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.

Quote Response #5

I had to remember this one in 8th grade so I thought it would be appropriate since there was always one line I never forgot. I read The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost for this blog entry. The last stanza is the most important and two lines specifically, "I took the one less traveled by,/And that has made all the difference." This just shows that you need to think carefully with every choice you make in life, and not just the big things, but also the little. By taking the road less traveled by it means that maybe it wasn't what everyone else was doing, but that it was best in the end. These words are important to remember because it proves that you will always have choices to make and that you will remember them forever. I think that it's an important poem to read, and it gives young adults insight into many of the challenges they will face. This quote specifically reminds me that I have made some good and bad choices but they have all made a difference in how I am today.

Poem Paraphrase--"Counting the Beats"

I read the poem Counting the Beats by Robert Graves. I really enjoyed this poem, I find it to be romantic and it makes a person stop and think about their lover. This poem is about a man and a woman who are "counting the slow heartbeats" of each other while laying under the open sky and enjoying the moment together. They don't want to stop and think of anything else, they just enjoy the peace with each other and want to focus only on that. The stanza I find most important is:
Not there but here,
(He whispers) only here,
As we are, here, together, now and here,
Always you and I.
I think that this stanza shows the connection the two people have to each other and it makes the reader have a feel good moment. I think this poem is great for those bad days because it will lift your spirits and make you feel better.

Quote Response #4

I read Alfred, Lord Tennyson's The Splendor Falls on Castle Walls. I found this poem lighthearted and fun. One line I found most interesting was "Our echos roll from soul to soul,/ And grow for ever and for ever." I find it fun that Tennyson wrote of the echos around the world to grow from each person and to never perish. I like the idea that hills, mountains, and plains all have their own "voice" and we each get to experience that.

Song Quote Response

I am doing a response to my favorite song of all time, it is "Miss America" by Something Corporate. Here are the lines that always seem to jump out of the song at me:
"And I don't care if you don't love me
And I don't care if you don't change
And I could live inside the shadow that I cast for you
If it meant that you would stay"(McMahon)
I think these lines are critical to the song, these words show how much the person cares about their lover and that they would do anything for them. It is a sad song, but I think its important because it shows the truth in a real relationship...people lie, cheat and cry. These lines specifically just show that despite the hell from all those things, a person will still bend over backward for the one they love. I like this part of the song because I think that it shows how dependent we can be towards the people we love, but not in a bad way. I think that if a person loses who they love, they will do or say anything to get their love back regardless of how much it could hurt them in the long run. This is only a bit of the song, and the whole song is amazing. I would love to ask why Andrew McMahon wrote this, what caused him to come up with the lyrics and what he personally thinks of this song. It has been the song I turn to when I feel happy or sad, it is my favorite song and I am greatly appreciative that it was made!