Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Saturday, December 6, 2014
Who Knew Netflix and Shakespeare Could Ever Relate?
For this blog post, I chose to create a Netflix recommendation list for the character of Macbeth from Shakespeare's play, Macbeth. After reading the play we know that Macbeth is a character full of desire for power, but doesn't start out like that during the beginning of the play. It isn't until the three witches come to visit him that he begins to change into this more feminine type of character to a more controlling, dominant character towards the end which causes uprisal against him and leads to his downfall.You can see the following list of shows and/or movies below:
Justification to Macbeth:
Macbeth is closely related to the Revenge character Emily Thorne. The two have similar characteristics in the sense that they both want to regain control in their lives. Macbeth is seen as a weak character in the beginning, just like little Emily who served time in Juvie. Emily wants to make a name for herself under a false identity and does so by getting close to the one family who destroyed her dad's life. By season 2, she does. It isn't until Season 3 that Emily's life starts getting out of control. When things don't go as planned, (I promise, no spoilers!) Emily starts going after innocent people, just so she can have what she's always wanted--a life with her father. A perfect show that demonstrates a character's venture for ambition... and blood.
Overview of Enough:
Billy Campbell stars in this film with Jennifer Lopez which is basically about a young mother named Slim being stuck in an abusive relationship with her husband, Mitch. They have a young child. He is just simply not the man of her dreams who she thought she'd married. Slim and her daughter Gracie, try to escape with the help of Slim's previous boyfriend, but Mitch pursues her relentlessly in a stalker-ish fashion. Fearing for the safety of her Gracie, Slim decides that there's only one way out of the marriage: kill him.
Justification to Macbeth:
In this film, Macbeth is closely related to Enough's character Mitch. Mitch has the internal issue of not being able of letting go in his relationship. He knows he's messed up with Slim but doesn't feel like Slim is doing the right thing by leaving him behind and taking Gracie with her. So what does he do? The same thing and controlling husband would do, he tracks her down in a maniac-like way. And he doesn't stop. It is really creepy how he knows so much about the places Slim goes. He tries to ask for Slim's apology, for a fresh start. But, it is too late, Slim does the only thing she has left to stop this madness in her life. This is definitely similar to Macbeth's need for power in a character's life. It also reveals potential internal struggle in trying to stop what Macbeth is doing to fulfilling the prophecy.
Overview of Red Eye:
Rachel McAdams (Lisa) and Cillian Murphy (Jackson) star together in this film, one about the story of Lisa Reisert who is a hotel manager at the Lux Atlantic Hotel. She is waiting for a flight back to Miami when her flight is delayed. Meanwhile, she meets Jackson Rippner, at the airport bar. They end up sitting together on the plane and soon Jackson reveals his plan of getting Lisa to change the hotel room where she works at (creepy, right?) to create a terrorist attempt against an important American politician. Here is the catch: If Lisa doesn't do what Jackson says, her father will be killed by a hit man.
Justification of Macbeth:
Macbeth would be a perfect comparison to Red Eye's character, Jackson. I mean, he just won't stop until he gets what he wants done. Just like Macbeth. It is also safe to say that the theme of appearance vs. reality comes into play with Jackson's character. At the beginning of the film, Jackson seems like a nice guy. Lisa has a drink with him at the airport bar and they have an easy, casual conversation. In reality, he becomes a cold person when he reveals how much he really knows about Lisa and her connections. This is so like Macbeth, who seems like an honest man, but in reality, becomes greedy and controlling.
Overview of the Lion King:
We all know the story of the Lion King. Simba is a young lion prince born to King Mufasa and Queen Sarabi. Simba's Uncle, Scar is second in line to the throne and is jealous of Mufasa at the head of the throne. The King is killed and Scar becomes King. Meanwhile, Simba is in exile but wants to return to avenge his father's death, and be the land's rightful King.
Justification of Macbeth:
In the case of this film, Macbeth would be a great fit to Scar as a character. The qualities that the two share include jealousy of close friends, in the film's case, brothers. One betrays the other in order to gain power and rule. Scar is willing to do whatever it takes to become King, even if it involves killing his brother. Macbeth would recommend this film to show the audience of his belief in replacing a weak King like Duncan or Mufasa to a big and powerful one like himself or Scar. The following is a clip of the scene that most demonstrates the comparison between Macbeth and Scar:
Based on these recommendations from Macbeth, we can now understand how he will stop at nothing to achieve what he wants and that he is not afraid to cause blood. It shows how a good person can become evil based on a certain emotion that can fuel them to turn this way. This is the case with all of these recommendations, which is why I think it is such a great list.
