Friday, November 8, 2013
Frankenstien, Obamacare and Henrietta
http://www.eppc.org/publications/obamas-secret-weapon-henrietta-lacks/
Read the article attached to this link. If the link does not work properly, copy and paste to retrieve the article. I want you to react to the article. Think about the themes of Frankenstein and why and how this book might be considered for the AP Language class. Also, relate it to your research in regards to Obamacare.
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Food for thought: reading alters the way people think in an uncontrollable and irrevocable way. Once you've read something it changes you. There are new thoughts, new ideas, new worlds to explore. A certain level of understanding regarding the topic of the literary piece is reached, and a longing to debate opinions often follows. While the mental processes themselves cannot be controlled, the possible material to be perused and absorbed can be influenced. By giving a person choice material, doors of thought are opened that lead to the puppeteers ideal postulate.
ReplyDeleteIf this is to be considered true, then it could be said that Obama is the puppeteer of the American people. True, it is already common knowledge that to some extent he has control over the lives of United States residents, but people would like to think that all of his movements are within our line of vision. They are not. It is disturbing and unsettling to imagine Obama manipulating the way our minds work. It seems intrusive and sickening, yet using literary works to diversify a person's thought process is not always a bad thing.
Teachers use reading materials in much the same way. However there are several major differences. Where Obama is sneaky, teachers are transparent. They make no efforts to hide the fact that they want to help better the ways students process information. Where Obama is self-serving, teachers are assisting. They provide all that they are able to help their students develop their own opinions based off of many different pieces.
Reading Frankenstein is a very good way to make a person reflect on their ideals. Frankenstein attempts to do something that by all rights only God is able to do. He tries to become a Father and a Creator but instead spurns the monstrosity he creates in the absence of love and perfection. This book in turn leads to the topic of science itself and when enough is enough. How far can a person go before they trample on the line set between men and God? What are the consequences of such a transgression? Frankenstein challenges a person's ethical and religious beliefs, which makes the book all the more important to developing our minds.
It is interesting to consider the story rapidly unfolding in America. Obama covertly spreading information in favor of his paramount program is certainly a plot twist. It is curious that he would need to raise support in such a backhanded way for something he believes to be necessary. If it is so crucial, then why fear its failure? Perhaps because Obamacare is not quite as perfect as the president would have people believe. Perhaps there is a reason the president is scrambling for the support of the future leaders of America. With the multitude of Obamacare website glitches, it is hard to tell what its end result will be, but the climax of the Obamacare tale has yet to come.
Meaghan, I really liked how you talked about how teachers don't really hold stuff back, but I also have to agree with Mrs. Messineo; a lot of teachers have hidden agendas. I enjoyed reading your blog very much. I like how you referred to President Obama as our puppeteer. It really gave me a new perspective on things. Good work!
DeleteMeaghan, I enjoyed your Food for Thought!i also completely agree with the fact that it is disgusting the way Obama is manipulating our minds. Nice job!
DeleteJust the words "food for thought" made me smile. I love how you tied that little term into your post! It fit quite nicely! Great job!
DeleteMeaghan, your blogs are excellent! Simply your introduction was very interesting. Great job!
DeleteMeaghan, this is extremely insightful. I am happy to read your positive spin on what materials teachers bring into their classrooms, but I would say that sometimes, teachers are biased as well. It becomes more common at the college level as many professors have hidden agendas. We will continue to discuss how to recognize bias in what we read and see so that you can spot it as you gain more and more independence.
ReplyDeleteI had to read parts of the article two or three times to fully understand the point that was trying to be made. I've never read "The Immortal Life of Hendrietta Lacks" but I can state my opinion that her cancer cells should not have been taken without permission from her. Even though the cells that were taken from her were used to make great discoveries, they were taken without her knowledge. This is how many Americans feel about Obamacare.
