Creative: Diary Entry of the Mother
How dare he! Disrespect me like that, I'll show him! How does he not realize how much I love him? He is my last son; my last tie to this miserable planet. Curse those knives! For without them, war would not be here and my husband be alive and well along with my elder son. But my living blood now rejects and distances himself from me. I do not understand why he spends so much time in that vineyard of him. It's almost as if the money is the only thing tethering him down. And that girl, she is my greatest fear. The fear that he will reside in his home with her for years to come. Never will he come pay me a visit. She and that vineyard shall both consume him to death, leaving me alone with myself. Oh how I adore him so; to see him corrupted is just heartbreaking. Her past is the venom that will do it too. That Leonardo, he is the main threat to her. And one infected the wife, the spouse falls too. Oh my greif! I do not foresee any possible route out of this.
If there is any way to prevent these harms from falling upon my son, come to me now! He is the sun of my day, the sole love of my life. I'd be consumed by greif if I were to ruin his newly found life, but then again, it is my duty as his maternal figure to protect him at all costs. I would give every day of my life to greif if I could ensure that he is alive and well, unplagued by the knives.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Comments: Journal 7
Kyla Padbury:
Good evaluation! I like how you said that the reader knows what's going to happen from the very beginning. In other tragedies, readers have to piece together the outcome, but this possibly adds to the suspense and tension that is created.
Tania Predovic:
AHH this is so good! The language is perfect! I love the poetic nature of the entry. This is definitely something Oedipus would have confessed. The part about being self destructive and "creating abominations" is wonderful! Nice Job Tania
Eddie Tea:
Good concepts sir! There are a lot of decent ideas for a paper if you can connect them with an image or symbol. The snowball effect and splitting relationships are good descriptions.
Good evaluation! I like how you said that the reader knows what's going to happen from the very beginning. In other tragedies, readers have to piece together the outcome, but this possibly adds to the suspense and tension that is created.
Tania Predovic:
AHH this is so good! The language is perfect! I love the poetic nature of the entry. This is definitely something Oedipus would have confessed. The part about being self destructive and "creating abominations" is wonderful! Nice Job Tania
Eddie Tea:
Good concepts sir! There are a lot of decent ideas for a paper if you can connect them with an image or symbol. The snowball effect and splitting relationships are good descriptions.
Wild Duck: Journal 6
An entry in Gina's Diary:
Dear Diary,
I feel as if there is more to the child Hedvig than what people are letting on. She acts in an entirely immature way and the girl is fourteen! Fourteen years old! This is simply outrageous. I cannot imagine raising my own kid to be such a bratty, needy kid to the point of throwing a fit if she does not get candy. But seeing as I hold the power in this family, I do not feel like it should bother me.
I control physical matters such as our money and finances. Hjalmar does not know about his money, im pretty sure. But, I also control other intangible matters. I believe in living through the idea of "ignorance is bliss". The reality of not knowing the truth is sometimes better for the soul rather than having that knowledge and becoming self destructive or depressed. The reality of the truth of this family lies with me. I do not want the others to find out the truth of Hedvig and her origins, including her father. They may not understand or even realize that what I'm doing is protecting them. Being of a high social class is decent and well respected, but isolating at times. What really causes the unhappiness is falling down from such a high perch and then being criticized for it. If the knowledge of Gina would get out, then the ramifications could be catastrophic. I will do everything possible to keep this family together, protected, and respected among the high social classes.
Sincerely, Gina
Dear Diary,
I feel as if there is more to the child Hedvig than what people are letting on. She acts in an entirely immature way and the girl is fourteen! Fourteen years old! This is simply outrageous. I cannot imagine raising my own kid to be such a bratty, needy kid to the point of throwing a fit if she does not get candy. But seeing as I hold the power in this family, I do not feel like it should bother me.
I control physical matters such as our money and finances. Hjalmar does not know about his money, im pretty sure. But, I also control other intangible matters. I believe in living through the idea of "ignorance is bliss". The reality of not knowing the truth is sometimes better for the soul rather than having that knowledge and becoming self destructive or depressed. The reality of the truth of this family lies with me. I do not want the others to find out the truth of Hedvig and her origins, including her father. They may not understand or even realize that what I'm doing is protecting them. Being of a high social class is decent and well respected, but isolating at times. What really causes the unhappiness is falling down from such a high perch and then being criticized for it. If the knowledge of Gina would get out, then the ramifications could be catastrophic. I will do everything possible to keep this family together, protected, and respected among the high social classes.
Sincerely, Gina
Monday, May 23, 2011
Wild Duck: Journal 5
A dramatist often creates a gap between what the audience knows and what the characters know. With reference to at least two plays, discuss how and to what effect dramatists have used this technique.
