Slaughterhouse Five

"It was the next night that about 130,000 people in Dresden would die." - pg. 165

I like to think that I know a fair amount of history, especially when it comes to WWII, which is why I thought it was a little weird when I didn't know a whole lot about the Dresden air raid. So naturally, I Wikipedia-ed it.  Not quite 130,000 people died, but there really were a ton of people. I think this is the perfect event to center an anti-war novel around. It was meant to hurt the enemy, but it's different when people see it from an American point of view. There weren't supposed to be any Americans in Dresden, only Nazis. 

That's the picture of a women in a bomb shelter after the air raid that pops up on Wikipedia. It seems like a valid military solution to a problem - bombing the enemy; however, when you start to see the other side it opens your eyes a little more.

Slaughterhouse Five

"Everything is all right, and everybody has to do exactly what he does. I learned that on Tralfamadore." - pg. 198 

 Billy is so lax throughout the novel after he gets back from his time travels - which I think he made up in his mind. Believing that all those terrible thiings he witnessed needed to happen is much easier than forming an opinion and fighting for it. In Billy's case, he can think of all that death as just another moment in time. I think Billy is just a pacifist who got caught up in the war, even though he didn't want to be there. He displays how much he hates conflict the entire time. He's basically convinced that eveything will work out and he'll get passed it if he doesn't worry. Post-Tralfamadorian Billy and Bob Marley would've gotten along pretty well I think.

Slaughterhouse Five - Point of View

"There are almost no characters in this story, and almost no dramatic confrontations, because most of the people in it are so sick and so much the listless playthings of enormous forces. One of the main effects of war, after all, is that people are discouraged from being characters. But old Derby was a character now." - pg. 164

The point of view changes from someone telling a story about Billy Pilgrim to the author letting the reader into his thought process. We now know, thanks to Vonnegut, that Derby is about to make some important decisions. He could either become an American Nazi or stick up for his fellow POWs. Vonnegut starts to explain why there are only a few main characters that just jump from scene to scene. The action is never really focused around one solid plot. Vonnegut's voice convinces the reader to feel sorry for the characters. If he has to come right out and say that they are listless and tired, then it must be true. He wants to make sure the reader knows that they're being forced into the life they've led during the war; it shouldn't have been an option in the first place. 

This is a stretch, but everyone needs a little *NSync in their life. Just like the 

soldiers in the war, they're being controlled by some outside force. 

For the boy band, it's a person working the ropes. For the American soldiers, 

it's the government and the fight for freedom and power.

Slaughterhouse Five - Satire

"It was dropped on them from airplanes. Robots did the dropping. They had no conscience, and no circuits which would allow them to imagine what was happening to the people on the ground." - pg. 168

Kilgore Trout's novels all connect to Billy Pilgrim's life in some way, but The Gutless Wonder also satirized WWII. This novel was all about robots who killed thousands of people because they knew no better. The Americans dropped napalm bombs knowing the damage that would be done. The satire continues when Vonnegut copies an excerpt from Truman's speech on Hiroshima. It all seems so ridiculous when it's isolated and the details are pointed out. Americans seem ruthless and cruel when they're compared to heartless robots that perform the same actions. We're a bit biased when reading this because we all know that the nation's harmed in the war have recovered and America is not proud of their actions, but as a reader in the late 60's this book would get its anti-war point across.

Slaughterhouse Five - Climax

"Thus began the first corpse mine in Dresden." - pg. 214

I couldn't really tell where most of the plot points were in this story, simply because it's so jumbled and out of order. However, I believe the whole story builds up to this point. This is the worst of the worst when it came to the war and the bombing in Dresden. There were so many bodies they legitimately stopped retrieving them and began to just burn them. Billy Pilgrim spends the entire story avoiding Dresden and the death he'd seen, but it finally resurfaces when he travels back to that day. It's fitting that this climax is near the end, because it's the most grotesque image of the war thus far. I think Vonnegut concluded the novel shortly after the description of the corpse mine to really bring home the anti-war point. Billy was impacted for the rest of his life by that day, and we should all realize how senseless all of the death is after reading about it first hand. 

Slaughterhouse Five

"The creatures were friendly, and they could see in four dimensions." 

"Friendly" is not the first word that pops into my mind when I think of these creepy little green creatures. They basically kidnap Billy and throw his entire world out of whack. They have insane concepts about life and death. They think death is nothing more than another moment. I understand that it's a part of life, but it also should mean something. It should remind us how precious time is, which wouldn't occur to the little plunger people since time is too simple for them. If I were Billy, I would not respond so kindly to these creatures. I think it's completely unfair that they are making him relive so many aspects of his life that he doesn't enjoy. However, it's all necessary. Billy has to face all of these things that he's avoided for so long. Running away from the darkness and terror in his life caught up to him when he was thrown right back into them. 

