Paneling Draft 1...

Chapter 1: The New Revolution

Narrative: In the year 2013, in Russia, people are preparing for an election, in which Vladimir Putin will succeed Russian President Dmitri Medvedev.
Scene: Showing Political Demonstrations in Red Square, in which someone is making a speech in front of thousands of supporters. At a closer look, this person appears to be our main character, who is shouting a speech into a microphone about the corruption in the government. Thousands of people are shouting in agreement, chanting something in Russian.

Narrative: Although many are going to vote, many more will boycott voting and protest the elections.
Scene: The man leading the demonstrations has just gotten home to his apartment in Moscow, a few blocks away from Red Square. There is a mob around the bottom floor of his 6 story apartment building. Chants in Russian sound from the windows. Diplomas on the walls of his apartment recognize him as Mikhail Komarov.

Narrative: Medvedev is slightly worried about the protest going on everywhere in his city.
Scene: Medvedev sits in his office with several advisors and his successor, Vladimir Putin. The office has several photos of Medvedev and Putin, and it has one poster of the rock band Deep Purple. It is a nice office, with a view of the entire city. In the distant Red Square, thousands of people can be seen demonstrating. Faint chanting drifts in from the windows
Medvedev: “What are they saying?”
Advisor: “they are chanting ‘DOWN WITH THE REGIME!’”
Medvedev: “Get the police there now. I want to see those people out of there at once.”

Narrative: Election Day: Polls show that Vladimir Putin has won the election. People around Russia are protesting, western news outlets are calling the election a fake, and the Russian government is trying to get the people to calm down.
Scene: More than a hundred thousand people gather in Red Square in a massive political demonstration, protesting the corruption in the Russian Government.

Scene: Our main character, Mikhail Komarov, is shouting an inspirational speech through the microphone. A sea of people is gathered around him. He is slightly distorted so that it looks like he looms over the crowd.
Dialogue: The dialogue for this scene will consist of snippets of Komarov’s speech, separated by triple commas.

Narrative: however, the people of Russia were tired of being deceived. Angry mobs flooded the streets of every major city in Russia, in what was to be known as “The New Revolution.”
Scene: thousands of people with signs line the streets
Dialogue: chanting: “Down with the regime,” [or something along those lines]

Narrative: Soon, the demonstrations become massive; the Russian Government can no longer control them. Hundreds of thousands march on the Russian Parliament and other government buildings.
Scene: A mob carrying Putin out of his house

Narrative: Komarov instantly became a symbol over the people’s triumph over corruption. He is soon appointed by the public to be their leader.
Scene: Komarov, being held up by a crowd, with flags bearing his visage in the background
[Split panel; there will be one narrative box and four separate boxes]
Narrative: Komarov does very well as dictator, doing a number of good things for his country
Scene 1: Komarov giving money to an orphanage
Scene 2: Komarov overseeing the construction of new roads
Scene 3: Komarov giving Christmas presents to children
Scene 4: Komarov at the ribbon cutting for a new hospital
Narrative: However, Komarov also increases his country’s morale by using negative tactics and blame. He begins showing propaganda that hates on the western world.
Scene: Komarov shouting into a microphone
Narrative: 2 years later…
Scene: Komarov and an advisor are sitting in his office. Lining the walls are images of Komarov. The office is the one that appeared in the beginning of the story, except now it is Komarov’s.
Dialogue
Komarov: I don’t care how many jobs they provide!
Advisor: But sir, if we ban McDonald’s, we will lose thousands of jobs!
Komarov takes a long drag from his cigarette
Komarov (in an “ending conversation” tone): They are a symbol of western decadence! I want them TORN DOWN, BURNED!
Advisor: Right away sir. We’d better get ready for your speech.

Scene: Komarov is seen giving a speech to thousands in Red Square, in front of thousands of people. There are huge loudspeakers booming his voice. There is an uncountable amount of people in the square.
Dialogue:
Komarov: When I was young, around the year 1988, I remember Moscow before the end of the cold war…

Chapter 2: The History

*scene transitions to Komarov’s young life in Moscow. Komarov’s more prominent features are more childish, but we can still tell it is him. There will be thought bubbles transitioning from the audience’s head, forming the next scene. Komarov’s voice becomes the narration. The whole flashback is in black & white, and details the changes from the cold war to the present day.
Narrative: I remember the demonstrations.
Scene: A man, whom we can assume is Komarov’s father, is talking. We do not see his face, only his legs, with the young Komarov at his ankles. Anything his father says will be in the form of speech bubbles coming from the top of the scene.
Dialogue:
Komarov: “Daddy are you going to the demonstration?”
Father: “Yes son, I have to do my part and voice my opinion like every man in Russia should.”

Narration: I’d always had an interest in protesting. I was brought up by my father to question; to inquire; I had a mind of my own, and no government could control it.
Scene: Same scene as before
Dialogue:
Komarov: “Daddy can I go? Please? Please? PLEASE?
Father: “I don’t think it would be a smart idea, you might get hurt.”

Narrative: A few months later, the U.S.S.R. was dissolved. Chaos prevailed, and the economy collapsed. Our living conditions got worse.
Scene: Komarov standing at his father’s ankles with a small house in the background
Dialogue
Komarov: “Why are we moving?
Father: “My job with the government was cut; we can’t afford the house anywhere. Don’t worry, things will be better where we’re going.
Komarov: *sigh*

*in this panel, the audience is taken back to Komarov at the podium.
Scene: Komarov at the podium, with a far away look on his face, taking a drink of vodka from a flask.
*back to Komarov’s young life.

Narrative: We moved to a small apartment in a poor area of the city.
Scene: picture of a small car driving to a large, dark, looming city

Narrative: Times were hard. Then, one day, my father got sick. He began coughing and coughing. Our apartment had no heat, and in the winter of 1989, he died of tuberculosis.
Scene: father on his bed coughing.

