Author Archives: Hana Ibrahim

Blog Post #8

For paper #2, I will be using “Living with Music” by Ralph Ellison and the sounds of pandemic New York to talk about the significance of sound. Although there are times that we wish for silence, the sounds we hear can bring light into our lives and uplift people especially in times of need. In “Living with Music”, Ellison describes how he was agitated listening to noisy sounds from his neighbor in his New York City apartment. However, after a while, the same sounds had inspired him to play music again. After he moved, he missed the sounds he had become accustomed to. During the pandemic in New York, every night at 7 pm a lot of New Yorkers came together to cheer on healthcare workers and first responders. They have been through a lot of sorrowful times during the pandemic and needed some joy. The joy that was brought to them was the sounds; the sounds of the city coming together cheering on its heroes. To conclude, the sounds around us can bring delight into our lives that we never knew we needed.

Blog Post #6

  1. Ralph Ellison describes how music affects his living experience in his New York City apartment building by telling us how all the sounds disturb him. Ralph’s neighbor is very noisy and disturbing when he tries to get his work done. Not only does his neighbor disturb him but many other noises disturb him as he does live in a New York City apartment. However, Ralph compares his neighbor playing music and singing loudly to him being a child and doing the same, and over time he became inspired to go back and start playing again. Eventually, when he moved out, he actually began to miss his neighbor’s music.
  2. When Ellison says, “In those days it was either live with music or die with noise…” he is implying that either way there will be sound and it is up to you to either value the music or be annoyed every day with noises that are inevitable.
  3. Points of comparison between Ellison’s essay and Schafer’s “The Soundscape” is they both agree that sounds are all around us and are unavoidable.

Blog Post #5

  1. The difference between hearing and listening is significant. Hearing is when you hear a sound or someone speak and don’t really give it much thought or attention. Listening is when you actually pay attention to what is being said or sounds that catch your attention. People are listening when it is useful information that will affect them and people choose to hear when it is something that does not phase them. For example, I tend to zone out when people are talking to me about irrelevant things but I listen when I know what is being said is relevant to me. I do not believe most people use race, gender, or social class when it comes to the decision of hearing or listening, instead people use the relevance to them.
  2. Schafer and Krukowski discuss the relationship between sound and space by talking to us about how sound is always around us. Sometimes we pay attention and realize it and sometimes we do not. The birds chirping, the leaves blowing with the wind, it is all sound that is around us.

Blog Post 4

According to Berger, the media portrayed black people as victims of violence to catch the attention of white viewers. However, I somewhat disagree with this statement. There are very famous photographs of black activists such as Martin Luther King for example. When we think back on him we remember the image of someone who stood up for his rights, not really a victim of violence. I believe photographers did a little of both back in the day and today. And I do believe photographs of them standing up for their rights circulated around quickly within the whites because a group of people they hate standing up will definitely be talked about. Although in recent times the image of George Floyd’s death gained a lot of viewers, today the media shows us more and more activists who are standing up to law enforcement and won’t be victimized.

Blog Post #3

  1. According to Berger, advertising influences consumers by giving them a dream of a glamorous life. The reason why this is significant is that consumers believe that in order to live a glamorous life they have to purchase the advertised product. Advertisements feed a dream to consumers that “you are what you have”, as Berger had stated and it makes people consumerists. This is pivotal because those who cannot buy the advertised product don’t feel as if they are worthy or have “made it in life”.
  2. The difference between oil paintings and advertisements is important because of the purpose behind them. For example, oil paintings are used for art and to celebrate what has already been possessed. However, when producing advertisements, the intent is to create envy and convince us that if we purchase something our life will be just as glamorous.
  3. One of the dreams Berger mentions is the skin dream. Advertisements on TV, social media, magazines, etc. make us believe if we purchase a product, our skin will be just as clear and beautiful as the model in the photos and we’ll have a glamorous life. In reality, when producing these advertisements they use enhancement features such as photoshop and editing, and it’s a very great chance the model has never even used the product. Just like the saying, “the grass is always greener on social media” it is the same with advertisements.

Blog Post #2

During the Renaissance, many women were objectified through men’s artwork. Representations of women were overly sexualized to appeal to the man’s eye. In the middle of episode 2, Berger asks “Do these paintings celebrate as we’re normally taught the women within them or the male wire? Is their sexuality within the frame or in front of it?” and I say they are 100% celebrating the male wire because the artists who created the oil paintings had the intent to sexualize women. Also during the Renaissance, some women did not really see the beauty in themselves and did not have the confidence as women do today. Although women have more confidence today, I believe representations of women today objectify them in similar ways as Berger argues about women in Renaissance paintings. Women still get judged by many through social media or in real life. It is 2021, a year where social media has been greater than ever but is it so great when everyone is looking for acceptance within likes and followers? Women post pictures and feel as if they have to fit the male idea of what looks “good”. These days if you don’t have an hourglass figure you are not considered appealing, at least in men’s eyes. Women are still being constantly over-sexualized today and I don’t believe that is something that will ever end.

Blog Post #1

There are many great advantages of using the model “entering the conversation” in writing. One advantage is you get to make your argument while still acknowledging the counterclaim. Adding the counterclaim creates a neutral environment for readers and lets them see both points of view while at the same time showing why the writer’s argument is right. Another advantage is writers will be able to create curiosity for readers because they will see your claim is not the average popular claim, instead it is different. When using “they say/ I say”, writers get to show readers that they are different in a sense and you do not have to be like “they” and believe what everyone else does.

I agree that learning to look at artwork can help us analyze other situations. Looking at artwork creates a visual idea of the situation. For example, if you were to look at a piece of art from war you get to see the bigger picture of both sides. It’s one thing to hear and read about a situation but to actually see and put yourself in the setting while using your critical thinking skills will help you analyze the situation. Another great example is political cartoons! Political cartoons help you analyze the situation at hand and show the artist’s point of view.

Introduction Blog Post

Hello all,

My name is Hana Ibrahim and I am 18 years old. I was born and raised in Queens, NY and I come from an Egyptian background. I take interest in drawing, designing clothing, and the aesthetic field.

My major is Nursing and I plan on becoming a Registered Nurse and working in the aesthetic field as an aesthetic nurse. I like to go shopping, go out for a drive, and travel. I’ve been to Italy, France, and England as well as multiple countries in the Caribbean growing up. I can say that traveling to so many places has added significant knowledge of the traditions and cultures of many people around the world and opened up my mind. Overall, I am an adventurous person who loves to help others and follow my dreams.

Me and my family at the Bahamas.