Sammy’s Peculiar Thoughts

In the Merchant of Venice Shakespeare uses clever ways to show how mercy is shown, but only when someone has the upper hand in a situation. Through out the play we have sympathy towards different characters at different times. The characters we normally feel this sympathy for are the people who are asking for mercy. In the early part of the play we see Antonio asking for money from Shylock even though he treats him like crap. Shylock having the money to loan there for having the upper hand loans him the money interest free. We see this in an opposite manor in the middle of the play. Shylock simply asking for respect because he is just human he wants some mercy, which later is denied by Antonio. Towards the end of the play in the courthouse, the Christians beg Shylock to show mercy to Antonio. He chooses not to but then the tables are turned. Antonio is given the upper hand in the situation and shows some mercy to Shylock but says he must convert to Christianity which is slightly rude and low. It is interesting how Shakespeare shows how people react to having the upper hand in a situation. Without even knowing it he shows us how people react to this power. We can see from Shakespeare that once a human is given the slightest power or upper hand they either choose to take advantage or show some mercy. Through Antonio and Shylock we can see that this is human trait we posses is unpredictable and depends on the person’s character. It can be influenced and know one knows how someone will react to this power. In Merchant of Venice, Antonio and Shylock demon straight these human characteristics. Shakespeare’s voice and creative mind just showed us the begging of this thought of mercy and power.

The courtroom scene I found comical as Shakespeare probably intended but also I thought Shylock was getting the crap end of the stick. He gets bashes on for so long for being a Jew and he gets spit on and they take advantage of him. I wanted him to get his revenge, but no. I was actually legitimately mad when I read the court scene. Portia was acting as the person who made the decision. That is straight up bull. Although Shylock is kind of crazy I still think he deserves justice. Portia is a fraud. Everyone is probably like yeah everything worked out but no I am mad. Shylock deserved his pound of flesh. Ya ya so the boys offered way more money then the loan was for but still it wasn’t paid on time. It was very clever how Portia twisted it though. How she said no drop of blood could be shed I thought it was clever. If I was going to have a word with Shakespeare I would tell him off with a pound of his flesh. Shylock already got enough crap he deserved his justice and I just thought that Shakespeare made him a laughing point and then made him seem like he had some great points but then made him look like a fool.

And here is mine from Friday I had it printed to turn it but forgot then I didnt want to pitch a lame excuss and even though no credit will be rewarded I still wanted to post it.

Fridays

I am finding Merchant of Venice very interesting. Shakespeare has a very peculiar way of writing. I think Antonio is a pretty awesome character he is short of a rude BA but also an amazing friend. I mean lets be honest he is willing to give a pound of flesh for a friend. Another character I think is pretty cool is Shylock. He is nuts and he wants revenge it sounds like. What kind of man asks for another guys flesh? It awesome, pure brilliance on Shakespeare’s part. Shakespeare is kind of a weird guy. I learned that he used all males for his plays. So Juliet and Portia were played by dudes. It’s kind of weird but it shows how the roles of women and men were different back then. Women were obviously not part of society like men were, unless they had a high social status. I am really interested in how the plot turns out. There are so many twists that could happen. Who knows if Antonio will ever get his money, so maybe he will have to really give Shylock a pound of his flesh? I also think that maybe Bassanio’s plan to marry Portia could go wrong somewhere.

In Conrad’s, Heart of Darkness, there seems to be a lack of women throughout the novel. When women are present they are always involved with Kurtz or Marlow somehow. Also there are only five women, three of which hold a presence of only about ½ pages to a page. Marlow’s aunt was talked about briefly, probably about a page worth and the two women he encountered briefly at the station knitting with black wool were talked about for about ½ a page. The two other women that held any substance in the novel were Kurtz’s mistresses.

            We first meet the native women on page 98 were she is painted in a vivid image to us. She was covered with gold jewelry all over her body and she was “draped in striped and fringed cloths”. She was described a gorgeous women who looked like a warrior. Marlow could tell that she could defiantly hold her own. In her departing seen from the novel the Pilgrims opened fire towards the land were she was standing with her arm outstretched towards Kurtz and the steamboat. This arm stretch is recreated later in the novel by Kurtz’s other woman.

