Sunday, June 8, 2008

Personal Reflection of A Midsummer Night’s Dream

One of the main reasons why I enjoyed reading A Midsummer Night’s Dream is I had watched a movie version of it, so as I read the play, I could envision the characters doing what they did in the movie, which was actually quite true to the play. I also like this play for its genre in general. It had been a long time since I last read a comedy, so A Midsummer Night’s Dream was a good refreshment of variety.
The way Shakespeare composes this play is what makes it a unique comedy. He manages to incorporate a great deal of fantasy fiction; however, he does not allow this to stop him from writing a play with some characters the audience can make similarities to. Overall, this easy and fun read was relaxing and made me laugh.

Shakespeare’s Comedy

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a very well written comedy by Shakespeare. The way Shakespeare utilizes the different characters and situations they are in to create humor is very cleverly planned. A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a good example of the range Shakespeare can write. He has written numerous tragedies, and even plays based on history, but this comedy proves how Shakespeare is well-rounded in his capabilities as a playwright.
Shakespeare’s ironic and ridiculous situations account for much of the humor in this play. While the language alone is very witty and contributes to this comedy, it is used to set up the ridiculous happenings that are yet to come. The play is split into two stories: one is the love mismatch between the four lovers and the other is Bottom’s and Titania’s affair after his transformation into a donkey. It is comedic how neither of the young men loves Helena and yet after the spell both of them fight for her. It is also humorous and ironic how Bottom, the cocky jerk of the play, becomes an actual jackass.
This comedy is topped off by a happy ending. In the end, when all seems like utter chaos, the four lovers fall in love again with who they are supposed to, remembering the frenzied night as just a silly dream. Bottom is transformed back into a man, and as a man, he makes a “donkey” of himself in the play he performs. This resolved ending marks a true comedy, since in the past, a comedy used to mean a story that ended on a positive note, not necessarily a story centered on humor.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream: SCENE I. The wood. TITANIA lying asleep.

BOTTOM
Nay, you must name his name, and half his face must
be seen through the lion's neck: and he himself
must speak through, saying thus, or to the same
defect,--'Ladies,'--or 'Fair-ladies--I would wish
You,'--or 'I would request you,'--or 'I would
entreat you,--not to fear, not to tremble: my life
for yours. If you think I come hither as a lion, it
were pity of my life: no I am no such thing; I am a
man as other men are;' and there indeed let him name
his name, and tell them plainly he is Snug the joiner.


Shakespeare wanted to use this passage in his play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream to show the idiocy of Bottom and his fellow actors. Here, they are attempting to plan their performance of Pyramus and Thisbe. This story is supposed to be a very serious one; however, Bottom and his friends manage to unintentionally make a disgrace out of themselves and this play. Specifically, this dialogue deals with a lion in their play. Because the lion is supposed to roar ferociously, Bottom fears that the ladies will be scared of it. This is completely ridiculous and purposefully humorous because first of all, the group of them are such poor actors that they would lack the talent to instill the emotions they want to express in anyone, let alone fear. Two, the people in the audience know that they are attending a play; so, it is quite obvious that the lion onstage is not an actual lion, but just an actor. The solution Bottom thinks of is equally humorous. He wants Snug to directly tell the audience that he is not really a lion, but just a man in a costume.
Shakespeare effectively uses humor in this passage. Since this scene is prior to Bottom’s transformation into a donkey, Shakespeare utilizes this dialogue between Bottom and his friends to portray to the audience what is to come later on. After his change, the audience already knows the irony and humor behind Bottom’s transformation since he is a jackass in both the animal and human aspects.

Comments on the Historical Genre of Richard III Along with a Personal Reflection of the Play

To me, the way Shakespeare can make actual events in history an elaborate and unique storyline is amazing. The historical background of Richard III is quite interesting, but Shakespeare makes the emotions and actions of those people come to life in Richard III. Especially since these events took place so many years ago, it is easy for people today to misinterpret or feel bored by the list of facts of these happenings. However, Shakespeare uses Richard III to provide new information on the people during this time.
Reading about Richard III online or in books is not the same as seeing him onstage as an actual human being. While I have not seen Richard III performed, I still have a better sense of who Richard was because of the way Shakespeare makes the story revolve around him and the chaos he causes around him. Being able to envision these people in history actually talking and acting the way Shakespeare has composed them to do so in the play helps the audience to have a deeper appreciation for the times.
Because Shakespeare was able to take history and recreate it into something everyone could relive, I like this play. I also find it very intriguing how Shakespeare tells the story through the villain’s perspective, and so instead of cheering for the main character, the audience is wishing for someone to finally put an end to him. I admit that another bonus for me liking the play is how Richard is finally stopped for good. His demise is so ironic too. He can get everything he manipulated so perfectly accomplished, yet in the end he fails because of his horse, “A horse! a horse! my kingdom for a horse!”

