Close Reading 12/16

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/16/opinion/sunday/making-us-safer-one-ipad-at-a-time.html?pagewanted=2&ref=opinion

Making us safer, One iPad at a time

By Steve Cohen       

In his article, “Making us safer, One iPad at a time,” Steve Cohen examines a way he thinks would help the justice system become more effective and accurate. The current system the police use for arrests and witness statements relies on paper. Almost everything is recorded on paper and transferred from department to department using paper. This often causes mistakes in the records, delays in prosecution and overall confusion. Cohen believes the solution to this problem is to give every police officer an iPad. He uses the techniques of figurative language, details and syntax to help show why giving officers an iPad is an excellent solution to the problems the police face.


The details that Cohen includes in this article emphasize the problems the police department deals with. He describes the whole process after an arrest: officers write down the information and clerks have to transfer the data to computer systems. Then, the information is faxed to the prosecutor’s office and clerks have to re-enter the information into more computer systems. These details help the audience understand why the whole process causes errors and why it is an unsatisfactory system. Cohen also includes details about online shopping and FedEx, which don’t seem to be related to the article. However, by comparing the technology used in the shopping industry and the technology used in the police force, Cohen creates a contrast that shows how much the justice system needs to be improved.


Cohen uses a couple examples of figurative language to help show how the current system is faulty. This emphasizes how using iPads would improve the quality of police work. He describes New York’s justice system as “a catch-and-release fishing resort.” This is referring to how the prosecutors frequently let people go with severely reduced charges, only to have them commit other crimes. By comparing a serious subject such as criminal activity with something as trivial as fishing, Cohen shows that the current system doesn’t treat the situations as seriously as they should be. When describing the process the police go through to send reports, Cohen says it “resembles the children’s game of telephone.” Again, this compares a topic that is serious with something that is trivial.


The syntax of this article also helps Cohen show his point. Cohen uses many colons in his writing. For example, he writes, “a basic principle of criminal defense practice: delay helps the accused.” Another example is when he says “there is one simple thing that can be done, that would create overnight change: give every police officer an iPad.” The use of the colon creates a delay in the information. This delayed information is similar to the delayed information that the justice system receives. These techniques of syntax, details and figurative language help Cohen to show that iPads would help New York’s justice system improve.

     

Open Prompt 12/9

1986. Some works of literature use the element of time in a distinct way. The chronological sequence of events may be altered, or time may be suspended or accelerated. Choose a novel, an epic, or a play of recognized literary merit and show how the author's manipulation of time contributes to the effectiveness of the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot

                The perception of time through a work of literature changes how the audience views and understands the material.  Many authors use time normally by arranging events chronologically and not having any emphasis on the passage of time.  However, other authors make shifts in time noticeable and use it as a part of their work.  Arthur Miller uses time as an important element in portraying the main character, Willy Loman, in his play Death of a Salesman.

                Willy Loman is troubled character who seems to slowly loose his mind as the play progresses.  At the beginning of the play, Willy notices that while he is driving, he is slowly drifting off into memories and forgetting to watch the road.  This worries him because he can’t seem to understand why his mind keeps on wandering.  These memories become more real to him until at the end of the play, Willy slips into events from his past, talking and acting out the memories as if he were really there.  This makes the audience think that Willy is going crazy.

                This shifting of time contributes to the work because one of the main conflicts in this play is Willy struggling to understand everything that is going on in his life.  The changes in time not only help to show how fragmented Willy’s mind is, but also how bewildered he is in a world of unknown.  After Willy’s “flashbacks,” he returns to the real world and is confused at what has happened.  People judge him because they think he is scatterbrained and as a result, don’t want to deal with him.  Willy doesn’t understand what he has done to get disapproval.  The flashbacks also remind him of events in his life that cause him to question things in his life now.  He remembers all the promise Biff had with football and wonders why Biff has not been successful ever since.  He remembers all the promises of a life as a salesman and wonders why his life hasn’t turned out the way he wanted it to.  The events from his past keep creating more and more questions for Willy and contribute to his bewilderment.