            We first catch a glimpse of Kurtz’s “intended” in the form of a picture that Marlow receives from Kurtz on his death bed. She is described as a “beauty,” but late when Marlow actually meets her this image is changed. Marlow meets her a little over a year after Kurtz’s death. She is still mourning his death. She is dressed in all black and is given off as kind of a gloomy figure. When she goes to grab a group of papers from Marlow her arm outreaches towards Marlow as the native women’s had toward Kurtz and the steamboat.

            Conrad seems to portray Kurtz’s women in the same kind of style. They are both beauties who long for Kurtz. It is nice to see that Conrad does make these women seem strong and womanly but it is disappointing that there is a lack of women. They do not seem to last to long throughout the novel and in the end seem weak and needy for Kurtz. On a side tangent that is kind of relevant, Conrad does not involve African American characters to much in his book. The native woman was the character who was mentioned the most in the novel and in the end we were given the impression that she was shot. Conrad seems to have something against women and African Americans and this affected his writing in one way or another.

1. The story begins on a boat with an anonymous narrator speaking. They are on a boat called the Nellie on the Thames River. The area was described with many dark gloomy words and was closed up with the description of the sun setting.
2. An anonymous sailor.
3. Marlow has “sunken cheeks and a yellow complexion.”
4. They were explorers exploring new area but on the boat the played cards.
5. The Thames “stretched before them like the beginning of an interminable waterway.”
6. It gives kind of a sense that the Thames was known to all and welcome to all.
7. He was also a wanderer and most seamen were leaders.
8. Marlow’s words are being spoken through the narrator but once Marlow first speaks he speaks of the darkness.
9. He describes it as a big snake.
10. He described the colossal jungle and how it was a dark green with “fringed with white surf.”
11. It suggests that there will be much chaos later in the novel that will be ambiguous.
12. There was lots of noise. And there was A LOT of people all black with piercing white eyes. There was a jetty coming from the river. Also the sunset was blinding.
13. He calls the chief a miracle because he dresses so nicely and properly in such a chaotic area. He seems not effected with what is going on around him.
14. He learned that Kurtz was a huge deal in the ivory business and that he was a first class agent.
15. He walks with a caravan of people.
16. It is at the sunken in the river.
17. He was a middle size man with a normal build and also he had blue eye that were unusual and seemed cold.
18. He likes that it keeps him busy he doesn’t notice the chaos going on around him and he stays sane.
19. The Eldorado Exploring Expedition contrasts with Marlow’s mission on the steamboat because they are about getting rid of Kurtz.
20. He is suggesting that the rival company is called Eldorado because they were they were the rivals and they were searching for ivory which corallites with the name Eldorado which means golden one.
21. Marlow needs rivets.
22. He uses analogies during this passage.
23. The suspenseful note that the first installment ends on is Marlow giving up on finding the rivets and him focusing on Kurtz’s ideas.
24. The manager and his uncle arriving talking about there plans with Kurtz.
25. He learns that they plan to take over the management position.
26. It is important because Marlow now knows that Kurtz is seriously ill.
27. He uses a metaphor to describe how long and treacherous it was.
28. They help him stay clam. He forms a type of kinship with them.
29. They move like a slug.
30. He calls them specimens and says he was “improved”. His attitude toward this man is that he likes him because he knows his job and he knows what he is doing.
31. The steamboat is attacked by a storm of arrows from shore.
32. The Helmsman dies during the arrow attack and is hit with a spear.
33. To frightens them with the load noise of the steamboat by sounding the horn.
34. These African characters normally only speak to Marlow and it always seems to be when someone is eating or is about to be eating or would like to be eating. Conrad doesn’t show much interest in them and basically throws them to the side.
35. The cannibals along with the other shipmen would have eaten him.
36. A book was found that was writing in Russian.
37. The man has a really boy like face and has bright vibrant patches all over his clothing.
38. It was Russian.
39. All the grass was high hinting that it had been growing for a long time and there was a building in which was withering away.
40. There was a snag.
41. Women are meant as objects of visual sexual ness only. They are meant to look good and not bend any ones decisions or opinions.
42. They had a business partnership that was basically it. The helmsman was not a vital part to him or the big picture.
43. International Society for the Suppression of Savage Customs.
44. “Exterminate all of the brutes.”  He has no desire to posses any qualities that they do and wants everyone to be aware.
45. The Russian talking to Marlow sharing his knowledge on Kurtz.
46. Symbollically it shows how a person has this drive to go back and repeat something it longs for (drug addiction, shopping, etc). It litterally means he was with Kurtz for e super long time.
47. He traided cartridges.
48. He had ivory and Kurtz wanted it.
49. Kurtz had brought the fighting men of the lake tribe down to the river.
50. He realizes that they were to warn people and that the posts had actual human heads on them.
51. Kurtz is the man on the stretcher surprisingly and Marlow’s long wait has come to an end and he finally meets him.
52. She is decorated in extreme amounts of gold jewelry covering her but she looks strong almost like a warrior.
53. She was seen as Kurtz’s lover. Since she was involved with Kurtz she held more time in the novel than any other women but also African.
54. The manager tried to show some sorrow for Kurtz’s illness but inevitably by him considering a sigh we know that he isn’t that sad.
55. Gets off the boat and follows him.
56. He believes his soul has gone mad because his soul and his mind were in a constant battle.
57. They do not wish for a fight or uproar to occur.
58. That Kurtz has become a native and that the darkness has won over him.
59. When the steamboat broke down once again the setback causes Kurtz’s confidence to be shaken.
60. Kurtz entrusts his package of papers and photos.
61. He thinks it a victory because it shows that Kurtz had an idea of what he was actually doing.
62. The significance is that is shows that the darkness truly didn’t take over and that he in the end realized his actions.
63. It showed how Kurtz was trying to void his mind from his actual actions. He was trying to act like he didn’t know what he was doing. But by him shouting “The horror! The horror!” it shows that he knew what he did was horribly wrong.
64. Conrad reveres to them as the “intended” because that is what we are in his mind. We are intended for men and names would be silly to mess around with.
65. When he says “I have wrestled with death” he means that he was walking on the line of darkness, basically on the other side but came back after he battled himself.
66. Huge figures were around the room and it was really cold and gloomy.
67. Marlow thinks of Kurtz native lover because she extended her arms out to the boat as it departed.
68. He says his last words were her name which was inevitably a lie.
69. The British woman was a character longer in the book than the African women was. But they did share some similarities. They both were given no name, they both we objects of lust, and they both were involved with Kurtz.

