Aww.

"This was then the reward of my benevolence" (101). Story of his life. He saves a little girl from drowning, and he gets shot. This was definitely the straw that broke the monster's back and caused him to go on a killing spree. He finally realizes that there is no chance that he can live among humans. No matter how nice he is and how much he does for them, they will only see his body and assume he is there to kill them. I really feel bad for him. He has absolutely no one there for him. He does all that he can for people to like him, but there is no hope. He is like the knew kid in school that looks like he wants to kill you. There is nothing he can do to change how people see him. So he just decides to kill everyone. Why not leave his mark? I guess I can understand that. Except maybe a nice painting would have been a better way to do it.

Hercules!

Hercules! Hercules! Hercules!

First I'd like to direct you to the Nutty Professor clip in my next post for the title to make sense.
"These thoughts exhilarated me and led me to apply with fresh ardour to the acquiring the art of language" (81). I absolutely love how much like a little kid. The creation is so excited that he can learn the language. He is like a little kid at a French language store. I just wanna pinch his cheeks. He is almost as excited as the mom in my clip. Hercules!
On a more serious note. This scene shows the way that the monster is like a little kid. He is so proud of his new abilities just like little kids are proud of themselves. He is growing up at speeds that are much quicker than a kid, but he is going through the same phases. The only difference is that his dad hates him. Thats what turns him evil.

Peek a boo.

"A ghastly grin wrinkled his face as he gazed at me" (121). This is some odd imagery. When Victor is trying to make the lady friend for the monster, the monster pays him a little visit to see how things are going. He is happy as described in the quote, but the imagery shows the emotion of Victor. He cannot stand to look at him. This imagery creates an image of a creeper looking in a window. He doesn't seem like a little kid that is getting something he wants (which he is like). He seems like this crazy guy who is spying on Victor. This imagery shows how why Victor reacts as he does. He cannot stand the idea of creating another thing that is so scary to look at. The description depicts him how all of humanity sees him. No one can see past his scary exterior. This is what causes all of the problem in the story. Humans are superficial. The monster learns that the hard way.

The end....ing.

"I shall die, and what I now feel be no longer felt" (166). This is an example of paradox. The monster, upon the death of Victor, is saying that in order to lose all sense of sadness, he must die. Most people would consider death to be a very sad thing, but the monster does not feel this way. He knows that he needs to die to lose that sadness. This paradox shows that the monster can be overcome by emotion. He is sad that his creator die. Though most of his life was spent tormenting Victor, he does feel a connection to him. This is an ending that really fits the movie. The monster once again shows that he has as much human emotion as everyone else. How sad.

Apostrophe!!!

"CURSED CURSED creator! Why did I live?" (page 97) This is the creation's response to being rejected by the De Lacey family. This address of the creator that isn't present is an example of an apostrophe. He uses this to show the anger of the monster. When the monster realizes that the ability to speak will not cause humanity to appreciate him, he finally blames all of his loneliness on his creator that deserted him. He blames him for all of the pain and destruction that he has caused. This apostrophe is what starts the rage that causes the deaths of many. This apostrophe also places some of the reader's blame on Victor, causing the reader to show sympathy for the creation. When this apostrophe occurs, Victor begins to become the monster. The reader is now rooting for the creation.

More Frame Stories?!?!?!

"I withdrew from the window, unable to bear these emotions" (75). This is the monster talking about not knowing how to handle the affection between the humans. He then retires to his cave and stays there in isolation for the winter. Oddly enough, this is something that the other two characters have done. They all have some sort of isolation that they seem to want, but also aren't that happy about. I like that the monster is trying to make things right with Frankenstein. He feels bad and wants to befriend him. That's something that shows how we shouldn't judge people, and that we need to look at ourselves. The monster is more of a person than Frankenstein is at this point. He is striving to befriend others, while Frankenstein is trying to avoid suicide.

Hmm...

