ARTIFACT: Our group decided that our artifact would be a surgical knife. Every knife has two sides, Similarly, Dr. Namumanu's personality has two sides.
Though we were not able to find a direct quote of Dr. Namumanu that exhibited racism, we could tell that she held racist ideas by looking at the thoughts and words of other characters. In chapter 30, Boy Genius and Rosalyn are married. Boy Genius describes that because Dr. Namumanu performs the wedding ceremony and his parents are dead, the couple does not have to "make the rounds and bow to a hundred haggard immigrants as [they] tried [their] best not to cringe at their cheap Sunday suits and garish dresses. All the while, the hall would have been filled with a never-ending stream of gossip about whose children had made it and whose had not, whose sons were filial and whose were not" (Park, 147). The fact that Dr. Namumanu hosted an all-American wedding ceremony for a couple that by gene-definition are Asians proves that she holds no respect for the Asian culture.
In addition, the easiest way to put Dr. Namumanu's job is that she is a facial surgeon. (hint: surgical knife!) One of her patients makes a comment saying that "Dr. Namumanu's reputation's just stellar. [He] personally know[s] two-dozen people who've been to see her, and the results are just spectacular" (Parker, 133). Her job description includes changing the physical appearance of her patients, or more specifically, changing a person from being yellow to being white. From her choice of profession, we can see that she clearly disregards a person's cultural background and supports the decision of totally changing a person's cultural identity.
However, there is another side to her story. Even though she has performed many facial surgeries, she has done nothing to her own appearance. When Boy Genius first sees Dr. Namumanu, he describes her as a "short Asian woman with shiny silver hooks for arms" (Park, 134). From this, we can see that there are two sides to Dr. Namumanu. On one hand, she works to help others change their looks, but on the other hand, she keeps her oriental roots.
Group 8 (I think!)
-Jessie Wu
ps-I so sorry I forgot the names of my other group members! Please add your names underneath so we all get credit! :)
Didn't you ever had such a great idea to invent something when you were a kid?
One time in the third grade I invented the "sweatlow" which was a hooded sweater that could be turned into a pillow. Everyone in my class started to do it... then a few years later they really invented one! I thought to myself... aw I just lost out on millions!
Janice Le
Quote 1: “’ Come on, kid. They don’t care about you. They’re only thinking about themselves. You’re old enough to know that.’” (37).
Analysis 1: Choco Joe shows his loyalty to Boy Genius by being honest and looking out for him. Even in the way beginning we can see that Choco Joe was one of Boy Genius’ truest friends because he is brutally honest with him by telling him the reality of situations and that some of the things that Boy Genius idolizes, like His Excellency, isn’t at all what he may think he is. Choco Joe wants to make sure that Boy Genius not only knows the reality but also understand that he’s only trying to watch his back for the long term. Choco Joe early on warns Boy Genius not to hold people at high standards, which later Boy Genius realizes after the betrayal by His Excellency. This just goes on to prove that Choco Joe knew things before Boy Genius even thought about it, which reveals that he was truly looking out for the best interest of Boy Genius and that’s why Choco Joe was always someone that Boy Genius listened to, as he was always insightful and a loyal friend.
Quote: “But trust me on this, kid. There are people out here who wouldn’t mind it one bit if he suddenly disappeared” (Park 37)
In this quote, Choco Joe is being genuine with Boy Genius, something the other characters in the book thus far are not. Choco Joe’s honesty to Boy Genius shows that Choco Joe cares about Boy Genius. In a way, Choco Joe is watching over Boy Genius by telling Boy Genius the truth. Although not explicit, Choco Joe is showing loyalty to Boy Genius before loyalty has developed. He is telling Boy Genius not to just follow people blindly as he is to His Excellency. This foreshadows Boy Genius’s future friendship with Choco Joe and the development of their relationship.
Quote 2: “I wanted to see you off at the airport but… well… you know how things are here at the station. Anyway, the show’s still doing well but frankly, it’s not the same without you, old pal” (212)
Analysis 2: Choco Joe expresses his loyalty through his letter by calling Boy Genius his “old pal”. Even though Choco Joe wasn’t able to say goodbye to Boy Genius, he still sent him oranges and in his letter even apologized for not being able to do more. This truly shows that Choco Joe cared about Boy Genius as more than just a co-worker, but that he was a good friend to him. He even hints in the letter that he misses Boy Genius by saying “... it’s not the same without you…” which clearly shows that Choco Joe misses the time that they spent together at the station. All of this time Boy Genius thought Choco Joe had another identity that he was lying about, though he was right, it ended up being that Choco Joe the person with another persona was the one that wasn’t two faced. But one that was actually there for Boy Genius; a true loyal friend.
Quote 3: “You were right about me. I was a spy. But that doesn’t mean you and I weren’t true friends. I’m so sorry Boy Genius […] Be good to your parents. There’s no substitute for home and family” (212).