Like in many tragedies, Sophocles, Shakespeare, and Ibsen all integrate foreshadowing, irony, and comedy into their plays. For example, the image of blindness and absence of sight occur all throughout "Oedipus the King". This is ironic because in the end of the play, Oedipus gouges out his own eyes as a last ditch effort to escape the mental and emotional anguish in his life. Also, Shakespeare hints at the death of Romeo and Juliet through the constant brawls and war between their families. The fighting would ultimately unravel the relationship until they entered the solace of death. In Ibsen, the family almost takes on the mentality of ignorance is bliss. The less they know about something, the happier they are and the less difficult their life is. This mentality is also prevalent in Oedipus the King where he seeks to know about his prophecy, but eventually drives him to insanity.
These examples give a gap between what the audience and the characters know. With enough foreshadowing, the reader can predict pretty accurately what happens in the plot before it occurs. Yet, with this knowledge brings a tension that creates suspense in the reader. The suspense drives the reader to continue reading, compelling them to inform the character of the knowledge that is being witheld. But usually, the knowledge only presents itself to the character right before their death, or tragic fall from grace or power.
Like in many tragedies, Sophocles, Shakespeare, and Ibsen all integrate foreshadowing, irony, and comedy into their plays. For example, the image of blindness and absence of sight occur all throughout "Oedipus the King". This is ironic because in the end of the play, Oedipus gouges out his own eyes as a last ditch effort to escape the mental and emotional anguish in his life. Also, Shakespeare hints at the death of Romeo and Juliet through the constant brawls and war between their families. The fighting would ultimately unravel the relationship until they entered the solace of death. In Ibsen, the family almost takes on the mentality of ignorance is bliss. The less they know about something, the happier they are and the less difficult their life is. This mentality is also prevalent in Oedipus the King where he seeks to know about his prophecy, but eventually drives him to insanity.
These examples give a gap between what the audience and the characters know. With enough foreshadowing, the reader can predict pretty accurately what happens in the plot before it occurs. Yet, with this knowledge brings a tension that creates suspense in the reader. The suspense drives the reader to continue reading, compelling them to inform the character of the knowledge that is being witheld. But usually, the knowledge only presents itself to the character right before their death, or tragic fall from grace or power.
Wild Duck: Journal 4
A writer usually attempts to create a bond of trust between writer and reader. How and to what extent have at least two writers you have studied been able to elicit your trust?
Sophocles:
The Greek author really takes a stride to evoke strong emotions through dramatic scenes in order for the reader to feel attached to the situation that is unfolding. He immerses the reader into the story as if he is showing them a glimpse of the past. The relationship between the author and the reader is not intimate, but still is very powerful. The tragic feelings of anger, hate, confusion, and horror are all conveyed by Sophocles to the reader. With these deep emotional connections, the reader gains trust in the author and therefore finds them reliable. This is a good and bad situation. If the reader trusts the author, then the story unfolds faster and the ending is more predictable. Yet, if the author is unreliable, then the trust is tested and therefore creating either suspense or distaste towards the author. Sophocles did a good job giving trust to the reader because he himself was not a part of the play, but still kept the reader connected through the emotions and conflicts, both internal and external.
Ibsen:
The Norwegian author takes a much different approach than the ancient Greek author, Sophocles. Ibsen still tells the story in 3rd person like Sophocles, but does not evoke very strong emotions like those of Oedipus. Instead, he convinces the reader that he is talking about their family. He gains their trust because he feels it is not about the emotions, social and physical happiness. This author takes a more personal approach to gaining the trust rather than beating the reader up with the intense emotions of a Greek tragedy. He relates family issues to what the reader might have experienced or been involved with before
Sophocles:
The Greek author really takes a stride to evoke strong emotions through dramatic scenes in order for the reader to feel attached to the situation that is unfolding. He immerses the reader into the story as if he is showing them a glimpse of the past. The relationship between the author and the reader is not intimate, but still is very powerful. The tragic feelings of anger, hate, confusion, and horror are all conveyed by Sophocles to the reader. With these deep emotional connections, the reader gains trust in the author and therefore finds them reliable. This is a good and bad situation. If the reader trusts the author, then the story unfolds faster and the ending is more predictable. Yet, if the author is unreliable, then the trust is tested and therefore creating either suspense or distaste towards the author. Sophocles did a good job giving trust to the reader because he himself was not a part of the play, but still kept the reader connected through the emotions and conflicts, both internal and external.
Ibsen:
The Norwegian author takes a much different approach than the ancient Greek author, Sophocles. Ibsen still tells the story in 3rd person like Sophocles, but does not evoke very strong emotions like those of Oedipus. Instead, he convinces the reader that he is talking about their family. He gains their trust because he feels it is not about the emotions, social and physical happiness. This author takes a more personal approach to gaining the trust rather than beating the reader up with the intense emotions of a Greek tragedy. He relates family issues to what the reader might have experienced or been involved with before
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Oedipus: Journal 3
What effect does the setting have on story, character, theme?
The play "Oedipus the King" was written by Sophocles in ancient Greece during the festival of Dionysus. With this context, the play was intentionally written for the Greek audience at that festival. Going off of that, outside information regarding well-known figures such as the multitude of gods, cities, and notable figures (such as Tiresias) is limited to the modern day reader. The interpretation of the play is very different for one who knows the background knowledge and one who doesn't.