Richard III: SCENE I. London. A street.

Enter GLOUCESTER, solus
GLOUCESTER
Now is the winter of our discontent
Made glorious summer by this sun of York;
And all the clouds that lour'd upon our house
In the deep bosom of the ocean buried.
Now are our brows bound with victorious wreaths;
Our bruised arms hung up for monuments;
Our stern alarums changed to merry meetings,
Our dreadful marches to delightful measures.
Grim-visaged war hath smooth'd his wrinkled front;
And now, instead of mounting barded steeds
To fright the souls of fearful adversaries,
He capers nimbly in a lady's chamber
To the lascivious pleasing of a lute.
But I, that am not shaped for sportive tricks,
Nor made to court an amorous looking-glass;
I, that am rudely stamp'd, and want love's majesty
To strut before a wanton ambling nymph;
I, that am curtail'd of this fair proportion,
Cheated of feature by dissembling nature,
Deformed, unfinish'd, sent before my time
Into this breathing world, scarce half made up,
And that so lamely and unfashionable
That dogs bark at me as I halt by them;
Why, I, in this weak piping time of peace,
Have no delight to pass away the time,
Unless to spy my shadow in the sun
And descant on mine own deformity:
And therefore, since I cannot prove a lover,
To entertain these fair well-spoken days,
I am determined to prove a villain
And hate the idle pleasures of these days.
Plots have I laid, inductions dangerous,
By drunken prophecies, libels and dreams,
To set my brother Clarence and the king
In deadly hate the one against the other:
And if King Edward be as true and just
As I am subtle, false and treacherous,
This day should Clarence closely be mew'd up,
About a prophecy, which says that 'G'
Of Edward's heirs the murderer shall be.
Dive, thoughts, down to my soul: here
Clarence comes.
Enter CLARENCE, guarded, and BRAKENBURY
Brother, good day; what means this armed guard
That waits upon your grace?


This opening scene of Richard III by William Shakespeare tells the audience what to expect of the play’s main character. In this speech, Richard is admitting to all the horrible things he is planning on doing. He delves into many different aspects of his dark nature – his negativity, his jealousy, his hate, and his duality. With this, Richard adds “I am determined to prove a villain,” which provides much insight on how this play is going to unfold.
This passage shows how openly evil Richard is. The first line of Richard’s speech, “Now is the winter of our discontent,” expresses his complaints of this time of peace. Winter is known to be barren, cold, and bleak, all adjectives that can be used to describe Richard as well. He continues by describing war in high regards, and how, unfortunately to him, the need for raising arms is no longer needed. Also, Richard conveys his envy of those who are empirically better looking than him, since he is, “Cheated of feature by dissembling nature,” and so much so, “That dogs bark at me as I halt by them.” This hideous man blames nature for the way he is. However, it seems that his disconcerting looks match his black heart interior. Because Richard realizes how much he hates the times he is trapped in, he is willing to make arrangements that will kill his brother Clarence and make himself king. This is one of the aspects that make Richard a truly evil person. His duality causes people to trust him, but then he tells the audience his real intentions in various asides. In other words, he plans to fool everyone make them believe he is a virtuous man, when, in reality, he is nothing of the sort and wishes never to be.
Perhaps the best stylistic component of this opening speech is at the very end, when Richard says, “Dive, thoughts, down to my soul: here/ Clarence comes.” The use of dive and down in these lines describe how he is quickly sending his true intentions deep within him so that they are hidden to those he wants to deceive, in this scene, Clarence. This line exhibits the duality of Richard. This entire time, Richard is giving an entire speech of his evilness, and by the end of his unpleasant introduction, it shows how his words are already a foreshadowing for what is to come.

