I must admit, I laughed

I know I have discussed this scene numerous times, I feel like the scene in Act I, scene iii. This scene really made me think that Shakespeare maybe did have a sense of humor. I feel like in today's world, girls do use their blonde hair or stupidity to their advantage. Rich men will want to get them in bed. Smart women then again do the same thing- use their wit to their advantage. This also made me realize that maybe Shakespearean themes are timeless. They apply to all eras of life. This is just evidence that Shakespeare wrote for all generations, and no matter what technology may bring- girls will be girls and will never change. Pretty sad when you think about it actually.

How tragic...

Shakespeare's Othello is a tragedy, for in the end everyone will die (spoiler alert). However, there are also elements of comedy as well. Shakespeare does a phenomenal job of bringing comic relief to a plot line that would otherwise be considered dull and boring. In Act II, scene i, Iago talks about the different types of women to Dez. This added an element of disbelief to the audience. The audience was not expecting Iago to break into a speech about how all women just want to be in bed. He had a very creative response to each question he was asked. Each time another question was asked, the audience expected him to not have an answer- but he did. Each answer was surprisingly similar in its nature.

Ugly v. Pretty

In Act II, scene i, realistic conventions were portrayed to the reader. Iago was describing to Des all about how ugly, pretty, stupid, and smart women get their way in the world they live in. According to Iago, all women just want to get in bed with a man - degrading. However, in all reality this is how a substantial number of women operate these days. This is a stylized convention in the story. It was incorporated in order to show Iago's view of women. This reveals to the reader that he as an ulterior motive with his later actions (i.e. getting Cassio drunk for the sole purpose of getting him fired by Othello). The entire play is not this way, for this bit is an motive of characterization for the audience to get to know Iago better. If this scene did not exist, it would make Iago more of a sympathetic character- something Shakespeare doesn't want him to have.

How I met your mother

Plot

In regards to plot, “How I met my husband” would be similar to the film adaptation. Instead of Chris Waters flying into the city on a plane to give rides, I would have him as a temp who is working on the road in front of the house where Edie is living. She would pass him working on the road when she took the kids to school everyday for months, and then one day Chris would come up to the door and ask her if he could get some water because they ran out that day. They would lock eyes and have a “moment”. Everyone else in the community would pick up on their odd romance, for he would be a very attractive man everyone wants to talk to. The film would be similar in the fact that there would be an annoying neighbor who thinks she knows everything and always interferes. Once the man goes onto a new job, he tells Edie he will write her, and she checks the mail everyday. Like the short story, she will end up marrying the mailman.

Point of View

The Point of View would be first person. The first scene would be Edie talking to her kids as they lay in bed and she is telling them stories of how she and their father met and got married. The story will be told with all of Edie’s personality. Because of this, the viewers will get mixed feelings. What is happening on the screen (Edie and Chris falling in love) will not match the narration. For, Edie will be very apprehensive about her relationship with him and talk about how it was very innocent and she didn’t know what to expect. More emphasis will be placed on the mailman when there is a montage of her going to the mailbox everyday and not getting a letter. They will start to talk and eventually hit it off. While on screen this may be a minor scene, the narration will convey passion and love.

Characterization

The second scene of the film would be Edie at her real home and what it was like for her to grow up. She will not have a washer and dryer or dishwasher or any amenity she has at the Peebles’. This will convey her innocence and naivety. Throughout the scenes in the film, Edie will be seen encountering things like a mixer, a washing machine, and a toaster for the first time. She will not know what to do with them, and she will be fascinated. This conveys how she loves new things and experiencing new adventures. Because of these details, it will not be a surprise when she jumps onto Chris. Chris on the other hand will be this dashing man who is suave and stylish and always knows the right word to say at any given moment.

Setting

Whereas the text occurred in a small town, so too will the film. It will be in a small farm town in Bargersville, IN. The neighborhood will be an affluent one, but with a farm feeling. Whereas the text had neighbors right next door, the nearest neighbors will be our of walking distance. This fact will make it more ironic how the neighbors think the know everything about everyone. The city will be large enough to have character, but small enough for rumors to travel quickly. The road being fixed is to help allow for a huge country club that is going in down the street. This shows that it is a growing city that is fairly sizable.

