Buddhism

I find the whole religion of Buddhism astounding. Even though, by themselves, all religions are perfect in thought (like government), but practice it is much more difficult. Anyways, Buddhism gives us the equal opportunity to reach our best--to reach our own point of holiness. Even though we can praise others who've reaches this Enlightenment, believers must strive to reach that equal level of understanding. I really respect the religion and its aspects of equality among all even the critters ans and crawlies. I just wanted to post my appreciation. Can anyone give me other religions that can be compared or contrasted to Buddhism?

Siddhartha's transformation

Siddhartha has changed his view of his live,of age, of the non ending cycle. Since he has been a puple of the Ferry man. He has learned that like the river his life as a boy and as a old man is all connected. Like the river that has been through many decades; it is still living in the present.

Siddhartha

Although Siddhartha has become wealthy among merchant men

 He has developed ownership for material things, but what i admire about Siddhartha is that even though he lost himself he eventually found himself. 

Everything is Transitory

As I was reading reading the chapter of  Siddhartha, By The River, I saw an amazing amount of thought provoking quotes. One of my favorites was from page 93, the bottom paragraph: "Remember, my dear Govinda, the world of appearances is transitory, the style of our clothes and hair is extremely transitory. Our hair and our bodies are themselves transitory."

This quote really stood out to me because of how true it is. Everything in this world is not permanent. We are constantly changing, constantly evolving. Whether it's how we style our hair, what culture we practice, popular music, popular clothing-- the list is endless. One day listening to obscure music and dressing in clothes from thrift shops is "in", the next listening to all the current hip-hop and wearing Jordan's is what we perceive as "cool". Each day, week, or month, there are new trends shoving out the old ones.

Also when Siddhartha says "Our hair and our bodies are themselves transitory." Our hair thins and falls out as we get older, or even now. As we age, our bodies slowly deteriorate, losing the muscle, the elasticity, the suppleness, that we contained when we were younger.

I never really thought about these things in such great detail until reading this chapter. Siddhartha has opened my mind to many new ideas. I feel like I myself, am going on this journey of self discovery alongside Siddhartha.

Have any of you guys felt this way also?

Train From Rhodesia** The marriage

What stood out the most for me in this short story was the relationship between the "young" couple. It was stressed enough times they were young to assume they are newly-wed. When the women begins to wonder how the figures she just bought are going to become a part of her life, and where exactly they would fit. She also wonders if they'll just represent a memory... i think she's thinking the same of her husband; just realizing he is permanent part of her life. However she has also just realized he is very different than her in the way he felt no sympathy for the poor artists.

Articulation and Blame / Train From Rhodesia

Although, the man should not have bargained for the lion, he thought he was doing what his wife wanted. She stated that she "liked" it and "wanted" it -- she even stated that it was too expensive. The lady did not articulate her thoughts correctly. She thought the lion was a lovely craft, but that doesn't necessarily mean that she wanted to buy it. She became upset with her husband because they, in a sense, stole from the native. They cheated him of 2 shillings. The woman hated that apartheid was taking place, but she didn't realize that she was also part of the problem; this is much like Orwell. Orwell hated oppressors yet he himself was one.  Would you blame them for what they did?  

The Train from Rhodesia

Although i have already shared in class, i would like to talk about it again. One of the key elements that really struck me about the short story was the use of imagery and personification in the work. I love how the author creates intense emotion in the woman and her inner struggle to accept what her husband did. Although i think that she was changed as she saw in the conditions the people were in, I think that seeing her husband buy the lion at such a low price really determined her change. It was something that would stay with her and every time that she rides that train, she well be reminded of it. What do yo guys think happened to the young couples relationship?

The Train from Rhodesia

We can infer that the couple were newly weds which is a new chapter in their life's. Wouldn't you think that a vacation would bring two people closer than ever? In this case, it was the exact opposite. When the man bargained with the merchant, the woman realized that she couldn't see him the same as before. As the trip comes to an end, she realizes that this chapter of her life with her husband is also ending. The couples connection will never be the same. What would you have done if you were in this woman's position? Would you forgive the man? Would you pay for items original value?

