Final

My ideological analysis is to examine the symbol of the swastika. The swastika is a simple cross (+) and at each "leg" it has a branch that is perpendicular to the leg and all pointing to the left.

As a small child I have always had intolerance for people who chose to place themselves over others. I have always been uncomfortable with the concept that one person is better than another by simply "being". That is why I chose this artifact I wanted to show the injustice of an object that teaches supremacy and hate. In doing research in this artifact, it became apparent to me that the swastika has dual meanings depending on the background that you have been exposed to.


The beginnings of the swastika did not begin with Adolf Hitler's movement. In fact, it has been around for over 3, 0000 years. I want to examine the original meaning of the symbol and how it played a vital role in Adolf Hitler’s plight in the war. I also want to show how a symbol of peace and harmony has become one of destruction and hate.

"The swastika is an ancient symbol that has been used for over 3,000 years. (That even predates the ancient Egyptian symbol, the Ankh!) Artifacts such as pottery and coins from ancient Troy show that the swastika was a commonly used symbol which dates as far back as 1000 BCE. During the following thousand years, the image of the swastika was used by many cultures around the world. This includes China, Japan, India, and southern Europe." http://history1900s.about.com/cs/swastika/a/swastikahistory.htm

The word swastika comes from the Sanskrit svastika, which means "good fortune" or "wellbeing." The motif (a hooked cross) appears to have first been used in Neolithic Eurasia, perhaps representing the movement of the sun through the sky. To this day it is a sacred symbol in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Odinism. It is common sight on temples or houses in India or Indonesia. http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10007453&gclid=CN-2y_Pf2a8CFQUaQgodWTVgAQ

 The swastika is also known as the symbol for fortune, wealth, and inner peace. The European people in the ancient times called the swastika a sun wheel. "In the 1800s, countries around Germany were growing much larger. Forming empires; yet Germany was not a unified country until 1871. To counter the feeling of vulnerability and the stigma of youth, German nationalist in the mid -nineteenth century began to use the swastika. It had ancient Aryan/Indian origins, to represent a long Germanic/Aryan history." http://history1900s.about.com/cs/swastika/a/swastikahistory.htm

In August 1920 it officially became the official sign of the Nazi party. Adolph Hitler used the sign because it represented the Aryan people being the chosen stalk. In Mein Kampf, Hitler described the Nazis' new flag: "In red we see the social idea of the movement, in white the nationalistic idea, in the swastika the mission of the struggle for the victory of the Aryan man, and, by the same token, the victory of the idea of creative work, which as such always has been and always will be anti-Semitic." (pg. 496-497)  Because of the Nazis' flag, the swastika soon became a symbol of hate, anti-Semitism, violence, death, and murder." http://history1900s.about.com/cs/swastika/a/swastikahistory.htm

                                                                  
In analyzing the swastika I used the hegemony approach. The original use of the swastika throughout history was of harmony and happiness. Adolf Hitler chose the swastika because of the representation that it was at that time. It was of a strong Nation and purity for the country of Germany. Hitler than created a new meaning for it one that is projected to many people of hate and destruction.

 Adolf Hitler wanted a unified nation one that had no tolerance for anything other than "his people" He used the swastika as a symbol for the pure Aryan people.  The Germans came from a deep history of Aryan background. Hitler was not ignorant in choosing the swastika. He ordered destruction and terror by using this particular sign. "The Holocaust was the systematic, bureaucratic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of approximately six million Jews by the Nazi regime and its collaborators. “Holocaust" is a word of Greek origin meaning "sacrifice by fire." The Nazis, who came to power in Germany in January 1933, believed that Germans were "racially superior" and that the Jews, deemed "inferior," were an alien threat to the so-called German racial community." http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005143

My thoughts of supremacy of one group over another are outraged by the Nazi movement. It brings to my thoughts all the injustices that have been served to people just for their looks and or beliefs that are different from the mainstream. In this day and age the majority of people no longer view the symbol of the swastika as harmonious or peaceful but hostile and hatred. The Klu Klux clan has used the symbol in their hatred toward blacks and devil worshipers. They spray paint the sign on churches in means of discretion. The symbol is a reminder that there are people in the world that still believe they are better than other's just for "being".