Narrative: I was too poor to afford a casket for my father, so I built one myself and buried him in a quiet place by a lake in Krachnovid.
Scene: Komarov driving his car in a rural setting.

Narrative: After my father died, I was able to get a good paying job at the KGB. Things turned around, and I was able to do well for myself.
Scene: Komarov, with large sunglasses and a large coat.

Narrative: Although the job paid well, I soon grew tired of the work. I realized that the government that I was working for was corrupt, and that I could no longer serve in the KGB.
Scene: Komarov presenting his badge to the KGB and resigning.

Narrative: I had enough money to live for life, but I knew that I was not done; I soon joined the underground Russian Liberation Organization, which was the secret group that was formed to topple Vladimir Putin before Dmitri Medvedev succeeded him.
Scene: Men with obscure faces creep in the dark in Moscow.

Narration: I had charisma and was smart, and I moved up the ranks quickly. I was able to easily rally much more people into the organization, and by the time Medvedev was in office, I was rallying the people for the New Revolution.
Scene: Komarov giving a speech in front of a modest crowd.
Narration: Every day, I was organizing, planning, clandestinely holding meetings and furtively making calls. I was conceiving the New Revolution.
Dialogue:
Komarov: We will rally all of the honest people of Russia and storm into the Parliament building on Election Day. We will carry Putin out of his mansion in the capitol and make our own Russia!
Audience: [Cheers]

Narration: By the year 2012, I had become the leader and mastermind of the Russian Liberation Organization. We had agents in every city in Russia, waiting for the call to make the move. On Election Day, I gave a speech in front of hundreds of thousands of people, just as I am today, and the New Revolution began.

Chapter 3: The Spiral

Narration: After Komarov’s speech, hundreds of thousands of people cheered, and millions more shouted in their homes. People forgot about the security cameras, and the taxes, and the police, as they were enthralled by Komarov’s miraculous charisma.
Scene: [Split panel]
Scene 1: hundreds of thousands send a resounding cheer throughout Moscow.
Scene 2: millions send a resounding cheer throughout Russia.
Dialogue: Cheers.

Narrative: However, Komarov still continued to work behind the scenes at attaining absolute control as the people of Russia were captivated by his public appearance and propaganda. Komarov was a god in Russia.
Scene: Komarov standing on Russia on a globe, with his body reaching to the clouds.

Narrative: Those that did not agree with him, however, were not enthralled with his charisma. They were not happy that the police force was so strong, or that there were cameras everywhere. Anyone, at anytime, was being watched, identified, and scrutinized.
Scene: a person (audience assumes is a political dissident) being dragged through and alley with propaganda posters in the background.
Dialogue: I only said “hamburger”

Narrative: Thousands toiled in labor camps. The worst offenders were simply killed. However, millions of people were blissfully unaware of what was going on in their own country.
Scene: A labor camp in someone’s backyard to show an analogy of what was going on.

Narrative: One day, a large protest broke out in Moscow. People were marching through the streets, shouting at the government to lower taxes.
Scene: people in the street picketing

Narrative: The protest didn’t last long. Everyone involved was immediately arrested within hours. Everyone who took photos were arrested, their photos burned.
Scene: people being hauled away in handcuffs.

Narrative: No newspapers dared publish anything about the incident. Soon, the entire city forgot.
Scene: [hmmm…]

Narrative: Years passed, and control tightened on everyone in the country.
Scene: a person with a bunch of security cameras pointed at them from all directions.

Narrative: Everyone’s phone was bugged. People were being herded like sheep.
Scene: Split telephone scene, with normal people, except with a third panel with a person in a coat and glasses listening in on the conversation.

Chapter 4: The Tipping Point

Narrative: things stayed as they were, for a long time. People got used to being watched, and most did not fight the changes.
Scene: Russian Family, watching propaganda on their T.V. with a security cam in the background.

Narrative: Komarov, however, was beginning to get paranoid. He had his top advisors and generals fired, and sent to labor camps; he thought everyone around him would try and take his power.
Scene: Komarov, with a paranoid look on his face, with his advisors gathered around him in a menacing way.

Narration: One day, however, an event would transpire that would change Russian history books forever. Komarov had received shady word that U.S. and European forces were gathering supplies and preparing for an attack on the southern peninsula near the black sea.
Scene: A courier delivering a very important letter to the parliament building in Moscow.

Narration: Komarov ordered a top-secret meeting to discuss the course of action for the Russian Military.
Scene: Komarov in a room, at the head of a large table with very important looking people at the table.
Dialogue:
Komarov: We will rally all of our troops and barricade St. Petersburg. Then, Friday of this week, we will take the borders and trample all the Americans stationed there!
General: We should wait and see if this information is valid, and then make our move; this could be a trap.
Next panel, same scene.
Dialogue:
Komarov: You do not know! We have a top of the line military satellite that can see an ant from space! My military is the most powerful military in the world! I WILL TRAMPLE ANY AMERICANS WHO GET IN MY WAY
General: BUT SIR! This could be a grave mistake! You need to think clearly before making decisions! You are INSANE to think that YOU can simply march YOUR armies anywhere YOU please!
Scene: Komarov’s eyes have a spark of insanity in them. Although he is calm and maintains his composure, his eyes convey that his thoughts are completely crazy.
Komarov: Ferapont, give me your pistol.
General: what for?
Komarov: Ferapont, GIVE ME YOUR PISTOL!

Scene: Ferapont cautiously handing over the pistol as the rest of Komarov’s leaders look on anxiously. Komarov’s intense stare suggests that he has completely lost his mind.

Scene: Komarov putting the pistol on the table. Everyone in the room is relieved. Komarov takes a swig of vodka from his flask.

