Tuesday, May 8, 2012
My English 102 Experience
This semester has definitely been a
challenge for me as a writer, and as a thinker.
During the first few weeks of class I quickly learned that I cannot just
have a concrete thought pattern. I needed to expand my mind and develop ideas
that were more outside the box. With
the help of group discussions and fishbowls I gradually began to formulate new
thought patters that were more insightful.
It also became easier to make outside connections to what we read or
talked about in class. Contributing to
class discussions also became easier because I began to construct my own ideas
with much more ease.
Along
with discussions in class, I think the blog assignments pertaining to each new
topic we learned helped improve my writing skills. The guiding questions I found very useful in
supporting the main argument I was making.
It encouraged me to be as accurate and to the point as possible. These assignments, I believe, helped me have
a better understanding of what we were reading or discussing in class at the
time. They even helped me come to my own
conclusions about certain characters or situations in the story, which I don’t
recall always having an easy time doing.
I really enjoyed connecting our paper topics to modern day society. I think
I learned more about what I like because I found a deeper meaning. It may have been something I would have never
known if I hadn’t applied it to my paper.
It allowed for me to explore a topic that I was interested in to what we
were currently learning and show a connection between the two.
Empathy v. Sympathy
The discussion that we had on
empathy v. sympathy, even if it wasn’t very much, definitely helped me better
distinguish between the two. Sympathy
has to do with recognizing that someone else is suffering. It's noticing that pain and feeling compassion
towards the other person. Empathy,
however, is suffering alongside with the person. You do not just recognize the pain but you
are living through it. As we determined
the difference between the two we briefly read a poem called “Alzheimers” by
Kelly Cherry. After reading this poem I felt empathetic towards the speaker. My late
grandfather had suffered with dementia for a very long time. One time when we came to a dance performance
of mine as he was watching he said, “Who’s that tall girl? I like her.” It’s sad
when the ones you love don’t even recognize you. At the end of the poem when it says “Thing he
must do, now that he is home, is decide who this woman is….standing here in his
doorway, welcoming him in.” I really connected with the speaker. I wasn’t very close with my grandpa but it
was scary hearing my parents often talk of how easily he got confused as to who
people were and where he was.
Introduction to Poetry
I haven’t always been very fond of
poetry, but the Introduction to Poetry lecture was very intriguing. The clip from Dead Poets Society was really
interesting and honestly made me rethink
my dislike for poetry. The quote
“We don’t read and write poetry because it’s cute. We read and write poetry because we are
members of the human race. Poetry,
beauty, romance and love, these are what we stay alive for,” is profound. It is a very true statement because I think
all of that is almost like the closest things we have to magic. They are things in life that are special and
hard to live without. I also realized that
songs are poetry put to music. When the
song Perfect by Pink was recited in class, I recognized the poetic aspects it
contained. When Professor Brady
explained that poetry is an evocation of human emotion it made me think of my
dancing. Just like poetry, dance is the
expression of oneself and our connection to our emotions and the world we live
in. It is powerful and exposing because
with both dance and poetry you are put in a very vulnerable state. Both portray how you feel and what you really
think and put it out in the open for everyone to hear or see.
I also really enjoyed the poem "P.O.W" by Alicia Keys. Her words were
very profound and you could really see the pain she was experiencing.
Desire: Created v. Inherent
One class discussion that I found interesting was focused on desire. First we were asked what we thought made up
desire. Next we needed to specifically think about our own desires and how we got there. Lastly were challenged to think about whether or
not there were other concepts or ideas associated with desire. How do we develop desire? Is it something
that develops, and by what? As we began to share our ideas another question
developed. Is desire created or
inherent? I personally believe that desire is created and different for
everyone. It depends on who you are,
where or what you’re going to do with your life. It is something that can be controlled if you
choose to control it. It also is
affected by outside sources. People
influence each other every day in many ways.
