Final Essay

Anthony Lee
Professor Lay
4/25/10

Waiting On a World to Change

You walk around New York City to do some shopping and get a bite to eat. Before you call for a cab, you see an empty water bottle sitting on the ground beside the green figure. You ponder; do you go pick it up and throw it out? Or do you just ignore it? The next thing you know, you are on your merry way home. But is it merry? You have just walked away from a serious problem. Maybe if you haven’t, the world would be a better place to live in. And being in a better place to live in is what we want. So let’s start doing something to get what we want and stop waiting; waiting for our world to change.

The film, “Just Add Water”, depicts many symbolic references that relate to Specter’s “Big Foot”. In the film, the town of Trona is a deserted wasteland in California run by a drug-dealing teen named Dirk. His business consists of making and selling drugs. Drugs in this movie is a spotlight because it emphasizes how run-down the town is, and how corrupt it has become. His name is also symbolic because it gives him a “title” of the town. A dirk is a type of dagger, as if he was the feared leader of Trona. Because he is in charge, the rest of the town pays their rent to him. In reference to Specter’s “Big Foot”, Dirk is like carbon. Specter states, “It is to take an economy where human comfort, activity, and growth are inextricably linked with emitting carbon and to transform it into one which can only thrive without depending on carbon.”(Specter, 273) Dirk is in charge of the power, water, and food supplies in the film. However, Specter mentions that we should try to live in a world without depending on carbon. Simplified and in relevance to “Just Add Water”, Trona needs to change from depending on Dirk to becoming independent. Ray and Specter share the same idea. Specter states, “We are going to have to rethink the way we live and work.”(Specter, 273) Throughout the film, Ray is the main target of Dirk, because Ray is a strong and confident human being who has no fear. Dirk threatens him, increases his bills, and goes to the extent of blowing up his car. It gets to a point in the film where Ray cannot take the abuse anymore. This is where Ray “rethinks the way he lives and works”. In “Big Foot”, Sir Terry Leahy, chief executive of Tesco Supermarkets, believes that when scientists talk about how climate change is affecting the social, environmental and economic aspects, humans must know then what they have to do. Similarly, Ray knows what he must do. He must is take action for the good of his environment.

Ray’s actions can be described by the idea in Wendell Berry’s “Faustian Economics.” Berry believes that greed is the poison that is damaging our Earth. Greed is like a disease which turns one inhuman. Selfishness is the result. Humans who take advantage of Earth’s resources create catastrophic problems. However, greed does have another side. Berry does not realize what greed is to the full extent. There are two types of greed. The acceptable greed is in the end, you help yourself and others are benefited as well. The other side of greed, selfishness, is caring only about yourself. Greed is power, and people who misuse power are execrable. Power can also be handled with care. Those who treat power with control are wise. One has to be somewhat greedy. It is nice to help others, but yourself is most important. The film portrays this concept of greed through the character Ray. Throughout the beginning, Ray is shown to have a great reputation, one who is very generous, caring, and always puts others first before himself. For this particular reason, he was always taken advantage of. This image can be described as “not being greedy”. How is this image shown in the film? He offers mints to every car that passes at work, he gives money to his neighbor for rent, and he lets Dirk push him around. Ray needs to care more for himself, but not to a point where greed overwhelms him. In taking revenge of Dirk, he is helping himself by letting himself free from burden, but he is also doing a favor for the town. Dirk on the other hand, is selfish. His responsibility is to run the town. However, he takes his power to a different level; a level of totalitarianism. He takes advantage of the residents, using his power to spread fear. The flaw of this type of leadership is that uprising may occur. For example, if a CEO of a company uses the income of a charity for his own leisure, he creates a terrible reputation. The charitable turn against him, and may take action. And as a result, his job is ruined. Alike in “Just Add Water”, the town joined the resistance with Ray to take down Dirk. In “Faustian Economics”, Berry states, “We have obscured the issue by refusing to see that limitlessness is a godly trait. We have insistently, and with relief, defined ourselves as animals or as “higher animals.” But to define ourselves as animals, given our specifically human powers and desires, is to define ourselves as limitless animals.”(Berry, 1) Berry is correct when he says that humans have pronounced themselves as animals and limitless. However, it’s a different sense in “Just Add Water.” Ray and the others can be characterized as animals because they revolted against Dirk and his crew. Ray is limitless because he is not afraid to break out of his shell, showing that he is capable of doing anything. What Berry is saying is that we are not acting the right way. Ray on the other hand is doing so for his dignity and pride. He is acting as an animal the right way. It seems as if all of the the wants are necessities today. Society is inhuman, wanting and getting every single thing, without distinguishing what’s needed and wanted beforehand.

