When the year began I knew I had a lot to learn about writing and as the drafts of the first essay were due, I thought I was grasping the concept of writing quite well. That is, of course, until I had my first grading consultation with Jim. Page after page was filled with Jim's messy and almost unreadable hand writing. My grade was a no pass on account of too many grammar errors. I soon realized that I knew more about the grammar in the spanish language than I did in my own. Jim was correcting me on grammar... Continue reading

In this photograph of Marilyn Monroe the dream of the beautiful woman in California is uplifted. Marilyn stands flawless and beautiful, a true face of what beauty used to look like. The ideal of beauty has changed over time, "resulted in animosities that were sometimes reflected in the art and literature of the times (Jones 104). Many women look back at Marilyn and wish that image of beauty still stood. Curvy and full of smiles Marilyn poses for the camera, she was in a time where curves and beauty marks were a wanted atribute. She represented a simplier time where... Continue reading

Katy Perry's song "Firework" exhaults the dream of fame in California. Lyrics like "Cause baby your a firework" and "You're gonna leave 'em all in awe" demonstart what it means to be famous. Just like a firework famous people are lifted up higher than everybody else to be stared at and looked upon with awe. Katy Perry ignites the dream of fame in people and provides hope that could be not be found elsewhere. "Opportuity and success- these promises are at the heart of the California dream" (Rawls 141). The great golden state is known for it's movies, singers, and... Continue reading

Bruce Springsteen’s song Pink Cadillac simultaneously celebrates and rejects the dream of cruising in California. Lyrics like “Riding in the back” and “Oozing down the street” reflect the positive and fun aspects of cruising. For many Californians the dream of cruising gives a feeling of freedom and a reason to be proud. However the dream is crushed with lyrics like “uses too much gas” and “Anyway we don’t have to drive it, Honey we can park it out in back and have a party in your pink Cadillac.” These lyrics suggest the reality and expensive of cruising, while simultaneously revealing... Continue reading

The elderly home scene from Chinatown honors the adventurous life in California by revealing a cause worth fighting for. Gittes knows he is in for trouble when the man asks to speak with him. As viewers of the movie we are sure a action scene is about to break out because of the sudden change in lighting and the suspenseful music that breaks out. He slyly asks that Mrs. Mulwray can go to the car and be excluded from whatever is about to come. Gittes is a man of “Intelligence, rationality, and wit” (Berg 1) which is needed to live... Continue reading

MGMT’s song “Time to Pretend” promotes the paradox of freedom in California. Many people come to California for a dream of freedom and to live a spontaneous life. As the song begins MGMT sings, “We've got a vision, now let’s have some fun.” The song resembles many young adults who feel they can run from any responsibility and chase a life full of craziness and drugs. The paradox comes in later on after years of drug abuse and long nights. After years upon years of bad decisions it is then realized all the was given up to chase this dream... Continue reading

The "bath scene" in big lebowski celebrates the dream of a laid back lifestyle in California. The dude is a forty year old man and in one scene he is pictured just relaxing in his tub. Though out the movie the dude is pictured with untamed and scruffy hair, he even manages to keep this look while he is taking a bath. The appearance of the dude symbolizes the reality of a laid back lifestyle. While there is a mess unfolding around him, he does not seem to care. He just lets everything go and gets in the tub. Childlike... Continue reading

Diego Rivers’s Mural, Man at a crossroads, both confirms and contest the dream of technology in California. In the center of the mural there are two propeller like objects reflecting the beginning of technology and the “poetic reflection on the virtues of hard work and the rewards of a simple life” (Jones 108).The propellers contain two images, the first is the galaxy and the second is the human make-up. Science is portrayed in a positive light on both of the propellers. Through, telescopes and other technology advancements we are able to discover more about the universe we live in and... Continue reading