The End of the Blog as We Know It

"Strange how the half light
Can make a place new
You can't recognize me
And I can't recognize you"
   -Half Light, by Arcade Fire


To begin with, that's a rather cynical quote, which is, in part, what this post is about. But more than that, I have learned in English this year to look beyond the surface, in literature and with people. These three quotes represent to me the natural consequence of English. The first represents seeing a place an entirely different way upon a second look, and the consequences of this. And yes, one of the consequences of this is an increase of cynicism, of refusing to take things at face value. One can see this in the books we read, going from the idyllic, almost childish story of To Kill a Mockingbird through the wry social commentary of The Importance of Being Earnest, and moving on all the way to, for me, the bleak tale of nobility among violent chaos that is A Tale of Two Cities. Some may disagree with me on that one, but I must point out that at the core of the novel, many innocents die, including the character who the reader may sympathize with most. That novel also teaches the lesson that I have learned best this year, that surfaces are silly, unimportant things, with the complicated, although originally boorish Sydney Carton winning my affection much more than the almost mechanically "nice" Charles Darnay. This theme has also appeared in nearly every novel we have read this year, in some way shape or form, and I have been able to reflect on these themes. Looking back at my blogs on To Kill a Mockingbird, I see a still somewhat-innocent freshman speaking of the fairly obvious about Boo Radley. Boo Radley, really is a very obvious character in his role, and reinforces the moral of the story, admittedly, quite well. Still, even at the time, I wasn't terribly satisfied with my rather mediocre writing, not being able to see the subtleties as well I would like. As time went on, I began to understand better, particularly with Animal Farm, which I wrote about several times on the blog, and eventually made a radio drama for, which was also posted. The cynicism of the book, its intrinsic belief in the malcontents of society, also had a significant impact on me. Still, my blog posts were, although better than the early ones, still lacking a bit. Gradually, however, I learned from my mistakes. By TIoBE, I could see the subtle undercurrents within Oscar Wilde's witty dialogue, the class commentary and the gentle rebuffery of his era. I wrote a post on the central importance of lies in the book, a concept a bit new to me still, and that English has instilled in me, for better or for worse. Cementing the theme, we read Great Expectations and A Tale of Two Cities, both Dickens novels. I've discussed the second already, but the first made almost a greater impact. It is a novel, at its core, about how the shiny, happy, rich things we may want in life are, in actuality, fairly pointless. Dickens' dissatisfied cynicism, his entreaty for his readers to realize this, rang true to me, and saved what otherwise might have been a long and boring book, in my mind. This growth, inspired by the literature, may be considered a bit negative, as the loss of innocence is portrayed in Harper Lee's novel, but cynicism can be seen almost as protective. Despite what the two men who's names begin with J say, while other people may be the primary source of discontent in life, they may also spark its interest, primarily by seeing them as people. A belief, for me, has emerged through all of this self reflection. By understanding the depths of people, and life in general, one realizes they are much more subtle than idealism, or idealistic freshmen, make it out to be. People are deep, complicated, curious things, and so second impressions are much more important than first. Without this weekly filtering of ideas, I might never have come to my conclusions, and so I thank you, Ms. Gilman, for presenting me this forum of ideas to thing with.


Fin

Thank you, Pip

     By far, my most memorable assignment, and certainly the one that I worked hardest on, was the essay on Great Expectations. The essay itself was a fairly standard, three-chunk, five-paragrah essay. However, there were a few complicating factors. First of all, although this was not the first of such essays I had written, it was the first the use chunks, and to enforce them stringently. Secondly, I had not particularly enjoyed Great Expectations, and I especially disliked Pip, the subject of the essays. Additionally, the prompt was a bit confusing, requiring connecting the apparently disparate elements of Pip's character development, and another, separate aspect of the novel. And to cap it all, I had gotten what I consider a rather subpar grade on my immediately previous effort, the TIoBE group essay.

     However, I managed to recognize the main issue with my previous essay was my rather weak point sentences, and busied about fixing this. The prompt, additionally, settled itself once I made my choice and began thinking. The chunks were not that difficult, and although the paraphrasing required some thought, Dickens' almost obscene verbosity helped in finding useful quotes. And, most interestingly for me, the more I analyzed Pip, the more I could understand and sympathize with him, and the more real and less annoying he became. In the end, I got an A on this essay, which I was quite proud of, particularly for learning from my mistakes in order to finish.