Saturday, June 7, 2008

Personal Reflection of Macbeth

I enjoy the story of Macbeth because of the way Shakespeare crafted this tragic play. I like how the mood and tone of the play is immediately realized by the introduction of the three witches casted in a dark and foreboding setting. Also, the progression of Macbeth makes for a fascinating plot to follow. The story of who he once was, to who he becomes, and what ultimately happens as a result provides numerous aspects of the immense sense of tragedy Shakespeare weaves so consistently throughout the play. The prevalent transformation of Macbeth is what I like most about the play. In the beginning, Macbeth is a brave and loyal man. As the play continues, Macbeth is torn between doing what is right or taking another man’s life to steal the thrown. I like how Shakespeare makes Macbeth’s internal struggle realistic and therefore relatable to a point. Overall, I really liked the storyline and style of the play, but I think I would have a greater appreciation for it if I saw performed.

Why Macbeth is a Tragedy

Shakespeare makes his play, Macbeth, a tragedy by incorporating ideas and desires we can all relate to. Macbeth is told his future in three parts: who he currently is, what is to come in the very near future, and his destiny to be “Macbeth, thou shalt be king hereafter!” After discovering that his fate truly is foretold when he is promoted to Thane of Cawdor, he naturally begins to wonder how much more of the witches’ predictions are true. What makes Macbeth a tragedy is how Macbeth could not resist the urge to obtain what he wants, even when his life is already heading towards success.
When Macbeth is promoted, his life is on the rise; people are recognizing him for his bravery and loyalty. Most people want to lead successful lives, so Macbeth’s striving ideal is very easy to relate to. However, Macbeth does not stop here. Instead, he reaches for more at whatever costs, even murder. Macbeth’s story is a tragic one because he cannot stop his greed, his own ambition. He puts aside his morals for his desires. At one point Macbeth convinces himself not to murder Duncan for numerous reasons. Unfortunately, he allows Lady Macbeth to persuade him to carry on with their plan because she challenges his manhood and assures him that it is worthwhile. Macbeth’s transformation is tragic because he was once a good man who corrupted himself by his own dream to be king.
Macbeth is a tragedy for all that is lost – Macbeth’s humaneness, Lady Macbeth’s sanity, and all the lives of the people they murdered. Macbeth cannot resist the withes’ promise. He destroys his once respectable image for power that quickly transforms him into a tyrant. Even Lady Macbeth, who is seemingly the most evil and driven of all the characters, cannot bear all the blood on her hands, and then dies because of it. It is tragic how countless innocents are murdered. The death of Macbeth is tragic, despite how awful he is by the end of the play because in the beginning, it is obvious to the audience that he was a good man with all the potential to be great.

Friday, June 6, 2008

Macbeth: SCENE V. Dunsinane. Within the castle.

MACBETH
I have almost forgot the taste of fears;
The time has been, my senses would have cool'd
To hear a night-shriek; and my fell of hair
Would at a dismal treatise rouse and stir
As life were in't: I have supp'd full with horrors;
Direness, familiar to my slaughterous thoughts
Cannot once start me.

By this scene, the honorable, brave, and renowned hero the audience knows as Macbeth is gone. In his place stands a monster, an incredible tyrant whose morals are hopelessly lost. This passage is so stylistically and cleverly woven that only Shakespeare himself can write it. The use of sensory details emphasizes how Macbeth no longer feels sympathy and how he has become a merciless force that will do anything to achieve his goals. He is numb to the chaos he is causing. Macbeth’s words mark the self-realization of who he was and who he has become. Macbeth starts this short dialogue with “I have almost forgot the taste of fears,” meaning that the person he once was is far gone. He nearly forgets the taste of fears because he no longer feels remorse for those he has killed, and he believes that no one can conquer his ambition and power. He continues by stating how scared of the screams he would be prior to his transformation. The hairs on his neck would have stood up uncontrollably due to human nature. But by the end of Macbeth’s response to the shriek by women, he makes it clear that he has been the cause to some of the horrors men fear, and how now they, “Cannot once start me,” meaning that he sees his own fears as weakness, and how even these fears are powerless to stop him.

Sunday, March 30, 2008

Portrait Reflection

I enjoyed Joyce’s A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. While it is quite challenging in its complexity, the overall development of Stephen is so incredible that the breakdown of the story is worthwhile. Joyce’s poetic language and message to live life independently is also what I truly appreciate from this book. While many of Stephen’s situations were at the extreme, I as a reader could still relate to some of his feelings of not knowing exactly what to do next as well as the feelings of pure enthusiasm for the things people find talent in and love to do as individuals. I like this book for its message of how people may not necessarily be skillful at one thing, but how they all have a gift they should learn to cherish and grow from as Stephen has.

