Reflection Letter

Dear Audience,
       This project was a long and treacherous road. I waded through three different subjects before I settled on one and that isn't bad but it got me worried at times. My overall topic was on atomic bombs, and my "sub-topic" I guess you could call it would be why people are so fascinated with them and what they can do. I feel like maybe you can't see that in my work, but I certainly hope you can because that's what my book really tackles. I mention it in my essay how Julianna Baggott raises the question "just because we have atomic bombs at our disposal should we ever be allowed to use them?"and it is such a good question! I think anytime the question "Just because we can, should we?" is raised it should be thought about thoroughly because once actions are taken, you can't take them back. If that makes sense. I'm kind of nervous that I didn't address this topic enough though. I'm stuck between feeling really proud of the project I have created and feeling kind of ashamed of it. Which is really bad to admit too. I did try really hard on this project, so that's got to count for something. My golden thread was hard to think up. When I began my creative pieces I didn't intend to have all of them thread together. But maybe they don't really need to be. Ultimately I went with a component that I became attached to and had shown up more than once. This was the small story I created in my first writing piece. I feel like I could call it an extended metaphor even though it's crafted exactly from the qualities exercise we did in class. That writing just really stuck with me and it added a lot to my understanding of the text and topic. The topic just became so much richer after I wrote that. It's the only way I can describe it.
        -Meredith

The Golden Thread

I began to create my thread in my first creative writing piece. I took the qualities exercise we did in class and expanded it. I was having a hard time writing it, then it just suddenly clicked. I was re-reading what I wrote and it all fell into place. I knew what I wanted to write, and how to write it. By making the qualities come alive I created a whole other story. I actually got emotional when I wrote it. I let that first quality factor into my last piece as well and paired them together. By creating this world for the way a bomb blows up the event became so much richer. In Fuse you never get to experience the bomb actually blowing up. Everything is in the After, and you learn about the past throughout the books. When I began this project I intended to write a short story that was set when the bomb went off so I could create it myself. It didn't work out that straightforward. In the end I think I did create the story I intended, but I did it a lot more abstractly. Having the story of the qualities created a richer vibe to what an atomic bomb going off would be like. I think having this as a part of my project and having it laced throughout it forms this deeper understanding of my topic. My project was ultimately centered around the subject of atomic bombs and having this abstract representation of a bomb going off just gave the project a little more. Which is why I think it's my golden thread, it affected how I went about this project, or part of it at least. It was an influential part of the project. Even though I would love to know Julianna Baggott's version of how the bomb went off but since there is little information it leaves a lot of room for creativity. Having that gap in the storyline not only gives the story more mystery and a purpose it helped form my creative writing pieces because I am really interested to know about what it was like the day the bomb went off in the book.

Creative Piece #4: Mood Music

Mood Music

This playlist coincides with my first creative writing piece entitled "Fashion Show."

1) I picked The Radiance to start off this playlist because it's only a minute long and it's Oppenehimer "the father of the atom bomb" talking about the first time they saw the atom bomb go off during testing.

2) Survivor's Guilt is the second track because it opens with dialogue from the movie Catch-22 and a man says "America can't be destroyed" and I like this because in my book America is thoroughly destroyed and it makes someone think about how we are not immortal and we will not last forever. 

These two songs act as a Prequel or calm before the storm before the bomb goes off.

3) Burn is originally an Ellie Goulding song but Chris Kamrada (There For Tomorrow) does a drum cover of it that adds some "umph" to the song. I use this as the third track because it coincides with the quality Brightness in my first Creative Writing piece. It is a loud and fast song that's flashy and encompasses how I want Brightness to be displayed.

4) The Grand Finale is really where the fun begins in the track. This song is about the world ending so it fit perfectly. At this point Heat would be performing and he needs loud dramatic music. It basically encompasses all of the fear that happens when a bomb goes off.

5) Sail is the aftermath of the bomb. Everything is still in chaos so the song is loud and heavy, but it doesn't hold the same terror The Grand Finale does. It sets the post apocalyptic mood that will be around for a long time.

