Fences Fishbowl Blog Discussion: Education in the 1950s

Segragation in schools

·         Briggs v. Elliott

o   Unequal segregated schools

o   “For every dollar spent on a white child only 24 cents was allotted for a black student”. 

o   “Most rural black schools had neither electricity nor running water. ”

·         Davis v. School Board of Prince Edward County

·         Bulah v. Gebhart and Belton v. Gebhart

o   Longs walks to school

o   Not allowed to share busses with white children

·         Brown v. Board of Education

o   Separate is not equal

·         1957: Little Rock Nine

o   First integration of schools in Arkansas

o   President Eisenhower had to order troops to escort the children

Educational Progress

·         Average teacher Salary- $4,000

·         $215 spent per student, today $10,615 spent per student

·         At age 25, only 36.4% Caucasian people had a high school degree, only 13.7% African American people

·         Firs t ACT in 1959

Effects of the Cold War

·         Pushed more math, science, and foreign language education

·         Additional millions of dollars added for education reform

Sources

       America's Schools: 1950s vs. Today. Digital image. TakePart. Take Part, n.d. Web. 09 Jan. 2015. <http://www.takepart.com/sites/default/files/Americas_Schools_Take_Part_Infographic.png>.

       "The Decision." Separate Is Not Equal. National Museum of American History, n.d. Web. 09 Jan. 2015. <http://americanhistory.si.edu/brown/history/5-decision/decision.html>.

       "Five Communities Change a Nation." Separate Is Not Equal. National Museum of American History, n.d. Web. 09 Jan. 2015. <http://americanhistory.si.edu/brown/index.html>.

       Sass, Edmund. "American Educational History: A Hypertext Timeline." Ed's Resources. N.p., 17 Nov. 2014. Web. 11 Jan. 2015. <http://www.eds-resources.com/educationhistorytimeline.html#1900>.

Blog #20: Final Socratic Discussion

Part 1:
Janie idealizes love
Marriages destroys dreams
Love is found

Part 2:
     Representation of culture in Mary Oliver’s The Black Walnut Tree and Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God are completely reversed. In The Black Walnut Tree, the character’s debate selling their tree to pay the hovering mortgage. The tree represents their roots—not only the literal roots of the tree, but also their heritage. “What my mother and I both know is that we'd crawl with shame in the emptiness we'd made in our own and our fathers' backyard” (26-29). Although it is not easy for the family to carry the memory of their heritage, it is something that they value. In contrast, Janie’s Nanie tells her in Their Eyes Were Watching God that “colored folks [are] branches without roots” (Hurston 15). Nanie means that they have no culture—they only roots that most African Americans could trace themselves back to was slavery, and that was not a history that they created for themselves. Although Oliver and Hurston thematic display culture and heritage differently, its presence, or lack thereof, shapes the works.

Part 3:
     The main characters of both William Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God both survive their trials with the help of a faithful friend. For Hamlet, this friend is Horatio, who stays by his side through Hamlet’s journey to revenge, proving that he is the only person that Hamlet can trust. For Janie, this friend is Phoebe, who gives her advice and is the first welcoming person when Janie returns to Eatonville. Similar to the fidelity displayed by Horatio and Phoebe, both characters act as orators for their friends. Hamlet tells Horatio before death, “If thou didst ever hold me in thy heart/ Absent thee from felicity a while, And in this harsh world draw thy breath in pain/ To tell my story” (5.2.344-347). In comparison, Janie tells Phoebe to tell her story to the gossips in town. “ ‘You can tell ‘em what Ah say if you wants to. Dat’s just de same as me ‘cause mah tongue is in mah friend’s mouf’ ”(Hurston 6).

Blog #19: Their Eyes Were Watching God Socratic Discussion #1 "Say, Mean, Story" Chart

Blog #18: Hamlet Literary Analysis

Blog #17: And the Beat Goes On... Even if the Characters Don't

                            

                                                            "My Wish" Rascal Flatts

I hope that the days come easy and the moments pass slow,
And each road leads you where you want to go,
And if you're faced with a choice, and you have to choose,
I hope you choose the one that means the most to you.
And if one door opens to another door closed,
I hope you keep on walkin' till you find the window,
If it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile,

But more than anything, more than anything,
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.