"Listen to me; and then, if you can, and if you will, destroy the work of your hands" (69). Well this story really took a turn. I think that Mary Shelley is pretty crazy for making a monster talk to his enemy. That's not something that most people are used to. However, I love that the monster isn't just a monster. He is a person. He gets mad that Frankenstein leaves him, and that since of abandonment is a human emotion. I love the twist that this book puts on the ghost story. How often do the monster and the man afraid of him sit down for coffee in a cage? That's some good stuff. Also, I like that Frankenstein is willing to do that. It shows that this is a very complex story. The people actually have feelings, even the monster. Crazy stuff.

A couple french fries short of a Happy Meal....

"I beheld the wretch- the miserable monster whom I had created" (35). This is an extremely ironic statement. Frankenstein was so excited about this creation. He worked so hard on it, and finding how to make life was his dream. He had given up everything he had for this project, and he hates it as soon as he is finished. I really expected him to think through the consequences of making a monster, but apparently he didn't expect it to happen. Another ironic thing is that he keeps talking about how ugly it is, but nothing changed from when the body parts weren't all connected. It looks the same as before, but he sees it in a different light. I kind of wish that his skin was green. It really kills everything that I thought I knew about the world. I don't know what to believe anymore. This book turned my world upside down.

This guy.

"My affection for my guest increases every day" (11). This is some definite characterization. It shows the true passion that Walton possesses. He really likes this guy and feels that he is the friend he needs. Beyond that, however, it shows us that he feels as if he can relate to Frankenstein. He likes him ,because he is a lot like him. This is where the true connection between the two is made. They begin to see how much their stories are alike. At this point, Walton knows his story, and that is why he likes him so much. It shows us that the story that the reader is about to read is one that Walton would like. That kind of scares me, because Walton is a depressing guy. I would also like to state that I am slightly uncomfortable whenever I read something that Walton has written. He is way too close to his guy friends and his sister. He just needs to tone down his word choice a little bit. That is all.

Personification!

"I desire the company of a man who could sympathise with me; whose eyes would reply to mine" (4). This is personification, because the eyes of the friend are responding to Walton. The purpose of this personification is to add to the loneliness that Walton is feeling. He is so lonely, that he wants to get sympathy even from the eyes of his friends. This sets the mood for the story that will soon be told. There is a major parallel between Walton's story and Frankenstein's story, and this loneliness is one of those parallels. Another effect of this personification is that it shows how passionate Walton is. He wants a true friend that can really feel for him. He needs that passionate friendship in his life. That is also a parallel seen between the two stories. The personification does not make the comparison, it just makes it stronger. It creates a vivid image of the friend that Walton wants.

I'm sure I'm the only person using this quote.

"He loved Big Brother" (298). This ending really made me angry. I am so used to the happy ending where the hero wins and everything just turns out awesome. Well, that wasn't exactly the case here. The bad guys won. Winston gave in, and the Party claimed two more victims. I'm sure that most people were angry about this. I know that I wasn't pleased. Even though I didn't like it, that is such a great ending! This book would not have proven anything if Winston and Julia had won. This ending showed just how powerful an oppressive government can be. They are so powerful that they are making us angry. They can take over anyone they want. The author is showing us their true power through this ending.

Everyone loves a good tongue.

"They will leap onto your face and bore straight into it. Sometimes they attack the eyes first. Sometimes they burrow straight through the cheeks and devour the tongue" (285). This is just nasty. I understand that this shows how inhumane the treatment of the people is. They are made as if they are not human and it causes them to experience great fear. They will then fall completely to the Party and betray anyone that they loved. I understand all of that, but really?! I don't think that the author needed to go into such detail. I honestly want to vomit every time I read that. I hope that some person didn't have a kind of attack while reading that. It's just terrible. Despite that, it is genius. I appreciate the fact that Orwell was willing to put this nasty stuff in the novel. It really gets the point across. I know that I understand how cruel the Party really is when I read this. And it's awesome how comfortable O'Brien is with saying all of that stuff. It's pretty scary how he is used to stuff like that. This society if pretty messed up.

