Gratiano Character Analysis

Gratiano only appears as a character in the play very late in the novel.  He is one of the minor characters that partakes in the witness of the tragedy befalling Desdemona, Emilia, and Othello.  As one of the kinsmen to Brabantio he comes, as with many of the characters in the drama, from the city of Venice, capital of the Venetian Republic.  Playing only a minor role in the last scene of the play, he seems to be merely a place holder to help tie up the loose ends of the play.  Gratiano is the one to tell of Brabantio's death, and he remarks that it is good he didn't live to witness the tragedy; Brabantio had a hard enough time allowing Desdemona's marriage to Othello.  If he found out that Othello had killed his daughter, he would go mad with sorrow.  Grantiano also might act as a reference to show how the tragedy would effect the unbiased population in Brabantio's residence, and in the Venetian political and military branches.

Othello Journal 4

In his tragedy Othello, Shakespeare uses the metaphor of animals and mythological creatures to help the characters portray their thoughts.  Iago in particular uses animals and beasts as metaphors for other things quite a lot.  One instance of this is when he describes jealousy as "the green-eyed monster, which doth mock the meat it feeds on" (123).  Using this very visual object to describe an abstract idea such as an emotion, in this case jealousy, greatly helps the reader to understand what the character is trying to convey.  I personally find it very helpful to have something physical to represent an emotion or other less palpable concept.  It also helps to adjust the mood of the passage in which the metaphor is used.  Having jealousy compared to a mythological creature makes the whole passage seem more serious, which is relevant in that particular scene, as Iago is starting to plant the first seeds of jealousy in Othello's mind.

Othello Journal 3

"Cassio  Whats the matter?
Iago  My lord is fall'n into an epilepsy.  This is his second fit.  He had one yesterday.
Cassio  Rub him about the temples
Iago  No, forbear.  The lethargy must have his quiet course.  If not, he foams at mouth, and by and by breaks out to savage madness.  Look he stirs.  Do you withdraw yourself a little while.  He will recover straight.  When he is gone, I would on great occasion speak with you."

One section of act 4, scene 1 was when Iago first mentions that Othello has epilepsy.  I was surprised that this was not revealed earlier in the story; I wonder what Shakespeare's motives were for not introducing this condition earlier in the play.  It would seem that having epilepsy would have a diverse effect on how Othello reacts to other people, and how other people react to Othello.  A symptom of Othello's epilepsy appears to be violence and madness.  I wonder if Othello will murder Cassio, Desdemona, or even Iago in a epileptic frenzy.

- I also think that Othello is very quick to take Iago's advice, even when there isn't much backing it up. Maybe he will eventually find out Iago is lying to him?

Othello Casting Journal

Othello- Tall northern African man, bold demeanour, powerful voice.  "So please Your Grace, my ancient; A man he is of honesty and trust" (47).  "Thou hadst been better have been born a dog Than answer my waked wrath!" (137)
Iago- Scarred northern Italian man, battle hardened, deviously intelligent.  "And I, of whom his eyes had seen the proof At Rhodes, at Cyprus, and on other grounds Christened and heathen, must be beleed and calmed By debitor and creditor" (7).  "Hell and night Must bring this monstrous birth to the worlds light" (55).
Desdemona- Tall, thin, white woman, regal, innocent.  "Whether a maid so tender, fair, and happy, So opposite to marriage," (25)  "Wherein I mean to touch your love indeed, it shall be full of poise an difficult weight, And fearful to be granted." (117).
Emilia- Modest white woman, obedient nature, relatively unexpressive.  "I nothing but to please his fantasy" (133).  "'Tis not a year or two shows us a man.  They are all but stomachs, and we all but food;" (155)

Othello Journal 2

It would seem that in scene one, act two of Shakespeare's Othello, Iago is starting to unveil the bulk of his plan to uproot Othello.  I might be missing part of it, but I think he plans to use Roderigo to provoke an attack from Cassio; he would then use this to put Cassio out of favor with Othello.  He then will use this rift in Othello and Cassio's relationship to make Othello think that Cassio is with Desdemona.  Meanwhile Iago himself will attempt to woo Desdemona to get back at Othello for sleeping with his wife.  Iago is shaping up to be a very interesting and manipulative antagonist.  I find his character fascinating and am looking forward to how his plan comes into reality.  Another thing I am wondering is how Roderigo will react to this.  Maybe he will find out Iago plans to court Desdemona and will turn against him.

