Writing To Me [[ 2 ]]

1. At the beginning of the year, I knew that my grammar, introductions, and conclusions needed a lot of help. My grammar has improved, and once it was pointed out to me, I noticed that I use a whole lot of "to be" verbs. Once I tried changing some of these within my writing, the grammar seemed to fall into place more, and I liked my style. My introductions have improved more than my conclusions, but both have made a significant difference. Overall I would say I was pretty successful.

2. My strength as a writer is mostly my transitions. I used them all the time, and I think that this helps my writing flow, and sound much more advanced. It is hard for me to edit many aspects of essays, but transitioning and keeping the essay flowing is definitely my forte.

3. I still use way too many "to be" verbs in my writing. Even when I try to focus on it, the way I typically structure my sentences always seems to include them. I would like to still work on my sentence structuring ability so I could cut down on the number of "to be" verbs in my writing.

I love the idea of a tandem class. Being able to connect a writing class to an art class was really interesting. I love art, so using ideas from Humanistic Studies within an Art class (and vis versa) was my favorite part. I plan to major in Business Marketing, and I want to minor in Art, Advertising, and Psychology. I think this class relates to this combination and helped me realize this is what I want to do. If I had the chance to go back to the beginning of the semester, I would have definitely still registered for this class again.

Lost in Translation

I have previously blogged about names and their significance, but the play "Translations" only feeds into this topic even more!

Ireland has its own personal identity, which is based on history, background, heritage, culture, and many other affiliations such as these. A name also insinuates these same aspects of a history.

The British came in and tried to overtake every part of Ireland. They changed their education to English and changed Irish names of places to ones of English meaning.

Through translation, meanings are lost and some words must be altered. This book shows how sentences are not always translated word for word, and a lot of meaning is lost.

This got me thinking...relating back to the significance of names, what if somebody tried to translate your name and completely change the meaning and the history? Relating to Power, the question was posed about the significance of a name and if that has a direct reference to one's personality. If everything--names, streets, objects, etc.--was changed to a different language, would we completely lose all of the history and significance behind everything we know? Is a language that powerful or does this play just make it too big of a deal?

Do You Ever Really KNOW?

BELIEF VS. KNOWLEDGE
What defines a belief versus a fact and how can we differentiate between the two?

Our class's conclusions basically consisted of facts being things we can perceive and find definite, and beliefs filling in the gaps facts leave open. This is where things such as religion come into play. When things happen that can not be explained by fact, we use beliefs to make sense of it all.

The topic discussed in class that really caught my attention was about color. Is my definition of red the same as yours? How about orange or blue? Color is something we typically refer to as a fact. We "know" if something is yellow or green. But if it is a possibility that our concepts of color are even different, how can we differentiate between a belief versus knowledge?

Although this video is quite boring [monotone voice and elevator music in the background] mainly focuses on the topic of religion, it expresses a difference between a belief and a truth. It classifies knowledge as the medium between the two, which I found interesting. So does scientific proof make something a fact?

Defined by Your Name?

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell so sweet?"

Shakespeare said it. Both Jamaica Kincaid and Linda Hogan continued to question it. So what does a name really mean? If we name someone upon their birth, without yet knowing them, is the name reflective of their personality?

LUCINDA: Short for Lucifer [Satan himself].
Before the reference to the definition of her name, Lucy says, "I felt like Lucifer, doomed to build wrong upon wrong." Do you always live up to your name? Or is it just a coincidence that her name directly relates to how she feels and acts?

OMISHTO: Means "She who watches".
The first few pages of the novel describe in great detail her surrounding and all of the sounds she hears and things she sees. She obviously lives up to her name of "she who watches."

Is your fate decided the moment you are named or do we really have free will?

If you were named something else when you were born, would you have the same personality or would your defining characteristics be completely different?

Dances with the Daffodils

Daffodils: Symbol of new beginnings, rebirth, and good fortune. Bloom after winter so part of this symbolism comes from the fact that they appear in the spring time.

