Novel Project LRB #9

"Of Mice and Men"
John Steinbeck



There are many inspirational passages in this book , but one of the best ones is the one where Lennie and George are in cahoots with Candy and on the verge of finally achieving their dream of having a place of their own, a place that they can call home and have all to themselves. The passage I've chosen in the following:

"They fell into a silence. They looked at one another, amazed. This thing they had never really believed in was coming true." (pg. 66)

I think this is one of the most amazing scenes in this entire book, it it just so full of life, hope, and happiness, which was not too common in that time period. I think it was beautiful to begin with that George and Lennie had a dream, but when it comes down to the moment where you are right on the brink of having something you have wanted so long, it is just an overwhelming feeling of pure joy. I love how they are going to be rewarded for their optimism, their amazement is truly wonderful to experience especially because George seemed very doubtful that this dream would ever be achieved in the first place. I have had a similar experience, not so much with a dream of my own ,but an opportunity that I have had before. I was given the opportunity to have a solo for singing at church, which may seem insignificant to some, but I had struggled with being shy about singing in front of people. When I was asked, "Would you like to have a solo this Sunday evening?" I could hardly believe what I had just heard, I stood there like a deer in headlights, not saying a word. I could not begin to express how relieved I was that someone had come to me and asked, fulfilling my desire to share the gift God had given me. Since that moment I gladly accept any time I am asked, and it saddens me that George, Lennie, and Candy are so utterly disappointed because of the outcome of the story, this passage truly fills me with joy, but also strikes a chord in my heart for those who cannot get their dream fulfilled, their deepest desires to become reality. I truly feel what they felt in this moment, but I wish the outcome was different in the end.

Novel Project LRB #6

"Of Mice and Men"
John Steinbeck



In this book, oddly enough, most of the characters themselves operate as a symbol, the two most important ones being Curley's wife and Crooks, a woman and a negro man. Curley's wife, who is not given a name, is symbolic of how women were treated and acknowledged in that time period. She had no power, no one to listen to but men, and not a single soul who was willing to listen to her. She is though of as all the other women of that time, good for nothing but cooking, cleaning, and sleeping with. Now Crooks on the other hand, despite his race, is actually treated better than most negros would at that time. Yes, he sleeps in a barn, yes, he is not allowed to play cards with the other men in the bunk house because he stinks, but he still has it better off. Racism was not completely eradicated during this time, and Crooks is a mild example of how a black male with an injured back would be treated during that time. The main characters, Lennie and George, are representative of a small group of people that were probably hard to find during this time. Friends, companions, two people who were there for each other. Everyone was lonely during the depression one would thing, but these two represent the small amount of people who actually had something, who actually dreamed despite the hardships they were enduring, they had hope. More objective symbols could be the mouse, puppy, bunnies, or more broadly, "soft things." Soft things could vaguely be paralleled with sex, and the fact that Lennie was mentally inhibited made him oblivious to sexual acts, as his mind was like a child's and everything he did was just as a child would do, in innocence. The death of the "soft things" can be interpreted as the way that women are thrown away after their usefulness is expended, not so much in Lennie's case, but the other men of that time period, he is merely a victim to the cruel truth that this symbol represents.

Novel Project LRB #5

"Of Mice and Men"
John Steinbeck



Many books accurately express the traits of the time period in which they are based, but this one is a bit easier to analyze because all of the elements are so prominent. The setting of this book is based right near the beginning of the Great Depression, which started in 1929.The wandering around and looking for a job aspect of Lennie and George's life is based solely on their need to find a job, no matter how far they might have to go. The fact that Lennie stirred up trouble in another town and forced them to move can also be indicative of the heightened emotions due to the stress for money and the poor state of the economy. George and Lennie operate as just two of the men effected by this tragic downturn. The location, California, is important because it had a large amount of people expand its population due to the need for jobs, and most people thought that California was a good choice. Most of the migrants were displaced farmers hoping to find a job there.
The role of women is also expressed quite accurately for the time period in which this story is based, one of the most identifying things from this particular story is the fact that one of the only women mentioned in this book is not even given a name. This shows how insignificant women seemed in that time period, not even worthy to be mentioned by name. There is also the fact that this was a time period in which "cat houses" were often visited by the empty shells of men who are just trying to fill a void in their life that the depression has knocked in them. The women are much more of a victim because they are used as either a trophy or a way to help men "get everything out of their system at once." But in the end all people, both men and women, fall victim to the plague of loneliness that has swept through the nation due to the augmentation effects the depression brought along with it.

Novel Project LRB #4

"Of Mice and Men"
John Steinbeck



This novel started out by introducing the two main characters, Lennie Small and George Milton, two travelers on their way to a new job. George fights with Lennie twice about the mouse and a few or more times about his terrible memory. George then gets serious and he tells Lennie to make sure he comes back to the spot where they presently are at and hide in the brush if anything bad happens, in which it has before. Apparently Lennie attracted the attention of the men in Weed because he "raped" a girl, but all he did is want to feel her dress. He likes to "pet soft things." The fact that this incident is introduced in the beginning gives room for one to foreshadow future events; a place to hide and a history of bad incidents, it seems inevitable to happen again. This exposition acts as the narrative hook by creating curiosity in the reader about what may happen to cause Lennie to retreat to the brush once more.
The rising action is steadily moving upward throughout the entire book, from Lennie getting a puppy, something he should not be able to pet to death, to the reader really believing these two will finally have to place to work for the money that they need to get their farm.The small things pale in comparison when the action skyrockets at the point in which Candy, Lennie, and George figure that they have the money to fulfill Lennie and George's long awaited dream, to have a place of their own, a place that they can call home. The only reason it is really possible is due to Candy's life savings. Nonetheless, the introduction of the fact they will finally achieve that which they desire so much is soon coming, and the rising action seemingly tops off right there, but, as usual, something comes along and disrupts the process.
George, Candy, and Lennie all endured the doubtful remarks about their dream, but until the unthinkable happens, they were convinced that the dream was absolutely theirs for the taking. Lennie did something that is unparalleled by anything he had ever done before, he kills Curley's wife, not out of meanness, but out of fear. She offered to him the opportunity to pet her soft hair, and when things got out of hand, they really got out of hand. This is the pinnacle moment in which the story begins its descent, the moment the dream meets its demise along with Curley's wife. Lenny suffocated the dream just as he did all those mice, just like his puppy, and just like Curley's wife. He can not help it though, he was too dumb to realize.
The falling action can be analyzed as Curley's wife is discovered by the others and Lennie has made a run for his hiding place, the search for the innocent murderer is waged, and what becomes of him is truly a shock to all.
The story is resolved with the death of Lennie, not by Curley's hands, but George's. When he pulls the trigger on Lennie, he also pulls the trigger on his dream, his hope of having a place of his own. His hopelessness returns and he seemingly sinks into the same plagued state that all of his fellow pals are in, the repetition of loneliness and its life-draining ferocity.

The Kite Runner Discussion Questions 202-379

Chapter 15 -
1. Upon entering Pakistan, the tone becomes more frank. There is a sense of urgency as Amir gets deeper and deeper into Talib territory. Hosseini allows the reader to observe this shift by using simpler sentence structures and by using less detail and being more direct in his explanations or major or minor details.
2. It takes the cake in terms of expressing how much Afghanistan has changed since Amir was last there. Violence is now commonplace and executed in a merciless manner. The Afghanistan the Amir once knew is dead and buried.

Chapter 16 -
Yes. He grew up to be a happy man, not effected (entirely) by his past. He is taller, married, has a son named Sohrab, a newfound (perhaps latent) attitude of self-assuredness. His looks, his temperament, his willingness to serve are still intact despite the horrors he has witnessed. He is still the same old Hassan, just in a bigger body. Hosseini's description of Hassan is significant because it portrays him similarly to how he was described previously in the book in a physical sense, but more developed in the aspect of maturity and character, showing that what had happened to him did not impact the course of his life to the magnitude that it did Amir.

