DRJ #3: Othello, Act III

My initial reaction while reading this act was very shocked. I couldn’t believe how Iago was planting all these different thoughts of Cassio and Desdemona into Othello’s head. He instigates everything! In this act, Othello reminds me of this one girl in high school who would believe anything and was insecure about herself. She always thought she wasn’t good enough for anyone and believed a lot of things people told her.

Although Othello is great and valiant in the battlefield, he is very insecure about himself. Since Othello is not from the same origin as everyone else and has a different background his insecurities about himself gets the best of him.  In the third act, Iago’s plan to destroy Othello starts to build up. When Iago is alone with Othello, he starts initiating these thoughts about Desdemona having an affair with Cassio.  When Othello hears all of this, his mind starts to doubt about whether he is truly right for Desdemona. He says “haply, for I am black and have not those soft parts of conversation..” (III.III.263). Sine he is so different from all the other guys he is questioning himself and his marriage with Desdemona. He questions why Desdemona would ever choose him as a husband.

Shakespeare uses characterization through Othello to portray how insecurities can take a huge toll on one’s life and their relationships. Othello’s insecurities about his race and his background really question’s his love and marriage with Desdemona. Although he never showed his insecurities in the beginning of the play, maybe he was thinking about his differences from every one else and was too arrogant to show it. 

BEC CCTWQ #8 Alice Walker, Roselily

He is ready for this new stage. He is ready to take her in and support her and treasure her. Everything and anything will be done for her. He will give her what she always wanted: freedom. Freedom to have a new life and to just relax. Freedom for her to stay at home and not have to worry about working! He cannot wait. He leans in for that passionate and wonderful kiss from his new bride. While everyone shouts and cheers for the newlyweds, he hopes for everyone to accept the fact that he is not a Christian. He wants to fit in. While walking through the crowd he feels like he is ready for this new journey with her. But is she really ready?

DRJ #2: Othello, Act II

While reading through this Act, Cassio really reminded me of my friend. He’s a really good guy with the right intentions and everyone loves him! However, he sometimes falls into peer pressure and sometimes gets stuck in stupid drama that has nothing to do with him.

Unlike Iago, Cassio truly loves and adores Othello. When Cassio gets drunk and starts a fight with Montano, Othello takes Cassio’s position away as lieutenant. He is deeply hurt by this and is very worried about his reputation. Although he got drunk and fought with an innocent man, he took responsibility for his actions. He blamed no one even though Iago pressured him into getting drunk. I think that Cassio is uses as a foiling character to oppose Iago’s defiant character. While Cassio is very honest, Iago is very deceiving.

The reoccurrence of loyalty through Cassio illustrates how this can really make or break a relationship. Cassio is very loyal to Othello. He loves him and cares for his safety. For example, when Cassio loses Othello during the storm he says “Oh, let the heavens give him defense against the elements.” He also cares for his relationship between him and Desdemona. He says to Montano, “Great Jove, Othello guard,and swell his sail with thine own powerful breath, that he may bless this bay with his tall ship, make love’s quick pants in Desdemona’s arms.” Since these two have been friends for such a long time, Cassio’s loyalty will always be toward Cassio. Although that Othello believes that Cassio is not loyal to him anymore, Cassio wants to plead his case to Desdemona so he can gain that trust and loyalty back from Othello. 

DRJ #2: Othello, Act I

Iago’s character definitely reminds me of a girl I knew in high school. She would always be jealous of someone if she couldn’t get her way and would be furious if something did not go right. Just like Iago, she was very manipulative and deceiving.

                Iago is definitely the antagonist character. He will try to cause pain in anyone he can. He is mad at Othello for giving his lieutenant position to Cassio who he feels is not worthy for the job. He will manipulate anyone to get what he wants. As the antagonist, he definitely causes conflict intentionally.  For example, he uses Rodrigo’s love for Desdemona to set up a bad reputation for Othello. He likes to have others working to serve him and to do what he wants them to do. His ultimate goal is to take down Othello and he’ll hurt anyone even Desdemona, Rodrigo, and his own wife to take him down.

                Shakespeare portrays the element of jealousy and hatred through the character of Iago. He is trying to illustrate that jealousy can destroy anyone.  He is so jealous that Cassio was chosen to be Othello’s lieutenant instead of him. Because of this, his hatred to Othello is shown. Through Iago’s character, he manipulates Rodrigo into giving Othello a bad reputation to Brabantio. His hatred for Othello makes him think that destroying anyone would be acceptable if it also hurts Othello. 

