Opinion Column

Rationale:

This task is part of the ”Language and Cultural Context” segment of the course, in which I decided to write an opinion column because it fits to the topic I wanted to write about. This topic is the way that certain minorities or social groups are portrayed in popular T.V. series or films. An opinion column helps me give facts who are meant to support my opinions, but in which I will also establish facts that I want people to know.

The purpose of this text is to reflect about how the typical stereotypes of people are to some extent affecting these people negatively. Taking the characteristics of a social group and exaggerating them may be taken  as an offense. On the other hand it entertains people and has a sense of humor to it, so it can be seen from two points of view. My goal is to let people know and for them to reflect about this topic, taking in consideration how other people may feel about it.

The way I achieved this, was through the use of pathos, given that it appeals to the pity or compassion people may feel towards the ones who would be affected.

Opinion Column:

Throughout history, films and T.V. series have portrayed certain minorities or social groups. Language is key when these stereotypes come into place, given that an accent or the use of grammar can represent a type of social groups. I'm questioning if this stereotyping through the use of language is, to some extent, negatively affecting social groups. I will explain this point of view through examples of popular T.V. series and contrast how these stereotypes are being used.

For instance, the indian culture is stereotyped in “The Simpsons“, through the character of Apu. This characterization contains a wide range of linguistic devices that are used to represent this social group. a way this is done, is the pronunciation he uses. It's the typical Indian accent shown on almost every T.V. series, in which for example the stressed syllables are pitched in a higher tone.

This way, we typify the indian culture through the accent they have. Although in real life, the indian accent may not that noticeable and some people may feel offended by this stereotype, given that they are being told their pronunciation is not the best.

Another characteristic that stereotypes Apu, is the grammar he uses. Indian people usually don't handle the English language very well because it isn't their native language, so their grammar is pretty basic. This linguistic characteristic typifies the Indian people as well. However it also addresses almost every not native English speaker, given that their english may present some mispronunciations and errors in grammar.

This typification may, to a certain extent, discriminate people and separate the Indians from the Americans, given that the T.V. series makes this differences in language more noticeable. They may even feel different from other people and exclude themselves because they may feel ashamed to show their way of speaking. However, we can all agree that it is done for humor purposes and to entertain people, so we can say that it is positive as it is negative. From there on, it's up to every person to judge how good or how bad this characterization may be. For example, an American will probably not even care about this topic because it doesn't affect him , but by the other hand, an Indian that has just come to America and sees “The Simpsons“ for the first time may feel like the americans are mocking him. Same happens with Chinese stereotypes throughout this T.V. series.

The stereotypes can also be good. They can show characteristics that embellish a social or cultural group. Even if some people may see certain characteristics as bad, the ones that I'm going to explain are usually seen as good attributes a person may have.

An example of this is the character Gloria from Modern Family, which is an introverted latina that is one of the main characters in the series. This character usually speaks in high tones and has authority given she speaks securely.

When it comes to language, latinos usually speak in a higher tone and with more confidence. This is exactly how Sofia Vergara impersonates Gloria in the series. An extroverted character that stands out and that makes herself noticeable. According to the stereotype, latinos speak a characteristic English, which is pronounced similarly to the indians, having mispronunciation and a Spanish accent. When it comes to grammar, hers is usually basic as well.

This characterization can be seen from a positive point of view, given that she is a fun, emotive, unreserved character. Sofia can be seen as a strong woman that is respected and that is very sociable. I think we all can agree that that is a positive characteristic.

This impersonation of a ”latina” is for humor's sake and we all have laughed at how Sofia Vergara speaks and acts. There is also a negative aspect to the characterization of Gloria, given that she may seem a little aggressive in the way she is and in the way she treats people. It is similar to the case of Apu from the Simpsons, given that even if the characterization may be a bit rude to the culture. It is not done to hurt anybody, but how much it affects people is only judged from different perspectives by different people.

Language has been used to impersonate different cultures throughout films, using linguistic devices to refer to these ways of being. These ways of acting. However, to which extent does it really discriminate, even if it is only for humor's sake? Maybe a good way of answering this question is doing a survey and asking the affected people what is their posture towards this situation. In my opinion, we as people should accept our characteristics and be content to have a cultural ethnie that makes us different. Not be so sensitive about being characterized and just live in harmony with ourselves, accepting our language.

News report

Yesterday, two thousand people got together in Washington to listen to Martin Luther King Jr’s speech. This heart warming speech reached every american given that it was also televised. He spoke about the racial discrimination that exists in the country, the liberty that he wants for people and the way he wants the american country to live like.

King’s speech referred to the situation of the american society and he criticized it in such a way that every african american felt identified with his words. One of the main purposes was to demonstrate the situation that America was going through. The racial inequality in terms of economics, civil rights and freedom itself. The goals of the march were a higher minimum wage, support for the antidiscrimination legislation and creating conscience about the african american’s situation. These two last goals were the most important and they a common purpose, which is racial equality. As we can appreciate in this quote that King said,

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character ”

he wants this society to appreciate the different ethnies and to live in brotherhood and freedom.

By the other hand, the response of the audience to King’’s speech was tremendous. Everyone that was in the march felt identified with his words. These words that carried freedom and justice and that yesterday were listened by every american, given that it was televised.

