Ugly/Pretty
When people are pretty, usually things come easier for them. People like them because they are easy to look at and they feel no shame for the way they may feel about their appearance (unless it is jelousy). For some reason, people just like pretty people more, and they want to be nicer to them, and do things for them. I don't really understand why. Sometimes though it is problematic because people think that beauty is all you have, and don't account you for inteligence, or creativity. When your pretty also, usually you may feel uncomfortable around certain people, because you are threatened by some possible sexual drive they have for you (?) It's not like all the time like people walk around and are just like "oh my goodnes he wants me!" but its just like the possibility of rape and stuff. When people are ugly though I can imagine they feel shame for the way they look. Our world is so programmed to accept beauty, and for everyone to be pretty, that there is no room for ugly people. That is really sad, but it's pretty much the truth. Ugly and pretty is so hard to define, I mean everyone has their own opinion, and there is no sure definition for ugly or pretty. You can't really define it.
Bluest Eye Themes:
hate (in all forms)
sadness
loss of innocence
secrets
hurt, pain
growing up, maturing
lack of self confidence
trust (lost,gained)
abuse
shame
ugly/beautiful
acceptance
jelousy
When I think about the themes in this book it makes me sad and I can almost feel the hurt for these characters because I'm taking the time to understand how they must feel. All that is in their lives is pain, shame etc. just bad feelins all over. I mean there are times of love, but they aren't as abundant in the story as sadness and pain. I feel the worst for Pecola, because every substantial thing in her life has hurt her. When anything seems okay, life turns around and hurts her, and she is so numb and so programmed to be scared of everything, that she doesnt even do anything. She is so bland to me, because she has so much pain in her life that she can't even focus on it anymore, and she has to just take everything with a shot, so she can't even feel. I know she doesn't realize this though, she just does it because she has to. All of these people are trapped in this world that they live in, and nothing really is that great for them. They all strive for a moment of happiness and for something to be right, but it never comes. Its all depressing, but it's still beautiful in a dark way.
Friday, March 16, 2007
Sunday, March 04, 2007
R&J start to finish
_We learned about Shakespeare, and his theatre and his wife and stuff
_And about Monologues, Motifs, Metaphors etc.
_We were tested on all of this ^
_Then we started to read the play
-And be tested on little sections
_We listened to that really annoying tape thing
_And watched the movie with terrible acting (and love scenes)
_We continued to read
_And be tested
_We wrote about it in our journal
_It was basically stuffed down our throats but thats okay because I liked it, promise
_I think there is something I am missing but I'm not sure
I enjoyed reading Romeo and Juliet I think more than everyone else. Even though I got frustrated with it. I liked to figure out what all of it actually meant. I liked it when you cut in, to tell us what was going on. So all in all, Romeo and Juliet was pretty great, and I can't wait to watch the Leonardo Dicaprio and Claire Danes version. :)
_And about Monologues, Motifs, Metaphors etc.
_We were tested on all of this ^
_Then we started to read the play
-And be tested on little sections
_We listened to that really annoying tape thing
_And watched the movie with terrible acting (and love scenes)
_We continued to read
_And be tested
_We wrote about it in our journal
_It was basically stuffed down our throats but thats okay because I liked it, promise
_I think there is something I am missing but I'm not sure
I enjoyed reading Romeo and Juliet I think more than everyone else. Even though I got frustrated with it. I liked to figure out what all of it actually meant. I liked it when you cut in, to tell us what was going on. So all in all, Romeo and Juliet was pretty great, and I can't wait to watch the Leonardo Dicaprio and Claire Danes version. :)
PJ-Suicide, for love lost and only fair time?
