Tortilla Flat part 3

Though the last section of Tortilla Flat deals with suffering from monotony in Monterey, it too provides its readers with a broader view of the paisano lifestyle. Again, this section includes the typical oppression described in “Steinbeckean” societal lessons; however, it is a surprise to see that Steinbeck cleverly incorporates some humorous aspects within them. Finally, but sadly, there are no new additions to the flat that enrich the eccentricity of the group’s actions and reasons for their adventures. In the last sections, I agree with some of critics’ viewpoints that resemble the loyalty within this group of paisanos to the knights in King Arthur’s court. The tragedy that ends the novel allows the band of brothers to realize the significance of responsibility that forces them to discard a life of ruthless behavior and indulgences. I believe Steinbeck’s intended message that he is trying to convey pertains to a man’s legacy and how he should be remembered.

The stories in Monterey that Danny reminisces are very sad, but have minor additions that completely transform their mood that typically results in a laugh. As expressed in my earlier blog entries, I again believe this book does not have the characteristics of a typical Steinbeck novel. The reader cannot feel bad for the band of brother’s misdeeds because most of their actions can be attributed to alcoholic influences. Danny narrates the stories to his friends in hopes of easing his mood because he misses his previous lifestyle that was free of burden. His story-telling instigates a series of short anecdotes from his friends Pablo and Jesus Maria. The subject within these stories involves the mishaps of attempting to fake a suicide to gain the attention from society or to improve self-image. Though the subject is very serious, the tone in which the characters choose their words subtly further amplifies a chilling dark humor effect. For example, in the tale of Petey Ravanno, he fell in love with a temptress, but she rejected his marriage proposal. Feeling dejected, Ravanno tried to hang himself but was saved. The temptress realized how cruel she had been and decided to marry him. Seeing how successful Petey had been, his father wanted to replicate his son’s fake suicide ploy with the temptress’s sister. However, he died because the people he had hoped would save him took a different route.

At the end of the novel, Danny becomes depressed because he misses his old lifestyle. As a result, he goes on a ruthless crime spree and vandalizes, steals, fights, and has many indiscriminate affairs with women all over Monterey. His loyal friends realize that Danny is destroying himself and take the initiatives to help their paisano (comrade) by throwing him a memorable party. They hope that this party will restore Danny’s rationality so he does not appear to have acted as a miscreant in Monterey. The group’s true friendship finally emerges when his friends slowly set aside their drinking habits to galvanize the support from the whole town and earn enough income through legitimate work to host a party for their lost friend.

Danny becomes a legend from that night of revelry. Because of his friends, his behavior has changed, which, in turn, changes the way people will remember him. Although he had died from a tragic suicide because alcohol impaired his rationality, his legacy constantly reverberates throughout Monterey. I think the group’s decision to let the house burn down is reasoned to prevent another person from leaving a better image and legacy than Danny’s in Monterey. Their separation also symbolizes their loyalty and respect to Danny, in that none of them will become the leader like Danny.

I enjoyed reading this Steinbeck novel that casts a different tone while incorporating few of the traditional Steinbeck elements in the Tortilla Flat. Unlike other Steinbeck novels, I am surprised that it is still interesting to read about the paisanos’ adventures instead of them struggling to live happily. In short, I still feel as if I still received Steinbeck’s intended message of Danny’s legacy that he left behind for his paisanos to revere. (683)

Tortilla Flat Part 2

I have realized that Tortilla Flat is about Danny’s house that seals the relationships for a band of brothers. It is almost like a reality show in which people are forced to live with each other; however, the characters within the flat are more genuine and amicable. Danny is not only a friendly, but also a very selfless character. He cares very much about his friends because he would not have what he has had his friends not been there for him. At times it seems like his friends are freeloading on him by inviting their new guests to his house; however, Danny cannot bear to kick them out of the house for each new character brings an eccentric aspect to their friendship. I am not even kidding, but almost every other chapter brings a new character to the house. For example, Pilon found his friend Jesus drunk on the beach and courteously offered him residence at the house for compensation because he is determined to pay off the rent. Two chapters later, the most bizarre character is introduced to the Tortilla Flat. This character, the Pirate, lives a Spartan lifestyle (poorly dressed and lives with his dogs in a chicken house), yet his wealth possibly surpasses $200. Sadly, he is offered residency to the flat because Pilon wants to scam him of his money.

This week’s update in Tortilla Flat finally reveals the traditional “Steinbeckean” viewpoint in his address to society that is typically intertwined in nearly all of his novels. I dread for characters to suffer in the novel; however, it is interesting how realistically Steinbeck is able to incorporate natural tendencies, behavior, and emotions that transcend typical human reactions into words. This week’s dramatic scene may stir as much emotion and may be as memorable as the final scene in The Grapes of Wrath that involves Rose trying to save a dying father with her breast milk who had sacrificed his portions of food for his son. It is a similar fashion, in which the group of paisanos in Tortilla Flat tries to save a baby from death. It eases the mind that they are not just sloth men, who normally indulge in wine and scam people. They finally show their true, inherent human instincts and kindness as they invite the Mexican corporal and his sick baby to their flat. For example, Big Joe and Pablo, who earlier were arrested for being drunk and ruthless, set aside their drinking indulgences to build the baby a crib to make their scanty environment more bearable for the sick child. Sadly, the men tried their best and provided all they possessed; however, the baby died. Steinbeck’s intention of implementing the father’s sincerity and his story into that chapter is to invite our sympathy. The father’s acceptance of the baby’s death further depresses us, as we understand that all he wanted was for his son, “…Manuel to have more good things than I had.”