It could be that you helped your little sister with her math homework, and upon seeing how eager you were to help, she develops this desire to be a
teacher. All in all I believe desire is
something that gradually develops and is constantly changing.
Finding Freedom
Songs are poetry set to music. More often than not if you isolate the words
of a song you can find a rhyme scheme, and patterns that are found in
poetry. The theme of the song “The Hills
Are Alive” from “The Sound of Music” relates directly to pieces of poetry,
“Identity” by Julio Noboa Polanco and “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” by Maya
Angelou, in that it talks of freedom.
“My heart wants to beat, like the wings of the birds, that rise from the
lake to the trees.” (Hammerstein II 9-11)The lyricist wants to escape from
whatever it is that’s holding them back from doing what they want. The desire is to be set free of limitations. We also see this in the poem by Julio Noboa
Palanco called “Identity.” “To be swayed
by the breezes of the ancient sea, carrying my soul, my seed, beyond the
mountains of time or into the abyss of the bizarre.” (Palanco 10-11)Both the
song and poem describe feelings of desire to “fly” high above any
constraints. This theme is also present
in the poem “I Know Why the Cage Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou. The third stanza describes the caged bird
singing, hopelessly but still for the freedom he knows little of but wants so
desperately “But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams, his shadow shouts
on a nightmare scream.”(Angelou 26-27)
The
tone that I saw exhibited not only in the song but in both poems as well is
that of confidence. The lyricist expresses this strive for
freedom proudly and with joy “I go to the hills, when my heart is lonely, I
know I will hear what I’ve heard before.”(Hammerstein II 21-24) Here the
lyricist exhibits confidence of knowing that they will once again feel the
independence that they already have. In
the first poem, “Identity”, the poet expresses clearly what he or she
wants. They are confident in the fact
that being a weed is more freeing than a flower. This can be seen in the last stanza where the
poet says “I’d rather smell of musty, green stench than of sweet, fragrant
lilac. If I could stand alone, strong and
free, I’d rather be a tall, ugly weed.” (Polanco 19-22) Although the feeling of
the second poem is rather sad, I find that the almost hopeless feeling of the
bird is related to some form of confidence. Even though he is restrained from going
anywhere other than the cage he still sings his song. He cannot not do much else because, as it
describes in the poem, his wings are clipped and his feet are tied. It may seem that he would have no confidence
for his future, however as it says in the poem “the caged bird sings of
freedom.” He has no experience with it
but if he singing for it, it shows he has the confidence that one day he will
know it.
In
order to get their point across lyricists and poets communicate ideas of themes
through appealing to human emotion. In
the song “The Hills are Alive” the lyricist focuses on happy thoughts of
freedom. “To laugh like a brook when it
trips and falls,” (Hammerstein II 15-16) these two lines indicate the free
falling motion of a small body of water.
It provides a clear picture for the listener as well as utilizes key
words like “laugh” to indicate joy. The happiness
of being independent could encourage people to strive for their goals. “Identity” refers to individuality and the
freedom of being different. “If I could
stand alone, strong and free, I’d rather be a tall, ugly weed” (Polanco 21-22) This
indicates the ability to be one’s self freely, rather than confined to one way
of life. It appeals to people's emotions because
no one wants to be seen as weak or incapable.
In “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” a feeling of sadness is
represented. It evokes emotion from
people to want to help the confined bird.
“…can seldom see through his bars of rage his wings are clipped and his
feet are tied so he opened his throat to sing.” (Angelou 10-14)People can
connect to this poem because it describes a bird that is indeed trapped but has
still found a spark of hope, through his song.
It lets us know that whatever situation we are as long as we make the
best of it we’ll be okay in the end.
Freedom isn't something we easily come by. It
can be taken away just as fast as it can be given. “The Hills are Alive” expresses the happiness
of freedom and what it can offer. The
lyricist is describing how they wish to far from constraints of any
sort. To soar like a bird and flow like
a river. When we read “Identity,” we see
freedom as a source of individuality.