I think Romeo and Juliet react to everything irrationally, and I think that they are very very stupid. I am kind of annoyed by how stupid they are really, I mean they didn't have to go off and kill themselves because they thought they were in love. You can't possibly even be in love after one day anyways it just doesn't work. I mean they like meet, and look at each other and are totally smitten by each other's appearances, but SO WHAT. Then they like make out or whatever and are totally sure that what they have is love, when it's really lust. When Romeo kills Tybalt and is banished from Verona they have so many options. Come to think of it, they have so many other options throughout the whole play. Like not deciding to get married after one day, or not killing your new wife's cousin (even though he killed Romeo's best friend), there are more i just cant think of them... Anyways Juliet could have just run away with Romeo to Verona, I mean if she was willing to sacrafice her life for him, then she could have lived in poverty with him for the rest of her life. That is better than being dead. Things were down hill from basically the beggining, you know that they are going to die, which kind of ruins it. When people usually think of Romeo and Juliet, they think of the romantic love story, about the two lovers who die for each other. When you really read it though it is so annoying because they keep on screwing things up and being really dumb. They are blinded by the "love" I guess. I mean the story is fun to read, and figure out what Shakespeare is actually saying with all that olden speak, but the story is so utterly frustrating. I think I will end on that.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Odyssey Test
1. What have you learned about Greek culture, values, and religion? Adress the roles of women and men, honor and virtues, gods and goddesses, etc. (250 words)
Well greek culture is pretty amazing, I mean all the gods and goddesses and their powers, its all enchanting. I learned by reading and watching The Odyssey that in Greek culture alot of honor and pride is represented in people's land and possesions. I didn't really notice that much religion in the poem/movie. I mean i'm sure they are religious people, but I didn't witness that much religious practices or anything. I do remember the animal sacrafices though, which is Santaria, but I really don't think the greeks practice that. It bothered me though how Oddysseus could just go and have sex with Calypso and Circe, and Odysseus was worried that Penelope had betrayed him and his love. The roles of women and men are pretty obviously like the roles of any olden time story. The men go out and fight like brave warriors, and the women sit around making tapestries and crying over the loss of their men. It really must have sucked to have been Penelope, I mean she didn't even get over Odysseus afer 20 whole years, she stayed true to him which is really amazing. I expected more out of the last seen when Penelope and Odysseus were reunited. I can't really imagine how I would react in that situation. Honor is deffinately a large part of greek culture and society. It's like everyone has their land, and their grudges and allies, and they all abide by those unwritten rules. To me Zeus is just like a huge, empowering god of silence, because we never got to see him. I mean why didn't we get to experience the wrath of Zues? All we got to see was Poseidon and other small gods among Greece. The unwritten rules of Greece though, seem really simple. Everyone listens to Zeus above all others, and you have to do what people say or else you will get punished in some kind of way. When that wind god told Odysseus not to open that satchel, and his stupid crew opened it when he was sleeping, they got sent all the way back to some deserted island. It was just as he had warned and It seems that it wouldn't be too hard to abide by peoples commands, because they are never really that out there in terms of being difficult to obtain by. From what I've gathered most of the greek values are also pretty simple. They hold strong principle in attaining trust, honor, loyalty, strength, and courage, for the men at least.
2. What resonated with you in reading about Odysseus’ adventures? Why? (150 words)
Well probably number one resonation in Odysseus adventures, was when he returned to Penelope and Telechamus. Its hard to imagine, how it would feel to have your significant other gone for twenty years without knowing where he was or even whether or not he was alive. It was also immense for Telechamus because he had never really seen his father ever, besides when he was an infant. Also it was wonderful when Odysseus and Telechamus killed the suitors together. They were so rude, and obnoxious and when he turned into himself again and killed them all it was fantastic because they deserved to die. When Odysseus goes to hell to talk to that guy, and sees his mother, it's very moving. Seeing his mother in hell must have been frightening and a little heartbreaking because he didn't even know she died. It was also resonating when they had almost reached Ithaca, and Odysseuss' crew opened the winds and they were flown all the way back to a deserted island. I mean they were almost there, almost home, and Penelope and his mother can feel it. Then they are thrown away miles and miles away, only to be kept from returning home for at least ten more years.
3. This epic poem is dated nearly 3000 years ago, why is it still relevant? (150 words)
The Odyssey is still releveant today because it represents the trials of events that happen here in the present, and so many stories throughout the world. It is told in almost every Disney, or fairy tale, about the brave man (Odysseus), with his Queen or significant other (Penelope), and the discouraged prince (Telemachus) and so on and so on. It can be related somehow to almost every tale or book or movie. Also, The Odyssey is classic literature, one of the stepping stones of literature everywhere. People are interested in the tale of Odysseus and his struggles of twenty years to return home. It enchants people, the unsolved mystery of who Homer is, and how he supposedly orally concieved this epic poem. It is relevant because no matter how old it is, people are still amazed by the tale of Odysseus and everything else having to do with the author and the mystery of Homer.
