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...