Tragedy is very present in the book. At the beginning, the relationships were tragic. The sadness of the relationship between Amir and Hassan was almost unbearable. The way Amir treated Hassan was tragic. Another trgic thing is how everyone in Amir's life is now dead or dying: Hassan and his family, Baba, Ali, Rahim Khan. To me, it is the most tragic thing that all Amir can do about all of it is find Sohrab. Sure, that will mean something, but it cannot fill the holes left by all of those deaths.
Forgiveness is also a relevant theme. At the beginning, Hassan always forgives Amir for treating him like crap. It is a heartbreaking forgiveness, one where you just want to slap Hassan for doing it. Baba always forgives Hassan, even for "stealing" what he did not steal. The amount of forgiveness done by everyone around Hassan is great. Later, Amir goes back to Afghanistan to forgive his sins.
That is another theme present: sin. The amount of sins in the book is massive. First you have Amir, who is horrible to Hassan and who watches things happen to him that he could have stopped. It is a terrible sin to treat someone that loyal and kind that horribly. Even Baba, who always talks about how the only sin is theft, robs Amir of knowing that he has a brother. Assef raping Hassan sinned. Every character is this book has sinned in some way, even the most wholesome.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Friday, March 16, 2007
Ugly and Pretty
There are both advantages and disadvantages of being ugly and of being pretty. Ugly is harder to describe, so I will start with that. One advantage of being ugly is that people will get to know you by who you really are, instead of being "the pretty girl." Another advantage is availability. When you are gorgeously beautiful, everyone is always looking at you. You're in the spotlight. Sometimes that would be a good thing, but there are definite times when I would want to be alone. People need that time.
However, in the world today, everything is judged by appearance. To the passerby, ugly people are not memorable, at least not fondly. The judgement by everyone alone is so hard to take; that is why being ugly is so hard. People hurt you.
Beauty is nice to have, especially if you are in high school. Your life will really suck if you are ugly in high school. Being pretty gives you a status. The biggest advantage of beauty is simple. It is nice to know that when people look at you, they do not think you are repulsive. That is a nice thing to know for every person in this entire world.
However, in my opinion, one of the biggest disadvantages to beauty is being "the pretty one." Many people see that and do not want to look deeper. If you have blond hair, blue eyes, and are thin but well-endowed, you are the hot one. You are not the smart one, the funny one, or the interesting one. That is painful. By being pretty, you are expected to live your life to others' standards.
However, in the world today, everything is judged by appearance. To the passerby, ugly people are not memorable, at least not fondly. The judgement by everyone alone is so hard to take; that is why being ugly is so hard. People hurt you.
Beauty is nice to have, especially if you are in high school. Your life will really suck if you are ugly in high school. Being pretty gives you a status. The biggest advantage of beauty is simple. It is nice to know that when people look at you, they do not think you are repulsive. That is a nice thing to know for every person in this entire world.
However, in my opinion, one of the biggest disadvantages to beauty is being "the pretty one." Many people see that and do not want to look deeper. If you have blond hair, blue eyes, and are thin but well-endowed, you are the hot one. You are not the smart one, the funny one, or the interesting one. That is painful. By being pretty, you are expected to live your life to others' standards.
Friday, March 2, 2007
Romeo and Juliet Unit
I have always wanted to read Romeo and Juliet, so I liked being able to do that. One thing I did not like watching the movie at the same time, because it was the exact same thing. It did help sometimes to tell what they meant by things, but reading it, listening to it, and watching it just seemed repetitive. I did like when you would stop our reading to explain things; that helped me to understand the story and language more. I was probably the only one who liked the interupptions.
Polished Journal - Haiku
Emily is lame.
She has a musty barn smell,
and a lazy eye.
Kana is a spaz;
equal spaz as Lucy,
who has rabies drool.
Lakehouse this weekend:
filled with laughter and hot tubs.
Don't eat poison fish.
Too many noises,
tricycles and shrieks through rooms:
Only twenty bucks.
When will O.C. come?
People lie on profile:
fast delivery.
Danni: short for wine.
She sits in sun like a cat,
sadly falls down stairs.
Kate in Oregon,
Chris will be in Seattle.
