“Is this a dagger which I see before me,
The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee.
I have thee not, and yet I see thee still.
Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible
To feeling as to sight? or art thou but
A dagger of the mind, a false creation,
Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain?
I see thee yet, in form as palpable
As this which now I draw.” ( 2. 1. 40-49)
Macbeth imagines the bloody dagger that he will use to kill Duncan. This quote shows the power of this thought in his head of using a dagger to kill Duncan. By following the dagger, Shakespeare shows us that this is a premeditated death, that Macbeth had time to reconsider his actions, but he was driven as if attracted by the magnetic force of the dagger to the murder scene. The significance of this quote is the power of the thought of murder in Macbeth’s mind that he actually imagines a dagger in front of him leading the way. This quote makes me believe that Macbeth has a mind of a deranged killer. It shows him losing his sanity and seeing hallucinations in front of him. Macbeth has lost touch with reality.
The scene of the imaginary dagger and Macbeth touching its tip and feeling for blood, has an eerie background sound. There isn’t much light. There seems like there is a heart beating rapidly. The walk through the dark tunnel shows the way that will summon him to heaven or to hell. This scene is significant because Macbeth thinks about murder and questions it as a wicked curse and how responsible he is for what he is about to do. We hear a bell indicating its time.
I thought this quote was portrayed very well in the video. Robert Goold used sound, close ups, lighting, movement , action, and setting, all so effectively to capture Macbeth’s mindset and his descent towards hell. I think this quote was better described visually than reading it in print. This performance was outstanding.
“Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.” (4 . 1. 10-11)
The witches chant as they wait for Macbeth to come. What is interesting is that Shakespeare casts the three women as witches whereas Robert Goold casts them as nurses or as angels of death. The witches are preparing for Macbeth to come to prepare for him the magic spell that will prepare him to kill. This quote could take some of the blame off Macbeth because it can be used to say that he had no conscious intention to kill, that the witches were to blame.
The scene looks like it came out of a rock video. The sounds and the flashing rays of light, the agitated actions of the nurses surrounded by blood splattered hanging plastic sheets and the wailing in the background are all so creepy. The nurses talk gently and then harshly holding long knives make the scene terrifying. The cinematic effects of sound, lighting, setting, props, and makeup are all very convincing.
The scene is presented as a musical production with the nurses acting as if they are the witches that Shakespeare intended for them to be. They are standing over and on top of dead bodies covered with sheets. It looks like a room in a morgue. This scene was much more effective experienced visually than simply reading Shakespeare. It was like experiencing an attack on the senses.
“Out, damned spot! out, I say!--One: two: why,
then, 'tis time to do't.--Hell is murky!--Fie, my
lord, fie! a soldier, and afeard? What need we
fear who knows it, when none can call our power to
account?--Yet who would have thought the old man
to have had so much blood in him.”( 5. 1. 30- 35)
This quote best describes the anguish of guilt that Lady Macbeth experiences at the murder of King Duncan. It captures the descent into madness she goes through when she sleep walks and is tortured by the smell and sight of blood on her hands. She tries to wash this blood out, and she cant. She says that “All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. (5. 1. 43) She knows that they have sinned and it cannot be undone.
“ What’s done cannot be undone” ( 5. 1. 37) “ Hell is murky” ( 5.1.31)
She has fear of going to hell for murder. Lady Macbeth is suffering a mental breakdown over the horror of this act.
This quote may actually portray Lady Macbeth in a better light because it shows that she was human and had remorse. Society has a way of looking more compassionately at people who feel sorry for their action. The fact that she feels guilt shows that she has a conscience, and this is very important to the readers or viewer because it makes us ask ourselves do we feel any empathy for her. Is she guilty by association?
The interesting part is that Shakespeare describes this scene with her sleepwalking, so she shows this side to her which is her sub conscience talking. It isn’t spoken while she is awake. I believe this is very significant because we can say something but not really mean it. Our sub conscience is what is real because we have no control over our thoughts and words when it comes our of our sub conscience. When we are awake we can control the direction of what we think or say, so it is significant that this quote was said while she was asleep.
The scene in the movie was very effective because we get a close- up shot of Lady Macbeth screaming in anguish which rings in our ears, and we feel the force of pain and suffering in her cries. When in agitation, she tries to wash off the blood to wash away her sins, she feels that she just can’t get rid of the blood. We know that she will suffer in hell for her action. Then the blood that pours out of the faucet shows how impossible it is to undo this act, and it shows the torture she must suffer for ever for being a part of a murder. The stream of blood is memorable and therefore very effective because it is human nature to feel disgust at the sight of blood. and when it is just pours out makes it even more sickening. Therefore Goold uses sound, action, props, close-up carefully editing the scene to show her anguished state of mind.
I believe this scene was terrifying and it reminded did me of horror films. When I think of this movie, this scene will stand out as one that best captures the consequences of abuse of power and the evil it creates. People will do anything to remain in power as Lord and Lady Macbeth show conspiring to and eventually killing Duncan. It also reminds me of God and that murder is a sin. Those who take the life of another person will pay for their sins by going to hell where they will suffer the agony of the damned. Robert Goold does an amazing job of having us hear and feel that an evil act has taken place which makes it have greater impact that simply reading Shakespeare’s words on paper.
“To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day
To the last syllable of recorded time,
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.”
(5. 5. 21-30)
This quote symbolizes how Macbeth feels after all is said and done. It is significant because it explains his final analysis of the entire play. His wife is dead, and he doesn’t seem to care. “To-morrow, and to-morrow and to-morrow.” just shows that time passes as if there is no meaning to it. Macbeth seems to be saying that there is no meaning to life, that you just go through your days, and then you die. This quote shows Macbeth to be indifferent to life. People live, people die- its all meaningless, and he doesn’t care. It shows his character as ruthless and cold. All he cares about is himself and gaining power.
