History Blog (US History)

911 threw the US into an unforeseen frenzy. For one, the sheer severity of such an attack killed thousands and showed the world the mortality of the US. The government clearly had much to deal with; a military reaction, helping those affected by the attack, and finally ensuring such an event doesn't repeat itself. The war on terror affected immigration policy for years to come, and now draws comparison to Trump's immigration policies. One could argue Trump expanded on what was in place from 911.

For one, the Department of Homeland Security emphasized that new policies buff border protection, through the CBP. The site specifically states acting against criminals, drugs, but also terrorists. The ICE and USCIS were also introduced at the time, both providing foundations for Trump's presidential policies.

Compared to today, immigration standards have evolved. The 911 policies are counter-threat, but today policies point to immigration through certain qualifications. For example, through educational and employment qualifications. Though the line may not be very direct between 2001 and today, it shows how the reaction to 911 has built upon itself, and policies have come back to being for the homeland.

Title Change: The Machine Stops

"The Machine Stops" is already a fitting name for the story itself. Since the Machine is at the core of humanity, the end of the story is caused by the Machine. However, in the ashes of the Machine's downfall comes the return of those exiled out of the Machine's realm. Those who stayed tied to the Machine met their end, but the rest didn't. Therefore, another worthy title for the "Machine Stops" would be "A Short Pause on Humanity".

This name accounts for various occurrences in the story. For one, the Machine is known for feeding off the ideas of humans, to the point where the regurgitation of ideas is the norm. Nothing is new, and everything is grey. This lifestyle was so systematic and irregular, that one could say humanity lost its course. Though people such as Vashti accepted this life, their acceptance only came as a consequence of the numbness the Machine created. This time period is accounted for by the "pause on humanity". "Pause" symbolizes the seizing of normal human practices, those done by the characters' ancestors. Anything that could resemble what we see today as human -- consciousness, deeper thinking, and individuality, has much less of a presence in the pause on humanity. However, with such a "pause" comes a "resume", in this case, the end of the story. The rise of exiled peoples by the destruction of the machine allows humanity to return to its past form and to resume itself.

First Person Shooter and Covid-19

When it comes to current events, some ideas that pop up in "First Person Shooter" can be related to the ongoing Covid-19 crisis. Today, we are all forced inside. We are in circumstances that no one as ever seen before. As the virus spreads, more and more become susceptible to its reach. This is where the comparisons begin, and "First Person Shooter" sheds new light on the ongoing crisis. The story gives me similar revelations to the crisis. 

"First Person Shooter" brings out the humanity in unusual subjects, such as the zombie in the market. The understanding the main character develops for the situation the zombie is in is remarkable. He even begins to ponder adopting zombie-tendencies. The epiphany the narrator has is what brings us to Covid-19. When observing the zombie, he describes it such that, "she started off tonight excited for a date, and then she comes in here and sees this game, and now who knows what’s happened to her self-image, to her picture of the world". The narrator is hereby introduced to a complete other view of his world, one that is flipped around. In the video-game, zombies are killed, but what about being the zombie? In the same way that the narrator has his world turned, Covid-19 changes ours. They are both intertwined by the power of perception, how a view of the world can change. For some of us, that means remaining indoors for unusually extensive periods at home, mainly away from others. For me, I get to reflect on how much my connection to others meant to me-- I took it for granted. That said, "First Person Shooter" and the Covid-19 crisis both give bizarre perspectives, yet end up teaching something new.

House of Usher the Movie

As we know, "The Fall of the House of Usher" has an eternally dreary setting. So much so, that it was difficult to find actors and actresses that I could imagine in these roles. Since the story's dark setting was such of such magnitude, I finally decided to reflect on movies that made me feel the same way. I reflected on the history of the Usher family -- the uneasiness it brought me, the mystery, and the panic. Immediately, the numerous films of Alred Hitchcock I've seen in the past came to mind. Vertigo, Pyscho, The Birds, and Rear Window were still fresh in my mind. The suspense and progression of these Hitchcock movies lined up well with the suspense of "The Fall of the House of Usher"; they had an extensive "build-up", ending with a revelation, or twist. If this movie were to have a director, Alfred Hitchcock would be the one. To this day thinking of these movies gives me shivers (I suggest watching them).

