Tasneem's Awesome Essays

[Tasneem]

Tasneem Chowdhury
Ms. Matthew
IB Language A
February 14, 2005

One Day in the of Tasneem Chowdhury

Do doo. Do doo. Do do-- click! I turn off my annoying, obnoxious alarm swiftly and return to sleep for another five blissful minutes until my second alarm goes off. On a good day, I would wake up at the second alarm, but, alas, today is not a good day because it is a Theory of Knowledge day. I reset the alarm to ring for a third time five minutes later at 5:50 A.M, and this time, I wake up even though the alarm reminds me of the sound of fingernails scratching a chalkboard. I mindlessly, like a drone, go through my morning tasks from randomly picking clothes to making myself little bags of snacks to eat throughout the day making sure that I add a little more because of the fun of sharing. The idea of sharing was concocted by my uncle to help me get over my candy addiction but it did not work as I became, in a sense, addicted to sharing. The idea was that if I shared, I would have less for myself but I just would add extra for others, and the plan failed. Random snacks are one of the many simple things that bring me pleasure.
After I run out of the house barely on time, my dad drives me to school early for Theory of Knowledge, and on the way, he gives me the same redundant, contradictory lecture. He says that he cannot wait until I can drive and that he wishes I did not have the Theory of Knowledge class. To me, this is incredibly contradictory as my dad is the one who restricts me from driving and he forced me to be an IB diploma candidate, which requires the Theory of Knowledge class. After we reach school, he tells me to “be good” as if I am a depraved child that needs reminding. The simple phrase reminds me of my limited freedom and tempts me to do the opposite and be bad for once. Yet, for some reason, I cannot bring myself to do something horrible like failing a class on purpose.
Usually, either I struggle to stay awake during the school day or I stay awake with immense amounts of caffeine from a Starbucks Frappuchino. I go throughout the school day wondering if anyone will notice the artificialness of the energy that keeps me awake. The school day seems artificial as well. Accustomed to being surrounded by various friends I have known since I was in elementary school, I feel strange being engrossed in an atmosphere where most people vaguely know me. Most people still do not understand my resistance to authority or my hate for being called smart, but at least I have shattered the absurd stereotype that I would be a reticent, school-obsessed Indian, even though I am not Indian.
Finally, the school day is over beginning my daily two hours of freedom. School is only half-freedom because you are taught in accordance to set curriculum but you are allowed to act as an individual at times. I check the mail—one of my limited ways of communication to the outside world. I immediately go to the computer and spend time checking my email, reading the news, and chatting with my friends, while my younger brother watches cartoons. Halfway through my limited freedom, my brother and I switch positions. My brothers and I abide by a tacit agreement to not get each other in trouble even though we usually act good but the little things that we do such as not starting our homework the moment we arrive at home can get us in trouble by my father—a fastidious martinet.
Unfortunately, my father comes home on time at around 5 P.M., and my ebullience fades away. My mom, a doctor, does not have a set time when she comes home. Without my mom at home, enduring my dad is torture. When my mom is home, tolerating my dad is less torture but torture nonetheless. The rest of my day goes by in a blur between doing homework, doing chores, and trying to avoid the multiple groundings that my father bestows upon me daily. These groundings range from more chores to restrictions on reading books for pleasure. The only good part is that my headphones, hidden underneath my hair, block out the constant criticism and commands from my father and the on-going argument about my younger brother’s profession. I have opted to avoid talking to my parents about careers as they refuse to acknowledge my refusal to be a doctor. Sometime during the night, I take a shower—another bit of blissful freedom. The shower refreshes me, and after taking it, I am unable to concentrate on homework as I often find myself staring off into space idealistically thinking about the future. After my parents go to bed and allow me to stay up on the claim of homework, I sneak on the computer for as much time as I am willing to give up in regards to sleep. Finally, I go to bed when I realize that I have limited myself once again to only five hours of sleep.

[Tasneem]

Tasneem Chowdhury
Ms. Matthew
IB Language A
21 January 2005

Standardized Tests: Can They Determine Intelligence and How Do They Affect Life?

Every year, millions of people take standardized tests in order to measure their intelligence. Although intelligence does not have a set definition, these tests assign labels to people based off the results. These tests range from IQ tests, which measure a person’s intelligence quotient, to college entrance tests like the ACT and SAT. The results of these tests affect the lives of the test taker in various ways although these tests only assess certain aspects of intelligence. In addition, these tests may contain cultural biases as well as other flaws. Standardized tests unfairly and inadequately determine the intelligence of a person, and consequently, the use of the results of these tests may adversely affect a person’s life.
Standardized tests do not have the ability to determine intelligence primarily because intelligence does not have a set definition. In addition, standardized tests do not test all aspects of intelligence. The concept of intelligence has many definitions. In an editorial in the Wall Street Journal in 1994, 52 intelligence researchers attempted to define intelligence. They jointly wrote in the editorial that, “‘Intelligence is a very general mental capacity . . . that, among other things, involves the ability to reason, plan, solve problems, thing abstractly[,] comprehend complex ideas, learn quickly, and learn from experience’” (qtd. in Bower 220). Tamara L. Roleff, editor of the book Genetics and Intelligence, states, “Even psychometricians—researchers who study and measure intelligence—do not agree on a definition of intelligence” (12). Roleff recognizes two general definitions for intelligence. The first popular definition defines intelligence as “the ability to reason, learn quickly, analyze and solve new problems, and grasp abstract or complex concepts” (12). The other definition identifies intelligence as “task-specific abilities such as musical, spatial, and practical skills, as well as creativity and innovation,” all of which standardized test cannot and do not measure (12). A standardized intelligence test does not have the ability to assess a property such as intelligence if it does not have a set definition. In addition, Harvard-based research led by Howard Gardner suggests that instead of one primary form of intelligence, seven intelligences exist (Cowley 56). In the book 7 Kinds of Smarts, the author Thomas Armstrong identifies the seven types of intelligence—linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, musical, bodily kinesthetic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal (12). Each of these different types of intelligences exists on a continuum as every person has each of these intelligences to some extent. These intelligences incorporate different skills. Armstrong defines the linguistic intelligence as abilities involving the use of words such as arguing well or writing clearly (9). The verbal component of the linguistic intelligence appears in many questions in standardized tests. These questions can range from defining a word to arranging words in a grammatically correct manner. Armstrong recognizes that the majority of standardized tests include questions testing the logical-mathematical intelligence, which includes the use of numbers and logic as well as the ability to reason (9-10). Standardized tests do not assess other intelligences like spatial intelligence, the ability to visualize and to gain and portray information from pictures, and bodily-kinesthetic intelligence, proficiency in controlling the physical self, according to Armstrong (10). In addition, musical intelligence, which revolves around producing and appreciating music, and interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligences composing of understanding others or understanding the inner self, respectively, do not have consideration when the overall intelligence is determined by standardized tests, stresses Armstrong (10-11). Yet, various jobs utilize these intelligences but questions on standardized tests do not assess these intelligences. The use of these tests in various job files may harm a person’s chances as they detract from the intelligences used in the job as the tests focus on mathematical and linguistic skills. The American Psychological Association agrees, as they state in an online press release, “Standardized tests do not sample all forms of intelligence.” Standardized intelligence tests only attempt to measure two kinds of intelligences out of Gardner’s seven types. Although they claim to determine intelligence, standardized tests cannot possibly assess intelligence, as a set definition for the subject matter of the test does not exist.
Standardized tests and their links to determining intelligence have a controversial history. Geoffrey Cowley states in an article in Newsweek that early intelligence tests in the 19th century “were notoriously goofy, concerned more with the shapes of people’s skulls than with anything happening inside” (56). Brent Staples, who has a PhD in psychology at the University of Chicago, mentions that early tests incorporated scientific racism to prove that one race was better than another was. He states that the theory of head size correlating with intelligence “was abandoned when they found that Black and Native Americans often had larger heads and brains than white folk” (113). Roleff introduces the controversial arguments in her book Genetics and Intelligence by giving a history of intelligence testing. She starts off by mentioning that French psychologist Alfred Binet administered the first documented intelligence test to determine struggling students in 1905 (12). Roleff explains that Binet created a labeling system based off the results of his tests. From the results of the tests that he administered on schoolchildren, Binet determined that “‘normal’” children could correctly answer all of the questions (12). He labeled the children who could not “‘backward’” (12). Roleff then proceeds to introduce Lewis M. Terman, professor at Stanford University, who took Binet’s test to the next level (12). Terman, according to Roleff, developed a way of assessing a person’s mental age, which he dubbed IQ or intelligence quotient (12). From these scores, a new set of labels emerged. Roleff reiterates this by saying, “An IQ score of 100 is average, 70 or below is retarded, and 130 or above is gifted” (12). The label of being “gifted” or “retarded” may adversely affect a person’s life in various ways. These standards are still used currently in today’s society. In an online article in the St. James Encyclopedia of Pop Culture, Karen Lurie provides more history behind early intelligence tests. Lurie brings up Henry Goddard’s version of an intelligence test that was used at Ellis Island in 1912 (n.p.). Goddard created the new label of “‘moron’” for people who did poorly on his test (n.p.). Early intelligence tests started a system of labeling that has the potential to harm a person’s life. These labels may unfairly and incorrectly categorize a person based on a single test. In addition to labeling, early intelligence tests use scientific means to discriminate certain people. Lurie asserts that Goddard believed that he “‘proved scientifically’ that the majority of Jews, Hungarians, Italians, and Russians were what he considered ‘feebleminded’” (n.p.). His intelligence test helped encourage the use of intelligence tests in order to discriminate certain people based on their ethnicity or religion. Lurie mentions another example of this discrimination in the intelligence test used by the United States Army (n.p.). Created with the influence of Goddard and Carl Campbell Brigham, the Army Mental Test did not contain questions pertaining to intelligence “but rather an awareness of consumer and leisure culture, things to which impoverished immigrants without American hobbies and with little or no English skills probably would not know the answers to” (Lurie n.p.). Lurie states that Brigham categorized people based off the results of the Army tests (n.p.). Based off the results, Brigham created four categories, which he called Nordic, Alpine, Mediterranean, and American Negroes; supposedly, in order of the level of intelligence it represents (Lurie n.p.). These categories attempted to restrict foreigners from certain jobs in the army. Lurie also mentions that Brigham’s test “was instrumental in fostering congressional debates that led to the Immigration Restriction Act of 1924” (n.p). Used as a cover for discrimination and racism, the early intelligence tests discriminated as well as categorized large groups of people unfairly. The creators of these tests accomplished their aim of limiting the potential of foreigners with the use of unfair questions. These early tests have begun an era of unfair testing in America. In addition, the results of these tests today still may limit the potential of a person’s life.