Theme

Whereas the theme of the text was Edie being older and wiser now, and looking back on her mistakes and wishing she would have chosen differently. The film adaption will lead the viewers to believe that the theme is “everything happens for a reason”. In the opening scene, she will be laying in bed with her son, who is upset about his girlfriend that broke up with him. She will start the story with the intention of telling him not to worry about it. She will show him that it is important to live life without regretting things. In what she thought was going to be a small anecdote to convey her message to her son, she ends up telling him how the two of his parents met, and how they would not change their life for the world. In the end, the son will learn to be okay with their separation and pursue the girl he never thought he would be with but found they have quite a connection.

Shawshank the Movie

PLOT

In regards to plot, the movie and the book were almost exactly paralleled. Most of the time when novels are made into movies, the film makers are forced to cut out key elements to the novel. Because Shawshank was just a novella, the film makers were able to keep all information from the novella when making the film. However, there were a few subtle differences between the film and the novella. For example, the head screw in the book did not get arrested once Andy escaped. Another difference was that Worden Norton did not kill himself when the guards were trying break into his office. In the novella, he simply resigned from his position and went on about his life. My mom's favorite part, when Andy turns on the music for the entire campus to hear, was not included in the novella.

POINT OF VIEW

When talking about point of view, the two were not all that different. In the novella, Red did most of the talking and told the stories from his point of view. He often interjected into the stories that some of his stories were just hearsay, but he did get them from reliable sources. While the movie was handled the same way, Red did not interject his opinion into each matter. It was more dialogue between he and Andy than him narrating, although there was quite a bit of both. Andy never really talked in the novella, but he did talk sometimes in the film version. I personally liked how Red did gave his opinion to most of the subjects, for it gave a personal touch to the story line.

CHARACTERIZATION

The first thing I noticed when watching the film version last night with by bestie Keaton McCoy was how violent the guards were when interacting with the prisoners. It caught me by surprise actually. In the text version, the "screws" kept them in line but never really physically abused him. This was the complete opposite in the film. Matter of fact, it made my heart hurt when I watched how they treated them. In addition, Red made the "screws" in the novella out like they were the scums who were dirty and didn't really care about life. The way in which the "screws" dressed made them portrayed as more sophisticated.

SETTING

When I pictured the prison Red portrayed in the novella, I pictured somewhat of a rundown shack that they lived in. I never imagined the castle-like prison that was used in the movie. I felt the prison used in the movie lacked the "hard" look that the one in the book had. However, once Andy escaped from his cell, the images of him escaping were exactly what I expected. The human waste exploding from the pipes and Andy climbing through them was almost more than I could handle. Once Andy has completely escaped from the jail, the image of him tearing off his clothes, was amazing and made me cry. The vivid images of the movie brought the entire morale of the story home to me.

THEME

When talking about theme, the novella and the movie were very similar. Everyone knew that Andy did not belong in prison. Even when he was there, he acted as if he wasn't even incarcerated at Shawshank. Everyone held Andy to a higher regard than the other prisoners, even the screws did. The warden made it his prerogative to make certain Andy didn't get the best of him. However, the warden let him do just that. Some people just don't belong behind bars, and the same is true with life. Some people are meant to be free spirits and just can't be held captive. This was Andy, he took his time in Shawshank to formulate his plan, and in a sense make his life better because of it.

The downfall of our society

I am a firm belivever of the coherence of the family. I believe that familes with a father and mother are more effective and will ultimately lead a more fulfulling life. When I read this story, my first reaction was this poor child. From the beginning, he is torn between who wants him because the two people that made him no longer want to be together in raising him. I feel like I could see him in ten years when he does not have a father and is living his life on the edge and his mother has no control of him. It makes me sad. I think our society can learn from this short story by learning to make better decisions about who we will marry and who to have children with. After all, no one is imagining their relationship will end that way when the deed is done.

