Natalie Grace Ferguson
It's a name that means significantly more to me than any other person. Natalie means born near Christmas," but my parents say that they just liked the name. Grace was the name of my great grandmother who died only a few weeks ago. Ferguson is my dad's last name, it's Scottish but we don't choose to recognize that. Through middle school and part of high school, I really responded to two different names, Natalie and Fergie. Fergie was a nickname given to me by my soccer coach and it stuck through all of my time playing school soccer. Natalie was the studious academic while Fergie was the hardworking athlete. I responded equally to both but it was easy to tell my relationship with someone based on what they would call me. It was almost as if I was two different people who interacted withing two different friend groups. Of course there were people who knew me in both ways and those who would call me one or the other regardless of my relationship with them, but this was how I identified myself in relation to others.
On a similar note, I could also be identified as Natalie, or the second Ferguson child. Being the middle child of two brothers who either currently go or used to go to the same school, it is inevitable that we are going to share some of the same teachers. My older brother was a straight A student, and I often felt like I needed to uphold the Ferguson name. Individually, I strive to challenge myself academically and prove that I can achieve goals that I have set out to reach. I decided to join the IB program where neither of my brothers had that intention, and I involved myself with different sports and involvement within the arts. I felt the need to define myself as an individual while also feeling the pressure of being a Ferguson. My brothers also involved themselves in the Theatre and Chorus programs and did well in classes, so it often felt as if I was "just another Ferguson." This isn't true of course. I am proud of being a Ferguson, and that people expects members of my family to do great things, but sometimes it is nice to just be Natalie. Being an individual as well as a pert of a greater whole can have both positives and negatives. When part of a greater whole, there are assumptions and expectation that are made that can be either good or bad. This can apply in any number of situations and just about ever person. It is just important to remember that being a part of a whole does not mean that you are not still and individual.
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Sunday, September 7, 2014
Wing Young Huie vs. The Handmaid's Tale
Wing Young Huie is a famous photographer with a numerous amount of works. The following photo was taken by Huie in 2014 and was published on his website and can be found here http://photos.wingyounghuie.com/p988258601/h241568e8#h241568e8
At first glance there is obviously a grave stone in the shape of a cross with a teddy bear tied to it with string. There are not many other graves around the stone and there is a colorful wall in the background. The stone is leaning slightly and has a chip at the top. The teddy bear looks new and as if it belongs to a young child.
A bigger picture might be derived with a closer look. The grave appears to be old, but the teddy bear is new. A child probably died at a young age and the parents, or another person who was close to them, still feels attached to this person and leaves them gifts. The person probably does not visit very often, seeing as the teddy bear is strapped to the grave so that it cannot blow away or be dragged off.
In this picture, and in Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, there is a concept of "othering". This is when someone or something is considered different or alien. The picture shows the gravestone in a not very populated, desert-like area and it is the largest grave in the area. The grave is in an undesirable location, but is still loved by someone. Traditionally people will bury their loved ones in a nearby or well taken care of area, but this grave breaks that norm by contradicting those things. Atwood presents this idea by making the Handmaids separate from the rest of the society. They are still accepted, but many of the people from other social classes look down on them or treat them as inferiors. In both of these, the object of othering is separate or alien from society, but where the Handmaids are a public and well-known situation, the grave stone is more private and personal to a select group. Overall, the moods created by both of these situations are very sad and disconcerting.
At first glance there is obviously a grave stone in the shape of a cross with a teddy bear tied to it with string. There are not many other graves around the stone and there is a colorful wall in the background. The stone is leaning slightly and has a chip at the top. The teddy bear looks new and as if it belongs to a young child.
A bigger picture might be derived with a closer look. The grave appears to be old, but the teddy bear is new. A child probably died at a young age and the parents, or another person who was close to them, still feels attached to this person and leaves them gifts. The person probably does not visit very often, seeing as the teddy bear is strapped to the grave so that it cannot blow away or be dragged off.
In this picture, and in Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, there is a concept of "othering". This is when someone or something is considered different or alien. The picture shows the gravestone in a not very populated, desert-like area and it is the largest grave in the area. The grave is in an undesirable location, but is still loved by someone. Traditionally people will bury their loved ones in a nearby or well taken care of area, but this grave breaks that norm by contradicting those things. Atwood presents this idea by making the Handmaids separate from the rest of the society. They are still accepted, but many of the people from other social classes look down on them or treat them as inferiors. In both of these, the object of othering is separate or alien from society, but where the Handmaids are a public and well-known situation, the grave stone is more private and personal to a select group. Overall, the moods created by both of these situations are very sad and disconcerting.
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