"Come on, come on! You are pictures out of door,/ Bells in your parlors, wildcats in your kitchens,/ Saints in your injuries, devils being offended,/ Players in your housewifery, and housewives in your beds. (Iago, 2.1.108-111)
This quote is significant because it displays the theme of sexism in the play. Iago, already a conniving knave(ironically one of his favorite things to call others), is now treating women as objects and possessions, simple things to take care of the household. Also, this is all in the presence of his own wife. Yes, this was probably the norm of society, but I don't believe to this much extent. Cassio at least knows proper courtesy.
Is this like Creon in Oedipus, with the whole 'back then, Iago would be the favorite in this department' kind of thing happening?
Thursday, December 18, 2008
A Separate Peace Essay-In what ways was "a separate peace" expressed in the novel?
Hehe...forgot to post it....(._.;)
----------------------------------------
Scott Pero
Honors English 10
December 14, 2008
In what ways was "a separate peace" expressed in the novel?
Peace Born From War
For centuries, the concepts of war and peace have battled for supremacy, both seemingly opposites of the other. In war, it is understood that people may die, that the land may be destroyed, and that there is a clear "winner" and "loser". In peace, these conditions are reversed. Why must people perish when there is peace? Why must the land be torn when there is no fighting? There is no clear winner and loser without competition. Though they may seem polar opposites, war and peace are closely related. The Greeks worshipped various gods and goddesses, each governing over a certain aspect in their world. One such god was Ares, the god of war. He personified the rage and bloodlust synonymous with the universal symbol of war. Ares, through one of his many consorts, had a daughter—Harmonia, the Greek goddess of harmony and concord. Harmonia not only personified peace, but another concept: peace born from war. This same concept of ‘a separate peace’ is present in the book of the same name. In A Separate Peace, the main character, Gene, struggles through a World War II era New England boarding school. He deals with the hardships of friendship, the impending war, and himself. The author of the book, John Knowles, expresses the theme of ‘a separate peace’ through the actions of the characters in the book, namely Gene, Finny, and the Devon School boys.
Gene, the narrator, is a complex character. On the outside, to others, he may seem like a normal intellectual. On the inside, however, a chaotic tumult rages. At times, he is supportive of his friends and only wishes to help them. Other times however, his darker side breaks loose, causing him to doubt his friends. The narrator makes up reasons as to why he did such things. After a lengthy thought process as to why Finny wanted to do everything with Gene, Gene comes to the conclusion that Finny wants to wreck his studies. After this revelation, Gene says: "I felt better. Yes, I sensed it like the sweat of relief when nausea passes away; I felt better. We were even after all, even in enmity. The deadly rivalry was on both sides after all" (Knowles 54). Though this is not the truth, it is what Gene believes at this moment in the text. His mind is at peace through something he created separately from the real world. Finny is not so different in this sense either.
During a pivotal moment in the text, Gene pushes Finny from a tree branch, effectively shattering Finny’s leg. After he recovers and returns to Devon, he walks with Gene through its winter-coated school grounds. Here, Finny talks of the winter: "‘I mean as much as you can say a season can love. What I mean is, I love winter, and when you really love something, then it loves you back, in whatever way it has to love’"(111). For every "winter" and "season" in that quote, a "Gene" can be substituted in its place. By reading it in that context, we see that Finny knows Gene intentionally jounced the limb that sent him falling, and that he is coming to terms with it. Finny is not a hateful person, rather, he is loyal to everyone and everything. Finny wouldn’t like to say outright that his friend intentionally pushed him off a tree, so instead he indirectly says it. He is making sense of Gene’s actions, saying they were done through love, not hatred. He’s made peace with the fact that his best friend hurt him physically. Not only does Finny hold this state of mind in regards to his friendships, but in regards to the war as well.
When Finny returns from his recuperation and he and Gene enter the locker room of the gym, Finny surprises Gene by rejecting the war, saying it’s not real: ‘Do you really think that the United States of America is in a state of war with Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan?...Don’t be a sap...there isn’t any war’ (115). Finny denies a major world issue, saying it was made up by fat old men who want to keep everything for themselves. Instead of war, Finny wants peace. He does not want to live in a world where thousands of people are killed in foreign countries with turmoil spreading out of control, so instead he manifests his own, war-free world, where he, at least, lives in peace. Finny utilizes his magnetic personality to transmit this attitude to the other boys at Devon.
In the beginning of the book, Finny creates a game called Blitzball. Blitzball represents the peace found during the summer session at Devon: "We were careless and wild, and I suppose we could be thought of as a sign of the like the war was being fought to preserve…They noticed out games tolerantly. We reminded them of what peace was like, of lives which were not bound up with destruction" (24). Finny and the rest of the boys have found peace in a war-ravaged world. During Blitzball, their minds were not focused on the enemy, battle tactics, or the most recent bombing of Berlin; they simply had fun. The same can be said of the winter carnival, another of Finny’s concoctions. The boys decide to hold a winter carnival, where they drink cider and compete in athletic competitions, complete with prizes. This competition freed them from the coming war: "It wasn’t the cider which made me surpass myself, it was this liberation we had torn from the gray encroachments of 1943, the escape we had concocted, this afternoon of momentary, illusory, special and separate peace." (137) Through the winter carnival, Gene and friends were able to escape the war for one simple day, and experience what it would be like if they weren’t about to be shipped off into battle. Both Blitzball and the Winter Carnival set Devon and its students free from the lingering threat of the war.
Not only do Gene and Finny demonstrate this separate peace, but others do as well. Brinker’s time at Devon can be seen as his own separate peace. When he was at Devon, he was the school’s politician, the "big man on campus". When his father visits, however, he seems to overshadow Brinker. Devon was Brinker’s peace in which he could live free from his father’s will.
Leper exhibited a fair amount of separate peace as well. When most would help shovel out a railway, he decided to ski—not at high speeds down a slope, but calmly—to find a beaver dam, simply because it is interesting. In a more literal sense, Leper escaped the war to live in peace at home instead of being discharged. In subtle ways throughout the book, the characters show their own peace, a way of getting away from reality to simply take a breather.
Gene, Finny, and the rest of the boys at Devon all exhibit the theme of ‘a separate peace’. From Leper’s "space cadet" ways, to Finny’s radical conspiracy theories about the war, they make their own. They all break free from the chains of reality, lifting a weight from their shoulders that the world has suddenly put on them. The war is rapidly approaching for them, and they know it. To escape from the destruction and chaos to live freely and openly, they enter a different state of mind. In this mind, there are no fighter planes and military platoons. Instead, there are beaver dams and Blitzball world cups; there are no overbearing fathers and every one is a rival with everyone else. In this separate world, there is peace. In a world plagued by Ares’ hand, Harmonia still prevails.
----------------------------------------
Scott Pero
Honors English 10
December 14, 2008
In what ways was "a separate peace" expressed in the novel?
