To His Coy Mistress; Tonight I Can Write

To His Coy Mistress

            “We would sit down and think which way to walk and pass our long love’s day.” (pg. 310) I like this because the way I read it said that he isn’t with this girl yet but he wants to sit down and figure out how to walk past her or near her everyday so that he can see her. Like when we were talking about walking a different way in the halls at school so we can see our crushes. “My vegetable love should grow vaster than empires, and more slow…” (pg. 310) I just like this because his love is going to grow huge and wide and yet slow and steady over the years. It’s sweet of him to say. I liked this poem because it actually has rhyme and rhythm and he is clever with his metaphors and words.

Tonight I Can Write

            At first, I didn’t think the beginning lines were sad so I was confused as to why he was writing the saddest lines but then as he goes on to say how he held and kissed her on nights like that but now he does not have her, I realized why it was sad. As I read on, I was confused when he says, “I no longer love her, that’s certain, but how I loved her.” (pg. 321) But then I realized that it’s one of those things where he was probably trying to lie to himself and say he doesn’t love her when he really still does. The overall reaction to this was a couple who is that couple, the ones who always are breaking up and getting back together. When he says that he sometimes loved her or she sometimes loved him, I feel like they caused each other a lot of problems but they did love each other and now they are over for good and he misses her, just like she probably misses him.

Refelct and Connect: Week 14

Connect:

Reflect:

This week we read the symposium and dealt with it all week. The first thing that popped out to me in this was when Diotima said, “Do not then insist that what is not fair is of necessity foul, or what is not good evil; or infer that because love is not fair and good he is therefore foul and evil; for he is in a mean between them.” (pg 284) I like this because it connects back to the beginning of the year when we were talking about arguments and the general opinion of the authors was that we see issues as black and white, there is no gray area in between but she is saying that just because something isn’t one thing, it doesn’t necessarily make it the other thing. There can be something that is a mix of both black and white. Tying into that, I like that she keeps stressing the fact that there is a mean, or a middle, in things. She uses the example that love is not divine but is not mortal either. Something else I really liked was from The Art of Courtly Love was in the section titled the Rules of Love. The quote is,

“No one can be bound by two lovers.” (pg. 301) This sounds simple enough and I used to think that this is false. I thought yes, you can love more than one person at a time; they both might have qualities that you like (which is still true… kind of). Then I came across a quote by Johnny Depp saying, “If you love two people at the same time, pick the second one. If you really loved the first one, you wouldn’t have fallen for the second.” This quote blew open the doors in my mind and made me see it from a different point of view because I totally agree with this. I connect this with the Symposium where Diotima says that not only your body, but your mind is always changing as well because maybe you did love the first but then you changed a little and the second became more appealing. The quote that ties in with this is rule number 17, “A new love expels an old one.” (pg.  301) It’s weird that I don’t agree with it, because I believe you can hold on to someone, but it fits with choosing the second lover over the first because you must not like the first one as much.

The Art of Courtly Love

The Art of Courtly Love

Andreas Capellanus (c. Late 12^th Century C.E.)

