Reading Logs –

Echo Park – Extended Text

By Michael Connelly

Echo Park is a novel about LA detective Hieronymus Harry Bosch. Echo Park is the 12th book in the “Harry Bosch” series. Echo Park is about the Marie Gesto case, which is a case Harry worked on back in 93. The Marie Gesto case depicts a young girl, living alone in a new city going missing, therefore filed as a missing persons case. The book then jumps ahead 12 years to present day, Marie Gesto still hasn’t been found and is said to have been dead. The book continues on following the story of Harry Bosch working on the Marie Gesto case and not being able to solve it. Harry being a vertern detective this case was struck him in a way. Later thought the story a new case arises known as the “Raynard Waits” case. In which Raynard Waits has been convicted of murder. However Waits explains to Bosch as well as the prosecutor Rick O’Shea and Freddy Olivas that he knows the details about 12 other murder cases including the Marie Gesto case. This gives Bosch a new hope into the Marie Gesto case after 12 years of failed attempts to find her, Bosch has a hope to figure out what happened to her. But a condition is mend in which if Waits evidence sufficient that he is put up for parol, and his sentence shortened The rest of the book focuses on the internal struggle of Harry and the Gesto case, after Waits escape, paralyzing Bosch’s partner, His doubts against his closest friends, even his boss and the search for Waits and his story behind the Gesto case.

“if you can’t stand the ghosts, get out of the haunted house.” This quote in the text is very relatable in life it shows the idea of consequences. It shows that if you can’t stand the consequence get out. It’s that idea of commitment and full focus on something which Harry had on the Gesto case. I have often been in this situation I have done things with people that I feel are important to me and if they cant handle it I feel they shouldn’t do it because it will have a consequence not only on them but me as well a small example is a school project everyone hates it when you have to actually do the work that’s important and other slack off leaving you to do it and if you do fail the consequences are heavier on you because of all the work you did but if you did pass then the group would pass and the consequences are still unfair because you did pass but you did all the work.

“It was said that L.A. was a sunny place for shady people.” This quote shows the idea of you can trust anyone. That what we see can be completely different from reality. Such as when Waits escaped while Harry trusted Waits not to leave and run away but as soon as Waits escaped people got hurt. Its that idea of perception and deception and that L.A in this quote is what we believe, and the shady people is the truth and what they don’t want us to see. An example of this is how people on social media post pictures and videos of a perfect cookie cutter life and don’t show the behind the scenes and what is really going on. Making us believe what they want us to believe.

This novel is built around the aspect of man vs self, the internal conflict between Harry Bosch and a 12 year old missing persons case that seems to have no new leads. Throughout the novel Harry faces the internal need to continue on with the case even when he hits a snag. Because Bosch has worked on this case for 12 years and found no evidence to give to the family he has that guilt that he cant find her and return her back to her family. Which only fuels his desire to solve this case. The novel also has the aspects of man vs man, in which throughout the novel Harry doubts his partner, his colleges and even sides with the killer all to find the truth. The connections from the novel and the real world are very similar, the internal struggle to achieve something that seems so unattainable. The idea that we will do anything to achieve our goals even. The pain that we go through, hurting others to get what we want. But it is all based around the idea of morals and what we consider as the right thing. Example of this is in world war 1, “Butcher Haig” was determined to keep sending men into the battlezone to take over land even after failing 16 times, he continued to attack to try to break through the german barrier.

This novel is relatable to me, but also everyone else who thrives for something, and has the desire to achieve a goal. This is relatable in simple short term things as well as long term goals such as when I learn a flip on the ground. The desire behind it was everyone else was my mate learnt a flip and I wanted to learn to flip and go and train with him but it was that internal struggle of getting over the fear of going upside down mid air that was there and in which I had to conquer to succeed.

Echo Park is a book that had many hidden messages about the internal struggle of the guilt of the Gesto case but also the pressure of others and the man vs man aspect of publicly figuring out who you can trust. This novel has a great connection to the world and its aspects.

Captain America: Civil War – Visual

Directed By Joe Russo

Captain America Civil War is the 3rd movie in the Captain America installation. This movie involves all the main Avengers of MCU. In this film there is a conflict put between the “leaders” of the avengers, Captain America and Iron Man on the avengers role in the world. Asking the question should a US team of high powered superheroes be able to operate internationally without government supervision. This is all caused by the Soviat Acordes. These Acordes state that the avengers have no right to cross national borders and fight without the approval of all governments involved. 