Btw, that's my unfinished research paper...

[Tasneem]

Tasneem Chowdhury
Ms. Matthew
IB Language A
November 15, 2004

The Importance of the Setting

In the novel Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe utilizes literary techniques to aid in his purpose of reeducating the world of African culture. The novel takes place during the late 1800s and early 1900s in the village of Umuofia in southeastern Nigeria. Okonkwo, the unchanging protagonist, begins as a prosperous and respected warrior and clan leader. After a seven-year exile, Okonkwo returns to his mainland and notices the destructive influence the British missionaries have brought upon the clan. Okonkwo’s lack of adaptability leads him to attempt to restore the clan by convincing them to go to war with the white men, but when the people fail to unite under him, Okonkwo hangs himself, symbolizing the end of his people. In his attempt to reeducate, Achebe effectively uses the setting to reinforce the beliefs in the egwugwu, Oracle, and the Evil Forest, the unity in village meetings, and the circumstances behind the white men taking over.
The atmosphere of the egwugwu in court helps Achebe convey their cultural importance. When the egwugwu come to court, their august presence creates such a terrifying impression that women and children flee instinctively. The impulse the women have stems from the fear-provoking presence attributed to the egwugwu from their culture. The costumes of the egwugwu add to this terrifying ambiance. The leader of the egwugwu has “smoke [pour] out of his head”, and he possesses a staff that seems to have life itself as it shakes and rattles (89). This costume enhances the intimidating atmosphere because of the egwugwu’s frightening appearance. The egwugwu strengthen their superiority by the way they speak to the villagers. The egwugwu “[address] the humans as ‘bodies’”, and the person addressed “[bends] down and [touches] the earth as a sign of submission” (90). This practice makes the villagers feel inferior. Achebe heightens the understanding of the egwugwu by the atmosphere created from their costumes and way of speaking, both of which explain the women’s fear of the egwugwu.
The darkness present in the shine of the Oracle of the Hills and Caves and the Evil Forest explains the villagers’ intimidation. Situated in the side of a hill, the shrine’s entrance “[is] a round hole ... just a little bigger than the round opening into a henhouse” (16). The villagers who seek the Oracle have to crawl through this small hole in darkness, which adds to the sense of fear as the villagers crawl into the unknown. Inside the shrine, the Oracle resides in the “dark, endless space” (16) with only glowing logs as a source of light. These logs create numerous shadow figures adding to the surreal aura. In addition, the emptiness of the cave amplifies the Oracle’s voice and creates an echo, strengthening the overall atmosphere of fright. The features of the shrine all together explain the terror of each villager when consulting the Oracle. The Evil Forest has an ominous atmosphere as well. Each village contains an “’evil forest’” that has “sinister forces and powers of darkness” (149). The villagers associate the darkness of the forest with evilness, creating the conviction that the forest can contain the dreaded, wicked people such as twins. The darkness inside of the shrine of the Oracle and the Evil Forest helps explain the beliefs of the villagers.
The setting of a village meeting exemplifies the unity of the clan members. Every man from the nine villages of Umuofia—about ten thousand men—comes together for town meetings held in the marketplace. The idea that every single man arrives shows that the villagers take part in every decision. The myriad people act as one joined force rather than as individuals. Achebe creates this atmosphere of unity when “Ogbuefi Ezuego... [bellows] four times ‘Umuofia kwenu’” and the crowd “[answers] ‘Yaa!’ each time” (10). While Ogbuefi Ezuego informs the crowd of the death of a daughter of Umuofia, “a murmur of suppressed anger [sweeps] the crowd” (11). The crowd has similar emotions, and as a whole, they decide the course of action to either wage war or demand compensation. The villagers’ willingness to go to war for one of their own and the combined responses show the extent of the unity of the village.
The novel occurs during the turn of the century, marking the start of the British colonization when they begin to influence religiously, politically, and economically. When the villagers’ prediction that the white men would die does not come true, the villagers explain this by attributing evil powers to their glasses—a new object to the Igbo people. By successfully living in the Evil Forest, the white missionaries start to gain converts to their religion, breaking the unity of the clan. The white men influence the government in the village of Umuofia. Previously, the villagers rely on the egwugwu to administer justice. After the British settle in Umuofia, the District Commissioner ignorantly starts to judge cases and rules that men should go to prison despite the fact that they did spiritually correct practices such as throwing away twins. As time passes in the novel, the villagers become more tolerant of the white people because of their influence economically. Money starts to flow into Umuofia after the white men build a trading store. The new source of wealth allows the villagers to see past the faults of the white men. Set in the time around the start of the British colonization, the novel contains references to the British influences on the Igbo people religiously, politically, and economically that allow them to take over.
In Things Fall Apart, Achebe effectively uses the setting to explain the atmosphere created by the villagers’ beliefs as well as how the British influences allow them to take over. From the point of view of the Igbo people, the reader learns about the beliefs behind the customs of the African people. The setting helps the reader have an idea of how certain practices occur in the novel. The setting in Things Fall Apart adds a realistic touch to the story that helps the reader understand the villagers.


Exactly the word limit!