Chapter 17 -
At first it comes as a bitter shock and somewhat expected twist to the story. Amir immediately realizes that he will never be able to tell Hassan that he is sorry for what he had done, to physically be able to truly repent to him in person. His guilt is still there but the person who Amir betrayed in order to obtain the very reason of his guilt is in the ground, leaving Amir with no way to make amends for what he has done.
The pausing between the dialogue of Amir and Rahim make it more realistic in the fact that Amir is having the same reaction that we as the reader are experiencing and the breaks also help in building suspense and eventually leads to shock. The way Hosseini encapsulates what he knows the reader is thinking and puts it in the book is just absolutely amazing, his attention to details and suspense factors is absolutely enthralling.
The fact that Hassan is also Baba's son just shatters Amir entirely. His guilt is immediately amplified by an exponential amount due to the new revelation that he abandoned not only a friend, but his own brother to be raped on his behalf.
Baba had always treated them the same, like there was no ethnic gap between the two. The fact that the subtly context clues are there do not really pop out until the initial revelation, then one can look back and notice how prominent and blatant the hints are. Baba never forgot Hassan's birthday, treated him just the same as he did Amir. Amir never got any special treatment that Hassan did not receive also, in one way or another.
One factor that could possibly explain away any accusations that someone may have toward Baba is that Hassan was a hazara. In that culture hazaras are looked upon as shameful, and by Baba keeping it a secret it protected his good name and Amir from any shaming that may have resulted from the truth. Ali keeping it a secret seems very unlikely since it is almost apparent that he does not even know that Hassan is not his. He, out of any of them, would be the most innocent in the event that someone questioned him about the parentage of Hassan. Rahim Khan, being Baba's closest friend pretty much had no choice but to keep it a secret, he just provided inspiration when Amir was down because of the way Baba acted. The fact that they lied is not in their personality, so it aids in the development of the plot by actin as a device of unspoken salvation that saved them all from shame. The lie is also a perfect explanation of why Baba treated Amir the way he did, and similarly the reason he treated Hassan and Ali the way he did. He felt as if the lie itself was bad, but the destruction that would result from the truth being known was less than that which would be caused by the lie, so when the reader discovers this shocking truth, it is easier to see the rationalization that Baba had to endure to protect himself and the two boys.

Chapter 18 -
By discovering that Hassan is his brother, or as he says "half-brother," possibly trying to preserve his present state of guilt and trying not to feel worse for what he had done. It opens his eyes to the real nature of Baba and his attitude. He realizes that Baba was ashamed, if not guilty himself, and that he was not just a grumpy man who hated him for taking his princess from him. This revelation opens another, much wider door to Amir in terms of how he can be redeemed by finding Hassan's son, his (half) nephew.
Amir discovers that he shares something, one of the most important things, with his father. They both have dome something that brings them a great amount of guilt, and the guild serves as a device and an explanation for the way that they act. Both of these secrets that spring forth with guild are the reason Amir and Baba embark on journey to atone for their sins. Baba sees Amir's weakness while Amir sees Baba's perfection, which causes a bit of tension between the two, when in all reality they are more similar than they are difference because of this.
Amir's decision to go to Kabul is way out of character for the Amir we know up until that point. His reason for going is to save his recently discovered nephew, the son of his brother, Hassan. Amir's decision to put his life in danger in order to save this child shows his yearning for redemption is true and that he really is trying to change.

Chapter 19 -
His dream indicates that he feels responsible for what happened to Hassan, for his murder. It could mean that he feels that he was the cause of how Hassan had turned out along with the responsibility he holds for letting Hassan get raped. He essentially feels guilt not only for what he allowed to happen, but also for his eventual murder.

Chapter 20 -
The tone of the opening of this chapter is grim and reminiscent.
He describes them as something he desires to preserve and care for, but he has no money to do so for long, so he allows the Taliban to purchase one every once and a while. There is also irony with the Taliban because they refuse to support the orphanage and the children but end up doing so by buying children.

Chapter 22 -
He leaves Amir in a room all by himself when he is around the Taliban, shifting in the uncomfortable silence. Two armed men then enter along with the tall Talib in white, Assef. Assef continues to awkwardly sit in silence, just staring at Amir, bloodstains still on his sleeve from the stoning at the soccer field. The men then continue by ripping off his beard, exposing him obviously as a non-Talib citizen. When it is revealed to Amir that the man before him is Assef, it peaks his fear, and he just about urinates on himself and can hardly speak due to his dry tongue.
He is obviously older, but he seems to have gained an elevated status in the eyes of the Taliban and has moved on to having multiple encounters with small children instead of the one time with Hassan, which is completely repulsive to say the least. He is still cruel and conniving. The story signifies the reason he chose to become part of the Taliban? He was part of the upper crust in Kabul, so he was naturally targeted by the communists, so when they beat on him and threw him in jail for no reason, he decided that day that he was still alive for a reason, the reason being it was his destiny, assigned by God, to clean up the garbage that has found its way into Afghanistan.

Chapter 23 -
The dream in Baba's case signified that he was a strong man, a metaphor used throughout the entire novel, so in Amir's case, it signifies his shift from being too afraid and selfish to face what he had done to the fact that he was ready to fight his bear and win. Assef was destined to be messed up by somebody due to the fact he was an all around sick and twisted fool. Amir "got what he deserved" from Assef because he deserved to be beaten to a pulp because of what he did in his past, in encounters with Assef and the incident with Hassan. Rahim intended, it seems, for Amir to rescue Sohrab from Kabul and take him home with him to America. The Caldwells were a device that acted as a credible, if you disregard the fact it was a lie, reason for Amir to go and rescue his nephew. He can be good again by raising his brother's orphan child, making it up to Hassan through Sohrab.

Chapter 24 -
Just when things were starting to settle down on the negative side of the story, the only good news introduced in a while is abruptly interrupted by horribly tragic news. It acts as a climax that sets the tone for the rest of the ending of the novel.

Chapter 25 -
Hosseini uses his word choice and sentence structure to create a sense of suspense and dread by dragging out the revelation of a Sohrab who will survive. The endless tossing and turning and wondering just lengthen the period of time that Amir is experiencing, creating a realistic example of how the perception of time varies especially when someone is waiting to see if someone they love and care for is going to live.
Amir says to the general that he is to never reference Hassan as a hazara in his presence, which means that he has accepted him just like a son of his own and does not think of him as some detestable thing that crawls out of a sewer, but as someone that is family.
He essentially makes Amir go through a beautiful metamorphosis which really began the moment he got into a fight with Assef. Amir essentially becomes Hassan, and it is appropriate because it shows the reader that Amir has finally done it, he has redeemed himself.
Hosseini makes a hateable and selfish character become a admirable and serving man after he has been sharpened by being hit by a hammer (figuratively speaking, physically when considering Assef's damage) causing him to be sharpened into a beautiful sword instead of being a squared and boring ingot. He becomes good by becoming Hassan, who was good from the start, he became who he could always be but never was.

LRB #3- The Kite Runner

"The Kite Runner"
Khaled Hosseini



Right from the beginning, Khaled Hosseini institutes the necessary elements to develop the most outstanding theme in his novel "The Kite Runner," which is the search for redemption. Everyone encounters things that will test them, on either an ethical or personal level involving their character. Amir has reason right from the beginning of the story to search for redemption, but he is blinded by his ignorance as a result of his age and lack of experience, mind you, I would never make excuses for him. From the smaller things such as dangling his superiority over Hassan, to standing idly by while Hassan gets raped to keep a kite that will elevate Amir's status in his fathers eyes are examples of the lesser and greater decisions that Amir makes that determine the difficulty of him redeeming himself. In a sort of cliche way, he digs himself a pretty deep hole. The phrase "There is a way to be good again," Rahim Khan had said resonates within Amir because he has come to realize just what he had done after he grew up a little. The novel focuses in on Amir and observes his maturing and development only to prepare him for his ultimate redemption mission, his quest of a lifetime, a trip back to Afghanistan. Afghanistan itself acts as a symbol that can be applied to real world situations, our past. Amir has to go back to his past, or the place where it occurred to fix the deep wounds that stayed with him like a leech, constantly draining him of his peace of mind and not allowing him to live free, to run. What we do in our lives stays with us for the remainder of the time, but some things must be fixed in order to allow growth and development in terms of living, but also, when tied back into the novel, sometimes the things that need fixed are to liberate more than just ourselves. Amir begins the novel as a snot nosed brat that any reasonable person would want to strangle to death upon meeting him, but when he realizes his need for redemption and takes every step necessary to achieve it, no matter how hard, he not only brings redemption to himself, but also redeems himself in the eyes of an ideal reader. The search for redemption; one of the most applicable themes. Everyone at one point will need to seek out redemption, either big or small, but based on this novel, fictional or not, it speaks with actions and not just words. An "I'm sorry" will not always fix your life or redeem you, the actions and steps you take in order to earn the redemption is what matters in the end.

