Little Seamstress Test

4) If you choose the following and answer the question well, you will receive 10 points extra credit:
In the early chapters of Pere Goriot by Honore Balzac (the same author that the guys read in the novel you are reading), the narrator describes the setting and conditions of early 19th century Paris where the main characters live.

"...in that famous valley of ever-peeeling plaster and muddy black gutters, that valley where suffering is always real and joy very often false, and the everyday turmoil so grim that it is difficult to imagine any castastrophe producing more than a momentary sensation there... A Parisian losing his way here would see nothing but lodging houses and institutions, penury or boredom, old age declining into death, bright youth pressed into drudgrey."

In what ways does Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress relate to this passage from Pere Goriot?

The setting in which the boys are being "re- educated" is parallel to the setting described in the passage above. The setting they are thrown in to is simple, methodical, and most importantly loyal to the revolution. The narrator and Luo were born into prominent families, which to the government is threatening to the revolution. Like Honore Balzac said, "bright youth pressed into drudgrey." The everyday work in there village was supposed to shape them into the perfect revolutionary citizen. "Each day we had to fill the 'back-buckets' with a mixture of excrement and water, hoist them onto our shoulders and clamber up the mountainside to the fields, many of which were situated at dizzying heights(Dai Sijie, 14)." The tight schedule of chores left no time for imagination, which in turn allowed an extra hour of sleep to be the greatest escape for the boys. Every worker on the mountain and in the villages near were working to old age. Working until "old age declining into death(Balzac)." The villagers only had there work to look forward to. There lifes were black and white. "The everyday turmoil so grim that it is difficult to imagine any castastrophe producing more than a momentary sensation there(Balzac)."

Othello

The Tragic Vision is all those effected by the tragic hero. The hero being Othello and those effected being Iago, Desdemona, Cassio, Emilia, and Roderigo. Although the hero's actions cause the tragedy, the actions of the other characters feed the fire of tragedy.

Emilia's love for Iago fed the fire of tragedy. Her love caused her to steal Desdemona's handkerchief. She stole the handkerchief not for the down fall of Othello, but so she could satisfy her Iago. In doing this she provided "evidence" for Othello to think Cassio was lying with Desdemona. The "fire" grows.

Desdemona's good nature fed the fire of tragedy. Her brotherly love for Cassio and her endless love for Othello caused the demise of herself and Othello. Her non-stop help for Cassio only helped Iago make a good point for adultery. She only wanted to help Cassio become favorable in Othello's eyes, but Iago twisted her help into a sexual need.

Cassio's foolish actions and love for Othello fed the fire of Tragedy. If he hadn't of drank to much of the poison that eats your brain he wouldn't of fought in the first place. Which led to his demotion by Othello. His love for Othello caused him to want to be back in good terms with Othello. Which led to Cassio going to Desdemona for help. Which led to Iago being able to use that connection for his evil plan.

Roderigo's desperate love for Desdemona fed the fire of tragedy. Iago's promise of Desdemona's love allowed Iago to use Roderigo as a pawn. If it wasn't for his desperate love Cassio wouldn't be DEAD.

Because of Iago's masterful mind twisting, he was able to use all of the character's characteristics for the downfall of Othello. Which in turn brought the downfall of each major character.

Evil is as Evil Does

EVIL is learned through the environment they grow up in. A baby once there are born just can't pop out and think they are evil. Just like being good is learned from your surroundings, evil is learned from your surroundings. If a child grows up with Hitler there is a high chance that kid will be evil. If a child grows up with Ghandi there is a real high chance that kid will become good.

LOVE

Love, what a wonderful and confusing word. Who knew that four letters could have such a big impact on the world. Love is such a strong feeling that wars have been fought over the Passion of love. Whether it be love for a country or love for a women, love is the ultimate trump card.
Love is a very complex feeling. When you first meet a girl you almost have the feeling that it's to weird to be true. After you accept that feeling the feelings you have for the other person is almost unmeasurable. You feel as if that is the only person you want to hang out with 24/7. This feeling you have doesn't require sex to prove it. Your satisfied with being by that person, or going to Piedmont Park and laying on a blanket for six hours straight. You're able to talk normal to that person. Meaning you don't have to think about what you're about to say, you can just speak your mind without feeling regret. Love is when that person can sit next to you and help you through depressing times. No matter how silly your depression might be they talk with you and comfort you. Love is when you can't go five minutes without thinking about the other person. Love is when you and that other person can make any situation into a fun situation. Love is being able to work through the hard times. Not giving up. Loving Is Living.

The Teenage Years

Being a teenager now a days is easy. Our food is paid for and our room and board is free! To me there is only one negative aspect of being a teenager. Our whole society doesn't trust us! We are allowed to drive, vote, smoke, and go to war, but adults still seem to not trust teenagers. My friend has experienced a prime example of what I am talking about. He was driving to a Golf driving range and while driving through an intersection he was hit by a lady running a red light. He saw the lady coming and thought she would stop because she had a red light, but the lady kept on coming. He slammed on the brakes and swerved to avoid T-boning her. When the crash was done the result of the cars didn't leave a hint to who's fault it really was. So the word of him and the lady was the most concrete evidence. When they both got out of there cars my friend asked her if she was okay and she replied yes adding that she was sorry and didn't know what she was thinking. After the cops came and she talked to her husband my friend asked her why she ran the light and she condescendingly fired back that she didn't run the light. My friend was thrown back by the comment. When telling me this story he told me that he was sure the lady's husband told her to lie, because later he found out the the lady's insurance was very crappy and they probably couldn't afford a crash. So after they both told their mismatched stories to the cop he went home and prepared for days of convincing ahead. After days of attempted convincing the court date he was dreading came upon him. When the court date came and went he felt the wrath of the mistrust adults have with teenagers. The court took the word of the lady over his just because she was a trusted citizen of the city of Atlanta. He told me it felt like the huge fist of the justice system hit him to the ground and wouldn't stop stomping.
And that concludes my example of how authority figures don't trust teenagers.

Christmas Tradition

Every Christmas my mom makes our family do the advent wreath and the Joshua tree. With the advent wreath we light one candle the first week of advent then one more each week after. Till Christmas day when we light the middle candle, which represents Jesus's birth. Sounds fun, right? Not after doing it for eighteen years. We read the same passages and attempt to sing the same songs year after year. If that's not bad enough the Joshua tree is even worse. Each day of December is represented by a patch that symbolizes something that happened in the bible. Every day, right after dinner, we stop and have to read a passage about the patch and put the patch on the cloth tree. It was fun the first ten years, but after eighteen years it gets old. Although this "tradition" stuff gets old, it reminds me of our happy family. Everybody getting together at one time to share a special moment is what all families need and I'm glad I have that.:)

Questions about Click

After watching the movie "Stranger than fiction" my questions were mainly pointed towards how God fits in with the whole fate issue. In the movie the answer was that God controls everything Howard Click does in his life. Emma Thompson plays the distressed writer that turns out to be controlling Click's life. What I saw was that she symbolizes God, she also writes the book in an apartment high up in the building that is painted all white with minimal appliances.
In "Stranger than fiction" God seems to control all of the humans life, but what I see sometimes in other movies or books is that God sets up the humans life and lets the human live knowing the human will do everything he wants.