Non-fiction Critical Analysis on Move... Or Else by Ian Johnson

Move... Or Else by Ian Johnson is an editorial in the New York Times Upfront magazine about a new policy in China that is placed in efforts to enforce urbanization and boost its declining economy. This policy, dubbed "forced urbanization", has caused millions of citizens living in rural parts of the Communist country China to relocate to new cities built by the Chinese government. However, Johnson is not very happy with this new regulation. He makes the readers acknowledge this multiple times in the article and tries to persuade us as well, using many arguments to support his opinions.

First, Johnson talks about the many towns that are disappearing because of the new regulation. He states that while people are given free fully furnished apartments and compensation payments in the new cities, it still isn't enough for them to start a new life. He also states that an alarming rate of 300 villages are disappearing a a day. Along with that, Johnson introduces the readers into the lives of the newly relocated villagers. "There's nothing to do anymore. Up in the mountains, we worked all the time. We had pigs and chickens. Here we just sit around," quotes He Shifang, a villager that was recently relocated to the new city of Ankang. This quote explains the hardship of relocated villagers as it shows why the new "forced urbanization" is shown to be unsuccessful; the people moved to urban areas are not used to the urban life and therefore fail to adapt to it. 

In the article, the economic background of China is introduced to the readers to justify the new urbanization regulations. The writer informs that after new policies regarding trade with other counteries were introduced, China's economy has been blooming ever since. But lately, because of its decrease, the Chinese government is trying to enforce domestic demand in consumer products rather than depending solely on overseas exports. The readers acknowledge that accordinf to the government, moving rural habitants to cities might increase the sale of Chinese products. However, Johnson does not agree with this viewpoint, as he points out the fact that most newly located citizens cannot afford to support themselves, let alone purchase consumer products on a steady basis. His argument is strong, because why would the government think the citizens will buy their domestic made products if they don't have the resources to do so? 

This article has shaped my opinion on a subject I was not very familiar with before reading it. However, now I argue against the urbanization regulation enforced by the Chinese government, mostly because of the reasons listed by Johnson. I also believe that his persuasive writing and strong arguments has shaped the opinions I have jn this topic. In the future, I look forward to reading more of Johnson's work. 

Role of Rivalry in Romeo and Juliet

Rivalry is a significant theme in the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. Not only do most major conflicts happen because of rivalry, the whole plot is based off of the opposition between two families in the play. Also, without the theme of rivalry, the story would most likely not be a tragedy and would not end the way it did in the story. Because of the significance of rivalry and the roles it plays in the play, I believe it is rather the chief theme among the many themes presented in the story.

Almost all conflicts in Romeo and Juliet develop because of rivalry. In the story, the Montagues and the Capulets, the families of Romeo and Juliet, are two powerful families that have been rivals since “ancient” times. It is shown in the play multiple times that even before Romeo and Juliet fell in love, the two families constantly fought and brought unrest over the city of Verona. This is shown in Act 1 Scene 1 when two Capulet servants, Sampson and Gregory, see two Montague servants while walking and start a verbal fight. Of course, the fight turns into a violent physical brawl that is broken up by the Prince. He elaborates, “Three civil brawls bred of an airy word/By thee, old Capulet, and Montague,/Have thrice disturbed the quiet of our streets” (Act 1 Scene 1 Lines 91-93). Also, another major conflict is caused by rivalry. In Act 3 Scene 1, Romeo and Tybalt engage in a fight and after Tybalt kills Mercutio, Romeo’s best friend, Romeo attacks and kills Tybalt, causing a major dilemma in the plot. After this, Romeo flees Verona as Prince banishes him from the city, thus physically separating him from Juliet. This conflict also leads to two other problems in the story; Juliet having to marry Paris early because of Tybalt’s death and the late deliverance of the news about Juliet’s fake suicide. Needless to say, everything goes downhill after the brawl between Tybalt and Romeo, which is caused by rivalry.

