Violence in Films

It was a struggle to get through the movie rendition of A Clockwork Orange and I can only imagine what the book would be like. For instance, within the first 20 minutes, the main character and his buddies beat up a homeless man, fight with another gang, and break into a house. The movie does not show any acts of violation, but the movie has many other graphic scenes. As I continued watching, however, I began to understand that the violence portrayed early on in the film exemplified how the main character changed throughout the course of his reformation. By the end, I was satisfied with the use of violence but was still rather uncomfortable with the vividness of it in the film.

Violence for the sake of violence is not something I appreciate in films or otherwise. For instance, in the movie The Purge one day is allotted a year for violent acts and the rest of the year is lived in peace. Some members of the community only partake in the day to relieve general frustrations. Yet, the heinous crimes they commit outweigh the supposed reasoning for the person’s participation. It is sickening to see the violence in The Purge, particularly because there is a disconnect between the cause of the aggression and the act of violence in recompense.

I do not know if I will ever be used to violence or aggressiveness in films, but I understand the difference between excessive violence and explicit displays of violence and I think the comparison between The Purge and A Clockwork Orange is a good example of it. Granted, I have not read A Clockwork Orange so I do not know if I missed the point entirely.

These sort of thoughts come to me, of course, as I lounged around on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. In between watching movies and enjoying a wonderful PNW winter day, I reflected on the violence that has become so commonplace in our culture. I wonder what MLK would have thought about the movies that I have watched… Or if he would have spared any time to watch them in the first place.

Studying for the NCLEX

Linfield, like many other colleges and universities, has a month-long term that spans the entire month of January. Students are able to participate in classes which may not be offered at other times in the year. For instance, my freshman year I took Latin 100 – it was the best and only Jan Term course I have taken. I was able to immerse myself in the language and spend most of my day with one of my best friends.

Unfortunately, that was the only year Jan Term was feasible for me and thus I have spent the last two years at home, biding my time until I returned for the Spring semester. The limbo I experience every year only lasts a bit before I focus on something to do with my time. Last year I spent it working on my blog, reading, and watching movies from the AFI’s 100 Best Films list with my dad.

This year I am using the copious amount of time I have on my hands to begin preparing for the NCLEX and get in a healthy workout routine. My family gave me the Illustrated Study Guide for the NCLEX-RN Exam by JoAnn Zerwekh, a book I have repeatedly checked out from the Linfield library to help me study, for Christmas and it is one of the books I am using to help me study. I also have Davis’s Q&A for the NCLEX-RN Examination by Kathleen A. Ohman to practice answering NCLEX-style questions. I have also checked out NCLEX-RN: Power Practice from the public library to practice actually taking the exam.

Although I have not entirely decided on a study strategy, I hope by beginning to study earlier than later I will be able to effectively review all the materials I need in time for the NCLEX in June. Granted, I will need a study strategy to do so, but for the time being I am reviewing material from the first year of nursing school that needs brushing up on.

If anyone has any suggestions of study strategies I would greatly appreciate the help!

Sylvia Plath

The rain pouring outside my window is stirring my mind with all sorts of thoughts. I simultaneously want to huddle under warm blankets and go hiking, read and garden, watch a movie and run errands. The rain also puts me in the mood to read poetry by Sylvia Plath. 

Source

I keep meaning to reread her semi-autobiographic novel The Bell Jar recently, but have not gotten around to it. Instead I picked up a collection of her poems from the library and have slowly read through some of them. Here I would like to lament that I am not a qualified literary critique but a person with an interest in all forms of literature and will only comment on things that have stood out to me.

(Ha! It is as though I must disclaim my entire existence in order to be able to make a few statements about an author and poet I enjoy reading…)

Source

Sylvia Plath was troubled, as several biographers have eloquently written. In addition to the fact that she committed suicide at the age of 30 years old, her “spirit” was evidenced by her work. Many of her poems illuminate the darkness she felt surrounded in. There is something comfortable about her writing; as if she does not intend to shock her reader, she only intends to stun them with the grotesque images she occasionally describes. 

Maybe it is my affinity towards those who need help, but I think I would have liked Plath. I related to the character in The Bell Jar and found myself wanting to join her in her adventures. Granted, I have always thought I was born in the wrong time… 

Unnatural Creatures

I picked up the book because of the interesting title and the fact that it was written by Neil Gaiman, an author whose works I have been wanting to explore. It was listed under the young adult section at the library, so I was expecting a very easy reading level and stories with predictable endings, no matter how strange they might be. I should have known better.