I hope you never look back, but ya never forget,
All the ones who love you, in the place you left,
I hope you always forgive, and you never regret,
And you help somebody every chance you get,
Oh, you find God's grace, in every mistake,
And you always give more than you take.

But more than anything, yeah, and more than anything,
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.

My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.

This is my wish
I hope you know somebody loves you
May all your dreams stay big

yeah this is my wish

I know Hamlet doesn't approve of such a light take on death, because I heard him ask Horatio before Ophelia's burial, "Has this fellow no feeling of his business, that' a sings at grave-making?" (5.1.49).  Well, no matter. "Custom hath made it... a property of easiness" (5.1.50), and "My Wish" by Rascal Flatts perfectly describes everything that I want to say to my son.  

The song has a very sincere and hopeful tone.  Even though Hamlet refers to me with disgust-- he even went so far as to cry, "Wretched queen, adieu!" (5.2.297). after my death-- he is still my world.  "...O my dear Hamlet... (5.2.274).  I hope that if he were to ever hear this song, he would realize this.  The line in this song, "I hope you know somebody loves you..." doesn't only refer to my love for my son, but also what he and Ophelia shared.  "...I though thy bride-bed to have deck'd, sweet maid, And not have strew'd thy grave" (5.1.192-193).  I wanted to see Hamlet be happy with Ophelia, but now that possibility is gone.  Even after her death, I hope that Hamlet remembers his love the way that he forced me to remember the grace of the King in my chamber.  I've done my best to keep my word to Hamlet after that night, even if it mean defying my husband.  At Ophelia's grave, when Claudius called Hamlet mad, I said, "For love of God, forbear him" (5.1.220).  And when Claudius told me not to drink to my son's fortune, I refused with, "I will, my lord; I pray you, pardon me" (5.2. 255).  Little did I know that that sip would be the end of my life.  

All that I really want Hamlet to do after I pass is actually a line in this fabulous song, "I hope you always forgive..."-- mostly forgive me.  I thought I saw a glimpse of his returning love when he leaned over the balcony during the middle of his joust to ask, "How does the queen?" (5.2.272), but I'll never know.  Rascal Flatts has a vision for the receiver of this song that is similar to mine: "My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to, Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small, You never need to carry more than you can hold...".  I tried to send this message to my son with my toast.  "Here, Hamlet, take my napkin, rub thy brows: The queen carouses to thy fortune, Hamlet" (5.2.252).  I continued to insist on this, later saying again, "Come, let me wipe thy face" (5.2.258). 

Through this song, I just want my dear son Hamlet to know that I did my best, that I did everything I could, and that everything I did was all for him.

Blog #15B: Character Instagram Selfie

Queen Gertrude would be the character in Hamlet to commit the "bathroom selfie" crime.  So many times, people will post a great picture of themselves, but remain oblivious to the toilet seat in the background, ruining their photograph.  I thought it might be more appropriate to parallel the filthy toilet seat, with King Claudius's filthy act of murder, which sits right under the Queen's nose.  Gertrude's fatal flaw is that she is so concerned with the things she can see-- like Hamlet's depression and keeping King Claudius happy-- that she often remains unaware of the rotten state of Denmark.  At the beginning of Hamlet's game of charades, the new King asks Queen Gertrude why Hamlet is so depressed, and she answers, "I doubt it is no other than the main;/ His father's death, and our o'erhasty marriage" (2.2. 56-57).  All of Denmark can tell that Hamlet is unhappy with his mother's hasty marriage, yet she sends his old friends to check up on him, and when Hamlet confronts the Queen in her bedchamber, she acts as though she truly has no idea what is making him so mad.  She asks her son, " What have I done, that thou dar'st wag thy tongue/ In noise so rude against me?" (3.4.40-41).  It seems as though, the Queen's flaw isn't only oblivion, but also forgetfulness.  In the selfie, she forgot to crop out the murder taking place in the background, just like Hamlet thinks that she has forgotten her loyalty to King Hamlet Sr.

