The End.

"Fear not that I shall be the instrument of future mischief. My work is nearly complete. Neither yours nor any man's death is needed to consummate the series of my being and accomplish that which must be done, but it requires my own." (pg. 210)

Wow. The ending of this book was definitely eventful. I am almost positive that Waldon was quite relieved at hearing these words (the quote above) from the monster. Al least he knew that his life was not in anymore danger. Once Victor did not create a companion for the monster, i figured that his loved ones were going to die, but I figured that the monster would be out to get Victor too! I was surprised how compassionate the monster was at the end. He was sad to see that his creator had died and he just gave up on himself once he saw Victor had passed away. Since this was made as a "ghost story" or a scary story, I figured that at the end of the book the whereabouts of the monster would be left unknown so that people would be afraid of him seeking them out one day. Instead, the monster feels terrible about what he has done to his master and only sees it fitting that he takes away his own life in return.

Lastly, I just wanted to quickly point out the repeated action of the monster. When the monster was just created, he reached out to his creator while he was in bed. This is the action that scares Victor off and makes him run away. At the end of the story, the reader sees this action preformed by the monster for the second time, but Victor is already deceased, so no action is made in return.

Nature / Weather

"There were no horses to be procured, and I must return by the lake; but the wind was unfavorable, and the rain fell in torrents." (pg. 187)

Nature and the weather play a huge part in this novel. The quote above was taken from Victor right after his wife was murdered by his creation. He first longs to go to the lake because whenever he finds himself in emotional distress, nature is the best cure. Also, "the rain fell in torrents," shows that something terrible just occurred. When the weather is gloomy or it is winter, the scenes in this novel show depression. In contrast, when spring rolls around and nature is alive and blooming, the characters reflect this through their happy actions and good-natured emotions. The beauty of nature seems to heal Victor and the monster in a way that no other man ever could even attempt.

This isn't just a coincidence that Shelley thought would be nice to add to the book. I know that the weather and the seasons affect me and my emotions too. I have also witnessed this change in my peers too. It is always a better day when the sun is shining because hope seems to fill the air.

Reality Check

"... the strange system of human life was explained to me... Of my creation and creator I was absolutely ignorant, but I knew that I possessed no money, no friends, no kind of property. I was, besides, endued with a figure hideously deformed and loathsome; I was not even of the same nature as man." (pgs. 114 & 115)

Through out the monster's point of view, I think Shelley tries to convey a very important theme. This theme focuses on the way of human life and how ridiculous it actually is. Every person is born into this life so it is all they know and they take it for what it is, but we are given a reality check when an outsider sees the way we live and then proceeds to tell us how insane it appears. In the first half of the book, the monster learns about the world and hears about war and how awful it is. The monster sees how wrong it is, but since it has always been a part of life for everyone, it seems acceptable. Also, in the quote above, the monster takes another hard hit to the way of life. This new born creature realizes that humans only care about money, popularity, and property. Again, all the people see nothing wrong with it because that is just the way life works. I do think this is a very good message because it shows how our world is focused on the WRONG things. Also, it shows how we measure a human but what he/she has, not who he/she is. I love how Shelley put this hidden theme in here because sadly, she is conveying the truth about humanity.

Foreshadow

"Pardon this gush of sorrow; these ineffectual words are but a slight tribute to the unexampled worth of Henry, but they soothe my heart, overflowing with the anguish which his remembrance creates. I will proceed with my tale." (pg. 149)

Before the reader learns of Henry's death, Shelley makes the reader aware that something is going to go wrong. "His remembrance creates," proves that Victor is speaking in memory of him and Henry's life. The reader now realizes the rest of the book is destined to go downhill. Not only does Shelley show that Henry will die, she also shows that this second creation will fail. This is because the monster promised Victor that if a female monster was not created for him then he would destroy him emotionally. The only way that the monster could do this would be to destroy the few people that surrounded Victor in his life. So, if the reader then knows that Henry will be murdered, the reader can infer that the monster will not stop there. Victor's creation was very serious when he spoke to Victor about making him a friend of "his type." Who will be killed after Henry? ... Alphonse? Earnest? Elizabeth? This element also creates a great amount of suspense for the reader.

