Quote Response #9

Again while reading Othello, I found another interesting line. It's right after Othello stabs Iago. Othello:"I am not sorry neither. I'd have thee live; For in my sense, 'tis happiness to die" (5.2, 285-6). I think that it's odd and quite intriguing that Othello equates happiness with dying. Maybe it is because of all the terrible things that has happened to him? And that is probably the case, but it just seems so sad that he feels that there is no hope left for him. Could he not start fresh? Or would everything just follow him elsewhere? Throughout the course of the play I just want to tell Othello to not listen to the lies that Iago tells him. But this is why it's called a tragedy, there is nothing we can do and we just have to sit back and watch it all unfold.

Freestyle #4

I was reading my favorite magazine, Cosmopolitan, and came across and interesting article. It was entitled "I Tried a Juice-Only Detox. And Yes, I'm Starving," by Jake Hurwitz, it was about a man who didn't understand why his girlfriend did such crazy things in order to stay healthy and look good. There were two sentences I found interesting, and very funny. The first was "But that day at lunch, I wanted to punch him in the face and steal his sandwich." He was talking about how his friend was eating a Philly cheese steak sandwich for lunch and that all could think about was ripping it out of his hands because he was so hungry. The second was "And from now on, I won't just tell her she's pretty. I'll tell her she's damn hot, because she is, and the stuff she goes through to feel good and healthy is hard."I think its important that not only did he write about how hard it was for him to go through with the Detox, but he also made that distinct connection with his girlfriend. He acknowledged her, and I find that to be the most important part of the article. He gained new respect for his girlfriend and actually understood her better. If only all men could do this...a walk in our shoes for one day...ah yes.

Quote Response #8

While reading Shakespeare's play Othello there was one monologue that really caught my attention. Desdemona is speaking: "My noble father, I do perceive here a divided duty. To you I am bound for life and education; My life and education both do learn me How to respect you. You are the lord of duty, I am hitherto your daughter. But here's my husband, And so much duty as my mother showed To you, preferring you before her father, So much I challenge that I may profess Due to the Moor my lord" (1.3, 179-187). I found that saying this to her father carried a heavy weight. I also think that it was important that Desdemona did say this because everyone needs to know that Othello is not just the Moor, he is her husband. I think this was also her way of asking people to respect their marriage and to accept that it won't change. It interesting to me that even in Shakespeare's time these things were happening. That so much hatred went to the "underdogs." I also think that this shows just how important women were then, that Desdemona had the courage to say something shows the audience that women too have things to say and that they should be respected as equal individuals.

Quote Response #7--Trifles

For my lit class I needed to read a short play by Susan Glaspell called Trifles. I enjoyed the play and also found it very intriguing. I liked that the women were on their own little mission and ended up finding more than the men did. One part I particularly found interesting was when the women found the bird. Mrs. Hale: "But, Mrs. Peters--look at it! It's neck! Look at its neck! Its all--other side too." Mrs. Peters: "Somebody--wrung--its--neck." I still have figured out what "other side too" means and I'm a little lost as to why John Wright would have killed the bird. Was it to make his wife upset? Did he not want her to be happy, so that is why Minnie Foster killed her husband? I just feel like there are many questions that haven't been answered. And then another quote I found interesting was (when they are explaining the events in the play): "Suddenly Mrs. Peters throws back quilt pieces and tried to put the box in the bag she is wearing. It is too big. She opens the box, starts to take the bird out, cannot touch it, goes to pieces, stands there helpless. Sound of a knob turning in the other room. Mrs. Hale snatches the box and puts it in the pocket of her big coat." Why did the women feel that it was necessary to take the dead bird? Are they going to bury it or take it to Minne Foster in jail? I'm not quite sure what the significance of the bird is, but I find it very interesting that the women would not let it go.

Scene Response--"O"

First of all, I enjoyed this movie and this take on Shakespeare's Othello, it was modern and a little more interesting than the play. One scene that really jumped out at me was the scene when Hugo was asked to go to the Duke's office (his father) and have dinner with him. You could see that Hugo was excited and thought maybe his dad was interested in him and wanted to have a bonding moment, but then the Duke consistently spoke about Odin, and kept asking Hugo what was going on with him. Then after a few moments the Duke left Hugo to eat alone. This is precisely why Hugo did what he did. He only wanted his dad to regard him with that much respect, and he knew that if he got the "fame" from killing people, he would get the attention he deeply wanted. I find it sad, that the Duke didn't see all this. I think that if he had, Hugo would probably have gotten over his jealousy and then dealt with everything much better. I think this scene is important because it gives a good look into the relationship that Hugo and his father have, and also it shows the audience what causes Hugo to feel the way he does. Hugo only wants to be just as important as Odin, especially to his father.

Freestyle #3

In Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis there were many parts I found extraordinary. I found it extremely interesting that a 10 year old wanted to be a part of the revolution even though she didn't understand exactly what was going on. I think that it shows how strong of a person that Marji was, she seemed to be the one who pulled her family together when things weren't going well. I just liked how much Marji wanted to be a par of everything, it proves to me that children understand when things aren't going well, even if they don't understand the reason behind it. I think her writing of Persepolis opened my eyes to a lot of the issues in Iran, and also the fact that children are aware of what's going on on around them.

Quote Response #6

When I read Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis there w ere a few lines that really popped out to me. One in particular was "I didn't know what the justice was. Now that the revolution was finally over once and for all...The only place I felt safe was in the arms of my friend [God]." I think this quote is important because it shows how much everything effects children. Even though they don't understand entirely, children still have a sense of all of the events around them. I also find it significant that the "friend" Marji talks about is God, I this plays an important role in her experience and then later we find that she decides to not want him in her life. It's these experiences for children that cause them to have everlasting feelings toward certain people. I also think that her calling God a friend is important, maybe if her whole family had thought of him that way, they could have gotten through the revolution a little easier. I just find that many of the thoughts she had as a child were very far from immature, it's interesting to me how this can be so different in another country. Ours often isn't like that.