Author: Elayjah Earles

For my English class, I read a short story called “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings.” Like most of the literature we could choose to write about, this story was written a long time ago- 1968 by Gabriel Marquez. It’s filled with a bunch of irony although it deals largely with religion. In today’s blog, I’ll be diving deeper into how Marquez uses this literary device to comment about religion and society as a whole.

The story follows the arrival of a poor angel in a small coastal, religious town. Contrary to the villagers’ religious belief about angels, the angel wakes up speaking an unknown language, has very little hair and teeth, and is dressed like a beggar. The villagers are confused about the angel’s un-angelic appearance and are unsatisfied with the angel’s inability to help them with their problems. They lock the angel in a chicken coup, exploit and seer him, then they deny that he is truly an angel.

1. Irony of the angel.

-The angel in this story is not like an angel at all. Angels are strong, beautiful creatures with high authority in Christianity. In fact, angels symbolize purity, hope, intelligence, innocence, and love. The irony of this angel is that it doesn’t have “greatness” or “divineness” that we instinctively expect. As the villagers shun the angel for this, Marquez develops the idea that society punishes those who don’t meet requirement or expectation, but he does it through a fantasy genre that we don’t expect. Although the creature is odd and unknown, the villager’s negative reaction is plausible. Some things are still the same, but others have changed.

2. The priest’s reaction.

                The villagers contact the priest when they realize that the angel might not be who they suspect. Once the priest sees the angel, and all the flaws about him, he questions the nature of the angel and the villagers who look up to him. He even goes as far as saying the villagers who paid attention to the angel were enwrapped with the devil. Though the priest is supposed to encourage others to respect the angel, he does the exact opposite. Angels have great authority in Christianity and are important to Christians and religious leaders. However, there are no signs that the priest trusts the angel; he clearly judges him by the way he looks above anything else. This is clear, and I think Marquez is trying to depict the nature of religion when it is not glamourous, as well as the reactions of people when they are faced with something different than what they know.

2. Exploitation of the angel.

Pelayo and Elisenda exploit the angel by charging villagers money to throw things at him like a carnival show. The villagers seer the angel, poke him, make horrible remarks at him, and treat him like an animal. Despite the monetary gain the angel is bringing Pelayo and Elisenda, they keep him in a chicken coop, instead of offering him a bed and food. They treat him horribly, and I think this is the most ironic message of all. As a village of Christians, there should be nothing more important than equality among god’s people. However, the villagers don’t show the angel any compassion and they would rather let the poor thing die than go against the wishes of others. Marquez uses ironic and symbolic circumstances, like the angel not being able to fly despite having wings or the priest rejecting a religious symbol, to highlight society’s negative mentality toward those who are different and vulnerable.

In my freshman and sophomore years of high school, I did theatre. My old school had a Dramatic criticism class where we acted and memorized speeches for a grade. I loved it. At first, I was skeptical about public speaking and memorizing speeches or essays that went as long as 5 pages, then saying it out loud. It sounded like it was too much. But really, some of my best lessons were in my drama class. I learned how to deal with showtime anxiety, how to analyze essays/plays/speeches to deliver lines with emotion, and I learned more about my individual memorization process. It was nice. We studied plays like Hamilton, New summer jersey and Romeo & Juliet. But my favorite play was called The Show that Goes Wrong. My drama teacher introduced it to us near the end of the semester, when we weren’t doing anything related to theatre and I still watch it sometimes.

The Show that Goes Wrong is a show that has purposeful tech problems and line complications. It includes any thinkable mistakes that can happen in a show. The main protagonists, an expecting couple, are taken on a house tour without knowing the house is haunted with ghosts. As the husband and wife notice that something strange is going on, the wife’s belly pops to reveal a red balloon. The actors all share an abrupt pause before they continue, which is my fav part. Another one of my favorite scenes is when the angry ghost comes through a hidden door to pay the couple a visit. The ghost is on a stair lift that transports it up and down the stairs because ghosts can’t walk. After the ghost scares the couple, it encounters a visible malfunction with the stair lift and literally stands up to push the stairlift up the stairs. Meanwhile, the whole cast must visibly ignore the scene and continue to the next part of the play.

                What I think makes this play more entertaining and memorable than any other is the look on the actor’s face when something goes wrong. I know they probably rehearse it along with the other mistakes, but the effort of conveying shock/struggle is so funny. And it feels real in this show. If I didn’t have any background about the play, then I would’ve believed the mistakes were real. And it teaches us to embrace our mistakes and find humor in them. Theatre is kind of brutal when you approach it with such a frigid mentality.

