"As in a noble household, we are told,
Not every dish and vessel's made of gold,
Some are of wood, yet earn their master's praise."
"In wifehood I will use my instrument
As freely as my Maker me it sent.
If I turn difficult, God give me sorrow!
My husband, he shall have it eve and morrow
Whenever he likes to come and pay his debt,
I won't prevent him! I'll have a husband yet
Who shall be both my debtor and my slave
And bear his tribulation to the grave
Upon his flesh, as long as I'm his wife.
For mine shall be the power all his life
Over his proper body and not he,
Thus the Apostle Paul has told it me,
And bade our husbands they should love us well;
There's a command on which I like to dwell..."
"No one can be so bold - I mean no man -
At lies and swearing as a woman can.
This is no news, as you'll have realizedm
To knowing ones, but to the misadvised.
A knowing wige if she is worth her salt
Can always prove her husband is at fault,
And even though the fellow may have heard
Some story told him by a little bird
Shw knows enough to prove the bird is crazy
And get her maid to witness she's a daisy,
With full agreement, scarce solicited."
"You say that some desire us for our wealth,
Some for our shapeliness, our looks, our health,
Some for our singing, others for our dancing,
Some for our gentleness and dalliant glancing,
And some because our hands are soft and small;
By your account the devil gets us all."
"Wherever I take wine I have to think
Of Venus, for as cold engenders hail
A lecherous mouth beges a lecherous tail,
A woman in her cups has no defence,
As lechers know from long experience."
"I think I loved him best, I'll tell no lie.
He was disdainful in his love, that's why.
We women have curious fantasy
In such affairs, or so it seems to me.
When something's difficult, or can't be had,
We crave and cry for it all day like mad
Forbid a thing, we pine for it all night,
Press fast upon us and we take to flight."
"Now that I felt provided with a mate
I wept but little, I need hardly state."
"I gave my whole heart up for him to hold.
He was, I think, some twenty winters old."
"I ever followed natural inclination
Under the power of my constelation
And was unable to deny, in truth,
My chamber of Venus to a likely youth,
The mark of Mars is still upon my face
And also in another privy place."
"Nor would I rebuke at any price;
I hate a man who points me out my vice,
And so, God knows, do many more than I."
"Mercury stands for wisdom, thrift and science,
Venus for revel, squanding and defiance."
"Lucilia out of lecherous delight.
For she, in order he might only think
Of her, prepared an aphrodisiac drink;
He drank it and was dead before the morning.
Such is fate of husbands, it's a warning."
"He spoke more harm of us than heart can think."
"Sir Knight, there's no way on from here.
Tell me what you are looking for, my dear,
For peradventure that were best for you;
We old, old women know a thing or two."
"The poor can dance and sing in the relief
Of having nothing that will tempt a thief."
"May I go howling mad and take my life
Unless I prove to be as good and true
As ever wife was since the world was new!
And if to-morrow when the sun's above
I seem less fair than any lady-love,
Than any queen or empress east or west,
Do with my life and death as you think best."
lunes, 25 de enero de 2010
miércoles, 20 de enero de 2010
Poetry Anthology Book
http://www.pimpampum.net/bookr/index.php?id=9810
I chose:
- a 21st Century poem called "Some of My Happiest Moments in Life Occur in AOL Instant Messenger"
- one extract from Beowulf
- and another one from The Wife of Bath's Tale.
The reason I chose the first one is because I consider it a sad and moving yet lovely poem. I like it because I think it portrays very well how deeply the Internet has influenced and changed some people's lives - specially young people's - and also, how relationships have changed throughout history.
Though it might seem hard to understand, the use of the Internet has completely changed the way we communicate, and this is even reflected in poetry.
The picture is a snapshot of a Windows Live Messenger screen in which someone's screen name has been moved to the category "People I like Who Don't Like Me Back".
The picture attached to the extract from Beowulf is one of my parents. That part of the poem talks about King Hygelac, Queen Hygd and their castle. Since I tend to read poems from a subjective point of view and I enjoy trying to find similiraties between what the poem is about and nowadays' society or - as in this case - my personal life, I immediately related it to my house and my parents. Mainly, I found Hygd particularly similar in character to my mum, her role in my house and how generous and giving she is.
The last extract, the one from The Wife of Bath's Tale, I chose it because I agree on what the old lady says as regards poverty. I included a picture of a little aborigin girl from a refugees' camp drawing in the ground. It's amazing to see how despite the awful conditions under which they live, some people never lose their hope and happiness and live their lives in a simpler way. And as the extract says: "truly poor are they who whine and fret and covet what they cannot hope to get."