Plagiarism. It was a topic that I never really took super seriously. Yes I knew that I needed to cite my sources and yes I knew I needed to quote but that was as far as I took it. Reading these websites I have read more about some things that I have heard of before but thought were not true. I have heard of people getting kick out of school for plagiarizing but I didn’t think it was true, I thought it was just teachers trying to scare us. I honestly thought teachers didn’t really give two cents about if we plagiarized of not. Now I understand the issue. I would not want someone copying my work that I put the labor in to create. I should posses the creativeness to make my own masterpieces. Yes others works can inspire me of twist my bias or opinion but in the end it should be my work. Also not plagiarizing leads to the strengthening of my writing. I knew the basics of plagiarizing. That you couldn’t just copy and paste someone’s work. But it is so much more than that. You can take bits and pieces from there work and still be plagiarizing. In history class copying and pasting was the way things happened we would copy the event and read the exact book definition allowed. But not plagiarizing allows the person to understand there topic more.

http://www.plagiarism.org/learning_center/what_is_plagiarism.html

http://www.plagiarismdetect.com/what-is-plagiarism.php

Research One:

November 2^nd

Upon researching in depth on my first source I am left with a change of mind on there purity balls. The purity movement never sounded crazy to me it was just the fathers and how creepy they were. This article showed a different side. It basically explained these dances in depth and the ceremonies that occur that. Granted these ceremonies are a little crazy to me, but I’m not Christian which defiantly skews my bias. But trying to set my bias aside this article helped show me how and why people join these purity movements I learned of the connection that the daughters and there fathers gain from these purity balls. It also connects the girls closer to god. The ritual were the fathers walk their daughters underneath the swords before a cross draped in white sheer fabrics seemed a bit bazaar to me but I will have to tell you more about it once I have all my research complete.

