Jeremiah's Online Journal

The teenage years of any child are fraught with many difficulties: new schools, challenging exams and puberty are just a few. However, the most difficult is appearance. Teenagers of the modern day feel oppressed by their body image and how they are seen by others. A survey of 2,000 girls for bliss magazines found 6/10 girls would be much happier in life if they lost weight another 7/10 girls said they feel insecure when at school and home. These are some seriously frightening statistics and the challenge they highlight must be discussed openly and honestly.

Why do some teens feel unhappy in their bodies? Who has influenced them to feel and act like this? THE MEDIA! Magazines, television and adverts are all as manipulative as each other. These mind controlling propaganda outlets promote how a perfect body should look and what a body shouldn’t look like. The media has brainwashed teenagers to thinking that their body or appearance isn’t good enough. I asked a 9 year old boy who loves social media sites “what would you like to look like in a few years time? He replied ” I want to look like the guy in my sister’s magazines” I then asked what does he look like?” he said ” He has big muscles and is really tall also has white teeth, and when I am older I want to be just like him and the way he looks” I then asked a 15 year old girl and she said “I want to be pretty and skinny. I was reading one of my favourite magazines and it says women who weigh more don’t tend to find love compared with women who are skinnier” I was astonished by what these teenagers told me and how they actually feel about the way they look, why must teenagers feel like this? It is not right for them to have this kind of mind set. We need to encourage them to think that the way they look is perfectly fine; it shouldn’t be changed for anyone.

Moreover, being insecure about the body isn’t the only thing that worries me, the colour of our skin is becoming a major issue. It doesn’t matter what the colour of our skin is, black, white or mixed raced; we are all equal. We need to tell people that having dark skin or being to pale isn’t a problem at all.

I was at my local youth club playing games with a couple of my friends I was distracted by a group of kids laughing and calling a boy names because he’s skin was dark automatically I became  so angry and confused at the same time all I could think of was why? What’s so funny about having darker skin? He is a human! It is shocking  that people will try and completely change their whole appearance A hair and beauty shop sells a product for bleaching people skins to make their skin seem lighter. In fact 43% of black people purchase an item every week. I asked one of the customers who buys these types of products often, “why is it that you buy such these things”? She gave me no response immediately I knew that this women who didn’t respond to my question didn’t feel happy about the colour of her skin and her appearance to others. According to E Square magazines which is published in Nigeria 53% of women in Abuja say they don’t like the colour of their skin and wish to change how they look. The majority of the women want to look like the figures in magazines, billboards, adverts and television. However, do they know some of them women are photoshopped? The media have deceived us to believe that looking like these figures is the only way.

We must safeguard our children’s mental health and insecurities. If your body doesn’t look like the celebs in magazines or on television then it doesn’t mean your body isn’t beautiful. Our bodies are good enough in any shape or form, let’s not tease or minimize someone for what they look like. We must be supportive if someone feels upset. If we can all try and do these things then I am certain that people will start feeling comfortable in the way they look and the media would eventually accept that fact that nobody has “The Perfect Body”.

In both stories Macbeth & Christmas Carol both main characters are presented in different manner which change over the course of the story. Both stories show strong feelings such as guilt, power, and persuasion in very different contexts.

In the opening of the play we are told that Macbeth is a well respected man. “Hail brave friend” this is how Shakespeare introduced Macbeth the reason for this is because Shakespeare wanted us to think that Macbeth is courageous and heroic. However there a small hints during the play that tell us maybe there is another side to Macbeth and that his true colours will be shown.”Which ne’er shook hands, nor bade farewell to him..Till he unseam’d him from the nave to the chaps” Shakespeare used to quotation from the Captain’s description of him in battle to make us question Macbeth’s characteristics and to let us think to who really is Macbeth?  We are told Macbeth is a high esteem however the quote is a big clue to what kind of man Macbeth is. The image this creates is of a blood thirsty character who has no remorse to anything this maybe explain Macbeth behaviour later on in the play. The author wanted to show the potential that he had for killing and that there would be no second thoughts in his mind if he had to take a life, foreshadowing what happens later.

