1. To be honest, I really do not know. I do feel sorry for Lady Macbeth, but at the same time I do think that she deserved everything that happened to her. As a fellow human being on this earth, I understand why she did what she did. If I was in her position, I would be very tempted to have done the same thing that she did. In this way, I do feel sorry for how she was tempted and how things ended for her. I can’t imagine just how much internal strife she must have went through to eventually end her own life. Of course what she did was “wrong,” so I do not feel sorry for her in the sense that she did deserve the pain. As the saying goes, “whatever goes around comes around.”
2. Macbeth seemed like a really good guy at first, but I started to hate more and more as the play went on. He seemed like a good guy before he met the witches. I think that it was the encounter of the witches and the influence of Lady Macbeth that turned Macbeth into the evil man he becomes. At first, I understood the trouble Macbeth had. Who wouldn’t be tempted to pull a few strings to become king? However, as time goes on, his actions are way beyond comprehension. He becomes way too paranoid and goes too far to ensure his safety of the thrown. I would say that the witches have most of the blame as they are the ones to first give Macbeth the idea of committing the first treacherous act, which leads him to commit more. Macbeth had no idea of murdering Duncan at all and I do not think that he would have if the witches had not said anything.
3. Yes, there is a personal incident in my life I would like do erase. I think her response is plausible, but I do not think I would respond like her. I would probably be consumed with some guilt but I do not think that I would completely wrap myself in it. Perhaps the reason behind this is that I have God on my side. I know that no matter how hard I try, I cannot be perfect – I will always fall short. However, Jesus will forgive me of my sins because he is a loving God no matter how bad of a crime I commit (I am not saying that I want to commit a bad crime). As Lady Macbeth did not have God (I think), I am not surprised at how she reacted. I think most people would have acted in a similar way if they had any moral conscience at all.
4. Yes, I have experienced predicted dreams before. I have had dreams personally that came true and I have had people tell me dreams that came true as well. In general, I tend to be good at predicting/guessing so I have some influence on others. There are some people that suggested something about my future that has come true, but it has not really influenced my actions and the results that followed. I tend to be very skeptical when it comes to things like this. I tend stick with my gut instinct or try to think logically through things.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
The Wonderful Poetry Blog
1. I think that I am most like the poet Sylvia Plath. When we talked about her in class and her life, I immediately noticed that we had many things in common. I also have a younger brother and interestingly the age difference between him and me is about three years, which is very close to Plath’s age difference with her brother Warren. Although Plath’s move at a very young age was not so great, she did move. I moved to the United States when I was two. Another thing that caught my attention was the fact that she got a scholarship for college. This caught my attention for two reasons. The first being that I am looking for a college right now that will do the same thing for me and the second being that up until now my family never really paid for my education. I guess you could say that I got scholarships until now. Personality wise, I would say that I am a negative person and often think like a depressed person. Plath struggled with depression and it is something I have struggled with and still struggle with but I believe not as bad as Plath. Plath seems to talk about issues with society in general, which I find very interesting and fun to talk about. I like to point out society’s flaws as well because there really are many.
2. I re-tpcastted In the Secular Night by Margaret Atwood and the theme of the poem changed slightly from the time of the oral commentary. This poem talks about the idea of solitude and how this continuous state of being alone can eventual also lead to a separation not only from society but also from God. I think Atwood was trying to share with the reader how this is feeling of loneliness is a universal experience that almost everyone feels at least once in his life. However, the decision of how one is going to react when experiencing this feeling is extremely important because perpetual alienation will cut one from everything, which includes the most important connection with God. This poem was written by Atwood to show the readers of what could happen when one chooses to keep this state of isolation.
3. Going along with the poem In the Secular Night, I would have to say that the hamartia of the speaker of the poem is choosing to be alone. However, this tragic flaw expressed in the poem can often relate to many people in the real world as well. Some people chose to be alone, which can be good sometimes, but not for extended periods of time. I thought that thinking about hamartia for this poem helped enhance the poem’s message. It was only after thinking about the hamartia when I thought about the fact that some people intentionally choose to be alone. This thought had not come to my mind quickly because being alone is not something I would want. This new thought of people choosing to be alone let me deep digger into what Atwood wanted to communicate.