This scene then becomes an action packed drama full of killing that shows Macbeth to be ruthless. He says in anger that he will not yield , but then runs out of bullets. Yet. he never shows any fear. He grabs a knife and attacks MacDuff. He keeps repeating “ I was not born a woman” as if to reinforce that he is a man who has no fear. The scene is gruesome. The sounds of bullets firing, the images of blood and people dying is sickening and therefore effective.
In this scene Macbeth seems to be reflecting about life. Sir Patrick is very impressive playing this part. He sees the body of his dead wife removes the shed the covers her and then says this quote, but he doesn’t seem affected by death, like he is numb which is what I think happens to killers as they detach from reality.
Regarding this quote, I liked it better reading it than watching the movie. The movie on the whole was disgusting ,and Shakespeare would probably be rolling in his grave if he knew that his words were destroyed by this presentation of Macbeth as a war movie. For this quote viewing Shakespeare play made it less effective because the viewer is trying to take in all the images of people killing and dying when what I think Shakespeare was really trying to say was how was life was meaningless and Macbeth just did whatever he felt he had to do to hold on to his power. If it meant killing King Duncan, and losing his wife it didn’t make much difference. Life was just an act that you played a part in and then you died. I believed this quote makes us think of the day of judgment where every action has been recorded and we will pay for our sing and that there is actually meaning for our action.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Oedipus
Question 1:
Does one believe in the power of fate or that of free will? That’s a very good question because in one you play a passive role in your life, and in the other you play an active role. I think there is no one way or the other but a mix of the two forces. Fate gives you a hand of cards, and free will allows you to play the cards the way you want to.
If life was decided by fate, then we would move around like robots. If life was based on free will, then we would have everything we ever wanted in our lives. The truth is life doesn’t work that way. There are many obstacles and surprises in life, and we are free to decide how we want to approach them.
An example of this might be that life gives you a lemon ( say living with a disability), you can decide to live in a wheelchair and do nothing, or you can roll your wheelchair outside and move around in this world of your own free will.
Question 2:
Has there ever been a time in your life where it was okay to lie? Has there ever been a time where you just didn’t want to know the truth? This question presumes that people are perfect and everyone lives a moral life when that is absolutely not true. Everyone lies, and we even lie to ourselves. We lie all the time because we have been taught to avoid hurting people’s feelings, so we hold back on our feelings and tell the person what they want to hear. We also expect people to do the same for us. Somehow if the truth comes out, it feels ugly so we hide it by lying so that we don’t have to deal with something unpleasant.
As a citizen of conscience I believe that it is never okay to lie. Lying means being untruthful. I believe that many people lie to get out of something and or to avoid getting into trouble. I have lied myself to prevent conflict in my life. I remember lying once to a friend when this person wanted to try out for the basketball team. I told him not to bother, and that it was not fun at all. I also told him that practices were so difficult, and that it was basically three months of hell. But, in reality I find that when I’m playing basketball I’m having one of the best times of my life. I just didn’t want the person to get hurt if he got cut from the team. Or to basically waste his time and not play. This actually happened to me when I was playing for the freshmen team at South Hadley High School. I hated that season. The reason for this was that I hardly got any court time and spent most of the season on the bench. I knew that I was telling a lie, but in some way I felt that I was protecting my friend.
Many people say that they would rather be told the truth, yet when that happens they get angry, upset and sulk away. Whether you lie or tell the truth, there will be consequences and it is your personal choice which way you would rather go. Do you want to live a life based on truth or lies? I’d rather live with the ugly truth because then I’d know what I have to deal with and can change.
Question 3:
The Oedipus complex is that in man’s childhood, he has the desire to sleep with the mother and kill his father is based on the story of Oedipus. Oedipus didn’t know that his mother was his wife and he didn’t know that the man he killed was actually his father. Freud says that this is an unconscious feeling, which makes it difficult to understand because we would be unaware of it.
I think in general we are very protective of our mothers because they take care of us, and we don’t want anything to happened to them. We may see our fathers as threats if they take away some of the attention that our mothers give to us because we want it only for ourselves.
I think there may be some truth to this, but I don’t believe it is so hostile. We may share and not like having to do so, but we wouldn’t get rid of the other person for our own selfish desires. We share our mothers with our fathers as we do with our brothers and sisters.
Question 4:
‘
Antigone chooses to do what was right instead of what was easy. This is probably one of the best lessons we can learn from literature. We like to go through life making easy choices because it is easier that way. We say we take the path of easy resistance so that life doesn’t become difficult.
Yet, this is the dumbest thing to do because you sell yourself short. You don’t do what you would want to do. Antigone knew what she had to do. She believed in herself and fought for it. She risked death to bury her brother. When you believe that you are doing the right thing you should definitely stand up for what you believe in.
However, you must be sure that you have all the facts. You may believe very strongly about something and you could be wrong. For example I may believe that people should work and not live on food stamps, and I can vote or fight against this every chance I get. But I could be wrong because I wouldn’t know what its like to struggle, or what it is like to get a break in this world and may not even have any good options. I maybe be standing up for what I think is the right thing, and I could be wrong. I think you need a criteria that his higher than what we think or believe in to base our decisions on. We can’t always do what we think is right.
Does one believe in the power of fate or that of free will? That’s a very good question because in one you play a passive role in your life, and in the other you play an active role. I think there is no one way or the other but a mix of the two forces. Fate gives you a hand of cards, and free will allows you to play the cards the way you want to.
If life was decided by fate, then we would move around like robots. If life was based on free will, then we would have everything we ever wanted in our lives. The truth is life doesn’t work that way. There are many obstacles and surprises in life, and we are free to decide how we want to approach them.
An example of this might be that life gives you a lemon ( say living with a disability), you can decide to live in a wheelchair and do nothing, or you can roll your wheelchair outside and move around in this world of your own free will.