In comparison to Christmas Carol, Scrooge is the complete opposite to Macbeth this is seen  in the opening parts of the story. Scrooge is portrayed as a heartless selfish man who is very lonely and self centered. He is not involved in the service of others, this is seen when Scrooge meets a charity man who ask Scrooge  to donate some money to the poor and needy. ” I don’t make myself merry at Christmas so I  cant afford to make the idle happy” This is Scrooge’s flaws that are being presented in the very start of the book, compare to Macbeth where there aren’t any obvious flaws shown. Dickens used this quote to emphasize the fact that Scrooge is a self-serving and dull man, Dickens wanted the first image of Scrooge to be  negative in contrast to what he becomes later in the novella. Dickens also decided to give us this evidence early on in the play to give us a small insight to who Scrooge is , his personality and a background of how he’s  life was.

At the very start of the soliloquy we start to see Macbeth’s flaws appear and start to see a different side to Macbeth. Macbeth is being manipulated and persuaded by he’s wife Lady Macbeth  that he can become the king if he kills the  current King, King Duncan. However the soliloquy starts to show small glimpse to who Lady Macbeth is. Macbeth is thinking about he’s consequences towards he’s actions this is seen at the beginning of the soliloquy when he says “Might be the all and the end all here, but here upon this bank and shoot of time we’d jump the life to come” Shakespeare uses this quotation to emphasize how confused Macbeth is, Shakespeare creates an image where Macbeth is in two states of mind whether to proceed with the killing of King Duncan. Another strong feeling created is ambition “We’d jump life to come” Macbeth would risk he’s after life and soul just to become King this tells us he wants to do the killing urgently and would risk anything to do it. This is where Macbeth flaws are starting to be seen , we are being shown that Macbeth is greedy heartless and evil that he would kill King Duncan just so he could could become the next. In this part of the play Macbeth is starting to think in a bad manner and not have any care about anyone besides him and he’s beloved wife Lady Macbeth. Similar to Scrooge, we are told in the beginning of the story the Scrooge is lonely, selfish and rude man who only thinks about himself at this point in both stories both characters have very similar attitudes and characteristic.

Similar to Christmas Carol when Scrooge saw Marley’s ghost for the first ever time. Jacob Marley is the first ghost Scrooge meets, Marley was a business partner of scrooge. Scrooge first saw Marley in he’s door knocker a “horrible appearance with its wild wide open eyes and livid colour” Marley had no bowels and Scrooge could see right through him and could feel the chilling influence of its death cold eyes. Marley informs Scrooge that he will be visited by another three ghost later on in the play. In comparison to Macbeth  they are both puzzled that they have seen a ghost for the very first time. both of the characters are apprehensive, this is another flaw and feeling that both authors done. The verb “resolves” creates a image that Macbeth is waiting for something bad to happen, this is where both characters share the same characteristics.hey both are content and feel their beliefs are far more superior. Charles Dickens presents Scrooge in this way to show the audience that Scrooge does feel emotions. This foreshadows later in the play as Scrooge begins to feels more emotions. Dickens wants the reader to fast-think to what this might foreshadow later in the novella.

Later in the play Macbeth has already killed Banquo reasons for Macbeth is suspicious and  worried that Banquo would tell someone that Macbeth planned to kill King Duncan as he was there when they found out their fates after coming back from a battle from the three witches. Also he decides to kill Banquo children so they wouldn’t be next to throne after their dead dad. Lady Macbeth & Macbeth decided to throw a big banquet and invite lots of people. At this point of the play Macbeth flaws are becoming more evident to the readers/audience. During the dinner when Banquo ghost appears  Macbeth becomes distressed and starts shouting this is demonstrated when Macbeth says”I am in blood stepped in so far, that, should I wade no more, Returning were as tedious as go o’er” This is when Macbeth sees Banquo ghost shortly after he’s death. Shakespeare has used this quote to highlight the fact that what Lady Macbeth& Macbeth done was evil cold hearted and cruel. Shakespeare also decided to present Macbeth like this towards the denouement of the play so the audience would be confused to why Macbeth is acting in this foul manner, as we know Macbeth was presented as a well respected noble man at the beginning of the play so therefore the audience would be really shocked to see Macbeth behave like this. The picture this creates is Macbeth is saying to himself that he is in to deep top what he has done “I am in blood” all Macbeth can see is blood on he’s hand, he has been traumatised by the murder of he’s good friend Banquo. “Should I wade no more” Macbeth feels he is in a puddle of blood that is up to he’s ankles and can hardly move through the blood because there is too much.  Returning were as tedious as go o’er” He could turn around, go back to the bank of that river of blood, but it’s too late. He’s half way across, so he keeps going. Seeing Macbeth stepping deep into the river of blood that he has himself created, trudging across, getting tired but realizing he can’t go back, is to feel the horror and despair that he must feel.