Motif

"Do not let this letter disturb you; do not answer tomorrow, or the next day, or even until you come, if it will give you pain. My uncle will send me news of your health, and if I see but one smile on your lips when we meet, occasioned by this or any other exertion of mine, I shall need no other happiness." (pg. 179)

- Elizabeth Lavenza

This is just one example of how Shelley makes every woman look. The novel does not give women much credit at all. From this book, one perceives that women are there to make men happy and wait for their presence no matter what. There are no determined strong females in the book; every female seems to be passive. I believe that all of the women in the story suffer in some way, but Shelley doesn't emphasize this suffering. Caroline, Justine, and Elizabeth all suffer to a terrible degree and then are killed by different means, but the story always revolves around Victor's and the monster's suffering. This emphasis on men might be because of the time period that the book was written. Back then, women were not able to experience the rights that women in today's world are able to.

Foil Characters

"I grasped his hand, and in a moment forgot my horror and misfortune; I felt suddenly, and for the first time during many months, calm and serene joy." (pg. 58) I know that I am going back to previous pages, but I believe that this is a very crucial point to hit. Victor and Henry are clearly foils of eachother and the reader needs to realize this. Ever since they met, they have been opposites, but I guess the cliche is true, "opposites attract." Henry is interested in ethics while Victor clearly is not. Victor pursues science without an ethical base. Also, Victor is all about moving away from his family to do his own thing and pursue his dreams. This doesn't really bother him because he is obsessed with reaching his goal. When Victor sees Henry for the first time in about two years, he says the above quotation. It is obvious that Henry represents all that Victor grew up with. Also, since Henry's presence brings Victor much joy, it it certain that Victor needs his family, but his want for his dream is still stronger.

The Benevolent Monster

" Believe me Frankenstein, I was benevolent; my soul glowed with love and humanity; but am I not alone, misrably alone? You, my creator, abhor me; what hope can I gather from your fellow creatures, who owe me nothing? They spurn and hate me." (pg.96) This "monster" speaks this whole passage. He doesn't grunt or threaten Frankenstein's life. The monster speaks full thoughts and just wants to talk to his creator and be wanted by someone. Here, the reader also sees the theme of lonliness again. I believe that this interaction with the monster is quite ironic. This monster has progressively become more and more human over time and as time passes, it is Frankenstein that becomes less human. Victor is the one who becomes a child and tries to run away from his problems while the monster is the one who simply wants to speak to Victor. The monster displays benevolent qualities while Victor is mean and harsh. Frankenstein never gives his creation a chance at living.

Justine Moritz

"Since you left us, but one change has taken place in out litle household. Do you remember on what occasion Justine Moritz entered our family? Probably you do not; I will relate her history, therefore, in a few words." (pg. 63) This portion of Elizabeth's letter kind of confused me. At first, I was wondering why she was explaining the history of their adopted sister to Victor. Later in the letter, she says, "Justine, you may remember, was a great favourite of yours." There are a couple ways that I am trying to justify why Shelly did this. First, the most obvious reason I could come up with is to give the reader information about Justine. Elizabeth gives her background and everything. Also, I can see this as Elizabeth truly believeing that Victor's illness has probably caused him to forget important thingsin his life. Well, things that used to be important. Lastly, I could aslo see Elizabeth telling this story to be sarcastic and rub it in that he hasn't been home in forever so he probably doesn't remember much of home and the people there. Personally, I think that Elizabeth cares about Victor too much and that she was seriously concerned about his health so she explained the story to him. I can't see her being rude to him.

