1. Do you feel sorry for Lady Macbeth? Why or why not?
When I first read the question, I was so sure that I would never feel sorry for Lady Macbeth. However, as I thought about the scenes of this play and how the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth changes throughout the play, I began to feel sorry for Lady Macbeth. There is a limit to the extant people can make mistakes and killing a person is over that border line. Though Lady Macbeth influenced Macbeth and led him to kill Duncan, Lady Macbeth feels guilty about even the acts she did not commit. Perhaps, she believes that all these tragedies began because of her greed. In her sleepwalk scene, she mentions “The Thane of Fife had a wife. Where is she now?” She is feeling guilty about the death of Macduff’s family though she was not the one who instructed to kill them. Also, the relationship between Lady Macbeth and Macbeth changes as Macbeth becomes more ambitious. In the beginning of the play, he calls his wife “my dearest love,” (Act1. scene5) However, after Macbeth becomes the king, he no longer shares his ideas or plans with Lady Macbeth. Also, even when she dies, he does not express much sorrow about her death. Instead, he says, “she should have died hereafter,” meaning that she would have died anyways. It is clear that his love for Lady Macbeth is lost. Lady Macbeth, no longer loved by her husband and feeling guilty about death of not only Duncan, but also Macduff’s family and Banquo, commits suicide.
2. What do you think about the character Macbeth? Was he a good guy before he met the witches, or do his actions imply that he was always capable for dark deeds? Is he to blame for his actions, or are the witches really to blame?
Macbeth seems like a good guy in the beginning as even the witches praise him as “The Good Macbeth.” However, his actions imply that he was always capable for dark deeds. I would not necessarily blame witches for his actions because witches role was to stimulate the greed and ambition he had inside. The one who decided move on to actions and kill Duncan to become a king was Macbeth, himself. To some extent, the witches can be responsible for his actions because Macbeth becomes more insecure about his position as a king because of the prophecy the witches make to Banquo. They state that Banquo’s children will be kings in the future and having heard this prophecy together, Macbeth decides to kill Banquo and Fleance. Also, the prophecy to Banquo proves that Macbeth was capable for dark deeds. Both Macbeth and Banquo receive a similar prophecy in the beginning of the play. The three witches tell them that Macbeth will become a king and Banquo’s children will become kings in the future. However, even after hearing this prophecy, Banquo’s loyalty towards Duncan remains the same. On the other hand, I wonder if it was the prophecy that made a difference between Banquo and Macbeth’s reactions to the prophecy. Banquo may be was not so interested in the prophecy because it was his children, not him who were predicted to be the next kings. Witches’ prophecy to Banquo was not much directed towards Banquo compared to that of Macbeth. If Banquo had received a prophecy similar to that of Macbeth, stating that Banquo will be the next king, would he still have remained loyal to Duncan?
4. Have you ever experienced a predicted dream? Has anyone ever suggested something about your future that has actually come true? Did their comments influence your actions and the results that followed?
I have never experienced a predicted dream. Ironically, I have never experienced a predicted dream because people’s comments influence my actions so much. Until last summer, I never had a firm plan about my future. If someone told me that I will be perfect for a certain job, I right away considered that job as my career in the future. Since they were so easily influenced by people’s comments, I was never able to see the results. When I was in elementary school, my third grade teacher told me that I should become a lawyer. Though I never had a concrete idea about what lawyers do other than the basic knowledge most people have, I wanted to become a lawyer. When I was in middle school, my cousin worked for a very famous teen magazine. She would visit different cafes, book places, clothes shops to find ideas for her articles. After observing her “fancy” career as a writer for a teen magazine, I wanted to become like her. Also, when I discussed my future with my aunt, she suggested me that I should major in communication and explained to me where people usually work after majoring communication. I, for a moment, believed that I had a perfect plan for my future. However, after my summer experience, I was able to plan out my own plan without getting influenced by other people. I realized that I really wanted to study international relations. I hope my own predicted dream will not change and I hope to see what results it will bring me.