Slaughterhouse Five

"Among the things that Billy could not change were the past, present, and the future." - pg. 60

If I were to go back to the past or be put into the future, I'd want to be able to know what kind of an effect I'm having. Not being able to change anything would be so incredibly difficult. Knowing that terrible things are going to happen and you just have to sit back and watch would be terrible. I can't imagine what Billy felt like as he relived just about every awful thing that happened in his life. Most normal people just forget all about it and move on, but that's not possible for Billy. Poor guy, he has to go through bits and pieces of his life and figure out what's happening. I don't know how I would keep all of that straight. I can't even read what's going on with out being really confused. These flashbacks that last two lines then move on are messing with my mind. 

This prayer hangs in Billy's office, but he doesn't exactly know why. 

The convenient thing about it is that Billy is pretty much

a pacifist whose strongest trait isn't exactly courage, so it's

good that he can't change anything. Also, the seagull in the background 

of the picture really shows how majestic that pray card is. 

Slaughterhouse Five - Flashback

"Billy says that he first came unstuck in time in 1944, long before his trip to Tralfamadore." - pg. 30

I don't know whether to title this blog Flashback, Flashforward, Foreshadowing, or Random Events That Have Nothing To Do With Each Other & Confuse Me. Flashback is going to have to work. All of the time travelling seems to have significance, but I'm not 100% sure what it is yet. I know Billy is reliving parts of his past that he doesn't necessarily enjoy thinking about. Maybe this is his way of subconsciously dealing with all of the painful things that have happened to him. He doesn't focus on each event very much, which makes me think that every one of them makes him feel a bit uncomfortable. He's scared of remembering the parts of his life that he's tried so hard to forget, but there's not better way to remember than to relive it all first hand. I think this will eventually help Billy cope with everything that has happened in his life. 

Slaughterhouse Five - Symbol

"Everything was beautiful, and nothing hurt." -122

This quote, though never actually said in the novel, stands for what Billy thought of certain experiences in his life. It refers directly to his friend Edgar Derby who was killed while doped up on morphine, but I think there's more to it than that. If Billy can block all of the painful events of the past out of his mind, then he has a sense of false happiness. In his mind, that false happiness is better than realizing how awful life really is and experiencing that pain. Escaping reality is what I think this book is all about so far. There are so many terrible things that happen in every day life, now and back then, that finding a way to shut out that pain seems like a pretty good option. Throughout the first half of the novel Billy hasn't exactly seemed happy at any point, but when he's numb to everything it's better than facing the issues such as the war, his marriage, or his insanity. I think this quote perfectly describes the way many people feel when they're blatantly ignorant to the problems that plague our lives. I think it catches up to them, just as it's going to catch up to Billy eventually.

Slaughterhouse Five - Motif

"It killed everybody on the gun crew but Weary. So it goes." - pg. 35

After about 30 or 40 pages, I finally realized that every death was followed with "so it goes." Whether it's a person, object, or event that dies, this phrase is always following the action. The back of the novel points out that Billy Pilgrim, just like everyone else, is running away from what he's afraid to know. I think this casual phrase follows every death because Billy doesn't want to relive any part of his journey. The Tralfamadorians have a very lax view on death, but Billy can't seem to grasp it. The structure of the story is so out of order and crazy, which continues to show how Billy will do anything to avoid thinking about his past. The terror and destruction he has witnessed has corrupted the way he think about everyday aspects of life. All of this points to the point of this anti-war novel. The reason Billy is like this is because of the war. He's been forced to think of death and destruction with a laid back attitude, even though he's not comfortable with that. 

I think this song fits perfectly with the concept of the destruction 

of war. The novel illustrates how it destroys Billy Pilgrim, just like how

the song displays how pain and destruction have hurt the world.

Poor Ernest

"My father even now might be writhing under his grasp, and Ernest might be dead at his feet." - pg. 146

This is one of about two times when Ernest is mentioned in the 2nd half of the novel. Basically, no one cared about the middle child - typical. I feel like Elizabeth was definitely the favorite in the Frankenstein family, even though she wasn't actually a part of their family. I'd be a tad bit bitter if I were in that family. Apparently Victor thought he was more important than his beloved Elizabeth though. Or maybe he really was just stupid enough to think the creature wouldn't attack her. He carried a gun at all times, but he left his fiancée - who had been blatantly threatened by the creature - to fend for herself. I think he was a little self absorbed at that point in his life. Marriage probably wasn't the best option. He had good reasons to be scared for himself, but he also should have considered the trend of his loved ones being murdered. Granted, they were all going to die eventually. Whether it be murder, suicide, broken hearts, etc. the entire Frankenstein family was pretty close. I don't think they'd leave each other alone in the world. Oh wait, they ALL left Ernest. Poor kid. His entire family is now gone and he can't do anything about it. Oh well, maybe he'll create a friend for himself.