Clearly, Lucy has attempted to begin a new life in America seperate from her old family and ties. If her main goal is to start her own new beginning, then why does she have such a passion against daffodils, the symbol of her goal?

COMPARE:

Mariah sees the beautiful flowers and is reminded of beauty, happiness, and a new hope.

Lucy looks at daffodils and the only reminder leads towards a hated poem. The poem seems very positive and happy, yet it provokes thoughts such as, "I wanted to kill them" (Kincaid 29). Her hatred has nothing to do with the actual flower, but rather the poem and its responses from the audience. After the performance of the reading, Lucy received praise, but only towards how she read the poem..only referring to her conformation. Lucy wants to be her own person, and realizes: "outside I seemed one way, "inside I was another; outside false, inside true." Lucy relates daffodils to this moment which relates it all back to having a fake outside and not showing your true self.

"Daffodils" (1804)
By William Wordsworth (1770-1850).

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced, but they
Out-did the sparkling leaves in glee;
A poet could not be but gay,
In such a jocund company!
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

HOW CAN ONE SYMBOL REPRESENT TWO CONTRASTING IDEAS?

This symbol represents the concept of a symbol. It has many meanings, but which you choose to believe is up to each specific person. There are many possibilities, but each have a personal significance.

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."

Dream Analysis

In the novel Lucy,the main character refers to some of her past dreams. Usually the author of a novel creates a vision of a fairly specific scene or reference in order to make sure the reader follows the logic. Sometimes it is not straightforward, but the author has a purpose for including it. I found this part of the novel to be particularly interesting, because dreams can be analyzed in multiple ways, and there is no specific answer or direct reference which can be considered a takeaway point. This was one of the interesting dreams Lucy shared:

"Lewis was chasing me around the house. I wasn't wearing any clothes. The ground on which I was running was yellow, as if it had been paved with cornmeal. Lewis was chasing me around and around the house, and though he came close he could never catch up with me. Mariah stood at the open windows saying, Catch her, Lewis, catch her. Eventually I fell down a hole, at the bottom of which were some silver and blue snakes" (page 14).

This dream seems to have a bunch of random points all thrown together, as many dreams do. After research about these components, I thought it was interesting how running from something is an instinctive response and is interpreted in dreams as a symbol of anxiety in your life. The need to run from the attacker can represent anger, jealousy, or love. Lucy refers to "and though he came close he could never catch up." The space between the attacker and the runner represents the closeness to the problem, and if they are gaining on you, it shows that the problem will not go away.
The fact that she is naked refers to her vulnerability. She talks about this dream at the beginning of the novel, when she first arrives. She still feels out of her comfort zone and vulnerable to the family, especially Mariah and Lewis.
Mariah stands at the open windows, as if she is blocking Lucy's only escape out, and acts as the only thing preventing Lucy from leaving this situation.
Typically the color yellow is symbolic of happiness, energy, and intellect. However, when the dream has a negative connotation, as this dream seems to have, yellow is representative of cowardice, sickness, and fear. This directly relates to the fear of not being able to escape the problem due to Mariah.
At the end, Lucy falls down a hole. Research says that falling typically represents the overcoming of problems.
Snakes within dreams are said to represent a yearning for sexual fulfillment. This goes back to Lewis chasing her, and reveals that Lucy has an intimate want for Lewis.
Silver is known to represent justice, purity, and protection. Blue represents truth. clarity, and openness. After the fall, Lucy feels that the problems between herself and Lewis have been solved, and symbols of intimacy appear in her dreams.

Dreams can never be figured out and analyzed 100% accurately. This may or may not have been what Lucy's dream actually represented. This is why I found the addition of dreams interesting in this novel. Unless you already know a lot about dream analysis or care to research, the deeper possible meaning of this paragraph isn't discovered.