What trip it shall be.
Gris o castaño,
pelo exclusivo: art.
No hair dye for you.
Thousand miles far;
no separation has come.
Hour long I.M.
Nalgene hits windshield.
No crumple zone: more forces.
205 newtons.
She has a musty barn smell,
and a lazy eye.
Kana is a spaz;
equal spaz as Lucy,
who has rabies drool.
Lakehouse this weekend:
filled with laughter and hot tubs.
Don't eat poison fish.
Too many noises,
tricycles and shrieks through rooms:
Only twenty bucks.
When will O.C. come?
People lie on profile:
fast delivery.
Danni: short for wine.
She sits in sun like a cat,
sadly falls down stairs.
Kate in Oregon,
Chris will be in Seattle.
What trip it shall be.
Gris o castaño,
pelo exclusivo: art.
No hair dye for you.
Thousand miles far;
no separation has come.
Hour long I.M.
Nalgene hits windshield.
No crumple zone: more forces.
205 newtons.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Odyssey Test
WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED ABOUT GREEK CULTURE, VALUES, AND RELIGION?
1. The Odyssey is a perfect example of Greek culture in the early centuries. The Greeks had different values than the culture of the 21st century. One thing that stood out was the way they thought of women as opposed to men. Mortal women were marginalized and mainly thought of as servants or maids. They were a lower class. As seen with Penelope, men thought of them as baby-makers. Women could give them sons to rule their kingdom, but in the meantime just clean the house and work the fields. On the contrary, men were thought of as herculean workers who ruled the house. Anything they asked for was brought to them. However, it was also the man's job to defend the house. If they were called to battle they had to fight; if asked to leave to help the world, the must. Affairs were also an interesting difference. Men would be craven if they did not sleep with many women, but women were bad and unfaithful if they slept with one other man.
Work and class were main values they respected. People were classified as one type of person, and that is what they were forever. Gods and goddesses were the highest class. Any mortal, if visited by a god, was honored to be graced by their presence. They could control the world, so everyone wanted to please them. The Greek culture was arranged by hierarchy, and that is the main difference from our culture today. The Greeks were an interesting people, however, their way of life would certainly not work today.
WHAT RESONATED WITH YOU IN READING ABOUT ODYSSEUS' ADVENTURES?
2. When reading about Odysseus' odyssey, many of his adventures on the various islands contained things that were interesting. For example, Odysseus seemed to be quite fearless. Even after blinding Polyphemus, going through the Underworld, and losing all of his men, he was unfazed. That was one thing that resonated with me in a good way. However, more things resonated with me in a negative way than a positive one. The affair ordeal that Odysseus had with Calypso made me mad because of what he said when he returned to Ithaca. He was so scared that Penelope had been unfaithful right after he had had at least two affairs. Even though this was apparently common the the Greek culture, it was still unnerving. Also the fact that Odysseus was so happy with Calypso near the end of his affair bothered me because he was always so in love with Penelope. He seemed to contradict himself in his story, which also stayed with me. He did not seem to be a person to trust. However, the last thing that resonated with me was his cunning ability to trick others. Throughout the story, he was always very smart, but at the end he seemed to use his smarts and brawn in a way that was very impressive. The story of Odysseus was a very interesting story and I did relate to it more than I believed I would in the beginning.
THE EPIC POEM IS DATED NEARLY 3000 YEARS AGO, WHY IS IT STILL RELEVANT?
3. Although The Odyssey was written nearly 3000 years ago, its plot line and interesting concepts of culture make it still relevant in our culture today. The historical significance alone make it Homer's poetry interesting. Today's culture like to know what it was like to live as a Greek in the early centuries, and this helps them understand one side of it. Also, the action and sexuality can translate into modern times. Although these are portrayed differently today, the story makes it known that these were significant ordeals back then as well. It is interesting to see the connection when some would think there could be none. The past can seem so distant and different than today, but The Odyssey shows that it has not changed as much as believed. The poem is a good example of history being referred to and used in modern times. It is used as a reference point, quoted, and used as an archetype for other stories and movies, such as Troy and Oh, Brother Where Art Thou. It is a story that will be continued to be used very far into history.