Anticlimactic

"He was soon borne away by the waves, and lost in darkness and distance." - pg. 166

What kind of epic last sentence is that? That was a trick question - that's not an epic last sentence at all! I think the ending of this story is very anticlimactic. I understand that the basis of the story is Frankenstein's internal battle and his feelings, as well as the creature's journey, but there were definitely suspenseful parts. Each time the creature crept into a window somewhere I picture one of those creepy mirror scenes in a scary movie. They're so predictable, and yet they scare me every time. Why wasn't the ending more like that? Watch the video and imagine Brittany Snow (the blonde one) as Walton at the end of the movie. Ignore the fact that they're not on a boat and all the other very evident differences. Then the creature will appear eventually. I would've enjoyed that ending a lot more. Oh well, the book was actually more interesting than I was expecting. At this point, anything's better than A Separate Peace.

Creation

"Urged by this view, I refused, and I did right in refusing, to create a companion for the first creature." - pg. 162

Some people simply should not be allowed to create life. One of those people is Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory (this is the first of 2 Big Bang Theory references in this round of blogs). 

Now back to analysis of the novel... Another one of those people is Frankenstein. I don't think Frankenstein understood the repercussions that were tied to creating life from nothing. The fact that God has ever been the only creator doesn't come up much in this novel. However, I think the fact that this creation ends badly for everyone involved speaks for itself on that matter. I think the lesson that is learned by Frankenstein and his peers is that creating life outside of procreation is not meant to happen. He knew that was true, because he wouldn't share the information with anyone. He wasn't being selfish or narcissistic about his discovery; he simply knew that it was a mistake that no one else should make. His idea started out as a good one, but it soon got out of hand. The creature suffered; the Frankenstein family suffered; Victor suffered. No good came out the the creation of the creature.

Connotation

"Half surprised by the novelty of these sensations, I allowed myself to be borne away by them; and, forgetting my solitude and deformity, dared to be happy." - pg. 101

This is the second or third time in the novel that Frankenstein has been positively effected by the coming of spring. It seems like the creature and his creator both forget about their troubles and enjoy the weather each time  the birds start singing and grass begins growing. Those troubles aren't insurmountable quite yet apparently, because soon not even nature carries a connotation strong enough to overcome the grief and anguish. The different season carry different connotations throughout the novel. Winter is cold and desolate, and it leaves Frankenstein and the creature in very low points of their life. Once spring rolls around, their attitudes become brighter along with the days. This sense of happiness and life is why Frankenstein escapes into nature for a short adventure. He wants to get away from his life - and he thinks the beautiful scenery is the perfect anecdote to relaxation and joy. 

Nature vs. Nurture

"My heart was fashioned to be susceptible of love and sympathy; and when wrenched by misery to vice and hatred, it did not endure the violence of the change, without torture such as you cannot even imagine." - pg. 164

From the beginning Victor has though that the creature was created with evil intentions. Victor had no idea that's what he was creating, which is why he went through with it. The creature shows through his thoughts, actions, and words that he is inherently good just as the rest of society is. His physical deformities force people's opinions to turn to negativity. The creature began with the intention of finding friendship and being loved; it's the people around him who've condemned and hated him that turned him evil. If Victor would have treated the creature with the respect of a human being, then this whole situation could have very well been avoided. Good work, Frankenstein. All he wanted was to be loved and cared for, but instead he devoted his life to making Victor miserable. Even after that was accomplished, he felt a sense of guilt, which led to his suicide. Clearly this creature was not born evil. His environment and peers forced that role unfairly upon him. 

Maybe the creature should have just looked 

like this kitten and asked in the adorable voice I hear

 in my head right now.

In Comparison...

"...and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart." - pg. 35

That's not what happened! I've never seen any adaptation of Frankenstein, but I did know about the classic "It's alive!" line. Naturally, I was really disappointed by the fact that it didn't ever happen. It was actually quite the opposite. Frankenstein was ashamed and hid from the monster. He made himself physically ill with the thought of his creation. What I don't understand is where this film version of the creature's creation came from.  How did someone take Shelley's version of this story and twist it into something so different. I'm pretty sure the only thing the 2 stories have in common is a bolt of lightening. What a big detail to include...? I think this book is interesting because of all the insight from characters about what is going on, but I also think it would be more interesting with a mad scientist. But then again, I'm 18 and don't plan on writing anything nearly as famous as Frankenstein any time soon. 