Modern Shakespeare

The movie, O, is an obvious link to the play, Othello. The advantages of portraying the play as a movie give O the opportunity to show visual symbols that the play lacks. The opening scene shows a whole flock of white doves. Directly after the scene of the peaceful doves, the director shows one lonely black hawk. This symbol alone could have multiple meanings. Very directly, it compares the obvious racial difference between Othello and the other main characters. It introduces race as a major theme. Also, doves generally represent peace. The black hawk acts as the interrupter of this peace, which serves as a symbol of foreshadowing to the disruption Othello causes towards the end of the movie.
The idea that Othello was a moor was a main point in the play. The director of the movie had to find a way to suggest that race was a main theme without the ability to directly say he was a moor. The birds in the beginning were an opening symbol, but racial suggestions were constantly brought up. Rap music is the only genre used throughout the whole movie. The camera angles made sure to show the direct contrast of skin colors as they touched each other. Also, the opposing basketball team, the Bulldogs, consisted of only African Americans. I found this to be a huge symbol. A moor has the connotation of being Muslim, just like the Turks (the enemies of the Venetians). This gave Othello a major tie to the enemies. Just in the same way, that specific basketball game gave Oden a direct tie with his team’s enemies.
I thought it was very interesting how Julia Styles (Desi Brable) and Andrew Keegan (Michael Cassio) were both casted to play the roles of two of the main characters. They were also casted to play two of the main characters in 10 Things I Hate About You, another modern movie based off of a Shakespearean play. Before I watched O, I thought it would be very similar to the other Shakespearean modern adaptations I had seen such as 10 Things I Hate About You and She’s the Man. However, I feel like the other movies I had previously seen had plots which were enjoyable to watch, and it was simply a bonus is you understood the symbols and second meanings. O is not like that to me. My main enjoyment in watching this movie is to pick out the symbols and correlations, not to follow the story line and sympathize with the characters.

Othello

Since I have already read Shakespeare's Othello, written a research paper on it, and watched the movie O, the idea of one again reading this play and watching the movie along with tying it into a paper seemed like it was going to be the downfall of the semester. In high school, my class really focused on grasping the overall idea of what was going on in the play and the relationships between people and didn't focus so much on analyzing the setting or perspectives. My research paper I wrote focused on Iago and his forms of deception through manipulating the characters' senses. This background knowledge did not make rereading Othello boring, but rather a whole lot more interesting. Now, instead of worrying about understanding the situations, I was able to focus completely on the topics we discussed in class.
When the word "Moor" is said, the picture that comes to mind is simply one of a black person. After more research on this there are many more attributes associated such as: Muslim, Arab, and African. This title is definitely not chosen by its owners, but rather placed on them by people who think themselves to be superior. The superiors look down on the Moors, and place a very negative connotation on them. It is a title that can not be taken away no matter what your rank is. I thought it was really interesting how Shakespeare created a man who was born with completely negative associations already placed on him, then developed him into a character who lived to gain others' respect. Even though he accomplished so much, he was always still known as a Moor, and looked down upon as a man of black magic and deception. Instead, the man who falls under the category of deceptive would be Iago, the white man who everyone originally respected. Iago said in the very beginning of the play "I am not who I am." This statement translates to one of the general themes of the play. Reputation to some is based on your outer appearances and previous assumptions. Few take the time to look deeper and see who someone truly is based on their actions and intentions.
In this video, I thought it was interesting how another definition of moor was brought up. Not only can "moor" be used to describe a black Muslim from Northern Africa, but apparently it is also a place to dock ships!

Invisible Cities

The novel Invisible Cities has a story line, but it is somewhat hidden between detailed descriptions of what seems to be presented as random cities. Once Italo Calvino has finished all of these descriptions, his intent is to wrap everything up. The novel as a whole can be interpreted in many ways depending on personal experiences and previous thoughts. Calvino presents the final italics in this same way. It seems to be a straightforward conversation between Kublai Kahn and Marco Polo, but individual readers are each able to take away a different aspect depending on their point of view. I thought this was interesting because some of the cities discussed (Like Cities of the Dead 2) expressed that previous memories and experiences affect how we see things and how we interpret meanings.