[Tasneem]

Tasneem Chowdhury
Ms. Matthew
IB Language A
October 11, 2004

Protocol Governing Lives

In Edith Wharton’s novel The Age of Innocence, protocol regulates society in many ways. The novel takes place during the 1870’s in New York. Newland Archer, the main character, begins as a person who fits into society as he complies with society’s rules. Upon the arrival of Ellen Olenska, who society does not accept, he announces his engagement to May Welland in order to show support for her family. After Newland converses with the ostracized Ellen, he realizes how trivial society’s protocols are and reforms his views about them while falling in love with Ellen. Torn between his love for Ellen and his duty to his wife May, Newland finally chooses to be loyal to his wife after she announces her pregnancy which causes cause Ellen to leave New York. In the end, Newland becomes a good husband as well as a good citizen in society. In The Age of Innocence, Edith Wharton effectively exemplifies how different protocols for women, weddings, and society govern the characters’ lives.
Wharton demonstrates how society expects women in the 1870s to follow a certain code of behavior that dictates parts of their lives. While attending parties, proper women follow certain etiquette that pertains to their socialization with other people. When Ellen approaches Newland after she has conversed with the Duke, Ellen breaks an etiquette rule as “[it is] not the custom in New York drawing rooms for a lady to get up and walk away from one gentleman in order to seek the company of another” (63). The correct protocol for women dictates that the women should wait for men to come to talk to them rather than approaching the men themselves. In addition, women follow certain standards that relate to their dresses. As Mrs. Archer states, “I always think it’s a safe rule for a lady to lay aside her French dresses for one season” (258). For a woman, to wear clothes immediately when she purchases them “[is] considered vulgar” (258) because it defies protocol. In New York society, another example of the behavior expected from women reveals that women should stay with their husbands regardless of what occurs. When Julius Beaufort fails financially, Mr. Letterblair, Newland’s boss, asserts that Regina Beaufort’s “duty is at his [Beaufort’s] side” (270). The Mingott family abide by this rule various times as they do not help Regina Beaufort but instead use her as an example to “urge on her [Ellen] again that after all her duty is with her husband” (276). Wharton uses these instances in the book to show how the protocol that women abide by alters their lives in many ways.
In addition, Wharton uses Newland’s wedding to demonstrate the application of certain rules to a wedding. New York society’s protocol includes various obligations that the groom must fulfill. When Newland marries May, his responsibilities include taking care of the bouquets of flowers for the bridesmaids, the sleeve-links of the ushers, and the best man’s scarf-pin. Furthermore, Newland must write thank-you notes and pay for the bishop and rector (179-180). In The Age of Innocence, the performance of certain traditional rituals occurs during the wedding. One vital part of the wedding includes the playing of the Mendelssohn March on the organ to send the couple out of the church (186). After that occurs, the couple runs out to their brougham amidst “the traditional shower of rice and satin slippers” (187). The honeymoon follows the wedding protocol as well: only the bride, groom, and their parents know the secret destination of the honeymoon, and therefore, the secrecy of the destination of the honeymoon holds the title of “the most sacred taboos of the prehistoric ritual” (180). Newland’s wedding contains the integral parts that comply with the protocol of a proper wedding.
Wharton successfully uses protocol to show how society performs certain actions in particular situations. In the beginning of the book, members of society submit to various societal rules. Society recognizes that “in metropolises it [is] ‘not the thing’ to arrive early at the opera” (4). Newland follows this tacit rule of society as he arrives late to the opera. Later on in the novel, Newland breaks an important rule of society during the opera when he enters a different box during a solo. Newland usually would not usually do this considering “[it is] deeply distasteful to him to do anything melodramatic and conspicuous” (321) but he does so when he becomes unconscious of his surroundings when he suddenly has an urge to tell May the truth. In the novel, people in society follow certain customs that pertain to church. The protocol in the old-fashioned Episcopalian New York imposes that May should accompany “her parents to church on Saturday afternoons” but May does not go as she opts to go on a walk with Newland in the park. Although May does not follow the usual practice, “Mrs. Welland [condones] her [May’s] truancy” because May complies with the more important rule having a long engagement. May’s farewell dinner for Ellen demonstrates the procedure society utilizes to deal with certain problems. The families of the Wellands and Mingotts throw a dinner to show their support and “unalterable affection” (334) of Ellen only because she will leave them forever. This occurs because society consists of people “who [dread] scandal more than disease, who [place] decency above courage, and who [consider] that nothing was more ill-bred than ‘scenes,’ except the behaviour of those who gave rise to them” (335). By having the dinner, society complies with their rule of settling matters in a nice, tolerant way. Although some characters break protocol at times, society in general follows a set of rules that dictates their actions.
In The Age of Innocence, Edith Wharton’s display of the role of protocol for women, weddings, and society in the 1870s helps the reader gain a better understanding of the reason behind the characters’ actions. Her incorporation of protocol in the book gives the characters a sense of order and makes the story more realistic. The protocol the characters follow has an essential role in the novel.



Exactly the word limit again!

[Tasneem]