Jumping To Conclusions

"I had been accustomed, during the night, to steal a part of their store for my own consumption; but when I found that in doing this I inflicted pain on the cottagers, I abstained" - pg. 78

Frankenstein seems to think the creature he created is inherently evil. I don't really understand this concept. I know the creature reached out for Victor right after he was created, but he has never done anything else to harm Victor. I think Victor is too focused on the grotesque appearance of the creature. Frankenstein knows that he created the creature, so he knows that he didn't do anything to make it a killing machine or anything like that. Does he just assume that this creature is going on a killing spree? Also, why didn't he care about any of this in the 2 years that the creature was trying to stay alive in a forest? Jumping to conclusions could get Frankenstein into trouble in the future. I think that he should continue listening to the creature's story and ask a few questions to understand what's happening. It's not like Victor is very emotionally stable as it is. I think he's at fault somewhat for not being open minded about what he created. 

Foreshadowing

"Alas! I did not yet entirely know the fatal effects of this miserable deformity." - pg. 80

Once the creature begins to narrate, Mary Shelley creates a sense that the worst is yet to come. We know the outcome of most of the story, because of the scene on the dog sleds; however, we don't know how any of that comes about. The fact that the creature mentions "fatal" effects shows that something is bound to go terribly wrong. Why else would Frankenstein go chasing after him in a dog sled in the arctic? Foreshadowing is used to show that things with the creature and his creator don't get any easier. Just because Victor is listening to the story doesn't mean that anything will change. Maybe he'll still want to kill the creature? Maybe the creature will kill Victor? That's the bad thing about foreshadowing - it puts lots of "could-be" scenarios into a reader's head. I guess that's why Mary Shelley decided to use it in a creepy, sci-fi book. 

Allusion

"Remember, that I am thy creature; I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel, whom thou drivest from joy for no misdeed." - pg. 69

This allusion to Adam from the creation story in the Bible would usually not be a big deal; however, it's being alluded to by a 2 year old creature who was not born, but created. The creature knows who Adam is and how he relates to human beings. This shows that he's educated on worldly things, not just the basic things he taught himself. This knowledge of ancient stories shows the human side of the creature. He has feelings, emotions, and is able to learn and retain information. For the first time, the creature is more than just an oversized, scary version of a deformed human being. Even the creature himself was scared of his own reflection. I'm predicting that the creature isn't dangerous, it's just trying to figure out how to properly live life when everyone around is terrified of you. I hope by the end of the story it has a name, or I'll be upset. It's not an inanimate object! 

Frame Story

"I am by birth a Genevese, and my family is one of the most distinguished of that republic." pg. 14

This story starts out with letters, which then lead to a new narrator, which leads to more letters, then to yet another narrator. I don't even think frame story begins to describe Frankenstein. 

That was my question exactly at first. Why make a story within a story within a story etc.? It all began to make sense as I read the novel. The story is so unbelievable and interesting that it needed to be told to someone, which is why Robert Walton is writing to his beloved sister. He happened to have strikingly similar characteristics to Victor as well. The two men both seek answers to questions that shouldn't be answered. Hopefully Victor's story can convince him to leave those questions alone. The story then shifts focus to letters from Victor's cousin/adopted sister/lover, Elizabeth. These letters are so important because they're Victor's only connection to home. It's his way of knowing what's happening to his family. After a while longer, the creature begins to narrate and tell his story to Victor. This gives us insight into the creatures mind, as opposed to our strictly external view we've had of him. All of these different stories are leading the story through the time that's elapsing. They're all necessary for the story to make sense.

The Woman

"She’s nothing to me, Biff. I was lonely, I was terribly lonely." - Willy, Death of a Salesman

I think Willy's affair in Boston is when my opinion of him changed. He went from being a confused, stressed, hard-working father who wanted to do what's best for his family to a man who let his deranged memories get in the way of real life. When Biff comes to Boston, he ends up getting yelled at and told not to cry by his father. Most logical people who visit their father in the midst of him cheating on their mother would react just as Biff did. Willy couldn't control his loneliness, and he basically changed Biff's life because of it. Biff was never the same person after that experience. I assume Willy felt terrible after it happened, but he made no effort to reconcile with Biff after ordering him to basically get over the fact that he was cheating on Linda. That's when I stopped feeling sorry for Willy. 


