The images displayed to the left are Nazi Propaganda and a chapter page from the graphic novel Maus by Art Spiegelman, respectively. The Nazi Propaganda translates "Don't give. Sacrifice." and depicts a giant hand, which takes up a little less than half the poster itself. Magnifying the hand creates a sort of superior and holy effect around, making the action being described seem righteous.The palm of the hand is also notably loose and solemnly open, appearing very peaceful. To add on, the gigantic hand is reaching across this pictorial plane, first reaching across the Nazi Swastika and into a blank space, white and unblemished. This action is blatantly states that those which sacrifice are not only a part of the Nazi Party but also are sacrificing to a greater good--a righteous idea. The two separate color spaces are harmonious and are enclosed in negative space. By doing so, the Nazi Party is effectively displaying that only their beliefs, their ideals and their way is the Only way; nothing exists outside of it. Two coins are illustrated on the poster as well, one being directly in front of the palm of the giant's hand and one between the giant's pointer and middle finger. This image can be seen in two different perspectives: these coins are falling into the giant's hand or falling out of the giant's hand. Both perspectives, however, achieve the goal of the Nazi Party. If the coins are falling into the hand, then the god-like limb is an analogy to the Nazi Party, further exhibiting the honorable nature of their decisions. The coins then represent the citizen himself and his sacrifices. Interestingly, the second coin is also between the white space and negative space, which reflects that the sacrifices of those who are not necessarily of Aryan descent, but share similar beliefs, will also be accepted. Note also that there are only two coins on the poster. This shows that every last sacrifice counts. In contrast, if the coins are falling out of the hand, then the two coins represent the offering of everything a man has. This act alludes to the actions of a parable in the Bible. From Mark 12, Jesus teaches his disciples stand outside a synagogue, observing the people and their offerings. Many rich people pass, offering tens of thousands of coins, but only a portion of what they own. Jesus comments that those men are not in favor of the Lord. Finally, "a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins" (Mark 12:42 NIV) which Jesus remarks has given the greatest offering of all, since she had given all she had. This creates an ethos as a large majority of the European countries were Catholic. In the second artwork, Art Spiegelman draws an image of mice being burned alive. Continuing the theme of sacrifice, when the Jews made offerings to Jehovah, they burned an animal they considered holy. Ironically, the mice which metaphorically represents the Jews, are being sacrificed and burned to death. Outside the large panel, six flies can be seen spectating the disaster. These flies connote death, plague, deterioration and the Lord of the Flies, Beelzebub. Strangely enough, Beelzebub is not only one of the "seven princes of hell" according to Catholic Demonology but it is also generally associated with the number 666; three sixes, three dynasties, the Third Reich. It seems here that Spiegelman is trying to link the Nazi Party, or the Third Reich, to the devil himself. He also furthers this as the burning mice are engulfed by overwhelming and infinite flames, much like the flames of hell. Through this, Spiegelman contradicts and questions the "holiness" of the German Citizens' sacrifices, leaving viewers to see the giant hand (on the first image) to be not of righteous intent, but rather of malevolent descent. Both images depict the same idea, however from two very different perspectives. Through the eyes of the Aryan, the eradication of the Jews was seen as a sacrifice for a peaceful utopia. To the rest of the world it was very distinct; it was a destruction of a culture of men like ourselves. No one can argue that sacrifices are necessary, but no one can deny that the sacrifice must be for what he believes is a toward greater good. Everyday, animals are sacrificed for our survival, according to a 2013 report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a total average of 90,000 cattle were slaughtered daily for the American's daily needs. So what difference does it make if we add one more cut of meat in the butcher shop?  I guess in the end it really just depends on a man's sense of morality, his perspective. After all, only the man himself can see through his mind's eye. And that's all there is to it. It's just a different perspective.

Society is Vitreous

Society [so·ci·e·ty] (noun)
people in general thought as living together in organized communities with shared laws, traditions, and values

A glass castle. A seemingly perfect and ideal structure marred by multitude of flaws. It is never complete nor ever will be completed. It is a fallacy; but a dream, an idea welding the individual grains of sand as a single material. Society is composed of multiple panels of glass, each supporting the other; all a part of a greater architecture. Society is both transparent and translucent; both clear
 and distorted. Society takes time to gather and melt as one. Some glass castles are built with a deeper understanding and are meticulously scanned again and again before placing even the first piece of the foundation; others are built overnight--however each one will eventually crack. Society is fragile. Society may stand against mild breezes, and light precipitation. But even in the eye of the storm, the glass castle will fall by the smallest pebble thrown against it. It will shatter, then crumble--fractured into a profusion of broken shards.

