Inquiry 4

Kaleb Campbell

Ryan Ireland 

English 112

5/5/2013 

      Over the course of this semester I have become far more critical of the spaces that I pass through. Through the readings and discussions of the course, I have become more observant of the rhetorical propaganda thrown at us from every direction in our daily lives. I am more aware of the way that I affect space, and of the way that space affects me, both physically and emotionally. My unconscious  mind has always been aware of this spatial rhetoric, as it must interpret the complex sensory cues it obtains in order to make a mental picture of our physical location in space. I realized that all that we know of this world is really just an interpretation by our brain, manifesting as our five senses that we know and love. For example, colors don't exist, our brain tries to help us distinguish between different materials by making certain wavelengths of light recognizable to our conscious mind, in the form of colors. Through the course, I have become consciously aware of some of theses realities, as well as the rhetorical constructs imposed on us by fellow human beings for persuasion purposes. 

     During the first Inquiry, I did a close reading of the movie clip "A Touch of Evil." I went through the clip and described, in detail, the spatial rhetoric that produced the themes of time and suspense. I became more aware of how camera tricks, color schemes, plot details, physical locations, and sounds can affect the viewer's experience of a movie. Everything in this clip had a specific purpose, from the most subtle of details. It makes me wonder if this idea of spatial purpose in movies can be extended to our daily lives. I began to wonder if our world was set up for us, like the viewers of a movie clip, and rhetorical propaganda was placed in all of the places that we move through, unconsciously forcing us to behave a certain way. This idea was discussed in class and was defined as "Actor Theory," where physical variables, like weather and time, alter the path of the play (our lives), by changing the set. 

     For inquiry two, I researched the paranormal mirror space that exists in Peabody Hall. I described both the physical and mental spaces that exists in the hall, and how the two can influence one another. This inquiry extended the ideas that I developed in the first inquiry, but included some of the ideas in   Foucault's essay we read. For example, I mentioned that the paranormal space in Peabody Hall was like a "Mirror Space," or a mental manifestation of the real physical space of the hall. The ghosts didn't exist in the physical space of the hall, but in the minds of the hall's residence in the form of stories and myths.     It is the combination of the physical and mental spaces that make Peabody hall the place that it is.  

     In Inquiry three, I, along with Carson, used a media presentation to show an audience how a renovation of Peabody Hall could alter the paranormal space of the hall. We described how a physical renovation of the space could affect the paranormal mirror space in ways that could change the way residents view the place that they live. This inquiry tied on to the ideas of the other inquiries, but required that we present our findings in both a paper and a presentation to the class. This media requirement forced us to make rhetorical choices similar to the ones that we have been studying, in order to pursued an audience that our renovation makes logistical sense. 

     Although this class may not have taught me to read and write, it did teach me to think, a skill overlooked in many college classes. Some classes focus on memorization and fact regurgitation, which isn't helpful to the creativity and logical thinking required in some of the most important jobs. I have developed a greater sense of skepticism for public space, because I know that it is set up for a purpose, almost always benefiting the owner of the space monetarily, such as store layouts that we discussed in class. With this newfound knowledge, I find myself disobeying some of the norms of public space, such as facing the wrong way in elevators or finding my items in stores in a backward fashion. I have always been a rebel of societal norms, but some of the readings in this class provided reasoning to back up my actions. Even though this class isn't particularly relavent to my other classes, mostly physics and mathematics, it does provide a more subjective theory of space. For example, physics can be used to describe the precise angles and volume of a physical space, but it doesn't describe the rhetorical purpose behind the objects. This class starts us off on a path to begin learning about this subjective, emotional aspect of space, wich could be further studied in greater detail in advanced courses like philosophy. 

Writers Letter

In our Inquiry 3 we talked about a renovation of the space of Peabody Hall in order to make it less likely to be associated with paranormal sightings and happenings. We wanted to determine what aspects of the space itself were causing these ghost stories, and to propose changes that would combat the current situation. Since our group consisted of just two students, it was necessary for us to distribute the load of the project proportionally.

My main focus of the project was the 2,000 word essay, while Carson focussed on the movie and voice over. It was my job to go back and reiterate our presentation in words, and to describe the project in greater detail. Since the project was written about my Inquiry 2, I had most of the knowledge about Peabody Hall, and the paranormal space that exists between its walls. Even though we both worked on different aspects of the project, we both started at the same point. We walked through Peabody Hall, videotaping the spots that we thought would be appropriate for a movie, and recoding those spots from different angles. It was essential for me to be at the taping, because I have the key to the building so that we could tape the places that needed to be taped. The actual arranging of the photographs and movie clips was Carson's job, while I focussed on the  information behind the Inquiry. She had to put the visual aspects of the project together, and I had to put the informational aspects of the project together in an essay.