- Revenge (TV Show)
- Enough (Movie)
- Red Eye (Movie)
- The Lion King (Movie)
Justification to Macbeth:
Macbeth is closely related to the Revenge character Emily Thorne. The two have similar characteristics in the sense that they both want to regain control in their lives. Macbeth is seen as a weak character in the beginning, just like little Emily who served time in Juvie. Emily wants to make a name for herself under a false identity and does so by getting close to the one family who destroyed her dad's life. By season 2, she does. It isn't until Season 3 that Emily's life starts getting out of control. When things don't go as planned, (I promise, no spoilers!) Emily starts going after innocent people, just so she can have what she's always wanted--a life with her father. A perfect show that demonstrates a character's venture for ambition... and blood.
Overview of Enough:
Billy Campbell stars in this film with Jennifer Lopez which is basically about a young mother named Slim being stuck in an abusive relationship with her husband, Mitch. They have a young child. He is just simply not the man of her dreams who she thought she'd married. Slim and her daughter Gracie, try to escape with the help of Slim's previous boyfriend, but Mitch pursues her relentlessly in a stalker-ish fashion. Fearing for the safety of her Gracie, Slim decides that there's only one way out of the marriage: kill him.
Justification to Macbeth:
In this film, Macbeth is closely related to Enough's character Mitch. Mitch has the internal issue of not being able of letting go in his relationship. He knows he's messed up with Slim but doesn't feel like Slim is doing the right thing by leaving him behind and taking Gracie with her. So what does he do? The same thing and controlling husband would do, he tracks her down in a maniac-like way. And he doesn't stop. It is really creepy how he knows so much about the places Slim goes. He tries to ask for Slim's apology, for a fresh start. But, it is too late, Slim does the only thing she has left to stop this madness in her life. This is definitely similar to Macbeth's need for power in a character's life. It also reveals potential internal struggle in trying to stop what Macbeth is doing to fulfilling the prophecy.
Overview of Red Eye:
Rachel McAdams (Lisa) and Cillian Murphy (Jackson) star together in this film, one about the story of Lisa Reisert who is a hotel manager at the Lux Atlantic Hotel. She is waiting for a flight back to Miami when her flight is delayed. Meanwhile, she meets Jackson Rippner, at the airport bar. They end up sitting together on the plane and soon Jackson reveals his plan of getting Lisa to change the hotel room where she works at (creepy, right?) to create a terrorist attempt against an important American politician. Here is the catch: If Lisa doesn't do what Jackson says, her father will be killed by a hit man.
Justification of Macbeth:
Macbeth would be a perfect comparison to Red Eye's character, Jackson. I mean, he just won't stop until he gets what he wants done. Just like Macbeth. It is also safe to say that the theme of appearance vs. reality comes into play with Jackson's character. At the beginning of the film, Jackson seems like a nice guy. Lisa has a drink with him at the airport bar and they have an easy, casual conversation. In reality, he becomes a cold person when he reveals how much he really knows about Lisa and her connections. This is so like Macbeth, who seems like an honest man, but in reality, becomes greedy and controlling.
Overview of the Lion King:
We all know the story of the Lion King. Simba is a young lion prince born to King Mufasa and Queen Sarabi. Simba's Uncle, Scar is second in line to the throne and is jealous of Mufasa at the head of the throne. The King is killed and Scar becomes King. Meanwhile, Simba is in exile but wants to return to avenge his father's death, and be the land's rightful King.
Justification of Macbeth:
In the case of this film, Macbeth would be a great fit to Scar as a character. The qualities that the two share include jealousy of close friends, in the film's case, brothers. One betrays the other in order to gain power and rule. Scar is willing to do whatever it takes to become King, even if it involves killing his brother. Macbeth would recommend this film to show the audience of his belief in replacing a weak King like Duncan or Mufasa to a big and powerful one like himself or Scar. The following is a clip of the scene that most demonstrates the comparison between Macbeth and Scar:
Based on these recommendations from Macbeth, we can now understand how he will stop at nothing to achieve what he wants and that he is not afraid to cause blood. It shows how a good person can become evil based on a certain emotion that can fuel them to turn this way. This is the case with all of these recommendations, which is why I think it is such a great list.
