Ceremony Summary and Analysis

Ceremony

Summary:
- Author: Leslie Marmon Silko
- Setting: Laguna Reservation, 1920's, WWII, Phillipines (flashbacks)
- Plot: So there's this guy, right? And his name is Tayo. He is basically on a mission to figure out his true identity. He's mixed, has been to war and now suffers from PTSD. Since basically his entirety is a question (ya know... since he's mixed and doesn't know where he belongs...) he has to find a way to "cure" himself. Among other things, he finds a medicine man and begins the scalping ceremony. In the end though, it is up to him. It is understood that ceremonies change and so must he. Tayo ends up finding the cattle he had been looking for the entire novel (kind of like finding himself) and he prays and gets the rain back. Then he finally understands and is welcomed back into the Laguna tribe and since he has now finished his journey and has found himself, the tribe has also found another part of itself.

Significant Characters:

- Tayo: Protagonsit
- Emu: Antagonist, dark side of Tayo
- Rocky- dies in war
- Night Swan - Yellow woman
- Ts'eh - Yellow woman
- Josiah - Uncle, father figure
- Auntie - Aunt to Tayo, follows white ways
- Betonie - Medicine man, father figure

Narrative voice and Author's Style:
- View: Third person limited (for the most part)
- Tone: Somber
- Imagery:
     *The all blue dressed woman (yellow women)
     *Flashbacks contain violent imagery
- Symbolism:
     * The cattle - the world, culture, Tayo
     * The rain - renewal

Quotes:

-"'It seems like I already heard these stories before -- the only things is, the names sound different." - Grandma

     This quote kind of wraps up the entire book. It shows that not only is time circular, but it doesn't matter who this happens to. While Tayo was meant to be in this place, it doesn't matter. There will always be a yellow woman, a corn woman, ect.

- "Here they were, trying to bring back that old feeling they belonged to America the way they felt during the war."

     This shows the corruption Silko is trying to get at in the novel. The Indians all drink, which leads to corruption and shows the down side of having a white influence. Also, because these Laguna people fought alongside white men, they too are not a true part of the reservation. The question stands: do they join white culture, or stay with their traditional roots?

Theme: Everything is connected.

While this might not be the main theme, it really stuck out to me. Night Swan is just an embodiment of Yellow Woman, who helps guide Tayo along his journey. With her help, Tayo is led in all of the right directions. He finds Betonie, who helps him finish the ceremony. When he finishes the ceremony and finds himself, the tribe has also found a part of themselves. This shows that everything is connected and when one person of the tribe loses something, they all lose something.

Course Response - April 14

In class we just finished Ceremony. Honestly, I really don't know how I feel about the book. It's basically a love hate relationship. I think annotating probably ruined it for me... even though my annotations got a little scarce there at the end. Anyway, I like the questions of identity and the circular time structure... it really didn't bother me that much.

We have also started Fifth Business. So far... I'm excited! Most books this year haven't started well... more like a tedious "ohhh why do I have to read this" feeling. But this time? Nope! I really like psychology and questions of the mind, which Holmes said the book touches on. I'm not too far into it, but I like where it's going so far. It's interesting. Also... the way it's written cracks me up. I'm pretty sure the class thought I was on crack when I was reading silently and started "chortling" to myself during one scene. The author actually wrote "ha ha" as a sentence. I would give you the page number... but I'm using an online version and don't want to look it up.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Summary and Analysis

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead

Summary:

~Author - Tom Stoppard
~Setting - Hamlet's court, a boat, limbo
~Plot - So there are these friends that live in limbo. Really, they need to get lives. But... since they can't they just have to make due. They go through life (or what we know of it...) asking if they can take action, not how to take action like Hamlet. Guil is the 'philosophical' guy that keeps asking questions about life and its meaning, but he leads an unhappy life. Ros, on the other hand, is the epitome of the phrase "ignorance is bliss," he doesn't question.. only accepts the reality he is in. Gertrude and Claudius bring them in to help find out what is wrong with Hamlet and eventually they are to take him to England. Once they can't fulfill that duty, they are essentially dead, although we don't know what really happened. 


Significant Characters:

~ Rozencrantz and Guilenstern: Old friends of Hamlet, help the king
~ Hamlet: the friend
~The players: give meaning to the story
~ Gertrude & Claudius: Mother/stepfather to Hamlet


Narrative Voice and Author's style:

~View: No narrator, nobody knows all
~ Tone: witty, sarcastic, bleak
~Imagery:
     * Wind imagery
     * play withing a play imagery
~ Symbolism:
     * The coins: chance, life 
     * The boat: death 
  

Quotes
~ Rosencrantz: What are you playing at?
Guildenstern: Words, words. They’re all we have to go on. 

When Guil says this, he is talking about the good and bad things about language. Having words to go on seems to be a blessing, but when that's all we have... how do we know what's true other than what people tell us? This is an important idea throughout the book.  

~  Audiences know what to expect, and that is all they are prepared to believe in.

This quote shows how stoppard feels about plays in general. 

