Hust or Bust

Well this might be last post- at least until I remember last minute that I ought to do another. I decided to write a little poem about everything.. 1/2 for reflection, 1/2 for fun.

In Colloquim we had lots of fun

All our knowledge cannot be undone

Cabeza de Vaca took us to the New World

Montaigne and Bacon's idea of women's roles made us hurl

Then in Othello we discussed the "honorable Moor"

A theme that carried to Vitkus, Oroonoko, and more

Bradstreet tought us to keep in touch with our mothers

Milton reminds of life tempted by the fruit of another

Pope preaches whatever is, is right

(That means I get an A no matter what, right?)

Voltaire brings us a story of innocence lost

The Declaration of Independence our learned paths crossed

Wollstonecraft's feminist ideas were ahead of her time

Equiano portrays the hopeful image of a victim of crime 

Now we are all done and about to turn off the light

Merry test-taking to all, and I hope you get them all right!

~molly

**sorry youre not in the picture mary-kate :(

Chivalry and Feminism

When reading Wollstonecraft, the topic of feminism was brought up often:  what is feminism, what does it mean to be a feminist, etc.   After reading Wollstonecrafts idea of an ideal marriage something popped into my head: How does the medieval concept of chivalry tie in with feminism?  I believe that boys should open doors for girls, walk on the outside of the sidewalk, and help her carry her bags in the airport.  Does this mean I am not a feminist?  I think that Wollstonecraft would say that I could hold feminist views and still have the door held for me, as long as I knew I could hold the door for myself just as well.  Wollstonecraft preaches the message that women can and will:  be great companions and friends, be useful members of society, and educate the next generation.  As long as women remember to be their own person in life, accepting help from men will not interfere with feminist views.

The Declaration of Independence

Earlier in the week we broke up into groups and talked about different aspects of the Declaration of Independence.  My group discussed the document as if it were an essay; something I would have never thought to do on my own, but actually turned out interesting.  The Declaration has an introduction discussing what is necessary, the middle and bulk proves why everything written in the intro is necessary, and the conclusion is spent explaining how they're going to accomplish these things. 

While The Declaration of Independence is extremely persuasive and convincing, some of the language would not be accepted today in the same light.  For example, if I turned in a persuasive paper using words such as "self-evident" to prove my point, my professor would most likely not accept that as evidence.  The document is filled with language of morality and natural law, and today's society relies too much on fact for that to be taken the same way as it was written.

speaking of facts!! here are fun facts on the D of I...

also a cool video

Garden Party

Well, today we talked a lot about the last sentence of the book:  "...but we must cultivate our garden."  I was thinking about its connection with the Garden of Eden and how that ties into responsibility.  I realize my last post discussed the repercussions of The Fall, but I need to bring some points up again.  Isn't true that Adam and Eve were both punished with labor, and responsibility?  And isn't Candide's realization of labor and responsibility the point of his last statement?  For me, it was a direct correlation.  Candide is in the real world now, not living naively in paradise.  The book ends with Candide growing up and confronting this idea.  Just like a garden, he seems to have grown!!

above are pictures of robbie and me in the gardens this summer- you can kind of see the patterns of how everything is organized the way we talked about in class

Pope's Essay on Man

Without even reading one can assume that Pope's writing is about mankind.  The first time I read this all i could think about was how condescending it was.  Every line seemed to call mankind fools or display how naive we must be.  I felt like Pope was dropping science-like terms as a means of giving him the right to write this way.  Later, in class, we discussed the difference between Pope "vindicating" God's actions to man, and Milton "justifying" God's action to man.  To me, this means that Pop believes we have a reactive God.  This further explains why Pope is sort of teaching his readers how to live virtuously, as well as the importance of it;  where as Milton was kinda of giving us a story and saying take what you can from it.  Perhaps Pope was more "advice column" driven because he was the first to rely on his writing for pay.

The Seasons as Punishment from The Fall

 I especially liked Chapters IX and X because they gave me another perspective on a story I thought I knew like the back of my hand- The Temptation in the Garden of Eden and The Fall of Adam and Eve.  I appreciated Milton's detail on Satan's inner thoughts and the actions he took achieve his goal of deceiving Eve.  He uses flattery to get into her head.  This was typical back then- believing that  women could actually be persuaded through compliments.  I thought it was unique how separate Adam and Eve were through all of this.  For some reason I had pictured Adam right there with her the whole time and eating the fruit together.  For the most part I thought the text was similar to the Bible story I've known my whole life.   I'm glad that Milton addressed the effects of The Fall, for example the seasons and why snakes crawl on their bellies and how life would be for Adam (and all men) and Eve (and all women) from that moment on.  But why is it said that women must submit to their husbands?  Isn't it Adam's fault for submitting to Eve's request of eating the fruit?  Also, what were snakes like before if their punishment became no being able to stand upright?  