HOW WOULD YOU CHARACTERIZE THE NARRATOR, THE FICTIVE "HOMER" WHOSE VOICE WE IMAGINE AS SINGING THE VERSES OF THE ODYSSEY?
4. Homer's poetry has led me to believe he was a pretty smart guy. He seems like the kind of person who would get really into the story and be very expressive. His blindness would have led him to use his other sense with sounds and actions. He seems to be someone who would encapsulate each character in their own personality.
WHAT KINDS OF BEHAVIOR ARE TREATED AS COMTENPTIBLE IN THE ODYSSEY?
5. Many things are considered bad or scornful, such as disobeying or angering a god or goddess. You cannot hurt or disobey any of a god's kin or Zeus's kin. For example, if you anger Poseidon, he will make your journey home hell; if you anger Zeus, he will make your island sink. Also, as seen with Penelope, not remarrying after your husband is pronounced "dead" is not looked kindly upon. A woman being unfaithful is scorned, as is stealing other's food, crops, land, and animals.
HOW DOES THE POEM REPRESENT MORTAL WOMEN? SINCE PENELOPE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT WOMAN IN THE ODYSSEY, WHAT QUALITIES DOES SHE POSSESS, AND HOW DOES SHE RESPOND TO THE TROUBLES SHE FACES? (Some of the other women are of note, too-Eurycleia the serving woman, the faithless maidservants, Nausicaa the Phaeacian princess, and Helen of Sparta, Menelaus' queen, whose elopement with Prince Paris sparked the Trojan War.)
6. Mortal women are not considered as very high-class people. They are queens to their kings and baby-bearers, or they are maids and servants. Their role is to keep the house and to help the king. It seems that they are very important to the story, but in more indirect ways. Penelope is a very smart woman. She is very quick to think and is a faithful wife to Odysseus. With the suitors, she was very clever to think of the tapestry weaving deal, and even when she had to choose a suitor, she tested them in a way she knew would never work. The women seem to have an unrecognized strength.
HOW DO HOMER'S GODS THINK AND BEHAVE? HOW DO THEIR ACTIONS AND MOTIVATIONS DIFFER FROM A GOD IN OTHER RELIGIONS OF WHICH YOU HAVE KNOWLEDGE? WHAT ROLE DO HOMERIC GODS PLAY IN HUMAN AFFAIRS, AND WHAT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF HUMANS WITH RESPECT TO THESE GODS?
7. Homer's gods and goddesses seem to be somewhat arrogant and know that whatever they want is their command. They use this to their advantage to scare, protect, or mess with mortals. Unlike the "god" that is thought of in modern religions, these gods are more human and are more cruel and selfish. They use their powers for both good and bad, as opposed to just good. Homeric gods take pleasure in human affairs and like to get in the middle of them. An example is Calypso with Odysseus. As a god, it was hard for Odysseus to escape her power. With gods, humans know they must obey them to live, for they can control every part of the world: water, wind, sun, death.
1. The Odyssey is a perfect example of Greek culture in the early centuries. The Greeks had different values than the culture of the 21st century. One thing that stood out was the way they thought of women as opposed to men. Mortal women were marginalized and mainly thought of as servants or maids. They were a lower class. As seen with Penelope, men thought of them as baby-makers. Women could give them sons to rule their kingdom, but in the meantime just clean the house and work the fields. On the contrary, men were thought of as herculean workers who ruled the house. Anything they asked for was brought to them. However, it was also the man's job to defend the house. If they were called to battle they had to fight; if asked to leave to help the world, the must. Affairs were also an interesting difference. Men would be craven if they did not sleep with many women, but women were bad and unfaithful if they slept with one other man.
Work and class were main values they respected. People were classified as one type of person, and that is what they were forever. Gods and goddesses were the highest class. Any mortal, if visited by a god, was honored to be graced by their presence. They could control the world, so everyone wanted to please them. The Greek culture was arranged by hierarchy, and that is the main difference from our culture today. The Greeks were an interesting people, however, their way of life would certainly not work today.
WHAT RESONATED WITH YOU IN READING ABOUT ODYSSEUS' ADVENTURES?