ReplyDeleteMany people feel that Obamacare is going to take away from there rights. They think that President Obama is going to "take over their lives". As president of the United States, he already had a certain level of control over what can and can not happen to each and every one of us. He wants all Americans to believe in his program that is only good in theory. He wants to get into each American citizen's mind and make them agree with anything he proposes.
College professors assign their students to read "The Immortal Life of Hendrietta Lacks" because reading stories such as that one make one's mind wander to all the possibilities like those questions that were asked throughout the article. They create thoughts such as does racism still exist in health care today? What was the author of the story really referring to when they wrote the story? What is their opinion of nationalizing healthcare? What do they think about Obamacare? The teachers have no specific thing they want their students to think or catch. They want them to form their own opiniones.
Frankenstein is a book of science and creating something that only God, our Heavenly Father, should be able to fabricate. In Frankenstein, the monster is created because Victor Frankenstein wants to take science a step further thinking that he can out do science. The book has similar to the story of Hendrietta Lacks because they question whether or not science is still good enough. I think that our AP Language class should read "The Immortal Life of Hendrietta Lacks".
Jess, I agree with what you said about Obamacare and Henrietta Lacks. By reading the book you are subjecting yourself to only seeing the good side of Obamacare and not the bad. In many colleges, the story is read with guided questions pushing students towards wanting a national healthcare plan so I disagree with your thought that teachers don't want students to get something specific out of the book.
DeleteJess, I too had to read the article several times until I was able to fully comprehend and take something from it. I agree with with what you said how many Americans might not support Obamacare because they feel like President Obama is trying to control everything, almost like a control freak.
DeleteYes, I think we should definitely read "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks", the book sounds so interesting!
Jessica, I am going to have to disagree with you about how professors want students to form their own opinion about the book "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks". I think the provided study guides push forward a certain way of thinking, rather a left way of thinking. They do not give the students a chance to form their own opinion. One of the questions even asked, "[I]s our modern-day health-care system still racist? If not, what changed? If so, what needs to be done?” That question directly points to supporting Obamacare.
DeleteI liked your examples of comparing Frankenstein to Henrietta Lacks. I think that both books provide examples of how science can sometimes take precedent over human rights.
Nice job!
Jess, I liked the comparison between Frankenstein and Henrietta Lacks. I also agree that The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks would be an interesting read. Great job!
ReplyDeleteAs being one of the two people who have read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks I can say that the book is chock full of pathos. In almost every part of the story the horribleness of what happened is talked about, rarely is the good. While reading the story, I was more focused on the scientific side but looking back I can understand why it is a very common book for public schools to read to sway the students toward a national healthcare plan. No one in Henrietta's family had health coverage because they were too poor but yet there was companies making thousands off their mother's cells, how unjust is that? By reading the book many would be in favor of a national health plan.
ReplyDeleteIn Frankenstein, Victor creates a monster just as Obama created the Obamacare plan. Both have their difficulties (the monster terrorizing and killing people and Obamacare not covering all it said it would) but both have done some good too (the monster helping Agatha and Felix while he stayed in their hovel and insuring the uninsurable). So in a way the monster could be seen as a parallel to Obamacare.
Frankenstein is a great book overall because of its versatility. While some may read it for its scientific side, others may read it as an adventure story, and still others read it because they feel a deep connection to a character. One great example of this is the monster, because of him being nameless he can symbolize many different things to people allowing them to connect with him in various ways. Because of this each individual can depart from the novel gaining something different, to me, this is an important characteristic every novel students read should have. Frankenstein has this characteristic making it the perfect novel for an AP Language class.
Erin, I thought it was creative that you made a connection and parallel between Victor creating the monster and Obama creating the. Obamacare plan. Great Job!
DeleteErin, I really liked how you compared obamacare to Frankenstein. I had. It thought about it that way. I also thought that your view point was interesting because you have read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. Good job!
DeleteErin, I loved how you compared Frnakenstein creating the monster to Obama creating Obamacare. It was a really good comparison! It put it into a better perspective for me to understand. Good job!