            In the section titled What is Love?, Andreas states what love is by saying it happens when you see someone of the opposite sex and are attracted to them and you want to embrace them and fulfill the commandments of love. From Whence Love is Named is an interesting section because it talks about the origin of love stating that it derives from amar (hook, love- amor) which then indicates captured or being captured which is interesting and he says it best when he states, “For he who loves is caught in the chains of desire and wishes to catch another with his hook.” (pg. 299) In the section What is the Effect of Love, I really like the quote, “…love makes an ugly and rude person shine with beauty…” (pg. 299) I think this is so true because when someone is freshly in love they tend to be all doe eyed when they walk around and they spread the happiness around by being nice to everybody and they can’t help it because they are in love. What Persons are Suited for Love is a very interesting section. Girls can be as old as 12 to be in love? Boys can be 14? I know this is a long time ago when that was custom but in this day and age, that is NOT ok. I don’t think there is an age limit of being in love (how people always say you don’t know what love is because you are too young) but when it comes to long lasting love, kids haven’t grown into themselves yet and that is the ripe age where puberty begins and they haven’t stopped changing and growing and going through stages to find who they are and who they want to be with yet. So I am glad when he goes on to mention that true love is at age 18 and under 60 (even though that part is absurd as well). When he says, “Age, blindness and excessive passion are all bars to true love.” (pg.299) I relate it to all of the discussions in class about people loving someone for their looks only and not personality. I feel like that is a very materialistic list for someone from so long ago. I love humor in these readings, “[he explains that his many years have enabled him to do more noble deeds than would be possible for a young man.]” (pg. 300) I just took this to be dirty and I like having an occasion laugh when I read things from class. In the Third Dialogue, he explains how a lower class man can be with a higher class women if he has great personality qualities about him but the noble lady says no, you have fat thighs and weird feet so you are not worthy of my love and he goes on to say a guy with nice legs isn’t all that great while the other royal has bad legs and yet the kingdom loves and adores him, therefore proving his point that the qualities one possesses within are more important than what the package holds on the outside. The Rules of Love: there are two rules that stand out to me that go hand in hand. The first is, “No one can be bound by two lovers.” (pg. 301) This sounds simple enough and I used to think that this is false. I thought yes, you can love more than one person at a time; they both might have qualities that you like (which is still true… kind of). Then I came across a quote by Johnny Depp saying, “If you love two people at the same time, pick the second one. If you really loved the first one, you wouldn’t have fallen for the second.” This quote blew open the doors in my mind and made me see it from a different point of view because I totally agree with this. I connect this with the Symposium where Diotima says that not only your body, but your mind is always changing as well because maybe you did love the first but then you changed a little and the second became more appealing. The quote that ties in with this is rule number 17, “A new love expels an old one.” (pg.  301) It’s weird that I don’t agree with it, because I believe you can hold on to someone, but it fits with choosing the second lover over the first because you must not like the first one as much.

Symptoms of love

Robert Graves (1895-1985 C.E.)

            The part of the poem that stands out to me the most is the first verse saying, “Love is a universal migraine, a bright stain on the vision blotting out all reason.” (pg.  318) I like this because as we have talked about in class a few times, when people are in love, they tend to do crazy things or they can’t see the whole picture when a lover is involved. I relate this to countless movies about abusive relationships and how the girls always sticks up for the guy until it is too late and he ends up hurting her worse than she can imagine. The girls blot out all reason because of the lover.

Sonnet: Love is Not All

Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892-1950 C.E.)

            I like this because I think she is calling out people who think that they have everything when they are in love and she’s saying, hey, no you don’t. Love doesn’t feed you or clothe you or take care of your other needs. But I also like how she turns the tables and says that being in love is driving her crazy and she could sell his love for some peace but what’s the use of that? She doesn’t want to. It’s a good sonnet.

The Symposium

Sixth Speech- The Speech of Socrates: The Nature and Origin of Love

            The first thing that popped out to me in this section was when Diotima said, “Do not then insist that what is not fair is of necessity foul, or what is not good evil; or infer that because love is not fair and good he is therefore foul and evil; for he is in a mean between them.” (pg 284) I like this because it connects back to the beginning of the year when we were talking about arguments and the general opinion of the authors was that we see issues as black and white, there is no gray area in between but she is saying that just because something isn’t one thing, it doesn’t necessarily make it the other thing. There can be something that is a mix of both black and white. Tying into that, I like that she keeps stressing the fact that there is a mean, or a middle, in things. She uses the example that love is not divine but is not mortal either. In general, I like how Diotima describes the birth of love. His mother Poverty sleeps with a passed out Plenty to create him and I thought it was a very interesting story. I have a question though, if Poverty is such a pitiful, stupid woman, then how does she get the idea to sleep with Plenty to make a baby? I just thought it was clever thinking on the part of Poverty. The last quote I liked in this section was, “For the beloved is the truly beautiful, and delicate, and perfect, and blessed; but the principle of love is of another nature, and is such as I have described.” (pg 286) I like this because in my mind it just makes sense. To me it says yes, the one you love could be perfect but loving them could be very painful. Say you absolutely love someone but they have a drug problem or something. They could be perfect for you but what do you do about the problem? You love them but can’t be with them… that situation describes exactly what the quote says to me.