I was so excited about this activity that I had make "thicker" book for myself and included an extra extract from The Wife of Bath's Prologue, but the pictures won't show so I won't include the link in this post. Maybe if I re-make it I'll upload the link in another post.
I chose:
- a 21st Century poem called "Some of My Happiest Moments in Life Occur in AOL Instant Messenger"
- one extract from Beowulf
- and another one from The Wife of Bath's Tale.
The reason I chose the first one is because I consider it a sad and moving yet lovely poem. I like it because I think it portrays very well how deeply the Internet has influenced and changed some people's lives - specially young people's - and also, how relationships have changed throughout history.
Though it might seem hard to understand, the use of the Internet has completely changed the way we communicate, and this is even reflected in poetry.
The picture is a snapshot of a Windows Live Messenger screen in which someone's screen name has been moved to the category "People I like Who Don't Like Me Back".
The picture attached to the extract from Beowulf is one of my parents. That part of the poem talks about King Hygelac, Queen Hygd and their castle. Since I tend to read poems from a subjective point of view and I enjoy trying to find similiraties between what the poem is about and nowadays' society or - as in this case - my personal life, I immediately related it to my house and my parents. Mainly, I found Hygd particularly similar in character to my mum, her role in my house and how generous and giving she is.
The last extract, the one from The Wife of Bath's Tale, I chose it because I agree on what the old lady says as regards poverty. I included a picture of a little aborigin girl from a refugees' camp drawing in the ground. It's amazing to see how despite the awful conditions under which they live, some people never lose their hope and happiness and live their lives in a simpler way. And as the extract says: "truly poor are they who whine and fret and covet what they cannot hope to get."
I was so excited about this activity that I had make "thicker" book for myself and included an extra extract from The Wife of Bath's Prologue, but the pictures won't show so I won't include the link in this post. Maybe if I re-make it I'll upload the link in another post.
A Streetcar Named Desire: Reading Journal. Blogpost N°3 - After reading the whole play.
October 18, 2009 at 1:30am
I think the most important ideas or themes behind the play have to do with longing for something you're not - or something that you haven't got many chances to be - and with how different people manage - or not - to live their lives under the circumnstances that condition them.
The following is one of the quotations which reflect this longing and everything Blanche is capable of doing in order to get it:
- I don't want realism. I want magic! (Mitch laughs) Yes, yes, magic! I try to give that to people. I misrepresent things to them. I don't tell the truth, I tell what ought to be truth. And if that's sinful then let me be damned for it! - Don't turn the light on
These lines show that Blanche goes as far as creating an imaginary world and trying to "sell" it to the people around her just because she thinks that that's the way her world should be.
As regards the title, I think the name of the streetcar reflects that longing and that the streetcar itself might be interpreted as the medium through which Blanche thought she could get those things that she desired, like starting over, finding a husband, etc.
The play made me think about the different social classes and how people inside a same social class are also different from each other, see life from different points of view and give priority or importance to different things too.
I don't know yet what I'd ask the author if I had the chance, as soon as I think of something I will post it.
I think the most important ideas or themes behind the play have to do with longing for something you're not - or something that you haven't got many chances to be - and with how different people manage - or not - to live their lives under the circumnstances that condition them.
The following is one of the quotations which reflect this longing and everything Blanche is capable of doing in order to get it:
- I don't want realism. I want magic! (Mitch laughs) Yes, yes, magic! I try to give that to people. I misrepresent things to them. I don't tell the truth, I tell what ought to be truth. And if that's sinful then let me be damned for it! - Don't turn the light on
These lines show that Blanche goes as far as creating an imaginary world and trying to "sell" it to the people around her just because she thinks that that's the way her world should be.
As regards the title, I think the name of the streetcar reflects that longing and that the streetcar itself might be interpreted as the medium through which Blanche thought she could get those things that she desired, like starting over, finding a husband, etc.
The play made me think about the different social classes and how people inside a same social class are also different from each other, see life from different points of view and give priority or importance to different things too.
I don't know yet what I'd ask the author if I had the chance, as soon as I think of something I will post it.
A Streetcar Named Desire: Reading Journal. Blogpost n°2 - After reading Scene 5.
October 10, 2009 at 3:00am
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Delete Post Edit Blog Posts After reading Scene 5 my predictions have been confirmed, there is a lot of drama - and violence too. My favourite character so far is Stella, I admire how tolerant, pacient and nice she is to her sister. Blanche gets on my nerves, I find her very annoying and even though I don't want to justify him, I understand why Stanley treats her the way he does.
