Dreamin' of . . .

The (American) Dream

If you asked any little kid today what they wanted to be when they grow up, you'd most likely get various answers: a doctor, an actor/actress, a Broadway performer, a vet. Typical young people dreams. As you move up and ask high-schoolers where they want to go to college and what they think they want to major in, the answers start to narrow down for some: pre-med, physical therapy, international business, biology. But once they make it through college, those dreams of being famous and making a lot of money fade for most. And typically they end up working any job they can find, whether or not it has anything to do with what they majored in. That's if they're lucky enough to find one.

I would describe the American Dream as just that. A dream. It's something that lingers in the minds of people as they trudge along day to day. Before the recession a couple years ago, I think the American Dream was to make enough money to live comfortably and not be restricted in what they can do and buy. But now, I think it's changed, for most, to having a stable job and not drowning in debt. For most, the stereotypical American Dream isn't what it was back in the 1920s.

Wealth is a word that has various definitions. For most, it is solely defined as monetary. (I Googled "wealth" to find a picture and the only images that popped up were of gold coins and dollar bills. Oh and expensive planes and cars.
So what does that tell you?) For me, I'd say that wealth is the culmination of what one has, both physical/monetary as well as the relationships and knowledge a person has. The major thing for me is that it isn't solely how much money a person has. One can have a wealth of knowledge, love, friendship, objects, etc. Wealth just means a great amount of something.

Overall American attitudes towards wealth are typically solely monetary because when a person hears "wealth," they think of money first. But according to The Census Bureau report in 2011, the poverty rate was at 15.0%, where 46.2 million Americans lived in poverty and the average household income is at $50,054. The divisions within class are obviously based on money so depending on where Americans fall, their attitudes towards wealth will differ. The same goes for poverty. Those who are in it and closer to it have stronger opinions about it.

My attitude towards wealth is that for those who are wealthy, good for them. They did well to get where they are and to have what they have. They probably had some helping hands and came into some good luck. They should do good things with their wealth. For those in poverty, it's most likely not completely their fault. I define poverty as those struggling to live without complete access to necessities that they need every day. I think the American government can DEFINITELY do more than they are doing right now to help those in poverty. The wealthy make up so little compared to the middle class and the poor.

Lots in Translation

Metamorphosis

From Franz Kafka's 1915 novella Metamorphosis, there are four different English translations of the first sentence. The original text was written in German.

#1: As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect.
Diction- simplistic,
Syntax-  "As," "awoke," "found himself"
Imagery- uneasy dreams, gigantic insect
Structure- described as the process Gregor went through waking up, no comma between "uneasy dreams"

#2: Gregory Samsa woke from uneasy dreams one morning to find himself changed into a giant bug.
Diction- simplistic, no additional descriptive words "changed," interesting to note that the name is Gregory with an added "y"
Syntax- "woke," "to find"
Imagery- uneasy dreams, giant bug
Structure- past tense, described as something that already happened, "woke"
Other- interesting to note that this is the only translation that makes the name "Gregory"

#3. When Gregor Samsa awoke from troubled dreams one morning he found he had been transformed in his bed into an enormous bug.
Diction- straightforward, "transformed"
Syntax- "awoke," "he found"
Imagery- ""enormous bug"
Structure- past tense, described as an action that has already happened, "when Gregor awoke," no comma/break between "morning he"

#4: One morning, upon awakening from agitated dreams, Gregor Samsa found himself, in his bed, transformed into a monstrous vermin.
Diction- described as if it was a retold action, lots of words
Syntax- "upon awakening," "found himself"
Imagery- "monstrous vermin,"
Structure- choppy, lots of commas and breaks, described as ongoing action "upon awakening from,"

Each translation uses slightly different syntax, punctuation, imagery, and word choice to describe the same action. By shifting around these devices, the meaning of the sentence is altered. If one read the second translation, they would get that a person named Gregory Samsa wasn't sleeping well and awoke due to uneasy dreams to find that he was not human, that he was a very large bug. When I read this sentence, I am not as concerned by the actions. But then I read the fourth sentence, where a person named Gregor (minus a "y") Samsa had agitated dreams (more intense than uneasy) and awoke to find he was a monstrous vermin. The last two words shock the reader and put them in a disturbed mood.

One translation may be better than another simply based on reader/audience preference as well as the preference of the translator. For those who are looking for straightforwardness, the best one to use would be the second one. This one would be preferential because it uses simple words and isn't overly descriptive. If the translator thought the original sentence sounded like it needed to be shocking, then that would be when the fourth translation would be the best. It's ultimately up to personal choice on which one is more effective.

This exercise brings up the fact that English is a really complicated language. We have so many different words that mean the same thing, as well as different ways in which the words can be presented. The way they are ultimately presented alters the tone and the way in which the story unfolds to the reader. The verbs also indicate when the action happens, whether it has already happened or is currently happening, and from what point of view the story is told.