For the presentation itself, we both brought talking points and questions to ask the viewers. Even though the wrong movie was deleted, we still managed to procede through the presentation and talk about what kinds of things we would like to alter in the space.  It was also my job to go back and finish the 2,000 word essay after the presentation to take into account the viewers feedback and comments. Since there were only two people in the group, we were both were required to do a lot of work with the project. I feel that, overall, we both worked hard to complete the project to what it currently is. 

Box Town

It may seem like a simple task to put together a makeshift town of boxes, but that is not the case. There are so many variables that go into making a town that it is nearly impossible to account for them all. Therefore, it is vital to focus on the most important aspects. When we formed our groups, my focus was on preserving those important aspects so that the town would be inherently functional. We decided to structure the town around the physical landmarks that would be present in a fictional town. So, we created a city on one side of a curving river, and built a suburban community on the other side. In order for the city to be connected we placed a bridge over the river, allowing the residential areas to on one side to infiltrate the city on the other side. 

Then, it occurred to me that this city would need an independent power source to supply its massive electrical needs, or have a network of electrical lines coming from far away power stations. The first choice seemed like the most environmentally friendly choice, so I suggested that we dam up the river and create a lake. This lake could be used for recreation and as a source of power. The water falling over the dam would turn massive generators powering nearly all of the city's power needs. It must be assumed that this river has a large volume of flow per second in order to produce the intense current needed to meet the cities needs.

This started our trend toward making an environmentally friendly city. We decided to cover some of the roofs of buildings with soil to create rooftop gardens, allowing homeowners to grow their own organic foods on the roofs where they live. We also covered one building with solar panels, providing an alternative energy source to the hydrological energy from the dam. 

I was moderately active in my group and its discussions. I usually let people say their ideas and then critiqued them to determine the positives and negatives associated with that idea. However, I also took a leadership role at times to construct parts of the city and to orientate the buildings in a logical manner. The group worked together pretty well with very little disagreement on building placement or city design logic. 

Box Town

It may seem like a simple task to put together a makeshift town of boxes, but that is not the case. There are so many variables that go into making a town that it is nearly impossible to account for them all. Therefore, it is vital to focus on the most important aspects. When we formed our groups, my focus was on preserving those important aspects so that the town would be inherently functional. We decided to structure the town around the physical landmarks that would be present in a fictional town. So, we created a city on one side of a curving river, and built a suburban community on the other side. In order for the city to be connected we placed a bridge over the river, allowing the residential areas to on one side to infiltrate the city on the other side.
Then, it occurred to me that this city would need an independent power source to supply its massive electrical needs, or have a network of electrical lines coming from far away power stations. The first choice seemed like the most environmentally friendly choice, so I suggested that we dam up the river and create a lake. This lake could be used for recreation and as a source of power. The water falling over the dam would turn massive generators powering nearly all of the city's electrical needs. It must be assumed that this river has a large volume of flow per second in order to produce the intense current needed to meet the cities needs.
This started our trend toward making an environmentally friendly city. We decided to cover some of the roofs of buildings with soil to create rooftop gardens, allowing homeowners to grow their own organic foods on the roofs where they live. We also covered one building with solar panels, providing an alternative energy source to the hydrological energy from the dam.
I was moderately active in my group and its discussions. I usually let people say their ideas and then critiqued them to determine the positives and negatives associated with that idea. However, I also took a leadership role at times to construct parts of the city and to orientate the buildings in a logical manner. The group worked together pretty well with very little disagreement on building placement or city design logic.

Wilderness Downtown

The two interactive movies, The Wilderness Downtown and Pine Point, tried to get the reader/audience involved in the action. In the Wilderness Downtown, the interaction was personal. We were required to put in our home address, so that the film could obtain images from google maps. If the film was about some random house it would't have made much sense or have made as much of an impact. Most people have a feeling of attachement to the place that they call home, wich induces emotional feelings. This film tried to play on those feelings to give the reader a more moving experience.

Pine point was different, but was similar in its goals. The interactive film was not as personal, but still ignited feelings from the audience. Since the film was about someone else's home, Pine Point, people still feel like it is a sacred place. They feel the pain people must have felt when the town was abandoned, and their old lives lost. The film was interactive because the audience was able to click on the various links to open pictures and things about the old town. This may remind people of a scrap book, something else personal in many people's lives.

