Final Post - The Future

As I have been commenting on other's blogs, I noticed that quite a few people have been discussing what they think the future has in store for them and society. I don't recall having to write a post about this but nevertheless I will end my blog with my speculations on what I think is to come in my lifetime.

My outlook for the future is quite bleak. I think that humans are very at fault for the majority of the issues we are facing on the planet right now (global warming, climate change, loss of glaciers, reemergence of diseases, loss of species, etcetera). At the rate that the planet's environment and atmosphere is deteriorating, I don't think the Earth will be habitable for humans anymore due to our own greed, selfishness, and laziness. Will this happen in my lifetime? Probably not. But I do believe a few generations after I'm gone from this world will start to experience severe consequences from the actions of our carelessness. Unless the world as a whole makes an effort to curb pollution, over population, deforestation, ocean acidification, and the myriad of other problems stemming from human kind, it will be too late at this point to try and reverse our damage.

I see technology's impact in our world growing tenfold over just the next few decades. I'm convinced that artificial intelligence will take on a new role in society - farther than just existing as a disembodied voice inside a computer or a speaker (Siri, Alexa, Cortana, etc.). If people think we are too reliant on technology today, I can't wait to see what advances come in the near future that make us wholly independent on electronics to function.

In terms of my own future, I just hope to find happiness and to do what I love: create art. I want to be able to share my thoughts and ideas with the world and to make an impact in my community. One day I want a family, a house, and a stable life like many people dream of. Although the world may falling into chaos, whats important is to try and find your own way of living, coping, and being happy within the madness.

The Firesign Theatre's I Think We're All Bozos on This Bus

I decided to listen to the forty minute long comedy recording by The Firesign Theatre, the final part in the narrative's tetralogy. I cannot lie, I honestly had no clue what the hell I just listened to after finishing it. I found myself pausing the recording periodically in order to try and process what was going on in the narrative (and to stop laughing so that I could hear the voices). Despite taking moments to actually reflect on the dialogue, I was still incredibly lost yet entertained at the same time. I think one of the big issues here is that the recording is just too dated for me. There are references that I cannot grasp due to my lack of knowledge about 70s culture/current events and because of my contemporary mindset.

I honestly had to look up the work online and read YouTube/Amazon comments in order to get a grasp about what the heck was happening in this recording that sounded like straight up gibberish at times. I have come to the conclusion that if I was a hippie in the 70's who smoked a lot of weed or dropped a lot of acid that this recording would have been the bees knees to me and I would be thoroughly nostalgic listening to it today. However, I am none of those things, so I am still left feeling confused. The parts I found most enjoyable were the ones that made the least amount of sense just because the absurdity of the dialogue was incredibly perplexing and outrageous. At these points of absurdity the recording sounded almost like a vocal abstraction that jumbled together different sounds and words to create a seemingly incoherent mess.

The moment that stands out to me the most as I reflect on the recording took place when they were leaving the future. Strange sounds begin to play and an assortment of distorted and drawn out words are spewed out - appearing to have no connection to each other (alligator, avocado, underwear, and pear are just a few examples). Within the jumbled mess of words were random statements such as: "By the year 2020 underwear will no longer be worn". The entire sequence didn't make a lick of sense but the abstraction and word pairing made it absolutely hilarious to listen to.

I think it would be beneficial to actually listen to the first three parts of the tetralogy for some context because I feel as if being thrown into the final part is adding to my confusion. One of the most frustrating parts of the entire ordeal is actually wondering what the answer (if there even is one) is to the question: "Why does the porridge bird lay his egg in the air?". I don't know what a porridge bird is or how it could lay eggs in mid flight but I want to know more and to find out the mystery behind the question.

The only somewhat logical and concrete connection I can make to this story is the idea that all generations of humans throughout history are essentially the same (ie. all bozos on the same bus) in terms of their nature. I've surmised that the recording is taking a trip/look into the future and reflects on how essentially nothing is different in the future - were still all the same bozos we were in the past. The concept that history repeats itself is a great example of the idea that all generations of humans are the same. Although technology and culture may advance, we still have the same shitty people committing the same shitty actions their parents and grandparents did. In a contemporary context, America is still full of the same kinds of bozos we had 100 years ago that perpetuate racism, homophobia, and other systems of oppression. We may think in time that these issues will change for the better but they never really go away; The past is always going to be present in our future.

