Exploring the Modern World

  This week, like many this year, was spent at home. With less contact, less people are involved or effected by my decisions. Since people in my age group have no real authority, the consequences of our actions mainly effect ourselves. Probably the most important decision I had to make this week was whether to pay the license plate registration renewal now or later. My mom said “This is what its like to be an adult, constantly paying bills”. Being a part of “grown up” affairs like paying your taxes and saving money isn’t something that’s taught in school. I made the decision to pay the bill by mail due technical difficulties. People take many things for granted, an example is a car. For us teens, having a car is a privilege and many don’t see the cost of having such a privilege. Car insurance is crazy expensive and you are essentially charged to use it. Costs for repairs are astronomical no matter the make or model. That’s why     dad was so overly cautious when I drive, ...

      This depressing name refers to a dark time in history in which Democratic President Andrew Jackson forced the Cherokee to leave Georgia on a hike to Oklahoma.  The Cherokee was the only North America Native American tribe to have a written language, a constitution and a democracy. Jackson violated his oath of office by not upholding a Supreme Court rule preventing the Cherokee removal. Sarah Vowell recounts her trek on the Trail of Tears which her ancestors marched. If I was there, I would imagine where people struggled and died as they walked to Oklahoma. Vowell felt the connection with her ancestors which included anger and disappointment towards the president. Is America good? Is America bad? Vowell while listening to Chuck Barry and driving on the trail has an inner conflict, she comes to the conclusion its both.  No country is perfect, but we should remember the past and the struggles that came with it in order to understand people's suffering that ca...

Der Schrei der Natur (The Scream) by Edvard Munchr This painting is one of the most iconic paintings of the modern era. The inspiration and the execution of the painting really drawn me to it.  Some say that this painting was inspired by the eruption of Krakatoa in 1883, where this single volcanic eruption changed the whole global climate for one year decreasing the temperature by 2.2 F. This hypothesis came because of the color of the sky and the expression of shock of people in it. With the use of pastel you could see the energy and matter flowing together with the chaos on the water. There's a ship on the top right that looks like its sinking. The wavy sky and the wavy person reflects the lack of order. If you look closely, there are sporadic black dots which might symbolize falling ashes. I used to be fascinated by volcanoes and how they worked, which helped me pick this painting. Sometimes the problems of this world really do make me want to scream.  The suffering of mank...