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!