Peace Born From War
For centuries, the concepts of war and peace have battled for supremacy, both seemingly opposites of the other. In war, it is understood that people may die, that the land may be destroyed, and that there is a clear "winner" and "loser". In peace, these conditions are reversed. Why must people perish when there is peace? Why must the land be torn when there is no fighting? There is no clear winner and loser without competition. Though they may seem polar opposites, war and peace are closely related. The Greeks worshipped various gods and goddesses, each governing over a certain aspect in their world. One such god was Ares, the god of war. He personified the rage and bloodlust synonymous with the universal symbol of war. Ares, through one of his many consorts, had a daughter—Harmonia, the Greek goddess of harmony and concord. Harmonia not only personified peace, but another concept: peace born from war. This same concept of ‘a separate peace’ is present in the book of the same name. In A Separate Peace, the main character, Gene, struggles through a World War II era New England boarding school. He deals with the hardships of friendship, the impending war, and himself. The author of the book, John Knowles, expresses the theme of ‘a separate peace’ through the actions of the characters in the book, namely Gene, Finny, and the Devon School boys.
Gene, the narrator, is a complex character. On the outside, to others, he may seem like a normal intellectual. On the inside, however, a chaotic tumult rages. At times, he is supportive of his friends and only wishes to help them. Other times however, his darker side breaks loose, causing him to doubt his friends. The narrator makes up reasons as to why he did such things. After a lengthy thought process as to why Finny wanted to do everything with Gene, Gene comes to the conclusion that Finny wants to wreck his studies. After this revelation, Gene says: "I felt better. Yes, I sensed it like the sweat of relief when nausea passes away; I felt better. We were even after all, even in enmity. The deadly rivalry was on both sides after all" (Knowles 54). Though this is not the truth, it is what Gene believes at this moment in the text. His mind is at peace through something he created separately from the real world. Finny is not so different in this sense either.
During a pivotal moment in the text, Gene pushes Finny from a tree branch, effectively shattering Finny’s leg. After he recovers and returns to Devon, he walks with Gene through its winter-coated school grounds. Here, Finny talks of the winter: "‘I mean as much as you can say a season can love. What I mean is, I love winter, and when you really love something, then it loves you back, in whatever way it has to love’"(111). For every "winter" and "season" in that quote, a "Gene" can be substituted in its place. By reading it in that context, we see that Finny knows Gene intentionally jounced the limb that sent him falling, and that he is coming to terms with it. Finny is not a hateful person, rather, he is loyal to everyone and everything. Finny wouldn’t like to say outright that his friend intentionally pushed him off a tree, so instead he indirectly says it. He is making sense of Gene’s actions, saying they were done through love, not hatred. He’s made peace with the fact that his best friend hurt him physically. Not only does Finny hold this state of mind in regards to his friendships, but in regards to the war as well.
When Finny returns from his recuperation and he and Gene enter the locker room of the gym, Finny surprises Gene by rejecting the war, saying it’s not real: ‘Do you really think that the United States of America is in a state of war with Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan?...Don’t be a sap...there isn’t any war’ (115). Finny denies a major world issue, saying it was made up by fat old men who want to keep everything for themselves. Instead of war, Finny wants peace. He does not want to live in a world where thousands of people are killed in foreign countries with turmoil spreading out of control, so instead he manifests his own, war-free world, where he, at least, lives in peace. Finny utilizes his magnetic personality to transmit this attitude to the other boys at Devon.
In the beginning of the book, Finny creates a game called Blitzball. Blitzball represents the peace found during the summer session at Devon: "We were careless and wild, and I suppose we could be thought of as a sign of the like the war was being fought to preserve…They noticed out games tolerantly. We reminded them of what peace was like, of lives which were not bound up with destruction" (24). Finny and the rest of the boys have found peace in a war-ravaged world. During Blitzball, their minds were not focused on the enemy, battle tactics, or the most recent bombing of Berlin; they simply had fun. The same can be said of the winter carnival, another of Finny’s concoctions. The boys decide to hold a winter carnival, where they drink cider and compete in athletic competitions, complete with prizes. This competition freed them from the coming war: "It wasn’t the cider which made me surpass myself, it was this liberation we had torn from the gray encroachments of 1943, the escape we had concocted, this afternoon of momentary, illusory, special and separate peace." (137) Through the winter carnival, Gene and friends were able to escape the war for one simple day, and experience what it would be like if they weren’t about to be shipped off into battle. Both Blitzball and the Winter Carnival set Devon and its students free from the lingering threat of the war.
Not only do Gene and Finny demonstrate this separate peace, but others do as well. Brinker’s time at Devon can be seen as his own separate peace. When he was at Devon, he was the school’s politician, the "big man on campus". When his father visits, however, he seems to overshadow Brinker. Devon was Brinker’s peace in which he could live free from his father’s will.
Leper exhibited a fair amount of separate peace as well. When most would help shovel out a railway, he decided to ski—not at high speeds down a slope, but calmly—to find a beaver dam, simply because it is interesting. In a more literal sense, Leper escaped the war to live in peace at home instead of being discharged. In subtle ways throughout the book, the characters show their own peace, a way of getting away from reality to simply take a breather.
Gene, Finny, and the rest of the boys at Devon all exhibit the theme of ‘a separate peace’. From Leper’s "space cadet" ways, to Finny’s radical conspiracy theories about the war, they make their own. They all break free from the chains of reality, lifting a weight from their shoulders that the world has suddenly put on them. The war is rapidly approaching for them, and they know it. To escape from the destruction and chaos to live freely and openly, they enter a different state of mind. In this mind, there are no fighter planes and military platoons. Instead, there are beaver dams and Blitzball world cups; there are no overbearing fathers and every one is a rival with everyone else. In this separate world, there is peace. In a world plagued by Ares’ hand, Harmonia still prevails.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Othello-Quote Significance Act 1 Scene3-12/17
"If virtue no delighted beauty lack/ Your son-in-law is more fair than black." (Duke, 1.3.284-285)
This quote is significant because it relates back to theme of racism, and how people of these times thought the darker you were, the more animalistic you were. What I believe the translation is, is that If a delightful beauty does not lack virture, then your son-in-law is a good person. Also, I think the fair is used as a double...entendre?(spelling?) It means both just and fair-skinned(paler) in this case. So, it goes along with both the idea of pale vs. dark skin(racism theme) and just vs. animalistic(possible character change theme). Plus, It's a rhyming couplet, and those are usually uber-important in plays.
Who in real life(better, our class) reminds you of each character based on the character descriptions, ie. who acts like who, who, when reading, reminds you of whom?
This quote is significant because it relates back to theme of racism, and how people of these times thought the darker you were, the more animalistic you were. What I believe the translation is, is that If a delightful beauty does not lack virture, then your son-in-law is a good person. Also, I think the fair is used as a double...entendre?(spelling?) It means both just and fair-skinned(paler) in this case. So, it goes along with both the idea of pale vs. dark skin(racism theme) and just vs. animalistic(possible character change theme). Plus, It's a rhyming couplet, and those are usually uber-important in plays.
Who in real life(better, our class) reminds you of each character based on the character descriptions, ie. who acts like who, who, when reading, reminds you of whom?
Sunday, December 7, 2008
ASP Quote Significance Ch.13-12/8
"There is no stage you comprehend better than the one you have just left, and as I watched the Jeeps almost asserting a wish to bounce up the side of Mount Washington at eighty miles an hour instead of rolling along this dull street, they reminded me, in a comical and a poignant way, of adolescents." (196)
This quote made me think of Finny, but as described by Gene. Finny wanted to be in the war, fighting for anyone he could possibly get to draft him. Instead, he was crippled and confined to a New Hampshire all boys boarding school. He wished for one thing instead of the thing he was doing, like the Jeeps. Something also struck me as different as well. Gene speaks of the stage one has just left, how you understand it better than any other. Does he consider himself a man? Is he one? I mean, he's only 17(he is 17, isn't he?). I didn't know what he meant. If we are considering 17 as a man, then cool, he's a man; if not, however, why would he consider himself past adolescence? So, aiding in the death(not intentionally killing, aiding) of a friend earns you a one-way ticket to adulthood? A bit lost on that part of the quote, and need it to be explained, I must say...