Anyways, this is my favorite show and I’m so glad I remembered to blog about it.

When I’m sitting in a space for a long time, I think of all the things I’ve ever done in life. For example, I’ve rode a pogo stick and I once climbed a very high tree. When I was 12, I went on a diet where I only ate strawberry yogurt. I used to push safety pins beneath the very thin layer of my hand. The dead skin layer, that did not make my hand bleed. These memories aren’t big accomplishments, but they are on the top of my head. I associate my past self with them. And they are all memories from childhood, years and years ago. It bewilders me that I can remember this stuff from long ago, but I don’t know what I did this past year or last week.  Sometimes I think it’s because I am not interesting enough. I don’t do all those weird things that kids do anymore, I’m not that excited about life. Therefore, my brain chooses not to remember me.

 I had a conversation this weekend with my friend, and it completely changed my view on this. We were talking about things, people, cars, air conditioning. Stuff you talk about with people you know. And they randomly told me they once lived on a farm with cows, horses and all kinds of herd. They gave very detailed descriptions of this memory, and I was dumbfounded. It seemed like they had lived this kind of life every day. Even if they did not, they have at least thought of the memory every day. But once the story was over, they looked as dumbfounded as I did. They asked me afterward, “do you ever have those moments of life that you simply do not remember until you sit down and start saying them out loud?” Firstly, I thought it was impressive that they had discovered this story from deep within their mind. It was amazing.

But when I thought about it a little longer, I started to understand what they were talking about. If this memory had suddenly sprang up on them, then maybe my problem was the opposite of that. I think most of the time we know about ourselves through our conscious minds, but our subconscious minds can play a huge role in it as well. Some memories are easier to pull up. Other memories are stored for later until something springs them up. In this case, it was the act of conversation. But it can be more things like a certain activity, maybe golfing.

I thought this was interesting to think about because I feel like I am not recording anything I do these days. The days just fly by, and it seems like I am taking them for granted. But what if I do remember them? I just can’t access them in the way I access memories that have more time behind them.

I first read the House on Mango Street in my 7^th grade English class. Back then, I didn’t find detailed heritage books interesting. There was a lot of Spanish in it and the main character had a funny name, that was all I knew. This year, I reread it. Mostly, because it has some interesting language. Partly because my friend was reading it, and she has good taste. Anyway, this friend was showing me the books she planned on reading this month, and in them was a small novel. It looked like 200 or so pages. When she pulled it from the shelf, I immediately got flash backs of my English teacher reading aloud the life of Esperanza Cordero over a glitchy zoom call. The weird thing about class novels is no matter how uninteresting it is at the time; you don’t forget it. You may not remember any events of it, but you can recall reading the great Gatsby in 9^th grade.

What surprised me was my reaction to the book. I didn’t think I would be enthusiastic to see it again after 2-3 years. The memory of hardly staying awake during its reading came back to me and I thought: Why am I happy to see it again? Part of me was very reluctant to read it, but another part of me just wanted something to read. So, I read it, and it was good. The house on mango street follows the life of Esperanza, whose family just moved into a new neighborhood. It’s a poor area mostly sustaining of Mexican immigrants. From a first person POV, Esperanza vividly tells the story of living on mango street as well as her experiences as a 12-year-old Mexican American girl.

Honestly, I read the book for the writing style, which is so raw, vulnerable, and deltaic. But what hooked me was the theme of childhood. And I’m not connected to my own inner child or whatever, I just deal with age. However, the life of Esperanza opened doors to this thinking. The trials of childhood are too significant for us to leave and never look at again. Why? Because we need to learn about ourselves. Reminiscing about your childhood could provide answers to a struggle. I didn’t know that I preferred going to the playground over the movies because I wasn’t allowed to go to the playground. My mom worked a double shift, and she didn’t have enough energy to take me. But at the movies, she had time to rest her eyes, and I was entranced in finding nemo. I realized I only went to the movies because I felt like I had to.  At 17 years old, I was still carrying around the disappointment of having to sit through finding nemo instead of swinging on the swing set. This is why going back to those distant, unpleasant memories feeds our current selves. So, we can grow into our true selves with no mental restraints.

One key factor that companies and businesses like to consider when formulating an advertisement is the influence of trends and fashion. We see examples of this at Mattel for Barbie or the evolution of IOS. Brands use the world around them to design their products in a way that is most likely to sell. Barbie stays popular with hair trends and latest fashion designs, and Apple collects data from most sold models to fuel their newest make. One company that uses the influence of trending fashion to expand their economy is Morton Co. and the Morton salt girl.