Tasneem Chowdhury
Mrs. Matthew
IB Language A
5 April 2005

Parallelisms in the Development of Characters

In literary works, authors may develop their characters in similar phases. The play A Doll’s House and the novel The Metamorphosis have parallel characters that develop in three phases. Written by Henry Ibsen in 1879, A Doll’s House takes place in Norway during the 1800’s. The main character, Nora Helmer, struggles to conceal a secret from her husband. By the end of the play, her secret becomes exposed which inadvertently helps her obtain a life of her own. Published in 1915, The Metamorphosis, written by Franz Kafka, takes places in Austria during the 1900’s. The main character, Gregor Samsa, undergoes a metamorphosis into a giant bug, which drastically changes his life. His family—his parents and his sister—struggles with this new development, and a greater responsibility falls upon Gregor’s sister Grete who ensures his well-being and hides him from the outside world. Henry Ibsen, author of A Doll’s House, and Franz Kafka, author of The Metamorphosis, present the characters Nora and Grete in three similar phases in regards to the effects of their secrets, dealing with their secrets, and then finally breaking free from their obligations.
Ibsen and Kafka initially present the characters of Nora from A Doll’s House and Grete from The Metamorphosis as having secrets that have similar consequences. In each work of fiction, the plot revolves around a secret that affects both the main person with the secret—Nora and Grete—and their respective families. In A Doll’s House, the main character Nora does not tell her husband, Torvald, that she has taken out a bond without his permission. Krogstad, to whom Nora owes money, starts to blackmail her because she previously forged her father’s signature, and this secret may destroy her husband’s reputation. In The Metamorphosis, Grete, a secondary character, has to hide the appearance of her brother, Gregor, from the outside world. This secret affects her whole family, as they have to change their whole lifestyles to adapt to Gregor’s change. The authors create these secrets to have a direct link to the family’s finances in each work of literature. In A Doll’s House, Nora’s secret affects their financial situation as she has to save up money to pay back the loan and Krogstad’s blackmail threatens her husband’s job. In The Metamorphosis, Gregor’s transformation affects the family, as they had to come up with a new way to obtain income. In each work, the authors set up a situation where the characters—Nora and Grete—can alleviate the financial situation by getting jobs. In addition to saving money, Nora gets a job copying. Similarly, Grete earns money from a job as a sales clerk. These jobs add to each of the character’s complexity and demonstrate that each character has more skills than formerly perceived other members of the character’s family. The author of A Doll’s House and the author of The Metamorphosis present Nora and Grete, respectively, to have similar secrets that cause parallel events.
Ibsen and Kafka develop their characters in a phase where each character deals with their respective secrets. Each author presents their character as initially trying to help the opposing party in the secret and then, losing interest in keeping the secret undisclosed. Finally, the authors add an unforeseen development to aid in a final realization by the characters. Both Nora and Grete initially try to help the people that limit them. Nora initially tries to help Krogstad when he starts to blackmail her by telling her that he will reveal her secret if he loses his job. She tries to convince Torvald, who controls Krogstad’s job, to give Krogstad back his job when she says to Torvald, “‘Yes, dear, you must do as I ask; you must let Krogstad keep his post in the Bank’” (40). Grete also initially tries to help Gregor after she finds out that he has not eaten his favorite food by bringing a variety of foods for Gregor to sample. As these two works of fiction progress, the parallel characters start to care less about up keeping their secrets. Later in the play, Nora starts to care less about the secret as she tells Torvald to read his letters, knowing that one of the letters is from Krogstad and it reveals her secret. Similarly, Grete starts to care less about Gregor as she leaves his room in shambles and acts more irritably towards him. These actions reveal a theme from the authors that demonstrates that the characters do not have the capability to deal with the stress from their secrets as they lose their composure over time. The authors utilize an unexpected turn of events in both works of fiction to set up the fates of Nora and Grete. In A Doll’s House, Krogstad decides to send the bond back to Nora and stop the blackmail. This startling event allowed Nora to see the real Torvald. In The Metamorphosis, Gregor comes out of his room as a result of Grete’s beautiful violin playing. The boarders, whose rent is a source of income, discover Gregor and decide that they do not have to pay rent because they were unaware of this atrocity. These events spark discoveries by various characters in each work, and the authors use these events to set up a final revelation at the end. Ibsen and Kafka use the process in which the characters deal with their individual secrets to develop the characters while setting up for the end of their works.
Ibsen and Kafka use the developments of the characters and secrets to lead up to a final realization by Nora and Grete. Nora and Grete deal with the revelation of their secrets in a similar way in both works. The authors set up the characters of Nora and Grete to have similar family obligations. In A Doll’s House, Nora has an obligation to her children and husband. Her husband reiterates this when he says, “Before all else, you are a wife and a mother” (69). Grete also has a family obligation but hers is to her brother as she feels it is her duty to take care of her brother in The Metamorphosis. Yet after the revelation of their secrets, the family obligations are not as important to both characters. Nora decides that she wants to leave Torvald forever after his treatment of her. Similarly in The Metamorphosis, Grete believes that Gregor has to leave their household. The authors use the loss of importance of family obligations in both characters to incorporate a need for an important character to leave. In addition, the author uses this in order to open new possibilities for Nora and Grete. Nora decides to explore the world and make something of her life on her own. She makes the decision to leave Torvald and her children. Grete’s realization that Gregor limits the family’s potential which causes Gregor to leave on his own in the form of his death. After Gregor’s death, Grete and her parents realize their new potential to prosper. The revelations of these secrets by the authors reveal latent potential for all of the characters. While using a secret to develop characters, Ibsen and Kafka end their works in a life-reforming realization for the characters of Nora and Grete.
The author of A Doll’s House, Henry Ibsen and, the author of The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka develop parallel characters in Nora and Grete, respectively, when they deal with their individual secrets. Nora’s secret involves hiding a bond from her husband while Grete tries to hide her brother from the world. Both of these secrets affect their families and financial situations. The parallel characters deal with their secrets by trying to alleviate the problem at first but losing interest until an unexpected turn of events occurs. When the secrets were finally revealed, Nora and Grete realize their new potential as people in society. In the works of fiction, A Doll’s House and The Metamorphosis, Nora and Grete are presented in three interconnecting, parallel parts that relate to the implications of their secrets, how they deal with their secrets, and a connection where the characters realize their latent capability as individuals.

Word Count: 1355 words

[Tasneem]

Tasneem Chowdhury
Mrs. Matthew
IB Language A
27 April 2005

Exposure of the Unequal Treatment of Women

In various situations, women are treated unequally in comparison to men. An interview takes place between the author of So Long a Letter, Mariama Bâ, and the author of The Age of Innocence, Edith Wharton. So Long a Letter is written by the main character Ramatoulaye in the form of a letter to a friend. Ramatoulaye reflects upon her life in Senegal, Africa, and forgives her husband while recreating her view upon life during the 1930s to 1960s. Written by Edith Wharton, The Age of Innocence explores the life of the protagonist Newland Archer as his life changes as he marries the perfect, innocent May Welland while falling in love with her ostracized cousin Ellen Olenska. The novel takes place in the 1870s in New York. Bâ’s and Wharton’s books were chosen for a discussion on the exposure of the unequal treatment of women and their subservient roles in life. The audience of the interview is mainly adults and teenagers familiar with the books. The aspects of the unequal treatment explored include the way that husbands are not loyal, the impracticality of women being independent, the men’s view of their wives, the roles of women in the family, and how the women’s families force them into subservient positions.

Interviewer: Welcome to our talk on the exposure of unequal treatment of women versus men. Today, we are joined by the author of So Long a Letter, Mariama Bâ, and the author of The Age of Innocence, Edith Wharton. These authors incorporate the theme of women being hindered by unequal treatment and constrained by their society. In each respective book, the loyalty of men in marriage is explored. Can you explain how this exemplifies inequality to women?

Mariama Bâ: Initially, men marry for love, as was the case for Ramatoulaye and her husband Modou, and her friend Aissatou and her husband Mawdo. In this initial stage of marriage, the husband’s devotion to his wife is pure until he takes on a second wife. Modou and Mawdo both take on second wives. Modou takes on another wife who is his daughter’s best friend, Binetou. Binetou does not love Modou; yet, she is forced into marriage by her parents. The previous love and devotion for his wife evolves into a betrayal of their marriage as he abandons his family with Ramatoulaye in favor of starting a family with the prettier, younger Binetou. Aissatou’s husband also takes on a second wife after his mother requests him. Aissatou views her husband’s second marriage as disloyalty and betrayal and opts to leave her husband. The polygamy of the men is degrading to the women; yet, in African society, this is a common practice. Men are not devoted to one woman; yet, women are obligated to pledge allegiance to one man and do as that man wishes.

Edith Wharton: In The Age of Innocence, various men have affairs with other women either before marriage or during marriage. This is an ordinary practice among men, and society responds by gossiping about new affairs. One example of an affair is between Julius Beaufort and Fanny Ring. Despite being the constant subject of gossip, Mrs. Beaufort pretends not to know about it. The wives of these men are expected by society to feign ignorance on the matter of affairs. The idea that each man is having an affair is pervasive to the extent that people start to believe that Newland and Ellen are having an affair, although they never had an affair. In addition, women are expected to be innocent and free of affairs before marriage. Women are expected to have loyalty to their husband similar to the women in So Long a Letter.

Interviewer: How many women leave their husbands behind as a result of these affairs or additional marriages? In addition, how practical do you think it is for women in these situations to do so?

Edith Wharton: Ellen Olenska leaves her husband in Europe after his multiple affairs. When she comes to New York, she is immediately ostracized because it is extremely uncommon for a woman to leave the side of their husband. Society expects women to stay with their husbands without regard to what their husband does. Ellen gets discouraged from divorcing from her husband as well. The idea of a divorce is taboo in society, and as a result, it is not a practical option for women. Society’s discouragement for women to be independent adversely affects women as they learn to accept their role as being weaker or they are ostracized for not assimilating their views to the norm.

Mariama Bâ: Ramatoulaye’s friend Aissatou leaves her husband as well when he gets a second wife. Despite the fact that her husband said the second marriage was for his mother’s sake, Aissatou takes her children and moves away. She is able to support her family from being an interpreter. Leaving a husband in this society is looked down upon based on the Islamic culture and a woman’s financial situation. Without a husband, the woman has to provide for her whole family, which may consist of multiple children. Ramatoulaye considers leaving Modou but does not because of her ties to her Islamic background and her need to provide for all twelve of her children.

Interviewer: What do the husbands do when their wife leaves them?

Mariama Bâ: When Aissatou leaves her husband, he tries to get information from her friend Ramatoulaye. Despite the evidence that he still cares for his wife, he does not stay away from his second wife, and she is seen to be pregnant multiple times. This exemplifies that a man does not care enough for his second wife to find her and ask for forgiveness but rather the man would stay with another woman.

Edith Wharton: Instead of trying to make amends, Ellen’s husband tries to buy her back by offering roses, jewels, portraits, pictures, and other material objects. Ellen’s family agrees with her husband and tries to explain to her that she will benefit. Her family and her husband do not understand that there are more components to life than material objects.