DeleteI enjoyed reading your perspective since you have read the book. You made really good points about Obamacare and its relation to the monster from Frankenstein. Good work, Erin!
DeleteI really loved reading this from the perspective of someone who has read the book on Henrietta! You did a great job, Erin!
DeleteErin, I really liked how you pointed out the effects of the monster not having a name. Keep up the good work!
DeleteAfter reading the very informative article about Obama and "The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks", I have a different view concerning President Obama. Although it is quite clever on his part, I do not know if I like how he 'sneakily' promotes the book and makes you think of Obamacare without you even realizing it.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I do think that Henrietta's family should have definitely benefited from the great profit of her cells, especially since the people did not even have permission to take them for research!! I also believe that the Lacks family should have Healthcare, even if they are not able to afford it. I think everyone should have the opportunity to have a Healthcare plan, and that is what Obamacare is all about.
Even though I have never read the book before, "The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks greatly interests me by what we have talked about in class and the article which we read. I think our AP Language class should read this book,because it also ties in with Frankenstien and ethics.
In Frankenstein, Victor wanted to create something that no one ever did before. in essence, he was overstepping the boundaries of God. That is kinda what the scientists were trying to when they took Henrietta's cells. They created cells that were 'eternal' and reproducible. Their project was a huge success. However, just like Frankenstein, these scientists were questioning whether or not What God created was good enough.
Overall, I think "The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks" would be a great read for our English class!
Tori, "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" is truely a great book and you can learn a lot from it. Along with Frankenstein it does play into a central theme of science and ethics and would be an excellent read for our class to study and see how it would influence support for Obamacare.
DeleteTori, I like how you explained why we should read the book about Henrietta Lacks. It's true that it relates to Frankenstein with the ethics. Good job!
DeleteTori, we agreed on a lot of the subjects discussed in the article. I agree that we should read the book. I liked your comparisons between Frankenstein and The Immoral Life of Henrietta Lacks.
DeleteTori, I really think that you did a great job. I agreed with many of the things you said. Nice job.
DeleteWhile I was reading the article "Obama’s Secret Weapon: Henrietta Lacks", I was almost sick to my stomach. What Obama is doing here is so sneaky. It makes you wonder where else he is implementing this tactic. That thought is what disgusts me. If this book was taught through the AP Language class, I think that the students should first be fully educated on what obamacare really is.
ReplyDeleteI believe, like Obama does, that this book will appeal to people wanting a nationalized healthcare plan. Do these college students continue their studies after the book is over to learn more about obamacare? Obamacare is going to give everyone healthcare. This includes the sick, poor, dying, young, old, everyone. Where is he getting the money for these people? Well, he is going to raise the price of insurance for the everyday working man. Anyone who reads this book should also be educated about what obamacare really is. A nationalized healthcare may not be a bad thing, but it is the ethics behind it that we have to be worried about.
In the book "Frankenstein", Victor compromises his morals for the ethics of science. He does this when he creates his monster using science. Life is meant to come from a natural contraception, not a laboratory. I have not read the book "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks", but I read a couple of book summaries about it and again the doctors give up their moral beliefs for the benefit of science. The doctors do not take Henrietta's needs or rights into consideration at all because they found something that would benefit them, and she could not do anything to stop them. Both of these stories are conceding their moral teachings for the ethics of science, which will create major problems.
Erin, you did a great job making your point about how people should be fully educated before making decisions. You also seemed educated on Obamacare and the effects it will have. Great job!
DeleteObamacare. What a controversial term. President Obama has declared health care for all, with no hidden fees or catches. Yes, those who can't afford health care will be granted it for free, but at what penalty to those who can afford it? These people will have higher taxes, which will pay for the individuals without health care. So, these people are paying for not only their health insurance but the insurance of anyone who doesn't have insurance. Many people do not support Obama's plan, so he is resorting to unethical practices to get his way.