The Cause and Effect of Love

            This section is the part where they start off talking about beautiful women versus good women. Diotima challenges Socrates saying when you love something beautiful, what does it give you? When he has no answer, she says ok, let me replace the word with good. Now what do you have? And he says that you gain happiness by possessing the good. So beauty isn’t always the same thing as the good; what’s inside doesn’t always match the outside. A quote I liked was, “Yes, and you hear people say that lovers are seeking for their other half; but I say that they are seeking neither for the half of themselves, nor for the whole, unless the half or the whole be also good.” (pg 286) I just could relate to this because I always think of a mate or whatever as “the other half” so I thought it was interesting that it mentions that but it ties back into you are really looking for good on the inside, not necessarily the outside. I also liked, “…for conception and generation are an immortal principle in the mortal creature…” (pg 286) I have never thought of it that way but it’s totally true. Reproducing and passing on your genes is a way to stay alive forever because there will always be a part of you in someone else. So even if you are mortal, you can be a part immortal through recreation.

            I didn’t find anything very interesting in the last section of the Symposium but I will say this, after reading it, I felt like if they were having a debate, which they kind of were, she would have destroyed him. I don’t see this as a debate though and Socrates says so himself that he went to Diotima for knowledge. I see this as more of a teacher and pupil type setting. He knew nothing and she knew it all.

Reflect and Connect: Week 13

Connect:

Reflect:
This week we have been talking about love. We started with the intro and What is Love? In the article, Dr. Helen Fisher says there are three types of love; lust, attachment, and romantic attraction. I totally believe in the lust part, I think we all have experienced that, but I thought the other two were described as too broad of subjects to really make connections with. The second reading was Song of Songs and the Art of Love. I have a strong connection with a quote from the Art of Love. This is what it says, "Love, like war, is a toss-up. The defeated can recover, while some you might think invincible collapse; so if you've got love written off as an easy option you'd better think twice. Love calls for guts and initiative." (pg 295). I connect to this because I have been defeated, but I have also recovered. While at the same time, because of being able to recover quickly, I thought I was invincible. I found out that I wasn't and I collapsed. So yes, this quote rings very true for me.

Song of Songs and The Art of Love

Song of Songs

Anonymous, Hebrew Bible (c. 10^th Century B.C.E.)

            The Song of Songs is a part of the Hebrew Bible used to describe love and lust between a man and a woman. A quote that I liked from this was, “His left arm is under my head, his right embraces me.” (pg. 282) I liked this quote because when I cuddle with someone, I like when they have one arm under me and the other around me, I feel very protected, comfortable, and safe when I am in that position with someone else and I love it the most I think.  Another quote that stood out to me was, “My beloved is mine and I am his.” (pg. 282) I like this because this pretty much explains how I think a married couple should look at one another. They should have this saying to live by and it should be true. They shouldn’t have eyes for anyone else than one another. The last quote I really liked from the Song of Songs was, “Scarcely had I passed them than I found him whom my heart loves. I held him fast, nor would I let him go till I had brought him into my mother’s house…” (pg. 282) I like this because I feel the same way, if I find that person, I always want to be holding onto them and I don’t want to let them go.  There was nothing else that spoke to me and I thought the words were nice, saying how beautiful the beloved was but I didn’t like how they were always compared to things in nature that AREN’T ATTRACTIVE. Like mountain goats and ewes. Maybe back in the day those things represented beauty but not to me.

The Art of Love

Ovid (43 B.C.E. – 18 C.E.)

            The Art of Love is by a man who was hilarious but probably looked down upon in the old days. Well, he was banished to the Black Sea shores in Rumania in 8 C.E. so he was looked down upon. I really liked this story the most because it had more things in it that I could relate to. For example, I really liked this section, “Love, like war, is a toss-up. The defeated can recover, While some you might think invincible collapse; So if you’ve got love written off as an easy option you’d better think twice. Love calls for guts and initiative.” (pg. 295) I LOVE this quote because it is so true. I can relate to almost every part of this quote. I have been defeated before but I have bounced back and been better for it by learning a lesson. While at the same time because of bouncing back every time, I thought I was invincible. This has been proven horribly wrong recently and I think that the great invincible me has finally met her match. So I know perfectly well that you do need to think twice and in order to move on and meet someone new, you need guts to get back out there. Another quote I liked just because I saw the authors true personality was, “(warning to Puritans: This volume is not for you).” (pg. 295) I love this because it reminds me of something I would say. I just think it’s so funny how he put that in there because it got a little graphic. It made me laugh out loud as I read it. The last thing I really liked was the section titled A Hot Afternoon: Siesta-Time. I liked this because I thought it was going to be another section that made sense but I didn’t really understand to the fullest but then it got pretty graphic and was kind of shocking but also a nice cool surprise. I loved it all so I won’t bother quoting it but it was great for a school reading. It even said nipples! I like how he ends it the most though, “But why catalogue details? Nothing came short of perfection, and I clasped her naked body close to mine. Fill in the rest for yourselves! Tired at last, we lay sleeping. May my siestas often turn out that way!” (pg.  296) I like this because I feel like he’s speaking in such a futuristic way. I understand exactly what he is saying and it’s funny. I like that by saying tired at last, he makes it sound like he took a long time. Also, I like that he implies that this happens a lot when he takes “siestas”, if that’s what you want to call it.