For example, if a reader didn't understand the legend behind Tiresias and what curse he holds, then the story would project him as some crazy, absent-minded prophet. Therefore, the setting of Greece and its culture influence how the story, characters, and the themes are interpreted. Also, the ancient location gives a more barbaric tone towards the actions of characters and what emotions are evoked. In these tragedies, the emotions are very amplified in order to clearly convey the theme the playwright is conveying. Since there weren't many costumes, the masks used for facial expressions had to be complimented with great emotional portrayal.
The setting also plays a part onto the story because of the importance of borders, cities, and wars. City-states would fight all out wars for the small percentage of farmland available since most of Greece was mountainous and very steep. This shines a light on how vital crops were to the survival of the people. During the play, Oedipus is criticized for not attempting to help his people to recover from the plague and famine spreading. He chose to carry on his personal mission rather than take on the daunting task of feeding his people, thus adding to the prophecy's accuracy of his self destruction.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Oedipus: Journal 2
Readers are attracted to moments of intensity in a writer’s work. By what means and with what effect have writers in your study offered heightened emotional moments designed to arrest the reader’s attention?
Sophocles creates a mystery with Oedipus and his complex prophecy. He draws the reader in with high tension and suspense. Oedipus' rage and self-destructive anger prove to be an interesting characteristic that attracts readers. They want to keep solving the mystery and following the anger displaced by Oedipus' frustration. Sophocles ultimately hooks and carries the reader through the story because of double meaning, foreshadowing, and tension. Through inferring and close attention to detail, readers will understand the elevating situation and predict accurately the outcome. It is this knowledge of what is going to happen when the character doesn't that creates the suspense. Sophocles plays off of that suspense and directs it into the storyline. The suspense of discovery ultimately leads to the unraveling of Oedipus. His lack of fathom prevents him from comprehending the information that the prophecies predicted. The pattern with effective writing is that in order to connect a reader to the story they are reading is to impact them emotionally. When someone is depressed, we extend a sympathetic hand. When someone is joyful, we celebrate with them. When someone is angry, we watch in astonishment the destructive force they become. Whether fiction or not, humans relate to characters just the same way they would with real people. Intense emotion is the key to drawing in a reader and compelling them to continue reading. Books like "The Stranger" lack this intense emotional connection, leading toward a dry, boring book that many people consider distasteful.
Sophocles creates a mystery with Oedipus and his complex prophecy. He draws the reader in with high tension and suspense. Oedipus' rage and self-destructive anger prove to be an interesting characteristic that attracts readers. They want to keep solving the mystery and following the anger displaced by Oedipus' frustration. Sophocles ultimately hooks and carries the reader through the story because of double meaning, foreshadowing, and tension. Through inferring and close attention to detail, readers will understand the elevating situation and predict accurately the outcome. It is this knowledge of what is going to happen when the character doesn't that creates the suspense. Sophocles plays off of that suspense and directs it into the storyline. The suspense of discovery ultimately leads to the unraveling of Oedipus. His lack of fathom prevents him from comprehending the information that the prophecies predicted. The pattern with effective writing is that in order to connect a reader to the story they are reading is to impact them emotionally. When someone is depressed, we extend a sympathetic hand. When someone is joyful, we celebrate with them. When someone is angry, we watch in astonishment the destructive force they become. Whether fiction or not, humans relate to characters just the same way they would with real people. Intense emotion is the key to drawing in a reader and compelling them to continue reading. Books like "The Stranger" lack this intense emotional connection, leading toward a dry, boring book that many people consider distasteful.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Oedipus: Journal 1
Point of View
The story of Oedipus the King is told through a 3rd person limited point of view since this is a Greek play. The story is told through dialogue of the characters, but also stage directions. The directions serve as behaviors that the characters carry out as well as description of the setting. The actual narration is reliable since it is 3rd person. However, since there are long monologues, the reader naturally feels that the story is being told through those main characters. Through this point of view, the narrator is unreliable since the characters all have arguments and biased anger towards others. The reader understands the desires, thoughts, and beliefs of characters because each one states, and almost declares what emotions are stirring within them. Using this method, the author makes it quite clear which character readers or observers want to sympathize with and those who are hated.
The story of Oedipus the King is told through a 3rd person limited point of view since this is a Greek play. The story is told through dialogue of the characters, but also stage directions. The directions serve as behaviors that the characters carry out as well as description of the setting. The actual narration is reliable since it is 3rd person. However, since there are long monologues, the reader naturally feels that the story is being told through those main characters. Through this point of view, the narrator is unreliable since the characters all have arguments and biased anger towards others. The reader understands the desires, thoughts, and beliefs of characters because each one states, and almost declares what emotions are stirring within them. Using this method, the author makes it quite clear which character readers or observers want to sympathize with and those who are hated.
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