What a guy.

"He was as anxious as anyone else in the Department that the forgery should be perfect" (183). This is a kind of funny type of direct characterization. It shows that Winston, even thought he hates the forgery that takes place, still wants to make the perfect forgery. This is used to show just how powerful the impact of the Party can be. It can control his will even if he does not like it. He still has the desire to please the Party even when he hates them. This characterization also serves to show what will happen to Winston later on. At that moment, he is not completely free from the Party. He has given into them somewhat. That will only magnify once he is caught and tortured. This quote could also just show that he wants to be perfect so that he can hide his actions from the Thought Police. But that would nullify my entire blog, so let's say that that is not as good of an interpretation.

Paradox-ish.

"You are under the impression that hatred is more exhausting than love" (269). This quote by O'Brien is a paradox in that is contradicts what most people think about love and hate. Most believe that love is a good thing and hate is a bad thing, but this quote paints hate as a relaxing thing that takes little energy. This reveals the theme of hate being an easy way out. People in this society are much more willing to hate everyone than to love everyone. Love is something that takes work and one must constantly work at. The society of the book thrives on hate, and it makes it the easier, more readily available option for the people. O'Brien is explaining this concept to Winston through what seems to be a paradox, but is actually something that is very true. This reality is a scary thing for most. Most people want love to be a natural thing, but it is not. People must learn how to love and constantly work at it. Hate is easy, and is very prominent in this lazy society.

woah.

"In fact I'm proud of her. It shows I brought her up in the right spirit, anyway" (page 233). This is a quote when Parsons is explaining how he got arrested. His daughter heard him saying in his sleep that he did not like Big Brother. She reported him and he will be killed. Despite that, he was proud of her. This is an irony that shows the lack of family ties, and how that destroys people. It is ironic that the father is proud that his daughter has caused his death. This shows that the society does not promote family ties. The author is trying to show that the family unit is very important to the success of a society. It is the breakdown of the family, as seen here, that can cause people to have nothing to live for. Parsons really has no family that he cares about, so he has no reason to keep on living. He does not mind that his daughter reported him. He is just glad that she did as the Party asks.

Aww.

"At the sight of the words I love you the desire to stay alive had welled up in him, and the taking of minor risks suddenly seemed stupid" (109). This quote regarding Winston's reaction to the note from Julia shows another theme. This novel also speaks of the need for humans to have someone to live for. The society of the novel takes away all human relationships. Even married people don't have to like each other. Children want to kill their parents, and no one really has friends. This is what allows the people of the society to be so bitter all of the time, preventing a revolt. When Winston realizes that there is someone else in his life that cares for him, he suddenly doesn't want to die. He feels that his life is important. This is a feeling that every human being needs. Everyone needs to feel as if their life is of some value. This society takes that away, and Winston realizes that. He loves the feeling of being loved and needed, so he thoroughly enjoys being with Julia. He just can't get enough of being needed. The Party knows what people need, and deprives them of that in order to control them. They only feel important by helping those in power. They will do whatever they are asked in order to fulfill that need.

A brotherhood of brothers in a brotherhood.

The Brotherhood cannot be wiped out because it is not an organization in an ordinary sense. Nothing holds it together except an idea which is indestructible" (176). The Brotherhood is nothing more than a group of people that hate the party. I think that this shows how as the strength of a government goes up, so does its vulnerability. The Party grows stronger, as does the number of people that want to defeat it. This is one of the themes of the novel. It speaks of the dangers of power. People in power only want more, and as their power grows, the hatred toward them grows more. I feel that as the Party grows even stronger, the number in the Brotherhood will become so great that it will be overtaken.
I would also like to praise the way that the Brotherhood is set up. It is pretty fool proof. They know that humans, if tortured, will spill everything. The Brotherhood protects people from that by not giving them any secrets to spill. Each member, even the high members, only know the identities of a few other members. This ensure that the entire Brotherhood cannot be eliminated in one swoop. Genius.

