Featured+Project--Morality+vs+The+Unknown+and+the+Irreversable

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The shoebox project named // Morality vs. the Unknown & the Irreversible // presents the consequences of making irreversible decisions, dealing with the outside influence of God, and the unknown events that occur once an irresponsible/destructive choice is made. In three concise words, the subject of the box is God, unknown, and decisions. The theme of the box is "When making irreversible, destructive decisions, the unknown is prominent in the outcome, while the known (before the decision is made) state is better to live (All of this happens with faith and morality in question)" This theme, however, does not mean that a person should lead a boring, uneventful life. The theme and overall shoebox project means that (important) decisions should be made with careful consideration before hand and the person that makes the decision should understand that there are possible consequences, or potentially positive outcomes, to their decision. The title // Morality vs. the Unknown & the Irreversible // presents the best possible theme when dealing with this shoebox piece, however, multiple themes on various levels can be determined once further analyzed through symbolism and other literary analysis tools. The theme mentioned previously in the above paragraph connects to the title and overall appearance of the shoebox mainly through symbolism, which eventually brings along interpretations. The title, in my opinion, simply states the important consideration that should be taken between morality and the consequences (of decisions/outcomes). The title exemplifies the necessary consideration that needs to be taken through the word "versus" (shortened vs.). The word "morality" in the theme is most greatly explained through the cross that hangs between the 2 sides. Additionally, the cross hangs between the "known" and the "unknown" sides, which explains the reason of the importance of morality in decisions. The cross is hanging between both sides and neither side (the "known" or the "unknown) is given an advantage. Additionally, the "teleporters" are key in understanding the theme. The "teleporters" are the contacts lens case on the "known" side (left half) and the red LEGO block on the "unknown" side (right half). The green on the contact lens case shows the "life" in the decision, while the red color of the LEGO block shows denial and is stopping the subject (in the shoebox it is the duck) from reversing her decision. Lastly, the orange bandana that separates the "known" and the "unknown" sides shows the stark division between the two sides. There is no space for the "unknown" side to cross back into the "known" side. All of these elements help establish the theme because the cross shows the morality once must realize when their decision is made, the lens case and the LEGO block symbolize the important (and irreversible) decision making, and the bandana plays the key role of the stark, unchangeable decision-making process.

The theme and elements of // Morality vs. the Unknown & the Irreversible // connects with some pieces of literature that were studied this past year. Many elements of my piece tie in with common themes and elements of the novel // Frankenstein //. On page 47, Dr. Frankenstein says, "I had worked hard for nearly two years...For this, I had deprived myself of rest and health...but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart." Frankenstein realizes the mistake he made in the decision of creating the monster. This relates to the theme of the shoebox because Frankenstein cannot "reverse" the horrific decision he made. Another piece of literature that // Morality vs. the Unknown & the Irreversible // relates to is seen in the play // Othello //. In Othello, Cassio states, "Reputation, reputation, reputation! Oh, I have lost my reputation! I have lost the immortal part of myself, and what remains is bestial." Cassio realizes that his decisions cannot be reversed, since he states that he has lost his reputation. Even though the shoebox does not directly relate to reputations, it does relate to this scene in // Othello // because once the decisions were made, they could not (for the most part) be changed.

// Morality vs. the Unknown & the Irreversible // tells about how once decisions that were thoughtless, careless, or irresponsible were made, they cannot be reversed. This all takes into account the morality of the decision with God proving to be an outside influence/factor on one's decision. To create the box, many items were gathered, however, some items were not used(i.e. small purple turtle, etc.). The items were set up in multiple scenarios with many of the first scenarios being completely random setups in order to get some solid ideas. The creative process began once I came up with a simple idea about splitting up the sides and, eventually, the division of careless decisions. The "teleporters" were just kind of a fun aspect to put in the shoebox to symbolize the importance of the actually decision making. Additionally, the shoebox is colored "yellow" before decision making, "black" after decision making, and a mix of black and yellow in between. The mixing shows the changing of the sides.

The track used in the analysis of the shoebox is [|"Ka-en-Ankh Nereru"] by Nhoin. The track can be listened to by clicking on the title of the piece. The music starts at a consistent pace with normal beats that sound normal. The beginning shows the left side of the shoebox (before the decision making). Later on, a few uneven and loud beats come on. This symbolizes the decision making and the mix between the two sides. The music gradually becomes louder and produces more uneven beats. The music can be said to sound sad or mysterious. This perfectly characterizes the result of the irresponsible decision making. The volume never gets too much louder than it initially was, however, the loud, random beats can possibly show the destruction and unknown chaotic result of the decisions.