In this film there is a debate over the Soviat Acordes over two competing views, Captain America holding the idea of realism, and Iron Man holding the views of Liberalism.The Soviat Acordes state the the United Nations will work with non government companies e.g. The Avengers for the better of all. “Compromise. Reassurance. That’s how the world works.” Tony Stark (ironman) believes that they need to be put in check, because with the connection of the government it therefore separates them from the terrorists they fight, but without limitations they are the same as them. “We’re no better than the  bad guys.” Steve Roger (Captain America) is more focused on security and his own agenda, which is why he believes that with the new limitation they won’t be able to respond to threats as they did before. Steve believes that the shifting agendas of the people who uphold the accord could therefore create compromised security later on.

The film asks the question of “Is unrestricted power essentially dangerous.” This idea could also be directed to a modern superpower who have unrestricted power and can change the world in an instance.. The film also explores how personal ethics can complicate these concepts. When a terrorist blows up the UN, killing black panthers father, black panther goes on the hunt to find the killer; Bucky Barnes. The film then asks us if it’s better to act on predetermined set of moral, like should Captain America rescue Bucky because of their past. Or for the consideration for the greater good. Which is very relatable putting you’re feeling ahead of everyone elses to better yourself. It’s that idea of morals and that what we believe in is right but can also be wrong to everyone else.

Tony Stark hold an idea of philosophy known as utilitarianism, which holds that actions should be judged on the consequences they cause. Tony Stark believes that by signing the Soviat Acordes it will further decrease the damage the avenger cause hence consequences. Tony knows that these rules will inconvenience him, but they will further the greater good. “For the collective good, you must surrender now.” Steve thinks differently to Tony as Steve holds the idea of deontology. This opposite to utilitarianism judges the morality of an action without consideration for the consequences it holds. An example of this train question in that is it better to kill 5 people to save 1 person who is dear to you or to kill that 1 to save 5. Tony believes in the greater good so he would choose to killer the 1 to save 5. While steve would choose to save that 1 like in this case Bucky to stick with his morals. This idea is relatable because we all have this idea within ourselves but in this film it makes it seem like Steve and Tony only think of the consequences of the action not both which is what I think everyone thinks off. My opinion on this is that I relate with Steves point of view sometimes because I believe that if they action is right and does not solely revolve around me I think it is right and the consequences shouldn’t matter. While there is Tony’s side which I also kind of relate with in the idea that if the conflict does revolve around me and doesn’t better than anyone else and can only put me as better or worse I think the consequences matter more.

At the end of the film we learn that it was special operative Zemo former Hydra agent’s plan to tear apart the avengers, by showing Tony that Bucky murdered his parents. This is because Zemo’s family was killed due to the avengers fight against ultron. “An empire toppled by its enemies can rise again. But one which crumples from within. That’s dead… forever.” Here the film suggest that no matter how right participants believe they are, there is always someone who loses. It suggests that whether you are operating for the greater good or personal ethics there is always someone who loses. 

This film explores the ideas of the moral objection to things or the greater good of things and which is better, shown by two opposing forces who have the same objective. Civil War is a perfect film to show this because of the character development from pre sequel films. I thought the way Civil War presented a new threat not the intergalactic ones the Avengers fight but the threats that are themselves shows a new perspective into human nature itself.

The Great Dictator’s Speech – Short Text

By Charlie Chaplin

The Great Dictator was a political parody critizing Hittler, Mussolini, The Nazis and anti-Semitism. This film tells the story of a jewish barber who is mistaken for a dictator he looks like, Hitler and is asked to take his place. At the end of the film the barber rejects his position as emperor and gives a passionate speech on the world. That has now become one of the most famous speeches in film history.

The great Dictator Speech shows the idea that a citizenry can conquer the issues that divide it and how a selfless leader should view the world. Chaplin saw that fascism has tricked the poor into believing that nationalism and racism was the answer to these problems. The idea that all people should have the right to choose. While anyone one human was cynical to control the people.