Poetry Experience

     My most interesting experience with poetry also happens to be one of my most recent; as of this writing, it occurred three days ago, at the final Oly orchestra concert. The poem itself was called, if I remember correctly, "Thank You for Being Awesome," written and recited by James Lee, a junior at Oly and a violinist in the Symphony Orchestra. The poem was recited, and, at parts, sang, as a parting gift to the seniors in the orchestra who were departing. As the poet openly admitted, this poem had been recycled from the previous year, with only a few words changed. Still, it was extremely interesting to listen to.

     At first, I thought that James Lee had only began digressing before he started his poem proper; he would not have been the first person to forget what was going on that night. He spoke dramatically, melodramatically, perhaps overdramatically. He undulated back and forth, his voice oscillating between pitches as if trying each out for fun. The stanzas either rhymed rather predictably (years with tears, for example) and used a very simple rhyme scheme at that, or did not rhyme at all. Combined with his delivery, this poem had the audience, including my self, laughing out loud by the first few lines, even the seniors who it paid homage to. Midway through the recitation, the poet began singing the lines, in a warbling, jumpy voice, then abruptly reverting back to his normal tones.

      This probably makes the poem sound terrible, but it really was not. As a matter of fact, it was the antithesis of a weepy good-bye anything, acknowledging the good times that would be missed by spawning a few more. His delivery made the entire work hugely entertaining even to those who were freshmen and had never had a class with those seniors, such as myself. And that leads into the reason this poem is being written about right now. James Lee's poem demonstrated brilliantly that poetry can entertain, captivate, and control the audience incredibly effectively, and that while deeper meanings to be pondered over thoughtfully are nice, a poet can still tangibly connect with his audience, and, rather than letting them overfill with the pretentiousness of poetry as an archaic, literary concept, understand the poem as performance art. In a phrase, the poem stated clearly that there is more to poetry than Robert Frost and his ilk, with no insult meant to Mr. Frost.

     Up until now, I've had two separate teachers, my third grade teacher and and seventh grade English teacher, who enjoyed poetry a great deal. Some of this has rubbed off on me, and so I view poetry as an interesting concept that I still can explore, with as much variation in concept as is found in fiction.

Conflict

     One of the primary conflicts of Romeo and Juliet is Romeo's indecision between his friends, Mercutio and Benvolio, and Juliet, who he has known for a day. Romeo's conflict is personal, rather than interpersonal, as so many of the play's conflicts are, but it does indirectly cause two of the deaths in the play. During Act III, if one is to take Shakespeare at his word, either Romeo or Mercutio could have killed Tybalt. The only reason for the deaths is first Romeo's loyalty to Juliet, which prevents him from fighting Tybalt, and then his loyalty to Mercutio, which forces him to intercede, giving Tybalt the opening needed. Hypothetically, if Romeo had taken on Tybalt himself, it is entirely possible he could have ended the conflict without bloodshed. He easily defeats Tybalt after Mercutio's death, so it's not impossible that this scenario could have occurred. If Romeo had left Mercutio to face Tybalt, but stuck to his resolution to remain neutral, Mercutio may have slayed Tybalt himself, what's more, being the Prince's kin, he may have even gotten away with it. Romeo's indecisive and flighty nature, however, ensures the worst case scenario, ultimately driving him to death's door.

     In reality, just as in Romeo and Juliet, conflict makes life interesting. Just as the play seems to become less interesting after Act III, a world without strife would be nothing like the one we all experience. Of course, in abstract, this is much more appealing than it may be in reality. For all of its character-building properties, conflict tends to leave people hurt, angry, and liable to start a cycle of revenge like the one seen in Shakespeare's play. Still, is it not true that without lows, the enjoyable parts of life taste less sweet? I am wandering.

Anyway...

     In our own existence, one of the most prevalent conflicts is that of human rights. Many are of the opinion that their reality is the only one experienced, that their truths are universal, and that their laws exist likewise. Therefore, when some of these views clash, the result is often venomous. When conflict occurs, people tend to resolve it with one or the other party losing or dead. Still, conflict also forces us to examine ourselves, in our own reactions. It is an integral part of being human.