Coming to the end of the play Macbeth is totally lost and has completely lost his mind making him go insane and not knowing what to do. He has committed so many crimes and the peer-pressure really affected him to do things he never wished he had done. Also Banquo’s ghost keeps appearing which frightens Macbeth, activates his insanity and at this moment he is totally flawed.                                                         “Approach thou like the rugged Russian bear, The arm’d rhinoceros, or the Hyrcan tiger; Take any shape but that, and my firm nerves, Shall never tremble: or be alive again.” Macbeth demonstrates signs of fear by the apparition of the ghost, it doesn’t matter what shape or form he is in it will still affected the way he acts. Compared to the start of the play where he was described with no fear and had no flaws it has been proved that it was meant to miss lead you and Shakespeare has created two different personalities for one character.

On the other hand Scrooge is becoming a character with no flaws and is becoming a hero is he town due to his actions after he woke up from his dream. Now that Scrooge is trying to prove himself that is has changed and is another man, as the reader we feel content for this behaviour and things that we now found surprising compared to the start of the novella:                                                                                     “I am about to raise your salary”. Used to knowing Scrooge as a tight-fisted and selfish person when we are introduced to one of the most remarkable actions he could of done, raising the salary of his clerk and the audience get a sense of shock in a positive way. The word ‘raise’ tends to a good thing and I feel convinced that Scrooge has changed, because throughout that day he does many other generous things. Dickens wants to show us the true Christmas spirit and people should behave themselves not only during this time of the year but all year round. Also the fact that Scrooge said  he was going to change and he did. Actions speak louder than words, is one of the morals Dickens tries to portray to us.

Dear Miss Samantha Taylor,

I feel  I must respond to your article  and how the points made about teenagers of the modern age. It was stated that teenagers are becoming enslaved by digital devices and also that we  struggle to form “meaningful relationships” and are addicted to  not only mobile phones and social media but also pornography.

Firstly, I agree with what is being said about teenagers and how they are becoming attached to their devices and detached  from the real world. Teens find it hard to communicate with friends and family. They would rather post their problems on the internet then tell someone. Furthermore, adults fear the way in which teens are behaving: scientist Susan Greenfield says,  “We could be raising a hedonistic generation who live only in the thrill of the computer.” In other words, teens are missing out the natural fun things in life and would find it boring if they were to go out with their family but find it more interesting sitting on their mobile phones posting and tweeting. Adults are scared of what us teens are becoming, they are afraid that in the future we wont be able to socialise face to face.

Not only is social media and digital devices effecting our everyday life and relations to others it also effect our identity and who we really are. You quoted,  “electronic addiction is leaving a generation characterised by short attention spans, sensationalism, inability to empathise and a shaky sense of identity”.  Many celebs use social media and us teens find it hard to try and find our true identity so we try and copy and mimic the famous celebs on social media. This is affecting some teens in the case of they don’t know who they really are and what their true identity is. Social media can leave teens with short attention spams, this is a major problem, especially in school. Some teens are more interested in posting tweets then learning important factors that would help them in the future. From my own experience I have been in a class where 85% of the students heads where down looking down at their screen, sometimes I ask myself whats so important? Do you not get bored?. Many teens don’t even try  attempt to engage in lesson at all.

Another strong factor is teenagers, mainly teenage boys addiction to pornography. The internet has easy access to porn. This is very bad for teens as they are witnessing explicit images at a very young age, this can affect their mindset and damage the way they think. Many teens today have witnessed pornography whether it being on internet, mobile phone or even a magazine.

Teenagers seem to focus on social media rather than focusing on the type of person they want to become. These days, teens like status and acceptance amongst their peers. Also, teenagers are apathetic because the amount of hours they spend on social media rather than studying and planning their future. I strongly believe teenagers are digital natives, fresh minted citizens of a humming on-line world as they spend hours upon hours texting and the world is changing as more and more teenagers spend time on social networking sites. Only 9% teens are concerned about the natural and important things in life such as the government or third parties or even the environment. I was at my local youth club and I decided to ask some teens on who was the leader of the Labour & Conservative party. Only 2/10 knew exactly who they where, this goes to show that teens have no clue about the government.