The Train From Rhodesia: The Lion

Although I agree with everyone in class who said the wife was disappointed in the husband for purchasing the lion for a cheaper price because she felt sorry for the seller, I also think that the wife feels the lion lost its beauty. She thought it was beautiful, the only reason she didn't purchase it was because they already bought many other souvenirs. She was willing to pay the original price, even a little more, but when her husband bought it for less she felt that all the poor man's hard work went down the drain.

Reborn

When I read the first couple of pages of the chapter 'By the River', I was astonished with how much emotion Hesse but into that chapter. In the beginning of the chapter, one is introduced to Siddhartha after he left Kamala and went again on the path to find himself. As he is walking in the forest, he begins to have flashbacks of his life and is angered with how his life has unfolded up to this point. His anger gets to the point to which he actually wishes that he should die. I think what makes this a lot more symbolic, is the use of similes to describe the gruesome anger that Siddartha is enduring with in himself, self vs. self, "he was full of ennuifull of misery, full of death; there was nothing left in the world that could attract him, that could give him pleasure and solance". I would like to compare this to the short story we just read in class. Just like the woman who was on the trainride, after her husband dis-honed her for having bought the lion at such a low price, she could no longer live her life the same way. Just like Siddartha, Siddartha could not live the same life much longer. One thing that stood out to me the most, was when Siddartha ended up arriving at the river in which he is able to gain his peace again. It is in that river in which he slept alongside in which he was able to discover who Siddartha really was, he was reborn. It was at that same river in which Siddartha was able to meet up with Kamala and meet his son. What do you guys think will happen with Siddartha and his son know that Kamala has passed away. What teachings will he pass down to his own son?

Life, Fear, Death.

"Weariness was written on Kamala's beautiful face, weariness from continuing along a long path which had no joyous goal, weariness and incipient old age, and conceals and no yet mentioned, perhaps a not yet conscious fear -- fear of the autumn of life, fear of old age, fear of death"


Kamala is having a mid-life crisis. She seems tired of her daily routine and discontent with the way her life is at the moment. I think that is why we can all relate to her. We don't want to be her. We stress about choosing a career path because we don't want to be in our 30's or 40's regretting our decisions. We want to live and be happy with the way our lives our. Kamala also fears aging and death - which I don't know about you, but I fear greatly ((not necessarily being dead but dying - and what, if anything, comes after death)).

Is it possible to evade midlife (or existential) crisis'? If so, how so? What is the best way to live? Is there a best way to live? What role should death play in our lives? Should we fear it, ignore it, acknowledge it??

Shooting an Elephant - Alexandra, Briana, & Stefany

(A) How fairly does Orwell evaluate his own actions? (B) Do u think Orwell comes across as an admirable man in this selection. Explain.

Orwell chooses to evaluate his actions wisely  thinking about the advantages and disadvantages. He personally doesn't want to kill the animal but he knows that the multitude of people are pressuring him to. 

We believe that Orwell has a lot of guts writing about his personal experience of shooting an elephant which makes him admirable. His entire story was the truth and was unbiased to his own action. He didn't leave out important details and is aware of the consequences. He accepts that he was just a puppet to the people trying to give them what they wanted. Although he told the truth, that doesn't make it right for shooting the "wild animal."

Shooting an Elephant--Melissa, Jasmine, & Daisy

So we found two passages--We had to analyze the style, sentence lelength, and word choice to state the overall tone of "Shooting an Elephant". 

First one: "When I pulled the trigger I did not hear the bang or feel of the kick--one never does when a shot goes home--but I heard the devilish roar of glee that went up from the crowd". This quote really caught our attention with its various line breaks using the dashes and overall descriptive dryness of the sentences. The line breaks gives the reader a sense of Orwell's racin thoughts as he kept still on the ground--how they all kept silence in awe. What we mean by "descriptive dryness" is how Orwell dissects his past memory with such truth but no mercy for himself. There's a polarization with the gun's silence and the crowd's "devilish roar". Using the words "devilish" and "glee" for the crowd after Orwell shot the calm elephant swiftly furthers the impact of Orwell's tone of repulsiveness for himself and perhaps his fellow humans. 

