ALLEGORY OF THE CAVE SONNET

Humans are living in an underground cave,
Where they have their necks and legs chained
Unable to turn their heads, they remain restrained.
Down in the cave they are enslaved,
Life outside of the cave, they've never craved.
In their eyes darkness has been ingrained.
For shadows are the only form of the outside world which they've obtained.
In the cave, their knowledge will continue to be waived.
A prisoner is then released.
Outside of the cave, the light he will see.
The reality of life his eyes will feast.
The outside world has set him free.
His knowledge of reality will increase.
For enlightened he will soon be.

BRAIN WITH [8] LEGS

As a group, we decided to read Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. In order to collaborate regarding our reading, we plan on discussing our readings during class and creating a Facebook group message to continue discussing our book online. We also plan to meet up at one of our houses' during the break in order to clarify any confusion and discuss our understanding of the readings. We will start reading our book on November 21 and read about 37 pages each day. 

PLATO'S ALLEGORY OF THE CAVE

1. According to Socrates, what does the Allegory of the Cave represent?
- According to Socrates, the Allegory of the Cave represents confinement and imprisonment, and the restriction of freedom.
2. What are the key elements in the imagery used in the allegory?
- The prisoners, darkness, chains, the fire behind the prisoners, the cave itself, and the shadows are the key elements in the imagery used in the allegory.
3. What are some things the allegory suggests about the process of enlightenment or education?
- The allegory suggests that the process of education is a process which is never questioned. Individuals believe what it is that they hear and never question what they are told, suggesting that people don't take advantage of their opportunities to learn. 
4. What do the imagery of "shackles" and the "cave" suggest about the perspective of the cave dwellers or prisoners?
- The shackles suggests that there is a restraint from knowledge and reality. The cave suggests that it is what confines the prisoners and what keeps them from viewing reality with their very own eyes.
5. In society today or in your own life, what sorts of things shackle the mind?
- In my own life, fear shackles my mind. I have a difficult time voicing my thoughts and opinions. "I don't want to sound dumb," is the statement that truly keeps me from expressing myself.
6. Compare the perspective of the freed prisoner with the cave prisoners?
- The freed prisoner is enlightened and understands reality and the outside world. The caved prisoners, on the other hand, lack understanding and knowledge regarding everything that is outside of the cave.
7. According to the allegory, lack of clarity or intellectual confusion can occur in two distinct ways or contexts. What are they?
- If you're in the cave you won't understand anything other than what you already know from being in that cave. Whereas, if you're from the outside world you already understand the reality of life and the cave will only be a restraint in knowledge.
There are two types of people in the world; those who always agree with you, and those who question you.
8. According to the allegory, how do cave prisoners’ get free? What does this suggest about intellectual freedom?
- Prisoners' become free by leaving the cave. It suggests that knowledge is out there, you just have to be willing to learn. If you wish to become enlightened, you must enlighten yourself.
9. The allegory presupposes that there is a distinction between appearances and reality. Do you agree? Why or why not?
- Yes, I agree that there is a distinction between appearances and reality. Just because you are unable to see something, doesn't mean that it doesn't exists. Also, the way one views something isn't always real.
10. If Socrates is incorrect in his assumption that there is a distinction between reality and appearances, what are the two alternative metaphysical assumptions?

- If Socrates is incorrect in his assumption that there is a distinction between reality and appearances, everything that is seen will be believed to be real. Nobody will question anything, but only believe what they see to be reality.

WE HANG TOGETHER

The Role of Interdependence in Strategic Collaboration 

- Interdependence: the underlying key to any strategic alliance, community partnership, or interpersonal collaboration.

- Inter-organizational relationships can be competitive, dependent, or both.

- "Strategic alliance" refers to collaborative relationships and endeavors.
- We depend on other people for our own existence and survival.
- Business endurance is mistakenly characterized as competition, rather than dependence.   

SURVIVAL OF THE INTERDEPENDENT
- Companies and executives "fight the drought" rather than find way to "attract moisture."
- Darwin's model of evolution illustrates the natural tendencies to create relationships, networks, and communities. 
- Human factors play a major role in the successful implementation of any independent effort.
- One must have an understanding of the qualities of collaboration and how people and culture within the organization will be perceived in order to use interdependence most efficiently.
-  Conducting and organizational audit is the first step to creating a strategic relationship.

AMERICAN CULTURE AND THE FALLACY OF "GOING IT ALONE"

 - The ideal of independence has help many people achieve great things and inspired freedom, creativity, innovation, and a high level of achievement and perceived self-worth.
- Deep down we need other people and strategic relationships. 
- Even the most powerful executive office functions best through interdependence (People rarely do it alone).
- "it isn't the money that sinks a partnership or an alliance - it's the people."
- Young individuals must unlearn what they think about individual performance.

VALUES OF STRATEGIC RELATIONSHIPS
- The values of strategic relationship are often tied to the values of the participating organizations (include: integrity, quality. and speed).
- Business relationships are more likely to be short and not loyal.
- Partners act out of self-interest rather than do what is right.
- Interdependence requires that one party do for the other and vice versa.
- Partners must agree to values that reflect their operations, rather than some utopian ideal.

CAPACITY BUILDING AND COMMUNITY
- Companies act strategically to be good corporate citizens and establish positive public relationships with communities.
- Internet presence a unique opportunity for companies to create an interdependent network.
- Companies maintain their integrity and their market share at the same time with interdependence.

THE TECHNIQUE OF THE MARKETPLACE
- We need each other.
- Interdependence works more effectively than independence.
- Effective interdependence not only facilitates business success, but the preservation of an environment.

