NRJ#2 – Relationship

               In our life circle there are many people in which we associate ourselves with, people in which we have a relationship.  Not referring to just two people in love or dating as our view of a relationship, but the way in which an individual relates to another.  Ishiguro uses setting and symbolism to show how a relationship is affected when means by which the associations forming the relationship are dissolved.  All of the Hailsham students share a common bond on the simple association of having attended Hailsham.  We get this feeling early on when Kathy states, “I started seeking out for my donors people from the past, and whenever I could, people from Hailsham”(5).  Now that she has been allowed to choose her own donors to care for she begins to seek out those who she can relate to.  Her closeness to Ruth was a result of, according to Kathy, “the fact that we’d grown up together at Hailsham” (5).  Hailsham became a place where the students could form relationships from their experiences while attending Hailsham.  Unlike the other donor who relish the memories and ties Kathy and the other Hailsham students had, Kathy and the others took solace in the place that gave them such memories.  Hailsham as a “boarding school” had provided a place for the clones to be reared as close to normal children as possible.  By Hailsham being a place for the student to feeling interact allowed for the formation of relationships one with another.  This becomes most evident when we learn of the closing of Hailsham.  Kathy compares a handful of balloons held by a clown to the individuals of Hailsham and with the news of the closing, “it was like someone coming along with a pair of shears and snipping the balloon string just where they entwined above the man’s fist.  Once this happened there’d be no real sense in which those balloons belonged with each other anymore” (213).  With Hailsham gone so was the tie in which all Hailsham student had been linked one with another.  Left to just memories of what it was like we see a fading in their relationship that reflect the dissolved associations that Hailsham once brought.  This is evident in the conversation Kathy has with Laura, walking by Laura Kathy states, “I was tempted to ignore her and keep walking” (209).  Laura was a close friend of Kathy’s while at Hailsham, and with their conversation being very dull and since leaving Hailsham and its closing, the desire to remember or talk about Hailsham appears burdensome, Kathy states, “Maybe we both felt there was something dangerous about bringing up the old days, because for ages we avoided any mention of hem” (209).  Later we see a distancing of even the closest friends: Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy following the departure of Hailsham.  Little by little as they have left the place that brought them such memories and all it stood for, their ability to relate to one another fell upon their current state, which state only moved them away from each other.   

NRJ #1 – Reproduction

                The ability to reproduce is a characteristic of all living organisms.  The manner in which reproduction occurs varies widely, from bisexual to fragmentation.  Whatever means by which reproduction happens, new life is the aftermath.  Through the novel, “Never let me go,” Kazuo Ishiguro uses imagery to show how reproduction is a natural desire of living being.  These “students” who are the product of science, clones, have come into the world appearing as a normal child would.  The constant question whether or not these individuals are human remains in the readers mind through the whole novel.  These students have the urges and drive to reproduce, but it is known to them because they are different, Kathy explains, “that none of us could have babies” (73).  There sterile condition and origin may suggest to their society that they are not human or capable of being human.  However, one scene shows Kathy listening to a tape where the lyrics suggest two lovers longing to not be separated, but Kathy in her youth interprets this to mean something completely different.  She states, “I’d grabbed a pillow stand in for the baby…singing… ‘Oh baby, baby, never let me go,’”(71) continuing to imagine a mother who could not have children but does, and is clinging on to her child not to lose the baby she had so longed for.  This can clearly suggest that deep down Kathy, too, longs for such an opportunity to have a child.  Though Kathy understands she can’t physically have a child it was a childhood fantasy of hers.  This could further suggest that these clones are more human than their society believes them to be.  Just because they are unable to have child or even were brought into the world untraditionally doesn’t rule out the possibility that they are no more human than we are.

CCTWQ EXTRA CREDIT

Jardine

1) For those people it appeared normal as part of the Elizabethan experience; however, she brings to light the confusions this could have caused by having female roles played by young boys. She brings to light the consequences of such acting. The mayor didn’t approve of male actors taking on female roles, and how it goes against Christian standards and the natural “chemistry” between males and females. So Lisa brings to attention how gender attraction is confused as a result of young males performing as females.

2) I would have a hard time having sympathy for her, or even seeing her interaction with Othello. It would appear unnatural and would be hard for me to focus on the play and not the fact that she is a man.