6) Kennedy Curse is when Pain makes her entrance. It's a raw song with a guitar lick that practically cries. It shows how all of the survivors of the bomb would be feeling. The physical and emotional pain they are enduring and the sadness and hopelessness that comes along with it.

7) Flux and Flow is when things get heavy again music wise. But it holds a little hope. There is still some sadness and pain, but it doesn't leave a person completely depressed. It explains that things will get better some day even if things are bad now. It would start playing during Pain's performance but the end would bleed into Recovery's performance.

8) The playlist ends with Burn The Night Away, which is a quiet acoustic song. Recovery has made her entrance and everyone has seen her. It's quiet and not so sad and just a simple song. The calm and peacefulness of it shows the beginning of better times.

Things aren't completely mended by the end of the playlist. There is still a long way to go. But the hysteria held in The Grand Finale and Sail have died down and the hope appearing in Flux and Flow and continuing through Burn The Night Away promises for happier songs and brighter days.

Creative Piece #3: Both Sides of the Story

Both Sides of the Story

Dear Pures,

  We envy you. You walk around with unscathed skin while we are scarred and fused. You eat well and live long while we starve and die young. Our children are taken at 16 to kill or be killed. Our lungs are clogged with ash and dust while you breathe air purified with vents. Curiosity got the best of you and you decided to press the big red button that said “DO NOT TOUCH.”  This isn’t your world anymore. You gave that up when you left us for your dome to deal with YOUR consequences. When you appear from your hide-out we will be ready and we won’t be welcoming.

 Sincerely, Wretches

 Dear Wretches, 

 We envy you. You are free outside. Free from the guilt of leaving millions behind. We know the truth about who activated the bomb. We kill ourselves rather than do something because we can’t live with the guilt. You are not the only ones who are scarred and permanently altered. We degenerate our cells with hormones and enhancements to improve our body but it just kills us faster. The Dome isn’t safe, so relish in your freedom.

  Sincerely, Pures

Creative Piece #2: Fusings

Fusings

 In a world where a bomb hasn’t ravaged the world Pressia’s hand would be freak-ish. Instead of a hand, there is a doll head. It looks like the head has consumed her hand. Pressia could have been born with the doll head, like she came out of the womb with a baby doll head in place of a hand. The plastic was once a pale pigment similar to Pressia’s skintone, but after years it has accumulated a dark sheen comprised of ash and dust. Dust piles up in crevices of the doll’s head, behind the ears or in the corners of the eyes. The hard plastic transitions into Pressia’s wrist seemlessly. It goes from smooth, cool plastic to the warm, vibrant alive feeling of Pressia’s wrist. There’s a small scar where the plastic meets her wrist, Pressia’s own doing, the result of a razor. She just wanted to know if she could get rid of it. The doll’s eyelashes are caked with dirt and ash as they stick together in clumps. The eyelids click every time Pressia moves her arm. They close over the baby’s eyes as if it’s about to sleep, then click back open as soon as they close. There is a small hole at the center of the baby’s mouth, a bottle probably came with the baby to mimic feeding it. Now that hole is just clogged with dirt. If you were to touch the doll head you would still be able to feel Pressia’s hand. The slight rise of her knuckles, and the tendons lie just under the plastic. It’s almost as if you tried peeled back the plastic, Pressia’s hand would still be there. Even in a world where fusings are common and Pressia’s isn’t as bad or conspicuous as most, she is still ashamed of it. The baby doll head is as much a part of Pressia has her other hand.

