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.

DRJ #2 Othello-Act 2

It is hard not to want to warn the characters of the traps they are falling into, such as Cassio or Roderigo.  Though I know it is fictional play, the suspense is still troublesome.  Though the scenarios seem to extreme and unlikely, when in reality we can see this kind of deception and manipulation in the relationships in the world today.

               Cassio’s role in Othello is interesting.  He has a strong enough connection to Othello to be his lieutenant and a past with Desdemona.  It is these relationships with Othello and Desdemona that seem to make the perfect target for Iago.   Cassio appears to be respectable person and ultimately a potential casualty of Iago’s deception.

Through the use of character, Shakespeare intends to show how easily people can be deceived when one tells them the things they want to hear, whether they are true or not.  Iago’s character is very deceiving, and for his purposes he plays into the insecurities of those whom he is using. Roderigo is a frequent victim of Iago and being Roderigo’s character is naïve, he falls quickly to the luring of Iago.  When Iago convinces Roderigo that Cassio is flirtatious with Desdemona and that he is her kind of guy, Roderigo finds it too hard to believe, “she’s not that kind of woman, she is very moral” (par. 245).  Then Iago convinces Roderigo that it’s a very likely situation, and plays into Roderigo’s fears of again loosing Desdemona to another man. Then Iago tells Roderigo how he can secure his chance with Desdemona by killing Cassio.  This is something Roderigo probably would have never considered doing, but as a result of their characters, Iago a deceiver and Rederigo the victim, he agrees to eliminating Cassio for what he believes to be for his benefit, but ultimately it is to the benefit of Iago.    

DRJ #1 Othello-Act 1

Initially I was intrigued as to why Othello and Desdemona were married in secret.  Then as I saw the situation Othello was in, as the Moor, it made more sense as to why the marriage was not public or even known by Desdemona’s father. It reminded me of a friend who had eloped and married someone she loved but didn’t know if her parents would approve.

               Roderigo creates tension between Othello and Barbantio because he wishes to marry Desdemona. Though rejected as a possible suitor, he is the type that is easily persuaded and fooled into doing Iago’s dirty work.  Roderigo gives up hope easily and wants to quit, but he is used by Iago, as a foil character, to stirrup Barbantio and keep Iago’s presence unknown.  Roderigo’s purpose in Othello act one is to be the “middle man”, devil’s advocate between the antagonist Iago and protagonist Othello while thinking he is getting closer to obtaining Desdemona.

               Shakespeare attempts to show how being prejudice can cause an individual to feel worthless and belittled through the use of symbolism.  Othello, as a Moor, is referred to as “an old black ram” (par. 90) in context to having sex with a white ewe.  We know this is referring to Othello having sex with Desdemona; however, it is the symbolism of the black ram polluting the purity of a white ewe that shows prejudices against the Moor.  Being referenced as an animal is demeaning and the contrast of the black ram with the white ewe symbolize his social estrangement from the Venetian people.  He is referred to as thief, lustful, and a practitioner of black magic, along with several other prejudice titles, and we can see a glimpse of the affect it has on Othello, “’Tis yet to know-…I fetch my life and being from men of royal siege” (par. 20), when explaining to Iago that Desdemona’s father would have to accept their marriage.  Othello feels a need to prove himself and give no reason to those that are prejudice to think less of him.

Chopin Thesis Activity

Chopin Thesis Activity

1) Support for Thesis #2
Chopin cleverly portrays new life taking hold as Mrs. Mallard lets go of the expectations placed on her by society. Now that she believes she is widowed Chopin uses images of life fading to usher in new life. The motionless woman, Mrs. Mallard, who grieves over the loss of her husband, sobs herself self into a low and sunken state. In this moment of despair Chopin uses the images of a cloudy sky with glimpses of blue between the clouds. These narrow opening provide a window for new life to come down and embrace her.
2) Support for Thesis #3
The constant ups and downs in the emotions and behavior of Mrs. Mallard portrayed by Chopin through the plot further illustrate the depth of burden such societal pressures can have someone. Chopin shows Mrs. Mallard as initially upset, then calm. Still saddened by the event Chopin illustrates Mrs. Mallard convincing herself that the loss of her husband is going to be ok, and that she can still have a life without him. This up and down pattern continues gradually climbing towards the climax when she finally recognizes her freedom from the marriage that unknowingly burdened her.