Scene: Komarov lights a cigarette

Scene: Komarov picks up the pistol, takes a long drag from his cigarette.

Scene: with fiery eyes, Komarov aims the pistol right at Ferapont’s head, from about 3 feet away. Ferapont having a look of complete and absolute fright on his face, like a “what have I done I have awoken a monster” type of fright. View is form behind Komarov, who stands taller than Ferapont by about 6 inches.

Scene: Camera is facing Komarov now. He looks completely insane and absorbed in his power. He has completely lost his mind. His eyes do not appear to be his; instead, they are of a fiery anger unmatched only by their insanity. He has a very intense look on his face
Dialogue:
Komarov (almost calmly): I am the greatest man the world has ever seen. This is not a democracy. This is a state in which I am the ONLY and ABSOLUTE leader. ANYONE who thinks they can rule this country, PLEASE, get in line with Mr. Ferapont here. I AM MIKHAIL KOMAROV!

Scene: Komarov, with the same aforementioned look, shoots Ferapont in the head. ***I am not sure how I will convey this scene, as it is a bit graphic and crazy, but I feel as though it is a necessary part of the story, and that it must be included.
Dialogue:
Ferapont: Mr. Komarov—

Scene: The other people in the room look on with absolute horror. Komarov stands calmly with his cigarette, with the smoke drifting through the air. Ferapont’s body lies on the ground, with a pool of blood. Komarov’s expression has lost some of the craziness of the previous scenes, although it is still there, quietly smoldering. This will be a large scene, maybe taking up a page or so.

Chapter 5

Narrative: The next day, troops barricaded St. Petersburg. That Friday, troops reached the southern borders. When they arrived, there was nobody there.
Scene: Troops in a small village, standing next to their trucks.
Dialogue:
Soldier 1: There’s nobody here!
Soldier 2: I know! What a waste of time! They even took me off leave to drive over here! Can you believe it!?

Narrative: meanwhile…
Scene: American military launching a massive flood of aircraft and ground combat, with helicopters shooting buildings, and the whole procession clearly moving forward.

Narrative: The Americans quickly took control of western Russia. Although they haven’t taken Moscow yet, they are preparing to.
Scene: a map of Russia, with a red mass surrounding Moscow.

Scene: Komarov, once again giving a speech in front of millions in Red Square.
Dialogue: I have seen the poverty; I have seen the destruction, the suffering.

Scene: Close up of Komarov, with a look of complete sadness in his eyes.

Scene: again, the far away of Komarov amid the sea of thousands of people.
Dialogue: I regret my decisions, and I am deeply sorry for the damage I have caused to the Russian Government, The Russian Reputation, and The Russian People. This is a transgression of epic proportions, and I lament the fact that my reign as dictator had to end this way.

Narration: Komarov contemplated fleeing the country, but Americans surrounded him on all sides.
Scene: Komarov being cornered on all sides by Americans on all sides, in a dark corner. [figurative]

Scene: Komarov, sitting in his office in downtown Moscow. His advisors accompany him., and he has a look of sadness in his eyes.
Dialogue:
Komarov(to one of his advisors): Nikolai, give me your pistol.

Scene: Nikolai, with a look of fright on his face, handing over the pistol.

Scene: Komarov, sitting in his office, looking at the pistol with a faraway look in his eyes.
Dialogue:
Komarov: Everyone, out. I need some time by myself.

Scene: Advisors are gone, Komarov, sitting in chair, facing away from the window, pointing the pistol in between his eyes.

Scene: view from outside the parliament building, Komarov’s window, clearly the largest one, is completely red.

Mike Sutherland

Labels: Graphic Novel Project

Exhibition Night Reflection

Exhibition was a very successful experience. In the humanities section, I was at my own table, with my timeline, binder, and name placard set up. Most people bypassed my table, but there were some that stopped by to listen. They were very attentive and I felt that I did a good job. I was working on paneling my novel during exhibition. In the pinhole camera section, I was with Wilson at a table. We had our round III and IV camera on the table, and our round II camera behind us. I was surprised to see that many people thought our pictures weren’t that great, and even though maybe they weren’t compared to a digital camera, I think that they were excellent for a peanut can.

I think that we worked very well together. We sort of alternated explaining our lab to people, and that seemed to work well. Our only weakness was when we talked over each other. I think that we worked well as a team.

I never really encountered a difficult interaction. Everyone that came across our table was courteous, inquisitive, and interested. The only difficulty I had was to explain my entire story several times. The speech that I gave got rather old. I was happy that most people were interested in my story. In the pinhole camera side, I think that everyone who passed by was interested and polite. It was a little bit easier to have a partner to help explain the lab, and also the lab was an easier topic to explain. I think that meeting people and coming up with answers to questions on the fly was a good experience.

I think that the only thing that I would do differently would be to wear different shoes. My legs were killing me after standing for 40 minutes during the photography demonstration. Otherwise, exhibition was a complete success. The only other thing that I would do differently would be to save my paneling drafts in a universal file format that works with both Mac and PC. I could not work on my graphic novel project for two days in a row because the file that I had on my flash drive could not be read by a PC. I could have been on my self or peer edits or even drawing had I had time to work on my paneling over the work time that we had before Exhibition. Other than those two things, however, I don’t think that I would change anything because Exhibition was a success.

Labels: Graphic Novel Project, Reflections

Character Day Reflection

Today (April 1st), we had a “Character Day” where we acted out dialogues with each other depicting the characters that we chose for our Graphic Novels. I acted out my character, Mikhail Komarov, in a dialogue with Ms. Mohr. I took on the form of an angry and paranoid Russian Dictator who wants to invade a country, but his advisor is telling him that he shouldn’t. I learned a lot more about my character because I was forced to adopt his idiosyncrasies and mannerisms. I came up with several new ideas, and it helped me develop Mr. Komarov into a very dynamic and much more realistic character.