Without it, the poet fears they will be just like everyone else. The flower represents society as a whole, and
the weed is the one person who chooses to go their own way. That is true freedom for the poet. Finally in “I Know Why the Cage Bird Sings”
the poet describes freedom as hope. Unfortunately
the bird is confined and all he can count on for his future freedom is his
song. He holds onto that in the hopes that
one day he can live like the free bird.
Monday, May 7, 2012
Post Modernism and "Interpreter of Maladies"
Post
Modernism is all about interpretation: that of the individual character and of
the reader. The main character, Mr.
Kapasi, while pointing out certain details of the Das family, helps the reader’s
interpretation develop. Details like the
argument over taking the girl to the bathroom, and then Mrs. Das holding the
girl’s hand, even the fact that Mr. Das referred to his wife’s first name when
speaking with his child. From this it
seems the relationship between the parents, and the parents and the children,
is a casual one. “As soon as the car began to move the
little girl began to play with the lock on her side, clicking it with some
effort forward and backward, but Mrs. Das said nothing to stop her. She sat a
bit slouched at one end of the back seat, not offering her puffed rice to
anyone.” (Lahiri 47) They don’t play
the typical role of protective, loving, authoritative figure that parents often
embody. It’s almost as if they could
care less what their children do. Mr.
Kapasi comes to a similar conclusion saying they seem more like siblings. Mr. and Mrs. Das acted like an older brother
and sister, rather than mother and father.
Later on
in the story Mrs. Das proclaims Kapasi’s job as an interpreter to be
“romantic.” After this Mr. Kapasi begins
to misinterpret everything Mrs. Das says or does. The fact that Mrs. Das praised his job,
unlike his wife who merely referred to his position as “doctors assistant,”
encouraged Mr. Kapasi to misconstrue her intentions. Noticing the similarities between the Das
marriage and his own as well as her sudden interest in him only fed his
imagination. He began to notice her
femininity and talks with her as if they were having their own private
conversation. Though when he does get
alone time with Mrs. Das, he discovers the truth to her fondness towards
him. She confided in him a secret she
had not told anyone in hopes that he could advise her. “I was hoping you could help me feel better, say the right thing. Suggest
some kind of remedy” (Lahiri 65).
Mrs. Das needed guidance and was seeking it through him. This is where the concept of reality coming
into the light through our interpretations and how we view the world. The true meaning behind Mrs. Das’ friendly
nature towards Mr. Kapasi becomes known when she explained her situation. Her individual view opened Mr. Kapasi’s eyes
to what was really going on. They both
misinterpreted the situation. Both Mrs.
Das and Mr. Kapasi’s emotional imbalance stood in the way of reality. Her carefree attitude towards her decisions
and his failures in life.
The
complicated aspects of the human condition, referring to relationships as well
as behavior, are deeply reflected within this post modern piece. The relationships with the lives of Mr.
Kapasi and Mrs. Das are complex each in their own way. Mr. Kapasi and his wife have become distant
due to his failure as a father and her resentment towards his job. When he meets Mrs. Das, Mr. Kapasi forms a
relationship in his mind that exists completely differently in her mind he
makes life more difficult for him. He develops
these feelings for Mrs. Das as a result of his desire for affection that he
doesn’t receive from his wife. In the
end he learns all Mrs. Das needed was guidance for decisions she has previously
made. He’s living in a fantasy world
because the reality of his complex relationship with his wife is hard to live
through. Mrs. Das’ cheating behavior in
the past stems from her long term relationship with her husband. They grew up together and she’s been with him
her whole life. Her actions could be a
result of the lack of complications in her life. She married a man her parents approved of and
had children with him, which is probably exactly what they had planned for
her. She could have had a deep seeded
desire to maker her simple life more complex.
Mrs. Das is human and it’s probable that she became bored with how her
adult life was turning out and wanted to add complications.