ReplyDeleteHenrietta Lacks is a very common name known in the science world. From this woman we have discovered a new type of cell, called Hela cells that are unique in their ability to seemingly reproduce eternally. But these Hela cells are caught in the whirlwind of a huge debate about ethical scientific practices. For all the good they've done, and with as much as they have changed the way medicine and science are studied, they were not taken ethically. Lacks was a poor African American woman from the south whose cells were harvested without her knowledge, and these cells have made the harvesters millionaires, yet her family is still poor. They deserve some sort do compensation from these companies for the way they took her cells and made off with them. She didn't have health insurance to protect herself from these people.
What a tragic story. Obama certainly thinks so. He has found it such a moving book, that he has pushed for colleges and high schools to teach it in their AP language classes. Some may argue that it is because it has black history, the story is well written, and it evokes good, educated discussions, but is that the real reason? The book is extremely emotional, and all this emotion is pooled toward health insurance and the call for everyone to be able to afford it. Obama has deviously planted this book and it's ideas in the heads of teens and young adults. They don't have the whole bundle of information though. Do they know of the taxes and other bad things that are to come from this bill? Most likely not.
Victor Frankenstein and the scientists that did this to Henrietta are extremely similar. They did not take into account human rights or ethical situations. Victor created something that learned to love and destroy. His monster had the potential to become a new human race, one raised from the dead, possibly to never return. Lacks's cells have become a necessity in the medical world. There are so many that there are now hundreds if pounds of them spread across the world. They are being used for all kinds of experiments, some ethical, some not. But the cells are continuing to grow, producing more profits for the scientists. Both people had become so greedy and obsessive through science that they lost the part of their conscience that connects ethics to real life.
Obama seems to have lost a small part if this too. What he has done was very manipulative and intrusive. Influencing the thoughts of teens and young adults through their teachers, who are supposed to be growing and broadening the minds if these individuals. But instead, they are being encouraged to plant a seed in these minds that works in Obama's favor. He is influencing the minds of the future leaders of our country through tactics that can only be seen as manipulative. Maybe if he had come right out and said, "Here, this is a book I want all of you to read because it helps explain why my idea would be good.", people would have read it of their own will, and been informed of this woman's tale. But he did it sneakily through schools and the materials used to teach the book, such as study guides with veiled questions.
I feel, knowing our teacher, that if we read the book, we would understand the true story and would be able to form our own educated opinions on the subject. I know this is a good book, and I feel as if this would be a good experience for our class. By reading it, we would be able to fight against bias and learn what the novel is truly about.
The story of Henrietta lacks is a very tragic one. The poor lady died of cancer, and her cancer cells were basically stolen by scientists. How fair is that? Henrietta's family was so poor that they could not afford health insurance. And to make it worse, neither Henrietta nor her kids ever benefitted from the immense profit made by said cancer cells.
ReplyDeleteI have never read the book on this, but after hearing about it I sure do hope to. As it turns out though, it is rumored that Obama is secretly using this book to promote Obamacare. He is doing this in the manor that he hopes after people read this book, they will see why everybody deserves health insurance even if not affordable.
Maybe I'm missing something, but I don't quite understand how he is deceiving people. I'm not a big Obama fan myself, and yes I do see how his move was sneaky, but not exactly deceitful. I just think that some people are mad that Obama got them to think about health care the way he does.
Now with the two projects going on in school at the moment, I have two things on my mind. Obamacare, and Frankenstein. Frankenstein created something that turned out to be a monster, he didn't intend for it to be a monster, but it grew so big and out of his control. Is this what is happening with obamacare? Obama created his obamacare plan with good intentions, but even with the successes they are having, they are also having some struggles. Is obamacare slowly slipping out of control? Will it turn into a monster? We can only hope for the best.
Felicia, I think Obama is deceiving people for the exact reason you said, "Obama got them to think about health care the way he does." People become angered when they are inclined to think a certain way. That is what Obama did. He wanted everyone to support his bill, and instead of just saying "hey support my bill", he did so by influencing the minds of young students with his biased study guides. Clever or creepy, it depends which way you look at it.
