12-15-10 Othello

Character Analysis

Iago:
Arguably one of my favorite villains. He carries out his actions without remorse, is incredibly smart, and is a good example of a person who feels deeply betrayed. I mentioned this several times in the past, but Iago is the puppet master. He knows everything and knows what strings to pull and in which direction. Everything Iago pulls off goes according to plan. It's not often the villain wins the war, and it was quite satisfying to see really. I needed a book where the main character wasn't the perfect example of perseverance and perfectness. Humans aren't perfect.

Comment on someone's blog:
It's not often that you see someone like Desdemona. She was murdered by someone she really loved, for honestly no reason. Yet her last words weren't cursing Othello, they were words to protect him, out of her love. When a person is about to die, nothing really matters anymore. Desdemona could have said anything she wanted. Yet she chose to not blame Othello.

12-14-10 Othello

Well first off, Othello is just a play about conspiracy and one puppet master creating a event. Iago. Because of soliloquies and aside comments, only the members of the audience really understand all the facts and see the big picture.

We say things like: "No you are wrong!" "You got it all wrong! You were tricked" "Don't do it! It is a bad idea!"

I believe information that the audience members know that other characters don't is called dramatic irony. Shakespeare did an excellent job using this technique, I can imagine audiences at The Globe yelling at the actors what would really happen. It really keeps the tension on edge!

Another literary technique that Shakespeare makes good use of is similes and metaphors. He commonly describes simple things using complex references. Although it makes the play sound elegant and look beautiful on paper, hearing it with an untrained ear is frustrating. I noticed that Shakespearean actors tend to speak quickly. It is hard enough to decipher meaning, adding speed does not help. Although from my experience with Shakespeare, once the play is understood, listening is all the more fun.

Comment on Harrison's Blog:
The evolution of ideas and concepts in a story really makes it special. It shows that characters change, and the author knew how to make those changes clear. I like the way you showed the handkerchief as a symbol of love and jealousy. Beginning, end. I could go on for a bit with those relations...

12-13-2010 Othello

"Oh, devil, devil! If that the earth could teem with woman's tears, Each drop she falls would prove a crocodile. Out of my sight! - 4.1 Line 250-253

This line directly follows Othello striking Desdemona. Analyzing this line, Othello is trying to say that Desdemona is a liar. This violent and vocal outburst also directly follows one of Othello's epileptic attacks. This line proves that Iago's plan is working effectively because Othello was angry enough to strike Desdemona! A few scenes back Othello would probably kill himself at the very idea!

Comment on Blake's blog:
Thinking for yourself that a character has changed in a play is inference. Hearing another character in the same play state that a character has changed is proof!

12-13-10 Othello

Who would I cast for my version of Othello?
I really don't know that many actors so I am going to have to guess here:

Othello: Well, the only actor that I know of that would fit Othello's description would be Will Smith. It would be interesting to see him act out the emotional war that Othello is experiencing, and based on his past films, stirring up emotion in the audience is his specialty.

Iago: The dark character that just happens to have all the best lines. Who would I cast? Probably Johnny Depp. I loved Pirates of the Caribbean and I think that having Johnny add some emotion and comedy to the film would help relieve some of the emotional turmoil in this tragedy.

Desdemona: Err... Well I don't have an actor in mind... But I can list the qualities I would be looking for. Physically, looking in the play is going to be necessary. Someone that is willing to really put their heart into acting, and doesn't mind working with the other stars.

Emilia: Oooh... Again I don't really have anyone in direct mind right now. Frankly I don't know that many actors to begin with! I would cast someone who can act out the rebellious nature of Emilia, as well as convince me that she can act out the part of being Desdemona's close friend.

12-08-10 Othello

Iago is the villain, but so far all my favorite quotes are from him!
Never thought that would happen...

Anyway, this scene was nuts. I could barely figure out the fine details, but I think I managed to get the main gist of things. The only thing I really needed to know was that the Turks were blown away by the storm and everyone is going to be ok.

Now, Iago and Roderigo.

