Children of the Screen

Hannah Baylon makes some interesting comments in her essay Children of the Screen. In one sentence I believe that her main point is that the media, TV in particular, is ruining our souls and our lives. She says that here in America, people work to much and in order to unwind from their busy and stressful day we gather in from of our televisions. In part I believe that is true. I also agree that this act becomes routine and it is a hard routine to break. But I disagree with Hannah Baylon when she says that watching television is not relaxing. I think it is. I think that being able to rest and sit down after being up and busy all day is one of the best ways to de-stress. Watching television should not be the only other activity people do after they get home from work though. Working out and socializing with friend are also imperative to life. Relationships are always more important.

I will admit I am confused on Baylon’s idea of losing our true nature. What does that mean? True nature? She cannot depict everyone’s true nature. She cannot stereotype the entire population. Granted, her theory may be correct in some aspects but I do not like to be told who or what I am. Like all the species around us and before us, we adapt to our environment. We are adapting to a world were media and television are part of everyday life. Just because we adapt does not mean we are becoming robots and losing our true nature; it simply means that we are changing, for the better or for worst we cannot tell.

My view on the media is that it will change you if you let it. Take the typical skinny model type girl. Some, not all girls feel that this is how they should look. This is what they have to be like in order to be happy, successful, complete, or whatever other excuse they can come up with. In contrast some girls will see these Barbie figured girls and be repulsed, saying that they would never want to look like that. I believe that you let the media effect you whatever way you want it to. The media is not just something that “tells” us how we should look, act, or what we should wear but it is also our source of information and news. The news is not a bad form of the media whether it is the newspaper or television or the radio. The news is just facts. It supplies information that we need about our cities, about the weather, about the world, etc. It is important for us to stay informed and up-to-date.

Honestly, I wholeheartedly believe that media is a benefit. Some people may say that the killing in video games and movies, for example, is what causes young men and women to fight and maybe even kill. I disagree. I think that family life and the role of parents influence these types of actions too. The media can be relaxing, fun, entertaining, and informative. I will admit that their can be downsides but I do not let the media rule my life but instead I do other activities and I try new things along with watching television.

The Picture of Dorian Gray

After watching The Picture of Dorian Gray I believe that the message of the movie is simple: do not make youth and beauty the main purpose of your life. That is what Dorian Gray did after his talk with Lord Henry Wotton. After having his portrait painted by Basil Hallward, Dorian falls in love with talented and beautiful Sybil Vane. After he breaks her heart and she commits suicide, Dorian Gray turns corrupt. He begins to act immorally and instead of his actions and age reflecting on his body they instead show up on the portrait. Over the years, the portrait gets uglier and uglier as the sins Dorian commits piles up while Dorian himself remains youthful and handsome. His reputation becomes ruined and in a fit of rage he takes his friend, Basil’s, life. Since he cannot repent of his sins Dorian tries to destroy the painting by stabbing at it with a knife. In a change of events, the painting remains unharmed and Dorian lies dead on the floor the knife wedged in his heart. Dorian Gray was so determined to stay young and handsome that he could not see or feel the effects of all the sins he had committed.

My favorite scene from this movie was towards the middle when Dorian Gray first realized that the picture was changing and that his wish for that picture to take on the effects of his life had come true. I found it interesting that Dorian had even noticed the change. I did not think it was that obvious of a change and if the narrator had never mentioned anything I probably would not have noticed that the portraits expression changed. (I did watch the beginning of the movie again, paying particular attention to the expression in the picture. The second time I did notice a small difference). There was not much dialogue until Lord Henry visited Dorian and Dorian then pointed out the change to him, hoping that someone else would confirm his observation. At first I thought that the change was something that only Dorian would notice; he probably looked at the painting every day, so any change would probably stick out like a sore thumb to him. When his actions became more drastic the world could see the changes. I liked how it became more and more apparent that Dorian Gray was going the wrong direction. This scene I believe is the climax of the movie because it is the turning point for Dorian Gray. He realizes that his actions affect the painting and not his physical body. His soul may be tainted but his handsome youthful body is not. This part of the movie could have also been the turning point. Dorian could have realized how malicious Lord Henry’s suggestions were and instead of turning down the path of sin, he could have repented and led a healthier life. Overall, this scene shows how Dorian treasured his youth and his beauty more then his innocence and purity.

Who Is That Person?

I chose this picture because I loved the old lady. To me she is the perfect image of what old ladies or grandmas look like. Her hands are folded lightly in her lap showing how proper and delicate she really is. Her clothing is very simple and not over done. She dresses her age and I think that shows that she accepts who she is and how old she is. There are some older women around today that dress younger, trying to make themselves look and feel younger. I really like how this lady does not play with age and is very content with who she is. Her expression is hard to read; it is not a smile or a frown. Her expression I would say is content and kind. She seems satisfied with her home, her husband and her life. (However she does not look at her husband which could suggest a loveless marriage). If this lady was alive today she would have been raised in a time where it was the mother/ wife’s job to stay at home, watch the children and keep house. I believe that this woman did all that and thus puts forth an air of fulfillment. Since I believe this lady stayed at home I also believe that she is responsible for the cleanliness and tidiness of that home. The background of the picture is very simple but well taken care of. The old lady seems to have much respect for her home and herself.

The old man in the picture is somewhat opposite of his wife. He sits hunched over his book or magazine no where near as proper and formal as the old lady. The fact that he is hunched over could allude to the fact that he is old and he is no longer capable of sitting perfectly upright, or it could hint that he is just intent on reading. I believe it is the second one. In that case it seems rude to me that he sits and reads his paper while his wife sits there. He seems to be ignoring the fact that she is in the room. The old man is dressed in a sophisticated suit which to me suggests that maybe the man works at a bank, is a lawyer or something along those lines. However since the old lady is wearing a dress it could mean that maybe the couple just returned home from church or some sort of social event or party. The old man’s face is downward so you do not get a clear picture of it. The man could be busy working and reading all the time so his face is usually down in concentration, but it could also mean something about the couple’s relationship.

Since the couple is not looking at each other I get the feeling that maybe they do not see much of each other or that their marriage is not all roses and springtime. Maybe they fight. Or maybe there was never real love in their relationship. However the woman sits in the room patiently as her husband reads. The room is clean and well taken care of. Both of these suggest that the woman loves and respects her husband and wants to make sure his home is comfortable. Maybe the woman is trying to gain the man’s love. Maybe the couple is just so proper that they cannot show their love of one another through actions such as holding hands, hugging or kissing. Or maybe there is nothing wrong with the couple but this is just the way they spend an afternoon. One can never be too sure.