Question 2:
Has there ever been a time in your life where it was okay to lie? Has there ever been a time where you just didn’t want to know the truth? This question presumes that people are perfect and everyone lives a moral life when that is absolutely not true. Everyone lies, and we even lie to ourselves. We lie all the time because we have been taught to avoid hurting people’s feelings, so we hold back on our feelings and tell the person what they want to hear. We also expect people to do the same for us. Somehow if the truth comes out, it feels ugly so we hide it by lying so that we don’t have to deal with something unpleasant.
As a citizen of conscience I believe that it is never okay to lie. Lying means being untruthful. I believe that many people lie to get out of something and or to avoid getting into trouble. I have lied myself to prevent conflict in my life. I remember lying once to a friend when this person wanted to try out for the basketball team. I told him not to bother, and that it was not fun at all. I also told him that practices were so difficult, and that it was basically three months of hell. But, in reality I find that when I’m playing basketball I’m having one of the best times of my life. I just didn’t want the person to get hurt if he got cut from the team. Or to basically waste his time and not play. This actually happened to me when I was playing for the freshmen team at South Hadley High School. I hated that season. The reason for this was that I hardly got any court time and spent most of the season on the bench. I knew that I was telling a lie, but in some way I felt that I was protecting my friend.
Many people say that they would rather be told the truth, yet when that happens they get angry, upset and sulk away. Whether you lie or tell the truth, there will be consequences and it is your personal choice which way you would rather go. Do you want to live a life based on truth or lies? I’d rather live with the ugly truth because then I’d know what I have to deal with and can change.
Question 3:
The Oedipus complex is that in man’s childhood, he has the desire to sleep with the mother and kill his father is based on the story of Oedipus. Oedipus didn’t know that his mother was his wife and he didn’t know that the man he killed was actually his father. Freud says that this is an unconscious feeling, which makes it difficult to understand because we would be unaware of it.
I think in general we are very protective of our mothers because they take care of us, and we don’t want anything to happened to them. We may see our fathers as threats if they take away some of the attention that our mothers give to us because we want it only for ourselves.
I think there may be some truth to this, but I don’t believe it is so hostile. We may share and not like having to do so, but we wouldn’t get rid of the other person for our own selfish desires. We share our mothers with our fathers as we do with our brothers and sisters.
Question 4:
‘
Antigone chooses to do what was right instead of what was easy. This is probably one of the best lessons we can learn from literature. We like to go through life making easy choices because it is easier that way. We say we take the path of easy resistance so that life doesn’t become difficult.
Yet, this is the dumbest thing to do because you sell yourself short. You don’t do what you would want to do. Antigone knew what she had to do. She believed in herself and fought for it. She risked death to bury her brother. When you believe that you are doing the right thing you should definitely stand up for what you believe in.
However, you must be sure that you have all the facts. You may believe very strongly about something and you could be wrong. For example I may believe that people should work and not live on food stamps, and I can vote or fight against this every chance I get. But I could be wrong because I wouldn’t know what its like to struggle, or what it is like to get a break in this world and may not even have any good options. I maybe be standing up for what I think is the right thing, and I could be wrong. I think you need a criteria that his higher than what we think or believe in to base our decisions on. We can’t always do what we think is right.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Siddartha Comes to America!
As soon as I saw Siddharta standing on my doorstep with his tan suitcase by his side, I knew that I needed to take him somewhere quickly to recuperate from his traumatic 18 hour flight from Mumbai, India to the United States. There was no doubt that he was tired. He looked haggard.
“Namaste,” he said as he bowed his head forward toward me. Greetings from my soul to your soul. I will be to you what Vasuveda was to me. I will listen to you, and you will listen to me.
“Namaste,” I replied with a smile on face. I picked up my suitcase and asked him to come inside.
“Dhanyivad,” he said thanking me in Hindi. This boy is respectful of others.
I tilted my head from side to side in the cultural Indian way I had learned that indicated that everything was good. We went in and headed for the dining room where an American meal I had prepared was waiting for him. He washed up and joined me there. I had grilled burgers and there were fries and a coke. He looked at his burger but didn’t touch it. He devoured the oily fries saying he was sorry that he could not eat the burger as he did not eat beef. I felt like I should have known this and offered to get him something else. He said that he was tired and would like to go rest in his room.
The next day we took a train to Niagara Falls. I knew that Siddharta needed to go to a place where the presence of nature would overawe his senses and quiet his will. Niagara Falls with its vast waterfalls and thunderous sounds made by the gushing water would be the perfect place. Standing at the edge of the cliff and looking over at water so plentiful that it could not be stopped from its natural journey down the fall, I knew Siddharta would view the scene with absolute wonder and amazement at the beauty and force of mother nature. He probably had never seen as much water in his entire life. The force of the water was so strong that it was used to provide electricity. I too stood there trying to absorb the sight of the waterfalls cascading onto the huge black rocks that were polished to a gleam by the force of the water. The mist surrounded us, and I felt as if I was being sprayed by the water even though we were a good distance away. There was a yellow boat in the river called The Maid of the Mist taking daring tourists as close to the falls as possible. I looked at Siddharta who seemed very content.
“America, good country. Very beautiful.” he said smiling as he gazed across at the falls. In truth the name of the Brahman is satya. Indeed , he who knows it enters the heavenly world each day…but never had he quite reached it, never had he quenched the final thirst. (8) Water this plentiful, in all its splendor must be able to quench my eternal thirst. If only I could take a sip of this water, maybe then I can enter the heavenly world.
“This is a very beautiful part of America.” I said.
The river’s voice spoke to him. He learned from it, it educated and taught him. The river seemed like a god to him(146) This water like the river can give me the answers.
“I was born on the other side,” I said. “Like you, I also traveled to America.”
Your soul is the whole world. (7) Like me my friend you are making your own pilgrimage. Coming here and bringing me with you, you will be able to connect with Atman.
