Jail? More Like an Acting Career.

"This American Life" radio program did a fascinating 1-hour program about Hamlet Act V. What makes this play amazing are the actors. Don't get too excited, they are not Angelina Jolie or Orlando Bloom, they are actual prisoners! Yes, people who have actually committed a crime because of vengeance, jealousy, hatred, or just because are actually playing out Hamlet. Isn't it ironic? They are actual people who have passed through the emotions that Shakespeare wanted to transmit to the audience, it will make the best play ever! (I would totally go!)

It is a high security prison called, Missouri Eastern Correctional Center.This play is directed by a women called Agnes, she has some hard work to do because of the fact that it is illegal to congregate the prisoners for more than 4 hours. This leads to the decision of breaking up the play every 6 months. The audience is not the only one that receives the thrill of the play, also, the actors get to experience their own decisions and it makes them realize what they're actions caused and what are other solutions instead of violence. (off course, they need to keep in mind to not go insane)

"Claustrophobia of Consciousness."

In Northrop Fyre's essay, it shows a very different point of view compared to other analytical essays I have encountered. Actually, it is the essay that I most relate to, and agree with. He mentions something very unique, instead of using knowledge as an answer for Hamlet's madness, as Freud did, he uses the action behind a thought to explain it. He gives an example with Claudius, saying that although he was a very good man, by committing the act of killing his own brother, he already ruined his own ideal of who he is as a person. On the other hand, he concludes that Hamlet still has his integrity and still has his own great potential.

Fyre get's to the point, where everyone has the same idea, where the mind is the answer for everything. Although it is just round shape composed of lobes and all kinds of important stuff, most philosophers believe it is the "key" of why a human is, what it is. After taking a few classes myself, I don't believe they are crazy anymore, the brain IS the main thing, it IS what makes our ideas become actions. The "claustrophobia of consciousness", as Fyre said, is what leads and idea to an actual action. He mentions that is is the only way to be let out of your "prison" by actually committing the act and afterwards having some kind of release. I do agree with this intellectual idea, the only problem is that depending on the action, lets say in Hamlets case, which is killing his own uncle, can it cause more claustrophobia of the guilt afterwards?

Lets Do This! LOL JK.

Sigmund Freud's ability to compare two very complex characters is fascinating. The way he finds similarities between the two of them, but at the same time, he juxtaposes both characters, contradicting his own opinion. These two intriguing characters, Hamlet and Oedipus Rex, haver very different stories but at the end, leading to the same analytical response by the audience. Oedipus Rex is this guy who has his destiny "written on paper", but his own parents dont want to let him follow it. This act leads him to, as Freud said, "neurosis" (basically means that he went crazy.) While in Hamlet's case, Freud delivers his point by saying that other characters from the play are overshadowing Hamlet, leaving him with repressed feelings, leading to his madness.

A very clear example is found in Hamlet, when Hamlet himself is faced with the situation in killing his own uncle (basically an example of "LOL, JK"). He starts overanalyzing every single detail, and instead of making his uncle feel bad he undervalues his own state of mind. All of these ideas and conclusions made by Freud respond every readers question, "Why is Hamlet that way?" (In other words, "just kill him, dude") At the end of the day the only thing stopping Hamlet is himself.

Good bye.

Normally, when a short book starts getting into their hundred page or so, the reader is expecting some type of conclusion, or big climax that will leave the reader with their mouth open, or not being able to continue with their life for a period of time, or a happy ending that will make everything okay and stop your nightmares (I’m sure I’m not the only one), but in this book, something unexpected happens, it starts to say good-bye.

"On the mattress lay a man with his legs gone to the hip and the stumps of them blackened

and burnt. The smell was hideous.

Jesus, he whispered.

Then one by one they turned and blinked in the pitiful light. Help us, they

whispered. Please help us. Christ, he said. Oh Christ.

He turned and grabbed the boy. Hurry, he said. Hurry." (pg 110)

The father is preparing himself to die, along with his son and goes to God for help. The desperation of dying may be because they are just too scared to continue with their path, or simply they are in too much pain to carry on. Either way, the book is not ending with a happy moment or a climax, that won’t let you sleep for days, but with a sad truth.

"If they find you you are going to have to do it. Do you understand? Shh. No crying. Do you

hear me? You know how to do it. You put it in your mouth and point it up. Do it

quick and hard. Do you understand? Stop crying. Do you understand?

I think so.

No. Do you understand?

Yes." (pg 113)

This conversation from the book, gives the reader a simple but shocking fact, that the father doesn’t want to live anymore, it can be because of the pain he ahs or because of fact on only imagining a life with nobody, whichever reason, it is so influential that he asks his own son to kill him. His humanity is simply lost.

Fire is the Answer

In Maria Cecilia’s post, The Ignition of Life, she gives us her reasoning and interpretation, about The Road. She writes her own opinion, and after she gives us the quote that goes with her interpretation. I think it is a very good idea, because it gives the reader time to re-think, and re-analyze what he/she thought at the beginning, and afterwards given proof, that the interpretation does make sense. Il probably use it as a technique for my next blog post (its not copying, its just using your resources well)

I also enjoyed when Maria Cecilia wrote,

"The element of fire can also be seen to an exception of the monochromatic life both characters are living. The dazzling colors of the flames and the warmth they produce reminds them that they are still alive and they have a purpose to fight for."

