What are you reading this summer? 
Comment: During the summer please comment on this blog post at least three different times at any point during the summer about your progress on your summer reading novel or play. Don’t summarize it but rather discuss how you are being affected by it, what you notice about how the author constructs meaning and what meaning you are constructing from the text.
Reply: Then, during the summer reply to at least two different comments posted by your future classmates. Read some of the commentaries and respond to at least two that haven’t already been responded to. Write at least 5 sentences using the following questions to get you started- What did it make you think? Did you realize something new after reading their commentary? If you are reading the same book, do you agree with their argument? Note: It is not your job to grade someone else’s commentary.
Morse AP English Lit. 
As the story progresses, I begin to understand that it begins to have a crucial turning point in the plot. Although Tiresias serves as an additional role, his blindness can reveal the truth while Oedipus’s sight still leads him to blindness. He claims that he knows the truth but Tiresias implies that the truth will only bring pain. Oedipus praises him as an all powerful seer who has shielded Thebes from many but Oedipus’s thoughts had changed as he was later mentioned as a “scum”. This proves as an interesting turning point as it provides a change in perspective for the characters
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The play I’m currently reading is Oedipus Rex by sophicles and what I’m beginning to notice is a strong introduction.Although there are many things occurring simultaneously, it’s rather interesting that this author took this approach. It provides intro into the plot and the background between its loyalties. Its the matter of finding the real truth and this “curse” that was brought from the murder from Lauis, the former king and for Oedipus to dedicate himself to the discovery of Laiu’s murder.
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The play that I chose to read is “Oedipus Rex” by Sophocles. I chose to read this piece because it is a classic literature and I knew that sooner or later I would have a class where it was a required reading. It was much more interesting to read than I assumed it would be. The plot moves quite slow in the first few pages which I found tedious however once you get past the bland opening it becomes quite interesting. The play essentially revolves around the murder of the prior king (Laius) whom was murdered shortly before the greek hero Oedipus took power. One of the interesting points within this story is whether or not Oedipus has married and made his own mother his queen. Oedipus is a character driven by fear and this leads to him lashing out at the majority of the characters throughout the play. One character in particular angers King Oedipus, the blind prophet is able to ironically see what the king cannot and that is the truth. When the blind prophet presents Oedipus with fact he becomes afraid and lashes out as a result.
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The play that I chose to read is “Oedipus Rex” by Sophocles. I chose to read this piece because it is a classic literature and I knew that sooner or later I would have a class where it was a required reading. The plot moves quite slow in the first few pages which I found tedious however once you get past the bland opening it becomes quite interesting. The play essentially revolves around the murder of the prior king (Laius) whom was murdered shortly before the greek hero Oedipus took power. One of the interesting points within this story is whether or not Oedipus has married and made his own mother his queen. Oedipus is a character driven by fear and this leads to him lashing out at the majority of the characters throughout the play. One character in particular angers King Oedipus, the blind prophet is able to ironically see what the king cannot and that is the truth. When the blind prophet presents Oedipus with fact he becomes afraid and lashes out as a result.
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Finishing Oedipus Rex, there were definitely many more details that were revealed towards the end. In Oedipus’ attempts in running away from his prophecies he ends up fulfilling them. The transition is also significant in that Oedipus becomes a blind man in the end and is forced to cast himself away to fix all the problems he himself has caused. He eventually learns of his own identity, breaks him apart. I believe that his blindness allowed him to accept his situation. He basically did not have a choice in his fate. He learns his history, which also ruins him in the end. The fact that he stabs himself in the eyes shows this as a factor for his shame and humiliation.
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Reading Oedipus Rex has been an interesting experience so far. Oedipus is currently the King of Thebes while everyone trusts on him. I believe that the play is attempting to express a hidden message with the characters of the play. On one hand, it seems as though there are attempts to overthrow Oedipus, but also that Oedipus is overlooking certain details with paranoia. I believe that there is more to the play and more to the background of these prophecies.
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As of right now, in a Thousand Splendid Suns, Rasheed married another young girl named Laila. This is due to a bombing that occurred that obliterated her parents, making her an orphan. It actually makes me sad, considering that another woman besides Mariam is going through unfortunate events. First her significant other, Tyriq moves away, then her family dies, now she is pregnant with Tyriq’s baby and married Rasheed in order to not be kicked out of his house and lose hospitality. Now that they are married, Mariam gets jealous and angry at poor Laila. But eventually they become friends and plan to escape. I am very anxious to read what happens next, whether they are able to leave or not, it will be a suspenseful event.
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The play that I decided to read for my summer assignment was “No Exit” by Jean-Paul Sartre. As I read the play, there were many sections where I didn’t understand but later on understood as I continued reading the text. Sartre’s depiction of hell was not what many readers expected it to be. Rather than being physically tortured with medieval machines and fire, it was merely a battle between the main characters Garcin, Estelle, and Inez, mentally and physically in an empty room with little to no furniture. Instead of hell being the ideal place of suffering, it was simply the combination of people put together in a room with no escape. For all eternity, the main characters were put together in hell to torture each other deeply and emotionally with little intentions on accepting one another. Despite the main characters being already dead, they were still able to receive and inflict pain to one another mentally and physically. Despite “No Exit” being a difficult play to read for myself, I enjoy the message that Sartre presented to the readers about how hell is within other people.