Irony

"I closed not my eyes that night. My internal being was in a state of insurrection and turmoil; I felt that order would thence arise, but I had no power to produce it." ( pg. 47 ) Frankenstiein drove himself crazy over this goal of his. He had to find out so many things in so little time. Victor was discouraged by some but motivated by others and he became obsessed with this whole idea. One of my group's themes is health and we decided that it is quite ironic that when Victor creates a new life, he destroys his own. This obsession has literally killed the person he used to be. I believe that Victor was just so eager to do something that had never been done before, but he did not realize how it was going to affect his life. Not only was he physically ill, I think it is fair to say that he was quite mentally ill too.

Dialect / Romance Time Period

" I may receive your letters on some occasions when I need them most to support my spirits. I love you very tenderly. Remember me with affection, should you never hear from me again. Your affectionate brother, Robert Walton " (pg. 21) From this passage, one might believe that Robert and the one he is addressing the letter to are in a relationship. In out world today, this is the way we would speak to a significant other. Here Robert is speaking to his sister so we know that this is surely not true. I believe that the author is writing with the language of her time. People actually spoke like this to their family members out of respect and love. Our world has changed and the average person who might read this nowadays would probably be a little creeped out. This book was written in the romantic period of time so I would expect a language sounding like this one. Throughout the book this fluid language sets the time of the story and gives the story character. Seeing sentences arranged in this beautiful style often help me, as the reader, actually hear the words as they are being said.

The End.

" "For you a thousand times over," I heard myself say. Then I turned and ran. " (pg. 371) This quote is the one quote that stuck with me throughout the whole book. I underlined it in the first chapter because Hosseini starts out with this quote too and at the time, I had a feeling that it would play a big part in the book. My feeling was correct. This book starts off with Hassan saying this quote to Amir because he loved and cared about him. Hassan would do anything for Amir and saying this quote made him aware of that. In the same way, the book ends with this quote, but instead, Amir is saying it. He now wants to show that it is his turn to be the servant and he will now do anything for Sohrab. I love the ending to this book. Again, Hosseini uses a circle effect by starting and ending the book in the same setting. With all of the twists and turns in this book, it is hard to believe that one could make this happen, but he certainly did. The ending was very unexpected, but I feel that it was fitting. I wasn't disappointed nor did I feel the ending was too complicated. I felt like the ending was perfect and shouldn't have been done any other way. From this ending, the reader can imagine what will happen next because Amir ultimately is given the chance to redeem himself. I'mnot sure how Hosseini did it, but he took a bunch of random puzzle pieces and found ways to connect them that nobody else would dare to dream of. By doing this, he created my all time favorite book.

Climax

" "When it's done, only one of us will walk out of this room alive,"Assef said. "If it's him, then he's earned his freedom and you let him pass, do you understand?" " (pg. 287) This book is a masterpiece of suspense, but I feel that the climax of the book is when Assef and Amir meet in their adult life. When Assef said the quote above, I found myself on the edge of my seat reading as fast as I could because I could not find out what cam e next soon enough. I believe that this is the one true climax of the story because the outcome of this fight decides is Amir will ever get to redeem himself of his wrongs done as a child. If Amir gets past Assef and receives Sohrab, Rahim Khan's words, "There is a way to be good again," might come true. Once the reader finds out that this man is Assef, they become aware that nothing good is going to happen here. This scene is also so intense because the reader can see that Amir doesn't stand a chance against this man. I lost hope that Amir would make it through this fight and receive Sohrab in the end. I shouldn't have doubted the scene because Hassan steps in to save Amir even when he is dead. Hassan comes through for Amir through his son and all of the sling shot lessons he has taught him. Ultimately, Hassan created a smaller version of himself to watch over Amir now. Lastly, winning Sohrab gives Amir the opportunity to treat and take care of Sohrab like he sould have done for Hassan.

