"Do you think I would have groveled like that before the king if I did not have a plan? No. I would have said nothing. I would not have touched him. But he-oh what a fool-he has given me a day. A day! If he had banished me now, right now, he would have thwarted all my plans. So. Now. This day will see the death of all my enemies. Death to the king, his daughter, and my husband...There is only one thing i am afraid of: being caught as i enter the house or while setting the fire. They'd kill me on the spot and my enemies would have the last laugh..." - Medea
-Medea by Euripides (22-23)
This part of the passage is when Creon, King of Corinth tried to banish or exile Medea from the city because of fear. He was afraid that she would basically do some sort of black magic to get back at Jason. Jason was Medea's husband, however; he divorced her to marry the princess of Corinth; Glauce. The whole royal family is afraid Medea may do something to harm the family, so they believe it is in their best interest to send her away. Although they try to send her away on the very exact day, Medea pleads for an extra day to find a place to stay and a safe area for her two sons. Which is a lie to get this extra day. The King does not believe she can do any harm with one day, so he grants her his wish which is exactly what Medea wanted. She decides to use her children as a way to kill the king and princess by planting poison within the gifts. This plan succeeds as seen later on in the story, but she also decides to kill her kids to make Jason absolutely miserable. She wanted to kill the kids because then Jason would have nothing else to look forward to and his whole life would be destroyed.
I chose this passage because it really summarizes what Medea wants to do and her reason behind it. As it says in the passage, she does not want them to have the last laugh.(King, princess, Jason) This motivates her to go all out to make sure nothing positive can come out of everything she does. This passage stuck out to me because it opened me up to how clever Medea is by first, convincing the King to let her stay one more day, and second, for figuring out a way to execute her whole plan. Also, this part stuck out to me because it says death to the king, the princess, and the husband, but in reality she really does not kill Jason. The kill part could mean figuratively as she took everything hes ever had away. This story and passage made me realize how much woman hate it when men leave them in this type of manner. Jason's excuse was that he left her because he wanted a better life for the kids, but hes the reason Medea killed them. Medea is a great novel of a strong women who stands up for herself and goes out to get what she wants. She may have gone a "little" overboard by killing her kids, but during those times, a divorced woman is no woman at all.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.”
This passage fits into the novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen because it was the first sentence that helped imply what the book would be mainly about. The novel was about women who were looking for a rich man and he was expected(if single) to be in search of a wife as well. The fact that Austen used this sentence to open the book was smart on her behalf because she managed to keep it light, and interesting while it was could still be viewed as skeptical so that the reader would want to read more into the novel rather than to just stop there.
This passage is important in relevance to the book's message because it hinted that not all assumptions in the novel, especially the ones made by women, would be correct. For example, Elizabeth was prejudiced toward Mr. Darcy because he was wealthy, and this is similar to the fact that many of the women in the novel had different thoughts regarding wealthy men, and what a wealthy man's thoughts could be.
I selected this passage because it was interesting and I liked the way Jane Austen used a complex sentence that would open a book that almost contradict it's topic sentence. To me, this sentence was most likely spoken by Mrs. Bennet because she was the one who always assumed that men were always in search of a women and especially the wealthy men. I especially liked how the first sentence did not say men in general, but it specifically chose wealthy men. It seems that the novel, and many women all around the world, only want to be associated with wealthy men. I wonder how different the book would be if the leading men were not wealthy, but when I think about it, I know that the book would not have been well known at all. It seems to be that the topic which the first sentence is speaking of is a topic which many different people ponder, including wealthy men themselves. Jane Austen chose the perfect first sentence in my opinion, and it is one of the factors in her book that makes it so memorable. The first sentence was intriguing, and it is meaningful in a different way. The rest of the novel seemed to be in contrast to the opening sentence, but for an inexplicable reason, many people still believe that the opening sentence was perfect. Maybe it was because it implied that the book was very satirical towards women and the way they view rich men. Regardless, I agree with many people and felt that the opening sentence was intriguing to me.
-Mitchell Mirtil
This passage fits into the novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen because it was the first sentence that helped imply what the book would be mainly about. The novel was about women who were looking for a rich man and he was expected(if single) to be in search of a wife as well. The fact that Austen used this sentence to open the book was smart on her behalf because she managed to keep it light, and interesting while it was could still be viewed as skeptical so that the reader would want to read more into the novel rather than to just stop there.