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The Color Purple is a great, coming-of-age novel. It is very relative to those who seek for freedom and happiness. Celie plays a determined character who never gave up. Nettie, Celie’s younger sister, taught Celie how to read while hiding behind Mr.____ back. After Nettie got kicked out and went to Africa, she sent letters to Celie whenever she had the chance. Mr. _____ hid all of the letters that Nettie sent. When Celie discovered the letters with Shugs help, that is when she stood up for herself. Throughout the whole story, Celie had a strong personality and always tried her best. Honestly, when she became free from Mr.____ and reunited with her sister and two kids, I did tear up a little! This story became one of my top five favorites!
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As I finished No Exit it surprised me how Garcin and Estelle both gave their trust to each other and Garcin tells Estelle his life story also. Garcin says he is a coward if he does not face death correctly but he will prove he is not one by facing it. I also found it weird how Estelle and Garcin just wanted to make Inez squeal so they kiss each other. Also Inez breaks down and kills herself because they are in the room forever so she just ends it right there infront of Garcin and Estelle
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(Post 1) While reading about Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri, what caught my attention was the format structure in Lahiri’s book. What I found intriguing about it was the way it was composed. Composed of nine short stories. Each of these short stories are different, therefore they each have different main characters, point of view, protagonists, etc. Throughout one of the stories in a book, I have made a really personal connection to the story with a life experience I have not yet encountered; marriage. A married couple who lives together under the same roof physically, but not mentally/spiritually. They are always in separate rooms, and they feel forced to say good night to each other. As a 17 year old, I have yet to understand what life is like being married. However, I can relate not from first hand experience, but from the years of watching close family members in a similar situation. Most of Lahiri’s stories are relatable, no matter if you have been in that specific situation or not.
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Since the book is nine different stories, do they connect in any way? The structure of the book reminds me of a film I watched in film arts called Crash and although in the beginning it seemed like different stories, by the end, all of the stories were connected somehow and each had their own lesson. Is there a lesson/moral to each of the stories? The story about the married couple made me think of forced/arranged marriages or how married couples used to sleep in separate beds. Sounds like an interesting read!
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(Post 3) I find it ironic that Oedipus became king of Thebes because of his cleverness and insight yet he was still unable to figure out his fate even though he was told and warned many times. Oedipus spent the beginning of the play trying to find the murderer of Laius, the king before him, to save his city of the plague. Tiresias, a blind seer is called upon to help Oedipus, Tiresias is reluctant to tell Oedipus who is the murderer, warning him that the truth is not best for him but Oedipus drives the truth out of Tiresias. The blind seer informs him that he is the murderer, Oedipus enraged accuses the seer of treason and denies the seer’s prophecy. His wife reassures him that an oracle also told her that her past husband, King Laius would be killed by his son and the prophecy did not come true. Oedipus then piece by piece figures out his fate while looking for the murder. He was the reason for the plague that struck his kingdom, because of his incest and murder of his father he payed his tragic consequences. His mother committed suicide, he lost his kingdom and his eyesight. He was blind to his fate and truth when he had his eyesight, he was unable to see the many coincidences of his and his mother’s prophecy of him killing his father and the story of his wife binding her other child’s feet and his swollen feet, only when he became blind that he understood the tragic truth of his fate.
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After finishing The Plague by Albert Camus, I was speechless. It made me rethink what life actually meant. Comparing the town of Oran and to the society we are in I believe that it is similar. For instance, “Treeless, glamourless, soulless, the town of Oran ends by seeming restful…” (Camus 5). Living day after day without any real purpose or happiness, I feel like in some ways we both connect. On the other hand, it was interesting how religion played a part in this novel and showing how it brought the community together. Although many people looked up to God when they were in a crisis, he could not do anything. All God did was gave the people of Oran hope. It gave them hope to keep fighting instead of waiting for death. Although this novel was difficult to read at first, I enjoyed how the author thought this story out.
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The play I’m currently reading is Oedipus Rex by sophicles and what I’m beginning to notice is a strong introduction.Although there are many things occurring simultaneously, it’s rather interesting that this author took this approach. It provides intro into the plot and the background between its loyalties. Its the matter of finding the real truth and this “curse” that was brought from the murder from Lauis, the former king and for Oedipus to dedicate himself to the discovery of Laiu’s murder.
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As an overview, A Thousand Splendid Suns illustrated an “inside look” of the experiences of Afghan families by producing imagery of their rich culture. This allowed me, as a reader, to create a connection with the people who are often associated with war and poverty. Also, it provided an illustration of the great price that these people paid for due to different wars during the late 1960s until early 2000s. Additionally, Hosseini included a commentary on the human capacity for evil by describing the little regard that the Soviets, Mujahideen, and the Taliban had for human life. He attempts to give the reader a background story of Afghanistan, one that not many people nowadays think of. The author proves that Afghanistan isn’t just a place where war takes place. There are actual people fighting for their land to be better, to be filled with peace once again. This was done through the description of how Laila broke through the imaginary “walls” (in reference to her father’s, Hakim, farewell ode to Kabul before a rocket landed on their house: “One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs,
Or the thousand splendid suns that hid behind her walls.” ) because she was enlightened and comforted by the memories that Mariam left behind, thus inspiring her to come back to Kabul and leave the peaceful life she built with Tariq because she believed it was the right thing to rebuild her home and allow Afghanistan’s culture to resurface.
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In the end of Oedipus Rex, this is where Oedipus decides to leave Thebes, and not because he was a coward running away from the guilt of killing his father and marrying his mother, but I think because he was responsible for the plague that has been terrorizing Thebes with child death upon pregnancy, and is willing to sacrifice his throne to save the city. Sophocles depicted Oedipus as stubborn throughout the play, but in the end, he shows that he was a responsible person. I think that in the end of the play, Oedipus did the right thing leaving Thebes, and saving the city from the plague and not being selfish and keeping the secret to himself and allowing Thebes to suffer.
