Second Group

We are operating this Blog from 25/11/2008 to 1/12/2008.
Team Members:

• Chinju Dev (Leader)
• Renjith Ambadi
• Sirajudheen Shah
• Rajeev
• Vinesh

First Group

Previous week's postings were done by the team led by Ashish P S.
Team Members:

• Ashish (Leader)
• Asha Sulfiker
• Soni
• Saju
• Jayadevan

XXwhy

This documentary discusses an issue that most of us haven't even thought about- The issue of Transgender. To what extent are they ostracized from the society becomes evident as one watches this documentary. This autobiography of SreeNandu, an F2M transgender is in search of a space in this community. The question is, why does our society exclude such people from it? The resistance of society to glue them varies, but for one which is rooted in the established regulations, its quite bizzare to accomodate transgenders. Such a prejudistic mind of this society should change- thats the outcome that this documentary hopes for.
Ashish

SOPHIE'S WORLD

SOPHIE’S WORLD

…..a review

It is a novel about the history of philosophy written by Jostein Gaarder. He was born in 1952 in Oslo, Norway. He made his literary debut in 1986 with a collection of short stories, which was soon followed by two young adult novels. In 1990 he received the Norwegian Literary Critic’s Award and the Ministry of cultural and Scientific Affairs Literary Prize for his book THE SOLITAIRE MYSTERY.

SOPHIE’S WORLD, Gaarder’s first book to appear in the English language, occupied the #1 spot on Norway’s bestseller list for three years. Now published in 30 countries, the novel has also enjoyed #1 bestseller status in Great Britain, Germany and France and has appeared on bestseller lists in Italy, Spain, Canada, Denmark, Sweden and the United States.

This book is a comprehensive history of Western philosophy as recounted to a 14 year old Norwegian school girl named Sophie Amudsen.

One day Sophie comes home from school to find two questions in her mail: Who are you? And Where does the world come from?

Before knowing it she is enrolled in a correspondence course, covering Socrates to Sartre and beyond, with a mysterious philosopher. Till the major half of the novel, this philosopher is hidden to both Sophie and the readers. But gradually with the valuable power of thinking and reasoning induced in her through her correspondence course, she succeeds in unmasking this mysterious guy. But the end to suspense has not yet come. Apart from the correspondence course letters, Sophie is receiving a separate batch of equally unusual letters. These letters are mailed to one Hilde Moller Knag, a person totally unknown to Sophie, by her father and what is more astonishing is that these letters are addressed under Sophie’s care-of.

Who is this Hilde? Why does her mail keep turning up in Sophie’s mail box? and Why does Hilde’s father want her to meet Sophie? To unravel this riddle, Sophie must make use of the philosophy she is learning. But the truth is far more complicated than she could have imagined.

Each letter to Hilde reveals certain stuff that that compels Sophie to think that she is in someway related to this stranger. At the end of it all, Sophie painfully realizes that she, her philosophy teacher and all the others around her are mere characters in a novel that Hilde’s father has personally written and gifted to her on her birthday.

Thus by the climax of its time for the readers to make use of the philosophy they have learnt so far from the novel.

It has been very intelligently written. The writer’s workmanship could be ,made out from the fact that the novel does not begin from where it has to and it as it is, there cold be no better beginning for it.

The book will serve as a first- rate introduction to any one who never took an introductory philosophy course and as a pleasant refresher for those who have and forgotten most of it.

It is just as remarkable for its playful premise as it is for acceptability. The essential charm of SOPHIE’S WORLD lies in the innocent curiosity of the young character, and the clever narrative structure Gaarder designed to pique it.

The only negative thing to say about it is that it might turn a bit strenuous for the impatient readers. Philosophy-haters may be warned to stay away from it.

ROHINI

An urge to react

A film that enkindles us to react against the atrocious activities in our society has won huge applause from the viewers. The actor turned director Madhupal through his film Talappavu is certainly giving a message to the present society. "This film definitely doesnt support naxalism in any way"says the director. Though he has taken the theme of naxalism to urge the socitety to react, the film doesnt give out a message to resort to naxalism as a mode of reaction. He did take up the time when naxalism loomed large in kerala because that was the time when people had to suffer a lot. At that time naxlaism provided a platform for a handful of people to go against the established norms which were supprtive to the landlord community. Now its the so called politics that exercises its activities without taking into consideration the sentiments of the people.

Madhupal narrated two incidents that changed his attitude towards malayalees. The incident at the rehabilitation camp of the tsunami victims and the other at an accident site promulgates the hypocrisy that amalayalee clads himself in. Being a witness to such incidents in life and with a strong conviction to react against such pretentions he has used film as a platform. 

This is a time to react and he urges the young daring community to raise their voice that disturbs the shackles of the society that has imbibed the wrong notions.