Reaction to Orphanage Director-KR

As so many in destitute conditions, the Orphange Director in The Kite Runner was put between a rock and a hard place. Forced to make the difficult decision of sacrificing one for the majority. As unfortunate as this may seem that was the only option, well that or risk losing all of the already impoverished and malnourished children.

My thought process matured as I read along with the book. The instantaneous reaction I had when I discovered that the Orphanage Director just gave that unfortunate soul up to the Taliban officer was phenomenal shock. I could not believe my eyes, which then casted a gray cloud of shame over the director. As I read on, however, I grew to understand his position and a cloud of sympathy replaced the previous one of shame. Surrendering one of the children for a little while would guarantee the others food for perhaps a month, something that became a paucity when the Taliban came into rule.

Identifiable Character In Kite Runner

My first pretentious guess would be to identify myself with Soraya as she is the major female character in The Kite Runner . This is ridiculous I know but hey, can I be at blame if my mind thinks first of its gender? Deeper thought, and more lucid as well, would certainly allude to a different conclusion. I am on no account nearly as rebellious as Soraya, that is not to say I get along easy peasy with my parents, I just have not had such a troubled past. Yet anyways, I still have a lot of years (god-willing) for this to become.

The next bead in my string of thoughts was that I may somehow be like Hassan. And to a certain degree I am Hassan in female flesh. Although I grew up in not nearly as impoverished conditions as Hassan, we both have a tendency to self-deprecate. My form of self deprecation is slightly different from Hassan's, I say this because I have yet to meet someone who I have unwavering loyalty for, but at the same time I like to see those I care about as happy people and do my best to put them in that mood. In my eyes I can always do better, this is where the self-deprecation comes in; I do not accept compliments well and see my achievements as things that could use continuous improvement.

To find a perfect match to my persona in The Kite Runner proved to be a difficult task. As I thought on it my mind wandered to different parts of the book and how the characters matured throughout it. Eventually, after ruling out several obvious nos, I realized that I was like a character I had almost forgotten. In a way I was like Rahim Khan. The man who kept the juciest of secrets until near-death, the man who never stopped loving Amir, and through his whole life seemed to maintain his understanding and caring for Amir when it seemed like Baba did not(especially in Amir's childhood). These qualities are pretty much a match to mine, I hate to tell others secrets that do not originate with me, but instead I have been intrusted with, and I lose respect easily for those who have no problems telling others what someone has asked them to keep secret.

After matching myself mostly with Rahim and Hassan I realized that in a way I am like every single one of those characters, even Assef. As hard as the concept may be to grasp I think that in literary works each character is an exaggerated version of the self. The difference is that well, everyone is different. In each and everyone of us we will find that a bit more of our persona is relatable with certain characters, like myself with Rahim and Hassan. But in the end we truly are a living collage of scraps of all the other characters as well.

Mary Janes

The delectable treat Morrison had so vividly described in The Bluest Eye was somewhat of a let down. It is that way often with literary pieces. Because there are words being used in written descriptions and not tangible items or audible sounds, the reader is allowed a range of interpretation. With each individual perspective this interpretation is different and as such when one is faced with the actual item previously described, it could be rather shocking. I find this also to be the case with movies.

Moving back to the original subject matter of this journal- from the moment I peeled away the little yellow wrapper I knew what was coming was not what I had expected. As the narrator described Mary Janes to be peanut buttery I was looking forward to a pleasant treat when Ms.Chiang brought them in. However, my mental assertion of what Morrison described was far from what I tasted. After unwrapping the Mary Jane I took notice of the candy's light honey nut color and taffy-like texture. When I slipped a small piece into my mouth my taste buds were a little, confused to put it lightly. The peanut butter goodness they had been expecting was quickly replaced with an actual horrific slimy oily taste. Something just was not right, I know my peanut butter and I also know this is not how it generally tastes. Maybe I have been spoiled by conscientious investigating of most food substances or maybe I am just me, or both yes I realize both is quite likely.
As I had started to say, further exploration led me assurance in my prior belief. This candy was loaded with artificial ingredients. If one is aiming for a peanut butter flavor, it seems only right that peanuts be the main ingredient. To my unfortunate surprise, corn syrup outweighed peanuts in this treat. Being an old fashion confection I expected more, or less really of the bad ingredients used in its making. Mary Janes are loaded with trans fats, for a small adorably adorned and embellished outside, these candies sure do pack an unwholesome punch as far as nutrition is concerned.