Making Up for the Past

"Earlier that morning, when I was certain no one was looking, I did something I had done twenty-six years earlier; I planted a fist-ful of crumpled money under a mattress." (pg. 242) This whole scene was ironic. It emphasized the growth that had occured in Amir. When Amir was younger, he recognized the harm he had done by not stopping Hassan from being raped. Once Amir realized that he could not get away from Hassan and the constant reminder of what he had done, Amir found a way to to make Hassan leave. This is when he planted his new watch and a handful of money under Hassan's mattress. The only way to get rid of his wrong was to do another wrong. Now, when Hassan leaves Farid's house, he plants money under a mattress and leaves Farid's sons with his watch. Amir does the same thing again, but this time it is for the good of these people. I believe that this is ironic, but also shows the change that has occured in Amir over time. Now, Amir is mature and wants to make up for the harm he has done instead of causing more harm.

Flashbacks

" Hearing Rahim Khan speak Ali's name was like finding an old dusty music box that hadn't been opened in years; the melody began to play immediately: Who did you eat today, Babalu? Who did you eat, you slant-eyed Babalu?" (pg. 214) Flashbacks are what drive this book. Chapters 2-13 are essentially flashbacks of Amir's life. These are the chapters where the reader learns about everything that has happened up until the scene in chapter one. When Hosseini brings the reader back to the present in chapter fourteen, he also uses flashbacks to Amir's childhood. These flashbacks help the reader relate to Amir more because the reader has read of these occurances before in the previous chapters. Personally, these flashbacks helped me connect to Amir when he returned to Afganistan because I knew his background. I also believe that the flashbacks Amir has in chapters 14 - 25 push Amir to do the right thing. Flashbacks like the quote above help Amir to remember what he allowed to occur when he was young. Remembering these instances reminds Amir why he is ultimately searching for Sohrab. Amir owes it to his past to make the future better and these flashbacks push him to do so.

American vs. Afgan

" "I see America has infused you with the optimism that has made her so great. That's very good. We're a melancholic people, we Afgans, aren't we?" " (pg. 201) One of the biggest themes in this book is the comparison between the American life and the way of life in Afganistan. The reader starts to see this comparison once Amir and Baba flee to America. First we see them compared when it comes to trust and way of life. This is when Baba freaks out because a man who has known him for two years asks for his ID when Baba tries to write a check. Baba even explains how they would carve notches in wood to represent the loaves of bread that one would owe in Afganistan. The way of life is extremely differentin the two countries. I feel that Afganistan was a place that Baba felt a part of a family and everyone there worked together to get along and they trusted their neighbor. On the other hand, the American life relfects more of a survival of the fittest theme. The quote above shows the difference of the attitudes of the Americans and the Afgans. Americans have more of a optomistic outlook on life and the Afgans believe more in flowing with the way life takes them and letting fate take the wheel. In the book we see Amir take on the American outlook of trying to control life when he tells his father that there is a way to make him better and doctors could give him treatments to help him. Baba goes along with his natural born Afgan ways and refuses treatment and lets whatever is supposed to happen to him, happen. Lastly, I feel that the Afgans are more stubborn and not subject to change on views. Baba and Rahim Khan always seem to stick to what they have always known and they seldom stray from their ways.

Time

"Almost two years we bought his damn fruits ... " (pg. 127)

This book is a a bunch of stories and instances put together. Hosseini uses tool of time to put emphasis on important situations and skip over the unimportant things. In the quote above, it proves that the reader doesn't get to experience a detailed description of the first two years of Baba's and Amir's lives in America. For instance, from chapter nine to ten, the book skips five years. The reader doesn't get to see what life was like in Kabul for Amir and Baba without Hassan and Ali. It is said that they had about seven different servants in that period of time, so the reader can assume what happened, but obviously the author doesn't find those five years important and finds it much more important to express other events.