Holy. Iago has the longest speeches I have ever seen. Must suck to act him out. No actually it would be awesome. Anyway, this section actually forced me to read the side notes to figure out everything. Here is what I got out of it:

1. Iago claims that Desdemona and Cassio are in love
2. He mentions "proof" of this a few times. Usually exaggerations.
3. He says that eventually Desdemona will tire of Othello and seek a younger more attractive fellow. Cassio.
4. Iago wants to take the chance to get some revenge on Cassio. He instructs Roderigo to try insulting Cassio to provoke some sort of outburst.
5.Using the outburst as leverage, Iago can shame Cassio and might get him demoted.

Anyway that is my take on what happened between Roderigo and Iago.

Comment on Harrison's Blog:

It's true. Iago is the puppet master and he is controlling everyone to the best of his ability. And yes, Iago is quite the loner. He may seem to have friends, but looking closely you can't really call them friendships. They are all one sided.

12-7-10 Epilepsy

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18171635

Revered in some cultures but persecuted by most others, epilepsy patients have, throughout history, been linked with the divine, demonic, and supernatural.

Reading this article and a few others gives me the impression that this is the biggest misconception. Revered by some and persecuted by others. Demonic, divine and supernatural. I remember reading the odyssey and learning that one of the daughters of the king of troy was epileptic. They thought she could tell the future.

Then again there is the demonic part of epilepsy. Could a character from Othello suffer from epilepsy and be viewed differently? Who knows.

On Cyprus:
Interesting how history can be alluded to in a play. The attacks in Othello mention the ottomans and turks too.

On Venice:
I remember learning somewhere that Vienna was a place of the arts and music during some time period... hmm.

On Moors:
Wow. Moor isn't a name that those groups gave themselves. It was given to them. More of a literal description.

On Turks:
I was learning about this in World History. Interesting to have more details and know this is relevant to what we are reading in class right now.

12-6-10 Othello

Well. I just saw for myself how hard it is to read Shakespeare. Again. Anyway after a few rereadings and careful studying of the notes, I have found my first modern day application of Othello. Frankly, it is a message that I completely agree with.

Why, there’s no remedy. 'Tis the curse of service.
Preferment goes by letter and affection,
And not by old gradation, where each second
Stood heir to th' first

Here is my translation of this amazing quote from Iago

Well there is no cure. It is the downside of being in service.
Promotions and preferences are based on friendships,
Not by seniority where the direct heir
is guaranteed a position.

What Iago is trying to say, is that your promotions are based on whether or not your superior likes you or not. Not based on how long you have been working.

I came to this conclusion by learning a little bit about Iago. He was denied a promotion, and instead it was given to someone who had not been working as long as he had. Iago claims to understand war well and knows he could do well as a higher rank. He says that Cassio has no experience and only has theoretical tactics learned from books and studying.

12-1-10

“When my mama died I shut the top on that piano and I ain’t never opened it since. I was only playing it for her. When my daddy died seem like all her life went into that piano.”
Act Two, Scene 2
Page 70 -Josh is working on this one


In Act Two, Scene two of The Piano Lesson, we learn that Berniece refuses to play on the piano because of her fear of the supernatural and to an extent, the events of the past. In this scene, Avery has come to talk to Berniece about marriage again. We learn that Berniece might think about her relationship with Avery after he gains control of his church. We also learn of the reason why Berniece refuses to play on the piano anymore. “When my mama died I shut the top on that piano and I ain’t never opened it since. I was only playing it for her. When my daddy died seem like all her life went into that piano.”(Wilson 70). Berniece is saying here that she only played the piano for her mother, and she claims that when her father died, her mothers life went into the piano. In a later statement, Berniece claims to see spirits and claims that she does not “want to wake them spirits” (Wilson 70) by playing on the piano. She learned of the spirits from her mother, claiming to have seen “mama talking to them” (Wilson 70). Not playing on the piano is Berniece’s method of avoiding the past, and like her situation with Crawley, she isn’t ready to leave the past behind and move on yet.