The spaces represented in Pine Point a The Wilderness Downtown are technically real spaces. The space that we observed the movies from was a reflection of the real space, like the reflection of a person in a mirror. It is a representation of a real space, a hologram. In the case of Pine point, the space has undergone a drastic change since it has been abandoned. The space is less inhabited, and is becoming overgrown by nature and natural spaces. The actual amount of physical space is about the same as before, but the space has been transformed into new things. For example, old buildings may rot and turn into dirt, but the essence of the space does not disappear, only to be recycled as organic matter for plant growth etc. On the old photographs Pine Point is preserved in its original form. Since photographs are a reflection of light off of a real space, the essence of the original space is captured in the pictures. So, a reflection of Pine Point lives on in the photographic records of the original space, allowing the audience to understand what it is truly like.

Ethnographic notes

Field Notes

Peabody Hall is a residence hall at Miami University. The original building was built in 1855, but two fires have burned the building, prompting structural repairs, After the first fire in 1860, the building was destroyed and a new building was constructed in the same location.  It is located on the far eastern side of campus, farther than any other dorm or college building. It is home to mostly freshman and a few sophomores. The first and second floors are mainly composed of classrooms, with a few offices and apartments. The Western Program office is housed in the second floor, wich is the office for the individualized studies major. 

The building is five stories tall, if you count the ground floor as the first. It is surrounded by woods on the back side, and faces the Molyneax-Western Bell Tower on the front, a historical bell tower built in 1884. 

The students of the building do not live on the first floor or the ground floor, but on the second and third floor. The fourth floor consists of a large classroom, and an attic, a scary one I might add. The female students live in on the second floor of the building, counting the first floor as the ground floor, and the male students live on the third floor. The floor plan is basically the same for the male and female floors and is outlined in the picture above. 

Prior to 1974, Peabody hall was a separate college from Miami University. It was a women's college, along with some of the nearby residence halls. Peabody was the central building of the college, with all classroom activity and much of the offices residing there. 

Some Questions For The Residents Of The Hall

I did a series of interviews to understand the perspectives  of some of the residents of the hall. I asked three people, John, my roommate Matt, and Connor some basic questions to understand more about the space. I asked a question about the inquiry center, wich is a place where students can go for tutoring and peer mentoring. Usually there is a hired mentor there to help you with anything thats in their power. 

Me- What do you like the most about Peabody Hall?

John- The rooms are relatively large compared to most dorms. Also, the hallways are big, allowing room for people to meet and talk. 

Matt-I like the small community feel that a western campus building offers. 

Connor- I like the study rooms and the large dorm rooms. 

Me-How often do you study in the inquiry center?

John- I study there a couple time a month. 

Matt- Never, I study in my room. 

Connor-I study there all the time, nearly every day. 

Me How big of a convenience is it to live on the third floor (technically the fourth)? 

John- Not to much of a hinderance, however, the elevator should go to the living floors. 

Matt- Not very much since you can usually take the elevator to the fourth floor and walk down one. 

Connor- Not at all. I always take the stars since I don't mind the exercise. 

Paranormal Activity 

Now we get to the main points of my research. I want to learn more about some of the odd happenings of the hall. Supposedly there are lots of paranormal things that have happened in Peabody. Since the building has burn't down twice, and the dorm was once a women's home, the ghost stories have always been numerous. I asked the interviewees about some of their experiences with paranormal activity in the building. 

Me- Have you ever seen anything supernatural in the building, such as ghosts or spirits? 

John-No, I have never experienced anything supernatural in my life. 

Matt- No I have never seen any ghosts. 

Connor- Nope

Me Do you know anyone who has experienced anything supernatural. 

John- Yes, a girl on the second floor claimed that all of the stuff on her desk randomly flew off onto the ground. 

Matt-No. 

Connor- Yes, I have heard about a guy that saw a ghost behind him on the stairs. 

Nobody from the interviews had ever saw a ghost, but two of the three had heard of someone who had. Was it just a few select people in the building who were getting the paranormal activity, or was it all just rumors, with nobody actually experiencing anything?

So, to help answer this question, I did a survey of ten people, different from the ones that did the interviews, asking them a simple yes or no question. The question was "Have you ever seen anything paranormal in Peabody." Surprisingly all of the people answered with a no. This is evidence, but not proof of any kind, that paranormal activities are rarely, or never, observed in the building. 