This passage is important in relevance to the book's message because it hinted that not all assumptions in the novel, especially the ones made by women, would be correct. For example, Elizabeth was prejudiced toward Mr. Darcy because he was wealthy, and this is similar to the fact that many of the women in the novel had different thoughts regarding wealthy men, and what a wealthy man's thoughts could be.
I selected this passage because it was interesting and I liked the way Jane Austen used a complex sentence that would open a book that almost contradict it's topic sentence. To me, this sentence was most likely spoken by Mrs. Bennet because she was the one who always assumed that men were always in search of a women and especially the wealthy men. I especially liked how the first sentence did not say men in general, but it specifically chose wealthy men. It seems that the novel, and many women all around the world, only want to be associated with wealthy men. I wonder how different the book would be if the leading men were not wealthy, but when I think about it, I know that the book would not have been well known at all. It seems to be that the topic which the first sentence is speaking of is a topic which many different people ponder, including wealthy men themselves. Jane Austen chose the perfect first sentence in my opinion, and it is one of the factors in her book that makes it so memorable. The first sentence was intriguing, and it is meaningful in a different way. The rest of the novel seemed to be in contrast to the opening sentence, but for an inexplicable reason, many people still believe that the opening sentence was perfect. Maybe it was because it implied that the book was very satirical towards women and the way they view rich men. Regardless, I agree with many people and felt that the opening sentence was intriguing to me.
-Mitchell Mirtil
Catherine and Heathcliff- A love that runs soul deep
“I’ve no more business to marry Edgar Linton than I have to be in heaven, and if the wicked man in there had not brought Heathcliff so low, I shouldn’t have thought of it. It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff now; so he shall never know how I love him: and that, not because he’s handsome, Nelly, but because he’s more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same; and Linton’s is as different as a moonbeam from lightning, or frost from fire.” –Catherine Earnshaw
-Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë (Bronte 76)
Bronte’s theme of a love that never changes is illustrated through this passage. Catherine gives us a taste of her character as a selfish and superficial person who only cares about social class. Her decision to marry Linton while still very much in love with Heathcliff portrays that Catherine’s love for Heathcliff is truly deep and will never change. She refuses to marry him because of his social inferiority and explains if he was not of a lower class she would marry him. Catherine’s decision not the marry Heathcliff despite the fact that she loves him more than she loves herself makes her selfish and foolish. Her feelings for Heathcliff are obvious and simple yet her choice not to act upon those feelings displays Catherine’s obsession with the social hierarchy of 19th century England. She chooses to be unhappy and rich than to be happy, in love, and poor. Catherine’s willingness to hurt the only person who loves her in exchange for the wealth and high status displays that although she loves Heathcliff her obsession is so strong that she will not “degrade” herself to marry him. Moreover, Catherine knows she will not be happy with Linton and admits that she does not love him.
Bronte’s language is this passage is beautiful because it explains the passion of Catherine and Heathcliff’s love. It also brought mixed feelings. It made me happy that she finally confessed her love for him. When Catherine says “… Whatever souls are made of, mine and his are the same…” it explains the real meaning of love. This passage also made me want to scold Catherine for her stupidity and for the pain she is causing Heathcliff. When he overhears Catherine’s speech up to how it would degrade her to marry him, I wanted to yell at Catherine for being so foolish. However, I also wished that Heathcliff would stay to hear the rest of the speech so he could understand that their love is tremendously deep. I also chose this passage because Catherine realizes that she loves him and that she realizes why she also cannot marry him. This realization gives me as a reader a deeper understanding of Catherine despite how much I disagree with her choice to not be with the love her life.
-Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë (Bronte 76)
Bronte’s theme of a love that never changes is illustrated through this passage. Catherine gives us a taste of her character as a selfish and superficial person who only cares about social class. Her decision to marry Linton while still very much in love with Heathcliff portrays that Catherine’s love for Heathcliff is truly deep and will never change. She refuses to marry him because of his social inferiority and explains if he was not of a lower class she would marry him. Catherine’s decision not the marry Heathcliff despite the fact that she loves him more than she loves herself makes her selfish and foolish. Her feelings for Heathcliff are obvious and simple yet her choice not to act upon those feelings displays Catherine’s obsession with the social hierarchy of 19th century England. She chooses to be unhappy and rich than to be happy, in love, and poor. Catherine’s willingness to hurt the only person who loves her in exchange for the wealth and high status displays that although she loves Heathcliff her obsession is so strong that she will not “degrade” herself to marry him. Moreover, Catherine knows she will not be happy with Linton and admits that she does not love him.