What is Love?

The general argument made by Helen Fisher in her work What is Love? is that there is many kinds of love. More specifically, Fisher suggests that there are three main types of love: lust, romantic attraction, and attachment. She writes, “…human beings evolved three basic brain networks for loving as they courted, mated, reproduced and reared their young: lust, romantic attraction, and attachment. And as days turned into centuries and nature weeded out those who failed to reproduce, natural selection hardwired these three distinct systems into the human brain.” (pg. 334) In this passage, Fisher is suggesting that these three concepts are in fact part of our brains because they have evolved that way over the centuries of human existence. In conclusion, it is Fisher’s belief that as humans, we love in three ways: lust, romantic attraction, and attachment.

            In my view, Fisher is neither right nor wrong because I think it is a very interesting theory that she presents in this article. It does make sense that these are the three ways we could love each other and I know for a fact that lust is real, but the other two I think could be explained better. For example, I feel that romantic attraction is too broad of an idea.  Just because you express romantic gestures for someone, doesn’t mean that the two of you love each other. Take Peeta and Katniss for example, at first Katniss has to pretend to love Peeta, she wouldn’t have noticed him if the bread wasn’t involved. Also, I feel that the way she describes attachment isn’t very romantic. It sounds more like a contract someone would make with someone else saying, “Hey, do you think we could raise a kid together for at least eighteen years? After that it doesn’t matter.” Although Fisher might object that these two stages can be romantic situations, I maintain that the second and third ways to love are not convincing. Therefore, I conclude that Helen Fisher is neither right nor wrong, this is her opinion and I agree with it to some extent and it was also very interesting to read about.

Reflect and Connect: Week 12

Connect:

Reflect:
In class this week we discussed the Koran. We had a list of questions to answer regarding the Koran, we were to go around the room and say how we answered the question. The question I answered was compare and contrast the views of god and morality described in the Koran with those found in the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament. I said that in the Koran, the way they talk about Allah is very respectful and they are very grateful to him for making the world around them but in the Bible, the people almost fear their god. They make him sound like a being who created the earth and then isn't happy with it so he destroys everything he made. The people don't seem thankful, they seem a bit frightened. You can sense the dictatorship almost, in the way god behaves. You can tell there is fear in the Bible were there is only love and devotion in the Koran.

Koran

In this work, the overall message relating to the relationship between man and Allah is that man is far, far, far inferior to Allah and Allah is portrayed as how a great god should be. “In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds; Most Gracious, Most Merciful; Master of the day of Judgment. Thee do we worship, and Thine aid we seek. Show us the straight way, The way of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy Grace, those whose (portion) is not wrath, and who go not astray.” (pg. 231)   He is the all things mighty and he is the rule maker. Mankind’s responsibility to Allah is to be at his beck and call and serve him to their greatest potential.

            Women are to be treated with respect but also they are thought of more like property I think. It says to choose more than one if you wish but if you can’t handle it then choose only one. It talks about the dowry, going back to women being treated like property, because you pretty much buy a woman when you marry her. And then when your daughters grow up you kind of barter with the husband. “If the guardian is well off, let him claim no remuneration, but if he is poor, let him have for himself what is just and reasonable.” (pg. 242) I could be totally wrong and off base with that but that’s how I interpreted it.

            I would say that the people from the book are the people who obey every line in the Koran and who are very into the religion. Their relationship to the revelation of Allah and those who accept Islam is that they really know what they are talking about so they can spread the word and be like no, this is how the revelation really happened; it says so in Surah 47 (just an example). They are the people who I would say are really high up in the religion and by spreading the word I just mean that they are the teachers of the revelation to those who accept the Islamic practice.