Themes in Bluest Eye

Toni Morrison portrays very powerful themes in her highly-acclaimed, Bluest Eye, some of which may be overlooked in everyday life. These include emotions and changes the main character, Claudia goes through. Ranging from inferiority, hatred, maturity, loss of innocence that accompanies, abuse, trust, and secrets.

What really stuck out to me was a combination of Claudia's low self esteem and her constant sense of inferiority. Whether it was from other neighborhood kids or the overall suppression of the 50s, where children were to be seen not heard. Consider in this same time period where racism was so openly prevalent. The big Hollywood celebrities, like Morrison's example Sherlie Temple, were for the most part the same. It takes a village to raise a child, and when that village influences the child that a certain look is prettier or that different is bad, it can certainly affect someone, not to mention a vulnerable child like Claudia. Society has a rather obvious impact, and Claudia's has given her immense resent and a deep seethed loathe for those she envies. This would provide reasoning as to why Claudia lashes out to little white girls because they are her size and she's overcome with jealousy.

Referring back to Claudia's low self esteem, interaction between her mother could be a possible influence. Even though her mother loves her, she acts stern so it may not always come off as love to Claudia. To quote the Beatles, "All you need is love, love, love is all you need." Being human, that's all Claudia wanted. In children it's an even more urgent desire, attention and a feeling of being special is all Claudia ever really wanted.

Drama- Liking the Same Person
The following is obviously written from a female perspective but I assume the same would apply for men.

At some point or another it seems inevitable that two or more friends will have an infatuation with the same person. So what is to be done about the shared crush? When a situation like this occurs it is best to let it play out naturally. It is not really fair to either person to call a guy "off limits" because no one ends up happy. The most important guideline in a situation like this is to not let the guy come between the friendship. Blood is thicker than water, and in this circumstance your friend is your blood, they have been there for you and will continue to be there for you where as guys may be a bit more mercurial.

In addition, it is impossible to fool one's heart. Regardless of how hard one might try to, the heart will always reign supreme, so by calling a guy who you still have feelings for, "off limits" the problem is anything but fixed. A shared crush really should have little bearing on a friendship, unless it was not very strong to begin with. Times like these are great for examining the true depth of one's friendship.

If your friend gets asked out by the guy you both like is it really fair to be angry? If it were you in their position would you not be overcome with joy? To want to ruin that feeling for a friend is anything but a display of true friendship. The best advice I can offer is to play it by air but always remember your friends have been and will be there for you and to not to throw a good friendship down the drain just for a silly guy.

Shakespeare Unit

The last unit we completed was on Shakespeare.
The following activities were done in correspondence with the unit:

Shakespeare Article :this was a good introduction to Shakespeare and the Globe and it helped paint a picture of the time period and a little bit of Shakespeare's writing style. Specifically when they "decoded" one of the verses, that was very helpful.

Class Discussion on Globe/Shakespeare: this was interactive and also gave more background on the subject and the time period. Thumbs up

Writing how much we knew about Shakespeare/Globe Theater: The day you asked us to write about what we knew about Shakespeare and The Globe Theater, I thought I would not be able to elaborate in great detail but it turned out I knew much more than I imagined. I liked doing this because it not only gave me a good idea of just how much I did know but it was an easier alternative to a pre-quiz in which you could see the class' general level of knowledge.

Assigned readings: These were good and bad, I liked the fact that I got to read them for myself instead of listening to people in class/reading it out loud because then I tend to lose focus; however, it was very irritating when I did not understand what was going on and I would be lost until we went over it the following day. The reading sometimes gave me a headache as well because once I was confused about a rather important aspect of the play nothing really made sense and so it went downhill from there

Follow-Up Quizzes: I tended to loathe these quizzes because, as I said earlier, when I did not understand something I would be lost until we went over it and if we did not go over it until after the quiz I did badly. I also have a poor memory especially with detail so that did not help;however, I do like your note suggestion and in the future I hope I remember to use it.