Creative Piece #1: Fashion Show

Fashion Show

Brightness comes first. Startling everyone with her brilliant presence. She struts onto the catwalk covered in sequins so bright that they leave the audience blinded. She ravages the crowd with her beauty. Brightness gives the people a taste of what is to come. But Brightness isn’t the one that people are waiting for. She’s just a warm up, a warning. Brightness is on and off the stage in only a few seconds. She is anxious to show them everything she’s got and she wears out quickly because of it. She struts off the stage in a flash and the people wait with bated breath for what they have been expecting since Brightness first showed her face. Then, Heat bursts forth! He stalks across the catwalk as if he owns the place. Everyone near him seem to turn to dust. They are blown away by his confidence and breathtaking aura. Even the people in the back of the room can feel the confidence radiate off him the moment he takes his first step. He wears fire-y colors. Reds and oranges all tinged with black as if the clothing has been scorched. He takes his time as he struts, he doesn’t need to be quick and flashy like Brightness. Heat knows he has captured the crowd’s attention. He seems to take up the whole room as he approaches the end of the catwalk. He’s the alpha here and no one will question him. He takes a slow turn around and strides back down the catwalk. He lets everybody feel his power and influence. Heat has burned the crowd and leaves them stunned. He finally makes it back to the stage and disappears behind the curtain. His image is burned into their skin and in their minds. After his performance they don’t know what to expect. How can there be more after him. Pain follows Heat, and she is completely different. While Heat struts in with power she creeps forth with stealth. She’s a skinny little thing, her legs look like stilts and her face has a gaunt expression. She wears a dark bronze dress the drapes her like a toga, it matches her sallow skin perfectly. While Brightness and Heat took the crowd’s breath away by their flashiness and power, Pain silences them with her gaunt look. She strides down the catwalk her head held high, like Heat she gets everyone’s attention without trying. Even the people in the furthest corner can feel her influence. Her haughtiness covers the whole room like a drape. She is everything they don’t want, but they can’t stop gazing. Pain slowly walks back down the catwalk and she knows everyone is gazing at her. She will have their attention for a long while, and she will never truly leave their minds. She will remain a dull ache in their subconscious till the day they die. Time passes between Pain and the next model. The crowd is hushed, anticipating the next performance, wondering what terror will come next. And eventually someone they don’t expect appears. Recovery wears a dress with faint yellow in it, like the sun rising after a dark night. Unlike the three before her she does not immediately grasp the audience’s gaze, it takes time for the whole room to notice her. By the time she has reached the end of the catwalk and has struck a pose the whole crowd has their gaze upon her. They drink her in, from her soft brown-blond hair curled around her shoulders, to her sunrise yellow dress to her subtle white flats. While Brightness’ light was flashy and short lived, Recovery glows soft and perpetual. She continues to smile out at the crowd, catching each person’s gaze and letting them know she has seen them; and slowly, she begins to walk back down the catwalk.

Final Paper: Humanity's Love Affair With Mass Destruction

Humanity’s Love Affair With Mass Destruction

 Julianna Baggott brings to life everyone’s worst fears in her book Fuse. Baggott sets Fuse almost a decade after an atomic bomb is set off in the United States which destroys most of the world. Similar to authors like Michael Crichton with Jurassic Park, Baggott tackles the question “Just because we can, should we?” and discusses possible reasons behind activating an atomic bomb and the consequences. Even though humans have mastered the art of creating atomic weapons they still don’t know a lot about them. Atomic weapons have only been used twice in history. Once in Nagasaki, Japan and another in Hiroshima towards the end of World War Two, but they haven’t been used since. Following the Cold War and the intimidation tactics exchanged between the USSR and the USA from the 1950s through the 1990s the threat of nuclear warfare fluctuated. The technology is readily available but it’s not rational to use it so most people don’t consider it a threat. Even though atomic warfare isn’t the biggest worry governments have, society is still fascinated by the aftermath that can follow an atomic bomb. Many pieces of literature and movies have been based on this idea and since its genesis, nuclear warfare has become a fascinating topic among society. 

