Year: 2019
Final Portfolio
MusePortfolio
Annotated Bibliography
Crime/Detective Fiction
Murder in the Rue Morgue:
The Murder in the Rue Morgue, written by Edgar Allan Poe in 1841 is one of the most popular and classic crime/detecive fiction short stories. In the Murder in the Rue Morgue, Edgar Allan Poe writes about an unnamed ordinary protagonist who recollects his campionionship with a strange yet intellectual man named August Dupin through their adventure to solve the mysterious murder in the rue mrgue. The short story starts off by the protagonist telling us how he and the character August Dupin had met and how their relationship had begun. Soon after, Edgar Allan Poe starts to describe August Dupin specifically through a conversation the protagonist had with August Dupin . Edgar Allan Poe uses this as an opportunity to open the general reader’s mind to the genre of crime/detective fiction specifically using logos to explain the way August Dupin thinks, acts, and feels. This use of logos creates a āexcitingā moment for the general reader which allows for him to build suspense off of. After the initial introductions to the main protagonist, Edgar Allan Poe truly starts off the adventure with a run down of the case (all the preliminary details gathered by the police) while specifying that the police were overwhelmed. August Dupin determined that there had to be an answer begins to investigate the case himself while the protagonist accompanies him. Edgar Allan Poe uses August Dupinās investigation to build on the suspense he created in the beginning of the short story while keeping the reader āexcitedā through his clever tone portrayed from August Dupinās explanation of his own reasoning .
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: A Scandal in Bohemia:
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: A Scandal in Bohemia, written by Arthur Conan Doyle in 1892, is the most iconic short story in the genre of crime/detective fiction. In The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: A Scandal in Bohemia, a unorthodoxed private detective named Sherlock Holmes with his companion Dr.Watson are hired by a mysterious client to retrieve explicit photos of the king and āThe Womanā Irene Adler, which if leaked would damage the upcoming royal wedding. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: A Scandal in Bohemia starts off with Sherlock greeting Dr.Watson after a long time . As Sherlock greets his old friend Dr. Watson he begins to deduce things about him in a rather clever yet unorthodox way. Sherlock quickly explains how he his able to come to his deductions by explaining what details he uses and what they tell him about an individual. Arthur Conan Doyle uses this opportunity to introduce to us both who the main characters are and to build suspense around Sherlock Holmes. This immediately catches the eye of the reader setting the tone for the rest of the short story. Sherlock Holmes begins to investigate the letter he receives from his mysterious client, he asks Dr. Watson to give the letter a look to see if he also comes to the same conclusion. As Dr. Watson inspects the letter and explains his thoughts, Sherlock rushes in and explains what he has deduced from the letter . Later, when the mysterious masked client arrives, Sherlock continues to deduce who he is by the way he dresses, his transportation method, the letter that was written to him, and many more details to come to the conclusion that he is the King of Bohemia. The client was surprised that Sherlock was able to identify him while he had a mask on. Arthur Conan Doyle uses a lot of logos specifically through Sherlock Holmes explaining his deduction to others, which helps create suspense around Sherlock Holmes himself.
Bones: The Man in the SUV
Bones: Pilot, written by Hart Hanson, is a 2005 TV drama/crime/detective fiction series that centers around Dr. Temperance Brennan or āBonesā, a forensic anthropologist working with the FBI, specifically Special Agent Booth, in order to help solve crimes. In the beginning of the episode āPilotā, Brennanās friend, Angela Montenegro, comes to pick her up at the airport from her trip to Guatemala. As Angela and Brennan are walking through their airport, they are being followed by a man in a black suit. After following them for a short-period of time, Dr. Temperance Brennan confronts the follower by taking him down, while other cops surround her as she supposedly takes down a homeland security agent. They take her bag to find out that sheās carrying a human skull. Hart Hanson uses a very unique scene to introduce us to the series, immediately creating suspense and diving right into the action. Brennan is later bailed out by Agent Booth, where we find out that she is a forensic anthropologist that works for the FBI under Agent Booth. Dr. Brennan is brought to a crime scene to help identify the body under a pond of a cemetary. Dr. Brennan is able to determine the age (18-22), sex (Female), and body type (Athletic: Tennis Player) by just examining the bone structure of the body. After the body is brought to the lab and tests are run, Dr. Brennanās team is able to identify the body (Cleo Louise), the murder weapon (Hammer), a motive for murder (Cleo Louise was pregnant and rumored to have an affair with the Senator), and place of murder. Hart Hanson subtly builds suspense throughout the episode not only through logos of the lab experiments but also adding drama into the scene. The drama Hart Hanson adds to this specific episode is when Dr. Brennan choses to confront the Senator Bethlehem, Ken Thompson (Cleo Louiseās Boyfreind), and Oliver Laurier (Cleo Louiseās Stalker) on different occasions about the murder of Cleo while almost putting Agent Booth and the investigation at risk. This mix of drama with the crime/detective fiction genre allows Hart Hanson to appeal a wider audience, laid-back tv series watchers, crime/detective fiction fans, and drama genre fans.