2. I re-tpcastted In the Secular Night by Margaret Atwood and the theme of the poem changed slightly from the time of the oral commentary. This poem talks about the idea of solitude and how this continuous state of being alone can eventual also lead to a separation not only from society but also from God. I think Atwood was trying to share with the reader how this is feeling of loneliness is a universal experience that almost everyone feels at least once in his life. However, the decision of how one is going to react when experiencing this feeling is extremely important because perpetual alienation will cut one from everything, which includes the most important connection with God. This poem was written by Atwood to show the readers of what could happen when one chooses to keep this state of isolation.
3. Going along with the poem In the Secular Night, I would have to say that the hamartia of the speaker of the poem is choosing to be alone. However, this tragic flaw expressed in the poem can often relate to many people in the real world as well. Some people chose to be alone, which can be good sometimes, but not for extended periods of time. I thought that thinking about hamartia for this poem helped enhance the poem’s message. It was only after thinking about the hamartia when I thought about the fact that some people intentionally choose to be alone. This thought had not come to my mind quickly because being alone is not something I would want. This new thought of people choosing to be alone let me deep digger into what Atwood wanted to communicate.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Answer to Question #1
1. I think this is the hardest question to answer. Thus, I am answering it last. I think it is hard to answer for me because I rarely relate literature and beauty. To me, those words never go together. I do not remember any scene in the story where I was like “Oh, so beautiful.” However, since I have no choice but to answer I think I would have to say that I found the passage of Alice and Clara relationship the most beautiful. No, it is not because of the sex they have. I had no idea about the sex until Mrs. Lavender mentioned it so kindly. I had an eerie feeling about the relationship the two had but I did not know it was that intimate.
Anyways, maybe it is because of that eeriness, but I found this passage interestingly captivating and it like felt the closest thing to being beautiful. The way Ondaatje wrote on the way Clara and Alice spirit paints Patrick is just elegant. The feeling that Ondaatje gives through the candle gives it a mysterious aura. Also, I think the fact that I had no idea what spirit painting was added on to the mysteriousness. The way Clara and Alice works is very beautiful. Then, the rain came. I thought this scene was just as beautiful if not more beautiful. Clara and Alice take off their clothes so that they can meet the rain. It is beautiful in the sense that we sort of get a glimpse of their true identities. I guess the setting also adds on the beauty because it is set in the countryside. It completes the typical picture of getting soaked in rain in the countryside.
Anyways, maybe it is because of that eeriness, but I found this passage interestingly captivating and it like felt the closest thing to being beautiful. The way Ondaatje wrote on the way Clara and Alice spirit paints Patrick is just elegant. The feeling that Ondaatje gives through the candle gives it a mysterious aura. Also, I think the fact that I had no idea what spirit painting was added on to the mysteriousness. The way Clara and Alice works is very beautiful. Then, the rain came. I thought this scene was just as beautiful if not more beautiful. Clara and Alice take off their clothes so that they can meet the rain. It is beautiful in the sense that we sort of get a glimpse of their true identities. I guess the setting also adds on the beauty because it is set in the countryside. It completes the typical picture of getting soaked in rain in the countryside.
Answer to Question #3
3. Yes, I think tragic flaw or hamartia is an issue in this novel. Truthfully, I wanted to write on Patrick’s, but I was not too sure. So, I will write on Clara’s tragic flaw. This does not mean I am confident in my answer. I am just more confident in what I have to say about Clara than Patrick and I have more to write on her than him.
I think Clara’s tragic flaw is that she cannot stay faithful and love one person. It is because of this flaw of hers that many people have to suffer. Because Clara could not stay faithful to her husband Ambrose Small, Patrick experiences extreme pain and has a really hard time. Patrick is unable to handle Clara’s leaving. If she had just stayed with Ambrose the whole time, she would not have caused an innocent man to experience so much pain to the point where he almost died. All her experiences seem very superficial. Even though she returns to Ambrose, we do not get the feeling that she is returning because she truly loves him. I think that we kind of get the feeling that she is able to love a single person wholeheartedly through her intimate relationship with Alice. Although the book only contains a short sex scene between the two, I got the feeling that their relationship was bit more special than compared to Ambrose or Patrick. I thought that Clara was actually revealing a lot more about her than she normally does and made herself a little vulnerable, which love makes one do. I thought this intimate scene foreshadowed the possibility of Clara to actually true love a person. I think this is shown at the very end of the book when she calls Patrick. After many years, I think Clara had the chance to really understand what love is and changed. We start to have some hope in her changed life that she will have with Patrick.
