, everything hitherto surrounds the improvement of our world in the present.

More Than This by: Patrick Ness

     A boy drowns, very desperate, and lonely during his final moments of life. He dies being crushed by the rocks of the sea. Then, he wakes up disoriented, naked, thirsty, bruised, and alive in his old home in England. Is this end for Seth Wearings, or is there more to it all? In the book More Than This by Patrick Ness, Seth, like many others in the world, dares to hope as he finds his way around in this new life.     After Seth's awakening, he experiences painfully vivid memory relapses. He slowly begins to remember what life use to be, all the horrible times in his past, and good times which would sometimes end up being more painful for him to experience. Most importantly, Seth remembers his boyfriend, Gudmund, and his brother, Owen, and begins to miss them. Seth becomes lonely, depressed, and desperate for there to be anything good in what he thinks is some sort of hell. When he finally starts to give out, he finds food, water, decent clothes, and later actual people.     After Seth meets Regine and Tomasz, they seem to show somewhat of an understanding of the world. One theory was that everyone was hooked up to the internet, and “permanently” logged-on because their actual lives were horrible, or some other reason. They also thought that there were other people like them, from the area, still logged-on inside the big prison. But, Seth doesn't believe any of this, and just thinks it's all in his head which is why good things only happened when he really hoped for it. This idea ends up being proven wrong after he foolishly tries to put an end to the Driver, a deadly thing that patrols the prison.     Towards the ending of the book, Seth sets out for the prison to try and possibly develop a better understanding of everything, and to also see if there are others in the prison. He awfully finds people still online, and his parents, but no Owen. The Driver ends up being killed later on by Tomasz, and Seth is also later able to remember well enough the missing truth. The Driver was their caretaker, and the memories that they thought they had were actually from the simulation of the real world, which they made because they thought it would be a better life than their initial one. Owen wasn't hooked up to the Internet because he really died, and existed in the simulation. After seeing that Regine could go back to the fake world that she had died in, it becomes obvious that all the simulations are connected as one whole other world, and that they can alert others stuck online by also going back online. Seth then takes the privilege of entering the other world to try and help everyone find their way back to reality.     In conclusion, whenever Seth did dare to hope in the story, things got more better for him than when he would give up. Something many people tend to lack is the urge to hope, because they lack optimism. Dreams never end, but are only abandoned, and Seth really dwells on his dreams of finding the truth. Hope is something that is never truly lost, but found; something Seth truly demonstrates.

Why We Should Get GMO's Labeled

             We have been using GMO's (genetically modified organisms) in our everyday foods since the turn of the century. It is used to make goods such as eggs, meat, dairy, various packaged goods, and even fruits and vegetables; in short, just about all goods sold to the public. But, something we have failed to acknowledge is that we have only been using GMO's for such a relatively short time, as a matter of fact since the 1990’s, and have yet justified whether they are truly safe or hazardous. Hence why, GMO's should then be labeled on all products for the clarity and reassurance of the consumer, in which they have the right to know.

            Something that is very alarming is the fact that GMO’s were introduced to the world with the primary aim of addressing the global food issues, because we were at a time when food production in even the largest of food industries could not meet up with the demands of their consumers. But, rather than making their primary aim the well being of the consumers who were to be exposed to their plans, they continued on in creating the first genetically modified foods as quickly as possible. According to “Why We Should Accept GMO Labeling” by Dan Fagin “"GMO products... were introduced not because they were the best way to employ genetic engineering to address critical global food issues, but because they were thought to be the fastest, most reliable route to profits for... producers." GMO’s can and need to be considered a hazard to the public which we have yet to discover. Many things could have gone wrong due to the hasty decision’s lack of testing. Although we haven’t found that flaw yet, the chances become more likely as more time passes with us using these GMO’s. Moreover, what could possibly happen now or in the near future with GMO products, can and should be considered a great possibility because of this information. According to “Should GMO’s Be Labeled” by Amir Khan “‘When GMO’s are grown out in the environment, contamination happens and it's not possible to control it,’ Megan Westgate, executive director of the Non-GMO Project, said in a statement. ‘That’s a real liability to our food supply because these are experimental organisms [and] we don't know what the long-term impact is to human health or the environment.’” We are having too much faith in the people who make these foods to do the right things when it comes to the consumer and/or business ethics. We cannot assume that the food that we eat is absolutely safe just by the word of the major producers. The proper labeling of these genetically modified organisms and even genetically engineered crops is an appropriate precaution to take to properly inform customers what they are buying before they actually make the purchase.

