Blog Post 10: Extra Credit

In this play we have seen many displays of passion in both love and evil. The love expressed between the two lovers Othello and Desdemona and the evil expressed by Iago and his villainy towards Cassio and the aggregate happiness of the play. Iago even plants the seed of jealousy into the epic hero of this play, Othello. Othello is impact by this planted seed both negatively and positively. Othello is positively impacted because he believes what Iago says and overall sees that he must thank him for showing him the error of his ways by promoting him to lieutenant (cough* brown noser cough*). The negative impact is what ultimately drives Othello to commit some the most outrageous acts of passion I have ever seen. This negative impact is the madness that Othello first controls, but later by the fourth act has been consumed by.

The madness that Othello is thrived from his jealousy. The jealousy that Iago planted, but this does not mean Iago is for all of Othello’s madness. Othello, although originally implanted by the jealousy he has towards Cassio and his proposed affair with his own wife Othello,  has fueled his own madness. He has acted rashly and unethically as a military officer and even as a human being. Whenever Othello was told some piece of questionable material, either by Iago or anyone else, he did not hesitate to pester and speak to his wife. Not once did Othello question the material he was given and ask himself if he truly believed his wife had done something so heinous and evil. Therefore Othello may have began as the madness that Iago planted in his mind, but he is now embracing this madness and fueling it himself with rage and hatred.

When I read this topic for a blog post I came up with this type of scenario: Imagine that Iago is a kid at the top of a hill and Othello is a child on a bike that is also at the top of the hill. Iago may give the initial push to Othello and cause the beginning of his descent, but Othello is the one who can stop this whenever he wants. Othello can question the material he is presented with and put forth his own argument. but he does not. He as a sentient being fuels his own madness with his rage, jealousy, and hatred towards his wife Desdemona and Cassio.

 

Blog Post 10: In class essay three writing

Race is prominent throughout all of Shakespeare’s writings, but his most prominent one would definitely be Othello. In Othello, The main character, Othello, is a captain in the Venetian military. He holds a high status for someone who is characterized as an African American. For someone of his race, Othello’s position is quite surprising. His race is referenced many times as it should suppress him based on the recognition of race in the time frame of Shakespeare’s play

Blog Post 9: Iago

Iago is seen originally in “Othello” as a stand up gentleman who has just not had the best of luck, this we see when he has been passed over for a promotion. This is where we begin to see Iago’s devious demeanor come to life. Originally the reader or audience member believes that Iago’s hatred towards Othello comes from this promotion, but that is to simple for good ol’ Shakespeare. Iago is actually enraged by Othello, because he believes that Othello has slept with his wife Emilia (‘gasp’ Oh my!). Iago has originated as a simple character, but as the story progresses and gathers momentum we see that simple character becoming more and more complex with every scene. In this transgression, he ultimately becomes the villain of the play.

As the villain Iago does a good job of playing the devil’s advocate. Iago never “throws a punch” he merely enrages the people around him until they fight with each other. This is the most devious displays of villainy I have seen and I like it! Iago began as something we all that, as the audience, would die down and go away, but he has grown as a character. His relationships between the characters have also grown.

Iago is Othello’s ensign, a prestigious rank in the Venetian Military. Iago does not deserve this rank. He betrays his comrades Cassio and Othello just to get his way. Iago to me is the serpent in the garden of Eden. Only his victims aren’t just one man and woman, but all men and women of the play. The men being Rodrigo, Cassio, and Othello and the women being Desdemona and Emilia. He manipulates these characters as if it were a chess game. One lie here another rumor here. This is where his devil advocacy really rears it’s nasty head. Through Iago’s machinations Othello becomes so consumed by jealousy that he falls into a trance and has a fit of epilepsy and then once he recovers, he kills his wife Desdemona by smothering her. He sends Rodrigo to kill Cassio (which just like any “minion” some how manages to screw up). He even stabs his wife Emilia. All of this death, betrayal, and hatred came because of this one mans manipulations of peoples emotions. He became the puppeteer and the characters, his puppets.