Romeo and Juliet in Music

     Romeo and Juliet are often overtly referenced in music, as an instantly recognizable pair of lovers parted by injustice, but there are more subtle references as well. This specific case is a retelling of that classic tale, which seems to take its inspiration from West Side Story, a famous adaption, as much as the original play.

Without further ado, O Valencia! by the Decemberists (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vdWBFybOco)

You belong to the gang
And you say you can't break away
But I'm here with my hands on my heart

Our families can't agree
I'm your brother's sworn enemy
But I'll shout out my love to the stars

So wait for the stone on your window, your window
Wait by the car and we'll go, we'll go

When first we laid eyes
I swore to no compromise
'Til I felt my caress on your skin

Well, how soon we were betrayed
Your sister gave us away
And your father came all unhinged

So wait for the stone on your window, your window
Wait by the car and we'll go, we'll go

Oh Valencia
With your blood still warm on the ground
Valencia
And I swear to the stars
I'll burn this whole city down

All I heard was a shout
Of your brother calling me out
And you ran like a fool to my side

Well the shot, it hit hard
And your frame went limp in my arms
And an oath of love was your dying cry

So wait for the stone on your window, your window
Wait by the car and we'll, go we'll go

Oh Valencia
With your blood still warm on the ground
Valencia
And I'll burn this whole city down
Valencia
With your blood gettin' cold on the ground
Valencia
And I swear to the stars
I'll burn this whole city down

The most obvious reference in this song (on a side note, the singer's voice is not quite wonderful, but the music is good) is the star-crossed element. "Our families can't agree/I'm your brother's sworn enemy," and so on. This, also, is the reason I first made the connection.

The line "when first we met eyes/I swore to no compromise" also seems to reference the love-at-first-sight aspect, and the slightly mad aspect of it.

In a slightly more minor way, Valencia and Juliet are both fairly archaic, Italian, long-ish names.

Also, the character of Valencia's brother is quite similar to Tybalt Capulet. He is the enemy of the narrator, similar to Tybalt's enemnity with Romeo, and as Valencia's brother's actions end in his sister's death, Tybalt's violence ends in the death of Mercutio as well as Juliet's happiness.

Romeo, Juliet, and me.

     Romeo and Juliet is quite different from what I expected. I foresaw the byzantine yet beautiful dialogue, yet the relatability and humor of the story caught me rather off-guard. I am not speaking of Romeo; I cannot find anything in his instantly shifting lovesickness, nor in his long, somewhat confusing dialogue that resembles me. Well, perhaps the dialogue, but not entirely. Juliet is slightly more relatable, with her obedience but subliminal resistance to the will of her parents, but although I can empathize, I cannot relate to her closed-off, lonely world of parentally-determined destiny. The character I relate most to is, somewhat ironically, Mercutio, more specifically his response to hearing of Romeo's dreamed premonition. Like Mercutio, I am often somewhat cynical, ill-inclined to believe in the words of others without checking them first, particularly if they sound implausible. As an additional facet of this cynicism, I do not put up well with romantics. I have no faith in "love at first sight," believing it to be somewhat of a biological reaction, and if the two people are actually compatible, I pronounce them extremely lucky. Likewise, Mercutio turns a bit of a level head to Romeo's talk of finding his perfect woman, balancing him somewhat. In addition, I, like Mercutio, can easily be accused of liking the sound of my own voice. I recognize that I have a tendency to talk a lot, although probably not at the scale that Mercutio does during his "Queen Mab" speech. Additionally, I can often make up somewhat consistent stories on command, in this fashion.

     I am learning to understand Shakespeare, word by painstaking word. In the beginning, I had to read the first scene twice until I understood it, but now I can comprehend the story somewhat better. I am only using the book and the incredibly helpful words on the opposite pages to understand the story at home. Reading in class, especially aloud and with Mrs. Gilman's analysis to help, I don't think I would have understood many of the references. Certainly the jokes, anyway. This dual reading is ensuring I understand the novel beyond its surface.