            Concurrently, in being a consumer there is moral rights and laws in which you are entitled to as a person. Equally important, the consumer’s opinion is very important, and is what makes businesses successful. In the situation with GMO labeling, it is the consumers who are giving a reason to debate over this. According to an ABC News poll (06/19/15) “Nearly everyone --- 93 percent --- says the federal government should require labels on food saying whether it’s been genetically modified, or ‘bio-engineered’ (this poll uses both phrases). Such unanimity in public opinion is rare.” Speaking for a majority of us customers, we have been waiting and trying to encourage the crackdown on food labeling, mainly focusing on whether or not they are genetically modified or engineered. Why is it that it is taking so long for a law to be passed or for the producers and big businesses to give into this new demand by consumer? According to “Consumer Rights - Consumer Protection Laws” by www.hg.org "Consumer rights and consumer protection law provides a way for individuals to fight back against abusive business practices. These laws are designed to hold sellers of goods and services accountable when they seek to profit by taking advantage of a consumer’s lack of information or bargaining power." If GMO's aren't labeled in our foods, it is essentially an inaccuracy on the part of the producer, and in some cases can be a possibly active marketing strategy due to the lack of information. We should be able to extend our rights in order to prevent this unethical loophole violating the rights of customers. It is the best, being of our concerns, to get GMO's labeled on all food products as an extension and strengthening of our rights as customers.

            The main problem with GMO’s and the fight to get them labeled is the fact that neither side (buyers and sellers) can come to an agreement on what to do. If GMO's are "safe", why is it that we cannot still have products labeled properly? Assuming there is absolutely nothing to hide, why hide this important information from the people who are being sold these products? According to "American Medical Association: GMO Labeling Not Necessary" by the Huffington Post "The American Medical Association announced in a statement this week that they saw no health purpose for labeling genetically modified foods -- those made with GMO's (or genetically modified organisms) -- as such...'There is no scientific justification for special labeling of bioengineered foods, as a class, and that voluntary labeling is without value unless it is accompanied by focused consumer education,' the statement read in part." Consumers in the U.S are not uneducated; according to “The U.S. Education System Is Not Failing” by the National Association of State Boards of Education “The American education system — inasmuch as it's actually a system — is not failing.” But, a possible reason for the withholding of the information rightfully deserved by us all might be hidden in the possible dangers there are in genetically engineered foods which would become a concern because of our well educated consumers. According to "Assessment of the food safety issues related to genetically modified foods" by Harry A. Kuiper, Gjis A. Kleter, Hub P.J.M. Noteborn, and Esther J. Kok (Figure 2) "Safety issues of GM foods: (i) Genetic modification process, (ii) Safety of new proteins, (iii) Occurrence and implications of unintended effects, (iv) Gene transfer of microflora, (v) Allergenicity of new proteins, (vi) Role of new food in the diet, and (vii) Influence of food processing." Such various possible safety concerns could ruin the market strategy that some businesses are using in leaving out information, and would benefit the consumers if the labeling of these foods were made mandatory. This must occur for the enlightenment of the customers on what they are eating every day, which must be made know. We have to label these products to reveal what the food we eat everyday is really made from, and it is only ethical if the 93% of people were to have this information.

            In conclusion, the labeling of GMO food products is a necessity for all. We have a right to know what is in the food that we must eat, not only just because of the potential dangers and it degrading consumer rights with its insufficient facts, but mainly because a majority of consumers agree and should not be denied of their opinions and demands. All that's needed is a compromise, for the producers to give into the labeling, and laws to be made, as well as a change in policies. Our safety should no longer lie in the hands of businesses, but in our own by knowingly purchasing these foods.