                                                         
In conclusion the swastika has different meanings to different people depending on the knowledge and background that they have been exposed to. My exposure of the swastika has been with the images of Adolf Hitler and the mass amount of destruction and hate that was spread. The symbol goes hand in hand with concentration camps and the Holocaust for me. Since researching the swastika I would no longer be horrified if I walked in a Buddhist temple and saw a swastika displayed on the wall.  Before I definitely would have. In fact, due to my previous experience I would even wonder if the temple itself practiced such evil and hate. So if this paper had only one purpose it would be that I have the power to realize that the swastika has more than one meaning. I realize that that there are those who affiliate the swastika with other meaning and it does not make that person evil or a Nazi lover. This can now enlighten me to other symbols that may have dual meanings.

Narrative

One of my all time favorite books is the cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss. It is a book that I teach my children on  reading and they love Thing 1 and Thing 2.

Setting - Takes place in the house

Characters:

Cat who is a character in this book he is well rounded. The Cat bounces from activity to activity with no predictability or purpose.

Sally and I are two children who are left unattended while mother is out. They are bored at the beginning of the book, but soon find they preferred boredom over the chaos the Cat created. The worry that their mother would find out, becomes a bigger priority throughout the book.

Fish is a flat character; he continues to have the same characteristics throughout the entire book. He is a no nonsense sort of fish.

Narrator:
 "I" is the narrator. He is a small boy.

Events:
The major events throughout the book are when mother leaves the children unattended (Kernel, Action). The cat comes to play, (Kernel, Action). The Cat makes a huge mess (kernel, active), and mother returning from her trip (Kernel, stative)

Minor events- Thing 1 and Thing 2 (satellites, active), The Fish does not approve (satellite, active).

Temporal relations: Occur in a very brief time frame for only the day. Some reminders of the dilemma are portrayed throughout the story. For example mother will be returning eventually is spoken several times.

Casual relations: The Cat has many cause and effects relationships. His toys, gadgets, and Thing 1, with Thing 2 have significant effects throughout the house. It leaves the house a mess. His gadget at the end however picks up the toys. The effect is that it is clean once mother returns. The basic cause of allowing the Cat in has the effect of the house becoming chaotic.

Audience:
 I found that everyone loves a good Dr. Seuss book. In fact I have seen on countless Dr. visit’s adults reading them while they wait. I think however it is geared toward younger children.

Theme: 
I think the theme of this story can be different depending on the audience. When I asked my 7 yr old what he thought the theme of it was he felt that it was that you can have fun even in the house. My 8 yr old felt that it was saying good imagination is a great thing. There have been multiple attempts by scholars to find the meaning behind this book. Some believe that it has the psychological abuse of a mother neglecting her children. I feel that it was not intended with the bad stigma of that and it is purely entertainment of the joys of what happens when mother is gone.

Type of narrative:
Comedy.

Cat in the Hat is a short story that rhymes that involves a Cat, a brother and sister, and a fish. When mother leaves the children unattended the cat creates all sorts of chaos is created within the walls of the house. The fish like all older siblings who may be in charge when mother is out constantly reminds the others that this is not a good idea, and it needs to be taken care of right away. The younger children just enjoying themselves in the chaos, they tune out this little fish until the threat of mother returning becomes a reality. Things are quickly put back into place and the children are waiting anxiously when mother arrives home. I think almost all children who have ever been left alone even with a babysitter find themselves in similar situations. Maybe not with a cat but with toys, and other distractions, and for that this story is even more adored by the young fans who read it.

Ideological analyzes

I have choosen the below photo for my ideological analyzes.

This photo was taken hours after the 7.0 Haiti earthquake in Jan 2010. It was estimated that 316,000 people were killed, and millions of people were affected by it.