Bronte’s language is this passage is beautiful because it explains the passion of Catherine and Heathcliff’s love. It also brought mixed feelings. It made me happy that she finally confessed her love for him. When Catherine says “… Whatever souls are made of, mine and his are the same…” it explains the real meaning of love. This passage also made me want to scold Catherine for her stupidity and for the pain she is causing Heathcliff. When he overhears Catherine’s speech up to how it would degrade her to marry him, I wanted to yell at Catherine for being so foolish. However, I also wished that Heathcliff would stay to hear the rest of the speech so he could understand that their love is tremendously deep. I also chose this passage because Catherine realizes that she loves him and that she realizes why she also cannot marry him. This realization gives me as a reader a deeper understanding of Catherine despite how much I disagree with her choice to not be with the love her life.
Tom Exposes Himself in The Glass Menagerie
The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams
Tom: “Yes, movies! Look at them- All of those glamorous people- having adventures- hogging it all, gobbling the whole thing up! You know what happens? People go to the movies instead of moving! Hollywood characters are supposed to have all the adventures for everybody in America, while everybody in America sits in a dark room and watches them have them! Yes, until there’s a war. That’s when adventure becomes available to the masses! Everyone’s dish not only Gable’s! Then the people in the dark room come out of the dark room to have some adventures themselves- goody, goody! It’s our turn now to go to the South Sea Island- to make a safari- to be exotic, far- off! But I’m not patient. I don’t want to wait till then. I’m tired of the movies and I am about to move!” (Williams 61).
This passage introduces a depth to Tom’s character. Beforehand his feelings about life were vaguely expressed as unhappiness, frustration, and monotony. He went to the movies to get out of the house after a hard day of work at a warehouse. This novel takes place during the Great Depression Era and life was very difficult during that time. Many people were out of work and constantly losing their jobs and there was a fear of not being able to survive. Tom lived a hard life as the main source of income flowing into his house. He was the breadwinner of the family and he lived with his mother, Amanda, and sister, Laura. Until this point, it was not completely understood why he went to the movies every night besides getting away from his mother. Through this dialogue, Tom explains his obsession with movies. The idea of escapism is to picture a different life, an easier life full of adventure rather than struggle. Tom goes to the movies to live someone else’s adventures and he eventually becomes sick of it. He wants to have his own journey. He is jealous of the adventures that people have in films and wants to embark on his own this time. This is the point in the play where it is discovered that Tom plans on leaving his family, just as his father did, because it is his time to live a dream and is officially done suppressing his needs for the needs of others. It is his turn to make his own “movie.”
This passage stuck out to me as I read the play. I found it interesting and actually found it true. I watch many movies and this got me thinking. We do watch movies to live in the actor’s adventures and excitement. If we go to watch a romance film, we experience the romance between two actors and if we go to watch a horror movie, we live in the thrilling scary scenes. But once the movie is over, life is the same as it was before we went into the theater. In the case of Tom, that was the part he was done with. When he watched the movie it was entertainment that allowed him to escape his miserable life, but when he got out, his stress was outside the door waiting for him. He is going to leave his family to pursue his dream. As much as it is hard to believe that he would leave his mother and sister with nothing, I understand why he is doing it. It is difficult to live when one's dreams are concealed in the background. He had reached the breaking point.
-Maddy Hirshan
Tom: “Yes, movies! Look at them- All of those glamorous people- having adventures- hogging it all, gobbling the whole thing up! You know what happens? People go to the movies instead of moving! Hollywood characters are supposed to have all the adventures for everybody in America, while everybody in America sits in a dark room and watches them have them! Yes, until there’s a war. That’s when adventure becomes available to the masses! Everyone’s dish not only Gable’s! Then the people in the dark room come out of the dark room to have some adventures themselves- goody, goody! It’s our turn now to go to the South Sea Island- to make a safari- to be exotic, far- off! But I’m not patient. I don’t want to wait till then. I’m tired of the movies and I am about to move!” (Williams 61).
