Blog Three - Prostitution

Hello (I need to mix this up..)

       Part 3 was all about the man's fishing trip.. and a prostitute. Dosent that sound delightful? Not the fishing, but how Ken Kasey has portrayed this 'prostitute'. She is written out to be wearing a white t-shirt and shorts cut off at the knee. I'm not sure about you guys, but when I picture a prostitute, i picture someone wearing alot less. I'm not saying however that her actions don't make her out to be one, I'm just saying what she is wearing doesnt exactly fit the bill. Perhaps it is my 21st century mind at work and I just cannot picture it from the point of view of a citizen of the 1950's. However, if I were to put myself into the mindframe of people from that generation, then I can see why they consider that prostitution. They were just coming out of a time era where the fashions were changing, and if anyone who was a little more "fashion forward" came along, they were looked down upon.

    As for our generation, I feel that we misuse the word 'prostitute' often. We use it to describe people we dont like, as well as calling them (PARDON MY LANGUAGE) slut, bitch, whores, etc. I can admit that I have used the term a couple of times to describe someone I dont like, but I realize it is wrong. Most of these people arent actually sluts (on the other hand, some are...). I feel that this generation though, using words like prostitute, are really just filling sentences with horrible words to make ourselves look better than the other person look worse than they are. Does this make us any better than the person who hurt us?

    As for society, I feel that we have a bit of a messed up picture on what is acceptable and what is not. If you take a look back at the 1940's, wearing a skirt passed your knees was not acceptable. Nowadays, women are wearing skirts passed their -

...and yet that is now acceptable. As well, take childrens role model's for example, like Barbie. To little girls everywhere, Barbie is a role model who can do anything, from being a doctor to a pet trainer to an olympic athlete (Where is all of her degrees however...?). But to a person who has a mature mind, Barbie dresses a little inappopiately. The doll wears tube-tops. mini skirts and 6-inch heels. And yet every years millions or parents rush out to the shore to buy her daughter is doll because "Its a good role model. She makes them believe they can be anything!" Sadly, it is just that thinking which proves my point. These parents are not only teaching their children that they can be anything (which is a good thing; dont get me wrong), but they are also teaching their child that by wearing those outfits they can be successful. I'm not saying I dont wear short shorts like any other girl, im saying that when they are wearing clothing that is suited for a woman in her twenties when they are 12, then we have a problem.

Blog Two - Mrs Ratched

Hello again :3

  This week's blog about dear old Mrs. Ratched (insert loud thunderclap here).  Mrs. Ratched is the head nurse of the ward, and her personality matches her name. Throughout Part One Chief refers to Mrs. Ratched as a part of the Combine, which all have mechanical assets to them. This relates to Mrs. Ratched's name because her name is a combination of 'Ratchet' and 'Wretched'. However, by the end of Part One, Big Nurse (as she is commonly referred to) shows her human side as she looses her temper on the patients who disobey her and watch a blank televison rather than their chores. Mrs. Ratched is one of the largest characters in Part Two, as she regains her power and authority by threats of the Shock Shop, as well as cunning plans against McMurphy. During the staff meeting (first chapter of Part Two) Mrs. Ratched remains silent, listening to the other worker's ideas about what to do about some of the patients. It is only until the end that she speaks, which later becomes the final word. This shows her power over others mainly because no one questions her judgement, mostly out of fear. By the end of Part Two, Mrs. Ratched has gained control and is no longer "Mrs. Nice Lady" (Let's face it: she was never 'nice', just a wolf in sheep's clothing).

  The character of Mrs. Ratched, however, can be found in almost any overseeing figure in our lives. For anyone in high school, this person could possibly be a principal.  They look after us, keep us on schedule, and distribute punishments as needed. The major difference between a principle and Mrs. Ratched is that a principal doesn't use as severe forms of punishment as the Shock Shop (Or maybe yours did, like Matilda's, if so you may want to inform the police...) Another person who could be an example of a Mrs.Ratched in a teenager's life could be their parents. Like Mrs. Ratched, your parents look out for us, and 'take care of you'. Again, the major difference in this scenario is that our parents are actually trying to take care of us, and not just feeding us full of medication, hoping it works.

   Society is an entirely different story. Currently in office we have a handful of Mrs. Ratcheds running the country. We just like to call it Parliament. In Parliament, more specially the House of Commons, these workers discuss matters about the country, and try and come up with a civilized way of coming to a conclusion. This workers will be referred to as Big Nurses. However, like Mrs. Ratched, their civilized way of agreeing is letting one person decide overall. Lets refer to this person as Bigger Nurse. So, in reality, Big Nurses all state their claim to why things should be how they believe is right, but the overall decision is that of Bigger Nurse's, who rules overall. Meanwhile, us, the victims of both the Big Nurses and Bigger Nurse's decisions, have to live with whatever they decide. This overall makes us the patients of our government. Overwhelming isn't it?

Personally, when I think of people like Big Nurse controlling our government, I relate it back to Bane controlling Gotham in The Dark Knight Rises. Keeping that in mind, I have one thing to say:

Blog One: Mental Health

Hello :3

     Mental Health has always been a large issue not only in reality, but in the world of literature as well. By saying this, I don't mean that children's literature has an underlining message portrayed with a cute little bunny 'playing' in the middle of the woods, but stories of men and women criticized by society for an illness they can't control. Mental Health is the largest reoccuring theme in the book One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, beginning with the main character Chief Bromden hearing air raids while he sweeps. The theme of Mental Health relates to the text as a whole as every character in the novel has a mental illnes they are being 'treated' for. Prime examples of these characters are McMurphy with his "Pyschopathic Tendencies", Billy Bibbit with his stuttering problem, and the main character, Chief Bromden, being deaf and dumb (mentally underdeveloped). Some may say that these patients are completely sane, however they are unique in some way deeming them unfit to survive in a normal society. That being said, they are then removed from society and placed in a mental institution, which could possibly do more harm than good.

   I connect with the theme of Mental Health in a variety of ways. Throughout my family, there are distinct members who fit the description of a "Mentally Unfit Citizen" in the 1960's. My grandfather, who suffered from dimentia, continiously forgot who my family, including myself, were. In the time period of this book, my grandfather who have been sent to a mental institution on the belief that he would not be able to function in society. In modern day, people are only sent to an insitution if they have a serious illness that needs to be monitored 24/7. Therefore, my grandfather would not be sent there because he could be monitiored less often as say someone with major depression and suicidal qualities. However, for the other side of the spectrum (the people with major disorders), are sent to these insitutions for days on end. Nowadays these places are commonly referred to as a Psyche Ward of a hospital, which brings me to my second personal example. My cousin, since birth, has had traits that are frowned upon in today's society; he lies, cheats, steals, and enjoys the highs of tobacco and cigarettes. This has been a growing issue upon our family, but has  always been played off as a joke. (FOR THE RECORD: my family does not make fun of mentally unstable people, my cousin just happens to be the person who is dumb enough to continue playing with the bear after he has been bit 3 times.) He would be sent to a mental institution in both the 1960's and modern society because he is classified as 'mentally unstable' by the government. That being said, how does the government deem soneone mentally unstable? Do they have a pin-up chart or something?

  That last point brings me to how Mental Health connects with society. The sad truth is in our society, everyone is a little mentally unstable. Whether it be OCD, Depression, or Multiple Personality Disorder, everyone is a little crazy. Perhaps if we were living in the 1960's, we'd all be in a mental instition, which would end up just hooking us on drugs and making us all crazy.
Or you could be philosphical about this and say:-