Thus far, I am concluding that Tortilla Flat is about the characters that live within the house. The house acts as a collection of short stories from its characters that help create a vivid description of a paisano lifestyle and struggle in Monterey. (536)

Sources

“Tortilla Flat”: The Shape of John Steinbeck’s Carrer by Howard Levant. MLA (Jstor)

The Conflict of Form in Tortilla Flat by Stanley Alexander. Duke University Press (Jstor)

Tortilla Flat Re-Visited by Arthur F. Kinney. Modern Critical Views: John Steinbeck. (Book)

Traveling through the Dark

“Traveling Through the Dark” is a very graphic poem that readily captivates the reader’s attention. As the images from the poem leave a lasting impression, the reader now empathizes or vicariously contemplates about the speaker’s actions. Through these images, William Stafford intended to raise the reader’s consciousness regarding the justification behind one’s own actions and doing the proper deed. “Traveling Through the Dark” may seem like a poem that simply describes the seemingly random progression of nature; however, interpreting Stafford’s vivid descriptions, imagery, and symbols will reveal a deeper meaning.

Stafford’s deliberate descriptions and choice of word usages are fundamentally basic and well placed. With the use of imagination, the reader can easily piece together the dramatic scenes the narrator recounts in the poem. Stafford’s prose is capable of casting such dramatic images into the reader’s mind because he uses the meaningful and cogent expressions to present his work. Since he does not bombard the reader with gratuitous words and strenuous vocabulary, the reader’s imagination is readily channeled to focus and visualize on the dead carcasses and the speaker. Stafford wants the readers to concentrate more on the speaker than the deer because it is the speaker’s actions that readers are supposed to judge.

Moreover, word order in Stafford’s sentences heavily influence how the reader is supposed to understand this poem. In the first two lines, the reader, like the speaker, encounters a deer. Stafford purposely avoids telling the reader that the deer is dead in the first line, for he separates the words “deer” and “dead” for a particular reason. In the opening line, the reader is to infer that the deer is alive and in a split-second the deer is dead in the following line. However, the deer is not the subject of that sentence; thus, it is the speaker who killed the deer with his car. As the reader continues this poem, one finds that the sensory perceptions of sight, touch, and hearing are affected. Thus, by incorporating the first person perspective with these senses, the reader feels as if he is struggling in the situation and can depict the dead pregnant deer laying in front of him. Stafford’s use of the first person to describe the scene brings home the reality such imagery that helps the reader easily illustrate the poem. With the first person perspective, the reader not only experiences the savagery of nature, but also feels the same sense of the speaker’s hesitation over an unexpected dilemma, as the speaker must reconcile these conflicts that lead to the final fate of the doe’s fawn. For example, in the third stanza, Stafford does not clearly annunciate that the deer is pregnant, but “large in the belly” and that “her side was warm; her fawn lay there waiting; / alive, still, never to be born.” By forcing the reader to fathom the meaning of his descriptions, the image of an unborn fawn becomes implanted in our minds, giving a fatalistic perception that is an indispensable element in nature’s circle of life.

Stafford’s poem leads the reader to rethink critically those real life issues about moral judgments on one’s actions and consequences. However, with further analysis on symbolism, the reader can apply Stafford’s theme to not only himself, but also towards the dynamics of society. As such, life is a ride on the road. People typically have a set route for goals and are headed in a chosen direction in life; however, unexpected occurrences like the dead deer will force the person to decide whether to wait and deal with the situation or to deviate from its original path and take a detour in making the life journey. In this poem, the surroundings and road are cloaked in darkness. This element of uncertainty not only retards the reader’s temerity from digressing his attention in the face of the unforeseen hurdles of dead carcasses, but also resembles a mysterious, dangerous, and ominous suspense that adds instability to the normal course of life’s progression. As described in the poem, it is darkness that also represents the unpredictability of our daily lives. Like the headlights of the car that emit a glimpse guidance, humans, who have the ability to analyze their actions, can expect the unknowns within them as they follow the winding road into the uncertainty and darkness ahead of life’s journey.

“Traveling Through the Dark” casts images that are emotionally stirring in the reader’s mind. Importantly, the speaker does indeed feel remorseful and responsible not only for the death of the doe, but also for the demise of the new hope in the fawn. By depicting his hesitant behavior, action of lowering the parking lights, and compassionate thinking, Stafford leads the reader to understand that the speaker is not heartless. One must realize the consequences if he had delivered that fawn. The fawn may struggle to survive or may die miserably because it does not have its mother to nurture and raise it.

This poem’s well-crafted and highly structured sentences create meaningful images that leave the reader with a sense of righteousness to rationalize his decisions on choosing between rights and wrongs. Stafford’s terse writing style achieves its intended goal of weaving scenes of images in the minds of its reader by reflecting on the reality of the moral elements and their consequences that pervade in our society. (890)

My First Thought and Impression on Tortilla Flat

Having read and digested many of John Steinbeck’s novels, I am assured that Tortilla Flat will not disappoint my continuing desire to enjoy his insightful works of literature. Steinbeck adopted a common theme in writing his novels, from which I discover his approach for presenting a disadvantaged and almost helpless protagonist who is repressed by an immoral world always captivates my interests. I have not had the misfortunes endured by those suffering souls in his works; however, it is through Steinbeck’s themes and expressions that provide me a better understanding of being fortunate. Although many of his novels such as, Of Mice and Men, The Pearl, and The Grapes of Wrath, are replete with depressing overtones because the protagonists are being exploited, I still enjoy reading them because I become inspired on how determined the protagonists persevere and become triumphant in the end. The most important life-lesson Steinbeck instilled in me is to never lose hope and give up for “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”*

It surprises me, however, that Tortilla Flat bears little resemblance of Steinbeck’s traditional tragic plot. In the early chapters of the novel, Danny, one of the disadvantaged and underprivileged protagonists, inherits his grandfather’s two estates and slowly assimilates into a new lifestyle rather than having a conniving and sly antagonist cheat him of his possessions. At this point of the novel, the only tension Danny encounters is with his friend Pilon, which may be attributed to the characters’ heavy indulgence with wine. Steinbeck’s intention of integrating Danny’s acquisition of his grandfather’s house is to exemplify and test the strength of the characters in relation to an upgrade in economic gains. Danny had inherited his grandfather’s house, but he does not have money to live a luxurious lifestyle; thus, he still must remember and retain his roots of struggle as he tries to grasp a new lifestyle.