2008년 11월 3일 월요일
poetry
1. Research Atwood, Plath & Dickinsons and find the poet you are most like (your similarities could be based on personality traits or on issues you are both interested in, or on themes emerging from the poet’s work and how those speak to you.)
My favorite poems are mostly Emily Dickinson’s, but I could not really find connections with Dickinson’s life. Instead, Margaret Atwood seems to resemble me the most. Atwood was very much influenced by her father and it is clearly visible in her work. Atwood spent much of her childhood in the forest due to her father’s ongoing research and some of her poems vividly portray wilderness. I was very much influenced by my dad too since I had to move around a lot due to my dad’s jobs. Those experiences in other countries, especially my experience in Russia, really built up my cultural background and who I really am. I had to communicate with Russians, when I did not even know how to say a single word in Russian. The weather was always dreary and cold. For some reason, it took me a long time to get used to Russian culture. My unique experience in Russia allowed me to see a new side of me and helped me to break out of my shell. I think this experience and seeing my dad working as a diplomat really influenced me unconsciously. I always told my parents that I would never become a diplomat, but as I was beginning my application process, I decided to major in international relations.
Also, I found out Atwood is an activist, very much involved in Amnesty International. I used to participate in Amnesty International, but now I am more interested in North Korean Refugee problem. It is quite amazing to see her taking time to participate in such activities while writing her poems and novels. I actually hope to continue my career in such organizations or at least support the organizations and actively participate in activities related to human rights even when I become Atwood’s age.
2. TPCASTT one poem and discover what it really says to you. Write about the poem and its theme, especially about how the poem’s message shed light on the universal human condition/experience
“In the Secular Night” was really hard to understand at first, but as I started to find my own meaning, it was really easy for me to connect myself to the poem. A possible theme we decided as a class was rejection of sacred and seeking for fulfillment from the world eventually leads to loneliness. However, I viewed this poem in a slightly different way. Our selfishness as human beings was one thing that came into my mind immediately as I read the last three lines of the poem. The poem is definitely about loneliness and how our failure to seek for fulfillment exacerbates our situation and feelings. Throughout the poem, the speaker of the poem, “I” talks about how “You” is always complaining about one’s loneliness and how one’s attitude stays the same for more than forty years. The last three lines of the poem show how humans are self-centered and fail to recognize other worse problems or situations going on in this world. A common example of these situations would be the starvation going on in Africa or in North Korea.
I believe tendency to complain and putting ourselves as priority is universal for all humans. We try not to do be so self-centered, but it is always hard. I could easily connect this poem to myself because I remember the time when I was always complaining to my parents, my friends and even God. I always complained how things would not turn out the way as I expected though I was trying so hard. I blamed it on everyone but me. This poem taught me an important lesson and allowed me to reflect back on myself.
3. Think about hamartia: find one poem that displays a tragic flaw in human nature (either human nature in general or in one human, as expressed in the poem.) Write about whether or not the poem’s message is enhanced for you, as a reader, as you contemplate hamartia as it relates to the text
When I was pondering about the idea of hamartia, Atwood had a lot of connections with the idea of tragic flaw. In class, we picked our favorite poems from Atwood’s work and presented our ideas about which part (creation, fall or redemption) the poems focus on. We thought Atwood’s poems heavily focus on fall’s aspect and “Morning in the burned house” is definitely one of them. The speaker of the poem is unable to let go of one’s past and thus, unable to find one’s identity. The speaker tries to find one’s identity in the “burned house.” The third stanza of the poem emphasizes how the speaker was left alone after the accident. The last line of that stanza, “Their clothes are still on the hangers” demonstrates that the speaker still remembers the memories and is unable to let go of the fact that one is left alone.