The Silence of the Lambs:
The Silence of the Lambs is a really popular horror/crime fiction novel written by Thomas Harris in 1988, which was later turned into a movie in 1991 directed by Jonathan Demme. In The Silence of the Lambs, FBI trainee Clarice Starling is selected by Jack Crawford, the FBIās behavioral science unit, to investigate Dr. Hannibal Lester, a psychopathic-cannibalistic-serial-killing psychiatrist, to learn more information about Buffalo Bill, a psychopathic-serial-killer. The Silence of the Lambs starts off with Clarice Starling, an FBI trainee, being called by her former professor Jack Crawford from her training, as Calrice Starling walks into Jack Crawford’s office she sees images of murder victims with part of their skins missing. Jack Crawford assigns her to investigate Dr. Lester and complete a simple questionnaire, as Clarice Starling investigates Dr. Lester, he begins to make conclusions of Clarice Starling: She isnāt really an FBI Agent based on the expiration date of her badge, sheās one of Jack Crawfordās āpeopleā, and what lotion and perfume she usually wears just by smelling the air through the hole of his glass cell. Thomas Harris uses this conversation to introduce to us Dr. Lesterās personality and his wittiness allowing their to be suspense around Dr. Lester and Buffalo Bill. At the end he mentions one of his patients name for Clarice Starling to investigate. Clarice Realizes that the name she was given was acronym, and locates a storage unit, as she investigates the storage unit she finds a decapitated head in a jar with parts of skin missing. Clarice returns to Dr. Lester with what she has found and he offers to profile Buffalo Bill if he can see the case papers and can be transferred to a different prison where he can see the outside world.
The Dark Knight:
The Dark Knight is a crime/detective fiction movie written and produced by Christopher Nolan in 2008. In The Dark Knight, Batman, alongside Lieutenant James Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, cleanse Gotham City of its criminal activity until a psychopathic criminal, called the joker, begins to take over Gotham City through his organized crime and constant run-ins with the mob, once again creating the mass criminal activity in Gotham City. The Dark Knight starts of with the scene of five clown-masked men attempting to rob a bank planned by an anonymous mastermind named the Joker, who instructs each of the robbers to kill the other when their job is done to increase each person’s share. At the end of the scene only one clown is left standing with all of the money, mysteriously revealing that he is the Joker. Christopher Nolan uses this scene to emphasize the Joker’s love for chaos which he will build off of throughout the movie. The police use this opportunity to investigate the bank to collect more evidence to persecute the mob. As their investigation continues, District Attorney Harvey Dent with the help of Batman are able to catch one of the members of the mob and get him to accept a plea deal, essentially ratting out the rest of the mob. District Attorney is able to use this and put the mob behind bars, becoming the hero of Gotham City. The Joker then begins to target Harvey Dent, James Gordon and Batman to begin his path to taking over Gotham City. As the Joker begins to target the heroes of Gotham, Christopher Nolan uses the concept of chaos (a special form of logos) as a way to create suspense from the Jokerās actions. Soon after beginning his path to taking over Gotham, the Joker is caught by Batman and Lieutenant James Gordan. While in Jail the joker was able to capture Harvey Dent and his fiance, attorney Rachel Dawes, and hold them as hostages. The Joker ends up killing Rachel Dawes while severely injuring the hero of Gotham, Harvey Dent, turning him into a criminal (called two-face) seeking vengeance for the death of his fiance. Christopher Nolaās use of chaos keeps the Batman fans as well as others on their feet throughout the movie. Christpher Nolan uses the concept of Chaos till the very end of the movie, as the famous words said by Harvey Dent ironically come to life: āYou either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.ā
Death Note:
