Othello 6

Iago is the antagonist of Othello.  His objective is to split up Othello and Desdemona as a form of revenge.  Iago wants revenge because Othello received a promotion that Iago believes to be his.  This is the foundation of his actions for the play.  Overall Iago is a cruel and ruthless villain who spreads hate and lies.  He is also now a criminal.

Othello 5

One thing I have noticed on reading Othello is the names all end in "O" or "A".  I think this might be to make it sound more Italian or foreign.  It could also be to differentiate men from women.   Another thing is is the strange punctuation one finds in the text.  I could be to tell the actor how to say a word like in English "you all" can become "y'all".  The last thing I found was how people talk to themselves a lot in this play.  I believe it's called a monologue but I'm not sure.

Othello 4

"IAGO: Do it not with poisson.  Strngle her in her bed, even the bed she hath contaminated.

OTHELLO: Good, good! The justice pleases. Very good."

I chose these lines because I think it shows how easily Othello will take Iago's advice.  I also find that it is evidence of Othello's temper.  He hasn't even confronted Desdemona about the topic.  It could be a huge misunderstanding and all Othello is going by is a rumor.

Comment:

I agree with you idea's on Iago's plans.  Very interesting.

on Madison's blog

Othello 3

I think Johnny Depp would be good for Iago.  H always kinda looks mischievous.  He is who i think of when i see Iago's personality in Othello.

For Emilia I think that Helena Cater would be good if she looked like Mrs Lovett from Sweeney Todd.  She kinda has the same mischievous and antagonist look to her.

Morgan Freeman would be good for Othello.  He looks like a wise man and he also looks like a good guy.  I can't imagine him playing the antagonist.

Jennifer Love Hewitt would be good for Desdemona.  She seems just like the right person to do the job.

Othello 2

The way Shakespeare writes is pretty confusing but I'm managing to understand it.  As I understand it, Iago is our antagonist and Othello is obviously our protagonist.  Iago is going behind everyones back so that he can get what he wants.  Everybody trusts him so they do not question him when he tells a lie. I am curious to see what happens to everyones acquaintanceship when all the lies are untangled.

Cyprus

Cyprus is a small island in the Mediterranean Sea south of turkey.  During the sixteenth century it was under constant attack by the Ottoman Empire.  The Greek population started defending themselves with weapons given to them by the Venetians.  Over all Cyprus during the sixteenth century was under constant conflict between the Greeks and the Ottoman Empire.

Othelo 1

At first I don't really like this play.  I think that is just because it is much harder to read then our last play.  It isn't as hard as i thought it would be but still a little confusing.  What helped me is reading the definitions on the side of the page.  They really do help if you read those before you read the page.

My Paragraph

Greed can cause person to throw away their emotions, forget their history, and clouds their judgment to the point where they only see self benefit and not the suffering and plight of others.   This is evident in The Piano Lesson when Boy Willie Says to Doaker about the piano," Alright…I'm gonna tell you this Doaker.  I'm going out of here…I'm gonna get me some rope…find me a plank and some wheels…and I'm coming back.  Then I'm gonna carry that piano out of here…Sell it and give Berniece half the money.  See…now that’s what I'm gonna do.  And you..or nobody else is gonna stop me.  Come on, Lymon…let's go get some rope and stuff.  I'll be back, Doaker." (page 85)  This shows that Boy Willie has lost control of his emotion due to him telling his elder what to do.  That is generally not acceptable behavior in society.  Boy Willie's outbreak is caused by his desire for land.  All he wants is land and he forgets about his own family and their feelings.  For him all he can see is land and the path he chose to get his land.  He takes no consideration into how this plan may effect others.

The Piano Lesson 7

Berniece is getting involved with two different men now.  I think that this will lead to conflict between Boy Willie, Lymon, and Avery.  I have noticed that for the past two scenes the piano has not been mentioned.  I wonder if this is on purpose to make the reader ask more questions about it.

My comment:
 I agree with the tone changing. It has gotten much more serious than i originally thought. I am also wondering what will happen between Boy Willie and Lymon.