I was really tempted to put the song Boston by Augustana on this blog, but I couldn't think of exactly how it related. Plus I don't feel like stretching the reasoning - since I already did that in my last 2 blogs. 

Hubris

The only thing you got in this world is what you can sell. And the funny thing is that you’re a salesman, and you don’t know that. —Charley, Death of a Salesman

All Willy ever wanted in life was to make something of himself - the American dream. He wanted to be well-liked by his coworkers, idolized by his kids, loved by his wife, and successful like his father and brother. These things constantly haunted Willy. He knew that a salesman could be an honorable job, just not the way he did it. Will'y tragic flaw - hubris - was that he couldn't get passed the failings in his life. His life revolved around the image of a dream that infected his mind. He constantly relived aspects of his life that he wasn't proud of or that involved people he was jealous of. The story of Mr. Singleman and how he died the "death of a salesman" - with lots of friends who respected him at his funeral and an honest living left behind for his family- was exactly what Willy was longing for. That fulfillment never came for him, so he figured his life was not worth anything. For that reason, he killed himself to ensure a better life for his family. 

One Last Hope - Hercules

This song talks all about different heroes who couldn't succeed

because of their tragic flaw. He has no hope in a hero who can truly

live up to expectations - just as Willy gives up hope on his own life.

Foreshadowing

Work a lifetime to pay off a house. You finally own it, and there’s nobody to live in it. —Willy, Death of a Salesman

Jumper - Third Eye Blind

I can't say that I'm unsympathetic for Willy, because I feel bad

for anyone, fictional or not, who commits suicide to escape

life. I kind of wish someone would've played this song for him. 

There are multiple instances where Miller foreshadows Willy's future. The title is the first place. Death of a salesman: well, Willy is a suicidal salesman. The second part of the story that solidifies how Willy will eventually die is when Linda comes right out and says that Willy has attempted suicide multiple times. Also, the quote at the top the page foreshadows the ending. Linda assures Willy that people will always be around to live in their home, but ironically, she ends up being alone in the end. She nearly reiterates this exact sentence in the Requiem of the play. All of these aspects point to Willy's suicide. The suicide seemed like a noble way to die and assist his struggling son in Willy's mind. Willy's discontent with life was leading him down a path of destruction that finally put him over the edge one night.

Laura

"They're as common as weeds, but - you - well, you're - Blue Roses!" - The Glass Menagerie, pg. 1283

I think Laura was changed because of her experience with a person from the real world. Jim had insight about life and he was good at making Laura feel comfortable, which rarely happened. He told her she was beautiful, which had probably never happened. Laura was devastated when Tom broke one of her glass menagerie animals, but she didn't mind when Jim broke her most precious one - the unicorn. I think that was the moment Laura stopped living in her own little world. She knew that things wouldn't always be perfect, and she would get on without Jim or her unicorn. Her response was almost numb. I think years of succumbing to her mother's constant remarks and orders, she began to live her own life. Jim was the most realistic character, as stated in the descriptions, and he was exactly what Laura needed. 

Motivation

"Then all at once my sister touches my shoulder. I turn around and look into her eyes... Oh Laura, Laura I tried to leave you behind me, but I am more faithful than I intended to be!" - The Glass Menagerie, pg. 1289

Tom's motivation for leaving town was his family troubles, boredom, and his job. However, this is not the motivation I'm talking about in this blog. The stronger motivation and dedication was to his sister Laura. Thinking of her and missing her was the reason he came back to his family. He had every chance to leave them all behind and become like his father, but he was stronger because of Laura. She was such a weak and feeble character throughout, but her memory of kindness and simple love is what forced Tom back. He wasn't happy knowing that she was stuck at home with Amanda. I think Tom knew that Laura became more realistic after Jim's night with her, which gave him more reason to be with her.

Motif

"She's terribly shy and lives in a world of her own and those things make her seem a little peculiar to people outside the house." - The Glass Menagerie, pg. 1261

The motif of complicated familial relations is most expressed by Tom's relationship to his mother and sister. He realizes more than his mother that his sister is not cut out to live in the real world, after growing up in her own creation. He constantly fights with Amanda about his life and her constant problems with it, but he is kind to his sister. I think he feels bad for his sister, because he has a chance to leave but she'll always be stuck at home with Amanda. His personality clashes with his mother's, but he often puts her crazy outbursts in the past and keeps living his life. He knows that he needs to protect his sister and calm down his mother, but he also is fighting the urge to pack up and leave them behind just like his father did.