At first glance of the novel, the unique characteristics of the cast of players leave a humorous impression that easily appeals to me. The first incident in which we are introduced to these characters sparks our interests because of their impetuous decisions. For example, in Tortilla Flat's opening anecdote, Danny and his friends are enjoying a bottle of wine when they have a patriotic epiphany that urges them to enlist in the military. However, neither Danny nor his friends are sent to the front lines. Danny is assigned to herd livestock, while his friend is arrested for a petty crime. In another incident, Danny is imprisoned, but the prison guard gets drunk with him until they run out of alcohol and go to the local bar to continue their indulgences. Humorously, the drunken Danny stumbles out of the bar and wanders into the forest to sleep and the guard reports him as an escaped convict. With animated characters, it is fun and interesting to continue reading to anticipate their next scenario.

All of Steinbeck's novels have an insightful lesson to influence their readers. In the early section of Tortilla Flat, we experience the effects of alcohol clouding its victims’ minds and impairing their rationality. Steinbeck has also approached the issue of spending money impulsively. Instead of saving the money for future investments, characters decide to spend the money because they have recently acquired it and justify their spending with trivial excuses. Because it is hard for Pilon to save money to pay his rent due to Danny, he finds a scapegoat (Pablo) to serve as an excuse for his money spending problems.

At this point, I enjoy reading Tortilla Flat as it has given me a different perspective of Steinbeck’s departure from his traditional call for social justice in the struggles between the haves and the have-nots. Tortilla Flat possesses hardly any of Steinbeck's trademark stories about the tension from economic disparities in our society; however, the plot resembles a bildungsromanesque style like Catcher in the Rye and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn–both of which I enjoy reading. (673)

*Winston Churchill

Truth and Deception

Henrik Ibsen’s title A Doll’s House is a perfect and appropriate description of Nora’s life and dilemma she experiences in finding herself. A doll is an inanimate object and a playful toy to please its owner. As discussed in class, a doll is always in the manipulative hands of another being. Though the doll may have all the possessions and physical attributes it desires, a doll symbolizes a lifeless being because it lacks the freedom to make its own decisions. Nora frees herself of being captive in a “doll’s house” by deciding to accept the reality of her true life.

The interactions between Nora and her husband clearly depict the absence of a mutually respecting relationship. Almost all her life, Nora had been pretending that her life was complete with a loving husband. When Torvald and Kristine interact with Nora, her dreamlike and fanciful “doll-house” life suddenly vanishes, as she opens her eyes to the bitterness of reality. The unselfish and naive Nora finally accepts her false life from pretending to becoming happy. Instead of confronting her husband about her feelings, she continued to live in denial to feed her figment of self-contentment. This sadly gave Torvald the wrong impression. Unbeknownst to him about how disrespectful he had been, Torvald continues to take advantage of Nora until the bond of their love for each other finally fragmented, forcing her to walk away from the illusion of a perfect marriage. The song “Pretend” by Secondhand Serenade echoes what I believe Nora was experiencing as she realized that Torvald was not whom she had dreamt, especially the song lines, “Your eyes, telling me lies / And making me find myself / While you have your agenda, a life to pursue / So please, / Let me be free from you. / And please, let me be free / I can face the truth.” (Full lyrics at the end)

Deception was instrumental to the plot of Ibsen’s story. This play similarly reminds me of Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave.” The plot incorporates the exposure from an idealistic lifestyle (manufactured truth / false reality) to an understanding of a character’s dilemma and position (absolute truth). Nora had lived a life of self-deceit, in which she pretended to be happy and satisfied to keep herself sane in order to deny herself from realizing that her marriage is unfulfilling and broken. Torvald and Nora perceived a happy life of love, until Kristine and Krogstad introduced them to the reality of their actual relationship. Nora’s realization of the false life she had endured symbolizes the prisoner’s ascension to the light of true reality. Like Plato’s cave dweller in his first glimpse of the sun (absolute reality), Nora could not manage the harshness and blinding realization of her life and broken marriage.

Kristine and Krogstad help Nora. Though some may deem their actions nefarious because they were the catalysts to the destruction of Nora’s marriage, they also help wake Nora from her illusory perfect world. Kristine helps and supports the blinded Nora to follow her true desires and to free herself from her manipulated life. If Kristine had allowed Krogstad to retrieve the letter and permit her friend to continue living her fanciful life, Nora would continue to be the victim of a marriage without substances. Krogstad was influential in Nora’s realization in that he revealed to her the blinding effect money has on a person. Previously, Nora was misguided by money and thought she lived happily with her husband; however, she did not realize her husband’s obsession of work, money, and pride that influenced his behavior towards her. Fortunately, with her friend’s support, Nora is able to leave the “doll’s house” with the door slamming behind her as she steps into a world of reality. (628)

Pretend – Secondhand Serenade http://youtube.com/watch?v=5CC3hOqOkjM
It seems all of these words couldn't be further from the truth
How did I get here?
What did I do?

Your eyes, telling me lies
And making me find myself
While you have your agenda, a life to pursue

So please,
Let me be free from you.
And please, let me be free
I can face the truth.

I'm blind to all of your colors
That used to be rainbow then
My eyes, where did the go to?
Why disappear?

It's hard to be all alone
I never got through your disguise
I guess I'll just go, and face all my fear

So please,
Let me be free from you
And please, let me be free
I can face the truth.

Put down your world
Just for one night
Pick me again

So please,
Let me be free from you
And please, let me be free
I can face the truth

Hamlet: Act 3 Scene 4. Subtext

SCENE IV. The Queen's closet.

Enter QUEEN GERTRUDE and POLONIUS

LORD POLONIUS

He will come straight. Look you lay home to him:
Tell him his pranks have been too broad to bear with,
And that your grace hath screen'd and stood between
Much heat and him. I'll sconce me even here.
Pray you, be round with him.

Lord Polonius acts seriously and surreptitiously. His voice has a worried tone that Gertrude will not follow through with his plans or does not know how to approach Hamlet. Polonius indicates the curtains.

HAMLET

[Within] Mother, mother, mother!

