Journal 10

Jonathon Swift’s “A Modest Proposal”, a satirical proposal written in 1729, was aimed to poke fun at the British’s Rule in Ireland.  The whole basis of the proposal was to tell Irish parents that if they were able to fatten up their children, there could be a great economic and/or personal gain from selling and eating them.  Swift proposes that eating the children would allow the people of Ireland to have a good meal while they were experiencing the troubles of the Potato Famine.  If they didn’t need the babies for meals, they would be able to sell their children to less fortunate families so they could have some food.  Swift makes the proposal very realistic by going through mathematical calculations based on how much babies weight and how many women live in Ireland.  He goes into detail about how many babies could be eaten to keep the people happy while still keeping the population size stable.

The other aspect of this proposal is that the Irish were under intense British rule and subjected to horrible rules and regulations.  Ireland was experiencing many problems with crime and everyone was blaming the poor.  As the British imposed rules and Ireland struggled to stay alive, Swift was able to add a touch of humor to the common person’s life.  He provided an escape for the people when they couldn’t handle the pain of famine, crime, and unfair rule.    Satire was printed for the people to read and laugh about their misfortunes.  They were able to bond together and share in their pain together, knowing they weren’t alone.  Although a lot of people enjoyed the satire, it did turn others away.  The idea of eating babies as a means of staying alive can be disturbing to many people.  In times of desperation, babies and youth can be a symbol of hope for a new generation and finding solutions to national problems.  By writing that eating/selling your children to survive made some people turn away from Swift’s style while others embraced the humor and enjoyed reading his pieces as they came out.

State Patty's Day

This year was my first State Patty’s Day and I got really excited when I hear other students stories from the past years. Reading all newspaper about more cops from other towns are coming and that they are going to crack down harder made me feel worried. I felt worried because I did not want this great holiday to be destroyed and I was worried about getting caught. The Friday night before or State Patty’s Eve I saw so many kids coming from other schools to state college for this event that was created by students. Many of my friends asked to if they could stay in my dorm room for the weekend. I had two friends actually staying in my room for the event and I told them we are getting up at 7:30 to start getting ready to do down town. They said it would be no problem doing that. They did not think that after going out and staying up late on Friday night. In morning as I walk to get breakfast at the East Hall’s commons I see that there is no one outside or inside the commons. I get in line for a bagel with only three kids ahead of me. I turn around three minutes later and there is a mob of 50 kids wearing green behind me. I was amazed at how many people up as early as me. As I get closer and closer to downtown area there is more and more green. I walk in to my first party and I see a guy dressed as a leprechaun doing a keg stand. I go into the kitchen and I see five people having eggs and beer for breakfast and they called it kegs and eggs. As I am walking to Beaver Ave, I see a guy that is already wasted and two of his friends are holding him up and it is only 11 am at this point. I walked down Beaver Ave I saw all the apartments with balconies and everyone is yelling playfully at ocean of green of people on the sidewalks. I turn and see people yelling so I jog over a little to see what is going on. When I turn the corner a guy from a balcony is asking people if they want a beer. A person on the ground got selected to get a beer from the guy on the balcony, but they gave it to him by pouring it in to his mouth from the third story. Most of the beer was just poured on him, but it was a funny experience. I went to another party at night around 8 pm. When I got there they were all out of beer. They went through 9 kegs that day. Going home on the white loop bus there was a couple having sex in the back of the bus.  That was the craziest thing I saw all day besides when I got back to my friends dorm a kid was pass out naked in the shower so we woke him up. He turned out to be fine. I just think its cool that kids created a holiday and he spread so much in just a couple years.

Journal 8: Compare and Contrast

Soda Can- The size of a soda can makes it portable and easy to hold. The thin aluminum shell is prone to damage such as dens and cracks. Once one opens a soda can, it needs to be drank because a soda can can not be resealed and the soda will go flat. The taste from the aluminum can is not as refreshing as drinking out of glass. When disposing of the soda can in the trash or recycle is easy for a soda can because a soda can can be crush to a small size and take up less room in the trash.

Soda Bottle- The soda bottle looks more fancy and expensive so if someone is trying to impress another they should go with the bottle. The size of the bottle makes it a little less portable than the can. The soda bottle is made out of glass, which gives in a hard rigid shell to protect the soda. The problem of the bottle being glass is that glass can break with enough force and broken glass can be dangerous. If a weapon is needed, the soda bottle is a good choice. Most drinks taste better when they come out of a glass because glass doesn't add to the taste, it makes the soda taste like it is originally intended to.