LRB #2-The Kite Runner, Roles played by minor characters

"The Kite Runner"
Khaled Hosseini



From the most brief encounter or mentioning of any characters it seems that even the smallest of all of them even had a major impact on the outcome of the story and the development of the plot. Amir's mom, who died during childbirth, has an effect on how Baba views Amir for the longest time, and also about how Amir acts, having never know his mother, he seems underdeveloped in some areas that he would have been otherwise if his mother had still been alive. He would have had her a a comfort, a confidant and a friend; his relation with Baba would also have been drastically different, which would in turn shift the whole direction of the novel as a whole. Speaking of mothers, Hassan's mother also operates as a minor character, and is briefly mentioned in the beginning part of the book. She abandoned him at his birth, which left a wound on the inside of him, even if he didn't realize it, and it doesn't fit nicely with his physical deformity either. Other characters such as Rahim Khan serve as inspiration and correction for Amir, and also as a confidant that Amir lacks, since his father is somewhat resentful of him in the beginning of the novel. It is Rahim who encourages Amir to keep writing, and the one who keeps him from going (completely) insane. He also operates as Amir's motivation to redeem himself despite what he did in his past aside from encouraging his writings, he says to Amir "There is a way to be good again," Minor characters that had adverse negative effects on the novel would be Wali and Kamal, the two who aided Assef during the raping of Hassan. They hold him down, allowing Assef to scar Hassan for the rest of his life, but his role allows the reader to see that Hassan is acting as a Christ figure the entire time. There is no doubt that even though this novel contains a lot of minor characters that they still have a significant role in the novel and its development.

TKR Discussion Questions Pages 80-109

1. How has the relationship between Amir and Hassan changed? Explain
It has deteriorated beyond all recognition. Due to Amir failing to be accountable for what happened and what he saw, it has ripped a chasm between the two former friends. Amir is the one that is keeping a distance from Hassan. Hassan somewhat "gets over" what had happened and tries to reengage interaction with Amir, but Amir pushes him away because of his selfishness and guild.

2. Who is the Christ-like figure in this novel? Who slaughters him?
Hassan is undoubtedly the Christ figure in this novel and he is slaughtered by Assef.

3. What is the significance of the pomegranate tree? Make a list of all the chapters from HRLLP that relates to The Kite Runner and explain each one.
The pomegranate tree is significant to the story due to its role that it plays in symbolizing the relationship of Amir and Hassan, growing and full of life. It represents what they have in common despite their differences, and even serves as a communion between them.
Chapter 1-  Amir embarks on a quest in order to win the heart of Baba.
Chapter 2- Amir and Hassan share a bond of communion under the pomegranate tree by sharing its fruit.
Chapter 5- Many different stories are given a new identity, such as the ones that Amir reads about. Hassan is also an allusion to the Bible.
Chapter 7- Hassan is expresses as a Christ figure, and many aspects of honor and virtue are withheld by him as he represents the servant's heart.
Chapter 11- Both types of violence are expressed in this novel, the physical violence brought about by another character, Assef, and the violence brought about by characters, Hassan could not do anything about Assef and his goons. The only way that the second violence could have been prevented would have been if Amir had stepped in and stood up for Hassan.
Chapter 12- Many objects in this novel are used as symbols, and new ones are introduced quite frequently.
Chapter 14- Hassan is a Christ figure, in which the moment he expresses this trait he is also "slaughtered" shortly after.
Chapter 15- The kite fighting tournament is representative of this chapter in HRLLP. The kite tournament is a physical representation of flight, not by a person, that will allow a freedom and an escape from the relationship that Amir previously shared with Baba.
Chapter 19- The location of the characters plays a huge role in how certain ethnicity groups or people are treated due to how the culture is. Activities that the people participate in also reflect this culture nicely.
Chapter 20- The seasons in the book correspond with the "seasons" that Amir and Hassan's relationship are going through.
Chapter 21- Hassan's cleft lip indicates not only a mark for greatness but also a mark of the persecution that will accompany him his entire life.
Chapter 24- Ali's disfiguring that is caused by the polio he endured goes beyond wounding him in a physical way, but also contributes to his mental torment from others.

LRB #1- The Kite Runner

"The Kite Runner"
Khaled Hosseini



Right from the get-go there is a lot of symbolism in the novel The Kite Runner. One of the most prominent symbols so far in this novel is Ali's disabilities and deformities due to either a birth defect or disease, and how it seems to be his shortcomings that are passes on from him to his dear son, Hassan. The fact that Ali can not freely move his face because of a congenital condition leaving the lower muscles immovable by himself is representative of how the hardships in his life have left him with the inability to really express strong emotion. His parents were killed in an accident, forcing him to be orphaned, but these events led to him meeting Baba, his lifelong friend and master. The fact that Ali is also a Hazara has undoubtedly brought him countless other problems, and his disfigured leg is a symbol of how who he is, what he was born into, and how he cannot move on from that; he is lame and forever stuck with that reality. The polio of life has disfigured who he can be, and only expresses how the culture viewed his people, the Hazaras, in the first place, "mice-eating, flat-nosed, load-carrying donkeys." The cruelty of life ensures that Ali's son, Hassan, is also burdened with the Hazara stigma, even from birth. He is born with the usual features of a Hazara, the flat nose and such, due to his people's mixing with the Mongolian bloodline, and also a cleft lip, which sets him even further apart than most Hazaras. This deformity, Hassan's cleft lip, is a symbol of yet again the stigma that is handed down, but also of the cruel truth that he too is stuck in that reality until the day he dies. Although the symbols in both Ali and Hassan seem to be debilitating, symbols more heavily associated with Amir are symbols of redemption and restoration. Kite running is a big deal where Amir lives, and his father, Baba, is very fond of it due to the fact that he won when he was younger, and holds the record for the most kites cut. The title of winning the kite tournament, paired with the bringing home of the last kite cut would, and does, mean a lot to Baba. When Amir wins the tournament, it completes one half of the goal he has set to win back Baba's heart, but the blue kite represents more than just redemption and restoration, it also represents lifelong pain and torment for both Hassan and himself. The kite represents something, such as money, that can buy a certain amount of something, but when that object or money loses its value, the happiness it brought fades. Who's to say that money can buy happiness, or a kite for that matter? What brings happiness to one brings chronic grief or suffering to another.

The Killing Joke Comic Questions

1. How is the depiction of The Joker in "The Killing Joke" similar to The Dark Knight? How is it different?

The similarities of the expression of the Joker in "TKJ" and The Dark Knight are unmistakably obvious. From how insane the Joker is as a whole, to the way he always has a different story about what led to him becoming the Joker in the first place, he is still pretty much the same guy, psychotic and anarchic. There is also another aspect to their similarity; the nihilistic aspect of his personality which results in violence and moralless actions that he gives no second thought to.

The way in which that they differ is how the Joker in "TKJ" is a little more human, even only for only a few panels toward the end. This shows a very strange aspect of him, and poses many questions to whether or not he is choosing to remain insane or is so tortured by what his past has created him to be that he truly believes it to be too late for him.

2. What is the theme in "TKJ"? What is the theme in TDK?

The theme of "TKJ" toys with the idea of the question, not "if" but "when" insanity will occur. The idea is supported by the ambiguous interpretations of the ending of this story, did Batman just break bad? Did he kill the Joker? Or did he do what he told the commissioner he would do and go "By the book?" 

The theme of TDK is one that deals more with the truth of the existence of good and evil. One does not exist without the other, and one cannot survive without its polar opposite, represented by Batman and the Joker.

3. In what ways is The Joker a moral nihilist? Give examples and quotes from both mediums.

Starting with examples from "TKJ", the Joker's nihilistic nature is expressed first of all when he breaks free from the asylum, and then because of what occurs after that; the shooting and potential rape of Barbara Gordon, the commissioner's daughter. He has no sense of morals, no boundaries to what he will do to fulfill his purpose, which is almost always obscure to everyone except himself.