You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not...

"The groveling on the floor and screaming for mercy, the crack of broken bones,the smashed teeth and bloody clots of hair" (103). This is some intense imagery that is used when describing the torture that a thought criminal must endure in order to confess. Though this is clearly horrid treatment, it is only described as routine. This lack of reaction horrible treatment shows this society has become immune to the violence that is around it. There are people dying left and right, and Winston only kicks a severed hand when he sees it later on in the book. The scary part is that Winston does not conform. he is not the typical Party member. He is not nearly as immune to the violence as others are. The society trains people from a young age to enjoy hurting others. The Parson children throw a fit when they cannot see another man be hanged. This imagery shows the control that the Party has over its members. It has created people that have lost all empathy and concern for human beings. This allows the Party to use people as their soldiers and eliminate all in their way. Sound like Hitler?

Look, Ma, a simile!

"Accepting the Party as something unalterable, like the sky, not rebelling against its authority but simply evading it, as a rabbit dodges a dog" (131). The simile comapres the Party and its rules to a dog, and those like Winston that are trying to work around the rules to rabbits. Just as a dog tries to capture a rabbit, the Party will do anything necessary to weed out any nonconformers. Those who want to avoid this have the ability to hide from the dog, but it is tricky. This simile sums up the first half of the novel. Winston's goal is to live as normal of a life as possible without being caught by the thought police. He knows how to get around their rules, but he feels that it is only a matter of time until he is caught and killed. He lives his life hiding his true self from those who do not approve. He soon learns that he is not the only one of his type. This makes his run from the dog easier.

This simile creates a comparison that is constant throughout the novel. I could make some cheesy connections to add on to this connection to a dog and rabbit, but I won't. In all, this simile is one that creates the image of Winston's constant running from the Party. He can never feel completely safe....unless he is with Julia.

Proles!!!

"You could 'a drawed me off a pint easy enough. We didn't 'ave these bleeding liters when I was a young man" (88). This is what an old prole said in Winston in response to being bought a drink. This is the typical colloquial language used when the proles are speaking. The effect of this language is to show the difference that the Party sees in the sophistication of the Party members. The way that the proles speak seems to be uneducated, showing superiority of the Party members. This tool is also used to emphasize the differences in the culture. Those in the Party are focused on correct speech and doing everything to appear better and in unison with all other Party members. The proles, however, do not care how they look. They are only concerned with how they feel. They are afraid of offending no one and say it how it is. In a sense, the proles are real people while the conforming party members are robots. This colloquial language shows that difference.

I hate when the author stops in mid sent....

Okay so the ending of this play is rather ambiguous. Though we don't really know any of what happens at the end, I will focus on Bennie and her future endeavors. She has this opportunity to go to Africa after she gets her medical degree. I don't know about other people, but I would not be with someone much longer if they asked me to change continents for them. And, also, I don't think that Africa offers the best facilities when it comes to practicing medicine. But I digress.

Overall, I think that this play is pretty good. I'd give it about a six out of ten, which is very good coming from me. I think that my favorite character is Ruth, because, though she is very mean, she is real. She thinks about what is best for her family and tries to help them in whatever way possible. I also like Walter, because I think that how childish he is is very funny. Whatta guy.

Hey Mama.

I really enjoy the character of mama. I am going to argue that she is the protagonist of the play. She is the person that runs all of the activity that happens in the play. Yes, she doesn't always play a big role, but she is kind of like the dad in The Glass Menagerie; she is always there looking over the other characters' shoulders. I think that it is her that causes Bennie to want to look into her roots, and her that causes the move of the family and forces them to stay even when they aren't wanted. She is just awesome.
As I said, I think that mama is also a lot like the dad is our previous play. She doesn't play a huge role in the acting itself, but she does effect the decisions that the characters make. They all strive, in one way or another, to please her. They also want to get the money. That does have a huge impact on their motives. Just saying.