He has a desire to talk to mother. He wants a serious conversation with his mother.

QUEEN GERTRUDE

I'll warrant you,
Fear me not: withdraw, I hear him coming.

She knows she only has one chance to do this for Polonius. She sounds confident that she knows how to act accordingly and nods to Polonius to further assure him.

POLONIUS hides behind the arras

Enter HAMLET

HAMLET

Now, mother, what's the matter?

He looks around the area and is suspicious, but curious about the conversation.

QUEEN GERTRUDE

Hamlet, thou hast thy father much offended.

Her voice is not angry, but has a disappointing tone.

HAMLET

Mother, you have my father much offended.

Hamlet quickly turns his head towards his mother to contradict her accusations. Hamlet is angry and frustrated that she does not realize her disrespectfulness towards his father.

QUEEN GERTRUDE

Come, come, you answer with an idle tongue.

Gertrude evades Hamlet’s accusations by replying in a calming and soothing tone to appear peaceful. She reaches to hold both of his hands to signify no hostility. She tries to calm him to get the response Polonius wants her to get.

HAMLET

Go, go, you question with a wicked tongue.

Hamlet is interested in what she has to talk in the conversation. He is still hostile and suspicious of Gertrude.

QUEEN GERTRUDE

Why, how now, Hamlet!

She is shocked as to why her son is treating her so disrespectfully.

HAMLET

What's the matter now?

Hamlet acts as if he is acting appropriately and his disrespectfulness is justified.

QUEEN GERTRUDE

Have you forgot me?

The Queen is appalled and shocked. She wishes he knew his position in their relationship.

HAMLET

No, by the rood, not so:
You are the queen, your husband's brother's wife;
And--would it were not so!--you are my mother.

Hamlet is condemning his mother and presenting to her why he is ashamed. Hamlet wants her to feel bad for what she has done and is just trying to annoy her to make her feel guilty and admit her wrongs by pointing toward the king's chamber. Hamlet finishes off this quotation in a childlike immature manner to interest her.

QUEEN GERTRUDE

Nay, then, I'll set those to you that can speak.

At this point, Gertrude is fed up, frustrated, and annoyed with Hamlet’s behavior.

HAMLET

Come, come, and sit you down; you shall not budge;
You go not till I set you up a glass
Where you may see the inmost part of you.

The smile from Hamlets face transitions to a stern look. He lashes back with this reply and is even more frustrated and infuriated that she does not even realize that she is disrespecting herself by continuing her marriage with Claudius.

QUEEN GERTRUDE

What wilt thou do? thou wilt not murder me?
Help, help, ho!

Gertrude is scared because she has never seen her son act this way before. Her voice has an uncertain tone because she does not know what to do because of Hamlet’s unusual behavior (at this point his sword is drawn).

LORD POLONIUS

[Behind] What, ho! help, help, help!

Polonius is also terrified and begins to tremor because of Hamlet’s unusual behavior of drawing a sword in front of his mother.

HAMLET

[Drawing] How now! a rat? Dead, for a ducat, dead!

Makes a pass through the arras

Hamlet is not surprised that there is an eavesdropper and thinks it is King Claudius therefore he stabs through the curtain and in motion he twists his dagger.

LORD POLONIUS

[Behind] O, I am slain!

Falls and dies

Polonius' hands clinch his wound and he accepts the death.

QUEEN GERTRUDE

O me, what hast thou done?

Though Gertrude helped plan this conversation, she acts as if she knew that Polonius died. She is just disappointed, but surprised that Hamlet killed someone.

HAMLET

Nay, I know not:
Is it the king?

Hamlet did expect to kill someone, but is desperate to know if he had fulfilled his goal of avenging his father. He slowly reaches for the curtain, but has not revealed what is behind it.

QUEEN GERTRUDE

O, what a rash and bloody deed is this!

She is amazed that he had killed someone and his desire to kill Claudius.

HAMLET

A bloody deed! almost as bad, good mother,
As kill a king, and marry with his brother.

Hamlet turns towards his mother because he still wants to annoy his mother to make her feel guilty for marrying Claudius.

QUEEN GERTRUDE

As kill a king!

Gertrude is confused about his remark.

HAMLET

Ay, lady, 'twas my word.

Hamlet is calm as he affirms her questioning.

Lifts up the array and discovers POLONIUS

Thou wretched, rash, intruding fool, farewell!
I took thee for thy better: take thy fortune;
Thou find'st to be too busy is some danger.
Leave wringing of your hands: peace! sit you down,
And let me wring your heart; for so I shall,
If it be made of penetrable stuff,
If damned custom have not brass'd it so
That it is proof and bulwark against sense.

The curtain is revealed and Hamlet is unemotional and thinks his killing of Polonius is justified. He turns his back and lets go of the curtain. Hamlet is merciless and does not even budge to apologize. He may even yell at Polonius to tell him that he deserved his death. He thinks his deed is justified.

QUEEN GERTRUDE

What have I done, that thou darest wag thy tongue
In noise so rude against me?

Gertrude is still clueless as to why her son is treating and accusing her of being involved in Hamlet’s death. She replies this quotation with anger and frustration because Hamlet has not given her a definitive answer.

HAMLET

Such an act
That blurs the grace and blush of modesty,
Calls virtue hypocrite, takes off the rose
From the fair forehead of an innocent love
And sets a blister there, makes marriage-vows
As false as dicers' oaths: O, such a deed
As from the body of contraction plucks
The very soul, and sweet religion makes
A rhapsody of words: heaven's face doth glow:
Yea, this solidity and compound mass,
With tristful visage, as against the doom,
Is thought-sick at the act.

Hamlet sighs. In frustration, he explains and condemns his mother for sinning, yet he does not tell her exactly what she had done.

QUEEN GERTRUDE

Ay me, what act,
That roars so loud, and thunders in the index?

Gertrude has a puzzled look on her face. She still does not know what he is talking about and pleas or begs for him to tell her the wrongdoings.

