Part 1: What is the most important message communicated to readers in "The Pieces of Silver"? How is the portrayal of Barbados similar or dissimilar in "The Pieces of Silver" by Karl Sealy and the travel advertisement we watched in class? (the link to the video is on the ppt on Edline, if you would like to watch it again!)
Part 2: Comment on the posts of two other classmates.
Remember, "The Pieces of Silver" is an option for the mock written assignment we will be starting on the 15th, so consider this as helpful preparation! :)
Part 2: Comment on the posts of two other classmates.
Remember, "The Pieces of Silver" is an option for the mock written assignment we will be starting on the 15th, so consider this as helpful preparation! :)
The portrayal of barbados in "the pieces of silver" is completely different than the one portrayed from the travel advertisement. In "the pieces of silver the island is described as beautiful but full of poverty. This last one is represented by Clement who needs to sing in order to give some money for the retirement of Mr. Megahey. In the advertisement, Barbados islands are described as beautiful and rich, inviting upper-middle class people to go and to have a gorgeous vacation, in wonderful beaches and resorts. The dissimilarity is in the houses of the protagonist Clement and the house of Mr Megahey that shows the difference between the people in Barbados, rich people come and see the best part of Barbados, but there is a lot poverty in the islands.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your point. You have mentioned the dissimilarities between Clement and Mr.Megahey's houses, but you haven't described what they are. This would help us to understand the differences between the rich and the poor in Barbados.
DeleteThe places represented in "The Pieces of Silver" and in the video we watched in class, seem like two completely different locations. The Barbados described in "The Pieces of Silver" is full of poverty, with nice beaches but with families struggling to feed themselves. Instead, the Barbados described in the video we saw in class is rich, full of resorts and with plenty of clean beaches with beautiful water. The commercial is also inviting wealthy people to come and visit it. It is also normal that the commercial is describing differently the Barbados than "The Pieces of Silver" because the commercial goal is to attract people to visit the Barbados. So, they won't show the worst things of the Barbados such as poverty, because then people won't be enthusiastic to visit them.
ReplyDeleteyou are completely right. the goal of the commercial is to make people desire Barbados not to think that they are a place full of poverty. For this reason the commercial shows only the beaches and the hotels.
DeleteEven though very synthetic, Roberto's post concentrates directly with the points and themes regarding the video and the short story. It is absolutely true that because the video is an advertising video it obviously only talks about the positive aspects of the Barbados, not analyzing poverty and its importance.
DeleteIf I had only watched the TV travel advertisement; the persuasive narration, the attractive background music, the breathtaking natural scenery, and the hospitable local people, Barbados would remain as an image of heaven on earth in my mind. However, after reading the short story “The Pieces of Silver” by Karl Sealy, Barbados has become a completely different place; a land full of irony.
ReplyDeleteWhile the natural scenery maybe idyllic, Barbados has a serious reality that needs to be addressed – the poverty. In the story, Clement, the main character, is asked to contribute money to buy a gift for the headmaster, Mr. Megahey, as a retirement present. Clement and the other boys are humiliated by Mr.Chase, the acting head, when he draws an X sign on their foreheads because they are not able to give the money for the gift. He tells them that they will receive worse treatment if they don’t bring money the next day. Clement’s family cannot afford it, so Clement and his sister end up going from house to house singing to raise money. The irony of the story is that the last family that they go to is Mr.Megahey’s house and he gives them their biggest donation of the night. This enables Clement to give eight “silvers” to the teacher .
It is ironic that a poor boy like Clement needs to contribute money towards a wealthy man, like Mr.Megahey, in Barbados. The short story gives us a realistic view of Barbados and completely changes the idea that Barbados is a paradise island.
I agrre with you that "the short story gives us a realistic view of Barbados and completely changes the idea that Barbados is a paradise island."That is exacly what I talked about in my post. There is such a big difference in how the commercial describes Barbados hidding the reality from the people.Poverty is a big issue in Barbados and it should not be something people take for granted, poverty is an issue that can be solved.In your post i see avery good use of word everything is very clear and well written
DeleteWhat we can see from the video and the short story are two completely different portrays of the Barbados. The video is a travel advertisement which shows the beauty and richness of the place, instead the short story is completely the inverse, it describes the poverty present in the islands and how people need to work hard for for a small amount of money just to survive, or in this case Clement needs to earn money for the retirement of Mr. Megahey. The advertisement is very unreal, this is because it is showing only the good things about the Galapagos which are shown as beautiful and rich. This advertisement was created especially for rich and middle class people who can afford to spend their vacation i this place that is shown as full of richness and wealth, but from the story we know this is not true.
ReplyDeleteBarbados not Galapagos.
DeleteYeah, Seb is right. You should reread what you write Rob. This is a grotesque error Rob. A part the grammatical error, I think you did a great job in analyzing the short story and video. It is really unbelievable how the describing of the same place can be so different!