Portrait Quote

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man a quote

I will try to express myself in some mode of life or art as freely as I can and as wholly as I can, using for my defence the only arms I allow myself to use – silence, exile, and cunning. (269)

This quote is one of Stephen’s greatest discoveries. Throughout the entire novel he is trying to find himself. He has been enduring some very difficult times but here he finally realizes that he will just do his best to succeed and do what he feels is right. He finally knows that he will be in control of his actions. Nothing can stop him or force him to do something he does not believe in from this point on. Stephen is a true artist not in just his way of formulating words, but now also in his way of carrying out his life – he will live it freely. Stephen is no longer concerned with what others want of him or what his former Catholic faith demands of its followers or what Ireland expects everyone to be. Stephen has finally fully expressed who he is because he finally knows who that person is. He will use silence to listen and absorb his surroundings. He will use cunning to be able to express who he fully is, which is all the deceptive emotions that come along with words. Stephen will use exile to be independent of what his country wants for him and do whatever it is he wants for himself. This quote describes the start of a new life for Stephen and how his outlook on life is changed forever.

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man - on Stephen's early signs of being an artist

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man on Stephen’s early signs of being an artist

Even from the very beginning of James Joyce’s A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, it is apparent that Stephen Dedalus is artistic. He uses his senses to describe what is happening to him. This is first shown on the very first page. His mind even at such a young age perceives his surrounding through four of his five senses: his sight, “he had a hairy face,” smell, “That had the queer smell,” touch, “When you wet the bed first it is warm then it gets cold,” and hearing, “O, the wild rose blossoms On the little green place”. These are early indications of how he will progress into an artist.
Stephen’s artistic outlook on life is not understood by his peers. Stephen is unlike the athletic boys of his age and so he is outcast for it. The way Stephen describes these athletic boys shows how he is skillful in coordinating words as opposed to his physical self, “The evening air was pale and chilly and after every charge and thud of the footballers the greasy leather orb flew like a heavy bird through the grey light,” (4). This quote is a good example of how Stephen uses his observations to paint a picture.
As a child Stephen also uses his personal experiences to paint pictures with words as well. One example is from Stephen’s flogging incident with the prefect of studies. When Stephen is unjustly accused of being a “lazy little schemer,” (51) both his hands are smacked several times with the pandybat. The way Stephen details this painful experience leaves the audience rubbing their hands with the same sensation he felt, “A hot burning stinging tingling blow like the loud crack of a broken stick made his trembling hand crumple together like a leaf in the fire: and at the sound and the pain scalding tears were driven into his eyes,” (51) and “The scalding water burst forth from his eyes and, burning with shame and agony and fear, he drew back his shaking arm in terror and burst out into a whine of pain,” (52). These descriptions of burning, scalding, and pain are repeated throughout the passage to get the point across that he feels a burning sensation. This also shows how he still has much room to develop as an artist sense he is very repetitive of these same throbbing sensations of burning.
While the audience can easily depict Stephen as unique and artistic, Stephen himself describes how much he loves words. After being pushed into a cesspool by a bully named Wells, Stephen imagines a dramatic death based on a nursery rhyme. He describes the rhyme in his own words :

How beautiful and sad that was! How beautiful words were where they said Bury me in the old churchyard! A tremor passed over his body. How sad and how beautiful! He wanted to cry quietly but not for himself: for the words, so beautiful and sad, like music. The bell! The bell! O farewell!

Stephen’s exclamations show how excited he is for these words. He is picturing his death and yet feels such a gratitude for this nursery rhyme that he forgets about how he was originally trying to feeling pity for himself. He knows that these words are beautiful and mean something to him. This enthusiasm for words carries on throughout his life and helps him discover who he is as an individual, as an artist.

"The warden said to me" by Etheridge Knight along with Analysis

“The warden said to me” by Etheridge Knight

The warden said to me the other day
(innocently, I think), "Say, etheridge,
why come the black boys don't run off
like the white boys do?"
I lowered my jaw and scratched my head
and said (innocently, I think), "Well, suh,
I ain't for sure, but I reckon it's cause
we ain't got no wheres to run to."