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(Post 2) As I continued reading Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, i noticed many similarities between the powerful government in Brave New World and in George Orwell’s 1984. Both governments successfully controlled the actions of their citizens, creating conformist societies. The citizens in those societies have no freedom or individuality, lacking important morals and emotions that make up their humanity. In George Orwell’s 1984, the government tortured Winston until he pleaded they should torture Julia, his lover, instead. The government was able to brainwash Winston enough to lose his feelings for Julia. In Brave New World, when John proposes to Lenina , she interrupts the act as revolting because she can only think of sex when it comes to relationships due to her conditioning by the government. Both governments were powerful enough to remove the emotions of their system and manipulate them at their will.
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As Oedipus Rex wraps up, Oedipus finds out that he was adopted and that he had killed his own father during an encounter in an overpass. I was shocked that King Laius was his father and that he did not know that he killed him during their encounter, because how did Oedipus not know that King Laius, along with his entourage escorting him, not be an important person, and just go on a rampage killing them because they would not let him pass. This proves that he is short-fused, which Teiresias stated during their argument together, which Teiresias stated, “You blame my temper but you do not see your own that lives within you; it is me you chide.” Adding on, After finding out the truth that his father was King Laius, he also uncovered that Jocasta, his wife, is actually his mother. Upon reading this, I could not help but be disgusted because Oedipus married his mom, and also had children with her, even if he knew that it was not his mother before someone told him.
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I found myself thinking exactly like you when i read Oedipus Rex, although I was not surprised when it was revealed that Oedipus was the killer.Throughout the whole play it was foreshadowed that he was the killer. I also found the incest very disgusting how there was no way to know until it was too late. lastly his temper ruined him when it was out of anger he killed the previous king, he had to know he was important since there was an entourage.
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(Post #3) Towards the end of “Crime and Punishment” by Dostoevsky, Raskolnikov is finally found guilty and sent to 8 years of labor in Siberia. At first, he receives a longer sentence but because of his plea of insanity it is reduced to only eight. I find this interesting because, especially in murder cases, the plea of insanity is commonly used, but the author did portray his character as having mental problems since the beginning of the book. I feel like he could have avoided being caught guilty if he had not been as paranoid as he was. Also he goes through major character development because in the beginning when he killed the pawnbroker and her sister, he didn’t feel any sympathy but towards the end, he begins to ask for forgiveness and even gets religious. It’s funny how it took him murdering someone for him to become more human and connected with society. Like I said in my last post about the author creating suspense by not giving all the information, he does this at the end when he creates pointless dialogue between characters nearing Raskolnikov’s confession and leaves it till the last sentence of the last chapter. This makes the reader keep reading till the end and also makes them curious about the next part of his life thus also making them read the epilogue. I am really glad that I finally had the opportunity to read this book and analysis rather than just mindlessly reading it.
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(Post 1) The novel I’m reading is Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. In this novel, the main character of African descent, Ifemelu, is constantly noticing the importance of hair in black culture, especially in America. Ifemelu is “natural”, which in the black community, is often used to describe hair that is untreated chemically. In the black community, chemical treatments are common to make hair more “manageable” and ultimately used to conform to Eurocentric ideals of beauty. Ifemelu meets a white man with dreadlocks on the train and she assumes he is a “social warrior” when he is actually quite racist and erases the narrative of people of color who are stuck in lower classes by blaming it on their own effort, not the imbalanced forces of America’s economic structure. This part made me evaluate how apparent it is that America loves black culture but not black people. This made me think of when Miley Cyrus (white) culturally appropriated dreadlocks at the VMAs and was praised for it and when Zendaya (of African American descent) wore dreadlocks and was slandered for it.
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In the beginning of Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles, Oedipus shows that he is a worthy king, as he was able to solve the Sphinx’s riddle, which was unsolved for a long time. My reaction to that his intelligence is that he is a good riddle solver and a worthy king, as he was able to kick the Sphinx out and be seen as a hero by many of the people from Thebes. As I progress on through the book, I see that the author is now portraying him as a disrespectful king, because when he was talking to Terisias, a blind prophet, he accused him of killing King Lauis, just because Terisias stated that Oedipus was the one that killed King Lauis.
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The way in which Lisa See intricately weaves character’s intentions and actions into the plot makes her novel, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, captivating. Madame Wang’s role in particular becomes the backbone of the novel; it would not exist without her actions and reasonings. From the title one could assume that she plays a minimal part in the novel and even more so during her first few appearances in the novel. From this point it seems that she is simply a highly reputable matchmaker that would be in and out of the storyline as soon as she made the marriage arrangements for Lily and then the lao-tong matches between Lily and Snow Flower. Then at a critical event for who seems to be the only main characters, See sows in little details which hint at the true importance of Madame Wang into their conversation. Only after Lily’s marriage and her first visit to Snow Flower’s home does the reality of the situation come out. Initially appearing to be just another matchmaker looking to profit, Madame Wang actually paired Lily and Snow Flower, who turns out to be her niece, together because Snow Flower’s father had bankrupted their family and ruined their reputation. By having her niece matched up to Lily, Madame Wang attempted to show Snow Flower as an eligible bride and to be able to learn skills from Lily that her own mother could not teach her. And although it may not have helped as much if at all, Lily was able to marry into the wealthiest and most powerful family in the area because her match to Snow Flower gave her a toe hold in the region’s most prestigious village. In essence the whole novel is what it is because Madame Wang just wanted to give her niece a fighting chance in a society where one’s future is mostly determined by factors out of one’s control. She shows that love and compassion comes along in many different shades.
