The Green Arm

Aurora didn’t want to go back to the kingdom. She wanted to stay in her little woodland cottage and play with all the animals that loved her. She held a hunk of bread with her left hand and fed a rabbit with the right. “There you go, little guy.” A common squirrel crept towards her and sniffed at the hunk of bread. “I sure do wonder why all of these animals love me so much.” She lifted up her right hand and pranced in a self-satisfied way towards a log to rest her feet.

Back at the cottage her three caretakers wove their magical wands and prepared for Aurora’s 16^th birthday by making her a birthday cake.

“She doesn’t like pink,” said the blue fairy.

“You wouldn’t know what she liked if it hit you on the head,” the pink fairy said.

“I just know she will be most beautiful and talented girl in the entire kingdom,” said the green fairy. “Everybody loves her.”

            Aurora burst through the front door. “My wonderful fairies! You did this for me?”

            They smiled at her and wished her a happy birthday. Still smiling, the fairies took her hands and led her towards the table. They ate the cake noisily and without conversation.

Finally Aurora exclaimed, “Why do I need to go to the kingdom tomorrow?”

“Because you are the princess,” said the blue fairy.

            Satisfied with this response, Aurora continued to eat the cake.

            The next day the fairies and the princess left for the castle. On the way there, Aurora’s stomach ached and she vomited up the entirety of last night’s meal. Her beautiful face became sallow and sticky. Quickly, the fairies cleaned up the mess and rushed her towards the castle.

            Aurora’s parents gleefully welcomed their perfectly beautiful daughter. Enveloping her in hugs and kisses, they yelled at a servant to make her bed. Aurora kissed both parents on the cheek and quickly ran to her room where she vomited the remainder of her stomach contents.

            In the middle of the night Aurora heard a slight ringing in her ear. Startled, she sat up. A green orb floated by the foot of her bed. It slowly began to make its way towards her bedroom door. Without knowing why, she automatically lifted herself out of bed and followed it.

            Aurora followed the orb up a long and winding staircase to the attic. In the middle of the cramped room sat a black spindle with a long and sharp needle. As if in a stupor, Aurora approached the object. With a quick gesture she poked the needle. Immediately, a shooting pain ran up her arm.  She looked down and noticed a green infection spread across her skin.

            Suddenly, a hideous woman arose from a cloud of smoke. On top of her grossly large head sat long and crooked horns that seemed to have broken their way out of her very skull. She threw back her head in a demonic cackle that sent a chill through Aurora’s spine.

“You will never leave this attic’s walls. By God above I curse you to rot here until the day you die. Because of your parents’ oppressive rule over this kingdom you will lay here asleep forever. The only thing that can awaken you is true love’s kiss.”

            And so it was, the king and queen were so disgusted by Aurora’s growing deformity that they locked her in the attic where she and they waited for a man to free her from this curse. But, every suitor ran away from the site of her grotesque arm, and she lay there forever.

What's The Real Nuisance Here?

Thesis: While some individuals and groups believe that the penny coin exists only as a nuisance, debate over whether or not to retire the coin wastes more time than does the penny itself.

Sources:

Source B- Discuss Gore and the disparity between his previous work (Single Molecule Investigations of the Mechanochemical Cycle of DNA Gyrase) and the insignificance of the penny debate. As a nation, should we really be spending time on this when a multitude of more pressing issues exist?

Source D- "The fact is the penny remains popular with the public and important to our pricing system." If the public wants the penny, the debate serves no purpose because individuals in society are the ones who deal with and use pennies in their every day lives.

Source E- Demonstrating through statistics that the public wants the penny. Furthermore, this opinion exists among a wide range of socio-economic statuses proving that the penny is universally wanted.

The Fetishization of a Culture

Cultural appropriation is the act of one culture (normally of privilege) taking pieces from another group and using these elements as its own. In most cases, this results in a trivialization and commodification of tradition and faith. While our society is by nature a hodgepodge of different cultures, there are certain instances where appropriation is undoubtedly harmful. In this photograph, a young woman stands nude with Native American inspired accessories: a feather, face paint, and two, long braids. By using elements of Native American cultural as sexually appealing accessories, the original photo aids the already present fetishization of Native American women. While some may argue that such a photo only enhances her natural beauty and inherent sexuality, the text included in the edited version of the photo clearly puts the image into context. The message, “I perpetuate damaging stereotypes. I maintain the fetishized, over sexualized image of Native American women,” addresses the American and post-colonial view of Native American women. The text guarentees that the viewer realizes that such media is not in a vacuum. Furthermore, the haunting statistic, “One in three Native American women are victims of sexual assault,” provides an indisputable acknowledgment of the dangerous effects that such images can have. Placed on top of the woman’s bare torso, the text draws the viewer’s eye away from the sexual nature of the image and onto the much less appealing reality of Native American women. This image effectively provides insight into the very serious issue of cultural appropriation. 

Flesh and Blood

Flesh and blood,

It don’t take much pride.

Alas, you are all I have left now.

I’d rather see you dead, 

Than a Compson.

I know you begrudge him, 

Lowing like a cow.

We Bascbombs shall be punished for it.

With that little whore in the house, 

I can stand it if you can.

You’ll be crying in a minute.

It doesn’t do any good. 

Not Everyone Can Just Die

This image clearly presents the consequences that may occur after drinking and driving. The focal point of the photo, a woman badly mutilated after a terrible accident, depicts the bodily inflictions possible for either party in a car crash. This representation drives fear into the viewer’s heart as they imagine themselves, or someone they love, being in such a position. The small black and white photo in the bottom left corner offers contrast and highlights the change of identity that has taken place, due to the young woman’s serious disfigurements. Such an idea terrifies people as they realize that regular social interactions and a customary lifestyle would not longer be possible. Furthermore, the statement “Not everyone who gets hit by a drunk driver dies,” raises the question of whether death would be a more desirable outcome. Through shocking imagery, this ad highlights the greatest fears associated with car accidents.