The Drunkard

All I have to say is the little boy's mother respones way differently than my mother would have if I had come home drunk. First of all, I feel it was very disrespectful for him to do it. I am not fully convinced that he did it to be the brake for his father's drinking. I fell that he may have just wanted to see what it tasted and felt like to be able to act like his father. If I were his father, I would not have allowed him to act like that in the street. Yes, he may have been drunk, but he did not drink so much alcohol that he was trashed beyond his mind. He was just putting on a show in order to get attention and to make everyone else look at him. In fact, he may have been doing this so that his father could have seen what he looks like when he comes home drunk all the time. I am not sure what is true, for this is just one odd story!

Zoe is wierd

The whole story is an example of situational irony. Throughout the entire story, Zoe talks about how she is always getting in trouble for saying her jokes in her class at the university. However, she is also making a living off of her book about humor. Zoe felt that her expertise of humor would stay strictly to her business life and stay out of her life in the personal sense. However, she is proved wrong when Earl thinks she is downright odd when she starts cracking her jokes at the end of the story. Zoe is just wierd and a social misfit. Why would anyone in their right mind want to move to the midwest in a little town by Terre Haute. First of all, the only thing that happens there is extensive drug use. This means that Zoe isn't really that good of a history teacher and instead just settles for teaching US history in a small town at the local college.

Lottery of Death

The point of view of this story was crucial to the overall meaning of the work. Having a third person omnipotent view allows the reader to make his own decisions about the process as a whole. It also allows the reader to realize the tone of the lottery as well. Up until the end of the story, the reader has no idea what the lottery is actually conducted for. If the nararrator would have hinted at this throughout the story, then the reader would not have the surprise element at the end of the story. The POV shows that the community really does not care about what happens in the society. The fact that the little children were throwing stones at their mother adds an element of surprise that would not be revealed with a limited nararrator. The story would not be what it is without that element.

Shawshank

Plot

By having Red narrate the entire story and build up the story, the climax of Andy's escape had that much more meaning. The first sixty pages informed the audience of life inside the prison, which allowed the reader to relate to the prisoners on a whole new level. Before I read this novel, I had a preconceived notion that all criminals were guilty and that life inside the walls of a prison was terrible. However, Red's vivid description of every happening inside the walls (e.g. Andy's role in the library, his asking Red for the rock hammer and posters) allowed the reader to put the pieces of the puzzle together when Andy finally made his escape. The plot structure and climactic scene of Andy's escape forced the reader to cheer Andy on and smile at the fact that he finally escaped his own destiny. Without the vivid descriptions, the readers would have had the same feeling toward Andy as they do most other prisoners.

Point of View

King could not have picked a better P.O.V to portray this story from. Red did a phenominal job of setting the scene of the story. On page 33, his vivid description of Andy being raped by the sisters allows the sotry to become personal to the reader. We hear about the stories where a prisoner bent over to grab the soap bar and is raped. However, Red's description makes it real to the reader. King could very easily have told the story from Andy's perspective; however, the story would have lost the point of view of an outsider looking in. The element of shock would not have been there at the end when Andy is missing at role call. Instead, Red, along with the readers make the connections of every little detail that occured in the prison up until that point to the escape.

Characterization

King also does a phenominal job of developing the characters throughout the story. If Red would not have foccused on how Andy meant everything to the guards and the wardens because of his experience with taxes and legal documents, the reader would not have viewed him as anything different than a convict. However, because this side of Andy is revealed by Red, the audience looks at Andy as more of a civilian than a prisoner. Red develops his own character himself. He reveals small parts about himself throughout the entirety of the novel. The reader then regards him as an old sole who is content living in prison and is not going to upset the status quo. However, just like the revelation of Andy's break into the real world, Red's parole leaves the reader just as excited.