Examples of the Joker's moral nihilism in TDK, in which the Joker expresses similar lack of morals when he relentlessly kills many people who are attempting the robbing of a bank. He blows up hospitals and poisons, blows up, and creates situations in which a tough choice must be made in order to save one person or the other which still results in explosions and harm to one or both members involved. When the people are fleeing Gotham city, he forces them into a situation in which they have the ability to save themselves by killing others, but despite the Joker's intentions they don't do what he wishes. He has no remorse for putting anyone in that sort of situation and would not even mourn one second for those lost in the case his plan was executed properly.

4. List the 3 most important quotes from "TKJ" and how they relate to the psychology of The Joker.

  1."Memory's so treacherous. one moment you're lost in a carnival of delights, with poignant childhood aromas , the flashing neon of puberty, all that sentimental candy-floss...the next , it leads you somewhere you don't want to go...somewhere dark and cold, filled with the damp, ambiguous shapes of thinks you'd hoped were forgotten."

  2."Madness is the emergency exit. You can just step outside, and close the door on all those dreadful things that happened. You can lock them away…forever."

  3."See, there were these two guys in a lunatic asylum... and one night, one night they decide they don't like living in an asylum any more. They decide they're going to escape! So, like, they get up onto the roof, and there, just across this narrow gap, they see the rooftops of the town, stretching away in the moon light... stretching away to freedom. Now, the first guy, he jumps right across with no problem. But his friend, his friend didn't dare make the leap. Y'see... Y'see, he's afraid of falling. So then, the first guy has an idea... He says 'Hey! I have my flashlight with me! I'll shine it across the gap between the buildings. You can walk along the beam and join me!' B-but the second guy just shakes his head. He suh-says... He says 'Wh-what do you think I am? Crazy? You'd turn it off when I was half way across!"

These three quotes represent a sort of progression of the Joker opening up and revealing a deeper part of himself. He subliminally reveals that his past memories haunt him, and also his reason for choosing to be insane. He wishes so bad to escape from his past that he has taken the "emergency exit" and just shut out all of his memories that he wanted so bad to forget. The third quote, found near the end where the Joker is opening up to Batman after his proposition (I used the right word this time!) to help him, to aid him in his coping with the events that had transpired in his past that molded him into the person he is. His humanity that is expressed shows how he still has, as stated, a human aspect left somewhere deep inside of him, but due to his repression of it for so long, it's much more painful for him to face it now since he had ignored it for so long; this is what creates the "it's too late" mentality in his mind, and is what holds the Joker captive. He dug a hole, stepped too far outside of the emergency exit to have any hope of even approaching the door that could easily lead to his redemption.

NCFOM Dream Interpretations

Part 1-
In the book "No Country for Old Men" the two dreams at then end obviously have many interpretations, but I haven't found anything like my interpretation of the first dream. Sheriff Ed Tom Bell said he didn't remember it all too well, but it was about his father giving him some money, but he lost it. The money is obviously easily a representation of something valuable, but in this case, I say that the valuable thing that his father gave him is wisdom. He mentions a few times that his father taught him his values and to do the best he can, but losing the money in the dream could represent how he lost some, or all, of the things that his dad taught him when he lost his dad. The second dream on the other hand must have a deeper meaning because Bell remembered it, which gives it a better sense of importance in his mind. The first detail that bell gives is a mountain pass at night time, where is was cold and snowy. This represents life and the cold, snowy surroundings could mean the hardships we face throughout life, or just things we face in general. His father passing him and continuing on could signify death, and the light in the horn something to do with setting up a camp of sorts to wait for his son. Or it could also mean that his father was a carrier of light, shedding that light on the darkness, or evil,  around him, expelling it to the nooks and cracks in the rocks around him, never to rear its ugly head until the light is extinguished, or his father dies. The fact that his father goes on ahead suggests again that he may have died, but the light followed him, leaving Bell behind, dark and cold, with no way to combat the evil. OR, there are lots of those, the lights isn't so much leaving or not inside Bell, but the new kind of evil, an evil that compares to nothing he has ever seen before, but his light isn't bright enough to combat against it. It will take a new kind of good, modern light to even begin to banish this new coming darkness.

Part 2-
If I really had to tell the truth, I would have to say that I hate that I am so satisfied with the ending of this novel. It gives a very obscure ending to a wonderfully organized story, and I can't help but be absolutely in love with this book, plain and simple.

Close Reading Song Lyrics- "Love You with the Truth" by Casting Crowns

   "Love You With The Truth"
     by: Casting Crowns

(Verse 1)
For the longest time, I believed the lie

That I'm not a strong enough believer

To be the friend that can take your hand

And lead you straight to Jesus

I'm waiting on the preachers, singers, and the teachers

To string the perfect words together

But every single time I have to say goodbye

I wonder will this be the last time

(Tag 1)
I cant call myself your friend and walk away

(Chorus)
When we love, we earn the right to speak the truth

When we speak truth, we show the world we truly love

I'm not pointing my finger, I'm holding out my hand

I lay it all on the line now to see God save my friend

Let my life and my words be the proof

I'm gonna love you with the truth

Gonna love you with the truth

(Verse 2)
Yes, God is love, but God is just

And we are separated in our darkness

So God let Him who knew no sin

To become sin to make us right with Him

Its not about religion or earning Gods forgiveness

Or magic prayers or new behavior

Its all about your heart, Hell meet you where you are

Turn from your sin and trust in Christ as Lord

(Tag 2)
Jesus is the truth, the life, the way

(Bridge)
How I've prayed for this moment, that you would finally see

That God is more than religion, a stained-glass fantasy

And how I've prayed for the courage, for my silent faith to speak

Or that God would just send you a better friend than me

Analysis-

Starting with the title, "Love You with the Truth."
Truth is often believed to be expressed in a blunt manner, there is a more compassionate application that people have forgotten over time. People don't always like the truth, but the title states it is how he/she will love the person. True love is always truthful, but it is also kind.

The first verse is repentant in nature, telling how the person who is the friend is sorry for not witnessing because they didn't think they were a strong enough believer. Perfect words are non-existent when they come from the mouths of humans, and waiting for those perfect words could be dangerous, seeing that the person you care about is in jeopardy of dying, or falling from the truth for good.

The first tag can mean that one cannot call someone a friend if they don't truly care for the person. Friendship is an affectionate bond, so you cannot call someone a friend if you wouldn't do anything to keep them safe or attempt to do something that is for the betterment of them.

The chorus is jam packed with information. "We" represents Christians, when Christians love someone, they earn the right to speak the truth, and when they speak truth, they show the world they truly love, just as the song says, but with Christians substituted for "we." "The truth" could denote many things, such as people's lack of knowledge of what they are doing wrong, or what is sinful. It could also be indicative of their ignorance of the truth of God's word. Jesus is also referred to as the truth, they way by which people may enter heaven. The phrase "I'm not pointing my finger, I'm holding out my hand" shows a rebuttal to the belief that when someone points out a flaw in you or something you are doing wrong that it's them judging you, but the holding out of the hand is a symbol of a helping hand, and instead of a judgmental smack, he/she is trying to help them through it, not  cast a judgement and leave. Laying it all on the line to see God save his/her friend indicates how he/she could be risking their friendship by pointing something our, but they are relying on God to save the friend by them presenting the truth to them, hoping they will receive it.

The second verse tells of the nature of God, and how we are separated from Him by our sin, so He sent Jesus to save the world (the story of salvation for all). Jesus did not come to the world to judge it, but to save it with selfless love. Getting right with God is not about a bunch of new changes to your life in an outward sense, but it's about the state of your heart and how you approach  God and his truth, His forgiveness.

The second tag is quite obvious in what it means. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. Nobody gets to the Father except through Him.

The bridge states how God isn't just a religion, because in His word it states in Amos 5:21 "I hate, I despise your religious festivals; your assemblies are a stench to me." God is more than a fantasy not worth chasing. If the truth is not being shared with you by the ones you love, then there is the hope that God would send someone willing to be a witness.