I decided to make Mr. Komarov into a heavy smoker and drinker; I used a pen cap in place of a cigarette and a pack of gum in place of a flask (of vodka). After Ms. Golub suggested that heavy substance abuse is sometimes the result of depression, I decided to add a chapter to Komarov’s life, and have his father die at a very young age. I think that by focusing on his mannerisms, which was accomplished by acting out dialogue with the character, I was able to think a lot more about his life and personality. I only wish I could have brought a heavy coat to look more Russian. I thought that everyone that acted their character did a very good job and I hope that it helped them develop their character as much as it helped me.

Labels: Graphic Novel Project, Reflections

Graphic Novel Story Synopsis

It is the year 2013. Russia and China have merged to form one of the world’s largest superpowers, and declared themselves The United Russian and Chinese Continental Republic, or “R.C.C.R.” for short, with the capital of the superpower being In Moscow. The United States and most of Europe have formed an alliance. Even though both sides are democratic, tensions between the two are getting worse every day. The R.C.C.R has control over Iran, as they are providing them with weapons and support. However, it is clear to the international community that Russia and China are preparing to establish permanent military control of the region to protect oil interests there. The United States, on the other hand, is establishing bases in Iraq and Afghanistan, building in strategic outposts in the Middle East, and preparing to take control of the region and shut down oil exports in expectation of a massive conflict between Iran and the West, funded on one side by the R.C.C.R and the other by the United States.

In Russia, internal affairs are getting worse every day, as people realize more and more that the democracy is a fraud. There is a “democracy” where there is a President and a parliament, and elections are held every 5 years, on the first Monday of October. When the story starts out, Dmitri Medvedev is the current Russian President, but someone will soon succeed him close to his administration. Almost everyone knows, however, that the democracy is a fraud; the upcoming elections are closely monitored; the underdog candidate is allowed no ads on TV or in magazines, and Mr. Medvedev is making sure that his successor will become the next president, and he will still maintain his power.

However, the as tensions continue to increase in the Middle east, relations between the two superpowers begin to deteriorate, and both countries begin launching satellites and missiles into space and having military demonstrations to warn each other of their power. The R.C.C.R begins clandestinely developing space technology to build a doomsday device that would destroy North America. On both sides, people are preparing for war. At the same time, as the election continues to go on, Mr. Medvedev’s successor is looking like the person that will become the new president.

When the story starts out, Mikhail Komarov will have just been promoted to the assistant to the Mayor of Moscow. He does tasks like organize meetings for the mayor and help him with speeches, etc. If the Mayor dies, Mikhail will take over the task of mayor for a short time before a more permanent replacement can be found. He earns a modest income, and lives in a medium sized apartment in Moscow. However, soon an event will trigger a complete change in the region, one that will be taught for years to come in Russian history classes.

In downtown Moscow, near Red Square, a massive series of high explosives goes off during a parade celebrating the Army day on February 23. In the attack, the Mayor of Moscow is killed, and a large portion of downtown Moscow is engulfed in flames. When

the Mayor is killed, Mikhail takes over. He organizes a large amount of temporary shelters and hospitals, and performs well under the extreme pressure of the situation. The news reaches the world fast, and people begin pointing fingers and wondering who was responsible for the attack. However, Mr. Medvedev is vacationing in Thailand at the time, and by the time the news reaches him, it is a day late. He flies to Moscow and attempts to get support for the people there, but encounters many difficulties, because the person he appointed to lead the Department of Emergency Affairs, or D.E.A is incompetent; Mr. Medvedev did not expect there to be an attack on his country. He attempts to help the people in Moscow by sending troops there, but the troops are not very experienced and cannot do much to help the people caught in the attack. By the time the first D.E.A. support reaches Moscow, thousands are already dead.

Mikhail Komarov is declared a hero throughout Russia, and his valiant efforts are heard throughout the country. Mr. Medvedev’s regime is cast into a deep shadow, and polls show that Medvedev’s Regime is unpopular among most Russians. Mikhail decides to run for president of Russia at his brother’s suggestion. He figures he can use his experience in the military to help him with his duties as president. Medvedev realizes the Mikhail poses a threat to his regime, and so he prevents him from running in the elections and imprisons him in Moscow. This sparks massive protests throughout Russia, and as people gather in the streets, Medvedev realizes his mistake. A mob overtakes the prison where Komarov is held and releases him; they march throughout the streets and make every major news station in the nation. Over the passing months, demonstrations sometimes turn violent, and Medvedev declares martial law. However, this enrages even more people, and eventually, Medvedev goes into exile, and his regime is soon overtaken. Komarov declares himself president, and there are massive celebrations on the streets.

Komarov does extremely well as dictator, and he bars the democracy, declaring it one of the evils of the western world. He livens the spirit of the people by blaming the attacks on the western world, and increases people’s patriotism for Russia. He builds up spirit among Russians by constantly denouncing the west. He bribes the news stations to sway their stories his way. Slowly his regime takes over all forms of media and makes sure that the people in his country only watch, read, and listen to government propaganda. Anyone who is outspoken against his actions is declared “one of them” and loses their credibility to almost everyone in the country. His government institutes these changes very slowly, so that almost nobody notices. Those that do keep quiet about it, because people who are vocal against the government in public are immediately reported and sometimes disappear, never to be seen again. There are cameras installed in every district of every city in every province in the entire country. Facial recognition software follows every person who is in the country; people who are outspoken against the regime are identified, fingerprinted, and registered. They are then listened to everywhere they go using special microphones that pick up sounds targeted at them. The propaganda on T.V, in magazines, and on the radio warns of an impending guerilla attack all of the time, and says that these security measures are needed for the protection of the Russian people.