  

Blog #15: To Be Or Not to Be & Analysis of Form and Mise En Scene

Claudius told me that he overheard Hamlet talking to himself again, proposing ridiculous paradoxes while in his suicidal state.  "To be or not to be-- that is [apparently his] question..." (3.1.64).  He said that he was worried about our son, because Hamlet talked with such vivid imagery about his troubled life.  "...The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,/ Or to take arms against a sea of troubles/ and, by opposing, end them" (3.1. 66-68).  Apparently, the poor boy talked about the hardships of life with great ethos-- almost like he knew them himself.  And he compared the world to a "...sea of troubles..." (3.1.67) and death to an "...undiscovered country from whose bourn/ No traveler returns..." (3.1.87-88).  Just listening to Claudius tell me the story made my heart drop to my stomach, because I can remember plenty of times where I've worried about the "...dread of something after death..." (3.1.86).  Even though Hamlet's rant was full of passion, I can't ignore the reason in my mad son's speech.  "To die, to sleep--/ To sleep, perchance to dream" (3.1.72-73).  His oppositions show how he ponders reasons to live versus to die, what happens after death, and why death is so feared.  I waited in fear for Claudius to tell me that my one and only son had decided to take his own life rather than "grunt and sweat" in this one, but he didn't.  He said that Hamlet did nothing more than come to a few conclusions: life is harsh and people don't fear death itself, only the uncertainty of what comes after.

        

Laurence Olivier's take on Hamlet's soliloquy takes places on a cloudy day, on a cliff above the sea.  A spiraling view of the scene with non-diegetic music leads the viewer into the scene of Hamlet's contemplation.  A long shot of the sea below the cliff, mixed with diegetic sound from the waves emphasizes the high drop and danger presented with the setting for Hamlet's soliloquy.  The camera then angles to provide an extreme close-up of the back of Hamlet's head, zooming into his brain like an x-ray.  By using editing to layer a picture of a brain and the waves shows the viewers the danger that is on Hamlet's mind.  The music ends while Hamlet, clothed in black to symbolize death, begins his lines with his eyes closed is shown  through a medium shot, lying on a rock on the top of the cliff.  The sound is still non-diegetic, because Hamlet is thinking, and not yet talking.  He pulls a dagger out of his costume, which intensifies his thoughts on death and life.  Suddenly, Hamlet's eyes jolt open and he begins to physically speak the remainder of the soliloquy.  As this continues, he drops the dagger into the sea and turns to walk away from the camera, and down the steps to the side of the cliff.  Non-diegetic sound once again comes from the dark sound of the music as the screen fades to black.   The entire scene is in black and white, which further draws upon Hamlet's  thoughts of death.

I've heard so many stories about Hamlet's depression in past weeks, that I'm not quite sure what to believe.  Yes, I know.  The most logical way to find the truth would be to just ask Hamlet what's really bothering him, what he really said, but of course my wayward son isn't too chummy with his dear old mother right now.  So, I asked around Elsinore, and a few versions have turned up.  I hate to admit it, but I think I believe Laurence Olivier's version the best.  Between the spying Claudius, Polonious, Rosencratz, and Guildenstern have done, it seems to me that Hamlet would go so far as to actually almost take his life.  Thankfully his thinking was for the better this time and he decided against it.  I almost had the nerve to believe Kenneth Branagh's rumor.  It's true that Hamlet has been roaming the halls lately, mumbling nonsense, but through all of my research, it seems that he's been very careful not to let anyone know what's bothering him.  I just don't think he would take that risk in our home.  Mel Gibson's story was even less convincing, because Hamlet admired his dad's manliness.  So why would he plan his own suicide in front of his dead father?  Out of all of the outrageous stories I heard, Ethan Hawke's took the cake.  Hamlet hasn't even left the estate since his dad passed, I'm quite sure that a stroll to Blockbuster is what prompted him to ponder the afterlife.