I think the stage directions are very important because they allow us readers to create a very clear idea in our minds of how the characters move in the space. The use of lights and music is interesting because it is adapted to the flow of the intensity of each scene. I also think that the songs have to do with the conflict of the moment in which they are heard.
The quotation I chose is Blanche's, in Scene 1, when she's telling Stella about what happened in Belle Reve:
-"I knew you would, Stella. I knew you would take this attitude about it!"
I think that this short quotation shows us from the very beginning how nuts Blanche is, because Stella doesn't say or do anything and her sister's already moaning for something that makes sense only in her twisted mind.
Admin OptionsEdit Post Add Tags
Cancel
Delete Post Edit Blog Posts After reading Scene 5 my predictions have been confirmed, there is a lot of drama - and violence too. My favourite character so far is Stella, I admire how tolerant, pacient and nice she is to her sister. Blanche gets on my nerves, I find her very annoying and even though I don't want to justify him, I understand why Stanley treats her the way he does.
I think the stage directions are very important because they allow us readers to create a very clear idea in our minds of how the characters move in the space. The use of lights and music is interesting because it is adapted to the flow of the intensity of each scene. I also think that the songs have to do with the conflict of the moment in which they are heard.
The quotation I chose is Blanche's, in Scene 1, when she's telling Stella about what happened in Belle Reve:
-"I knew you would, Stella. I knew you would take this attitude about it!"
I think that this short quotation shows us from the very beginning how nuts Blanche is, because Stella doesn't say or do anything and her sister's already moaning for something that makes sense only in her twisted mind.
A Streetcar Named Desire: Reading Journal. Blogpost 1 - Before Reading.
September 23, 2009 at 3:16pm
I've read the review and watched the videos and I'm glad I did so before I started reading, because now my interest has been aroused. I had no clue what "A Streetcar Named Desire" was about and I still don't understand which is the relationship between the title of the play and the play itself, so I hope I can get a clearer idea as I read at least the first...scenes? I would have said chapters but I'm not sure whether plays are made up of chapters. As you can see, I'm not aquainted with reading plays - I've only read Hamlet in Spanish - so I'm looking forward to see what all this is about.
As regards the characters mentioned, they are Blanche and three other men: "the youth who brought remembrence of yesterday"; "the man who was willing to take her out of the dark allies of New Orleans" and Stanley, "the brute who lied and cheated, who promised everything and gave nothing." When it comes to setting, the play seems to take place in the US, New Orleans perhaps, but I'm not sure about the date.
I think this piece of writing will be quite dramatic - but dramatic from the emotional point of view, of course - I have the feeling it might be as dramatic as the Great Gatsby.
I've read the review and watched the videos and I'm glad I did so before I started reading, because now my interest has been aroused. I had no clue what "A Streetcar Named Desire" was about and I still don't understand which is the relationship between the title of the play and the play itself, so I hope I can get a clearer idea as I read at least the first...scenes? I would have said chapters but I'm not sure whether plays are made up of chapters. As you can see, I'm not aquainted with reading plays - I've only read Hamlet in Spanish - so I'm looking forward to see what all this is about.
As regards the characters mentioned, they are Blanche and three other men: "the youth who brought remembrence of yesterday"; "the man who was willing to take her out of the dark allies of New Orleans" and Stanley, "the brute who lied and cheated, who promised everything and gave nothing." When it comes to setting, the play seems to take place in the US, New Orleans perhaps, but I'm not sure about the date.
I think this piece of writing will be quite dramatic - but dramatic from the emotional point of view, of course - I have the feeling it might be as dramatic as the Great Gatsby.
Assignment N°1 - PART 2. Task A
September 7, 2009 at 3:30pm
http://twitter.com/mayanlou
http://twitter.com/daisybuch
By Alejandra Nannini + Mariana Zarate
http://twitter.com/mayanlou
http://twitter.com/daisybuch
By Alejandra Nannini + Mariana Zarate
The Great Gatsby Reading Journal: Last Post.
July 24, 2009 at 4:30am
AFTER READING AT LEAST HALF OF THE NOVEL:
As I got to Ch. 4 I realized that the story was concentrating mainly in Nick and what he observed. But sooner or later it would have to revolve around Daisy and Gatsby. So, I thought that in the following chapters something related to this couple would happen instead, something that introduced the romantic conflict in the story.