DeleteYour personification of Obamacare becoming a monster is very interesting! I never thought that Frankenstein's monster could be related to the growing problems of Obamacare.
Nice job!
This article really got me thinking about how reading something can so quickly influence one’s mind. Words are so powerful. Someone can go from thinking one thing, to thinking the opposite just by reading something. So in another way words are scary. They can be used to brainwash or instill one’s beliefs on to someone else. With that in mind, it is always important to stand firm in your beliefs, while still keeping an open mind.
ReplyDeleteI think “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” relates to “Frankenstein”. In both I think one can see how science seems to trample over human rights. Victor Frankenstein takes no responsibility for his creation. He denies the Monster a companion and treats him as an outcast, not a human being. From what I have learned of Henrietta Lacks, the scientists and science labs pay no homage to Henrietta for providing the HeLa cells that have provided many medical advancements as well as a polio vaccine. Instead, the scientists leave Henrietta buried and unknown to the world.
When I first read this article I was absolutely disgusted. It sickens me to the core, to know that our president would go so far to get support for his health care plan as to brainwash the minds of the youth. It is even worse that the provided study guides that directly talk about Obamacare or hint at nationalized healthcare. It is known that some professors and even some teachers have bias, particularly left bias. I am not trying to stereotype professors, but it is just known that most college professor lean left. So for the left-minded professor, this book is great. They can continue to push their agenda through books provided by the government. But does the book actually have an effect on Obamacare? At the end of the day people have to see if the program is self sufficient. It does not matter if someone feels that everyone deserves healthcare, what matters is if the program is working, if it is actually benefiting the country as a whole.
I think that “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” would be a great read for an AP Language class, if it were read with the right mindset. If it is read purely to understand the ethics and how they coincide with science, then yes this book is a good read. But if the book is read to push forward some leftist way of thinking and brainwash the minds of students, then this book is not a good read. I think it is important not to take the book out of context. One should understand the real meaning of the book and not try to relate it to politics or governmental affairs.
Ian, your blog is extremely persuasive! I like how you mention the study guides and biased professors. I didn't really think about teachers purposefully requiring a book to be read because they want their students to have the same opinion. That completely disgusts me. Also, I agree with what you said about reading HeLa. It doesn't matter if it meant to persuade someone to change their opinion, but what does matter is how you read the book.
DeleteOverall, you did a great job as usual!
When I read "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks", I never thought about the healthcare side of it because I was focused on the medical procedures and terms. After reading that article, I realized that HeLa is the perfect book to persuade people to accept Obamacare because the book makes you mad that the Lacks family cannot afford health insurance, yet Henrietta's cells, which were taken without her knowledge, are making billions of dollars for researchers. I don't entirely agree with Obamacare, but I do believe that everyone should have the opportunity to afford health insurance.
ReplyDeleteThe article that we read actually made me upset. I don't like the idea of replacing classic literature with nonfiction books like HeLa to sway the opinions about political alternatives of students of all ages. Obama is using Henrietta Lacks to provide himself support in his nationwide healthcare program.
In Frankenstein, Victor goes against nature and builds a human being, who turns out to be more like a creature. In Henrietta Lacks, the scientists and doctors have been trying to find immortal cells (those that constantly reproduce unless frozen). The scientists do find what they are looking for in Henrietta's tumor, but they take the cells without her permission. Deception. Obama is deceiving us by lying about Obamacare. He is told us what we want to hear, but now he has revealed what the healthcare will really do: what Obama wants. I feel he is very similar to the researchers who took Henrietta's cells. They both are only doing what's best for themselves.
I believe that both "Frankenstein" and "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" are great books for AP Language. They give us two different perspectives about conquering nature, as well as deception, which ties in with Obamacare.
Natalie, you made a great point when explaining that the reader almost becomes angry when the Lacks family cannot afford health insurance. I also agree with your thought that "Frankenstein" and "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" both seem to be great books. Good job!