Komarov uses the taxes on all of the businesses in his country to pump massive amounts of money into the military. He uses a small portion of money to add infrastructure to his country, and when he does, it is highly publicized. Polls about living conditions are faked, and anyone who denounces them is thrown in prison. People continue to believe that Komarov is doing an excellent job running their country. Soon, the military in his country is so large, that it supports millions, providing them with jobs and money. Many people in the military earn more money than people in the private sector. Soon, Komarov has made his country into a dictatorship. In another 5 years, people have already forgotten that there were elections. Children are taught of Komarov’s many achievements in schools, and taught to frown upon western culture and ideals. The ideals of capitalism, free market, and free press are thought to contaminate the perfect community that is formed by Komarov’s government.

Mikhail Komarov himself, however, is being overrun by corruption. He is constantly paranoid of his own advisors plotting to take over him. His advisors are the most watched people in the entire country. On June 11, 2021, Komarov makes some of his top generals organize a coup to overthrow the communist government in China, and takes control of the Chinese government. Within two years, there are cameras installed in every street in China, and Komarov tours the country, declaring the improvements he will make there. His army has such a strong presence in China that people wouldn’t dare speak out against him. Those that do are quickly deported, never to be seen again.

On October 12, 2022, some of Komarov’s advisors execute a carefully planned attack on Komorov, planting a small bomb in the lining of his suitcase. When the bomb goes off, however, Komorov is injured, but not killed.

...and that's all I have thus far. I will come up with the downfall of Mr. Komarov soon.

image credit: sxc.hu

Labels: Graphic Novel Project

Persepolis Blogs

What is the historical context for the story Persepolis (pronounced pro-sepo-lees)? Discuss the entire history of Iran as told in Persepolis.

Iran began as a part of the civilization of Mesopotamia near the fertile crescent almost 5000 years ago in the year 3200 B.C. The earliest people to settle in Iran were hunter-gatherers who traveled the region, eating as they went. The earliest civilization to form in Iran was formed by the Medes from the year 728 B.C to the year 550 B.C, when Cyrus the Great took over and unified the empire. His Persian Empire lasted until the 600’s, when Alexander the Great invaded it. The empire was still there, but it was not very powerful.

Then, in 1921, Reza Khan overthrew the government and began to modernize the country. He added railroads, education, modern healthcare, and industrialized Iran. However, during World War II, Reza Khan’s ties to Germany were too strong and alarmed the allied nations. When the U.S.S.R. invaded in 1941, Reza Khan was forced to cede to Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, whom the allies favored. After the war, Mohammad Mossedegh was elected Prime Minister. Mossedegh Nationalized Iran’s Oil Companies, which infuriated the United States, as they were profiting immensely from the oil companies in Iran. So, the CIA organized a coup to clandestinely overthrow Mossedegh. The coup was successful. After Mossedegh was overthrown, he was cast into exile; meanwhile, the Shah began to rule the country more strictly. Political opponents were thrown in prison; anyone found to be against the regime faced strict punishments. One man, Ayatollah Khomeini, was particularly outspoken against the Shah. Khomeini was an Islamic fundamentalist, and wanted the Shah out of the country, stating that his regime was a decadent example of western countries and that he was corrupting the mids of the Iranian people with western ideas. He was exiled from Iran and had to move to France, where he continued in his opposition of the Shah.

However, in January of 1978, the proletariat and bourgeois alike were finally fed up with the Shah’s regime; they began to protest on the streets of Tehran and many other cities in the country. As a result, many were executed, put in prison, or exiled. However, the revolution soon gained ground, and by January of the next year, the Shah was forced to leave the country. By February 11, the Shah’s regime had completely collapsed, and Ayatollah Khomeini once again returned to Iran. On April 1st, Iran was officially declared an Islamic Republic, with Khomeini as their leader, basically making the government a veritable theocracy, with Islamic Law as part of the national law of the country. Although the many people who protested were Muslim, many others were communist or Marxist.

On November 4 of 1979, a group of students orchestrated the takeover of the United States Embassy in Tehran. Although Khomeini did not officially order this takeover, he nonetheless supported it. Everyone in the embassy were taken hostage; some were held for over 400 days. The United States saw this as a direct attack, and severed its ties with Iran completely.

Tensions began to increase, however, when the U.S. appointed dictator of Iraq, Saddam Hussein, decided to launch an attack on the oil-rich province of Khuzestan, in western Iran. The invasion started a mass exodus of people from Khuzestan, as more than half of the region was taken over by Hussein’s troops. The whole western border of Iran was subject to attack from Hussein. In the beginning, Iraq was winning the war, but as the war went on, Iranian forces pushed back the Iraqis. The war was fueled by Hussein’s fear of Iran, because of how extreme their religious government was. Hussein was worried that Iran would attack Iraq, because Iraq was a largely secular nation. Also, Iran was attempting to take control of shipping lanes in the Persian Gulf. The war ended in 1988, when the two countries signed a peace treaty. Because of the vast number of untrained soldiers sent into battle, Iranian casualties are estimated at nearly 1,000,000. The Iranian government took droves of young soldiers from reservoirs of people that could be found in poorer areas of Iran. They convinced thousands of young soldiers to go to war, saying that they would die martyrs and that they would "inject blood into the veins of society."

What are the experiences Marji endures in the text and how do those experiences shape her perceptions of her family, her country, and herself?

Marji endures the hardships of the Iranian Revolution. She undergoes the hardships of war, economic despair caused by trade embargoes with Iran, and the chaos of the Iranian revolution.Her parents are very liberal, and they frequently protest the Shah during the revolution. In the beginning, Marji sees the situation through childlike eyes. She declares herself a communist, and yet she does not know the life of the working class. In the story, she describes how she admires her uncle for being a “hero.” Before she meets her uncle, she is jealous of her friends because their fathers are in prison and so they are “heroes.” Her perception changes more and more as she grows. At first, she does not know why she has to wear a veil to cover her face. However, as she grows, she realizes that many of the things that she simply accepted as a child must be fought against; at the end of the story, she realizes that she must leave Iran to get a better education. Many of the events around her make her realize the evils of the world.