LRB #7, Symbolism- "Young Goodman Brown"

"Young Goodman Brown"
By: Nathaniel Hawthorne



 From what is able to be analyzed, there was a load of symbolism encapsulated in this story, and most of it contributes to one central idea; the sin of humans and how it is incorporated into our nature to give into evil. Examples of such symbolism are things such as the sunset, which could represent the sinful nature of humans arising in the nighttime hours, examples are up to you to imagine. Conversely, the sunrise could be a symbol for the light of repentance or abstinence from sinning, or even be deeper in its symbolism and extend to a more spiritual aspect, the washing of sins by the blood of Jesus, which sheds light on those who repent and start, in a sense, a new day. Goodman Brown's paranoia could represent his conscience, I drew this conclusion from the statement that "he glanced fearfully behind him as he added,'What if the devil himself should be at my very elbow!'" indicating his knowledge of the presence of his sinful nature, and that the evil one is always prowling in the darkness, seeking to devour those who sin. The man seated at the foot of an old tree directly alludes to the Bible, in the story where Satan is lurking under the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, bringing nothing but the promise of death and sin, the first sin.This old man's staff is a serpent, pretty obvious right? Faith could even be used as a symbol, because "'Faith kept me back a while.'" is a direct statement from Goodman, and could serve as a spiritual reference of how our faith in God and the faith to do right withholds us from sinning, if we choose to let it, but when we use free will to choose to do wrong, we override our conscience. Goodman Brown's family is identified as puritans, which is just blatantly symbol of how the church of England sought to simplify and regulate forms of worship. The Deacon and minister could represent people who are sinners, like anyone else, and that they are also susceptible to sin and wrongdoing as much as anyone else, and that even thought they are who they are, they are still able to succumb to human nature; evil. Blood is mentioned in a paragraph where it could be identified with the blood of Jesus. Goodman and Faith are on the verge of wickedness. The blood could represent how close their salvation from sin is, even on the verge of wickedness. The wind that comes while Goodman is in the forest could be symbolic of a shift, a change, either in his way of thinking or of a realization or epiphany.

LRB- "Popular Mechanics"

"Popular Mechanics"
By: Raymond Carver



What I got from this story in a thematic sense is how people lose their humanity in certain situations, such as one involving imminent divorce or another legal matter. The dispute between these two people tragically carry over into their baby, who doesn't get identified with anything other than "him" and "the baby." Throughout the story, the word "things" comes up often, and symbolism can be identified and attributed to the theme's development. The man is concerned about packing up his things and leaving. He is about to leave, and the woman tells him to get his things and get out. When the woman unwraps the crying baby's blanket, it is like opening a new thing that has just been brought home from the store, and the man wants it. The title itself is representative of the neglect to consider the baby a human being while they are going through their apparent marital problems. The baby is treated as if it is the next hot item to have in your home, and that it can be classified as something that can be bought (or replaced) by monetary means rather than being a priceless human life. The tragic end can represent not only the selfishness of the life they ripped apart, but the symbolic ripping apart of their marriage. When all is said and done, this story rings true in a blunt and graphic manner. The way the mother holds the baby as they fight over it is the same way a person who was trying to hold on to their purse or wallet as they were being mugged, as a thing, an item worth something to them, but she lacks the emotion of a human being and revere the child as a child. It is like they are fighting over a hundred dollar bill, both pulling on one end, eventually ripping it, ridding it of its worth and turning it into something neither of them ever wanted.

The Lame Shall Enter First- Related Person/ Personal Static or Dynamic?

Do you know anyone who relates to any of the characters in "The Lame Shall Enter First"?

For my comparison of one of the characters and someone I couldn't pinpoint a singular person to be synchronously associated with Rufus, so I though I would use a more broad spectrum; most of the kids at Mingo Central High School. I feel passionately that the kids that act like they don't know anything and are in the "dumb classes," as I have heard them called, are the Rufuses of the school. They are the kids that have the potential, some of them with a baffling amount of it, but they choose to dwell in their ignorant and arrogant ways. They have the capability to shine just as bright or even brighter than us "Harvard kids." For whatever reason, they are content in their ways and feel no motivation to better themselves and change, but the only question I would have to ask them is why? I know a lot of them have not had a perfect life, but they are the same as Rufus in that they do not want to change because they are comfortable in whatever hurt they may have experienced. It is heartbreaking but true, and I just wish that I or anyone else could turn on the light for at least one of them, hoping it would spread to others and they would finally see who and what they truly can be, unlike Rufus.

Am I dynamic or static? Have I changed while attending Mingo Central?

If I had to choose, I would not hesitate to say that I am dynamic since the beginning of my high school career. I have a personal reason for saying this, but also one I would gladly share with anyone. Since Mingo Central is a conglomeration of four different schools that used to be rivals smashed together, it creates a different atmosphere than you would find at any other school who has not experienced the shock of consolidation. I made so many new friends right off the bat, although still very shy at the time. I was quiet and awkward and had no intention of  becoming who I am today as I compose this on a computer screen. I am now so much more outgoing, and sadly a little too strongly opinionated (when it really matters). I stand up for myself and others, despite a background of being bullied and belittled that I endured for quite some time. I have excelled academically in the sense that I really did not have such immense opportunities to learn at any other school I have previously attended. Spiritually, I have grown in my understanding of what I am called to do after high school (although it is unclear what academic profession I may go into, I have a pretty good idea about what I will do for the Kingdom of God). It would take way too long to list all the changes I have been through, but I will say, every experience, whether good or bad, has shaped me into a better person, and on that note I am glad to be identified as a Mingo Central Miner!

LRB- August 24, 2014

"The Lame Shall Enter First"
By: Flannery O'Connor



In this story, many characters are introduced that fit into multiple different character classifications. One character that is most dynamically changed in this story is Sheppard, the father of Norton, and the father figure, if you will, to Rufus. Sheppard is a very giving man, and he worked at the reformatory school on Saturdays, giving up his day for nothing more than the satisfaction of  knowing that he was helping the boys that no one else cared about. He is very selfless toward others, but it is very noticeable very quickly that he doesn't really try to do anything to better his own son. He is too busy helping other people. While seeing the potential in one of the reformatory boys, he fails to even acknowledge the untapped potential of his son, this can be seen throughout the story in various places. The telescope stands as a symbol of being a vessel or instrument to focus in on the future. When he has Rufus looking to the stars (another symbol for dreams and aspirations), he neglects to notice that his son is enthralled with what he can become, even though Sheppard never tells Norton he can do anything he puts his mind to like he does Rufus.

Sheppard is so consumed with bettering his troublemaker of a protégée that he is blinded to think that Rufus can help his son overcome his selfishness, when in actuality, Sheppard is the one being truly selfish. Ever so slowly, Sheppard deteriorates into a shell of his former self, abandoning his previous attitude and the generosity and selflessness of his character for a deluded and almost insane persona. He begins to justify his wrongdoing of his son toward the end and repeats saying, "I have nothing to reproach myself with," and, "I did more for him than I did for my own child." which points to a point of reproach that he fails to accept, his selfishness.

Sheppard goes from being a secretly selfish but selfless man (when it wasn't toward his son), to being the ugly, demented person he probably always was on this inside, just manifest on the outside where everyone could see it. His shift in persona leads him to finally come to the revelation of who his son really was the entire time, the person peering into the telescope, the one that had the true raw potential, but it was possibly too late to fix the damage he caused to their relationship, or at least what was left of it.

Literary Response Blog- August 21, 2014

"The Paring Knife"
By: Michael Oppenheimer



In this short story many symbols are expressed, but one, in which the story was obviously named after stands out among the rest, the paring knife. Due to its referencing in multiple parts of the story, it would be very hard for anyone to miss its symbolic qualities. The story begins by stating that the knife has been found under the refrigerator, where is has apparently resided for four years or so, as stated by the narrator. The narrator continues on with the story of how it is that the knife got there in the first place. It is stated that there was a large amount of wine drunk that night, and that when they went to make love, something happened that caused them to fight, causing the speaking character to exit the room and go to sit in the kitchen, where he then proceeds to throw dirty dishes from the previous dinner onto the floor. After finding the knife, it is shown to the lover and she places it on the table and then exits the room to continue cleaning the rest of the house, clearly not remembering the story behind it, or failing to mention it.