The quotation I chose is the following:
"About that. As a matter of fact you needn't bother to ascertain. I ascertained. They're real."
He nodded.
"Absolutely real - have pages and everything. I thought they'd be nice and durable cardboard. Matter of fact, they're absolutely real. Pages and - Here! Lemme show you."
I picked it for two reasons. First, because Owl Eyes seemed to be the only person in the party who noticed and appreciated that the books weren't fake. And also, because I thought this situation was key to explain why this funny man was the only guest that would show up at Gatsby's funeral and why he would prove to be different from all the others guests.
In chapter 4 there's a change in the focaliser, it is now Jordan Baker who sees and experiences.
AFTER READING THE WHOLE NOVEL:
What are the most important moments/ideas in the story?
- I think the most important moments in the story are Gatsby and Daisy's reunion at Nick's; when Jordan, Nick, Daisy and Tom meet at the Buchannan's house and when Tom steps by Wilson's garage, because I think that these are the moments of most tension in the book.
The ideas that I find most important are how far people can go to thrieve their dreams, both the material and emotional ones; and how snob and materialistic a generation, and people in general, can be.
What were you thinking about as you read?
- Something that shocked me, as I wrote in the second post, was how natural adulthood was portrayed. Like Martine, I found Nick's narration quite dull but I was very excited while reading chapters 7 and 8, which were mainly centred in Gatsby and Daisy's relationship. And the last thing I thought about as I read the book, was that even though I was able to follow the events my lack of vocabulary was preventing me from appreciating the descriptions of setting and mood, I was too concerned with understanding the plot, which I think is a bit tight, and I didn't pay much attention to how the story was told.
What did the text make you think about?
- It made me think that even though this story is set in the 20s, shallowness and snobbery haven't faded away, that they are still present nowadays in our society, and that we deal with them in everyday life. Some situations in the book reminded me of similar ones I have witnessed or being through.
This is a song very related to what I wrote above, it would fit just fine in a modern film version of the book!
On an even more personal note, it made me think that it might not be such a good idea to assume that things will turn out the way we want them to, no matter what, and that sometimes, we need to know when to give up certain dreams. Otherwise, as the final line says, we will be going backward-driving to the current of the river, and we will get hurt in the meantime.
What one question would you ask the writer if you had the chance? Why?
- I would ask him whether, like Nick did after Gatsby's death, he would have changed his lifestyle or whether he wished he had been born in a different time. I think Fitzgerald was strongly criticising the shallowness and lack of values present in people in those times, but I also believe that all the pain and desilusion Nick felt was actually Fitzgerald's.
Silver Screen Gatsby
A while ago I read in a blog that Baz Luhrmann is thinking about making another film version of The Great Gatsby. The owner of such blog had posted pictures of the people she'd like to be on the movie. These are actors that I believe would be great in the film:
From top to bottom and left to right:
Gatsby; Daisy Buchanan; Nick Carraway
Jordan Baker; Mrs. Wilson;
Tom Buchanan; Mr. Wilson; Wolfshiem
AFTER READING AT LEAST HALF OF THE NOVEL:
As I got to Ch. 4 I realized that the story was concentrating mainly in Nick and what he observed. But sooner or later it would have to revolve around Daisy and Gatsby. So, I thought that in the following chapters something related to this couple would happen instead, something that introduced the romantic conflict in the story.
The quotation I chose is the following:
"About that. As a matter of fact you needn't bother to ascertain. I ascertained. They're real."
He nodded.
"Absolutely real - have pages and everything. I thought they'd be nice and durable cardboard. Matter of fact, they're absolutely real. Pages and - Here! Lemme show you."
I picked it for two reasons. First, because Owl Eyes seemed to be the only person in the party who noticed and appreciated that the books weren't fake. And also, because I thought this situation was key to explain why this funny man was the only guest that would show up at Gatsby's funeral and why he would prove to be different from all the others guests.
In chapter 4 there's a change in the focaliser, it is now Jordan Baker who sees and experiences.
AFTER READING THE WHOLE NOVEL:
What are the most important moments/ideas in the story?
- I think the most important moments in the story are Gatsby and Daisy's reunion at Nick's; when Jordan, Nick, Daisy and Tom meet at the Buchannan's house and when Tom steps by Wilson's garage, because I think that these are the moments of most tension in the book.
The ideas that I find most important are how far people can go to thrieve their dreams, both the material and emotional ones; and how snob and materialistic a generation, and people in general, can be.
What were you thinking about as you read?