Second one: "But in falling he seemed for a moment to rise, for as his hind legs collapsed beneath him he seemed to tower upward like a huge rock toppling, his trunk reaching skyward like a tree. He trumpeted, for the first and only time. And then down he came, his belly toward me, with a crash that seemed to shake the ground even where I lay. I got up. The Burmans were already racing past me across the mud". We think this quote was similar to the first in the way Orwell sends his tone across. However, Orwell contrasted the description of the elephant's fall with the simple sentences in the end: "I got up. The Burmans were already racing past me across the mud".  The elephant's fall seems so important (which is to Orwell) with the lengthy sentences, descriptive words, and similes. You can envision the fall and sense the impact it had on Orwell. However, this image collapses (or rather solidifies the cruelty of humanity) with the last two sentences. The world continues to spin, life continues to pursue blindly on despite this critical point of Orwell's life. Overall, these two quotes supports Orwell's tone of solemnity, shame, and remembrance. 

Shooting An Elephant: Freedom & Saving Face // Guadalupe, Cynthia, and Julia

"When the white man turns tyrant, it is his own freedom that he destroys"

My group and I came to the conclusion that having freedom meant that one has the ability to make choices without having to go through anyone else first. 

The white men essentially gave up their freedom because  they are constantly trying to look powerful in front of the "natives". By killing the elephant, Orwell went against his natural intuition (or will) so that he could please the mob of "natives".

"The crowd would laugh at me. And my whole life, every white man's life in the East, was one long struggle to not be laughed at"

The natives are truly the people in power because they have the most influence on the tyrants. The tyrants try so hard to not look like fools, that they don't realize that they are essentially basing all of their actions off of the emotions of the natives. 

If Orwell had not shot the elephant the theme of the essay would have remained the same, but the tone would have been different.

We can empathize with Orwell because in the moment he was trying to "save face" and gave into peer-pressure. At some point in our lives we have all tried to do that.

If you haven't, imagine being the President of the U.S. (or any country, really). People are depending on you to make decisions that will help improve their lives. Now imagine that you made an incredible mistake. Would you point out your flaw and tell your nation that you messed up? Would they think that you're under-qualified, that they shouldn't have voted for you? OR would you keep it to yourself, and lie to your nation? Most people, wouldn't (in the moment) admit to their mistakes. Instead, they would try to hide it or brush it off. 

"Shooting an Elephant"

There is a stylistic analysis of "Shooting an Elephant" by Nellufar Yeasmin that brings up the topic of imperialism. The author of the article says, "Orwell uses various literary techniques to convey the emotion and situational irony of the whole shooting scene, which ultimately leads to a satirical presentation of imperialism. The young officer felt like a stupid person pushed to and fro by the imposing wills of the crowd."

My question to you all is how Orwell uses satire toward imperialism. Perhaps the crowd that was following Orwell symbolizes dominating countries; countries that pressure people such as Orwell to do something they don't necessarily want to do. What other ways does Orwell use satire toward imperialism? Let me know what you guys think!

Siddhartha

Firstly, I find it very interesting and true how Siddhartha believes experience is his best teacher. If anything, every teacher must insert some part of their personal beliefs in their way of teaching. Siddhartha, in a way, was held back by all these ways of teaching because they didn't completely correlate with himself and his frustrations. He looked inward to teach himself, to stop running from himself.

Counter cultures

Counter cultures are important - and in some way define a generation. The beatniks pushed for a wider acceptance of sexuality and drugs (they were more expressive), the hippies yearned for peace, the b-boys popularized urban art (such as, graffiti), punks stood up against government and were non-conformists (they stood up for individualism and equality).

I guess what I'm trying to get at, is: what counterculture in our society is going to 'define' us to other generations.

Would you agree that it's the "hipster"? I mean they go against mainstream consumerism and try to find Eco-friendly alternatives to products

Grapes of Wrath...good ideas?--daisy a.