I have said all this to introduce the symbolism behind the knife, and other elements that led to why the knife was introduced as a symbol in the first place, starting with the large dinner and wine. These two are obviously lovers, so of course they have an intimacy with each other. Their intimacy is synonymous of the communion of their meal and what it may represent, such as a possible upgrade in their relationship. The wine simply introduces a factor that may or may not be viewed as Biblical, but also as one representing alcoholism or the ability of alcoholic beverages to remove one's inhibitions. By being drunk, the couple opens themselves up to a wide range of possible scenarios. They are either drunk and enjoy making love, which didn't happen in this story, or have their inhibitions so absent that when something goes wrong, they say things that they wouldn't normally say. These things can be more hurtful and cut deeper, kind of like being stabbed with a knife.


Getting to the knife, one could say that it is representative of what the lover's words may have done to the woman he loves, or just broadly the arguments that may arise when one is in a close relationship. Although in the end, without a word, the woman puts the knife quietly back under the refrigerator, but why? It's as if she is saying, "I remember, but I realize that that argument was pointless and I forgive you." No matter what was said, the woman decided to let it go and not reminisce about what the knife was doing there, but chooses to ignore what the reason for it being there was, or just to let it sink into the past where the little scuttle occurred in the first place.

Summer Assignment August 11th Deadline

Chapter 25-


When you are reading something that is not of the same time period or of any familiarity to you it's important for you to understand what you are reading without necessarily accepting it. Reading something such as Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew nowadays, one would thing it to be almost entirely and unbearably sexist, but as Foster suggests, you have to read without your eyes. It was the beliefs of how women should operate and behave that makes this story relevant and "the norm" in the time period that it was written in. The young man who is trying to "tame" his wife throughout the story in order to get her to fulfill his wishes. It was very common for men to treat women more as servants that to treat them as an actual wife (or daughter). But today, it's highly sexist and a situation like this would most likely not exist in today's society (at least in America), which makes this story a perfect example of a piece of literature that requires you to look at it from a different perspective, or set of eyes, in order to take in all of its wonder.


Chapter 26-


Shakespeare's Macbeth could be used as an example of an ironic piece of writing. Macbeth pretends that he is loyal to King Duncan, but in reality he is plotting to murder him. Duncan is unaware of this deception but it is relatively obvious to the audience. Macbeth murders the king, and thus becomes king, just as the witches had stated in a prophesy, but the prophesy wasn't all that Macbeth expected it to be. One would thing that being king would make someone happy. He'd be rich, he'd have as much power as he could handle, people would "respect" him. What I'm getting at is that Macbeth only saw one side of the prophesy whilst the witches watched with evil smirks on their faces as the irony unfolded and Macbeth's life crumbled. Everything turned out how Macbeth had hoped, but he was not happy as king, which is ironic in itself. It eventually ends as Macbeth's every effort was pointless, his actions to gain power meant nothing, especially after he is dead.


Chapter 27-


What does the story signify?


What I felt while reading this story was a strong struggle in the heart and mind of an "upper crust" female toward the amount of sympathy she should show toward those who do not live in the same sort of conditions that she does. She is very conflicted about how she should react to the sudden death of one of the lower class member's husband, and how she should express some sort of respect for the family despite the hierarchy difference. To top it all, it happens right before a large gathering that has been planned to host a lot of other upper crust people.


How does it signify?


I really struggled with answering this question, but finally came to a rough conclusion. The whole upper and lower class struggle is apparent in this short story, so I see the location of the housing of both classes significant to the struggle? I'm still roughly making a comparison. The Sheridan's house is located on a hill, above the small, less attractive cottages of the less fortunate members of the lower class. This signifies the placement of both classes on the hierarchal ladder. The most successful and wealthy live above, while the less successful and poor dwell below.


To my surprise I guess I could award myself with an A (not my choice, but Foster's)! I somewhat captured the gist of things while not eloquently expressing it as one of his former students did, but what can I say?


The comparing of Laura to Persephone  right off the bat baffles me because of my newfound knowledge of the presence of intertextuality in many things that I read every day. Second of all it reveals how much thought goes into some pieces of work, even the short stories. In the end, I am still amazed how much I like this simple little short story, and the connection of Persephone and Laura thickens my appreciation and brings me to a new level of appreciation.

Summer Assignment August 4th Deadline

Chapter 22, 23 &24-


As mentioned in these chapters Masque of the Red Death  by Edgar Allen Poe has a character that dies of something called the Red Death. The person to die of this fictitious disease is Prince Prospero, and all of this occurs within thirty minutes of him catching this deadly pathogen. The prince tries to avoid dying from the disease by shutting himself in his castle along with some of his friends. Nobody knows where the Red Death came from. It is, as Foster would describe, picturesque in terms of a disease, the perfect killer, quick and painful. Red Death could be a play-off of Black Death, the Bubonic plague. It swept through, quickly killing people with ease and in a very gory manner. The fictitious Red Death involves sharp pains and sudden dizziness, and then profuse bleeding from the pores, which leads to death within a half an hour while the Black death is more flu-like, causing fever, headaches, chills, weakness, and swollen tender lymph glands and also caused sores all over the victims body which leaked pus and caused pain. Black Death was referred to as death itself, so metaphorically Red Death is a metaphor as well, just used in a literary work with different symptoms and effects.


Another disease not so pathogenic in nature would be one expressed in Shakespeare's Romeo and Julliet. Romeo, although perfectly healthy in the prime of his life, dies from one of the most fatal diseases one could ever "catch"; he essentially dies of a broken heart, or dies in order to avoid hurting for his loved one, Juliet. His passion for her blinds him into making a rash decision when he thinks that she is dead after staging her death in order to be with him, despite their family disputes. Romeo kills himself in order to "be with Juliet" because he believed she was dead. Upon awakening from the elixir that Juliet drank to appear dead, she sees Romeo dead and ends her life as well.

Summer Assignment July 28th Deadline

Chapter 20-





"Autumn Magic"
It's Fall
The season of wisdom
where we attain
colors of great knowledge
and darker shades of fear

The confusing temperatures
One Spring day
One Winter day
balanced back and forth
to shock us into
temperance and equanimity

The sun is majestic
as it glares through
the vibrant shades
of windblown leaves
as they leave their
colorful hues
on the bare shuffling
ground

The birds are migrating
They flow in and out of
the scenery

As we endure the beauty
We can see the long
permanence of impermanence
Like life and death
from transience to eternity

There's too much time
But there's not enough time
We're listless as the Winter
approaches
Showing its chilling and
colorless humbling of life...
 Author: Jeanne Fiedler




I would refer to this poem as traditional since it uses the metaphor of autumn being the middle-aged time of life, which has become quite cliché, but traditional. Phrases such as "The season of wisdom," and "We're listless as the Winter approaches, Showing its chilling and colorless humbling of life..." which blatantly brings in the aspect of autumn, or the middle-aged years, almost to a close as the "winter" (death or the last years of life) approach. It's not a gloomy or depressing poem, but harbors both light and dark aspects of the autumn of life.




Interlude--One Story


Archetype- A story involving a character that has previously existed in another story, but has been imitated and adopted the culture or "lore" of the story in which they are represented in.


An archetype that I could easily relate to something I have read or watched would be "the magician," one who "made a decision to master the Four Elements and therefore seek to balance his personal Karma." Or to "save the world" or "bring peace".


Avatar: the last airbender  is a story in which Aang, the main hero of the story, has to master the four elements in order to bring peace to the world and end the war between the fire nation and the other three nations, earth, air (although pretty much extinct), and the water tribes.





Chapter 21-


Potter's scar on his forehead is thematically significant as opposed to other physical traits expressed in other movies when it comes to the storyline. His scar not only sets him apart physically, seeing that the scar is in the shape of a lightning bolt. His scar has a deeper meaning and a cryptic history to go along with it. It stands in as an example of the damage that life can deal out on a person, such as when tragedy hits. The person effected is unharmed (in the literal way) but has a scar, something that reminds them of what happened to those they love or something they knew. Potter's scar brings in another aspect other than the physicality of its existence. He had this scar for mostly his entire life, but it wasn't until later in life when he discovered the story behind it, in which case Harry's scar can operate as a badge of honor since it is proof he survived the killing curse with no apparent consequence except the scar he sustained.