Based on his actions, Do you think Gene is a man? (not physical sense, philosphical[? metaphorical?])
This quote made me think of Finny, but as described by Gene. Finny wanted to be in the war, fighting for anyone he could possibly get to draft him. Instead, he was crippled and confined to a New Hampshire all boys boarding school. He wished for one thing instead of the thing he was doing, like the Jeeps. Something also struck me as different as well. Gene speaks of the stage one has just left, how you understand it better than any other. Does he consider himself a man? Is he one? I mean, he's only 17(he is 17, isn't he?). I didn't know what he meant. If we are considering 17 as a man, then cool, he's a man; if not, however, why would he consider himself past adolescence? So, aiding in the death(not intentionally killing, aiding) of a friend earns you a one-way ticket to adulthood? A bit lost on that part of the quote, and need it to be explained, I must say...
Based on his actions, Do you think Gene is a man? (not physical sense, philosphical[? metaphorical?])
Thursday, December 4, 2008
ASP Quote Significance-Ch.12-12/5
"...Dr. Stanpole, without appearing to notice my tangle, said conversationally, 'It's the leg again. Broken again. But a much cleaner break I think, much cleaner. A simple fracture.' He found the light switch and the foyer was plunged into darkness." (180)
This quote is significant for a myriad of reasons. First off, we find out what exactly happened to Finny when he fell down the stairs. Second, I think it's a combination of both symbolism and foreshadowing. Light, in this case, could be used to represent Finny and his recovery. The light was on, meaning he had a chance of regaining his ability to walk fine and healing his leg. After he fell down the stairs, however, that chance was gone along with the light. I hope I'm explaining my idea well. The darkness could also be looked in the often used association as death. This break in Finny's leg started his downfall (pun not intended), and he died because of it. Since there wouldn't be a chance at healing again, instead of the light staying on, it would be shut off. I really hope that makes sense.
Could light and darkness be looked at as a semi-theme? Motif? Because there was emphasis on light in Leper's explanation and here.
This quote is significant for a myriad of reasons. First off, we find out what exactly happened to Finny when he fell down the stairs. Second, I think it's a combination of both symbolism and foreshadowing. Light, in this case, could be used to represent Finny and his recovery. The light was on, meaning he had a chance of regaining his ability to walk fine and healing his leg. After he fell down the stairs, however, that chance was gone along with the light. I hope I'm explaining my idea well. The darkness could also be looked in the often used association as death. This break in Finny's leg started his downfall (pun not intended), and he died because of it. Since there wouldn't be a chance at healing again, instead of the light staying on, it would be shut off. I really hope that makes sense.
Could light and darkness be looked at as a semi-theme? Motif? Because there was emphasis on light in Leper's explanation and here.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
ASP Quote Significance Ch. 11-12/3
"...there was a strained hospitality in the way both the faculty and students worked to get along with the leatheryrecruiting officers who kept appearing on the campus. There was no latent snobbery in us; we didn't find any in them. It was only that we could feeld a deep and sincere difference between us and them, a difference which everyone struggled with awkward fortitude to bridge. It was as though Athens and Sparta were trying to establish not just a truce but an alliance--although we were not as civilized as Athens and they were not as brave as Sparta." (159)
I liked this quote because of the analogy used in it. There were alot of references to Ancient Greek Mythology and History throughout the entire book; this is an example. Athens and Sparta were two different cities in Ancient Greece, both of which worshipped Athena and Ares respectively, the sibling Gods of war. Both cities were always at each other's throats, and never got along well in the least. A truce would've been unheard of, an alliance, unimaginable. If you apply that idea to Devon and the military, you can see how it fits together. The boys at Devon, for the most part, dreaded joining the army, but they had no choice. Either enlist before you're 18, or get forced into when you are. If you had only one option in your life, you would probably hate that thing too. I really like the author's use of these types of analogies, partly because I understand them.
Why the H-E-Double Hockey Sticks does Brinker care about what happened anyway!? I wanted to punch him for the duration of this chapter...
I liked this quote because of the analogy used in it. There were alot of references to Ancient Greek Mythology and History throughout the entire book; this is an example. Athens and Sparta were two different cities in Ancient Greece, both of which worshipped Athena and Ares respectively, the sibling Gods of war. Both cities were always at each other's throats, and never got along well in the least. A truce would've been unheard of, an alliance, unimaginable. If you apply that idea to Devon and the military, you can see how it fits together. The boys at Devon, for the most part, dreaded joining the army, but they had no choice. Either enlist before you're 18, or get forced into when you are. If you had only one option in your life, you would probably hate that thing too. I really like the author's use of these types of analogies, partly because I understand them.
Why the H-E-Double Hockey Sticks does Brinker care about what happened anyway!? I wanted to punch him for the duration of this chapter...
Monday, December 1, 2008
ASP Quote Significance Ch.10-12/2
"Fear seized my stomach like a cramp. I didn't care what I said to him now; it was myself I was worried about. For if Leper was psycho it was the army which had done it to him, and I and all of us were on the brink of the army." (144)
This passage shows Gene coming to terms with exactly what the future holds. He's made the connection that Leper went psycho after joining the army, and that most of his friends at Devon are nearing draft age. Surely, in his mind, his conclusions now are mingling with Finny's philosophies, trying to figure out which to go along with. The war hasn't really hit Devon or the surrounding area, only in newspapers has the destruction been displayed. Also, however, he's seen what the army, not even the war, has done to a friend. Gene is worried that the war is closer than he thinks, and now he fears for himself.
What could the last page in the chapter, when Gene says he doesn't want to hear Leper's story because it wasn' about him, mean?
This passage shows Gene coming to terms with exactly what the future holds. He's made the connection that Leper went psycho after joining the army, and that most of his friends at Devon are nearing draft age. Surely, in his mind, his conclusions now are mingling with Finny's philosophies, trying to figure out which to go along with. The war hasn't really hit Devon or the surrounding area, only in newspapers has the destruction been displayed. Also, however, he's seen what the army, not even the war, has done to a friend. Gene is worried that the war is closer than he thinks, and now he fears for himself.
What could the last page in the chapter, when Gene says he doesn't want to hear Leper's story because it wasn' about him, mean?
Sunday, November 30, 2008
ASP Quote Significance Ch.8,9-12/1
Ch. 8:
"'The winter loves me,' he retorted, and then, disliking the whimsical sound of that, added, 'I mean as much as you can say a season can love. What I mean is, I love winter, and when you really love something, then it loves you back, in whatever way it has to love.' I didn't think this was true, my seventeen years of experience had shown this to be much more false than true, but it was like every other thought and belief of Finny's: it should have been true. So I didn't argue." (111)
Here, we have another of Finny's Commandments: "When you love something, it loves you back, in any way it can." I think this, at least to Finny, really stands for the saying that nothing is done for a bad reason. Everything has some good quality to it. It's also, I think, a way of justifying Gene's actions. Finny knows that Gene pushed himf rom the tree, but the previous visions of Finny as confused or troubled were probably of him trying to figure out exactly what happened and why. Now that he knows Gene did it for sure, he justifies it by saying this, another commandment. He's using it to justify Gene's pushing him out of the tree as, somehow, and act of friendship, or loving him back. How, I do not know, but it somehow is in Finny's eyes. It's Finny's way of making the world seem a beter place than it really is.
