Camera On Steroids

The Polaroid camera was invented by Edwin Land, an American scientist, in 1948. What sets it apart from other cameras is its ability to develop a printed picture shortly after the picture is taken. The picture is created through a chemical process that happens within the camera. First, reagent chemicals sink to the bottom of the film and dissolve dye. Then, the dye rises up and creates the image. Finally, the image is exposed to light which completes the process and creates a picture. Due to their speed and efficiency, these cameras became popular all around the world.

I chose this topic because a Polaroid picture of Hassan is mentioned quite often in the book. It is important within the book because it is the only image of Hassan that Amir has. I think it is beneficial for everyone to know what a Polaroid camera is and how it works because they are still used today.

Work Cited:

Armstrong, Ace. Polaroids. Digital image. Flickr. N.p., 18 Apr. 2008. Web. 27 Apr. 2016.

“How Do Instant Cameras Work?” How Stuff Works. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2016.

Taliban

The Taliban were a religious group of men who controlled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001. They believed in very strict rules, one of their most famous being the rule that outlawed women from attending school and working. Furthermore, kite-flying, television, music, and the internet were banned. Men were forced to wear beards and beaten if they disobeyed. When in public, women were required to completely cover their bodies and walk with a male relative. Beatings of people who disobeyed the laws often took place in soccer stadiums, the only sport not banned by the Taliban. Eventually, the United States was able to free Afghanistan from Taliban influence in 2001.

I chose this topic because I wanted to learn more about the Taliban. When I was a child, I often heard things about the Taliban, but I never really knew who they were. I think it is beneficial for everyone to learn about the Taliban because they play a large role in modern history.

Work Cited:

Hayes, Laura, Beth Rowen, and Borgna Brunner. “Who Are the Taliban?”Infoplease. Infoplease, n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2016.

Newsonline. Taliban. Digital image. Flickr. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2016.

Poetry

A ghazal is a short poem that’s purpose is to invoke love, longing, and melancholy. Although they first became popular after the Persian poets Rumi and Hafiz began writing them during the 13th century, ghazals have been traced back to Arabic origin during the 7th century. Ghazals are typically composed of a minimum of five lines and no more the fifteen. Additionally, each line is equal in length. The first line of a ghazal introduces the theme of the poem. The following lines build on the theme of the first line. The final line usually includes the name of the author.

I chose this topic because I was curious to know what a ghazal was. When researching, I learned that poets all around the world write ghazals. I believe it is beneficial to understand the origin of ghazals and their purpose because they are written world wide.

“Poetic Form: Ghazal.” Poets.org. Academy of American Poets, 21 Feb. 2014. Web. 17 Apr. 2016.

Writing. Digital image. Wikipidea. N.p., 17 Apr. 2016. Web. 17 Apr. 2016.

Namaz

Seyfl Seren | Link

Namaz, also known as Salah, is one of the five pillars in the Islamic religion. In Namaz, the Muslim worshiper starts by standing and reciting a prayer. Then they continue by bowing down, then sitting on their legs, and finally bending over into the child’s pose, reciting a different prayer at each step. For Islam’s, it is required to perform Namaz five times every day at certain times. The purpose of Namaz is to praise and admire Allah. Muslims believe that in order to satisfy their natural needs, they must follow and pray to Allah.

I chose this topic because the practices of religions, besides Christianity, were never taught to me in school. Therefore, I was interested in learning what rituals other religions perform. I believe this information is beneficial to everyone because it allows people to understand what Muslims believe in. Also, it shows the devotion that Muslims hold towards their god Allah.

Work Cited

“What Is Namaz (Prayer – Salat).” What Is Namaz (Prayer – Salat). Namaz Zamani, n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.

Bending Words

Muslims are the people who believe in the religion called Islam. According to Islam, there

Jama Masjid | Link

is one god named Allah. Allah created the universe and he also created humans to inhabit the earth. The phrase “Allahu Akbar” is an Arabic saying that means “God is greater”. This phrase is quite frequently used among the people of Islam. However, it is most commonly spoke at the beginning of the Hazrat Bibi Fatimah prayer, after butchering an animal, and by the mujahids of Islam.

I chose this phrase as my topic because it has become well-known by the American people. It started one day when I was watching an ISIS video in class and a few classmates mockingly yelled “Allahu Akbar”. Ever since, I have had heard people say it jokingly. In fact, when “Allahu Akbar” is searched in google chrome, the first result is “Allahu Akbar Vine Compilation!” Sadly, this normally religious phrase has turned into a mocking catcall.

Juma, Noorallah. “Allahu Akbar (Allah Is the Greatest).” Salman Spiritual. Salman Productions, n.d. Web. 07 Apr. 2016.

Student Apathy

My Happiness Over Your Safety

“Montag stood trying to make himself feel the shock of the quit statement from the radio but nothing would happen. The war would have to wait for him to come to it in his personal file, an hour, two hours from now.” (Pg. 119)

Elliott, Christopher. “”‘Me First!'” Why Is Selfish Behavior on the Rise?” USA Today. N.p., 25 Aug. 2014. Web. 20 Jan. 2016.

