Things Fall Apart

So far Im not loving this book or anything, but its not bad. Its weird going from such deep and symoblic novels and plays to this book. Its very straight forward and seems like a 5th grader is writing it, but i guess its a nice change. Its very apparent taht the women mean nothing in this village. They dont even have names the first few chapters. the men are very dominant. This also shows through the beatings that they give to their wives. They beat them over the stupidest things too, because one woman didnt make dinner but got her hair done. Its interesting to see how culutres are so different and how the times now are so different. Im interested to see waht happens later on in the book and what else we learn about this culture.

the kite runner

I absolutley love the novel The Kite Runner. I would highly recommend it to anyone who hasnt read it. I actaully did cry while I read it, which doesnt really happen a lot to me. It really got me involved with the story and i got so attached with the characters. I saw the movie and i was really disappointed. i have come to find that i never ever like the movie as much as the book. Its always a huge disappointment. They left out huge parts of the book. And they were very important parts too. I was really bummed that it was only a few parts of the book. They also didnt do a very good job at devolping the characters. I didnt feel as attached to them as I did during the book, and i didnt like the actor choices. But even though the movie was disappointing i still love the whole story line and everything that happens.

A Raisin in the Sun

This play was actaully very well done. At first i got very annyoed and was like "oh my gosh this is so slow!" but after the first act, it got a lot better. It was very good and seemed higher than a high shcool production. The actors did an amazing job and it was really fun to see people I know starring in this play. I loved Hatties role as the mother. She did an amazing job as actually taking on the role and really getting into character. I never knew that Hattie had such a beautiful voice. Thomas also did a fantastic job. I wouldnt be surprised at all if he actually becomes an actor when he grows up. I was really inspired wthroughtout this pkay. it dealt with a lot of real world problems currently; poverty, racism, abortion and alcoholsim. It was really good but it was extremely long and drawn on, but overall i really enjoyed it.

Tragedy

Hamlet is definitely a tragic figure. He brings much suffering to others thourgouht the whole play, but it is also becuase of the suffering that is brought onto him because of others. Its kind of ironic becuase its like a curcle. I often wish that Hamlet could haver just been more decisive and then everyones suffering would be non exsistent. If claudius would have just been killed in the beginning then it wiould have solved alot, then again this play wouldnt exsist then. It just gets me really upset when i think about all of this. I would like to get answers from shakespeare really quick just so i can know what he intended. then again, maybe shakespeare doesnt even know what he meant. its just all one big question.

The ending

WOW. what!? i cant even beleive that that was the ending of The Grapes of Wrath. So basically, it ends with us having no idea what happens to the Joads, just Rose of Sharon breast feeding an old man. Thats so beyond disgusting and it just really diappoints me. I know that it is a lot of symbolism, but i wish it jsut wasnt so obvious so we actually had to think a little. I know it symbolises hope and a new beginning and thats great, but really, id rather know what happens to the family. Im very upset and thought id just share my feelings.

Quotes

I thought I would blog about some important quotes from Grapes:

“Lying on its back, the turtle was tight in its shell for a long time. But at last its legs waved in the air, reaching for something to pull it over. Its front foot caught a piece of quartz and little by little the shell pulled over and flopped upright” (pg 15- 16 chapter 3)

This turtle symbolizes so much. It basically describes the book, but in terms of a turtle. The turtle flipping over symbolizes that there are very hard times ahead. They are going to struggle and struggle to get back on there feet but eventually they will, but with great hardship. The quote goes on to say that the turtle will drag dirt over seeds, which shows he will then be prosperous. So through these hard times, the Joad’s will end up starting fresh and be successful once again.

. “They breathe profits; they eat the interest on money. If they don't get it, they die the way you die without air, without side-meat.” (pg 37 chapter 5)

This quote is talking about the bankers. He is saying that they really only live for the profit. Profit is the same to them as air is to different men. If they didn’t have a profit, they would die, like people would die without air. This is actually very sad because it takes away all the human qualities of people and they just don’t care about what happens to others anymore. This is important to the whole context of the novel because this is how the whole troubles of the Joad’s and all of these families started; they got their land and homes taken away by heartless bankers who are only in it for the money.

“Goin' to California? Here's jus' what you ... need.Looks shot, but they's thousan's of miles in her." (pg 66 chapter 7)

This quote shows all the lie and corruption that went on throughout the novel. Chapter 7 is all about the car salesmen and how they take advantage of people. This is what people would do in order to live. They are all ripping each other off because that is what they think they have to do in order to live and feed their families. This is constantly going on and then it just ends up harming everyone.

Hamlet and his mom...sick.

So what we watched today was absolutely disgusting. I dont know about you guys, but i did not read that part of the play was Hamlet and is mom basically having sex on a bed....even if you think it was acceptable that moms and sons were more touchy back then, ms. Clinch, im pretty sure it wasnt acceptable to dry hump your mother. haha wow. but anyway, i imagined it as more of the other version of the movie portrayed. I feel like they were more jsut talking and Hamlet was expressing his anger in a normal why, not by making out with his mother. I know that he might have the Oedipus Complex but i feel like Gertrude was the one who initiated the whole bed scene. Anyway, I just wanted to express my confusion and dislike of this scene. It's quite disturbing to me.