Paradise Lost

The piece is entitled Paradise Lost- so I thought the expulsion from The Garden and the fallwas the most perfect way to begin. It is the is most authentic and original representation of a paradise lost by religious and literature standards. While it was sometimes difficult to comprehend the full meanings behind each phrase, it read nicely. It had a light-hearted magical feel, yet some parts struck me with their...creepiness. For example, the mentioning of the Spirits- how they could assume either sex at will or assume both.

"Not tied or manacled with joint or limb,
Nor founded on the brittle strength of bones,
Like cumbrous flesh; but in what shape they choose,
Dilated or condensed, bright or obscure"

That whole passage was disgusting to me- All I could picture were images of creature with flesh yet no bones able to change shape only because there bodied lacked anything substantial.

What's in a name, Oroonoko?

The first thing that really struck me in this reading was the re-naming of Oroonoko.  Not the re-naming itself, I knew this was a common practice; but the fact that the Oroonoko's "master" chose to name him "Caesar".  Tefrey, his master, explains that it's because "Oroonoko" is hard to pronounce.  (That's all good and well, but this is coming from a man named Tefrey; beyond that, no one's stopping Tefrey from re-naming him Al, or another monosyllabic name.)  

His new name, the narrator points out, will "live in that country as long as the (scarce more) glorious one of the great Roman."  The narrator then continues saying that Oroonoko has just as much courage anyway.  

I felt that this name exchange was important because readers gain insight into how revered of a man Oroonoko is from an insiders view of the story through Tefrey, as well as gain the story teller's personal opinion of how great a man this is - only slightly less glorious than Julius Caesar, himself. 

The thought crossed my mind that perhaps Oroonoko's new name was foreshadowing to his leading an army of slaves, then being killed by those closest to him.  I was halfway right.  He did lead an army of slaves and although they were on the same level they bowed and kissed his feet; but instead of getting killed by those closest to him, he ended up killing the one he loved most-Imoinda.  Although he killed her with the best intentions, I believe that this act was a far greater punishment than having extremities cut off one by one.

FUN FACT WEBSITES!! :  

Meanings behind latin prefixes (try Oro and Cae!)

Baby name meanings (why you shouldn't name your kid a variant of Caesar)

Turning Turk in Othello

I found this article interesting and beneficial.  Vitkus explains what "the Turk" may have meant back then, beyond that what may have been meant by the phrase "turning Turk."  He explains that "turning Turk" may have been:

-a way for Christian captives to gain freedom from oppression

-a synonym for becoming a whore

-a name which referred specifically to the people from Morocco or Turkey

The author did his research, going so far as to looking into what the word "turn" may have meant, and compares it to other passages that include it.  They all had negative connotations, which I found interesting. 

I looked up what kind of connotation the term "Turk" has now, and nothing seemed negative. Results included "a member of the Turkish people" and "of Turkish language"- very different than the strong images Vitkus portrays.

Final thought:  Vitkus writes that a lot of comedies  included plots involving a male tricked into marrying an "honest whore."  What does that mean? He compares Desdemona - the "honest whore," with Othello-- "the noble Moor."  I can see how Othello is a noble Moor, but Desdemona did nothing wrong, so why is she a whore?

Othello

Reading the end of this tonight just about made me cry.  Maybe because it's late and I'm tired, or maybe because Shakespeare's tragedies are, well, tragic.  And beyond that, timeless.  Part of me feels bad for Othello; his wife's father didn't exactly approve of him in the beginning, and he probably was always unwelcome, maybe even used.  I can only imagine how awful it would be to constantly have that thought in the back of your mind, then start believing your spouse was cheating on you.  If it were me I would probably feel worthless.   This thought brewing in the back of his mind was probably what made Othello turn into a loose cannon.  On top of that, it was a close friend who told him about the cheating.  If one of my girlfriends was confronting me about news like that,  I would believe her above my boyfriend because why would she have any motive to lie?  Either way- I would probably go crazy dwelling on it and feel like I had no one.  

Many of Shakespeare's plays rely on miscommunication and misunderstanding as the basis of the tragedy.  It's what separates us from animals.  Because we have a conscious and an imagination, it seems almost easy to go mad.  Shakespeare uses this notion to truly grab his audience.  We get so angry with the antagonist and feel such sorrow for the protagonists.  My getting emotional at the end of this play proves Shakespeare's timelessness.  Or that I'm a softy.  