Interviewer: What roles do women have in the family?

Mariama Bâ: In African society, women are expected to do have children and take care of them as well as do all of the household chores. In addition, a woman may have a job because the husband may not provide enough for the family. At times, women are treated as objects. Modou takes Binetou to nightclubs to show off her beauty. These roles in the family are unequal, as the men do not do their share of work. In addition, wives have to tend to the requests of their husband’s extended family.

Edith Wharton: Similarly, women are shown to society by their husbands in order to help raise their status in society. Newland marries May because she is a pretty, young woman, which elevates their status in society. Women are expected to raise their children, sew, and do other similar tasks.

Interviewer: How are women unequally treated by their family?

Edith Wharton: Ellen Olenska’s family forces Ellen not to divorce her husband in Europe. The family does not take into account her feelings when making this decision but rather the idea that the family’s status in society will be downgraded as a result of this shameful act. The family has various roles in controlling aspects of the lives of women.

Mariama Bâ: In African society, the family has a major role in everyone’s lives especially the women. The family of the husband demands certain things from the wife. Ramatoulaye has to put up with her husband’s sisters destroying her house, and she has to allow her mother-in-law to show off her house. Binetou’s family forces her into marriage with Modou in order to gain the benefits that he offers such as a trip to Mecca. The families of women do not care for the women as individuals but rather on the benefits that they can gain from them which forces the women into subservient positions.

Interviewer: Can you please give one last closing remark?

Mariama Bâ: My book So Long a Letter exposes certain inequalities between men and women as it is from the point of view of a woman. Her life story shows examples of polygamy, the impracticality of women being independent, the men’s lack of requests for forgiveness from their wives, and the families disregard for the feelings of a woman. These examples support the theme that in the Senegalese society, women are not as equal as men are treated.

Edith Wharton: The Age of Innocence exposes the inequality of women from a man’s point of view. This strengthens the idea of inequality between men and women because it is present to such an extent that it is not only visible by those oppressed into subservient positions.

Interviewer: Thank you for your insightful answers. We really appreciate your work on exposing the inequality between men and women.


Word Count: 1497

[Tasneem]

Tasneem Chowdhury
Theory of Knowledge
Ms. Turner
November 30, 2004

Chaos without Mathematics

Mathematics has an integral role in the world today. Mathematics includes all the computations using numbers in order to derive a numerical answer. These numerical answers are used in order to determine various things. If mathematics did not exist, many of the technological advancements in society would not have been possible. Mathematical formulas work in various components of life, although most people may be unaware of this functioning force. Mathematics also has an organizational force that is integrated whenever mathematics is used, and it creates things such as symmetry and rhythm.
Mathematics had a role in history as far back as the beginning of time. Historians use multiple mathematical calculations to determine the dates of artifacts. Carbon dating is one example of how mathematics is used to calculate the date something has occurred. One historical event important to the world was the invention of wheel. The wheel has been perfected over time to be used to the fullest extent when it is perfectly circular. For a wheel to be perfectly circular, certain mathematical calculations must be made in order for certain components to remain constant in the circle. Without perfectly circular wheels, planes and cars would not function as they do now, as they would not be as safe, which is now evident. Aiding the progress of history, certain navigation tools created by early navigators used mathematics. An astrolabe uses angles obtained from a circle to determine distance as well as other things. This form of geometry helped navigators plot a course through the ocean to find new lands. After new lands were found, a navigator could travel across the huge ocean aided by the use of the astrolabe. This geometrical instrument was an important historical development of the time. Without prior knowledge of mathematics, certain technological advancements in various parts of history would not have occurred. The absence of mathematics in history would completely change how advanced the world would be.
Various other components in a car depend on mathematical formulas. The rate of how fast a car goes cannot be determined if mathematics did not exist. The strife to make better, more fuel-efficient cars would not be to the level it is currently without mathematics as there would be no way to determine how effective a car is. The effectiveness of a car is determined by how many miles are driven per gallon. Miles per gallon is a simple mathematical calculation, as it is a proportion. The horsepower of car, the miles per gallon, the miles per hour, and various other components of a car are all a result of certain mathematical calculations.
Time is a function created by mathematics that is important to society and how it works today. The lunar and solar calendars as well as the modern calendar for years also incorporate mathematics. The modern calendar uses a system where it determines the year in relation to the year in which Christ was born. To place an event, it is necessary to determine if it occurred before or after the year of Christ and then add or subtract years from that to get the year in either BC or AD. In the solar and lunar calendars, time is allotted into years or months in accordance with either how long it takes the earth to make a whole revolution around the sun or how long it takes the moon to complete a full cycle. The number of days is determined by finding out how many days it takes for either to occur--a mathematical formula. Without mathematics, there would be no concept of keeping track of how many days have passed by in an organized way. In addition, time is also allotted into a certain number of hours per a day, minutes per an hour, and seconds per a minute. All of these creations are a result of mathematics. If mathematics did not exist, there would not be an organized way to determine how much time has passed and time would not be utilized to its greatest extent. Time is reliant on the existence of mathematics so the absence of mathematics in the world would result in a widespread of wastage of time, as there would be no way to keep track of time. Without time, certain events could not be planned ahead of time. In addition, certain people monitor how much time has passed for a sense of order, which is useful in many instances. For example, a student may allot a certain period of time for studying for one test in order to be able to finish homework in another class in order to be able to actually get a decent amount of sleep. Without this mathematical calculation of time, the world would lack a sense of order that is apparent today.
The world of sports uses mathematics in various situations. From determining pitch counts to determining the production of players together, mathematics plays a big role in statistics. In baseball, managers determine earned run averages of pitchers, batting averages of batters, and fielding percentages of players by the use of mathematical calculations. In addition to this, managers analyze the batting averages of the opposing team as well as their pitching stats. A mathematical calculation can even determine how well players play together with the plotting of productions circles on a graph. From these statistics, teams can determine which players to use and which to bench. With the use of mathematics, these statistics have an important role in the strategies used in competitive sports. Without these statistics, competitive sports would not have a structured method of determining how good players were other than watching games and guessing which players performed well.
Aerodynamics, astronomy, engineering, economics, architecture, medicine—every possible subject—depend on mathematics for various calculations. All of these components of society helped in the creation of technological advancements. Engineering, economics, and architecture comprise of the use of different mathematical formulas. While architecture depends on mathematics for angle calculations and proportions used in blue prints, economics is made up from the use of mathematics to determine either a person's wealth and income or how trends in spending occur in society. Economics creates a sense of order as people can strive to make a certain amount of money or the government can control spending in order to influence the economic trends. The use of architecture helps make stable buildings as well as houses. In the medical field, mathematics has great importance in determining many proportions in the amount of medicine and anesthetics. In addition, mathematics is also used to determine temperature, heart beat rates, blood pressure, glucose levels, and multiple other significant calculations in order for the doctor to be able to help a patient. Without these calculations, certain medical problems could go unnoticed and consequently shorten a patient’s life. The mathematical contributions to the medical field have significantly helped in saving many lives and extending them. Mathematics has played a vital role in advancing the knowledge in certain fields that has either helped makes lives safer, easier, or longer.
The existence of mathematics has contributed and helped everyone's lives in various ways despite the fact that it may cause stress when taught in mathematics class. Mathematics has helped place an order on the world and helped certain technological advances to take place. If mathematics did not exist, chaos and disorder would rule the world. In addition, the world would still exist as a community devoid of the ability to make any advancement.

[Tasneem]

Tasneem Chowdhury
Theory of Knowledge
Ms. Turner
April 1, 2005

Question: Is it someone’s motives that determine whether his actions are virtuous or is it the consequences of the actions?