Short Answers-
Answer in complete sentences. Cut and paste each question and answer underneath the prompt.
4. How would you characterize the narrator, the fictive "Homer" whose voice we imagine as singing the verses of the Odyssey?
I can't really imagine Homer singing the verses of the Odyssey, because I never heard the songs, or read the verses. I can visually concept an image of him in my mind. To me Homer is a broad, strong, intelligent man, much like Odysseus. I think he portrayed his dreams and visions through Odysseuss' tale. In my mind, they are two similar men, Homer having a more realistic life than Odysseus.
5. What kinds of behavior are treated as contemptible in the Odyssey?
Behaviors that are looked down on in the Odyssey are things like dishonor, and unloalty. There are no real written laws, more so common laws, and people abide by being honorable, intelligent and brave.
6. How does the poem represent mortal women? Since Penelope is the most important woman in the Odyssey, what qualities does she possess, and how does she respond to the troubles she faces? (Some of the other women are of note, too-Eurycleia the serving woman, the faithless maidservants, Nausicaa the Phaeacian princess, and Helen of Sparta, Menelaus' queen, whose elopement with Prince Paris sparked the Trojan War.)
The poem represents the mortal women as beautiful, intelligent, and hardworking for the most part. Penelope possess all those qualities at least. She is always very calm, about the dilemmas she confronts, and goes about resolving them in a smart and clever way. Other women though are portrayed as whores, like the faithless maidservants. They don't have any good qualities, except for their devotion to their men, and ability to surrender to the men's sexual desires. Eurycleia though is very faithful, and that is probably her best quality/portrayal.
7.How do Homer's gods think and behave? How do their actions and motivations differ from the conception of god in other religions of which you have knowledge? What role do the Homeric gods play in human affairs, and what is the responsibility of humans with respect to those gods?
Homer's gods behave on impulse to their desires. They have a system of authority, Zeus being the most empowering god, and gods like Posiedon being feared, but not above Zeus. Their actions and motivations differ from god's in any other religion, because they are more like humans, and they are less devoted to participating in self sacrafice for others. They instead recognize their power and use it for their advantage. The Homeric gods are, unlike gods in other religions, part of everyday life to the humans. They are visible and they are able to communicate to mortals. There is a definite responsibility for humans to respect gods, and the humans suffer the consequences if they don't. Homer's gods have a more realistic relashionship with humans, and they are able to communicate on the same levels.
Well greek culture is pretty amazing, I mean all the gods and goddesses and their powers, its all enchanting. I learned by reading and watching The Odyssey that in Greek culture alot of honor and pride is represented in people's land and possesions. I didn't really notice that much religion in the poem/movie. I mean i'm sure they are religious people, but I didn't witness that much religious practices or anything. I do remember the animal sacrafices though, which is Santaria, but I really don't think the greeks practice that. It bothered me though how Oddysseus could just go and have sex with Calypso and Circe, and Odysseus was worried that Penelope had betrayed him and his love. The roles of women and men are pretty obviously like the roles of any olden time story. The men go out and fight like brave warriors, and the women sit around making tapestries and crying over the loss of their men. It really must have sucked to have been Penelope, I mean she didn't even get over Odysseus afer 20 whole years, she stayed true to him which is really amazing. I expected more out of the last seen when Penelope and Odysseus were reunited. I can't really imagine how I would react in that situation. Honor is deffinately a large part of greek culture and society. It's like everyone has their land, and their grudges and allies, and they all abide by those unwritten rules. To me Zeus is just like a huge, empowering god of silence, because we never got to see him. I mean why didn't we get to experience the wrath of Zues? All we got to see was Poseidon and other small gods among Greece. The unwritten rules of Greece though, seem really simple. Everyone listens to Zeus above all others, and you have to do what people say or else you will get punished in some kind of way. When that wind god told Odysseus not to open that satchel, and his stupid crew opened it when he was sleeping, they got sent all the way back to some deserted island. It was just as he had warned and It seems that it wouldn't be too hard to abide by peoples commands, because they are never really that out there in terms of being difficult to obtain by. From what I've gathered most of the greek values are also pretty simple. They hold strong principle in attaining trust, honor, loyalty, strength, and courage, for the men at least.