Italo Calvino's The Aquatic Uncle

Italo Calvino's short story, "The Aquatic Uncle", is very much a commentary on the disconnect between the old and new generations, as well as on majoritarianism. The embodiment of the old generation is N'ba N'ga and of the young generation is Qfwfq. The story uses the phenomenon of biological evolution as a parallel for the way society changes from generation to generation. N'ba N'ga is an old man who refuses to evolved from an aquatic being (fish) into a terrestrial one like the rest of his family. Qfwfq is N'ba N'ga's nephew who grew up in the water but chose to leave the fins, scales, and water behind in favor of paws, smooth skin, and dry land. The two butt heads throughout the story as Qfwfq tries to convince Uncle to join the majority and Uncle stays firmly set to his stubbornness.

N'ba N'ga insists that the old way is the only true way to live and that the move to go on dry land goes against their species nature and reasoning. In contrast, Qfwfq doesn't understand how anyone would want to remain in the water upon discovering the vastness and diversity of land and views N'ba N'ga as outdated. A contemporary example of this conflict is the music taste of an eighty-year-old and a fifteen-year-old. It is very common that upon hearing the fifteen-year-old's music, the eighty-year-old will complain that it is "dumb", "explicit", or "void of meaning". Similarly, the teenager may view the senior's music as "boring", "outdated", and "lame". It is the age old conflict that the way MY generation grew up is superior to any other generation despite the jarring flaws of said generation. The older generation always thinks the way they did things was best and look down on the new generation as naive, entitled, or lazy.

The political concept of Majoritarianism comes into play as N'ba N'ga desperately tries to hold onto the past while the majority of society steps towards the future. Majoritarianism is a political ideology that says the majority of a population is given the right to make decisions affecting the whole society even if there are groups that don't agree with the majority. It is believed that majority rule is inherently democratic and provides a fairer chance for change to be made for the best interests of the population. However, there will always be people that aren't happy with the changes and feel like their opinions are being pushed to the side.

N'ba N'ga is very much a minority in a majoritarian society as he seems to be the only supporter of aquatic life left in the area. His entire family has abandoned him for life on land. His family believes land is the best option for survival and despite N'ba N'ga being a part of the family, he is left to live in isolation because the majority rule won over his old-fashioned opinions. The best part of the story is the fact that Qfwfq's fiance - someone who was born on land and never experienced life in the water - abandoned all that she knows to run off with Qfwfq's uncle to live a new life as a fish. The fact that Qfwfq's fiance was never familiar with the water is what drew her towards it; The mystery of the unfamiliar and a promise of a new beginning were exactly the same reasons N'ba N'ga's family left the water for the land. Her character shows that even the old and new generation can be in agreement and that they're not always disconnected from one another.

Carol Emshwiller's I Live with You

Emshwiller's short story, "I Live with You" focuses on an average woman's life through the eyes of a stranger inhabiting her home. The creature that inhabits the home is never really defined or properly described, so there is a lot of speculation about their identity. Although it does refer to itself as a person, I never pictured it as a human but more as a creepy, bipedal, furry animal. Actually, the first thing that came into my head was a human-like sloth slinking around the house. Whatever the unwelcome guest is, it is a real nuisance due to the antics it pulls on the tenant.

The story is very much a commentary on the way women view the world around them. As a woman, I know that many of us feel a strong paranoia in our day to day lives due to the patriarchal society we live in. Women are taught to from a young age to be weary of men, to not walk alone at night, to not wear revealing clothes. Yet, we are also taught to be polite and "ladylike" (whatever that means), attractive yet modest, approachable yet on guard. Since I was the age of thirteen, I have personally dealt with one too many strange, older men catcalling me or trying to pick me up. So, I am usually quite nervous when out and about alone, especially at night time. I constantly feel like I'm under surveillance and take measures to try and protect myself from a danger I can't even see.

The woman in "I Live With You" experiences these same fears as she notices her possessions moving around the house, food she never ate left on the counter, and even her whole wardrobe changed. It is terrifying to think that even your own home, the one place you should be able to unwind and feel safe, could become compromised. The woman becomes so freaked out over the occurrences happening in her house that she goes so far as to put a deadbolt on the inside of her room out of pure fear. It is upsetting that she feels she has to confine herself to a singular room on her own property in order to be protected.  The sad reality is that thousands of women across the globe face this same paranoia.

The creature in the house likes to pretend that it is being helpful, but I see them as a representation of the impact of the patriarchy. The woman is forced to change her clothing style, forced to invite a strange man into her house, forced to change her routine because of her fear. Women are manipulated into feeling like they need to change their lives to please men or society at the expense of their own wants and happiness. What someone wants for another persons life is not necessarily what that person wants. The woman in the story may have seemed lonely or 'boring', but that doesn't mean she wasn't happy. The creature took it upon themselves to haunt this woman's life, making her think she was crazy and being stalked, and then forced changes onto her that she never asked for. Clearly this story has a strong focus on the way that women's actions and demeanor are manipulated by the society in which they live that is predominately patriarchal.