This photo was published by the CSMS http://csmsmagazine.org/?p=6153  a story written with the policical purpose of determing where the money has been distrubuted since its arrival in Haiti. It is also written to show the suffering that continues on a daily basis in Haiti since the earthquake.

When evaluating this photo by using the semiotic lens I can get a grasp on what this photo is saying to me with its elements, and then I can see how it affects me.

The white brick behind the girl is endless it goes in both directions in the photograph. It is an older wall one that has had time to get worn away at the mud joints. It has some stability because it has just made it through the earthquake that took down many walls similar to it. This wall makes the impression to me that it has seen many things pass before it, and it has stood. It is also one of strength for it is holding up the child in the photo.

The green shirt that the child wears is very popular for the Haitian culture it is bright in color and gives a sense of celebration. The joy of Haiti runs through its culture, and is reflected in their bright color of clothing. The green shirt is a reminder to me that this little girl has known joy in her life just being a part of a country that celebrates all things.

The anguish shown on this little girls face speaks to me beyond any other symbol throughout the photo. It invites me in to her soul with a sense of terrifying sorrow. A loss that must have affected this child so deeply that it is in every fiber of her being and radiates out. The little girl is literally being held up by the wall and her shoulders are forward with her arm covering her eyes. You can just imagine what this child has seen.

When connecting this photo to a theory or thought it would be one of humanism for the religious side of it has disappeared, and it is only about the survival and the mending of a culture, people, and the psychological damage that images have on people as a whole. It speaks to me that earth shattering things happen, and they happen in a matter of seconds. Anguish can fill the body, and the loss or sorrow can be so deep that it is portrayed outward.

Metaphor Criticism - In my old way of thinking

Artifact- Journal entry

As a mother of 6 kids and working prn as a nurse. I was part of the “in” crowd in my church. I had the large expensive house with a house keeper that came in every other week. I had the children that wore clothes from the Gap and Dillards. I was able to take my kids on vacation every year and was able to finance just about anything that I wanted. I was the mom that was always happy to bring the cupcakes and volunteer in the children’s classes. My ability to act was based heavily on my spouse’s income. Although he worked full time, he worked for himself and ran his own company. We had very little in common but we were raising children together and seemed to understand what the other needed in terms of materialistic needs. He did his thing and I was busy doing mine.

The year the economic decline hit us started long before it affected others in the same circles that we ran in. My husband took a job for a contractor that had a loan out for tile and supplies for 75,000 dollars. We financed this loan during the course of the project like his company always did. However, when it was finished the contractor could not come up with the money to pay us. This soon started to happen repeatedly for many jobs that were under construction. My spouse was not sure how to handle it, so he started to mortgage everything including the house. He took out ridiculous loans with extreme finance charges. During this time the extent of our financial down fall was not communicated to me.

After 9 months of these financial missteps, I started getting phone calls that were from bill collectors requesting money when approaching my husband he stated that he had taken care of it and would call them back and deal with it. A few short weeks later my husband’s accountant asked me to come into the office to sign some papers. When I arrived he explained that we would need to file bankruptcy and that I would need to lose the house, car, and anything else of worth. I was devastated. Although I knew we were tight as my spouse would like to say I did not know exactly how this was going to affect me. Within a few short months I went to working as a full time traveling nurse to make the income required to support my large family while my spouse went to a stay at home dad.

The formal definition of powerlessness is unable to produce and affect or lacking power to act. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/powerless Powerless is not having the ability to change a situation that you feel fully impacts the life of yourself and those you love. It is a feeling that can consume you and cause you to feel depression, bitterness and an overall life changing experience.

Financial stability provided me the benefits of acting like the mother that was always available for her children first. Able to be the person who if the church needed help I was there. I was considered a role model to others and was always willing to help with all service projects. I was able to give my children the comforts of what they wanted before they even knew what they wanted. I felt I had the power to make a difference in the world and so adopted and worked with an orphanage for I had the financial means to provide for them. I worked because I enjoyed the time out and enjoyed my job also to keep my license current. I was able to pretty much do what I wanted to do. This provided me with the THOUGHT that financial security provided me power.