16th Century Research Journal

During the 16th century the City of Venice, in northern Italy, was the heart of an independent republic with holdings all throughout the Mediterranean.  The Venetians maintained an uneasy state of neutrality in the 16th century, only fighting to defend it's colonial territories from the Turkish invaders.  These territories include the islands of Cyprus, below Asia Minor; and Crete, just south of the Aegean Sea.  Despite attempts to defend them, both fell to the Turkish Empire before the end of the century.  After losing it's main political and military power, Venice became a site of lavish pleasure in Europe.  It contains the first public opera house, opened in 1637.  The many canals that run through Venice, due to the fact that the bulk of the city is built over water, made it a unique visiting place for the wealthy and poor alike.

Othello Journal 1

In the beginning of act one scene one Iago is walking with Roderigo and telling him of why he hates Othello, his Moorish superior.  They arrive at Brabantio's place, Desdemona's father's house, and wake him telling him of a theft.  Iago leaves, and at first Brabantio doesn't believe Roderigo, who wants to court Desdemona, but he realizes that Desdemona has indeed left with the Moor and they go to look for, and apprehend, Desdemona and Othello.  This particular scene wasn't that hard to follow.  I don't think I understand all the literary nuances of the writing, but nevertheless I feel like I understood it well enough.  In the future I think the opposing pages with the explanations will be helpful as we move further into the play.  I'm interested to see how this folds out, as Shakespeare always seems to make things interesting.

The Piano Lesson Project Analytical Paragraph

During a passage in the drama The Piano Lesson the author uses the motif of splitting something between family members to show how determined Boy Willy is to sell the piano.  Near the beginning of the play Boy Willy arrives at Berniece's house with the intention of selling the family piano to buy himself some land.  Berniece refuses to let him, and later he says to Doaker that "if Berniece don't want to sell that piano I'm gonna cut in half and sell my half" (28).  This concept of owning half an object, like half the family piano, develops over the course of the story and comes up several times.  The inclusion of such a motif in the story emphasizes that sometimes people can get so caught up with their possessions that they forget their value to the family.  Boy Willy is so determined to own his own land, that he is willing to draw distinct lines about what belongs to him, shutting out his family history.

The Piano Lesson Journal 7

I think that Lymon definitely has his own agendas for living his life in the city.  He seems like the kind of person that knows how to get what they want, regardless for the feelings of other people.  The way he "seduced" Berniece simply to test his new suit seemed to point directly towards a person with intentions all his own.  I am wondering if perhaps this could come into play later in the story.  Maybe Lymon was the one who pushed Sutter in his well.  In my opinion, Lymon has not played his major part in the story yet, but I might be wrong.  Berniece seems very vulnerable.  Not only did she give in slightly to Lymon's whims, she can never seem to make any agreements with anyone.  Her lack of flexibility only adds to the argument's of other people, like Avery and Boy Willy.

- I also think that the tone has been getting more and more serious as the story progresses, especially with ghosts showing up more often, an the romance scenes.  I think Berniece might be reluctant to choose between Avery and Lymon.

The Piano Lesson Journal 6

All through The Piano Lesson people are almost always arguing about something; these disputes usually occur between Berniece and one of the other characters.  For the first time in the play the author has focused entirely on a disagreement between Berniece and Avery.  I think that Avery's view on women might seem unfair to Berniece, but her argument doesn't seem to carry much weight either.  It is kind of Avery to agree to bless the house.  Berniece needs to move on and start to think about her future.  She also needs to take into account that it would be better for Maretha to grow up with two parents; especially with a preacher for a father.  Berniece seems very locked up and that might not be good for Maretha as she grows up.

The Piano Lesson Journal 5

The thing that stood out to me most while we were reading today was that Doaker had already seen Sutter's ghost before Boy Willy had even come up to the house.  This makes me wonder if maybe Sutter is more concerned with the piano that he is with Boy Willy.  He did say Boy Willy's name when Berniece saw him though, hinting that Sutter is after him for one reason or another.  I think Sutter's motives somehow include both Boy Willy and the Piano, but I'm not entirely sure how yet.  One other thing that caught my attention was how forgiving Wining Boy was being with Lymon when selling him his silk suit.  I wonder if he has an ulterior motive for selling the suit, or if he's just desperate.