Throughout Invisible Cities, Kublai Kahn searches for the perfect city, and constantly questions what he must do in order to achieve a perfect kingdom. Marco Polo concludes their conversation by stating that there is no perfect city. “…and I think that, setting out from there, I will put together, piece by piece, the perfect city, made of fragments mixed with the rest, of instants separated by intervals, of signals one sends out, not knowing who receives them,” explains Polo. One of his final statements to Kahn is that there is no Utopia or New Atlantis, but rather pieces of cities that are great mixed with pieces of cities that are flawed. There is no perfect city, but each city has fragments to be proud of.

Milk

Jeff Wall began his career in the 1960s creating documentaries. These allowed him to express everyday life through both text and words. This idea did not last long and he moved on to just dealing with photography. Wall was inspired by advertisements using a special lighting, and decided to portray everyday life through this medium.

Jeff Wall’s art, Milk, shows a man sitting on the sidewalk with an exploding container of milk. He is off centered to the right, and the left of the picture shows a window with blinds behind bushes. The colors are very vibrant, and although the background is mostly neutral, each shade pops out because they are placed directly next to a contrasting color.

This picture shows a lot of movement. Not only does this show the obvious movement of the milk exploding, but also the movement of the blinds. That was put there to even out and balance the picture more. Also, part of Wall's intent was to show that the shape of the milk is ordinary yet not describable. As we look at this picture, most people would say that the white blob is milk. Yet why would do many people say that when we do not have a specific shape set in our minds of milk exploding. The man's body is very tense. You can see especially when you look at his arm and see his tightened muscles. This shows a lack of movement on his part, and contrasts with the object he is holding in his hand.

After looking at this picture for a very long time, all of the art techniques that Wall used stand out and the picture is definitely unique and creative. However, it is hard to find a "meaning" within it. I began to research Jeff Wall more to see if maybe it had some sort of significance to his life or a past experience. Instead I found a quote: "I don't have a hugely interpretive view of what I do. In fact, I'm trying not to have. ... If I had to choose, I'd say that I think the quality of the work is more important than its meaning. Because if it's good enough, it will be meaningful, somehow." After reading this, I realized that even Wall did not have a specific reasoning or meaning behind this picture. His stylistic interpretation of this man on the sidewalk is purely showing a fairly ordinary action. Yet his contrasts with motion and indescribable shapes make his photograph intriguing.

Cities and Desire

Many of the chapters in Invisible Cities seem to describe a specific city, person, or something else representative of a place. Cities and Desire 3 caught my attention because the purpose seemed much different. Instead of a animate object, it seemed to describe a feeling of discontent. It describes the feeling of wanting what you can’t have. The camel driver sees the city as looking like a boat. To him, he has land but wants an escape. The sailor sees the city as looking like a camel. To him, he has the seas but he wants land. I thought this was interesting how a place could be described by the desires of the people rather than a material object. Each entity within the city is described in great detail but completely differently depending on the person you are talking to. This relates directly to everything we have been learning in art class about point of view. The same city is being described, but each building and each landmark has a completely different meaning for each person who steps foot into the city.

I thought this picture was interesting and fit in with one of the overall themes of Invisible Cities. The part of the picture on top of the glass is portrayed one way, but when you look at it from a completely different angle, the entire scenery changes. It all has to do with your prospective and point of view on the subject.

Girl Interrupted

Typically in a movie the title has something to do with the main character. Girl Interrupted does not stand out to have one apparent and single meaning. This title does relate to Susanna, but in more ways than one. Her suicide attempt seems to be the main interruption in her life. It forces her to stop what she is doing and recover. Then, every person she meets within the ward causes an interruption in her life. Suddenly she has a woman watching her shaving. She now has girl friends instead of her usual provocative boy friends. She is forced to admit things to herself that she had previously been hiding and keeping away from the surface. I also think that the title Girl Interrupted pertains to Lisa. Until the very end of the movie, she was set in her ways. She runs away, but always comes back. She has blocked emotion from her life because numerous times she has witnessed the girls around her fail to recover. This is when Susanna goes from being the Girl Interrupted to the interrupter. She causes Lisa to think about an outside world and want to get better. In this way, I think that every girl at the ward has been impacted and Susanna has successfully interrupted everyone's lives.
My first thought after watching this movie was to try to relate it to other things we have been going over in class. Of course it could relate to feminism and how women have the power to do recover and do not always have to follow a man in life. But on a less obvious level, the concept of time in both Girl Interrupted and The Yellow Wallpaper seem to be skewed. In the short story, it is never actually clear if the narrator is writing as things are happening or after they have already occurred. Things seem to go back and forth and from the present to the past. Images like the wallpaper already being ripped up question if that was her or if it had been like that already. You are never sure which point in time you are experiencing. In the movie, Susanna has flashbacks of memories which were either important or memorable for some reason. They do not seem controlled, because she usually looks scared when she recovers back to the present state. This back and forth sequence of events in Girl Interrupted reminded me of the writing style of The Yellow Wallpaper, and the lack of a grasp on time.