The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells

     Although there are no evident traces of intelligent lifeforms in our solar system and our parts of the galaxy so far, we do know that the cosmos is infinitely vast and that we are not the only ones here. The novel The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells introduces an important quote by a friend of the protagonist, Ogilvy, which greatly contributes the start of the story; "'The chances against anything man-like on Mars are a million to one,' he said." This quote not only symbolizes but foreshadows the main start of the climax in the novel.
     The protagonist, prior to the quote, observes Mars through a telescope. He later reveals his great fascination for Mars, and ideas concerning life and civilization. This foreshadows that if there just so happens to be life on Mars, or any trace else where for that matter, he would be destined to get involved. This is probably one of the major reasons for the climax of the story, the character is placing himself in a possibly dangerous position.
     The protagonist, after observing Mars, recalls seeing very fine projectiles hurdling towards his direction very near the red planet. He hadn't even taken any notice of it until having retold it in the novel, and assumed the projectiles were passing meteorites. The meteorites are a symbol that something of epic proportions is either happening on Mars, and/or coming to Earth. This also foreshadows the possibility that those "meteorites" may contain intelligent life or some trace of them, from Mars or even other places in the galaxy.
     The statement that Ogilvy had made, is much like what NASA would say today. Essentially he is saying that there is "no" chance that there is any life on other planets, even Mars which is strikingly similar to Earth. Seeing that the book is titled The War of the Worlds, the ideas that people have, like Ogilvy's, represents those who are in denial or unable to comprehend the actual reality of it all, what is "blocking the bridge". It foreshadows that there must be life on the red planet, that would force those on Earth, in the story, to see the other world, the "unblocking of the bridge". This is most likely to create conflict between humans and the martians in the novel, and develop into what could be considered a war.

The Mad Man

     There he sat, at the corner of the empty room. Motionlessly, he stared at the other end of the room, expressionless and cold. What was on his mind, if there were anything, I did not know. I found it incomprehensible.

     "Hello, Mr. Fidelis," I said softly.

     He did not respond.

     "Mr. Fidelis, sir, what is it that you've done to the place?"

     The old man did not budge.

     "Mr. Fidelis!" I shouted worriedly.

     I immediately left the stone cold man, and started pacing. What has happened to the poor man? What am I going to do? What should I do?, I thought.

     "Ahhh!!!" the man screamed waking from his slumber.

     "Ahhh!!!" I shouted back, stumbling in fear.

     "Oh, it's just you George, old chap. You startled me," he replied relieved.

     "I 'startled' you? You scared my heart out of my chest. Anyway, what have you been up to?"

     "I was thinking."

     "What--Where's the furniture?"

     "I needed to stay focused. What are you even doing here?"

     "I was dropping of your medication, sir. Here."

     "I won't be needing it, that is if my experiment's results are permanent."

     "What experiment, might I ask?"

     "Um..."

     Mr. Fidelis paused. Then he jumped up like a cat, and ran out of the room and scrambled for paper and his quilt.

     "Imagine this piece of paper represents all life, and all reality," he said holding up the sheet of paper.

     Then, he took his quilt and made a fine dot on the page.

     "Now imagine this represents one life, and how much of reality we can potentially control. It is infinitely small, yet infinitely large like this paper," he said, slowly making the dot into a larger circle, that was much easier to perceive.

     "So, does that mean that we can potentially control a 'larger' amount of reality at will?" he asked making the circle larger and larger until it touched the edges of the page.

     "What does this mean, and how can we channel it? I'm not even yet completely sure whether or not such a principle is even true. I figured that channeling it would involve the basic elements of the mind, thinking or not thinking."

     I took a moment to process this. At first I thought he was insane, but then I took his thinking into consideration.

     "What do you mean by 'thinking or not thinking'?" I asked intrigued.

     "It's complicated," he replied.

     "What do you mean by that?" I inquired.

     "Did I not say it was very complicated?"

     "I dismissed my ideas, and stopped trying. Why is it that I even bother with this? I'm becoming a mad man. No, I'm becoming Fidelis! I must stop this now.

     "You're a lunatic, you know that? Now just take your medication for your bad leg," I said handing him the paper bag.

     He snatched the bag from my hand and through it straight into chimney fire. He grabbed a poker, and then picked up the bag to extinguish its flames in the kitchen sink.

     "Do you have the nearest idea how much that costs? You should be lucky to have even had it in your possession. It would help fix your useless leg of yours," I spoke loudly.

     "I told you, I don't need it anymore. Have you not noticed?" he asked and then walked away.

     It was peculiar how I had missed this before, but he was healed. Mr. Fidelis was walking upright, boldly, and swiftly, something I hadn't seen in a long time. Perhaps he is right this time. I couldn't help but laugh under my breathe at the thought. Highly unlikely.