NRJ#1 Humanity

Through Ishiguro’s use of characters he illustrates what it means to be a human being. Ishiguro created these clones as a vehicle to show his readers what constitutes humanity. These clones are very much human since they can love and want to continue living. The love that Tommy has for Kathy is nothing but human nature:

I keep thinking about this river somewhere, with the water moving really fast. And these two people in the water, trying to hold onto each other, holding on as hard as they can, but in the end it's just too much. The current's too strong. They've got to let go, drift apart. That's how it is with us. It's a shame, Kath, because we've loved each other all our lives. But in the end, we can't stay together forever. (282)

Clone or not, these individuals share something that is so common in the world yet so hard to find. Love is purely a human emotion that separates us from animals and artificial intelligence. Ishiguro uses this idea and incorporated into his characters Tommy and Kathy to show us that no matter how a human life is created they deserve to live for themselves rather than for society.

DRJ #4 Act 4 & 5

            Act four and five reminded me of those types of men that are possessive and abusive in relationships. Othello striking Desdemona in front of other people was a little disturbing to me. Going all the way and killing both Desdemona and himself was just awful. I thought it was sad that all of this violence and hate started through deception and insecurities.

            Othello is the typical hero in this play. He is a well known warrior, good looking, and has a beautiful wife. Othello’s main flaw is that he lets his insecurities get the best of him. Iago knows this and uses his insecurities against him. Othello is the perfect representation of Aristotle’s tragic hero because he goes from prosperity to misfortune through his error of letting his insecurities get the best of him.

            Shakespeare uses his characters to show what guilt can do to a human being. After Othello finds the truth behind Iago’s scheme Othello is burdened with guilt for killing his wife. Othello goes to says to the others, “I ask your pardon. Will you, I pray, demand that demi-devil why he hath thus ensnared my soul and body?”  Othello knows he has done wrong and tries to apologize for his actions. Othello then kills himself out of guilt. We all know the feeling of guilt, it is a useless emotion. Guilt is associated with feelings of misery and despair. Living with guilt is a burden for people and can cause people to do selfish things like taking your own life away.

DRJ #3 Othello, Act 3

            Act three reminded me of one of my friends who suspected that her boyfriend was being unfaithful. All her insecurities made her believe he was cheating on her but she had no oracular proof. Othello and my friend shared this same predicament. Othello and my friend need to learn not listen what other people say and find out for themselves!

            Desdemona is a character of innocence and virtue. She is perceived as unfaithful to Othello but only because of the deceitful lies Iago is spreading about her. Desdemona’s fatal flaw is that she cares too much for others. By trying to help her good friend Cassio other characters, like Iago, take advantage of this and use it against her. Showing that you care for someone doesn’t necessarily mean that they are having an affair with them. Desdemona fits well in Aristotle’s concept of a tragic hero because she is good, appropriate, life like, consistent and not a masculine woman like aristotle says.

            Shakespeare’s use of symbolism illustrates the effects that love can have on a person. A perfect example of this is when Desdemona loses her handkerchief. The handkerchief was Othello’s first gift to Desdemona. The gift represents the love that Desdemona and Othello have for each other. When Othello found out that his gift was lost he thought Desdemona’s love for him was lost as well. Othello wants the hander kerchief back and says, “Fetch me the handkerchief! My mind misgives.” This shows that Othello’s insecurities are starting to get the best of him. His fear of losing the one he loves is now becoming a reality to him.

DRJ#2 Act II

            This act made me infuriated because it was so scandalous! Scandalous because Iago sets up Cassio and Cassio is stripped from his title. Iago reminds me of people that I don't associate my self with anymore. Those kind of people that will manipulate people to get the things they want.  I can relate myself to Cassio in the sense that he means no ill will to anyone but is somehow caught in the middle of a dilemma he has no control of.  