Could Finny be doing all this(making up games, acting spontaneous, etc.) as a way of justifying the world around him, of making it better in his eyes?
Ch. 9:
"It wasn't the cider which made me surpass myself, it was this liberation we had torn from the gray encroachments of 1943, the escape we had concocted, this afternoon of momentary, illusory, special and separate peace." (136-137)
The quote itself is pretty explanatory. This explains the title and what exactly the boys were doing during their time at Devon. The outside world no longer existed, or even mattered, to them. What they were doing was their own world. They made their own games. They remade current events in honor of their friend [Leper] who enlisted. They trained for Olympics a year away that were not even confirmed yet. They made their own, seperate peace. Their world didn't have a war. This relates to the title of the book and, in my opinion, is a quintessential quote of the book.
What future events could Leper's enlistment and apparent escape(as seen in the telegram) incur on Gene and friends?
"'The winter loves me,' he retorted, and then, disliking the whimsical sound of that, added, 'I mean as much as you can say a season can love. What I mean is, I love winter, and when you really love something, then it loves you back, in whatever way it has to love.' I didn't think this was true, my seventeen years of experience had shown this to be much more false than true, but it was like every other thought and belief of Finny's: it should have been true. So I didn't argue." (111)
Here, we have another of Finny's Commandments: "When you love something, it loves you back, in any way it can." I think this, at least to Finny, really stands for the saying that nothing is done for a bad reason. Everything has some good quality to it. It's also, I think, a way of justifying Gene's actions. Finny knows that Gene pushed himf rom the tree, but the previous visions of Finny as confused or troubled were probably of him trying to figure out exactly what happened and why. Now that he knows Gene did it for sure, he justifies it by saying this, another commandment. He's using it to justify Gene's pushing him out of the tree as, somehow, and act of friendship, or loving him back. How, I do not know, but it somehow is in Finny's eyes. It's Finny's way of making the world seem a beter place than it really is.
Could Finny be doing all this(making up games, acting spontaneous, etc.) as a way of justifying the world around him, of making it better in his eyes?
Ch. 9:
"It wasn't the cider which made me surpass myself, it was this liberation we had torn from the gray encroachments of 1943, the escape we had concocted, this afternoon of momentary, illusory, special and separate peace." (136-137)
The quote itself is pretty explanatory. This explains the title and what exactly the boys were doing during their time at Devon. The outside world no longer existed, or even mattered, to them. What they were doing was their own world. They made their own games. They remade current events in honor of their friend [Leper] who enlisted. They trained for Olympics a year away that were not even confirmed yet. They made their own, seperate peace. Their world didn't have a war. This relates to the title of the book and, in my opinion, is a quintessential quote of the book.
What future events could Leper's enlistment and apparent escape(as seen in the telegram) incur on Gene and friends?
Monday, November 24, 2008
ASP Quote Significance Ch. 7-11/24
"They gathered there thicker by the minute, like noiseless invaders conquering because they took posession so gently. I watched them whirl past my window--don't take this seriously, the playful way they seemed to imply, this little show, this harmless trick."
I have a feeling this can be interpreted as foreshadowing of Gene's ideas of enlisting. They gather in his head quickly, gently taking root in his mind. I think this is foreshadowing how, at the end of the chapter, Gene forgets them. They were a harmless trick he thought of on a passing whim. The ideas fell into his mind, but like the next day, the ideas were completely melted away when Finny came back. If we go along with this motif of, at least for this chapter, snow predicting the future, Gene also says that the snow fell a few more times, and was solidly packed in at Devon. I speculate that Gene will ponder the theory of enlisting a few more times before he finally sets to it.
Do you think Gene will enlist or not enlist after Finny's return and why?
I have a feeling this can be interpreted as foreshadowing of Gene's ideas of enlisting. They gather in his head quickly, gently taking root in his mind. I think this is foreshadowing how, at the end of the chapter, Gene forgets them. They were a harmless trick he thought of on a passing whim. The ideas fell into his mind, but like the next day, the ideas were completely melted away when Finny came back. If we go along with this motif of, at least for this chapter, snow predicting the future, Gene also says that the snow fell a few more times, and was solidly packed in at Devon. I speculate that Gene will ponder the theory of enlisting a few more times before he finally sets to it.
Do you think Gene will enlist or not enlist after Finny's return and why?
Sunday, November 23, 2008
ASP Quote Significance Ch. 6-11/24
"Night of black-jack and poker and unpredictable games invented by Phineas rose up in my mind...Phineas losing even in those games he invented, betting always for what should win, for what would have been the most brilliant successes of all, if only the cards hadn't betrayed him. Finny finally betting his icebox and losing it, that contraption, to me."
To me, this seems like a disguised summary of the book so far. The games invented by Phineas represent all the things he got Gene and the other boys to do during the Summer Session. Losing those games represented him falling from the tree, and any negatives he may have encountered. He bets for what should win, or his 'commandments'. All that goes out the window when the cards betrayed him, or when Gene betrayed him. The last line, however, I don't think has happened yet. What could Finny be betting on, but lose to Gene? Perhaps, and I may be completely off, it is the Galbraith Football Trophy or some other athletic award he probably would've gotten had Gene not pushed him from the tree. Now, however, Finny entrusts Gene with the responsibility of playing sports for him. So, instead of Gene winning Finny's 'icebox', maybe he will gain a trophy Finny would've won, thusly fully completing his transformation as 'part of Phineas.'
What do you predict will happen next in the book?
To me, this seems like a disguised summary of the book so far. The games invented by Phineas represent all the things he got Gene and the other boys to do during the Summer Session. Losing those games represented him falling from the tree, and any negatives he may have encountered. He bets for what should win, or his 'commandments'. All that goes out the window when the cards betrayed him, or when Gene betrayed him. The last line, however, I don't think has happened yet. What could Finny be betting on, but lose to Gene? Perhaps, and I may be completely off, it is the Galbraith Football Trophy or some other athletic award he probably would've gotten had Gene not pushed him from the tree. Now, however, Finny entrusts Gene with the responsibility of playing sports for him. So, instead of Gene winning Finny's 'icebox', maybe he will gain a trophy Finny would've won, thusly fully completing his transformation as 'part of Phineas.'
What do you predict will happen next in the book?