Works Cited
Dzinalic, Hana. The Lion
King-Mufasa and Scar Scene (Mufasa Death). Youtube.com. YouTube.com, 10 Apr. 2013. Web. 6 Dec. 2014.
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwvKN3ZTYGg>.
Imdb.com. "Enough (2002)." Imdb.com. Imdb.com, 2014. Web. 6 Dec. 2014.
<http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0278435/>.
- - -. "Red Eye (2005)." Imdb.com. Imdb.com, 2014. Web. 6 Dec. 2014.
<http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0421239/plotsummary?ref_=tt_stry_pl>.
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Are life events guided by fate or chance?
From: "Choice." Pinterest.com. Cold Brew Labs, n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2014.
<https://www.pinterest.com/edssl/evan-and-adam-eng-3ui-04/>.
In my personal opinion, I believe that the events in my life have overall been guided by fate. I would say that this has been true 99% of the time. The other 1% I would accredit to the few chance events that I have encountered in my life. For the majority of my life, I think that my actions control how my life turns out. However, I believe that actions can determine fate. If I chose to go one path, fate would determine how well my life would turn out. I try to do everything I can to live a happy life, but sometimes obstacles do come up in my way. I think it is important to live life with a positive attitude and to not over-think the little things.
Personally, I think that my fate has been influenced by my faith in God. I consider myself a Christian even though my Russian heritage says I am Eastern Orthodox. But, when I go to my Russian church, they seem to follow the same beliefs as Christians. I am still fairly new to the whole "faith" thing and believing in God, but I know that there is a God who is looking over me. I feel like if I believe in God, that His path for me will turn out in the way He thinks is best, despite what my actions may be. For now, I would say that my actions influence my fate more than my faith because my faith is still a new experience for me. As for chance, I think that just happens because of luck. I actually think that luck is real. It is very rare that I encounter luck in my favor since most of the time I have to work very hard to achieve a goal. Chance events always happen to me at the times where I least expect it. Usually, it involves certain people I meet, when I do unexpectedly well in a class, or when I place well in a race. In fact, those moments are some of the best moments of my life.
Based on the text of Macbeth, I think that Shakespeare's attitude towards fate was indifferent and presented through Macbeth. For example, when the three witches come and visit Macbeth to tell him about the prophecies, Macbeth doesn't really react to them in any kind of way. He wasn't really happy, scared, or against what the witches told him. Macbeth chooses to believe that the prophecies are true. He thinks about the prophecies and according to the witches, knows that Duncan's sons' will become King. That is a predetermined fate and Macbeth acts to set up a plot to kill Duncan so that he can become King instead.
Lady Macbeth sees that he is weak in deciding to go through with the murder, so she uses tactics of threatening, demand, and even begging to inspire him to do the deed.When Lady Macbeth receives Macbeth's letter telling of the witches' prophecies, she is afraid that he will not take advantage of his opportunity to take the crown, "Which fate and metaphysical aid doth seem / To have thee crown'd withal". This is her basically assuming that fate doesn't play a role in what will happen. In order to be king, Macbeth is going to have to murder Duncan whether he likes it or not. That doesn't change what his fate will turn out to be. Eventually, his actions will lead him there. It is clear however, that the supernatural doesn't control Macbeth's actions. Macbeth has choice in his actions, and I think that deep down, he really did want to become king. I also think that is why when Banquo becomes suspicious of Macbeth in killing Duncan, that he arranges for Banquo's murder as well. There isn't any way that chance could play a role in Macbeth's actions because he is the one who eventually decides what to do.
Works Cited
Weller, Philip. "Annotated List of Passages Related to the Theme of Macbeth and
Fate." Shakespeare-navigators.com. Philip Weller, n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.shakespeare-navigators.com/macbeth/Fate.html>.
Thursday, October 30, 2014
CAM: Interpreting art at its finest!