Summer Assignment July 21st Deadline

Chapter 18-

An example of "baptism" from the Bible that isn't necessarily baptism is the story of Saul, who will later be known as Paul. Saul was a man who absolutely hated Christians, and he made it his goal to capture and bring Christians to public trial and execution. He was present when the first Christian martyr, Stephen, was killed by an angry mob. Here is the excerpt of Saul in his early wicked days:
Acts 7:57-8:1 (NIV)
⁵⁷ At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, ⁵⁸ dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.
⁵⁹ While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” ⁶⁰ Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.

8 And Saul approved of their killing him.

After the first martyr, Stephen, Saul began to destroy the church. He went door to door, house to house, and dragged off men and women who believed Jesus is the Messiah and put them in prison.

One day, on the road to Damascus, God appeared to Saul in the form of Jesus, but all His brilliance of blinding light, and asked Saul why he persecuted Him. He told Saul to go to Damascus and he will be told what he had been assigned to do. His companions had to lead him into the city because the brilliance of light blinded him. Saul eventually changed his name to Paul, and became a well know Apostle, the Apostle Paul, who was later persecuted for his belief in Jesus as the Messiah and martyred for that faith.

Saul went through a baptism that wasn't necessarily one involving water, he became a new person entirely, and even suffered (I say that lightly) for his faith in the One thing he persecuted others for before his encounter with God.

Chapter 19-

The first movie that came to mind when Foster mentioned that "Geography in literature can also be more. It can be revelatory of virtually any element in the work. Theme? Sure. Symbol? No problem. Plot? Without a doubt." is The Hunger Games. There are so many geographical areas represented in that one movie that it is hard to miss the things that the people are all representative of their geography, a product of its forces. Katniss, the main character, grew up in District 12. District 12 is the poorest of all the districts, and thus leads to a shortage of sustenance for all the inhabitants, causing them to have to forage or break the rules in order to survive. This area shapes Katniss into an individual who knows how to hunt, she knows how to survive on her own. District 4 is completely different than 12, this place is more focused on fishing rather than mining. People from this district generally know their fish, and how to catch food for themselves. They are even pretty handy about making nets for traps during the Hunger Games, trapping and killing anyone who foolishly gets tangled. District 11 is a district that one of the most lovable character comes from, Rue. District 11 is the agricultural district where people mostly work with orchards and farms. Rue knows all sorts of plants, and their effects on cuts, scrapes, and stings. She is also very agile and climbs even the biggest of trees fairly easily. District 2 is different than almost all the other districts, seeing that they don't work with things that naturally occur, but instead manufacture weapons which are then shipped to the Capitol and distributed to the Peacekeepers to subdue and bind all the districts. Cato, Katniss's sworn enemy in the arena, comes from this district and is known as a "career", which means he's been trained for the Hunger Games for his entire life. Each district has a special quality of its own, and the effects of the geography on each individual person is apparent, especially during the Hunger Games. Geography shaped each person's life and almost ensured victory in the arena for some, and was the downfall of others, so truthfully, geography really does matter!

Summer Assignment July 14th Deadline

Chapter 16 & 17-





The only example of something being "sex" without being sex is in Gone With the Wind when  Rhett Butler is drunk and tells Scarlett that he loves her, but it is far from being a pleasant conversation. Scarlett ends the conversation and walks away, but Rhett suddenly runs up behind her and sweeps her into his arms, kissing her violently. He then proceeds to carry her up the staircase, which was said to be able to represent intercourse in chapter 16. The scene ends when they begin their ascent of the staircase, but it is impossible to deny what happened at the top of those stairs behind a closed bedroom door. This scene opens up the fact that Rhett and Scarlett are now lovers, despite Scarlett having been pining for another man up until this point.

Summer Assignment July 7th Deadline

Chapter 11-

The two types of violence in literature are personal (and even intimate) acts between human beings, as well as cultural and societal in nature. Physical violence is probably the most abundant form of violence in literature, and one such example would be in Shakespeare's Macbeth when Macbeth murders the king, Duncan, in his sleep in order to ensure his spot on the throne in the future, as predicted by the witches. This act of violence has meaning other than Macbeth just killing the king for no reason, but instead him taking aggressive actions in order to gain personal status in the future, which adds drama to the plot of the story. Another example of violent situations in stories would be in Elie Wiesel's novel Night, in which there is a social pressure where fear is used as a form of psychological violence in order to cause a society, or in this case a cultural group, to submit to another group of people, similar to how slavery worked in the United States.



Chapter 12-





The Wizard of Oz is a novel (and movie) that is surprisingly overflowing with symbolism. The greenback (green is the representative color of emerald city) represents money and how its power is nothing more than an illusion, stemming from the lie that comes along with it that there's an all-powerful wizard there. The name Oz or Troy ounce, is the unit measurement of precious metals. The "Yellow brick road" is the Gold Standard, solid and sturdy, the golden road leads to power. Emerald city is representative of Washington D.C. and Kansas as an example of typical America. Then movie in its entirety is a metaphor for keeping the gold standard in the United States over paper money or silver-based currency (Dorothy's silver slippers as expressed in the novel are representative of the want to have silver-based currency).



Chapter 13-





A family favorite, The Lion King, is laced with highly political content that not even the most educated child would pick up on or understand. It has references to things other than the monarchy expressed in the film. Mufasa represents the New Deal ideal of the free, tolerant, fair society that had been transpiring in this country since the 50's.Scar is representative of the days when social interests of the rich and greedy were all that mattered to the society. Scar conning Simba into believing his father's death was his fault, causing him to leave, allowing Scar to take over as king, a vicious dictator. By Scar becoming king, he resumes the fascist dictatorship he represents and brings the focus back onto his strong and greedy benefit over the slowly dying inhabitants of Pride Rock.



Chapter 14-





Harry Potter from the Harry Potter series could be defined as being a Christ figure. He has unusual wounds, an interesting childhood, and he is ready to sacrifice himself to save others. Another parallel that could be drawn is that Harry survived the Cruciatus curse, which has a familiar ring to it (Crucifix). He is nothing less than the Harry Potter series's Christ figure.





Chapter 15-




Disney's latest movie Maleficent is a perfect example of freedom flight. Maleficent has magnificent wings in which she uses to navigate through her homeland, the Moors, flying past wondrous waterfalls and elegant creatures who also inhabit the land. Maleficent, along with all the other creatures in the fairy kingdom are free from the king's rule. But, at one point in the movie, a boy that Maleficent loves and trusts cuts her wings off so that he might say he killed her so that he may become king. She cries in pain seeing that her airborne abilities she's had for 16 years of her life are stolen from her. After the rest of the movie with devastating events transpire, she eventually regains her wings at the end of the movie in a way that is very unexpected. The boy who cut her wings off, now king, kept them in a case for display in a room he commonly went to thing. Aurora, sleeping beauty, knocks it over and Maleficent's wings return to her and fuse back onto her body, once again granting her the ability of flight; in this case, she uses her flight to escape. The king dies in the process, but Maleficent once again takes to the skies and rises above the clouds of oppression.

Summer Assignment June 30th Deadline

Chapter 6-

10 Things I Hate About You alludes to Shakespeare's  Taming of the Shrew, and also reflects, in a satirized manner, the basics of the originally Shakespearean plot device. In The Taming of the Shrew, a father has two daughters and makes a rule that requires that the older sister has to do something before the younger sister will be permitted to do so also. This correlates to the fact that in Shrew, one of the daughters has to get married before the other one would be allowed to do so as well. Parallels may be drawn between the marriage aspect in Shrew to the dating and going to a school dance facet in which 10 Things I Hate About You portrays. The distribution of power to each gender and its relation to marriage (or dating, for instance) is also apparent in both works. Men must work for the chance to even speak to the girls in 10 Things I Hate About You, and in Shrew, it is presented that there is an obvious lack of gender equality because the men have to dominate and control their women counterparts to retain or gain a new level of masculinity. Both works also show a strong presence of feminism due to the fact that the roles of patriarchy in their individual societies are challenged.

Chapter 7-

The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe has many Christian undertones, and alludes to many biblical stories and events. From the redirection of Asland (the Christ figure), to the return of Asland to his people are both aspects of the story that are very biblical in nature, relating to the crucifixion of Christ, and alluding to Christ's return to His people, the Church.