Class Discussions: These were extremely helpful in understanding the play.

Putting into Layman's terms: This was not only a fun exercise becuase we go to do it in our groups, but extremely beneficial. When everything was in everyday language the play suddenly became a whole lot more interesting.

Ms. Chiang's Interruptions: Despite how much Ms. Chiang may not like her voice I loved it when we were reading out loud because it meant the scene that had been going on was finally about to make sense to me. I am like Lindsay, when I say that I mean, I get really impatient with the people reading and it is not their fault because I would read at the same speed and stumble over the same words, it is just I would rather the artistic quality of the play not be sacrificed.I realize this is practically impossible to ask since terminology is so old. This also goes towards the fact that I get bored when others read because I do not process the information at all. It goes in one ear and out the other, sometimes it does not even make it's way in. Back to Ms. Chiang's interruptions, I really did not mind them. Like Will was saying, "Sometimes there'd be something funny and you would have to tell us that it was funny and we would sorta laugh." Even though I did not get the benefit of comprehending the jokes and puns the first time around I really did appreciate you breaking it down for us.

Movie: When reading things I naturally imagine the characters a certain way in my mind, when watching the movies I was a little let down with some of the characters as I commonly am. Overall I enjoyed watching the movie, because seeing as Romeo and Juliet is a play it only makes sense to watch it. A lot more emotion was recieved after watching the movie since the actors used proper inflection when saying their lines. It was also a lot easier to follow.

CD: Listening to the CD was a step up from reading aloud but it was still missing the visual aspect. It was slightly easier to follow but over all I enjoyed the movie the most.

Summarizing in Journals: I also liked our periodical summaries because if I ever got lost I could easily flip to those.

Essay: This will be our first essay type writing assignment for the semester, if I am not mistaken. The short time limit is a challenge for me but overall its a good assignment. For me there is just enough freedom as far as the subject goes since we get to choose whatever aspect about Romeo and Juliet that we wish.

Haiku

The following are slightly edited haiku (written by me, but the whole syllable thing was not very helpful):

My friends are charming
And always brighten my day
In my heart they stay

Here there everywhere
Lies envy love and despair
Emotions that make souls

Worries troubles fears
Emotions mixed to make tears
Dont hide, express it

Summer fun surf and sun
The days that have come and gone
Now in chill, we live

Shoot it, shoot the gun
When you think your race is won
Your life will be gone

Sex drugs, rock & roll
The seventies were a blast
But now we're old
(for this to be appropriate imagine i am middle-aged)

Our love has grown cold
For once I'm not without
You're no more my mouth

Odyssey Essay Questions

1. What have you learned about Greek culture, values, and religion? Address the roles of women and men, honor and virtues, gods and goddesses, etc. (250 words)

The Odyssey is not renowned as one of the greatest epic poems without just cause. Not only is it remarkable that this poem has been around for so long, but it also accurately yet subtly shed light on Greek culture and customs.

Prior to reading the Odyssey, I was not familiar with most Greek traditions. However, after reading the Odyssey I have learned that Greek culture is quite similar to some other ancient countries that value men more than women. One thing that made this value quite clear is that in Greek culture it is acceptable for a man to act as somewhat of a lothario, while his wife is unable to do the same actions for risk of being known as a philanderer.

In addition to the difference in value of each sex, the great belief in religion is also notable. The Greek gods play a large role throughout the Odyssey. Their involvement shows how in Greek culture trust with the gods and their power is quite important. To the Greek their gods hold the power to determine everyone’s destiny. Thus several things such as sacrifices are done to gratify the gods in hopes of achieving a life free of the powerful god’s spite.

In addition to pleasing their gods, Greek people find it proper to welcome guests with open arms. This shows the great hospitality that the Greek have. Hospitality is often so rare in the present day, I wonder if to this day it is still possible for a stranger to be treated so well.

2. What resonated with you in reading about Odysseus’ adventures? Why? (150 words)

After reading about Odysseus’ herculean struggles it seemed only just that he should end up with his wife safely. There are four parts to this tale that I am most likely to remember. The first is when right after the birth of his first and only child, Telemachus, Odysseus is forced to battle in Troy. Not only is this chronologically part of the very genesis of Odysseus’ journey, but it was also one of the more sad parts of the story and set the tune for things to come.