On Friday, October 24th, 2014 I visited the Contemporary Art Museum (CAM) in Downtown Raleigh. It was unlike anything I've ever seen before. Each art piece was presented in its own unique way and quite frankly, I was amazed by how much beauty I saw. My overall feeling of the exhibit would be that I was intrigued by the variety of such cool art!
Visual Analysis
After looking through the entire exhibit, the piece that stood out to me the most was the one with the red sandpaper that was put on a large portrait canvas.
Title: Shape Shifter
Artist: Jennifer Allora (b. 1974, United States) and Guillermo Calzadilla (b. 1971, Cuba)
Date:2013
Medium: Used sandpaper on canvas mounted on aluminum
Size: ~14 ft tall x 9ft wide
Stylistic Period/Culture/Context
The "Shape Shifter" art piece is originally from Latin America and it was created in 2013. This was the first exhibit I saw as we went around with our tour guide. It is important to note that the region of Latin America is considered "third world" meaning they don't have a whole lot of resources like North American countries do. The sandpaper reflects the culture of where the piece originates from because most of Latin America's inhabitants are hard workers striving to make a better life for themselves.
Subject/Iconography
The artwork represents the sandpaper as being the center focus of attention to the piece. It shows history, culture, and perspective according to the techniques used by the artists when looking at it up close. According to the curator, the sandpaper came from a variety of construction sites where objects were obviously sanded down continuously. Each piece of sandpaper came from a different place, so each piece has its own unique history which I think is so cool! The idea/concept of the canvas is to show how one object that no one would ever think had any value to it, could be used to create an art form that is beautiful to others.
Style/Technique
I am sure that when the artists sent the piece over to the museum, they specified to the curator that it be put under lights. The lighting in this piece is above, which sort of puts it into the spotlight and really makes the color and texture of the sandpaper show. The form of the piece is set in portrait orientation as if it was a masterpiece painting being shown to the public. The shape, being that it is in portrait form, is rectangular. I also noticed how each piece of sandpaper used was also set in portrait orientation.The color of the piece is overall a sandy red (as is the color of sandpaper), but there are some pieces of sandpaper that are a darker red than others. This depends on how faded the sandpaper was. The texture of the piece is coarse and gritty, for the most part. In some places where the sandpaper was faded, it felt more smooth. I personally think artwork that has different textures is really cool because it makes the work unique. I think that if the art was arranged in landscape format, it wouldn't look as appealing because I would just look at it and say, "Oh, that looks like a brick wall".
Significance/Function/Purpose
The purpose of the artwork is to show that an every day object has a different cultural meaning to some cultures as opposed to ours. I personally think that the sandpaper symbolizes a culture where people work hard to make a living. Another interpretation of the piece can be said that the sandpaper symbolizes the amount of work or quality that has been put in to building or crafting something, wherever the sandpaper was used. The places where it has faded shows that. I also got the feeling that the color of the piece served the purpose of resembling love, in particular, the number of hands that used the sandpaper to create a piece of work as well as the artist's love for recognizing this on a canvas. Politically, I think the piece might reveal ties to Communism because one of the artists' is from there. Red is a color that is most associated to Communism. Socially, it reveals hard work ethic or on the flip side, maybe some kind of controlled labor. I think the title of the work, "Shape Shifter", signifies the rearrangement of the sandpaper in a unique way. The pieces are all mixed up and that adds onto the variety of the the work. Even though the shape of the work is the same, the "shifter" part signifies that the sandpaper is arranged to show different angles of perspective such as: Why are they arranged all over the place? What is the significance of the lighting in reflecting darker shadows on the bottom of the piece? What if the color of the sandpaper was blue?
Visual Analysis
After looking through the entire exhibit, the piece that stood out to me the most was the one with the red sandpaper that was put on a large portrait canvas.
Title: Shape Shifter
Artist: Jennifer Allora (b. 1974, United States) and Guillermo Calzadilla (b. 1971, Cuba)
Date:2013
Medium: Used sandpaper on canvas mounted on aluminum
Size: ~14 ft tall x 9ft wide
Stylistic Period/Culture/Context
The "Shape Shifter" art piece is originally from Latin America and it was created in 2013. This was the first exhibit I saw as we went around with our tour guide. It is important to note that the region of Latin America is considered "third world" meaning they don't have a whole lot of resources like North American countries do. The sandpaper reflects the culture of where the piece originates from because most of Latin America's inhabitants are hard workers striving to make a better life for themselves.