What do you think happens to Marji when she heads to Vienna? Write the remaining story of her life up unto the time she writes this text in 2002.

I think that after Marji leaves for Vienna, she would have paid close attention to the current events of Iran. After Khomeini passed away in 1989, Marji would have visited Iran frequently to see her parents, because of the much less strict government ruled by Mohammad Khatami. Marji would have probably moved to France after finishing schooling in Vienna, because she is of French descent. There, she would probably live until she writes her memoir in 2002.

Labels: Persepolis

Socratic Seminar: Youth Voting

We had a Socratic Seminar on Tuesday about youth voting and changing the legal voting age from 18 to 16. The class was divided into two groups, and we discussed the pros and cons of changing the voting age. The seminar was centered around a New York Times Article discussing one author’s opinion on lowering the voting age. The article was mainly for lowering the age.

My stand on the issue was that the voting age should not be lowered to 16 because, in my opinion, the effort required to lower the voting age would not be worth it because the voter turnout among 16 year olds would be so low that there would be no point. In addition, lowering the voting age would pave the way for lowering the ages of things like drinking, smoking, and marriage. One important point that Dillon brought up was that the teen years are a time that kids make mistakes and learn, and it would be unwise to lower the age of not only voting, but marriage and drinking as well, because teens would perhaps make a mistake that they would regret later.

I disagreed with the article for the most part. The article said that lowering the voting age would make sure that America’s teens felt as though they have a stronger part in society. Also, the article suggested an “early voting pass” that would test high school students on their knowledge of the issues, or even their G.P.A. Although this is a good idea, it would take far too much effort for so little turnout. I think that it would be more valuable to invest that money in high school civics classes so that by the time young people are 18, they are educated enough to make an unbiased decision.

This Socratic Seminar was successful, and I think that many great points were made and that it was a very constructive discussion. Many of the points that were made on both sides were valuable and useful. However, when it came down to the final vote, our group was in favor of keeping the voting age at 18.

Labels: Current Events, Reflections

10 Words that Spell Change for America's Youth

I think that this year will be the year of the youth vote. Barack Obama in particular has gotten many of the potential young constituents hyped up about voting. Even the state referendums are seeing increased voting rates. I think that young people are realizing that who they vote for today will affect their lives tomorrow. I think many young people are dissatisfied with the incumbent president, and want to put someone with a last name other than Bush or Clinton in office. I think that Barack Obama is the progressive candidate of choice for young people. Many people are saying that Obama is too young to have had experience enough to be president, and favor an older, conservative John McCain or Evangelical Mike Huckabee. What about John F. Kennedy? Was he too young for office of president of the United States? Many say he was the greatest president of all time. In any case, this is only one reason why age and experience are not an issue. I think, however, that more and more young people will begin to appear at the polls in November. I think that many of today’s young people are liberal as well and believe in progressive thinking; I think that it would be almost impossible for an educated young person to believe in traditional values or be conservative. The recent surge in youth voting is similar to what happened in 1972. In 1972, a surge of support for suffrage for 18 year olds caused lawmakers to amend the constitution and make it legal for 18 year olds to vote. With the power of the youth behind this measure made it impossible to veto for the president or anyone else. This surge in support among 18 year olds was caused by a highly publicized and controversial War in Vietnam; today, I think the same sort of controversy in the War in Iraq has caused youth voters to stand up and make it to the voting polls. Today, Barack Obama’s coalition is the strongest it’s ever been, and the youth of America are making a huge difference.

Labels: Presidential Candidates

Presidential Debate

Yesterday (February 11), we had a mock U.S. Presidential debate, in which everyone in our class was on a presidential candidate’s “team” and researched one issue for that candidate. Then, each candidate “experts” presented their issue and argued their case. My candidate was Mike Gravel, the independent candidate from Alaska. I had a bit of a hard time researching his issues, and it was difficult to find his standing on a lot of the issues. It took a long time to get in depth research notes about his standing on most topics. OnTheIssues proved to be the most valuable resource for finding info. The debate overall went very well, although on some questions I had to guess Gravel’s standing on those issues based on his opinions. I was the delegate for National or Homeland security (what’s the difference?), and overall, I did well. I proved good points and I think that I did a good job.

Labels: Presidential Candidates, Reflections

1984 Critique/Analysis

WARNING! SPOILER! IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE BOOK, WAIT UNTIL YOU HAVE!

Mike Sutherland

“WAR IS PEACE”

“FREEDOM IS SLAVERY”

“IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH”

1984, George Orwell

1984, by George Orwell, is an amazing book that is realistic, rich, and compelling. The book is based around a future humanity in the year 1984, where a totalitarian regime rules the continents of North and South America. The story’s protagonist is a man named Winston, who, in secret defies the Party, the name of the regime. All around, the Party is monitoring their citizen’s every move using “telescreens,” or televisions that have cameras embedded in them that can hear, see, and recognize writing that is against the ideals of the regime. Everyone is under the watchful eye of “Big Brother,” the face of the party; it is doubtful if big brother even exists. In fact, Big Brother is powerful and invincible, a symbol of the everlasting and unbreakable power of the Party. Civilian’s actions are closely monitored by members of the “thought police,” who are ruthless Party members who arrest those guilty of “thoughtcrime,” or thinking against the ideals of the Party. Winston, however, knows how to outsmart the telescreens, and tries to join The Brotherhood, an underground organization that secretly defies the Party. When he meets the woman he loves, named Julia, his actions become more and more rebellious. He lives in constant fear of being found out, but still loves Julia and continues to rebel against the Party. However, Winston does not know that he is being watched and betrayed by those closest to him. He meets O’Brien, a man who claims to be a loyal follower of The Brotherhood. Soon, however, he is arrested by members of the thought police, and is taken into a jail cell, where he is tortured until he admits to the crimes he has committed. After a while, they stop torturing him and begin “curing” him, and he walks into a room where O’Brien is. He realizes that O’Brien is a member of the thought police, and has been monitoring him for a while, even before he met Julia. O’Brien puts him through a series of questions, and when Winston lies in his answers, he is administered pain through a machine, and through this “treatment” he begins to adopt love for the Party and is brainwashed into conforming to their ideals and abolishing his rebellious ways. The final step is when he is being tortured in “room 101” and finally betrays Julia, ratting her out for her crimes, something he has not yet done. This step is the turning point—the final step in giving in and conforming to the Party. Then, he is “cured” and released. The story ends him expressing his love of the Party.