I really enjoyed how she interpreted the fire as a symbol of life and survivor. On the other hand, I disagree with her. I am not saying that she has it wrong (I’m not throwing her under the bus, don't worry) but I believe that it can also be interpreted as if the fire is burning everything that was alive, and not leaving anything behind, leaving only ashes, and dead souls, which I like to compare it to the father and son.

60 Words

Something very funny but, mysterious, is going on with my blog. It’s not something very serious, don’t start thinking that this big scenario is going on, believe me, I wish it were. My blog doesn’t let me post my work if its more than 60 words. Exactly 60 words. I’ll get it fixed, for now, enjoy my 60 word posts.

That is the Sad Truth

Daniela´s blog really caught my attention, in her post Remember-The Road, I agree with her when she says that McCarthy´s "bold" act on changing from third person to first person, is an interesting catch. It makes us wonder what it was important and different about that part of the story that made him change the way he wrote or even the way he saw it. I like how Daniela analysis and focuses on how you are remembered in life, but I disagree behind her reasoning. I believe that it does matter what you do in life, off course you have to enjoy it, but depending if you want to leave a "footprint" or not, or it depends on the choices that that human being makes, it does make a difference if the person is remembered or not. Thats the sad truth.

Does That Word Even Exist?

There are words that are small like quoits others like bivouacked (does that word even exist?), McCarthy has a pretty big vocabulary which is transmitted throughout the book, these are some that caught my attention;

"They used to play quoits in the road with

four big steel washers..."

1. quoits, (noun) a game in which ringsof rope or

flattened metal are thrown at an upright peg,

the object being to enci

rcle it or come as close to it as possible.

"They clanked past, marching with a swaying gait likewind-up toys"

gait

 

noun1.a manner of walking, stepping, or running.

"They bivouacked in the woods much nearer to the road than he would have liked."

1.

a military encampment made with tents or improvised shelters, usually without shelter

or protection from

enemy fire.

Humanity vs. Survival

When both, the father and son, enter to what used to be his house, Mccarthy rapidly responds with letting us know that the father had a childhood in this house, and the memories flying through the fathers mind. His childhood wasnt exactly the colorful and happy that we see in movies or in other books, it was the cause of the present, of the future that he is going through with his son. He starts wondering what is his real destiny or goal in life. And does he really have one? "He thought that in the history of the world it might even be that there was more punishment than crime but he took small comfort from it." (33)

When they leave the waterfall, they find this trailer in which seems to be abandoned. The father and son decide to sleep there for the night. Lucky, in having a place to sleep, the father decides to light a fire, when suddenly they realize that they are surrounded with dead bodies,"Human bodies. Sprawled in every attitude. Dried and shrunken in their rotted clothes. The small wad of burning paper drew down to a wisp of flame and then died out leaving a faint pattern for just a moment in the incandescence like the shape of a flower, a molten rose. Then all was dark again.My attention immediatley turns to the son, and I start to realize that this kid has gone through so much, that who knows what he thinks about humanity, or what he goes through when he sees a dead body. His sense and perspective about human life must be all over the place without knowing what to feel or say when he is confronted with a dead body.

No Words. Too Much to Say.

The relationship between the kid and the father can be very debatable. Although they are father and son, we can see that there is a distance between them as seen in various conversations throughout the book, the author implies this feeling by introducing a conversation without much meaning but at the same time making us realize that they are going through a very hard time,

“Are we going in?

Why not?

I’m scared.

Don’t you want to see where I used to live?

No.

It’ll be okay.

There could be somebody here.

I don’t think so.

But suppose there is?” (25)

By this conversation, we can see how the author takes a simple conversation, letting the reader analyze and wonder, why is it so simple? Or is there a bigger meaning behind it. Personally, It isn't about the conversation itself, by the way that is written and connected with the rest of the book. By this I mean, that we can see through the punctuation and scarceness of words, how the author is trying to imply that the characters have gone through a lot of pain and that there are almost no words to create a feeling or sensation about something. Behind those non-complex words, there is a great appreciation for one another, they have nothing else but themselves.

Last Words

Hello my dear bloggers,
These first two weeks we have been looking at the amazing novel, The Great Gatsby. Although at first it took me some time to actually hold the book and read it (let’s not deny it), when I finally got the grasp of it and started understanding it, it became one of my favorite books. I’m not just saying it because I want Mr.Tangen to like me, or because I just want to sound smart (thumbs up), but because it is such a unique book. It is unique in a way in which it makes you pay attention to every detail because you never know which object or thing can be significant throughout the novel. This time we were asked to choose one of the last three paragraphs of the novel (so if you just read the book halfway through, you’re in trouble), and do a close reading on one of the three.