2. What resonated with you in reading about Odysseus’ adventures? Why? (150 words)
Well probably number one resonation in Odysseus adventures, was when he returned to Penelope and Telechamus. Its hard to imagine, how it would feel to have your significant other gone for twenty years without knowing where he was or even whether or not he was alive. It was also immense for Telechamus because he had never really seen his father ever, besides when he was an infant. Also it was wonderful when Odysseus and Telechamus killed the suitors together. They were so rude, and obnoxious and when he turned into himself again and killed them all it was fantastic because they deserved to die. When Odysseus goes to hell to talk to that guy, and sees his mother, it's very moving. Seeing his mother in hell must have been frightening and a little heartbreaking because he didn't even know she died. It was also resonating when they had almost reached Ithaca, and Odysseuss' crew opened the winds and they were flown all the way back to a deserted island. I mean they were almost there, almost home, and Penelope and his mother can feel it. Then they are thrown away miles and miles away, only to be kept from returning home for at least ten more years.
3. This epic poem is dated nearly 3000 years ago, why is it still relevant? (150 words)
The Odyssey is still releveant today because it represents the trials of events that happen here in the present, and so many stories throughout the world. It is told in almost every Disney, or fairy tale, about the brave man (Odysseus), with his Queen or significant other (Penelope), and the discouraged prince (Telemachus) and so on and so on. It can be related somehow to almost every tale or book or movie. Also, The Odyssey is classic literature, one of the stepping stones of literature everywhere. People are interested in the tale of Odysseus and his struggles of twenty years to return home. It enchants people, the unsolved mystery of who Homer is, and how he supposedly orally concieved this epic poem. It is relevant because no matter how old it is, people are still amazed by the tale of Odysseus and everything else having to do with the author and the mystery of Homer.
Short Answers-
Answer in complete sentences. Cut and paste each question and answer underneath the prompt.
4. How would you characterize the narrator, the fictive "Homer" whose voice we imagine as singing the verses of the Odyssey?
I can't really imagine Homer singing the verses of the Odyssey, because I never heard the songs, or read the verses. I can visually concept an image of him in my mind. To me Homer is a broad, strong, intelligent man, much like Odysseus. I think he portrayed his dreams and visions through Odysseuss' tale. In my mind, they are two similar men, Homer having a more realistic life than Odysseus.
5. What kinds of behavior are treated as contemptible in the Odyssey?
Behaviors that are looked down on in the Odyssey are things like dishonor, and unloalty. There are no real written laws, more so common laws, and people abide by being honorable, intelligent and brave.
6. How does the poem represent mortal women? Since Penelope is the most important woman in the Odyssey, what qualities does she possess, and how does she respond to the troubles she faces? (Some of the other women are of note, too-Eurycleia the serving woman, the faithless maidservants, Nausicaa the Phaeacian princess, and Helen of Sparta, Menelaus' queen, whose elopement with Prince Paris sparked the Trojan War.)
The poem represents the mortal women as beautiful, intelligent, and hardworking for the most part. Penelope possess all those qualities at least. She is always very calm, about the dilemmas she confronts, and goes about resolving them in a smart and clever way. Other women though are portrayed as whores, like the faithless maidservants. They don't have any good qualities, except for their devotion to their men, and ability to surrender to the men's sexual desires. Eurycleia though is very faithful, and that is probably her best quality/portrayal.
7.How do Homer's gods think and behave? How do their actions and motivations differ from the conception of god in other religions of which you have knowledge? What role do the Homeric gods play in human affairs, and what is the responsibility of humans with respect to those gods?
Homer's gods behave on impulse to their desires. They have a system of authority, Zeus being the most empowering god, and gods like Posiedon being feared, but not above Zeus. Their actions and motivations differ from god's in any other religion, because they are more like humans, and they are less devoted to participating in self sacrafice for others. They instead recognize their power and use it for their advantage. The Homeric gods are, unlike gods in other religions, part of everyday life to the humans. They are visible and they are able to communicate to mortals. There is a definite responsibility for humans to respect gods, and the humans suffer the consequences if they don't. Homer's gods have a more realistic relashionship with humans, and they are able to communicate on the same levels.
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