Along with causing most conflicts in the story, the whole plot of Romeo and Juliet is based off of the theme of rivalry. After all, the play is about the love shared between two star-crossed lovers and the obstacles they go through just to be together. If the families of Romeo and Juliet were not rivals, the story would lose its main appeal, or plot line. The readers can acknowledge the part rivalry plays in the play by reading just the Prologue. “The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love,/And the continuance of their parents' rage,/Which, but their children's end, nought could remove,/Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage” (Chorus, lines 9-12). Also, the importance of the two families’ rivalry is shown at the end of the Capulet party in Act 1 Scene 5, when after learning that Romeo is a Montague, Juliet quotes, “My only love sprung from my only hate.” Romeo claims a similar phrase, stating, “O dear account, my life is my foe’s debt.” As Act 1 ends with this, the readers acknowledge that the rivalry will develop into a bigger conflict later in the play.

If Romeo and Juliet didn’t contain the significant presence of the theme of rivalry, the play would most likely not be a tragedy and end the gruesome way it did. Because of the conflicts developed by the rivalry of the Capulets and the Montagues and the overall downturn of the plot line, the ending of the play consists of the two lovers committing suicide back to back. This is because as Romeo discovers an unconscious Juliet by her tomb and presumes her to be dead (as he has not received the news that Juliet only drank a temporary tranquilizer to fake her death to join him), he consumes actual poison and thus dies “O true apothecary,/Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die.” (Act. 5 Scene 5 Line 119-120) Moments later, Juliet awakes as her drug wears off, only to find Romeo dead by her side. As she hears the Watch coming to the tomb, she takes Romeo’s dagger and stabs herself, dying next to her lover’s body. Because of Tybalt’s death, which was caused by rivalry, Romeo is banished from Verona, which causes the news of Juliet faking her death arrive too late and thus lead to his suicide, which leads to Juliet’s. While rivalry doesn’t directly cause their double suicide, it leads to different consequences and conflicts that amass into the play’s catastrophic ending. If there was no rivalry in the play, Romeo and Juliet would definitely not end up committing suicide. Who knows, maybe they would end up together, living happily ever after.

Can you imagine the story of Romeo and Juliet without rivalry in it? If you asked me, it would just be another airy love tale that ends happily. Rivalry is the key factor in making Romeo and Juliet one of the best tragedies ever written, as it creates the impossibility of Romeo and Juliet's love to develop and bloom and adds the appeal in the story. Also, because rivalry has such an important role in the events and outcomes in the play, it can be concluded that the theme is one of the most important in the story, if not THE most important.

Every Day by David Levithan

Every Day by David Levithan is a story written in the perspective of the narrator A, a gender-less, body-less soul floating from body to body everyday. Having been this way since as long as s/he can remember, A is used to the unusual lifestyle and tries to end everyday without causing much chaos in the body s/he invades. This is until A meets Rhiannon, who s/he is instantly mesmerized and blown away by. Falling in love with Rhiannon within the few minutes they first meet through Rhiannon's boyfriend's body, A makes a commitment to see Rhiannon as much as s/he could and, possibly, start a relationship with her. However, they soon discover that this may as well be impossible, considering their opposing circumstances.

Many things in both Rhiannon's and A's lives oppose the two's emerging relationship. Rhiannon has an inner conflict throughout the whole novel pertaining to A's body change every morning. She desperately tries to see who A is inside no matter what body s/he's in at the moment, but fails almost always, with the exception of A being in the body of an attractive male. While A cannot understand this, as s/he's been this way since birth, the readers can relate to Rhiannon's dilemma. What 16 year old girl would fall in love with a different body everyday? Certainly not me!

Also, while A tries to at least contact Rhiannon via email, let alone see everyday, this goal is soon revealed to be unrealistic as A habits the bodies of teenagers with very distinct lives. One day, for instance, A wakes up as an underage immigrant maid and spends the whole day cleaning multiple houses and has no access to a computer. These extreme lives A habits are a reminder that Rhiannon and A's relationship can never be normal or healthy without either causing significant changes in the host body's life or going for days without seeing or contacting each other. This is the main conflict in their relationship.

On the other hand, a boy named Nathan whose body A had once invaded, after waking up in a car alongside a highway, finds out the truth about his body's invasion by A. This causes many problems in A's life as his story becomes public and spreads nationwide, deeming it the "devil's possession". After this, A gets increasingly more nervous as he fears people will find out about him. This emerging issue gets in the way of Rhiannon and A's already fragile relationship as Nathan keeps contacting A and demanding information.

While Rhiannon and A are inevitably made for each other in emotional terms, the obvious obstacles in both of their lives make it very hard to love each other unconditionally. Especially because A will never wake up next to Rhiannon, or have the same body every day.