Setting

The obvious setting of the prison reveals a lot about the story as a whole. While most people look at a prison as a place where no one could ever picture themself, a rather hell hole that can't be overcomed, the reader realizes that the prison becomes more of a comfort zone that is a way of life. Red speaks of how prison really isn't that bad, you learn to only have to go to the bathroom every 25 minutes past the hour. Red also speaks of how prison is not that bad unless you find yourself in solitary. However, once Red is out on parole, he does not know what to do with himself while working at the grocery store. By having all the freedom, he reverts to his old ways of structure and does not know how to overcome the fear he has. This surprises the reader because one would think that a prisoner would rejoice when they got out, instead the sometimes are bewildered and do not know which direction to choose.

Theme

The overall theme of the story is not revealed until the end of the work. Some men like Red are content with Prison and accept the fact that is their destiny, and never try to bawk the system and stick to the status quo. Then there are men like Andy who seem content to be in prison from the outside, but deep down in are eager to get out and will do anything to make sure it happens. Red speaks of how rarely does anyone successfully escape from the prison. Andy is one of them. In life, it is the same way. Some people are content with the status quo, with their job, with their position on the basketball team, or with their financial status. However, their are the Andy's of the world who have a burning desire within them to take that risk. These people know there is a substantial risk involved with the decisions they are going to make. People don't make an excess of money by playing it safe with hopes of eventually getting a raise (or parole), they invest money and take the risk of failure. They own business knowing their is a risk of failure that could impact the intirety of their life. However, if done right, these actions can prove to be lucrative, and in Andy's case life ending. (death of his old identity)

I ain't as good as I once was, but I'm as good once as I ever was

I find this story interesting. Throughout the entirety of the story, I was under the impression that the woman was an older lady who liked to sit back and just watch other people. But, then she started referring to older people in a manner that implied she was younger than them. This caught me off guard. So, like always I started reading between the lines and realized that perhaps the woman is in fact old on the outside, but still young at heart. I was under the impression that this woman's career relied on her face and outer appearance. As soon as that was compromised by old age, she lost her job. However, this woman still has yet to cope with this fact. Throughout the entire story, she is trying to figure out who she is deep down in.

Dead or alive?

Many people wonder if Phonex's grandson is really alive, or if she is just trying to cope with his death. In regards to the story as a whole, this detail is not relevant. The author purposefully made this detail ambiguous to the reader because she knew that it had no impact of the overall story as a whole. With the theme being unconditional love, whether or not the grandmother was doing this deed for her grandson that is dead or alive really does not matter. All that matters is that she would "go to the end of the earth" for this person. A lot can be taken from this story. Granny is a stock character for the parents in this world who love their children unconditionally and would do anything for their betterment. Some people would simply let a loved one suffer from swallowing lye, but this granny went on a trek to seek medicine that would help.

Once upon a time....

The definition of a frame story has stuck with me since I was a freshman in Mrs. Miles' class. As soon as the writer in the story started telling the "children's" story, I immediately knew that the short story would be a story within a story. In the beginning, the murder of the woman in broad day light foreshadows the death of the boy later on in the other story. The purpose of the story before the child's one is to give the reader an idea as to what is going to happen. The frame story structure strengthen's the overall message by the story because it is stated twice. Once by the writer, and once in the child's story. Without this structure, the reader would not know why the story is being told to begin with. The author of both stories is kind of saying "here's a child's story for you".

The unsympathetic

In regards to whether or not Eveline is a sympathetic character, I think she is unsympathetic. She had the option to get out of the house many different times. Even though her mother asked her to stay and watch over her father and siblings, I am sure her mother would not have wanted her to suffer. Eveline needs to put things into perspective and think about what is important in her life. It would be better if she could help her siblings get out of the abusive situation and help them get to a better life as well. At no point should someone have to live in an abusive situation. And, I know for a fact that a mother would not want their daughter or other children to be abused. It is very sad that the late mother would have an abusive husband that is abusing their children.

I'd prefer not to.....