 In 1939, news was released that Germany managed to split a uranium atom. People feared the possibility of Germany creating a bomb of indescribable destruction. In late 1941 The Manhattan Project began, and the creation of the first atomic bomb began. By 1945 the atomic bomb was ready to be tested, and on July 16, 1945 the first atomic bomb was set off in Alamogordo, New Mexico. The detonation caused a blinding flash of light that could be seen up to 100 miles away and the mushroom cloud that formed was 40,000 feet high (http://www.ushistory.org/us/51f.asp). The bomb held more power than anyone expected. After the detonation, Oppenheimer said it reminded him of the Hindu God Vishnu and how Vishnu said “I am become death, destroyer of worlds” and Oppenheimer adds “I suppose we all thought that one way or another.” Oppenehimer understood that they had created something magnificent, but terrible. This was the genesis of nuclear weapons. The United States later used their invention to end World War Two by dropping two of these atomic bombs on two cities-Hiroshima and Nagasaki- in Japan. 70,000 people were killed upon detonation in Hiroshima as well as Nagasaki, and by the end of 1945, 70,000 more people died due to radiation poisoning (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Objoad6rG6U). 

 The closest the world ever came to a nuclear apocalypse was during the Cold War. Both the U.S and USSR had developed nuclear weapons that kept developing into more powerful weapons, eventually the two governments had to agree on a strategy that was dubbed Mutually Assured Destruction or, MAD for short (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9HjvHZfCUI). Because of the seemingly imminent demise of humanity, preparation became paramount. The U.S developed fallout shelters all across the country and drills were performed at public schools regularly. The government showed Social Guidance films in schools on what to do if a person is caught off guard in any situation. One of the most famous ones is a video called Duck and Cover, which starred a turtle named Burt (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2kdpAGDu8s). Videos like these are also propaganda. In the Cold War era, movies about the USSR invading the US and communism winning the fight were common. The government used books, movies, tv shows, and even art to convince the American people that communism was bad. The closest the world ever got to nuclear annihilation was the Cuban Missile Crisis when the USSR’s nuclear weapons got too close for comfort. Since then the world has never forgotten the potential nuclear weapons have to destroy the world.

Nuclear weapons are still a modern concept. They have only been used once, but these days almost every country has their own. Society is fascinated by the power they hold but they are also terrified. After The Cold War the propaganda died down and with it the fear they caused. But just because there is no immediate danger it doesn’t mean that the thoughts have left people’s minds. “[The Cold War] gave us a growing awareness that the greatest existential threat to human beings is ourselves” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9C72ISMF_D0). There are many ways the world can go into an apocalypse: alien invasion, Zombie attack, or Supervolcano eruption. But nuclear warfare is an apocalypse that is caused solely by the human race. Society writes books and makes movies about an atomic bomb destroying the Earth because they are fascinated by their own potential to kill themselves, it’s a convoluted suicide.

  

Baggott Julianna. “Fuse.” New York. Grand Central Publishing. 2013. Print.  

ushistory.org. “The Manhattan Project.” ushistory.org. Independence Hall Association. n.d. Web. 20 May 2014.

“World War II  Part 1: Crash Course.” youtube.com. n.p. 15 Oct. 2013. Web. 19 May 2014

“The Cold War.” manspropaganda.wordpress.com. wordpress.com. n.d. Web. 18 May 2014

“USA vs USSR Fight! The Cold War: Crash Course World History.” youtube.com. n.p. 18 Oct. 2012. Web. 18 May 2014

Disabilities Aren't Contagious!

