PBandJ

Raoul Duke and Dr. Gonzo say they are searching for the American Dream. What do they think the dream is, and do they find it?

2007-05-07T13:04:00.000-07:00

This movie was rather interesting to watch, especially the ways in which they depicted each drug trip. Although i was confused as to how these men did not die after consuming all of these drugs, i still enjoyed the movie. Also, i liked the fact that the makers of this movie were not afraid to portray the affects of drugs, let alone drugs themselves...many movie-makers shy away from that.

Raoul Duke and his lawyer drive to L.A. with a car full of drugs to cover a motorcycle race. Throughout the movie they mention that they are on their way to find the American Dream. The American Dream is exactly what it stands for, a dream. It is something of a perfect place that is made up in ones mind and is believed to be true, but then does not really exist. In this movie, they are in search of their perfect place, however, they come to realize that no matter where they go there will always be someone to stop them. Although it seems that throughout their entire journey they never end up finding the American Dream, however, they do. Their journey itself was the American Dream. It was a perfect place, especially in the 60’s, full of every kind of drug they could ever imagine.

2007-04-18T14:36:00.000-07:00

The Importance of being Earnest was a story that I actually didn’t mind reading. It became confusing at times, but after the discussion in class I was able to understand the parts that I found rather difficult. I also came to the conclusion that the women in the story are crazy. Anyone who chooses to marry a man simply because of his name is an idiot.

Wilde’s discussion of identity should be taken seriously. For something to be humorous, I believe that it should make a person laugh. This story was entertaining, but not humorous. Presently we all struggle with societal pressures being school, work, family, friends, etc. In order for an individual to survive we must make time for ourselves to unwind and loosen up. In the short story, The Importance of Being Earnest, Wilde represents this in a way that is different from how we may handle this situation. He represents Jack as a man that is upright, moral, and respectable. However, he has a make believe brother, Ernest, who he actually pretends to be in many parts of the story. He is a man that acts completely opposite of Jack. Algernon also pretends to have an imaginary friend, Bunbury. Both of these men pretend to have other people in their lives that are imaginary because it gives them a reason to escape from the real world. For someone to be earnest they are serious and diligent in their intent to do something. Wilde used this word for a reason, because Jack was earnest in living two separate lives for the soul purpose of being able to escape reality whenever possible. I feel that Wilde uses the two separate identities of both Algernon and Jack to show the reader how an individual can act pristine in reality to meet social standards, but also needs time apart from that to relax from the overwhelming pressures of society.

2007-04-09T13:39:00.000-07:00

The Taming of the Shrew is very hard to follow and understand when, to me, seems likes its written in broken English. Aware of the fact that this piece was written by Shakespeare, it is easy to understand why it is written in such a way. After reading the first 3 acts I now know that I’d rather be gouging my eyes out with spoons than reading the rest of Shakespeares work. (No offense Prof. Harbottle)

"Am I a lord and have I such a lady?

Or do I dream? Or have I dreamed till now?

I do not sleep: I see, I hear, I speak,

I smell sweet savors and I feel soft things.

Upon my life, I am a lord indeed

And not a tinker nor Christopher Sly.

Well, bring our lady hither to our sight

'And once again a pot o' th' smallest ale."

This passage, Induction 2: lines 68-75, is where Sly finally falls to the Lord’s evil trickery and thinks that he is a Lord rather than a drunken homeless man after being picked up on the street by the Lord himself. Also, this passage shows that Sly finally realizes that he has a wife. To further the Lords misleading actions, the Lord tells the Page to dress in women’s clothing and act as Sly’s long lost wife. The humor that arises is illustrated when Sly believes not only that this person is his wife, but when he thinks this man dressed in women’s clothing is a woman. Furthermore, humor arises again when Sly wants to take his “wife” to bed with him. However, the Page denies his request because he is a man.

"The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson

2007-03-21T15:14:00.000-07:00

“The Lottery” is an odd short story an unusual ending. The fact that the town consists of only 300 people shows that they are a secluded small settlement, making sense of such a ritualistic and strange tradition. Why anyone would ever consider, let alone go along with, such custom is beyond me. And if I ever had to partake in such event, I sure wouldn’t be stoning my mother.

Foreshadowing is the groundwork of the short story, “The Lottery”. The story reveals everything you need to know while reading it besides the most important part, the fatality of the chosen one. In the beginning of the story Shirley Jackson uses foreshadowing when she describes the town in preparation for the lottery.

“Bobby Martin had already stuffed his pockets full of stones, and the other boys soon followed his example, selecting the smoothest and roundest stones; … and Dickie Delacroix… eventually made a great pile of stones in one corner of the square and guarded it against the raids of the other boys”.

Jackson does not inform as to why the boys are collecting and hoarding these stones, she merely mentions it. Another example of foreshadowing is depicted with this sentence; “no one liked to upset even as much tradition as was represented by the black box”. Implying that stoning the villagers through a lottery is tradition that the residents do not want to be changed.

Jackson uses foreshadowing to aid in illustrating a lesson, or message. Many factors used in the story represent evil, especially in ways the reader would not consider. She uses the color of the box; black, to show the wickedness in the lottery. Also, the names of the characters reveal evil. For example, Mr. Graves is the postmaster and the man that brings the black box to the village gatherers for the lottery. His name foreshadows the lottery winner’s future.