DeleteThe video shows a completely different Barbados than the one we read about in the short story "The Pieces of Silver". The video shows beatiful Beaches, natural oasis, breathtaking scenarios. The shortstory speaks of a more poor and more contaminated Barbados. I have never been there so I cannot judge or decide which is true, but I think that the video is cutting some of barbados just to promote the island for visitors and for tourists, to make profit. The main message of the short story is poverty, and it's difficulties. The message is paassed through the characters, and their lives. Clement lives a very difficult life, and while we read we feel compassion for him, instead Mr.megahey lives a very easy life, without struggles.
ReplyDeleteI think Francesco made a great point, that is the fact that we can make observations and comment on the differences of the short story and the promotional video, but we (the people who never actually been there) cannot judge on or decide which one is true and believable . Just seeing a promotional touring video, is not going to help the viewer to have an accurate idea of what Barbados is actually like because a video that is trying to encourage tourist in to spending their money in their vacationing facilities is most likely not going to display unpleasant sights, because that would actually stop them from even considering their country. The same way with just reading a short story, it is not going to give us the reality because the information given to the reader is actually manipulated in a way that their story could reach it’s purpose and most importantly make sense. I agree with Francesco, but at the same time I disagree with him because even if we went there for vacation, we would not actually have a feeling of what Barbados is really like, because visiting as tourists, would never be like being a citizen and living there, because there are some aspects of the city or country that will never be discovered until we actually live in a certain place for a long time.
DeleteWhether I agree with you or not, I still think you have made a great observation! Well done.
I agree whit what you said: what I suggest though is that you wrap up a conclusion, which in this case might be that travel advertisements tend to omit all the most delicate social and human aspects of the place publicized, that is of course as you said due to the logic of profit. A conclusion would have been the final touch to your comment.
DeleteI completely agree with your statement, Francesco! You analyzed really well the differences between the ways in which the short story and the TV commercial describe the Barbados. I think that neither the short story or the TV commercial are right. I think that the commercial highlights the best parts of the Barbados, while the short story puts in evidence the worse things. By the way, I think you did a great job! ;)
DeleteThe most important message in this story is that Poverty and Wealth, family and social hierarchy and “power gamer”, “the pieces of silvers” by karl sealy is very different from the video we see I n the class.
ReplyDeleteYour paragraph is the shortest paragraph I have ever seen! You should try to create an argument, that your paragraph can support. IT has to be clear, sorry to say that, but your paragraph does not make sense. It does not have an introduction, neither a conclusion. The body is very poor, and almost impossible to understand. Overall, you understood that poverty is one of the most important themes of the short story, which is not present in the TV travel advertisement (I hope).
DeleteCertainly a very concise comment, but perhaps too concise. I suggest that you develop more your ideas by giving some examples and evaluating them and that you also work on the structure of your paragraphs.
DeleteGood job! I really like the fact that you summarized the main ideas, because the difference between the two is pretty much obvious. There is really no need to keep saying the same things over and over again because the arguments end up being all the same. With that, great comment! Keep the good work up!
DeleteVery short but very true. I strongly agree with what you said about "Poverty"vs "Wealth and Social Hierarchy". I would rather call them themes and not messages because messages are often phrases. Although nice job!
Delete"The Pieces of Silver" main message is the devastating effects of poverty, and the way in which one group of society can be taken over by onother group. The advertisement and the story are compleatly different. The advertisement shows only the beatifull parts and all the positive things about Barbados, while in the story we see also the beatiful things but also the reality which his the severe poverty level that puts in danger the population. A brief example of poverty from the story is Clement's home which is described as "poor, wretched coop of a room", so dilapidated that the walls are "discoloured" and "stained" and the floor "rotting" and "worm-eaten". The reality is that the story is showing the actual Barbados , while the advertisement is a fake reality of a beautiful vacation spot for high class people were they can relax and enjoy.
ReplyDeleteLudovichetti Marco
It is interesting that you pointed out the description of Clement's home,but are there other significant examples which show poverty in Barbados?
DeleteYou described very well the difference between the short story and the advertisement. I agree with you in saying that an example of poverty is Clement's home.
DeleteYes marco, I agree with you on the fact that the author is using the description of Clement's house to talk about poverty to the readers,and as another example you could just read through again the story and see that Clement's life in general is used as an example of poverty.
DeleteThe two texts are very different from one another. In "The pieces of silver", the setting is described from Karl Sealy as an island very beautiful but however poor, in fact the objective of the protagonist, Clement, is to collect money for the retirement of Mr. Megahey. We can see instead in the advertisement, that Barbados are described as exclusive and relaxful, this make us think of the upper class.The description of Clement's house is described as a "poor, wretched coop of a room." This shows that their house is far from luxurious and the fact that their house is simply a "room" shows that their house is by no means big.