Octavia Butler's Bloodchild

1) Uneasy is the best way that I can describe my reaction to Butler's "Bloodchild". The premise of the story reminds me of the Alien movies but the approach to which the creatures impregnate their eggs inside humans is quite less violent and a little less grotesque. When the high-inducing eggs were first introduced, my initial thought was that they were drinking from a chicken's egg - not some strange, alien creature's egg.  T'Gatoi's character is the main reason for my uneasiness because of the unfamiliarity of her character and her relationship with Gan. The thought that a creature with several limbs and a 'stinger' has constantly been interacting with and cuddling an infant into their adolescence feels very unnatural and wrong. Three minutes after birth, a baby should be in contact with the birthmother's skin - not wrapped up in the tentacle limbs of an alien.

T'Gatoi has a very strong hold over the family and basically can control what everyone does. The deal that T'Gatoi creates with Gan's mother seems very one-sided as Gan's mother basically had no choice but to say yes in order to protect her family from death. Gan definitely seems to be a victim of Stockholm Syndrome due to growing up with T'Gatoi attached to her hip. At most times, Gan sees T'Gatoi as a positive figure and Gan thinks they hold strong feelings for them, but it is clear that Gan is not entirely into the deal as they question killing themselves to avoid the impregnation. T'Gatoi uses their power over Gan to manipulate Gan into a false sense of consent by making him feel as if they have power over his body and uses his sister as ransom for not going through with the deal. This manipulation makes T'Gatoi come off as very lewd and toxic; They remind me of people today that manipulate and guilt their partners or others into giving them unwanted sexual favors. On that note, the actual impregnation ritual was very uncomfortable and gross. There was nothing truly intimate about it and felt entirely one sided. The fact that Gan consented out of guilt really just makes the entire situation feel like rape which is of course an incredibly uneasy topic and a horrific act that people unfortunately inflict on each other every day.
     

2) One of the aspects of the story I can connect with is Gan's aversion to killing and watching someone be cut open. I'm not super queasy at just the sight of blood - but I am someone who feels like they need to puke after coming across videos of really gory surgeries. I also hate bugs and refuse to ever watch any of the videos circulating out there of spiders being removed from people's ears or botflies being removed from under the skin. Having to simultaneously watch someone's stomach be sliced open, while also holding that person still, and painstakingly seeing giant grubs being removed from said stomach would cause me to lose my breakfast, lunch, and dinner all at once. Even though I am a meat eater, the thought of actually killing or watching the animals I eat be killed puts me on edge. There is no way I would be able to kill one of the creatures I eat (or don't eat either!) in real life, so I can relate to Gan on this level as well.

I also understand the feeling of wanting to protect your loved ones from harm at all costs. Although I will hopefully never be in a situation such as Gan's, I relate the the fact that they put the well-being of their sister before themselves. Although Gan was scared and hated the idea of being impregnated by T'Gatoi, they knew that they were already chosen from birth and felt it would be wrong to pawn the inevitable unto their family out of fear. Gan sacrifices their own wishes and perhaps their own life in order to protect their sister.

Gan's decision to 'consent' after T'Gatoi manipulates Gan's feelings is relatable as well. There have been times where I have felt compelled to make a decision or to partake in something that I felt really strongly against. Language can be very influential and can cause people to feel they have no choice but to submit to things that they truly don't want to do.

3) I think this story would have quite an impact as a graphic novel. The universe that Butler establishes is only briefly presented to set the story into context and could make for some very disturbing and intriguing illustrations. For starters, I would make the story longer by either including what happens after the impregnation of Gan or perhaps showing some of Gan's life from birth to the impregnation. In the form of a graphic novel, I would definitely emphasize the dominance that T'Gatoi has over the entire family by illustrating T'Gatoi to look threatening, as their entire presence in the house is inherently sinister.

Warren Ellis' Transmetropolitan, Vol. 1: Back on the Street

Warren Ellis' graphic novel, Transmetropolitan, Vol. 1: Back on the Street, follows Spider Jerusalem, a down-to-earth, inappropriate, anti-hero, as he returns to the world of journalism after a five year hiatus. The futuristic setting features contemporary issues that are just augmented to fit a sci-fi setting. The most relevant issue presented in the graphic novel is the growing presence and representation of transgenders.