 

Unnatural Creatures reads like a proper storybook with stories that abound with peculiar creatures and characters alike. Each story, written by different authors, is preceded with a brief introduction by Gaiman as well as a sketch that captured the essence of each story. The introductions were both informative and witty – very clearly written by Gaiman. I was impressed with the range in selections of stories in the book. I appreciated the unpredictable endings and the fact that on multiple occasions I was forced to look up the definition of a word or two.

 

Keeping with the storybook concept, I read one chapter each night before bed. I looked forward to being sent off to sleep with the eery refrains of the story I had just finished. Most of all, I looked forward to reading another one the next day. I loved Unnatural Creatures, especially because it made me feel like a child reading with awe and wonder from a grim, if not age-inappropriate, storybook for the first time.

 

Brain on Fire

I began reading this book yesterday, partly the reason for the lack of blog post. The novel is a self-written case-study of Susannah Cahalan’s “month of madness” in which she succumbs to an illness unknown by many healthcare professionals. Fortunately for Cahalan, a doctor on her team of practitioners was familiar with a contemporary study that identified the cause of a certain set of symptoms in young women.

 

Cahalan describes her symptoms as she lived through them. Although she does not remember much about her experience in total, she combines snippets of memories with extensive research into her case. She relies on several friends, family members, and healthcare providers’ recollections and documents recorded during her period of illness to fill in the gaps. The result is a tale of determined young woman battling an illness that nearly claimed her life.

As much as I want to go into details about the novel, I will leave it up to the discretion of the reader. It can be heartbreaking and hard at times to read, but it is well worth the time spent on it. I will, however, discuss a detail Cahalan writes about her neurologist. In discussing her case with the neurologist, he states he is unfamiliar with her diagnosis – despite it being publicized nearly everywhere in the media and in various journals of medicine for the last few months.

 

It is a fact that medicine is constantly evolving. Healthcare practitioners are (and rightly so) expected to follow the latest developments in medicine. Not only should healthcare providers be up-to-date with contemporary practices, they should understand them as well. Without understanding the developments, healthcare practitioners increase the risk of misdiagnosing their patients and decrease the level of care they provide.

Although healthcare practitioners are required to continue their education, the most valuable practitioners will be the ones who actively seek to learn despite the various time and energy constraints all healthcare practitioners face. Ultimately, the importance of a doctor lies in their knowledge of medicine and humanity than their academic achievements.

Scout: Explore – Create – Share

I have always loved libraries, but I am definitely starting to appreciate them more now. The Pierce County Library has recently begun an online program called Scout in which members are encouraged to explore different subjects, create works of art and projects, and share experiences.

 

The program rewards members with points that add up to badges. The leaderboard allows members to show the points and badges standings in the community to encourage others to continue their progress with Scout.

 

Badges include Book Reinvention, Transit Authority, Bubblesmith, and more. They involve all areas and ages of life, but the program itself is particularly geared towards adults. Each badge consists of various activities that are worth a certain amount of points. For instance, in the Rebelious Reading badge one activity is to find a challenged or banned book to read. Some activities are more time consuming than others to complete, but each badge requires some form of community interaction.

 

I am enjoying Scout very much – it is broadening my mind to ideas to add to the List. I encourage everyone in the Pierce County area to join in the fun. Click on one of the links above or visit scout.pcls.us for more information.

Happy Birthday to the Church!

As I may have mentioned, I am a Catholic and today I celebrated the feast of Pentecost. Although I do not know what the word “pentecost” actually means, I do know what it stands for in the Church. Centuries ago, the apostles were visited by the Holy Spirit and were given the ability to speak in different languages to spread the Good News.

 

The first thing that I am reminded of during Pentecost is my inability to speak more than one language comfortably. The gift that the Holy Spirit gave the apostles was an incredible gift and one that was not taken lightly. The ability to communicate with thousands upon thousands of people without language barriers impeding on the direct message is amazing. It reminds me of a character from one of my favorite books, Bel Canto, who is a translator of many languages. His actions brought together a people who had otherwise lost their common link.

 

The second thing that Pentecost reminds me of is the Holy Spirit. I have always had a better relationship with the Holy Spirit than God the Father and God the Son, or so it feels like. I trust in the feelings that move me to do something kind or compassionate because I know it is the Holy Spirit. I frequently ask God to let the Holy Spirit guide me in such a way that I do His Will and that my thoughts and actions will be sensitive to His presence in others.

 

The last, but not least, thing Pentecost reminds me of is the Church. The Holy Spirit is one of the most important parts of the Church, whether or not we realize it. It is the Holy Spirit which united the early Church and which continues to unite us today.

 

That being said, Happy Birthday Church!

Intensive Care

There is so much I can say about this novel, but for the sake of time and to entice more readers I will only speak to a few main points I took from it.