Death Note is one of the most popular crime/detective fiction manga/anime series, written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata, published in 2006. In the Death Note, honor-student Light Yagami comes across a supernatural notebook called the āDeath Noteā. As Light explores the contents of the notebook he discovers its ability to kill anyone whose name is written in the notebook, this power influences Light to embark on a journey to become a āgodā of the world who passes rightful judgement to the criminals and those who oppose his goal. Tsugumi Ohba starts off the series by giving a little insight into who Light Yagami is (a purposeless bored high school senior honor student) to give backstory to Light Yagamiās goal and his cleverness. Soon after discovering and testing out the Death Note, Light Yagami begins to kill criminals through the use of heart attacks gaining the support of numerous people via the internet, nicknaming him as Kira. As the National Police Agency (NPA) observes the deaths of criminals by heart attacks, they are introduced to the world’s greatest yet anonymous detective, L, who immediately begins his investigation into this crime. As L initially tests Light Yagami through a stand-in broadcast in a region of Japan, Tsugumi Ohba uses this opportunity to build suspense by introducing these arch-rivals to each other through logos, specifically as L outsmarts Light Yagami by only broadcasting a fake stand-in for himself over a region of Japan to locate and learn more about Kiraās killing ability. The fact that both Kira and L have been introduced to each other but do not know of each others real name or face created even more suspense for Tsugumi Ohba to work with. Tsugumi Ohba doesnāt only do this to create suspense but also to introduce two different ideologies into the series. As the series progresses, Tsugumi Ohba poses the question: āIs it a crime to kill those who have done mischief or is it a crime to try to save those who have made their decision of causing mischiefā, to the audience with each side reflecting through Kira and L in the series. This creates a new twist to the genre of crime/detective fiction as both Kira and L hunt each other down, both desiring to bring justice to the world while carrying different ideologies.
No class on Thursday, 12/19
Hi all:
Since we are done with in-class presentations, we are done with our class! I wish you all the best of luck and I’m looking forward to reading your final portfolios (due today).
Thank you.
Research and Audience
In school I always felt uncomfortable and left out I never knew the reason why but with my classmates and teachers I felt out of place but I hope to be more social with my peers, also itās like I would never love the spotlight and attention so most times when I was forced to read out loud a book to the class I would either read fast or just look around the room and think to myself of things that make me comfortable like my friends, Sports, and Family thatās just some of the things I think about when am in school. Outside of school is different I have more people speak to me like my Friends, family I like my Community where I live which is small but great everyone I know get along and we help each other out, I just feel more safer and comfortable around other outside of school because they create more of an environment I can express myself. My experiences inside of school does not effect me outside of school but in school I have a dislike towards reading and writing not because I donāt understand the work itās my environment if am uncomfortable I tend to dislike the area. Writing was never my strong suit itās hard for me to think of topics if am worry about whatās going on outside of school. The American education system is bad they treat us students like number or Dollar signs and Not as Students looking for help to better our life for the future I struggled with writing for awhile since middle school days I would have two teachers in my class and Still wouldnāt ask for help because I never Felt comfortable to ask for help So I Would do the Work by myself.
Race should never be a factor in prison sentences
Research Topic: Judicial reform in New York
I would like to begin by raising the most important point that this is a global issue as what is being done to the black man in the American prison system is being done around the world and oppression must be fought at any and every opportunity. This open letter to the mothers of over-sentenced misrepresented black men and this official letter to the mayor of New York City seek to shed light on a rampant issue as well as provide a solution to the escalating justice systemās problem.
Dear Mr. De Blasio,
In 2010, the Commission published an analysis of federal sentencing data which examined whether the length of sentences imposed on federal offenders was correlated with demographic characteristics of those offenders.1 That analysis found that some demographic factors were associated with sentence length to a statistically significant extent during some of the time periods studied.2 Among other findings, the analysis showed that Black male offenders received longer sentences than White male offenders, and that the gap between the sentence lengths for Black and White male offenders was increasing. The system is flawed. Data has been compiled specifically for this disparity over the last ten years and several reports have been generated with no tangible results. Underprivileged communities of low socio-economic status are still feeling the effects of these harsher sentences and I am asking you to take a stand on this especially in the multicultural haven that you have sworn to provide service for.