Etheridge Knight’s poem, “The warden said to me” reflects the prejudice of this time period. The speaker is a black prisoner, also the poet himself, who is asked by a warden, “Say, etheridge/ why come the black boys don’t run off/ like the white boys do?” (2-4). Because the warden is addressing the speaker on why the black boys don’t run off shows how it is clear that the speaker is black. Also, the fact that “etheridge” is not capitalized shows a distinction of authority; it shows how the warden speaks down to Etheridge and how they are not equals. Etheridge’s response also shows the discrimination Blacks faced at this time, and how he is indeed definitely a black man, “(innocently, I think), “Well, suh/ I ain’t for sure, but I reckon it’s cause/ we ain’t got no wheres to run to,” (6-8). Even the slight interior monologue presented in quotes of Etheridge’s unspoken thoughts show how he almost must address how he believes their conversation was innocent despite their differences. Another major indication of the hierarchy of these two people is how Etheridge calls the warden “suh”. This is a typical black person’s way of addressing a white person during times of prejudice between Blacks and Whites. Just the colloquial diction of their conversation also provides evidence of the situation. Neither seem very well educated, especially Etheridge, and yet Etheridge’s response has profound meaning. The final and most obvious proof of how there is prejudice towards Blacks is how they have no where to run to. If the white prisoners escape, they have at least a chance of leading a decent life. For a black person during this time however, they are trapped in a prison wherever they go because of the discrimination they face.
I like Knight’s poem because its straightforwardness and colloquial dialogue are easy for the reader to understand what is actually going on. The final line is heartbreaking in not only the truth of the situation, but also in its acceptance. This short poem does not need many words to explain the lasting injustice these people faced.

"Riddle" by William Heyen along with Analysis

“Riddle” by William Heyen

From Belsen a crate of gold teeth,
from Dachau a mountain of shoes,
from Auschwitz a skin lampshade.
Who killed the Jews?

Not I, cries the typist,
not I, cries the engineer,
not I, cries Adolf Eichmann,
not I, cries Albert Speer.

My friend Fritz Nova lost his father –
a petty official had to choose.
My friend Lou Abrahms lost his brother.
Who killed the Jews?

David Nova swallowed gas,
Hyman Abrahms was beaten and starved.
Some men signed their papers,
and some stood guard,

and some herded them in,
and some dropped the pellets,
and some spread the ashes,
and some hosed the walls,

and some planted the wheat,
and some poured the steel,
and some cleared the rails,
and some raised the cattle.

Some smelled the smoke,
some just heard the news.
Were they Germans? Were they Nazis?
Were they human? Who killed the Jews?

The stars will remember the gold,
the sun will remember the shoes,
the moon will remember the skin.
But who killed the Jews?



William Heyen’s poem “Riddle” is very powerful in its subject matter and structure. Every stanza has four lines based on the repeated question, “Who killed the Jews?” (4). The poem’s overwhelming punch comes from its use of allusion stemming from Heyen’s descriptions of individuals of the Holocaust, like Adolf Eichmann, a Nazi official who helped organize the shipping of Jews to concentration camps, and Albert Speer, who improved the production of war materials for Germany. To me personally, the references to specific people who are not famous gave the poem a deeper and more solemn tone, “My friend Fritz Nova lost his father –/ a pretty official had to choose/ My friend Lou Abrahms lost his brother/ Who killed the Jews?” (9-12). This stanza shows how the Holocaust not only affected those who were in the camps, but also the friends and families of those people, like the speaker. The repetition of “Who killed the Jews?”, “and some”, and “Not I” are extremely effective. It describes these people as individuals (and some) who are not willing to take responsibility for this mass murder (not I). However, this poem shows how even those who did not directly participate were also guilty of this genocide – because they did nothing, even when “Some smelled the smoke,” (24).
I have a great respect for Heyen’s “Riddle” because it clearly and effectively describes the horrors of the Holocaust and how people are unwilling to take responsibility for this genocide of not just Jews, but fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, sons, and daughters – of people. The last stanza is very powerful in how even the universe (stars, sun, and moon) will remember the Holocaust because this tragedy was so immense and demands witness. The speaker is right in his/her answer to who killed the Jews; in how the common person of this time had the potential to make a difference for these innocent people, but no one wants to admit it.

"Siren Song" by Margaret Atwood along with Analysis

"Siren Song" by Margaret Atwood

This is the one song everyone
would like to learn: the song
that is irresistible:

the song that forces men
to leap overboard in squadrons
even though they see beached skulls

the song nobody knows
because anyone who had heard it
is dead, and the others can’t remember.
Shall I tell you the secret
and if I do, will you get me
out of this bird suit?
I don’t enjoy it here
squatting on this island
looking picturesque and mythical
with these two feathery maniacs,
I don’t enjoy singing
this trio, fatal and valuable.