Every detail of the house provokes the speaker to reflect back on the old days and makes it harder to let go of one’s past and find one’s identity. “Tin cup”, “rippled mirror”, “flaws in the glass” and “swirls in the oilcloth” are all factors that connect her to her past. The last three stanzas truly reveal her condition. The image of a little child wearing the speaker’s burned clothes, “thin green shorts” and “grubby yellow T-shirt” may be a reflection of herself. This reflection directly shows that the speaker is unable to find her identity because she is afraid to break out of her past. The poem ends with “Incandescent,” meaning light. This symbolizes something hopeful will happen to the speaker. Also, in some sense, this could also mean that the speaker was once in a destructed condition, but is now hoping to escape.
My favorite poems are mostly Emily Dickinson’s, but I could not really find connections with Dickinson’s life. Instead, Margaret Atwood seems to resemble me the most. Atwood was very much influenced by her father and it is clearly visible in her work. Atwood spent much of her childhood in the forest due to her father’s ongoing research and some of her poems vividly portray wilderness. I was very much influenced by my dad too since I had to move around a lot due to my dad’s jobs. Those experiences in other countries, especially my experience in Russia, really built up my cultural background and who I really am. I had to communicate with Russians, when I did not even know how to say a single word in Russian. The weather was always dreary and cold. For some reason, it took me a long time to get used to Russian culture. My unique experience in Russia allowed me to see a new side of me and helped me to break out of my shell. I think this experience and seeing my dad working as a diplomat really influenced me unconsciously. I always told my parents that I would never become a diplomat, but as I was beginning my application process, I decided to major in international relations.
Also, I found out Atwood is an activist, very much involved in Amnesty International. I used to participate in Amnesty International, but now I am more interested in North Korean Refugee problem. It is quite amazing to see her taking time to participate in such activities while writing her poems and novels. I actually hope to continue my career in such organizations or at least support the organizations and actively participate in activities related to human rights even when I become Atwood’s age.
2. TPCASTT one poem and discover what it really says to you. Write about the poem and its theme, especially about how the poem’s message shed light on the universal human condition/experience
“In the Secular Night” was really hard to understand at first, but as I started to find my own meaning, it was really easy for me to connect myself to the poem. A possible theme we decided as a class was rejection of sacred and seeking for fulfillment from the world eventually leads to loneliness. However, I viewed this poem in a slightly different way. Our selfishness as human beings was one thing that came into my mind immediately as I read the last three lines of the poem. The poem is definitely about loneliness and how our failure to seek for fulfillment exacerbates our situation and feelings. Throughout the poem, the speaker of the poem, “I” talks about how “You” is always complaining about one’s loneliness and how one’s attitude stays the same for more than forty years. The last three lines of the poem show how humans are self-centered and fail to recognize other worse problems or situations going on in this world. A common example of these situations would be the starvation going on in Africa or in North Korea.
I believe tendency to complain and putting ourselves as priority is universal for all humans. We try not to do be so self-centered, but it is always hard. I could easily connect this poem to myself because I remember the time when I was always complaining to my parents, my friends and even God. I always complained how things would not turn out the way as I expected though I was trying so hard. I blamed it on everyone but me. This poem taught me an important lesson and allowed me to reflect back on myself.
3. Think about hamartia: find one poem that displays a tragic flaw in human nature (either human nature in general or in one human, as expressed in the poem.) Write about whether or not the poem’s message is enhanced for you, as a reader, as you contemplate hamartia as it relates to the text
When I was pondering about the idea of hamartia, Atwood had a lot of connections with the idea of tragic flaw. In class, we picked our favorite poems from Atwood’s work and presented our ideas about which part (creation, fall or redemption) the poems focus on. We thought Atwood’s poems heavily focus on fall’s aspect and “Morning in the burned house” is definitely one of them. The speaker of the poem is unable to let go of one’s past and thus, unable to find one’s identity. The speaker tries to find one’s identity in the “burned house.” The third stanza of the poem emphasizes how the speaker was left alone after the accident. The last line of that stanza, “Their clothes are still on the hangers” demonstrates that the speaker still remembers the memories and is unable to let go of the fact that one is left alone.