Juxtaposition

"Are not these woods More free from peril than the envious court?" (II.i.17)

The life of a member of the royal court should be fancy and constantly full of royal activities right? Shakespeare plays, and any sort of media or literature in general, seem to make out court life as a lavish one. This about what I'm picturing

That's not exactly what's happening in this play. The Duke is pretty much having a good time in the forest. He's making the best of what he's been forced into. That's the spirit, Duke. The court life is juxtaposed with the calm, peaceful life in the country. The first description of the court is when Charles is breaking people's ribs and throwing them around like Barbie dolls. The country life seems far more appealing when  the Duke describes it. Maybe that's why a majority of the story takes place there? Granted, they end up in the court at the end. The country life is "exempt from public haunt"; what else could a royal want?! 

Dynamic Character - Oliver

"Some of my shame; if you will know of me What man I am, and how, and why, and where This handkercher was stain'd." (IV.iii.63)

I was almost 100% positive at the beginning of the play that Oliver would be the antagonist throughout the entire play. I was sure that he would corrupt someone's life and essentially lead to people's deaths. Then I realized I'm not reading a tragedy anymore, and it is possible for people to change without being lying and manipulative (cough, cough, Iago). Oliver comes to know that he was wrong to treat his own brother so poorly; he's ashamed. When he changes, he falls in love with Aliena/Celia. This was the final thing that solidified his new personality in my opinion. He would be married soon, and he would have someone to keep him in line. As Oliver came back into the woods to find Rosalind and help Orlando, the entire story began to wrap up. Loose ends randomly came together without making any sense, but the story was beginning to be complete. Nothing would be set straight if Oliver hadn't joined the party in the woods. 

Honestly, the only related thing about his video is the word Oliver. 

It's a stretch, but it could express the way Oliver felt about Aliena/Celia. 

Mainly I just wanted to post it because Oliver & Company is the 

first thing I think of when I hear Oliver's name.

What Happens In The Forest, Stays In The Forest

"I pray you, do not fall in love with me, For I am falser than vows made in wine" (V.iii.52)

The crazy, gender-confused love quadrilaterals in this story have a few things in common with the film genius that is What Happens In Vegas, starring Ashton Kutcher and Cameron Diaz. Rosalind begs Phebe not to fall in love with her. She only makes Phebe like her/him/it more when she is rude to her. In the movie, Ashton and Cameron's characters get married one night when they're really drunk, which is a better decision than falling in love with Rosalind (according to Rosalind). The title of the movie really fits in with what happens in the forest. So many people fall in love with random people who are probably not actually acting as their normal self. If everything were to be reveled at the end of the play, I think a lot of people would be totally ashamed of their mistakes. It would be like that awkward moment when you marry someone you don't know in Las Vegas because you've had way too much to drink. Except, it's that awkward moment when you fall in love with a girl dressed up as a young boy pretending to be the girl that he/she actually is. Did that make sense? Okay, didn't think so. Just watch the movie trailer!

You're welcome ladies :)

Reflective Essay Blog Entry

Grace Weisenbach, period 3, Feb. 13, 2012, Reflective Essay

            Situations often arise where people are faced with the opportunity to work hard and be resourceful to succeed, or take advantage of other people instead. Manipulation is a greedy, self-absorbed person’s way of getting what they want. In Shakespeare’s play Othello, Iago uses manipulation as his main tactic to get revenge; however, he ends up causing his own demise when his lies are revealed. Scar, from Disney’s Lion King, also uses deceit and lies to become powerful, but is thwarted when good conquers evil. Similarly, the Wizard in the Broadway Musical Wicked exploits young Elphaba’s strange and unique talents, which causes her to become the Wizard’s biggest fear – the Wicked Witch of the West. As displayed by Iago, Scar, and the Wizard, manipulative and inherently evil plots cause iniquitous characters suffering and defeat in the end.

            Iago’s cruel intentions were unseen by almost every character throughout all of Othello, just as no citizen of Oz every suspected the Wizard to be corrupted enough to misuse Elphaba’s gift of magic. Roderigo is used to do Iago’s dirty work throughout the play. He is manipulated to a point where he would willingly kill Cassio.  Iago never thought taking advantage of Roderigo would come back to haunt him, until the letters found in Roderigo’s pockets by Lodovico reveal Iago’s entire twisted plan to rise to power (V.i.87-88,115). Iago’s plan came crumbling down as his manipulative acts stopped succeeding. The Wizard in Wicked planned on abusing Elphaba’s magical powers to make himself seem powerful, as well as for his own enjoyment. He did not take into consideration that she may catch on to the evil she was being forced into creating.  “Sure, I meant well…So be it then, let all Oz be agreed I'm wicked through and through” (Wicked: A New Musical) were Elphaba’s exact words when she realized she had been unknowingly using her powers for evil. Elphaba vowed to haunt the city of Oz after being taken advantage of by an evil force; in the same way, Roderigo’s letters convicted Iago after he realized that Iago was lying and scheming the entire time. Both guileful characters were exposed and inevitably harmed by their decisions to manipulate innocent characters.