11-29-10 The Piano Lesson

Wow, Lymon is a pretty nice guy. Compared to Boy Willie, he seems to care about the women he consorts with. Lymon may be quiet, but he really is quite thoughtful. It is rather strange that Lymon kisses Berniece. He seems to be flirting with her, but not being rude or to much to the point. Lymon claims to want to settle down and live a peaceful life with a women that returns the love he would give. I really like Lymon, this scene revealed quite a bit about his personality. Its rather sad the sheriff is out looking for him, it makes it hard to settle down when people are hunting you down.

Comment on Olivia's Blog:
I agree with your comment on abstinence. I think that people were a lot more straightforward and open about their feelings. Avery is quite the example. Trying to marry Berniece so intently and all.

11-28-10 The Piano Lesson

First off, Avery is quite annoying. If Berniece does not want to get married, then leave her alone!

Well then again, Avery's reasons for marrying Berniece are two sided. On one hand, he wants to help Berniece, but on the other hand he thinks that he needs to marry because it fits the image of a good preacher. Really, I am not too sure about Avery's true motives. Berniece is shoving away almost all of Avery's attempts, but one line piqued my curiosity. She mentioned that she would talk to Avery after he obtained his church. I interpret her reasons for saying this in two ways:
1. For her and Maretha's own benefit
2. Maybe she agrees with Avery but is not ready to accept it yet.

Well here is my opinion:
1. Avery a very open character, and isn't afraid to speak his mind
2. Berniece is really stuck in the past, and keeps dwelling on Crawley and where to put the blame.

Commment on Blake's Blog:
"I also thought that Berniece seems very persistent in keeping the Piano but not using it ever."

Nice mention of that. It is one of the big reasons Boy Willie wants to sell the piano!

11-22-10 The Piano Lesson

Lymon and Boy Willie seem to be getting along quite well selling their watermelons. Wining Boy seems rather strange, selling his silk suit for only 4 dollars compared to the 5 that he was so insistent on getting. By now, Sutters Ghost is pretty much confirmed by multiple characters, and we discovered that even Doaker has seen the ghost. The most interesting discovery was the fact that Sutter was playing the piano and even called out Boy Willie's name. Why would Sutter call out his specific name unless he wanted something from Boy Willie? Sutter playing the piano gives me the impression that he liked the piano, and was angry that is was stolen.

Comment on Autumn's block
Wining Boy seems to have made the bigger deal here. I can relate this to Sutter's descendant trying to sell the land to Boy Willie. One side might just get the better deal, and in both cases, family connections and good deals are mentioned.

11-21-10 The Piano Lesson

We learned about Boy Willie's and Berniece's reasoning concerning the fate of the piano. Boy Willie claims that the piano is a gift from his father to help the family get the financial head start needed to grow prosperous. He sees this as a gift his father did not have, and as something that should not go to waste. He claims that he is only taking the piano because Berniece is letting it go to waste, and that he has equal rights to it. He claims that since Berniece is not making a living using the piano, she did not need it. Berniece on the other hand, believes in the sentimental and historical value of the piano. She believes that the piano symbolizes the family struggle, and refuses to let it go. It really is quite a difficult decision to make, and it will be interesting to see the rest of the story progress.

Comment on Trevor's Blog:
I think Berniece is being quite unfair concerning where to put the blame. I like what you said about Sutter's ghost not at ease because of the piano. There is even mention of his ghost in the story!

11-18-10 The Piano Lesson

Today I learned more about the history of the piano, and why Berniece did not want to sell it. It has history in the family, and Berniece wants to keep that history intact. Boy Willie on the other hand, doesn't care about the history. He would very much rather throw it away and look towards the future. These two outlooks reflect their personalities. Berniece is glum and mourns constantly, while Boy Willie works hard to make a better future. This also brought to light the significance of the play's title:
"The Piano Lesson". I now interpret it in two ways:
1. A literal piano lesson between teacher and student
2. A life lesson that the piano is going to teach the characters in the book.