How people should act is a very complex question. There’s an ethical component and a logical component. We are not forced to be a certain way, but we should be aware of what our actions are creating. Wendell Berry and Michael Specter both have the same perspective on human activity and the environment. Our future is highly valuable, and it’s our duty to mold it the best we can. Our generation is depended on for the newer generations. Every human should be similar to Ray, who is the role model for the ideal being. We have been sucked into the depths of greed and selfishness, transforming us from the humane into the inhumane. If we want our future bright, we must take action now. There’s no more time to wait.

"How We Evolve"

The way we live today affects how we live in the future. This is exactly Phelan's argument in "How We evolve". It is also called "Self-inflicted instinction". Our generation does not care about how we treat the environment. Although we are aware of the consequences, we continue to stay the same. People today have adapted to be selfish, greedy, and self-centered. This causes problems not just in society, but environmentally.

Phelan believes that human beings haven't changed since...like forever. Also, we are at fault for our own actions. Extinction is coming faster than ever figured it would. How do we need to change? We need to stop taking every single thing for granted, stop overusing resources, and learn to be green. If we don't now, the future is ruined, for human beings on Earth.

"The Effects of Climate Change"

Our world, by the minute, is slowly deteriorating because of our actions. What do these actions include? Littering, driving cars, creating newer technology, and so on. People, us, do not realize what kind and how much harm we are dealing to our Earth. We have totally lost sight of what is good for our world. In John Broome's "The Effects of Climate Change", the question of what should we do as to what can we do is raised. There are many ways to help lessen climate change. But the real question is what is ethical? Our actions today are what they are because we have adapted to them. If we are forced to change our actions to benefit the world, then it goes against our human freedom in a way. Of course, today, we are encouraged to make healthier decisions, but Broome is saying that forcing us to change is not right.

People are not willing to give up their luxuries in order to prevent a worse future. Broome is saying that we don't need to concentrate on now, but to concentrate on creating a better future. People have to come to realize that if we work on the problem now, we will have better rewards in the future. And that is a better life.

Turtle

In the film "Just Add Water", the environment is completely abandoned and dreadful. The land is very dry and it hasn't rained since back in the 80's. It looks as if nothing will be able to survive out there. There is one small symbol in the film that means something large. Ray's put turtle that lives out in the front yard. The living turtle symbolizes life, and the ability to survive in Trona. Although it hasn't appeared in many scenes, it gave an "important" vibe when it was. In the film, the turtle lives out front in a small enclosed fenced area. This small area depicts the idea that the lives in Trona cannot reach out and they have limits restricting them. Also, this coincides with the idea that Trona is stuck in the past, and can't reach for the bright future. There are two sides of the meaning of the turtle. The turtle is like Ray, but also the people of Trona. The people of Trona are slow, and carry on with their lives on a daily basis with no change, just like the turtle. However, Ray is like the turtle too. A turtle is able to contain water under its shell, keeping it moist and alive. This is like Ray because it symbolizes strength and the ability to withstand. He is a sign of hope, hope for rebuilding Trona. In the end of the film, Ray does change Trona and turtles are reproduced, which shows that Trona is able to survive after all.

Quantum.

I am fascinated by Quantum physics. People would think, "who would?" Because of my interest, I didn't find Roebke's writing to be boring at all. As a student in an astronomy class, I actually ponder about if these theories that would change the way the world would think about how the world works. I believe we should know a little, at least a tiny bit, about how our world works. Roebke brings up a very simple question. "Do we create what we observe through our act of observation?"