The Stigma of Disabilities

Stigma is something that has been around as long as any kind of society has existed. It's just a part of human nature and society whether we like it or not. It used to play a vital role in society. It was used to preserve society from dangerous people like robbers or murderers who posed a threat to society's norms (http://www.webmd.com). The second reason was to keep society safe from illness. Before we had enough medication to keep people healthy the only other option was to send the sick ones away. In fact this happens in "Fuse", every time someone gets sick in the Dome- where the Pures live- or is falling behind intellectually they are carted off to quarantine, never to be seen again. Stigma may have been an important quality to society many years ago that doesn't mean that we need it today. In today's world, stigma is unnecessary. Stigma will always be present because it's ingrained in our society and our need to preserve ourselves. But that doesn't mean we have to accept it.
In "Fuse" the wretches battle stigma from the Pures that they come in contact with. They even have to battle stigma from other people who have similar scars and fusings. A character in the book named El Capitan has to deal with it a lot because he is fused to his brother, Helmud, who is fused to El Capitan's back. El Capitan resents Helmud because everyone gives them a strange look when they meet them. But just because they are connected to each other for the rest of their lives that doesn't mean they can't continue on with their lives. El Capitan begins to develop feelings for Pressia halfway through the book which really frustrated me because of love triangle reasons, which is relevant. I was texting my sister as I was reading (she recommended the trilogy to me.) and she said that she liked the feelings because it shows how even though someone has a major disability they can still have feelings and be a normal person. Often when a person is born with a disability or develops one, people around them can become distant because they don't know how to act around them because they think that their friend has to be different now because of the disability. People often ask "how can you live a whole life?" about or to someone who has a disability. Just because someone has a disability it doesn't mean that someone doesn't live a "whole life."  There are several reasons that I can think of as to why someone feels uncomfortable around a person with a disability. One, it's because they don't know how to act around them. They don't know what to say, and what not to say. In "The Fault In Our Stars" Hazel's friend always catches herself when she says something like "I would die if..." Another reason that people are apprehensive around someone with a disability is because they just aren't educated. They don't know what's going to happen around them so they don't like the unpredictability of being around someone who is disabled.
Insecurities is another topic that is relevant in Fuse. Several times Pressia and Bradwell have conversations about if the opportunity arose would they want to get rid of their deformities. I'm not sure if I'll cover this, or the stigma. Stigma probably because it's a loaded topic.

Aaaaand We're Back!

Fuse: An Overview

"Fuse" by: Julianna Baggott is the second book in a trilogy. It is a post apocalyptic, young adult book about a world that has been ravaged by an atomic bomb. The book is set 9 years after the event. There are two types of people in the world. The people who were saved from the bomb by hiding in a dome, "pures" and everyone else outside of the dome which the Pures call the "Wretches." Every Wretch as a deformity caused from the blast. The deformity is that each human is fused to something. For example the main character Pressia (pronounced Presha) has a baby doll head as a hand because she was holding a baby doll when the blast went off. Not only can people be fused to objects but they can also be fused to other people, or they can even be fused to animals, or the ground. "Fuse" follows a 16 year old girl named Pressia Belze. It's the second book of a trilogy so it is basically just a continuation. Basically Pressia and her companions. A young man named Bradwell, and a boy about her age named Partridge, who is a Pure and escaped from the Dome in the first book. These three characters, among others are attempting to take down the corrupt government who runs the inside of The Dome. 

I am only fifty pages in at the moment so not a lot has happened yet, but I have already come up with a couple ideas for what my topic could be about. My first idea is to study the history of atomic bombs. It's a highly controversial topic and also fascinating because of the risk that something in this book could happen in real life if a country was actually crazy enough. I could focus on Hiroshima and Nagasaki as well as the continued development of atomic weapons in modern day. Another idea I had was focus on disabilities or deformities. A big part of "Fuse" is each character's deformity because it has become a part of their identity. The main character, Pressia is deeply self conscious of her hand and tries to hide it as much as possible, and even though she has lost the use of one of her hands because of the doll head it doesn't prevent her from being able to take care of herself and she is just as capable as anyone else. I thought I could surround my project around the stigma of many disabilities that people might thing prevents people with disabilities to live a whole life. my third idea, is studying the post apocalyptic world of Young Adult Fiction. It's a genre that has become very popular since The Hunger Games was published and many Young Adult books are post apocalyptic and normally involved teenagers doing the impossible of taking down a corrupt government. I could research why this has become so popular and what makes it so appealing to teenagers. This could be an interesting topic but I'm not sure how to turn it into a full blown novel. 

So those are my three main ideas at the moment. I think the one I'm drawn to the most is disabilities, and hopefully as I continue to read I'll be able to gather more evidence for the topic.