The vestigial communities of a once great society still exist, but are empty. Similarly to how Auschwitz II Birkenau and Auschwitz I (spiegelman 51) were both drawn seemingly desolate, the vacant communities represent isolation. Within a broken society it becomes every man for himself. Self-preservation becomes adamant regardless of what negative repercussions occur towards other members of the same society. Some members of society "r[u]n inside the toilets"(67), hid[e] inside pipes and hid[e] inside "[their] own block" composed of "several rooms...and hundreds of beds"(63) to avoid the punishments and the "selektion"(67).  But behind the selfish nature, small groups of the society began to band together to reform secretive cadres within the prison camps, helping one another with try to rebuild a broken obsolete society--two mice on each pipe (71).  

But although the glass castle has been reduced to microscopic granules, 
the granules are still of the same material:
Glass.

 With this in mind, regardless of how fragmented, how broken, how separated a society becomes--we still are of the same being. 

Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much

Helen Keller

We have the same goals, same ideas, and that is what allows us to once again meld together--becoming stronger than that of the past. That is what will rebuild our glass castle, our Society. You just have to give It some time.

Singularity is Unrealistic

Singularity [sin·gu·lar·i·ty] (noun)
1 :     the quality or state of being singular
2 :     a point or region of infinite mass density at which space and time are infinitely distorted by gravitational              forces and, which is held to be the final state of matter falling into a black hole
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"To become Something, is to become nothing at all."

"Therefore shall and man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh."

Genesis 2:24

 "So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members of another."

Romans 12:5

The belief in which a man himself is an individual is simply unrealistic. Since the beginning of time, Man was not alone. Woman came from man, and man was part of woman. Both relied on each other to have a definition, a meaning so to speak. All of us are a part of an existing faction. None of us are an individual. We were born from parents. Not one of us on this Earth can deny is not a part of the unified group we know as Society. For each one of us to exist, it is adamant that he obey Society's decree, or be smitten by the Him. Men fail if they grow up to be but spiritual leaders or profitable workers and "[women] fail if [they] gr[o]w up to be but wives or [suitable helpers]" (Kingston 19). Truly becoming a singularity requires the absolute detachment from other beings and items. This ideal is unrealistic: letting everything go--everything that defines you--to become an individual. What becomes of you then? You have nothing, you are nothing, Nothing defines you. You gave up everything to become something, but that something you wanted to become, was truly nothing. You cannot exist as a true individual without distorting space or time. You, the individual, are a void.

To become Something, is to become nothing at all.

Doing is Overrated

Doing is Overrated

Doing [do·ing] (noun)

the act of making something happen through your own action

"Ding! Ding! Ding! Oh what was that? Oh yeah--the elevator cause you're not on my level!" (Katie Nickens, 11)

"But like I still don't really get it..."

"Did you like not catch that? Again? Do I have to repeat myself?"

(nods)

"Doing is like so overrated, girl. It's so basic."

"Doing what?"

"Doing like, everything. You know I mean? Like even now, I'm like sitting here, writing this stupid blog post, on this stupid computer, in this stupid coffee shop, its like everything is so stupid! I mean like except you, you're like, uhm, like semi-smart cause you're like a spawn of the devil. Ha ha!"

"Aw, Thanks. You're like pretty smart for a dumb blonde too!"

"But yeah, like I just realized today that doing things was super overrated and stupid! Girl, you don't even understand."

"Puh-lease. Tell me."

"So like I was driving down like Rochester road today, and like I totally got like crashed into like this like super ratchet mom car from like 2007--I mean I don't really know what it's called, but yeah. So basically, I was like really mad, yeah, so I kinda just started screaming my effing head off. But like when that guy got out the car, he was like 'Oh my god' hot. He was like a Chris Evans mixed with like--uh--Robert Downey Jr. kinda hot. So like I kinda realized that like I wish I didn't do that, like act so impolite. Like doing that was totally some like basic move. Like I'm not a basic b*tch, girl, you feel me? But anyways. So like super cute guy came over and like talked to me, and I didn't really listen, I kinda just stared into his super dreamy eyes and he like talked for like about probably ten minutes and then got back into his car. I mean like how fricken rude is that? HE didn't even do anything to try to get my number or anything! And that was like a total turnoff for me. 'Like you didn't ask for my number, so I'm not gonna as you for yours, you man-whore.' You know? Like doing that would look super desperate--and being desperate is like totally ew."

"I totally get you, girl. But like Eric Thomas told me that like, 'If you want something to happen, you've got to make it happen' and like if you are like not going to do anything, then like nothing's gonna happen right?"

"Oh my bejeezus girl. You are like--so DUMB. You want to quote people? I can do that too. Like, In AP English class with Mrs. Valentino, we were like learning about this crazy hippy dude named like Dave Wally or something. But like anyways he said like, "If you worship money and things — if they are where you tap real meaning in life — then you will never have enough" (Wallace) and like that totally makes sense now! Because if you like do something anyways you won't ever really succeed because like you're always gonna want more, you know? It's like a continuous loop that just goes on forever and ever and like the only way to break it, I guess, is to like not do ANYTHING!"

"Wow...that was deep, girl."

"Ding! Ding! Ding! Oh what was that? Oh yeah--the elevator cause you're not on my level!" (Katie Nickens, 11)

"But like I still don't really get it..."