I will tell the secret to you,
to you, only to you.
Come closer. This song

is a cry for help: Help me!
Only you, only you can,
you are unique

at last. Alas
it is a boring song
but it works every time.



Margaret Atwood’s “Siren Song” is very clever, concise, and darkly facetious. The speaker is one of the three Sirens, which alludes to Greek mythology. In Greek mythology, the three Sirens were half-bird, half-women creatures whose songs were so alluring mariners could not resist following the music to the Sirens’ island only to be destroyed by its rocky coast. This knowledge sets the stage for the speaker’s intentions. Atwood cleverly makes it seem as though this particular Siren is unhappy and therefore requires aid. The Siren is appealing to the listener as if he is unique and only he can save her, “Help me!/ Only you, only you can/ you are unique,” (22-24). So in pretending to need rescuing, she lures the mariner. While this is quite heartless, the way Atwood composes the poem is actually quite humorous, “bird suit”, “squatting”, “feathery maniacs”, and “looking picturesque and mythical”. Through this humor, it is apparent that the speaker is deceptive. The Siren claims that she will reveal the secret of their deadly song when actually it is the song she sings that is bait.
Allusion is not the only literary device Atwood includes in her poem. Her use of enjambment makes the poem more one-sided dialogue, an appeal that starts off soft and intriguing and then picks up pace towards the end with urgency, “I will tell the secret to you/ to you, only to you/ Come closer” (19-21). This adds to the overall flow and even surprise to the poem.
I enjoyed Atwood’s “Siren Song” because of all the reasons there are to appreciate this poem. It is funny, especially in how the Siren seems bored with her “job” because human men to her are so stupid, “At last. Alas/ it is a boring song/ but it works every time,” (25-27). The duplicity of how she will tell the secret of the song when actually what she is already saying is the song is one of the things I loved most about the poem, along with how she is truly the predator and the sailor is the one who needs saving.

"Money" by Victor Contoski along with Analysis

"Money" by Victor Contoski

At first it will seem tame,
willing to be domesticated.

It will nest
in your pocket
or curl up in a corner
reciting softly to itself
the names of the presidents.

It will delight your friends,
shake hands with men
like a dog and lick
the legs of women.

But like an amoeba
it makes love
in secret
only to itself.

Fold it frequently;
it needs exercise.

Water it every three days
and it will repay you
with displays of affection.

Then one day when you think
you are its master
it will turn its head
as if for a kiss
and bite you gently
on the hand.

There will be no pain
but in thirty seconds
the poison will reach your heart.



Victor Contoski’s poem, “Money”, uses dark and cynical humor to set up his last stanza about greed. The speaker is addressing the audience, using the pronoun you. You provides the poem with a casual yet direct message to the reader. The speaker is not identified, but it seems that this person is able to describe money as a living thing that ultimately destroys because he/she has experienced what money can, or as used in the poem, “will” do. The word will is one example of the significance of Contoski’s use of diction. He uses the word will to tell the audience what will happen, not what may happen; there is no escape from this foretold fate: “There will be no pain/ but in thirty seconds/ the poison will reach your heart,” (27-29). Another important word that shows the importance of Contoski’s diction is “it”. It describes money as a parasite that “will nest/ in your pocket,” (3-4) and later “when you think/ you are its master/ it will turn its head/ as if for a kiss/ and bite you gently/ on the hand,” (21-26). The speaker is warning the audience that money is controlling, it has no master. You can do all you want for it, and it may seem as though to reward you, but in the end, you will inevitably learn of how it uses you as a host in a relationship when you all too late realize that your life was wasted for something that could never return the amount of effort, commitment, and caring you put into it. The repetition of you, will, and it all contribute to Contoski’s use of visual imagery. The reader can imagine crumpled dollars inhabiting someone’s pocket, almost like a pet being cared for.
I personally enjoyed this poem for its descriptive language and overall message. I agree that focusing primarily on money instead of the truly valuable things in life will leave a greedy person empty. I also appreciate Contoski’s way of bringing money to life and how it brews greed in people. Contoski’s overall message of how money has no master is very intriguing and true as well.

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Heart of Darkness - My opinion

I don’t like Heart of Darkness because I don’t have a full appreciation for its thick symbolism and dark imagery. Because I have a difficult time breaking it down, it just makes it that much more difficult for me to enjoy. Another reason I don’t like Heart of Darkness is for the style it was written in. The language barrier itself makes me cringe. I think I would like a contemporary version of Heart of Darkness, though, because I actually enjoyed reading Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong.