2. When reading about Odysseus' odyssey, many of his adventures on the various islands contained things that were interesting. For example, Odysseus seemed to be quite fearless. Even after blinding Polyphemus, going through the Underworld, and losing all of his men, he was unfazed. That was one thing that resonated with me in a good way. However, more things resonated with me in a negative way than a positive one. The affair ordeal that Odysseus had with Calypso made me mad because of what he said when he returned to Ithaca. He was so scared that Penelope had been unfaithful right after he had had at least two affairs. Even though this was apparently common the the Greek culture, it was still unnerving. Also the fact that Odysseus was so happy with Calypso near the end of his affair bothered me because he was always so in love with Penelope. He seemed to contradict himself in his story, which also stayed with me. He did not seem to be a person to trust. However, the last thing that resonated with me was his cunning ability to trick others. Throughout the story, he was always very smart, but at the end he seemed to use his smarts and brawn in a way that was very impressive. The story of Odysseus was a very interesting story and I did relate to it more than I believed I would in the beginning.
THE EPIC POEM IS DATED NEARLY 3000 YEARS AGO, WHY IS IT STILL RELEVANT?
3. Although The Odyssey was written nearly 3000 years ago, its plot line and interesting concepts of culture make it still relevant in our culture today. The historical significance alone make it Homer's poetry interesting. Today's culture like to know what it was like to live as a Greek in the early centuries, and this helps them understand one side of it. Also, the action and sexuality can translate into modern times. Although these are portrayed differently today, the story makes it known that these were significant ordeals back then as well. It is interesting to see the connection when some would think there could be none. The past can seem so distant and different than today, but The Odyssey shows that it has not changed as much as believed. The poem is a good example of history being referred to and used in modern times. It is used as a reference point, quoted, and used as an archetype for other stories and movies, such as Troy and Oh, Brother Where Art Thou. It is a story that will be continued to be used very far into history.
HOW WOULD YOU CHARACTERIZE THE NARRATOR, THE FICTIVE "HOMER" WHOSE VOICE WE IMAGINE AS SINGING THE VERSES OF THE ODYSSEY?
4. Homer's poetry has led me to believe he was a pretty smart guy. He seems like the kind of person who would get really into the story and be very expressive. His blindness would have led him to use his other sense with sounds and actions. He seems to be someone who would encapsulate each character in their own personality.
WHAT KINDS OF BEHAVIOR ARE TREATED AS COMTENPTIBLE IN THE ODYSSEY?
5. Many things are considered bad or scornful, such as disobeying or angering a god or goddess. You cannot hurt or disobey any of a god's kin or Zeus's kin. For example, if you anger Poseidon, he will make your journey home hell; if you anger Zeus, he will make your island sink. Also, as seen with Penelope, not remarrying after your husband is pronounced "dead" is not looked kindly upon. A woman being unfaithful is scorned, as is stealing other's food, crops, land, and animals.
HOW DOES THE POEM REPRESENT MORTAL WOMEN? SINCE PENELOPE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT WOMAN IN THE ODYSSEY, WHAT QUALITIES DOES SHE POSSESS, AND HOW DOES SHE RESPOND TO THE TROUBLES SHE FACES? (Some of the other women are of note, too-Eurycleia the serving woman, the faithless maidservants, Nausicaa the Phaeacian princess, and Helen of Sparta, Menelaus' queen, whose elopement with Prince Paris sparked the Trojan War.)
6. Mortal women are not considered as very high-class people. They are queens to their kings and baby-bearers, or they are maids and servants. Their role is to keep the house and to help the king. It seems that they are very important to the story, but in more indirect ways. Penelope is a very smart woman. She is very quick to think and is a faithful wife to Odysseus. With the suitors, she was very clever to think of the tapestry weaving deal, and even when she had to choose a suitor, she tested them in a way she knew would never work. The women seem to have an unrecognized strength.
HOW DO HOMER'S GODS THINK AND BEHAVE? HOW DO THEIR ACTIONS AND MOTIVATIONS DIFFER FROM A GOD IN OTHER RELIGIONS OF WHICH YOU HAVE KNOWLEDGE? WHAT ROLE DO HOMERIC GODS PLAY IN HUMAN AFFAIRS, AND WHAT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF HUMANS WITH RESPECT TO THESE GODS?