Comment on Cassondra 's blog:
Those hobos can possibly be linked to Avery's dream. He believes that his job as preacher is to guide and protect. I think the Ghost of the Yellow dog really is just a myth to ease the fear that there might actually be a murderer somewhere.

11-17-10 The Piano Lesson

One of the things that puzzled me was whether or not Lymon and Boy Willie really attained their watermelons and truck legally. They sounded to be quite the dubious characters, and Berniece seems quite wary around Boy Willie. Lymon puts me at ease a bit considering how quiet he is, but most of Boy Willie's dialogue makes me feel a bit uncomfortable. The last line where Boy Willie mentions that he was willing to cut the piano in half to sell it, gives me the impression of distress and maybe desperation. This line also gives off the air of determination in Boy Willie's character. He doesn't sound like one to give up, and I doubt he will throughout the rest of the play.

Comment on Alec Malnati's Blog:
I also think it is rather strange that a ghost was mentioned. Maybe Berniece really did see something. If she did, then this book just got a supernatural theme to it that bends reality a little. If she was lying, then I agree that she was probably trying to scare Boy Willie away. Personally, I find the first possibility more interesting.

11-16-10 The Piano Lesson

One of the first things that really irked me about this book was the purposeful grammatical mistakes in the characters dialog. Just reading what they spoke out loud gave me enough information to infer that this story takes place in the South. The family tree we created in class also made things a little easier to analyze. Boy Willie seems to be the total opposite of his sister. He is cocky, loud and rude, whereas Berniece is quiet and seems to enjoy the peace better. This contrast in a brother/sister relationship can lead to some interesting situations, and I expect there to be one sooner or later in the book.

Commented on Harrison Le's blog:
I agreed. When I wrote my first impression the language also struck me pretty hard. The thing that gave away the race of some of the characters, was the usage of the word "nigger". A crude label, but it described a person clearly.

11-1-10

Yay for a new month!

Anyway, the first thing I tabbed was on page 275. It was after reading the letter from Msimangu. There is a mention of the sky and clouds, and how Kumalo expects rain to come. This excerpt also comes directly after he reads Absalom's final letter. I tabbed this because I thought of the rain to be a symbol of sadness, and the thunder to be the fear tangled in this mess.

The second thing I tabbed was on page 279. Alan Paton uses personification to make the land a character, where he compares the red earth to the blood of the earth. Again, this is more proof that the author intended to make the land a character. I believe the blood symbolizes death; specifically the death of Arthur Jarvis. This excerpt also comes right after Jarvis leaves Kumalo's church, giving me more reason to believe this.

10-31-10

Kumalo suffered much throughout the book. He lost his son, he lost his connection with his brother, and he lost his sister Gertrude. On the other hand, he brought two children back to Ndotsheni with him, along with Absalom's wife who he considers to be his new daughter.

Jarvis also lost his son and wife, but he received next to nothing positive to help ease his suffering. Despite all of these losses Jarvis still has the kind heart to help out the people in Ndotsheni, even though the man that killed his son came from there.

Throughout the book, the land is often personified to the point that I like to think of it as a character. The part of land that I focus on the most is Ndotsheni because Kumalo is always referring back to it. Going even further I see Ndotsheni as a parent figure. Just like Kumalo and Jarvis, the land has lost many of it's people and suffers because those people no longer care for it anymore. "Keep it, guard it, care for it, for it keeps men, guards men, cares for men." (2)

10-28-10

Ashoka Fellow #1
http://www.ashoka.org/fellow/5684
This mans name is Asad Danish, and he is working in Afghanistan to allow access to education and learning, through the construction of libaries and providing information through radio

Ashoka Fellow #2
http://www.ashoka.org/fellow/3102
Maria Teresa Almada works in Mexico to help with the prevention and treatment of drug and substance abuse. She founded the Center for Assistance and Promotion of Youth, (CASA). CASA is the spanish word for home. She runs a program similar to the DARE that we have hear in America

Ashoka Fellow #3
http://www.ashoka.org/jmaguilar
Jose Berrocal Aguilar Berrocalfounded the Fundación Acción Joven (Foundation for Youth Action), a Costa Rican citizen organization that allows university students to fulfill required community service hours through specially designed projects in public secondary schools. (quoted) He also works to get the community involved and volunteering.