HAMLET

Look here, upon this picture, and on this,
The counterfeit presentment of two brothers.
See, what a grace was seated on this brow;
Hyperion's curls; the front of Jove himself;
An eye like Mars, to threaten and command;
A station like the herald Mercury
New-lighted on a heaven-kissing hill;
A combination and a form indeed,
Where every god did seem to set his seal,
To give the world assurance of a man:
This was your husband. Look you now, what follows:
Here is your husband; like a mildew'd ear,
Blasting his wholesome brother. Have you eyes?
Could you on this fair mountain leave to feed,
And batten on this moor? Ha! have you eyes?
You cannot call it love; for at your age
The hey-day in the blood is tame, it's humble,
And waits upon the judgment: and what judgment
Would step from this to this? Sense, sure, you have,
Else could you not have motion; but sure, that sense
Is apoplex'd; for madness would not err,
Nor sense to ecstasy was ne'er so thrall'd
But it reserved some quantity of choice,
To serve in such a difference. What devil was't
That thus hath cozen'd you at hoodman-blind?
Eyes without feeling, feeling without sight,
Ears without hands or eyes, smelling sans all,
Or but a sickly part of one true sense
Could not so mope.
O shame! where is thy blush? Rebellious hell,
If thou canst mutine in a matron's bones,
To flaming youth let virtue be as wax,
And melt in her own fire: proclaim no shame
When the compulsive ardour gives the charge,
Since frost itself as actively doth burn
And reason panders will.

Hamlet is assured that his mother had no involvement in his father’s death, yet there is a sense of frustration in his voice as he strongly points towards the king's chamber and to her. He calms down and slowly depicts and describes what had occurred.

QUEEN GERTRUDE

O Hamlet, speak no more:
Thou turn'st mine eyes into my very soul;
And there I see such black and grained spots
As will not leave their tinct.

Gertrude reputes Hamlet’s accusation and does not believe it. She begins to turn away from him.

HAMLET

Nay, but to live
In the rank sweat of an enseamed bed,
Stew'd in corruption, honeying and making love
Over the nasty sty,--

Hamlet becomes enraged again and criticizes (yelling) her for disrespecting her previous husband as he quickly turns her around.

QUEEN GERTRUDE

O, speak to me no more;
These words, like daggers, enter in mine ears;
No more, sweet Hamlet!

Gertrude does not want to listen to Hamlet’s rants and calmly begs him to stop his criticisms.

HAMLET

A murderer and a villain;
A slave that is not twentieth part the tithe
Of your precedent lord; a vice of kings;
A cutpurse of the empire and the rule,
That from a shelf the precious diadem stole,
And put it in his pocket!

Hamlet ignores her pleas and continues his explanation dramatically. His voice is very loud.

QUEEN GERTRUDE

No more!

Gertrude is really vexed and angry and yells to stop.

HAMLET

A king of shreds and patches,--

Looking deeply into her eyes, the witty Hamlet talks back rebelliously.

Enter Ghost

Save me, and hover o'er me with your wings,
You heavenly guards! What would your gracious figure?

Hamlet performs this quotation in a sarcastic tone of voice to convey the truth behind his theory.

QUEEN GERTRUDE

Alas, he's mad!

Gertrude finally accepts that Hamlet has gone crazy and is overwhelmingly surprised.

HAMLET

Do you not come your tardy son to chide,
That, lapsed in time and passion, lets go by
The important acting of your dread command? O, say!

Talking to the ghost. Hamlet challenges the ghost on whether his actions are inappropriate, excessive, and uncalled for and looks towards his mother.

Ghost

Do not forget: this visitation
Is but to whet thy almost blunted purpose.
But, look, amazement on thy mother sits:
O, step between her and her fighting soul:
Conceit in weakest bodies strongest works:
Speak to her, Hamlet.

Ghost is calm. In his advice to Hamlet, he really emphasizes to only focus on Claudius and not his mother.

HAMLET

How is it with you, lady?

Contrary to his early conversations with his mother, Hamlet acts like a polite and loyal son (like a completely different character). (Almost as if he is bi-polar).

QUEEN GERTRUDE

Alas, how is't with you,
That you do bend your eye on vacancy
And with the incorporal air do hold discourse?
Forth at your eyes your spirits wildly peep;
And, as the sleeping soldiers in the alarm,
Your bedded hair, like life in excrements,
Starts up, and stands on end. O gentle son,
Upon the heat and flame of thy distemper
Sprinkle cool patience. Whereon do you look?

Gertrude is worried for Hamlet. She really cares about him and her voice is shaken because she has not seen this type of behavior from him.

HAMLET

On him, on him! Look you, how pale he glares!
His form and cause conjoin'd, preaching to stones,
Would make them capable. Do not look upon me;
Lest with this piteous action you convert
My stern effects: then what I have to do
Will want true colour; tears perchance for blood.

Hamlet is now very polite.

QUEEN GERTRUDE

To whom do you speak this?

Gertrude is puzzled and now really worried for her son.

HAMLET

Do you see nothing there?

Staring into her eyes, Hamlet is eager to show the ghost to his mother. He thinks she is mocking him.

QUEEN GERTRUDE

Nothing at all; yet all that is I see.

She replies seriously. Hamlet waves his hand vertically before her eyes.

HAMLET

Nor did you nothing hear?

From Hamlet's tone of voice, Hamlet is beginning to think he is crazy. Hamlet peers into Gertrude's ear.

QUEEN GERTRUDE

No, nothing but ourselves.

Gertrude’s reply and serious. She gives him a puzzled look.

HAMLET

Why, look you there! look, how it steals away!
My father, in his habit as he lived!
Look, where he goes, even now, out at the portal!

Exit Ghost

Hamlet is surprised that she cannot see him and points as he says this quotation. His tone of voice is very enthusiastic because he wants Gertrude to see the Ghost.

QUEEN GERTRUDE

This the very coinage of your brain:
This bodiless creation ecstasy
Is very cunning in.

While embracing Hamlet, Gertrude calms him. She wants to teach him that what he saw is a manifestation of the mind. She is worried for him and wants to tell him that he is imagining to ease her minds about him.