New york is a leader to the rest of the United States on legal norms. In 1973, New Yorkās legislature became the first to pass mandatory minimums for simple drug possession. TheĀ Rockefeller Drug Laws, (named after NY Governor Nelson Rockefeller) mandated extremely harsh prison terms for possession and sale of relatively small amounts of drugs.Ā These laws became the national policy model for the drug war in a period when crack was destroying families. It was necessary then and those who were destroying communities were brought to justice. So why have there been no redress for those who are currently destroying families by condemning more black men than any other race? These judges are without liability and are given too much leeway in this matter.
The “statutory maximum” is the greatest sentence the judge can impose based solely on the jury’s fact finding. In a guidelines sentencing scheme that requires judges to impose a sentence within the guideline range, the jury-trial and reasonable-doubt requirements apply to the determination of any fact that exposes the defendant to punishment above the guideline range (conclusions of US v. Booker) however this guideline is in itself flawed as the guideline uses previous sentences for its basis. This allows judges to still do as they please. A guideline for a first time offender on drug charges ranges from probation up to 15 years. Imagine the same offense can have such a range in punishment and to a certain extent it is necessary to leave some things up to the discretion of the judge but they must not be allowed to believe they are Gods. They are simply a tool through which the law is upheld but to ensure servicing of this tool, I beg of you, Blasio, to seek a constant audit of judges to ensure that whether it be every sixth extreme āminimumā sentence or any other prejudice be grounds for investigation.
These investigations must not be without bite and substance as a slap on the wrist cannot overcome deep-seated predisposed racist convictions. There must be risk of these offenses being criminal and these judges who distribute extreme āminimumā āsentences without restraint should in turn feel those years and know what it means to miss out on a childās birthday or family thanksgiving. Mr. de Blasio, this is not a vengeance request out of personal anger but a possible solution to the huge disparities still present. Just as in 1973, we radicalized the war on crime, let us now be the pioneers on judicial rehabilitation.
Sincerely,
Corevel Cova
Open Letter to the mothers of those serving harsh sentences to be published on FB and essence magazine:
Dear Mama,
I write to you to both apologize for the injustices you have suffered by a system that seeks to break your sons but more importantly to beg of you to stand up and demand what is rightfully yours- justice. America has failed you time and time again and although slavery was technically abolished, the chains of it still exist in the rationale of most white men to this day. The rationale that allows for a white man to be described as a troubled teen and gently escorted away after engaging in mass murder via a school shooting but describes your son as an aggressor that refused to comply when simply attempting to sell his CDās. This is the same rationale that will give a white man community service for minimum possession as a first time offender but a black boy 3-4years-jail time. The same rationale that will justify this sentencing by saying three years is not a lot but refuse to see how that little black boy could have gotten his degree, seen his child take their first steps and most importantly lived in freedom for those years. This rationale refuses to see how over-sentencing is essentially creating a modern day slavery as it sometimes forever removes their rights to vote if deemed a federal offence while providing free labor in those private prisons under the disguise as āsomething useful for them to do with their handsā.
I am sorry that this rationale has failed you and your children as this is the rationale that subconsciously allows for judges to create these disparities. These judges have a formal mandate whereby they must follow certain guidelines in sentencing but there is great leeway within the spectrum that allows for this clear disparity between your sons and offenders who share the same color as these judges. However we must not sit in despair and just as you would go up to any bully who threatened your son when they were mere babies, I ask of you to take a stand against the judicial system. We the people are behind you for these men are our fathers, our husbands and our sons and we must protect these positions. I believe only with your faces, your truths will there be change. Change in the judicial system whereby there are tangible punishments to those judges who allow prejudice to give harsher sentences to your sons. You can be the change. Right here. Right now. Let us sign a petition mandating internal review of judges and appropriate punishments. Let us force them to look at the issue and address not in another report but justice must be served and these judges must understand the impact their actions have on your sons.
Thank you for reading.
