Blue

Pt. 1

Pen in hand, she lingers

Over an absence of

Loops and swirls

Lines and dots

She is overwhelmed by the intensity

Of nothing—absolute nothing

The whiteness, it’s blinding

How does one write?

She’s a schooner, sailing far from reality

Thoughts like clouds storm the clear skies

And the ink spills from the pen

Teardrops of blue fill the void

The water rises and

An orchestra of thunder and lightning

Sound to the rhythm of her beating heart

A tempest, a typhoon—a light bulb? False alarm

And so the light peaks from the clouds

And the skies are empty once again

And the pen leaks

And the ink engulfs the words unsaid

Pt. 2

But instead of on paper, pen on skin

The blue ink overflows

and floods the cracks of her skin

No, they’re not perfect

The flowers she draws aren’t perfect

Six petal flowers and clovers cover

Every inch of her canvas blue

Forget-me-not, wish me luck

Her palette of ink is an ocean mist

Of crashing waves and wasted colors

Her hand is constellation of lopsided circles

Smudges of shooting stars

Her palette of ink paints the memories

Of happier days when

Words were said

And not written

She’s told to dot her i’s and cross her t’s,

But her inkstained hands

Tell more of a story

Than her writing will ever do

Cultivating a Culture of Fear

This image shows a shadow appearing to point to a man, while he covers his face and runs from the light into the shade. This shadow represents a variety of factors that causes the Afghan people to fear exposure or suspicion by the Taliban. Amir's visit to Afghanistan uses his perceptions to reflect more broadly on the Afghan experience during the time of the Taliban. A literal example of the pointing figure is the old man with the blanket who stands in Amir's room and looks at him for an abnormally long time. While he could just as easily be a mental patient or an elderly man taken aback by Amir's dramatic injuries, when Farid mentions that the Taliban could be tracking them, Amir very seriously snaps back to that memory and identifies the old man as a potential Taliban searcher. In reality the person casting the shadow could just as easily be pointing elsewhere; the man runs into the shade and away from the spotlight because the consequences of waiting, like Amir staying in the hospital, could be dire. In a country where honor and valor are so highly valued, staying in the light, like Baba against the Russian soldier, seems like the most noble course of action. But, as the Afghans have learned, staying in the shadow and avoiding the light may be the best course of action. This is made clear when Farid and Amir are walking in the street and Amir looks at the Taliban -- anyone who becomes remotely noticeable, according to Farid, and does not fade into the background could be the Taliban's next victim of random violence. The same situation exists in Zaman's world, where letting Assef take the child has the consequence of feeding and saving the rest of the children.

The Truth Behind Poverty Porn

The Truth Behind Poverty Porn

In the midst of watching your favorite Monday night TV show, a commercial catches your attention. You see a little boy, clearly from Africa, with wide eyes staring straight into the camera and then right at you. The montage of poverty continues until a phone number flashes on the screen. It screams, “call this number and donate now!” This is poverty porn. According to a CNN article written by Nathalie Dortonne, “poverty porn is a tactic used by nonprofits and charity organizations to gain empathy and contributions from donors by showing exploitative imagery of people living in destitute conditions.” Although Western audiences have come to realize that poverty porn is a major issue due to the false representation of African people, those who experience poverty accept the need to exploit the poor in order to receive support.

While non-governmental organizations (NGOs) seek charity through the use of poverty porn, Northern American audiences recognize the issues with such means of media and the existing stereotypes of poverty in Africa. Journalists such as CNN’s Dortonne and ONE’s Emily Roenigk write about the damaging effects of poverty porn. Poverty porn, whether it is through pictures, videos, or writing, continues to fuel the idea that Africa is nothing more than a poverty-infested continent. While misrepresenting the African people and their cultures, such mediums of media exploit the poverty-stricken. (CNN) Known as “poverty pimps,” photographers employed by charities or NGOs disregard the emotional state of their subjects and fail to ask for consent. The controversial issues of the process in which photographers take in order to capture the poor are brought to light by Western perspectives while also arguing that the necessary alternative to poverty porn is through offering more opportunities to change one’s lifestyle instead of through charity. (ONE)

Although there are many concerns towards the way Africa is being represented by media to the rest of the world, many of destitute Africans have understood to accept poverty porn in exchange for any means of support. (Leah Chung) A poor man named John from the Kikaramjoa slums of Uganda said, “We are in a bad state so we would need their support. To me I don’t mind how we are presented as long as we are supported.” Poverty porn is endured by many of the poverty-stricken, especially the adults. It is understood that poverty porn is a business that is deemed necessary when food and supplies are given to the impoverished. Poverty porn works, and through series of tests, viewers are much more likely to donate when shown an advertisement of suffering children.

Africa is is the second most populated continent in the world where 1.1 billion people live throughout 54 different countries. Due to media and stereotypes passed down through every generation, Africa is known only for its high poverty rates and poor living conditions. Charities and NGOs that attempt to help the poor take the exploitative path of poverty porn in which is only tolerated because of the success it has in giving financial and material support to the poor.

Works Cited:

Dortonne, Nathalie "Poverty Porn Is Dangerous." CNN. Cable News Network. Web. 07 Mar. 2016.

Koutonin, Mawuna "Africa Top 10 Problems: Not the Ones You Were Thinking About!." SiliconAfrica. 09

Mar. 2013. Web. 10 Mar. 2016.

Matt "What Is 'poverty Porn' and Why Does It Matter for Development?" Aid Thoughts. 01 July 2009. Web. 08

Mar. 2016.

Nelson, Katie G., "Op-ed: Is NatGeo's New #EndPoverty Contest Just More Poverty Porn?" Humanosphere. 24

July 2015. Web. 08 Mar. 2016.

Pather, Raeesa "Poverty Porn and the Problem With CEOs Playing Homeless [opinion]." Africa News Service 6

May 2015. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 8 Mar. 2016.

Roengik, Emily "5 Reasons Poverty Porn Empowers the Wrong Person." ONE. 09 Apr. 2014. Web. 04 Mar.

2016.

The Coat is not a Coat

Sijie uses the symbol of the sheepskin coat to represents the Little Seamstress, Luo, and the narrator’s hunger for knowledge about the ideas of love, passion, and desire illustrated in the western literature, more specifically Ursule Mirouët by Balzac. The new ideas in the book exposes the characters to different aspects in life that they have not been exposed to before. The book introduces a new way of life different to their own which they strive to “reenact” in real life amongst each other.  

“I decided I would write directly onto the inside of my sheepskin coat. The short coat, a gift from the villagers when I arrived, was made of skins with wool of varying lengths and textures on the outside and bare hide on the inside”(58).

“‘She ended up putting your wretched coat on (which looked very good on her, I must say). She said having Balzac’s words next to her skin made her feel good, and also more intelligent”(62).

The Four Powers

The man is great

He seeks only knowledge and power

Trying to be as worthy as the Earth,

The man listens and flows his fate

The Earth is great

Like a grain of sand on the beach,

The single planet seeks belonging in the universe

The Earth is ever changing find to find its place

The universe is great

It holds all life in its hands

Grander than anyone but the Tao imagine

The universe is space and time

The Tao is great

Balancing the good and the bad of life

It flows through all creations

The Tao is everything

How Real Are Our Memories?