- Something that shocked me, as I wrote in the second post, was how natural adulthood was portrayed. Like Martine, I found Nick's narration quite dull but I was very excited while reading chapters 7 and 8, which were mainly centred in Gatsby and Daisy's relationship. And the last thing I thought about as I read the book, was that even though I was able to follow the events my lack of vocabulary was preventing me from appreciating the descriptions of setting and mood, I was too concerned with understanding the plot, which I think is a bit tight, and I didn't pay much attention to how the story was told.
What did the text make you think about?
- It made me think that even though this story is set in the 20s, shallowness and snobbery haven't faded away, that they are still present nowadays in our society, and that we deal with them in everyday life. Some situations in the book reminded me of similar ones I have witnessed or being through.
This is a song very related to what I wrote above, it would fit just fine in a modern film version of the book!
On an even more personal note, it made me think that it might not be such a good idea to assume that things will turn out the way we want them to, no matter what, and that sometimes, we need to know when to give up certain dreams. Otherwise, as the final line says, we will be going backward-driving to the current of the river, and we will get hurt in the meantime.
What one question would you ask the writer if you had the chance? Why?
- I would ask him whether, like Nick did after Gatsby's death, he would have changed his lifestyle or whether he wished he had been born in a different time. I think Fitzgerald was strongly criticising the shallowness and lack of values present in people in those times, but I also believe that all the pain and desilusion Nick felt was actually Fitzgerald's.
Silver Screen Gatsby
A while ago I read in a blog that Baz Luhrmann is thinking about making another film version of The Great Gatsby. The owner of such blog had posted pictures of the people she'd like to be on the movie. These are actors that I believe would be great in the film:
From top to bottom and left to right:
Gatsby; Daisy Buchanan; Nick Carraway
Jordan Baker; Mrs. Wilson;
Tom Buchanan; Mr. Wilson; Wolfshiem
The Great Gastby Reading Journal: Post 2.
July 23, 2009 at 3:00am
I thought the story would be closely connected to the American Dream, social classes and, probably, snobbery. Having read up to chapter 2, my predictions are confirmed; in the very second paragraph we read: "Whenever you feel like criticising anyone," he told me, "just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had." Apart from this, Nick, who happens to be the narrator of the story, tells us he comes from a family that has been prominent in the Middle West and describes what the West and East Eggs from NY are like. He also says that the West Egg, where he has moved after coming back from war, is less fashionable than the East Egg.
I chose the following quotation because I found it funny (funny haha, that is):
"No, we just went to Monte Carlo and back. We went by way of Marseilles. We had over twelve hundred dollars when we started, but we got gyped out of it all in two days in the private rooms. We had an awful time getting back, I can tell you. God, how I hated that town!"
First, I thought "How on earth could someone ever hate Monte Carlo?" but I came to the conclusion that it is understandable what Jordan felt, being robbed must be awful, specially if you are far away from home and you're left without any money to come back.
But then I was like, "Come on! These flapper girls must have been quite silly and careless to be robbed in the second day of their trip..."
So I remembered an article I once read in Cosmopolitan Magazine on how to prevent your being stolen when you're on a "girl trip abroad". The text included pieces of advice such as not showing off, not getting too drunk and not sleeping with strangers "no matter how exciting that idea might sound." And it was then that I found the first similarity between flapper girls and Cosmo Girls.
As far as how the characters are portrayed is concerned, Tom seems to be a tough, narrow-minded person; Nick is someone wealthy but seems not to show off or care too much about it; Daisy is portrayed to be quite shallow and dumb, when talking about "The Rise of the Coloured Empires" by Goddard she says Tom "reads deep books with long words in them." and seems unable to give her own opinion on the subject, she simply makes fun of her husband whispering "We've got to beat them down." I got the impression that Jordan Baker was quite rude.
After reading chapter two I think that the story will have to do with adulthood. It shocked me how deliberately Tom introduces his mistress to the cousin of her wife.
I thought the story would be closely connected to the American Dream, social classes and, probably, snobbery. Having read up to chapter 2, my predictions are confirmed; in the very second paragraph we read: "Whenever you feel like criticising anyone," he told me, "just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had." Apart from this, Nick, who happens to be the narrator of the story, tells us he comes from a family that has been prominent in the Middle West and describes what the West and East Eggs from NY are like. He also says that the West Egg, where he has moved after coming back from war, is less fashionable than the East Egg.