HAMLET

Ecstasy!
My pulse, as yours, doth temperately keep time,
And makes as healthful music: it is not madness
That I have utter'd: bring me to the test,
And I the matter will re-word; which madness
Would gambol from. Mother, for love of grace,
Lay not that mattering unction to your soul,
That not your trespass, but my madness speaks:
It will but skin and film the ulcerous place,
Whilst rank corruption, mining all within,
Infects unseen. Confess yourself to heaven;
Repent what's past; avoid what is to come;
And do not spread the compost on the weeds,
To make them ranker. Forgive me this my virtue;
For in the fatness of these pursy times
Virtue itself of vice must pardon beg,
Yea, curb and woo for leave to do him good.

At first, Hamlet is repulsed as to what her mother had said to him and pushes her away. As he lists his justifications and recommendations, he becomes more enthusiastic, passionate, and lively.

QUEEN GERTRUDE

O Hamlet, thou hast cleft my heart in twain.

Gertrude has given up and realizes that Hamlet will not agree with her. She is very saddened and disappointed in her son and slowly begins to follow him.

HAMLET

O, throw away the worser part of it,
And live the purer with the other half.
Good night: but go not to mine uncle's bed;
Assume a virtue, if you have it not.
That monster, custom, who all sense doth eat,
Of habits devil, is angel yet in this,
That to the use of actions fair and good
He likewise gives a frock or livery,
That aptly is put on. Refrain to-night,
And that shall lend a kind of easiness
To the next abstinence: the next more easy;
For use almost can change the stamp of nature,
And either [ ] the devil, or throw him out
With wondrous potency. Once more, good night:
And when you are desirous to be bless'd,
I'll blessing beg of you. For this same lord,

Hamlet has faith that his mother will do the right thing. In his advice, his seriousness is to represent his desire to help his mother and to show his obedience towards his father (Ghost who appeared earlier in this scene). It is to also signify that he is a loyal son.

Pointing to POLONIUS

I do repent: but heaven hath pleased it so,
To punish me with this and this with me,
That I must be their scourge and minister.
I will bestow him, and will answer well
The death I gave him. So, again, good night.
I must be cruel, only to be kind:
Thus bad begins and worse remains behind.
One word more, good lady.

Beginning his “crazy talk” and ranting, Hamlet feels brave and heroic because he thinks he is correcting the wrongs. Again as the quotation progresses, he becomes more energetic.

QUEEN GERTRUDE

What shall I do?

Gertrude has a confused look on her face because she is worried for him.

HAMLET

Not this, by no means, that I bid you do:
Let the bloat king tempt you again to bed;
Pinch wanton on your cheek; call you his mouse;
And let him, for a pair of reechy kisses,
Or paddling in your neck with his damn'd fingers,
Make you to ravel all this matter out,
That I essentially am not in madness,
But mad in craft. 'Twere good you let him know;
For who, that's but a queen, fair, sober, wise,
Would from a paddock, from a bat, a gib,
Such dear concernings hide? who would do so?
No, in despite of sense and secrecy,
Unpeg the basket on the house's top.
Let the birds fly, and, like the famous ape,
To try conclusions, in the basket creep,
And break your own neck down.

Looking at the bedroom, Hamlet feels that Gertrude should seduce the king to appear unsuspicious of what is occurring, but then realizes that they should take no mercy at all as he slowly wraps his hand around his dagger. Throughout this response to Gertrude’s question, Hamlet slowly inspires her to believe him even more.

QUEEN GERTRUDE

Be thou assured, if words be made of breath,
And breath of life, I have no life to breathe
What thou hast said to me.

Like in the beginning of this scene, Gertrude is once again persuaded and now obey to Hamlet’s commands. She becomes more confident as she now believes she is doing the right thing. She reaches to Hamlet's extended hand to acknowledge her duty.

Cicle of Revenge

Vengeance, a vicious circle, is a never-ending process. It does not solve the problem, but rather perpetuates and creates further complications. Though one must avenge a fallen friend or family member because of honor to impose a short-term solution, revenge will continue to unfold until everyone is punished. Vengeance almost always occurs with irrationality except with the intention to preserve one’s honor. However, like in Hamlet’s case, when one must avenge a blood-related family member, he must be cognizant of the repercussions and further bloodshed that will ensue. Likewise, Claudius should have realized what commotion his murder would have caused.

Ever since King Hamlet’s ghost appeared, Hamlet became obsessed with Claudius’ involvement in his father’s death. As I predicted based on what I experienced from previous Shakespearean plays, Hamlet was nearly driven to insanity as he pondered a scheme to seek revenge. Soon his mind became clouded as to whom he should trust in fulfilling his duty. Further complicating, fueling his anger, and stressing his mind are Ophelia’s dishonesty. (I like the clip you showed during class. Though it is not exactly like the play, I believe its effect of having a one-way mirror along with the exceptional acting of the Ophelia and Hamlet transcends what Shakespeare intended, in that it accurately provides us with a dramatic image that depicts his anger and tension.) Hamlet became depressed and saddened as he realized that not even his true love was supporting him. Having realized this, Hamlet decided that avenging his father’s death was all that he had to live for in his “terrible world”. I believe that readers can fully understand his desire to continue suffering in order to kill Claudius in his “To be or not to be” soliloquy. The most influential quotation addresses what suffering and pain he has endured to a point where he contemplated suicide. From this incident, he finally accepted that if he were to die by his own hand, he could neither fulfill his faithful duty nor die honorably.