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Halfway through the play No Exit by Jean-Paul Sartre I noticed the mysterious Valet that were in the same “room” in hell with Inez, Garcin and Estelle. I thought the mysterious Valet is the ‘punisher’ in hell that was supposed to torture the main characters and the purpose of it was for people to acknowledge their action. When Estelle unsuccessfully kill Inez, Garcin realized that hell was other people, in this case it was Estelle.
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I agree with your theory of the valet being a grim reaper type of figure. As I read, I thought the same thing because he was the one who escorted them to the room that they would be trapped in forever, converses with each of the prisoners, and once he left, he wasn’t seen again. Similar to how the grim reaper takes people to hell when they die and once he takes them there, he usually just disappears, never appears again.
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In A Thousand Splendid Suns, the author continued to focus on the strength of the two female protagonists. In addition, the author excelled in the way that he highlighted the loyalty and devotion of the characters to one another as well as their beliefs, including the main antagonist, Rasheed. The way the author intertwined these two themes showed the deeper meaning hidden behind the words that the characters delivered. Each dialogue that was exchanged between them was a reference to what was actually going on in the world in which the story was set in. Also, the author cleverly dealt with, or simply addressed, societal issues by juxtaposing the personalities of the characters in the book. For example, Mariam was clearly insubordinate to Rasheed, which was shown in the way that he belittles her by viewing her as someone whose sole purpose is to bear his child, serve him meals, and keep his house clean. Later on, Mariam gained the strength to stand up to Rasheed with Laila’s help. Laila motivated Mariam and allowed her that she has a greater purpose in life, and she deserves to be loved. Although Laila and Mariam had completely different personalities, they were combined together in a way that enabled both characters to develop and flourish. As a result, Rasheed was defeated. However, this resulted in Mariam’s death, which she calmly accepted because she was aware of the long and free life that Laila would spend with her children and Tariq (her true love), because she ended up murdering Rasheed in order to save the lives of the only people who cared for her: Laila and her children.
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After reading both, “A Thousand Splendid Suns” and Oedipus Rex I noticed that they both shared a similar theme, power. In a Thousand Splendid Suns, many of the bad people victimized the weak. One person that did this in the novel would be Rasheed because he used all his power to manipulate Mariam and all her actions. In addition, he would also become violent with other people in that he was associated with. Another example from the novel would be the Taliban because they made sure that they were in control of the everyone and keeping track of what everyone was doing. Power was a big theme because it caused the king to become corrupt and it lead to him to stab his eyes out. Other people were trying to steal his power and he didn’t listen to anyone which led to a negative ending.
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I also read Oedipus Rex, and thoroughly enjoyed it. And seeing that A Thousand Splendid Suns share a similar theme, I might read it next. I think that Sophocles does a great job at teaching his audience about the dangers of power through Oedipus. I also find is interesting that Khaled Hosseini used essentially the same time period for A Thousand Splendid Suns and The Kite Runner.
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The book “The Plague” by Albert Camus, is a pretty interesting book that has to deal with a horrible epidemic, killing many people in the town of Oran. Bringing the perspective of religion in the book was a good choice since many people where going through rough times, and going to God was probably the best answer for them. What really caught my attention was this quote from the book, “Thus today God had vouchsafed to His creatures an ordeal such that they must aquire and practise the greatest of all virtues: that of all or nothing” (Camus 181). This quote says a lot the book since the epidemic is basically destroying the town, yet many people are kepping their moral standards high and hoping for the best.
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Personally, I really loved this book. It was both horrific but insightful. Although the main storyline of this book is based on the downfall of Oran due to rats, I looked at this book from a social perspective. Rough times were most definitely evident throughout the book but there were so many optimistic characters that made it seem like they were ready to fight the plague no matter the circumstances. For instance, Dr. Reiux. He has such a small duty in the town, simply just being the town doctor, but with all his patients, he tries his absolute best to help them out, even though they are a small portion of the plagued town. He is the epitome of optimism.
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Finishing The Joy Luck Club written by Amy Tan, it gave me a greater sense of understanding the relationship between a mother and a daughter. It also gave me knowledge about the Chinese culture and its beliefs. I was able to relate when they discussed their views on America and having the American Dream. They believed that in America, being poor did not matter as long as you have the motivation to make things better. America provided them with great opportunities. I liked how the importance of friendship was portrayed in this novel. These four women would often compare their children as if they were in a competition but at the end of the day, they made a great effort to make Suyuan’s wish come true which was to find her daughters. What moved me the most was the unconditional love the mothers have for their daughters. Even though there were times they felt their daughters were ashamed of them, they remained proud of them. They just wanted what was best for their daughters which is to have a happy and successful lives. Although the language barrier made it difficult for them to understand each other. Reading this novel made me realize how much our mothers are willing to sacrifice for us but we take them for granted. What I liked the most is how very descriptive it was that I was able to picture what was going on.
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I also saw how far a mother’s love could go in the novel I read, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. The main character Lily is kept in the dark by her mother about the reality of important aspects of her life. Although Lily’s mother tried to explain to her why she hid those things,she still resented her for it. Lily never explicitly says that she forgives her mother or understands why her mother hid those things, but in the end she used the same words and lessons used on her to her own “daughter.” Her mother also succeeded in her goal, which was to prepare Lily to become a wife and then make her eligible to marry into a good family. So although our novels take place in different time periods, the mother-daughter relationship, especially amongst Chinese, run so deep that a mother willingly does something that would make her daughter outright hate her if it meant she had a bright and promising future.