Research Two:

November 5^th

So after I did my research this weekend I had a change of heart about the purity balls. Now after I have found my last two sources I am back to my original view. Yes my non religious bias comes into effect when I read these sources and I try to push them aside but it’s hard. These girls are left to make no choices in the young lives. Did you know that most of the girls who pledge to be pure to marriage end up breaking this promise? And when they break this promise and are not protected because they do not know how to be protected because they were only ever taught about abstinence. These two articles, one which is from the show that I watched that sparked my original interest on this topic; show how creepy these dads are sometimes. I am not saying that these dads are trying to be creepers but they are very serious about being into there daughters lives.

Bias:

November 6^th

When we started talking about bias I thought I knew what was going on. Then you handed us the lovely text from the text books from back in the day and my world flipped. I was lost I had no clue how those had anything to do with bias. I mean come on it was about a kid who people liked and how to remember where stuff is. But then we covered it more in class and the light bulb came on. I realized that bias isn’t always bad. I thought if you had a certain bias on something it was a bad thing. Theses articles showed me that bias is good sometimes also. The Williamson essay was easier for me to read and understand after we had this discussion in class. I think the things that helped show bias the most was the article that involved Martian Luther King Jr. When we did the activity in class where you had us go through and find the bias I underlined and highlighted so much I was surprised. All in all the discussions during class probably helped me to see my wrong views about bias. I now hold the knowledge of knowing that bias isn’t all bad and sometimes it is good.

Free Response:

Things Fall Apart is a fitting title for this novel. Okonkwo’s tragic flaw, fear of weakness, brings out the greatness of this title selection. First he despises his father because of the fact he possesses no title. To Okonkwo he is nothing. Okonkwo was ashamed of him. This was just the begging of Okonkwo’s world falling apart. Next we go to his daughter. To him she should have been a boy, she isn’t as great as she should be in his eyes and there for in his mind she is not there for him. Next Okonkwo takes part in killing Ikemefuna. This boy saw him as a father but because Okonkwo does not want to be seen weak he takes part in killing him. Next is his wife. He beats her during the week of peace. Let’s not mess around that is a tad bit serious. So she then would obviously be very bitter towards him. And lastly is his son Nwoye. He leaves to join Christianity. This is the ultimate slap in the face. Okonkwo has lost all things close and dear to him. He either does not want to be associated with them or they dislike him and his choices. Okonkwo has lost it all at the end of the book. His whole security blanket and life have fallen apart. This is why the title of the book is so fitting. Not only are things in the society of the Igbo culture falling apart so is the main character, Okonkwo’s life.

Free Response:

            So this may be way out there but it’s been lingering in my mind for quit some time. What do they do with the bodies after they are put in the haunted forest? DO they just let them chill there? I know you probably couldn’t give me a direct answer and I would probably have to do some intense research to find the answer. But let’s think about it. It is the haunted forest. Is it partially haunted because of the bodies? Why else would the forest be haunted? This is where the dead bodies and spirits kick it. I know it that is kind of a comical way to put it but that is what it comes across to me as. They kill someone and to ride of there sins and the evilness of the body they toss it in the haunted forest. Kind of linking to the whole subject of death, Why is killing someone such a hard/easy thing to do at some points? Yes it is because some situations call for different measures. For some reason it was easier for Okonkwo to kill Ikemafua. His tribes men could not partake in killing the British but if a sacrifice was need for something they would be right on it.  

Free Response:

            So another thing that just jump started my mind was the rituals. Maybe I will some research on the topic another day but for now I will just discuss it. It seems that many of these rituals and ceremonies were kind of out there. Yes I have no idea about anything dealing with these ceremonies or traditions but they still seemed strange. Maybe it is because I am unaware of the culture which I truly am. Maybe it is that these rituals are kind of strange though. The language used in them just sounds a bit off to me.

Chatpter 16

A) In this chapter Obierka visits Okonkwo in and talks to him about how things aren’t looking so good since the missionaries came about. Speaking of the missionaries, Nwoye find a vast interest in them. Okonkwo because very upset. He then disowns his own son.

B)  Rollicking-carefree and joyous; swaggering, boisterous

Callow- immature or inexperienced; a recently hatched worker ant, (haha).

C) Do the igbo people still put twins in the forbidden forest?

Was Okonkwo and his father a foreshadow to Nwoye and Okonkwo?

Does Okonkwo deep down wonder about the missionaries religion?