When Claudius was praying, Hamlet had the absolute opportunity to kill him. However, having taken his father’s murder to a personal vendetta, Hamlet aborted the idea because he wanted Claudius to experience pain, guilt, and suffering. Shakespeare’s ability to convey Claudius’ suffering guilt cannot be expressed any better in how the burdened Claudius prays for forgiveness, “O, my offense is rank! It smells to heaven. / It hath the primal eldest curse upon’t / A brother’s murder. Pray can I not, / Though inclination be as sharp as will; / My stronger guilt defeats my strong intent… What if this cursed hand / were thicker than itself with brother’s blood, / Is there not rain enough in the sweet heavens / To wash it white as snow.” Having a person to constantly feel guilty seems like a suitable punishment that serves as a peaceful solution to revenge that will prevent further bloodshed. I think Hamlet should have stopped seeking revenge after he forced Claudius to reminisce about killing his brother because that guilt can haunt and torment the mind. (514)

It Is Not Always Good To Be The King

Sophocles’s Antigone is a prime example that defines a tragedy because both of the main characters suffer from a disagreement in their beliefs that eventually lead to their downfalls. By heavily playing with our emotions, this story puzzles our minds for whom we sympathize. Though he is not doing the right thing, Creon, like Oedipus, must stand steadfastly to adhere to the commands of his law to retain his strong and royal appearance. Sadly, Creon is in a quandary on whether law or morality should take priority over Antigone’s punishment. If he does not punish Antigone, he will appear as a weak king. On the other hand, if he punishes Antigone, he will suffer punishments from the gods. Because of his decision, it is his ego and pride that cause him and the world around him to collapse. Although we all disapprove Creon’s decision to punish those respecting the dead, we feel sorry for him because his action causes the demise of his son, wife, and future daughter-in-law. If Creon had looked the other way and ignored the fact that someone committed the trivial crime of burying a dead soldier in a matter of respect, he would have had a prosperous and very fulfilling life with his family. Since Creon seems indifferent and unsympathetic about the death of Polyneices (related in blood), we tend to favor Antigone and feel empathetic for her early in the play. We also sympathize for Antigone because she is punished for doing her required duty of mourning and respecting the death of a family member.

Creon should have seen this train wreck coming. Having experienced Oedipus’s ordeal and realizing the priceless information Teiresias possesses, Creon, despite his royal position, should be subordinate to and trust the blind prophet because Teiresias has the symbolic eyes of a god. If Creon’s attention had not been excessively consumed by upholding the law instead of recognizing his prophecy, he could have avoided this tragedy. After all, he saw that the tragic downfall of Oedipus confirms the clairvoyant’s prediction. At times during the play that foreshadow death, I became frustrated because I wished I could have shouted to Creon to listen to the Teiresias’ valuable insight into his fate. Once the audience or reader is introduced with the prophecy, their emotions and attitudes towards Creon shift from disdain to sympathy because his ego causes him to become oblivious to Teiresias’ advice. Our emotions are enhanced when we see him realize that it is too late to fix his mistakes.

Creon approached Polyneices’ scenario with utterly no rationality of a king. Respecting the dead, regardless if it is a deceased friend or foe, always takes priority. Kings must show that they are grateful, respectful, and compassionate to their warriors for they are the Kings’ faithful servants. Creon should have realized that these dead soldiers sacrificed their lives for something they strongly had supported. Being the rightful heir to the throne, Polyneices died for a reason–he was supposed to be the king. The fact that Polyneices was also a blood relative to Creon made me abhor Creon’s judgment, which leads me to believe that he deserved his punishment.

Fort Minor-Kenji

Fort Minor - Kenji
My father came from Japan in 1905
He was 15 when he immigrated from Japan
He, he... he worked until he was able to buy this patch
And build a store

Let me tell you the story in the form of a dream,
I don't know why I have to tell it but I know what it means,
Close your eyes, just picture the scene,
As I paint it for you, it was World War II,
When this man named Kenji woke up,
Ken was not a soldier,
He was just a man with a family who owned a store in LA,
That day, he crawled out of bed like he always did,
Bacon and eggs with wife and kids,
He lived on the second floor of a little store he ran,
He moved to LA from Japan,
They called him 'Immigrant,'
In Japanese, he'd say he was called "Issei,"
That meant 'First Generation In The United States,'
When everyone was afraid of the Germans, afraid of the Japs,
But most of all afraid of a homeland attack,
And that morning when Ken went out on the doormat,
His world went black 'cause,
Right there; front page news,
Three weeks before 1942,
"Pearl Harbour's Been Bombed And The Japs Are Comin',"
Pictures of soldiers dyin' and runnin',
Ken knew what it would lead to,
Just like he guessed, the President said,
"The evil Japanese in our home country will be locked away,"
They gave Ken a couple of days,
To get his whole life packed in two bags,
Just two bags - couldn't even pack his clothes,
Some folks didn't even have a suitcase to pack anything in,
So two trash bags was all they gave them,
When the kids asked "Mom, where are we goin'?"
Nobody even knew what to say to them,
Ken didn't wanna lie, he said "The U.S. is lookin' for spies,
So we have to live in a place called Manzanar,
Where a lot of Japanese people are,"
Stop it, don't look at the gunmen,
You don't wanna get the soldiers wonderin',
If you're gonna run or not,
'Cause if you run then you might get shot,
Other than that try not to think about it,
Try not to worry 'bout it bein' so crowded,
Someday we'll get out, someday, someday...

As soon as war broke out
The G.I. came and they just come to the house and
"You have to come"
"All the Japanese have to go"
They took Mr. Nii
People didn't understand
Why did they have to take him
Because he is just innocent neighbour

So now they're in a town with soldiers surroundin' them,
Every day, every night look down at them,
From watch towers up on the wall,
Ken couldn't really hate them at all;
They were just doin' their job and,
He wasn't gonna make any problems,
He had a little garden with vegetables and fruits,
That he gave to the troops in a basket his wife made,
But in the back of his mind, he wanted his families life saved,
Prisoners of war in their own damn country,
What for?
Time passed in the prison town,
He wondered if he'd live it down if and when they were free,
The only way out was joinin' the army,
And supposedly, some men went out for the army - signed on,
And ended up flyin' to Japan with a bomb,
That 15 kiloton blast put an end to the war pretty fast,
Two cities were blown to bits; the end of the war came quick,
Ken got out, big hopes of a normal life with his kids and his wife,
But, when they got back to their home,
And what they saw made them feel so alone,
These people had trashed every room,
Smashed in the windows and bashed in the doors,
Written on the walls and the floor,
"Japs not welcome anymore."
And Kenji dropped both of his bags at his sides and just stood outside,
He looked at his wife without words to say,
She looked back at him, wiping the tears away,
And said "Someday we'll be okay, someday,"
Now the names have been changed, but the story's true,
My family was locked up back in '42,
My family was there where it was dark and damp,
And they called it an internment camp

When we first got back from camp... uhh
It was... pretty... pretty bad

I, I remember my husband said
"Are we gonna stay 'til last?"
Then my husband died before they close the camp.