Johnson

1)     Like Johnson explains, Shakespeare’s characters can relate to all people because they are the product of real feelings and behaviors, brought forth by the human condition. As a twenty-first century reader I agree, due mainly to the fact that the characters of Shakespearian plays still strike a chord with the human behaviors of the present day.

Adamson

1)     Desdemona might be regarded as a helpless victim when we see the fit Emilia throws as the knowledge of her murder.  She as well as many others tell Othello that she is a just and true wife and that she would never do anything to hurt or ruin his reputation.

2)     Desdemona though may seem to be innocent as virtuous, really does aid in her own destruction.  She, who was called honest and true, went against her father's wishes and marries the Moor behind his back.  She constantly petitioned Othello to restore Cassio to his rank against her husbands orders. What woman who loves her father and husband and is honest and true would go against their will and choices.

3)     The Desdemona Othello relationship is unique and both characters exhibit characteristics that contribute to their sorrowful situation.  Othello who is terrible insecure, and has built who he is on the war stories and obedience to the senate. Desdemona who wants her reputation to be seen as a "perfect" wife.  But unfortunately they both care more about their reputations than each other. Though they may really love each other, it is in their human nature to defend their reputation before giving into one another. Othello allows his jealousy as a result of his insecurities blind him against the truth, while Desdemona who wants to have a hand things petitioned Cassio's case to Othello regardless of Othello's decision. As the two stick their ground the result is a no win situation, and is unfortunately the result of the Desdemona Othello relationship.

Bevington

              1)     In a way he sees past his rage and anger and can now see the lies that were fed to him by Iago.  He recognizes that what he was terrible wrong and that he had killed Desdemona on the precept of lies.  I agree with Bevington's assessment of Othello, because just as Desdemona was a victim so was Othello. Because of Desdemona's actions Othello realizes that she was true to him, but the destruction of his personal view is already come and gone. He views himself as a "turk" the lowest of low to the Venetian culture.  He see's his human nature and what it can do, this is self-knowledge of which Bevington refers to.
2)     It was Othello's jealous that shaped the major events of the play because they were the event as the result of acting on instinct instead of reason. They were often the most dramatic or suspenseful.  These were the events that showed the human nature and its destructive power in full force.
3)      It could really go either way, but I'm going to say heroic struggle, as a result of the conversation Iago and Othello have regarding Cassio's visit with Desdemona in act 3 scene 3. Even at the tempting of Iago, in the end Othello stands against his plots, unfortunately however he gives later, but Iago refers to him a man that it trusting and see things for what they are. Though Iago uses these characteristics against him, it is to be said of Othello that he sought further investigation rather than instantly giving in to the twisted truths of Iago.

Kincaid

       1)    His comparisons in a sense suggest tragedy as a high and comedy as a low, that tragedy is complex and requires a lot of attention, were as comedy requires little attention and is in a way "all over the place". I especially like his comparison of tragedy to algebra and comedy to recess.  In relation to Aristotle's comments on tragedy, we can see that it requires specific details and attention to were the character is coming from and were the character is going.  It requires it pulls the attention and instills emotion into the viewer.
2)    Both distinct moments of humor in Othello, referring to the clowns were at points of distress, times when the plot was about to match up with the conniving Iago's plan.  These moments according to Kincaid set up for the serious dialogue about to take place. In a way provide a break between a series of serious events.
3)     I agree with argument, that comedy does not sidetrack from the tragic plot or from the meaning.  Like Kincaid says it does not stand in opposition to the tragedy. It allows the tragic plot to continue forward and provide relief from the attention required by the main plot.

DRJ #4 Act 4&5- Othello

               Iago is too good at what he does. What does he do? He takes your worst fears and helps you believe they have come true.  He helps make your nightmares become a living hell.  With that said it is no surprise as to what was going to happen in the end.  You could see the result from the beginning of act three that he was going to kill his innocent wife, but who could have stopped him? It was like a bad train wreck with so much momentum and force driving it off the tracks, there is nothing to do to stop but just sit back and watch in horror.