The second thing that stuck with me was while Odysseus and his companions were on the island with Polyphemus. Achieving a successful escape plan from the giant showed me one of many examples of Odysseus’ knowledge. Instead of just killing the beast while they were in the cave, he simply blinded it because he knew there’d be no way to leave the cave once Polyphemus was dead. However soon after fleeing the cave I was showed how cockiness can be apparent in the same soul as wisdom.

The third instance which resonates with me is when Odysseus goes to visit the blind prophet. To reach the prophet Odysseus had to go into the fiery pits of Hades. This act displayed just how much Odysseus was eager to return home to his loving wife.

The last part that resonates with me is again an example of Odysseus’ use of wisdom. Once Odysseus returned he did not immediately attack the suitors as some people may have, especially after being away from their wives for about twenty years and coming back to find their house in a sty. Instead Odysseus chose the smarter option and prepared for the brutal attack.

3. This epic poem is dated nearly 3000 years ago, why is it still relevant? (150 words)

Not only does the Odyssey contain the classic archetypes but it also teaches many lessons. Odysseus’ long but rewarding journey also proved to be a great example for perseverance and trust. Odysseus never gave up regardless of how difficult his journey got, he survived through several unusual ordeals, including the many fearsome monsters. In addition his trust in Athena and the gods as a whole assured him when times were worse.

Perhaps one of the reasons why Odysseus’ tale was so long transferred orally was because it was a virtuous story of a man who never gave up and in the end got what he wished and could be said from parent to child like many other tales. Be it as it may, the Odyssey is rather gory and sexual at times; however, in the grand scheme of things it portrays a rather ideal moral worth teaching.

Short Answers-

Answer in complete sentences. Cut and paste each question and answer underneath the prompt.

4. How would you characterize the narrator, the fictive "Homer" whose voice we imagine as singing the verses of the Odyssey?

Homer would have to have been outstandingly brilliant to be able to transfer such a long tale that had only previously been told orally. His adaptations of the Odyssey are the only original written ones known to exist; however, it would be interesting to see what, if any, changes Homer may have made to the Odyssey.

As far as Homer personally, he would also have had to have a great imagination to be able to fully describe the scenes of the Odyssey, it is rather obvious he has achieved this feat, seeing as the epic poem is so well-known today.

5. What kinds of behavior are treated as contemptible in the Odyssey?

It is considered punishable for a woman to sleep with a man who is not her husband. It is also punishable by the gods if you scorn another god or make them upset in some way, like Odysseus with Poseidon’s son Polyphemus. It is also sin-like to not welcome a stranger with open arms.

6. How does the poem represent mortal women? Since Penelope is the most important woman in the Odyssey, what qualities does she possess, and how does she respond to the troubles she faces? (Some of the other women are of note, too-Eurycleia the serving woman, the faithless maidservants, Nausicaa the Phaeacian princess, and Helen of Sparta, Menelaus' queen, whose elopement with Prince Paris sparked the Trojan War.)

Throughout the Odyssey Penelope is portrayed as an extremely devoted wife. When in comparison with other promiscuous women throughout the poem such as the maidservants Penelope’s fealty seems even stronger. Odysseus’ mother was also very loyal to her son, it is made known that while Odysseus was growing up she sacrificed a lot just to raise him properly. In addition, Odysseus’ nurse, Eurycleia also remained loyal and awaited Odysseus’ return alongside Penelope, even after so many years.

7. How do Homer's gods think and behave? How do their actions and motivations differ from the conception of god in other religions of which you have knowledge? What role do the Homeric gods play in human affairs, and what is the responsibility of humans with respect to those gods?

At times it seemed as though the gods used the mortals as their own little pawns, but throughout the story my impression changed. The gods see that it is necessary for each person to go through their trials and tribulations in order to reach their destiny. To the best of my knowledge in other religions it is common to be monotheistic and see your god as a bringer of joy and not so much spite. The gods in Homer’s tale saw fit to punish Odysseus and give him many hills to climb; however, throughout his journey Athena in particular, was somewhat of a guardian angel. In addition it is also seen fit to provide the gods with offerings, whether they be sacrifices or riches.

