Introduction

Hello! I'm Jennifer. This website goes through ten different case studies about 19th century humanities. For each case study, there will be 17 "artifacts", or my works that can vary from essays to pictures. I hope you enjoy yourself and learn many things as you explore this website! I would also like to add that you are welcome, and encouraged, to post any comments and rate my works. For comments, please just leave them on the home page, since this is the most convenient way for me. To explore the case studies, just go to the other pages through the contents section in the side bar. On this main page, I have some general information and works that don't fit into the case studies. Some of the videos are quite interesting, so don't hesitate to watch them!


Rubrics: 
There are two rubrics that I'm going to use-my own and Mr.K's rubric.

Portfolio Rubric on Prezi

Mr. K's Rubric:


This is the rubric I made for evaluating the portfolio.

Humanities

This is a small and simple overview of what our class, the 19th century humanities is about. Humanities is simply the study of what it means to be human. This is a great topic to study for th 19th century, since the 19th century was time of great upheaval and change. The balance of powers shifted, a new age of ingenuity and innovations dawned, and politics, economy, science, religion, and philosophy all evolved. In a way, many events in the 19th century shaped the world we know today!

Humanities-What makes us human? on Prezi

Timeline of the 19th Century Prezi, by ME!!

19th Century Timeline, Humanities B on Prezi ~This is a simple timeline that I made, which covers our 10 case studies and some big events that took place in the 19th century.

About Joseph Nye's video on power shifts.

This is the answer to the prompt for a video on power shifts (see here). This activity was done during case study 1, but it doesn't fit in to any of the main topics.

The Prompt:

How did the 3 'planes' of power he described in his talk apply to the world in the 19th century and Britain in particular?  How about 'hard' and 'soft' power - what methods of soft power existed during the 19th century?  How did Britain's rise to power during the 1800s and the collapse of the Chinese and Ottoman Empires, for examples, compare to the shifts in power that are taking place today?

The transition of power was also seen in the 19^th century, from Asia to the British Empire. In the 19^th century, the industrial revolution made the British Empire the center of industrial, and thus dominated. Today, China is also rapidly industrializing. Power diffusion also took place, as technology and resources became more and more available, so that Britain was no longer the center of the Industrial Revolution (such as with America). In the 19^th century, soft power also developed rapidly. Types of soft power like technology and communication, growing democracy (or at lest the abolition of slavery), economic achievements, improved health (and thus higher birth expectancy) all grew with the industrial revolution and other achievements in medical science, politics, and religion. A more specific example of soft power would be Britain’s dominance in trade and exploration due to their dominance in the seas and possession of colonies like Australia. The industrial revolution also provided for soft power. For example, the invention of the steam train improved travel, making the economy better and helping cities grow. The growth in art and culture was also a form of soft power. For example, the Great Exhibition and the building of the Royal Albert Hall reflected the cultural power of 19^th century Britain. In the 19^th century, Britain rose to power, while the Chinese and Ottoman Empires collapsed. This can be compared to today, where power is shifting from Western Powers to Asian industrial powerhouses like China.

Interesting things from case study 2:

In here, I'm basically including things that, though interesting and important, couldn't be included in my artifacts. I'm mainly putting up some interesting websites and videos.

Empire of Humanity?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Arn3lF5XSUg&feature=player_embedded#!

This is a short and thoughtful video that explores the identity of the United States; is the United States really a democratic nation, or is it an Empire? This video ties in 19th century America to today's America, and is a thoughtful and unique video that will make you think.

Chief Seattle's Speech:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJrevZUb4fA

My dad actually showed me this speech, and it really touched me. This speech by Chief Seattle basically talks about Native American beliefs on land, that land should not be owned, and that people belong to the land, not vice versa. This video is a beautiful and inspirational piece that people should learn from!

Sullivan Ballou's letter:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3F5RT0_K5M

This video is a narrative version of a letter from Sullivan to his wife. It is a touching and extremely sweet video, but also much more. This video explores the motives of American soldiers-their dedication to family, to their nation, to God, and to democracy.

Movie Review!

This is basically a mock movie review I did for my humanities final exam.