Theme: 

Course Response - March 10

So, I'm pretty sure the last time I posted we had not yet finished R&G are dead, so I guess I'll talk about that little trip ending. At first, I loved the play. The first half was.... hilarious. Then came the second half and it was a little less than spectacular. When I saw the movie, however, everything was pulled together. I think that the play was one of my favorites that we have read so far, mostly because of the two main characters.
Guil is so sensitive and unhappy with life and through his mistaken theories about life, he isn't able to lead a healthy life. Ros on the other hand... completely ignorant. He is the epitome of the phrase "ignorance is bliss." Which leads to the question about life and whether we should be happy with not knowing everything, or seek to have all the answers and risk out happiness. I don't think that's something we talked about in class much, but I like how different the two characters are but how close they seem to be to each other.

We have also done a few mood examples on the board, which really helps me pick tone words. Often when describing the tone of a piece I have trouble coming up with the right word. I can pick a word... yes, but it's often not the right one.

Lastly, we have started Ceremony. Oh good lord, I am not looking forward to reading the whole book by Wednesday. I mean... I have so many other things to do. And there's that pesky senioritis thing going on. But hey, I'm writing this blog on time so that has to count for something. Anyway, even though it seems daunting now, I'm really looking forward to getting deeper into the book. So far, I really haven't had any trouble with the circular time. My tactic is to just roll with it; don't question, just read. It's kind of like imaginary numbers; why do we need them, what do they do? Don't ask, just do the math.

Prompt Revisions - Feb. 17

1979. Choose a complex and important character in a novel or a play of recognized literary merit who might on the basis of the character's actions alone be considered evil or immoral. In a well-organized essay, explain both how and why the full presentation of the character in the work makes us react more sympathetically than we otherwise might. Avoid plot summary.

Lennie Small in John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men is an important character who, on the basis of his actions alone might be considered evil or immoral. Steinbeck fully presents Lennie in a way, though, that makes the reader react more sympathetically than if they were going off of only actions. Steinbeck does this in order to show the importance of friendship and to dramatize the idea that the American Dream isn't always plausible. 

Steinbeck gives Lennie a mental disability in order to help the readers sympathize with Lennie's otherwise evil actions. He is a character that, on the surface, kills animals and people. Multiple times throughout the book, Lennie is seen killing a mouse or anything with fur. Without any background information, this might seem like an evil man killing innocent animals. However, since Lennie acts a lot younger than his age due to his disability, the readers don't make him responsible for his actions. When the readers don't blame him for his wrong doings, it makes it a lot easier to like his character and allows the reader to value the bond between Lennie and George. In the end the bond between the two characters ends tragically and when George must kill Lennie for his own good. Since the readers were sympathetically attached to Lennie, it drove home the importance of friendship between the two and allowed for the reader to understand that the character's dreams will not come true, thus showing that the idealistic American dream isn't guaranteed. 

Steinbeck also portrays Lennie as a kid in a man's body in order to help the readers react more sympathetically. Lennie is characterized as a big, burly man who can lift more weight than anyone his size. This ideal characteristic, though, is unimportant to him. Instead, Lennie wants a farm, a dog, and other things that make him seem childish. As time goes on, Steinbeck's descriptions and imagery allow the reader to see Lennie as a child. His dependence on George is another thing that makes him into a little kid. Since he is only "a child" his actions seem innocent and harmless even though he kills living things. Lennie is simply unaware of his true strength and doesn't understand what he is capable of doing. This, too, shows the American dream isn't always possible. No matter what Lennie wants or works for, he simply can't reach his goals. He cannot stop killing animals, he cannot stop getting in trouble, and he cannot act like an adult. Since he cannot do any of these things, it makes the dream impossible to reach. 

Through George, Steinbeck also helps the reader sympathize with Lennie. George is constantly having to deal with Lennie and get him out of all kinds of trouble. While this is hard for George, it still makes the reader cringe when George is yelling at Lennie and doesn't seem to understand that he is just a kid. Steinbeck uses George to help take care of Lennie as well, adding to his innocence. Between the two there is a bond that is unbreakable. Sadly, their friendship is put to the test when George has to kill Lennie. Though Lennie's death might look like a good thing if one were to just take into account his actions, it really is a sad moment for the reader. Steinbeck created a character that is easily loved and, when he dies, the American dream the two characters shared died as well. 

All in all, Steinbeck uses many techniques to help the readers sympathize with Lennie, a character that seems immoral on the surface. Through his mental disorder, his child-like innocence, and his best friend George, Lennie is a character that is not easily forgotten. The friendship shown and the tragic ending shows the reader that not all dreams come true. 

Course Response - Feb. 10

So far in class we have done a few things, maybe more than I had initially recognized when starting this post.

First, we have done LOTS of multiple choice practice questions. Here's what I have learned:
1. I don't like multiple choice questions on a piece of work that can be widely interpreted
2. You know those really annoying people who pick the opposite answer and your all "are you dumb?" yeah. I struggle. For some odd reason, I tend to eliminate most but sometimes think too much and don't know which extreme to choose. So... something to work on in the future.
3. I need to slow down. My normal reading pace is really fast, so I have lots of time to answer questions. But... I feel like my normal pace isn't enough, I speed up... and then I miss information. Really, there is plenty of time. No need to speed.