- I also think it is strange that Doaker didn't tell people about seeing the ghost earlier.  I'm interested to see if he has anything else to hide.

The Piano Lesson Journal 4

It seems that Berniece and Boy Willy can never agree on anything.  They are always arguing about one thing or another.  They both seem to have good arguments though.  Boy Willy is very practical with his reasoning for selling the piano to buy Sutter's Land.  He appears to be very passionate about it.  Berniece also has good reasons for keeping the piano; Wining Boy and Doaker also seem to support keeping the instrument.  Berniece not only disagrees with Boy Willy about the piano, but also accuses him of being directly involved with the death of her husband.  She says that if he hadn't come to get Crawly in the first place, he wouldn't have gotten killed.  Although she is probably right, Boy Willy argues that it was Crawley's fault he got killed.  Whether or not Crawly was asking for trouble doesn't seem to matter though, as Boy Willy and Berniece don't seem to be coming to an agreement about anything.

- I agree that the author is trying to say something about Boy Willy's inflexibility involving the issue with Sutter's land.  I'm interested to see if Boy willy and Berniece can come to a compromise about it.

The Piano Lesson Journal 3

I was glad that in the second scene of act 1 Doaker explains why Berniece is so reluctant to let Boy Willy sell the piano.  I would seem that it contains the full history of their family; it is isn't surprising that Berniece is unwilling to sell such an heirloom.  Another thing that makes it special is the sacrifice made by Berniece's father to get the piano into their family's possession.  It makes sense that she would have an emotional attachment to the instrument.  One other thing that I am glad they explained is the ghosts of the Yellow Dog.  I wasn't sure what the Yellow Dog was.  It makes more sense now that I understand that the ghosts are the ones burned in the box car with Boy Charles, and that the Yellow Dog is a train.

- I wonder if the Ghosts of the Yellow Dog will have any connection to Sutter's ghost, which was seen earlier in the story.  I think the ghosts could impact the characters more later in the story.

The Piano Lesson Journal 2

One of the things that I noticed while we were reading was that Berniece seems very suspicious.  She was very reserved and didn't seem very ready to have a conversation with Boy Willy.  She also seemed intent on getting Boy Willy and Lymon out of the house.  Accusing Lymon of stealing his truck, Berniece was very direct about asking him and Boy Willy how they acquired the vehicle and what they intend to do at her house.  Another thing that makes her character seem suspicious was when she said that she thinks Boy Willy pushed Sutter down his well.  She might have good reason for her concern though, as Boy Willy seems like the kind of person that would get involved in unlawful activities.  Willy also expressed his desire to sell the piano, another reason for Berniece to feel threatened.

- I also think that Boy Willy could be up to something illegal.  He seems very indirect and reluctant to tell people anything that doesn't further his cause of buying Sutter's land.

The Piano Lesson Journal 1

One of my first impressions was that the language used in the novel is very odd.  The characters grammar is  far from correct, and it makes them seem like lower class citizens with little education.  This might be due to the fact that the characters are African Americans living in a country recovering from slavery and the dissent it caused.  It is too early in the play to assume that slavery will play a large part in the story though.  The mention of an automobile shows that it has to be a significant time since the civil war took place, but if I had to guess i would say that slavery will have at least some effect on the characters later on in the novel.  I think that it is a little stranger to read a play than it is to read a novel; I'm interested to see how the experience compares to reading something like Cry, The Beloved Country.

- I agree, many of the characters seem lower class and under-educated.  I'm not quite sure when this book takes place, but I think we can glean some information about the time period from the language.