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Qoute: "But when I looked in the mirror it was no remote aristocrat I had become, no character out of daydreams. I was Phineas, Phineas to the Life. I even had his humorous expression in my face, his sharp, optimistic awareness. I had no idea why this gave me such instense relief, but it seemed, standing there in Finny's triumphant shirt, that I would never stumble through the confusions of my own character again." (62)
Significance: This is an example of Gene trying to be more like Finny. First, his jealousy caused him to purposely, opposed to accidentally, jounce the limb that he and Finny were standing on, as was revealed in this chapter. Now, in order to be more like Finny, he puts on his clothes. It's not simply just a shirt or some socks, it's the whole outfit, right down to the shoes. Maybe borrowing a shirt or two like Finny had done before is ok, but going so far as to dress in an entire outfit is rather odd. Yes, he is trying to be like Finny, but is this too far? It's almost obsessive. The last line, where he talks about stumbling through his own confusions, I think might be a solution to Gene's inner struggle of whether he is jealous or happy for Finny. Maybe some spark not mentioned occurred in Gene's head that told him the answer. By dressing like Finny, perhaps Gene saw that he could be like Finny, but still be himself. He was he, Gene, Finny's best pal, but he also had on his clothes, which could, to Gene, be interpreted as Finny's characteristics and qualities. Gene didn't need his 'There can only be one' mindset. I think, therefore, that this quote is an example of Gene trying to be like Finny, and in doing so, he found the answer to his inner struggle, and that's why he set off to get on Finny's good side again.
Question: Would Finny freak if he knew Gene was using his clothes, just like Finny used Gene's?
Significance: This is an example of Gene trying to be more like Finny. First, his jealousy caused him to purposely, opposed to accidentally, jounce the limb that he and Finny were standing on, as was revealed in this chapter. Now, in order to be more like Finny, he puts on his clothes. It's not simply just a shirt or some socks, it's the whole outfit, right down to the shoes. Maybe borrowing a shirt or two like Finny had done before is ok, but going so far as to dress in an entire outfit is rather odd. Yes, he is trying to be like Finny, but is this too far? It's almost obsessive. The last line, where he talks about stumbling through his own confusions, I think might be a solution to Gene's inner struggle of whether he is jealous or happy for Finny. Maybe some spark not mentioned occurred in Gene's head that told him the answer. By dressing like Finny, perhaps Gene saw that he could be like Finny, but still be himself. He was he, Gene, Finny's best pal, but he also had on his clothes, which could, to Gene, be interpreted as Finny's characteristics and qualities. Gene didn't need his 'There can only be one' mindset. I think, therefore, that this quote is an example of Gene trying to be like Finny, and in doing so, he found the answer to his inner struggle, and that's why he set off to get on Finny's good side again.
Question: Would Finny freak if he knew Gene was using his clothes, just like Finny used Gene's?
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
ASP-Quote Significance 11/19
"Holding firmly to the trunk, I took a step toward him, and then my knees bent and I jounced the limb. Finny, his balance gone, swung his head around to look at me for an instant with extreme interest, and then he tumbled sideways, broke through the little branches below and hit the bank with a sickening, unnatural thud. It was the first clumsy physical action I had ever seen him make. With unthinking sureness I moved out on the limb and jumped into the river, every trace of my fear of this forgotten." (59-60)
What. The. Hell. You don't stand by and watch your friend fall out of a tree! I can't stand Gene right now! %$^@#! Expletive! Censored, Censored, Censored! Anywho, this quote is the turning point, the point which we all saw coming. Worse, however, it was Gene's fault. He shook the limb(jounced=shook), and that's what made Finny lose his balance. I would understand if Gene said he jumped as Finny moved, so he didn't see him fall or thud, and only heard one splash so when he looked to the bank he could see Finny lying there. Then maybe it wouldn't be his fault. The truth is, however, the Gene just stood there, watched his friend fall, and then a second or two later, Ok, NOW I'll jump. And, what, now he's not afraid? After seeing someone fall out of a tree with a thud trying to do something you're trying to do, you DON'T go running back the way you came? Really? Gene is a complete A-hole. First, he expected Finny of trying to sabotage his studying efforts to become Valedictorian when Finny was just having fun, and now this. Finny just wanted to have some fun. They're at an all boys boarding school for the summer. SOMEONE had to do something make it exciting. And, to throw some of Gene's bang-up wisdom on himself, if he had stayed at home and studied, he wouldn't have gone to the meeting and Finny wouldn't have fallen out of the tree and gotten hurt. Take that, Gene. Take that.
Question: Do you think Gene was responsible in any way for Finny falling out of the tree?
Sidenote: Caps lock does NOT fully express the extent of my dislike!
What. The. Hell. You don't stand by and watch your friend fall out of a tree! I can't stand Gene right now! %$^@#! Expletive! Censored, Censored, Censored! Anywho, this quote is the turning point, the point which we all saw coming. Worse, however, it was Gene's fault. He shook the limb(jounced=shook), and that's what made Finny lose his balance. I would understand if Gene said he jumped as Finny moved, so he didn't see him fall or thud, and only heard one splash so when he looked to the bank he could see Finny lying there. Then maybe it wouldn't be his fault. The truth is, however, the Gene just stood there, watched his friend fall, and then a second or two later, Ok, NOW I'll jump. And, what, now he's not afraid? After seeing someone fall out of a tree with a thud trying to do something you're trying to do, you DON'T go running back the way you came? Really? Gene is a complete A-hole. First, he expected Finny of trying to sabotage his studying efforts to become Valedictorian when Finny was just having fun, and now this. Finny just wanted to have some fun. They're at an all boys boarding school for the summer. SOMEONE had to do something make it exciting. And, to throw some of Gene's bang-up wisdom on himself, if he had stayed at home and studied, he wouldn't have gone to the meeting and Finny wouldn't have fallen out of the tree and gotten hurt. Take that, Gene. Take that.
Question: Do you think Gene was responsible in any way for Finny falling out of the tree?
Sidenote: Caps lock does NOT fully express the extent of my dislike!
Monday, November 17, 2008
ASP Quote Significance-11/18
Ch.2) "Rigid, I began climbing the rungs, slightly reassured by having Finny right behind me. 'We'll jump together to cement our partnership,' he said."
Response: This quote may be short, but in this case, a little can go a long way. This quote is important because it demonstrates the importance of "The Tree". The Narrator, from the first chapter, has emphasized on the tree at numerous points in the text, but never really told us why. He's told us that it's smaller than he remembered it, he's told us that the seniors use it for Military Service, but he hasn't told us how it has had such a lasting effect on him that he would revisit his high school simply to see a tree. It stands as a symbol of his and Finny's friendship. In a book about friendship, a symbol of friendship has to be important. Perhaps whatever happens to the two will inolve the tree in some way.
Question: Which of the two do you like more, Finny or Gene, and why?
Ch.3) "'I hope you're having a pretty good time here. I know I kind of dragged you away at the point of a gun, but after all you can't come to the shore with just anybody and you can't come by yourself, and at this teen-age period in life the proper person is your best pal.' He hesitated and then added, 'which is what you are,' and there was a silence on his dune./ It was a courageous thing to say...I should have told him he was my best friend also...But something held me back."
Response: First off, I loved this quote, simply because of what Finny said. As of this point in the text, he's my favorite character. I thought it was very emotional, and to put yourself on the line like that is no small thing. No one likes to say cheesy stuff like that (I in fact despise it) but the feeling behind it is still there. Now, to it's significance. Finny has been depicted so far as a fearless, spontaneous, and quirky athlete. No one would expect the best athlete of an entire all boys school to in fact be nice as well. Some part of that equation just doesn't add up. This quote delves deeper into Finny as a character, showing that there's another side to the devil-may-care Phineas. Also, it demonstrates Gene's lack of reciprocal feelings. I personally don't like Gene that much anymore because something held him back from saying it. Finny takes him to the beach, kept checking on him as he lay on the sand, had dinner with him, and did all these nice things for him over the past few days, and he can't even say a word back!? I don't like Gene.