The act of observing is a very unique action. When people look around, every single thing around them is being observed. Most of these things are disregarded in a sense that we don't scrutinize it. In other words, they have greater meaning behind it, but we look at it generally and consider it unimportant. An example was used in Roebke's "The Reality Test." Light can be observed; through lamps, electronics, and such. When we see light, we just think, "it makes things brighter." But light is such a complex thing in detail. Light is made up of photons, which are atoms of energy. To the general human, we don't think scientifically. We just think thats its something bright. Roebke's thesis is strong because it gives us the image that shows how our people create what we observe through the act of observation.

Blogging

For me, blogging is a writing experience that i feel was interesting. In high school, I was in a class called creative writing, a course where we were able to write freely, no limits. Blogging is a similar type of writing because our ideas can just spill out. However, the only thing i didn't like about blogging was blogging about assigned topics/questions. Blogging about ideas that are wandering in your head is what makes it unique. The one thing positive about our blogging assignments was that it trained us to analyze pieces of writing and extract important ideas. I feel that it would have been more interesting to see what others are thinking about.

Water

Is water the magical ingredient that forms life? Or add something that may be simple and everything will be better? If you add water to a wilting plant, it will come back to life. Is water like sugar? You put it in some coffee, and it will taste better. What is it about this simple liquid that works as the basis for everything? Is it that easy? Yo just add water, and get what you want? Can i add water to a dollar and expect it to grow more? What about a rusted old car? Pour some water on it and BAM, you got yourself a new Ferrari.

Just Add Water

My Observations
-Area has no life
-Odd mother
-The turtle(symbolic)
-Ray is the only nice, normal guy
-Nora is very friendly with Ray

Questions
-Why does the mother act so strange?
-What is in Ray's box?
-How it came to be that kids took over the town?
-What is keeping Ray from leaving Trona?
-Why does Ray let his son have sex with a prostitute?

Greed is some nasty stuff.

You play with the stock market every single day, investing in million dollar companies. You read the news everyday, looking through the finance section. You own a Bentley, cruising down the streets on your sunday drives. Whenever you order your dinner at the new five star restaurants, you always tell the waiter to take it back and fix it. You argue over any small thing, and you always try your hardest to win. You go to top notch stores and customize your new suit. Tuesday's suit. Go home and tell your butler to fetch you your Cuban cigar.

A monster created from writing.

There are no boundaries to what you can write. Writing is free expression. A writers mind is a vast container of millions of thoughts that can be put down onto paper. However, with such freedom and power comes responsibility. Writing is so strong and very serious because it can change yourself or someone else. When pieces are out there to the public, it is vulnerable and It can also affect people. When he writes, he is in a state of tranquility, where the words from his mind flow to the lines of the paper. Derrida's fear is the thought, "How could you have written something like this!?". His fear is regret. When you are in a state of tranquility in writing, your mind is unstoppable and free. Derrida is afraid that after writing in that state, he has created something too strong. As a creative writer in high school, I have not felt the same fear. I felt that whatever was written down from my mind was worth to be put out there. I never had regret with what i have written because i know that my writings were written with passion.

Anxiety for writing?

Language is a slippery vehicle

In Robert Hass's poem, The Problem Of Describing Trees, he tries to describe the nature of a tree. He tries to use words that would portray the meaning of its nature. However, he claims that it is not possible to describe a tree's beauty and natural life. "And the tree danced. No. The tree capitalized. No. There are limits to saying, In language, what the tree did." Language is a slippery vehicle because there are limits. If you want to depict something so perfect and pure like trees, you must use perfect and pure words. If you don't use those words, then it is indescribable. This is the problem Hass has in his poem.

Words that are set onto paper are more meaningful than words that are thought in the mind. As the author, one chooses words to sound perfect in writing. Rodney Jones's Hubris at Zunzal describes how he tries to recover his words from the poem. He believes that once words are put down on paper, they no longer belong to the authors. His mind flows with words for poetry, and they are spilled out and can never be taken back. They belong to the readers.