Modern Family does Streetcar
"A Streetcar Named Desire" and it's connection to our modern world
The
recent Penn State scandal also represented ignorance
and denial. The assistant football
coach, Jerry Sandusky, was accused of sexually abusing several underage boys on
or near the campus. A few colleagues of
his, who were high-level school officials, were either charged with perjury,
suspended, or dismissed for failing to inform the police. Since the allegations were towards a man who
had an associate in higher places, head coach Joe Paterno, those who knew about
it either didn’t believe it or chose not to.
Clearly they knew what he was doing wasn’t right but they didn’t
approach anyone to put a stop to it. If
anything was said, it would give the famous football program a bad reputation
which wouldn’t be good press for the prestigious school. Stella is also subject to this because she
knows how Stanley
can react when something doesn’t go his way, but because of her love and
attraction towards him, she is in denial.
If Stella had listened to Blanche, she would have had no choice but to
leave Stanley
and lose the relationship she had with him.
In the end Stella, to save her marriage, lost the only family she
had. In the same sense Joe Paterno lost
the love of his life, the football program, and Penn State
took a hit to their stellar reputation.
Creative Assignment: Why I believe the Censorship Committee is wrong for not publishing "The Storm"
234 Hollow Drive
Rochester, NY
14601
March
22, 1969
Henry Sherlock
434 Webster Lane
Washington Heights, NY 10033
Dear Mr. Sherlock
In response to your defiance of the
publication of “The Storm,” written by Kate Chopin, I feel the story is a true reflection
of the role of women. For years women
have had their future clearly mapped out since birth. We help our mothers when we are young, and
then when we have children of our own, we are obligated to perform the tasks
that society dictates. These include having babies, managing the household,
cooking and having a meal ready and on the table for our husbands arriving home
from a long day at work. The social
standing of women, however, is slowly changing.
Calixa’s
character in Chopin’s piece may not have made the ideal choice, but she took
action towards the idea of letting women make their own decisions. She could have denied Alcee or told him to
stop. Calixa, however, did not give in to
Alcee because she was being forced to do so, in any way. She participated in this sinful act because
she wanted to. She was in control of her
own desires. No one told her she could
or couldn’t do it. Calixa thought for
herself.
Women
have also always been expected to be very conservative. Not to show off, in any way, especially
sexually. Our desires should be
repressed at all times, in order to be considered a respectable woman. We can conclude that for the most part women
have no say in anything. In the way we
dress, act, or even speak. Chopin
presents her character with a great deal of confidence in herself, which is
often lacking due to the oppressiveness and overbearing rules for women to live
by. Calixa’s fling with Alcee during the
storm sends an important message to women everywhere. You don’t need to be afraid to express who
you are. In other words, women should
have the right to embrace themselves in all aspects of their life.
There’s
more to the story than just an affair. It
addresses the issues of women’s right to think for themselves, assert their own
decisions, and about allowing them to have the ability to express themselves.
Even though for many years tradition has been that women come second to their
husband, that they must be working in the home in order to help contribute to
providing for the family, times are changing.
Women are just as significant, if not more, as men in this society. If not for women the men would not exist.
Sincerely,
Maire
Hannigan
"One mistake does not define a person."
Sophocles’
play “Antigone” is unique. It has many
different conflicts and themes seen repeatedly throughout
the story. One major point about this
piece of work is that Sophocles incorporated a strong lead female
character. Antigone goes against the
civil law, speaks her mind, and is fearless when faced with the consequences of
her actions.