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The novel I read this summer was Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club. This book caught my attention right away due to the fact that it was about these four Chinese women who immigrated to San Francisco seeking for a better life. Being an immigrant myself, I was able to relate to the situations they were experiencing. The way they overcame extreme hardships and sacrifices in order to immigrate to the United States was very fascinating and moving. I felt like my life was somewhat reflected in the story. For instance, being a confused teenager and not reaching my parent’s expectations. I liked how I was able to connect with the characters and also see their different perspectives. What I like most about the story is that there are many life lessons to be learned. I think Amy Tan did a great job of illustrating the settings and the use of simile. However, the use of flashbacks made it a little confusing for me.
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I too can relate to this book because my family also immigrated to America from a foreign country and had many struggles. Many life lessons can be learned from hard work and experience!
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Continuing with Brave New World, Huxley has ceased to amaze me with his fantasy of a future filled with genetically engineered humans that thrive on consumerism. He envisions this futuristic society where everyone seems to be happy without knowing the feelings of passion or pain. Throughout the novel, Bernard Marx stood out to me most because of the fact that he did not fit in the caste system unlike his other companions. Because of his difficult and unreasonable behavior the Director, a threatening character who is the administer of the Central London Hatchery, plans to exile him to Iceland once he returned from his trip to the reservation which angers him. He did not suit the standards of being an Alpha but was fascinated when he met John, a savage, at the reservation. John tells Bernard about his childhood that he is the son of Linda who was saved by villagers. This triggered a memory in Bernard’s head regarding the Director’s story about a woman he went on a trip with to the reservations who got lost in a storm. In the World State the words “mother” or “father” are considered pornorgraphic and the fact that the Director is a father would astonish the people of the World State. Bernard invites John, along with his mother Linda, to return to the World State he uses them to confront the Director; foremost, embarrassing him in front of the rest of the alpha workers. Bernard explains that the Director is the father of John which causes him to resign leaving Bernard to live freely in London. I found this part in the novel quite interesting since I was on the edge of my seat eagerly reading in search of what would happen next. The plot twist amazed me since the tables had turned on the director. Other than that, this turning point in the novel got me hooked on getting to know how John would make an impact upon this society due to his strange life back at the reservation.
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Helmholtz Watson is an interesting character too, even though he fits in his caste perfectly, he still finds emptiness in the society he lives in. Bernard becomes his friend due to their shared criticism for the world state. Helmholtz is everything Bernard wanted to be, attractive, smart and respected so there might be some conflict between them throughout the book. Helmholtz’s criticism for the world state is more intellectual because Bernard’s main reason for criticism is his isolation from his caste due to his physical appearance so he craves to be what he criticizes while Helmholtz is able to think beyond his position in society.
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Finishing Oedipus, I felt sympathy for a letting a prophecy dictate the outcome of his life. This relates to when people in real life allow their horoscope determine how their day will be and determine that they are obligated to feel the emotions that the horoscope provides. Due to the prophecy it was unavoidable for their fates to change which is the reason why I do not think any of the characters got the happy ending that they deserved, because they all had good intentions. Overall, his attempt to change his fate is basically the purpose of the story because it informs people that life throws you in different directions and that the only way to get through them is to fight it. I had a great time reading the play, because not only was it interesting to read one for the first time, it also was brutally honest about how the way life works and the author did a wonderful job at making sure the reader comprehends the lesson they were trying to teach.
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I can see how Opedius felt letting prophecies judge his life because sometimes I let my life be controlled by fourtune telling and horescopes because I find it interesting that they are mostly accurate and appeal to me well.
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I didn’t realize how people today are also influenced by prophecies, such as you mentioned, by horoscopes. I like your idea on the play’s purpose is to teach that the only way get through is to fight. And its honest brutality about life is truly interesting.
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Brave New World is a compelling novel by Aldous Huxley which depicts upon a dystopian society far into the future with the use of genetic engineering. What intrigued me the most in the beginning of the novel was the idea that humans were no longer conceived in the womb of their mother. For instance, human beings were created in an old hatchery in Central London and were given prestined roles in the World State. Not only that, it was interesting to know that hypnotism and test tube babies led to a caste system society occupied with other intellectual beings. Babies were genetically engineered and destined with certain roles in life which indeed caught my attention.
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(Post 3) Upon finishing beloved, I ended up researching the book a little bit and found out a lot more about the characters, such as Denver who is very intelligent but had her growth stunted by isolation and the distrust of others. This definitely might bring me to read this book a second time to try and notice a lot more, and ask myself questions like why would this character do this? I believe that this book also brought me to realize how much more horrible slavery was, and how much of an effect it had on the people who survived it. This book was amazing and I recommend it as a must-read. I found myself staying up late to finish another chapter. Although i’m not an avid reader, this book definitely caught my attention and for that I commend it.
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While Jocasta and Oedipus were explaining to each other the story of Laius’ prophesized son and Oedipus’ journey to the city of Thebes, so many coincidences plainly showed themselves such as the similar prophecy of Jocasta’s supposedly dead son and Oedipus’ prophecy which forced him to flee the city he grew up in, Corinth. Another coincidence was Laius piercing his son’s ankles and Oedipus’ own pierced ankles; yet why did they not notice this similarity? Oedipus did not even recall his own wounded ankles as Jocasta tells the story of her son. This is because of their willingness to turn a blind eye from the truth and even go as far as out-rightly ignoring it like Jocasta does later on in the play as she begs Oedipus to not search for the Herdsman and discover the truth. Sophocles adds many coincidences throughout his play, Oedipus Rex, yet the characters themselves simply ignore it. This is to illustrate the motif of an alacrity to hide the truth and simply play along as if nothing is wrong.