I thought I would take Siddharta back to Boston where he could experience one of my favorite experiences before catching his plane home from Logan Airport. I knew that no place would be better than a Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat game at TD Garden.
“ Are we going to a park?” asked Sidharta when I told him where we were going.
“ It’s called TD Garden, but it isn’t a garden,” I said. “ It’s where the Boston Celtics play basketball.” As we stood in line with the tickets that I had pre-purchased online, Siddharta looked around at the state- of- the- art sports arena. We walked up six flights of stairs to our seats. Siddharta watched excited fans fill the 19,600 seats. “Have you ever seen so many people at one event?” I asked hoping that he was as impressed by the place as I was.
Siddharta tossed his back and laughed hard. “Have you forgotten that I live in Mumbai, India, one of the most densely populated places on Earth?!” He saw people living in a childish or animal-like way, which he both loved and despised. (70)
“ In America, we like to gather together to support our teams, and we feel a really good sense of community doing it together.” I said. “ It revives our soul. We feel happy coming here as fans cheering on our favorite team. You could say we worship them as Gods,” I said jokingly. Siddharta shook his head and probably thought these are crazy Americans.
“Tell me why you like being here”, he asked noticing my happiness.
“I just love the Celtics! They’re the best team ever!” Music was playing and fans were standing up and dancing in hopes that the tv cameras would capture them on the wide screen televisions hanging from the rafters.
“Your love for the Celtics is like our love for cricket.”
Crickets? I thought. How could he compare the great game of basketball to a stupid insect.
“ Cricket is a game were we bat the ball to the post ahead, and then the players run back and forth.”
“Oh, that sounds like baseball.”
Music blasted from speakers seemingly coming from all angles. I saw Siddharta rocking himself to the beat. He looked all around and said, “ Americans love big spaces.”
“ It is huge,” I agreed. I think it is like ten stories high and something like 5oo feet long and 3oo feet wide.”
“ I still can’t understand how you Americans can waste so much space for a sport when the land could be put to better use.”
I figured that this had to be some sort of culture shock for him. It wasn’t a waste of space. It was a great use of space! I hoped that once the game started he would share in the thrill and excitement that we all felt being there. “I hope the noise isn’t bothering you?” I asked.
“It isn’t. I’m used to so much noise pollution that I can just block it out like a hum in the background.” We leaned back in our seats and enjoyed the game along with the buttery taste of our popcorn. Siddharta watched as Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Rondo dribbled the ball down the court to make a basket as the fans shot out of their seats shouting for joy.
“Certainly I have traveled for my pleasure.” (68) “Why not? I have become acquainted with people and new districts.” (68)
After Siddharta’s plane took off, I wondered which experience he enjoyed more- going to Niagara Falls or watching the game at TD Garden? After reflecting on the sense of peace he must have felt at such a spectacular sight at Niagara Falls, I figured he would have enjoyed watching the basketball game a lot more. The reason for this I felt, was that he was used to meditating and being in touch with his soul, and that doing so at Niagara Falls wasn’t all that different from what he did back home.
The basketball game however was something different. Remembering how talkative he was at the game, and how willing he was to compare and contrast how his life was similar to or different from life in America made me feel that being at the game made him really think. He didn’t just take the scene in and forget about it. He really thought about how Americans and Indians had a similar love of sports. He compared how Americans love space and use it freely compared to Indians who probably had to deal with limited amount of space, so they had to use it wisely. They probably didn’t eat food at their games. I think he enjoyed the experience also because he noticed how much I loved being there and how I really wanted to share that experience with him. I’m quite sure that made a bigger impression on him, and probably added to make the experience more valuable to him.
“Namaste,” he said as he bowed his head forward toward me. Greetings from my soul to your soul. I will be to you what Vasuveda was to me. I will listen to you, and you will listen to me.
“Namaste,” I replied with a smile on face. I picked up my suitcase and asked him to come inside.
“Dhanyivad,” he said thanking me in Hindi. This boy is respectful of others.
I tilted my head from side to side in the cultural Indian way I had learned that indicated that everything was good. We went in and headed for the dining room where an American meal I had prepared was waiting for him. He washed up and joined me there. I had grilled burgers and there were fries and a coke. He looked at his burger but didn’t touch it. He devoured the oily fries saying he was sorry that he could not eat the burger as he did not eat beef. I felt like I should have known this and offered to get him something else. He said that he was tired and would like to go rest in his room.
The next day we took a train to Niagara Falls. I knew that Siddharta needed to go to a place where the presence of nature would overawe his senses and quiet his will. Niagara Falls with its vast waterfalls and thunderous sounds made by the gushing water would be the perfect place. Standing at the edge of the cliff and looking over at water so plentiful that it could not be stopped from its natural journey down the fall, I knew Siddharta would view the scene with absolute wonder and amazement at the beauty and force of mother nature. He probably had never seen as much water in his entire life. The force of the water was so strong that it was used to provide electricity. I too stood there trying to absorb the sight of the waterfalls cascading onto the huge black rocks that were polished to a gleam by the force of the water. The mist surrounded us, and I felt as if I was being sprayed by the water even though we were a good distance away. There was a yellow boat in the river called The Maid of the Mist taking daring tourists as close to the falls as possible. I looked at Siddharta who seemed very content.
“America, good country. Very beautiful.” he said smiling as he gazed across at the falls. In truth the name of the Brahman is satya. Indeed , he who knows it enters the heavenly world each day…but never had he quite reached it, never had he quenched the final thirst. (8) Water this plentiful, in all its splendor must be able to quench my eternal thirst. If only I could take a sip of this water, maybe then I can enter the heavenly world.
“This is a very beautiful part of America.” I said.
The river’s voice spoke to him. He learned from it, it educated and taught him. The river seemed like a god to him(146) This water like the river can give me the answers.
“I was born on the other side,” I said. “Like you, I also traveled to America.”
Your soul is the whole world. (7) Like me my friend you are making your own pilgrimage. Coming here and bringing me with you, you will be able to connect with Atman.