Theme

Thematically, Dickens intended Great Expectations to express to the reader that money is not happiness, cannot buy happiness, and has no relation to the character or success of the person. In each person there is potential, but that potential can be affected by the environment drastically. Because of this, many perfectly good people are hurt unjustly, and others who are less worthy may rise to the top. Looking at a person's wealth or status does not give one any idea of the content of their character. Money and happiness are intimate strangers at best, and we would all to do well to remember this and not confuse the two.

Thoughts on reading Great Expectations

     After finishing reading Great Expectations, I must say my view of the novel has changed significantly. To begin with, Pip's character arc, from innocent orphan to his corruption in the city to the wisdom he gains as a result of it, became much more clear. In essence, Dickens had created an update of the biblical story of the prodigal son for his audiences. I thought the settings and some of the minor characters, particularly Wemmick, added a note of humor in an otherwise very Gothic novel, which was appreciated. As for Dickens' style, early in the novel, I had trouble with it but by Stage Two I could understand his flow with ease. Even Joe and Magwitch's speech stopped bothering me. As an author, I think I might have managed to enjoy his style, and might look into another of his books in the future. Although he is not my favorite author, he still managed to capture my attention by the end. In the case of the mysteries, I knew that Magwitch, then known as Pip's Convict, would be important later on, and I knew that Pip's benefactor, having not been revealed for so long, could not have been Havisham, I half-jokingly guessed that Magwitch was Pip's father and benefactor. One of two is not bad, I suppose. Loose-lipped freshmen who had read ahead might have been more of an issue than sophomores or Sparknotes, but some of the revelations at the end, particularly Joe and Biddy's wedding, managed to come as a surprise.

     I actually did read the entire book, although I may have skimmed some paragraphs while half-asleep. I never had to cram in pages, having kept up with the daily reading the entire time, but I generally left reading as the last part of my mountain of homework, so, exhausted by biology and soccer, I may have learned more of the plot from the discussions in class than from reading, particularly in Stage Two, which dragged. I generally read in my room, while one or more family members used to computer, at around 10:00, which can't have helped either. This ended up as my routine, and I can't help but think that if I had read the novel on my own time, without having to scan for annotations, I might have enjoyed it more. However, reading Great Expectations in this serialized manner, rather than over a weekend or two, did make the final revelations and the endings more enjoyable than if they came a few hours after starting Stage Three. Overall, the novel was decent, but my reading style was no help to it.

Photographic Expectations

     The rather snarky photo I have chosen for my photo-blog attempts to reflect Pip as he appears at this point in the novel. It is not "Greed" that I am referring to, but the subtitle. Pip views Magwitch as filthy and tainted because of his appearance, ignoring his enormous generosity in granting Pip his fortune. He worships Estella because she is the epitome of the upper-class woman, even with her lack of a personality, ignoring Biddy because she is not elegant enough for him. Pip almost criminally neglects Joe, not wishing to associate himself with a "common" man, and in the process damages his friendship with the kind and gentle man.
     Pip, if he continues on his current course, is likely to end up like the mummy in the coffin, surrounded by riches but having made no true impact on the world by valuing appearances over reality.

Great Expectations Connections

     This post is actually quite convenient; one such connection occurred to me quite a while ago. If any of you have read the Bartimaeus Trilogy, you might understand what I'm talking about.


     Outwardly, the two novels are quite different. Bartimaeus was written a few years ago, taking place in a sardonic, fantasy world where the British Empire is run by a large number of paranoid magicians, lacking the ability to do anything the commoners think of as magic but one: they summon spirits to do their work. Tired, I know. But what makes the story interesting is that it is told simultaneously from the perspective of a long-suffering spirit known as Bartimaeus (hence the title) and the upstart apprentice who has summoned him known as Nathaniel. To be more specific, Nathaniel, circa the second book in the trilogy, is the character I am relating Pip to.

     Like Pip, Nathaniel has come into a large amount of money at a fairly early age. Nathaniel has earned his money through serving the rather corrupt government, whereas Pip has gotten his seemingly randomly, but they are similar in the fact that although they are rich, they have little experience with others.