The Burden of Freedom

Rating:

The Burden of Freedom,

By Jennifer Kuo

        In the course of history, many film writers have tried to capture the heart and soul of one of humanity’s strongest,, most deeply embedded desires-the desire for freedom and the struggles that follow that desire. Many such movies, such as Avatar, Amistad, and even The Last Samurai have portrayed a conflict between races and a fight for freedom. These movies have hit top charts, and one might wonder; will the Burden of Freedom be able to emulate its many predecessors? With this thought in mind, I went to watch the movie, but found it a unique experience, with artfully expressed ideas, a touch of cynicism, and a connection to both aspects of the past and the present. The Burden of Freedom, much to my surprise, portrays the idea of a struggle for freedom skillfully and realistically, subtly weaving together many different characters and themes; the relations of races, the creation of a nation and its identity, the movements of races, and the aspects of urbanization and the growth of technology. One truly unique part of the movie’s plot, I found, was how it presented all aspects of the conflict, giving all sides of the conflict justice and injustice, kindness and cruelty, and showing that all of them were fundamentally the same. In this way, The Burden of Freedom is exactly what its title sounds like; a story about people of all kinds trying to find freedom, and the fact that in doing so, they sometimes push freedom farther away from them.

        First, in order to explain my full experience with the movie, I want to explain what drove me to watch it. When I first saw the movie poster, I actually thought it was an advertisement for a book. Personally, I did actually find the poster likeable. However, I want to comment that it can be misleading, and a bit all over the place at first sight. The organization of the poster could have used some improvement. The poster lacks the simplicity in style that a movie poster should have. It contains many ideas that, though connected, don’t make much sense to people who haven’t watched the movie. The center contains a picture of a woman, half Outsider and half normal human. This person is bounded by chains that lead to the head of the Statue of Liberty. Up to this point, the design is fine, and fits in very nicely with the title. However the words on the poster are placed rather unskillfully, being all over the place. The artistic elements also seem slightly crude, as if the poster was done in too short of a time. A normal passerby wouldn’t stay to appreciate the meaning of the poster. However, I liked the ideas that the poster conveyed. The top of the poster had a quote that I really liked: “The people have chosen freedom, but will freedom choose the people”. This quote gives a feeling of thrill and excitement that will attract watchers, but is also a thoughtful little sentence that provides food for thought. It made me think about how people disregard the means they use to reach an end, and when faced with a decision that will decide their freedom, often choose to kick away those in the way instead of trying to find a state of coexistence and mutual benefit. The face in the middle is also artfully done, and the two different sides of the faces provide a nice contrast. The face to the left is a human face of a pretty, but normal, woman. The woman on the left, though, symbolizes the Outsiders. Her eyes are a bewitching greenish yellow, and her features and skin colors, though rough, have a sort of wild beauty. Her hair, which is flying in the air, is colorful, starting as black and slowly becoming green, blue, red, and orange, finally ending in an assortment of fire and flowers. The contrast between the two races is clear, and yet the women are two sides of one face, showing that these two races are fundamentally able to coexist. Another interesting aspect of the poster is a scroll modeled after the emancipation proclamation. On it, there was a phrase that stuck out in my mind: “Freedom for all, and justice for none”. This, again, fits in with the idea the poster was conveying, that freedom does not easily come to people, and is much more complicated then just winning a war. Overall, my opinion would be that the poster has many great ideas, but could use some polishing. If I were to make the poster, I would actually remake the poster, adding the same elements of design, but arranged in a more visually appealing way. Well, this is it for the poster. Now, we can move on the actual movie.