The Piano Lesson 6

There is a lot of disagreement in this book.  Berniece and Boy Willie are almost always arguing about something.    I think Berniece is just very suborn and doesn't want to take a look at anything from a different perspective.  She doesn't use the piano so why not have Boy Willie sell it and give it to someone who will use it.  I also find it interesting that the author has included a little more romance in the story.

My comment:
I agree Berniece is very independent. I also think that it adds something to the story when there is love involved. Sutter's way of dying is definitely a major part of the story.

The Piano Lesson 5

Todays reading was interesting.  I find that suit interesting and i think it might come up again in the future.  I also find it weird how good Wining Boy is at selling stuff. Why doesn't he help Boy Willie and Lymon sell something other than the piano?  The fact that Doaker has already seen the ghost is strange and I wonder what else he knows that he is keeping a secret.

My comment on Tawnie's Blog:
I also wonder what else Doaker is keeping a secret about.  I think that eventually he will start telling people more.

The Piano Lesson 4

Today we finally found out what the ghosts of the yellow dog are.  That has been one of my questions from the beginning.  I do not think it was them who pushed Sutter down his well.  I'm thinking it was probably Willie Boy and that he is using the ghosts as a cover.  He seems very determined to by all of Sutter's land.

My comment:
I agree. Both of these pieces are major parts of the story.  It will be interesting to see what is really going on.
on Blake's Blog

The Piano Lesson 3

In this part of the play there is a few new characters.  Most of them seem fairly nice and good mannered.  All except for Boy Willie. He still seems to be up to no good.  Maybe with more alcohol he will tell people what he is planning.

My comment:
You are not the only one. I find songs in books to be horribly annoying.  I understand Wining Boy's gradual displeasure with the piano.  Once you do something for awhile you get bored with it.-on Blake's Blog

The Piano Lesson 2

I find it interesting that Boy Willy is very defensive  when they accuse him of anything.  It make me think that he is up to something that is perhaps against the law.  I look forward to finding more about everyones history and what the ghosts are about.

My comment:
I am also interested in what has happened in their past. It should be interesting to find out.

The Piano Lesson 1

My first impressions from the title and cover were good because of its musical aspect.  However, I was wrong.  The characters seem uneducated, education being something I associate with music.  They also seem to be from an earlier time period because they use language considered inappropriate for society today.

My comment on Alec's blog:
I also thought this book would be more civilized than what it really is.  Perhaps there will be better educated characters in the future.

Cry Journal 8

First I tabbed,"And the lawyer told him, in gentle and compassionate words, that there would be no mercy" (273).  I tabbed this because it is closure to a question that the reader has had for awhile, Absolom will die.  It is important to plot.

Next I tabbed,"Look, he said, look at the clouds." (275).  I tabbed this because the village is finally getting rain.  This has been an issue in the book from almost the beginning of the book.  The rain means that the cows can produce milk and they need not to take it from Johannesburg anymore.

Cry Journal 7

I ave noticed  a connection between the condition of the land and the condition of Kumalo's life, both are not doing well.  Kumalo's sister has been found a prostitute and his son is to be hung.  The land is already dead and barren.  As Kumalo's life gets better i wonder if the land will get better as well.

Ashoka Fellows

Jean-Francois Archambault

Jean-Francois is helping feed kids and making other kids eat healthier.  He is talking what would have been wasted food and giving it to kids that need it.  Also, he is getting chefs to help contribute to the education of kids.

Geoff Cape

Geoff is working to protect and educate people about nature.  He has three different areas of work, learning, common, and home.  Learning helps make outdoor classrooms for students.  The common area is to protect public parks and help preserve green areas in cities.  Last, the home area, is to educate homeowners about organic processes and how to keep natural landscapes.

Jessica Clogg

Jessica is trying to help First Nation people speak their vision of how land and water should be.  She is using their years of wisdom from living there for hundreds of years, and legal codes to help change land management laws.

Cry Journal 6

In Cry, The Beloved Country, Paton has several unnamed characters.  One, Kumalo's wife, is somewhat strange because she is so close to Kumalo, a main character.  One reason Paton did this is to show the people with more of a connection.  Of course a married couple has quite a connection, but the experiences that Kumalo has shared with  his friends in Johannesburg may have a greater effect on him than than the experiences with  his wife does.  One very dramatic moment for him was when he found out his son was to be hanged.  It was not his wife there too comfort him, but one of his close friends there.