This passage introduces a depth to Tom’s character. Beforehand his feelings about life were vaguely expressed as unhappiness, frustration, and monotony. He went to the movies to get out of the house after a hard day of work at a warehouse. This novel takes place during the Great Depression Era and life was very difficult during that time. Many people were out of work and constantly losing their jobs and there was a fear of not being able to survive. Tom lived a hard life as the main source of income flowing into his house. He was the breadwinner of the family and he lived with his mother, Amanda, and sister, Laura. Until this point, it was not completely understood why he went to the movies every night besides getting away from his mother. Through this dialogue, Tom explains his obsession with movies. The idea of escapism is to picture a different life, an easier life full of adventure rather than struggle. Tom goes to the movies to live someone else’s adventures and he eventually becomes sick of it. He wants to have his own journey. He is jealous of the adventures that people have in films and wants to embark on his own this time. This is the point in the play where it is discovered that Tom plans on leaving his family, just as his father did, because it is his time to live a dream and is officially done suppressing his needs for the needs of others. It is his turn to make his own “movie.”
This passage stuck out to me as I read the play. I found it interesting and actually found it true. I watch many movies and this got me thinking. We do watch movies to live in the actor’s adventures and excitement. If we go to watch a romance film, we experience the romance between two actors and if we go to watch a horror movie, we live in the thrilling scary scenes. But once the movie is over, life is the same as it was before we went into the theater. In the case of Tom, that was the part he was done with. When he watched the movie it was entertainment that allowed him to escape his miserable life, but when he got out, his stress was outside the door waiting for him. He is going to leave his family to pursue his dream. As much as it is hard to believe that he would leave his mother and sister with nothing, I understand why he is doing it. It is difficult to live when one's dreams are concealed in the background. He had reached the breaking point.
-Maddy Hirshan
Saturday, September 19, 2009
The Glass Menagerie - summer reading
“Go on, I trust you with him! There now—you’re holding him gently! Hold him over the light, he loves the light! You see how the light shines through him?...It’s no tragedy, Freckles. Glass breaks so easily. No matter how careful you are…” - Laura
– The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams (pg 83-86)
This statement is essential in describing the main character Laura. Throughout the play Laura is portrayed as a woman who is weak and unable to move further in her life. The mother seemed to have lost her hope in finding her daughter a suitor as a result. The author Tennessee Williams depicts Laura as being frightened to face the world on her own. Regardless of the opportunities she was given, Laura seems incapable of handling it. This was supported by her inability to complete typing school or high school. Similar to the glass animals Laura collects, she was fragile; whoever dealt with her had to be extremely cautious. However, in spite of the caution taken around the glass animals, they can be broken; it seems inevitable. Laura repeatedly proves that she is unable to carry out a normal life. She continuously needs someone to be with her and help her perform her responsibilities. The glass animals symbolized Laura. They were incapable of carrying on a normal life. The glass animals were forced to be placed far from the other household objects since they were too fragile.
I chose this passage because it explains Laura’s character. When one is reading the play he or she would never truly understand her character unless he or she learned about the glass animals. The author finally shows the readers the extent of fragility of Laura. The passage makes the reader wonder if a person who appears fragile can ever overcome their weakness. “Hold him over the light, he loves the light! You see how the light shines through him?” Even though the animals were fragile there is a certain aspect which had beauty. The beauty captured people’s attention. The glass animals illustrate that even though they are fragile they display strength through the beauty when shown in light. I think this passage gives the entire play meaning. It made me realize that people have to be careful with certain people; however, once they get past a certain point, the person appears less fragile. The person actually begins to appear strong through their character.
– The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams (pg 83-86)
This statement is essential in describing the main character Laura. Throughout the play Laura is portrayed as a woman who is weak and unable to move further in her life. The mother seemed to have lost her hope in finding her daughter a suitor as a result. The author Tennessee Williams depicts Laura as being frightened to face the world on her own. Regardless of the opportunities she was given, Laura seems incapable of handling it. This was supported by her inability to complete typing school or high school. Similar to the glass animals Laura collects, she was fragile; whoever dealt with her had to be extremely cautious. However, in spite of the caution taken around the glass animals, they can be broken; it seems inevitable. Laura repeatedly proves that she is unable to carry out a normal life. She continuously needs someone to be with her and help her perform her responsibilities. The glass animals symbolized Laura. They were incapable of carrying on a normal life. The glass animals were forced to be placed far from the other household objects since they were too fragile.
I chose this passage because it explains Laura’s character. When one is reading the play he or she would never truly understand her character unless he or she learned about the glass animals. The author finally shows the readers the extent of fragility of Laura. The passage makes the reader wonder if a person who appears fragile can ever overcome their weakness. “Hold him over the light, he loves the light! You see how the light shines through him?” Even though the animals were fragile there is a certain aspect which had beauty. The beauty captured people’s attention. The glass animals illustrate that even though they are fragile they display strength through the beauty when shown in light. I think this passage gives the entire play meaning. It made me realize that people have to be careful with certain people; however, once they get past a certain point, the person appears less fragile. The person actually begins to appear strong through their character.