I thought I would take Siddharta back to Boston where he could experience one of my favorite experiences before catching his plane home from Logan Airport. I knew that no place would be better than a Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat game at TD Garden.
“ Are we going to a park?” asked Sidharta when I told him where we were going.
“ It’s called TD Garden, but it isn’t a garden,” I said. “ It’s where the Boston Celtics play basketball.” As we stood in line with the tickets that I had pre-purchased online, Siddharta looked around at the state- of- the- art sports arena. We walked up six flights of stairs to our seats. Siddharta watched excited fans fill the 19,600 seats. “Have you ever seen so many people at one event?” I asked hoping that he was as impressed by the place as I was.
Siddharta tossed his back and laughed hard. “Have you forgotten that I live in Mumbai, India, one of the most densely populated places on Earth?!” He saw people living in a childish or animal-like way, which he both loved and despised. (70)
“ In America, we like to gather together to support our teams, and we feel a really good sense of community doing it together.” I said. “ It revives our soul. We feel happy coming here as fans cheering on our favorite team. You could say we worship them as Gods,” I said jokingly. Siddharta shook his head and probably thought these are crazy Americans.
“Tell me why you like being here”, he asked noticing my happiness.
“I just love the Celtics! They’re the best team ever!” Music was playing and fans were standing up and dancing in hopes that the tv cameras would capture them on the wide screen televisions hanging from the rafters.
“Your love for the Celtics is like our love for cricket.”
Crickets? I thought. How could he compare the great game of basketball to a stupid insect.
“ Cricket is a game were we bat the ball to the post ahead, and then the players run back and forth.”
“Oh, that sounds like baseball.”
Music blasted from speakers seemingly coming from all angles. I saw Siddharta rocking himself to the beat. He looked all around and said, “ Americans love big spaces.”
“ It is huge,” I agreed. I think it is like ten stories high and something like 5oo feet long and 3oo feet wide.”
“ I still can’t understand how you Americans can waste so much space for a sport when the land could be put to better use.”
I figured that this had to be some sort of culture shock for him. It wasn’t a waste of space. It was a great use of space! I hoped that once the game started he would share in the thrill and excitement that we all felt being there. “I hope the noise isn’t bothering you?” I asked.
“It isn’t. I’m used to so much noise pollution that I can just block it out like a hum in the background.” We leaned back in our seats and enjoyed the game along with the buttery taste of our popcorn. Siddharta watched as Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Rondo dribbled the ball down the court to make a basket as the fans shot out of their seats shouting for joy.
“Certainly I have traveled for my pleasure.” (68) “Why not? I have become acquainted with people and new districts.” (68)
After Siddharta’s plane took off, I wondered which experience he enjoyed more- going to Niagara Falls or watching the game at TD Garden? After reflecting on the sense of peace he must have felt at such a spectacular sight at Niagara Falls, I figured he would have enjoyed watching the basketball game a lot more. The reason for this I felt, was that he was used to meditating and being in touch with his soul, and that doing so at Niagara Falls wasn’t all that different from what he did back home.
The basketball game however was something different. Remembering how talkative he was at the game, and how willing he was to compare and contrast how his life was similar to or different from life in America made me feel that being at the game made him really think. He didn’t just take the scene in and forget about it. He really thought about how Americans and Indians had a similar love of sports. He compared how Americans love space and use it freely compared to Indians who probably had to deal with limited amount of space, so they had to use it wisely. They probably didn’t eat food at their games. I think he enjoyed the experience also because he noticed how much I loved being there and how I really wanted to share that experience with him. I’m quite sure that made a bigger impression on him, and probably added to make the experience more valuable to him.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
How I Overcame Having Migraines
I have had to live my childhood as one that has been characterized by my having migraines. I can honestly say that I can’t remember a single school week going by in which I did not have to go visit the school nurse. Yet, I can now say that having migraines has been a blessing in my life because they were an obstacle I had to overcome which helped shaped who I am today.
Because migraines were a factor in my life that I could not control, I had to seek power by strengthening my inner recourses, so that I could find something that I could depend upon. For me that inner strength came from taking care of other people around me. By taking care of them, I felt as if I could take care of myself. I was reaching out to fix things and helping others with their problems.
Doing so helped me to change my perception of feeling frustrated and weak because I had no alternative but to give into the excruciating pain of migraines. I could now perceive of myself as strong as I could handle the responsibility of caring for others. This has given me a strong sense of importance. It has helped me to develop people skills as I play a role that focuses on the needs of other people. I like being of service, and it is why I now have 346 hours of community service. Being helpful makes me feel good about myself. A major factor that defines me is that I have a strong sense of community service and believe that we must give back to the world. I have been involved in a connections program at my school and find it very easy to gain the respect of adults around me. I have also volunteered at a hospital.
One of my all time good moments is when I here someone say, “Ziyad, that’s a great idea. I never would have thought of that.” This has the pleasant effect of making me feel that I can always come up with a better idea, the better plan in getting things done. I take pride in being a quick thinker. I like to get things done. I also feel a keen responsibility for taking charge of things to ensure that everyone does his/her assigned share, and on time.
I believe that I overcame the obstacle of having migraines when I decided I would change my focus. Instead of looking inward at my pain, I looked outward at making other people happier. Having migraines has taught me to have empathy for other people suffering. It has taught me to be humble and to think about the needs of others. It has made me consider management as a major to pursue in college in which I would be working around other people making sure that things get done right. I feel this responsibility is so engrained in me that it has now become my second nature.
Because migraines were a factor in my life that I could not control, I had to seek power by strengthening my inner recourses, so that I could find something that I could depend upon. For me that inner strength came from taking care of other people around me. By taking care of them, I felt as if I could take care of myself. I was reaching out to fix things and helping others with their problems.