Actions may be claimed to be virtuous depending on the person judging the action. Virtue is a subjective claim on how moral something is. Neither the motive nor the consequences alone can determine how virtuous an action is. The intentions and the consequence of the action combined make an action virtuous but the intentions of a person take precedence over the actual consequences of the action.
The ideology of the person who does the action needs to be considered first when deciding if an action is moral and virtuous. For example, the act of Abraham Lincoln freeing the slaves in the South in his Emancipation Proclamation may be seen as virtuous by some people but not by others. His action was virtuous in the sense that the slaves were freed from immoral conditions. Adversely, others claim that Lincoln did not free the slaves because he was morally opposed to slavery but rather that he freed them to preserve the Union and harm the South in the Civil War. Yet, Lincoln’s intention was to preserve the Union and bring about an end to a war that was harming the country as well as the people living in it. The ideology at the time works in determining the intention of the person when determining the worthiness of an action.
The motive of the person helps in determining if an action is virtuous. The person who does the action is the only one who actually knows what his or her motive is. If that person believes that he or she has a good intention, the action has the ability to be seen as virtuous. Yet, if the person has a bad intention, then the action, even if it had good consequences, it cannot be virtuous as the action was tainted in the beginning. The consequences of the action may have been virtuous but intent of the person was not for it to be moral. In a world full of uncertainties, it is not possible to fully control what will happen. For example, a person may decide to act immorally and that person’s action may accidentally turn out to be beneficial to others. Conversely, the opposite may happen to a person with good intentions. For example, a person may try to help another person, but a confounding variable may alter what that person wanted to happen and the action may turn out for the worse.
Yet, in addition to having a good intention, some sort of a good outcome is necessary for others to perceive it as virtuous. Not every action has the potential to be virtuous though. A determining factor does not exist that categorizes actions into being either virtuous or not virtuous. Qualifications of what actions are virtuous differ from person to person virtuous depending on the person judging the action and their morals. The motives of people according to their ideology and the person judging the action all have an important role in determining the virtue of an action.

[Tasneem]

Order of the World

The world is made up of certain objects and concepts that impose an order on the world and language is used as a tool to make this possible. These certain objects and concepts include a need for technological advances in a community, certain components of society, societal pressures, religion, governing bodies, and many other things. Each component of culture has an effect on the whole world and becomes a vital part of every one’s lives.
Communities have a need to advance their technology and language makes this possible. It is necessary for people to collaborate and work to advance a society to make people’s lives better. In some ways, the need to make certain processes easier and time-efficient forces people to work together. This includes a need to find a cure for a disease or a solution to a world problem. For example, people from various countries had to work together despite their differences to create a nuclear bomb in World War II. The need for technological advances imposes a need for people to work together.
Society is made up of various concepts and programs that impose themselves upon people. One program, school, is created to teach people how to communicate with others better and get a basic understanding of the world. Schools are structured systems of order as kids have to start school at a certain age and go until they are another certain age because it is believed that it is essential for children in order for them to have a better future as an adult. In addition, it is compulsory by the government for children to go to school in certain countries. Teachers use language as a tool to communicate with their pupils. Language makes it possible for a teacher to teach and for people to understand the teacher and gain knowledge. In school, students learn to interact with others by the use of the same language. For example, people tend to group around similarities they discover in people by the use of language. Conversely, people tend to stay away from people that they can not easily communicate with. Language allows people to have a structured system of learning and understanding while interacting with others.
Society also imposes a sense of order to people who are conscious of how they are perceived by others. People alter their behavior to appear smart or to have a sense that they fit in. For example, a person may use big words in order to impress others in order for those people to believe that they are smart. A person may dress a certain way to attain approval from others so they can have a feeling of fitting in. Societal pressures impose certain things on a person.
Religion creates a sense of order on a society because certain beliefs of people alter their behavior. In addition, a sense of morality also alters behavior. Society has a set of moral rules that most people follow which creates a sense that they should not do certain things like stealing and killing. Usually, a religion has similar rules in place. For example, if a person steals from another person, their sense of morality and religious beliefs would cause them to have a sense of shame. By trying to avoid certain things that would be disapproved by their morality and religious beliefs, people are subject to the impositions of their beliefs.
A governing body imposes rules that certain people must follow. Depending on where a person lives, the government imposes on people how they can do certain things and what they can not do. The government imposes that people have to pay taxes to them or they will hunt the person down. The rules set by a government compels people to follow them.
Language does not impose order on the world by itself, but rather, it is used as a tool with other concepts to create an order on the world.

[Tasneem]

Tasneem Chowdhury
Theory of Knowledge
Ms. Turner
11 May 2005

#2 Do questions like “Why should I be moral?” or “Why shouldn’t I be selfish?” have definitive answers as do some questions in other Areas of Knowledge? Does having a definitive answer make a question more or less important?

In a world full of knowledge, every question has a definitive answer, although some of those answers may not be known by humans at the time. Certain questions may be more subjective than other questions; therefore, they may have different answers depending on the person answering or asking the questions. In addition, answers to said questions may also depend on the interpretation of the questions. Consequently, some questions may have various answers but definitive answers as long as the person answering the question believes his or her answers are true. Questions regarding morality and selfishness may have definitive answers as do other questions in other Areas of Knowledge; yet, the wording and interpretation of the questions may alter the answers, if the questions are possible to answer. Nevertheless, definitive answers do not make questions more or less important than other questions.
Morality is a set of standards that people use to judge what is right or wrong. Morals are created by people based on their beliefs. These morals may be personal beliefs based on religion or another philosophy. In addition, these morals could be the morals of the society where a person lives. Morals may differ from person to person depending on what they believe and to what extent they believe in them. In history, morals change over time as in the case of slavery, therefore, a conclusive answer to the question would change over time as well. Questions regarding morality are subjective as the answers differ from person to person. Yet, questions on the topic of morality have definitive answers if the person answering believes that his or her answer is the answer even if the answers do not apply to everyone.
The question “Why should I be moral?” can be interpreted in various ways. The keywords “I” and “moral” are important to the interpretation of that question. The keyword “I” refers to the person’s own interpretation of morality. If a person believes in their morals, he or she should act in accordance to their beliefs. If their belief in their own morals is strong enough, a question would not arise that would necessitate a reason for being moral. For example, if a person believes that cheating is immoral, that person would not cheat because he or she thinks it is wrong. Yet, the question could be interpreted differently based on the keyword “moral.” If those morals that are referred to are the morals of society, then the question takes a different meaning. The person then answers the question based on the societal consequences. For example, a person would decide to be moral and not cheat because he or she may be expelled from school. The answer to this question is definitive as long as the person believes he or she is willing to live with the consequences of their actions in accordance to the answer. The answer to this question does not have to be correct to another person because that person will not be acting upon the answer. Their answers to the same moral situations may be different but neither of the answers is incorrect, as each person believes that their answer is the right one for their situation. Another example of this regards choosing one moral over another. In a theoretical situation, a person may be faced with a dilemma that would necessitate deciding whether to do something for the good of society or for the good of one person. For example, if a perfect society existed on the suffering of one person, a person may be faced with the dilemma of either letting the perfect society exist without regard to the lone person suffering or the person could help the person suffering and bring turmoil upon the perfect society. Various people may chose differently based on what moral they value more, but either way the answer is conclusive and definitive as long as they believe strongly enough in their answer. At the moment, people may not have the knowledge and capacity to understand if their answer is conclusive, but their belief in their answer makes it as definitive as possible.
To be selfish means to be concerned with the welfare of oneself. Questions regarding selfishness have definitive answers as well. The question “Why shouldn’t I be selfish?” is flawed in itself. Every act done by a person is selfish as everything a person does is in self-interest. The person may be doing an act that helps another person instead of him or herself. Yet, this act is still done in self-interest because the person doing the act gets some sort of self-satisfaction, even if it is not as satisfying as the other option, because people feel good when helping others. For example, a child may give up a toy that he or she has longed for to another less fortunate child. The child would feel good about him or herself because he or she helped in bringing about the happiness of another. In addition, the person has a feeling that he or she is not egocentric as he or she is able to consider others over him or herself. Thus, the current question is not possible to answer. The main question is “which act is less selfish than the other is?” Consequently, this question should be rephrased to be “Why shouldn’t I be less selfish?” Other questions regarding selfishness should address what extent an act is selfish rather than if it is selfish or not. These questions have definitive answers as well based on the premise that an answer is definitive as long as the person believes in it. For example, a school may choose to use money for sports for recognition rather then for academics and the good of the students. Questions regarding selfishness are subjective, and therefore, the answers vary from person to person. Yet, the answers that people make to these questions are definitive as long as they believe in their answer.
Answers to questions regarding morality and selfishness have definitive answers, as do other questions in the other Areas of Knowledge. Yet, these definitive answers are always open to interpretation. A question may have a simple answer; yet, they may have complex explanations. In addition, not all questions have answers in the other Areas of Knowledge. Each question depends on the situation. The Areas of Knowledge also contain biases that may lead to an answer based on the wording of the question. The definitive answers may contain biases based on the biases of the society at the time. The presence of unanswered questions does not alter these Areas of Knowledge.
In the area of history, some questions have multiple answers, as do questions regarding morality and selfishness because of the different perspectives. Some of these questions can be answered subjectively, just like the questions regarding morality and selfishness. The answers to these questions may be definitive as well as there may not be an answer that applies to everyone. For example, the question “What is the meaning of life?” does not have an answer that is widely accepted, but a person may answer that question in accordance to their beliefs. Questions in the other Areas of Knowledge may not have answers that apply to everyone but they may still be answered definitively.
Definitive answers to questions do not determine importance of a question. Most questions do not have definitive answers that apply to everyone. Only specific questions have definite answers; therefore, the broader a question, the more open it is to interpretation. Humans may not even have the capability to know if a real answer is a definitive answer. Questions may have another answer that human biases cause people to overlook. A person may not even recognize his or her bias, and therefore, may not be able to remove him or herself from biases already implanted. The real answer may not have been discovered, and the people at the time may think that their answer is right because of cultural biases. The importance of a question is determined by the person who is answering the question. People have different notions of what is important and what is not; therefore, their idea of what question is important would differ from person to person. The way that the person acts upon his or her answer matters more than if his or her answer is definitive. A person does not need an answer for a question to learn more. The strife to answer can be more important than the answer itself. One the most important question that does not have answer is “What is the meaning of life?” Each person has different values and morals that contribute to their answer of the simple question. At times, the presence of a definitive answer does not matter as much as the way the answer affects life.
Questions regarding morality and selfishness are subjective, and the answers vary from person to person. Yet, the personal answers to these questions are definitive as long as the person answering the question has faith in their answer. Having a definitive answer does not make a question more or less important, as various questions do not have widely accepted answers. The way that the answers affects life is more important than if the answer is definitive.