        The movie starts in a rather interesting fashion, with the narrator introducing us into this world. I wondered what the purpose of such a narrator was, as a narration can often limit the plot and its impact on watchers in my opinion, but found it to be a ironic and slightly cynical twist that the narrators were none other than the 19^th century poets, Rudyard Kipling and Walt Whitman. For the slightly more literary-ignorant people, I want to add that Rudyard Kipling was a poet famous for his support of the working class but infamous for his imperialistic political preferences; in a way, perfect for this particular movie. In these first few scenes, the setting and characters are introduced, mainly through a conversation between Kipling and Whitman. The setting is something of a parallel universe to our own, with a mixture of elements and historical figures from roughly 19^th century America and Britain, a bit of the modern world, a nice dash of fantasy and the supernatural. The main two sides of the conflict are also introduced; the humans and the slightly magical and equally wild race, a peoples dubbed as the “Outsiders”. These Outsiders are, in short, a group of people who have explored “The Outside”, a world known to nobody else but the Outsiders. The real name of this race and exactly what the “Outside”is kept in the dark for the whole movie, such as to reflect a sense of power and mystery. In this movie, Jefferson Davis is trying to take over the outside after exhausting the land he can conquer and expand in his own world. In contrast, Abraham Lincoln, another figure of great power, wants to get to know the Outsiders, as they might be good allies. The movie then moves to a flashback, where people are in need of a new energy source, coming in the form of quintestence, the fifth element. In order to fulfill this need, Lincoln sends Lewis and Clark to explore “The Outside”. Lewis and Clark, in their journey, befriend the Outsiders, and strive for a friendship and alliance that will surpass the two races’ distrust of each other. Lewis and Clark live with the Outsiders for a while, where they learn many things about Outsider culture, which is wild and alien at first glance, but also a beautiful culture that embodies the idea of harmony with nature. It is also here where Lewis and Clark learn about the Outsider’s worship of fire. Just when everything is proceeding finely, the enemy appears. Jefferson and his cronies appear, run down Lincoln’s decision to make an alliance and take over the Outside. There, they oppress the Outsiders, using many inhuman methods, and mocking the culture of the Outsiders, labeling them as barbarians. The Outsiders try futilely to rebel, and are subjected to human experimentation, gladiator style fighting, and force labor. These cruel events lead up eventually to the trail of tears, where the Outsiders are forced to collect quintestence from the Outsiders’ land by Jefferson. Just when the cruelty of Jefferson’s antics has reached a high point, Lincoln, in protest, gives his Emancipation Proclamation, a touching scene where he expresses his wish for more peaceful terms between the two races. With this, Lincoln has as good has declared war against Jefferson, and a battle starts between Lincoln and the Outsiders against Jefferson Davis and his men. As the war proceeds, things become bloody, and many lives are lost. Even though this is a battle for freedom, it is not a happy event; rather, it is extremely saddening. With this, the scene jumps to the poets Kipling and Whitman, who discuss freedom and the burdens that come with it. The movie ends, with the words “A world where people are forced to make critical decisions about their freedom. Today, both you and I will also have to make these decisions”.

        The movie ends rather abruptly, and imposes upon its watchers a thought to ponder. This is one part of the movie I liked, as it contrasts with the “movie culture” of today, where all you do is suck in the high tech effects and action. Overall, watching this movie was a unique experience. Some of the plot is a bit overdone and cliché and verge on the point of being ridiculous, but the screenplay is skillfully done; you don’t get the feeling that this movie is overly sentimental; rather, it is a strange but pleasurable mix of subtlety and epic adventures. The one main major complaint I may have about the movie would be that it is a bit unfocused. There are too many events that in real life had very little relation to one another, leading to some plot holes. For one, if the “Outside” was an unexplored and unknown land, how come just about everybody in the movie suddenly find out where it is? The plot is a bit rough around the edges, and needs some organization and polishing for a plotline that will captivate its watchers more. However, this movie in fact excels not in the events it has, but in the ideas that these events convey. The idea that freedom can be a burden, and yet that people always seek it out like moths attracted to a flame, appealed to me. It reflects the contradictory nature of humans; how what we say often isn’t what we do, that rules made to make us happier actually makes us more unhappy, and that people can be extremely cruel or extremely kind, regardless of who they are.

Interesting Note: the 19th century of the future?
In the short story "Julian: A Christmas Story", by Robert Charles Wilson, the setting is the 22nd century. Except that it's not what it should be. As a consequence of the depletion of resources such as oil, businesses have collapsed, and ideals such as democracy have all but disappeared, and society has slowly digressed to become very similar to what it was like in the 19th century. There are class systems, slavery, and a monopolistic religion. Set in a dystopian world, this short story provides an interesting perspective of the 19th century compared to today; how our lives have improved, but also a warning about how our society is still flawed. Read and enjoy~