Similar to Fahrenheit 451, people in our society have grow to be selfish. In his article, titled “‘Me First!’: Why is selfish behavior on the rise?”, Christopher Elliot elaborates on this topic and proves why it is relevant in today’s society. One example used in the article describes a flight that was delayed because one of the passengers suffered an asthma attack. Forced to make an emergency landing, a different, angry passenger confronted the flight attendants and demanded they remove the sick passenger and resume the flight. After her offer was declined, the enraged passenger screamed, “This is ruining my vacation!”; and was later released from the flight. This scenario proves that some humans refuse to accept problems that deal with anyone expect themselves, even if the problem is life-threatening.

Between Fahrenheit 451 and our society, several things parallel on how each society acts; most importantly, how humans treat each other. When Montag heard the declaration of war announced on the radio, he neither felt surprised nor worried about it; even though he knew many people could potentially die. The same concept applies to the airplane example. The angry passenger was not worried about her fellow passenger’s endangered life, but the fact that she would arrive late to her destination. Ultimately, our society has reached a point where many people are so selfish, they don’t care about the lives of other humans.

Image Citation: Chi King | Link

Losing Control

“He took Montag quickly into the bedroom and lifted a picture frame aside revealing a television screen the size of a postal card. “I always wanted something very small, something I could walk to, something I could blot out with the palm of my hand, if necessary, nothing that could shout me down, nothing monstrous big. So, you see.” (Pg. 126)

Greenfield, Susan. “Modern Technology Is Changing the Way Our Brains Work, Says Neuroscientist.” Mail Online. Associated Newspapers, n.d. Web. 14 Jan. 2016.

The more technology develops, the better it becomes at manipulating and even controlling people entirely. Most people in today’s society depend on technology to complete their daily routine. Susan Greenfield, in her Daily Mail article, provides some examples of technology dependence. One example she listed was the use of medicine. So many people rely on medication on a daily basis; what would happen if it was temporarily unavailable? Or even permanently unavailable? Either way, Greenfield’s point shows how dependent our society has become on medication; and that’s just scratching the surface. Greenfield continues on to list more examples, including an observation about the physical effect of television on individuals. In her observation, she noted that people are more likely to obtain shorter attention spans, reduced communication skills, and loss of creative thinking if they watch television. Interestingly, all of these side effects are common in people from Fahrenheit 451.

Just like in Fahrenheit 451, technology has the ability to alter someone’s life; whether it be television, medication, electronic devices, social media, or something else. Our society is on the verge of becoming a Fahrenheit 451 society. All it will take is the gradual advancement of technology until our whole society depends on it. Overall, people may argue that we can stop ourselves before we fully change to a Fahrenheit 451 society, but it is inevitable. We won’t stop improving our technology until it’s too late, it’s part of our human nature.

Image Citation: krheesy | Link

Have You Heard The News?

“How like a beautiful statue of ice it was, melting in the sun. I remember the newspapers dying like huge moths. No one wanted them back. No one missed them.” (Pg. 85)

Weissmann, Jordan. “The Decline of Newspapers Hits a Stunning Milestone.” The Decline of Newspapers Hits A Stunning New Milestone. N.p., 28 Apr. 2014. Web. 11 Jan. 2016.

When reading this passage said by Faber, one can recall a similar, practically parallel, newspaper declination trend in today’s society. In his article titled “The Decline of Newspapers Hits A Stunning New Milestone”,  Jordan Weissman elaborates on this topic, describing in detail the decrease of newspaper usage across the United States. In fact, the total revenue obtained from newspaper  advertising in 2013 was equal to that of 1950;  a small and disappointing profit for most newspaper companies. One main reason for this massive setback is the increasing use of online news websites. Why would someone pay for newspapers when they could read the same content for free online? Additionally, one can search and pick out the articles that entertain them and ignore the rest.

In essence, the majority of American citizens’ interests have shifted from factual and reliable newspapers to action-oriented, attention-grabbing online articles. Just like Fahrenheit 451, people no longer want to read newspapers; they want to read interesting articles, they want entertaining articles. Soon enough, the same will happen with magazines; after that books. Soon enough our society won’t be that indifferent from the fictional Fahrenheit 451 society.

Image: Rober Couse-Baker | Image

Is Your Family Real?

 

“But who has ever torn himself from the claw that encloses you when you drop a seed in a TV parlor? It grows you anyway it wishes! It is an environment as real as the world. It becomes and is the truth.” (Pg. 86)

“Do Your Kids Spend Too Much Time in Front of a Screen?” Scripps Health. N.p., 09 Dec. 2013. Web. 10 Jan. 2016.

After I read Faber’s quote about parlors, I was reminded of how popular TVs and computers have become in our society. Almost everyone in the United States has access to an electronic device. An article written by Scripps Health suggests that anyone above the age of two should be limited to two hours of screen time per day. Although this may seem like a reasonable goal to set, the average adult spends approximately eight hours looking at a screen. That is six hours more than the limit proposed by Scripps Health. The article continues on to list the effects of excessive screen time which includes anger towards others, and withdraw from family; both of which can relate to Fahrenheit 451.

If not attending work, citizens living in the Fahrenheit 451 society are most commonly seen in their parlors. Furthermore, these citizens rarely interact with one another because they are too busy watching their so called “Families”. This behavior can often relate to people living in our society today. This is because technology has grown so popular, that some people prefer to use it than spend time with their own, real families.  

Image Citation: Author: wicker_man
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