Word Count: 1545

[Tasneem]

College essays! How joyous and fun!

Describe a setback or ethical dilemma that you have faced. How did you resolve it? How did the outcome affect you? If something similar happened in the future, how would you react?

In March of my sophomore year, a life-changing verdict appeared on a computer screen in black and white text: University of Missouri – Kansas City Residency Program. My mom had just been matched to a residency program on the other side of the state.

Although there were no certainties in the residency match, my family had banked on my mom being matched in St. Louis. Any place otherwise was unfathomable. My family had lived in St. Louis for as long as I could remember. We had overcome the challenges in life from coping with my mom going to medical school two states away to agonizing over who would end up having to do dishes. I had just reached a point where I was comfortable with my friends and with my status of being popular within the unpopular crowd. I was comfortable with being me.

This comfort came to a shattering end when I realized that I had to part with lifelong friends. These friends were the people who backed me up regardless of the repercussions. They knew me my whole life and would never think to apply frivolous stereotypes to me.

In my new school, I had to completely start over and fight these stereotypes. I was advised to adapt, have a fresh start, and create a new personality. Even though I was snatched away from the stability I knew and was struggling to find new homeostasis, I was not willing to give up with the one thing that would stay with me forever: my personality.

I did not realize how hard that would be until the first day of school. I chose to become an International Baccalaureate diploma candidate and join the few people in that exclusive group. Little did I realize that my previous two years of high school were considered sub par in comparison to the education my new school offered. I was already behind in a race that had not yet begun. The veteran students realized this and hypothesized that I would soon drop out of the program.

On top of that, these students started to apply various stereotypes to me, many derived from my appearance. As I was reticent the first couple of days, I was stereotypically labeled as a reserved, obsessively studious Indian. This struck me as odd since I was neither reserved nor obsessively studious nor even Indian. My childlike, meek face also contradicted my sarcastic nature, as people were unable to tell if I was being serious or not. My personality incited confusion to such an extent that students, most of whom had never met me, had heard of me. Yet, people would not approach me for a fear of offending me, which ironically offended me more than any words could have.

The pressure was on me to fit into this elite group of International Baccalaureate diploma candidates or to drop out of the program. To change to fit in was almost as heart wrenching as giving up. I had to find a suitable medium in the two simultaneous fights. I had to break free from the mold set out for me. Everything seemed to be against me, and I confess to contemplating the easy way out and becoming the person everyone thought I was. Although it seemed like completely starting over, I realized that I had to build upon the past. I had always known how to make friends, but I did not need to have friends to make me as a person.

The prominent idea of fitting in faded in my mind as I opted to be myself and let people know me by that. I approached people and started to talk to them rather than wait for them to talk to me. Soon, intellectual stimulation arose from the difference in my background instead of reaffirmation of stereotypes. Just like hard work and determination helped me catch up in the education pursuit, being myself helped me bridge gaps and make friends.

The move initially seemed like a setback to me but as time progressed, the move set me forward to grow intellectually and further develop my personality. The future will bring about many situations where I have to start over, and I will react by not trying hard to fit in. I know now that the best way to overcome new situations is to be myself and help people get to know me for who I am rather than who they think I should be. After all, it is my personality that will stay with me forever.

[Tasneem]

Tell us about a few of your favorite books, poems, authors, films, plays, pieces of music, musicians, performers, paintings, artists, magazines, or newspapers. Feel free to touch on one, some, or all of the categories listed or add a category of your own.

Most of my favorite things have always been discovered by accident or by chance. As a result of the absence of expectations, these experiences have etched a long lasting impression in my heart. One such experience happened during the monotonous presentations on various poets in my literature class. As my fatigued class listened without comprehension, one of the poems unexpectedly captured my attention. The poem, later which would become my favorite, gave insights on the intensity of love and the power that love has on a person through its unique perspective. The poem was “somewhere i have never travelled, gladly beyond” by ee cummings, and the recitation of this poem captivated me and created a frantic craving to read more of his poetry. The words did not blast me with a sense of confusion as to what the hidden meaning could be, but rather, the words tumbled over each other which reflected message that the poem was trying to relay. My further reading of poems by ee cummings have not only broadened my view of love, but also have exposed me to unique insights on various basic things in life.

Similar to discovery of my favorite poem, I happened to be come across an interesting and innovative twist on the presentation of information in my history class. This time it was in the form of a newspaper that had been carelessly thrown upon my desk. The newspaper was The Onion, and the headline instantly piqued my interests. I can not entirely remember what the headline was, but I do remember laughing hysterically and requesting my teacher for old issues. The Onion is not a traditional newspaper as it is a parody of the news of today. It not only allows you to take a step back from the how the news connects to you, but it makes you aware of the exaggerated steps that are taken sometimes to rectify a problem. For an avid reader of the news, The Onion provides a refreshing insight on the some of the follies on human nature while being mild enough to not offend but instigate realization of these characteristics in ourselves and others.