Cry Journal 5 (I think)

One reason put books into their books could be to divide the book as a whole into sections.  In these sections the theme of the story can change or the perspective can change.  This makes the book easier to follow especially if the perspective changes.

Cry Journal 4

http://www.religioustolerance.org/rt_china.htm

http://revcom.us/a/144/BNQ-en.html

Cry Journal 4

http://www.religioustolerance.org/rt_china.htm

http://revcom.us/a/144/BNQ-en.html

Cry Journal 3

Phrase: have you a house for me yet?
I think this is repeated to show that people wait a long time to receive a house.  This also shows how desperate the people are for a roof over their head.  this is what eventually leads them to make Shantytown

Image:The sacks, poles and iron
This describes the way the people are forced to live due to the long wait for houses.  It makes you see how hard it must be to live if a better option is living with poles sacks and iron.

Concept:The housing list
I think Paton uses this list to symbolize hoe the white man has power.  This list was created by the whites for the blacks.  It may seem like a way to make it fair but it only gives people another way of corrupting by bribing the people who run the list.

Cry Journal 2

I find that women and men are given equal amounts of speaking and equally add to the story.  Women seem to have more minor working conditions and personalities.  Kumolo's own sister is a prostitute.  Only his wife has been portrayed as a nice married woman.  There is also the other woman that lives in Sophia-town that does not have good living conditions.  The men on the other hand have very important jobs.  Kumolo's brother is a mojor business man in Johannesburg.  Kumolo himself is a preist.

Cry Journal 1

The first passage I tabbed was "Keep it, guard it, care for it, for it keeps men, guards men, cares for men.  Destroy it and man is destroyed"(33).  I chose this passage because I feel that it represents the connection between man and nature.  Nature gives you everything to live so you should respect nature.  Another passage I chose is "The great red hills stand desolate, and the earth has torn away like flesh.  The lightning flashes over them, the clouds pour down upon them, the dead streams come to life, full of the red blood of the earth."(34).  I chose this due to its usage of description.  It seems almost poetic the way that Paton writes it.  I think that the story shows umfundisi's personality when it says "Go to the mother then. perhaps she has some food"(35).  This shows that umfundisi is a caring man who will deny no one.  He is most likely a great man to be around.  The last passage i found interesting is "Some people do not like it, and find it cold and gloomy.  But others like it, and find in it mystery and fascination , and prelude to adventure, and an imitation of the unknown"(41).  I chose this because I thought it showed foreshadowing to the story ahead.  This could be the actual prelude to adventure that Paton writes about.

Journal log 3

The theme i found is, "In an impossible situation the level of will power will separate the strong and the weak."  Golding shows this to the reader by using the plot.  When the kids killed Simon this showed a lack of self control.  The other way Golding conveyed this message was through characterization.  Jack was one of the first of the kids to go against the established order.  His yearning to hunt and have fun overcame the wanting to be rescued.

Journal log 2

Lord of the Flies would be very different if there was girls on the island as well.  Some may say it would be more organized,  but I would say the exact opposite.  If girls were there it would only add to the conflict.  Men and women have two completely different ways of doing things.  This would separate the boys and girls because they would both think they were doing the right thing.  In the boys group there would also be the conflict in which Golding already wrote about.  With that much hate going around there would probably be a war in a larger scale than there was already.  this would end in higher casualties than just the two boys.

Journal log 1

On the first page Golding gives a sense of Piggy's athleticism when he says "' I cant hardly move with all these creeper things.'"  This suggests that Piggy is slightly awkward to move around.  This helps the reader understand his personality as well.  The reader can understand that Piggy may also be an awkward person to be around.  The reason for Golding for making piggy an awkward person is to create minor conflict between him and characters that find him annoying.

Golding only uses three colors on the first page.  He uses gray, red, and yellow.  This could be foreshadowing for the fire which is a symbol throughout the book, red and yellow for flames and gray for the ashes.  He could be doing this to show that the grey school sweatshirt, symbolizing school and civilization, has been burnt to ashes.

James Dolan

For advanced sophomore english.