Democracy calls for citizens to take a stand and fight for their beliefs. That everyone no matter man, woman, child, race, or origin that they have a say. But vulgarity, lies and violence have flawed the democractic process and has poisoned the hearts of humans around. This speech even though was made in 1940 is still relevant to this day. As the world becomes more wrapped in the politics of things. The ideas that are portrayed in this speech still speak out to our modern world. “Machine men with machine minds and machine hearts!” This quote relates to our modern world. That we are still machines losing the humanity within ourselves infecting others with the “right” way to believe and act. Our world has become a machine having lost the realness of us. The love of humanity in us. Enslaving ourselves to the systems that are put down by the modern world. “The Kingdom of God is within man – not one man nor a group of men, but in all men! In you!” This part in the speech shows the idea that we are not alone that this world (kingdom) is not run by one man (dictator), by a group of men but by all men (democracy.) That we all have a say in this world. This idea is a struggle to preserve in depression, Some cases of depression show the person to be alone, them not believing that there are people around them to help. This passage shows that we are all united as human beings as the people who have the power no matter who is at the head of the table. That we are not alone. “We think too much and feel too little” This quote is one of the most powerful statements in the whole speech. This statement explains that as humans we think to much that “Our knowledge has made us cynical.” We think to much explains the idea that we think too much with our hardwired brain that we have been implanted with since birth. That there is a proper way to live. We feel little shows that we do not use our hearts the area with emotion that connects with the world and follows how we think life should be. The idea that we are like before said “machines” and have lost out human aspects.

Al-Qaeda is a perfect example of the idea expressed in Chaplin’s speech. Al-Qaeda ideologies the removal of all forign influences in Muslin countries.“Greed has poisoned men’s souls, has barricaded the world with hate” is a perfect quote is going with this. That we are losing our ways with others and by doing this we have shut ourselves in with hate. That violence has been created because of this.

I know that Charlie Chaplin’s speech is monumental and is still relevant today. The ideas that were expressed are still needed to be expressed in our modern world with all the problems we are facing, the idea that we are losing humanity within one another. “Let us fight to free the world.” All the problems that we are facing, national barriers in the trump era. The excess violence that is still present this speech is a perfect passage to show that good in men that we can become.

Macbeth – Extended Text

By William Shakespeare

Macbeth is a play written by William Shakespeare. Macbeth follows the story of a scottish general, Macbeth. Who gets told that he will become king by 3 supernatural creatures, witches. This leads to kill Duncan the king of scotland. Once Duncan dies his sons flew to England and Ireland, Because Macbeth is the cousin of Duncan this then puts him as the next of kin. As the king of scotland, Macbeth’s mental state deteriorates through paranoia and guilt.

I found the main character Macbeth interesting because throughout the play his mental state slowly deteriorates. Before Macbeth kills Duncan his ambition is high to become king but he is hesitant to act upon it. He realises his ambitious nature makes him feel terrible  about his thoughts of committing regicide. Macbeth’s mental state before murdering King Duncan he is anxious and confused. He is initially unwilling to murder King Duncan. However, Lady Macbeth persuades Macbeth into committing regicide. After Duncans murder Macbeth becomes overwhelmed having guil and anxiety. Macbeth starts to have hallucinations and has difficulty concealing his emotions. To secure his throne, Macbeth orders the murder of many people including Macduff’s entire family. Macbeth loses sleep and begins to see the ghost’s of his murder such as Banquo’s ghost. Macbeth becomes a tyrant was his mental state declines he becomes bloodthirsty and an unsympathetic ruler. Who becomes overconfident in his ability to retain his position as king. I thought this transition from when  Macbeth is hesitant to even try to become king and extremely hesitant to kill Duncan but after becoming king he starts to murder Macduff’s family. Interesting because of the drastic change in mental state of his position as king “I am in blood stepped in so far that should I wade no more, Returning were as tedious as go o’er,” Macbeth’s image is of somebody standing in a river of blood, the Idea that is that Macbeth is so far in the river that it is easy for him to continue murdering people. The word tedious is a metaphor for Macbeth’s crimes and rather than stop committing his crimes for the feast of damnation he says he may as well continue. Tedious and also nothing word for boring relating back to Macbeth’s unsympathetic self. This is relatable not in the scale of murdering people but in the idea that you’re so far into something that it’s easier to continue doing something instead of turning back. A classic example of this is procrastination I often procrastinate my work that I feel is tedious and boring and the idea that I am already this far into not doing it I may as well not do it until the consequences come back like failing something or in Macbeth case death.