In Transmetropolitan, the half human half alien population of the city represents the transgender movement in our present day society. These people are unhappy with their human identities and are transitioning into a new alien species in order to feel more comfortable in their own bodies. The use of an alien in this novel is important. For one, an alien gives off a very cyber-punk, sci-fi vibe because of its unfamiliarity and supernatural impact. Secondly, the use of an alien is a statement about how some view trans people. Many people in contemporary society cannot wrap their heads around why someone would feel uncomfortable with their assigned gender or natural body. As a result, they look at trans people through a lens of bias and confusion, seeing their community as very alien to the "norm". The minority group of transitioning aliens is not widely accepted by the Transmetropolitan society and they suffer from police brutality. Sadly, this scenario is not far from our reality as many transgender citizens are verbally/mentally abused, beaten, ignored, and killed simply for their identities.

One of the other contemporary issues that comes up in this graphic novel is the presence of corrupt politicians. Honestly, corruption in politics has existed since medieval times and will probably never cease to exist due to human nature. What Spider says to the President during their bathroom confrontation really resonates with me: "You pissed in the economy. You shat on the law and wiped your ass on the truth" (page 94). So many politicians nowadays do not care about the good of the people and make rash decisions for one specific purpose: money. They'll piss in the economy for the majority of the population if it means inflating their bank account. They'll do everything they can to act unconstitutionally without getting impeached and will deny anything they don't support even if it is fully supported by facts.

The president in Transmetropolitan reminds me of our current situation with Donald Trump and the republican party. Most of the system wants to benefit the rich and upper-class while the middle-class and poor populations are left to rot. Compassion is not a word present in the vocabulary of our current administration and neither is it present in the politics of the narrative. Spider, like many journalists, see the administration's corruption and want to report the issues in our government. In our reality, journalists are getting shut down left and right in an attempt to censor negative publicity concerning the president and the President's administration. As Spider is a journalist, he understands the dynamic between journalism and politics. The President really hates Spider but he refuses to be silenced and opposes the President at any moment. I admire Spider for his rebellious nature because he is able to bring about change by being so bold.

Transmetropolitan was a really enjoyable read and I can't wait to continue the series. I love that I can relate to the story due to the real world problems that Ellis interjects into the narrative. On a side note, the art style is also really beautiful and works well with the narrative's genre.

Samuel Delany's Babel-17

Samuel Delany's Babel-17 focused heavily on one of the most important aspects of any culture: language. Language, whether it may be vocal, visual or kinesthetic, is how a society interacts with one another. Language is how we share our feelings, thoughts, and emotions with the world around us. I’d go so far as to say that no cultural group truly lacks a language due to the wide range of ways to communicate (gestures, facial expression, posture, proxemics, haptics, etcetera).

The use of and the manipulation of language is the driving force in this novel. The protagonist, Rydra Wong, is a world-renowned poet and linguist. Rydra spends her time in the novel studying the language of Babel-17, trying to unpack its 'code' and figure out how to speak it. Babel-17 is no ordinary language and has some strange effects on the people who understand it. Rydra's vast experience with language and her plethora of knowledge concerning language makes her more aware of the nuances and effects language has on the human brain.

Babel-17 distorts Rydra’s normal perceptions of reality, interacting with her mind in a very supernatural way. Rydra’s heightened sense of the world around her is introduced fairly early in the novel when she reads the mind of the man having a conversation with her and repeats his thoughts back to him. As Rydra pursues knowledge of the mysterious Babel-17 further, her mind’s abilities expand to the point where her own physical possibilities are affected. In the galactic fight scenes, Rydra is able to make time slow down by thinking under the power of Babel-17 and uses this reality altering ability to defeat the enemy. The concept that language’s influence on the way people think and perceive is so strong that it can grant people new skills or powers is a great example of manipulation.

Babel-17’s unique properties make it quite a dangerous phenomenon. Due to its intense influence, the language acts almost like a mind controlling parasite within the individuals who understand it. Some characters in the book are completely taken control by the language and commit bad deeds unbeknownst to themselves. Rydra Wong is negatively affected as her consciousness in reality is clouded several times when she gets too caught up in using Babel-17 to communicate. It becomes difficult for Rydra to move back and forth between Babel-17 and the common language used by her crew – thus creating a language barrier within her group.

Manipulation of the mind and of the physical world are two of the main concepts explored in Babel-17. Taking these ideas and putting them into a contemporary context, it would be catastrophic if a language existed that really granted people new, seemingly impossible abilities. Anyone with the means to predict exactly what someone is going to say or think is an incredibly powerful tool that would create so many security issues. Within the wrong hands, this power could be used for blackmail, to compromise national security, to assert dominance, etcetera. The manipulative qualities of Babel-17 would surely be weaponized and used to control different populations of people – perhaps resulting in slave societies across the world.