I Have a Dream Speech activities

1.-
How much brotherhood can be found in America?
In the modern America, people are more open to other cultures and have a wider view of the world. Most people have learned that we as humans have the same rights and should not be judged by the colour of our skin, but by the content of our character (Martin Luther King Jr, 1963). The educational system is now structured to teach new generations the social diversity and how wrong discrimination is, by giving examples of the past that their own country wen through. One example of this is the racial discrimination against black people of 1960's, in which a long fight against the laws of the U.S. made the first step to the society in which we are living nowadays.
In America, brotherhood can be seen mostly in the younger generations, given that they were raised in a society that accepted other cultures. However there are still some old people that are against racial acceptance and their integration to the society, but that is because they were raised in this idea. It's expected that in the next thirty years, people would have forgotten about racial discrimination and most of the society will be living as a community and as brothers. This is the community that Martin Luther King Jr would have loved to see by his own eyes and that is why we should continue his ideals of brotherhood and not let his dream be forgotten.
In this news I selected, school kids see Martin Luther King Jr as a candidate for president because they see all his ideals and appreciate his thoughts. This is because they were taught that racial discrimination is not correct and MLK is the best example for this.
News: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/school-kids-imagine-martin-luther-king-jr-presidential-36355507
Sources: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-people-really-judged-todays-society-alan-j-cousin-jr

https://www.educreations.com/lesson/view/characterisation-k-s/39170333/?s=YvDGUc&ref=app

Blow Bugle Blow

Blow Bugle Blow is a poem composed by Alfred Tennyson, and narrates a story full of nostalgic feelings and strong sounds. Using something so simple as nature itself as a backdrop for the real intention of the poet.

The poem starts us with an alliteration of the "b" sound. The bugle, is commonly used at war, during the medieval times.
This title is already introducing us to the era of war. the era that Alfred Tennyson wrote poems about. His era.
This poem is about a landscape full of nature's wonders, light falling on the lakes and snow. However this scenery is mixed with the sounds of the bugle and the echoes that end up dying in the sky. A beautiful scenery , and the strong bugle.
When the lyrical speaker starts mentioning the strong bugle, after speaking about a warm, calm scenery, we know there's a meaning beyond just a beautiful landscape. The bugle stands for a war and for a calling. The echoes are voices that end up dying and getting lost. Maybe the speaker remembers the ones who died, when he looks at this calm place. Remembering the ones who he has lost. The nature is a simple  backdrop used to reflect about the deaths that the speaker has suffered.
The speaker uses a nostalgic tone in which he dresses to the memory of those who died. He remembers all these when he observes the scenery. He even refers to his "love" to which he laments all this deaths in "yon rich sky". He isn't sad though, but he is reflexive about what he feels.
This poem consists of two shifts in my opinion. The first one goes from line 1 to line 4. It tells us about the nature in the scenery, as we can see here:

"And snowy summits old in story:

The long light shakes across the lakes,"

This introduce us to the background of what is about to be said.
The second shift goes from line 5 to 18, which is all the rest. This shift is the one who goes beyond the nature and maeks us tremble. The bugle that blows and breaks the tranquility, setting the wild echoes flying. This shift is more dinamic and tells us about the echoes of the people that the lyrical speaker mentions. All this lines consist of the sound of the bugle and the echoes going around, just to end up dying in the same place.
Now we know that the title stands for setting wild echoes flying, which will go along with us since the fifth line. Even telling us alittle about what the poem is gonng to be.
The theme of the poem is the remembering of this echoes that are called by the bugle. The echoes of people that probably died in battle or personal deaths of friends of the speaker who died as well.
The metre in this poem changes throughout it. The first four lines of each stanza follows an iambic tetrameter style, but on the last two lines of each stanzas there is a repetition that changes the structure. The poet uses this to emphasize this lines, from which he tells us about the remainance of the bugle and the echoes. Reminding us that they are there.
This poem consist of a sestet by each stanza. The first four lines of each stanza consist of a rhyme "abcb". For example,

"THE SPLENDOUR falls on castle walls

And snowy summits old in story:

The long light shakes across the lakes,

And the wild cataract leaps in glory."

And this verses are usually actions that are natural and usually happen. However, the last two lines of each stanza have a different pattern. They rhyme with each other. Also this verses consist of actions that are happening right now. For example,

"Blow, bugle, blow, set the wild echoes flying,

Blow, bugle; answer, echoes, dying, dying, dying."

Actions that are important and emphasized in the poem.
There are many rethorical devices in this poem, for example, the title itself, "Blow Bugle Blow",
which is an alliteration of the "b" sound. As we know, Tennyson was known for his use of sounds in his poems, probably to make for a more dinamic and interesting poem. There is also a repetition in every last line of each stanza. The words "dying, dying, dying" create a sense of importance in this words and restates the fact that these are echoes that are getting lost, so the repetition is the same as an echo fading away.

This poem is full of sounds that one should really pay attention to. A work of art that reflects the nostalgic sense of death we as humans suffer for the lost of someone or someones. The beauty of nature is such, that it makes the lyrical speaker experience this feelings when he sees this magnificent scenery. Truly a beautiful example of the classic victorian poetry.


823 words.