There are also times where the author takes up five pages to explain what happened in about five minutes. This is found in chapter tweleve when Amir is speaking to Soraya for the first couple times. The reader has the effect that time almost stops when they are in conversation.
Also, there were times like when the people were riding in the tank. Amir is so descriptive of what these couple hours were like, so I knew that this situation must be important.

Hassan = Lamb

"Hassan didn't struggle. Didn't even whimper. He moved his head slightly and I caught a glimpse of his face. Saw the resignation in it. It was a look I had seen before. It was the look of the lamb."
(pg. 76)

"But I walways watch. I watch because of that look of acceptance in the animal's eyes. Absurdly, I imagine the animal understands. I imagine the animal see that its imminent demise is for a higher purpose. This is the look.." (pg. 76-77)

Over these two pages, Hassan is compared to a lamb that has to be sacrificed to attain a means. In this book, Amir brings about this thought. "Maybe Hassan was the price I had to pay, the lamb I had to slay, to win Baba." Lambs are sacrificed usually for religious ceremonies or rituals. Hassan's dignity was being sacrificed for Amir. Hassan ha the option to get out of this sacrifice by handing over a material good, a kite. This kite was the possession that had te potential of changing the relationship between Amir and his father and Hassan knew that. He sacrificed himself.

In the text, it talks about the "look of acceptance" on the lamb's eyes. The animal understands that this has to happen. Hassan thought so low of himself and his "servant" people that he thought this was the way it had to go. He accepted it.

Amir jan

"Baba spoke in a low voice, the one he took on whenever I embarressed him in public. "Aren't you going to thank Assef jan? That was very considerate of him." I wished Baba would stop calling him that. How often did he call me "Amir jan?"" (pg. 97)

It is very important that the reader of this book realizes where this story is taking place throughout the entire book. One way Hosseini reminds the reader is through the words he chooses to use. I am sure that most people who read this book have no idea what these words mean in the beginning, but by using context clues, one can figure out their meaning. "I'm going to the baker to buy naan." Other times Hosseini translates the words right after he puts them in the text. "Tashakor." Thank you, "Bachem." Chair, "Khastegar." A suitor, "Mojarad." A single young man, "Nang. Namoos." Honor and Pride, "the Dil." the Heart. It is very important that he includes these words to give the story more of an ethnic background. I found that Hossseini uses these words more often when the plot changes over to America. I believe this is because he wants to show how they will always keep their roots no matter where they live.

Out of all of the terms that Hoseini uses, I believe that the word "jan" has the most significance in this book. When put after a name, this word is a term of endearment. The reader must recognize when this word is used because it shows if the people who are talking to each other truly care about the other person and respect them or not.

Baba & Rahim Kahn

Amir jan,

I enjoyed your story very much. Mashallah, God has granted you a special talent. It is now your duty to home that talent, because a person who wastes his God-given talents is a donkey. ... My door is and always will be open to you, Amir jan. I shall hear any story you have to tell. Bravo.

Your friend,
Rahim

(pg. 32-33)

This note given to Amir was heart-felt and serious. Rahim Khan cares about Amir and everything he does, unlike Baba. Rahim Khan and Baba are business partners, but they are complete foils in this book. Rahim's nice and loving actions emphasize the selfish actions of Baba. Then, on the other hand, Baba's being an unsupportive father shows how great of a friend Rahim is to Amir. Baba pays no attention to Amir because Amir is nothing like Baba. He doesn't like to play or watch soccer and he would rather read poems or write stories instead of being a "normal boy" and striving to be a winner, not a coward. Rahim understands that Amir is not going to be exactly like his father and he accepts the way he is. In the note above, he shows how he is proud of Amir and encourages him to develop his talents and do what he loves. Baba is ashamned that Amir isn't like himself when he was a boy and barely talks to him.