Probably the main reasoning behind the buildings ghost stories are its rich history. 

This is a picture of the first headmaster of the school for women, Helen Peabody. She was known to be a formidable woman, very strict and and authoritative. Many of the ghost stories of the hall have originated from her. From rumors I have heard personally, Helen hates the boys of the hall since they are invading her school, wich was originally just for women.

To put a personal spin on the paranormal activity of the hall, I stayed awake most of the night one time and took notes on the things that I saw. I sat in the study room on the ground floor, on the east side of the building. The weather was chilly with a slight breeze. Some random snowflakes were falling periodically as well. The log went as follows.
11:00 Pm- students are still studying in rooms. Lots of activity in the hallway and up the stairs.

12:00 Am- About half the students in the study room have left. There is less activity in the hallways but still a significant amount.

1:00 Am- There is only one student remaining in the study room, and no noticeable audio coming from the hallway.

2:25 Am- The last student has left the room and I am alone in complete silence.

2:58 Am- An odd sound is coming from outside the window, but after investigating, I find out it is only tree limbs blowing in the wind.

3:15- There is nearly dead silence. I can hear the faint creaks of the old building, and the low hissing of the wind outside.

At 3:30 I went to bed, unable to experience anything paranormal whatsoever. However, when you are alone on the ground floor things can get somewhat scary. For instance, a random creak may make you take a quick look behind you. 

data

Much of the time data and technology are viewed in a negative connotation.  While this may be true sometimes, technology has empowered the human species to do great things. We live longer, have better health care, and are more connected than we used to be. For example, the children in India who put their town on the map used data and technology to persuade people to increase medical care and other benefits. The comment about us being in contact with more data in a day than our ancestors did in their lifetime is debatable for me. I'm not sure what they consider data because the brain takes in massive amounts of information whether or not we are on a computer, or other form of technology. It takes much more information to walk than it does to read a computer or billboard screen, and our ancestors did plenty of walking. Data definitely shapes space in a variety of ways. It makes different spaces, some far apart, seem close and connected. For example, on Skype, we may see a video of a person on the computer screen and associate that picture with a space. Just like the mirror in the paper we read, the screen is just a reflection of a real space.

The American Geographies

In the article, The American Geographies, the author tries to make a distinction between the place that America used to be and the way it is now. Long ago, the indians inhabited much of the same land that is now filled with skyscrapers and factories. The indians had a different view of the land, they needed the land for their everyday survival. Everything they ate, the clothes they wore, the huts they built, all came from the nearby geography. They had a different idea of what nature is, of what wilderness truly is about. In today's world, we can eat strawberries any time of the year and never pick up a shovel. We can order goods from all around the world, and obtain them at a reasonable price. We can build large cities in the middle of the desert, build hotels over lakes, and build buildings many times taller than the tallest trees. We treat nature as a spectacle, something there for our viewing pleasure, not for its own reasons. When we go to a natural park, we expect to see lots of wild animals, but is that how nature really is. In the old vast forests, large predators had large tracts of land to roam, unbroken by a lacework of roads and fences. Zoo's are not a natural phenomenon, they are an alteration of the land. We now have the power to transform the land to fit our wants.

Proposal

It has been through multiple fires, seen thousands of men and women pass through its doors, and has been a place of learning in its multiple classrooms. It is the center of learning for the Western Program at Miami University and probably has the most diverse history of any other residence hall. Even the name of this building gives a hint to the vast amount of history it has witnessed. Peabody Hall is named after the first headmaster for the school of girls, Helen Peabody, an odd figure, shrouded in superstition and mystery. It is rumored she still walks the halls as a Ghost, preying on the boys of the residence hall who have invaded her personal living space. Since the school was originally just for girls, boys would have not been allowed to come into the building, thus the reasoning behind the superstitions. 

So why am I going to do research on this building? Why is an old girls college so interesting to me? The first reason is quite simple, I am a resident in the hall. I find that it is more interesting to do research about a space that you frequently visit, rather than one you sometimes pass through. I will have more time to dissect the space, and visit its many corridors. The second reason, the building is just plain interesting. It is difficult for me to talk about ghosts in a realistic sense because I am normally a rational person, but the ghost stories that float through the halls are so diverse, and interesting, that it is vital to include them as an integral part of the history of the building. 