Family Guy - Bullfrog

Walter

I am going to call Walter a static character. He seems to me to be a childish person throughout. He has this crazy dream of helping his family through a liquor store, which ends up losing his family $6500. One major things that shows how childish he is is when he gives Travis the money that his mother said they couldn't afford then gives him even more money just to spite Ruth. This childish nature doesn't really change that much throughout the play.
I think that he is very similar to Peter Griffin of the greatest show ever made- Family Guy. They both act very childish and don't have the greatest sense of what is good and bad. They each are also married to sensible women that struggle putting up with their ridiculous behavior. Here is a clip that shows Peter Griffin at his finest.

Very nice.

This play is one that I actually like. The first thing that I like is that it isn't written by Bill. I can actually understand what is being said. But besides that, it does have some great qualities that I love. I love that it is told as a memory. Much like The Things The Carried, the memory aspect of the play makes it more believable. The audience can relate to the relationships that Tom has with his family and how he can look back on them and see how they affected him. Tom is another reason that I like this play. I have never read a play in which a main character narrates the play. I would love to see this play live, because I am interested in how this would look on stage. I also like that the author pays such close attention to details in the stage directions. It makes the play much more real when it is being read. I can actually see what is happening and paint a realistic image in my head of what the stage is like. The stage directions not only help the audience understand what is happening, but it keeps the meaning of the play consistent. This is just an awesome play.
Boo Bill.

This play is a...?

This play is hard to judge as a certain type of play. It has its ironic parts that could make it seem like a comedy. It has its sad parts that could make it seem like a tragedy. Considering that it has little aspects of both, I'm going to say that it doesn't really fit into a category. This play is unique in many different ways, so it doesn't really need a category. The first thing that makes it unique is that a main character in the story is also the narrator. This creates extreme bias in everything that takes place, because it is all told from Tom's perspective. It also has the transparent screen that kind of point out what is being focused on and differentiates between when Tom is a narrator and when he is a character. A third unique part is that it seems mostly realistic, but it has a major character that does not appear on stage except for in a picture. The father of the family makes multiple key appearances and affects the daily life in the play, but a picture of him is all that the audience sees. This strange character is another way that this play doesn't really fit into a category.

Tommy boy...the protagonist

In this play, Tom is the clear protagonist. It is he who tells the story, but the play is also from his memories. Every aspect of the play deals with him and how those around him affect him. He is what most of the conversation in the play deals with. The action of the play centers around his internal struggles as an aspiring writer who must work in a warehouse to support his family.
I would say that the antagonist in the play is Amanda, his mother. She is constantly critiquing every move that he makes. It makes him feel as if he is living in a prison in his own home. Amanda never is satisfied with what Tom does. This is why he contemplates leaving his family, and eventually does. We, as readers, don't really know if Amanda acted this way or if Tom just perceived her this way, but the play is of his memories, so she is definitely the antagonist.

IV......not arm style.

This play just keeps getting better and better. Iago is a genius. He just continues to amaze me. My favorite aspect of this play is that he is managing to turn everyone against each other. He uses the weaknesses of everyone to his advantage. Emilia is very eager to please, so he uses her to get the things he needs and talk to Desdemona. Othello gets angry easily, so he toys with his mind to get him angry at Cassio and Desdemona. Cassio is very friendly to women, which makes him the perfect target to frame. Roderigo lusts for Desdemona, so he just uses him to get money and convinces him to get Cassio out of the way. I feel that the downfall of Iago's plan is going to come from Roderigo. He places a pretty big role with him, and Roderigo has shown signs of being very weak. I don't believe that he can handle the task of killing Cassio. I think the plan will fall apart due to Roderigo.

Stage directions ftw!