Subject/Iconography
The artwork represents the sandpaper as being the center focus of attention to the piece. It shows history, culture, and perspective according to the techniques used by the artists when looking at it up close. According to the curator, the sandpaper came from a variety of construction sites where objects were obviously sanded down continuously. Each piece of sandpaper came from a different place, so each piece has its own unique history which I think is so cool! The idea/concept of the canvas is to show how one object that no one would ever think had any value to it, could be used to create an art form that is beautiful to others.
Style/Technique
I am sure that when the artists sent the piece over to the museum, they specified to the curator that it be put under lights. The lighting in this piece is above, which sort of puts it into the spotlight and really makes the color and texture of the sandpaper show. The form of the piece is set in portrait orientation as if it was a masterpiece painting being shown to the public. The shape, being that it is in portrait form, is rectangular. I also noticed how each piece of sandpaper used was also set in portrait orientation.The color of the piece is overall a sandy red (as is the color of sandpaper), but there are some pieces of sandpaper that are a darker red than others. This depends on how faded the sandpaper was. The texture of the piece is coarse and gritty, for the most part. In some places where the sandpaper was faded, it felt more smooth. I personally think artwork that has different textures is really cool because it makes the work unique. I think that if the art was arranged in landscape format, it wouldn't look as appealing because I would just look at it and say, "Oh, that looks like a brick wall".
Significance/Function/Purpose
The purpose of the artwork is to show that an every day object has a different cultural meaning to some cultures as opposed to ours. I personally think that the sandpaper symbolizes a culture where people work hard to make a living. Another interpretation of the piece can be said that the sandpaper symbolizes the amount of work or quality that has been put in to building or crafting something, wherever the sandpaper was used. The places where it has faded shows that. I also got the feeling that the color of the piece served the purpose of resembling love, in particular, the number of hands that used the sandpaper to create a piece of work as well as the artist's love for recognizing this on a canvas. Politically, I think the piece might reveal ties to Communism because one of the artists' is from there. Red is a color that is most associated to Communism. Socially, it reveals hard work ethic or on the flip side, maybe some kind of controlled labor. I think the title of the work, "Shape Shifter", signifies the rearrangement of the sandpaper in a unique way. The pieces are all mixed up and that adds onto the variety of the the work. Even though the shape of the work is the same, the "shifter" part signifies that the sandpaper is arranged to show different angles of perspective such as: Why are they arranged all over the place? What is the significance of the lighting in reflecting darker shadows on the bottom of the piece? What if the color of the sandpaper was blue?
Monday, October 13, 2014
The Seven Deadly Sins in Advertising
 |
| Customized Nike Free 5.0 iD $135 |
 |
| Nike's Advertisement for iD Free Runs |
The author of this advertisement would be Nike, Inc. The date of the published ad was March 5, 2011. The place where I found this ad was from Nike's Insider website under the Launch Calendar Tab.
The denotative vibe of this advertisement is a beautiful, colorful Nike shoe. It also appears as if it is glowing, in an enhancing way. You see the ad sticks to one color theme of purple, pink, black, and gray/silver. These cultures definitely caught my eye at first glance! Not only is it visually attractive, but the product is centered to show its features. I liked the idea of using a white background to show off the product because it makes the shoes stand out more. The ad is promoting the new Nike Free Run iD and its release of March 5, 2012. Their persuasive technique includes two phrases: "SUPER NATURAL RIDE." and "CREATE THE PERFECT FREE FOR YOUR FEET." The second phrase is in a smaller font size than the first. The top picture is an example of what a Nike Free Run iD pair of shoes would be valued at; $135.
With that in mind, Nike also uses pride as one of their sins. Through their ad, they are trying to promote the concept that they're shoes are better than any other athletic company's shoes because of the fact that they let you customize and select a shoe style in which you have the freedom to do so. It is how they go about marketing their product that makes them seem like the "over-the-top" company. Nevertheless, this attracts consumers.