I chose the following quotation because I found it funny (funny haha, that is):
"No, we just went to Monte Carlo and back. We went by way of Marseilles. We had over twelve hundred dollars when we started, but we got gyped out of it all in two days in the private rooms. We had an awful time getting back, I can tell you. God, how I hated that town!"
First, I thought "How on earth could someone ever hate Monte Carlo?" but I came to the conclusion that it is understandable what Jordan felt, being robbed must be awful, specially if you are far away from home and you're left without any money to come back.
But then I was like, "Come on! These flapper girls must have been quite silly and careless to be robbed in the second day of their trip..."
So I remembered an article I once read in Cosmopolitan Magazine on how to prevent your being stolen when you're on a "girl trip abroad". The text included pieces of advice such as not showing off, not getting too drunk and not sleeping with strangers "no matter how exciting that idea might sound." And it was then that I found the first similarity between flapper girls and Cosmo Girls.
As far as how the characters are portrayed is concerned, Tom seems to be a tough, narrow-minded person; Nick is someone wealthy but seems not to show off or care too much about it; Daisy is portrayed to be quite shallow and dumb, when talking about "The Rise of the Coloured Empires" by Goddard she says Tom "reads deep books with long words in them." and seems unable to give her own opinion on the subject, she simply makes fun of her husband whispering "We've got to beat them down." I got the impression that Jordan Baker was quite rude.
After reading chapter two I think that the story will have to do with adulthood. It shocked me how deliberately Tom introduces his mistress to the cousin of her wife.
Post-colonial Literature
June 19, 2009 at 4:00am
These are extracts from "The Big Box" a children's book written by Toni Morrison, one of the most outstanding figures in African-American literature.
I've been looking for the whole text in English but I couldn't find it yet. Anyway, through these extracts we can spot the theme of the story. It's about three children who are supposed to be unable to handle their freedom for they don't follow the rules their parents and teachers have set. Therefore, Patty, Mickey and Liza Suer are locked in a box full of games, toys, food and other cool things. But this box is three times locked and its doors open in only one way...
Patty and Mickey and Liza Sue
Live in a big brown box.
It has carpets and curtains and beanbag chairs.
And the door has three big locks.
Oh, it's pretty inside and the windows are wide
With shutters to keep out the day.
They have swings and slides and custom-made beds
And the doors open only one way.
Their parents visit on Wednesday nights
And you should see the stuff they get.
Pizza and Legos and Bubble Yum
And a four color TV set.
(...)
Now, Patty used to live with a two-way door
In a little white house quite near us.
But she had too much fun in school all day
And made the grown-ups nervous.
She talked in the library and sang in class,
Went four times to the toilet.
She ran through the halls and wouldn't play with dolls,
And when we pledged to the flag, she'd spoil it.
So the teachers who loved her had a meeting one day
To try to find a cure.
They thought and talked and thought some more
Till finally they were sure.
"Oh, Patty," they said, "you're an awfully sweet girl,
With a lot of potential inside you.
But you have to know how far to go
So the grown-up world can abide you.
Now, the rules are listed on the walls,
So there's no need to repeat them.
We all agree, your parents and we,
That you just can't handle your freedom."
Patty sat still and, to avoid their eyes,
She lowered her little-girl head.
But she heard their words and she felt their eyes,
And this is what she said:
"I fold my socks and I eat my beets
And on Saturday morning I change my sheets.
I lace my shoes and wash my neck.
And under my nails there's not a speck.
Even sparrows scream
And rabbits hop
And beavers chew trees when they need 'em.
I don't mean to be rude; I want to be nice,
But I'd like to hang on to my freedom.
I know you are smart and I know that you think
You are doing what is best for me.
But if freedom is handled just your way,
Then it's not my freedom or free."
So they gave little Patty an understanding smile,
And put her in a big brown box.
It has carpets and curtains and bean bag chairs,
But the door has three big locks.
(...)
These are extracts from "The Big Box" a children's book written by Toni Morrison, one of the most outstanding figures in African-American literature.
I've been looking for the whole text in English but I couldn't find it yet. Anyway, through these extracts we can spot the theme of the story. It's about three children who are supposed to be unable to handle their freedom for they don't follow the rules their parents and teachers have set. Therefore, Patty, Mickey and Liza Suer are locked in a box full of games, toys, food and other cool things. But this box is three times locked and its doors open in only one way...
Patty and Mickey and Liza Sue
Live in a big brown box.
It has carpets and curtains and beanbag chairs.
And the door has three big locks.
Oh, it's pretty inside and the windows are wide
With shutters to keep out the day.
They have swings and slides and custom-made beds
And the doors open only one way.