SSRJ #2- "I am the Grass" by Daily Walker

    My initial reaction to the story was that this man, the narrator, was going to to be messed up for life. All the things he had done while in the war against the Vietnamese were traumatic and disturbing.  But it was interesting to see how the narrator coped with his guilt and anguish the things he had done.  The element that stood out to me the most was structure.
    Daily Walker illustrates through the structure of "I am the Grass" that forgiving yourself can be a difficult task. D. walker portrays a guilty conscience through the flashbacks of his past actions that are stimulated by the characters and settings he is exposed to. Through these flashbacks Walker causes the reader to be reminded, along with the narrator, that even when we go to great lengths to bury our guilt it always seems to come to the surface.  We are constantly reminded of whatever problems or actions that haunts us until we are able to let whatever it is go.  Walker uses the narrator's past actions in the Vietnam war as an antagonist  in the structure of the story to build the suspense, ultimately bringing us to a time in the narrator's life where he is suppressing his guilt through performing surgery on a Vietnamese war veteran.  The story builds to the climax of unwrapping the bandages the cushion the surgery site. The narrator appears to expect that through the success of this surgery as well as the several other surgeries he has performed for Vietnamese children will relinquish his guilt and memories of the war.  When to his surprise the graph does not take and the surgery was a failure, the narrator again re-accounts to the original incident; the loss of Dinh's thumbs. The narrator is troubled over the incident.  Just as we may feel once our personal suppressing thoughts and actions dissipate and we are left with guilt and remorse.  The narrator resolves his conflict on his flight out as he takes a tattered plane lacking seat-belts home.  He embraces the risky flight and accept life for whats ahead of him.  In these sense it would appear that the narrator was finally able to forgive himself and move on.  Though it was difficult he can now look forward instead of in his past.
   As I was considering the literary element of structure it was difficult not to cross over into other literary element such as imagery or character. What other aspects of structure did you find in "I am the Grass"?  
   

SSRJ #1 "Mines," by Susan Straight

     At first I thought about how sad some peoples lives can be as they are caught up in the routine of making ends meet; just trying to survive.  It felt gloomy, as though you needed to be a person hardened by experience through self-serving actions in order to move along in the harsh world. The element that stuck out to me was symbolism. Some of the characters use the way they look to send a message to those around them.

     Straight illustrates symbolism in "Mines" through the shaved heads and tattoos of the prisoners.  Prisoners used tattoos to distinguish themselves from each other and reveal a part of who they are; their identity.  The shaved heads are presented as a symbol of toughness, and a message to those around them that they are not to be trifled with. The tattoos were a way for these troubled youth to fit in and live among others, who like them didn't want to stand out but also didn't want to get lost in the masses. Tattoos distinguished race and group affiliations while revealing a small portion of the individuals history. The prisoners shaved their heads as often as they could to maintain the image of toughness and intimidation. To the reader it is conveyed that by shaving ones head that the individual is tough. This becomes evident when Clarette is confronted with her son's, Ray Jr., shaved head that was carried out with the help of Ray, the father, in order to send a message to the kids that picked on Ray Jr. that he wasn't a wimp. To Clarette this only gave a glimpse of the possible future for her son to survive the hard world they lived in, a future that she worked so hard to avoid.

     Does the symbol of a shaved head accurately convey to onlookers that the individual is tough and a threat? Why is it a common stereotype for men with tattoos to be intimidating? 

   

Stunning eyes.  Contagious laughter.  She's mine.

Hi everyone, this is the first blog I have ever made, so we'll see how it goes.  I have lived in California for most of my life and couldn't think of a better place to live. I enjoy anything that combines physical activity with the outdoors such as: single track and downhill mountain biking, wake boarding, kayaking, hiking, and rock climbing. I'm currently going to school to obtain my major in biological science and to then apply for medical school so that I can then specialize in orthopedic surgery. Reading and writing have never been my strength.  I have always preferred sciences and math courses over courses that require a lot of writing; though on occasion I enjoy reading and writing when inspired.  I do appreciate the ability writing allows for one to express themselves to an individual or even a group, and how literature allows one's imagination to build the story in their own unique way.  It will be interesting to read your blogs and all of your different takes on the various stories and reading will have in this class.