Every time I go to the library, I take caution not to judge a book by its cover, but no one had ever warned me about choosing a book based on its title. For the third visit in that respective week, I skimmed the new book section in hopes of finding a book that could become the next new sensation. The book that caught my eye unfortunately will remain under the radar for the time being, but it did cause a sensational amount of reading on my part when I realized how wonderful the series was. Coincidentally, I had been called a “savage damsel” by a friend an hour before my trip to the library, and this triggered a whim to pick up the book, The Savage Damsel and the Dwarf. This book was a part of The Squires Tales by Gerald Morris, and I initially dismissed it as being another simplistic fantasy novel with a trite plot. My expectations were proven to be completely wrong as I was immersed into a spin off of Thomas Mallory's Le Morte d'Arthur. Rich details were accompanied with sharp wit and humor, all of which added depth to the underlying message of the story. In this book, the idea that beauty is more than just skin-deep and that one should not choose their friends and allies just for their looks was conveyed in a unique manner that sets it apart from other books with the same meaning. Each of the books in Gerald Morris’s series takes a common message and originally expresses the same view in a smart and entertaining method that has an intensified impact.

My favorite poem, newspaper, and book all have a unique approach to relaying messages. Each of these holds a place in my heart and has a lasting impression on me because of its fresh way of presenting information. I learned that when I least expect it, my view of the world is expanded by a variety of resources in different structures.

[Tasneem]

This one had a word limit

An old expression says, "what is right is not always popular and what is popular is not always right." Give an example of a time when you made a choice that was not popular, but you felt was right. Why did you make this choice? What happened as a result?


Silence fell upon the class as the first test, the indicator of the difficultly of the entire course, was handed out. In high school, the quest for an A often overshadows the joy of learning and the newly founded appreciation of our surroundings that comes with it. The first test sets the stage for the expectations of a teacher as to what information needs to be regurgitated in order to please the teacher and obtain the desired grade. As a result, it is now popular to sense what a teacher desires for an answer and mindlessly present it in that manner.
As my classmates came upon the essay question in this particular test, their grimaces of concentration were superseded with expressions of relief from the presence of a simple essay question that only required a couple of vague generalizations with supporting details to obtain a good grade. However, my equanimity was instantly shattered by this cleverly disguised challenge. My head screamed in outrage as my classmates wrote furiously with blissful smiles on their faces, oblivious to how they were reaffirming the notion of a deep divide forged in ignorance.

What essay question can produce two opposite reactions—one from the majority and the other experienced just by me? I knew I had the ability to write an essay and acquire a good grade, but my heart told me that writing this essay would be wrong on a variety of levels. The essay question was: What are the differences between American and Islamic culture?

As both an American and a Muslim, I could not differentiate between the two integral components of myself. What I was about to do was the least popular thing in the race to attain a superior grade. I knew that my indignation fueled what I was about to write, and my words would have a decreased effect if my vehemence bled through. I took a deep breath, detached my anger from my words, and wrote an essay on how I could not write an essay answering that question.

I felt that it was right to write about the inability for anyone to answer such a question as it was flawed initially. The place where a person lives and the religion a person follows are two different parts of culture, and as a result, contrasting them would be similar to contrasting the ingredients of a cake. My desire for a good grade ceased to matter as it was replaced with my impulse to draw attention upon this injustice in hopes of rectifying it.

My three page essay in tiny, hurried handwriting with various supporting details received a perfect grade on paper, but only in order to prevent an anticipated uproar if a failing grade was given. To this day, my teacher obstinately defends the appropriateness of this question as well as similar questions in our on-going battle. However, I continue to challenge such questions, and I remain satisfied with my choice to not easily give in.

[Tasneem]

I wrote this one before the one I wrote above and it just seemed like a good idea to write on the same thing.

University of Chicago alumna and renowned author/critic Susan Sontag said, "The only interesting answers are those that destroy the questions." We all have heard serious questions, absurd questions, and seriously absurd questions, some of which cannot be answered without obliterating the very question. Destroy a question with your answer.


Silence fell upon the class as the first test, the indicator of the difficultly of the entire course, was handed out. In history, two types of questions appeared on a test: factual and interpretive questions. The interpretive questions, usually in the form of essay questions, are dreaded by most high school students as they have to think and make connections on their own rather than regurgitate information memorized the night before. Consequently, these questions can be the most difficult to answer.

As my classmates came upon the essay question in this particular test, their grimaces of concentration were superseded with expressions of relief and surprise instigated by the presence of a simple essay question. However, my equanimity was instantly shattered by this cleverly disguised challenge. My head screamed in outrage as my classmates wrote furiously with blissful smiles on their faces, oblivious to how they were reaffirming the notion of a deep divide, a divide forged in ignorance.

What essay question can produce two polar and opposite reactions—one from the majority and the other experienced just by me? Such a question holds a hidden, detrimental power of influence, and my heart urged me to annihilate it once and for all. The powerful but simple essay question: What are the differences between American and Islamic culture?

As both an American and a Muslim, I could not differentiate between the two integral components of myself. Yet, I knew that my indignation fueled what I was about to write, and my words would have a decreased effect if my vehemence bled through. I took a deep breath, detached my anger from my words, and began to write an essay on how I could not answer the question. The following was my attack upon the question:

There are no differences between American and Islamic culture because they are both basic parts of culture that coexist together. Each of these make up a different part of culture and comparing them would be similar to comparing the ingredients of a cake. For a difference to exist between two units, a connection between the two must exist. These correlations group the entities together as to allow for the discrepancies to exist from how they differentiate from the initial similarities. For example, a religion may be compared with another religion whereas a country may be contrasted with another country, but the two groups can not intertwine in the search for differences and divides. There is no way to contrast where a person lives and what religion the person follows. Each of these is a separate layer of culture that is interdependent of the other. Therefore, the essay question itself can not be answered as no differences exist between the two incomparable things.

An example of a question that can be answered could be “What are the differences between Christianity and Islam?” or even “What are the differences between America and the Middle East?” Yet, these questions justify the need to find disparities, however miniscule, and focus on them. This exploitation of dissimilarities between groups of people overshadows the basic similarities and creates unnecessary barriers.

An educator should recognize the influential power such a prompt has on the minds of those who attempt to answer it. These questions fuel the growth of a generation who intuitively find differences and wrongly focus their attention upon them instead of the whole picture. As true as it is that differences stimulate intellectual discussion, the quest to find differences can consume one and at times, disillusion the person into believing generalizations.

Sometimes a question can destroy the chance for a fair answer. Questions like these ask for the impossible as the answers do not exist unless the information itself is altered in order to answer the question. Initially skewed questions like the essay prompt need to be obliterated themselves to prevent the distorted answer from being harmful. Destroying this history prompt was the first step to destroying something with the potential to harvest and fuel prejudice.

[Tasneem]

I don't really want to go to this school so I'm hoping this essay will turn them off

At the University of Michigan, we are committed to building a superb educational community with students of diverse talents, experiences, opinions and cultural backgrounds. What would you as an individual bring to our campus community?

“Mexico” I tell everyone promptly when they ask me where I was born. I don’t tell them that the Mexico I am referring to is a small town in the middle of Missouri though. I see it as a first step for people judging me for who I am rather than who I should be according to where I was born.
“A blunt and brutally honest person” I answer when they ask me what I am. My answer doesn’t satisfy what I know they want to know, but I am not ready to give them an answer that will feed their need to categorize and compare me with others.

“My mom” I chirp when they ask me where I am from. Nervous smiles of frustration arise but I keep a face that dares them to ask more questions until they finally find the question that can give them more insight on me as a person rather than me as part of a statistical question asked on a standardized test.

What is the right question? It does not exist. There is no finite question that can tell you all about me in one sentence. I am more complex than a simple outward distinction derived from my appearance. Yet, as you get to know me, you realize that each experience has made me who I am.

Moving two times in the past two years has made me realize that there is more to life than my immediate world has to offer. My broadened view of the world has incited an urge to help people—especially those outside of my neighborhood. I have never been afraid to speak my mind, and each move allowed me to encounter all types of people and learn to tolerate despite different opinions. Each person I have met has given me a new opinion, a new outlook on the world, and a new challenge –a challenge to refine my own opinions with my new knowledge. I hope I can offer the same challenge with my knowledge of what is happening around the world and with my attitude to stand up for what I believe in. My personality, experiences, and opinions are all part of me and hopefully, will add to the diverse community of the University of Michigan.