Heart of Darkness - Quote

“It was unearthly, and the men were – No, they were not inhuman. Well, you know, that was the worst of it – this suspicion of their not being inhuman. It would come slowly to one. They howled and leaped, and spun, and made horrid faces; but what thrilled you was jus the thought of their humanity – like yours – the thought of your remote kinship with this wild and passionate uproar. Ugly.” (58).
This quote symbolizes Marlow’s and Kurtz’s descent to the heart of darkness. In this scene they are passing the natives by steamboat, and so are being praised by them. Marlow questions the natives’ inhumanity, but even more importantly, the kinship he and the men on the steamboat feel with this darkness.
This is another example of a quote Chinua Achebe may have had an issue with in regards to prejudice towards Africans. The natives are being described as dark forms and masses, as savages of the heart of darkness. It is in this scene where Marlow gets his first glimpse of the heart of darkness. He speaks of how the natives’ movements are frightening and ugly, yet he relates himself to that. This symbolizes how there is an ugliness within all people, and how Marlow is no exception. The suspicion of their not being inhuman brings fear to Marlow because he wants them to be inhuman. He does not want to be able to relate to them in any way, but in reality, he knows that they all share a common dark bond.

Heart of Darkness - The Treatment of the Natives

Throughout Heart of Darkness, the treatment of the natives is consistently demeaning. They are described as savages, animals even in various passages. These descriptions may just be simple observations by Conrad or, the way Chinua Achebe views this novel, a very racist perspective.
Conrad was a man of his time. He really did travel by ship for a good part of his life. During these journeys, chances are he witnessed the behavior and treatment of the natives. In Heart of Darkness, Conrad never gives his opinion on how the natives are abused, he just states it. With this, it is difficult to tell whether Conrad himself was prejudice towards African culture or whether he just felt the need to state the facts. In the book, however, there are many offensive passages that can be taken as prejudice towards African culture.
The natives are repetitively described as savages, but the real savages are Kurtz, Marlow, and the rest of the crew who will do anything just for ivory. Their greedy motives drive them to the ends of sanity, a sanity Kurtz winded up leaving behind. Kurtz himself can be seen as the worst savage of them all. He places heads on stakes in front of the house he was residing in to face him, all but one, which symbolizes an entrance to all those who want to join him in his savage life lived in darkness. Kurtz surrounded himself with walls of ivory – death. His final screams, “The horror! The horror!” shows the utter darkness he sees for living a life of savagery. His transformation, his fall to the primitive savage inside him, is the real heart of darkness, “[…] he had stepped over the edge”.

Invisible Man - My Thoughts

I enjoyed reading Invisible Man because it has so many great messages and numerous symbols. At first, I was a little lost as to what was going on, but once I caught on I never stopped appreciating Ellison’s masterpiece. At one point I was told about the Trueblood incident before I read it, but thought that Trueblood was the narrator. Because of that, I hated the book until I read that scene for myself to realize that Trueblood is an entirely different character. I am very happy I didn’t have to read about a pedophile for a few hundred pages. After getting over that mix up, though, I really like Invisible Man for the way it is composed, well written, and just a very meaningful read.

Invisible Man - Quote

“I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me.”
This quote shows the narrator’s realization that he is invisible to society because they choose not to see him. It is almost ironic how this statement is in the Prologue, yet throughout the entire novel the narrator does not see this truth until nearly the end. The fact that the narrator does not see how he is being abused by white society from the very start shows how they are not only blind to him, but how he is also blind to their true intentions.
Blindness is a prevalent theme throughout Invisible Man. In this quote, the narrator speaks of the prejudice he is forced to endure everyday. While this is a very simple statement, it is one of the most significant ones throughout the entire novel because it sets the stage for what is to come. The narrator also mentions how “[…] you curse and swear to make them recognize you. And, alas, it’s seldom successful.” This quote shows the pain he feels from being unnoticed. So despite how he tries to cope with this dark reality by saying it is sometimes advantageous to be invisible, this small, voiced truth shows his angered and depressed emotions from knowing that no matter what a black person tries to do, he or she will remain invisible because they are not white.