Who is the intended audience? Well, its for the most part athletes, high school students, and consumers who love the brand Nike. High school students would be an example of popular culture that is currently being influenced by social media and Nike's website itself. Then, there's the stereotype that all rich white girls own a pair of Nike Free Runs. They are people of a worker to high class social and economic background. When seeing an ad to customize a shoe, the consumer should know going into it that making something your own, costs a little extra. With the example at the top, the value shows (and that isn't even with tax + shipping!). In my opinion, I think that these buyers sometimes don't realize how expensive the shoes will be and that it where the idea of lust comes into play in an advertisement. It doesn't show the price of the shoe for a reason; instead, they want to lure the customer in. One may also think of the intended audience as people of the poor class who are the ones who tend to be lured in the most by buying things that they don't have the money to pay for. I would say that is an example of deliberate manipulation of an audience.
Cultural knowledge that the consumers may have is the fact that Nike is one of the largest brand-selling companies in the world alongside top competitors like Adidas and Reebok. These companies are known very well all over the world, especially in Europe. Nike's history is quite interesting. The company was started by a nationally respected track & field coach at the University of Oregon in the United States. Today, it makes millions and is a strong economically sound company that makes athletes all over the world extremely happy with their quality of work in making the perfect shoe.
Works Cited
Insider.nike.com. Nike, 5 Mar. 2011. Web. 14 Oct. 2014.
<http://insider.nike.com/us/launch/nike-free-run-id-shoe/>.
Nike. "NikeiD." Store.nike.com.
Nike, 2014. Web. 14 Oct. 2014.
<http://store.nike.com/us/en_us/product/free-id/?piid=36326&pbid=427957000#?pbid=427957000>.
Nikeinc.com. Nike, 2014. Web. 14 Oct. 2014.
<http://nikeinc.com/pages/history-heritage>.
Sunday, October 5, 2014
How Do Literary Devices Influence Social Commentary?
Accessed from: http://www.greenwichlibrary.org/blog/teen_central/janeeyre-thumb-323x500-9866.jpg
After reading paragraphs 8-54 from Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, I decided to explore how the author used language to influence social commentary. Throughout the chapter, she uses a variety of literary devices such as diction, syntax, similes, metaphors, irony, and Christian allusions. The chapter revolves around three main characters: Miss Temple, Mr. Brocklehurst, and Jane Eyre. The setting is in a school classroom on a one afternoon. Mr. Brocklehurst enters the room and starts talking to Miss Temple, the teacher. The chapter is narrated through the eyes of Jane. You can tell that she is not very fond of Mr. Brocklehurst because she uses this diction, "his absence was a relief to me"(Bronte, Paragraph 9)."A long stride measured the schoolroom, and presently beside Miss Temple, who herself had risen", is an example of diction the author uses through Jane's interpretation of Mr. Brocklehurst as a figure of authority (Bronte, Paragraph 10). Jane uses a metaphor to describe Mr. Brocklehurst as "piece of architecture". I thought this was interesting because I have never heard of a human being described as architecture and so this signifies that he is a part of a rich social class, but is an arrogant, snobby, person.
The characterization of Miss Temple portrays her as a fragile figure who succumbs to authority and also tries to stand up for the children. For example, when Mr. Brocklehurst starts pointing out the wrongs of what is going on with the students in the classroom and tells her how it really should be, Miss Temple responds with, "Your directions shall be attended to, sir" (Bronte, Paragraph 15). Mr. Brocklehurst uses Christian allusions to describe what his mission of raising the girls a certain way is. "You are aware that my plan in bringing up these girls is, not to accustom them to habits of luxury and indulgence, but to render them hardy, patient, self-denying." "Oh, madam, when you put bread and cheese, instead of burnt porridge, into these children's mouths, you may indeed feed their vile bodies, but you little think how you starve their immortal souls!" This example refers to the wrong-doing of Miss Temple in feeding the children luxurious things such as lunch when they did not have any breakfast.
The girls are also required to keep their hair straight and plain, without any style and this is also a religious allusion that the human body is natural. I noticed that the register of language which was used throughout the chapter was in an older style. There were words such as remonstrate which I did not understand at first as well as the syntax of words that were not what I was used to reading. An example of this syntax is, "Of my own accord I could not have stirred; I was paralysed: but the two great girls who sit on each side of me, set me on my legs and pushed me towards the dread judge"(Bronte, Paragraph 39). An example of a simile is, "The kind whisper went to my heart like a dagger" (Bronte, Paragraph 41). This was significant to the connection between Jane and Miss Temple because just before Jane was called out by Mr. Brocklehurst, Miss Temple had whispered to Jane saying that she knew it was an accident. This affected Jane emotionally because she appreciated Miss Temple in her act of kindness.