Alfred Bester's The Stars My Destination

The post-apocalyptic society of our future world that Alfred Bester creates in The Stars My Destination is captivatingly violent and complex. The concept of teleportation is popular in our world and is a common answer to the question: "If you had one superpower what would it be?". The ability to disappear and materialize in another location in a matter of seconds seems nearly impossible, yet we are so fascinated by it that popular culture is full of variations of the concept. Multiple examples can be pulled from the Harry Potter series alone as wizards and witches can teleport using a spell to apparate, a fire place with floo powder, or a portkey.

What I have yet to see in popular culture until this point is a world that is entirely built on teleportation. The Stars My Destination illustrates an alternate reality of our world where humans began to learn how to teleport - or jaunte. Bester immediately creates interest in jaunting by opening the story with an explanation of its origins and describing the progressive chaos that the world was subjected to as a result of this phenomenon. Jaunting is an incredibly integral part of the story and affects the lives of all who inhabit the society of The Stars My Destination.

In the beginning, Jaunting was limited to only a small portion of the population. Like any new skill, the government will try to capitalize on it and make it purchasable. As a result, schools were created to properly teach people to harness the power of jaunting in relatively safe ways (the original way to activate the power was by having a near death experience). As jaunting spread across the galaxy, it became a competition for who could jaunte the farthest. Resumes had a whole section dedicated to your jaunting status and how many miles you could travel in one jaunte. These scores were used to determine one's employability and overall usefulness in society. Using a singular factor to determine one's worthiness has never been a good idea (race, religion, gender, etc.) and ultimately results in social class conflicts.

In a relatively short amount of time, the entire world's social structure is dismantled and turned into chaos. Criminals abuse jaunting to commit crimes, the poor take over government land, and men use the newfound power to control women. The economy of the galaxy is destroyed too as the different planets go to war over the jaunting crisis. Biological warfare spreads across the land as people infect foreign countries with invasive species and diseases. The entire balance of the universe is thrown off by society's obsession with teleportation.

Bester's skill at creating believable, imagined worlds immediately draws you into the narrative. Building on the lore of teleportation, Bester paints a realistic image of what a post-apocalyptic world would look like if billions of people had the power to manipulate time/space by using real world problems that have repeated throughout history (such as the competition between the sexes for power and autonomy). I never imagined teleportation would cause such a chaotic future before and now I will forever look at the power from a different perspective.

Coraline

Coraline is a modernized faerie tale because the basis of the protagonists' story is easy for kids to relate to. Coraline is an average, young girl who has recently moved to a new and unknown place. With no friends to hang out with and nothing to do all day, Coraline is left feeling lonely and must find a way to be happy on her own. She lives in a modernized world where instead of enchanted castles there is haunted houses. The dream world serves as her fantasy land of the 'perfect' life she wishes for but soon realizes its not anything she thought it would be. Coraline goes through a coming of age as the movie progresses and when she finally defeats the Beldam, Coraline learns to appreciate all that she has in her life. The story is influenced by Romanian and faerie folklore.

The other mother, referred to as the Beldam by the ghost children, is an allusion to the Romanian myth of the Beldam which is an English word translating roughly to "hag" or "witch". In Romanian folklore, the Beldam lived in the forest, alone, in a tiny abandoned house. The Beldam had the power to shift forms and lure unfortunate children into her domain, killing them and enslaving their souls. At first, the children would see the Beldam as a friendly, beautiful woman who charms the victim. After the victim is under her influence, the Beldam's form changes into an ugly and gigantic monster that eats the heart of the child. The Beldam would only attack at night and never left the domain of her forest.

This folklore is very much connected to the other mother in Coraline. When Coraline first meets her, she takes on the appearance of Coraline's mother with a better hair cut, no bags under her eyes, and buttons where her eyes should be. The appearance of the other mother is a bit different from the folklore because she doesn't take the form of a very young and beautiful woman but rather a quote on quote "better" version of the child's mother. Turning into the mother helps the Beldam's victims to trust her - as shown by the three ghost children that came before Coraline.  Another difference between the movie and the lore is that the other mother does not live in the forest but rather near one and she does not live in a tiny house but rather within the Pink Palace Apartments. The other mother does however make a point to lure children into her dream world and manipulate them into leaving reality all together.

Once the child has spent enough time in the Beldam's world, her true form begins to come out. When the Beldam reaches her final form (an arachnid-human hybrid in the movie) she is able to take the child for herself. Rather than eating the hearts of her victims, the Beldam in Coraline gouges out the eyes and sews buttons in their place. She then takes the soul of the child and locks them up in a dark room, never to see the light of day again. Another important difference to point out is that the other mother in this movie is a seamstress and knits dolls of the children she wants to kill. These dolls are sent out into the world and used as a surveillance device into reality for the Beldam in the dream world. The Beldam in Romanian folklore is not described as using any sort of surveillance.