            The biggest comparison I can make between the Koran and the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament, in relation to god, is that the god, whoever it may be, is the ultimate creator of the world. They are the only beings that possess the power to make things, destroy things, and “call the shots” in the world they created. The biggest difference I notice is that in the Koran, they describe the creation of the world to be interpreted as a gift to the people, like Allah made everything for the people and they respect that as long as they respect him. In the Hebrew Bible and New Testament, I feel like god made the world for himself rather than the people he intended to put on it. Like the people who wrote those pieces of work made it seem like the people were ungrateful for what god made them. Because after all, these are just stories, the writer makes the people of the Koran out to be grateful while a different writer makes god seem selfish.

            The overall advice given to the Christians from the Koran is that they should still believe in their god and believe in the last day and do what is right, and if they do, then they will still be rewarded by their god and have nothing to regret or fear and then they can make their way to heaven.

            One should accept this revelation (I’m assuming this is in regards to question 5) because it makes perfect sense. It’s saying that even if you don’t believe in Allah, you still believe in a god and if you do everything that your god tells you to do and you live your life to the god’s standards, then you still have a place in heaven alongside your god. This makes sense because isn’t this the overall message from every god in every religion?

            The role of the prophets in general is to relay messages to the participants of a religion from god, in this case Allah. The prophets are special people who are chosen to bear this precious gift, when Allah has a message he wants relayed to his people, he tells the profits through a dream like vision, then the prophets relay the message to the people. The role of Muhammad specifically is that he is considered to be the founder of the Islamic religion, he is a prophet of god, but he is also believed to be the last prophet of god which is taught in the Koran.

            I think the evidence given for this being at work of revelation is the fact that they love Allah so much. I don’t know how to make my point other than this, “Say: He is Allah, the One and Only; Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not, nor is He begotten; And there is none like unto Him.” (pg. 265) They just believe in him so much that I think this is the evidence for revelation.

           

Nature Argument Paper

Aristotle argued, “Moderation in all things.” Many of the authors in the Nature section of our humanities book agree that we don’t need an excess of things to make us happy, rather, we need the bare minimum to get by and that will make us happier. We started out as simple beings and were intended to stay that way until technology gave us the opportunity to become more and more lazy with more and more gadgets.

            Henry D. Thoreau said, “The necessaries of life for man in this climate may, accurately enough, be distributed under the several heads of Food, Shelter, Clothing, and Fuel; for not till we have secured these are we prepared to entertain the true problems of life with freedom and a prospect of success.” (pg. 353) He believed most in the fact that all we need is simple things in small quantities to get by. He showed examples of this by moving out to Walden Pond and building his own house that was one room big. He didn’t need three bathrooms, four bedrooms, a laundry room, an upstairs and a downstairs just for one person. He had a bed, a fireplace, and a desk for which he could write on and that is all he needed to get by.

            Aldo Leopold said, “Gadgets fill the pockets, they dangle from the neck and belt. The overflow fills the auto trunk, and also the trailer. Each item of outdoor equipment grows lighter and often better, but the aggregate poundage becomes tonnage.” (pg. 373) I think what Leopold means is that we make more and more of gadgets that yes, get better and better, but they take up space and they distract us from the true nature that we used to live in. If we had less gadgets, things like campers and big trucks, we could go back to bringing just a simple backpack full of things into the wild and living off of it.

            A nature issue that is a perfect example of living in moderation is the issue of whaling. I learned that the Japanese kill hundreds of whales a year, with tons of whale meat that eventually ends up going bad in the street because they don’t eat it fast enough or there is too much meat to eat. We could lessen this issue by hunting less whales, putting a limit on the number killed a year, so that the Japanese only have the bare minimum amount of whale meat to feed everyone and this way, more whales are spared to repopulate the whale population and aid in the food chain. Hunting too many whales is just wasteful, hence the leftover meat. We don’t use the things that we have excess of. We don’t use the meat, we don’t use our new shiny gadgets after awhile, and all of it makes our lives cluttered and actually a bit harder.

            On the other hand, someone might say, well isn’t it better to be prepared? Yes, it is better to be prepared, but at what price? There is a need for leftovers in case one day you don’t have food and need something quick but there should be a limit as to how much is considered storage. We can have storage of things but we don’t need ten pounds more of meat. This relates to all things as well. Like Charmin Ultra says, “Less is more!”