Question: Would you say this or anything like this to someone you cared about?
Side Note: "'No. You keep your arms crossed like this on your chest, and you just butt the ball carrier. No elbowing allowed either. All right, Gene, start again.'"
...
FINALLY! I mean, I know the narrator's name was said on the back of the book, but still. It takes the dude 38 pages to give us his first(no last yet) name!?
Sunday, November 16, 2008
ASP Quote Significance/Characterization-11/17
It's you, pal," Finny said to me at last, "just you and me." He and I started back across the fields, preceding the others like two seigneurs./ We were the best of friends at that moment." (17-18)
This is a significant quote because this is the first time Gene (the narrator) first tells us that he and Phineas are best friends. A theme of A Separate Peace is Friendship, as it would seem from our activities in class prior to reading its first chapter. Also, from reading the summary on the back of the book, it is apparent that some event yet waiting in the wings will happen to the two main characters. Making them friends heightens the extent of potential damage after said event. As opposed to it happening to two strangers, two friends are closer, and thus the aftermath will be greater.
Phineas: Fearless, Encouraging, Athletic, Fun-loving, Proud
Quote: "He of course saw nothing the slightest bit intimidating about it. He wouldn't, or wouldn't admit it if he did. Not Phineas." (14)
Narrator (Gene): Nostalgic, Descriptive, Slightly Timid, Easily Persuaded, Smart
Quote: "What was I doing up here anyway? Why did I let Finny talk me into stupid things like this? Was he getting some kind of hold over me?" (17)
Question: Is Devon School just a name for the school in the book? Wasn't the real life school called Phillips-Exeter Academy? Mr. George said Jasmine Glenn went there, but it's an all boys school in the book. Did it change?
This is a significant quote because this is the first time Gene (the narrator) first tells us that he and Phineas are best friends. A theme of A Separate Peace is Friendship, as it would seem from our activities in class prior to reading its first chapter. Also, from reading the summary on the back of the book, it is apparent that some event yet waiting in the wings will happen to the two main characters. Making them friends heightens the extent of potential damage after said event. As opposed to it happening to two strangers, two friends are closer, and thus the aftermath will be greater.
Phineas: Fearless, Encouraging, Athletic, Fun-loving, Proud
Quote: "He of course saw nothing the slightest bit intimidating about it. He wouldn't, or wouldn't admit it if he did. Not Phineas." (14)
Narrator (Gene): Nostalgic, Descriptive, Slightly Timid, Easily Persuaded, Smart
Quote: "What was I doing up here anyway? Why did I let Finny talk me into stupid things like this? Was he getting some kind of hold over me?" (17)
Question: Is Devon School just a name for the school in the book? Wasn't the real life school called Phillips-Exeter Academy? Mr. George said Jasmine Glenn went there, but it's an all boys school in the book. Did it change?
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Oedipus/Antigone Essay
Scott Pero
Honors English 10
October 28, 2008
Oedipus/Antigone Paper
Powerful Poison
“I love power. But it is as an instrument that I love it. I love it as a musician loves his violin, to draw out its sounds and chords and harmonies.” Napoleon Bonaparte, ruler of France and would-be conqueror of Europe, had a dream larger than his own short stature: a dream of holding the whole of Europe in the palm of his hand. Like all dictators and conquerors, he sought out power. It drove him forward until he tripped over his own mistake. Power is a vice irresistible to man. We all crave at least a taste of it at times, such is human nature. Napoleon speaks of power as his instrument, using it to drag the people of France and beyond under his command. Another who shared Napoleon’s controlling nature is Creon, the once beloved brother-in-law to King Oedipus in the Oedipus Plays of Sophocles. Creon began, in the audience’s eyes, as the wise and loyal friend to the king, supportive even in Oedipus’ times of hardship, and was content with simply that position. Once Oedipus is gone, however, who is left to take the throne but Creon himself. This is when Creon begins his decline to disaster. It is through Creon’s actions upon becoming king that he displays the flaw of every dictator throughout the course of history: an addiction and thirst for power.
Creon began in Oedipus the King as the proverbial Robin to Oedipus’ Batman. He filled the role of loyal friend well, always faithful and at Oedipus’ side. He becomes distraught, however, when he is accused of something he did not do by his own friend, and shows his disturbance, “If he thinks in all this turmoil of our times/ that any word or act of mine/ was ever done in malice, done to harm,/ I’d rather end my life than live so wronged.” (pg. 28) Creon would rather die than betray his friend. He lavishes this point by saying later, “May I be stricken dead if I be guilty/ in the smaller part of what you charge!” (pg. 36) Loyalty to this magnitude is the characteristic of a true friend. If anybody was ever accused of anything wrong by someone they called ‘friend’, who wouldn’t feel as Creon felt? Creon was still trying to get over the fact that his own brother-in-law said such a thing when Oedipus himself comes barging in scorning his very existence. Still, Creon pursued, always remaining the calmer of the two.
Creon spoke his words calmly and rationally. Meanwhile, Oedipus is raging before him. Creon does not lower himself to yells and grunts like Oedipus, but instead thinks things through. When Creon says, “If you really think a stubborn mind is something to be proud of,/ you’re not thinking straight.” (pg. 30), he exhibits the full extent of his wisdom. For every hot-headed assault by Oedipus, Creon is ready with an opposing and logical comeback. His reason is impeccable, as is shown when he states, “Who would choose uneasy dreams to don a crown/ when all the kingly sway/ can be enjoyed without? I could not covet kingship for itself when I can be a king by other means.” (pg. 33) Creon is saying that he has no need to dethrone Oedipus; he is already appeased with the position they both are in. He doesn’t need to be king to be happy. How, one may ask, does such a model friend turn into a power-hungry ruler? It all starts with a crown.
In Antigone, we see a complete U-turn of Creon’s behavior and personality. Once the intelligent right-hand man to the throne, he is now on the throne and far from intelligent. The first on a long list of rather disagreeable decisions made by Creon is when he forbids the city of Thebes from burying Polyneices, but allows them to bury his brother, Eteocles. Creon keeps his cool at this time, even though his decision is morally wrong. The Gods mandate that every body be properly buried, lest their soul not rest in the Underworld. Creon takes his first bite of power when he goes against the Gods. Creon then goes on to give a lengthy speech basically about how great he is as king, a subtle showing of egotism. After a sentry informs Creon that Polyneices’ body has been touched, Creon finally blows his top off, “Enough! You make me furious with such senile doddering remarks./ It’s quite insufferable./ You really think they give a damn, the gods, about this corpse?/ Next you’ll say they make it a priority to bury him in state, and thank him for his burning down their altars, sacking shrines, scouting laws, and raping all the land./ Or are the gods these days considerate to criminals?” (pg. 203) This hardly seems like the Creon the audience all knew and loved. Where he once was considerate for others’ well-beings and showed reverence for the Gods, he is now condemning a dead man and belittling the very Gods he once respected. This personality upheaval also unearths another controversial aspect of Creon.