Their parents visit on Wednesday nights
And you should see the stuff they get.
Pizza and Legos and Bubble Yum
And a four color TV set.
(...)
Now, Patty used to live with a two-way door
In a little white house quite near us.
But she had too much fun in school all day
And made the grown-ups nervous.
She talked in the library and sang in class,
Went four times to the toilet.
She ran through the halls and wouldn't play with dolls,
And when we pledged to the flag, she'd spoil it.
So the teachers who loved her had a meeting one day
To try to find a cure.
They thought and talked and thought some more
Till finally they were sure.
"Oh, Patty," they said, "you're an awfully sweet girl,
With a lot of potential inside you.
But you have to know how far to go
So the grown-up world can abide you.
Now, the rules are listed on the walls,
So there's no need to repeat them.
We all agree, your parents and we,
That you just can't handle your freedom."
Patty sat still and, to avoid their eyes,
She lowered her little-girl head.
But she heard their words and she felt their eyes,
And this is what she said:
"I fold my socks and I eat my beets
And on Saturday morning I change my sheets.
I lace my shoes and wash my neck.
And under my nails there's not a speck.
Even sparrows scream
And rabbits hop
And beavers chew trees when they need 'em.
I don't mean to be rude; I want to be nice,
But I'd like to hang on to my freedom.
I know you are smart and I know that you think
You are doing what is best for me.
But if freedom is handled just your way,
Then it's not my freedom or free."
So they gave little Patty an understanding smile,
And put her in a big brown box.
It has carpets and curtains and bean bag chairs,
But the door has three big locks.
(...)
The Great Gatsby Reading Journal: Blog Post 1 - Before Reading.
May 30, 2009 at 2:32am
I can't help it. Particularly, before reading, I need to have an idea of what the book will be about and with which subjects it is concerned. So, I like reading about the author's life first and how this has influenced his or her works. Some people are against doing this because they say we shouldn't be influenced by other people's ideas and that we should try, instead, to make sense of the narrative we are reading by ourselves. Nevertheless, I've been doing some research, reading about Fitzgerald and the Roaring 20s, the Jazz Age and Martine's review of the Great Gatsby in goodreads.com.
I like History a lot so I'm looking forward to see this aspect in the book and being able to undestand it better through the descriptions of the feelings and lives of the characters that I think will appear in it. Then, I'd like to see if anything of the things that I predict might happen in this story are taking place nowadays or if they happened at some point near in time, if I can relate the events to some aspect of my own life, or maybe my friends' or family's too.
I can't help it. Particularly, before reading, I need to have an idea of what the book will be about and with which subjects it is concerned. So, I like reading about the author's life first and how this has influenced his or her works. Some people are against doing this because they say we shouldn't be influenced by other people's ideas and that we should try, instead, to make sense of the narrative we are reading by ourselves. Nevertheless, I've been doing some research, reading about Fitzgerald and the Roaring 20s, the Jazz Age and Martine's review of the Great Gatsby in goodreads.com.
I like History a lot so I'm looking forward to see this aspect in the book and being able to undestand it better through the descriptions of the feelings and lives of the characters that I think will appear in it. Then, I'd like to see if anything of the things that I predict might happen in this story are taking place nowadays or if they happened at some point near in time, if I can relate the events to some aspect of my own life, or maybe my friends' or family's too.
The Overt Narrator
Today in class when we talked about the narrator in the analysis of discourse and how it can be either overt or covert, two examples of overt narrators came immediately to my mind. First, the one from "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens and then, I thought of Lemony Snicket in "A Series of Unfortunate Events".
This is an extract from the first book of the series: "The Bad Beginning: Book the First"
"If you are interested in stories with happy endings, you would be better off reading some other book. In this book, not only is there no happy ending, there is no happy beginning and very few happy things in the middle. This is because not very many happy things happened in the lives of the three Baudelaire youngsters. Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire were intelligent children, and they were charming, and resourceful, and had pleasant facial features, but they were extremely unlucky, and most everything that happened to them was rife with misfortune, misery, and despair. I'm sorry to tell you this, but that is how the story goes."
There's a popular movie based on this series of books and here's a link to its first part, where we can also distinguish this overt narrator:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vw9mZZqaQYc
Enjoy Handsome Jude Law's beautiful British accent ;)
"I'm sorry to say that this is not the movie you'll be watching. The movie you are about to see is extremely unpleasant. If you wish to see a film about a happy little elf, I'm sure there is still plenty of seating in theatre number two. However, if you like stories about clever and reasonably attractive orphans, suspicious fires, carnivorous leeches, Italian food and secret organizations, then stay, as I retrace each and every one of the Baudelaire children's woeful steps. My name is Lemony Snicket, and it is my sad duty to document this tale."