Neo Artistotelian Criticism

Martin Luther King impact's me in an extremely positive way. The way he address racial issues affects people emotionally in a positive way from both sides of the civil right's platform. I am a huge fan of this man who was able to lead so many people in such a way that demonstrations were to be peaceful, and in the end beneficial to his cause. In my opinion few great men exist as he.

I have picked the speech “A Realistic Look at the Question of Progress in the Area of Race Relations,” to analyze for this assignment. The reasons I pick this speech:

My children

This speech was delivered in April 1957 at the Saint Louis Freedom Rally with 8,000 inter-racial diverse people in Attendance.

http://mlk-kpp01.stanford.edu/primarydocuments/Vol4/10-Apr-1957_ARealisticLook.pdf

Martin Luther King Jr. claims that there are 3 ways to look at the current situation on civil rights.

1. extreme optimism, "Now the extreme optimist would argue that we have
come a long, long way in the area of race relations. He would point proudly to the
marvelous strides that have been made in the area of civil rights over the last few
decades. From this he would conclude that the problem is just about solved, and
that we can sit comfortably by the wayside and wait on the coming of the inevitable."http://mlk-kpp01.stanford.edu/primarydocuments/Vol4/10-Apr-1957_ARealisticLook.pdf


2. extreme pessimist, " would argue that we have made only minor strides in the area of race relations. He would argue that the rhythmic beat of the deep rumblings of discontent that we hear from the South land today is indicative of the fact that we have created more problems than we have solved. He would say that we are retrogressing instead of
progressing. He might even turn to the realms of an orthodox theology and argue
that hovering over every man is the tragic taint of original sin and that at bottom
human nature cannot be changed."


3. Realistic position, "The realist in the area of race relations seeks to reconcile the truths of two opposites while avoiding the extremes of both. So the realist would agree with the optimist that we have come a long, long way. He would go on to balance that by agreeing with the pessimist that we have a long, long way to go. And it is this basic theme that I would like to set forth this evening. We have come along, long way but we have a long, long way to go."http://mlk-kpp01.stanford.edu/primarydocuments/Vol4/10-Apr-1957_ARealisticLook.pdf


Martin Luther King Jr than uses these elements to appeal to the audience.

Logo the proof that Black's still have decreased wages and rights.

Ethos: His credibility is remarkable and he is looked upon by not only blacks but whites as well as a true leader so he carries a lot of credibility to this speech.

Pathos: He talks about the history of the black man and the slavery that existed painting an image of slavery. He also speaks about God and religion.


Did the speech work? Yes, the root of civil rights had already grown but it continued to push the movement further.


I believe as Martin Luther King Jr stated back in 1957, "This new world in which men will

learn the old principle of the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man.
They will hear once more the voice of Jesus crying out through the generations
saying, “Love everybody.” This is that world. Then right here in
America we will be able to sing with new meaning:

My country ’Ti's of thee (Amen),
Sweet land of liberty,
Of thee I sing.
Land where my fathers died,
Land of the Pilgrims pride,
From every mountain side,
Let freedom ring.
As "

http://mlk-kpp01.stanford.edu/primarydocuments/Vol4/10-Apr-1957_ARealisticLook.pdf

I do not believe that total equality exist at this time for blacks. I am currently raising 4 black children 1 has been moved to another elementary since the children will not stop harassing her with racial slurs and physical violence. I have the experience of walking through a grocery stores and asked if my children have AIDS. I have been looked upon and glared at in almost every situation when I am with my children in a large group. My friends who are also black here in America have many many stories to tell. To me if one thinks that equality exist between blacks and whites at this time then that person has viewed the situation with their eyes closed. As Martin Luther king state in his speech, "We have come along, long way but we have a long, long way to go".