            In conclusion, we have proven on countless times that moderation really is best for us. You kill too many whales, you have leftover meat that goes bad and you decrease the whale population. You eat too much food, and you get fat. You exercise way too much to lose the weight and end up hurting yourself rather than helping yourself. You buy gadget upon gadget just to ignore a week later that ends up cluttering your life. We really should use less than we do because as said by Aristotle, “Moderation in all things,” is better than excess of all things.

           

Reflect and Connect: Week 11

Connect:

Relfect:
In class this week we talked about Buddhism and the Dhammapada and Toaism. We went around the class saying a quote from the reading that we could relate to. My quote was, "Keep sharpening your knife and it will blunt." I chose this because I feel like it is very true. I feel that if you do something to excess, it ends up hurting you in the end rather than helping you. Mrs. Spackman commented on it saying that she sees this in high school with mean words. Kids say something mean to one another but the words hold no meaning because we throw them around like nothing. This tied into a discussion of why kids are so mean to each other these days. I think it's because we don't actually think of the meaning of words, we have become insensitive to them. We also think the other person can take it because we are joking but sometimes they can't.
Another discussion I really liked came from McKay. He said that he was visiting his friend who used to share the same religion as McKay but then kind of veered from the path and started doing his own thing. He told McKay some things and McKay said he wouldn't make the same mistake and he wouldn't have chosen to do whatever specific thing his friend did but then his friend challenged him and said well who are you to say it was a mistake? Maybe for you it was a mistake but it was my decision and maybe for me it was the right one. I totally agree with whoever this kid is because I always feel like I am looked down on because I don't believe the same things that everyone else does but just because YOU think it's right, doesn't mean I do. It's like trying to force your  beliefs on someone but you can't change what another person believes. I just really liked that McKay brought that up. He also had an epiphany and realized that's not right and I secretly appreciate that.

Creation Myth

           Long before the humans, and when the earth was still new, there was a place with sapphire colored waters and ivory colored beaches, the sun beat down on a tranquil lagoon with waves crashing upon it.  On the first day the waves that would create everything washed ashore two lizards the color of the green foliage, with their blue spots to remind them of their creator.  With small yet quick agile bodies the lizards were a perfect creation.  With their blue spots to remind them of their creator, they climbed and roamed all over the tree tops where they decided to live.

            On the second day the almighty waves washed ashore the two sun bears.  With a permanent golden collar that resembles the rising and the setting of the sun, their coats were pitch black.  This was the wave’s way of paying homage to the almighty sun.  The bears soon climbed the trees to hunt the green lizard and leaves around them. 

            On the third day the godly waves brought fourth the clawed otters.  They had a sleek fur coat made for swimming at high speeds to catch it’s pray in its special claws.  Once the otter was washed up to the shore they ran into the dense tropical forest just behind the palm trees to the beach where they would live. 

            On the fourth day the ocean washed up two giant elephants.  With their large bodies and tusks the elephants felt at home among all the ground where they enjoyed the cooling shade from the tall trees, and eating the green grasses beneath them.  They live for many years enjoying the beautiful climate.

            On the fifth day the sea brought ashore two feathered Cendrawasihs.  These birds of paradise were gorgeous.  With the long white tail feathers hanging down and a sharp beak with a bright yellow head, the bird was the prettiest animal yet to arrive.  The birds were given wings to fly over and watch all the other animals on the perfect land of paradise. 

            On the Sixth day the waves washed ashore two little black fish with white spots called an East Java.  Once they fish landed on the white sandy beaches they realized that land was not the place for them. They then hoped back into the blue lagoon over to the reef. 

            On the seventh day the biggest wave of all the seven days washed ashore two humans.  Both stood up and looked at the paradise surrounding them.  They went and saw all the other beautiful creatures that had been washed upon shore in the past six days.  They realized that the almighty ocean and waves were the ones that created all of it.  They created the lizards, the sun bears, the clawed otters, the elephants, the Cendrawasihs, the East Java fish, and lastly the humans.  The waves were the source of life for the animals living, and they knew it created them to take care of the new world. 