This act would not have the comedic aspects and effects that it does it the stage directions were not included. The most important stage directions occur during the scene when Othello is hiding from Cassio in an attempt to see him laughing at the fact that he cheated with Desdemona. Though Othello is hiding and cannot be seen by Cassio, he still has speaking roles. The fact that the reader of this play cannot see that Othello is hiding, he must read that he is hiding. If this hiding isn't conveyed, the reader would assume that Cassio could hear what Othello was saying. This would create for a very confusing scene, because Cassio does not respond to the challenges by Othello. The theatrical aspects of this scene are critical to its meaning. Though Othello thinks that Iago is setting up Cassio, it is really Othello who is being set up. This essential part of Iago's plan that develops Othello's anger would not function properly without the stage directions.

Foils!!

I like that Shakespeare puts the contrasting scene in the end of this act. Emilia speaks of how her and most women of that time are fine with cheating, making Desdemona look like a really nice girl. This causes the audience to grow in sympathy for her. When the audience sees Othello hitting her and Iago plotting against her, they become even more of enemies in the play. The sympathy that is caused will result in the audience rooting for Desdemona. Also, this foil with Emilia brings her out as a sort of enemy figure. All of the abuse she took originally made her look like a victim, but the fact that she cheats on Iago with no conscience makes her less sympathetic. Another effect of this foil is a sort of sympathy for Iago. He becomes a victim of the cheating wife. This makes his anger and actions more understandable. The fact that he is a victim brings out a vulnerability in him that wasn't present before. Iago is much more likeable due to the foil between Desdemona and Emilia.

My gears have been ground.

It really bugs me that these plays have such dramatic, big leaps. Yes, I know that they have to do that so they can fit it into a couple hours, but it still bugs me. Example: Cassio drinks a couple glasses of wine, and a few lines later, he is attacking a man with his sword. In real life, a couple of glasses of wine will not cause someone to take someone else's life because they said something about their momma. I understand that Shakespeare needed to keep the story moving, but I would appreciate a few more realistic events.
I will say, however, that I like the fact that Iago just tells the reader what his plan is. Because this is a play, there is not enough time to develop his plan in detail and have it revealed through action. The fact that Iago has these soliloquies where he laughs and reveals his evil plan. This allows the action to be more ambiguous (i.e. the random hankerchief) while still being understandable. Overall, I'd say that this is my favorite play by Bill, because I feel like the concepts talked about are more relateable. Perhaps even timeless?

He who does the protagging...

In this play, the true protagonist is Iago. Though the play is named after Othello, it focuses around Iago's plots to get the job he wants and get back at Othello for "sleeping with his wife." As the play progresses, the audience sees more about Iago than any other character. Iago's ability to convince Othello that Desdemona is cheating while still staying on good terms with him shows that he is a very persuasive man. The audience also sees, through his interactions with other characters, that he is a very jealous man. He speaks very lowly of his wife, even to her face, showing that he has no respect for women. So, though he is the protagonist, the audience may feel apathy towards him due to his hateful personality.

Placing a deceitful man as the protagonist allows many other characters to act as foils. Each of the other characters in the play show no major signs of lying. This further emphasizes the acts of Iago. It creates a protagonist who is hated, but can also be rooted for, because he is the protagonist. It allows the audience to choose which side they are on.

Tragedy.

This play is technically a tragedy, but it has some aspects of a comedy in it. The comedies usually had people who appeared one way but were truly a different type of person. This is true of Iago. He pretends to care about all of those around him, but he really only cares for himself. He hopes to get Cassio's job by turning Othello against him while pretending to like Othello when he really hates him. He does the same with using Roderigo to get his money while pretending to help him get Desdemona.
The fact that this is a tragedy tells the audience a lot about what will happen. A tragedy means that all of the main characters will die in the end. This makes everything that the characters, such as Othello and Roderigo, say about death seem kind of comical, because the audience knows that they very well could be the ones to die in the end. I also believe that this adds suspense to the play, because the audience in anticipating that they will die. They are looking for what will cause the deaths. I think that this particular play is enhanced by the fact that the audience knows the outcome, because it adds suspense.