DeleteIt is for sure that reading affects the way a person views a topic. It is amazing what reading can do to a person as a whole. This is because sometimes the person has an opinion on the subject, but they are not actually full of knowledge on the topic. When the person reads a great amount of information on the topic, they become engrossed in the subject and want to keep learning more so that they will have an opinion. They also want to be capable of backing that opinion up.
ReplyDeleteThis is the tactic that Barack Obama is using towards Americans. Some people could consider that it is sneaky, but it truly is a fantastic method to attempt to make Americans change their feelings on Obamacare. It is interesting what Obama is doing because he believes that the country will come closer together as a result of the plan. Americans have the idea that Obama is going to basically control everything that they do. They think that Obamacare is only going to hurt them in the long run. Obama is trying to bring Americans to an agreement that the program will benefit the country in a huge way. Obamacare will give every single American citizen health insurance. Even if people already had their health insured it is said that the program will improve their insurance plan.
I think that using the novel, “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks”, as a tool is a unique method to grab the attention of Americans. The Common Core program is attempting to alter its way too. The program has the desire to change the types of books that children in grades K-12 are reading. They want children to stop reading so many classical literature novels, and start reading nonfiction “informational texts”. Obama is using “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” to make Americans change their minds on the Obamacare plan. This is extremely interesting because it gives people something to think about. Was it wrong to take Henrietta Lacks’ cells without her permission after she died? I think it was very wrong because if a person does not give permission to have their body donated to scientific research than I do not think that a person can do something like that. Should the Lacks’ family be granted health insurance even though they are too poor to afford it? I believe that they should in a way because something unreasonable happened to them. However, I believe that if they are granted health insurance without paying for it, it will cause many problems in the future with certain scenarios.
The themes of Frankenstein are related to “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” in a couple different ways. In both novels, the reader begins to have the feeling that science will take over everything. Also, there is secrecy is both books. For example, in “Frankenstein”, Victor does not tell anyone about his creation or the murder. In the story about Henrietta Lacks, nobody tells anyone about taking the cells without permission, and making a fortune from them. Both novels use secrecy to change the way that the entire story plays out.
I have not read the novel “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks”, but after learning a little bit about it I think it would be beneficial to our class. At this time when we are exploring Obamacare, I think that this novel would fit right into our medical section for the class. It seems as though there are many lessons to be learned from in the novel, and it could change the way that a person feels about the Obamacare program.
Drew, it was very interesting to read that President Barrack Obama's plan could either be very manipulative or clever depending on the way that one looks at the situation. I thought it was fascinating that you applaud Obama for his unique tool. I had a different perspective about this; I thought it was ridiculous that he was deceiving us. However, after reading your post, I learned that there is more than one way to look at Obamacare. It took a lot of brains for Obama's approach. Nice work!
DeleteThe title for this educational article, Obama’s Secret Weapon: Henrietta Lacks, was a perfect fit. The book, written by Rebecca Skloot, was given to many students to read persuading them towards health care. When Barack Obama first ran for president, I felt confident that he would be an excellent president. After reading this article and seeing the recent activities performed by Obama, I am skeptical about trusting him with our nation. While I do think the book would be great for everyone to read, I don't like how secretive Barack Obama pushed the reading.
ReplyDeleteFrom talking in class to reading this article, "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" sounds like a great book to read. I feel it is completely wrong that they took the girl's cells without her permission and she didn't even make a profit for those cells. The story relates to Health Care because people questioned whether the Lacks' family should have been granted Health Care sense they can't afford it. So this is when ObamaCare is brought into play.
Obama wants all people to be required to have Health Care. While I think his idea is good, he has to many problems going along with it. It would be ideal to have everyone under Health Care, but right now the wealthy people are having to pay a lot more. So many people are unhappy.
"Frankenstein" and "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" have some similar themes. Victor Frankenstein tried to play the role of God when creating this monster. In a similar situation, the scientists were creating different cells for Henrietta Lacks. It is unnatural and goes against what Christians should believe.