     A striking parallel to me was the scene where Pip thinks of how to offer Herbert money in order to repair the damages that he has inflicted on Herbert's formerly idyllic life; a nearly identical scene appears in the Bartimaeus books where Nathaniel, upon encountering his former art tutor, cannot fathom why she is saddened by his offer of wealth and prestige in the government. This theme is strongly present in both books, that money gained rather than earned through experience does not supply wisdom.

     Another motif that appears in both novels is the nature of the cities. Nathaniel's London, like Pip's, is a strange and pretentious place. Pip remarks on how the purpose of the Finches seems to be not to enjoy, but to give the appearance of pleasure. Likewise, Nathaniel lives in a world of false smiles, where no one quite means what they say.

Great Expectations: Stage II

In Stage II of Great Expectations, Pip once again meets the pale young gentleman he met back in Stage I, whose name, it turns out, is Herbert Pocket, the son of the man to teach Pip. From Herbert, Pip learns manners and makes a friend his own age for the first time. The two room together, and Pip learns of Ms. Havisham's past mishaps with men, which may explain her bizarre urgings for her ward Estella to "break his heart."

This relates to several motifs established earlier in the novel. To begin with, it is a massive coincidence that Pip's roommate just happens to be the same pale young gentleman who he boxed earlier in the novel. Herbert also, by teaching Pip manners, assists in his goal of becoming a true gentleman. In some relation to that, Pip seems to have become less uptight and rude after his time with Herbert, contrasting with the motif of money corrupting Pip in the first stage. And finally, the mystery surrounding Ms. Havisham and Estella, another major motif from the first stage, has been cleared up somewhat, revealing even more wrinkles to the story.

Pip's Turning Point

When Pip, in hindsight, sees and points out to the reader the long chain of events beginning on that fateful day, he seems to be setting a point of reference for the reader, allowing Dickens to make him relatable to the reader. Pip's introduction to Miss Havisham, Estella, and the unfamiliar high-class lifestyle, in addition to his lying to Joe and starting to break away from his home, has so shaped his future that it deserves a step back to reflect. After this day, Pip begins to look down upon Joe and his old life, going so far as to resent his apprenticeship, and looks more towards Miss Havisham and Estella for how he should be, creating a motif within the novel of Pip's attempts to "become a gentleman."

It's difficult to look back and try and pick out one particular moment that has lead to something today. Usually, it has been a combination of causes that starts a chain of events. Still, in an effort to avoid being preachy, I shall try and pinpoint the event that caused me to become a Beatles fan. In seventh grade, my conductor in Orchestra decided we ought to play a more popular song to try and outdo the band in an assembly for once. She chose "Eleanor Rigby," and as I heard it, I was hooked. I listened to the song on YouTube, eventually getting more music from my friend, and constantly marveling at the quality of it all. This chain of events has lead to my taking the piano and violin a bit more seriously, and to my efforts to arrange pieces for the piano and even write my own.

Question on Great Expectations

In Chapter 4, one of Mr. Wopsle's statements puzzled me greatly. It says that "'Swine,' pursued Mr. Wopsle, in his deepest voice, and pointing his fork at my blushes, as if he were mentioning my christian name; 'Swine were the companions of the prodigal. The gluttony of swine is put before us, as an example to the young.'" (Dickens, pg. 25)

Prodigal generally means gifted, or at the very least intelligent, yet Mr. Wopsle says the word as if it is a bad thing. Either he is saying that young men should be gluttonous, or his meaning of "prodigal" is entirely different from what I know the word as.

Group Essay Collaboration

     Overall, my essay has not changed very much. I have modified some word choice issues, fixed some grammar, and rectified a bit of punctuation, but my concrete details and commentary remains the same. Assuming all of the others are also unchanged, we shouldn't have too much work to do on Monday.
     Do you think we need to fix up the conclusion? I checked over it again and it looks like it needs to flow a bit better, possibly by adding more transitions. Also, I'm not entirely sure whether one of my concrete details is correctly embedded, as I am unsure how to include dialogue from multiple characters when the source material is a script. Is it all right to just put a set of quotes around each and transition or does that count as two concrete details?

