Death rituals:

•         Sutee or Self- Immolation: It was a traditional Hindu ritual practiced in India, in which when a man died the bride will voluntary be burned alive next to the corpse. This was practiced because the culture believed that husband and wife could find each other in the after life. 

•   Tibean Buddhist Sky Burial/ Jhator: This ritual is practiced in Tibet and the Buddhists do it. In this ritual the bodies are left alone for three days, wrapped in white cloth, and then a group of monks cut the body in many pieces.  And then the body is feed to the birds near the region. This is done because the culture believes in reincarnation and therefor the body has no real importance so it might as well be used for Jhator; which means giving human parts to a bird.

• Space burial: Obviously this is a modern death ritual and the cost of it depends on how far out of space the body has to be taken. For this to happen the body has to be cremated first.  With this kind of burial the body, its ashes, are supposed to linger around the universe forever. 

Taken from: Knight, David. “The 5 Creepiest Death Rituals From Around the World”. Cracked. 05/08/ 08. Web. 30/10/11. <http://www.cracked.com/article_16502_the-5-creepiest-death-rituals-from-around-world.html >

My thoughts regarding death

Death is a very controversial topic that may cause relief or fear but to some it is a non-existing state and so it should cause no feeling at all. Death causes me fear. Death is unknown to man and it dreads me to head into something unknown from which there is no coming back.  Death means the end of a period or the end of everything; it means closure and what if you are not ready for it? Death takes away time from the surrounding people and it forces people to question their beliefs and then face them. Only in death can it be known if there is heaven, hell, reincarnation, etc. Or if there is simply nothing; and only then people can know if their beliefs were correct or incorrect or simply don’t know nor feel anything at all. Death gives sense to life for it brings it to an end but what happens when death appears to soon and a life hasn’t had anything to transcend by; was that life wasted? Death scares me because it means the end of the known and beginning of the unknown, it is the moment in which life along with its decisions and actions appears correct or incorrect and worthily or unworthily.   

Whenever I think of dead and my feelings for it; Edgar Allan Poe’s poem “The raven” comes to mind for with a simple word: “Nevermore”, the writer explains one of my biggest fears.

The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe.

“Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,

Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,

While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,

As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.

"'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door -

Only this, and nothing more."

Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,

And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.

Eagerly I wished the morrow; - vainly I had sought to borrow

From my books surcease of sorrow - sorrow for the lost Lenore -

For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore -

Nameless here for evermore.

And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain

Thrilled me - filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;

So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating,

"'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door -

Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door; -

This it is, and nothing more."

Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,

"Sir," said I, "or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;

But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,

And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,

That I scarce was sure I heard you"- here I opened wide the door; -

Darkness there, and nothing more.

Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,

Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortals ever dared to dream before;

But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,

And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, "Lenore?"

This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, "Lenore!" -

Merely this, and nothing more.

Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,

Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.

"Surely," said I, "surely that is something at my window lattice:

Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore -

Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore; -

'Tis the wind and nothing more."

Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,

In there stepped a stately raven of the saintly days of yore;

Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;

But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door -

Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door -

Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,

By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore.

"Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou," I said, "art sure no craven,

Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the Nightly shore -

Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!"

Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,

Though its answer little meaning- little relevancy bore;

For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being

Ever yet was blest with seeing bird above his chamber door -

Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door,

With such name as "Nevermore."

But the raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only

That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.

Nothing further then he uttered- not a feather then he fluttered -

Till I scarcely more than muttered, "other friends have flown before -

On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before."

Then the bird said, "Nevermore."

Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,

"Doubtless," said I, "what it utters is its only stock and store,

Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster

Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore -

Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore

Of 'Never - nevermore'."

But the Raven still beguiling all my fancy into smiling,

Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird, and bust and door;

Then upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking

Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore -

What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt and ominous bird of yore

Meant in croaking "Nevermore."

This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing

To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core;

This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining

On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamplight gloated o'er,

But whose velvet violet lining with the lamplight gloating o'er,

She shall press, ah, nevermore!

Then methought the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer

Swung by Seraphim whose footfalls tinkled on the tufted floor.

"Wretch," I cried, "thy God hath lent thee - by these angels he hath sent thee

Respite - respite and nepenthe, from thy memories of Lenore:

Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!"

Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil! - prophet still, if bird or devil! -

Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,

Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted -

On this home by horror haunted- tell me truly, I implore -

Is there - is there balm in Gilead? - tell me - tell me, I implore!"

Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil - prophet still, if bird or devil!

By that Heaven that bends above us - by that God we both adore -

Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,

It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore -

Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore."

Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

"Be that word our sign in parting, bird or fiend," I shrieked, upstarting -

"Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore!

Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!

Leave my loneliness unbroken!- quit the bust above my door!

Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!"

Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting

On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;

And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,

And the lamplight o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;

And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor

Shall be lifted - nevermore!”

Found in: http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/edgar_allan_poe/poems/18848

What did you learn during this Unit? Did you like the novel? Why or why not?

Through the first unit: The Great Gatsby Reading and Writing America. I learned how the discovery of America affected literature and how literature affected the rise and fall of the American Dream. I learned about the different contrast in the 1920’s and it’s context (how at the time people were moving forward and backward at the same time). This due to the different occurrences of the time: racism, prohibition, bootlegging, jazz music, technological advances (movies with sound), mass production, “freedom” in women (who could vote and dress in the flopper look). All of this concepts and ideas appear in Fitzgerald novel The Great Gatsby in which the context and the people of the time are criticized for their cynical attitudes and shallowness. The novel represents an era by telling the stories of six main characters (Nick, Gatsby, Daisy, Tom, Jordan and Myrtle) and their relationships. My personal opinion of the novel is that it is extremely important and interesting for what it represents. However, the plot in the story was ok (it wasn’t good nor bad), it could have been more interesting especially in the way in which different events were narrated. And therefore I like the novel for what it represents and it’s importance to a decade but I am neutral to the plot and the events narrated.

Iconic character of the Roaring Twenties

Coco Chanel

“In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different.”

- Coco Channel

Coco Chanel is probably the most important fashion designer the world has ever seen; she is considered one of the most important personalities of the Twentieth Century. Chanel’s cloths represent the 1920’s for many different reasons. But at the same time it could be said the 1920’s represent Chanel’s clothing because her designs, at the time, were completely innovative and went against the ideas that society had for women clothing. However, Coco Chanel represents mostly the positive aspects of this era, which makes her extremely more exciting. Chanel designs didn’t accept the so-called “Victorian Values” and so her clothing was refreshing and new. She was inspired by the ideas of: masculine clothes on women, more revealing pieces than used before, comfortable yet elegant clothing. The innovations that Chanel gave to cloth affected women beyond their wardrobe. Because in the 1920’s women did feel more free and independent, as a consequence to Chanel’s new style. Chanel is said to have invented the “flapper look” which was what liberal and mostly show girls wore.  Chanel clothing helped women gain their freedom and their right to have fun but that was not all the effect Chanel had in the 1920’s. For her designs were usually accompanied by big and ostentatious jewelry, or the illusion of jewels, which could represent the vivacity and progress of the time. Coco Chanel was a legend whose clothes helped shaped historical moments and affected women’s closet, actions and thoughts. Her brand is still very famous and desired nowadays and her designs also affect women of this time period.