The Matrix would also be an example of a collection of biblical analogies due to many characters and places that are introduced that correspond to historical people and places mentioned in the Bible. The main character, Thomas Anderson, could be an allusion to Thomas in the Bible, also referred to as Doubting Thomas. In terms of etymology, the name Anderson means "son of man," which is the name that Jesus chooses to reference Himself with. The name of Morpheus's ship is marked with "Mark III No. 11," a probable allusion to the Bible: Mark 3:11 reads, "whenever the unclean spirits saw Him, they fell down before Him and shouted, 'You are the Son of God!'"

The Lion King also a well known movie that has biblical allusions embedded into its story line. Take for example Simba, the prince, son of Mufasa. His birth is celebrated with great happiness and he is welcomed with open arms, but someone had the plan to get rid of him, just as Herod attempted to kill Jesus off while he was a child. The prince escapes these attempts at his life and later resurfaces and frees his people from a great oppression, freeing Simba's family from Scar, and freeing the world from their sins are the parallels that can be drawn between the two.

Chapter 8-

The movie Ella Enchanted could be used as an example of a work of literature that reflects many different fairy tales throughout the movie. Multiple references are made to many well known fairy tales throughout the entire movie, and the main identifying one being a reference to Sleeping Beauty. When Ella tells her friend Pamela that she is under a spell, Pamela's response is quite direct in her reference when she says, "Like Sleeping Beauty?" Another example is when Ella is reading, from her fairy-made storybook, "A sad tale about the genie in Aladdin's lamp. He had been forced by Aladdin's false uncle, the magician, to take up residence in the lamp and had been given power to grant everyone's wishes but his own. Before he was captured, he had been in love with a goose girl. The genie spent his years in the lamp longing for her and wondering whether she'd married someone else, whether she'd grown old, whether she'd died," which obviously alludes to the story of Aladdin. Lastly, Ella even makes a reference to Hansel and Gretel when they are exploring the old castle during Sire Peter and Dame Olga's wedding. While trying to avoid getting horribly lost, Ella says: "Hansel and Gretel had pebbles and bread crumbs to show them the way. We have nothing." These references, along with many others that occur throughout the movie, to me, create irony and add a comedic value to the already pun-filled movie. This simultaneously deepens my appreciation of the though put into making this movie as funny, entertaining, and successful as it is.

Chapter 9-

Cydoemus: The god of confusion

Encounter, confusion, frustration.

Why must this always happen?

I greet a new concept, entertaining it for a short time, but your slimy tendrils of doubt and ignorance invade my mind, causing disarray.

My intrigue leads to bafflement, and bafflement to vexation.

Why, Cydoemus, must you intervene in my efforts to learn?

Every waking moment you pester me with obstacles and set up blocks within my mind, wrecking my already shaky train of thought.

How will I ever break free of this inescapable and infinite cycle?

Must I employ Nus to allow myself to gain understanding?

You inquire of everyone you meet, saying, "Why does no one want to be acquainted with me?" and refuse to believe that you are the problem.

Cydoemus, god of confusion and uproar, maybe you are the one who is confused.

*Also mentioned is Nus, the god of understanding.

Chapter 10-

The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe again serves as a source of the effect of weather on a story. At one point in the story Lucy admires snowflakes as they dance to the ground, watching with childlike fascination and awe while appreciating the snowflake's beauty flutters and shines around her. Conversely, Mr. Tumnus is a bit weary of all the snow, seeing that it has been winter for a hundred years, and the snow reminds him of his duties to the White Witch, self-proclaimed queen of Narnia. The snow, in essence can describe freedom and wonder in a child's world, or the burden of something in an adult's life. Later in the story , spring comes almost instantaneously due to the presence of the "Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve." The spring coming and melting the snow, which represents oppression in a sense, is key in representing a soon coming rebirth of Narnia, and the changes that are soon to come.

Summer Assignment June 23rd Deadline

Chapter 1-

1. Our quester: Princess Merida (From Disney's Brave). She is a headstrong and free-spirited 16-year old who is quite tomboyish and willful, and she is driven away from her mother because of the high expectations she has for her. Meanwhile, Merida is determined to take control of her own destiny.

2. A place to go: Merida's quest is to reach not a physical "place", but a state of being: free. She wants to break away from tradition and avoid becoming what her mother wants her to be, which is in all reality an exact copy of herself. But if a place had to be identified with, it would have to be the place that the Will O' the Wisps are leading her, to the witch's hut, the place where she thinks the solution to her problems lies.

3. A stated reason to go there: Merida's reason to follow the wisps and find the witch is so that she can obtain something that can change her fate. She seeks out a spell that will change her mother so that she will be free to live out her own life and make her own choices.

4. Challenges and trials en route: The spell that Merida believes is the solution to her problem turns out to be almost the exact opposite. The spell changes her mother into a bear instead of the intended "change her mind" it ended up being more along the lines of "it changed her into a bear". This transformation causes many problems within the storyline, from angry  Vikings searching the castle for a rogue bear, to the fear that Merida encounters when her mother switches between being herself on the inside to acting like a real bear. In the meantime they must deal with a newfound, yet old, enemy, the bear known as Mor'du. Formerly a prince, at one time he wished for the same thing as Merida, to change his fate, but suffered permanent consequences of his rash decision to also use a spell.

5. The real reason to go: The real reason for this short lived excursion was to show Merida and her mother how to understand and listen to each other, which they neglected to do for a majority of Merida's life. It also extended to show the other three clans that non-traditional methods can be acceptable, and changed to tradition will eventually come about, shifting the paradigm of an entire culture and bringing about a positive and necessary enlightenment.


Chapter 2-

In the movie Beautiful Creatures, the Ravenwood and Duchannes family, along with Ethan Wate, one of Lena's friends, sit down to have dinner. Lena's cousin/childhood friend, Ridley, sits next to Ethan because she recently possessed him. The dinner starts out calm but Ridley, the "dark" cousin, brings up something about "the curse" and how it would  "claim Lena to the darkness" in the near future. ("Dark" referring to the type of caster, or witch, she is.) Their mere exchange of words eventually turns into a telepathic battle that causes the dinner table to turn, and sends objects from the table flying around the room. Ending with Ridley turning into a black cloud and being thrown into a door, the table finally stops spinning and the possession of Ethan fades with the absence of his possessor. The atmosphere of this meal, tense and violent, hints to later conflict between Lena and Ridley involving the curse and its fulfillment.

Chapter 3-

The customary elements associated with a Vampire story are selfishness, exploitation, and a refusal to respect the anatomy of other people. Other components include body shame, unwholesome lust, seduction, temptation, and some sort of danger. When the constituents of a Vampire story are applied to a storyline such as the one in Disney's Frozen, it shatters one's previous perspective of this heartwarming tale and opens one's eyes to the reality of the presence of a "vampire" in the movie. Hans, the dreamboat of a prince that Anna runs into and falls unmistakably in love with, could be labeled as a vampire. He practically seduces Anna with his charm and good manner, but it is all in an attempt to exploit her for who/what she is, royalty. He does this in order to gain a higher position due to the stance he holds in his own family, the thirteenth in line to rule. He is selfish and refuses to respect Anna in the way that he tries to project, which is also key in any vampire story. Hans shames Anna by abandoning her in her time of need (after her usefulness to him had expired) and sets out to kill Elsa, causing a moment of danger for the queen. If this information isn't screaming "vampire" by now, I don't know what would. I am thoroughly convinced that one of my favorite movies is one involving a "vampire", even though it is not literally in the script.

Chapter 5-

Intertextuality- the ongoing interaction between poems or stories.
The movie Big Fish is chock full of intertextuality, which manifest as examples that could also be considered allusions. It makes references to Biblical encounters such as David and Goliath, and the story of Jacob and Rachel. I found it easy to recognize such references due to my prior knowledge of the Bible and the stories held within. Previous knowledge paired with my newfound knowledge of the interconnectedness of all literature aid in the recognition of the connections between many stories and movies I have viewed to date. Another example of Intertextuality could be found within the Bible itself. When the New Testament quotes the Old Testament it serves as its own source for intertextual examples. A third and final example of prominent intertextuality would be the novel Wicked which was inspired by the well-known story The Wizard of Oz.