Blog Post 8: Ballad Of The Landlord by Langston Hughes

In this poem, it is very clear how Hughes is trying to use a song or in this case a ballad as the base for the poems tone and style of reading. While reading the poem, I found myself even hearing and picturing this poem with a tenor saxophone and bass on stage. The song, I mean poem, has just a great lyrical qualities. I mean it even has ballad in the title. Hughes does a great job of using his own experience as a reflection in the poem. This is can be seen when he writes about how much his apartment is just falling to pieces. Hughes wrote this to show how much the depression of this time had affected ALL people. Not only is this a message of the treatment of blacks during the times, its what millions, 25 million to be exact were facing everyday white, black, etc. during the depression, in constant fear of being thrown into the streets with there families. That’s one of the things i love about Langston Hughes poetry it was a totally accurate reflection of his day.

Hughes keeps a constant use of lyrical qualities throughout his poem. It is structured like an old time blues song until the final verse where the rhythm changes. In the final verse, Hughes writes these loud blatant words with lots of exclamation points. He does this to grab the reader’s attention and really give the ending a good “bang!” He even puts up what the newspapers will say in the days after the tenant threatens the landlord. This is Hughes last way of pushing equal rights between races. Showing all readers what his race has to face in this time frame under these terrible conditions.

Free Write: The Chrysanthemums

I personally liked this story. The symbolism allows for the reader to see certain things different upon what they are feeling at that time. This is what I feel a story should do. It should mean something to you, but never mean the same thing twice. In “The Chrysanthemums” for instance, we see many examples. I saw symbolism in the wagon that rolled down Elisa’s street. The wagon is loose-jointed and very trashy looking. This represents the business man. These are one in the story and they portray each other.

Blog Post 4: A Clean Well-Lighted Place

Ernest Hemingway is, in my opinion, one of the greatest writers of all time. He uses the most simple of motions as a way of planting meaning in the minds of the reader’s imagination. What we, the readers, see can change with time. Hemingway’s simple style of writing allows the reader’s thoughts to seep into the story and create different meanings.

In this story in particular, Hemingway conveys how different generations will act around and to each other when in their premises. In this case, the younger generation is represented by the younger waiter. This waiter is seen as naive and very judgmental to the man, who they perceive to be suicidal. This is the complete opposite of the older waiter in this story. The older waiter sees this helpless man and pities him. He sees the older gentleman and sees that he is still just that, a gentleman. While the younger generation sees him as washed up and without purpose, the older generation sees him as a man and treats him with that respect.

In one instance, the older waiter states, “He must be eighty years old.” He states this with surprise. I can almost picture him staring in awe at the older man. Then the younger waiter (who I’m afraid is a total prick to this very kind spirit of an old man) states in disgust, “anyway I should stay he was eighty.” This is his way of showing his disgust to the old man. While the older waiter sees age as a sign of wisdom, his younger counterpart sees age as nothing more than notches along the wall. A pointless quantity that only suffices to the amount candles you will have to get for your cake.

Free Write: A Pair of Tickets

This story was definitely not a favorite of mine for this semester. I saw it as slow moving and overall, a very dreary and sad tone, but “A Pair of Tickets” is not a bad story. It is very well written for something so monotoneous. I see this story as something that I would never had read if it weren’t for this class. “A Pair of Tickets” is a “different” story. The plot is centered on one girls journey to meet her long lost sisters. Who were raised by a foster family, that found them, for the first 10 years of their life. It is very heart-felt and sad. I could say that i could feel Amy Tan herself pulling at my heart strings; trying ever so desperately for me to take pity on her and this I did. Tan based this story on her own personal experience in Communist China. This story overall is a well written piece, but very tedious hard to follow. I found it long and drawn out when it would have been easier to just get to the point.

Blog Post 3: The Storm

In Kate Chopin’s short story “The Storm”, we see that the setting is the main deciding factor over this story’s overall mood and tone. The beginning is seen as calm and serene, but does not stay this way. The storm then hits and we see a type of controlled chaos. The storm seems out of control and very distressing, but then Chopin adds “method to the madness”.  Then, as soon as the madness started, it’s over. We see that Chopin returns this rural area to its natural state of peace.

