Saturday, August 30, 2008

Modernism vs Postmodernism


My favorite of the stories so far has been "The Obsolete Man" and the chancellor is the character who has helped me to distinguish the difference between modernism and postmodernism. The chancellor was able to put Wordsworth to death because he deemed him obsolete for being a librarian. In modernism, those with the power attempt to achieve a unified view among those in society and such is the case with the chancellor. He believed that there was no God and tried to force this view upon everyone else. Also, the idea of there being no God is a modernist view. Modernists believe that nothing exists beyond what our senses can perceive and therefore, there is no God. Wordsworth challenges the chancellor in saying, "There is a God!" To this the chancellor reputes, " You are in error, Mr. Wordsworth. There is no God! The state has proven that there is no God!" These exchange between Wordsworth and the chancellor sums up modernism versus postmodernism. The chancellor adamantly declares there to be no God and makes sure that everyone (especially Wordsworth) is in agreement with this belief. When Wordsworth continues to challenge the chancellor, he declares Wordsworth is irrelevant and obsolete and sentences him to be put to death. This too is a very modernist concept. The chancellor is a quintessential modernist character.

http://atheistblogger.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/there-is-no-god.jpg

I chose this picture to describe the chancellor because he was so insistent upon the idea of God not existing. In this picture, the area that God traditionally occupies has been vacated and all that is left is a blank space. This is the viewpoint of the chancellor. In his mind, there is no God and nobody can challenge that belief.

Monday, August 25, 2008

Introduction

 Hello everybody. My name is Ryan Michael Sullivan. I am an eighteen year old sophomore from Owings Mills, Maryland. I am currently undecided about my major, but I am leaning towards going into business. I lived in Cope last year but am now in the Stadium Suites. I like to play and watch almost any sport, however my favorite sport would have to be lacrosse. In my free time, I like to just hang out with friends and relax. My favorite food is pizza, favorite color is orange, favorite book is Robinson Crusoe, and favorite movie is Zoolander. Although I don't play an instrument, I really enjoy music and can appreciate a lot of different types. I'm a big fan of classic rock and, in particular, Led Zeppelin. An interesting fact about myself is that the Cincinnati Bengals', San Francisco 49ers', and Stanford Cardinals' coaches children attended my middle school at the same time I did. Beyond that, I can't think of anything else to say.