             Evil being conquered by good is a common theme among many stories; nonetheless, malevolent actions catching up to the villain and causing their downfall brings even more justice. Iago’s well organized plot, which seemed to be fool-proof, is what causes his collapse. Simba’s evil uncle Scar in Disney’s Lion King plots to take over the Prideland by the same conniving plan used by Iago- playing the role of “good guy” while secretly destroying lives. Both villains are guilty of continuing their manipulation and trying to place the blame for their crimes on other characters. Iago shows false sympathy for Cassio and reprimands Bianca and Roderigo for allegedly causing Cassio’s wounds (V.ii.322-326). Scar’s life is in the hands of his noble nephew Simba when he screams, “But, Simba, I am family. It's the hyenas who are the real enemy. It was their fault. It was their idea” (The Lion King). These two villains both try to maintain their guiltless facades until they are forced to concede. The true sign that Iago, Scar, and the Wizard of Oz are cowardly villains is their lack of preparation for any sort of obstacle in their plan. Once one aspect of their motives was revealed, they could do nothing but watch their effort crumble and brace themselves for their self-made consequences.

Works Cited Page

The Lion King. Dir. Roger Allers. Perf. Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Matthew 

         Broderick. Walt Disney Pictures, 1994. Videocassette.

Perrine, Lauerence. “Othello.” Perrine’s Literature: Structure, Sound, and Sense.   

         Fort Worth. Hartcourt College. 2002. 1362-462. Print.

Wicked: A New Musical. By Stephen Schwartz. Gershwin Theatre, New York. 30   

          Oct. 2003. Performance.

Reflective Essay Warm-Up

"I've got no place in my heart for a criminal like you to dwell, in this endeavor, make this last forever...I'm just delirious,You can't be serious" - The Girl's A Straight Up Hustler, All Time Low

This song talks all about a girl's unfaithfulness. Desdemona may have been faithful to Othello even on her deathbed, but there was no convincing Othello of that. In his mind, this is what I imagine him thinking about her. I doubt "straight up hustler" would be his exact words (although you never know, Shakespeare could've been a total hipster), but his references to her being a prostitute and cheater basically imply the same thing. Othello thinks the last thing Desdemona would do would be cheat on him, which ironically is the complete truth. However, the lies that surround him make him believe that she's been lying to him for quite some time. Othello thought that he was getting played by Desdemona, which is what this song addresses. He wants Desdemona to stop lying to herself and to him, and to finally admit to her affair. The conflict explored here isn't one that is on the surface such as Iago's deceit and hate for Othello, but rather the conflict Othello creates inside his mind. If what he believed to be true were actually taking place, it would be exactly what the song talks about. 

People I Don't Feel Sorry For

"Then must you speak Of one that loved not wisely but too well; Of one not easily jealous, but being wrought, Perplexed in the extreme." (V.ii.342-345)

1. Iago - Of course I don't feel sorry for him. He intentionally ruins people's lives. I understand that he's smart, but obviously not smart enough since his plan basically failed. Now he's just a murderer who's hated by all of Cyprus. Good work, Iago.

2. Othello - He begs to be remembered as one who simply loved too much. He did love Desdemona, but then he went crazy. Yes, he was being manipulated, but he didn't listen to anyone but Iago. Multiple people tried to tell Othello that Desdemona was faithful, but he refused to hear them. He also didn't inquire to anyone else about anything he was hearing. He was just as swayed by the rumors as Iago. He's not as bad as Iago by a long shot, but I still don't have sympathy for him.

3. Bianca - I don't really know what happens to her in the end, but the way she fawns over Cassio gets on my nerves. He obviously doesn't care about her, so she should stop. She has a reputation as a flousy (sp?), which didn't just happen by itself. Maybe she should straighten up and stop sleeping around, then maybe Cassio would love her.

Motivation?