            Cassio is a respectful kind of character. The exact opposite of Iago. Readers realize this when Iago talks badly about woman in front of Desdemona and the others. Cassio, on the other hand, refers to Desdemona as divine and tells her that Iago speaks bluntly like a soldier rather than like a scholar. This shows that Cassio has only but respect for woman. Cassio's only flaw is that he is gullible.We find this out when Iago convinces Cassio to get drunk and to ask Desdemona to help him get his title back. 

            Shakespeare uses his characters to show the negative effects of jealousy on others. Jealousy can cause people to do hurtful things. For example Iago explains his envious fueled strategy; "For whiles this honest fool plies Desdemona to repair his fortunes, and she for him pleads strongly to the Moor, I'll pour this pestilence into his ear, that she repeals him for her body's lust...And out of her own goodness make the net that shall enmesh them all" (1196). Jealousy has blinded Iago's sense of virtue and will only hurt everyone wrapped up in his hateful web that he has spun. Hopefully people can take from this play that they need to be careful with the ones they trust and to not let jealousy get the best of them! It only causes harmful effects. 

DRJ#1: Othello, Act I

The first act definitely  reminded me of several people in my high school days. Everyone knows there always some type of pointless drama going around in high school. And it is normally started by some childish immature person. Iago reminded me of all the two-faced people in my past.

            Shakespeare could not have came up with a more perfect deceiving character like Iago. As the perfect antagonist Iago cunningly causes conflict among the townspeople of Venice. Iago betrayed Othello by telling Brabantio his daughter was "stolen" by Othello in the middle of the night. Iago did this because he was mad that Othello granted Cassio the lieutenant position and not him.

            Shakespeare brings to light the subject of betrayal  through his use of symbolism. At a certain point during the play Iago tells Rodrigo, "But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve, For daws to peck at; I am not what I am" (1166). Iago takes this saying and turns it into something sinister when he mentions the birds ripping the heart to pieces. This symbolizes and foreshadows Iago's true intentions of destroying Othello's love for Desdemona. 

SSRJ#2: CARVER

            The short story "Popular Mechanics" by Raymond Carver made me feel pity towards the child for having to deal with selfish parents he or she had. In a way I can relate to the child. This story reminded me of when my parents went through divorce. Though the baby dealt with physical pain my pain was more on the emotional side. The custody battle tore me apart to be honest. My parents would selfishly fight in front of my brothers and I just like the story. They never stopped to think of how we felt. Children have feelings too! Luckily things are a lot better now.

            Raymond Carver brings to light the effects of selfishness through his use of symbolism in his short story. Flowers are beautiful and delicate forms of life, just like a child. They both need tender loving care. When the flower pot broke over the parents fighting it symbolized the breaking of the child to me. The parents were so involved in their destructive selfish behavior and caused harm to the child. At the end of the story the reader is lead to believe that the child's shoulder may have been dislocated. It upset me as a reader because this all could have been avoided. But Carver purposely took it to the extreme to make the world realize that this is a universal issue. There is one thing I learned from Carver, its that through selflessness and love, relationships and families can thrive.  

            Now my question for the class is do you think both parents have fault in the progression of the events or does one have more fault than the other?

            

Chopin Thesis

    1)      Kate Chopin's construction of character in "The Story of an Hour" reinforces the author's ideas about women's struggle for equality during the early 1900's as well as today. Chopin's character Louise Mallard achieves freedom when she finds out of her husband's alleged death, firmly giving the reader the sense that a woman is free when she is no longer tied to a man. Just as Chopin gives Louise Mallard "freedom" she rips it from her when she reveals that her husband was never killed.  Louise dies because of the misunderstanding but it shows that her character's death is the same as being married in the patriarchal society she lived in.

    2)        By contrasting images of life with those of death throughout "The Story of an Hour," Kate Chopin highlights the struggle of a person imprisoned by societal pressures and thereby kept from fully being alive. Chopin purposefully kills Brently Mallard and makes her character Louise Mallard full with live and happiness. Louise Mallard expresses this when she says, "Free! Body and soul free!". Ironically her character Brently Mallard never died and Louise Mallard, filled with joy and life, ended up dying due to the fact of her husbands existence