Drama Critique

1.      What play did you attend? (Include name, location, name of performers, and director) (No high school productions are permitted)

I saw Zorro the musical. It was held at Hale Center Theatre. The performers were David T. Glaittli, Parker Paulsen, Gunnar Russell, Bailee Johnson, Derek Smith, Paul Cartwright, Jacquelyne Jones, Jeffery Whitlock, Victoria Greco, Raul Adrian Benitez, John Graham, Christopher Squires, John Hayes Nielsen, Adam Dietlein, Bradley Quinn Lever, Benjamin Roeling, Taylor Wuerth, CJ Strong, Rebecca Joy Raboy, Ashley Kathryn Stonebraker, Melanie Cartwright, Sara Schmidt, Summerisa Bell, Bonnie Whitlock, Keolani M. Smith, and Lena Camila Candia. The director is David Tinney.

2.      Give a summary or description of the play you saw. (At least 150 words)

Zorro starts out with a man in California who is an official and deals with punishing people when they have committed a crime. He is a just man, always doing what is right. He has two sons, Ramon and Diego. Diego is just like him but Ramon isn’t. Through the childhood, Ramon feels like he doesn’t get the attention he deserves from his father while Diego is the golden child. When the time comes for Alejandro, the boys’ father, to pass on his title, he chooses Diego but Diego thinks this isn’t fair and gives the title to Ramon. Then Diego runs away to Spain. While he is in Spain, his brother turns into a harsh man who punishes the people unfairly. Diego’s childhood friend, Luisa, seeks him out to tell him that Ramon has become evil and also that his father has died. Diego goes back to California with Luisa and he battles his brother as Zorro and discovers his father is still alive and saves him and in the end he defeats Ramon and wins over the love of his life, Luisa.

3.      In 250 words, discuss the quality of the performance (include a discussion of the costumes, lighting, acting quality, direction, sound quality, and any mistakes or other problems that detracted from the performance)

Overall the performance of the play was outstanding. The costumes were appropriate for the time period of the story and they were very authentic. They had bright vibrant colors when needed and were drab and dull when needed. The accessories used with the costumes also made an impression. The gypsy women wore long, dark wigs that helped express who they are. Through the costumes you could tell who was rich, poor, important, or useless.

            The performers used in the play were prefect for the characters they were meant to play. For example, the characters from Spain were Spanish looking and the ones from California looked that way as well. In short, they used the proper nationalities when needed. They also picked people with great body types for whom they were playing. Example, “Zorro” is a nicely built man who could very well be a gypsy and the gypsy women were nicely built as well.

            Not only did the performers look well but they also performed well. They had so much charisma and personality that they really dragged you into the story, into another time really, and made you resurface when you realized that the play was over. They made it thoroughly entertaining to watch. Even the roles who weren’t as important as the main characters really add something to the play. They are the ones who add in little things that give the play spice, you just have to know when and where to be looking when it happens. As far as mistakes are concerned, if there were any, they hid them flawlessly.

4.      In 250 words discuss the social and philosophical issues the play addresses and indicate what answers/conclusions were reached. (i.e. what was the argument of the work?)

I think this a perfect example of good vs. evil, where the “good guy” will always win over the “bad guy”. Socially, Diego is a better man that Ramon is, therefore leading into the whole daddy loved you more thing. This built up resentment in Ramon for both his brother and his own father, making him an even more despicable person. While Diego being a good guy made things worse by giving Ramon the authority and then running away.

            How Ramon treats his subjects in punishment after he becomes the “ruler” is also a social issue. He takes on the role of the tyrant ruler who raises his hand at the slightest infraction of the rules. He doesn’t treat people fairly as a result of his childhood but also has a result of who he was born as.

            As Diego and Luisa return to California with their gypsy friends, Ramon looks down on the gypsies because they symbolize the rebellion that Zorro brings with him. This is just another social example of problems that arise in this play.

            Philosophically, treat your children equally even when you know one is worse than the other, it will cause problems later if you don’t. Don’t look down on people that you don’t know just because they are different than you or believe differently than you do. And I think the most important thing is that if you are a good person with strong morals and good beliefs, you are most likely to overcome your opponents when they are not so morally sound. People will back you when you are doing good things and they will oppose you when you are doing bad things. Show kindness and you shall receive it.

5.      If this was a musical or opera, discuss the role that music played in the work (150 words)

Zorro is a musical, as said above, so there was a lot music and singing. The music was handy for super intense scenes like the fight scenes or dramatic moments when there needs to be an ominous bum, bum, bum, in the background. Music can bring out the mood of the scene to indicate what you are supposed to be feeling about what is happening in the scene. But also when there were group singing times, it added a little break from normal boring talk of the usual lines said by the cast to add something flavorful to the play. It just makes it more fun to watch, especially when they add the dance numbers to the songs. I like how it brings everyone in the play, even the small parts, into one thing together. For that moment, everyone is on the set and you can see how they all interact with one another. It makes it more personal I think.