"Some such squire he was That turned your wit the seamy side without, And made you to suspect me with the Moor." - Emilia (IV.ii.145-147)

Up to this point in the play, Iago had one of two motivations left to base his evil plot off of. Emilia knows this rumor went around, so she addresses it in front of Iago. She calls him out about believing the rumor about Desdemona and Cassio, but not the one about her and Othello. His motivation basically just vanished. So now is the proof that Iago is just a jerk. Motivation is described as the reason a character acts the way they do; I no longer know what Iago's motivation is. I think he might generally just be a heartless, abusive, power hungry person who enjoys tormenting people. (If you haven't figured it out yet, I hate Iago). Iago isn't used to Emilia actually speaking to him, let alone calling him out publicly, so I think that's why he gets so defensive at first mention. Iago's motivation, if he has one, has become to keep his plan going until everyone is dead or alone in life. What a nice guy. 

All of the people in this plan are so susceptible to rumors. They're so gullible, 

and it's causing them to go mad. Adele doesn't perfectly describe Othello, 

but I like this song so it's going on the blog.

Foil Characters: Emilia and Desdemona

"For if she be not honest, chaste, and true, There's no man happy, the purest of their wives Is foul as slander." - Emilia (IV.ii.17-19)

Since Desdemona and Emilia are best friends 

until the day they die, I thought this picture was appropriate. 

I think Desdemona is the dog and Emilia is the cat. 

Throughout the first 3 acts of Othello Desdemona was outspoken and defended Emilia from Iago's rude remarks. Emilia didn't speak out very much, and when she did she was very timid. The two women were contrasted in that way. However, Emilia began to gain confidence by act IV. I think once Desdemona was in trouble, Emilia knew she had to stick up for her. Emilia was offended by Iago and Othello's allegations of Desdemona's unfaithfulness, so she fought back finally. In the end of act V, Desdemona reiterates her faithfulness to Othello, even if he won't ever believe her. She swears she'd never cheat on him, no matter what the circumstances. Emilia, however, says that she wouldn't mind cheating on Iago. Of course, Iago is much less respectable and loving that Othello. This is another area where the two women contrast in personality.

Team Anyone But Iago

"And what's he then that says I play the villain?" (II.iii.301)

I'll gladly say that Iago is the villain. If he weren't a fictional character and alive today I would want to kick him in the shin and angrily name off all of the reasons he's the villain. Usually I think sarcasm is funny, but Iago's sarcasm just makes me really angry. 
Reasons Iago is the villain:

• He is breaking up a marriage of 2 people who beat the odds and fell in love. That's just rude and annoying. He's basing his motive off a rumor. That rumor clearly isn't true because Othello is very angered by the thought of Desdemona's infidelity, so he'd never do that to her. Maybe Iago would have a marriage like Othello and Desdemona if he had a little respect for his wife, which brings me to my next point.
• He treats women like crap. That's not okay with me. Never once does Iago honestly say something nice or positive about a woman. Poor Emilia is probably scared of Iago and how awful he is to her. 
• He continues this terrible plot that will inevitably ruin people's lives even after he got the job of Lieutenant. He's ridiculously power hungry and clearly doesn't deserve a position anywhere near it.
• He is tarnishing the name of Iago - the bird from Aladdin. I know that the parrot Iago is somewhat evil by association because his owner is Jafar, but he's so much better than Shakespeare's Iago. 

Foreshadowing

"But I do love thee! And when I love thee not, Chaos is come again." (III.iii. 92-93)

Othello has been mild mannered throughout the first 2 acts, but this seems to be his breaking point. Iago continues to raise his suspicions of Desdemona's unfaithfulness. Although some are misunderstandings and some are blatantly false, Othello is unaware. I think this foreshadows the upcoming chaos that will ensue when Iago finally completes every aspect of his plan. Othello's anger will get the best of him and ultimately Iago will have his desired job and Othello and Desdemona will split up. Another instance of foreshadowing is when Othello has head pains and Iago torments his lack of sleep, because both of those point to his epilepsy. Seizures can be caused by lack of sleep. I don't know if that is what will cause Othello's seizure and maybe even death, but I think his epilepsy will play into the plot soon.  

Ironic Epithet = Iago

 "Honest Iago, My Desdemona must I leave to thee." (I.iii.294-295)

Iago is called an honest man by multiple characters throughout the first 3 acts. This becomes an epithet used to describe him, even though he's falsely honest. Othello, the Duke, Cassio, and all of the other characters who refer to Iago as honest don't know his secret plans of deceit and mutiny. His false honest is giving people reason to trust him and rely on him, when they are unknowingly playing right into his plan. Iago has no boundaries when it comes to lying to people and meddling in their personal lives. I don't understand anyone (Bryan, I hope you read this and enlighten me) could think that Iago is a noble or respectable character. He is cunning when it comes to his deceit, but he is ruining people's lives without any solid motive. Once he gets the job he wanted (through lying and making up stories) he continues his game. Iago is a lying lowlife and I'm definitely Team Anyone Else.