Dialectics: Jane Eyre and Once

Loneliness is a terrible thing, isn't it? Nobody wants to be alone forever, especially when they need someone in their life at a critical moment. In the film Once, the main character (whose name is just 'guy' apparently, so in future reference, I will refer to him as 'the guy') feels a deep sense of loneliness. He is at a critical point in his life, trying to make enough money to survive while at the same time struggling as a street musician in hopes that one day he will get a recording contract. Similarly, Jane from the novel Jane Eyre, also faces vast periods of loneliness. She was practically neglected as a child and had to learn how to raise herself and be independent. For a young girl of her age, I admire her for being able to accomplish such a difficult task.

It can really make all the difference in the world when you have someone in your life. When the guy meets the girl in Once, it's more than just a feeling of comfort, it's an incredibly strong attraction. When they become friends, she realizes his love for music, and their common interests bind them ever closer together. In a matter of days (or weeks, the film doesn't specify the amount of time elapsed) the two form a powerful, long-lasting relationship. Watching the film, I saw the guy emerge from a life of darkness and enter into a light so bright, you could hardly grasp the extent of his happiness. To him, finding somebody and music were the most important things, and he found both when he met the girl.

In Jane Eyre, Jane is also plagued with prolonged moments of isolation. Her move to Lowood Institution was a turning point in her life, making friends for the first time. At this point, Jane is finally able to feel like a child by playing and connecting with girls of her own age. She no longer is forced to rely on herself for everything. In a sense, Lowood almost seems to make Jane grow down instead of grow up. I can't imagine living a normal life without any friends. Neither could Jane, until she met Helen. That is why the importance of a close friendship was so meaningful to Jane.

There are many parallels between the film Once and the novel Jane Eyre. The theme of loneliness is just one, but it is a vital aspect of both works if someone is to properly analyze them. You can't fully understand the characters if you don't get into their mindset and feel what they feel.

iMedia: The Future

I found this video on youtube thinking it was going to be another one of those unrealistic time travel videos. The video takes you through, year by year, from 2007 all the way to 2099. This short clip shows the progression and development of man-made technology from just a few years ago all the way into the future. In 2007, people were just starting to go digital and use particle accelerators. As the years progress, technological production becomes increasingly complex and advanced, far beyond the capability of any human. While I was watching the clip, I came to realize that our future world will be centered around technology.



It's hard to imagine a world where computers will be able to create their own programs and software, or where we send a manned mission to Mars, or even create multi-celled organisms in a petri dish. But we need to be able to get our minds around the idea that many of these things can and will happen in our lifetime. Although many of these seemingly impossible technological feats are only in the brainstorming and drawing board stages, I realized that technology is the way of the future. Without it, we cannot survive. I found it very interesting that in the video, one of the possible inventions for the future was a robot that had all the capabilities of human beings, including the mental capacity. One of the slides in the video states "Significant knowledge is being created by machines with little or no human intervention." Doesn't that scare you? It makes me a little uneasy to know that humans will become inferior to machines. It's like humans won't even have a place in the world, instead, robots and computers will do everything for us.



I also found it interesting how one slide said, "There is almost no human employment in production, agriculture, or transportation." It's hard to imagine, but sadly, it's probably true. Once robots and other machines gain human functions, they will be able to do everything we can, if not better. I can't imagine living in a world where my next-door neighbor is a robot, or where I drive a hover car to work. The rate at which technology is changing boggles my mind. The age of technology is fast approaching, and it's impossible to know what the future of mankind will be. Perhaps one day, we will truly live in the Matrix.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1KEFgD6Dtg