Technique - Transitions

"Rahim Kahn had been wrong about the mean streak thing" (pg. 23)

" "Well," I began. But I never got to finish that sentence. Because suddenly Afganistan changed forever." (pg. 34)

"Because that was the winter that Hassan stopped smiling." (pg. 47)

"Then I knocked on Baba's door and told what I hoped ould be the last in a long line of shameful lies." (pg. 104)


These are some of the sentences that end a few of the beginning chapters of the book. Hosseini somehow ties in what he is saying and brings about something new and random that keeps the reader moving forward. These transitions leave the reader wanting more and they keep the reader from setting the book down. Suspense is somthing that every book needs to have to keep the reader engaged. Hosseini does this well by placing suspense in his transitions from chapter to chapter. Sometimes there are sections to the chapters and suspense can be found there too. This book jumps around so much and transitions from place to place so quickly that it always keeps the erader on their toes.

This book doesn't have a common plot, so the reader can't truly infer what will happen next. That is what makes this book so interesting.

A Raisin in the Sun / The Glass Menagerie

In these two stories, the relationship between mothers and their sons are very vived and key to the play. These two relationships are similar and different at the same time. In both stories, the father figure is missing in the family. The mothers expect their male child to step up and take charge like a father figure. In The Glass Menagerie, Amanda, the mother, wants Tom to step up and take care of the family like her husband never did. She wants Tom to turn out like a man who is exact opposite of her husband who left her family to survive on their own. On the other hand, Mama in A Raisin in the Sun wants her son, Walter, to turn out to be the man her husband was. She cherished her husband and thought so much of him. Even when she received $10,000 for his death it was not enough. Mama believed that his life couldn't be measured by money. I am sure that Amanda would've given up her husband for $10,000 any day.

Both mothers and sons have a relationship full of arguments, but it is only because the mothers care about how they turn out. It is obvious that both sons do feel tied down because they have to work so much to support a family and cannot live out their own dreams. In the end, Tom fails his family, gives up on them, thinks of himself and leaves; like father, like son. Walter actually steps up to the plate at the end of the story and stands up to defend his family. Mama believes that it is his first step in becoming a true man.

A Raisin in the Sun

3. I feel that the protagonist is Mama because she is the conerstone of the family and is ultimately the one receiving the money. The antagonist would be Walter because of the pressure he puts on Mama about the check. Also, he argues with everyone in the household about something. I believe that Ruth and Bennie are foils in this story. Ruth is all about helping other people out and putting her family before herself. She is willing to kill her baby just so the family can live easier. This would destroy Ruth, but she wants what is best for the household in general. Bennie on the other hand is all about herself. She cares about her education, the activites she wants to do, and the men she dates.

Travis is a minor character who has a big impaact on the play. He is only a child and a minor charcter at that, but he plays a big part when one looks at the big picture. At the end of the play, Travis definitely had an impact on the decision made by the major character, Walter. Walter has to decide to stand up for his family and their rights or back down and leave the housing community. Mama makes Travis see this situation because I think she knew it would help Walter make the right decision as well as show Travis how real men act.

A Raisin in the Sun

4. This play is all about suspense in general. The play opens with all of the family members being in suspense about the arrival of the money and where the money would be invested. The family knows the day it will come, but they know not the hour. In this play, dramatic suspense is created by Ruth and her "sickness." The reader does not know for sure what is exactly happening to her, but they know that something is up. Then, Mama and Ruth reveal that Ruth is pregnant to the audience before Walter gets to know.

Then, once Mama receives the money, everyone is eager to know where it will go to. Once it goes into the hands of Walter the suspense is created by whether or not his liquor store will succeed. When it fails all suspense is lost. I believe that there is a lot of suspense incorporated into this story because of all the fard decisions that have to be made by family members when they know it will affect the rest of the family.

The Unicorn =]

Laura's little glass unicorn is one of the biggest symbols in the story. Williams makes it quote clear that the unicorn represents Laura. She is the odd one that stands among all of the other normal people, horses, and sticks out. Laura is different from everyone else, but I don't think that Williams doesn't want the reader to see this as a bad thing because he makes her equal a unicorn. A unicorn is majestic and not able to be comprehended. If he wanted to giver her a bad connotation, he might have made her a donkey or something.

