(A tableau of a comedy and where everyone is praising and laughing at Anna)

After completing the Bard on the Beach three day workshop, I have a better understanding of how the acting of Shakespeare’s plays work but not so much how Much Ado About Nothing is laid out and who the characters are. I believe they did a good job of teaching how to read the plays and how to say the verses and lines. I understand that Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy because it ends in a wedding and it’s very humorous and ironic. Many of the activities we did were very fun but also humiliating to do in front of your peers. I believe they could improve on the overall message of play, we did not talk about how the play is laid out nor how the characters are, if we did; we only touched upon it.  In the photo above it shows one of the tableaus we had to do for comedies, none of us knew what to do so we just started to laugh and Anna step in the middle and did a dance move. My favorite part of the workshop was probably the tableaus because it was easy and we didn’t have to speak and talk in front of everyone.

 

Pepsi’s 2016 and 2017 ad for Diet Pepsi features Sofia Vergara and the new skinny can. The ad is selling the new skinny can style, and shows Sofia drinking Pepsi with a straw and a big blue floppy hat. The product is mostly being sold to those who are on a diet or trying to lose weight. Some visual techniques are the bright colours of the background and hat representing the blue in the logo and red lipstick t represent the red in the logo. The vibrant colours are eye catching and would get people to stare. The font is skinny relates to the new can. Ethos is the main techniques used because they use Sofia to sell their product and get people to buy it because she uses it. Some advertising persuasive techniques Pepsi uses snob appeal and transfer. Snob appeal in the ad is that when she is drinking Pepsi she looks glamourous with her lipstick and hat with her long hair maybe drinking Pepsi will make help make someone famous or live a luxurious life. Transfer would be the positive look of the ad and that it’s the new skinny look, overall look of the ad is sending a positive message to buyers.

On September 15^th 1935, after being woken up by my daughters, I walk down the stairs to see my husband.

“Good morning Eva.” Adok says giving me a kiss on the cheek.

“And good morning to you!” I say turning the kettle on to make my tea. Adok grabs the morning newspaper and sits down.

“Anything good today?” I ask. He stays quiet for a minute before he can speak our daughters run into the kitchen a grab some toast and begin eating. After we eat, the girls start doing the dishes. I follow Adok to our room he throws the newspaper on the bed, and sits down beside it. I close the door behind me, and sit on the bed. The headline on today’s paper reads “The Nuremberg Laws Introduced.”

“Intimate relationships between Germans and Jews are prohibited.” He says pointing at the space between us. Adok is a Jew and I am German, we have been married for 9 years now, and we have a family together. Ever since the war begin it’s put stress on our family and relationship. We had known something like this was going to happen, but we have no clue how we are going to handle it.

“I don’t want this law to come between us. If they don’t know that you are Jewish, they won’t take you… Right? We have a family, they can’t just separate us.”

“People can rat us out or they can find lists with my name. I don’t want you or the girls to be hurt because of me,” he says pulling out a bag and begins to pack, “I think it’s best if I leave the country.”

“No? No! You can’ leave we have a family think of the girls, I think of me! I can’t support the girls with one income!” I scream and begin to cry.

“I am thinking of you that’s why I’m leaving!” He finishes packing his bag, and walks down the stairs. Gives his last goodbyes and leaves. He leaves me standing there with our 2 daughters. Leaves me standing there wondering if I’ll ever see him again.

 

The creative writing piece above is a fictional account to show the struggle and hardship of pre-existing relationships between Germans and Jews during the Holocaust. The story is written in first person, however the perspective is written as a German women who is married to a Jewish man. The struggle is this story is how the relationship has been under stress from the war and “The Nuremberg Laws,” which prohibit relationships between Germans and Jews. Although no one knew Adok was a Jew, he was stressed because he didn’t want his family to be effected if anything happened. Eva struggle is learning how to raise 2 young girls on one income, and she doesn’t know if her husband will ever come back.

 

 

 

(The Nuremberg Laws determining if one is Jewish or German.)

https://app.emaze.com/@ACOWLOZO/Holocaust-thing

I wrote the following poem yesterday, after reading a journal entry by Charles V. Ferree on his experiences during World War II. We analyzed the nouns, verbs and adjectives to determine the tone of his journal entry.  I dedicate this poem to all who sacrificed their lives to saves millions of others. Their bravery will never go unnoticed and they will forever be in our hearts.

(The young Jewish children being liberated by the American troops from the Dachau concentration camp.)

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/ve-day-70th-anniversary-look-germanys-surrender-1945-end-ww2-graphic-images-1499979

 

Driven to an open grave,

Murdered prisoners piled inside.