So, I reread the book and started my report, however I'm feeling iffy on my topic. Perhaps I can have some reassurance on it. I decided to discuss about how society starts to push out the "beggars" at a certain point of "asking for too much"-- that no one (or hardly anyone) can give everything up for another, especially strangers. The other topic I could discuss, after Ross mentioned it, is how Steinbeck uses nature to show the conflict or situation in his novels like Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men (sorry about the underlining--iPhones)

Macbeth's Fate

Act 4 scene 3 Malcolm stated

"With this there grows

In my most ill-composed affection such
A stanchless avarice that, were I king,

I should cut off the nobles for their lands,

Desire his jewels and this other’s house.

And my more-having would be as a sauce
To make me hunger more, that I should forge

Quarrels unjust against the good and loyal,

Destroying them for wealth."
 

He says that he would have become to greedy as king and destroyed all the loyalty nobles and everyone would have had for him. So I had a thought today when someone asked if the prophecy would have still occurred if Macbeth would have not taken action upon his own fate. Maybe when Malcolm would have become king things would have turned out the way he states in the passage shown. Meaning Macbeth would have the duty to the take action as a noble and Thane to save the crown. This action could have eventually led him to becoming king earnestly. What do you guys think ?

Symbolism in Macbeth

Hey guys, so my group is doing our project on the symbolism in Macbeth. Can you guys think of any types of symbolism that you noticed while reading Shakespeare? I'd really appreciate.

Lady Macbeths OCD

Ok so I guess I'm kind of happy I didn't get to read my article in class because it would have ruined the ending for everyone. My article was written by Wray Herbert who is the editor and chief of Psycology Today,  he describes Macbeths obsession with cleanliness as a type of psychological OCD where the "stubborn blood stains" that wont wash off leads her to suicide." The compulsive washer has become a symbol of the human mind's deep connection between morality and cleanliness -- and between immorality and filth. ". Basically what I got out of the article was that Lady Macbeths guilt was all too much... So much so it drove her to suicide 

Shakespearean Tragedy Article

"A central group of four plays—Hamlet, Othello, Macbeth, and King Lear— offer Shakespeare's fullest development of tragedy, and they are sometimes collectively labeled the great or major tragedies. These plays focus on a powerful central character whose most outstanding personal quality—his tragic flaw, as it is often called—is the source of his catastrophe. He is the victim of his own strength, which will not allow accommodation with his situation, and we are appalled at this paradox and at the inexorability of his fate. " I want to relate this to MacBeth because seen as a hero at the beginning of the play and then turning into the villan for his own selfish reasons, we can see that this flawed character is at the "the point of no return" because of all the damage that he has done and we can only wait and see how his future takes course.

MacBeth

Hey guys ! I have a few questions about MacBeth. So Lady Macbeth is dead. I want to know what you guys think about this . Was it suicide or murder? Is MacBeth still seeing Ban quo ' s ghost ? And also the messenger told MacBeth about the trees moving and he didn't believe him, right ?

Macbeth coming to a end.

I am looking forward to the ending of Macbeth, even though Mrs.Ross already told us the ending. I wanted to keep on reading today. Lady Macbeth has died. I think she killed herself. She could not handle the guilt of assisting in the assasinations. Lets see what will happen next.

Article On Macbeth

Its really interesting how Shakespeare constructed Macbeth. He want the people not know what will happen next. The way Macbeth became a loved character even though he was the murder was because the people  did not see the murder occur, so they wonder how he did it. I found this on icurve.org it is written by David Chandler : "Death is important in expressing tragedy because it is at the very heart of the paradox of disappointment. For secular man and even for many religious men death brings final conclusive disillusionment to every meaningful hope. "

Vocab studying

Okay, so I'm studying for the vocabulary test but I still have a hard time trying to remember syllogism. The definition is logical argument involving three propositions:  formal deductive argument made up of a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion. If anyone could interpret it in another way, that would be helpful.

My favorite sonnet would have to be Sonnet 18. Although he makes false conparisons it is still found so romantic in my perspective . My favorite lines are the 1-2 "shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate." Although one can see the difference between sonnet 18 and sonnet 130 where sonnet 130 is more reasonable where he knows her eyes Dont shine like the sun but he still loves her . For me Sonnet 18 will be my favorite even if it's not so reasonable . What's your guys opinion between the two sonnets ? Which one would you prefer?