SSRJ 2: Walker

When I was reading the first paragraph of this story, I thought that this guy was horrible. How could he do such things? But then again I felt really sorry for him. I’m sure there are many men today who have experience the Vietnam War that feel the way he felt. While the story progressed, I could understand why he felt so guilty and ashamed of what he had done in the past.

In Daly Walkers, “I am the Grass”, he describes a man’s tragic story in the Vietnam War. His experiences in the war included torturing and harming innocent natives. All these terrible memories have been haunting him for the past twenty years and does not feel like he could share these memories with his wife and daughter. He decides to go to medical school and become a doctor. He travels to Vietnam to do surgery on kids but really hopes to repair the damage he has done in the past. While he’s there, he meets another surgeon, Dinh, who has also served in the war and they both create a special connection with each other. Dinh has lost both of his thumbs in the war and had asked the surgeon to repair them but the operation failed.

On literary element that stands out in this story is setting. Setting plays a major role in this story in order for the readers to better understand. On the surgeon’s flight to Vietnam he describes the setting in great detail. “I see a green patchwork of paddies and fields of grass, dirt roads whose iron-red dust choked me, whose mud caked my jungle boots.” Every aspect of Vietnam reminds him of the war. “I climb out of the van and stand, looking at acres of elephant grass blasted by the tropical sun. I think of Long Binh when it was an enormous military base, a sandbag city of tents, barbed wire, and bunkers.”  The setting described in great detail triggers the surgeon’s memory of his horrible past. While out to dinner with Dinh, he describes how Vietnam seems so serene now. “I gaze out at Long Binh’s grass. It ripples in hot wind like folds of silk.” The use of setting in this story attracts the reader to be more intrigued. If the story had been told from a different place it would not have the same effect.

What is the real symbolism of the failure of Dinh’s thumb repair surgery? 

Chopin Thesis

Thesis #1

Chopin’s theme about women’s struggles during this time is described through the setting and the imagery Chopin uses.  Since women struggled with their own rights, especially while married; during this time Mrs. Mallard feels a sense of freedom and looks at life with a new and clear view.  As she is staring outside of her window she notices “the delicious breath of rain in the air. The notes of a distant song which some one was singing reached her faintly, and countless sparrows were twittering in the eaves.”

Thesis #2

                Chopin uses societal pressures to portray Mrs. Mallard’s physical and mental condition during this story. One major societal pressure of a woman is to have children. As a widow she states “there would be no one to live for..” The fact that children are absent in this story portrays Mrs. Mallard as a failure to society by not bearing children. 

SSRJ #1: Hemmingway

While reading “Soldiers Home” written by Ernest Hemmingway, I felt that I could relate to the soldier.  There were many times in my life where I just felt so lost and confused. For example, right now in my life I am so confused about what I want to major in and what I want my future to look like. There are many people today who have this sort of feeling.

                Hemmingway uses setting as the literary element to use for this story.  In “Soldiers Home,” Krebs comes home from being in the war for so long. He is having a tough time conforming back to the society he once lived in and is having a hard time figuring out what his next chapter is in life.  Hemmingway uses the setting to make a valuable point in this story. The setting in this story, according to the soldier Kreb, was not what he expected. Instead of a warm welcoming like he expected, he got the feeling like no one wanted to listen to him. “Later he felt the need to talk but no one wanted to hear about it.” Kreb needs to realize that he must move on from the war. Hemmingway uses this type of setting to illustrate that one needs to move on to bigger and better things in life after one chapter has closed. According to the mother in this story she says to Kreb, “But you’ve got to make a start at something.”

                While analyzing the story, let’s think about why is it so hard for Kreb to move on from being a soldier in war to a free civilian?

Get to know me!

Hey guys! Well my name is Ashley Seisa. I'm 18 and have been at Sierra for a year now. I graduated in 2011 from Forest Lake Christian School. I was really nervous coming to Sierra because I went to Forest Lake all my life so coming to a new school for the first time was pretty interesting. I love to dance. I dance at Insync in Auburn. You can catch me there probably every day of the week :) I dance ballet, jazz, tap, and hip hop. Ballet is my favorite :) I also like to just hang out and relax with some family and friends. For this English class, I'm hoping to understand and learn more about literature.