The Morton salt girl is one of the most famous staples in American history. You might have seen her on the cover of your salt container while cooking or trying to kill a slug. She first appeared in 1914 on the all- blue container along with the old slogan It Pours. This was advertised because the company valued the free-flowing quality of its salt. Other renditions of this quote were ‘it never rains but pours’ and “flows freely”. It was decided that ‘When it rains it pours’ advertised these qualities best and from then on, the Morton salt girl and famous slogan appeared together.

Through the decades the look of the Morton salt girl changed a lot. When she first appeared, the Morton salt girl was drawn in black and white (no color), had curly short hair, held a large umbrella while standing in the rain and was dressed in the casual wear of kids in the early 1900s. The whole illustration reminds me of an early depiction of the character ‘Annie’ (1982). And the fashion statements were (in my opinion) Non-existent.

In the 1920s, They changed her hair from curly, short and blonde to short, straight and brown hair. One important factor to consider was the roaring 20s. Bob cuts were popular and extravagant bows were a statement. Morton Co didn’t dive deep into the roaring 20’s, but we can promptly hit at the influence of the Era.

In 1933, The staples hair went from straight to, once again, curly or puffy. The color of the umbrella was a little darker and the pour of the salt flowed easier compared to any of the pictures before it. Though these changes were still subtle and easy to miss, one could infer Morton Co’s goal was to improve the overall illustration of the picture. But she’s still in her Sunday’s best and trudging through the dreadful weather.

1941: Instead of her usual Annie vibe, she’s given pigtails along with the surprising addition of a bright, popping yellow. Her Sunday best has undergone a few important revisions. There are Polka dots everywhere and puffy arm holes that show the growth of Morton Co. tremendously (It adds to the happy atmosphere of the child.) I think out of all the versions, this one considers the aspect of a kid a lot more. She’s happier and her outfit shows it!

1956: We get the 50’s vibe here. There is a thickness to the dress that reminds me of a ball gown. I read about this tool called ‘candy canes’ that was used in the 50s to give dresses a ‘ballroom’ look. It was a handy tool used by women to make their dresses look fashionable for events and such. The edges of her wardrobe are decorated with the simple yet favored style of the 1950s. Personally, these revisions don’t show much development from 1941, but I suppose the most important rule of business at that time was to stick to the trends. However, the yellow feels rejuvenating and fresh. And I love the new design of the dress.

Adrianne Lenker is a singer, songwriter and guitarist. She’s a songwriter for a band called “big thief” and she’s well known for her solo career. Her songs are mostly in the alternative/indie rock/ folk genre and her themes (to me) are about childhood, unrequited love and poverty. I can’t say I’m completely accurate, as I am just discovering her music in the car. But as far as Wikipedia says, she’s cool. Seriously though, her music is like a breath of fresh air to me. She depicts childhood, living in a rural area, lost love, hardships with self-harm and family troubles in such a colorful, captivating way. She uses her experiences to craft these songs, and I think it’s ridiculous how well she does it. Today I will be talking about 2 of my favorite songs from her and sharing why they are so interesting to me.

1. Half Return

       A little preview :

(Illinois toll road, Indianna plain

Roll the windows down, shoot at the change

Half return, Half return

Standing in the yard, dressed like a kid

The house is white, and the lawn is dead

Half return, Half return)

I’m 99% sure half return is my favorite because of the imagery and storytelling. Her voice adds a lovely touch, but the message and imagery behind it is so rare and crucial to me. The picture of a white house with a dirty lawn reminds me of the rural town I came from. Seeing those conditions in every neighborhood yet the children playing despite it was such a tearjerker. To say that this song makes me relive those moments is an understatement. It’s more like another experience itself.

Ingydar

A little preview:

(Fragilely, gradually and surrounding

The horse lies naked in the shed

Evergreen anodyne decompounding

Flies draw sugar from his head

His eyes are blueberries, video screens

Minneapolis schemes and dried flowers.)

Indygar is so beautiful. Its about a dead horse and how its body is being eaten by animals and nature, the whole message about how we must return to what we were. But the words and the metaphors/comparisons in this song is why I love it so much. For example, I thought it was incredible how she compared the horse’s dead eyes to blueberries and video screens. Almost like its being witnessed by a child or a person unfamiliar with dead animals. All the grassy, farm vibes made this song really stick out to me. The message and poetic scheme of her music never fails to amaze me.

Trigger warning: Mentions of cuts and blood..

-This is a scene from a short story I’m writing, it’s called a summer with lily!