To conclude, teens are becoming more and more enslaved with their phones. Eventually we will have no connection with teens and they will have more connection with their mobile phones. They wont be able to tell us their problems at all, which will only cause all of us problems.

Both poems are set in the heart of cities damaged by conflict. OTB is an anthology which tells the story from the 9/11 attacks in America. In the longer version everything starts of ordinary however the shorter version it goes straight into the terror and fear of the victims. On September 11, 2001, 19 militants associated with the Islamic extremist group al-Qaeda hijacked four airliners and carried out suicide attacks against targets in the United States. Two of the planes were flown into the towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, a third plane hit the Pentagon just outside Washington, D.C., and the fourth plane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. Often referred to as 9/11, the attacks resulted in extensive death and destruction, triggering major U.S. initiatives to combat terrorism and defining the presidency of George W. Bush. Over 3,000 people were killed during the attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C., including more than 400 police officers and fire fighters. This was a crucial time in America as America and Great Britain where at war in iraq and a lot of tension was built with Osama bin laden al-qaueda. The flag talks about a piece of cloth that “unfurls from a pole” this links with the attacks in America, America where at war with Afghanistan and the attackers where obviously fighting for their country but most importantly they attacked the USA because they were fighting for their “Flag”.

The flag expresses that a flag can outlive the blood and bleed and how a flag can cause so many people deaths in comparisons with OTB, the men who were fighting for their country

The use of first and second person in out of the blue is for the protagonist to have a special connection with the readers or the people he is trying to talk to. The first line in the poem “You have picked me out.” The poet directly addresses the people who are watching the building burning from a distance he’s  only help is the person who the poet is addressing “you” this leaves the poet helpless as the person he’s trying to get aid  from is from a distance.

The poem, Hawk Roosting talks about an arrogant self centred hawk who thinks he’s better then God. The hawk is a perfectionist in the way it kills its prey and how the Hawk is superior then God and mankind. The poet ted Hughes wants the reader to consider mans humanity of the eye of the eagle the hawk reflects mankind in the way mankind feel and act when in conflict. The hawk is very focused and powerful when ready to attack hence when mankind is ready to strike on their enemy. Mankind is also violent and brutal in the way they attack just like the hawk in the poem “My manners are tearing off heads” this shows us that the hawk has no regret or care about what it does to its pray and all it cares about is catching its prey and completing its objective just like mankind in conflict when in war mankind’s objective is to kill the enemy and take over land. Another similarity is the hawk being proud in the way it presents itself just like mankind, when mankind are in conflict the people involved are proud to represent who and what they are fighting for.
The poem uses different language techniques, the main technique is “Caesura” this happens frequently in the poem this is when there are pauses in a sentence. Casesura causes dramatic effect in the case of the poet is telling us step by step of what is happening a main example is stanza 3
My feet are locked upon the rough bark. The emphasis of the full stop is

At the boarder  focus on conflict and civil war, the poem is the aftermath of a war which happened in Iraq the conflict. The poet eventually returns to her home land of Kurdistan, the poet is writing about her life as a young refugee and re creates the experience through a child s eye. The persecution of Sadam Hussain led to the family fleeing again. The family sound helpless and anxious when crossing the boarder , the adults are very emotional and the poet cant understand why they are so emotinal when both boarders look exactly the same.

The right word also focus on conflict after the terroist attck on the twin towers in America, the poet concentrates on how war has made humans look at people differently the poet also emphasises the feelings. The feelings are similar to at the boader such as fear confusion suspicion and also self doubt.

First Imitiaz starts to

1) The first stanza set the clue that Vandeveue is going to die, by the sentences the poet such as “she is alone” “left by ebbing tide of battle” these give us clues because the poet repeats that she is left alone this makes us think that maybe something bad is going to happen to her and that she needs help. Also the setting is set a midnight this also means that Vandevue is not in a good position,

2) The features the poet uses is they talk about human exterminators which means human are becoming extinct or that a certain type of humans are. The poet also mentions a thing called M.L.5 which have taken her memory, this tells us that its in the future because we know that there is no recall of it in the past and it does not exist in the present so therefore its must be set in the future.