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I completely agree with all the coincidences they turned a blind eye too. Im inferring that it is because they are terrified that the prophecy did come to pass. I asked the same question about his ankles as I read the play as well. Oedipus only remembered when the firstMessenger pointed out that his ankles are “witnesses.” But I think he did not think of that similarity when Jocasta was telling her side because she specifically said that the ankles were pierced. Oedipus did not have those piercings, only the pain or perhaps a scar. The Messenger revealed that he loosened those piercings letting Oedipus live with his name as “Swollen Foot.”
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(Post 3) Before reading No Exit (Huis Clos), I did a bit of research on what this play was about. Initially I had seen that it was written by a French writer, so I went ahead an assumed the play was going touch themes that go down deep. I was able to stumble upon playwright Jean-Paul Sartre’s hypothesis saying, “Hell is other people.” Upon finishing the play it came to my realization that Sartre may actually be correct in his proposition as it is an idea that is very prevalent in his story. This is shown when Garcin is able to break open the door that confines the three. One would think that the characters would burst out of the room like zoo escapees but in reality, the three naturally talk their way into closing it back up, confining them once more. This confirms Inez’s claim that the three are inseparable and are going to be that way forever. The play ends with Garcin saying, “Well, well, let’s get on with it…” I feel that I can relate to this play. There are people in our life who we know hold us down. Whether it be our own friends or parents, we persuade ourselves to believe that we can turn the other cheek and ignore their deterring words. But similar to the play, we somehow find a way back into each other’s lives for better or for worse, indefinitely or definitely. Hell is indeed dependent on the actions of other people.
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The end of the Joy Luck Club makes me realize the purpose of Tan’s structure of the novel. Tan begins with the problem of finding June’s twin sister’s, although she adds a twist by having the Auntie’s stories next, which then reflected the Daughter’s stories. She decides to finish the search for June’s twin sister’s towards the end of the novel in order to make us understand. Without all the stories in between, as readers, we wouldn’t have had the same effect compared to if she completed the missing twin sisters story all in the beginning. The stories were essential for the reader to understand the importance of morals, relationships, and culture to their lives. The Auntie’s learn from their past and furthermore, attempts to influence their daughter’s in order for their lives to be better than their own. I enjoyed the way Tan structured her novel due to how the division of stories were different from a common novel structure. I caught myself wanting to read more since I was eager to find out about the meeting between sisters and to understand the relationship between mothers and daughters. Overall, I truly enjoyed this novel.
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(Post 2) As I finish the second third of the play No Exit, I begin to understand the level of each character’s darkness, if you will. The second third of the play allowed the reader to see a broader view of each character as they begin to reveal each other’s reasons as to why they’re in their own hell. Garcin begins with a nasty story about his marriage. “It was so easy,” says Garcin as his wife never did anything about her own husband’s acts of adultery and verbal abuse. As for Inez, she allows her cousin’s wife Florence to turn on her own husband. This allows Inez to have Florence all to herself. And then there is Estelle, who out of guilt, kills her baby whom she gave birth to with the boy she ran away with without her husband back in Paris knowing of anything. Not only did she kill her baby but the father of the baby mourned to the point where he committed suicide. As the characters speak of their past, they’re able to see the present back at earth. As the play moves on, each character slowly loses contact of earth, signifying that their absence down at earth has very little insignificance to anyone who is still alive. In other words, they are no longer cared for anymore. And as they have no vision of what’s going down on earth, the three are forced to communicate with other. But this doesn’t go well. Inez craves the attention of Estelle, as Estelle craves the attention of Garcin who doesn’t care for anybody in the room but his own thoughts. In this third of No Exit (Huis Clos), Sartre is able to capture the sins each character had committed—their price for hell. Out of the seven sins, Garcin commits lust; Inez commits greed; and Estelle commits wrath.
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I like how you connected the idea of them slowly losing sight of the real world to them not being cared for anymore. I think that Sartre’s perception of hell is mental and so that’s why they had a hard time communicating because it was supposed to be slow torture for them. At first, Estelle tries really hard to pretend that she didn’t deserve to be there but Inez and Garcin make her realize her sin. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this play, and the authors techniques.
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*significance
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(Post #2) For my summer novel I decided to read “Crime and Punishment” by Dostoevsky because I have been wanting to read it for a while but never got the chance to. When I began reading, I got the vibe from Raskolnikov’s thoughts that he was really anxious, especially when he was trying to avoid his landlady. He starts getting thoughts of killing her but then gets repulsed by the thought of actually murdering someone. This back and fourth, or paradox in his personality, continues through the story until the very end. He also displays this indecisiveness whenever he gives someone in need money but then hates himself for it and wishes that he had never done that. An example would be when he gave the Marmeladov family money because they were desperate but then got angry because they were using their daughter for their benefit. The author never really gives much information about what is happening, which leaves the reader sitting on the edge of their seat with suspense. . After he commits the crime and kills the pawnbroker and her sister, he begins his punishment, which is mental because he becomes paranoid that he might not have covered up the crime that well and that he is going to be caught. I can kind of compare the idea of his mental punishment to that of the idea of hell in “No Exit” by Sartre because they are both a rather mental take on the concept of punishment, and they make it seem as if being punished mentally is as worse as physically. I really liked the way the author lets the reader know the thoughts of all the characters because it helps to see what they all think of each other.