The body count was still unknown.

Frozen, skeletal bodies,

Send chills down my spine

They’re dying before my eyes.

Blinking will never make it disappear.

The stench around me is burning into my uniform.

Unimaginable tragedies took place here.

Cruel suffered corpses,

Laying in the mud.

I feel the gunfire running through me.

Crazed running prisoners,

Get revenge on their tormentors.

Liberation is known,

For the souls flying above.

Returning to peace for all.

July 29, 1921 – Hitler become the National Socialist Party Leader

History:

On July 29, 1921 Hitler was elected as the leader of the National Socialist Party. Hitler was already on the rise of power, but this just sky rocketed the power he got on making decisions and determining others fate. Hitler was an excellent public speaker and could easily convince a crowd of people to agree with him. He convinced Germans that all non-Germans were bad and negative people that should be punished.

Image:

(The image above shows Adolf Hitler delivering a speech to his supporters.)

Source:

http://quotesgram.com/adolf-hitler-speeches-in-quotes/

Application to novel:

When Hitler came to power Riva’s family as they were Jewish were effected by having their possessions taken from them, receiving no medicine for their sicknesses and receiving minimal food ratios. Hitler could be consider as one of the biggest examples of person versus society in “The Cage”. Hitler single handily made the entire Jewish population suffer horribly by treating them in the most inhumane way ever. Sending them to concentration camps and burning them alive, he made the whole population hate him and the act that they were Jewish.

September 15, 1935 – Nuremberg Race Laws Established

History:

On this day in history the Nazis put in place laws the fall under two main categories, the “Reich Citizenship Law” and the “Law for the Protection of German Blood and Honour”. The laws make it illegal for intimate relationships between Jews and Germans to exist, all business run by Jews must be close down or given to a no-Jew and that German Jews cannot receive a Reich citizenship.

Image:

 

(The images above shows how the fate of people was truly determined on what their grandparent’s religion was and who they were.)

Source:

http://www.irlv.lv/2013/2/28/noraida-ieceri-laut-cittautiesiem-mainit-tautibas-ierakstu-uz-latvietis/viedokli

Application to novel:

The Gruber family, Riva’s old neighbours and close family friends, at first glance of “The Nuremberg Laws” completely turned on Riva’s family. Refusing to speak Yiddish, ignoring the Jewish Holidays they use to celebrate and changing their outlooks on life in Lodz and Jewish people. Harry is the best example in the book for a dynamic character because he goes from being best friends with Riva and being completely fine speaking Yiddish and celebrating the holidays to joining the ‘Hitler Youth”’ and referring German as his ‘Fatherland’. He changed his mind and opinion because of the influence of the Nazis and Hitler

September 1, 1939 – Nazis invade Poland

History:

On September 1^st 1939, the Nazis began ‘The Invasion of Poland’ which is also called the ‘September Campaign’ in which the Nazis began bombing and attacking Poland. The German forces invaded Poland first from the north then the south and finally the west. The Germans completely surrounded Poland, establishing enemy lines and slowly closing in on the Polish army. They then took over the power and began to control the Polish people and forcing many into ghettos or if they were German to relocate to their ‘Fatherland’.

Image:

(The image above shows a newspaper article from September 1^st, 1939 in which the headline is “Germany Invades Poland”.)

Source:

http://community.simtropolis.com/journals/entry/1302-mount-rose-tribune-friday-september-1-1939/

Application to novel:

The physical setting of “The Cage” is Lodz, Poland where Riva’s family lived before Hitler and the Nazis took over power. When the Nazis invade Poland, Riva’s and her family’s life were completely turned upside down. The families and neighbours they lived with for years moved to Germany and began to question them. They lived in a beautiful area where it was safe, to the ghetto were you were only safe when you were dead. Although the story does not mention direct messages or quotes of the bombing happening near them, the story however mention many times that “words like war and Hitler are part of the daily vocabulary” which we can concluded at this time the Nazis and Hitler were making their way to them (Minsky 9).

November 23, 1939 – Yellow Stars for the Jewish

History:

On November 23, 1939 a law was put in place that forced Jewish people to identify themselves with yellow stars of David with the word ‘Jude’ inscribed onto, which means Jew. The start were supposed to be used as a way to make spotting out and finding Jews a little easier but ended up mentally effecting Jews by making them ashamed they are Jewish.

Image:

(The image above shows the ‘Star of David’ that was wore by Jewish People during World War II.)