                Willy’s confusion at life and society helps the effectiveness of the play because it shows how industrial America destroys dreams and nothing can stop it.  Time is an uncontrollable force and nothing Willy or any of the other characters do can stop it.  Willy falls victim to these changes in time and the only thing he can do is to float along hopelessly.  In the commercialism of America, all Willy wants is money and glory, yet no amount of success can prevent Willy from destroying himself.  In Death of a Salesman, time is used to portray the character of Willy Loman and helps to show the futility of life in industrial America.   

Death of a Salesman Summary/Analysis

·         Author-Arthur Miller, born 1915, died 2005.  Wrote many plays and was well-known, was married to Marilyn Monroe.

·         Setting-Willy Loman’s house and yard  and other places in New York and Boston

·         Plot-Willy Loman is a struggling salesman in his mid-sixties.  Every week, he travels hundreds of miles, driving from city to city trying to sell his products, but he never seems to be able to sell enough to pay for all the bills.  He has had to borrow money from his friend Charley in order to pay for everything and to be able to have money to give to Linda when he comes home.  Lately, Willy has become distracted while driving, losing his memory for spaces of time and almost crashing the car.  Willy’s sons Biff and Happy are at home, which causes tension because Biff isn’t living up to what Willy wants him to be.  Happy has a job and is just like Willy, but Willy has never really cared about Happy.  Biff and Willy have arguments about what Biff wants, what Willy wants and why nothing is working out.  Willy gets upset so Biff and Happy make a plan to borrow money from Bill Oliver, an old acquaintance, and start a business selling sporting goods.  Willy goes to Howard Wagner, the manager of the company Willy works for.  Howard tells Willy that he is fired.  Willy is devastated and goes to visit Charley, his friend who has all the successes Willy wanted.  Willy goes to dinner upset but looking forward to his sons’ deal.  Meanwhile, Biff goes to Bill Oliver’s office, but Bill Oliver doesn’t remember who he is.  Biff steals a fountain pen and runs out of the office to have dinner with Willy.  Willy refuses to understand what Biff is trying to say, so Biff and Happy leave with two women and leave Willy in a “flashback” in the restaurant’s bathroom.  Willy pulls himself together and goes to buy seeds to plant in his back yard.  The whole family is a home and Biff decides to leave for good so he goes to tell Willy, but Willy refuses to let him leave.  They argue and Biff breaks down and cries to Willy asking him to let him be who he is.  Willy feels relieved that Biff loves him.  He decides to kill himself and crashes the car so that Biff can get the insurance money.  At the funeral, Biff decides to go out west again, Happy decides to continue in his father’s path and Linda is sad, but also feels free of a burden.

·         Significant characters:

o   Willy Loman-failing salesman who is fired from his job at the company that he worked 36 years for.  He starts to lose his mind gradually throughout the play, from just spacing out to living out events in his past.  His greatest desire is to be loved by people all over the country.  Willy’s motto is that if you are loved, you will never want.  He teaches this to Biff, encouraging his bad behavior, thinking that all that matters is whether or not he is liked.  Willy also believes in this and struggles with understanding the hard truth of things. 

o   Biff Loman-Biff was a successful high school student loved by everyone, set to go to college and become successful when he discovered Willy cheating on Linda.  He gave up on life, couldn’t hold a job, and has spent his life trying to “find himself.”  Biff realizes that his family often exaggerates things to suit their desires.  Biff wants to please his dad, but all he wants to do is work in a ranch out west. 

o   Happy Loman-the “unwanted child.”  Happy is always trying to get Willy’s approval, however, nothing he does seems to get his father’s attention.  Happy seems happy because he has a job, money, and gets the ladies when he wants, but he just wants his father’s approval.  He is just like Willy and is following in his path. 

o   Linda Loman-A loyal wife who has more of a motherly relationship with Willy rather than a husband-wife relationship.  She does everything to make sure he is okay and stays alive.  We don’t know whether she suspects Willy’s infidelity, but she doesn’t show it.  At the end, Linda says “we’re free” meaning that they are free of the burdens of the house, but also the she is free of him.

o   Charley-Willy’s only friend.  Has a son, Bernard, who was a nerd, but became very successful.  Charley is a successful businessman and keeps offering Willy a job, but Willy is too proud.  Charley also lends Willy money to pay for his bills.  

