Social Awareness Project

                                                   Table of Contents
                                   1.Art response
                                   2.Observing my Surroundings
                                   3.Social Issues reading response



                                      Overview
                In my project there is a variety of my own responses to social issues. Varying from pieces        of art to respond, my surroundings that I've been observing lately, as well as my reading response to the "The Shining".


    One very strong piece that I really wanted to write about is "Guernica" by Pablo Picasso. It is a very strong painting, and filled with a big story behind it. The painting describes a large bombing massacre in the Spanish civil war. The painting brings out many different emotions. In the piece, the people depict helplessness as they were killed, you see fear and panic in their eyes. You see the lifelessness of the dead people in the painting, you can clearly see the the people screaming with cries of agony. There are many symbols in this piece, things like the horse and the bull, you can't always be sure but perhaps the horse represents a war horse, cause that's kind of what it looks like, also the bull is an important part if Spanish culture, as well as the horse. There is also an arm with a knife in its lifeless hand with an x like shape on the forearm, we may not know what it represents, but we can have ideas. But as we know, the true ideas behind the piece is in the mind of the artist. This piece really is a strong advocate for peace, it is obviously going against war and brutality, considering it was done by a pacifist like Picasso, this was an outcry for peace. He made sure to remember those who died, and made this amazing famous work of art. This really makes me think about justice in the past as well as now. Lots of injustice happens now, as it has back then, but were they larger now or back then or are they equal? That is something I get from pieces like this and events happening today.

  Observing my surroundings

   I've noticed a lot that people overuse words, for no reason. Words that don't even fit into what they're saying. Words like faggot, retard, gay. Lots of people use these words during situations that don't fit the words they're using, like in sports if someone gets pushed, they call  the supposed offender a "faggot", because they're upset. This really happens because people don't see this as a negative. People don't  realize what they're saying, and that they let their emotions take over if they're upset, flustered, or just confused. They use wrong terms that classified as politically incorrect. Perhaps people need to start being more more aware, and think about their word choice, and know what they're saying when they say it.


Social Issues reading response
      Abuse, alcohol, special abilities, and psychology. These are some terms that represent reoccurring themes in the book "The Shining" by Stephen King. Throughout the book, there are many reasons like violence, substance abuse, and physical abuse, along with language. This book is a strong example of social issues, from now and the past.

       One way this book is a great example of social issues because of the violence in the book, and how its described in very grotesque ways to the reader. Lots of the violence mainly happens at the end of the book, because that's when Jack(the main character) has already slipped deep into insanity because of the hotel's dark past, and the ghosts from it making him go crazy. One way to show this is a part in the story where Wendy was struggling to not be killed by Jack," She heard the mallet whistle through the air and then the agony exploded in her right side as the mallet-head took her just below the line of her breasts, breaking two ribs...'Oh dear god !' She screamed to the Overlook shadowy lobby, and buried the kitchen knife in Jack's lower back up to the handle". This shows not only intense violence, but abuse in a family.

     There is lots of language in the story, being another reason why its banned. One part from the text" Nice going , Wendy. You bleeding b**ch". Another example is "... And I thought they had Seven-Elevens on the f**king moon". It is understandable to see why some people ban this book because of language, but it's an adult book that is why it has language. This is an example of the lots of strong language in our society today.

      And of course finally, alcohol. One of, or the most dominant theme in the book. One way this is shown throughout the book is when Danny's arm was broken by Jack. Also another part of the book where alcohol is a main theme is when Jack was driving home with his drinking partner, Albert Shockley, they hit a bicycle. It turned out that later in the book, we found out that the person riding the bike was someone from Jack's debate team at the school he worked at.

 The book teaches many lessons that people in our society right now. Issues like how to deal with abuse and alcohol. Also violence and tension between family members can really be looked at deeply through this book, this book teaches many lessons, in a harsh way that depicts social themes right now.