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Yo AP Lit! I’m Angelicia Sagbigsal, but I prefer going by Angel since it’s way easier. I decided to take this rigorous course this year to enhance my reading and comprehension skills. I planned on improving these skills to further extend my knowledge of analyzing literature. During the summer, I played for National City softball which became a great experience for me since I got the opportunity to play with people that have been playing since they were toddlers. Where I, on the other hand, have been playing for three years. As intimidating as it seemed, I was still able to learn a lot from my coaches and teammates. On top of that, I worked more hours at John’s Incredible Pizza since I needed more money for hangouts and food. My goal was to save my money for college, but that didn’t go as planned. If you are looking for a great time and enjoy buffets, hit up John’s Incredible Pizza. Plus, our mascot isn’t a rat which makes it better. What I enjoy doing on my free time is hanging out with my friends and venturing out to places I’ve never been before. I enjoyed reading the Maze Runner series because I was fascinated with this dystopian science fiction which consisted of thrilling and nail biting suspenses. My plans after high school is to attend a CSU or a UC school, preferably one out of San Diego. I’m still torn between pursuing an engineering or a business major. Other than that, this basically sums up some of my summer as well as myself. See ya’ll next Tuesday!
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Morrison wrote the book Beloved in a way that in order to fully understand the situations that are going on with the characters, you have to consider the foreshadowing, personification, symbols, themes and such she uses. For me, I had to read the passages again in order to absorb what Morrison is trying to make the readers to realize. This book did a good job on portraying African American lives during slavery. It showed how a mother like Sethe will kill her own daughter in order to prevent her from experiencing what life is with the superior people, how slavery and pain gave Paul D. this impression of not putting your whole self on a certain thing because they don’t remain as permanent.
The character that gave me the big impact was Denver. I believe that the purpose of the author for portraying Denver as someone who is hungry for the stories of her birth was to illustrate that slavery is long lasting, that it will continually haunt its victim even though it does not exist by the law any more. The loneliness and thirst for someone to be with is actually a product of slavery too if you would see it in a perspective where the reason behind these started with the baby ghost who Sethe killed to protect from white people. Upon completing the book, the satisfactory and knowledge I got from it is undeniably amazing. It just did not drive me crazy with the addition of supernatural forces but it also made me think that this kind of slavery did really existed.
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I quite enjoyed reading your commentary on this book. I had to read it last year and I can totally say that it was a rollercoaster of emotions and surprises. One can totally agree that Morrison’s writing style is so complex that some readers may have to read passages twice to fully understand what the heck she was talking about! And now that you’ve said it, I never thought about the longing and crave for somebody to be comparable with slavery. It totally makes sense, and I’m glad you’ve shone light onto such a thing.
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I think you give an incredible explanation of what this book makes people feel, and the explanation of Denver was great. Beloved was a great read and i’m glad that you could portray the emotions we all felt while reading this book.
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As I was finishing the play Oedipus Rex, there was some irony throughout the story. For example with Oedipus arguing with Tiresias, Oedipus mocks him about his blindness however, Tiresias responds to his mockery. He states that Oedipus can see but, he doesn’t realize the truth of the prophecy. In the end of the play he ends up becoming blind and recognizes the truth of what Tiresias was saying. Oedipus feels sorry for accusing his brother in law for being the killer of Laius when it turns out to be him all along. In exchange he asks to be banished from his place for being the man who killed Laius
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I think the irony of Oedipus becoming blind after accusing Teiresias of blindness to the truth emphasizes the theme of living life with humility. No matter how many coincidences showed themselves between Jocasta’s story of her son and Oedipus’ journey to Thebes, Oedipus did not recognize these similarities and willed himself not to see the truth until the Herdsman clearly spelled it out for Oedipus. He turned a blind eye metaphorically and eventually gave himself a blind eye litereally. If he had lived with humility, recognized the array of coincidences, and accepted the undeniable truth Teiresias spoke of, maybe his consequence would have been less. Maybe he could have simply been exiled and not blind.
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I completely agree with your opinion about Oedipus not accepting the undeniable truth. I believe that Oedipus kept on pushing the issue, which led him to many accusations with people. As the story developed, he began to realize that Teiresias was accurate about everything she was saying. In addition, Oedipus’s pride and anger issues made everything worse than it already was, which led him to realize that he couldn’t live with the humility that resided within him.
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Oedipus Rex by Sophocles was a really interesting play to read because of the intensity of the plot. The author began the play with a minor problem with the city of Thebes being struck by a plague and the plot later built up when Oedipus sent his brother-in-law to the oracle to solve the problem. Oedipus was shocked to hear that the only way to save his city was to find the killer of the former king, Laius. Oedipus became curious and he wanted to figure out who killed him in order to save the city, but by doing this, he placed himself in numerous accusations. I liked how in each of the accusations that Oedipus was placed in, the author made the conversation amongst the characters so detailed, which made it suspenseful. The story continued to build up from there and in the end, Oedipus finds out the he indeed is the killer and this led to Jacasta committing suicide and Oedipus stabbing his own eyes out. I didn’t expect to enjoy the play because of how it was written, but as I read more I began to understand it and I eventually really liked it.
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The play I read was No Exit by John Paul Sartre and this Play started off as having the least possible background information about the place characters etc… When Garcin was introduced to the play, I thought of his character as a high class and very observant of his surroundings. Throughout the play it was mysterious, the author led readers to clues that was solved later. The reason as to why the characters where brought to hell was psychedelic because all characters have different stories and it made me wonder if all the crimes they have committed are connected with one another.
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When I initially started reading the Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan, I felt as if the relationship Jing-mei (June) and her mother had was something similar to what I had with my mother. From what I gathered reading about their relationship, I saw that June’s mother expected a lot from June, likewise with my mother. I felt as if the beginning of the book started rather slow which made me put the book down for a while. I wasn’t too drawn in by the storyline, but what kept me interested was Amy Tan’s writing style. Tan painted a picture for me using words, which made it easier for me to visualize what was occurring in the story.