Corevel
1.https://www.sentencingproject.org/publications/un-report-on-racial-disparities/
4.https://www.governor.ny.gov/programs/criminal-justice-reform
5.http://www.drugpolicy.org/new-york/criminal-justice-reform
Final Portfolio Assignment and Submission Instructions–please read carefully
Research and Audience Assignment
Iām going to write my research paper in the form of an argumentative essay about gun violence and control to argue both sides that are affected by it and all the controversy that revolves around this issue. Gun Control is a term revolving the many laws and policies that control everything related to the use of firearms by the people.Ā
This issue is relevant today in the country and society and all the audiences involved in it, the people, the government, the politicians etc. because this issue is a very hot andĀ controversial topic and there are so many opinions surrounding it and many parties involved for different reasons. Gun control is also very relevant because based on my research, thirty three people are killed with guns every day in America. In 2018, in the span of two months there were eighteen school shootings. While Idaho and Montana have one the loosest gun control laws in America, other states like California and Connecticut after experiencing very unfortunate events because there were no strict laws about firearms which resulted in gun violence and a lot of unfortunate events like the Sandy Hook tragedy in Connecticut. Fortunately these states decided to make a change and took action by enforcing strict rules revolving firearms making it harder to get a gun and in Connecticutās case, completely banned the purchase and possession of those weapons. I believe that others states should do the same or at least take some type of action against the gun violence. There has been 45 school shootings within 46 weeks across the country. Thatās almost like one school shooting occurring every week. Some of them have been an accidental discharge of the weapons but itās still shots fired and too many peopleās lives/ serious injuries at risk.Ā
The issue of gun control is very controversial and always becomes a heated discussion about either political/legal, social or ethical views and opinions. Because people for gun control say that the second amendment gives an individual the right to have a gun and that guns are absolutely needed for self defense against criminals and that by them owning a gun it lowers the amount of crimes. John Lott even has a book called āmore guns, less crimeā in which he claims that more guns we own the less violent crimes there are and that states should pass those laws in addition he also included an analysis of crime data in every county in America during 29 years from 1977 to 2005. This goes to show how passionate people are about this issue and the extend they go to to try to prove a point or simply show that their opinion is more accurate or right and try to convince the rest of the world of that. The discussion of gun control is always either about self defense/crime control or people referring the second amendment. I donāt agree with people who say more guns equal less violent crimes. Studies have shown that in 2015 in America guns have taken the lives of more than 36,000 people which is unbelievable. Iām not saying guns should be completely banned and no humans should have access to any firearms, even though as I do more and more research and read more about this complicated issue, I do think to myself wow no human being no matter who they are and what position theyāre in should have ownership to firearms just because of how horrifying the numbers of people affected by them are and the frequency of those incidents happening all over the United states. The second amendment was initially created to give individuals the chance to defend themselves but different studies have shown a home with a gun/guns in it not a safer home and that itās more likely for the owners to get hurt than the invader and not just because them defending themselves could go wrong in many ways itās also that having a gun in your home increasesĀ the chances of suicides and people hurting themselves or someone they know. Also studies have shown the rarity of people using guns to defend themselves and that having access to more guns doesnāt lower gun violence and crimes in America and that the claim that states āmore guns,less crimeā is false, itās nothing but a statement made by someone who has a lot of power speaking to the minority of people who think the same as him and in a way trying to get more people to agree with this statement and see the āpositiveā side of possession and purchase of firearms.Ā
I just believe that giving an individual this kind of power is a very dangerous thing to do because you never know what itās actually intended for or that by owning it, it can drive people to do unacceptable things and call it self defense or whatever. and again being in charge of something this powerful that it could completely take someoneās live. I just think it does more harm than it does good. Or if someone needs to really purchase/ own a gun for very convincing reasons there should be crazy restrictions and a very tedious, detailed process that allows the government to keep tabs on that individual and be able to track them whenever where ever and for some peopleĀ that might be āinvasionā of privacy but itās not for personal reasons, itās for a safer, greater good. And if someone has an issue with the rules and regulations of the purchase and possession of firearms then they shouldnāt buy them.
References:Ā
https://www.hercampus.com/school/agnes-scott/why-gun-control-important
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/more-guns-do-not-stop-more-crimes-evidence-shows/
https://www.heritage.org/crime-and-justice/commentary/here-are-8-stubborn-facts-gun-violence-america