Cry, The Beloved Country Journal 7

There were several things that I tabbed while reading chapter 32 of Cry, The Beloved Country.  One of these things was the idea of Stephan Kumalo having feelings of nostalgia for the city of Johannesburg.  I think that this represents that Kumalo left part of himself behind when he left the city.  He had failed to bring son or daughter back, and had to leave a new friend behind.  One other thing I tabbed was how when Kumalo and Jarvis are sitting in the church Alan Paton uses several redundant phrases to describe the atmosphere in the chapel.  This makes the passage seem awkward, and that reflects the tension between Jarvis and Kumalo.  It makes the reader feel uncomfortable and adds to the mood of the passage.  The last thing I tabbed was the motif of the earth being connected to the life it sustains.  After the storm the rivers are described as red with the blood of the earth.  This connection between land and life is mentioned multiple times in the story, and is representative of the symbol of the land and the people.

Cry, The Beloved Country Journal 6

The Kumalo family parallels the valley that they are native to because both the family and the land are in a position of depravity.  The Kumalo family has lost three of it's members to the beast of Johannesburg.  Although Stephan was able to bring back a new daughter and a newborn boy, his sister has disappeared back into the gloom and his son faces the gallows.  His brother is also lost, but in a more figurative way.  Disposing of family traditions, Stephan's brother has traded his families values in favor of a political position of power.   Ndotsheni has also lost some of it's glory.  Just like the Kumalo family, the valley is breaking down and becoming weary.  The land "is not kept, or guarded, or cared for," (34) just like the family it bears.  Both the land in Ndotsheni and the Kumalo family are fused in representing the same lower class of South African society.  One symbol to represent the oppressed and dying culture of native South Africa.

Ashoka Fellows Journal

Bernard Amadei leads an organization called Engineers Without Borders (EWB) that helps people around the world get training in  engineering so they can deal with problems that require the expertise of a trained and practiced engineer.

Carlo Petrini runs an organization called Slow Food that allows producers of crops around the globe connect with each other and influence how and where their food is produced.

Martina Justova is helping provide outside educators to better prepare prisoners in Slovakia for life in the outside world.  She also works to reduce the corruption in the current Slovakian system of dealing with prisoners.

Cry, The Beloved Country Journal 5

In his novel Cry, The Beloved Country Alan Paton uses several characters that go unnamed throughout the book.  This has an effect on both how the reader responds to those characters, and the overarching theme of the novel.  The characters that go unnamed mostly include native women and children, and white people that actively try to assist the native population.  I think Paton does this to both make the reader feel distant from these characters, and to emphasize the growing prejudice against natives in South Africa as a whole.  Not naming these characters isolates them from the rest of the population; therefore, it distances them from the reader.  Lacking names makes these characters feel unimportant and insignificant.  It makes them feel awkward and out of place as well.  This segregation of people that are oriented with the native populace connects directly to the poor treatment of natives in the entirety of South Africa.  Nameless characters is an effective method of punctuating the increasing prejudice against natives.  In addition, it foreshadows that more oppression is to come.

Cry, The Beloved Country Journal 4

I think that Alan Patton uses two books to show the different perspectives that were present in South Africa at the time of the novel.  The first book is from the point of view of a black priest that has lost a son to the crime underworld of Johannesburg.  The second book is from the perspective of a white man who has also lost a son to crime, if in a different way.  Having these stories separated helps the reader compare the different views that are apparent in the story.  It also emphasises how the degrading of native society has affected both the white and black citizens that live in Johannesburg.

Opression Articles

http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/09/05/wudunn.women.oppression/index.html

 

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/10/04/mayor-arsonist-torch-mosque-west-bank-village/

Cry, The Beloved Country Journal 3

A line that repeats in Alan Paton's Cry, The Beloved Country is the dialogue in the ninth chapter saying "Have you a room for me to let?  No I have no room to let" (85).  I believe that the author repeats these lines because it emphasises the determination and desperation of the people living in overcrowded Johannesburg.  It makes the reader feel empathetic towards the people living there. 

He also repeats the concept that all roads lead to Johannesburg.  This shows both that European Johannesburg has become a major hub in South Africa and that everybody is going to Johannesburg.  The city has become a melting pot of different people and this repetition highlights the idea that Johannesburg is the center of South African life.

One other thing that Paton notes multiple times is the image of the white man as both a force for good and ill in the eyes of the black majority.  It is said by Stephen's brother that the white man is oppressive and needs to be stood up against.  Yet there are white people who attempt to assist the ailing black population and this is confusing to some of the black members of society.  This conflict is emphasised as Paton repeats this image of the white man in Johannesburg.