Every detail of the house provokes the speaker to reflect back on the old days and makes it harder to let go of one’s past and find one’s identity. “Tin cup”, “rippled mirror”, “flaws in the glass” and “swirls in the oilcloth” are all factors that connect her to her past. The last three stanzas truly reveal her condition. The image of a little child wearing the speaker’s burned clothes, “thin green shorts” and “grubby yellow T-shirt” may be a reflection of herself. This reflection directly shows that the speaker is unable to find her identity because she is afraid to break out of her past. The poem ends with “Incandescent,” meaning light. This symbolizes something hopeful will happen to the speaker. Also, in some sense, this could also mean that the speaker was once in a destructed condition, but is now hoping to escape.
2008년 8월 29일 금요일
blog#3:tragic flaw
Tragic flaw is definitely an issue in this novel, particularly for Patrick. Patrick’s biggest tragic flaw is his lost of identity and therefore, the novel is mostly about Patrick’s search for his identity. His tragic flaw influences every part of his life, even his relationships with people. He has much affection for Clara and Alice because he doesn’t have a sense of identity. He wants to be with them, believing that they would help him to find who he is or at least because he has someone to rely on. As a consequence, when he loses these two people, his tragic flaw drives him crazy. For instance, after Alice dies, he puts a hotel on fire and eventually ends up being a prisoner.
On the other hand, when Clara leaves him, Patrick displays more of a mental destruction. This is well described in the novel as he obsessively writes letters to Clara, knowing that she cannot come back to him. Also, though he hates Marmora, he risks himself and goes back to Marmora to see Clara. When Alice visits Patrick, the description of the house clearly shows he is not able to get over Clara even two years after she had left him. He specifically mentions that he is not fine on page 87, “Physically I’m fine, just my mind.” Also, when Alice moves towards him in this scene, Patrick steps back in danger, which shows that he had lost his confidence. His lost of confidence connects Alice and Patrick as he reluctantly accepts Alice because of his desperate need for someone to rely on.
Patrick’s lost of identity caused him to be a weak individual, which led him to always seek for a person to rely on instead of creating his own pathway. As these people leave him, he confronts a huge mental destruction of becoming violent and losing his confidence.
On the other hand, when Clara leaves him, Patrick displays more of a mental destruction. This is well described in the novel as he obsessively writes letters to Clara, knowing that she cannot come back to him. Also, though he hates Marmora, he risks himself and goes back to Marmora to see Clara. When Alice visits Patrick, the description of the house clearly shows he is not able to get over Clara even two years after she had left him. He specifically mentions that he is not fine on page 87, “Physically I’m fine, just my mind.” Also, when Alice moves towards him in this scene, Patrick steps back in danger, which shows that he had lost his confidence. His lost of confidence connects Alice and Patrick as he reluctantly accepts Alice because of his desperate need for someone to rely on.
Patrick’s lost of identity caused him to be a weak individual, which led him to always seek for a person to rely on instead of creating his own pathway. As these people leave him, he confronts a huge mental destruction of becoming violent and losing his confidence.
blog#2:characters
The character I identify the most with is Clara. Clara seems like a very independent character explicitly, but she is actually the most easily-controlled character in the novel. It might seem that she holds power over Patrick because she controls Patrick. However, Clara, herself, is being controlled by Ambrose. Though I am not controlled by anyone, many of the decisions I make in my life are heavily based on other people’s influence. Unlike Clara, I can make my own choice, I am not controlled by anyone and I can do whatever I want to do, but I always pay too much attention to what others say about me or what I am about to do. Many times, these comments or opinions of others influence my decisions. Also, I always dream about changing my life, but I am not brave enough to take a new step like other characters in the novel.