6.      What did you find out about the background of the work or playwright? (100 words)

Zorro is a book by Stephen Clark and Helen Edmundson inspired by the 2005 biography of the fictional character of Zorro written by a Chilean author named Isabel Allende. This version was inspired by the 1919 novella The Curse of Capistrano by Johnston McCulley. In reality, it is a prequel to the novella that hints to older Zorro related works, especially from the 1998 film called The Mask of Zorro. Through the decades, the story of Zorro has been changed and rewritten and altered by so many people that there isn’t a specific story line, rather a few that resemble one another but yet has the same concept to it.

7.      Would you recommend this performance to others? Why or why not? (100 words)

I personally don’t enjoy the story of Zorro, it has the feel of an old western mixed with Spain and it’s not my genre of entertainment but this play was different I think because it was live and not just a movie. So I would recommend this to people to go see because it was fun to watch and more entertaining than a boring old movie. Seeing people act it out right in front of me made it more real for me I guess. I still don’t know if I like the story line of Zorro but the attractive men that were in it made it so worth seeing. So if you don’t like Zorro, still go see it for the actors in the play, it’s worth it.

8.      What was your personal reaction to this performance? Would you enjoy attending this type of event again? Why or why not? (100 words)

I don’t like musicals and plays much and like I said, I don’t like the story of Zorro much so I wasn’t too happy to go see this particular play. However when I got there and took in the performers, costumes, music, settings, and the sheer quality, my mind was changed. I think if I were to find a play that really interested me and spoke to me like this one did, I would enjoy seeing more plays  and performances but most the time I don’t like them so it’s kind of a double edged sword. I can either chance it and be miserable or chance it and be pleased. So yes I would go again, but at what price?

            

Buddhism, Dhammapada, & Taoism

Buddhism & the Dhammapada (6^th century B.C.E.)

            The story relating to Buddhism is about a prince who has lived his life in a luxurious manner from eating better than the people to having three palaces. One day he decides that being cooped up in his house isn’t the way to live his life. He decides to shave his hair and beard and become homeless. He practices the way of the monks by eating very little and trying to reach inner peace inside of himself. Along the way, he teaches five other monks the way of the dhamma. Through this story the monk goes through all of the steps of the Hero’s Journey; from the call to the threshold to the end. (I can’t remember the exact names of the steps and I know there are a lot more than that, but you get the idea.) You can connect this story to pretty much any story out there. The character isn’t satisfied with their current situation so they go off on an adventure and then become spiritually happy in the end. From the Dhammapada I have chosen two sayings to connect to. The first is, “One who makes merit rejoices in this life, Rejoices in the next, Rejoices in both worlds. Seeing one’s own pure acts brings joy and delight.” I connect to this because when I volunteer I feel happier and better knowing I was doing something good for someone else. The second is, “Longing gives rise to grief; Longing gives rise to fear. For someone released from longing there is neither grief nor fear.” I can connect to this because I long for something greatly at this moment and it really does cause me grief and sometimes, because I long for this, I can be scared at times.

Taoism (6^th century B.C.E.)

            Taoism is pretty much like the Buddha story and the Dhammapada. It just has a lot of lines regarding how to live your life to the fullest and what to give up and take more of and how to behave around others and how to treat them and everything. I can connect to two sections of this as well. The first one says, “Keep sharpening your knife and it will blunt.” I connect this to being overly cocky I guess. Cocky isn’t quite the right word but I associate it with doing something to such excess that it just ends up hurting you in the end. The second connection says, “Wise people trust those who trust. But they also trust those who do not trust.” I connect this to myself because I feel like I always put trust in people until they give me a reason to believe otherwise.

Reflect and Connect: Week 10

Connect:

Reflect:
This week we wrapped up talking about nature issues and were introduced to religions. I am excited for this portion of the class because I have always wanted to learn about the different kinds of religions and what each one believes. We talked about religion briefly in sixth grade but that was a long time ago, it will be great to go over it again.
After reading the myths, it is interesting to see that most of the sacred texts are similiar. For example, a lot of them deal with floods, and all of them have to do with how the world was created. I am looking forward to seeing how each religion matches its beliefs with how they say the world was created.