The building is so full of history that it has its own mini museum on the ground floor. All the information in the museum is citable material, so obtaining information about the buildings past should be easy. Also, it may be possible to gain access to some of the more off-limits spots of the building such as the basement, and the attic. Those areas may have remained nearly unchanged for many decades, giving a researcher a glimpse into the past. It may be possible to do an interview with a custodian, or faculty member about their experiences in the building, or do a survey to get an idea of the amount of people who claim to have seen a ghost. No matter what I decide to do for research, I can tell you one thing, Peabody will find a way to make it interesting. 

Proposal and More on Coffee

I have decided to do my research on Peabody Hall of Miami University. It is one of the most easily accessible spaces for me, since I live there. Also, it has one of the most diverse and interesting histories on campus. It is the center for the Universities Western Program, and was originally the main building for the college of Women. There is many ways for me to do research on the building. I could do general research on college dormitories, and then do more specific research on the hall itself. There is a museum on the ground floor that gives good information on the history of the building, and the history of it's more famous inhabitants. It would also be beneficial to talk about some of the ghost stories that circulate the hall, not to validate their accuracy, but to include them as an integral part of the history of the building. There have been three separate fires that have engulfed the building, which add to the ghost stories, and provide interesting researchable material.

There are some interesting research methods being used in coffee and in shopping. In coffee, the author extensively quotes other people's thoughts and ideas, mostly from books or articles they have written. Also, the author gives specific background detailes about Starbucks. He tells the readers the amount of Starbucks stores there are, the net growth of the stores, and the monetary worth of the franchise. This info gives the reader a sense of the scope, size, and power of the stores to influence their lives. It would be helpful to include background info in my research so that the reader may understand the space with more detail. Perhaps I should explain the lay-out of Peabody Hall, the size of it, and a description of the study areas. A research method used in "Shopping" is the use of analogy. Even though the thing I am researching is a tangible space, I can still draw analogies from other buildings. Other buildings on campus, or even dormitories in general, can be compared and contrasted to Peabody.

Rhetoric of Coffee

     The invisible forces, according to the author, are the collections of rhetoric imposed on us from sellers. They are the things that surround us every day of our lives in a consumer based economy, wich try to persuade us to buy a product or service. The author gives the example of the employees of Starbucks acting as if they are members of a play. They repeat specific sayings and play predetermined roles, all for the entertainment or pleasure of the consumer. In our daily lives we are bombarded the invisible forces. Companies try to make their product seem like it is something you have to have. For example, people today don't think they could live without gourmet coffee, iphones, or McDonalds, but that may just be an illusion given to us by constant advertisements. If one takes a step back and really thinks about what the benefits of buying certain goods will be, instead of making irrational decisions, they might come to realize that those new items won't make them any happier. Two hundred years ago people were probably as happy as people are today. It is true that they didn't have all the gadgets and media, but they also had much slower lives. Do all of the advanced technologies really help the everyday person. In my opinion, no. I think they act of wanting is what the consumers try to harness that resides in most consumers. People will always want bigger and better things.
   The goal of the article was to try to make consumers more aware of the tricks and scams that bombard us from everywhere we go. If people were more rational and thoughtful about their purchases they would realize the kind of traps they fall into. In today's world, a rational thought process is becoming more and more necessary as sellers consistently try to take advantage of the consumer.

Shopping For Pleasure, Other Spaces

     The article "Shopping For Pleasure, " did a very good job of describing the similarities of religion and consumerism. It also went into detail to describe the metaphors involved, and the differences between metaphors and other forms of spacial comparison. In the context of the article, religion was viewed as a negative force that was trying to persuade people. The analogy between religion and consumerism is strongest at this point, in that both need to advertise to obtain customers. Religion advertises the gift of an afterlife to its followers, and consumerism must persuade their customers that their product is the best. 

     The article "Other Spaces," was a deeply philosophical argument as to the place of both real and figurative spaces in our society.  It outlined the differences between utopias and real spaces, and elaborated on the concept of time. One of the interesting points to me was the mentioning of the second law of thermodynamics. The law says that in a state of isolation, the entropy will always increase. This statement is important not only for the study of thermodynamics, but for our basic understanding of time. Time is such an elusive concept that has been proven to be entirely relative, not concrete as was first hypothesized for many years before Einstein. When a system increases in entropy, the disorder of the system increases. For example coffee cups never come back together when they fall off of a table, the arrow of time is always pointing in a single direction, allowing the cup to break but not return to its normal state. The article uses these concepts to make the claim that spaces have a personal time and meaning to them, as well as a societal meaning. Places, such as hotel rooms and bars, have their own set ideologies in society. We have a good idea of the atmospheres in both places before we ever step foot in the space itself. But, once closed off from societal influences, the personal time overtakes the normal, societal time, and people may change their activities or personalities. Spaces may be used differently when the user is not under a state of observation. 