10-27-10

In Cry the Beloved Country, there are several unnamed characters. I mentioned this in class, but I believe why he decided to leave some people unnamed can be attributed to two possible reasons:
1. To emphasize the difference and void in between white and black people
2. To help accentuate other characters in some situations.

After reading the book for a while, you begin to literally think in black and white. You start to see the differences that keep the two separate. After a while you start to associate certain traits of a race to multiple people. For example, there are many white men that are unnamed; some do good things, and other do bad things. You come to link all of these things to a particular race, and therefore Paton may have seen no requirement for naming.

Sometimes, characters with no names can be reflections and results of other characters. Characters like Gertrudes child. Gertrudes child reflects innocence, and is a sharp foil to his mothers level of innocence. Gertrudes child was a source of comfort for Stephen, and I think that the child helped give Stephen hope. I think not naming the child was a good idea. The child probably did not even know his name at the time. Unlike other unnamed characters like: "the young white man", the name of "Gertrudes Child" is rather hard to mistake with other characters.

10-11-10

I believe the purpose in having multiple books in cry the beloved country is to show that things change, and actions affect more than just one person. Absalom's murder seems bad enough to him and his family, but most authors don't elaborate about how the victims feel. Alan Paton does. It really makes me sad to see parents deal with the fact that their child was murdered. A child that you gave your life for and watched grow into a strong man be taken away from you must be unbearable.

On a side note, there is not only one family in this story. Taking a look at different sides adds freshness to the story.
Some interesting notes:
Absalom= my father is peace

10-5-10

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/273088/jewish_oppression_a_closer_look_at.html?cat=37
Jewish Persecution and mass murder

http://www.rawa.org/rules.htm

Oppression of women in Afghanistan

10-3-10

Buses Long Johannesburg Shilling
Taxi Hard Road Room
Walk

The repetition of the word bus. People ride buses everywhere and for different purposes. No one cares what you are riding for and to where. Also mentioned, is that the buses all go to Johannesburg. Remember that line "all roads lead to Johannesburg"? I think this is an excellent reference to a point in the book and I would not be surprised to see it again, in one form or another.

Concepts such as "a long way" or time are presented in chapter 8 as well, and usually in conjunction with words signifying difficulty. Living life is long and hard, and I think this is the point that Paton is trying to make

Johannesburg. Over and over this word is repeated, especially on the first page of chapter 9. Everything is in Johannesburg. Food, work, modern comforts too. Johannesburg is a contrast to the simple setting that Kumalo lives in, where there is really not much to look at. I believe this signifies that the mindset of the time period is "westernization is the road to the future"

Money is a big issue in Cry, the beloved country. From transportation fares, to food and shelter, many issues revolve around money. The poor people who don't make enough to live comfortably, the families that count every shilling they have to make life work out, and the importance that money has in everybody's life. A priest is supposed to be above earthy desires and things, but money is one thing that we need to step down a little bit for. Not to be greedy and want too much though.

9-30-2010

Frankly, I am having a little trouble deciding at the moment how Paton wanted to show the treatment of women. During the conversation about the letter and money, Stephen seems a little commanding of his wife using comments such as "count it" "Bring me the St. Chad's money"
Yet at the same time he seems to care about his wife. When she says that he was hurting her (emotionally) he stopped and claimed that hurting her was not something he would do. To be honest, I am going to have to read a little bit further before I am willing to make a statement. At the moment, I am guessing that women are not treated very kindly in Cry, The Beloved Country. Stephen may only be kind to his wife because of his position as Reverend. But that is just my guess at this time.