We have also finished Hamlet. I really liked watching all of the movies, but now I am kind of sick of it all. Which makes me liking Rozencrantz and Guildenstern so much kind of ironic. You would think even more Hamlet characters would drive me insane.

The reason I like it so much probably has to do with all of the sexual innuendos, though. Let's be honest... we all love a good joke. It's also pretty funny because Megan and I are reading the parts of Ros and Guild... and there are some similarities. I mean we are close friends and we have a lot of meaningless conversations for starters. We aren't dumb and don't encourage prostitution... but the way Holmes introduced the characters just made Megan and me chuckle.

Anyway, I look forward to finishing this play, as it might be a favorite.

Hamlet - Summary and Analysis

Hamlet

Summary:

~Author - Shakespeare
~Setting - Denmark
~Plot - So basically there is this guy named Hamlet. His father, Old Hamlet, was killed by his brother, Claudius. Now Claudius rules alongside Gertrude, who was married to Old Hamlet and is currently married to Claudius. Yes... Gertrude married her husband's brother. Hamlet didn't like this too much....
So then there's this ghost that tells Hamlet the truth about Claudius... and Hamlet doesn't like it too much. He does test the ghost's truthfulness, though, by putting on a play about... well... Claudius. When he reacts, Hamlet will know the truth.
Side note... all the while young Fortinbras is mad because Old Hamlet killed Old Fortinbras... so now Young Fortinbras wants to attack Denmark. But when his uncle puts a stop to it... Fortinbras plans to just "pass through" on his way to Poland to attack.
Back to Hamlet... he decides to play crazy and the whole play is about him deciding whether or not to kill Claudius. People die *echem Rozencrantz, Guildenstern, Polonius, Ophelia...* and Hamlet is still in this whole "to be or not to be" funk.
Finally, Claudius has had enough. After one murder plan failed (Hamlet getting killed in Europe), he gets Laertes in on the job. A fencing match, he says; oh Hamlet you'll win, he says; drink when you get a hit, he says. But really, he just wants Hamlet to die.
Oh and when Hamlet refuses to drink from the cup, Gertrude does. And Claudius lets her. SHOCKER
So finally Laertes cuts Hamlet and then Hamlet does the same... so now they're both doomed. On his way to  death, he tells Horatio not to kill himself because life is too precious. Aw... good Hamlet. And then he dies and saves the kingdom from the Chaos that is his family.
Oh and Fortinbras walks in and is like...cool... I win! And he is now the ruler. He does, however, let Hamlet have a proper kings' burial.


Significant Characters:

~ Hamlet: The prince of Denmark
~ Claudius: Brother to Old Hamlet, Married to Gertrude, uncle/dad to Hamlet
~ Horatio: Hamlet's best friend, the only man Hamlet really trusts/cares about;
 ~ Ophelia: Lover to Hamlet, daughter to Polonius and sister to Laertes
~Polonius: Suck-up to Claudius, dad to Ophelia and Laertes
~Laertes: Son of Polonius
~Fortinbras: Prince of Norway
~ Rozencrantz and Guilenstern: Old friends of Hamlet, help the kind

Narrative Voice and Author's style:

~View: No narrator, nobody knows all
~ Tone: Dark, ironic, contemplative
~Imagery:
     * the palace with many places to hide and deceive parallel with the ways in which the people are able to disguise themselves
     * Images of death all throughout the play - skull, ghost, dark
~ Symbolism:
     * Ghost - the spiritual consequences of death
     * Yourick's skull - the physical consequences of death
 

Quotes
~ Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.

 Marcellus says this as he and Horatio debate whether or not to follow Hamlet and the ghost into the dark night. The line refers both to the idea that the ghost is an ominous omen for Denmark and to the larger theme of the connection between the moral legitimacy of a ruler and the health of the state as a whole. The ghost is a visible symptom of the rottenness of Denmark created by Claudius’s crime.

~ To be, or not to be: that is the question

This is the beginning to Hamlet's long soliloquy basically questioning life itself. It's all about morality and suicide and weighs the consequences of living or dying. He goes on to say that not knowing what waits in the afterlife is what stops people from committing suicide. This quote plays with the themes and motifs about life and death. 

Theme: Revenge is never rewarded in life

The name of the whole work is The Tragedy of Hamlet, which, had he chosen to revenge his father, would not be fitting. Nobody would have felt bad for Hamlet had he killed Claudius and ruled, in fact we might just hate him even more. This shows that he was rewarded for his death and not seeking revenge, the people are able to feel for him and he gets a king's burial. Also take into consideration Fortinbras. He listened to his uncle, didn't seek revenge, and was rewarded with a new kingdom. Those who sought revenge, like Laertes, were faced with death and got nothing out of the deal. All of these things show that revenge not being rewarded is a key theme in Hamlet.