Mirroring the thoughts of the Ancient Greek society at the time, Creon has become blatantly sexist. When he finds out he has been defied as king, he immediately jumps to the conclusion that it was a man that disobeyed his edict. He never takes into consideration that a woman might have defied him. He even says, “Let us then defend authority/ and not be ousted by a girl./ If yield we must, then let it be to men,/ and never have it said we were worsted by a woman.” (pg. 221) Creon is saying that it’s ok to be defeated, as long as it is by a man and not a woman. Creon displays sexism at its worst. He even goes so far as to say, when Ismene objects to killing his own son’s bride, Antigone, “Let him sow his seed in other furrows.” (pg. 217) Creon could care less who his son marries. Here he objectifies women as tools for reproduction. The utter disregard for his son’s love of Antigone and the anger he feels after having his own law disobeyed has, by this point in the text, pushed him into total stubbornness.
Creon explodes on all those who try to help him, especially his son, Haemon, and the blind prophet, Tiresias. Both at first are on Creon’s side, trying to help him. After being rebuked by Creon, though, they both are against him. Haemon first approaches, knowing his own father has sentenced his bride-to-be to death, and says he is always on Creon’s side. The current situation, however, warrants Haemon’s own opinion. He tells Creon that his actions are wrong. Creon is at first delighted that his son has pledged allegiance to him, but seemingly experiences a mood swing after Haemon tells him his verdict his wrong, “Do I rule this state, or someone else?” (pg. 223) This stubbornness is all a result from Creon’s power as king. He has arrived at the point where he believes he is right, simply because of his might. He goes on to not only argue with Haemon, but insult him, “Insolent pup! A woman’s lackey!” (pg. 224) Later, when Tiresias enters, he too is turned upon by Creon. Creon respects Tiresias but loses that respect once Tiresias tells Creon of his wrongdoing, “Old, man,/ you pot away at me like all the rest/ as if I were a bull’s-eye,/ And now you aim your seer craft at me./ Well, I’m sick of being bought and sold/ by all your soothsaying tribe.” (pg. 237) Suddenly, Tiresias’ great prophecies are now petty seer craft, all because he defied Creon. He also calls all prophets “a money-grubbing race.” (pg. 238) Every flaw, every choice, every pain of Creon was a result of power corrupting his logical way of thinking.
Power is a dangerous thing. It can, as has been shown in the Oedipus Plays of Sophocles, the most respectable, model person into a stubborn, obnoxious ruler. Creon, only after losing everything he held dear because of his choices, finally saw the error of his ways. Power is like a poison, slowly contaminating a man until it consumes him. It becomes his only desire, clouding his judgment and the way he sees the world. Too many have fallen for power’s siren call, among those few, Napoleon and Creon. Both used power as an instrument to weave symphonies during their reign. Both also hit a wrong note.
Honors English 10
October 28, 2008
Oedipus/Antigone Paper
Powerful Poison
“I love power. But it is as an instrument that I love it. I love it as a musician loves his violin, to draw out its sounds and chords and harmonies.” Napoleon Bonaparte, ruler of France and would-be conqueror of Europe, had a dream larger than his own short stature: a dream of holding the whole of Europe in the palm of his hand. Like all dictators and conquerors, he sought out power. It drove him forward until he tripped over his own mistake. Power is a vice irresistible to man. We all crave at least a taste of it at times, such is human nature. Napoleon speaks of power as his instrument, using it to drag the people of France and beyond under his command. Another who shared Napoleon’s controlling nature is Creon, the once beloved brother-in-law to King Oedipus in the Oedipus Plays of Sophocles. Creon began, in the audience’s eyes, as the wise and loyal friend to the king, supportive even in Oedipus’ times of hardship, and was content with simply that position. Once Oedipus is gone, however, who is left to take the throne but Creon himself. This is when Creon begins his decline to disaster. It is through Creon’s actions upon becoming king that he displays the flaw of every dictator throughout the course of history: an addiction and thirst for power.
Creon began in Oedipus the King as the proverbial Robin to Oedipus’ Batman. He filled the role of loyal friend well, always faithful and at Oedipus’ side. He becomes distraught, however, when he is accused of something he did not do by his own friend, and shows his disturbance, “If he thinks in all this turmoil of our times/ that any word or act of mine/ was ever done in malice, done to harm,/ I’d rather end my life than live so wronged.” (pg. 28) Creon would rather die than betray his friend. He lavishes this point by saying later, “May I be stricken dead if I be guilty/ in the smaller part of what you charge!” (pg. 36) Loyalty to this magnitude is the characteristic of a true friend. If anybody was ever accused of anything wrong by someone they called ‘friend’, who wouldn’t feel as Creon felt? Creon was still trying to get over the fact that his own brother-in-law said such a thing when Oedipus himself comes barging in scorning his very existence. Still, Creon pursued, always remaining the calmer of the two.
Creon spoke his words calmly and rationally. Meanwhile, Oedipus is raging before him. Creon does not lower himself to yells and grunts like Oedipus, but instead thinks things through. When Creon says, “If you really think a stubborn mind is something to be proud of,/ you’re not thinking straight.” (pg. 30), he exhibits the full extent of his wisdom. For every hot-headed assault by Oedipus, Creon is ready with an opposing and logical comeback. His reason is impeccable, as is shown when he states, “Who would choose uneasy dreams to don a crown/ when all the kingly sway/ can be enjoyed without? I could not covet kingship for itself when I can be a king by other means.” (pg. 33) Creon is saying that he has no need to dethrone Oedipus; he is already appeased with the position they both are in. He doesn’t need to be king to be happy. How, one may ask, does such a model friend turn into a power-hungry ruler? It all starts with a crown.
In Antigone, we see a complete U-turn of Creon’s behavior and personality. Once the intelligent right-hand man to the throne, he is now on the throne and far from intelligent. The first on a long list of rather disagreeable decisions made by Creon is when he forbids the city of Thebes from burying Polyneices, but allows them to bury his brother, Eteocles. Creon keeps his cool at this time, even though his decision is morally wrong. The Gods mandate that every body be properly buried, lest their soul not rest in the Underworld. Creon takes his first bite of power when he goes against the Gods. Creon then goes on to give a lengthy speech basically about how great he is as king, a subtle showing of egotism. After a sentry informs Creon that Polyneices’ body has been touched, Creon finally blows his top off, “Enough! You make me furious with such senile doddering remarks./ It’s quite insufferable./ You really think they give a damn, the gods, about this corpse?/ Next you’ll say they make it a priority to bury him in state, and thank him for his burning down their altars, sacking shrines, scouting laws, and raping all the land./ Or are the gods these days considerate to criminals?” (pg. 203) This hardly seems like the Creon the audience all knew and loved. Where he once was considerate for others’ well-beings and showed reverence for the Gods, he is now condemning a dead man and belittling the very Gods he once respected. This personality upheaval also unearths another controversial aspect of Creon.
Mirroring the thoughts of the Ancient Greek society at the time, Creon has become blatantly sexist. When he finds out he has been defied as king, he immediately jumps to the conclusion that it was a man that disobeyed his edict. He never takes into consideration that a woman might have defied him. He even says, “Let us then defend authority/ and not be ousted by a girl./ If yield we must, then let it be to men,/ and never have it said we were worsted by a woman.” (pg. 221) Creon is saying that it’s ok to be defeated, as long as it is by a man and not a woman. Creon displays sexism at its worst. He even goes so far as to say, when Ismene objects to killing his own son’s bride, Antigone, “Let him sow his seed in other furrows.” (pg. 217) Creon could care less who his son marries. Here he objectifies women as tools for reproduction. The utter disregard for his son’s love of Antigone and the anger he feels after having his own law disobeyed has, by this point in the text, pushed him into total stubbornness.