In faerie lore, spells are used to make people, places, and things seem more glamorous and desirable than they really are. The dream world is exactly the same environment as the real world except it is much brighter, inviting, and pleasing to live in. It is likely that the other mother was using magic to make herself and her surroundings appear more desirable to Coraline and the victims before her. Additionally, it is said that you should never eat the food of faeries as nothing good will ever come of it. By eating the food of faeries, you could be trapped in their world forever or never desire human food again - causing yourself to die of starvation.

In Coraline, the dream world is more beautiful version of the Pink Palace Apartments of the real world. This version of her life makes the dream world very tempting to visit. The food that the Beldam cooks is also incredibly delicious and much more desirable than anything her parents would make in reality. Coraline of course divulges on the feast which causes her to fall underneath the Beldam's spell even more. Although Coraline definitely puts its own sadistic twist onto the lore, the basis of the lore's aspects stay the same.

J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Harry Potter has been my all-time favorite series since I was a little girl. I was introduced to the Harry Potter universe in the fourth grade when I read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone for the first time. Instantly, I was enraptured by the whimsical world J.K. Rowling had built that was full of new creatures, places, and experiences I never could have dreamed of. It is no surprise that Harry Potter is one of the best-selling series in the entire world as the charming fantasy stimulates the creativity and inner child of readers across the globe and its characters and themes are strongly relatable to people of all backgrounds. The Sorcerer's Stone, as well as the other books in the series, deal with issues of family, friendship, good vs evil, death, loss of innocence, supernatural occurrences, prejudice, and a multitude of other topics. The layers of conflict and the complexity of the main story and side stories that exist in the series provide for a lot of complex moral issues and spiritual challenges.

Perhaps the greatest moral issue in The Sorcerer's Stone is Harry's decision of what path to take as he begins his journey into the magic realm. Harry is presented with this problem as he takes his first steps into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and comes into contact with Draco Malfoy - a blonde, rich, arrogant young wizard who thinks he is better than anyone else because he is from a pureblood family. Malfoy introduces himself to Harry in one of the most self-absorbed ways you possibly can and proceeds to mock Ron Weasley, Harry's new acquaintance, for his appearance and hand-me-down clothing. The arrogance of Malfoy reminds Harry of his cousin Dudley whom he despises and decides to shut down his offer of friendship in favor of Ron.

This moment is important because it shows that Harry hasn't forgotten where he came from. In the wizarding world, Harry is a legend. He could have all the power, the fame, and the fortune he desires because no one knows him as the Harry that lived on Privet Drive with the Dursleys. However, Harry chooses to cast all that aside for friendship and to stand up against prejudice. This moral compass ultimately causes a several year-long rivalry between Harry and Draco that causes a lot of conflicts later on in the series.

Immediately after this encounter, Harry has to face the sorting hat. Although Harry doesn't truly have any knowledge of the four Hogwarts houses' (Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Slytherin) history and values, he makes a decision to be placed in any of the four houses besides Slytherin. Perhaps his decision was influenced by the fact that Malfoy, as well as his two buddies Crabbe and Goyle, were immediately sorted into Slytherin. Additionally, Harry heard the rumors that Slytherin only produces bad witches and wizards, so of course Harry doesn't want to be bunched into that group. The sorting hat is quite surprised at his decision and tries to sway Harry's favor over to Slytherin with the promise that he could do great things as a Slytherin student. Despite the hat's insistence, Harry's opinion doesn't change and he is ultimately placed in Gryffindor.

The sorting hat scene is incredibly significant as a moral issue and a spiritual one. In terms of morals, Harry lumps Slytherin with prejudice, evil, and arrogance and has no wish to be associated with those traits. In terms of spirituality, a part of Voldemort lives inside of Harry (although he doesn't know that so early on in the series). The sorting hat chooses your house based on your personality. Since Harry has the personality of his Gryffindor parents and the effects of Voldemort's Slytherin traits as well, the sorting hat has an issue deciding. Ultimately, Harry unconsciously makes a choice to side with the spiritual good of his parents rather than with the evil of Voldemort inside of him.