               Shakespeare uses the Character Emilia to show that hiding behind a reputation doesn’t make a person better than anyone else.  Emilia flat out admits to Desdemona that she would sleep with another man for the world.  She brings the harsh reality to Desdemona that a woman cheating on her husbands is more frequent than she would expect, and that there are many reasons for it.  Emilia also is the one to make remarks, “I bet my life some evil busybody, lying jerk made up this rumor to get some position” (4.2.138-40), believing a person could be so evil as to carry out such a plot as Iago’s way before anyone even suspects Iago.  Not being caught up in reputation she is also able to see Othello’s jealousy early on, “Is not this man jealous?” (3.4.95)

               Shakespeare uses the symbolism of light and dark as a pattern of imagery for evil deeds done by those who wish to preserve their reputation.  Barbantio’s reputation is wounded when at night he is told of his daughter actions, he cries, “Light, I say, light!” (1.1.145-47) Crying for the light that would hopefully disprove the slander against his reputation, when at that moment Iago is using the dark to preserve his standings with Othello.  Also at the time of Cassio’s attempted murder, Iago uses the night to commit his evil deed without being discovered, and Cassio cries out for light and a surgeon to preserves his reputation, his life.  Not only those with deceptive and evil desire use the dark to hid their evil deeds, but Othello himself someone who had high standing with the people, polluted with jealousy and rage blows out the candle that light his room where Desdemona lies.  His blowing out the candles also symbolizes the death that will soon take place in the dark room.

DRJ #3 Act 3-Othello

           We begin to see Iago’s plan coming forward as he tells Othello of the interactions of Cassio and Desdemona, and through his craftiness presents it to Othello in a manner that causes doubt in the faithfulness of Desdemona. It is at this time we see the start of Othello’s assumptions and jealousy coming to light.

            Shakespeare uses characterization to show how the insecurities of an individual affects relationships. Cassio relationship has a unusual relationship with Bianca, a prostitute, she loves him, but he uses her for pleasure. Regardless of their odd relationship there is still evidence of how Bianca’s insecurities affect their relationship. She sees the handkerchief that was planted in Cassio’s room by Iago and begin to assume it’s from some other lover, and that she has been replaced.  Another great example is Othello, with the distorted truths fed to him by Iago he begins to form bitterness towards Desdemona and his love for her begins to falter. His insecurities come from the possibility of losing his reputation, ruined by her adulterous acts.

           Through structure Shakespeare uses repetition of characters to show that speaking out at inopportune moments can cause more  trouble than good. We see this clearly in Desdemona’s petitioning for the reinstatement of Cassio as lieutenant. In act three she continually brings up Cassio and her care for his position to Othello and the time when Iago starts poisoning Othello. She even gives him reason to feel she would prefer Cassio over him, “Sometimes I would criticize you to him, and he’d defend you”.  Though good intentioned she is losing Othello’s trust in where her loyalty lies.

"I am the Grass" BEC # 10

Dinh's view:

              I sat looking at my hands and the place where my new thumbs could have been. I am confined to a life that is thumbless. Though the American did his best, he could not bring back what the war took from me. I will never be able to again perform surgery and eat with chopsticks.  I wish to thank him for trying, but I can't see him, I would only partition him to try again. In Dinh's perspective this experience could have been interpreted as a loss when Dinh had so adamantly suggested earlier that he is always victorious. This changes the them for me because it shows that life doesn’t always yield the results we desire no matter how much we want it to. That life will run its course, and hopefully for Dinh it runs in circles that he may have another chance to receive new thumbs. Even the narrator didn't receive the successful surgery he had also hoped for, but both were working towards the same goal of obtaining new thumbs for Dinh, and not the war that had placed them on opposing sides.

“I am the Grass” BEC #2

Both Krebs and Walker’s narrator have experiences from the trauma of war; however, they handle it in two different ways. Krebs appeared to have a normal and social life before the war, which we can gather from the photograph of him with his fraternity.  When he returns he withdraws from life and being engaged in the normal activities of society.  He lacks the motivation to do anything productive, and it leaves him exposed to the haunting memories of his experience in the war.  On the other hand, Walker’s narrator is misguided for a short time right after he arrives home, but then gets sick of feeling sorry for himself and wants to make a normal life for himself, and ends up becoming a skilled surgeon.  Even though his search for a normal life is plagues by his haunting memories, unlike Krebs, his productivity lead him to resolving many of his tortures brought by those memories. Another way to look at it could be that Krebs is still in the time period of which Walker’s narrator experienced right after coming home, a time period of feeling sorrow for himself and a lack of drive to make something of his life.