Creon explodes on all those who try to help him, especially his son, Haemon, and the blind prophet, Tiresias. Both at first are on Creon’s side, trying to help him. After being rebuked by Creon, though, they both are against him. Haemon first approaches, knowing his own father has sentenced his bride-to-be to death, and says he is always on Creon’s side. The current situation, however, warrants Haemon’s own opinion. He tells Creon that his actions are wrong. Creon is at first delighted that his son has pledged allegiance to him, but seemingly experiences a mood swing after Haemon tells him his verdict his wrong, “Do I rule this state, or someone else?” (pg. 223) This stubbornness is all a result from Creon’s power as king. He has arrived at the point where he believes he is right, simply because of his might. He goes on to not only argue with Haemon, but insult him, “Insolent pup! A woman’s lackey!” (pg. 224) Later, when Tiresias enters, he too is turned upon by Creon. Creon respects Tiresias but loses that respect once Tiresias tells Creon of his wrongdoing, “Old, man,/ you pot away at me like all the rest/ as if I were a bull’s-eye,/ And now you aim your seer craft at me./ Well, I’m sick of being bought and sold/ by all your soothsaying tribe.” (pg. 237) Suddenly, Tiresias’ great prophecies are now petty seer craft, all because he defied Creon. He also calls all prophets “a money-grubbing race.” (pg. 238) Every flaw, every choice, every pain of Creon was a result of power corrupting his logical way of thinking.
Power is a dangerous thing. It can, as has been shown in the Oedipus Plays of Sophocles, the most respectable, model person into a stubborn, obnoxious ruler. Creon, only after losing everything he held dear because of his choices, finally saw the error of his ways. Power is like a poison, slowly contaminating a man until it consumes him. It becomes his only desire, clouding his judgment and the way he sees the world. Too many have fallen for power’s siren call, among those few, Napoleon and Creon. Both used power as an instrument to weave symphonies during their reign. Both also hit a wrong note.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Antigone Quote Significane-10/23
"His panic sent us flying to the cave, and in the farthest corner we could see her hanging with a noose of linen around her neck, and leaning on her, hugging his cold lover lost to Hades, Haemon, bridegroom, broken, cursed the father who had robbed him, pouring out his tears of sorrow...Lesson to the world that inhuane designs wreak a havoc immeasurably inhumane." -Messenger, pg. 246
I'm not ashamed to say I'm a hopeless romantic. Even though this whole quote may look like one person klling themselves after another, I, somehow, find it oddly romantic. Here we have Antigone, sentenced to death by her own Uncle, Creon, hanging herself. Upon finding her, her husband-to-be, Haemon, is heartbroken. We see him cradling her close, tears flowing from his eyes and he weeps over his love. Then, Creon has to come in and say, "WTF have you done, moron? Let's find your a new one." Imagine you the person you love the most, beit a significant other or simply a close friend. If you have found them lifeless, would you want someone to barge in and reprove you? You feel that anger you feel for that person? That's how Haemon feels toward Creon, and I feel his response was totally within reason. It was Creon's fault in the first place his son had to go through this heartbreak, and he's talking like Haemon did something wrong! After Creon runs, Haemon kills himself simply to be with Antigone. This relates to what we talked about in class, about how back then, as is the case now, love is madness. The sheer image of Haemon, dieing, cradling Antigone close, is, a least to me, a scene belonging to a love story. It bears a remarkable resemblance to Romeo and Juliet, star cross'd lovers who, like Haemon and Antigone, were only together in death. To quote the Disney film, Hercules, "People do crazy things when they're in love."
Question: Did anybody else feel that connection to Romeo and Juliet or simply the fact that it was sorta romantic? Or am I just really hopeless? Eh? Eh?
I'm not ashamed to say I'm a hopeless romantic. Even though this whole quote may look like one person klling themselves after another, I, somehow, find it oddly romantic. Here we have Antigone, sentenced to death by her own Uncle, Creon, hanging herself. Upon finding her, her husband-to-be, Haemon, is heartbroken. We see him cradling her close, tears flowing from his eyes and he weeps over his love. Then, Creon has to come in and say, "WTF have you done, moron? Let's find your a new one." Imagine you the person you love the most, beit a significant other or simply a close friend. If you have found them lifeless, would you want someone to barge in and reprove you? You feel that anger you feel for that person? That's how Haemon feels toward Creon, and I feel his response was totally within reason. It was Creon's fault in the first place his son had to go through this heartbreak, and he's talking like Haemon did something wrong! After Creon runs, Haemon kills himself simply to be with Antigone. This relates to what we talked about in class, about how back then, as is the case now, love is madness. The sheer image of Haemon, dieing, cradling Antigone close, is, a least to me, a scene belonging to a love story. It bears a remarkable resemblance to Romeo and Juliet, star cross'd lovers who, like Haemon and Antigone, were only together in death. To quote the Disney film, Hercules, "People do crazy things when they're in love."
Question: Did anybody else feel that connection to Romeo and Juliet or simply the fact that it was sorta romantic? Or am I just really hopeless? Eh? Eh?
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Antigone Quote Significance-10/21
"So I beg you Father, don't entrench yourself in your own opinion as if everyone else was wrong. The kind of man who always thinks that he is right, that his opinions, his pronouncements, are the final word, is usually exposed as hollow as they come." Haemon, pg. 222
In this quote, Haemon is cautioning his father, Creon, of his actions. Creon has already argued with Antigone over the burial of Polyneices to no avail, and in his rage has sentenced Ismene to death by association, though she hasn't done anything "wrong" in the first place. Haemon, along with the rest of Thebes, believe that Creon is being a bit too hotheaded. When your own son tells you that something you did is wrong, you know you just screwed up majorly. This is a throwback to Oedipus, as he also was one who always thought that he was right, and in the end, he was exposed as the incestuous murderer he was fated to be. In Antigone, Creon is basically portraying the same role as Oedipus, as the hotheated, stubborn, no-I'm-the-best-you-suck character, and this quote is when someone comes right out and tells him that. Perhaps this is foreshadowing some event later in the book involving Creon, an event that will in effect knock him from his high pedestal, and expose him as "hollow".
Question: Will Haemon have more lines/a bigger role, or is he gone after this?
In this quote, Haemon is cautioning his father, Creon, of his actions. Creon has already argued with Antigone over the burial of Polyneices to no avail, and in his rage has sentenced Ismene to death by association, though she hasn't done anything "wrong" in the first place. Haemon, along with the rest of Thebes, believe that Creon is being a bit too hotheaded. When your own son tells you that something you did is wrong, you know you just screwed up majorly. This is a throwback to Oedipus, as he also was one who always thought that he was right, and in the end, he was exposed as the incestuous murderer he was fated to be. In Antigone, Creon is basically portraying the same role as Oedipus, as the hotheated, stubborn, no-I'm-the-best-you-suck character, and this quote is when someone comes right out and tells him that. Perhaps this is foreshadowing some event later in the book involving Creon, an event that will in effect knock him from his high pedestal, and expose him as "hollow".
Question: Will Haemon have more lines/a bigger role, or is he gone after this?
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