At one point in the play Ismene states that if Antigone
must go against Creon and bury their brother that it should be done
quietly. Antigone replies with “Oh, oh,
no! Shout it out. I will hate you still
worse for silence—should you not proclaim it, to everyone” (Sophocles
99-101). Antigone believes that she must
let her actions be known because she has no fear of the consequences. She is doing what she knows is right by the
gods, which she believes is greater than word of man. Not only does she want to follow the wishes
of the gods, but also respect and grieve for her brother. If she chose to bury Polyneices in secret, he
wouldn’t be receiving the proper recognition he deserves. Those close to him have the right to mourn
for the loss of his life. “The time in
which I must please those that are dead is longer than I must please those of
this world. For there I shall lie
forever” (Antigone 86-88). Antigone clearly
states that time she has to keep the people on earth happy is limited compared
to being with those who have gone before her.
She will be with them forever after her life here. Her actions weren’t just to respect her
brother, and the gods but for herself.
So that once it is her time to depart she can once again be with those
she loves and who love her. She was
honorable and courageous in her life and will be rewarded in the afterlife for
it. From this we can say that she didn’t
let the opinions of others affect her values.
Polyneices wasn’t just her brother, but a human being. Despite what he did in life, he still had
dignity and should be respected even in death.
“If I shall die before my time, I count that a profit. How can such as I, that live among such
troubles, not find a profit in death? So for such as me, to face such a fate as
this is pain that does not count. But if
I dared to leave the dead man, my mother’s son, dead and unburied, that would
have been real pain. The other is not”
(Antigone 506-512). This quote
exemplifies Antigone’s world views and values.
Considering her family history Antigone embraces death as a part of her
journey. She doesn’t see it as a
misfortune, but a “profit.” She would
profit in death because she lived a good life.
The real hardship, in her mind, would be to leave her dead brother
unburied. She would be disrespecting
both her brother and her mother. Death
wouldn’t compare to the hurt she would feel if her dead brother was left in the
street to rot.
Antigone
was aware of the consequences of her actions, but stood up for what she
believed in. We can conclude that the
most important aspect of her life is her family, no matter what. One mistake does not define a person. Antigone also points out that one man does
not have power alone over a group of people; he should coincide with moral
law.
Friday, May 4, 2012
Are You Happy Now?
Thursday, May 3, 2012
"The greatest grief's are those we cause ourselves."
In Sophocles’
Antigone we explore the concept of the tragic hero. Sophocles once said “The greatest grief’s are
those we cause ourselves,” meaning the difficult obstacles we face are often a
result of our own actions. Antigone’s
character in the play embodies the tragic hero through her confidence. She is headstrong and determined, but comes
face to face with conflict, which ultimately brings about her downfall. We also see a character possessing the traits
of a tragic hero from a modern story teller, JK Rowling.
The tragic hero is usually seen as the
central, or main, character of the story.
They are not perfect, actually the opposite, displaying deflects and
flaws. These include poor judgment, and
their great pride and weakness which ultimately bring about their downfall. During this said downfall, they elicit pity
and even fear from the audience.
In
Sophocles play, Antigone, the classic tragic hero is perceived to be
Antigone. Her fate coincides with the
fate of her family. This could be seen
as one of her flaws. Antigone’s father
was predicted to marry his mother and kill his own father. Although actions were made to prevent this
from happening the prophesy ended up coming true. The Chorus says “Lucky are those whose lives
know no taste of sorrow. But for those
whose house has been shaken by God there is never cessation of ruin; it steals
on generation after generation within a breed,” (Sophocles 637-642). In other words the misfortunes that this
family has thus far experienced will continue.
It’s a part of Antigone’s history and is bound to affect her in some
way. Though Antigone knows what Polyneices had done
was wrong, she understands she must do what is right. The consequences are not what matter to
her. She’s not perfect and neither is
her family. Polyneices did go against
their people and should be punished, but he is still family and in the end
family is most important. The love and
strength she feels for her brother ultimately lead her toward her death
Antigone’s
character is so devoted to her brother and to satisfying the gods that she will
stop at nothing to do what she thinks is right.