Chapter 21

A. The villagers of Umofia do completely dislike the British. Some people actually take a liking to them and join the church. Mr. Brown is a popular man in the town and most people enjoy him. They like the fact that a hospital and school was built.

B.  

• lunatic- wildly foolish
• akin-related by blood, descended from common ancestry
• prestige-credit in the general opinion of others

1. Is the school popular in the town?

Do these improvements in the town leave the villagers wanting more?

Why were the outkasts so popular in the church?

Whole book

A.) Right off the bat you are shown into the Igbo’s ways. Then you are taken through Okonkwo’s life and how things slowly start to fall apart for him. Hence the title of the book. He goes through many struggles and you learn to love him and hate him. But ultimately in the end it can only end one way for him, his death.

B.) obanje: uinstrument
chi: personal god
coweries: money

C.) Why did Okaye paint his big toe?

Why was palm oil so popular?

Why did the women hurd up the cattle when they got loose? 

It was a pleasantly warm summer day. There was a soft breeze that left one feeling as if a goose bump was coming on. It was late morningish probably about nine thirty or ten. We had just finished an all camp activity. The activity was having everyone at camp hold hands (about 250 people) and we would not link the hands but loop around so everyone looked each other in the eyes. We were told that the only way to tell someone how you truly feel about them if looking them in the eyes. We listened to several soft tunes while doing this and no one left dry eyed. It was an impacting moment knowing how people impacted you and how you impacted people. Well the impacts didn’t stop there. I was given “the note” as I like to call it from JC Andrew. After I read it I remember having very blurry eyes from crying. I was already crying from the camp activity now I was bawling. My vision was also filled with trees and wilderness. Camp cispus is a beautiful place right in the middle of the heart of the wilderness in Randle, WA. Also I saw tons of people but the people I remember seeing at the moment were JC Theo (he was hugging me goodbye) and the JC Andrew after he tapped me on the shoulder to mention one last thing to me. I remember feeling the smoothness of the note card and the wetness from my tears. I remember tasting my tears and there were really salty and stickiness from being really thirsty. I smelled the wonderful outdoors, bug spray and that strange sent you get when you start crying. All you could here was people crying and sobbing and people giving there goodbyes. The last thing I heard from this snapshot was JC Andrew after he tapped me on the shoulder saying “I don’t know how everyone doesn’t pick you out when your in a crowd you’re crazy amazing. Change the world kiddo.”

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I was truly stumped when thinking of someone who has ever helped me out in a time of need. I normally just work through my tough situation alone or keep it bottled in. But after sitting down with no distractions I finally thought of someone, or someone(s) really. I was going to just write about one of my friends but the way I was helped I swear it was like they were working together. I have to AMAZING friends who are always there for me, Josh and Kirsten. Whether they know it or not they are constantly helping me with a struggle that faces me even to this day. My parents are divorced and it comes with a lot of struggles and stress. Whenever something is wrong at one of my houses these two goofs come along and make me feel better. It almost seems like they are talking to each other about what to say to me (who knows maybe they are). Kirsten normally comforts me in a friendly way just saying how “stupid” something is or how “everything will be ok”. Josh on the other hand is the comedian. He gets a little heated sometimes if I get really upset but normally he just is a goober and tries to make me laugh. Normally along the lines of “Why don’t you just brawl?” Then I have to explain to him that they are my parents and that would not go over to well. But all in all those two are always there for me and have always been there for me when I needed them. I tried to keep it to just one person who has helped me through something but honestly these two are my sugar and my spice. They go together and are key components to the recipe of my life.

Critical thinking to me is exploring. It is the willingness to go out of your comfort zone to and to indulge in something new. No not indulging in a new food or playing an ice breaker that makes you feel uncomfortable, it is thinking in a way that is new to you. It makes you explore what you are doing and provides you with so many more answers but also questions. But the real question is when do people actually critical think? We are forced to in school sometimes and people with jobs where the must make hard decisions like being a doctor use them everyday. But what about everyone else? Most people are to afraid or lazy to critical think. They don’t want to leave there comfort zone of thinking and like the way they think. So what grade thinker does that make them? Undeniably we would say a grade three. So does that make grade one thinkers grand critical thinkers? I do not know. Possibly, but the decision is not up to me alone.