I think Clara’s tragic flaw is that she cannot stay faithful and love one person. It is because of this flaw of hers that many people have to suffer. Because Clara could not stay faithful to her husband Ambrose Small, Patrick experiences extreme pain and has a really hard time. Patrick is unable to handle Clara’s leaving. If she had just stayed with Ambrose the whole time, she would not have caused an innocent man to experience so much pain to the point where he almost died. All her experiences seem very superficial. Even though she returns to Ambrose, we do not get the feeling that she is returning because she truly loves him. I think that we kind of get the feeling that she is able to love a single person wholeheartedly through her intimate relationship with Alice. Although the book only contains a short sex scene between the two, I got the feeling that their relationship was bit more special than compared to Ambrose or Patrick. I thought that Clara was actually revealing a lot more about her than she normally does and made herself a little vulnerable, which love makes one do. I thought this intimate scene foreshadowed the possibility of Clara to actually true love a person. I think this is shown at the very end of the book when she calls Patrick. After many years, I think Clara had the chance to really understand what love is and changed. We start to have some hope in her changed life that she will have with Patrick.
Answer to Question #2
2. I would have to say that I identify with Patrick the most in this novel. It probably is the easiest to identify with him because of the way Michael Ondaatje portrays Patrick, but I just have so many things in common with Patrick. Ondaatje incorporates the element of pathos throughout this story through the death or leaving of many people in his life such as the death of his father and Alice and Clara’s leaving. However, it is Patrick’s main struggle of finding his identity that I was able to relate to the most. Truthfully, it was only later when we actually talked about the feeling of pathos when it came to my mind. My mind was too set on the same situation Patrick and I faced.
I think I can say that I have had an identity crisis since middle school. Ever since I moved from the United States in the Philippines, I struggled with my identity. I was not sure who I was or where I belonged to. I was made in Korea, so I definitely looked Korean but I had lived in America until sixth grade. I way I thought or acted was definitely more American. This became a huge issue I had to deal with in the Philippines because of decent size of the Korean population in my old school. These Koreans were “Korean” on the outside and inside, so we often clashed. I found myself trying to even it out with my “Korean” and “American” friends. Even now, if anyone asks me where I am from, I struggle with the answer. I want to say Korean, but the American side of me has played such a big part in my life that I just cannot ignore it.
There are smaller things that also made me identify with Patrick. He has this anger inside of him and when he cannot take it any more, he lashes out. This anger was a big reason why he burned down that hotel. I am similar in that I try to hold in my anger. However, if I cannot control my anger, I end up going a little berserk. I usually do things I would normally not do and usually end up regretting a few days later. Additionally, Patrick does not really have many relationships with a lot of people. He isolates himself because of the grief he experiences after Clara leaves him. Whenever I feel sad, I try to stay away from everyone. I think we can also say that he alienates himself even when he is not sad. He does not really have a social life other than his small group of friends, which also reminded me of myself. I guess some may say that all of this can be said to be a part of the element of pathos Ondaatje wanted to create and that I feel I like I identity with Patrick the most because of the sympathy I feel for him. However, I disagree as I mentioned above. I identify with Patrick because it really seemed like I was reading about myself.
I think I can say that I have had an identity crisis since middle school. Ever since I moved from the United States in the Philippines, I struggled with my identity. I was not sure who I was or where I belonged to. I was made in Korea, so I definitely looked Korean but I had lived in America until sixth grade. I way I thought or acted was definitely more American. This became a huge issue I had to deal with in the Philippines because of decent size of the Korean population in my old school. These Koreans were “Korean” on the outside and inside, so we often clashed. I found myself trying to even it out with my “Korean” and “American” friends. Even now, if anyone asks me where I am from, I struggle with the answer. I want to say Korean, but the American side of me has played such a big part in my life that I just cannot ignore it.
There are smaller things that also made me identify with Patrick. He has this anger inside of him and when he cannot take it any more, he lashes out. This anger was a big reason why he burned down that hotel. I am similar in that I try to hold in my anger. However, if I cannot control my anger, I end up going a little berserk. I usually do things I would normally not do and usually end up regretting a few days later. Additionally, Patrick does not really have many relationships with a lot of people. He isolates himself because of the grief he experiences after Clara leaves him. Whenever I feel sad, I try to stay away from everyone. I think we can also say that he alienates himself even when he is not sad. He does not really have a social life other than his small group of friends, which also reminded me of myself. I guess some may say that all of this can be said to be a part of the element of pathos Ondaatje wanted to create and that I feel I like I identity with Patrick the most because of the sympathy I feel for him. However, I disagree as I mentioned above. I identify with Patrick because it really seemed like I was reading about myself.
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