ReplyDeleteYou clearly defined the differences between the advertisement and the short story. However, when you write the name of the characters, you should include the role they have in the story. Probably, you are one of the few people who provided a quote from the text, which is very good. It shows that you read and understood the text. If I were you, I would include a proper introduction and conclusion, so that the readers can properly understand what is the paragraph about. Also, they can understand what is your own point of view and argument
DeleteI think you defined and exposed the differences between the video and the story in a very clear and easy way. I liked a lot the fact that you took took actual sentences a quotes from the two extracts, this gives real examples of the differences making it even stronger for the reader to see. I also agree with Valentina who said that you should have written an introduction stating the argument, and a conclusion with an opinion. Over all is good. Keep it up Nik!
DeleteYes, I agree with Sebastiano, because in the traveling advertisement the Barbados are made to appear exclusive, fashionable, restricted island where all the people are nice and that there is nothing, but peace and love, when on the other hand in the short story “Pieces of Silver” is just portrayed as a poor country with many defects .
ReplyDeleteThe Pieces of Silver is a story about the devastating effects of poverty, and the way in which one group of society can be ruthlessly exploited by another higher group. In the story, Clement, a schoolboy from a very disadvantaged background, is ridiculed and exploited by the ruthless Acting Headmaster, Mr Chase - and all because he didn't have enough money to contribute to the retirement present for Mr Megahey, the old,rich Headmaster. This is overview of Barbados is completely in contrast with what is said in the travel advertisement. On the clip we get a completely different idea. We are introduced to a place were you can relax in a luxurious environment. They are inviting upper-middle class to visit it.
ReplyDeleteThe way in which you described the short story is very effective. I agree that from the clip we get totally a different idea and that they are mostly inviting the upper-middle class to visit it.
DeleteYes carlo I to agree that the clip gave us a totally different first impression from the one which the short stories give to us. And you are even correct on the fact that the video and the short story have two different purposes. The video to invite the upper-middel class to visit Barbados, and the short story's purpose is to infrom the reader on the critical situation that there is today in Barbados.
DeleteCarlo, I agree with the fact that Clement is ridiculed and exploited by the Headmaster, and this shows how Mr. Chase abuses of his power. It is also true that the commercial is directed for the upper-middele class tourists who wish to visit Barbados and discover a new country, but the short story tells as a lot of negative information that the commercial hides to us.
DeleteI totally agree with you and you statement is very impressive. One thing that attracted my attention is the language and adjective you used to describe the two different situations that we can see. I think that this really gives an important difference that we can see even more with these powerful adjectives. As I said before I completely agree with your statement. Keep it up Carlo !!
DeleteUgo says...
ReplyDeleteIn the two texts we can see two different representations of Barbados: one, the publicizing clip of the island, which shows Barbados as a very peaceful country where to spend vacations and the other, “Pieces of Silver”, which shows the crude reality of education in Barbados. The clip is produced by an agency and has the only scope to convince the audience, probably English speaking travelers, to go to Barbados for their vacation. It obviously has to gain something out of the clip and therefore is very bias and shows only the beautiful aspects of Barbados, obscuring reality and hiding the true situation of the country. In contrast, Karl Sealy, as a native, shows the reality of the context where he grew up in, the one of a school in Barbados. In the short story we read about the headmaster of an elementary school who asks money to young pupils in order to have a nice retirement and humiliating who ever could not afford or wouldn’t bring the money. In our society this would never happen and this is why Karl Sealy is trying to make us aware of what education might be in a third world country. The two texts are significantly different, with diverse purposes and this is why we always need to inform ourselves on what we read or see.
One of the most important messages delivered by the short story “Pieces of Silver”, written by Karl Sealy, is the pooerty and the cruel reality which is usually hidden. The common element between the advertisment and the short story is the location: Barbados. In the advertisment people are persuaded by the soft and inviting voice of the speaker, and are almost automatically willing to go there for their “luxury” vacations. The spot is addressed to the upper class people, so in the images is shown only the beautiful, rich and the most attractive part of the island. The commercial is the esaltation of wealth, luxury and relax, and describes Barbados as a place which is “the unique fusion of british culture and beaches which are the envy of the world”. Those islands are pictured as heaven on earth, and are said to possess “mystical powers”, which with the breathtaking natural beauty will make the experience impossible to forget.
ReplyDeleteThe ad and the short story are like two sides of a coin, one shows the perfection of an idealistic place, and the other gives you a bare and cruel description of how the place really is. The Barbados we find in Pieces of Silver seem more like hell rather than heaven. Children are treated awfully and disrespectfully by those who should believe in them in the first place. The pooerty shown is extreme and the selfishness of the wealthy people goes beyond the limits. Barbados is not a relaxing, breathtakingly beautiful place anymore, but rather a palce where wealthy men demand coins to children who own nothing. Reading through the lines the feeling of shame, anger, and cruelty are almost tangible.