When she tells her sister, Ismene, she will bury their brother against Creon’s
wishes Ismene replies with “At least do not speak of this act to anyone else;
bury him in secret; I will be silent, too.”(Sophocles 97-98). Ismene, unlike her sister is fearful and
loyal to Creon. She doesn’t want to
dishonor the king even though she knows it should be done. Antigone is more extroverted than Ismene. She proclaims to Ismene. “At
least he is my brother—and yours too, though you deny him. I will not prove false to him” (Antigone
51-52) She is exemplifying her bravery and outspoken mind. “You are so headstrong. Creon has forbidden it,” (Ismene 53) here
Ismene pleads with her sister, siding with their uncle. It shows how even though others begrudge her
of her decision Antigone follows her heart anyway. She refuses to let anyone stop her, even her
own family.
A tragic hero is
considered tragic because they eventually have a downfall. Their flaws are what
lead them down the path of their own destruction. Antigone’s ignorance and or altruistic
characteristics clouded her judgment, therefore making said downfall her own
fault. Antigone took advantage of her
freedom of choice, disregarding Creon’s ruling and respecting her brother,
resulting in her descent..
The main and obvious conflict in the
story that contributes to Antigone’s downfall is between Antigone and
Creon. He rules that no one is to
neither give Polyneices a proper burial nor mourn the loss of his life. He shall lie in the street to be left for the
dogs and the birds and for all to see.
“I would not count any enemy of my country as a friend—because of what I
know, that she it is which give us our security,” (Creon 205-207) Creon
explains his reasoning for his ruling.
He compares his nephew, Polyneices, to that of an enemy of the state
whom wouldn’t be given the respect a friend would receive. He says this to emphasize his point that
Polyneices is a traitor and should be treated as such. Creon is determined to let this man suffer
for his wrongdoing. Antigone however,
still sees him as her brother and believes he has as much right to a proper
good-bye as Etocles. You can’t shun a
man based on one mistake he’s made in his lifetime.
As the story
progresses one might even say that Creon is also a tragic hero. He, just like Antigone, believes the decision
he has made is the right one. Creon is
determined to keep his word on the harsh punishment any violator of the law
will have to face. Antigone does end up
burying Polyneices like she planned and is caught. Creon condemns her to death despite her being
betrothed to his son Haemon. He is set
in his decision and nothing will change his mind. When Creon is warned about the effect his
decisions will have on the future of Thebes
he tries to undo his wrongs. In the end
Antigone, Haemon and Creon’s wife Eurydice have committed suicide. Because she defied the law Antigone was
succumbed to death, and because Creon chose not to listen to the opinion of
others he lost his family. Creon did
what he believed was best for the people, and Antigone decided to do right by
her family. Both determined and poignant
in their beliefs, they led themselves to their ultimate fate.
The story of
Antigone reminds me of a modern day tragic hero, from J.K. Rowling’s Harry
Potter, Severus Snape. He was a
struggling character. Growing up his
parents neglected him and he was bullied by his peers. He fell in love, and even though the girl
ended up with someone else he did everything he could to protect her son,
Harry. Like Antigone, Snape defied those
he was close with to be there for someone he truly cared for. Harry’s father happened to be someone who had
tortured Severus as a boy, and since he resembled his father, Severus himself
made Harry’s time in school miserable.
Snape had gone to the dark side at one point in his life so throughout
the series he doesn’t seem like a trustworthy character. In the end we find out that all those times
that it seemed Snape had gone out of his way to hurt Harry, he was really
saving his life. Despite loosing his
true love not only to another man but to death as well Severus risked his own
life to keep an eye out for her only son.
We also see this in Antigone in that she has lost her whole family and
is now giving up her life to defend what she believes in. Although they both die a tragic death, they
show us that love is more powerful than anything else. It’s a fight worth fighting for. 
The
tragic hero is a misunderstood character.
They’re more realistic in the sense that they do posses faults and are
therefore more relatable. Antigone is a
great example of a tragic hero because she dies for her brother and her beliefs
despite those who were against her.
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