I am interested in the story by Rebecca Skloot. I think it would be good because it isn't all about the science. There are family ethics involved too. I think it would be beneficial for our AP Language class.
Jolene I agree with you about not liking how deceptive Obama is with this book. It is kind if discouraging and might make people not want to read it. Also, I like how you mentioned that Obama has way too many problems tagging along with Obamacare. Great blog, Jolene!
DeleteJolene, I agree that "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" sounds like a fabulous novel. I like the way you stated that Obama has a good idea, but there will be many problems along the way with what he is trying to accomplish. Your example between "Frankenstein" and the story of Henrietta Lacks was good. Great effort!
DeleteWhen I read what this weekend's blog topic was, I started telling my family about what we discussed in class on Friday. My sister told me that she read "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" in one of Mrs. Anderson's classes. We could not believe the way President Barrack Obama manipulated the study guide questions to support Obamacare. It was shocking to see the number of universities and high schools that are adding this book to their reading lists.
ReplyDeleteThis was a very clever plan by Barrack Obama. He is twisting and distorting the way students think. In other words, he is getting into everyone's heads without them every realizing it. He does this by getting the readers to really think beyond the words on the pages. It is very important that books get people to start using their brains.
"Frankenstein" is considered a great book for AP Language classes for many reasons. First of all, it has many themes; therefore, students explore the messages hidden "between the lines." It is also a wonderful book because students learn the fine line between science and religion. Victor Frankenstein tried being a God-like figure when he created life. He stepped beyond the human limits, and his work back-fired on him. He created a monster who causes a lot of pain to mankind!
Books like "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" and "Frankenstein" are excellent at developing our minds; however, it depends on how they are taught. Teachers, and even our presidents, show biased opinions when getting their points across. Overall, Henrietta Lacks was taken advantage of, similarly to the way President Barrack Obama is trying to take advantage of our educational programs. It is very important that teachers allow their students to think on their own. Many professors work hard to shape students' minds like putty in their hands; however, we should be able to form our own thoughts without any restrictions.
In all three cases -- "Frankenstein," Obamacare, and "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" -- there is a monster present. In "Frankenstein," many people argue that the actual creature is the monster; however, I believe that Victor Frankenstein is the real monster for creating life and setting it free without moral or ethical values. The doctors are the monsters in Henrietta Lack's life; they treat Henrietta like an object rather than a person. Finally, President Barrack Obama can be considered a monster for his deceiving and manipulating tricks.
Sam, I think that you are spot on when you say that Obama is twisting students. I think that Obama should explain what is going on to the American people. Nice Job.
DeleteReading the article "Obama's Secret Weapon: Henrietta Lacks helped me to realize that Obama's presidency was not as clean or as great as some people think it was. Obama is using an almost propaganda like form of persuasion. This seems dark to me as well. Obama using this propaganda creates a different feeling for many Americans, maybe that Obama is being too sneaky.
ReplyDeleteObama also looks bad because he still fails to provide compensation for the Lacks family. What the researchers did to this woman and how people are still learning from it is great, but her family should be compensated for this loss. I think it is ridiculous that the government can just benefit off someone like this without helping the people that helped them.
I have never read the book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, I would really enjoy to read it. From what I have been told it is a very good book and it could be connected to many of the things we are doing in AP Language right now. I think it would be a great Idea to read this novel.
I believe that Frankenstein ties in to both the book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, and Obama's health care plan. In all 3 something is created, a monster, a plan, or a great discovery. For all 3 all the people involved must accept the consequences for their actions. Saying this, I believe that Obama should come out and Address the public and actually tell us what is going on with Obamacare.
Austin, I also agree that Obama's plan seems to have a dark side to it. It was interesting to recognize all the "monsters" in the two books and the plans for Obamacare. It is important that they see, and are willing to accept, the consequences of their actions. It is a shame that the government "used" Henrietta Lacks without compensating her family. Good job, Austin!
Delete