Doing so helped me to change my perception of feeling frustrated and weak because I had no alternative but to give into the excruciating pain of migraines. I could now perceive of myself as strong as I could handle the responsibility of caring for others. This has given me a strong sense of importance. It has helped me to develop people skills as I play a role that focuses on the needs of other people. I like being of service, and it is why I now have 346 hours of community service. Being helpful makes me feel good about myself. A major factor that defines me is that I have a strong sense of community service and believe that we must give back to the world. I have been involved in a connections program at my school and find it very easy to gain the respect of adults around me. I have also volunteered at a hospital.
One of my all time good moments is when I here someone say, “Ziyad, that’s a great idea. I never would have thought of that.” This has the pleasant effect of making me feel that I can always come up with a better idea, the better plan in getting things done. I take pride in being a quick thinker. I like to get things done. I also feel a keen responsibility for taking charge of things to ensure that everyone does his/her assigned share, and on time.
I believe that I overcame the obstacle of having migraines when I decided I would change my focus. Instead of looking inward at my pain, I looked outward at making other people happier. Having migraines has taught me to have empathy for other people suffering. It has taught me to be humble and to think about the needs of others. It has made me consider management as a major to pursue in college in which I would be working around other people making sure that things get done right. I feel this responsibility is so engrained in me that it has now become my second nature.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Obstacles That Have Shaped Me.
1.) This essay rose to the top to me because of it resembles me the best. Shows the reader what kind of person I am and the obstacles that i have encountered and how I have overcome them.
2.) I think of the strong points in my essay is showing what defines me as a human being.
3.)Probably I need to work on organization and sentence structure.
4.) Is my conclusion powerful enough?
One of my all time good moments is when I here someone say, “Ziyad, that’s a great idea. I never would have thought of that.” this has the pleasant effect of making me feel that I can come up with a better idea, the better plan in getting things done. So I take pride in being a quick thinker. I like to get things done. I also feel a keen responsibility for taking charge of things to ensure that everyone does his/her assigned share, and on time.
A major factor that defines me is that I have a strong sense of community service and believe that we must give back to the world. I have been involved in a connections program at my school and find it very easy to gain the respect of adults around me. This has fed into my feelings of acting responsible for the needs and desires of my entire family. This is not to say that I allow them to take advantage of me being that I am very reliable and have a penchant for getting things done which of course they never fail to try to do. I know when to say no, when I feel that I’m being taken advantage of. Nevertheless, I’m not insensitive to the needs of others.
Part of this sense of responsibility stems from being the older twin and spending my life looking out for my younger brother by 16 minutes. Knowing that I was dependable. I always took responsibility for our welfare at school, outings, school trips, sports, activities or basically anytime we were away from our parents. I feel this responsibility is so engrained in me that it has become a second nature.
I have also had to live my childhood as one that has been characterized by me having had migraines. I can’t remember a school week going by in which I did not go to see the school nurse. Because of this I try to avoid pain or feed with eating food that makes me feel better. I am now working with a fitness trainer to work out and get rid of this bad habit, I’m glad to say that it has been my good fortune, to outgrow these childhood migraines.
2.) I think of the strong points in my essay is showing what defines me as a human being.
3.)Probably I need to work on organization and sentence structure.
4.) Is my conclusion powerful enough?
One of my all time good moments is when I here someone say, “Ziyad, that’s a great idea. I never would have thought of that.” this has the pleasant effect of making me feel that I can come up with a better idea, the better plan in getting things done. So I take pride in being a quick thinker. I like to get things done. I also feel a keen responsibility for taking charge of things to ensure that everyone does his/her assigned share, and on time.
A major factor that defines me is that I have a strong sense of community service and believe that we must give back to the world. I have been involved in a connections program at my school and find it very easy to gain the respect of adults around me. This has fed into my feelings of acting responsible for the needs and desires of my entire family. This is not to say that I allow them to take advantage of me being that I am very reliable and have a penchant for getting things done which of course they never fail to try to do. I know when to say no, when I feel that I’m being taken advantage of. Nevertheless, I’m not insensitive to the needs of others.
Part of this sense of responsibility stems from being the older twin and spending my life looking out for my younger brother by 16 minutes. Knowing that I was dependable. I always took responsibility for our welfare at school, outings, school trips, sports, activities or basically anytime we were away from our parents. I feel this responsibility is so engrained in me that it has become a second nature.
I have also had to live my childhood as one that has been characterized by me having had migraines. I can’t remember a school week going by in which I did not go to see the school nurse. Because of this I try to avoid pain or feed with eating food that makes me feel better. I am now working with a fitness trainer to work out and get rid of this bad habit, I’m glad to say that it has been my good fortune, to outgrow these childhood migraines.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Job 3
“ It was not a matter of live o die… And it will always be that way.” (O’Brian 133)
This passage stands out as an insightful identifier because it explains what happens at war and what was Tim O’Brian’s experience of killing a man. The realization is he didn’t really need to kill the man as his life did not depend on it. Tim has pulled the cap of the grenade and by then had no option but to throw it. He did and a man died.
Tim says, “and it will always be that way.”(O’Brian 133) He says that because there is nothing that can change what happened. He doesn’t express regret or guilt. He is just resigned to the idea that this is what happens in war.
“There was no music…’why’s she dancing?” (O’Brian 134)
Again this passage supports the theme that what happens in a war just doesn’t make sense. A girl is dancing even though we find out that her house burned down and her family is dead. There was no music is an insightful identifier that there was nothing to dance to, just as there is no reason for the girl to dance. It makes no sense. This supports the theme that you cant explain the strange things that happens at war.
That isn’t to say that if there was music and the girl was dancing it would make sense. It means there was no reason to dance and the music is a metaphor for the reason.
“I did not look on my work as therapy. But that nonetheless help to clarify and explain.” (O’Brian 158)
I chose this passage because I thought it was an insightful identifier to how the author was able to write the book. By writing about what happened to all of them. O’Brian was able to document what needed to be known and understood and once they were on paper. He could start letting go of these stories. It was therapy for him to write them down.