Disturbing the Flow

Around the confusing diction and different style of writing, Virginia Woolf has shown her views on spaces as a display of equality and a personal right. When spaces have been blocked off from her use, she tends to disrupt this warning and proceed with no caution. However, through this stream of consciousness style of writing, it is easy to see her every thought throughout the process. She does not seem to think about the disruption before she steps right into it. But after she goes against the rules anger comes out and she becomes frustrated with the limitations men put on women. I think it is interesting that she does not realize that she is mad until she looked at her own sketch of Professor Von X. Then she realized that anger had taken over her and come out through her writing. Observations such as these only prompt her to raise more questions, which is quite frustrating as a reader when the answers are always either left open or hidden within metaphors or comparisons. This writing is so hard to understand!!

Writing To Me

1. Throughout the first part of high school, my English teachers mostly focused on the structure of an essay. Of course, we were taught to write in the typical five paragraph format and keep within the firmly cut out guidelines. Only as we strayed from these rules were we marked down. Although since then we have been taught to vary our writing styles and create unique formats, this stage of learning clearly defined the fact that you need an overall structure. Whether it is five paragraphs or twenty, the structure of my writing has greatly improved and has become one of my biggest strengths. Also, although at the time everyone was greatly opposed to having to go through this step, teachers made us write out a whole outline. Even after we were no longer forced to make these, I found that my writing advances and develops more and more as I plan out and continue to expand my thoughts.

2. The thing I need most in order to improve my writing is multiple opinions from outside sources. I go through and edit my papers numerous times, but when I read my own writing I always miss errors that need to be fixed. The biggest tool I could use is other people to help me rephrase sentences and correct my many grammar mistakes.

3. The aspect of my writing which most needs to be improved this year is my grammar. Typically through the many grammar quizzes and tests throughout grade school my scores have been above average. However, when it comes to applying these skills to the real world, I retain little knowledge. Grammar is a major weakness of mine. Also, my introduction and conclusion paragraphs need a whole lot of assistance. I never know how to create in interesting enough opening paragraph to draw the reader into my paper, and my conclusion always just ends up repeating my boring introduction.

4. For me, writing is like pole vaulting. There is much preparation and practice, and techniques get better and better over time. In addition to the groundwork done beforehand, there are steps and phases that must be performed before each and every time you begin the process. In pole vaulting, distances must be measured individually in order to ensure the vaulter lands safely on the mat. In writing, outlines must be formed to map out topics in the general order most appealing to the reader. As the vaulter takes off down the runway, the writer begins a first draft. It starts off slowly, but picks up speed with every step. As the jog turns into a run, a first draft is formed and the editing begins. When the pole is firmly planted in the box, the main idea has come across clearly to the reader, and they are hooked with interest. With grace, the vaulter flies in the air, no longer controlled and limited to where her feet can place her on the ground. The sky is the limit as the writer takes off with the topic and reels in new and interesting ideas to support her topic. Just as the vaulter twists herself over the bar, she pushes the pole behind her, and begins her ending. She falls elegantly backwards as the writer wraps up the final comments in her concluding paragraph. The fall on the mat is one of relief and safety as the paper is finally complete and all those who watch the final product stand in awe and amazement.