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I really love how you connected the book with your personal as that is something I try to do as well with all the books I’ve ever read. I also enjoy how you were honest with the fact that you put down the book for a while because the plot was a bit lacking in tempo. That is something I did as well to be quite frank. And lastly, I love how you described Amy Tan’s writing style as painting with words. It definitely makes me we want to check out that book and read it for myself!
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After reading Oedipus Rex, I noticed how prevalent the motif that Sophocles established is in pop culture and other literary works. The story of a hero dealing with family issues while simultaneously responsible for the fate of a civilization is a theme that many works we enjoy today are based upon. These include Star Wars (Luke Skywalker), the Game of Thrones, and Hamlet. I found the tragedy to be quite entertaining as I read it one sitting. I find it amusing that both my reading this summer, Brave New World and Oedipus Rex, both dealt with the topic of identity. I can relate to both books because I am still growing and finding myself over time.
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For the play I am reading which is Oedipus Rex. I noticed the author Sophocles uses characterization to lead the situation. Such as the character Teiresias, a blind seer, can tell that Oedipus is the murder. Her detection of the truth led to numerous accusations and suspects that have affected others such as Jocasta whom eventually commits suicide and Oedipus becoming blind. It kind of reflects today’s society.
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To continue from the Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan uses a lot of Chinese beliefs to teacher their daughters a lesson. Such as in the novel it uses a yin-yang which resembles how strength was given to them during bad times, many use yin-yang for the same reason or a different figure such as God. This novel has affected me because their parents came from their native land and they were born in America. Just like Tan she wants to understand her culture better. One parent in the novel actually wanted to teach her daughter the ideal way of “obedience.” To relate may parents want their child to be/act a certain way but one should feel comfortable under their own skin.
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I read “A Thousand Splendid Suns” by Khaled Hosseini. This book is split into four parts. The first part is about Mariam’s story. Her story is touching because it depicted her feeling like an outcast because she was a harami, an illegitimate child, and she and her mother lived in a kolba, which isolated them from everyone else. It was easy to feel apologetic for her due to her situation, especially with the way her mother spoke to her and her emphasis on her illegitimacy as Jalil’s child. Although her words were harsh, it turns out she was actually the only one who stayed truthful to her. Eventually, her deep love and affection for her father led her to an unfortunate fate, which really made me feel sorry for her character. It was also sickening how her father’s wives basically forced her to marry a 40-year old man, Rasheed, only because she was seen as a disgrace to their family. This part of the book exposed the horrifying part of the culture that Mariam had, which made her character (and all women that are a part of her culture), more admirable for enduring this terrible fate. This part triggered all sorts of emotions because Mariam’s father, Jalil, refused to defend her and left Mariam out in the cold at the age of 14. On the other hand, the unfortunate events in Mariam’s life characterized her as a courageous woman thus allowing the reader to see a huge character development. This development was seen through a shift in Mariam’s mindset, when she decided that Jalil was no longer important to her. I believe that Hosseini’s focus on her strength and independence was important because it depicted Mariam as one of those underdogs, which others don’t usually pay attention to but actually plays a vital part.
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Amy Tans “The Joy Luck Club” has proved to be a particularly enjoyable book. The author has the ability to keep the readers interest throughout the text by her rich use of detail and descriptive language throughout all eight characters intertwining stories. The use of similar settings and social placement is consistent throughout the book and gives more meaning to the plot. Each character is carefully developed to have completely different circumstance and attitude however there is a similar theme of strength in the female character sets. Each woman has encountered hardship and challenges as is documented in the novel and their coping mechanisms are fully described. One of the characters was forced to abandon her twin babies in china while another is dealing with insecurities and a failing relationship. While these seem like completely different challenges Amy Tan is able to unite them all under a common theme and attitude throughout the majority of the novel, something that I have been particularly impressed by. As I come closer to finishing the novel its been quite interesting seeing the entire plot come full circle and I’m able to understand much more of what is occurring.
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I’d have to agree with you on your insight on the book! I feel as though Tan did an outstanding job relating all the hardships the women went through, through the use of descriptive language (as you said). Although I’m not completely drawn into the plot, after reading your comment, I’m considering going back and rereading through possibly a different perspective.
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As I was finishing the play Oedipus Rex, there was some irony throughout the story. For example with Oedipus arguing with Tiresias, Oedipus mocks him about his blindness however, Tiresias responds to his mockery. He states that Oedipus can see but, he doesn’t realize the truth of the prophecy. In the end of the play he ends up becoming blind and recognizes the truth of what Tiresias was saying. Oedipus feels sorry for accusing his brother in law for being the killer of Laius when it turns out to be him all along. In exchange he asks to be banished from his place for being the man who killed Laius
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When I finished The Kite Runner, I finally reached the peace that I wanted Amir to have throughout the book. The ending chapters was a roller coaster that kept me on the edge of my seat and going towards directions that I wouldn’t ever expect. Everything that seemed to have a chance of a happy ending, Khaled Hosseini made sure that the reader realize that the book was not like a television series that Amir always compares life to. The Kite Runner was a blast to read, even though I had to deal with tears falling down every other page. I would recommend this book to anyone!
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The play I read is Oedipus Rex by Sophocles. Oedipus the King, was determined to find out who the murderer of Laius, the previous king in order to recover his city from ruins. As the play goes on, his brother-in-law Creon, brings in a character named Tiresias who happens to reveal the truth to Oedipus. Oedipus becomes stubborn and doesn’t believe into his prophecy. Sophocles decided to add his stubbornness in order to teach a lesson.Also, for the character Oedipus to realize his what he has done since he was arguing with Tiresias
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