7. Homer's gods and goddesses seem to be somewhat arrogant and know that whatever they want is their command. They use this to their advantage to scare, protect, or mess with mortals. Unlike the "god" that is thought of in modern religions, these gods are more human and are more cruel and selfish. They use their powers for both good and bad, as opposed to just good. Homeric gods take pleasure in human affairs and like to get in the middle of them. An example is Calypso with Odysseus. As a god, it was hard for Odysseus to escape her power. With gods, humans know they must obey them to live, for they can control every part of the world: water, wind, sun, death.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Similarites Between Hayao Miyazaki Films
They all obviously had to do with spirits and gods. One thing I noticed between Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke were the huge blob-like creatures. Whenever the spirits went mad, they turned into the creature that took over and left gunk everywhere. Another similarity was the main character usually did something heroic. They saved someone or someplace. Like Ms. Chiang said, they like to pull things out of some nasty substance. In Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke, the spirits was kind of misjudged. People thought they were bad, but they were usually just possessed or misguided. The main character revealed that they were good. The animals/spirits always gave help to the characters. In all three films, there are basically two main characters that help out each other. And obviously, they were all good movies.
Movies
Waking Life confused me. It gave me a new view on what happens when you die and what is and is not real. The conversations were interesting and different from what I have originally learnt about dreaming. I now always try to turn lights off and on, which is funny because I know I am not actually dreaming. Well, I guess I don't know that.
The style was really interesting. Before we saw it, Will explained rodoscoping to me. I have never heard or seen it before. It was cool to see when artists changed and how each portrayed the characters and backround. I also liked that they had free reign over what they created, because it reflected what the movie was about: thinking about things that do not really exist.
The concepts in the movies were really cool, but the entire plot was confusing. Until the end, it seemed like a bunch of strung together conversations about dreaming and conciousness. I have seeen movies about this sort of stuff before, and I have always had to watch them more than once to fully understand what is happening. I think the movie will make more sense if I watch it again.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was really good. Although I could not make sense of the entire time scheme, I really like the point of it. It was a really random plot to come up with, and I think that is what made it so original. Michel Gondry's style was really cool because he jumped around and intergrated the pieces of the movie well. It did not flow, in a good way.
The time scheme does not quite make sense. I understood the main plot. They meet. They fall in love. One starts to get bored and has her memory erased. He finds out and erases her. Trys to stop it in the middle. However, I do not understand how she knew what was going on from thought to thought when they were erasing. It jsut does not quite work. Then the day just started all over again, but then Patrick was there. I think this, again, is a movie I will watch again to get the full meaning.
I like these kind of "mess with your mind" movies. I like to learn lots of different people's takes on the brain and life. all directors of these kinds of films seem like people you would want to have deep philosophical conversations with.
The style was really interesting. Before we saw it, Will explained rodoscoping to me. I have never heard or seen it before. It was cool to see when artists changed and how each portrayed the characters and backround. I also liked that they had free reign over what they created, because it reflected what the movie was about: thinking about things that do not really exist.
The concepts in the movies were really cool, but the entire plot was confusing. Until the end, it seemed like a bunch of strung together conversations about dreaming and conciousness. I have seeen movies about this sort of stuff before, and I have always had to watch them more than once to fully understand what is happening. I think the movie will make more sense if I watch it again.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was really good. Although I could not make sense of the entire time scheme, I really like the point of it. It was a really random plot to come up with, and I think that is what made it so original. Michel Gondry's style was really cool because he jumped around and intergrated the pieces of the movie well. It did not flow, in a good way.
The time scheme does not quite make sense. I understood the main plot. They meet. They fall in love. One starts to get bored and has her memory erased. He finds out and erases her. Trys to stop it in the middle. However, I do not understand how she knew what was going on from thought to thought when they were erasing. It jsut does not quite work. Then the day just started all over again, but then Patrick was there. I think this, again, is a movie I will watch again to get the full meaning.
I like these kind of "mess with your mind" movies. I like to learn lots of different people's takes on the brain and life. all directors of these kinds of films seem like people you would want to have deep philosophical conversations with.
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