Kate Chopin’s story begins in the tranquility of an average day in Louisiana, but quickly changes into a great storm. Bobinôt and Bibi are forced to wait at the store, until the storm passes. They have no choice, but to watch the storm clouds disperse among the widespread fields. Chopin writes here, ” Bobinôt, who was accustomed to converse on terms of perfect equality with his little son, called the child’s attention to certain sombre clouds that were rolling with sinister intention from the west, accompanied by a sullen, threatening roar.” (00) Chopin does a great job of expressing setting throughout this story.

Chopin then shows the storm beginning at the main character’s house. She show’s the storms fury and ferociousness in this section and expresses its connection to a flame of passion between Calixta and Alcée. Chopin does this very well when she writes, “The playing of the lightning was incessant. A bolt struck a tall chinaberry tree at the edge of the field. It filled all visible space with a blinding glare and the crash seemed to invade the very boards they stood upon alixta put her hands to her eyes, and with a cry, staggered backward. Alcée’s arm encircled her, and for an instant he drew her close and spasmodically to him.” This part of the story is an intimate experience. Chopin connects the passion between Calixta and Alcée with the storm raging on outside. When Alcée embraces her after the lightning hits the Chinaberry tree, it reminds her of the love she once had for Alcée. The storm is causing destruction, like the bruise she put on her marriage by having the affair with Alcée. This is an excellent example of how setting creates the plot, tone, and basically every aspect of this story.

 

Blog Post 2: The Tell-Tale Heart

Throughout Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart,” the main character speaks to the reader. He asks the reader on several occasions if he perceives himself to be mad. He once says, “true–nervous –very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad?” (53). The main character does this throughout the story as a way of perceiving some type of normality in what he is doing. He is staggering on the brink of madness and feels himself slipping, so much in fact that he almost has a split personality. He asks certain questions and answers them almost immediately. The main character is trying to stay sane throughout this deed of killing an innocent man, but as anyone can clearly see, he is not sane in the slightest.

The main character in this story does have a main motive. He is not doing this just for the mere fun of it. The main character does not hate the old man, but his “Evil Eye” (54). He makes many references to it as he is beginning his final intrusion. He once states, “It was open –wide, wide open –and I grew furious as I gazed upon it. I saw it with perfect distinctness –all a dull blue, with a hideous veil over it that chilled the very marrow in my bones; but I could see nothing else of the old man’s face or person: for I had directed the ray as if by instinct, precisely upon the damned spot.” (55). He expresses a deep hatred for this vulture’s eye, as he puts it. The eye that watches him, judges him, and ultimately sees himself better than him. Ironically, the evil embodiment that the main character tries so hard to destroy he ultimately becomes.

 

Blog Post 1: The Generation Gap

John Updike’s writing “A & P” begins as, what seems to be, anyone’s casual “What I Did During The Summer” story, but as the story progresses it shows much more in its underlying layers. This “story” becomes an overall encounter of how human nature today has nothing to do with trust or character, but only with what one can see with their eyes. Updike’s main character Sammy represents the younger generation in everyday life. We watch the world as it spins around us. We take in that world trusting people no matter what they may look like on the outside. Sammy is a great example of this being that he sees the three girls in bathing suits and does not judge them on their attire. He simply scans their items, gives the girls their change, and carries on with his business.

Updike’s other character is Sammy’s manager Lengel. Lengel represents the older generation. Those that would see someone as just what they appear to be and nothing more. They see no reason to give people the benefit of the doubt and some act as my grandmother would say, “a little to big for their britches”. Lengel responds to the three girls as anyone from the older generation would with profiling the outside of what they see. Lengel sees the three girls in bathing suits and immediately categorizes them as ignorant beings beneath him. He does not allow the girls any room for argument. He only sees the girls as people who disregard the rules and have no decency, when really they are merely trying to run a simple errand for their mother. This is when Sammy, representing the younger generation, realizes what he must do and quits. He knows that this is not the proper way to treat someone. He as the younger generation takes a stand for what he believes in and puts it into action. We as the rising generation could learn somethings from Sammy.