O’Brian says, “ By telling stories, you objectify your own experience. You separate it from yourself.” (O’Brian) This shows how he could deal with his memories so that he could go on with his life. Norman Bowker wasn’t able to let go of his memories as Tim was. I think that writing the stories was very significant to understanding the book was written.
“Briefly he stopped and watches the clouds… The rain was the war and you had to fight it.”(O’Brian)
O’Brian writes another insightful identifier that is a metaphor for the war. In this text the war is compared to the rain. The rain wouldn’t let you up just like you cant take a break from the war. You just have to deal with it as you would the rain with all its inconveniences.
Another realization could be that there is something positive with lots of rain like plants growing, so maybe something positive also came out of the war.
“Azar kept shaking his head… You’ve got to admit, its pure world class irony”
An insightful identifier is that O’Brian is always writing about the irony of their situation. In this passage he refers to them, “ Wasted in the waste.” (O’Brian 165) By this he keeps repeating this idea that not only was the war like being in shit, but they actually were in real shit in that the field where they were camping in was used as toilet.
Being in the war stunk, and the place they were in the war’s stunk. This is the irony that O’Brian was referring to. The deep meaning is that this was a shifty war to have to be in.
This passage stands out as an insightful identifier because it explains what happens at war and what was Tim O’Brian’s experience of killing a man. The realization is he didn’t really need to kill the man as his life did not depend on it. Tim has pulled the cap of the grenade and by then had no option but to throw it. He did and a man died.
Tim says, “and it will always be that way.”(O’Brian 133) He says that because there is nothing that can change what happened. He doesn’t express regret or guilt. He is just resigned to the idea that this is what happens in war.
“There was no music…’why’s she dancing?” (O’Brian 134)
Again this passage supports the theme that what happens in a war just doesn’t make sense. A girl is dancing even though we find out that her house burned down and her family is dead. There was no music is an insightful identifier that there was nothing to dance to, just as there is no reason for the girl to dance. It makes no sense. This supports the theme that you cant explain the strange things that happens at war.
That isn’t to say that if there was music and the girl was dancing it would make sense. It means there was no reason to dance and the music is a metaphor for the reason.
“I did not look on my work as therapy. But that nonetheless help to clarify and explain.” (O’Brian 158)
I chose this passage because I thought it was an insightful identifier to how the author was able to write the book. By writing about what happened to all of them. O’Brian was able to document what needed to be known and understood and once they were on paper. He could start letting go of these stories. It was therapy for him to write them down.
O’Brian says, “ By telling stories, you objectify your own experience. You separate it from yourself.” (O’Brian) This shows how he could deal with his memories so that he could go on with his life. Norman Bowker wasn’t able to let go of his memories as Tim was. I think that writing the stories was very significant to understanding the book was written.
“Briefly he stopped and watches the clouds… The rain was the war and you had to fight it.”(O’Brian)
O’Brian writes another insightful identifier that is a metaphor for the war. In this text the war is compared to the rain. The rain wouldn’t let you up just like you cant take a break from the war. You just have to deal with it as you would the rain with all its inconveniences.
Another realization could be that there is something positive with lots of rain like plants growing, so maybe something positive also came out of the war.
“Azar kept shaking his head… You’ve got to admit, its pure world class irony”
An insightful identifier is that O’Brian is always writing about the irony of their situation. In this passage he refers to them, “ Wasted in the waste.” (O’Brian 165) By this he keeps repeating this idea that not only was the war like being in shit, but they actually were in real shit in that the field where they were camping in was used as toilet.
Being in the war stunk, and the place they were in the war’s stunk. This is the irony that O’Brian was referring to. The deep meaning is that this was a shifty war to have to be in.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Job 2.
1. “It wasn’t a question of deceit. Just the opposite: he wanted to heat up the truth, to make it burn so hot that you would feel exactly what he felt. For Rat Kiley, I think, facts were formed by sensation… multiplying by maybe.” (O’Brian 89-90)
This text creates a mood for understanding Rat Kiley’s version of the truth through the sense of humor of Tim O’Brian. Tim makes Rat’s stories sound like exaggeration but not the lying type but the type that is blown our of proportion because that is how he experiences it.
O’Brian uses words like heat up the truth and make it burn so hot. I noticed these words because you never associate heat with the truth, but the author wants you to feel that truth is full of hot air and is unbelievable. I also thought it was very funny that he comes up with a math formula subtracting superlatives, finding a square root of an absolute and multiplying by maybe. O’Brian creates a mood of amusement at Rat Kiley’s stories.
2. “Near the end of the third week… but then weren’t they all?” (O’Brian 104-105)
The author’s choice of phrases like: seemed to accept, restless gloom, at the edge of, shoulders hunched, blue eyes opaques, and seemed to disappear, create the mood that someone is present physically, but emotionally they’re somewhere else. You feel that something is wrong. He also says a haunted look, partly terror, partly rapture, caught in that no man’s land- these words all create a mood that there is something trouble Mary-
Anne.
By using these words and expressions, O’Brian paints a sad picture of Mary Anne’s mood. The reader can understand how Mary-Anne is feeling and that helps the reader to have pathos for her sadness. He says, “ Just a child, blond and innocent,”(O’Brian 105) This sentence sounds like a description of a sweet little girl so the reader feels that she has been hurt by someone stronger than her.
3. “Across the room a dozen candles… but the high voice was Mary Anne’s.” (O’Brian 109-110)
With this text the author creates a mysterious, spooky mood. He has candles burning, echo sounds, and music that is described as tribal. He describes a smell from some exotic smokehouse to make it smell foreign and not belonging there. He also says a powerful stench to make it sound like it stinks. The smell is described as paralyzing your lungs- strong words to indicate a shocking smell. It is thick and numbing. The stink of the kill. He uses words like decayed, skin dangled, stacks of bones -all description that give you the creeps.