A message I took away from this text is that ambition is good until it exceeds you’re morals. The idea behind this is that you’re desire for something is good and a nature human trait. But once you’re desire/ambition for something exceeds your own morals it becomes dangerous and uncontrollable and you start to lose having a grasp on what is happening. An example of this when Macbeth kills Duncan. Lady Macbeth influence Macbeth to kill Duncan breaking Macbeth’s morals. “But screw your courage to the sticking place, And we’ll not fail.” Macbetth still has cold feet about killing King Duncan and he cant stop thing of the consequences. However, Lady Macbeth keeps urging Macbeth to kill him. The quote suggests that Lady Macbeth wants Macbeth to tighten his courage until it is fixed in place for the eventual murder Duncan. The ambition of becoming king is there but through others like Lady Macbeth Macbeths is pressured into concealing his morals to complete a task that doesn’t go with his morals. I think this message is strongly represented in Macbeth and relatable in the idea of peer pressure and that others can pressure you and can be an outside source to full you’re ambition past what you thought was right.

Challenges Macbeth had to deal with is the guilt of murder King Duncan which caused his mental state to deteriate. I thought the guilt and uneasiness Macbeth faced was very relatable to normal human nature. As Human nature we are trained to worry and think of the worst case scenario and if we do something  wrong we continually feel that guilt building up. This can then make us do things that we normally wouldn’t do such as Macbeth killing other people.

I think Macbeth is a great play to read as well as Shakespear other plays because of the deeper messages though the play’s and connections it has to the world I would recommend this play the visual and the actual text itself to teenager and older people because it takes a certain understanding to get the deeper meaning of Macbeth.

I Have A Dream  – Short Text

By Martin Luther King Jr

The I Have A Dream Speech was a speech delivered by civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr during the March on Washington in 1963. This speech was called for civil and economic rights and an end to racism in the United States. This speech was to remind American people of the goal of true freedom for African Americans had not been released by the people.

Martin Luther King Jr believed in the idea of nonviolent civil disobedience which is the idea to reuse government command/demands in a non violent manner unlike other groups back in the civil rights movement era such as the black panthers. While other believed in obtaining freedom in any way possible. MLK believed that the use of violent acts would only make African Americans like the government and the whites they were resistening.

Martin Luther King Jr was a leader in the African American community not only for his ability to speak to people and get a message across but for his passion to revive justice not only for African Americans but for all. “But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt.” I thought this quote was a perfect example to show the passion that MLK has and his belief that there is still hope for change in the United States.

This speech is less relatable now in the modern era where technology is advancing and everyone is more accepting and the idea of freedom to all is displayed throughout countries in the world. However racism and freedom isn’t completely gone the number of homeless people in the united states alone, 553,000 shows that equality and free will is not fully there. But in most countries people have freedom and racism and injustice is minimal maybe nill. Like in New Zealand. My family being from India and not being Kiwi and not white. The freedom and equality here is ausonding everyone treats everyone with respect and I can even say that New Zealand has more freedom here than in India.

“If a man has not discovered something that he will die for, he isn’t fit to live.”  I thought this quote is a powerful sentence showing the idea of passion behind the things you do which is exactly what MLK had for the injustice African American people faced and how to destroy it and recreate a new order of freedom. I found that throughout the struggle all African American people faced the movement that they made together is one that we should all take in and understand, the idea that they didn’t give up on what they believed in. However, this quote can be taken in a different way. Not only in good ways like to revive freedom as MLK did but in bad ways, terrorsim is a big example of this  Sucide Bombers and terrorists in Al-Qaeda and the Taliban have been known for their sucidal attempted to kill others to achieve their goal. Such as 911 a tragic day in American history. Al-Qaeda sent in men to crash 4 planes killing the men but also to achieve their goal of revenge for the westerns support for attacking Muslims and supporting Russuan Atrocities against Muslims in Somalia. This quote also relates to the hijackers and Osama bin Laden who thought their actions were right.

The title of this speech “I have a dream” shows the idea that MLK had a goal, a vision that one day freedom and equality would fall back into a situation where everyone is treated as a human being. This title very relatable because everyone has a dream, a goal in mind to get some big and some small. My dream/goal was to always be more confident when I was younger I struggled to talk to  people and would only really talk to my best friend. But after a few years just like MLK I accomplished my goal/dream and become more confident and cared less about what other people thought.