The 3 main characters in the story are Madeline, Roderick, and the narrator. The choice for Madeline was straightforward. Kim Novak, who played Madeleine (coincidence indeed) in Vertigo matches well with the story. Her character was unsettling all the way through, going from suicidal with bizarre tendencies, to being the main piece to a plot-twist. Her performance was well-tied to the role, a role that I believe would be similar in The Fall of the House of Usher: The Movie. For the narrator, I chose Lex Barker. I know him from Winnetou, a series about the wild-west, back when cowboys and Indians were uber-popular in Germany. He played the role of "Old Shatterhand", a friend to Winnetou whom he closed a very close bond with. Though the series may look different to me now, "Old Shatterhand" remains the same honest and helping character, who remains objective in times of chaos, and stays calm. Thus I decided to make him the narrator because such a role requires consistent neutrality, because the narrator would often observe and not always intervene. Finally, Roderick would be played by Rhys Ifans, who played Xenophilius Lovegood, a peculiar character in the Harry Potter series. He would match Roderick's tense character and pessimism.

The Things They Carried: Intangibles

I’ve learned and reflected on so much history of the Vietnam war that The Things They Carried had a profound effect on me. It immediately had me immersed in the setting, the characters, and their stories. However, there is a lesson in these sentences that brought me back to the story, which led me to reflect on the entire period of time (the timeline of the war) again. I found these sentences to be strong tellers of what the story was about, but also carriers of something new to learn in their individuality.<br> Throughout the story, Tim O’Brien details what the group of soldiers carries. Every item had a deeper effect on each character and a back-story. Some tangible, and others intangible. However, the group lacked something they carried that brought them together, until this sentence; “They carried all they could bear, and then some, including a silent awe for the terrible power of the things they carried”. First, the sentence highlights how the characters had to over-exert themselves in order to survive and live through difficult events. They carried “all they could bear”, telling readers of their strenuous journeys, “and then some” only indicating their struggles further. For example, following the death of Ted Lavender, not only did they have to deal with the death of a comrade but also what he had carried, his tranquilizers and so forth. In that sense “and then some” could not only be meant to extend the weight of their struggles but how the weight of what they carry accumulates. It would have made sense to leave “and then some” out, but I interpret it as an intentional bridge to see that the characters had carried a bit off one another, amounting to an incredibly heart-rending ethos.<br> The next part of the sentence shows that the is group aware of how each of them carries a heavy, intangible weight. In addition, the phrase provokes me to think about the soldiers’ past actions, and how their futures have been permanently altered. For example, the word choice of a “silent awe” leads me to believe that their understanding and interpretations of all that they have carried is mutual. As the characters become numb, some more than others, they are connected in that common understanding. The life-changing realization that they are alone in this conflict between peoples, seems more tangible when they see others in the same position. Everyone seeks a further understanding of “things” and the group found that in themselves and each other. <br> Finally, the “terrible power” of what they carried seems to be a show of the way war can change a soldier’s mind. I can’t help but think about Norman Bowker’s thumb that he carries; such a bizarre and gruesome tangible to carry, but it meant something to him. “Terrible” in this setting gives me a feeling of “something bad has happened, what now?”. That said, this sentence is a strong example of the hardships the characters when through, but also provides readers a complex foundation to interpret the soldiers’ experiences. <br>

Has Vashti’s Love for Kuno Been Erased?