Source:

http://history1900s.about.com/od/holocaust/a/yellowstar.htm

Application to novel:

Riva had to wear the Star of David for identification because she was Jewish as did her family. They were easily pointed out in a crowd for being a Jew so were the other Jews whom were forced into to wearing the yellow Star of David. She asked Saba if she was ‘ashamed of wearing the yellow star of disgrace” in which Saba reply with “the start of David is a Jewish symbol, and I am proud to be Jewish” (Minsky 18).

April 30, 1940 – The Lodz Ghetto

History:

The Lodz ghetto was a fairly small area in which all the Jewish population were forced to live in. The high concentration of people made it easy for disease and sickness to be passed around from person to person. Little medical supplies was available for the sick. Food rations were extremely small so many died of malnutrition or starvation.  The ghettos were the only thing between you and deportation and death.

Image:

(In the photo above it shows the faces of the Jewish citizens in the Lodz Ghetto.)

Source:

http://history1900s.about.com/od/holocaust/a/lodzghetto.htm

Application to novel:

Riva’s family was crammed into a small apartment with her mother and brothers in the Lodz ghetto were they were to live until they were deported to concentration camps. Riva’s family faced many challenges living in the ghetto like not having medical supplies for her brother Laibele whom later died. They did not have enough food with rations so small making them extremely malnourished. Many people were selected randomly and picked from the crowds to be taken from their families and deported to concentration camps. The overall tone of the ghettos was a cold dark depressing feeling, because it was the only thing ‘protecting’ them from the Nazis, concentrations camps and death.

August 6, 1944 – The Last Deportation of Jews from Lodz Ghetto

History: On August 6, 1944 the last of the Jewish people hiding in the Lodz ghetto were deported to Auschwitz. Most people died within the ghetto but those who ‘escaped’ the ghetto were either sent to a concentration camp to die or died upon arrival. Many people would hide in bunkers under their homes to be hidden and not be deported, but many were found or walked out and were deported during the last deportation.

Image:

(The photo above shows that last deportation of Jews from the Lodz ghetto.)

Source:

http://www.holocaustresearchproject.org/ghettos/Lodz/lodzghetto.html

Application to novel:

Riva and her brothers were among one of the last deportations for Lodz. Her and her brothers would hide in their cellar for days to avoid being taken by the Nazis, but in the end they walked out with a family friend’s family. Taking only their most valuable items, so with their bundles in hand they walked to the fate of concentration camps. This moment in the book would be considered the climax because the reader would read to find out whether or not she and her family would be deported or not. This moment in the book is when all the things they knew and we knew completely shift, change of scenery and people.

After reading the chapters five thorough eight of Ruth Minsky Sender’s novel “The Cage,” she gives a first person perspective of the ghettos during the reign of Hitler and the Holocaust in Lodz, Poland. A ghetto is a place where mass numbers of people live in below living conditions, often diseased, mal nourished and low income workers live there. She describes the ghetto as a “barbed-wire cage” with “one hundred eighty thousand Jewish men, women and children” crammed into it (Minsky 32 & 28). Disease would spread person to person like wildfire, “tuberculosis and dysentery hit every home… taking hundreds each day” (Minsky 30). It is very apparent that the living conditions of the ghettos are horrendous but considering most Jewish homes didn’t have heating and the cold of Poland caused more sickness and little were able to survive. One may think to just start a fire but, “there is no coal or wood left to keep the [houses] warm” and stealing will lead to a punishment (Minsky 32). Every home was in panic and terror for the Nazis could come at any minute and choose their fault of survive and separation. Many families were separated from each other never to see each other again or they saw their loved ones die from the inside outside from disease.

http://www.thinglink.com/scene/499255426785738753

2081-charter-of-rights-and-freedoms-toria-stewart

After analyzing the short story “Harrison Bergeron” written by Ray Bradbury, one may conclude that the 2081 Charter of Rights and Freedoms was completely manipulated by the government and the Handicapper General, Diana Moon Glamper, to restore equality within society by imposed amendments that contradict the idea of equality in general. Amendment #200 and #201 for instances state that all individuals are equal no matter race, gender or sexuality but in amendment #203 individuals that are more intelligent or beautiful must wear handicaps to make them equal to society but the individuals who are average do not need to wear any handicaps. Take Harrison or George; George is extremely intelligent and strong, he had to wear a government transmitter and birdshot weights just to make himself equal to his wife, Hazel and Harrison had to wear multiple handicaps to make himself equal to the rest of society. Equality is not making small population from society wear handicaps to contain them from their true abilities. Amendments #212 and #213 all relate directly to Harrison Bergeron, he rose in front of society declaring he was an emperor and that the government was completely manipulating the power and ruling as a dictatorship. Harrison then took off his handicaps and the handicaps of a dancer and musicians which resulted in him being killed.