·         Theme: Industrial America and American society destroy the dreams of people.    

·         Narrative voice/style-Miller uses a differing perception of time to help portray Willy’s state of mind.  The blending of past and present creates a sense of confusion, which reflects Willy’s perception towards life.  Nothing can save Willy from his disintegrating mind and we can only watch as he drives himself to suicide.  Miller’s is trying to show the ruthlessness of industrial America and how people are destroyed by it.     

·          There is a little bit of symbolism with the seeds that represent his “seed” and his desire to leave an impact in the world.  There is also some symbolism with the diamonds, which his memory of Ben continues to remind him of.  Willy wishes he could have those diamonds and the riches, but he misses his chance to go with Ben.  Willy’s last hope for the diamonds is the insurance money that Biff will receive when he dies, which is how he justifies killing himself.

·         Setting:  The setting of this play isn’t very clear.  We kind of have a location-Willy’s house and New York and Boston, however, these are not very specific locations so we don’t quite know where exactly this play takes place.  The only specific location is the house, which we know has a barren back yard and use to be surrounded by trees but now is surrounded by apartment complexes.  This is an image of the industrial America and the impact on the fertility of the land.  There isn’t really a specific date in the play, just seasons.  It also doesn’t reflect the events going on at that time.  This gives the play a feeling of being separated from everything, yet completely relatable to people. 

·         Quotes: “There’s more of him in that front stoop than in all the sales he ever made.”  This shows how Willy really belonged out in the nature, doing stuff with his hands.  Willy built his front stoop and lovingly repaired his house with his own hands.  The selling was his desire to have the American Dream and what he thought he could obtain, but that never happened.  “Will you take that phony dream and burn it before something happens?” This shows the effect of the American dream on the characters.  On one hand, Willy tries to achieve the American Dream, but he never succeeds.  Meanwhile, Biff realizes that the American Dream isn’t really true and that not everyone will be able to achieve it.  This causes a major conflict between Biff and his father.

Course Response 12/2

    Ahh! I can't believe it's already December!  It seems like just yesterday we started AP Lit and began learning about analyzing literature.  Now, we have finished analyzing two plays and we are on our way with the next one. 

    This month, we finished analyzing Death of a Salesman.  When we first watched the movie, it seemed many people in our class were confused about what was happening.  However, I had watched the movie in American Lit, so I felt more familiar with the play.  When we got to analyzing, I realized that there were so many things that I didn’t even think of, despite having discussed the play before in American Lit.  I thought many of the things that we discussed in class were so cool and I was surprised how I hadn’t thought of it before.  I guess I still have work to do with analyzing, although I think it went better with Death of a Salesman than it did with the American Dream.  One thing that we did to help with our understanding of the play was to read a couple of articles.  Although they were extremely tedious to read, I thought they were interesting and helpful.  I liked the interviews with Arthur Miller because it was interesting to see what he thinks of his own works and what he thinks about what other people have thought about his works.  One of the questions that I always have whenever we are analyzing is whether the authors really intended to include all the symbols and meanings that we get when we analyze it.  I thought it was interesting how Arthur Miller said that he didn’t really think that he had created something this complex, but in a sense it is true.  Death of a Salesman has so many meanings on many levels and is applicable to all people.  There was another article about the psychological aspects of Death of a Salesman.  I was interested in this because it’s something that I feel we haven’t really talked about in previous lit classes.

    Another thing we have talked about is the trends in literature and as a result, trend in tragedies, characters, and types of literature.  I think it’s cool that we can see the trends in all different aspects of literature and how they are all related to each other.  That’s basically what we have done and we are now reading Hamlet.  I am struggling a bit with the language, but hopefully it will be okay.