On page 100 it states, “When she reached the house she didn’t go in but went down to the beach and sat facing the water, leaning against the red boat.” In this quote, Clara expresses her desire for a change as she refuses to go back to her house where Ambrose is. Also, when Ambrose went missing, she does not go back to Ambrose immediately. Also, page 74 Clara, Alice and Patrick talk about their childhood, and Clara avoids talking about her present while Alice avoids talking about her past. This scene shows two women’s dissatisfaction of their past and present. I feel pathos for Clara because she is aware of her relationship with Ambrose, but she still seeks for a change by meeting Patrick and being with someone other than Ambrose. Some may criticize Clara for leaving Patrick, but Ambrose had an extreme control over her until his death and meeting Patrick for a short period was all she could do. That was all she could do to seek for her identity.
On page 100 it states, “When she reached the house she didn’t go in but went down to the beach and sat facing the water, leaning against the red boat.” In this quote, Clara expresses her desire for a change as she refuses to go back to her house where Ambrose is. Also, when Ambrose went missing, she does not go back to Ambrose immediately. Also, page 74 Clara, Alice and Patrick talk about their childhood, and Clara avoids talking about her present while Alice avoids talking about her past. This scene shows two women’s dissatisfaction of their past and present. I feel pathos for Clara because she is aware of her relationship with Ambrose, but she still seeks for a change by meeting Patrick and being with someone other than Ambrose. Some may criticize Clara for leaving Patrick, but Ambrose had an extreme control over her until his death and meeting Patrick for a short period was all she could do. That was all she could do to seek for her identity.
blog#1: most beautiful scene
The most beautiful passage in this novel is the last two pages of the novel. Clara calls Patrick after Ambrose dies, and asks him to come and pick her up and the novel ends as Hana and Patrick start driving to Marmora. As the resolution part of the novel, this scene of the novel does not have any intense moments or emotions compared to other parts of the book, and that is why I like this scene the most. Its calm atmosphere relieves the readers and at the same time, the ending implies that Patrick is closer to finding his identity and able to go back to Marmora without any pain or bitter feelings.
Clara stayed at Marmora, where Patrick spent his youth. This connection between Clara and Patrick shows that Marmora is an important setting for both Clara and Patrick. Patrick is riding back to Marmora with a different attitude. He has Hana next to him, supporting him and making him smile. This attitude is very contrasting to the moments when he went back to Marmora to see Clara. Though Marmora was not mentioned in this book much, many key events take place at Marmora. The first few pages of the book is about Patrick’s childhood, especially his memories with his dad. Then, Marmora is mentioned again when he goes back to visit Clara. When he went back, he had to risk his life twice. For Patrick, all his childhood memories, memories with his dad all belong to Marmora. Also, Marmora is where his search for identity began. Thus, the last scene is very significant as the novel ends with Patrick going back to Marmora, but with a more clear recognition of himself and his identity. Therefore, when he finally returns to Marmora to pick up Clara with “lights” on, it shows the readers how much change Patrick has gone through.
Clara stayed at Marmora, where Patrick spent his youth. This connection between Clara and Patrick shows that Marmora is an important setting for both Clara and Patrick. Patrick is riding back to Marmora with a different attitude. He has Hana next to him, supporting him and making him smile. This attitude is very contrasting to the moments when he went back to Marmora to see Clara. Though Marmora was not mentioned in this book much, many key events take place at Marmora. The first few pages of the book is about Patrick’s childhood, especially his memories with his dad. Then, Marmora is mentioned again when he goes back to visit Clara. When he went back, he had to risk his life twice. For Patrick, all his childhood memories, memories with his dad all belong to Marmora. Also, Marmora is where his search for identity began. Thus, the last scene is very significant as the novel ends with Patrick going back to Marmora, but with a more clear recognition of himself and his identity. Therefore, when he finally returns to Marmora to pick up Clara with “lights” on, it shows the readers how much change Patrick has gone through.
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