Beyond Here Lies Nothing

As the music video starts, an angry, perhaps disheveled looking, man is walking down the sidewalk. As the man walks around the corner it becomes clear that he is in a rougher neighborhood. He unlocks the door to enter his run-down apartment, and he quickly shuts and locks the door back. He then walks to a poorly lit section of the room and grabs a knife. He turns and walks to the bedroom door with an evil look on his face. As the door is opened the audience can see ropes on the bed and bloodstains. Next, the man walks through the door and is hit with a bottle by a dirty, beat up, young female. She frantically looks for a way to escape until the man regains his composure. They fight in the kitchen, each side gaining the upper hand at certain moments. She hits him with a frying pan, and he hits her head on the wall to knock her out. She then wakes up as he is dragging her back to the bedroom, snatches the knife the man had dropped in the fight, and stabs him in the abdomen. She escapes the house and gets in a car, running over the man as he chases after her. Then, unexpectedly, she gets out of the car and kisses him. 

There are many observational clues throughout the video that lead us to patterns in the video. For example, there are many beer bottles in the house. In nearly every scene there are numerous beer bottles strewn through the house to help the reader obtain some important information about the inhabitants. We can assume that the man is a troubled soul, and may have a drinking problem. Also, the camera follows some very important patterns throughout the video. When the woman is winning the fight the camera is pointed upwards in a way that makes her appear powerful. The opposite is true when the man is winning. Also, the house has many locks on its doors. Not only is the outside door locked, but other doors such as the bedroom. This leads the audience to believe that the man is keeping someone hostage at the house, and more abstractly, he is attempting to conceal a dark secret. The lighting scheme also follows a pattern in the video. The house is dark with most of the light filtrating through the windows. This gives the house an eerie feeling. Also, when the man grabs the knife, the scene darkens, perhaps giving the reader a sense of the violence that is to come. Also, when the woman gets knocked out she knocks over the T.V. The light from the T.V went out, and so did she. (As a side observation, I noticed that Bob Dylan was on the T.V. before it was broken.)

From all of these observations and patterns, it becomes clear that the overall theme is domestic violence. The man is portrayed as an evil man, perhaps tying her down on the bed and doing terrible things to her. Even though the man treats her so badly, she still keeps coming back to him because it is all she knows. The song says "Don't know what to do without it, Without this love that we call ours." The woman doesn't know what to do or where to go without her lover. may be so used to getting beat by her captor, that she begins to identify with the man as a lover, a phenomenon known as Stockholm Syndrome. Even though their relationship is full of violence, they still have a close bond that may not be easy to break. 

Rocks

     In the chapter "Rocks," Edward Abbey gives the reader a descriptive narrative of the terrain of the Canyonlands of the western United States. The author describes the eloquent names of many of the rocks and minerals that can be found in the region, such as carbonite and jasper. He also describes some other interesting observations. For example, Abbey describes the process of wood being petrified to give the reader a sense of the intricate beauty of the resulting rock. He calls the rock "desert jewelry." for its rainbow color.

    Abbey uses these detailed observations of the desert rocks to make the reader understand prospectors obsession in finding them. Abbey then tells the story of one poor guy's quest to take advantage of the new uranium mines. He uproots his family from their farm and moves them to southeast Utah. He meets this man named Graham and they form a business contract. Then, Graham shoots the man after he finds out he was sleeping with his wife. Then, Graham falls off a cliff and the boy that tagged along eventually died as well. Finally, the wife gets 100,000 dollars from her husbands share of the contract he and Graham made.

    By the end of the story it becomes apparent that the theme is greed. For example, the man has a nice farm back home, but he decides he wants more money and moves his family to a much worse environment in a miners town. Graham is driven by greed and lust of the man's wife. The wife was lustful and greedy when she cheated on her husband, and then tried to bargain with the government to give her more money for the settlement. It tells me that she didn't truly care about either man and was using them to get what she wanted.  

Who I am

Hello, my name is Kaleb Campbell. I am from New Lebanon Ohio, a small town just west of Dayton. I  am studying physics here at Miami University. I enjoy science classes and reading science books. I also like nature and the outdoors, and I love to wet a fishing line. Also, I wrestled in high school and managed to make it to the state tournament my junior and senior years. I am a pretty open minded person, and i usually try to see things from other peoples pont of view.