This story is set in a world where there are three superpowers—Eurasia, Eastasia, and Oceania—Winston living in Oceania. The three powers are constantly at war with each other, and each having a central, totalitarian Party that rules over their people by censoring their media, not allowing their actions, words, thoughts, and ideas to be against the ruling Party. The Party has an ingenious way of ruling over their people—by making sure that instead of enforcing their rules using brute force, they simply let their loyal followers rat out the people who are against the Party, and the thought police simply eliminate those people that were against the Party—by eliminating all record of them, like they never existing. That way, enemies of the Party have no martyrs, no one to look up to, so that nobody ever rebels. In this way, the Party can stay in power for as long as they want. The Party is simply a more efficient version of Stalin or Hitler’s totalitarian regimes. In Hitler’s regime, he got Germans to rat out their Jewish friends. In fact, his power was so extreme that he got ordinary Germans to commit atrocious crimes against the Jews. This can be likened to the children ratting out their parents for thoughtcrime in the novel 1984.

The Party’s Slogan is:

WAR IS PEACE

FREEDOM IS SLAVERY

IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH

These three phrases are the Party’s ideals.
The first, WAR IS PEACE, represents the holding of power in the Party. The Party has an ingenious way of holding power—through war. By keeping the civilians working for companies that build technology for war, the civilians are not contributing to the quality of their own lives, and so they do not gain power or access to good products. Only by working for the Inner Party, or the group closest to the ruling officials, is it possible to have a better quality of life. There are no entrepreneurs, no capitalism, and the government controls the life of all the people, thus making it impossible for people to have the funds to make a rebellion, unless they are a member of the Inner Party, in which case they would not have the need to revolt. In this way, the poor are controlled, and peace is maintained.

The second phrase, FREEDOM IS SLAVERY, directly corresponds to the Party’s belief to keep the common folk as “slaves” to the party. This phrase basically means that there is no way to keep their power unless the people agree and adopt the Party’s ideals. By keeping the people slaves, they are free to do anything they want; and the people will agree, and actually want to do what the Party wants. If this principle were not included, people, instead of doing what the Party wants because the people want to, would do it only out of fear of arrest. Eventually, people would become organized enough that they would stage a revolt—and overthrow the Party. This rule is in place to keep the public believing in the Party’s ideals—no matter how ridiculous they are.

The third and last phrase is the most important. INORANCE IS STRENGTH refers to the complete censorship and constant bombardment of propaganda infused by the Party. Generation by generation, the people become more and more brainwashed, as the Party is their only source of information, and so, as they grow, they learn to believe anything the Party says, because there are no other conflicting sources of knowledge. There is constant evidence of this idea everywhere in Oceania—on billboards, posters, telescreens (the equivalent of a modern-day television), radio, books, flyers, rallies, parades—everywhere, people’s patriotism and love of the Party is being grown by the endless stream of propaganda. Also, people follow any of the party’s orders, no matter how ridiculous they are. People’s children tell the thought police if they are doing anything against the party—even if it is a simple remark. In this way, the Party is making people do their work for them; the people find anyone who is against the party and expose them, and the party simply eliminates them and removes them from all their records—as if they never existed. In this way, the people actually want to do whatever the party has on their agenda, and will blindly follow them. By constantly keeping people poor and uneducated, the party is able to very easily keep control. Some evidence of this massive effort is present in Winston’s Job. He works for the Ministry of Truth; he replaces the old news with the “new” news. For example, he takes a book that says that Oceania is at war with Eurasia, and replaces it with a book that says Oceania is at war with Eastasia. The party wants everyone not only to think, but to know, to agree, that Oceania is at war with Eastasia, and has always been, because there are no records that say otherwise because they have all been destroyed and deleted. The people then have no choice to agree because there is only evidence that supports the Party’s claims.

These ideals are already present in many countries, including the United States. The interesting irony of the story is that Winston lives in London in the story, and today, London is the most watched city in the world—there are video cameras on every street corner, in every building.

North Korea is an excellent example of these principles at work in society. In North Korea, in Pyongyang, the central library contains only works approved of or written by Kim Il-sung or Kim Jong-Il, the totalitarian leaders of the country. Additionally, No one in North Korea is allowed out of the country, and no news from the outside world. The North Korean Government has convinced their people that the country is still at war with America, and uses this as a device to create hatred for the Americans. They use this hate for Americans to make the people hate capitalism and eliminate entrepreneurs and capitalists. All other sources of news are strictly filtered; North Koreans are almost never aware of what is going on other than what the government tells them. In this way, North Koreans are kept under control, and despite the complete economic failure of the country, their rulers, Kim Jong-Il and Kim Il-Sung maintain their god-like status due to the endless propaganda. North Korea is close to a modern day London of 1984.