The non fiction and the fiction works are two perfect opposites, one telling us a fairytale, the other showing us the truth.
The clip describes Barbados very differently from the way the island is described in the short story "Pieces of Silver" written by Karl Sealy. In the clip, a soft and inviting voice is publicizing the island, which shows only the luxury and beautiful parts of Barbados "hiding" the cruel reality that instead, is the main message delivered from Sealy's short story. The two texts are completely different, "Pieces of Silver" definitely helps us understand the real situation in Barbados.
ReplyDeleteI like the good description you used to describe the video, and how you went right to the point , explaining the difference right away without writing useless staff. We should all know about the real situation in Barbados its not something people shoud hide from us becaus eits the reality!!!
DeleteThe portrayal of Barbados varies and differs from "The pieces of Silver" to the travel advertisement we have seen in class. That is firstly because the travel advertisement, as almost every kind of touristic ads, shows us only the most idyllic and beautiful aspects of the place that is publicized. Barbados is depicted as the most unique island among the Caribbeans, a destination for sophisticated travelers that guarantees a luxurious holiday in spas, exotic beaches, exclusive hotels and private resorts. It seems, overall, as if the island was inhabited merely by a splendid nature and by wealthy tourists, or perhaps that is simply the only point of view through which the island is presented. In fact, information about the social statuses of its real native inhabitants are omitted.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, from the perspective of "The pieces of Silver" what emerges is an island still characterized by a marvelous nature, but as well complex and problematic in its society. The first thing that one could point out from the story is the presence of enormous social disparities within the population of the island. Firstable, a high level of ignorance can be encountered in the register of speech that the protagonist and the members of his family use, which is a combination of English with native language that becomes a sublanguage. The Headmaster on the other hand, together with the rest of the school teachers, have a decent education that is badly used: in fact knowledge becomes a source of authority that gives the Headmaster the chance to abuse of his hierarchic position. That can be clearly seen when he insists on having economic contributions from each student for the "retiring Head's purse", an act of exploitation from the rich to the very poorest. We could go on debating on the cruelty of the Headmaster who embarrasses and humiliate the students who have not brought their money, but the conclusion that can be drawn from this comparison between "The pieces of Silver" and of the advertisement mentioned above is that the grass may seem greener on the other side whenever only the best part of that side is shown: in other words, also in Barbados complete deliberation from social preoccupations does not exist if not in the form of an illusion, experienced through the walls of a sophisticated spa or in a restricted touristic area where the only reality seems to be nature, detached from any social issue and from any struggle.
The TV travel advertisement of Barbados shows the place as beautiful island to visit. However, the TV advertisement may not transmit a peaceful sensation as thought after reading the short story "The Pieces of Silver" by Karl Sealy.
ReplyDeleteThe video clip watched in class created a feeling of clam and happiness, thanks to the persuasive narration, the music, and the images of natural scenery and local people. As a result, the video made Barbados as the perfect island for all the tourists.
In contrast, the short story “The Pieces of Silver” written by Karl Sealy gives an opposite perspective of what the TV travel advertisement showed. It made the advertisement unrealistic and full of irony. Moreover, it demonstrated how poverty is ruling the island, as the protagonist is not able to find the money for the headmaster’s gift.
In conclusion, the short story presented by Karl Sealy is a demonstration of how TV advertisements and literary works may have different roles in society. The TV advertisement tries to convince the great travelers to buy a ticket for Barbados, while the literary texts show the crucial reality that the different countries are facing.
Valentina
There is no doubt that Barbados is showed and described as a beautiful place both in the short story "The Pices of Silver" by Karly Sealy and in the commercial. In the short story the beaches and the sea are discribed as wonderful, and in the commercial, Barbados, is represented to us as an amazing place, as the images talk by themselves. The commercial shows us the sea, beaches, and the hotels that are all ranked as first class locations. Although they are similar in a way, they are also dissimilar. The commercial obviously hides the negative aspect of Barbados, poverty. In the TV spot poverty is not mentioned and the images only show us the positive places of the country. "The Pieces of Silver" in contrast, describes Barbados full of poverty and it metions that the population is mostly ignorant.
ReplyDeleteIn conclusion the short story by Karly Sealy reveals the truth of Barbados, and as we know from our knowledge, commericals tend to persuade society by showing all the best parts and hiding the negative ones.
The story and the advertisement show different parts of Barbados. The advertisement was designed for tourists to give them an idea of how Barbados looks like and it might encourage them to spend a vacation there. The story instead, Karl sealy, as a citizen of Barbados, doesn't seem to mention the good or beautiful parts of the video we've seen. He mentions Barbados suffering poverty.
ReplyDelete