Miyazaki Films

Director Miyazaki and his films, are among many things that I learned about during the course of this year. I had however heard of Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle, but I had not actually watched either of them. I was a bit surprised to find out that we would be watching Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro and Princess Mononoke in class but never the less it was certainly fun. All of the movies shared the anime style. Miyazaki was able to apply great detail to his characters and this technique made all the movies more believable and easy to follow.

The story line for Spirited Away and Princess Mononke follow a similar basic format. In Spirited Away, Sen ended up in a new place, much like Ashitaka in Princess Monoke and they were both seperated from the ones their families. Ashitaka and Sen also both fell in love with people with animal characteristics. For example, Haku turned into a dragon, and San was raised with the wolves. Unlike Ashitaka, Sen was more of a naiveté instead of a skilled fighter like Ashitaka.Another thing that I noted was that all of the movies had animals as relatively important roles. In addition the main human character tried to understand and befriend them. Miyazaki's movies tend to involve nature quite a bit as well. In Spirited Away water was the main element used where as inMy Neighbor Totoro and Princess Monoke the forest was a major part.

In My Neighbor Totoro I especially liked the fun, likable characters. They were drawn so well you couldn't help but like them, especially Totoro. My Neighbor Totoro and Spirited Away were more comedic than Princess Monoke. I think that Princess Monoke was partially that way because Miyazaki was trying to get an actual message across, one about the importance of harmony between people and nature.

All in all Miyazaki's movies are very detailed and believable. He has shown the capability to create movies that make you want to laugh at times and feel terribly sad.

Waking Life and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Waking Life and Eternal Sunshine are both different styles of movies; however they both made me think in similar aspects.

Although Waking Life was animated it did not follow the general stereotype. The style of movie was very different than anything I have ever seen before. The story line consisted of many thing s I think about but never talk about, or hear anyone talk about. It consisted of many deep thoughts and conversations about life and consciousness. One scene in the movie really drew my attention, the one with Ethan Hawke and the other lady, in the apartment bedroom.I was fascinated to listen to them talk about consciousness, and lack there-of. The movie as a whole had this unique essence about it. The entire script just, seemed to make sense. There was a message in everything, no wasted or useless space whatsoever. I am pretty sure my eyes never strayed from the screen throughout the entire movie. Afterwards, as after viewing any enlightening or touching thing, I looked at things with wider eyes and in a slightly deeper, more analytical way. One night later that week, I had a dream, it like most of my dreams, was a little weird and hard to remember; however, one thing that I do remember is being in a car and trying to turn on the overhead light, and having it not turn on. Immediately after I awoke I thought about Waking Life and the scene in which the main character was talking with this man about how to distinguish consciousness from dreams. One of the things he mentioned was that in dreams you can't adjust lighting. I found it a little weird that this actually happened to me, maybe it always does and I just never notice. I never noticed again, but I still found it interesting. Overall, the topics covered within this movie have really stuck with me.

Eternal Sunshine appeared to me to be similar to a chick-flick romance film. That is, it appeared to be that way at first. However, as the plot developed, I started noticing several more interesting aspects of the movie. For one, it was clearly not your average story. It had the unusual quality of being science and brain related all while avoiding technicalities but certainly making you think and wonder more about life,love, and the risks we take. This was not an emergency room, or hospital movie, but rather an exploration of the brain. The thing is, this was expressed so beautifully and artistically. Not only that, but, as Lindsay had mentioned earlier, Michel Gondry's use of light played a big role in adding emotion and depth to the movie. The transitions used between scenes were also seamlessly done. This technique was great in keeping consistency and fluidity throughout the movie as to give less chance in diverting the viewers attention. Although, I find it hard to believe that one would be bored viewing this movie. Music is another common thing used in movies such as this to add emotional value, to make the audience responsive. On another note, this movie could possibly one of my favorite. I have to admit that I fall under the common girl stereotype of being emotional and liking, publicly proclaimed "chick flicks." This movie not only connected with my emotions and thoughts but it made me feel what the characters felt. After viewing this movie I could not believe that I had never previously even heard of it. For this reason I am probably going to look for more , not so popular, movies either from this director or similar.