3) Repetition gives a feeling of sadness because its trying to emphasise that Vandevue is deserted and abandoned

How has the poet presented the effects of conflict in the “Right Word” through choices of language and structure?

1)This poem is about a women who is very suspicious about a person outside her location who she thinks it’s a terrorist who is threating her safety.

2) This poet wrote this poem because of the tragic event of 9//11 and how after that event peoples deception became  negative  on how someone looks or dresses some type of way

3) The feelings of this story are very strong in the case of the words the poet uses such as lurking, terrorist, and shadows these words give a strong effect to the reader because it indicates us that the poet is  sinister or negative or even controversial.

4) This poem uses these effects because of the vocabulary it uses especially in the first stanza when the poet uses the word “Lurking” the verb is associated with 

The teenage years are fraught with many difficulties, new school, exams and puberty however the most difficult appearance. Teenagers of the modern day feel unhappy with their bodies and how they are seen by others. A survey of 2,000 girls for bliss magazines found 6/10 girls would be much happier in life if they lost weight another 7/10 girls said they feel insecure when at school and home. Why must teens feel unhappy in their bodies? who has influenced them to feel and act like this? THE MEDIA! magazines, television , adverts these thing promote how a perfect body should look and what a body shouldn’t look lie. The media have brainwashed teenagers to thinking that their body or appearance isn’t good enough. I asked a 9 year old boy who loves social media sites ” what would you life to look like in a few years time? He replied ” I want to look like the guy in my sisters magazines” I then asked what does he look like?” he said ” He has big muscles and is really tall also has white teeth and when I am older i want to be just like him and the way he looks” I then asked a 15 year old girl and she said “ I want to be pretty and skinny I was reading one of my favourite magazines and it says women who weigh more don’t tend to find love then women who are skinnier” I was astonished by what these teenagers told me and how they actually feel about the way they look, why must teenagers feel like this ? its not right at all we need to insure them that the way they look is perfectly fine and it shouldn’t be changed for anyone.

Being insecure about the body isn’t the only thing that worries me, the colour of our skin is becoming a major issue. It doesn’t matter what colour of our skin black white mixed raced we are all equal. We need to tell people that being to dark or being to pale isn’t a problem at all. I was at my local youth club playing games with a couple of my friends I was distracted by a group of kids laughing and calling a boy names because he was darker then a ordinary black man I was so angry and confused at the same time all I could think of was why? What’s  so funny about having darker skin? He is  a human!, A hair and beauty shop sell a product for bleaching people skins to make their skin seem lighter. In fact 43% of black people purchase an item every week. I asked one of the customers who buys these types of products often, “why is it that you buy such these things”? She gave me no response immediately I knew that this women who didn’t respond to my question didn’t feel happy about the colour of her skin and her appearance to others. According to E Square magazines which is published in Nigeria 53% of women in Abuja ( capital city) say they don’t like the colour of their skin and wish to change how they look. Majority of the women want to look like the women in magazines billboards adverts and television but do they know some of them women are fake, and how some of the women don’t even look like that in real life and how the media have deceived us to believe that looking at them is the right way.

How much time do you spend on Instagram and Facebook? Do you constantly find yourself comparing your body to your favorite Instagram celebrity? Well, if you do, it may lead to some self esteem issues.

In a new survey conducted by Glamour Magazine, 54% of women are unhappy with their body. This number has increased 13%  since 1984 and Glamour Magazine believes it could be from social media.

I compare myself with my friends on Facebook and Instagram all the time,” says Bethany Everett, 27, community director at Green Mountain College in Poultney, Vermont. “With actresses, I know they have a personal chef and trainer and it’s their job to have the bodies they do I don’t have any real expectations of looking like them. With people I know, it’s like, Well, she did it. Why can’t I?”. But why must we compare our bodies with different people, the media tells us that the bodies they are showing us are perfect. But are they?

We must insure our children and each other that feeling good about your body is the right way and if your body doesn’t look like the celebs in magazines or on television then it don’t mean your body isn’t beautiful or good enough! Lets try and re unsure each other and make people feel proud of what they look like. Lets not tease or minimize someone that’s just WRONG! Be supportive is someone feels upset. If we can all try and do these things then I am certain that people will start feeling comfortable in the way they look and the media would eventually accept that fact that nobody has “The Perfect Body”.