The irony of the chapter centers on the Brocklehurst family. They come barging into the classroom wearing stylish clothing, furs around their necks, hair in curls, looking very wealthy. These are all things that go against what Mr. Brocklehurst has been preaching for the girls in the classroom to act and appear as. This irony influences social commentary of the Brocklehursts' as members of the upper-class of their society; people who do not respect the poor and do whatever they please without caring. The use of similes show the power of Mr. Brocklehurst's words in emotionally affecting Jane. Syntax influences social commentary by allowing the reader to realize how language had hidden meanings to relate to societal issues during the time period. For example, after reading the chapter, I assumed that the society was controlled by the upper-class and that the school girls were being forced to become conformed to a way of living that made them appear as an "outcast society" from the rest of the characters in the story. I automatically thought in my head, "this isn't right...it's not just" because when I look at the society I live in today, I realize that we are given the chance to live in a world of equality and are entitled to rights. With Jane being an orphan child, she really didn't have a choice of choosing where to live and so she becomes a victim of society.
The girls are also required to keep their hair straight and plain, without any style and this is also a religious allusion that the human body is natural. I noticed that the register of language which was used throughout the chapter was in an older style. There were words such as remonstrate which I did not understand at first as well as the syntax of words that were not what I was used to reading. An example of this syntax is, "Of my own accord I could not have stirred; I was paralysed: but the two great girls who sit on each side of me, set me on my legs and pushed me towards the dread judge"(Bronte, Paragraph 39). An example of a simile is, "The kind whisper went to my heart like a dagger" (Bronte, Paragraph 41). This was significant to the connection between Jane and Miss Temple because just before Jane was called out by Mr. Brocklehurst, Miss Temple had whispered to Jane saying that she knew it was an accident. This affected Jane emotionally because she appreciated Miss Temple in her act of kindness.
The irony of the chapter centers on the Brocklehurst family. They come barging into the classroom wearing stylish clothing, furs around their necks, hair in curls, looking very wealthy. These are all things that go against what Mr. Brocklehurst has been preaching for the girls in the classroom to act and appear as. This irony influences social commentary of the Brocklehursts' as members of the upper-class of their society; people who do not respect the poor and do whatever they please without caring. The use of similes show the power of Mr. Brocklehurst's words in emotionally affecting Jane. Syntax influences social commentary by allowing the reader to realize how language had hidden meanings to relate to societal issues during the time period. For example, after reading the chapter, I assumed that the society was controlled by the upper-class and that the school girls were being forced to become conformed to a way of living that made them appear as an "outcast society" from the rest of the characters in the story. I automatically thought in my head, "this isn't right...it's not just" because when I look at the society I live in today, I realize that we are given the chance to live in a world of equality and are entitled to rights. With Jane being an orphan child, she really didn't have a choice of choosing where to live and so she becomes a victim of society.
Friday, September 19, 2014
What Makes My Name So Special?
My name is Ekaterina. Although I go by my nickname, Katya, I still stay true to my real name. It has a Russian background. The meaning of Ekaterina is "pure". It is a very popular name used in the countries of Russia and Bulgaria. Pronounced like: ye-kah-tye-REE-nah or ee-kah-tee-REE-nah, many Americans have trouble pronouncing it. Thus, I use Katya instead, because that is the common nickname associated with Russians or Bulgarians. It is also easier for Americans to pronounce. Upon researching the etymology, I found out that it could derive from the early Greek name Hekaterine which came from Hekateros meaning "each of the two". Another origin is from the name of the goddess Hecate. In the early Christian era, it was associated with the Greek katharos meaning "pure". The Latin spelling changed from Katerina to Katharina to show this. I always like to brag to people and say I was named after the Great Empress of Russia, Catherine the Great. I would say that my name defines my character a lot. According to Merriam-Webster's definition of pure it states, "clean and not harmful in any way". For those that know my personality, I think it's safe to say that my personality reflects that definition clearly.
http://www.history.com/news/8-things-you-didnt-know-about-catherine-the-great
With my name, I believe that I have a unique situation. I can either choose to be Ekaterina, a person with ties to Russian culture or I can choose to be Katya, a girl that everyone knows me best as. It is for me to decide which individual I choose to be. Frankly, I don't think it matters just as long as people accept my personality. In my opinion, your personality is something that defines you more as an individual rather than your name. Considering my real name versus my nickname, you could say that there have been times that I am two people. In the case of Anna Quindlen, she was given a name at birth that she chose to change when she grew up. Thus, she consequently became a new person when she changed her name.