"Bernice Bob's Her Hair" by F. Scott Fitzgerald

2007-03-15T15:27:00.000-07:00

After reading this story, I thought that Fitzgerald could have made the same point with the same characters and the same story line in about one and a half pages. He did, however, manage to do a decent job at showing the readers that girls can be two-faced, backstabbing, careless, individuals. No matter where you turn someone is always judging you. Although no one is perfect (whether it’s physically, mentally, or emotionally), there are still those people that feel it is necessary to find one thing wrong with you and then ridicule you for it.

"Don't I look all right?" asked Bernice, "No; for instance, you never take care of your eyebrows. They're black and lustrous…” responds Marjorie. This excerpt from “Bernice Bobs Her Hair” by F. Scott Fitzgerald signifies the pure narcissistic attitude harbored by Marjorie, Bernice’s cousin. Identity is basically a representation of one’s self. In order to grasp one’s full character you must verbally, mentally, and physically understand them as a person. Fitzgerald, on the other hand, really only presents the negative physical characteristics of Bernice through her cousin Marjorie’s viewpoint.

“If I'd been irretrievably ugly I'd never have forgiven my parents for bringing me into the world.” This statement made by Marjorie is a perfect example of how cruel of a person she is. It also gives the reader a pessimistic view of identity by portraying Bernice as an unattractive woman.

"Because I'm considering it. It's such a sure and easy way of attracting attention." This statement, made by Bernice, illustrates how vulnerable she is to Marjorie and how scornful Marjorie is to Bernice. Marjorie is portrayed as an egotistical being, only caring about herself and the attention she receives from boys, especially Warren. Since Bernice is so “unattractive”, Marjorie is ashamed to be around her so she persuades her into cutting her hair.

At the end of the story, the reader finds out that Bernice, enraged, goes into Marjorie’s bedroom while she is sleeping and cuts off her pigtails. She then runs out the door screaming, "Scalp the selfish thing!” and then throws her pigtails on Warren’s porch in hopes of humiliating her even more. This represents Bernice’s feelings towards Marjorie. She knows she is selfish and wants to get back at her for allowing her to cut her hair.

"A & P." -- What does the narrator reveal about himself indirectly? What sort of transformation does the narrator experience during the story?

2007-03-07T14:57:00.000-08:00

The narrator, obviously an adolescent boy, is a cashier at a local grocery store. With the use of the descriptive vocabulary the narrator is able to reveal something significant about his character. He is extremely observant towards other people’s appearance and is able to match their physical appearance to their individual behavior. For instance, when he says; “Walking into the A & P with your straps down, I suppose it's the only kind of face you can have,” which was implying that she felt as though she was attractive and wanted everyone to look at her. Also, he calls her “queen” or “queenie”. He may mean this in two different ways; either the way she holds her head up high and leads the other girls around the store signifies her absolutism, or he sees her as a “queen” or perfect in his own eyes. The descriptive wording shows that he over analyses everything and everyone he sees. The transformation that the narrator experiences is quite obvious. He starts off as a quiet, reserved young boy that goes to work to merely to put in hours to get a pay check at the end of the week. As the story progresses he not only manages to face this girl he so madly adores, but stands up for her and himself by quitting his job.

What does Yeats hope to accomplish with his portrayal of a rape from mythology? What themes does this poem reveal about the present through its portra

2007-02-21T16:40:00.000-08:00

First and foremost, keeping in mind this poem is based on a mythological story, the fact that Yeats is describing a rape in the form of a poem, or even at all, is rather disturbing. Also, it is very bizarre that the act of rape is illustrated with the use of a swan. In mythology, it is said that Zeus transformed into a swan and raped Leda. She then laid two eggs, one giving birth to Clytemnestra who would then become the wife of Agamemnon, who in the poem is dead. In Greek mythology Agamemnon sacrifices his daughter and as a consequence, Clytemnestra kills him. I feel as though this poem is suggesting that a connection, either loving or forceful, will result in violence, death, and the killings of one another.

I suspect that the theme this poem reveals about the present, through the portrayal of the past, deals with the general idea being derived from this poem, rape. In today’s day and age you will hear news reports and stories of rape and how men have this fierce craving for domination. I feel as though Yeats is trying to portray the power that a man may have over a female, especially the physical power, when he uses words like “helpless” and phrases like “her nape caught in his bill”. This resembles the overall weakness possessed by women and the physical strength within men.

What does Porritt reveal about conventions of reading in "Read This Poem From the Bottom Up"?

2007-02-14T12:37:00.000-08:00

and still make sense of a poem.

Porritt proves that it is possible to change the conventions of reading

not only by the images that are portrayed, but by the words that she uses.

of wanting to read the poem in the normal or standard way;

enables the reader to generate a feeling

A force that usually pulls you down”,

Of moving against the gravity of habit,

“While trying not to notice the effort,

Some of the lines, for example,

like a constellation in the sky.

from the bottom of a building to the top,

and when doing so it portrays images as one would see them

Porritt wants you to read it rather from the bottom to top;

does not want you to utilize this technique while reading this poem.

Porritt, on the other hand,

they read from left to right and from top to bottom.

For example, when one reads a poem, story, or even a magazine,

Conventions of reading are the basic rules of Standard English.