Thanks,

Sherwin

The Dishonesty of Being Earnest

     Throughout The Importance of Being Earnest, all of the characters, Jack and Algernon in particular, lie in the pursuit of pleasure or simply whenever is convenient, with no apparent regard for the sanctity of the truth. Humor, mostly from the perspective of the audience, anyway, is one of the most common reasons for this. The Importance of Being Earnest is a comedy, after all, and the antics of the characters are certainly entertaining. At the same time. Many of the epigrams, particularly Algernon's in regard to Bunburying, are demonstrative of this. Lying is viewed as a sort of pastime. On a more serious note, Wilde does use this lying to skewer the social institutions of the time. Marriage, for example, is not quite the holy matrimony it is viewed as traditionally. Rather, the upper classes see it as a possible business opportunity that must be managed with care. Even the title of the play is a joke upon this. While Earnest means "truthful", Ernest, the false name adopted by both Jack and Algernon at various times, is anything but. And this particular untruth is used in the pursuit of pleasure, the common goal of all the lies. The characters are not lying to help the common good; they are in it for themselves. Their dishonest world is also a rather lonely one.

     Wilde seems to be telling two different messages about lies, if one wishes to read something deeper into his play which entertains on the surface. On one hand, the characters are not apparently punished by their lies. By the end of the play, all of the characters are married off, a butler, or Lady Bracknell, the nominal villain of the piece. However, Jack and Algernon, whose lies are the greatest of the lot, and Miss Prism, who has her own secrets, do not achieve their goals until each has come clean about their untruths. Wilde might be interpreted as saying that lying, while not a deadly sin, is still an obstacle in the way of true communication.

Animal Farm Project Evaulations

Conor Mcavity
Artwork
 I thought his artwork was moderately effective at conveying the points, particularly the modified commandments. On the other hand, it was difficult to tell the pigs apart and the use of X's seemed rather heavy-handed in conveying a message.

Aaron Burress
Artwork

Aaron's use of a continuous cycle and some of the more subtle references he used (Monty Python peasants, for example) gave it a humorous air. The only negative comment I might have is how the image borders look rather badly edited, creating a collage effect.

Leah Dornfeld
Comic

I liked how the comic literally translated the subtext behind the pig's messages and how the art used portrayed the animals effectively without overdoing it. My only criticism is that the text size is a bit difficult to read.

Reagan
Poem

I liked how the poem incorporated all periods of the cycle of Animal Farm and how it ultimately spelled out tyranny. The poem itself had a bit of flow problem at times, but this was not a major problem.

Will and Paul
Comic

The visuals in the comic were very well drawn, but the "shutterstock" label and a very short strip were rather annoying.

Poop. (There's no name on the blog, so I have no idea)
Artwork

There appears to be a Paint drawing of a sideways farmhouse being rained on, but it's kind of difficult to tell, and there's no explanation given anywhere.

Kayla
Artwork

The project was very original in comparing the pyramid of the animal awards vs. the actual classes used. The only complaint I might have is the image size, which is a bit small.

Katie
Artwork

There was a bit more thought put into this Paint drawing, but once again it's really hard to tell what's going on through the picture alone.

Sean
Comic

Sean seemed to have put a lot of effort into making such a long comic strip, and the image and flow is very good. However, the comic doesn't appear to reflect anything more than exactly what the book says.

Ting
Poem

The poem was moderately well done, but there did not seem to be much structure to the poem. The ideas were presented fairly well, but the poem seemed to be almost trying too hard in an attempt to fit everything in without saying much about any particular topic.

I think that I did fairly well with my project. Overall, it appeared that the presented projects were a bit better than the various form of artwork in ability to speak ideas. I think that, given a bit more time, I could have added more to the project or incorporated a few more musical effects, but the idea at its core was good, so the project turned out well. I definitely put in the time and effort; my project took at least three hours, and probably more.

Animal Farm Project

The video is a radio drama created to reflect the events leading up to and the banning of Beasts of England. The animals sing the song in a depressed, melancholy tune, reflecting how reality is not living up to their ideals of revolution. However, they are cut off by the pigs and Squealer propagandizes an explanation of why the song has been banned, hiding their true reasons. Following this, Minimus recites the replacement, the poem "Comrade Napoleon." In the background, a beat may be heard, representing the frustration of the animals towards their new dictators and about their readiness, which never comes to fruition in the novel but is hinted at the end, for a second revolution.



Sherwin