Sonnet 145 rethought

So today in class i had mentioned how much i enjoyed this specific poem. I liked it because of the playful side of love and romance it portrayed, however the more i think of it, the more I am confused on its true meaning. I believe it can also be interpreted as how manipulating, how encaging love sometimes is. To see how much power the women has, how she can ruin his life with one word, then I start to wonder if she purposely let him believe she was going to say "I hate you" rather than "I  hate not you"... Either way, it is still my new favorite. 

Sonnet 18

I wasn't in class today so I didn't get to hear the discussion. One that stood out to me was Sonnet 18 because the first line is very popular "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?"I love how Shakespeare compares "her" to summer. Everything beautiful stops being beautiful at some point in time but he's saying how much greater she is and how her beauty will never go away unlike summer. I just thought that this sonnet was very adorable and heart warming!

Sonnet 145

From the packet, I found Sonnet 145 to be my favorite. The playful yet adorable tone of the sonnet really called to me. It showed how Shakespeare's wife's words can have such an impact on him --as it is perhaps for anyone in love with their beloved. It shows how another's opinion can affect one just because of their significance. ""I hate" from hate away she threw./And saved my life, saying "not you."

Sonnet 130

Out of all the sonnets sonnet 130 stood out the most to me because like we discussed in class I love how honest he is. He isn't comparing her to false things that no one can live up to, he's being honest and noticing her flaws but is also saying that with her flaws he still manages to fall in love with her and I love this because this can apply to today and show girls that we don't have to live to this expectations to get someone to like you, if someone honestly likes you he would think of your flaws as perfections and love you either way.

Feminine/Masculine Characteristics

   When I was researching an article, I came across this passage that I found interesting and thought that played into where we are with Macbeth right now. " Defining masculine and feminine characteristics allowed writers like Shakespeare to draw males with certain "feminine" characteristics and females with certain "masculine" characteristics. This merging of masculine and feminine in both males and females might help to explain how easy it was for the Elizabethan stage to employ and accept all male casts and utilize men to play strong female characters like Juliet, Lady Macbeth, Cleopatra, and Kate, the Shrew. Contemporary audiences, so set on separating female from male, would have great difficulty returning to this standard practice of the Renaissance". I guess the reason why this passage struck me so much, was the fact that I do find some "feminine" characteristics in Macbeth as he is more compassionate. When it came to Lady Macbeth" Masculine" traits appear to all of us in her strong  personality and at times seeming cold hearted . What don you guy's think about it. 

Sonnet 130

Out of all the sonnets in the packet, sonnet 130 had to be my favorite.

At first I didn't know it was about love because in the first 8 lines Shakespeare doesn't comment on his lover's beauty, but instead on all her imperfections: her breath reeks, her hair looks like wires, etc.

It wasn't until line 9 I realized he actually loves her, 

before I thought he was just bashing on one of his ex girlfriends.

He names all her imperfections because he adores her from head to toe,

 including all the not-so-pretty parts.

Which is why I love this poem so much!

It reminds me of the quote:

"perfection is an illusion, imperfection is beautiful" - anonymous 

An example Alejandra gave during class was society's standards on women's body size.

A perfect example is how today in society a model's size two waist equals beauty,

but Marilyn Monroe is considered one of the most attractive women in history. 

Her waist size is wasn't a size two, her waist size was average.

I make this connection because although she isn't today's average model size,

she was still gorgeous.

"perfection is an illusion, imperfection is beautiful" - anonymous 

Lady Macbeth

I don't know if it's just me but to me Lady Macbeth seems so powerful especially I this time period. A women was never allowed to talk to her husband like that or even have an opinion in his choices but she does, she has a voice in macbeths life but what really fascinates me is how Macbeth listens to her he listens and technically obeys what she says and although she may use her power over Macbeth for evil and for her own good it still amazes me how she is able to have all of this control over him.