At first, I really did start to see signs that Jim and Laura were connecting and I did catch a glimpse of hope for a future between the two. Jim was the one who brought Laura out of her shyness, removed her "horn," and made her a horse like everyone around her. This glimpse of hope was totally destroyed when Jim brought up Betty and at first I was extremely angry. I hate guys who lead on girls and I thought it was just going to be another one of those unhappy endings. Some people may see it like that, but I think Jim actually helped Laura more than he hurt her. I know that he had to hurt her because she has had a love for him since high school, but he helped her to step out of her bubble and face her fears. He also gave her some great advice. Even though we know that Tom leaves, I believe that Amanda and Laura will be much better off than they would've been if they had never met Jim.

Glass Menagerie

6. The physical effects of this drama are what makes this play possible and understood. First of all, the lighting and music help convey that this play is non realistic because it is a memory. Music just starts playing in scenes when important things occur. This is non realistic because in real like, music doesn't just start playing during impacting moments. Also, when Tom makes a reference to his father, a light directly shines on his photograph hung on the wall. This doesn't occur in real life either. There are some realistic parts to this drama also though because it did happen at one time. By the descriptions, I believe that the costumes, make-up, etc. help out with showing the realistic side. The playwright, Tennessee Williams, indicates these physical effects through stage directions. He is very specific and writes down exactly how everything should occur on the stage. I like how he is very detailed in doing this. It helps me understand more of what is going on since it is a play and is meant to be viewed.

Glass Menagerie

3. I believe that the protagonist in the play would actually be Tom. Since there are only four characters and they all play a big part, identifying the protagonist is harder, but I believe it is Tom because he is the breadwinner of the family and he is the narrator and in the play at the same time. The family depends on him to survive. I believe that even though there is a short character list, there are foil characters. Even though Tom and Laura are siblings and siblings are usually alike, I consider them opposites. Tom likes to leave the house and get out into the real world. He yearns for adventure and wants to escape the house. Laura wants the exact opposite. She is quite content with staying in her house and admiring her glass menagerie. She like to just sit and be content. She is shy and begins to feel ill when she even thinks of speaking to someone else besides her family. I do not believe that there are any minor characters in this story because each of the four characters plays a big part in the story. Each character does urge one another to advance the plot though. Especially Tom because he serves as the narrator and a main character. This whole story comes from his memory.

Othello - Movie Clip Comments

Before we started Othello, we had to read a little about reading a play and understanding the differences between whole one writes a play and when one writes a story. Today in class, there was a major point that was brought to my attention when we watched a movie clip. I was very confused with the scene in the beginning of Act IV, but when I watched the movie clip I understood it. I then went back and looked at the actual writing of the play and I realized how closely i needed to pay attention when reading because these plays were not ultimately wrote to be read, they were wrote to be acted out. I didn't realize how the conversation between Cassio and Iago could've worked out with Othello watching so closely. I knew that at some point Bianca's name had to be brought up. When I watched the movie I realized how Iago changed his volume and tone with Cassio when actually saying the names of Desdemona and Bianca and it all made sense from there. So many aspects can happen at one time with an audience watching a play, but when reading a play, the reader has to dissect every part in order to fully understand the text and the situation.

Othello - Suspense

4. In this story, a great amount of suspense is created by the plot. By the end of Act IV, the audience is on the edge of their seat wondering how the story is going to end up with just one more act left. Shakespeare creates this suspense by giving one character the ability to harm so many lives. Iago has intertwined the lives of the main characters and has created a huge ball of fury by the end of Act IV. Also, but this time, the audience realizes that the story has to be a tragedy. The also know that with tragedy comes death and nobody has died yet. They are so eager to know who is going to die and how it is all going to play out in the end. This suspense is created because it is completely dramatic. Besides Iago, only the audience realizes what is truly going on. The audience knows that the ball of fury is about to burst, but the characters in the play besides Iago are either in utter confusion or anger. There seems to be proof for their anger, but little do the characters know that the whole situation is a complete lie by the deceitful Iago.