The Machine Stops represents the doubt and wonder surrounding the rapid development of technology. However, E.M. Forster’s story also showcases a narrative of love, one that is transformed as Kuno lets his curiosity lead his actions. Kuno was driven to such a point that he went against everything and everyone around him, yet his mother was willing to discuss his views with him. However, the Machine contaminated their relationship in the end, as Vashti became too distant to ever regain the love she once had for Kuno. Vashti’s submission to the Machine had taken her over.<br>It began when Vashti accepted the flaws that the Machine had torn into human civilization. When Kuno tells her of an idea he had for life above the surface, Vashti notices he becomes silent and possibly unhappy, but she couldn’t be sure because of the rough projection the Machine created of Kuno. Expressions are key for people to understand each other, to empathize, but Vashti seems comfortable to dismiss this practice. She tells herself, “the imponderable bloom, declared by a discredited philosophy to be the actual essence of intercourse, was rightly ignored by the Machine...Something “good enough” had long since been accepted by our race”. Vashti’s sense of “good enough” hints at her acceptance of not only the state in which she lives but the position humanity has been put subject to. This fundamental disagreement between Vashti and Kuno is the first step to pulling them apart.<br>While this disagreement drives them apart, it isn’t enough to visibly impact Vashti’s and Kuno’s relationship. While their disagreements are inherent, Vashti isn’t acting against her son. Then came the point in the story that Kuno had extensively explored the surface, and reflected on his ideas. In a turn of emotion, Vashti directly showed her disapproval for Kuno’s actions. Vashti tells him “Don’t. Don’t talk of these terrible things. You make me miserable. You are throwing 12 civilization away”. Here, Vashti accuses Kuno of sullying the life the Machine has brought her, and so many others. It is no longer a difference of views, but a betrayal. You, Kuno, are “throwing civilization away”. In a sense, Vashti struggles to accept that Kuno became so much so that she makes him the enemy. <br>The accumulation of such things leads me to believe Vashti has settled for a connection that is less than love. Repeatedly, Vashti shows affection for her son, sympathy, but it is swiftly cut with the interjections of the cold machine. This was a short story showcasing the fear of developing technology, its frightening power to create but to also divide. The constant pressure exerted on Vashti by the machine, and her dependence on it has arguably cost her her love for Kuno.

A Peaceful Place

There are few places I can say invoked peaceful feelings in me. It isn’t that I can’t find these places, but more that there is a certain connection in finding peace between you and a place. From what I’ve noticed, relaxing in a nice place, or reading a book by a river, for example, isn’t true peace. I take true peace as a disconnection from the conflict and constant flow of life and leaving them behind. If I can find a place, and truly forget about conflicts back in my day-to-day life, I think I’ve found peace for a while.


Of course, making that next step is difficult, because it takes self-initiative. It's also up to personal character of what kind of places you like. For me, this place is Lake Berryessa. Its located in Napa County, California, which is about an hour and a half away from where I used to live. Its known for the “Morning Glory Spillway”; a drainage system that appears like a black-hole, in water. The spillway is right next to the Monticello Dam, which was built in 1957.





About twice a year my family would go to Lake Berryessa to hike one of the toughest trails along the mountain and its ridge. Its provided me with some pretty but also frightening memories. For example, when you take the long route for the hike we’ve done, there's a point where you have to lean against the mountain with a path, overlooking a steep fall. Hiking would usually take the whole day, with several milestones that I remember to this day. One was an abandoned stone house, in a clearing full of autumn leaves and right next to a blue flowing river. Not one patch of dirt could be seen on the floor, because of the coat of leaves everywhere. We tended to stay here and rest.









I think of this lake as my most peaceful place because of one particular experience. One weekend, my dad, my brothers, and I stayed there overnight. My dad had a friend who owned a research post in the mountain, and we got to camp out in the usually restricted area. We even got his Gator (or small all-terrain car). It's hard to come up with memories that made me feel the same way I did then. We spent the day hiking in new areas, and I would sit in the back of the Gator while my dad drove us over and up mountain ridges. The wind blew all around me, and at points it felt like I was touching the sky. Ultimately, every minute was fun or awe-inspiring, which led to an incredible immersion that disconnected me from my regular life for a while. Therefore, I find this a peaceful place.