The author goes on to use capital letters, “ ASSEMBLE YOUR OWN GOOK!! FREE SALMPLE KIT!!.”(O’Brian 110) He uses capital letters and exclamation marks in twos and threes to grab the readers attention. He also says, “ The images came in a swirl Rat said, and there was no way you could process it all.” (O’Brian 110) This lets the reader feel that the situation was overwhelming.
4.“ It was his one eccentricity, The panty hose,… and let the magic do its work.” (O’Brian 117-118)
This text creates a mood of disbelief that the pantyhose of Henry Dobbins’s girlfriend was considered by him to have powers to protect him from danger. The author describes this as properties of a good luck charm, and the way an infant sleeps with a flannel blanket which creates a mood that the pantyhose makes Henry feel safe. He uses words like secure and peaceful. It is a talisman. It is like body armor.
This description of a soldier creating a ritual of wrapping a girl’s pantyhose which is a feminine object is unexpected but the truth of what happens makes the reader question this doubt. Maybe it was able to keep him from being hurt. “Dobbins was invulnerable. Never wounded, never a scratch.” (O’Brian 118) The author creates a mood of believing in the power of the pantyhose.
5.“ Oh man, you fuckin’ trashed that fucker… this particular individual gets A-plus.” (O’Brian 125-126)
This text creates a mood of having to describe something in which you cant even find the right words to describe them. Azar is trying to describe the man that Kiowa had killed. The body is so badly destroyed, but the author describes it in words that just don’t belong with describing a person who has been killed.
The author uses words liked Shredded fucking Wheat, oatmeal, and Rice Krispies. These are names of breakfast cereals that have no similarities at all with a person that has been destroyed. Breakfast cereals are words of a fresh start at the beginning of the day and not the end of a life. The author also says, “ On the dead test, this particular individual gets A- plus.” (O’Brian 126)The reader is left wondering who says something like that to describe a man who is killed. The mood is that the death of this man doesn’t even matter.
This text creates a mood for understanding Rat Kiley’s version of the truth through the sense of humor of Tim O’Brian. Tim makes Rat’s stories sound like exaggeration but not the lying type but the type that is blown our of proportion because that is how he experiences it.
O’Brian uses words like heat up the truth and make it burn so hot. I noticed these words because you never associate heat with the truth, but the author wants you to feel that truth is full of hot air and is unbelievable. I also thought it was very funny that he comes up with a math formula subtracting superlatives, finding a square root of an absolute and multiplying by maybe. O’Brian creates a mood of amusement at Rat Kiley’s stories.
2. “Near the end of the third week… but then weren’t they all?” (O’Brian 104-105)
The author’s choice of phrases like: seemed to accept, restless gloom, at the edge of, shoulders hunched, blue eyes opaques, and seemed to disappear, create the mood that someone is present physically, but emotionally they’re somewhere else. You feel that something is wrong. He also says a haunted look, partly terror, partly rapture, caught in that no man’s land- these words all create a mood that there is something trouble Mary-
Anne.
By using these words and expressions, O’Brian paints a sad picture of Mary Anne’s mood. The reader can understand how Mary-Anne is feeling and that helps the reader to have pathos for her sadness. He says, “ Just a child, blond and innocent,”(O’Brian 105) This sentence sounds like a description of a sweet little girl so the reader feels that she has been hurt by someone stronger than her.
3. “Across the room a dozen candles… but the high voice was Mary Anne’s.” (O’Brian 109-110)
With this text the author creates a mysterious, spooky mood. He has candles burning, echo sounds, and music that is described as tribal. He describes a smell from some exotic smokehouse to make it smell foreign and not belonging there. He also says a powerful stench to make it sound like it stinks. The smell is described as paralyzing your lungs- strong words to indicate a shocking smell. It is thick and numbing. The stink of the kill. He uses words like decayed, skin dangled, stacks of bones -all description that give you the creeps.
The author goes on to use capital letters, “ ASSEMBLE YOUR OWN GOOK!! FREE SALMPLE KIT!!.”(O’Brian 110) He uses capital letters and exclamation marks in twos and threes to grab the readers attention. He also says, “ The images came in a swirl Rat said, and there was no way you could process it all.” (O’Brian 110) This lets the reader feel that the situation was overwhelming.
4.“ It was his one eccentricity, The panty hose,… and let the magic do its work.” (O’Brian 117-118)
This text creates a mood of disbelief that the pantyhose of Henry Dobbins’s girlfriend was considered by him to have powers to protect him from danger. The author describes this as properties of a good luck charm, and the way an infant sleeps with a flannel blanket which creates a mood that the pantyhose makes Henry feel safe. He uses words like secure and peaceful. It is a talisman. It is like body armor.
This description of a soldier creating a ritual of wrapping a girl’s pantyhose which is a feminine object is unexpected but the truth of what happens makes the reader question this doubt. Maybe it was able to keep him from being hurt. “Dobbins was invulnerable. Never wounded, never a scratch.” (O’Brian 118) The author creates a mood of believing in the power of the pantyhose.
5.“ Oh man, you fuckin’ trashed that fucker… this particular individual gets A-plus.” (O’Brian 125-126)
This text creates a mood of having to describe something in which you cant even find the right words to describe them. Azar is trying to describe the man that Kiowa had killed. The body is so badly destroyed, but the author describes it in words that just don’t belong with describing a person who has been killed.
The author uses words liked Shredded fucking Wheat, oatmeal, and Rice Krispies. These are names of breakfast cereals that have no similarities at all with a person that has been destroyed. Breakfast cereals are words of a fresh start at the beginning of the day and not the end of a life. The author also says, “ On the dead test, this particular individual gets A- plus.” (O’Brian 126)The reader is left wondering who says something like that to describe a man who is killed. The mood is that the death of this man doesn’t even matter.
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