Ekaterina was a name that was given to me at birth and I am quite the opposite from Anna Quindlen. I cherish my name. I honestly think that it is the most beautiful name that could ever be given to a girl. I feel as if my name fits me perfectly. Not to mention, it defines my cultural background. When thinking about it, this is the name I use for anything official--whether it's applying to college or registering for an exam. It is the name the world knows me by. On the other hand, Katya is like my leisure name. This is the "part" of a larger whole. People like to use Katya because it is a cool-sounding name and easier to say. I, myself, like the fact that it is only five letters long and love that it is also a pretty name. Katya is the girl that everyone grew up with--whether it's my brother, cousins, friends, or family. She is the name that is forever encouraged to be pronounced by teachers, classmates, and adults upon first meeting. Although I can relate to Anna Quindlen in saying that my name never appears on those key chains at the beach, I can say that I will never dislike the name I have been given. In fact, I don't see having two names as a dilemma at all. The way I like to think of it, is that this makes me unique. Yes, I am aware that my name is different from Americans' but I don't even notice it as an issue. When people hear my name, the first thing that comes out of their mouth is "Wow, what a cool name! Where is it from?" I don't ever hear anything bad about my name. Thus, I like to think that my name is special and that is why I will never change it.
"Pure." Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 21 Sept. 2014. <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pure>.
Campbell, Mike. "EKATERINA." Behindthename.com. Mike Campbell, 2014. Web. 21
Sept. 2014. <http://www.behindthename.com/name/ekaterina>.
http://www.history.com/news/8-things-you-didnt-know-about-catherine-the-great
With my name, I believe that I have a unique situation. I can either choose to be Ekaterina, a person with ties to Russian culture or I can choose to be Katya, a girl that everyone knows me best as. It is for me to decide which individual I choose to be. Frankly, I don't think it matters just as long as people accept my personality. In my opinion, your personality is something that defines you more as an individual rather than your name. Considering my real name versus my nickname, you could say that there have been times that I am two people. In the case of Anna Quindlen, she was given a name at birth that she chose to change when she grew up. Thus, she consequently became a new person when she changed her name.
Ekaterina was a name that was given to me at birth and I am quite the opposite from Anna Quindlen. I cherish my name. I honestly think that it is the most beautiful name that could ever be given to a girl. I feel as if my name fits me perfectly. Not to mention, it defines my cultural background. When thinking about it, this is the name I use for anything official--whether it's applying to college or registering for an exam. It is the name the world knows me by. On the other hand, Katya is like my leisure name. This is the "part" of a larger whole. People like to use Katya because it is a cool-sounding name and easier to say. I, myself, like the fact that it is only five letters long and love that it is also a pretty name. Katya is the girl that everyone grew up with--whether it's my brother, cousins, friends, or family. She is the name that is forever encouraged to be pronounced by teachers, classmates, and adults upon first meeting. Although I can relate to Anna Quindlen in saying that my name never appears on those key chains at the beach, I can say that I will never dislike the name I have been given. In fact, I don't see having two names as a dilemma at all. The way I like to think of it, is that this makes me unique. Yes, I am aware that my name is different from Americans' but I don't even notice it as an issue. When people hear my name, the first thing that comes out of their mouth is "Wow, what a cool name! Where is it from?" I don't ever hear anything bad about my name. Thus, I like to think that my name is special and that is why I will never change it.
Works Cited
"Pure." Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 21 Sept. 2014. <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pure>.
Campbell, Mike. "EKATERINA." Behindthename.com. Mike Campbell, 2014. Web. 21
Sept. 2014. <http://www.behindthename.com/name/ekaterina>.
Sunday, September 7, 2014
"Othering" in Society
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| From Father and Sons, The Springs, California Inside The Springs (2007) Wing Young Huie Accessed 9/7/2014 |
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