This speech is very inspirational, though not very relatable on a global scale in the modern era it is still very inspiration back in that time. To see the drastic changes that have become.

Spider-Man: Far From Home – Visual

Directed By Jon Watts

Spiderman Far From Home is the second movie in the spiderman marvel reboot. In this movie following the events of endgame Peter Parker tries to see the world with his classmates and is wanting to return to being a normal teenager and take a break from being Spiderman. While on his school trip to europe Peter is found my Nick Fury and put on a mission to stop these monsters named Elementals with a interdimensional superhero Mysterio/Quentin Beck.

A character I found interesting in Spider-Man is the main villain Quentin Beck/Mysterio. This is because of what he does in this movie. In spiderman the movie works off the idea of deception and perception, and the idea of what we see isn’t what is really there. In Spider-Man Mysterio seems to be on the team of Spiderman and helping him destroy the elementals but later in the movie we realise that Mysterio is actually controlling the elementals through drones. I found this to be a really good twist and really interesting, the whole reason Mysterio is doing this is because he was wronged by now dead Tony Stark who Peter admired as a father figure. Mysterio tricks everyone around him making him seem like the good guy thought fighting the elementales making it seem like he’s a hero. “People, they need to believe. And nowadays, they’ll believe anything.” This quote is a good statement to put the idea of deception and perception in. This quote means that it’s easy to make people believe something if they are already needing that something. It’s that idea that people will believe anything if they need something if this cause after the death of Tony Stark people lost hope, but after this new hero came in and saved countries around the world (mysterio) people believed he was the next big hero. This is relatable in the world I found this situation that people will think something is there to have that sense of hope is apparate in our world. And with this sense of hope others can get inside and break them and control them.

A message I took away from the text is that people aren’t always who they are and everyone can change. Through the first section of Spiderman Peter truly believed Mysertio was on there team and even though he was the new Iron-Man. “It’s easy to fool people when they’re already fooling themselves.” This quote is a good way to show that it’s easy to trick people into thinking what you want them to think if they already believe in you. Peter thought that Mysterio was a new hero someone who could do more than him a new Iron Man he thought of Mysterio as a wise man who knew what to do in any situation so he trusted him. Which have Mysterio an opening to trick Peter into believing what every Mysterio wanted him too. This is relatvleing in life, people can change which everyone has seen and sometimes not for the better, family, strangers even you’re friends can change and it can affect you, I found this situation for peter relatable because everyone has seen this happen to them someone they trusted changed and everything you thought about them was all gone.

A challenge that Spider-Man/Peter Parker had to deal with was losing his mentor, his father figure Tony Stark. After Starks death peter had to deal with not having a mentor and having no idea what to do. While everyone asks him who is the new Iron-man Peter has no idea and cant handle it. I found this really powerful, having someone you loved gone it’s hard. And the idea that you have no power/control of the situation and you’re lost and you have no idea what to do. It’s very relatable and something I can relate too, though I have never personally lost someone I do know what it’s like to lose control and be lost and have no idea what to do and the way Peter Parker shows this in the film is very powerful and how he redeems himself. A powerful scene I thought was in the movie was a scene that was cut from the final movie but when Peter arrives back to Queens his home, he asks what Tonys old glasses look like on him, His aunt then says “you’re gonna grow into them” Which is really powerful showing that Spider-Man is Tony and that Tony is still with him.

The Title of Spider-Man Far From Home was very appropriate not only for the obvious reason that he is far from home but because he is far from his roots of being a friendly neighborhood spiderman too a real avenger who is recognised around the world. This is hard for Peter because of the sudden change and the pressure he is feeling. This title Far From Home shows the idea that the past is gone and Home is the past and now Peter has to adapt to this new world, this new way of life. This is relatable because change is hard for everyone but sometimes it’s good I was terrified to move school when I was younger from Primary school to College because I had no one to tell me what it was like I had to go in alone but from this change I have changed for the better and experience new things but the past is always a good memory and is nice to look back on.

I would recommend this to all people, not only is it a good movie but the plot and the story is very relatable. The idea’s shown are very powerful the way they are portrayed through the scenes. And all the things Peter faces from deception and the past we can all relate back on.