A POETIC INQUIRY

A Sonnet on Insecurity

Author: Lost Griffin

A waterfall of russet-gold that shin'd,

But now does naught but sit upon her head.

Uncertainty that freezes heart and mind

Has ousted them and left a shell instead.

What can she do but wither in this shade

Of self unseen, and fear too well envision'd?

Without the sunlight, all she was will fade

And so the light and hope need be provision'd.

To crawl out of the well and face the day,

And speak the strength that words should never lack;

To give no care what other people say,

And feel the confidence come rushing back:

To do these things, then heart and mind return

And hair that ceased to shine will all be burn. 

My Big Question:
What causes insecurity? Why does insecurity have such a negative impact on people's lives? Why do people have such a hard time loving themselves and who they are? Why do individuals have such a difficult time being themselves? (These are only a few of my questions.)

My Interpretation/Thoughts:

- When you lack confidence you lack heart and mind.

- Always be yourself and never worry about what other people may think about you.

- Without confidence, you fade away (things are dark [negative] for you).

- You're not yourself when you're insecure.

- When you don't worry about what others think of you, you're a confident individual.
- Both heart and mind exist when you have confidence in yourself.
- The lack of confidence is something one must overcome.
- One shouldn't hid their insecurities/lack of self-confidence, but face them.
- Insecurity is a burden and affects individuals mentally (as well as physically).
- One tends to hid who they are when they are insecure.

SONNET ANALYSIS #1

- Sonnet comes from sonneto

- Sonneto: a little sound or song

- Two types of sonnets: Shakespearean and Petrarch (Italian)

Petrarch

- Composed of 14 lines

- One section of 8 lines followed by 6 lines

Shakespearean 

- Composed of 14 lines 

- Divided into 4 parts: 3 quatrains, 1 couplet

HAMLET REMIX

- "The description of reality which changes the reality being described."
This image represents the concept of performative utterance. With his words, Martin Luther King Jr. was able to make a change by ultimately turning his words into action, which relates to the performative utterance in Hamlet.


 

- "Hamlet often speaks but never seems to actually act."

This image represents the fact that Hamlet was all about the talk, but never truly seemed to act (until much later in the play).                                                                        

Locutionary Force
- The ability of language to deliver a message.
- Locutionary force occurs when King Claudius informs both Rosencrantz and Guildenstern about Hamlet's "transformation."

    

Illocutionary Force

- What is done in being said.

- Occurs when the ghost orders Hamlet to kill Claudius.

Perlocutionary Force

- What is achieved by being said (plays a major role in the play). 

- Occurs when Hamlet strives to follow the ghost's order to kill King Claudius.

Self-overhearing

 - Like in Hamlet, self-overhearing also occurs in everyday life. 

- Hamlet demonstrated self-overhearing through his soliloquies, where he expressed his innermost thoughts and feelings.

 

HAMLET ESSAY

Using what you've learned about Hamlet the character and Hamlet the play, evaluate the impact of performative utterance on Hamlet and your own sense of self. How does the way Hamlet speaks constitute action in itself? How does it impact the characters and the plot? How does this compare with your own "self-overhearing"? How does the way you reflect on your experience create a sense of memory, expectation, and real-world results? Use the text, your reading/lecture notes, the experience of memorizing the "To be, or not to be" soliloquy, de Boer's paper (and Bloom's/Austin's theoretical frameworks), and the many online and offline discussions we've had.

Performative utterance, the description of reality that changes the reality which is being described, is not only presented throughout William Shakespeare's Hamlet, but occurs in the real-world as well. The use of performative utterance in Hamlet helps Hamlet's language constitute action in itself. Throughout the entire play, Hamlet often speaks but never actually seems to act. Locutionary force, illocutionary force, perlocutionary force, and self-overhearing are the types of language which Hamlet utilizes when communicating with the other characters throughout the play.

Language is not only significant in one's everyday life, but is essential in every single piece of literature. Locutionary force, the ability of language to deliver a message, is demonstrated when King Claudius informs both Rosencrantz and Guildenstern that Hamlet has "transformed" and that he's different than he was before. In the play, Hamlet is considered to be "mad," due to the fact that he struggles to express himself. But wouldn't that make almost every human being "mad" as well? Illoctionary force which is what is done in being said, occurs when the ghost orders Hamlet to seek revenge and kill Claudius for murdering King Hamlet. However, perlocutionary force, the intended effect, plays a major role in the play. In Hamlet, Hamlet strives to follow the ghost's order and makes killing Claudius his main priority. Locutionary, illocutionary, and perlocutionary forces are key components utilized in Hamlet which ultimately help the audience characterize each and every character.

 The characters in Hamlet seem to evolve through self-overhearing. Hamlet demonstrates self-overhearing through his many soliloquies presented throughout the play. Through his soliloquies, Hamlet is able to express his very emotions where we, as an audience, are allowed into his mind, which gives us the opportunity to learn about his feelings through his words. I experience self-overhearing on a daily basis. My mind is drowning in thoughts about school, life, my future, and almost everything else that you could possibly think of. Once I begin to overhear my very thoughts through my speaking I often gain self-knowledge. This self-overhearing gives me the opportunity to learn about myself through my thoughts and help me understand every goal in which I strive to accomplish in life. 

Words are extremely powerful and it is often these words that lead to actions. The performative utterance in Hamlet allows us to ultimately understand the characters through the language in the play. Performative utterance isn't what is done with the language in Hamlet, but what this performative language tells us about the characters.