So if I were to ever tell my mother that I'd prefer not do do something when she asked, I can not even imagine the consequences. I give the lawyer an immense amount of credit in this circumstance. I think too often in our society we jump to our reactions and do not take the time to really understand people the way we need to. Too often in this world, bosses just look at their employees as things and not human beings with backgrounds and histories. This story indicates how important it is to really know those around you. By not simply going off on Bartelby, the Lawyer shows patience and understanding with him. I think he knew what events had happened in his past that would allow him to act in such a manner. By knowing this about him, Bartleby does fine for a little while, but then is lead to an inevitable demise. Everyone can take a lesson of patience from this story and truly having a grip on those around us.

Oh mama...

At the end of the story when Tub and Frank are enjoying their pancakes when Kenny is dying in the back of the truck, Tub picks up each plate laden with syrup and licks it up. When I read this sentence, I immediately thought about my own mother. Before my mom and I discovered we had insulin problems and excess amounts of carbs and sugar put us into a "diabetic coma", "pancake sunday's" were a weekly happening at the Richardson house hold. My mom would always make French toast to please her own taste buds. Upon finishing her breakfast, she would always stand up and lick every inch of her plate to get all the syrup off. Yes, this sounds like something a sloppy hog would do, but my mom would only do this given the sunday circumstance. This was so habitual for her that one Sunday when my sister had friends over, she went into the pantry to lick it in private so the friend would not see. Now, she would probably not be so thrilled that I was posting this anecdote on here for the whole world to see, but I doubt she will look, so shhhhhh!

Tubby Tub Tub

Of all the characters in the story, Kenny goes through the most dramatic change. At the beginning, he is talking to Frank about how fat Tub is and how he looks like a "beach ball with a hat on". Later on in the story, he is making fun of Frank because he knows the secret about the babysitter and then will not let Tub in on the secret. Up until the climax of the story Kenny is putting all of the other characters down the whole time in order to make himself feel superior. After Kenny goes on his shooting rampage and Tub shoots him back, Kenny immediately switches roles and becomes the one being put down. After that point, he is completely reliable on the other characters in order to survive. Tub and Frank take advantage of this opportunity by being careless enough to forget the directions on how to get to the hospital, and making several un-needed stops along the way. This gives Tub the chance to give Kenny back what he deserves. This is a true example of "don't bite the mouth that feeds you."

Lives before the story

The mother, Dee, and Maggie all had apparently different lives before the story started. The mother, obviously was the working hand around the home and the one who made the family go 'round. She was the glue that kept them all together and tried to do the best she could giving the circumstances that she was solely responsible for the girls. Maggie was the young sister who just stays back and takes every detail of her surroundings in. Unlike Dee, she was content to just look around and watch other people's behaviors and then later analyze them. Lastly, Dee was the sister who was always high maintenance and anxious to get away from the family farm. She was eager to get out in the world and experience it on her own and not be tied to her background on the farm. She was the typical college girl who goes out in the world and finds herself.

Flashbacks

In the interpreter of Maladies, Mr. Kapasis's experience with his son dying forced him to realize what his true passion was. He and his wife's son died of a disease at a very young age. The reader knows this through the author's use of a flashback within the text. This shows importance becasue if his son would not have died, then he would not have had the passion to be the intrepreter at the doctor's office that he is. Before he was an interpreter, he was an english teacher that aspired to be an ambassador for a foreign nation. But after the experience with his son, he realized that he must stand up for those who did not have a voice. He realized he would have to be the voice for those who did not have one. In other words he would interpret the words of the patients to the doctor.

EDIE

Edie is a very sypathetic character in the story. She is taken advantage of in the story because of her innoncence. When she and Chris got "intimate" in the tent, she didn't even know what that meant. Alice looks down upon Edie and thinks she is just a little girl who is not worldly. Since Edie is only the help around the house, she never really gets out and is able to experience life the way most other girls her age do. When Chris left, she was innocent enough to believe that he was going to write her and eventually come back to marry her. Any other person reading the story would know that that was not going to happen. All of these things contribute to the persona of her character.