Cry, The Beloved Country Journal 2

There are a few differences between the characterizations of men and those of women in Paton's writing.  The one that I noticed the most is simply the fact that the descriptions of men are significantly less humbling than those of women.  Where a man is described in rich detail with very descriptive diction a woman is described less lavishly.  One other thing I noticed is that women are often shown as being in a more supportive role than directly participating in controversial issues.  They seem sometimes to be discarded due to conflictions with something the man believes in.  Women often come in but stay for a short amount of time before departing.  Finally I Think that women are characterized as dependent and easily corrupted, as Kumalo's sister fell out of grace with the family when she moved by herself to Johannesburg.

Cry, The Beloved Country Journal 1

One thing in the first chapter that I tabbed was how the author repeated the lines describing the land in his part of Africa with different meanings.  He mirrors the second paragraph's structure in the third paragraph but changes the words so they mean opposite things.  This shows how South Africa is changing for the worst.

Some other repetition I noticed in Paton's writing is how he mimics the description of the train in the third chapter in that of the fourth.  He describes the train in the first sentence of each paragraph as being a toy train.  I think this might signify the insignificance of the train compared to the landscape it travels through.

In the third chapter the Umfundisi is told that someone was afraid to talk to him because he wasn't in his church.  The Umfundisi responds saying that if he is one of their people he should be comfortable speaking readily to others in their community.  I think this shows that the Umfundisi believes in equality and that might play a part later in the story.

The Umfundisi seems very afraid to go to Johannesburg.  He remarks many times about how he is afraid of the tragic stories about what happens in the busy city.  This could be foreshadowing that bad things are happening in the more populated parts of the country, and there is a culture differential that could bring people apart.

Lord of the Flies Journal 3

William Golding used multiple methods of  conveying the theme that I got out of the book.  This theme is that fear of the unknown can topple an organized society and push it to savagery.  One of the methods that he used to portray this theme to the reader was during the plot when Ralph is trying to organize a meeting and discuss how to keep order on the island.  During this meeting the subject of "the beast" is brought up and the entire meeting falls apart, driving Jack closer to his savage nature.  To me this shows that if fear is sewn into the populace of a community it can cause chaos and havoc.

Another thing that Golding used to show this theme was the symbol of the beast itself.  Despite the fact that the beast was actually a downed and killed pilot they still feared it.  Even as one of the children discovers the true nature of this creature, the fear of it causes the children to destroy what might have been their best chance of retaining civilized life and hope of rescue.  I think that the symbol of the beast definitely represents an unknown fear that embodies the theme of the novel.  The act of the children killing Simon in a fearful rage represents the breakdown of society due to fear.

Lord of the Flies Journal 2

I think that if the novel had both boys and girls on the island there would be several differences in the story. For one: having girls on the island along with the boys would probably cause the children to separate into groupings differently. Instead of groups based on age there might be more gender based cliques.  Perhaps this could undermine efforts to separate the boys and cause violence.  Another difference might be that girls could discourage violence among the boys. This could slow the decline of common sense and the rise of tribal savagery. This is perhaps the most important thing that would change because it could prevent the deaths that accompanied the savage and violent nature of the boys.

Lord of the Flies Journal 1

On the first page of William Golding's Lord of the Flies he hides the personality of Piggy in the text of the passage.  He is very blunt with his physical description of him but not so much with his personality.  You have to read the text quite thoroughly to realize that he is cautious and thinking.  I believe that in hiding his personality from the reader Golding might be foreshadowing that other characters in the book won't look past his physical appearance.  From reading the book I know that this is true.  Only one of the characters realizes the value of Piggy's intelligence; but he still had to look deeply to uncover it.

Another thing the author does on the first page is use color to make the characters seem out of place.  He talks about a red and yellow bird flying through the canopy.  In contrast, he also talks about the dull grey of Ralph's shirt.  This contrast makes Ralph seem to be in the wrong place; it's like he doesn't fit in.  The fact that Ralph is in a foreign world adds to a feeling of tension which in turn creates a tense mood.  That tense mood makes the reader feel as if something is wrong and could be foreshadowing to something that happens later in the novel.