Medea-Euripides (SARAHWOLIN)
But on me hath fallen this unforeseen disaster, and sapped my life; ruined I am, and long to resign the boon of existence, kind friends, and die. For he who was all the world to me, as well thou knowest, hath turned out the worst of men, my own husband. Of all things that have life and sense we women are the most hapless creatures; first must we buy a husband at a great price, and o'er ourselves a tyrant set which is an evil worse than the first; and herein lies the most important issue, whether our choice be good or bad. For divorce is not honourable to women, nor can we disown our lords . . . --Medea
This quote is from the beginning of the play and it describes the situation that women are put in when there husbands leave them, and her feeling towards her husband. The part of the passage; “. . . first must we buy a husband at a great price, and o'er ourselves a tyrant set which is an evil worse than the first; and herein lies the most important issue, whether our choice be good or bad. For divorce is not honourable to women, nor can we disown our lords . . .” elaborates on the idea that women give up a lot when they marry a man. In Madea’s case, she leaves an amazing family to marry Jason. However, he leaves her to marry a princess, and being a divorced woman of this time period, it would ruin her chances of ever living a happy life, because she would never be able to get married again, and because she was forced to leave Corinth she no longer has a place to live. Medea is a play about sacrifice, and correcting errors. In Medea’s case, her husband made the mistake of leaving her for a princess, so she spends the whole way of plotting to fix this mistake, and eventually she does by kill Creon, his daughter, and she even kills her own children. Killing her children was a sacrifice she made to fix the mistake of Jason leaving her for a princess. Jason also tries to fix his mistake of not marrying a princess. So for his children to have a better life, he decides to marry the princess of Corinth and hopes that this will allow his children to become noble.
I chose this selection mainly because of the last statement; “. . . divorce is not honourable to women. . .” This statement is important because the hole reason Medea wants to kill everyone is because she doesn’t want anyone to view her as week, and she doesn’t want anyone to think that she is letting Jason get away with leaving her for a princess. Medea spends a while talking about her honor during the play, and it is obvious that that is what is truly important to her, if it were anything else she would have never killed her children.
This quote is from the beginning of the play and it describes the situation that women are put in when there husbands leave them, and her feeling towards her husband. The part of the passage; “. . . first must we buy a husband at a great price, and o'er ourselves a tyrant set which is an evil worse than the first; and herein lies the most important issue, whether our choice be good or bad. For divorce is not honourable to women, nor can we disown our lords . . .” elaborates on the idea that women give up a lot when they marry a man. In Madea’s case, she leaves an amazing family to marry Jason. However, he leaves her to marry a princess, and being a divorced woman of this time period, it would ruin her chances of ever living a happy life, because she would never be able to get married again, and because she was forced to leave Corinth she no longer has a place to live. Medea is a play about sacrifice, and correcting errors. In Medea’s case, her husband made the mistake of leaving her for a princess, so she spends the whole way of plotting to fix this mistake, and eventually she does by kill Creon, his daughter, and she even kills her own children. Killing her children was a sacrifice she made to fix the mistake of Jason leaving her for a princess. Jason also tries to fix his mistake of not marrying a princess. So for his children to have a better life, he decides to marry the princess of Corinth and hopes that this will allow his children to become noble.
I chose this selection mainly because of the last statement; “. . . divorce is not honourable to women. . .” This statement is important because the hole reason Medea wants to kill everyone is because she doesn’t want anyone to view her as week, and she doesn’t want anyone to think that she is letting Jason get away with leaving her for a princess. Medea spends a while talking about her honor during the play, and it is obvious that that is what is truly important to her, if it were anything else she would have never killed her children.
Monday, September 14, 2009
AP Hamiltonians: Welcome to our Blog!
September is here, and it's time for you to get your heads out of the sand and back into the books (see related image). Please begin posting your summer reading "meaningful passage" assignment. In your post, be sure to provide your reader with the following:
1. a sample of your chosen passage with correct citations.
2. an explanation regarding the meaning and literary merit of your passage in relation to the work as a whole.
3. your own personal explanation regarding the selection of your passage.
Please see the paper version for a more detailed version of this assignment.
Due Date: Monday, September 21st
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