This is an extract from the first book of the series: "The Bad Beginning: Book the First"
"If you are interested in stories with happy endings, you would be better off reading some other book. In this book, not only is there no happy ending, there is no happy beginning and very few happy things in the middle. This is because not very many happy things happened in the lives of the three Baudelaire youngsters. Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire were intelligent children, and they were charming, and resourceful, and had pleasant facial features, but they were extremely unlucky, and most everything that happened to them was rife with misfortune, misery, and despair. I'm sorry to tell you this, but that is how the story goes."
There's a popular movie based on this series of books and here's a link to its first part, where we can also distinguish this overt narrator:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vw9mZZqaQYc
Enjoy Handsome Jude Law's beautiful British accent ;)
"I'm sorry to say that this is not the movie you'll be watching. The movie you are about to see is extremely unpleasant. If you wish to see a film about a happy little elf, I'm sure there is still plenty of seating in theatre number two. However, if you like stories about clever and reasonably attractive orphans, suspicious fires, carnivorous leeches, Italian food and secret organizations, then stay, as I retrace each and every one of the Baudelaire children's woeful steps. My name is Lemony Snicket, and it is my sad duty to document this tale."
Fanfiction
May 18, 2009 at 1:30am
Sometimes, when we read, we wonder "what would have happenned if..," and wish we could go on reading about such book or that the author had been more detailed about a certain situation or character. Fanfiction then, is great to fill in those gaps that are left in our imaginations after reading a book. These are sites that filled in some of mine. Why not look for those that help you fill in yours? Check out http://www.fanfiction.net
- (Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel García Márquez)
The death of Santiago Nasar from Pedro Vicario's point of view
- (A Series of Unfortunate Events by "Lemony Snicket")
An account of Ike's death - and a followup on how exactly Aunt Josephine got so afraid of everything
- (Holes by Louis Sachar)
Stanley and Zero's life after Green Lake Camp
- There's a movie based on this book, they show it on Disney Channel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PN-_S7AHkOQ
Sometimes, when we read, we wonder "what would have happenned if..," and wish we could go on reading about such book or that the author had been more detailed about a certain situation or character. Fanfiction then, is great to fill in those gaps that are left in our imaginations after reading a book. These are sites that filled in some of mine. Why not look for those that help you fill in yours? Check out http://www.fanfiction.net
- (Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel García Márquez)
The death of Santiago Nasar from Pedro Vicario's point of view
- (A Series of Unfortunate Events by "Lemony Snicket")
An account of Ike's death - and a followup on how exactly Aunt Josephine got so afraid of everything
- (Holes by Louis Sachar)
Stanley and Zero's life after Green Lake Camp
- There's a movie based on this book, they show it on Disney Channel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PN-_S7AHkOQ
May 10, 2009 at 1:31am
http://surlalunefairytales.yuku.com/forums/1
I found this amazing discussion board and I want to share it with you because I strongly believe you'll find at least one interesting topic to read about. Particularly, I liked this discussion very much because it is about women's role in society, princesses' intelectual and emotional characteristics and Disney Princesses (Y)
http://surlalunefairytales.yuku.com/forums/1
I found this amazing discussion board and I want to share it with you because I strongly believe you'll find at least one interesting topic to read about. Particularly, I liked this discussion very much because it is about women's role in society, princesses' intelectual and emotional characteristics and Disney Princesses (Y)
BBC Big Read Race
http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/bigread/top100.shtml
BBC's Big Read (Top 100 & 200 Books)
These are the top 200 books in the BBC's search for the UK's best-loved novel of all time.
I used this list of books to create a sort of competition in Facebook among my friends and I. We had to mark which of the books in the list we had already read and of course, the one that had read most books won the competition. After I calculated my score I realized I haven't read many actually, but, it's nice to have a guide to follow if you ever want to buy a book and don't really know what to get.
BBC's Big Read (Top 100 & 200 Books)
These are the top 200 books in the BBC's search for the UK's best-loved novel of all time.
I used this list of books to create a sort of competition in Facebook among my friends and I. We had to mark which of the books in the list we had already read and of course, the one that had read most books won the competition. After I calculated my score I realized I haven't read many actually, but, it's nice to have a guide to follow if you ever want to buy a book and don't really know what to get.
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