Of Men and Insects: Human Avarice

Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis involves familial strife portrayed in a highly peculiar and eccentric metaphor. Kafka’s intention of transforming Gregor into an insect transcends the metaphor that Gregor becomes a burden to the family. Though it seems that Gregor’s family’s isolation and their disrespectful attitudes towards him may have been the cause of his transmogrification, I think it is also the result of his family’s exploitation of Gregor’s good intentions by disparaging his self-esteem that offers a better view. The Samsa family, acting as a parasite, took advantage of Gregor and did not appreciate his efforts to rescue the family from financial debts. It is sad because the family only cared about Gregor inasmuch as he was bringing money home; however, after Gregor’s transformation, the family finally realizes the important contributions Gregor had made to the family.

Kafka’s implementation of the insect metaphor furthers our understandings of Gregor and his family’s avarice. From the beginning, Gregor’s weak character as demonstrated by his inability to rebel against his manager’s assistant, behaves much like the slaving members of an ant or bee colony. At times Gregor wishes to quit; however, he realizes that he must continue to work under the harsh conditions to relieve his family’s debts, which reveals his goodwill and intentions for his family. Not only does his family depend on his ability to earn money, but also his boss relies on his diligence. The fundamentals of capitalism share similar attributes of an ant or bee colony, in that the success of corporate businesses is largely depended on the effective exploitations of their minions. This reminds me that insects are a necessity to our biological hierarchy. Without insects performing menial tasks, every cellular life is threatened.

The saddest relationship is between Grete and Gregor. At first she is sympathetic and cares for Gregor; however, she grows to become indifferent and ashamed of being related to her brother because of his grotesque appearance and insignificance to the family. She, along with the family, finally realizes what it is like to be a freeloader. The saddest part that sums up her character is when she explains, “we can’t go on like this. Maybe you don’t realize it, but I do. I refuse to utter my brother’s name in the presence of this monster…we’ve got to try to get rid of it.” This incident stirs my emotions, because she was the only one in the family to accept his transformation by bringing him food and caring for him, when their mother cannot bear to look at her son without fainting and their father barely cares about him. Sadly, the selfless Gregor finally does not want to burden his family anymore and thus decides to accept death.

Based on the expressions and reactions of their son Gregor, I believe the family would have the same attitudes towards him had his metamorphosis turned him into something more pleasing to the eyes than an insect. If Gregor awoke as a dog or a typical house pet, the family would still view him as a burden because he still would need more attention and care than before when he was a human. Though the family may not treat him as badly if he was common household pet, they will still feel that he is neither productive nor providing additional benefits towards the family; and therefore, they will continue to reject him and view him as an annoyance. (569)

Be Yourself

The Death of Ivan Ilych effectively exploits the reader’s emotions to achieve its thematic effects. By placing the funeral ceremony in the beginning of the novel, the readers are introduced with an obscure scenario that involves indifferent attendees, which in its intended effects will typically stimulate the readers’ interest. At first, the readers do not know who this dead person really was and could care less of his identity, but as the story progresses and as the readers begin to understand Ivan Ilych’s character do we become more considerate and respectful of his death. As a result of Tolstoy’s additions of these attendees who play cards along with the widow who only wants to speak with Ilych’s best friend about additional pensions, the readers begin to feel sympathetic for Ilych, which also provides a rational transition to the reason of Ilych’s death. As discussed in our class, I too agree that by adding the true motives of the “so-called friends” in the beginning of the novel, it allows us to accurately perceive each character as the story unfolds. Themes involving deception and denial within its depressing plot further enhance our emotional attachment to Ivan Ilych.

Deception and irony are important aspects of this novel because it is the root of Ilych’s death. Ilych must suffer from whether or not he is doing the right thing in order to live a guilt-free life. Simply hoping to mask the family’s faults by masquerading their social life under the aristocratic façade, Ilych attempts to blend in with the people in high society to be recognized as an important person to boost his ego and especially satisfy his indulgences. However, I find it sad how people are judged by their possessions as the narrator explained, “all things people of a certain class have in order to resemble other people of that class.” Although we feel happy that Ilych has finally received his high-paying job, we soon feel sympathetic when the detrimental aspects of wealth consume him. As Ilych is assimilating into the upper class lifestyles, he assumes the notion that wealth is what life is all about and soon becomes consumed by materialism. The root of Ilych’s death is his neglect of his health (not taking medicine, playing bridge late into the night, eating unhealthy foods like sturgeon) because he must please other people in order to fulfill his perception of belonging to the same class. Ilych’s failure to hang the drapes acts as a metaphor in which the falling of the drapes is the final act of exposition of his deception. The drapes are symbolized as a curtain that rendered his perception of life in which money can solve everything.

People like Ivan Ilych tend to deny certain facts because they cannot stand to face their faults and fears. By not facing the problems at hand, it gives Ilych a false sense of feeling eased and contentment as he recklessly indulges in his lavish lifestyle, even though he had been diagnosed with his illness. As exemplified in Love in the Time of Cholera, men fear aging because it signifies their deterioration of health, which eventually leads to death. I feel sorry for Ivan because he is helpless to a point in which he cannot even raise his own legs, yet his family still denies that he is on his deathbed. The sad emotional aspect is further underscored when he no longer refuses to acknowledge his ill health and tries to exclaim to his family, “Stop lying! You know and I know that I am dying. Then at least stop lying about it!” At the end of the novel, we are pleased to see that Ivan finally understands doing the proper thing. (618)