Invisible Man - Black & White

Player Piano focuses on the prejudice towards African Americans during this time period. To emphasize on this discrimination, Ellison uses the colors black and white on nearly every page. This creates a world of two dimensions based on color.
One reference to black versus white is repeated several times as the white dividing line. This line represents how Whites prevent Blacks from crossing over to success; it is an endless boundary that cannot be broken. This line may also symbolize the narrator’s dilemma of indecision and blindness. Because it is a white dividing line on a road that means that it is bordered by two black sides. This could symbolize the different personalities within the Invisible Man and how white society is the dividing factor between the two. On the one side is the Invisible Man’s desire to become successful and his willingness to be treated as a servant. On the other side represents the Invisible Man’s rebirth and acceptance to his invisibility.
Ellison’s use of repetition engraves in the audience’s mind how there is a definite distinction between black and white. He wants us to see the world the way it was seen then, in only two colors.

Player Piano - My Opinion

I think Player Piano is an ok book. I like the story towards the end, but the first hundred pages or so are too slow paced in my opinion. I like all the different characters and scattered scenes of humor Vonnegut incorporates into the work, especially Haycox and the Shah of Bratpuhr. I also appreciate Vonnegut’s message of how our development of more and more advanced technology may betray us in the future. However, the overall story itself is not very exciting to me, it drags on a bit too long, and it does not really stand out in my mind, so that is why I think the book is ok rather than one I would consider worth reading again in my spare time.

Player Piano - Just a Quote

He tried again: “In order to get what we’ve got, Anita, we have, in effect, traded these people out of what was the most important thing on earth to them – the feeling of being needed and useful, the foundation of self-respect,” (175).
This quote sums up the basis of this dystopia. In this scene, Paul is trying to explain to Anita why he is showing her the Homesteaders. On the other side of the river, fellow Americans are not being malnourished or physically abused; however, they are being deprived of purpose to their lives.
Machiavelli once said that “The ends justify the means.” In Player Piano, the ends is a functional society with a thriving economy. The means are taking a test and whoever cannot do well on it is sentenced to the lower class full of empty promise. So in this case, Machiavelli’s words are not true because holding a position should be based on talent, skills, and an overall understanding of an occupation rather than just a number. Paul is telling Anita that the Homesteaders’ dignity is the cost for their prosperity and success, a cost too high to be worthwhile. Paul sees the Homesteaders as his fellow Americans, and therefore feels guilty for letting this happen to them, but Anita represents the rest of the high social class by seeing them as people who are where they belong. Paul knows that the Homesteaders need more than just food, shelter, and water to survive, but Anita cannot grasp this. She cannot comprehend how purpose is nonexistent in the life of a Homesteader. Anita believes she is being punished by Paul, but in reality all Paul wants to do is show her the truth to the Ilium Works along with the rest of America in this society, which is failure of providing everyone with equality, the foundation of America.

Saturday, January 26, 2008

Player Piano - Mr. Haycox

Vonnegut creates an array of characters in his Player Piano. There are the intelligent (Proteus), the annoying (Anita), and then there are those who are brave enough to stand up against this intellectually dominant society. Among those in the last category is Mr. Haycox. While his opening scene to the story is quite comical, Mr. Haycox as a character is important because of what he symbolizes; a relic of the past.
Mr. Haycox represents the rustic, tough, and common man who is not willing to surrender to doctors of real-estate and mechanics. He is not blind to the transformation of America from the land of the free to the land of the high IQ scorers, yet he does not allow himself to fall victim like those in the Homestead. Instead, he pursuits the American dream through means of this time and of the past, by earning it. In order to continue his life as a simple farmer who loves his job, Mr. Haycox essentially outcasts himself from this new, unequal America. By doing as he desires without letting anyone else tell him what to do, Mr. Haycox can be seen as a strong character, a hidden hero even to the people who do not believe they stand a chance of overcoming this machine run society.
Mr. Haycox is not the typical valiant, good looking, committed to the people sort of hero, but actually almost the exact opposite. His traits resemble those of an elderly man from this time who is not willing to be ordered around by young people so that they can come and take from him all that he has ever known. Mr. Haycox understands what it means to be a farmer, and he knows all the hard work it takes to finish a day’s chores. He is a hero for what he exemplifies. By showing the world that he is boss of his own life by telling off “the most important, brilliant person in Ilium,” (35), he gives people like the Homesteaders hope that they do not have to be dictated by those in positions of power, that they stand a chance. Mr. Haycox is also a hero for the message he says to Proteus, which is to treat him with respect for his expertise in his field of work even though he does not have his PhD; he even tells Proteus that he is not a real doctor. This message is significant because it defies what this society is based upon, which is talent based on paper rather than actual skill.