F. Scott Fitzgerald writes, "And I sat there brooding on the old, unknown world," by this passage we can see how after Gatsby's death, Nick is left lonely in a world where he doesn’t really understand why he is there, as Fitzgerald continues, " I thought of Gatsby’s wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy's dock." Although Gatsby is dead, Nick continues on thinking of him, in which we can imply that Gatsby really caught Nick's attention (although it sounds creepy). Nick's obsession on Gatsby can also lead us to believe that Gatsby is a man that really leaves a strong impression on people and we can also say that the green light meant something more than just a "green light", because it is mentioned a couple times throughout the book. Fitzgerald also states, “He had come a long way to this blue lawn, and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it." We can see in this passage the love that Gatsby had for Daisy was very strong. It makes the audience realize how much Gatsby fought for Daisy, and the hope that overcame Gatsby when he realized that Daisy was just across the river, and that his dream was going to come true (although it sounds kind of cheesy). Fitzgerald finishes of by saying, “He did not know that it was already behind him, somewhere back in that vast obscurity beyond the city, where the dark fields of the republic rolled." Here we are convinced that Gatsby was never in front of the game, he was just playing it for a while, but he would never win the "grand prize". Fitzgerald gives us the last chance of getting into Gatsby's mind and understanding how everything was just in his imagination, and that at the end, he had nothing left only the "dark fields of the republic rolling under the night." (pg.180)

Part II: Close Reading

"He was the best and the loudest and most loved jazz man of his time, but never professional in the brain. Unconcerned with the crack of the lip he threw out and held immense notes, could reach a force on the first note that attacked the ear. He was obsessed with the magic of air, those smells that turned neuter as they revolved in his lung then spat out in the chosen key."

Sentence 1:We can see how Buddy was the best musician, nevertheless, Buddy wasn't doing it because he needed the money or because he wanted to be the center of attention, he was doing this because he loved what he did, although his lack of professionalism could affect him in a negative way.

Sentence 2: His lack of worry over his own body just to have the thrill of playing can be in fact, quite disturbing. I believe that this is the time where he started to go crazy. Maybe he just didn't became crazy, maybe he was born this way but it needed time to surface.

Sentence 3: It just clarifies how much Buddy enjoyed playing music. There had to be a reason why he was the "most loved jazz man of all times". This intensity over music could be the key, as I said before, in figuring out what actually happened to Buddy Bolden after having quite an interesting life.

Part I: Close Reading

" Right on my head. But I still have the razor and we stand looking at each other. The blood drooling off his chin onto the wet shredded shirt. He takes a quick look at himself in the mirror and the tears just rush out of his face. I am exhausted, sorry for him. Got no anger at him now. I´m finished I´m empty but I can´t tell him. What the hell is wrong with me?"

Sentence 1: Something could have been thrown to Buddy, but at the same time, the narrator shows no emotion implying pain or satisfaction.

Sentence 2: Emphasizing on the word "still" makes me believe that something was happening before with the razor. Wheather it is a good thing o a bad thing, we know that there are already two characters taking place in the scene. No sense of emotion shown, It doesnt give us a chance of knowing the "feeling" of the scenery.

Sentence 3: The word blood stands out in this sentence, it is what makes the reader know that the plot is starting to get violent. It makes us imply that someone is hurt, not the narrator, but the opponent of his. It also makes us imply that they have been having the argument for a while because the opponents shirt is already shredded.

Sentence 4: Both characters in the scene can be interpreted as scared and tired because they took a break of whatever they were doing. It was also and affection emotionally now that the opponent is crying because of the way he looks physically or of the way tat he looks at himself after the fight.

Sentence 5: In this sentence it re enforces the idea that both characters were tired, and that the narrator actually felt regret for his opponent, although it comes out in a very monotonous voice making it sound suspicious.

Sentence 6: Narrator keeps on talking with a monotonous voice and short sentences making us think that they are calming down, and that whatever needed to be done, was done.

Sentence 7: Exhaustion has taken over the narrator, but friction between the the opponents can be seen when he clearly states that his opponent can´t see him weak. It shows the reader that the narrator has an image to maintain and his ego won´t let him give up.

Sentence 8: Remorse is brought up at the last sentence from the narrator. He contradicts himself saying that his opponent cant know that he is weak, but at the same time he is blaming himself. The narrator seems as a person that outs a lot of attention to detail and how he analysis every action that he makes.

The End

In the novel The Great Gatsby, various symbols come to mind, for example; the common ones such as the green flashing light, the colorful suits of Gatsby, the eyes of Dr. Eckleberg, or even the yellow car, some people think of these examples almost instantly, some people go even deeper and find even more significant symbols. My group discussed of various objects or places that can be defined as symbols, and while we were brainstorming we came up with the symbol of the empty house when Gatsby died. This house was the scene of many important plots happening in the novel; on the other hand in this house is when Gatsby´s dream of being with Daisy came true, but in the last scenes in the empty house, we can see how those dreams were never real, but pure fantasies, and that even from the start they were slipping away. The empty house means the end of everything. The end of happiness, the end of Daisy, and the end of life.