The last, and perhaps the most important, moral issue/spiritual challenge in The Sorcerer's Stone occurs in the final moments of the novel when Harry is comes face to face with Voldemort for the second time in his life. Voldemort, using another body as a host for his soul, is after the Sorcerer's Stone so that he can be reincarnated. Harry, who has the Sorcerer's Stone in his pocket, is under the influence of Voldemort's power as the Dark Lord tries to convince Harry to hand the stone over. Voldemort uses Harry's dead parents as pawns to try and convince Harry to join his cause - insisting that there is no good or evil but only power and people who are too weak to take advantage of it. The thought of seeing his parents again makes Harry hesitate for a moment, but he sees through the manipulative lies and fights back against the Dark Lord.

Harry's decision to not hand over the stone exemplifies not only his bravery but his loyalty. Voldemort's insistence that no good or evil exists is a blatant lie used to justify his actions and to persuade Harry to go against his nature. Wizards, like Dumbledore, are very powerful but don't use that power to control or kill others in order to get more power. Dumbledore is good while Voldemort is evil - they use their power for different causes and agendas. Harry chooses the path of good in this scene and overcomes the spiritual challenge of facing the strongest dark wizard of all-time despite being full of fear and inexperience.

Although in reality, we will not be casting spells and thwarting off disembodied souls - there is definitely issues of good and evil that people have to deal with on a day to day basis. Everyday we make decisions - whether small or large - that affect our future and determine our values. The issues that Harry and other characters face are not so far from the truths of the real world.

J.R.R Tolkien's The Hobbit

J.R.R Tolkien's The Hobbit generally follows the set-up for the "Hero's Journey". Of course, to have a Hero's Journey, you first need a proper hero. Bilbo Baggins, a tiny, hairy, middle-aged hobbit who enjoys solitude and calmness is the protagonist and hero of the novel. Generally, a hero would possess heroic qualities such as youth, power, confidence, and bravery - all essential traits that Bilbo appears to lack at first glance. With his pudgy, hairy appearance and good-natured attitude, Bilbo by no means comes off as a hero; Hence, why most of all of Gandalf's dwarves question Bilbo's presence in their expedition.

The novel begins with the Separation Period: Although Bilbo's ancestors were great adventurers, he himself was not and would like not to participate in the silly explorations of such things as caves, mountains, and forests. Gandalf's inquiry about needing a suitable candidate for a quest is Bilbo's call to adventure. This request for Bilbo's assistance threatens his peaceful and secure way of life, so Bilbo swiftly resists this call. Soon enough, Bilbo's fate is sealed when Gandalf marks his hobbit hole and the 13 dwarves whom will accompany his journey appear the following day. Gandalf acts as the mentor figure that the hero meets who gives them the confidence to begin the journey.

Once Bilbo, the dwarves, and Gandalf depart, Bilbo prepares to cross the first threshold as he finally leaves the comfort of his everyday life. The moment that really signifies Bilbo's crossing into the unknown world is his run in with the trolls' campfire due to the incredibly deadly situation he finds himself in. Since Bilbo's mentor saves him this time, Bilbo has not yet reached the belly of the whale until the incident with the goblins. Literally, Bilbo and his company are swallowed up by the cave as if they are krill being sucked up into a whale's mouth. For the first time, Bilbo becomes separated from his team and successfully saves himself from danger by avoiding the goblin's detection, outsmarting Gollum, and making off with an incredibly powerful and important ring.

Entering the initiation period, Bilbo meets a number of different friends, foes, and challenges on his journey towards the treasure. He encounters wood elves, giant spiders, huge eagles, Beorn, Smaug, and has to overcome the forest, the barrels, and the dragon's lair. Due to the lack of females in The Hobbit, the meeting with the "Goddess" and the woman as temptress do not manifest as actual women. The Goddess is implied to be the Took side of Bilbo's character that comes from his mother. While the Baggins are quiet folk, the Tooks crave adventure, and as Bilbo begins to feel himself changing throughout the novel, this signifies his transformation into more of a Tookish hobbit. With this transformation, Bilbo becomes more confident and "burglar" like as highlighted in the scene at Smaug's den. The power of the Arkenstone (ie. The Woman as Temptress) draws Bilbo towards it and influences him to take the stone even though it rightfully belongs to Thorin.

For a long while, Bilbo tries to justify his theft - blinded by his lust for the power and wealth of the stone - and ultimately causes a domino effect of violence. The siege on the mountain nearly causes the death of the mission and the death of the hero himself if it wasn't for the invisibility ring. Bilbo does overcome his greedy flaw and tries to redeem his actions by using the stone as a bargaining tool; However, the price of his greed is the death of Thorin. With the commencement of the battle, a peace is achieved among the different races and the enemy is defeated for the time being. Aside from Thorin's death, Bilbo does reach the ultimate boon as the goal of the quest is achieved: reclaim the treasure and distribute it amongst the dwarves.