The concepts of this book have been utilized throughout history as well. For example, in Nazi Germany in World War II, for the majority of the crimes committed against Jews, it was not German soldiers, but German civilians. Adolf Hitler used these principles to make German civilians believe that what they were doing was completely right. By using endless streams of propaganda, Hitler’s Nazi Party was able to “dehumanize” Jews; basically, the Nazis made Jews sub human in the eyes of Germans. By utilizing these tactics, the German government used their people to commit these atrocious crimes. The Nazis had the civilians of Germany under a complete spell for the entirety of World War II; only after, did they realize what they had done. These examples prove that Orwell’s Novel is entirely true, and the concepts outlined by the Party in the novel can be used to run a very large group of people, and they have.

The last instance of these concepts being used outside of the book is in America. In the modern day War in Iraq, major newsgroups and the government are using words like “insurgents” and “terrorists” to label the enemy, and they have been successful at making the American people associate these words with enemies of America, Freedom and Democracy. However, aren’t the members of the American military doing the exact same things as these “terrorists?” If this issue is looked at from the viewpoint of Al Qaeda, aren’t Americans invading their country and fighting them, while killing thousands of innocent civilians in the process? The only reason why people tolerate this war is because the people they are fighting are labeled, and converted to sub human status. Americans never hear about the innocent civilians being killed every day as a result of their occupation of the country. George W. Bush labeled Iraq, Iran, North Korea, Palestine, and Afghanistan, among others, as “the axis of evil” in one of his speeches; couldn’t the United States be viewed the same way by people from these countries? Unfortunately, there are not that many choices for balanced news in America. Similar to the government in 1984, many people in the United States only know FOX News as their source of information. The education system in the U.S. is so impaired, 21% to 23% of adult Americans are not "able to locate information in text", can not "make low-level inferences using printed materials", and are unable to "integrate easily identifiable pieces of information." These people depend on the news on television, and much of the newscasts found on T.V. are biased and not entirely accurate. In addition, many of these stations promote labels such as “terrorists” and “insurgents.” Also, there aren’t many stations that do not support this type of labeling. In this way, the war in Iraq is justified, because the people the United States are fighting are not “people” they are “terrorists.” This type of labeling has made the American People go with the American governments’ agenda, because they are not fully aware that their enemies are human and that they have families and lives; they are simply “terrorists” and this thought has been perpetuated by the American media.

Another way that American society mimics 1984 is in the recently discussed wiretapping bill put forth by the bush administration. These wiretaps can be compared to the telescreens of 1984, and the startling thing about the real-world wiretaps is that the American people are beginning to accept them and actually want them passed. Similar to the telescreens, people simply will accept them as a way of life rather than question them, because the government has convinced them that they are for the public’s own good. What if these wiretaps were used to spy on the American public and invade their normal lives? Although many people would agree that it would be an invasion of personal privacy, many more would think that personal privacy is a small price to pay for the catching of these “terrorists,” whose existence might never be proven by these wiretaps. It would be wiser to invest that money in foreign relations and for perhaps making an agreement with the enemy. One should wonder why the government is using their funds in such a way. If we are fighting terrorists overseas, in the Middle East, why do we need these wiretaps at home?

This novel is probably the most profound and thought provoking piece that I have ever read. It has raised questions about the United States government, history, and the future that I have never thought of before. The book is an amazing story; in fact, it is not simply a story, but a prediction, one that spans across all time periods, and one that is becoming truer and truer as time goes on. It is the textbook for a totalitarian government, and a world within a book—one that does not ignore any subtle detail. The striking realism of Orwell’s prediction paints a picture in the reader’s mind, and inspires the reader to draw comparisons to the world around them. This novel is more than a novel, and has a deeper meaning than the foreshadowing, symbolism, and irony usually contained within a bestseller, although it is rich with those as well. This book challenges the mind and transforms the reader into a world of thought, and makes important points and inferences about society. It is unlike any book ever written, in that it is the most accurate prediction and observation of human society; the more I think about it, the more I realize how applicable the concepts of this tale are in the world. It poses the reader many questions of how to interpret it, and yet more come up even by simply thinking about the story. Although it was negative, it serves as a warning and as a reminder, of what human beings are capable of in the past and in the future. This book could only be written by a genius such as George Orwell; I rate this book 6 stars out of five. This story is the most accurate prediction ever cast about human society, and, despite being written in 1949, it still applies to today and Orwell’s concepts are still acclaimed, talked about, and, unfortunately, utilized. This story far surpasses any of its kind, and, in my opinion, is the cleverest book ever written.

Labels: 1984, Book Critiques

Conflict in the Congo Region is Increasing

NY times article

In the Congo, a continuation of the already terrifying war is happening. The civil war in the Congo, which supposedly ended in 2003, was the deadliest war in modern African history. The war has killed as much as 6 million people since 1996, and is fueled by increasing ethnic issues between the Hutus and the Tutsis. Atrophied and malnourished children lay in the streets and hospitals of the Congo as a result of the conflict. The pinnacle of the conflict between the two groups was in 1994, when 800,000 people were killed as a result of the hatred in neighboring Rwanda. Many rebel groups have been conniving to usurp power in the government of the Congo. As the war continues, the divisive struggle is forcing more and more people from their homes and into refugee camps. As many as 400,000 people have been forced out of their homes in the past year alone. Refugee camps are becoming less and less capacious, and more and more people are being displaced. "This is the worst situation we've had" says Patrick Lavand’homme, a UN official, "and it is going to get much, much worse." The region is on the verge of exploding into civil war, and the U.S. and Britain are becoming more and more scrupulous in their attention to the region. Rebel groups in Rwanda has put more and more pressure on both parties to stop fighting, and they have threatened to interfere with the conflict. Both groups have made no attempt to fabricate an excuse for this conflict or cover it up, and yet involvement from non-African nations is minimal. This month, The UN will vote on whether to have UN peacekeeping forces in the region.

Labels: Current Events

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