Analysis 3: Choco Joe defines loyalty through his honesty to Boy Genius. After all the years that the two were separated and the secrets that he kept, Choco Joe still considered Boy Genius his true friend. In fact, Choco Joe was the most loyal friend to Boy Genius. He was a dominant father figure in Boy Genius’s life, offering advice and knowing more about the boy’s life than the boy himself. Choco Joe had lied about his role in the KCIA, but he also had a heart and a close relationship with Boy Genius. At the point of the story where this quote iss written, Choco Joe is a frail man living in a cage. His last dying words are what is written in a letter to Boy Genius, which Choco Joe kept for many years as he searched in vain for his friend. In the end, Choco Joe reminds Boy Genius to appreciate the two most important possessions a human will have: family love and a home.
-Group 6
Janice, Rachel, Victor
I LOVE THIS. I just followed lyrics born on twitter! I'm so excited that I'm not sure if this blog will have correct grammer, but I just have to say how awesome this short read was! Who knew that 140 characters could explain it all? Coming from a girl that was born and raised in the Bay Area I really enjoyed Lyrics Born twitter poetry. His interpretations and visual perceptions of the Bay Area was very true, or should I say "on point". His use of visuals (photos of bart, signs that read "broakland", cars with massive amounts of cardboard) and his use of 140 characters truly describe the many sightings and events that occur here in all parts of the bay area. Many people who aren't from the Bay Area may think that some of his short twitter poems are untrue or too absurd to even be true. But I can tell you that his poems described my childhood and what I grew up around. I do agree that coming from the Bay Area makes you unique. There isn't another place in the world I don't think? That is so open to new things that may seem weird but also the fact that there isn't another place in this world that is so diverse like the Bay Area. Lyrics born is right in that the Bay Area houses so many different communities. That is what makes us not only different but special. In all honesty, I've never been outside of the Bay Area, so that is all I know. But in your opinion (if you live/been outside of the bay area) how are your/other communities alike/different than the Bay Area? Do you like it here in the Bay? Why/Why not?
Janice Le
In contrast to the Blade Runner, which describes the artificial intelligence technology as a threat to human society, the Bicentennial Man tries to explore individual values and question how can we make meaning out of existence by using automaton characters as metaphors.
--- Jiaqi Liu (Cate)
Pg. 60 "She was a strong and proud woman....and fulfill her role as a dutiful Korean daughter"
The mother sacrificed her promising future for the sake of her future Korean family and to abide by tradition. If she had not sacrificed her future, Boy Genius would not have had the chance for a happy, traditional Korean culture-filled childhood. She sacrificed her future in favor of a son and family she did not even have yet. This demonstrates the cultural norm of how parents sacrifice individual gain for the benefit of the family as a whole, or for the benefit of another in general.
Pg. 91-92 "Every morning, before the scurried away.....in a house next to white people.
Based on the implications of the text, the parents had very demeaning jobs at an extremely low pay. In the United States, they were restricted to these limited possibilities of jobs whereas in South Korea, even in the village, they would have had more freedom of the self. As the working poor, they sacrificed their days working for meager pay in hoped to improve the life of their son.
Artifact: Penny
We chose a penny to symbolize how poor the parents were int he United States. They gave up their life and left behind all they knew in South Korea, and left their families for the chance of a better life for their son in the United States.
-Megan Wong
-Jonathan Li
-Jack Chen
Our group was assigned to find three quotes in Boy Genius relating to the character H-I-J, and his theme of betrayal. The first quote we found was from Boy Genius's first conversation with H-I-J on page 28: "...'I've known His Excellency for sixteen years now, and I've yet to have the privilege of smoking with him. You're a very lucky boy, I just hope you never disappoint him, for your sake and his.'"
In this excerpt, H-I-J seems to be very envious of Boy Genius's privilege. He even goes so far as to make what seems like a thinly-veiled threat. This sets the stage for our next passage from page 51, in which H-I-J betrays Boy Genius for the first time.
"H-I-J nodded sympathetically and said, 'Don't worry about a thing, Boy Genius. There's been some confusion here, but I'll take care of everything'. He then turned to the sentries and shouted, 'Shoot this boy if he ever shows up here again!'"
H-I-J seems to relish back-stabbing Boy Genius, leading him on to believe that he is on his side before twisting the knife. However, this is only the beginning of H-I-J's treachery, as it is later revealed that he was directly behind the assassination of Boy Genius's parents, as revealed by Rex on page 152:
"'I told you it was Abraham and his goons. I'll prove it to you. One of them had a scar on his face. On his cheek. Some letters. ABC or something like that."'
The reveal of H-I-J as the murderer cements his place as the primary antagonist in the novel. It also represents the most clear instance of betrayal in the novel, as the rest of the book is largely about Boy Genius's obsession with getting his revenge.
--- Mark Craig
I saw this trailer the other day, and I thought it was interesting, if only because the song in the background is by one of my favorite artists. Anyhow, I decided to put it up on this blog in light of its themes surrounding technology and love. Who can we love? What can we love? Where do the blurred lines between robots and humanity end? It's important to consider these questions! Especially since technology is getting so advanced that stories like these may no longer be the stuff of fiction.
Anyways, it's back to reviewing for my math midterm now I guess.
Something that's magical to me is the fact that one video can make your day and motivate you to be a better you. Anytime you all need a pick me up, the magic of kid president will brighten your day :)
Was this video motivating to you all? Would you say that kid president has magical powers in making your day?
Hope everyone has a great week! -Janice Le
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