Othello - Characters

3. I believe that the protagonist in this story is Othello and the antagonist is Iago. This is because Othello is characterized as the main character, hero, and leader. Iago on the other hand is the antagonist because he is opposed to Othello and works against him and almost everyone else in the play. Two people I see as foil characters is Iago and Cassio. First, I see them as foils in the way they treat women. Cassio respects women while Iago could care less about how women are treated. Also, even though Cassio is made out to be a drunkard, I believe that there is enough evidence to show how good of a man he is. Iago is deceiving and the complete opposite of a reliable man. I believe that the minor characters in the story are there to help Iago out with his plan. He uses every single one of them to put together a puzzle of poison.I do believe the minor characters such as the Duke, Montano, and Lodovico are like the glue that holds all the main events of the story together.

Othello

Personally, I wasn't extremely excited when I heard that we had to read something by Shakespeare. I have read a couple of his other works and I have just always been slightly intimidated by the way he writes. It is challenging for me to understand. After starting Othello, I think that I became less frightened. I am not sure why, but I think that I can understand his writing a little better now. I can't comprehend every little piece, but I believe that I can grasp the gist of the story. One thing that I did pick up on was the difference between the two Iago's. When is is trying to impress someone or be formal with them, Shakespeare made him speak poettically. Otherwise, when Iago is talking to Roderigo informally, Iago speaks in prose. This just further emphasizes how Iago is being two completely different people.

Othello

5. This play presents the themes of Jealousy, Pre-Judgement, Hatred, Racial issues, and Gender roles. I believe that these themes have a great dramatic effect on the experience. The conflicts in the play are wrapped around all of these issues. In Act I of the play, the issue of Othello's and Desdemona's marriage touches on almost all of these themes. Brabantio, Desdemona's father, prejudges Othello because of his race and claims his daughter as his own property because she "isn't" married. Well, he doesn't believe so. Then once he begins to believe it, he says. "It is too true an evil. Gone she is. And what’s to come of my despisèd time, Is naught but bitterness. Now, Roderigo,Where didst thou see her?—Oh, unhappy girl!—With the Moor, say’st thou?—Who would be a father?— ( I.i.158-162 )." Brabantio doesn't even want to claim her as a daughter anymore. This was definitely a harsh time. At the time of the play, people might have percieved race and gender this way, but now, the world today sees these issues from a different view. Lastly, I do not find this play to be didactic at all. I would lean more to the view that is has an insufficientpresentation of important concerns.

Othello

2. The play Othello would be classified as a tragedy. I only know this because it is what I have heard from peers because I haven't read all 5 acts yet. After the Act I, I knew that it wasn't a comedy or farce because it wasn't light-hearted and humorous to any extent. Lastly, I put a line through melodrama because the plot wasn't extremely dramatic and over the top. Plus, the author is Shakespeare, so I assumed it would probably be a tragedy anyways. In the beginning of the story, Iago's 2-faced qualities gave me the hint that this story is destine to turn out to be tragic. I believe that Iago being a villain proves one of the aspects of a tragedy. First, Iago speaks of taking advantage of Othello to Roderigo,"O sir, content you. I follow him to serve my turn upon him (I.i.41-42)." Then at the end of Act I, Iago tells Roderigo to sell all of his belongings and the speaks to himself, "Thus do I ever make my fool my purse (I.iii. 364)." Personally, I don't believe that it is really important for an audience to be aware of the classification of the play. I think that half way through the first act, it should be quite evident that it is a play of jealousy, hatred, and pre-judgement. Only tragedies come from these types of plots.