We were flawed people. Our skin, tattered with old marks that held time, sunken to the bone, all hollow and empty- looking. The only time we ever glowed was at night, when we would visit the desolate road. The cracks in its pavement were evident signs of its labor. It was full of missing spots and deep holes mauled by horse hooves and wagons. Pieces of it were scattered over the sidewalk, torn off from the force of gripping wheels and pure malice. We would wait for the day to put away its flesh-eating whip and find the road finally at peace, away from the cruel practice of daily transportation. It was like a big breathing grandma, just worn out. It seemed I could watch it breathe up and down; I could feel its tired sighs through the wind. Calling me and lily like a whisper; something only the two of us could hear.

 We’d climb out the window, our shoes would be kicked off. Our nightgowns blowing in every direction. Our feet would have more cuts and bruises by the time we’d reach the road. We didn’t seem to care as long as we were in its presence, harkening to its call. Lilly would watch the night for a bit. As though this moment was too good for us to catch it as well. It surprised us how two beautiful things could work together to create something that surpassed this universe. It was heavy in the air anytime either of us stopped for a moment to catch some wind. We imagined the road and the night to be husband and wife, complimenting each other’s faults and powers. It was magical and serene when we thought of the road and night like that.

  We would feel a tousle in our bellies, a swarm of butterflies pattering against our stomachs like urchins trying to get out. It’d make us pick up our feet and jump around, all crazy and messy. Our hair bonnets would slip from our head and land on the road, we would lift our arms to the sky, to God. Like a prayer to never end this moment if he could help it. Our hips were nonexistent but if they found a way to sway then they may as well have done it here. Our bodies were in tune with the whole earth. We were dancing and blind to everything but the night and the cool, rough pavement against our feet. Even Lilly was under the influence of the roads glory. Her skin became extraordinary. The streetlights illuminated her like a queen, a dancer on the center stage stealing away the attention for the night. Our tattered skin illuminated; our sunken bones highlighted against the broken road. We became something beautiful.

Falling asleep isn’t easy. Sometimes it’s hard to quiet your racing thoughts and let your worries rest.  My thoughts are most active at night. For the longest time I tried to find a way to dissolve, replace or eliminate them and every time I came back with nothing. It was an exhausting and tedious. 

That was until I found a solution to my problem…It’s a tv show called “Joe Pera Talks you to sleep.” 

Now, the title is exactly what the show consists of. It’s just a man (Joe Pera) Sitting in his bed with pajamas on talking to you until you fall asleep. That’s all. In this show joe uses a list of topics to replace our anxious thoughts with his calming ones. These thoughts are told through his monotone voice and lazy demeanor. As a whole, it has gotten me through many sleepless nights, and I’d like to share this stress reliever with you. 

In this blog I’ll be discussing some of the interesting topics and quotes Joe Pera brings up in his Tv show. Hopefully they sound interesting enough for you to also use it as a stress reliever from time to time.

1. “Are you nervous about starting something new? A new job, a new baby, a new pair of dress shoes your stressed about breaking in?” 

In this show he uses plenty of opportunities to add irrelevant information. It’s quite humorous and relaxing. It makes you stop thinking about the weird crossing guard or rude customer. They catch your attention and get you thinking. Like maybe in this great big world there’s someone out there who’s worried about breaking in a new pair of dress shoes.

It’s comforting to know that the world is big, and your problems are small. All it takes is a change of perspective and looking at it from a less serious standpoint. Joe does a great job at evoking that perspective.

2. “Rain pouring must be #4 most soothing sounds, a close #5 would be pouring milk. It is especially soothing if it is whole milk.”- 

   Joe is specific about his ramblings. He speaks his mind and refuses to lie even if you’re listening to it on the verge of sleep. This quote is a piece of joe’s dialogue. It doesn’t dive into his likes and dislikes much, but he is very informative when it comes to a topic he is interested in. They are all specific and interesting, it makes you think about starting your own podcast or book because he doesn’t have a lot to say. But still, he finds a way to make it impactful and meaningful to viewers. And personally, it’s nice to be immersed in someone else’s world for a moment.

3. “It’s okay. I’m not too worried about my photographic legacy, in fact, I hope I’m not remembered at all and that one day I can just disappear.”

  For context: Joe can’t keep his eyes open during pictures and must take them multiple times because the flash is too bright.

  Joe’s thoughts and perceptions of the world can be vastly different from the average person’s. We can take lighthearted and humorous turns, or we can venture into the darker aspects of things. He expresses different viewpoints that reach many types of viewers. It’s refreshing and heartwarming to know he that he isn’t just rambling but also taking into consideration the different audiences reacting. Also, joe is a bit of a homebody, and he doesn’t like the fast life. In this show we rarely take a dive for deeper, sensitive topics but they do add a soothing touch.