Iago, Iago

This is my first time reading Othello.  Because of this, I feel as though I am more sensitive to tiny details that previous readers may have overlooked or gotten used to.  For example, I could not help but to notice the name "Iago" and relate it to the talking parrot in Aladdin.  So far the two characters, Iago and Iago, have proven to be similar.  They are both schemers, plotters, and motivated by their own selfishness.  In Acts 1 and 2, Iago has used Roderigo and Cassio as his pawns to work his way in, and get what he really wants.  But this is where I am confused... WHAT IS IT that Iago really desires?  Payback?  Just because the king appointed Cassio a higher ranking than Iago?  But then why involve so many people.  Also, at the end of Act2, Scene 1 Iago mentions in his soliloquy that he wants to be even with Cassio "wife for wife."  Is this an old phrase or is Iago really going to involve Cassio's wife? 

Other than the fact that Iago is a blatant antagonist, his character is a bit of mystery to me.  Iago from Aladdin, the animated film is able to break free from his selfish and evil ways; I predict Othello's Iago will not have the same change of heart.

Montaigne and Bacon

At first, the names above reminded me of some sort of glorified omelet; but after reading a few lines of their works,  I realized I was in for a tastier treat.

My reactions to each reading selection:

-MONTAIGNE-

On the Power of Imagination:

• He chooses to "avoid [imagination] rather than resist it," but I disagree
• I agree in with him in saying that some folk seem to bring sickness upon themselves- (hellooo hypochondriacs).  
• Interesting point on page 43 "Does it always desire what we wish it to desire?" (involuntary movements reveal what we are truly thinking-p.42)
• Did the old colloquium "If looks could kill" come from the story on p. 45? (belief from the Greeks about a women in Scythia)
• Confused with the last sentence- Is he saying that not much of what he wrote is true?  Was he using his imagination to concoct stories to get his point across?  Only one mention of a personal case...

On Friendship:

• "Of a perfect society friendship is the peak." p. 92
• Children don't feel friendship with parents, they feel respect. (But does this change over time?)
• Compares marriage  and friendship with the opinion that the defining factor is that marriage has complications and friendship does not...  I disagree.  It seems as thought both can be rather complicated at times.
• True friendship means you don't even have to think about it- you help them without even being aware of your aiding.  (I agree!)
• "I choose the amusing rather than the wise..." (Great line- starting to really like this Montagne guy) -p.102
• "... in bed I prefer beauty to goodness" (Oh. Wait. Well at least he's being honest.)
• Final thought: Was this written as a tribute to his brother?

On Cannibals:

• "We need either a vary truthful man, or one so ignorant he has no material with which to construct false theories and make them credible." (This is the exact reason why I love working with kids- they say everything how it is!  They don't know etiquette, or politeness when it comes to issues that 'grown-ups' tip-toe around- if you have a bad haircut they will say it right to your face and see nothing wrong.) -p.108
• "With all our efforts we cannot imitate the nest of the nest of the vary smallest bird," (beautiful line, great point) - p. 109
• Describes where 'these people' live, what they eat and drink, what they do, who their religious figures are all without mention that they are cannibalistic.
• Montaigne explains that they do not do this for nourishment- as a means of vengeance. (yikes.)
• Best line of the cannibal article: "A man's value and reputation depend on his heart and his resolution; there his true honor lies." -p.116

-BACON-

Of Studies:

• "To spend too much time in them is sloth." (Instead of sitting around reading, DO something with the knowledge you gained.)
• "Some books are to be tasted, others chewed and digested." (I was going to make a joke about hi last name being 'bacon' but since I really like this line, and agree with this idea I won't.)

Of friendship:

• "Without friendship, society is but a meeting." (Simple, great concept and visual) -p. 301

Of Travel:

• If your young travel means education, if you're old, travel means experience- something I never thought about, but really can relate to.
• Bacon explains what the traveler should being with him, do while he travels, what he should eat, and how he should dress.  After studying abroad a line that really stood out to me is when Bacon writes that instead of showing through your dress or style that you learned from the traveling experience, people should be able to know through your disposition and lifestyle.

Of friendship:

• Bacon explains that true friendship causes the heart to swell.
• What makes one friend happy should make the other just as happy- true friends exchange joy without even knowing.
• Ancients say that 'a friend is another himself'; but Bacon says that a friend is "far more than himself." -p.395

Of Plantations:

• A plantation shall be in pure soil
• One should only have worthy friends aid in the plantation.
• After the plantation grows, women shall begin helping the men so that it can spread to generations
• (To be honest, this last selection on plantations didn't do it for me- I wrote down what I felt was important, but I didn't connect to the text like I did with the other selections.

Overall, I must admit that I secretly enjoyed these readings.  I interrupted my own reading sessions to tell a few lines that I liked-or disliked- to my roommate.  This is usually the dead giveaway to my enjoyment of certain homework assignments.

Thank you Montaigne and Bacon for being a part of my complete breakfast.

Pre-blog Blog

This is a practice  blog-- just trying to figure this out still...