 

One of the first things I would like to point out is that Echo was a mother while also going through nursing school. She raised her child to the best of her ability and did have some “real-life” events that threw her off her guard at points. The fact that she included these life events in her book as well really influenced my perspective of her as a nurse and her as an author. 

 

It truly is easy to become swept up in the grandeur of medicine and forget about the bad days, hard decisions, and inevitable consequences of others’ decisions. Intensive Care is a great reminder of the challenges nurses face. It is also a gleaming example of all that is important about nursing. The compassion Echo shows her clients is incredible! I think every nurse strives to provide the best care for their patients and the stories Echo shares are only a few examples of the ways we can do so.

 

That being said, I encourage all healthcare providers and families of healthcare providers to read this in order to gain a deeper insight into one woman’s perspective of the healthcare industry. It hopefully will gain us nursing students some compassion and nurses a little more respect than frequently experienced.

 

Spring Break: Day Six

Though today was not terribly exciting, it was not bad either. I redecorated my room somewhat and finally made the decision to try out the bottom level of the bunk bed. It looks… promising.

 

After a hearty breakfast of oatmeal and yogurt, I took some time preparing for the outdoors – sometimes also considered dressing. The weather did not look like it would change from lightly overcast, so I decided to take the risk and wear a skirt I bought on the shopping trip with my sister. I think I made a good choice.

 

The first destination of the day was a tea shop just off the corner of 11th and Glisan called The Tea Zone & Camellia Lounge. A friend of mine had recommended it to me a while ago, but I never made the time to try it. Well today was the day I did – and I am so glad! The staff was friendly upon entering and even recommended a drink for me when I could not seem to make up my mind. I took their recommendation for a Heat Wave bubble tea (always a good choice for me) and it was delicious! The place was not only clean, but cosy. I studied there for a bit before moving on with my day.

 

My next stop was the public library – no surprise there – to drop off a few books and pick up a couple more. I lucked out and found BJ Novak’s novel on the shelf which I am very much looking forward to reading. I also picked up a book entitled Why Zebra’s Don’t Get Ulcers. It claims to be a guide to stress, stress-related diseases, and coping. A book I had read previously, Insomnia by Gayle Green, recommended it so I placed a hold on it as soon as I could.

 

Just down the street from the public library was Target. The convenient location could be dangerous for some people, but I pride myself in having established particular habits that prevent me from spending most of my time (off campus, and second only to the library) and money there. Usually I have a detailed shopping list as well as bags to carry my items home. This time, however, I thought a casual stroll would be fine what with it being nice day and spare time I had. I ended up buying replacement lightbulbs for my lamp, a Maybelline Baby Lips, a soy candle, a bag of Bugles, and a tin of Yan-Yans.

 

Of course, upon exiting Target it began sprinkling. A quick dash to the streetcar stop secured me a spot under cover from the rain, although it did not protect me from others’ titters about the inappropriateness of my outfit for the conditions. I did bring an umbrella, but – silly me – it was tucked under my recent purchases. Fortunately the streetcar came and whisked me back to the safety and warmth of home.

 

Upon returning, I settled in bed to read and eventually fell asleep. And here I lay, still in bed, typing this while watching a show called Michiko & Hatchin.

Warm Bodies

The adaptation of Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion into a film was a great idea. Sure, it’s cheesy, and no, it does not accurately represent the book, but I still love it. It is no cinematic masterpiece, but I like the fact that both mediums evoke the same responses.

 

Warm Bodies follows R, a zombie of unknown origin, in his time as one of the living dead. Following the stereotypical zombie lifestyle, R finds a girlfriend, marries, and is given children to look after. He ingests only the living and can only communicate with occasional guttural grunts. R cannot sleep or dream or die.

 

Then, one hunting trip, R is changed forever.

 

Upon the ingestion of a certain living being named Perry, R begins to fall in love with Perry’s girlfriend, Julie. Amidst the building carnage of the hunt, R protects Julie and brings her back home. Over the days Julie is held captive, her friendship with R transforms him more and more into a living being.

 

Although Julie returns to her home in the living sector, the transformation in R continues and seemingly infects other living dead. Realizing that the governing bodies (no pun intended) of the living dead, the Boneys, are aware of the contagion and its source, R travels to the living sector in search of Julie.

 

Once again under R’s protection from the impending attack, Julie and R have no choice but to present themselves to the governing officials of the living. Having to convince the living of the living dead’s transformation proves more difficult than they anticipated, but in the end, the actions of the living dead provide enough evidence to convince the officials.

 

Written as R’s first-person account of the preceding events, Warm Bodies accentuates the blurred line surrounding the concepts of living and life. It subtly invites readers to consider the meaning of life and love in the unconventional relationship between R and Julie. What a surprise coming from (seemingly) young adult fiction!