Finally, Bilbo enters the Return Stage and makes his journey back home. As Gandalf remarks, Bilbo is no longer the same hobbit from the beginning of the quest. Bilbo becomes master of two worlds by successfully assimilating back into normal society while still being connected to the world he experienced on his journey. Additionally, Bilbo has the freedom to live how he wants because of his new found wealth and experience.

Nnedi Okorafor's Akata Witch

Akata Witch is a coming of age story, focusing on a twelve year old girl named Sunny. Okorafor's novel really focuses on issues surrounding identity and female empowerment. Sunny's identity is very complex and she struggles with this identity in a number of ways as the story progresses.

On the surface, Sunny is Nigerian but looks like a European because of her fair skin and blonde hair - a result of her albinism. She is born in America, yet both of her parents are Nigerian, and now she lives amongst other Nigerians who all look completely different from her. Adding more to the complexity, Sunny is a female which automatically makes her inferior to the men in her society - but her disability also makes other women feel superior to Sunny as well. Finally, Sunny's sense of self becomes even more confusing when her magic powers and status as a free agent comes out into the open. All of these complexities is a lot for a twelve year old girl to take in and to learn how to cope with. Although the world of the Leopard people completely turns Sunny's life upside down, it is actually what pushes her to become comfortable with her femininity, nationality, and disability.

Albinism resulted in years and years of bullying and torment over Sunny's physical features that lowered her self-confidence. Also, it literally prevented her from being able to enjoy life normally due to having to use an umbrella everywhere to avoid the sun. Once she is initiated into the world of the Leopard people, Albinism becomes her strongest asset; Her powers of invisibility and her connection to nature exist because of her abnormality and the sun no longer burns her skin. Overcoming her animosity for her albinism is a big step towards maturity and confidence.

Females in the Leopard people's society have important roles and jobs in society that make women more equal to men. One of the best examples of female empowerment in Leopard society is Sugar Cream - a female scholar who is among the few people to have passed the fourth level in the Leopard test. The Leopard society does not stop women from pursuing the same feats as men and allows them to become just as successful. Sunny's opportunities as a young woman open up within this new society and ultimately lead to her becoming comfortable with her status as a woman.

Sure, Sunny does face some discrimination amongst the Leopard people - but her confidence with her self proves them wrong. Women are not supposed to be athletes as sports are seen as a "man's activity". So, when Sunny wants to join the soccer game amongst two teams of boys, it is no surprise when the boys question her ability and try to bar her from joining their game. Perhaps in the past, Sunny would have gave up as soon as the boys ridiculed her skills for her femininity. However, at this point in the novel, Sunny is confident with her self and completely blows the group of boys away by taking on their soccer challenge. This part of the novel is integral to Sunny's coming of age because her acceptance onto the boy's team confirms in her mind that she is strong and capable enough to do the same things as men.

Sinister

Sinister is one of my favorite horror films because of its weirdness and its ability to give me the heebie-jeebies. The tapes used in this film to propel the plot are incredibly creepy and ominous. Each time I watch the film, I find myself shuddering at one particular tape: the family bound up, locked in their car, and set on fire. It is not necessarily the murder itself that creeps me out, but rather the music they chose to play in this scene. The voice of the man singing, paired with the static and white noise in the background sounds like the music someone would hear if trapped in hell or possessed by a demon. It is just such an unnatural sound; it feels as if it comes from another world. The abrupt transition from an upbeat melody to one as haunting and cringe-inducing as this instantly makes you feel very strange and uncomfortable during the entire scene.

There is something incredibly threatening about watching these families go from completely happy, care-free, and normal to being tied up, tortured, and murdered in a matter of seconds. Usually in a horror movie, the destruction of a happy family into death and chaos occurs at a slightly slower pace, rather than being shoved in your face off the get-go with no warning. Opting to speed up the process makes the film even more terrifying and strange because it deviates a bit from the norm. It is a bold statement to start off a movie with an entire family being hung to death from a tree. Having to watch them squirm and struggle until their last breath leaves their body and they simply hang there, motionless, is just exceptionally disturbing.

Even more chilling is when the hidden images of the demon Bughuul or Mr. Boogie first appear. The lack of knowledge about who or what the mysterious figure is puts you on edge throughout the film. The mouthless, dark face of Bughuul is quite menacing and his backstory, an eater of children’s souls, is very ominous. Children are seen as pure and innocent, so you wouldn’t think such a tiny human could bring so much pain and destruction upon others – especially their entire family. Even though children are common targets for evil, the approach this movie takes just seems so surreal. This surreal quality makes the movie standout from other horror movies concerning child murderers and contributes to the overall weird vibe the video tapes create.