*Late*9- 29-2010

My 4 tabs:

Narrative on page 1-2
At first, the description is beautiful. Almost a paradise that I can see! However, the sudden change to a darker theme was a bit of a shock. With just two pages I could tell that Alan Paton was a master of descriptive writing

Page 44, Last three paragraphs

They show obvious fear of the future, and how it seems to engulf hope. But out of his pocket, Kumalo finds comfort and hope in his Bible. This shows that there is always something to hope for in a dark situation.

Page 42 Plot, death of Michael

This book is obviously not supposed to be a comedy. So early in the book, sad thoughts and images are being presented with next to no relief of any sort. I can guess that this book will be quite heart wrenching as it goes on.

Language Word: Umfundisi

Umfundisi is a term of respect, and it is not uncommon for Kumalo to be referred to like this multiple times in a conversation. He is a respectable man.

9-20-2010

Question: How does Golding develop and convey the theme that you identified.
My theme: Fear is a weapon and inhibitor, and it's presence in society can prevent it from functioning correctly

In my opinion, the ultimate symbol of theme in this book is "the beast". It started out as a rational fear of the unknown amongst the littluns, advancing to the point where their ability to sleep restfully is damaged, and culminating in it's usage as a weapon by Jack. Jack offered fun, meat and protection from the beast, and in truth it was all most of the children really desired. By doing so, he managed to bring people to join his tribe and give himself a position of power.

Golding uses savagery as a method of developing this theme. The more and more the children desensitized themselves, the more real the beast came to be in their mind, resulting in increasing levels of fear and panic. And the last think any society needs, is panic stricken people armed with weapons.

9-13-2010

Question: What would be different about The Lord of the Flies if there were females on the island?

The first two things I can think of: boys and girls against each other, sexist ideas taking root in the minds of both genders, and least likely a higher chance that order could have been established.

If you think about it, at the age the children are at they probably might not cooperate cross genders every well yet. Granted some of kids might, but it is always a possibility. What I envision happening, is that the boys will want to survive one way(savagery), and the girls may want to live on their own.

The second possibility I see, is boys thinking of girls as "weak" and "inferior" and in their opinion the people they should shove all the boring tasks on. Everyone likes to have fun, and one of the largest sources of "fun" stems from hunting and violence. I can see characters like Jack and Roger, leaving the care of the fire, the littluns, and shelter building to the girls while they go off hunting. As sad as it is, how often do you see women in the military even today?

The final thing I came up with, was the possibility that order may have been established. The boys would probably have been a little more reluctant to dance like fools in front of a dead pig while girls are watching, and they might have watched their manners a little better. I read this article one time about the differences between male and female mind, and both generally process information and think differently. By combining these two types of minds, they children may have come to a better solution and made better choices that could have led to a better life for everyone, and fulfilled Ralph's promise that "having fun" was important.

9-12-2010

Here are two of my explanations/interpretations for why Golding made the decisions he did:
1. Why did he name the chapter "The Sound of the Shell"
2. Why did he provide no character names to begin with

My Answer to Number 1
Names are obviously important. They have special meanings that can describe a character, sort of like how my name means Jehovah saves. In this case, Ralph's name means: Wolf counselor. By not referring to the two boys by their names immediately, we get a chance to drill their physical description into our heads through repetition (e.g the fair haired boy). I think Golding did not mention names to take us back to older times, where not everything had a name yet and where described for what they literally were. Savage and barbaric times perhaps?

My Answer to Number 2

Most books that I read are so long, that naming each and every chapter probably makes it seem like writing another book to the author. Golding uses his chapter titles for obvious reasons: to highlight major points and symbols, and do some foreshadowing. For example, "The sound of the shell" is referring to the effect that sound has on humans and bringing up the major symbol of democracy and order. While we are on the topic of sound, in our day to day lives music is a large influence on the way we think and feel and it reflects the emotions and thought patterns that society had at a certain time. In the Lord of the Flies, the sound of the conch brought all the boys together, but at the end of the book, the sound of war whoops symbolized danger and drove Ralph away.

First Post

Ok here's my homework